Mind in the body
There are so many things in this universe that confound and inspire me. I feel that I know so little sometimes. I kinda dig it.
Anyway, I was inspired when I began reading this book. I only got through the first, maybe two pages last night. But it was touching on a topic which I love to throw myself into. The conversation of mind. I’m sure I’ll finish the book, but I wanted to get what’s in my head out before I fill it with what someone else has to say about it. Call it a mental imagining.
Mind is one of those “things” in the world that we haven’t quite figured out yet. Yet we take it for granted so readily as to not even give it consideration. And it appears to be the “thing” we are. I’ll elaborate.
In this book, the author began to compare mind and nature. That all of nature in all of it’s scale has mind as it’s foundation. Looking around and within, it is nothing short of obvious. Seeing the whirl in a galaxy and in the sunflower. The minute forces that keep the atom together appears to be the result of intention. Pushing and pulling on each other in such a way as to make “every thing”.
That’s where I had to stop reading. While studying taoism and traditional chinese medicine for several years I’ve thought to figure out what chi is. It may sound funny; either because you have no idea what I’m talking about, or because maybe after ten years of study I should know by now. Alas, I am too stubborn to believe that I’m right.
But I will share my thoughts. As always, I’m up for real discussion and debate.
So, what is this stuff we call chi? Well nobody really knows for sure. The old taoists claimed it is the energy released by the movement of the two Great forces of Yin and Yang. Imagine the “energy” released by two fully complimentary yet opposing forces. Chi is the “energy substance” responsible for the existence of life. Chi is the force behind all motion. The binder which holds all things together. It is the will necessary for all transformations to occur. Chi is the thought that thinks the beating of the heart and keeps us alive.
Now I know readers may scoff. But who cares. Really!
In my readings over the years, I found some useful thoughts. I use them in my tai chi class. “Where the mind goes, chi flows”. In the taoist health philosophy it is said, “Where chi goes, blood flows”.
So, I thought about it. It seems obvious to me that to continue the thought: “Where the mind goes, blood flows”. So then I took it a thought further. If mind and chi both cause something to flow, maybe they are the same stuff. And so I thought, maybe chi is mind.
Using the earlier thought:
Mind is the “substance” responsible for life to exist. Mind is the force behind all motion. The will which holds all things together. It is the intent necessary that all transformations may occur. Mind is the thought that thinks the beats inside your chest and keeps us alive.
Science tells me that life is the result of complex combinations of protein molecules linked together in such a way as to form a double helix spiral. Mind is responsible for that. The great motions of the earth and sky are said to be the result of forces we hardly understand; created by minute interactions of the smallest things, that are themselves in motion. And I see a mind. Even other forces are said to hold matter together, again from its smallest to its largest. In this I recognize will. Thus, mind appears to permeate all things. To me.
The taoists had notions of chi consisting of two forces, three forms, five expressions as well as three main sources and 5 basic functions.
The two forces that create chi are yin and yang. These two expressions are difficult to translate as things. They are merely observable phenomena. Opposing, containing, controlling and contradicting one another while being mutually dependent. Seen in nature as darker and brighter, descending and rising, inner and outer, smaller and larger, feminine and masculine just to name but a few.They are the symbiotic interchangeable variations of cause and affect. And yet it is in the mind of the observer that all comparisons are subject.
The three forms; The Treasures. Chi, Jing and Shen. Jing and Shen are greater and lesser “condensations” of chi. The taoist often spoke of knowing the nature of water. In the nature of water man can see the nature of the tao. Using the analogy of water, chi has liquid, solid and gasious properties. Chi being the state of liquid; Jing the state of solidity and Shen being in the gasious state. Chi is the energetic principle discussed earlier as I’ll also call this “mind”. Jing is the slower moving property that solidifies our form. Shen is spirit, the ethereal property that guides action. We have now our treasures; our mind, our body and our spirit.
I’ll discuss Chi’s expressions sometime later. For now I want to keep this on topic.
So, what now is mind?
Do we isolate mind to a transfer of electricity and chemicals inside of our heads? I dare to believe that mind is not isolated to my brain, nor my body. Mind is not a function of the body. Body is a function of mind. The whole of the universe is a balance from it’s greatest to it’s least thus creating heat and cold, space and matter, vacuous and dense. And in the cosmos exists life.
Life forms in shapes, sizes and functions that are adapted to cope with the varied environmental conditions and stimuli. If mind were merely isolated to the brain as a coping function, what is the stimuli? One could say the stimuli is the outside world. But, this presumes that mind is simple reflex potential. Yet, my dog and I have different reflexes to the same stimuli. And my dog doesn’t reflect so deeply as to find his self writing long strings of words. Yet, maybe, life gives shape to mind. Various forms to house mind in various ways. Sharing mind with plant and and rock, the beasts and stars.
And then came man. Formed to house mind thusly. And yet being so great a creation to house mind, why is man so… mindless?
Being a curious monkey, I ask.
If the body is the house for the mind, why are we not living in them. The mind is drawn out of the body. Watch this, do that. Playing monkey see monkey do with a visual monitor. The mind has been turned into a technology addicted idiot savant. Able to be entertained, and work to pay bills. Minds have been conditioned to accept torture, servitude, fads and fashion. Outside sources wish to control how mind is used and what it thinks. I won’t go off about that… right now.
This is not the function of mind. Ironically, mind can be controlled with ones mind; so to speak. The will or intention that says “type the word wonderwoman” and sure enough there it is. Why? Because wonderwomans a hottie. Duh.
Yet to think of ones self as mind can be kinda weird. Am I my mind or my body? Or am I spirit?
From the taoist philosophy rose an artform in movement. A meditation and an exercise. Tai chi (the excersize is taiji) is the name for the great movement of yin and yang. The excersize consists of slow movements of body, breath and mind in all directions. Rising and falling, drawing and pushing, dancing inside and out. Imagining the breath following the mind as the mind moves fully into the body. Being fully present inside the body as it moves. Mind fullness is one of the many benefits.
Giving note to Caroline Myss. She said something once that just stuck with me. Something like “when the mind enters the body, the spirit follows”. I dig smart people.
Following the model of having three treasures. Mind Body Spirit. When the mind enters the body, the spirit follows. Bluntly, am I wearing my meat. Am I in here? How often? Am I now inside of my toes, my fingers, my eyeballs and my nose. My eyes, just like yours. Almost housed solely in the head and in the eyes. And through the eyes the mind sees madness, and confusion.
I’m in awe that I am aware of this life and body. Sovereign and unique. And it repulses me to witness the demand for my time, attention, energy and money for nothing more than trinkets, tokens, gizmos and gadgets. More things and devises that communicate what or how to think. Okay, I’m about to rant again, but hey it’s 1:30 in the morning.
All the wisdom in the world could be condensed down to “slow down, shut up, and pay attention”. After that, you can figure the whole thing out and have a great experience too. Dance inside your self.
Peace and Love
