| About the Cheng Hsin eCourse Too often, the work of personal growth amounts to little more than exchanging one set of beliefs and opinions for another. Because this cannot bring you any closer to the truth, and does not effect a real transformation, many people give up. Even those who expend great energy and commitment can simply lose hope of finding a study worth pursuing. You might feel that you have exhausted all possibilities of encountering a truly transformative direction of study. The serious students of Cheng Hsin would tell you to take heart and open yourself up to another possibility. The Cheng Hsin work is real, and it is powerful and deep enough to take you as far as you want to go.
What we call "the Cheng Hsin work" is an unusually broad study encompassing both physical effectiveness and transformational mind work. Years ago when contemplation work improved my martial skills so remarkably, I came to use martial arts as a grounded way to look into mind, perception, and effectiveness. Most of the courses offered here deal primarily with mind or being (the ontology), but the interactive and body-being courses also include work with mind, perception, and other non-physical aspects of study. Without exception, all the Cheng Hsin work deals with improving the quality of a student's understanding, perception, and experience.
Not everyone can personally attend the ontology intensives and workshops, so last year some of the "regulars" requested that I create an alternative format through e-courses. At first it seemed strange to teach through electronic means, but the communication is the same regardless of the medium. After all, the "study of being" is a fairly universal endeavor that reaches across all boundaries: cultural, personal, and now geographical.
This structure works so well that I've expanded the courses and made them available to anyone who is willing to make a commitment. I've been busy creating a variety of e-courses based on three decades of Cheng Hsin ontology workshops. Newcomers are welcome, and regular students can continue their studies year-round while they live their daily lives. The current eCourses are:
No matter where you are in the world, or where you are in your work on "self," there's something here that will further your efforts. You can immerse yourself in a serious investigation of the nature of your own mind, or explore the nature of relationship and effective interaction. You can take on a course in powerful solo contemplation, or even study and train to improve the way you use your body.
Most of the work will address your mind and perceptions, your reactions and behavior. You will learn to question the nature of your perceived reality, and the assumptions that found such perceptions. All of the courses are roughly one year long so they represent a real commitment to and opportunity for personal growth
Taking on one of these courses requires commitment. The lessons are designed to build upon each other, leading you to new understanding and experiences that simply do not occur outside a structured format. You may experience emotional reactions as some aspect of your self is challenged. This is generally a positive occurrence, but it's wise to make a commitment strong enough to see you through the more difficult lessons. I will be available to answer questions and monitor your progress. From time to time I will provide feedback to facilitate your understanding, but you and you alone must do the work. These courses evolved over years of teaching thousands of people, many of whom write 20 years later to tell me that their study of Cheng Hsin was the best and most life-altering commitment they ever made. I understand -- it's my life's work as well.
All online students should consider attending the Fall and Spring workshops at the Cheng Hsin Center in Texas. These are intense and impactful events, and will allow you the opportunity to venture into realms of experience that are virtually impossible to approach by yourself. Your daily studies will be powerfully energized as you proceed from a whole new level of understanding.
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The eCOURSES Each course generally consists of 40 lesson plans given over a twelve month period. Every week or so you will receive an e-mail containing the week's daily lessons on a new theme. Each week you will have a specific assignment -- usually in the form of a question or something to observe throughout the day. Most weeks you'll also be given an exercise or writing assignment to help clarify and ground that week's lesson.
The lessons themselves are often fairly short and simple, but they're meant to be contemplated and experienced rather than just read. They're also progressive so it's important to keep up. People report that spending even a few minutes on an assignment will resonate with them all day, even when life's demands encroach on personal study time. The work is always about you and your own experience, so most of it can be done simply in the course of living your life. Of course, the more you put into creating an experience of the assignment, the deeper your understanding will be.
