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  • #46
    So glad to get this answer, thank you Sifu and thank you Tim Siheng for posting.

    So it turns out I could have done it either way, physically or mentally, and it wouldn't have mattered, hence why Sifu doesn't dwell on this when teaching, I would have been doing it right either way - but by stressing, fretting and intellectualising about it, I would have been doing it wrong no matter which way I picked!

    I have done Sinew Metamorphosis with Sifu twice, but I never really practised it afterwards because I didn't 'get' it and was worried I would practise it wrong and do damage, especially as it is both more difficult and more powerful than other exercises which I have gone wrong with. But now following this answer I would like to take the course again sometime.

    Comment


    • #47
      A most important lesson

      Hi Paul,

      I'm glad that your question has woken up that bit of wisdom in you, and hopefully others who have also been doing the same - that is unnecessary worrying.

      It is such a simple lesson for us, one of the first we are given and repeated many times in many different ways. But like many lessons we only really hear them when we are ready. Sounds like you are ready Paul.

      Adding ANY unnecessary tension is, well, unnecessary. It only serves to move us further away from the experiences we would otherwise have, assuming we did the technique correctly with the required amount of skill.

      Adding mental or emotional tension will of course impede chi flow. So, there is no need to worry, just enjoy your practice.

      Simple I know, but profoundly effective.

      I very much appreciated your question Paul.

      Best
      Tim Franklin

      http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
      A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

      www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

      Fully Alive on Facebook Energy Flow for Health and Happiness

      UK Summer Camp Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Spiritual Cultivation with Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

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      • #48
        Originally posted by Tim View Post
        I very much appreciated your question Paul.
        Thank you Siheng, and I appreciated your further words on the topic. Hopefully I am ready, or at least becoming more and more ready.

        Comment


        • #49
          Flicking fingers is still the fastest way i have practiced to achieve a powerful chi flow...I'm talking time frame here. any time any place i can do 3 to 6 flicking fingers and just light up.

          Just amazing this practice...I honestly don't know if my fingers move or not..lol...It was definitely the transmission...Thank you Sifu...Warmly Gusty

          Comment


          • #50
            You are right Gusty. Just 3 times... it is truly amazing how effective SM is. However, sometimes even good students do not get the desired result and this can raise some questions why. Like the following:

            Question 6

            1. I have learned Sinew Metamorphosis before, but for whatever reason it 'did not work'. This is in contrast to other advanced practices I learned at the time such as Cosmic Breathing or Cosmic Shower, which had noticeable "Wow!" effects. What advice can you give to people for whom there is no noticeable effect when they first learn Sinew Metamorphosis?

2. After several years of regular training I tried once again Sinew Metamorphosis after a refresher from your books. It initiates a gentle chi flow, but again I seem to get different results from other students. Is this an intellectual blockage, a meridian blockage, or both? As my regular training is very good and very beneficial, I don't hold on to this detail, but I thought I would raise the topic here as it is relevant.

3. Sinew Metamorphosis seems very esoteric to the uninitiated. If introducing the concept to the general public (non-student), what is a good and concise way of describing the practice and the effects?

            Sifu Andy Cusick


            Answer

            If a student does not receive satisfactory result in the art he practices, the fault can be traced to three factors:

            The art itself.
            The teacher.
            The student.

            If the art is not genuine, no matter how good the student and the teacher are, the student will not get satisfactory result. This is the situation of most kungfu and chi kung practiced today. Kungfu has been so ridiculously debased that students cannot use their kungfu for combat, and chi kung has been so ridiculously debased that students are still sick and weak after many years of training.

            If the art is genuine but the teacher is incompetent, the student will also not receive the benefit practicing the art is meant to give. This was the case when kungfu and chi kung first spread from China. In China in the past, kungfu and chi kung were genuine. But the teachers who later taught these arts were incompetent, resulting that only the external forms of kungfu and chi kung were taught.

            If the art is genuine and the teacher is competent but the student is unable or unwilling to learn, he will also not receive the benefits the art is meant to give. This is the case in our school, Shaolin Wahnam, where the art is genuine and the teachers competent. In regional courses, for example, when I asked students to raise their hands to show that they received the benefits the art was meant to give, more than 90% of the class did so, indicating that the art was genuine and the teacher competent.

