WU LIFE 309

WU LIFE 309


DA CHI WAN CHEN - BIG TREASURES MATURE IN TIME

i was once told by master yuan, 'don't tell anyone you do tai chi
until you've practiced it for at least ten years.. some things can be
measured in weeks or months, but the practice of tai chi must be
measured in years. you can earn a degree in four years, become a
doctor in eight.. but after ten years of tai chi, you are still just a
beginner.'

well, i've been practicing tai chi for nearly a decade now.. first, i
learned the sun style short set, a simple 12 movement set.. it's
nothing special, but great for beginners. then, i learned the
traditional yang style which is much longer with 108 movements.. this
yang family system is probably the most common style of tai chi in the
world today. a little later on, i learned a super mysterious set
called the water dragon.. this set looks nothing like your typical
tai chi system, and is cram packed with martial moves and energetic
applications. around the same time i learned the water dragon, i also
picked up bits of the chen style from my brother barry, in addition to
some tai chi push hand techniques. then, i learned a special yin yang
tai chi walking system from shifu au seng in hawaii. later still, in
massage school, i learned some new animal tai chi movements such as
the monkey, snake, crane, dragon, and bear.. along with their various
massage applications. then, more recently, while here in wudang, i
learned the zhang san feng tai chi set which i've been doing now for
just over two years. even though i've practiced a variety of styles
for a third of my life.. i'm still but a novice. tai chi is deep.

though still just a beginner, along the course of my training i've
come to figure a few things out. from my experience, i have found
that tai chi practice has three distinct levels, or treasures. allow
me to elaborate..

my first level of tai chi practice was for my foundation.. i call this
the 'earth' treasure. it is here that i learned the basics of
external body mechanics. in watching my masters, i would do my best
to emulate their soft movements and graceful fluidity. with diligent
practice, i came to realize many benefits through this level of
training,.. my posture improved, my stance stabilized, and i became
more aware of my physical body and the physical space it occupied.
tai chi also had the dynamic benefit of calming my nerves when i was
restless, and energizing me when i was tired. unlike western sports
that just wore me out and left me sore, tai chi built me up and left
me revived and refreshed. most people that are patient enough to
practice for a few months will find these benefits as well.. but there
is still much, much more.

my next level of practice was for my internal development.. i call
this the treasure of 'man.' now with a better grasp on my external
mechanics.. i began to develop a deeper awareness for my internal
mechanics. my skeletal structure became firm and fortified, my
stabilizer muscles became balanced and proportionate, and my tendons
and connective tissues became strong and elastic. my body began to
transform inside and out. of all this goodness, the biggest benefit,
however, was that ALL my movements, not only tai chi motions, were now
backed with the effortless power of a natural structural alignment as
opposed to the limited strength of mere muscle force. these new
physical benefits translated in my spiritual world too.. my turbulent
emotions became soft and calm, i was stable and strong in my sense of
self, and i became fluid and flexible in the face of opposition. the
flowing current of a continued tai chi practice had smoothed the rough
edges of my being, physically and spiritually,.. but there was still
more to come.

my third level of practice is the level of power.. i call this the
treasure of 'heaven.' with a better grasp on the relationship between
my internal and external mechanics, the world of breath and intention
began to surface.. and with it, came a mysterious new power. now..
the elegant external movements are so slight and subtle, but the
internal whirlpool is tumultuous and stirring. i can feel the
individual powers of lifting, sinking, turning, and spiraling come
alive with each and every movement. as if in a dance with the tai chi
form itself, my breath and intention flow in waves which spill forth
in all directions from the core of my being. the raw, explosive
potential behind each motion is full and charged. the distinct and
dynamic polar powers of yin and yang are constantly churning within me
and their melodic harmonies are fully expressed with each slow and
graceful step of my tai chi practice. as poetic as it all seems, my
words still fall short of the real experience.. i can feel it even as
i write this. my tai chi has come alive.

ahhh.. nearly ten years of practice summed up in a few short
paragraphs.. all this may sound great, but in reality, my tai chi is
still so amateur. sure i've unlocked some 'treasures,' ..but i think
for some, the concept of unlocking a 'treasure' may be a bit
misleading,.. there are no such 'treasures' in the sense of an
obtainable material or substance, and there is no huge treasure chest
at the end of the tai chi rainbow.. rather, these 'treasures' are more
like huge, empty pots with an 'endless capacity,' ..with each day of
practice, a golden coin of effort and experience is added to the pot.
in time, continued effort and experience mature, which then grows into
a TRUE treasure,.. for the REAL wealth of tai chi lies within a
regular practice.. a wealth that must be earned and accumulated over
time. so start training, and maybe in ten years you can say you
practice tai chi too.


WANDERING TAOIST

i will be taking a few weeks off from my wu life blog to tao out for a bit.

this sunday was my master's birthday so i spent it with him,.. but
today, i am going off on an adventure. first, i shoot over to beijing
to visit the white cloud taoist monastery to mingle with the masters
of long men pai - the dragon gate sect. there, i am set to learn a
traditional taoist, seated dynamic-tension exercise.. the bone marrow
and tendon exchange. typically, this set is credited to bodhidarma of
shaolin, but i never knew that there was a taoist version too.. and i
get to learn it!

after spending a few days there.. i'm off to a taoist retreat hidden
deep in hua shan mountain to observe the spring equinox (and my 28th
birthday). i'll be staying in the dark, damp caves to meditate and
fast for ten days.. the same caves taoist master kwan saihung spoke of
in the story 'wandering taoist,' ..well, maybe not the EXACT caves..
but at least they're on the same mountain. who knows.. maybe i'll
meet the toad immortal.

i should change my name to aesop or goose.. my life is so fairy tale.
as if all that wasn't crazy enough, after the trip i get to return
home to wudang mountain to continue my baji training in the temple
academy. damn, i'm lucky.


ALOHA ALL

spring has sprung and the sun has become social once more. i have
tucked away my winter clothes and busted out the t-shirts and tank
tops. flowers are blooming and the farmers are hard at work spilling
poop juice on the fields. our school has returned to the temple to
train and new students are slowly starting to filter in. this year is
going to be very, very busy.. thank you for sticking around for the
first two months of this wu trip.. there is much, much more to come.

i love and miss you all. while i'm gone.. please serve your smiles
and follow your bliss with love, integrity, and virtue.. train hard
and be tall. may you all realize your full potential.


see you on the other shore,
-zi rong


--
May all beings be happy.