Channel SHO is the fifth method "Golden Crystal flying up from the side" in Ling Bao Bi Fa. In order to understand it completely, one need to study the classics and put the theory and practice together and to grasp its internal logical connections:
(1) I study the conclusion from each of the special SHO class and organize the experience of the students so that I can have a macroscopic understanding of the process.
(2) I collected the practice journals from everyone and summarized them into "the moment to open it" in order to understand the microscopic aspects.
(3) Extract the "Channel SHO of Elderlies (78 and 80 years old)", "Dandao and Taijiquan", "Female practice journals" in order to have a deeper understanding.
(4) With experience with SHO and under the guidance of Master Wang, I re-edited "Xing Da Dao".
(5) With these experience and Master Wang's encouragement, I began to annotate "The Daoist teachings of Zhong and Lu", "Ling Bao bi Fa" and "Tai Yi Jin Hua Zhong Zhi". With three revisions, it has finally been published.
Once I put Channel SHO into the context of Zhong and Lu Dandao in order to understand it and with my own recovery of strength and energy, opening up Channel SHO has become straightforward. Since I was only concentrated on the technical aspects of opening up the Channel SHO and ignored the important of the students' personalities and De (virtues), it had brought me a lot of trouble, it was a hard lesson taht I would not forget.
When one gets to higher level in one's cultivation, one can get a deeper appreciation of the importance of De (virtues) in cultivation. Cultivation doesn't just mean doing the practice, it also includes the cultivation of one's De. The two aspects complement each other and both must be worked on simultaneously. For examples:
During the Yin Xian Fa stage, one needs the "De of gong" i.e. confidence, perseverance, honesty and empty heart etc.
During Human Immortal Method stage, one needs the "De of Man" i.e. respect for teachers and parents, manner, knowledge and clear thinking.
During the Terrestrial Immortal Method stage, one needs the "De of Earth", i.e. kindness, softness, endurance, modesty and willingness to give.
During the Celestial Immortal Method stage, one needs the "De of Heaven", i.e. big hearted, depth, no desire and magnanimous.
If any aspect of the De cultivation has been deficient, it will be reflected in one's practice. The higher the gongfu also means the higher level requirement of De, the imbalance between the two can hinder the progress of one's cultivation. I have seen too many examples in my own teaching and these have happened in the students who had their SHO opened. This is all very real.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Channel SHO (2) - To achieve the goal.
Coincidentally when I wanted to try out my methods on Channel SHO, someone invited me to try it which resulted in the four "Channel SHO Class". Everything was carried out methodically: careful planning and collaborative efforts by everyone had resulted in 40 success out of 80. It had shown that my method was right even though the road was difficult. I was very pleased with results. I helped 40 persons achieved SHO without myself getting to that stage first, it seemed implausible and so controversies cannot be avoided. But it can be explained somehow by careful thoughts.
(1) The background.
The fact that Zhong and Lu dandao had been continuously transmitted for over a thousand years out of the mainstream meant that it must have many intrinsic advantages, for examples its rational, systematic and complete nature of its theory and practical methods. These are precisely th reasons it had become the pinnacle practice within Daoism. The Ling Bao Tong Zhineng Neigong Shu taught by Master Wang is a branch of ZHong and Lu Dandao, and it also most it has its own source of strength, once we can approach this source of strength, one can glimpse as the mysteries and wonders of Dandao and receive its benefits.
(2) The ladder to enter the door.
From 1985-1995, Master Wang had publicly taught the foundational methods of Zhong and Lu dandao, i.e. refine the body to accumulate qi. If we look the thousand years long history of dandao, has anyone ever taught such systematic methods to enter the door of dandao? No. How many people actually understand these? Very few. Without a deep understanding, how can one truly enter the door? Master Wang had taught the methods to enter door and also had also led some of the students inside the door already. I strived to combine "methods to enter the door" and "methods to help others" into "helping others to enter the door".
(3) Personal Effort.
Master Wang began teaching in 1985, I started learning in 1987. I tried my best to collect all the teaching materials ever existed which include 300 recording tapes, which had been transcribed into text forms. With Master Wang's consent, I careful wrote and publish "Xing Da Dao", this let me carefully re-study everything. In 1991, I became an assistant, this has broadened my horizon. I saw Master Wang helped others in SHO and also interviewed a person who had direct experience. After understanding some principles and the process, I asked myself, "Would I be able to do it? How about just try it?"
Having a clear direction together with hard works and perseverance, one will succeed eventually. In summary the authentic method, great teacher, good environment and collaborative efforts from everyone was the foundation, I was merely an organizer to help put all these ingredients into places.
