Hello wanderer, wayfarer, wizard, warrior, and wildcat alike,
Greetings and Salutations,
Hope all of you are doing well. The Spring Equinox is nearly here. Thus, the insects are starting to awaken after the Winter. The plants are uncoiling within the earth. And the days are gradually growing longer. With all this increased activity, we too will have more time and energy to pursue our goals.
The 100 Day Challenge is about to begin. This one is called "Way of the Scholar-Warrior" and is based around the idea of combining scholarly pursuits with physical exercise and increased strength. This kind of idea is an old one. The Shaolin Temple experienced this when they discovered monks engaging only in study and meditation suffered from ill health. A wandering sage encouraged them to do martial arts to cultivate their physical bodies so their minds and spirits would have greater power for their spiritual cultivation.
There were two kings in ancient China that became the symbol of this type of thinking. They were King Wen and King Wu. Many of the hymns of the Classic of Poetry are praises to the legacy of King Wen. Some consider him the first epic hero of Chinese history. The name "Wen" now means "the Cultured" or "the Civilizing" and was made into an official royal name by King Wu in honor of his father. King Wen is also credited with having stacked the eight trigrams in their various permutations to create the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. King Wu is considered one of the great heroes of China, together with mythical Yellow Emperor and legendary Yu the Great. King Wu – the name means "Martial" – followed his victory by establishing many feudal states. Thus, these two great kings, father and son, have come to represent a ballanced approach to cultivation, a complete TaiJiTu or Yin/Yang symbol including the two major spheres of human life. This philosophy is exemplified in the Daoist concept of stillness within motion and motion within stillness. It can be applied at many levels of life.
After an exhausting journey back to the United States I am looking forward to getting back to work on YouTube videos, interacting with all of you, and leading the charge to pursue greater spiritual heights in these challenges. Join me on the path of achievement, join the 100 Day Challenge "Way of the Scholar-Warrior." And I'll see you in the abodes of the future.
Good Magick! Ad Astra per Aspera!
Your friend and well-wisher,
Frank Monday