Complexity is Closer to the Truth

"For the Eastern mystic, all things and events perceived by the senses are interrelated, connected and are but different aspects or manifestations of the same ultimate reality.  Our tendency to divide the perceived world into individual and separate things and to experience ourselves as isolated egos in this world is seen as an illusion which comes from our measuring and categorizing mentally.  It is called avidya, or ignorance, in Buddhist philosophy and is seen as the sate of a disturbed mind which has to be overcome.

'When the mind is disturbed, the multiplicity of things is produced, but when the mind is quieted, the multiplicity of things disappears.'

Although the various schools of Eastern mysticism differ in many details, they all emphasize the basic unity of the universe which is the central feature of their teachings.  The highest aim for their followers - whether they are Hindus, Buddhists or Taoists - is to become aware of the unity and mutual interdependence of all things, to transcend the notion of an isolated individual self and to identify themselves with the ultimate reality.  The emergence of this awareness - known as 'enlightenment'- is not only an intellectual act but is an experience which involves the whole person and is religious in its ultimate nature.  For this reason, most Eastern philosophies are essentially religious philosophies."

-  Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics, 25th Anniversary Edition, p. 24  


   In my experience, life is rightly characterized as diverse, complicated, varied, rich in multiplicity, saturated with the 'ten thousand things.'  Personally, I find little need to seek or to find or to have the "experience of unity."  This state of "unification," when actualized, is in most cases rather fleeting.  It may be profound, but no more so that the beauty of complexity and the fascinating reality of diversity.  I do not find the experience of the multiplicity of things distressing, disturbing, or disheartening.  

Just because all of the eggs today are in one basket does not make the colored basket more real or more interesting or more valuable than the eggs.  

Ignoring the facticity of the complexity of the natural and mental realms seems to me a more serious ignorance, not very sensible, and ultimately unwise.  I long ago gave up on any quest for "enlightenment" (in Hindu or Buddhist terms) and prefer the ordinary state of mind grounded in a world that is not simple, not one, not unified, complex, and rich in details.  To claim that our normal experience of complexity and variety is an "illusion" or "ignorance (avidya) seems to me a form of incorrect judgment.  

No doubt, trying to simplify one's life has its benefits, reducing sensory overload can reduce stress, and not becoming overly infatuated with novelty can be helpful; but, pushing on this strange path towards the "enlightenment" or "realization" of a pure and uncluttered "Unity" can produce its own distressing and disturbing predicaments for a person.  

Many philosophers, ancient and modern, have made a sharp distinction between appearances and Reality, the many and the One, the phenomena and the Noumena, and multiplicity and Unity.  For me, it is muddled thinking to call all of our experiences "just fleeting illusions" and fabricate a true realm of being outside of our personal and social and practical experiences.  Indeed, we can't "see" in any ordinary sense of "see," the cells, molecules, atoms, and the subatomic particles that constitute the objects of our macro-cosmic world; but, this in no way means the multiplicity of objects in our ordinary environment are in any way "illusions."  The meaning of "objects" is much more complicated, varied in linguistic usage, and functional in many practical contexts.  Again, complexity is closer to the truth.  

"I, who make no other profession, find in myself such infinite depth and variety, that what I have learned bears no other fruit than to make me realize how much I still have to learn.  To my weakness, so often perceived, I owe my inclination to coolness in my opinions and any hatred for that aggressiveness and quarrelsome arrogance that believes and trust wholly in itself, a mortal enemy of discipline and truth."
- Michel de Montaigne, "Of Experience," 1588

Our selves are, to Montaigne, "wavelike and varying" - ondoyant et divers. 


Complexity and Diversity 

Nature Mysticism:  Resources, Quotes, Notes

Gardening and Mysticism

Green Way Research Subject Index

March Gardening Chores

Red Bluff, North Sacramento Valley, California, USAUSDA Zone 9

Lately, we have had lots of rain in the valley and snow in the mountains.  This week, thus far, 4 inches of rain has fallen.  Snow levels are down to 4,000 feet in the Yolla Bolly's to the west, the southern Cascades to the east, the Trinity Alps in the northwest, and Mt. Shasta to the north.  More rain and snow are expected for the next six days.   Consequently, little gardening activity outside for a week or two because of our soaked clay soils.  The next photograph, taken in 1/2012, shows how the snow covered Yolla Bolly's look from our backyard. This mountain range is about 30 miles to the west of our home.

Typical Weather for Our Area   Normally, in March, we have daytime high temperatures of 64ºF, nighttime low temperatures of 42ºF, and we get 2.7 inches of rain.

