The Meaning of the Great Nature Symbol

The Great Nature Path symbol is quite a loaded representation of the interdependence of all things. It is of the character 幾 Ji, meaning smallest point, within the context of Chinese Astronomy is the smallest point, most influential place of change, an extreme point of two forces called hot and cold, day and night, sun and moon, positive and negative. These forces are observed and given their characteristics because of what they are seen as to the observer. However, they are one “force”.

The Ji point is a place where there is both nothing and something, like the space between inhale and exhale, that kind of transition. Thus a point, state of neither here nor there, “thus-ness”. Thusness is a term from the Buddhist school of cultivation to point out the state of what realization of one’s true nature would be like; neither here, nor there, neither coming nor going. We can also call it Dao, the observed expression of non-discrimination, unbiasedness, and it's interplay amongst all living beings..

There are 10 directional points on this symbol representing 8 directions, center and the space it takes up. The two circles, one black and one empty, represent the universe, an observation of two forces interplaying with each other. Within the symbol lies the 5 elements according to their seasonal origin, pre and post heaven trigrams, and Yin Yang.

The Dragon represents wisdom, strength, protection, cultivation of the mind, balance and universal law of interdependence. From this symbol comes the observed realization of the 1 and the 0, Interdependence, and the Way, Dao. Hence, the Great Nature Path, which is a cultivation school of self reflection, self introspection and the cultivation of the mind, the body, and the realization of the inter-relativity of all things.

This is what is taught within the concepts of the Great Nature Path, and found within the practices of The Interdependence Meditation Platform "Jiu Wu Tan Gong 九五坛功", and The Origin and Illusion Tai Ji Quan "Zong Huan Tai Ji Quan 宗幻太极拳". A teaching and methodology of the core found within Buddhism and Daoism, which is to realize your true nature, awaken to the interdependence of all things, and shape a life experience based on that one fundamental “connection” which shows that all things are of the same source, and rely on the same observed and unbiased Way of this universe.