03/07/2018

 Yin /Yang In Architecture Adventure

I couldn’t believe that I was able to hold on to a job in an architectural firm for more than 5-years when I was in my 20’s. With gracious colleagues and my deep curiosity, I am thankful to have excellent exposures both in the artistic and practical areas of architecture, God has also blessed me with a few dear friends who are architects with prominent standings in the society. And my cousin, Archie is an architect who is based in San Francisco.

However, without formal training in architecture, it would be too presumptuous to make any attempt to elaborate on anything that is remotely about the adventure in architecture. One evening, like many other evenings, after dinner as I was aimlessly flipping the remote control, and finally stopped at BBC, on FlameKylin Dan Cruickshank’s ‘ the Architecture Adventure,’ he is a British art historian and BBC TV presenter, with a particular interest in the history of architecture.

What my intuitive insight was not on all the dramatic Architectural features, but was on how I could be able to perceive the idea of Yin/Yang that popped up in the feature story. The documentary was about the structure of ‘an Igloo. It is of how people use the blocks of ice to build a structure and how people are able to keep warm inside, while outside the weather condition is freezing cold.

An Igloo is literally a dome-shaped house that people live in Greenland, the North Pole and frozen ice were used as the construction material. It is counterintuitive to use the hard block of Ice ( Ice is Yang Y+) to keep people warm ( Warm is Yin, Y-) and comfortable inside (is Yin, Y-) even when the outside (is Yang, Y+) temperatures dip to minus 50 degrees F.

I have to skip the technical building process and architectural feature of an Igloo but look into the critical function of the heat conductivity, in the filter of the idea of Yin/Yang. The principle lies merely on either the body heat, stove or campfire that radiates the warmth that rises up (Y+) and then melts the ice to fill up all the ice holes that are inside (Y-) of the Igloo.

Then the ice refreezes and tightly seals up the Igloo, so it becomes an airtight doom. And we all know that the property of ice does not conduct heat well; thus any heat generated within the Igloo would remain, and with the airtight snow blocks serving as an insulator.

So people are Warm (Y-) within (Y-) the entire structure that built with Iced bricks (Y+).  I could see the perfect pictogram an Igloo, in the mirror of the concept of Yin/Yang; with Cold(Y+) is opposite to Warmth (Y-). But the ‘intertwined duality’of the heat conductivity could generate warmth (Y-) for people inside (Y-) of the structure while outside (Y+) the weather is icy cold (Y+).

‘雪屋–Xuě wū’is the Chinese translation of an Igloo, it simply means a ‘snow house,’ a type of housing built of snow. More features on an Igloo would be just a Google away. And I could only talk about this ‘Architecture Adventure’ without talking about Architecture by God’s Grace (hesed wisdom) and in the lens of the idea of  Yin/Yang. Just as we use Taijitu to tell what’s Yin/Yang to people even if they were illiterate if what a simple chart can do the work, written words are redundant.

Very often my dear God would answer prayers even before I actually my request before HIM. Personally, my simple heart’s desire is to see more things or more extraordinary use Yin/Yang eyes. I knew nothing at all about an Igloo until I watched the program of ‘BBC Tonight.’ I was surprised to find out that one of my architect friend who had never heard of  ‘an Igloo.’ 

 Isaiah 65:24– ESV  

Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

26/06/2018

Is Taijitu Is Taijitu (太極图) A Symbol Of Devil?

Further to YinYang 101, here we have the simple ‘divided circle ()’ form, the Taijitu (太極图). A diagram generally refers to an old ancient symbol for the concept of Yin-Yang and also known as the sign of Taoism. People all over, around the globe, especially people with deep Asian cultural background are ways too familiar with this sign, young people may like to emblazon the logo across their garments. But many of them were entirely ignorant of the profoundness of this graph.

Vividly, I remembered,  9-years ago, one Sunday morning, at church corridor, I met with a well-respected itinerant preacher. In confidence, he told me, almost in whispering, that he was very displeased to see one young church member wearing a T-shirt that has the Taijitu as the design pattern, to the minister, the diagram was a sign of demonic. Inside of the church building? As Christians, I wonder,  is that what’s inside of us, are more potent than what’s outside of us (Ephesian 3:20)?

