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Shaolin Warrior Master: Hidden Epidemic Nobody Talks About! This Modern Habit Is Killing Millions!

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Shaolin Warrior Master: Hidden Epidemic Nobody Talks About! This Modern Habit Is Killing Millions!

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3224 segments

0:01

You said to me, "The key to breaking

0:03

this brick isn't strength necessarily.

0:05

It's the ability to really, really

0:06

focus." So, can you show me you smashing

0:09

this brick?

0:14

Master Shaw Hungi is the world's most

0:17

hardcore monk. He uses his decades of

0:19

knowledge and techniques to help people

0:20

control their minds and overcome

0:22

society's biggest problems. This world

0:24

is filled with so much choice that it's

0:26

difficult to take a decision which

0:28

direction to go. what is right to do.

0:30

And so there is a lot of suffering with

0:32

the skills that you are developing

0:34

through kung fu training involves

0:36

methods and practices that give you the

0:38

ability to do this. But there are five

0:40

hindrances that make it difficult for

0:42

you to still keep your goal in the mind.

0:44

There is sensory desires, ill will,

0:46

dullness, restlessness, and then

0:48

self-doubt. And to overcome the five

0:49

hindrances, you recommend the four-step

0:52

rain method. Yes. And with this, I make

0:54

it super simple.

0:56

So many of us live in the same cycles of

0:58

unhappiness and suffering. I I witnessed

1:00

it in my life as well because I felt I

1:03

was never enough. My father and mother

1:05

put a lot of pressure in terms of you

1:07

need to prove yourself and so I did all

1:09

these type of practices and methods that

1:11

made it possible to be where I am right

1:13

now. I wanted the recognition by my

1:14

father but it didn't happen because your

1:16

father passed away from cancer. Yeah.

1:20

[Music]

1:24

How does one let go of that and

1:26

therefore break the pattern? I will show

1:28

you some practices. Number one,

1:31

this has always blown my mind a little

1:32

bit. 53% of you that listen to this show

1:35

regularly haven't yet subscribed to the

1:37

show. So, could I ask you for a favor

1:39

before we start? If you like the show

1:40

and you like what we do here and you

1:41

want to support us, the free simple way

1:43

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1:45

the subscribe button. And my commitment

1:46

to you is if you do that, then I'll do

1:48

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1:50

to make sure that this show is better

1:51

for you every single week. We'll listen

1:53

to your feedback. We'll find the guests

1:55

that you want me to speak to, and we'll

1:57

continue to do what we do. Thank you so

1:59

much.

2:03

Master Sha

2:05

Hung, based on everything that's

2:07

happening in the world right now and the

2:09

work that you've committed your life to,

2:12

what is the mission that you are on and

2:14

why is it so important right now?

2:18

I do think that in this

2:20

world there have always been different

2:24

streams, different forces.

2:27

One of them leading to the betterment of

2:30

humanity, one of them leading to the

2:32

destruction of humanity. And I do think

2:35

that there are types of wisdom and

2:39

knowledge existing out there that very

2:41

easily without any

2:43

additional help for anything

2:46

else can be very useful for the people

2:50

nowadays. Yeah, you don't need to go

2:52

anywhere. The only thing you need to do

2:54

is take a moment, contemplate about

2:57

yourself, go into

3:00

yourself and find the answers there and

3:03

then decide for yourself which part and

3:06

what type of contribution would you like

3:09

to give to the world that you're living

3:12

in. I ultimately think this is what I'm

3:14

doing. And what is it that you see

3:17

people struggling with? because so many

3:18

people write to you, they they send

3:20

messages to you, they come and see you.

3:22

What is it that you hear they're

3:24

struggling with at a fundamental level?

3:26

I would say it's diversity and choice.

3:28

This world is filled with so much choice

3:32

meanwhile that it's difficult in a way

3:34

to take a decision which direction to

3:36

go, what is right to do, what is not

3:39

right to do. But ultimately, it's only

3:42

yourself who knows the answer. Which

3:44

means it comes to the essential

3:47

point. Learn more about yourself. This

3:51

is where it starts because if you have

3:54

the wrong perspective of who you are,

3:57

what you are, everything else in this

3:59

lifetime you base your decisions on is

4:02

just not not going to

4:04

be placed in the right direction.

4:08

And what are the the other things that

4:09

you hear people suffering with on a

4:11

daily basis in the modern world with the

4:13

way that the world is now? It's

4:14

digitalized. We're lonier than ever.

4:16

Mental health seems to be surging. What

4:18

are the like fundamental things they say

4:20

to you or that that you in infer through

4:22

what they're saying that they are

4:24

actually struggling with? So choice

4:25

overload of choice and an inability to

4:27

make a clear decision is number one.

4:31

So being perfectly honest, I usually do

4:35

not very much rely on what the people

4:37

tell me, what they

4:39

think, what problem they have. It's just

4:42

that I look and I can see already what I

4:46

think you need. And foremost one of

4:50

these and it's very

4:51

simple non-religious nothing about

4:54

believing it simply is the fact you

4:57

don't use your body as it is intended to

5:00

be very

5:02

simple. Yeah. You we you you sit many

5:06

people sit too much during the day. The

5:09

body is not active at all. A lot of work

5:13

a lot of energy investment is done with

5:16

the mind.

5:18

less energy investment is done really

5:20

with the body and that simply means for

5:23

me I can see there's a

5:25

disbalance whoever created us he did not

5:29

create us to sit with our butt on one

5:33

place and do thinking work the whole

5:35

time I do think a part of why we have

5:38

been created is to get out on the field

5:40

and just do something out there and what

5:43

is the cost

5:45

of not utilizing our body in the way

5:47

that it was meant to be utilized.

5:50

Unbalanced energies that can translate

5:53

into anxiety, that can translate into

5:57

dissatisfaction, that can translate into

6:01

continuously searching and never being

6:05

satisfied. And the most common thing,

6:09

not

6:10

realizing how precious the moments are

6:14

that you

6:15

have. And instead of replacing them with

6:19

illusions and dreams and assumptions

6:22

which are just not

6:24

real meaning everybody is not even

6:28

Buddhist, it's not Shaolin. It is common

6:31

understanding. We don't know if we wake

6:33

up tomorrow. It is like this. Yeah. But

6:35

our plans go. We have five years plans,

6:39

10 years plans. We have short-term,

6:41

midterm plans. Yeah. The truth is we

6:44

don't know if we wake up

6:46

tomorrow. So of course I don't want to

6:48

make it like in sound negative. So just

6:51

live in the present moment without

6:53

planning. This is not what I'm saying.

6:56

But this is the challenge nowadays. How

6:59

do you balance out vision?

7:04

vision with

7:07

reality. Real the only thing real right

7:10

now is this. That's real for us. I can

7:15

feel it. You can hear it. You can sense

7:18

it. This is real. you nearly broke my

7:21

table and I was concerned because um

7:25

later on you will

7:26

be proving to me that you can break this

7:29

brick using your your mind and the

7:31

physical um preparation that you've done

7:33

which I find really really interesting

7:35

cuz I tried to smash this brick on the

7:37

floor and I couldn't. So all of the

7:39

things you talk about understanding

7:41

one's physical mind and and mastering it

7:42

but also understanding one's physical

7:44

body will find out if you can smash

7:47

through this brick. But on this point, I

7:49

I wanted to talk about an adjacent

7:51

subject, which is really like purpose,

7:53

what to do with one's life. And if we're

7:56

spending a little bit too much time

7:58

thinking off into the future um and not

8:01

enough time thinking in the present

8:02

moment, I'm wondering how purpose and

8:04

having a having a big dream for one's

8:07

life fits into this equation and if we

8:09

should have a purpose and if so, how do

8:11

we find our purpose?

8:14

So absolutely there is the field of

8:17

becoming conscious. Consciousness is a

8:20

big field. Then we have science is is

8:23

another very very big field. So some say

8:27

okay is it that consciousness creates

8:32

matter or is it the other way around?

8:35

Which one is which one is the

8:36

fundamental basis? What is the basis of

8:40

our interaction? So the truth is the

8:43

fact right now is regardless of science

8:46

no science how our evolution developed

8:49

right now we are here your body my body

8:53

we are

8:54

here this is what we are having right

8:57

now at the same time in the way of how

9:00

this lifestyle at the moment is we won't

9:04

have more than 50 more years to go in

9:06

that

9:07

body so very simple

9:10

without believing living without any

9:13

religious aspect. Once again, the truth

9:15

is the lifetime of what you carry right

9:18

now and what I carry right now, it's

9:22

limited. And now just imagine you would

9:25

be let's say the director of your own

9:30

movie. Jump out of the body and watch

9:32

yourself right now. You are sitting like

9:34

with Shi. We sit on the same table and

9:37

you are writing your story.

9:40

How do you want to write the story? You

9:43

want to afterwards, after this podcast,

9:45

you want to like feel

9:47

uncomfortable, feel unsafe, feel

9:51

unloved, feel like being just

9:54

unsatisfied with the whole life, cry or

9:56

anything like this or how do you imagine

9:59

what is a a a really nice way of living

10:03

for you the next 50 years. So and based

10:07

on

10:08

that purpose can be

10:11

different. You say I do like the travel.

10:14

I I do like to invest this lifetime in

10:18

this body to have the feeling at least

10:20

that I can contribute something to all

10:23

the fellow um brothers and sisters that

10:26

are around there. It makes me like I

10:28

wake up I like to do it. It gives me

10:31

purpose. So it is something very very

10:34

personal.

10:36

And which also means that in a way

10:39

speaking in in these terms right now I

10:43

do not believe that every human being

10:46

has the same purpose when it comes to

10:48

this type of

10:50

purpose but now there's another type of

10:55

purpose which is more or less personally

10:58

for me why do I

11:01

think that in the first place we have

11:04

been put with all these

11:07

possibilities and

11:09

uh positively said I do think it is a

11:13

blessing being able to just

11:17

experience. It's a blessing that we have

11:20

been granted the possibility of

11:25

simply experiencing what this existence

11:30

is capable of creating. including

11:35

everything, including the joy, including

11:38

the happiness, including the tears,

11:40

including the heartbreaks, all of this

11:43

without the separation. Whether you

11:45

prefer one area or

11:47

not, the one sometimes the one goes with

11:51

the

11:52

other. But the purpose in a way is just

11:56

be and

11:58

experience. The only thing that happens

12:01

and which is a big part nowadays is if

12:05

you

12:06

take your current existence too

12:10

serious. If you completely base your

12:15

identity, your

12:17

being on what you think you

12:20

are. But like I said, it's just a

12:23

picture right now. Yes. But just

12:26

sometimes make it very simple. jump out

12:28

of yourself and be the director. Be the

12:32

director of this

12:34

avatar and then it just opens another

12:38

perspective because in that moment you

12:42

just realize it's like a movie.

12:45

Not everything is always

12:46

positive but in the moment where there

12:49

are times of struggle

12:52

still not being caught inside your own

12:56

creation

12:58

identity

13:00

identity illusion of the self different

13:02

expressions for that it's a very helpful

13:05

way of thinking let's put it like this

13:08

because there are so many people that

13:09

say they are struggling to find meaning

13:12

in their life or they feel

13:13

purposelessness And you know, I get so

13:15

many messages from people all over the

13:17

world saying that they um they're saying

13:20

things like, "Is this it? Is this all my

13:22

life is?"

13:24

So, this is

13:27

literally also one one point that you

13:30

just mentioned is that it isn't there

13:32

more. That has always been a part that

13:35

followed me along the way. Yeah.

13:38

Especially now in the last three four

13:41

years after social media the algorithm

13:45

of social media really started also

13:47

pushing pushing us quite out

13:51

there. More requests were coming of

13:55

doing workshops, of doing podcasts, of

13:59

teaching here, of teaching there, of

14:01

making television show, of participating

14:04

in movies. And of course all together

14:07

with this doors start to open, different

14:10

things start to come in. But at some

14:15

point I just couldn't believe that this

14:18

is supposed to be the

14:22

purpose because it all still had to do

14:25

like had to do with

14:28

doing the constant

14:31

doing. Yeah. And there I felt in my life

14:36

now looking at this this couldn't be it.

14:38

So I I look for alternatives always and

14:41

always again especially feeling that

14:44

along the way of what you would say

14:46

achieving something being recognized at

14:49

something. Yeah. But the there's a

14:51

there's another side that goes hand in

14:53

hand with it that the public doesn't

14:55

see. There were times I could simply be

14:58

surrounded with like thousands thousands

15:01

of people but still feel

15:04

lonely. is not what you're surrounded

15:07

with, it's with what you are

15:10

connected. Yeah. And there I felt like

15:13

there is always again this type of

15:16

force. What is it that drives you

15:18

on? Going outwards, going outwards,

15:21

going outwards, you lose

15:24

yourself. But this self is the only

15:27

thing that can give you connection in

15:29

this life. And what do you need to be

15:31

connected to then? You talked about

15:34

being surrounded by thousands and being

15:36

lonely and it's really about what you're

15:38

connected to. What does one need to be

15:40

connected to?

15:43

Maybe before I answer you this question,

15:44

there's one thing I maybe want to like

15:47

mention beforehand. So when I went to

15:50

elementary school and also during my

15:52

school time, I actually for example

15:54

joined Christian Christian lesson. Yeah.

15:59

So by my parents I grew up with Buddhist

16:03

tradition let's say from the martial art

16:07

training I also got introduced into

16:09

so-called Zen

16:10

Buddhism because my father always told

16:13

me look son we are here in a foreign

16:16

country you're a foreigner it's always

16:18

better to have friends than to have

16:20

enemies that's why I made always friends

16:22

with everyone meaning I had a lot of

16:25

Russian friends I had a lot of Arab

16:28

Arabic friends. I had a lot of Turkish

16:29

friends.

16:31

Multicultural also meaning at some point

16:34

I also got like introduced into

16:36

Islam. Bottom line

16:39

is taking all of this knowledge from the

16:41

past into my

16:43

mind. No matter from which angle I'm

16:47

watching right

16:49

now, I do

16:52

believe that we all have a source.