Having seen all the wondrous effects of the SHO, my main feeling was: we have glimpsed at the tip of an iceberg that is the power of Zhong and Lu Dandao. But this is enough to propel us to march forward. Zhong and Lu dandao has great depth and mystery, it's an creation from the wisdoms of the "immortals", it is beyond the understanding of mere mortals.
The students who I helped to open their SHO had in turn helped me open my own, I felt very lucky. Wasn't this a logical conclusion?
(1) The background.
The fact that Zhong and Lu dandao had been continuously transmitted for over a thousand years out of the mainstream meant that it must have many intrinsic advantages, for examples its rational, systematic and complete nature of its theory and practical methods. These are precisely th reasons it had become the pinnacle practice within Daoism. The Ling Bao Tong Zhineng Neigong Shu taught by Master Wang is a branch of ZHong and Lu Dandao, and it also most it has its own source of strength, once we can approach this source of strength, one can glimpse as the mysteries and wonders of Dandao and receive its benefits.
(2) The ladder to enter the door.
From 1985-1995, Master Wang had publicly taught the foundational methods of Zhong and Lu dandao, i.e. refine the body to accumulate qi. If we look the thousand years long history of dandao, has anyone ever taught such systematic methods to enter the door of dandao? No. How many people actually understand these? Very few. Without a deep understanding, how can one truly enter the door? Master Wang had taught the methods to enter door and also had also led some of the students inside the door already. I strived to combine "methods to enter the door" and "methods to help others" into "helping others to enter the door".
(3) Personal Effort.
Master Wang began teaching in 1985, I started learning in 1987. I tried my best to collect all the teaching materials ever existed which include 300 recording tapes, which had been transcribed into text forms. With Master Wang's consent, I careful wrote and publish "Xing Da Dao", this let me carefully re-study everything. In 1991, I became an assistant, this has broadened my horizon. I saw Master Wang helped others in SHO and also interviewed a person who had direct experience. After understanding some principles and the process, I asked myself, "Would I be able to do it? How about just try it?"
Having a clear direction together with hard works and perseverance, one will succeed eventually. In summary the authentic method, great teacher, good environment and collaborative efforts from everyone was the foundation, I was merely an organizer to help put all these ingredients into places.
Having seen all the wondrous effects of the SHO, my main feeling was: we have glimpsed at the tip of an iceberg that is the power of Zhong and Lu Dandao. But this is enough to propel us to march forward. Zhong and Lu dandao has great depth and mystery, it's an creation from the wisdoms of the "immortals", it is beyond the understanding of mere mortals.
The students who I helped to open their SHO had in turn helped me open my own, I felt very lucky. Wasn't this a logical conclusion?
Channel SHO (1) - The reasons.
After I started following Master Wang's teaching, I understood the clear differences between the so called "Small Heavenly Orbit / Microcosmic" on the market and the Small Heavenly Orbit in dandao. It had been my dream for a long time to open the channel SHO. When I became assistant, I have seen Master Wang helped many students who were ready to open up the SHO. This together with what I learned from the old gentleman had intensified my desire to learn how to open up it up, not really out of desire for myself but to help others. This is not to say that I am a noble and selfless person but out of practical reason. Being a teaching assistant meant that my own energy and cultivation cannot be maintained at a high and stable level. Without the opportunity to contiguously improve and accumulate my own energy, it's not possible to open up the Channel SHO. But I could teach others to do it, so when I daoyin, I tried to incorporate some of my own experiments. For examples, the way to tune the field, the duration of the practice the strength of daigong etc. Slowly I have began to understand a bit more. So even though my goal was clear, I only knew the outline of the method without knowing the all the nifty details. From Master Wang's own daigong and demonstrations, I also understood that the teacher's ability has tens or hundreds fold more influence on the students.
In August 1995, I learned directly from Master Wang in Shanghai the whole process of opening up the Channel SHO. This gave me a much clearer picture of the process. Roughly speaking there are 4 ingredients:
(1) An intensive 15 days of continuous training to ensure the students can steadily increases their energy level.
(2) Intensive five element practice to "dissolve" the internal organs. This is the core of increasing the energy level.
(3) Daoyin must be focused, flexible and strategic so that when the opportunity was seized when it arised.
(4) The student must be able to sit for two hours continuously, at least in half lotus, at minimum.
Once I understood the process, i told myself, "What If I teach 100 persons."
This simple thought had resulted my 8 years of endeavor.
In 1996 and 1997, I taught 20 students. One was successful. This had boosted my confidence in my own methods tremendously. Of course, there were many things to be improved on.
In August 1995, I learned directly from Master Wang in Shanghai the whole process of opening up the Channel SHO. This gave me a much clearer picture of the process. Roughly speaking there are 4 ingredients:
(1) An intensive 15 days of continuous training to ensure the students can steadily increases their energy level.
