Those aspects of societies that have
traditionally given our lives meaning - religion, family, patriotism, etc -
have been steadily
weakened in our search to be free. We have become people without roots,
seeking gratification of our personal desires with no concept of
responsibility to others or the rest of the universe.
We have rejected meaning in our lives because meaning implies
responsibility. We want amusement and entertainment, not duties and
responsibilities. We seek to turn the oriental disciplines into hobbies and
sports and thus we lose the essence of these arts.
(John
Lash)
Undivided
Nobody is a
master of multiple disciplines.
If you want to become
skilled at something, you need to limit what you are doing
and place your attention on one particular thing.
Sun Tzu wrote:
If I concentrate while he divides, I can use my entire strength to attack a fraction of his.
This is a very important insight.
The more we try to acquire and accumulate, the thinner we are spread.
Our time, resources, memory and attention is diluted.
In our
tai chi school we train one form. This one form is studied in depth.
No one has ever asked to learn a new form. They are more than content to
continue their existing study and research.
Jack of all trades, eh?
A 'jack of all trades' by definition lacks comprehensive knowledge.
Widespread knowledge and skill equals diminished ability.
Being thorough requires discrimination. You cannot afford to be greedy. It is
necessary to be very selective.
Taoism
and zen are about un-learning, not learning. Shedding, not acquiring.
Letting-go, not holding-on.
The tai chi student must decide how extensively they want to learn the art.
It is easy to be superficial, to skim over the surface. Depth is another matter
entirely.
Going further, looking deeper requires sacrifice. It involves a change in
attitude.
Specialism
Consider any area of skill... A surgeon, a pianist, a carpenter, a
barrister, a professor?
These people gain their skill by limiting their scope and focussing upon fewer
concerns.
They spend an awful lot of time studying and practicing a very small range of
abilities.
Patience, thoroughness, attention are required. A firm
commitment to stay the course and keep going no matter what.
This is not so easy.
In our modern age of quick-fixes, apathy and extreme laziness we are not used to
working hard.
Learning a skill
Some people seek to learn how to play the piano
but they cannot be bothered to put in the work. Instead of learning the art
thoroughly, they emulate the pattern of a tune and then repeat that on
demand, as though it were a sign of skill.
A real pianist understands the underlying principles involved and can play
any piece of music.
A truly skilled pianist may even be capable of composing and playing
their own music.
How are you learning tai chi?
Are you simply learning where to place your hands and feet, copying
somebody else's form?
Or are you learning the art?
The principles, the jing, the neigong, the applications, taoism, zen and
healthy, natural body use?
Essence/nature/character
If you set aside accumulation and acquisition you can begin to see things
more clearly.
Your greed and desire no longer
cloud your vision.
Lao Tzu said that you can know the whole world without leaving your room.
He was talking about
awareness, observation, contemplation and
insights.
You can cultivate sensitivity and openness. You can really feel what is
happening. You can be with the moment.
Distracted
People are conditioned to think that they are
missing out on something.
Our culture is saturated with advertising specifically designed to encourage
insecurity and restlessness.
Such attitudes have no place in tai chi.
Zen/tao
disciplines cannot be treated like a shop. You cannot run around looking for
bargains.
The knowledge and insights unfold gently, by themselves, as a consequence of
years of quiet practice.
Nothing can be forced or hurried. There are no shortcuts.
People who are impatient and aggressive, greedy and acquisitive are missing the
point.
Tai chi has no conclusion. It is not about gaining a belt or having a new form.
It is not about fa jing or effortless power.
Insights
The depth of your tai chi is directly affected by your
attitude.
If you are a calm, patient person, open to new things and prepared to spend long
hours in study, then you may well make progress.
If you are greedy and impatient, you will become bored quite quickly.
The nuances of tai chi are not evident. They must be uncovered gradually.
In order to
see, and understand what you are seeing, there
must be a profound change in who you are.
This does not happen overnight.
With the proper foundation and the appropriate guidance you begin to make
surprising connections and associations.
You begin to see the
simplicity of the art, the
wonder
and the ingenuity.
Syllabus
Our curriculum was
designed in a particular way.
It encourages students to see a multitude of
meanings and ramifications in everything they study.
Every exercise and drill has
potential beyond the obvious, layers of depth
and insight that are not immediately
apparent.
This is reminiscent of a zen
koan, where your initial interpretation is
provisional, subject to further consideration.
As a consequence of training our students to think in this way they begin to learn from
everything, and see unexpected
possibilities.
Instead of seeking more and more and more, you can train the same material and
uncover a richness and sophistication you had not realised was
present.
The
syllabus unfolds.
Page created 20 June 2001