How do we stay relaxed while practicing the standardized movements of Energy Bagua? What can we achieve by being relaxed?
In this teaching, Grandmaster JinBodhi reveals the significance of a calm state. For the first time, he talks about the power of mind purity, which not only helps with the practice of Energy Bagua but with problems related to family, work, relationships, and emotions. Let’s tune in to realize the importance of relaxation and the power of mind purity.
(Hello, Master. I feel my shoulders getting tighter when both my arms are raised and my knees bent. How do we relax our shoulders when practicing Energy Bagua?)
If you focus on how to follow the instructions, you won’t feel relaxed at all. In contrast, you will feel tense. You need to be mentally relaxed not only while practicing Energy Bagua, but also while facing challenging work. It is normal to experience tension, especially for men.
For example, when the husband arrives home from work, 3 sick kids are crying or screaming; he will find the children unbearable. He feels his head is going to explode. But his wife isn’t troubled and quickly calms the kids down using some effective methods. The dad doesn’t know what his kids want, therefore it is a headache for him. He surrenders and tells himself, “I can’t do this.” Then he will say, “I am really annoyed.”
Emotional breakdowns happen everywhere, at home and at work; people surrender and think they are going to fail. Have you experienced this feeling? Most of the time, people tell themselves, “I can’t do this” or “I won’t make it.” They become tense, then afraid. You enter a mental state of fear. You need to adjust your mental state. Be broadminded when you sense the world; you will understand why your kids cry. Be openminded and compassionate, and listen to your employees; you will see why your subordinates turn against you. Listen to them and help them solve their problems.
Face your troubles with mind purity. With mind purity, things become easier. When you are afflicted, everything is a mess. The important thing is to calm yourself down. When you are calm, everything becomes solvable. You may think you hate your boss and want to kill him. But when you drink coffee with him, you find he is not that bad, and you don’t hate him anymore. The world calms when you are calm.
There is a saying in Buddhism: “Mind purity brings world peace.” The “world” refers not just to where we live but also to our minds. In short, practice compassion. Remember, mind purity brings world peace. When you are calm, so are your workplace, subordinates and spouse. You will be in control then. Being in control is not like controlling a horse or a dog, attaching a leash to its collar.
I was scared of dogs because I got bitten as a kid. Once, I passed by a neighbor’s place with my disciples. A guard dog barked loudly; its head was bigger than ours. It was frightening; it looked like a lion when it opened its mouth. It was barking at us. I squat down and spoke silently to it: “Here, doggie, calm down, we won’t hurt you.” Its barking became quieter and its gaze became calmer. All I did was communicate with it. Since then, I don’t fear dogs.
You need to be confident that you can be in control. To do that, you need to tune into the state of mind purity. You will be able to do so once you have cultivated enough compassion. It takes time to achieve mind purity. Don’t underestimate the power of mind purity. With mind purity, things and people you find complicated become simple. Add in some kindness and you can solve everything.
I have felt tightness in my arms and joints when practicing Energy Bagua. I experienced the same problem as you do. Then I remembered Grandmaster Ren told me to let the mind relax. It is like a woman’s mentality when she has just become a mother. You need compassion and purity when facing all sentient beings. You need a happy and auspicious mind when communicating with the world.
The Opposite Trigrams in Energy Bagua contradict each other, right? You need to calm down with standard postures; your joints and muscles tighten. Nothing is wrong. Your muscles tighten but not your mind. Your spirit, consciousness and breath are relaxed. It is the combination of contradiction and unification. Only with such combination can you make progress, and obtain health and the power of mind purity quickly. With the power of mind purity, you will understand what “mind purity brings world peace” means. Mind purity is peace.
While practicing Energy Bagua, we relax and calm our mind but tighten our muscles; this is the combination of contradiction and unification. Thanks for your question.