I've been the guest of the Grand Temple of Mount Heng for almost a month now, and I'd like to believe I've adapted to its lifestyle rather well; I've even made sure to help out with the temples upkeep to earn my stay.
Life in the temple is fairly simple and easygoing. After experiencing their daily rituals enough times, and with some help from Shi Min, I've come to understand how these Taoists structure their days, and the significance behind the actions they take.
For starters, they wake with the rise of the sun, sometime between five and seven in the morning, when the Qi is purest. According to Shi Min, this is considered the Mao hour, and is a time of transition, where Yin gives way to Yang.
Once they've woken up, they conduct their morning rituals.
This involves the burning of incense for the purity of their space, and the reciting of the Eight Great Spirit Spells, again for purity, only this time for the mind, speech, and body. They then recite a bunch of different scriptures, which supposedly have the ability to do things such as settle the heart, to aid in internal alchemy, and to cultivate a protective internal radiance.
When they finish their recitals, they chant praises to the gods, and to the ancestors of their Taoist school. Then, they practice a form of internal martial arts called Daoyin, which circulates the energy generated during the liturgy through their meridians.
After they've finished their early morning rituals, they go to breakfast, which consists of only vegetables, and eat in silence. I've also observed that they only eat after giving an offering to what they call Hungry Ghosts.
With their breakfast eaten, they set about doing their Mindful Work. This is a ritualised form of chores, such as sweeping, gardening, and temple maintenance, and is performed as a moving meditation.
At noon, the peak of yang energy, they offer incense and food to the gods and ancestors, then go to their noon meal. This is often the largest meal of the day, and is used to observe the Five Contemplations, where they reflect on where the food comes from, and of their own worthiness to eat it.
Their afternoon is dedicated to study and stillness, during which they study the Daozang, the Taoist canon. They then perform a silent ritual and sit in meditation, where they empty their mind and allow the Tao to flow through them. When they've finished their meditation, they drink tea in a formal, mindful ritual, to maintain alertness and to aid their digestive health.
When evening comes around, they transition to stillness and chant scriptures to help the souls of the deceased find peace. To signal the end of the active day and the retreat of yang energy, the temple sounds their Twilight Bell 108 times, before they go to their evening meal. The meal is usually very light, what is called medicinal food, and often skipped entirely to keep the body light for nighttime meditation.
By night, they return to their quarters and practice their internal alchemy, then sit in final meditation, when the body's yin is at its maximum, in order to capture the First Birth of Yang, the first spark of yang of the coming day. Finally, they fall asleep on their right side, in a position known as the Sleeping Lion, to keep the body's energy channels open and to aid in longevity.
Personally, I think it's a bit much.
But who am I to judge? They seem happy with who they are and what they believe. Plus, I know at least some version of the Tao is real; after all, I was sent here by it, so who can say if they're right or not?
While the lifestyle doesn't interest me, the internal alchemy and martial arts they practice seems like a good first step on my road to eternal life. I planned to talk to the Abbot about becoming a formal disciple of the temple, but I don't know if I'll be accepted.
The members of the temple have treated me right, and helped me to get acclimated, but I'm unsure if they'll allow me to leech their methods without becoming an actual Taoist. If needs must, I can pretend to follow the teachings of Taoism, even if I don't align with them as a person.
I won't enjoy it, but I'll do it; I just don't want hurt the feelings of Shi Min.
See, she hasn't been pushing me into becoming a disciple of the temple, but I sometimes see her desire to bring it up written all over her face when we talk. If I was to join, just to be insincere in my faith, I think it would hurt her.
I also... might have developed a little bit of a crush on her.
I'm sure there a psychological term for falling for your saviour, but I promise, that's not what is happening here. I've always been attracted to women, but apart from a few dalliances in university, I've never been in love. While that's not how I feel for Shi Min, I can definitely see myself pursuing her romantically.
I would follow up on my feeling and tell her how I feel, or at least flirt with her, but the Quanzhen school of Taoism that Shi Min belongs to mandates celibacy.
That, and I don't know how Shi Min would react, given my lack of knowledge on how same-sex relationships are viewed in this era we live in. She could distance herself from me, threatening my position in the temple, but from what I know of her, she doesn't seem like that kind of person, though I'd rather not risk it.
I'm meeting her later today after the noon meal, where I plan to bring up my intention to join the temple to her. If all goes well, by tomorrow, I might be learning my first cultivation technique.
…
Seated under a tree in the gardens of the outer temple, I look up from the book I'm reading, the Zhuangzi, a foundation text that exemplifies the ideal Taoist sage, as a young boy dressed in blue robes approaches me, "Junior Sister, Elder Kang has requested that you meet him in the Medicine Hall, and has asked that I bring you to him."
I joined the temple, as you can tell.
"Thank you, Senior Brother, I'm ready when you are." It's going to take me a while to get used to how these Taoists address each other.
The young boy nods and begins walking back the way he came as I follow behind. We pass through a small gate in the red wall, and take a stone path to a small building attached to a larger, multi-storied one. The boy knocks on the wooden door, causing the voice of Kang Cheng to sound from within, "Come in."
The boys opens the door and signals me to enter. As I do, the first thing I notice is the subtle smell of nature that pervades the room; the second thing, is that Kang Cheng is not alone. Seated beside him is a woman, older than me going by the small wrinkles around her eyes, dressed in a white, long sleeved robe.
Kang Chang notices my gaze, and introduces the woman to me, "Disciple Sarah, this is Hall Master Hong. She supervises the Meditation Hall, ensuring that it remains conductive to quiet contemplation and internal alchemy. She's going to be the one to handle your introduction into our temple." He looks to Hall Master Hong.
