19

19

DROP wisdom, abandon cleverness,
and the people will be benefited a hundredfold.

Drop humanity, abandon justice,
And the people will return to their natural affections.

Drop shrewdness, abandon sharpness,
And robbers and thieves will cease to be.

These three are the crisscross of Tao,
And are not sufficient in themselves.
Therefore, they should be subordinated
To a Higher principle:
See the Simple and embrace the Primal,
Diminish the self and curb the desires!

Translated by John C. H. Wu

Interpretation by Bill Bernsen

SLOW SET

Only thru 

Slow set

Can I reach 

Backward

To the lineage

Immediately focus 

On thorax

A stretching feeling

 Like yawning

In the morning

This feeling seems

Centered 

In the heart

It is constant 

Breaking off 

But I get it 

Right back

It seemed to

Be reshaping 

My inner parts

I realized 

That all the things 

That has come prior

To this feeling

Should no longer be

Dwelled upon

What comes before 

Tai Chi Chuan

A baby

Raw silk

Uncut wood

A new student

Don’t try 

To force

Others to be 

In equilibrium

Just teach 

The slow set

Let them find

Their own fulcrum

Should 

Express a Tiger’s

Rules 

To live by

The Tiger 

Reveal their nature

By knowing themselves

being a Tiger

Avoid thinking 

About others

As I get 

To know myself

I cannot change

Students 

Should not try

Let them be who they are 

They will reveal 

Their true nature 

Are they warriors

Or faddist

If I know myself

Then I must 

Be open

To know others

But if I try 

To get others to

Know me

I lose my self-defense

And element 

Of surprise

A Tiger 

Never tells a

Rabbit when he

The Tiger

Is hungry 

Or not hungry

The rabbit 

Has to sense it

Listen 

To others intent

Listen 

To others center

Listen 

To others needs

Don’t reveal what

I hear

The rabbit and Tiger

Have one thing 

In common

They listen

They never make rules

For the other

Forget trying 

To balance 

The scale 

By taking 

From one side 

Adding to the other

Any attempt 

To balance 

In itself 

Is unbalancing 

Just remain 

In the center 

And open

If I do what is in 

This poem then 

I will be able 

To connect 

To the earth’s energy

Don’t try to know

Others too soon

Know myself first

Others will sense it

If I do

What is listed

In this poem

Masters

Will visit

Drop the old 

Dysfunctional self

Undoing

The past

Visible simplicity

Of form/applications

Is very complex

Throw out

The teacher

But keep

The wisdom

Worship

The art 

Not the artist

Subordinated = following

Look for

The simplicity

Of the form

Only comes

From practice

Practice

To the point

Gestures being

As calm/simple

As walking

Practice

Is to receive 

Coaching from

The Masters

Just do slow set 

Are the Masters

Curbing my desires

Comprehend 

Slow set 

Embrace the lineage 

Embrace

Slow set

Negate desire

Of pushing

Tai Chi Chuan 

Is reflexive

Unpretentious

Stop thinking 

So much

About being

Ostentatious 

Stop trying

 To be #1

Simplify

Abridge

Stay in Wu Wei 

Masters will guide 

The students

All I am is a conduit

Simplify 

Stop teaching

My prospective

This usually involves

Wisdom, cleverness,

Humanity and justice

Just let the Masters

Teach thru me

Drop the projecting 

Outward/intent

Turn 

To listening/relieving 

Using ward off 

For control

Curtail cravings

Embrace the lineage

Ancestor worship

Drop knowledge

Abandon, intelligence

Drop the News

Abandon man made laws

Drop judging others

Abandon quick-wittedness

Tao turns all

 To nature

Be one 

With nature

Heaven...steam… Spirit

Man....water… Moving

Earth....ice...solid

Curb 

Desire

To help

Where it is not asked for

Verbally or thoughts

Let Masters guide

Drop books 

Others knowledge 

Give up entertainment

Discard desire

Block cleverness 

Others entertainment

Get more real students 

Real means worthy

And connected 

To the Masters 

Give up others

Follow self

Once self is known

Follow nature

Man is part of nature

First mine nature

Then other’s nature

Be an infant 

Just gather 

Project 

Only spirit 

An emergency

Is stillness 

In motion

Abandon wealth

Stay away 

From public

Recluse 

Revenue

Alignment/structure

First 

Then applications 

See the simple

Temper/curb 

Desires

Don’t’ talk 

So much

