
Zhang Sanfeng wrote eight words in his “The True Meaning of Tai Chi”: “The spring is clear and the water is still, the heart is dead and the spirit is alive”. I think that “the spring is clear and the water is still” is a metaphor for the mental state that a boxer should have, and “the heart is dead and the spirit is alive” is the method of practicing this state. “Spring” can also be understood as the spirit, which is upward and scattered outward; “water” can be understood as the heart, which is sinking and inward. It is because the water is still and deep that the spring is clear and gushing upward. It is because the mind sinks to the bottom and retreats to the dark that the spirit can be pushed back to the top and radiate to the light. The heart belongs to Yin and the spirit belongs to Yang. The clear rises and the turbid falls, and one grows while the other declines. Only by weakening the role of the mind (the heart is dead) can the energy of the spirit be strengthened (the spirit is alive). After “understanding the power” in boxing, practicing according to the method of the heart dead and the spirit alive can gradually transition from “refining qi to transform the spirit” to “refining the spirit to return to emptiness”, and smoothly enter the stage of practicing the spirit of Tai Chi.
- What is spirit?
Taijiquan attaches great importance to essence, qi and spirit, and believes that essence “refers to the essence of the five grains, which is the thing that nourishes the whole body; qi refers to the breath and the qi that permeates the whole body. The light emitted by these two things together is spirit. It can also be said that essence and qi are substances, and the effect produced by the two is spirit” (Wu Tunan). “Spirit is the spirit that is produced by essence and qi outside, without the disadvantages of being difficult and astringent” (Chen Xin). Spirit is the manifestation of vitality and intuition of life, and is the glorious image of the inner mind, essence, and strength that is freely spread outside through the body. Spirit “is rooted in the heart, and its color is bright on the face, overflowing on the back, and applied to the four limbs” (Mencius), which means that spirit is rooted in the heart, produced by emotions, imaged on the face, overflowing on the back, and used in all parts of the limbs. Spirit is the phenomenon of releasing and consuming bioelectricity. Bioelectricity is a kind of energy, which is the life energy released from essence and qi through relaxation. Jing, Qi and Shen are an inseparable whole of life, among which Jing is the foundation, carrier and root; Qi is the power and vehicle; Qi leads the blood circulation and is responsible for the distribution and transportation of nutrition; Shen is reflected in the process of changes in the relaxation and combination of mind and Qi, the hardness and softness of strength, the relaxation and contraction of muscles and bones. It overflows from Jing, Qi and Jing, and is the brilliance of life vitality. Shen is both the functional manifestation of Jing and Qi, and the dominant operation of Jing and Qi, and has the function of controlling and mobilizing Jing and Qi.
From the perspective of physical science, Shen is a material wave generated from the body and spreads around the body. The human body has bioelectric current. This current can flow in the body and form a sense of Qi. After the body is filled, it can overflow outside the body and radiate to a certain distance around it, forming a field. “Field is a basic form of material existence, with energy, momentum and mass, and can transmit the interaction between real objects” (“Modern Chinese Dictionary”). The interaction between real objects occurs through the mutual emission and absorption of energy, heterogeneous assimilation, homogeneous mutual assistance, and harmonious coexistence. This “field” around the human body is often called the aura field. It is scientifically proven, recognized by everyone, and objectively exists. It can transmit the interaction between the human body and the surrounding objects. All objects in the field, although the body cannot reach them, can be touched by the spirit. Whenever the fist is opened, the eight sides are rounded, and the skin and fur attack the outside. Imagine that it is so big that there is no outside, as if the body can touch the surrounding objects. Whenever the fist is closed, the whole body shrinks and the air enters the body. Imagine that it is so small that there is no inside, as if the surrounding objects give back a kind of squeezing force to oneself. I dare not absolutely rule out the psychological effect of imagination guidance for this feeling of “field”, but the effect of material waves is the main one and cannot be denied. Some people have this sense of field, while others do not. This is the difference between practicing and not practicing. Some people have strong and some people have weak sense of field. This is the difference between the depth of kung fu, which is proportional to the degree of emptiness and nothingness of the body and mind. This field can be called aura, electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic field, gravitational field, repulsive field, biological field, etc. I think it can also be called “God field”, which is the material existence form of God, the three-dimensional space that can be “illuminated” by the light of essence and energy, and the operating area where the spirit and emotion can be agitated. Practicing boxing and paying attention to this “field” outside the body is a practice method of “formless and imageless, forgetting oneself, the whole body is transparent, the inside and outside are unified, responding to things naturally, and doing what one wants” (Zhang Sanfeng).
