31
FINE weapons of war augur evil.
Even things seem to hate them.
Therefore, a man of Tao does not set his heart
upon them.
In ordinary life, a gentleman regards the left side
as the place of honor:
In war, the right side is the place of honor.
as the place of honor:
In war, the right side is the place of honor.
As weapons are instruments of evil,
They are not properly a gentleman's instruments;
Only on necessity will he resort to them.
For peace and quiet are dearest to his heart,
And to him even a victory is no cause for rejoicing.
They are not properly a gentleman's instruments;
Only on necessity will he resort to them.
For peace and quiet are dearest to his heart,
And to him even a victory is no cause for rejoicing.
To rejoice over a victory is to rejoice over the slaughter
of men!
Hence a man who rejoices over the slaughter of men
cannot expect to thrive in the world of men.
of men!
Hence a man who rejoices over the slaughter of men
cannot expect to thrive in the world of men.
On happy occasions the left side is preferred:
On sad occasions the right side.
In the army, the Lieutenant Commander stands on
the left,
While the Commander-in-Chief stands on the right.
This means that war is treated on a par with a funeral
service.
Because many people have been killed, it is only right
that survivors should mourn for them.
Hence, even a victory is a funeral.
On sad occasions the right side.
In the army, the Lieutenant Commander stands on
the left,
While the Commander-in-Chief stands on the right.
This means that war is treated on a par with a funeral
service.
Because many people have been killed, it is only right
that survivors should mourn for them.
Hence, even a victory is a funeral.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
AVOID CONFLICT
AVOID CONFLICT
Weapons magnify
Evil intent
People can sense harm
A paint brush
Can poke an eye
Or paint an I
People can see beauty
All depends on intent
When practicing
Tai Chi Chuan
With a weapon
Listen to the intent
Mine and others
Will heighten
Sense of harm
Practice
Tai Chi Chuan
As an artist
Only express
Martial
In self-defense
No matter
When or how
I use evil
It will always remain
So
Less evil
Is more art
Look for
The fulcrum
Of work
If there is imbalance
Use a tool
As a weapon
I will be sorry
Use a weapon
As a tool
I will be
Enlightened
Tai Chi Knife
Cuts thru problems
Both physical/emotional
Thorax is sliced open
Revealing heart
Knife is temporary
Metal ward off
Until attain
True ward off
Old self
Seems like
A funeral
Learning
True knife form
Kills many (quit Tai Chi Chuan)
We must grieve for them
The true
Tai Chi Chuan student
Never does push hands
Or weapons
He does not even
Have to touch
The opponent
He avoids contact
By demonstrating
His ability
For others to see
Ward off
And they infer
What he can do
Never show
Weakness
Always work on
Negating it
A tool or weapon
Contains user’s intent
Good or bad
Tai Chi Chuan
Is a tool or a weapon
To heal or hurt
It contains the person’s
Intent
Put love
Into a knife
Love to cut
The problems
And evil
Sometimes hate problems
Sometimes love problems
Victory
Is solving
Problems
Loving
Out come
I should mourn
For the students
Who quit
Do not set heart
Upon the martial
Just do the civil
Able to hear when
To use the martial
This is already
The sixth sense
Do not use
Weapons
To hurt
Use them
As tools
To heal
Cut thru problems
Evil is what makes
An instrument/tool
A weapon
My painful elbows
Hate sword
Healing
Tool lately
Weapons
Can be used
As tools
Tools can be used
As weapons
It is the intent
This is good or evil
Do not put energy
Into the weapons
Only into slow set
Just do weapons
To confirm
Direction in slow set
Like a compass
The loss
Of a student
Should result
In grief
Do not do
Weapon’s forms
To kill
But rather
To confirm
Slow set
Chop wood
To stay warm
Twice
Once while chopping
Once while burning
Practice sword
To stay warm
Twice
Once while doing sword
At same time
Improve slows set
Weapons
Extend intent
Beyond roots
Apprehension
Must increase
Greatly too
If rejoice
In victory
Over extending
Intent
Lost roots
Victory/ loss
Both uprooting
Mourn
One who quits
Do not set heart
On the offensive (Fa Jing)
If I do Fa Jing
