Yang, Lu-chan: sage advice for our times

I came across this today while reading Yang Family Secret Transmissions. It is the words of Yang, Lu-chan to his grandson Cheng-fu as he explained why he spent so much time and energy on his Tai Chi. I find this insightful and very relevant for those of us wanting to support positive change in our world today.

“The reason I practice and teach this art is not to challenge others, but for self defense; not to bully the world, but to save the nation. The gentlemen of today know only of the poverty of the nation, but not of its weakness. Therefore our leaders anxiously formulate policies to alleviate poverty, but I have never heard of plans to rouse the weak or raise up the ailing. With a nation of sick people, who is equal to the task? We are poor because we are weak; truly weakness is the cause of poverty. If we examine the rise of nations, we find that they all begin by strengthening the people. The virility and vigor of the Europeans and Americans goes without saying, [and the] Japanese, while short in stature, are disciplined and determined. When the gaunt and emaciated members of our race face them, one need not resort to divination to predict the outcome. Thus the best method of saving the nation is to make saving the weak our highest priority… After completing my studies, I came to the capital and swore an oath to teach this art freely to all comers. Before long, I saw that among my students, the thin filled out, the obese lost weight, and the sick became healthy. I was enormously gratified.”

Any plan of national reform must include a strategy to help our populations become healthier, stronger, and wiser. As always, the most important place to start – and continue – is with ourselves.