The physical ground precedes us. There despite us rather than because of us. Firm, reliable, neutral, beneath. In taiji our every action springs up from it, or rather from our root – our energetic connexion with that ground. The same with the metaphysical ground or spiritual ground which underpins all spiritual striving. This must be found in the depths of our being so that our endeavours don't spring from selfishness. It is touched in moments of real despair, hopelessness and terror, and it is only from that pit that we can rise free of the trappings of self. We must regularly venture into this darkness, befriend it, root into it, knowing that it is the only way to reach true light. This is the meaning of both humility and humiliation.