Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Forgive and Forget?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Thank you for this beautiful quote from Sifus wonderful article, dear Santi. And thank you also for bringing up this topic again. We are the masters of our reality and it is only we and no one else who shape it just the way as a artist shapes a piece of clay.

    These are words that really heal.

    Forgiving strengthens and nourishes our spirit and makes us happier and more peaceful. And it entails many wonderous things and attracts miracles in our life.
    Last edited by Irina; 18 May 2018, 08:05 PM.
    .•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`°irene°´¯`•.¸¸. ´¯`•.

    ---------------------------------------
    “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.”
    Hafiz

    Comment


    • #17
      Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

      Originally posted by Irina View Post
      Thank you for this beautiful quote from Sifus wonderful article, dear Santi. And thank you also for bringing up this topic again. We are the masters of our reality and it is only we and no one else who shape it just the way as a artist shapes a piece of clay.

      These are words that really heal.

      Forgiving strengthens and nourishes our spirit and makes us happier and more peaceful. And it entails many wonderous things and attracts miracles in our life.
      Thank you Irene Simui for you kind words. They are much appreciated.

      I agree with you. Forgiving is a wonderful skill to cultivate and the benefits are just marvelous. It took me quite some to time to understand the quote that I heard Sifu saying many many times: "To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine".

      For todays post I would like to share with you some more wise words from Sifu:

      Forgiving is not only very important in chi kung training, but more significantly it is very important in daily life, though many people may not realize it. From my work in helping many patients overcome cancer, I have found quite convincingly that a main reason why they had cancer was because they could not forgive. Hence, in my chi kung healing, I always -- repeat: always -- ask cancer patients to forgive -- others and themselves. This leads to their recovery.

      When a person does not forgive, the negative energy of subdued anger or frustration distorts his energy flow, thus disabling his natural ability to overcome disease. This applies not only to cancer but to all illness. Even if he is not ill, the locked up energy makes him less happy than he should be.

      When he forgives, he clears this blockage, especially when he also knows chi flow. He overcome his illness naturally and has a better quality of life. It is a good reminder of the teaching of the greatest teachers, like Jesus and the Buddha, that goodness always results in goodness. The one who benefits the most when a person forgives, is he (or she) himself.
      If you want to read the full Q & A you can find it here.

      The Art of Forgiveness.jpg
      Picture source

      With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

      Santi

      Comment


      • #18
        Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

        I would like to share in todays post another great answer from Sifu regarding forgiving betrayals:

        Why is it wise and compassionate to forgive? Leaving aside fine points of Cosmic occurrences which actually happen, betrayers may not know whether victims forgive them, but the victims will harm themselves if their response is bad, will be indifferent if their response is indifferent, and will be good if their response is good. It is wise to be good, foolish to harm themselves, and mediocre to be indifferent.

        How do victims harm themselves if their response is bad, if they are angry or want to take revenge against betrayals? The negative energy resulting from their bad response will clock up their natural energy network and bring about illness. In fact, in my many years of chi kung healing, I have discovered that a lot of so-called incurable diseases are due to blocked emotions. Even if the victims are not clinically sick, the energy blockage will affect many aspects of their daily life. Obviously, it is unwise to be sick or to have poor results in daily life.

        When a victim is angry, wants to take revenge or has any manifestations of a bad response to a betrayal, he (or she) not only negates compassion but actively approaches cruelty. It is not just subjective, i.e. cruel people may argue that to be cruel is better than to be compassionate, but cruelty brings harm as it causes energy blockage. Obviously, it is foolish to cause harm to himself.

        On the other hand, leaving aside altruism which we believe in and value highly, wisdom and compassion bring benefits. Indeed, many people have kindly commented that I am wise and compassionate. I owe these desirable qualities to being forgiving.
        If you want to read the complete Q & A you can do it here.

        Forgiving.jpg
        Picture Source

        With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

        Santi

        Comment


        • #19
          Is Forgiving Enough?

          Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

          For todays post I share with you another inspiring answer from Sifu in response to a question from Binia Sijatneui:

          Trying to solve the problem with having a good conversation was somehow also no more possible. I tried to practice "forgiveness" as you suggested to me in another matter and indeed this helped me a lot beyond my imagination. But somehow here with forgiveness I don't seem to find the path. I would very much appreciate if you would share some of your wisdom with me. - Binia

          Being able to forgive contribute to good health. The one who benefits the most is the person who forgives, not the one forgiven. I have discovered from my many years of experience in healing that holding grudges insidiously leads to serious illness. Once a person can forgive, he (or she) lets go of the grudges, and allows chi flow to overcome the illness.

