teachings and to demonstrate that they are willing to relinquish their attachment to material possessions. So, what is the Buddhist monks’ secret to such a high level of self-discipline? Matthew Ahmet is a British-born monk who spent several years training at the temple. He discovered that the Shaolin have a very different attitude than westerners. First, the monks live with the most basic facilities, they do not have access to running water and they wash their clothes by hand. This makes them extremely grateful for the small things in life. When you can appreciate the small things, it is good for your mental health. You start to feel that the world is a good place to be in and that it has an abundance of opportunities. This encourages you to achieve your goals. Second, the monks believe that wealth and material possessions will not make you happy. They do not envy those who live normal lives because during their training they learn that true happiness comes from finding your mission or passion. In their case, it’s the physical and spiritual progress they make while they are at the temple. This lesson is simple, but it is extremely powerful. When you find a goal that aligns with your ambitions and values, your passion will be the vehicle that carries you. Even when the challenges of life begin to bombard you and you start paying attention to how far you’ve got to go to achieve your goal, the fact that you have a purpose in life will keep pushing you onward. Third, they don’t believe in pushing themselves to the point of injury or pain. In the past, the monks had to be physically fit and ready to defend themselves at all times in case there was an attack on the temple. They believed that a monk who was injured or ill because of too much mental or physical exertion would be incapable of defending the temple. The same attitude is held by the temple inhabitants today. Even though the monks spend many hours in physical training, they also take the time out to relax. They understand that you don’t need to be busy to be productive. The monks are taught that to avoid burn-out, you need to slow down. This is one of the reasons why they meditate. According to Ahmet, this is the most effective way of building psychological strength, reducing mind chatter, and learning how to balance downtime with hard work. The monks spend several hours per day meditating. Kung fu practitioners believe that it’s important to have control over your emotions so that you are not dominated by negative impulses. To be an efficient fighter, you must learn how to harness your essential life force. The word “chi” is how the Shaolin tradition describes this concept. In Chinese, the word “chi” means “temper,” “air” and “energy.” Monks spend several years training in kung fu and Tai chi. Tai chi