After seeing this scene from the movie Master Killer, viewers might wonder what sutra are they reading. Actually, it is not a Buddhist sutra, but from the Taoist text, The Tao Te Ching; The Way and It Power. Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu – chapter 12 The five colors blind the eye.
The five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray. Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees.
He lets go of that and chooses this. To comprehend its meaning, a study of perception is necessary. The mind training of Kung Fu is drawn from China’s three big spiritual practices; Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucius. Secularizing is a societal and political form of control. Much is being lost and taught incorrectly due to this ignorance. Denying the past is a means to control the future. Image: The highest chamber, 36 from the Shaw Brothers classic, “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” aka “Master Killer”