BECOMING A SHAOLIN KUNGFU MASTER
Shaolin Kungfu
Question
I'm fourteen years old and I'm familiar with you from your books, “The Art of Chi Kung” and “The Art of Shaolin Kung Fu”. I find your answers in the Q&A series to be quite profound. Every response is for the benefit of the person who asked the question, although it is apparent that they don't always realize that. I sincerely appreciate and admire your kindness and generosity in answering so many questions.
— Navid, USA
Answer
Thank you for your e-mail and kind words.
It is remarkable that you are only forteen years old, yet not only you can write coherently and respectfully, you have the mental clarity to see that the answers in my Q&A series are all for the benefit of the persons who asked the questions.
Many adults today cannot write grammatically and present their ideas clearly. This reflects poorly on their mental ability.
Question
I have a vision to become a Shaolin Kung Fu master one day, and I have chosen that path.
Answer
Aiming to become a genuine Shaolin Kungfu master one day is an admirable and noble vision. You will not only have good health, happiness, inner peace and other benefits for yourself, but also be able to share these wonderful benefits with other deserving people.
Nevertheless, it is not an easy career, and I will seriously ask you to consider carefully before you commit yourself devotedly to it. Of course, if you have choosen another path, you should also consider it carefully before making a definite decision.
Financially, being a Shaolin Kungfu master does not earn a lot of money. At your age now you would probably think that earning a lot of money is not important. But when you have grown older and have a family, you will realize that while there are many other things more important than money, it is still very important.
You need money, for example, to fulfil your promise to God when you marry your wife that you will provide her and your children well. Of course, you must also provide them with love, care and attention, but without money, it will be quite diffifuclty for you to enable them to live comfortably without worries.
In this respect I am very lucky. My income from my career as a Shaolin Kungfu master has enabled me to provide very well for my family, as well as to help others who are not so fortunate. But I am an exception, not the norm. I am financially comfortable because I am at the top of my profession. Had I chosen another career like banking or business, and were at the top of the profession, my income would certainly be many times more.
My point is not to show that I want to earn more, but to show that if you wish to be financially comfortable as a Shaolin Kungfu master, you have to be very good at it. If you are only an ordinary Shaolin Kungfu master, you may have difficulty paying rent for your school.
You are still young, and have plenty of time to think about your future career. Right now you should focus on your studies, as well as spent quality time with your parents and friends, though you could also spend time practicing genuine, traditional Shaolin Kungfu as a hobby. When you have completed university, if you still consider becoming a Shaolin Kungfu master as a career, you are still in time to work towards your goal whole-heartedly.
The above is taken from Question 1 of December 2007 Part 1 of the Selection of Questions and Answers.
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