60
RULING a big kingdom is like cooking a small fish.
When a man of Tao reigns over the world, demons
have no spiritual powers. Not that the demons have no
spiritual powers, but the spirits themselves do no harm
to men. Not that the spirits do no harm to men, but the
Sage himself does no harm to his people. If only the
ruler and his people would refrain from harming each
other, all the benefits of life would accumulate in the
kingdom.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
CONTROL
CONTROL
Teacher/student
Holding each end
Of an elastic band
If one of them lets go
It harms the other
So hold tight
Both will have
Elasticity of ideas
Tai Chi Chuan
Opens
To all things
Good and evil
Use a fulcrum
To differentiate
Leading
A school
Is a major affair
Pay attention
Don’t burn out
Students
When leading
A school
Use the 5 senses
If any one of them
Is not focused
It will ruins student
So be alert
Masters provide
The 6th sense
If the teacher
Is worthy
Use the above
For a guide
Malicious will not
Be a problem
Students will do
What the teacher does
Evil will not have
Its way
Do the above to
The opponent
Do him no harm
Goodness can flow
Between
How can he
Do harm if
I see it coming
And just move out
Of its way
This is true of
Any adversary
Use the 5 senses
To move out
Of harm’s way
The sixth sense
To change it
Too good
In Mind and heart
Just think
It good
Demons cannot
Get into me
My 6th sense
Is attentive
Kwei (troubled spirit)
Will visit
Ward it off
Roll it back
Press it off
Push it away
Masters will supply
An improvement
At the right time
The time is usually
When vulnerable
Master gives
That which can
Sense good
Ward off evil
Negate intent
Listen
To Masters
Students
Opponent
Build ward-off
Day by day
Have less interference
Once starting
To open
Be under the guidance
Of a Master
If not failure
Will follow
Live
By Tai Chi Chuan
Bad things won’t
Be a problem
Tai Chi Chuan
Is Passive
My Classes
In the future
Must be like
Cooking a fish
Don’t overcook it
Maybe don’t
Cook fish at all
Just eat it raw
Demons
Have no place
In my Classes
Or life
Avoid sex/violence
Students
Must feel safe
In my class
Hence do students
No harm
Open waist
Using Tai Chi Chuan
It is an elastic opening
It can bounce
Everything out
Limp
Waist/wrist
Is as closed
As is a stiff
Waist/wrist
Practice like
Cooking a fish
Pay attention
It will be cooked perfectly
Do not drift off
To other things
Because it will
Cause “burn out”
Was I over cooking
Fish
Doing
30 family sets
A day
Teach
Tai Chi Chuan class
Like steaming a fish
Lots of practice
Causes heat/hunger
Too much practice
Burns the fish out
Tai Chi Chuan
Will cause
Malicious shortcoming
To come to surface
They have no power
Because I am connected
To the Master
This is ward-off
Must develop
Ward off
Doing push hands
Do not over work
When learning
There is elastic
Connection
Between me/others
Do not over
Boil the ideas
The reason
Demons have no effect
The Masters chase
Them off
Practice enough
Demons/evil thoughts
Have no impairment
On me
Teaching
Tai Chi Chuan
Inflict no harm
Help heal
The afflicted
Not over doing
Anything
Not over thinking
It either
Stop harming others!