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TRANSCENDING THE SELF -- A Mind Course
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This course should not be taken on lightly. The title means what it says. Our focus is on understanding the deeper workings of mind and self -- the egoic dynamics that dominate all our perceptions, actions, and reactions. Part of what makes this course so powerful is that it's much more than just an intellectual consideration with a goal of acquiring "knowledge." In each lesson, what we're after is a genuine experience of the matter. You will be asked to challenge and question your beliefs, your motivations, your emotions, your very way of being. As the course unfolds and your ability to question grows, we will advance toward a more direct and authentic experience of Being. Emotional reactions are likely to arise, and you will need a commitment solid enough to see you though these obstacles. Freedom from your own self-mind is an exciting and truly powerful experience. You'll find it's worth confronting any challenges that may come up as you progress toward comprehension and greater awareness.
Reading should include, but isn't limited to:
Reflections of Being
Ancient Wisdom, New Spirit,
This material has a way of shifting and resonating within our experience so that we can virtually never approach it from the same perspective twice. That's part of what makes it so exciting!
The cost of the course is $600 for the year, payable all at once prior to the starting date. (To sign up see below)
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TRANSFORMING YOUR EXPERIENCE OF RELATIONSHIP
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The TER is a great course on relationship. The focus here is on clarifying and transforming our experience of "partner" relationships. The emphasis is not so much on accomplishing desired results as in the Principles of Effective Interaction Course, but instead deals with relationships whose purpose is some form of partnership while working together toward life goals. This domain includes marriage, friendships, and family, and also those relationships that incidentally support or conflict with life goals acquaintances, adversaries, and all those who constitute your social sphere.
The purpose of the TER course is to pursue a clearer experience and understanding of the nature of relationship, as well as identifying what stands in the way of effective relating. As the course builds, you will become more and more in touch with how you unconsciously approach relationships, clearing up personal assumptions and learning to recognize the cultural programs that we all relate from. As we progress, you will be empowered to create new ways of relating and new ways of thinking about relationship, thus transforming your experience of relationship.
Reading should include, but isn't limited to:
Reflections of Being
Ancient Wisdom, New Spirit
The cost of the course is $475 for the year, payable all at once prior to the starting date. (To sign up see below)
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THE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE INTERACTION
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The PEI is an investigation into the "facts" of psycho-physical interaction. Rather than improving our experience of social relationship, as in the TER, our goal in this course is to identify and practice the components of effective interaction. The emphasis here is on interaction where those involved are relating from self-interest, often competitively, such as in sports, business, public speaking, sales, recreation, martial arts, games, etc. The purpose of such interactions is to accomplish a predetermined result make a sale, throw an opponent, win the chess or tennis match, run a business, etc. Success in such relationships requires the ability to manage conflict. Since the goals and interests of the parties involved are disparate, and often antithetical, conflict will tend to arise in some form. Simply interacting with others in life often necessitates conflict resolution.
The purpose of the course is to gain an understanding of the nature of effective interaction, as well as to identify anything that stands in the way of relating effectively. To accomplish this, you will learn to observe and question your actions, your motivations, your perceptions, and the functions of your mind. You will learn about the components and principles that make up interaction, and especially effective interaction, moving toward an ability to interact more skillfully.
Reading should include, but isn't limited to:
The Art of Effortless Power "Book II"
Zen Body-Being
And Videos:
Cheng Hsin Skills
Discovery Interview The cost of the course is $476 for the year, payable all at once prior to the starting date. (To sign up see below)
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THE PRINCIPLES OF AN EFFORTLESSLY EFFECTIVE BODY-BEING
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I have come to realize that far too many of those interested in Cheng Hsin are unable to attend the workshops necessary for a meaningful and prolonged study of the body-being work. The mind work translates well to an e-course format, but obviously a serious martial student would want to train body-being with me in person. Still, after years of meeting my readers and also answering questions through e-mail and the newsletter, it's clear that progress can be made through written communications. Perhaps this is because all Cheng Hsin work deals with a student's perception and experience, even when those are grounded in one's body and actions. Whether you study it in written form or in workshops, an open investigation of body-being will create useful new distinctions in your experience -- physical, mental, and energetic.
