Taijiquan Treatise of Zhang San Feng
The following special information has been taken from Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit's website www.shaolin.org
As students of Grandmasater Wong Kiew Kit, we are blessed to have always trained with the correct essence and spirit of Zhang San Feng. Thank you Sifu and with deepest respect to the Immortal Zhang San Feng.
ln researching into Wudang Taijiquan, I studied deeper many of the
kungfu and chi kung classics in my personal collection. I reviewed many
Taoist and Taijiquan classics.
The classic considered by many Taijiquan practitioners as the most
important and therefore is the most widely quoted, even if some of them
do not actually understand what it says, is the Treatise of Taijiquan by
the great Wang Zong Yue, which you can find in my book, The Complete
Book of Tai Chi Chuan. If you haven't read it, even if you do not
practice Taijiquan, it is certainly worth your while to do so.
But I have found, which to me is even more important, a Taijiquan
Treatice by the great Zhang San Feng himself! Literally translated it
is named "Focusing Spirit Accumulating Energy Treatise in Grand Ultimate
Practice". Not many people may know of this treatise, and fewer still
understand it as, like most Taoist writings, it was written in arcane
language. This treatise is found in a rare classic entitled "The
Secrets of Cultivating Elixir of Zhang San Feng". It was written by
Zhang San Feng himself, and preserved by his disciple and successor, Tai
Yi.
It is not easy to have access to a classic, but even if you have one,
there are two big difficulties facing those who read it. One, classics
were written in concise classical Chinese which even modern Chinese
scholars may not understand. Two, which is a bigger difficulty, basic
knowledge which is needed to understand what was written, is usually not
mentioned. Classics were never meant as teaching manuals. They were
written for students who had practiced the art itself to highlight the
essence of the teaching so that the initiated can preserve the teaching
for posterity.
I shall first translate the treatise literally so that you can have some
fun trying to figure it out. Then I shall give a longer, figurative
translation. Finally I shall explain what it means according to my
understanding and experience.
Literal Translation of the Treatise
Focusing Spirit Accumulating Energy Treatise in Grand Ultimate Practice
The beginning of Grand Ultimate is Limitless Void. Nebulous as one
energy. No separation. Thus, Limitless Void is the mother of Grand
Ultimate. Thus the origin of myriad of things.
Two energies separate. Heaven and earth judge. Grand Ultimate results.
Two energies are yin and yang. Yin quiescent and yang dynamic. Yin
terminates yang generates.
Heaven and earth are separated into pure and impure. Pure floats impure
sinks. Pure high impure low. Yin and yang combine, pure and impure
unite. Interact and generate, result in myriad things.
Life of man originally possesses Limitless Void. This is the pre-natal
mechanics. Creation of man is post-natal, thus Grand Ultimate. Thus
myriad things not without Limitless Void. Also not without Grand
Ultimate.
The function of man. When there is movement, there must be quiescence.
Extreme quiescence there must be movement. Movement and quiescence
mutually operate, that is yin-yang. United become one Grand Ultimate.
Life of man is all dependent on spirit and energy. Pure energy rises
up. Doubtless to heaven. Focus spirit internally. Doubtless to earth.
Spirit and energy unit. Result in one Grand Ultimate.
Hence, the transmission of my Art of Grand Ultimate. First, understand
the marvellous way of the Grand Ultimate. Not understand this, not my
students.
Art of Grand Ultimate, movement is like quiescence. Quiescence is like
movement. Movement and quiescence interact. Mutually connected without
break. Two energies unite. Signals the attainment of the Grand
Ultimate. Internally focus spirit. Externally accumulate energy.
Before form arrives, intention first arrives. Form has not arrived,
intention has already arrived. What is intention? The agent of spirit.
Spirit and energy unite, the seat of Grand Ultimate is decided. Its
sign is settled. Its seat is settled. Continuously interact. The
number seventy two. Thirteen techniques in Art of Grand Ultimate. Ward
off, roll back, press in, in contact, take, spread, elbow, anchor.
Forward, backward, to the left, to the right, remain at centre.
