ChiDragon

At the beginning of this chapter, the introduction was a big insult to Confucius. ZZ portrayed Wang Tai as a handicapped teacher in the State of Lu; and boasted that even he is even better than Confucius. It was because in the dialogue ZZ says that even Confucius wants to be a student of Wang Tai. The reason that ZZ placed Wag Tai in the state of Lu is because that Lu was the home state of Confucius. At one time, there was a limping person went over to Confucius and asked to be one of his disciples. However, Confucius refused by telling him that it was not easy to be a scholar for a handicapped person. His main reason was that most people do not respect handicapped persons. Later, Confucius regretted that he told that to the limped person and accepted him as his disciple after his brother came over and cursed at Confucius. In this parable, does anyone think that ZZ was using Wang Tai to portray himself and it was a territorial invasion as a big insult to Confucius...???

Meditation requires breathing. Did you breathe Chi into the lower dan tian...??? The famous saying in Chi Kung Meditation and Martial Arts: 「氣沉丹田」 "Sunk the Chi to the lower dan tian" What it does was to circulate the Chi inside the body for all the functions to take effect spontaneously...

Sorry........Double entry

　 There was a crippled man in the state of Lu(魯國), his name is Wang Tai(王駘). The number of disciples that travels and communicates with him is comparable with Confucius. Chang Ji(常季) asked Confucius: "Wang Tai is only a crippled man. His disciples deprived the disciples of Confucius by occupying half of the population in the state of Lu. When he stands up, he doesn't teach. When he sits down, he doesn't lecture. However, the students went to him empty handed, but left with their hands full. Is there really such a thing which teaching without words, is possible for the imperception to be perceptible in the heart...??? What kind of person is he...???" There is a ridicule in the parable. It tells allot. Why is ZZ always picking on Confucius....??? Anyone have any idea...??? Hint: ZZ was trying to distinguish the difference in Philosophy between a Taoist and a Confucian.

Taoist Qigong is medical Qigong but it is at a much higher level of practice. Just keep in mind that Qigong is Qigong. It was only classified by the attained level of each individual. Indeed, medical Qigong is a high level of Qigong.

1. Yes, Qi Gong is a Taoist origin. At least they were emphasized to practice it for better health and longevity. 2. Tai Chi is constantly practice in the Taoist temple in the Wudang Mountain. When the name "Wudang" was mentioned, it was understood that it is the Taoist religion. One can tell by the way the practitioners dressed Taoist attires. The legend of Tai Chi was developed by a Taoist. Qi Qong is more involved with breathing, while Tai Chi is more with muscle exercise which induce breathing chi into the lower dan tien progressively. Any method that breathes chi into the lower dan tien will cleanse all the internal organs other than just each individual organ. Chi sunk to the lower dan tien is more effective for health benefits or to generate body strength. Thus the highest goal in Qi Gong or martial art was to sunk Chi to the lower tien. If one practice Qi Gong and was not able to sunk Chi into the lower dan tien, then, one has not accomplish any health or martial art benefits. Note: By definition, when dan tien was mentioned, it was understood it was referred to the "lower dan tien". Unless it was specified otherwise. e.g. "Sunk Chi to the dan tien." It was understood that "sunk Chi to the lower dan tien.

What ZhuangTze was really saying here? Isn't he suggesting that all normal beings are subject to die sooner than their life expectancy; and those who are abnormal lived through their lifespan....??? The oxen with white foreheads, suckling pigs with upturned snouts, or people with hemorrhoids are disqualified for the sacrificial offering to the god of the river. So, what ZZ was saying is that those who are better off with retardation or handicap. They are auspicious because they are exempted from what harm might come to them. Hence, they will live longer than those who are normal. Personal note: After study few chapters of ZZ, I have realized that ZZ likes to use life subjects and different situations in comparison wihtin his philosophy while LaoTze likes to use objects for his comparisons most of the time. e.g. space vs non-space, and softness vs hardness.

The title of this thread is meaningless. There is no such thing as Yin or Yang training. Yin-Yang is only a concept to categorize the type of things and movements in martial arts but not to be identified as some kind of training. IMHO If I were you, I would reconsider myself about continuing with this misleading notion...

Qi Gong and Tai Chi are two different styles. Tai Chi is a form of Qi Gong, but Qi Qong is not necessary Tai Chi. Those who practice Qi Qong may not know Tai Chi; and those who do practice Tai Chi is doing Qi Gong already because of the improvement in breathing.

What make you think so...??? The other creation still can eaten them for foods. Can you narrow it down to one possibility why they are considered to be auspicious....???

Why does the spiritual person considers them to be greatly auspicious...??? Anyone.....???

Finally, my thinking in Chinese was finished..........

I believe that the original philosophy was: "Do not be fear but to fear the fear itself." There is something that one can be done; but one has not done it before. Therefore, one was afraid that one couldn't do it and backed off without having it done. The first fear was that it may be difficult to have it done. The second fear was that one was afraid of the fear that it was being difficult. Thus one didn't even attempt to have it done because of the second thought of fear and accomplished nothing.

It is because that was the peculiarity way of writing in classic text.