So who is this course for? If you've read the books and want more, this course is for you. It'll help you move from intellectualizing the work to making it your own experience. If you're a workshop regular, you can use this course as a review and to provide a daily format for training and development. If you've never heard of this work and want to jump in, this is a good place. If you plan to come to a martial workshop, this course is the perfect complement.
We will begin by working from the book "Zen Body-Being," and each week will look into some new body or mind consideration. Like the book, the course isn't just for martial artists. It is for anyone who wants to improve their relationship with their body and develop a more effortless and effective level of physical skill in whatever they do.
There will be exercises and study as we move through all of the material relevant to an effortlessly effective body-being. We will address and work with the basic principles and structural design of an effective body. We will also tackle the important role of mind and perception in any physical activity or body development, and train feeling-image exercises or "energy" exercises along with our mechanical trainings. As the course develops, we will also work on effortless power, studying the application of "intrinsic strength" to achieve a more effortless result in any physical endeavor.
All of these considerations and exercises are immensely valuable for anyone with a body, but another very useful aspect of this course will be your commitment to study, learn, and train. You're the one who will learn to apply this material, and to do so as much as you can every time you use your body. You will also be encouraged to contemplate our considerations, and to develop a deeper understanding of what is being said, the universal principles involved, and how they apply in your experience. In theory, you could simply study the books and apply what you can, but a step-by-step program of daily training is far more likely to produce success. I will be available to answer questions or help in your understanding, but most of the work is up to you.
Reading should include, but isn't limited to:
Zen Body-Being
The Principles of Effortless Power
The Art of Effortless Power (section one)
And Videos
Cheng Hsin Body-Being
Those of you who have already studied body-being with me personally (such as at the month-long Retreat at the Center, or the Body-Being workshops in Europe) may use this course as an extension of their studies. Review always yields greater understanding, and a daily commitment will give structure to your training.
The cost of the course is $375 for one year, payable all at once prior to the starting date. (To sign up see below)
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THE POWER OF CONTEMPLATION
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Contemplation isn't just deep thinking -- it is both an art and a skill that can be practiced and improved. To become conscious of something that you were not conscious of before is to expand your experience of being alive. Anything can be the subject for contemplation, and even a small breakthrough is a joyful experience.
In this course you will not only study contemplation itself, but will also take on powerful contemplations to become more conscious of the nature of mind, self, reality, and the experience of your very being. Ultimately we are working on contemplation capable of achieving what Zen people call an "enlightenment experience." Some participants may achieve this "direct consciousness of the true nature of being," although such an experience is not guaranteed. Through years of dedicated contemplation I have personally achieved this depth of consciousness and it gives me pleasure to facilitate others in exploring this possibility. Contemplation itself is its own reward, however, and the practitioner is the one who decides how far to take it. All I can do is guide you toward improving the power and effectiveness of your contemplation.
The contemplation we will work on is quite similar to Zen, yet we will not be restricted to any formal posturing or methods. Rather we will set out to directly experience the truth of whatever matter we engage. With such profound questioning, mental, emotional, and sometimes even physical barriers may come up as your mind reacts to such confrontation. This is to be expected -- simply let it be part of the process. When a deeper consciousness is achieved the barrier will dissolve.
The purpose of the course is to empower you to pursue a deep consciousness about what is true. As you become grounded in the work of questioning and contemplating and become more adept at utilizing the contemplation components, we will progress to deeper and deeper levels of contemplation, moving toward a more direct experience of the nature of Being. Such an undertaking is no light matter -- it takes practice and concentration. The good news is that contemplation can be practiced almost anywhere and at any time.
Every week or so you will work on new material and topics, and every day you will have an assignment. Some time will be taken each day to work on contemplating quietly by yourself. But most of the work can be done by learning to contemplate at any time and in any place. No matter how much you may have contemplated in the past, there is always more to learn and deeper to go.
