Richard Del Connor

Mirror .XYZ Crowdfund

August 16, 2022

Today I launched the FIRST Tai Chi Youth CROWDFUND in Web3 with payments in ETH.

If you don’t know what ETH or Web3 are you can still go to https://www.taichiyouth.org/donate/index.htmlwhere we’ve been receiving donations the old-fashioned website way since 1999 using PayPal, credit cards and debit cards.  

https://www.taichiyouth.org/donate/index.html

Back to my momentous accomplishment:  Our first CRYPTO CROWDFUND of Tai Chi Youth nonprofit founded 1996 for “troubled youth” in prisons, and rehabilitation centers.  The program made me so famous I had dozens of job offers I had to refuse.  I was a Mr. Mom in the 1990s and dragged me daughter around to my Shaolin Chi Mantis and Tai Chi Youth classes where she became an ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR at the age of 5 in 1996 when I launched the Tai Chi Youth programs in a YWCA, Continuing Education Program (Night school), Church of Religious Science, Unitarian Church, 3 elementary schools, a middle school, 2 high schools, 2 rehabs, and the Salt Lake City Parks & Recreation where I produced up to 3 Tai Chi tournaments each year.

Tai Chi Youth programs have been used for homeschooling children and is certified by the California Board of Education to qualify as a Physical Education program satisfying High School graduation requirements. 

Hundreds of lives have been improved by Tai Chi Youth… but let’s get back to this historic CRYPTO CROWDFUND of Tai Chi Youth I launched today.

I’ve been studying the crypto world of tokens, coins, NFTs, Web3, DeFi, blockchain technology, network bridging, crypto centralization and decentralized purchasing and storage in hot wallets and cold wallets.  I know a little about everything.   Last year I created the Tai Chi Youth DAO as a new form of blockchain GOVERNANCE to augment our traditional Tai Chi Youth BOARD OF TRUSTEES of our nonprofit.  Contact me if you want to get involved.  Spoiler Alert:  The Tai Chi Youth DAO will also be launching our first DAO DeFi fundraiser during September next month.

Here’s what I did:  

1.  I created an “EDITION” fundraiser at Mirror .XYZ first.  Yes, the Web3 world has different web addresses.  Tai Chi Youth has an NFT collection at https://OpenSea.io/taichiyouth 

This “EDITION” I published today is an NFT I minted at Mirror.XYZ and they will collect “ETH” payments and deposit them into our Crypto wallet of Tai Chi Youth.

A CRYPTO WALLET is like a bank account that anyone can deposit crypto money into.  

This “EDITION” gave me a glimpse into my new platform: Mirror.XYZ

SO:  You can donate to Tai Chi Youth by purchasing ONE of these NFTs limited to 100 copies for 0.1 ETH

The price of “ETH” changes daily but today that  was = $1,900 per ETH today so 0.1 ETH = $190—

Here’s the address to look at/purchase this NFT titled: “Ming Tai Chi Crane Wing”

https://mirror.xyz/0x44043C6DFB93765434D1c7b6E413fD88df3F2cc5/editions/0xe6098D276b6e8C4D05111418153A3f6E5FAbaE17/0

2.  So then I created the CROWDFUND at Mirror .XYZ.

This is really cool but a little complicated.  

You go to this crowdfund and BUY an NFT.  That money goes into the Tai Chi Youth NONPROFIT CRYPTO WALLET connected to the nonprofit bank account at Wells Fargo.  I can explain this “transfer process” later or give me a call, I enjoy teaching people about blockchain technology.  Maybe I’ll start a podcast…

You now OWN this NFT.  Each of these 4 different NFTs correspond to a different donation size and each one has a different number of possible “mintings.”  Just like “MINTING MONEY” you “MINT AN NFT” which can be resold for a loss or profit or kept as a collectible in your “NFT COLLECTION.”  

https://mirror.xyz/0x44043C6DFB93765434D1c7b6E413fD88df3F2cc5/crowdfunds/0x991e9521BAaa592e3656a678acCc23a0647aFA40

3.  Then I created my first “TEXT NFT” (but I put a picture in it anyway).  I didn’t know these existed until today.  I can write an essay/document and then create a “TEXT NFT” that people can purchase in limited minting supplies for collection, resale or in this case have a document commemorating a CROWDFUND LAUNCH.  Some people collect these crowdfund announcements.  So I created a CROWDFUND LAUNCH TEXT NFT that people can buy of a limited number.  This is CROWDFUND #3 of the Mirror.XYZ Tai Chi Youth Online School Crowdfund.

https://mirror.xyz/0x44043C6DFB93765434D1c7b6E413fD88df3F2cc5/IcULscmw23VyBc3pccwUf3AqjfNUh08NmFq2CMzLQC4

4.  Whew!  I’ve been studying and talking to people who know more about this than I do for the past month and discovered CROWDFUND PART 4.

It’s called a “Patron Podium.”  (I’d never heard of this before either).

This is where the top 3 highest donors fight to be first place like an auction—but it is for prestige.  

So I had to create 3 NFTs for these guys to fight for and win with the largest donations to the Tai Chi Youth Online School Crowdfund.

So today I just launched 4 CROWDFUNDS at the mirror .xyz WEB3 site although 99% of YOU PEOPLE reading this probably have NO IDEA what I’m talking about.  

Well, until I got cancer chemotherapy last year and laid on my back for four months listening to videos and audiobooks explaining this stuff, I didn’t know anything either. 

Call me if you want to know more.

Check this out and be impressed by how cool and nerdy I am.  “Tai Chi Youth Online School Crowdfund” at MIRROR .XYZ

Buy an NFT and join the future that our kids our going to learn about in kindergarten.  In 1995 I didn’t know how to operate a computer on the internet until I became a “TEACHER’S AID” for my daughter’s kindergarten class.  The teacher taught me how to use the internet and then I taught each of the kids how to use a computer and get onto the internet while she went back to keeping the rug rats occupied.   

Call me for more info.  Text me a compliment about how cool I am.  Welcome to the future!

https://mirror.xyz/0x44043C6DFB93765434D1c7b6E413fD88df3F2cc5/crowdfunds/0x991e9521BAaa592e3656a678acCc23a0647aFA40

Daily Taoist 1_69 – Richard Del Connor Patreon Ad for Daily Taoist Podcast Series he is Producing

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 69 “PATREON account ad #2”

Hello there. Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang. I’m also Richard Del Connor.

I finished my cancer radiation and chemotherapy for colon cancer in August 2021. I’m writing this in September and I’m only able to work normally the past couple weeks. In another month we will check to see if the cancer is gone. My doctor says: “You’re still cooking. That radiation has accumulated each day over the two months of daily treatments.”

Bear has been supportive as I limp from bed to cat bowl.

I have two Patreon accounts. So I think this is going to be INTRO for my BUDDHA ZHEN account where I do Taoism, and Buddhism, and Confucianism and also Strategy based on Sun Tzu.

Patreon.com/BuddhaZ

Patreon.com/RichardDelConnor

Well, actually there’s two books called THE ART OF WAR.

But anyway. All that oriental military– not military martial arts philosophy.

And the Original Buddhism. Also Zen Buddhism. And I’m also teaching Kung Fu but you can’t see all my weapons here.

Well anyway, Shaolin Kung Fu, Taoism, Buddhism. I’m gonna be able to start pumping them out.

I just got settled up here in Lancaster. I’ve got an iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Coming to you now. I’m an iPhoneographer.

===================================

Patreon.com/RichardDelConnor
     Producer/Writer/Director/Web Designer
     Author, composer, “Philosopher Poet”

Patreon.com/BuddhaZ
     Founder of Shaolin Chi Mantis, Buddha Kung Fu, Tai Chi Youth
     Author, composer, Chinese folk music artist

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.  ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_65 – Buddha Zhen AD#2 for “Daily Taoist” Podcast Series

YouTube Video TRASCRIPT: Daily Taoist 65 “AD #2”

Another little quick ad: Join me, for my TAO OF TAOISM. This is my copy. Doesn’t look so pretty.