(2) Intensive five element practice to "dissolve" the internal organs. This is the core of increasing the energy level.
(3) Daoyin must be focused, flexible and strategic so that when the opportunity was seized when it arised.
(4) The student must be able to sit for two hours continuously, at least in half lotus, at minimum.
Once I understood the process, i told myself, "What If I teach 100 persons."
This simple thought had resulted my 8 years of endeavor.
In 1996 and 1997, I taught 20 students. One was successful. This had boosted my confidence in my own methods tremendously. Of course, there were many things to be improved on.
Teaching Experience (5) - Stepping down from the frontline
In 1994 and 1995, Master Wang taught several seminars nationwide. In these seminars, there are several other assistants from Shenyang and Dalian, in order to give them more time to be trained, I purposely remove myself from the "frontline" of teaching.
Even though I have been a teaching assistant for a while but I never forget that I am still a student too, I am still learning from Master Wang. With other assistants who shared my teaching responsibility, I have got some chance to learn, observe, think and cultivate for sessions in the seminars. The main difference from before was that even though I was still tired from the teaching, it wasn't as exhausting as before and I was able to recover more quickly. The strength and penetrative power of my daigong had increased, my ability to control and tune the practice field has also improved, overall I believed that my techniques had matured.
Teaching is an energy depleting process but it's also the way to accumulate knowledge and experience. A huge outflow of my energy also means a huge inflow later, this extreme way of cultivation also meant a special result. However, replenishing the lost energy has always been an easily ignored part of one's cultivation. Many new teachers would do fine in the beginning, but once a little bit too much energy has been lost, they would never recover. How to replenish the lost energy is a must know topic for anyone who teaches internal cultivation, without a solution to this problem, one should never come and teach, else it's just self destruction. Another key point, what is gongfu? One must at least have a little bit of that, gongfu is accumulated through time. Without that, one is playing fire with the body. I have seen to many of these examples and I believe there will be more. Master Wang said, "Without 10 years of gongfu, don't come out to teach." It's wise words, it's also words to protect me from harming myself.
Even though I have been a teaching assistant for a while but I never forget that I am still a student too, I am still learning from Master Wang. With other assistants who shared my teaching responsibility, I have got some chance to learn, observe, think and cultivate for sessions in the seminars. The main difference from before was that even though I was still tired from the teaching, it wasn't as exhausting as before and I was able to recover more quickly. The strength and penetrative power of my daigong had increased, my ability to control and tune the practice field has also improved, overall I believed that my techniques had matured.
Teaching is an energy depleting process but it's also the way to accumulate knowledge and experience. A huge outflow of my energy also means a huge inflow later, this extreme way of cultivation also meant a special result. However, replenishing the lost energy has always been an easily ignored part of one's cultivation. Many new teachers would do fine in the beginning, but once a little bit too much energy has been lost, they would never recover. How to replenish the lost energy is a must know topic for anyone who teaches internal cultivation, without a solution to this problem, one should never come and teach, else it's just self destruction. Another key point, what is gongfu? One must at least have a little bit of that, gongfu is accumulated through time. Without that, one is playing fire with the body. I have seen to many of these examples and I believe there will be more. Master Wang said, "Without 10 years of gongfu, don't come out to teach." It's wise words, it's also words to protect me from harming myself.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Teaching Experience (4) - Being the teaching assistant again.
In 1992, I attended Master Wang's seminar as a teaching assistant for the second time. Same as the previous seminar, it was 20 days and over 1000 students had attended the two sessions. I was the only assistant. There were two daoyins per day, each lasted for about 90 minutes and sometimes for 120 minutes. I had became better with daoyin and daigong. But there were still some deficiencies in my teachings, it's not hard to demonstrate the movements, to introduce and explain the content of Master Wang's teachings. The key question though is "Why", why the practices are the way they are? If you don't understand something, it's best to ask. Ask "why" often so that I have to think about it and then answer it. The more questions one ask, the more knowledge one would accumulate.
The main impression I had in this seminar was amazement. Since I was the only teaching assistant, I was really tired. To relieve my work load and pressure, Master Wang had done a few demonstrations. It is actually better to call them special cultivation methods than demonstrations. For example, Master Wang had performed a mass hypnosis, once he started to tune the field, the student fell asleep one by one. Another example, human to human practice whereas two persons would practice with each other eyes closed. Once they entered the trance, they would start practicing a martial art-like form with each other. Another example was the Star formation practice, once we started, our organs would started to vibrate, it can be done alone or in a group. This had really opened my eye further, I was amazed by the wonders and depth of dandao. All these amazing things however, Master Wang only did them for "fun".
