Ten Methods of the Heavenly Dragon

Robert Sheaffer

When he stumbles by chance into a backstreet teashop to shelter from the unrelenting Taipei rain, the author begins a journey that will lead him to the wisdom of the Adept Shun Yuan of the Heavenly Dragon sect, an order of esoteric Buddhism laced with Taoist practices. He discovers the internal arts of chi kung and bagua and diligently practises them, and begins to see the places and people around him in a new light. However, his journey with the Adept is not without its challenges, and the author has to look to his very core to overcome the obstacles that stand in his way. Will he be able to harness the transformative energy of the dragon? Or will the wisdom of this elusive creature be beyond his grasp?

An intriguing, personal account, this book explores the author's experiences along the path to spiritual enlightenment. It will be of interest to students of the internal martial traditions as well as anyone interested in Taoism and Eastern philosophy.

Contents

Foreword. A Brief Note on Pronunciation and Language. 1. Mrs Lim's tea house, a sanctuary in the rain. 2. Bagua Mountain, mostly wet. 3. Inhale, Exhale. Laughter fills the air. 4. A vision in blue? 5. A character in black, enchanted by white. 6. The first method: Pushing hands. Magnetic hands. Electric hands. 7. The second method: A big circle, a small circle, an empty circle. 8. The third method: Forget passive resistance, meet dynamic non-resistance. 9. The fourth method: A blinding flash. Blinding stupidity. 10. The fifth method: Playing the lute, ringing in the bells. 11. The sixth method: Book learning shimmy. 12. The seventh method: Dog boxing? Or did you just levitate? 13. The eighth method: The eye of the storm. 14. The ninth method: A great black crow. 15. The tenth method: The crash. 16. The paving slab lesson.

Reviews

"A truly remarkable book, profound and deeply moving! This first person account of a lifelong seeker's apprenticeship with Shun Yuan, a gentle Western-born Adept of the Tao and Taiji martial arts, enthrals the reader both as a teaching story and an introduction to as remarkable a man as any hero out of fiction. In the end, one is left with a sublime sense of inevitability and peace. An amazing achievement!"

—Irving Karchmar, author of Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel

Author information

Robert Sheaffer has been a seeker all his life. He has been fortunate enough to travel extensively throughout the world and to witness numerous traditional spiritual practices. His time spent studying with the Adept Shun Yuan of the Heavenly Dragon sect was one of his most profound and lasting experiences.