Tales of the Fat Monk
Episodes
37 episodes
Bonus Episode: Two Letters of Liu Yi-Ming
Liu Yiming was one of the greatest Daoists of the eighteenth century, with numerous writings on all the Daoist classics.He corresponded with numerous disciples and other devout lay people throughout the country, describing in many cases...
Chapter Twenty-One: Tea Tales in the Hermit's Cave
The Fat Monk and Xiaoyao visit the Hermit for a quiet talk, but find the Boatman and his friend--who Xiaoyao has never met--already there.Tea is the main topic of the day, but in the course of the discussion, the Fat Monk's peculiar ave...
Chapter Twenty-Two: Gathering Medicine
"Ru zi, ke jiao ye!"The Hermit tests Xiaoyao, who thinks that the Hermit will teach him about locating herbs in the mountains.The Reality, however ....
Chapter Twenty Three: Pacing the Cosmos
Xiaoyao enters a hidden chamber and witnesses a strange dance, before learning more about "medicine," the gathering of scattered medicine and use of it, and its exoteric and esoteric processes.The "Earth of Attention" (意土 yì tǔ...
Chapter Twenty-Four: A Visit into the Monastery
Xiaoyao ventures into the Mundus Imaginalis, and finds strangeness, unexpected encounters and … welcome. “Joyful the moment when we sat in the bower, Thou and I;In two forms and two faces—with one soul, Thou and I....
Bonus Episode: Liu Yiming's Preface to "The True Intent of the Journey to the West"
Liu Yiming was one of the greatest Daoists of the eighteenth century, with numerous writings on all the Daoist classics.He was afraid however that the world would ignore what he saw as a crucial text for human development, simply becaus...
Chapter Eleven: The Pine Valley Daoist
Xiaoyao discovers an ancient and enigmatic inscription in a hidden alcove of the monastery, and learns the difficult technique of stone rubbing.The fat monk and the boatman instruct him in the art of duàn jù: "breaking the sent...
Chapter Twelve: Silent Accord
Xiaoyao visits Shijie's husband, Dr. Jiang, at the famous old Chinese medicine pharmacy across the road from Shijie's restaurant, and asks him an awkward question.Shijie inducts three new members into her Daoist group, and gives them sp...
Chapter Thirteen: The Nine-Toothed Rake
Xiaoyao uncovers a Tang dynasty poem from Ancestor Lǚ, Lǚ Dōng-Bīn.Cook and the fat monk lay bear the Daoist meanings of an episode in the Journey to the West, in which the daughter of the headman of Gao Lao Zhuang has been imprisoned b...
Chapter Fourteen: Sword and Lute
Xiaoyao confronts a crucial episode of blanked out memory, in which Shijie provides a detailed examination of chapter two of the Dao De Jing, and Xiaoyao meets the mysterious Master Gu Yan. Cook explains what he meant by "mea...
Chapter Fifteen: Trigrams Heaven and Earth
Xiaoyao returns to the monastery, only to come face-to-face with the new abbot, an imposing figure feared by not-a-few of the monks.Later, he is able to clear up many misconceptions regarding the trigrams Qián (Heaven), Kūn...
Chapter Sixteen: Trigrams Mountain to Marsh
Trigrams Mountain to Marsh finishes the discussion on Kǎn (Abyss) and Lí (Brightness), and then goes on to investigate the last four trigrams Mountain: Gèn (☶), Thunder: Zhèn (☳); Wind: Xùn (☴) and Marsh:...
Chapter Seventeen: Fire on the Mountain
A meeting with a stranger in a Hong Kong pub sets Xiaoyao on a path that will involve him in unexplainable occurences.Cook demonstrates the stalk method of divination in using the Yi Jing, and the answer to Xiaoyao's question; ...
Chapter Eighteen: Billie and the Shaman
This is a true story.Not "based on a true story." Even the names have not been changed to protect the innocent. Everything happened exactly as described.** Well, except maybe the tall farmer.
Chapter Nineteen: Wild Grass Writing
While setting up a Calligraphy and Arts exhibition at the Monastery, the Fat Monk and friends discuss the amazing Fu Qingzhu, heroic anti-Manchu rebel, iconoclastic calligrapher who single-handedly transformed the art of writing as ...
Chapter Twenty: Thirty Spokes
Xiaoyao discovers a recently established study group now being conduceted by none other than Xiao Jing, assisted by Ling Ling and other past students from Shi Jie's restaurant.Xiaoyao becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of th...
Chapter One: Talks at a Monastery
Xiao Yao climbs to an ancient monastery in the mountains of China where he meets the fat monk for the first time and learns some interesting new angles on Daoism -- from the fat monk's point of view. Especially about pitfalls of the Path.
Chapter Two - More Talks at a Monastery
While sparring with Xiaoyao, the Daoist demonstrates the real application of the fabled “paralysis points” used in martial arts. As Xiaoyao recovers, the fat monk teaches him a Qi Gong practice from Chen village used to drum up the qi before a ...
Chapter Three: The Hermit of Dao Mountain
As the fat Daoist brings Xiaoyao across the river one evening, the boatman warns Xiaoyao that the fat monk may not be all he seems on the surface arousing Xiaoyao's suspicions.Nonetheless, Xiaoyao and the monk discuss the use of certain sto...
Chapter Four: Working in the World
The fat monk is on punishment detail, by order of the Abbot, working in the local market.He takes Xiaoyao to meet another student of his own teacher. She runs a vegetarian restaurant which operates as both a focus of her own development and...
Chapter Five: The Dao of Strategy
Guided by the ancient mysterious precepts of the Master of Demon Valley, Shijie and her Daoist students merge with the community to eliminate a malicious and powerful official.At the same time, they design a delicate strategy to save...
Chapter Six: Pouncing Tiger, Soaring Dragon
The inner alchemical method of Dragon and Tiger as described in the seminal conversation between the Patriarchs Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin and explained by the fat monk in a remote cave looking out over a vast forest of pine.Xiao...
Chapter Seven: Alchemy, Demonology and the Abbot
Xiaoyao learns the Daoist mudra "Son and Mother" but learns that "gathering qi" is not always easy.Cook goes on the warpath.Xiaoyao asks about the difference between "aligning with the Dao" and Chinese internal alchemy, the ...
Chapter Eight: In A Daoist Circle
Xiaoyao sits in on a session of Shijie's Daoist circle, where she guides them through the ancient Bǎi Gǔ Guān--the White Bone Contemplation, a meditation routine designed to settle random thoughts and, when taken to its final conclusio...
Chapter Nine: Emergence from the Hidden Treasury
After practicing the Three Powers Sword form, they rest and the fat monk describes how gongfu practice should change with the seasons as the tissues of the body shift and alter at the different times of the year.Back at the librar...