A Chinese monk once said, “When the mind is transparent and pure as if reflected on the mirror-like surface of the water there is nothing in the world you would dislike. When it is serene as the light breeze in the sunshine there will be no one whom you would like to forget.” Such serenity is rare in these hectic days. Nevertheless, it is possible.
The Japanese speak of Seijaku, serenity in the midst of activity. Not escaping from the world to some mountain top, as is taught in the Indian teachings, but finding the real meaning, fulfillment, energy, and wisdom in the midst of everyday hustle and bustle.
Building a silent and imperturbable center while active in the disappointments and triumphs of our busy lives, is real fulfillment.
Words will not do it, no matter how reassuring or clever. Passive listening as in hearing well-meaning sermons is a waste of time no matter how good the speaker makes you feel and how clever his theories are. It takes actual practice. You must do it yourself.
The quality of the Prana, which the Chinese call Chi must be changed. The Vital Force that flows through you, sometimes called the intrinsic energy, must be helped to flow freely and to be balanced. It is this energy that makes you what you are. And when it circulates with hindrance there is a feeling of well-being. When the negative and positive aspects, the Yin and the Yang are balanced, impediments seem to drop away.
The mind-body continuum works to adjust to its maximum potential, and the aqueous excess tends to dry up and there is easy weight control. We must remember that the body is about 70% fluid, and too much fluid is decidedly Yin or negative. It is no surprise that in such circumstances we experience good health and peace of mind and that we find creativity effortlessly flowing. To one who understands the underlying unity of life, it is not surprising that our outer activity is changed as easily as our inner being.
There are really two ways to bring about these changes. What must be changed is this life force, this intrinsic energy. This can be affected by working through the mind, which is difficult to do, or by working through the Chi, the Vital Force, which can be relatively easy. Both ways are effective.
The practice of Zen and Indian deep meditation works with the mind. And mind control can be painful. Indeed, living a busy life, it is almost impossible to fully succeed in these efforts because the mind is always restless and sometimes troubled. Nevertheless, the conscientious practice of Zen and Zen meditation will definitely affect the Chi, the Vital Force. And bring about deep changes in us.
Few are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary for this type of practice, which is best served if we retreat from the world. It is much easier and more suitable for our way of life to work from the other side, to directly cultivate the Chi itself, to free it so it circulates easily. And to balance the negative and positive aspects of this Vital Force, the Yin and Yang Chi.
Looking from the other end, we will find that such practice automatically influences the mind and brings about the desired results. Practice of Hatha Yoga, if successful, will have the effect. But there are few true teachers in the West and there are dangers to the strenuous practice. Hatha Yoga is not an end in itself, but a preliminary Yoga leading to concentration, meditation, and Samadhi.
The Chinese, thousands of years ago, cultivated the science of Yin and Yang. In Chinese cosmology, from the reality without aspect, which they call the Tao, comes the first manifestations, the Yin Chi and the Yang Chi. One negative and positive energy.
The Tao itself is also called the great T’ai Chi (they are synonyms) and is sometimes translated as Supreme Ultimate. From the unity of the Supreme Ultimate, the un-carved block, we get the division into the Yin Chi and the Yang Chi. This takes place before heaven, earth, and man appear. Heaven results from the accumulation of the Yang Chi and earth comes from the accumulation of the Yin Chi.
Man comes about as the result of the so-called wedding of heaven and earth. This is why Japanese flower arrangement is always three-pointed. Heaven on top, the earth below, and man in the middle. So, man (and with his access, the individual) is actually the product of the Yin Chi and Yang Chi. This corresponds perfectly with the findings of science, which reduces so-called matter to energy, sometimes with unfortunate results.
None of this is important to know except that we can consciously build ourselves in desired ways by making use of this knowledge. The Chinese perfected the Chi Kung disciplines. That is the circulation of balancing of the Chi, the Vital Force, to make possible this type of practice.
T’ai Chi Ch’uan whose 108 movements are difficult to learn and sometimes to practice, is an ancient way of bringing about the desired results. And it is effective if mastered. I taught T’ai Chi Ch’uan for many years at various places including two universities and still practice it myself regularly. However, few are motivated enough to learn all the movements and do them regularly. And my experience has been that T’ai Chi Ch’uan does not offer benefits until mastered.
On the contrary, T’ai Chi Chih or Joy Thru Movement seems to bring results almost instantly. The very first time it was taught in New Mexico in 1947 [he most likely means 1974] a Catholic priest regained his sense of smell in the first session. I admit I was surprised as I have been so many times since then, because I first originated T’ai Chi Chih in the early 1970’s and did not teach it until that first class in 1974. And I had no way of knowing what to expect from this discipline whose name literally means ‘knowledge of the Supreme Ultimate’.
Over the years I have conducted many teachers’ training classes. And T’ai Chi Chih has spread throughout the world. Three of my accredited teachers were cancer patients. One of my first students, a man whom I had taught at the University of New Mexico, went from 255 pounds to 180 pounds in four-and-a-half months of faithful practice, while continuing to be the biggest eater I have ever known. One day his wife looked up and found she had a handsome husband much to her surprise.
Other students who have studied with my teachers have written me with wonderful results too numerous to mention. T’ai Chi Chih is not medicine, though it seems to bring weight, blood pressure, lack of energy, et cetera, et cetera under control. And according to Chinese teaching has a great effect on longevity.
It is not meditation, though it seems to bring the serenity of the most successful meditation. A serenity that teachers often notice in the faces of their students near the end of classes. Indeed, some students who come to class under a lot of tension are then embarrassed to begin yawning, obviously a release of tension. One who is tied in knots does not yawn.
T’ai Chi Chih is not exercise, though it seems to be the easiest and most effective form of exercise. It is one of the few practices that exercises the internal organs, particularly important for women. And those who practice regularly seem to never have problems with constipation.
When I first went to Japan, I had to take some bulk or roughage with my meals as the soft food tied my stomach in knots. However, from the day I started to do T’ai Chi Chih I could forget about taking the Metamucil or bran, and the problem disappeared. On long train trips or driving from state to state a little T’ai Chi Chih before leaving and perhaps during a pause on route, seems to take care of regularity. To one sitting behind a desk or wheel all day, this can be heaven-sent.
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