[ 108 절 18분]
* IF YOU WOULD LIKE 8 SECOND BOWS, INCREASE THE YOUTUBE VIDEO TO 1.25 X SPEED
THIS WILL LET YOU FINISH THE 108 BOWS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES
[[[ QUICK NOTE ON VIDEO ]]]
I have merged clips of this monk's bowing form and looped it 108 times. I have added a metronome and created accents when you count the bows and also when you raise your palms while in the full prostrated position.
Like a sitting meditation timer, this is a bowing meditation timer/pace keeper. I made this video for myself as I was obsessed with the proper form and proper timing. I wanted help with the time and pace so I can focus on the form and counting. I am thinking there might be others out there that might want this type of video. I hope it helps. If you have any suggestions, let me know. I would be really interested in hearing what you think. I will post other speeds as well in the near future. Let me know what you would like. How fast do you complete 108 bows?
[[[ ABOUT THE MONK AND BOWING ]]]
This Korean Buddhist Monk, Chung Kyun Sunim (청견스님), is known to be "Enlightened" through the practice of Bowing Meditation. Having done over 10 million bows as of 2010, he is known to be the foremost expert in the perfect form of bowing. He has written books and also teaches other monks and common people throughout Korea.
According to Chung Kyun Sunim, Bowing and exercise have different effects on the body. Although both cause the body to sweat, exercise causes gasping breath, & a hot brain; while bowing (correctly) will lead to warm organs. smooth deep breaths & a cool head. Exercise will tire the person while proper bowing will lead to more energy the more the person bows. With proper bowing, this monk claims that your heart rate will not go up more than 10% of your normal state. He also claims that you will not gasp for air no matter how many bows you do. This mysterious form, the proper form will actually make your breathing more peaceful, long, and steady.
Just as one can smile to make the brain happier. Just like when you fake laugh you can make the brain giddy. Just like when you slouch you become negative. Just like when you sit up straight your mind clears. Just like when you stand straight and lift your arms up wide, your testosterone levels go up. When you breathe as you are scared, you stay scared. When you breathe as if there is nothing to worry about, your body becomes calm and peaceful. Many different parts of the body have a direct and indirect effect on the brain and bodily state. Bowing is allowing your body to express and repeat certain movements that are conducive to a peaceful, energetic, focused, centered mental and bodily state, less ego state.
Bowing Is also known to facilitate maximum detox by compressing the body in a certain way so that it will expel maximum waste gas from the blood and organs. The monk claims that if you bow in a small room with windows closed, you will be shocked by the amount of smell that fills the room.
Bowing is capable of opening the heart chakra to release the tension in the diaphragm and the muscles near the heart. Once opened, the breath will naturally expand to the lower belly. Bowing practice teaches the body how to breathe in the deepest possible way. But when done with incorrect form and posture it could lead to bodily injury and even have a negative effect on your mental state.
Just like good form in golf results in straighter longer drives while minimizing wasted energy and injury, the form in bowing is very important. The form might seem basic and simple, but every single movement has a correct form. From the fingers, to where to keep weight, where not to keep weight, the position of each part of the body, how to breathe, when to breath, where to keep the mind, what to focus on, what to expect, and how to deal with arising problematic thoughts, how many bows, how long to bow, how fast to bow. This bowing can be done properly for a good outcome, and also it can be done improperly and it will result in a bad outcome and or injuries.
[[[ END NOTE ]]]
I am currently working on translating a rare video recording of this monk's teaching session from Korean to English. This esoteric knowledge is not known widely even among the Korean monks. This teaching is hard to come by as this monk teaches in person and not many videos of his teachings are online. He has a book out but there is no English version yet. I was lucky to get a copy of a 3-hour video a few years ago which is not available online. Once I am able to get a decent translation, I will post it on this channel. So I guess you should subscribe and wait. But for now, this video shows the monk himself displaying the form.
Anyway, if you found this video, find it interesting, and or are reading to this point, it is probably fate. Something led you to this. I hope we can chat. Let me know what you think. You can leave comments or you can email me at [email protected].