The Essence of T'ai Chi Chih
by Justin Stone

Softness and continuity are the Essence of T’ai Chi Chih. It is the soft water that wears away the hard rock; the tongue outlasts the teeth. Hardness and confrontation are brittle and destructive; softness and a gentle manner of thinking are life-enriching.
The Oriental speaks of the contrast between the oak tree and the bamboo. When a storm comes, the sturdy oak stands solid against the wind until it is overcome and breaks and dies. The bamboo, however, bends with the wind, and when the storm has passed, snaps back into place, unharmed. Softness proves more durable than hardness. Assertiveness takes a back seat to gentle firmness. Overtly the Sage does nothing, and, thereby, all things are accomplished.

T’ai Chi Chih becomes a Way of life. It is true that the gentle movements of T’ai Chi Chih form a Moving Meditation and an exercise of great efficiency—exercising the inner organs and promoting healing—but, eventually, it goes beyond these and permeates the life-style of the practitioner. We do not all see the same world, which is a reflection of ourselves. With the accumulation of CHI (Vital Force) through T’ai Chi Chih practice, permanent changes in the metabolism and the thinking process take place, and the renewed energy conditions the whole way of life. Just as the thought conditions the Vital Force, so does the flow of this CHI, this Intrinsic Energy, condition the way of thinking. As these changes occur, we get in touch with ourselves, and the world we see begins to change. Joy becomes our natural heritage.

This is a graphic picture of a mind at ease, spoken by a contented man. Notice that all allusions are to natural “things;” there is nothing of the artificial. Our way of life is being ruined by the artificiality that leads to a superficial outlook away from natural “things.” Our world glorifies the computer and the airplane, the television set and the telephone. The latter has become our master, and few there are who will willingly turn it off.

These are all artificial objects, which can never lead to a contented frame of mind. And, in our culture (spreading so rapidly throughout the world), all advertising is aimed at creating discontent; “Don’t be satisfied with what you have, buy something new.” In other words, earn money so you can exchange it for objects. Unless you are discontented with what you have, you will not rush out to buy and consume. We are thought of only as potential consumers. Geography is divided into “markets,” population into “demographics,” but man is not a statistic; within him lies Divinity.

With all this urge to disconnect, how can we achieve peace of mind and health and vigor of body? Without these, how much is life worth, no matter what we “own?” Actually, the Sufi master says we only own what we take with us when we dive, naked, over the side of a sinking ship! Without going into the deeper aspects of Karma, made by the habit energies of the mind (‘Vashanas’ in Sanskrit), what do we really “own?” Do we posses the flowers, the evening sky, the soft snow that falls on rich and poor alike, or the seasons that come and go in orderly progression? Do we ever control them? Or is it better simply to enjoy them and accord with them? These are profound questions that should be studied, and the answers can change our attitudes.

How do we counter this urge to “discontent?” In the rush of busy lives, it is not easy. Probably we find it too difficult to sit quietly and do sitting meditation; the mind that has been racing all day is not going to suddenly turn off, though breathing exercises will help quiet the mind. Ah, but we can move, and find it pleasant to move softly and rhythmically. With the gentle movements of T’ai Chi Chih, even if we do only a few of them repetitively, comes a quieting of the emotions as the CHI (Vital Force) circulates and is then balanced. When the substantial and insubstantial—YIN CHI and YANG CHI—are brought into balance, we are in a relaxed and meditative state. Since this is cumulative, the practice of T’ai Chi Chih in the morning upon arising, or in the afternoon before dinner or both, can become a very pleasant habit that builds up the Vital Force stored in the bones and below the navel. With the accumulation, we begin to notice the rapid growth of intuition, of creativity and energy, and of a strength far different from muscular strength. We may find ourselves moving to the phone before it rings, or opening a book to the exact sought-for page. In our work we find a growth of confidence, a belief in ourselves and our center-of-being. In another book I have called this “The Growth of Certainty.”

It always makes this writer smile when a student—or T’ai Chi Chih teacher—writes that he is now much more confident and aggressive in his or her work, or that she does not kick the cat and yell at the children from fatigue. Always, they ask, “This doesn’t have anything to do with T’ai Chi, does it?” To which I reply, “What’s the difference as long as it is happening?” Our attitudes change and we become soft like the bamboo, rather than the oak. Then the outer world reflects this inner serenity.