Come on by. It looks like this actually on the inside.

You’ve got to fill-in all the answers. And I’m kind of filling in the answers by talking them through.

Kind of… maybe… embarrassing myself.

I don’t think so. But I’m sure there might be some. [laughs]

Of course, some things I don’t think are embarrassing you’re gonna say, “Oh my goodness!”

Anyway. Come along on my journey.

Buddha Zhen here. Reading my book, the author copy of the TAO OF TAOISM.

And its’-actually–This little journey is dedicated to my best friend Oscar Noel Barrera. Who passed away last Friday.

And so I’m kind of motivated to do this. He was my Taoist disciple and–

Oscar, you’re an inspiration.

==================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.  ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_62 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #35 But He is Cut Short to Wipe His Cat’s Butt

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 62 — Tao #35

Alright. We’re getting closer to the end of the book. Remember, if this works– Remember? I had to angle down for my kitty cat being here. Reposition this any better?

You need to SHARE this and make this some sort of success for me. Otherwise, why would I continue it? But I’ve got a whole bunch of them here. I was thinking about it when I was just in the restroom thinking, “What happens if I pass away and I don’t post for a couple years? Is Instagram gonna [SNIP] my account? And all this stuff that I’m hoping to enlighten the future and the world with–is it going to just evaporate and disappear?” POP. One day it’s here and the next day it’s gone? I don’t know. I’m a strategist but I don’t know the answer to that strategy. I’d like to think part of my strategy was to put it here and then hopefully it would enlighten some people but I’m actually hoping that maybe it might garner some sort of an interest and a following. So I’m fishing. I’m fishing to see if this gonna– this thing’s gonna promote my future. Or is it just a distraction?

But it’s a great distraction. I’ve learned a lot from just helping you and hopefully by being here it’ll help you. And if they’ll leave it here after I die. You know. If they’ll actually let this be here. In a hundred years somebody’ll stumble on this go, “Wow! There’s some good information in here. I feel a lot better and I can fix a few problems.” You know, that’d be beneficial. But i don’t know. I don’t know if Instagram’s gonna leave this here.

Let’s…help me anyway… figure out the future of this. What’s going on with the Daily Taoist? I’m the Daily Taoist. And my cat seems to be wanting to go up there onto the counter for some reason. I don’t usually let him up on the sink. And he shouldn’t be allowed on the sink. But the fact he wants to go up there’s got my interest.

[to cat] “Why do you want to get up there little buddy?” I’m trying to understand his Tao. His Nature. “What is it you want? What time is it?” Maybe he wants something to eat. Let me finish. I’m gonna take a break when I’m done.” I think I’m. How many more do I have to do? I’m on #35. WHAT?! This can’t be the last one! I’ve been blasting. I didn’t realize it. Two pages long and then I could show you the BIBLIOGRAPHY if I have time. Whole bunch of ads. Sheesh. It’s insulting how many ads. I mean it’s kind of gross how many ads i put in here. I think. I think. But I was working– I was fishing hard. I was trying hard. I was reaching our for some sort of sales. In fact, one of my items, my– all my CafePress has been stolen. I tried. I went online. I saw one of my shirts. And I clicked on it. Somebody else is selling my shirt. I’ve been ripped off. My artwork’s been stolen. People are printing shirts with my praying mantis on it. So anyway. I’m getting ripped off.

These are things I need to take under control. And control would give me some–

Anyway. Here we go.

#35. Let’s wrap this up. This is our– maybe our last one if I can do one and a half pages. And in less than fifteen minutes.

Richard Del Connor. Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang. Author of the TAO OF TAOISM – USING THE DAO TE CHING TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE. The original book is called the BOOK OF CHANGES or DAO TE CHING written by Lao Tzu 2,500 years ago. At least 2,200 years ago.

Here we go. #35. And there’s 80 of them, but this is the last one in this book.

A person who is aware of ultimate realities attracts the confidence of others through security, contentment, and self-satisfaction.

I’m going to read that again and this is a quandary of mine. This qauestion here is the one I’ve been asking myself over and over again the last few months I’ve been living here.

Hey. My cat’s gonna do something. I may have to take a break here.

[to cat] Is this a wee-wee or a poo-poo buddhy? .

I think I’m gonna take a break. He is– When he has a poo-poo now. I wipe his butt every time. So… um…

[to cat] “Hello there little buddy. Is this a poo-poo? Let me get a tissue here. Hi buds.” I thought of this earlier. Never seen it probably on film before. A guy wiping a cat’s butt? If I can get it on camera here. “You get it buddy? Alright buddy. Come here. I’ll get it. Okay. Come here. Come here Bud. Alright.”

He’s burrying it. Now he’s calling me. That’s how he calls me. “Okay. I’ll come clean it up. Alright. I got it.” He’s scratching the outside. “Yes. Yes.” He’s scratching the outside rim. “Come here Buddy. Come here Buddy. I’ll wipe you now. Here’s a tissue. Good boy. Yes you are. Good boy. Come here. A little more. Thank you. Alright? I didn’t really need to clean your butt in the camera… But… Here we go.”

Alright? So there you go. That’s it. [LAUGHS] [HAND WASHING] They say you’re supposed to wash your hands long enough for a song. Don’t know if I’ll do that. In a situation like this I use soap and water. And do a good job. The other day i went to wipe his butt and I didn’t end up wiping it. And I washed up real quick, and I thought to myself, “Oh! I’ll bet if somebody saw that video they’ll think I didn’t wash my hands good. [LAUGHS]

Alright. We’re at five minutes and we haven’t even started? And we had to do a page and a half–Maybe we should just start this one over. “Bear. Were you a total distraction for this? I think you just knocked out most of my time here.”

Alright. We’ll make that the BEAR BUTT BREAK I guess. And we’ll start that one over again.

================================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.  ASCAP

Daily Taoist 1_Reads TAO #33D – Creating Path in Life DESIGNED by Self, Not Others.

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 59 #33d

Alright. Back again. Daily Taoist here, Buddha Zhen. Reading from the TAO OF TAOISM written by me. Based on the DAO of Dao Te Ching or BOOK OF CHANGES by Lao Tzu, 2,200 years ago. I’m on page–well, not page but #33— actually “d” wasn’t it? This #33 has four parts to it. I broke it into four parts because it just had so much…

#33. We went from #33a and answered these questions. We went to #33b and asked these. “c” we just finished. [No. skipped accidentally] Now we’re on #33d. Let’s see what happens over here.

To create one’s own path in life
is an external achievement
beyond walking a path designed by other persons.

Period.

Read it again. And then you can say, “Hey! You’re the poster child for that one.”

To create one’s own path in life
is an external achievement beyond walking a path designed by other persons.

As I’ve said in all these many stories: is that my parents have been trying to get me to walk their path. Walk that path. You know… They’ve just been– In fact I got disinherited because I wouldn’t walk their path. They said, “If you’re not going to walk this path then we’re gonna kick you out of the tribe and the herd and everything. You can’t come back.”

When you hear people say things like that, they’re just down there in the low I.Q. range.

Okay. Here we go. Explain how parents, teachers, friends, religion.. influenced your path as a child. Yeah. We all got that. You’ve– We’ve all been influenced in different ways. So you’ve got to get it out. Get it all out there so you can see what you kept and what you didn’t keep. There may be things thatthey said you should go back to. I’m not saying– Put it all out. I gave you two lines. I think you need like ten.

Explain your teenage path influences.

Who influenced you as a teenager?

