Bruce Lee Podcast - #32 Finger Pointing Away to the Moon

#32 Finger Pointing Away to the Moon

02/09/17 • 48 min

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"Don't think. FEEEEEEEEL! It's like a finger pointing away to the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all of the heavenly glory!" In this scene from Enter the Dragon, Bruce is teaching his student about the importance of staying fully present in the moment. If you just concentrate on the finger, you’ll miss the glorious experience of the moon. We often take ourselves out of a moment we are experiencing for many reasons—to analyze it, to think about it, or document it. Even when we pause to take a picture of a beautiful sunset, we have to leave the moment of experiencing that sunset to take the picture. When we do this, we lose the feeling of the moment. “There’s too much tendency to look inward at one’s moods and to try and evaluate them, to stand on the outside and try to look inside is futile. It’s like turning on a light to look at darkness. Analyze it and it’s gone.” “Feeling exists here and now when not interrupted and dissected by ideas or concepts. The moment we stop analyzing and let go we can start really seeing, feeling as one whole." An important part of the lesson Bruce is giving in this scene is about the process of relating, being in relationship with the whole thing, not isolated. “To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person, relationship is a process of self-revelation, relationship is the mirror in which you discover yourself. To be is to be related.” “To live is a constant process of relating, so come out of that shell of isolation and conclusion, and relate directly to what is being said." So many of us are hungering for a connection, even if we don’t know to articulate it. What’s driving a lot of the pain in the world is viewing people or the planet as separate from us or as the “other.” “The primary reality is not what I think, but what I live.” “I do not experience, I am experience, I am awareness.” Bruce Lee was living in the present moment all the time. Take Action: Take note when you pull away from an experience to analyze it or try to hold onto it. When you feel the connectedness or excitement of the moment, instead of pulling away just be with it. Compare this feeling to when you pull away and document or think about the moment. Another practice is to have a moment of silence when you feel that connected experience to stay in the moment. #AAHA This week our #AAHA shout-out goes to Sammy Lee, the first Asian American man to win Olympic gold and the first American man to win two consecutive golds in platform diving. Sammy Lee was named to US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1990. Lee was also a physician and served in the US Army Medical Corps in South Korea and coached several Olympian divers. He learned to dive at a public pool in Pasadena, but was only allowed to go on Wednesdays, the only day Latinos, Asians, and African Americans were allowed to use the pool. Then the pool was drained and refilled with clean water. Even after becoming an Olympian, Lee continued to face discrimination, including being told he could not buy a house in a certain neighborhood. Sammy Lee Square is named after him in Koreatown, he has a spot on the Anaheim Walk of Stars, and an elementary school named after him. Sammy Lee, we honor you and think you’re awesome! #BruceLeeMoment This week our #BruceLeeMoment comes from Kristy, read more at brucelee.com/podcast: “Being keen to journal, I previously wrote down my bigger 'why' or purpose and steps to achieving what I most desired. However, I noticed, there it was again...that striver giving me plans, actions, strategies to be better - to become perfect! So, instead after your podcast I decided to revisit my why, and come up with my own affirmations and anchors back to stillness when my mind becomes noisy, not to become perfect, but instead to simply acknowledge and celebrate who I am.” Share your #AAHA and #BruceLeeMoment recommendations or your #ActionItem progress with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at [email protected]

