“I just do what I do…”

I am what I am… I do what I do… What I do repeatedly I become

One of my favorite people is Fong Ha.  The man is 73 years young and an absolute inspiration to anyone that meets him.  You don’t need to be a Taiji person, to appreciate his humor and physical prowess.  When you first see him, you cannot help but be impressed with his physique, strong stances, posture and especially his muscles!

If you get the chance to hang out with him you get a glimpse at what a true master is.  His ability to be totally candid and disarming is to be admired, he is engaging and funny and easy to get to know and to talk to.  I have found these are hallmarks of a “real master” and Fong is one of them.

In the past I had been so insulted by self righteous, arrogant, and just plain narcissistic people that “think” they are some sort of “master” that I tended to shy away from them.  I always give someone the benefit of the doubt, and yet so many have just disappointed.  I am blessed to work with many high level people in many fields and I have noticed the one quality that the truly great ones have in common.

Cheng Hsin, a Chinese phrase that describes a truly genuine person that lives the Way and is just so “cool” that they even re-define the meaning of “cool”.  Unpretentious, confident but friendly and calm, centered in Tao, grounded, relaxed, happy, and easy going, and what a Taoist would call a “real human being” in other words… normal, for a Taoist. They are imbued with the way, they live the Way.

One night, I was out to dinner with Master Fong Ha after one of his two-week long free workshops here on Maui and we had a great conversation.  Fong is a great guy, and it is so nice to have a rapport with such an accomplished person.  Among other things, I just had to ask him a personal question about his awesome body…..  He is thick with muscles, for any man he is built well, but for a man of his years he is outstanding.  I almost could not believe that I would just blurt out such a question, but as I am saying here, that is the nature or a real human being to be natural…

So I ask him, “Fong, how did you get those huge muscles? Do you lift weights or something?

His reply to me was, “I just do what I do”

I know what he does, I had just finished two weeks training with him, I was not surprised at his answer, but the Taoist in me needed to know. In addition, like a true master, one that treats his “students” as friends, he gave me a straight up answer with his trademark grin on his face. Did I mention that a “genuine “master smiles a lot?  “This is a Man I want learn from” I said to myself.

It is unfortunate that some people need to have some narcissistic shield to project outward.  A “real human being” would never do that.  Freedom of mind can be learned by just doing the practices; one need not defer to others for their healing.  The fact is, you need to do the work for yourself: it can be very simple Wuji, or stillness training. There is no need for complicated systems of “esoteric” arts, don’t be fooled into thinking that those methods are superior. The only thing you really need to become enlightened is a good attitude and a devotion to your practice.

Walk the Walk….. Follow the Way….do the training… never stop cultivating your inner spirit….It is all up to you…. All your teachers can do for you is inspire you to be the you that nature intended.  Be the you that you are.

Like Fong Ha: Do what you do!
If you keep doing Taoist practice, eventually you will become like Tao itself