As a teenager it definitely wasn’t my parents. Not at all. Uh… So… who influenced? Remember, I grew up in the sixties. So when I think of who influenced me, they’d be people like John Lennon, and… Jimi Hendrix, and for writers…interesting, Abbie Hoffman, STEAL THIS BOOK. Ginsberg was the popular poet, but I didn’t really relate to him. So, not everything that was going on at that time harmonized my Tao. There was a lot of creative stuff. That’s the beautiful thing. It was such a huge Renaissance. There were people being creative in ways that I didn’t even appreciate. But they were being creative. They were being artistic. They were being– I don’t want to say abnormal– but “not normal.”

Okay. #33d: Walking your own path. Deciding this unique way you’re going to live your life. Which caused me to get kicked out of my own family. Just because I tried to be an individual.

Explain your teenage path influences.

Well now explain your young adult path influences. So once you turn 20–

See, once I hit 20 I was a recording engineer working in a studio. And so there were certain people who influenced my life. Like that famous drummer, uh Cappice, uh What’s wrong with me? I want to say, Armen Cappice [Carmine Appice] but that’s not it. The drummer from Vanilla Fudge. He started this institute and I enrolled in it. I met him. And then later, one of his prize students [drum student] Richard Augustine, who actually used to go visit and live with him and trained with him. One of his disciples was my drummer on the Temptation record. He does the song, “Carol.” He does “Billy Boy” also on another song on a different album. But anyway, he was an influence. I give him credit for that. Uh…let’s see and I would have to see the… producer of The Beatles. He gets a lot of credit. Because I was trying understand what he did. He inspired me. I mean back: engineering. “What might he do?” I would listen with headphones. “What did he do?”

Okay… Which of these influences are still incorporated in your path? And how?

Well obviously, Martin. He’s still influencing me. And… I’d like to think I made him proud. But he had a lot more resources than I do. But I’ve made good– In fact, people have been impressed with what I’ve done with my resources. So yes.

Which influences should be incorporated more and how?

Well that’s it. I’ve been– I’ve gone through Plato. I spent like four or five years going back to Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates. Read Marcus Aurelius maybe twice more. THE MEDITATIONS. Epictitus, I read him a couple of times. I’ve been going through all the philosophers in the last ten years trying to rebuild my life. It’s like gosh, after marriage, “What the heck am I going to do with myself?” This whole thing about being a steer in the herd is absurd for me. I had to reput… like: “BkBkBkBkBkBk” cram a bunch of information into me and see what I ended up.

So now I’m…trying to create the new me and go forward so: You’ll have to see what it is. I’m creating a brand new creature. I am a brand new creature. And I’m synthesizing myself very, very, um… I don’t know about systematically, but effectively and consistently so I’m kind of like cooking myself in my own shell. And I’m emerging right now.

So here we go.

Creating Your Path Requires Excluding People from your Life

Which influences should be excluded now from your path and why?

Like I said, that’s romance and love. Well I’ve got love. I’ve got my kitty. Chewing away. Oh.. but sex. Pursuit of sex and relationships like that. That’s definitely a waste of time for me now.

I’ve got lots of love songs. I’ve got hundreds of love songs so people might never know I don’t have a love life. I could just release one my songs and people’d go, “Man. This guy’s horny!” [LAUGHS] I wrote it 30 years ago.

How and why has your path become radically different from your influences?

Radically different? Well, who are my influences? Well, I look at my musical influences: Hendrix, um… Mick Abrahms, Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter. Those were some of my strongest influences as a guitar player.

[to cat] “Oh. Hi there buddy. Come on… Hello you.” He gave me that look.

What was the question. It had something to do with how have I become different from them? Well I decided that I exceeded them. I went, “WOW!” You know, Johnny Winter will always be the master just like my Kung Fu master Kam Yuen or Grandmaster Wong Jack Man. It doesn’t matter whether I ever was to try to think that I could beat them up. Doesn’t matter. Doesn’t matter if they’re frail or had broken legs they’re my master and you can’t think things like that. But you can think of you’ve done something– you’ve improved on what they’ve done. And I know that I teach a lot better than any of my masters. Okay? So I’ve improved on them that way.

Now, as far as a guitar player, I found that it interesting. Because Rory Gallagher; I held him in high esteem as a singer-songwriter and a guitar player. And I love him. He was very instrumental– He was a strong influence on me in the beginning. I saw him like 7 times in concerts. I was just like inches away from him. Inches. And I was very inspired by him. And… but to realize that, “Wow,” you know my songwriting just went [truck noise] right past him. His songwriting became very shallow and narrow. And my guitar playing expanded in so many different directions. He is an AMAZING guitar player. He can do like a dozen things amazingly well. And of those I do maybe 8 of them [laughs] really well. But I’ve got another 8 that I do well. So I’ve done– So anyway I’m just impressed that I was able to do what he does. And then do other stuff… And like I said, my songwriting definitely went far beyond him. In fact I felt so bad for him. Because I think he’s so talented. And I look up to him. And I was thinking, “I wish he had my music.” If he would’ve recorded my songs he could’ve maybe been much more successful and had a much bigger audience. So I sometimes regret that I’m not famous because there’s a lot of people who are not taking advantage of what I have that would benefit their life. And make them better. My music… I’ve got great songs no one has ever heard. So people could make a lot of money off them if they had a way to put them in front of people. If they could make a recording of my song in a good way and then release it… People are gonna– I guarantee people are gonna like some of this music. Not because– They don’t even have to know it’s even me. Doesn’t matter who wrote it. There just good songs. But okay.

Uh… So let’s see. Which influences should be taken from my path? Did we get to that one? Um… “You really distracted me.” [to cat] You’re– Okay.

How and why has your path become radically different from your influences?

Well it became radically different because I had more information. People like Rory Gallagher: he got stuck into that routine of just touring every single year for years. And so– And that’s a job. You don’t have a life. You perform and you’re travelling and you don’t have that time to be alone and be in your… thinking zone. He’s travelling a lot. That’s very, very upsetting. People who tour will never talk very highly about touring. You’ll hear people say, “I don’t want to ever tour again.” It’s not the best way to live. A musician’s happier not touring. I have not toured to the point I don’t like touring. That’s because i’ve hardly toured at all.

So it’s kind of a good thing. I’ve never been burned out as an artist which is why I love playing. I’ve never played to the point where I– I’ve never played a song so much that I felt, “I DON’T WANNA PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN.” Except you’ll see one of the songs: It was just so emotional, it was so emotionally involving that I only played it a few times. The “Use Me” song. I actually start crying. If you see that video you might not be able to tell. Look really carefully when I go [cringes face] this is something… that… like… I’m really breaking down. Because this was the first day I was really being homeless and saying goodbye to my kids forever. [somehow I knew] Gone forever. That was the last day I ever– I visited them a few times after that. But that was the end. That was– That song “USE ME” [live video] was recorded on the last day I saw my kids. Anyway.

Sad song. I was like so sad when I wrote that. When I wrote it, but when I was siging it– I was sadder…

Okay. Here we go.

Where were we? Did I make it? Ten minutes.

Most People Should Follow the Path of their Parents/Friends

How and why has your path become similar to your influences?

Well it hasn’t become similar because I added so much spirituality and healthy living. See? All those people drink and they travel. They were doing drugs or drinking. So when they were spinning around in the hamster wheel. I was living my life and growing and explorying and going to UCLA. Being a photographer. Having kids. Developing Kung Fu schools. Going off and having a Hanblecia my Vision Quest on The Rosebud. Becoming a Pipe Carrier. Healing people for a few years. While they were just circling around doing tours and playing the same songs that they’d been playing for ten, twelve years.

