Comments on: Be like a balloon http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/ Thank you for reading Tue, 21 Jun 2011 05:40:47 +0000 hourly 1 By: zenmindsword http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-270 zenmindsword Sun, 13 Aug 2006 12:15:34 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-270 shanglee, its not a matter of belief. its a matter of following the mehod and practicing diligently everyday. My teacher never said "believe". All i did was practice one form everyday in accordance with the principles and methods for cultivating shen, yi, qi and the understanding just came with time. shanglee, its not a matter of belief. its a matter of following the mehod and practicing diligently everyday. My teacher never said “believe”. All i did was practice one form everyday in accordance with the principles and methods for cultivating shen, yi, qi and the understanding just came with time.

]]> By: Shang Lee http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-269 Shang Lee Sun, 13 Aug 2006 05:49:32 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-269 I would add one more thing to the excellent suggestion that ZMS pointed out, that to concentrate, u have to "not concentrate". I first have to believe that i can reach such a stage. Without that belief, there will always be doubt that "i can't do this" and hence lose the will to concentrate (or not as it may seem!). I would add one more thing to the excellent suggestion that ZMS pointed out, that to concentrate, u have to “not concentrate”. I first have to believe that i can reach such a stage. Without that belief, there will always be doubt that “i can’t do this” and hence lose the will to concentrate (or not as it may seem!).

]]> By: zenmindsword http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-263 zenmindsword Sat, 12 Aug 2006 01:08:56 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-263 Brother Wuji If I may say I am not On to something Cause there is Nothing for me To get on That is not already there The form be A road map That I but Follow closely And I am just Relating my experience Which is why for me To talk about taiji Outside of what I am learning Would be totally Meaningless Brother Wuji
If I may say

I am not
On to something

Cause there is
Nothing for me

To get on
That is not already there

The form be
A road map

That I but
Follow closely

And I am just
Relating my experience

Which is why for me
To talk about taiji

Outside of what
I am learning

Would be totally
Meaningless

]]> By: zenmindsword http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-262 zenmindsword Sat, 12 Aug 2006 01:03:50 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-262 Concentrating on relaxing Is the key and yet Not the key Why do I say that? Unless you have a Method for practicing Relaxation, just merely Chanting "relax", "relax" Won't help you To do so And may even Lull your mind to dullness And eventual distraction Breaking up goal of concentrating Thus to concentrate Do not concentrate!!! Just like the zen lesson Of not thinking about "not thinking" So what be the right way You may ask Easy! In our tradition We chant the instructions Mentally to play the form Just like repeating zen koan Over and over and over Reining in the scattered mind To become unified mind To concentrate into one-mind When the stage of no-mind Is slowly reached Great doubt will be generated On the impossibility Of the body of writings Called taiji classics Then when all seems lost The mind suddenly lights up And like a light shining Through a foggy night The doubt vanishes And complete awareness Is now at your command Of shen, yi and qi Concentrating on relaxing
Is the key and yet

Not the key
Why do I say that?

Unless you have a
Method for practicing

Relaxation, just merely
Chanting “relax”, “relax”

Won’t help you
To do so

And may even
Lull your mind to dullness

And eventual distraction
Breaking up goal of concentrating

Thus to concentrate
Do not concentrate!!!

Just like the zen lesson
Of not thinking about “not thinking”

So what be the right way
You may ask

Easy! In our tradition
We chant the instructions

Mentally to play the form
Just like repeating zen koan

Over and over and over
Reining in the scattered mind

To become unified mind
To concentrate into one-mind

When the stage of no-mind
Is slowly reached

Great doubt will be generated
On the impossibility

Of the body of writings
Called taiji classics

Then when all seems lost
The mind suddenly lights up

And like a light shining
Through a foggy night

The doubt vanishes
And complete awareness

Is now at your command
Of shen, yi and qi

]]> By: zenmindsword http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-261 zenmindsword Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:54:39 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-261 Is using leg strength A bad idea? That depends on Who you ask? The me before current taiji Says OK no problem In fact good as Leg strength is part Of internal strength mechanism Or so I believed back then But the me now says If your body be the Conduit for your mind The more relaxed The more your mind Intention can go through Leg strength is a kinda Tension that inhibits The mind from Flowing freely out So you are not sure But I am sure Cause this be my experience Now ever since I lost my mind And found my intention Once I lost my body Is using leg strength
A bad idea?

