The Tao of Wu

by The RZA

The Jewels are as follows: Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding, Freedom, Justice, Equality, Food, Clothing, Shelter, Love, Peace, and Happiness. Each jewel has its own profound meaning, and each one takes work and meditation to achieve, but they break down like a chain reaction. First a man gets Knowledge, which is knowledge of self. Then he gets Wisdom, which is the reflection of that knowledge. Then he gets Understanding, which is the power to act on Wisdom. With Understanding he sees that he has Freedom—that he has freed his dome from ignorance—which means he has free will. But Freedom operates under a law: the law of Justice. That means that I’m free to smack you in your face, but justice applies: There will be a reward or penalty for my actions. Therefore, I must deal with Equality, because all men are created equal. By showing Equality to one another we’re activating Freedom, Justice, and Equality—the fourth-through-sixth jewels. Now, those are all things that build a man’s character. And after you attain them, you’re able to strive for Food, Clothing, and Shelter—which also have both physical and mental meanings.