Intellect
Sitting quietly, doing nothing,
Spring comes, and the grass grows by itself.
(The Zenrin)
The
purpose of thought
Thought is a problem-solving feature of our
minds.
It enables us to examine a situation and explore how it works.
This is very useful and is considered a 'higher' function of the brain.
The ability to think clearly requires the balancing of the 3 crucibles.
By calming the
emotions and relaxing our
instincts, we can observe a situation logically.
Thought becomes erratic if we do not remain
composed, we become irrational and confused.
What
constitutes a problem?
The drawback with thinking is that we do far too much of it.
The conscious mind fixes things, determines options and presents choices.
We have a tendency to apply thought to situations that do not require
problem-solving skills.
This causes worry and stress.
The mind analyses, calculates and
predicts according to our memories and our perception of what is happening.
Often we imbue the situation with a seriousness it
does not need and then instinct becomes involved along with emotion.
No thought
In tai chi we seek to balance the 3 crucibles.
This means that intellect is only used when it needs to be.
We rely upon
intuition to balance intellect and let our
thoughts subside and
rest.
Page created 28 January 2004