Who can introduce me to the origin and thought of Tai Chi?
Chapter 28 of Laozi says, "Return to the infinite." The philosophical term "Wuji" originated from the academic circles in China. The word "Taiji" first appeared in Zhuangzi after Laozi, which directly followed Laozi's will, but it was called "Daheng" in silk Cue. However, most scholars believe that this version of cohesion is edited on the basis of silk book cohesion and combined with other parts of the text. So the word "Tai Chi" here may be later than "Zhuangzi".
Zhou Dunyi, a philosopher in the Song Dynasty, said in the first sentence of Illustration of Taiji: "Infinity and Taiji." The widely recognized Tai Ji Chuan classic "Taiji Chuanjing" (written by Wang Zongyue) also has a clear meaning at the beginning: "Taiji is born without promise, and the mother of Yin and Yang is also." In the past, some earlier Tai Ji Chuan Spectrum called the initial "preparatory style" in Tai Ji Chuan's routine "infinite style" or "taiji style" (Shen Shou's P6 Study of Tai Ji Chuan Method). It can be seen that the concept of "Taiji" in Taiji Biography obviously comes from "Wuji" in Laozi, and the two names of "preparatory style" clearly point out the origin of the two.
"Soft punches" is the biggest feature that distinguishes Tai Ji Chuan from other boxing methods. Taiji Chuan sang in "Song of the Hitman": "Let him hit me with great strength, it will affect four or two kilograms." Wu Yuxiang also said in The Fighter's Words: "Extremely soft, and then extremely strong." People often call Tai Ji Chuan's slow motion Tai Chi, which vividly depicts Tai Ji Chuan's "softness". And: "Laozi is gentle" is also an academic consensus since ancient times. Because "Chapter 43 of Laozi" says: "The world is the softest and the world is the strongest." In chapter 78, he said, "The weak are stronger than the weak, and the soft are stronger than the strong." . Chapter 76 also says: "The strong die and the weak live." Tai Ji Chuan is in the same strain.
Similarly, "quietness" has always been emphasized in Tai Ji Chuan's theory. The important features of Tai Ji Chuan Movement are "moving with quietness", "letting loose with nature", "braking with quietness" and "attacking people from behind". This feature also seems to come from Laozi's viewpoint that "quietness is the impetuous king" (Chapter 26), "in the final analysis, it is quietness" (Chapter 16), "quietness is better than impatience" (Chapter 45) and "quietness is always better than masculinity, and quietness is the next step" (Chapter 6 1 6).
However, attaching importance to "softness" does not mean not attaching importance to "rigidity"; The main "static" is not to deny "dynamic". It is precisely because people are easily confused by the "positive" side of things that Laozi overcorrects and deliberately emphasizes its "negative" side. In fact, there is also a principle of "keeping the center" in the theory of Laozi and Taiji Zhuan. There is a saying in Laozi's five chapters: "It is better to keep the words than to keep the words." It is precisely because Lao Zi's thought runs through this truth from beginning to end that many opposing academic schools' theories and viewpoints in the history of China can be found in Lao Zi. The philosophical concept of "Taiji" itself contains "two instruments", namely, yin and yang, rigidity and softness, movement and static, and all opposites and contradictions. Therefore, the theory of Taiji Chuan particularly emphasizes the combination of Yin and Yang. "Taiji Chuanjing" said: "Every time you meet a person, you can't realize the net merits for several years, and you are self-made. To avoid this disease, you should know yin and yang; Sticking is walking, and walking is sticking; Yang does not leave Yin, Yin does not leave Yang, and Yin and Yang help each other. " The fighter's words also emphasize that "seeing movement is still quiet, seeing movement is still quiet", and try to avoid holding one end and losing "China". In terms of specific training methods, Mr. Tai Ji Chuan also emphasized that the practitioners should maintain a moderate state such as "standing at attention and being comfortable", "being impartial" and "not letting loose or revealing". Among the "Three Fists at Home" with similar intentions and styles, Xingyiquan pays attention to the upper limbs, Bagua Palm pays attention to the lower limbs, and Tai Ji Chuan pays special attention to the waist. Waist, a "middle" also. In this regard, there are some statements in the theory of Taiji Zhuan, such as "always pay attention to the waist", "waist is the axis", "waist should be lively" and "it is now or never, the body is scattered and the body is biased, and the disease is sought after by the waist and legs". When we practice Tai Ji Chuan, if we grasp this important "middle" part, the whole body will be "flawless, unbroken" and "run through the whole body" (Zhang Sanfeng's On Tai Ji Chuan), then we can "know the opening and closing, and know the yin and yang". In this position, I have worked hard for a day and my skills have improved for a day. I have gradually got what I want, and I am not satisfied. "(Li Yizhen's" Five-character Tactics ")
