Taiji Songquan· Promote the Dao and cultivate righteousness
It began in 1988
Master Yi
Thoughts on the anniversary of death
Once when I was brewing tea and discussing Taoism at a Taoist temple, my master asked me:What does “The highest good is like water” mean in Taoism?I replied:Water has no form or shape, yet it follows its form and appearance.Water itself has no shape; it takes shape along with the container in which it is held. People should be like water, formless and formless.The master said:Laozi’s saying that the highest good is like water refers to:Water purifies all things and purifies itself. This is what Laozi said. But what do scholars say? It’s exactly what you just said. Scholars say more than you do.I was talking about the appearance and form of water, while the master was talking about the inner quality and essence of water.As a professional, I was right, but as a Taoist, I was wrong, fundamentally wrong.In fact, there is no right or wrong; it’s just a matter of how far we are from the Tao.The way is not far from people; people will keep their distance.
My Tai Chi master, Master Yang Songquan, is not only a true Taoist but also a wise teacher. In the preface to his book “Tai Chi is the Way”, the master wrote: “In today’s world, as a successor of Taoism, the task of passing on Tai Chi is arduous and the road ahead is long.” The master said so and did so. Since the master was invited to Beijing to teach Tai Chi in 1988, until November 30, 2023, when he led his students to practice and completed the “Oneness of Heaven and Man” practice, he passed away suddenly. For 35 years, the master has been on the path of passing on Tai Chi. And I am the new Taoist who, in the last five years of my master’s life, followed him in practicing Tai Chi and received his teachings.
Time flows like water. The days spent practicing with my master are like pearls, embedded in the river of my life, shining with a unique warmth and radiance. Over the past five years, the dojo located in Xiange Hutong has been like a magic power, always drawing me there to listen to the master’s teachings on Taoist arts and practice Tai Chi under his guidance. Although every time I left the dojo, my body would be exhausted due to the trials and training, my mind would become more and more peaceful each time. It is a kind of joy and happiness that cleanses both the body and the mind!
It has been a year since our master left us. Whenever I recall his teachings and instructions, it feels like it was just yesterday. During the five years of following my master, he not only imparted martial arts techniques but also frequently expounded on the I Ching, Tao Te Ching, and Huangdi Neijing, among others. As a new Taoist, although I didn’t quite understand it, I remembered it vividly. During this year, whenever I practiced boxing, my master’s words and figure always emerged clearly before my eyes, constantly enlightening me.
The master said:Tai Chi is the essence of the Dao, and the Dao is the core of Tai Chi. Practicing Tai Chi is also cultivating the Tao.
The master said:Tai Chi Chuan has a profound meaning. It encompasses literature, martial arts, heaven, earth, sages, and gods.
The master said:There is no way to follow the Dao or the law, but with love and virtue, utmost kindness and filial piety, utmost sincerity and honesty, adhering to the teacher’s teachings, being diligent in one’s conduct, and being in harmony with the way of heaven, one can attain the true Dao.
I am willing to spend the rest of my life following my teacher’s instructions, thinking carefully, acting earnestly, correcting the path, and achieving enlightenment!
The training center is always open to both new and old students for sharing their insights and experiences on learning boxing, as well as memories and commemorations of Master Yang Songquan. The genre and theme are not limited. We welcome your submissions to the email:
taijisongquan@126.com
Taiji Songquan respectfully opens
Tai Chi practitioner
Born of the boundless, it is the mechanism of movement and stillness, and the mother of Yin and Yang
Tai Chi is
The rhythm of music and the connotation of philosophy
The construction of beauty, the artistic conception of poetry
Taiji Songquan
Encounter Tai Chi, encounter the gift of life
