Tuesday, June 3, 2008

1998 - Report from Shangri-La

16th March - 30th March 1998, the flowers blossomed in the southern part of China. At Shangri-la, the 35th daoist cave heaven, the first Channel SHO study group was hosted by Shen laoshi(*). The practice ground was in an abandoned factory room located near a quiet town on the mountain.

(A) Basic Information

(1) Composition of the students

There were 26 students in total, 19 males and 7 females, from all over the Taoyuan county. There was an retired government official. There were "face down to the yellow ground and back to the sky" life-long farmers. There were middle and high school teachers. There were corporation management-level employees. There were middle school students. The oldest was 78 and the youngest was 14, average age was 52. 11 persons over 60, 11 persons between 40-59 and only 4 persons were below 40. The highest education level was university graduates, the lowest was primary school grads. 14 of them had below middle school level education. 3 above tertiary education level. 5 persons had good health. The rest were all inflicted with different degree of illness, 6 were seriously ill. All of them had learned Ling Bao Tong Zhineng Neigong Shu before, the longest had been 10 years, the shortest was 1 year long.

(2) Teaching goal

The goal for this specialized study group was clear, to open up the Channel SHO and refined the body from houtian stage to xiantian stage. Therefore all the lectures, daigong and complementary exercises were all constructed around that goal in mind.

(2) Duties of the student

Around sunset and sunrise, work on Ping Peng Gong for 3 hours outdoor. The main purpose was to emit internal qi out and absorbed external qi inside the body in order to increase the strength of the internal qi's movement.

Two hours of meditation both in the morning and in the afternoon, we concentrated on Zhineng Fa, Yin Xian Fa and the Human Immortal Methods of the Three Immortals Method.

Star Formation practice for 1-2 hours at night, in order to borrow the cosmic power to stimulate latent abilities.

Long distance daigong from Shen laoshi during sleeping practice. The total length of actual practice is 10 hours per day.

(3) Structure of the classes

All the lectures, daigong, group practice was carried out by Shen laoshi. The students were required to keep a diary of their practice to record everything related to the practice. When the seminar was finished, they were required to turn a copy of their diary to Shen laoshi. The dairy must be a detailed recording of all the phenomenons, feelings that happened during the seminar, they should be written in an objective and factual way.

(4) Weather

The 2nd half of March was humid and warm but there was one unexpected cold front which rendered the seminar to be held in a cold environment. It rained 8 days out of the 15, temperature range was 1 - 4 degrees Celsius. Because of the rain, the students did not have much chance to do Ping Peng Gong. This decreased the chance to strengthen their body. Since the cold front was unexpected, many students did not bring enough warm clothing. Some of their internal strength was used to resist the cold, this had a negative impact on opening up the Channel SHO.

(5) Result

After 15 days of intensive training and Shen Laoshi's daigong. 14 students achieved Channel SHO. The abilities that were development was exactly as described in Neijintu.

(B) Some Important Observations

(1) Beside Master Wang, there was no one else who publicly taught Channel SHO. In this seminar, 14 out of 26 students succeeded, 53.8 % success rate. This proved that Ling Bao Tong Zhineng Neigong Shu had many advantages for Channel SHO.

(2) Even elderly people can attain SHO

Age was an important factor in determining the success rate of Channel SHO. Elderly people tends to lose Xiantian yuen qi, they don't have as much yuen qi as younger people. But it is not hopeless. The oldest person was 78 and the youngest was 14, they both attained Channel SHO. It proved that as long as the method is right and the student works hard, people of all ages can attain Channel SHO.

(3) People with bad health can also attain Channel SHO

The wellness of the body also affect the success rate but it's not determining factor. Everyone has Xiantian qi, as long as one practice to stimulate it, the Ren and Du channels can be reconnected again and open up the Channel SHO. The classic case were Mr. Huang, who had four invasive operation done; Mr. Li, who had part of the stomach and gall bladder removed, whose 4th thoracic was broken; Miss Wang, who had stomach illness and serious joint pain; Miss Huang, bad health since childhood who was pretty much "raised with medicine", when she was 20 years, both of her hands were seriously burnt in an industrial accident. She has one kid after marriage and because contraceptive didn't not work on her, she had 10 abortions. She was tired both in body and the mind; Mr. Zhou, who had cognitive disorders; Miss Wan, B-type liver disease. All these people, after some hard work, they all attained the Channel SHO.

