ChiDragon

How about when Xuan(玄) means "deep and profound(玄之又玄)".

風(Wind) _____ _____ __ __ The wind is under the sky and on the tree top but it is invisible. Therefore, it was attributed as Yin by the bottom broken line. BTW The trigrams, here, are to represent the observed phenomena of nature. Indeed, there are eight of them; and that is why they are called ba gua(八卦). It is within the subject matter in this thread. I do not wish to jump to another subject at this point.

Hehehehe......You did not change my mind. In Chinese thinking, 命(ming4): life. It is also equal to 天命(tien ming): fate; destiny; kismet; it was meant to be.

Please note those who bend their legs, their legs will become stronger than before after a long period of practice. Zuna Zhuang 练习站桩有利于人增加力量，强壮身体，发动真气。 Practice Zuan Zhuang will give one the benefit of increasing the body strength(力量), enhance the health of the body. It activates the Natural Chi(真气).

"用意不用力 yong yi bu yong li." I think that is where most people get stuck on and applied this thinking at the wrong place like Zuan Zhuang. FYI... 不用力(bu yong li) it does mean one does not use any body strength at all. It simply means do not exert excessive force more than one has to. For example, when one is at the standing position, one's body automatically exert a force(用力) to support the body weight. However, it no force was exerted(bu yong li), one's body will fall on the ground. The Chinese phrases are very paradoxical, one cannot get their meaning from the direct translation of the characters. There was always a little philosophy behind each phrase. If the little philosophy was ignored, then, the whole significance of meaning was lost. Good luck and best....

Hence, I have already reached in such extreme level of fatigue, then, it has to be said that was 'life'! How is that sound...???

Modern Interpretation Yan Hui(颜回) said: "I have advanced." Confucius(孔子): "What was your advancement...???" Yan Hui(颜回): "I had forgotten 'benevolence and righteousness' already." Confucius(孔子): "Good, but it is still not suffice." Few days later, Yan Hui went to visit Confucius again and said: "I have advanced again." Confucius(孔子): "What do you mean by advancement this time...???" Yan Hui(颜回): "I have forgotten 'proprieties and music'." Confucius(孔子): "Good, but it's still not good enough." Few days had passed, then, Yan Hui went to visit Confucius again: "I have advanced again." Confucius(孔子): "What is your advancement...???" Yan Hui(颜回): "I'd been 'Zuo4 Wang4(坐忘)'." Confucius was surprised and perturbed: "What is 'Zuo4 Wang4'...???" Yan Hui(颜回) answered: "Destroyed and deformed the the healthy body, desensitized the senses of hearing and clear vision, then integrated with the Great Tao as a whole(一体), this is what was called 'Zuo4 Wang4' of quiet sitting with an empty heart and forgetting both myself and all things. Confucius: "Integrated with all things as one(同一), then there is no bias. Follow the changes spontaneously, then it would not be out of line with the ordinary principles. Oh! You are really a sagacious person! I am being a teacher for others, but I would hope that I can learn from you by follow your footsteps. ZiYu(子舆) and ZiSang(子桑) are good friends, it had been raining for more than ten days, ZiYu(子舆) said: "I'm afraid that ZiSang(子桑) maybe very tired and fell from hunger." Then, ZiYu(子舆) packed some foods and brought for him to eat. When he arrived at the front door, he heard ZiSang(子桑) seems like he was singing, but then he seems like he was crying, and also he was playing a musical instrument: "Is it my father? Or is it my mother? Is it heaven? Or is it human?" His voice was so low, it seems like he cannot help it to express his feelings which was quickly revealed in his lyrics in the song, ZiYu(子舆) went inside the room and said: "The lyrics you sung in the song, how come it was like this?" ZiSang(子桑) answered: "I am looking for the one who made me such extreme hardship and fatigue, however, I didn't find it. Is it, perhaps, my parents would like me to be poor? Heaven were not bias to cover up the Great Earth. The Great Earth were not bias and nourish all living things. Are heaven and earth, perhaps, letting me to be poor? I was looking for the thing that made me live in poverty but I haven't found it. Hence, I have already reached in such extreme level of fatigue, then, it has to be 'kismet'!"

水(Water) __ __ _____ __ __ Water is flowing in a river in motion which is Yang. Therefore, A Yang line was drawn in the middle indicating motion of water flowing in the middle of the river beds.

We do speak to reveal how much we don't know; or how much we had learned from those who don't know, don't we....???

火(Fire) _____ __ __ _____ Fire is soft which is Yin. It is burning inside a solid stove symbolized by the Yin line in the middle.

Buy low(Yin) sell high(Yang). It works every time.

Based on you scenario, if everybody can walk and become a Kung Fu master, then all the people who walk can be a Kung Fu master. Hence, ZZ has no significance in still movement; but it is all in the mind rather than making the legs strong....