            Thus, those who did not received the benefits had themselves to blame. Probably they were intellectualising or did not follow my instructions when I transmitted the skills necessary to receive the benefits. On some occasions I investigated further and found that those who did not receive the benefits intellectualised when I transmitted the skills, and a few did not follow my instructions though they never meant to be disrespectful. For example, when I asked them to breath out and be relaxed, they were still flicking their fingers.

            My advice to people in general for whom there is no noticeable effect when they first learn Sinew Metamorphosis is to attend my regional courses on Sinew Metamorphosis. This sounds arrogant to those not exposed to our teaching, and that is their business. I am not going to waste my time persuading them to attend my classes. After all, I offer them a golden opportunity to experience the wonderful benefits of Sinew Metamorphosis in just 4 hours — an opportunity they are unlikely to get anywhere else in the world. For those who heed my advice and attend my Sinew Metamorphosis classes, I shall do my best for them.

            My advice to students who attend my Sinew Metamorphosis class is to just follow my instructions and they will get the best benefits. Indeed, this is the exact instruction I give in all my Sinew Metamorphosis classes, and in most other classes. “JUst follow my instructions” means just follow my instructions. My instructions are always reasonable and can be performed by all students, like “opening your mouth gently”, “flick your fingers three times”, “breathe out gently”, “let go”.

            When I ask the class to open their mouth gently, for example, and a student look at his feet to adjust them, he is not following my instructions. When I ask the class to flick their fingers three times, and a student continue flicking his fingers many times, he is also not following my instructions.

            (Part 2 follows)
            Tim Franklin

            http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
            A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

            www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

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            • #51
              Here is the second part to the last question.

              Continued from Part 1

              Students need not follow my instructions perfectly. If they can follow most of my instructions, and more importantly have a mind-set to just follow my instructions, in contrast to performing the exercise the way they think is best for them, they will receive my transmission and the wonderful benefits of Sinew Metamorphosis.

              The above advice is given to people, including our students, in general. You may be an exception. For some odd reasons, Sinew Metamorphosis might not be suitable for you at the time you practiced it. It may or may not be in future.

              Sinew Metamorphosis is a powerful art, and it takes at least many months, of a practitioner is lucky, to develop the necessary skills to derive its powerful benefits. It is ridiculous, in a good sense, that students in my Sinew Metamorphosis can gain these wonderful benefits in just a few hours. This is because of my heart-to-heart transmission.

              When you learned Sinew Metamorphosis form my books, you learned the technique but missed the heart-to-heart transmission. With your experience and knowledge you can develop the necessary skills to have the benefits if you continue practicing daily for a few months, but not acquire those benefits in a few hours.

              You may have developed more power than students in my Sinew Metamorphosis class, but you would have an “wow” effect because your power has been developed gradually over the few months. This would be an intellectual blockage as you may be aware of its underlying philosophy, and not a meridian blockage as you would still obtain the benefits albeit gradually over a few months.

              It is wise that you do not hold on to the details as you still obtain wonderful benefits from other exercises, but it is beneficial to know the underlying philosophy as it applies not only to Sinew Metamorphosis but also to other aspects in our daily life.

              Indeed, this is one of the many benefits in reading these questions and answers. Not only we can be more efficient in our training in the respective arts, we can also enrich our daily lives with the understanding contained in the answers.

              Not only is Sinew Metamorphosis but all our training is esoteric to the uninitiated. Even when other people are sympathetic and not hostile to us, they will find it hard to believe our claims even when we have abundant evidence, like most other practitioners are performing kungfu gymnastics and gentle physical exercise and not genuine kungfu and genuine chi kung, and that our typical student can attain in one month what a genuine master would take more than a year to attain.

              It is our policy that what they believe and practice is their right and business, and we are not going to persuade them to learn from us. But if they do learn from us and abide by our rules, especially the Ten Shaolin Laws, we will be generous to share our knowledge, skills and benefits with them.

