BruceFrantzisInterview withTaoBumsForum March2011

TABLEOFCONTENTS WhatareyourmaingoalsforteachingTaoistEnergyArtsinthewest? ......................................... 4 IfIcouldonlydoonepracticeexercisewhatwoulditbeandwhy?.................................................. 5 ManyBumsresonatewiththematerialinyourbooks,yetarealsointerestedinpractices thatworkwiththeenergyandspiritlevels.Whatadvicewouldyougivetosuchseekers? .. 6 Youlookveryhealthyandmuchlighterinyourrecentvideos.Didsomethingshiftforyou inthelastfewyears?............................................................................................................................................... 8 ManyofusonTheTaoBumsforumtakeaneclecticandnontraditionalapproachto cultivation.Assomeonewhosepathwasalsoquiteeclecticandyetstilltraditional,isthere anyadviceyouwouldimparttothemodern,informationage,spiritualseeker?....................... 9 Arecurringdebateontheforumsiswhetheritisbettertofocusintentanddirectchiinour bodies(tellitwheretogo)ortoletthechigowhereitwants,especiallywhenitseemsto "haveitsownagenda".Canyouspeaktothis?......................................................................................... 12 Whatisthedifferencebetweendissolvingthephysicalbodyandsimplyrelaxingas understoodintheWest?Canonedissolvethephysicalbodythroughordinaryrelaxation practices,ormustonebeabletofeelqitopracticedissolving?Ifthelatter,whatwouldyou recommendasthefastestwaytolearntofeelqi,sothatonecandissolvetheenergybody? ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Manyofthepracticesyouteachfocusonlettinggo,increasingawarenessandsensitivity, andfeelingandworkingwithvariousenergies.Whatprotectivemethods,ifany,wouldyou recommendtosomeoneinsituationsinwhichfeelingotherenergiescouldbeharmful,orif thereisanabundanceofovertlynegativeenergy? ................................................................................ 15 DoyoupersonallyusetheIChingfordivinationandoverallhowdoyoufeelaboutsucha practice? .................................................................................................................................................................... 16 AreplanningtoreleasetheBaguamasteryprogramforalargeraudiencethantothe250in thefuture,and/ordoyouhaveplanstoreleaseindividualDVD'sorbooksonthematerial insmallersegments?Willweeverseeabookonthesinglepalmchange?................................. 18 WillyouevercreateaTaichitrainingprogram,likeyourBaguaone?......................................... 19 HowaboutaNeigongversionoftheBaguaMasteryProgram?........................................................ 20 There'sjustsomanydifferenttypesofqigong,neigong&neidan.Canyousharesome generalprinciplesfordifferentiatingthem?.............................................................................................. 22 ArethereotherpathsthatwouldcomeunderthisWaterMethodumbrellabesidesLiu's lineage?Isitthataparticularpracticeisawaterorfiremethod,orisitthesystemasa wholethatisafireorwatermethod?Whatinparticularmakesamethodorsystemwater orfire?Aretheirmixtures?............................................................................................................................... 24

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Okay,nowthenextquestionisitasystemasawholethatmakessomethingaFireora Watermethod,e.g.,theHuaShanortheMaoShanschools? ............................................................. 26 Arefire,wood,metal,earthenergiesusedintheWaterMethod?Aretherealsoentire separatemethodsforeachoftheseotherfourphasesaswell,oristhisa misunderstanding? ............................................................................................................................................... 27 IsitpossiblethattheWaterMethod"flattens"thepeakandpitstagesintheBuddhistpath, named"Arising&Passing"and"TheDarkNightoftheSoul"? ......................................................... 27 Knowledgehasbeentransmittedtoyouviathelineagesystem.Areyouintendingtopass thelineageoninthetraditionalfashiontooneormorestudents?Ifnotwhatareyour thoughtsaboutthislineagebeingpassedtoyouawesternerandnotbeingfullytransmitted inthetraditionalfashion?.................................................................................................................................. 28 EventhoughLiuHungChiehwasalreadyrecognizedas"enlightened"intheMahayanaTien TaischoolofChineseBuddhism,helateronfocusedinTaoistmeditationpractices.So, whataspectsofthespiritualroaddidheconsidernotcoveredwellenoughbytheBuddhist practices?Also,didLiuHungChiehmentionwhatinsightsoftheBuddhisttraditionare hardertogetinTaoism?..................................................................................................................................... 28 ManyTaoBumswhoresonatewiththematerialinyourbooksyetarealsointerestedin practicesthatworkwithChiandShenlevels.Whatadvicewouldyougivetosuchseekers? ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 30 Ok,lastquestion!Couldyoutellus3simplethingswecoulddoeverydaytoenhanceour livesandourharmonywithTao,nomatterwhatsystemorpathwearefollowing?............. 34

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 WhatareyourmaingoalsforteachingTaoistEnergyArtsinthe west?
IhaveseveralgoalsforteachingEnergyArtsintheWest. Firstandforemost,IwanttopassontheinformationoftheTaoistlineagethatIlearned inChina,becomingalivingbridgeforfuturegenerationsintheWest.Ihopetopasson thepersonalpracticelineageasitrelatestoallaspectsoftheinternalmartialarts, includingtheirhigherspiritualaspects,thehealingworkandthemeditationworkof Taoism,primarilytheinnerdissolvingprocess.Thisprocessiswhatwillenablea persontobeabletoachievethegoalsofTaoistmeditation. MysecondmaingoalisthatotherpeoplewilltakefromtheTaoistlineagewhatis usefulandwillbeabletoincorporatewhattheylearnintowhatevertheydo.Inthis waytheknowledgeofTaoismwillhelppeopleinthefuture,regardlessofwhetherthey attempttolearntheentirelineageornot.Eveniftheylearnonlypartsofit,whatthey learncancatalyzetheircreativeprocessintobenefitingthepeopleonthisearth. WithinthelineagesareteachingsregardingpersonalpracticesofTaoism,thingsyoudo byyourselfforthefirstyearsofstudyingthisway.ThesearedevotedtowhatinTaoism iscalledbody,energy,spirit,emptinessandTao. Themainpurposeofthefirstyearsofpracticeistodevelopthebodyanditsenergy alongwiththeinsularitymethodsthatarerelatedtochi.Thisoccupiedthebulkofmy lineageteachingsforthefirst15yearsafterIreturnedtotheWestfromBeijing.

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InTaoism,Chimeansemotionalenergy,mentalenergyandpsychicenergyandshen, orspirit,whichencompassestheenergyofkarmaandindividualessence,essence beyondpersonality. Inthepast7yearsIhavebeendevotingmyteachingstoshifttowardtheemotional, mentalandpsychicenergyaspectsoftheteachingsalongwiththosesecondary practicesthathavetodowiththebody. Throughmycourses,seminars,andprintmaterials,IhopetoofferTaoistinformation, perspectivesandpartsofthepuzzlewhichwillhelphumanbeingsinwhateverform ittakes,astheroadanyonetravelsontheTaoisalwaysamysteryandwhereitendsis alsoamystery.

