5. CONVERSATION WITH THE MASTER

Dear Students,

I hope all my students understood the importance of this blog. The sharing of the art is important for the future. It does not belong to me, but belong to every one who has the interest in the art. May they achieve the final enlightenment of this art. To me this art is really wonderful beyond description. I am working very hard on this through my life and so is N.I and my seniors and I hope all my students will do the same. Let us reach there the final enlightenment together. Information on this blog is to encourage the rest to work harder.

Yours sincerely,

chow c.k

Question:

May 2011

Dear Master:

A Tai-ji friend showed me generously what he had learned from his master, who in turn had learned from Master Kelly. He was of the opinion that his Song Shen is a little different from what I have learned from you. In my view, however, there is no much difference. I think yours and his are the same in that both are a method of how to use muscles of the whole body organically.

Answer:

Dear Student,

I am happy that you appreciate the Song Shen that I have taught you. Actually my method of doing it is to prevent the soft bones at the joints being over rubbed. That will cause the damage of the cartilages( soft bones). Secondly when we practice softly with awareness, that will help us to reach a meditative mood to have a total relaxation of the mind and reduce the blood pressure. Nowadays I deliberately move the joints much, much slower and lighter with full concentration and awareness and I could feel the cool heat running much smoother in my meridian lines and it goes much deeper into the membrane of my joints. Now I could throw my students around effortlessly. I begin to use chi than strength from the joints. It is really a wonderful realisation. No wonder Master Huang asked me to relax much more in my Song Shen. Only now at this old age it does ring a bell. I must be quite stupid in my younger day. After all it is still not too late. I taught this experience to all my seniors. I hope you can try it for at least a few months and the result will show. Just let go any strength that exists in your limbs and you can reach a very high level.

Yours sincerely,

chow c.k

Question:

Dear Master:

Thank you for precious instruction. I will try as you have just told me, and will report to you later.

This young friend also said to me that elastic power is generated from a compression at the abdomen which is made by the combination of upward expansion of lower body and the downward expansion caused by breathing and sinking shoulders. I think it is what I learned from you years ago. In my understanding, you are not doing such a thing at your present stage. Am I right?

Answer:

Dear Student,

I have been all along using the same technique which was taught to us during our younger days by our Master Huang. However when Master Huang reached the age of 75, his way of throwing his students had changed completely - so soft and so effortlessly. As I keep watching the YouTube video since two years back, I began to see something in it - the real truth and at the same time, I recalled what he had told me: "don't move the hands, don't move the body and don't move the head". As I read Lao Tze's teachings on the topic of "Wu Wei" - Don't do any thing and you can achieve every thing. That sparks me to watch Master Huang's display again and again and realised that he was doing what Lao Tze taught. In scientific term - you need to empty yourself and 'release whatever you have to the center of the earth', then the cosmic energy will rush into the system through your head to the various parts of your meridian lines and to all the cells and membranes of the body system. Then the chi you release will be like the nuclear reaction of the recent Earthquake/Tsunami. The person who is in contact with you cannot feel your strength, but he is thrown off. What a wonderful phenomenon. I am giving myself another ten years to reach my Master's level. But for the younger students whom I am teaching now, they need not wait until the age of 75 years old. In ten years' time, at the the age of 45 or 50, they will be able to attain that level. Then, my dreams and hope in Taiji will be fulfilled, my life is worth living. This method of Wu Wei helps to lengthen your life span and in knowing the divine in you. Of course the students need to practise until the application is fully ripen. While the earlier method will help to strengthen a person like a bull, it does not bring about any spiritual achievement but allow the ego to manifest. Instead, it can lead to a shorter life span that is full of ignorance and without any wisdom attained.

yours sincerely,

chow c.k