63

63

DO the Non-Ado.
Strive for the effortless.
Savor the savorless.
Exalt the low.
Multiply the few.
Requite injury with kindness.

Nip troubles in the bud.
Sow the great in the small.

Difficult things of the world
Can only be tackled when they are easy.
Big things of the world
Can only be achieved by attending to their small
 beginnings.
Thus, the Sage never has to grapple with big things,
Yet he alone is capable of achieving them!

He who promises lightly must be lacking in faith.
He who thinks everything easy will end by finding
 everything difficult.
Therefore, the Sage, who regards everything as difficult,
Meets with no difficulties in the end.

Translated by John C. H. Wu

Interpretation by Bill Bernsen


NOTHING-DOING

Instead of adding too

Try undoing

Instead of undoing

Do nothing

Everything

Will be done

Be as a baby

Grasping

Onto things

With their hands

Lightly

One should do the same

With all

Includes ideas, objects

And the past

Hold long

Enough

To use

The 6th sense

Then save or reject

Doing

In tranquility

Be at rest

When revising

When pushed

Be humble

Receiving alike a bow

Physically

Be humble

In making body

Into a giant bow

With head and feet

Being the ends of the bow

This cannot be seen

The correct

Response

Will occur

Automatically  

Learn from loss

Think the opposite

Balance all

Be a fulcrum

If somebody

Is leaning left

Connect to them

Then lean right

Apply push hands

Butting is

Poor alignment

A disconnect

Lose concentration

Regarding

The pelvis

Work on pelvis joints

Until it is effortless

To move them

Results in

Perfect alignment

Thigh muscles

No longer hurt

Exalting the legs

Meet the pain (injury)

In the hips

With rest (kindness)

Perfect alignment

Using the bones/sinews

Hold self-up

Not using muscles

Studying

With other teachers

Show a lack

Of faith/loyalty

He who

Does not practice

Will find things difficult

In the end

May even end

The journey

How do I

Do push hands

Relax/empty/open

What’s needed

Will arise

Think it

Don’t say it

Think it

Don’t do it

Think it

Don’t look at it

Think it

Don’t travel here

Make thinking the Tao

Practice

By practice

The art will amass

I never do anything

I might enjoy

Here enjoy means

To succeed

Mornings

Practice

Seeking

The effortless

Simplify

Empty of intent

Endeavor

For the effortless

The secret

To being a Master

Is to be hollow

Have no intent

Being able

To change with change

It is difficult

To stay plumb

With spirit/gravity

Tai Chi Chuan

Should be

In all activities

Give up

To the Masters

Undo past/current self

Future spirit

Will take over

Undo!

Calm endolymph fluid

In inner ear

Will result

Tranquil transition

Stable foundation

In the art

All becomes effortless

All with heart open

First open

Then close

Heart too

Not repeating prior

Tai Chi Chuan

Mistakes/misdirection

Don’t have to experience

The teacher’s faults

By listening

Will not repeat them

Masters

Will guide

The worthy

On the right path

Requite intent

With apprehension

Get out of hands

Open heart

Center of gravity

Under opponent

Go

To the Yin!

Strive

For a clear conduit!

Be frugal

With the fulcrum

Open

Be yin (receptive)

