Trusting the Path: My Journey Back to Qing Cheng Mountain
Dear Friends,
This past April, I received a rare and humbling opportunity: a chance to return to Qing Cheng Mountain in Sichuan Province, China, to visit my Grand Master, Zhang Ming Xin, Abbot of Jian Fu Gong, the Taoist temple where I was ordained in 2016. It was an invitation that carried both deep spiritual significance and profound personal meaning.
But as anyone who has ever attempted to travel alone to a Taoist temple in rural China—especially without speaking the language—can tell you, it’s not a simple journey. There were countless obstacles, both internal and logistical. I hadn’t spoken to anyone from the temple in over five years. I had no interpreter. I didn’t even know if I’d be received once I arrived.
Still, something inside urged me forward. “Trust,” it whispered. And so, I did. I booked my flight.
Sitting at my computer, scanning for flights to Chengdu, I thought, This is crazy. The doubts swirled, but the inner voice remained steady. I found a flight that fit my work schedule perfectly: an international route through Taipei, departing at 1:00 a.m. on April 17.
Feeling organized and prepared, I went to bed on April 16—only to wake up to a stream of messages saying I had missed my flight. My heart dropped. The midnight departure had confused me; I should have arrived at the airport the evening before. In a panic, I called the airline. The next available flight? Not for four more days.
Shocked and disoriented, I managed to reschedule with the help of a kind customer service agent who patiently walked me through the next steps. We extended my return ticket to preserve the trip’s full length. And just like that, the new departure was set.
But now I had four unexpected days. I had already cleared my work schedule and handed off responsibilities. What was I to do?
I rested. I meditated. I sat with the disappointment—and slowly, peace emerged. I began to see that I wasn’t meant to be on that original flight. These four days were a gift. A moment to truly prepare—not just logistically, but spiritually and emotionally—for what lay ahead.
And that, as it turns out, is how this journey begins.
I hadn’t even stepped on the plane yet, and already the path was revealing itself in unexpected ways. The first lesson? Trust.
With gratitude and unfolding wonder,
— Li Fu
