The Tao of Kung Fu #14 - " Cowardice is wisdom of weakness."

[TurquoiseLamp]

Probably slightly off topic, but this video reminds me of something the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Pema Chodron says. She said that when we realise we have failed or made mistakes in our Dharmic path, we always ideantify with the mistakes. But what is it which identifies that we have made those mistakes? It is our wisdom. Therefore, should we not identify with that wisdom? After all, we were the ones who had the wisdom to see our own weakness.

[yinyangnature]

@TurquoiseLamp Profound wisdom indeed!

[ShaolinCenter]

Awesome



[brianprince100]

From the viewpoint of an Evagelist...this WORKS! (1Samuel 15;22-23 with Matthew 28:16-20.) GRASSHOPPER: Joel 2. STONES: 1Peter 1:22-1Peter 2:10. Also Zecharaih 4 and Rev. 1:17-20. NKJV. Be BLESSED EVERYONE! I Love YAH ALL! GRACE BE TO THE CAPSTONE. SHOUTS OF GRACE! AMEN.

[andrelebaron]

@OakPark11MileRd Po was Kan's bitch. Sure Po got all the ink but Kan was the glue that held the team together.

[lucmig70]

In Spanish ;-)

/watch?v=4CNtCuS4eag

[TaoFAQ]

@High5Brah Three seasons in the early 1970s.

[Haseeb2]

Very deep.

[memokk]

plz explain the last quotes because I dont understand crap

[TaoFAQ]

@memokk If you click on the (Show more) down arrow located under the video, you can read a detailed description of the philosophy discussed in this video.

[hanchiman]

My all time favourite scene of the pilote would probably be when Caine decide to go "down the mountain" (leaving the temple), by burning his both arm while lifting up a hot burning pot where he receive the dragon and tiger tattoo on his arms.

[soopfilm]

good show

[davewoodring]

the mainstream media and movies teach fear, so majority feel the boogeyman is everywhere. that is why people drive there kids back and forth to school.

[PeekaPeep]

Master Po puts many of my old schoolteachers to shame, lol

[00scuff00]

if only we were all this wise

thankyou kindly for uploading

[combatives]

This is quite good wisdom, this is what made the TV program watchable to me, not Carradine's fighting abilities. His Martial Arts never impressed me at all.

[methuselus]

@combatives

One might argue that the show was not really about his fighting abilities. If it were, then you'd get something like a Steven Seagal movie, where it is all about fighting - this show, to me, was more about choices, experience, training and wisdom.

[ujin765]

A coward and a brave walk hand in hand within every man. The opposites creating the absolute. Just like everything in nature. I love this series. Much wisdom.

[TheSubwaysurfer]

Man! this stuff is TIMELESS!! and SO well delivered. These kung fu episodes were jammed packed with such rich moral teaching, solid acting, appropriate violence... it was truly one of the best shows to come across the small screen, and MORE than lived up to it's potential.

[TH3D1R3CTOR]

the two should have stayed humble, let his friend recieve the strike but yet let both stand tall and wise before the five bullies...and let the five learn that some men accept strikes and return love...do you really think the five bullies will walk away feeling honorable if the event were to occur like so? perhaps the five will grow and look back with regret, to see themselves as cowards and the two young men as wise.

[TurquoiseLamp]

@TH3D1R3CTOR indeed, that may be the best outcome for them all, but there is no 1 correct way. If Caine had acted as you said, then he wouldn't have found out the lesson in this video. Often through our percieved 'mistakes' and suffering, we learn wisdom.

[TurquoiseLamp]

*Perceived

[victorrain]

THANKS FOR POSTING!!!!

[malooch123]

iz this a movie? or are these just clips?!

[yinyangnature]

@malooch123 It's from a 1970s TV series called "Kung Fu".

[comrad1986]

@malooch123 u must be really young .lol

[thelifeuwant]

nice

[aperezNWO]

Thanks for Sharing

[TrentRock5150]

Thanks for uploading these!!

I loved Master Po as a youth!!

[buyerofsorts]

One of the best shows ever for so many reasons.

[SalvoBrosEnt]

"The Coward and the Hero march together within every man" v_v

[Evilinvader308]

I reeeeeeally think this show needs to be aired again on television. It would be tremendously beneficial to society!

