mjjbecker

Good. Presuming he is still reading this thread, I would advise him to STOP whatever practices he has been doing and not to engage in ANY further such practices without the express permission of his doctor and the direct, personal instruction of a capable and qualified teacher. The lesson in all of this comes back to getting instruction from a capable, qualified teacher, not deviating from their instructions and not mixing practices without the knowledge and understanding of exactly how these practices work. I speak from personal experience of the need for direct instruction-and correction-because students DO make mistakes while learning. They also read lots of stuff online and in books, perhaps suddenly believing they have some insight gained above and beyond what they were taught. Some idiots then publish their 'insights' in books or online, leading others astray in the process. I see the OP states he lives in Colorado. Once he has the green light from his doctor-not before-should he wish to continue he MUST find a good teacher for instruction. In his case, given the problems he has encountered, he MUST NOT practice in future without this PERSONAL, DIRECT INSTRUCTION. There is a Wudang trained master resident in Colorado: http://www.wudangtao.com/ He has certified several people to do qi healing: http://www.wudangtao.com/content/index.php?option=com_fjrelated&view=fjrelated&id=0&Itemid=159 If the OP feels the need he could contact one of them-WHILE ENSURING HE CONTINUES WITH THE TREATMENT AND ADVICE OF HIS MD. Some direct, level-headed, reassurance might help in regards to 'qi issues'. http://www.wudangtao.com/content/index.php?option=com_fjrelated&view=fjrelated&id=0&Itemid=159 There are also a couple of instructors certified by Bruce Frantzis in Colorado: http://www.energyarts.com/instructors/taichi-qigong/usa/co I've only read and heard good things about what Bruce Frantzis teaches, and the health benefits related to those teachings. I will say again, for emphasis, STOP THE EXISTING PRACTICES YOU ARE DOING AND DO NOT DO ANY FURTHER TRAINING WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF YOUR MD AND THE DIRECT, PERSONAL INSTRUCTION OF A QUALIFIED, CAPABLE INSTRUCTOR.

Competition fighting is very much a part of modern day Shaolin training. Why? Money and fame. The place has to pay its way. Modern day fame and fortune is gaining in the ring, not by fighting bandits or other feats of olden days past. http://www.shaolintempleuk.org/ You will note that both 'warrior monks' have extensive competition experience.

Translating Chinese texts about esoteric principles requires an indepth understanding of the subject matter. The reality is that most Chinese people are unable to do this, never mind a computer. This is not my opinion, but rather that of a professional translator I discussed the matter with, who has excellent English but no background in Chinese philosophy, religion, martial arts or other esoteric matters. It is also the opinion of a Chinese university lecturer friend of mine. The reality is, even if you pay a good translator to do the work for you, they will probably get it wrong, because they will not correctly understand the material. I'm not a computing expert, but I suspect we are some way off any kind of computer or software able to translate such things. It would need to be able to think so as to grasp the nuances of meaning. Not only that, in your case it would need to think with the understanding of a master of the particular art, who has been given the oral instructions needed to grasp the meaning, and who has then spent the time internalising the principles involved. Given the above, you are left with two choices. Learn the language yourself, and with the advice of your teacher(s) you may be able to grasp-and then translate the material. Otherwise, you need to find a teacher who has good enough English to be able to translate and explain this information for you. A third option (that you've followed over a period of time) of drip feeding information onto online forums such as this one is not likely to get you the quality of translation needed, unless there is a member here who has a high level understanding of these related martial arts (Southern white crane methods). So, learn the language, or find someone trained to a high level in these martial arts who can translate for you. A typical translator will not be able to, and we seem to be some way off any kind of computer capable of thinking at a human level, never mind thinking with the understanding of a martial arts lineage master.

Neigong-depending on the school (different schools have their own interpretations)-uses 'Heaven and Earth' qi, 'yang and yin' qi or 'solar and gravitational' qi. Within the Mo Pai neigong, within Hunyuan neigong, Stillness Movement neigong and another school I know of, qi certainly is drawn in from outside of the body. Of course it interacts with qi already within the body. Not knowing how to gather qi would constitute 'low level' practice. Being able to gather in qi from outside the body is absolutely fundamental to high level practice. Qigong is simply the generic term for all related practices. It does not mean higher or lower, inside or outside. I know Bruce Frantzis made the distinction some time back, but the facts regarding the modern use of the term 'qigong' are a matter of historical record, and that the term was adopted as a catch-all term for the various different methods and schools.