A person without martial arts training, in the face of an imminent external force, the instinctive conditioned reflex is to let himself immediately produce an opposite force and fight back. Even for most combat skills in the world, it is only about how to increase this resistance. This kind of kung fu really works when I am strong or weak. But the opponents we meet are not necessarily weak, especially when the enemy is strong and we are weak, "recklessness" often suffers. To this end, Tai Chi Chuan put forward a principle in attack and defense, which is called "self-denial and self-defense", that is, how to exercise a conditioned reflex of "conforming to the trend" in the face of external forces and how to resolve it. As the classic "Taiji Biography" said: "Looking up is high, and looking down is deep. The longer you advance, the more urgent you retreat. You can't add a dime, flies can't fall, people don't know me, I know people alone. " This tactic of "stopping with quietness" and "defeating the strong with weakness" not only conforms to Laozi's views of "softness" and "quietness", but also seems to be taken from Laozi's proposition of "letting nature take its course" at a deeper level. Laozi's repeated thoughts of "abandoning wisdom", "selfishness without desire" (Chapter 19) and "inaction" are obviously "giving up oneself and following others" in a higher sense. In this regard, Laozi once proudly said: "When I succeed, people call me nature." (Chapter 17)
Tao is the highest category of Laozi's philosophy, but the thought of "Tao is nature" (Chapter 25) shows that "nature" seems to be more advanced than "Tao". This view is the most striking sign that Laozi's ontological thought is different from western ontology. According to dialectical materialism, that is to say, only by respecting objective facts and acting in accordance with the laws of nature can we not encounter difficulties in practice and be invincible in reality. In push-hand fighting, the opponent's every move is a natural law. At this time, if you can't give up yourself and follow others, you always take it for granted to attack according to your own wishes, and you will inevitably end in failure. The reason why Tai Ji Chuan can rise in the profound forest of Chinese Wushu and become a leader in self-cultivation, cultivation, health preservation, fighting skills and other aspects is inseparable from his acceptance of Lao Zi's special reverse thinking.
In addition, what Lao Tzu said, "the heart is empty, the abdomen is solid" (three chapters), is simply the basic requirement for learning all the internal boxing methods and all kinds of gas lessons, including Tai Ji Chuan. Laozi's "Know its white, keep its black" (Chapter 28) is also a high abstraction of Tai Ji Chuan's characteristics, such as combining rigidity with softness, being quick and slow, keeping the outside and keeping the inside, and keeping in good health by attacking and defending.
Mr. Chen Weiming, the proud disciple of Tai Chi master Yang Chengfu, also discovered the close relationship between the ideas expounded in Laozi and Tai Ji Chuan Theory in his early years. In his book Taiji Zhuanshu, there is a section on Taiji and Laozi, which lists several similarities between Taiji Zhuanshu and Laozi. Fortunately, this section is not long, and now it is extracted as follows to make up for the shortcomings of this article (punctuation is added by the author):
Lao Tzu said, "There is always something, so I want to see its wonders. There is always something, so we want to see it with its eyes. " Stick to it, see its beauty, and suddenly there is an opportunity, just look at it.
Laozi said: "Whether there is mutual growth or not, go hand in hand." It means that the left is heavy and empty, and the right is heavy and right is right; The longer you advance, the faster you retreat.
Lao Tzu said, "Is it still charming between heaven and earth? Virtual and unyielding, move out. " So Tai Chi can't, and exercise is the law.
Laozi said, "If continuity exists, it will not be used frequently." If you are continuous, you will have a solid spirit; Those who don't use it often show their ease.