              Not only we do not introduce Sinew Metamorphosis to the general public, we also not introduce Sinew Metamorphosis to our beginning students. When we introduce our arts to anybody, we give him the essence, not just the outward form. We want him to personally experience the benefits from his practice, not just orally tell him the benefits.

              To experience the benefits of Sine Metamorphosis, one must be ready. The general public and our beginning students are not ready. The general public, for example, do not even know how to enter into a chi kung state of mind. For our beginning students, even if we succeed in transmitting the benefits to them, the internal force generated from Sinew Metamorphosis may be too powerful for them and it may result in their over-training.

              Nevertheless, if we want to introduce the concept of Sinew Metamorphosis to the general public, but not to teach them the art, a good and concise way of describing the practice and the effects is tell them that Sinew Metamorphosis practiced in our school is very simple — simpler than what most people imagine a powerful and advanced exercise to be — but the effects are tremendously beneficial. It produces tremendous mental clarity and internal force, enabling practitioners to have better result no matter what they do.

              But students in most other schools perform only the outward form of Sinew Metamorphosis but do not obtain the desired result. Most people may not believe in what we say, though we are honest as well as courageous in saying this, and some may be angry. That is their business, not ours.
              Tim Franklin

              http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
              A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

              www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

              Fully Alive on Facebook Energy Flow for Health and Happiness

              UK Summer Camp Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Spiritual Cultivation with Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

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              • #52
                Here is your answer Mark to question 8.

                Question 8

                In Sifu's Q and A series about the 18 Jewels, Sifu wrote the following:

                “The wonderful thing is that we do not even need to know how, where, when and why it works. So long as we practice our exercises, which inevitably include chi flow, whatever adverse effects we may unknowingly sustain will be erased. This is an important reason why we can afford our three golden rules of not to worry, not to intellectualize and to enjoy our practice.“ LINK

                Sifu, we benefit a lot in knowing the philosophical aspects of our arts. It enriches our learning, practice and teaching. If we take Sinew Metamorphosis as an example, are there situations where students will benefit more by knowing less about how the exercise operates and why it improves our lives? Are we in a special situation because Sifu is in the process of restoring lost arts that we benefit so much from understanding the philosophy? Or is it a general rule in practicing arts of energy and spiritual cultivation that understanding the accompanying philosophy will add to the benefits?

                Sifu Mark Blohm


                Answer

                It is a general rule that in practicing arts of energy and spiritual cultivation that understanding the underlying philosophy will add to benefits. However, there may some exceptions to this general rule.

                Sinew Metamorphosis is a good example. When I did not understand the underlying philosophy of Sinew Metamorphosis, I took a long time, in a matter of months, to develop some internal force. When I understand the underlying philosophy and teach students according to this philosophy, they take only a few hours to develop more internal force!

                Like most other practitioners I thought it was the techniques that enabled me to develop internal force when training Sinew Metamorphosis. I started with the first of the 12 Sinew Metamorphosis, and worked at it for about 12 repetitions. After a few days of daily practice, I performed the first and the second of the twelve exercises for 12 repetitions each. Adding a new exercise after a few days and performing all the exercises for 12 repetitions each, I could perform all the 12 Sinew Metamorphosis exercises for 12 repetitions each after about one and a half months.

                Then I gradually increased the number of repetitions for each exercise. After another one and a half months, i.e. about three months after starting the training, I could perform all the 12 Sinew Metamorphosis exercise 40 repetitions each exercise. It would take me about an hour for the training.

                Over many years I discovered the underlying philosophy how by performing Sinew Metamorphosis a practitioner could develop internal force. First he had to enter into a chi kung state of mind. Then he had to generate an energy flow. When the energy flow became vigorous, he could develop a lot of internal force.

                I some force training method, like Triple Stretch, a practitioner has to consolidate his flowing energy into internal force. But the nature of the Sinew Metamorphosis is such that flowing force is naturally consolidated.

                I applied the underlying philosophy in teaching Sinew Metamorphosis to our students. The result was unbelievable but true. A typical student can now generate more internal force by performing a Sinew Metamorphosis exercise for 6 repetitions in less than 3 minutes than what I did when I first trained Sinew Metamorphosis by performing all the 12 Sinew Metamorphosis exercises for 49 repetitions each in about an hour!

