That meeting with Master Sha on October 15, 2000, was one of the most remarkable days in my life. I finally met the man I had been searching for. For many years, I had been trying to find a teacher who would guide me, but the spiritual guidance I received from God never approved anyone except for Master Sha.

When we met for the first time, I felt right away that he was an unusual person. I felt very comfortable and very happy in his presence. What was strange or unexpected to me was that he was not dressed like a master. I had read many books about Taoist masters, and in the pictures, all of them had strange clothes, a hat of some sort, and would hold a symbol of power such as a fly whisk.
And here was Master Sha, dressed like a normal person, wearing trousers and a red sweater, and smiling and laughing. He didn’t look like the serious masters I saw painted in books. He was like everyone else and he was always happy.
This was so very different! Nevertheless, I treated him with great respect because I had read in books that students were supposed to show great respect to their teachers.

With the many personal experiences and knowledge that I have gathered during my studies, it is quite clear to me that this is a problem many spiritual practitioners go through.

We are dedicated. We want to reach enlightenment. We have such a sincere desire in our hearts and souls. However, traveling alone, without good supervision, makes the journey towards enlightenment a very dangerous one. It is not as simple as it looks!

I had to go through a similar situation. I was doing a practice that was too advanced for me because I didn’t have a solid foundation. Why had I continued like that? Because karma was blinding my mind!