Open Letter to New Zealand
My dear Nampaichuan students and followers in New Zealand,
I wanted to say that it grieved me greatly to hear about the atrocities in Christchurch and New Zealand. I had not written this before now to let the initial anger and grief subside not only with you but also in me.
What has happened flies against everything that we believe in – in Nampaichuan and in the way we should live.
In Nampaichuan, we believe in the equality of all humans no matter their ethnicity, gender, religion and colour. We are all born equal and given Life in the same way.
All my personal beliefs are echoed in Nampaichuan – both as a Zen Buddhist as well as a believer in the Tao and in the Analects and teachings of Confucius – and that is the way I seek to live my Life and give back to the World.
The Banner we should follow is “Do no Harm”.
That is why I do Martial Arts, to feel complete and fulfilled and not to feel
unnecessarily threatened by circumstances and other people who may have different views.
This is what we must teach our Children and our juniors. Not just the physical Art of Shaolin Kungfu but the wondrous attitude of the higher Mind and Soul.
I regret the changes that New Zealand now has had to make. Sadly, this is the World we all made, and it is the one we must help to change for the better.
Sifu Lai Khee Choong
SHAOLIN GAOCAN NAMPAICHUAN
21 st March 2019