Here are a few philosophical principles that I though would help some of you. The first is the concept of WuWei. It means non-doing or action without effort. Hacking away at the unessentials of life so that you are better prepared to deal with important matters. It is referred to as "daily decrease" and how to make your actions count.

I know a lot of you are overwhelmed with your careers and families and fitting in other things you want to do becomes almost impossible. If you apply this principle you can pare down your training time and still accomplish much. You can also find creative ways to practice that do not disrupt your daily responsibilities. I know my "Perfectionist" is a master in this area, but the perfectionist still needs to investigate the concept of daily decrease. Another aspect of WuWei is to treat a group of tasks as one to keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed.

It is like sweeping aside a barrage of punches with one single swoosh as if you were catching gnats at the reservoir. WuWei is a Taoist concept. One other area I wanted to cover is the sanctity of the training space and the lesson itself. The Filipinos encapsulate the training time and space with Orascion. The Orascion is a non-denomination "prayer" and is often in the form of a bow. I have included the sequence in this series of photos for those of you who are unfamiliar with this sequence. Each posture is symbolic.

The sequence goes as follows: 1. Preparatory position 2. Unification of mind and body 3. Reaching our for knowledge 4. Sincerity 5. Balance 6. Return to preparatory position. So you see, if I try to shut you up while your are training, it really is not because I don't care about what you have to say, but because it is my duty to keep you focused on the technique and the here and now.

When I read the following segment from the Dhammapada I though of all of you.

The Seeker

Master your senses,
What you taste and smell,
What you see, what you hear.
In all things be a master
Of what you do and say and think.
Be free.

You are a seeker.
Delight in the mastery
Of you hands and feet,
Of your words and your thoughts.

Delight in meditation
And in solitude.
Compose yourself, be happy.
You are a seeker.

Hold your tongue.
Do not exalt yourself
But lighten the way
For your words are sweet.

Follow the truth of the way.
Reflect upon it.
Make it your own.
Live it.
It will always sustain you .

Do not turn away what is given you,
Nor reach out for what is given to others,
Lest you disturb your quietness.

Give thanks
For what has been given you,
However little,
Be pure, never falter.

If you are not wise,
How can you steady the mind?
If you cannot quiet yourself,
What will you ever learn?
How will you become free?

With a quiet mind
Come into that empty house, your heart,
And feel the joy of the way
Beyond the world.

Look within - The rising and falling.
What happiness!
How sweet to be free!
It is the beginning of life,
Of mastery and patience,
Of good friends along the way,
Of a pure and active live.

So live in love.
Do your work.
Make an end of your sorrows.

For see how the jasmine
Releases and lets fall its withered flowers.

Let fall willfulness and hatred.
Are you quiet?
Quiet your body.
Quiet your mind.
You want nothing.
Your words are still.
You are still.

By your own efforts
Waken yourself, watch yourself.
And live joyfully.

You are the master,
You are the refuge.
As a merchant breaks in a fine horse,
Master yourself.

How gladly you follow
The words of the awakened.

How quietly, how surely
You approach the happy country,
The heart of stillness.

However young,
The seeker who sets out upon the way
Shines bright over the world.

Like the moon,
Come out from behind the Clouds!
Shine.

Yours in the art,
Simu Patti Everett

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