Force only
increases resistance.
Tai chi people are like the small child.
We ignore the categories established by the rational mind and the ego.
We do not care if the person is black or white, rich or poor, liberal or
conservative, Christian or Muslim, capitalist or communist.
We ignore all these walls of separation.
(John Lash)
Opinion
What is opinion?
Opinion is a fixed
idea about a subject.
It is an attitude or approach.
When inquiry has finished and a conclusion reached, opinions are often
formed.
This is not the
tai chi way; in
taoism, there is always the possibility of change.
Life is not static and cannot be held in place by an idea, opinion,
philosophy or perspective.
Change is continual and we must move with that change.
If we choose not to change, we are resisting what is
happening and that is not tai chi.
Once the planet earth was believed to be flat and people were killed for
suggesting otherwise.
Now, the idea is considered ridiculous.
Maturity
As we proceed through life, we don't really grow-up.
Adults are becoming increasingly immature; consider: mobile phones, sports
utility vehicles, consumer lifestyles and the quest for novelty...
'Growing-up' is a questionable concept; as it suggests maturity toward
wisdom and insight; a blossoming in old age.
There was once a time in the world when 'elders' were respected and senior
citizens possessed agile minds and valuable experience.
In these times of television, politics, mass media gossip, pollution, war,
greed, debt, boredom and depression - the wisdom of the ancients is no
longer apparent.
Our forefathers have left a world in crisis and a population as restless as
children.
Unchanging
As people age, they often become rigid and unyielding.
Opinions provide the illusion of security; the myth that the world will
remain the same.
Tai chi encourages you to remain flexible, sensitive and receptive to
change.
What is the actual value of an opinion?
What benefit does it bring?
What purpose does it serve?
Taoism offers the analogy of water; fluid, changing, adaptive, mobile...
If your mind continues to learn,
change, contemplate and reconsider - it stays young as you grow older.
Meditation
Meditation is concerned with seeing the
world
as it is.
Not how you think it is or want it to be.
We are simply aspects of the whole - reality encompasses us - it does not
revolve around us.
Tai chi is designed to root your mind in reality and end conscious thought.
Increased awareness and feeling bring you closer to reality.
Instead of imposing your opinion upon what you encounter, you remain open
and move in relationship with what is happening.
Opinion is the act of standing still and refusing to change.
It simply serves no purpose.
Page created 24 February 1999