Humility, Yi & the Higher Consciousness

Humility, another essential component in traditional tai chi qigong, unlocks the subconscious, fueling chi and yi development. The chi cannot coexist with false pride or inflated egos. Hence, the need for sincere humbleness in one’s attitude and bearing.

Self-styled “masters”, “grandmasters”, “sifus”, “gurus”, “senseis,” and other so-called experts know nothing about chi, or they would not be so self-assured in their arrogance. True masters have no need to be ostentatious in public displays of drama and pretense.

Beware of those who, bloated with their own egos than with true ability, offer you “secrets” and “introduction to the ultimate experience”, but charge you hundreds or thousands of dollars for a short session or weekend seminar or workshop, because they are more interested in your money than in genuine instruction.

Traditional practitioners know that the chi can only be properly channeled when the ego is sublimated and the practitioner assumes a sincere humbleness. This is so crucial in practice and attitude. If one does not have a bearing that is humble and simple, the chi becomes inhibited and cannot be channeled properly for use.

The Taoist saying, “The true leader follows” reflects the genuine humility practiced in tai chi qigong. True masters keep a low profile. There are no fancy belts, degrees or other rankings to mark their development. The progress they make is known only to themselves and how they carry themselves.

There are no fancy titles, certificates, diplomas or trophies. The titles are not self-proclaimed but given by students themselves out of respect for these true masters.

True masters do not seek external gratification. Personal development is gratification enough. Traditional training requires that you subdue your pride in order to advance your chi. Only when you demonstrate sincere humbleness in attitude and behavior, are you able to channel the chi energy through mental yinian.

Humility also includes refraining from unnecessary violence. “Yielding” is integral to the basic principle of self-defence in tai chi chuan: how can there be an attack if there is no target on which the attack is focused?

Genuine masters follow the principles of wude — martial arts integrity. They know how to heal whom they harm, otherwise they refrain from using their martial arts. This also applies to what they teach their students.

Often, online there are video clips of so-called masters striking out at their students with violent force to demonstrate the “power” of their prowess. This is not ethical. Unless the students come to no harm, the “master” is very much in the wrong.

True masters of martial arts refrain from demonstrating their “powers”. They constrain the force and know how to withdraw at the last possible moment so that the chi can touch gently on the students and not injure them. It might not look as impressive, but it certainly is much safer. A master who shows such control on something so powerful as the internal chi is a genuine master indeed.

My master exerts tremendous control over his chi. The following two video clips demonstrates the potential power of his chi:

Real Chi Demonstration
A Gentle Demonstration of Chi Through a Conduit

But it is not only in martial arts that such humility is required. Only when you subdue the ego can you open yourself to access the higher levels of consciousness to advance spiritually or to develop the higher levels of psychic power through chi development.

Therefore, conduct yourself with humility. Only with such attitude can you hope to progress to the higher levels of development, whether in martial arts, healing or spiritual advancement.