I-Ching Quotes

"Success and failure of tasks is a matter of the alternating rise and fall of movement and rest. When you are mindful in times of rest, you are observant in times of movement. If you have self-mastery in times of rest, you can be decisive in times of movement. If you have stability in times of rest, actions will not lead to unfortunate results. Rest is the foundation of movement, movement is the potential of rest. "

[rest-practice;movement-combat, these are the fighting arts view of this particular comment. Success-victory; failure-defeat, in the fighting arts depends entirely on the amount of time and quality of practice done before entering into harms way. If you drill with heart you will be effective when in combat. The ability to train effectively results in the mind taking appropriate action before allowing the situation to rise to the physical. Movement and Rest; Practice and Combat - Success and Failure; Victory and Defeat; remain diligent rest adequately and prepare for movement for this is the Way of Tao.]

I-Ching Quotes

"Grasp What is Near" in the I-Ching means to become aware of the modes of oneself. "Search afar" is to observe modes in the world. These are the two complementary modes of existence, movement, and rest.

[Duality in all things of the Universe. We must master ourselves to have the ability to observe and learn others. As taught through the kenpo gokui we must first learn about ourselves and be open to both the good and not so good so we can become and then we can learn about others and their selves to be one with humanity which in turn opens the connections to the Heavens and free the cycles of energy that flows between the sun and moon.]

I-Ching Quotes

"The I-Ching is a tool to assist in observing and understanding anatomy of events. It is the book on the master of change."

[Change is inevitable; a part of the Tao of Life; the Tao of Heaven; the Tao of Earth; the Tao of Humanity. The singular practice of the fighting arts or any art form is the physical steps used to assist us in observing and understanding our self. The Kenpo Gokui inspires us in practice to "see", "feel", and "hear" what is the Tao and opens the first door to the I-Ching which opens the second door to mastering change while the combination of practice, gokui, and I-Ching open the third door to enlightenment. Give this great thought!]

I-Ching Quotes

"Life is a journey, and we are all travelers. Every event in our daily lives is part of a continuum of change and development. Time and space are a process. Every individual event enhances change and development. We must respond to the changes and discover the most suitable way to deal with them. Only by responding to the changes within the whole process can great success be achieved. This is the key to success."

[Wow, this one causes me to pause and say, "Wow!" I wanted to do well in life so I spent my youth trying to learn the best way to do this. I found that the Marines and later the fighting arts gave me a focus and a means of achieving a good life. I learned to understand the ebb and flow of the changes in life and that finding balance is most important with the knowledge that no matter what the ebb and flow continues and the balance we find is merely finding the correct way to accept changes and adjust accordingly. This in a microcosm is what we can achieve on a basic level in practicing a "Way." It can be the fighting arts, the tea ceremony, the art of calligraphy, or any other endeavor one can focus on and take along the path of life.]

Gradual Growth

I stress the need to build a solid foundation in the basics, that which is practiced for life and I say that there is only one way to achieve a level of proficiency and understanding which is in accord with nature, the natural way of things. To try and circumvent this process leads to a lacking in proficiency and thus in life.

I came across some quotes in the I Ching that express the need to follow the laws of nature.

"Wood above, Mountain below. It denotes a tree that is growing gradually to its height on a mountain. When the trunk of a tree grows upward above the ground, its roots develop deep underneath the earth. This progress upward and downward growth are in positive proportion. In this way, the tree remains strong, firm, and stable. This is the wisdom of nature. Weeds grow fact; they are neither strong nor stable."

Gradual development is the "cornerstone" of the fighting arts that encompasses both the physical and spiritual. Much like practicing kata with out bunkai and visualization. We see etymologically in the gokui references to the cycles and processes that are natural and in equilibrium with the Tao or the Universe so those who take this seriously travel the same path in practice and training.

Trees whose roots fail to develop properly into the earth are easily uprooted while tree that has found balance in gradual growth finds their foundation or root system to be deep, strong, resilient, and healthy.

Those who take the natural path of the fighting arts develop wholeheartedly while those who insist on the short path end up quitting when it no longer suits their egoistic needs.

