The Winter Years (Autumn and Winter Ages)

The winter years as I understand the meaning as alluded to through my current studies into Chinese cultures as they affect my practice of martial systems are those years that equal and exceed sixty years. My previous postings at the blog for the Ken-po Goku-i titled, Autumn and Winter Ages, [http://kenpo-gokui.blogspot.com/2012/02/autumn-and-winter-ages.html] doesn't go into any details on this age period of life.

I am going to provide what I hope and perceive that forth season of live consists of from my more narrow perceptions.

Winter: 60 years and more: I say "more" because this is the stage of life where one should experience more in their lives. They have lived and if lucky lived well so this is that time where one should enjoy and most importantly "provide to others" from their experience and proficiency in living said life. This is the stage where hara is developed and thus through this stage achieves a tempering that may result in mastering hara or haragei. We still hold ourselves accountable for self and others but it is more a influential stage whereby those in the Autumn years receive from those in the Winter years that which will allow them to develop their hara.

This stage not only says we stood tall on our principles but that we are able to achieve more present moment presence and that we can communicate the words and actions that inspire in others a desire to follow the way.  We have shown by deed, actions and word our goal of taking full and complete responsibility for what we have accomplished to reach this stage or season of life.

This stage stands alone and above the three stages of the development of meta-physical hara. We comprehend the significance of hara and have and do demonstrate it through haragei. Our endeavors to blend our body and soul is self-evident and we now understand what it means to achieve spiritual and physical oneness. One in his or her Winter Years has the self-satisfaction knowing they have achieved a level of proficiency in hara/haragei. We now know that mastery is nothing more than oneness where neither positive or negative is required for practice of developed hara.

The winter person breathes naturally and normally as if it were intrinsically a DNA offspring. We don't just know but now feel the wholehearted truth of breathing which is haragei and that meditative breathing leads to greater haragei and haragei leads to enlightenment in life.

We winter folks who have faithfully followed the path realize intuitively and instinctively that there is no atomistic but only holistic life and feel it deeper and healthier in our very core. We have combined our physical and spiritual nutritional intake as if it were once again "the one, the tao or the great tai chi."

We winter aged individuals have achieved harmony in the gradual practice of life without deviation and no expectation. This stage is that level in nature that is what the Universe intended as to the way, path or "michi." Our discovery of the only way to mastery is demonstrated in our activity within the stage of nature called Winter Years.

Bibliography (Earth):
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.