#945 - Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi - The Art Of Self Mastery

0:00Where did the moustache go? You grew moustache for a while and it's been banished. It is true I rarely had a moustache. It's just that time when I appeared somewhere still having quite something on there. It just felt like, okay, let nature do its course and see how it feels. Okay. But I do feel like... Like this is maybe at the moment, it's more proper. Okay, okay. What do you mean when you talk about self -mastery? What are you referring to?

0:40You know, literally, let's talk about a little bit in the modern language maybe. We're getting into some type of position, and then we are supposed to manage people. But I do think in order to manage people it makes sense to actually know how to manage yourself in the first place. And this idea of we talk about mastering kung fu, mastering any type of art, mastering any type of sport even. But prior to that I do think you carry yourself along throughout this lifetime since the beginning. And there are so many areas about our self, let's say, body related or also mentally or emotionally related, that I just feel like many people haven't gotten to the point yet to really understand that just like we train our muscles and go to the gym to achieve something, there are also areas about us, human beings, let's say, that also need to be trained.

1:54And all of this taken together, I refer to as self -mastery, because no matter you might change your job one day, you might change the location where you are living, the surrounding is going to change, the people that you are dealing with is going to change, but there's always one thing that always remains the same, which is you always carry yourself along the way. So you can't escape yourself, you can't escape your dark sides, you can't escape your pain and your suffering and everything that in a way is triggering you also. And this is where I feel like to have this, let's say, concept at the moment, to really invest time in bringing out understanding yourself better and then build yourself up in all layers that nowadays we can dive into.

3:00So, what are the areas that you think people neglecting the most when it comes to their self -mastery? Let's start simple off. I think everybody knows the story of Frankenstein, yes. So meaning you literally put together everything that is physical, everything that is biological, you glue it all together, but that body still doesn't come alive. So, I think in the story of the Frankenstein, there is still one missing element, which sometimes you could refer to as electricity or the spark or the fire. and this in the ancient traditions, if I read them and in my interpretation for the sake of understanding, I would say it is the mind.

4:01This is why in ancient traditions you often times have body and mind. So already by just looking at ancient traditions, what are they observing, what are we made it out of, body and mind. And so I think about myself, okay, good. We do know nowadays all the possibilities of training the body, but what is it actually how to train the mind and how can you understand what do you mean by training the mind. And therefore it's like really simply speaking, you know, we have arrived at the point in In our society, people have become aware that your diet does have an effect on your overall well -being. So you buy the most biological food.

4:57You invest a lot of time, maybe only buying the best quality vegetables. Some people decide they only go vegan. So your diet matters. What you give your body to eat matters. And I do think in the same way, are you also paying so much attention and emphasis in actually paying attention, what is it that we are on a daily basis giving our mind to eat? So, what type of thoughts are you aware of that let's say pop up right away when you wake up in the morning? What is it you are nourishing? Are you nourishing right from the beginning, competitive thoughts? Are you nourishing right from the beginning of waking up like you need to do?

5:48There's always something to do. So, and these things I do believe they matter because they also play into ultimately what is, What is it that you are carrying along this world and in your daily life? You carry the quality of the body and you carry the quality of your mind. And both of them taken together is what makes you literally you in this earth at least. We don't get to choose the things that we think. We can't necessarily predict the next thought that's going to come corining into our brain. So what do you mean when you talk about how we feed and focus on what's inside of our minds given that sometimes much of the time our minds are outside of our control?

6:47Okay, so I'm very surprised and I'm very very thankful for you asking this question. But now that you are asking this question, then let's go a little bit deeper into what, let's say, somewhere along the line, I felt like it makes sense. I can only share what my observation is. So number one is, I do believe that all the cultures in the past, all traditions in the past, they carry something which maybe is not understandable right away, but they carry some very very valuable knowledge and one of these. Knowledge is the saying that we are not the body and we are not the mind. This is one of these sakes.

7:44Now we are not the We are not the mind. It doesn't fit so good. It's not easily understandable in the society that we are living right now, where everybody actually is identified so much with the creation of this and the creation of the identity that you want to express in this world. But let's go into some type of thinking experiment. If literally what I refer to as I, if I would be my buddy, I would simply take the decision right now, buddy, just stop aging. I don't want you to age anymore. I don't want you to feel pain. I don't want my body to tell me that I'm hungry right now. Just stop the hunger.

