Some Info on Hu Yaozhen

[freeform]

George Russel created a theoretical framework attempting to explain jazz actually.

 

wonderful. I think that's a perfect example for this conversation. Especially seeing as we're quoting from alchemical texts so much...

 

Note that it was indeed much valued by jazz musicians already at the top of their game. However for someone who's never heard any jazz before, reading those volumes over and over would never substitute the actual experience of hearing jazz with one's own ears.

[Ya Mu]

I think people's frustration, CD, is with the fact that if you opened yourself up for experiencing what people are talking about, then you'd 'get it' - and everyone really wants you to get it!

 

It's frustrating for you because it makes no intellectual sense what everyone in this (and similar systems) are talking about. And unfortunately the intellectual part of you is not so well equipped to get it. Just like the post about trying to intellectualise Jazz - whatever comes out will be a pale, lifeless collection of words - which is just selling you short.

 

It does seem you're willing to be sold short. So with that caveat, I'll try to explain in a (semi) scientific way what everyone is trying to tell you.

 

Since its a western scientific explanation, then think of qi as the flow of information nothing more... Now - when you make a conscious, directed effort at anything (including breathing, or even just reaching out for a cup) you're engaging a certain part of your information processing capacity (let's call it 'mind').

 

This 'mind' is, in fact, the least powerful part of your information processing circuitry - although it is the most visible and obvious, so it does tend to get the most attention. It's the part of you that is capable of processing around 7 + or - 2 bits of information at a time. It's significantly limited, but again - because it's the most obvious, visible part of you, it seems like it's the most important, most powerful part. When you engage this circuitry to make decisions on everything from how you move your body, to how you regulate your breathing your results will be severely limited - because as I said it's only capable of processing around 7 bits of information at a time.

 

There is another circuit - it's a lot less visible, mainly because it processes so much information, so quickly, that the part of you that is aware cannot keep up with it. It's just too much stuff too fast - so it becomes impossible to track. This part of you is like a vast supercomputer compared to the digital watch power of your mind. It's not only a supercomputer in itself, it's also connected to a limitless number of other supercomputers - and it's constantly processes information instantaneously!

 

What practices like Stillness Movement do is they plug into that second level of circuitry. They connect with it, and they let that part of them lead their cultivation practice. This means the decisions made - in how you move your arm, in how you breathe or in how you stand come from a source infinitely more powerful than the mind circuitry. The result is that the mind watches you doing all these unusual 'spontaneous' actions in complete bewilderment. It can't make sense of them (it's not equipped for that) but it really wants to!

 

The key in these sort of practices is to let the mind circuitry just watch, but not control or interfere in any way. If it starts to - for example - want to breathe a certain way, because it's only capable of processing a small amount of information, it would not be doing the exact right thing at the exact right time, which in turn means pretty substandard results.

 

Any action that is contrived by the mind will be extremely limited as it simply can't match the processing power of a limitless number of supercomputers connected in a network. However it will always think that it's more powerful, more important and more capable than it really is (since its the most visible, loud and obvious part of you) So the trap is that it can easily contrive your thoughts and your actions to support its claim as the most powerful, most important part of you. Don't fall into that trap

Nice!

 

Over the years I have attempted to explain the practice of Stillness-Movement in similar ways. And for sure some do get it, or at least a glimpse of what I am referring to. But I will readily admit that the majority still wish to believe that the mind is the overall honcho, therefore missing out on what I believe to be one of the most profound awareness contributions a person could have. It does boil down to the fact that no attempt to intellectualize Stillness-Movement will ever explain it to a person - only the practice can do that.