In history, was there really Zhang Sanfeng?
What was Zhang Sanfeng, the real Tai Chi master in history?
February 12, 2007 13:53 Sina Reading
The deeds of Zhang Sanfeng's life are like a dragon that sees its beginning but not its end. In the hearts of all future generations, it becomes more and more mysterious and difficult. Test. Therefore, there are many legends about Zhang Sanfeng. It is impossible to verify when Zhang Sanfeng finally died. Some people even believe that Zhang Sanfeng has always been alive. He is immortal and always stays in the world.
Zhang Sanfeng, this name is still very well-known today. Not only did Mr. Jin Yong’s novels portray him as a kind and kind person with unfathomable martial arts skills, which made people feel very amiable and respectable. There are also movies like "Tai Chi Zhang Sanfeng" that we never tire of watching. A girl once told me that Jet Li was so handsome when he wore a black Taoist robe and demonstrated Tai Chi skillfully in the film.
However, the figure and appearance of Zhang Sanfeng in history may be different from Jet Li. History records that Zhang Sanfeng is "sleek and majestic, with a turtle-shaped crane back, big ears and round eyes, and a beard like a halberd." He is much taller than Jet Li, and his appearance is also very majestic, not as delicate as Jet Li. This point is roughly described in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes". The appearance of the young Zhang Junbao (Zhang Sanfeng) described above is: "a very strange appearance, with a pointed forehead and a thin neck, a broad chest and long legs, and round eyes and big ears." . We now have legends that Zhang Sanfeng was a novice monk in the Shaolin Temple in his early years, and later escaped from the temple to become a monk and practice Buddhism. However, there seems to be no historical data on this matter, and it must be the novelist's account.
There is very little conclusive information about Zhang Sanfeng’s early years. Stories like the TV series "Young Zhang Sanfeng" are pure fabrications.
Speaking of more rigorous and formal historical materials, of course it is "History of Ming Dynasty: The Biography of Zhang Sanfeng". However, the "History of the Ming Dynasty: The Biography of Zhang Sanfeng" only said that he was from Yizhou, Liaodong, and did not say anything about other circumstances in his early years. It only talked about Zhang Sanfeng's behavior after he became famous. Legend says that no matter whether it was cold or hot, Zhang Sanfeng only wore ragged clothes to keep out the wind and cold, and an old raincoat to keep out the frost and rain. Zhang Sanfeng didn't pay much attention to appearance or hygiene, and he often dressed sloppily. Therefore, people often call him "Zhang Sloppy" or "Sloppy Taoist".
Zhang Sanfeng has a large appetite, and he can easily eat a liter or a bucket of rice at once. However, sometimes he can eat only one meal for several days, or even go without food for several months. Another hobby of his is that he likes to travel around the world, often without a fixed residence, walking through mountains and rocks when he is happy, and lying in the clouds and snow when he is tired. Whether you are in a poor mountain or visiting a busy city, you can play freely and act as if there is no one around. Some people say that he could travel a thousand miles in one day. There is a poem by Lu Zu that says, "Wandering to the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening." Zhang Sanfeng could probably do it as well. "De'an Prefecture Chronicles" once recorded that Zhang Sanfeng once lived in seclusion on Taiping Mountain. Although he lived in seclusion, Zhang Sanfeng had an easy-going nature and was quite familiar with the local folks. Zhang Sanfeng was leaving that day and invited the old people from the countryside to have a meal to say goodbye. However, there was no fire on Zhang Sanfeng's mountain for a long time, and there was no fire. Zhang Sanfeng said he would go down the mountain to get it, and he came back in an instant. However, it took a long time to go up and down the mountain. It's a forty-mile round trip. At the same time, Zhang Sanfeng also bought some tofu to go with the dishes. At that time, he didn't want to get a plastic bag to put it in, but used a wooden board to hold it. After finishing the meal, Zhang Sanfeng told them that this belongs to the Wang family in Xiguan, Tangyi City. Please help me return this tofu board. When these fellow villagers found this place and asked about it, they found that it really belonged to a person named Wang. However, Tangyi City was more than 140 miles away from Taiping Mountain!