8:51So raising this question, I feel like I can't. I cannot tell my body what to do literally. So this body somehow has his own cycle and his own intelligence that my body is going through. Okay, this is now the body. And just as you said, literally it is impossible to predict what is going to be the next thought that's going to pop up in my mind. But if I would be my mind, how come I cannot have an influence in what I am thinking next? So leading again to this idea, mind and body, both of them apparently have another own cycle of what they are following.

9:53What's the conclusion? The conclusion is that nevertheless, body and mind that we carry along this lifetime right now can be and are conditioned. They carry some type of information. Simply said, I didn't choose literally to have this nose on my face. I didn't choose my eye color. I didn't choose the features that I carry in this lifetime right now. So there is information that is being transferred from generations in the past, that in a way represent themselves right now in the body that we carry. You might call it, it is embedded in the DNA, or it is embedded in any type of biological or physical information.

10:51So if this is staying true right now for the body, could it also be that everything that pops up in our mind, And also carries some information that has been passed on prior for us being even conscious about it. Yes. And the answer for me is definitely, I do think it is like this, that modern science, if people relate to this more, for example, opens the field of epigenetics. Now, this is exactly what this field is about. And taking all of this into consideration right now, still means okay, but what literally is then the eye? If I am not the body, if I'm not the mind, what is the eye? Yes? So, and this is the essential question that Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, and many mystic cultures are like trying to figure out.

11:56This is where when you go on YouTube and you just put in who am I, what am I, where do I come from? You find plenty of that stuff, yes? Okay. And it is a very, very, it's a very, very interesting question. and why? Because this answer of what is it that you are identifying yourself with? Also gives you the answer how do I reduce the suffering of this lifetime? That is essentially what all of this is about. How so? How so?

12:48If I could live a life, if I could live a life full of pleasure, full of enjoyable moments, no pain, no suffering, I would wish for eternal life for sure, because it is the greatest thing that actually can happen to you, You are spending this life on earth and the only thing that you have is a pleasant life. So what more do you want? But the reality is not like that. The reality is we have pleasant moments, we have joyful moments, we have healthy moments, we have enriching moments, but at the same time we are also facing something where we We could absolutely live without it if we would have the choice.

13:42The fact of losing people, the fact of being betrayed, the fact of being judged, being insulted, being discriminated, being hurt. Many ways. Many ways that do not feel pleasant. So, and there is the question, isn't there a way how to find a proper perspective upon life to understand what is it that I am embedded in, in order to still try my best, and reduce the amount of unpleasant or suffering what we refer to it? This is the whole idea about it. So also meaning, because I do think it's a very, very valid question, if somebody is watching this episode and he's just happy. He has a perfect life, he is happy, there is nothing he's asking for, he's simply fulfilled.

14:53There is really no reason to continue listening to this conversation. But I do think that either it hasn't been like this all the time that person first of all went through some type of development or process or the winning streak is going to end at some

15:23It's interesting thinking about how lots of the work that we do is able to take place when times are good but is needed most when times are bad, that if you are trying to develop a meditation practice, if you're trying to become more aware of your thoughts, if you're trying to become more peaceful while you're in the middle of some catastrophe your challenge that's going on in your life, you're playing on hard mode there. But when things are good, by design, you don't want to spend so much time having to prepare for when times are bad. You think, well, everything's going great. I don't need to do that.

16:05And, yeah, increasingly, when it comes to a mindfulness practice or journaling, gratitude, breathwork, anything that sort of steals your resolve, I think the best time to do it is when you don't need it because it allows you to be prepared for the times when you do. Yes, and I mean nowadays if you want to calm your mind, the first practice that is being recommended to you is like meditation practices most probably. Yes. If you come, for example, to any type of retreat place, to a temple, to a secluded place, somewhere in the nature, somewhere in the forest, and you spend some time there and by nature already, let's say, it's very calm, the surrounding is very calm.

16:59It definitely helps for you to calm your mind and to start developing how does it feel to be peaceful. But the reality at the same time is also that from all the people living nowadays in this world, the majority of all of us will never be able to even spend any time at such secluded places. Their reality takes place in the cities, takes place at work, takes place in partially the modern world that is very fast -paced and and crowded, let's say. But it's exactly in these places where this peace and this calm would be the most beneficial. Because if, anyway, in the forest, nothing is going on, you don't necessarily need to practice too much to be peaceful and calm.

