“My body is fragile and vulnerable,” I said to myself. “Death will come to me whether I’m prepared or not.”

I was walking along a suburban, Florida sidewalk with my trusty mini-Schnauzer, Sgt. Pepper. I breathed out gently through my mouth and looked at a beautiful magnolia tree. Then, a Muscovy duck, with its strange, red head, waddled across the sidewalk. Sgt. Pepper bristled at the duck but didn’t bark.

I smiled. “Good dog,” I said, praising him for his restraint. Then my little rescue pup fell into stride with me and I felt the warmth growing in my heart. I love this little guy so much…

Then I resumed my Death Meditation practice: “Death will come to my dog whether I’m prepared or not,” I said to myself.

Really? Death Meditation? Now?!?

When I first learned about Death Meditation, it sounded crazy to me. Maybe it sounds crazy to you too. Especially now.

At the time, I had just won a battle against major depression and for the first time in years, I was no longer having suicidal thoughts. The last thing I wanted to do was go back to thinking about death.

Let me be clear that Death Meditation is not the same as having suicidal thoughts.

However, this technique can be uncomfortable to practice for some people. It’s not as fun as most other qigong techniques.

So I ignored it for years. And maybe the timing isn’t right for you either.

If you’re currently in crisis, if you’re having thoughts about harming yourself, then please skip this technique for now. Here are some helpful alternatives for you:

1. If you’re in crisis and having dark thoughts about harming yourself, then please call 1-800-273-8255, or click here: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Seriously. These people can help you even if you have no idea how that’s possible.

2. If you’re not in crisis, but you need to talk to someone right now, then visit the 7 Cups of Tea website. You can chat live with a trained active listener 24 hours a day. It’s a cool site. Check it out!

3. Go through my the free qigong program that I released to support people through the pandemic.
4. You might also want to read an old article of mine called: Here’s a Method That Is Helping Depressives Get through the Winter

What is Death Meditation?

The word Maranasati means “mindfulness of death”. It’s a 2500-year-old Zen technique that traces back to the Buddha.

One of my readers, who happens to a qigong and kung fu teacher in India, sent me a short audio file with the proper pronunciation of “maranasati”. Check it out below. (Many thanks to Sifu. N. Gowri Shankar of India for this recording! How cool is it that the internet can connect two Sifus from opposite sides of the planet?!? Amazing!)

Western culture has had similar practices to Maranasati. For example, the ancient Greeks had the Stoic tradition of Memento Mori. Here’s a quote from the most famous Stoic of all time that sums it up:

“You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.” – Marcus Aurelius

The Maranasati technique can be summed up as follows:

Breathe gently as if taking your last few breaths. Look at death instead of looking away. Feel the truth of it, the inevitability of it, the fact that you too, will one day die.

Why on earth would someone do such a thing? Why would someone want to imagine dying? Or worse — their beloved dog dying?!?

Short answer: Because meditating on death makes you feel more alive.

Now for the longer answer…

When You Feel Helpless…

Normally, my morning routine consists of qigong, coffee, writing, and walking the dog. I specifically avoid reading the news.

But lately, that’s been hard for me. The news is so crazy — every single morning — that I can’t help but peek.

It’s always a mistake. It stresses me out. The news makes me feel incredibly helpless. I don’t know about you, but I HATE feeling helpless.

Maybe that’s why I love qigong so much — because it’s so empowering. I know from experience that when I’m feeling helpless, I need to take action, to do SOMETHING.

Maybe you’re thinking that I should’ve gone and done some qigong instead of meditating on death?

Duh. Of course. I do my qigong every day!

But on some mornings, I need extra-strength medicine. That’s when I reach into my Zen toolbox for the Death Meditation.

Okay, but WHY meditate on death?

Over the years, I’ve come to understand that meditating on death is not morbid, nor is it crazy, nor is it even that weird.

I believe that meditating on death is one of the sanest things that we can do.

Death unites us all. We’re so busy rushing around that we forget that none of us are getting out of this thing alive.

If you don’t believe me, perhaps this article from The Onion will convince you.

World Death Rate Holding Steady At 100 Percent

Funny, right?

See, we’re okay with cracking jokes about death, but otherwise, we prefer to ignore it. We don’t talk about it. We don’t look at it. We don’t think about it.

In forgetting to feel our mortality, we lose something precious — the feeling of being fully alive.

And that’s exactly why we need to practice Maranasati.

The 9 Contemplations of Master Atisha

There are many ways to “look” at death, but the 11^th century Buddhist master Atisha gave us some nice tips. [source]

1. All of us will die sooner or later.
2. Your lifespan is decreasing continuously.
3. Death will come whether you are prepared or not.
4. Your life span, like that of all living beings, is not fixed. 
5. Death has many causes.
6. Your body is fragile and vulnerable. 
7. Your loved ones cannot keep you from death.
8. At the moment of your death, your material resources are of no use to you.
9. Your own body cannot help you at the time of your death.

Wow. So this Atisha guy wasn’t messing around! Those are some serious contemplations!

How to Practice

It’s best to choose one of Atisha’s contemplations and just practice that for a day or a week.

You can practice while sitting, standing, or walking. It’s the essence of the technique that matters most, not the form.

If you already know qigong, then I recommend that you practice this technique during your walk before or after your regular practice session. Instead of walking for 1 minute, walk for 5-10 minutes and use one of the contemplations.

If you don’t know qigong — then my book is the most affordable way to get started. It comes with a free online course, and thousands have already benefitted.

Then experiment with Maranasati, and see what works for you. Does it work better if you practice it before your qigong session? Or is it better afterward?

If you have questions, please post them in the comments section below and I’ll do my best to help you.

Why I Stopped Looking Away

I have a tendency to look away from death. I get scared, and so I’ve looked away for a long time.

I’m sure you’ve looked away too. I don’t blame you. I know what it feels like.

But as I get older, I find that I’m practicing it more and more often, even if there’s nothing crazy happening in the news. (You know, for like 2 hours or so.)

I practice Maranasati a lot these days because I desperately need it. Perhaps the current events will spur you to try the technique for the same reasons.

I’ve gotten to a point where I feel like I’m done looking away from death. This shadowy vision is already there, lurking in the back of my mind. I can’t ignore it or wish it away.

Feeling Fully Alive…

But more than that, I find that this Maranasati technique enriches my life.

Have you ever had a close call, maybe while driving? Or maybe you had a health scare that later turned out to be negative?

After your close call, you suddenly felt your aliveness. You really FELT it for a change.

I know that feeling too.

Here’s something that I wrote and posted to Facebook a few years ago after a brush with death:

This is what Maranasati does for us. It’s a beautiful technique that wakes you up and reminds you that — right now, right here — you are alive.

And that, my friends is an amazing thing.

How do you feel about Maranasati? Does it seem useful to you? Would you like more on the subject? Let me know in the comments below.

The post Why Now is the Perfect Time to Practice Zen Death Meditation appeared first on Flowing Zen.

Although he wasn’t wearing his clerical garb, I already knew that he was an ordained Catholic priest. He had traveled hundreds of miles to learn Shaolin Kung Fu from me, and we had communicated via email.

But qigong is a big part of the kung fu that I teach, and I wanted to be sure he understood what he was learning.

“Yes Sifu,” he said with a big smile. “We’re cool.”

And that’s how our lessons progressed, with me calling him Father, and him calling me Sifu. I’m not Catholic, but I used his title out of respect. And I assume that he called me Sifu for the same reasons.

When I taught a Sufi Sheik, I called him Sheik.

When I taught a Protestant minister, I used the title Reverend.

When I taught in a synagogue in New York, I used the title, Rabbi.

This should give you a pretty good idea about whether you need to be Buddhist or Taoist to practice qigong, but my aim in today’s walk-and-talk is to clear up any confusion about the relationship between qigong and spirituality/religion.

Hopefully, what I share with you in this video will not only satisfy your curiosity but also give you a good explanation to share when people ask you about qigong!

Now I’d love to hear from you. What do you think about the intersection of spirituality and qigong? Let me know in the comments below!

TRANSCRIPT:

Do you need to be Buddhist or Taoist to practice qigong and tai chi? We’ll talk about that and more in today’s walk and talk video.

I’m Sifu Anthony, and I’m here in Monterey, California and it’s absolutely breathtaking here. So I just had to go grab the camera and take you guys for a walk and we’ll talk about this question, which I get all the time and I just got today, so I thought it’d be a good topic to talk about.

So, we’ll go for a nice long walk and we’ll talk about this topic: Do you need to be Buddhist or Taoist in order to practice qigong or tai chi?

So first I’ll give you a simple answer and I’ll give it to you in terms of my own school of qigong. The type of Qigong I practice is called Flowing Zen Qigong. So that’s my amalgam of the many different styles and techniques that I learned from many different masters over many different years. I call what I teach Flowing Zen Qigong.

Do you need to be Buddhist or Taoist to practice Flowing Zen Qigong? The answer is hell no! Absolutely not! That is not how I teach. I mean anybody who knows me knows that I’m just a very no-nonsense kind of teacher. I will teach some of the ancient philosophies but there’s no way you need to be Buddhist or Taoist and my teaching itself is not religious.

Now, this gets confusing in the West because we muck up the difference between religions and philosophies and so again, from my school, my perspective– absolutely not. I do not teach anything religious.

