T’ai Chi Chih is inner-oriented. It is not a performance or a dance. Indeed, the beauty of T’ai Chi Chih is far different from the graceful actions of the dance or the threatening movements of such disciplines as Karate, Judo, and Aikido.
One of my first T’ai Chi Chih students was a medical orderly. He had studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan with me at the University of New Mexico and made rapid progress in T’ai Chi Chih. At the end of the beginners’ course, he simply said, “Well, I don’t need you any longer.”
The other students were shocked, thinking he had been very disrespectful to the Master. However, I pointed out to them that ‘his’ was the right attitude. He meant that I had given him the tools, and it was now up to him to use them. Nobody can do it for you. You must travel the path yourself.
I remember a skeptical psychiatrist who took the very first course given. After the second class, he told me, “Well, sure I feel something. How do I know I’m not imagining it?” “How do you know you’re here, Doctor,” I answered. Each will have his own experience. The depths will never be entirely plumbed.
Now, I have time for just one more question. This man points out that I have spoken of the emotions but not mentioned intellect. Why?
He is quite observant to notice that. First of all, as Zen points out the emotions and the intellect must be in balance. When one or the other is too strong there will be suffering. The one who responds to everything emotionally is easily swayed and frequently has his feelings hurt. Conversely, the overly intellectual person, and I have known many among the faculty of universities, finds it hard to love and to be loved. Everything must be analyzed. These two, the intellect and emotions must be brought into balance.
One helpful suggestion: occasionally during the day stop to notice your state of mind, then look at your posture. Don’t correct it, just look at it. You will find that your state of mind has a good deal to do with your posture, and you will also find that your posture influences your state of mind. Once again, we have the mind-body continuum. Actually, the intellect plays little part in T’ai Chi practice.
The brilliant head of the Philosophy department at a major university tried to learn T’ai Chi Ch’uan in one of my classes and was unable to do so. I’m sure she had the highest I.Q. in the class, and yet practically all the others were learning rapidly. There is the time for the intellect, but T’ai Chi practice time is not it. Just do the movements and concentrate in the soles of the feet.
One thought: don’t forget that T’ai Chi Chih is not a religion, having nothing to do with dogma and doctrine, but it very definitely is spiritual in nature. And it is joyous, not work but effortless play, that play of the Sage.
Remember what Zen writer Paul Reps says, “If it isn’t fun, it’s better left undone.” Just do what you can comfortably, and you’ll get the benefits. And now I would like to quote a brief passage from Ch’an Buddhist literature as a concluding note.
Who is capable of embracing this? The four seasons follow each other in succession. The Sun and the Moon shine constantly. Truth suffers no fundamental alteration, and the great T’ai Chi is not confined to a single place. Therefore, free yourself to yield to whatever happens to you, rise and fall with it. And you may be simultaneously a common man and a sage.
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