Balance/War and Peace – 10/4/21

The idea of balance is paramount to our success in the internal arts. It is very apparent in the physical movements, and less so in the mind and spirit. Yet when we examine our lives, we see how balance is manifested even in our aging process.

As a child, our body’s energy moves up and out to explore our external environment, yet our mind is entirely centered and directed on developing the sense of me – the inside. As we age and approach the end of our life, the body’s energy is returning inward, limited and small, self directed, while our mind flows outward, beyond the confines of our own Self, and is directed toward a feeling of unity with the life force. What a beautiful journey of natural balance within and without.

Lately I have been reading a history of the 20^th Century, written by two Americans. What strikes me the most is that, except for a few brief periods, our country has been constantly involved in war in some form. Millions of people have been killed for reasons too complex and contradictory to comprehend.

As a teacher of Tai Chi Chuan, I must consider myself a martial artist, yet the idea of war is abhorrent to me. I see my job as helping people gain the skills and philosophical strength to move around conflict and into inter-action, a mutual exchange, resulting in peaceful resolution. The stronger an individual gets physically and spiritually, the less he has to fear his neighbor. The less fear, the more he is able to love and understand, which results in peace.

We must use our martial arts training to strengthen our middle dantien, our heart center, and let the energy express itself as compassion and understanding.