Like this group Garbage. Which I really like on the first album. And I saw an interview again. And I was trying to figure them out. Put them in perspective. And their first album, “2.0” I think it was. It’s a great album. It’s a very, very good album. I’ve got it. I’ve got the CD. And it’s a good album but they haven’t been able to duplicate it. And I was trying to figure out why. And even she was saying that, “We’re happy what that album did for us.” And there’s a lot of clues if you can read between the lines and understand what people are saying. But yes, in other words, these are not real MUSICIANS. They were people who were playing music. And they may have been driven and they may have had some artist potential in them, in the lower qualities. Not in the first position though. I don’t know about any of them. Maybe the drummer. The drummer might have the MUSICIAN in the first position. But the other ones, you know I’m not so sure. Because they didn’t grow and expand. And so as a result they couldn’t grow as a group. But they were at that time able to take all their best qualities and everything that they had: mush it together and take all that stuff. That’s why most groups’ first record is the best. Because it’s got so much stuff crammed into it. Even if they’re not really MUSICIANS. It’s all that stuff that they did generate. You know, accidentally. As kind of pretending to be MUSICIANS they still created the stuff. And then when they jammed it together it was awesome. Now that album’s really good.

But where we? So, anyway I felt bad. And then she was talking about not having an ego and stuff like this, and being Scottish, and it’s like– “Awww” You’ve gotta have an ego to be an artist. That’s what an artist is. An artist lives for their ego. But then again you have to remember what the ego is. The ego is the expression of what’s inside of you. What most people think of the ego is a false pride. False pride is false pride. An ego is something different. But we’ll get to that later. But ego is a very good thing. Now what if you have somebody like Trump. He has false pride. He bolsters. He has this big huge ego based on lies, deception, bankruptcy, fraud… So yes, all that pride that he generates–that’s the evil. That ego that he has is evil. So that’s not real ego and its not real pride. It’s all just a bunch of fake news.

Alright. Buddha Zhen here with the real thing. The real news from 2,500 years ago. Bringing to you the freshest old news. Got, 2,500 years old. Gottem, the bones would even be be rotten by now. So anyway, bringing you Lao Tzu’s bones. [laughs]

Alright. So anyway that was kind of wrapping up the 33rd… I’m kind of a little distracted by my little buddy here. [Bear the cat] He’s taking a little bit of my energy and my love away. Sorry. You’re not getting me 100%. “Yes. I love you Bear.” But like I said, I relish my distractions. [talks to cat and laughs]

========================================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.  ASCAP

Daily Taoist Daily Taoist 1_57 – Buddha Zhen Explains Tao #33a – To Know Yourself, Know What Others Think Of You

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Daoist 57 #33a

Alright. This next one is something that obviously I have addressed in many other books and circumstances. I guess this is one of Lao Tzu’s pull-outs. One of his little quotes that gets out there alot. Or versions of this– excuse me.

The… Daily Taoist here. Buddha Zhen Shen-Lang reading from the Dao Te– Well, my book about the Tao of Taoism, based on the Dao Te Ching And kind of how I rewrote it so that you could improve your life. It’s got all these fill-in blanks there– See. So I’ve got questions to fill-in the blanks.

Alright. So let’s see. We’re on #33a. And this like I said is a very common thing you’ve heard. Probably, hopefully many times.

It requires more wisdom to understand one’s self,
than to learn about other people.

I’ll read it again.

It requires more wisdom to understand one’s self,
than to learn about other people.

And that’s– Even if that sounded reasonable, you’ve got to really buy into this because this is so important. Most people are only satisfied learning about other people. The movie star: “Oh, he does this… Oh, he’s got a mansion… He does this…” And then they think of him in that dreamy role that they imagine him. The fake role. And so, people are in these fake realities. I don’t want to use the word, “fake.” “False?” Umm, “Imaginary.” Fantasy realities.

And… we all are. We all imagine the world in our construct. We all… That’s what makes us human. And brings us up a little farther than the animals is our creativity. That’s why the actual creative spirit is a whole different thing in itself. That’s what has taken me 66 years to realize. Is that, gosh, i’ve got it. And most people don’t. I didn’t know that. I actually thought that everybody could do it.

But here we go. #33a.

It requires more wisdom to understand one’s self–

Now the word wisdom is different than knowledge. You see, to learn about other people is knowledge. When you watch a TV show or read a book, that’s knowledge. Knowledge is information. But wisdom is the ability to take some of that knowledge that maybe you learned about the other people and then use that to understand yourself. See yourself. To understand why you’re doing something. That maybe you wouldn’t have otherwise– you would have taken for granted, or not noticed, or been aware of.

So awareness can only result from wisdom, and evaluation, and you looking at yourself… But the one thing this doesn’t get — which is I think an important part of this whole paragraph here or concept is that you can never understand yourself UNTIL you start understanding other people. But you’re gonna be different. And I’ve always looked at it that way and as a result I kind of messed myself up. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a person who could see his reflection in other people. But most of the time, by studying other people you’ll start seeing reflections of yourself. As a result of that you can start to figure out who you are based on WHO you ARE NOT.

And so, that give and take… That Yin and Yang of information creates a knowledge of information.

Now the wisdom, as it says, is to UNDERSTAND one’s self. Not just even see it–but to understand to see. If you see that, “Oh. Well my parents made me think that, you know, if I do this I’ll go to Hell.” Then, that’s the knowledge. But what’s the WISDOM to understand yourself? The wisdom is to realize, “Okay. Well–” The wisdom is: Is, “My parents told me this, and I believed it– But do my parents really know it. Is it–?” You know, you start evaluating all the information until in the end you have a real wisdom. It is a knowledge that is more realistic and tested and is applicable and useful and integrated. Wisdom I think is something that is used–utilized to make you smarter.

Okay. Or you could just ignore it you see. And not have the wisdom. Not have the knowledge. And just do what you think. And believe what you think. And let it go. And that’s fine. And that’s the normal man. Remember that 40% of the people? Who Trump can get to believe anything? They’re ready to believe anything.

So you know, you’re so– You are very– You probably are not one of those people. Because they’re probably not attracted to this tape. “Be doing… TAOISM? AGGHH.” They run away from new information. So that 40% are people who DON’T WANT TO LEARN. They’re too busy. They’re too tired. “That’s not interesting… Arr-arr-arr-arr-arr…” So you know they stay…

That’s fine. I accept who they are. Like I accept my cat. He’s an idiot!. [LAUGHS] I try to teach him to talk sometimes and do stuff. Which is kind of fun. And then he surprises me. Like I brought him chicken. Now he’s started saying, “CHIIIII-KKKKKENNNN!!!” Oh man! Now he’s saying, “chicken,” and I don’t have any. [LAUGHS] So… the frustration of shedding a little too much wisdom on a dumb animal… I’m not sure. But anyway, my cat can say, “chicken,’ now. It’s driving me nuts because i don’t have any.

Okay. Where are we? Oh… this is a fun one. #32a.

So we’re learning that you have to understand other people to look at yourself. And this is what Zen Buddhism is. The whole thing about Zen Buddhism is to look at yourself from different angles. What do you look like from the side? What do you look like from behind? What do you look like FROM THE TOP? And underneath. If you can see yourself from more angles you have more Zen. Okay… How do people see me financially? Or romantically? Or age wise. Or health wise. Start looking at all these perspectives and you put them together and now you have more of a Zen awareness.

What are we for minutes? Okay. Five minutes. I’m gonna blast here.

#32a

How easily can you know other people?

Most people: “Oh. It’s none of my business.” If you say, “It’s none of my business.” Then you’re ignorant. Then you’re living in a world of ignorance. You’re purposely BLOCKING new information. So don’t say that anymore, “It’s none of my business.” Everything’s your business. Okay.

Explain your TECHNIQUES of how you get to know other people.

How well do you understand your opposite sex?

