20

20  

HAVE done with learning,
And you will have no more vexation.

How great is the difference between "eh" and "o"?
What is the distinction between "good" and "evil"?
Must I fear what others fear?
What abysmal nonsense this is!

All men are joyous and beaming,
As though feasting upon a sacrificial ox,
As though mounting the Spring Terrace;
I alone am placid and give no sign,
Like a babe which has not yet smiled.
I alone am forlorn as one who has no home to return to.

All men have enough and to spare:
I alone appear to possess nothing.
What a fool I am!
What a muddled mind I have!
All men are bright, bright:
I alone am dim, dim.
All men are sharp, sharp:
I alone am mum, mum!
Bland like the ocean,
Aimless like the wafting gale.

All men settle down in their grooves:
I alone am stubborn and remain outside.
But wherein I am most different from others is
In knowing to take sustenance from my Mother!

Translated by John C. H. Wu

Interpretation by Bill Bernsen


CIRCLING

Always be the opposite

Of what I am

Confronted with

Mentally or physically

If others are bright

I am dim

This will cause the balance

Find the fulcrum

Just think it

Don’t say it

Feeling

Smoothness

Of the circle

As I reached

Further

Opened more

Felt closing

Focused

On my heart

Felt apprehension

About reaching far

Because too distant

Pulls me off balance

All animals

Have an apprehension

About everything

It is a physical feeling

Opening downward

Giving up

To gravity

Apprehension gets

Its strength

From gravity

Always

Be apprehensive

All others are

Bright/beaming

I am dim/apprehensive

If I suddenly want

To do something

My entire Being

Goes into it

Because I am totally open

Do to the reaching/apprehension

Resulting in elasticity

The rooted feeling

Is the other end

Of the reaching

Now the two ends

Of the elastic band

Are anchored

If someone

Is bright one end

I am dim

The other end

I am aware of this

I am elastic

Apprehension implies

Stillness/softness

Comes from closing

To the point of stillness

The further

From the center

The faster

The movement

Center is still

Outer edge fast

As I can think

Perhaps the above

Is the secret

To slow motion

That one experiences

During danger

Moving very fast

But thinking with

Stillness/apprehension

Be as still/sensitive

As a bubble

On a level

Even a thought

Can throw me out

Of level/stillness

The floor does not move

I move up and down

So neither should I

I maintain the bubble

Horizontal/vertical bubble

Is located in the inner ear

Sense it

At my center of gravity

Nonsense

Learning others

Knowledge

Be done with it

Be a falcon

On a fulcrum

For the future

Return into

The fulcrum

Do not let things

Throw me off

Rotate the outside influences

Around the center (hub)

