Ku. Withered, dried, decayed.On the left of the symbol for ku is a picture of a tree, here representing wood in general. On the right is a phonetic, the word for “ancient.” That which is old is stiff. That which is young is soft.
That which is old grows stiff and then decays. That which is young is pliant and soft. Therefore, those who follow Tao follow the way of softness in order to avoid death.
There are many ways to apply this ideal. You could interpret it literally and so try to maintain whatever limberness you have. Or you might understand it to mean that to harden your position toward others inevitably leads to your downfall: the dogmatic — the stiff — are often the first to be undermined.
The tree in the word ku gives us a hint of how to proceed. A tree, on the inside, is hard but flexible. Without the bone of its interior, the tree could not stand. But neither is it so stiff that it has no life: on the outer layer, the tree is soft, and there it channels life.
The tree is often used as a metaphor for meditation. It is still, but inside, there is great movement. So too must we understand how to combine hardness and softness. If we do, then we can avoid the withered state.
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Well, I’m off to the spa today to try and keep some things soft (like my skin!). I’m taking my sister-in-law with me to give her a treat on her day off. Should be fun. So what are you doing to stay soft and supple?
I had to learn several times to stop being so hard and dogmatic in my positions. I think I’m pretty open to new ideas, and I try never to believe I know the best way to do things. There’s always more to learn from other people. Sometimes I will rest a bit, like trees in winter, and kind of withdraw into myself, but usuually I return to growing and there is a flourish of new learning and life. I take yoga and pilates to try and maintain my body, both its hard (strength) and soft (flexible) qualities, and read a lot to try and strengthen and stretch my mind. I’m off to the spa — stay soft!
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