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The basic ideals of human beings, the changes and evolution of a society, the generation of science, and many natural patterns all originate from the whole process of change and motion of qi. Qi will not disappear due to man-made obstacles, but will be affected and disturbed by these obstacles.

Timely review, and collective cultivation and training are two important activities for the enhancement of our qigong cultivation and practice in the future. The following is an elaboration on these two topics.

Timely Review

In order to smoothly develop throughout our qigong practice, and learn basic qigong concepts, principles and methods, we must review the lessons of modern qigong development. It may be desirable to review the experience and understanding gained during our individual qigong cultivation and practice, as well as the phenomena and benefits related to qigong. In particular, we may want to review basic qigong- related questions encountered during our qigong cultivation and practice.

Some examples are: What is the basic meaning of qigong? What is qigong? What are the benefits of learning and practicing qigong? What are the possible reactions? How can we

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learn and practice qigong? How can we enter the door of qigong? How can we advance in qigong practice? What are the problems demanding our attention while learning and practicing qigong? Does learning and practicing qigong conflict with our individual interests, beliefs, and specialties? Besides benefits relating to the improvement of our individual lives, what does learning and practicing qigong bring to our individual life and the lives of our family members and society, to help us become full of beneficence and fully illuminated? In what respect is qigong beneficial to the genuine manifestation of the value of life? In what respect is qigong beneficial to the genuine application, and the genuine and correct development of science? In what respect does qigong contribute to the ultimate and true realization of the common ideals of the entire human race?

We may discover through this review why different views, opinions and controversies exist in qigong development, and why it has developed to the point that as many as one hundred million people practice qigong.

Modern qigong development has experienced an incredible upsurge. But today, tomorrow or somewhere in the future, we may still encounter controversial issues or different opinions related to qigong academic studies or qigong itself. Through review we may realize that over the long progression of history, qigong has weathered many storms, criticisms and judgments. Qigong can withstand attacks and weather big storms

without being twisted or changed.

Qigong is an all-encompassing scholarship, an all- encompassing technique, and a grand discipline. It will not disappear through criticism, or simply because people's desires are not satisfied. Qigong is a natural, objective reality t h a t humans have naturally discovered and utilized. It is a naturally practiced and practically tested comprehensive discipline - a genuine social science that is empirical, philosophical, cultural, comprehensive, and scientific in nature. It is a discipline related to natural science and various aspects of natural science.

After our individual review in terms of psychology, physical condition, academic advancement, career, business, work, study, rest, life, and the micro- and macroscopic aspects of our life, we

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may realize that all people, whether practicing qigong or not, (the entire human race, and all beings beyond human beings) contain the qi of qigong. All beings contain the work conducted by the qi of qigong. This point was recognized long ago by Chinese and world qigong practitioners.

Ancients long ago recognized that qi gives birth to the myriad beings, and that the universe originated from qi. T h e birth, development, evolution, transformation, death, rebirth, redevelopment, et cetera, of the myriad beings all originate from the transmutation of qi, and closely relate to the factors, mechanisms, and principles of the transmutation of qi. For example, in 1899, Liang Qichao, a historic figure in Chinese history wrote the following in his book "Ten Original Qi's of People:" "Qi is an inaudible and invisible substance that cannot be falsely advertised or forcibly defined. If the environment is conducive to qi, qi will treasure all beings on the surface of the earth and promote the prosperity of human affairs. If the environment is suppressive to qi, then qi will disappear without a trace. Although the physical manifestation of qi has had various forms, sometimes full, sometimes empty, always changing over time, the existence of qi is not determined by temporary affairs. Qi belongs not only to the human race, but to nature as well. Qi is not only related to, but also determines the existence or decline of the human race. A person becomes alive through possessing qi and dies without qi. A country will exist with qi, but will disintegrate without qi."

Liang Qichao further elaborated on qi: "What is spirit? It is the original qi of people. The existence and development of human beings and their countries is fundamentally determined by original qi, the spirit of people and of the human race. This spirit is not easily removed or changed by external guidance or force from specific individuals, state, government or religion. A country should be based on all its people. Such a country can then push and excite the human qi or national spirit of its people. The excited qi of people's spirit is the original qi of a country, the spirit of its people, the spirit of the society, and the spirit of all human beings. Original qi is the root of the entire world."

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The basic ideals of human beings, the changes and evolution of a society, the generation of science, and many natural patterns all originate from the whole process of change and motion of qi. Qi will not disappear due to man-made obstacles, but will be affected and disturbed by these obstacles.

We must seriously review the question of "qi." During the development of qigong, some individuals had serious doubts about the qi of qigong. Due to attacks by people and self doubts towards the qi of qigong, difficult to explain questions about qi have arisen. Due to outside influences, people generate numerous self-doubts about qigong contents, as well as many of the effects and phenomena they have personally experienced. These doubts may even affect their opinions and stop them from obtaining benefits or developing.

In light of these potential pitfalls, we should review the qi of qigong from multiple directions and perspectives. Through serious review, we should realize that ancients have provided us, to some extent, with many tools we can use to examine qigong. In ancient qigong literature there are many dissertations and summaries on qi under the names of "qi and original qi."

