Chinacyber.com
Philosophy
Lao Tzu and Taoism
Confucius and Confucianism
Buddha and Buddhism
The I Ching
The Yin and Yang and the Five
Elements
Chi
Links:
Classical
Chinese Philosophy
Chinese
Philosophy
Essential
Readings on Chinese Philosophy
Philosophy of Language
in Classical China
Religion
& Philosophy
| The aims of the ancient philosophies that have influenced and are manifold, ranging from the purely physical to the social, the spiritual and, some would say, the supernatural. Let us consider briefly the major influences. |
Lao Tzu and Taoism
 |
Lao Tzu (born 604 BC) taught the doctrine of the Tao (pronounced' Dow') or Naturalism, which is drawn mainly from the recognition of the soft, yielding ways of nature. First, according to Tao, it is only by observing, learning from and conducting our lives according to the ways of nature that we can expect to reach a state |
of fulfillment and peace. You should do nothing that conflicts with the natural way: you should bend with the wind and become a part of it, rather than attempt to resist. A snow-covered leaf does not resist, but bends slowly and gracefully until the snow falls away. It does not obstruct, fight or confront the snow but, instead, submits to its greater force and ultimately triumphs.
According to the laws of nature, nothing is permanent, everything is forever changing. Everything is born, it evolves and dies and is reborn again, thus creating a never-ending circle. In effect, there is no beginning and no end. This concept is reflected in the changing seasons. Also, everything in nature has a complementary or opposite component which is represented by the attributes yin and yang. For example, hot and cold, night and day, male and female and so on. Through all the changes occurring in nature, harmony is established through the balance of yin and yang. When yin and yang are not balanced, disorder occurs.
Taoism is in fact the major influencing philosophy of Tai Chi. Taoism regards the physical and spiritual as indivisible yet distinctly different aspects of the same reality, with the body serving as the root for the blossom of the mind. The purpose of Tai Chi is to regain the balance between body and mind to achieve harmony.
The second major principle is the Taoist doctrine of the 'Uncarved Block' which describes humans in a pristine state of existence, before they are tainted by family, education, environment and society, before they are changed by bigotry and greed. To attain fulfillment, each of us must again become pure, virgin, untouched - as an uncarved block. In your heart and mind you should contemplate only those things that accord with the natural laws. Only by doing this can you find peace within yourself.
Third is the doctrine of Wu Wei, or'Non-action'. which does not advocate that you should be completely passive, doing nothing or always turning the other cheek, but, rather, that you should do only the things that need to be done and act only in ways that accord with the natural law. It means doing things for their own sake rather than for ulterior motives. Perhaps most importantly, it means knowing when to stop rather than over-doing things. As Lao Tsu made the point: When your work is done, then withdraw!
That is the way of HeaDen.
The Taoist principles are intertwined directly in the philosophy of Tai Chi. In particular, the doctrine of naturalism influences the movements of Tai Chi and ensures that each applies the concepts of softness, yielding and non-action. This results in the inner calmness and tranquility of the performer as he or she moves with, rather than attempts to resist, the laws of nature.
Nature constantly changes, and this is reflected in Tai Chi exercises by the constantly changing movements. The shifting of the weight from one foot to the other and the alternating movements of the limbs help to bring balance and harmony.
Confucius and Confucianism
Confucius (551-479 BC) formulated a philosophy of humanism which concentrates on the world of the living, rather than on life in the next world or on spiritual needs. His doctrines focus on social conduct and order, and ethics and morality in particular.
Confucius taught that the goal of the individual is to cultivate the qualities of social grace, justice and wisdom (with special respect for family elders). His goal for society was universal order and harmony. He also believed in the necessity of reverence and respect for the human body.
The Confucians philosophy of order and harmony is reflected in the postures and movements of Tai Chi. Tai Chi exercises involve upward and downward, left and right, and forward and backward motion. When these movements are properly balanced, harmony results. Tai Chi promotes harmony within the self and, as a consequence, the ability to deal calmly and fairly with others.
Buddha and Buddhism
Unlike naturalistic Taoism or humanistic Confucianism, Buddhism is concerned with the after life and the way to the next world.Buddha (550-477 BC) expounded a philosophy of nonmaterialism: that all things are transient, that they lack continuous form and have no ultimate content. He preached a doctrine of love and compassion to overcome hatred and revenge. |
He taught that to find peace, we must learn to conquer the self and extinguish the ego. In this way, we will extinguish the causes of all our suffering: our attachments and desires.
The essence of Buddha's teaching is evident in the non-ego and non-materialistic attitude of Tai Chi philosophy. These aspects are further emphasized in the Tai Chi practice of ,emptying' all stress and tension from the body and mind, resulting in the'non-action'way of doing things. Tai Chi teaches you to let go of your worries and concerns as you concentrate on the movements you are performing. In this way, it frees you from the constraints of the self. The Buddhist teaching of proper posture, proper breathing and focusing the mind are also directly reflected in Tai Chi practice.
