Deviation from Proper Chinese Self-Cultivation or Spiritual Practices: Interview with a Contemporary Teacher of Martial Arts, Qigong, and Buddhist Healing

Cheung Seng Kan is a contemporary Chinese American healer in the New York City area. He is a node of transnational religious healing using acupuncture, qigong, reiki, Buddhist chants, and more. In 2012, he became the center of an immigrant healing community consisting of over three dozen relatives, friends, students, and patients. In contemporary Chinese culture, zouhuorumo or “leaving the path and demons entering,” describes deviation from proper self-cultivation or spiritual practices. It applies to martial arts, qigong, Buddhist and Daoist contexts. I interviewed Cheung on what he has learned and what he teaches to his community regarding zouhuorumo, especially qigong deviation and zen sickness. He elaborates on the various types of deviation, along with their causes and ways to avoid them. I argue that to understand his explanations, we should consider how he interweaves Confucian (filial piety), Buddhist (dukkha), Daoist (effortless action wuwei), and popular Chinese religious (astrology) principles.