Which path do you follow?

I Ching:

"In advancing, one should move gradually." "Any kind of development should proceed in an orderly way and advance step by step."

Blood, Circulate, same, Moon, Sun

The Ancient Chinese understood the principles of Yang and Yin when they first took notice of the Sun and Moon. The sun provided heat, light, etc. and the moon provided darkness and reflected the sun's light to assist in the darkness.

Watching the "change" between light and dark, seeing the waxing and waning of the sun's light on the moon, and the sun/moon traveling across the sky's, i.e. the light of day and the dark of night told the Ancients of Change and how it oscillates from one extreme to the other with equilibrium at the mean of both changes.

Darkness is danger or difficulty so the sun's light reflecting on the moon shows us the path to take in overcoming the dangers or difficulties encountered in the dark or the darkness of life that ascends on us in times of trouble.

The sun rises and overcomes the darkness much like the changes we take to find balance so that we can overcome all of lifes tribulations through the changes we perceive and understand.

Many things in our fighting/striking arts practice mirrors this basic premise of change or yin and yang. In regards to physical fitness we provide parrallels by discussing how blood, life of the body, circulates through out the body. How it does this is similar or the same as the changes of the moon and sun. The cycles of the moon and sun as the blood cycles through out the body.

Our practice is hard and soft much like the sun (hard-yang) and the moon (soft-yin). This takes a good deal of study and contemplation.

The I Ching:

Kan is the moon with reference to the "ears" for "hearing."
Li is the sun with reference to the "eyes" for "seeing."

Sun:

• The symbol for heat and light.
• Brightness.
• Intelligence and Wisdom.
• Sheds light to distinguish between right and wrong.
• Eyes, The pheasant, East, Image of clinging.
• Sun signifies the image of fire, of electricity and lightning, of armor, of a knife and spear, of a turtle, of a crab, of a snail, of a mussel, of a tortoise.
• I respect to trees, it is the hollow ones with tops withered.

When the sun goes, then the moon comes, and when the moon goes, then the sun comes. The sun and the moon drive each other on, and brightness is generated in this process. What has gone is in contraction, and what is to come is an expansion. Contraction and expansion impel each other on, and benefits are generated in this process.

Moon:

• Symbol for danger or difficulty.
• Interpreted as falling into darkness.
• Represents water-moon.
• Ears, Pig, West
• Moon signifies the image of water, of channels and ditches, of hidden or lying concealed, being now straight and now crooked, of a bow, of a wheel.
• Gua of Blood.
• In respect to man, it is the increasingly anxious, the sick at heart, etc.
• It refers to horses especially those who put their "hearts" into it.
• In respect to trees, it is those that are strong with dense centers.

The moon does not radiate heat and light, so it is attributed to the symbol of water, because water is cold and its attributes is the opposite of fire.

The cycles of the moon and sun represent "rest" and "action." This means one who practices must find balance by knowing when to practice and when to rest. Rest and practice drive one another and proficiency is generated in this process, and benefits are generated through this process. The means of rest and activity generate equilibrium in the physical allowing generation of "Chi" which powers the spirit and benefits the mind so the body receives its benefits.

I-Ching Quotes

"Harmonization with the time by active or passive adaptation to the present situation in order to proceed along the optimum line of development. The I-Ching is the aid to the discernment of the quality of each time and its implications for doing or non-doing."

[Heaven and Earth; Sun and Moon; Hard or Soft; Eyes and Ears; the many facets of the gokui tomes that tell us overtly that equilibrium/balance is crucial to harmony. We must harmonize with all things for they are connected by strings of energy that make up the Tao. Active-Passive; the form of action we take be it in our minds or how our bodies take action in relation to the contacts that we encounter during our waking moments. Do not lose site of the fact that this also includes the actions taken in our minds when we are in rest/sleeping. Both affect how we act in life for both influence the energy that flows in the Universe and through our being. What we do or do not do; what we see or not see; what we hear or not hear; the actions we take or do not take have effect in the Universe; the butterfly effect...give it thought.]