18:03It is in the moment where you have so much external stimulus that are triggering you. This is then the moment in order to really bring out the quality of your meditative practices. Yes. And this is why like, on the one side I receive plenty, plenty of critics in terms also of how come I give so much podcasts and interviews and bring all of these things outside the walls of, let's say, prior of our temple. Maybe I'm jumping a little bit, But overall I do think that we humans are made to live in a community or in a society. We cannot just live by ourselves. So this is the reason why I do feel like when I know that there is something valuable to know, something helpful, and you don't even have to spend any money on it because it's simply just, I tell you what it is and you practice it and that's it and it's got to benefit your life, I do feel like it should go out there in the world.

19:15Very, very simply said, regardless of whether it's what's the origin or if there is a tradition behind it or not. So it's functional, first of all. It doesn't cost anything, it's functional and it's beneficial. And this is the reason why I do like to put these things out. This episode is brought to you by Incogni. If you've ever typed your name into Google and found your info on some weird website that you've never heard of, that's not a fluke. Data brokers and people search sites, collect your personal information like your name, address phone number, buying habits, your income, your medical history, and they sell it without your consent.

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20:28That's i -n -c -o -g -n -i .com slash modern wisdom and modern wisdom, a checkout. I always assumed that monks were sort of born into this life. I don't know where I thought they came from, but I didn't realize that people could have backgrounds like yours. You had a bunch of degrees and MBA and then gave that up to focus on this new life. Why leave all of that stuff behind? So and this is also a very very interesting topic. So I I grew up here in Germany and as you said went like the system of academic education doing university and at some point I consciously took this decision that I actually want to dedicate my life to something that for me internally felt it gives me purpose.

21:28Meaning, I didn't want to sell any product, I cannot stand behind and I cannot offer any type of service that I am myself not good in. And by that time when I took this decision, I was spending many, many years since the age of four practicing what nowadays you know as Chinese kung fu or Shaolin kung fu. and it helped me. Going through all this academic education under the pressure of my parents, under the pressure of the society in a way, to prove yourself that you are worse, something, my wealth, of balancing all of these energies, has always been the physical practice or the training. So this was the initial point where I said, okay?

22:21Let's try to emphasize a little bit this idea. You use physical methods with the right mindset. In order to benefit your overall 24 -hour day. And this was the moment where the Shaolin Temple Europe, as it is known today, was built. But completely free of, you don't have to be a monk, you don't have to live inside the monastery, but there are certain things to pay attention on. Because I didn't grow up as a monk, so how can I promote for the people you all have to become monks? No. The special thing is that I just grew up like many people in this world, like in both worlds. At some point I just consciously decided, ah, there is a link that we can use.

23:22If it feels like something is missing from life, in the way that it seems like it was for you, why should people begin?

23:38If your life is fine, then most probably you also don't have questions. But I do believe, let's say, either the longer you live this life or the more you start observing actually the patterns of this life. At some point questions will come up. And if a person doesn't ask the question, he also cannot receive the answer. And for me it literally was like this that,

24:23I would consider myself also belonging to the category of like achieving, achieving, achieving and doing and being a workaholic and controlling things and over -eachieving. But at some point after achieving many of these different areas, I still was left there with the question. Was that it? Was that now the sense of my life? And because it was, I felt like it was not enough, or I was missing out on something, because it was just too simple. It was too shallow for me. I couldn't imagine that like attaining degrees or attaining whatever material wise are looking for, that this is going to be the purpose of your life.

25:22So, going to work every day in order just to buy something that eventually you come to the conclusion, you won't take it with you anyway. Yeah, so we came without it and we're going to go without it. And that was then the question of, okay, so what is literally the sense of all of this? And this is where, yeah, I do think it is a personal journey, but slowly I start to understand just more and more things, by just observing what I am all the time surrounded with. And what is it? It is pattern. This is now where it's maybe becoming interesting and where people can maybe start to relate to. You know, on the one side everybody, what is it we truly feel like wanting?

26:17Or maybe not, but freedom. Not being restricted. I want to be free. Freedom on the one side, but then what is it that is not granting you freedom? The opposite, I would say, is structure and pattern. Because if there is a structure, if there is a pattern, what does it mean? It means you do not have the freedom to decide what you want to do. So it sounds like at the moment that freedom is on the one side and pattern and structure is on the other side. So, now the fact is like this, like I just said before in regards to the body and in regards to the mind. Our body already is following a certain pattern.