The resentful mind helps create illness. The greedy mind brings war and great discontent. For each frame of mind there is a corresponding CHI. Our thinking cultures our Vital Force. Thus we can influence what we are and what we become by what we think. But, similarly, what we think is greatly conditioned by the CHI, the Vital Force, so our pattern of thinking is not, as we might presume, an absolutely free process.

When the writer was teaching “Comparative Meditation” at a southwestern university, a week before practicing the Buddha’s great Meditation of the Four Awarenesses (the “Sathipatthana”), he would ask students to do two things during the week:

(1) Watch their posture. (At the suggestion they would immediately straighten up, though he had not asked them to correct their postures.)

(2) Frequently, during the day, to watch and ascertain their State of Mind. This is not easy to do. At any given moment it is hard to define the State of Mind. However, a noisy plane flies low overhead while we are talking, and we look up in annoyance; this is “mind with annoyance.” We worry about a bill we will have to pay; this is “anxious mind.” And so forth.

When students came to the next class, I would ask them if they had practiced as requested. “Yes,” one would answer, “and I noticed something funny. My State of Mind seemed to have a lot to do with my posture, while the posture seemed to affect the State of Mind.” He had been successful in realizing the purpose of the assignment. Thinking influences the CHI, and the CHI influences our thought.

One man I know, a manager of a brokerage house, always walks bent over from the waist. Imagine the inner tensions that must be present! With such a state of mind, it is hard to see how calm and correct decisions can be made. In India the hand and finger positions, as well as the general posture, are known as “Mudras.” The way we hold our hands can tell a Master much about our State of Being. This writer looks at new students’ wrists, as well as the pliability of their waists, to determine the amount of inner tension they are bringing to class. As surely as handwriting, which cannot be faked, will tell a graphologist (handwriting expert) much about the character of the writer, so will the body postures paint a clear picture of the inner life of a T’ai Chi student.

When we forget something, we cannot force the mind to remember. The more we try, the less we accomplish. Then, at another moment when we are thinking of something else, a casual association of ideas brings the forgotten something to mind, quickly and effortlessly. This is how the T’ai Chi principle works. When there is effort, tensions result and the meridian channels of the body through which the Vital Force of CHI flows, close, and the flow is cut off. This is why “Softness and Continuity” are emphasized in T’ai Chi Chih practice. The effortless effort, which we compare to moving “slow motion in a dream,” brings results and the energy-giving flow of the CHI proceeds without pause.

How important is this “Softness?” There is a famous story of a student and a T’ai Chi master that provides the answer. Every day the student came to study with the master, and every day, no matter how hard he tried, the master tersely remarked, “Not soft enough!” After one disappointing class, the student went home and, that night, dreamed that both his arms fell of. The next day, when he did T’ai Chi at his lesson, the Master finally nodded and remarked: “Now that’s Soft!”

In practice, when the effortless flow goes on, first felt in the fingers and fingertips, we become thirsty. The aqueous excess is drying up. This provides efficient weight-control (70% of the body weight being composed of fluid) and the ability to lose large amounts of weight (where needed) without any starvation. We are surprised to find that perspiration and fatigue do not have to accompany a weight-losing effort. And, at the same time, the inner organs are exercised. Constipation is certainly not characteristic of the T’ai Chi way. Many women have been helped with the flow of blood, and one T’ai Chi Chih teacher has given birth twice using the “Round the Platter” rhythmic movement in her home delivery.

We have been concentrating in the soles of the feet to bring the “Heart Fire” down, and, as the CHI flows through the body in a downward arc, healing heat flashes may occur in parts of the body, those with blockage. However, these heat flashes are more apt to occur hours after we have brought our hands to our sides in rest. In movement (circular movement), the YIN CHI and YANG CHI separate; then, when we come to a position of rest, the YIN and YANG flow together and we become whole. At such time, the feeling is that of having had an internal bath. All this is accomplished softly and without effort.

