SEEING THE WORLD AS I NEVER COULD BEFORE
Ryan Berg
And my favorite benefit that I have gained so far, is being able to see the world like I never could before. I see trees, birds, clouds, and everything differently. I feel happy and content just walking around outside and enjoying nature.
-- Ryan Berg
First of all, I would just like to thank you for being willing to and taking the time to pass on the art of chi kung to me. Every day I feel so lucky and fortunate I am able to practise genuine chi kung.
I have been practising every morning and night, and have already received back in benefits many, many times more than what I paid to take the course.
I would like to share some of my experiences and get your feedback if possible.
During the almost two months of practising on my own since the course, I have noticed a definite increase in my energy.
I am much happier than I have ever been before. I smile a lot now, and don't get irritated by things that used to bother me. I am more understanding when my friends and family are grumpy and complain about things.
My mind is more sharp. I don't have trouble paying attention in school. I can listen attentively for the entire class without being distracted. I am also able to complete work more quickly and efficiently.
I used to feel a bit uncomfortable in the dark by myself. I do not now, and in fact I enjoy walking around in the dark at night after my chi kung practise outside.
And my favorite benefit that I have gained so far, is being able to see the world like I never could before. I see trees, birds, clouds, and everything differently. I feel happy and content just walking around outside and enjoying nature.
Also, I had what I think was an amazing experience a few weeks ago after a chi kung session. A few minutes after I concluded the exercise, I began hearing a faint sound of birds singing. I didn't recognize the sound at first, but after listening closely it was indeed birds chirping.
But it was late at night, and the window in my room was shut. I then realized that the sound I was hearing was coming from inside my ears, and not an outside source. During this experience I could feel the insides of my ears tingling. The sound I heard was so peaceful and it made me smile. I do not think this was my imagination. I would love to hear what you think, Sifu.
A week and a half ago, I sprained my ankle skateboarding (I have a lot more stamina and energy to skateboard for longer periods of time now). It was a bad sprang and I could barely stand on it. When I did my chi kung, I sent chi to my ankle to help speed up healing.
When I did this, I felt my ankle get really hot and sweaty. I only sent the chi there for a couple of days, and then just continued letting the chi flow to wherever it wanted to like I usually do. After only a week, I went from barely being able to stand, to having my ankle almost completely healed. The pain and swelling had almost disappeared completely.
I am also getting electrically shocked a lot. Often when I will touch a metallic object, a light switch, another person, or animal and I will get shocked electrically. It is often amplified after practising chi kung. It has made me a bit hesitant to touch certain things.
When I practise chi kung, I still don't feel the chi very powerfully through my body. But I have begun to feel it more strongly since the course. I almost always sway and move about vigorously during my practise. I have performed some graceful dance like movements as well. The other day my chi kung practise brought on an uncontrollable laughter that couldn't be stopped. It was a very enjoyable experience.
After practicing high-level chi kung, everything looks beautiful
Also, just last night, during Pushing Mountains I felt a huge surge of chi to the pinky finger on my right hand. It was a very powerful flow and kind of caught me off guard. Then, when I finished the pattern and let the chi flow freely, my pinky began massaging and pressing against my left kidney as well as the upper right part of my chest. I checked in your book, and the spots my pinky was massaging were right along two meridians. This was amazing.
I really feel like I have developed beyond my expectations spiritually and mentally in this short time. But physically, it seems, things are progressing a little slower than I was hoping.
My allergies, which I read on your web site are normally cured within only two weeks, still bother me. They have definitely improved, but they are not cured yet. And they are still bad enough that they cause me discomfort.
And although my energy level has increased, it is still not enough for me to go the whole day through without feeling tired. I am not sure if this is because I am only 16 and am still growing.
I wake up at 6:30 a.m. every day and practise chi kung. I am given a big boost of energy from that, but by late afternoon I am usually tired and will take a nap. My nap usually lasts between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. I usually feel refreshed after this, but I am getting tired again by 11:00 p.m.. I make myself stay awake so I can practise chi kung at midnight. After the mid-night chi kung practise, I am full of energy and am not ready to go to bed until 1:30-2:00 a.m.
So I am only getting 4.5-5 hours of sleep at night. And then a 45 minute to 1.5 hour nap in the afternoon.
I would like to be able to go the whole day feeling energized and not have to take a nap. Will I be able to do this after practising chi kung for a longer time? Do you think I need to go to bed earlier and get more sleep at night? Would my age affect how much energy I can have?
Also, I live about a mile away from a cemetery. In your book, you said not to practise at or near a cemetery. Would you consider a mile away to be near? I live out in the country with lots of fresh air and trees around my house — and there are always lots of birds flying around. Maybe that would counteract any adverse affects if there were any?
If you could answer these questions and give any feedback on my experiences, I would greatly appreciate it. Sorry this letter is so long, but I had so much I wanted to share with you. I hope you don't mind.
