Tai Chi Treatise Meditation Bead by Zhang Sanfeng by Sifu

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Tai Chi Treatise Meditation Bead by Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a legendary Chinese Taoist who is believed to have achieved immortality. He specialised in Confucian and Taoist studies, scholarly and literary arts.
Zhang Sanfeng's life is that of indifference to fame and wealth. After declining to serve the government and giving away his property to his clan, he travelled around China and lived as an ascetic. He spent several years on Mount Hua before settling in the Wudang Mountains.
Zhang Sanfeng is credited for creating the concept of neijia (內家) in Chinese martial arts, specifically taijiquan, a Neo-Confucian syncretism of Shaolin martial arts with his mastery of daoyin (or neigong) principles. On one occasion, he observed a bird attacking a snake and was greatly inspired by the snake's defensive tactics. It remained still and alert in the face of the bird's onslaught until it made a lunge and fatally bit its attacker. This incident inspired him to create a set of 72 taijiquan movements. He is also associated with the Taoist monasteries in the Wudang Mountains.
According to 19th century documents preserved in the archives of the Yang and Wu-styles taijiquan families, Zhang Sanfeng's master was Xu Xuanping, a Tang dynasty Taoist poet and daoyin expert. The taijiquan families who honour Zhang Sanfeng as the creator of taijiquan traditionally celebrate his birthday on the ninth day of the third month in the Chinese calendar.
張三丰祖師遺著－太極拳經
Zhāng Sānfēng zǔshī yízhù – Tàijíquán Jīng
Zhang Sanfeng founder posthumous writing
– Tai Chi Chuan Classic Scripture written by Zhang Sanfeng
一舉動周身俱要輕靈
yījǔ dòng zhōushēn jù yào qīnglíng.
One stroke movement whole body completely want light and quick.
As soon as there is movement, the whole body should be fluid, agile, and light
尤須貫串
yóuxū guànchuàn.
especially need penetrate connect.
having all parts connected like a string of pearls (coins).
氣宜鼓盪
qì yí gǔ dàng
Vapour suitable arouse [pot of boiling water]
The energy is arousing, pure, and full.
神宜內斂
shén yí nèi liǎn.
spirit suitable inside restrain
The spirit is gathered and refined.
無使有缺陷處
wú shǐ yǒu quēxiàn chù.
Nothing enable exist shortcoming dwell.
No place for gaps or deficiencies.
無使有凹凸處
wú shǐ yǒu āotū chù.
Nothing enable exist convex concave dwell.
No place for unevenness.
無使有斷續處
wú shǐ yǒu duànxù dwell.
Nothing enable exist interrupted dwell
No place for disconnection.
其根在腳
qí gēn zài jiǎo.
such root at foot.
The feet are the root.
發於腿
fā yú tuǐ.
emit from leg.
coming from the legs
主宰於腰
zhǔzǎi yū yāo.
sovereign from waist.
directed by the waist.
行於手指
xíng yū from shǒuzhǐ.
go by finger.
Expressed by the hands.
由腳而腿而腰
yóu jiǎo ér tuǐ ér yāo.
from foot add leg add waist.
From the foot to the leg to the waist
總須完整一氣
zǒng xū wánzhěng yīqì.
asseble must integrated one energy.
must become one indistinguishable energy
向前退後
xiàngqián tuìhòu
forward backwards
whether advancing and retreating
乃能得機得勢
nǎi néng dé jī déshì
only then able proper crucial point ideal position.
so that you can seize the opportunities keep the position of power.
有不得機得勢處
yǒu bù dé jī déshì chù.
have not must crucial point position of power dwell.
If you do not have the upper hand
身便散亂
shēn biàn sànluàn
body then disordered.
your body is disconnected
其病必於腰腿求之
qí bìng bì yú yāo-tuǐ qiú zhī.
such defect certainly from waist-leg demand’s.
and you should look for the problem in the waist, hips and legs.
上下前後左右皆然
shàng xià qiánhòu-zuǒyòu jiārán.
up down before after left right all correct.
It is thus in all directions.
凡此皆是意
fán cǐ jiēshì yì.
all this all be intention.
Everything comes from the mind (will)
不在外面
bù zài wài miàn
No exist outside surface.
Internally, not superficially.
有上即有下
yǒu shàng jí yǒu shàng
have top assume have bottom
If there is up there is down.
有前即有後.
yǒu qián jí yǒu hòu
have front assume have after
If there is forward there is backward.
有左即有右.
yǒu zuǒ jí yǒu hòu
have left assume have right
If there is left there is right
如意要向上
rúyì yào xiàngshàng
thus intent want strive up
So, wishing to go up,
即寓下意
Jí yù xià yì.
undertake imply under intent.
includes going down.
