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Tai Chi Philosophy
the wider culture around tai chi - philosophies, ideas |
| Upwards & Outward Downward & Inward
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A Hill,
a House, the Sun on the Roof, Radiating Light and Heat.
The Other
Side of the Hill; Cool, Shady, Resting.
You either see it or you don't! |
The practice and study of Tai Chi and its related philosophies
is far more a process of creativity than a process of
logic; yet it begins as a concentration (or meditation)
upon body mechanics.
Each and every posture in the Tai Chi form is in fact
and of course a Chuan or Martial application or 'move'.
In turn, every posture may be applied as offensive or
defensive.
Therefore, each are both and may only really
be defined by whichever postures proceeds or follows
- either.
Ultimately there are no separate postures and each simply
flow from and to each other as one - in accord.
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The only other definition that may be applied to any
Tai Chi posture might be in accord or in reference to
DIRECTION.
Whilst even standing 'on the spot' there are options
and potential already for two directions:
1. Upwards
2. Downwards
This is where Tai Chi as a concentration (or meditation)
upon body mechanics should begin. For example: |
Yin
Hand
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To begin with a limb such as
the hand is not an over simplification; given the fact
that there as many bones in total in the hands as there
are in the other parts of the body added together. For
this reason postures are first approached with a much
broader [crude] attitude and in general the arms and legs
are referred to each as a single unit.
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Yang Hand
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Ultimately there are no separate limbs and each simply
flow from and to each other as one - in accord.
All Tai Chi forms always begin with an investigation
into Upwards and Downwards in the broadest sense as
Attention to Preparation. No further progress can be
made until Heaven and Earth are "United" by
you, the connector.
There follows opportunity for further investigation
in the form of Beginning - when the legs "sink"
and "the arms are raised".
These (above) are the last 'symmetrical' postures in
the whole form and from this point on the arms and legs
(both of each) continually 'shift' from upwards, downward,
inward, outward, full and empty. |
John Lennon insisted that he was a "singist"
and not a Singer. What did he mean?
I think he meant that he was able to sing a tune, yet
at the same time he implies perhaps that a person actually
trained as a Singer is capable of a more polished
rendition of any tune; even one that he 'created' or wrote
himself. Despite this apparent modesty, I think that we
could all agree that John's own recording of his own voice
at the white piano on "Imagine" is without doubt
the archetypical
Following the line of logic it would no doubt prove to
be true that there were musicians superior in ability
in every one of the instruments that John he himself ever
had a go at ... and I think he was happy with that! History
shows that his achievement's were triumphs in CREATIVITY,
not logic. Love, not Reason. |
In a distinctly Taoist manner he appeared to be perfectly
happy to allow others to look after the business of
logic so that he might get on with the process of being
creative. He also gracefully enacted the base Taoist
precept of The Action of Non-Action. How? By staying
in bed for a week for Peace, only interrupting this
from time to time to "sit in a sack! . With this
same grace he almost claimed the words "All You
Need Is Love" as his own, though he (perhaps through
bitter experience?) would never himself make such a
claim. This is, after all, the man that gave away his
O.B.E. A Taoist Activist! Like Gandhi! Gandhi's enactment
of the action of non-action changed India and The British
Empire forever. Martin Luther King did the same for
the blacks of America. J.F.K. did it in Europe when
he said "I am a Berliner".
The practice and study of Tai Chi and
its related philosophies is far more a process of creativity
than a process of logic. This creative process is no
more "logical" than the evolution of the Kangaroo!
To enter into Tai Chi - in accord with
Tai Chi is encounter the void, the tao. |
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The practice and study of Tai Chi and
its related philosophies is far more a process of creativity
than a process of logic. This creative process is no
more "logical" than the evolution of the Kangaroo!To enter into Tai Chi - in accord with
Tai Chi is encounter the void, the tao.
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