[EmeiBaguazhang]

STILL the smartest and BEST Television show EVER put on the air!!

I am SO glad I have the complete series on DVD.

I can go watch it and get INSPIRED anytime I like.

God am I blessed!

That will be the VERY FIRST thing I will buy when they switch from DVD format to the next new thing!!!

Everyone should watch this show at least ONCE in their life!!!

If not a dozen,...hehehe!

Thanks always yinyangnature!!!

[woodsprout]

Did they show the bully scene in that episode, or does Grasshopper only refer to it?

[yinyangnature]

If my memory serves me well it was only referred to.

[woodsprout]

Thanks yingyangnature, In reading the comments and opinions here, I'm thinking that if there was a scene, then we could be more on the same page in judging whether in this case aiding a person would escalate or calm the situation.

And if there was no scene, everyone is going to have a different scenario in there head of how this bullying situation occurred, and their comments would be relative to that.

Thanks for posting the video. I really like the first Kung Fu series.

[Onoufrios76]

@yinyangnature the director was coward to show it! :-)

[87cyberman]

I'm going to offer a different perspective. If one was in a fight with just himself and another person(s), then I could understand Master Po's perspective. But in the clip, we are talking about your friend who needs your help. In this instance, the desire to help another supersedes your own self interest. This is the nature of selflessness--- selflessness put into action.

[yinyangnature]

Too often we go to the defence of others and our actions only serve to escalate the conflict. Many wars have been waged by the brave in the defence of the vulnerable, only to increase the suffering of those it was intended to help.

Kindly let me help you or youll drown, said the monkey to the fish as he placed him safely up a tree. Alan Watts

[87cyberman]

Interesting perspective, YingYangNature, however.....You are assuming that if a person comes to the aid of another that this will escalate the conflict. Couldn't it just as easily deescalate it? Yes, you could use WWI as an example proving your point, about all the alliances on both sides which caused an outright world conflict. But if we accept your point as fact, then why come to the aid to anyone at all? It's confusing, I know. In the vid, I would help my friend without a second thought.

[yinyangnature]

I dont think there is a definitive answer to this my friend, for every circumstance will be different. Yet we usually always assume that to be brave and ignore ones instinct of fear is very admirable. This clip simply makes us reconsider this age old belief. Im sure if resolution had the same high honour associated with bravery, there would be far fewer conflicts.

[davewoodring]

@87cyberman Bruce Lee figured it out. Be water my friend. I feel they killed him cause he taught about expressing yourself honestly. Too many people are too scared to express thereselves honestly in the world today.

[kennethhew]

@davewoodring That is so true. How I wish I could express myself honestly, without fear of being judged or ridiculed

[TurquoiseLamp]

Excellently put!!! I LOVE the Alan Watts quote!

I agree that true bravery is connecting with and trusting in one's own intuition.

It is absolutely true that all situations are different.

Don't all actions have both a positive and negative side? Therefore in helping or not helping your friend, you will still encounter both positive and negative repercussions.

True courage is believing in one's own wisdom to determine whether more positivity will be gained through helping or not.

[kitush64]

@87cyberman

what we are trying to discern is whether its our selflessness to help the one need or its our instinctual reaction to extinguish our inherent selfishness.

[shinobicct]

Well said.

[jimsont222]

thx verry much

[doctorw2]

if one is brave he may become a coward in certain circumstances, if another is cowardly he may become brave in certain circumstances al human being are comprised of binary opposites.

[yinyangnature]

Well stated my friend.

[peteritaly]

fantastic :)

[memokk]

So he was angry because he was afraid to be afraid? I lold.

[ronmar53]

i am 5 time world champion but i can not compare with david and his achievments my deapest sympathy to his family and friends for his lost.

[yinyangnature]

Do you think it is better to die brave, when your bravery will be forgotten tomorrow anyway; or walk just away and be able to live and love another day?

[peteritaly]

I think Lao tze would choose...the 2nd one ;)

[a1exgerman]

To be brave for the sake of being a hero, or to walk away for the sake of avoiding conflict are both wrong. It is best to accept that your road will wind, and one day end, regardless of our actions and intents.

