27
GOOD walking leaves no track behind it;
Good speech leaves no mark to be picked at;
Good calculation makes no use of counting-slips;
Good shutting makes no use of bolt and bar,
And yet nobody can undo it;
Good tying makes no use of rope and knot,
And yet nobody can untie it.
Hence, the Sage is always good at saving men,
And therefore nobody is abandoned;
Always good at saving things,
And therefore nothing is wasted.
This is called "following the guidance of the Inner
Light."
Hence, good men are teachers of bad men,
While bad men are the charge of good men.
Not to revere one's teacher,
Not to cherish one's charge,
Is to be on the wrong road, however intelligent one
may be.
This is an essential tenet of the Tao.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
NO INTENT
Practicing
Gestures
Out of order
Causes creativity
When a student
Loses respect
For the teacher
They both lose
As well
As the school fails
First
Make connection
To the Masters
If they will have me
To prove my worth
Practice
Leaves no tracks
Don’t speak
Be clear
Be tight
Those who leave
The Master
Negate the ability
To master the art
To Understand
Master comes
To me
From within
Say less
Let students
Assume more
To know
Them better
As to what
To say
Open heart/mouth
Masters will speak
Thru me
A good gesture
Leaves no
After thoughts
Of where the gesture
Came from
Or what it did
No speak
Just listen
Good reckoning
Of gesture
Needs not
Count on
Further self-defense
Tai Chi Chuan
Path of enlightenment
Good standing (plumb)
Relaxed
No fear of falling
Honor and respect teacher
Revere the lineage
Treasure the art
Good ideas
Once understood
Become part of me
So I can
Stop thinking
About them
Follow
The guidance
Of the Masters
Good Alignment
In body/mind
Leaves
Few mistakes
A good
Gesture comes
From the heart
Cannot be seen
When it starts
Good attack
On opponent leaves
No reaction
In the body
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Fa Jing
Calmly
Concentrate
Good applications
Leave no pain
Behind
In me or opponent
Good push hands
Techniques
Leaves no response
The best push hands
Is no contact
Just practice
Slow set
Follow the lineage
They know
The way (Tao)
A good gesture
Does not start
Externally
But does internally
He who masters
Tai Chi Chuan
Does not have
To fight
He who understands
Slow set
Does not have
To do push hands
Answer
To push hands
For every action there
Is an opposite reaction
Healing rebounds
Caution
So does hate
Good alignment
Leads to ward-off
Follow the direction
Of the 6th sense
Follow love
No love
No follow
Master does it
Because he loves/follows
The previous Masters
Good gestures
Show no intent
To follow
The guidance
Of the Masters
I must be worthy
Good practice
Makes for advancement
That is undoing
Show no intent
Hollow of intent
I have arrived
To talk, walk, stalk
In class
Stalking students
To find deficiency
No intent
Or after thought
Perfect practice
Leaves to
No after thoughts
Perfect push hands
Leaves opponent unable
To grasp
What I did
Perfect teaching
Of others
Leads to
Perfect listening
Must align self
With the lineage
Look for
The sincerely
In students
See the sincerely
Thru
Self-knowledge
Work
On the pure
Be aware
Of the tarnished
He who does
Not respect
His teacher
Is resisting
Not open
Gone astray
Perhaps unworthy
Good slow set
Leaves no specific
Moves behind
Don’t dwell
On Shortcomings
During demo
Relax twice
Before
Saying something
No need
To keep count
Of practice time
Just feel it
Good ward off
Means I will not
Swing open
Under lack
Of concentration
While pushing hands
Listen to all moves
Don’t overlooked any
This is called hiding
The light of procedure
Don’t wear attire
That stands out
Skilful push hands
Practice with every one
Learn from everyone
Virtue is getting
The guidance
From the Masters
Therefore
I am virtuous
A second
In time
Can be perfect
Then next not
Difficult
For Americans