16:57

There is a

16:59

source. So whether you call that source

17:03

is the

17:04

universe, whether you call the source it

17:07

is the God, whether this source is is

17:10

the the the infinite energy, I don't

17:13

know. There's so many different

17:14

expressions to

17:16

it. But when I look at all these

17:18

teachings, all are always pointing at

17:21

one and the same thing.

17:23

Let's just take the expression of yin

17:26

and yang. Yes, the symbol everybody

17:29

knows in the world. And there is that

17:31

nice saying yin and yang have a

17:35

mother. The mother sometimes simply

17:37

being illustrated as one

17:40

circle. So yin and yang as the

17:43

expression from duality, polarity,

17:46

existence of number two. Yeah. Where do

17:49

the two come from? They must come from

17:51

one.

17:53

So simple like in our way you are there

17:56

I am here one two where do we come from

18:00

there must be something that we have as

18:02

a common

18:03

denominator and this source is the only

18:06

thing that can connect

18:09

us because it's not your family it's not

18:13

my family they're still different that

18:15

is not

18:16

enough going just looking at we are

18:20

humans animals

18:23

name. Whatever and whoever gave us the

18:28

possibility to be here is the same who

18:31

gave you the permission is the same who

18:33

gave me the permission and the blessing.

18:36

And this is what I think this is the

18:39

level of mind. This is the level of

18:43

connection that never leaves you

18:46

lonely. This this is the one that I that

18:49

I mean being connected to the source.

18:51

Yes. Now, for someone that is listening

18:54

to this and is confused at this juncture

18:56

and they're asking themselves, what is

18:59

that source? You've described it in in

19:01

many potential ways, but it's the my

19:05

attempt at describing it is it is

19:08

ultimately where we came from. That is

19:10

that is the source. Is there a better

19:12

way of describing it for people that

19:13

might be unfamiliar with the concept?

19:16

First of all, I cannot speak without it

19:18

and it would make sense to everyone.

19:21

That's already the first very very

19:23

difficult part. That's why my intention

19:26

is never to say what is it. The only

19:30

thing I can do is to to like give

19:33

pointers. But ultimately there's only

19:35

one person who will be able to find it

19:38

out and it's not me finding it out for

19:40

somebody

19:41

else. Everybody will find out for

19:44

himself or herself. So every human

19:48

being I do think is at a different level

19:53

of his um of his growth of his

19:57

development and everybody gets what he

20:00

needs exactly in the moment where he is

20:03

in which is why I think everybody at

20:06

this moment in time is exactly where he

20:09

needs to be for the next elevation to

20:13

take place. The only thing you need to

20:15

do is look at yourself right now and

20:20

just find out what is

20:21

it that makes you

20:24

unhappy. What exactly is it that at this

20:27

moment in your life is binding

20:30

you and restricting you from moving on?

20:34

And this is the same question for

20:36

everyone. But the what you ultimately

20:39

need to tackle is different. In the

20:43

past, I sometimes played Super Mario and

20:46

Luigi. And it's the same. If you don't

20:48

like manage level number one, you won't

20:51

see level number two. The challenges

20:52

from number two won't come. The end boss

20:55

from number two is not going to come.

20:57

First, you finish level one. But once

21:00

number one is finished, you won't face

21:02

the same stuff

21:03

anymore. And there is something along

21:06

this line where it sometimes is like a

21:09

game at the same time.

21:12

Don't take it so serious helps.

21:15

On that point of we're all struggling

21:19

with something based on the levels we're

21:20

at. If you had to try and

21:23

summarize what the common answer is to

21:26

what people are struggling with, what do

21:28

you think that might be? I was thinking

21:30

about my um my best friends cuz

21:32

sometimes it's easier to step outside of

21:34

oneselves and look at others and I was

21:36

reflecting on the conversations I've had

21:37

with them over the last couple of weeks

21:38

about things they're struggling with.

21:40

And I would define a lot of it as

21:43

wanting. So wanting to improve their

21:46

businesses, wanting to improve maybe

21:49

their romantic situations and find love.

21:52

I would say the essence of it, the

21:54

suffering seems to be striving for

21:57

something that they're unable to grab.

21:59

Um, but I wondered if you had a

22:00

different perspective on that. Two

22:03

things that right now would come to my

22:05

mind.

22:09

There is always the struggle between

22:12

doing and

22:16

being. I would ask why are you doing? So

22:20

why why do you want to go into action?

22:25

Mostly there is a

22:28

goal. The goal why do you have that

22:31

goal? because you're aiming at receiving

22:34

something that in the moment where you

22:36

where you have it apparently you are

22:39

lacking. So that means this type of goal

22:43

setting in in my perspective I would

22:46

automatically refer to it already that

22:49

your goal setting already comes from a

22:52

space of

22:54

lack. You feel like you're lacking

22:56

something. That's why you need to do you

22:59

feel like you're lacking something

23:01

that's why you need to educate yourself

23:04

that okay so this is the one

23:07

direction now coming back maybe sounds

23:10

again too

23:11

philosophical connected with the

23:15

source there's nothing to add and

23:17

there's nothing to take away from

23:21

you so apparently when somebody has this

23:25

very very high ambition of doing

23:27

something, achieving

23:30

something, then most likely the chances

23:34

are there. This is not coming from a

23:36

connection to the

23:37

source. It is coming from the idea of

23:42

wanting to nourish or create an

23:45

identity. An

23:47

identity that represents something that

23:50

you think you want to

23:52

represent. Yeah. So this is the one area

23:54

the doing versus the being. And then the

23:58

second thing is that ultimately goes

24:01

hand in

24:02

hand with this way of living your life

24:06

is that you for that that one thing is

24:09

being forgotten along the along the

24:14

line. The truth

24:16

of that whoever and whatever you are

24:20

creating and are intending to create and

24:23

are intending to gather now and and

24:27

starting to um to attain

24:29

things your attainment maximum it's

24:32

going to last 100

24:34

years. That is the other truth.

24:39

So,

24:40

and I do believe people understand

24:43

exactly what I

24:45

said. But there comes the fight now

24:50

again. The fight between

24:53

Yes. between this very strong identity

24:56

that wants to just maintain

24:59

itself and the other side of just forget

25:02

about your

25:04

identity. Be as you are. That's it.

25:08

No matter what you're going to attain,

25:10

you have it for 100 years afterward is

25:12

gone. So just be don't stress yourself

25:17

too much with what you don't

25:19

have. Well,

25:22

unfortunately, and this is always going

25:25

to continue like this. Unfortunately,

25:27

there are always three ways how you

25:29

going to learn this.

25:31

Sometimes people just need to have the

25:35

experience to realize okay I did it I

25:40

got it now I realize I don't need it but

25:44

in the first place you need to have it.

25:46

First way of

25:47

learning second way of learning you do

25:50

trust a certain teacher you do trust a

25:53

certain guide or a

25:56

mentor you just copy the way how he's

25:58

living his life. So your approach is you

26:01

just copy because you see oh apparently

26:03

the person lives a good life. So you

26:06

just copy. Second way of learning. And

26:09

the third way of learning is you maybe

26:11

have like a teacher or a master. He

26:13

tells you some wise words. You

26:15

contemplate about it. You think about it

26:18

and because you were thinking about it,

26:20

it already puts you on the alternative

26:23

path without you needing to try it for

26:25

yourself. So, and there will always be

26:28

people in this world in these three

26:32

categories because you know simply said

26:35

telling somebody look don't don't put

26:38

your hand in the

26:40

fire. They're still going to do it but

26:43

later is when they do it like two times

26:44

three times then it's done. But a lot of

26:46

people never get the thing that they're

26:48

pursuing. So, you know, someone might

26:50

say I want to be a millionaire or I want

26:52

to have a this Lamborghini sports car.

26:56

The majority of people who aspire to

26:58

that statistically won't ever reach it.

27:00

So they'll spend their whole life just

27:02

in pursuit. They'll never get the lesson

27:04

of path one where you try it and you

27:06

realize

27:07

that. So but maybe that is also already

27:13

the lesson involved in this person's

27:19

life. You have this goal in the mind.

27:22

you you put all your energy, all your

27:25

effort into trying to achieve that.

27:28

You're 20 years old, you're trying.

27:30

You're 30 years old, you're trying. 40

27:33

years already, you're still trying. 50

27:35

years, you still haven't let go of the

27:37

idea.

27:39

Well, at some point

27:42

hopefully you see

27:45

exactly

27:46

that that senseless approach of how you

27:51

personally already wasted 30 years of

27:54

following a goal with the conclusion of

27:56

two things. Number one, you haven't

27:57

achieved it yet or number two, you

28:00

didn't had the right way of achieving

28:02

it. But the bottom line is you have two

28:05

ways now. What to do? let go of the idea

28:08

that you need it and and redirect your

28:12

life

28:14

or redirect your

28:16

approach of how you still want to

28:19

achieve that goal if you don't want to

28:21

let go of it. But apparently one of

28:23

these two things is is not right.

28:27

And the more you want your life now,

28:30

let's say in the future to be quite

28:33

different than what you're used to, the

28:37

more you need to be able to let

28:40

go. Let go of patterns. Let go of the

28:44

way of thoughts that you had in the in

28:46

the last years and months. Now, if

28:49

nothing changes about that, there will

28:51

not come a new life.

28:54

So many of us live in patterns, the same

28:58

cycles, and we we end up getting the

29:00

same results and those results result in

29:02

unhappiness and suffering. And I was

29:04

speaking to a friend over the weekend

29:06

about how one of our other friends has

29:09

lived in a bit of a pattern and they've

29:11

been able to unable to find love and

29:14

companionship because of some things

29:16

that happened when they were younger. I

29:18

think they were bullied. So they have

29:20

this sort of deeper sense of having to

29:22

prove themselves and insecurity. And

29:24

this shows up all the time because when

29:26

they meet someone, they present a facade

29:29

which might not necessarily be accurate.

29:32

And then very quickly the relationship

29:34

ends because it was never real in the

29:36

first place. But this person's now aware

29:38

of it, but it's still happening over and

29:40

over again. They're still living out the

29:42

same pattern in their life and still

29:43

getting the same results and

29:44

dissatisfaction. So when we think about

29:47

trauma at an early age that results in

29:50

this sort of cyclical pattern of getting

29:52

same behavior, same results. I wondered

29:54

if you had a perspective on how one can

29:56

let go of that and therefore break the

29:58

pattern. So let me draw you a picture.

30:05

I was a four fouryear-old

30:09

boy having father and

30:12

mother Asian

30:14

origin being refugees from Vietnam Laos

30:19

meaning

30:20

they they ran away from the

30:24

war coming to Europe coming to Germany

30:28

with the idea that for the children to

30:31

have a better security on the one side

30:33

feeling more safe in Germany without the

30:37

instability that they witness in their

30:39

own country. And so of course father and

30:42

mother with this

30:44

idea put a lot of pressure in early ages

30:47

already in terms of you need to be good

30:51

at school, you need to achieve, yeah,

30:53

you need to prove yourself. So this is

30:55

the education from father and mother. At

30:58

the same time, with the age of four, I

31:00

went into a Shaolin kung fu school

31:03

learning martial arts. And every martial

31:06

artist practitioner probably knows

31:09

teachers and masters usually are not the

31:12

ones telling you, "Oh, yes, you did that

31:14

very good. Yes, very well." No, they

31:17

they just say, "Okay, more, deeper,

31:21

faster, harder." So bottom line is from

31:25

the age of four growing up the only

31:28

thing that in the way I felt was

31:30

actually you're never

31:32

enough. No matter what I brought home in

31:35

terms of grades if it was a B why was it

31:38

not A? If it was a A why is it not A+?

31:41

If I did already 100 push-ups question

31:44

is why don't you make 150? Yeah. If I

31:47

was fast already it was still not fast

31:49

enough. So constantly this type of never

31:52

enough. Okay. Ultimately meaning and

31:56

this is all now I can just tell you 40

31:58

years later but now I can see it.

32:01

Ultimately meaning that at some point

32:03

this little boy started simply to build

32:07

up a shield. Build up such a shield to

32:11

be less dependent anymore on what other

32:16

people think about me.

32:19

Meaning I just started to rely

32:21

everything in my life purely on what I

32:25

think at the same time building up

32:28

emotional blockages and emotional walls

32:31

nothing to penetrate and at the same

32:33

time also nothing to express to the

32:35

outside.

32:37

So now having entered into like a very

32:41

new circumstance in my life where I need

32:45

to take into consideration the opinion

32:48

and the emotional state yeah of my

32:51

beloved of my partner of my

32:55

son. I can feel how my old patterns

32:59

sometimes are still trying to sneak in.

33:04

And so the only thing to do is what to

33:07

do to break patterns. Number one, you

33:09

need to see you have one. And number

33:11

two, you need to replace old patterns,

33:14

which ultimately mean patterns. It's

33:17

habitual behavior. It's it's habits. How

33:20

do you build habits by

33:23

continuous behavioral patterns that you

33:26

continuously do? So there is something

33:28

about consistency and continuity that

33:31

ultimately builds a pattern.

33:34

So and this is now where for example in

33:37

this field of martial arts that's

33:39

exactly what it's

33:41

about consistency of having a training

33:46

regimen every

33:48

day. This is yeah it's not helpful to

33:52

like six days per week do nothing and

33:54

then you go one day to the gym and and

33:57

give your everything. No, it's better

34:00

you have some type of consistency

34:02

throughout the whole day. This is what

34:05

builds patterns, healthy

34:08

patterns. Yeah. And so similar like this

34:11

I would describe now what is somebody

34:14

supposed to do? Number one, look at

34:17

yourself and see yourself. We are all

34:20

not

34:22

perfect, but according to the

34:24

circumstances that you are facing right

34:26

now

34:27

today, what type of character do you

34:30

think with what do you want to equip

34:32

your

34:34

character that he is able to go through

34:37

this current times in the best possible

34:40

manner? What is not useful for you

34:42

anymore, try to get rid of it. and get

34:45

your new skills in and then train those

34:50

and then train of course those new

34:51

patterns. We don't often think about

34:53

training some of the virtues that we

34:56

want to acquire and the patterns we want

34:58

to have. We we kind of think that we

35:00

have to select them and then we'll do

35:03

our best to live them. But the idea that

35:04

I might have to

35:06

train certain new behaviors is a really

35:10

compelling one because you're right, in

35:11

the context of any physical development,

35:13

I have to go to the gym and I have to do

35:15

my repetitions to build that thing, that

35:18

strength. But I um was just thinking

35:20

about creating a training regimen for

35:22

for certain behaviors

35:24

um and new patterns that I want in my

35:26

life and trying to make sure I do them

35:28

every day, which is not something that

35:30

I've I've ever considered. Three months

35:33

ago, you became a dad to a young boy to

35:36

a young son. Yes. Um, so you're now in

35:39

the process of raising a man yourself.

