SLOWING DOWN TIME AND CHANGING OUR PERCEPTION OF TIME
In his younger days when sparring with others, time seemed to "slow down" fro Grandmaster Wong
Question
Sifu, how can we "slow down" time or at least change our perception about it in the phenomenal world?
Sifu Leonard Lackinger, Shaolin Wahnam Austria
Answer
An excellent way to “slow down” time is to practice our Shaolin Wahnam arts. When I was younger and sparring with other martial artists, I could often “slow down” time. I could see their movements clearly and slowly as if they happened in a minute or two, when actually they happened in split seconds. Thus, in this “slow down” time, I could decide what counters to use.
However, I could not repeat this ability at will. In other words, I could not decide when I wanted to “slow down “ time. This ability came spontaneously, often when I did not expect it.
I believe time “slowed down” in a state of Zen mind. In other words, when we are in Zen mind, time may appear to pass slowly. Once I gave a solution to a difficult problem after walking seven steps, inspired by the story of seven steps a poem during the Period of Three Kingdoms in Chinese history. All participants at my Zen course in Hawaii and elsewhere could give an impromptu speech on an outlandish topic on the spot. I am not sure whether this was “slowing down” time, but certainly it had to do with Zen mind.
In Zen, or transcendental dimension, time does not exit. Time is a human construct in the phenomenal world. Even in rare occasions in the phenomenal dimension, time exists very differently from what we conceptualize it to be. Modern scientists have demonstrated that a sub-atomic participle may travel backward in time, and they believe that there are worlds in the Universe whose future is our past.
We often change our perception of time in our phenomenal world, usually without our conscious knowing. It is well known that when one is happy, time passes quickly, and when he is sad, time drags on. I have travelled the world for more than 20 years, but it seems very fast. This is easily understandably as I teach appreciative students, see lovely places and enjoy delicious food.
I don’t know how to “slow down” time, but all of us in Shaolin Wahnam know how to make time pass faster. Our training makes us happy, and being happy time seems to fly.
Not only time seems to pass faster, we also produce better result no matter what we do. I told a class in Spain that we were 16 times more effective now than had we not practice chi kung!
Why are we 16 times more efficient? We are relaxed and focused, have mental clarity and internal force.
A person is more efficient when he is relaxed than when he is tensed. He is more efficient when he is focused than when he is distracted. He is more efficient when he has mental clarity than when he is mentally dull. He is more efficient when he has internal force than when he has none. He is not just 4 times better. Because of exponential progression, he is 16 times more efficient!
Indeed, we are blessed in Shaolin Wahnam.
When one is happy, time seems to fly
The questions and answers are reproduced from the thread 10 Questions on Happy Family Life in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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