                Understanding the underlying philosophy also enabled me to restore lost arts. For example, I did not learn Baguazhang and Xingyiquan from any living masters. But by researching into Baguazhang and Xingyiquan classics and viewing videos of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan practitioners, I could teach students in a few days to have better results in Baguazhang and Xingyiquan than practitioners who had practiced the arts for years. Other people may not believe in my claim, but I am just stating the truth.

                (Part 2 follows)
                Tim Franklin

                http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
                A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

                www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

                Fully Alive on Facebook Energy Flow for Health and Happiness

                UK Summer Camp Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Spiritual Cultivation with Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

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                • #53
                  Totally awesome answers

                  Thank you Sifu for your infinite generosity and wisdom.

                  Thank you Tim Sihing for posting

                  Blessings,
                  Claude
                  Love is wonderful, because anyone with love in his heart wants to see everyone in bliss, everyone healthy and everyone availing freedom. This is the state of a man who considers the world as his family. Such are the wise man, the great souls. (Shri Shantananda Saraswati)

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                  • #54
                    It really is incredible that with just flicking fingers three times one can do so much. But as we have often discussed it is the skill that makes the difference. Some people may have thought that as they have done the course before that they have learnt all they need about Sinew Metamorphosis, or that as they did not get the results before that they no longer practice or value the art.

                    As Sinew Metamorphosis is a high level art it can take some time to get the skill. And I must say that once you have got this skill, it is quite astonishing. I am doing this course again, not because I am organising it, but because I am really looking forward to deepening my skill. So, if you are looking for an excuse to persuade your partner that you must come on a course that will add value to yours and their life, then use this one as your reason

                    Here is the next instalment:
                    (Continued from Part 1)

                    How do I know that our students have better results in Baguazhang and Xingyiquan in a few days than practitioners who have practiced the arts for years? By comparing our students’ results and other practitioners’ results with the results that practicing genuine Baguazhang and Xingyiquan will give.

                    The two pillars of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan, or any kungfu style, are intenal force and combat application. Our studdnts could develop internal force from typical Baguazhang and Xingyiquan force training methods, and use typical Baguazhang and Xingyiquan techniques for combat, but other practitioners can’t.

                    How does understanding its underlying philosophy and apply it in training enable us or our students whom we teach to acquire result in a very short time? We can have a clear explanation by using some quantification.

                    Suppose we need 10,000 units of benefit to have some desirable result, like some substantial internal force in Sinew Metamorphosis training or applying Baguazhang or Xingyiquan effectively for combat, and we acquire 100 units of benefit for each successful training session.

                    Because we understand its underlying philosophy and apply it in our training, by training every day we need 100 days to acquire the 10,000 units of benefit.

                    Other practitioners, if they are eventually successful in their training, will take a much longer time. It is because they don’t understand the underlying philosophy and therefor e cannot apply it to their training. They think mistakenly, that by practicing the techniques they will have the result. This is not so.

                    In the case of developing internal force in Sinew Metamorphosis, it is generating an energy flow and making the flow vigorous. If practitioners merely perform the techniques without generating an enegy flow, they will never be able to develop any internal force no matter for how long they may have practiced.

                    In the case of applying Baguazhang or Xingyiquan for combat, it is knowing their combat application, systematically using the Baguazahng or Xingyiquan techniques in pre-arranged sparring, then gradually reducing control to be efficient in free sparring. If practitioners merely bounce about like boxers or kick-boxers, they will never be able to apply Baguazhang or Xingyiquan for combat no matter for how long they may have practiced the arts.

                    If a practitioner is dedicated, by training every day if he is lucky that conditions become ideal once awhile he may be able to generate an energy flow or apply Baguazhang or Xingyiquan for combat. Suppose this happens once in 10 days, i.e. he acquires 100 units of benefits in 10 days, which is actually a generous estimate.

