A Taoist Shaman in the Wudang Dragon Gate Tradition has great responsibilities.  Ones conduct represents the entire lineage.  A Shaman in this tradition is always in training – cultivating knowledge and skill of restoring wholeness and balance through blessing, exorcism, qigong (martial, medical and spiritual), counseling, meditation, and other practices.  The path begins with Lineage Transmissions.

Transmission & Empowerment

As read in most classics, ‘One cannot fully master or comprehend the art without true transmission from the Master.’ This statement is true for the arts that we practice. Empowerments are given to pass abilities, lineage, knowledge, and energy from the master to student. This directly affects the students ability to absorb, comprehend and demonstrate the art. Several years ago this aspect of Taoism was controversial, but it is now widely accepted.

In the days of the original shaman, the environment, food and the body was pure. Energy flow was obvious. People were more in tune. They knew when their energy was disturbed before it became mental or physical… The shaman transformed this energy.

The Vajra Transmission

A seed of illumination is given to provide light where one is blind – A foot hold as well as a foot in the door. Spiritual practices run more efficiantly with spiritual energy flowing through it. These empowerments or transmissions are given through a ceremony, laying of hands, through the eyes such as during a lecture or through a strike. It is a science whithin itself.

Originally, vajra transmissions were given from shaman to shaman and from monk to monk to preserve a body of awakened beings during a dark period … Kali Yuga. This period still exists and still requires this seed of illumination, for learning, healing, kung fu, and transformation.

Vajra Transmissions are sometimes offered in private sessions during seminar visits.

Tibetan Bon Shamanism

Tibetan Bon Shamanism is the original prebuddhist practice of Tibet. Bon Shamans were master healers and doorways to other worlds. They walked a circle, held postures/mudras, and connected to the Lung Ta – windhorse, centrifugal and centripital forces.  They healed with highly refined and cultivated energy wielded through sacred mudras, mantras and mandalas.

Taoist Dragon Gate Shamanism

Taoist Dragon Gate Shamanism uses the formulas of Yin & Yang, Five Elements, Eight Forces/Trigrams, and other natural laws with the body as a whole integrated being. Results are energetic poetry experienced through magical spiral forces of the body. Taoist sages also walked the circle and held postures and opened gateways. They designed the martial art of Baguazhang to include all the Taoist alchemy – Empowerments of Dragons.

Ordained and Initiated Taoist to Shaman Training in the Wudang Dragon Gate Sanctuary tradition

1995:  Walter Liu, Mevlin Tabilas, Eric Portelli, Hasting Albo, Jason Kiyojima

1998:  Tim White, Mano Farria, Shawn Douglass, Vance Inouye, Karen Umamoto, Sandra Furuto, Rosemary Nishi, Anthony Silva, Jon Oneha, Monika Kathuria, April Clemenson, Joseph Lo

2000:  Rene Shuetter, Andrea Fagan, Rachel Ferguson, Henri Rand Fergiuele, Fred Yamanaka, Sharlene Yamanaka, Adam Robinson, Katherine Diamond, Greg Pang, Greg Sato, Karin Jones, Ronda Hayashi, Randal Lau, Jason Yamamoto

2001:  Allen Hee, Patricia Brady, Linda Iwamoto

2003:  Jason Allen, Peter Bell, Michael Ho, Wayne Lee, Glenn Pasion, Ron Miller, Son Wong, Justin Prem, Ethel Mau, Lois Chong, Marion Lum-King

2004:  Celina Taganas-Duffy, Owen Duffy, Marcus Lam, Dean Ritarita

2005:  Mami Goto, Charyce Harvick, Alex Hunt, Koa Young, Sister Malia Wong, Matt Chamberlain, Eric Stennett

2007:  Carol Holmes, Yoko Wee, Chie Matsuoka, Yukiko Hirayama, Chiejzu Tenjin Matsuo, Hanae Lee Matsuo, Laura Gusetelu, Moses Cabanting