As the first blog post on this website, I want to go back to the foundations: philosophy. Especially in the time of AI it has become increasingly evident that we need to wake up to avoid disaster.
An ontology is where we should start with and my particular ontology or how I see the world is a blend of Advaita Vedanta and Daoist principles learnt through the practice of Tai Chi.
In this post I would like to explain why Tai Chi is such a beautiful and effective way of practice. Thanks very much to Ms. Zhang and Ms. Chen for graciously providing such apt translation. Have fun!
太极- 一种灵修方式
作者： Jeroen Vet
上海，2022 年5 月
Having practiced tai chi quite intensively for the past 8 years I have come to appreciate the art as an effective form of spiritual practice. In this essay I would like to unpack this statement so that you can get an idea of why this might be so. I am basing this essay both on my practice of tai chi and on my equally long and intensive contemplation of the Hindu Advaita Vedanta philosophy, also known as the yoga of knowledge.
基于过去八年相当频繁地太极练习，我逐渐认识到太极是一种有效的灵修方式。在本文中，我会具体解释原因。本文既基于我长期的太极练习，也基于我同样长时间的对印度教吠檀多不二论（也称作“知识的瑜伽”）哲学的静观。
What is meant by spirituality and why should we engage in spiritual practices at all? I think it is safe to say that everybody wants to live. Even someone considering suicide will only do so because of a particular problem. If the problem were solved the person would no longer consider suicide. Obviously, life is inherently precious to us. However, we can also not deny the problem of suffering. We want to be free of suffering so we are all pursuing happiness in one way or the other. As an operational definition of happiness I would suggest 'peace of mind' as it highlights that suffering is primarily a mental phenomenon. Suffering is caused by thought drumming up negative energies that make us feel unhappy. Happiness, peace of mind, essentially means being free from suffering. Spirituality promises liberation or complete freedom from suffering, unbroken peace of mind, and would therefore logically be the most worthwhile pursuit.
那么灵性是什么，我们到底为什么要练习灵修？应该可以这么说，每个人都想活着。即使有人要自杀，也只是因为陷入特别的麻烦。如果麻烦得到解决，这个人就不会再考虑自杀。显然，生命是非常珍贵的。不过，我们也不能否认痛苦。我们希望摆脱痛苦，并都在以这种或那种的方式追求幸福。作为幸福的实用定义，我会建议用‘心灵的宁静’，因为它揭示了痛苦是一个基本的精神现象。痛苦是由于思想中的负能量导致我们不快乐。幸福，心灵的宁静，本质上意味着没有痛苦。灵性意味着解放，或完全从痛苦中解脱出来，持续的安宁， 因此从道理上讲， 这是最值得追求的。
How is this liberation attained? It is attained by recognizing or waking up to our true nature as spirit which actually is the same as consciousness. Once we have recognized our true nature as pure consciousness we will know that we are whole and complete, invulnerable, eternal, limitless and full of bliss and therefore cannot suffer anymore no matter the circumstances. We recognize our true nature once we no longer identify with our limited body and mind. The term 'consciousness' is used here divorced from mind, while mind is understood to consist of conscious thought (the part we identify with) and the subconscious. Consciousness is aware of thought but does not depend on thought. Unfortunately it turns out that to quit identifying with our body/mind turns out be devilishly difficult. It is as if we were spell bound. The spell is forgetfulness, we have forgotten our true self because we are swept up and mesmerized by our thoughts. We are so interested in our thoughts, grasp at our thoughts, and there are so many of them, following each other so closely and incessantly that consciousness is like sucked into thought almost completely most of the time. In other words there is no distance from thought, we cannot let go of our thought, we are identifying with thought, we are not mindful.
如何才能获得解放？它借由认识到我们的真实自性而获得，或称之为觉醒，因为精神实质上就是意识。一旦我们认识到我们的真实自性就是是纯粹的意识时，我们就会知道我们是完整的、无懈可击的、永恒的、无限的，极乐的， 从而无论环境如何，都不再痛苦。 一旦我们不再认同有限的身体和意识，我们就会认识到我们的真实自性。“意识”一词在这里表示与心理分离，而心理被认为是由显意识（我们认同的部分）和潜意识组成。意识能够感知思维，但并不依赖于思维。不幸的是，不再认同我们的身体/心理是非常难的。 就好像我们陷入失忆的魔咒，忘记了真正的自我，而沉浸在各种思维中。 我们热衷于自己的思维，抓牢它们，念头一个接一个不停出现，以至于意识几乎所有的时间中都被念头所吞噬了。换句话说，意识与思维没有距离，我们无法放下我们的思维。我们通过思维来做分别，而缺少觉知。
Spirituality aims at increasing the distance between consciousness and thought until the realization of our true nature sets in. It really boils down to developing the ability to let go of thought. The spell of forgetfulness is broken by contemplation of spiritual philosophy (metaphysics) on the one hand and spiritual practice on the other hand. Spiritual practice in essence is integrating and purifying mind and thereby calming the mind. If mind becomes integrated, clear and calm then intuition becomes strong and we will eventually be able to seize grasping at our thought and see or realize our true nature.
