74
WHEN the people are no longer afraid of death,
Why scare them with the specter of death?
If you could make the people always afraid of death,
And they still persisted in breaking the law,
Then you might with reason arrest and execute them,
And who would dare to break the law?
And they still persisted in breaking the law,
Then you might with reason arrest and execute them,
And who would dare to break the law?
Is not the Great Executor always there to kill?
To do the killing for the Great Executor
Is to chop wood for a master carpenter,
And you would be lucky indeed if you did not hurt
your own hand!
To do the killing for the Great Executor
Is to chop wood for a master carpenter,
And you would be lucky indeed if you did not hurt
your own hand!
Translated by John C. H. Wu
Interpretation by Bill Bernsen
INTERFERE
If student
Loves the art
They will see it
In me
I do not have
To say anything
Do not threaten
Death
In a response
To a threat
Of death
It is using intent
Only respond with
Ward off/rollback/press
Push lastly
Always follow
Follow means
Follow
Person’s intent
Even to the point of
Physical contact
Then just think
The person going way
Tai Chi Chuan
Will take over here
Threat comes
From within
Usually shows
In the objective
If the intent
Is evil
I am sensitive enough
I see it before it turns
Physical
I can avoid it
This is Tai Chi Chuan
Only the Master
Can punish
And
Sometimes the Masters
May work thru me
So if I punish
A student
Do it via thought
Non action
A carpenter measure twice
And cuts once
The first measurement
Is by me
The second is
By the Masters
The Taoist
Does not go
To the mountain
The mountain goes
To the Taoist
Be receptive
It is not up to me
To decide who
Learns the art
This is the sole job
Of the Masters
Do not even think
Who will make it
Who will not
Masters
Are in complete
Control
Of the class
They decide who stays
And who goes
This is true
Journey to China
What makes students
Unique
Getting them
To open up
To the art
I have such faith
In the art
That even when they
Have doubts
They continue
Masters are always
Looking for someone
To fill certain jobs
Student/teacher
Continuing on
What I am teaching
Some student teachers go it alone
Some students leave
Teach by
Taking on those
Who are too weak
To study with the Master
It all shows in
Their demeanor
And their form
Don’t fear death
In a dream
It is only a change
An old feeling
Toward the person
Dying
A word can kill
As easily as a weapon
Treat a word
Like a sharp sword
Must not fear
Getting stabbed
By others’ words
Ward off/rollback/press/push
Dying = quitting Master
Killing = not letting
Someone come to class
Regarding
Which students get it
And which don’t
It is not up to me
It is up to the student
There is a time
To rest
A time to practice
A time to repair
Just repairing may take
A lifetime
Everyone has a job
Even if it is only
Paying for class
To support
The teacher
The Masters support
Is the fulcrum
Must find it on my own
No one can give it
Except the Masters
Will bestowal
Upon the worthy
If students
Do not want
To practice
Why practice with them
The Masters are there
To watch them so
I do not have too
The secret
To solo practice
Don’t threaten students
If they don’t practice
If I do intimidate them
They will go
Elsewhere
Don’t advertise
Only the Masters
Can decide
Attendance
He who tries
To teach like
The Master
Will fail
He who lets the Master
Teach thru himself
Will succeed
Stop trying
To correct conduct
In the school
By threats
Just act correctly
Those who are supposed to
Will see it
Verbal rules
Are for fools
Masters
Decide
I heed
Build a school
And teach
Whoever shows up
People who show up
Are suppose too
Masters decide
Who will stay
And who will go
Even who will return
And who will
Teach
Unworthy students
Are not connected
So they do fear
Being disconnected
Students find me
Students learn from me
Students doubt me
Students leave me
Students and I have nothing
To do with the process
It is totally up
To the Masters
Masters
Are always ready
To kill
A student’s interest
It is an ultimate test
Do not
Hurt self
Or others
I am not the substitute
For the Master
Only his conduit
I am nothing but
A straw dog/ clay dragon
No need to ask
A student
To leave verbally
Masters will decide who
Is worthy to continue
Who will stop
Many test
Perform on students
Masters may perform
The test
Thru the teacher
And it is a test
Of teacher too
Are the Masters
Thinking
Thru me when
I think negatively
About a student
Never forget
A student
Whom is ask
To leave class
Masters
Are in charge
Masters decide
Students come
Students go
According
To this poem #74.
