What did Bruce Lee mean by this...............

[iceman06]

"........Do not concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all that heavenly glory....."

[Buddroux]

maybe ,... he was saying look at the whole picture of life .... instead of just looking at the little things .. ??

enlightened ones ... enlighten me

[Pepsi32123]

maybe ,... he was saying look at the whole picture of life .... instead of just looking at the little things .. ??

enlightened ones ... enlighten me

Right. I don't know why he related life with a single finger, but he's saying not to concentrate on something so short from life. Don't concentrate on only Martial Arts, relationships, work, ect...

[Buddroux]

so i was right?

[Pepsi32123]

so i was right?

I'm not an expert on Bruce Lee's wisdom, but he was wise and had a lot of quotes. You were right, but I'm sure it goes much deaper than that. Or, he could mean, "Dont' concentrate on a side kick to the stomach, or you will lose the fight." He could mean something like that where you shouldn't concentrate on one attack/target/opponent, but rather the entire fight and what you could do to win or escape.

[Buddroux]

ok ...

[Vanir]

Princess is insane. But very cute.


Bruce Lee said (paraphrasing) not to look at someone's finger when they're pointing at something. This is because, usually when someone is talking to you, pointing to something it has some relevance to what they are saying.
It is really annoying when you're trying to tell somebody something and pointing at something and they just follow the movement of your finger like an ape. You gotta think to yourself, 'What's the point, why am I bothering with this person right now?'

[Azrael]

I think he was telling the student not to look at the finger, which was putting at the 'way', but to look for himself, and find his own way. Essentially, if all the student does is look at the finger putting to the way, he will miss all the heavenly glory that can be found in finding ones own way. He was trying to teach him how to feel, not think.

[Azrael]

Princess: Your crazy gurl! Remind me to ask you about the one finger technique next time I see you on irc.

[simonlarcombe]

I agree Azrael.

In reference to JKD, don't look at Bruce Lee for the answers. He has simply left some guides (i.e. a finger pointing at the moon). You must look to yourself.

If you believe that Bruce was the best, fastest, strongest etc, ever and can never be surpassed, you are looking at the finger. If you believe that Bruce himself had found all the answers, you are looking at the finger.

In reference to life, it's pretty much the same thing. There are many guides and signposts out there for you to follow, but ultimately you must look to yourself in order to find the answers.

Most of the quotes Bruce used can apply in different contexts. Take his mention of "daily decrease", for example, many people take this to mean that you get loads of techniques and keep only the good ones, it's not a bad thought either. But, it also refers to decrease in a much more general physical sense, and also refers to your mind.

I feel like I should be posting this in the JKD section now, but this is philosophical. Jeet Kune Do, way of the intercepting fist. Do has the same meaning as Dao (Tao) it is the WAY, where is the Do in your JKD?

[CKava]

Bruce's finger pointing at the moon thingy was/is a pretty well known analogy used in Buddhism which generally was included with teachings advising practitioners against becoming attached to dogmatism. I think he was simply using a common analogy to say dont become too attached to the wrong thing maybe techniques vs. principles or something like that...

[Knight_Errant]

I think it means not to concentrate on what it is that's pointing you towards the truth- the truth itself is what's important.

[Kosh]

Was he not ponting at something, like the sky maybe?

[semphoon]

Was he not ponting at something, like the sky maybe?

That's not the point. It was a metaphor.

[Yukimushu]

Basically "When you seek, you cannot find."

[Twimyo Jirugi]

I think it may have something to do with his beliefs on not commiting yourself to one style. I think the finger represents Jeet Kune Do or whatever style you may do and he means all the other styles by "the heavenly glory around you".

[David]

I feel a book-burning coming on.

Confucius; he say: "When someone points at the sky, only the fool looks at the finger".

mkay?
David

[chapskins]

"........Do not concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all that heavenly glory....."

The quote that Bruce Lee made was in fact a quote that Buddha made, just that bruce ellaborated on it

A quote from Thich Nhat Hanh's book on the heart of the Buddaha"s teachings

please remember that a sutra or dharma talk is not insight in and of itsself, it's a means of presenting insight,using words and concepts, when using a map to get to Paris once u have arived u can put the map away and enjoy being in Paris, if u spend all your time with your map, if u get caught up by the words and notions presented by the Buddha you will miss the reality, The Buddha said many times, "my teachings are like pointing a finger to the moon" :)

[Yukimushu]

I feel a book-burning coming on.