Is what I teach sometimes spiritual? Well, yeah that’s the nature of things. I mean, especially meditative arts when you get into this place it can be spiritual. But you know what? Look, walking here out in nature. That can be a spiritual thing. Why is that? It’s because you just connect with something larger than yourself. It doesn’t mean that this place is a religious institution, it’s not. Spirituality is a connection with nature. That can be spirituality, for sure.

So, if you’re practicing Flowing Zen Qigong and you connect with nature or you connect with something larger than yourself you might have a spiritual experience. That doesn’t make me a religious leader and it doesn’t make you a Buddhist or Taoist, right?

And in fact, I think to just drive the point home I’ll mention that I have taught religious leaders of many different traditions. So, Catholic priests, Buddhists, and Taoists including a monk, a Sufi Sheikh, so a Sufi leader, lots of you know, Protestant ministers, and some rabbis. In fact, I was invited to teach at a rabbi’s synagogue, so I taught qigong in his synagogue!

I mention this because it proves that the Qigong I teach is not religious, that these religious leaders feel safe learning it and even sharing it with their people. So, you know, you can stop worrying about it so much.

Why is there so much confusion in this world, though? So, this is clear from my school of Qigong– it’s not religious. But why is there so much confusion? Well, part of the confusion is that we have different types of Qigong that are categorized as either Buddhist or Taoist.

We have Buddhist qigong- like an example is the Eighteen Luohan Hands that I teach.

We have Taoist qigong. An example is the Twelve Qigong Treasures that I also teach and they’re characteristically a little bit different.

So characteristically, Buddhist Qigong that came from the Shaolin Temple, in particular, is a little bit more staccato. So, there are stops and starts to it, like lifting the sky, where it’s not completely circular to the movement. So, it goes up, there’s a little pause at the top and then comes back down.

And then Taoist Qigong, especially if it’s dynamic qigong, that you can see… you can see the movement tends to be more circular. So, the movements themselves– there’s no stopping and starting, it’s just circular completely. That’s a very cursory explanation of the difference between Buddhist and Taoist Qigong.

There are these different categories, or they’re really just lineages of Qigong. You’ve got lineages that came from the Shaolin Temple- and I belong to, that’s one of the lineages that I claim, right back to the Shaolin Temple. And then there are lineages that came from the various Taoist temples throughout China and we’ve got a very long history.

But here’s what you also need to know (especially the Shaolin Temple) it was sort of a crossroads of sorts where a lot of things went to Shaolin. There’s a saying in China that all roads (they’re referring to martial arts) lead back to Shaolin. And that may or may not be true, but I think that we can also say that all roads lead to Shaolin in the sense that it was just a place where lots of different techniques and traditions came and parked for a while, and then the monks there took what was useful.

They didn’t care if it was Taoist Qigong, if it was useful to them, they mixed it in with what they did. So, even separating the difference between Taoist and Buddhist Qigong is not always easy, they cross paths many times. They’ve been bred together many, many times for hundreds, probably thousands of years. So, you can’t just point to this type of Qigong as being Taoist and this type being Buddhist. It’s just not that simple.

This is where some of the confusion comes from though, is that there are these different schools or lineages of qigong. And then we also talk (as Qigong teachers) we talk about these philosophies, right? So, we talk about, for example, the philosophy of yin and yang. Which is what? Right, it’s a circle, you know, the yin and yang symbol. The circle with the black and the white. So, what is that philosophy? Where does that come from?

Well, that comes from Taoism. That’s one of the original Taoist philosophies. It happens to be very, very useful for both qigong and tai chi. It’s something that can help you to get more out of your practice.

Okay, so the Buddhist and Taoist thing is there, but it’s maybe not that important, it’s not that relevant, it’s more of a historical thing. The philosophies are important, so you may learn about yin and yang in your qigong, but that does not make you Taoist. Not by any means. That’s not a Taoist ritual, that’s just a basic philosophy that really is not… you’re hard-pressed to call it religious. And nobody’s asking you to convert to it.

If you want to translate the philosophy of yin and yang into your own other philosophy, that’s fine. But what we’re trying to do when we mention that, like the theory of yin and yang, is to help you to understand what you’re doing with qigong so that you can get better results. At least that’s what I’m doing with my teaching.

If I’m going to present to you a philosophy like yin and yang, or let’s say the theory of five elements, which is not necessarily Taoist although it connects to Taoist traditions. If I’m gonna teach you the theory of five elements, it’s so that you can get some benefit from it because it’s gonna help you with your practice, help you get better results, that’s what I want. Right? That’s what I want as a teacher, so that’s why I would be sharing it with you.

So, I think, for the most part, we as Qigong teachers are sharing these ideas with you to help you, not to convert you or to spread some sort of religious ideas or anything like that.

Let me also make it clear that there are some teachers out there who do incorporate more of a spiritual tint into their teaching. My teaching for many years has been mostly about healing. What we would call medical qigong. That was you know, what drew me to qigong, that was a lot of my early success with qigong.

Now the older I get and the more I teach I would say the more and more spiritual I get for myself, and it leaks out into my teaching. But it’s non-religious. It’s just you know, connecting with something larger, it’s mindfulness, things like this. Being a good person- that’s spirituality.

So, there are some teachers out there though, that incorporate more of a spiritual angle into their qigong teaching. I’m not one of them, I don’t push it hard.

But to give you an example: Falun Gong (which is a famous style of qigong) was really persecuted in China because the leader (the founder) was not only very, very spiritual, but he was political in some of the things that he was saying, and you know in communist China that’s a no-no, you can’t do that. So, they cracked down on Falun Gong.

But there is a religious tint to it and you have to decide for yourself whether you like that or not. Or, sorry, let me correct that. There is a spiritual tint to it. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not it’s religious. I think it could go either way in terms of Falun Gong, and that would be the same for some of the other types of qigong out there. It’s really up to you to decide whether or not you’re comfortable.

So, that’s what it really comes down to, is are you comfortable with the teacher and the way they present it? Qigong is not one thing. You can’t just say Qigong is this or that. There are so many different styles, different ways of presenting, different teachers. So, you can’t say qigong is this or that.

But I think we can very safely say, especially in the West, that qigong is not really religious, it’s not something that you should worry about. You definitely don’t need to be Buddhist or Taoist. That’s not what’s going on here. There’ll be no Buddhist chanting in my school. I think in most schools. I’m trying to think of any of the teachers I had that. If they incorporate that. Maybe sometimes.

But you just have to decide whether you’re comfortable or not, and I think that this is a good way to figure out whether or not you connect with your teacher or not. So, you can ask them questions and if you don’t get good answers from your teacher, if you don’t get answers that you like, I think you should find another teacher.

I think it’s very important to connect with your teacher, to understand them, they should understand you. You should be able to ask questions like this, like, “Hey, what did you mean by this when you said that in class” or “Is that a Buddhist thing? Is that a Taoist thing? What are you asking of me?” You should be able to ask questions like that and get satisfactory answers from your teacher.

And if you don’t get satisfactory answers, that doesn’t mean they’re a bad teacher, but maybe they’re just not the teacher for you, and I think it’s very important for you to go find a teacher that you connect with, that you can feel comfortable within class, that you can relax totally, because that’s such a fundamental thing in pretty much every school of qigong, you need to relax deeply.

If you can’t relax, if you’re like, worried about “Is that a Buddhist thing? “Is that a Taoist thing?” “What are we doing today?” “I don’t feel comfortable.” You’re not going to get the best benefits from Qigong. Go find another teacher.

There are so many teachers out there these days. You can learn online, you can learn in person, you can shop around. It’s not like the old days. I mean, I had to travel to Asia to learn this stuff. Those days are gone.

So, find a teacher that you connect with and ask them the questions that you want to ask them. If you’re my student and you’re wondering, I think I’ll give you a pretty good answer, but the simple answer is no. You do not need to be Buddhist or Taoist to practice qigong in my school, nor tai chi.

We’re just a bunch of people trying to get healthier and happier through these ancient arts, make them our own. We may have spiritual experiences, like, I think that coming here at dawn and practicing some qigong could be pretty spiritual, but I wouldn’t call that “religious”.

So, there you go. I hope that answer is helpful for you and I look forward to connecting with you again in another walk and talk.

END TRANSCRIPT

The post Do You Need to Be Buddhist or Taoist to Practice Qigong? appeared first on Flowing Zen.

“If I could smile from the heart, then I wouldn’t be so !@#$%& depressed!”

I didn’t say it out loud, but I thought it really loud.

I had traveled thousands of miles to learn from a world-renowned qigong master, and I was desperate to feel better.  

“Smile from the heart!” he said in his strange, Chinese-Malaysia accent.

This wasn’t just advice. He was teaching us a Zen meditation technique.

The other students seemed to get it. But I was depressed, and I didn’t.

In fact, I fought back the urge to let out a cynical laugh. Instead, I kept my cynical thinking to myself (see above).

Later in the workshop, I told the master that I was having trouble with the smiling heart thingamabob, and asked him if he had any advice.

He told me not to worry, not to intellectualize, and to just “smile from the heart”.

In other words, just do it.

For years, I tried to “just do it”. But it didn’t really work for me. I struggled for a long time.

In retrospect, having taught the same technique to hundreds of depressives, I know that it is natural for us to struggle more than non-depressives.

But I also know that this technique is critical — for depressive and non-depressives alike.

It’s like a key that turns on the ignition of your energetic healing system. It’s also the key to leading a happier life.