Ward off
Old superstitions
Rollback
There hold
Press
Them away
Push
Them if necessary
Don’t
Harm
Heal
Tai Chi Chuan
Comes into its own
Thru practice
Undoing
Melting ice
Do not let
Students/opponents
Harm
Use ward off
Do not attack
Fears
Of the past
Just let them
Pass by
They can do
No harm
Use Tai Chi Chuan
Ward off
Do not harm
Heal
By hollowing
Intent
Heal only
If requested
Masters will
Not harm
Will protect
Not let me harm others
Must connect
To them first
Focus
On the fish
As it cooks
It will convey
When it is ready
Oneness
Masters
Are one
With earth
I am one
With earth
Therefore
I am one
With Masters
Am I
On my way
To Wu Wei
(Emptying)
Pay
No attention
To experts
Paying attention
Nourishes them
Close
To evil/entertainment
Heal rather than harm
Push hands back/forth
Like water
Do not
Over practice
Listen/ward off
Receive
Listen again
Listen
To Masters
Everything will be right
Leads right
To the oneness
Listen
To them
They are speaking
Thru my heart
Listen
To the Masters
They have been there
Go to camp
With the Tao
In mind
Nothing bad
Will happen
Ward off all evil
During demo
Only allow all good in
Ward off evil intent
From viewers
This is the secret
To Tai Chi Chuan
Thru Slow Set acquire
The ability
To discriminate good
And evil
Teach
Tai Chi Chuan Class
Like steaming
A fish
Pay close attention
Lots of practice
Causes heat/hunger
Tai Chi Chuan
Will cause
Malicious shortcomings
To come to surface
They have no power
If I am connected
To the Master
If they do not appear
Then I am
Not working
Hard enough
Listen for
Ward off immoral
Learning
Tai Chi Chuan
Is like cooking a fish
Follow the Masters directions
Tai Chi Chuan
Is to heal
Not harm
Do it according
To the Masters
Nothing bad
Will happen
Heal
The heart
So it can open
Negate harm
Ward off evil
First in self
Then in students
Eventually
In opponent
Who will come
To study with me
Think heal
Not harm!
Tigers think hunger
Not hurt
Hunger thinking
Of self
Harm thinking
Of others
Don’t shoot arrow
(Fa Jing)
It will harm students
Let Masters
Guide the school
Results in no harm
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive/reflexive
Listen
Ward-off
Rollback/press
Not push
Learning
Tai Chi Chuan
In accordance
With the Masters
Who is part
Of the Tao
Masters
Will not harm me
Even though it feels
Like it something
Just adjustment
In my being
When the Masters
Reign over my body
Illness/injury
Are avoided
They can still occur
But they do not
Last long
Live life
According
To the Tao
Art/practice
According
To the Masters
That came before
They are the Tao
Being a Master
Means
Creating according
To the Tao
Heal
Not harm
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
An anchored pivot
Everything rotates
Around it
An anchor
Is always passive
Harm not!
Heal
By hollowing
Intent first
By being
Apprehensive
Be hollow
To learn
Evil
Is around
Don’t let it
Have an opening
Ward off!
Harm not
Heal
A lot
Pay attention
Listen
No harm
Will come
Guide the gestures
With the body bow
And receive
No harm
Because the arms/hands
Are listening
Masters
Don’t allow me
To overdo it
Don’t overlook
The body
Do not overlook
The above lesson
Masters
Are healing
Not harming
Good chi
Flows
From heaven
To earth
Thru the students
Tao = listening
To Masters
Who are the Tao
Intent = harm
Ward it off
Heal
Not harm
Intent
With no harm
Leads to opponent’s center
Know when
To stop
Is the supreme
Listening
Advancements
In Tai Chi Chuan
Misconceptions lose
Their grasp
Be very resilient
To hold back
Malevolent feelings
How can somebody
Who is nobody
Harm me
They come
From me
The phantom
Comes
From me
So do the Masters
If I can see
The Masters
They can see me
Malicious = problem
In joints or posture
If I do the form
Correctly
The problem
Has no power
I am aware of it
But it does not
Rule me
To know
The good
Know the bad
Each person
Will find
His own Kuei
His own way
At his own time
Once discovered it
Don’t let it
Overly influence
Practice
Some people
Will dwell
Upon a Kuei in them
Affect the form
To the point
Of changing
The form
Malevolent spirits
Will not touch students
If student has
True ward off
Masters and students
Do not harm
Each other
Their virtues
Ultimately combine
If the student is earnest
Even if it is bad
It is really good
It is a two sided coin
Tai Chi Chuan/assemblages
Goes together
According
To the Tao
Have listening
Ward off/roll back
Results in
No detriment
Teaching
Tai Chi Chuan
Raising a son
