SPIRITUAL JOYS AND BECOMING A MASTER
Lifting the Sky
Question
I have also noticed that I'm a very different person than from three to four months ago. I used to wish I could be someone's friend when I saw them talking to someone besides me. Now, I'm sincerely happy for them. I'm glad that they are happy. Even when I'm sitting by myself or I'm alone, I'm not lonely. I think I am peacefully content.
— Navid, USA
Answer
This is one of the best benefits anyone can get from practicing “Lifting the Sky” or any other chi kung exercises.
It is amazing that you have such results when you are only fourteen. I am very happy for you. Yours is spiritual joy, peaceful with yourself when alone and happy for others when in company.
Question
Could you please give me advice for the path that I've chosen? I shall be very grateful for anything.
Answer
First of all you need to have a sound understanding of what genuine, traditional Shaolin Kungfu is, and what it can do for you and humanity. My book, “The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu”, will give you a good answer. The following is a brief description.
For convenience, genuine, traditional Shaolin Kungfu can be divided into four dimensions, namely:
- Philosophy
- Form
- Force
- Application.
The philosophy shows how Shaolin Kungfu should be practiced and what benefits the practice will bring. The form is the vehicle or substance with which you practice. Force is the powerful behind the practice and the benefits you get. Application is how you use Shaolin Kungfu not just for combat but to enrich your lives and the lives of other people.
For example, if your philosphy designates Shaolin Kungfu as an art to punch and kick one another, then your practice as well as result will be punching and kicking one another. If your philsophy designates Shaolin Kungfu as an art to enrich your and other people's lives, then both your practice and result will enrich your and other people's lives.
The benefits of genuine, traditional Shaolin Kungfu can be classified into three broad categories:
- Efficiency in combat as well as in daily life
- Good health, vitality and longevity
- Mind expansion and spiritual cultivation.
After having a clear concept of Shaolin Kungfu, the next step is to find a good teacher to teach you Shaolin Kungfu according to this concept. It is worth your time and effort to spend some time searching.
If you find a teacher whose concept of Shaolin Kungfu is beautiful forms for demonstration, for example, you will end up with beautiful Shaolin forms for demonstration, and perhaps winning some international competitions. If your concept of Shaolin Kungfu is to have good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys besides conmbat effciency, you will have good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance and spiritual joys besides combat efficiency.The next step is to practice regularly and diligently according to what the teacher teaches, and not according to what you think you should practice. This step takes the longest time and effort, and you should periodically access whether you have accomplish the benefits practicing Shaolin Kungfu should give. For example, your practice should give you good health and vitality. If you were becoming more tensed than before and sustained a lot of injuries, you were obviously not getting the benefit your practice should give.
I would recommend that you learn from our certified Shaolin Wahnam instructors. If you cannot find one, you can learn from my books. In either case, attend my Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course when you are ready. But if you can find a good teacher from another school, you can learn from him. It is still worthwhile to attend my Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course if you have learnt from another teacher.
The above is taken from Question 4 of December 2007 Part 1 of the Selection of Questions and Answers.
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