So yeah — it’s rather important.

Students are always telling me how Smiling from the Heart changes everything. Honestly, it may be the most powerful thing that I teach (and I teach some pretty powerful stuff!). The longer I practice, the more I realize that Smiling from the Heart is probably the secret to life, the universe, and everything.

Here’s what a student recently told me about Smiling from the Heart:

I think learning how to smile from the heart is the thing that changed my life. Experiencing it legitimized qigong for me. Someone can argue all day long about these arts being woo-woo or whatever, but experiencing smiling from the heart — no one could ever touch that with any kind of argument. That’s genuine spiritual stuff, and no one could ever convince me otherwise. – Melissa Coast 

This article is my sincere attempt to help you to “get” what the student is talking about.

I’ll do my absolute best to give you a more complete answer than “just do it” so that you don’t waste years like I did. (I’ll also answer your questions below.)

Try It Now

It’s easier to help you understand this technique if you have an experience of it.

Do you have 4 minutes? Yes, of course you do!

Close your door, turn off your phone, and follow this free 4-minute meditation right now:

If you absolutely can’t do it now, then at the very least least schedule a time to do it.  If you don’t put it on your schedule, then it won’t happen.  Schedule it now!

If you listened to the audio, then you heard me saying following:

Smiiiiile from the Heaaaaart!

I was practically singing the words as I said them, right?

And that’s because I was smiling from the heart as I spoke!

The Flower Sermon

See, it gets confusing because the description of the technique and the name of it are the same. Really, the name of the technique is about as good as it gets when it comes to describing the technique with words.

When students ask me to explain Smiling from the Heart, I always think of the following story:

In roughly 500BC, the Buddha gave what would later be called the “Flower Sermon”.  Hundreds of disciples sat in front of him, ready for another of the Buddha’s powerful sermons.  But this time, he didn’t say a word.  Instead, he just held up a beautiful flower and smiled.

Of all the disciples there that day, only one, Mahakasyapa, grasped the sermon.  The rest were puzzled and confused. But Mahakasyapa smiled.

Seeing his reaction, the Buddha said: “I possess the true Cosmic eye, the marvelous mind of stillness, the true form of the formless, the subtle technique that does not rest on words or letters but is a special transmission outside of the scriptures.  This I entrust to Mahakasyapa.”

Stop Intellectualizing!

Except for Mahakasyapa, all of the Buddha’s disciples were busy intellectualizing.

Is the flower symbolic? What does it mean? Is the Buddha referring to the different petals of his teachings? Has he gone crazy?

But Mahakasyapa’s mind was clear. Because his mind was so clear, because he wasn’t stuck in what we call the Monkey Mind, it was natural for him to smile when the Buddha held up the flower.

I mean, flowers are beautiful! It’s actually weird NOT to smile.

Here’s a photo that I took on our ranch in Florida:

The Origins of Zen

The Zen tradition started roughly 1000 years after the death of the Buddha. Bodhidharma, the 1st patriarch of Zen, summed up his teachings as follows:

• Not recorded in language or words.
• Transmission beyond the tradition.
• Directly pointing at the mind.
• Entering enlightenment in an instant.

Not coincidentally, all of Bodhidharma’s teachings also apply to Smiling from the Heart:

• Smiling from the Heart is difficult to describe (or record) in language or words.
• Smiling from the Heart requires a transmission to really get it (like the audio above).
• Smiling from the Heart points directly at the Zen Mind (and skips over the Monkey Mind).
• When you Smile from the Heart, you feel it in an instant.

From Heart to Heart

During his Flower Sermon, the Buddha was doing more than just holding up a flower.  He was projecting energy and information.  There was a broadcast on that day 2500 years ago —  a transmission that Mahakasyapa received, and the others missed.

The Buddha’s disciples blocked themselves that day. Like the Buddha’s disciples, many modern students struggle with Smiling from the Heart. If you are busy worrying about how to do it, or if you giggle thinking that it’s silly, or if you wonder whether the smile should be on the face or not — then you’ll miss what we call the heart-to-heart transmission.

Why?  Because thoughts and worries will block the flow of qi (or energy). Until you let go of your thoughts and worries, until you are able to stay in the Zen Mind, you’ll continue to be baffled by Smiling from the Heart.

11 Reasons to Stick With It

Look I understand that it can be hard to understand Smiling from the Heart. I’ve been there.

I’ve done my best to explain in words something that can’t really be explained in words.  But it may not be enough.  Some of you are probably still scratching your heads.  And that’s fine — as long as you persevere!

So until you get it, until you are able to grasp Smiling from the Heart beyond words, maybe I can inspire you to just keep on trucking.  Here are 11 things that you can look forward to once you get the hang of Smiling from the Heart:

1. It gives you an instant shot of happiness, no matter what else is happening in your life.
2. It is the real secret to healing with qigong, tai chi, and meditation.
3. It boosts oxytocin levels and lowers blood pressure.
4. It activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).
5. It’s the ultimate, all-purpose spice for life.  Everything is better when you Smile from the Heart (including food and sex).
6. It instantly creates more inner peace.
7. It’s the ultimate tool for creating more focus.
8. It’s great for creating healthier relationships.
9. It’s a powerful stress-buster.
10. It’s an effective way for athletes to get into the “zone”.
11. It feels awesome!

When you finally get it, when you suddenly realize how life-changing this one technique can be, then please contact me and say, “You were totally right!”

Or if you already recognize the awesome power of Smiling from the Heart, then go ahead and leave a comment below so that you can inspire others.

Note: This article was original published in 2012, but was completely revised and updated in 2016. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post [Audio] Instantly Increase Your Happiness With This Easy Zen Technique appeared first on Flowing Zen.

If you’ve been paying attention lately — if you’ve been mindful — then you’ve noticed a sudden increase in media attention about something called mindfulness meditation.

Mindfulness has become a buzzword.

Celebrities — from Oprah, to Steve Mcqueen, to LinkIn’s Jeff Weiner — are talking about it. Time Magazine recently released a cover story titled “The Mindful Revolution.”  Huffington Post is calling 2014 the “year of living mindfully”.

Mindfulness is the latest craze sweeping across America. (I love my country.  Where else in the world could something like mindfulness become a nationwide craze?)

I wholeheartedly support this craze.  Planet Earth certainly needs more mindfulness.

Here are 5 things that you should know about mindfulness.

1. Mindfulness Meditation is Not New

“Sifu, when are you going to teach us some of this new mindfulness meditation stuff?” a student asked me.

This happened shortly after Time Magazine released its special issue on mindfulness.

I actually chuckled out loud in response.

Let me explain.

Mindfulness is an ancient concept that traces back to the Buddha, who lived roughly 2500 years ago. Just because the media is becoming more mindful of a particular term doesn’t mean that it’s new.

This doesn’t mean that when people talk about mindfulness they are talking about Buddhism. In fact, the word is popular precisely because of a guy who wanted to promote “Buddhist meditation without the Buddhism.”

That guy is Jon Kabat-Zinn, a scientist who studied at MIT. In 1979, he created something called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (or MBSR for short).

MBSR has become a movement of sorts, and it has made its way into hospitals, universities, and living rooms all across America. There have even been a few scientific studies done on MBSR, which is where  some of the recent buzz comes from.

But MBSR does not own the term “mindfulness” any more than Protestants own the term “prayer”. In other words, you can practice mindfulness meditation without learning or practicing MBSR.

2. Mindfulness Isn’t Just Sitting Meditation

When people think of meditation, they usually think of sitting meditation.  But did you know that you can practice mindfulness meditation while walking, or cooking, or gardening?

This idea of meditating while in motion is also ancient, and it’s especially important in the Zen tradition.

The Zen tradition began in China roughly 1000 years after the Buddha died in India.  In many ways, Zen was an ancient mindfulness revolution.

At the time, Buddhism had strayed from its mindfulness roots.  It had become heavily ritualized, with Buddhist monks spending too muchtime chanting, reading sutras, and generally being rather unmindful.

The Zen tradition changed all this by emphasizing mindfulness.  And not just sitting meditation, but also moving meditation.

In fact, in the Zen tradition, everything, from washing your bowl to sword fighting, is meditation.  

In a nutshell, Zen is all about staying mindful, staying completely in the present moment, whether you are washing your bowl, or practicing martial arts.

3. Qigong is Mindfulness Meditation

Did you know that the patriarch of Zen Meditation was also the patriarch of Shaolin Qigong?  Yep. Same guy.

Don’t be ashamed if you didn’t know this historical fact.  Many people who practice Zen meditation don’t even know it.

Bodhidharma was that guy. Imagine an enlightened drill sergeant, and you’re on the right track. (If you’d like to learn more about Bodhidharma, then please read my article entitled The Man Who Made Shaolin.)

Bodhidharma revolutionized Buddhism in China by emphasizing mindfulness.  And one of the forms of mindfulness meditation that he taught to the monks at the Shaolin Temple was Qigong.

In fact, it’s likely that he taught them Lifting The Sky, the very first Qigong exercise that I teach to beginners.

Historically then, qigong was a form of mindfulness meditation.  The #1 mistake in qigong, tai chi, and meditation is that students aren’t mindful.  (If you’d like to read an article I wrote on that subject, then please click here.)

So anyone practicing qigong can rest easy.  When you hear Oprah or Dr. Oz talking about the importance of practicing mindfulness meditation, you can pat yourself on the back (assuming that you did your qigong today!)