IfIcouldonlydoonepracticeexercisewhatwoulditbeand why?
Therearethreeanswerstothisquestiondependingonwhatsortofpractitioneryouare. Ifyouareabeginneroracasualpractitionerandyouwanttolearnsomethingbasic aboutchi,DragonandTigerMedicalQigongwillbeagoodstart.Thisrelativelyshort andcompletesystemhasonlysevenmovementsandwillgiveabeginnerenoughofa starttofeeltheirchiandthebenefitsofpractice. If,however,youareamoredisciplinedorstrongerpractitioneroryouarewillingto practicemorethan10or15minutesaday,Iwouldrecommendoneoftheeight standingposturesofIChuanoroneofthe200standingposturesofTaoism.Ifyourgoal istobecomeextremelystrong,oryourinterestsareinmartialarts,practiceHsingiand Santi.

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Now,ifyourinterestismeditationclearlyyouwouldwanttodoasittingmeditation practice.InTaoismIwouldrecommendInnerDissolvingasthemostdirectwaytogo. However,youmighthavetodomorepreliminaryTaoistmeditationpracticebeforeyou couldarriveatInnerDissolving.TheisonereasonIstartedtheTaoistMeditationCircle sopeoplecandevelopcoreskillssuchasconcentration,focus,awarenessofthebody andconsciousTaoistbreathingsotheyhaveasolidfoundationforthedeeperTaoist meditationpractices. Ifyoualreadypracticetaichiorbagua,andespeciallyifyoulearnedthespiritualand chiaspectsoftheartsratherthansolelytheirphysicalhealthaspects,thatwouldbefine asyoursingleexerciseifyourgoalismeditation.Althoughthespiritualandchiaspects arerarelytaught,thisissomethingmylineageteaches. Thesearetheeasiestandthemostdirectpracticesifonehadtogiveasimpleanswer. Buttherereallyisntasimpleanswerbecausethepractitionersaccesstoagoodteacher andwhatsortofeffortyouwanttoputinhavetobetakenintoconsideration. Aqualifiedteacherisessentialtogiveyouaverydirectwayoflearningtoreachthe highestlevelwiththeleastamountofeffort.Yourindividualsituationcanonlybe assessedonaonebyonebasisandcannotbeansweredinageneralway.

ManyBumsresonatewiththematerialinyourbooks,yetare alsointerestedinpracticesthatworkwiththeenergyandspirit levels.Whatadvicewouldyougivetosuchseekers?

WhenIfirstcamebacktotheWest,Ihadaclearthoughtoftransmitting,tothebestof myability,thetraditionIbelongtointermsoftheclassicTaoistparadigmofbody, energy,spirit,emptiness,Tao.Thefirstfifteenyearsofmyteachingweredevoted

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primarilytothephysicallevel,whichmeanstheenergyofthebodyandeverythingthat isrelatedtotheenergyofthebody,includingyouranimalemotionsthataregenerated fromyourinternalorgans. InthepastsixyearsIhavenowbegunteachingwhatiscalledshengong,orspiritual qigong.Thisisthebeginningofmyteachingtheqiorenergylevelwhichrelatestothe emotionsandmentalenergyaswellaspsychicenergy.Asofyet,Iveonlyjustlightly tappedonthepsychicenergypart,whichIwillbeginteachingmoreofattheendof 2011againinOxford,England. Inthispastsixyears,Ihavebeengoingmuchmoreintohowmeditationisincorporated intoeverythingthatrelatestophysicalpracticessuchasqigong/chigung,taichi,etc.I havenowbeendoingallthesephysicalpracticesequallyintermsofthechilevelorthe energylevel.Theselevelsaretaughtinliveteachingsnow. Mycompanydoesnotyethavevideos,books,etc.onthesesubjectsingreatdepth.The closestitgetstothisistheBaguaMasteryProgram.Thisintermediatelevelworkis goingintowhatyouaredoingwiththechannels,etc.InmyliveteachingsIamalways doingthisallthetime.TheBaguaMasteryProgramisbeginningtotouchonthissubject intermsofitbeingavailableoutsideofliveteachings. Alsointhepast6yearswehavebeencontinuouslyarchivingvideomaterialsofallof mycourseswhereIhavebeenteachingthis.Asofyet,wehavenoplanstoreleaseany ofthisworkmostlybecausewedonothavethepersonnelorvolunteersfortheediting togetdonesowecanreleasetheminvideoformat.ButIamteachingthismateriallive allthetimeandatsomepointwehopethatthesearchivalmaterialscanbecome availabletopeople.However,forfinancialreasons,wecannotpromiseareleasedateat thistimeofthesematerials. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 7

Youlookveryhealthyandmuchlighterinyourrecentvideos. Didsomethingshiftforyouinthelastfewyears?
IhavebeenspendingalotoftimeinthepastfewyearsinMaui,Hawaii.Hotweather hasalwayscausedmetoloseweight,andcoldweatherhasalwayscausedmetogain weight.Ihaveabodylikeabearinthatsense.Lookingmuchhealthierisntnecessarily relatedtoweight,buttothefactthatoveraperiodof7yearsinmyfifties,Ihadacar accidenteveryyear.InthepastfewyearsIhaventhadanycaraccidents. Anyonewhohasgonethrough7caraccidentswouldprobablylooklikedeathwarmed over,forgetaboutlookingnotsohealthy.Theywouldbeluckytobealive,whichwas mycase.NowthatIhaventhadanycaraccidentsforacoupleofyearsIvebeenableto beginregeneratingmyself.Previously,everytimeIwouldbegintoregeneratemyself,I wouldhaveanothercaraccident. Thosearethebigthingsthathaveshifted.AlsonowthatImalittlebitolderIve actuallystartedeatingbetter.Thefactofthematteristhatmyentirelife,Iateenough forthreepeople,forgetaboutone.ButnowImeatinglessandthatseemstobemaking abitofadifference,alsoinlighteningup.

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ManyofusonTheTaoBumsforumtakeaneclecticandnon traditionalapproachtocultivation.Assomeonewhosepath wasalsoquiteeclecticandyetstilltraditional,isthereany adviceyouwouldimparttothemodern,informationage, spiritualseeker?

