|
Taoist Philosophy teaches that all things are created by the interplay of Yin and Yang. Because Yin
and Yang create all things they are honourably known as
The Supreme Extremes
or
The Great Ultimates
This has lead to another
misunderstanding, that Taijiquan is a bold and arrogant title meaning
'Great
Ultimate Fist'
This is very wrong as Taiji philosophy aims to be strong but humble.
|
| Illustration by Chen Xin |
The illustration
above was drawn by Chen family scholar, Chen Xin, for his book, 'The Illustrated Canon of Chen Family Taijiquan'.
The picture shows that the Supreme Extremes (Taiji) create the Two Forms (Liang-Yi), the Four Symbols (Si-Xiang) and the Eight
Trigrams (Ba-Gua). Yin and Yang endlessly divide themselves to create all things.
Two become four; four become eight;
eight become sixteen; sixteen become thirty-two; thirty-two become sixty-four; (the number of hexigrams in the I-Ching);
sixty-four become one hundred and twenty-eight. Forever doubling in size. For simplicity, the Taoists say that after one hundred
and twenty-eight Yin and Yang create 'the myriad things'.
Below
is Chen Xin's wonderful diagram of the Eight Trigrams (Ba-Gua) giving birth to the hundred and twenty-eight figures.
|
| Illustration by Chen Xin |
The great beginning of heaven and earth
Springs from Wuji, the Ultimate Nothingness,
As well as
from the Grand Terminus of Taiji,
Which gives to the myriad things their completion.
Hence everyone
has the Taiji motif in their bosom;
A human being is created in the image of heaven,
Whose nature is to
return to his origin.
The pre-birth jing essence, the post-birth qi energy,
And the eternal shen
spirit are managed upon one principle,
The all-embracing pattern.
FROM 'A SONG OF TAIJIQUAN'
BY CHEN PAN-LING
|
