38

38

HIGH Virtue is non-virtuous;
Therefore it has Virtue.
Low Virtue never frees itself from virtuousness;
Therefore it has no Virtue.

High Virtue makes no fuss and has no private ends
 to serve:
Low Virtue not only fusses but has private ends to serve.

High humanity fusses but has no private ends to serve:
High morality not only fusses but has private ends
 to serve.
High ceremony fusses but finds no response;
Then it tries to enforce itself with rolled-up sleeves.

Failing Tao, man resorts to Virtue.
Failing Virtue, man resorts to humanity.
Failing humanity, man resorts to morality.
Failing morality, man resorts to ceremony.
Now, ceremony is the merest husk of faith and loyalty;
It is the beginning of all confusion and disorder.

Translated by John C. H. Wu

Interpretation by Bill Bernsen


DISENGAGE

Clear

Pond‘s surface

With a gesture

Of the hand

Taste the water

This is Tai Chi Chuan

Catch

The falling leaf

Before it hits the ground

Notice the autumn colors

This is Tai Chi Chuan

Turn the head

To meet the smell

Of freshly cutgrass

This is Tai Chi Chuan

Listen to the sixty beats

A minute

Of the heart

First my heart

Then others

This is Tai Chi Chuan

Feel all the above

With love

This is Tai Chi Chuan

Set heart

On the fruit

It has the seed

Of more plants (ideas)

Work from the inside

To the outside

Words from the outside

To the inward

Will not make

It inside

A warning

Regarding

Interpreting energy

Do not be preoccupied

With energy

Just follow

Or else it will

Develop intent

To change it

Follows

Let it lead

If it is going

To a good place

Keep following

Going to a bad place

Do not try to change it

Ward off

Change with change

Listening comes

Before virtue

Prefer what is

Within joints

To that

Of the muscles

It is the empty space

That is important

The space between

Me and others

Is the most important

The greater the space

The more can flow thru

Master is 3000 miles away

More things in between us

I can still focus on

What is coming thru?

Time is the same

Greater the distance

From the past

Tests my concentration

And memory

To the present

Push hands

Without intent

To harm/hurt

Is virtuous

To heal

Without thinking

Is virtuous

To teach

Without sense of self

Is virtuous

To teach

Without condition

Is virtuous

Teach

Without preference

Of students

Stay with the lineage

Live long

Tao is dwelling

Between

Heaven/Earth

Masters/China

If not in the Tao

Resort to

Rules of push hands

Cannot do push hands

Resort to doing

Just the exercise/dance

Cannot  do the exercise/dance

Resort to luck

Think

The within

With Master

Student

Opponent

Knowing

Where I am Going

Might be wrong

The movement

Of Tai Chi Chuan

Is to return

My center of gravity

To the earth’s control

Merge

With the earth

Eventually

The universe

Which I am

Already part of

Must return

To realizing this

Prefer healing

Rather than harming

Myself and others

Set heart

On the roots

They are what nourish

Be quiet!

Be virtuous

When teaching

This is really learning

During a demo

Prefer what is

Going on inside

Rather than outside

Set heart

On slow set

The internal gestures

Not push hands

Set heart

On healing

Not harming

Negate ceremony

Think it

Do not do it

How to discover

What is within

By discarding that which

Is covering it

When Master says

Go lower

Feel the pain

He means

To go deeper

Into self

Feel the pain

Of the past

Repair it

Once felt relax

It will go away

Because

I am stronger now

Fore knowledge = worry

Better to follow

Feel the present

We share

The same moon

With the Masters

Masters have been there

So follow

The moon light

Give up self

Follow nature

This includes

Other people

Heart alignment

Secret

To speeding up

The process

Align the heart

To the problem

Then listen

Reside in the heart

Not the limbs

Wear Taoist jacket

It contains the Tao

Virtue = fulcrum

Prefer healing

Rather

Than harming

Set heart

On my own creativity

Not others

Entertainment

Stop resorting

To old ways

Follow heart

Into future

Virtue

Giving or helping

Without request

Only if I think it

Set heart

On Slow Set

Not push hands

Slow set

Is the fruit

Weapons/push hands

The flowers

With thorns

Teaching

Work on their form

Let the Masters correct

Their life

Only if they are worthy

Virtue

Prefer internal first

Then the external

Tao = Masters

Correct within

I will not

Be without

Virtue = fulcrum

Intent is folly

Apprehension

Is assurance

Lose the way

I have virtue

Lose virtue

I have humanity

Lose humanity

I have duty

Lose duty

I have courtesy

Lose courtesy

Disarray

Disarray will cause

More courteous

Leads to duty

To students in turn

Failing Tai Chi Chuan

Man resorts

To intent

Failing intent

Man resorts

To verbal harm

Failing verbal harm

Leads to physical conflict

Failing physical conflict

Man resorts

To war

Failing war

Man resorts

To ceremony

To understand

Tai Chi Chuan

The ability

To interpret energy

Is the flower

And the beginning

Of folly

Emotional/physical challenge

Warning against

Use of force

Violence

Halts progress

Effects his purpose (idea)