4. Tai Chi is Mindfulness Meditation

What about tai chi?  Is that also mindfulness meditation?

Historically, tai chi is a form of kung fu that traces its roots back to the Shaolin Temple in China.  However, the development of tai chi was more heavily influenced by Taoism than by Buddhism.  Thus, the Tai Chi tradition probably wouldn’t use the term mindfulness.

But it’s just a word.  The question that’s important to us in the 21st century is this:  Does practicing tai chi develop mindfulness?

In my experience, the answer is a resounding YES!  In fact, I find Tai Chi to be one of the most effective forms of mindfulness meditation.

Sitting meditation is an advanced technique.  It’s also hard.   Many people aren’t ready for it.  (My article entitled Why Sitting Meditation Isn’t For You explains this in more detail.)

The flowing movements of Tai Chi are a wonderful way to slip into mindfulness.  There’s a tai chi phrase that sums this up:

Seek the stillness in the movement.

The flowing movement of tai chi is actually wonderful for creating internal stillness. In other words, the movement can help to quiet the mind.

5. Mindfulness Is Our Future

Although the term mindfulness traces back to an ancient Indian word (sati in ancient Pali; smṛti in ancient Sanskrit), the concept does not belong to India.  Nor does it belong to China.

It does not belong to the East.

One might argue that mindfulness is now more widely embraced in the West.  Even if that’s true, mindfulness does not belong to the West.

Mindfulness belongs to humanity.  It is the future of our species.  For too long, humanity has been lost in thought.  Our  Monkey Minds have run amok. In order to evolve to the next level, we need mindfulness.

I believe that we will have no choice but to embrace mindfulness.  Humanity is on a trajectory that it cannot sustain, and much of this is due to a lack of mindfulness. 

For example, it is a lack of mindfulness that leads us to destroy the rain forests that provide the oxygen that we breathe.

Mindfulness is in the news right now largely because of the health benefits that it conveys.  And that’s important.  Certainly, it’s a huge part of my own mission with my teaching.

But mindfulness is about more than just health.  Mindfulness is also about living a richer, more meaningful life:

• When we are mindful, we don’t just gulp down our food and swallow it; we savor it, not just for the taste, but for the nourishment that it provides.
• When we are mindful, we don’t just interrupt a friend while they’re talking; we listen, deeply, not just to the words, but to their underlying message.
• When we are mindful, we don’t just rush from place to place; we walk mindfully, aware of our surroundings, the sky, the ground beneath us.

Practicing mindfulness during your Qigong, Tai Chi, or Meditation practice is wonderful. It is an important step, and one that much of humanity has not yet taken.  But it is only the first step.

Things are changing.  If you have read this far, then it’s likely that you are part of that change. Congratulations.  You are a member of the mindfulness revolution. Now go wash your bowl. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post 5 Things You Should Know About The Mindfulness Craze appeared first on Flowing Zen.

[Note:  This article was originally written on September 11, 2012, but was updated and revised on September 11, 2013.]

Like most Americans, I watched the towers falling on TV.  Unlike most Americans, I could see the smoke from the top of my roof in NYC.

That terrible day changed me.  I didn’t realize this for many years.  But now, I can look back and see how much I learned as a result of 9/11. Here are the biggest lessons:

1. Life is Fragile.

I had already learned this lesson during my battle with depression.  But I needed a reminder, and I got a big one on 9/11.  This time, the lesson stuck.  

Not long after 9/11, I made the decision to quit my job as a computer engineer, and commit full time to being a teacher. 

Life is fragile.  That thing you’ve been meaning to do with your life? You should go do it.  Now.

2. Gratitude Matters

I plan to live to the ripe old age of 120, but things don’t always go as planned.  My life could end an hour from now.  So could yours.  You don’t know.  I don’t know. 

After 9/11, I got in the habit of taking a moment to feel grateful when I wake up each morning. It’s a good habit.  You should try it tomorrow morning. Don’t let another day go by without being grateful. 

That stuff you’re worrying about right now — it probably doesn’t matter.  Gratitude does.

This is what Zen teaches.  Be present.  Be happy. Right here.  Right now.  The present moment is all we have.   

3. Keep Calm and Qigong On.

During the first few minutes of the attack, we didn’t know what was happening.   We didn’t know if this was the beginning of an all-out war on the US, if it was going to get worse, or if it was over.

Not knowing can be incredibly hard on the psyche. 

Honestly, it was torture for me.  I didn’t know what to do.  Leave?  Try to walk to Jersey?  Find a basement?  Overwhelmed, I eventually went and did the 2-Minute Drill.  It was amazing how much it helped.  Just breathing and moving made such a difference.  Suddenly, I could think clearly again. 

Maybe that’s one reason I love qigong and tai chi.  Every day, I enjoy relaxing, letting go, and calming my nervous system.  With tai chi, you even learn to stay calm while someone is trying to push you or attack you.  It’s an important skill to have. Not that people try to push you very often, but because life does.

4. People Die. 

When the first tower fell, all I could think was:  People just died.   Just a few miles from me.   They died in a matter of seconds. 

Later, I would find out that I knew some of those people, albeit distantly.

I was several miles away from the towers on 9/11, but somehow, I could feel the death, the sudden transition of all those souls.  I can’t explain it, although I suspect that lots of New Yorkers know what I’m talking about.  

For me, it was a wake up call.  I feel like, on that terrible morning, I suddenly stopped being naive about death.   And life.

5. Never Buy Fake Swords. 

During the first few hours, we were overwhelmed with fear and confusion.  We were waiting for news of more attacks, and many of us in NYC wondered if there would be crime, riots, or heck, even a terrorist invasion.     Out of paranoia, I started looking around my apartment for a weapon to defend myself, just in case.

Many years ago, my teacher’s teacher, Sigung Ho Fatt Nam, defended his family from a mob of race rioters in Malaysia.  They came to his house with axes and shovels and torches, prepared to kill him and his family.  In a time of complete lawlessness, he used his trusty spear to fight off the attackers and protect his family.  Amazingly, he managed to scare them away without hurting anyone, which is truly remarkable.

And me? Well, the best I could find in may apartment was a fake Tai Chi sword.  I had been training martial arts for nearly a decade, and I was pretty good with the sword.  At least in theory.  But this particular sword was just a replica.

I remember laughing out loud at the situation.  I had the necessary skills, and here I was in an emergency situation — but my sword was fake.  Oh, the irony.

That day forever changed how I train the martial arts. Today, I still train with Tai Chi swords and other weapons.  But my training is deadly serious.  My swords, literally and figuratively, are razor sharp.  If the Zombies come, I’m ready.

The amazing thing about training martial arts with this kind of intensity is that you don’t become more violent.  The opposite.   It’s a paradox that those who don’t practice martial arts will never understand — that by preparing yourself for violence, you become more peaceful. 

6. Be Prepared. 

New Yorkers aren’t known for their disaster preparedness, especially 29-year-old bachelors.  After the towers fell, I looked in my fridge.  I had some leftover Chinese food, some eggs, and some milk.  Oh, and ketchup.  Can’t forget the ketchup. 

Then I looked at my Britta filter, and it hit me.  Water!  What if the water goes out?   What do I do?

After 9/11, I stopped taking things like food and water for granted.  People thought I was crazy to store a week’s worth of food and water in my apartment — until Katrina.   After that, people started to see the sense in being prepared. 

In 2003, roughly 2 years after 9/11, the big blackout hit NYC.  This time, I was prepared.  I had food and water.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have batteries.  Live and learn.  (Perhaps now my wife will understand why I have so many rechargeable batteries, flashlights, and solar chargers.)

7. Heroes Still Exist

There were heroes that day in NYC.  Real, honest-to-goodness heroes.

NYPD.  FDNY.  Thousands of unsung heroes.  They rose to the occasion.  I saw random heroes on the street, like the young man offering his taxi (they were impossible to find because the subway was closed) to an older lady.  I saw with my own eyes how people are capable of pulling together.  It was beautiful to watch. 

If you look, you’ll always find heroes in a crisis, big or small.  That was an important lesson.

8. Radios Are Amazing. 

When you can’t get news via the Internet or your cell phone, a handheld radio is a godsend.  I mean, the news just flies through the air, no matter what else is happening!  Isn’t that amazing?  

9. Fear Makes People Crazy. 

A few days later, a colleague said to me: “We should just kill all the Muslims!”  I was shocked.  Even today, it amazes me that someone could say that.  “But there are a billion of them,” I responded.  The so-called “conversation” that ensued was absolute madness. 

That’s when I first learned that fear turns people into crazy Zombies and blocks all rational thought.  When someone gets like this, there’s nothing you can say.  Logic is useless.  Facts are meaningless. 

And that is a scary thing.

10. Always Quit Smoking BEFORE A Terrorist Attack. 

Okay, so I didn’t actually quit smoking that morning.  But I was trying my best not to smoke.  That lasted, oh, about five milliseconds into the news.  (I walked downstairs, bought a pack, walked halfway back upstairs, then went back down and bought two more.  Just in case.  At least I was prepared for smoking!)

11. Friends Matter. 

Having a close group of trusted friends matters, especially in a crisis.  That evening, a bunch of us gathered at a friend’s house.  It was tribal.  We didn’t need to say much.  We were just happy to be connected to each other.  I won’t soon forget that feeling.

