A DISCIPLE'S STORY
The Emei health system
is a refined form of an ancient Chinese health-strengthening art called Qigong
(pronounced "chee gung"). It is named after one of the sacred mountains of
China, Mount Emei. The mountain is located in Sichuan Province with its western
side opening into the spiritually rich Tibetan countryside. At the summit of
this great mountain, is a Buddhist temple, where Emei Qigong was created in 1227
A.D.
I
began my studies in this art form in the year 1989 with a disciple of
Grandmaster Fu Wei Zhong, the Emei Qigong lineage holder. During the first month
of my practice, I felt my Qi (energy). It was a warm, magnetic feeling between
my hands. In the fall of that year, my allergies didn't affect me for the first
time in my life. For the next three years, I dedicated myself to studying the
treatment techniques, exercises and philosophy of this Chinese art.
In 1993, a trip was arranged to meet and study directly with Grandmaster Fu. I
enthusiastically went forth on an adventure that would open my eyes to the
potential of the human body, mind and spirit.
At the base of Mount Emei, I met Grandmaster Fu. I had an idea of what to expect
through stories and pictures. He was the healthiest looking man I had ever met.
He radiated a peaceful, but powerful energy, and I sensed his wisdom and
strength. He did not speak English, but through translators, I understood his
words. He said he was honored to have people travel such a long distance just to
see him. (The honor was all mine.)
We
woke each day at 5:30 AM with workouts consisting of meditation, breathing
exercises and slow circular body movements. The workouts created a warm,
relaxing sensation throughout my body. Grandmaster Fu came to me on many
occasions to correct my posture or motion. Whenever the Grandmaster touched me,
I felt a boost of energy, which enabled me to be more fluid with the exercises.
My mind never seemed to wander aimlessly with thought. I was focused on the
wonderful sensation of my energy flowing throughout my body.
Mid-day was filled with lectures. In his first lecture, Grandmaster Fu told us
of the rich history of Emei Qigong and demonstrated the ability to transmit his
energy, which he uses to heal people. We gave him several coins which he stacked
and placed on a chair in front of us. Then, by the pointing of his fingers and
with the hard exhale of his breath, Grandmaster Fu oxidized the coins. In just a
couple of minutes, the top coin bubbled in the center and each coin below had a
blackened mark from his energy.
In the next lecture, he demonstrated his ability to read an individual's energy
field to diagnose an ailment or injury. One after another, we would stand in the
middle of the circle we had formed. Grandmaster Fu would look with squinted
eyes, up and down the body's front and back. He would then tell us of past
illnesses, injuries and surgical procedures. One incident in particular
astonished me. The Grandmaster said to a fellow student, without touching him or
removing any of his clothing, "You have one kidney that does the work of two."
This person told us, that as a child, he had had a kidney removed!
After
a few days, we began our journey to the summit, which entailed many hours each
day of hiking up stone steps carved into the mountain.
Each day that my body grew weak and tired, relief would come in the form of a
Buddhist Monastery. After settling in at the monastery, Grandmaster Fu would
continue to lecture on treatment techniques, diagnosis and energy exercises. I
listened and wrote notes with great intensity. These techniques seemed so
simple, yet logical. Fellow students and I took turns practicing the healing
techniques on each other. We would tell each other of the sensations we felt
during the techniques. The sensations might be warmth, coldness, tingling or
even a pain -- many times in an area other than the point into which the energy
was being transmitted. It was all so fascinating.
On
some evenings, James Taylor, along with his son and daughter -- Ben and Sally --
would sing to us with the majestic Emei mountain as a background. I can't tell
you what a peaceful sleep I had after being serenaded by them. In fact, Emei
inspired James so greatly, that he wrote a song called, "Up Er Mei," (James
spelled Er Mei instead of Emei, both are considered correct), which can be heard
on his "Hourglass" CD.
Finally, we arrived at the summit temple. Much of the temple had been destroyed
during China's violent Cultural Revolution, yet the beauty and power of this
land was so breathtaking that only a Hemingway or Frost could do it literary
justice.
This
was the place Emei Qigong was created and through my meditation, I could feel
its profound spiritual presence. It was at this temple that Grandmaster Fu
opened my Tien Men (heaven's door). It is said, to have your heaven's door
opened, signifies the cleansing of your own karma. The Grandmaster transmitted
energy into a point on my head. When he finished I felt euphoric. The cloud-like
confusion of my mind was cleared away, revealing the sky-like nature of pure
awareness. Colors were brighter and I saw objects with greater detail.
After leaving Grandmaster Fu, we boarded a train to Chueng Du. During the ride
we met a Chinese medical student in his early twenties. When we spoke of our
journey, he was very impresssed. The student told us of Grandmaster Fu Wei
Zhong's reputation of conducting seminars to thousands of medical doctors about
Emei Qigong. In addition, he said the Master is very famous for successfully
treating patients with chronic diseases.
The wizard of Emei opened my eyes to the potential in us all. Imagine health
care, if we merge these ancient healing techniques with today's technology.
If you would like to schedule an event in your area or setup a personal healing session contact Teacher David Knoll.
