SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
JULY 2020 PART 3
Small Universe
Question 1
I try to follow the Shaolin Laws as best I can in all aspects of my life. But I have encountered a difficulty in which I would really appreciate your wise advice.
What happens when some of the Shaolin laws appear to be in contradiction? For example, what could be done when loved ones, as parents, brothers and grandparents, act with evil.
— Name and Country Withheld
Answer
If our loved ones like parents, brothers or grandparents, act with evil, we show them a good example by following the Ten Shaolin Laws in our daily life, but we will not interfere into their lives though we may, subtly, give them advice. We can tell them that goodness will always bring goodness, and if they are not good at times, it may be because of their thinking or circumstances.
We abide by the Ten Shaolin Laws in our daily life. The Ten Shaolin Laws, which transcend all cultures and religions, provide an excellent basis for morality.
I am very glad that your family is getting better now. However, if any member of your family is not as good as you feel he (or she) should be, please remember that not everyone has the good karma to learn from Shaolin Wahnam. Let him live his life, but be a good example to him. If you can, gently suggest to him that he can be better. He will certainly be happier.
If someone advised you to leave your family because your family was hurting you, be grateful that they did so because of their ignorance and many problems. It is good that now you contact your family and have relationship with your family members. As a member of Shaolin Wahnam, we always speak and act from a position of strength and virtue, and will not take part in their wrong actions but live peacefully with them. You are doing very well.
Question 2
My practice is going well and slowly but steadily improving. It's difficult for me to direct chi. For example during the practice of the Small Universe I try to visualize or gently think of chi moving but I do not actually feel it flowing yet. I still enjoy it and often have great insights and inspiration after performing the exercises or during standing meditation. And I feel the benefits manifest in different and not necessarily direct ways.
— Igor, USA
Answer
"Lifting the Sky", "Carrying the Moon" and "Pushing Mountain" are some of the best exercises in our chi kung -- in fact in any chi kung. You can perform each exercise or all of them in any order for about 10 to 15 minutes.
The Small Universe is very advanced. You may leave it for the time being; you can practice it once a while.
Directing chi is not difficult if you are in a chi kung state of mind, which is to be relaxed and free from thoughts at the same time. When you are in a chi kung state of mind, like when you are performing one or all of the best exercises, you can direct chi to wherever you want in your body.
Congratulations for having insight and inspiration during your standing meditation. In our school normally we practice standing meditation after the chi kung exercises, followed by a chi flow. If there is no chi flow, it is alright. The whole session, including standing meditation, takes about 10 to 15 minutes. But if you are practicing longer and have no side effects, it is alright. Continue to practice what you have been doing.
Our chi kung is very powerful, so you have to guard against over-training. You are doing well. Practicing genuine, high-level chi kung is one of the best things any person does in his life.
Practicing the Lion in a Lion Dance course
Question 3
For teaching lion dance to children and young adults, as there are Kung Fu stances involved, should internal force and chi flow also be taught?
For lion dance classes, what is Sifu's advise and views on adding Kung Fu to lion dance classes? Is it a good idea or a bad idea?
— Sifu Lee Wei Joo, Shaolin Wahnam Malaysia
Answer
Stance training by itself will develop internal force. We should not teach internal force and chi flow officially, but if students develop chi flow on their own, it is alright.
Lion dance should be preserved, but we should not add our kungfu to lion dance classes except teaching the necessary stances.
You have done very well at the Lion Dance course.
Question 4
Thank you once again for the amazing healing course you just held. It has been wonderful and given me the confidence to take these healing arts to the world.
— Matthew, England
Answer
Chi kung healing will be the medicine in future. At present there are so many so-called incurable diseases, and in chi kung healing every disease can be overcome. However, genuine chi kung is very rare today; genuine high-level chi kung is rarer still. What most people practice nowadays is gentle physical exercise though they call it chi kung.
As an analogy, what most people practice is external Taiji form, though they call it Taijiquan, or Tai Chi Chuan in English. By the way "chi kung" is the usual English term. In Romanized Chinese it is written as "qigong", and the pronunciation is the same as "chi kung", and not "ki gong".
A Chi Kung Healing class
Question 5
I will be looking into the legal aspects of what can/can't be claimed about "curing" so called incurable diseases in UK, and how best to position the offering, and seeking to establish a practice in the near future.
Answer
It is lovely that you will look into the legal aspects of chi kung. It is ironical that there are so many so-called incurable diseases in Western medicine, which has now become the world medicine, when every disease can be cured in chi kung healing.