Icanspeakfrommyexperienceaboutwhatthetraditionalapproachisandtheeclectic wayIwentaboutit,andtheessentialdifferencebetweenaneclectictraditional approachandtheapproachofthedabbler,whojustknowsabitofthisandabitofthat. Thefirstissueis:whybecomeeclectic?Insomesenseyoubecomeeclecticsothatyou cangainareallyspecificperspectiveonsomething.Youmaywanttodotaichi,butas aneclectic,youmaywanttodoataichispecificallyforfighting.Forexample,Idid PrayingMantisand8DrunkenImmortals.Doingtheseshowedmesomemartial aspectsoftaichiIneededtopayattentiontoratherthanignore.ButIwentdeeplyinto them.Ididntjustskimthesurfacewiththem. ThereisaveryoldphrasefromIndiaaboutthedesert:ifyouwanttostrikewaterdont dig20wellstenfeetdeep,digonewell200feetdeep.Thatsumsuptheapproachthat Ivetaken.MyprinciplewasthatifIwastobeeclecticinseveraldifferentthings,in eachoneofthemIdugawell200feetdeep. Manypeoplesay,Well,youknow,Illdothisforamonthortwo,andIllkindofjust dothatforaworkshop.Thatapproachonlyhelpsyougetsomeideaofwhateach thingis.Youstillhaventreallydoneaparticularthinguntilyoustarttogetwhatits specialpointis,afterseveralyears.So,youreallyneedtogodeeptoknowsomething andthatisgenerallynottheapproachofmostNewAgepractitioners. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 9

 Myexperiencehasbeenthatthetraditionalwayswereallaboutgettingrighttothe centralissueofyourpractice.Bygoingdeep,Idontmeanreadingaboutit.Imean doingyourpracticeuntilitsinyourbloodandinyourbones. Now,inpurelyintellectualterms,youwanttoreadaswidelyaspossibleandapplythe methodsyouwoulduseforanyformofresearch.However,thegreattroublewithalot ofinformationisthatyoumaynotbeabletosortoutwhatisthewheatandwhatisthe chafe,whatisrelevantandwhatisminimallytangential.Thisisaproblemwiththe massesofinformationavailable:oftenmuchisnotactuallygroundedinanything substantial. AnotherexampleofthisismyexperiencewithHathaYoga.Originally,asbackground forqigong,Ididthe300posturesofHathaYogaandalotofPranayama.Buteven beforethatIdidtheYogaposturessimplytobecomeveryflexiblesoIcouldkickin martialartsbetter,dojudobetter,dogroundworkandwhatnot,better.Inonesense, learningthe300hathayogaposturescanbeseenasthetraditionalapproach.Fromthe eclecticviewofwantingtoknowthewholesubjectofchi,thisstudywasonlyapiece;it wasnotthewholething. Also,asaTaoistPriest,wewentthroughagreatnumberofsubjects.Eachonewas leadingtotheotherandwewentdeeperanddeeperanddeeper.Itwasntthatwejust gotalittlebitofinformationoneachpiece.Wereallywentdeepandthatistheeclectic traditionalapproach. Sometimestounderstandsomethinginitsentirety,youhavetocomeatitfrommany anglesuntilyoucanseebothwhatisandwhatisnotso.ButagainIwanttosaythatthe eclecticapproachofrealtraditionalistsisnotsurfaceknowledgeineachofthe Energy Arts Inc, 2011 10

approaches.Itisanincredibleindepthknowledgeineachoftheapproaches,sothat evenifyouworkandstudytenthings,youbecomeaminimasterineachofthoseten things.Youarenotjustabeginningorintermediatestudent,yougodownyourpath pickingupwhateverpossiblefromwhereveravailableuntilyoureallyclearlygetthe essentialpointoftheparticularpieceyouarestudyinguntilyougetit,unambiguously andwithnononsense. ItwasverymainstreaminallofChinaforsomepeopletodoonlyonethingfortheir entirelife.Otherseveniftheyspecializeinonething,wanttoknowwhattangentially ordirectlyconnectstoandenhancesthatonething,orwhatevernumberofthingsthey reallyarefocusingon.Thisapproachcanbeverydifficult.So,thetraditionaleclectic approachinChinaisthatineachandeverypartofyourapproach,whateverits inclusivedifferentcomponents,youwouldbeeithervirtuallyattheMasterlevel,nota casuallevel.ThepurposeofallthiswastobecomeasupermasteraGrandMasteror whatinChinatheysimplywouldcallarealMasterofthesubject.

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 Arecurringdebateontheforumsiswhetheritisbettertofocus intentanddirectchiinourbodies(tellitwheretogo)ortolet thechigowhereitwants,especiallywhenitseemsto"haveits ownagenda".Canyouspeaktothis?

Thereasonwhythisisarecurringdebateisthatitdoesnthaveasimpleanswer.There areessentiallytwoanswers,twosidesofthecoin,tothisquestion. Firstofall,ifyoustandordoanysortofchipractice,thechiisinitiallytosomedegree goingtogowhereitnaturallyneedsorwantstogo,regardlessofyourattemptsto controlit. Thatbeingsaid,chicangoinpathwaysthataremoreefficientorlessefficient.Assuch, thebenefitofdirectingchiisthatyoucanefficientlyshortenthetimeitwilltaketoget whateverresultsaregoingtocomefromyourpractice. Ifyoulearntodirectyourchi,forexample,alongameridianlineorinternallywithina multitudeofotherchannelsincludingtheright,leftorcentralchannel,thechiisgoing tobeactivatedinthatarea,aslongasyoukeepyourawarenessmoreorlesswithinthe parametersyoureworkingon. Essentially,chiwillstartgoingwhereitwantstogoandthekeyisinlettingit.Instead oftryingtoforcechitogointoachannel,itisbesttosimplyencourageitsflowintothe

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desiredchannelsandthenwatchhowandwhereitgoesandmorphs.

Whatisthedifferencebetweendissolvingthephysicalbody andsimplyrelaxingasunderstoodintheWest?Canone dissolvethephysicalbodythroughordinaryrelaxation practices,ormustonebeabletofeelqitopracticedissolving?If thelatter,whatwouldyourecommendasthefastestwayto learntofeelqi,sothatonecandissolvetheenergybody?

Dissolvingthephysicalbodyandrelaxingitisnotthesamething.Here,weusethe imageofgoingfromicetowater. RelaxationintheWestismostlyunderstoodasamentaloranemotionalmoodchange. WhenweregoingfromicetowaterinDissolvingpractices,weretalkingaboutthe bodyphysicallysofteningaswellasyourmoodsoftening. Ofcourse,thereisageneralemotionalsenseofrelaxation,butmorespecifically,the tissuesofthebodyarephysicallyrelaxingandbecomingsofter.Thebloodinthebody beginsflowingbetter,whichcomesfrombloodvesselsbeinglessconstricted. Now,canonedissolvethechiofthephysicalbodythroughordinaryrelaxation practices?Idontbelievethatyoucandissolvethechiofthebodythroughordinary relaxationpracticesbecausethewholefocusistoopenthechitoyourethericbodyorin innerdissolving,totakethechiintotheinnerspace.Ordinaryrelaxationnormallydoes notdothat.Yes,itwillrelaxthetissues,butitwontdirectlyaffectyourchilike Energy Arts Inc, 2011 13

