This morning I woke up wondering about good and evil. I wondered if goodness exists apart from human perception and religious concepts. I wondered the same about evil. Does evil dwell somewhere in the universe, independent of our judgment and imagination?

We use the words good and evil in pairs. Are we implying that one cannot exist without the other? If so, are we saying that the yin/yang of human perception is an absolute truth; that there is no ultimate goodness or ultimate evil; just an eternal tug-o-war?

Or, is the dualism of yin and yang the genuine original sin that bars our entrance to paradise? A necessary passage perhaps? If we did not see life in pairs of opposites, in terms of duality, what would we see? What would life be like?

I ask this because, if either good or evil does not exist outside of human perception, then reality could be one or the other–good or evil. Or maybe neither?

Is the universe good, evil, or indifferent

Does the universe even care about these concepts? Likely not depending on your definition of the universe. So does that mean that neither good nor evil exists? Is the universe neutral providing only raw material to be used in whatever fashion happens, or is chosen, without preference or support for good or bad outcomes?

All of this is of course subjective. Good, evil, and the universe, are terms that we each have our own definitions for, and they are always in flux. As I think about these things I often prefer to let the definitions evolve as I explore. That is what I was doing this morning. I was just roaming in thought without being overly precise, and I guess that is how I am expressing this now.

My fearful perspective on evil has always been: yes, evil exists as a separate entity. Evil is a force of nature. But when I observe nature and existence closely and without fear, I see only a workable design that encourages the entire cosmos and all of life to step into a creative and orderly flow. I see no evil intent in nature. No universal force is persuading the trees to do something that would place them out of the productive loop. Everything in nature moves us towards effective living. So life is certainly not evil, and it does not appear to be indifferent either.

Look carefully and you will see that nature is not at all neutral in its actions and processes. The universe clearly has a powerful creative bias. Even the destructive forces of nature are powerfully creative. The natural world, of which we are a part, is a master at encouraging life to work in synergy. This is far from indifferent.

Life is good

That clarifies what evil actually is then doesn’t it? If we are out of step with natural law, we forgo the creative support of the universe where all things good are powerfully possible. Evil then, is our perverted perception of this alienation from the natural order. Our sense of evil is also tied to our feeling of guilt over all the degenerating self-gratifications we have indulged in as compensation for the lack of synergy, true power, and genuine satisfaction.

Evil is a force we generate within ourselves as a crude attempt to gain power at the expense of everything around us. But it doesn’t seem to exist outside of our human intent and actions. Goodness on the other hand does.

It seems to me that goodness can be defined as: a force that supports creative growth and synergy between all things in existence. If you accept that this is a fair definition, then we can all rest in the knowledge that goodness is an essential force of the universe, and by extension, goodness is an essential aspect of humanity.

Now, I know that these thoughts are limited and simplistic. We could bounce intellectual arguments back and forth forever, but I have zero interest in that. These are just some thoughts that I woke up with today and I wanted to share them with you, however incomplete they may be.

These morning musings of mine were brought to completion by the sound of birds outside the bedroom window. It is spring and they are building new nests, forging relationships, claiming space, working and playing–just like us. It is all good.

Over to you now!

Life is… let me think a minute… alright then, here’s a picture for you: life is a ball of tangled elastic bands with something really special buried deep inside. The lure is to find the hidden treasure.

Life is like that; full of intriguing discoveries. Like those cereal boxes when I was a kid with the baking-soda-powered toy SUBMARINE–FREE INSIDE. It was a hook, and who could resist?

Back to the ball of elastic bands though: when I was a small boy I wondered why golf balls bounced so high. My Dad was a golfer, so I took one of his golf balls and dissected it to find out why. I was exhilarated as I cut through the casing; like I was splitting the atom or something. What would happen? Would it explode in my face? The energy of that ball had to be locked in there somewhere, and I was about to release it.

