- This topic is empty.
-
Posts
-
I met with Bruce while he was in Boston teaching his push hands class at Brookline Tai Chi. He generously gave me his time and attention for a couple of hours. We discussed a wide range of topics from simple energy anatomy to the energies of the trigrams to empitiness. I’ll try to post a few things based on our conversation when I get a chance. Bruce encouraged me to post something based on my experience over the past two decades.
I’m not sure where to start. I feel a deep gratitude for having the oppurtunity to study with Bruce. I told Bruce that I consider the gift of learning Taoist Meditation to be the greatest gift I’ve ever recieved. I was very fortunate to get a clear experience the first time Bruce taught inner dissolving at the Watertown Acupuncture School in Massachusetts. I immediately recognized how personally impactful it could be. I was also very fortunate to have the perserverance and the “work ethic” to continue practicing even when it wasn’t pleasent.
I’ve never found anything else that could clear all of the accumulated crap that makes life difficult.
After 22 years of study with Bruce, I realize that 99% of my time was spent clearing out garbage. We are incredible internal hoarders of every physical, energetic, emotional, mental, and psychic experience. It takes a long time and a lot of earnest practice to let go of this stuff. Basically, we are confused. We mistakenly think we are this stuff. As I let it go bit by bit, I began relaxing. I never became some invincable martial artist or a god or enlighted, but I did learn how to relax and how to deal with life and all of its challenges. My practice has kept me healthy, helped me heal a few others, and continues to be a profound journey.
After all of these years, I’ve also come to the conclusion that you can’t give this stuff away. I think the phrase is “Everyone wants to learn. No one wants to practice.” Sad but true.
For everyone who is just starting, I encourage you to stick to the program. Keep it simple. Just train each piece as best you can each day and don’t worry about where you are going or where you’ve been. I don’t think any of us fully appreciate how fortunate we are to have this material. Use it. Enjoy it.
I dont know if people are supposed to respond or not, but I’ll assume we are and go ahead. If I’m wrong let me know and I’ll stop.
I’ve not spent that much time in bagua, but having spent much more time in yoga doing some of the “spiritual stuff”, it’s amazing how much time is spent, especially early on, just “cleaning accumulated filth”. I think Taoism takes this much further where as yoga cleans up enough that it can start activating and amplifying and goes from there.
I’d be interested in anything you have to share, but energetic/subtle anatomy is extra interesting to me. When I was training with Lee a few weeks ago we spent quite a bit of time talking about things like anatomy, trigrams, trigrams in bagua, higher bodies, cosmic energy, dissolving energy relating to other lifetimes, emptiness, compassion, and whatever else. Any sort of accumulated wisdom or perspective or guidance would definitely be interesting to hear about as well. Anything karma or group karma or “destiny” or whatnot would be very interesting as well.
I’ll give this some more thought before I say too much on those subjects. I’m a little hesitant to say what I really think because it will probably just piss everyone off and that doesn’t have a lot of value for any of us.
I am willing to say that the biggest problem I’ve seen with all “spiritual stuff” and particularly spiritual practices is that most people are unprepared and incapable of sustaining the energies once they are open to them. One of two things happens: 1) they become destructive to themselves and others or 2) they create a larger spiritual block that will slow the process down even further.
99% of the people I’ve met just want to create an interesting narrative. They want to feel special. They think they are their stuff, their cars, jobs, titles, clothes, and most of all, their stories.
Karma absolutely exists, but I doubt most people experience it concretely. Why talk about higher bodies when we can’t even stay present long enough to experience the simplest aspect of our physical bodies. I think the Taoists were particularly insightful on this point. Don’t misunderstand me. I haven’t been walking around in circles for the past 4 years like an idiot because I don’t think there is more.
Bruce has a lot more to teach us all. I’m amazed that he hasn’t gone out of his mind waiting for us to catch up so he can teach the more “advanced” practices. I don’t think most of his students have considered how truly unique his experience is. I also doubt we are prepared to learn what he has to offer.
Hello, Just read james’s post,I have been integrating the opening and closing of the Kwa and twisting the legs in and out into my daily life and movements,I liked what you mentioned about mental and psychic clutter and how dissolving is so important. I have recently been realising to myself this dissolving { What do I have that is me and not psychic or mental energy from belonging to a group? and that is my own core and core only minus the group psychic and mental energy.} Well said same thought different train of idea. And I agree, and am pursuing Bua Gua for health and such, serlf defense is okay and psychologically necessary, But””’…… think ahead where do you end up in america tearing another person to pieces and taking aa life????.Harsh words but true …..think about it.I shouldn’t talk but sometimes i do. my lil blurb to show i am active at Energy Arts Thanx Al Ray.
This is an archived forum (read only). Go to our active forum where you can post and discuss in real time.