Study Tour | Huangshan and Jiuhua Mountains, a Journey to Cultivate Both Body and Mind

Chinese Tai Chi· Promote the Dao and cultivate righteousness

On the sixth day after the rain in the Jihai Valley, Master Yang Songquan led his coaching team to Anhui Province, where they practiced the true meaning of life in Buddhist and Taoist places such as Mount Huangshan and Mount Jiuhua.

The way of the sage enters the ears, is stored in the heart, is cultivated as virtue, and is practiced as a career.

This trip is neither for traveling nor for enjoying the scenery. All along the way, we listened to our master’s teachings, put what we knew into practice, and reflected on our minds and bodies in the process of practice. It was truly a experienceAn extremely precious experience of the unity of knowledge and action。

The first stop was that our master led us to the summit of Mount Huangshan on foot.

The climate of Mount Huangshan is changeable, with rain and sunshine at times. The weather was fine on this day. It was sunny and there was a gentle breeze.

Life is full of subtleties everywhere.

The master warned us: Mountain climbing is not about climbing mountains; it is a kind of cultivation.

When climbing a mountain, it is necessary to use a balance. One should “use it after, not before”. This way, not only will it not hurt the knees, but it can also take care of them.

When climbing mountains, one should practice “Tai Chi” rather than “be too hasty”. One should calm the mind beneath the feet and focus the heart on both feet. Climb the mountain completely in the way of practicing Tai Chi. Only in this way can one achieve a peaceful state of mind and avoid being agitated and out of breath.

If the mountain ahead is gentle and long, climb it by practicing a full set of martial arts. If it’s a gentle short section, practice Tai Chi solo sword. If the mountain is steep, practice Erlu Quan. If it is perilous and urgent, then practice Tai Chi with a single sword.

Under the guidance of our master, we practiced with knives, spears, swords and staffs and reached the peak. We weren’t tired at all; instead, we felt extremely refreshed and comfortable.

Huangshan Mountain was originally named “Yi Mountain” and got its name because its peaks are bluish-black. Later, it was said that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan cultivated and became an immortal here, so it was renamed “Huangshan”.

The master believes that such a legend seems petty. Huangshan Mountain is a unique cultural and natural heritage mountain that has been formed over tens of millions of years. Just because a single Emperor, Xuanyuan Huangdi, cultivated and became an immortal here is not enough to name Huangshan.

The name of Mount Huangshan should come from the “huang” in “descendants of Yan and Huang”, rather than the “Huang” in “Xuanyuan Huangdi”. Huangshan Mountain is the mountain of the descendants of Yan and Huang. It is a great library, a great botanical garden and a great back garden for the descendants of Yan and Huang. Countless masters have cultivated here. Yan and Huang are our ancestors, and our descendants are our descendants. Only such a statement can be in line with the grandeur of Mount Huangshan.

The master further stated that for Tai Chi push hands, there are also concepts of small weapons and large weapons.

It’s not a good idea to teach

Youdaoplaceholder0 PUSH and SQUEEZE ACCORDING TO the BEARD seriously, INTRODUCE THROUGH the FAILURE to be invaded,

With the enemy at all sides, it’s hard to approach. Four taels can move eight thousand jin.

Strike the throat and the Yin area below. Strike the middle two ribs and be cautious.

The lower two 臁 join the two knees, the back of the head one palm should be true soul.

Great talent, the essence of teaching classics and genealogies

Kicking with the feet, punching with the fists, the masterful moves are seamless everywhere.

Even though he was surrounded by enemies on all sides, every move of his body was in disarray.

Everywhere in my body is Tai Chi; without intention, it turns into a perfect pearl.

I was struck somewhere and there, yet I had no idea how mysterious it was.

The extraordinary beauty of Mount Huangshan lies in its ethereal sea of clouds, the competing and graceful pines, and the jagged rocks. From a distance, it looks like a Chinese ink-wash painting.

The master said, “Music, chess, calligraphy and painting are all Tai Chi. Whoever masters one of them masters the world.” This “one” is Tai Chi.

Chinese landscape paintings are completely different from Western oil paintings. Oil painting emphasizes realism and demands the true presentation of every detail. In Chinese landscape painting, there is the concept of “blank space”, which refers to the areas without brush or ink, representing “nothingness”. However, within this “nothingness”, in fact, everything exists. Huangshan Mountain is the perfect embodiment of Chinese landscape painting. Wrapped in the clouds and mists, there lies boundless life and endless wonders.

True music is also born of being and non-being. For instance, when a great musician is playing, when his fingers touch the strings, it is “being”; when they are not playing, it is “non-being”. During this period of time when no music is played, although no sound occurs, it is not boring. Instead, it makes people feel that “the lingering sound lingers on for three days without end”, allowing people to enjoy the beauty.