Red Bluff Gardening Notebooks of Karen and Mike Garofalo

March:  Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Lore

Spring Equinox Celebrations

Spring:  Quotations, Poems, Sayings, Lore

Gardening:  A Somaesthetic Practice


March Photographs by Karen Garofalo

March Gardening Chores in Red Bluff

Browsing and ordering from seed and garden catalogs.
Planting potted trees and shrubs.  
Placing cold sensitive potted plants in protected areas or indoors.
Pruning and mulching dormant trees and vines. 
Repairing and sharpening tools.
Fertilizing with 16-16-16 or manure. 
Planting seeds in containers in the greenhouse.
Planting some vegetable starts in the ground.
Watering as needed.
Removing deadwood from trees and shrubs. 
Moving bulbs. 
Raking up fallen twigs and branches.
Weeding around the base of small trees and shrubs.
Mowing and weeding as needed.
Cleaning and repairing drip irrigation lines. 
Making up To Do lists. 
Spring Cleaning inside the house. 
Spraying dormant trees and shrubs. 
Painting fences and art objects as needed. 
Bringing spring flowers indoors to enjoy. 
Developing Spring Resolutions for personal improvements. 
Fixing up lawn mowers and other power tools for outdoor work.   
Sharpening and oiling hand tools. 
Home improvement projects. 
Roto-tilling and double digging as needed. 
Updating March and Spring webpages. 
Reading, reading, reading.


Karen Garofalo took all the photographs shown below at our home in Red Bluff, California.

Cheng Man-ch'ing T'ai Chi Ch'uan Workshop

A two day master workshop on the Cheng Man-ch'ing style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan will be held in Newport, Oregon on Saturday and Sunday, June 25th and 26th, 2016, 10:00 a.m. - noon and 2:00 - 5:30 each day. This workshop will be taught by Oliver Pijoan and assisted by Jon Griffis (past senior student of Oliver’s and a current Tai Chi instructor in Fort Collins, Colorado). 

The entire form will be covered in detail emphasizing the finer and more challenging aspects of Dr. Cheng’s style of Tai Chi Chuan, its philosophical attributes and integration of the five principles.

Cost: $175.00 both days, $95.00 one day.  $165.00 both days, $90.00 one day if paid in full before May 15th.  A $50.00 deposit is required to secure your place.  Mail to: Oliver Pijoan, 345 SE 98th St., South Beach, OR 97366.

Oliver Pijoan, a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for 25 years, is a master teacher of tai chi with more than 40 years of tai chi experience. Oliver began studying Wu style tai chi with John Menken in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1974, and then Cheng Man-ch'ing style in 1999.  His teachers have included Benjamin Lo, Tam Gibbs (direct students of Professor Chen), Michael Stenson (a second generation teacher of Professor Chen) and other notable instructors.  Please contact Oliver at (970) 222-8529 or email him at dr.olivario@gmail.com for further information."  Teaching in Newport and Waldport, Oregon.  

I plan to attend this Cheng Man-ch'ing Workshop in Newport, Oregon, in June of 2016.  

Flyer for this workshop.  

Chen Man-ch'ing (1901-1975)  Chinese medical doctor, Tai Chi master, author, poet, painter.  This webpage includes a brief chronology, extensive bibliography, links, resources, and quotations.  

Chen Man-ch'ing T'ai Chi Ch'uan 37 Movement Form in the Yang Style
List of postures in English with the Wade-Giles transliterations of the Mandarin Chinese posture phrases, facing directions for each posture, and source references.  A Valley Spirit Taijiquan Guide by Mike Garofalo.  PDF, print only format.  First published online in September, 2008.  

T'ai Chi Ch'uan in Northern California, Oregon and Washington

Activities to Increase Your Happiness

Happiness Activities

1.  Expressing Gratitude
2.  Cultivating Optimism
3.  Avoiding Over-Thinking and Social Comparisons
4.  Practicing Acts of Kindness
5.  Nurturing Social Relationships
6.  Developing Strategies for Coping
7.  Learning to Forgive 
8.  Increasing Flow Expectations
9.  Savoring Life's Joys
10.  Committing to Your Goals
11.  Practicing Spirituality
12.  Taking Care of Your Body (Psychological Methods)
13.  Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity)
14.  Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person)
15.  The Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness: Positive Emotions,
       Optimal Timing and Variety, Social Support, Motivation, Effort,
       Commitment, and Habit.  

The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want  By Sonja Lyubomirsky.  New York, Penguin Books, 2008.  Index, extensive notes, appendix, 366 pages.  ISBN: 978-1594201486.  Ms. Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California at Riverside, and a leader in the field of positive psychology.  

Professor Lyubomirsky analyzes what determines happiness.  Her research indicates that "happiness" is determined approximately 50% by our internal biological "Set Point", 10% by our circumstances in life, and 40% by our intentional activity.  Her explanations and suggestions are clear, reasonable, and grounded in psychological research.  Gaining effective use of our intentional activities is the focus of this book.  "This much happiness - up to 40% - is within your power to change."  