(4) After attaining Channel SHO, health can be improved dramatically

When people who had serious illness attained SHO, their health generally improved immediately, the speed of their recovery was amazing. For example, after SHO, Mr. Li found that all his body Pain disappeared ; Miss Wang's stomach illness was healed and her joints pain was also alleviated ; Miss Wang's meridian and bone still hurt, but the pain was not as severe; Miss Wan's liver pain also disappeared.

(5) Opening Channel SHO is un affected by period

Generally speaking, a woman's period cycle affect her psychology and physiology greatly. Miss Wang attained SHO while she was in her ovary cycle and Miss Li attained her while she was in her period cycle.

(6) Occupations and Education level does not affect the Channel SHO

People of all education level and of all kind of jobs can open up their Channel SHO.

(7) To attain Channel SHO, women are easier than men, youngsters are are easier than the elderly.

7 students were female, 6 of them were successful. The last one only joined the group in the last 5 days. 19 students were men, only 8 succeeded. The average age of those who were successful was 47, lower than the average group age by 5 years.

(8) The process were the same for everyone who was successful.

When the houtian qi was full in the body, the xiantian qi began to be created, the yuen qi initiate from the lower tien, pass through Hui Yin then Wei Lu, Jia Ji and up to Yu Zhen. Then it came down from Tian Men, Tian Mu. The qi then went down to lower tien along the Ren channel. The cycle continues automatically.

(9) After Channel SHO, internal qi move automatically.

After the Channel SHO, the internal qi will be guided by Xiantian qi and automatically move around the organs, meridians and channels. Being initially restricted by the wellness of the practitioner, the automatic movement of internal qi began in part of the body where there was illness only, after the illness is cured. The internal qi can move in other parts. When the body is healed completely, the internal qi will automatically move around in all the organs, meridians and channels.

(10) Attaining Channel SHO also develop other latent abilities.

After the SHO was opened, the successful students develop different levels and kinds of abilities. Miss Wang saw a tree when she closed her eyes and meditate. Later she found the exact tree in the Taiyuan park, she had never been there before; Mr. He developed see-through power and ; Miss Ye could see her own bones, meridians and points; Mr. Zhou could see his own bones too; Miss Liu developed automatic daoyin and Nu Dan movements.

(11) The emotions fluctuate greatly during the seminar.

In the early part of the seminar, the students had different goals and many questions. They were all reassured after Shen laoshi's clear explanations and powerful daigong. Half-way through the seminar, because of the cold weather and the difficult 2 hours session of meditation, the students were generally depressed and bored. On the 8th and 9th day, following the first and second success, all other students were inspired and they all worked hard so that they could be the next one. Towards the end, when the 78 years old student and the one who had his gall bladder and part of the stomach removed also attained Channel SHO, everyone was excited since they should be the ones who had the most difficulty to open it.

(12) Opening the Channel SHO require dedication and hard work.

Every student agreed that, opening the Channel SHO required confidence, endurance, sweats, pain and patience. Everyone is equal in front of it, it doesn't depend on external factors. There is only one way to do it, students must have strong faith and confidence, careful study the theory and follow the instructor's direction precisely.

(C) Deficiency

Since it was Shen laoshi's first Channel SHO class, there were places that can be improved :

(1) Weather

The weather was terrible which affect to certain degree the success rate. The location should be chosen carefully.

(2) Lack of movement exercises.

Due to the bad weather, the student did not have enough outdoor practice.

(3) Not enough mental preparation.

The students had different goal in this class, some of them just wanted to improve their health, some of them just wanted to learn the gongs and some were only curious. Therefore some student didn't work hard and just did their own things, when they finally understood what was offered to them the seminar was almost finished, they all regretted it a lot.

(4) Not enough understanding.

Some students like to learn many different gongs from different schools, hence they lack practice in Ling Bao Tong or they misunderstood the theory and practice. Therefore they won't have good result. Some students didn't follow the Shen laoshi's instructions carefully and hence they couldn't possibly succeed.

(*) laoshi : means teacher in Chinese

1 comment:

David Parker said...

I have attempted to read "Opening the Dragon's Gate" twice. I always get to a point where I think that it is impossible to achieve SHO.
Reading the Report form Shangri-La is very encouraging.
I am 60 years old and have no instructor but have fair understanding of the few classics that have been translated by Thomas Cleary.
I will return again with confidence that it is possible if one puts their mind to it.
Thank You