SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
AUGUST 2013 PART 2
Sippe receiving a Certificate of Chi Kung Healing from Grandmaster Wong
Question 1
I would like to ask Sifu for your advice regarding a student's mother-in-law who has been diagnosed with cancer. The cancer is in the colon but has affected the liver (she has become yellow) to such an extend that the doctors cannot treat the colon cancer with Western methods like chemotherapy and radiation. She has been told to live for only another three to six months.
The student told me her mother-in-law is strong (61 years old, grand children to live for). Her faith in God would make her have peace with either having to fight to live or with accepting it is time for her to go. The news yesterday that she cannot be treated and only has three to six months, however, devastated her.
The student has asked me what I can do for her mother-in-law. She expressed to have faith in me and proposed to have her mother-in-law come to Muscat for Chi Kung treatment. The next Intensive Chi Kung course in April might come too late (and the Small Universe is by invitation only).
My current position is that I feel her mother-in-law has a good chance with Chi Kung. I see it as a large responsibility, considering the fact that it is a severe cancer with a tight timeline and that we know the student. On the other hand, I do want to pass on Sifu's teachings and put them to practice and I want to help the student and her family.
Could Sifu give advice on the best course of action for the student's mother-in-law?
— Sippe, Sultanate of Oman
Answer
The best chance for the student's mother-in-law to survive is to undergo the chi kung healing programme suggested in the Chi Kung Healing Course in Penang.
She has to pay 10,000 rials (about 20,000 euros) for chi kung healing daily for a year or until she is confirmed recovered. If she does not recover after a year of daily session, the full amount will be refunded to her. To qualify for the refund, she must have attended at least 80% of the daily sessions. If she breaks the contract, like stopping half way, there will be no refund of any money.
The fee, 10,000 rials, must be paid in full before healing commences. This is of utmost importance. Honestly, this is for the patient's interest. If the student or anybody complains that the fee is too expensive, or they will pay later, or they don't have so much money, or any other excuses or reasons, then they are not ready, and you should not start the healing.
Tell them that paying the fee in full first is the Grandmaster's instruction, and is for the patient's interest. Also tell them that we have helped many cancer patients, many of whom are terminal cases, recover from their illness.
This is the best option for the patient, not for the healer. To be committed everyday for one year and be rewarded by 20,000 euros is nothing financially attractive for a professional person like you who already earn more money in less time. If you ever take up the case it is because of your dedication to help others. Remember that you have to return the money in full if he follows your instructions but is still not cured in one year. Although we expect him to recover sooner, you have to be committee for a year.
If anyone complains that the fee is too expensive, it shows that he (or she) values 20,000 euros more than his life, does not believe you can help him recover, or is not committed to persist in the recovery process. Any one of these three reasons renders him undeserving for you to commit yourself to help him daily for a year.
You can teach the student's mother-in-law any suitable chi kung exercise. The important thing is chi flow. As long as she has chi flow daily, she has a chance to recover.
Have the session somewhere else, not in the compound of your house.
Question 2
Sigung,
I am blessed to receive your and Sifu Gusty's guidance. I am inspired to learn to become a Qigong Healer by first helping myself and then helping others.
— Jordan, USA
Answer
Chi kung healing answers a very urgent need today. A lot of diseases, like cancer, cardiovascular disorders, chronic viral infection, anxiety and clinical depression, are considered incurable by many people. From the chi kung perspective, there is no such a thing as an incurable disease. Indeed, we in Shaolin Wahnam have helped many people overcome these so-called incurable diseases.
An inevitable question is that if chi kung can help people overcome these diseases, why are those suffering from these disease not flocking to chi kung for help.
There are many answers for this question. One important answer is that information is grossly imperfect. In other words, not many people know that chi kung can help people overcome these diseases.
Another important answer is that genuine chi kung is very rare. More that 80% of what is practiced as chi kung is actually not chi kung but gentle physical exercise, and most of the practitioners do not realize it. Practicing such gentle physical exercise would not overcome diseases.
Thirdly, there are strict laws prohibiting people other than medical doctors from treating patients. These laws are meant to prevent the public from being cheated by charlatans. But these laws may also discourage genuine healers from helping people overcome so-called incurable diseases.
Sifu Roland and Grandmaster Wong. Being a world champion himself, Sifu Roland has trained world champions.
Question 3
I see a tremendous potential to first help those who are ready, open and want to be healed; and I see a huge market in professional sports teams and Olympic teams.
Answer
We are very clear about this policy. We help those who want us to help them. We do not want to waste our time arguing with skeptics. Whether they believe that chi kung can help to overcome illness is their business.
Chi kung healing can be a tremendous help to professional and Olympic sportspersons who suffer from injuries. It can speed up the recovery period by a big margin.
On the other hand, chi kung training can develop mindfulness and a lot of energy in the sportspersons so that they can excel in their sports. I am convinced that chi kung will provide the edge for teams to become national and international champions. Indeed, the secret how China emerged as world champions in many sports was chi kung.
Then, why aren't professional and Olympic teams clamour for chi kung masters to train their sportspersons?
The answers are similar to those concerning overcoming illness. Information is imperfect, and genuine chi kung is very rare. Thirdly, there is a lot of politics in professional and Olympic teams. Many decision makers already entrenched in the teams may not want genuine chi kung masters to come in.
This is due to a misconception. They mistakenly think that the chi kung masters may replace them in importance. This is not true. Chi kung is only a supplement to help their sportspersons win championships. They themselves are the pillars of the teams. They make important decisions, manage financial affairs, market their teams, teach techniques and tactics to their sportspersons, and ensure their teams make profits.
