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The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love, and Wisdom
It's 1972 in the industrial city of Xiangtan, China. A frail child with a heart condition sneaks into a hotel boiler room and befriends the elderly yet vibrant attendant, who eventually reveals his true identity as a revered Qigong master. He heals the boy and, for the next 13 years, secretly teaches him the keys to unlocking the spiritual and healing dimensions of the Life Force.It sounds like a modern-day fable, but the story is true. And with The Master Key, that grateful student, Robert Peng, invites all of us to enter the next chapter of this empowering path.Here, Master Peng brings together the unique insights of his teacher with the moving account of his own journey to inspire and guide us foundational methods for gathering, refining, and using the Life ForceA five-minute exercise to directly experience the reality of Qi energyAwakening the body's three Dantian centersThe Four Golden Wheels practices for strengthening your Qi reservoirsThe discovery of your True Self through Qigong's tools of self-inquiryEmpowering your relationships and sexual intimacyEntering the sea of compassion and happiness, and much moreHow do we open the doorways to authentic love, power, and wisdom? The answer lies in our inner Life Force—and The Master Key teaches us how to unlock it.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2014
78 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 4, 2019
While yoga and meditation have grown in popularity in recent years, qigong is less known. That's too bad, as it is an excellent practice that people of any age and conditioning can take advantage of and get good results.
Full disclosure: I have studied qigong for over 15 years with various teachers, including Robert Peng. I can say, without a doubt, that Mr. Peng is the real deal, and an excellent resource if you want to acquaint yourself with qigong practice. This book is the perfect introduction.
"The Master Key" is written in two parts: the first is Mr. Peng's autobiography, starting when he meets his teacher as a young boy, his subsequent training, the death of his master, and his moves to Australia and then New York City. My favorite part of this section is his relationship with Xiao Yao, his qigong master (the name means "easy-going"). Xiao Yao was a senior monk at a Buddhist monastery, but when China's Cultural Revolution came into being, he had to move into a city and take menial work as a boiler man. Through all the hardship, Xiao Yao never lost his zest for life, and continued his qigong practice, as well as healing the locals and discreetly taking on a very few disciples. He was a devout Buddhist, but never imposed his religious beliefs on those he healed or trained. Mr. Peng, brought up during the Cultural Revolution, had no religious background, but through intense qigong training was able to achieve high states of consciousness that can only be described as an enlightened state. Eventually, the Cultural Revolution came to a merciful end, and Xiao Yao was able to return and rebuild his monastery, where he passed on well into his nineties.
The second part takes the reader into qigong practice and instruction. Xiao Yao's basic methods are not hard to learn, but you can spend the rest of your life practicing them. It might be hard for a beginner to learn how-to from a book - there are free brief examples on-line and one can buy a DVD training program from Sounds True - but, at least, one should be able to tell if this is a practice one would like to pursue. Whether you decide to follow Mr. Peng's example, or find another teacher is up to you, but I hope this book makes you interested enough in qigong to pursue it further. Trust me, it's worth it!
Full disclosure: I have studied qigong for over 15 years with various teachers, including Robert Peng. I can say, without a doubt, that Mr. Peng is the real deal, and an excellent resource if you want to acquaint yourself with qigong practice. This book is the perfect introduction.
"The Master Key" is written in two parts: the first is Mr. Peng's autobiography, starting when he meets his teacher as a young boy, his subsequent training, the death of his master, and his moves to Australia and then New York City. My favorite part of this section is his relationship with Xiao Yao, his qigong master (the name means "easy-going"). Xiao Yao was a senior monk at a Buddhist monastery, but when China's Cultural Revolution came into being, he had to move into a city and take menial work as a boiler man. Through all the hardship, Xiao Yao never lost his zest for life, and continued his qigong practice, as well as healing the locals and discreetly taking on a very few disciples. He was a devout Buddhist, but never imposed his religious beliefs on those he healed or trained. Mr. Peng, brought up during the Cultural Revolution, had no religious background, but through intense qigong training was able to achieve high states of consciousness that can only be described as an enlightened state. Eventually, the Cultural Revolution came to a merciful end, and Xiao Yao was able to return and rebuild his monastery, where he passed on well into his nineties.
The second part takes the reader into qigong practice and instruction. Xiao Yao's basic methods are not hard to learn, but you can spend the rest of your life practicing them. It might be hard for a beginner to learn how-to from a book - there are free brief examples on-line and one can buy a DVD training program from Sounds True - but, at least, one should be able to tell if this is a practice one would like to pursue. Whether you decide to follow Mr. Peng's example, or find another teacher is up to you, but I hope this book makes you interested enough in qigong to pursue it further. Trust me, it's worth it!
October 31, 2018
"These locals started to call Siddhartha 'Buddha,' which means 'the awakened one...' My master was wise. Life conditions during the Cultural Revolution did not permit me the luxury of adopting any religious belief, so he sidestepped the traditional indoctrination and religious formalities that might have endangered me and my family, and instead simply led me directly to the experience of enlightenment. To this day I appreciate the distinction he made between being a 'Buddhist' and being a 'Buddha.' The former involves embracing the religion while the latter alludes to a universal experience that anyone can have regardless of religious affiliation. One can become a Buddhist Buddha, Hindu Buddha, Jewish Buddha, Christian Buddha, Muslim Buddha, or even an atheist Buddha."
