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Spirituality
Spirituality refers to the journey of
self-discovery.
It is concerned with the values and meanings by which people live.
Spiritual practices may include meditation, prayer and
contemplation.
These are intended to develop an individual's inner life.
Such practices often lead to an experience of connectedness with a larger
reality, yielding a more comprehensive self; with other individuals or the
human community.
Spiritual component
Tai chi practice possesses a spiritual component.
This may be experienced through studying Taoism and Zen, along with
meditating, and practicing qigong,
form and application.
An earnest student of the art becomes calmer, more harmonious.
They have a sense of deep connection with all things.
The texture of reality
Taoism and Zen encourage us to experience reality
in its most direct form.
They aim to transcend education, philosophy and thought. How? The senses are
given precedence. We feel rather than think.
Embodied spirituality
Tai chi is a vehicle for exploring the many insights offered by Taoism. It
is a hands-on approach to spirituality.
There is plenty to read (if this is something you enjoy) but the emphasis is
mainly upon doing rather than reading, thinking or talking. Life is lived
through action, not words.
The art of tai chi is a physical journey that will lead to an inner search
for meaning and understanding within the student.
Beyond gratification
Talk and thought impedes our ability to experience. Instead of seeing what
is actually there, we look for the things that please us or interest us and
avoid unpleasant stimuli.
This is a form of blindness, and it must be left behind if we want to
interact with existence without barriers.
Perception
Our experience of living varies according to the individual. Tao and Zen may
advocate a more sensory experience of the world, but is this actually
possible?
We do not experience the world through our senses, but via our mind. Can
you understand the difference? And the implications?
Raw experience
It is important for us to experience things first-hand, not through somebody
else. Yet, if everything is biased by mind, what can we trust? Our minds have been shaped, educated and moulded since birth.
Do we see things for ourselves? Can we see without bias? Are we always prey
to the past? Does first-hand exist?
Religion is belief in someone
else's experience.
Spirituality is having your own experience.
(Deepak Chopra)
Ego
We see the world
as we are, not as it is. This may seem odd, but is very much the case.
Everyone has their own standpoint to some extent and they channel reality
through their minds.
Nothing is experienced without interpretation.
Blind
Meaning, values and judgements impede our ability to really see. We are
hampered by the accretion of education, opinion, preconceptions and desires.
Only by losing the ever-present self and silencing the mind can we hope to
open our eyes.
Empirical
Zen is grounded in empirical truth. It is not theoretical. It does not
embrace symbolism. It is fact-based, as real as a slap. Our syllabus works
on the same basis.
The tai chi is a practical experience that can be proved through experiment.
Students are encouraged to learn about tai chi principles for themselves.
The exercises, drills and scenarios in our syllabus call upon the individual
to explore the validity of the principles and put them into practice.
Your understanding and skill are pressure-tested so that you can see the
truth for yourself.
Truth
Reality is often referred to as 'truth' because it is not subject to any
form of interpretation. Existence or reality just is.
Interpretation, opinion, perspective have no bearing on reality because
reality is too immense and complex to be contained by thought.
Realising that we cannot apprehend reality is the beginning of
understanding.
Reality
This 'truth' is not something to be sought, nor is it the opposite of lies
and illusions. It is just a word applied to the raw immediacy of the moment
you are experiencing.
Every nuance that is happening right now around you and within you is 'the
truth'; the humming of the computer, the flickering of the monitor, the feel
of the clothing you wear, your thoughts, the bird in your garden, the dirt
on your shoes...
Every miniscule detail that is happening simultaneously every minute of
every day represents the truth. It has no beginning and no ending.
Telling the truth
In court, when somebody asks a person to tell the truth, they are not really
asking for the truth. The truth is everything, all at once, and cannot be
verbalised.
What is being asked for is a limited segment of events, a degree of truth,
relevant to their specific interests. In court, a 'version' is required.
Subjective. Biased. Incomplete.
Objective?
There is no such thing as objectivity. We process our experience of reality
in our minds. Everything is filtered and interpreted by our memories,
experiences and personalities.
We are entirely incapable of being objective.
Another example of
compensation is seen in the person who has to have a big house, an expensive car
or a large boat to overcome an inner sense of smallness. What is small is his
range of self-expression. He may be rich in money, for that is his ambition, but
he remains poor in his inner life and in his manner of self-expression.
(Alexander Lowen)
Enlightenment
Krishnamurti encouraged people to seek answers
within. He wanted the individual to become their own light. To peel back the
layers of conditioning, memory, perceptions and culture.
Seek to become your own spiritual guide; learn from everything around you. Grow
exponentially.
Page created 2 March 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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