Fourthly, genuine chi kung masters, who are already very rare, are already contented with their own ways of life and are generally not keen to work in such conditions despite the wealth and fame. Personally I prefer drinking tea and enjoying meals with grateful students to working for a fat income in a professional sports team.
Question 4
When entering into a qigong state of mind, Sifu Gusty taught me to enter into stillness and relax, then smile from the heart, and then practice the movements.
My mind is full of thoughts sometimes and sometimes relaxed when I am entering into stillness. May you provide advice on how to better relax and enter into stillness?
Answer
Just do it.
Don't worry how to do it, and don't intellectualize on how to do it.
This may not be an answer you hoped to get, but it is the best answer I can give you as a grandmaster who has helped countless people benefit from chi kung practice.
Countless people have overcome so-called incurable diseases by practicing our chi kung
Question 5
After the movements, when I am allowing qi to flow and I am swaying I am smiling and enjoying. I also pay slight attention (not heavy focus) to the energy within moving and my body moving. Is this ok?
Answer
Yes, it is OK.
More importantly, don't worry about your chi flow, and don't intellectualize on your chi flow as your question indicates. Just enjoy your chi flow.
In other words, if you do not consciously allow chi to flow but it flows spontaneously, and you smile and enjoy it, it is also OK.
If you do not pay any attention on your chi flow, irrespective of slight or heavy focus, and irrespective of whether energy or your body moves within or outside, but you enjoy your practice and feel fresh and energized, it is also OK.
As an analogy, when you eat, just enjoy your food. Don't worry whether you should open your mouth before or after you have picked up your food, nor intellectualize whether the food would taste better if your eyes are open or close as you swallow it. If you worry or intellectualize, you may lose your appetite.
Question 6
Also, a little over a month ago I began learning from a local Yoga Acharya (teacher) yogic techniques to calm and center my mind and relax physically, mentally and emotionally. He taught me a few postures and breathing techniques. I admit I did feel relaxed after my daily practice.
However, my cousin who was a student of yours and is now a teacher of another art, warned me about the breathing exercises. He stated that correct breath comes first from good posture. He instructs his students to learn nei gong breathing only after qigong such as zhan zhuang, because he said students must first know their body and then could learn to properly breathe.
For example, my Acharya taught me deep silent tummy breathing, where he taught me to lay down on my back, place my hands on my stomach and breathe in gently, long and silently and inhaling let my tummy expand like a balloon and exhalation let my tummy deflate like a balloon.
My cousin stated to me that after a student learned correct posture and body awareness then a student could learn this breathing because he teaches that the tummy is expanding and contracting as a result of proper breathing from your diaphragm. Also, my Acharya taught me quick chest breathing, inhaling and exhaling in my chest quickly and then quick tummy breathing, inhaling and exhaling in my tummy quick.
Answer
Both your yoga teacher and your cousin are correct. The problem is not whose techniques are correct, but whether you can practice them correctly.
Even when the yoga techniques are correct, if you practice them wrongly you will derive harmful effects.
Similarly even when the nei gong and zhan zhuang techniques are correct, if you practice them wrongly you will have harmful effects.
From your description, unless you are being supervised by a competent teacher, it is easy for you to practice the yoga techniques wrongly.
This is the problem faced by many meditation and chi kung students. The techniques are correct, but they may practice wrongly, often without their knowing. Hence, many meditation practitioners are still dull, and many chi kung practitioners still sick despite practicing their arts for many years.
Just enjoy your chi flow; don't worry and don't intellectualize
Question 7
My cousin stated these are beneficial practices, but when the student is ready. And he said with my history of two episodes of an irregular heart beat it could be dangerous at the moment. I told my Acharya what my cousin told me and he said it was nonsense and he is teaching me based upon my temperament at the moment, my karma and samskaras.
Answer
Without suggesting that your yoga teacher is incorrect, your cousin is wise. If you had a history of heart problems, you should not risk yourself with exercises, like the yoga exercises you have described, that may be stressful on your heart.
Indeed, if you have been enjoying wonderful benefits from your chi kung practice which you know you have been practicing correctly, it would be foolish to attempt some other exercises because they make you relaxed after the practice, but they may also bring your harm if you practice wrongly, which is actually likely considering the nature of the exercises.
It is like when you are happily married with a good wife who has given you a lot of benefit, you attempt to flirt with other women because they make you feel nice after the flirtation, but it may also bring you a lot of trouble.
Our chi kung exercises are relatively safe. Moreover we have a very special safety precaution, namely chi flow. Even if you make mistakes, your chi flow will erase whatever harmful effects your mistakes may have caused without you having to do anything extra. Most other meditation and chi kung schools do not have this special precaution
Question 8
I am going on vacation with my girlfriend and I must fly in a plane. I am terrified of planes. I usually pray for my life to God when I am on a plane.
Answer
Knowing the fact that flying in a plane is much safer than driving a car or riding a bus should allay your fears.
There are more than six or seven safety precautions in a commercial plane. If something goes wrong, the first safety precaution automatically takes over. If this first safety precaution fails, the second safety precaution takes over, and so on. In other words, the plane can't fail.
The following exercise will give you confidence and peace of mind. Before going onto a plane, perform Lifting the Sky or Carrying the Moon. Enjoy a gentle chi flow. During standing meditation at the end of the chi flow, ask God to ensure your plane journey is safe and pleasant. God always answers your prayers when you ask sincerely. When you alight from the plane, sincerely thank God for the safe and pleasant flight.
LINKS
Selected Reading
- Of God, Buddha and Immortals
- A Question of Paradigm
- 108-Pattern Yang Style Taijiquan
- Understanding Why Taiji Comes from Wuji
- Viewing the Shiva Temple from the Shiva Mountain