THE ULTIMATE CHI KUNG SKILL
If a person cannot let go, he or she cannot practice chi kung!
Question
In the same way that there are kung fu patterns that can be utilized to counter many attacks, is there a single chi kung skill that we can develop that will be able to counter any situation that we encounter? In the absence of, or in addition to, such a singular skill, what other skill or skills would represent all we ever need?
Sifu Charles Chalmers
Answer
Yes, there is a single skill that can enable us to apply chi kung to counter any situation!
If a person has this singular skill, no matter what chi kung technique he uses, or in some cases he may not use any specific chi kung technique, he can perform chi kung!
To top it all, this singular skill is natural. We are born with this singular skill. But for some reasons, such as the way of living, many people have lost this singular skill as they grow up.
This singular skill is letting go.
There are two dimensions to this singular skill, namely not to tense muscles and not to think of anything. If a person tenses his muscles or think of anything, or both, he does not let go.
Letting go is mentioned in all chi kung classics and most chi kung books. In Mandarin pronunciation, it is “fang song”, and in Cantonese, it is “fong soong”. In the written Chinese characters, both “fang song” and “fong soong” are the same, it is the pronounciation that is different.
But most readers just go over the words. They do not really appreciate its great significance. Some readers do no really know the meaning of the words. Even if they know the meaning, they do not know how to do so. Literally “fang song” or “fong soong” means “let loose”. Figuratively it means let go of any tension and let go of any thinking.
It is natural not to tense our muscles and natural not to think of anything. A person has to do something if he wants to tense his muscles, or think of something. To tense or to think necessarily involves hundreds or thousands of mechanisms in our body. It is simpler not to tense and not to think than to tense and to think.
But for those who have tensed themselves habitually or think of countless thoughts constantly, suddenly to let go completely, or completely not to tense and not to think, can be difficult. But it can be done -- if we know the philosophy and have the method, besides willing to put in some time and effort.
No matter what chi kung techniques a practitioner may be performing, if he lets go a little, he has a little result. If he lets go a lot, he has a lot of result. In other words, as long as a practitioner can let go, he will be performing chi kung and have chi kung benefits.
However, the situation today is that more than 80% of chi kung practitioners all over the world, including in China, cannot let go. As a result, they use genuine chi kung techniques to practice gentle physical exercise without deriving chi kung benefits of overcoming illness, and attaining good health, vitality and longevity. If they happen to overcome their illness, or have good health, vitality and longevity, it is due to other reasons, and not due to their practice.
Practicing chi kung means practicing energy exercise, and the essence is to have energy flow. Unlike as in our school, the energy flow of genuine chi kung practitioners in other schools may not be obvious or vigorous. But as long as they have energy flow, even when it is not obvious or vigorous, practitioners will have chi kung benefits. It is the energy flow, not the chi kung technique, that provides the benefits.
But different techniques as well as different levels of letting go and other chi kung skills give different results, or the same results at different intensity.
Hence, besides letting go, there are other techniques and other skills that enable us to meet our different needs. For example, if a person has some back problem, performing some appropriate exercises like “Carrying the Moon” or “Embracing Buddha” will be more cost-effective. However, if a practitioner is skilful, he can be more effective in overcoming his back problem performing any chi kung techniques than another less skilful practitioner performing an appropriate technique.
Nevertheless, if a practitioner can let go, he can generate energy flow to meet any chi kung needs. But in practice this may not be so. Some needs are time-limited, and some techniques and skills produce minimal results that even if the chi kung needs are not limited by time, the resultant effect is negligible.
We are very fortunate in our school. We have an extremely wide range of techniques. We also have an extremely wide range of skills. We can meet any chi kung needs ranging from the basic needs like overcoming illness and being relaxed, to intermediate needs like mental clarity and internal force for peak performance, to advanced and life-changing needs like having a glimpse of Cosmic Reality.
The coming UK Summer Camp is a golden opportunity for us to learn or revise these fantastic techniques and skills that enable us to meet all our needs any time and anywhere.
Why were two students on the floor? They let go completely and enjoyed themselves during a chi kung class
The above article is reproduced from the thread Applying and Deepening the Fundamental Skills of Chi Kung in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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