To learn Tai Chi Chuan
Because we do not like
To Kow Tow
To anyone
Kow Tow
Is the secret
It is supporting
The Masters
All has
Spirit/gravity
Nobody
Does not become
Somebody
Nobody in abandoned
But somebody
Who is not open
Is abandoned
By not
Being open
Being connected
To the Masters
Find the art
Open
To the Masters
Learn the basic technique
Find the spirit
Of the art
Find the lineage
Find self
Find inner light
Find nature
Find Tao
A bad man
Is one
Whom
Is not open
Moving
Thru life
If I abuse
Myself or others
Physically
There will be permanent
Mental track
In my mind
Concentration
On the present
Negates the use of notes
Past or future
Shut off
A past abuse
Do not need
Bygone things
Or people
To cope
Things/people
Remind
Of past abuses
But not to think
About them
In the old way
Teaching
Tai Chi Chuan
To others
Having them go
Thru the same
Don’t assume
Anything
About the
Opponent
Good
At saving ideas
The ideas
Are acted upon
Inner light
Is very bright
Once the old abuses
Are darkened
People who
Know themselves
Can then get
To know others
Poor students
Make me think
Not to respect
The teacher
Is not listening
To lineage
Measure twice
Cut once
I do not run
Because
I have nothing
To run to
Or run from
I listen to
The Masters
Who listens
Thru me
I am constantly
Interpreting energy
The best idea (secret)
Has no way
Of understanding it
From the outside
Hence no one can
Get the answer
Have heart’s
Eyes open
To see the light
Don’t just
Say it
Sense it
Never turn back
On an oral (in person) exchange
Good, bad or in different
For there is something
To be understood here
The exchange
Is needed
For a future
It is happening
Because the Masters
Set it up
See I am listening
During the exchange
Don’t try to teach
Just listen
If done correctly
Will leave no
Footsteps coming/going
To the exchange
After the exchange
There will be
No fault or blame
Bind forever
Application
Innerness/nothingness
Then it leaves
No track
No mark
No words
No evidence
It just appears
Like a new idea/feeling
Master is always noble
At saving effects
This journal proves this
Therefore
Noting is wasted
Energy is not wasted
The journal
Contains Jing
Dexterity
In using
New ideas
Same height
Same speed
Same need
To be even/clear
During slow set
I must not listen
To others
But follow
The supple
Energy
Practice
Means alone
Even if
With someone
Revere Masters
The art
The best
Practice session
Is open
To the Masters
Following
The light
Light means
self-knowledge
Connect
To Masters
Prior to push hands
Then when others
Try to push
They have to
Push the Masters
Don’t give
Them anything
To criticize
Honor
The lineage
Connected
Masters will teach
Thru me
Want to get
Somewhere
Ask someone
Who has already
Been there
Ponder it
Before doing it
Or saying it
Speed of thought
Can be at
The speed of light
Connected
To Masters
Waiting
For their answer
Always respond
Even if it is just
In thought
The trip
To China
Master’s way
Of finding out
The student’s
True nature
Thinking
About my progress
I have made
A lot of mistakes
None as bad as
To cause me
To stop
Making the mistakes
Henceforth
I must
Leave no tracks
Count
By just looking
Doors
Know
What is behind them
Without looking
Ropes
Don’t get tied up
In nots
Stop stammering
Never turn back
On anyone
Good art
Metal assemblage
Need not welds
Good gestures
Lead
To no doubt
And
More new ideas
Following
The Masters
If worthy/connected
The 6th sense
Balanced
On a fulcrum
Tai Chi Chuan
Is the Masters
Working thru me
Since the unworthy
Cannot
See/hear them
No one is aware
Of me
Use the 6th sense
This is poised
On scale
Push Hands
Has no intent
Apprehensive about
Even doing partner practice
Follow the Masters’ intent
Kow tow
To the Master
To support the art
Always open the door
For the Master
Guidance
Of the Master
Follow
Master
Who follows
Student
A good gesture
Leaves
No afterthoughts
Following
The guidance
Of the Masters
For the past