After removing the outer shell, I found that it was a a ball of tightly wrapped elastic bands. No explosion or drama. But wrapped around what? I imagined there had to be something at the center of that ball, so I kept unwrapping the long thin strings of elastic. I recall the odor of it to this day; a pungent to the extreme, smell of rubber. I sat entranced as I unwound the ball to the core of the mystery-of-the-incredible-bounce. And what did I find? I found a round sack filled with a viscous liquid. Totally unexpected and unexplainable to me as a child. A fluid of unknown source was at the core of this golf ball that could bounce so high. But why?

Like my childhood curiosity, we are all born with an insatiable desire to seek out the mystery hidden just beneath the surface of the ordinary. It is how we have survived as a species. It has helped us to find food, shelter, and comfort.

Our challenge has always been to unravel the tangle to get to the treasure. But as conscious adults in the twenty-first century, the treasure we are able to seek is more than survival, and more than a trinket.

Four things about life that I am sure of

There are countless things that I do not know about life. It–thank goodness–is still largely a mystery. But here are a few things that I know for certain:

1. We are all seekers. Our human nature drives us to explore life. We have no choice in this. We are explorers by nature. That sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it? How can we be driven and yet be free? But in the mix of those opposites there is an electricity that empowers us.
2. We are easily distracted. We often mistake the wrapping for the treasure. We sense the inner reward. We are drawn by it. But we become enamored by the snap and bounce of the web we must unravel in the process, and we lose sight of the prize we are after. We are encoded with a destination and an imperative to get there, but with no clear directions we get lost in the tangents of our curiosities.
3. We are all on a path to enlightenment. Our natural compulsion to seek answers, to unravel the mechanics of our world, is actually our natural drive to understand all of life; to see the mysteries beyond the surface–to become enlightened and released from judgments, and definitions, and fixed conceptions. We are on a path to unconditional awareness.
4. It all begins and ends with simplicity. The childlike curiosity that cannot resist unraveling the golf ball to find its center, or digging into the cereal box to find the hidden prize inside, is the juice that drives us to greater and greater discoveries as adults. That simple seeking holds tremendous beauty and power. It is our means to discovery. The treasure at the center of the tangle of life, is the beauty and power that resides within ourselves.

So that is what I know for certain. What are some of the things about life that YOU know for sure?

Over to you now.

Fear lives within you. It breeds in the warm liquid of your flesh feeding on your spirit. Fear is the real original sin. It perverts your true perception.

And the truth is: your world is a marvelous miracle of interconnection and unification. Observe nature and you will know that this is so. Every seemingly separate aspect of nature forms powerful interdependent relationships. That unity is the essence of nature’s success and it can be the essence of your success. If you desire to master your life then, you must accept that you are part of nature, and subject to its mechanics and laws.

But fear wants none of this. Fear’s strength lies in its ability to separate. It positions itself–and you–outside of this unified field of relationship-based all-encompassing thinking. Fear wants you to think about life in linear fashion: this then that; he then she; us then them; I then you. Even reading the words fear generates is stressful, because it just isn’t true; it isn’t natural.

What is Fear?

Fear is a chameleon; it adopts the shape of all the walls, separations and boundaries that you create. Fear is the absence of unity (some would substitute the word love for unity).

Fear is also an impostor. It poses as our protector, supposedly guarding us from the consequences of moving too far, too fast, beyond our comfort zone or ability.

In some ways this is a good thing. After all, linear thinking and compartmentalization is the model of organization. With these skills we can effectively juggle and order our lives. Fear is also the natural caution we use to gather ourselves to properly meet a challenge.

Fear can be a problem though when we allow it to extend too deeply into our lives. There are areas of life where we should not be separating things and putting them into neat boxes. Our spirituality, or consciousness development, is one of those. When we begin drawing lines and compartmentalizing where we shouldn’t, we move further down that line toward fear. Our perception of truth does not thrive in a box.

To reach the destiny that is encoded in our DNA, we must pass through our fear into many levels of awareness and understanding. These levels are secured by the gates of fear.

I call them gates because they feel like that. They stop you dead in your tracks, you must find the key to move forward, and once you do you are in a new and expanded space.

