SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
APRIL 2014 PART 2
The Complete book of Chinese Medicine
Question 1
A while back I already thought about studying Chinese Medicine and because of experiences in our school I got even more interested, but there is just no authentic school in my country and even the ones we have are way too expensive and the work load would be unbearable to combine with the workload I now can’t manage at my university.
— Margaretta, Belgium
Answer
Instead of studying Chinese Medicine formally in a school, you can read my book, “The Complete Book of Chinese Medicine” and attend my course on “Chi Kung Healing”. Other people will think it ridiculous and think I am arrogant, but not only it takes much shorter time and is less expensive, it actually is more useful to you in your aim of helping people.
By studying Chinese Medicine the orthodox way, you will be treating people of ordinary diseases, and you will be just one of thousands and thousands of Chinese medical practitioners, many of whom already have more experience and expertise than you hope to be.
Following my way you will be helping people with so-called incurable diseases recover. You will be one of the very, very few in the whole world, and you are one of the pioneers who will revolutionize world medicine.
Editorial Note : Margaratta's other questions appear at April 2014 Part 1 issue of the Question-Answer Series.
Question 2
I am at a total loss right now when it comes to this, I don’t want to be lazy or anything and I really want to be able to help people but I don’t know any more what to do or where to go, to be able to like what I’m doing and still help someone.
Answer
You are right. To be able to help others, you yourself must be strong, courageous and have the means to help others. Merely wishing to help others, like many people especially the unemployed do, but not willing to put in any effort, is just self-glamorizing.
My answers to your questions here will give you the guidance you need to know what to do, where to go to, like what you do, and still help others.
Many people may find it hard to believe but it is true that chi flow can overcome any illness
Question 3
My cleansing symptoms get stronger any time I go to university or start studying. And they then even start scaring me again, especially since at my university those symptoms would mean I could be horribly sick.
Answer
It is understandable that people in your university become alarmed at the symptoms of your cleansing because they don’t understand what genuine chi kung is.
Some doctors whom I helped to cure of cancer told me that they dared not tell their colleagues that they overcame cancer through practicing our chi kung for fear of being ridiculed.
On the other hand, if you experience over-cleansing, you can slow down your training and spend more time on outdoor physical activities. The series of questions and answers on cleansing, building and nourishing currently on our Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum will be helpful.
Question 4
I feel like an absolute disappointment to my family and to our school if I can’t manage to keep on going, considering the arts I have at hand. But then I also started to think that may be my advancement in the arts could also show me what’s right for me or not.
I always wanted to tell myself, with chi kung I should be able to enjoy my studies, but it still got worse, so I am now wondering am I doing something wrong? Or can it be that this just isn’t right for me?
Answer
Now you can change your feeling of disappointment to feeling of hope and inspiration. You should also be able to enjoy your studies.
One can tell a master by his stance
Question 5
I have never felt more at home or in the right place as I do with the Wahnam school and with these arts, so right now it came to me that I should try asking you for your opinion and advice since I value all your opinions and all the knowledge you so generously share with us so much.
Answer
Thank you for your comments. It is heartening that many of our students have said the same things.
Question 6
I have a silly question I hope you'll answer. It's based on something I saw in Penang last December.
My observation was simply that my older kung fu brothers and sisters had different personalities yet were alike in a way. More specifically, they all seemed to have developed the best and brightest aspects of their nature. They'd become first class versions of themselves.
I'm probably very wrong in this, but the thought made me quite happy and excited about my own journey with the Shaolin arts. This might have to do with my having grown up with a twin who shared all of my interests and friends.
Am I at all correct in this observation?
— Warren, South Africa
Answer
Yes, you are perfectly right in your observation. I am proud that our Shaolin Wahnam instructors and students are first class versions of themselves. Many have declared that they aim to be the best persons they can be.
Our Shaolin Wahnam instructors and students are open-minded and caring, respectful and responsible. They are healthy and love life. They manifest the benefits that practicing high-level martial arts and chi kung should bring.
Yours is not a silly question. Not only it is based on direct experience, and not mere speculation, it is also very important for your own development as well as the development of martial artists in general.
Why does one practice any martial art? There are two main reasons – to be healthy and to be able to defend himself and his loved ones.
It is shocking that most martial artists today do not achieve these two aims and they usually do not even know about it. Many martial artists become more unhealthy the more they train! They sustain injuries which are routinely left unattended to, and they are often stressful and angry at others as well as at themselves.
They also cannot defend themselves. Being punched and kicked has become a norm in sparring. It is shocking that in free sparring they have total disregard of their own safety.
Shaolin Wahnam practitioners are first class versions of themselves
Question 7
And on a separate note, I'd like to thank you for something you said during the Intensive Shaolin Course in 2011. You told us that a master was judged by how well he practiced zhan zhuang
Answer
Judging how a master practices his zhan zhuang or stance training is a good way to access his kungfu attainment. There are also other effective ways.
If a practitioner is not relaxed and graceful while performing his stances, he is unlikely to be a master. If he is sloppy in holding his fists at the sides of his waist, it indicates that he is not meticulous in his performance.
The sparkle in his eyes, the rosy complexion of his skin, the forcefulness of his voice, the firmness of his action, and the agility of his movement are also accurate indications that he is a master.
Question 8
I have a difficult student and would like your advice on how to deal with him.
It is rather unclear what his problem is, as his symptoms shift and there has been no obvious Western diagnosis. He stops his chi kung practice often.
I believe he is worried he is homosexual and is conflicted about this.
— Identity of instructor and country withheld
Answer
Your student’s problems are not uncommon today, especially in Western societies.
But whatever his problems are, chi flow will overcome them. It is magic. His main problem, however, is that he must practice.
From my experience I have found that it is more helpful to the student if you don't force chi kung on him. Let him be clear that it is his problem, i.e. practicing chi kung regularly, and you are not going to carry his problem for him. Give him one or two chances, but if he continuously does not practice what you have taught him, tell him not to waste your time.
Gently suggest to him not to be guilty of being homosexual. But if he wishes to overcome this issue and be normal as a bisexual, chi kung will help him.
LINKS
Selected Reading
- How Chinese medical philosophy can Enhance Western medical practice
- Cancer Can be Cured
- Kungfu Forms for Fighting?
- A Taste of Taijiquan
- South to the Old Smoky