FROM WUJI STANCE TO SITTING MEDITATION
The Wuji Stance
Question
Would it be fair to say that as we progress in our practice of Kungfu we shall aim to spend less time in Wuji and more time in sitting meditation? Is it possible to over-train in Wuji stance and how one can prevent from and overcome such thing?
Sifu Angel Guillermo, Shaolin Wahnam Puerto Rico
Answer
“Wuji” means the Great Void, which may be described differently by people of different cultures, like God the Holy Spirit in Christianity, Buddhahood in Buddhism, and Brahman in Hinduism. In scientific language, it is the undifferentiated spread of energy. Literally, “wuji” in Chinese means “no-limit”.
Wuji is the objective, and sitting meditation is a method. In other words, an aspirant performs sitting meditation to achieve Wuji.
Hence, in the question when you mention “Wuji”, I reckon you mean the Wuji Stance.
Whether as we progress in our kungfu we aim to spend less time in the Wuji Stance and more time in sitting meditation, depends on different individuals.
Presuming all other things were equal, your observation is correct. The Wuji Stance is an excellent way to be relaxed and be free of all thoughts. These two conditions are necessary to attain the Great Void.
While the Wuji Stance is excellent to attain the Great Void, sitting meditation is better. It is the best method to attain the Great Void. Perhaps the Wuji Stance, or standing meditation, is the next best. But sitting meditation and standing meditation still need a lot of time.
However, all other things are not equal. For convenience, let us take just three stages, which actually represent countless stages. The three stages are stage 1 for ordinary people, stage 2 for those who have practiced both the Wuji Stance and sitting meditation, and stage 3 for the advanced in these two arts.
As estimated by Andrew (Sifu Andrew Barnett of Switzerland), I have about 60,000 students who have received my teaching. Compared to the world population of 7.5 billion, 60,000 is less than 0.0001, which means less than 1 out of 100,000.
To most untrained people, which means the great majority of the world population, it does not matter whether they perform the Wuji Stance or sitting meditation. They will be tensed and stressful most of the time, if not all the time, even when they perform the outward forms correctly.
We may divide those who have practiced both the Wuji Stance and sitting meditation into practitioners who have practiced wrongly, and practitioners who have practiced correctly.
Those who have practiced martial arts would have practiced the Wuji Stance, and many of them would have attempted sitting meditation in a lotus or semi-lotus position. But almost all of them, i.e. those who have practiced both arts, would not know either one of these arts could lead them to the Great Void. They would not know that it is called the Wuji Stance. Many of them would call the stance differently, or just standing upright.
However, despite its name, they many not be standing upright. They are also not relaxed and freed of all thoughts. Those who practice external martial arts may try to be stoic, thus tensing themselves without knowing. To be tensed and to be freed of all thoughts are the two most pressing problems of most people, including those who practiced marital arts.
Those who have practiced the Wuji Stance and sitting meditation correctly generally take a long time, in a matter of more than 10 years, to attain the Great Void. They know the techniques of the Wuji Stance and sitting meditation, but they may not have the skills to be relaxed and freed of all thoughts. They develop the necessary skills unknowingly.
They may know the highest aim of sitting meditation is to attain the Great Void, but they usually do not know that they can also attain the Great Void through the Wuji Stance.
We are indeed very elite. As I do not teach sitting meditation (in a lotus or semi-lotus position), we even attain the Great Void in our Wuji Stance, or standing meditation. In our advanced courses, like Merging with the Cosmos, at least 60% of our participants attained the Great Void.
We can attain the Great Void in just one course because of three factors.
One, we differentiate between techniques and skills. Most people, including masters, do not make the differentiation. They think that if they have the right technique, and practice the technique long enough, if they are lucky, they will attain what the exercise promises to give.
Two, not only we theoretically know the skills, we are able to develop them. Most people can’t. They cannot, for example, free their mind of all thoughts.
Three, I transmit the skills to course participants. In other words, course participants do not need to practice the skills to be skillful enough to attain the Great Void.
In theory it is possible to over-train in the Wuji Stance, but in practice it is very unlikely. However, if we develop too much energy in the Wuji Stance, i.e. more energy than our physical body can take, we can also over-train.
Although it is not concerned with over-training, a very big problem of practicing the Wuji Stance or sitting meditation is not returning to our body after attaining the Great Void. As it is so blissful and free in the Great Void, some practitioners may not want to return to their physical body. Hence, it is important to have a master present when practicing emerging with the Great Void using the Wuji Stance or sitting meditation.
Sitting Meditation
The questions and answers are reproduced from the thread Questions on Wuji Stance or Standing Meditation in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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