Newbie Queries - Forest Spring, Mantak Chia or Keven Cohen?

[Eternal Spirit]

Hi All,

 

I skimmed through the archives of the Tao Buffs forum and came up with the following conclusion:

 

Mantak Chia

 

- Shady, not all recommend practicing his techniques - from his books and tapes; no one seems to doubt the validity of the techniques but the modifications made seem to be suspicous.

- I have most of his books, and a few of his audio/videos. The issue seems to be bad organization here. I was so confused reading so much about the microcosmic orbit that I could not figure out what to do!

- But this guy seems to be teaching a few techniques which are probably more advanced than what others are teaching?

 

Ken Cohen

 

- His 'Essential Qigong' is a pleasure

- Seems to cover everything that Chia speaks of or at least most of it

- His workout is well-laid and doable

 

Spring Forest - Chinyu Lin

 

- This guy makes a lot of sense like Ken

- His audio/video course is simple, well illustrated and doable

- But what he teaches in four of his levels seem to be simpler than what Ken teaches. I am not too sure if that means the targeted result is smaller as well?

 

Has any one done a comparative analysis of these three guys or others offering such courses as well? The key points I think one should consider would be:

 

1. Authenticity

2. Effectiveness

3. Comprehensiveness - whether the techniques can address both the novcie and an advanced practitioner

4. Two sides - whether the techniques taught address both the health and spiritual aspects

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks......

[Sahaj Nath]

Hi All,

 

I skimmed through the archives of the Tao Buffs forum and came up with the following conclusion:

 

Mantak Chia

 

- Shady, not all recommend practicing his techniques - from his books and tapes; no one seems to doubt the validity of the techniques but the modifications made seem to be suspicous.

- I have most of his books, and a few of his audio/videos. The issue seems to be bad organization here. I was so confused reading so much about the microcosmic orbit that I could not figure out what to do!

- But this guy seems to be teaching a few techniques which are probably more advanced than what others are teaching?

 

Ken Cohen

 

- His 'Essential Qigong' is a pleasure

- Seems to cover everything that Chia speaks of or at least most of it

- His workout is well-laid and doable

 

Spring Forest - Chinyu Lin

 

- This guy makes a lot of sense like Ken

- His audio/video course is simple, well illustrated and doable

- But what he teaches in four of his levels seem to be simpler than what Ken teaches. I am not too sure if that means the targeted result is smaller as well?

 

Has any one done a comparative analysis of these three guys or others offering such courses as well? The key points I think one should consider would be:

 

1. Authenticity

2. Effectiveness

3. Comprehensiveness - whether the techniques can address both the novcie and an advanced practitioner

4. Two sides - whether the techniques taught address both the health and spiritual aspects

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks......

 

i always seem to ask this, but then no one seems to volunteer it:

 

 

what are YOUR goals?

 

 

 

also, what do you mean by authenticity? it could be taken to mean almost the same thing as effectiveness.

[Eternal Spirit]

Well, cure for diseases etc is not primarily an objective but health is something I would like to maintain. But the primary goal is - if I may dare to say so - Spiritual Enlightenment.

 

By authenticity I would mean the consistency or universality of the effectiveness. Also, being passed on by an authentic lineage of masters helping one to connect to the energy of the lineage.

[Sahaj Nath]

Well, cure for diseases etc is not primarily an objective but health is something I would like to maintain. But the primary goal is - if I may dare to say so - Spiritual Enlightenment.

 

By authenticity I would mean the consistency or universality of the effectiveness. Also, being passed on by an authentic lineage of masters helping one to connect to the energy of the lineage.

 

 

well, the first objective of any qigong system is going to be to build and maintain health. if you're not interested in healing you don't want chunyi lin, and your choice comes down to ken cohen and mantak chia.

 

 

i think (by your own words, even) that cohen's a pretty easy favorite there.

[Eternal Spirit]

And Kunlun seems to be better, faster than other things.....but yes, there is the 'transmission' part which seems kind of whacky

Edited October 28, 2007 by Eternal Spirit

[宁]

Hi All,

 

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks......

 

You need to know what you need, what is the side you need to balance.

We keep hearing stories that some guy did that and it worked out well...

But that was for him, he needed that method to balance his own configuration.

There is some general method, as Bruce Lee said, there is only one way, because our bodies and minds are build the same. But everyone has something else to deal with.

That's why you can follow a famous method and get nowhere, because it is not for you.

You have a weak part, or element, or whatever, that needs to be balanced out.

