Our speaker for December 6 - Ying Wu, PhD

Today’s guest speaker was Ying Wu, PhD.  Dr. Wu is a professor of Statistics at U.C.L.A.  He is also a practitioner and local spokesman for Falun Gong, a Chinese spiritual and meditation practice with ancient roots.

He began by giving us an explanation of the essence of traditional Chinese culture, which Chinese leaders attempted to destroy in 1949 with the Cultural Revolution. Chinese culture has recently been in a renaissance of regrowth.

China is a spiritual culture.  Dr. Wu took us back to the Yellow Emperor (about 2,600 BC).  The purpose of life is to gain spiritual enlightenment.  There are three main spiritual teachings in china:

    Taoism – returning to one’s true self – not physical but spiritual.

    Confucianism – teaches five cardinal values:  behavior, justice, propriety, wisdom and integrity.  This is related to Taoism.

    Buddhism was brought to China from India.  This practice teaches people to give up attachments and desires of the human world.

Dr. Wu explained Chinese martial arts developed originally as exercise by Buddhist monks, not for fighting.

Chinese medicine (acupuncture) works on the principles of energy channels in a non-physical dimension.  Dr. Wu said Asian doctors can see the spiritual channels.  The spiritual foundation is the core of China’s culture.

The Falun Gong followers are now greater in number than the Chinese Communist Party.  Dr. Wu said that when traditional morality is undercut, the result are tragedies such as deaths from improperly made baby formula, or the toxic drywall sent to New Orleans after Katrina.

To bring the story of Chinese Culture and its renaissance to others, the dance group Shen Yun performs around the world, telling traditional stories combined with spectacular backdrops. Elements of Chinese dance includes Form, Technique and Bearing (which how to express yourself and is most important).  This group will be coming to the Kavli Theater in Thousand Oaks on January 22-23, 2013.  More information is at www.LASpectacular.com.

Thank you, Dr. Wu, for a very informative presentation on spirituality in the history of Chinese culture.

Rocky Ludes