A Good Man Doesn’t Know He’s Good

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Eight “A truly good man is not aware of his goodness,And is therefore good.A foolish man tries to be good,And is therefore not good.  A truly good man does nothing,Yet leaves nothing undone.A foolish man is always doing,Yet much remains to be done.  When a truly kind man does something, he leaves nothing undone.When a just man does something, he leaves a great deal to be done.When a disciplinarian does something and no one responds,He rolls up his sleeves in an attempt to enforce order.  Therefore when Tao is lost, there is … Continue reading A Good Man Doesn’t Know He’s Good

Tao Abides In Non Action

Explanation Of Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Seven  “Tao abides in non-action,Yet nothing is left undone.If kings and lords observed this,The ten thousand things would develop naturally.If they still desired to act,They would return to the simplicity of formless substance.Without form there is no desire.Without desire there is tranquility.And in this way all things would be at peace.” The idea that if we understand the way of nature we can develop the idea of not contradicting it. If our leaders understood this and governed in a way that harmonised with the ‘way’ and allowed everything to ‘unfold’ with the lightest … Continue reading Tao Abides In Non Action

You Already Know It!

Most of social media is designed to lead you astray, particularly in the martial arts and some of the worst manipulators (whether they know it or not) are those that train and teach our arts. First of all YOU ALREADY KNOW IT so you don’t need ‘teachers’ telling you that you don’t understand and it takes years of training etc. they are laying smoke screens and diverting you from seeing what you should already know naturally. Every mammal is born with this inner knowing, look at cats, dogs, monkeys, tigers and so on, even humans when they’re ’in the zone’ … Continue reading You Already Know It!

That Which Shrinks Must First Expand

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Six “That which shrinksMust first expand.That which failsMust first be strong.That which is cast downMust first be raised.Before receivingThere must be giving.  This is called perception of the nature of things.” One cannot exist without its opposite and it’s the nature of the universe to pass from one to the other. When we can see this working we can see its true nature. “Soft and weak overcome hard and strong.  Fish cannot leave deep waters,And a country’s weapons should not be displayed.” The power of softness and apparent weakness can then be … Continue reading That Which Shrinks Must First Expand

It Cannot Be Exhausted

Explanation Of The Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Five  “All men will come to him who keeps to the one,For there lie rest and happiness and peace.  Passersby may stop for music and good food,But a description of the TaoSeems without substance or flavor.It cannot be seen, it cannot be heard,And yet it cannot be exhausted.” Those that stay with the Tao will be able to rest in peace in the eternal, it’s a place of refuge and healing. Those that engage in life’s addictions and pleasures can’t find it. But in the stillness and silence it’s beyond the ‘substance … Continue reading It Cannot Be Exhausted

The Great Tao Flows Everywhere

Explanation Of Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Four  “The great Tao flows everywhere, both to the left and to the right.The ten thousand things depend upon it; it holds nothing back.It fulfills its purpose silently and makes no claim.  It nourishes the ten thousand things,And yet is not their lord.It has no aim; it is very small.  The ten thousand things return to it,Yet it is not their lord.It is very great.  It does not show greatness,And is therefore truly great.” A beautiful, poetic description of the Tao, making the point that it lies below the universe that we recognise … Continue reading The Great Tao Flows Everywhere

Mastering The Self Needs Strength

Explanation Of Tao Te Ching Part Thirty Three “Knowing others is wisdom;Knowing the self is enlightenment.Mastering others requires force;Mastering the self needs strength.  He who knows he has enough is rich.Perseverance is a sign of willpower.He who stays where he is endures.To die but not to perish is to be eternally present.” One of the most quoted chapters and mostly self explanatory. Looking inwards and discovering mindfulness is how we master the illusory self and discover who and what we really are. When we know that we are wise to others and our own demons. Having the willpower to not … Continue reading Mastering The Self Needs Strength

The Tao Is Forever Undefined

The Tao Te Ching Explained Part Thirty Two  “The Tao is forever undefined.Small though it is in the unformed state, it cannot be grasped.If kings and lords could harness it,The ten thousand things would come togetherAnd gentle rain fall.Men would need no more instruction and all things would take their course.  Once the whole is divided, the parts need names.There are already enough names.One must know when to stop.Knowing when to stop averts trouble.Tao in the world is like a river flowing home to the sea.” Because The Tao can only be found by stillness and silence it’s hard to … Continue reading The Tao Is Forever Undefined

Victory Is No Cause For Rejoicing

Tao Te Ching Part Thirty One  “Good weapons are instruments of fear; all creatures hate them.Therefore followers of Tao never use them.The wise man prefers the left.The man of war prefers the right.  Weapons are instruments of fear; they are not a wise man’s tools.” Any person seeking peace and harmony with the Tao will abhor weapons and war because their only purpose is disharmony, causing pain and death. “He uses them only when he has no choice.Peace and quiet are dear to his heart,And victory is no cause for rejoicing.If you rejoice in victory, then you delight in killing;If … Continue reading Victory Is No Cause For Rejoicing

Let’s Talk About Lineage

Let’s talk a little bit about ‘lineage’. What we’re really talking about is what’s passed down from a teacher or teachers, what the quality of that teaching is and whether the student learned or understood what they’re taught and then what they can add to that. The hours spent arguing about lineage in Tai Chi is crazy and most people arguing about it have the worst Tai Chi I’ve ever seen. The only way you ever know the quality of a person’s Tai Chi is understanding the depth of their character and by crossing hands with them. Everything else is … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Lineage