The Patience of A Tai Chi Player… No Saints Allowed
I was looking around for some fresh material for today’s post. What I found is, as usual, a bit unusual. I came across an obscure site while Googling “humor”. I ended up on a page authored by Denis Robinson of the University of Auckland. Mr. Robinson has embarked on the monumental project of translating the key ideas of philosophy into words of one-syllable.
The exact reason, or value of such an undertaking is a wonder in itself. Be that as it may, I found this one statement curiously made me think in a tai chi way. (No I wasn’t even trying to use only one-syllable words.) A sample of one-syllable philosophy in a minute.
Of the many uses and benefits of tai chi, is that it helps us feel better, one might even say it makes us glad we do it. “Gladness”, as an end in itself, is a worthy goal. Like tai chi it relaxes our muscles, reduces our stress levels, and boosts our immune systems, to name just a few.
Even when I’m feeling extremely tired, I find tai chi has a way of digging into my core and pulling up energy I didn’t realize I had. I may still be tired afterward, but I seem to forget all about my exhaustion while lost in practice. I’m always glad I practiced and I find I sleep better too.
Another thing I find it interesting is that people sometimes describe uneducated or dim-witted folk as “capable of speaking in only one syllable words”. If you actually try to phrase even the simplest of concepts using only one syllable words, you would realize just how difficult it is to pull off.
On a tai chi note, uninformed folks will watch a skilled tai chi player and think, “That looks pretty easy; I don’t think I’d have the patience to do that. It would just bore me to tears.” I’ve never heard anyone who’s actually tried tai chi say it was easy, or that it bored them. Those who don’t stick it out don’t seem to have the patience or interest to develop the focus it takes to get any better, but they never say they’re bored. The practice of tai chi requires incredible focus and can be all-consuming at times. It’s one of the reason’s it’s such an effective stress reliever.
So in the spirit of simple things that are not at all easy to accomplish, I give you a bit of one-syllable philosophy.
“Is the right thing to do what makes most folks glad? Or should we say not quite that,
but that the right thing to do is the thing which most makes folks glad,
where when you count folks you weight each one by how glad it makes them?”
Does this bit of philosophy leave you glad or confused, and can you see another way to apply it to tai chi? I’ll bet someone reading this has a different take on it… your thoughts?
John
P.S. If you’d like to visit Denis Robinson’s page: http://fragments.consc.net/djc/2005/02/phil_in_words_o.html
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Mar 10, 2010 - 06:03:55After reading the The one sylable paragrapgh on Tai Chi, I realized this message is a requirement of all efforts.
Focus is required in our lives to be happy and to serve others to be happy. Knowing absolutely nothing of Thai-Chi It seems hard to be a good pupil and to stick it out. To make it a way of life would make me happy is what I feel when I read all of Johns Blurbs on Thai-Chi which give me great hope that I will find great Joy from Tai-Chi.
Thank You for sharing this
Namaste
Bobby Levesque
Bobby,
Thanks for the kind words. I enjoy doing this and it’s nice to hear others appreciate it too.
John
Simplicity is not simple. I usually find that if a move seems complicated, I am doing it wrong. The moves are very simple, what is difficult is doing them correctly, in a relaxed state. Like communicating effectively using only one syllable words, stringing all those simple moves together with fluid transition requires patience, practice and persistence! Ah, but when you succeed there is happiness,joy, and satisfaction! And when you have really succeeded onlookers will see you and say, oh that is too easy to do anything.
Thank you again for your blog, it makes me think!
One other thought is that everyone makes me glad, some by coming and some by going!
Well said Mary. Seeing the simplicity of things takes some doing doesn’t it? I’ve also found that the way I look at people can help whether I’m happy to see them coming or going too. It’s that damn simplicity thing again.
John
P.S. I’ve also noticed when I’m in a really bad mood, there are many people I don’t like to see coming, but when I’m really on top of the world I seem to like everyone… coming or going. Go figure.