According to creation and reaction of Eight Symbols and Five Processes.
Also empty spirit, ignore pull, loosen waist, settle false-real, sink
and press, use intention and not use strength. Top and bottom
co-ordinated, internal and external united. Continuously linked without
break. Quiescence found in movement. The ten essentials in Art of
Grand Ultimate. No-two-gate for those who learn the art. Fundamental
for entering the way..
Entering the way nourish heart stabilize nature; accumulate energy focus
spirit be main path. Practice this art must follow thus. Heart not
peaceful, nature disturbed. Energy not accumulated, spirit disordered.
Heart and nature not united, spirit and energy not co-ordinated, four
limbs and hundred meridians of body lifeless, and functions useless. To
pacify heart and stabilize nature, focus spirit and accumulate energy.
Not miss hit-sitting. Not neglect techniques of training. Search
within movement and quiescence the benefits of Grand Ultimate.
From Eight Symbols and Five Processes find principles of creation and
reaction. Use seventy two number to achieve heart and nature, spirit
and energy of the Grand Ultimate. Mutually function. Thus heart
peaceful nature stabilized, spirit focussed energy accumulated.
Achieve attainment of Grand Ultimate in body. Yin ynag unite, movement
and quiescence become one. Four limbs and hundred meridians of body
flow smoothly. Without stagnation without wastage. Hence receive my
transmission.
Figurative Translation of the Treatise
Treatise of Spiritual Cultivation and Energy Training in the Practice of Taijiquan
The beginning of the Cosmos, called Taiji, is the undifferentiated
spread of infinity and eternality, called Wuji. It is one nebulous
spread of energy, with no separation and no differentiation. Thus, this
undifferentiated spread of infinity and eternality is the mother of the
Cosmos, the origin of the phenomenal world with countless things and
events.
Two aspects of this one energy emerges, and separate to become heaven
and earth. This results in the Cosmos, or the phenomenal world, called
Taiji. These two aspects of energy are called yin and yang. Yin is
quiescent and yang is dynamic. When yin terminates, i.e. when energy
become still to the extreme extent that it cannot be more still,
movement begins. On the other hand, when yang terminates, i.e. when
energy become so dynamic that it cannot be more dynamic, it returns to
being quiescent.
Heaven and earth are the result of the behaviour of different types of
energy. Energy that is pure, rises and constitutes heaven. Energy that
is impure, sinks and constitutes earth. This is the innate nature of
energy. Energy that is pure will rise, and energy that is impure will
sink. Pure energy rises high, and impure energy sinks low.
Nevertheless, the pure and impure energy, or yin and yang, combine and
unite. The interaction of these various types of energy goes on
constantly and continuously, resulting in the countless things and
events we have in our phenomenal world.
Our lives as humans follow the same principles. At first there is the
Limitless Void where there is no separation into individual entities
like mountains and humans, and differentiation between one mountain from
another mountain or one human from another human. It is just energy.
This is the pre-natal situation, the situation before the Cosmos was
born.
But after the Cosmos was born, there is separation and differentiation.
There are mountains and humans, and countless other things. One
mountain or human is different from another mountain or human, and this
applies to all other things. This is the post-natal situation, the
situation after the birth of the Cosmos.
Yet, these countless separate and different entities are not different
from the undifferentiated spread of energy. They are the same. In
other words, the Cosmos is not different from the Limitless Void, and
the Limitless Void is not different from the Cosmos. They are the same.
The same universal principle that the Cosmos is also the Limitless Void,
and the Limitless Void is also the Cosmos also apply to all human
functions and processes,. When there is movement in human functions and
processes, there is also quiescence, and when there is quiescence there
is also movement.
When human functions and processes have become extremely still, movement
starts. When human functions and processes have become extremely
dynamic, stillness occurs. Movement and stillness inter-react, and the
operation is symbolized as yin-yang. The whole complex matrix of this
yin-yang operation constitutes the Cosmos.