By putting forward our best effort in individual qigong cultivation and training, collective qigong cultivation and training, and developing and promoting qigong, we will gradually face views, opinions, accusations, judgment, praise, encouragement, or criticism from ourselves, family members, and others. We should review this feedback to see if they affect the development of qigong and the extent of its effects and benefits. We must ask ourselves, after being affected by this feedback, does qigong still exist, and can it be further developed? These are things we need to seriously consider.

Our review will let us, our family members, and other people, more fully understand that Traditional Chinese Qigong and world qigong has always accompanied the birth, existence, development, and evolution of human beings and other beings. Qigong exists during the entire life cycle, the entire evolution process, and certain transient movements and changes. Qigong is a natural phenomenon that objectively exists. This phenomenon contains patterns, experiences, lessons, specific

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techniques, and many elements of future science that wait to be experienced, discovered, invented, and mastered by scientists.

We should exchange our views on qigong. We should tell others why we are so enthusiastic about learning qigong, about qigong cultivation and training. Encourage others to become deeply interested in qigong. Set big goals, make big wishes, and personally engage in the development, promotion and popularization of qigong. Help more people to experience the interesting parts of qigong as a tool, a discipline, a system of knowledge, a scholarship, and a grand science. Help people experience the many benefits of qigong. Help people envision the benefits of qigong, the social and scientific nature of qigong, the many practical uses of qigong for our society, and the bright future of qigong development. Help people understand t h a t human beings originally needed and owned qigong, but have vandalized, wasted, and imperceptibly distorted qigong. Qigong practitioners, after reviewing and elevating their experience through qigong cultivation and practice, should appropriately introduce qigong to their friends in a balanced, factual, and appropriate manner. This introduction should be based on our personal experiences, views and understanding of qigong, using our own words, enthusiasm, and sincerity.

Collective Cultivation and Training

Any qigong activity, besides personal qigong activity, is considered collective cultivation and training. The contents of collective cultivation and training are broad. Collective cultivation is seventy to ninety percent of true qigong practice. Collective cultivation and training is more than merely practicing qigong methods together (such as group practice). It also includes merging qigong into your life, work, study and rest. More importantly, collective cultivation includes mutual exchange and help. Not only should we learn qigong principles and methods together, we should also try our best to share with and learn from others. Each qigong practitioner should strive within any group activity (not merely "qigong" group activities) to become a multi-talented and knowledgeable person. Each practitioner should strive to become an ordinary,

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modest person who treats everyone as their teacher, but who at the same time is talented and capable. One should strive to become not only a good student, but also a person who is competent, has a can-do attitude, possesses the capacity to succeed, and already has succeeded. We should strive to attain this attitude, ability, and effect, as well as possessing the special abilities and effects of a qigong practitioner. In this manner, we will be able to hold effective group activities using appropriate forms and contents.

The methods of collective cultivation and training are not static. They are dynamic, relative to the people, time, location and content of an activity. At times we may want to use qigong terminology, and specific contents and forms of qigong principles and methods. Other times we should use our actions as personal examples, not necessarily using qigong practice or the external form of qigong in conducting collective cultivation and training. We should work with others in the same way that non-qigong practitioners do, and not show-off that we are qigong practitioners. As long as we are in a place with non- practitioners, we should change our mind set from a qigong practitioner to an ordinary person. From form to content, from content to effects, we should try to unite our internal world with work and effects that are acceptable to non-qigong practitioners.

There is no fixed method for collective cultivation and training - no method is fixed. All methods go back to one root. This root is "virtue" or "wisdom." This root is "great virtue and great wisdom produce great successes."

When one or more qigong practitioners are involved in a group activity, whether or not it is qigong related, we should view this activity as a part of our collective cultivation and training. As such, we strive to make the activity as successful as possible. The importance of collective cultivation and training is not to gain recognition for yourself or for qigong directly. Rather, it is manifested in the success of the activities we engage in, and the resulting genuine popularization and development of qigong in multiple forms, with multiple contents, visible and invisible. Effects and benefits cannot be separated from significance. Significance is the continual

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generation of practical effects and benefits. Successful group activities bring qigong benefits to the participating qigong practitioners. Furthermore, the involvement of qigong practitioners can genuinely push forward, develop, solidify, and redevelop these group activities. The accumulation of our efforts can genuinely push forward the progress of human civilization, genuinely enrich the quality of life and perfect the lives of our qigong practitioners.

We should use the total content of qigong to support ourselves. Based on the special qi-field effects of a group activity, we not only improve our individual cultivation and practice, but also complement the effects of the group activity. Group activities depend on each qigong practitioner, and each qigong practitioner contributes to the effect, just like the saying "one stone can create a thousand waves."

With an understanding of the meaning, contents, methods and significance of collective cultivation and training, we can imagine, see, and experience the original content of genuine qigong. The genuine Traditional Chinese Qigong I have introduced to you has been passed down from my qigong masters. It is traditional, comprehensive and non-sectarian. The original content of genuine qigong is merely the qigong foundation that everyone possesses. Whether this foundation can be effectively developed and utilized depends on the level of awareness of this fact possessed by an individual qigong practitioner.

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