That depends on
Who you ask?

The me before current taiji
Says OK no problem

In fact good as
Leg strength is part

Of internal strength mechanism
Or so I believed back then

But the me now says
If your body be the

Conduit for your mind
The more relaxed

The more your mind
Intention can go through

Leg strength is a kinda
Tension that inhibits

The mind from
Flowing freely out

So you are not sure
But I am sure

Cause this be my experience
Now ever since I lost my mind

And found my intention
Once I lost my body

]]> By: wujimon http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-257 wujimon Fri, 11 Aug 2006 17:54:26 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-257 I think what ZMS is getting at is that Yi is the most important thing. We should focus on that before going on to other things. This is kinda of like the alternate approach to zhan zhuang. You can either fight your way through the time, or just do as long as you can while you can remain relaxed and clear mind. This could be as little as 3 mins, but overall, it gradually builds over time and you won't have to try and release the tension brought up by trying to fight the stance later. You're right, I do think ZMS is on to something that I am overlooking.. I think what ZMS is getting at is that Yi is the most important thing. We should focus on that before going on to other things. This is kinda of like the alternate approach to zhan zhuang. You can either fight your way through the time, or just do as long as you can while you can remain relaxed and clear mind. This could be as little as 3 mins, but overall, it gradually builds over time and you won’t have to try and release the tension brought up by trying to fight the stance later.

You’re right, I do think ZMS is on to something that I am overlooking..

]]> By: Shang Lee http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-256 Shang Lee Fri, 11 Aug 2006 14:31:34 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-256 Wow, even a poem! I think ZMS is on to something about the yi. I think concentrating on relaxing is quite key. However, the concentration normally breaks with distractions, like the oncoming force, the leg not holding up, the sweat. All these translates to stiff arms, stiff kua... and it goes into a downward spiral of completely breaking the concentration! Any ideas on keeping the concentration? Wow, even a poem!

I think ZMS is on to something about the yi. I think concentrating on relaxing is quite key. However, the concentration normally breaks with distractions, like the oncoming force, the leg not holding up, the sweat. All these translates to stiff arms, stiff kua… and it goes into a downward spiral of completely breaking the concentration!

Any ideas on keeping the concentration?

]]> By: wujimon » Sweating During Taiji Revisited http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-254 wujimon » Sweating During Taiji Revisited Fri, 11 Aug 2006 13:09:39 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-254 [...] Working on the hips/kua aspect will be easier to address in my practice than the ego aspect. Thanks to Shang Lee’s Post on Peng, and ZenMindSword’s prose on Sung, I have even more things to think about during training!!! All joking aside, I do thank them as revisiting this topic has revealed some core topics for me to address. Thanks, guys! [...] [...] Working on the hips/kua aspect will be easier to address in my practice than the ego aspect. Thanks to Shang Lee’s Post on Peng, and ZenMindSword’s prose on Sung, I have even more things to think about during training!!! All joking aside, I do thank them as revisiting this topic has revealed some core topics for me to address. Thanks, guys! [...]

]]> By: wujimon http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-253 wujimon Fri, 11 Aug 2006 12:30:33 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-253 Hi ZMS. Just for clarification, are you implying that using leg strength in form is a bad idea? I asked a similar question to my yang style instructor once. <a href="http://wujimon.com/2003/sweating-in-taiji/" rel="nofollow">I asked him if sweating was ok during form practice and he basically said sometimes, but not usually</a>. Hmm.. after thinking about this again, I'm not sure anymore. Hi ZMS.
Just for clarification, are you implying that using leg strength in form is a bad idea? I asked a similar question to my yang style instructor once. I asked him if sweating was ok during form practice and he basically said sometimes, but not usually. Hmm.. after thinking about this again, I’m not sure anymore.

]]> By: zenmindsword http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/comment-page-1/#comment-252 zenmindsword Fri, 11 Aug 2006 07:02:46 +0000 http://shanglee.com/blog/2006/08/10/be-like-a-balloon/#comment-252 sorry update....got my questions bumped to http://blog.sgwutan.com/ sorry update….got my questions bumped to http://blog.sgwutan.com/

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