being. beings: general #546

To formulate the intellectual framework of the Taoist thought I have been exploring for decades is interesting, and fun, too. It gives me a sense of belonging because it is not my individual, my exclusive thought. I did not invent it, and I do not possess it. There is nothing to copyright, to trademark, or to patent here for me. I just look for, gather, and explore ancient wisdom, and pass on what I find. I am a (hunter-)gatherer. The whole activity links me to the past as well as to the future, and to the present. It lets me feel that I play a role in this. I am like the seed of a plant. I am a seed. With a seed the “I” dissolves, but the “we” lives on. This is the longevity the Tao Te Ching is talking about. We too often define beings in an incredibly narrow-minded way.

With my writing, videos, and photos I can pass on ancient patterns and structures of constructive creativity. You do not need to know me in person. You do not need to spend several years with me and to study with me in person—as I did, with my teacher when studying Wing Chun in Taiwan. My hope is that the material I present, the seeds that I produce live on when I am long gone. I try to find as many ways as my abilities allow to make it possible for others to get connected to this ancient knowledge and to get enabled to apply it in more profound, wider, and constructively impactful ways than I can. But formulating and presenting the intellectual framework is only one part, and it is not the most important thing for me.

For me, it is important that people see the healing power of this framework, in general, but also particularly in reference to a bodymind practice—and the relevance of a bodymind practice within the larger global environmental and social healing movements. Of course, you need specific knowledge for a bodymind practice, additionally the main guiding framework is of utter relevance. This is why I present the framework of philosophical Taoism.

Specific knowledge for a particular bodymind practice is easier to present via video than via text alone. This is why Steve Cook, and I started the “Internal Aspects of the Wing Chun forms” project. (1) Though this video series is discussing specific Wing Chun movements, how they are initiated, what you can experience in, and the ripple effects, you can explore with these movements, what Steve and I talk about in these videos is by no means only of interest to Wing Chun practitioners who want to learn more about the healing and philosophical depths of Wing Chun. These videos want to generally inspire a more profound approach to physical activity. They want to inspire reflection, and they want to illustrate why so many ancient traditions know about their inseparability, and therefore naturally combine body activities, mind activities, and bonding with our (natural) environments in their spiritual practices—and why this is so critical for us today.

My text photo pieces, images and videos of our natural environments as well as my texts elucidate and visualize the intellectual framework of Taoist philosophy in general. With them I want to inspire manifold applications across very different disciplines and fields. My starting point is a physical practice. This, however, goes far beyond what is dealt with in departments of physical education. It links the individual with the social and with the natural environments because they are inseparable right from the start. I said that it is important for me that people see the healing power of the framework of Taoist philosophy. My abilities and my imagination are very limited. Even more important for me therefore is that this ancient knowledge gets adopted, adapted, and constructively applied in the many areas our world needs healing. A bodymind practice is a medium like I am.

Notes:
(1) https://www.youtube.com/@tao-moves

Do not get me wrong: Of course, you cannot even truly study a traditional external Chinese martial art, much less so a profound healing bodymind practice without a teacher (or teachers) and without having invested years intensively learning and practicing.

My main focus in the ways I am presenting the framework of the philosophy of the Lao-tzu (Tao Te Ching) is on giving additional input to people who either have already been on a path for a long(er) period of time, or who are about to embark on a new journey, and are interested, right from the start, in deeper explorations, experiences, and meaningful impact. For this kind of input, you do not necessarily need intensive personal human (student teacher) relationships.