How Is Kung Fu Spiritual?
In one of my previous blogs I was asked (and rightly so) why we call Shaolin Kung Fu a spiritual practice, when we teach people how to fight. Please allow me to explain. Looking from the outside, this is the way it seems because of selfish, egotistical people who use the movements of Kung Fu for their aggression, power and profit. Also pretending to be masters, they steal Kung Fu for themselves. They fool their teachers with their false acceptance of the Kung Fu movements only to claim them as there own. This is not the way of Shaolin.
First Kung Fu means 'stop fighting.' The word Fu means 'that which comes from the heart,' as all art comes from the heart. The Dragon is at the heart of all movement. How can you put your own violence and aggression into this ancient practice? The Dragon keeps balance through out the universe. It nurtures all. In Shaolin Dragon Sign Kung Fu, we teach to protect others, or at least we intend to do so. It is not to be used for demonstrations, boastfulness, arrogance or violence. The Dragon Kung Fu movement enhances quality of all. It builds co-ordination of the whole body, mind and spirit. It improves the body by attaining Chi. It improves the mind by thinking with the heart. It improves the quality of movement by working with Chi. Movement heightens one's healing powers, to the point of helping others. The monks of old honoured the Dragon. The people who abuse it have no honour. The old monks studied the earth, the cosmos, the body and the spirit.
The essence of the Dragon is expansion and expansion requires movement;
divine movement guided by the way, the law and the will of the cosmic universe. There is no room for the negative people or negative ways. In the great plan the Dragon will cleanse all and nurture all. So yes, Dragon Sign Kung Fu is spiritual. The greatest fight is to conquer your own negative ways. The Dragon is the heart of all movement. My Si Gung, Chiu Chung, told me that the Dragon is bigger than any one person.
