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The Paths

All applicants for Daoist training must be known by Shifu Shannon, as the Karma you bring affects not only your teacher/student relationship, but the Karma of the entire lineage.

If you have never trained with Shifu Shannon, the recommended path of entry is by taking the initial seminar, P1, to the Medical Qigong Program through the International Medical Qigong College. This seminar, as taught by Shifu Shannon, contains the foundational principles that are required for any training you may take through the Temple of Peace and Virtue. Taking the P1 seminar with Shifu Shannon also gives each you the chance to evaluate him as a teacher, and him a chance to evaluate you as a student. Without this, it is very hard for him to consider you for the Daoist program.

Shifu Shannon teaches the P1 seminar twice a year, once in February and again in March.

Eligibility

In the Dragon Gate lineage there are three levels of priesthood:
Level 1: Baishi 拜师- Initial ordination
Level 2: Guanjin 灌巾- Eligible after 3-years
Level 3: Shoujie 受戒- Eligible after 8-years
 
Besides "time in grade," the disciple must show maturation and presence of spirit in accord with their level of development. This level of internal cultivation should manifest operationally as well.
 
In the Morning Prayers (八大神咒), for example, a Baishi should have the prayers memorized, and should have experienced the appropriate internal alchemical transformation through the use of the prayers. A Guanjin, on the other hand, should be able to evoke from within each prayer its external uses or applications, 用法 (yòng fǎ), which are distinct functions beyond that of the personal cultivative effect. A similar differential should be seen with all aspects of cultivation and mystical practices.
 
Operationally one should find that with each degree promotion within the priesthood there is an increase of Light, increased connection to Heaven and Earth, and increased access to the Immortals.
 
As part of the criteria for ordination, there are basic skill sets with which the priest must achieve competency. These include foundational prayers, and various important talismans, hand seals, and stepping patterns. These basic skills are just that--basic.  The skill sets help Daoist Priests to serve their communities, which is an important part of ordination. Guanjin are required to have significantly more skills than Baishi.
 
For the last year or two, I have refrained from teaching much mystical/magical practices (玄学 xuán xúe). I have done this with the intention of helping our disciples develop a greater connection to Heaven, Earth, and Humanity and to divest their hearts and minds of the vices and superfluities of life. I believe it is from this vantage point that the mystical/magical practices (玄学 xuán xúe) will have their most efficacy. I want to share these practices as a Lineage transmission (师承shī chéng) not just as a function of the acquired mind collecting information.

It is strongly encouraged for those who desire to attend the trip to attend the scheduled Daoist trainings between now and then for examination, review, and refinement. Time will be allotted for filling in some of the gaps.

List of Expected Skill Sets

*A Guanjin should be able to evoke from within each prayer its external uses or applications, 用法 (yòng fǎ).

PLEASE NOTE: For this upcoming ordination May 2017 in Qing Cheng Shan ONLY, I am willing to make an exception to appropriate mastery of all of the above skill sets because: (1) we have this special opportunity at Jian Fu Gong, and (2) this list of formal skill sets has not been previously codified.
For this upcoming ordination, candidates for the level of Baishi must have all of the skillsets above with the exception of the Ba Gua Stepping Pattern.

Candidates for Guanjin must have fulfilled all of the requirements for Baishi and the bolded requirements for Guanjin, again with the exception of the BaGua Stepping Pattern.

Guanjin must also have attained the expected commensurate level of spiritual cultivation. This can only be assessed if they are in attendance at trainings prior to this China Trip.
 
Priests who receive advancement in ordination without these usual expected skill sets would be expected to expediently obtain and display competency in them soon thereafter.