Bruce Lee Artist of Life. Bruce Lee
happens to cross ours. Indeed, an encounter with an extraordinary human being at a particular confluence in the course of our daily existence may define our destiny.
I imagine that most of us can name only a handful of people who have exerted such a life-changing influence upon us. Perhaps your father or other gave you such inspiration, a teacher or a friend, a writer or a figure from history. Undoubtedly, because you have picked up this book, you consider that Bruce Lee may be one of those rare individuals who has profoundly impacted your life.
It goes without saying that my life is significantly different from what it would have been had I not met Bruce on that momentous day in 1963. I am grateful for the nine years of marriage that I had the privilege of sharing with this rare and gifted individual. In addition to the adventure of living with a thoroughly energizing person and the joy of creating a family with him, I learned a great deal from Bruce which has guided me through all the years since he left.
In thinking about the enormity of the work that Bruce accomplished in his short life, I am drawn to the idea that the energy of the soul is never extinguished with the passing of the physical body. Even as a young man, Bruce often described “a mysterious power” within him that motivated the paths he chose in his lifetime. I find it to be an exceptional trait that Bruce was able to recognize and value the mysterious gift that burned within him. He knew instinctively that his life had purpose, and even as he allowed the wisdom of the ages to speak through him, he simultaneously directed his self-will toward the attainment of his visions.
Bruce often said that it is not what happens during one’s life that makes the difference between people, it is the way one chooses to react to those circumstances that tests the mettle of a life well lived. Tracing the dominant patterns in Bruce’s life illustrates the crucial points of choice, and, perhaps, the guidance of the mysterious power which directed his path. It was not an accident that Bruce began the study of gung fu under Master Yip Man, who instilled in him the greater meaning of martial art beyond the physical. It was not happenstance that prompted Bruce to study philosophy at the University of Washington, but the desire to infuse the spirit of philosophy into martial art. It was not by chance that, in crafting his acting skills, Bruce refused the path of the image-makers and, instead, worked to expose and express his true self. And, always, the choice of continuing self-education through voracious reading and prolific writing led Bruce down the path of expanding and broadening his potential.
Bruce was a highly educated man because he never missed an opportunity to let a “fact” or a “situation” teach him more about himself. As a scholar, he was able to turn this intellectual learning inward and make it a tool for self-cultivation. As a philosopher, he was able to apply specific principles of his art to the broader endeavor of living life as a “real” human being.
A truly extraordinary characteristic of Bruce was that he had the ability to communicate his learning process at the same time he was internalizing or living it. Whether he was teaching, acting, writing, or speaking, Bruce was able to reveal his own personal process of self-discovery. As he would have said, in his martial art and through the medium of film he was “simply and honestly expressing himself.” Superficially, this could be called “charisma,” but on a more profound level this ability to bare the soul should be called “artistry.” Just as Michelangelo chipped away at a block of marble to reveal David, so did Bruce peel away the layers of his inner soul to expose his true self to the world.
Do you know instinctively that this is a genuine human being when you see Bruce on the screen? Is it this, then, this peeling process, that sets Bruce apart from other martial artists and actors? For those of us who knew him personally, the Bruce who was the actor is the same man we knew in real life. He was bigger than life in all ways—on and off the screen.
Bruce’s words contained within this volume speak so eloquently it is hardly necessary for me to expound upon his thoughts. I simply welcome you to an opportunity to know Bruce better through sharing his insights, and perhaps then you will know yourself better, too. The ultimate destination of Bruce’s journey was peace of mind—the true meaning of life. I feel confident that because Bruce chose the path of self-knowledge over accumulation of facts, and the path of self-expression over image enhancement, that he did reach his destiny with a peaceful mind. That fact gives me peace of mind.
Bruce said, “To know yourself takes a lifetime.” He did not waste a moment.
—Linda Lee Cadwell
Odyssey of an Old Soul
by Linda Lee Cadwell
The old soul wandered the length and breadth of the spiritual universe.
The soul was wise, for it had lived in the minds of the great thinkers of the world.
The soul was deep, for its wealth of human experience could fill a bottomless lake.
The soul had great power, born of knowing itself through countless lives of introspection.
In the realm of no-time, there are many new souls; they leave often to live in the human world.
But the old soul lingered in the ethereal nothingness, awaiting the call of a special corporeal host.
It happened that the heart and mind of a young boy cried out for the attention of the old soul.
The immortal guest would once again grace mankind with his wisdom and compassion.
For a mere thirty-two earthly years the soul burned with a passionate, mysterious power.
Energizing the young man’s search for truth, liberating an unparalleled creative and spiritual force.
The twin captains of knowledge and wisdom were well served by the old soul’s mortal tenure, for
The soul of an artist dwelt among us for an imperceptible moment in the span of time.
Never in vain, for, in the wake of this old soul’s odyssey, a legacy of insights was recorded
To enrich the heart and mind, and perhaps to age the soul, of one who dares to gaze into the mirror of real life.
INTRODUCTION
An “Artist of Life”
Approximately six months before his death, Bruce Lee wrote a profoundly personal essay, “In My Own Process,” which set out his insights on the process of life. Writing from his heart, Lee jotted down his deepest feelings before they could be passed through the filter of his ego.
Over several weeks, he returned to his essay in between filming Enter the Dragon and drafting additional ideas for The Game of Death. He added more jottings as the insights came to him—at his office in Golden Harvest Studios, Hong Kong, in his study in Kowloon Tong, or when he went out to eat. All told, he wrote eight versions of the essay, each containing slightly more of his experiences as a martial artist, as an actor, and, most importantly, as a human being.
In the final draft of this essay (which, presumably, was written solely for Lee’s own edification, as it was never published), Lee penned a rather telling statement: “Basically, I have always been a martial artist by choice and actor by profession. But, above all, I am hoping to actualize myself to be an artist of life along the way.”1 “Artist of life” refers to the process of being an individual who, through the use of his own independent judgment, sought to fully actualize himself as a total human being (i.e., physically, mentally, spiritually). Moreover, the “artist of life” is willing to bare his soul for the purpose of honest communication and not get caught up in societal role-playing (self-image creation). As Lee once told journalist Pierre Berton, “It is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky and then feel pretty cool. Or I can do all kinds of phony things and be blinded by it. Or I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself—that, my friend, is very hard to do.”2
Lee