Practicing Martial Arts and Remembering Teachers | From the Authentic to the Righteous Path

I met my respected teacher in 2009. At that time, my bodyI’m weak and secretly like Tai Chi, and I think it suits me better.Once, while chatting with a friend, I learned that there is a teacher in Beihai who teaches Tai Chi very wellOk, but I didn’t pay much attention to it at that time. I thought there were people practicing Tai Chi everywhere and there was no need to go far away.Not wanting to humiliate my friend, I came to Beihai to have a look.In the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm, the master is giving a lecture and demonstration to the students. Everyone is studying very attentively.The content taught and the practice of each move seemed different from what I had seen elsewhere.The master was very calm and told me that the practice here was Tai Chi, not Taiji exercises. He also left me his phone number so that I could ask him if I had any questions.I, who only had a vague understanding, felt subconsciously that this was the authentic Tai Chi.

I signed up for a one-on-one session to learn boxing at Liu Hai Hutong. Usually, I learn from a coach, and sometimes my master will also give me personal guidance. In the past two years, I have learned the old frame and the winding wire. Looking back now, I didn’t have a profound understanding at that time. I simply thought I had learned it and that being able to practice it would be authentic Tai Chi.

Due to work reasons, I was away from Beijing for a while and didn’t go to Liu Hai Hutong to practice boxing. I put this aside for several years. Although I usually practice it myself, it seems that I’m getting further and further away from Taiji. There is a vague feeling in my heart that I need to search for it. The longer the time passes, the stronger the longing becomes. I’m going to find my master and practice the Taiji in my heart.

I went to Liu Hai Hutong again but didn’t see my master coach. I tried to come to Beihai again, but I didn’t see my master’s figure in the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm either. Just as I was about to leave in disappointment and dejection, I suddenly saw Coach Li Xianghui. He told me that my master was at the Nine Dragon Wall. I excitedly ran towards the Nine-Dragon Wall and finally saw my master again! My master actually remembers me too! Master remains calm and kind, as if I have never left. I expressed my intention to continue learning boxing, and my master placed me in the intermediate class. This time I know I won’t give up halfway again. In the process of searching and seeking, this is the true destination of my body and mind. During the days of learning boxing in Beihai, the master would patiently explain and demonstrate to everyone, imparting all his knowledge. The master would also often encourage everyone to express their thoughts and problems, and answer them one by one on the spot in a simple and clear way.

Occasionally, I would call my master. What moved me even more was that my master had actually kept my phone number all along. Occasionally, I would visit my master in his small courtyard. He would treat me to tea and help me solve my doubts. The little birds in the courtyard would jump around and sometimes land on my arm. My master said that this was spiritual. I gradually realized that my master was not only teaching boxing but also advocating the harmony of heaven, earth and man. As the most intelligent of all creatures, cultivate yourself, empty your heart, fill your stomach, weaken your will and strengthen your bones. What the master imparted was not only the most authentic Tai Chi, but also the righteous path of the vast world.

Impermanence is constancy. When I heard the news of my master’s passing, I was stunned and couldn’t react in time. I didn’t believe it or accept it. Even now, I still feel dazed from time to time. All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dewdrops, and lightning. I once saw my master again in a dream, instructing me on boxing techniques. As long as the master is there, the Nine-Dragon Wall in Beihai is our place of practice. The master’s wife, the young senior sisters and the coaches still lead everyone to practice Taiji and correct the Dao.

The kindness of teachers is like the sea, unforgettable with every blade of grass. The opening and closing of reality and illusion, a moment of beauty.