If I have to move a little

Do so

Not too soon

Not too late

The thirty spokes

Will always

Be attached

To my hub

30 gestures

Always attached

To the Slow Set

Give up

Other peoples

Ideas/thoughts

Within me

The new

Creative

Ideas

Reborn

For I am pregnant

With new ideas

If pregnant

More sensitive

More alert

What I think

I should know

Others expect

Me to know

Only know

That which fills

My hub

At the moment

Heart is open

Do not focus

Heart

On that

Is good

Or that

Is evil

Just stay open/receive

The fulcrum

Like an infant

We mix up hunger

For food

With hunger

For pleasure or pain

Hunger is hunger

Eat

Appetite goes away

If worry disappears

New ideas

Will appear

As they are needed

I have no fear

There is great abundance

Accept that

This is offered

If I appear dull

Get less intent

From others

Take lessons

From Tai Chi Chuan

Stay between

Intent/apprehension

On my fulcrum

I am where

I am because

The lineage

Has put me there

Being poor

In demo

It protects me

I am only a stone

In some people’s minds

Not a jewel

Master sees

Inner

Shine

I am now open

To the sustenance

Of the Masters

Stopped reading

Be hollow

Of others ideas

Able to receive

New ideas from

Nature and

Sustenance

From the Masters

Be careful

Of influences

Have done

With other’s ideas

Remain outside

Of what others

Perceived

As happiness

Just do slow set

Until

I know myself

Better

Stop intent

To attack

Have no more aggravation

Just listen

With apprehension

No difference

Between pulling/pressing

Because there

Is a fulcrum

I never do anything

Others might enjoy

I know

I worry

I do not know

Worry dissolves

Change with Change

Follow

The universal chi

Negate intent

All animals

Have an apprehension

About everything

It is a physical feeling

Opening downward

Giving up to gravity

Apprehension gets its strength

From gravity

Always be apprehensive

And rooted

Others are bright/beaming

I am dim/apprehensive

If I suddenly

Want to do something

My entire being

Goes Into it

Because

I am very open

Do to reaching/apprehension  

This is elasticity

If someone is bright

At one end

I am dim

The other end

Because I am aware

I am elastic

Apprehension implies stillness

Softness comes from closing

To the point of stillness

The further from

The center

The faster

The movement

Center is still

Outer edge fast

As the speed of light

As I can think

Perhaps this is the secret

To slow motion

That one experiences

During danger

Be as still/sensitive

As a bubble

On a level

Even a thought

Can throw one out

Of level/stillness

The floor does

Not move me up/down

I should

Maintain

The level bubble

The horizontal/ vertical

Bubble is located

In your inner ear

Sense it

Fulcrum

All applications

Opponent presses

On one part body

Respond with

Another part  

Can even do this

At the point of contact

By making a very small circle

Of energy

My instructions

Come

Right form

The Masters

Remain outside others

By staying inside self

While going thru

The repair phase

Be done

With the past

Focus on present

Have patients

For the future

Fulcrum

Is everything

Is the doctrine

Of the mean

Balance above/beneath

Just do slow set

Turn to anew

By being

Be hollow

Be a fulcrum

Behave the Tao

Tai Chi point

Be hollow

Masters will fill   

Apprehension

Arrest pride

I alone and inert

Like a child

That has not yet

Given sign

Stop learning

Others knowledge/emotions

Start feeling

From nature

The real teacher

Superficial happiness

Must experience all

Old emotions

Old sickness

Injuries

Before I can

Negate them

Feel the situation

Before making a comment

Perhaps have

No feeling about the

Subject

So appear dim

If I know

Myself first

Then I can

Know others

In the womb

Of the Master

Feeding on his wisdom

My reaction

To various tests

By the Master

The mother

Is the Masters

Direct link to them

Is thru practice

The only line of communication

Cannot get

The true transmission

Thru others

Be done

With knowing

Past or future

Thru listening

Know the present

Be open

Answers will appear

First move

Of slow set

Opens

To Masters/China

Some students

Are open

To Master

Few students open to

The entire lineage

If I am still

And unsympathetic

I have the energy

Of the earth

Jing/Chi

While others

Are pushing or pulling

I just stay

In neutral and listen

Be receptive

Allow sustenance

To come

From the Masters

The difference between

Good and evil

Is listening

Like a fulcrum

The examination

Of effects

Is to do good

Remove evil

My substance

Comes openly

From the Masters

A good time

A bad time

Are wastes

Of time

Be lazy

When it comes

To others

Let them answer

Their own questions