Just listen 

React with mercy 

Don’t be first

Follow 

Negate intent

Be alert/apprehensive

Don’t entertain 

Students

Curb desires

Reflect Masters 

Knowledge

Watch nature 

With 6th sense 

Just get them

To align with earth

And Masters

Let Masters 

Instruct

Thru me

If they are worthy

Look within

And I will

Be without 

Chaos

Realize 

The simple self

Must be raw silk 

First

Find a silk cocoon 

A Tai Chi Chuan form 

Reel silk 

From cocoon 

Do slow set 

 Set in shape

Weave fabric 

Control push hands 

With self

Make garment 

For myself 

When looking

At another art

Look at the art

Not the artist

The students convey

Messages

From the Masters

Loyalty

Is the secret

To the art

Via the Masters

Tai Chi Chuan

Masters give me

Wisdom 

When to use

Knowledge 

How to use

Kindness 

What to use

Morality 

Why to use

Raw silk

Simplicity 

To look at

To hold

Body selflessness

Not personal ambition

Fewness of desires

Abstinent of application

By impressing others

With wisdom 

Knowledge skills

come from Masters

They cannot have it

Until I know myself

To be a sage 

Is different than

Copying a sage 

It must come 

From within 

I cannot just 

Look like Master 

Feel him within 

Drop benevolence

Abandon Justice

Drop shrewdness

Abandon astuteness

Stick to higher principle

Slow Set

Forget others

Just follow 

 Masters

Who are the others

Feel the circle O

In others

 A paradox

Trying to get 

Students back 

To being 

Raw silk

Simplicity

Then they can weave 

Their own form 

Perceptible plainness 

Of life 

Return 

To the untainted guidance

Return 

To the body of a child

Flexible/resilient

Cannot be done 

Thru words alone

Must practice

Undoing that which

Took it away

Don’t think

Don’t talk

Just practice

Master’s words

Master repeats

The above 

Ad nauseam

One thing I have 

In common 

With the Masters

Besides sharing 

The same moon

Is that they were 

Infants too

Don’t think

Don’t’ talk

Just practice

Let the Masters think 

For me 

Let the Master speak 

For me 

Let the Master practice 

Thru me

Master 

Transcends 

Time

Teach

Not wisdom 

Thru righteousness/ theories

But just show 

The form 

The students 

Will come up 

With wisdom 

Master 

Teaches the form 

Students each 

React to it

Some understand 

And improve

Some don’t 

And drop out

Calling them 

Back is wrong

Simplicity

Raw silk

Joints/sinews 

Become like raw silk

Moving like silk

Each student 

Can do whatever

First his sinews

Must be like raw silk

The highest level 

Of Tai Chi Chuan 

Is to be able 

To take 

A bullet or bully 

At close range 

And move 

Out of the way

Without getting blood

On the bullet or bully

For Tai Chi Chuan 

Is passive

Drop wisdom

Abandon cleverness

Be hollow 

So Masters can

Work thru me 

If it is truly

The way 

The people will understand 

On their own

Give them time 

To unwind 

Cleverness 

Their parents, peers/partners 

Have given them

Push hands 

Are external first

Then expressed 

In the internal

So one 

Must look within

To be without

Adversaries

Also applies 

To looking at opponent

Look at his heart

Usually can be seen

From his external

Demeanor and form

See beyond 

The politics

This usually makes 

For Self-defense

That is cleverness 

Humanity

Justice/shrewdness/sharpness 

Once these are abandon 

Then become 

A child/animal again 

Use natures defense 

6th sense

Tai Chi Chuan 

Acceptance 

Of modest methods 

Being more loyal 

To my body

Loyal to my art

Loyal to my teacher

Loyal to my students

Students can 

And

Are persuading me

As I am influencing them

Just temper desires

First

Find my own fulcrum

Once found

Don’t use it 

To judge others

Rather look for their

Fulcrum 

Follow them

Until they go 

Off balance

Be careful that they

Do not take me

With them 

If they fall

Embrace 

The lineage

Sacrifice self

Fast emotions

Negate desire

Open to merge 

With the spirit

Lineage loyalty

Works both ways

If I am worthy

The Masters 

Need

What they can 

Depend upon

Encirclement 

The beginning

Reveal the form

Is the secret

 To youth

Teach too many 

And to soon

The students become 

Thieves 

Of my personal 

Practice time  

I am on 

The right path

My life is plain

