67
ALL the world says that my Tao is great, but seems
queer, like nothing on earth. But it is just because
my Tao is great that it is like nothing on earth! If it were
like anything on earth, how small it would have been
from the very beginning!
queer, like nothing on earth. But it is just because
my Tao is great that it is like nothing on earth! If it were
like anything on earth, how small it would have been
from the very beginning!
I have Three Treasures, which I hold fast and watch
over closely. The first is Mercy. The second is Frugality.
The third is Not Daring to Be First in the World. Because
I am merciful, therefore I can be brave. Because I am
frugal, therefore I can be generous. Because I dare not
be first, therefore I can be the chief of all vessels.
over closely. The first is Mercy. The second is Frugality.
The third is Not Daring to Be First in the World. Because
I am merciful, therefore I can be brave. Because I am
frugal, therefore I can be generous. Because I dare not
be first, therefore I can be the chief of all vessels.
If a man wants to be brave without first being
merciful, generous without first being frugal, a leader
without first wishing to follow, he is only courting
death!
merciful, generous without first being frugal, a leader
without first wishing to follow, he is only courting
death!
Mercy alone can help you to win a war. Mercy alone
can help you to defend your state. For Heaven will
come to the rescue of the merciful, and protect him
with its Mercy.
can help you to defend your state. For Heaven will
come to the rescue of the merciful, and protect him
with its Mercy.
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
HUMANITY
Be myself
I will
Be great
Like nothing
On earth/China
Be merciful
With all
Listen
Be frugal
With my comments
And energy
Dare not
Be first
Let others ask
Questions first
Then respond
Same in push hands
Support answer too
3 Treasures
Listen to energy
Frugal with energy
Following the energy
Compassion
Open listen
Receptive to all = soft
Tai Chi Chuan
Martial art
Is great
Yet
It appears
To be inferior
To slow
To most martial artists
They do not see
The stalking tiger
Mercy
Frugal
Not first
Character/conduct
Demanded
By the Masters
The inconceivable
Is conceived
Via the slow set
Mercy = courage
Fugal
Time well spent
Practicing
Humility
Not being first
If in a boat
First down river
First over falls
Always play
Follow
The leader
Heaven
Is within
So the truth is
Protection
Hub = Heaven
The Masters
Can only work
Thru the Hub/Heaven
Within me
Listen
Be frugal
With what I know
Dare not to be #1
In fame
Fortune
Failure
Mercy = Brave
Moderation= Generous
Modesty = Humble
Bow-To-bow
Mercy of words
For others
Frugality of words
For students
Not daring
To speak first
Mercy alone
Can help
Win an
Argument
3 Assets
1. Listen
2. Conserve energy
3. Don’t be first
Listen
Without intent
And follow
Master will come
To the rescue
Of those who listen
And protect them
With his listening
Most do not
Understand
Comprehend this
Then appreciate
Tai Chi Chuan
Mercy
Frugality
Not being first
Can be contagious
If any of the three
Are lacking
In students
It shows
Rules
For push hands
1. Don’t go first
2. Have mercy/compassion
3. Frugal with energy
The Masters
Will assist
If I have mercy
Towards others
Mercy is listening
If not listening
How can I hear
Masters assistance
Listen
Don’t over stretch
The elastic band
Listen and win
Eccentricity
Is a sign
Mercy/Frugality
In teaching students
Always have
Second thoughts
With my first thought
Push Hands
Listen
Few applications
Follow opponent intent
Tao is heaven (spirit)
And earth (gravity)
Combined inside me
Kow Tow
To all
This is supporting
With Mercy
Mercy = listen
Frugal = wait
Not first = follow
Listen/wait/follow
Follow the leader
But think ahead
Mercy
Connects elastic string
Frugal
String not too tense
Do not pull first
Listening
With apprehension
Let his intent
Go first
Is the secret
To push hands
Just listen
Discriminate
Follow
First
Listen/lift/follow
Second
Listen/discharge/win
Go beyond
Everything on earth
Is Tai Chi
The depot is
Like nothing else
On earth
Mercy = Listen
Frugality = conserves energy
Not first = Follow
Mercy = Listen with the 6 senses
Frugality = Gather/conserve energy
Do not let News/entertainment
Take energy
Love the art
Be aware of energy
Follow heart
Reaching Tao/heaven
Inconceivable unless
Connected to the lineage
At all times
True in all arts
Tao = Masters
Listen – gather energy – follow
Thru Tai Chi Chuan
We learn to be soft
Soft over comes hard
He who
Is compassionate
Has no opponent
Under his thumb
Listen
Apprehension
Following
Mercy….Listen
Frugality…with intent
Not first….follow
The above is the secret
To push hands
Masters
Will assist/protect
Those who listen
Mercy…listens
Frugality…listens lessen
Not first…next to last
Concentrate
On one thing
At a time
But be aware of all
Heed
Hesitancy
Hesitation
Scheme
With affection
Success
The encounter
Secure
With love
Invulnerable
Secret to art
Is loving it
Mercy
Listen/hear Masters
Frugality
With energy
Doesn’t waste it on desire
Not first
Follow 6th sense
Concern clasps all
Austerity
Hesitancy to shine
Embargo extravagant
Mercy…listening…passive
Frugality…passive….not giving
Not first…apprehension
Learn
When to stop
Be Satisfied
Compassion
Clasps completely
Kow tow
To all
Tai Chi Chuan
Is passive
Thrifty
With energy
Only if they request
Attend
Apprehension
Track
Push hands
Merciful
Masters
Listening
Hear them?
