6 Keys to Understanding Your Dao
Six Keys to Understanding ‘Dao’…
Our greeting is called “BaoQuan Li” (the custom of the wrapping the fist).
“BaoQuan Li” is an ancient polite acknowledgement, common among ShaoLin martial artists, which shows respect towards another person. It is commonly used when martial artists (especially those who have trained in Chinese Martial Arts) meet each other and wish to show an appreciation and understanding for the efforts of others and their own journey towards their “Dao”; their truth, their path, their way.
The gesture is not restricted exclusively to martial arts but also shows respect for any efforts made by another individual towards self-improvement and self-development. There are various other interpretations. However, for me this gesture is all about about acknowledging how another person has achieved something and reminding yourself of the best way to approach your own journey.
How to Perform the Greeting
Place your right fist onto the middle of your left palm. Make eye contact with the person you are to greet and make a slight bow from the waist.
Both hands are typically held in front of the sternum, a single hand-span distance between the elbow and body. Bow slightly from the waist and maintain eye contact.
Your eyes should make contact with the person you are paying respect to, so each of you can connect from the heart and perceive the other’s integrity.
Right Fist
Key One – Martial Effort: The right fist shows the principle for Yang; the ‘Wu’ described by LaoTzu in the DaoDeJing phrase “WuWei” (action without effort). Wu conveys the idea of “Quan” (martial), the “what”; a path of bitter perseverance towards the objective you wish to achieve. Persistent daily practice ultimately leads to instinctive action and effortless skill. Wu embodies the principle of the sun’s fire energy.
Together with “Wei” (without effort), the phrase WuWei refers to the transformation of conscious effort into subconscious skill through diligent and correct practice. Just as the difficulty and sustained effort of having to learn how to drive a car soon transforms into the instinct of driving without thinking.
left palm
The left palm represents the “how” we go about our transformation; the theory, the methodology and embodies the water energy of the moon.
The fingers on the left hand remind us about our method. Each finger represents a different approach we can use to help us achieve our goal.
Key Two – Be Objective: The little finger stands for Beauty. In chapter 2 of the DaoDeJing, LaoTzu asks us:
“What is beauty?
In order for us to understand what is beauty, first we must understand what is ugliness.
In order to understand what is long, we must first understand what is short
And in order to understand what is nothing, we must first understand what is something.”
To know the right way we must study the wrong. To make something effortless, we must first put in effort. We should study of the extremes of our subject and learn to appreciate the merits of both sides of an argument before we can determine our own truth.
This lesson about understanding Yin and Yang leads us away from dogma and towards discovering the balance point of our lives and the harmony of all things, our Dao.
Key Three – Use Your Body Every Day: The third (ring) finger reminds you to pay attention your health by practicing some physical aspect every day. 15 minutes, three times a day is the guideline practice time. You can choose to invest more or less time than this performing action, but remember to experiment and pay attention to how this affects your progress.
Key Four – Use Your Mind Every Day: The middle finger reminds us to expand our existing knowledge and understanding through the study and contemplation of our subject. Commit yourself to a little research and a little thinking each day. Explore how you can relate practicing what you are studying to actions and events in your daily life. Strive to understand ways in which it is expressed in the natural world.
Key Five – Unite Mind and Body: The forefinger reminds us to act from the heart, to do the right thing and connect our body and mind. By becoming virtuous and aligning our inner self with our outer actions we free ourselves of prejudices and can follow our true path. By being authentic, the energy-sapping distractions that come from our own inner conflicts (or the unwanted attention-seeking activities of others) are minimised. Applying this key will transform you into a “virtuoso”; someone who can perform at a dazzling level of skill without getting distracted.
Key Six – Open Your Mind: The bowed thumb is to remind us to be humble. The things you don’t know will remain the things you don’t know until you put yourself in the lower position of student and allow things to flow towards you. Remember, everyone has their own unique path in life and each person we encounter has something to teach us about ourselves.
No-one, including you, has EVER had the exact same set of experiences and skills, developed from the same background, in the same order with the same proportions, and perspectives, as anyone else who has ever lived. If you succumb to the temptations of your ego and call yourself “Master”, however, you will become arrogant and assume you know everything. Your mind will then close and you will be unable to learn anything new.
Those who regularly pay respect to others, are mindful of what it means and make use of these keys will steadily improve their TaiJiQuan, or any other skill they wish to learn in life. Those who learn with a humble heart, are authentic, full of patience, have tenacity and think deeply about what they are doing will achieve great results.
The people who choose to follow this path will, when they reach a certain stage in their journey, realise they have discovered how to better deal with all aspects of life and will be prepared for all kinds of unpleasant, difficult, dangerous, and even life threatening situations.
Here you have become aware of six keys which you can use to develop an understanding of your own “Truth, Path or Way”.
Study them well, use them wisely and make a habit of allowing them to serve you by putting them into action.
Foolish Monk