How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise Persons

Virtues and a Good Life

An Old Philosopher's Notebooks

Pleasure

Reading

Epicureanism

Tai Chi Chuan Class in Red Bluff, California

T'ai Chi, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Taijiquan

Class in Red Bluff, California

Instructor:  Michael Garofalo

Time:  Saturdays, 9:00 - 10:15

Location:  Valley Spirit Center, Outdoor Practice

Cost:  $10 - $25, Barter, Sliding Scale

Information about the Class

Standard 24 Short Form Taijiquan in the Yang Style

Traditional 108 Yang Family Taijiquan Long Form 

Chen Taijiquan 18 Movement Short Form 

Chi Kung (Qigong) Warmup Exercises

Sit Quietly

"You are sitting on the earth and you realize that this earth deserves you and you deserve this earth.  You are there - fully, personally, genuinely."
-  Chogyam Trungpa

"Remain sitting at your table and listen. 
Do not even listen, simply wait, 
be quiet still and solitary. 
The world will freely offer itself 
to you to be unmasked, 
it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy 
at your feet."
-  Franz Kafka

"Teach us to care and not to care.
Teach us to sit still."
- T.S. Eliot

"Sit quietly
focus and forget
rest with the great achievement.
The ancient child asks
"what is the great achievement?"
It is beyond description in any language
it can only be felt intuitively
it can only be expressed intuitively.
Engage a loose, alert, and aware
body, mind, and sound
then look into the formless
and perceive no thing.
See yourself as a sphere
small at first
growing to encompass
the vastness of infinite space.
Sit quietly
focus and forget then
in a state of ease and rest
secure the truth of the great achievement.
Employing the truth will not exhaust its power
when it seems exhausted it is really abundant
and while human art will die at the hands of utility
the great achievement is beyond being useful.
Great straightness is curved and crooked
great intelligence is raw and silly
great words are simple and naturally awkward.
Engaged movement drives out the frozen cold
mindful stillness subdues the frenzied heart.
Sit quietly
focusing
forgetting
summon order from the void
that guides the ordering of the universe."
-  Tao Te Ching, Chapter 45, Translated by John Bright-Fey, 2006


"There are many matters and many circumstances in which consciousness is undesirable and silence is golden, so that secrecy can be used as a marker to tell us that we are approaching the holy."-  Gregory Bateson, Angels Fear


Solitude

Tranquility

Sitting in the Garden

Zuowang Meditation

Spirituality and Nature

Contemplation

Reading

Swinging Arms Chi Kung Exercises

Swinging Arms Qigong Exercises.  By Mike Garofalo.  Notes, bibliography, quotations, descriptions of exercises.  

1.  Swinging Arms Exercise - Form One

Swinging the Arms Forward and Back, Up and Down
Swinging to Connect the Kidneys and Lungs
Pendulum Swing

1.  Stand with your feet at a hip width distance apart, less than shoulder width, feet pointing straight ahead.  Keep the knees slightly bent.  This standing stance should be comfortable.  Release tension in the body, soften, stay loose, open the chest, keep an open mind - in short, maintain Sung. 
2.  Keep your head over your shoulders, and the head in line with the spine.  Lift the crown of the head and tuck the chin a little.  Shoulders are kept relaxed, but don't slouch.  Maintain central equilibrium.  Keep an upright posture. 
3.  The feet are grounded and rooted into the earth.  Feet remain flat on the floor during the entire exercise.  The feet should point straight ahead.  The knees are over the feet.   
4.  Look forward, soften and widen your visual focus.  Take in the whole practice scene.  Don't try to block sensory feelings, zone out, or escape being fully present in the simple here and now.
5.  Arms should be loose, relaxed, and hanging gently at the sides of your hips.  Hands should remain soft and relaxed. 
6.  Gently raise both arms up in front of the body, palms facing down.  Raise the arms up to about shoulder height or less, depending upon the mobility or comfort range of motion for your shoulder joint.  The arms are fairly straight with only a slight bend in the elbow. 
7.  Allow the arms to gently move down and back to the sides of your hips.  Continue to lift the arms up behind the body, palms facing up, to a height you are comfortable with, depending upon the mobility of your shoulder joint.  Most people draw the hands up behind the back at considerably less than a 30 degree angle up from the hips.  Then bring the arms downward until the hands are along sides of the hips.  The arms are fairly straight with only a slight bend in the elbow. 
8.  Continue moving both arms at the same time from the hips, up to about shoulder height or less in front, down to the sides of the hips, and up the back, then down to the hips.  Be gentle.  Take your time.  Both arms will gradually begin to effortlessly swing up and down, forward and back, up and down.  Relax!  The arms are fairly straight with only a slight bend in the elbow. 
9.  Breathing is natural, comfortable, effortless, unstrained.  Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.  The tongue rests gently on the upper palate.  
10.  The knees will gently begin to bend and straighten slightly as the arms swing forward and back.  A swinging rhythm will establish a bending pattern and movement flow in the knees.  Don't keep the knees stiff, locked, or rigid.  Go with the flow. 
11.  Continue to swing the arms forward and back until you have warmed up your body, loosed the joints, and established a comfortable and flowing motion of swinging your arms.  Slowly increase the pace of your swinging. 
12.  Avoid rapidly snapping the lower arms or hands as you draw you arms downward from the front.   
13.  Enjoy swinging your arms forward and backward for as long as you like.  Start with a swinging practice of two to four minutes, and gradually increase the practice time as your body becomes conditioned to the exercise, your stamina increases, and you find benefits from doing this exercise. 
14.  As you near the end of the exercise period, slow the swinging pace down and reduce the range of motion in the swing.  Gradually slow down and finally stop.  Stand and rest for awhile.   
    This dynamic stretching exercise helps various parts of the body and is an excellent warm up exercise.  It stretches the biceps as you draw the arms back and up.  It stretches the triceps as you swing the arms up and forward.  The relaxed fingers and wrists are stretched on the downward fall of the arms (a nice counter to the flexed and tensed positions of the hands on a keyboard).  The shoulder joint and tendons benefit from the gentle range of motion activity, and the deltoid muscles are exercised.  The pectoral muscles are stretched on the backward movement of the arms.  Strength gains, although very modest, are primarily in the deltoids, latissimus, quadriceps, and trapesius.  If the swinging arms activity is continued long enough the heartbeat will increase slightly.  This kind of rhythmic activity has a calming effect on the body and reduces stress.  Stephen Sinatra, M.D., claims this exercise will benefit the thoracic duct and help the heart.  Chinese Qigong masters claim that Qi flow is enhanced and the body energized, blood pressure is reduced, and various diseases are prevented or healed. 

