【Description】
Many people feel sad, angry and eventually bitter about the obstacles and disappointments in life. Many envy the success of others but rarely think about the sweat and tears behind the accomplishments.
If you want to maximize your potential to achieve glory in your life, please don’t miss this advice from Grandmaster JinBodhi.
【You will learn】
- “True suffering” versus “false suffering”
- The consequences of hardship
- The connection between pain and happiness
【Featured aphorisms】
- When suffering becomes a habit, it turns into happiness.
- Achievements are the results of diligent study and difficult practice
- Pain and glory are tied together.
- Only after seeing results from hard work can you enjoy the challenging process.
【Content】
When people are taught and trained, or are given some guidance, sometimes this process is painful both mentally and physically. The world-famous pianist Lang Lang was forced to practice every day when he was little. This process of training was painful. Doing it every day is extremely hard.
Usually, this process is painful. An old saying goes: “To be bestowed with great responsibility, one must endure trials.” In short, you need to feel and accept the pain first. In Ancient China, to get first place in the national exam, you needed to study hard for 10 years in a harsh environment by yourself. That is 10 years of pain.
Another saying goes: “A great sword takes 10 years to perfect.” If you want to become a martial arts master, you must train for 10 years. One time I was practicing Energy Bagua. I practiced for 2 hours; it was raining and windy. Some branches fell on my head. I felt sad and cried. My master asked, “What’s wrong?” I was afraid to say it. I felt it had become very difficult, and yet he didn’t stop the practice.
My master knew what was in my mind. “OK, let’s go. Tomorrow, I will bring you to meet a good friend of mine. He is also a meditation master and his disciples don’t practice as hard as you. We will pay him a visit tomorrow.”
I was very happy. Finally, I could meet my master’s friend. Master even said I practiced better than his disciples. This is such an honor. I need to show my skills to them.
So, the next day, what I saw surprised me. I immediately forgot about showing off. Those disciples took their master’s beating like it was nothing. That master was stronger than I am now, with strong muscles, big eyes and a black beard. He didn’t smile while talking. When we arrived, he said, “Sit down, there is water, help yourself.” He said it in a serious tone. I got shivers by just looking at their practices.
They began their day with physical training. The master had 2 sticks in his hands. Those were real and solid sticks, not tiny ones with a hollow center used for show. The 2 sticks were taped together and the disciples lined up to get whacked in the ribs. I wondered if their internal organs got smashed like popcorn. 18 strikes on each side of the ribcage.
After that, the training continued. There was a huge log tied to one end of a rope; the other end of the rope was tied to the temple’s beam. 3 or 4 disciples carried the log; they ran backward about 10 meters, then quickly ran forward carrying the log toward a senior disciple. The senior disciple pushed the log back with his stomach and the disciples carrying the log were sent flying.
I thought, “Is this a bull or a person? Not even a bull can handle that.” But the senior disciple sent the other disciples and the log flying just with his stomach. After seeing that, I told my master, “I will practice more.” There was no way I was going to show off in front of them.
In the end, I asked this senior disciple how he managed to achieve this. He was about 36 or 37. If he could withstand blows that strong, think about how hard his punches and kicks would be. They would hit like tanks. That is incredible. These achievements all come from pain.
According to the master, those who trained under him were given a consent form to sign. They could leave if they couldn’t take it anymore. The master wouldn’t be held accountable for injuries or death. The disciples also had to provide offerings to the master. Strict masters produce great disciples. This process of training and reaching achievement is painful for the disciple.
So we need this wisdom to differentiate real and unreal hardships. We need the insight and merits to do that. If you don’t have the merits to identify this, then you will quit halfway. You will quit because your master “tortures” you.
The journey to mastering any skill is a painful process. If you feel very happy after practice, you won’t achieve anything unless you are already the master. Masters embrace their pain; they enjoy it. They feel very happy when
they train. Lang Lang enjoyed the stage after becoming an international icon. After getting used to the pain, he turned it into joy.
We need to experience and understand the nature of a matter. And then we can judge whether it is good or bad. Life will continue to test us, and it can be painful. When bitter experiences accumulate, they bring experiences that promote growth. Learn to differentiate the good and bad in things. Pain and glory are often connected. Happiness and bitterness are like brothers. What you think is painful or joyful, these are actually inseparable from one another.