I will be available to answer questions and monitor your progress, and will provide feedback to facilitate your understanding. Your daily contemplation assignments are where the real learning will take place, however, with the goal of either improving your ability to contemplate, or questioning to become conscious of some aspect of your experience of mind, self, being, or reality.
Reading should include, but isn't limited to:
Reflections of Being
Ancient Wisdom, New Spirit,
The cost of the course is $601 for the year, payable all at once prior to the starting date. (To sign up see below)
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Year-long eCourse STARTING DATES
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To better manage these year-long courses, I plan to offer them only twice a year, meaning they will begin and end on particular dates in the Fall and the Spring. (Sign up information below)
The Spring deposit due date is April 20th.
The Fall deposit due date is October 20th.
(To sign up see below) **************************************************************
THE CHENG HSIN MINI-eCOURSES
As an introduction to the Cheng Hsin work, however, a year-long course may seem a bit lengthy or expensive, and for these people I've created the "mini" eCourses. These eCourses are shorter and cost less than the serious work involved in undertaking the longer eCourses, but the spirit and quality of the work is just as high. The current Mini-eCourses are:
Increasing Consciousness
T'ai Chi Body-Mind
You can use these mini courses to help you decide if you'd like to pursue a more complete and comprehensive study of this work. I also invite you to consider attending the Fall and Spring workshops at the Cheng Hsin Center in Texas. These are intense and impactful events, and will allow you the opportunity to venture into realms of experience that are virtually impossible to approach by yourself.
Each mini-course consists of 6 lesson plans given over a six week period. Every week you will receive an e-mail containing the week's daily lessons on a new theme. Each week you will have a specific assignment -- usually in the form of a question, exercises, or something to observe, study, or practice throughout the day.
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INCREASING CONSCIOUSNESS eCOURSE
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This course should not be taken on lightly. Although its a short course we will still press more deeply into the nature of mind and perception than most people are used to. Our goal here is not to pursue an intellectual consideration, attempting merely to acquire some more "knowledge," but in each lesson what we're after is for you to have a genuine experience of something new involving your own conscious awareness.
Increasing consciousness is becoming more aware of yourself and your life than you currently are. It is having a new insight, recognizing something in reality you haven't recognized thus far. It is becoming more sensitive to your internal and external environments. It is making new distinctions in your experience that allow you to see reality in a more sophisticated way.
Increasing consciousness is always based on the truth. Otherwise it isn't becoming more conscious, it is just fantasizing, or making something up, or merely believing that a thing is true. Throughout this course your job is to become more conscious of whatever we are looking into -- and we will be looking into you, and your experience of others and life. The truth and consciousness are inseparable, so best to start with being as honest with yourself as you can.
You will be asked to challenge and question your beliefs, your motivations, your emotions, your very way of being. We will look into your ability to "listen," and develop a deeper level of understanding and communication. We'll tackle the basic nature of concept and experience, past and future, honesty and contemplation. We'll exam how mind creates the experience of your "self," which will open up the possibility of changing this experience – the one you live with every day. We will press out the edges of the envelope of your consciousness of your self, others, and life. All in six weeks!
This short course is not meant to be complete or comprehensive. It is a short study in aspects of self, mind, and perception for the purpose of assisting you in making progress increasing your level of consciousness of the nature of yourself and your life.
Reading for this course should include, but isn't limited to:
Reflections of Being
Ancient Wisdom, New Spirit,
This material has a way of shifting and resonating within your experience so that you can virtually never approach it from the same perspective twice. That's part of what makes it so exciting.
Cost: The cost of the Increasing Consciousness eCourse is $95, payable in full before the due date. (To sign up see below)
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T'AI CHI BODY-MIND eCOURSE
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Obviously a serious t'ai chi student would want to train in person. Still, progress can be made through written communications. Perhaps this is because all Cheng Hsin work deals with a student's perception and experience, even when those are grounded in one's body and actions. Whether you study it in written form or in workshops, an open investigation of body-mind principles will create useful new distinctions in your experience -- physical, mental, and energetic.
