Don t Just Do Something, Stand There!

Transcription

1 The Way of Martial Arts MONTHLY INTERACTIVE LESSONS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR DAILY LIFE B Y M A S T E R E R I C S B A R G E Lesson 5 Don t Just Do Something, Stand There! A well-known business figure advises to Always seek motion over meditation as a way to ensure prosperity and success in life. It s none of my business how you run your business, and I have nothing against prosperity and success, but I can only say that I hope people aren t relying on this business maven for advice on how to succeed in life. The missing element in his approach is balance. Now if he had said, Sometimes you need to seek motion over meditation, and sometimes you need to seek meditation over motion, I d be all for it. Even if the clients of this business advisor only measured their life s success in dollars (which would be very sad) I would still argue that a balance of stillness, meditation and contemplation would ultimately make a client s motion more efficient and productive leading to greater prosperity. YIN AND YANG THE FOUNDATION OF TAOIST PHILOSOPHY At the core of Chinese philosophy are the dual forces of Yin and Yang. Yin refers to the yielding, soft, quiet, cool forces of nature. Yang refers to the opposite, the advancing, hard, boisterous, hot forces of nature. According to the Yin-Yang model, all forces in nature have complementary opposites: Up/down, hot/cold, male/female, expanding/contracting, strong/weak, tall/short, fast/slow, white/black and so on.

2 You can t have one without the other. We cannot know day if we don t have night to compare it to. We cannot know sweet if we don t have bitter to compare it to. No forces in the universe are excluded from the model of Yin and Yang. An important point about Yin and Yang is that the terms are not absolute, but rather relative. For example, male is considered yang and female yin, so a boy is yang and a girl is yin. But in comparing a boy to a grown man, the boy is yin, not yang, since he is relatively softer and more feminine. Or a glass of cold water is yin compared to a glass of hot water, but it is yang compared to a glass full of ice cubes. Another important characteristic of the dual yin and yang forces are that they always seek equilibrium and balance over time. Things that are excessively hot will inevitably become cold. What goes up will come down. What is still will eventually be in motion. Nature recognizes that with balance comes harmony, and with excess comes disharmony. WHY DO THE PRINCIPLES OF YIN AND YANG MATTER TO US? These principles matter to us because of course we are a part of nature, and our natural instincts are to seek harmony and satisfaction in our lives. When we allow any aspects of our lives to become imbalanced, we create a disequilibrium that creates disharmony. When we seek to maintain balance or The Middle Path, as Buddha put it, harmony ensues. If we were to try to sum up China s great philosophy of Taoism in one sentence, it would be: Live in accord with nature. Traditional Chinese medicine, martial arts, the sciences, the fine arts virtually all of Chinese culture has been impacted by Taoism, particularly its observance of the natural laws of yin and yang. You became a student at The Peaceful Dragon because you are seeking good health and well being, and you may also be seeking to excel in martial arts. But the principles underlying the arts we teach aren t limited to those aspects of your life they pertain to all aspects of your life. If you come to understand how important it is to maintain balance and equilibrium in each phase of your life nothing too yin and nothing too yang you will create the harmony needed to achieve satisfaction in life. -2-

3 Here are just a few examples for you to consider: Don t be lazy and fail to exercise, but don t over do it and wear yourself out. Don t be overly aggressive or arrogant with co-workers, but don t let them step on you, either. Avoid the greed and avarice stemming from attachment to too many material goods, but also avoid the hardships and stresses of poverty Keep up your energy by eating regularly, but avoid over-eating which will deplete your energy Be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times, but don t be so paranoid and worried about your safety that you can t enjoy your surroundings And so on and so on. You could literally come up with a million examples where balance is important in life. The key is not to find those million examples, but rather to recognize the biggest imbalances in your life and correct them. If you don t work to correct them, the laws of nature eventually will often resulting in a much more painful experience for you than if you d fixed them on your own. EXERCISE ONE Think of as many human emotions as you can, and then try to think of their exact opposites. Ask yourself, are some of these emotions good, some bad? Or might they all have good and bad qualities, depending on the relative degree? EXERCISE 2 Contemplate three or four characteristics of your own personality or behavior that you think might be out of balance. Think how these imbalances may be preventing harmony in your life then actively plan how you can start correcting the imbalances. -3-

4 ASSIGNMENT Choose a form you have learned so far in class, for example the Shaolin Elbow Set or the Tai Chi form Push the Mountain and Move the Sea. Try to think of at least twenty examples of Yin and Yang within that form. For example, hands up/hands down; breathe in/breathe out; tighten fist/loosen fist Write your entries in two columns, a Yin column and a Yang column, to ensure that you can distinguish the Yin from the Yang aspect of your examples. Tightening the fist would be under the Yang column, relaxing and loosening the fist in the Yin column, for example. Send your thoughts to Master Sbarge at lessons@thepeacefuldragon.com. Please put Lesson 5 in the subject line. RECOMMENDED READING This month s recommended reading is Tao: The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of Life by Hua-Ching Ni. In this simple and very readable book a respected contemporary Taoist master offers a clear and comprehensive explanation of Yin and Yang and how it relates to our physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being. Of particular interest are the chapters on The Human Body and Universal Law, The Art of Preserving Health, and The Application and Practice of Tai Chi Movement. SSSS Every month a book or article will be suggested by Master Sbarge. Reading about topics related to the arts you are training in will help you get the most out of your practice. Just remember that reading can never replace your practice! Each month s recommended reading is purely optional, though Master Sbarge may on rare occasion ask that you do read a particular book. -4-

5 For additional reading suggestions by Master Sbarge, go to Please remember that for any book or other item you purchase through The Peaceful Dragon website s link to Amazon.com, a percentage is automatically sent to The Peaceful Dragon. We appreciate your support of our school. Note: All Peaceful Dragon students are urged to complete monthly assignments because they are important for you to fully benefit from your training. -5-