SELECTION OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
MARCH 2022 PART 3

Wudang Cotton Palm

Wudang "Cotton" Palm

Question 1

Wish you a very happy birthday today and every day as every day is your birthday!

With eternal gratitude for your generosity in sharing the Shaolin arts and spreading such happiness!

— Sifu Roeland Dijkema, Shaolin Wahnam Netherlands

Answer

Thanks for your birthday wishes. Every day is my birthday.

Accomplished in the Shaolin arts is better than changing stones to gold by touch.

Question 2

I have become quite fond of Cosmic Shower. If I am not mistaken, there are eight levels: cleansing and nourishing at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels.

During your transmission at the course, I could clearly feel the different effects of these different levels. Would it be useful to progress through the various levels one level at a time, i.e. cleansing physically for some time, then emotionally etc.?

— Dr Steffen Wankmuller, Germany

Answer

Cosmic Shower is a wonderful exercise.

There are four levels for cleansing, and another four levels for nourishing. It is recommended that you perform only one level at any one time, or if you wish you can perform two levels at any one time, i.e. physical level for cleansing and nourishing, emotional level for cleansing and nourishing, mental levels cleansing and nourishing, and spiritual level cleansing and nourishing.

Later when you are skilful, you can perform all the levels for both cleansing and nourishing at the same time.

Cosmic Shower

"Cosmic Shower"

Question 3

I wondered if there were some general guidelines on how to progress with learning and practicing.

Answer

There is a difference between learning and practicing. Learning concerns new material, whereas practicing concerns going over again and again material that has been learnt. Masters are made from practicing. It is practicing and practicing that a practitioner becomes skilful.

When I teach I focus on learning, and I have to complete whatever I teach within a time-frame. When you practice, of course you focus on practicing. You need to practice and practice until you become skilful.

I would suggest that you start with 30% of your potential or less when you practice. Chi kung takes years, but because of my intensive and regional courses, I only take days or hours. What is "low" level to us in Shaolin Wahnam, is actually "high" level to other people not in our school. Many other people may not like to hear this, but I am telling the truth.

I took 6 months to complete a chi kung course about 40 years ago in my early teaching. That was actually fast. It took students about 4 months to have an energy flow. But now students who attend my intensive or regional courses can have an energy flow within the first hour. This gives a picture of the comparison.

How do we get 30% of the potential? We take what I teach at 100%. If we half what I teach, that will give us 50%. If we half this 50% that will give us 25%, which is close to 30%.

30% of the potential varies from person to person, and from time to time. Because of your skills, your 30% may be 300% of a beginner although you practice at 30%. A beginner starts with 30%. Two years later he continues at 30%. But his 30% two years later may be 200% when he first started because of skill improvement.

Practicing at 30% may not be easy for our students, but we have to practice at a "low" level if we do not want to over-train. Our "low" level is actually very "high" to other people not in our school.

Many of the teaching points, like entering into a chi kung state of mind and smiling from the heart, are developed during my teaching days, and not when I was a student. I did not know entering into a chi kung state of mind, and I did not know smiling from the heart during my student's days.

Question 4

I hope all is well for you and for my beloved Wong's Happy Family. Lina and I decided to bring my father to stay with us. Nicolas arrived during those days.

— Sifu Piti Parra Duque Parra, Colombia

Answer

It is great to receive your email. My family, I and the worldwide Wong's Happy Family are well. I have always thought of you. You are one of the best instructors in Shaolin Chi Kung and Taijiquan.

Please send my regards to Lina. It is lovely that your father was staying with you. Please convey my regards to him.

I was glad that your son, Nicola, was with you. The other Niclola, the instructor, was a fine person.

Piti, Lina and Gloria

Piti, Lina and Gloria in Mexico

Question 5

I also started a weekly practice of distant Qi transmission for my students. The response has been wonderful -- around 250 practitioners join every week for practice in over 15 countries at the same time and the group has grown gradually. Pablo in Venezuela, Doctor Gloria in Mexico, and many of the students you have trained and inspired in past years are part of the group.

Answer

It is wonderful that you could perform distant qi transmission. I am sure many students will benefit from it.

In such a world lockdown, distant qi transmission is a great prevention against any virus, which many people fear. The students will not be carriers because the virus is destroyed immediately.

Distant qi transmission will also bring good health, vitality, longevity, peak performance, and spiritual joys irrespective of religion.

Question 6

I stopped practicing was not a statement of totality. Indeed, my practicing is more profound than it has ever been, indeed, more so than I ever thought possible.

— Brian, USA

Answer

Your progress is expected. You have improved greatly.

Remember that you are 16 times better than those who are not relaxed, not focused, do not have internal force, and do not have mental clarity, and 16 times better than before you joined Shaolin Wahnam. It is because of exponential progression.

Even 2 times is quite a lot. I remember that when I was a school teacher more than 20 years ago, I used to tell colleagues that if their wives were working, they earned double income. 16 times is just incredible. Indeed, "being accomplished in the Shaolin arts is better than changing stones to gold by touch".

San Zhan

"San Zhan" of Wuzuquan

Question 7

The closest that I knew in words to explain the state of my life was descriptions of Zen from your "The Complete Book of Zen".

You reminded me that kung fu was a hobby, and that it was important for me to focus on my professional affairs.

Answer

"The Complete Book of Zen" was a masterpiece. I believe it was written by the great Bodhisattva of Compassion, Guan Yin Bodh Satt. I was only a conduit. The knowledge in the book is beyond my ability.

Your profession is your duty, your chi kung and kungfu practice are your hobbies. You can easily handle tasks that previously appeared impossible. It is interesting that you just go without food and sleep, and become stronger.

Question 8

My ability to do these things has increased to such a massive degree that anything I do is just better!

Answer

One can say that the largest number of people who wrote to thank me were the people I literally saved from so-called incurable diseases, but this was not so. I have saved a lot of people.

The largest number of people who wrote to thank me are healthy; they thanked me because I have changed their lives. I have bought them zest and joy every day.

Question 9

Many, many, many days I went with no sleep at all -- just chi-flow. Many, many, many days I literally went without food.

Answer

I went without food for about 20 days. That was about 40 years ago. I went into "bigu" or abstinence from food. I thought I could teach "bigu" to poor people who did not have enough to eat.

But then I had a realization. I realized that what the poor people needed were economists, and not "bigu" experts. There is more food now than ever before.

Question 10

Spontaneously I did a one-legged squat all the way to the floor and all the way up! For over 10 years, I talked to Katie about an ultimate goal of mine was to do a one-legged squat, because I thought that it was impossible, but learned that it could be done, I wanted to do it.

When Siheng Andrew Barnett asked you to teach Wuzuquan, you initially refused due to your own perceived inadequacies. You must have used the incredible benefits of our school and your immense understanding of other schools as well.

Answer

Congratulations for your tremendous improvement. Your squatting down on one leg was an inspiration.

When Sifu Andrew Barnett of Switzerland asked me to teach Wuzuquan, I initially refused because I felt I was inadequate. But a few years later, I taught Wuzuquan at an intensive course in Penang, Malaysia. I was very happy that at the course I taught internal force and combat application.

I am glad that San Zhan, the fundamental set of Wuzuquan, has become the favourite of many students. It is indeed incredible that we have reached a very high level. Many years ago I could not believe it.

If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Grandmaster Wong via his Secretary at stating your name, country and e-mail address.

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