nyerstudent

Hi, I’ll try to answer them one-by-one. Long-term benefits: I’m fortunate to not have many health challenges right now, so I practice mostly for the mental and emotional benefits. I find it contributes to a positive and constructive attitude. It makes me easier to be kinder to others. It also supports deeper and easier sleep for me. Vs other practices: I enjoy its flexibility and few restrictions on practice, and its safety. It’s a safe practice to learn and practice on your own, even for many hours a day (eg. if you have a serious condition). I also enjoy Master Ou’s lectures, which he now offers on Zoom. I find him a very impressive person and learning from him is one benefit to practicing PGSG. Ceiling: I think the practice can go deep, but I’d probably recommend learning the other forms too. Some students also find that doing more qi healings opens them up and increases their sensitivity to the energy. The Advanced form is more potent for me than the others. But probably more important than the energy practices are refining one’s conduct as an individual. That is emphasized in the teachings more than the exercises even. I also find that the more you do the exercises, the more powerful they are. Personally, I think that most qigong practices discussed on this forum can take you very very far, and it’s more a question of whether you gel with it enough to actually practice it, and whether you connect with the teacher / teachings. Hope this helps!

@Turnip I first learned it in 2016 and have practiced all levels since then. I’ve included other practices at times, but come back to PGSG regularly. What can I help answer?

Hiya, Letting interested folks know that the master of this method has started publishing more materials in English, making the technique freely available: https://mywholebodyprayer.com/ There is also a mobile app that is very polished and has many instructional videos + a nifty practice log feature (all free). He has also published two recent books in English. Hesitate to discuss my experiences as it has only been two weeks, but it is a very powerful healing and meditative technique and I’ve seen benefits from it already. I will continue with it for a full 100 days and evaluate. Blessings, NYer

I think there are also many levels to kindness. “People pleasing” may be a superficial kindness that more helps you feel good, vs truly being kind to someone else. For instance, withholding a drug from an addict in a moment may be met with anger, but it might actually be more helpful and appreciated by them when they can step back and have perspective. In my experience, Flying Phoenix can help open up your heart, which can help you navigate those situations more easily and act with greater kindness. So can SFQ or Pangu qigong.

Thanks! I cannot really comment on Neigong, but that makes sense. In the shengong that I practice, it is very much a component. I cannot comment if in isolation it'd have the affect of making qi "rise to the head", but as part of the entire practice, it has many beneficial effects on mind, body, health, intuitive abilities, and so on. The system is (deliberately) light on "mechanistic details", but the goals are different than what you describe ("sinking and consolidating") -- more about absorption (loaded term, but I mean it in the simplest sense).

In my experience "visualization" can be a loaded term meaning different things in different practices. So debating it can be entangled in these definitions, compounded by translation nuances. For example, a few variations I've seen: 1). There are practices where you visualize something in front of you. You construct an image in your minds eye. 2) Or you can visualize chi running through a channel, or collecting in a dan tian, which implies moving energy with intention. 3) Or visualize a sun behind or on top of you. Obviously, this does not appear in your minds eye, but are setting an intention. "Mechanistically" I believe these are all distinct, to some extent. Do others agree / disagree? Thanks for the discussion.

Re: Pangu: the Pangu password is from a set of books the master wrote before he decided to create the qigong forms called The Path of Life. Reading the book is supposed to be healing, and the password is the distillation of what the Creator / God narrates to the master in terms of how humans may cultivate themselves to transition to an "eternal state". You can read the password (or maxim) here. My personal interpretation of the password in Pangu, and in SFQ, is: the subconscious mind controls most the bodily functions and qi flow. Saying passwords consciously is "teaching" the subconscious to trigger certain qi flows. I also think that whatever intent you set prior to qigong, can get magnified by the practice...so it acts as a guardrail, through the conscious action to re-affirm something positive. I also think visualization in qigong functions in the same way. Just my $.02...

Thanks, great points! No claims to my own "power" certainly (would characterize myself in the beginner stage!), but after several years of my own practice, I've noticed heightened intuition and sensitivity to others. This can feed arrogance, or ironically, irritate and close you off as you perceive disconnects more readily (ex. what someone says vs. actually feels). Having a grounded ethical framework in the practice can help you release or integrate the new information you're receiving, vs. getting bogged down and frustrated or even alienated from others. At least that's been my experience.

In the qigong school I am most familiar with there is also a strong emphasis on morality (Pangu Shengong). It was also brought to the public in China in the early 1990s. In my understanding, focusing on morality is a path towards emptying yourself of issues and obstructions clouding insight / wisdom. On a base level those issues may lead to feelings like anger or jealousy, which “overconsume your qi” and lead to health issues (a la the TCM understanding). So a first teaching is that cultivating yourself this way may improve your health. But it can also a path towards achieving a calm mind, which I understand most paths to unfold into. Practically, you have issues and preoccupations that occupy your thoughts. By focusing on others, you take your own issues more lightly, which can also open your heart and help connect to the divine / higher levels. Eventually you can release those issues as you move forward in life, and you feel more present and clear. I think where I’ve felt myself (and seen others) get “stuck” in a teaching like is when you latch onto various moralistic notions or achievements as the path itself, rather as just way to release issues, calm your mind, and develop insight / wisdom. I think that is why many traditions and religions eventually move past an emphasis on morality as you progress. anyways, just my understanding!