40 years
A good gesture
Has no intent
Fulcrum
Balances
Life
Good gestures
Leave no trace
Heart
Opens the door
Hence all
Is heartfelt
Must have a
Homing instinct
To Slow Set
Following Masters’
Resolve
Good
Tai Chi Chuan
Shows no intent
Merge apprehension
With the 5 senses
Results in
A 6th sense
This is the conduit
To the lineage
A good application
Leads to a new
Application
My art
“Use it up
Wear it out
Make it do
Or do without”
Old Yankee Saying
I say “Make it art”
Pay attention
To past/present/future
This is following
The 6th sense
Slow Set
Sure footed
As a tiger
Stalking
No intent
Leads to
Intense awareness
A good gesture
Leaves
No doubt
As does
A good demo
Unite
With point
Of focus
It will lead
Venerate
The virtuous
Fulcrum
Spiritual/physical
Alignment
Leaves
No illness/injury
Following
Limitlessness
Good gestures
Follow force
Change with change
Negate intent
With apprehension
Use a fulcrum
To respond
Interpreting energy
First in self
Then other
Be receptive
To rejuvenate
Tai Chi point
Balances all
Walking
Is percussion
Practice
The lineage
Lights the way
Be apprehensive
With intent
Mine and others
Not to be
Is the ultimate
Being
It is oneness
With the Tao
Touching
The Tao
Spirited
Existence
Supported by
Gravity
Merged
At the heart
A good gesture
Needs no adjustment
Lineage
Guidance
Good gestures
Leave no
Hesitations
Lineage
Legacy
Lingers
In the loyal
Tai Chi Chuan
Gestures
Use a fulcrum
Balancing
Intent and apprehension
Good walk
Good talk
Inspires
Prize
Practice
With epiphanies
Virtuous gestures
Are imaginative
Virtuous
Gestures
Need no
Hesitation
An error
Undermines
An epiphany
peace
Of mind
Perfect
Posture
Desires no
Pondering
A good
Gesture
Needs
No afterthought
Epiphany
Everlastingly
Never ends
Spirited
Gesture
Leaves
No doubt
Spirit
Percussion
Guides
Jing/Chi
From China
To gesture
And beyond
Just think it
It’s not
The applications
we don’t know
it is the ones
we do know
but are wrong
Good
Tai Chi gesture
Leaves
No dilemma
Virtuous
Gestures
Leave
No misgivings
Tai Chi Chuan
Results
In
Perfect alignment
With
Spirit
And
Gravity
Tai Chi Chuan
Leads
To divine
Direction
In life
Tai Chi gestures
Feel the same as
Jumping off
A swimming pool
Diving board
Song-kai
Loose-open
Between
Anchored ends
Of vortex
Is elasticity
A virtuous
Tai Chi application
Cannot be seen
Want to feel
It again?
Honor
Own spirit
Honors
Master’s spirit
A good
Tai Chi application
Gets no
Response
A good response
Has change
With change
Intuition
Essential
Envisaging
Epiphanies
Guiding
Gestures
Worthy students
Have
Worthy teacher
Have
Master
Sharing
Lineage legacy
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Gestures/applications
Have no malice
Their energy
Is enlightenment
Tai Chi awareness
Always attains
An accurate
Induction and
Deduction
Slow Set
Spirit and gravity
Must be connected
Like string
Connects
To bow
Tai Chi Chuan
Gestures/applications
Harmonious
First with Master
Then with opponent
Slow Set
Plumbing
Spirit to gravity
Perfects postures
Push Hands
Good gesture
Leaves no intent
Good application
Leaves no defense
Push hands
Good applications
Are spontaneous
Warding off
Rolling back
Pressing and
Fa Jing
Only spirited
Tai chi gesture
Becomes
A Jing/Chi
Application
Tai Chi Chuan
Good gestures
Are unimpeded
Resulting in
Uninterrupted
Applications
Push hands
Applications
Change with change
Coming from
Unseen
Gestures
Tai Chi Chuan
Tenet
Be a tree
Leaves/gestures
Reaching/receiving
Roots/absorbing
Good practice
Reels silk with
Next practice
Inspires
Insight into
Previous practice
Push Hands
Change with
Change
Starts with
Stillness of
Application
To advance is
To open to
Future/new
To retreat is
To close in
Opening to
Past/Knowledge
Slow Set
Good postures
Leave no residue
For connections
Allowing
Uninterrupted
Practice
Tai Chi Chuan
Centripetal
Gravity/anchors
Centrifugal
Spirited/gestures
Circumstance are
Elastic
