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The true reality of life is quite beyond our
human understanding. Life is not logical, but has a flow to it
and Shuichuan helps you to adjust to this natural flow. We are
not in Heaven, or somewhere similar and Shuichuan will not
enable to you to live without the ups and downs of life
‘happily ever after’ but will help you to adjust your
energies and consciousness to these variables. The purpose of
Shuichuan practice is to achieve an increased consciousness of
Wu Wei (being in a state of constant ‘Prayer’). Once this is
learned the purpose and meaning of your life becomes much
clearer and the ups and downs will not affect your inner balance
at all.
Zi Ran Qigong is a miracle and must not be confused with other
man-made teaching systems which are also called Qigong. The
movements you receive in your exercise are different from
everyone else’s; they are tailor-made for you and move the
energy within as you need it for balance. You do not move from
your mind but the Da Qi, (The Great Chi or Mystery) moves you.
For the natural world this beautiful energy works by itself –
the salmon knows how and when to return to its original river.
It gets there without a compass; and the birds instinctively
know how to build their individual nests. Their lives progress
seemingly without effort. In our modern society, all you need to
do is let go and be natural. Follow your connection to the Da Qi
through your Shuichuan practice and the feelings that come from
it and don’t try to seek an explanation, for this is beyond
the human mind and understanding.
John Freear
Surrender
Surrender is the purpose of the Zi Ran Qigong exercise. When you
let go the Da Qi will begin to move your body. The movements
begin to develop and in most cases they eventually take the form
of T’ai Ji Chuan. With others the movements may produce
osteopathic adjustments. Everyone moves differently and the
movements are not something you have learned. It is something
your body needs to do to correct and balance your health.
The next phase involves quietening the heart and mind which are
often full of unbalanced feelings, emotions and thoughts. This
much longer process cannot be evaluated for each person is
different. For this reason it is not possible to expect the
exercise to take any particular exterior form. Each person has a
different need and this need varies as time progresses.
Zi Ran Qigong (natural or spontaneous Qigong) is not related in
any way to the exercise system known as Shaolin Qigong. This
developed much later and is quite different. These are learned
exercises and are not directly connected to the Da Qi. The
exercises are a product of the mind. They are organised, whereas
Zi Ran Qigong has no organisation whatsoever. You are moved from
beyond yourself.
The Da Qi knows each person intimately. When we first arrive in
this world we have this knowledge too as we are still fully
connected to the Da Qi. As we encounter society and the
unbalanced world it has created, we start to forget. Shuichuan,
at an advanced level, is a process of remembering. Through this
remembering you will begin to understand much more about life in
this world. In order to allow this process to work you must
simply surrender to it.
T’ai Ji Chuan and the elaborate Gong Fu techniques or
‘fancy’ movements are not what Shuichuan is really about.
Shuichuan practice is an endless process towards enlightenment
and this is for the rest of your life. First Zi Ran Qigong
balances your health, then the emotions and finally the long
process of enlightenment. Shuichuan Qigong is not a religion, it
imposes nothing but you discover for yourself your own truth. It
is a way of seeing the truth behind all the great religions. All
come from the same source, and you are in contact with this
source. If you stay connected with this source the benefits are
endless, moving into all areas of your life and even after
death.
John Freear
Shuichuan and Meditation
The difference between these two systems often causes problems
for new students who wish to continue with previously learned
meditation techniques. Both systems move into the same direction
- the difference is that Shuichuan is, in a sense, ‘back to
front’. Chu Xing opens the Original Energy, Yuan Qi or Soul
whereas meditation uses the mind to achieve the same result and
this usually takes a much longer time to achieve results.
Chu Xing is like a candle moving into a dark room. When the
candle arrives, the darkness automatically disappears – you do
not have to move the darkness in order to achieve the light. In
Shuichuan you make the ‘connection’ first. Having made it,
everything else is adjusted quite automatically simply by doing
the exercise regularly.
If you wish to meditate this is fine, but in some cases there
will be a problem. Meditation activates the mind and misleads
the mind into believing that it can again ‘drive the car’.
You can experience a conflict due to the fact that you now know
(outwardly and inwardly) that the mind is not the real you –
it is simply a complex computer and needs to be excluded.
John Freear
Taoism
Shuichuan is based on an ancient Taoist (Daoist) Exercise called
Zi Fa Gong. It is over 7,000 years old, pre-dates Lao Tse, and
is used today in State Chinese Hospitals as a health practice.
Although treatments are often carried out by Doctors trained in
Western Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (T.C.M.), it
is not scientific, but empirical, in nature. Zi Fa Gong is
practiced by many hundreds of thousands of Chinese on a daily
basis. This Exercise is the origin of Taoism, of present day
Acupuncture and T’ai Ji Chuan. It is also related to Chinese
Arts like Calligraphy and Feng Shui among many others. If you
practice Zi Fa Gong - the Shuichuan Exercise - then you
understand Taoism. You cannot understand it from reading books.
