COTTON PALM AND SPIRITUAL CULTIVATION
Flowing force of Yang Style Taijiquan
Question
Dear Sigung,
You told us and gave us an experience of all the amazing benefits that Cotton Palm could bring. How is it that Cotton Palm is so efficient in spiritual cultivation? Is it more beneficial than other arts in our school? How can we apply Cotton Palm to benefit our spiritual practices?
Miguel
Answer
Cotton Pam is so effective in Spiritual cultivation because of the flowing force in Cotton Palm.
For convenience, we may divide spiritual cultivation into three levels, namely the level of being peaceful and happy, the level of being compassionate and wise, and the level of merging with the Cosmos. Flowing force is needed for each of the three levels.
Flowing force is not only available in Cotton Palm, it is found at a very high level. Consolidating force, which is good for combat but not conducive for spiritual cultivation is not present in Cotton Palm.
At the first level, to be peaceful and happy one needs flowing force. Flowing force sooths the spirit, making the person peaceful. Flowing force opens the heart, making the person happy. The more powerful and abundant the flowing force is, provided it is not too powerful or abundant that it leads to over-training, the more peaceful and happy the practitioner will be.
On the other hand, consolidating force, if done inappropriately, may be detrimental to peacefulness and happiness. Instead of soothing the spirit, consolidating force may harden the spirit. Instead of opening the heart, consolidating force may clog the heart.
At the intermediate level, flowing force contributes to being compassionate and wise. When a person’s force is flowing, it expands his spirit, making him more compassionate. Consolidating force tends to condense the spirit, making him exertive. Flowing force spreads his wisdom, making him more wise. Consolidating force concentrate his wisdom, making him deep.
At the highest level, flowing force sets his spirit free, letting his spirit exand into the Cosmos. When the flowing force is little, he expands a little. When the flowing force is a lot, he expands a lot. The flowing force in Cotton Palm is both a lot and powerful.
On the other hand, consolidating force strengthen the spirit, making the spirit strong. The flowing force in Cotton Palm is also very powerful; it is more than enough to strengthen the spirit.
Cotton Pam is amongst the most powerful art in all schools and disciplines for spiritual cultivation. It is also most powerful for combat and for daily life.
Other most powerful arts for spiritual cultivation, combat and daily life are Dragon Strength, Cosmos Palm, Wudang Taijiqna and Flower Set. Of course, a practitioner must know how to apply his art for spiritual cultivation, combat or daily living. If he, like most people, just knows the routine of the sets, he will be unable to apply the respective art for these purposes.
Arts that that are less powerful for spiritual cultivation, but still very powerful, are Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Tiger-Crane, Shaolin Five Animals and Shaolin Tantui. If a practitioner does not know how to use these arts for spiritual cultivation, but practice them diligently and correctly, he (or she) will still attain some accomplishment in spiritual cultivation, but at a low level, like being peaceful and happy, or even at a middle level, like being compassionate and wise.
However, he has to know the philosophy, techniques and skills if he wants to attain the highest level of spiritual cultivation, like expanding into the Cosmos. If all other things were equal, a practitioner practicing these arts will be less effective in the highest level of spiritual cultivation than another practitioner practicing Cotton Pam if all of them know the respective philosophy, techniques and skills. But other things are not equal. A master practicing Tiger-Crane, or even a lower art than this category, will be more effective than a beginner practicing Cotton Palm.
The lowest arts for spiritual cultivation are Choy-Li-Fatt, Wing Choon Kungfu and Iron Wire. They are, nevertheless, excellent for combat. Consolidating force is very important in Iron Wire, where the set is not conducive for spiritual cultivation. Flowing force is generally not known in Choy-Li-Fatt and Wing Choon Kungfu, though their masters have flowing force due to years of dedicated training but other practitioners may not know it. Most Choy-Li-Fatt and Wing Choon practitioners use mechanical strength.
We may sound very boastful, but it is true that in my opinion non-kungfu martial arts like Karate, Taekwondo, Western Boxing, Wresting, Mixed Martial Arts and Muay Thai are detrimental to spiritual cultivation, especially when their practitioners glorify themselves in hurting their opponents unnecessarily. Generours exchange of blows in free sparring is damaging to their spirit, Tensing their muscles in their practice makes them stressful and agitated.
Practicing Cotton Palm by itself is very good for spiritual cultivation. But if we know the philosophy and have the necessary skills, our accomplishment will be greatly enhanced.
For philosophy, we may for convenience classify spiritutal cultivation into three levels:
- Being peaceful and happy.
- Being compassionate and wise.
- Expanding into the Cosmos.
All students of Shaolin Wahnam will be able to attain the first level of spiritual cultivation, because all of them have chi flow. Chi flow not only give them good health, vitality and longevity, it also makes them peaceful and happy.
To be compassionate and wise, one must have a lot of chi flow to open the heart (which includes the mind). Those students who have not learned and practiced advanced arts, or have practiced advanced arts but not sufficiently yet, will not have enough chi flow to attain compassion and wisdom.
To expand into the Cosmos, one must have the philosophy, the techniques and the skills. Those who attended high-level courses like “Emerging with the Cosmos”, with heart-to-heart transmission from me, might have experiences of expanding beyond their physical body.
Cotton Palm is excellent for spiritual cultivation, as well as for combat and daily living. Its force is ont only flowing but tremendous.
Consolidated force of Iron Wire
This question and answer are reproduced from the thread 10 Questions Cotton Palm in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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