In The Garden of My Teachers
A Brief Summary of Ten
Essays
The Origins of Taijiquan
‘The Origins of Taijiquan’ traces the development of Chinese health
exercises that eventually led to the creation of the internal martial art
known as Taiji. The essay examines the huge influence of ancient historical
figures such as The Yellow Emperor, Laozi and Zhuangzi on Chinese
self-cultivation, meditation and health. A biographical sketch of Zhang San-feng,
the mythological founder of Taiji, is presented and his role incisively
critiqued. Historically, the most likely fathers of Taiji were either Wang
Tsung-yueh of the Taiji Classics or Chen Wanting of the Chen family.
Arguments for and against their paternity are analyzed in detail. The essay
then demonstrates the how Taiji developed and was popularized through the
Yang family, eventually evolving into the martial art and health exercise of
that is practiced all over the world.
The Role of Taiji in Human Evolution
Richard E. Leakey, the well known paleontologist, wrote: “The fundamental
distinction between us and our closest (primate) relatives is not our
language, not our culture, not our technology…it is that we stand upright
with our lower limbs for support and locomotion and our upper limbs free
from those functions.” In order for human beings to stand upright and walk
properly, we must develop strong legs, be able to balance the weight of the
upper body over the pelvis and balance the head over the mid-line of the
body. In the modern world of sedentary living these principles are not well
understood, which leads to poor posture, ill health and body pain. ‘The Role
of Taiji in Human Evolution’ illustrates in theory and practice how Taiji
educates the body and mind to fulfill the above postural requirements and
how it can help human beings to enjoy optimum health.
Ten Push Hands Lessons from ‘The Art of War’
Master Sunzi (Sun Tzu) was the author of ‘The Art of War.’ The book is a
compendium of occasionally enigmatic but always insightful military
strategies. Sunzi was a successful general who lived in the 6th century BCE.
Today ‘The Art of War’ is a major text in military academies throughout the
world and Sunzi’s ideas on strategy are studied by business leaders in both
east and west. His insights contain valuable lessons for martial artists and
can be applied to the practice of Push Hands. ‘Ten Push Hands Lessons from
‘The Art of War’ examines how Taiji players can employ his strategies to
improve their Push hands’ abilities. For example, he wrote: ‘A military
operation involves deception.’ In simplest terms the Push Hands player
should not display his intentions but should remain formless. He should take
the attitude of being ready to push or to yield. This prevents his partner
from anticipating his movements.
How to Meditate
‘How to Meditate’ addresses the common problems that arise during
meditation. The essay offers practical advice on how to begin and improve
the meditative experience. The first step of success is proper preparation
including the place, clothing, and attitude. Next, the meditator must assume
the right posture for optimum results. The problem of focus, meaning the
wandering mind, is addressed and methods to improve concentration are
suggested. Breath is the fundamental link between the unconscious and
conscious mind. The manner in which we breathe is a microcosm of who we are
and reflects the condition of the larger mind/body system. The essay
provides a complete guide on the proper way to breathe during meditation.
Finally, it is crucial to leave problems, worries, and external commitments
outside the door of the meditation room. One must relax and let go of the
worries and tensions of the daily affairs.
Zhan Zhuang: Standing Meditation
One Chinese master of Standing Meditation said the following about his
practice: ‘When standing, the organs move, when doing other kinds exercises,
the body moves.’ While perhaps an exaggeration, his view encapsulates the
strong emphasis that many Chinese Taiji teachers place on internal work to
strengthen the body and to calm the mind. There is an important idea in
Chinese thought that in stillness there is movement and in movement there is
stillness.
Standing meditation is the ultimate exercise for total mind/body
involvement. It balances the body’s internal energies and calms thoughts and
emotions while strengthening legs and improving posture. I teach standing
meditation in all my classes and I try to stand at least once every day,
preferably in the morning. This essay provides the reader with practical
advice, the standing postures and important visualizations to enhance one’s
standing meditation.
