Jwing-Ming Yang - Qigong, The Secret of Youth: Da Mo’s Muscle/Tendon Changing and Marrow/Brain Washing Classics

Master Mantak Chia

There is a growing wave of popular interest in Qigong now, both in China and the rest of the world. To learn Qigong, the most important prerequisite is to have a qualified instructor. Unfortunately, masters who really know the full internal system of Qi development are few and far between.

Even if one finds an instructor who is qualified, receiving instruction from him or her may be another matter. When I visited Taiwan in 1987, the going price for learning Bone Marrow Nei Gong (part of the Iron Shirt Qigong training) was about two thousand U.S. dollars for ten hours of instruction. Students were also required to take an oath of absolute secrecy, promising not to teach anyone else. Other masters required their students to serve them slavishly for years before imparting their secrets, and even then they would only teach a select few. After all of that, the master might still hold back some of the teachings for fear that the student might surpass him in knowledge and skill and usurp his position.

However, the world is quite different now. In the olden days, using Iron Shirt practice to strengthen the body so that it could withstand blows was regarded as a military secret of great value, and thus kept private. In the twentieth century with guns, planes and bombs, the need for this secrecy is outmoded. Now the deeper benefits of the training such as its ability to rejuvenate and energize the body and mind for health, spiritual development, and healing, must be emphasized. I feel it is now necessary to have full disclosure of these treasures to improve the energy and spiritual well-being of the world.

If Chinese masters have traditionally been secretive about teaching their Chinese students the true methods, they have been even more reluctant to teach foreigners. Fortunately, quite a few masters, including Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming and myself, have broken through this cultural barrier, and are offering to teach students who are sincerely interested in learning, regardless of nationality.

Dr. Yang has done considerable research, exploring the I Chin Ching (or Yi Jin Jing ) and Iron Shirt Qigong within both historical and scientific contexts. Readers not fluent in the Chinese language will appreciate Dr. Yangs translations of the various ancient texts relating to these methods, and all readers should enjoy his breakdown and analysis of the different historical purposes of I Chin Ching and Iron Shirt among both the Daoists and the Buddhists.

Dr. Yang and I also share the view that it is essential to do our best to understand Qigong in the light of modern science, while still respecting the wisdom and research we have inherited from our own masters of the past. Chinese medical theory has a deep understanding of Qi and the energetic network of the body. As we combine this with the knowledge of Western anatomy, physiology and psychology, along with recent discoveries in bioelectricity, we will surely enjoy the best of both worlds.

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Mings book is a major contribution to the literature of Chinese Qigong. It is my hope that works such as this will continue to appear, so that the standards for Qigong practice around the world will not deteriorate behind a wall of secrecy, but will, through open sharing of our knowledge, rise to an unprecedented level of excellence.

Master Mantak Chia