Control
Mellowness
Passivity
Placidity
Frugality
Not taking priority
During push hands
Mercy
Thinking of others
With open heart
Frugality
With desire
Not daring
To be first
Listen
Slow set alone
Can defeat opponent
Listen to self/others
Tai Chi Chuan
Is attacked
By other disciplines
For being phony
The secret to
Not being first
So many
Do not find it
Even more attempt it
Still more abandon
Some have attempted
To make it orthodox
But have failed
Only the compassion/merciful
Will understand it
They must be frugal
In their pursuit
Of the art
Be humble
To complete circle
Of Tai Chi Chuan
Appears to others
As meekness/folly
Hence
Compassion/thrift
And never be ahead
Build it
They will come
Unimaginable
Slow set
1. Listen, courageous, wins battle
2. Listen, expansive/frugality abound/invulnerable
3. Listen, humility
Have the above
To get Masters’
Projection
When student and teacher
Fail
To understand
They are not listening
To the lineage
Compassion
Listening to students
Hearing what is
Really needed
Frugality
Not giving them
Too much stuff
Other forms
Just protect them
From their
Own inpatients
Humility
They must realize
That I am just learning
With them and not #1
Rules
Compassion; listen
Frugality; don’t waste energy
Teaching other forms
To soon
Humility; listen
Students
Be strong enough
To have compassion
Resilient enough
To have patients
Ego-less
To not be primary
Masters follow
Nature/environment
Master follows the lineage
Rules follow the Master
Form follows the rules
Body follows the form
Form follows the environment
The tai chi circle
Don’t push hands
With other schools
To prove anything
Simplicity of living
Gives more time
To practice/teach
Frugal with self
Generous with others
Not first
Master
Does not like
To be first
Going thru doors
But he always
Leads the way
Master is merciful
With his students
Especially during
The transformation
Listen
Hear pain/pleasure
Frugal
Spending ideas
Vanguard
Apprehensive
All three
Of the above
Have a completed circle
In common
Humble
Has all three
Highest instrument
The Lineage finds
Uniqueness
If I am empty
Of past knowledge
Become
Inconceivable
To others
This is Tai Chi Chuan
How can they
Harm me
If they cannot
Conceive of me
If I appear inferior
Worthless
To others
Is the great secret
To Tai Chi Chuan
And to the Masters
I am worthy
Worthy to the Masters
This makes it unique
If I am a worthless
Piece of shit
No one would try
To touch me
Only the farmer
Would see my worth
Look for the fertilizer
In everything
To understand it
TAO = FERTILIZER
3 Treasures
Mercy
Hear their heart
See the usefulness
Frugality
By not discarding
Can truly see it
Not first
Follow ahead
Moral
Is what makes
The connection
To the Master
Mercy/listening
To the following
Frugality
Not being too busy
With other things
Not being first
To change with change
Push
Without listening
Will be punishment
Economy
Of ideas/ time/space
Don’t dare to go first
Follow heart that is
Mercy [listening]
Frugality [receiving]
Not first [following/controlling]
Master’s mercy
Is then listening
To situation
Have mercy
To hear
The great Masters
Be frugal
Receiving/giving
Not from me
Does it come
Push Hands
Touch with no intent
Mercy
Frugally listen
With no intent
Fugal
Not first
Wait for opponent’s intent
Follow
He who has
Utmost mercy
Successes
What makes
A Master
Listening
Give to only those
Who are worthy