Never lack faith
In teaching and feeling
There are no doubts
If students
Do not practice
With their hearts in it
Telling them to practice
Is hopeless
Not quite
Their heart might open
During next practice
If students
Don’t love
Tai Chi Chuan
They won’t practice
The art dies
In them
Practice or die
Tai Chi students
If they don’t love class
They don’t fear quitting
If they enjoy class
Threat of quitting
Is meaningful
Refuse to teach
A student
It will hurt forever
Harm others
Harm self
Heal others
Heal self
It is not up to me
Who comes to class
Build it
They will come
Masters decide all
Who are they
That is worthy
Look in a mirror
Classes/students
It is not up to me
Who stays
Who goes
Only students
Knows in the end
Thru practice
Show my worthiness
Don’t mangle
The students
Or the form
Not up to me
Who comes
Who goes
Remember all
Worthy students
Are capable
Of connecting
To the Masters
Masters
Are in charge
Listen to them
Refusing to teach
A student or stopping
The teaching
Of a student
Is demise
Do not try
To be the Master
If someone is
Doing wrong
Use ward off/rollback/press/push
Open
Let the Masters
Speak thru me
A dilemma
Do I execute
One student
To help the many
It is a test
By the Masters
For the one
And the many
Masters will take
Care of it
Warning student
I am not going
To teach them
They get to point
Of not fearing
The stopping
I cannot stop them
From coming to class,
Only the Masters can
Death
No longer
Teaching the art
Closing class
To anyone
If I do
I end up not learning
Gaining
Beginners insight
Quitting is not
The solution
To anything
Perhaps changing
The problem
Earthquakes
No root
Loss of balance
Lightning
Flashes of others insights
Famine
Not listening enough
Pestilence
Evil/harmful injurious
To peace of morals
He who tries
To teach like
The Master
Usually ends up
Not being himself
He must find his
Own way
Trying
To execute
Might lead
To my own execution
Once they start
Tai Chi Chuan
I cannot stop them
I can refuse
To teach them
What I know
Let them find it
Themselves
How Grandmaster Tung Ying-chieh
Taught
Most are dead
Before they start
Who knows
Who is worthy
Inspire
Student/opponents
Do not expire them
Unworthy students
Will die on their own
Tai Chi is passive
Don’t kill them
The Masters
Decide if one
Is worthy
Stopping practice
Is the same as death
It is up to the lineage
As to who continues
The secret
Is authenticity
Sincerity
Lineage chooses
Who is worthy
I can not
Decide who
Is worthy
Doubt = death
The unworthy
Will quit
On their own
I’ll never forget
The students
I expelled
The undeserving
Will quit
Without notice
Don’t doubt
A worthy
Students
Direction
The lineage
Decides who is
Unworthy
The worthy
Will not worry
About death
Unworthy
Worry/wander
When the student
Stop listening
To the lineage
Why teach them
Students
That love
The lineage
Will not quit
No one
Not even the Master
Can make them stop
Only a lack
Of faith
Can be fatal
Never think
Negative
Of lineage
Including students
Adverse
Thinking
Leads to
Demise
Execute
Ego
Then enlightenment
Restraining
Delusion
Criticize not
To not be judged
Don’t worry
About the unworthy
Interferer not
With lineage
Legacy
Suicide
Resolves
Unworthiness
Neglect
Health
Invites
Execution
Masters
Decide
Who
When
Where
What
Why
To teach
Executor
is an egregious
Ego
Spirit/gravity
Is life
Lack either
Results in death
Master cannot
Install dedication
Only worthy
Devoted students
Will succeed
Slow Set
While aligning
Mind/body
During practice
Is not the specter
Of pain
Always there
Continue practicing
Until pain
Has subsided
Spirit and gravity
Will become one
When a prosaic student
Does not practice
They do not
Fear quitting
A worthy student’s
Practice learns
Something new
Each day
1-17-24