Bruce Lee Podcast

Five Ways of Flow The highest truth is inexpressible. Spiritual cultivation cannot be cultivated. In the last resort nothing is gained. There is nothing much in the teaching. In throwing punches and moving, therein lies the wonderful Tao. 1. The highest truth is inexpressible. The highest truth, your truth, is an experience, a knowing, it is a reverberation in the soul and heart of man. "When both the man and his surroundings are eliminated, neither man nor his surroundings are eliminated – Walk On!" "Between enlightenment and knowledge, in the latter a contrast exists between the knower and the known, whereas in the former, there is no such contrast." 2. Spiritual cultivation cannot be cultivated. After spiritual cultivation you return to the ordinariness of life but filled with the extraordinariness of life; gratitude; acceptance; allowance; flow; a return to effortlessness. "After the completion of cultivation, one remains amid the phenomenal yet devoid of the phenomenal." "The aim is not the one-sided promotion of spirit, soul and senses, but the opening of all human capacities to the life rhythm of the world and nature." 3. In the last resort nothing is gained. When we come down to the last resort of a situation, we are reaching a sort of giving up - a place where we have reconciled ourselves with losing; so don't hang onto a last resort, rather be willing to die. "Are you a flowing entity capable to flow with circumstances?" "Do not run away; let go. Do not seek; it will come when least expected." 4. There is nothing much in the teaching. Modeling as a form of teaching. A teacher is a guide, the student has to experience things for themselves. "A good teacher functions as a pointer to truth but not a giver of truth. He employs a minimum of form to lead his student to the formless. Furthermore, he points out the importance of being able to enter a mold without being imprisoned by it or to follow the principles without being bound by them." "There is no fixed teaching. All I can provide is an appropriate medicine for a particular ailment." 5. In throwing punches and moving, therein lies the wonderful Tao. In instinctual and direct movement, the flow of the universe is revealed. "Behind every motion is the music of the soul made visible." "The spirit of the universe or the integrating principle of the whole – instinct with contrivance which flows with purpose." "Simplicty. Directness. Freedom." Please write to us at hello@brucelee.com or tag us on social media @BruceLee #BruceLeePodcast. Help support the Bruce Lee Podcast and check out our Podcast Bundle on the Bruce Lee Store!