[repelghosts]

Every man dies,

But not every man ever really lives.

Rest Well sweet David,

Your friends in Toronto,Canada

your 2nd home,

Gemma n family.

[bigkendallas]

The lesson here is Caine should not be ashamed because he experienced cowardice since all men are part brave and part coward.

The bullys, since they were picking on younger boys can also be considered cowards.

This realization ,that we can all be cowards, and brave also , is what is wise.

It is foolish for Caine to be angry with himself because of this.Once he clearly understands the duality in all men ...he won't be so troubled about it.

[upupsteru]

WHAT!?!?

[hkking83]

I feel that I am not only watching a action movie but more about Chinese deep marvelous philosophy. Not very easy to understand , perhaps needs more life experience and something born with individual nature gift to enter into its insight spirit .

[yinyangnature]

What makes it difficult is the culture we are all totally indoctrinated into. Once we are able to see past societies illusions, things become much clearer and easier to understand.

To comprehend the extent of these illusions, I recommend everyone watch the movies made by the Zeitgeist movement. These movies run for a little over 2 hours and are freely available on both Youtube and Google.

[SonRyu]

That was mildly confusing, but insightful at the same time....

[Iyebaka]

This show changed my life. It led me to the discovery of Taoism, and then to Quan Yin...

[salstream]

shame this sort of education is not taugh in our schools ... may be then there would be no murders.. no wars, only everyone helping each other so no one would be without help... sad it cannot be...

[fishintheflow]

A good lesson :)

When you prize peace and quiet, the notions of brave and coward are largely meaningless judgements - as they are about victory.

[repelghosts]

Thank-you...brought back the early 70s into my soul.

[yinyangnature]

Thank you and you're welcome.

[gabdeusex]

I think it really makes sense: cowardice or refusing to fight when you feel truly in a very weak position is a good way to avoid unnecessary hurt. But again there is many times more than one solution to one problem.

[yinyangnature]

Indeed. Often we are too quick to see aggression as the only answer.

[dollar186]

So is he a coward or not?

[yinyangnature]

No, Grasshopper is not a coward. What is normally perceived as fear is the bodies wisdom of it's weakness. If all men listened to their intuitive selves, no battles would have ever been fought, on either side.

[hunkydaboyz]

buggered if i know ,?????

[coohoolane]

What a LOAD! Bravery is acting despite the fear.

[yinyangnature]

Thats what the people who would like us to fight their battles for them would like us to think. So many brave young men end up cannon fodder for our psychopathic leaders, so they can extend their personal interests.

I think its a very brave person who stands up against this system of needless personal sacrifice; when it would be far easier to allow ourselves to be a lamb and be lead without protest to the slaughterhouse.

[coohoolane]

Cain is speaking of cowardice in the face of 5 older boys, not a faceless system. In his example he retreats out of fear, not standing up to help his friend. his soul, now saddened, tells him he should have.

If we're speaking of psychopathic leaders I would agree that it is the truely brave individual who stops and says"NO!". One who cowers and hides is not that sort of truely brave individual.

Would you automatically call ANY leader that calls for young men to this sacrifice be "psychopathic"?

[yinyangnature]

I understand this my friend, but like much of Kung Fu, this is a metaphor for life in general.

Society conditions boys from a very young age to ignore their intuitive feelings and fears. This enables others to easily manipulate young men for their own benefit. Therefore someone who refuses to go to war to provide others with oil is considered a coward.

I personally believe all leaders to be narcissistic at best and psychopathic at worst.

[gfpirate]

Truer words were never spoken.

[doctorw2]

wow profound wisdom.

[Benkotter]

Im tearing up like Jesse Jackson.

[rauldurand]

Ohh! Provably that is the most wise thing I ever heard.

[mrgrant888]

I agree. He makes so much sense.

[warrior350es]

I watch these old episodes of kung fu just to hear these words of wisdom.

[SNAZ101]

Genius words right there!

[coolestdude80]

Master Po rules. His nostalgia lives on.

[charliekkendo]

Prime, grade-A Po in this one. A hard lesson with a laugh and some excellent words. I have felt like young Caine many times.