In addition, there are records of Zhang Sanfeng’s outstanding martial arts. It is said that after he mastered Tai Chi, he “killed more than a hundred thieves with a single fist and became famous for his unique skills.” This is the only record of Taoist masters in the past dynasties showing martial arts. If true, Zhang Sanfeng's martial arts seems to be better than what is described in martial arts novels. He can kill hundreds of thieves with one punch, which is not inferior to the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and the King Kong Fist.
Zhang Sanfeng also fell in love with Wudang Mountain when he was practicing Taoism. It turns out that as we said, Patriarch Chen Tuan also practiced Taoism in Wudang Mountain for many years. After Zhang Sanfeng visited Wudang Mountain, he said to people: "This mountain will be prosperous in the future."
I would like to send my envoy to offer incense and send you a letter of sincerity..." Everyone knows that Zhu Di is a ferocious tyrant who kills and boils people without batting an eye, but he is very polite to Zhang Sanfeng in this letter and calls himself "mediocre in talent and quality." , it can be said that he was very respectful and paid unprecedented tribute to Zhang Sanfeng. However, Zhang Sanfeng still did not come according to the order, but only composed a poem and asked his disciple Sun Biyun to deliver it to Zhu Di.
Zhu Di, who could not find Zhang Sanfeng, had endless regrets and ordered people to spend seven years and recruit more than 300,000 men to build eight palaces, two temples, thirty-six nunneries, seventy-two rock temples, twelve pavilions and three There are nineteen bridges and other huge Taoist buildings, the most famous of which is the Golden Palace. The so-called Golden Palace is a bronze building that stands on the top of the Tianzhu Peak, so it is also called the Golden Summit. Zhang Sanfeng's prophecy that Wudang Mountain will be prosperous in the future has completely come true. In Chinese history, although there were many emperors who believed in Taoism, the emperor built a temple for a Taoist priest, enshrined the statue, and sent officials to sweep it. Zhang Sanfeng's fame has spread throughout the country, and it is even more popular than those of the Zhengyi sect.
Zhang Sanfeng's life deeds are like a dragon that disappears. Therefore, not only in Zhu Di's heart, but also in the hearts of all future generations, there are many legends about Zhang Sanfeng, so I won't go into detail here about when Zhang Sanfeng finally died. , it is impossible to verify, some people even believe that Zhang Sanfeng has always been alive, he is immortal and always stays in the world.
The authenticity of the works left by Zhang Sanfeng is mixed, but some of his poems should be written by him. Most of Zhang Sanfeng's poems are about Taoism, and their words are popular, but they are not easy to understand, because most of them use metaphors to describe the methods of Taoism, and ordinary people cannot fully understand them, such as "The Rootless Tree" 20. This is true for the four songs, let’s try two:
One
The tree is rootless, the flowers are quiet, who is willing to let go of the glory?
Things are floating, and the boat is drifting in and out of trouble.
There is no limit to the shore, and it is difficult to anchor. It often swims in the dangerous place of fish and dragon.
If you are willing to look back, it is the shore. Wait for the storm to break the boat.
The second tree
The flowers are in danger, and the old trees will be replaced by new branches.
The plum blossoms will be sent to the willows, and the mulberry trees will be replaced. Pear, it is said that it is like cultivating the truth.
Since ancient times, people have been practicing medicine. According to the author's understanding, the first song is about how life is short, and many people in the secular world do not know the basics, so they are greedy for glory and indulge in misery without knowing the path of cultivation. The second song is about cultivating immortality with the right way, and you can expect longevity, and advises people to start early. Learning Taoism. The following twenty-two poems are generally about Taoism, and they are more obscure and difficult to understand. I will not quote them here. Friends who are interested can find them for themselves.
Zhang Sanfeng left them for us. Another valuable asset is the wonderful Tai Chi technique. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng accidentally saw an eagle and a snake fighting when he was traveling in Guishan. He felt that the posture of the snake in attack and defense was very consistent with some Taoist principles. Thus, I realized that Wudang Kung Fu is a completely different school from the previous martial arts that only focused on fierceness, strength, and preemptive strikes. It is unique and brilliant in martial arts. Although some people do not believe that Tai Chi originated from Zhang Sanfeng, I feel that Tai Chi, which combines Taoist principles such as "softness to overcome hardness", "stillness to stop", "post-strike" and other ideal boxing techniques, would not have been a Taoist like Zhang Sanfeng. Determination is difficult to discover for an expert. Tai Chi is easy to learn, but it can lead people to understand Taoist principles from simple boxing, and can defeat the enemy and defeat the strong with the weak. It is indeed a shining example of the combination of Taoist theory and practice.