As no one shall take it light-heartedly over comments from a minister. Later, I found out that many of my Christian friends have shared the same disdainfulness over the Taijitu and the concept of YinYang. I was then in the senior year of my study on TCM, it deemed wise for me to keep it close to my chest and in my prayers to my Daddy-God till this day. In His mercy, I had His sustaining power, discerning spirit and peace to finish my study and become a TCM practitioner.

As Yin-Yang is a Oneness with two different premises. It says that ‘no feature is independent of its opposite, nor so trifling that it does not contain its opposite in a tiny little dot form. To me, the Taijitu is a brilliant circle with flowing boundary, in which with the black as Yin and the white as Yang to symbolise this ‘intertwined duality of all things in nature’ without using any of written words. The tiny circle within the vast regions is to pictograph the vague division in between the black and white.

Like our human body, we can’t have the back without having the front. Evidently, the two semi-circles magically depict an idea that ‘totally unobstructed in every direction when there is a small circle within a big circle?’ As to Taijitu’s link to Taoism, according to I-Ching (易经), the Book of Changes, Tao/Dao (道) is about a single Yin and single Yang. So most scholars probably endorse the effectiveness of Taijitu to expound the idea of Yin/Yang in Daodejing (道德经) section 42, the text of Taoism.

We now know that Taoism is a philosophy or even as a religion that distinctively differs from the traditional school of Taoist that is institutionalised to teach the veneration for Laozi; ancestors; immortals; a variety of Exorcism, Divination and many other strange rituals. Maybe it’s not all wrong for people to view Taijitu as a sign of demonic if they failed to realise the distinctive difference between a philosophy (Y-) vs a school of Taoist (Y+).

The word of Tu (图) in Taijitu is about a chart/graph. However, if a simple chart only served to illustrate a concept, it’s illogical for people to conclude that a simple logo has to do with any of the above ‘Voodoo’ rituals practices. Finally, if we look intently, we can see a similar ‘divided circle‘ on the national flag of Korea Republic, that’s Taegeuk (Hangul: 태극기) which is the Korean form of Chinese term Taiji. But comparatively, its a more graphical circle because of the red and blue colour.

What do you think? Is Taijitu a sign of demonic?  The Taijitu is the Tu (图), which effectively relies on two black and white, semi-circles to pictograph nothing is visibly absolute when the different premises is secure. All I know is that I take comfort from what Apostle Paul says in the book of Romans –

Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and for him are all …

‘Everything is from Him and by him and for Him… For the universe owes its origin to Him, was created by Him, and has its aim and purpose in Him’

17/06/2018

I was in awe to find out that yesterday marked the first anniversary of setting up my blog. With or without a good reason, I didn’t write anything for months. Finally, it must be HIS Spirit,  and together with my BFF, Linda Lai’s soft nudging, so here I am. I have made a few minor changes to my header; moved away a few of my previous postings and I hope to find time to apply a new coat of colour to boost the outlook of my blog soon.

YinYang 101

People, in general, may profess to know the idea of YinYang ( not Yin and Yang).  But how many could boldly claim to possess this profound Chinese wisdom? I am still in the midst of searching for the essence of it. However, I have perceived that even with my shallow knowledge of it, I can use it as a lead-in to articulate the insights and visions that I have received in the past, in areas of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), my Christian faith and many other issues in life.

The simple concept of YinYang is how ancient Chinese people philosophically take the initial view that of all things that exist on earth through the lens of either a single Yin (Y-) or a single Yang (+) for thousands of years. Today, people would accept, for example, Sun is Yang (Y+), and the Moon is Yin (Y-);  the night is Yin (Y-), the day is Yang, and small is Yin, and big is Yang, and so forth. Soon the ancient Chinese were able to discern that nothing is absolute even with the strong opposite premises.

Like the Shadow is Yin and the Light is Yang, but shadow exists only with the existing light; our Moon is at night, so it’s Yin and Sun is Yang and how the contrast between the Sun and Moon. But if we knew about the various lunar phases, especially the phrase in the relationship between Sun and Moon, then, in fact, we can see the Moon, during the day that’s in the shadow of the Sun. Therefore, it would be a fallacy to say that we see the Moon only at night.