Confucius; he say: "When someone points at the sky, only the fool looks at the finger".

mkay?
David

lol i like that quote :) hehe

[Master J]

Bruce Lee meant that you should not focus on what or who is showing you somthing,but what they/it are showing. eg. someone points to the moon to show you how beautiful it looks. Concentrate on the moon, not the finger.

[Andy Murray]

Bruce's finger pointing at the moon thingy was/is a pretty well known analogy used in Buddhism which generally was included with teachings advising practitioners against becoming attached to dogmatism. I think he was simply using a common analogy to say dont become too attached to the wrong thing maybe techniques vs. principles or something like that...

I think the point was made better in Monty Pythons 'Life of Brian' ;)

[Princess]

Princess is insane. But very cute.



I am not cute. And when have I ever said I'm sane? Don't tell you're a hyprocrite... because I have never met a reeal sane person ever in my life.... everyone is insane at some point in their life.

[Princess]

Princess: Your crazy gurl! Remind me to ask you about the one finger technique next time I see you on irc.


Az, You make it sound as if I'm in trouble. "next time I see you on irc"... is that an invitation to run away from you and hide? And what is so wrong with being crazy... ? hmm? I'm sure there is no right and wrong answers to that quote. Also, don't you ever tell me you haven't watch Jackie Chan and Jim Carrey movies. You know the "Craws" from Jim Carrey..? Liar, Liar? And the "One Steel Finger" from Jackie Chan? Where Jackie was taught by the beggar? Watch both movies with the kids the other night.. and have the whole night tickling and chasing each other...hehe.. If the steel finger doesn't work.. the craws will... lol... works everytime to make the kids laugh and crazy like me. =P Lighten up... energy are not always used for fighting... can be use for fun. =p

[Princess]

Basically "When you seek, you cannot find."

But "What you seek, you will find, what you ask, you will know."

[ap Oweyn]

It's been said before, but...

It's not an original analogy on Bruce Lee's part. He's just saying that people tend to get wrapped up in the presentation of things rather than the things themselves. Lee, specifically, was talking about martial arts. About people getting too wrapped up in style. For example, if you were to say "I don't kick much because I'm from shotokan" (just an example, okay?) someone else might say "yeah, but sometimes it would be to your advantage to kick someone." Asserting that it's not an option because you're shotokan is concentrating on the finger. The finger is shotokan. The moon is the opportunity to kick someone. Why concentrate on your style? Your style isn't the point. You and the other guy. That's the point. That's the moon. Style is just the finger. It's intended to help you see the moon. It's not intended to supercede the moon.




Stuart

[Vanir]

I am not cute. And when have I ever said I'm sane? Don't tell you're a hyprocrite... because I have never met a reeal sane person ever in my life.... everyone is insane at some point in their life.

Cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute cute ok bored now :D

[imp_squared]

I think he meant by telling the student in enter the dragon that don't concetrate on one spot on your opponent but to not focus at any spot. Look no where, everywhere, and anywhere. So when your opponent attacks you will see the attack which will seem like nothing, and therefore IT can hit all by itself.

[pauly]

he meant not paying attention to your opponent's actions ;only their intentions.(helps to distingwish between a faint and intended contact.

[JKogas]

I think he was telling the student not to look at the finger, which was putting at the 'way', but to look for himself, and find his own way. Essentially, if all the student does is look at the finger putting to the way, he will miss all the heavenly glory that can be found in finding ones own way. He was trying to teach him how to feel, not think.




THAT is essentially it! This was a message to his own followers! He was telling them not to try and be carbon copies of HIM, but to find their OWN "way"....their OWN jeet kune do.

The essense of this is found in Bruce's quote: "JKD is different for everyone. You must research your OWN experience, absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your OWN".


-John

[shootodog]

"........Do not concentrate on the finger, or you will miss all that heavenly glory....."

that is taken from an old chan parable. the teacher said to them: imitate me not, emmulate me no further. when the disciples asked why, the teacher said: i point at the moon and all you see is my finger.

[Xio]

From a writing by Bruce Lee he says that Jeet kun do is the finger pointing to the moon. The finger is a tool as jeet kun do is a tool. He described an example that like you use a boat to cross a river, when you reach the other side you must discard the boat and not carry it on your back. It says how jeet kun do is in fact the finger, not the heavenly glory.

The writing is called, "Jeet Kun Do, toward personal liberation" - By Bruce Lee.