To understand the spirit, we must also understand some differences between the spirit and the mind.
First, the mind is connected to the thought and moves with the support of the thought, so the mind and the thought are often connected to be called the mind. But the spirit is connected to the emotion and moves with the support of the emotion, so the spirit and the emotion are often connected to be called the spirit.
Second, the mind is a stream of consciousness that runs through the bones and flesh in the body in order of points, lines, surfaces, and bodies, while the spirit is a field that radiates from the essence in the body to the outside of the body, forming an aura that fills a certain range of three-dimensional space around it.
Third, the mind is the leader in the stage of understanding the power of boxing, while the spirit is the leader in the stage of practicing the spirit. The spirit plays a role in the higher level of boxing practice than the mind.
Fourth, the mind guides the movement of the limbs by guiding the limbs to sink and follow, and its role is more direct, more specific, and more persistent. The guidance of the spirit to the boxing is more direct, more abstract, and more implicit. It is the essence of the body overflowing in the bones and flesh, radiating outside the body, and connecting with the surrounding scenery. It is like the surrounding aura, scenery and boxing are constantly rising and falling, just like the surrounding audience shouting, applauding, and praising, which is to use emotions to arouse the excitement of the limbs and inspire the movement of the boxing. Therefore, the guidance of the spirit to the boxing is more macroscopic, holistic, ethereal, and artistic than the mind, and is more conducive to the nature of life and potential ability to break through constraints, fully release, and freely play, producing the movement effect of Taoism and returning to nature.
Specifically speaking of boxing, “Kung Fu is nothing more than the cultivation of spirit, qi and body, but the training of spirit is the main thing, followed by the training of qi, and the training of body is the first step.” Mr. Li Yaxuan said: “My teacher Mr. Yang Chengfu once said that the ancients practiced boxing in four steps: first, training the body to consolidate the essence, which is the kung fu of practicing the frame; second, refining the essence to transform qi, which is the kung fu of practicing and nourishing qi; third, refining qi to transform the spirit, which is the kung fu of nourishing qi and storing the spirit; fourth, refining the spirit to return to emptiness, which is the kung fu of nourishing the emptiness after being extremely quiet and silent.”
To cultivate the spirit, we must understand the relationship between spirit and intention, spirit and essence, qi, and form, and spirit and relaxation and tranquility. “We should pay attention to the difference between spirit and intention, that is, spirit is forward, intention is backward, spirit is above, and intention is below. Spirit and intention should cooperate with each other, with spirit as the main thing, using spirit to mobilize intention, and spirit to lead form” (Zhang Quanliang). As an advanced kung fu, refining the spirit requires a solid foundation and support from all aspects, and all aspects need the support of relaxation. The inner essence is full because of relaxation, the inner qi is vigorous because of relaxation, the outer form is smooth because of relaxation, the outer aura is vibrating because of relaxation, the inner and outer are connected and connected, and only then can a spirit full of spiritual light be born. The spirit is full because of body relaxation, and the spirit is lifted because of qi sinking. The spirit is reflected by the body relaxation and qi sinking, and is the external atmosphere of symmetrical strength.
- How to use the spirit
Mr. Li Yaxuan’s “hiding the spirit” is what Mr. Wu Yuxiang said, “the spirit should be restrained”, “the whole body is intended to store the spirit”, which is what Mr. Li Yiyu said, “the spirit is gathered”, and there is also a saying “storing the spirit”. Hiding the spirit, storing the spirit, collecting the spirit, gathering the spirit, consolidating the spirit, and preserving the spirit are different in terms, but they all mean the same thing. They all seek to look inward, and they are all methods of refining and nourishing the spirit. They all require us to:
First, we must look inward. No matter whether we look far or near, we must have something in our eyes, but we must be relaxed and peaceful, as if we are not looking; we must not stare or stare, nor look at it like a shooting star, as that will consume, hurt, and distract our spirit.
Second, we must close our eyes and listen, pay attention to the inside of the body, pay attention to the unity of the heart and the mind, the unity of the mind and the qi, and the unity of the qi and the strength; pay attention to the partial sinking and follow, the waist and abdomen open and close, the chest and abdomen contain and expand, and the joints are connected.
