Two men are making their way along the street; one is frantically rushing about while the other is simply strolling. The hurried man is off in his own little world and accidentally bumps into the other:
"Pardon me, but what is your big hurry on such a glorious day as today? We haven't seen sunshine like this in a year, or so it seems." Annoyed and impatient he turns to the man, "Look, I am sorry I ran into you. I'm just really busy and I have things to do. So... if you don't mind..."
Politely interrupting, "I do mind actually. You seem to be bothered and I may be able to help you, if you'd only let me. Please tell me your troubles." Still in a bit of a rush, the man speaks with rude tones and rapid words that he jumbles together, "Well, if you must know, I was late to work because I spilled the whole gallon of milk on my lap, I went to change when I realized I hadn't dried my clothes in the laundry and those needed to be dried, then the toilet flooded, and after a bunch of other incidents I find myself hopping around like a wild Jack Rabbit.
On top of that I have huge projects to finish for work and those have to be great because of the big business guys coming down from New York. The impression I leave today will determine my success. That would only be the beginning, I could work my way up all the way to the executive chair at the corporation, it will take decades of work but, if that's what it takes I will drive, drive, drive.
With that success I can be happy. That's what I really want, happiness. See, I really don't have the time..." "To be happy!?!" "What?" "Is all of your rushing around and absently overworking helping you achieve your happiness? Can you not stop and enjoy a beautiful moment like this one?"
Viciously he replies, "You silly man, how will I ever reach my goals if I am always stopping to look at flowers on the way?" "Hmmm... me silly? Perhaps, but to me the flowers are not the distraction, they are the guide. It is their sweet smell that keeps you vibrant along the way. They keep you content in the NOW.
Do you believe you must suffer some kind of misery to gain happiness? If it is happiness that you seek, tell me why you are such an angry person? A quizzical look falls upon his face as he gives thought to the question, "I guess I never really looked at it that way... I am angry aren't I?"
The calm man smiles and begins to walk on his way, "Yes, but nothing a little relaxation can't remedy. Good day to you sir!" A faint smile appears upon his face, "Yes it is a good day, isn't it?" The man begins to make his way again but this time he is strolling. It is all about how we approach our responsibilities, our everyday tasks, and even our goals.
The man in the story did not have balance between work and play; he only worked. He could not find it in him to stop and appreciate life. Most of us know that happiness is not something pounded in from the outside but is built up from the inside.
So, the next time you feel as though things are too busy, step aside for a moment and take in the good stuff. This is when you can be most positive and believe it or not, most productive too!
Intuition
Imagine a dangerous bandit hidden in a wayside lodge. Along comes a warrior, who is tired and hungry, with no thought of possible danger. He decides to enter the lodge and seek hospitality within. No sooner does he set foot inside than the bandit kills him.
A second warrior arrives on the scene, and he too goes inside the lodge. But this one is well versed in the art of fighting, and is always on the alert. Thus, he evades the bandit's attack and soon puts him out of action.
A third warrior passes that way. He too is tired and hungry, but he refuses to enter the lodge - he smells danger there.
These three represent three characteristics of human attitudes. The first warrior is living on a material plane, where he has no control over his own destiny. At this level, the mere suggestion that such and such an action will satisfy the need, he will easily follow. Obsessed with his own hunger, this warrior loses contact with the rest of reality: he wants to eat IMMEDIATELY! He loses his sense of alertness, and thus falls blindly into the trap.
The second warrior is fully equal to the situation. He is alert and competent, and he is always aware of what is going on around him. But he is continually on his guard; he conquers his foes, but he finds himself hedged in, almost enslaved by the need to assert himself. This is a hopeless struggle, for however skilled he may be, sooner or later he will meet someone who has an advantage over him and he will be defeated.
He symbolizes the world of reason and rationality, the world of science, which seeks to discover and study the laws of nature, and to apply them to control the human environment. But science must "freeze" events; this is the only way to analyze them. The result of such analyses are thus always open to doubt, for this type of science seeks to arrest the flow of constantly changing reality. Often it fails to realize that each event is unique, and that there is no exception to this rule.
The practice of Taekwondo seeks to establish in its students the third warrior's frame of mind. It seeks not merely to teach the art of fighting, but to develop a sixth sense, and the ability to synchronize one's acts intuitively with the changing of each situation, so that the act becomes as unique as the situation itself.
