33
HE who knows men is clever;
He who knows himself has insight.
He who conquers men has force;
He who conquers himself is truly strong.
He who knows when he has got enough is rich,
And he who adheres assiduously to the path of Tao is
a man of steady purpose.
He who stays where he has found his true home endures
long,
And he who dies but perishes not enjoys real longevity.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
SELF-AWARE
In the search
For the civil aspects
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Use the martial
To defeat
Old demons
Solo practice
Is the civil
Partner practice
Is the martial
Epiphanies
Come from my
Connection
To the lineage
I feel like I belong
To an eternal scheme
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Remain in Tai Chi
Love forever
Realize
Master needs
Someone who
Understands
The art
Before he can retire
Know self
Conquer self
Know when
Enough is enough
Find my fulcrum
Stay with it
Endure
Most students
Are in the dark
In themselves
I can’t see them
Until they are
Enlightened
Remain centered
Ideas will come
In a centripetal way
Once understood
The idea will become
Centrifugal
To others
He who finds
Hollow space
Inside
Is enlightened
Die = old self dying
He who knows
Push hands
Is clever
He who know slow set
Has insight
Knowing when
To stop practice
Is wisdom
When to start
Is stamina
Be wise first
To be clever
Later
It is in me first
In others later
Stay in Slow Set
As old self-dies
Be content
Masters
Will be content
Stay
On the path
Enough is enough
And
Change with change
Know self-first
Others later
Know self
Might take
A lifetime
Enduring
At the studio
He who stays
Master
Will endure
Becoming conscious
Of movement
Measurement in self
Reason for longevity
Clever
Knowing
Push hands
Knowing
Via slow set
Is wisdom
Abundant
Is opulent
The worthy
Connect to
The lineage
Become a fulcrum
Between
Masters/China
The future/past
Now = a fulcrum
Stay still
Listen to
Masters/China
He who
Has desire
For fame or fortune
Is a “Doubtist”
Not a Taoist
Know how
To control
Others is clever
Know how to control
Self-wise
Know
Foundation first
Gestures later
Finally
Applications
Firm determination
Slow set daily
He who dies
But perishes not
Writes a journal
True longevity
Know self
Thru slow set
Find home
In the fulcrum
Property
In the pivot
Time
In Tai Chi
Kow Tow
To life
Judge all
With a fulcrum
Fulcrum of the mind
Find fulcrum
In mind/body
Thru slow set
Then in others
Thru Dui Lian
(Partner practice)
Heed
Advance
At will
Know self-first
Thru slow set
Others thru teaching
Found
My teaching
Method
By remaining centered
Negate ego
Endure
Student/teacher and I
Are adhering
To the path
We will endure/enjoy
Real longevity
When I feel I like
I am dying…I am
It is my old self
That is dying
Center of gravity
Is the fulcrum
Eliminate
That which
Interferes
With practice
Physically/ mentally
Stand
Spirit will assist
Sit
Gravity will assist
Find the Tai Chi fulcrum
Slow Set
Know applications
Is shrewd
Know slow set
Has awareness
He who does push hands
Has vigor
He who slow set
Is truly durable
He who stays
In slow set sustains
Fewer students
More solo practice
Further/faster advancement
And very critical
Of everything I do
Know self
Others
Will notice
The strength
When I feel
Like I am dying
I am…it is my old self
That is dying
My current
Situation
Knowing/conquering
Myself
Persevere
During push hands
Be like
North Star
Students will
Judge their
Direction by me
Strength comes
From the earth/China
Called by spirit
I am the conduit
Old self dies
To continue
me on
Satisfied with what
The Masters give
I am rich physically/mentally
If I don’t practice
I am a poor
Worthless student
Dullness
In demos
Conceals the art
Look for vigor
On the inside
To be able
To change in
Mind/body
Yin and yang
Is the spirit/gravity
Violence
In Push Hands
May win
But only peaceful
Slow Set
Will endure
Do not lose
Our place
In the journey
By
Following directions
From other disciplines
To know others
First know self
Staying power
In Slow Set
Is longevity
With the lineage
Death can be
The senses
But not spirit
Do not lose
Centripetal force
Of slow set
It is virtue
That the spiritual being
Will adhere too
Masters
Trust
In immortality
Of lineage
Know others
Is good
Know self
Is better
Know Master
Is best
Be enlightened
First
By an idea
Then pass it on
To others
First know form
Thru slow set
Then do push hands
Doing only one thing
Idea/poem/sculpture
Per day is enough
Will power
Knowing when
To use intent
Is control
Over intent
Remain in Slow Set
Stay home
View natures ways
Via physics
Push
Without pushing
They will remember
As a controlled
Lesson
Effect of slow set
Illuminating
What is shadowy
Overcoming
What is too bright
Iron wrapped
In cotton
The unworthy
See the opposite
Iron is really
Cotton on inside
Know when to stop
Teaching new stuff
Will deepen students
Know when
To stop
Push hands
Will not lose face
Students
Leave me
Some will
Not forgive
Some will
Not forget
If student
Goes on
To teacher
They cannot resist
Remembering me
I will endure
I do not let go
Of the worthy
I must accept
My place
In the school
It is part
Of the lineage
Ideas that die
But perish not
Are tangible
It takes energy
To control students
By being humble
Can hear and see
Their force
Redirect it
Will never be overcome
Know sufficient
Be content
I feel satisfied
With what I have
In Tai Chi Chuan
My heart is open
For more
Feel like what
I am getting
Is taking energy
It is a warning
Tai Chi Chuan
Provides
Time/space
Adding the good
Negating the bad
Answer
To teaching
Be of steady purpose
First be enlightened
Then have wisdom
If the students
Do not have faith
In my wisdom
Then they are
Not enlightened
If I use
Power/force
To overcome
Their doubt
I am not really
Enlightened
If truly enlightened
Then they will doubt
Their doubt
I am truly content
With the knowledge/wisdom
I am getting from
The Masters
If I am
Content then
They are content
Don’t be
Pulled/pushed
Off balance
With doubt
Be students
Fulcrum
During class
Totally refute
The past
Endure forever
At first push hands
Is learned
Thru teacher’s touch
Listening
To corrections
After the teacher
Is understood
Know self
Then begin
To know
Others only
If listening
Most believe
Slow set is dull
Does not have much
To do with martial arts
Wrong!