For a healing qigong that has many layers to it, I will recommend Pan Gu Shengong: https://pangu.org. People have used this method to heal from all kinds of serious and life-threatening illness. Easy to learn and easy to practice. Personally, I practice 1-2 "rounds" a day (20-40 mins), sometimes longer if I feel like it and have time. It has made a positive contribution to my health and overall state of mind, optimism, etc. When I practice in the morning, I'm almost guaranteed to have a great day, with positive interactions abound, a sense of motivation and confidence, and can usually expect to sleep deeply at night (its quite good for sleep issues). At deeper levels, it represents a very compact self-cultivation path, with the exercises assisting you, but the main "practice" would be formless (as I've experienced it). It combines elegantly with other systems and beliefs, too. For physical self-cultivation, my favorite exercise, beyond walking, is: http://shovelglove.com/. Take it slow though!

Hello, Does anyone have experience with the "Life-Saving ZiJou Method"? Not much to find online about it these days, but the bits that I have run across sound pretty positive. It seems like it's geared towards cancer patients, and from what I can gather is a simple, though demanding, qigong standing technique. I've ordered a copy of the book, but haven't received it or learned the technique, but curious if anyone else has run across it. Thank you!

I can recommend Pangu Shengong: https://Pangu.org. Master Ou is based out of the Bay Area. It is non-traditional in that it is a recently-created form, but it has a track record of helping people recover from many kinds of serious illnesses (you can find testimonials on the site). There’s also a “healing skills” course for those who wish to help others with qi-healing. Some practitioners have gone on to run their own clinics / practices full-time utilizing these techniques. happy to answer any questions about this practice!

Vajra, how many days per week have you been doing the all day fasting? Or is it just every other day? I followed the Warrior Diet (ages ago) for several years but it wasn’t terribly practical, and didn’t emphasize variety enough for me. Felt imbalanced to stick to a similar schedule every single day. I prefer Art de Vanys approach where he randomly skips dinner (and the following breakfast sometimes) 1-2 days a week.

Hm. I just read that, and didn't see it as "debunking" anything. Its reasoning goes like: "Lots of organizations and people connected to the investigation of organ harvesting have Falun Gong ties" -- yes, obviously. The CCP excels at censorship, suppression, influence, and misinformation - it's not surprising that Falun Gong participants would want to (and need to) lead the charge in investigations. At least one forum member has personal connections to people who were directly imprisoned. In my mind, without a doubt, persecution of Falun Gong is happening, the scale at which we'll likely never know. The fact that it's happening at ALL is utterly inexcusable. Do I think it's the worst human rights violations in history? No, not likely. Does that matter? No. Does Falun Gong have cult-like tendencies and recent gross political associations with Trump? Absolutely. Does the CCP have some redeeming qualities and benefits to Chinese society? Sure, maybe. ...but does any of that change or justify the horror of the CCP's behavior? NOPE, not one iota. This whole CCP-apologist reasoning to me seems akin to doubting a victim's alleged account of abuse at the hands of a rich, influential attacker because: a) the victim (FLG) seems highly disturbed, b ) the attacker (CCP) denies it All the while, c) the attacker (CCP) has a horrible track record of abuse Why the heck would you not trust the victim, enough to at least listen to them? Why the heck would not want to investigate this and get to the bottom? And given c), why would you trust anything the attacker said in defense? It you did, I'd have to question your motives, or reasoning.... ------------ Anywho, back to cultivation. FLG is an absolutely excellent qigong set -- people who suggest it's not much and or "copied from other stuff" perhaps haven't really practiced it before. It's still one of my favorite sets, though I haven't practiced it for years. I found there was a lot of truth in the teachings, bizarre-sounding at times or not, and, since moving on from it years ago, have seen them unfold in different ways throughout my path... You can scan the forum for accounts of people who actually practiced and can attest to its benefits. Sifu Terry, who has decades internal arts experience / teaching, gave the following account: That said: Thank you for relating your experience with Falun Gung. I've had no direct experience practicing this Buddhist spiritual qigong. But years ago, around 1999 or 2000, when news of China's clamping down and persecution of Falun Gung practitioners made the news in the west, I viewed one clip of an advanced Falun Gung practitioner (could have been the founder) doing a seated meditation. And the second I saw his rotational hand movements (along his centerline, and backwards towards him [i.e., counter-clockwise as seen from his right side]), I felt the Falun Wheel turn within my own system and knew instantly that it was a very authentic and powerful spiritual path with very effective Yogas. (Unfortunately, the Falun Gung movement drew strong repression from the Chinese government because they were able to stage massive demonstrations by 10,000 people in an instant.) But thank you for mentioning Falun Gung because I want to add that to my answer to your question: authentic Falun Gung properly taught by instructors in that sect is every bit as powerful and spiritually uplighting a spiritual path as any that I have come across.

This is a great thread, thanks all! Personally I've practiced the Nembutsu (the Namu Amida Butsu variant) and Zhunti mantra consistently over the past few years. For me, I've noticed that with both Zhunti and the Mani mantra the effect of occasionally "everyday things becoming challenging / life becoming harder". It always passes, and I feel all the better for it afterwards, and things seem to go more smoothly afterwards. The net effect feels positive. I've also noticed the wish-fulfilling effect with Zhunti recitation, especially with regard to professional obstacles. The Nembutsu (again, just for me) is very soothing, and doesn't seem to shift my life in the obvious ways as the Zhunti mantra does. It really does feel like taking refuge in the "cool shade of Amida's tree", as I saw referenced somewhere. For me the effects of all of them are more pronounced when I keep the following tips in mind: relax the chest, don't "resist", and let the feelings of joy naturally spring forth (but not forcing it). I haven't tried the Medicine Buddha mantra yet, but I'm now inspired to - thanks!