The main impression I had in this seminar was amazement. Since I was the only teaching assistant, I was really tired. To relieve my work load and pressure, Master Wang had done a few demonstrations. It is actually better to call them special cultivation methods than demonstrations. For example, Master Wang had performed a mass hypnosis, once he started to tune the field, the student fell asleep one by one. Another example, human to human practice whereas two persons would practice with each other eyes closed. Once they entered the trance, they would start practicing a martial art-like form with each other. Another example was the Star formation practice, once we started, our organs would started to vibrate, it can be done alone or in a group. This had really opened my eye further, I was amazed by the wonders and depth of dandao. All these amazing things however, Master Wang only did them for "fun".
Teaching Experience (3) - The teacher learned from a student.
The first time I daoyin as an assistant in a seminar, an old gentleman opened his SHO with the help of Master Wang, that left a deep impression on me. I went to ask this gentleman about his experience but he refused to tell me anything. However after a few days, he came to find me and said that had been observing me for a few days and he believed that I wasn't a bad person so he was willing to tell me everything. He said that since his hands shakes a lot, he couldn't write anything down so he had to let me know verbally. I was of course willing to listen to him and that was actually the first time I realized that his hands shacked involuntary.
This old gentleman was a headmaster of a school and he enjoys Zhouyi. Due to an accident, half of his body became paralyzed. The old man's son knew Master Wang and so he introduced his father to him and that's how he first attended a Master Wang's seminar. The old man was an intellectual and he analyzed Master Wang's teachings very carefully. But following the requirements of opening up the SHO, he practiced step by step on each obstacle. For example, he began by practicing the length of a sitting session, when he started sitting, he couldn't sit for too long. However, in order to recover from the injuries and improve his health he endured the all the pains that came from sitting and not long afterward, he was able to sit continuously for two hours and he did it two three times a day. Then he practice on the sitting postures, from natural cross legged to half lotus and then to full lotus. Then he worked on his line of essence, from "Heaven", "Eye" and "Opening" to construct the line of essence. When he pull on his line of essence, his wife would move a stick very lightly in front of him and he was able to feel the motion, this showed that his line of essence had opened. He worked very hard on the five elements. He also practice extracting bone marrow on his own, and then one day, whenever he extracted, something would come up. In conclusion, the old gentleman has completely mastered the techniques. The first day in that seminar, which was also the anniversary since he started learning from Master Wang, due to his strong foundation and the strong qi field in the seminar, he was able to open up the SHO.
This old gentleman has taught me a lesson. He had set a goal for me, a clear but distant goal, how to teach students to open their SHO. My teaching philosophy, everything I teach would be to follow the requirements of opening up the SHO. I would continuously collect and distill Master Wang's teaching and to reflect and ponder carefully any problems that might arise. With this clear goal in mind, the remaining thing to do was to work hard on it, and through hard work, this goal shall be attained one day.
This old gentleman was a headmaster of a school and he enjoys Zhouyi. Due to an accident, half of his body became paralyzed. The old man's son knew Master Wang and so he introduced his father to him and that's how he first attended a Master Wang's seminar. The old man was an intellectual and he analyzed Master Wang's teachings very carefully. But following the requirements of opening up the SHO, he practiced step by step on each obstacle. For example, he began by practicing the length of a sitting session, when he started sitting, he couldn't sit for too long. However, in order to recover from the injuries and improve his health he endured the all the pains that came from sitting and not long afterward, he was able to sit continuously for two hours and he did it two three times a day. Then he practice on the sitting postures, from natural cross legged to half lotus and then to full lotus. Then he worked on his line of essence, from "Heaven", "Eye" and "Opening" to construct the line of essence. When he pull on his line of essence, his wife would move a stick very lightly in front of him and he was able to feel the motion, this showed that his line of essence had opened. He worked very hard on the five elements. He also practice extracting bone marrow on his own, and then one day, whenever he extracted, something would come up. In conclusion, the old gentleman has completely mastered the techniques. The first day in that seminar, which was also the anniversary since he started learning from Master Wang, due to his strong foundation and the strong qi field in the seminar, he was able to open up the SHO.
This old gentleman has taught me a lesson. He had set a goal for me, a clear but distant goal, how to teach students to open their SHO. My teaching philosophy, everything I teach would be to follow the requirements of opening up the SHO. I would continuously collect and distill Master Wang's teaching and to reflect and ponder carefully any problems that might arise. With this clear goal in mind, the remaining thing to do was to work hard on it, and through hard work, this goal shall be attained one day.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Longmen Pai Forum
There is a new forum started by students who have studied with Master Wang Liping and his authorized teachers. You are welcomed to join and discuss topics on Daoism, martial arts or other practices that promote health and wellness, although the emphasis is naturally centered around the teachings from Master Wang's lineage. The website is below.
http://www.longmenpai.com/forum/forum.php
http://www.longmenpai.com/forum/forum.php
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)