Tuesday, May 24, 2011

re-juice

"The founder of any branch of Chinese gung fu must be more ingenious than the common man. If his achievement is not carried on by disciples of the same ingenuity, than things will only become formalized and get stuck in a cul-de-sac; whereby breakthrough and progress will be almost impossible." Bruce Lee, Jeet Kune Do

I see Bruce Lee's insight as applying also to religions. Christianity is my birth religion so I use it as an example, though the same line of thought applies to all religions and philosophies, including the philosophy of no philosophy.

In my opinion and experience, the teachings of Jesus have "become formalized" and "stuck in a cul-de-sac." Christians chase their own tale round and round every Sunday and at every meeting. No progress or breakthrough is expected or desired. To even think of doing so may be regarded as approaching blasphemy. This is a sure sign of stagnation.

Relinquishment of this closed system comes from stepping out into the air of the cosmos,living neither in fear nor in arrogance, but as the particular Jesus that you are: a cosmic being born of the Source, the Great Mystery, the Wellspring. This is the true Church.

Jesus was no Christian. The invitation is to go beyond all rigid form and creed to a living experience of the Tao, the Interflow, the Holy Spirit, the Juice. (Rejoicing comes with re-Juicing and rejoicing is what It's all about.)

In martial arts lingo, getting stuck in doing the same old katas (forms) over and over was not the intent of the founder of one's particular martial art. What do you think the founder was doing, but learning the old forms then coloring outside all the lines? We recognize his genius; now we must claim our own.