Three Levels of Spiritual and Martial

[Baxian]

Greetings,

I know that you guys may have already discussed this but it is new to me. If there is a thread discussing this that I have missed, please just point me to it.

Taken from Douglas Wile

Without self cultivation, there would be no means or realizing the tao. Neverless, the method of practice can be divided into three levels. The term level means attainment. The highest level is the great attainment; the lower level is the lesser attainment; the middle level is the attainment of sincerity. Although the methods are divided into three levels of practiced, the attainment is one. The spiritual is cultivated internally and the martial externally; physical culture is internal and martial arts external. Those who's practice is successful both internally and externally reach the highest level or attainment. Those who master the martial arts through the spiritual aspect of physical culture, and those who master the spiritual aspect of physical culture through the martial arts attain the middle level. However those who know only the physical culture but not the martial arts or those who know only the martial arts but not the physical culturere present the lowest level of attainment.

Could someone explain what he means by "physical culture"?

Thank you for your time.

Baxian

[mawali]

From the position of a layman and I call myself a martial artist by inclincation, exposure to my teachers' viewpoints of the mainland, their social milieu and as I lived in Asia for awhile, here is my understanding.

1. The gentleman (modern take) and/with historical background of the Confucian scholar and examination taker, did not partake in physical arts so as not to disturb his qi. Said scholars hired the equivalent of security guards skilled in a martial endeavour to protect and serve because the scholar never got his hands 'dirty'. He only involved himself in refined activities (calligraphy, painting and such) so as to make qi stronger and in harmony with the greater Dao.
A good way to look at this is to compare the clother of there. The Confucian scholar wore his long silk robes and the martial guard his street ware, perhaps a little pressed, so as to blend in!! One of my teachers actuall taught class in his "Daoist' robes!!??

2. The martial artist cum modern day security guard, was seen as peddler with some physical skill. It is only when Scholars, examination takers, and other gentlemen began to get involved in martial activities that physical culture took off because it was now seen as less of a "street activity" . The more scholarly MA tended to upgrade martial arts to make it more easily digested by the greater public.

3. The levels of skill, i.e. low, middling and high reflects the societal understanding of transformation of physical to more than fighting but an accepted way of life with a code that can equal an other societal code.

Just like in USA, where certain types of music was not accepted because it was not 'cool" enough for consumption but as more high society people saw the roots were as American as the music, it became more palatable to the larger culture

[Baxian]

Mawali,

Thank you for your take on it. I saw Douglas Wile mentioned in a post by AdrianChanWyles on this forum, found the book and started to read it then found a lot of things, like this physical culture thing, that I did not understand.

Well back to reading.

Baxian