How to Recognize the Gates of Fear

You will recognize your personal gates of fear when you feel:

• Stasis: a sense of stagnation; that you can move no further; that a force equal to your desires opposes you.
• Constriction: feeling a withdrawal in your gut; an urge to pull back in spite of your aspirations.
• Separation: an overwhelming drive to separate all of your experiences and relationships into categories and classifications.
• Bigotry or resistance: stubbornly refusing to be tolerant or accepting of anything other than what you are accustomed to, or have previously believed in.
• Violence: the urge to inflict physical, emotional, or psychic pain upon yourself or others.

We approach these gates of fear every day in very average ways, but we also come up against them in subtle ways.

In deep meditation for instance, we often feel ourselves at these gates. Our natural instinct is to withdraw into the comfort of whatever bliss we may have experienced just prior — but life is about change — and if we withdraw, the only change we’ll experience is backward. Nothing in life stands still.

We must move beyond our fear, through these gates, if we are to expand into our destiny.

What Lies Beyond the Gates?

You will know that you have passed through one of the gates of fear when you feel:

• Movement: a progressive development of ideas and action in your life that enthuses you.
• Expansion: the rush and flood of your awareness as it spreads out like a blanket onto your life, or within your meditation, leading you to greater clarity and power.
• Unity: a knowing that you are connected in a fundamental way; seeing the relationships between diverse peoples, processes, and concepts, in a manner that allows you to understand and gain wisdom.
• Acceptance: being more observant than judgemental in your relationship to people, ideas, and life itself.
• Compassion: a powerful empathy with others; a desire to ease their pain because you feel in your heart that they are an extension of you. The old saying “there but for the grace of God go I” is meaningful to you.

We come up against these gates daily, and we can also pass through them daily. Sometimes it is just a minor gate — a minor fear that we overcome — but in these small passages we can gain major ground, a bit at a time. Soon enough we will find ourselves at the major gates that will allow us access to our infinite potential for happiness and success.

One more thing: there are gifts for those that successfully pass these major gates. These gifts are ideally suited to the nature of the person acquiring them. Truth chooses them for you, and they remain yours as long as you choose truth.

How to Pass Through the Gates of Fear

Most of the doing in moving past fear is in the desire to do so, and in knowing fear when you encounter it. We’ve talked about that above and there is not much more to add.

I will say though, that for anyone who meditates or engages in a mind-body practice such as Tai Chi, Chi Gung, or Yoga, it is vital to always return to the basics. The power of meditation and mind body disciplines is in the basic tenets of practice. Revitalize these basics often, to ensure that the foundation you build upon is solid and that your direction is true.

There are so many good books available on esoteric disciplines, I’m reluctant to name my preferences, as everyone responds differently. A few stand out though as quality sources of information for beginners. They are:

• The Three Pillars Of Zen by Roshi Philip Kapleau. This book offers a great introduction to meditation using solid techniques.
• Energetic Tai Chi Chuan by Larry Johnson. Though not really a beginners book, it provides the necessary groundwork and emphasis on proper energetic development; something sadly lacking in most Tai Chi Classes.
• Kundalini Yoga for the West by Swami Sivananda Radha. While I do not follow the path of Kundalini Yoga, I have enjoyed this book and I see that it would be a wonderful primer for anyone interested in Yoga, at any level.

I’ll also point you to a couple articles. The first, Little Buddha Walking is a fun meditative exercise that teaches the basic mental principals of meditation without the formality of sitting practice. And the second, Tai Chi Classes: Should You Sign Up? is my introduction to Tai Chi.

The absolute best way then to pass through the gates of fear is: be keenly aware of these gates, know that moving through your fears will lead you beyond them to expanded awareness, and most importantly, develop the skills required in your discipline of choice — be it Meditation or whatever else suits you.

Over to you now!

Tai Chi is an extraordinary mind-body practice. It builds a solid bridge between your body, mind, and spirit.

Tai Chi, or Taijiquan as it is often called, is a respected member of the oriental internal arts, within a long tradition of martial arts, health, and spiritual disciplines. It is popular, even here in the west, because it is so flexible in its applications and levels of training. Anyone can learn Tai Chi regardless of their current fitness level.