Okay? How well do you understand them? Understand them? Remember? That’s better– That’s different than just, “Oh I know they’re du-du-du-du-du…” clinical… and that’s information, knowledge… but understanding is wisdom. Remember.

What DON’T you understand about the opposite sex?

Summarize your family traits.

Family traits– Now you see– my family traits are– I would say, “They’re greedy. They’re Republicans who don’t believe in dreamers or artists and they would rather see me be homeless and prove they are right that I should have a job–

Rather than support me as an artist.” Those are my family traits. How about you? What do you have for family? What’s in your family tree? [laughs] That’s a question probably none of us want to answer.

Explain how much you know about your Shifu.

Hey! Remember? I told you I wrote this for my Kung Fu students. How much do they know about me? At this point, obviously you have– But who know? But anyway, I do want my students to know me as accurately or as much as they possibly can. I’ve come to realize that people will never understand me. When I was a kid they called me, “Brain.” So they were so mean to me. And now I–sympathize– I realize, gosh… I should have been separated from them. You know, I needed to be in a different program. My parents wouldn’t let me go to MENSA. They forbid it. My mom said, “They’re just gonna make… You’re just gonna make bombs!” Which I would’ve. [LAUGHS] I was really into making bombs when I was in elementary school. I’d make rockets and all kinds of stuff. I was researching how to burn different chemicals to get different colors when the explosions happen… and stuff. That’s where I was at the point where I burned a– I didn’t burn down our balcony, but I set off a rocket blast. The rocket blast blew a big hole on the big… straight… It was cool man! It was awesome. And anyway I created a rocket blast that burned a big hole in our aluminum patio. If it would’ve been a house, it might’ve burned the house down. [LAUGHS] That was the end of my chemistry. I Ahh man…” I was only like ten years old. Eight, nine years old. But that was the end of my chemistry at home. I went on to biology and started dissecting animals… But let’s not get into that.

Anyway. Where are we?

Explain how much you know about your Shifu.

See my students are going, “AHHHH???” I didn’t know that about you.

What are your Shifu’s goals?

Please. You should know my goals. I’m striving very hard to accomplish certain things. So you should try to know my goals. My goal right now is to be a successful YouTuber. So that’s good enough for you right now. HELP ME! If you like me. Help me. Support me. Um, I don’t know about donate… BUY MY STUFF! Buy some of my books. Buy THIS BOOK! [LAUGHS] Buy that book. That’s a great start.

Okay. Where are we?

How are you benefitting your Shifu?

“Oh. You bought my book!” Yeah.

How are you frustrating or not supporting your Shifu?

Wow. I’m really hammering them right here. This is… Okay.

And then it says, Shifu suggestions: “Buy my book.” [LAUGHS] I’m serious. That’s what I put on this page. I didn’t put the, “buy the book,” But these questions. I really did put these… I’m kind of like going, “Ohhh.” This is some pushy marketing.

Okay. How much do you know of your mate? Or best friend?

My last best friend was Oscar. Remember I told you. The last five years. We were… People would call him my, “Sidekick.” Yeah. He was my best friend. So I got to know him really well. Really well. Learned a lot. Disagreed with him incredibly. Learned a lot about the way he was raised. His parents were raised. About the way he raised his kid for awhile. It was very very interesting. That’s great information. But I wouldn’t have ever learned any of that if I wouldn’t have been his friend. And during the last five years if I would have done exactly the same things but not have him as my friend– I don’t think I would’ve had as in depth of experience or had anyone’s life experiences permeate my mind like that. Because I wouldn’t have had the inquiry or the reason to be as in depth conversation. So without him in my life the last five years I would not have had that interpersonal relationship. He was–

Like right now, I’m not going to replace him. I’ve got my cat so– I’m alone! for awhile. I’m not sure who my next best friend’s gonna be. I may not have a human friend for a year or two. We’ll see. I’m right now in a Section 8 complex. All the people around me are homeless who were able to get Section 8 funding. So these are the same people that were in the Shelter with me.

There was a couple people I tried to help. And there was a couple people I would be willing to help. There were a couple people who I thought had talent. They obviously had a certain value… But anyway.

Where were we. Ten minutes! Okay. Let’s finish this page.

Uh… How much do you know about your mate or best friend?

I’m serious. Get to know everything about them. Their parents… That’s why… If you are a REAL friend… You’re gonna know about their parent’s life. You’re gonna know their parents… Otherwise, you’re not really their friend. [LAUGHS] You’re an acquaintance.

How are you benefiting your mate?

How are you benefiting your mate?

If you’re not, your mate chose very unwisely.

How are you disappointing your mate?

Well that’s gonna happen. Expectations. Remember, that’s why people say, “Buddhists don’t have expectations.”

YES we have expectations. But whenever we have a disappointment it was based on an expectation.

So, how are you disappointing your mate?

Well that’s happening. What are the expectations that aren’t satisfied? That’s what you’ve gotta work out. Maybe they’re unreasonable. Or maybe you didn’t know what they were expecting. Or, you know, maybe you can negotiate.

Here we go. What does your mate think of you?

That’s without asking your mate. [LAUGHS]

Then the next line is your mate’s suggestions.

So you’re supposed to write what you think, then let them read it. You let them add something to it. That’s very very very important.

Okay. What are your subconscious goals?

Subconscious goals. Remember your conscious goals are the ones you talk about and everything. Your subconscious goals are the ones you might even be hiding from yourself. “What I really really want is to live in Hawaii…” But you just blow it off. We’re calling that the subconscious goal. The one you think is just too unrealistic. Or the one where you think you’re going to marry a rich woman. “That’s what I’d really like but…” That’s what I should’ve done. I should’ve set my sights on a rich woman. When I was working as a stagehand– Whenever I was working in like Beverly Hills and these different events and all these rich women were there… They’d look at me and “Ahhh” you know… We could have the electricity–but I was a stagehand. I’d have to meet them under a different context. I would have to meet them on their level and they could’ve considered me and I could’ve married a rich woman. But that would’ve worked out better. Um, at least in some ways. But then again…

We could talk a lot about marriage. Great topic.

Where are we? 12 minutes. I wanna finish this page.

What are your subconscious goals?

How are you benefiting your subconscious?

Now remember that subconscious goal that wants all those little things. It wants the ice cream you know. How are you actually being nice to it? Remember I told you awhile ago. I forget what it was, but i told you I had my subconscious one. I wanted to do this. I was relaxed at work or whatever. Find the balance. Don’t just totally frustrate it. “NAWW. I’m not gonna relax today.” No. Find a little time to relax. Satisfy your subconscious. Unless it’s unhealthy: but if you’ve got, “I want some heroin.” [laughs] your subconscious goal. That’s why you want a healthy balance. Our Tao is to form this balance. You’ve got to be healthy. If you– You’ve got to want your subconscious to want healthy things. That’s why if you do my Kung Fu you’ll want healthy things. Because you’re not gonna want something that makes your Kung Fu harder. So your subconscious is gonna, “I don’t want that. That’s gonna make it harder to do my Kung Fu.” So you’re not gonna want to drink. You’re not gonna want to do booze. You’re not gonna want to smoke. That’s how I’ve cured every drug addiction that I’ve cured in the last thirty years. “Cured?” I can’t say that legally. I’ve helped people overcome their drug addictions permanently I think in most cases by just merely giving them a healthy lifestyle that their drug addiction won’t fit into. That’s all I do. All I do. I won’t even tell them their drug is bad. I won’t even say, “heroin is bad.” But I’ll say, “let’s not do it.”[laughs] “Let me help you get through this.”You know.

Where are we? Thirteen, fourteen minutes.

