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The heart is calm, quiet as still water. My own history is from the end of the Qing Dynasty, through the period of the Republic to the People's Republic, already a hundred years. My life has seen its share of ups and downs, times of poverty and hardship, honor and dishonor, the changes of the seasons, all of which have left a deep impression on me. After the founding of the People's Republic, my life became stable, but with the Cultural Revolution, disaster once again overran the country and I was forced out of business. All of these events served as a means of cultivating my spirit, and afforded me the opportunity to practice the gongfu of living in the world.
"One must always maintain a calm heart even when influenced by the seven emotions: joy, anger, happiness, worry, sadness, fear, and surprise. The heart must remain as calm as still water, never allowing any personal desires to stir up a ripple of disturbance. My thoughts are pure, in spirit I seek to forget myself and transcend the common affairs of the world, keeping my life simple and my desires few. With a clear heart, I do not contend with others or make demands upon the world, but rather seek to contribute what I can for the benefit of all, aiding those in need and proctecting those in danger.
"Without desire one is strong, without desire one is quiet, without desire
one may return to that which is natural, without desire one returns to
the original state. With a heart like still water, from the extreme stillness
will spring action, from the void comes that which is alive, yin and yang
are in harmony and the qi flows unimpeded. With a heart like still water
the qi is sufficient and the spirit full. When the qi is sufficent and
the spirit full, the organs function normally, the blood is nourished,
the meridians, nerves, digestion and circulation are all healthy and the
metabolism stimulated. When the factors which prevent aging are all strong,
one
may prevent illness and live a long and healthy life."
Life an enthusiastic life, serve the public good.
"I have traveled the long road of life, experiencing hardship, difficulty
and I know the sentiment of man is often as thin as paper. I have seen
corruption and those whose only concern is realizing their own desires.
Because of this, I have strived even harder to live a practical life,
willing to sacrifice even more for the good of the people. After the founding
of the Republic, I spent my time working in the streets as a doctor, treating
anyone who came to me for help with wholehearted enthusiasm. When one
finds happiness in serving others, one will be full of the spirit of life,
seeing things as they are with a calm heart. Thus, one may reach the state
where the spirit is preserved within, the body is healthy and the spirit
full, the intellect wise, decisions made adroitly and reactions made spontaneously.
Consequently, the life energy will be strengthened and increased while
promoting the health and longevity of the body."
From
the book Xing Yi Nei Gong
by Dan Miller and Tim Cartmell.
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