And with balance, the Gate opens.

We usually are attracted to things that only make our stronger part even stronger, and do not care about the weakest. Is like muscle people like to build more muscle, and brainiacs more brain, and so on.

 

The answer to this lies in the Heavens.

What that means, you'll find out, if Heavens think you deserve it. I think everyone does, but it's not my call.

Don't take it wrong, this is what happens to all that have got the chanse to do it.

 

Good luck

[Cameron]

Kunlun

[Eternal Spirit]

Hey Cameron, you have been into Kunlun for a while now and you continue to recommend it. So I guess nothing uncanny has happened to you on this path. I ordered the book and am waiting for it. But till it arrives, I am going to continue Spring Forest. Thanks....

[voidisyinyang]

I once made a pamphlet of my results in researching esoteric meditation. In the pamphlet I stated that qigong master Chunyi Lin was "the most powerful qigong master in the U.S." He read that and stated -- "you can't write that. You can write I am very wonderful." I thought that was somewhat ironic since in the U.S. we favor free speech and this is my opinion. Also it's more appropriate to kow-tow to someone like qigong master Chunyi Lin although that is not the practice here.

 

Qigong master Chunyi Lin is recommended by Ken Cohen. Mantak Chia does not teach the full-lotus from what I can tell. Master Chunyi Lin spent at least 28 days straight in a cave in full-lotus with no drinking, no food and no sleep. One time he said it was 28 and another time he said 40 -- but I never felt comfortable asking for clarification -- if this was two different training periods... if they added up to 40....

 

Qigong master Chunyi Lin can smell cancer!!

 

Because of this long-term full-lotus cave meditation (without taking food, water or sleep) his energy is very effective in healing late-term cancer, paralysis, deafness, HIV positive and he is recommended by many doctors, including at the Mayo Clinic.

 

Master Chunyi Lin told us that he once levitated nine feet in the air -- spiraling up -- when he was in deep meditation in the mountains.

 

Once he transferred the alcohol content of 6 bottles of wine to another 6 bottles, thereby doubling their alcohol (the story behind this is actually quite funny).

 

The level of Master Chunyi Lin, from what he has told me while I took his class, and from the energy I've experienced while in his class -- is similar to the training that is described in the book "Opening the Dragon Gate." Master Chunyi Lin stated that he also trained with Master Yan Xin's teacher.

 

Master Chunyi Lin does a lot of long-distance healing over the telephone -- through his clinic at http://springforestqigong.com.

 

I also experienced qigong master Effie P. Chow's chi-emitting lecture and she does amazing healing and teaching and research as well.

 

I think the real issue is if people even deserve to be students of these teachers. Traditionally it's very difficult to be just a student. To be honest I was never sure if I even qualified as a student but I think that qigong master Chunyi Lin recognizes that in the U.S. we can not (usually) be professional meditators.

 

He was nice enough to joke around with me -- even though his jokes were based on reading my mind! The jokes were very friendly though. He did a lot of healing and then shot energy into my brain so that it was permanently transformed.

 

Master Chunyi Lin does not normally tell people about their past lives although he can read this information. He might tell you about your past lives if it will help clear an energy blockage.

 

Now I can flex my pineal gland whenever I want and have euphoria all day. I also do healing although mainly with electrochemical energy -- while sitting in full-lotus which I do throughout the day. When the energy builds up then I see white light around peoples' heads.

 

I had done more powerful healing while doing more intensive training during taking qigong master chunyi Lin's classes -- back in 2000. In just 6 months the energy was so strong that I healed my mom of a very significant leg debilitation so she no longer needs surgical stockings. that was after I did an 8 day "bigu" or energy feast (no food, half a glass of water, lots of full-lotus and small universe and the active exercises).

 

I had decided to do that energy feast bigu on my own and then took the Level III weekend meditation retreat. At that retreat I saw spirit ghosts coming into the meditation hall to hear Master Chunyi Lin. I didn't tell anyone but I knew what it was because I had read a very esoterica Thai Buddhist Master biography that described this experience. Then Master Chunyi Lin stated that someone else had seen these yellow spirit-lights and so he told us exactly what I thought they were. He stated that when he gives chi-emitting lectures then dead people come to hear him speak so to help them find peace.

Edited October 30, 2007 by drew hempel

[minkus]

Nice and open information Drew, also read your report on the national qigong day. Pretty impressive !

