The Way of Tai Chi
"The so-called Dao of Taihe contains the nature of floating and sinking, rising and falling, moving and stilling, and mutual induction. It is the beginning of entanglement, conflict, victory and defeat, and bending and stretching. Its origin is subtle and simple, but its end is vast and solid. The one who started from the Book of Changes is Qian! The one who imitates simplicity is Kun! It is scattered and different, but it can be represented as qi, and it is clear and open, but it cannot be represented as a spirit. It is not as wild as a wild horse or a tangled tangle, so it is not worthy of being called Taihe. Those who talk about Dao know this, and they are called knowing the Dao; those who study the Book of Changes see this, and they are called seeing the Book of Changes. If it is not like this, although Zhou Gong is talented and beautiful, his wisdom is not worth mentioning."
——Zhang Zai, a Neo-Confucianist in the Northern Song Dynasty
The core theory of Tai Chi Chuan, encompassing the Thirteen Postures of Eight Gates and Five Steps, originates from the principles of Yin-Yang, the Five Elements, and the Eight Trigrams in the study of the I Ching (Yijing). The movements of peng, lu, ji, an represent the four cardinal directions, corresponding to the four Trigrams: Qian(Heaven), Kun(Earth), Kan(Water), and Li(Fire). The movements of cai, lie, zhou, and kao represent the four corners, corresponding to the other four Trigrams: Xun(Wind), Zhen(Thunder), Dui(Lake), and Gen(Mountain). “Advancing, retreating, looking, observing and settling” are associated with the Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—representing the laws of mutual generation and mutual restraint, as well as the principles of expansion and contraction. The movement patterns expressed in Tai Chi Chuan reflect the natural laws of the universe, where Yin and Yang interact, swirl, and expand or contract in a spiral motion from the center, moving outward or inward in a circular, rotational flow. Therefore, the Eight Gates and Five Steps embody the endless, continuous, interconnected spiral movement of flowing water.
Master Wang realized from Wang Zong Yue’s Tai Chi Chuan Treatise that “letting go of oneself and following others, using softness to overcome hardness,” is an inherent capacity of human nature. Therefore, Tai Chi Chuan is a practice of cultivating both the body and mind, with the process being: train the form with the body, develop the strength through the form, cultivate qi (vital energy) with strength, focus the mind through qi, and merge the mind into the void.
Why does Tai Chi Chuan cultivate the body and mind? Because the laws of Tai Chi Chuan movement are based on inner-observation and renewal. Through the power of self-reflection, one can self-repair and return to the innate natural abilities. This is a deep development of the human brain's potential and a common theme in Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism speaks of keeping the mind, nurturing nature and attaining the Supreme Harmony; Daoism teaches cultivating the mind, refining nature and following the Dao; Buddhism talks about clarifying the mind, seeing the nature and emptiness of all dharmas.
As we study Wang’s Water Style Tai Chi today, in addition to practicing and applying each posture and form, we must not forget the hidden door behind it, which is the source of wisdom and a shortcut to exploring the mysteries of the universe.