Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go
through.
Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and
remain in it.
This is a kind of death.
(Anais Nin)
Capacity
Beginners occasionally grow
frustrated because they are not
progressing as
quickly as they would like.
But
who is holding them back?
You proceed according to your
own capacity.
If you cannot do something, despite the tuition, despite understanding what
is involved - then you simply are not ready.
This is not failure. It is just the way it is. Consider zen
koan; they take time and
persistence.
Give it
time.
Learning as process
In a
process-oriented
class it does not matter how long it takes for you to complete a topic.
It takes as long as it takes.
You are always learning, always progressing. There is no end product
as such. No stopping point.
Your
attention is upon the
means.
You keep practicing, re-evaluating, revising and improving
slowly.
Progress is a spiral, a perpetual process of returning.
Where is there to go?
Quality not quantity
To become
adept
at
tai chi
you need to stay grounded in the
immediate;
your attention must
remain in the
moment.
There is no value to be found in
form collecting.
Only by paying complete attention to the
substance of
the tai chi can you improve the quality.
Having loads of forms to remember and practice denies you this opportunity.
The ingredients for bread will never produce
chocolate soufflé.
Page created 14 May 2007