Internal lessons can only be learnt at a certain age.
At 28/29 a person finds themselves at a spiritual juncture in their life. For me it was the time I started to live alone in order to concentrate fully on the Tai Chi.
It is well known in spiritual traditions that maturity comes at 36/37. At this age you make a connection to the internal that you could not before.
There is a saying - "A man of forty is not diverted". Nothing like realising you're half way through to focus your attentions. Before 40 a student's hardwork and intensity tends to be an exercise in willpower ("You must tenderise your will"). At 40 years of age something settles and your energy can go about the work more softly and effectively.
The age of 42 is also significant, but in a different way. An important change will often happen in your life.
There is another Taoist saying, "Life starts at 50". And another, "Life starts at 70" (TT Liang's - he may have made that one up), so I guess these must also be significant turning points.
Another one is meant to be around 60. My teacher certainly went through quite a change then - retirement from public teaching and a much deepened concentration on his own researches.
My teacher's father had his major spiritual breakthrough at 84 and he's still going strong at 87. He's a remarkable man. In his early 20's he had TB and wasn't expected to live long (he was a doctor so had no illusions). One day, during the war, he decided to go for a walk and after a few hours found himself on Hampstead Heath, praying to God to give him enough time and energy to see his children through their early years. In 1993, whilst recuperating from a heart bypass operation, he walked back to the same place and thanked God.
The Taoists consider the greatest misfortune to be an early death - not having the chance to learn life's lessons. Part of our tradition then is taking great care to stay alive long enough for the teaching to come to fruition within you. In the 80's my teacher once said to me, "Prepare yourself for a long life". I also remember him once holding up a hand to me in which his thumb and forefinger were held a few inches apart. He said, "For the rest of your life you'll be working hours each day on your Tai Chi and by the time you die you'll have changed this much", he emphasised the short distance between finger and thumb and I felt my heart dropping. He added, "Just hope it's enough".
It is well known in spiritual traditions that maturity comes at 36/37. At this age you make a connection to the internal that you could not before.
There is a saying - "A man of forty is not diverted". Nothing like realising you're half way through to focus your attentions. Before 40 a student's hardwork and intensity tends to be an exercise in willpower ("You must tenderise your will"). At 40 years of age something settles and your energy can go about the work more softly and effectively.
The age of 42 is also significant, but in a different way. An important change will often happen in your life.
There is another Taoist saying, "Life starts at 50". And another, "Life starts at 70" (TT Liang's - he may have made that one up), so I guess these must also be significant turning points.
Another one is meant to be around 60. My teacher certainly went through quite a change then - retirement from public teaching and a much deepened concentration on his own researches.
My teacher's father had his major spiritual breakthrough at 84 and he's still going strong at 87. He's a remarkable man. In his early 20's he had TB and wasn't expected to live long (he was a doctor so had no illusions). One day, during the war, he decided to go for a walk and after a few hours found himself on Hampstead Heath, praying to God to give him enough time and energy to see his children through their early years. In 1993, whilst recuperating from a heart bypass operation, he walked back to the same place and thanked God.
The Taoists consider the greatest misfortune to be an early death - not having the chance to learn life's lessons. Part of our tradition then is taking great care to stay alive long enough for the teaching to come to fruition within you. In the 80's my teacher once said to me, "Prepare yourself for a long life". I also remember him once holding up a hand to me in which his thumb and forefinger were held a few inches apart. He said, "For the rest of your life you'll be working hours each day on your Tai Chi and by the time you die you'll have changed this much", he emphasised the short distance between finger and thumb and I felt my heart dropping. He added, "Just hope it's enough".
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