Taoist Sanctuary

From Chaos emerged the original state, where yin and yang separated from heaven and earth and manifested in all myriad things. Discerning the qualities of yin and yang and their interrelatedness, sages cherished the principle of qi intrinsic in their dualistic structure.

They observed that qi was structured to obey universal principles (li), reflecting the relationship humans had with the sun. Hence, facing upward humans do not feel shy in front of heaven and heaven never feels ashamed looking down towards humanity. Existing between heaven and earth, humans master bodily movement by moving their hands in accordance with natural principles, the essence of which is that energy flows according to one’s level of gong-fu and wisdom. Hence a sage can only be matched with a sage. In short, no aspect of the whole system should be overlooked.

Do not fall into the trap which many make, of only focusing on one aspect such as the mastery of gong-fu tech- nique, at the cost of a more balanced approach.

A practitioner should always value the importance of a wholistic approach as the basis for proper development. To begin with, one must structure one’s approach in terms of yuan-qi, then follow (shun) it conscientiously without thoughts of giving up or idleness, avoiding blockages and evasion.

This demands reliance on one’s strength and ability over time. If applied properly, the mechanism of qi will conduct energy throughout the body’s system, bestowing a wonderful understanding of all myriad things. This is a slow process and cannot be forced. Those who learn without using their gong-fu at the initial stages have to bring all their resilience to bear to re-develop their skills gradually so that they can attain the level of wisdom of Confucius. As the saying goes, “Initial difficulties are followed by abundance.” This means that one’s gong-fu must be exercised according to Mencius’ advice: “It should be a matter in which you open your mind and make your heart sincere. Do not ignore your duties; do not rely on the assistance of others. This way, you will be able to restore chaos to order and extend this order to other things, working out a model for your true behavior.”As a result of deeds accomplished by methodical application of the purest gong-fu bestowed to you by heaven and revealed internally, the dim and obscure way of the past will transform to brightness and clarity.

Dedicated use of this approach will definitely lead to modest maturation of your skills in three years and significant mastery in an additional nine years or so, after which you will be able to ‘quit’ practice, as boxing becomes your second nature. By this stage, your body will move without consciousness of footwork, your spirit will lead the arms with unerring precision until the end of your days. Take my word for it, one who works persistently will realize all dreams.

As for the ‘great movement of the human body', it cannot exist without yuan-qi. Yuan-qi moves all the processes in the body and is regarded as the third power between heaven and earth. This primordial qi creates all things, and the attainment of this qi leads to sagehood. To learn how to be a true human you need to follow the rules mandated by heaven- these are the systematized doctrines of yin and yang and the Five Phases. Through these, one can grasp the original way of bodily movement. The original way of bodily movement emerges from your painstaking work with the muscles, tendons and bones. Conscientious work through opposing states such as ‘advance and retreat,’ ‘existence and non-existence’ and other opposite pairs will bring the body to a state of motion and stillness, of opening and closing. Any disordered interaction of body parts will result in uncoordinated movement. When in motion, the whole body should be light and agile, all parts connected together.

The social environment is like an ocean of humanity where emphasis is placed simply on being in good terms with others, and not on self-cultivation within the mundane world. Perception and development of the latter can only be grasped through self-mastery and control over one’s mind/ heart. This is known as gong-fu.

As for the essence of Taiji, it consists of a sudden quiet realization of the way of qi circulation and its connection with universal principles. This understanding brings about infinite benefits. I myself have made my essence and spirit strong and healthy within my life span to clear my country of bandits and keep watch at the internal and external borders, using the tradition of clarity and calmness of mind. So how can I be unhappy or discontented? This is the greatest benefit of Taiji movement. Though there may be purposeful movements forward and upward, other movements exist with no visual forms or specific targets, carried out just for the sake of spiritual welfare. Such divine motions arise from the cultivation of gong-fu and appear in the form of a sage’s conduct. This conduct manifests in varying measures and as different phenomena, corresponding to the virtues of heaven and earth. It occurs at the temporal level in my body but is experienced in my mind at the realm of Taiji. Therefore the Taiji of my mind returns to the Taiji of Taiji. What other purpose can it have but to be Taiji for the sake of Taiji and nothing else? This is its only and absolutely magnificent role. This is pure spirit, also known as ‘Taiji-in-itself ’. (Some of my ill-informed and subjective interpretations at end of this chapter would make a wise man burst into laughter[67]).