I-Ching Quotes

"The Appropriate Time", the time for doing or accomplishing whatever is to be done or accomplished. The time when something becomes possible or necessary due to a subtle configuration of conditions. The appropriate timing of action or inaction.

[Core concepts for self-defense in the fighting arts. Time is loosely referenced in the gokui but is dominant in the whole as timing is critical in both the physical and esoteric forms of life. Timing is crucial to handling all situations for a person who is not sensitive to time/timing will not "see" or "hear" conditions as they unfold in daily activity. The activity or actions taken must be done in the appropriate "time" in accordance with the laws of nature or the Universe to either be successful or find failure lurking just around that corner.]

"To observe the waxing and waning of positive and negative forces to discern the subtle portents of good and ill outcomes, of regret and humiliation."

[The cycles of the sun and moon with emphasis on the moon as it represents humanity. The heavens and the sun provide the different cycles as the sun touches the moon in a way that reveals its many facets through the waxing and waning of the sun's energies giving examples of the changes that occur naturally letting us understand the nature of change.]

Person, Heart, Heaven, Earth

The I Ching says that "Heaven" is 3 [odd] and that a person is also divided into three parts, i.e. the Jodan [upper], Chudan [center], and Gedan [lower]. The I Ching says Heaven is above [upper] while Earth is below [lower] and that humanity is in the center. We know that humanity or person benefits from the marriage of Heaven and Earth while our "hearts" benefit from our minds and connections to the Earth.

The heart also resides in the center much like humans [person] resides in the center of the Tao as connected by Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

Pay attention and you will notice that the number three appears in lots of places. In the fighting arts we have the trilogy of Te or "Kihon [basics], Kata [prearranged techniques], and Kumite [drills;sparring, etc.].

Earth is 2 and refers to our connection the Tao as it manifests myriad things with its interaction to Heaven, i.e. Yin [negative energy] and Yang [positive energy]. The action or interaction of the Yao lines in the gua provide for yin and yang and as those lines change so does the yin and yang.

Training is like this where we have hard training and soft training, yin-yang. We also must work hard at life and then take time to relax from life, yin-yang.

In the fighting arts we use chinkuchi or hard and koshi/gamaku or soft in performing our techniques. It is the ability to either be hard or soft that provides balance in practice as well as life.

Yin and Yang or two also applies to how Isshinryu was formed, i.e. naihanchi which relies on gamaku and koshi or soft to perform it properly while sanchin relies on chinkuchi or hard to perform. The blending of the two provided us the third element which is Isshinryu. Sanchin [Heaven/hard], Naihanchi [Earth/soft], interact creating Isshinryu [Humanity/persons] proficient in the fine art of Okinawa.

Study the I Ching, connect to the Kenpo Gokui, and find the complete wholehearted Isshinryu (3). Connect the spirit and mind to achieve health (body-spirit-mind) [3 again]. If you work hard and study with conscious effort and focus on all aspects of the arts then you will find open doors to all things under Heaven, on Earth, and within our Hearts to achieve Tao of Life.

Lets not forget the most important (3) three. What I call the "Ultimate Three" which is "Birth, Life, Death" which are the three that govern us all regardless.

I-Ching Quotes

"Deal with each 'time', each combination of relations and principles, in such a way as to achieve an appropriate balance of relevant forces and their modes of manifestation."

[Gokui teaches us to believe and find balance in all things. Everything has its ebb and flow while it runs best when in equilibrium with nature and the Universe...worth contemplating.]

I-Ching Quotes

"Time is characterized by "change", and particular times are characterized by 'specific relations of opposing or complementary forces' taking place in the course of this flux."

[Gokui tells us that change is inevitable and a part of life so how we "handle" change is a matter of equilibrium with the Universe be it Heaven, Earth, Sun, and/or Moon. The practice of "Ti" provides us the physical manifestations of "change" as in changing directions, seeing change, hearing the changes occur, and moving mind-body instinctively to accommodate the changes of life.]

No Absolutes Here

It must be said that when studying the I-Ching, Kenpo Gokui, etc. that there are "NO ABSOLUTE'S HERE!" I want to stress to those who read this post on the gokui and by extension the I Ching that my interpretation is not the absolute in this and as you will find by the plethora of books with the same quantity of interpretations that this is true.