灵修旨在增加意识和思维之间的距离，直到真实自性的显现。这主要是因为开发了放下念头的能力。失忆的魔咒可以通过对精神哲学的思考和灵修来破解。 灵修在本质上是整合和净化心灵，从而让心灵平静。如果心灵得到整合，净化和平静，那么直觉就会变强，而我们最终能够放下念头，看到或体认我们的真实自性。
Having said all this we are now in a position to better appreciate how tai chi can be an effective form of spiritual practice. Although tai chi has its own, albeit somewhat obscure, philosophy and could therefore be a complete system of spirituality by itself, I will only focus on the practice aspect here as I have already briefly laid down the philosophical foundation from an Advaita Vedanta point of view.
说了这么多，我们现在可以更好地理解为什么太极是一种有效的灵修形式。尽管太极有自己的一套完整的虽然有点晦涩的精神哲学系统，但我只会关注太极的练习部分，因为我已经从吠陀不二论的角度简要地铺垫了哲学方面的内涵。
There are many forms of spiritual practice but tai chi is certainly a very interesting one and it has the added benefits that is highly effective in maintaining health and, less importantly nowadays, can be used for self defence. The spiritual value of tai chi practice lies in the fact that it makes us better acquainted with the working of our own mind. We start to know the mind better. The process of integration and purification can then take place throught the insights we obtain. The fragmented nature of our mind is due to traumas and false entrenched beliefs dwelling in the subconscious that have never been confronted or questioned. They cause the restless and scattered nature of our mind.
灵修的方式很多，但太极肯定是非常有趣的一种方式， 并具备高效的让身体保持健康的额外好处，还可以防身 ，虽然现代生活里这一点不那么重要。太极练习的精神价值在于它让我们更了解自己的意识是如何运转的。我们能够更好的认识意识。基于由此产生的洞察， 就可以开始整合和净化的过程。我们意识的散乱，来源于我们潜意识中的创伤或错误的根深蒂固的信念， 而我们从未面对或质疑过它们。这造成了我们持续的散乱的意识特性。
How do we get to know the mind through tai chi? Through tai chi practice we first learn to know the body better. Doing the same slow movements according to the prescribed pattern over and over again will result in better body awareness. It is uncanny how perceptive we become for unnatural postures or movements in others as well after some time of practice. Now any form of physical exercise will create better body awareness but tai chi is special in that at the next level, after a certain period of practice, we start to become aware of the flow of "qi" as well.
我们如何通过太极来认识意识呢？通过太极练习，我们首先可以学会更好的了解身体。按照规定的要领反复地缓慢地做同样的动作，会带来更好的身体觉察。有点匪夷所思的是，在练习一段时间后，我们对其他不自然的姿势或动作也会变得更有觉察。 虽然任何形式的身体锻炼都会产生更好的身体感知，但太极的特别之处是在下 一个阶段：经过 一定的练习实践，我们能够开始感受到“气”的流动。
In tai chi parlance the awareness of qi it is called "Qi Gan" (气感) or qi feeling. Qi is vital energy and feeling, any feeling, is the awareness of energy. Qi Gan differs from our normal feeling in that the energy perceived is not emotionally charged and seems more dense, almost fluid. It is like a neutral or base energy. The practice of Taichi opens or unclogs our energy channels and this not only makes us more sensitive but it will also increase our charge of qi. Both these effects, incidentally, are important for the martial art aspect of Taichi. Increased sensitivity allows us to better anticipate the opponent and the increased charge of qi allows us to better absorb the impact of the opponent and will leverage our own impact considerably.
在太极的语境中，感受到气被称为“气感”或气的感觉。气是至关重要的能量与感觉，任何感觉都是对能量的感知。气感与我们的通常感觉的区别在于，这种能量的感知和情绪无关，并且似乎更有质感，类似液体流动。它好像是中性的或基础的能量。太极练习打通或清理了我们的能量管道， 而这不仅让我们更敏锐，也增强了我们的气的能量。顺便说一下，这两种效果对于太极武术是非常重要的。敏感度提高，让我们能够更好地预估对手动意图； 而气的增长可以让我们能够更好地化解对手的力量，并能明显平衡好自己的力量。
Increased sensitivivity to qi and the increased charge of qi are very important to our spiritual practice as well. Once there is Qi Gan, tai chi practice becomes easier and even more enjoyable. We can now put our attention on the qi flow. What this effectively means is that we put attention on feeling rather than on thought. This makes tai chi a form of moving meditation. When we feel we don't think. The reverse must then also be true. When we think we don't feel and this explains the general lovelessness in our current society; most people are so wrapped up in thought that they live in a stark and loveless world.