I would like to tell you how magical Tai Chi practice is, but that is something you have to discover for yourself. What I can say is…

The benefits of Tai Chi will surprise you

You can do Tai Chi, for simple relaxation; to gain optimal health and vitality; as an advanced martial art; to learn about internal energy and energy healing; and you can employ Tai Chi as a spiritual practice.

The best part about Tai Chi is: there are no limits to how far you can take it in your quest for personal development. You could easily spend a lifetime enjoying Tai Chi, and still be in awe of what you learn each day.

Choreographed sets of movements, called “forms,” are the foundation of practice. In Tai Chi then, you move — as in your everyday life — but with a meditative, fully focused, present-moment awareness. This solves the problem faced by many meditation practitioners.

Beginners in meditation (and the term “beginner” applies for many years) often find it difficult to carry the peace and clarity of meditation into their daily life. There is too great a gap between the silent, controlled environment of sitting meditation, and the physical hustle of their normal life.

The essence of meditation is full present-moment awareness, or mindfulness. Tai Chi takes these skills to the next level, and employs them within a physical moving form coupled with focused mental intent. It is the ideal bridge between meditation and the physical reality of life.

After practicing Tai Chi for some time, you will develop a keen sense of body awareness. If your commitment to your practice is high, you will also gain a strong sense of your internal energy. You will be able to feel the connection between your intent, your internal energy, and its physical manifestation.

Tai Chi teaches you how to be aware of yourself on all levels, from the gross physical to the finest spiritual. Most importantly, it helps you to incorporate that awareness into your daily life through the physical nature of its forms. Tai Chi is truly magical in that sense.

Just as a lifetime can never exhaust the possibilities Tai Chi will offer you, this small article is just a humble overview. I am perhaps biased, as I have practiced Tai Chi for decades, but I must say that it will exceed all expectations you might have.

10 good reasons to learn Tai Chi

In future articles I will delve more deeply into Tai Chi and the internal esoteric arts that compliment it, such as Chi Kung. For now, here are 10 good reasons to join a Tai Chi class:

1. Relaxation and stress management is a snap for Tai Chi practitioners.
2. Health and vitality are improved naturally, by relaxing the body, stretching the muscles, improving posture and body mechanics, and strengthening the energetic foundations of the body.
3. Enjoy a stimulating social environment with like-minded people. You will look forward to your twice-weekly dose of this positive, relaxed, group energy.
4. Learn a personal ritual that will stabilize your life through daily practice. Never underestimate the special power of personal ritual.
5. Body awareness will develop in quantum leaps. You will learn to be present in your body and engaged with the moment. The practical advantages of this are endless.
6. Learn to merge intention with action in your daily life. The core of Tai Chi is to express your intentions in powerful and productive ways that are in line with the nature of circumstance.
7. Become aware of internal energy through consistent and correct practice. Learn to sense your intrinsic energy, and to apply it with intent, calmness, poise, and power.
8. Meditative clarity will enter your daily life because you will absorb your Tai Chi sessions deep into your bones and psyche. You will find yourself moving more freely, more calmly, and with more power and clarity than before. The difference will astound you.
9. Gain access to deeper esoteric practices such as internal Chi Kung. When you enter the world of Tai Chi, you will become aware of the range of practices available to you that may further your personal path. Chi Kung is an especially powerful discipline. It will both deepen your Tai Chi practice, and lead you to the most advanced meditative practices possible. Chi Kung is also the primary route for advanced energy healing.
10. Live a happier, healthier life in every way possible. Tai Chi stimulates and strengthens all aspects of your body, mind, and spirit.

So there you have 10 good reasons to sign up for a Tai Chi class near you. I hope that you do. I promise you that if you train with discipline, spirit, and intelligence, you will know that I am understating the advantages listed above.

It is most important though to find a good teacher. Many teachers have learned only the surface levels, and of course they can offer only what they understand and can demonstrate. The onus then is upon you, the student, to take charge of your learning. Read all you can about Tai Chi, especially the classics. That way, you can learn to discriminate between right and wrong practice.