澤(Marsh) __ __ _____ _____ Water flows from higher place to lower. Therefore, the bottom line is land above sea level which is Yang. The middle line is high mountain which Yang also. The top line is the soft water which is Yin. The idea here was that water is flowing on top of the land or mountain which is a march.

From doing Tai Ji for many years, I had built up the muscle tones on my legs. I can perform the ZZ stance for more then 20 minutes without any problem. With Reverse Breathing to maintain balance, I can stand on one leg and kicking around with one leg in the air at least ten times without falling off. BTW There was no pain in my legs whatsoever. I had passed that painful stage on my legs long time ago. Maybe most people don't realize that ZZ is more physical than mental... Edited to add: To do ZZ, one has the bend the legs to begin with at a durable angle. One has to feel the pain in the muscles, that's why they say "no pain no gain". One must feel the pain in the first few weeks. It was a torture but one must get over this hurdle. If one do something else other than standing with the knees bend, one is not practice Kung Fu or ZZ at all. This is a serious matter how one can take in ZZ or Kung Fu. There is no easy manner...

Thank you for your patience! I am getting there, slowly but surely. If I stay here long enough, English will become my first language. Thanks again for your tolerance and being Taoist about my ignorance too....

Tao is above nature. Tao created the universe. There was no time limit for Tao but there is for human.

In this case, no benefit at all. It seems to me that you have weak legs from not doing much exercise. Supposedly, ZZ will help to strengthen your legs. Tai ji will do that also. It is because Tai Ji will help you to put your body weights on one leg, alternately, at a time. The alternation gives you the Yin-yang effect. However, ZZ will have you to put the body weights on both legs constantly which causing you to have more stress on the legs. Lots of people cannot handle this as a novice.

Chapter 39 1. 昔之得一者。 2. 天得一以清。 3. 地得一以寧。 4. 神得一以靈。 5. 谷得一以盈。 6. 萬物得一以生。 7. 侯王得一以為天下正。 8. 其致之也。 9. 謂天無以清,將恐裂。 10. 地無以寧,將恐廢。 11. 神無以靈,將恐歇。 12. 谷無以盈將恐竭。 13. 萬物無以生,將恐滅。 14. 侯王無以貞,將恐蹶。 15. 故貴以賤為本， 16. 高以下為基。 17. 是以侯王自稱孤、寡、不穀。 18. 此非以賤為本邪﹖ 19. 非乎。 20. 故至譽無譽。 21. 是故不欲琭琭如玉, 22. 珞珞如石。 Chapter 39 1. Since those who gained unity: 2. Heaven gained unity became clear; 3. Earth gained unity became peaceful; 4. God gained unity became miraculous; 5. Valley gained unity became full; 6. All things gained unity became alive; 7. Rulers gained unity made world peace. 8. In the contrary, 9. Heaven is not clear , afraid it will split; 10.Earth is not peaceful, afraid it will quake; 11.God without miracle, afraid it will disappear; 12.Valley is not full, afraid it will dry out; 13.All things cannot grow, afraid they will extinct; 14.Rulers without standards, afraid they will overthrown. 15.Hence, with cringe as the basis for nobility, 16.With low as the foundation of height, 17.Therefore, rulers proclaimed themselves as loner, solely and unkind. 18.This is not using cringe as basis for humbleness...? 19.Is it...? 20.Therefore, supremacy has no need for glorification. 21.Hence, no desire to be as magnificent as jade, 22.Rather be as hard as a rock.

Chapter 39 1. Since those who gained unity: 2. Heaven gained unity became clear; 3. Earth gained unity became peaceful; 4. God gained unity became miraculous; 5. Valley gained unity became full; 6. All things gained unity became alive; 7. Rulers gained unity made world peace. 8. In the contrary, 9. Heaven is not clear , afraid it will split; 10.Earth is not peaceful, afraid it will quake; 11.God without miracle, afraid it will dispear; 12.Valley is not full, afraid it will dry out; 13.All things cannot grow, afraid they will extinct; 14.Rulers without standards, afraid they will overthrown. 15.Hence, with cringe as the basis for nobility, 16.With low as the foundation of height, 17.Therefore, rulers proclaimed themselves as loner, solely and unkind. 18.This is not using cringe as basis for humbleness...? 19.Is it...? 20.Therefore, supremacy has no need for glorification. 21.Hence, no desire to be as magnificent as jade, 22.Rather be as hard as a rock. I believe in Chapter 39, the implication of "Unity" was "Tao". Thus, Tao is One.

What about before the paper, printing and words were invented....??? Did you read Chapter 1 of the Tao Te Ching...???

Yes...........I know............

Steve... I know what you are saying. If you watch the Chen style more closely, you will see that they always put a little extra twist in their body movements. BTW I am just putting a little extra emphasis on that extra little twist not excluding other styles. Please do not assume that you are always talking to an amateur. I think we are here long enough to know who knows what and who doesn't. Don't you think...??? Edited to add.