scripps

[Guest guest]

Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing would, I believe, while having compassion for

bleeding in shark-inhabited waters, salute your " investment in loss. " It

is this activity, feeling like you’re moving backwards when in fact the

opposite is true, when you feel you’re only giving and never getting,

seeking never finding that prompts the only consolation that comes to

mind: nil desperandum. As Professor said, “A large investment in loss

results in a large profit; a small investment in loss results in a small

profit.” It’s counterintuitive, but staying soft while facing the shark

is the only thing I have tried to learn in doing the form these years. I

often fail.

 

I agree with those on the list that are proponents of continuing to do

what we do, the best we can, and eventually

“The hard and the strong will fall.

The soft and weak will overcome. (Tao Te Ching (76))

I don’t think it is a fear-based scenario, it’s just human nature that

those living in the dominant yang paradigm reject the methods of the yin.

We are a reflection of the times we live in. I voted in an earlier post

to stick with the “gold standard” of research for our efforts to turn the

tide of our efforts to be acknowledged. I would happily work within a

‘better,’ essentially TCM based paradigm, but I have reservations that we

can revolutionize research standards. Perhaps another example of my

failure to stay soft and follow my own advice.? The Chuang Tzu says [The

sage] would not lean forward or backward to accomodate [things]. This is

called tranquility on disturbance, (which means) that it is especially in

the midst of disturbance that tranquility becomes perfect. " This appears

to slap my vote in the face. It's a nice corollary to the yin within

yang, yang within yin etc etc metaphors of our medicine.

-pz