"A struggle of any nature can never be settled satisfactorily until the absolute fact is touched. Where neither opponent can affect the other – not neutrality, not indifference, but TRANSCENDENCE is the thing needed." The dictionary definition of Transcendence is: Extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience; transcending material existence; universally applicable or significant The 19th century movement of Transcendentalism had the core belief that there is an inherent goodness of people and nature. Transcendentalists also believed that society and its institutions have corrupted the purity of the individual and they have faith that people are at their best when truly self-reliant and independent. They believed that man was one with nature, emphasized personal freedom, and also attempted to embrace the empiricism of science. (Some famous Transcendentalists are Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.) Parts of the movement of Transcendentalism align with Bruce Lee's philosophies. In martial arts, Bruce rejected reliance on institutions and wanted everyone to create their own style. The focus on the individual, pursuing your own path, and being one with nature are all a part of Bruce's philosophy. Transcendence is a useful daily tool for our lives. Transcendence is about seeing the "big picture." It is a change in perspective where you can take in the whole of the situation to better move through what you are struggling with. It is hard to have transcendence when you are in the thick of being "for" or "against" something. In that situation the other person has to be "wrong" in order for you to be "right." "See that there is no one to fight, only an illusion to see through. Be aware of illusions." Seeing through an illusion can be difficult because it is hard to give up your position in a fight with another person. It takes practice to be able to zoom out and see the big picture when you are in the midst of conflict. A way to transcend a situation is to ask yourself, "What am I projecting onto this situation that may or may not be true? How am I trying to make this other person wrong? Why am I doing that? What am I projecting out of myself in order to win this argument?" Sometimes in order to justify our thinking we have to make the other person "wrong." We set up our thinking in ways that only show the other person as being wrong so that we can be right. This can keep us in anger and held in a state of confrontation and combat. This way of thinking does not rise above and it does not heal. "To transcend the dualistic comprehension of a situation, let go at the point where the mind stops to abide – where it attaches to an object and stops the flow; don't allow your attention to be arrested." Instead of fixating on the words or the blame, pull back and let go to take in the full picture and see your part in the situation. Transcendence is a practice, and it can be difficult, but it is also extremely healing. Another way to transcend when you are in an "I'm right and you're wrong," conflict is to try to see how both of you could be right or both of you could be wrong. This thought practice will give you some headspace to help transcend the conflict. "Awareness is never exclusive – it includes everything." If you want to have a sense of full awareness, you have to include everything, not just your side. At the Bruce Lee Family Company, when we are looking for partners and collaborators, we want our collaborative work to result in "1+1=11." This means that when we come together with a partner we make something BIGGER, our work is not just additive it is transcendent. This type of transcendental relationship makes collaboration and working together more fun and produces better solutions. When you're confronted with a difficult challenge, it can be easy to shut down, ignore it, or avoid it. But if you shift your energy towards embracing the challenge, whether you succeed or fail, ultimately you transcend the challenge and move beyond it instead of remaining stuck. "The waters are in motion all the time, but the moon retains its serenity. The mind moves in response to the ten thousand situations but remains ever the same." There is always something happening around you, the waters are always in motion, but the goal is to remain serene, still, and secure in your root. "The mind must be wide open to function freely in thought. A limited mind cannot think freely." In order to transcend, you have to pull back and see the big picture. You have to feel the feelings in your body. Part of allowing yourself to feel your feelings, even grief and sadness, is that once you have allowed yourself to feel then you can return to a calm stillness and begin to transcend. "No-mindedness is not being without emotion or feeling but being one in whom feeling is not sticky or blocked - the non-grasping mind." Feel your feelings, but do not hold onto them and get stuck. Once you have felt your feelings you can release them instead of allowing them to create blockages. The sticky feeling is the fear you feel where you want to shut out everything, lock the door, and hunker down. The sticky mind is denial, refusing to examine something closely. When you are in a conflict with someone, ask yourself afterwards, "What if what this person is saying is true? How could it be possible?" Argue from the other person's point of view. Let your mind consider it. Even if it turns out that what the other person is claiming is not true, this exercise allows you to have compassion and understanding for them because you can see their perspective. "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." It is hard to transcend if you are not willing to consider a bigger picture or unwilling to examine yourself. "All movement comes out of emptiness, and the mind is the dynamic aspect of this emptiness. There is no crookedness or ego-centered motivation. The emptiness is sincerity, genuineness, and straightforwardness. Allow nothing between itself and its movements." "Scratch away all the dirt our being has accumulated and reveal reality in its nakedness." Take Action: Transcendence is a daily practice. Practice zooming out and looking at the big picture in low-risk situations and it will become easier to transcend in more difficult conflicts. If you find that your thoughts are becoming entrenched in one side of a situation, interrupt your thought pattern by trying to look at the whole situation. We would love to hear about how practicing transcendence is going for you! Please write to us at hello@brucelee.com or tag us on social media @BruceLee #BruceLeePodcast

