Can the right state of mind cure your physical ailments? Can it take away the pain in your back, the ache in your hips or eliminate migraines? Can it help resolve emotional issues, like heartbreak and depression?
According to Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha, yes. The author, known as Master Sha, has written several New York Times bestsellers on traditional Chinese methods of healing. Over the past decade, he has added a new method to these treatments: Tao calligraphy.
In a newly released series of books under the Tao Calligraphy umbrella, Master Sha is targeting specific mental and physical ailments. I picked up a book on how to “Heal and Rejuvenate Your Back” that shows how working with Tao can help cure what ails you—essentially allowing you to heal yourself.
What is Tao? A quick refresher.
Before we get into how Tao calligraphy works, let’s look at the meaning of Tao (pronounced “dou” or “tou”). The cornerstone of Chinese philosophy, Tao literally means “the (right) way.” It is “the absolute principle underlying the universe” and signifies “harmony with the natural order.” It is the flow of life, that we either swim with or swim against.
In Tao Calligraphy, Master Sha touches on several key elements of the Tao philosophy.
- Tao is Source, the way of all life.
- Every element of life is contained within the Tao.
- Tao can help heal, transform, and enlighten.
- Follow Tao, flourish. Go against Tao, end.
How Tao calligraphy works.
Master Sha explains that Tao calligraphy carries “a vibrational field designed to transform specific ailments or improve specific life situations.” So, the claim is the calligraphy, which features positive statements created in a single brush stroke, can literally change negative energy into positive energy.
At workshops and in his studio, Master Sha paints his messages on large canvases, offering blessings for virtually every aspect of life. (At an online gallery, you can buy one of his artworks starting at a hefty 400,000 US dollars going up to $1.5 million.) A couple of examples of this calligraphy are included in the book, in this case works aimed at healing the back.
Sha says that by just holding the calligraphy in the book to your back it can heal and rejuvenate you. An instructional video, available through a QR code in the book, shows a different approach. By looking at the art and breathing deeply in and out, the positive energy of the Tao is transmitted to you. You breathe in the positive, breathe out the negative.
A fellow teacher in the field of Tao calligraphy explains it this way:
Master Sha connects to Tao Source and as brush touches paper, love and light is poured into the art. The calligraphy forms a field of light that radiates in all directions and becomes a healing field, carrying the unconditional love of Tao Source. Ordinary art becomes transformative art.
The goal is to eliminate negative energy.
Master Sha talks a lot about positive and negative energy—and how we need to increase the former and get rid of the latter. When our energy is positive, we feel good, body, mind and soul. But when we’re not feeling right, it’s because negative energy is present. He explains:
The solution to all challenges in health, relationships, finances, the spiritual journey, and every aspect of life—is to apply positive information, energy and matter to transform negative information, energy and matter.
How is the positive energy created? By connecting with the life source, the Tao. By doing this we can add “order, connection, and harmony” to our lives. In turn, we must remove “the human pollution” or negative energy that causes us to be self-centered and selfish. These negative factors include greed, jealousy, anger, ego, and a focus on money and power.
Negative energy can knock us off our spiritual path. It causes us physical pain, sickness, and can even play havoc with our finances and relationships. When we eliminate the negative and focus on the positive, we engage in a “soul-healing” practice, by which those who suffer from chronic pain, debilitating illnesses or emotional issues, can heal themselves.
Does Tao calligraphy work? Master Sha claims “thousands of successful outcomes” and includes several compelling testimonials in the book. So, perhaps Tao calligraphy merits a place in our non-traditional healing toolbox, alongside other alternative treatments like homeopathy, yoga, or focusing on a beloved religious icon. For those who believe it works, it seems to work.
Wisdom from Master Sha
Throughout the text, Master Sha drops several pearls of wisdom. Here are a few “rules to live by” that stood out:
On our purpose
The purpose of life is to serve. To serve is to make others happier and healthier. To serve is to empower and enlighten others.
On the key to a good life
To transform health, relationships, finances and the spiritual journey, the key is less “me, me, me,” less self-centeredness, less self-attachment. If one can serve others unconditionally and selflessly, every aspect of live could be transformed beyond words.
On surviving death
The spirit or soul is the essence of our life. When our physical body ceases to function, the content of information in our vibrational field still exists. Our spirit or soul continues its journey even when our physical life ends. The spiritual journey is eternal.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In