The Mystical Journey of T’ai Chi Chih

It all began in a land called Chi Lanka, just this side of eternity. My name is Richard, and how I arrived in Chi Lanka is a mystery to me, yet I will strive to share with you the apparent road I traversed. At first it seemed like walking in a dream, then it seemed real, then a dream—nonetheless. The earth began to move and the hardness of physical reality seemed to rock, so gently and yet powerfully. I’ve always associated this experience, which might have been nine seconds, nine days, or nine years (so indistinct had time become) with a birth or a new beginning in my life. Because of the feeling I had, I called it Rocking Motion. In a strange way I felt like a baby again, being gently rocked by Mother Earth in a loving way. So nice to let go, to trust, to relax, to be a child again. I had passed through the first gate of Chi Lanka.

At a certain point soon after I saw a wonderful bird swoop down in front of my path and look at me with complete attention. I said or thought (I’m not sure which), “Who are you, O Skydiver?” Immediately the bird changed size and jumped into the palm of my hand. I, not even knowing that my palm was upturned and receptive, said, “I am here to teach you to fly and be grounded simultaneously.” I was astonished, as I had always thought they were mutually exclusive realities.

Then the bird showed me the art of flying while grounded, or being here and there at the same time, and it was a magnificient performance. After many times practicing this art I learned that it is simple, therefore difficult, because simplicity can only be known by the childlike. Fortunately I became a child again and learned to pass by the second gate—called Bird Flaps Its Wings. I had learned to be rocked, and I had learned to flap, and I was ready for more lessons. I was enjoying Chi Lanka and was constantly amazed at how light and agile I was beginning to feel.

After this gate I felt really hungry and saw what looked like a pizza parlour. As I got closer I saw that it was a Chi Omelet House. That sounded strange, and I was giggling. Nonetheless, my hunger moved me to sit down on one of the outside stools and wait for a waiter to ask me for my order.

Up came this impressive looking man who told me his name was Just-In. He looked vaguely Japanese. I responded to his name by telling him that I could identify with his name, as I had just come in myself! He smiled and said that the Stoneburger was especially good because of the extra Chi on it—also because the sun was in Aquarius and no ego was rising at this time. I somehow intuitively understood these extraordinary statements and ordered a Stoneburger Supreme, which I found I could only buy by practicing daily. I asked Just-In what that meant, and he said, mysteriously, that eating the Stoneburger Supreme would cause me to understand. All right, I thought, I’m here because of my hunger—so I’ll just eat.

Only once before in my life has I ever eaten anything so delicious: I recognized the quality of the food because of my previous experience.

The meal was served on a round platter. As I finished, I suddenly found myself going around the platter. I had become as tiny as an ant, going around the platter very slowly and consciously. How unusual it felt, and I knew that the third gate was to be called Around The Platter. I rejoiced that I knew that I could now change shape and size at will. This path I was on was circular and seemed to expand and contract. At this point on my journey through Chi Lanka my personal identity seemed to be changing from moment-to-moment.

Suddenly I was shown a variation of Around The Platter in which my cupped hands seemed to contain small spinning universes of dynamic energy—merging and flowing harmoniously. How could cupped hands feel so different than uncupped hands? Only God knows, but I could only trust the feeling and named it Around The Platter Variation—the fourth gate. Change is the way of life in Chi Lanka, change and openness to change. How refreshing!

Around the next turn I saw something resembling a bass drum which had a little door in it, which I entered. A large, empty circular room—revolving slowly, entrancing me and turning me upside-down so gently that I lost sight of myself, and found something new and yet familiar—the gift called NOW. And the fifth gate is called Bass Drum and it is said to aid longevity.

Next I saw a tall mountain and immediately, as if propelled by a jet I was on top looking at a wondrous and beautiful lady who repeated gently, “When the two meet and become one, there is joy. When not, there is pain. Meet, O meet, my love and feel that joy.” I sat, entranced by her beauty, and suddenly was only left with joy. I shall always call that joy Daughter On The Mountain Top—the sixth gate.

A few minutes later I was placed at the foot of the mountain. Appearing before me was another magnificient lady, who said, “I am the sister-soul of the Mountain Top Lady, the other side of your true self. O listen and learn.” She sang, again and again, “Gather the love at the bottom and bring it to the top; do so and be healed.” I sat enthralled and amazed, which was becoming normal for me on Chi Lanka.

I sat, lost in bliss, until I realized I had passed the mystical seventh gate, called Daughter In The Valley.

After a deep sleep, which helped me to absorb and integrate all of these experiences, I saw a crystal ball, which radiated all the colors of the spectrum from within itself. It was floating in front of me, light as a feather, and I immediately reached for it. It moved me through a series of circular wrist movements and graceful leg movements from side-to-side, as softly as if I were a feather being blown by the wind. I learned from this that life is a circle, that happiness comes from letting go of expectations, that gratitude is the best attitude, and that I still love apple pie a la mode and a glass of milk.

This gate came to be called Carry The Ball To The Side (and Don’t Drop It!) Now I know that humor is also a spiritual path. This was the eighth gate.

This journey is fun, I’d begun to realize. There was never anything to fear. Delightful, I thought, as I rested and contemplated the wonder of it all and munched on a fresh coconut. Boy, was I glad I had my Swiss army knife! As I began again to walk the winding path, I began to see life as a great game of giving and receiving. The image hung before me of giant bamboos against the sky, a monster wind coming up. The bamboo received the wind and bent back, back, back, back, and then slowly came up, up, up, dancing with the wind, giving and receiving, pushing and pulling. I saw a lesson there—to be balanced, flexible, and strong in all life’s situations. A new beatitude came to me: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken.” This gate is called Push Pull or Giving and Receiving—the ninth gate.

After that I saw a great
platter with fruit and cheese
on it
moving in circular fashion
openly receiving and the platter
became my hands holding
Great Chi Lanka energy-
what a lovely feeling…

My fingers tingled and were swollen with Chi, and I felt great joy—this gate, the tenth, is called Pulling In The Energy, and it is always happening, though I sometimes forget.

By then it was time for dessert. So I entered what is called the Taffy Forest, which houses many varieties of the sticky candy, a great favorite of all Chi Lankians. The taffy formed like stalagmites and was upraised in some places like acupuncture needles coming up out of the earth. They all had different colors, were both hard and soft, and I ate and ate and ate until I was satisfied. Then I napped, having passed halfway through the Taffy Forest during my mystical journey through the land of Chi Lanka.

(TO BE CONTINUED)