Krishnamurti's words struck a deep, enduring chord
in my mind. Soon I found several books written by him and at once realised
that here was a voice of reason, of penetrating insight into the human
condition, such as I had never heard before. Without offering a system of
belief, a method or an interpretation, he accurately described the global
situation of humanity in clear and simple language, demonstrating the
destructiveness of religious and national organisations. He urged everyone
to find out truth by and for oneself, and he denied any form of spiritual
and religious authority, including his own.
(Michael Krohnen)
Tai chi
In modern society we are adept at figuring things out.
A new videogame, mobile phone or webpage is soon navigated and familiar.
Our brains are skilled at identifying patterns and proceeding down paths that
are variations on existing frameworks.
Tai chi cannot be understood in the same way.
You must approach tai chi as a puzzle.
Puzzle
The
zen
koan perfectly captures the
essence of tai chi.
Koan are not actually riddles or puzzles; there is nothing to figure out as
such.
When you change how you perceive, the koan becomes clear.
It is like wearing glasses for the first time, having never realised that you
needed them.
Koan make perfect sense but it is a sense that cannot be readily articulated
because
words and ideas do not extend to
reality.
Tai chi reflects this; you cannot truly understand tai chi through words or
observation.
Esoteric
It is easy to see tai chi as being filled with secrets but this is not
the case.
A students own incapacity to see actually prevents progress; there is no need to
deliberately present obstacles.
Secrets are unnecessary.
The knowledge is there, but people do not see it.
Inherent
The way in which tai chi is being taught to you is quite unusual and
deliberate.
If you were given clear lessons that cover a specified
facet or topic with the expectation of a distinct beginning and end,
this would be misleading.
Tai chi will never be completely understood, the lesson will never end.
There is no final conclusion to the art.
A beginner must be patient, do the training and let their body change.
Your
skills will grow from within.
Imperceptibly, you change.
You
find yourself stronger, mobile, flexible, with quicker reflexes, a calmer
temperament and the ability to adapt and cope with crises.
Research
If you research and explore tai chi, this helps your mind to soften and
open.
People like
Krishnamurti encourage you to question
everything in your life but offer no answers in the conventional sense.
The answer to your life lies in the totality of how you live.
This is the heart of
meditation - seeing it all as
it really is - without veils, conditioning, lies and memory.
Tai chi is a mystery and will remain a mystery but the unravelling of its
threads will help you to understand who you are and how you live.
Page created 11 June 2001