    There are alternative versions of this Swinging Arms exercise practiced and recommended by different folks.  Some people like to quietly count the repetitions on the forward up swing as it helps them to focus and maintain a regular breathing pattern.  Some people just swing one arm forward and back, and alternate between the arms.  Guo Lin's Qigong, a Walking Qigong, for cancer patients, alternates the arm swing from side to side, but the elbows are bent more and the waist turns from side to side as the arms swing upward.  Some people enjoy stepping in place or walking forward in a coordinated manner (e.g., Yang Jwing Ming) as they swing their arms forward and backward, up and down.  Swinging the arms or pumping the arms during brisk walking is a popular exercise.  Some swing the arms higher up in the front, up to face level or higher.  Some rise on their heels as they swing the arms up.  Some rock the toes up and down, or the heels up and down as they swing their arms.  Some like to talk with others as they swing their arms, others prefer being quiet.  Some hold very light dumbbells or kettlebells in the hands while doing this exercise for greater strength gains (forward dumbbell raises), although repetitions are kept low.  

Here are the instructions for this exercise found in: 
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Tai Chi: 12 Weeks to a Healthy Body, Strong Heart, and Sharp Mind .  By Peter M. Wayne, Ph.D., and Mark L. Fuerst.  Boston, Shambhala Press, 2013.  Index, detailed notes, 336 pages.  A Harvard Health Publication.  ISBN: 978-1590309421.  VSCL. 

Swinging to Connect the Kidneys and Lungs, p. 72:
    
     "This gentle movement also loosens up the body, provides moderate aerobic activity, develops dynamic balance, and stimulates deep breathing.

    Maintaining a comfortable shoulder-width stance, begin by raising up your arms overhead, and then release them down, surrendering to the simple pull of gravity.  As your arms swing upward and slightly outward, allow a gentle opening of your chest and ribs, a lengthening of your spine, as well as a lengthening of your arms from the shoulder blades to the fingertips.  Also, shift about 70 percent of your weight to the balls of the feet (stand a little more forward).  And, if it's comfortable for you, lift you chin and the gaze of your eyes slightly as your arms move up.  Imagine your lungs opening and stretching with this shape, and breath in during the upswing. 
    Each time your arms come down, bend the knees slightly and sit into the kwah, shift about 60 percent of the weight in your feet to your heels, and exhale.  As you "sit" into this posture, relax your hips and pelvic area (kwah), feel the slight opening of the lower spine, and feel the gentle stretch and massage in your lower back muscles and kidney region.
    Repeat the upward and downward swinging, stimulating and connecting the lung and kidney region, 9 to 36 times.  If your balance is stable, and/or if you want gradually to challenge and improve your dynamic balance, slightly raise your heels off the ground during the upswing, and return to a flat footed position (slightly more weighed in the heels) on the downswing.
    Begin with smaller movements, and as your tissues and joints warm up, gently let the movements get larger.  But never force any movements, and stay within 70 percent of your maximum range of motion.  Do even less if you have shoulder or back injuries.  Do not bend your knees more than 10 percent; this is not a deep knee-bending exercise.  Focus more on folding or sitting into the kwah.  If coordinating your breath with the movements creates any discomfort, such as shortness of breath or light-headedness, simply breathe naturally and focus on the quality of the movements." 