I can answer it faster

Only they can

Answer it correctly

Be unambitious

With the past

Others ideas

And expectations

Blunt

Confirmation

Of other’s ideas

Follow the flow

Stay a float

Fight the flow

Be forced under

When going

Thru the changes

Others seems peaceful

Happy

Looking down

Upon me

As if

They are feasting

On me

Like a sacrifice

They do not understand

If they are feeding

On me

I am becoming

Part of them

You are what you eat

The groove

Is the valley

This receives all

Only the imagination

Can see over the

Mountains of stillness

Keep moving

Like a river

In the valley

Looking over

Different parts

Of the mountain

With imagination

Instead of

Looking for

A good time

To practice

Practice all the time

A great time

Everything

Is supportive

To Slow Set

Be calm

To understand

What I need

To know

Be able

To see

The insincere

See opponent anger

Even if he is pretending

Watch emotions

Other’s knowledge

Is usually untested

By the Masters

Try being

More of a fool

Others will

Reveal themselves

Try being aimless

Others will show

Their intent

To direct

Substance

Is from the Tao  

Undoing

Material things

Past knowledge

However discriminate

Same with knowledge

Eliminate

Old unimportant

Knowledge

It takes up

Too much time

I always seem

To be missing

Something

Perhaps this is the key

To the next new idea

From the Masters

Show no intent

Either way

Good or bad

Everything

The 5 senses

Sense

Is part of nature

6th sense

Is what decides

What to do with it

If the 6th sense

Is connected

To the Tao

Then sustenance

Is from

The Master

Most students

Are trying

To add more forms

I am trying

To eliminate blockages

In joints/sinews

And my soul

How I learn

Not knowing

What comes next

Remaining open

Empty to receive

The sustenance

From the Masters

Remain

An interloper

Isolated

Never join anything

Including

Other’s cravings

Have done

With news/entertainment

Negate exasperation

I never do anything

Others might enjoy

Condition to find

The fulcrum

Between

Depression/epiphany

The Tao

Be hollow

To receive

Dull/dim/demos

A protection

Protest

Workshops/camps

Hollow

To fill

During

Solo practice

Negate

News/entertainment

Worries

Will wane

Be done

With learning

From others

Be guided by

The Masters/Tao

If you feel

Like a clay dragon

Or straw dog

Sustenance

Surprises appear

Lonely

Being merged

With the lineage

Ward off want

To press tranquility

Push peace

Slow Set

Parallels

Slow living

The reason

It is called

Slow Set

Is to slowly

Learn by

Starting over

As others race

To finish all

And quit

I take

The difficult

And worthy

Approach

To learning

Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi Chuan

Is the distinct

Fulcrum

Between

Advance & retreat

Use a fulcrum

To focus

I am not

Of the past

Nor future

Only the now

A fulcrum

Weighting all

Including

The past and future

Find

The pivot

Of perception

Be hollow

Echo happiness

Slow Set

Is salvation

I am elated

By epiphanies

Other ecstatic

By entertainment

Use a fulcrum

To balance

The way

Yin/yang

Make a Tai Chi

Circle

Always changing

With change

In time/space

Peaceful

Solo

Practice

Tai Chi

Is the fulcrum

Of right/wrong

Listen

Quietly

Quarantine

Practice

Find

Fulcrum

Fulfilling

Sustenance

Absorption

From lineage

My hidden

Connection

To the lineage

Seems odd

To the unworthy

Appear

A fool

To fool

I live

In the radiance

Of self-esteem

Perceive

Future

With heart’s

Fulcrum

A heartfelt

Gesture

Is Song-Kai

Loose/open

When using

A lever

The fulcrum

Has no intent

Just listens and 

Supports

More forms

I acquire

The less

Slow Set

I practice

Pondering

Past

Pauses

Present

Procrastinates

Phuture

There is  

Elasticity

Among good/bad

Anchored/rooted  

Ideas of 

Right/wrong

Find fulcrum

Then decide

Tai Chi Chuan’s

Parents

Mother/fulcrum

Supporting

Weighting

Balancing

Father/practicing

Two together

Enduring

All endeavors

Pivoting practice

Repudiating old

Renovating

Routine

Tai Chi focus

A fulcrum

Mind decides

Gesture’s

Application

Private

Placid

Practice

Produces

Platitude

Postures

Tai Chi Chuan

Between

Opening

Centrifugal force

Closing

Centripetal force

Is elasticity

Always changing

With change

It is Jing/Chi

Slow Set

Spirited

Silk thread

Between

Intent and apprehension

Control it

With elasticity

Slow Set

Solitary

Secures

Structure

Veracity

In group

Practice

Technique in 

Applications  

Of push hands

Comes from 

Sustenance of

Slow Set

Be done with

News/entertainment

Get sustenance 

From provisions of

Tai Chi practice

Gesture

Without

Spirit

Is an application

Without

Gravity