Wednesday, February 24, 2016

33

33

HE who knows men is clever;
He who knows himself has insight.
He who conquers men has force;
He who conquers himself is truly strong.

He who knows when he has got enough is rich,
And he who adheres assiduously to the path of Tao is
 a man of steady purpose.
He who stays where he has found his true home endures
 long,
And he who dies but perishes not enjoys real longevity.

Translated by John C. H. Wu

Interpretation by Bill Bernsen



SELF-AWARE


In the search

For the civil aspects

Of Tai Chi Chuan

Use the martial

To defeat

Old demons

Solo practice

Is the civil

Partner practice

Is the martial

Epiphanies 

Come from my 

Connection

To the lineage

I feel like I belong 

To an eternal scheme 

Of Tai Chi Chuan

Remain in Tai Chi 

Love forever


Realize 

 Master needs

Someone who 

Understands

The art 

Before he can retire

Know self

Conquer self

Know when 

Enough is enough

Find my fulcrum 

Stay with it 

Endure 

Most students

Are in the dark

In themselves 

I can’t see them

Until they are

 Enlightened

Remain centered

Ideas will come

In a centripetal way

Once understood

The idea will become

Centrifugal

To others

He who finds 

Hollow space 

Inside 

Is enlightened

Die = old self dying

He who knows 

Push hands

Is clever

He who know slow set

Has insight

Knowing when 

To stop practice

Is wisdom 

When to start

Is stamina

Be wise first 

To be clever 

Later

It is in me first

In others later

Stay in Slow Set

As old self-dies 


Be content 

Masters 

Will be content

Stay 

On the path

Enough is enough

And 

Change with change


Know self-first 

Others later

Know self

Might take 

A lifetime

Enduring 

At the studio

He who stays 

Master 

Will endure

Becoming conscious

Of movement

Measurement in self

Reason for longevity

Clever 

Knowing 

Push hands

Knowing 

Via slow set

Is wisdom

Abundant

Is opulent

The worthy

Connect to 

The lineage

Become a fulcrum

Between 

Masters/China

The future/past

Now = a fulcrum

Stay still 

Listen to 

Masters/China

He who

Has desire 

For fame or fortune

Is a “Doubtist”

Not a Taoist 

Know how 

To control

Others is clever

Know how to control

Self-wise 

Know 

Foundation first 

Gestures later 

Finally

 Applications

Firm determination 

Slow set daily

He who dies

But perishes not 

Writes a journal 

True longevity 

Know self

Thru slow set

Find home 

In the fulcrum

Property

In the pivot

Time

In Tai Chi

Kow Tow

To life

Judge all 

With a fulcrum

Fulcrum of the mind

Find fulcrum

In mind/body

Thru slow set

Then in others

Thru Dui Lian

(Partner practice)