Third, the shape must not break the body, the strength must not be sharp, there must be no bumps, defects, or interruptions, so that the spirit is not scattered.
Fourth, the mind must be relaxed, without distracting thoughts; half asleep and half awake, hazy like a dream; pay attention intentionally, emphasize unintentionally, and be between intentional and unintentional. Fifth, relax the body, and generate an upward support force and an upward look through the lever force or reaction force of the downward relaxation; break the balance by relaxing one side of the body, generate dynamic running force, and trigger the vitality of the look; bend by relaxing the waist, and stretch by relaxing the abdomen, everything starts, runs, and is completed in relaxation, so that the spirit is relaxed.
To restrain the spirit is not to be deflated, nor is it to be weak in spirit and will, but just not to be ostentatious, not to show off, not to leak out, to practice internal fitness, to seek internal strength, and to be full of spirit. When the inner essence is full and the spirit is full, it is like water overflowing, just like “the spring scenery in the garden cannot be contained, and a red apricot tree comes out of the wall”, it is the inner essence and energy that generates the outer look. What is the state of the inner essence, what will be the scene of the outer look, which is not to seek to be external, but to be external, forming a contradictory unity of inward convergence and outward expansion. Therefore, Mr. Wu Yuxiang also proposed the requirement of “qi must be restrained, and spirit should be relaxed”.
How to achieve “soothing spirit”?
First, the boxing movements must be done to the full extent. On the one hand, each movement must be done in place and to the end. You cannot “not finish this move, but want to hit that move, and when you hit that move, it is still not finished, and you want to hit the next move. With such a restless mind, how can you carefully figure out and know the rise and fall of the internal strength and the sufficiency of the spirit” (Chen Xin)! On the other hand, the opening and closing of the waist and abdomen drive the limbs to the end, not halfway, and the waist and abdomen move alone before the hands and feet are in place, and the hands and feet should also be humbly (relaxed) to accept the drive of the waist and abdomen, do not take the initiative, do not automatically. The hands should follow the direction of the waist and spine. When opening, the spirit should be ejected from the pores and fingertips, and when closing, the spirit should be absorbed from the pores and fingertips into the spine. Only then can it be considered to have reached the end.
Second, the opening and closing should be imagined to be infinite. When the spirit is open, imagine it to be infinitely large, stretching outward and far, and have the feeling that the spirit and passion fill the world; when the spirit is closed, imagine it to be contracted to infinitesimal, and it should be collected into the spine, stored in the cells, and shrunk into the core part of the dantian; it should be full inside and soft outside, reflecting the relaxation in restraint.
Third, there should be emotional ups and downs, the emptiness and reality of the internal strength, “there should be elements of conveying the spirit” and “moving power” (Li Deyin); it should be both peaceful and solemn; it should be upright, full of confidence, and justified; it should have an awe-inspiring and inviolable spirit, and the majesty of conquering the enemy without fighting, that is, it should be powerful without anger.
Fourth, the body should be relaxed to make the spirit firm, the qi should sink to promote the spirit to rise, the expansion should promote the spirit to open, and the opening and closing of the qi should promote the relaxation of the spirit.
For example, when the Qi is closed and the spirit is rolled up, the spine is relaxed from top to bottom, with the shoulders and spine drooping; at the same time, the facial muscles in front are stretched upward and horizontally as the lower abdomen is lifted and contracted, and the corners of the mouth contain a smile, which is a scene of “the whole body is light and the head is suspended”, and the spirit is not depressed due to the accumulation of Qi. When the Qi is opened and the spirit is relaxed, it is another scene. As the lower abdomen relaxes and sinks, the facial muscles in front naturally relax downward, and through the lever action, the spine in the back is stretched upward and the neck is smooth upward, producing the relaxed performance of “the tailbone is straight and the spirit penetrates the top of the head”.
Opening and closing the virtual and the real, the gathering and dispersion of the internal Qi, the relaxation and relaxation of the spirit, the spirit, the spirit, are all like this, going back and forth, endlessly circulating, moving in the form of sinking, gathering and dispersing, and reverse symmetry, being trained in the movement, and generating vitality.
