8
THE highest form of goodness is like water.
Water knows how to benefit all things without
striving with them.
It stays in places loathed by all men.
Therefore, it comes near the Tao.
Water knows how to benefit all things without
striving with them.
It stays in places loathed by all men.
Therefore, it comes near the Tao.
In choosing your dwelling, know how to keep to
the ground.
In cultivating your mind, know how to dive in
the hidden deeps.
In dealing with others, know how to be gentle and kind.
In speaking, know how to keep your words.
In governing, know how to maintain order.
In transacting business, know how to be efficient.
In making a move, know how to choose the right
moment.
the ground.
In cultivating your mind, know how to dive in
the hidden deeps.
In dealing with others, know how to be gentle and kind.
In speaking, know how to keep your words.
In governing, know how to maintain order.
In transacting business, know how to be efficient.
In making a move, know how to choose the right
moment.
If you do not strive with others,
You will be free from blame.
You will be free from blame.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interruption by Bill Bernsen
FLUID
Be a Master
Like water
Have a question
Water has the answer
Have an answer
Slow Set
Will have the question
What is
The center of gravity
Of water
Understand this
And become a Master
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Giving up
To gravity
Be like water
My spirit
Is the vessel
Water
Is the forebear
Of life
To be like
The lineage
Be like water
If an aggressive man
Uses Tai Chi Chuan
He dies/quits
If a passive man
Uses it
He lives
Like water
Going from ice
To water
To steam
Tai Chi Chuan
Is like water
Continuously takes
Low ground
Is at one
With gravity
The secret
To having power
Like water
Is in a wave
The wave must
Gather energy
By going
Low and back
Then it rises
Up and discharges
I must keep
Gathering and gathering
Tai Chi Chuan
Is like Water
Flowing thru
My body
Cleaning everything
Some murky things
Take a little longer
Be like water!!
Don’t compete
Stay low
With deep flowing
Thoughts
Chi is good
For everything
Chi = Water
Most people’s chi
Is water
Tai Chi people’s chi
Is like tea
Something special added
When dwelling
In Slow Set
Give up
To gravity
Like water
Can’t separate water
From gravity
Unless I
Use Tai Chi Chuan
Heat turning
Water into steam
Always on
The verge of steam
Looking for water
I am made up of it
80 percent
Just let the water
Inside go
To its dealings
Water’s
Center of gravity
Is always
At its lowest
An exception
Is a splash
Fa Jing
After the splash
Water returns
To earth
Be like water
Attract
More water
Use my energy
To make way
For the water
Water does
Not lead
But steam does
And ice remains
Be soaked inside
With
Master’s chi/spirit
Water
Practice
Turn into ice
At the foundation
Water in my body
To steam
In my mind
This can enter anything
Push hands
Be like water
Have no intent
To drown opponent
He must do it to himself
I soak/save
Opponent who
Becomes my student
Anything that prevents
Water (Chi/Jing)
From flowing
Is corrected
Thru Slow Set
Use warm water
In joints
To wash away
Tightness
Ice to stop
Irritated joint
When I first confront
Problem use warmth
And if inflamed ice
Use water
(Tai Chi Chuan)
To cleanse everything
Build my school
On slow set (foundation)
Listen thru stillness
Teach kindly
Truth thinks it
Rules think them
Harmony at home
Receptive aggressive
If I am not aggressive
Others have nothing
To grasp
If I am receptive
Only those are open
Will come
Water can
Change with change!
Let the Tai Chi
Water
Cleanse my body
Be like water
Masters can flow
Thru me
Pushing
Is like water
Thru a funnel
Kai He style
Is like a dam
Before I open
The gates
Hug water
Hug ice
Hug steam
Let
Ching/Chi/Shen
Enter pelvis
As water enters a rock
There is no stopping it
When I give
Or receive something
Chi goes with it
Chi can also
Be memory
Going thru
The changes
In Tai Chi Chuan
Is like water
Accept the fact
It will travel
Into deep places
Of mind and body
Being like water allow
Me to wash away
Old obstructions
This will leave me
With lonely
Hollow Feeling
But like dirty water
It will settle if
Calm/relaxed
Calm/relaxed implies stillness
But Tai Chi Chuan is movement
Paradox of practice
Movement
Causes the
Sediment to mix
With the water
Back to dirty water again
This goes on as long
As it takes
To remove
The old sediment
In my life
Most people quit
Tai Chi Chuan
Water
Murkiness
Thinking
About the future
Interfering
With the now
Master tells me
To concentrate
It means
I am too much
In the future or past
And not in the Now
I worry a lot
About the past
I can do nothing about
Except not try
To repeat it
This takes me
Into the future
Not concentrating
On the now
I must us my 6th sense
(The Masters)
To guide me
In the now
Have faith that I will
Not repeat
The past mistakes
In the future
Have faith
In change with change
The now!