dissolvingpracticeswill. Anythingispossiblebutdissolvingisnotthenormalexpectationbecauseithappensso rarelywithordinaryrelaxation. Mustonebeabletofeelchitopracticedissolving?Themajorpointhereisthatdirectly feelingchiisafruit,afinalstage,ofyourpractice.Initiallyhowever,youcouldbegin sensingyourchithroughvisualizationorimagination. IhadateachernamedT.T.Liangwhowroteabook,ImaginationBecomesReality,in whichhestatesthatifyoufocusyourintent(yourimagination)eventuallyyourintent (yourimagination)willhelpmoveyourchi. Regardingtheabilitytopracticedissolving,oneactuallyhastobeabletofeelthechito somedegreebecausetheprocessofouterdissolvinginvolvesreleasingenergyintothe ethericfield,whichisnotphysicalbutenergetic.Thatrequiresyoutofeelyouretheric field.Ifyoucantfeelyourchiandyoucantfeelyourethericfield,howwouldyou knowifyouredissolvingornot?Yes,youcouldvisualizeitbutwouldhaveno concrete,actionableideaofthechiitself. Thesamegoesforinnerdissolving.Youcouldvisualizeitbuttheprocessofdissolving inTaoismisnotonlyavisualizationpractice.Youactuallydoneedtobeabletofeelchi forthispractice. Mostpeopleusuallystartoutonlybeingabletofeeltwoorthreeoffivepercentof whatsgoingonandgradually,thatabilitytofeelandrecognizetheirchistartstogrow untiliteventuallyreaches100%. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 14

 Thatsaid,itwouldbeafalsedichotomytosaythatifyoucantfeelityoushouldntdo itatall.Learningtofeelyourchiisagradualgrowthprocess. WhatwouldIrecommendasthefastestwaytolearntofeelchi?Essentially,allofmy booksandallofmymaterialsteachtheprocessesforlearninghowtofeelchi. IntermsofwhatIteach,thecoherentsystemofQigongcalledDragonandTiger MedicalQigongwillhelpyouinitiallyfeelyourchithefastest.Thisonecoherent systemworkswiththeethericbodyandgivestheoverwhelmingmajorityofpeoplethe fastestabilitytofeelchitosomedegree. ThesecondpracticeIrecommendisStandingandDissolvingwithinEnergyGates Qigongbecause,althoughtheprocessofstandingisdramaticallyharderthanDragon andTiger,StandingandDissolvinghashistoricallyproventoallowthelargestnumber ofpeopletofeeltheirchideepinsidetheirbodyinthemostconcretewayintheshortest periodoftime.

Manyofthepracticesyouteachfocusonlettinggo,increasing awarenessandsensitivity,andfeelingandworkingwith variousenergies.Whatprotectivemethods,ifany,wouldyou recommendtosomeoneinsituationsinwhichfeelingother energiescouldbeharmful,orifthereisanabundanceof overtlynegativeenergy?

Thisissomewhatofacomplexquestionbecausehowyouprotectyourselfagainstother Energy Arts Inc, 2011 15

peoplesnegativeenergiesisasubjectforthatthereisnoquicksoundbite. Thisquestionisespeciallyimportantforbodyworkersorotherswhoworkwith severelyderangedpeople,orinnegativecircumstances;e.g.,soldiers,policeofficers, therapists,doctors,crisiscenterworkers.Fortheseindividuals,therehastobeawayof bothrecognizingtheneedtoandthenpragmaticallyreleasingenergyasitpotentially becomesstoredintheirsystem. ItaughtacourseinSwedenacoupleofyearsagoandImgoingtobeteachingonein Reading,UKinmidOctober2011thatisgearedtowardbodyworkersandothersas mentionedabovewhoareconstantlybeingbombardedbyotherpeoplesenergies.In thiscourseIteachyouthebasicprinciplesthatareveryimportantinSafeguardingYour HealthandProtectingYourQi. Thefirstthingtounderstandisthatyoucannotblocksomeoneelsesnegativeenergy unlessyoucanclearlyfeelyourownenergy.Ifyoucantfeelyourownenergy,theres notmuchyoucandotodistinguishwhetherandtowhatdegreeanyouterenergyis affectingyourinnerenergy. Thereare100differentwaysofblockingenergy.

DoyoupersonallyusetheIChingfordivinationandoverall howdoyoufeelaboutsuchapractice?
MywholetrainingasaTaoistPriest,aswellasmywholetraininginChina,wasabout usingtheIChing.WhatIpersonallydoordontdo,althoughitmaybeaninteresting Energy Arts Inc, 2011 16

topicofgossiplikewhatthecelebritiesateforlunchlastweek,isnotparticularly importanthere. AtapracticallevelIhavenotusedlookingatthewrittenIChingtotryandsort somethingoutforalotofyears. Theresawholeprocess,averyclassiclongtermformofTaoistmeditation,whichis aboutlearningtorecognizetheeightenergiesoftheIChingdirectlyand,more importantly,learningwhichenergiesareactiveandwhattodoaboutthematanygiven moment.Withthis,youcanverymuchgetasenseofthenatureoftheUniversalflow andwhereandhowitisgoing. IhavelearnedtheIChingpracticeintermsofeventuallyfindingtheemptycenterof theIChinginwhichthereisnochange,whichisbeyondallchange,whichnevercame intoexistenceandwillneverleave.ThatistheactualspiritualaspectoftheIChing. Asfarasthechangesthemselves,theIChingisahugesubject,butIwillgointoabit. Thefirstpointis,ifyouwishtousetheIChingfordivination,donotthrowyourown coinsorstalks.Havesomebodyelsedoitbecauseonceyoudoitenough,youwill shadetheanswer. ThesecondpointisthatifyouregoingtousetheIChingfordivination,makesurethat yousitandtrulycalmyourselffor5or10minutesbeforeyoudoitandbewillingtolet whatisgoingtocomein,arrive.Ifyoudothosetwothings,thatsthebestwaytogo aboutthrowingthecoinsorthestalksorwhicheverparticularmethodyouuse. Iwouldnotrecommendoneofthosethingsonthecomputerorsomethinglikepush Energy Arts Inc, 2011 17

thebuttonthatgivesyouareadout.ThisisbecausetheIChingshouldbesomething whereyourenergyisfusedintothedivinationprocesssinceitsonlybyyourenergy fusingintothedivinationprocessthatitispossiblefortheprocesstoactuallyworkas wellasitcan. Intermsoftheinternalmartialartbaguazhang,allIwastaughtabouttheIChingand alloftheissuesaroundtheIChingareincludedintheSinglePalmChange,Walking theCircleandtheSittingMeditation.AllthepracticesinbaguarelatingtotheIChing wereclassicallydoneinTaoismforthousandsofyears,andtheresawholeother processthatImentionedbeforewhereyoulearntodirectlycomprehendwhatthe energiesarethemselves,soitsnotjustarepresentation. Adrawingrepresentsaperson.Thatsaverydifferentthingthanputtingyourhandson thepersonorbeinginaroomandtalkingwiththeperson.

