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| The ancient world | ||
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The ancient world
Human history is a very speculative field of study. Historians rely on a
variety of sources to piece together an impression of what took place. For the
most part it looks grim.
Quality of life for the average person in the past
didn't seem great. Wars. Famine. Robber Barons. Slavery. Poverty. Exploitation.
Homelessness. Sexism. Racism. OK, so not much has changed...
The modern world has a vast number of unsolved problems to address.
The good old days?
People occasionally think of history and reminisce. Yet, the ancient
world was not a safe place to be.
Think of the Romans: they invented/introduced all manner of civilisation,
but they also conquered, enslaved and crucified people. They set living
Christians on fire (Roman Candle).
Yet, amidst the horrors and atrocities of the past there are also great
discoveries, insights and
wisdom.
Wonders of the ancient world
Traditionally there were seven wonders of the
ancient world: The Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt, the Hanging Gardens of
Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece, the Temple of Artemis at
Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and the
Lighthouse of Alexandria, Egypt.
How about the Great Wall of China? Roman roads? Petra, Jordan? Chichen Itza,
Mexico? Machu Pichu, Peru? Taj Mahal, Agra, India? Colosseum, Italy? Sigiria,
Sri Lanka? Sacsayhuamán? Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni in Malta? The Lycurgus cup?
Nazca Lines?
Ancient technology
The ancient world also heralded technology that was
remarkable e.g. compass, irrigation, writing, gunpowder, paper, printing,
pottery, looms, the wheel, mathematics, matches, suspension bridge, central
heating, batteries...
Much of what we take for granted in modern times has its roots in the
distant past. Do some research. Find out for yourself...
Junk is the ultimate merchandise.
The junk merchant does not sell his product to the consumer, he sells the
consumer to the product.
He does not improve and simplify his merchandise, he degrades and simplifies
the client.
(William S. Burroughs)
How smart are you?
In our technologically-dependent era people tend to equate the
ownership of high-tech toys with
intelligence. As if owning a phone means they
are smart. 'Smart phone'
refers to the device, not the owner.
Did you design, build or program your mobile phone? Do you even
understand how the device works? Could you
construct your own?
Not quite so smart, eh?
Ancient wisdom
If you read the books written by
ancient gurus millennia ago it becomes glaringly
obvious that most people these days are stupid.
Hey, don't be insulted.
We are all pretty stupid.
Try reading Marcus Aurelius, Confucius,
Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu,
Krishnamurti. How well do you understand what these people are saying? Really understand?
The good news is that you can
do something about it.
You can unplug your devices. You can switch off
the TV. You can
learn.
Aristotle etc
Reading books from the ancient world can be a somewhat startling
wake-up
call.
It is isn't the writing style/language that's the problem - after all you're
probably reading a translation - it's the content,
the meaning that will baffle you.
And what were the ancient teachers talking
about? Life. Civilisation. Culture. People. They were interested in the
very same things that we are.
Lost era
Once upon a time humans knew how to farm, make things, hunt animals,
protect themselves. Their
senses were attuned to the seasons, to sounds and
smells. Modern humans have lost this.
As a culture we are evolving into fat,
lazy, bored,
distracted beings who
sit all day and stare at flickering screens. Not so impressive?
In the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's they imagined the 21st Century to be an
era of interstellar exploration, the eradication of poverty, the end of
war.
Well, we have the smart phone...
The Ancients?
China boasts one of the oldest surviving civilisations in human history.
For example: the roots of Taoism are truly ancient.
When you read famous books such as The Art of War or Tao Te Ching, the
authors speak of the 'the Ancients ',
the 'men of old' etc.
Given that these books are potentially thousands of years old, who did
the authors regard as being the Ancients ? How far back are we talking
here?
Mysteries & ignorance
In the distant past little was known about Taoism.
Many of its adherents belonged to sects and esoteric
schools. Others were hermits who lived in remote
places.
Teachings from books with curious names such as The
Way and Its Power, Book of Changes,
The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings were
treated with suspicion.
Secrecy, rumours of great power
and deliberate obfuscation led to
ancient Taoists being regarded
with considerable fear and
superstition.
Arcane knowledge
Being privy to secret knowledge about the
Tao, the
workings of the human body, natural power
and combat would have been a
remarkable thing 2500
years ago. Most people were illiterate.
Such a person might well have been seen as
a sage, a mystic, a magician or a
sorcerer.
Of course, none of these descriptions are
accurate.
The individual simply knew something that others did not. They had
knowledge that was
uncommon.
They were not magical; they possessed no
superhuman skills.
5000 years...
The I Ching is thought to
be at least 5000 years old. It is a key Taoist book
and very hard to understand.
Qigong
It is believed that the roots of
qigong are as old as the Book of Changes.
Myths
Some
instructors talk about qi a
lot. The word qi is used as a catch-all to supposedly
explain any phenomenon that the individual could not explain. Not exactly
a scientific approach?
Similarly, there are a number of books
that suggest that neigong is some sort
of magic power.
It is not.
These books reflect superstition, not
insight.
How old is tai chi?
This is hard to say. Tai chi was once a 'closed school'
style of fighting; taught
secretly and never shared with
outsiders.
Its existence was first documented in the 1700's but it's origins are
unknown. It could be as old as the Warring States period, perhaps even
older. There is no way of knowing for sure.
Elements of the training seem rooted in qigong.
In many martial arts schools the
practice was carried out in secrecy and the school's very existence was
frequently concealed from the authorities. For example, tai chi is based on
body of principles known to be around 2000 years old yet it was not revealed until
1750.
(Howard Reid)
Authentic
tai chi
Regardless of the age of
tai chi, the art offers a glimpse of ancient wisdom and
forgotten skills. It challenges the modern
exponent to re-discover the human body,
to attune the senses and
gain balance.
Many students are quite amazed when they realise
how important mental clarity is and what role the
mind has to play when
employing this art.
Not all 'tai chi' features ancient
wisdom
Although many classes claim to be
teaching authentic tai chi or tai chi, very few are.
In order for the art to qualify as tai chi, it must
adhere to
the essence of the
art.
Slow motion
movement, chilled out exercise or
dance cannot be considered
tai chi. Tai chi is more than this.
It adheres to certain parameters,
guidelines and rules of practice.
Providing these criteria are met, you have an immense degree of freedom for
personal expression and
individual
interpretation.
Sustainable exercise
It is reassuring to learn that
tai chi can be practiced throughout the
entirety of one's life and promises great
strength, agility
and power without exertion,
injury or suffering.
Students are encouraged to return to their natural, vital, healthy condition through the
moderate practice of
tai chi and the daily study of Taoist
texts.
Old-style human?
Tai chi is a vehicle for exploring the many insights offered by 'Taoism'.
It is a hands-on approach to spirituality.
The aim is to become a 'real human' - somebody who is fully
conscious.
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.
The old ways
An inspiring final thought is the realisation that the
skills,
insights and
wisdom of the Ancients are still pretty astonishing today.
These teachings have never been widely
taught.
When a new student encounters
authentic tai chi for the first time
they usually find the experience quite
surprising.
The more they learn, the more
incredible it gets.
Page created
18 April 2005
Last updated
16 June 2023
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