Physical movements are merely a means of attaining the relaxed state of mind in which one learns to unify all one's attitudes and skills, and to apply them to every aspect of life.
The first rule of Taekwondo is at all costs to avoid a fight. Taekwondo is not a means of destroying one's enemy, but rather a means of finding oneself without enemies at all.
Taoism
"Do" is in part derived from the word "Tao", which is the basis for the popular Asian philosophy called Taoism. Again "Do" means "the way". It is a vast concept of the oneness of heaven, earth and all things. Its concepts include such seemingly paradoxical assertions as non-being as the source of being, the teaching of non-action and an emphasis on simpleness as the way to a good life.
The symbol for yin/yang is a circle with a twisted "S" bisecting it. One side of the "S" is dark and the other is light (the original meaning of yin/yang was "sunny/sunless"). The twisted "S" gives the symbol an illusion of movement, which represents the continual cycling of oppositions in nature. Sometime the symbol will have a small light circle in the dark side and a small dark circle in the light side. This represents the idea that there is a little yin in yang and a little yang in yin.
It should be noted that Taoist philosophy is very different from the religion of Taoism. The Taoist religion is supplanted by the search for eternal life, idol worship, divination, astrology and a deity for just about everything. This is in sharp contrast to the simplicity, the ethics and the search to be "one with our environment" found in Taoist philosophy.
Tae Kwon Do and Violence
One goal of the Taekwondo student is to be able to reach the state in which he or she can successfully react to an attack by blocking and countering without having to make a conscious decision of which technique to use. A question that commonly arises from this sort of training is, "Does taekwondo develop a tendency towards violence"? We maintain that taekwondo does not develop a tendency towards violence but actually develops a tendency towards non-violence.
A common example is the person who chooses to learn taekwondo because he wants to learn how to fight and while progressing in the arts, finds completely different motivations for continuing to train. Usually the person who wants to learn how to fight has some sort of insecurity or a need to "prove something". Once he actually learns how to fight and knows his reactions under pressure and gains confidence, there is no longer any need to prove anything. Also, the student become involved in the artistic aspects of taekwondo, the hyungs and techniques.
In the dojang the student is constantly pressured to control his emotions by the instructor and the other students. The student that has tendencies toward violence, or a desire to harm is generally shunned by the other students, not allowed to promote until his attitude changes and often asked to leave. The student is expected to adopt a behavior that is beneficial to others inside and outside the dojang and especially to himself. This type of behavior is presented in the tenets of taekwondo.
The "Do" of Tae Kwon Do
As a Taekwondo practitioner you will be required to learn more than just fighting techniques. Along with the physical training you will be expected to develop mental discipline. Mental instruction will be in the form of the promotion reports that require a self-evaluation of your attitudes, beliefs, development and personality. In addition, you will also need to reflect on the many adages posted on dojang walls. All of the above should work in conjunction with the exactness in the physical training to coordinate mind and body.
This mental or philosophical training is the essence of the "Do" in Taekwondo. "Do" means the method or the way. This is not to say "the way to fight with your hands or feet" but rather "the way to a strong self-image, a sense of direction, an awareness of life and your place in it". You might think of "do" as a path in which you use your physical and mental abilities to their potential in order to better yourself and those around you.
The physical aspect is emphasized in what we call "Moo". The term "Moo" means sport but can be translated to mean physical. Thus, Taekwondo is a physical discipline. However, in order for the body to be disciplined it takes greater mental control. This mental control is what we call the "Moo Do Spirit." The idea is to be so in touch with your physical movements that it can arrive: a moment of perfection. If physical perfection can be accomplished then so can your mental discipline. It is this ideal that is the moo do spirit. This ideal then can be applied to all areas of our lives. This is the goal of Taekwondo practitioners.
The symbol for yin/yang is a circle with a twisted "S" bisecting it. One side of the "S" is dark and the other is light (the original meaning of yin/yang was "sunny/sunless"). The twisted "S" gives the symbol an illusion of movement, which represents the continual cycling of oppositions in nature. Sometime the symbol will have a small light circle in the dark side and a small dark circle in the light side. This represents the idea that there is a little yin in yang and a little yang in yin.