So how are you benefiting your subconscious and how are you disappointing your subconscious? Are there certain things it wants that you’re just really not being fair and reasonable– Some people are very mean to themselves. Very very mean to themselves. Seriously. That’s probably because their parents were mean to them. Sometimes we imprint that and we take over: then we’re mean to ourselves. When I was in the Shelter I’d hear these people — whipping — mentally you know saying, “Oh You… You’re a scum.. You’re a..” talking to themselves. Repeating what their parents were saying. Horrible. Horrible. I don’t even want to try and remember. But they would say these things their parents would say to them.

Oh, you poor thing… that anyone said those things… I’m not sure they were their parents…

How can all differences between subconscious and your conscious mind be resolved?

First of all, figure out what they are. Deal with them. Recognize them. Get them out. And then throw them away. Don’t say them anymore.

Getting now to Daoist [#32a]:

It requires more wisdom to understand one’s self,
than to learn about other people.

==================================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music. ASCAP

Bear knows no boundaries.

Daily Taoist 1_56 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #32b Musicians should not be Soldiers, Fences create Chaos

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 56 #32b.

Okay. I went and put some cold water on my face. Because I got all emotional in the last one. I read a book when I was a kid. I think 4th grade. Called FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON. And there is a great movie that really told the story well called, “Charlie.” Anyway, that’s always shook me up.

But you see, that’s part of my life problem, is all my life I’ve known that I was smarter than everybody else–but I always thought everybody could be like me. I just thought that I had some sort of extra kickstart, or good edge or–you know. I… But somehow I didn’t think of myself as different. I kept trying to blend with the common man.

Okay, yeah… I seem to have an edge on you– But… Let’s be friends. But no. There’s definitely something different about me. And now I’m 66 years old and I’m finally accepting that. But, I’ve been trying to be a common man who’s just smarter. A common man who is a good musician. A common man who did Kung Fu. I didn’t realize I was so different. That I was not the common man at all. Well, I don’t know about not at all. Definitely blended in for a– That’s because I put it in the fourth position down here. I put that WORKER in. So anyway–

#32b. This is me. The Daily Taoist here. Got you your Daily Taoism. I’m trying to figure out how this is going to work. If this doesn’t work. I’m not sure. But I’m gonna give you about forty or fifty of these things. And see if they take off. If people like them, I’d love to keep doing them. Because as you can see: this information is inspiring for me. And I wrote it to be inspiring for you. And if we have something that works… we have a Tao going here.

I’d be willing to support this Tao. But I can’t support a Tao that’s like a seed that’s not gonna ever grow. That’s a dead seed you know. And that’s part of Taoism–I don’t think it’s in this part. It might be in the next part. I don’t remember seeing this one. But there’s a few things about seeds, and planting, and growing that are really interesting in the second half. Which I used to think about in Utah.

When I moved to Utah it talked about don’t plant a seed in the sand. You know, you have to plant it where there’s going to be water, and dirt or whatever… The point is, when I moved to Utah I realized, “Well hold it. I think I’m planting my seed in the sand. This isn’t working. Nothing’s gonna grow here.” So my life in Utah: I had to like take my dreams and put them in a little box. Then raise my kids and. I did do my Kung Fu. I did all kinds of interesting stuff. It is interesting how I did do that, but I had to totally flip my life upside-down. And then… So–

Where were we? #32b. Let’s get on here. This is the TAO OF TAOISM by me. Talking about– and Bear came back. After I went he just wanted to get back on my lap again. [LAUGHS] Actually, he was in the chair. And I couldn’t get him out. So I picked him up. Well, he wanted to be here, so… Okay. [LAUGHS] “Hello Bear.”

Like I said, I decided to relish your distractions. It’s not like he distracts me a lot. You add it up and it’s maybe less than an hour a day. So– An hour a day of love. Maybe we should have like a 30-minute minimum of love every day. That you get from some source.

#32b.

All things and all–

But I was trying to say about the FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON, I always thought that everybody was the same. And that led me astray in trying to do business relationships, partner relationships, working with other musicians–not realizing that some people would never be a real musician. I could recognize the talent. I could realize this guy’s capable of doing what I want, you know, type of thing. But I didn’t realize there was a MUSICIAN soul. There’s an actual soul. You have to be born with it. If you don’t got–you don’t got it.

That doesn’t mean you can’t learn music. You can just be a person who learns to play music. That’s fine. And then you call yourself a musician. But a real MUSICIAN, he’s born that way. Got a certain drive to get that music out of him. It’s different. I–It’s probably impossible for you to understand unless you’re a MUSICIAN. [LAUGHS] Because my dad doesn’t even understand. I’ve been a MUSICIAN for 66 years and my family still does not accept it. They don’t see it. They don’t understand it. So if your own brothers, and sisters and parents can’t understand what a MUSICIAN is– Obviously: nobody can.

So that’s why us MUSICIANS, we’re all dead. We’re a rare breed now. We’ve been siphoned off or SENT TO WAR. Gotta remember, you send them off to war. Give us PTSD and we’re burned. We’re damaged. We’re damaged goods. All our philosophy and our music… And everything’s gonna have THAT in it. That’s good if you want to write war stories from a regretful position and have this kind of dark slant on it. Which has its point in life, but I think we should just eliminate the whole thing: the wars, the people with the PTSD and everything. I think its all a mistake.

The point is that sending– I think– This is a hypothesis of mine: (Remember, I’m new to this whole “5 SOUL THEORY.”) But if you take an artist like me, and send us over to war. And then we come back: All of THAT is in our brains for the rest of our life. For the rest of my life I remember everything. My kid, my childhood, my kids, my teenage years, all the different girls I’ve been with… I can remember little bits of all the different girls I’ve been with, and everything…You know. But to have THAT stuck in my brain. And remember, when I’ve talked to soldiers. Real soldiers. People who’ve been in real combat… They’ve got regret. We don’t like killing people. Doesn’t matter how much you pay us. We don’t like killing people. It’s a shame some people don’t realize that until it’s too late.

Okay. Here we go. All– #32b.

All things and all persons
must integrate freely with Nature and each other.

FREELY. Freely. That means you don’t have to worry about getting shot while you’re intermixing and going from one place to another. You need to intermix. So anything–you’re shooting somebody–you’re against The Tao right there. You’ve already broken this rule. All things and all persons must integrate freely. Shooting them for integrating–you’re–you’re– you’re evil. You are evil. Okay?

Boundaries, fences– These are things that Trump loves. Let’s see where this line goes. I didn’t read this ahead. I don’t know.

Boundaries, fences, and any lines drawn
that are meant to separate
one part of Nature from another
will only frustrate Nature’s activities
into a reactionary chaos
that is equal to
the amount of control imposed upon Nature.

That’s that Spock thing again. [Star Trek] Remember that balance that he mentioned about. Being right and wrong. But this is about Nature. The Nature now.

They’re saying– okay– So: The more you put fences and boundaries and separate Nature and its activities and everything like that– Umm –You’re frustrating Nature.

So the amount of effort you put into building these walls and everything is the amount that Nature resents you. So the bigger the walls, the thicker the walls, the higher the walls.. the more Nature dislikes you. That’s really what it’s saying. [LAUGHS] Okay.

Everybody should be able to move freely remember. Anytime you put a wall up you’re defeating Nature. The animals have to go over there for their food. You put a wall: “Hey! Where am I going for my food? The water’s over there.”

You know, the stream. Every wall affects Nature. The way the wind blows. Maybe those seeds needed to blow over here. Maybe the bees can’t fly high enough to get over the wall to fertilize those flowers. So… Anytime we interfere with Nature… we affect it. So maybe.. We’re never going to know all the affects. It’s impossible. Well I don’t know the affects of all the bugs and things. We impact Nature. Everything we do. Okay.

Explain your material possession quest. [LAUGHS]

Seriously. Explain your material possession quest.

