The Bagua Axis

Harmony above all.

Harmony is perceived and expressed in various forms – from the single Absolute to the ecstatic forms of existence. Harmony can also be perceived as a chain of harmonious properties and states. In ancient China, harmony was linked to the ultimate Dao, therefore, we can say that harmony is actually Dao, understood as connections and coordination. According to this approach, harmony is viewed primarily as a state subject to practical development, and not simply as a state of existence.

The study of harmony is the development of conformity. With growing conformity, harmony also grows – harmony is the only thing that we can conform to, in any parameters and dimensions, we should not allow our body and thoughts move around uncontrollably and chaotically. This is the prerequisite for a healthy mind, and it requires that we comprehend concepts like brain architecture, body design, and the art of movement.

By studying harmony, we study the sphere. And this has given rise to possibly the most unique practical model for achieving harmony – the bagua system, which combined the eight harmonics and then found expression in the applied art of bagua-zhang, the appearance of which was preceded by the Daoist ritual of rotating domes or spheres. The Daoists perceived these eight types of energy as part of a single harmony, as its expression.

The Chinese concept of harmony is associated with the idea of the centre, which requires a comprehension of and a conscious submission to harmony. This concept and aspiration have found expression in the entire ritual system of the Celestial Empire, forming the task of holding on to the axis of harmony, or the monochord, which the body and mind must learn how to play.