In conception, the single Yin, and Yang has evolved into a two-word phrase concept of YinYang.  And YinYang is seemingly Opposite yet is Complimentary. YinYang is ‘Opposite but not Absolute;’ YinYang is Co-existing and is also ‘Codependent.’ Like the Moon and Sun; YinYang is interconnected; they grow into each other as they interrelate to each other in spite of its Opposite reference. If we expound YinYang with YinYang, then it is the constant ‘Duality within Oneness’ to the point that we can touch the infinity.

Sadly, the downright misconception is that many were led to believe that YinYang is full of Taoism. It’s understandable, as people, in general, would know not the distinctive difference between the Taoism as philosophy and the school of Taoist that teaches the practice of ‘Divination.’ More than 10 years ago, the Tao (道) of Taoism was defined as ‘ineffable’ through my Google search. Only recently, it says that the early Taoism drew its Cosmological notions from the School of Yinyang.

Without having a little Chinese resource, it would be hard for people to fathom the depth of YinYang. Worst of all, if we had ministers irresponsibly, openly labelled YinYang with evil contents from the pulpits, no wonder many Christians curl their lips in disdain. In fact, the idea of YinYang had derived from its original inception in the Chinese Classics of I-Ching (易经), also known as ‘the book of Change’ dated 1000BC and before. Chronologically Taoism didn’t come to China till 5th century BCE.

Thousands of years later, we have the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) finally been wildly accepted in the Western world as an alternative, in the past few decades. Many still look down upon TCM and consider it not scientific when people compare it with the Anatomical medicine. The irony here is that the doctrine of YinYang has always been the guiding principle of TCM in ‘(辨证论治 biàn zhèng lùn zhì),’ the ‘Symptom and Treatment Differentiation. 

In the view of TCM, our stomach, which is inside (Y-) of the human body, so that’s Yin, but the stomach is also the powerhouse of the human body to generate temperature  (Y+) to digest the food, and our stomach, it is Yin because of its position, it is also a Yang because of its function. Therefore, our stomach is Yin/Yang.  TCM is not scientific, that’s Yin whereas modern medicine is Yang. As of now more and more no cures found in many chronic conditions, TCM has become a compelling alternative, but it has also offered scientists a new direction for research, so TCM is Yang, and modern medicine becomes Yin. 

Stay tuned

19/01/2018

Psalms 139:8 a

‘If I ascend into heaven, You (are) there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, you (are there). 

Today is my late sister, Rosaline’s birthday (19/Jan). It was like yesterday when Beatrice, my youngest sister called from Taipei saying that Rosaline passed away at 2 AM in the hospital, on 20/07/2008. She was bravely fighting her cancer for years, and she was in and out of the hospital for months prior her passing, but I was not prepared for it. Today I want to pour my heart to give thanks to Jesus, for her life and for knowing where she is right now.

I was in much despair and sobbing for hours. Because I fractured my left Patella bone just a few days before she passed away, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to travel to attend her funeral; and Rosaline had been a practicing Buddhist for years so that I was not going to see her for eternity. In tears, I went for my devotion. On that morning, the title was ‘‘Expiration Date‘ on ‘Our Daily Bread (1)‘ dated 20/July/2008, scripture readings were from Psalm 139:7-8. 

Literally, the scripture promised that even if Rosaline made her bed in hell, my dear Lord would be there for her. But I refused to be comforted. I cried whenever I had her on my mind. She was never married, stayed on to the same job for over 30-years, and she was fighting for her cancer for 5-years. Yet among us, she was the first to obtain a university degree, the first to get her drivers’ license, she was a gifted artist in Chinese painting and super level-headed. What really cut into my heart was when I found out that in her remaining hours, in the hospital, she grabbed hold of Beatrice’ hands in tears.

We had 4 girls and one brother, Tony in the family when our mother passed away, nothing was the same. I was the first to leave home, in early 70’s for Hong Kong. Our father was the trying single parent for 6-years. But when he remarried, all of my siblings were scattered, and Beatrice had to be in the boarding school. Rosaline had been my only link to the family. Suddenly I remembered that I was told that she used to be on fire and worshipped at the local Seventh Day Adventist Church, and she was often ridiculed for keeping the religious dietary(2) in the family. Later, she had a sharp turn in her faith.

What I didn’t know was it a coincidence or not that our mother died at the Taipei Seventh Day Adventist Hospital?  So I called and cried bitterly on the long distance call, talking to her former classmate, Hsu Ze Fu, a devoured  Christian. And she comforted me saying that she believed that Rosaline might have been saved. And a few weeks before I was fit to travel, the beautiful Hsu Ze Fu called and told me that she went to the church and managed to locate Rosaline’s baptism record. She was baptized in August 1978. Unfortunately, my despair went more in-depth, as she turned away from her first love for Jesus.

