By cutting through the self/other dichotomy, prajna, the
wisdom which is not confined by knowledge or concepts, may allow us to see more
clearly the world as it is, unfettered (or at least, less fettered), by the
filter which is our ordinary mind.
When we practice our T’ai Chi, Ideally it brings us fully
into the moment. Our awareness of our surroundings is direct and not filtered
by our verbal mind. The commentary which we usually run in order to organize ‘our’
thoughts and ‘our’concepts, and so on may drop away. That which creates the
separation between ‘us’ and ‘our stuff’ then has a chance to become less
relevant.
Without this extra layer of organization, we may see more directly
and clearly that which is, and the solutions to the problems created by this
complicated format may sometimes become evident. They shine clearly within the elegant
simplicity that remains.
This often begins when we become familiar enough with the
form that our attention is freed to move from the memorization of the body part
positions, and is then free to attend to the body’s balance.
This works because
awareness of the balance is immediate and non-verbal. Our consciousness moves
from the verbal, left brain list of positions into direct, non verbal, right
brain awareness of immediate sensation.
This process begins with balance and other internal factors,
and later may grow out into the environment and related external connections,
out to infinity. At this point it fosters transcendent awareness and growth,
allowing what might be considered a spiritual connection to evolve.
The thief left behind,
the moon at my window. -Ryokan
The conceptualization process may drop away as we become
immersed in the immediacy of our form, and we may begin to notice in startling
clarity such things as the moon at our window.
Such a perspective brings with it a powerful healing energy.
This may be likened to what happens to our computers: increased speed and efficiency
when we clean out unnecessary files and programs on our hard drive, (or solid
state memory, in the newer computers).
This is not to suggest a path of renunciation or an ascetic
lifestyle. It is rather a way in which we might benefit from utilizing more
streamlined software within our processing apparatus.
Blessings and Thanks Always.