          Forgiving and finding a solution to a problem are two different issues. Forgiving enables you to be calm and clear, and therefore you are in a better position to find a solution to your problem. But you still have to find a solution.

          The Zen course you took some time ago gives you very useful tools to solve problems. Firstly, clear your mind of all thoughts. With mental clarity, you can effectively define your problem. Many people are constantly burdened with problems not because there are no solutions, but often without their own awareness, they do not know what their problems are.

          Once, you have defined your problem, solutions often offer themselves readily. Choose the solution that is simple, direct and effective.
          Forgiving and Finding a Solution.jpg
          Picture Source

          With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

          Santi

          Comment


          • #20
            I am sorry, forgive me and "minta maaf"

            Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

            When searching and selecting Q & A related to forgiving I found this one where Sifu speaks about one beautiful aspect of Malay culture:

            But could I ask Sifu how to go about it when people are angry and start shouting at us? Is there any way that we can calm them down quickly? How can I get over my feelings of sadness and despair quickly as well. — Dr Nurlia, Malaysia

            A simple, effective way to calm an angry person down is to tell him (or her) that you are sorry about the situation, irrespective of who is right. “I am sorry” are three magic words that often prevent right at the start a small disagreement that may eventually explode into a big conflict.

            Many people find it hard to say these three magic words because they mistakenly think doing so would belittle them, or it implies they are wrong. Actually it requires greatness and confidence to say sorry. Saying sorry does not indicate that the speaker is wrong. It indicates that he is sad that the incident, which should not happen, has happened. Who is wrong is another matter.

            If someone starts shouting at you for no apparent reasons, and you say “I am sorry”, you are actually saying I wish you could be calm and happy but I am sad that you are not.

            The Malays go one step further. They do not merely say sorry, they “minta maaf”, or ask for forgiveness. To me this is one of the most beautiful aspects of Malay culture, which speaks a lot about the grace and gentleness of the Malay people. During festival days when other people would say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy New Year”, Malay children would grasp and kiss the hands of their elders and say “minta maaf”, asking for forgiveness for whatever wrongs they may have wittingly or unwittingly done.

            In fact, I just had an experience of this “minta maaf” situation. A Malay youth on a motor-cycle smashed onto the side of a newly bought brand new car of my youngest daughter. When I arrived at the scene, the youth, still bleeding from his elbows and knees, told me, “Uncle, minta maaf.”

            Actually thanks to my chi kung training, even without his “minta maaf” I was very calm and not angry at all. I sincerely replied that it was not important who was right or wrong, what was important was that he was not seriously hurt. Although he or his insurance company should pay for the damage of my daughter's car, I paid him handsomely to seek medical aid and to repair his motor-cycle. My wife, a firm believer that if someone has said sorry, you should not be angry any more, said that I should have paid him more money to compensate for his injuries.
            If you want to read the full answer you can do it here.

            With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

            Santi

            Comment


            • #21
              on fogiveness

              Dear family,

              I have been reading this thread again and I have been thinking about this topic, since, as I see, even if we are cultivating and purifyin our mind by practicing Shaolin arts, issues between humans arise. A highly inteeresting topic. I remembered this beautiful quote by Nelson Mandela that I would like to iinsert here. When he came out of prison after so many years and I saw him smiling on TV I alsways asked myself how he had kept his sanity and good humour.

              “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”

              ― Nelson Mandela
              .•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`°irene°´¯`•.¸¸. ´¯`•.

              ---------------------------------------
              “I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.”
              Hafiz

              Comment


              • #22
                Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

                Originally posted by Irina View Post
                “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.” ― Nelson Mandela
                Wonderful quote. Thanks for sharing it with all of us Simui. :-)

                For todays post I want to share another inspiring Q & A from Sifu:

                "I had a bad experience recently when someone close to me at work shouted at me in front of a lot of people for very trivial reasons in which I was actually not wrong. I was angered initially and after that extremely saddened by the incident but I remained calm and did not shout back.

