“How does one begin an email to a monk?” I wondered when I first reached out to master Shi Heng Yi, who belongs to the 35th generation of warrior monks known as Shaolin masters, after watching his TEDx Talk about self-mastery. A joke came to mind once told by a Hindu priest named Dandapani, about someone who asked him whether it was appropriate for monks to use email. He replied, “Yes, as long as there are no attachments.”
Non-attachment is one of the first, and most important, lessons taught to monks. Traditionally, when entering a monastery, everything must be forfeited: contact with friends and family, money and all worldly possessions. That principle has new resonance for many people in today’s vastly altered world, and some see a valuable lesson here for starting the year with a fresh perspective, unencumbered by material things. But I’m not suggesting you go Awol and donate all of your nice things to charity. You can still be mindful while dressed in your Manolos, as long as you recognise that you own them, and not the other way around.
“All material things can be lost and even the healthiest of bodies will deteriorate,” Shi tells me from the office of the Shaolin Temple Europe, in Otterberg, Germany, where he is currently headmaster. He is dressed in a grey robe, his hands clasped together. “If you invest everything in something that, by nature, is unstable, while there is nothing wrong with doing so, you must acknowledge that one day, you will have to let it go.”
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Tatler Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2021 edition of Tatler Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How To Live Like A Royal In The British Countryside
From Windsor to Bray, all it takes is a speedy jaunt away from the hustle and bustle of London to gain first-hand insights into the lives of the British royal family
Where Science Meets Skincare
Through years of research, Chanel has determined the relationship between skin health and well‑being based on neuroscience technologies—and it has the products to prove it
Powder, Peaks And Pro Tips
Embark on a winter wonderland getaway with this Tatler guide to all things ski, from the best destinations in Asia and Europe to looking chic on the slopes
HAUTE SPOTS
Nearly 15 years since her first visit to Niseko, Grace Chong-Tan’s love for this popular ski town in Hokkaido, Japan, continues to grow over the years. The founder and managing director of a dental practice shares her must-visit list
THE GOLDEN AGE
At the launch of the L'Or de Jean Martell collection in Cognac, France, Martell's cellar master Christophe Valtaud unveils the first limited-edition expression of the Réserve du Château series
KINGDOM REIGN
How UAE's largest property developer Aldar is transforming Abu Dhabi into a land of real estate gold for the investment-seeking jetsetter elite
LET'S GET (META) PHYSICAL
Contrary to popular belief, the traditional practices of feng shui and ba zi are not only alive and well, but thriving among the younger set. Today's masters of Chinese metaphysics share how they are modernising the craft
COMING OF AGE
Meet the ladies at the front and centre of last year’s Le Bal des Débutantes
The Path to Parity
Four prominent Singapore female leaders shed light on the under-representation of Asian women in global leadership through the lens of their own struggles and triumphs
Set in Stone
Tatler chats with Victoria Reynolds, the chief gemologist and vice president of Tiffany & Co, about the intricacies of design, her favourite jewellery and what it means to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry