The Tao of Kung Fu #25

Can any man afford such arrogance?

Learn more about the philosophy of the Shaolin here................. This scene from the 'Arrogant Dragon' episode of the 1970's television series 'Kung Fu'; is a personal favourite of mine. I often think of how wonderful it would be to have the guidance of such a charismatic and wise teacher as Master Po. Someone who would gently challenge one's intellect and implant the seeds of wisdom within all he encountered. In this scene young Caine (Radames Pera) and Master Po (Keye Luke) are ambushed by a thief while on their return journey to the temple. To avoid unnecessarily escalating the situation, Master Po initially cooperates with the thief. However, as the thiefs requests become increasingly unreasonable, Master Po decides to defend his property and we see the robber beat a hasty retreat. In a world that generally sees force and control as favourable attributes, most of us reason that "turning the other cheek" is not a viable option. Naturally, the best way is to always distance yourself from hostility and avoid situations where conflict is most likely. It must be noted that in this clip Master Po neither reacts with anger or cruelty. Nor does he pursue the thief in an attempt to exact retribution. He only uses enough force to end the situation and nothing more. In chapter 67 of the Tao Te Ching, the Taoist Lao Tzu reminds us "When people are gentle, they have no fear of retaliation." (Bahm translation) Too often people and regularly whole nations respond with force that is beyond what is necessary. We frequently see the defender become an oppressive victor; thus creating a endless cycle of retribution. Think of the numerous brutal tit-for-tat conflicts in the world today, where deep hatred is past down from father to son for generations. Consequently, the first goal in any conflict must be to resolve it using the minimum of force and resisting the desire for ascendancy. For the greater the humiliation and harm inflicted; the greater the repercussions and the freedoms forgone.