35:42

And there's a lot of dialogue at the

35:43

moment in the UK, but also just broadly

35:45

in the Western world around what it is

35:47

to be a man and how to to raise men. I

35:49

think much of this dialogue has been

35:50

sparked by some shocking statistics that

35:53

show young men are struggling now more

35:55

than ever in various ways. Um, I think

35:57

the single biggest killer of men under

35:59

the age of 45 is themselves. And also

36:02

there's just an overarching sense of I

36:04

think purposeless meaninglessness that

36:05

they're struggling in school more so

36:07

than women are. Some forecasts predict

36:09

that for every two women that graduate

36:13

university or college only one man will

36:15

graduate um in the near future. And it's

36:18

pretty it's pretty shocking. So when I

36:20

think about the way that you're intent

36:21

on raising your young your young man,

36:23

but also what it is that young men in

36:26

particular are missing in their lives, I

36:29

wondered if you had had an answer from

36:33

this

36:35

moment. There's one thing I can tell by

36:37

myself what I would absolutely prevent

36:41

when it would come, let's say, to the

36:43

education or what I share with my son.

36:47

Like I said, I felt I was never enough.

36:50

There was always something that

36:52

additionally needed to be done. So,

36:54

which literally means for me for my son

36:57

there is nothing to be done. There is

37:00

nothing he has to

37:04

achieve. If there if there would be

37:06

something it is stay

37:09

connected. So in terms

37:12

of I don't see myself as somebody who is

37:16

now having the responsibility to shape

37:20

my son. No, I only provide the

37:23

framework. I try to provide the most

37:26

safe framework for my son. He can try

37:30

out whatever he wants. If he fails, he

37:33

will learn by himself to get up again

37:36

and keep trying. So you know to fail and

37:41

then to

37:42

continue. I just want to build up this

37:45

framework as good as I can to make him

37:47

feel safe. Yeah. But trial and error is

37:51

what I do believe is the way how you

37:53

find

37:54

yourself. So definitely not being

37:58

spoiled but at the same time also not

38:01

like keeping something away from him

38:04

where where I make him feel like he's

38:06

not enough. So ultimately I do think in

38:09

the modern way of how to express it in

38:11

all these attachment theories very

38:13

simple of course it's the secure the

38:16

secure way of being a

38:20

stable own selfmade

38:24

self-sufficient

38:27

individual who knows his own value. Why?

38:30

Because he failed and got up. Why do you

38:34

think so many young men are

38:41

struggling?

38:43

No. Whatever shows up right now at at

38:48

this moment. Yeah.

38:50

2025. It didn't start in 2025.

38:54

Whatever appears right now sometimes

38:57

it's the result of how things have been

39:00

handled, how the education has been from

39:02

previous years, whether it's the last 10

39:04

years, whether it's the last 20 years.

39:06

So it's not necessarily what did the

39:10

generation right now do did wrong, let's

39:13

say. No, it's also the question of what

39:16

did the previous generation missed to

39:20

keep passing on that ultimately led to

39:24

the result that we have nowadays. So,

39:26

and this is the question

39:30

where where I do think it's

39:33

multi-layered.

39:35

You gave a a TED talk in 2020 almost 5

39:38

years ago now about the five hindrances

39:43

What are the five hindrances? You

39:46

describe them as five mental states that

39:48

are holding us back. Let's put the

39:52

context

39:55

first. Take it simple. Just you have a

39:59

goal setting. You set yourself whatever

40:01

goal it is, you have your

40:03

goal. So your mind is set on the goal.

40:08

Normally the five hindrances now simply

40:11

describe there are five mental states

40:15

that would actually make it difficult

40:18

for you to still keep your goal in the

40:21

mind whatever goal that is. So the

40:25

number

40:26

one for example is called sensual

40:29

desire.

40:31

Sensual desire means you are too

40:35

receptive for any type of pleasurable

40:38

feeling in regards to your five

40:42

senses. You're being too quickly attract

40:45

when you see something

40:48

beautiful. You're too quickly attract if

40:50

you smell something

40:52

tasty. You're too quickly distracted

40:55

when like you have like physical touch.

40:58

Yeah. So the first hindrance means you

41:01

you're losing the goal already because

41:04

in the moment something pleasurable is

41:06

being presented to you. Your your mind

41:09

has shifted

41:10

already. So that means that first mental

41:13

state only means look be aware of what

41:17

is it that you are very easily attracted

41:20

to. It doesn't say it's bad. It doesn't

41:23

say it's good. It just says in the

41:26

context of you want to reach your goal,

41:29

how to reach the goal the quickest, be

41:31

focused with your energy. Meaning be

41:34

focused with the mind. Don't lose the

41:36

goal from the mind. Whatever you do from

41:39

the moment of waking up until the

41:41

evening, whatever you do, keep the goal

41:44

in the mind. This is the quickest way of

41:46

making this goal become real. Number

41:50

two, simply said, you don't like

41:55

discomfort. You you don't like

41:57

challenges. You don't like

41:59

hardship. In that TEDex talk, I

42:01

described it like you're like walking

42:03

along the path and then suddenly it

42:05

starts to rain, but you don't like rain.

42:09

So instead of you just continue follow

42:12

the path, you are starting to make your

42:16

mind busy about what you don't like.

42:19

Yeah. And already that means the mind

42:22

starts to shift again losing the focus

42:25

of the goal. So this

42:28

idea num hindrance number one, hindrance

42:31

number two, actually you can easily say

42:33

it like

42:35

this. This is the goal. Two things not

42:38

to

42:40

do. Spend your time

42:42

enjoying. Don't do this.

42:45

Or spend your time

42:48

rejecting that things are not the way

42:51

how you imagine them to

42:53

be. Both of these things, one is you

42:57

follow pleasure and the other thing

42:58

you're rejecting any challenges. Both of

43:02

these things is something to be aware of

43:05

when it comes to stay focused along the

43:08

path. When we think about this first

43:10

hindrance of sensual desire, is this

43:12

where discipline comes into play? The

43:15

idea of discipline because that word is

43:17

often used, but it's often lacking a

43:19

clear definition, but also a clear

43:22

understanding of how one attains and

43:24

exhibits discipline. Because when I

43:26

think about the things that require me

43:28

to have discipline, it is these desires.

43:31

It is the five gates. It is something I

43:34

want to eat. It is maybe um some kind of

43:37

touch that I want to have etc etc. So is

43:40

this where discipline is important?

43:44

No. Even for example like in the book or

43:49

even now when we talk about we have the

43:51

five hindrances, we have the 14 virtues,

43:55

we have the eight rules, we have the

43:57

four here and the 13 here and the six.

44:02

Okay, it's a very good guideline because

44:06

it makes it easy for us humans to have

44:09

something like really structured. There

44:11

are there are four steps there are six

44:13

steps there are five steps

44:15

whatsoever what I want to say

44:17

is just in this way it's also that only

44:24

discipline wouldn't be helpful if in the

44:28

first place you do not possess the

44:31

ability

44:33

to see

44:35

it to realize it to be aware of

44:41

Meaning you have discipline but you are

44:43

never aware actually when is the moment

44:46

actually appearing right now that this

44:50

sensory desire is hitting in. You're not

44:53

aware of it. So the discipline wouldn't

44:56

help you if you don't have this

44:58

awareness. So always meaning I do think

45:01

that there are

45:03

different different qualities of the

45:07

mind that come into play for you

45:11

to to adjust yourself properly. I was

45:15

thinking about my friend when you

45:17

mentioned awareness there the friend I

45:18

described earlier who exhibits the same

45:21

pattern and although they might be aware

45:25

of the pattern they might say you know I

45:26

have this pattern I don't believe

45:28

they're aware

45:29

of the moment where that pattern begins

45:33

like this the singular trigger which

45:35

sends them in that in that loop so I was

45:38

and I was thinking the same about myself

45:39

I was like there's some behaviors that I

45:40

have that I don't like and although I'm

45:43

aware of them In the moment when it

45:46

happens, I might not be conscious that

45:49

it's the pattern has begun that the

45:51

someone has said something, something

45:53

has happened and then you go on that

45:54

pattern or you reach into the

45:56

refrigerator at 1:00 a.m. in the morning

45:58

and grab the thing or you end up being

46:00

triggered by something. So I wondered if

46:03

there's a practice at all to become

46:05

increase our awareness of the trigger

46:07

moment.

46:08

Yes.

46:10

This is for example where I very much

46:13

appreciate so many different teachings

46:17

that are meanwhile existing freely

46:19

available for example through the social

46:20

media including breath work including

46:24

yoga

46:25

practices all of them if you have a

46:28

proper

46:29

teacher I'm very sure that this is

46:32

exactly what is starting to raise your

46:34

awareness for something that in this

46:37

field when you are spending some time we

46:39

refer to as energy. If you're not aware

46:43

of your

46:45

own inner layer, let's say like

46:49

this, and somebody insults you, it can

46:52

happen that like somebody so somebody

46:54

insulted me and then I just started

46:57

exploding. Yeah. But the fact is before

46:59

something explodes, before I

47:02

explode, first of all, something must be

47:05

lit already. the the the small little

47:08

flame already must have been lit. So

47:12

when I already knew who is it that I'm

47:14

going to

47:15

meet maybe that already knowing hearing

47:18

the name from him already was

47:21

ah was already the starting point of a

47:25

potential explosion to happen. Yeah. So

47:29

then ah this was where when this little

47:31

flame already started being there and

47:33

then you literally can feel things like

47:35

this. You can feel when something is has

47:38

been injected, let's say, into you when

47:41

something starts to arise because when

47:44

the fire is already too big, when the

47:46

whole house is burning, you're not going

47:48

to you're not going to

47:49

[Music]

47:51

um put down that fire in any way. You

47:55

can only put down all of these fires

47:57

before things come too big. meaning we

48:01

must find a way to be directly grabbing

48:05

the root, grabbing the core or grabbing

48:08

the source of the

48:11

explosion. And the only way that I know

48:14

is you need to become more sensitive for

48:19

everything that goes on in your

48:24

body, in your surrounding, in

48:27

everything. This is where for me

48:30

awareness does play a

48:35

role and

48:37

yes and especially when it comes to

48:41

becoming aware of your emotional states.

48:44

This is absolutely inner work. This has

48:47

nothing to do with doing work out here.

48:49

It's inner work.

48:51

How does one begin the journey of doing

48:54

that inner work?

48:56

You give trust in the vision that when

49:00

you are investing your time right now to

49:02

become more aware

49:04

of yourself, of your emotional state,

49:07

then this is going to benefit your life.

49:09

That's the starting point. You believe

49:11

in it. You believe in it. So you don't

49:15

do it because somebody tells you you're

49:16

supposed to do it. You do it because you

49:19

genuinely believe this is the way. Yeah.

49:23

I want to know more about

49:26

myself. I want to really understand what

49:29

is it that I am made out

49:33

of. You want to figure out is there

49:37

something inside of myself. I tried to

49:40

look away for many years but I know it's

49:43

still there and was afraid to look at

49:46

it. All of these

49:48

things. There's only one way to make

49:50

yourself free.

49:53

You need to become

49:56

transparent. Yeah. If there are if there

49:59

are spots inside of ourself where

50:02

there's no light

50:05

yet, it can't

50:08

be. It can't

50:12

be. Bringing

50:14

light to everything that has been in the

50:18

dark. This is another area of the past.

50:22

which at some point everybody will

50:26

face. Yeah. And even though that is is

50:30

even though that this is not just like a

50:32

saying

50:34

but just the

50:38

idea whatever you're doing whatever

50:41

you're thinking whether people are

50:42

around you or you are

50:45

alone just imagine there is one who

50:49

always sees what you're doing.

50:52

So live your life based on that.

50:56

And that person is you

51:00

also.

51:01

Who else is it? It is the elevated

51:05

version of you. But it's true. It's you

51:08

and you.

51:10

Once I've shone a light on that area of

51:12

me, so I have greater awareness of its

51:14

existence and it's now transparent.

51:18

Is it a case then of what is the work I

51:21

then have to do to make a change in that

51:24

in that context? So, we're talking here

51:26

about managing one's emotions and

51:29

getting a grip of one's emotions so you

51:30

can avoid being triggered or

51:34

perpetrating the same patterns in your

51:36

life that have led you to the same

51:38

outcomes. First, you you believe that

51:40

it's possible to to change. You gain a

51:44

greater awareness of the parts of

51:46

yourself that you've kept in the dark

51:48

that you might want to change. And then

51:51

what does one do from there? Because I

51:54

came let's say from this martial art

51:57

field. Yes. Also meaning the Dao is

52:00

teaching or the principles of yin and

52:02

yang have always been the part in

52:06

there. Let me put it like this.

52:11

Whatever you are

52:13

thinking, saying or

52:18

doing

52:20

has a

52:22

consequence. So this consequence that

52:25

you have created or that you are

52:27

intending to

52:30

create, ask

52:31

yourself what is that consequence

52:34

actually? Does it make you yourself?

52:38

Does it make your being, your

52:40

interaction with

52:42

people, does it make it feel more

52:46

light, more pleasurable, more enjoying,

52:50

more

52:53

free, more

52:55

nourishing? Or is the result that you

52:58

are about to

52:59

create going in the other direction?

53:01

Meaning you're nourishing conflict. You

53:04

are nourishing aggression. Feeling like

53:06

you are carrying the suffering of the

53:08

world on your shoulder. Feeling like

53:11

there's a burden on you. Feeling like

53:14

there's a stone on your heart. Feeling

53:16

like you're being put under pressure.