Thank you so much, Sifu, for accepting me as your student and passing on this great art to me. I could never pay you enough for what you have done for me.
Warmly,
Ryan Berg
22nd May 2001.
Sifu Wong's Reply
Dear Ryan,
It is wonderful to receive your e-mail, and to know of your progress which is expected as you have been diligient in your practice.
I am sorry it has taken me some time to reply. I have been very busy this year, and in my frequent travels your e-mail may get hidden in one of my few computers.
You are doubly fortunate to practise our Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung. Being the legacy from the imperial temple of China, it is the best of the best. Moreover you have the opportunity to learn it at from a comparatively young age.
Learning a great chi kung at a young age brings you many advantages older students would not have. Your meridians are comparatively free from brockage, and you are not burdened with illness. This means that the energy you have generated in your chi kung training, goes straight to higher level developments like expanding your mind and purifying your spirit, instead of clearing blockage and overcoming illness as in older people.
Your overcoming discomfort in the dark is due to spiritual strengthening. For some reasons your spirit was weak, hence you were afraid of the dark. But now your spirit is strengthened, hence the fear disappears. Moreover your spirit is purified, and with a beautiful spirit you see all things beautiful. The other things have remained the same, it is you who have changed.
The sound of birds singing you heard was in your heart. It was not imagination; it was real. Other people with a purified spirit may have different manifestations. Some smell lovely fragrance of flowers, some see heavenly scenes, others find themselves expanding and merging with the universe. It is difficult to describe such experiences because our everyday worls are too inadequate to describe them. What we often say is that we feel immeasurable peace and joy.
It is understanable that most other people would not believe us, and they may think we are over- immaginative. Yet when you examine the writings and teachings of great masters, they all say the same things, abeit in different words, and although they come from different times and cultures. It is really inspiring that you at such a young age are directly experiencing the truth of the masters' teachings.
Yours is a spiritual awakening — awakening to the truth and beauty of cosmic reality. Nevertheless, the road from awakening to full realization is still long and ardous, and may take many life-times, althogh for those who are ripe it may happen in an instant. Full cosmic realization is the highest, greatest achievement any being can attain, and is called by different names by different peoples, such as Return to God's Kingdom, merging into the Great Void, or Enlightenment.
Sifu Wong explains some profound concepts during the Intensive Chi Kung Course of 2001
Not many people are ready, or even interested in this highest, greatest achievement. But it is my duty to point out to you the wonderful, almsot unbeleiveable opportunity or potentiality that lays ahead of you. Yet, at your age and in your situation, you should, while keeping in mind this fantastic opportunity, focus more on worldly joys and duties, like doing well in your studies, enjoying the company of your friends, being kind to all people and loving to your parents.
Now we come to more worldly matters. Overcoming pain and injury is the forte of chi kung. The skill and technique which you used to overcome your ankle problem can be used to overcome any health problem. Those who are used to the western medical paradigm where a particular treatment is applied to a particular disease will find this holistic chi kung treatment difficult to believe, but it is true.
In other words, once you can direct chi to flow to the site of illness, as well as to let chi flow to wherever it wants to flow, you have the means to overcome any illness, and more significantly to prevent all illness. It is certainly not because of vanity or self-glorification that we believe our chi kung is the best of the best — for mundane as well as supramundane tasks.
You feeling of electrocally shocked is because your chi is powerful. I too have this problem. It is a small price to pay to be energetcally powerful. Needless to say our chi kung is very poweful. Your feeling of laughter was because you had opened your heart and lungs. In your chi kung state of mind, your chi will flow to wherever it is needed most, internally in your body or manifested externally in your fingers. Internally chi usually flows along meridians.
You probably have mixed up between allergies and insomnia. Insomnia can be cured very quickly, usually within two weeks, but allergies will take a longer time, sometimes a year. But you may take a shorter time; perhaps your allergies may be overcome by now.
While it is excellent to practise chi kung at midnight, you need not stay up late unnecessarily. It wold be better for you to go to bed around 10 p.m. and wake up around 6 a.m. Practise chi kung after waking up and before going to bed. If you feel tired in the afternoon, have a short nap. Later you may find the afternoon not necessary. You need not purposely lengthen the time of your training, but gradually often without your conscious knowing, you will train for longer period.
If you house is about a mile away from a cemetry, it is far enough. You need not worry about it. Nevertheless, whenever you like give a blessing to the spirits at the cemetry. A good time to do so is at the conclusion of your Standing Meditation. This is an act of kindness, not of appeasement. Your chi is very powerful; lower spirits cannot come near you.
Your e-mail and my answers will be very helpful and inspiring to many
readers, especially to those who have the opportunity to practise high level chi kung or practise spiritual cultivation. Your experiences confirm for them what the masters have said is true. Hence I would like to post them on my website. Please refer to the webpage
Best regards.
Sifu.
29th July 2001.
Awakened to the beauty and wonders of the world