Sitting and Forgetting with Michael Rinaldini

What can a Daoist priest teach Christians about silence? Shifu Michael Rinaldini spent years in Trappist and Carthusian monasteries and followed in Thomas Merton's footsteps before finding his home on the Daoist path and being ordained in Beijing as a 22nd-generation Daoist priest. He joins Dave Plisky and Fr. John Gribowich to explore Zuowang ("sitting and forgetting") meditation, Qigong, Daoist cosmology, and why he still sends his students on retreat to Catholic monasteries. If you've ever said "I'm spiritual but not religious," Michael has advice you won't expect. Learn more about Michael and his books: https://www.qigongdragon.com CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro & meet Shifu Michael Rinaldini 4:30 From The Razor's Edge to Zen, India, and a reconversion to Catholicism 9:00 Six years of monastery-hopping in Merton's footsteps 13:30 Discovering Qigong and ordination as a Daoist priest in Beijing 16:00 Zuowang: the meditation of "sitting and forgetting" 19:30 How someone becomes a Daoist priest in America 21:30 Qigong, Tai Chi & Chinese medicine: one system 25:00 "Can you explain the Dao?" — "Well, I really can't." 26:30 Non-duality & the apophatic common ground with Christianity 34:45 Advice for the "spiritual but not religious" 39:00 How to start practicing Qigong or Tai Chi 54:00 Daoist cosmology: pre-heaven, post-heaven, yin & yang 57:30 Ritual in Daoism & the ordination ceremony 65:30 Dave's closing reflections & book recommendation 🙏 Religion to Reality is more than a podcast: it's an interfaith monthly gathering, the first Wednesday of every month. Register on our Substack: https://religiontoreality.substack.com Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and find full show notes at https://religiontoreality.org