Test Your Might! Shaolin Spirit: Shi Heng Yi (Transcript)

Either we look out for somebody able to give us something, or if something is going wrong, we look for someone that we can blame. So it doesn’t matter which direction we go.

The point is, you never say: “I was making the mistake. It’s because of me.” Because when you wake up in the morning, and let’s say, it seems like you have a bad day – your colleagues are bad, the day is bad, the traffic is bad, your work is bad – no, nothing of that is bad. It’s your attitude which is bad.

I think one of the missing links – one of them, it’s not the only one – is care. Number one is you need to know what is care. Because if you don’t care, you don’t spend time with it. If you don’t care, you don’t have interest in your life. If you don’t care about your health, you’re not going to be healthy.

So one starting point is care. And as you see in this one slide, of course, the care for your family and of course, the care for people that are precious to you and in your surrounding. But you can only care for someone or for something if you know how care feels.

You can only love someone if you know how love feels. If you don’t have love inside of you, how can you give it? If you don’t have thankfulness inside of yourself, how can you give it? So everything is starting with yourself: what you want to see in this world, what you want to bring into this world, whatever you think is missing in this world. We are eight billion people, so maybe eight billion people have different ideas about what is missing in this world.

But the point is: whatever you want to bring in, first of all, show it. First of all, you be the representative of what you think is missing there. If I look on YouTube right now, and I just put in “motivational videos” – there are so many – and I even listen to some of them, because they’re really good, the content is really good. What they talk about, the perspective they are talking from, it’s a really, really helpful perspective.

But let me ask you something, because you also know these types of videos. From 100 people watching these videos, afterwards how many lives start to change? Well, none is a little bit pessimistic. I would say some. But definitely not in relation to the amount of what is being watched.

So what is the problem? Yeah, I think one of the problems is what is it that is missing in order for all these types of influences and talks, all this type of impacts to start to really have an effect on someone. And this is not something which is coming from the Shaolin tradition.

Every, every culture knows this already. If you only have theory without the practice, then it’s just book knowledge. Then it’s just something that you lay on the couch, you lay in the bed, and then you think about: “Ah, I know it.” Yeah, okay, it’s good that you know it, but there must be a way how you are putting these things into practice.

And since this whole day, I think you are listening to many different types of talks, I would like to invite you right now to just see, for example, what type of practice it is when people talk about the Shaolin temple.

And then afterwards, if it doesn’t make sense to you, I will try to explain what is happening there. So now the stress is gone. Yeah, the point is: There are many traditions in this world. They want us to be peaceful. And yes, peaceful is one of a very high goal. I would also like this world to be peaceful one day.

But how are you going to get to that peace and strengthen yourself? The Shaolin approach is a little bit different. Whoever, later after the show, would like to come and see how hard that stick was, feel free to try out.

The point is like this: You start the first one, and then you already know, not a good idea. Your body will directly give you the reaction: “Oh, no!” So what’s coming up is pain. And now the question for us: Why we think physical training, physical activity, practice is something that teaches more than just how hard can you punch, how fast can you kick.

It’s not about that. I don’t care how hard or how fast somebody can punch, but I care about how is the mindset. What happens if you walk through this lifetime, something unexpected comes, and then there it is: something that we call choice. You have the choice: the suffering comes, and you run away, or the suffering comes, the pain comes, and you face it.

And the second approach – this is something what the Shaolin way is representing: We are overcoming the suffering. We are not running away from the suffering. You are overcoming it. You go through it until you have become so strong, your body becomes so strong, your mind has become so strong that it doesn’t matter afterwards anymore. You feel it, but it’s not the same like you felt before.

So therefore, how to translate this into our nowadays lifetime? Maybe it means: We need to make us stronger again. That is simply said. This society is too weak. And why? Because of all the technology which is available right now, so you don’t need to use your body anymore.

I always think about in the Stone Ages. Do you think somebody in the Stone Ages had depression? Or even a more modern variation: the Spartans. You think they had depression? You know, maybe you are laughing, but all of these groups, they are too busy with their body, they are too busy with activity to be depressed.