So who is this course for? It is for those who practice a set of t'ai chi movements but who want to go deeper with it, make more progress and develop in the ways they dreamed when first taking up t'ai chi. It is also for those t'ai chi players who want to improve their relationship with their body and develop a more effortless and effective level of physical skill in whatever they do.
This course was created for you by Master Peter Ralston. Ralston began studying t’ai chi at the age of 19, having already had a decade of martial training, and having achieved several black belts in different arts. Over the years he studied with top teachers in the US and Asia. In 1978, when he won the full contact World Championships held in China (the first non-Asian to do so) he was acknowledged by the World T’ai Chi Conference as winning his fights with t’ai chi (apparently his name was the only one mentioned at the conference). As far as it's known, no one has ever used t’ai chi so effectively in such a full contact tournament. He has studied and taught t’ai chi for 40 years, and is considered by many to be the most authoritative mind in the field of internal martial arts today.
Ralston has gone beyond the superficial, digging down deeply into what makes t’ai chi or any internal art powerful. He has managed to discover and demonstrate unifying principles of skill, power, and structural effectiveness. Uncovering the truth about what is effortlessly effective and what is only fantasy has made his approach popular among sincere and open-minded practitioners. Honesty and direct experience have always been Ralston's guiding principles. Through decades of intense and open investigation and personal experience, he's become uniquely qualified to help others understand and master this art.
In this course study and exercises move you through essential material relevant to a good t'ai chi set. You will work with the basic principles and structural design of an effective body. You will also tackle the important role of mind and perception in any body development, and train a few feeling-image exercises or "energy" exercises along with your mechanical trainings.
You're the one who will learn to apply this material. You will also be encouraged to contemplate our considerations, and to develop a deeper understanding of what is being said, the universal principles involved, and how they apply in your experience. In theory, you could simply study books and apply what you can, but a step-by-step program of daily training is far more likely to produce success. Master Ralston will be available to answer questions or help in your understanding, but most of the work is up to you.
Reading should include, but isn't limited to:
Zen Body-Being
The Principles of Effortless Power
The Art of Effortless Power (section one)
Those of you who have already studied a Cheng Hsin t'ai chi set (such as at the month-long Retreat, or the Camps in Europe) may use this course to concentrate and refresh their studies. Review always yields greater understanding, and a daily commitment will give structure to your training.
Cost: The cost of the T'ai Chi Body-Mind eCourse is $75, payable in full before the due date. (To sign up see below)
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Mini-eCourse STARTING DATES
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The mini-eCourses will be offered four times a year -- meaning they will begin and end on particular dates, and tuition is due before the course begins.
The Winter course tuition due date is January 20th.
The Spring course tuition due date is April 20th.
The Summer course tuition due date is July 20th.
The Fall course tuition due date is October 20th.
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SIGNING UP (for all eCourses)
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To sign up for a course, write a check to "Cheng Hsin" for your full tuition and mail before the due date to Peter Ralston, PO Box 63080, Pipe Creek, TX 78063. Be sure to let us know which course you are signing up for and include the e-mail address you want to use for the course.
*Special Note:* Students living outside the US: DO NOT SEND CHECKS! Write to Ralston@ChengHsin.com and tell us which course you want to take. Ask us to send you a Google Check Out invoice so that you can pay online. (Otherwise, you can send American Express Traveler's Checks made out to "Cheng Hsin." Other options are available (wire or Western Union). If you need to use them, ask us how to proceed.
After signing up, you will receive instructions and an introduction to the course material. Then you will begin to receive regular e-mails with each week's lesson plan, which you should print out. A regular schedule (usually Sundays) will be set up to send weekly e-mails.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us: Ralston@ChengHsin.com.
For more detailed information regarding any of the work described above, see the Cheng Hsin Handbook section of this web site. To view the upcoming year of Cheng Hsin events and courses see the Calendar of events, and for descriptions of these events go to Workshop Schedule. |
