| Feature Article
The Nature of Taoism
–
Chief Instructor Brett Wagland
In a week’s time, 29
students and friends will be travelling to China to visit the great
cities of Shanghai and Beijing. We will also be taking time to visit
some of the more remote and sacred places in
China,
such as Mount Wudang, the birthplace of Tai Chi and Huashan, the retreat
for Lao Tzu (6th century B.C.), the author of “Tao Te Ching”.
With the possible exception of the Bible, the “Tao Te Ching” is one of
the most translated books in the world. We will also be visiting the
Shaolin Temple, the home of Chinese Buddhism and Shaolin martial arts.
Taoism, the Natural
Way, has a history of some 2,600 years in
China.
Famous Taoists such as Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Chang San Feng and Lu Dong
Bin, have left a legacy of Taoist practices and philosophy that is still
being passed on to this day.
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| Yu Garden, Shanghai |
Tai Chi is a Taoist
based art founded by Chang San Feng of Mount Wudang. When he developed
Tai Chi, he included many aspects of Taoism in the practice, such as
simplicity, naturalness, relaxation, circularity, flow, concentration,
internal strength through the cultivation of qi (essential energy), yin
yang (for example, soft and firm) and balance. All of these concepts,
when practised as part of your Tai Chi form, have a profound effect on
your mind, body and spirit.
Tai Chi applies the
principle of softness and relaxation to counteract tension and stress.
When our minds and bodies are tense, we are consuming more energy than
we need to. According to traditional Chinese medicine, balance is very
important to maintain good health. Once one’s energy is depleted and
the body does not have any reserve strength, one will find it quite
difficult to recover from illness. The movements of Tai Chi and its
underlying principle – no excess, no deficiency – ensure a balanced
approach towards our health and our lives in general.
Taoists have always
been inspired by nature. Part of their philosophy includes the idea of
being natural. Humans are conditioned from an early age. This is not
necessarily bad. However, we may lose some of our spontaneity if we are
over-conditioned. Being natural means gradually letting go of our
ignorance, our fears and prejudices and our conditioning which limits
us. In Tai Chi, this is brought about gradually through quieting the
mind and improving concentration and clarity of thought. This process
also leads to simplicity or simplifying our lives. In Chinese painting,
a good artist can convey a lot of meaning by using only a few strokes.
This is not simplifying to make something easier. Rather, this is
attained through years of refinement. Eventually, economy of movement
or expression is achieved. The mark of a master is in using economy of
effort to produce a masterpiece. Performing Tai Chi movements appears
to be effortless. This comes about because of the relaxed, circular,
continuous movements and the smooth flow of qi. In high level internal
martial arts, a defensive or neutralising movement also becomes an
attack.
Taoists know that
humans have more potential than they realise. Their teachings enable us
to tap into our reservoir so that we can continuously develop. They
enrich every facet of our lives, bringing good health, happiness and
contentment.
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