AreplanningtoreleasetheBaguamasteryprogramforalarger audiencethantothe250inthefuture,and/ordoyouhave planstoreleaseindividualDVD'sorbooksonthematerialin smallersegments?Willweeverseeabookonthesinglepalm change?

TheinstructionalportionoftheBaguaMasteryProgramiscloseto1,000pagesso,as such,IthinkthatprettymuchistheBookorMasteryworkatthisjuncture.Italso includesover20audioCDsandwillincludeover30++DVDsintheend. Therearenoimmediateplansforreleasingthematerialinsmallersegments,theBagua Energy Arts Inc, 2011 18

Programisdoneasonepiece.Franklyspeaking,Iminvolvedinalotofotherprojects butthereisahopethatsomewheredowntheline,theremaybeDVDsandaudiotapes intermsoftheotherPalmChanges.TheBaguaMasteryProgramstartedasa1,600page documentand,tosaytheleast,itwasnotacasualundertakingtowriteprobablyover 5000hoursoftimeifyouincludethefilming,recording,instructortrainingandallthe editingrequiredbecauseeverythinghastobeprecise. Weinitiallyprintedjust250oftheBaguaMasteryProgrambecausewejustdidnot knowwhatthedemandwouldbe.Toprintthe1,000pagesandalltheaudioCDsand DVDisquiteacost.Inthefuturewhenwerelaunchwewillattempttoadjusttowhat thedemandisatthetime. Soatthisstageofthegame,theMasteryProgrammayberereleasedafterayearorso, andthatsasfarasIwillcommentinthecurrentmoment.Tomyknowledgeitisthe mostcomprehensivesetofmaterialseverproducedforbaguaorforanyinternal martialartsforthatmatter.Ididthistolayoutalloftheknowledgetohelpfuture generationsofpractitionersandtoensuretheknowledgeIholdwillbesharedwith others.

WillyouevercreateaTaichitrainingprogram,likeyourBagua one?
WearelookingatsometypeofTaiChiTraining.However,itwillnotbelikethebagua programinonemajorsense.TheBaguaMasteryProgram,focusingontheSinglePalm Change,wasoriginally1,600pagesofwriting.IfIweretodoasimilarprogramfortai chi,thedocumentwouldbeaminimumofatleast10,000pages,intheBaguaMastery Energy Arts Inc, 2011 19

ProgramIstatedthis,becauseofthesheernumberofmotionsthatareinvolvedintai chi. IcreatedtheBaguaMasteryProgramthewayIdidbecausewithonemotion,theSingle PalmChange,youcanexperienceallthemajorpointsthatwillbeextremelyrelevantto anybodywhodoestaichiorbagua.Alsothereisawholetraditionofbaguathatcame outofthemonasteriesinChinawherebaguaoriginatedthatwasbasedonmeditation notjustfighting. IfwedocreatetaichitrainingprogramIwanttoaskthisquestionbacktoyou,would youwantone?Willthereaderswantataichitrainingprogramandwhatwilltheybe mostinterestedinseeinginit? Ifsomethingwasdone,thetaichitrainingIwouldleadwithistheWustylebecause ImalineageholderofthisstyleandbecausetheWustyleoftaichiistheonlyformthat IhavelearnedthatisdirectlylinkedtoTaoistmeditation,whichIfeelisthemost importantsubjectIteachinthewest. Thatbeingsaid,IamalsoalineageholderintheYangstyleandcanandhavetaughtall thatstuffduringmyday.Myquestionwouldbe,whatwouldyoubemostinterestedin seeing?IfyoupracticeYangstylewhatwouldbemostusefulforyou?Iwould appreciateyourfeedbackateainfo@energyarts.com

HowaboutaNeigongversionoftheBaguaMasteryProgram?
Well,thereisnoplantomakeaneigongversionoftheBaguaMasteryProgramatthis

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juncture. IwillsaythatthebasicsixpartEnergyArtsQigongSystemthatIteachisessentiallya completeNeigongMasteryProgram.Inthewestpeopledontknowwhatneigongisso weusethewordqigongforourexercises. Eachofmyqigongsetsisdesignedtoteachspecificcomponentsoftheclassical16 neigong.ForexampleHeavenandEarthQigongspecificallyisashortexercisesetthat teacheshowtoputopeningsandclosingsintoqigong,taichioranymovementform. Thatqigongsetisdesignedtobetheeasiestaccesspointtothatspecificneigong.Soit goeswithalloftheqigongsetsIteachastheyeachfocusondifferentneigong,withthe exceptionofGodsPlayingintheCloudswherealloftheneigongcanbeputintothat set. TheEnergyArtsQigongSysteminvolves:1)TaoistBreathing,2)DragonandTiger MedicalQigong,3)OpeningtheEnergyGatesofYourBody,4)MarriageofHeavenand Earth,5)BendtheBow,6)SpiralingEnergyBodyand7)GodsPlayingintheClouds. Wearecurrentlyworkingthroughthisqigongsystemsothebreathing,especiallyvis vishowyoumovefluidswithinthebodyandhowyoumoveshenwithyourmindis highlighted. Werehopingtoofferaratherlargeteachingaboutbreathing. IshouldmentionthatIdoteachthewholeneigongthinglivebutcannotpromisewhen materialswillbeavailable,thatisbasedonmycompanysabilitytomakemyteachings availableinanysortofvideooraudioformat.Inthemeantime,Iwantsomefeedbackto Energy Arts Inc, 2011 21

knowwhichsystemsthereaderswouldlikefirstandwhattheparticularinterestsare.I cantpromisewecanfulfillthembutifwecan,wewill.

There'sjustsomanydifferenttypesofqigong,neigong& neidan.Canyousharesomegeneralprinciplesfor differentiatingthem?

