To Think it And See It, Is to Create;
Imagination Creates You're Reality
Si Tai Gung T.T. Liang
In my classes and traveling this past late winter I encountered many wonderful practitioners and new friends. Often many interesting conversations come up, such as how to create a Life Practice Tradition with Qigong. These are the "Burning Questions" in many peoples minds. So in today's entry I will address it from the standpoint "you have test road many traditions thus far now what"? So much I like and not sure where to go.
Understand that you are on the right road. Embrace it truly and do the best at it, that's what you can begin to focus with massive action and passion. Another point is to find a mentor for sure. Don't kid yourself you will need a mentor/teacher to help you stay accountable to progressing. A great guide is a great map to the end goal.
Yin/Yang-Fire & Water: We all have strengths and weaknesses. Don't waste time on practices and traditions that totally aggravate you. Everyone's personal cosmology will have a strong "affinity" to certain things. These are practices, traditions and ways we learn that come naturally. There will be also practices and traditions that are in total opposition as well. Forget these practices for the time being, if not forever. Don't waste time on weaknesses, focus on strengths, cultivate them. I have taught students who struggled with certain structures and when it was changed up, viola they start to excel.
Some people are great at meditation and natural healers, but cannot exist outside of that structure. We also see some are great at learning like a Tai Chi Chuan form, but their naturalness to it - is to expand the structure beyond the ordinary. The typical class will not serve them any longer. We also see some are great form players, but cannot do anything else that well either. A comparative tradition is in Music; we see the similarity in Jazz musicians who awakened into improvisation skills who cannot no longer function in a Classical Musician realm. They are now expanded in a different way. I believe not one is better than the other its just ones experience and cosmology to practices and traditions.
Filter What Comes In: Beware of what you let into your consciousness. The only thing holding you back from creating youre peak experiences is you. The way we think is influenced and ultimately will help or derail our progression. There will be critics and "Debbie Downers's" these are usually the people who have created a life of non - completion and are frustrated and jealous. Everyone is entitled to there opinion, but it does not matter in reality. This is just the Chaos of their mind.
Imagination Creates Reality: Master T.T. Liang taught this and wrote about it in his Tai Chuan Text called "Imagination Creates Reality". He simply states in his Liang-isms "To think it and see it is to create; the Imagination Creates Reality". This is taught in Form practice to see youre opponent and imagine the application etc. A more concrete practical application to get progress along the path I recommend the following.
(A) Pick a form, sequence or skill you would like to practice, and put it in your consciousness, the mind. This is something that you will have a personal commitment to for a period of time, until perfected. From there you will truly embody that skill to a new profound level. As a note here you need to also pick something thats within youre level of reach; even if you are a beginner, this will help you to progress. In these traditions "Less is More" does not have to be so intricate, the most basic can become profound. Work with youre teacher with this in mind. You will have a new found joy and energy if you feel you have been stuck.
(B) Imagination Creates Reality= Imagine right now that form or skill. See yourself performing it. This is the first level of achieving it. Practice this several times a day even within a meditation session. This can be useful and is used in Japanese Shi Kan (Concentrate and Investigate or Look tradition) Meditation. Use video aids to help kick start the memory process....blink it in into the consciousness. Watch people that do it as well in person; which should be the first option.
(C) Now as you see yourself performing it, use that imagination to create the reality. Imagine what it looks like, perfectly. See yourself doing it elegantly, beautifully and with much joy and bliss. See yourself from beginning to end perfectly... with confidence and with great spirits. The more you are able to fuse that and crystallize that vision; the more you will be able to manifest it as a "self fulfilled personal prophecy", in youre life.
Practice as much you as can do your best.
End of Part I
GWA