An absorbing book, which is in part a biography of Master Robert Peng and a comprehensive introduction to Wholistic Qigong practice, so 4.5 stars! I love and was captivated by his journey from a small, ill boy to renowned Teacher living in the West. The photographic diagrams and well laid out format of the book enable this to be a practical guide relevant to a novice or advanced student of this ancient practice. If you're intrigued by Qigong, this is a superlative resource, to begin with!
An absorbing book, which is in part a biography of Master Robert Peng and a comprehensive introduction to Wholistic Qigong practice, so 4.5 stars! I love and was captivated by his journey from a small, ill boy to renowned Teacher living in the West. The photographic diagrams and well laid out format of the book enable this to be a practical guide relevant to a novice or advanced student of this ancient practice. If you're intrigued by Qigong, this is a superlative resource, to begin with!
September 19, 2020
- A lovely introduction to Qigong and a fascinating story of Robert Peng's early life with his master.
In fact, I enjoyed his life story even more than the latter half of the book, which contains various Qigong exercises. I wish the autobiographical section could have been more detailed and honestly, I could have read 300 pages just on his life experiences with his teacher, Xiao Yao alone.
- The exercises are actually quite useful and powerful, but some people who are not used to doing energy work, may find the instructions challenging or not detailed enough, with just a few pictures and descriptions. In order to fully maximize the potential of the exercises he outlines in the second half of his book, it's helpful to already have a good understanding of your own energy body and energy dynamics, otherwise, they may seem foreign or not as effective to the reader.
- Overall, lovely book and many of the practices I have already incorporated into my daily routine with great value and effectiveness.
In fact, I enjoyed his life story even more than the latter half of the book, which contains various Qigong exercises. I wish the autobiographical section could have been more detailed and honestly, I could have read 300 pages just on his life experiences with his teacher, Xiao Yao alone.
- The exercises are actually quite useful and powerful, but some people who are not used to doing energy work, may find the instructions challenging or not detailed enough, with just a few pictures and descriptions. In order to fully maximize the potential of the exercises he outlines in the second half of his book, it's helpful to already have a good understanding of your own energy body and energy dynamics, otherwise, they may seem foreign or not as effective to the reader.
- Overall, lovely book and many of the practices I have already incorporated into my daily routine with great value and effectiveness.
February 3, 2020
This is a fantastic book!!! Very powerful!!! You can learn to do Qigong exercises that will change your life. That sounds hooky, but that is what I found. I've done the exercises using the descriptions in the books. The descriptions are clear and the illustrations helpful. You can do it. But, I would recommend the DVDs. It is easier to listen and watch while doing the exercises. Look Robert Peng up online. He has several free videos and other material on his web site.
July 26, 2017
Just Amazing
No one has married old age eastern spiritualist teaching with western values as astounding and with such wisdom as Robert Peng.
His teachings are a treasure. The words written by an enlightened being.
This is the Bible for your life and soul.
No one has married old age eastern spiritualist teaching with western values as astounding and with such wisdom as Robert Peng.
His teachings are a treasure. The words written by an enlightened being.
This is the Bible for your life and soul.
March 19, 2020
Incredible
I love Master Peng’s Qi Gong exercises and this book has been a testament of how his Qi Gong practices can transform any person from a normal being into a force of nature (!)
I love Master Peng’s Qi Gong exercises and this book has been a testament of how his Qi Gong practices can transform any person from a normal being into a force of nature (!)
December 31, 2021
Thank very much!
Thank you for sharing your life experiences and knowledge! This book tremendously enhanced my spiritual growth. I look forward to practicing daily the exercises in the book so that my Qi flows smoothly and I maintain a loving and joyful life!
Thank you for sharing your life experiences and knowledge! This book tremendously enhanced my spiritual growth. I look forward to practicing daily the exercises in the book so that my Qi flows smoothly and I maintain a loving and joyful life!
September 28, 2015
Highly interesting life story and some good guidance on starting to practice qigong, as well as a thorough explanation of what qigong is. Just not sufficiently fascinating for me to finish.
February 11, 2015
Peng is a qigong master and he has shared his journey about becoming one - which is fascinating - as well as the practice of it, for the reader. Exceptionally well done.
August 13, 2024
The stories in this book are related really well and are extremely readable. They have an element of magic and wonder along with descriptions of the trouble and hardships to achieve the level of mastery. The author is a great storyteller and one will not be disappointed in reading this. The exercises and visualizations are explained well. I got through the tales about the author and his teacher quite quickly but needed time to absorb the exercises and that took a while to get through. Though the exercises are simple, they definitely do not seem to be for beginners, though every one can have a go. Overall, a lovely introduction to Qigong, or rather one of the styles of Qigong, it definitely give the reader a glimpse into another world.
June 23, 2024
A book that inspires adopting a new way of life
This book opens new spaces for finding peace and happiness beyond the common limits of ordinary, material existence. The author's optimism is contagious and his power of seduction comes from authentic experience.
This book opens new spaces for finding peace and happiness beyond the common limits of ordinary, material existence. The author's optimism is contagious and his power of seduction comes from authentic experience.
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October 24, 2024This book is masterfully written and edited to share complex ideas in clear ways. Robert Peng shares the secrets of Qigong, including energy cultivation and balancing practices. We learn about his childhood and experiences with Master Xiao Yao.
This book is a true gift to humanity.
This book is a true gift to humanity.
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September 4, 2017Amazing book!
Such powerful practices. It'd great they are consolidated in book and DVD form. Additional words. Additional words. Additional words. Additional words.
Such powerful practices. It'd great they are consolidated in book and DVD form. Additional words. Additional words. Additional words. Additional words.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews