Small Universe

[Zhang Wuji]

Transcendental Big Universe

Ok, everyone, as I won't have access to the internet for the next week, I will post the last instalment ahead of time.

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The Transcendental Big Universe [aka Spiritual Big Universe]

Just press and release the abdominal dan tian. Do not worry about breathing (in a modern, Western sense, but breathing in the classical, qigong sense is going on). Literally pulsate with the Cosmos. [This is what some of us had learnt as Dan tian breathing]

During Standing Meditation, place the mind (or spirit) at the abdominal dan tian, then expand into the Cosmos. Gently think of the abdominal dan tian to return to our world.

First use the Wuji Stance. When one is quite accomplished, he can change to the Cosmos Stance - for both the Small Universe and the Big Universe.

When one is accomplished using the "reversed breathing" technique for the Phenomenal Big Universe, he may change to use the "natural breathing" technique.

[Sifu mentioned that he did not teach this method in Langkawi so as not to confuse the course participants.]

But when the Phenomenal Big Universe is accomplished, the change from "reverse breathing" to "natural breathing" is simple and easy. Indeed, the change is often spontaneous, without the practitioners making a special effort.

In "natural breathing" for the Phenomenal Big Universe, energy flows to the hands when breathing in, from the hands to the head when breathing out, from the head to the feet when breathing in, and from the feet to the chest when breathing out.

There is no swallowing in the "natural breathing" technique.

[James L]

Zhang Wuji, thanks you for all the posts on Small & Big Universe.

During the course I struggled a lot and wondered why I was doing such a specialist course.
But realising it's a state of mind and talking to several people in the Wahnam Family helped to settle some personal doubts.
Most of all though I am practicing Small Universe almost every day, and am looking forward to getting the natural flow and co-ordination correct and flowing at some point in time.
So again I say thanks for the posts thay are very helpful.

Best Wishes
James

[Guest]

Thank you Siheng and Sifu, for the information put here on the thread.

It was a great course, but a hard one also!
After the course, I was getting a cleansing rash all over my body, from toe to head, and now it's almost all gone, luckily

Alot has improved, from my posture to my training, to my character.

Thank you Sifu for transmitting these great treasures.

My best regards,
Tim

[Andrea]

Wonderful summaries, thank you Sisook. They greatly helped me to complete my notes.

As others have said the course was amazing, and for me definitely beyond expectations. Thanks to Sigung's clear step-by-step instructions and extraordinary transmission skills we "completed" the Small Universe in two days and had time for some fun, applying the skills to different arts, for revision and for learning the Big Universe . Thank you Sigung and thank you Wei Foong Siguma for all the organisation!

Beyond expectations also because there were many additional benefits: There was the extraordinary company of so many family members from all over the world and from all generations. It was lovely meeting you all again or for the first time! There was also the joy of witnessing Siew Foong Siguma and Jeff's wedding in Penang just before the course. There was ofc Langkawi, the beautiful dragon island .

And there were some "pearls" at the personal level. To share one: During the course many things I have learnt and experienced earlier in my life suddenly came back and together, made sense, became one. This might not sound like much but for me it was like as wonderful celebration and confirmation that all genuine spiritual traditions share a common treasure.

Andrea

[Andreas C.]

one more question

Dear Zhang Wuji,

thanks alot for your kindly effort in repeating all this extremly valuable informations.

My greatest thank of course goes to Sifu Wong for enabling us all together to experience this high level arts. I pay respect to your effort, Sifu, by practising daily. Like Dr. Kissey said at the graduating dinner: thats the least thing we can do now.

It was a pleasure and a great honor to take place in such a increbidible happening.
;maybe this initiation has never taken place in whole history to happen to so many practicioners at the same time.

I have one question left about changing in the phenomenal Big Universe from "reversed Breathing" to "natural Breathing":

[/QUOTE]
When one is accomplished using the "reversed breathing" technique for the Phenomenal Big Universe, he may change to use the "natural breathing" technique.

[Sifu mentioned that he did not teach this method in Langkawi so as not to confuse the course participants.]

But when the Phenomenal Big Universe is accomplished, the change from "reverse breathing" to "natural breathing" is simple and easy. Indeed, the change is often spontaneous, without the practitioners making a special effort.

In "natural breathing" for the Phenomenal Big Universe, energy flows to the hands when breathing in, from the hands to the head when breathing out, from the head to the feet when breathing in, and from the feet to the chest when breathing out.

