Ancient And Modern Conditions In Chinese Metaphysics

In the past two thousand years or so not much has changed in the field of Chinese metaphysics. Ironically, any changes that were attempted have only diminished, not to mention confused, the value of the divination methods. The rare exceptions have been the works of men such as Yang Hsiung (53 B.C - 18 A.D), Chen Tuan (906-989), Shao Yung (1011-1077), and others. On average perhaps one person every five centuries was able to make significant changes and valuable additions to the main Chinese astrological /divination systems.
The ancient masters were well informed and quite advanced in their understanding of not only the astrological techniques, but also of astronomical information. Their style of approach may have varied somewhat , but there is no denying that the deep and profound understanding of their art was unfathomable.
In ancient times, the term “master” was a well respected and revered title. The relationship between master and disciple was an extremely close and respected bond. Oftentimes, the student was more devoted to his master than to his own biological family or blood relatives. Many devoted pupils spent an enormous amount of time learning with their spiritual teachers. Some on mountains, others in forests or caves, and some in temples and other environments. They ate the same food, breathed the same air, and walked the same ground. In other words, they ingested the same chi. The disciple would eventually learn to merge with his master, and though it could have taken decades, the pupil with the proper patience was well rewarded,
Though I’ve stated that things have not changed much in the past two millenia in terms of divination, the same cannot be said when it comes to the relationship between master and student. On those terms, things have changed quite dramatically and drastically. In these modern times the title of master has a completely different connotation than in the past ages. If an ancient master were to pass by a modern master on his daily walk today, neither one would recognize the other as a master. The chi of the modern master has been tainted to the point of unrecognizable proportions
Business interests and financial opportunity have entered into the equation for today’s high-profiled, high-tech guru. High-scale advertising and outlandish claims are normal everyday occurrences in today’s fast-paced and highly competitive spiritual marketplace. Twenty-first century students do not have to wait two or three decades to receive their complete education. They can do it in less than four weeks by attending a seminar or workshop or by enrolling in an on-line computer class and paying the proper amount of money. I have seen and have personally known many people who were certified as masters in less than four weeks. Today you can earn a “master’s degree” if you will, by simply sitting in front of a computer for a specified amount of time. As you can obviously see, the true master/disciple relationship is merely a faded memory of a bygone era.