Mindful Practice, Chi Refinement, and Selflessness

T’ai Chi Chih is a profound spiritual discipline because it not only teaches us how to move with the Chi, but it actually transforms us in the process. This is why the intent we apply to our practice and the way we use the resulting Chi are very important.

According to Yogi Vashista, who is quoted in Return to Shiva, we are born in direct response to our karma, the ‘reminiscence of the prior acts of the body”. We are condemned to be reborn based on (the intent of) our past actions. These are the laws of cause and effect. Many of us work to “clear out” our karma so we will not need to be reborn again. But who is reborn?

The Chi determines who and what we are, and one may think of karma as a form of fixed “energy debt” which must eventually be paid. When “Jane Smith” dies, the residual karma necessitates the birth of another to cover the debt. But is it the same “Jane Smith” who is really reborn? It was the energy that created the personality traits and level of awareness that characterized “Jane Smith” in the first place. Unless that energy is transmuted by T’ai Chi Chih or another discipline, another being of similar traits will be created. The two beings who share this karma are not the same; they are simply products of it.

T’ai Chi Chih is a profound spiritual discipline because it not only teaches us how to move with the Chi, but it actually transforms us in the process. This is why the intent we apply to our practice and the way we use the resulting Chi are very important. As mentioned above, it is the intent, not just the action, which creates or dissolves karma. This is why Justin has instructed us to “never do T’ai Chi Chih carelessly”. There is too much at stake!

When the Chi is flowing freely, one feels a sense of deep gratitude, and the natural tendency is to want to share this with others. When we practice T’ai Chi Chih, we are really working for the benefit of others . . . even the being who receives benefits in a future life is really an “other”! What does this say about the self? Why not use the power of the Chi to spread healing and encouragement to the world rather than focusing solely on personal gain? This is not always easy to do, but it brings great rewards because it is fundamental to the laws of energy. My Zen teacher called this “putting energy back into the system.”

The phrase “All is one” is often heard, and although it is true, there are few humans who really embody this. When individuals work for their own selfish motives, they are doomed to remain unconscious and separate. Quoting words is not enough . . . they must be embodied in action! When we work selflessly for the benefit of others our ego is released, and the truth of our interconnectedness becomes clear.