The kwah is the area of the body located in the groin, where the hips meet the legs.  The major anterior muscles in the kwah area are the psoas major, illio psosas, and adductor muscles.  The posterior muscles in the kwah area are mainly the gluteus.  Whole books have been written about the Posas:  The Vital Psoas Muscle: Connecting Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being, by Jo Ann Staugaard-Jones, North Atlantic Books, 2012.

Chen T'ai Chi Ch'uan Reading

The Essence of Taijiquan.  By David Gaffney and Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim.  CreateSpace Publishing, 2012.  Interviews, bibliography, 288 pages.  ISBN: 978-1500609238.  VSCL.  

Chen Style Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji Boxing.  By Davidine Siaw-Voon Sim and David Gaffney.  Berkeley, CA, North Atlantic Books, 2002.  Index, charts, 224 pages.  ISBN: 1556433778.   Provides an excellent introduction to Chen style Taijiquan history and legends, outlines the major forms, discusses the philosophy and foundations of the art, and gives very good information on training methods, push hands, and weapons.  Very well written, highly informative, and a unique contribution to the field.  Essential reading for all learning the Chen style of Tai Chi Chuan.  The Hand Forms (Taolu) are described on pp. 110-141.  [Sim & Gaffney 2002]  VSCL.  

Gaffney and Siaw-Voon Sim are advanced Chen Taijiquan teachers.  They studied for many years with Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang in China, and with many other top Chen Taijiquan teachers.  They are very knowledgeable and highly skilled in Chen Taijiquan.  

I have been rereading "The Essence of Taijiquan."  Highly informative!  Excellent information on Taijiquan training principles, methods, and progression.  Strong emphasis upon training for combat skills.  Interesting observations about everyday life in the Chen village, ancestor respect and rituals, and overcoming the repression of the Maoist Cultural Revolution.

Chen T'ai Chi Ch'uan:  Forms, Bibliography, Weapons, Links, Resources


Chen Style Taijiquan, Old Frame First Form, Lao Jia Yi Lu
By Michael P. Garofalo.  

This webpage includes a detailed bibliography of books, media, and articles.  Extensive selection of Internet links.
List of movement names in English, Chinese characters, Chinese Pinyin, French, German, and Spanish; and citations for sources of the movement names.
Detailed list of DVDs and videos available online.
Extensive notes on the author's learning the Old Frame, First Routine, Lao Jia Yi Lu; and on learning Chen Style Taijiquan.
Record of performance times of this form by many masters.
Breakdown by sections of the form, with separate lists for each section.  General   information, history, facts, information, pointers, and quotations.  

Dao De Jing, Chapter 38

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 38

"Reality does not represent itself as real: that is its reality. 
Reality abandons itself into reality: that is its presence. 
It cannot judge this to be high or that to be low: that is its exaltation. 
It has no purpose: that is its fulfillment. 
It is without compassion: that is its mercy. 
The man of rectitude tries to make things turn out right,
and when that fails he rolls up his sleeves and redoubles his efforts. 
If you lose the way, you lose reality. 
If you lose reality, you lose compassion. 
If you lose compassion, you lose rectitude. 
If you lose rectitude, you lose your manners. 
When people have no manners the world descends into anarchy, tumbles into a void. 
But in the anarchy we act again;
we must learn how to behave;
we learn rectitude; 
we learn sincerity: 
not the appearance this time but the very heart. 
Can you remain in the center and allow things to be? 
Either way you always return."
-  Translated by Crispin Starwell, Chapter 38  


"To give without seeking reward
To help without thinking it is virtuous
Therein lies the great virtue
To keep account of your action
To help with the hope of gaining merit
Therein lies no virtue
The highest virtue is to act without a sense of self
The highest kindness is to give without condition
The highest justice is to see without preference
When Tao is lost one must learn the rules of virtue
When virtue is lost, the rules of kindness
When kindness is lost, the rules of justice
When justice is lost, the rules of conduct
And when the high-blown rules of conduct are not followed people are seized by the arm and it is forced on them
The rules of conduct are just an outer show of devotion and loyalty
Quite confusing to the heart
And when men rely on these rules for guidance
Oh, what ignorance abounds!
The great master follows his own nature and not the trappings of life
It is said, he stays with the fruit and not the fluff
Stays with the firm and not the flimsy
Stays with the true and not the false."
-  Translated by Johathan Star, 2001, Chapter 38  