53:18

See all of these expressions have

53:20

something to do with density. Have

53:22

something to do

53:24

with

53:26

pressure. Yeah. But then when we look at

53:29

no matter which tradition it is,

53:31

Buddhism,

53:33

enlightenment,

53:35

freedom,

53:37

liberation, elevation, no matter what it

53:40

is. You see, it is just two forces in

53:43

the

53:44

world. Two forces in the world. One

53:47

aiming for

53:50

limitlessness and the other one aiming

53:52

for restricting and very clear

53:55

boundaries. These are the two

53:58

forces.

54:00

So, and this is exactly now turning the

54:03

view upon

54:04

yourself. What are you made out of? Your

54:08

your patterns, the emotional states that

54:11

follow you within a

54:13

week. Within a week, looking back the

54:16

last week, what was the most dominating

54:19

emotion you felt inside yourself? Was it

54:23

one that had the character of limiting

54:25

yourself in a way or were you in an

54:28

emotional state like through the week it

54:31

was light it was liberated free

54:35

uplifting joyful which of these so and

54:40

this simply gives you exactly from what

54:43

to what do I think you need to transform

54:48

yourself if you want

54:50

this if you want this.

54:53

So,

54:56

and why do I think that this is the

55:00

goal? Lightness. Lightness. Let's just

55:03

imagine after this

55:06

conversation, your best friend or your

55:08

best girlfriend going to ask you, so how

55:10

was this

55:11

conversation? And even so that we are

55:13

maybe just talking 3 hours, four hours.

55:16

Even if you spend two days long

55:20

explaining to your best friend how this

55:22

conversation was, it's not the

55:26

truth. It is not the

55:30

truth. How is this conversation? How is

55:34

this conversation? Even right now, we

55:37

cannot even speak about

55:40

it. I tell you how this conversation

55:43

right now really is. Yes.

55:49

How you want to describe

55:53

this? You only you will be the only one

55:56

ever

55:58

knowing how this

56:00

is. It doesn't matter who's going to ask

56:03

you afterwards what you're going to tell

56:07

them. You want to feel it, you need to

56:10

experience it. There is no other way.

56:13

And this is the this is the nature of

56:16

words. This is why these these ancient

56:19

stories come. For example, one master

56:22

and his student walk up on the mountain

56:24

early in the morning. Then the sun rises

56:27

up and then the student says, "Oh,

56:30

master, what a beautiful sunrise." And

56:32

then like the master like slaps him and

56:35

never takes him to a walk uh anymore.

56:38

Then you say, "Why was the teacher so

56:41

hard to him?

56:43

Because in the moment where you give

56:45

something that you

56:47

experience a

56:49

word, you limit

56:52

its

56:53

nature. You you you naturally limit its

56:57

nature. So how does this now translate

57:00

into into what we can do with this

57:04

knowledge?

57:08

Whatever is being dense and it's

57:11

limiting I don't think it's the

57:15

way I think everything for us to

57:19

practice is look beyond

57:23

limitations look beyond the

57:26

words look beyond the shape practice to

57:31

look beyond the superficiality of

57:35

things because this is where the meaning

57:37

lies or this is

57:39

where part of

57:41

the part of the realization lies.

57:46

I think in my life I I want to be light,

57:50

but the way that my life tends to

57:52

operate is I might aspire for that, but

57:55

then I fall into almost a bit of an

57:59

autopilot and I run the same pattern

58:02

throughout the week and the same I

58:05

respond in the same ways to the same

58:06

external external stim stimulus. So

58:09

although might one might aspire to be

58:12

freer and to be less agitated or to be

58:16

you know all those things I quickly fall

58:19

back into my old path my old autopilot

58:23

because life does seem to come at me

58:24

pretty quickly. Um if I look at my

58:27

calendar it's just full every day. So, I

58:30

wake up and like I woke up this morning

58:32

and I'm like with one eye open looking

58:34

at my phone schedule to figure out like

58:36

what day it is and what that means and

58:38

what I have to do and what's just

58:40

happened and oh, the podcast has gone

58:42

out and I've got this email from this

58:43

person and there's my calendar or when

58:44

I'm late for by 20 minutes and although

58:48

I might have the day before said to

58:49

myself that this week we're going to be

58:51

joyful and light and free, it feels like

58:54

the week hits me like a truck and then

58:58

boom, autopilot.

59:00

So our goal is set in a way and now

59:03

comes the next realization. Just because

59:05

your goal is set doesn't mean this life

59:07

is going to give you exactly what you're

59:09

looking for.

59:13

meaning you really must make sure how

59:17

important is that goal really for

59:21

you because yeah I

59:25

uh I I witness it in my life as well. So

59:29

at some point I you know when it started

59:32

become a lot public you know the

59:35

calendar went full and at some point I

59:38

said to myself okay now it's becoming

59:40

too full let's start to let's start to

59:43

settle down a bit let's start to stay a

59:45

little bit more in the background. Yeah.

59:47

But then still like requests coming in

59:50

still and then you were think ah come

59:52

this one still. Yeah. But ultimately

59:54

it's really up to you how much do you

59:58

really want it and it is going to

60:02

continue like this until you will

60:04

ultimately come to the

60:06

point and it's going to come quickly I

60:09

do think

60:13

yeah where you realize for yourself that

60:17

that it's an

60:19

infinite that it's that it's an infinite

60:22

direction of possibible abilities. They

60:24

will never run out. But you will still

60:27

have to figure out what is it that you

60:29

really want from your

60:32

life. People will say, "Well, I want to

60:34

have a mansion and I would like to have

60:36

a private jet and I would like to have

60:38

a beautiful partner or I'd like to have

60:42

a

60:46

trophy." Valid. Absolutely

60:49

understandable as well.

60:51

But I do think that this

60:55

universe is going to let you realize

60:57

your lesson in the way how you need

61:02

it. Yeah. You're going to have your

61:05

mansion. You're going to have your

61:08

beautiful, beautiful wife. You're going

61:10

to have it all. There is something

61:12

that's going to put you back on

61:15

track. There is something that's going

61:17

to put you back on track. Telling you,

61:19

you need to readjust.

61:23

It is why why why

61:28

why it has always been like

61:32

this. We come with

61:34

nothing. We go with

61:38

nothing. What does it

61:41

mean? This universe is going to make

61:43

sure that you going to go with nothing.

61:47

Which means at some point before it's

61:50

time for you to go, you will be faced

61:53

with the fact of learning the necessity

61:57

of letting go of what you have attained

62:00

in this

62:01

lifetime. And if you have not learned

62:04

and have not understood that this is

62:06

going to

62:07

come, then I think it's a very very hard

62:11

awakening. It's a very painful

62:15

awakening to realize to have this

62:17

realization that you have spent 70

62:21

years 80 years following your goal and

62:25

now there is no other choice. You have

62:28

to let

62:31

go.

62:33

So

62:35

yeah is not my

62:37

invention is just my observation.

62:42

And this is why in now maybe let's jump

62:45

a little bit there are literally in the

62:48

ancient traditions in the text of chan

62:52

Buddhism Zen Buddhism is very simply

62:54

said like this. How do you know that you

62:58

have practiced this past this tradition

63:01

in a in

63:03

a in a decent

63:05

manner? It is simply

63:08

by feeling inside yourself how easy, how

63:12

willing are you actually to let go of

63:15

what you

63:17

have. If you feel that you are mentally

63:20

attached to still things, still mentally

63:24

attached to

63:25

possession, you're far you're you're far

63:28

away from from the state of being what

63:32

this chan Buddhism, what this chan

63:34

teaching is uh wanting to like reveal to

63:38

you.

63:41

What it also means is if you have the

63:44

possibility of attaining everything that

63:47

you were speaking

63:48

about, you are absolutely happy to do

63:52

so. You are you can own

63:55

everything. It's never about promoting

63:58

to have this is not good. No, but to

64:01

have attachment at least in this type of

64:04

tradition will have consequence.

64:07

So it's not about what is it that you

64:09

possess. It's

64:11

about what of these possessions are

64:14

possessing

64:16

you. That's it. And therefore, is it

64:19

possible to possess things and to pursue

64:22

the possession of things while

64:25

also having a relationship with them

64:29

where they don't possess you? I.e. Can I

64:32

go in pursuit of getting a what's

64:35

something that one might want? A sports

64:38

car. And is it possible to then have the

64:41

sports car and pursue it without it

64:43

possessing me and therefore me avoiding

64:45

the consequences that come with that

64:47

unhealthy relationship to

64:51

possession. Cuz in your life there must

64:53

be things that you're pursuing and you

64:55

get those things. So your book sells a

64:57

million copies. your YouTube channel

64:59

does exceptionally well. You pursued

65:02

those things. Let's start with a sports

65:05

car. Okay. Um

65:07

it depends on the rest of the

65:09

circumstances. So, let me put it like

65:12

this. If the salary that you have, for

65:15

example, is just as much that you can

65:19

pay your rent. Nevertheless, you want to

65:22

have that sports car. Therefore, take a

65:24

loan, then buy the sports car. It's very

65:27

probable you're going to be very

65:29

attached to the car. Yeah. Simply

65:32

because out of the out of the situation

65:36

you bought it from. Yeah. You didn't buy

65:38

it from a from a position of abundance.

65:41

Yeah. So this is already not a good

65:43

starting point to afford something that

65:46

you actually cannot afford. So

65:49

differently it is

65:52

when you have the

65:55

possibilities and you just spend the

65:58

time and spend also the money on the

66:00

sports car and see it what it is and

66:03

realistically see it what how much time

66:05

you let's say spend with it. I do think

66:08

the excitement in the beginning is there

66:10

for a week, maybe a month, that's

66:13

already long, but it's fading. And at

66:16

some point, there will even be a day you

66:19

don't even see it cuz you're busy. Then

66:22

there will be a week when you see the

66:24

car once standing around somewhere. And

66:27

then there will be a months passing by

66:28

where you are traveling the world and

66:30

you're not even sure anymore when was it

66:32

the last time that you were riding it.

66:34

So, and these are things like when you

66:38

observe them and actually realize yeah

66:40

it's the truth. This is how the how the

66:43

development of things with possessions

66:44

is in the beginning it's always like you

66:46

want to have you want to have and then

66:49

they

66:50

fade.

66:52

go and diving into this type of

66:56

mentality of really

66:59

understanding wanting. Wanting is the

67:02

one part and then realizing how is life

67:05

really. Do you need it? Is it necessary?

67:08

Can you afford it is the second part. It

67:11

just opens another perspective and then

67:14

you just decide for

67:15

yourself. Yeah. But so whether something

67:19

is possessing you or you can possess

67:21

something without being attached to it

67:23

very much is linked to all of

67:26

this. From which position did you buy it

67:29

from? Did you attain it from? And then

67:32

the second thing is how much time do you

67:34

literally really spend with it? The

67:37

second of the five hindrances is ill

67:40

will. A negative emotion such as dislike

67:42

stops you from chasing a goal.

67:46

Can you give me some context on this

67:48

one? What do you mean by ill will?

67:54

Look, it's I make it super simple when

67:56

it comes to the five hindrances

67:58

literally is like

68:01

this. No, whatever whatever appears in

68:04

our

68:06

life. If I have my goal set right now,

68:09

what you are not supposed to do is to

68:12

witness

68:14

something. And now if you have like the

68:17

number one sensual desire, sensory

68:20

desire, what we tend to do is we like

68:22

start to pull things towards

68:25

us. Okay, that's number one. The second

68:29

thing, what not to do, this is what it

68:31

all belongs to that family of

68:33

non-judgment is like when ill will

68:37

something appears in your life.

68:38

Something you witness. Yeah. You meet a

68:41

person you don't want to meet. You get a

68:43

message, you don't want to read that

68:44

message. whatever it is and you try to

68:46

avoid it by doing actions in order to

68:49

push it away from you. So what it

68:52

ultimately means is don't do any of them

68:56

because whatever you try to hold on to

68:59

the nature of thing is that this is

69:01

happening swinging away. is going to

69:04

move away from you and whatever you try

69:07

to avoid and push away from you is just

69:09

a question of time

69:11

until it's going to move like pretty

69:15

close towards you. It's going to come

69:17

towards you. It's going to come towards

69:18

you.

69:19

Okay? So that

69:24

means also in the way of how it's

69:26

expressed, don't touch the

69:28

water. If you don't want to

69:31

have a life that is too

69:35

shaky, don't touch the

69:37

water because in the moment you touch,

69:40

your touch is the initiation for the

69:43

ripples to appear.

69:46

Same way you want to follow that goal.

69:50

You want to have it easy along that

69:52

goal. Don't touch any additional water

69:55

along your goal. Don't touch it because

69:57

you like something and don't touch it

69:59

because you dislike something because

70:02

when you walk towards the goal and you

70:04

do here and here and here, you you're

70:07

just going to ripple your whole

70:10

surroundings which ultimately means your

70:12

energy is being just drawn away from

70:14

your initial goal. That's how I would

70:16

say it is an ill will is one of these

70:20

expressions of you don't like something

70:23

and then you invest the energy there.

70:25

You like something and it draws your

70:27

energy back to there. And ill will is

70:30

similar in this category belonging to

70:33

this idea

70:35

of don't push, don't pull. as you've

70:39

become more popular and you've got

70:42

millions and millions of views across

70:44

the internet. Your TED talk, I think

70:45

from the link, one of the links that I

70:47

saw had some 20 million views and it

70:49

probably has tens of more millions of

70:51

views all over the internet. Um, there's

70:54

going to be more and more

70:56

people sending you messages, interacting

70:58

with you,

71:01

and saying amazing things, saying not so

71:03

amazing things. We experienced this

71:05

obviously as a podcaster. you just you

71:06

get you receive all kinds of feedback

71:08

from everybody. When you think about how

71:10

you manage that and you manage other

71:13

people's opinion of you does this tie

71:16

into ill will and I guess the ultimate

71:18

question is do you care what people

71:21

think about you? So there was a time I

71:24

cared a lot a lot a lot a lot very much

71:28

but within the last five six years I

71:31

really had my hard lessons being

71:32

perfectly honest. Number one thing I

71:35

need to learn is also to

71:40

really not take things too deep into

71:43

consideration especially from people

71:46

that I've never met in my life. Number

71:48

one that is the first area I needed to

71:51

learn which means all the everything

71:53

that's on social media everything that

71:55

is publicly available. This is one thing

71:59

why because what they judge or if they

72:03

judge or what they comment they can only

72:05

comment on the character that is

72:08

actually being available to them. So

72:11

which is ultimately what which is for

72:13

example also let's say that

72:16

person yeah named Shuhungi on that cover

72:21

always like having a good uniform in a

72:26

way representing something

72:28

yes but I'm simply not limited to only

72:32

this type of

72:34

representation and this is something

72:36

really really important in general now

72:40

to to bring out there to the

72:44

world. It is

72:46

not it is not good. It is not

72:52

helpful if this idea of putting people

72:58

on on how you call it on on higher

73:02

pedestal or or podest is not a good

73:06

idea.