Don’t rejoice
Always return
To the middle
Dwell in the middle
Ponder a way
That I will not have
To do Fa Jing again
Tai Chi is passive
Tools
Not weapons
Use sword
As a tool
To repair body
Use a knife
To cut a tumor
Tumors are terrified
Of a knife
Stand
Next to the Master
On his left side
Is it like knife
On left side
During
Defense location
Don’t set heart
Upon the martial aspect
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Heal not harm
Do Tai Chi Chuan
With the intent
To healing self
Not harm others
Using Fa Jing
Is not as good
As having opponent
Give up because
He senses I have
Control over him
Do not set
My heart
On push hands
Focus on slow set
Man makes
The instrument/tool
Good or evil
Never think
Of a tool
As a weapon
Always think that
A weapon
As a tool
To assist
In understanding
Left = happy
Right = sad
I do not understand
Entertainment = evil
Do not set heart
Upon fighting
Do not focus on
Gestures (hands)
Applications
Weapons
But rather
As healers
Instead
Of push hands
Do more slow set
Any tool
Can be used
As a weapon
It depends on
Intent
Of the possessor
Tai Chi Chuan can be
A weapon
How do you know
By training as
A weapon
Then I know
When not to use it
Weapons
Will be taken up
The argument
Will be shortened
Unless the other side
Picks up a weapon
Sad occasions
Death and destruction
Hug rather
Than harm
Unevolved
Individuals
Are keen
To act out
Of power
Intent
Blending of heaven (spirit)
And earth (gravity)
Listen
Being receptive
Allow spirit
To press on earth
Earth returns Jing-Chi
Weapons magnify
Evil intent
People can sense harm
A paint brush can poke a eye
Or paint a I
People can see beauty
All depends on intent
When practicing
Tai Chi Chuan
With a weapon
Listen to the intent
My own/others
Heighten
My sense
Want harms
Also of artistic expression
Practice Tai Chi Chuan
As an Artist
Only express malevolence
In self-defense
No matter when or how
I use self-protection
It will always
Remain with me
Therefore
Less harm is more art
Practice
With a weapon
Think of it as a tool
Have easier access to
The true nature
Of its purpose
After all
Tiger’s teeth and claws
Are for food
Using them as tools
Happy events
I can sit
On the Masters
Left side
Being it is the happy side
I should be happy
Not sad that I am on
The right side
Protecting him
War is not even
Being able
To think of the
Left side
Sadly
Entertainment
Sex/violence
Are tools of evil
Shun it
Negate intent
Don’t attack
Don’t run away
Stay/divert
Avoid
Malevolent intent
Return
To the womb
Via slow set
If opponent
Attacks
He is attacking
The entire lineage
Don’t set
Heart
On push hands
Dui Lian
Is to control
Not destroy
During weapons
Practice
Pull evil intent
Out of the weapon
Fill it with
Apprehension/ward off
To negate
An old shortcoming
Is a victor
Feeling
The loss deeply
Do not set heart
Upon fighting
Only healing
All plants/animals
Avoid evil/danger
Watch a plant
Avoiding fire
Any living thing
Avoids danger/evil
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
The unworthy
Cruel people
Are keen
To use force
Tai Chi Chuan Master
Blends heaven (spirit)
And earth (gravity)
To make
Peaceful apprehension
Listen
Being receptive
Allow spirit
To press on earth
Earth returns
Peaceful intent
Evil intent = weapon
Weapon can be
A pen
This can put into someone’s eye
Or you can
Write an “I”
In a poem
Tai Chi is passive
The only way
To reach
Tao
Is to be hollow
Of intent
Be passive
Let
Tao reach me
The only true
Tai Chi Chuan
Is the Masters
Practicing
Inside me
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Mercy/frugal/ not first
With these three
Hear/feel
The energy
Control it
Merge
Spirit/gravity
There is no need
For weapon
It’s not the weapon
It is the intent….
Learn to read intent
Hence
Tai Chi Chuan
Avoid evil
Tao tells
What is evil
Tai Chi Chuan protects
Evil intent
Is negated
Via passive
Tai Chi Chuan
Gestures
Touch
To Heal
Not harm
Negate
Weapons intent
Always
Apprehension
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Each conquest
Is a memorial
Weapons like tools
Want to learn
How to swing
A club
Don’t ask a policeman
Ask a tennis player
Weapons
Are instruments
Of evil
If they are considered weapons (hate)
And not tools (love of work).
