meditations on the 10, part one: metaphor

One of the main reasons I practice Taiji is that I see it as a metaphor for life.

As such, it affords me an opportunity to decouple from cultural biases and limitations and peer more deeply into what seem to be natural principles and methods of self cultivation. I tend to prefer Taiji o other systems of meditation and philosophy in that it offers ideas which can be dynamically practiced and tested. This can occur both within the context of the art as well as within the activities of one’s day to day living. As we interpret and apply the concepts of our discipline, we gain immediate feedback and thus can learn very quickly – if we choose to.

Here in a way, is the rub. Taiji is literally about change. If we follow it diligently, if we apply the ideas beyond the obvious through extrapolating reasonable meaning in multiple areas of our lives, we will change. There is no two ways about it. We will come closer and closer to our own nature because we will be listening, connecting, and responding to what is real rather than what is contrived.

In my experience, this requires discipline and the willingness to relax and let go of the extraneous. A little at a time, a lot at a time, it doesn’t matter so much as long as we stay in the game, consciously, diligently, even doggedly at times.

Taiji will wisely demand more and more of us as we progress and go deeper. There seems no end to the depth nor height of this art, no limitation on the degree to which we can apply the natural principles of our practice to release the inconsistencies of our personalities. It runs far beyond mere movement, well past martial applications, and deeply into the heart of who we are as beings.

All that said, Taiji is but the vehicle. The work is, of course, being done by our own non-physical nature as it contemplates and applies, interprets, translates, and lets go of all that is extraneous while enjoying the unfolding of what is real in each of us.

Along these lines, I’ll be posting reflections on the 10 Essential Points of Yang Cheng Fu over the next who knows how long… Pondering pipe in one hand, tool box in the other. Feel free to drop me a line on your journey as well…