   "The man of highest “power” does not reveal himself as a possessor of “power”;
Therefore he keeps his “power”.
The man of inferior “power” cannot rid it of the appearance of “power”;
Therefore he is in truth without “power”.
The man of highest “power” neither acts nor is there any who so regards him;
The man of inferior “power” both acts and is so regarded.
The man of highest humanity, though he acts, is not regarded;
Whereas a man of even the highest morality both acts and is so regarded;
While even he who is best versed in ritual not merely acts,
But if people fail to respond
Then he will pull up his sleeves and advance upon them.
That is why it is said:
“After Tao was lost, then came the 'power';
After the 'power' was lost, then came human kindness.”
After human kindness was lost, then came morality,
After morality was lost, then came ritual.
Now ritual is the mere husk of loyalty and promise-keeping
And is indeed the first step towards brawling.”
Foreknowledge may be the “flower of doctrine”,
But it is the beginning of folly.
Therefore the full-grown man takes his stand upon the solid substance
And not upon the mere husk,
Upon the fruit and not upon the flower.
Truly, “he reject that and takes this”."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 38 

上德不德, 是以有德.
下德不失德, 是以無德. 
上德無為而無以為.
下德為之, 而有以為. 
上仁為之, 而無以為.
上義為之, 而有以為.   
上禮為之.
而莫之應.
則攘臂而扔之. 
故失道而後德. 
失德而後仁.
失仁而後義失義.
而後禮. 
夫禮者, 忠信之薄, 而亂之首.   
前識者, 道之華而愚之始. 
是以大丈夫處其厚, 不居其薄.
處其實, 不居其華. 
故去彼取此. 
-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38

shang tê pu tê, shih yi yu tê.
hsia tê pu shih tê, shih yi wu tê.
shang tê wu wei erh wu yi wei.
hsia tê wei chih, erh yu yi wei.
shang jên wei chih, erh wu yi wei.
shang yi wei chih, erh yu yi wei.
shang ki wei chih.
erh mo chih ying.
tsê jang pi erh jêng chih.
ku shih tao erh hou tê. 
shih tê erh hou jên.
shih jên erh hou yi shih yi.
erh hou li.
fu li chê, chung hsin chih pao, erh luan chih shou. 
ch'ien shih chê, tao chih hua erh yü chih shih.
shih yi ta chang fu ch'u ch'i hou, pu chü ch'i pao.
ch'u ch'i shih, pu chü ch'i hua.
ku ch'ü pi ch'ü tz'u.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 38 

"The Tao–Master does not cling to power
 and is therefore truly powerful.
 The lesser man clings to power and thus has none.
 The truly powerful man does nothing [i.e., he practices non–ado (wu–wei)]
 and thus leaves nothing undone.
 The lesser man is awhirl with activity
 and thus gets nothing accomplished.
 The virtuous man does what is good as an end in itself.
 The moral man has a need to do what is good.
 The man of propriety (li) makes doing good into a ritual,
 and if people do not follow him willingly,
 he forces them into line.
 Thus, when the Tao is lost, virtue arises.
 When virtue is lost, morality arises.
 When morality is lost, justice arises.
 When justice is lost, propriety arises.
 Propriety is merely a shadow of justice, morality, and virtue;
 it is the beginning of chaos . . . .
 Therefore, the Tao–Master stays with the Tao.
 He does not live on the surface of things.
 He looks to the fruit, not to the flower.
 He accepts this Tao and rejects that non–Tao."
 -  Translated by George Cronk, 1999, Chapter 38 

"Un verdadero buen hombre no es conciente de su bondad;
por eso mismo es bueno.
Un hombre tonto trata de ser bueno;
por eso mismo no lo es.
Un verdadero buen hombre no hace nada;
sin embargo, no deja nada sin hacer.
Un hombre tonto está siempre haciendo;
sin embargo, mucho queda sin hacer.
Cuando un verdadero hombre amable hace algo,
no deja nada sin hacer.
Cuando un hombre justo hace algo,
deja mucho sin hacer.
Cuando un hombre disciplinado hace algo y no le responden,
enrolla sus mangas en un intento de forzarlos al orden.
Por lo tanto, cuando el Tao está perdido, queda la bondad.
Cuando la bondad se pierde, queda la amabilidad.
Cuando la amabilidad se pierde, queda la justicia.
Cuando la justicia se pierde, queda el ritual.
Ahora el rito es la cáscara de la fe y
la lealtad, el comienzo de la confusión.
El conocimiento del futuro es sólo la florida trampa del Tao.
Es el principio del desatino.
Por esto el verdadero gran hombre se atiene a lo real
y no a lo superficial.
Se detiene en el fruto, no en la flor.
Así se acepta lo uno y se rechaza el resto."
-  Translated by Cristina Bosch, 2002, Capítulo #38

