Mitchell Rabin's Journal from China

This is a different world. Where we are spending most of our time--in the ancient, sacred mountains of China where the Taoists of old lived and meditated for what may extend back some few thousands of years--is extraordinary. It’s the feeling of stepping back ‘in time’ to an era where Nature ruled and temples and monasteries were built to honor Nature, the elements, and Spirit--of Earth, of Heaven and all that which is embodied when we say “Tao” described in the simplest, most elegant of ways by the sage poet himself, Lao-Tse, attributed with the authorship of the Tao Teh Ching.

If I told you that we’ve spent hours walking up and down mountains for a good part of the last few weeks, to elevations of some 7,500-8,000 feet, I wouldn’t be exaggerating. And this hiking with steepness that would awe a seasoned hiker. The Chinese have built what would be millions of steps across the mountains of China so that people can access the tops of the mountains, either for pleasure, conquest or to visit the traditional temples that weathered the storm of the Cultural Revolution, or were more recently rebuilt.

So the labor of the walking up at angles of some 80 degrees on these ancient steps of all different sizes, depths and slopes, all hand-done, presses one to accomplish a victory in the material world before one, apparently, qualifies for some form of elevation in the spiritual world. And it is said that these mountains are inhabited inter-dimensionally with immortals, those Taoists who have ascended to another level of being and remain available to us to move our own selves closer to the destiny we have Divinely chosen.

One can feel the “chi of the place”, just as Feng-Shui talks about. In certain temples in all the places we’ve been in China as well as in the mountains, one can feel a subtle presence, an energy, that gives one a sense of being part of a larger whole.

To convey to you the feeling of the richness of being here, I will say, imagine that you’re walking up a tall mountain on a path that you know has been traversed for thousands of years, and that most of the people over those years have been walking with the intent of being centered, balanced and One with Nature. Out of this, they developed a very deep, very holistic understanding of the Nature of the Universe, in which the Life-Force moves through many dimensions and touches all sentient life. It sits and moves in spaces, is held in spaces over time, and multiplies with time and increasing numbers of people consciously activating it. It circulates through the organs, the sinews and all bodily systems, as well as circulating in one unbroken stream also through the Earth to its core and through all galaxies, stars and suns. It flows and we participate in its flow. Imagine that despite the narrowed confines of the way we think day-to-day to “earn a living” or to ‘get by’, or even to become ‘rich and famous’, we are part of an enormous cosmic dance that flows in all directions, and also moves especially per our consciousness, the very flow of our attention. And imagine being in a place where this kind of awareness kind of just ‘dawns’ upon you, by the simple fact that you are occupying this space. It isn’t simply given, but it is available to the imaginative, creative, emptied thinker or meditator.

The robustly huge mountain faces rising for what looks like miles, the Taoist monks in their dark blue robes moving about the mountain tending to ceremonies, incense burning and chants, and Chinese, seemingly an endless stream of them, laughing and talking as they climb up the mountain mostly seemingly effortlessly in impressive numbers. Then, we do our own Chi-Kung forms as a group of some 42 people, and generate yet another level of group energy contributing to and enhancing the chi field already here. We are under the moon on Huashan, the most difficult mountain in all of China where we are now, and absorbing her energy while we move gracefully through these ancient forms, rituals really, honoring Mother Earth, Heaven and Man and Woman. These forms are ancient, they are time-tested and yield benefits of health and spiritual deepening. As a group, this what was our main focus, all the while enjoying the sights, the beauty, the people.

The People of China - Warm & Friendly...Ni Hau ma?

What is it like to be in China? First of all, well, to put in mildly, there are many faces of China. Each province has a different feel, food, history and character. We started in Beijing, once known as Peking, doing Chi-Kung at Tiantan Park, where probably tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Chinese gather every morning to do T’ai-Chi, Chi-Kung, exercises and ballroom dancing, which they love. Then there are the card players, Mah-jong players, singers and musicians, jugglers and vendors. In short, it’s a party every day lasting really from morning till night. While the age range is vast, it is mainly older people who come and make a day of it. There is much laughter and gaiety everywhere. They love foreigners and trotting out their few words of English: “Hello, sank you! Where you from?”

They are by and large adorable, happy and full of vitality. So it won’t surprise you to learn that this is a country “on fire”, its ambition to succeed and excel is highly impressive. It is a country “under construction”. Wherever you go, cranes are there, construction sites and on, even in the countryside that we saw. There is a great sense of warmth from the people, they are so eager to say hello and have their “photo” taken with foreigners. “Photo, photo?” you hear whoever you walk or hike. And they make the peace symbol in the photos--it seems very meaningful to them perhaps as it was to us decades ago.

Michael Winn, trip leader, assembled a great group of people, 42 in all, and a full, thorough itinerary for us for 3 weeks, going from East to West China near Tibet, and visiting some of the most interesting Taoist ‘hot spots’ to be found, in mountains and cities. We’ve spent a good amount of time in the mountains, far away from internet, cities and what’s going on ‘in the news’. I don’t have a clue, and I rather like it that way!

In short, day-by-day, we laugh, we talk, we do Primordial Chi-Kung as well as the Big Dipper shamanic 7-Star Ceremony and spend time meditating on and in the mountains. It’s simply glorious to be away from NYC/U.S.-based life-as-usual, good as it is, for a ‘change of atmosphere’ and God knows, China provides that. I love experiencing the culture, old and new, and the people themselves. And doing these ancient forms in such sacred temples and mountains as we have has been a refinement of spiritual cultivation few get to experience in this life. Thanks to Michael for making a dream a reality. If you are interested in inquiring about next year's trip, go to: www.abetterworld.net/events.

With love for you all,

Mitchell Jay Rabin, M.A., L.AC.
212 420-0800
www.abetterworld.net