Well,firstofallneidanisavery,veryspecificthinginTaoism.Therealneidanisabout circulatingtheballoflight.ThepracticesinthebulkofFireschoolsofTaoismandthis businesswherepeoplearejustmentallycirculatingthroughthemicrocosmicorbit,is actuallykidsstuffcomparedtothatpracticeofneidananditspartial,notfull,anyway youwanttosliceit. IknowbecauseIdidneidanwhenIwasyounger,sohavingsaidthat,letstakeneidan outofthisquestion.Ifyoutalkaboutchigungandneigong,thereareprobably400 schoolsinChinaandeachofthemajorschoolshasnumerousbranches.ButIllgiveyou somebigdifferentiatingprinciples. Thefirstoneis:areyoudoingthepracticefromtheoutsideinortheinsideout.Ifits neigong,itsprimarilydonefromtheinsideout.Qigongisdonefromtheoutsidein andworkingwiththeethericbody,likeIdoinitiallywithDragonandTigerMedical Qigong.Thatiswhatcouldbecalledqigong. Therearesomanystyleswhereeverythingisaboutthemovementsthatyoudo,the waythatyoutracelinesonyourbodyoryoudosomethingexternallyandhowyou visualizeyourselfdoingsomething,thatsonebighugecrowd. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 22

 Thenthereareotherstyles,whicharemuchmorelikeneigong,whereyoulearntogo insideyourselfbyopeningupthechiinsideofyourbody.Byopeningupthepathways ofchiinsideyourbody,youmakeyourchibecomefull.Theseusuallyhavespecific movementstoo. Theoneswhichareaboutopeninguptheinsidetotheoutsidecanbedoneequally sittingorlyingdown,moving,standingorinteractively,sexuallyorinconversation; whereastheqigongstylesthatareaboutgoingfromtheoutsideinusuallydontwork sowellifyourelyingdownorifyouresittingbecauseyoudonthaveanyphysical motiontocatalyzethebody. Sothosewouldbesomedistinctions. Now,isthereanywayintermsofmovementstodifferentiatestyles?Thebiggestsingle thingabouteveryqigongandneigongsystemiswhetheritisonascaleofletssay 1:100,isitpartialorisitcomplete? Nowalotofthings,partialsystemsstartatabouta5%percentandtheyrarelygoabove a50%or60%inteachingalloftheinternalcomponents.Forasystemtoreallybe consideredcomplete,itshouldhaveatleast90%oftheinternalmaterial,butthefactof thematteristhatalotofwhatareconsideredtobecompleteneigongorqigongschools usuallyonlyhavesomewherebetweenabout60%and80%,somethinglikethat. SoIthinkthemuchbiggerissueiswhetherthestyleispartialorcomplete.Bythat definition,youonlycangetsosimplebeforeitcannotgobeyondbeingpartial.That doesnotmeanthatitnecessarilyhastohavealotofphysicalmovements.Justthinkof Energy Arts Inc, 2011 23

ourmoderncomputerswhichdonthaveagiantboxwithallsortsofthingsbutjust haveafewchipsthathavebeenetchedlikenobodysbusinessandnowhavemore powerandcapacitythanaCraysupercomputer. Sothisiswhereyouhavetoknowthefieldverywell.Formetotalkaboutthesestyles ofneigongandqigongwouldbetheequivalentoftryingtotellsomeonewhoknows absolutelynothingaboutcomputersthedifferencebetweenahandhelddeviceanda Craycomputer. Well,letsjustsaytheresalotmoreinaCraycomputerthanthereisinyourlittlehand helddeviceandleaveitatthat.Whatarethespecifics?Now,thatswhypeoplehave PhDsandallsortsofformsofelectricalengineeringandcomputertechnologyandwhat not.Thatsabitdifferentthanwhatyoudowhenyoujusthavetoopenupemailsand watchafewdownloadedvideos. ForthosethatareinterestedIsuggestthestudythe16neigongcomponentsthatIteach, becausethatisaclassicalwaytolookatwhatisincludedorwhatismissinginany system.

ArethereotherpathsthatwouldcomeunderthisWater MethodumbrellabesidesLiu'slineage?Isitthataparticular practiceisawaterorfiremethod,orisitthesystemasawhole thatisafireorwatermethod?Whatinparticularmakesa methodorsystemwaterorfire?Aretheirmixtures?

Yes,thereareotherWaterMethodschoolsinTaoism,besidesthatofLiuHungChieh. AllWaterMethodschoolsdirectlydescendfromLaoTzuandfollowLaoTzuwater principles. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 24

 TheFireschoolsaresimplyusedwithinTaoismasadeclarationforwhatbasically startedafter1000ADwheretheyweretovaryingdegreesinfluencedbyTibetan Buddhism,andtherewereinfluencesfromallsortsofotherthingstodowith BuddhismandthealchemyoftheMiddleEast. Watermethodsareinitiallydramaticallymoreaboutfeelingandtheabilitytofocuson thevibrationofsound.Firemethodsaredramaticallymoreaboutvisualizationswhere soundandphysicalfeelinggetfoldedintothevisualizationbutindramaticallylesser degrees.Thereisanotherdistinguishingcharacteristic,theterminternalalchemyis usedintheFireschoolsastheinitialmethodoftransformingwhateveriswithinthe humansystem. UsingWesternterms,asopposedtoChinesetermssothatwedontgetconfused,there isthewholeideathatpeoplehaveanego.ThereisaplacethatIcallpostego,where youcouldsayoneknowswhooneis,onegetspasttheiregoandonefindsoutwhoand whatoneisthathasnothingtodowiththeego.Oneunderstandswhattherootof oneselfisanditsnotthepersonalityorpersonalhistory.Fireschoolsdefinethe methodsthatyouusetoarriveatthatpointasalchemy. IntheWaterschools,theysaythatyoubegintheprocessofinternalalchemyonlyafter youhavearrivedatthatpointofthepostego,whichiscalledtheBodyofImmortality inWatertraditions,andtruealchemyisaboutshiftingyouressentialvibrationofhow youexistintheUniverse. Now,onethingboththeFireandWatertraditionshaveincommonisthatwhena TaoistintheWatertraditionusestheterminternalalchemy(whichwasnotatermthat Energy Arts Inc, 2011 25

wasusedwithinLaoTzustraditionbeforetheFiretraditioncameabout)theyare talkinginequivalenttermsofwhat,intheFireschools,iswhenatapragmaticlevel, youhavebirthedtheimmortalfetus.Youarenotintheprocessofbirthingitbutthe immortalfetushaspoppedoutandisevolving.

Okay,nowthenextquestionisitasystemasawholethat makessomethingaFireoraWatermethod,e.g.,theHuaShan ortheMaoShanschools?

Well,thereareFiremethodswhichare90%ofTaoismandLaoTzustraditionwhichis onlyabout10%ofTaoism.ThisisbecauseWateristheoldtraditionandalotoftheold traditionwassubsumedwithintheFiretraditions. Now,aretheremixtures?Yes,everythinghasmixtures.Thereisnosystemofanything intheworldthatistotallypure,especiallyifitsbeenaroundforafewthousandyears becausethingsmixandmatch.ButasageneralrulewithinTaoism,Fireschoolsand Waterschoolsareconsideredtobequitedistinct. WhenIwasinTaiwan,almosteverythingwasinFireschools.Ilookedandmyfriends lookedtofindsomeonewhowasdirectlytiedintotheoldtradition.Itwasaftermany yearsofsearchinguntilIwasintroducedandstudiedwithLiuHungChieh,buthewas veryhardtofind. WhenIwasaTaoistpriest,andunderwentsevenyearsoftrainingwiththeFire Method,beforeIevermetLiuHungChieh,IwasaPriestintheFireschoolofTaoism. SoIknowwhatitis.Ivebeenthere,donethatasthephrasegoes. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 26

Arefire,wood,metal,earthenergiesusedintheWaterMethod? Aretherealsoentireseparatemethodsforeachoftheseother fourphasesaswell,oristhisamisunderstanding?