若將物掀起而加以挫之之力
ruò jiāng wù xiāngqǐ ér jiāyǐ cuòzhé zhi zhi lì
as if future matter surge yet add using subdue __ strength.
If you wish to cause something to move
斯其根自斷
sī qí gēn zì duàn.
therefore its roots self sever.
you must break its root
乃攘之速而無疑
nǎi rǎng ‘s sù ér wúyí
thence resisting fast and nothing doubt
only then can you attack without hesitation.
虛實宜分清楚
xū-shí yí fēng qīng chu
insubstantial substantial separate distinct
The actual situation must be clearly distinguished without any ambiguity.
一處有一處虛實
yī chù yǒu yī chù xū-shí.
one place have one place empty-full.
Every situation contains substantial and insubstantial.
處處總此一虛實
chùchù zǒng cǐ yī xū-shí.
place place comprehensive this one empty-full
Every part can be determined to be substantial or insubstantial.
周身節節貫串.
zhōushēn jiéjié guànchuàn
Whole body successively penetrate
Every part of the body must be connected
無令絲毫間斷耳
wú lìng sīháo jiànduàn ěr.
nothing slightest discontinuous ear.
without conceding any break.
長拳者
cháng quán zhě
Regarding Long Fist
The taijiquan routine
如長江大海
rú chángjiāng dàhǎi
similar Yangtze River open sea
is like a long river and a big ocean
滔滔不絕也
tāotāobùjué yě
gushing gushing no absolute by-and-large.
flowing freely and unceasingly.
掤、屢、擠、按、採、裂、肘、靠此八卦也
Péng, lǚ, jǐ, àn, cǎi, liè, zhǒu, kǎo. Cǐ bāguà yě.
“Boing”, “roll”, “cram”, “suppress”, “pluck”, “rend”, “elbow”,”against,” this eight trigram by-and-large
Ward-off, roll back, squeeze, push, pluck, split, elbow strike, and shoulder strike, correspond to the eight trigrams.
進步、退步、左顧、右盼、中定，此五行也
Jìnbù, tuìbù, zuǒgù, yòupàn, zhōng dìng, cǐ wǔ-xíng yě.
forward step, backward step, left look, right gaze, middle stable, this five elements as-it-were.
Advance, retreat, look to the left, gaze to the right, and central equilibrium all correspond to the five elements.
掤、屢、擠、按、即乾、坤、坎、離、四正方也
Péng, lǚ, jǐ, àn, jí qián, kūn, kǎn, lí, sì, zhèngfāng, yě.
“Boing”, “roll”, “cram”, “suppress”, namely “The Creative (Heaven)”, “The Receptive (Earth)”, “The Abysmal (Water)”, “The
Clinging (Fire)”, four square as-it-were.
Ward off, roll back, squeeze, and push, corresponding as they do to the trigrams of the four directions, are the square (true) methods;
採、裂、肘、靠、即巽、震、兌、艮、四斜角也
cǎi, liè, zhǒu, kǎo, jí xùn, zhèn, duì, gèn, sì xiéjiǎo yě
“pluck”, “rend”, “elbow”, “against,” namely “The Penetrating”, “The Arousing”, “The Joyous”, “Keeping Still”, four oblique
angle “as-it-were.”
Pluck, split, elbow strike, and shoulder strike, corresponding as they do to the trigrams of the four corners, are the obtuse* methods;
進退顧盼定
Jìn-tuì gùpàn dìng
Advance, retreat, look, gaze, stable
Advance, retreat, look left, gaze right, and central equilibrium
即金木水火土也
jí jīn-mù-shuǐ-huǒ-tǔ ye
namely: metal, wood, water, fire, earth as-it-were.
correspond to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
合之則為十三勢也
hé zhī zé wèi shísān shì yě
join with make become thirteen power even.
Combined together, these all make up the thirteen compositional forces.
原註云
Yuánzhù yún
Original notes say.
Addendum (attributed to Yang Lu-Chan (1799-1872)
此係武當山張三丰祖師遺論
Cǐ xì Wǔ dāng Shān Zhāng Sānfēng zǔshī yí lùn.
This be Wudang Mountain Zhang Sanfeng founder give theory.
This treatise was left to us by the founder, Zhang Sanfeng.
欲天下豪傑延年益壽
yù tiānxià háojié yán nián yì shòu
desire heaven under demigod year increase life
offering the promise of longevity to the whole world,
不徒作技藝之末也
bù tú zuò jìyì zhī mò yě.
not purposeless make technical skill it triviality also
It is not just for trivial martial skill