73:08

The idea of raising somebody up to be

73:10

our guru, raising somebody up to be our

73:14

master, raising somebody up, oh yes, he

73:17

is the he is the special one. All of

73:21

these

73:22

things are doing exactly the opposite of

73:26

what I'm trying to bring into the world

73:28

of what I do believe is the key

73:31

especially in this times right now

73:35

worldwide. It is to become aware of the

73:39

real and the

73:41

fake. This is the this is the current

73:45

situation that we're in that the

73:48

threshold that the line between whether

73:50

something is real or whether something

73:52

is artificial or not real. It's becoming

73:56

so

73:58

incredibly slim that

74:01

line. This is why at the moment our

74:04

world seems seems so

74:06

fractioned. There are the ones which are

74:09

completely about let's go into the

74:11

nature and then there's the other

74:13

fraction which is all about going into

74:15

the technology into everything that's

74:18

available nowadays where ultimately

74:22

meaning at some point you will be able

74:25

to just spend your whole life in your

74:26

living room cuz everything you want to

74:28

see and want to partially experience you

74:32

just call it into your living room. It's

74:34

going to be possible at some point in

74:35

time.

74:38

So why how do we get to the point? Yeah,

74:42

exactly. Because of this, it's not good

74:44

if people raise you up and make you

74:49

unhuman. And this is what is being

74:52

attacked. So this is number one. That

74:55

takes a little bit the pressure off from

74:57

me to take it too seriously because I

75:00

just know they are seeing something but

75:04

it's a fraction of what I am. This

75:08

number

75:09

one second realization at the same time

75:15

was also not helpful or wasn't helpful

75:19

and or let's say was also a lesson for

75:21

me even the close people even the very

75:25

close people in my surrounding that

75:27

stayed with me for 8 n

75:29

years sometimes even such close people

75:33

don't know who you are can also happen

75:37

hurts double as much as people saying

75:40

something about you that don't know you.

75:42

Now you have people that you thought

75:44

know you and still they didn't get you.

75:47

Also very

75:49

painful. So ultimately leading only to

75:52

one thing. It only leads to one thing.

75:54

You would have right now the impression

75:56

of so what's the only way? Just go your

75:59

way regardless of what people think in a

76:02

way. Yes.

76:06

But have understanding for

76:10

them and and no ill will against them.

76:14

Have empathy for their lack of

76:16

understanding.

76:19

Yes, that is ultimately the only thing

76:22

that me as a as a result for the current

76:25

state of

76:28

being the that I took as my consequence.

76:33

Yes. So be careful, be very aware who

76:37

are you letting into your

76:39

circle and ultimately rely on yourself

76:42

and maintain

76:45

your sorry to say, but it's the

76:50

heart. Maintain the purity of your

76:54

intention. One of the things that I've

76:56

I've noticed in your work is that you

76:58

have this huge emphasis on being able to

77:00

focus oneself. And when I talked to you

77:02

about this brick, I think just before we

77:03

started recording, you said to me that

77:05

the average person on the street might

77:06

not be able to break it. But if someone

77:08

was really, really strong, they might be

77:10

able to break it. However, the key to

77:12

breaking this brick isn't strength

77:13

necessarily. It's the ability to really

77:15

really focus. And when we talked about

77:17

the five hindrances, they will sway us

77:19

from focus. They will distract us from

77:21

that ability to focus. So, you've

77:22

cultivated that ability to focus, which

77:24

culminates in you being able to smash

77:27

this brick with your hand. And it's not

77:29

necessarily a strength thing you're

77:31

saying. It is this connection between

77:33

mind and body focused at a particular

77:35

moment. Yes. So can you show me you

77:38

smashing this brick? Absolutely.

77:44

Do you do you put the the brick in the

77:46

in the middle of the blocks or do you

77:48

just put it there? Put it like this. Oh.

77:50

So okay. Okay. So chop it down on one

77:52

side. Okay.

77:54

Do you have another brick? Yes. There's

77:58

another one

77:59

here. You're going to pick your brick.

78:09

One is one is too easy.

78:26

[Applause]

78:31

hell.

78:34

[Applause]

78:35

[Laughter]

78:39

Damn. So, what were you doing then in

78:41

the in the leadup to that? Just have

78:44

your hands like here to the front.

78:47

If I touch you like this and only do

78:49

here. Yeah. M see this like I don't have

78:53

a good feeling for you. I don't have a

78:55

good feeling for your body. Yeah.

78:57

Because it's like it's superficial right

78:59

now. Mhm. What I do is like when I touch

79:05

you know so it's not this type of

79:08

touching you. When I touch you I

79:10

literally try to sense your body

79:13

structure. Yeah. I I feel like inside

79:17

you where is the tension? Where's the

79:19

relaxation inside the

79:21

body? So it's like we call it I'm

79:24

reading your

79:25

body. I'm reading your body. How is it

79:28

where is the energy locked? Where is it

79:30

dense? Where is it loose? So the same I

79:33

do with the

79:34

stone. But when I when I touch the

79:37

stone, I literally feel inside like

79:40

sounds funny, but I feel inside the

79:42

structure of the of the stone. I feel

79:46

the density of the stone in my

79:49

fingers and then I just see okay

79:52

[Music]

79:53

now. So I I I know how the energy is

79:56

going to come down. I know how the

79:58

energy is going to come down and then I

80:01

just like see how does it fit together.

80:03

So on the one side I feel the structure

80:05

of the stone. On the other side I know

80:08

what type of energy is going to come in.

80:10

Those two I combine and then I just boom

80:13

do it.

80:14

That's it. And how does that translate

80:16

to life generally?

80:19

Good question. Because we, you know,

80:22

it's not a problem I have day-to-day,

80:24

but that ability to understand the

80:26

energy of something and the structure of

80:28

something and then really understand be

80:30

able to cultivate your own focused

80:32

energy when you need it.

80:36

I do. So, do you need to have this

80:39

ability to live a proper life? I don't

80:42

think so. But somebody who is able to

80:46

break the stone like this definitely

80:48

possesses some type of skill set raises

80:51

the probability that you can do

80:53

something with that mindset in your

80:55

daily life. Which means already

80:58

um the only way to do this is you know

81:00

what consistency

81:02

means. You know what patience

81:05

means. Yeah. you also knows what like

81:09

endurance means or

81:11

like training means and all of these

81:14

character attributes that make it

81:16

possible to break the stone just also

81:19

builds the foundation I would say to

81:22

integrate this now into other areas of

81:24

life yeah so it's not about the breaking

81:27

of the stone but at the same time it's

81:30

also an expression of look the human

81:33

your body is capable of doing a lot of

81:37

things. Yeah. And this is just one of

81:39

them. There are so many extraordinary

81:42

abilities that people can do nowadays,

81:44

but all of them have one thing in

81:46

common. You have a vision and you find a

81:50

proper way how to nourish that vision

81:52

that the vision becomes

81:54

real. Similar like this.

81:58

So this is a consequence of

82:02

yes a long journey of several character

82:06

traits and attributes which you've

82:08

cultivated over a long period of time

82:10

and this is just a a symptom or a

82:12

consequence of those things. You know

82:14

that's that's exactly the thing similar

82:16

like you know when yeah when nowadays

82:19

you look at any type of competition

82:21

sports the event itself the competition

82:24

is being recorded that one minute

82:28

performance.

82:29

Yeah. Or that nine rings or that three

82:32

three minutes. Yeah. Yeah. But

82:35

everything that makes it possible for

82:37

them to perform in that one minute on

82:40

that show. Nobody sees what is lying in

82:44

front of there. Similar like this. Yeah.

82:46

It's it's it's with less than one second

82:49

the stone is broken. Yeah. But took like

82:53

a few years to be able to do that one

82:56

second. And how long would it take me to

82:59

learn how to do two bricks like you just

83:01

did then? How long do you think you

83:03

would have to spend training me? You're

83:06

looking at my hand. M because it's

83:08

important because it's literally not

83:10

only about um it's not just about the

83:13

focus of the mind. It literally is also

83:16

about building the density now

83:18

physically speaking the density of the

83:21

bone structure. So I I can just give you

83:24

if you like a a little

83:26

example. What we do is this part and

83:31

this part of the arm we just smash it

83:33

like this. Oh my gosh. This is like a So

83:36

like this. Okay. Okay. You just try like

83:40

one just go really. Oh my

83:44

god. Your yours is like a steel.

83:49

Yeah. And and this is what it is.

83:51

Yeah. So it is changing you if you want.

83:55

You can like touch. You can feel it's

83:57

Yeah. It's like steel. Mine's like um

84:03

polyyrene in comparison to that. But

84:05

well, yours just feels like steel. It

84:07

felt like I was hitting a a a bar or

84:09

something. Okay. So, you've got to build

84:12

up the strength. But still, to answer

84:13

the question, I do

84:15

think 3 months, but dedicated training.

84:19

Yeah. Mhm. And what would that training

84:20

look like? So right now as I explained

84:25

before this is why I also like in the

84:27

book I mentioned one of the grandmasters

84:29

that I also learn a lot of the methods

84:31

from this is now let's say it's a stone

84:34

yeah stone belonging to the family of

84:38

earth because okay earth now in a in

84:41

Asian tradition we have like the five

84:43

elements or the five transition phases

84:46

wood earth metal fire water like these

84:50

five elements So the proper training

84:53

starts with the so-called wood training.

84:57

Okay. So we are using a lot of wooden

85:00

material to actually condition our body.

85:03

Yeah. So you're not going to break

85:04

stones. You you break like first of all

85:06

wooden things. Mhm. After wood is no

85:09

problem for you. Then we go to the next

85:11

layer which is going to be stone. You

85:13

know this was this was this one for

85:15

example. After stone comes metal. And so

85:18

like this you we we go through all the

85:20

layers until your body has increased in

85:24

its abilities. You know the frequency of

85:27

wood, you know the frequency of stone,

85:30

you know the frequency and vibration of

85:33

metal. And this is how we increase our

85:36

ability to just uh be able to to to

85:39

actually maintain our strength in the

85:42

field of all five elements. You can

85:44

break metal

85:46

or you can hit metal. You can hit metal.

85:47

You can hit metal. Okay. You can hit

85:49

metal. Thank you. Fascinating. Thank

85:52

you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

85:53

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linkedin.com/doac and terms and

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conditions apply. I was really thinking

86:48

a lot about these

86:50

um

86:53

virtues in Shaolon tradition. Virtues

86:55

are a guiding system in both martial

86:57

arts and daily life. The Shaolin warrior

87:00

practices thinking deliberately and

87:01

mindfully about the virtues of everyday

87:04

life for his or her life. And the there

87:06

are two categories of virtues. the

87:09

virtues to be expected and the virtues

87:12

to be

87:13

leared. What are these virtues that you

87:17

speak about in the Shaolon tradition?

87:22

Prior to somebody entering now let's say

87:24

into the temple and wants to learn from

87:27

there. First of all we also as teachers

87:31

want to find

87:34

out what does the character of that

87:37

personality already

87:40

possesses. Yeah. And these are for

87:43

example what we are looking for are

87:45

ultimately the virtues to be

87:49

expected. Virtues to be expected are for

87:52

example self-control. A certain amount

87:55

of

87:57

self-control, a certain amount of

87:59

discipline. So self-control, what does

88:02

that mean in this context? If I'm

88:04

self-controlled, what am I? You don't

88:06

let your emotions run over you. Okay?

88:08

You you you don't even if something

88:11

makes you angry but in this context it's

88:14

not honorable it's not respectful to now

88:16

shout out you shouldn't do it okay you

88:19

should like be able to maintain

88:23

your emotional states maintain your

88:26

temper let's say also at least to a

88:28

certain extent this is where I would say

88:30

it comes to self-control and the second

88:33

one you said was discipline so

88:36

discipline

88:38

meaning you have like I said even if

88:40

it's called the virtues to be expected

88:43

expected means they should be visible

88:46

somehow but not to the fullest extent to

88:49

to what's what people are capable of

88:52

okay discipline just meaning this

88:54

understanding that if you come to the

88:56

temple life you know it's going to be

88:59

difficult to wake up every day at the

89:02

same time and then start to do through

89:04

the go through the daily structure. So

89:08

it it needs some type of commitment.

89:10

Let's say it needs some type of I know

89:14

it's hard but I'm willing to do it. This

89:17

type of discipline. Yeah. This is also

89:20

in a in a way expected. And then uh

89:25

another one is simply to be benevolent

89:27

as well.

89:29

So that's kindness and compassion for

89:30

your brothers and sisters. Kind of it

89:32

goes. Yeah. The virtues sometimes swim

89:35

into each other. But this idea of why do

89:38

we have these virtues in the first

89:43

place and again it's like in Star

89:46

Wars the force what you're

89:48

learning the cultivation of

89:52

energy the skills that you are learning

89:54

they are these are very very powerful

89:57

things. Yeah. But what does what makes

90:00

the difference between somebody

90:02

possessing this power and using it for

90:04

the sake of humanity or somebody using

90:07

it for the um for the not betterment of

90:11

humanity. It's the

90:12

character. The power is the same. It's

90:15

the character. It's the carrier of the

90:18

power. It's the one who is in

90:20

in who's responsible to to hold this

90:24

power to maintain this power. That one

90:26

must be trained as well. And this is

90:28

where the virtues hit in. The virtues

90:31

are building the framework of the

90:33

character of the avatar ultimately that

90:36

is then receiving all different types

90:39

of training, skill training that we that

90:44

at least in the Shaolin tradition we

90:46

would say is good to know them. Same in

90:49

business really. I looked at a lot of

90:50

these virtues and I thought they're all

90:52

the kinds of things that we're looking

90:53

for in a good team member. So we've got

90:55

discipline, self-control, modesty,

90:58

benevolence, humility, respect,

91:00

righteousness, trust, loyalty,

91:02

willpower, perseverance, persistence,

91:05

courage, and

91:06

patience. So ultimately, like I said

91:10

before, in the Shaolin traditional text

91:14

is broken down into 14 different

91:16

virtues. Yeah. Four of them to be

91:19

expected. Another five virtues of

91:22

action. Another five virtues of the

91:25

mind. Just simply when you will later on

91:28

fly through it again. The virtues of

91:31

action. What does it mean virtues of

91:33

action? It is how should you behave? How

91:38

should you

91:39

behave? Behave in a loyal

91:43

way. Behave in a trustful way. Behave in

91:49

a respectful

91:51

way. Behave in a courageous way. Yeah.