Everybody’s gotta want something. If you’re an American you’re trained and ingrained and bred to buy. But what do you want to get?

Me? I want I want more music equipment. Photography equipment. I need storage. I need webspace. I need designers. I need researchers. Anyway. I would just do what I’m doing–professionally. That’s what my material possessions are going to– enable me to be more enabled.

Explain your power quest.

My power quest. My power would be of course to remain in control and move this forward. Like raising a kid. The power to raise a kid. You don’t just say, “I hope he lives.” No. You exercise a power to exert, to protect that child, and raise him up and influence him. Buy this, and take him this, and give him this. So you use your power to raise him.

So that’s whay my power is. I want to raise my companies and get everything done. I’ve done it to some kids. And I’ve done buildings. And I’ve built all kinds of things. I want to build this, this media empire that I’ve got. Because I want to make videos. I’m gonna make albums. I’m gonna make books. I’m gonna do curriculums. I’m gonna have Kung Fu programs. I’m gonna… You know. And.. so… and the internet. The web shows. The radio stations. That’s how… so anyway. That’s what– That’s me. And I’m doing it all myself right now. Everything I just mentioned I’m actually doing. I’d just do it bigger and better. If I had more money. And more POWER!!!

Okay. Here we go.

Explain how you protect your belongings and power.

Well I’ve been homeless for six years man. That’s been more difficult than I even want to even tell you about. So let’s just go on. How about YOU? You. How do you protect your possessions… your belongings? And protect your power? What do you do?

But my story’s in my books. Get my poetry books from the last few years. Stories about being homeless. That explains everything. That answers that question very very well. In fact, it’ll answer it for me too. I want to know what I did. I’m moving forward. I don’t like looking back. My looking back is not that motivating even, for me.

Going forward is kind of like swimming through the seaweed. You know. I don’t want to look to see how much seaweed I’ve swam through. I only want to look at what’s ahead and I want to see where the shore is. And I wanna just keep going.

Awwwch. Okay. This is like I said, setting you up. But it’s important. We all need to say this.

Explain your patriotism.

Explain your patriotism.

Explain your team spirit.

[to Bear the cat] “Alright. See ya later buddy.” Gotta get all the hair off. [huff huff] I eat so much hair. It’s on my pillow even. I… probably have more hairballs go through me than– Not as much as a cat. But close.

Here we go.

Explain your patriotism. Explain it.

Explain your team spirit.

Now that’s something that– I’ve really been surprised. Because I was raised in a world of sports. So a lot of you millennials may not even know what team spirit is. Well actually, everybody’s gotta know it to some extent. Your family’s a team. Every– There’s teams– A real team spirit is something you have to have a team for. You have to work together. You have to have a goal. You have to lose. You have to suffer. You have to pull each other through. You have to get there. And you have to get to the end–whatever that is. And boom. That… process of getting together, being together, working together, failing together–it can’t always go good. Succeeding, failing, and hurting and helping and then getting here. That– You have to go through that to know what team spirit is. Because you develop your team spirit by being able to do that again.

Once you’ve done it once. Then you know what team spirit is. And then you can do it better.

Nobody’s going to be good at what they’re ignorant at the first time going through. But you get through that: now you’re aware of what team spirit is. So you’ve got to do it again and get better at it. Now if other people get better at it and then you actually get a better team. See? Because you have to help the team be good. If you’re a crappy team member–you’re just making the rest of the team crappy. Because that’s your motivation: Is just be crappy. Because you’re crappy. [LAUGHS]

So you’ve gotta get better. So it’s an evolving process. So team spirit requires a whole bunch of those things. And you do that a few times as you’re growing up in school in baseball teams, football teams, or in my case I liked being in rock bands. You know, that’s a team spirit to be in that rock band.

But you have to develop it. You have to be in those team situations. And if you haven’t been in those situations that require team spirit you’re just ignorant. You know, you’re just a worker. You’re just somebody who’s been hiding in their house their whole life. And that’s a shame. You know… I’m SORRY –AAAHHH! I take that back. I’m gonna back pedal. I don’t shame people. And it’s only a shame to somebody… That’s a response. It’s not a shame. You are who you are. Remember? This is The Tao. And I cannot shame anybody for having a different TAO than me. Or even going against the Tao.

My goal is not to shame you. It’s to make you aware of it. So if you say, “Oh. Really? I was doing this when I should’ve been doing that? Well now I know.”

Okay? Now the shame is: you don’t want to actually improve your life. Or do the right thing at that point. I think is a little shameful. In terms of your reputation: you’re shaming yourself. But I’m not going to shame you. And I think shaming is wrong. Because remember? That’s punishing. That means you’re trying to apply punishment. They deserve the consequences. That’s what shaming is. It’s punishing. So that’s not my job. Even if it was my job: I wound’t take it. [LAUGHS] I don’t want that job. That’s the wrong job to have.

Okay. I like to make people better. And shaming doesn’t make people better. It doesn’t.

Okay. Where were we? How many minutes we got? THIRTEEN? I’ve gotta totally blast. There’s no way! No way I can get through this. Am I on the wrong thing? Oh good. I was on the wrong page. Okay. Here we go.

Explain your immigration concepts.

Hey remember? I wrote this back in–twenty thirty years ago. Immigration’s become a hot topic.

Explain your beliefs on foreign trade and free help, duties, customs, and labor laws.

Wow! I mean these are hot topics. I would never have guessed. I’m surprised I even mentioned them. But these things are good to know and think about.

Describe a world of no countries.

Read that one more time and I’ve gotta go.

Describe a world of NO COUNTRIES.

Alright. Buddha Zhen here. Actually in lockdown in California. In Lancaster, California. So–

==========================================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.ASCAP

Bear the Kung Fu Cowboy Cat

Daily Taoist 1_55 – Buddha Zhen Reads TAO #32a – Nature is Omnipotent and Humans are Stupid

YouTube Video TRANSCRIPT: Daily Taoist 55

I just sat down and Bear [the cat] is trying to settle in here. “Hello Bear.”

I don’t know. Should I lower the camera so he’s more in view? “Hi Bear.” [Instagram video includes Bear in vertical format]

He’s trying to figure a way to get more comfortable. He sits on the binder rings. I’m trying to position him around them. He just wants to be where he knows he’s in my way. I’m just glad to get his attention. And I’ve come to realize that anything that could be called a distraction or annoyance is actually probably him expressing his love.

I need to take advantage of his being annoying and distracting. And appreciate those moments. So when he’s actually got the gumption to bother me–it may not be convenient. But, it’s one of those times when he’s really, willing to express some love or whatever. Whatever he needs.

You have to kind of remember, The Tao does not conform to your wallet–I mean–“to your wallet?” Well not that either. –your watch. The Tao has a balance and it’s always fluctuating. Right now it’s “Bear Time.” [laughs]

Anyway. But it’s also “You Time.” I’m trying to do these things.

Boy, this book is so enlightening. I… I’m so impressed with it. It doesn’t matter whether I wrote it or not. I think it’s just really– It gives me pause for a thing– There’s so many things that I’m thinking… I want to tell ya. And… anyway. So much I could say… to add to all this.

Anyway. We’re on #32a. “Right Bear? Is that right Bear? I’m gonna scratch that spot… I know your spots. Yeah I do…”

Actually, I’ve come to find that I thought he liked everything scratched but I’ve actually come to realize he likes being rubbed. He wants something gentler. He doesn’t always want my fingernails. [talking to cat]

So little things. Trying to figure out what he likes. [laughs] As to what I think he likes. They can be very different.

