The Way of the Warrior Monk

06/06/2023

Wu-wei

It was inevitable that my senior student - a TCM Doctor - would eventually ask me about Wu-wei; the most complicated and greatest virtue in Daoism.

The concept of Wu-wei or acting in Wu-wei is based on the Dao, and specifically the practice of taking no action that is not in accord with the natural course of the Dao (Universe).

Chinese thinkers of the period (475–221 BCE) envisioned a dynamic universe that was constantly being generated. According to the Daoists, the entirety of the cosmos unfolds spontaneously (ziran) through the incessant fluctuations of the Way (Dao). All things in the universe—including all human beings—have in accord with this cosmic Way, their own natural course.

For Daoists, Wu-wei is a fairly simple concept. It involves acting without desire, where desire is understood as the force that causes people and things to behave unnaturally. To act naturally, in accord with the Dao is Wu-wei.

The best-known use of the term Wu-wei is found in the Dao De Jing, a philosophical and spiritual text written about 300 BCE, attributed to Lao Tzu and featuring naturalistic and quasi-mystical overtones.

Specifically, the Dao De Jing suggests that, when the Dao itself acts, it acts in accordance with Wu-wei: “The Way never acts yet nothing is left undone” (###VII). This notion is further explored in conjunction with an account of the creation of the world:

The myriad creatures rise from it [the Dao], yet it claims no authority;
It gives them life yet claims no possession;
It benefits them yet exacts no gratitude;
It accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit.
It is because it lays claim to no merit that merit never deserts it. (II cf. X)

So, while Wu-wei is a virtue of the Dao, the Dao itself - when it acts - acts in accordance with Wu-wei.
..Ting Ling, an accomplished Warrior was polishing his sword before battle. A young child came up to him, brandishing a wooden sword, hacking and thrashing at invisible enemies.

He stood before Ting Ling, leaning on his wooden sword and said, "I will be a great Warrior like you one day."

Ting Ling smiled and looked up at the child. "Child when you first go into battle as a soldier you will be terrified. You will fear for your life and you will hack and thrust at anything and everything that comes near you. If you do not lose your life, you will surely lose your sword in that first battle."

"After a few battles, you will be less afraid and you will not fight like a madman worried that he will die any moment. You will see much death on the battlefield; your comrades and your enemies, and you will start to accept your fear. You will leave the battlefield with your sword in hand."

"You may still fight out of a sense of honour, or vengence for your fallen brothers, or your destroyed village. You will identify your fighting with your human feelings and desires. Your sword will last you several battles before you need a new one from the blacksmith."

"After many battles you will become a Warrior and once you have released your fears and human desires, you will fight with clarity: you will strike only when needed; parry when required and you will take no pleasure in slaying another. You will accept your fear completely and fight in accordance with your experience of the Dao, doing only what is necessary, when it is necessary. Your movements will be swift, precise, merciful even. You will act without human desire. You will act appropriately, in accord with the moment."

Ting Ling stood and showed the child his sword." I have not been to the Blacksmith for 10 years."

To act in Wu-wei is to act aligned with the Dao. The Dao does not judge, Humans do. When a person forces their desires onto the Dao, they act unnaturally, out of alignment and their actions will fail.

02/06/2023

29/05/2023

Teaching Shaolin Quan, Taiji Quan, QiGong and Meditation is not easy. I've been doing it for +30 years and it's not about wearing a cool uniform, and bullying your students.

Every person who walks into your Kwoon does so for a different reason. As a good Teacher, it's your responsibility to develop them physically, emotionally, cognitively and spiritually.

You need to be disciplined, attentive to detail and you need to challenge each student until they are delighted and thrilled at what they can achieve.

My eldest son refused to let me teach him. And I wasn't about to tie him around a tree backwards. But, he sat in every class and 'stole kung fu'. He watched, he learned and he practiced on his own. He was partial to the staff, the single broadsword and the double broadsword. For him it morphed into something called 'Fire Arts' and he's brilliant at it - using all his Shaolin skills while twirling and blowing fire. Looks great.

My youngest son recently came to me and said, "I want to learn Shaolin."

"OK, but we start at the beginning and you do what I tell you," I said to him.

He nodded. He's a bit of an overachiever. He doesn't like it when he doesn't know something that he has learnt yet. Yeah, figure that out.

So, we started with basic stances, blocks, punches and combinations thereof.

"What are we learning today, Dad," he asked me the other day?

"If you're going to punch someone, what do you need," I asked.

He thought about it for awhile but he didn't know.

"Strong knuckles, fingers, hands and fists," I answered. "Now, get into pushup position and give me two knuckle pushups," I demonstrated on the bricks for me.

He looked at me like I was crazy, knelt down and put his fists on the bricks.

"Oh Dad, it hurts too much."

"You weren't even in pushup position, you touched your fists to the floor. That couldn't have been sore," I replied.

"It was." He started to tear up a bit.

I stood up, left him where he was and when inside where I could watch him. After ten minutes I went outside. He was still on his knees, snivelling a bit.

"You knelt there for ten minutes, feeling sorry for yourself. Did crying help you get anything done," I asked?

