Greetings. Spring is upon us. I watched as two Yellow Jacket Hornets came out of hibernation and sunned themselves on the black wrought iron of our deck surround. They would just lay there for a while, then change position, then hang out for a while longer. When viewed up close, Yellow Jackets are quite attractive. I respect them and we get along fine.
Observing
Tai Chi, Chi Kung, and all the Internal arts, are based on observing: observing one’s self and others. Thoughts as well as actions. Staying present each and every moment.
When meditating, I mostly use the time to observe my mind, allowing it to quiet. When thoughts enter, I hear them in a certain voice, my voice. These voices I consider to be the workings of my sub-conscious mind, usually directing actions, like do this, do that, you should have done this or that, etc. I don’t believe thoughts can arrive without a voice attached.
What happens when the voice changes? Is this God, or Higher Wisdom? I don’t know, but it happened to me once and it changed my ideas about life and living.
It was 1971 and I was meditating in my room, in a communal house in San Francisco. It was mid day and quiet. I was sitting, just watching my breathing, in and out. My thoughts were becoming less frequent. All of a sudden, in a different voice than I always hear, came one simple sentence:
You are That which you are seeking.
I was blown away! It would be easy to attribute this to God, yet I was never a believer. It was and is still a mystery. Yet, it doesn’t matter. The thing that made it especially profound is the voice in which the thought arrived. I hadn’t heard it before, and haven’t heard it since. This voice, stating this single sentence, gave me encouragement to be myself, love myself, accept the present moment, offer to society who and what I am.
We all need to pay attention to our inner life. To take the time to just sit and listen. All we need to lead a meaningful life is within, right now. Our meditative Tai Chi practice can help us be us.