If student thinks
Push hands
Knowing others
Is most important
Prior to really
Knowing themselves first
They are wrong
Overcome the desire
To know others until
Know self-first
Get the alert
Feeling first
Conquer self-first
Thru slow set
My goal is
To have
Steady purpose
How can I teach
About other
If I don’t really
Know myself yet
Cannot reach/stretch
Until anchored
To the earth
It is fame/fortune
To be content
With minimalism
Know my place
In the school
Is letting lineage
Work thru me
I must accept
Loss of students
Lineage
Working thru me
Looking for
Immortality
Of slow set
Endurance
Is morning practice
Student who
No longer come
To my class (die)
But stay with Master
Does not perish
Go so low (deep)
That it hurts
Then go deeper (lower)
Not only physically
Also emotionally
Have I died
When it comes
To teaching
Some students
Of past
But have
Not perished
In the eyes
Of the Masters
Know
Exact presence
Of another
Then evaluate
Understanding
Others intent
More intent
They have
Easier their force
Is to control
Don’t use intent
To control
Their intent
Relax
Be humble/listen
With apprehension
Sometimes
A little touch
Will help them
Along a little faster
If content
With no intent
To control others
Is doing
Tai Chi Chuan
Be a fulcrum
Those who
Do not miss
Their practice
Endure
Teaching
Tai Chi Chuan
If I am a mountain
Ready for others
To climb
Some will climb
To the top
Of the mountain
Others will say
In the valley
In the river
Of routine
To be humble
Is to be like
The earth
Always walked on
At the same time
Holding every
Thing up
To look into
The darkness
Of another
First have enlightenment
In self
Death of shortcoming
Is handled by
1. Shock/denial
2. Anger/depression
3. Understanding/acceptance
Many students quit
Tai Chi Chuan (die)
After experiencing
One of the above
They are shocked
To realize
Who they
Really are
Then go into denial
By quitting
Anger/depression
In most cases
Is blamed
On the teacher
Many students quit
Who brings on this state
Not all will quit
The art
Some will change teachers
Understand/acceptance
This last state
Some students realize
Tai Chi Chuan is to
Enlighten
Can listen/handle
Most things
Epiphanies endure
They are awareness
And strength
All found
In slow set
Fulcrum
Of slow set
Is enough
And forever
Control self
Then others
I listen and respond
With ward-off, rollback, press or push.
When receiving
I know
When enough is enough
The ward-off, rollback, press or push
Or just step away
Remain a fulcrum
Let old technique die
And live on forever
Remain in the
Tai Chi circle
The changes
Riding the dragon
In purgatory
Be a Tai Chi
Fulcrum to
Be in the now
Eternal nature
Clear
Past/present/future
Via Tai Chi Chuan
Worthy
To learn
This way
First know self
Thru Slow Set
Changing with change
To become
A Master
Yu Pei Shih
Preparatory
Unity with
Lineage
Dying daily
Leads to longevity
Of practice
Yu Pei Shih
Preparatory
Unity with
Lineage
Worthy
On the eternal
Way
Endless
Endurance
On the eternal
Elevator
To Tai Chi Chuan
Tai Chi
Self-masterly
Knowing
Fulcrum
In the heart
Is Tai Chi
Serenity
Wisdom
Via solo
Practice
Quarantine
To isolate
Infinite
Insight
First concentrate
On centripetal
Anchoring
Then centrifugal
Reaching
Connecting
A secret sinew
Push Hands
First know
Slow Set to
Know self
Leaving others
Estranged
Endeavors
Must be
Heartfelt
To conqueror
Self-doubt
Willful
Craving
Escorts
Slighter
Longevity
Prudent to
Practice with
Others
Enlightenment
Perceived in
Solo practice
Push hand
Applications
Without
Waist
Lack wisdom
Are worthless