Laozi said: "Being behind, being ahead, being outside." The one behind and in front, he didn't move, he didn't move, he moved slightly, he moved first; People who live outside themselves are stagnant, and people who live on others are alive.
Lao Tzu said, "Good is like water. ..... live in a good place, have a good heart, ... do good deeds, do good deeds. The husband does not dispute, so there is nothing special. " People who live in good places have the opportunity to gain motivation; Those who are kind and deep-hearted, gather together; People who are good at things will follow suit; Those who do good, not first, not later. Tai Chi is invincible, but it is indisputable.
Laozi said, "Can you give me a hug?" Committed to softness, can you be a baby? "It is extremely soft and hard, and all laws are unified.
Laozi said: "Flexion is complete, and waste is straight." It means looking for intuition in music, storing it and sending it out.
Laozi said: "If you want to indulge, you must be solid; If you want to be weak, you must be strong; If you want to take it away, you must fix it. It's called Twilight. "Tai Chi is sticky and constant, and it doesn't fight against it. He is arrogant, he is strong and weak, he takes me away, and then he can be arrogant, powerful and powerful.
Lao Tzu said; "Opposition, the movement of the Tao." Therefore, there must be ups and downs, there must be ups and downs, and there must be left and right.
Laozi said: "The world is the softest and the strongest. Nothing. " He also said: "If you don't argue, you will win ... come uninvited", which means that if the introduction fails, you can pull out 1000 pounds.
It is no accident that the theory of Taiji Chuan is so consistent with Laozi's thought. Laozi is the earliest philosophical monograph in China, which is broad, subtle and all-encompassing. This is a remarkable feature of the founders of all schools (Lao Zi is not only the founder of Taoism, but also one of the main creators of China traditional culture). This law, as Laozi pointed out, "Tao gives birth to one, two, three and everything." (Chapter 42) However, the analysis of "returning all laws to the Sect" should be comprehensive and democracy should be centralized. After a specific discipline and technology have developed rapidly and formed many branches, someone must sum up and improve them, and all the laws will eventually return to "One" and "Tao". In fact, Tai Ji Chuan is a summary and promotion of China Wushu culture. Therefore, it is natural that Taiji Chuan coincides with Laozi.
When and by whom was Tai Ji Chuan founded? There are many sayings at present. However, judging from Tai Ji Chuan's position in China Wushu, it is impossible to create such a boxing method without his profound attainments in China culture, especially Taoist culture and Laozi's theory (recent academic research shows that the traditional culture of China has the characteristics of complementary Confucianism and Taoism, but Confucianism seems to have always been uninterested in Wushu). Judging from some existing classic documents, Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist priest in Wudang, not only has such conditions, but also Zhang Sanfeng's life experience seems to be very similar to that of Laozi, and both of them have the characteristics of fooling. "Historical Records" contains Confucius' evaluation of Laozi: "Seeing Laozi today is still evil!" I think Lao Tzu is inscrutable. This feature is also reflected in the textual research of Laozi and his works by later generations. As early as the Han Dynasty, Sima Qian could not completely determine whether Lao Zi was Lao Dan. Lao Laizi or Zhou Taishi? I'm alive 160 or 200? Are you from the Spring and Autumn Period or the Warring States Period? After I went through the customs, I even "don't know the end." Laozi wrote this book by himself? Or was it gradually improved in such a long historical period as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period? All these have yet to be confirmed. The same is true of Zhang Sanfeng, whose names include many sayings such as Zhang Sanfeng and Zhang Shanfeng. In the history of Song Jinming, there was a man who came back from the dead, and the year of birth and death could not be verified. His whereabouts are erratic, and Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming emperor, and Judy, Ming Taizu, sent people to look for him many times, but all failed. There are many monographs on Wushu Qigong, such as Rootless Tree and On Tai Ji Chuan. An enlightened person like this must have a very deep study of Laozi, and his understanding of Laozi's thoughts must be no small matter.
The theory of Taiji Chuan is so consistent with Laozi's thought, and Zhang Sanfeng's life experience is so similar to Laozi's. In this way, from the viewpoint that Zhang Sanfeng founded Tai Ji Chuan in the early Ming Dynasty, the naturalness of the relationship between Laozi and Tai Ji Chuan seems more reasonable.