Thisisamisunderstanding.BoththeWaterschoolsandtheFireschoolsworkwiththe fiveElements.TheWaterschooldoesnotonlyworkwiththewaterelement.TheFire schooldoesalsonotworkonlywiththeFireelement.Theyallworkwithallofthefive Elementsorphasesofenergy.Soitisamisunderstandingthatthereareseparate methodsortraditionsforeachoftheelements.

IsitpossiblethattheWaterMethod"flattens"thepeakandpit stagesintheBuddhistpath,named"Arising&Passing"and "TheDarkNightoftheSoul"?

Whatyoucansayismaybe.Watermethods,becauseofthewayinwhichtheyredone ingeneral,dontgotoradicalextremes,andassuch,smoothoutthepeakandvalley stagesbutnomethodofspiritualitycancompletelyflattentheseout. Letsjustsaythatthespiritualmanicdepressioncyclesthatpeoplegetwhentheyrise sohighoninnerexperiencesgettingchargedupandthengotheotherwaytocrash down,allhaveadarknightofthesoulorsimilar.Howthishappensisalldependent uponwhatisinsidesomeonesinternalmatrix. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 27

AsageneralpropositionWatermethodsareasmootherride,butIwouldntsaythatit oranythingelsecancompletelyflattenthepeakandvalleystages.TheWatermethodis asmootherridebecauseofitsemphasisonmoderation,ittendsnottopushthesystem toabreakingpointwhichmanyFiremethodsdo.

Knowledgehasbeentransmittedtoyouviathelineagesystem. Areyouintendingtopassthelineageoninthetraditional fashiontooneormorestudents?Ifnotwhatareyourthoughts aboutthislineagebeingpassedtoyouawesternerandnot beingfullytransmittedinthetraditionalfashion?

Everymasterwhoholdsagenuinelineageisresponsibleforthatlineageandhowhe choosestohandleitisnotasubjectofcasualconversation.So,Irespectfullydeclineto comment.

EventhoughLiuHungChiehwasalreadyrecognizedas "enlightened"intheMahayanaTienTaischoolofChinese Buddhism,helateronfocusedinTaoistmeditationpractices. So,whataspectsofthespiritualroaddidheconsidernot coveredwellenoughbytheBuddhistpractices?Also,didLiu HungChiehmentionwhatinsightsoftheBuddhisttraditionare hardertogetinTaoism?

LiuHungChiehnevermentionedwhataspectsoftheBuddhisttraditionareharderto getinTaoism.Asamatteroffact,Iwouldhavetosaythatisnotatopicthatever Energy Arts Inc, 2011 28

particularlycameup.IthinkthatinbothBuddhismandTaoism,theabilitytotruly understandwhatemptinessis,isequallydifficultbecauseyoureessentiallydealing withtheexactsamething. BuddhismsaysthatitisnotpossibleforaBuddhatofullycomprehendtheentiretyof theuniverseineveryaspectofit,untilhehaswhatscalledparanirvana,whenhedies. Taoismsaysthatcanbedonewhileyourestillaliveinabody.However,sinceI personallyhavenotdonethat,IdonotfeellikespreadinggossipandIwouldhaveto saythatmyexperienceofBuddhismandTaoismisthatIthinkTaoismwentfurther thananythingIeverdidintheMahayanaschools. IstudiedZeninhighschoolinNewYorkCityandCollegeinTokyoandIstudiedChan BuddhismattimeswhenIwasaTaoistpriest.LiuHungChiehinitiallyhadmego throughalotofthestuffinChanBuddhismtoshowmeprettymuchexactlyhowit worksashesaidTienTaiBuddhismwasnotgoingtobemything. Iwouldjustsaythatalthougheachhascertainareasofspecialization,Buddhismand TaoisminChinahavealwayscooperatedbecausemanyoftheiressentialspiritual insightsaresimilar. ThebiggestdifferenceinonesensebetweenBuddhismandTaoism,tobeterribly cheekyaboutit,isthatTaoistshaveadramaticallyloosersenseofhumoraboutlifeand whatisorisntproper. Buddhists,ingeneral,tendtobeverysternandtheytendtoverymuchfocusonthe ultimate;beingfreeofneedingtobebornagainandagainandagain.Taoists,while Energy Arts Inc, 2011 29

theydohavethingsaboutreincarnation,aremuchlighteraboutthewholethingand aremuchmorefocusedonthehereandnowoflivinglifeateverymoment.Sothats abouttheonlythingIcouldsay.

ManyTaoBumswhoresonatewiththematerialinyourbooks yetarealsointerestedinpracticesthatworkwithChiandShen levels.Whatadvicewouldyougivetosuchseekers?

Initially,whenIleftChina,LiuHungChiehproposedthatIfirstteach,download,put intotheair,whateverwayyouwantputit,thebodypracticesofTaoism,thetermisjing shishenorbody,energy,spiritandemptinessTao. Hesaidtoinitiallyputoutthephysicalstuffandwhateverchiandspiritaspectsthat wererelatedtoapersonneededtobeabletoopenuptheirbodywithoutleavingtheir bodybehind.ThebodypracticesinTaoismareformostpeople.Workingwithpeopleat thatlevelisabitlikegoingthroughconcrete,especiallyatthepsychiclevel,because mostWesternersaresodeadtotheirbodies. Theyaredramaticallydeadertotheirbodiesthanmostnativepeoplesaroundthe worldbecausewedontreallyhaveacultureintheWestofpeoplefeelingtheirbodies andhavingdirectpersonalknowledgeoftheirbodies. Theyknowabouttheirbodiesasmentalimagesoftheirbodyratherthanactually feelingandbeingpresentinsidetheirbody. Whenwetalkaboutthephysicalbody,werediscussingyourflesh,thenwere Energy Arts Inc, 2011 30

discussingthechithatmakesyourfleshworkandthenweretalkingaboutthechithat makesyourloweranimalemotionswork.Soinasenseyourinternalorgansgenerate emotionsjustlikeallofyourneurotransmitters. Mostpeoplehearthewordchiandtheythinkthatisthenextphaseofbody,energy, spiritbutinactuality,thechiofthebodyisstillthebody.Whenyoutalkaboutthe termchi,youreintotheemotions,whatliesbehindtheabilitytocreatementalsymbols, whatliesatthebottomofthewords,whereallthisthinkingcomesfromandtheentire psychicrealm. Istartedteachingtheenergyofbodyenergyspiritacoupleofyearsafterthe millenniumrolledaround,sometimein2003or2004anditsactuallyinmanywaysa loteasierteachingthat. Ifapersonisgoingtoengagethatlevel,thenyouhavetostartlookingatwhatreally liesbehindnotjustordinaryemotionsbutwhatabouttheirmoresubtleshades?What abouthigheremotions?Whatabouttheemotionoflove,kindness,generosity,the abilitytotrulyemotionallyconnect,theabilitytotrulyemotionallynourishsomeone, andtheabilitytobeemotionallynourishedbysomeone. Whataboutmentally?Wheredoesyourcreativitycomefrom?Wheredoestheability toknowwherethatthoughtcamefrom,beforeyoustarttalkinginyourheadaboutit. Thenyoustarttalkingthewholepsychicrealm.Atthislevel,youknowyouhave externalsensesbutdoyouknowyouhaveinternalsenses?Youcanobviouslysee somethingthatyoulookatexternally,forexample,awallorapicture. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 31