But nowadays, how does the time look? You can sit if you want from morning till evening, just in front of the screen. And nothing’s going to happen anymore. So this is one reason why, since almost ten years, what our organization and myself are trying to share a little bit into this world, maybe in a more funny and a light version of everything. But what we would like to encourage to people everywhere in the world is get more physicality into your life. Simply said. Not much talking around it. Get more physicality into your life. Yes.

So now, I don’t know why I chose this one slide now. But yeah, somebody, when I had my first TEDx talk, he said, “Yeah, you need to be careful or a good way of how to prepare the slides at the end, like the three ways of success or the five whatever.” So at this time I brought you the three Cs of life. Yeah, I mean, of course, in a way it’s funny, but it’s also, like, very nice to remember: Choice. Is it good or is it bad, that choice? Well, it depends what you are choosing.

You stand here and now you have choice. No? Then comes the consequence of that. You take another choice. You’re going to feel different, people around you are going to see you differently. And based on that, they see something different in you, which sometimes opens up very different chances and possibilities.

The best example is here. I’m not a speaker. I grew up, since the age of four, doing this type of stuff. Yeah. Doing something physical, doing my forms here, doing cool stuff that looks nice. This is where I come from.

But along this way of training myself, of knowing myself, of knowing my skeleton, knowing my muscles, knowing my organs, knowing my energies, along this way, sometimes, yeah, some wisdom starts to emanate. And it is my honest belief that this comes because of the practice and not because of reading books or anything like this.

So in that sense, once again, thank you very much for this chance, and I’m wishing you all a nice evening.

SUMMARY OF THIS TALK:

Shi Heng Yi’s talk “Test Your Might! Shaolin Spirit” presents several key takeaways that resonate with personal development, mindfulness, and physical discipline, drawing from the Shaolin tradition. Here is a summary of the talk in key points:

1. Embrace Self-Responsibility: The speaker emphasizes the importance of owning your life. He suggests that people often outsource responsibility to external factors, like institutions or other individuals. He stresses that acknowledging personal responsibility in situations, rather than blaming others, is crucial for personal growth.
2. Attitude Determines Experience: Yi points out that one’s attitude significantly impacts their daily experience. He argues that external circumstances, like a bad day at work or traffic, are not inherently negative but are perceived as such based on one’s attitude. He advocates for a mindset shift to view challenges positively.
3. The Essence of Care: The speaker identifies ‘care’ as a missing link in many aspects of life. He explains that care is foundational for investing time and interest in various life aspects, including health, family, and work. He emphasizes that understanding and experiencing care internally is essential before extending it to others.
4. Self-Reflection and Personal Growth: Yi encourages self-reflection, noting that understanding oneself is the starting point for bringing positive change into the world. He urges the audience to be representatives of the change they wish to see, starting with themselves.
5. Theoretical Knowledge vs. Practical Application: The speaker highlights the gap between knowledge and its application. He observes that many people consume motivational content but fail to apply it, leading to little real-life change. He stresses the importance of putting theoretical knowledge into practice for it to be truly effective.
6. Physical Training and Mindset: Drawing from Shaolin practices, Yi discusses the transformative power of physical training. He argues that physical challenges are not just about physical strength but are crucial in developing a resilient mindset. This approach helps in facing and overcoming life’s unexpected challenges.
7. Confronting Suffering and Building Resilience: The speaker advocates for facing suffering directly rather than avoiding it. According to Yi, the Shaolin way emphasizes overcoming suffering, which leads to greater strength and resilience. This approach applies to both physical and mental challenges.
8. Modern Society and Physicality: Yi observes that modern technology has led to a decline in physical activity, contributing to societal weakness. He contrasts this with historical societies where physical engagement was a daily necessity. He encourages incorporating more physical activity into modern life as a means to improve mental and physical well-being.
9. The Three Cs of Life: Yi concludes with the concept of the “three Cs”: Choice, Consequence, and Chance. He explains that every choice leads to consequences, which in turn open up new chances and possibilities. He encourages making conscious choices, understanding their impact, and embracing the opportunities they create.

In summary, Shi Heng Yi’s talk “Test Your Might! Shaolin Spirit” is a compelling blend of traditional Shaolin wisdom and modern self-help philosophy. It advocates for personal responsibility, positive attitude, practical application of knowledge, physical discipline, and conscious decision-making as pathways to a fulfilled and resilient life.

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