As well as individual philosophers and their doctrines, the philosophical foundations of Tai Chi encompass the I Ching, and the concepts of yin and yang and chi (energy).
The I Ching
The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is one of the oldest Chinese books of wisdom, dating back some 3000 years. It consists of a series of sixty-four hexagrams and interpretations of them, having originally evolved from ancient divinations, and was one of the first attempts made by humans to explain and rationalize the mystery of the universe. Originally a manual of oracles, it developed into a book of wisdom from which both the Confucian and Taoist philosophies drew inspiration. The name (as well as the rationale of the book) refers to the concept of constant change, which is the result of the interaction of two complementary forces: yin and yang.
The Yin and Yang and the Five
Elements
 |
The ancient Chinese philosophers believed that in the beginning the universe was void and boundless, and t'ney called this state Wu Chi. From Wu Chi evolved motion, yang, and its opposite aspect, stillness, yin. The universe was created through the interplay of yin and yang, and the state which included both these aspects was called Tai Chi. |
YIN Passive Cold Soft Dark Moon Stillness Feminine Water Earth
YANG Active Hot Hard Light Sun Movement Masculine Fire Sky
It is important to note that yin and yang are not labeled good and bad. Instead they have a creative relationship, and are constantly interacting and changing, with one never existing in isolation from the other. This interdependence is illustrated in Figure 3, where a small part of yin is found in yang and vice versa. As an example: yin and yang can be related to the negative and positive poles of a current - separate and opposite to each other, yet both part of the whole current. Without them, the current would not exist.
From the interaction of yin and yang arose the five basic elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These elements can exist in a helpful and complementary relationship to each other, or they can work against one another and destroy themselves. A popular Chinese rhyme goes like this:
Wood burns to produce Fire,
resulting in ash which becomes Earth.
From Earth there emerges Metal,
which produces Water by condensation.
Also:
Wood occupies Earth,
and Earth soaks up the Water.
Water douses Fire,
Fire melts Metal,
and Metal cuts Wood.
The five elements feature in Tai Chi movements, being represented as advance (metal), retreat (wood), shift to the left (water), shift to the right (fire), and central equilibrium (earth).
The concepts of yin and yang are the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine, which aims to balance the two forces within the body. This engenders equilibrium, and harmony as an imbalance in the relative amount of yin and yang energy causes illness.
The art and philosophy of Tai Chi is based on the interplay and changeability of yin and yang. This creates a balance of movement and provides grace to the Tai Chi exercises. The harmony which results promotes the holistic benefits of Tai Chi.
Chi
|
|
Another concept crucial to understanding Tai Chi is that of chi or energy, for throughout the practice of Tai Chi runs a central theme: the cultivation, storage and circulation of the chi energy in the body. In Chinese this is called Qigong (spelt by the ancient Chinese as Chi Kung) or energy meditation. Good health depends upon the proper balance and distribution of chi throughout the body. |
According to the Chinese, the universe, humanity and nature are greatly influenced by chi. They believe that the universe and everything in it is derived from chi, that it permeates all matter, and regard it as the essential life-force of all living things.
Chi literally means air, breath, energy, vapor, gas. Philosophically it can be defined as intrinsic energy, biophysical energy, or the life-force.
The Chinese view chi as an invisible energy force which circulates throughout the body to give life. They believe that we are born with a fixed amount of this vital energy, prenatal chi, which is stored in the tan tien (a psychic energy center, located three finger widths below the navel). This energy is gradually depleted throughout life, but it is also augmented by energy obtained from food and air, postnatal chi.
The energy or chi is circulated throughout the body along the various meridians. According to ancient Chinese philosophy, these are the paths along which blood and energy are transported to the organs in an intricate pattern of energy flow circuits.
Chi is activated and directed by the mind and is responsible for the movements of the body. In order for chi to be effective, it must first be cultivated, and secondly, exercised, so that the body and mind become one with the universe. The various meditation exercises of Tai Chi, aided by the process of respiration, help you to achieve this.
Our personal chi is inseparable from the chi of the universe, and continually interchanges with it. This reciprocal flowing back and forth is the essence of fife. When the flow of chi is strong, we are healthy. If the flow is blocked in any area, we become iH. Death occurs when the flow of chi stops completely.
The complete renewal of chi takes place during deep relaxation (such as during sleep, however, an even deeper state of relaxation is achieved during meditation.) Chi of the universe is received by the brain during the period of profound relaxation, when the pattern of the electrical waves continually given off by the brain become regular.
In Tai Chi, the postnatal chi is lowered to the tan tien, thus lowering one's center of gravity and establishing a more balanced position. The mind and body become peaceful and tranquil, and all movements become graceful and harmonious. To cultivate consciously the transformation of food and air, by the mind, into chi, and to influence consciously the movement of chi in the body is the ability Tai Chi will give to you.
Everyone has chi power, though it is not developed to the same degree in every individual. just as we know of the presence of the subconscious mind, so too should we all be aware of the power of chi.