“Don’t sweat the small things”
Corollary: “They’re all small things” –Mom
Think big, be kind, & listen.
When somebody said his motorcycle was “Just a motorcycle”, the
Fonz replied, “Yeah, and I suppose your mother was just a mother.”
I have a very wide definition of art; I’ll accept just about
anything as art. Of course some art isn’t very good. I have much higher
standards for what I call great art. Great art is timeless. It is not dependent
upon context, but stands on its’ own, and doesn’t have to be explained to be
appreciated. Great art creates within itself a complete universe, and speaks to
something in us which requires nothing else.
T’ai Chi can be viewed as art, both from the viewpoint of
the practitioner and that of the observer. The quality of the experience here
is a product of the space created by the performance, and as such, is never
solely dependent upon following rules. The difference between ‘following’ and ‘creating’
is the subtle, but all important ingredient, awareness – or conscious
participation. This “Being There”, this quality of being totally present in the
moment, is a hallmark of both good T’ai Chi, and Great art.
Mentioned earlier as
the meditative aspects of T’ai Chi, this evolution of the consciousness of the
practitioner, as evidenced by enhanced focus, attention, and calmness of mental
state, has become for me the most valuable benefit of practice, far outweighing
the obvious and considerable physical benefits usually discussed.
The same principles of organization we apply to our
movements in practice, enhance our understanding of our world, all we perceive,
as the extraneous overlays drop away. As this “Elegant Simplicity” is observed
and we glimpse our part in the big picture, all the parts working together just
as they do in our form, a Great Compassion for All we are part of can sometimes
be felt. This special connection with our world can rejuvenate us and heal us
and let energies beyond ourselves become accessible to us, as we recognize the
part we play in the larger entity. As we work for the common good, the energies
available to it become available to us. This is not magic or science fiction,
but a practical, observable, common sense phenomena which can manifest as a
product of the same principles we observe benefiting our bodies through our
practice.
It bears mentioning again at this point that one’s practice
doesn’t have to be perfect to accrue benefits. These benefits can also start even
with the first lessons and just get better with time and practice, even imperfect
practice.
Happy Holidays,
Daniel