Heed 

Advance 

At will

Know self-first

Thru slow set 

Others thru teaching

Found 

My teaching 

Method

By remaining centered

Negate ego

Endure

Student/teacher and I 

Are adhering

To the path 

We will endure/enjoy 

Real longevity


When I feel I like 

I am dying…I am

It is my old self 

That is dying 

Center of gravity

Is the fulcrum

Eliminate 

That which 

Interferes 

With practice

Physically/ mentally 

Stand

Spirit will assist

Sit 

Gravity will assist

Find the Tai Chi fulcrum

Slow Set

Know applications 

Is shrewd

Know slow set 

Has awareness

He who does push hands 

Has vigor

He who slow set 

Is truly durable

He who stays 

In slow set sustains

Fewer students 

More solo practice

Further/faster advancement

And very critical 

Of everything I do 

Know self

Others 

Will notice

The strength

When I feel

Like I am dying

I am…it is my old self

That is dying

My current

 Situation 

Knowing/conquering 

Myself 

Persevere 

During push hands 

Be like 

North Star 

Students will

Judge their

Direction by me

Strength comes

From the earth/China

Called by spirit

I am the conduit

Old self dies 

To continue 

me on

Satisfied with what 

The Masters give 

I am rich physically/mentally

If I don’t practice

I am a poor 

Worthless student

Dullness 

In demos

Conceals the art

Look for vigor

On the inside

To be able 

To change in 

Mind/body

Yin and yang 

Is the spirit/gravity

Violence 

In Push Hands 

May win

But only peaceful 

Slow Set

Will endure

Do not lose 

Our place

In the journey

By

Following directions

From other disciplines

To know others 

First know self

Staying power 

In Slow Set

Is longevity 

With the lineage

Death can be

The senses

But not spirit

Do not lose 

Centripetal force 

Of slow set

It is virtue

That the spiritual being 

Will adhere too

Masters

Trust

In immortality

Of lineage

Know others 

Is good

Know self 

Is better

Know Master  

Is best

Be enlightened 

First 

By an idea 

Then pass it on 

To others

First know form

Thru slow set

Then do push hands

Doing only one thing 

Idea/poem/sculpture 

 Per day is enough


Will power

Knowing when 

To use intent

Is control

Over intent

Remain in Slow Set

Stay home

View natures ways

Via physics

Push 

Without pushing 

They will remember

As a controlled 

Lesson

Effect of slow set 

Illuminating 

What is shadowy 

Overcoming 

What is too bright

Iron wrapped

 In cotton

The unworthy 

See the opposite

Iron is really 

Cotton on inside

Know when to stop 

Teaching new stuff 

Will deepen students 

Know when 

To stop 

Push hands

Will not lose face

Students 

Leave me

Some will 

Not forgive

Some will 

Not forget

If student 

Goes on 

To teacher 

They cannot resist 

Remembering me 

I will endure

I do not let go 

Of the worthy

I must accept 

My place

In the school

It is part 

Of the lineage

Ideas that die

But perish not 

Are tangible

It takes energy 

To control students

By being humble 

Can hear and see 

Their force 

Redirect it

Will never be overcome

Know sufficient

Be content

I feel satisfied

With what I have 

In Tai Chi Chuan 

My heart is open 

For more

Feel like what 

I am getting

Is taking energy

It is a warning 

Tai Chi Chuan 

Provides

Time/space

Adding the good

Negating the bad

Answer 

To teaching

Be of steady purpose  


First be enlightened

Then have wisdom

If the students

Do not have faith

In my wisdom

Then they are 

Not enlightened

 If I use 

Power/force

To overcome

 Their doubt

I am not really 

Enlightened

If truly enlightened 

Then they will doubt

Their doubt

I am truly content 

With the knowledge/wisdom 

I am getting from

The Masters

If I am

Content then 

They are content

Don’t be

 Pulled/pushed

Off balance 

With doubt

Be students 

Fulcrum

During class

Totally refute

The past 

Endure forever 

At first push hands

Is learned

Thru teacher’s touch

Listening 

To corrections

After the teacher 

Is understood 

Know self 

Then begin

To know

 Others only

If listening 


Most believe 

Slow set is dull 

Does not have much 

To do with martial arts

Wrong!

If student thinks 

Push hands

Knowing others 

Is most important

Prior to really

Knowing themselves first

They are wrong

Overcome the desire 

To know others until 

Know self-first

Get the alert

Feeling first

Conquer self-first 

Thru slow set 

My goal is

To have 

Steady purpose

How can I teach 

About other 

If I don’t really 

Know myself yet 

Cannot reach/stretch 

Until anchored 

To the earth

It is fame/fortune

To be content

With minimalism

Know my place

In the school

Is letting lineage

Work thru me

I must accept 

Loss of students

Lineage

Working thru me

Looking for

Immortality

Of slow set

 Endurance 

Is morning practice

Student who

No longer come

To my class (die)

But stay with Master

Does not perish

Go so low (deep)

That it hurts

Then go deeper (lower)

Not only physically

Also emotionally

Have I died 

When it comes 

To teaching 

Some students 

Of past 

But have 

Not perished 

In the eyes 

Of the Masters

Know

Exact presence

Of another

Then evaluate

Understanding 

Others intent 

More intent 

They have 

Easier their force

 Is to control 

Don’t use intent 

To control 

Their intent

Relax 

Be humble/listen

With apprehension

Sometimes 

A little touch 

Will help them

Along a little faster

If content 

With no intent

To control others

Is doing 

Tai Chi Chuan

Be a fulcrum

Those who 

Do not miss 

Their practice 

Endure

Teaching 

Tai Chi Chuan

If I am a mountain

Ready for others 

To climb

Some will climb

To the top 

Of the mountain

Others will say

 In the valley

In the river

Of routine

 To be humble

Is to be like 

The earth

Always walked on 

At the same time 

Holding every

Thing up


To look into 

The darkness 

Of another 

First have enlightenment 

In self

Death of shortcoming 

Is handled by

1. Shock/denial

2. Anger/depression

3. Understanding/acceptance

Many students quit

Tai Chi Chuan (die)

After experiencing

One of the above

They are shocked

To realize 

Who they 

Really are

Then go into denial 

By quitting

Anger/depression 

In most cases 

Is blamed 

On the teacher 

Many students quit

Who brings on this state

Not all will quit

The art 

Some will change teachers

Understand/acceptance

This last state

Some students realize

Tai Chi Chuan is to

Enlighten

Can listen/handle

Most things

Epiphanies endure

They are awareness

And strength

All found 

In slow set

Fulcrum

 Of slow set

Is enough

 And forever

Control self

Then others

I listen and respond

With ward-off, rollback, press or push.

When receiving

I know 

When enough is enough

The ward-off, rollback, press or push

Or just step away

Remain a fulcrum

Let old technique die

And live on forever

Remain in the

Tai Chi circle

The changes

Riding the dragon

In purgatory

Be a Tai Chi

Fulcrum to

Be in the now

Eternal nature

Clear 

Past/present/future

Via Tai Chi Chuan

Worthy

To learn 

This way

First know self

Thru Slow Set

Changing with change

To become

A Master

Yu Pei Shih

Preparatory

Unity with

Lineage

Dying daily

Leads to longevity

Of practice

Yu Pei Shih

Preparatory

Unity with

Lineage

Worthy

On the eternal

Way

Endless

Endurance

On the eternal

Elevator

To Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi

Self-masterly

Knowing

Fulcrum

In the heart

Is Tai Chi

Serenity

Wisdom

Via solo

Practice

Quarantine

To isolate

Infinite

Insight

First concentrate

On centripetal

Anchoring

Then centrifugal

Reaching 

Connecting

A secret sinew

Push Hands

First know

Slow Set to

Know self

Leaving others

Estranged

Endeavors

Must be

Heartfelt 

To conqueror

Self-doubt

3-27-24

 

 

 

 

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