There is no swallowing in the "natural breathing" technique.[/QUOTE]


Practising the Small Universe using "Reversed Breathing", has one differnce compered to doing it using the "natural Breathing":
One time the energy rises up the spine to the head when breathing in, the other time (-using "natural Breathing"-) energy rises up the spine when breathing out!
Are you sure that the same principle doesn´t have to be included ALSO when you change the breathing technic in the Big Universe ?
...because the directions and the synchronisations of breath and energy flow in your discription ONLY changes the brething method..

Thanks a lot for your your support.
Best regards to all my brothers and sisters from all over the world, who where blessed like me, having attended this great arts...and thank you that it was possible to experience this together.
greetings frm Austria
Andreas

[Luo Lang]

Beeing one of the participants at the first Small universe course I had no doubt that this course would fulfill all participants wishes and expectations, for most of you it was most probably even beyond that.

Congratulations for all involved who decided to take part!

Happy training to all.

[Zhang Wuji]

I have one question left about changing in the phenomenal Big Universe from "reversed Breathing" to "natural Breathing":

Practising the Small Universe using "Reversed Breathing", has one differnce compered to doing it using the "natural Breathing":
One time the energy rises up the spine to the head when breathing in, the other time (-using "natural Breathing"-) energy rises up the spine when breathing out!
Are you sure that the same principle doesn´t have to be included ALSO when you change the breathing technic in the Big Universe ?
...because the directions and the synchronisations of breath and energy flow in your discription ONLY changes the brething method..
[/QUOTE]

Hi Andreas

I am afraid I do not understand your question - are you asking about the flow of energy in the Big Universe? Can I trouble you to rephrase your question?

[Zhang Wuji]

Hi Andreas

I will set out your question in your PM to me, as you have indicated you have no problems with making it public, and my views below. Bear in mind, though, that the instructions in the posts above came from Sifu, and i have found that following them to the letter, benefits me more than what I think is right.

In all the practise i have learned up to now, the link between "Energyflow" and "Breathing" had something in common:
If one practises the same technique (for example:Small Universe) using different breathing (for example: Forcefull Small Universe compared to Gentle Small Universe) the synchronisation and the breath and the Energyflow changes!

Synchronisation means:
-) WHILE breathing in...Chi flowing up
compared to a DIFFERENT Synchronisation:
-) WHILE breathing in...Chi flowing down

So the SYNCHRONISATION of Chi Flow (direction) and someones Breath is changed normally, when someone switches from the "Natural Breathing" TO "Reversed Breathing".
You didn´t consider this in the thread-- and my question is:
Did you do that in awarness of the fact that normally the internal synchronisation of engergyflow direction and breathing changes if you switch from "Natural" to "Reversed" breathing ??

Taking a step back from Small Universe, it is not true that just because one switches from Natural to Reversed Breathing, or vice versa, the energy flow is also changed. In Abdominal Breathing, whether or not I am using Natural or Reversed Breathing, the flow of energy is still the same: breathe in, fresh energy comes in, breathe out, stale energy goes out. But in Reversed Breathing, something else in happening – there is another flow happening at the same time. There is an exchange of energy inside the thorax area, from which energy enters the dan tian and into which it also exits from the dantian.

Back to the Small Universe, the flow may start from a different place when you switch breathing methods, but the direction is still the same. It is not as if you send the flow from your huiyin up your ren meridian when you breathe differently.

When you breathe in air, the natural way is to take in air, and when you breathe out, you expel stale air. For energy (qi), this is much the same, but of course, energy is being exchanged with the universe whether or not we breathe with our lungs, and I know that we can also take in energy when our lungs are breathing out. But this is the normal cycle for an untarined person, and one which is also natural to qigong practitioners.

You may be thinking too much about the breathing and synchronisation. If you practice it without thinking, the answer will come to you naturally. Sifu's instructions are clear and uncluttered, and it is much easier to just try them out without thinking about any perceived inconsistencies.

[Zhang Wuji]

To supplement the point on Reversed Breathing, please see question 8 here

[Andreas C.]

Dear Zhang Wuji,

i thank you for your answers to my question. You have been very helpfull. Thanks a lot.
Ofcourse i trust in Sifu Wong´s instructions and don´t intellectualize while i´m practising.
But still it (the intellctual disposition) sometimes is overcoming me beside the actual practise.


Thanks for the thread and all the best
Andreas

[Fleur]

It's been three months now since this incredible course, and it's still really hard to find words to do justice to the experience. But.... I'm sitting in the beautiful snowy north, preparing for another course with Sifu and I wouldn't feel right about starting that without trying to thank him for his wonderful teaching and transmission.

So please bear with me if what I say is inadequate.

