Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 360
Spirituality
Most people have a belief in, and desire for, something greater than themselves. Groups of like minded “seekers” have been organized into what is called “a religion”. Religions have a belief in someone, or something greater than humans, yet this “spiritual nature” can be achieved by anyone with enough faith. (Why different religions fight against others is beyond me.)
In Tai Chi we have three levels of being according to most instructors – body, mind, and spirit. Can you tell me where the “Body” begins and ends? How about where the “Mind” begins and ends? And the “Spirit”?
Body is concerned with the physical act of relating to one’s own physical body. One can see and feel the body. Tai Chi exercises the body so it becomes strong and healthy and able to carry through with the desires of the mind without too many distractions.
Mind is the invisible controller of the body. The mind uses the body to carry out its desires.The body says “I am hungry”. The mind says “In the past when I felt hungry, eating a banana made the hunger go away”. The body then follows the direction of the mind and eats the banana. The body and mind are now satisfied.
What we call “the spirit” is elusive. We want more than anything to become “spiritual beings” where there is no separation between me as an individual and all existence or Godliness. This state is usually experienced as a loss of Self. Many so called “Spiritual Practices” are attained by meditative practices, where the body, mind and spirit merge into one, then vanish. This traditionally takes many years of practice, or by taking what are known as “drugs” to get this “loss of Self”.
I personally am not searching for anything outside of my Self. I don’t need to understand why I am on this planet, in this existence. If I needed to know, I would find it out by letting go of the search. My mantra, or thought about this is “Keep Letting Go”. By letting go of the limiting grip the mind has on my existence, I will attain the ultimate, which for me, right now, might be the life I am leading.
I have known quite a few so called “Masters” or Enlightened Beings”, and they weren’t any different than you and me, only they have developed skills that we desire. For instance, the ability to sit in a cave for months or even years, doing nothing except allowing the mind to quiet down. We equate “holiness” with a quiet mind, stillness of body. Look at all the pictures of “Saints”. Or God as described by people who have achieved advanced states of being.
So the point of Tai Chi meditation is not to leave this body, but to live this life to the fullest and help others find peace, quiet, and happiness. Follow in the footsteps of those who have walked the Path before. If you keep a smile on your face, you will experience unity of body, mind, and spirit. I promise.