                    If he is successful once in 10 days, or 3 times a month, will he acquire 300 units of benefit in one month? No. This is because the successful practice sessions are far apart which does not enable accumulated effect to take place. He receives 100 units of benefit after 10 days, but by the time he receives another 100 units of benefit the next 10 days, the benefit he received in the first 10 days would have dissipated.

                    Let us be generous in our estimate again. Suppose he receives 150 units of benefit every month. This will take him 66 months, or 5 years and 6 months, to have a similar result that our students can acquire in 100 days!

                    Our students can attain a result in 100 days what other successful practitioners would need more than 5 years because I know the underlying philosophy and apply it when teaching our students. The students themselves may not know the philosophy at the time of the training. If they know the philosophy, they may intellectualize on some aspects of the philosophy and therefore come out of the chi kung state mind and be unable to generate the needed energy flow in Sinew Metamorphosis training. This is an exception to the general rule.

                    In combat application, students may know the underlying philosophy but they may be unable to translate the philosophy into action. For example, they may know theoretically to gradually release control in their pre-arranged sparring so that eventually they may be engaged in free sparring, but they may be unable in practice to gradually release in the right proportion. This is another exception.

                    These are two examples of exceptions where students may benefit more by knowing less. But as a general rule if they know the underlying philosophy they can benefit at a rate that is even unimaginable by masters. They therefore have to be very careful not to over-train.
                    Tim Franklin

                    http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
                    A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

                    www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

                    Fully Alive on Facebook Energy Flow for Health and Happiness

                    UK Summer Camp Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Spiritual Cultivation with Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

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                    • #55
                      Dear Tim,

                      Thank you for starting and facilitating this wonderful thread and to all those who asked great questions.

                      Thank you Sifu, the wisdom you have shared here is extremely generous.

                      I am sure everybody will have a wonderful time on the course at the Summer camp.

                      Some years ago here in Killarney during a Sinew Metamorphosis course, most people were chanting in chi flow. The extraordinary thing was, those of us who were chanting knew when to come in e.g louder, calmer, silent and when to start again. We all felt as if we were in a temple and had a natural flow, not just in a ballroom in a hotel It is a very precious memory.

                      With deepest respect,
                      Joan
                      Books don't mean a lot unless you open them, Hearts are the same.......


                      Valentine's Smile from the Heart 2019 IRELAND - world renowned Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit.

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                      • #56
                        Extraordinary thread. Thank you Sifu Tim and Sigung for sharing your wisdom regarding the simplicity and power of Sinew Metamorphosis.

                        Interestingly, I've never had a problem with "getting" SM. I've always had an issue with understanding Cosmic Breathing, which like SM, is very simple to perform but easy to turn into a physical exercise.

                        Fortunately, I finally now understand Comsic Breathing!

                        Best wishes,
                        Stephen

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                        • #57
                          Incredible

                          Thank you Sifu for the answers, thank you Tim Siheng and brothers and sisters for this inspiring thread.
                          “So I say to you –
                          This is how to contemplate our conditioned existence in this fleeting world:”

                          “Like a tiny drop of dew, or a bubble floating in a stream;
                          Like a flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
                          Or a flickering lamp, an illusion, a phantom, or a dream.”

                          “So is all conditioned existence to be seen.”

                          Thus spoke Buddha.

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                          • #58
                            Going beyond the Great Bodhidharma in what we practice. Can this be true? Read on....

                            Question 9

                            If I am not mistaken, the Great Bodhidharma taught the Shaolin Monks the 18 Lohan Hands, Sinew Metamorphosis and Bone Marrow Cleansing. Why? Couldn't just the 18 Lohan Hands and the Bone Marrow Cleansing lead them to the same results? In which ways these 3 different arts differ? In other words, how do they contribute one another in terms of development?

                            Santiago


                            Answer

                            There is clear evidence that Bodhidharma taught Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamorphosis at he Shaolin Temple, but there has been a long debate which is still going on whether he taught Bone Karr0we Cleansing. This is because while there are records, both in writing and in pictures, on how Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamorphosis were performed by the Shaolin monks, there was no record on Bone Marrow Cleansing.

