IS COTTON PALM MORE SUITABLE THAN WUDANG TAIJIQUAN IN SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION?
Wudang Cotton Palm
Question
I wonder how the Wudang Cotton Palm set is more suitable than Wudang Taijiquan for spiritual attainment?
Sifu Angel Guillermo
Answer
Your question involves the problem of dualistic thinking. You may know what I mean, but most other people may not. Most other people may think that if the Wudang Cotton Palm set is better than Wudang Taijiquan for spiritual cultivation, then Wudang Taijiquan is not good for spiritual cultivation.
Of course, this is not true. Both the Cotton Palm set and the Wudang Taijiquan set are excellent for spiritual cultivation. Indeed, Wudang Taijiquan is amongst the best for spiritual cultivation. But if we compare just the two sets, Wudang Cotton Palm set and Wudang Taijiquan set, then Wudang Cotton Palm is better.
As you know well, the art was not called Wudang Taijiquan when Zhang San Feng practiced it on Wudang Mountain. The term “Taijiquan” came about a few centuries later.
It was called Shaolin Kungfu, and as it was practiced on the Wudang Mountain it was called Wudang Shaolin Kungfu, to differentiate it from the Henan Shaolin Kungfu practiced at the Shaolin Monastery in Henan Province.
Indeed, Zhang San Feng practiced Wudang Shaolin Kungfu, or Wudang Taijiquan as it is now commonly called, not for combat, as he was already very combat efficient. He also did not practice the art for health, as he was already very healthy. He practiced the art for the highest spiritual cultivation. He wanted to merge with the Cosmos.
Nevertheless, although Zhang San Feng practiced the art for spiritual cultivation, he was about 700 years from us, and since then Wudang Taijiquan geared more towards combat. Now many people practice Wudang Taijiquan not for spiritual cultivation, not for combat, but as a gentle exercise.
On the other hand, the Cotton Palm set was composed by me, with chi flow, or flowing force, as the main criterion. Flowing force contributes greatly to spiritual cultivation, as well as to combat and daily living. Wudang Taijiquan is geared towards combat. Some of its techniques are very sophisticated, and even some masters may not know their application.
Hence, when we compare just the two arts, Wudang Cotton Palm is better than even Wudang Taijiquan for spiritual cultivation.
Of course I did not just compose Wudang Cotton Palm. I found out all I could about Cotton Palm and Wudang Kungfu, and selected the best techniques and skills to compose the set. I made sure that all the techniques and skills selected generated flowing force, which in turn is excellent for spiritual cultivation.
Wudang Taijiquan
This question and answer are reproduced from the thread 10 Questions Cotton Palm in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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