| Tai Chi Chuan is the art that preaches emptiness. | | | | his body to that of the attackers, and is able to |
| One must move without force to realize the true | | | | draw upon the energies of two bodies. |
| depth of Tai Chi. And, in Tai Chi, you never run | | | | Eventually the space of the body gives way to |
| out of nothing. | | | | the knowledge that there is a great space open |
| One must realize, of course, that there are | | | | to the the seeker. Indeed, the skin stops being a |
| degrees of emptiness. The beginning student will | | | | line of demarcation between the student and the |
| have one idea concerning this concept, and the | | | | rest of the universe. The student becomes |
| advanced master will have another, and there is | | | | master, and his perceptions are not halted at the |
| plenty of room in between. Indeed, one could | | | | threshold of his mortal envelope, but rather are |
| almost say there is a different viewpoint of this | | | | unlimited and as far as he can perceive. |
| great nothingness as there is students to perceive | | | | The new master touches arms with beginner, and |
| it. | | | | he speaks of great space, and he gives way that |
| At the start of the art concepts of Tai Chi cause | | | | the beginner may fall into a new arena of |
| much confusion. The new practitioner tries to get | | | | perception, an entire and new and glorious |
| in his own way, tries to figure out the mechanistic | | | | perception of the universe. Slowly, the new |
| nature of the cosmos, and slowly works his way | | | | student accepts the journey of the master, |
| through confusion. Eventually, the beginner starts | | | | accepts gravity only to refuse it in his thoughts, |
| to realize that there is more to this idea of | | | | and the circle continues. The fresh sprout grows, |
| emptiness than ever he had imagined. | | | | becomes tree, seeks the heavens, undergoing |
| One can perceive a great nothingness inside the | | | | cycles of existence that enliven the mind |
| body. The apparent concreteness of blood and | | | | throughout time. |
| brain gives way to perception. Awareness seeps | | | | This is the saga of Tai Chi, never ending, |
| unhindered through the machinations of the | | | | immutable, hastened only by the striving towards |
| apparently real body. | | | | knowledge by those who seek. This is the tai chi |
| This is something we learn through practice. The | | | | of a race, of mankind, and it is a goal and a |
| beginning student becomes advanced as reaction | | | | method and a notion that should be sought by all. |
| time goes away and begins to move in harmony | | | | What would happen if all nations of earth gave |
| with the motions of a foe. It is a short journey, | | | | way to the humanity of the people? |
| once embarked upon, until the student attaches | | | | |