Negate glory in it

Effects his purpose

Negate boast of it

Effects his purpose

Negate pride in it

Only effect

New concepts

In push hands

As a regrettable

Necessity

Show off

It will only last

As long as

A bolt of lightening

Slowing off

Causes essence

To leave

Tung system

Harmony of the seen

Unseen

When the way

Is lost

True Tai Chi Chuan

Is lost

Only then

Do we have

Fighting

Foreknowledge (assume)

Is but the flower

First think

To call your attention

A distraction

From the real

The brighter

The more often

See the real

We all see the

Purple cone flower

But not aware of

The Echinacea

Medicine roots

Stop dwelling

Living in previous

Thoughts or gestures

Also have no intent

Living in future

Thoughts and gestures

At some point

Give up self

Follow nature

Then self

I am part of nature

Human circle

Usually pain injury

Emotional hang ups

Is a way

To get into self

For some repairs

Heart alignment

Is the secret

To speeding

Up the process

Aligns the heart

To the problem

Then listen

Dwell

On the fulcrum

Not the extremities

Substance

Is doing

Tai Chi Chuan forms

Most do it as an exercise

Finding the function

Of the art

Is the secret

I don’t

Need rites

Ritual

A Master

Of push hands

Will not demonstrate

If the form

Is accurate

Principles exact

Results in

A new idea

Master visits

In animal forms

What happen outside

Of class

Does not count

Nor my fault

If truly connected

To the Masters

They will follow

Beyond class

Go for

Foundation/fundamentals

The only need

For push hands

Is that one

Is not

Using the 6th sense

The Masters

Will scold

If off the track

Do everything

In accordance

With the Tao/nature

If it is not

Soon find out

A student

Of the highest level

Of Tai Chi Chuan

Will not display/feel it

On his own

But that of the Masters

Expressing it thru him

High level

Tai Chi Chuan

Is at rest

Only acts

If it is acted upon

Reach

This high level

Others

Of the same mind

Will follow

Virtue is the ability

To listen; good/evil

Judging is the Tao

Treating students

Like soldiers

Difficult growing

The students

Followed by a year

Wrong direction

Advanced

To quickly

Is to accelerate

Withdrawal

Those whom

Have reached

Tai Chi Chuan qualities

Do not seek

To display/retain  

Student of the lineage

Effects his resolve

Finds a new idea/feelings

Each day

Don’t apply

Push hands

Too soon

The student

Who uses his 6th sense

During push hands

Is reviewing Tai Chi

Repetition of form

Thru-out the day

Is serious practice

Skill means

Second nature

Vigor

Also has

Diminishing  

After success

Violence

Would be against

The lineage

Tai Chi Chuan

Is passive

Attributes were gone

When kindness appears

Kindness missing

When morality appears

Morality vanishes

When correctness appears

Tai Chi is formed

Full grown man

Takes his stand

Upon the solid foundation

Not upon

Mere hand gesture

Only when slow set

Is not practice

Does the doctrine

Push hands/weapons arise

To make contact

With the Masters

Salute and kow tow

Open heart/mind

When Master

Tells me

I understand

He is relating to

Tao Te Ching#38

First

Try to understand nature

Then Tai Chi Chuan

Then self

Then others

Who are nature

High level applications

Make no fuss

Have no end

Just goes into another

Application

When doing applications

Just do it

If it works fine

Or not

Do another application

Don’t do an application

With an ulterior motive

Perhaps

The reason

I practice

Is my love

For chaos

First

Know environment

Then tai chi Chuan

Then applications

Then you will learn

About virtue

Dwell

With the slow set

This contains

The seed

Of the epiphany

Confusion

Merely confirming

The right path

A test by the Masters

Upheaval is a

Challenge by the Masters

Rooting guidance

Flowering class

Bare no fruit

The preparatory point

Is tranquility

After students

Lose slow set

They seek power

If they taste the power

Thru the 5 senses

Then they seek

That which is outward

Rather than

That which is inward

The 6th sense

Practice

Away the dust

To see the form clearly

Promotion

Has a price

Distinction

Is overgrown

Adornment subordinate

To slow set

He who teaches

To aid the lineage

Takes on all challenges

Including encounters

With his own shortcoming

Knowledge

Of the future gesture

Is routine in slow set

To become preoccupied

Master tells me

I think too much

I am preoccupied

To be preoccupied

With virtue

Is no virtue

Learn to distinguish

Between just thinking

And preoccupation

Preoccupation

Is negating

The now

Only the real

Can affect me

Not the imagined

But the really imaginary

Does

Somebody seems like nobody

Nobody seems like somebody

Master Tung Kai-ying.

