24
ONE on tip-toe cannot stand.
One astride cannot walk.
One who displays himself does not shine.
One who justifies himself has no glory.
One who boasts of his own ability has no merit.
One who parades his own success will not endure.
In Tao these things are called "unwanted food and
extraneous growths,"
Which are loathed by all things.
Hence, a man of Tao does not set his heart upon them.
One astride cannot walk.
One who displays himself does not shine.
One who justifies himself has no glory.
One who boasts of his own ability has no merit.
One who parades his own success will not endure.
In Tao these things are called "unwanted food and
extraneous growths,"
Which are loathed by all things.
Hence, a man of Tao does not set his heart upon them.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
NEMESIS
Reach too far
Physically or mentally
In any direction
Lose balance
Collapsing
Arches in foot
Collapses
Concentration
No zealot
Presentations
Don’t justify
False beliefs
Masters test
Presenting me
With that I loathe
What do I do?
Push hands
Ward-off
Rollback
Press
Push
Intent leads
To unsteadiness
Stepping to far
Losing fulcrum
Center fulcrum
By discarding
The weight
Of the past/future
Intent can weigh
1000 pounds
Disrupt a fulcrum
Center of gravity
Holds up
The fulcrum
Be a spider!
Get to the extreme
Remain calm
Then change
Caution comes
From calmness
Restraint
Negates caution
Be a sheep
Sheepish
Quiet
Focused
Play dumb
A goat
Like a Taoist
On a mountain
Sure-footed
Lofty
Humble
Apprehensive
Fast set
Like a Mt. Goat
Going from one rock
To another
Endure
By not appearing
Successful
Negate
Exhibitionism
He who is without
Lineage
Will not succeed
Controlled
Calm and clear
Stay plumb
Humbly receive
From the Masters
Hide fulcrum
Negate the ego
Pride… Not!
Kool it!
One cannot
Be delicate
Have a fulcrum
In every situation
One who
Is not at one
With the self
Is not at one
With the earth/China
The lineage
And universe
If students
Could connect
To the Masters
Of their art
Then they would
Be the Master
Of the present
Many attempt to
Sense the Masters
With the 5 senses
Only the sixth sense
Will work
By connecting
To the Masters
Of old
Heightens
Awareness
Know
The general
Outward
Will find the specific
Within
Leaning
When learning
Is caused
By reaching
Too far
With intent
Intent to improve
Intent to advance
Intent to seek
Intent to prove
Be apprehensive
About learning
Without heart
Being supported by
Center of gravity
Cannot have
A heartfelt
Experience
Tao = Heart
Without a spring
There is no Jing
Without a fulcrum
There is no balance
Tao = Fulcrum
Don’t indulge
In that which
Is not inspiring
Always be yin
Only yang
When called for
Fame is like a bee
It has a song
It has a sting
It has a wing.
E. Dickinson 19th century poet.
One who
Has intent
Is not listening
Ego (intent) throws
Me off balance
Negating
The fulcrum
No power or speed
Without an anchored
Foundation
The technique
That can be articulated
Is not a perpetual method
Whatever is written or inscribed
Can be handed down
Because everything is the same
But constantly changing
Somebody had
To think of it
But we look upon
These discovers
As nothing
As obvious
The only time these
Ideas come about
Is when open
To nature (Tao)
During conflict
The horse becomes
The waste
Man fertilizer
Absence of serenity
Do not seek
No longer
Seek ideas in art
They will
Suddenly appear
From nature
Competence
Of serenity
Is lasting and set
The time
Of creating
Take what is left over
Results in
My art
Do not seek
Fame/wealth
Do not
Set heart
Upon extraneous advances
Now that heart
Is on display
Protect it with
Tai Chi Chuan gesture
In China
A fair weather friend
Is like extra food
Laying around
It attaches parasites
Not acknowledging
The Masters
Is what the unworthy do
Tumor during
The transition
Everyone notices it
Few will acknowledge it
Verbally
They show their
Dislike for it
In their eyes
And body language
I become known
For the tumor
Watching the news
Is bad news
Watch out for
Irrelevant
Knowledge
Tai Chi Chuan student