Follow the students
They lead
To the future
Idea = Tao
Be frugal
With attention
Masters are listening
Pay attention to them
They are
The ideas
Listen
Be frugal
With connection
To China
Not first
With China’s
Lineage connection
Heed
Pause
Monitor
Mercy
Listen for Master
Listening all
Frugality
Negate attention
To trivia
Not first
Follow the heart
Only the worthy
Understand
They listen/conserve/follow
The worthless
Being worthy
Divulges
Tai Chi Chuan
Listen…for Masters’ guidance
Apprehension…about others
Follow…instincts
Weigh
Modest
Postpone
Push Hands
Listen
To avoid conflict
Conserve chi
To foundation
Follow
To hear force
Masters
Have mercy
Frugal
With knowledge
Follow
If worthy
Love the lineage
Limit enjoyment
Kow Tow
To all
Partner practice
Vigilant
Prudent
Survey
Animal instinct
Vigilant
Prudent
Stalking
Listen to
Lineage
Be guided
By Masters
Who are frugal
With energy
Theirs and mine
To be
A Master
Love the art
It is the will
Of the lineage
Compassion
For the opponent
Converses energy
Controls
The situation
Listen to Masters
Frugal with Masters
Knowledge
Not first
Wait for
Student/opponent’s
Question
Listen to lineage
Humbly accept lessons
Follow lessons
Gesture
Heartfelt
Will lift
The spirit
Assisted
By gravity
Because I am
Listening
Reserved
Not leading
I have lineage
Ward off/rollback/press
No push, yet
Tai Chi is passive
Mercy = frugal
Frugal = not first
Not first = Wu Wei
Practice
Is a passive
Paradox
Something
Seems like
Nothing
Nothing
Seems like
Something
Regard
Discriminate
Shadow
Listen
With entire being
To gestures
Yours and others
Listen
With heart
Frugal
With enjoyment
Follow
With spirit
Anticipate
To conserve
Energy
First
Rollback
Has apprehension
Plumpness
Follows
To be first
Have mercy
With my body
Be frugal
With my spirit
Follow the energy
Flow of nature
Thru Slow Set
Alone discover
Tai Chi Chuan
Kow Tow
To all
Support
My world
Judge all
With a Tai Chi
Fulcrum (c.o.g.)
Open
Close
Ward-off
Rollback
Press
Push
Practice
Without the three
Is malpractice
Not linking
To lineage
Is obsequious
Demise
Listen
Without intent
To be first
Listen
Lineage
Will direct
Listen
to use
Earth’s energy
Be prudent
When listening
Then follow
Way
Of a warrior
Be apprehensive
With intent
To be brave
How to avoid
Seven deadly sins
A worthy
Warrior
Is not wanting
Only the worthy
Will hear/here
The lineage
The secret
To survival
To receive
I am song-kai
Loose/open
Listen
Discriminate
Follow
Heart
Is the Tao
Is the heart
Nothing like
What I am doing
Will inspire
An epiphany
Frustration
Not resolvable
Instead of
Fuck it!
Say
Frugal it!
Mercy
To connect
Frugal
To collect
Not first
To follow
Lineage
Is listening
Frugal with
Lessons
First to
Make me
Follow
Heartfelt
Gestures
Discriminating
Humbly
Heeding
Secret to
Tai Chi legacy
Is listening to
The lineage
Compassion
Conserve
Intrinsically
Follow others
Tai Chi Chuan
Be conservative
Bao3sho3u
Partner practice
Sha3n sho3u
Tai Chi Chuan
Secret
Change with change
While compassionate
Tai Chi listening
To Master
To Self
Mercifully
To Others
Tai Chi applications
Essentials
Consideration
Prudence
Humility
To have
Passive
Percussion
Push Hands
Secret to
Song-kai
(Loose/open)
Is listening with
Forbearance
Being prudent in
Movement
While escorting
Other’s intent with
Apprehension
Tai Chi Chuan
Lineage is
Mysterious
To the teacher
Inconceivable
To the unworthy
Student