Chi is like water
It flows
To the lowest point
Giving up to gravity
What sends water up
Defies gravity
Is pressure
In the container holding it
Or heat turning it
To steam
Jing/Chi
Water
Support energy
Jing/Chi
Flows up like steam
Down like water
Freezes in foundation
The higher
The Jing/Chi goes
The hotter it gets
Water must have
A foundation (earth)
It also highly
Respects gravity
Water’s Master
Is gravity
Masters pulling
On me
Energy gushes up
Like a fountain
Returns like a water fall
Water does not compete
Gives up
To gravity
Allows spirit
To rain down
Water (chi)
Cannot flow
Thru a stiff
Closed joint
Being a tree
Growing
Via water and sun
Steam…heaven…spirit
Water…man
Ice…earth…gravity
Become one
With gravity
Receive chi/Jing
Water is always
Kow towing
To gravity
Only way it escapes
Is to turn
Into steam (spirit)
Be like water
Feet are frozen
To ground
Belly is fluid
Like water
Thoughts are spiritual
Ordeal
Too much steam
Cool it to water
Practice
Use earth’s ice
To support
Let the body open
So the chi (water)
Can flow
Freely down
And as steam back up
To gestures
Tai Chi gesture
Is rooted
In earth (ice)
Commanded
By body/waist (water),
Expressed
By spirit (Masters) steam
Steam must always
Condensate to earth
Water can go both ways
To steam or ice
Ice and only melt
Tai Chi Chuan
Benefit
All cells in my body
Washing them
With water/chi
Openness
Don’t try to force them open
Practicing slow
In push hands
Kind and gentle
Means being like
Pool of water
Make no ripples
Wash away
Opponent’s intent
More control over
What I say
Every word
Means something
To a student/opponent
Words can be interpreted
Several different ways
Like the Tao Te Ching
In governing
My own body
Know how to work
On disjointed parts
In governing my
Own mind
Know how
To preserve order
In my thoughts
Treat
My students/opponent
Like my own
Mind and body
If I listen
To myself
I will not be
Somebody else
In choosing
My dwelling
What I am “dwelling”
(Thinking) about
Know how to keep
Grounded (rooted)
This is a good foundation
For dwelling
Gathering information
Knowledge and ideas
Go beyond the obvious
Avoid conflict
Think before I talk
Choose the right Gesture
Water/chi
Female/yin
Infant/ideas
Three in common
To Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan
Is like water
Benefiting all things
Goes deep into our being
Where all men
Keep their dislikes
Touches deep emotions
Physical ailments
If I practice and
Open to it
It is possible
To water proof
Emotions
When I teach
Be like water
Master
Is like water
When he pushes hands
He never runs dry
In living/practicing area
Choose ground well
In thought
Stay deep in the heart
In relationship
Be generous
In speaking
Hold to truth
In leadership
Be organized
In action
Be timely
Race with no one
No one can
Contend with me
Like water
I must accept
Where I am
It may be
To the lowest
Good virtue
From friends
Good fast set
From slow set
Good slow set
From lineage
Water never conflicts
With gravity
Hence closer to the Tao
Tao can be found
By totally giving up
To gravity
Be like water
Indians related water
With creation
Greeks viewed it
As a natural phenomenon
Chinese
Preferred
To learn
Moral lessons
Only being like water
Can I go deep enough
Go deep
Into places where
Nothing else can
Wash away
Fear and anger
This may hurt
But I must to it
Open the body
To get the water (Masters)
To flow freely
Accomplished
By doing Tai Chi Chuan
Before I started
The cleaning
Must be strong
Grounded
Not grounded
The water can wash
Me away
From Tai Chi
All together
Once I have washed myself
Then to deal with others
Be like calm water
Gentle and
Kind
But always ready
To drown if they get
Too heavy
Some people
And problems
Is water proof
Some like ice
When water touches
It freezes
Some people
Like a sponge
Soak up water
Some like fire
Turn water to steam
If I become
Like water
I can go deeper
Into my own
Thoughts
Eventually into
Students/opponent’s
Thoughts
As I do the above
Do not complete
Just listen
Timing is important
Pile stance
Give up to gravity
First have foundation stable
Spirit goes
Inward first
Then outward
But it starts
Outward
An inward
Paradox
Keep my words
Unless they are
Asked for
If I do given
Give few
If students
Despise me
For a day
I have gone
Inside them
If they
Despise me
For a week me
Have gone deeper
If they despise
Me forever
They never listened
When at home
With my thoughts
Stay rooted
Relax/open
Every cell in my body
To let out the old
And in with the new
Wash always old problems
Physical and mental
It is best
If at rest
In my mind
Share wealth
Not pain
Never hate
Show health
Not wealth
Give them health
True wealth
Thread
Reeling silk
Past pulling
Future pushing
Reverse this
Have past
As the foundation