Is like walking on ice
Steps with care
Pay attention/listen
First thru slow set
Find foundation
Control
Then thru push hands
Find short comings
In control/foundation
Learn
To control chi
After discovering it
But not
Too soon
Do not over handle
Correcting students
When the slow set
Comes into its own
The old misconceptions
Lose their grip
Pay less attention
To the external things
Like weapons
Through
Virtue/push hands
See harmony
Teaching knife
To soon
Will open students
Heart too soon
Might be as
Over cooking
Of the fish
It fall apart
During
Transition period
Restrict the news
Handle students/ideas
With care
Students = ideas
Leave
Students
Alone
It is a way
To test them
And reveal
Their worthiness
Be more
Aware of
The Masters’ tests
Other teacher’s
Workshops
Don’t stay anything
Those who go are
In a hurry
Peccadillos
Anything that takes
Attention off
Tai Chi ultimate pivot
Learn too fast
Open too fast
Then malicious can enter
If not strong enough
Will quit
Burn out
Fall apart
Caution
Do not
Open sacrum
To soon
Like walking
On thin ice
The discomfort
I feel
Is whatever immoral
Is already in
Being let out = emotions
Being with a teacher
Who is not harmed
By evil
If he is being harmed
Then he will
Harm others
Did Master
Open us faster
At camp
This caused some
To flee
Less is extra
Energy
The less one does
Makes room for
More to come
The less one fusses
Over a new
Feeling/idea/situation
The more room
There is for more
After a new idea
Has been over analyzed
Then the darker side
Of that idea
Moves in
Do not give
It room
Find the spot
Of good
In an adversity’s
Intent
Focus on that spot
Move it
This is push hands
Don’t over heat
New ideas
Don’t argue
Once I realize
That the person
Is not listening
Stop wasting energy
Use rollback/press/push
Do not argue
Anymore
This is force
Again force
Just listen
If right
They will eventually
Realize it
An adept
Is anything
That gets in
The way
Of the truth
And at same time
Revealing the truth
Water can
Be good or evil
Instruction can
Be good or evil
The mind
Can penetrate
Anything
Then why not chi too
Mind rules body
Once the mind
Understands
The body’s function
Teach
Faithfulness/correctness
Gravity/momentousness
The body
Is the carriage
The mind is attached
To the yoke
Knowledge
Flows between
Master and student
This is elasticity
Tai Chi students
Do not harm
Their spirit
With entertainment
The Tao rules
The Masters
Who rule the living Master
Who rules the students
Who follow the Tao?
This is the spirit circle
The connection
Is thru
Tai Chi Chuan
Don’t drift from
Slow set
Handle students
With care
As lineage does
Tao
Can be found
Thru Tai Chi Chuan
Evil
Can be anything
Real or imagined
Coming at me
Don’t resist it
Or go limp
Ward-off/rollback/press/push
If malevolent appears
In the mind
Of the student
During the transformation
It is the test by the
Masters
How do the students
Handle it
Most stop and die (quit)
Some blame their teacher
But continue studying
(Breaking with the lineage)
A select few
Continue on
Pass the test
All must go thru
The tests
If there is
Any harm
Done during
The transformation
It is brought on
By the student
Not the teacher
Tai Chi
Is to heal
Not harm
Self and others
Oneness
Masters are one
With the earth/China
I am one
With the earth/China
Therefore
I am one
With the Masters
I am on my way
To Wu wei
Caution
Illness/injury
Enter if they have
And opening
Not strong/aligned
With gravity and spirit
Some times when
Problems leave it feels
The same as them entering
Don’t stop slow set
If you do
It halts the proceeds
Of the return
Don’t over work
The correction
Savor it
Practice according
To the Masters
Instructions
Demo demons
Have no power
Over me anymore
Don’t over work
A practice session
Know when
To stop
Negative thoughts
Have no power
If I know Tai Chi Chuan
Push hands
Ward off, rollback, press and push
Don’t over work
Camp correction
Learning/practicing
Weapons
To soon is like
Over cooking a fish
Tai Chi Chuan
Wards off evil
If it is overwhelming
Use rollback/press/push
Must hear it
Trying to enter
Use listening energy
“Ting Jing”
Masters
Ward off evil
For his students
I am proof of this
Oneless
With the art
No interfering
Don’t over practice
Feeling/ideas
Use ward-off
Against Masters too
They are testing
For greed
Tai Chi Chuan
Is reflexive
Past shortcomings
Are the demons
Will lose their hold
By me being
Connected to Masters
Practice is protection
Don’t push!
