The RZA - The Tao of Wu

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Copyright 2009 by RZA Productions Inc.

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Published simultaneously in Canada

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

RZA (Rapper).
The Tao of Wu / the RZA, with Chris Norris.
p. cm.

Ebook ISBN: 9781101150955

1. RZA (Rapper). 2. Rap musiciansUnited StatesBiography.
I. Norris, Chris. II. Title.
ML420.R984A
782.421649092dc22
[B]

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Table of Contents

FOREWORD

Amituofo.

I congratulate the world for this beautiful gift, wisdom from the life and travels of RZA, wisdom I truly believe draws from the deepest pools of human thought and spirit.

I was born in Chinas Henan Province, and when I was five years old, my parents left me at the Shaolin temple. There, I grew up and became the most handsome of the thirty-fourth generation of Shaolin warrior monks, the worlds oldest practitioners of the Chaan Buddhist philosophy and martial art known as kung fu. In 1992, on a Shaolin U.S. tour, I defected to the United States to share Shaolin wisdom with the world. With no money, no possessions, and no English, I made my way from San Francisco to New York, where I founded the USA Shaolin temple. Not long after that, I met the RZA, whose life I found very similar to my own. In fact, I felt I had known him forever.

We met in 1995, at a party for the release of Liquid Swords . RZA was dressed very simply, but when we were introduced, I could feel a profound presence. To a Chaan Buddhist, wisdom is expressed in the physical as well as the mentaltheres no differenceand its the same with the RZA. You feel his wisdom in what he says, how he stands, how he moves. We shook hands and huggedlike a hip-hop hugand began to talk.

At that time I didnt know much Englishand he speaks very fastbut, as strange as this sounds, I completely understood what he was saying. We talked about the Shaolin temples history and philosophy, and I was very impressed with his knowledge. We talked about music, film, and science, and I could feel such understanding, such intelligence. I had met many Americans by this time, but the RZA was different. He was Americanborn in the United Statesbut he had truly absorbed Buddhist and Taoist philosophies in his own way, with an open mind and an open heart. Thats how we communicated thenmind-to-mind, heart-to-heartand its how we communicate to this day.

I travel to many countries, meet many people from around the world, but most of them cannot have that kind of open mind and open heart. A lot of people think that if they believe in Buddha, they cannot go to church. If they believe in Muhammad, they cannot be in a monastery. But theres no difference. You are the monasteryalways, wherever you areand this is something the RZA has understood for a long, long time.

Before I met him, I mostly listened to Buddhist music. Now I listen to the Wu-Tang Clan every chance I get. (Whasup! Represent!) Wu-Tang is known as the most famous group ever to practice rap as a martial art, which, in the RZAs case, happens to be the absolute truth. In kung fu, martial art and philosophy are the same, no difference. When the RZA makes music, its just like thathis philosophy and music are as one. Some of his sounds and lyrics might seem simple, but theyre not. Hes a very funny guy, but his understanding is also very deep. And even when hes not making music, that philosophy is in everything he says and doeslike a true Chaan Buddhist.

In Buddhism, the highest and most valuable number is seven. When a wise monk passes away, the monastery builds a pagoda in his memory. Some pagodas get one floor, some get two or three. But if the man was known as the wisest and most enlightened of all monks, his pagoda gets seven. I believe the seven pillars of wisdom in this book are like the seven floors of an exalted monks pagoda. They represent the wisdom, knowledge, and enlightenment of a soul that has never stopped training, never stopped learning.

At my temple, I give my disciples, students, and followers around the world a few basic messages: (1) Life is beautiful; (2) More Chi! Train harder! (3) Be honest with yourself and be honest with others; (4) Respect yourself, respect others; (5) 100% express your beautiful life. When the RZA began studying with me, I never had to tell him this. He already knew.

In case youre wondering, How is his kung fu? Fantastic! Beautiful! How could it be otherwise? Hes the RZA: different from the others. His spirit drives his actions, and those actions change the world.