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#31 The Root

The Root was an important concept to Bruce Lee. The Root is where real knowledge and real personal expression can spring from, the starting point and essence of “Who am I?” “What we are after is the root and not the branches. The root is the real knowledge and the branches are surface knowledge. Real knowledge breeds “body feel” and personal expression, and surface knowledge breeds mechanical conditioning, and imposing limitation and it squelches creativity.” “The Root is the fulcrum on which will rest the expression of your soul. The Root is the starting point of all natural manifestation. It cannot be when the root is neglected that what should spring from it will be well ordered.” Your body is the vehicle through which you manifest everything, even your thoughts. When we neglect the vehicle that holds our vital energy then we can get ungrounded. Bruce Lee was integrated with mind, body, spirit and his body was in service to his greater Purpose in this world. Even if your path in life is not of an athlete or martial artist like Bruce Lee, you still need your body to carry out your plans, dreams, and to move through the world. “The Root is the foundation and the Root is the knowing, it’s the inner wisdom that you have.” Your body is sending you signals all the time, and gives you a definite feeling about questions you ask yourself. You can use your body as a divining rod to gauge your true feelings about a situation or a decision. Bruce was directed by his heart--his love, passion, and joy were all strengthening his Root. “When I look around I always learn something, and that is, to be always yourself and to express yourself, to have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it, but start from the very root of your being which is: How can I be me?” “This achieving the center, being grounded in oneself is about the highest state a human being can achieve.” “We realize that manipulation and control are not the ultimate joy in life, to become real, to learn to take a stand, to develop one’s center to the support of our total personality, a release to spontaneity, yes, yes, yes.” Take Action: If you’re feeling unrooted, think of the last time that you felt in tune with your body--when was that? Write down the memories, you’ll likely see a pattern. Identify discomfort in your body, aches or anxiety, where and when do you feel this way? Another exercise: write down the answer to “How can I be me?” Keep asking yourself this over time as it is answered differently as you grow. If you’d like to share how you’re doing with this action item you can email us at [email protected] #AAHA (Awesome Asians and Hapas) This week our #AAHA is Aziz Ansari, American actor and comedian. Aziz is known for Masters of None, Parks and Recreation, and his stand-up comedy. Ansari was born in South Carolina, and graduated from NYU as a marketing major. He started doing stand-up while at NYU and in 2008 joined Parks and Rec. Ansari offers intelligent, thoughtful comedy and continues to do stand-up throughout his acting commitments. After the Boston Marathon bombings, Ansari performed a benefit at the Wilbur Theater in Boston and all ticket proceeds went to The One Fund and The Officer Richard Donohue Fund. Aziz, we love your work and think you’re awesome, thank you for making us laugh! #BruceLeeMoment This week our #BruceLeeMoment comes from listener Gerry, read more online: As a long distance trail runner: “The miles in between are so tough but to arrive at an aid station, where there is water and food and just such beautiful powerful good energy, is so uplifting and strengthening that it renews ones life force to move through the race. So the phrase "aid station to aid station" came to represent the ideas both of reducing a larger challenge into smaller ones, and also that we can't do this alone.” Share your #AAHAs and #BruceLeeMoments with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at [email protected]

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#33 Friend of Bruce Lee: Daniele Bolelli

This week we talk with Daniele Bolelli. Shannon first met Bolelli when he was interviewed for the documentary “I Am Bruce Lee” and later she was a guest on his podcast “The Drunken Taoist.” Bolelli is an Italian born author, college professor, martial artist, and has two podcasts, “The Drunken Taoist” and “History on Fire.” Bruce Lee came into Bolelli’s life when he was a 7 year old kid growing up in Italy. Daniele and his dad watched a Bruce Lee movie together and he was hooked. Bruce’s energy and personality as a movie star captivated the young Bolelli, but he built a life-long relationship with him by reading Bruce’s writings and philosophies. Bolelli is also a martial artist who starting his training at 15. He finds that Bruce Lee’s philosophies are helpful in studying martial arts and life. Like Bruce, he studied several styles of martial arts including Chinese kung fu, Brazilian jiu jitsu, boxing, wrestling and MMA. He currently prefers Judo because of the aesthetics of the big throws and the “ground game” where he gets to put Taoism in action. He says the ground game is like playing high level chess with your body and that it’s not just about brute strength. “If you dedicate yourself to one thing and one thing only all the time, then it’s not about life anymore, it’s about that one field...Anything you do in life should be at the service of enriching you as an individual. It shouldn’t be the other way around that you sacrifice your individuality in the name of this one field or this one idea. That’s missing the point.” - Bolelli The Bruce Lee philosophies that are most relevant to Bolelli are: “Research your own experience” and "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.” These concepts have influenced Bolelli's whole life, and also inspired one of his books called “Create Your Own Religion.” Similar to Bruce Lee, Bolelli writes down what he wants out of his life and his goals. He takes time throughout the week to write down ideas or thoughts, and this helps with his mental clarity. #AAHA (Awesome Asians and Hapas) Daniele Bolelli’s #AAHA shout-out goes to his 7-yr-old daughter, Isabella who is half Chinese. He is so inspired by her wise thoughts and ideas that he often writes them down and occasionally features them on his podcast The Drunken Taoist. He has been documenting her thoughtful ideas since she could speak so it’s becoming a collection of her own wisdom that he will eventually give to her when she’s older. She even has a Bruce Lee postcard by her bed. Thank you Isabella—we think you’re awesome! #BruceLeeMoment This week’s #BruceLeeMoment excerpt comes from listener Phil C. read the full moment online at Brucelee.com/podcast: “I was listening to your Steve Aoki podcast and his mention of the racism he experienced growing up reminded me of one of the two Bruce Lee moments I had: The first one was in junior high. I was sometimes bullied there. One tormentor was about to beat me but before he did, he asked if I knew kung fu. I didn't answer. He backed off, probably because my not answering meant maybe I knew some (and that I'm of Chinese ethnicity, probably helped, the stereotype working in my favour). The art of fighting without fighting.” Share your #AAHA and #BruceLeeMoment recommendations with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at [email protected]