12. We Should Be Talking About Peace

I may take heat for this, possibly from people who were nowhere near NYC but somehow think that they have a monopoly on patriotism, but so be it.  My opinion, after watching the horrors on 9/11, and then the invasion of Afghanistan, then Iraq, and now possibly Iran (Edit: and now Syria in 2013) — is that we as a species desperately need to cultivate peace.  I  think that our survival probably depends on it.

The war machine has grown and grown over the past 100 years.  When will it stop?  When will we try something different?  When will peace be something that is taken seriously?

13. Karma is Powerful.

Karma means cause and effect.  For every effect, there is something that caused it.  And for every cause, there is an effect that happens later. It’s an inescapable natural law. 

After 9/11, many people wanted revenge.  They also wanted  to simplify a complex situation.  The easy solution was to blame Islam (the cause) for 9/11 (the effect). 

I know that’s not true. And I hope you know too.  I hope that by now every American knows that “Islamic” militancy didn’t begin on 9/11. (I put “Islamic” in quotes because I don’t think that Al Qaeda represents Islam any more than David Koresh represents Christianity.)

I’m not saying that we deserved it.  No one deserves that.  But what were the causes that led to us being attacked?  And how did we respond?  What karma have we created since 9/11?  What causes have we initiated, and what will the effects be years down the road?

14. Gandhi Was Right

Gandhi was right.  We must be the change that we want to see in the world.  If we want peace, we must first become peaceful.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes.  It’s from a famous Zen master named Thich Nhat Hanh:

I want to be solid, calm, and without fear, and so I practice qigong, tai chi, and meditation every day.  I tell my students that, if they want to change the world, they should practice every day too.  This way, they’ll become solid, calm, and without fear too. Gradually, day by day, as we transform ourselves, we also transform the world.

I’ve changed since 9/11. In these 11 years, I’ve healed myself, taught thousands of students, and found my soul mate.  And I see that others are changing too.   And that’s wonderful, because the world needs it.  Because even though it’s been years since 9/11, I think that we have less peace in the world, not more. [Edit:  In 2013, with the possibility of World World 3 looming in Syria, the world is even less peaceful.]

On this anniversary of a terrible day, let’s be peaceful.  Let’s meditate, and flow, and heal our wounds.  Let’s be happy and grateful.  Let’s be good.   Let’s be the change that this world so desperately needs.

The post 14 Things I Learned on 9/11 [Updated] appeared first on Flowing Zen.

In the 6th Century AD, Bodidharma taught 3 different sets of qigong exercises to the monks at the Shaolin Temple:

1) The 18 Luohan Hands
2) Sinew Metamorphosis
3) Bone Marrow Cleansing

The 18 Luohan Hands

This article will discuss the history, philosophy, and practice of The 18 Luohan Hands.  Click on the links above for information about the other two sets.

In romanized Chinese, the 18 Luohan Hands is written Shiba Luohan Shou  (十八羅漢手), which is pronounced as follows:

• Shi (like the word “ship” but without the “p”)
• Ba (rhymes with “La”, )
• Luo (rhymes with “claw”)
• Han (rhymes with “con”)
• Shou (sounds like “show”)

Who are these 18 Luohans, and why are we interested in their hands? 

The word Luohan comes from the Sanskrit word Arhat.  Both words refer to a person who has cultivated a high level of spirituality, somewhat like a Christian Saint.

After the Buddha passed away, 500 of his top disciples gathered together in a grand council. Together, they reviewed and discussed his teachings word by word.  These disciples became known as the 500 Arhats.

When Buddhism spread from India to China, it naturally adjusted to the new culture. For example, the Chinese paid special homage to 18 of the 500 Arhats. Statues of these 18 Luohan are often found in Buddhist temples today.

Bodhidharma taught at the Shaolin Temple roughly 1000 years after the passing of the Buddha. He chose to pay homage to these 18 Luohan, perhaps in an effort to reach across the cultural divide.  Thus, he named a set of qigong techniques after them.

The word Shou means “hands”, but refers to the 18 techniques. A figurative translation would be the 18 Techniques of the Enlightened Ones.

Over time, the 18 Luohan Hands evolved into the 18 Luohan Fists.  Here, “fists” also refers to the techniques, but implies that they are not just for health.  In other words, it was a form of Kung Fu.  This was the birth of Shaolin Kung Fu, a martial art that would become legendary.

Internal and External

The 18 Luohan Hands are the fundamental qigong exercises that I teach.  The first exercise, Lifting The Sky, is the very first exercise I teach to new students.   (Click on that link if you want to start learning it.)  Over the years, I’ve used selections from the 18 Luohan Hands to help my students do some powerful healing.

If you practice these exercises on a physical level (which is the norm today), then you won’t get the same results that my students get.  The visible form is the least important aspect in qigong.  It’s what happens on the inside that matters most.

The secrets lie not in the visible form, but in the internal dimensions of energy and mind. All over the world, students practice the visible form correctly, often for years, but the don’t get the results they deserve because they don’t understand this important point.  Don’t be one of them.

The Benefits of Luohan Qigong

In theory, the benefits of The 18 Luohan Hands are limitless.  Most of my students spend most of their time practicing these techniques.  So most of their results also come from these techniques.  This is why we say that The 18 Luohan Hands can heal “1000” diseases.  I’m not sure if we’ve healed 1000 different diseases yet, but in Chinese medical theory, each person is unique, so in that sense, we definitely have!

Here are some general benefits of this type of Qigong:

• Open the energy meridians.
• Get the energy flowing.
• Boost the immune system
• Loosen the joins.
• Loosen the muscles.
• Relax the nervous system.
• Flowing meditation.

To get these benefits, you need to know the secrets of the 5-Phase Routine.

The 8 Pieces of Brocade

Yue Fei, a famous Shaolin master in the 12 Century AD, is famous for “inventing” a Qigong set called The 8 Pieces of Brocade (八段錦氣功, Ba Duan Jin Qigong).  This is one of the most widely practiced Qigong sets in the world. Although practiced as a separate set, these 8 exercises correspond to the first 8 exercises in the 18 Luohan Hands.

There are countless versions and interpretations of the 18 Luohan Hands. The set that I inherited is probably as close as we’ll ever get to the original without traveling back in time.

But whether or not the set is the same as the original is not as important.  What matters is this:  It works.  The exercises that I teach in my school are amazingly effective.  It’s possible that they’re even more effective that the ones that Bodhidharma taught.  After all, they’ve had 1500 years to perfect them.

Where did Bodhidharma get these exercises?  It’s impossible to say, but a good guess is that he was originally taught some form of Yoga in India. Legend says that Bodhidharma meditated in the cave near the Shaolin Temple for 9 years. It’s possible that, in his deep meditation, Bodhidharma modified the techniques he had learned as a prince into the three sets of techniques.

Does that sound woo woo to you?  I admit that, 20 years ago, it might have sounded pretty weird to me too.  But now I realize that all great art happens in a deep state of meditation.  Mozart said that his music flowed to him from God.   Da Vinci went into a deep state of meditation before creating his great works.  When you look carefully at artists throughout history (and across all cultures), you find one thing in common — they all tapped into the power of meditation.

Wherever these exercises came from, they are a godsend.  They have changed my life, and the lives of my  students.  If I had to teach only one set of exercises for the rest of my life, it would be an easy choice:  The 18 Lohan Hands.

The 18 Exercises

If you’re trying to learn the patterns from the pictures, you’re going to have a hard time. These pictures will be helpful if you’ve already learned the exercises.

Otherwise, you can start learning them via my Qigong 101 Program.

1. Lifting the Sky

雙手托天
shuang shou tuo tian
Both Hands Lift Sky

Useful for: postural problems, back pain, neck pain, hemorrhoids,  incontinence, stress relief.

This pattern is arguably the best single Qigong pattern in the world. Its forte is that it promotes a holistic Qi flow throughout the body. The exercise works on the Triple Warmer Meridian (San Jiao Mai) and thus harmonizes the upper, middle, and lower energies.

2. Shooting Arrows

左右開弓
zuo you kai gong
Shoot Arrows Left Right

Useful for: skin problems, respiratory issues, excessive or inadequate grieving, high blood pressure (hypertension), depression, self confidence issues, memory issues.

This exercise uses the One Finger Zen hand form, which is a special Shaolin technique that must be learned from a master. Practicing Shooting Arrows is an excellent way to massage the Lung and Heart Meridians.

3. Plucking Stars

摘星換斗
zhai xing huan dou
Pluck Stars Change Galaxies

Useful for: indigestion, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation,diabetes, liver and gallbladder problems, Crohn’s disease, and diverticulosis, tennis elbow, Endometriosis,  yeast infections, dysmenorrhea, vaginitis, and ovarian cysts.

This exercise nourishes the Spleen and Stomach Meridians, which relate to the Western concept of the digestive system. According to Chinese medical theory, good digestion is a prime ingredient for good health and vitality. This exercise can help with virtually any digestive or gastrointestinal problem.   It also opens up the 8 Extraordinary Meridians along the sides of the body, which are important energy reservoirs.

4. Turning Head

轆轤旋轉
lu lu xuan zhuan
Rotating Winch

Useful for: tension in their neck and shoulders, headaches, migraines, neuralgia, thyroid issues, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery, preventing colds and flus.

