The Waxing Earth Rat
The Earth element is grounded, level, and stable. With relation to a human experience, this often translates as structure, routine, and consistency. In an Earth school, there's a big focus on maintaining a simple, modest lifestyle, eating small, bland meals, and focusing on skillful, time consuming crafts. If you have an Earth type in your corner, you literally have a rock to lean on. If you're that Earth type, you probably wouldn't even notice how many people depend on you for their daily sense of safety, security, and stability.
As for the poetry of the moment, rock out. Break everything you do down to the bare minimum. Simplify your life and hone your focus on basic day to day necessities. From there, dial in a simple routine and stick to it. This isn't a restriction, and it's certainly not a punishment. Think of it as pruning. Even our oceans have to pull back with the tide from time to time. It's no different than passing a regular bowel movement - let that $#@# go!
To make this make sense, we're just making room. How can you expect to attract all this new abundance if you don't even have the capacity to hold it? In Zen, this is called the "empty cup." Modern spiritual folk will call it "letting go," or "releasing." The classics call it "Out with the old/In with the new." It's natural - we all do it - it's like breathing in and out. It's not a big deal.
⧠The Art of Grounding â§
Break it Down: Do you really need to be busy?
Keep it Simple: Find the easiest way to get things done.
Create a Workflow: Line everything up and knock it all out.
Finish Early: The benefit of being efficient and effective.
Build a Skill: 1440 min. in a day, invest a few in you.
Solid, but not Constipated
Contents
ă»Shifu Says: A brief word from our head teacher, Shifu David Wei.
ă»New Year/New Gear: We've got new gear for the Fire Horse Year!
ă»The Daoist Calendar: Special holidays and how to observe them.
ă»Deep Steeps: Shifu hunkers down with Doshin Roshi of Integral Zen.
ă»This is How to Brew It: Steeping instructions for this month's tea club.
ă»Final Fortune Cookie: Big wit and wisdom from a tiny little idiom.
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⧠Shifu Says â§
Once upon a time, when tigers smoked cigars, there was a farmer that had lost his horse, and the whole town was in remorse, "Ahhh! Bad Luck! Bad Luck!" But the farmer just said, "Good luck/Bad luck. Who knows?"
One day, the horse came back - with another horse, too! The whole town rejoiced with glee, "Ahhh! Good Luck! Good Luck!" But the farmer just said, "Good Luck/Bad Luck. Who knows?"
One morning, the farmer's son was outside, trying to tame the new horse. In a traumatic accident, the young man fell off the horse and broke his leg! The whole town lamented, "Ahhh! Bad Luck! Bad Luck! But the farmer just said, "Good luck/Bad luck. Who knows."
That night, an evil military warlord came to draft all the young men for the frontline of his battalion, but the farmer's son was spared by his broken leg. It's just like the farmer always said, "Good luck/Bad luck. Who knows?"
***
I bring up this story because a lot of people are anxious about the coming Fire Horse Year. They want me to give them some wisdom - a silver bullet to kill their fears. Well, if you ask me, I think this world is crazy, period - with or without a fire pony to blame our problems on. I'm not here to fuel fear, and I certainly don't want to feed any false hope - but one thing is certain, life will continue to bloom as each tomorrow fades into another yesterday.
In a practical conversation about Daoist divination, we want to be careful with good fortune because we could grow lazy, stagnant, or entitled. In the same way, bad fortune could become our biggest blessing in that we grow sharp, attentive, and vigilant. However life unfolds, our health is measured by our capacity to adapt and our spirit is measured by our ability to accept. It's just like the farmer says, "Good luck/Bad Luck. Who knows."
If you Pray, Don't Worry.
If you Worry, Don't Pray.
New Year/New Gear
Just in time for the Chinese Lunar New Year, weâre extra excited to share our new school uniforms! Designed to honor both our tradition and practice, this campaign proudly presents our crew's core values: "Show Up. Shut Up. & Add Value." These are simple words with deep meaning - and a reminder of how we would want to carry ourselves both on and off the training floor.
Weâre offering one design with a wide variety of styles, colors, and sizes, to choose from. All items are printed and shipped on demand, using either organic cotton or an eco-blend of materials, keeping comfort, quality, and sustainability aligned with our core community values.
Itâs customary to welcome the lunar new year with fresh clothes, and what better way to do it than with new training gear? Step into the Fire Horse Year looking sharp, moving strong, and ready to train. The sooner you order your new gear, the sooner it will get here! Order yours today!
⧠The Three Treasures Campaign â§
"Heaven / Integrity / Show Up / Yang"
"Earth / Humility / Shut Up / Yin"
"Human / Sincerity / Add Value / Harmony"
Click Here to Order Gear
New Year - New Gear - Same Training
Daoist Holidays
Eleventh/Winter Moon: Yang Earth Rat
Qi Node: Big Snow
Holiday: Yuan Shi Tian Zun (Primordial Essence) Birthday
Take your Time Getting out of Bed, Create Living Art without an End
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