What I mean is, darkness may mean a negative yet it may mean something totally different when it is influenced by another aspect of the I Ching. When darkness is supported by Heaven then it takes on a different meaning all together which may over come the darkness/negativity aspects.

My meanderings here are my interpretations of what I am and have been studying. A key to the I Ching as a book of changes is that each change is influenced by the present moment of the person and that persons entire life's influences.

My purpose here in this blog posting is to explore and discover with a side of possible influence on others to do the same. If someone appreciates the stuff I post then they may go on to discover their own path using the classics such as the I Ching.

My other goal is to connect the trio of the fighting arts, the art itself, the gokui, and the I Ching, just to mention a few.

So, take it with a grain of salt for it may differ when you are studying than what I provide, yadda yadda yadda :-)

Note: When studying first study the images, then the words, and then try not to focus on the words or the images. Find somewhere in between to find the connection and thus the answers.

I-Ching Quotes

The I-Ching refers to "Heaven" which is commonly believed as the "Source of Creation" and "Direction of the Universe"; The way of heaven, or Celestial Tao, is the body of Universal principle underlying all manifestations. To harmonize with the Celestial is only a matter of living in concert with "Time."

[Time is "now", the "present moment", and nothing more for the past and future are beyond "Time" and our practice is meant to train our minds to "see" the present moment as the only moment of life. Nothing else matters except that they teach us life in the present moment and then as the moment passes becomes something else beyond the "now."]

Heaven, Earth and Heart

Consider this...Tatsuo Sensei chose "Sanchin" and "Naihanchi" to provide the offspring of "Isshinryu" so if we connect the dots "Heaven is the father (Sanchin)" and "Earth is the mother (Naihanchi)" and their creative power of Yang and Yin brought forth the "son" and called him "Isshinryu!"

Isshinryu is of "one heart" so those who practice Isshinryu develop "one heart" thus a persons (the practitioner of Isshinryu) heart is (becomes through practice) the same as (that of) Heaven and (that of) Earth.

I-Ching Quotes

"The primary function of the I-Ching is to show the connection with sciences of human development. The contemplation practice of self-analysis and analysis of situations. The study of investigation of principles, fulfillment of nature, and arrival at the meaning of life."

[Can we connect the dots here with those same processes when practicing the physical and esoteric of the "Way of the empty hand" using the guide provided by Tatsuo Sensei and those who came before him? Isn't it the "Way" to seek self-improvement through self-analysis, the analysis of situations in the fighting arts are assessing and taking actions in relation to situations in society, to achieve a set of principles that connect us to the Tao and lead us to the enlightenment that is the meaning of life?]

The I-Ching references "Essence of Life" which refers to human nature and destiny; in the context of Taoism. The term means "mind and body," or "spirit and energy."

[The first two tomes of the gokui have meaning in regard to the mind-body/spirit-energy matrix. Gokui is the "essence of life of the Isshinryu system."]

Epiphany

I sat in study of the I-Ching when I suddenly realized I discovered the meaning of life. Its simplicity and complexity is daunting. I try, tho I achieve success sporadically I can say I try.

Gokui :-)

A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth.
The blood circulating is similar to the moon and sun.
The eye must see all sides.
The ear must listen in all directions.

These four of the eight tomes of the kenpo gokui are singled out so as to show relationships between them in regards to referencing the Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon [eyes and ears].

Heaven = Head
Earth = Hara
Sun = Eyes
Moon = Ears

Notice that involving the body itself that the head is a symbol of Heaven since man stands on the earth and their head indicates a connection to the heavens above. The Earth is symbolized by the hara of the body since the hara is the center of the body where all energy and balance come to "one" point.

If the hara is strong then the body is anchored solidly to the Earth through the legs and feet. When we make reference to the sun and moon the I-Ching uses them to symbolize both the "eyes" and "ears."

