Dad, please try harder

Chapter 81 Inspiration from Exercise: A Letter to Dad
Compared to the embarrassment of Qian Quan Magazine being discovered by his classmates, Qian Wenlin took the magazine to the office openly, and after finding out that his colleagues hadn't noticed, he said something specially:
"After the draft of the "New Story Monthly" is finished, samples will still be mailed. Have you received it before?"

The two colleagues who also successfully submitted papers both said they had received it, and then took Qian Wenlin's sample magazine to read, and asked, "Mr. Qian, which one is yours?"

Qian Wenlin reported the title of his article.

The colleague first smiled knowingly, then searched according to the catalogue, and then said with a smile: "Mr. Qian, have you read the work behind your work?"

"See, it's kind of tit-for-tat." Qian Wenlin said with a smile.

The first time he got the sample issue, he read his own work, and naturally noticed Qian Quan's "A Father's Love Is Like a Mountain".

The one I wrote was about cheating, and the latter one was about my son killing his mistress. The editorial department's work was obviously intentional.

"When is the treat?" A colleague asked while flipping through the magazine.

"As soon as the manuscript fee arrives, treat the guests right away." Qian Wenlin has been waiting for this day for a long time.

After a day of class, Qian Wenlin returned home, and when he was having dinner with his wife, he asked, "Did Shitou tell you how he did on the driver's license test?"

"After the first subject, I have already made an appointment for the second subject."

"Why are you in such a hurry, the second class is a bit difficult, you should practice more before taking the exam."

"Then you tell your son, tell him your experience, don't let me ask everything."

"Well, let's talk about it." Qian Wenlin recently felt that as his son got older and more knowledgeable, there seemed to be a thin strange barrier between them.

It seems that every father will encounter the situation of "the halo of omniscience and omnipotence gradually fading" when his child grows up.

After dinner, Qian Wenlin washed the dishes and went out for a walk with his wife to digest the food. Then, his wife went to Lin Lang's mother and the others to play mahjong, and then went back to write and practice kung fu.

Now I get up every morning to play Wing Chun wooden dummy for a while, write brush calligraphy at night, and then practice "Wudang Secret Biography Small Cycle Kung Fu" has formed a habit.

This "small cycle exercise" is accompanied by the notes beside it, the more you practice it, the more fascinated you become. It is really a good skill for self-cultivation and self-cultivation.

However, he has also encountered some problems recently, which may come from the pressure of work, or from the emotional impact of publishing articles in magazines. It is difficult for him to calm down when he is practicing.

For example, he is meditating quietly, his body does not move, his mind is like still water, and his thoughts flow in, out, in, and out with his breathing...

Calm, settled, focused, everything is perfect.

Suddenly, certain thoughts came to mind:
"What does Xiao Chen mean by that sentence? Are you pointing at me?"

"Suddenly I really want to eat noodles made by my mother."

"Should I call Yuhua back..."

The practice was interrupted so far, he forcibly fought against these thoughts, and pulled back to breathing. Not long after, a new thought appeared:
"Shitou doesn't have to pay tuition fees, which saves a lot of money."

"I may become a famous writer in China in the future."

"Will the price of oil drop?"

……

It seems to be a kind of pulling, falling into a vicious circle, and soon the mood will become irritable.

He stopped practicing, and went to the group of relatives and friends to ask: "The "Wudang Secret Biography Small Cycle Kung Fu" that Shitou sent, are any of you practicing?"

Soon, the brother-in-law replied: "What is there to practice? If you have the time, why not push Pai Gow twice."

Then Uncle Qian Quan replied: "Haha, Wenlin wants to be a fairy, I clicked it, and that kind of kung fu is not practiced by us ordinary people."

"I wanted to practice at first, but I read the text that said that practicing that kung fu can prolong your life. After thinking about it, let's forget it. This earth is enough, so I want to leave early." Qian Quan is a part-time worker. Cousin replied.

After reading everyone's replies, Qian Wenlin immediately understood that other people did not take that document seriously.

Forget it, it just failed Shitou's heart.

At this moment, Qian Wenlin received a private message from his son: "Dad, why did you suddenly ask if anyone is practicing?"

"I wanted to discuss it with everyone, but found that no one cared." Qian Wenlin was helpless.

"Maybe everyone thinks I'm joking."

"I heard from your mother that you made an appointment for the second exam, how many times have you practiced?" Qian Wenlin changed the topic directly.

"After practicing two or three times, the coach said that I practiced well and could take the exam."