                            In my younger days I did some research into these three Shaolin arts, and had a aha experience. In fact at first I wondered why generations of scholars who debated about the topic did not realize my discovery. It was mainly scholars who were involved in the debate; masters were interested in the benefits practicing Bone Marrow Cleansing gave them, and were not interested in whether Bodhidharma taught it.

                            My discovery was that Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamorphosis referred to the techniques of the exercises, whereas Bone Marrow Cleansing referred to the skills. In other words, terms like “Lifting the Sky” and “Carrying the Moon” from Eighteen Lohan Hands , and “Flicking Fingers” and “Jerking Elbows” from Sinew Metamorphosis showed the outward forms of how these exercises were performed, whereas “chi flowing at the skin level” or “chi flowing at the bone marrow level” from Bone Marrow Cleansing showed the effects of practicing the exercises.

                            Techniques could be readily shown but skills could not. How Eighteen Lohan Hnds and Sinew Metamorphosis were practiced could be shown in words and pictures, but not the skills of Bone Marrow Cleansing. Hence, the debate has been going on.

                            It is also worthy of note that Bodhidharma mentioned only four levels, namely skin, muscles, bone and bone-marrow, and these four levels referred to levels of attainment. Three students described their attainment to Bodhisharma, and the master said they had attained his skin, muscle and bone levels.

                            When it was the turn for the Venerable Hui Ke to describe his attainment, he just stepped forward, bowed and said nothing. Bodhidharma was very happy and commented that Hui Ke had attained his none-marrow level. The master gave Hui Ke his (the master’s) robe and bowl, and announced Hui Ke as his successor.

                            In our Bone Marrow Cleansing, there are five levels -- the levels of skin, muscles, meridians, internal organs and bone marrow. Moreover, Bodhidharma’s four levels referred to spiritual attainment, whereas our five levels refer to chi kung attainment.

                            Why do we have five levels and not four like Bodhidharma’s, and why are our meridian and internal organ levels different from Bodhidharma’s bone level? This is because, according to chi kung classics, chi flows at five levels, namely the levels of skin, muscles, meridians, internal organs and bone marrow.

                            Why do we call it Bone Marrow Cleansing? It is to honour Bodhidharma, the First Patriarch of the Shaolin art which have given us wonderful benefits.

                            Why do our five levels refer to chi kung attainment and not to spiritual attainment. It is because ours is basically a chi kung school, not a spiritual school, though spiritual cultivation plays an important part of our training.

                            Whether Bodhidharma taught the Shaolin monks only the two arts of Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamophois, or all the three arts including Bone Marrow Cleansing, is a matter of semantics. Bodhidharma taught the monks Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamorphosis, and as a result of practicing these two arts the Shaolin monks had effects which were collectively described as Bone Marrow Cleansing.

                            Bodhidharma directly taught the monks Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamorphosis and indirectly Bone Marrow Cleansing to strengthen them physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually so that they could better practice Zen meditation to attain Enlightenment.

                            (Part 2 follows)
                            Tim Franklin

                            http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
                            A story of finding Courage and Wisdom

                            www.zenarts.co.uk Classes and Courses for Shaolin Kung Fu, Taijiquan and Qigong in Bognor Regis, Chichester, West Sussex

                            Fully Alive on Facebook Energy Flow for Health and Happiness

                            UK Summer Camp Qigong, Taijiquan, Shaolin Kung Fu, Spiritual Cultivation with Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit

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                            • #59
                              Originally posted by veenie View Post
                              Thank you Sifu for the answers, thank you Tim Siheng and brothers and sisters for this inspiring thread.
                              +1!
                              Sifu Andy Cusick

                              Shaolin Wahnam Thailand
                              Shaolin Qigong

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                              "a trained mind brings health and happiness"
                              - ancient wisdom

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                              • #60
                                Sorry it has taken a few days since the last. Busy week this last week in preparation for summer camp. Here is the 2nd part to the previous question. Enjoy

                                There have been two schools of thought regarding spiritual cultivation. One school believes that the mind, called the soul in some culture, is the most important in spiritual cultivation, and the body is not important. A cultivator cultivates his mind or spirit, and it does not matter if his body is smelly, dirty, weak or sick.