This exercise isn’t just for loosening your neck.  Energetically, Turning Head is used to powerfully cleanse the Chinese concept of the Sea of Marrow, which loosely translates to the head, spine, and nervous system.  The exercise brings energy to the entire spine, the brain, as well as the throat, ears, and eyes.

5. Merry-Go-Round

大轉乾坤
da zhuan qian kun
Big Turning of the Cosmos

Useful for: anxiety, acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation,diabetes, liver and gallbladder problems, Crohn’s disease, diverticulosis, back pain, tinnitus, rheumatism, indigestion.

This exercise stimulates Water energy at the vital point known as the “gate of life” (mingmen) thereby giving an energy boost that is far superior to coffee.  This exercise is a great pick-me-up.  It is also nourishing for the Stomach, Liver, Spleen, and Kidney Meridians.

6. Punching with Eyes Wide

怒目衝拳
nu mu chong quan
Punch with Eyes Wide

Useful for: excess or insufficient anger, hemorrhoids, myopia and other eye problems, liver disease, stress relief, lack of self confidence.

This pattern helps to develop powerful punches for martial artists. But the power comes from the Qi, not from the muscles.  If the muscles are tensed, then the Qi has trouble flowing to the end of the punch.  Besides developing internal force for martial arts, this exercise massages and strengthens the Heart and Small Intestine Meridians.   In order to obtain the benefits listed above, it’s critical to make the appropriate sounds and use correct breathing, both of which should be learned face-to-face from a master.

7. Carrying the Moon

回頭抱月
hui tou bao yue
Look Back Carry Moon

Useful for: back pain, neck pain, emotional cleansing, herniated discs, bulging discs, neuralgia, sciatica, Parkinson’s disease, stroke recovery, scoliosis, youthfulness.

Students love this exercise because it makes them look and feel young. It cleanses away negative energy in the body, especially the nervous system, by stimulating an internal shower of energy. According to a Chinese proverb, you need not worry about getting old as long as your spine stays healthy and erect.  This exercise is a great way to do that.

8. Nourishing Kidneys

攀足固腰
pan zu gu yao
Touch Toes Nourish Kidneys

Useful for: sexual dysfunction, memory problems, sciatica, low back pain, incontinence, phobias, fertility, impotence, low libido, self discipline.

A Western doctor will tell you that your kidneys have nothing to do with sex. A Chinese physician will tell you that your kidneys have everything to do with sex. This exercise, as the name implies, powerfully nourishes the Kidney Meridian.

9. Three Levels to Ground

三盆落地
san pan luo di
Three Levels Down Ground

Useful for: knee pain, palpitations, cardiovascular health, hypertension, flexibility, strength, weight loss.

On a physical level, Three Levels to Ground will make your legs strong and flexible.  As a Qigong exercise, it can strengthen your Heart system, generate better energy flow, and increase your vitality.  It’s also useful for opening the Small Universe Circulation. (Note: if you have serious heart problems, then don’t try this on your own.)

10. Dancing Crane

仙鶴起舞
xian he qi wu
Divine Crane Begins Dancing

Useful for: knee pain, kidney stones, strength, flexibility, longevity, weight loss.

This exercise helps to channel energy down the legs. Because everything is interconnected via our energy matrix, channeling energy to the legs sometimes helps to solve problems in other parts of the body.  Of course, this exercises also helps build strength and flexibility.

11. Carrying Mountains

二郎擔山
er lang dan shan
Second Son Carries Mountains

Useful for: back pain, neurological disorders, bulging discs, herniated discs.

This exercise opens up the spine energetically (but in a different way than Carrying the Moon).  It also channels energy down the arms, which is useful for martial artists.

12. Drawing Sword

羅漢發刀
luo han fa dao
Luohan Draws Saber

Useful for: neck and shoulder problems, headaches, migraines, tennis elbow.

The The Eight Wondrous Meridians (Qi Jing Ba Mai) are often mentioned in Qigong texts, but seldom understood. Drawing Sword is an effective way to generate energy flow to these eight meridians.

13. Pushing Mountains

猛虎推山
meng hu tui shan
Fierce Tiger Pushes Mountains

Useful for: arthritis, tendonitis, impotence, low back pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, grief, memory problems.

This is one of the best exercises for channeling Qi to the hands.  Because of this, it’s part of the method for an advanced Kung Fu art called Cosmos Palm.  In combination with other exercises, it’s also excellent for stimulating the Five Animal Play.

14. Separating Water

青龍分水
qing long fen shui
Green Dragon Separates Water

Useful for: depression, anxiety, COPD, lung disorders, excessive or insufficient grieving, fibrocystic breast disease, general breast health, self confidence issues.

This is an excellent exercise to open and nourish the Heart and the Lung systems. It is especially useful to cure clinical Depression. Interestingly, it will also give you powerful arms for martial arts.

15. Presenting Claws

青龍現爪
qing long xian xhua
Green Dragon Presents Claws

Useful for: kidney stones, diabetes, anxiety, arthritis,

This exercise channels energy to the Spleen, Pancreas, and Kidney Meridians, as well as all ten fingers (and the Meridians associated with them). It is also used to develop the Art of the Dragon Claw in Shaolin Kung Fu, which is a compassionate way to disable an opponent without doing serious damage.

16. Big Windmill Hand

大風車手
da feng che shou
Big Windmill Hand

Useful for: diabetes, arthritis, tendonitis, tennis elbow, shoulder pain.

Do you want to break a brick with your palm?  This exercise, when done correctly, will give you the internal power to do that, without any other conditioning. Those problems related to the Liver and Spleen Meridians will also find this exercise useful.

17. Lifting Heels

提踭彎膝
qi zheng wan zuo
Lift Heels Bend Knees

Useful for: arthritis, knee pain, edema, varicose veins, sacroiliac pain, long leg disorder.

This is another excellent exercise for the lower body. It opens up the meridians in the legs so that negative energy from other parts of the body can be efficiently drained out into the ground.  It’s also useful for opening the Small Universe Circulation.

18. Rotating Knees

仙鶴轉膝
xian he zhuan xi
Divine Crane Rotates Knees

Useful for: knee pain, sexual dysfunction, edema, varicose veins, incontinence, impotence.

You may be surprised, but Rotating Knees can help to overcome sexual problems, and it can enhance sexual performance and enjoyment. Like Lifting Heels, it also helps to drain negative energy down the legs.  Since this energy often gets stuck in the knees, this exercise is extremely useful. 

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post History of Qigong: The 18 Luohan Hands appeared first on Flowing Zen.

So in this  post, I’d like to define Chinese terms and names in a way that you can easily understand.  Click on each term below to see the definition.  If you have questions, please post them in the comments section below.

The Chinese character Qi (氣) means energy.

The character Gong (功) means cultivation.

Qigong is the art of energy cultivation.  It is sometimes spelled Chi Kung instead.  Both spellings refer to the same Chinese characters.

Qigong is an ancient self-healing art. It was a well-kept secret for centuries and was virtually unknown in the US until recently. The exercises involve simple physical movements, gentle breathing techniques, and a relaxed, meditative state of mind.

Qigong is also a branch of Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture, herbal medicine, and Chinese massage.

Tai Chi Chuan is an ancient Chinese martial art that was developed by hermits and monks for spiritual cultivation, health, and self defense.

The Chinese character Tai (太) means great.

The character Chi (極) means ultimate.  (Note that it is a difference character than Qi, or “energy”.)

A third character, Chuan (拳) is often forgotten.  It means “fist”.  This is an abbreviation of an older term, Chuan Fa, which literally means Fist Art.  A modern translation would be Kung Fu, or Martial Art.

Together, Tai Chi means Great Ultimate and refers to the ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang.  A better translation of Tai Chi is Cosmos.Putting all three words together, we get Great Ultimate Fist Art.  A better translation would be Cosmos Kung Fu.

Tai Chi is often considered a branch of Chinese medicine, along with acupuncture, herbal medicine, and Chinese massage.

The word Zen is actually a Japanese word that comes from the Chinese word Chan (禪).  In both languages, it means meditation. Zen can also refer to Zen Buddhism, a branch of Buddhism that began with Bodhidharma in the 6th Century AD.

Zen can have other meanings depending on the context.  If you say “I need more Zen in my life,” then it means that you need more peace, balance, and harmony.  If a practitioner says, “I had a glimpse of Zen,” then it means that she had a deep experience in meditation where she caught a glimpse of Enlightenment.

The Chinese word Shaolin (少林) refers to the Shaolin Temple.  Built in 497 AD, the Shaolin Temple became famous not just in China, but around the world.  The great Bodhidharma arrived at the temple in 527 AD and began teaching.

Thanks to Bodhidharma’s influence, the Shaolin Temple is recognized as the birthplace of Zen, as well as Shaolin Kung Fu and Shaolin Qigong.  Many martial arts trace their lineage back to the Shaolin Temple, including Tai Chi Chuan.

The Chinese word Sifu (師父) means “teacher and father”.  It is pronounced “see foo” using the Cantonese dialect, or “sher foo” in Madarin.  Traditional Chinese masters regarded teaching as a heavy responsibility, like the responsibility of a father toward his children.  Thus, a Sifu is both a teacher and a father to his students, which means that he (or she) does not merely teach them skills and techniques, but also ensures that they lead meaningful, rewarding lives.

