Quotessence
Home / Authors / Kenneth S. Cohen

Kenneth S. Cohen Quotes

Author

Filter quotes by topic

Famous Kenneth S. Cohen Quotes

“I once asked Master B.P. Chan if the ancient qigong and martial arts masters had superior abilities to those of the present. He said, "In general, yes. But only because they were more patient." ... Most students abandon the practice and look for a new form of "entertainment". But it is precisely at this stage that the most lasting benefits are cultivated.”

“Qi is the Chinese word for "life energy". According to Chinese medicine, qi is the animating power that flows through all living things. A living being is filled with it. A dead person has no more qi. A healthy individual has more qi than one who is ill. However health is more than an abundance of qi. Health implies that the qi in our bodies is clear, rather than polluted and turbid, and flowing smoothly, liek a stream, not blocked or stagnant.”

“When filled with qi, the body is like a tree branch filled with sap; it can bend and flow with the breeze, but it does not snap or lose its connection with the root. On the other hand, a stiff, dead branch is easily broken. Thus the adage of Lao Zi, "Concentrate the qi and you will achieve the utmost suppleness... Suppleness is the essence of life.”

“Aborigines, like other indian tribes, believe that people today have less of this life energy than in the past. Because life energy is the common source between human beings and nature, the loss of it parallels the loss of connection between human beings and their relations: the plants, animals, stones, water, sky, the Earth, and all of creation. Restoring life energy to its original condition of fullness may be the key to recovering lost potentials and realizing that "the Kingdom of Heaven is in our midst.”

“[A relaxed body is more protected from damage.] There is a Daoist saying, "When a child or a drunk falls from a carriage, their bones don't break." This is because they are embodying the qigong principle of song relaxation, and so are able to adapt to the ground as they fall.”