“All joints of the human body have spirit”, and all have the internal overflow of spirit and spirit. All parts of the limbs should have a natural flow of relaxation, the release of internal feelings, and the tension of the spirit. Although the spirit is manifested in various parts of the body, it is most prominently manifested in the eyes. “The eyes are the windows of the soul.” For Tai Chi practitioners, this sentence cannot be just known verbally, but must be truly experienced by the body and mind. The operation of the eyes is not just a matter of the eyes. Its root lies in the chest and back, and the chest and back open and close, and the chest changes. The eyes reflect a person’s spiritual temperament and inner changes. Only when there is the rising sun in the chest can the eyes be bright; only when there is a goal in the chest can the eyes have a direction; only when there is true love in the chest can the eyes have a vision; only when the chest is broad and open can the eyes be calm and peaceful. When the heart and spirit in the chest are in place, the eyes will naturally be in place. The root of the eyes is the inner essence and strong qi, the clear rises and the turbid falls. When the eyes are in operation, three points of the eyes should be looking outward, and seven points should be looking inward, using the inner view to support the outer view, so that the inside and the outside are connected. When looking outside, the eyes should naturally look forward and level, without looking up, down, tilted, squinting, or staring; when stretching out the arm, the eyes lead the hands, the eyes move ahead of the hands and look far away; when bending the arm and pulling back the hand, the hands lead the eyes, the hands withdraw before the eyes, and the eyes follow to look near. When looking far away, the eyes extend forward from the two small corners of the eyes in parallel, which is open; when looking near, the eyes are retracted from the center of the two pupils to the bottom of the eyes, which is closed.
At this time, the skin and flesh of the Yintang point between the eyebrows tighten, pulling the expression of the two eyes to condense here, blurring the original precise visual spirituality of the two eyes. It seems that there are three eyes, but there is no focus, and everything seen is virtual, in the space between existence and non-existence. See but not see, feel and then understand. This is a good result of relaxation, a good phenomenon of the mind turning from outward to inward, and a good skill of returning to simplicity through the chaos of the external appearance to achieve inner clarity.
There is eye expression in front and ear expression in the back. The ear god has the skull (ear root) behind the ear as the exterior, and the empty cranial cavity as the interior. From the exterior to the interior, the real becomes the empty; from the interior to the exterior, the real is used as the empty, which makes the ear god have the function of a spiritual radar and eyes behind. As a spiritual radar, the ear root is like an antenna, and the cranial cavity is like a screen. As the need for scanning and searching arises, the “antenna” repeatedly adjusts its direction, sends out and retracts radio wave signals, and “observes” the movement and stillness behind. When the fist is opened, the ear root expands, and the ear god sends search signals from the inside to the outside. The signal goes up to the top of the head, which is consistent with the empty neck and top strength, and the spirit penetrates the top of the head; the signal goes back to detect the subtle sneak attack on the enemy, which is coordinated with “the back of the neck rubbing against the collar”. When the fist is closed, the ear root relaxes, the signal is recovered, and the ear god goes down to the shoulder spine, which is unified with the qi sticking to the spine; the ear god retracts the cranial cavity inward, enjoying the comfort of nothingness.
- The heart dies, the spirit lives
Modern scientific research proves that the left and right brains of a person have a division of labor. The left brain is the “acquired brain” and “self-brain”, and its functions are mainly learning and working. It stores the knowledge, skills and conscious mind learned after birth; the right brain is the “innate brain” and “ancestral brain”, and its functions are mainly self-discipline and health preservation. It stores the wisdom, inspiration, thinking ability and subconsciousness inherited from ancestors. In the process of practicing boxing, the left brain is similar to the heart, responsible for logical thinking and worrying; the right brain is connected to the spirit, responsible for image thinking and innate aura. The role of the left brain and the right brain is in a relationship of you advance and I retreat, you are strong and I am weak. Because acquired learning, work and daily life all emphasize the use of the heart, they all focus on the development and use of the left brain, squeezing the space for the right brain to play a role. Developing the right brain can restore people’s innate heart and spirituality, eliminate acquired delusions and paranoia, promote blood circulation, and enhance immunity, which is consistent with the practice goals of Tai Chi. There is a prerequisite for developing the right brain, which is to suppress the activities of the left brain, suppress the left brain’s chaotic life, let the left brain be silent, sleep, and “die in the heart”, so as to mobilize the right brain’s activity ability, awaken the innate wisdom and potential in the right brain, and realize “spiritual life”.