 

Regards, Mike

[Eternal Spirit]

Thanks for sharing the info. I have been practicing Spring Forest for a month and results are truly noticeable. My first experience with energy was while traveling on a plane fromIndia to LA when I met an Indian Master (http://kamakshi16.tripod.com) who practiced Traditional Tantra. I developed sickness and this guy placed his hands on my stomach. The pain disappeared in a while followed by sensations of deep fiery energy splashing in my spine. The bliss was overpowering though. Unfortunately I could not get in touch with him again. But the sensations continued to occur repeatedly and one night in a dream, the same person appeared and advised me to learn Chi Kung. I was wondering what it was when a neighbor told me she was taking a Chi Kung workshop by Master Chunyi Lin. Chunyi diagnosed the problem as Kundalini awakening and told me if was a powerful shaktipat that had happened to me and gave me specific exercises to balance energy. In a week, the unbearable energy was gone and calmness came back.

Edited October 30, 2007 by Eternal Spirit

[Trunk]

..Master Chunyi Lin ... gave me specific exercises to balance energy. In a week, the unbearable energy was gone and calmness came back.

Impressive.

[Sahaj Nath]

Thanks for sharing the info. I have been practicing Spring Forest for a month and results are truly noticeable. My first experience with energy was while traveling on a plane fromIndia to LA when I met an Indian Master (http://kamakshi16.tripod.com) who practiced Traditional Tantra. I developed sickness and this guy placed his hands on my stomach. The pain disappeared in a while followed by sensations of deep fiery energy splashing in my spine. The bliss was overpowering though. Unfortunately I could not get in touch with him again. But the sensations continued to occur repeatedly and one night in a dream, the same person appeared and advised me to learn Chi Kung. I was wondering what it was when a neighbor told me she was taking a Chi Kung workshop by Master Chunyi Lin. Chunyi diagnosed the problem as Kundalini awakening and told me if was a powerful shaktipat that had happened to me and gave me specific exercises to balance energy. In a week, the unbearable energy was gone and calmness came back.

 

hmm.

 

if this story is true, i guess i'm having trouble understanding why you would still be looking for a "better" system to practice. seems to me like you're where you should be. the grass always looks greener elsewhere.

 

i agree with drew. i think chunyi lin is one of the highest level masters in the states. pretty sure he's the highest level master to ever teach publicly here. and his goal is modest and sincere, which i absolutely love about him.

 

more healers. less suffering.

 

 

i didn't know you were already practicing SFQ when you first posted this thread. but because you said you weren't interested in curing disease, i took that to mean you weren't interested in learning the healing aspects of qigong so long as you could maintain your health. chunyi lin's mission is to teach as many people as he can reach to heal themselves and to become healers. so if that's not what you're into, then i'd still say go with ken cohen.

 

but given how you came upon SFQ, how could you doubt that you're already on the right path?

 

just give yourself to it. even if you establish a set amount of time, like 1 year, just commit to it for that year, without any reservation. the quality you bring to your practice is more important than what you practice.

 

and since he hasn't responded to your comment yet, cameron DID have "uncanny" things happen to him on his path, moreso than anyone else in this forum, i think. uncanny is a strange choice of words, so i'm guessing, based on context, that you're talking about strange awakenings and negative side-effects. he had both. read through the kunlun threads and his personal journal.

 

 

where you are is more beautiful than you seem to appreciate right now. just consider that.

[Eternal Spirit]

You are right, I was thinking 'creepy' when I said 'uncanny'. SFQ certainly has given me a sense of wellbeing but I guess I was ignoring that and looking for something more sensational, generating some thumping, bliss etc.

 

Today was even better, I was sitting and doing the small universe and all of a sudden the ground shook. I was wondering whether it was a 'spiritual experience' and then did I realize it was an earthquake!! Still trying to get out of the jolt...wooooo

[bindo]

You are right, I was thinking 'creepy' when I said 'uncanny'. SFQ certainly has given me a sense of wellbeing but I guess I was ignoring that and looking for something more sensational, generating some thumping, bliss etc.

 

Today was even better, I was sitting and doing the small universe and all of a sudden the ground shook. I was wondering whether it was a 'spiritual experience' and then did I realize it was an earthquake!! Still trying to get out of the jolt...wooooo

I felt it too! I'm in marin county. I was reading this forum when it happened. Whole lotta shakin' goin on!

[Eternal Spirit]

They are calling this moderate but bottles, books and pictures fell off at my place ... never seen anything like this ..

Edited October 31, 2007 by Eternal Spirit