{"id":7220,"date":"2012-03-15T00:23:14","date_gmt":"2012-03-15T04:23:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=7220"},"modified":"2012-03-19T14:00:47","modified_gmt":"2012-03-19T18:00:47","slug":"echoes-of-emptiness-%e8%99%9a%e4%b9%8b%e9%9f%bf-gongfu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=7220","title":{"rendered":"Echoes of Emptiness (\u865a\u4e4b\u97ff) – Gongfu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Echoes of Emptiness (\u865a\u4e4b\u97ff)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Gongfu<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

by Jacob Newell (Gu Shen Yu Daoshi)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Gongfu (\u529f\u592b) is a Chinese term which refers to special skill acquired by long, hard practice.\u00a0 While often equated with martial art, it actually applies equally to any kind of skill, such as excelling in competitive sports, creating beautiful works of art, or delivering eloquent speech.\u00a0 Understanding the process of developing gongfu is important if we want to achieve excellence in our chosen field of practice – if we want our art to be a free expression of our inner nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

The process of developing gongfu involves three essential ingredients: natural capacity, proper direction, and diligent practice.\u00a0 To develop gongfu, we need some degree of each; however a deficiency of one can sometimes be overcome by an abundance of another.\u00a0 Since I am a Taijiquan practitioner, I\u2019ll use the process of developing Taiji gongfu as an example.<\/span><\/p>\n

Natural capacity \u2013 We each have our own natural capacity for different arts.\u00a0 Maybe we have an ear for music but cannot swing a baseball bat.\u00a0 When selecting a practice, we want to consider where our capacities are directing us.\u00a0 On one hand, we may want to challenge ourselves by pursuing something that doesn\u2019t come naturally; on the other it may be senseless to waste our time pursuing an art that is ill-suited to our nature.<\/span><\/p>\n

If we are undertaking the practice of Taijiquan, our natural capacity is going to have a very strong influence on our ability to learn and effectively practice the art.\u00a0 We can\u2019t do anything about our natural capacity \u2013 it is inborn into our genetics and astrology and may change with age.\u00a0 It is important for us to have a sense of our capacity and to practice a suitable system of cultivation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Proper direction \u2013 Some people may have such a high natural capacity for particular arts that they need little to no direction or practice to achieve excellence.\u00a0 Even the most gifted, however, benefit from a coach or teacher who can perceive our capacity and show us where we are weak, where we are strong, and help us to refine our skills.\u00a0 Even if we are pursuing an art without a teacher, the issue of direction is still there, but we are providing it ourselves.\u00a0 This of course would be ill-advised if we\u2019re undertaking a subtle art like Taijiquan.<\/span><\/p>\n

In learning Taijiquan, it is very important for us to find an appropriate teacher.\u00a0 This doesn\u2019t necessarily mean the teacher with the most students, trophies, or trips to China.\u00a0 The right teacher needs to have discovered their own natural capacity, to have had the proper direction themselves, and to have diligently practiced until their own gongfu ripened into a free expression of their inner nature \u2013 and they need to be someone who we resonate with on some level, someone we believe in.\u00a0 Our teachers leave a lasting imprint on our practice, so we are well-advised not to choose them lightly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Diligent practice \u2013 Unless we are a true prodigy, and maybe not even then, regardless of how good our instruction is, we\u2019re not going to develop any meaningful gongfu unless we practice diligently over a long period of time.\u00a0 This is literally the \u201cgong\u201d in gongfu.\u00a0 If we have a low natural capacity but good direction, then diligent practice may lead us to higher levels than a prodigy who neglects hard practice.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the context of Taijiquan, this traditionally means that we must practice every day.\u00a0 Like Laozi says, \u201cIn learning, daily gain\u201d (Dao De Jing Chapter 48).\u00a0 Many people who attend Taiji classes don\u2019t practice on their own.\u00a0 That\u2019s fine, I suppose, but without practicing regularly we\u2019re just not going to get results.\u00a0 The Chinese have a saying: \u201cIf you want to taste sweet, you need to eat bitter.\u201d\u00a0 The irony in Taijiquan is that our version of eating bitter is relaxing into the postures, continuously finding comfort, proper alignment, and smooth flow of energy.\u00a0 The Taiji form is actually very, very easy.\u00a0 The difficulty and bitterness is only in confronting our habits as we transition to a Taiji-way of composing ourselves.\u00a0 Like Laozi says: \u201cMuch ease requires much difficulty\u201d (Dao De Jing Chapter 63).<\/span><\/p>\n

People often get excited about the prospect of developing some kind of gongfu skill.\u00a0 I think this stems from our desire to stand out and feel special.\u00a0 Over the years I have realized that special skills may boost our confidence and reputation but they don\u2019t necessarily bring about inner peace.\u00a0 Gongfu alone cannot establish or sustain contentment.\u00a0 What is fueling our drive to develop gongfu?\u00a0 If it is the desire to feel special then our gongfu may actually just inflate our ego and create a greater obstacle to overcome down the road.<\/span><\/p>\n

In my view, developing gongfu is less about becoming special and more about finding a way \"\"<\/a>to express ourselves so as to resolve our karma and die content.\u00a0 Personally, I needed to develop a certain level of Taiji gongfu before I experienced much contentment in my practice. \u00a0But as I advanced and observed others more advanced than myself, I realized that whatever our level, there is always an edge, always room for improvement, so if we\u2019re basing our inner peace on achieving perfection, we may be setting ourselves up for continuous discontent.\u00a0 At some point one of my teachers dislodged the self-reference from my Taiji practice; at that point I started to experience greater beauty in the art and less pride as “my” Taiji gongfu continued to develop.\u00a0 I conclude that if we can drop the self-reference from our practice, then it can become a flawless expression of nature itself \u2013 true beauty, true virtue… true gongfu.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jacob Newell (Gu Shen Yu Daoshi) teaches Taijiquan in Sonoma County, California through Old Oak Taiji School. His instruction emphasizes Laozi’s approach to meditation and qi-cultivation: wuwei-ziran. Jacob has been practicing Taijiquan and related arts since the early 1990’s and is an ordained Daoist priest. His book of poetry, These Daoist Bones, is available from his website, www.oldoakdao.org.
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