He shook his head, No.

"Ok, come here. Stand upright against the wall and do the knuckle pushup. It's much easier and it won't hurt," I instructed.

He did. He came over and started doing them upright against the wall.

I said to him, "If you do that for a week, you'll be doing full knuckle pushups on the bricks."

I looked at me, walked around to where I was standing. It's above the pool and there's a wall surrounding the pool. He got down into pushup position and did a full knuckle pushup. Chest to the floor, the whole works.

I was stunned.

"What just happened," I asked? "You went from snivelling to doing two full knuckle pushups. How?"

"I wanted to show you I could do it faster than one week," he replied.

OK, whatever it takes...

The video below shows some effort and determination.

18/05/2023

Placement of your hands over Lower Dantian for QiGong.

When we practise QiGong, either a single exercise or a sequence of exercises, we should always periodically bring our Qi back to the Lower Dantian, or Xià Dāntián, an area behind Ren-6. This is to balance the energy or Qi developed during your practise, and to settle and store this Qi in the Lower Dantien.

There are four times that we generally do this:
1.) At the beginning of practice, to wake up the energy and prepare it so that it can be circulated through your body. This is often accompanied by deep, massaging movements.
2.) Part way through a practice, it is common to gather the energy to your center before you send it out again as you transition from one phase of working with your energy to another. This usually takes the form of just a brief pause.
3.) At the end of your practice to settle your energy and store it within so that the energy stimulated by your practice is not dissipated and lost. This can be long or short.
4.) In practices where you are specifically focusing on activating or balancing the Dantian. This may form a large part of the practice and may go along with other movements of the body, particular types of breathing, Qi awareness, cultivation and ultimately control.

When we return our activated and stimulated Qi back to the Lower Dantian we often do this in conjunction with our arms and we usually place one hand on top of the other, above the Lower Dantian, as demonstrate in the accompany photograph.

There are three main effects of placing the hands, whether that be on the dantien or some other part of the body.

1.) Physical stimulation. This is more obvious in practices that involve massaging or patting where the stimulation is more vigorous, but even just placing the hands gently on the surface of your body creates a physical pressure that your body naturally responds to, activating the energy.
2.) The touch of your hands also naturally brings your attention and awareness to wherever they touch. Neural pathways open. Circulation and nerve activity increases, directing energy to the area.
3.) Energy transmission. Finally, we naturally have strong energy flow to our hands. We use our hands for fine motor skills to interact with the world. This means we have strong neural pathways, rich blood supply, and a natural habit of sending energy from our hands out into the world around us. This energy that flows easily to the hands then projects into wherever they touch.

These three factors combined, make touch with the hands a very effective way to bring energy and awareness to an area, not just the Lower Dantian, but any area of the body that may benefit from improved Qi stimulation and movement.

One question I regularly get asked is which hands goes on top and which goes below.

The answer is both simple and complex. It would be: it's QiGong, or Taoist energy work.

The simple answer has to do with the quality of Qi in each hand. In general the left hand is more Yin in nature and the right hand is more Yang in nature.

Yin cannot function without Yang, and Yang cannot function without Yin, but this does lead to differences in development and the qualities of energy flow. The energy of the left hand has all of the Yin qualities: solid, heavy, calming, cooler, while the energy of the right hand has all of the yang qualities: empty, light, activating, warmer. Placing the left hand on the Dantian with the right hand on top of it will tend to strengthen the yin aspect of the energy in the Dantian – Yin supported by Yang. Placing the right hand on the Dantian with the left hand on top of it will tend to strengthen the Yang aspect of the energy in the Dantian – Yang supported by Yin.

One of the main criteria often used to decide whether you should put your left or your right hand on your Dantien in your QiGong practice is what gender you are. According to Yin Yang theory, males are categorized as Yang, and females are categorized as Yin. So… if a male wants to strengthen his innate Yang character, he would place his right hand in contact with his Dantian with his left hand on top. A female would do the reverse, and put her left hand in contact with her Dantian and her right hand on top.

The more complex answer is that all males and females are not created the same and the flow and direction of Qi in the body is transitory. For example, you may be a very Yin female, who needs Yang stimulation to keep your Yin in balance. Similarly, you may be a female who for whatever reason, be it nature or nurture, has inherently strong Yang already, in which case you may benefit more from Yin stimulation to support your female yin character. In the case of health, if you have overactive energy, perhaps due to an infection of some kind, regardless of your gender you may benefit more from Yin stimulation. On the other hand if perhaps you have weak digestion, or your energy is otherwise low in activity, you may benefit from more Yang stimulation.

Early in your practice, following broad general advice will usually be fine, but as you progress you will want to be able to tailor your practice more specifically to your own needs. As you become more experienced working with energy, you will be able to feel the difference in stimulation of the energy caused by putting one hand above the other.

When I bring my hands to my Dantian, I usually, naturally, place my right hand on my Dantian and my left hand on top of my right. But not always. Sometimes, if I have an excess of Yang Qi, this feels uncomfortable and then I place my left hand on my Dantian and use the Yin Qi to calm my Yang Qi.