                                The other school also believes that the mind or spirit is he most important, but the body is also important, particularly when the spirit is housed in it. Cleanliness, not only physically but also in speech and thought, is a pre-requisite. If a cultivator’s body is weak or sick, spiritual cultivation becomes difficult, if not impossible. Bodhidharma believed in this school of thought..

                                Bodhidharma’s philosophy is in line with chi kung philosophy. In chi kung, when a person’s body is weak or sick, his energy will be low, and his mind dull. In chi kung cultivation, which is triple-cultivation, the chi developed will first take care of his body, next his energy level, then the mind or spirit.

                                For example, if a patient has a faulty heart valve, is lacking in stamina, and low in spirit, as a result of chi kung training, the energy developed will first overcome his value problem, next increase his stamina, and then uplift his spirit. The same process of jing, qi and shen, or essence, energy and spirit, also applies to healthy people. When a healthy person practices chi kung, the energy developed will first ensure that all his body systems function properly, next it increases his vitality, and then it enhances his mental clarity.

                                Eighteen Lohan Hands and Bone Marrow Cleansing lead to different results. Eighteen Lohan Hands is a set of basic chi kung exercises, giving basic benefits like overcoming pain and illness, and maintaining good health. Bone Marrow Cleansing is a set of intermediate chi kung exercises, giving intermediate benefits like building internal force amd enhancing perceptivity, giving intermediate benefits like peak performance.

                                When practitioners practice Eighteen Lohan Hands long enough, like over many years, they may have the benefits of Bone Marrow Cleansing,. It is ridiculous, in a goo d way, that students in our school can attain Bone Marrow Cleansing benefits in a few hours!

                                Sinew Metamorphosis is a set of advanced chi kung exercises. We can use it to develop a lot of internal force and mental clarity for high-level spiritual cultivation, like expanding into the Cosmos. At an intermediate level, we can use it for peak performance in our daily life.

                                Eighteen Lohan Hands, Bone Marrow Cleansing and Sinew Metamorphosis are different.. They progress from a basic to an advanced level respectively.

                                The techniques of Eighteen Lohan Hands and Sinew Metamorphosis are different. As Bone Marrow Cleansing refers to skills or effects, we can use any techniques to practice it. We usually use techniques from Eighteen Lohan Hands. We can also use techniques from Sinew Metamorphosis but generally it is too powerful.

                                Although the techniques of Eighteen Lohan Hands and Bone Marrow Cleansing are the same, the skills employed are different. Most other practitioners perform the form of the Eighteen Lohan Hands, and if they enter into a chi kung state of mind, usually without their knowing, they generate a chi flow. In our school, we generate a chi flow by regulating our breathing.

                                While we operate Eighteen Lohan Hands at the level of breathing, we operate Bone Marrow Cleansing at the level of mind. We also operate Sinew Metamorphosis at the level of mind, but it is quite different from that in Bone Marrow Cleansing. In Bone Marrow Cleansing we use visualization, but in Sinew Metamorphosis our mind is in unity with the Cosmos.

                                The results of the three arts are different. Eighteen Lohan Hands are mainly for overcoming pain and illness, and maintaining good health. In Bone Marrow Cleansing our chi flows at five different levels with various benefits. We develop a lot of internal force and mental clarity in Sinew Metamorphosis for peak performance and spiritual cultivation.

                                The three arts compliment one another, fulfilling our needs and aspirations at five progressive levels of chi kung training. At the lowest level of medical chi kung, Eighteen Lohan Hands overcomes pain and illness. At the next level of chi kung for health, Eighteen Lohan Hands contribute to good health, vitality and longevity.

                                At the next two levels of chi kung for scholars and chi kung for warriors, the five levels of chi flow of Bone Marrow Cleansing enhance our abilities for daily peak performance. By generating a lot of internal force and mental clarity, Sinew Metamorphosis also contributes to peak performance. At the highest level of spiritual chi kung, Sinew Metamorphosis produces a lot of internal force to enable us to break through our illusory body to expand into the Cosmos.

                                <End>
                                Tim Franklin

                                http://www.theguardianlions.co.uk
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