  "To assume virtue without being really virtuous is to be virtuous from duty;
To be less virtuous, yet not to lose real virtue, is to be virtuous from Inner Life.
Supreme virtue comes through activity of Inner Life; then let us actively seek Inner Life.
TO be less virtuous and to practice it, let us be active in the performance of duty.
To assume benevolence and practice it let us actively seek Inner Life.
To assume right conduct and practice it let us be active in the performance of duty.
To assume expediency and practice it is to find that no one honours it; then it bares the arm, and asserts itself by force.
Therefore, when Tao is lost, follow Virtue; when virtue is lost, follow benevolence; when benevolence is lost, follow right conduct; when right conduct is lost, follow expediency.
Those who are Masters of expediency have in the heart only the shadow of faith; and in the mind only confusion.
Those who are Leaders of politeness have only the husk of Tao, which is the source of ignorance.
That is why the greatest of the Masters abide in the real,
They do not abide in the shadow.
They hold to the fruit, they do not hold to the husk.
Therefore they put away the latter and take hold of the former."
-  Translated by Isabella Mears, 1916, Chapter 38  


"True or False? What happens when we lose the Tao

Those who are most worthy don’t make an issue of their worth;
this is why they are worthy.
Those who are least worthy never let go of their self-importance;
this is why they are not worthy.
Great character is natural and not contrived.
Lesser character may look natural, but it is an act.

When true kindness is performed,
it is done without thought of the result.
When true justice is applied,
it is done with deliberation.
If we are considerate in our actions, and yet no agreement is reached,
then preparations are made for conflict and confrontation.

So it is, that when the Tao is lost, righteousness remains.
After righteousness is lost, kindness remains.
After kindness is lost, justice remains.
After justice is lost, polite behavior remains.
Those who rely on polite behavior inspire superficial loyalties,
and this is the beginning of disorder.

Until we become familiar with it,
our knowledge of the Tao is superficial.
This is the beginning of ignorance.
At our best we focus on the substantial,
and are not taken in by what is flimsy.
At our best we deal with what is deep rather than superficial.
So we leave the one and take the other."
-  Translated by Roderic and Amy Sorrell, 2003, Chapter 38 


   

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 38, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

A Philosopher's Notebooks

Virtues and a Good Life

Correcting the Clocks

"A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or a bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year.  Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars that have the same number of days in each year drift over time with respect to the event that the year is supposed to track. By inserting (also called intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected. A year that is not a leap year is called a common year.

For example, in the Gregorian calendar, each leap year has 366 days instead of the usual 365, by extending February to 29 days rather than the common 28. Similarly, in the lunisolar Hebrew calendar, Adar Aleph, a 13th lunar month, is added seven times every 19 years to the twelve lunar months in its common years to keep its calendar year from drifting through the seasons.

The name "leap year" comes from the fact that while a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, the day of the week in a leap year will advance two days (from March onwards) due to the extra day added at the end of February (thus "leaping over" one of the days in the week). For example, Christmas fell on Tuesday in 2001, Wednesday in 2002, and Thursday in 2003 but then "leapt" over Friday to fall on a Saturday in 2004."
Leap Year - Wikipedia  

Our lives are ordered by time in many ways.  We have personal and idiosyncratic experiences and conceptions of duration and time.  Our social and employment lives are strictly governed by clocks and calendars. The flow of the seasons effects our personal well being, access to food, our comforts and discomforts.  Our personal participation in the temporal dimension is limited by our birth and death dates. 

The subject of "time" has been of serious interest to philosophers, thinkers, scientists, poets, and mystics for over 4,000 years.  Here are two good books, written in a fairly accessible style, that I recommend:

Time, the Familiar Stranger   By J. T. Frazier.  University of Massachusetts Press, 2012.  Index, bibliography, notes, 408 pages.  ISBN: 9781558498594. 

Time and the Art of Living  By Robert Grudin.  Mariner Books, 1997.  Index, 250 pages.  ISBN: 978039689814. 

You Can't Dance and Stay Uptight

Dancing in the Moonlight
By King Harvest
1972

"We get it almost every night
When that moon gets big and bright
It's supernatural delight
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Everybody here is out of sight
They don't bark and they don't bite
They keep things loose, they keep things light
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody feeling warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight

We like our fun and we never fight
You can't dance and stay uptight
It's supernatural delight
Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feeling warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight

Dancing in the moonlight
Everybody's feeling warm and bright
It's such a fine and natural sight
Everybody's dancing in the moonlight"

Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan Short Form

I have enjoyed practicing this short Chen Taijiquan form for the past eight years.  It was developed by Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei.

Chen Taijiquan Short 18 Movement Form Webpage

List of Movements of the Chen Taijiquan 18 Movement Short Form

Chen Taijiquan Old Frame First Form Laojia Yilu Webpage


Chen Style Tai Chi Essential 18 Postures with Patrick Martin.  Instructional DVD, 2 DVDs, 238 minutes.  Disk 1, 130 Minutes.  Jade Dragon Tai Chi International, Empty Circle Productions, 2008.  VSCL.  Patrick Martin is a student of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei, and has been practicing and teaching Chen style Tai Chi for the last 20 years.  Detailed instructions for each movement sequence.  This DVD would be my first choice for an excellent instructional DVD on the Chen 18 Form.  


