Motion in Stillness

[dwai]

Motion in Stillness

 

There’s motion in stillness

The old master said

As the student stood steadfast

A million thoughts racing through his head

 

As he stood steadfast

holding the pose

his mind churning frantically

and his anxiety rose

 

he stood for five minutes

every nerve screaming in pain

he said to himself 

No never! Never ever again

 

But such is the the lot

Of folks of his kind

Once something enters

It doesn’t exit his mind

 

So he stood again the next

and the day after that

and everyday since that day

in an unseemly half squat

 

As the days turned into weeks

and the weeks into months

what used to bring tears

hardly even made him grunt

 

Then one day he realized

his mind had become still

and his thoughts fell to the bottom

like an ungainly swill

 

what remained afloat

was a crystal clear thing

it was bereft of everything

yet it wasn’t nothing

 

Then the motion he noticed

rose from its depth

it was the movement of spirit

it floated and leapt

 

Then he remembered

what the old master said

there’s motion in stillness

and it’s not the junk in your head

 

[3bob]

"....Then the motion he noticed
rose from its depth
it was the movement of spirit
it floated and leapt..."

 

Indeed, it leaps and springs in Joy without sorrow

 

1. "For him who sees this, reflects on this and understands this, the prana springs from the Self, hope springs from the Self, memory springs from the Self, the akasa springs from the Self, fire springs from the Self; water springs from the Self; appearance and disappearance spring from the Self, food springs from the Self, strength springs from the Self; understanding springs from the Self, meditation springs from the Self, consideration springs from the Self, will springs from the Self; mind springs from the Self speech springs from the Self, the name springs from the Self the sacred hymns spring from the Self the sacrifices spring from the Self—ay, all this springs from the Self."

 

Chandogya, Chapter XXVI — Self—knowledge

[Jeff]

50. Jesus said, "If they say to you, 'Where have you come from?' say to them, 'We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established [itself], and appeared in their image.' If they say to you, 'Is it you?' say, 'We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living Father.' If they ask you, 'What is the evidence of your Father in you?' say to them, 'It is motion and rest.'"

 

- Gospel of Thomas

[Karl]

 

"One day he realised

His mind had become still"

 

 

If he 'realised' -wasn't his mind actually active thinking 'my mind is now still' ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[3bob]

many record players have the little synchro light that stays steady when one hits 33 rpm's, but if rpm's go higher or lower the synchro is out and the light is no longer steady... extrapolate as you will.

[Brian]

 

many record players have the little synchro light that stays steady when one hits 33 rpm's, but if rpm's go higher or lower the synchro is out and the light is no longer steady... extrapolate as you will.

A similar approach used to be employed for setting ignition timing back when automobiles still had distributors.

[Karl]

many record players have the little synchro light that stays steady when one hits 33 rpm's, but if rpm's go higher or lower the synchro is out and the light is no longer steady... extrapolate as you will.

 

There is an analogy in there waiting to come out. The platter is 'physical' movement and the light is reacting to frequency.

 

I think that this idea of stillness in motion is close to what you are implying, but not the thought 'my mind is now silent' because that clearly conflicts with reality.

 

Some of these arts were significant in combat. China, Japan and India combined religion, spiritualism, aesthetic, natural elements into there practices. Yoga movements were integrated into Indian warrior training to improve flexibility and many of the moves are named after fighting positions, attacking animals, balanced objects or permanence.

 

Many here will perhaps relate to playing an instrument, race driving, motorcycling or some other activity where all of sudden they are not there. I've experienced them in very rare moments, probably 3 or 4 in my lifetime.

 

So is 'stillness in motion' meaning literally that ? Bruce Lee certainly typified and practiced that philosophy. Kung Fu turned fighting into a spiritual exercise and a way of leading ones life.

[Karl]

A similar approach used to be employed for setting ignition timing back when automobiles still had distributors.

 

It's widely used in rotating machinery and in called a rotary encoder these days. Same thing but it can detect degrees of movement and opposing rotation.

 

That's for the engineering types of which I was once one.