What are the meridian channels, through which the CHI flows and which are used so admirably by Chinese Acupuncture? (We have probably all seen, on television, a Chinese operation being performed painlessly without anesthesia because of control over the meridian channels and the flow through them.) Belonging to the ancient YIN-YANG science, going back at least 3000 years, there are many versions and descriptions. This is not surprising when we consider that after only hundreds of years, the Latin language has become Spanish, French, and Italian, as well as contributing to English and Portuguese. However, some Chinese authorities claim there are eight main meridians, with the JEN MO and the TUMMO as the most important. These eight channels connect with innumerable minor meridians. There is a meditation where one takes the CHI—purely through the power of thought—through many of these meridians in the legs, the torso, and arms. It is too complicated to detail here, but it is efficient in circulating the CHI, as is the NEI KUNG discipline (performed lying flat on the back) that the author has taught in his book Meditation for Healing. It is through these meridians that the CHI (really the Life Force) flows, and many of the meridians have outer openings that lead to the inner organs of the body. This makes possible Acupuncture, Moxery (conveying heat to selected inner organs), and Chinese self-massage. It is interesting that these inner organs, reached through the meridian channels, correspond to heavenly bodies and to the elements in our world. Thus the Heart is the Great Yang, corresponding to Heaven and the Sun, while the Kidneys are the Great Yin, in correspondence to the Moon and the Earth. This correspondence goes further, into the elements such as iron, wood, fire, etc., with water obviously standing for the YIN and fire representing the YANG. The ancient Chinese Sage knew where the Chi was strongest at certain seasons of the year (Western doctors seem to ignore the seasons of the year completely though our grandmothers and folk doctors certainly didn’t) and a great T’ai Chi systems of defense, called by some “T’ai Chi Gik,” was devised through use of this knowledge. In one way this flow of CHI through the channels is our connection to the Cosmos, just as our breath makes us conscious that there is a power behind and beyond our own will. Incidentally, the Spleen, affected by the aspirated sound “HU!” in the practice of the “Six Healing Sounds” in T’ai Chi Chih, is thought to be very important by Eastern doctors, though their Western counterparts feel it is useless and remove it at the slightest provocation. It is very hard for the patient to recover strength after its removal.

Those who practice T’ai Chi Chih do not have to imagine the flow of the CHI through these channels! It is very real, and pretty soon the fingers begin to tremble or other confirmatory signs appear. Since we concentrate on the soles of the feet while practicing (the HSUEH or “Bubbling Spring”), the heat travels down and the fingers may actually become quite cold while still trembling from the flow of the Vital Force. The inner organs become warm, however, and cold drinks must never be consumed immediately after practice.

Spiritual teachers have always told us that, when we find fault with the world, the fault is with ourselves. Zen Master Yunmen, in answer to a question, brushed it aside and said, “Every day is a good day!” Such a joyous outlook is only possible where the opposing forces, YIN and YANG, are in balance and flowing freely. Ignore the physical functions and it is hard to achieve contentment. The Buddha reminded us that this mind-body continuum is what we must work with. Modern psychology has recognized how much our thought process influences the physical—hence the term “psychosomatic”—though it does not realize how much the physical, the state of the Life Force, influences our pattern of thought.

Since thought and the physical are mutually conditioning, there are two ways we can practice our self-culture. We can begin to control the mind and influence the habit patterns, as in ZEN and YOGIC meditation. Or we can work through the physical, as in T’ai Chi Ch’uan, T’ai Chi Chih, and Hatha Yoga. The latter, however, is a preliminary Yoga and not an end in itself.

Zen practice, the control of the mind, is too difficult for most Westerners. Even in the East, in Japan, Zen practitioners were always few in number, though their influence was great. It seems much easier to work from the physical side, to circulate and balance the CHI, with its attendant effect on the thinking process. To start with the mind is difficult—and often leads to ill-health, which the writer has observed in many Zen monks—while working through the physical, the Vital Force, is much easier and joyous to boot. Who says that Spirituality must be gloomy and grim? The closer we are to Joy (not pleasure), the nearer we are to Reality, God, or whatever we want to call it. A gloomy, unhealthy Sage would be a contradiction.

If we examine it closely, we find that Awareness is the root of T’ai Chi Chih, which is essentially inner-oriented. Circularity is fundamental. And we already know that Softness and Continuity are the Essence. When we practice T’ai Chi Chih faithfully, we will find that Love Energy is the fruit.

Reprinted with permission from The Vital Force, June 1985

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