Bien Hua – The Study of Inertia

[Anonymous]

I’ve always wondered and still wonder what Bien Hua is all about. In one of the recent palm changes, one of Bruce’s long time students asks about it. I don’t recall the specifics and it really doesn’t matter. IMO this subject comes much later in your training is is really the bridge to circle walking as a meditation practice. It only becomes pertinent when you start working with the central channel. If you’ve read my recent post, Mapping the Palm Changes to Liu’s Overview, you’ll know that I didn’t start working with these deeper aspects of the central channel until the 7th palm change.

I do think bien hua is closely related to finding the one change. In fact, I’d argue that when you know what the one change is – you know what bien hua is. That doesn’t mean you completely understand it or all of its nuances. You simply have concrete experience and have started to use it in all of the palm changes. It is the source of power at a more advanced stage.

Now your head should be spinning. You thought the mechanism that moves blood was the source of power? Remember that’s the beginning stage. Without it you are unlikely to find what I’m talking about. You may stumble on it from time to time or hallucinate some variation, but you won’t find bien hua.

So, what does bien hua have to do with inertia (the title of this post)? What I believe is that the Toaist distilled change down to its simplest form – any change from yin to yang. That statement is equally vague and abstract. They study change in simple forms like a twist of your tissue or a flow of fluid. Notice it starts with something very concrete and physical. Later it gets subtler and more profound – what’s the implication of freeing your mind from an incessant self-destructive thought?

They start with the physical because it is easier. They were brilliant because they realized if you can understand how to release the body, you can understand how to release your mind. So, again, what does this have to do with inertia? Why does Bruce mention inertia so often?

Because all of our problems are just inertia of one kind or another.

If that doesn’t interest you, consider this: the Taoist not only studied inertia, they figured out how to use its release for power.

[Anonymous]

Thanks James
for this and the 2 previous posts

[Anonymous]

You’re very welcome. I hope it helps and I apologize up front if I got anything wrong and unintentionally send you down a rat hole.

[Anonymous]

The whole crux of why Bagua studies change is summarized really well in Module 11 video 9 starting at 2:20.

Emptiness could be defined as the ability to be fully present while changing as needed without creating inertia.

[Author]

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