Help support the Bruce Lee Podcast and check out our Podcast Bundle on the Bruce Lee Store! Any item is 15% off and if you buy the entire bundle it is 20% off. A portion of all proceeds go to support the Bruce Lee Foundation and the Podcast Bundle helps support the Bruce Lee Podcast! "Centering is the reconciliation of opposites so that they no longer waste energy in useless struggle with each other but can join in productive combination and interplay." Often we waste energy by engaging in the struggle between two opposing things. But if you can take these two opposing things and join them into a productive combination and interplay then you can use their energy instead of waste it. "We are vortices whose center is a point that is motionless and eternal but which appears in manifestation as motion which increases in velocity in the manner of a whirlpool or tornado. The nucleus is reality whereas the vortex is phenomenon. Hold to the core!" If you are centered, then your power is the center of the storm and there is stillness there. This manifests in your life as a powerful motion that you are engaged in. Bruce Lee is a great physical example of this powerful motion. On screen you can see that right before he moves to attack he has stillness, like a cat about to pounce. He wastes no energy before moving to attack; he gathers his energy into his stillness before a whirlwind attack. As in the concept of Yin Yang, things are not truly opposite; they are compliments to each other. They are extremes as part of one whole, such as how hot and cold are not opposites, but extremes of temperature. As a part of reconciling these opposites it is important to know that they are not separate, but are on the same scale. "When we hold to the core, the opposite sides are the same if seen from the center of a moving circle." We want to look at the sides of ourselves, and the sides of other people, as having gradation of scale rather than as "good" and "bad." You have to be aware and neutral in your assessments in order to recognize that one extreme is the expression of the other extreme. "It is futile to argue as to which single leaf, which design of branch or which attractive flower you like; when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoming." When it comes to our minds and our hearts, we cannot separate them out into different parts; they are all apart of the same whole. The moment we bump into something about ourselves that we do not like and we push it away, we are not integrating or accepting what we do not like about ourselves. This can lead to self-hatred because we are labeling part of ourselves as the "other" or as "wrong." Since we still have to live with ourselves we start to beat ourselves up over this part of us that is "wrong" and this becomes an energy depleting exercise of self-hate. You have to neutrally examine that part of yourself you do not like, feel how it feels in your body, and assess how it is showing what you need in your life. This will help your form an understanding of yourself and will help in your centering. The reason centering is hard is because we are in the habit of picking one side or the other to identify with. By examining yourself neutrally without judgment, you can really see and process difficult parts of yourself, integrate those parts, and then center yourself. If you are stuck more on one side or the other, and it cures into more extreme versions, it makes us feel more and more separate. Centering yourself is not just about calming you down from one extreme towards the center; it is also about finding this power source. If you confront a situation from your center then you have both sides to put your energy towards, instead of just limiting your energy to one side. Be willing to give yourself a break when you overshoot to one extreme or another. Life has waves and we are only human. Take each overshoot as a learning experience and eventually your pendulum will swing less wide and you will remain closer to your center. Centering is a difficult process. It is challenging in real life to integrate this learning in the moment. "You are what you are, and self-honesty occupies a definite and vital part in the ever-growing process to become a "real" human being." Self-honesty is hard because we do not want to get real with ourselves and look at the ugly parts. We want to place the blame outside of ourselves, but we have to own our own involvement. "Instead of establishing rigid rules and separative thoughts, we should look within ourselves to see where our particular problems lie and our cause of ignorance. You must look for the truth yourself and experience every minute detail of for yourself." To find the "cause of our ignorance" we have to look deeply into what we do not know or what causes us confusion. Everything is an experiment and a process to know your self. You have to practice and accept that it will be hard. A good place to start your process of centering is by examining your strengths and your weaknesses. What sides do you lean towards? What biases do you have? "Those who are walking in darkness will never see the light." When you get to the center, it is a powerful place of mobility and infinite possibility. What is available in the center is choice. When you're sitting in the center, you have the ability to choose any direction you want. "If you disown yourself to perpetuate an image, you become the target." "Being one's self leads to real relationships and acceptance of oneself leads to change." "Wisdom does not consist of trying to wrest the good from the evil, but in learning to ride them as a cork adapts itself to the crests and troughs of the waves." "This achieving the center – being grounded in one's self – is about the highest state a human being can achieve." We'd love to hear from you! Write to us at hello@brucelee.com or tag us @brucelee on social media with #bruceleepodcast