Okay. #32a

We’re reading the TAO OF TAOISM by me, Buddha Zhen. Zhen Shen-Lang. Richard Del Connor. And it’s based upon the BOOK OF CHANGES by Lao Tzu and the DAO TE CHING. And I use the word “Nature” for “Tao.” It just makes more sense and expresses the exact same thing. And the whole idea is to put it in words that YOU can understand. If you can’t make sense of this then it doesn’t matter what I call it. I could call it “The Gooba-Gooba.” You know, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t relate to that word–then we can’t communicate effectively.

But “Nature.” Everybody in America relates to “Mother Nature.” So that’s “The Tao.” [The Dao]

I’m supplanting or utilizing that term to basically represent The Nature. So everything that Lao Tzu says about The Tao being infinite means Nature is infinite. Okay.

So here we go.

And what does he say in #32a? He says,

“The simple powers of Nature are invisible,
yet omnipotent.
Nature will always have the last word–eventually.”

[LAUGHS]

Well, unfortunately, when Lao Tzu wrote that he wasn’t aware of radiation. I mean actually, Nature will have the last word. It will just be millions of years from now and the radioactivity will be gone. So Nature will actually still have the last word in that sense. But, he wasn’t really thinking humans could do as much damage as they can now.

Still. Even if we do. Even if we do make this place radioactive… Eventually, millions of years from now… you know… it won’t be radioactive. Who knows what will happen? [LAUGHS] “Gyahh.” Millions of years. Anyway…

How do you interpret the “simple powers of Nature?”

That’s the phrase: “Simple Powers of Nature.”

How do you interpret that? What does that mean to you?

And, are Nature’s powers really invisible?

Are Nature’s powers really invisible?

Invisible. What powers do we got here. What are Nature’s powers?

…And then, How can these invisible powers be utilized?

Okay. So what’s one of these invisible powers?

Well, Nature has the power of making things colder. At night when it gets darker it gets colder. And when the sun comes out it gets warmer. So these are invisible powers. We don’t see the oven. We don’t see the hair dryer pointed at the Earth. So these are invisible powers we could say.

So how could we–what’d I say? How could we utilize?

Well, utilize or adapted to at night we know that when we go to bed and you might feel great. But by morning you’re gonna need a couple blankets on you. Or you’re gonna wake up in the middle of night: cold. Boy, I’ve done that a bunch of times. Very alarming you know. Wake up fearing hypothermia. Trying to–and you’re shaking…trying to put on more things and pile on more things on top of you. Only happened a few–well…maybe it happened a lot of times. I actually don’t want to remember. Yeah. I know what it’s like to be real cold. Real–I mean–real cold and nothing you can do about it except pile stuff on you because you’re in a car and outside it’s colder. [LAUGHS] You’ve got some heat on the inside but it’s still too cold. Anyway.

How can these invisible powers be avoided?

Hey-hey. From what I was talking about: a house.

Okay, but I shouldn’t be leading you because you might have really interesting answers. And I may be leading you to much into reality. You may have some other really cool things to say.

Get this book! Do it on your own. [www.BuddhaKungFu.com/books] And you can have more time and do it.

Let’s see. What do you think will happen to Nature by mankind’s mistakes?

[LAUGHS] I already mentioned something. But seriously. You know, you should mention something. You’ve gotta show that you’re not totally ignorant here. If the whole world’s ignorant… That means… Yes, well actually, half the world’s ignorant.

Remember, the COMMON MAN is 60 to 80% of all people. You know, it’s just a breeder and a worker. That’s it. And that’s what we are. We’re a bunch of breeders and workers. This whole planet’s 80% breeders and workers. And then the other 20% are something else. A whole different thing. My spirit– My spiritual theory illuminates this quite extensively.

But… in terms of the common man– We’re just doing a thing– What is this? March 23 or something– We’re in this Corona Virus lockdown and they just did a study and they found out that 40% of all Republicans still think the Corona Virus is not a big issue. And it’s just going to go away in the Spring… in the heat. Like Trump told them. 76% of all Democrats think it’s a pandemic. So you see that 40% of all the Republicans, which is half of all the Republicans– So that’s about 25% of all people. 25% of all these people are actually so dumb that they will be misled by a liar and a cheater. And even though he is a liar and cheater they will still be misled by him. That’s how– I’m sorry I used the word, “dumb,” well…

If you’re smart you know– Well, a few people have called me, “smart,” and used it as an insult. “Ah–you’re so smart… you’re such a genius…” [LAUGHS] I’m serious. People have said that. Oscar even hurt my feelings a couple times because he was having so much trouble understanding my stuff he goes, “Well, you’ve gotta understand: you’re a genius! And you can understand that!” It took me back a few times. He was like–

Because I really think people can understand what I understand. I know that sometimes I go a little far, but I really think that most of what I say is understandable. And when people can’t keep up with me or understand it: I’m kind of like, a little surprised. You know, it’s like, well, don’t you wanna understand? Or can’t–

It’s hard for me to believe that people CANNOT understand. But I think that’s an understanding I need to develop. Because as I said, 25% of the people on this planet, half the Trump supporters are actually so dumb that they believe him when he’s lying. And they believe dumb things that he says, as a dumb liar. So they’re all dumb. And… we just need to recognize that. You know, if you’re a certain intellectual level, you know, you need to know that you’re at that level so you won’t be so fooled. These people that are dumb need to know that, “Hey, I know I’m not very smart so let me evaluate–let me talk to my friend. I’ve got a smart friend.”

Every dumb person needs a smart friend. I hope it’s gonna cure that. “THAT’S A GREAT IDEA” [BZ gets teary eyed] Every single dumb person out there needs to find a smart friend. [BZ is all choked up] It’s the only way out. So– [sniff] Wow! [BZ crying on camera and during typing now] I’ve always had a sympathy when I was kid. I read the book, CHARLIE — FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON, the book. [sniffle] Great book! Tore me apart. Still does. LOOK! [crying] Find a smart friend.

… let’s just finish this. Real quickly. [emotional]

What do think will happen to Nature by mankind’s mistakes?

I told you. The way it’s going. Or we’re going to obliterate this planet. It’s ridiculous but it’s so easy. We can do it with just a couple of buttons. We go boom-boom-boom-boom-boom… World’s gone. For 25 million years… gone. One boom. Pop… gone. Radiation. It doesn’t even matter where they hit the planet. They’ll pollute the atmosphere and pollute the whole world. [sniffle]

Describe the Earth in 100 years. 500 years. 1,000 years. 10,000 years.

I’m out of here. Bye. I’ve gotta go. [BZ still choked up]

But seriously. You dumb people: “I love you. I still want to help you. It doesn’t matter if you’re my kids or whatever. You’re humans. I like animals.”

This guy’s an idiot. [talking to Bear the cat] This– “Bear, you are so dumb. You are so dumb. You really are. But I love you. I love you to death. I really do. So, being dumb doesn’t mean that you can’t be loved… in my heart you’re a person.”

=====================================================

Tao of Taoism — Using the Dao Te Ching to Improve Your Life by Buddha Zhen (Richard Del Connor)

BOOKS by Buddha Zhen

AUDIOBOOKS and PAPERBACKS and Kindle eBOOKS by Buddha Zhen from Amazon .com 

Buddha Z Official Blog (Heavy Metal “Buddhist Rapper,” Buddhist Poet, Shaolin Flutist)

Buddha Zhen (Shifu Zhen Shen-Lang: Zen Kung Fu Master and Chinese Music Composer)

Instagram of Buddha Zhen

Twitter of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Buddha Zhen

Facebook of Shaolin Zen

YouTube Channel of Shaolin Chi Mantis Traditional Buddhist Kung Fu (“Daily Taoist” EPISODES)

Shaolin Chi Mantis traditional Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan classes

Produced by Richard Del Connor for Shaolin Records

Copyright 1984-2021 Shaolin Communications

Music and excerpts used by permission of Shaolin Records, Shaolin Communications, and licensed by Shaolin Music.ASCAP