Western trained doctors themselves admit that these diseases, like cancer, heart problems, diabetics, depression and phobia, are incurable. But Western trained doctors as well as pharmaceutical companies need not neglect Western medicine, which is better than chi kung healing in many ways. They can research into traditional Chinese medical philosophy, which maintains that health is natural, with their modern technology.
Another big problem is that genuine chi kung is very rare. Most people do not know this fact. Hence, when interested people want to do research in chi kung, they approach chi kung federations which are controlled by people who practice gentle physical exercise. Gentle physical exercise does not overcome any diseases.
You will one day become a great chi kung healer. But take your time. Do so carefully. Do not antagonize people in the medical circles and pharmaceutical companies.
Question 6
I wonder whether it would be useful to have a certificate of completion or a certification as a healer? Many courses I have completed have certificates at the end and these can sometimes count towards getting public liability insurance and also provide recognition to clients and prospects. Certainly they at least show proof of completing a body of training.
If the concept of certificates is important, is this something you would consider supporting? If so, I could do the work to get some mock up certificates for your review which you could issue to healers where needed.
Answer
I normally do not give certification to those who attended my courses. Certificates are important for recognition, but today many schools provide certificates which are quite useless.
Honestly, people who attended our courses have good karma. I may sound boastful, but sincerely I would consider it their loss if they do not attend my courses. I would not persuade them, nor prove that kungfu or chi kung is excellent for them.
Lifting the Sky
Question 7
When trying to record the 18 Lohan Hands on holiday I found my form was restricted and not good to watch. Please could you provide any insight on the condition if possible, and suggest any specific pattern(s) I should do.
Answer
It may be a matter of opinion, but in our school we do not pay much attention to form. What is important is that the exercises we perform will bring benefits to us. The exercises, for example, give us good health, vitality and longevity.
There is a lot of information on my website on the 18 Lohan Hands as well as other aspects of chi kung and kungfu. You can, for example, refer to Shaolin Eighteeen Lohan Hands and Questions on 18 Lohan Hands.
"Lifting the Sky", "Pushing Mountain" and "Carrying the Moon" are excellent. They are the exercises I teach in the Intensive Chi Kung Course.
What is more important than the techniques are the skills. Besides generating an energy flow, "Lifting the Sky" can be used to attain mental clarity. If you wish to have energy down your legs, an excellent exercise is "Bear Walk" of the Eighteen Jewels.
As I mention in the course, each exercise of the Eighteen Jewels are actually more valuable than jewels. There is much truth in the saying that "if one is accomplished in genuine Shaolin arts, it is better than changing stones to gold by touch".
You are doing very well in chi kung. But you must guard against over-training. It is true that you can achieve in one month, what I would achieve in one year when I was a student, and I was already a very good student. I took more than 17 years to have a chi flow and also more than 17 years to have internal force, and I was taught by some of the best teachers in the world.
Question 8
Sifu, if there was a Qigong or Shaolin pattern or art that would benefit me the most to practice more frequently or even to specialise in, what would you recommend?
Answer
The chi kung or Shaolin pattern that I would recommend depends much on the objective of the session.
If a person wants to overcome his illness, I would recommend Self-Manifested Chi Movement. If he wants good health, I would recommend a gentle chi flow.
If he wants internal force, I would recommend Flicking Fingers. If he doesn't know "Flicking Fingers", I would recommend Pushing Mountain.
If a person wants mental clarity, I would recommend Lifting the Sky. If he wants flowing force and consolidated force, I would recommend One-Finger Shooting Zen.
You know all or most of the above exercises. It took me many years to know them. In practice, you induce a chi flow according to your skills and objectives. Even if you do poorly, you are much, much better than most people.
If a person does not know chi kung, I would recommend him to attend my Intensive Chi Kung Course. If he still wants better results, I would recommend him to attend my Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course or Intensive Taijiquan Course, but he must know the 16 Basic Shaolin Combat Sequences or the 12 Basic Taijiquan Combat Sequences. If he does not attend my Intensive Chi Kung Course, or Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course or Intensive Taijiquan Course, that is his problem, not mine.
If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.
LINKS
Selected Reading
- Is Yi Jin Jing a Sutra or Chi Kung?
- Chi Kung: the Art of Developing Vital Energy
- The Wonderful Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course
- I Could Never Pay you Enough for this Gift
- Shaolin Wahnam International Show