THE AMAZEMENT STAGE AND THE AMUSING STAGE
The amazement of "One-Finger Shooting Zen"
Question
Sifu, can you please tell us more about the amazement stage and the amusing stage in the development of our teaching methodology?
— Sifu Daniel Perez, Spain
Answer
We have passed the amazement stage and entered the amusing stage.
The amazement stage was when our students were amazed at the results of their practice. On the very first day they learned from us, they experienced chi flow. They were amazed.
Many people, including masters, have chased after internal force but to no avail. They are also puzzled why by not using strength, as advised by all internal force masters, they could develop a lot of force.
Yet, on the very first day when our students performed "Pushing Mountains" they experienced internal force. They did not use muscular strength, yet they felt very forceful. They confirmed what internal masters had advised. Wasn't that amazing?
We have passed this stage of amazement. These amazing results have become so common that students do not find them amazing any more! Rather, now they find our answers to their technical questions amusing.
We tell them not to worry about their form. We say that even if they make mistakes, it doesn't matter! Yet, other students are very particular about their form, and even when they perform their chi kung exercise perfectly, their benefits are not even a small portion of our students' benefits. Isn't that amusing -- in a good way.
When our students ask us whether they should lower their hands first or breathe out first when performing "Lifting the Sky", we tell them not to worry but enjoy their practice. When our students ask us whether their fingers should be slightly open or gently close when performing "Pushing Mountains", we tell them not to worry but enjoy their exercise. Yet our students have fantastic results, whereas other practitioners who are very exact about their form have little or no results. Isn't this amusing -- without meaning to belittle others?
Question
Why is our methodology so amazing? Why do we achieve in one day what other people may take a few years to achieve?
Answer
Our students have amazing results in a very short time even when they do not perform the form of the exercise perfectly. There are many reasons for this amazement, but a major one is that our students operate at the mind and energy levels, whereas other people operate at the form level.
But before the other people can operate chi kung even at the form level, they need a few months, if not a year or two, to develop the chi kung skills to do so. Otherwise they only perform gentle physical exercise.
Even when the other people have chi kung skill, they do not realize it. Hence, sometimes they perform chi kung, and sometimes they perform gentle physical exercise. They do not have the advantage of accumulated effect.
On the other hand, we teach our students chi kung skills to operate at the mind level and the energy level in their very first lesson. We also emphasize the importance of skills. Our students have the advantage of accumulated effect.
Other people may not understand what we are talking about here, and some would angrily accuse us of boasting. But what we say is true. For example, our students in my regional or intensive courses enjoy a chi flow on the very first day of their learning from us. Other people would be lucky if they have a chi flow after a year, Most of them may not know what a chi flow is; they only know chi kung forms. And chi flow is the essence of chi kung.
Students at my regional or intensive courses experience internal force on the very first day they learn from me. Other people would be lucky if they experience internal force after a year of training. Many of them do not even believe in internal force because they never experience it no matter for how long they train.
Question
How do we convince others that our amazing results are true?
Answer
We don't have to convince them.
We are being ridiculously generous, offering them an opportunity to have benefits in one day what it would normally take them a year or two to obtain elsewhere. They have to convince us that they are deserving to learn from us.
The above is taken from Questions 1, 2 and 3 March 2012 Part 1 of the Selection of Questions and Answers.
LINKS
Courses and Classes