The essence of true music, chess, calligraphy and painting is all Tai Chi, which is the mutual generation of existence and non-existence, the balance of Yin and Yang, and the unity of heaven and man.

The sea of clouds on Mount Huangshan is grand and imposing, rising and falling intermittently, constantly changing, spirally entwining, and clearly distinguishing between Yin and Yang, presenting before our eyes a series of living scenes of traditional Chinese ancient culture.

The master said, “Huangshan Mountain is the realm of the void, and Taiji is the manifestation of the void. Huangshan Mountain is the true place for all beings in the world to meditate.”

Tai Xu

Qi is a unique concept in Chinese philosophy. Being in the sea of clouds, one can truly feel “qi”. Qi is not non-existent; it exists. Qi is not tangible but formless being.

The void is formless, the essence of qi. The gathering and scattering are the forms of change. (Zhang Zai, “Zheng Meng”

Stillness and movement

The qi is constantly changing, rising and falling, soaring and soaring, interacting with movement and stillness, never ceasing.

The air changes extremely slowly, so slowly that every moment can be clearly seen. The changes are extremely rapid, so fast that every microsecond is different from before. It contains the philosophy of fast and slow: fast is slow, and slow is fast.

The void is the ultimate void of reality and also the ultimate stillness of movement.

The most still movement is one that never ceases. … If one moves without ceasing, then go and come.（Zhang Zai, “Zhengmeng”）

Whether there is or not

Qi exists and vanishes, being and non-being give rise to each other, constantly renewing itself and ceaselessly evolving.

All things in the world come from being, and being comes from non-being.

“Nothing, the beginning of heaven and earth;” Yes, she is called the Mother of all things. Therefore, it is always non-existent, and one desires to observe its beauty. Often, one desires to observe its boundaries. These two, having the same origin but different names, are both called “xuan”, the most mysterious of all, the gateway to all wonders. (Laozi’s Tao Te Ching

The master said, “Since the beginning of the universe, there has been this mountain.”

The Huangshan Mountain is majestic and towering. In the crevices of its rocks, the elegant Huangshan pine trees grow, and countless lives thrive here. If this mountain had not been cultivated for tens of millions of years, it would not have been able to support so many lives.

Jiuhua Mountain is said to be a sacred place for learning immortality and practicing Taoism in ancient times. According to the “Examination of Blessed Lands”, many eminent Taoists once practiced here, making it one of the seventy-two blessed lands for Taoist cultivation.

Today, Jiuhua Mountain is a renowned Buddhist sacred site, the place where Bodhisattva K ṣ itigarbha practiced, and many eminent monks and virtuous masters have passed away here with their bodies remaining intact and are enshrined.

The master said, “Jiuhua Mountain is the true realm of Buddhism and Taoism.”

Without the Tao, one cannot become a Buddha. Buddha represents the degree of perfection in Taoist cultivation.Therefore, where there is a Buddha, there must be a way; where there is a way, one will surely become a Buddha in the future.

In the Buddhist community, the most important thing is to maintain “respect” and “tranquility”. Have a heart full of awe, and speak and act quietly.

Jiuhua Mountain and Huangshan Mountain are one still and the other dynamic.

Huangshan Mountain is the driving force, for it is the back garden of the descendants of Yan and Huang. Our ancestors must have hoped that their descendants would be lively and active here.

Jiuhua Mountain is quiet because it is the home of the Buddha. When we arrived at the Buddha’s home, we had already disturbed the Buddha. Only by having the Buddha in one’s heart, getting rid of impetuosity and concentrating one’s mind can one achieve true cultivation. Only in this way can one truly win the favor of the Buddha.

Without stillness, one cannot know the beauty of movement; without stillness, one cannot understand the true appearance and essence of Jiuhua Mountain.

A thousand days at home are good, but it’s always hard to go out.

During this trip, each of us felt the power of the team.

The master said, “When the three hearts are united, yellow earth can turn into gold. Team spirit is the power that can move mountains and seas.” With team spirit, mountains can be moved and seas can be toppled.

All along the way, we supported each other and helped each other. Whether going up or down the mountain, we didn’t encounter any difficulties. Everyone gained a complete physical and mental experience.

Master Yang Songquan led his coaching team to the summit of Mount Huangshan to bring festival greetings to all his disciples. For more exciting behind-the-scenes footage, please click on the video below to watch

Special thanks to Mr. Liu Yongshen, the chairman of a certain company in Hefei, and his family members Liu Mingming, Liu Lili, etc., as well as Ms. Zhang Ying, the chairman of a certain company in Hefei, and her family member Cheng Sijin, etc. Thank you for your full support to the Songquan team