Without complete
Control
Less stoking
The fire
Results
In more heat
Ward-off
Old delusions
Using
Rollback/press/push
Don’t dwell
On demons
They will devastate
Destiny
Avoid all conflicts
And superstitions
Use ward off/rollback
During Dui Lian
(Partner practice)
Never think of
Attacking
Only controlling
Self and others
Healing intent
Harming apprehension
Worthy
Ward-off
Family/Friends/Foes
Practice
An epiphany
Only until the body
Understands
Beyond that
Impede progress
Don’t be
An upstart
Teaching
Ward off weapons
Rollback push hands
Press slow set
Push tolerance
Spirit
Directs
Prudent
Practice
Don’t dwell
Don’t doubt
Silently
Tai Chi weapons
Should be as
Sensitive
As a tiger’s
Whiskers
Mindless
Practice
Is Malpractice
Malpractice
Leads to
Chi mal-nutrition
Nap
Rest
Ponder
Lineage
Is the lever
To practice
While riding life’s
Elevator
Spirit up/gravity down
Opening all
Tai Chi Chuan
Continues while
Not stopping/opening doors
To evil
Push hands
With demons
Ward off/rollback
Press/push
Tao = fulcrum
Ponder/pivot all
Misalignment
In spirit
With gravity
Leads to
Malpractice
A burnt fish
Tastes evil
Know when
To practice
And how much
Know when
To stop practice
And how soon
Ignoring either
Produces demons
Of desolation
Epiphany
A day
Is enough
To keep away
Demons
Of discontent
Lineage
Decides
Leverage
In life
Worry
Can be
A warriors
Wound
Hedonism
Harasses
Harms
Humility
Harmony
In heart
Harvests
Humility
And
Happiness
Advancing
In the art
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Must be slow
And methodical
Reason for calling
It Slow Set
Practice
With lineage
In mind
Wards off
Craving more forms
Excess knowledge
Self-indulgence
Idleness
Irritation partner practice
Jealousy
Arrogance
Use wisdom
As a weapon
To ward-off
Malicious
Manners
Epiphany
Ends
New
Vision
Begins
Harmful
To over cook
An idea
Neglecting it
Causes rot
Find Tai Chi
Fulcrum
Fulfillment
Most powerful
Forces in life
Spirit and Gravity
Merging them
Via Tai Chi Chuan
Leads to eternal
Lifestyle
Teaching
Is like stretching
Elastic band
Reaching to future
Anchored in past
Suddenly let go
Either end
Harms
Self and others
Endure
Enlightenment
Do not impair
Body with evil
Entertaining
Endeavors
Slow Set
Contemplating
Error in current
Gesture
Becomes ghostly
Harming
Continuing practice
Note it
Ignore it
Next time
Correct it
Slow Set
Overcompensating
Collapses practice
Distractions
Demise
Of improvement
Despair
A demon
Repressed via
Tai Chi Chuan
Self defense
Teaching/sharing
Tai Chi Chuan
In accordance
With lineage
Will results in
Evolution
Of the art
Tai Chi applications
First learn
Self-control
To learn
Control of
Others
Tai Chi Chuan
Rejuvenation
Is done
Via 5 senses
Directed by
6th sense
Ensuring
No harm
Tai Chi Chuan
Excessive practice
Can lead to
Malpractice
Harm to
Harmony
Virtue is
Victory over
Vehemence
When Tai Chi
Practice
Reigns over
Body
Health is not
Harmed
Governing
Slow Set
Is like stringing
A bow
Lack of
Elasticity
Leads to
Shortcomings
Sisyphus
Slow Set
Will not
Succeed
Supersede
With civil
Gestures
Slow Set
Performing
A gesture
All of physics
Apply
Adding an
Application to
Soon causes
Malfunction
Push Hands
When applying
Application
Be apprehensive
With intent
To harm
Push Hands
Overworked
Gesture can
Lead to injury
And/or an abusive
Applicaition