Connected

To the Masters

Do nothing

Yet nothing

Remains undone

They accomplish

Their work

Thru students

If not connected

Forever doing

Yet everything

Remains

Forever undone

The Master

Of Tai Chi Chuan

Does not divulge

His supremacy

Stop gratification

Thru ego

Lead with compassion

Virtue is the ability

To listen; good/evil

Judging is the Tao

Set heart

On the gestures

Not the applications

Set heart

On Slow Set

It will lead

To all

Avoid evil

The Masters

Have set my heart

On slow set

To have

The foundation/substance

To support/understand

The gestures

The seed was planted

35 years ago

Maybe sooner

At birth?

Plant has been growing

For 35 years

Recently bearing fruit/flowers

Only a Master

Can reach the level

Of planting the seed

For the next Master

Negate intent

To be good

Have Apprehension

To be bad

Democrats

Focus on the art

Not the ego

Negate Ego

A tree does not

Tell another tree

What to do

It does provide shade

Without intent

And a place for birds

To live without rent

In return the birds

Groom the tree

Of insects

Negative Future

Thoughts

Causes fulcrum

Folly

Of the present

Counter with positive

Past thoughts

Let the Masters

Guide in all

Endeavors

Masters work

Thru the waist

The commander

Waist is the starting

Point of the gesture

It calls the Jing/Chi

And the spirit

Aligned with

Lineage

Directed by

Master

First know/fill self
Via Slow Set

This is the oneness

Then forget/hollow self

Think/receive others

Tai Chi is being aware

Of all around me

Receiving only the good

Ward-off/ rollback/press/push

The bad

Others will see

My character

The earnest

Can sense

Others

That are sincere

Balance

All endeavors

With the Tai Chi

Fulcrum

The worthy

Need not

Worry/wander

Heartfelt

Gestures

Dante’s

Paradise

9th sphere

Tao

Rest upon

A fulcrum

Heart felt

Heart fills

Heart full

Prior to

Hand felt

Hand fills

Hand full

Focus on

The seed

Not on 

Soil 

On the water

Not on

The well

Digest

The seed

Quench

With questions

To germinate

Spirited

Gestures

Strongest

Intent

Has not intent

It turns

To apprehension

And vice versa

Failure

To find

The fulcrum

A lack

Of foundation

Set heart

On the creating

Not the consequences

Five Senses

Makes sense

Of all

Leading

To foresight

Which uses

Sixth sense 

Secret

To Tai Chi Chuan

Is revealed

In the heart’s 

Fulcrum

Heartfelt

Gestures

Rather than

Harming

Gestures 

Inspiring

Gestures

Rather than

Impairing

Gestures

Tai Chi Chuan

Is passive

Virtue

A venture

When it remains

Invisible

Why is 

That plant

Called a weed 

Just because

It comes from

A non-aristocratic

Seed

A peach

Sacrifices

Its body

So, its pit 

Can succeed

Slow set

Focus on

Gestures first

To learn

Applications

Worry

Future

Distorts 

Present

Uproots

Past

Set heart

On virtuous

Gestures

Not violent

Applications

Tai Chi Chuan

Applications

Too soon

Negates

Virtuous gestures

From within

Humility

In gesture

Hidden

In application

Spiritually

Estranged

From Master

Leads to 

Confusion/disorder

Lacking

Faith/loyalty

In Master

Student resorts

To other disciplines

Which end

In failure

Push hands circles

Intent

Should have

Apprehension

With intent

About being

Apprehensive

Slow Set

Foremost focus

Self/sequence

Then others and

Applications

Hence

First know self

Then others

Tai Chi ethics

The great

Equalizer

Slow Set

Set sight

On elastic

Gestures

Push hand

On adaptable 

Applications

Slow Set

Patience

In practice

Corrections 

Come 

Within

Outwardly 

Expressed

Secret to

Being humane

Is heartfelt

Wit thru

Wisdom

Integrity

In all 

Gestures

Slow Set

Only a civil

Heartfelt 

Gesture

Can become

A Martial

Application

Push hands

To get corporeality

In application  

Gesture must be

Spirited/heartfelt

Tai Chi 

Gesture

Originates in

Waist 

Manifestes in 

Wrist