75
WHY are the people starving?
Because those above them are taxing them
too heavily.
That is why they are starving.
Why are the people hard to manage?
Because those above them are fussy and have
private ends to serve.
That is why they are hard to manage.
Because those above them are fussy and have
private ends to serve.
That is why they are hard to manage.
Why do the people make light of death?
Because those above them make too much of life.
That is why they make light of death.
Because those above them make too much of life.
That is why they make light of death.
The people have simply nothing to live upon!
They know better than to value such a life!
They know better than to value such a life!
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
WORTHINESS
WORTHINESS
If the above (spirit)
Is wrong
Body (gravity)
Is wrong
A higher level
Leaping with spirit
Anchored by gravity
When teaching
Don’t interfere
Students are being
Looked after
By the Masters
Only if they are
Worthy
All I do
Is tell them
To relax
Do more slow set
To prove
Their merit
Death
Is either
Limp or rigid
Life is elastic
Anything that causes
A student to
Go limp or rigid
Is wrong
Everlasting
Elasticity
Death can also be
Not being present
Mind
Somewhere else
Teacher’s greed
Student’s greed
Opponent greed
Shows in their intent
Can I be greedy
For the nothingness
Don’t practice
Tai Chi Chuan
For self
Rather practice for the art
Masters/Students
Learn
To follow
Intrusion
The student
Doesn’t think
About push hands
Unless forced to
When opponent
Uses force
Respond
With apprehension
Why don’t they
Understand?
Because the teacher
Is giving them
Too much
Too soon
Perhaps I giving
My students
Too much
Causing my hoarseness
When I speak
Master working here
Teaching students
Too quick
Only teach
That which they can
Afford
Physically/mentally
Why is it that students
Are difficult to teach
Because instructor
Is interfering
With the lineage
Negate Teaching
For $
Refute administering
Student’s lives
Negate threatening
With deserting
Masters
Are guiding
Me thru
Life and art
When did it all begin?
How
Ex- student/teacher
Upstart #1
Ran her college classes
Taxing their time
Space and energy too
Practice
Must be greater
Than the desire
To quit
After I discover
Who I really am
Teach for
Art and Masters
Not self
People = my thoughts
About them too
Why are the students
Lacking energy
Because other things
Are taking their time
From practice
Realize
Supreme ultimate
Is riding the tiger
The name of a gesture
At the end of form practice
Place there by
The Masters
Because
By the time
I reach that point
I should be strong enough
To ride a tiger
In search of
The tiger
With a bow means
Fighting another
Tai chi chuan person
Why is the body starved?
Because the mind
Is taxing it
Too heavily
Why are the body parts
Hard to manage?
Because the mind is fussy
Have private (imaginary) things to serve
Less entertainment
More practice
Some people want
To be taxed more
They think
Performing/practicing
The gestures more
Some people want
More rule
They think the rules
Are the art
Entertainment = death
Of my unique
Character
Must enjoy lifecycle
Do not interfere
With the Masters
Just eavesdrop
Chinese rules are
Used to test
By not revealing
The rules
It tests
Sensitivity/character/virtue
Rules
That are not spoken
Are passed down
Hence
Not passed up
Heartfelt!
No rules
For those
Who are unworthy
Don’t teach
For money
If they are worthy
They will come
Interfering
Is intent
Listening
Is apprehension
Don’t interfere
With the Masters
First connect
Hear them
Most don’t
They are
Not worthy
All things
That grow
Don’t just grow up
But they grow
In all directions
Trees grow up/out/down/around
To teach be
Stainless steel wrapped
In cotton
Ideas = food for thought
Master testing me
By letting
Me teach
Why do the limbs
(Arms and legs)
Do not feel the chi?
