The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav is a popular new age book about mysticist interpretations of quantum physics, first published in 1979. It was awarded a 1980 U.S. National Book Award in category Science.
The toneless pinyin phrase Wu Li in the title is most accurately rendered 物理 in hanzi, one Chinese translation of the word "physics" in the light of the book's subject matter. This becomes somewhat of a pun as there are many other Chinese characters that could be rendered as "wu li" in atonal pinyin, and chapters of the book are each titled with alternative translations of Wu Li, such as "Nonsense", "My Way" and "I Clutch My Ideas".
The author participated as a journalist in a 1976 physics conference of eastern and western scientists at Esalen Institute, California; and he used the occasion as material for his book. At the conference, it was said that the Chinese term for physics is 'Wu Li', or "patterns of organic energy." Zukav, among others, conceptualized 'physics' as the dance of the Wu Li Masters - teachers of physical essence. Zukav explains the concept further:
- The Wu Li Master dances with his student. The Wu Li Master does not teach, but the student learns. The Wu Li Master always begins at the center, the heart of the matter...
Read more about The Dancing Wu Li Masters: Editions
Famous quotes containing the word dancing:
““Do you like being a parent—you know, being a father, having children and all?” Linnet once asked me. “Yes,” I said, after a moment. “It’s like dancing with a partner. It takes a lot of effort to do it well. But when it’s done well it’s a beautiful thing to see.””
—Gerald Early (20th century)