GREGORY LAWTON·MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2017
Walking the Circle of Love
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” Jelaluddin Rumi,13th Century Mystic Poet
Pakua Chang is one of the three internal martial arts of China but to only categorize Pakua as a martial art is a serious misinterpretation of the true essence of Pakua. Pakua is also a study of cosmology which is the study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe.
Early in its history the founder of Pakua (Dong Haichuan) and the first generation of teachers of Pakua adopted the I Ching (the Book of Changes) as one of the classic texts of Pakua. The name Pakua Chang (also Baqua Zhang) can be translated to mean, “eight symbol (trigram) palm” and this meaning is taken directly from the eight symbols or trigrams of the I Ching; Heaven, Lake, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain, and Earth.
Pakua philosophy profoundly adopts the concept of the inevitability of change in all existence and it attempts, as much as is possible from our collective perspective which is limited by time and space, to interpret the nature of change in our first life and its meaning. Pakua, as a holistic art, is defined by its unique circle walking practices, its philosophical context based upon Taoist symbols and metaphors, and its exploration of the spiritual nature of mankind in relationship to mankind’s “place” in the universe.
The questions, “What is man?”, What is the meaning and purpose of life?”, What is the universe and how did it begin?”, have engaged the thoughts of great thinkers since the beginning of life on earth. The physical practice of Pakua, its intellectual and philosophical investigations, and its promotion of individual spiritual growth are designed to assist with our understanding of our true nature and the universe around us. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that through Pakua we come to understand the universe (nature) and therefore we better understand ourselves.
We could consider that there are three primary ways in which to gain knowledge; through the Great Teachers who have appeared throughout human history, through the natural and universal world around us, and from and through our human family. Pakua invites its practitioners to gain knowledge through meditation upon the natural world. Pakua combines physical and mental practices such as seated and standing meditation with moving meditation around a circle (called circle walking). The moving meditative practice of circle walking utilizes various physical postures each one of which represent one of the eight symbols of I Ching; Heaven, Lake, Fire, Thunder, Wind, Water, Mountain, and Earth. Each of these eight symbols may serve as metaphors.
We may find that our meditation upon the symbols and metaphors of Pakua lead us to great spiritual insights. Here are two examples:
Water
“Strive, O people of God, that haply the hearts of the divers kindreds of the earth may, through the waters of your forbearance and loving-kindness, be cleansed and sanctified from animosity and hatred, and be made worthy and befitting recipients of the splendors of the Sun of Truth.” Baha’u’llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
The metaphor of water has wide universal significance in both philosophical and religious dialogue and teachings. In terms of the use of water as a symbol and metaphor in Pakua Chang we may consider the characteristics of water in terms of its awesome power and ability to penetrate and enter any opening.
Fire
The symbolism of fire as expressed through Pakua Chang may be thought to represent intensity, speed, and a force that through its heat and flame consumes everything in its path.
“For He dwelleth in the ark of fire, speedeth, in the sphere of fire, through the ocean of fire, and moveth within the atmosphere of fire.” Baha’u’llah, Gems of Divine Mysteries
Hopefully, it is understandable from this explanation that the symbols and metaphors that we use in Pakua Chang are not meant to be applied in a literal sense but rather express a figurative meaning. Obviously, we cannot physically transform into wind, fire, or water but we rather attempt to manifest certain physical, mental, and spiritual attributes of force and power, softness or hardness, penetration or yielding in our practice and application of Pakua Chang.
Jelaluddin Rumi, the 13th Century mystic poet wrote that when we do things from our soul they feel like a river flowing through us, and that we feel joy. In other words, spirituality invites power into our actions and life. `Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of Baha’u’llah, stated, “As ye have faith so shall your powers and blessings be. This is the balance, this is the balance, this is the balance.”
Pakua Chang is a martial art, it is the study of universal philosophy, and it helps us to gain deep spiritual insights, regardless of our religion or the spiritual path that we follow. In Pakua Chang, as in life, we walk a circle. Hopefully the circle that we walk is a circle of love.
Faith is a River
Swim through the roiling currents of deep water
That flow from that mystic place within you
And allow your heart to be carried away
By the eddies of a forgotten river.
Offer yourself to the great receiving depths
From which your soul is filled
And sacrifice yourself to the waters
Cupped within the shores of a forgotten river.
Cast yourself into the tidal surge of the rising waves
That fill you with the “pearls of pure and goodly issue”
And give yourself over to that lost inland sea
That courses within the channels of a forgotten river.
Dive deeply into the undertow of the cold waters
From which your spirit receives its quickening
And quench your thirst in this holy gathering place
Where the waters meet and faith is a river.