虛

 I transmit the Zen Dharma of Absolute Tathata (Suchness). Striking away all words & concepts, penetrating right to the Heart of Emptiness. Pointing out that there isn't a hair's breadth of difference between Samsara & Nirvana, the Lion's Roar of the Awakened One. Svaha!

Why is it called Shaman Tiger Zen Temple? Because it is a small Zen temple founded by a man given the Daoist-sounding Dharma name Lao Hu, which means "Old Tiger," "Venerable Tiger," or -- if you like -- "Shamanic Tiger." Just as there is a Shamanic Tiger style of Qi Gong.

The training methods of ancient Zen were aimed at the direct realization of Buddhahood by means of raising & stengthening Qi. Then the entrance was said to be "sudden." This approach is summed up in the famous slogan: "Direct Entry with a Sharp Chopper."

In the changing of seasons, ancient Zen's electrifying & highly pointed training methods got overshadowed by a rigid, sectarian, intellectualized training approach. Such is why Zen withered to near-insignificance in China & then in Japan also, where even the Rinzai-shu, which had previously preserved the energetic aspects of the ancient Way, turned into a hollow churning out of answers to koans.

Zen is now due for a revival of its unbelievable powers, based on shamanic wisdom & the pointed arousal of Qi. Where better to accomplish this goal than in the vast, brilliant, starry Pacific Northwest?

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The Chinese concept of “Xü 虛" [Emptiness] is shamanic, that is to say experiential, & so has little or nothing to do with the intellectualized Shunyata of Nagarjuna et al.

If you want to experience “Xü 虛" you've got to do Qi Gong, climb a mountain, fight with a sword, or blow into a bamboo flute.

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According to the doctrine of Hongaku (Chinese: 本覺), all sentients are originally enlightened. But the thinking mind tends to obscure it by hiding the lamp under a basket. Take away the basket, the lamp shines out clearly. Seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling -- all are the original enlightenment.