#41 Unity

Bruce Lee lived his life as a human being who was connected to all of humankind—one unified family on this planet. He said, “You know how I like to think of myself? As a human being. Because under then sky, under the heavens, there is but one family.”

What we need, especially in these divided times, is a message of unity and connection. Bruce Lee has a way of uniting people, and his fans are global. We continue to hear stories of how Bruce has affected so many different people from all around the world. One such story is about the town of Mostar in Bosnia. After years of enduring a violent civil war, they finally reached peace and wanted to build a monument that symbolized this new peace. They decided to construct a statue of Bruce Lee as a “symbol the whole community could rally behind” and a “monument to the idea of universal justice, one idea having that justice, knowledge, honesty, good intentions can fight against corruption, evil, ignorance.”

To many people around the world, Bruce Lee symbolizes an energy of universal justice because he lived with integrity, advocated for the underdog and dedicated his life to self actualization and being in harmony with his fellow man, his community and the planet.

No matter where Bruce was in his life, his close friends said he always treated people the same and authentically—no matter who they were. His wife Linda would say that Bruce looked at everyone evenly.

Shannon shares that Kuan Yin, the goddess of mercy and compassion was a common figure in their home. Kuan Yin's gentle and compassionate energy resonates through Bruce’s philosophies which may be one reason why he has a unifying power.

“Wisdom does not consist in 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.”

To illustrate flowing around conflict, Bruce liked to tell the story “The Parable of the Butcher”: “There was a fine butcher who used the same knife year after year. Yet it never lost its delicate, precise edge. After a lifetime of service, it was still useful and effective as when it was new. When asked how he had preserved the knifes fine edge, he said, “I follow the line of the hard bone, I do not attempt to cut it, nor smash to it, nor contend with it in any way. That would destroy my knife. In daily living one must follow the course of the barrier. To try to assail it will only destroy the instrument. And no matter what some people will say, barriers are not the experience of any one person or any one group of persons, they are the universal experience.”

“The world is to be seen as an inseparable, interrelated field, no part of which can actually be separated from the other. Oppositions are mutually dependent instead of mutually dependent instead of mutually exclusive, and there is no longer any conflict between the individual man and nature. That is, there can be no bright stars without dim stars, and, without the surrounding darkness, no stars at all.”

This idea of wholeness and unity, comes easier the more you practice not separating everything and instead embrace the whole.

Take Action:

Think of something you can do to create unity energy in your life and try to take action towards it. Think of a person who you would normally have judgment for, and try to have compassion for them instead.

If you’d like to share how you’re doing with this action item you can email us at hello@brucelee.com.

#AAHA

(Awesome Asians and Hapas)

Allen Joe

Allen Joe is credited with giving Bruce Lee his first set of weights and inspiring Bruce to build up his body. Allen trained under Ed Yarick with such luminaries as the four Mr. America Body Building Championships: Clancy Ross, Jack Delinger, Roy Hilligenn, and Hercules-actor Steve Reeves. In fact, Allen was the first Asian to win the Mr. Northern California Bodybuilding Championship in 1946. He is also a World War II veteran, Allen said, “you can never forget Bruce, once you have met him” and indeed, he carried a picture of Bruce in his wallet. Allen Joe recently passed away this April 2018 at the age of 94.

#BruceLeeMoment

This week’s #BruceLeeMoment comes from listener Khnum “Stic” Ibomu (dead prez):

I am a hip hop artist and producer (dead prez), and Bruce Lee's legacy and philosophy has been one of my greatest inspirations. I am writing this letter to express my sincere gratitude for the impactful work you are doing to continue sharing the legacy of your father in a way that is tremendously helpful for others. I can't put into words how much of an inspiration and personal contribution he has made and continues to make in my life. I truly appreciate the podcast and how much love goes into sharing his philosophy and making the concepts tangible and actionable. Bruce's wisdom is immeasurably valuable and your eloquent unpacking has given me new layers of perspective and invigoration.

Thanks to Bruce's inspiration, I realized that I am not limited to fit in any one box and I've been able to explore and develop many aspects of my self from the "no way as the way" Philosophy I have adopted from His teachings.

I take this opportunity to express my thanks to you and your team. I am grateful for your guidance, advice and inspiration and I believe that the work you are doing provides practical and even spiritual nourishment that can lead to a truly evolved world. That's a cause worth living for!

With highest respect to you, your team, your family and mission, thank you very much.

In friendship and service,

Khnum "Stic" Ibomu

Share your #AAHA and #BruceLeeMoment recommendations with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at hello@brucelee.com.

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