Watch Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei perform the short form he created:

Enjoy Yourself

“I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.”
- Rita Mae Brown

“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!”
- Mae West

"If it does not come at the last to gladness, then to hell with it."
- Douglas Wilson, Angels in the Architecture

"I believe in the flesh and the appetites;
Seeing, hearing, feeling, are miracles, and each part and tag of me is a miracle.
Divine am I inside and out, and I make holy whatever I touch or am touch’d from;
The scent of these arm-pits, aroma finer than prayer;
This head more than churches, bibles, and all the creeds."
- Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Pleasures

Epicureanism  

Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life By Daniel Klein. New York, Penguin Books, 2012. 164 pages. ISBN: 9780143126621. 

Eight Treasures Chi Kung Exercise Set

I frequently teach the Chinese Eight Section Brocade Chi Kung exercise and fitness routine in my Taijiquan class and my Yoga class.  Naturally, I include many comments about Shaolin and Daoist fitness and healthy living concepts.

This Eight Treasures exercise and fitness routine has a varied and long history with ancient roots back to the Animal Frolics Dao-yin exercises of 300 CE.  Some of the Eight Treasures exercises involve toughening, courage, and fighting and were used in military exercise and conditioning drills.  Many versions of the Ba Duan Jin include 12 exercises or more.   

One recent book that provides good documentation on the history of Chinese exercise practices (Chi Kung, Qigong, Neigong), including five illustrated versions of the Eight Section Brocade, is:  

An Illustrated Handbook of Chinese Qigong Forms from the Ancient Texts  Complied by Li Jingwei and Zhu Jianping.  London, Singing Dragon, 2014.  No index or bibliography, 325 pages.  ISBN: 9781848191976.  Many excellent line drawings are included to illustrate the postures.  VSCL. 

Back in 2002, I created the webpage titled:  The Eight Section Brocade Chi Kung.
  

The Ba Duan Jin Qigong form includes eight basic exercises to help you keep limber, become stronger, improve your balance, and increase your stamina.  There are opportunities for squatting movements and postures to strengthen the legs.  

  The entire Eight Beautiful Tapestries Chi Kung form is normally done while standing, although there are some versions done in a seated posture for meditative purposes or for frail persons. 

There are numerous versions of this popular Chi Kung form.  There are many good books, instructional DVDs, and UTube videos to choose from on this topic.  My webpage includes a long bibliography on the Eight Section Brocade Chi Kung with citations for resources, links, videos, books, and instructional DVDs on the subject.  

  I make a number of comments about each of the eight movements, including comments about the movement variations, physical training targets, muscles worked, attitude, internal alchemy (Neidan), benefits, options, comparisons with yoga asanas, and breathing patterns.  

  

I offer my own version with fairly detailed comments on each of the eight movements.  Here is my one page class handout for the Eight Section Brocade Chi Kung class.  


"The name “Ba Duan Jin” has been found as early as the Northern Song Dynasty. According to Hong Mai's (洪邁) Yi Jian Zhi (夷堅志, Song Dynasty), Zhenghe Seventh Year, Emperor's Chief Secretary, Li Shi-Ju, lived a simple life.  He spent a large portion of his time in his mediation room practicing Daoist Monk’s exercises expanding like a bear and stretching like a bird. In the early hours, he is often found breathing and massaging, practicing the so-called Eight-Section Brocade (Ba Duan Jin). This passage reveals that Ba Duan Jin has been developed and practiced since the Song Dynasty as a general health-keeping regime.
    Both sitting and standing forms have been found in the history of Ba Duan Jin (八段錦),. Standing forms were developed into two schools (northern and southern styles) in the Qing Dynasty. The Northern School, said to have been passed down by Yue Fei (岳飛), has tougher forms, and the Southern School, claimed the lineage from Liang Shi-Chang (梁世昌), focuses on softer trainings. Quite a few verses has been passed down during the period from Song Dynasty to Qing Dynasty, but all verses for the standing forms have evolved from the passages recorded in "The Chapter of Wonders, Pivot of Dao" (道樞·眾妙篇, Dao Shu, Zong Miao Pian, Song Dynasty) and verses of the sitting style from the forms recorded in "TheTen Books of Daoist Practices" (修真十書 Xiu Zhen Shi Shu, Ming Dynasty ).  or "The Methods of Curing"(活人心法, Huo Ren Xin Fa, Ming Dynasty). Sets Ba Duan Jin forms are not always limited to the number of eight. The number of forms in a set range from a single form to tens or as many as a hundred; nevertheless, they are all exercise regimes designed for health-keeping, preventive, and therapeutic purposes, and, liberally saying, all exercise regimes designed for such purposes are part of the Ba Duan Jin system."
-   Lee Chang-Chih,  A Brief Introduction to Ba Daun Jin.  "Reinterpreting Ba Duan Jing From the Theories of the Eight Extra Meridians" 2005