On the Sustainment of Tai Chi Chuan

I’ve always had mixed feelings about the way the art of Tai Chi Chuan sustained in today’s world. While many important arts and traditions have carefully curated curricula and well maintained lineages, to pass on the wisdom from generation to generation in tact, it seems as if much of the Tai Chi wisdom is already lost on many; only carried by a few who were fortunate/wise enough to find the right teacher; many of the rest pass on a corrupted form of the art and will probably never realize it. Perhaps it has always been like this to some extent.

There is some beauty to this; perhaps it is nature’s way of eventually sorting the matter out effortlessly. Perhaps there will come a time when Tai Chi will again flourish without all of these things we normally associate with success; when the consciousness of the people on this planet evolve to the point that they can intuitively understand Tao.

I’ve always had this feeling that, even if your teaching is imperfect, practice and understanding of the principles can still refine our understanding of the art. Although it may not be enough for most to achieve in one lifetime, the fact that Tai Chi exists at all should tell us, even if it is someday lost, it will be rediscovered; because the source of Tai Chi is not something which can be destroyed; we merely have become disconnected from it and are finding our way back.

The Master doesn’t try to be powerful;
thus he is truly powerful.
The ordinary man keeps reaching for power;
thus he never has enough.

The Master does nothing,
yet he leaves nothing undone.
The ordinary man is always doing things,
yet many more are left to be done.

The kind man does something,
yet something remains undone.
The just man does something,
and leaves many things to be done.
The moral man does something,
and when no one responds
he rolls up his sleeves and uses force.

When the Tao is lost, there is goodness.
When goodness is lost, there is morality.
When morality is lost, there is ritual.
Ritual is the husk of true faith,
the beginning of chaos.

Therefore the Master concerns himself
with the depths and not the surface,
with the fruit and not the flower.
He has no will of his own.
He dwells in reality,
and lets all illusions go.

–Tao Te Ching (ch. 38 — S. Mitchell Translation)

Mo Brooks: Police State Endorsing Lawyer Scum

Saw the following posted recently about an exchange between Mo Brooks and a local liberty activist, the CONgressman is from my district in North Alabama. I have also written to Mo Brooks and received the same kind of crap in response. It looks like this Mo Brooks character is typical sellout lawyer scum.

Hopefully we can oust him in the primaries next time around.

All-

I went to the political get together at the Melting Pot at 5:00 today and Confronted Mo Brooks on why he supported the extension of the Patriot act. Here are my notes from the event:

Mike Ball and Mo Brooks will be at the Holiday Inn in Madison tomorrow (14 May) to speak at the Republican meeting there. The meeting will start with a social at 8:00 and presentation at 9:00. Anyone who wants to ask Mike Ball about why he supports Forever Wild (with its private hunting lodge for state congressmen), or Mo Brooks as to why he supports increasing the debt ceiling or extending the Patriot act can approach them then.

Here is how the conversation went on extending the Patriot Act:

Mo, can you tell me why you supported extending the Patriot Act

I did it to prevent a terrorist nuclear attack on the US. I haven’t seen any data or specifics that indicate that there is a problem with the Act. There is oversight and I have heard of no problems.

Mo, there have been thousands of people that have been monitored and spied upon without a court order, there is no judicial oversight. The vast majority of requests to spy on people are rubber stamped without due cause.

Have you ever heard of anyone being hurt by this? I haven’t.

Mo, people are issued National Security Letters (over 190,000 requests from 2003-2006) that gag them so there cannot be any media coverage of any abuses. If they try to talk to anyone they will be put in prison. Also, under the Patriot act anyone can be imprisoned for an indeterminate time without due process and denied an attorney to represent them.

Someone would have said something if there was a problem.

Mo, that’s what I was saying, people cannot say anything because if they do they can go to prison.

Mo was visibly disturbed that I should question him and it was obvious to me that he did not want to hear any facts that would be contrary to his stance on the issue.

At that point Mo accidentally spilled a drop of chocolate on his shirt, he excused himself to clean his shirt. He stayed at the bar for 3-5 minutes cleaning his shirt, and then he disappeared. After about 20 minutes I figured he was not coming back and I left.

Later he spoke to George and offered to meet George for lunch. I talked to George and I might go with him to continue the conversation. We will see.