"Remember, during the exam, drive steadily and slowly, no matter how the coach urges you, drive at your own pace."

"Ah."

Chat is over.

Qian Wenlin also stopped practicing forcibly, and went to play Go for a while.

At around nine o'clock in the evening, I received an email from Shitou, and I was curious, so I clicked to read:
At my father's knees:

Dear Sir, recently, I practiced "Wudang Jing Gong", and I have some insights, I would like to ask for your advice:
One is about the attitude of practicing meditation. I don't want to presuppose a position and no longer have expectations. I just follow my own speed and direction, seal up delusions, and move forward naturally;
I don't want to be overly forced, or overly tense, to be relaxed and steady;
I don't want to be too anxious and hasty, I don't cling to anything, and I don't reject any phenomenon, no matter good or bad, just look at it with a normal mind and accept it;
I accept how distracted I am, I'm at peace with myself, I also question everything, I don't believe it just because it comes from someone big, I don't take it for granted because it rhymes and makes sense, but I'm not cynical at the same time;
I regard all good and bad things as challenges and trials. When I encounter good things, I happily accept them. When I encounter bad things, I don’t feel sad, but invest in them and explore them;
Finally, I don't compare myself to anyone, appearance, grades, IQ, or popularity, nor do I feel hostile toward others because of a gap in status.

The second is about dealing with distraction. Every time I meditate on breathing, or during the process, I often have emotions such as bad fantasies, worries, and ambitions in my mind. The more I want to expel them, the stronger they become;

So instead of suppressing them, I observe them carefully, stop blaming myself for this distraction, observe them from a distance, and slowly bring my attention back to my breath, and so on.

The third is some misunderstandings about practicing. The document my friend gave me is called "Wudang Secret Biography Small Cycle Kung Fu", which has the word "secret biography", but after practicing it, I found that it is not mysterious, but very down-to-earth. Great people practice, but also suitable for ordinary people;

It is a very simple behavior, which may produce some profound insights in the process of practice, or it may just be a very superficial sense of ease, what appears is what it is, and there is no correct answer;

Practicing Jinggong is not for escaping from reality, nor can you solve all problems through it. Its gains are in subtle places, and there will be no major changes in the short term. I feel that my endurance is improving little by little;

Finally, whether it is possible to produce a kind of "transcendence" or "supernatural power" after long-term practice, my friend did not say it clearly, and I don't want to look forward to it. If it appears one day, I will be very happy.

The fourth is about the relationship between practice and life. For a long time, I would choose a fixed time and place to practice. However, I later discovered that Jinggong does not necessarily have to be practiced in a quiet place. It can also be practiced in daily life. ;
For example, when walking, I raise my head and chest, relax my neck, move forward naturally at the slowest and most comfortable pace, focus all my attention on the sensations from my feet and legs, and remember when each foot moves information, pay attention to the subtle differences between actions, and feel every tiny tactile change...

For example, I will pay attention to my breathing anytime and anywhere, not only when practicing, but also in daily activities. I will connect breathing with every movement, add rhythm to action, stabilize the emotion of action, experience nature, feel nature, move when you move, and be still when you move then static;
I also seize every piece of time to practice, when waiting for the bus, when queuing up in the cafeteria, during breaks between classes...

For example, I also try to incorporate every little thing and every emotion in my daily life into my practice. It doesn't matter whether these emotions are positive or negative, beautiful or shameful, I just want to observe and notice it as it is.

Even when it's boring, I want to find out what it feels like, how it works, how it affects my state of mind, and what it's made of.

The same goes for anger and frustration.

I think that when I practice these thoughts proficiently, I can properly deal with every sudden distracting thought or delusional thought, then when I practice meditation, I can freely focus my attention on breathing and the flow of breath .

At that time, can it be said that I have entered the next level?
Some unsystematic thoughts, I hope my father can correct me.

Respectfully
Fu'an
patriarchy
November [-]

After reading the email, Qian Wenlin was stunned for a while, not to mention whether the method proposed in the email would work, but the points he aimed at were all questions or confusions he had. Cheerful feeling.

What's even more rare is that the methods he proposed are not lofty at all, but are all specific and practical.

Just for this point, it can be said that it is worthy of being a father and son, right?

Qian Wenlin felt gratified, but also a little ashamed. He felt that his son had made rapid progress in all aspects after entering university.

After thinking about it, he replied:
"I have read it, not bad."

(End of this chapter)