The most common form to learn is the Simplified 24 movement Yang form. It is easier to learn for beginners. Down the line, you may want to tackle the 120 movement Long Yang form. From this basis in learning forms, you then learn to move with full spirit and internal energy. And then…

As tempting as it is for me, I won’t go further into Tai Chi in this article, as it would rather quickly become book-length. In future articles we’ll explore specifics of Tai Chi practice, if you are interested.

We will also explore Chi Kung, perhaps more so. Chi Kung is a health, internal energy, and spiritual development discipline, that anyone can begin in a simple and enjoyable fashion. The kicker is: though it is simple and enjoyable, it leads to the highest forms of inner alchemy and practical energetic or spiritual attainment. But more on that another time.

So do we have any Tai Chi practitioners out there? Or have you wondered what it might be like to take Tai Chi lessons? If so, then just go out and do it. You have my guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments. And if you have any questions – fire away.

Over to you now…

A higher sense of life purpose is unique to higher intelligence.

Other species indigenous to our planet have no need, or ability perhaps, to consider their individual role in the big picture. Their life purpose is determined by their specializations.

It is odd that we humans do not envy other animals for their clarity of life direction, more than we do. Instead, we think of their specialized abilities as an expression of intellectual limitation.

Our attitude is especially odd because we humans are inept at identifying our own life purpose, let alone living it.

We are the most intelligent indigenous species on Earth, but we are the least effective at living to our potential, living in cooperation with the nature that supports us, and thereby ensuring our survival.

Let’s not even go into our unfulfilled potential to create a compassionate and wise society — an accomplishment that is well within our reach.

By comparison, we fall miserably short of our human potential.

Expanding consciousness and communication

On the positive side, we are beginning to deepen our consciousness. The wisdom of the ancient mystery schools and esoteric disciplines are now entering the mainstream of society. Yoga studios are everywhere. Most people know someone who is studying Tai Chi, Chi Gung, or Meditation. Forty years ago, these practices were largely unknown in the west.

The new age movement expresses its own version of once guarded knowledge, in palatable and useful ways for the western mind and society. The interest behind this movement is vast. It demonstrates our exploding curiosity as a species, and our individual courage to be unique, in the pursuit of knowledge.

At the same time, technology is offering humanity the greatest means of all to further the cause — a dramatically enhanced ability to communicate.

Just a few decades ago, most people communicated only with those in their immediate geographic and social circle. We didn’t have the technology to do otherwise.

By contrast, we now have almost complete choice over to whom, and to how many people we communicate with. Our technology has broken down the barriers, and we are beginning to take advantage of our new freedom to relate with whom we wish, as we wish.

It seems we are moving in the right direction on many levels.

We have good reason then to be optimistic, but we should never take our future for granted. Its proper creation demands purposeful action. Action based not on just any purpose, but on a higher sense of life purpose that uplifts and unites us.

Can you imagine what this world could be like if every person alive today knew his or her unique higher mission in life and acted upon it? What a powerfully wise and positively creative species we would be.

We have the potential to work wonders in our world and beyond it. We are truly gifted, but we lack a clear and common sense of higher life purpose to which we can apply our considerable intelligence.

We distract ourselves by making small mindless choices, repeatedly, that in the end weigh heavily on our spirits.

Our brains lead us in two directions at once: using our intelligence to advance in a positive manner, and being used by it to explore selfish, shortsighted tangents. Sadly, the latter direction is more common.

Perhaps then, our most pressing mission in life is to try to understand ourselves more, and to practice choosing more wisely, how we use our intelligence in our personal actions and communications with one another.

There are many ways to advance your consciousness. In this short article, we don’t need to get into the details of those. Sometimes we simply need to remind ourselves that it all begins with the desire to do so.

The best gift you can give to yourself today is to remind yourself of your uniquely human potential, and to take actions to develop a greater sense of purpose in your daily life.

And is there any higher life purpose than to move consistently toward your higher potential?

Over to you now…