提升对气的敏感性，加强对气的控制，对于我们的灵修也非常重要。一旦有气感，太极练习会变得更加轻松，甚至更加愉悦。我们就可以把注意力放在气流上。这显然意味着我们在把注意力放在感觉而不是念头上，所以太极成为一种运动中的冥想。当我们在感知时，我们就不会在思维。 反过来也一样。当我们思维时，我们就没有感知， 而这解释了当前社会普遍冷漠；大多数人都被束缚在想法中，因而生活在一个荒凉的缺少温暖的世界里。
Less thought means a calmer mind. A calm mind results in both clearer intuition and intention. Intuition is a subtle feeling leading to direct insight. Intention is focussing of our of will that directs our energy. By being more calm and sensitive we become better acquainted with the mind. The working of the mind cannot be known by conscious thought as most of the mind is subconscious. But it can be known by feeling and intuition. This is because thought directs energy. Energy is extremely sensitive to thought, it stirrs immediately in response to thought. If we are sensitive and calm we notice this movement very early and we can catch what goes on in our mind early before we get carried away. By investigating, questioning, allowing intuition to come in, we can even become aware of the roots of these thoughts in the subsconscious. We naturally become more mindful. Thought itself is also carried by energy. If we reach a very fine level of sensitivity we can 'feel' the thought by shifting our attention from the content of the thought to the energy by which it is carried. We then effectively do not grasp at the content any longer and have broken the spell. We then cut spinning the story, cease conjuring up the dream that keeps us in ignorance.
思想少一些意味着心更平静， 而平静的心可以产生清晰的直觉和意念。直觉是一种微妙的感觉，能带来直接的洞察力。意念是一种可以引导能量的专注的愿望。当我们更加冷静和敏感，我们就能更好地感知我们的心理。心理活动无法通过显意识来了解，因为大部分心理活动都在潜意识里。但是却可以通过感觉和直觉来认识我们的心理。这是因为思维可以引导能量。能量对于思维是极为敏感的，可以立即对思维做出反应。如果我们敏感并平静，我们能很快注意到念头，并在被念头带走之前就能觉察到心理活动。通过探寻、思考，引入直觉，我们甚至可以在潜意识中找到这些思维的根源。我们自然就会更有觉知。思维本身也是由能量承载的。如果我们达到非常敏感的程度，我们就可以通过把注意力从想法的内容转移到承载它的能量，以此来‘感觉’想法。这样我们就可以有效地不再纠结于内容， 从而打破魔咒。然后，我们就可以停止编造故事，不再沉溺在让我们无明的梦中。
The increased charge of qi energizes our whole being. This results among other things in a higher level of wakefulness. We probably all have experienced that when tired or low on energy it is easy to engage in mindless actvities like watching soap operas and generally are easy to fall prey to temptation. Wakefulness means having a strong grip on our attention, a clear intention as intention directs attention. Not letting attention waver, being able to focus and penetrate the object of attention. It appears that this ability requires energy.
The combined result is that we able to maintain more distance from thought and this distance will only grow with more practice until finally Truth dawns upon us.
气的充盈可以使我们生命的能量变强, 并可以在各种事情上实现更高层次的觉知。我们可能都经历过，在疲惫或能量低的时候，就很容易做一些没有觉知的活动，如看肥皂剧， 或者容易被诱惑所吸引。 觉知意味着对我们的注意力有很强的把控，并有很明确的意愿，而意愿是可以引导注意力的。不让注意力波动，专注并洞悉注意力的对象。 而这种能力也是需要能量的。
综合的结果是，我们能够更多地与念头保持距离，而这只能通过更多的训练而增长 ，直到最终真相降临。
Admittedly, the spiritual benefits of tai chi, as all things of real value, don't come easily. One has to practice regularly, preferably every day or at least every other day, for about 30 minutes to an hour during a prolonged period of time. How long is hard to say, it depends on how sensitive and open we are to begin with. But normally it is a matter of years, at least a decade. The spiritual benefits manifest only in a very gradual fashion, slowly in the beginning but increasing pace later on. The good news is that the health and general well being effects manifest quite early on in practice. To reap the spiritual benefits, practice is best combined with contemplation of spiritual philosphy as the two reinforce each other. Since correct posture and execution of the movements are essential to finding Qi Gan it is also important to find a qualified teacher.
诚然，作为太极真正价值的这些精神利益，是不会轻易发生的。一个人必须定期练习、最好每天或至少隔天进行 ，每次30 分钟到一小时，并长期坚持。至于要坚持多长时间，这取决于我们开始练习时的敏感度和开放度。但通常这要以年计，至少十年。精神上的成长只能以渐进的方式进行，一开始比较慢，但以后就会加快。好消息是，身心健康方面的效果可以比较早的出现。 为了得到精神上的收获，太极练习最好能结合精神哲学方面的深思，两者是相辅相成的。由于正确的姿势和套路是找到气感的基础，所以找到合格的老师也很重要。
I hope that this little essay makes a convincing argument for the assertion that Taichi is an effective form of spiritual practice and that it will motivate some of the readers to take up this wonderful form of practice or appreciate it even better! Please feel free to contact me at jeroen.vet@gmail.com or drop a note in the Wechat official account '东爻西艮‘ through which this essay is distributed if you have any question or would like to share something.
我希望这篇小文有说服力的说明了太极是有效的灵修方式，并能激励部分读者开始这个很棒的运动或真心喜欢它！如有任何疑问或希望分享，请发送电子邮件至 jeroen.vet@gmail.com 或在转载了本文的微信公众帐号“东爻西艮”中留言。