The course enabled me to rediscover the wonder I felt when practicing chi kung with Sifu for the very first time. Within one second of the opening session, I felt my spirit set free to a degree I've never experienced before. At that point, if Sifu had said 'Ok, course over, you can all have three 30 hour days', I would genuinely have gone home very happy.

I've come to realise lately that the 'entering chi kung state of mind' session at the beginning of each course is so important because it contains the essence of that course. Just as the first few patterns of our kungfu sets contain their essence also.

Anyway I had a feeling the course was going to be very very special. And to me it was actually 'perfect' – a course full of spiritual joys, and cosmic realisation.

I don't know quite how to put this, but my personal experience was that the course somehow manifested the Heart Sutra. In retrospect the Yi Jin Jing course last February similarly felt like a manifestation of the Great Compassion mantra. It was an excellent preparation for the Small Universe course in many ways.

Please note - I am not saying the Yi Jin Jing (or Small Universe) is a sutra! We have been there already, and that was one bizarre discussion. Just that Sifu's transmission gave me direct experience of those particular spiritual teachings, in a way I haven't got close to before. This is purely my own interpretation, and I don't know if it's correct.

Sifu often gives the same instructions from course to course, and this wasn't the first time I'd heard him say 'you are already enlightened'. But it was the first time I understood – at my current low level, anyhow.

My feeling is that our training is less about attainment than working our way back towards the perfection that is already there. This takes a lot of time, and effort, but many layers of rubbish and defilement can be cleared in an instant with Sifu's help, and the course was really remarkable in that respect.

I'm sure that many of us are very appreciative of how much Sifu gives in his teaching, and marvel at this from time to time, but he does so with such a light touch that maybe sometimes we take it for granted. Those who were there had some tangible evidence of just how much Sifu gives – it was very humbling. Although I feel that what we are aware of may be simply the tip of the iceberg.

I just want to mention the last session of the course, which exemplified the brilliance of Sifu's teaching. Sifu often refers to 'the grand finale' during courses, but this time after we'd learned the phenomenal big universe, he called us all to the front for some final questions. I wasn't quite sure if the course had finished and I think other people wondered the same thing.

Then he said quite casually that we'd have one last practice session; I really won't attempt to describe this, as it was utterly indescribable, but my point is that we weren't allowed the time or space for mental preparation or expectations which would have diminished such an incredible experience.

Thank you Sifu and Simu for your kindness and generosity; thank you Wei Foong Sije, Peter and Chun Nga Taisiheng for the organisation, and thank you Sifu Wuji for your helpful posts. Some people have mentioned it was a big course – in fact there were 90 people there. And at the chi kung review course in Penang, which I was lucky enough to attend, there were more than 100.

So a sincere thank you too to my Shaolin Wahnam family who made the whole trip such a wonderful, unforgettable experience.

With love and respect,


Fleur

[Anthony S]

It is always inspiring to read how different courses benefit people. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to share their experiences.

[Zhang Wuji]

One of the coolest things about the Small Universe is how it seamessly fits into daily life and activities. I have found the flow activating naturally when doing strenuous activities like climbing steep hills, or after a fast sprint, and even during horse-riding stance training (which is not strenuous).

I was wondering how to fit my Small Universe practice into my already-tight schedule, but as it turned out, the Small Universe found its way into all my areas of practice, most notably and first of all in my dynamic patterns, then stance training, and later, during sequences or my non-kungfu cardio-calisthenic training. It really makes everything so much easier.

The interesting thing is that I doubt the Small Universe would have been activated so easily in my daily life without the foundation of my qigong practice and familiarity with qi flow over the years. The longer the time spent on the basics, the better the result when one finally learns the Small Universe.

[Omar]

After attending the flower set and asking bridges courses in Finland this month I find my small and big universe practise much improved; it might be a natural development but from the night the courses were over and forwards I almost do not breathe air at all, its energy circulating in and out rather then the lungs inhaling and exhaling.

At first it was a bit weird, but I now find it pleasant and easyer to perform the excercise since the body is still from the absence of breathing.

This is another example of Sifu's explanation that our arts compliment eachother, for example a wing chun practitioner will improve the wing chun skills by learning another art from Sifu, like the flower set.

Again, thank you Sifu.

[John O Riordan]

Greetings Shaolin Wahnam Family,

I was trying to put together my own thoughts on the Small Universe following the winter Camp.

Then I find that two of my brothers have captured what I want to say. So thak you Omar and Zhang Wuji for putting into words what I have myself experienced recently.

Thank you Sifu for the opportunity to experience it.

Best Regards,

john.