Rather than blindly follow what you are told, become personally aware of the flow of Qi in your body and the effect of the circulating Yin and Yang in your body and how to use it for your own well-being.

18/05/2023

I posted this in a private forum. I'm actively looking for work and the number of bots, algorithms, talent agents and potential bosses, well, I just felt that it was better that they not have access to it. But, I'm posting this publically now, because it's time. What you feel about it, or me, and what you do with it, well, that's on you.

TW: Compassion

Unless you're in an occupation that deals with dying - First Responder; Physician; Nurse, Military, Pastor - you're unlikely to see many dead people. I know some people that have never seen a dead body. Even at a funeral: closed casket or cremation.

You're even less likely to witness the passing of a person.

Dinner socials would invariably work their way around to what people did for a living.

"Your were a Paramedic?" The question always arose, followed closely by, "But you must have seen dead people, didn't you?" I would nod. After 10 years and 5000 call-outs, yes, you did, many.

"But how did you manage seeing all that death?" This was a question almost always asked by a woman. Men are simply too tough to even ask.

A lot of people can't handle seeing death. It makes their own inevitable death, their own mortality too real. Images of horror flash before their eyes and nightmares plague their waking and sleeping hours.

In the course of duty you may see a person that has already passed. That is very common. Accept it, show the body as much dignity as possible and respect the dead person's beliefs and their families grief and wishes for their passed loved ones.

At other times, you are likely to be part of a team, actively working to resuscitate that person. Then you are working, you go from 0 to 100 and your do everything you can for that person. There is no time for feelings...those come later. If they pass on you, you are a participant to that passing, albeit a busy one and one not likely to be dwelling on the enormity of what is occuring around you.

Then there are those rare occasions when all you can do is witness a person's passing.

You poke your head into an overturned, burning automobile. Or you're in the middle of the veldt, out of time. Look into that person's eyes or hold their hand and speak softly to them. Watch the fear, trauma and pain leave their eyes as they realise they are not alone. Someone is with them.

My first ride in an ambulance was when I was 18. I couldn't rouse myself or even cry out but to this day I remember the Paramedic in the ambulance speaking quiet, kind words to me.

So how did I do it? We all pass someday. The Universe is not meaningless and it saw fit to put me there at that precise time and place. I was honoured to have been chosen to console that person as they passed. Yes, the sights would come, flashing across my eyes and the nightmares would invade my mind. But at the time, the only feeling that filled my mind was comforting the dying. I witnessed the culmination of that person's life and I was filled with compassion, and deeply humbled that the Universe had shared Life's most sacred moment with me.

Times are confusing, people are dying in their droves daily, fear, anxiety and panic are overwhelming people. This is why I share today. We are all one, we share the same experience of being Human as our neighbour. Now is the time to be compassionate, to share a quiet, kind word with a troubled Soul.

Be there for your fellow Humans. Thank you kindly.

14/05/2023

When someone is in physical, emotional, cognitive or spiritual distress and they seek assistance from their peers online what is most commonly recommended?

It is: Ground Yourself.

I did some research and this is what I discovered:
1.) The Earth is spining at 1600 km/hr, or 96,000-kilometres/s.
2.) The Earth is moving through the Solar System at 107,226-kilometres per hour or 6,433,560-kilometres/s
3.) The Solar System is moving through the Milky Way: 720,000-kilometres per hour, 2.592e9-kilometres/s.

In other words the Earth is in constant motion and at a phenomenal speed.

Speed is relative to the objects around you, but please indulge me, I have a process to share at the end of the Post.

Assuming you're distressed, and you go outside to Ground yourself. In relation to the Earth you have remained in the same space, but galactically, in 1s the ground underneath you has moved 2.592e9-kilometres.

So, what is this grounding? I've worked in the Esoteric Energy Arts my whole life and I understand what the people giving the advice are trying to impart.

Let me share with you - if I may - a process. It is a process based on Yin and Yang and the constant motion thereof and, in fact, the entire Universe.
1.) Find a comfortable, safe, physical space. Yes, you may live on the 25th floor of a building - it still works. Use any technique that you have been taught to establish yourself within your surroundings. This may be the 3-see, 3-feel, 3-smell, or something similar, technique. I personally do an external and internal scan of my body, relaxing it as much as possible.
2.) Find the best place for yourself emotionally. Yes, emotions are constantly in motion. Do not judge them, accept them and then release them. Put them aside. To pick up later if they serve you, but that's generally not the case as emotions are easy to attach to and difficult to manage without much practice.
3.) Find the best place for yourself cognitively. During distress, rational thinking is difficult. Allow the Mind to settle using whatever technique you may have learnt.
4.) Allow Spirit to inform the process.

This process is about physically orientating yourself to your surroundings, not becoming overwhelmed by your emotions, cognitively reasserting your sense of self and spiritual raising your level of consciousness.

Substitute the word ground for Yin: the quiet, calm condition of the Tao. Allow your distress, or Yang to settle into Yin.

It's a little more work then sticking your toes in the soil but it's effects are stronger, and if practised regularly, far more long-lasting.

Amituofo. The Monk