The following Sunday, I met our Chinese pastor, Rev. Cheng near the fellowship hall, in the church.  Before I could utter a word,  I felt so broken and crying beyond consoling. And he gently pads on my shoulder saying that ‘ yes, you told me that your sister may have left the Lord to another god. But your Lord of God, Jesus had never left your sister.…’ Immediately, I felt so ashamed of being weak and shallow, and I was entirely in awe of HIS steadfast faithfulness and telling myself that even if I couldn’t make it to the funeral that’s fine.

As for the funeral, from either the late July or early August onward usually fall into the ‘hungry ghost ‘ month in line with the Chinese calendar. For all sorts of reasons, some people would defer having the funeral. So the siblings had decided to take heed of what the local funeral planner had proposed to postpone the funeral till the ‘Ghosts’ month was over. And the scheduled date was exactly the date that my doctor gave me the green light to travel, but I have to go in a wheelchair. I got all the preferential treatments in a wheelchair in and out the airport.

I made it on time to Rosaline’s funeral, gave a eulogy, I was not bothered by the format of the funeral but most importantly, I knew where would Rosaline, my most beloved sister be. I read out the same scriptures in the gospel of  (John 14:1-3) (3) that I used for our own father’s funeral, 9-months ago, when he was called to be with Jesus, that same year. I was moved to see buses load of her business associates turned up for her, a few young people also came to bid her farewell. In my emotion, I always thought that Rosaline had an unfulfilled life on earth, maybe because she was never married, but she was given opportunities to impact many people;  had had a few good friends; was respected at her workplace, and she would always be deeply missed among her siblings.

In the light of faith, I was pointed to the following that helps me in remembrance of Rosaline’s 3rd anniversary of her passing, and I am confident that it would bring comfort to many who are in the grief of the loss of their loved ones.

‘From Him, who loves me now so well. What power my soul can sever? Shall life or death, or earth or hell? No..I am His forever,’ Stebbins

Our Daily Bread date 20/07/2011

1. http://www.christ.com/devotionals/devotional-ourdailybread.html
2. https://www.consultant360.com/n411/articles/seventh-day-adventist-diet-0
3. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A1-3

17/01/2018

The first Sunday of the year is the ‘Vision Sunday (07/01/2018)’ for our church. Pastor Prince usually, would give us Bible verses as the vision, and we would bring three of our requests to God in prayer to kick off the new year. This year Pastor Prince gave us the theme that is ‘Hesed (Hebrew word of Grace) and Wisdom’ for 2018 (1). He urged us to redeem our time and gain wisdom, and the best place to start is to read the book of Proverbs which has 31 chapters in it that means to read one chapter a day.

Regrettably, ‘ the temptation is only common to man.’ Immediately I watched the Golden Globes 2018 the next day.  Thankfully, with the pre-recording and fast forward, I didn’t waste time watching the entire event, but it led me to work on what I was intended to do that’s to write about the movie, ‘Churchill (2),’ which I watched it on a big screen last year. It says that both the point and ploy of the movie were based on an untold story about a few days before the invasion of the Normandy beach in France, 06/06 1944.

I almost knew none of the entire cast crew including Mr. Brian Cox for his leading role to play Churchill in the movie. It was a long movie with little actual war scenes, but I enjoyed my World War II history revisits – After went through years of war, Mr. Churchill the Prime Minister, adamantly believed that the landings were to be a disaster and would sacrifice many young lives. Even with his record of ‘Miracuouls Dunkirk’ in 1940 (3)  scenes are showing that almost no one in the strategy room Amen to Churchill’s negative with the Operation, and his role in war efforts was being discounted.

As result, General Eisenhower and General Montgomery were remembered as the World War II heroes to end the war. I was intrigued by the scene when Mr. Churchill kneeled down and prayed, the night before the invasion, pleading God to use HIS Weather to stop the Operation. And it was HIS Weather that paved the landing for the miraculous conquest. The movie taught me to examine my prayer life anew. It was noble and admirable for Churchill to have the heart for those  young soldiers. It seemed that in the movie,  Mr. Churchill was in his desperation, thus he forgot that his God was the God who protects.