Taoism fits in easily with most religious ideas. Its concepts
are Universal. The Taoists believe in what we call God - but to
them, as with the original name Jehovah, this Great Life Force
is a Mystery. They call it “Da Qi” (Great Chi) or Yuan Qi
(Original Energy) and believe that this essence is also present
in us. Zi Fa Gong, or Shuichuan, causes this energy to wake up
and move so, the purpose of Shuichuan is to achieve clarity and,
most importantly, inner balance.
Life has a rhythm about it - a natural flow - and the idea is to
be able to move with this flow of Life and achieve a state of Wu
Wei, True Surrender. Wu Wei means “not doing”. This does not
mean that nothing is done, but means that no action is taken
which involves the heart and mind. You act from the Inner Self
or Yuan Qi. You appear to do little, you seem unconcerned, and
it is this lack of concern that is the key. When we are
concerned, or worried, about an outcome, we slip out of balance
and damage ourselves. The philosophy present in Taoism is,
therefore, to flow with life’s changes and achieve a result
dictated by the rhythm, which emanates from the Da Qi itself. If
this ability is followed you simply don’t make ‘mistakes’.
This fits in with the Christian idea of a state of Prayer and
the Islamic idea of surrender. It is a universal concept present
in nature, a concept which affects us all.
From the Da Qi point of view, or perspective, everything is
known, and the results are already set. The rhythm is in place.
It takes quite dramatic twists and turns, and final outcomes are
always beyond anticipation, logic, or scientific understanding.
However, the Exercise eventually teaches a form of understanding
based on totally letting go and flowing with the natural course.
In this way, we restore health and balance and can live long and
productive lives. We have accepted the rhythm of life.
We all face difficult decisions, either in business or with
problems related to personal matters. You might ask how this can
work when the mind has such an important contribution to make.
In the Taoist reality, also in the beliefs of ancient
Christianity and Islam, the question is easily answered. The
mind is useful, in this modern world it operates like a
computer, but this use is limited. The mind is not able to tap
into this rhythm, it is outside of it. The way to go in, and
enjoy Life more harmoniously is to practice the technique known
as Nei Shi.
This technique, a basic method of practice in Shuichuan, means
“looking through”. It is a way of seeing the rhythmic
reality of practical problems, and finding a way through them, a
way which is both harmonious (to the individual) and balanced.
The Zi Fa Gong Exercise (the origin of Taoism) induces a daily
means of harmony and balance of your everyday life. You can flow
with this essential principle of Rhythm.
Lian Dan (a part of the Dou Fa “games”) means
“mirroring” or the ability to reflect another person’s
negative energy back towards them. It looks like magic and for
thousands of years the Chinese authorities have called the
practitioners of this technique “Taoist magicians”. It is
not, however, what it seems. This ability to mirror unpleasant
energy is, in Christian terminology, arising out of a state of
Prayer. It is not your own energy used, but that of the Da Qi.
As such, if appropriate to the situation, it is irresistible.
Two examples of the use of Dou Fa come to mind:-
In one case a student was negotiating the purchase of a new car.
Her meeting with the car salesman was satisfactory, an
acceptable trade-in price had been agreed, but it was later
challenged by the car-sales manager. Our student simply
responded by using Dou Fa to “spin” this individual’s
mind. He couldn’t think clearly so withdrew from the
negotiations. The price then came back down to the previous
accepted level. This Dou Fa spin is only one of many techniques.
In this case the mind of someone in opposition became confused
and he suffered no damage.
In other examples this ability can manifest itself more
dramatically. Wendy Giftopoulos found herself alone in Sydney
late one night. She was waiting for a taxi when she was accosted
by a rather aggressive drunk. Using Dou Fa she caused this
individual to physically spin. He went around and around for a
few seconds and then collapsed. Leaving her undamaged adversary
in this state Wendy safely jumped into a taxi and went home.
Basically this is Qigong as self-defence - it is done without
even touching, or damaging, the aggressor.
This may look impressive, but the reality is that it is the
opposite. There are so many stories from students who have done
much the same thing. Shuichuan appears to allow people to
perform minor miracles, but the secret behind the whole system
is the awakening (and training) of the Original Energy (Yuan Qi)
or God within yourself. This process of awakening, which never
ends, fits in with most religious beliefs, except that no
doctrine is present. No explanation is offered. The beauty of
the whole system is the establishment of your own individual
connection with this mysterious Da Qi. An individual connection
is far more progressed than any faith promoted by organised
religion. If it is your connection then it will be more suited
to you. It will express itself in ways which are understandable
to your own personal state of consciousness, education and
opinion.
Without this kind of individuality in understanding little can
be achieved. The Chinese say “If you practice Qigong then you
can know it”. It is a very individual experience. It is truly
experiential.
John Freear
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