                I thought I could never get over it and could not forgive her but within this past one week, I have calmed down and tried hard to remember Sifu's teachings and tried to smile from the heart again to get over this. The chi kung training has helped me do so". — Dr Nurlia, Malaysia
                "I am glad of your progress and benefits from your consistent practice, though these benefits are actually expected. In other words, had you lost control of yourself by your friend's behavior or were you unable to get over the incident although it happened some time ago, then either our chi kung did not produce the results we claimed or you had not practiced correctly or sufficiently.

                It was normal that you were angry initially and then saddened by the incident. This confirmed what I had been saying, i.e. practicing chi kung does not make a person emotionless — a mis-conception many people have. The big difference is that an ordinary person due to blockage in his energy systems would cling on to the negative emotions, whereas these negative emotions would be flushed out of a chi kung practitioner because his energy is flowing smoothly and vigorously.

                In other words, if an ordinary person and a chi kung practitioner face a same situation that arouses anger, both will be angry. But because the energy network, especially the liver system, of the ordinary person is blocked, the negative emotion of anger is locked inside him, making him angry even long after the incident. On the other hand, because the energy network of the chi kung practitioner is flowing smoothly, the negative emotion can be flushed out within a short time". - Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
                Forgiving is Divine.jpg

                Picture Source

                With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

                Santi

                Comment


                • #23
                  A Beautiful and Heart-Warming Story

                  Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

                  There is a beautiful story on forgiving that I would love to share with you:

                  This is a story of two brothers who lived side by side in their own farms for many years, until one day, a foolish argument caused a rift between them. This was the first serious disagreement the brothers had in all of their 50 years. Up until that day, they always worked their fields together, shared knowledge and produce, and lent a helping hand to one another in times of need.

                  The fight began over a small misunderstanding, which can sometimes happen, but the dispute dragged on and became an angry exchange of words, followed by weeks of silence.

                  One day, there was a knock on the older brother’s door. When he opened it, he was facing an old, bearded carpenter, holding a toolbox. “I could sure use some work, sir” said the stranger. “Do you need any repairs in your farm?” “Yes”, replied the brother. “I’ve got a job for you. Across the creek, there’s a farm that happens to belong to my younger brother.

                  Until recently, the whole area between our homes was green, but then he changed the creek’s path, making it into a border between us. I’m sure he did that for spite, but I’ll show him…” said the older brother. “You see those trees by the barn? I want you to turn them into a 10-foot tall fence. I never want to see his face again.”

                  The old carpenter thought quietly to himself for a few minutes and eventually said: “I see”.

                  The farmer helped the carpenter carry his tools and the wood, and then drove off to the city on some errands. When he came back in the evening, the old carpenter had finished. Upon arriving at the creek, the older brother was stunned. His eyes were bulging out, and he couldn’t utter a single word.

                  Where a fence should have been standing, a bridge now stood. A quaint and special bridge, truly a work of art, with an intricately carved banister. At the same time, the younger brother happened to come to the same spot. He rushed over the bridge and embraced his older brother, and said:

                  “You’re something special… building a bridge, after all I’ve said and done!” While both brothers were hugging, the old carpenter collected his tools and started walking away. The brothers turned to him and said “Please, stay for a few more days – we have more things that need fixing.” “I would have loved to stay, kind sirs,” said the carpenter. “But I have many more bridges to build and things to fix in other places…”

                  The moral of our story is a simple one: We often let anger push us away from our loved ones, and allow pride to come before our love. Don’t let it happen to you. Learn to forgive and appreciate what you have.

                  Remember: The past cannot be changed, but the future can be. No quarrel can spoil a true connection. Build your bridges when you have to, and always cross them with a smile.

                  Story Source
                  The Two Farmers Story.jpg

                  Picture Source

                  With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

                  Santi

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Buddha’s Beautiful Lesson on Forgiveness

                    Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

                    For today's post on forgiving I would like to present you a story that I love. It has been attributed to Buddha. Whether it's true or not is not as important as the inspiration and benefits that it brings:

                    The Buddha was sitting under a tree talking to his disciples when a man came and spat in his face. He wiped it off, and he asked the man, “What next? What do you want to say next?” The man was a little puzzled because he himself never expected that when you spit in someone’s face he should ask “What next?” He had no such experience in his past. He had insulted people and they had become angry and they had reacted. Or if they were cowards and weaklings, they had smiled, trying to bribe him. But the Buddha was like neither, he was not angry, nor in any way offended, nor in any way cowardly. But just matter-of-factly he said, “What next?” There was no reaction on his part.