91:55

So this is the how should you do

91:59

something and the virtues of mind. For

92:03

example, they

92:05

say what is it that nourishes the way

92:10

for you to put the virtues of action

92:14

into practice? How can you be? How can

92:17

you learn to behave respectfully?

92:20

Because naturally if people like

92:23

insulting you, you don't behave

92:25

respectfully towards

92:27

them. Yeah. So how can you still behave

92:32

respectfully, still be loyal to

92:36

people? How do you do it? Well, then

92:39

this is where where it then comes

92:41

to the virtues of the

92:44

mind to really learn to be

92:50

patient to really know what does it mean

92:52

to be

92:54

persistent to persevere during your

92:57

training. Yeah. And this is ultimately

93:00

how I would describe it to easily

93:02

understand. Do you believe in a god or

93:04

do you believe in a religion?

93:07

If if someone asked you which religion

93:09

do you follow what would your answer be?

93:12

I would call it the religion of

93:14

oneness. The religion of oneness. The

93:17

religion of I do believe that we are

93:21

connected at some

93:23

way and it is my journey. I don't want

93:27

to just intellectualize it.

93:33

I do think it is an it is a it the path

93:37

is to

93:39

lay out and remove all the friction and

93:42

all the obstacles to just realize that

93:44

it is like

93:47

this. Yeah, this is maybe also like an a

93:50

very essential point along along the

93:53

complete line whether somebody reads the

93:55

book or whether somebody watches all

93:58

these type of YouTube

94:04

channels. I myself always grew up in the

94:08

need to attain something to add

94:12

something up on top of my life.

94:15

This tradition, the whole tradition I'm

94:18

talking about is actually quite the

94:21

opposite. That's why in in the latest in

94:24

the latest videos or publications for

94:26

example, I often mention that actually

94:28

there is nothing I can give to anyone.

94:32

It's not that you miss something in your

94:33

life.

94:35

Yeah, remember you're not in a lack but

94:38

in the moment where it feels like we are

94:40

meeting and I give you something when

94:43

you even think that I'm giving you

94:45

something and you are about to receive

94:47

something that's not the right state of

94:49

mind already. I have nothing to give

94:53

you. The only thing that I really try to

94:56

do is take stuff away from you.

94:59

Take things away from you that are

95:02

covering that you see that you are

95:05

complete. What things tend to cover us

95:10

that need to be taken away? Everything

95:11

that builds up

95:15

identity. Everything that builds up a

95:18

stronger and stronger

95:21

identity. Everything that you keep from

95:23

the past in your mind.

95:27

The more that you keep the past in the

95:28

mind, the stronger your identity is. I

95:30

do think this is one correlation that

95:34

also goes hand in

95:36

hand. The more you keep past elements

95:39

inside your mind, the less likely you

95:41

will be able to break free into the

95:45

future and open up for the possibilities

95:48

that this lifetime might still have for

95:50

you.

95:52

Are you

95:55

happy? It's a difficult question.

96:00

I'm not searching for

96:03

happiness. I'm searching for peace.

96:06

So my state of what what I'm aiming for

96:10

I would say it is

96:13

peace because happiness for

96:16

me yeah taking by this word if there's

96:21

happiness there is sadness if something

96:24

can rise something must

96:26

fall if you can attain something there's

96:29

something to lose that's why it's

96:32

difficult that's why I I stopped the

96:33

moment I don't know what type of

96:35

happiness. You mean being satisfied with

96:39

where I am standing? Yes. Does it mean

96:43

that I don't have hard moments? I have

96:45

hard

96:45

moments. And that's why for me like what

96:49

is it I ultimately look for? I would

96:52

call it is just peace. Are you at peace?

96:55

More and more. Yes. More and more. This

96:58

one. Yes. More and more. What's in the

97:00

way of your peace?

97:03

I would call it karmic

97:06

relations, karmic

97:09

connections that you just think

97:13

like you cannot avoid them. You you

97:16

cannot avoid them anymore. What is

97:18

karmic

97:19

connections? Karmic connection

97:25

meaning because your mother gave birth

97:28

to you

97:31

automatically whatever your mother is

97:33

doing or not doing however the state of

97:36

health of your mother is is going to

97:38

affect

97:40

you in a way. So there are sometimes

97:43

people in this world you have a closer

97:46

karmic relation towards them. So what

97:49

they are doing is also going to affect

97:51

you. So and in my case it's the

97:55

same. Yeah. So meaning so literally real

97:59

life speaking. So my son Yes. He is a

98:03

very strong karmic relation. He's on the

98:05

one side my own flesh and blood together

98:08

with my beloved. But it also means the

98:11

way how my son feels it is affecting me.

98:15

And this is something that I still need

98:17

to regulate. Learn to

98:20

regulate which also sometimes means I

98:23

mean if you only sleep like 2 hours per

98:26

night then it is like this

98:30

but you have good training to still

98:32

maintain your peace afterwards. But it

98:35

is these are simple things. Yes. And

98:38

what is your practice in terms of your

98:42

routines? What do you do every day that

98:45

brings you back to yourself so that you

98:48

can regulate yourself? What is your from

98:50

the moment you wake up in the morning,

98:51

are there any routines that you try and

98:54

execute every day?

98:57

Number one

98:58

is one of the first things is really try

99:02

as often as you can to remind yourself

99:05

and put yourself in that proper state of

99:09

what you think you are.

99:12

I wake up and try to not already have

99:16

any type of thought from yesterday in my

99:18

mind. I try to wake up empty. Let's call

99:21

it like this. And meaning also try to at

99:26

all moments immerse myself as much as I

99:30

can in the present

99:32

moment. That's what it is. Yeah. Live in

99:35

the here and now. How you do this? To

99:38

live in the here and now. Stop jumping

99:41

into the past and stop jumping into the

99:43

future. Then you live in the here and

99:45

now. But you must practice

99:48

it. And literally meaning how you do it,

99:51

make yourself empty. Because the only

99:54

thing that fills your mind with past and

99:57

future is your

100:00

thoughts. The mind.

100:03

So if I watched you for the first hour

100:05

when you woke up in the morning, what

100:06

would I see on a on a typical day?

100:10

I wake up and sit on the sofa and and

100:13

and still just

100:17

sit. So just being awake and and just

100:21

breathe literally just realizing slowly

100:25

scanning my own body from the inside

100:28

going through the

100:30

body. So really making sure in a way

100:34

that everything that's going to come up

100:36

during this day is being perceived very

100:42

consciously. Yeah. By this. So it's like

100:45

I slowly build up my energies prepared.

100:47

This is how I would call it. It doesn't

100:50

look very special looking from the

100:52

outside. Unless I wake up and I

100:55

mean the sun is asking for something

100:59

then of course I have my duties to do.

101:01

But if I can really have my day after

101:05

waking up still the next hour is still I

101:07

spend alone. This is what I prefer to

101:10

do. And do you do exercise in the

101:13

morning? Yes. What do you do? Push-ups,

101:16

sit-ups and standing practice. What

101:19

standing practice? No. Partially it's

101:21

also some of them are like mentioned in

101:23

the book but literally it is what it

101:26

sounds like. I choose one position that

101:29

I'm standing in and then I hold that

101:32

position for 15 minutes.

101:35

Why?

101:37

So let's take all the spiritual part out

101:40

of this because there are some positions

101:42

that are looking

101:44

so

101:46

strange that at some point I also asked

101:49

myself how would somebody even invest

101:52

his

101:53

lifetime standing and putting yourself

101:56

through such a position. Well, there

102:00

must be a reason why in ancient

102:03

times it is kept as

102:05

a as a secret practice to stay like

102:09

this. And since I discovered it, I do

102:13

have to say that

102:15

um it's not this one. At some point, the

102:20

squatting monkey is

102:21

called this is a practice that builds up

102:25

what we call energy.

102:28

How do you build up energy? It is by

102:31

giving your mind something where you

102:34

need to have willpower to maintain

102:38

it.

102:39

Willpower and development of

102:43

energy go hand in hand with each other.

102:47

The will to

102:49

live, the will to keep going, the will,

102:53

the

102:54

will, strong will, iron will, energy is

102:58

also very high. And so literally some of

103:02

these positions are so demanding on the

103:04

body that in order to maintain this

103:08

position, you you have to have will. You

103:12

need to create something about yourself

103:15

where you are pushing

103:18

yourself and this is uh when when we

103:21

have time I show you the exercise.

103:24

Yes. And this is why I do it.

103:28

So how important is that for everybody's

103:29

life to do hard things do you think?

103:32

Because it's very easy not to do hard

103:34

things in the comfort world we live in.

103:37

when I mention it and then you directly

103:39

look up in a way to me or any

103:41

professionals who then do this type of

103:43

training. Of course, it's it's it's it's

103:46

it's beyond any normal person's

103:49

abilities. But it's not about you need

103:54

to learn and do the hard stuff like

103:58

this. But one thing is for

104:01

sure. This

104:03

lifetime living a life as a human

104:10

definitely is not

104:13

easy. Let's put it like

104:15

this. Living this lifetime is not easy.

104:20

The more wishes you have, the more

104:22

difficult it becomes. The more ambitious

104:25

you are, the more the more you will have

104:27

to face. So bottom line

104:30

is I do think that in the moment where

104:33

you just on a regular

104:36

basis put yourself

104:38

consciously and

104:40

willingly in different situations and

104:44

circumstances that actually represent a

104:46

little bit the structures of

104:48

life. There are moments in this lifetime

104:51

where you are going to be super tense,

104:53

super

104:54

tense. And then it's good to know

104:58

already how does it feel and what is it

105:00

that you can do well to learn and

105:02

release the tension. That's why

105:05

releasing tension is also a big part of

105:08

of the exercises. The one thing is

105:11

learning to release tension. The other

105:13

thing is like when you are too sloppy,

105:15

when you're too slacky, how to increase

105:19

your tension, how to increase the energy

105:21

level again for you to get into back

105:24

into structure again.

105:27

So there's always this balance and

105:30

ultimately how does it help people to

105:33

know the hard stuff? Well, because I do

105:37

think that it is symbolizing this way of

105:40

life. It is symbolizing the patterns of

105:44

what you are going to go through in this

105:47

lifetime. And so you're almost training

105:50

to do hard things because hard things

105:52

are an inevitability of the life we

105:54

live.

105:58

in this training that I went through.

106:00

Yeah, for for the moment maybe take all

106:02

the spiritual part out. Simply the kung

106:05

fu training, the Shaolin kung fu

106:07

training. There is a saying which is

106:11

Shaolin kung fu literally means walking

106:14

through the valley of

106:17

pain. So what does it mean? When you are

106:21

doing stretching, stretching,

106:23

stretching, stretching, it's going to be

106:25

painful. When you are doing strength

106:27

training is going to be painful. When

106:31

you do conditioning training, it's going

106:33

to be painful.

106:35

So the whole path on this martial art

106:39

journey, it is just filled with working

106:44

yourself up to the level of where it

106:46

feels

106:47

uncomfortable. Getting some consistency

106:49

into the practice until the point where

106:52

that uncomfortable feeling just started

106:55

disappearing. Why? Because somehow you

106:58

broke that initial comfort zone. So but

107:02

then it doesn't end. Now next

107:06

level until you're building up first of

107:10

all yeah whatever we're doing later on I

107:12

will show you some practices is not that

107:14

I do not feel pain I also feel pain

107:18

maybe I feel it

107:22

later but the essential part is that my

107:26

connection my relation between the pain

107:29

of the body towards what would it affect

107:32

in the way of how I take make decisions.

107:34

That is a different

107:38

one. I feel the pain but at the moment I

107:42

feel the pain but I see no necessity to

107:45

still change something about my way

107:46

right now. Why? Because I can take the

107:50

pain. Whereas when you are not used to

107:53

this pain, you feel it and then it tells

107:55

you let's say it's painful. The mind

107:58

okay is not good. And so you directly

108:01

change something. And this is and this

108:04

is just the difference. So it's not that

108:06

I became numb. No, I just feel there is

108:09

an additional layer that I can observe

108:12

about myself. It is

108:16

painful, but it's okay for right now.

108:18

And that's a a habit you've learned, I

108:20

guess, over time. That's a process

108:22

you've learned, which is you still have

108:24

the same stimulus, the same feeling, but

108:27

you tell yourself, you've learned to

108:29

tell yourself a different story about

108:30

that feeling or you've turned you

108:32

believe something differently about that

108:34

feeling. Many people would feel the pain

108:36

of I don't know starting a new career

108:38

journey, starting a business, whatever

108:40

might be painful and they would tell

108:42

themselves the story that that means

108:44

they are not good enough or they

108:46

shouldn't do it or that it's a threat

108:48

and they might stop. Whereas because

108:50

you've cultivated this new relationship

108:52

with pain, you're able to do these

108:54

things and tell yourself a better story.

108:57

I spent my

108:58

lifetime for for some part to really

109:01

wanting to build up my body and build up

109:04

the skills related to the field of

109:06

martial arts. So I want to build this

109:09

up. Other people want to build up their

109:11

business. I do think there is something

109:13

similar in the way of building up. When

109:17

I build up my body, how do I really

109:20

build up? How do I make my body grow?

109:24

It only works if I find

109:28

a continuous way of exposing my body to

109:34

situations outside of the comfort zone

109:37

of what I know. Elsewise, it wouldn't be

109:40

called growth. If I every day just do

109:43

something towards the body that the body

109:45

already knows how to do, there's nothing

109:47

growing.