"A man is born to achieve great things if he can conquer himself." Last episode we talked about the things with which we shackle ourselves, and this episode we discuss the keys that will unlock our fetters and liberate us. "True mastery stems from mastery of oneself." Although you can apply this idea to the mastery of a skill, this quote is really about the knowing and the freeing oneself. But in mastering a skill, knowing oneself masterfully, will only make one more artful in that discipline. True mastery is built up through the mastery of oneself. The fetters were: Fear Ignorance Self-consciousness Laziness The keys are: Know Yourself (Self-knowledge) Optimism Self-Awareness Learning Remain Neutral Taking Action "Action is a high road to confidence and self-esteem. Its rewards are tangible. The cultivation of the spirit is elusive and difficult and the tendency toward it is rarely spontaneous, whereas, the opportunities for action are many." Sometimes we use action as a distraction technique, doing the small things to avoid looking inwards to what actually need to be done. If your sequence of actions are taking you away from Self-Knowledge, that is not the type of action we want when we Take Action. Act instead of distract. Self-Knowledge "Self-knowledge has a liberating quality." Self-knowledge gives you your freedom. Self-knowledge is not about finding just the positive in yourself; it is the willingness to look at your whole self, shadow and the light. Be honest with yourself. Create intimacy with yourself so that you feel safe in your mind and heart in order to really examine your whole self. "We should look within ourselves to see where our particular problems lie and our cause of ignorance. You see, ultimately all types of knowledge simply means self-knowledge. You must look for the truth yourself and directly experience every minute detail for yourself." For those who tend towards just the negative, this is not an inventory of everything bad about you. Looking inward is about every detail and being honest with yourself about the good and the bad. "A man is at his worst when he does not understand himself." The Self-Knowledge journey will be hard work, but the gift is that you know your true self. Optimism It is important to have optimism when looking at your tools and getting to know them, so that you will have faith that those experiences will teach you and help you grow into your best self. "Optimism is a faith that leads to success." "Pessimism blunts the tools you need to succeed." Learning When looking at your ignorance, it is a void of good information and it becomes a great opportunity to fill that void with good information. Seek out the information and teachers to help you fill that void of ignorance. "Learning is discovery, the discovery of the cause of our ignorance." Ignorance is just something that you do not know. People can have a lot of shame around not wanting to admit their ignorance out of fearing that they will look stupid to others. Acknowledging your ignorance is a part of the discovery process and you discover through learning. It is better to say, "I don't know. Let's find the answer," instead of refusing to admit your ignorance and manufacturing a false answer. "Learning is discovering, uncovering what is there in us. When we discover, we are uncovering our own ability, our own eyes, in order to find our potential, to see what is going on, to discover how we enlarge our lives, to find means to our disposal that will let us cope with a difficult situation." Remain Neutral "Eliminate all opportunities for rivalry." We can waste a lot of our time and energy in competition with others. Some competition can be good to push or motivate yourself, but when competition becomes rivalry then you start aiming to make the other person fail so that you can win. Rivalry is "me against you," and does not lift up you or anyone else. "If you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between "for" and "against" is the mind's worst disease." When you look at something neutrally then you can look at its whole, instead of its parts. Then, by looking at something wholly you can decide if it works for you or if it does not. "Completeness is the absence of the conscious mind to strive to divide that which is indivisible." "Be a calm beholder of what is happening around you." Take in the information, allow it to be as it is, take what works for you and leave what does not work for you for someone else. Take Action + Self-Awareness You learn through experience. "Be self-aware rather than a repetitious robot." Combine your action with self-awareness. You do not want to go through the day unaware with robotic action because then you are not living in the present or acting with awareness of your actions. "A healthy person has both a good orientation and an ability to act." A healthy person uses all of the keys together: Self-Knowledge, Optimism, Self-Awareness, Learning, Remain Neutral, and Taking Action. Be in inquiry with yourself. You must do in order to know. For example, if you are in inquiry with yourself, instead of saying "I hate exercise," you could ask, "How do I like to move?" "Decide to be cured." Do not examine yourself with shame and guilt, it will make you want to shut down and stop your self-inquiry. Approach your investigation with openness. "I have to leave you now, my friend. You have a long journey ahead of you, and you must travel light. From now on, drop all your burden of preconceived conclusions behind, and "open" yourself to everything and everyone ahead. Remember, my friend, the usefulness of the cup is in its emptiness." Other episodes to delve into: Episode #3 "Take Action" Episode #60 " Choiceless Awareness" Episode #46 "The Mind is a Fertile Garden" Episode #57 "Self-Knowledge" We'd love to hear from you! Write to us at hello@brucelee.com or tag us @brucelee on social media with #bruceleepodcast

Sharon Lee, a guest speaker on the Bruce Lee Podcast and an expert on his philosophy, joins the discussion on the importance of self-conquest. They explore the concept of fetters—internal struggles like ignorance, fear, and emotional baggage that hold us back. Sharon emphasizes that understanding and confronting these chains can liberate our true selves. The conversation also highlights the joy found in overcoming challenges and the significance of self-awareness in fostering deep connections and personal growth.

This heartfelt tribute explores the life of Brandon Lee, highlighting his protective bond with his sister and the playful pranks that defined their relationship. Through personal stories and journal excerpts, we learn about his artistic spirit, adventurous love for nature, and the pressures of living in his father's shadow. Brandon's journey of self-discovery and passion for storytelling shines through, showcasing a complex individual who navigated legacy with grace and humor. Finally, the episode celebrates the profound impact Brandon had on his family and the world.

