A Compelling Reason to Go to Gainesville: Taking the Mini-Advanced Retreat of Pangu Shengong – by Paul Fraser

Gainesville is an unusual city. Two hours from popular theme parks and four hours from the Gulf coast, one is well advised to avoid the local fiscally-enhancing speed traps of the 301 on the way from Jacksonville (particularly in Lawtey, a town of 700 people, many of whom, it seems, drive around in police cruisers), to check hotel availability well in advance should arrival dates coincide with a UF football game (what will be left often resembles a frat house after a party), and, if you’re booking a flight, to make sure the regional airport’s runway lights happen to be working that day (we discovered it’s not unusual to be delayed, or even sent back to your departing airport.) Having said that, the city boasts the oldest university in the state, two acupuncture schools, has varied and often artistic cuisine options, natural food markets, nature preserves and happens to be the birthplace of Tom Petty.

And there is another, quite compelling, reason to go to Gainesville. Once a year, Master Ou teaches a series of classes, gives healing sessions, and is joined by Anisha Fraser and Vincent Chu, offering the supplemental Pangu practices of Pangu Yoga and Pangu Tai Chi.

Many people describe this weekend as a “mini-Advanced Retreat.” Master Ou includes an Advanced Topics lecture, Path of Life lecture and two Intuition Development classes, in addition to his usual Moving Form, Nonmoving Form, Teacher Training and Advanced Form classes. For those of us fortunate enough to have been Master Ou’s students for some time, it’s an opportunity to delve more deeply into Pangu philosophy, share experiences and ask Master Ou those questions that only he can answer. Certainly, this year was as captivating and engaging as the previous one’s, adding distinct feelings of deepening friendships as many of us who haven’t seen each other in some time look forward to reunions along with the classes.

Rounding out the profound lectures, greeting old friends and Master Ou’s magnificent cooking on Saturday evening, there were the added classes of Pangu Yoga and Tai Chi, designed to reintroduce the original intentions of these two ancient arts of infusing the activities of each of the practices with Divine energy, deep calm and transcendence. To have both of these complimentary (both to each other and to the foundational Shengong itself) in the same place is a rare opportunity.

On my first trip to China with Master Ou in the Fall of 2005, he mentioned that part of his goal in teaching was to create a large family related, not by blood or nationality, but by the spirit of Pangu practices and culture. At the time, while I appreciated the sentiment, I wondered if this goal was realistic. Now, almost eleven years later, I’ve seen that goal realized in trips to Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, and in numerous cities throughout the US and Canada. Many of us have grown close despite not sharing a common spoken language and culture. For those we meet the first time, there is a distinct feeling of familiarity that grows quickly into friendship. Master Ou gives the gifts of health, personal evolution, happiness, knowledge of the universe, great cooking, an excellent example, and the ways to share all of these with other people. I can think of no nobler pursuit nor a better way to pursue them. I am sure I am not alone in my profound gratitude and love for Master Ou and all he brings with such grace, kindness and generosity.