the Way of Tao

The Gallop of Life
Do not cramp or constrain your will , as that would cause you to depart from the Way. Do not strive for consistency in your actions, as that would cause you to lose sight of the Way. Be firm with yourself, never making excuses for your shortcomings. Be gentle with yourself, never demanding of yourself more than you can give. Let your mind be as open to the ideas of others, as a field without hedges is open to the four winds.

All living beings are born and die; you cannot depend upon them. All events start and finish; you cannot depend upon them. The years cannot be held back; time cannot be stopped. Growth and decay, fullness and emptiness, birth and death - the rythm of change cannot be halted. Life passes at a gallop; it is like a headlong dash toward death. With moment and every movement your body ages. What should you do and not do to prevent aging ? Nothing.

Yet if you follow the Way, and thence acquire perfect virtue, fire will not be able to burn you, water will not be able to drown you, cold and heat will not be able to discomfort you, and wild beasts will not be able to injure you. This is because you will be indifferent to fortune and misfortune, good and bad.

(teachings attributed to the Taoist scholar Zhuangzi)
 from the book 366 Readings from Taoism & Confucianism.

Jet Li vs Mongol Princess : Hi-NR'Chi' Action !

movie : Evil Cult (a ka Kung Fu Cult Master-1993)
starring : Jet Li, Sammo Hung, Sharla Cheung, Chingmy Yau

Any kung-fu movie aficionado can easily figure out the choreographer of this brilliant, Hi-NRG action sequence. It has 'Sammo Hung' written all over it! In those days,only Sammo Hung can be so spectacular & innovative ! Equally brilliant was his most recent work in Ip Man 2 (2010) which proves that Sammo's creative powers are still intact.

The movie Evil Cult didn't cause much flutter when it was released. But later, esp. after 'neo-wuxia' movies like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon became a rage, Evil Cult also gained a cult following.  Besides Sammo, an array of talents have worked in this movie who are now icons in their own right. They are - Louis Cha (wuxia-novelist),Wong Jing(screen-writer/director),Joseph Koo(musician) and of course Jet  Li(actor/producer). Cinematography and editing are equally brilliant.

The musical instrument involved in this action sequence is Guzheng - the ancient Chinese instrument. I have never seen it or played it (though I have an audio-CD of  which I bought from Singapore). From my long experience in guitar and other similar string instruments, I can certainly say,  Guzheng with its long strings

can have a great resonating effect with the slightest of touch. As for the maneuver by Yuan Princess(Sharla Cheung) with the strings - its only a wuxia-movie , so don't try this at home !