62-year-old “Kung Fu Emperor” Jet Li was recently reported to have been hospitalized for surgery. His close friend, Mrs. Charles Heung, responded on his behalf: “It was just a small benign lump. After removing it, there’s nothing to worry about! Thank you all for your concern.” On the 1st, Jet Li posted a video to assure fans he was fine, saying that he has faced many brushes with death in his life and used to be very afraid of dying. As he’s aged, he’s learned that before controlling the body (hardware), one must first control the mind (software), which enabled him to get through this operation with ease.
It is reported that Jet Li recently discovered a hard lump on his neck. After anti-inflammatory medications did not reduce it, he was admitted for further examination and learned it was a benign tumor. Fearing possible complications from waiting, he decided to undergo surgery to have it removed. On the 1st, he posted a video on Weibo, sharing that he used to be very afraid of surgery, but after learning to control his mindset, he could now face it calmly. He recalled experiencing several life-threatening moments: the first time was during a tsunami. Because it happened so quickly, he had no time to react; after being swept into the water, he was submerged up to his legs and neck. Only after a few seconds did he start to panic and realize the danger he was in.
The second incident was during the filming of “Fearless.” Jet Li said that he accidentally fell from a high platform. If not for a staff member reaching out and breaking his fall, he would have landed on his head—at best paralyzed, at worst dead. He is still grateful to that person today. The third incident was developing altitude sickness at Yaqing Monastery on the Tibetan plateau. He woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. After trying to meditate, he realized he had lost control of his bowels and bladder. With help from a local friend and his wife, he made it to a place that sold oxygen. He admits panic set in—even after reaching safer ground, he asked to be taken further down, fearing he might not make it. Looking back, he realized it was more psychological than physical.
Jet Li said that experiencing these major events taught him that the mind (“software”) controls the body (“hardware”). In 2013, when he had surgery for hyperthyroidism, he also feared losing his voice—especially since he loves to talk. This time, he practiced self-observation and maintaining inner calm. “I wasn’t worried about the hardware at all; I just observed the software—watched its changes, and it wasn’t complicated.”
News Source: China Times News Network