The last two tomes also refer to how the eyes and ears are doorways to more than simply seeing and hearing. Through seeing and hearing along with mind training one increases intelligence and wisdom, both symbols of the sun, where this intelligence and wisdom provide a means for the practitioner to shed light on actions that are right and wrong allowing determination as to which is which so we can act accordingly.

The moon tells us that to truly listen is to sense danger or difficulty. It is symbolized by the gua of blood which could mean that to determine danger and difficulty we can use our eyes to see a method of overcoming in a manner best suited for each situation.

Use your head to train the mind in increasing intelligence and wisdom while centering all in the balance point of the hara clearing the meridians and energy so that the eyes and ears can see and actively listen in all directions increasing our awareness peripherally and spiritually.

Heaven is the force that initiates and becomes active in direct relation to the Earths receptive and passive posture which allows all things to be experienced in the moment. The balance achieved results in the ability to see and hear, sun and moon, for intelligent action and wisdom of knowing when and how to act.

The symbolism of heaven, earth, sun, and moon extend to the other tomes of the gokui, i.e. when talking of the eye seeing all sides or the ears listening in all directions. The four also symbolize the directions of north, south, east, and west.

When they are broken down into the separate trigrams we can also see the references to the other four directions, i.e. north-west, south-east, north-east, south-west. The sun symbolizes east, the moon west, Heaven north, and Earth south.

We can extrapolate from this the complexity of the kenpo gokui as it relates to our practice and further studies of the esoteric path we should balance our physical practice to reach "one" or equilibrium in the way.

If we also see the symbols of the sun we see the tortoise which has significance in the Chinese philosophy of the I-Ching. It shows that reference to a myriad of things is not literal but a means of expressing ideologies on life that go beyond our ability to express in mere words. Symbolism has its purpose and if we look beyond the lines and words of the gokui as well as the other classics we can discover so much more.

Quick or Gradual...

"Growing gradually keeps the tree strong, firm, and stable. This is the wisdom of nature. Weeds grow quickly - they are neither strong nor stable." I-Ching by Master Huang

Wanting everything quickly seems to be the path we take in life yet nature tells us that we need to take the time to gradually and naturally grow and prosper.

No where is this of more greater importance than in the fighting/martial arts. The quote tells us in the I-Ching that to create a foundation that will last, that is firm, stable, and strong takes time and practice. Short cuts to achieve something quicker may provide satisfaction in the short run yet those who take the natural flow to build a foundation have created something that will last a life time.

The influences and benefits of this type of practice and training have far reaching effects and benefits. The book of change or the I-Ching was created many thousands of years ago to guide us in the natural order of the Universe. Today many are finding through research that the ancient Chinese were way beyond their time in wisdom and enlightenment.

Seek out what is natural and in balance with nature. Seek out what is natural and in balance with the Universe. The sun and moon never quickly travel through their cycles. The sun and moon follow the law of what is natural and follows the law of the Universe, the Tao.

How can we expect anything other then calamity when we constantly try to achieve things outside of what is natural and instinctive. How can we expect to be greater than nature and the Universe that exists beyond time and matter. What audacity!

"People are a source of strength for achieving goals. Such growth also needs to follow in the steps of precedent - experience provides a precious reference."

"It takes effort for a tree's roots and trunk to break up the soil."

The I-Ching tells us more, advancement is not accidental. It is based on the law of cause and effect. One should cultivate virtue, build up character, accumulate knowledge and experience, and work hard to establish credibility. This is the proper way to approach personal growth...just understanding of these words tells us this can not be done "quickly" with any short cut methods.

Notice practitioners who visit your training hall. One out of one hundred may actually stick around longer than fifteen minutes when exposed to the real thing. There are those who "come and go quickly" and those who "come, see, hear, understand, and stay" in a training hall dedicated to the way of the empty hand.

I-Ching Quotes

"The 'Way' - called Tao in Chinese - is a fundamental concept of thought representing universal and specific order or principle."

[in-yo;yin-yang; requires specificity in the order of the Universe which is indisputably nature while the singular practice of both the physical and esoteric provide "Ways" for the individual to cultivate the self into the vessel that receives the Tao instinctively resulting in equilibrium with the Universe.]