Clarity

Krishnamurti: The first thing to find out, surely, is whether or not the mind can ever think clearly as long as it is confused. The fact is that whatever a confused mind seeks and finds must also be confused; its leaders, its gurus, its ends, will reflect this confusion, isn't it so?

Questioner: That's hard to realise.

Krishnamurti: It's hard to realise because of our conceit. We think we are so clever, so capable of solving human problems. Most of us are afraid to acknowledge to ourselves the fact that we are confused, for then we would have to admit our own utter insolvency, our defeat - which would mean either despair of humility.

Isn't it also a fact that choice indicates confusion?

Questioner: I don't understand how that can be. We must choose; without choice there is no freedom.

Krishnamurti: When do you choose? Only out of confusion, when you are not quite 'certain'. When there's clarity, there's no choice.

(Krishnamurti)

Activities

Certain activities can help a person gain presence.
These are not 'meditation'.
They are simply activities or exercises that encourage you to be conscious of the 'here and now'.
Ultimately, everything that you do should help to bring your mind back to reality; whether it is washing dishes, walking on the beach or sitting quietly.

The activity itself is not important - it simply serves to initiate the condition of presence.
If you come to rely upon the activity, this is a mistake.

Age Concern: new starters

Presence

There is nothing mystical about 'presence'.

It is simply a condition of awareness whereby you are rooted in the immediate moment rather than absorbed in thought or memory.
In order to do anything wholeheartedly you need to be present, not daydreaming or 'spacing out'.

Meditation

Many people talk about meditation or claim to do meditation. Yet, meditation is not an activity.

It is presence.

Simplicity

At the heart of all things is a simple quality.

Clarity arises when we are capable of seeing this simplicity. When we notice small things. The details.
Instead of pursuing greater and wider experiences, we are content to remain where we are and notice what is in front of us.

The art of teaching is clarity and the art of learning is to listen.

(Vanda Scaravelli)

Lao Tzu said that you can know the whole world without leaving your room.
He was talking about awareness. About clarity. About being.

Competition

Students of the martial arts in the West feel that they must use their art to fight, or at least to compete, to show people how good they are. In tai chi, this is unacceptable, because that is against the principle of tai chi.

(Gabriel Chin)

Weapons from Malaysia

Age Concern: form tuition

Empirical

Rather than operate from the basis of the known it is perhaps more prudent to see things without expectations.

Instead of seeking to prove a point or demonstrate a perspective, why not simply observe?
See what is actually happening.

Small school

Other martial arts classes may attract students in droves but the internal arts do not.

Not everyone is capable or willing to explore the hidden teachings of tai chi.
We will never attract a large number of students.
The training is too sophisticated - it requires considerable patience, self-discipline, self-awareness and time.

We are a small school and will probably stay that way.

Borneo