All friends who like to practice Tai Chi know that on a good night with a clear moon and clear wind, put on loose and comfortable clothes and shoes, practice Tai Chi and experience the yin and yang contained in Tai Chi. The meaning of opening and closing, the coexistence of empty and real, loose and natural, round and light, is really like "even if the six masters have eloquent tongues, it is difficult to describe the flying snowflakes." The realm in this is exactly the realm of "Tao".
Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng has made great contributions to benefit future generations.
Since Zhang Sanfeng, there have been very few Taoist masters worth mentioning. By the Qing Dynasty, Taoist priests were more like Wang Yitie in "A Dream of Red Mansions". "Women's Prescriptions", and from time to time quietly ask "Is there something wrong in the house? Do you need some nourishing medicine?" - he is also a salesman of sexual health products. Therefore, this book is going to introduce so much to you about Taoist figures. Although there is a suspicion of omitting everything, we can generally understand the doings of some Taoists and Taoist masters, and understand the influence of the Taoist sect founded by Lao and Zhuang. inheritance in future generations and its impact on people. Of course, the actions of these Taoist masters may not be completely in line with the true meaning of Taoism. As the saying goes, "Love the ancients no less than today's people." As modern people, we should have a deeper understanding and promotion of the true meaning of Taoism. Taoist thought It is still a precious spiritual wealth for us today. It should not be blinded by the dust of history. It should still be brilliant. Postscript
From early summer to late autumn, the leaves of the wisteria tree in my courtyard have also changed from light green to dark green and even a little yellow. The grass and autumn insects are also about to complete their life cycle, and here I am. This Taoist text is coming to an end.
All things must have a beginning and an end, prosperity must come and fall, gatherings must come and go, life must come and die, all of this will never stop like a rushing river, and no one can Prevent retention. How many people sigh for the short-lived youth like the clouds in a spring dream, the fragile love like fragile glass, and the elusive gathering and dispersing like duckweed in the rain. How many people desire to have eternally beautiful faces and eternal wealth, but they are lost in the pursuit, melancholy in worry, and crazy in stubbornness. They can only achieve this through the anesthesia of alcohol and the stimulation of the physical senses. In exchange for a brief blank in the brain, I temporarily forget the many troubles in reality and the irresistible fact that I will die one day.
However, our ancestors have thought about all this more than 2,000 years ago, and the Taoist classics left by our ancestors have given us all the answers. In the book, he taught us how to face everything in this world calmly and calmly, understand the vastness of heaven and earth and the true meaning of life, no longer force ourselves, no longer be paranoid, just let the gains and losses come, and be content with what we have. Let us learn to be as simple as a baby, to find real and long-lasting happiness from a simple life, and to have a childlike heart towards everything; at the same time, it also teaches us to learn to be as wise as a sage and as a brilliant chess player. , has already calculated all the changes on this big chessboard in the world, and then responded to every move with ease. Thousands of years have passed, and just as Fujiwara Sawei often lamented in "The Soul of Chess", there are still many things in the world that have not changed. Not only the spring flowers, autumn moon, summer rain and winter snow have not changed, but the stories of people's joys and sorrows have also not changed. Some people are lost, some are obsessed, some are arrogant, and some are sad. The stories of yesterday's poverty and now's wealth, yesterday's prosperity and today's decline are still repeated over and over again, copied and pasted over and over again in the template of history...
Doppo Leisure garden, quiet night and cool breeze. Breathing the air with the scent of grass and trees, listening to the chirping of autumn insects in the corner, everything is so peaceful and beautiful. At this moment, on our planet, we don’t know how many lives are being born and how many lives are dying; in the dark universe, how many nebulae are being formed and how many stars are being destroyed. However, all these are the most common things in the world, there is no need to be surprised or sigh. Temporarily forget about what else you have to be busy with tomorrow, close your eyes, and bathe your whole body and mind in the starlight of the night sky. In the gentle breeze, a warm feeling flows through your body, and the wind blows on your face, like childhood. I was gently touched by my mother's hand. Everything no longer mattered, everything was no longer fearful, and a fragrant and gorgeous petal bloomed in my heart.
Whether it rains or the sun comes tomorrow, it will be a beautiful day.