Re: Fragrant Qigong to prevent flu

His Holiness the XVI KARMAPA passed away from cancer, it's said. His heart was enlarged, also. If you would care to read the accounts of his final days, in the US, it will become very clear to you that not all is as it appears. There is, indeed, an element of taking on the "karma" of others, that can manifest as disease. It is not so black and white as 'he should have known better' or 'he should have been powerful enough to counteract these effects.' This is viewing things from a very body-centred position. I do not think, at the higher levels of any heartfelt practise the body is the locus of reality. There are a multitute of reasons any advanced being might go the way he goes. The body is merely the clothing one takes off. To look at death as some sort of failure is, I think, myopic.

I would agree that the idea of watching TV or chatting with a friend while you are doing this sounds absurd. I smiled at that... But I can see people doing it that way and still getting the benefits of "exercise". As has been said, 'each according to their capacities.' I believe it's all in how a person approaches it. For myself, I felt what I can only describe as a feeling of faith, or certainty, after reading the material I looked up, and seeing a picture of Master Tian. Despite any of the TV stuff. In the past, I've done some BaGua and a little qi gong, mainly circle-walking and some of the long form...but I'd let that go, since moving away from the teacher and losing my partner.

And this looks good. I don't get the feeling (I'm just learning it) that it's anywhere near as simple as it looks.
(I saw one youtube video that makes it look like exercise, very unfocussed, and far too swinging)

In the pdf available online, there are questions and answers by students, toward the end, and I found the master's voice was very clear, very present, in some of what was said -- particularly, that one should not practice this having any negative feelings, or lacking faith...

That being so, it doesn't sound as though this form of qi gong's for you.

I also liked what he had to say about it not being something for the head. I've heard that before in bagua too. These are internal arts, but again, he cautions always against directing the qi (hence the TV, for those that might be inclined). I think a lot of people are very attached to the idea of qi "powers", and this practice might look like it doesn't go there... My sense of the whole TV thing, is, that's to assist certain minds to bypass the usual thought system, which, as consideration will abley illustrate, is one that's very often 'in error'.

C Tweet