Be held up by
Foundation/past
For this is spirit
Note gravity is always
Pulling on me
So spirit must
Be strong to stay up
Pulling
Master knows way
Let them pull me
Be like water
Go with the flow
Going thru
The changes
In Tai Chi Chuan
Is like water
Accept the fact
I will travel
Into low places
Of mind and body
Being like water
Allow me to wash away
Old blockages
This will leave me
Lonely, empty feelings
Like dirty water it will settle
If I am calm and relaxed
Calm and relaxed
Implies stillness
But Tai Chi Chuan is movement
And movement
Causes the sediment
To mix with the water
Back to dirty water again
This goes on as long
As it takes to remove
The old sediment in my life
Most people
Quit Tai Chi Chuan
Always murkiness
Sense things
Idea
Life
Existence as if water
Have a strong
Water tight container
To hold myself
If I am like water
Don’t let emotions
Energy leak out
During contact
With others
Any contact with others
Is Push Hands
Listen and respond
Don’t compete
Go to their center
Have them come
To me
If I do I will not be
Striving with them
Be steam – spirit
Be water – waist
Be ice – foundation
Water always has
Good ideas
Act upon them
Spontaneously
The upper body
Feels like a boat
Floating
With the pelvis/legs
Being the sea
Health
Water, food, walking, shelter, sleep
All use
The same water
Like a fish
In the sea
Swim thru
Form practice
Slow Set
I am a boat
Floating in
The Masters’ sea
Looking deep for
The needle
At the bottom
Of the sea
Spirit
Must be connected
To earth
Spirit is like water
Drain to gravity
Spirit/mind/head = steam
Man/heart/waist = water
Gravity/KD#1/feet = ice
Root
Imagine
Kow Tow
Imagine
Timely
Imagine
A fulcrum
Water = oneness
Steam/heat
Liquid/weather
Ice/cold
Body heats up
Jing/Chi
Turns to
Steam/spirit
Humidity = humanity
Moisten mind
Dampen danger
Saturate self
Drift away
Avoid conflict
Change with Change
Push Hands
Be like water
Steam – sprit
Fluid – gestures
Ice – foundation
Highest good
Is the idea
Applied with
Humility
Be as water
Does not
Compete with
Physics
Water kow tows
To spirit/gravity
Live free
Of family/friend/foes
Or Die
My spirit
Flows like
Water
Receiving Jing/Chi
Like being thirsty
Water goes
To every cell
In the body
Spirit/Masters = steam
Body/Man = water
Gravity/China = ice
Ideas should be
Like water
Not like steam
Floating away
Not like ice
Rigid unchanging
Idea
Is like steam
As it condensates
It descends
Thru the body
To feet/earth/China
Becomes a solid
Thru Slow Set
It ascends up
To a new idea
Push hands
Respond
Like water
Don’t resist
Drown the attack
How chi (water)
Turns to Chi
sinks to China
Ascends up
Turns to Chi
sinks to China
Ascends up
Turns to Jing/Chi
water to ice
to water to steam
8-16-18
water to ice
to water to steam
8-16-18
Tai Chi Chuan
Washes way
Away shortcomings
Tai Chi Chuan
Only reacts
To pressure
Like water
The opponent
Use imagined
Fulcrum
To judge all
Make waves
Of gestures
Be like ice
In my foundation
Be like water
In my body
Be like steam
In my spirit
Stretching
Body vertically
Is like washing
With water
Body/mind/spirit
=water
Ice/water/steam
Quantum
Tai Chi Chuan
Be like water
Spirit like steam
Body like liquid
Foundation like ice
Thirst
For ideas
Drink
Without doubt
Quench the art
Words
Come to me
Like states
Of water
Steam
Liquid
Ice
Jing/Chi
Is like water
It obeys
The laws
Of nature
Spirit
And water
Are equivalent
Spirit
And water
Are equivalent
Heartfelt
Flows
Like water
The Masters
Ward off evil
Rollback intent
Press practice
Push more practice
The supreme
Energy
Is percussion
It controls
All gestures
Spirit
Like water
Descends
Via gravity
Then ascends
As Humidity
Humility
Ideas
Like water
Can freeze
Can be fluid
Can evaporate
Condensate
Return as
New ideas
Precise
Application
Is created
In heart’s
Fulcrum
Highest
Principle of
Tai Chi Chuan
Is ward-off
It establishes
The present
Using past
Principles
For future
Functions
Supreme
Source of energy
Is elasticity
Never rigid
Nor limp
The essence
Of living
Highest form
Of exercise
Is elasticity
Anchored
In past
Reaching
To future
It is lifespan
Uppermost level
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Is elasticity
It changes with change
It can have harm
Or humility
A peaceful
Posture is
Preferred
Push Hands
Greatest opponent
Like wind
Applications
Hands/arms like
Leaves/branches
Supported trunk
Rooted
Reaction
Push Hands
Spirit chooses
Gesture
Application
Changes with
Change
Slow Set
Water-like
Cleansing
Body/mind
Cascading
Ideas/feelings
Into practice
Slow Set
Gestures
Streaming
Like water
To root
Nourishing
Next gesture
Push Hands
In choosing
Gesture
Know how to
Cuativate
Application
Push Hands
Do not
Strive/struggle
With opponent
Rollback
So not be
Uprooted