incredible skill

[Ahsun]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq5tHKKEUb4 i dont now if the lama can do this but if he can its impressive.

[Michael S]

Bullshido...

Actually that clip was posted by a member of Bullshido, a forum based around exposing fraud in the martial arts. So it can be inferred that it was posted for ironic or humorous purposes. Note the background music.

Bullshido types in general are fond of having a little fun with anyone who waxes philosophical on internal force. And unfortunately, with the world's vast number of Kung Fu gymnasts and Taiji dancers they do not seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

I am a believer in internal force, but I think that this is more in line with George Dillman than Sifu Wong.

(Dillman reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM_qg5d1YGI)

(Bullshido reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awGpWzJVgMA)

[Ahsun]

i to believe in internal force. but i am surrounded by a society who believe its folk. oh well at least im lucky to know that internal force exists.

may all sentient beings have peace.

[Mark A]

Peter Young

Hey Folks,
The gentleman in the video is man called Peter Young. He was a very controversial figure in the late 80 and 90's as he was very vocal about internal force and chi. This upset a lot of people.

Peter Young set up the first internal arts competition in new castle in 1992 I think. I attended as a very young man and saw it. There a diverse range of talent and people there.

He wrote in some magazines and set up some centres etc, then he just disappearred and now we know were he is


Mark

[Emiko H]

Dear Shaolin family and friends,

I have found this thread rather interesting. It led to my googling and clicking on various links, and there is an interesting discourse that Lama Dondrup Dorje gives on the Heart Sutra.

If you click on this link, and scroll down to the clip that is entitled, "1997 : Lama Dondrup Dorje gives a Discourse on the Heart Sutra Through the Manifestation Of Classical Chi Kung Practice.", you'll be able to hear his talk: http://pathgate.org/martial_arts_thtr_01.html#

Best wishes,

Emiko

[Jim Redfern]

Dear Siguma Emiko,

Thanks for posting that video it was fascinating and touching

Best wishes,

Jim

[drunken boxer]

There are accounts of this man meeting less esoteric martial artists where these supposedly amazing powers didn't work so well, which may provide an alternative explanation for his lower profile.
The accounts I heard said he was a good martial artist in conventional terms, but disbelieved the empty force etc.

[Racheli]

Thank you Sijie Emiko for this clip, I enjoyed it very much.
I wonder is Lama Dondrup Dorje's translation of Kung as Empty a known possibility or is it his own interpretation?

Wishing you good luck with all your wonderful projects,

Racheli

[Bernardo]

Yes, kong is emptiness in Mandarin Chinese.

Do not confuse kong with gong -- as in qigong (chi kung) or gongfu (kungfu).

Bernardo

[Andrea]

One difficulty with the translation to "emptiness" might be that in English and other Western languages the word has mostly a negative connotation and often leads to a nihilistic attitude.

"Emptiness as a human condition is described as a feeling of numbness, inability to feel anything emotionally, or not having purpose. ..." (Wikipedia definition)

Other sources define it as:

"the state of containing nothing" "lacking reality, substance, meaning, or value" (Princeton; Merriam Webster and others).

This understanding of emptiness leads to an "isolated, separated emptiness", maybe even reinforces the phenomenal understanding. I am nothing, I have no purpose, is still: I am.

While "kong", by my very limited understanding, as suggested by the sutra is the only thing that is real and lasting: everything is kong. Everything is connected. It is the separatedness that is not real, becomes form, and emptied from its separateness everything becomes kong, even the form. As we sometimes experience in privileged moments...

Andrea

Ps: Actually I think the hebrew "tohu wabohu" in the Gen1 probalby is closer to this meaning of kong. I like to translate it as: "The land was formeless and empy" ....

[Andrea]

Dear Emiko Siguma

Many thanks for pointing to this video. I found it very interesting. One element however, that raises some questions for me is, that the demonstration seemed to be very mechanical, instrumental - a demonstration of "chi techniques" that work. What I was missing is joy, hapiness, an expression of compassion, arising from non-rivalery, non-separatedness, a high-level master and monk ... To me this would be an essential criteria for deciding to study with a Master. As I do consider "incredible powers" however great they are, useless or even hindering, unless they are a path to more joy, happiness, health and spiritual cultivation for all sentinent beings.

But then this is only a video and videos can only transmit a limited amount of the real experience, which might have been different for participants/his students.

Andrea

[Racheli]

Hello Bernardo, thank you for that clarification.

Yes, kong is emptiness in Mandarin Chinese.

Do not confuse kong with gong -- as in qigong (chi kung) or gongfu (kungfu).

Bernardo

Dear Andrea,

Tohu vavohoo –as much as I know, is translated as chaos, now I will have to think about your interesting suggestion for a while.

Many thanks,

Racheli

[Emiko H]

Dear Shaolin family,

Thank you all for your responses. I have enjoyed reading them very much.

In my humble opinion, it doesn't really matter to me whether or not Lama Dondrup Dorje really has power/empty force. This is for two reasons:

a) I already have a Sifu whom I fully trust, and who has pointed the way to me: "smile from the heart";
b) Lama Dondrup Dorje seems to be just doing his own thing and minding his own business.

If he is fake, then time will tell, and he will bear the consequences. If he is real, then he is doing a lot of good for those who go to see him.

If he is fake, then we can bless him so that he will come to see his "wrong" ways soon. If he is real, then we can bless him and add to the good he is already doing.

Thank you all for your wonderful input.

With love and respect, your Shaolin sister,

Emiko

[Mark Blohm]

Beautifully and smilingly put as always, Sijie

[BlackTiger]

It's not a fake.
Look my video: http://ru.youtube.com/watch?v=9g3kswgGN4g

It's taken from documentary about russian specops unit internal "advanced" martial arts. Looks familiar, isn't it?

I think... Hypnosis is involved... But "russian guy" from video claims it's possible to teach anybody.