109:49

So the idea of understanding where is

109:52

the comfort zone of my body then on a

109:56

regular basis very little must not be a

109:58

big jump but very little extending this

110:01

comfort zone until the body naturally

110:05

takes it as a habit in raising the bar

110:08

of where your comfort zone actually is.

110:10

Always a little bit. Always a little

110:12

bit. Always a little. But this only is

110:14

possible I think

110:17

by well what's called going over your

110:20

limits. But now comes the thing. You can

110:23

go over the limits by really

110:25

exaggerating and risking to be injured

110:29

or you make the idea of going going over

110:32

the limit

110:34

consciously aware carefully. still going

110:38

over the limit but in a in a still

110:41

controlled way. Let's say you know it's

110:43

the limit now but at the same time at

110:46

some point you also realize our bodies

110:49

our mind is so intelligent before the

110:53

when we are stretching at some point you

110:55

feel like everything's going to rip

110:57

apart but I know and this is why if we

111:00

would stretch even though you say ah it

111:03

hurts I know we can still go more yeah

111:07

you think but I just know yeah because

111:11

your body is so intelligent that before

111:14

something serious really happens, he

111:17

tells you way before that that be

111:20

careful. And this figuring out where

111:25

where is really this limit. This is that

111:28

this is what makes the difference. There

111:31

is a limit. Yes. But but this limit

111:33

still has

111:35

a has like a range of where we can still

111:38

move inside. Yes. And I do think that

111:41

this as a general line applies to

111:44

everything if you want to grow and step

111:46

by step by doing

111:49

so the comfort

111:51

zone

111:53

extends. So how is something new

111:56

supposed to enter into your life? Well,

111:59

there's only one way exactly the way

112:02

that many people are also afraid of

112:04

right

112:06

now. Go into the unknown.

112:09

But that's exactly what it is. If this

112:12

table is our comfort zone and you just

112:14

stay on here, you will never know how

112:17

beautiful London streets are. If you

112:19

just stay here, you need to go into the

112:23

unknown. You need to slowly walk your

112:26

find your way out here.

112:29

But that means

112:32

that going into the uncertainty is

112:35

nothing

112:37

bad for me. I'm really really happy

112:41

uncertainty is existing in this world

112:44

cuz I cannot imagine how boring it would

112:47

be if I would already know with

112:50

certainty where I'm going to be in 20

112:52

years.

112:55

Is there something practical one can do

112:57

to get better at stepping outside of

112:59

their comfort zone? Because in our or

113:02

everyday lives, stepping outside of our

113:04

comfort zone might just mean putting our

113:06

hand up in a meeting or doing a public

113:08

talk or starting a Instagram page for

113:11

our cupcakes or it could be small

113:14

things. It could be learning how to run.

113:16

What's the first sort of small step one

113:18

should take to develop that habit of

113:20

being okay in the uncertainty of our

113:22

growth zone? Some people

113:27

say just start

113:29

reading. I do think that people who do

113:32

like reading this is something meaning

113:34

always look for something new to

113:37

learn. Always realize that the the

113:40

things able to still be discovered is

113:44

way bigger than what you think you know.

113:47

And that means exactly the way of how

113:50

you also describe it now. Exactly. The

113:53

last 20 times you stayed quiet the next

113:55

time you raise your

113:59

hand. Whatever it is, just don't stay in

114:03

the old patterns. Break the cycle.

114:08

This is where where I would say a great

114:10

potential lies in

114:14

the thing that holds us back is fear.

114:17

Yes. How how do we overcome that fear?

114:22

So am I fearless?

114:24

No. Do I fear a lot of things? No.

114:34

I do think there's only one thing that

114:36

ultimately makes you break free from

114:42

fear, which

114:46

is to find a

114:49

way and wake up from the

114:55

dream. You don't take things too

114:57

seriously in this lifetime.

115:03

to just change. Let's put like this

115:06

change your

115:09

perspective rationalize things if you

115:13

like it's similar like fear and worry.

115:19

Yes.

115:21

Oh, at least when I look at my worries I

115:25

had in the last months.

115:29

Well, for sure 80% 90% of all the

115:32

worries just didn't happen in the first

115:34

place. 10% might somehow came true. But

115:39

then again, I asked myself, good. So the

115:41

10% that came true, even though I had

115:43

the worries, what could I do about it?

115:46

Coming to the

115:47

conclusion,

115:49

nothing.

115:51

Nothing, you know. And then something

115:53

just really started to to shift inside

115:57

of me where I

116:00

literally let go of

116:03

something. Let go of this

116:08

idea that that everything is

116:11

like is like onedirectional. That

116:14

everything that you're going to

116:15

encounter in this lifetime is going to

116:17

be beautiful. Everything in this

116:20

lifetime is going to be peaceful.

116:22

everybody you're going to meet along

116:24

your journey is going to be wellhearted

116:27

towards you. No, it's

116:31

not. Because in the moment where you

116:33

have well-hearted people, you have

116:36

illwilled people. And in the moment

116:38

where there is success, where you want

116:41

to be part of the success story, you're

116:43

going to be part of the failing story.

116:46

And in the moment where you want to be

116:47

part of the light story, you're going to

116:49

be part of the dark story.

116:52

This is how it

116:56

is. This is the world of what we call

116:59

it's the world of yin and yang. This is

117:01

the world of birth and

117:05

death, of

117:08

aging and sickness.

117:12

And this and this is why in the in the

117:14

ancient traditions more and more even

117:17

nowadays why why in the first place

117:20

there is this whole idea about

117:23

liberating yourself breaking free and

117:26

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118:40

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feet. We were talking about the five

119:35

hindrances and the first of those was

119:36

the sensual desires which we talked

119:38

about and the second was ill will. The

119:39

third is dullness, lack of motivation to

119:42

move forward in life and the fourth is

119:43

restlessness, unable to focus on the

119:45

present moment and the fifth is

119:47

skeptical doubt, indecisiveness and not

119:49

trusting yourself. And to overcome the

119:51

five

119:52

hindrances, you recommend the four-step

119:55

rain method. What is the four-step rain

119:59

method? Yes, I do think it's called rain

120:02

method. That has also been taught to me

120:04

because it's easy to remember. What is

120:07

it that you're supposed to do? Like I

120:09

said, in this context of putting it

120:12

simple, you have set yourself a goal.

120:14

There are five mental states that could

120:17

make it difficult for you to reach that

120:19

goal. Those five mental states are these

120:23

five hindrances. Yes. Could you read

120:25

those out for me again? So sensory

120:27

desire, sensual desire here, ill will,

120:31

dullness, sloth topper or restlessness

120:34

and then ultimately uh indecisiveness or

120:38

self-doubt. Okay.

120:43

Now what does the rain method tell you?

120:46

Number one, it tells you with the R,

120:49

recognize. Recognize or

120:51

realize. So along your journey, every

120:54

day just sitting somewhere

120:57

contemplating, learn to realize in which

121:01

mental state are you actually finding

121:03

yourself right now. This is just the

121:06

recognition, the realization of where

121:08

you

121:10

are. The A stands for acknowledge or

121:14

acceptance.

121:16

So even you know the second one was

121:18

called ill will or actually it's called

121:20

aversion. So denying something pushing

121:23

something away from you very important

121:25

right now same here you recognize

121:28

something inside of you about you of

121:31

course second one accepting it

121:33

acknowledging it is

121:37

important. Yes. I meaning now

121:41

investigation.

121:43

investigation meaning okay I see I

121:49

am I see I'm dull I see I'm like like or

121:53

I see I'm

121:55

restless okay I accept that I have this

121:59

feeling right now investigation meaning

122:03

okay what is it like how did I get into

122:06

this state have I been there this

122:08

morning already in that state of being

122:10

no this morning I really felt

122:13

So what happened now since the morning

122:15

until now that put me in this state of

122:18

restlessness to who did I talk to? Was

122:21

it a message that I received? What is it

122:24

ultimately that led to this feeling of

122:27

restlessness? So really

122:29

investigating like like a detector

122:32

investigating.

122:34

So and ultimately then the n difficult

122:37

one but it is standing for

122:41

nonidentification.

122:46

So, and nonidentification

122:49

meaning I mentioned it

122:52

before even if you just use it as a

122:56

picture right now as a concept if you

122:58

want

123:00

but try not to identify your being too

123:05

much with your body and too much with

123:07

the mind. And if you don't identify with

123:10

the body and not identify yourself too

123:12

much with the mind also you do not

123:15

identify yourself too much with all the

123:18

things that you investigated that you

123:21

felt like were nourishing your

123:23

restlessness.

123:26

If you had one last message to

123:29

share and that message

123:32

was a message you had to share for your

123:35

son because one day the inevitability of

123:37

life means that you do have to have one

123:40

last conversation and we don't always

123:42

get to choose what that one last

123:43

conversation is but if you do get to

123:44

choose that last conversation with your

123:47

3mony yearear-old son once he's able to

123:50

process it a little bit better say he

123:51

was 18 years old what would that message

123:54

Okay. Concepts are concepts. Theories

123:58

are theories. Be careful or be aware of

124:03

what you are keeping or what are you

124:06

nourishing in the

124:07

mind. Never restrict yourself to any

124:11

concept. Never restrict yourself to any

124:14

identity. Never restrict yourself to any

124:17

type of role.

124:24

What you

124:26

create you

124:28

create and you can create quite a lot of

124:33

things.

124:35

Yeah. Something along these lines

124:39

probably. I read that when you lost your

124:42

father that had quite a profound impact

124:44

on your life and

124:47

your I guess your way of understanding

124:50

the world. Your father passed away from

124:53

cancer when you were sort of roughly 28

124:55

years old. It was roughly around

125:00

2012. And this I read gave you a deeper

125:04

sense of

125:06

purpose. H how how did that impact you

125:10

as a man?

125:13

Yeah. See just imagine

125:15

like when I talked before about enduring

125:19

things going through my childhood

125:23

and always receiving let's say to to

125:26

never be enough but still I mean still I

125:30

had this internal fire going to still

125:32

always give my best but for the sake of

125:35

my

125:36

parents and so yeah from the age of four

125:39

elementary school give your best high

125:42

school give your best studying give your

125:44

best study again okay I do again so all

125:48

the time not because I necessarily

125:50

wanted all of this it's because for the

125:52

sake of my parents for the sake of they

125:56

are the ones who allowed me in the first

125:58

place to in a way be alive yeah also

126:01

thanks to them so this was in a way um

126:05

my expression of what they say as long

126:07

as they are alive I listen to them so

126:10

and then you know walking all the way up

126:12

to this this academic education then

126:16

finally graduating like

126:19

after 20

126:22

years. Yeah. And then I just returned

126:26

from the graduation back to back to

126:29

Kaiser Slot and the city where I lived

126:31

and that was the last year uh I spent

126:34

with my father. Yeah.

126:36

So literally meaning

126:40

uh spending so many years in this

126:42

academic education for my

126:45

father and now he's not even there to

126:47

witness that it has been done for him.

126:52

Now, this was like a a point where I

126:53

thought

126:57

like

127:02

yeah, this was the one area that uh that

127:06

stuck somehow a little bit hard. And

127:09

then the next things yeah I call it

127:12

maybe small but it's not so small

127:15

apparently because um I grew up in let's

127:19

say this Asian tradition with let's say

127:22

different type of beliefs or rituals or

127:24

ceremonies that we do. One of these

127:27

things was that when my father was still

127:30

uh lying in hospital and it was clear

127:33

that it's just going to take a few days

127:35

until he would pass away.

127:38

He for example also said well he only

127:41

said it to me because you know I I would

127:42

be the only one who is able to do it.

127:45

Don't cry for

128:00

me because he couldn't say to my mother

128:04

she cannot handle it.

128:06

couldn't say to my

128:09

brother. Yeah. But

128:12

because I trust in the I trust in

128:17

the in the tradition the reason why not

128:20

to cry when my father pass away. Yes.

128:23

Because we do think the body is there.

128:26

The body passes away. The spirit sets

128:28

itself free. And when the spirit simply

128:31

realize that all the sons are there, the

128:34

family is there crying. The spirit in a

128:37

way is still bound to this realm, bound

128:40

to the earth's realm, let's say. And in

128:43

order to be able to help my father

128:45

actually to get on

128:48

a to move on quicker, to move on

128:52

quicker, that was the reason why it is

128:54

sometimes so important to don't show any

128:58

grief in the moment when a beloved one

129:01

like passes

129:03

away. Yeah. But all of these things.

129:08

Yeah. No,

129:10

like spending so many years for my

129:14

father, then he's not there to realize

129:16

it, then not being able to cry, and

129:19

then being in all this very very hard

129:23

field and always

129:26

like overachieving

129:30

and no problem working 16 hours a day.

129:33

Well, these are all the things that made

129:34

it possible to be where I am right

129:37

now. But at the same time, I just do

129:40

feel like especially in the moment now

129:43

when when my son started to come and all

129:45

of these things, um I just felt like

129:49

there's a lot blocked

129:53

there or there's a lot that still needs

129:56

to be released for the sake of my son.

130:03

And yeah,

130:13

what is it you needed and when did you

130:15

need it? I would call it

130:17

recognition. Being recognized by my

130:19

father at some

130:21

point to finally somehow say you you did

130:25

well is

130:26

enough. But it didn't come until today.

130:31

So I still keep

130:35

going. I never heard it from my

130:38

father. From my mother I also don't hear

130:42

it. Well maybe in a different way but I

130:46

do

130:48

think it is the father's

130:52

recognition that you probably aim for.

130:55

So these are absolutely things that do

130:57

shape my character for sure.

131:02

Many people will be able to relate in

131:04

their own ways and maybe their parents

131:07

have now passed on or are no longer with

131:09

us. So I'm wondering if there is a way

131:12

to hear it from

131:15

yourself. Yes, there

131:17

is. There

131:19

is. And again, this leads to the fact of

131:23

sometimes it's very very helpful to

131:26

really shut the world, shut the world

131:28

out of you and spend time with

131:31

yourself and actually create what you

131:34

think you were missing there. Create it

131:36

cuz you're the one who creates it.