                    But Buddha’s disciples became angry, and they reacted. His closest disciple, Ananda, said, “This is too much. We cannot tolerate it. He has to be punished for it, otherwise everybody will start doing things like this!”

                    Buddha said, “You keep silent. He has not offended me, but you are offending me. He is new, a stranger. He must have heard from people something about me, that this man is an atheist, a dangerous man who is throwing people off their track, a revolutionary, a corrupter. And he may have formed some idea, a notion of me. He has not spit on me, he has spit on his notion. He has spit on his idea of me because he does not know me at all, so how can he spit on me?

                    “If you think on it deeply,” Buddha said, “he has spit on his own mind. I am not part of it, and I can see that this poor man must have something else to say because this is a way of saying something. Spitting is a way of saying something. There are moments when you feel that language is impotent: in deep love, in intense anger, in hate, in prayer. There are intense moments when language is impotent. Then you have to do something. When you are angry, intensely angry, you hit the person, you spit on him, you are saying something. I can understand him. He must have something more to say, that’s why I’m asking, “What next?”

                    The man was even more puzzled! And Buddha said to his disciples, “I am more offended by you because you know me, and you have lived for years with me, and still you react.”

                    Puzzled, confused, the man returned home. He could not sleep the whole night. When you see a Buddha, it is difficult, impossible to sleep anymore the way you used to sleep before. Again and again he was haunted by the experience. He could not explain it to himself, what had happened. He was trembling all over, sweating and soaking the sheets. He had never come across such a man; the Buddha had shattered his whole mind and his whole pattern, his whole past.

                    The next morning he went back. He threw himself at Buddha’s feet. Buddha asked him again, “What next? This, too, is a way of saying something that cannot be said in language. When you come and touch my feet, you are saying something that cannot be said ordinarily, for which all words are too narrow; it cannot be contained in them.” Buddha said, “Look, Ananda, this man is again here, he is saying something. This man is a man of deep emotions.”

                    The man looked at Buddha and said, “Forgive me for what I did yesterday.”

                    Buddha said, “Forgive? But I am not the same man to whom you did it. The Ganges goes on flowing, it is never the same Ganges again. Every man is a river. The man you spit upon is no longer here. I look just like him, but I am not the same, much has happened in these twenty-four hours! The river has flowed so much. So I cannot forgive you because I have no grudge against you.

                    “And you also are new. I can see you are not the same man who came yesterday because that man was angry and he spit, whereas you are bowing at my feet, touching my feet. How can you be the same man? You are not the same man, so let us forget about it. Those two people, the man who spit and the man on whom he spit, both are no more. Come closer. Let us talk of something else.”

                    Story Source
                    Buddhas Lesson on Forgiveness.jpg

                    Picture Source

                    With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

                    Santi

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Dear Santi,

                      Thank you for reviving this deeply touching thread.

                      Buddha said, “Forgive? But I am not the same man to whom you did it. The Ganges goes on flowing, it is never the same Ganges again. Every man is a river. The man you spit upon is no longer here. I look just like him, but I am not the same, much has happened in these twenty-four hours! The river has flowed so much. So I cannot forgive you because I have no grudge against you.

                      “And you also are new. I can see you are not the same man who came yesterday because that man was angry and he spit, whereas you are bowing at my feet, touching my feet. How can you be the same man? You are not the same man, so let us forget about it. Those two people, the man who spit and the man on whom he spit, both are no more. Come closer. Let us talk of something else.”
                      How marvellous...

                      From the heart,

                      Emiko
                      Emiko Hsuen
                      www.shaolinwahnam.jp
                      www.shaolinwahnam.ca

                      INTENSIVE & SPECIAL COURSES -- PENANG 2018
                      Taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit
                      4th generation successor of the Southern Shaolin Monastery
                      Small and Big Universe Course: Nov 21 to 25
                      Becoming a Shaolin Wahnam Kungfu Practitioner: Nov 26 to Dec 2
                      Cultivating Spirit Nourishing Energy: Dec 2 to Dec 8
                      Intensive Chi Kung Course: Dec 9 to Dec 13
                      To apply, send email to: secretary@shaolin.org

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Dear Shaolin Wahnam Family,

                        Originally posted by Emiko H View Post
                        Dear Santi,

                        Thank you for reviving this deeply touching thread.

                        How marvellous...

                        From the heart,

                        Emiko
                        Thank you Sije for your very kind words. Much appreciated. :-)

                        With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

                        Santi

                        Comment

                        Working...
                        X