Only of necessity
Resort
To them
Think of a tool
As a weapon
Know the martial
In order to avoid
The martialist
Use the aggression
With peaceful control
Avoid fighting
At all costs
Including fighting
To keep
From fighting
Use the demo
As a means
Of calm restraint
The left or right
Is in my own mind
If I am standing next
To an opponent
Is he on my right
Or am I standing
On his left
And vice versa
Do not set
Martial
Ahead of the civil
Negate weapons
With intent
Evil intent
Even affects plants.
Sense it
Chinese
Avoid conflict
No shortening
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Forms
Requirement
When learning
Tai Chi Chuan
Keep
Roots firmly
Planted
In slow set
Emotional/physical
Problems
Abound
While returning
To the source
Of them
Don’t listen
With ears
Listen
With 6th sense
Return to child
Genuineness
Sincerity
Spontaneity
Nature can hear
The intent
Of the evil weapon
Students
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Follow nature
What nothing to do
With evil
This assumed
They are open enough
To hear others intent
Even the simplest fly
Can hear the intent
Of killer weapon
See a fly
Change intent
To kill fly
In a thought
Detached students
Are ready
To act out
Of strength
A student of tai chi chuan
Seeks peace
Find the brother/sister
In every person
I push hands with
Listen for the good
In the opponent
Merge
Like family
Ward off evil
While letting
The good
Come in
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
With utmost restraint
Only need
Ward off
If not listening
For opponent’s heart
Invest in loss
And test
Listening to other
Constantly
This is Yu Pei Shih
Weapons are instruments
Of evil
If intent
Is in them
They are an
Extension of the body
If I do put intent
Into the weapon
Remain calm
Can withdraw
The intent
Tai Chi Chuan
Is a weapon or a tool
Whichever I decide
If it becomes
A weapon
I will lose it
A tool will build
Every time
I get the intent
To use
Martial art part
Of the Tai Chi Chuan
Without understanding
The civil first
I take a step backwards
Tai Chi Chuan student
Never resorts to violence
Physical or mentally
Don’t even image it
Stand on left side
Of teacher
Line up
During slow set
Where I stand
Is important
Always something
In between me
And opponent
Sitting in Restaurant
Always at the back
Of the room
To view every one
When facing
An opponent
He becomes
Part of me
Move him at will
I must know myself
Will enough
As to where
My mind
Is at all times
This is controlling self-first
Where I stand
In the eyes
Of the Master
Look for conformation
Corrections/ looks/words
During class
Always be aware
Of the Master location
What he is teaching
Be aware of where
In the overall picture
Standing
In wrong location
In life
Will be off balance
Mentally/physically
And it takes nothing to
Be uprooted
To force
Having chi
In the knife
To soon
Will impede progress
Must open thorax first
Win a challenge
Opponent become
Problematic
Lament
The win
Take up arms
Against the evil
Of the present
They are usually from
Evils of the past
Using arms
In the present
To fight evil off
Future is mistaken
Just listen with ward-off
Forget the past
Because it fogs
The future
Weapon can be anything
With evil intent
All creatures
Hate evil content/intent
When confronted
With evil intent
Ward off to protect
Something deeper
My center of gravity
Can be found easier
If I have evil intent
Evil intent
Can turn
The softest substance
Water/silk cloth
Into a deadly weapon
All creatures
Sense the intent
Behind the object
Loath and avoid it
This is understanding energy
Do not think
About evil
Avoid
Entertainment /news
Use the energy from
Tai Chi Chuan
To heal
Not harm
Avoid conflict
Do not set heart
On push hands/Fa Jing
Negate desire
Learning weapons
Too soon
Protects the art
From the unworthy
Negate violence
Know it
But don’t live or die
For it
Weapons are
Exercise tools
Tools of work
Foretell
Heart felt
Creations
Go opposite on evil
Including entertainment
It is good not
To watch evil
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Weapons are tools
To repair self-first
Then others later
Tai Chi Sword
can cut thru problems
can cut thru problems
By projecting my spirit/will
Beyond body
To other
Watching
Sex/violence
Is evil
Don’t!
