What is Seijaku?

At our discussion group recently, one of the participants asked: “What is Seijaku?” I answered: “It’s serenity in the midst of activity.” She continued: “But what is it?” I continued: “It’s Tai Chi Chih (TCC), but it’s different. You amplify the flow of the Chi.” And then again: “Yeah, but what is it?”

“Let me tell you a story,” I replied, “and maybe that will help answer it.” Last World T’ai Chi Day, Terry (my wife, who is also a TCC instructor) and I were traveling through Texas on an emergency trip to see her elderly aunt. We wanted to participate in T’ai Chi Day, and we knew we’d be somewhere between Amarillo and Fort Worth when the time came. So, we were looking for a roadside park. We found one, a nice one with trees and grass and cool shade. We didn’t see the railroad tracks on the west side, a couple of hundred yards away.

We started on time, and then, right in the middle of Push-Pull, a train comes roaring through. It was so huge, and so loud, the ground shook. I felt like it was right on top of us. What did we do? We kept on going. But it was no longer just the flow of the Chi around me; it was also the flow of the Chi around the train. You could feel the power of the engines and the mass of the load. You could feel the iron, steel, and wheels flying along the rails. You could feel the pride in the technology that built this marvel, and the pride of the train carrying its massive load to its destination. We helped it along its way.

That is Seijaku. There is no such thing as a distraction while you’re doing a practice. Either you are not aware of it, or you are aware that it’s part of the music of your practice.