LUCKNOW ‘A real master is the one who wins a fight even before it begins’; ‘find solutions outside of a fight’; and ‘exhibit power in every situation so that the opponent backs out’ were some of the many life lessons that Austrian author Bernhard Moestl shared during a discussion held on his book ‘Shaolin: How to win without fighting’ in Lucknow on Saturday.
During the event, organised jointly by Universal Booksellers and the Civil Services Institute, author Moestl talked about many Buddhist principles and exercises that remain relevant to this day and can actually help everyone lead a more productive and satisfying life. He spoke on these philosophies during a conversation with Rajeev Mishra, a writer and one of the names behind Bhopal Lit Fest.
A photographer by profession, Moestl started travelling around the world at a very young age in 1986. His developed a curiosity and intrigue for the Shaolin Buddhist culture when he started training in Shaolin Kung Fu in his hometown in Austria at the age of 13. Later, in 1996, he travelled to China and spent a year training in Kung Fu with the monks at a Shaolin monastery. His book -- ‘Shaolin: How to win without fighting’ -- is about the life lessons he learned during his time there.
After spending a year at the monastery, he also brought back two monks to Austria, who put up a martial art show at an orphanage in Austria. There, he took the opportunity of demonstrating to the kids the principle that -- one must be able to exhibit and display power over any situation, so as to have the opponent back down by choice and see no reason for a fight. He also laid emphasis on the need to make the opponent feel that a solution outside of a fight is possible.
{{/usCountry}}After spending a year at the monastery, he also brought back two monks to Austria, who put up a martial art show at an orphanage in Austria. There, he took the opportunity of demonstrating to the kids the principle that -- one must be able to exhibit and display power over any situation, so as to have the opponent back down by choice and see no reason for a fight. He also laid emphasis on the need to make the opponent feel that a solution outside of a fight is possible.
{{/usCountry}}Mishra led the discussion by reading excerpts from the book. When he asked Moestl about the real-life applications of the Buddhist principles and exercises mentioned in the book, the author said that “the point of these exercises is to prove that life is actually simple.”
The audience included a cross-section of professionals and bibliophiles from various fields -- including college professors, doctors, and bureaucrats. The discussion was followed by a question-and-answer session by the audience after which the author gave away signed copies of his books to the audience.