Alex (1) When the index finger is pointed to the moon, look to the moon and not at the finger, the former being the goal, i.e. qi-movement, and the latter the guiding methods. Qi-mobilization is the core of your mindfulness while the application of the method is peripheral, being subservient to the core. (本末不可倒置) Your mind should resolve itself to the level of the internal qi so that your yi (mental intent/directions) will be in a position to manipulate the internal qi. As such, pay not your attention to the toes, the hands, nor the weight. Do not do the hollowing of the soles and the hands just for their own sake. Turn your attention internally to the inner waist with abdominal breathing and think in terms of setting qi in motion. (2) When you see an apple on the table, you want to eat it (which constitutes the intent or yi) and thereupon your hand reaches out to the apple instinctively. That’s it, without further ado. People practicing Taiji are generally acting quite the same way, instinctively physical, though mindful of relaxation, yet totally devoid of any thought of mobilizing qi to support or expedite the physical movements of the body. Their movements are willy-nilly motivated by physical force no matter how relaxed they are, and no matter how hard they try to abstain from using force. Yet force it is that drives their movements, willy-nilly. (3) In the case of xing-qi, the practitioner’s mind is bent on xing-qi in his movements. (以心行气). And in order not to be swayed by the instinctive prompting of the physical, he stays composed (务须沉着) to let his mind settled down with attention turned inwards (蓄神)with his visual and hearing perception internalized (收视反听), and breathing also internalized into abdominal breathing (吐纳)。He sets free his internal qi and maneuvers it to flow at will to activate his physical movements (以气运身). For an outsider, he seems to be moving his body, but in fact he is engaged in moving his qi to activate his physical movements. 4) Where qi flows, the body must move along with it internally to clear a qi-passage for the qi to flow on continuously and smoothly (务须顺遂) such that the qi-flow can be manipulated at will (乃能便利从心)(意气转换得灵) Only in this way can qi-movement activate the physical movements (以气运身)and the practitioner would find himself light-footed (轻灵) and his physical movements almost as nimble and flexible as the qi-flow, capable of circuitous maneuvers effortlessly (圆转自如) transcending the restrictions posed by the physical frame of the body, particularly the bone joints. As such, in an interactive encounter with an opponent, he is capable of moving ahead of his opponent even though he reacts after the latter (后发先至)。 Besides in the process of his xing-qi exercise, he acquires the essence of Taijiquan, to viz. Taiji jin (劲), which is the expression of qi-movement. Such exercise is what the Taiji Classics call xing-gong (行功) (5) Shall we go on to probe a little further into the domain of xing-qi? It is already too lengthy.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 09:22:22 +0000
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