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Legendary
skill
In a 2008 Stanford University
experiment tai chi expert Chen Xiang generated a
force 14 times his body weight when striking.
0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds. Think about this for a minute...
Let's imagine that Chen Xiang weighs 10 stone. Then his strike was 140 stone
and took less than 3 seconds to reach 60 mph. Wow!
Superhuman
The power generated by Chen Xiang is incredible
and beggars comprehension.
Performed under scientific conditions, it deserves considerable admiration and
respect.
Being hit by such an exponent is
unimaginable.
A few other guys were watching
a teacher of tai chi. Never had I witnessed such deceptive power. He
performed the art with enormous dignity and force, and I realised I was
seeing something which, although I could not understand, I had to respect.
Mr Wang was at least fifty, and probably older. His power was fantastic.
I once asked Nakayama if he thought karate was the best of the unarmed
fighting arts. He answered that he thought it was. In that case, I
countered, what about tai chi? Nakayama sensei laughed, and with a smile
he said, "For human beings, karate is the best way. But there are some men
who are superhuman, and perhaps a few of the tai chi sensei are just
that."
(C W Nicol)
Taoist
Taoism is not aiming to make you into a superhuman.
It is far more modest.
It simply aims for the student to become a 'real human'.
Real
A 'real human' is simply somebody who is fully
conscious. It does not involve the acquisition
of superpowers.
Instead of stumbling through life in a semi-conscious
state, the Taoist seeks a condition of exceptional
alertness and physical harmony.
This is not seen as been an elevated state of being, but rather our 'natural'
state.
Homo sapien
Taoism encourages people
to return to their natural, vital, healthy condition through the
moderate practice of
tai chi and the daily study of Taoist
texts.
In Taoist terms, being a homo sapien (a real human) means:
Inner quietude
A mind free of opinions/thoughts/beliefs/fashions/trends/influences/politics
An agile, supple, responsive body
Physical sensitivity
Excellent coordination, mobility, nimbleness, dexterity
Balancing activity with rest, relaxation and sleep
The ability to look after your own health, diet and wellbeing
Emotional awareness
A sense of perspective
Spontaneity, change and growth
Good memory
High energy
Healthy sex drive
Healthy brain activity
Good focus/concentration
Muscle tone
Healthy joint function
Good balance
Balanced body use
From The Way of Chuang Tzu:
Minds free, thoughts gone
Brows clear, faces serene.
Were they cool? Only cool as autumn.
Were they hot? No hotter than spring.
All that came out of them
Came quiet, like the four seasons.
•
The perfect man employs his mind as a mirror.
It grasps nothing; it refuses nothing.
It receives, but it does not keep.
•
Can you be like an infant that cries all day without getting a sore throat?
Or clenches his fist all day without getting a sore hand?
Or gazes all day without eyestrain?
You want the first elements?
The infant has them.
•
A wild bird nesting in the deep forest needs no more than a single branch;
a wild animal drinking from a river takes no more than its fill.
Numb
Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, medication, dietary, psychological and
emotional pollution can all serve to numb the senses.
A cloudy dullness stifles consciousness.
The individual becomes clumsy, blunt and physically inept. Their eyes are no
longer bright and alert.
They are semi-conscious: alive yet lost and
deeply confused...
What about you?
It can be tempting to regard
oneself as being fully-conscious. But are you, really?
How frequently do you meditate? How often do you read
challenging books that
expand your consciousness?
How much time and
effort have you invested in
your physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing?
In most cases, the answer will be: not much.
Taoist propaganda?
Don't take our word for any of this.
Instead, do what the Taoists once did: look to
nature.
Animals get their own food; they do not wait for somebody to serve them. You
don't see too many fat tigers, bears, monkeys or sharks in the wild.
Men argue. Nature acts.
Nature is uncompromising.
It requires the individual to fully realise
their potential - to embrace their wit, ingenuity
and cunning - or die.
Modern society has taken this from us.
People are often
weak,
lazy and unmotivated; like
spoiled children?
This has led to a global decline in
fitness and a significant increase in
obesity, lifestyle-induced
medical problems and stupidity.
The range of awareness and efficiency of the Taoist adept is
unnoticeable, imperceptible to others,
because their critical moments take place before ordinary intelligence has
mapped out a description of the situation.
(Thomas Cleary)
Worth reading
•
Practical Taoism
•
The Science of the Essence
•
Taoism
•
Te
•
The Way
Page
created 21 May 1999
Last updated
16 June 2023
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