This is discussed in the book 'The Magus of Strovolos' quite extensively (from a Christian perspective). Part of 'Daskallos's' teachings was that one person can take on some of the karma of another person, in order to help them. His son-in-law is mentioned in the book as an example where Daskallos takes on his karma, with the possible risk that it may kill Daskallos. One very, very important point. High level healing works on an 'energetic' and 'spiritual' level. I suspect a lot of people who attempt to use 'qi' for healing lack the ability to do much on either an energetic level or spiritual level. Attempting to use qi if you are not capable enough puts the 'healer' at risk. A lot of people delude themselves that they are 'spiritually advanced'. HIGH level healing, using both 'qi' and the 'spiritual' don't actually contradict. This is what Michael Lomax does, this is what another teacher of mine does, and this is also what is done by the 'Researchers of the Truth' (those who follow Daskallos's teachings. This method not being Chinese is different in certain aspects). In China, there has been considerable interaction between Buddhist and Daoist thoughts and methods. This has influenced the different schools of qigong and spiritual practices. The 'Complete Reality' school would be a famous example. Wang Juemin, Michael Lomax's teacher studied Buddhist and Daoist methods, as did his teacher, Hu Yaozhen. Another teacher of mine follows both Buddhist and Daoist methods. As Kostas mentioned in his Q&A, correct practice involves the practitioner taking on energy, 'storing' it but also being able to 'tap into' the 'universal' energy outside of the body. I would say a practice that only claims to do one or the other is missing something. I would also say that if you are projecting qi for healing, you will be projecting some of your own energy regardless as to whether you believe you are simply 'channelling' the 'universal' energy. Everyone has energetic centers and an energy body and this reality cannot be divorced from the equation. Unbalanced practices will result in unbalanced results.

Do a search on the forum for more information, and check out his website: www.qigongamerica.com .

Michael's 'problem' is that he isn't Chinese and doesn't attempt to make what he does mysterious (the mists of time BS, remote temples, etc. You know the drill) or exclusive (people love exclusive in particular-'I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!'). If he was Chinese and did follow this business model, lots more people would be chasing after him. Also, there isn't the martial arts element-people seek the 'ultimate' system to bolster their fears. Should people seek out Michael to learn from? Honestly, not if what he does doesn't resonate with them. However, don't allow intellectual prejudice blind your judgement (been there, done that, many times). It is something you have to 'LISTEN' for. What I can say is this. Anyone who does seek out Michael, learns what he does and then PRACTICES it, will not regret doing so. The same cannot be said for some other methods. Bottom line. He's a lineage master of one of the foremost energetic and spiritual schools anyone is ever likely to come across.

I have been tested by John Chang and also grounded patients that he was treating. It is not 'jing' that he is using. It is qi-a very strong continuous projection of qi which feels like electricity. Sifu Chang usually used needles but I also saw him use touch via his fingers. With the needles or his fingers there was only touch contact made and no physical force was applied. If Mr Clyman's method of treatment also feels like an electric current then perhaps it is similar to what John Chang does. If not then it is different. It doesn't mean better or worse, just different. The electric-yang qi-is a result of some kinds of martial neigong. Not just John Chang but also masters of several different martial arts school have reputedly been able to project this kind of qi. While it can dredge the energy channels, clearing out qi blockages and sick qi, it is not the best method for doing so-it isn't supposed to be. It is for combat. Other methods of qigong healing have shown themselves to be more suitable for treating illnesses such as cancer.

It isn't about earning respect. I'm sure plenty of people on this forum dislike other members and disagree with their views. Yet, they don't get involved in personal slanging matches. It is about courtesy. What was lacking, or perceived lacking, was a lack of courtesy in responding to each other in said thread. I'm not singling you out beyond anyone else. At applies to all involved. It has been pointed out many times before, writing on a forum does not allow for easy understanding of people's meaning and intent. There is no tone of voice or body language to guage. There are only the words, and how people react to them will vary, depending on how they perceive the intent of the message. Often that perception on forums is one of confrontation-I said something, he/she disagreed, therefore he/she was attacking me personally. From this tempers flare and things escalate. Once again I will repeat what I've said before. Don't blame the moderators for doing their job. If people self moderated the moderators would not be needed. That doesn't come down to anyone having to respect another person or their views, but it does come down to everyone showing other people the courtesy that they themselves would like to be shown. An example. Despite being a bitter opponent of appeasment, this is what Winston Churchill had to say on the news of the death of Neville Chamberlain. I've quoted the appropriate paragraph but you can read the full speach by following the link. http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches-of-winston-churchill/104-neville-chamberlain Right or wrong, wise or misguided, the majority of people posting on this forum are sincere in their beliefs, perhaps seeking some help and often genuine in their wish to help others. We may not respect what they stand for, but perhaps we can debate and discuss those views by showing each other the courtesy we all would appreciate.

