Author: Dr. Li Sichun
I. Near-death Experience
When a person's life is in peril, such as when a person suffers from a car accident, serious illness, is struck by lightning or comes back to life after being declared dead by a doctor, often times the person will describe some magical and grand journey he/she experiences while unconscious or "dead." This is referred to as a "near-death experience."
Author：Dr. Li Sichun
1. The dual view of the universe in Taoism
Mr. Hu Fuchen is a researcher at the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in mainland China. He is renowned for his research in Taoist, Taoism, and immortal studies. In October 2002, he was invited by the then director Lee of the NTU's Department of Chinese Literature to visit Taiwan. I was fortunate to have a small seminar with Mr. Hu and the domestic Taoist expert Professor Li of the Academia Sinica, giving Mr. Hu a picture of Taoism research in Taiwan. Naturally, it included my findings in scientific experiments.
Author：Dr. Li Sichun
1. When I was young, I thought it was a superstition to burn incense and worship Buddha
Every time you pass by large temples, you can see hundreds of believers burning incense while praying and bowing down. When I was young, I would follow the custom by burning incense as a ritual. I would not ask the Buddha for blessing or asking the Buddha for help by granting me a wish. The reason is simple: I did not believe in a world where gods, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas really exist.