Well,whataboutwhenyouseethefuture?Whataboutwhenyoucanseeenergies insidepeople,etc.,etc.? Sojustthesamewayyouhaveinternalhearing,youhaveinternalsenses.Thisisvery wellknown.Buddhismveryoftentalksaboutconsciousnessbuttheyrereallyreferring tosenses. InIndia,itisreferredtoasexternalsensesandinternalsensesyouhavefiveofeach. Taoistshaveaverybigthingaboutthisbutitsimplygetsrolledintotheissueofchi.I donotexpectpersonallyforawhiletobeteachingaboutshenwhicharetheissuesof karmaandwhatapersonsessenceisbeyondpersonalityorwhatever.Toengagethis, themiddlestageofenergyneedstobeworkedoutandreasonablystableortherecanbe problems.However,whenthisenergyisstabilizedformystudentsIwillbeveryhappy toteachaboutshen.Ibelievesafetyfirstisawisewaytogo. Thisismostlybecauseifyoudonothavesufficientbodystabilityandstabilitywith yourchi,whenyoustartansweringquestionsinthepsychicrealmwhatwecansayis thatveryfewpeoplecanhangwithit. Ifyouwanttoreallystartgoingintokarma,ifyoudonthavethesubtleawarenessof emotionsbehindthoughtandthepsychicrealm,itsvery,veryhardtoseeanywhere wherethekarmaofenergyisabused. MyadvicetoanybodywhowantstolearntheChiandshenlevelsorTaoismistheres onlyonewaytodoit. Youvegottostartpersonallyinteractingwithaliveteacher.Tothinkthatyouregoing Energy Arts Inc, 2011 32

togetitpurelybyreadingisabitofaproblembecauseallthosementalsymbolswill nottakeyouintoyourbodyandallthosementalsymbolsrarely,ifever,takeaperson totheplacefromwherethosementalsymbolsariseandcaninternallyimprisonyou. AllIcansayisthatImteachingastheyearsgobyandweretryingtogetourfilming andproductiontoputoutwhatevermaterials,videos,audiosandbooksarewithinmy limitedcapacitytoproduceandgenerate.Andifthereareotherauthenticteachersout therewhocangetyoutothesamepointallthebetter. Ithasbeenwellknowninthesubjectofrhetoricforhundredsofyears,eventhousands ofyears,thattherecanbeapersonwhoisintellectuallyanabsolutegeniusandatotally emotionalwreckinthepsychicworld.MentalIQisnotnecessarilygoingtohelpyou becausepsychicenergycantakeanybodysabilitytomeditateandblowituplikea littlebombormoreaccurately,itislikehavinganEMFfieldallofasuddenscramblea computersharddriveandmemory. Thatsprettymuchhowitgoesanddobearinmindwhenthosethingshappen,the energiesarerunningthroughyourbodyanditsnotreallygoodforyou.Itsnicetobe stable. ThisisasubjectwhenyoustartgoingintothelevelofChi,whenyoustartgoinginto thelevelofSpirit,youreallyneedtobewithsomeonewhohasbeenthereanddone that.Itsabitlikethinking,Imjustgoingtostartwalkinginthemiddleofthe Canadianwoodsomewhere.Itreallyhelpstohavesomeonewhoactuallyknows,hey, donteatthatberry,itllpoisonyouor,listen,dontwalkoverhereoryouregoingto getsomebiganimalattackingyou. Energy Arts Inc, 2011 33

Thereasontherehavebeenteachersisnotsimplybecausetheyresomeexaltedbeings butsimplythattheyhavebeentherebeforeandatleasttheyhavesomeideaofwhats goingonsotheycangivethestudentsomesortofneededcontext.

Ok,lastquestion!Couldyoutellus3simplethingswecoulddo everydaytoenhanceourlivesandourharmonywithTao,no matterwhatsystemorpathwearefollowing?

Threethings,threesimplethings. Thefirstoneis:learnhowtobreathe,learnhowtobreathe,learnhowtobreathebetter. Ifyouregoingtoknowanythingaboutchi,youshouldlearnhowtobreathereallywell withyourentirebody.TheEnergyArtsTaoistLongevityBreathingSystemisunique andpowerful. Thesecondistheprocessofrecognizingwhatisgoingonandseparatingwhatisreally happeninginsideyoufromtheinfiniteseriesofdistortionsthatcanhappenatanylevel; physical,mental,emotional,psychic,orkarmic. ThethirdthingissimplythatifyouwanttoapproachtheTaoandliveyourlivesin harmony,startreallylookingatwhetheryourlifeisinbalanceanddowhateveris possibleforyoutoputyourlifeinbalance. Thisusuallymeanslookingatwhatsreallyimportantinyourlife.Wecangetfilledup withsomanythingsthatdontmeanmuchbutintermsofwhatourlifeislikefromthe Energy Arts Inc, 2011 34

inside,ifyouregoingtobeinbalance,itsausefulthingtostartlookingatwhats importantandwhatdoesntmatter. ThiscomesdowntotwoverysimplewordsthatrunthrougheveryTaoistandChinese culture.Oneiswusuohuiwhichmeansitdoesntmatterifithappens.Theotherisyou suowei,itmatters. Soasanexample:ShouldIgotothebeachorshouldIgoskiingonmyvacation? Well,thatsreallyawusuohuithing,whereas,ShouldIletadogchewmyfootoffor notchewmyfootoff?Thatsayousuoweithingbecauseitsreallyhardtomoveabout withoutafoot.Sowhatisirrelevant?Whatisrelevant?Thatsgoingtorequiregoing intothatandthatsgoingtobequiteajourney. Takingwhatisinsideofyouandbeingabletoworkthatoutisagoodplacetostart. ThankstoalltheTaoBumsreadersandtoSeanformakingthisinterviewhappen.I wishyouallthebestonyourpath.

BruceFrantzis

Energy Arts Inc, 2011

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