Taiji and Sudden Enlightenment
‘Taiji and Sudden Enlightenment,’ investigates the profound influence
that Daoism and Buddhism exerted on Taiji. Briefly, Sudden Enlightenment is
the occurrence of a sudden insight into the ‘true’ nature of reality. As a
sign of sudden enlightenment, the individual would often express a
spontaneous display of emotion that would appear like a bolt of lightening
in a clear blue sky. This emotion could assume many forms such as laughter,
anger or fear; some kind of intense expression of passionate energy. It
could also occur in the dream state or in meditation, without any outward
expression. How it was manifested depended on the personality of the
individual and the way that person lived his or her life. Needless to say,
sudden enlightenment was a subjective, internal experience, removed from
ordinary reality. Taiji masters such as Yang Pan-hou and Zhengmanqing
exhibited signs of Sudden Enlightenment. The essay recounts experience of
Professor Zhengmanqing and the way in which Sudden Enlightenment raised his
art to a higher level.
Wuji Mind and the Martial Spirit
This essay investigates the intriguing relationship between the state of
one’s mind and the proper martial spirit. Wuji Mind, meaning empty mind, is
a crucial concept in the Taiji. Since Taiji comes from Wuji, which is
emptiness, then to grasp Taiji fully in all its aspects of movement, health,
self-defense and martial spirit, we must understand the relationship between
them. The material world of Yin and Yang is only part of the picture. An
equally important and profoundly authentic level of Taiji resides in and
flows out of the emptiness of Wuji. This is the source of the ultimate
martial spirit; the harmonious blending of action and nonaction, being and
nonbeing, Taiji and Wuji. The most complete statement I’ve seen
encapsulating this spirit comes from the great Japanese swordsman, Yagyu
Tajima:
The Mind is Emptiness itself, but out of this Emptiness
An infinity of acts is produced:
In hands it grasps, in feet it walks, in eyes it sees…
It is indeed difficult to have this experience
Because we cannot get it from mere learning,
From the mere listening to others talk about it.
Swordsmanship consists in personally
Going through this experience.
When it is done, one’s words are sincerity itself,
One’s behavior comes right out of the Original Mind
Emptied of all ego-centered contents.
The Taiji Way of Giving Birth
One can browse the health and child-care shelves of any good bookstore
and find numerous books on exercise and childbirth including those that
extol the benefits of Yoga and swimming. What you will not find is a book on
Taiji and birthing. The following essay is an attempt, a beginning effort,
to fill this void. This essay demonstrates how the principles of Taiji can
aid both the pregnant mother and father during birthing experience. The
essay recounts the successes and difficulties, fears and courage of my
students and how they overcame them through their practice of Taiji.
The Ten Principles of Taiji Falls Prevention
Fear of falling is the number one fear among older adults, according to a
recent study. And it is no wonder. In the United States, 60,000 of the
300,000 people who break a hip from a fall will die within the twelve months
of their accident. One important way for older adults to stay on their feet
is by practicing the Chinese health exercise, Taiji.
Taiji has been shown to improve balance. A major study at Emory
University concluded that adults over 70 doing Taiji fell 47.5% less than
the control group. This led to a sense of well-being about walking because
the participants knew they were less likely to fall. The Emory study also
reported other important benefits of Taiji such as a reduction in blood
pressure and an increase in hand-grip strength. The following essay offers
Ten practical Taiji principles that can help prevent falls in seniors and
the physically challenged.
Taiji for Parkinson’s Patients
Taiji may be the perfect exercise for Parkinson’s patients. One reason is
that Taiji emphasizes using the mind to exercise the body. In other words,
mind and body are both active and work together as a harmonious unit. Recent
studies demonstrate that Taiji can increase strength, add flexibility and
improve balance in Parkinson’s patients. In a research project at the
University of Florida in Jacksonville, scientists found that Taiji reduced
the number of falls in Parkinson's patients. This essay confirms the
efficacy of Taiji in working with Parkinson’s. It demonstrates how I used
Taiji to improve the walking and balance of Parkinson’s patients through the
practical application of Taiji principles.
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