All activities of human life are dependent on spirit and energy. The
pure energy of human rises to become heaven, and the impure energy sinks
to become earth. Cultivate your spirit above and train your energy
below. When you spirit and energy unite, they result in a micro-Cosmos
in you, which mirrors the macro-Cosmos of the Universe.
This is the transmission of the essence of my teaching om the art of
Taijiquan. The most important lesson is to understand the marvellous
operation and benefits of the Cosmos in you and in the Universe. If you
do not understand this most important lesson, you have missed the
essence of my teaching.
In the art of Taijiquan there is stillness in every movement, and there
is movement in every stillness. Movement and stillness are not
separate, they are integrated, and they mutually act and react without
any break in between. Only when you have attained yin-yang harmony in
all aspects, it can be said that you have been successful in your
Taijiquan practice.
In the practice of Taijiquan, internally cultivate your spirit, and
externally train your energy. Before you make any physical movement in
your form, you must have intention. Intention leads form. What is
intention? It is the agent of your spirit.
When you have the unity of spirit and energy, you have accomplished the
essential practice of Taijiquan. It is a sign showing that you have
practiced correctly. It is a sign that you have attain the essence of
Taijiquan.
When you practice the 72 patterns of Taijiquan, you must constantly
integrate with spirit and energy. In the 72 patterns of Taijiquan are
found 13 techniques. These 13 techniques are ward off, roll back, press
in, in contact, take, spread, elbow, anchor, moving forward, moving
backward, moving to the left, moving to the right, and remaining at the
centre. These 13 techniques in the 72 patterns of Taijiquan must be
performed according to the principles of creation and reaction of the
Eight Trigrams or Bagua, and of the Five Elemental Processes or Wuxing.
Also, in the practice of Taijiquan you must empty your mind of all
thoughts and not tense any muscles. You must loosen your waist, and
apply the principle of false-real, the principle of sinking and
pressing, and the principle of using intention and not using strength.
The top and bottom part of you body and movement must be co-ordinated.
The internal and external aspects of training must be integrated. All
the patterns must be performed continuously in one gentle, graceful flow
without any break. In your movement there must be stillness, and in
stillness there must be movement. These are the ten essentials in the
art of Taijiquan. This is the "Gate of No Other Way". This is
fundamental to becoming students of our school to practice Taijiquan
correctly.
When you have been accepted into our school to practice Taijiquan, you
must cultivate your heart and nurture your original nature. Training
energy and cultivating spirit is the main methodology of practice. If
you wish to practice the art of Taijiquan you must follow this
procedure. If your heart is not peaceful, your original nature will be
disturned. Your energy will not be built and your spirit will be
disordered.
If your heart and nature are not united, and your spirit and energy not
co-ordinated, the four limbs and hundred meridians of your body will be
lifeless, and their functions will be useless. To pacify your heart and
stabilize your nature, to cultivate your spirit and train your energy,
you must not neglect sitting meditation. You must also not neglect
proper methods of training. In your practice, if you search within your
movement and stillness, you will find the benefits of Taijiquan.
From the Eight Trigrams or Bagua, and the Five Elemental Processes or
Wuxing, find the principles of constant action and inter-action. Use
the Taijiquan set of 72 patterns to cultivate your heart and nurture
your original nature, and to cultivate your spirit and train your energy
in your Taijiquan practice. All these aspects operate in yin-yang
harmony to achieve the micro-Cosmos in you, which mirrors the
macro-Cosmos in the Universe. When yin and yang are in harmony,
movement and stillness have become one, the four lims and hundred
meridians of your body will flow smoothly. There will be no energy
stagnation and no physiological and psychological mal-functions. If you
follow all this advice and methodology, you would have received my
transmission.
Having access to a classic is one thing. Understanding it is another.
The third step is putting the teaching in the classic in our practice to
enhance our benefits. We in our school go a step further. We transfer
the teaching into our daily work and play to enrich our lives and the
lives of others.
In subsequent posts I shall give an explanation and interpretation of
this Taijiquan Treatise by the great Zhang San Feng according to the
best of my understanding and experience.
Wong Kiew Kit
19th August 2011
Bad Ragaz, Switzerland