And as simple

As a gesture

Stop trying 

To get everyone

To do Tai Chi Chuan

To make 

Everyone 

Subordinate it

To the Masters

Diminish 

The self 

Curb the desires 

When confronting others 

First know self

Thru Slow Set

By repairing

Body and mind

Wisdom

Reason

Kindness

Justice

Cleverness

Don’t force the above

On others

Say it seldom

Think it a lot

If I apply it 

To others

It is called interference

For the liberals

Answer

Master teaching

The simple

See the simple

Via physics

Drop the ego

Apprehensive 

About all

Intent is desire

Be apprehensive

Slow Set

 Without intent

Guided by

 The Masters

Not the ego 

Perfect for 

Demo mode

Slow Set

Less socializing

More practice

Embrace health

Diminish illness/injury

Negate entertainment

See spirit

Embrace physics

Merge 

With nature

Drop new/entertainment

Ward-off others

Listen/control desires

Pause Opinion

Of others

Discontinue discipline

Of others

Pause judgment

Of others

Still desires

Project harmony

Heartfelt

Health

Hence happiness

Avoid words

And weapons

Practice

Push hands during

Slow Set

Listening to

The intent 

Of new ideas

4C’S

Clean

Consolidate

Clear

Create

Be one

With the lineage

Masters guidance

Approach 

The future

On a fulcrum

Practicing sword

Without Slow Set

In mind

Dulls the sword

Enough corrections

In alignment

Focus on health

Repairs can be

Now that pelvic

Gate is open

Masters decide

Who will attend

Who will stay

Who will win

Be willing

Be wise

Physical answers

Are found in

Physics

This leads

To spiritual

Insight

Rely on

The 6th sense

Because others

Make no sense

Wisdom will come

If worthy

Undo

That which

Others do!

Slow Set 

Gather only!

Ward-off others

To know self

Via Slow Set

Avoid the laws

Of nature

By not breaking them

Negate politics

Unpretentiousness 

Rules

Cease others

Knowledge

Without it

Go within

My awareness

The past and future

Is weighted

In the present

With a fulcrum

Read/follow

Tao Te Ching

“Souly”

Tai Chi Chuan

Wisdom comes

From Tao Te Ching

Listen

To your instincts

Ward off others

That stinks

Abandon

News/entertainment

Suborn

Slow Set

To know

Listen and

Think no

Self-esteem

Inhibits

Epiphanies

Practice

With no politics

In mind

Politics

Poison

Practice

Be selfish

To know self

Ward off

Others wisdom

Rollback desire

Press the present

Push the future

There is fulcrum

In the above

Be an obedient 

Conduit

For heaven/earth 

Masters/China

Deflate self

To inflate life

Depression

Prior to

Expansion

Empathy

Empties

Energy

Stop problem solving

External news

Focus on 

My fulcrum

Desire

Is devastating

To destiny

Gratification in

Gravity descending

Satisfaction in

spirit ascending

HEARTFELT!

Quarantine

Spirit/body

Simplifies

Slow Set

Inaudible

Wisdom

Unpretentious

Practice 

Storage of

All books

Brook

Book

Stores 

Drop philosophy

Adhere to physics

Leads to

Tai Chi practice

See nature

Embrace 

Physics

Another’s

Epiphany

May be

An error

News

Should not

Be entertainment

Confirming

Cohesion

With Masters

Practice

Physics

Principles

In pursuit

Of perfection

If the mind’s

Fulcrum

Is without

Foundation

Chaos erupts

Embrace

Spirit/Masters

And

Gravity/China

In waist

Worrisome

Attempting to 

Know others  

Beforehand

Knowing self 

First

Avoid

Vicarious 

Virtue

Be hollow

Not haunted

By righteousness

And grandeur

Learn

Weapons/Push hands

Routines

Then postpone them

To comprehend

Them via 

Slow Set

Listen with

Spirit

Perform with

Gravity

Ego

Distorts

Tai Chi Chuan

Principles

Solitary

Refinement

Is the secret

To a successful

Slow Set

Solo is the
Secret to 

Slow set

Find perception

In being alone

With the lineage

Inspecting

Every gesture

Tai Chi gesture

Holds heart

In hand

To hear

Not harm

Tai Chi Chuan

Slow Set 

Clears

Path/conduit

Spirit to gravity

Leads to

Pure gestures

In mind/body

Practice

Reclusive 

Slow set

During rural

Rejuvenation 

Difficulty

Coveting in 

Partner practice

Find solution

In Slow Set

Slow Set

Seek gestures 

Of wisdom

Not marital

Applications

They will be there

Automatically

When truly needed

Tai Chi gesture

Carries a message

Make it insightful

Not spiteful

Simplify

Thoreau

Away