Furthermore, I wonder how factual of those scenes of marital strife with the couple in the film? But it warms my heart to see him holding his wife’s hand and giving thanks to her. In response, the wife say that ‘do you know that  I have lived at the edge of your life….? After seeing the movie ‘Churchill,’ my heart was burning and wanting to watch the film again but in vain, and it was disappointed that the movie didn’t make available on in-flight movie selections.

It must be disheartening for the movie producer when the box office of the movie was not doing great. But my Daddy God was being exalted in the film, not only HE personified the God of all weathers, and HE demonstrated that HIS time was made perfect in the World War II history. I was taught personally, to be mindful again what to ask God in my prayer especially for 2018. Would I stand by the conviction that ‘ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven?‘(4)

I knew it, when I was promised to be married, that marriage is the beginning of the refining process for being a Christian wife. And by HIS divine appointment, one Christmas, in those were the early years of my marriage, I received the book of ‘The Power of A Praying Wife’ by Stormie Omartian (4), from a single sister in Christ. There are 31-days focuses on specific areas for any wife who wants to pray for’ the mind and life’ of her husband. For years, I was religiously following the book to pray for my husband hoping to see changes in him.

I didn’t know, in fact, that I should have prayed more for the focus on the area of ‘ his wife’  till a few years later. Then I have moved to have my shares of feeding on HIS word, to serve in a number of capacities in my church. Apart from being imperfect both in the eyes of God and in the eyes of men, I was an average, below par  God-fearing and God-serving Christian, yet so much off  the mark as a submissive wife.

I told Linda Lai, my dear BFF who lives in Taipei saying that ‘I think my husband needs a new wife for 2018, and it must have been me,’ and especially, after he has taken a semi-retirement from the office. Therefore, I ask myself that what would come out of me, to be like Mrs. Churchill, in the film who lived at the edge of the life of her husband? or to be like Sarah’s daughter in the Bible who obeyed her husband, with a quiet and gentle spirit,,,(5)? It must be the vision for me to ask for His extra dosage of ‘Hesed and Wisdom’ for 2018.

I still like movies/TVs dramas and curious to find out winners of a few categories in the award-winning nights and love to look at the high fashion on the red carpet. I don’t know whether or not that HE is dealing with this little worldliness in me, this year? Strangely, among all nominations, I only knew one film and one TV drama. But HE always works in mysterious ways, how would I know that there’s another movie on Churchill (Darkest Hour) for Golden Globe,  and Mr. Gary Oldman, a totally unknown-to-me actor, was the winner of the best performing for his role of Churchill in the Darkest Hour?

p.s.

There is another God glorifying war time movie, ‘Dunkirk’ is highly recommended

1. josephprinceonline
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill_(film)
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_evacuation
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord%27s_Prayer
5. Stormin Omartian – The Power of a Praying Wife – 5.

6. biblehub.com/1_peter/3-6.ht

31/12/2017 modified 

30/12/2017

2 days ago, I was thrilled with the thought that I had put up my last draft before the end of 2017. This morning, When CNN briefly mentioned about the church killing two days ago, in Cairo, I was led to rework and share the following piece that I did it in 2015 on church shooting, in case, people ask why it’s happening in churches and where was God when it happens?  Especially for the pre-believers.

26/06/2015

The Massacre Of South Carolina Church

On Wednesday, the 17th of June 2015 nine people were shot dead during a bible study group at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The local police identified a man as 21-years-old. Witnesses said he spent around 50-minutes inside with the Bible studies group before opening fire then running away. The late Rev. Clementa Pinckey was facilitating the Bible study. What got into the shooter’s mind that he would do such cruel and horrific thing?

Did God allow it to happen to nine of HIS beloved children? If HE is all present, the pre-believers may ask that where was HE on that day when the shooting started? My heart went out not only to the victims who died but more of the surviving family members and their loved ones. They must be totally shocked and devastated that beyond comfort. I am sure people around the world would join hands in one spirit to pray to my dear Lord, Jesus to bring healing and restoration to those who suffered the loss.