In the state of half-sleeping and half-awake, the acquired nature returns to the innate nature, and the impetuous acquired heart returns to the innate root of tranquility. Lao Tzu said: “To the extreme of emptiness, to keep quiet, all things work together.” Practice has also proved that the true meaning comes out intentionally or unintentionally; when you empty your mind, without self and without things, your potential will appear and inspiration will burst out. The mind is asleep without distractions, the demeanor is clear and pure, the heart is dead and the spirit is alive, and the aura of heaven is naturally cultivated in Tai Chi.
Of course, when you are actually practicing boxing to adjust your mind, you cannot distinguish between the left and right brains. You just let the whole brain relax as the facial muscles go down and the qi sinks down, like putting the brain in your heart and mind in your stomach, so that you can calm down and turn a blind eye to the scenery outside your body and turn a deaf ear to it. When you are in a state of half-asleep and half-awake, you enter a state of unity between man and nature, that is, a state where brain waves and cosmic waves are in harmony. When people are awake, the brain is only thinking about some things, and it is difficult for brain waves to be in harmony with cosmic waves. It is also impossible for brain waves in a sleeping state to be in harmony with cosmic waves. Only when you adjust yourself to a quiet state of half-asleep and half-awake can the two brain waves resonate in the same frequency and be exactly in harmony. Then, the brain function enters the most awake state, and enters the state of unity between man and nature and returning to the infinite state of simplicity. Therefore, in the quietness of the turbidity descending and the clearness rising, “the heart dies and the spirit lives”, and the half-asleep and half-awake state, a lamp that illuminates the whole body seems to be lit in the depths of the soul, and the cavity is illuminated, which brings out a little vivid meaning, and Tai Chi is born from Wuji, and movement is born from Jingji. At this time, the thoughts are clear, the principles are clear, the limbs are refreshed, and the movements are agile, and the body and mind enter the quiet state of free and divine movement from the acquired to the innate.
In the spiritual world of heart, intention, qi, and spirit, the heart and spirit are the two major supervisors, with a clear division of labor. Although the heart and intention have the positive effect of supervising boxing, they also have the negative effect of restraining the limbs. The negative effects of the heart are corrected by the spirit. The spirit pays attention to the macroscopic environment outside the body, and the light shines on the vast space outside the body, forming an aura and momentum. At the same time, it looks back at itself from the air with a sense of happiness of self-appreciation, praising and encouraging the free play of its innate spirituality. The heart implements the reason, and the spirit expresses the emotion. The dead heart and alive spirit is to transform reason into emotion, to integrate reason into emotion, to weaken the inward function of the heart focusing on moving qi and moving the body, to melt the heart into the spirit, to melt reason into emotion, to strengthen emotional thinking and the indulgence of the spirit, to make the boxing move like an eagle spreading its wings, full of pride, with the spirit penetrating the sky, and to be silent, only the spirit can move. This is also in line with the research results of modern human movement physiology, autonomic neurology, microcirculation and other theories.
Research has shown that when the body and mind are fully relaxed and the boxing is practiced in a very quiet and quiet state, the respiratory system and blood circulation system tend to be calm, while the microcirculation system and nervous system become excited, which is manifested in the self-experience as the myth of the dead heart.
The magic of boxing lies in relaxation. It is not a general advocacy of relaxation, but a firm and thorough “must relax, 100% relaxation. Only when the whole body is relaxed can we sensitively perceive the enemy’s situation. Only when we relax can we reorganize the power of our whole body, concentrate the power of the whole body, and smoothly send the power from the point of strength to the point of application. This is what we call concentrating power to fight an annihilation war. If there is a muscle that is not relaxed or a joint that is not active, it is difficult to achieve the power from the heart.” (Ma Hong’s “Explanation of the Theory of Chen Style Tai Chi”)
Practicing boxing with 100% relaxation has at least four meanings:
One refers to all parts of the body, which must be 100% relaxed. Relax all over. If one part is not relaxed, it will hinder other parts from relaxing.
Second, you should be 100% relaxed during the whole process of boxing practice. You should be relaxed at all times, whether you are storing power, releasing power, or switching between storing power and releasing power.
Third, all movements, whether they are correct or incorrect, high or low in quality, are 100% related to relaxation. You should think and measure with relaxation, correct and promote relaxation.
Fourth, you should be 100% firm in your belief in relaxation, abandon all kinds of wrong ideas that hinder relaxation, believe in relaxation wholeheartedly, practice boxing with relaxation, and cultivate yourself for life with a relaxed mentality.