Gravity will assist

Spirit will direct

Remedy wrong

With restful mending

Relax stiff joint

Will repair

With the aid

Of the form

Someone

Will understand

Then Master

Can retire

Elevate Jing/Chi

With the squat

Gathering

Uses gravity

Advancing

Without intent

By using spirit

Explore

The universe

One gesture

At a time

Nature

Has the answer

Just wait

Watch for

The question

Old

Then relax

Return injury

With kindness

The secret

To push hands

Tai Chi Chuan

Is passive

Easy does it

Demons/evil affect

If allow them in

Tai Chi gestures ward off

Prevents their entry

With rollback/press/push

Genuflection

To all

Old age

Wisdom

Comes from

Listening first

Act

By not acting

Avoid conflict

Use infinity sign

Simplify

Undo/hollow/receive

Undo tense joints

By relaxing

Sinews/muscles

Drink more water

Predict the attack

By avoiding it

By preparing for it

By practicing it

Seek calm

Undo to return

To Wu Chi

Be a fulcrum

Listen…the fulcrum

Wait…. The fulcrum

Weight…the fulcrum

Relax

Let spirit/gravity

Take over

They are the Tao

It is the method

Of the art

To act without thinking

Of acting

Repetition of gestures

In translating

Gestures

Gives me a cluster

Of applications

Demoing

The gestures

By opposites

Perform applications

Without feeling

The trouble of them

Negate worry

Prior to

And after gesture

Master forestalls

Things

That are challenging

While they are easy

Neutralized

Opponent’s gesture

While it is insignificant

He who lightly

Promises

Is sure to keep

But little assurance

He who treats

Promises

Of practice

To himself lightly

Is sure to retain

But little confidence

He who misses

Classes

Is surely to quit

Whether

A teacher or student

He who

Is frequently

Thinking things easy

Is sure to find

Them wearisome

Take each gesture

Seriously

It seems easy

But is difficult

Undoing

Has a technique

Organize

The non-ado

Always act lightly

After anchored

It is a lever

Acting lightly

Without

Being anchored

Means I am not

In control

Of my center of gravity

Practice

Tai Chi Chuan

To correct

The difficult things

Ignored earlier in life

Or a second before

The present ignored

Corrections

Accomplished

By practicing new ideas

Rather than trying

To eliminate

Problems in time

Are squeezed out

By the new stuff

Stability

Of Slow Set

Fulcrum of life

Square antagonism

With circling virtue

Repay transgression

With gentleness

Agree too easily

Results in little trusted

Master attains

Prominence

By choosing things

Before they reach him

Discover essence

In what is plain

Tao is flavorless

Slow set is bland

Without spirit

After practicing

Slow set

For a long time

No longer have to think

About the sequence

It is automatically there

All the time

It gets to the point

Of be able

To completely

Mix up the sequence

Remain the same

Realize the Masters

Working thru me

Know that whatever

They do is right

Master is always right

Do things without

Bias getting

In the way

Don’t tell the people

This is sweet

Or that is sour

Just say it is an orange

Anything

The Masters

Gives is plenty  

Think sorry

After an injury

Then it will not

Trouble as much

Don’t do anything

Nature does it

Thru me

To be pushed

And not feel annoyed

Is the sign

Of one

Who has merged

With the Tai Chi Chuan

Performance

Peacefulness

Always focus

On the good

Walking on sidewalk

Stepping in dog shit

Look at the positive

Did not slip

And fall in it

Don’t let it ruin

The rest of walk

Don’t continue

Looking down

For more dog shit

Not seeing the surrounding

Take care

Of the specific

The general

Will take care

Of its self

He who practices

Lightly

Must be lacking

In confidence

He who thinks

Slow set is easy

Will find everything

Else difficult

Attempt the unforced

I have reached

This point

Because new ideas come

Without any effort

Only occur

If have faith/loyalty

With the art

Many try

But few thrive

Learning

To use the mind

Think it

Don’t’ say it

Or do it

This is how

Fa Jing works

Tai Chi gestures

Large lesser

Many limited

Strives means

Not paying attention

To the now

Not listening

Be in a state

Of Wu Wei

So the Masters

Can use my mind

Just think it

Straining

Is

Wrong time

Mistaken direction

Be the conduit

Not the source

Tai Chi Chuan

Push hands

Is to act without

Thinking about acting

Know self

Well enough

To forget self

A new idea

Don’t try to explain it

To soon

Rather look at it

From all directions

Circle it

While it is

Simple and new

It will be great

On its own

What it applies

To at the moment

Once understood

Then if it applies

To other things

It will of its

Own accord

Don’t force it

When teaching

Is like the ideas

I get in the a.m.

They just appear

Do the same for students

If they end up thinking

They thought

Of it themselves

They probably did

In their minds

Open to spirit

Close to gravity

Able to change with change

Like elasticity

Open

To Masters/students/opponents

Next control thru

Ward-off/rollback/press/push

Control the physical/mental

Use a lever

To lift

Spirit

Be anchored

In Slow Set

Salute

Simply start over!

First move

A 1000 times anew

When confronted

The now it is new

Thinking about the past

Negates the now/new

New is now

Not when

Simplify

Act in response

With Masters’ intent

Fewer students

Only worthy ones

Will arrive

One thing at a time

During 3C’s

Clean/Consolidate/Create

Make foundation

Effortless

Via perfect alignment

Physically/spiritually

Breath thru

Areas of concern

Causes mind/body

To focus on problem

The worthy

Will receive

Effortless

Epiphanies

Tai Chi Chuan

Is to undo

Not to do

To repose

Not reprise

Difficult

To undo

That which has

Been done to you

So only do

That which is

New to you

Rest

Restoration

Refurbish

Renovate

Listen

With 6th sense

Yours and others

Work on aligning

Inside with heart

Before aligning

Outside with opponent

Tai Chi

Fulcrum

Is the sixth sense

Be apprehensive

With intent

Anticipate

Apprehension

Intent

Causes

Apprehension

To advance

Practicing

Patients

Is peaceful

Progress

Tai Chi fulcrum

Has no bias

Seeking

Balance

Between

Yin and Yang

Use it when

Deciding all

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