Being entertained
By sex/violence
Results in grief
Don’t be shy
Of Slow set
Be wary
Of weapons
Unworthy apprentice
Is eager to conquer
The next weapon
Worthy student
Is guided by Slow Set
Where virtuous gestures
Are born
A Slow Set gesture
Can turn violent
If necessary
But frown upon
By my conscience
Go from evil
Intent
To peaceful
Apprehension
Via Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Hence
Weapons are
Tools to teach
Be apprehensive
With intent
Is Tai Chi Chuan
Self-defense
Tai Chi Chuan
Is reflexive
And instinctive
Extend passive
Listening energy
With weapon
Violent
Violent
Victory
Is vindictive
Listen to all
Follow all
Control all
Push
With all restraint
Victory and funeral
Attend neither
Tools
Can be used
As weapons
Do to evil intent
Be apprehensive
About this
State of mind
Weapons
Extend intent
Root deeper
With apprehension
A Tai Chi
Gesture
Is a fulcrum
With peaceful
Restraint
A Tai Chi
Passive gesture
Turn the
Other cheek
Don’t attack
Don’t flee
To negate
A past shortcoming
Causes
A depression
In the present
And a boost
To the future
Find the fulcrum
Between
Attack and retreat
This is Tai Chi Chuan
Help heal
Hinder hate
Push hands
Never forget
Being violently
Being uprooted
Or uprooting
Opponent
Weapons
To extend
Point of focus
To the future
Like splitting
Oak firewood
Weapons
To tools
Not tools
To weapons
Once aligned
Bow/body conduit
Between spirit/gravity
Is the weapon
To win
An argument
Is to lose
Future time
By rejoicing
Warriors
Camaraderie
When gestures
Are heartfelt
Weapons/push hands
Will be heartfelt
Weapons
To soon
End evolution
In practice
Weapons
To soon
End evolution
In practice
No weapons
Until I understand
The virtue
Of not using them
Cock/aim
Within
To shoot
Without
An arrow
Use a weapon
As a tool
To build
A stronger foundation
For my gestures
Weapon practice
Without
Epiphany
Has empty
Gestures
Do not rejoice
Over others
Deficiencies
Be frugal
With feelings
Use spirited
Weapons
To win
Over worry
Weapons
Teach aura
Awareness
And beyond
Do not lament
Over loss
Of a shortcoming
Rather dwell
In the new
Discovery
Weapons
Practice
To confirm
Apprehensive gestures
Not combative
Intent
To harm
Weapons
Extend
Imagination
To protect
Initiation
Passion for
Push hands
Is a lust
For loss
Triggering
False need
For weapons
Definitely
Defeat
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Weapons
A means
To test
A worthy
Warrior
Adrenaline
Addiction
Recovery
Results in
Post-traumatic
Stress disorder
Weapons
To soon
Impedes
Progress
First translate
Virtuous
Slow Set
Gestures to
Warrior’s
Techniques
Results in
Victorious
Progress
Tai Chi Chuan
Slow Set
Is a spiritual
Sorties into
Sword
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Slow Set
The only
Passion
Be a peaceable
Warrior
Weapons practice
Teaches projecting
Jing/Chi
Beyond aura
To others
Whether to
Ward off/rollback
Press/push
Ward-off evil
Rollback fear
Press compassion
Push transformation
Tai Chi warrior
Uses wisdom
As a weapon
Wounding evil
Intent with
Gregarious
Gestures
Tai Chi applications
When advancing
Quickly/apprehensively
Seek opponent’s
Center of gravity
Listening for intent
When retreating
Hide your c.o.g.
Push hands
Hide and seek
Circles
Weapons
To soon
Stalls progress
Rejoice in Slow Set
To rejuvenate
Then review
Weapons
With restraint
Tai Chi salute
Right fist
Weapon
Left palm
Passive
Defense
To focus
On the martial
Without knowing
The civil
Results in
A sorrowful
Slow Set
Tai Chi Chuan
Practice to
Recognize
Evil
When confronted
Use ward off
Rollback/press
Lastly
Violent Push
Never
Forgotten
Resulting in
Mourning for
Self and other
Violent
Act
Forever tears
Benevolent
Act
Joyous
Forever
Slow Set
Stalking/clearing
Kai He
Filling/controlling
Fast set
Passively/assaultive
Weapons
Benevolent beyond
Tai Chi
Weapon’s
Gestures
Must be used
As tools
To precisely
Plumb
Slow Set
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