“Practice is the basis, comprehension is a shortcut” (I)

[Olivia]

I’m reading a book, “the World’s Religions”, written by Huston Smith. He said that in Hinduism, there are four paths to the goal (God):  the way to God through knowledge (Jnana Yoga), the way to God through love (bhakti yoga), the way to God through work (karma yoga), and the way to God through Psychophysical Exercises (raja yoga).

“The yoga of knowledge is said to be the shortest path to divine realization. It is also the steepest. Requiring as it does a rare combination of rationality and spirituality, it is for a select few.” (p32, Smith) I found the core of this Hinduism message resonates greatly with the message “practice is the basis, comprehension is a shortcut”, which was proposed in my father’s book “Pan Gu Mystical Qigong”.

I’m not familiar with Hinduism, so I have no comment on whether the yoga of knowledge is the steepest or not. However, I am pretty familiar with PanGu theory, and I totally agree that “comprehension is the shortcut”.

When my father was the director of the qigong research department in Guangzhou University between 1994 and 1999, he gave a lot of lectures on this topic, “practice is the basis, comprehension is a shortcut”, to help his qigong students to improve the benefits they get from PanGu ShenGong daily practice. Several of those lectures were included in his book “Flowers of Kindness and Beauty” later.
I would like to share my understanding on this principle here, just to set the ball rolling.

To be continued…

[Saber]

One perspective on the four paths of yoga is that they are really one path; knowledge, love, right action, and practice are all necessary for spiritual development.  The image of a horse with four legs comes to mind.  This seems to be indicated in the Pan Gu password.  We do not seperate, we take kindness and benevolence as basis (knowledge), and take frankness and friendliness to heart (love), and speak with reason (right action), and treat with courtesy (right action), and move with emotion (love), and accomplish result (practice).  Practicing the Pan Gu Shengong program is a way to align yourself with all the brances of yoga, as well as any other true spiritual tradition.  That is also why it can be practiced along with other spiritual disciplines, as the spiritual experience becomes clearer and more manifest in life, it brings knowledge and love, and these combined produce right action, and therefor deepen the practice.

[Razorchen18]

It was great that they requiring as it does a rare combination of rationality and spirituality,Thanks for sharing.



_________________
Artificial trees   

[Brian F]

Olivia

What does "Steepest" mean to you?

I have worked as a rock climbing guide and backpacking guide.  "Steepest" to me is a factor I consider relative to the length of the route or path

Thanks

Brian

[Saber]

The question of "comprehension is a shortcut" may seem straight forward, but as we really try to understand and practice it, it seems to slip away from a clear understanding.  Master Ou has a wonderful story about cooking small fish.  How can one take a "shortcut" for cooking small fish?  His answer:

"Based on my experience, I suggest we start with improving the quality of our hearts and souls.  The secret is being quick but not flustered, and doing things in order. In order to be quick but not flustered, and to do things in order, we must be quiet in mind and peaceful in disposition! This is the basic prerequisite of being able to take the shortcut, which means we should be noble minded."

Such wisdom contained in a lesson of cooking small fish!