Why South Carolina, I asked? Arthur and I had many fond memories of that part of the world.  In the late 90s,’ we were invited to visit Greenville, South Carolina twice as guests to observe events that organized by the Executive Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ ( the new name is now ‘Cru’ since 2011). We met many lovely people and befriended with a lot of  God-fearing and God-serving Christians there. And we also took an execution of touring the renowned Biltmore Estate Asheville, North Carolina. (1)

We saw the bowling alley inside the Estate; we saw the room that fills with all the Halloween costumes as part of the places for children; and of course the garden, it was Spring during our visit. It was really an eye-opening trip for us and its the showcase of how one of the US pioneers lived at the time. We also visited the city of Atlanta, GA. Before the trip  I was hoping to see some of the big roomy houses like the settings of the movie of “Gone With The Wind,” and the reality usually differs from fantasy. 

The tour at the Civil War Museum was educational, it said the tour guide that ‘the war was never ended.‘ Therefore, keywords as ‘federal flag” or “federal hate crime charges ” been added to my vocabularies ever since. Now with the heated ‘Gun Control’ debate and the most recent federal hate crime issues in the US, I felt for the country, and I would always have a special place in my heart for the US, maybe because I spent many years there for my advanced education.

In tune with what says in the following passage of scriptures (Jere 17:9) that I am at easy not to ask a question as to why the gunman did what he did to the innocent people. With our sinful nature, we probably would ask that did  God allow this tragedy to surface, and of course, HE would not? People would continue to follow the graphic coverage of the Charleston Church shooting as things evolve.

It is reported that when Armed police rescued Mrs. Pinckney with her young daughter; when the police confirmed the death of her husband, she placed her head in her mother Mrs. Benjamin’s lap; and she started to pray on her knees. And she stood up, held hands with her daughters and said to them that: 

” something terrible has happened to your dad’ but we are Pinckney girls, and we are going to stay strong, and we are going to get through this. “We have a lot of families who love us.'” (2)  

Dylann Roof is an American white supremacist, and all the victims were African Americans. The mass murderer was convicted of 33 federal hate crimes and murder charges. I was stunned to notice that he had been entirely showing no remorse for what he did to the victims during his court hearings. 

Sadly we had another gunman killed at least 26 in an attack at a small town of Sutherland Springs, Texas, in the last quarter of 2017, The gunman was gun down by one church member. So no one knew the motive of the shooter. And with the deep grief of loss, church members decided to continue to turn up the following week for Sunday worship.

Mrs. Pinckey was brutally being attacked emotionally, spiritually and physically, and Jesus was evidently seen in her suffering so she can face the blow and take a stand for herself and bring glory to her Savior. As for members of that small church in Texas, with Jesus‘ extra dosage of grace and power, they resume worship service the following Sunday after the shooting. Information on the Cairo church shooting was only limited to the death toll of 9 people, and no one has claimed to be responsible for it.

More and more, we know that we can’t afford to take things too much for granted. And there are people, Christians are hurting every day around the world. As we may in a different part of the world, but we Christians are together as ONE if Mrs. Pinckey suffered a great loss her loved one, we grief with her if she overcomes then we rejoice with her in Jesus’ name. She would never be alone, as what she puts that she has a lot of families love her and her daughters, and most importantly, Jesus loves her!

Jeremiah 17:9  – NIV

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

1. And images of a place or buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 66000586 for more images of Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina, the USA
2. read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-31321/How-wife-Reverend-Pinckney-hid-desk-nearby-church-office-six-year-olddaughter-beloved-husband-gunned-Dylann-Roof.html#ixzz3e2FQ,\mK2w
3. Dylann Roff: Charleston Church Shooter Gets Nine Life Sentences in… https://www.nbcnews.com

11-10-2017

 Colossians 1:16 KJV

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, they are thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

Being a born-again Christian, also a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), people, Christians especially, often ask me all sorts of, other than health-related questions, such as can Christian consult TCM practitioner for healing? Or is the logo of Yin/Yang demonic?

Recently a feature story on the religious harmony among Singaporeans was aired on the Channel News Asia, a local TV network, and a young man when being interviewed, he wanted to know whether is it acceptable for Christians to engage into Tai Chi (太極) and what’s Tai Chi? 

I was ignorant about the essence of Tai Chi, except knew its early English translation as ‘shadow boxing,’ probably due to its soft movement, till I had watched a TV documentary series on Kung Fu, and concurrently took up Tai Chi myself, a few years ago. After that, I have had the experiential and emotional knowledge on Tai Chi to share.

