What is I Liq Chuan (ILC)?
ILC embodies its philosophy in application, and you use its philosophy throughout your life. The art is a "moving meditation". It is no different than I'm walking and you're walking, it is only the concept of mindfulness. While there is no outer difference between the two persons, there is an inner difference. One person may walk with his mind in another world, not even realizing he is walking. He may be thinking about other things in his life and thereby forgetting to be in the moment, while the other person may be totally in the moment. To see the true nature of things, we have to be in the present moment (process) that's with the right state of consciousness to flow with the process to observe and merge with the conditions.
In this art we learn to break away from the unconscious, we learn to activate the subconscious mind to be conscious at all times. If you can be conscious at all times, then you will not be attached and you will be able to recognize and breakaway from habits and emotions that effect you.
The philosophy underlying I Liq Chuan involves the very simple concept of making an active choice to be fully aware of the present moment, by being aware of the sounds around you, your breathing, your visual perception, and the feel of the atmosphere on your skin. Observe how thoughts pop into the mind, but don't let them take your awareness away. By not arguing or mentally conversing with the thought, you will be free from its control. Then the thought will leave and you will continue being aware.
This art is the cultivation of the conscious mind:
1) To unify the mental & physical
2) To unify self (mental/physical) with opponent and environment
3) To see and feel the conditions while staying both mentally and physically in the process of present, formless, and neutral
4) To be free of control from emotions such as anger, greed, ego, hate etc.
As we practice the cultivation of the conscious mind we need to recognize how consciousness arises. It's part of the six sense organ (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind) and six sense objects (form, sound, odor, taste, touch, idea or thought) coming into contact that causes consciousness. It's awareness of the sense of the contact point which we need to train and be mindful of whether the action of reaction over the point of contact is from the habitual reflex actions or, that is from our mental expressions which being accumulated from the past experiences or acting according to its present conditions as it is. In the conscious mind it is essential to recognize the distinction between concentration and awareness. Concentration involves limiting your focus to a single object.
Awareness is a reflection of the process and uses concentration to encompass all of your senses that is mindfulness. Mindfulness is the cause and awareness is the effect. It is like a knife and the sharp edge is awareness while the thick blunt back is concentration. The thick and heavy back gives force for the sharp edge to cut through to the true nature. Rather than reaching out to receive, open up your senses and let the information come to you. Turn yourself into a receiver rather than making judgments from your past experience and knowledge; let nature speak for itself!
Being in the present involves no judgment. Judgment brings in previous experience and knowledge. This practice is based on being in the present moment, if you make a judgment you are wrong because you are not sensing the present moment.
“When you build up mindfulness you can sense everything that may happen. By applying and realizing this philosophy, more of life opens up to you because your ability of immediate perception has increased. What might seem like a sixth sense to others, is really just seeing things happening from their base of origin, you see the causes and effects that led up to the present moment. Through awareness: Students are not copying another person, they are learning to be themselves through self-realization”. -Master Sam Chin