Hall Master Hong gives me a quick once over, "I always enjoy admitting a new member to the temple." She smiles at me, then turns to Master Kang and bows, "I'll leave you to your refining."
Master Kang bows back, before waving us out. I say goodbye the young boy, then go after Hall Master Hong. She walks me to a small, closed off courtyard, out of the way of the rest of the temple.
Hall Master Hong takes me inside and tells me to sit, then walks off into the another room. A minute later, she returns holding a folded robe and a black, square hat. She places them down in front of me, then says, "This is the clothing you will need to wear for your initiation ceremony. You can get changed in the back." She gestures to the door she came from.
Picking up the clothing, I enter the room and slide the door shut. Opening up the bundle, I see that it's a loose, blue, ankle length robe, with wide sleeves. I disrobe, and after a minute of struggle, manage to don the new robe. I go back to Hall Master Hong, who checks that I'm wearing the robe correctly, then leads me out of the courtyard and into a small building further in the temple grounds.
Hall Master Hong lights some incense then kneels on a cushion, before signalling me to do the same, so we face each other.
"Disciple Sarah, as one who has chosen to admit themselves to the Grand Temple of Mount Heng, you need to perform three rituals for you to be accepted as a formal disciple." She stares into my eyes with a heavy look.
"Firstly, you must make formal vows to follow the Tao and to respect the lineage of the Quanzhen school. Do you wish to do so?"
The atmosphere of the hall is stifling, the pressure of the ceremony weighing down on my shoulders. The vow about the Tao can be ignored, as I don't trust it, but I can vow to respect their lineage. All the school has done is help me.
I try to express sincerity to her as I answer as formally as I can, "I do. I, Sarah Worthington, vow to follow the Tao, and to respect the lineage of the Quanzhen school." I get a notification as I finish my vow, but I ignore it for now.
Hall Master Hong accepts my vow and bows to me, leading me to bow back.
"Secondly, to become an official disciple, you must recognise a master of your own choosing, who will provide you with spiritual guidance. Do you wish to do so?"
As much as would I love to be under Shi Min, she is a Master of the Medicine Hall, so isn't the most suited to guiding me in my cultivation. But Hall Master Hong... She is in charge of the disciples internal alchemy.
"Hall Master Hong, are you open to accepting me as your disciple?" Hall Master Hong hears me and sits in contemplation. Once her mind is seemingly made up, she nods at me.
"Thank you. Then I, Sarah Worthington, recognise you as my master, the one who will guide me on my spiritual journey." We bow to each other a second time.
"Finally, you must accept purification in the form of rites, and must perform a first reading of the Tao Te Ching. Do you wish to do so?"
This time, I have no concerns. Rites are symbolic, and probably have no actual power, while I've read the Tao Te Ching in my former life, so I know what to expect.
"I, Sarah Worthington, accept the rites of purification, and the first reading of scripture." We bow a third time.
"Then, as a Master of the Quanzhen School of Taoism, I have witnessed your vows, and accept you as an official disciple of the Grand Temple of Mount Heng." Hall Master Hong relaxes and smiles at me, dispelling the serious atmosphere.
"As you have chosen me as your Master, I shall be the one to teach you, and to make sure you don't lose your way on the your journey to the Tao." She stands and gestures me to do them, then we bow to each other for the fourth and final time.
Suddenly, she looks at me in my eyes with a solemn expression, "It matters not to me the life you've lived before you came here, nor do I know your circumstances, I only hope that you don't disturb the sanctity of the temple."
I hear the subtle threat, but I also know my new master bears me no inherent ill will, she's just looking out for the temple.
Seeing that I've understood her warning, she starts to speak, "My birth name is Hong Yi, meaning 'great harmony'; and my Taoist name is Lingzhao, meaning 'to illuminate the spirit'. From this time onward, I am your master."
Going by what I've seen of the lives of the disciples, the taking of a master is a fundamental aspect of Taoism, with the relationship between them sometimes being closer than that of a parent and their child.
"Tomorrow, I shall impart to you the process of internal alchemy, and guide you on your first meditation. For now, it's getting late, you should be making your way to your quarters." Master Hong gives me a smile and sends me off. "When you wake up, come find me in my courtyard."
I give her a bow, and leave the hall. Although her first instruction as my master is for me to get some sleep, I'm too excited.
I need to share this with Shi Min.
My walk to her quarters in the Medicine Hall is brisk. When I get to her door, I give a few rapid taps and wait. After a couple of seconds, Shi Min opens the door, sees me, and breaks out in a smile.
Gods above, I wanna pounce on her.
"Junior Sister Sarah, what brings you here?" She invites me in and starts to pour some tea as I sit.
From there, I tell her all about my day.
…
I wake up bright and early with the other disciples, and start to make my way to my masters small courtyard, before I remember to open the notification from yesterday,
[Ability Learned – Lying (Basic):Haven't you been a bad girl, telling fibs to your master. You have lied successfully to a being with greater power than you, causing them to believe something false.
With this ability, a 15% chance of your lies being believed is added onto your natural deceptive prowess.]
Sassy, but okay. I'm not a compulsive liar, but if lying to someone helps me in advancing in my goals, I'll do it in a heartbeat.
Moving on, I arrive at my masters quarters and knock, where Master Hong calls me in, "Enter, disciple."
As I enter, I see Master Hong sitting in meditation, and apologise, "Ah, I'm sorry master, I didn't mean to disturb you."
With her eyes still closed, Master Hong replies, "Nonsense, I was waiting for you. Take a seat, " She motions me to sit, "I'll start to impart the technique in a minute."
After a little wait, Master Hong opens her eyes and moves to sit in front of me, "Now, are you ready to learn to cultivate?"
Fuck yeah I am.