Further, it’s entirely not related to his sermon theme, Pastor Prince mentioned that he was a fan of Bruce Lee when he was young, then I was contemplating to modify what I wrote in 2012. And this morning my friend Aimin sent me a link to an uplifting Commencement speech and I was very much taken by the keyword of ‘stand, ‘ so I knew that I have to put my acts together.

05-04-2012 –  Edits

‘The Real Combat, Tai Chi” – edit

There has been a particular feature series with the title of ‘Kung Fu Quest, the real combat’ on the National Geographic Channel for months (1). The first few episodes were on Bruce Lee (2)that seized my attention and wonder who wouldn’t want to watch more about Bruce Lee? I regret that I knew him superficially, only from his movies.

The documentary is validation that Bruce Lee has been the undeniable, world-renowned Kung Fu Legend for the 21-century.  By the grace of the film, now people and more people would know about his dedication and his deep philosophical conviction in the area of Martial Art, as what he said:

“Using no way as way; having no limitation as of the limitation so change with change is the changeless state.” – Bruce Lee

 In tune with his profound philosophical conviction, I was lured to watch the Tai Chi episode. But wonder why the ‘Real Combat’ was used to name the series, as part of the ‘Kung Fu Quest?’ Would it mean something more in-depth than pure fighting? Tai Chi is a simple, both of a low and high impact breathing exercise with a series of soft fist movements to tone up both of external physical and internal mental well-being.

It’s easy to take up, but it actually would require a lot of discipline, and an extended period of practices. The concept of Tai Chi (Tai Chi and Taiji are the same concepts) is a thick and creamy traditional Chinese philosophy, it is also known as Wuji (无极), which has derived from its inception from I-Ching (易经), the ‘Book of Change’ dated to 1000 BCE.

For thousands of years, people would spend their lifetime to practice Tai Chi without knowing the true essence of it. Sadly, many valuable kinds of literature, documents had been misplaced during the ‘ Chinese Culture Revolution’ in the 60’s. No one among Tai Chi masters was certain who was the originator of Tai Chi.

I personally want to take on the widespread myth that has accredited its creation to a legendary Taoist monk, Tai Chi Zhang San Feng (太极 张 三丰). But all agree that it ‘couldn’t be initiated by one person, at a certain period or in one particular place, but it put together by many predecessors.’ Therefore, it would be a fallacy for people to conclude that Tai Chi is a practice of Taoism.

Fist–movement is its principal characteristic, so it also calls Taijiquan (or Tai Chi Chuan). Forms or Taolu (套 路 pinyin: tàolù) are Chinese words that denote the combination of series of fist movements that can be practised into a harmonious and continuous set of moves. It is how each individual is able to apply various changes from within through simple breathing to be one with nature. It says that as our physical/mental well-being is in perfect harmony with nature, we would have the balance to pertain the living of life.

One episode was on Master Chan (陈 小 通) who claimed that the Chan style Tai Chi from his ancestors, as the cradle of Taijiquan for hundreds of years. Currently, he has been running a school of Tai Chi taking in students from all over the world.  Chan also mentioned that he couldn’t fathom why there were many of his students came to the school with confirmed incurable and challenged medical conditions were miraculously healed after engaging in Taijiquan (太極拳) exercises.

Vera, Dorothea, a 16-year-old German teenager, in the interview shared that she had a hearing problem with one of her ear, together with the numbness on one side of her body. She was miraculously cured after taking up Tai Chi while attending Chan’s school. Besides, to impart Techniques, Forms that are in tune with the sense of balance in the rhythm of nature, most Tai Chi masters would put greater emphasis on the gracious attitude, the tranquillity of mind, better physics than physical defence/combative skills.

While I was in the midst following the Tai Chi series, my dear friend, Kit called and asked me to sign up to attend the class of the ‘Wu style of Tai Chi (3) with her on every Saturday afternoon. Definitely out of curiosity, I immediately signed up for the class but also with great anticipation wanting to see if I could discern Tai Chi has a spiritual parallel.

Ephesians 6: 13 – ESV

 put on the full armour of God, so that ……you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’

1.natgeotv.com/asia/at-the-apex-of-wudang

2.https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bruce_lee.html

3.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wu_Style_Tai_Chi_Fast_Form

Stay tuned  – to be continued

Kay