ChiDragon

use at the beginning of the sentence 夫 fú 【助】 用于句首,有提示作用(Used at the beginning...) 夫秦有虎狼之心。——《史记·项羽本径》 夫六国与秦皆诸侯,其势弱于秦。——宋·苏洵《六国论》 夫战,勇气也 用于句中,舒缓语气(used in the middle....) 乃歌夫“长铗归来”者也。——《战国策·齐策》 用于句尾名，表示感叹 孟子曰：“术不可不慎。”信夫!——清·方苞《狱中杂记》 悲夫!有如此之势，而为秦人积威之所劫。——宋·苏洵《六国论》 另见fū

This character is so difficult to explain now because people are hardly using that way anymore. But in classic, 夫 was used at the beginning and the end of a phrase as a particle. Ref: 夫 Particle 夫 (traditional and simplified, Pinyin fú) ​(literary) sentence-final, meaning "Is it not?" ​(literary) initial particle which introduces a topic

Taomeaow.... I don't think that you are in China with your teacher right now. Do you still practice Tai Ji on your own....??? Do you think that "It energizes and vitalizes" was a psychological issue....??? I think self practice has a lot of self discipline and determination which trains the mind for mental and physical control or "Yi".

Here is the hard part for someone that doesn't have knowledge of the Classic Chinese. 夫, in this case, it means "therefore" rather than "a man". 唯 means only or "because of" but not "alone". There is a nuance between the two meanings of the English words. It is very easy for a non-native as well as a modern Chinese to misinterpret the characters in classic. PS.... Your translation is not saying what it says in the phrases. Based what I'd told, would you like to try to translate that again....???

Everything is OK, except the NOSE for 自 doesn't belong there.

Did you know your avatar had a stroke.....few weeks ago....???

Thank you for the explanation. I never had anything in mind that a Westerner guarantees misguided cluelessness. I was only saying that they described in words are so differently than what I had been reading in my native literature. I think I said many times, practice is the key but the words don't count that much. I am sorry it came out to be so offensive. Anyway, let's put this aside now.

oh... Thanks....!!! I'm so sorry. My mind was not oriented with western thinking. One day I will figure out what your previous message meant.

samwardell... Welcome...!!! May I point out to you that the "Tao" is different to each philosopher. Tao to Confucius is the morality which is the conducts of the people. Tao to LaoTze is Nature. His philosophy is to follow the course of Nature. Tao to Zhuang Zi is the principle of living and learn to live as a hedonist and libertarian. You are right about ZZ being a "wanderer". Wanderer to ZZ means to be a man free of any restriction rather than traveling around the world. PS.... If Zhuang Zi is not a Taoist, then nobody is.

One insisting to maintain the integrity of one pure idea was considered to be chauvinistic and supremacist. PS.... I do respect the decision of the MODs. However, if you are part of the loop, then please keep your statements as impartial as possible.

Perhaps for those who live in a democratic society, the only thing they have known is equality. However, there were lot of situations which are not. If there wasn't any preference for one group or another, then, the Tao Te Ching wouldn't have bad been written. LaoTze wrote the ideas in the Tao Te Ching was based on inequality. He saw the ruling class were high above with no sympathy nor justice for the people.

Please keep in mind. During the Warring states, the Chinese didn't know that there were other parts of the world existed. The ancients most ofter used the term 天下(tian xia), underneath heaven, was referring to China only. Thus to answer your question, the Tao Te Ching was meant for the Chinese only at the time. In the modern time, the world becomes international. Hence, the definition of 天下(tian xia, underneath heaven), have become broadened to the entire world rather than just China. For the sake of this discussion, the time period was limited to China only.

yiming.... 混沌 means: obscurity; dimness; indistinctness; vagueness. The purpose of having them on his chest, he wants people to know that he is obscure.

Do we want to hear the positive side all the time....??? Let's hear some negatives....!!! Let's see what is in everybody's mind. PS.... Please don't bring the MODs yet....!!!

Does he write about bed chamber arts in there as well? He does has a section on "Working with Sexual Energy" but not very extensive. He did mention "Solo Cultivation which involves sexual self-massage including specific exercises which covered extensively in his previous book The Complete Book of Chinese Health and Healing. While the Dual Cultivation with a partner was presented in detail in The Tao of Health, Sex and Longevity.

hmmm....... Shall I just bow to agree to the things that everybody says here; even it was against my own beliefs....???

