WU LIFE 303
IT'S SO COLD
brrrrrr.. it's negative 7 degrees celsius here in wudang. i've never been this cold in my life.
i'm a california boy.. i'm not used to the cold. the only other place i have lived except for california is hawaii.. so this is definitely the coldest i've ever been in my life. seriously.. i have never even seen snow until just last winter here in wudang, but it was NOTHING like this. it has snowed nearly every single day since i've been back, and according to the news, this is the most snow hubei province has seen in 16 years! it's crazy. people are dying, crops are freezing, roofs are collapsing,.. it's nuts.
each night i tuck under five blankets, with a sixth blanket especially for my head. beyond that, i have three layers of sweats and thermals on.. and i'm still cold! luckily i train internal martial arts and i have learned to generate some light weight body heat.. but it ain't enough.. this cold is brutal. i constantly have piping hot green tea on tap, and i'm always layered up. it's nuts.
the winter isn't all bad though. i had my first snowball fight the other day with the other students, and we made a life size taoist snow man in standing meditation posture,.. it even had a taoist top knot. good fun. the other good thing about this time of year is that it is so quiet (in our school at least); all of the chinese students are away for the holiday, and only a small number of the super-dedicated foreigners like to train in the cold,.. so that means smaller classes.. and smaller classes mean more personal instruction. i can dig it.
SITTINGS OF STRONG DETERMINATION
25 centuries ago, siddhartha gautama sat beneath the bodhi tree with a strong determination not to move until full enlightenment was attained. several centuries later, the patriarch of shaolin kung fu, bodhidharma, sat in a cave with the strong determination not to move until his ego-self was transcended and ultimate reality was realized. countless masters have done the same, committed to understanding the depths of their consciousness through endless hours of internal reflection.. for the only lasting truth is personal truth - a truth which can only be experienced within oneself. all other beliefs, ideas, notions, or theories are based on the intellect and experiences of other individuals, which may be true for them, but cannot possibly hold true for everyone. the only truth that is absolute, is the truth realized from within oneself,.. and the best way to awaken to that truth, is through deep internal reflection,.. or - meditation.
for myself, each day starts and ends with an hour of seated stillness. i rise around six or so and stretch a bit before i plop down on to my meditation pillow for some solo sit time. then, each night around eight, i gather with a few students in the meditation hall to sit for another hour. though i've been practicing meditation for the last few years, i am really just now breaking the surface of a consistent practice. the benefits are amazing. my mind is sharper, my emotions are calmer, my awareness is fuller, and i have a new found feeling for my body.. i can feel the blood in my veins, i can feel the marrow in my bones, i can even feel the fillings in my teeth! it's insane. moreover, sitting helps me recover faster from hard training sessions, and an hour of sitting is far more refreshing than taking a power nap. i highly recommend it! if you can sit for an hour to fight traffic or to watch your favorite show on television, you can certainly sit for a bit to watch your mind run around - it's far more entertaining, and you'll learn a lot more too. even if personal enlightenment isn't a goal.. you can still benefit tremendously from meditation.. try it.
IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE
the body is an amazing piece of machinery. every second, billions of cells are regenerating; nearly every day, we have a completely new layer of skin; each month, we practically have a brand new liver; and every year, more than seventy percent of our body has been completely replaced. we are constantly changing, growing, and evolving every moment of every day.
for generations there has been an ongoing debate - was life created by god (intelligent design)? or has life evolved from smaller sub species over the course of countless eons? for me, the answer is simple - creation and evolution are two perspectives of the exact same thing. each moment we are evolving, each moment we are creating,.. there is no difference. but then why do we get old? why do we get sick? if every moment we are new and rejuvenated, if each and every breath fills us with life.. then why do we die? i think i have an answer now.. and this time, it's not just about mucoid plaque.
just as a loud explosion shoots a shock wave of surprise through the body, the same holds true when we express a negative feeling or emotion - it projects a shock wave of nastiness throughout our entire being. if those harsh feelings linger, and that vibrational shock is allowed to continue, gain momentum, and become an involuntary habit pattern that persists over time,.. slowly but surely, that vibrational shock will begin to chip away and compromise the anatomical mortar that binds our body together.. resulting in sickness, pain, and ultimately, death. think about it,.. we've all seen 30 year olds that look 60, and 60 year olds that look 30.. but pay closer attention to their lifestyles and demeanor,.. those that age early typically lead destructive lifestyles - they are always stressed, they are always upset,.. on the contrary, when you observe older individuals still full of life and vigor, they are always happy, glowing, and radiant.
to use myself as an example,.. for several years i held onto a great number of destructive habits and emotions, and as a result, my body deteriorated.. i was sickly, stiff, overweight, and for the most part, unhappy. however, i awoke one day and chose to take responsibility for the reality i was creating for myself.. i changed the negative habit patterns of my diet, attitude, and lifestyle,.. and in time (certainly not overnight), my body transformed. now, i resonate with health, vitality, power, and vigor - just as nature intended. each year that i return to america, that truth is only further illustrated when i see childhood friends crumble and crack from the habits and stress that they themselves cling to,.. all the while i grow softer and more life like.
so, thinking happy thoughts and eating more vegetables.. is this how one becomes a physical immortal? ..probably not. however, i do know how one can discover immortal joy. first and foremost, one must realize that their woes are the result of their very own destructive habit patterns,.. but just as one creates their own sorrows, they can also create their own happiness as well. cultivate compassion. cultivate peace. forgive foes. let go of old grudges, and release the heavy burden of anguish and blame that drags you down. take full responsibility for your personal pain. develop a deep, unconditional love for yourself and for all in creation. cleanse yourself - mind and body.. and in time (certainly not overnight), your outer being will begin to reflect the purity that brews within. this process takes courage, persistence, and above all, patience, but the fruits are real - for eternal joy is the divine birth right for each and every individual committed to developing that light within themselves. ..word.
ALOHA ALL
i've been ending my weekly journals with an aloha for quite some time now. the word aloha holds a vast variety of meanings.. it can mean hello or goodbye; it can describe hospitality, attitude, spirit, or personality; but above all, it defines love - not a romantic, lustful, or passionate love.. but rather a deep, infinite, unconditional love. a love that penetrates and pervades. an omnipresent, omnipotent love available to all of creation. a love that uplifts and nourishes everyone - especially those willing to receive, revere, and rejoice in its bounty. this is the love i extend to you all - family, friends, and foes alike,.. i love you all. i only wish for the best in all of you. may all beings realize their personal potential.
damn, dave wei be preaching. whooo. this was a heavy blog week. i still got jokes though.. did you guys hear about the circus fire? it was in-tents.. get it? intense? in-tents? it's a pun.. you know, a play on words.. whooo. no good? how about the joke about the vacuum? did i tell you that one? eh,.. it sucks... HA! get it? the vacuum? it sucks. right? whoooo. thank you, thank you,.. i'll be here all week. (smile) maybe i should blog more about mucoid plaque. (wink)
see you on the other shore,
-wei zi rong
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May all beings be happy.
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