Bodhidharma (達摩, or Da Mo, in Chinese) was a crown prince in the ancient kingdom of Kanchiporam (in present-day India) who renounced the throne in order to spread the highest spiritual teachings to the East  (which is present-day China).

In 527 AD, the great Bodhidharma, arrived at the Shaolin Temple in China.  When he arrived, he found that the monks were weak, sickly, and unable to concentrate on meditation.  To remedy the problem, he taught them 3 sets of Qigong techniques:  The 18 Luohan Hands, Sinew Metamorphosis, and Bone Marrow Cleansing.  These arts later evolved into Shaolin Kung Fu, as well as Tai Chi Chuan.

To read more about Bodhidharma, read my popular article, The Man Who Made Shaolin.

Zhang San Feng (張三丰) is the patriarch of Tai Chi Chuan.  He was a legendary Taoist priest who lived in China in the 13th Century AD.  After graduating from the Shaolin Temple, he went to Wudang Mountain to cultivate spiritually.  It was there that he developed the art that is now called Tai Chi Chuan.

The Chinese word Luohan (羅漢) is a translation of the Sanskrit word Arhat (अर्हत ).  All of these words refer to a highly developed spiritual practitioner.

At the Shaolin Temple in China, Bodhidharma taught a Qigong set called The 18 Luohan Hands (十八羅漢手).  The word Luohan continued to be used for centuries, inspiring various forms of Qigong and Kung Fu.

In romanized Chinese, The Classic of Sinew Metamorphosis is written Yi Jin Jing (易筋經), which is pronounced as follows:

• ee (like the letter “e”)
• gin (rhymes with “pin”)
• jing (rhymes with “sing”).

Sinew Metamorphosis is not just a set of calisthenics to develop tendons, muscles, and bones (which is how some people view it).  For us, Yi Jin Jing is a set of powerful Qigong techniques that bring a wide variety of benefits: fast reflexes, Internal Force, courage, righteousness, and spiritual cultivation.

Click here to read more about Sinew Metamorphosis.

The Chinese word dantian (丹田) literally means “elixir field”, but a better translation would be “energy center”.   It is located slightly below and slightly behind your belly button.  The traditional measurement, which uses the width of your own thumb, is 3 thumb-widths below and 2 thumb-widths behind.  But this is a rough guide, and in reality, dantian can be in slightly different locations for different people.

Qigong, Tai Chi, and Shaolin classics consistently refer to dantian, specifically to a golden, pearl-sized ball of energy.  When you cultivate dantian long enough, you will feel exactly what the classics describe.

Check back often.  More coming soon…

The post It’s All Chinese To Me! appeared first on Flowing Zen.

What do Shaolin Qigong, Shaolin Kung Fu, and Zen Meditation have in common?

No, this isn’t the start of some sort of Zen joke. I’m serious!

Not only did these arts all come from the famous Shaolin Temple, but they also came from the same man!

If you practice any of these 3 arts, then like me you belong to the legacy of Bodhidharma.

Today, Bodhidharma is recognized as the 28th Patriarch of Buddhism, the 1st Patriarch of Zen, the 1st Patriarch of Shaolin Qigong, and the 1st Patriarch of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Not a bad résumé!

The Indian Prince

Bodhidharma was born into Indian royalty in the 5th Century AD.  After renouncing his royal life, he decided to travel to China in order to teach Buddhism. His long journey eventually brought him to the Shaolin Temple in Songshan province.

Long before Bodhidharma arrived, Buddhism was already spreading through China. (Remember that Buddhism was already 1000 years old by this time.)

In 497 AD, the Chinese emperor had the Shaolin Temple built in order to promote Buddhism in his empire. By the time Bodhidharma arrived at the temple in 527 AD, there were already many monks living there.

What Bodhidharma found at the temple was disheartening. The monks were weak and sickly, they were falling asleep during meditation, and they lacked the vitality needed for deep meditation.

This was not Bodhidharma’s vision of spiritual cultivation.

Bodhidharma believed that physical, intellectual, and spiritual cultivation were an indivisible whole. If you are sick or in pain, then how can you hope to achieve enlightenment? If you lack mental clarity, how will you endure the intensity of meditation?

To work successfully towards enlightenment, one needs to also cultivate health, vitality, and mental clarity. This was Bodhidharma’s philosophy.

It’s clear that Bodhidharma was a powerful master, full of health, vitality, mental clarity, and internal force. We know that he learned Buddhist meditation from his teacher, Prajnatara.

But where did he learn Qigong?

We can only speculate, but it is likely that Bodhidharma, a crowned prince, was well trained in elite arts befitting royalty. In addition to various scholarly arts, it’s likely that he learned ancient Indian martial arts, as well as some form of yoga.

The yoga of Bodhidharma’s time was likely to be a powerful energy art.

Bodhidharma knew that, in order to help the Shaolin Monks reach enlightenment, he would need to help them to cultivate health, vitality, and mental clarity.

The Birth of Shaolin Qigong

What Bodhidharma did next changed the course of history.

Rather than teach the monks the various yoga and martial arts exercises that he had learned, it seems that he decided to develop a completely new set of exercises.

For the next 9 years, he lived in a cave near the Shaolin Temple and practiced in seclusion. When he left the cave, he brought three new sets of exercises with him:

1. The 18 Luohan Hands
2. Sinew Metamorphosis
3. Bone Marrow Cleansing

These exercises were specifically designed to prepare the monks for the rigors of deep, Zen meditation. And they worked like a charm. The exercises transformed the monks physically, energetically, mentally, and spiritually.

Over time, thanks to the success of these exercises, the Shaolin Temple became one of the most powerful spiritual centers in the history of the world.

Now, 1500 years later, Bodhidharma’s legacy is alive and well in countless schools of Zen, kung fu, and qigong.

The basic philosophy in my school is the same as Bodhidharma’s — health, vitality, and mental clarity are prerequisites for spiritual cultivation.

Thus, I teach the same exercises that Bodhidharma taught. The first technique that my students learn is usually Lifting The Sky, which is the first of the 18 Luohan Hands.

Over time, students progress to learn all 18 of the techniques, all 12 Sinew Metamorphosis exercises, and all 5 Levels of Bone Marrow Cleansing.

What about Shaolin Kung Fu?

Actually, Bodhidharma never taught Shaolin Kung Fu. He’s widely recognized as the 1st patriarch of Shaolin Kung Fu because the arts that he taught provided the foundation and the inspiration.

It’s likely that 18 Luohan Hands gradually developed into Luohan Kung Fu. Over the centuries, these arts developed into the many different styles of Shaolin Kung Fu.

There is even a saying in China that “all martial arts come from Shaolin.” Many Japanese Karate schools trace their lineage all the way back to the Shaolin Temple.

It’s difficult to imagine how different history would have been if Bodhidharma had stayed in India instead of traveling to China. Would we even know about the Shaolin Temple, or would it have disappeared into obscurity centuries ago? How many martial arts would be completely different without the influence of Shaolin Kung Fu? And what would the world be like without Zen?

The Man and The Mystery

Little information has been passed down about this incredible man, which only adds to the mystery. Today, it’s difficult to separate fact from legend.

But we know from both Chinese and Indian sources that he did exist, and that he did travel to China to teach at the Shaolin Temple.

As far as we know, Bodhidharma never wrote anything down. But neither did Jesus or Buddha.

One of the fundamental texts attributed to Bodhidharma is a stanza that says:

A special transmission outside the scriptures;
Not founded upon words or letters;
Pointing directly to the human mind;
Seeing into one’s nature and attaining Buddhahood.

Reading this, it’s easier to see why he didn’t write anything down. Bodhidharma wanted the monks to practice, not just read scriptures.

And I want you to do the same. You’ve read enough for today. Now go practice some qigong!

If you don’t know any qigong, then click here to learn Lifting The Sky. And don’t forget to feel grateful to Bodhidharma for giving us this wonderful exercise 1500 years ago!  

From the heart,
Sifu Anthony

The post The Man Who Made Shaolin appeared first on Flowing Zen.

In Christianity, there is The Bible. In Islam, there is The Koran. In Judaism, there is The Torah. In Taoism, there is the Tao Te Ching. In Buddhism, there are…over 5000 scriptures!  Not many people know that Buddhism has the most extensive collection of spiritual scriptures in the world. The amount of written material is staggering. Even Buddhist scholars cannot hope to read all of these scriptures in a single lifetime.

Luckily, they don’t have to. And neither do we. There is a simpler way. And in the spirit of Buddhism, simpler is often better.

A Simpler Way

The Heart Sutra contains only 260 Chinese characters. Although these characters are more saturated with meaning than a single English word, this Sutra is short in any language. And yet, despite its brevity, the Sutra contains everything a person needs to know about Buddhism. It also contains everything we need to know about cosmic reality!

Of the 5000+ scriptures that I mentioned above, the Heart Sutra is the most widely translated into English. Some of these translations are good, and some are not so good. In Chinese, the Sutra is poetic, succinct, and meaningful. Translating this into English is not an easy task.

An Inspired Monk

Why is the original Sutra in Chinese? Wasn’t the Buddha from India? Yes. And the original Buddhist scriptures were written in the Indian languages Pali and Sanskrit. But Buddhism spread to China very early on, and many scriptures were translated into Chinese.

The Heart Sutra was translated by a Chinese monk named Xuan Zang (AD 596-664). He traveled all the way to India to bring back Buddhist scriptures. The Heart Sutra was his favorite, and his translation is inspired an ingenious. There are several ancient translations of the Heart Sutra, but the one done by Xuan Zang is widely believed to be the best.