131:38

That's exactly what I do

131:41

think

131:42

that when you we were speaking about it

131:45

right now of course we could say that

131:47

what is it that I was looking for from

131:49

my father fact is is not I'm not going

131:52

to hear it from him anymore so I need to

131:54

hear it of course by

131:56

myself and this is where it comes to all

131:59

these type of practices and methods that

132:01

many specialists now they also like

132:04

emphasizing regardless of how you call

132:06

them.

132:07

Yeah. And what are those sentences in

132:10

particular that if

132:12

I if I was your

132:16

father you would want me to say to you

132:18

right

132:21

now? Well, something

132:23

like you did well. You did

132:28

enough. I see what you are

132:31

doing. But now take your energy back.

132:38

and give it to your

132:39

son. Give him everything that you feel

132:43

you didn't receive from

132:48

me. And if you heard those words from

132:50

him, how do you think he would change?

132:54

I do think there will be

132:57

change and I do think there is already

133:00

change. Yeah. And this is maybe like the

133:03

part where like specialists now they

133:05

would say it's not necessarily an area

133:08

of the conscious mind. I do think that

133:10

these are talks right now more dealing

133:13

with

133:14

subconsciously is stored inside our our

133:17

let's say in our mind. I think this is

133:20

where it plays a role. No especially

133:23

when it's about patterns that come up.

133:27

It's not consciously when you're

133:28

conscious enough you can regulate

133:30

already a lot. It's the subconscious

133:32

things that you are not aware of that

133:35

are still a part of your life. And if

133:38

you wouldn't have cuh asked about my

133:42

father, I wouldn't even think about him

133:44

for one month is all not a problem.

133:47

Yeah. But I do still think that these

133:49

are like very very deep layers that just

133:52

translate a

133:53

lot unconsciously into the way of of

133:57

doing things in way of how I see things

134:00

also and this is where I feel like it

134:03

probably would help. Have you grieved

134:05

his passing?

134:08

Yes.

134:12

Yes. I do think at at some extent when

134:15

the when the 49 days that's the period

134:18

of where it's normally said don't grief

134:21

at that time 49

134:22

days afterwards I did

134:28

yes but probably there's

134:32

still a lot more to

134:37

release. you've written this wonderful

134:40

book which describes the way to

134:43

selfmastery and it's um it's a really

134:46

transformative book that I highly

134:48

recommend everybody checks out. I'm

134:49

going to link it below. When we talk

134:51

about

134:52

selfmastery, what is it you mean? What

134:55

is it to master

134:57

oneself? So, growing up like I said in

135:01

this field of martial arts, I met a lot

135:04

of masters. I lot met a lot of

135:08

grandmasters. I always went looking for

135:10

other instructors, looking for somebody

135:14

outside of myself to be a mentor, to be

135:17

a guide for

135:18

me. But at some point, always

135:24

realizing that everybody, no matter who

135:27

it was, they possessed some type of

135:31

skill that I wanted to learn from them.

135:34

But there was one thing that in a

135:37

way none of them in a way could help me

135:41

with and that

135:43

was how do I run my my own life. I can

135:47

learn skills from you. I can learn

135:49

skills from here. I can improve in this

135:51

area in this area. But putting all these

135:54

skills, putting all these knowledge,

135:56

putting all the advice, putting it into

136:00

a structure, into a frame, and then to

136:04

run my own life with it. There's only

136:07

one person who can do

136:08

this,

136:10

yourself. So, and this is where I meant

136:14

that don't rely on a master for him to

136:18

run your life. Don't rely on a mentor, a

136:21

guide, whatever to run your

136:24

life. This whole journey is about you

136:28

learn and acquire the skills and acquire

136:31

the knowledge and acquire whatever you

136:33

think is

136:35

necessary to bring out the best version.

136:39

Let's call it like this. the best

136:41

version, the best

136:43

refined potential about about yourself,

136:47

about what you believe you are capable

136:50

of bringing out about

136:52

yourself. Meaning the master is already

136:56

sitting inside of each

136:58

individual. It's just that we don't

137:01

nourish that master inside of us enough.

137:06

And who in particular at this moment in

137:08

time do you believe would benefit most

137:12

from the message inside the covers of

137:14

this book?

137:15

The more you feel like that your

137:20

[Music]

137:22

um that that your well-being about

137:26

yourself is being dependent on any third

137:31

parties anything outsourced. So if the

137:35

government you feel like if any decision

137:37

from the government affects you, read

137:39

the book. If like your colleagues at

137:43

work affect you by what they say and

137:45

what they

137:46

think, that's also something. Every time

137:49

when you have the feeling your

137:51

well-being is dependent on something

137:54

that you feel you have no influence

137:58

in because this is exactly this is the

138:01

antidote. This book is literally telling

138:06

you don't outsource your well-being to

138:10

anything that you

138:13

cannot influence or

138:16

control. Which literally

138:19

means place the

138:22

emphasis and the foundation of your

138:25

well-being only on things that you have

138:28

influence on. And which one is that?

138:33

your body and your mind. Of all the

138:37

things we've discussed today, is there

138:39

anything anything at all that you

138:42

think is the most important thing that

138:45

we missed for the for the person that's

138:48

sat there at home and I'll give you a

138:49

persona of the person. They are they're

138:52

feeling a little bit lost in their life.

138:53

They're feeling like they could do more.

138:55

They're maybe lacking in purpose and

138:57

meaning in their life a little bit. um

138:58

they're struggling in various areas with

139:00

their relationships, maybe a little bit

139:02

with work, and they're feeling the the

139:04

normal pressures of life that we all we

139:06

all feel. Is there anything for that

139:08

person that's listening now and that's

139:10

gotten this far in the conversation that

139:12

you might say in their ear right now?

139:17

It's sometimes really nice to see the

139:20

why I

139:22

to see the full

139:24

picture. The full picture of me is I

139:28

didn't start like being on the cover of

139:29

the book. I didn't start like having all

139:32

the abilities and skills that I have

139:34

nowadays. I didn't start with all the

139:36

social media channels as they are right

139:39

now. I started actually in the poorest

139:41

area of that city in Kaiser Slouten that

139:45

until today is known to be like the area

139:47

where people do not like to go. This is

139:50

where I come out

139:51

from. So was my life always easy? Well,

139:55

I don't think so.

139:59

But there are just a few fundamental

140:02

things

140:04

that meanwhile after like 40 years

140:08

meeting people, talking with people,

140:10

looking into the world, being able to

140:13

actually see some type of structures in

140:15

the world, I do believe that what you

140:18

might call successful people or people

140:22

that somehow made it in whatever way you

140:25

think is made it, I do think they have

140:27

something in common there is something

140:30

in common amongst them. Okay. So and one

140:33

thing that I would definitely say

140:38

is to really be able to

140:41

endure is one

140:43

area really having that persistence even

140:47

so okay today is not working everything

140:49

goes wrong. Yeah.

140:51

like not like cutting it off like

140:54

suddenly but this type of persistence

140:56

and consistency like just knowing and

141:00

trusting. Okay, let's do it

141:04

again. So literally trial and

141:07

error, hard times, good

141:10

times to just understand that this life

141:14

is like this up and down. There is a up

141:18

and down. The one the success doesn't

141:21

come without the failure. The brightness

141:24

right now that is being seen from

141:25

people. Yeah. But there's another side

141:27

that that built the foundation for

141:30

people nowadays to to

141:32

shine. Yeah. And just to understand a

141:35

lot of things is possible but it's never

141:40

onedirectional. Yeah.

141:43

And now to put things really literally

141:46

into practice, one of the easiest

141:48

things, how do I know what should be the

141:51

next? What should I do tomorrow? What

141:53

should I do tomorrow?

141:57

Okay, look at yourself and ask yourself

142:00

what is the most disturbing whatever it

142:02

is from the last week in your

142:06

life. What is disturbing you about your

142:09

life the most from the last week?

142:13

You can even extend it to what is it

142:16

which emotional state is it that

142:18

followed you primarily in the last one

142:22

month.

142:24

So and then maybe investigating again

142:27

okay what is it that brings up that

142:30

emotion that state inside of you? What

142:32

is is it somebody who triggers it? Is it

142:35

something that triggers it? So really

142:38

boil it down to the point that you

142:40

actually

142:42

see this is what blocks me right now in

142:46

my life. This is literally what blocks

142:49

me in my life. I want to move into the

142:51

future, but this here it follows me. It

142:54

blocks me. It takes my energy. It's this

142:57

one. I can literally see it. No, that is

143:00

the one. Now invest all of the energy to

143:03

figure out the solution for this

143:05

one. Because if you took care of this

143:09

already the last half year, the chances

143:11

are very very high. You're going to have

143:13

it the next half year, which means

143:15

you're going to have it already for one

143:17

year. And if you do nothing about it,

143:19

it's going to be two years. And it's

143:21

going to be three years. And in three

143:23

years, you still sit there and complain

143:25

that you were not able to move on. Yes.

143:30

because it's the same pattern and it is

143:33

the same

143:34

hindrance still in the life and this is

143:38

for example how I know what is my next

143:41

area of

143:43

um of

143:45

development the one that let's say

143:48

shakes me the most at the moment if I

143:52

think about literally I think about is

143:54

it something in the business area that

143:55

shakes me no is it something in the

143:57

family area that shakes me No, is it

143:59

something in the in the relationship

144:01

area that and like this you find out

144:04

okay that is the next one let's tackle

144:07

it and and so and we will always find

144:10

something that in a way like we would

144:13

say we could

144:15

optimize and I do believe that in the

144:18

moment where you say

144:20

no I have

144:22

arrived I think then there's really

144:24

nothing to be

144:26

done then just to be Sweet.

144:31

We have a closing tradition on this

144:33

podcast where the last guest leaves a

144:35

question for the next guest, not knowing

144:37

who they're going to be leaving the

144:38

question

144:39

for. And the question that has been left

144:42

for you is,

144:46

uh, what is your greatest regret?

145:00

I would say that 40 years

145:09

long, whatever I said and whatever

145:12

decision I took in the last 40

145:14

years, I could always stand behind

145:18

it. Yeah. I I pushed decisions through

145:22

and I gave I gave commence to to do it

145:27

the way that I wanted

145:30

because behind it my mind was always

145:34

supporting all of

145:36

this. Just in the recent months I had to

145:39

take a

145:40

decision. I would have wished to have a

145:43

little bit more time to make it to make

145:44

the transition more pleasant but I

145:46

couldn't. I had no choice.

145:49

And so despite of not feeling that it is

145:52

the right way to do it, I still had to

145:54

do it. And this is what I regret. It's

145:58

like firing someone, letting someone go

146:00

kind of like this. Yes.

146:03

Thank you. Thank you so much for the

146:06

message you're putting out into the

146:07

world because it's a increasingly

146:08

necessary message because we're I think

146:11

we're all searching for answers and for

146:13

a variety of different reasons. Um, and

146:15

your message as I read it throughout the

146:17

book, the the striking thing about it is

146:20

it's a simple one, but that doesn't mean

146:22

it's an easy one, but it's a very, very

146:25

necessary one. And for anyone that does

146:27

relate to the things we've described to

146:28

today and the situations we've described

146:31

that people are feeling at the moment,

146:32

I'd highly recommend you give this book

146:34

a try. Um, because it is a completely

146:36

different message. So, thank you for

146:38

writing such an incredible book and

146:40

thank you for the wisdom that you've put

146:41

out into the world. I highly recommend

146:42

everybody goes and checks out your

146:44

YouTube channel um because there's much

146:45

more content there and you're you're a

146:47

real star on YouTube. Your TED talk is a

146:49

smash hit sensation that has changed

146:51

millions of people's lives as well. So,

146:53

thank you again for your time today.

146:54

It's been a huge honor. Thank you,

146:56

Stephen, for the invitation. Appreciate

146:58

it having this conversation. Thank you

147:00

so much.

147:02

I'm going to let you into a little bit

147:03

of a secret. You're probably going to

147:05

think me and my team are a little bit

147:06

weird, but I can still remember to this

147:08

day when Jamaima from my team posted on

147:09

Slack that she'd changed the scent in

147:12

this studio. And right after she posted

147:13

it, the entire office clapped in our

147:15

Slack channel. And this might sound

147:17

crazy, but at the Diary of SEO, this is

147:19

the type of 1% improvement we make on

147:20

our show. And that is why the show is

147:22

the way it is. By understanding the

147:25

power of compounding 1%s, you can

147:27

absolutely change your outcomes in your

147:29

life. It isn't about drastic

147:31

transformations or quick wins. It's

147:33

about the small consistent actions that

147:36

have a lasting change in your outcomes.

147:38

So two years ago we started the process

147:40

of creating this beautiful diary and

147:42

it's truly beautiful. Inside there's

147:44

lots of pictures, lots of inspiration

147:46

and motivation as well, some interactive

147:48

elements and the purpose of this diary

147:50

is to help you identify, stay focused

147:53

on, develop consistency with the 1%s

147:56

that will ultimately change your life.

147:58

So, if you want one for yourself or for

147:59

a friend or for a colleague or for your

148:01

team, then head to the diary.com right

148:03

now. I'll link it below. This has always

148:06

blown my mind a little bit. 53% of you

148:09

that listen to this show regularly

148:10

haven't yet subscribed to the show. So,

148:12

could I ask you for a favor? If you like

148:14

the show and you like what we do here

148:15

and you want to support us, the free

148:17

simple way that you can do just that is

148:18

by hitting the subscribe button. And my

148:20

commitment to you is if you do that,

148:22

then I'll do everything in my power, me

148:23

and my team, to make sure that this show

148:25

is better for you every single week.

148:27

We'll listen to your feedback. We'll

148:28

find the guest that you want me to speak

148:30

to and we'll continue to do what we do.

148:32

Thank you so much.

148:35

[Music]

148:53

[Music]

Interactive Summary

Master Sha Hungi discusses the importance of self-mastery, inner awareness, and living with purpose in a world filled with choice overload. He shares the 'Rain' method for overcoming mental hindrances and explains that true strength comes from focus and consistency rather than just physical power. The conversation also explores breaking negative life patterns, the nature of suffering, and how to maintain peace by letting go of attachments and finding connection within oneself.

Suggested questions

4 ready-made prompts