Qiling Mystery School

 
I was raised a Catholic. I distinctly remember the religion classes I attended as a boy in an exclusive private school. Every time the teacher didn't know the answer, the standard response to my questions would be, "It's a mystery." Considering the number of times I encountered this reply, I couldn't help wondering why religion had to be so mysterious. One had no choice but to accept what was taught blindly and leave the rest to faith to make sense of the anomalies. Needless to say that I was dreadfully dissatisfied.

My festering discontent led me to the discovery of a school that provided answers to the mysteries - aptly called a Mystery School. Embedded on its walls is the ancient saying encapsulating its mission - "Man know thyself." The school succinctly postulates that ignorance is the cause of all sufferings, and the key to achieving man 's happiness is knowledge - more particularly, knowledge of his true self.

Unfortunately, Mystery Schools were not traditionally for everybody. It is said that the masses were taught in parables, while the mysteries were taught to disciples in the inner circle. In ancient times, a student of the mysteries had to leave home and follow his teacher to be able to learn. There were no books and lessons were imparted orally. Character development was an integral part of the student's training. The years spent serving and emulating the teacher were so demanding; thus limiting interest to a handful of dedicated aspirants.

So much have changed since then. Today, books and other media delving on the mysteries are plentiful and readily available. Technology has made the teachings and the teachers even more accessible. Although the Ancient Knowledge remains the same, its expression has however changed through the ages by the realities of the times. Free expression in cyberspace has given reign to wanton embellishments on one end of the spectrum with unrestrained copyright infringements on the other. These verities of modern times greatly influence the form in which the Mysteries are expressed to the public at large. As such, utmost discrimination is advised.

The Qiling Mystery School continues the mission of dispelling the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge using the Blog as its medium of expression. There is nothing new to the teachings. Qiling is just a name to give the Mystery School's expression of the Ancient Knowledge a unique, discernible identity. Qiling is Mandarin for Unicorn, symbol of the self-realized soul. What is different about this Mystery School is that it is for everybody. It does not boast of any elite cadre of esoteric disciples practicing secret mystical rituals. In fact, it aims to demystify rather than mystify. We impart the knowledge. The wisdom lies in how one uses it.

And so the journey begins. I will be honored to show you the path.

Laoshi

20 May 2010