Some Help

I am not a Chinese scholar, but I read enough classical Chinese to understand the Heart Sutra. For years, I have studied it in both Chinese and English. I feel that I understand the Sutra not just intellectually, but experientially.

Nevertheless, I relied heavily on several translations as a template. I also used several English translations of the Heart Sutra. All told, I used the following texts:

• There is No Suffering by Zen Master Sheng-Yen
• The Heart of Prajna Paramita Sutra by Tripitaka Master Hua
• The Heart of Understanding by Master Thich Nhat Hanh
• The Complete Book of Zen by Master Wong Kiew Kit
• Sukhavati by Master Wong Kiew Kit
• The Complete Book of Shaolin by Master Wong Kiew Kit
• The Heart Sutra by Master Wong Kiew Kit

My Figurative Translation

The original Sutra assumes a prior understanding of Buddhist philosophy. It hints at things that a serious Buddhist would understand without thinking twice. But for those who are new to Buddhism, the Sutra can be confusing.

The translation below is not literal. If you want a literal translation, please consult one of the books listed above. My translation is different. It contains additions and changes. I made these changes in an effort to make the Sutra more meaningful and accessible to Buddhist and non-Buddhists alike.

The Great Heart Sutra
of the Transcendental Wisdom
to Reach the Other Shore

A Bodhisattva named Avalokitesvara, meditating deeply on prajna-paramita, perceived that the Five Skandhas are all equally empty, and thus overcame all suffering and calamity.

Speaking to Sariputra, she said: Form is not other than emptiness; emptiness is not other than form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form. The other four skandhas — sensation, perception, formations, and consciousness — are also thus.

Listen, Sariputra: in transcendental reality all dharmas are marked with emptiness: thus things are neither born nor destroyed; neither pure nor impure; neither increasing or decreasing.

In ultimate reality, the Five Skandhas do not apply: thus, there is no form, sensation, perception, formations, nor consciousness.

In ultimate reality, the Eighteen Dhatus do not apply: thus, there is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; there are no sights, sounds, smells, tastes, textures, or thoughts; there is no vision, audition, olfaction, gustation, tactition, or perception.

In ultimate reality, the Twelve Nidanas do not apply: thus, there is no ignorance, activity, consciousness, or modality, no senses, contact, perception, or desire, no attachment, becoming, birth, or age-death, and no ending of any of these.

In ultimate reality, the Four Noble Truths do not apply: thus there is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no extinction of suffering, and no Eightfold Noble Path out of suffering.

In ultimate reality, the Eightfold Noble Path does not apply: thus, there is no Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Conduct, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration, nor Right Contemplation.

In ultimate reality, the Six Paramitas do not apply: thus there is no charity, discipline, tolerance, perseverance, meditation, or wisdom.

Thanks to prajna-paramita, Bodhisattvas understand that there can be no new attainment of enlightenment because originally there was only enlightenment. Thus, the mind of a Bodhisattva has no obstructions. Without obstructions, she has no fear. Free from delusion and illusion, she is able to reach the ultimate enlightenment called nirvana.

All of the Buddhas of the past, present, and future have relied on prajna-paramita to reach the supreme perfect enlightenment known as anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Thus know that this Heart Sutra is a great divine mantra, a mantra of great clarity, an unsurpassed mantra, a mantra that has no equal. It can eliminate all suffering. This is the incorruptible truth, without falsehood. If you wish to chant a mantra of prajna-paramita, recite thus:

ga-te ga-te para ga-te para sam ga-te bodhi svaha.

Glossary

anuttara samyak sambodhi – (Chinese: 阿耨多羅三藐三菩提): the perfect, unsurpassed enlightenment of a Buddha.

Avalokitesvara – (Chinese: 觀 世 音 Guan Shi Yin or 觀 自 在 Guan Zi Zai); The Bodhisattva of compassion. Known as “Guan Yin” in Chinese, and “Kannon” in Japanese. In India, Avalokitesvara was depicted as male, but in China, she is usually depicted as female. The changing gender of Avolitesvara points to the non-duality of cosmic reality, where there is no gender.

Bodhisattva – (Chinese: 菩 薩 Pu Sa); a highly developed spiritual being who has taken a vow to help all sentient beings to reach enlightenment. In Sanskrit, the word means “awake existence”.

Buddha – (Chinese: Fo 佛): any being who has become fully enlightened. In Buddhism, there are countless Buddhas of different ages and realms. The Buddha of our age is the historical Buddha named Siddhartha Gautama, who lived c. 563-482 BCE.

dharma – (Chinese: zhu fa 諸 法); in the context of the sutra, dharma means “things” or “phenomena”, but in the larger context of Buddhism it often refers to “the teachings of the Buddha”.

dhatus — The Eighteen Dhatus, or Eighteen Realms, arise because of and through the five skandhas. These realms can be divided into three groups of six: the six sense organs; the six sense objects, and the six sense consciousnesses. Each sense organs operates on an object, and thus creates a specific consciousness. The 6 sense consciousnesses arise because of the interaction between the six sense organs and their sense objects.

The 6 Sense Organs:

1. The Eyes
2. The Ears
3. The Nose
4. The Tongue
5. The Body
6. The Mind

The 6 Sense Objects:

1. Shapes
2. Sounds
3. Aromas
4. Flavors
5. Textures
6. Thoughts

The 6 Sense Consciousness:

1. Visual sense, or vision
2. Sense of hearing, or audition
3. Sense of smell or olfaction
4. Sense of taste, or gustation
5. Sense of touch, or tactition
6. Perception

Eightfold Noble Path (Sanskrit: arya stanga margah; Chinese: Bāzhèngdào 八 正 道 ): the 4th of the Four Noble Truths, and the way to end the suffering in samsara. It is a practical way to live which involves understanding the dharma (the Buddha’s teachings), developing moral purity, and practicing meditation.

1. Right Understanding
2. Right Thought
3. Right Speech
4. Right Conduct
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Concentration
8. Right Contemplation

Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: Catvāri āryasatyāni; Chinese: Sìshèngdì, 四聖帝)

1. The Nature of Suffering (Dukkha): living in samsara (the endless cycle of rebirth) is suffering.
2. The Origin of Suffering (Samudaya): the cause of suffering is desire.
3. The Extinction of Suffering (Nirodha): to eliminate suffering, one must eliminate desire.
4. The Path out of Suffering (Magga): follow the Eightfold Noble Path

ga-te ga-te para ga-te para same ga-te bodhi svaha: a Sanksrit mantra that can be loosely translated as: “Gone, gone, gone all the way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, ah!”

Heart Sutra: (Sanskrit: Prajñāpāramitā Hrdaya Sutra; Chinese: 般若波羅蜜多心經 Bo re bo luo mi duo Xin Jing): one of the most popular sutras in Zen Buddhism revered for both its brevity and profundity. It belongs to a group of sutras known as the Wisdom Sutras. The version here is the most popular, and comes from the Chinese translation by Xuan Zang (596-664 CE).

mantra: a mystical syllable, phrase, or poem chanted in many religions, including Buddhism and Hinduism. The most famous Buddhist mantra is “Om Mani Padme Hum”. In the context of the Heart Sutra, we have two mantras: the sutra itself, and the “ga-te” mantra at the end.

nidanas: the Twelve Nidanas, or the Twelve Links, is a Buddhist doctrine that explains how suffering is perpetuated through samsara (the cycle of birth and death). Each step in the twelve “links” is a consequence of the previous one.

1. Ignorance
2. Activity or action
3. Consciousness
4. Modality or Name-and-Form
5. The Six Senses
6. Contact
7. Perception or Sensation
8. Desire
9. Attachment
10. Becoming
11. Birth
12. Old Age & Death

nirvana (涅盤): the ultimate goal of Buddhism. The word literally means “no wind”, and describes an enlightened state of permanence, tranquility, and bliss.

paramitas: The Six Paramitas, or perfections of wisdom. In Buddhism, these are virtues that should be cultivated. In Mahayana Buddhism, The Six Paramitas are:

1. Charity, generosity, giving of oneself (Dana, 布 施 波 羅 蜜)
2. Discipline, morality, proper conduct (Sila : 持 戒 波 羅 蜜)
3. Tolerance, forbearance, acceptance (Ksanti : 忍 辱 波 羅 蜜)
4. Perseverance, diligence, effort (Virya : 精 進 波 羅 蜜)
5. Meditation, contemplation (Dhyana : 禪 定 波 羅 蜜)
6. Wisdom (Prajna : 智 慧 波 羅 蜜)

prajna-paramita (Chinese: 般 若 波 羅 蜜 多): prajna means wisdom or understanding based on direct experience; the three characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism are compassion (karuna), wisdom (prajna), and emptiness (sunyata), all three of which are emphasized in the first line of the sutra. Prajna-paramita refers to the the transcendental wisdom leading to perfect enlightenment.

Sariputra (Chinese: Shi Li Zi 舍利子); a disciple of the historical Buddha.

skandhas (Chinese: wu yun五 蕴); the five skandhas, or aggregates, that make up human existence:

1. form or matter (se色 )
2. sensation or feeling (shou受 )
3. perception or cognition (xiang想 )
4. mental formations (xing行 )
5. consciousness (shi 識)

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