THE WAY OF HARMONY

Master Huang’s teaching is designed to refresh and review previous curricula, while delving more deeply into the ongoing exploration of the Living Tao forms, metaphors, and philosophy.

For this session Master Huang will introduce new material, including:
* Tao Yuan Ming 陶淵明Nature Bathing Meditation;
~ 2018 Awareness Flyer
* Calligraphy, Metaphors & Movement Motifs for:
~ 氣流通Qi/Chi Flow of 7 Dantian Points ~
* Centering / Release / Balance
~ Zhong Yong An Din Nei Guan Yin 中庸安定內觀音 ~
~ Chén 沉Fú 浮Tí 提Piāo飄Fēi 飛Xiáng 翔 ~

WIDE AWAKE – EXPANDED AWARENESS

SYMBOLS, METAPHORS & PHILOSOPHY
~ Vertical 氣流通CHI/ Qi Flow Guide ~

Follow this sequence as a guide to the motions:

天上 • 天下 • 下地 • 地上 • 地下 • 上地 • 地上 • 上天 • 天上 • 

Four Examples of Vertical CHI / Qi Flow Motions

Tian / Ren / Di
Human in the middle of Heaven and Earth

Chakras (7 Dantian Points)

NATURE BATHING MEDITATION
“Yin Jiu / Drinking Wine” by Tao Yuan Ming (aka Tao Qian)
Jin Dynasty & Liu Song Dynasty (365 – 427AD)

My house is built in the midst of people, but no noise of carts or horses
You ask how can this be? My mind is distant to feel secluded
Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge, I gaze at the Southern Mountain.
The mountain air is so fine, the birds in pairs are returning home
There must be deep truth in all this, trying to expound but the words are forgotten

 

結廬在人境， jié lú zài rén jìng [build] [hut] [at] [people] [territory] One builds a house on human territory,

而無車馬喧。 ér wú chē mǎ xuān [yet] [not have] [cart] [horse] [noise] yet there is no sound of cart or horse

問君何能爾？ wèn jūn hé néng ěr [ask] [sir] [how] [can] [thus] One asks you how this can be so,

心遠地自偏。 xīn yuǎn dì zì piān [mind] [distant] [place] [self] [inclined] but your mind is a distant place, self-absorbed.

採菊東籬下， cǎi jú dōng lí xià [pick] [chrysanthemum] [east] [fence] [below] Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence,

悠然見南山。 yōu rán jiàn nán shān [pensive] [-ly] [view] [south] [mountain] one pensively views the southern mountains.

山氣日夕佳， shān qì rì xī jiā [mountain] [air] [sun] [dusk] [beautiful] The mountain air and sunset are beautiful;

飛鳥相與還。 fēi niǎo xiāng yǔ huán [fly] [bird] [together] [to] [return] flying birds return together.

此中有真意， cǐ zhōng yǒu zhēn yì [this] [in] [have] [true] [meaning] There is true meaning in this;

欲辯已忘言。 yù biàn yǐ wàng yán [want] [argue] [stop] [forget] [speech] desiring argument, one stops and forgets to speak.

 

The following are a sampling of various “poetic” translations into English:

I settle in a peopled place, yet hear no sound from passing carts and horses.
You ask me how this is possible: you are where your heart wanders

Gathering chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, I gaze leisurely at the southern mountains.

The mountain air is lovely near sunset; a flock of birds gather to return home.

There is insight and wisdom in all of this, though I do not know the words to describe it.

I built my hut in a zone of human habitation,
Yet near me there sounds no noise of horse or coach.
Would you know how that is possible?
A heart that is distant creates a wilderness round it.
I pluck chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge,
Then gaze long at the distant summer hills.
The mountain air is fresh at the dusk of day:
The flying birds two by two return.
In these things there lies a deep meaning;
Yet when we would express it, words suddenly fail us.

I locate my hut in the secular,
Yet you hear not traffic uproar.
You ask how it could be so?
A secluded heart secludes wherever you are.
I’d pick chrysanthemums next to the fence on the east,
In the distance the Zhongnan Mountains traverse,
Mountain air is pleasant day and night,
Birds on the wing would gather in pairs as they home return.
In amongst all these exists truthfulness,
In an attempt to express it I find myself lost for words.

CHI / Qi

CENTERING / RELEASE / BALANCE
CHÉN 沉FÚ 浮TÍ 提PIĀO飄FĒI 飛XIÁNG 翔
(6 stages)

[Refer to October 2022 Study Materials]

SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCES

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, 3rd movement (Adagio, motto e Cantabile) Conductor Leonard Bernstein

Performance to commemorate the tearing down of the Berlin Wall— Bernstein renamed the 4th movement’s “Ode to Joy” to “Ode to Freedom”.