Because the mind thinks
Too much about
Using them
Why do the limbs not
Understand
Because the mind
Is only interested
In the Fa Jing
That is why the mind
Does not grasp it
Why do the limbs
Not care
About being open
Mind makes
Too much
Of Jing
The body
Is starving
For Jing/chi
Because the mind
Is thinking
Too much
Of its useage
Students starve
For energy
Because their seniors
Take all the energy
From the Master
Give little
They do not share
Reason the art
Is not spreading
Faster and wider
Students
Are difficult
To keep
Because senior students
Are interfering
With the student’s
Individual journey
Into themselves
Just leave
Them alone
Only answer questions
When asked
Usually the answer is
Just relax
Do more slow set
Saying this
Thinking about them
Thinking positive
This is how I give
Them energy
Sometimes
Students want
To take more
Than they need
Restraint
When the body
Is hungry
It is because
The mind
Is thinking
Too much
Too much energy
Therefore unruliness
Of the body
At present
I am practicing
In my studio
But my mind
Keeps thinking
Of Master’s class
Perhaps I am
Dreaming I
Really there
Imagining I am here
What difference
Does it make
As long as
I am practicing
What makes
The body
Uncontrollable
Other teachers
Who can’t
Stop meddling
It seems like
My mind
Interferers
With the Master
Trying to give
A message
To the my body
What makes
Students
Quit so easily
They take entertainment
So seriously
Death = quitting
Tai Chi Chuan
Putting myself
Above them
This is not
Tai Chi Chuan
Lower self under
Their center of gravity
This must be done
To the point
Of them wanting
To get
As low as me
Satisfied
With my teaching
When the limbs
Are hungry
For chi
It is because
The mind
Thinking too much
Therefore
Unable to control chi
Is due to interference
Mind intent
When students
Are inflexible
It is because
Of the teacher’s
Contrivances
Student suffer from
A lack of wisdom
Because the multitude
Of pleasures
Demoralized
Do not contrive
To solve
Student problem
Hungry starve
For just sweets
Stop interfering
When the student
Thinks they are
Starving
Think they are
Starting over
Don’t give in
They are not starving
Don’t arrange
To feed them
Don’t tax
All students
To buy fish
To feed them
Teach them to fish
To feed all of them
Getting the students
To open up
To the art
And themselves
Causes rebellion
Why they quit
Want more forms
Rebellious
Physical and mental
Take death
So lightly
Don’t practice
Students must adjust
To my teaching
If they cannot
They leave
What makes
My body starve
For chi
Using all my chi
On others
What makes
The body rebellious
Others interfering
With chi
What makes me
Forget my body (death
The 7 deadly sins;
1. LUST desire CHASTITY
2. GLUTTONY excess TEMPERANCE
3. GREED self-indulgence CHARITY
4. LAZINESS idleness DILIGENCE
5. ANGER resentment MERCY
6. ENVY jealousy COMPASSION
7. PRIDE arrogance HUMILITY
Rules = mind
Mind rules body
People = body
Body starve
Because mind taxes
Students suffer
From a famine
Of ideas
Because those senior
Tax the students
With the senior’s ideas
What makes
Students
Suddenly quit
Tai Chi Chuan
They take their
Friends/family/foes
(Weddings, births, deaths etc.)
So seriously
Real or imagined
People above them
Answer dysfunctional
The imagined past
Still on mind
Causes to starve now
Must resolve
The past parent
I don’t tax ($)
The students
I don’t interfere
With their lives
Family, work, etc.
Then what causes
Their distress
Perhaps it is caused by
The Masters working
On them inside
Master once told me
After I had mentioned
That a student
Was going thru some
Major problems
It’s not my fault
It seems to me
That the greatest problem
In teaching
Tai Chi Chuan
Is learning
To give
Self-up
And follow others
This can be applied
To student/teacher relationship
This is why
Tai Chi Chuan is
Very difficult
To teach
There is only
One Tai Chi Chuan
That is
Learning
How to yield
To force and follow
Until the person
Or problem is gone
Physically and mentally
Must be strong/aligned
Know self-first
Greediness
Injures the art
Wanting to many students
Via advertising
Going to special groups,
They must come
To me as individuals
Stop interfering
With student’s lives
Master will take care
If they are worthy
My job is
To introduce them
To the art
Up to Masters
If they continue
Be soft/hollow
To have Masters arrive
This is very “hard” to do
Only the worthy
Can understand
Will be connected
Reason for
Few students
Don’t teach
For fortune or fame
Why do they quit
They have not
Found the joy
Of the art
Don’t interfere
With Master’ plans
Unworthy teachers
Worthless students
Contemptible teacher
Undeserving student
Don’t seek the far
Until student can
Support it
Life to left
Or right
Is wrong
Find the fulcrum
Of the future
The unworthy
Cannot teach
And aren’t
Teaching the art
Students who
Take Slow Set
Lightly…quit
Wealth
Worry
Unworthy
Weapons/push hands
Too soon
Leads
To disenchantment
Teaching weapons
Without foundation
In Slow Set
Instills disillusion
Emotions
Are elusive
The worthy
Are able to
Endure all
Teaching
Weapons
Too soon!
Practice
Not party
Teach
Not for
Fortune/fame
Keeping
The unworthy
Away
Teacher
Must first
Teach
Ward off
So students
Can rollback
Be connected
Be connected
To the lineage
To survive
The lineage
Is in charge
Follow their
Instincts
Greediness
Harms
Health
Greediness
Causes
Demise
In self/others
Never
A thought
Of quitting
Why are students
Not improving
They think
They know
It all
Being burdened
With the old
Causes starving
For the new
Starving
For creation
Because
I am being
Distressed
By the news
Gestures starve
For Jing/Chi
Because of harmful
Intent
Applications
Malfunction
Because of harmful
Intent
Hence
Virtue rules
Over violence
Advanced
Students
Lacking wisdom
Burden beginners
With surplus
Causing distress
Hence cessation
Of Slow Set
Sensation
Tai Chi practice
Can be
Demoralizing to
The unworthy
Tai Chi demo
That is not
Heartfelt
Can be
Disheartening
Overzealous
Teaching
Leads to
Rebellious
Underachievers
4-7-24