Jiang4 Ren2 Shi4 went to the state of Qi2. He arrived in Qu-Yuan, and saw an oak tree which worshiped by the people as an altar. The top of the oak tree can cover few thousands of cattle. If the trunk was measured with a rope, it was ten meters thick. The tree top is tall as the top of the hill. The trunk has branches at eighty feet high above the ground. It can used to build more than ten boats. The spectators are overwhelming from allover the place to see the tree, but this Jiang4 Ren2 did not even take a peek of it and continuously moving forward. His disciple stood there staring at the tree for a long time; then he ran up to catch up with Jiang4 Ren2 Shi4 and said: "Ever since I'd picked up an axe and followed you, I had never seen such a strong beautiful tree before. How come you are not willing to take a look but just moving along without stopping....???" Jiang4 Ren2 Shi4 answered back: "Forget it! Let's not talk about it anymore...!!! This is an useless tress, it will sink if it was used to build a boat. It will rot if used as a casket. It will break if it was used as an utensil. It will not hold the paint nor align with the door jam if it was used as a door. It will be eaten by insects if it was use as a beam. It was useless, that is why it can last this long. Jiang4 Ren2 Shi4 went home and had dreamed that the oak tree said to him: "What are you going to use to compare me with...??? That hawthorn, pear, orange, and grapefruit trees are fruit trees; all their fruits will fall to the ground when ripen, then the branches become abused, the big ones were being copped down, the small ones get to be snapped off." That was because of the end result of having the ability to produce some delicious fruits which causing hardship throughout their lives. Thus this does not allow it to complete its life cycle instead die half way. That was its own penalty induced from the common people. Isn't that everything was not just like so? Anyhow, I had been seeking a method to be useless for a long long time already. I was almost had chopped to death. That was how I am keeping myself alive. Uselessness has been my greatest usage. Supposedly, I really have some usefulness, then would I still be able to have the benefit of longevity...??? And so, you and I are a "thing". How can you look at all matters this way...??? You are only an useless one who is close to death; how would you really understand an useless tree...???" Jiang4 Ren2 Shi4 woke up and told the his dream to the disciple. The disciple said: "The goal was to pursue "uselessness", then why does the tree was letting the people to worship it...??? Jiang4 Ren2 Shi4 said: "Close you mouth, don't say it anymore! It was only its reliance on the people. In the contrary, it induced insults and harms from those who didn't understand it. If it was not a community tree, could it haven't had been cut by now...??? BTW the method it was using to protect itself was something else. If ordinary reasons were used for comprehension, isn't that was kind of too remote...???"

TBC.....Good night.

Everything... How long have you been practicing Tai Chi...??? 1. Breathing, movement, and mind should be aligned, spontaneously, with one smooth flow. You should not have to be tensing your mind for that. Place your thought on the movement where you want to move your arms and legs to. Take a slow breath at the beginning with movements of your arms and legs in one direction. The breathing speed should be following with the slow speed of the movements. You do the same when you exhale with the movement in the other direction. 2. It is a natural instinct to tense every muscle to support your body weight to balance yourself. Then, relax your muscles when you don't have to be standing still. It's true that the Tai Chi students were told to be relax doing practice. However, It doesn't matter how relax one is, there is always a little tension in the muscles for them to move. Especially, if one has to stand on one leg, there will be more tensions applied to the lower leg, spontaneously, in order to support one's own body weight.

It seems to me no one had mentioned the Virtue of Martial Arts. It is the first thing that an instructor should tell each student at the beginning of the class. The Virtue of Martial Arts is like a pledge or an oath which is not to use the art aggressively in any way. Thus it was the first thing is to learn self discipline in training one's mind.

Yang is attributed as active, high, strong, and masculine..... Yin is passive, low, weak, and feminine..... Use these attributes, in general, to determine others. Some of the charts aren't correct. Keep these in mind as facts for filtering out others as fallacies.

It was not necessary; a little brainwash will do....

I have seen an AD on TV about the Taoist temple in the Wudang mountain. It seems to me most of the disciples are Westerners. IMO I think the Westerners just want to hear what they want to hear or influencing their thinking with what they had learned. I do have a feeling that there is a shield in between our communication here already. I think I had failed to communicate my point across. This is not a more modern idea (both Eastern and Western). There is a difference, and always has been, one just need to learn to accept it.

The term 'Taoism" in English is a belief. It was because of the suffix 'ism'. In Chinese there is no such term. It is either the study of the Tao philosophy or Tao religion. The term "Taoist", 道人 or 道士, is spontaneously applied to a person who is cultivating attempted to be an immortal. At least living a way as a cultivator. The one who studies the Tao philosophy do not consider oneself as a 道人 or 道士(Taoist). If a Westerner can come across the line by looking at Taoism with the point of view of an Easterner instead of a Westerner, I think this confusion would have had been diminished. Again, if the Westerners are only sticking with their own point of view, due to stubbornness, in looking into others' point of view, then this cultural issue in thinking will never be resolved.

Thank you very much. oops.......sorry I posted the demo at the wrong place.....

I can't agree more with you about that. I got the impression that you had learned a great deal about the principles of Taijiquan. Can you shed some lights on these principles...??? Or is it a traditional secret from your masters...?? ooops....edited at the wrong post... --------- removed contents ......

This thread is about the history of Taijiquan. BTW 'Taiji' is also short for Taijiquan. There is no distinction between Taiji and Taijiquan here. Unless, one is thinking the 'Taiji' in the Yijing, then Taiji is different from Taijiquan; but it is in the complementary relationship with 'Wuji'.