Broken Rhythm is Bruce Lee's technique for creating an opening in combat. "Ordinarily, two people (of more or less equal ability) can follow each other's movements. They work in rhythm with each other. If the rhythm has been well established, the tendency is to continue in the sequence of the movement. In other words, we are "motorset" to continue a sequence. The person who can break this rhythm can now score an attack with only moderate exertion." The notion is that there are rhythms in fighting, and in life. In combat, Bruce's form of disruption is to create an opening to strike. In life, we have our own habits and patterns, and if we can disrupt that rhythm then progression can be made and new things can be allowed into our life. In the combat analogy, Bruce says you can break the rhythm though a small hesitation or a large unexpected shift or change. This way of disruption can be applied to life as a way to shift ourselves off of our plateaus and go to the next level. We all get stuck in patterns or loops in life. If we are in our practice of wanting to level-up and grow, can we look at our lives to see where we are stuck in a pattern? How can we disrupt that pattern? How can we break that rhythm to move forward? "Broken rhythm is meant to break the trance." "Running water never grows stale." When talking about injuring his back, Bruce says it is because his routine became stale. Bruce talked often of pattern and habit, and how he did not believe in them. He believed in living life and being fully present and engaged. "Mirror repetition of rhythmic calculated movements robs you of your aliveness." In recent years, there is a self-help trend that promotes the creation of habits. The emphasis on creating habits is so you do not have to think about everything in order to increase your overall productivity or creativity. This can create robotic, unthinking motions and can take away your aliveness. "Don't think, feel." The "feel" is a part of your aliveness. An easy way to practice disruption in your life is to break the rhythm of how you get dressed in the morning. How do you feel in the morning? Practice switching up your morning routine. "Free yourself by observing closely what your normally practice. Do not condemn or approve, merely observe." Sharon is a professional disrupter. She's hired by companies to come in and change up the routine. Back when she first started, disruption was unusual for the workplace and she often met resistance within the establishment when trying to implement changes. Now, disruption is often demanded in the workplace with companies using disruption to promote innovation and new ideas. The point is not to disrupt for the sake of being disruptive, but to highlight areas that are experiencing stagnation and are no longer serving you. There can be a willingness to disrupt in the mind, but not in the heart or the body because we are scared to disrupt our stability. What we want is stability and predictability, even though nothing is stable since everything is in flow and changes constantly, so a shift away from that idea of stability is scary. "Pliability is life, rigidity is death." The idea of stability and predictability give us a sense of security, but we are not experiencing our aliveness. To cultivate a sense of stability within instability is the true stability. Being grounded within oneself in the midst of a storm and to feel secure is the sense of stability that serves you well. "The real stillness is the stillness in movement." Breaking the rhythm in small ways can be a good way to infuse aliveness back into anything that is feeling stale or where you're feeling stuck. Notice where you are in routine and pattern and try to break that rhythm in a small way. Find your fun in breaking the rhythm; it does not have to be a painful disruption to your routine. If you can infuse your shifts with a sense of play then it can be a fun break in your rhythm and you do not have to be fearful. As a working mother, Sharon found that her mornings were often stressful trying to get the kids, her husband, and herself all ready for the day and out the door. As a small way to make those mornings more enjoyable she started listening to a 70's funk playlist to infuse some fun into her morning. It was a small change to her morning routine, but has greatly changed how she feels about her mornings from feeling robotic to feeling fun and alive. The way to break the rhythm is to become aware of the rhythms and patterns that you are in. We are engaged in many small routines throughout our lives, from how we put or socks on in the morning to how we wash our hair in the shower. Try to change one thing about one of your small routines, just to see what happens. Bruce Lee talked about timing, cadence, and rhythm as something that had to be felt and mastered as a psychological problem, even more than it being a physical thing. Noticing where we are and having awareness of the ruts we are in, is a noticing of your psychological state. To be able to disrupt or change that pattern, to insert play, is an issue of the heart and the mind. Aliveness is about the whole of mind, body, and spirit together. Doing your duty can be something that pulls us away from our aliveness because duty creates a sense of obligation and is therefore outside of oneself. We should engage our aliveness whenever possible. "Life is meant to be lived." If we can alter our internal framing where we are not doing something out of a feeling of obligation, but instead because you enjoy it and it makes you feel alive, then you will be more present and enjoy your life. "If you meet a situation with a chosen pattern, then your reaction and your response will always be lacking pliability and aliveness." We would love to hear about your experiments in breaking the rhythm! Write to us at hello@brucelee.com or tag us @brucelee on social media with #bruceleepodcast Read full show notes at Brucelee.com/podcast

Explore the essential 'tools' in your life arsenal, like willpower, intuition, and adaptability, to conquer both external and internal challenges. Discover how cultivating simplicity and clarity can swiftly navigate complex emotions and foster meaningful connections. Dive into the journey of transforming negative feelings into joy, enhancing emotional resilience. The powerful relationship between stillness and personal growth takes center stage, inviting you to trust your instincts and embrace authenticity in your growth journey.

Bruce Lee, the legendary martial artist and actor, defined himself as an 'Artist of Life,' emphasizing that personal growth transcends traditional labels. He encourages listeners to engage in self-exploration and define their own identities. The conversation highlights the importance of authenticity, the continuous journey of self-improvement, and the liberation found in creative self-expression. Through anecdotes and insights, it challenges societal pressures and invites everyone to embrace their unique artistic journeys.

Shannon, a descendant of warriors, dives into the rich tapestry of what it means to be a true warrior, extending beyond mere physicality. She discusses the importance of mental and emotional strength, highlighting Bruce Lee’s concept of ‘laser-like focus’ as a path to personal growth and healing. Her insights into the interplay of mind, body, and spirit emphasize the need for commitment to self-improvement. Shannon also shares her journey of resilience, balancing self-care with service to others, while inviting listeners to find their unique warrior paths.