The finest of moral
integrities?
Sincerity. Square and true.
A sincere, tranquil heart is like a bright shining mirror,
uncontaminated by a single speck of dust.
(Loy Ching-Yuen)
Sincerity
Sincerity is not to be confused with seriousness or even
honesty.
In tai chi, sincerity is the uniting of mind, body and spirit.
When your word and your deed are the same, you are sincere.
The world is filled with people who mean well but seldom keep their word.
Certain behaviours are culturally appropriate and lack any genuine feeling
or intent.
Promises are meaningless if they are not kept, and apologies pointless since
they are rarely meant in earnest.
When a person apologises, it is usually just a habit.
A law unto yourself
People are often too self-absorbed to actually care about other people.
Taoism teaches that phoney social niceties are a sign that our culture has
become lost in selfishness.
If you are a genuine person, you do not need to promise.
You act because it seems like the right thing to do, or refrain for the same
reason.
An internal sense of morality - guided by feeling and sensitivity -
determines your behaviour.
This is called 'wu tze' and means to be 'without law and yet orderly'.
Time
It is common for resolutions, plans and intentions to be made.
Every New Year people consider their lives and decide that they want to
change.
They make promises to themselves... but seldom change.
If you think in terms of the
immediate, then you act without delay.
Krishnamurti called this 'dying to the past'.
Rather than put things off, you live right
here and right now.
There may not be a tomorrow.
Memories and future plans are distractions; impediments to the
immediate.
If you had only today to live, how would you behave?
Some people choose to adopt a half-hearted approach to all aspects of life.
This is incongruent with taoism.
Only by immersing yourself completely in whatever you are doing, can you
truly be living.
Sincere students
A sincere tai chi student is one who supports the school and
the system.
This is actually quite easy to do.
Supporting the school entails attendance.
Regular students make steady progress and ensure that classes remain open.
They gain layer upon layer of detail through uninterrupted tuition.
Whilst not everyone can attend each lesson, you should attend as often as you
can.
To support the system, simply practice a little every day.
This way, you are taking
responsibility for your own development.
Page created 14 April 2003