Taiji and economics
The quadrant of effort and profit and When faith moves a mountain. More
effort, more gain? Relax within effort. Health (and not only) is a gift. Enjoy!
The expo on the work of Francis Alys in
Wiels was very impressive: The artist running to enter the eye of the
hurricane, the artist painting a green line in Jerusalem, Israel/Palestine, and
the project to move a mountain When faith moves a mountain, as shown also in
the 15 min documentary : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eNuqLnFaYA
Francis Alys persuaded the students and
staff of a school to spend together a whole day. They went to a dune and started
at the bottom of that mountain. Each pulled a bit of sand in front of him and
stepped forward. At the end of the day, they were all at the other side of the
dune that had shifted 10 cm. A great effort, with a result which is not visible
in the landscape and which will be annihilated by the wind. Nevertheless the
whole team was proud of the work, their work! Something never to forget,
something to remember and to tell about.
The move of the mountain was their (e-)motion.
The
quadrant of effort/benefit
Shifting the mountain is an activity of maximal
effort for minimal effect. We do not often do this, or promote the idea of it. The
other quadrants are more popular:
·
Maximum gain for minimum effort:
the homo economibus way of life (1)
·
Maximum gain for maximum
effort: top athletes live this way (1)
·
Minimal gain with minimal
effort: this could be lazy persons or smart people?
(1) May come together with the production of waste and pollution and
anomalies such as dope
Minimal gain with maximal effort as with the mountain could be a
kind of artistic way of living.
Where does practice of Taiji fits in the quadrant?
As Taiji is open for all, also the not so talented people in Taiji, my
experience may be representative. My daily effort to practice is rather my
pleasure to practice. Nevertheless this effort leads to a fairly amateur (this
may also be interpreted in the good sense) level of practice. So we could say
minimal gain/maximum effort. But I feel that the value is in the practice,
independent of the final result. Such as
in the saying: The way is the goal, not the destination. Nan dit: Taiji pour
le plaisir. I too like to do Taiji, just as I do like running, even without a
lot of talent. Both Taiji and running can be done at all levels, in a steady
and easy going pace, everywhere and any
time, but preferably in nature as a natural way of doing pleasant on its own.
So Taiji does not fit the effort/gain quadrant as practicing is already the
benefit.
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