27:19His own biological pattern. Our mind and therefore also our behavior is also following certain patterns. Talking about this pattern also meaning, just look at the very simple pattern that also appears in all of our lives and probably in the lives of our children. There comes the point they start to want something. So it could have been at some point we wanted to have the first mobile phone that came out at the time where mobile phones are just not existing yet. And so the first Nokia came out, we wanted to have it. After some time we got it. But then came the next development, the smartphone. We wanted to have it and we got it.

28:15And no matter what it is, there is always something that we want. We're going to get it if we work hard enough for it. But then also something always the same starts to hit in. Whatever was there that you wanted at some point, after a day, after a week, after a month, it was forgotten. It didn't play a role even anymore in your life, especially if it is some type of material attainment. So, the question is should I spend my whole life now just following this pattern? working for something that I put in my mind that I want, achieving it and then realizing at some point, lifetime is gone and the pleasure and the enjoyment of what I try to attain there actually isn't also really sustainable.

29:15and already this type of pattern to observe it can break a cycle. It can break the cycle of you or anyone running after things unconsciously because you are caught inside a pattern which at at some point is just very, very senseless. I think that is a cycle that people are very familiar with. I want to think, I work to achieve a thing. I get the thing. Maybe there's some respite from wanting for a little while. Maybe there isn't. I want another thing, and the cycle just repeats. How do you come to think about interrupting that? this sort of permanent loop of want pursue achieve want again? When you yourself are caught in the pattern and you are being identified by this pattern, you cannot escape it.

30:26If you are identified with this pattern, you cannot not escape it. So this is now where it helps this ancient saying before you are not the body and you are not the mind. So even if you just take this as a concept right now, then it means from time to time, try to just, let's say, jump out of yourself and just observe yourself, just imagine it is a movie. This is the movie character and I'm jumping out and I'm watching the movie of this one and from this perspective suddenly I see something differently. I can see it from a wider perspective because I'm not caught inside my own patterns anymore but suddenly I begin to see the patterns of this character.

31:24So whether you believe in this now or not, it's just about a mind experiment. Just use it as a game if you like. Just go out and watch yourself, watch your life unfolding. And then this is the beginning where you actually see patterns. where you see behavior that is repeating, well, some patterns are useful, some patterns are not useful. And step by step, so number one is becoming aware, first of all, what type of patterns are you able to realize and see inside your own life? I think this is where it starts. The awareness and ability to observe yourself. And there you see the awareness to observe yourself, awareness, mindfulness and be conscious about yourself.

32:30This is why meditation practice for what to become more aware. mindfulness practices, why to become mindful? To become conscious, because this is the beginning, in order to break the cycle of this conditioned being, of the conditioned identity. And just one more thing, maybe in this case, to add, to add. People may be also confused, I'm saying, don't have goals and don't work for something you really wish for. I didn't say that because I still do it. I do have visions and I do have wishes sometimes. But those are very conscious wishes, meanwhile. So, literally when my mind is flooded with so many possibilities, I just have become more conscious in really deciding in what do I really want to invest my lifetime?

33:41Is it worth it to attain it that I'm working for right now? And if I still come to the conclusion, yes, even though this lifetime is limited, but to experience whatever it is, yes, it's worth it, I'm going to go for it. Well then, then do it. The only thing I try to really prevent people from doing is unconsciously following structures us and patterns and cycles, in the imagination it's going to give them something that they're longing for, but it won't. Before we continue, if your workouts feel flat, your recovery is slow or you've just been feeling off, it might not be a training plan or you're diet, it might be something a bit more boring, like zinc.

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35:03If you don't love it, they'll just give you your money back. Plus, they ship internationally. Right now, you can get 35 % of your first subscription and that 30 -day money back guarantee by going to the link in the description below, are heading to livemomentus .com slash modern wisdom using the code modern wisdom. A checkout that's L -I -V -E -M -O -M -E -N -T -O -U -S .com slash modern wisdom and modern wisdom. A checkout. You said that you're someone who likes to chase improvement, wants to achieve things even if they're very well designed if they're very intentional. How do you come to think about balancing a desire for self -improvement with self -love?

35:41A lot of the time the need for self -improvement comes with a side -order of disdain for yourself until you achieve that thing. And that I think is also another cycle that people go through as opposed to trying to achieve something externally, trying to reach something, whether it's a new job title, a new qualification, a streak on their meditation. You're doing something to improve yourself, and there is a lack of self -love until you've achieved it. And if you fail at that thing, then there is a lack of self -love that comes along with it. And then you have regret as well about having not been able to achieve the thing that you said you were going to in the promises that you made.