Okay... I knew that was coming. I was only respond to the question that was being asked. Teaching and practicing and explanations are different things. As long the practice was done correctly, the effects are the same to me. However, it really doesn't matter how one wants to put it in words. They are just words for the sake of discussion.

Nelida.... You welcome...!!! Nowadays, there are lots of westerner went to China to learn Chi Kung and Tai Ji Chuan. They will teach what they had learned when return to their native lands and probably write books about them in their point of view. The point of view was probably about partial of what they had learned and the rest maybe only their thoughts of what it was. To answer your second questions. That was a dead give away, when someone says Peng has nothing to do with Fa Jin or they are two separate deals....

Thank you for given me some lead way. I'm no authority neither but I can distinguish the two, Peng and Fa Jin. You don't have to buy anything I said. Nobody does here anyway. I am shooting the breeze just for the heck of it...... I know you have exposed and used to the western view about Tai Ji Chuan. However, the eastern view is little bit different than the west. I don't what happened during the transition. Let's say it just happens. If you are interested of what I am going to tell you, that's fine. If not, it is fine too. No hard feelings. Let me try this again with the fundamental basis. If I think peng is 掤, then I can go from here. In Tai Ji Chuan, peng is just one of the four methods in 推手(tui1 shou3 ). Tui Shou was the next level followed by the fundamental movements. The purpose of Tui Shou was learn to Fa Jin. However, the ability to Fa Jin only can be obtained was from the long time practice of the basic movements. I think there was no question why the Chinese people spend so much time in the park for the practice. With that said, if one does not have to ability to Fa Jin, then one cannot peng. Peng has two defensive methods, one is the Upper Peng(上掤) which was to keep the opponent from lowering oneself. The other is Level Peng(平掤) which was to keep the opponent from moving forward toward you. Tai Ji always involve with the concept of Yin-Yang. Therefore, Fa Jin can be used for offensive as well as defensive. Defensive is to Fa Jin in the arms, while standing still, to resist the pushing of the opponent. Offensive is to Fa Jin by moving yourself forward in a short distance to push the opponent away from you. If you are at a higher level of Fa Jin, you don't even have to move an inch; your Jin will do all the work by leaving your body and passed onto the opponent. Now, you should know why that you don't start doing Tui Shou before the practice of the basic movements. By your own testimony "so the difference in how I view and understand things changes and advances with every month I practice" This was a good indication that the Jin is building up in your body.　

No, I mean "grokking". It is not, originally, an English word. Read for yourself. Definition of Grok 意思 is yi si = meaning 通過 thoong kor = through 感覺 ghum ghok = reflect idea feeling 意會 yi wui = comprehension by intuition

dawei.... Where did you obtain this phrase from...??? [德]昏之而弗得命之曰夷 Should it be this....??? 捪之而弗得命之曰夷

You have been enlightened about the art of breathing. I thinking that is what the Chinese called Chi Kung. You have passed the most important first stage of Chi Kung. You had completed the connection between the 任(ren4) and 督(du1) meridians by the definition of the Chinese Chi Kung practitioners. It was also know that you have completed the microcosmic orbit. PS... Breathing in high states of being is the ultimate realm of achievement in Chi Kung. Congratulations...

Grokking 的意思是：通過感覺意會 Something has to be comprehended through the intuitive senses of the mind but cannot be expressed in words.

rene, hi yiming is a very individualistic person. I can understand his behavior was due to the exposure to a different culture. I remember that I had the same behavior once before. Somehow, I think we all have to learn our lessons from a hard way. I hope he will realize, in the near future, that he had been forgiven by the tolerable people, here, in this forum. Thank you. PS... I do not and cannot control over his behavior. He is what he is. I don't think there is any bearing in reflection between me and him.

Nelida... What I am trying to say is practice makes perfect. Somehow, some people are born with the physical capability without the need for a long time practice. I just left that out in my OP and wait for your response to see if that was the case. I think it was. I was only speaking the truth from a fundamental basis without any exceptional case. In your case, may be an exceptional case. Please excuse my bluntness. I'll stay out of your way from here at this moment.