Does not opinion
Of the news
Past/present/future
Unless it touches
His heart
An outstanding
Tai Chi Chuan
Form is the first
To be challenged
If I seek fame/fortune
I am not open/listening
To the Master
To avoid
Unwanted
Knowledge
Don’t take
Too much
In the first place
Take only that which
Understand at the moment
When receiving
Knowledge
From the Masters
Don’t take too much
What is understood
Digest it thoroughly
Do not let
Tai Chi
Weapons get dusty
Worthy
Students
Abstain
Experience
The following
At less once
Tip toe
Taking long strides
Show off
Boast
Show pride
To understand
The extreme
Done during youth
It shapes
The future
Masters will bring
On these extreme tests
To see response
Being awarded
Is being tested
By the Masters
If tests
Avoided now
They will appear later
Get a new idea/feeling
In body
Record it
In the mind
Should be able
To recall it
In body
All at once
Caution
This also happens
With the bad traits too
Experience them once
If the occur again
Refute them
Do not live
In the future
Tiptoe/astride
Don’t live only
In the present
Display justifies or boasts
Don’t live in the future
Parades/success
Don’t set heart
On the past/present/future
Only the 6th sense
Don’t leave self
For a while
Until knowing self
Master avoid
The unworthy
Truly
On the road
Side pathways
Will not divert me
Desire
Distinct advantages
Conceit
Repression/arrogance
The above things
Are like parasites
Always present
Must constantly be
Warded off
They also must have
An audience
They appear only
If others
Are watching
If student follows
The lineage
Then they would be
Masters of the present
For the future
If students
Could connect
To the Masters
Of their art
Then they would be
The Master
Of the moment
Cannot sense
The Masters
With the 5 senses
Only the sixth sense
Will work
Connecting
To the lineage
Heighten
Awareness
Is connecting
To spirit
First line from each poem
= Tao Te Ching
Secret is the 9th line
Set heart
Upon those things
That most people want
There will be no room
For the Masters
Filling bellows
With wine
It will cause
A drowning
Over all
Not indulge
At camp
Think I have
Tai Chi Chuan
And I will not
Tai Chi takes
A long time
Reason
For poor performance
During demo
And other present
Ego is top heavy
Temptations
Tempers
Triumph
Form without
A fulcrum
One who lacks
A fulcrum
Cannot balance
Yin/yang
Fame/fortune
Leads to failure
A faulty fulcrum
Poor demo
Is ward off
Masters’ rules
Applied to practice
To endure
Epiphanies
Be humble
Behave
Be heartfelt
Not open
No oneness
With spirit and gravity
Spirit ascending
Riding the art’s elevator
Waist wondering
What to do nex
Enduring
Endless
Wisdom
Balance
Via an imagined
Banister
Be tranquil
Heed
Before
Succeeding
The Masters
Will not let
The worthy
Stand out
Balance
Intent
With apprehension
Don’t answer
A question
Before
It is asked
The secret
To staying
In tune
With the Masters
Respectfully
Concealing
Tai Chi
Passive
In practice
Passive
In personality
Don’t indulge
In news/entertainment
It has argumentative effects
Ego
Negates
Negates
Epiphany
Merging
Spirit/gravity
In the heart
To conserve it
Conceal it
Plumb
The ego
On a fulcrum
The 6th sense
Rules
The 5 senses
Signs of
Getting lost
During
The journey
To Tai Chi Chuan
Ego
Does not endure
Eternity
Sequester
Success
In my cloistered
Courtyard
Lever
Without
Fulcrum/c.o.g.
Fails
Intent
Incumbers
Apprehension
Appreciates
Slow Set
Heartfelt
Gestures
Ward off, rollback
Press, push
Then hand felt
Applications
Slow Set
Gesture
Without spirit
Is a gesture
In need
Future is
Not possible
Without
Rooted past
Anchor is
Centripetal
For heartfelt
Centrifugal
Seeking future
Practice
Equilibrium
Seeking
Anonymous
Honor/Glory
Ego
Eradicates
Equilibrium
Ending
Endeavor
Tai Chi Chuan
Revealed in
Sincere
Slow Set
Genuine
Gestures
Ernest
Applications
Transgressions
During
Tai chi Chuan
Training
Gesture
Without spirit
Cannot change
Gestures
Void of gravity
Go astray
Push Hands
Centrifugal
Gesture to be
Tai Chi
Application
Must have
Centripetal
Anchor
Tai Chi
Weapons
Too soon
Causes
Injury to
Slow Set