Absolutely. The distance healing in this lineage is amazing and something I've experienced personally.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17177251

Perhaps they were suffering from MSG withdrawal symptoms? Not to defend some of the farming practices, or cooking methods, used in the US, but China is no haven of pure food. I don't think the exploding water melons of last year were a sign of good, healthy organic farming. The mass use of MSG or the illegal recycling of cooking oil from sewers aren't happy situations either. I know organic meat and vegetables can be obtained in the US (my brother having lived in the US for more than 20 years tells me so). I can also say China is no garden of Eden (having lived here a few years myself). As for all the 'Dao' comments, I recommend the Dao of brevity. The Dao of grammar also-correct use of past tense in particular ('...the last two have conflicted with...')

Your first paragraph...what? Brion and Michael have both written a lot here about 'listening'. It isn't about 'fighting' anything. It IS about doing good things as and when the situation allows it. The ability to 'listen' is developed by the practice. There is no forcing or fighting the earth. Brion and Michael are just passing on some advice, based on their own experience. I don't see anywhere them saying a person shouldn't 'bless' or 'give thanks' for their food. That said, having some developed ability undoubtedly makes a difference.

Because he has worthwhile things to say, has had some interesting experiences and shares them with an open and generous heart (and in an articulate manner). They make for some of the best posts on this forum. Any of these experiences he chooses to share, I personally am more than happy to read about.

Kostas recently did an interview with The Times of India newspaper. I've attached a copy of his original answers to the questions, along with the interview the newspaper published. As well as, hopefully, being an interesting read, you can see the difference between an author's original work, and what it ends up like after the editing process. Enjoy and my best for the season. Kostas interview Times India - original.pdf Kostas - 18 December 11.pdf

A good idea: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/7783-chinese-taoist-medicine-stillness-movement-medical-qigong/page__st__112__p__278266__fromsearch__1entry278266 I can say the problem has cleared up completely and there is no left-over pain or problem.

http://whfoods.com/ http://whfoods.com/recipestoc.php The recipes are good and I can recommend them from having tried a few.

I don't know much about the method-only what I have read. From that both Yang Meijun and one of her students, Michael Tse, have used outgoing qi projection for healing purposes. I think the OP's point, that most schools of qigong don't practice or teach this, is valid. That has been my experience. As for clinical use in China, it seems that several hospitals have developed protocols in the clinical application of qi projection for treating patients. There will likely be some variation, but there is also common ground. I believe that much of what is done by different people today, in mainland China, stems from what was initially organised in the 1950's. Some schools will on top of that have their own particular methods. Outside of the mainland, some martial arts schools are famous for their bone setting and herbalist skills. Some incorporate esoteric Buddhist healing-as do some Japanese koryu-and that would fall under the category of qigong healing.

This. Because, the original point made in the other thread was that Wild Goose qigong uses qi emitting to heal people: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/21806-wild-goose-the-healer-form/ That does not mean other methods are not valid, or that medical qigong practitioners-and hospitals in China-don't get patients to practice qigong exercises. It doesn't mean other methods don't have very good results for some people. With reference to the original point though, it is about methods that train one person to directly treat another person. There are many different qigong methods, but most do not teach this application of medical qigong.

And Seth's follow up post had good information and valid points. I never said otherwise. The initial posting had nothing of that, just mocking of the OP saying the OP didn't have a clue. There was no 'why' this was the case. The why is important not simply for the OP, but for the people who read this forum, so that they understand and they benefit from your knowledge and experience. I've been there and 'bluntly' questioned what people write on forums. I found it rarely had a constructive effect, but rather closed off other people from the facts of the message. On the Stillness Movement thread you said you were, and have, thought about this yourself. Of course you are free to express yourself as you choose. This being a public forum, some will agree, some will not. I am not asking for you to apologise for who you are, or for having strong feelings. I have strong feelings on subjects also. I am saying that by being polite, it gets a better response from people. What I have said is I don't think your initial post here was constructive. Your follow up post on the details of Wild Goose was very interesting and constructive, and I am not being condescending or otherwise by saying that, or by saying 'thank you.' That information is really helpful to the discussion. No, I am asking for simple politeness. This is not political correctness or some kind of request for a 'love in.' It is just basic politeness. Interacting on a forum IS different because there are only words here. No tone of voice, no body language, or other communication aids. That is probably what leads so often to people being getting angry and flame wars starting. I have-on the Stillness Movement thread-commented about your observations. And yes, about how you put them. That doesn't mean I don't respect your experience in these things. What you posted initially here was just a blunt statement saying the OP was wrong. No why and no detail-and now that you have do so on another post I would say you make entirely fair criticism. Now it is clear why you said the OP was wrong.