Articles – Daoist Internal Arts

Tailoring Change

Dr Matthew Brewer — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:04:33 +0000

There is an intriguing phrase in the Dazhuan, the Great Treatise, the largest of the ten ‘wings’, or primary commentaries, of the Yijing. It is about the nature of change. It reads: Hua and cai are called bian.Dazhuan 1.12 化而裁之謂之變。 Translated directly it says: Transformation and tailoring are called change. The standard words for change …

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Making Use of the Middle

Dr Matthew Brewer — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 11:51:46 +0000

or Goldilocks was a philosopher There is a short phrase in the Taiji Classics that is easily glossed over. If we take the time to look at it a little more closely, it reveals surprising richness, depth and relevance to our practice of the internal arts and, beyond that, to the art of living. …

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Why So Slow 2

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:56:34 +0000

There is a sentence in Wang Bi’s essay on the Laozi,1Laozi weizi lilüe The Structure of Laozi’s Pointers, translated in Wagner, A Chinese Reading of the Daodejing pp.82-106 and Lynn, The Classic of The Way and Virtue pp.30-41. which beautifully expresses the importance of not rushing. It is actually a direct reference to the Great …

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Why So Slow 1

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:30:52 +0000

When people first join my classes they often comment on how slow they are, even compared to other Tai Chi classes, punctuated as they are by regular tea breaks. There are several reasons for this deliberate lack of haste. The first reason is obvious enough. The breaks give your nervous system time to absorb whatever …

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Being Way Oriented

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:23:53 +0000

The beauty of Tai Chi is that anyone can do it. There is an old saying: “Tai Chi can be done by anyone: male, female, young, old, strong, weak, intelligent and slow, healthy or ill.” It is one of the few forms of exercise at which you can improve continuously as you age. Tai Chi …

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Nurturing Life

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:18:39 +0000

or Paying Attention to Why We Act Why do we do what we do? This is rather a big question. If we get into specifics we’ll be here forever. However, one answer to the question is that generally we do what we do because it is necessary or because we think it is a good …

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Do Not Let the Great be the Enemy of the Good

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:05:48 +0000

I don’t know whether Bruce is intentionally referring to Voltaire’s famous phrase, “Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien,” “The best is the enemy of the good” but he often warns students, “Do not let the great be the enemy of the good.” By this he is cautioning against the trap that many fall into of …

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Winter: the Dao of Storage

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:57:52 +0000

藏之道 The three months of winter are called closing and storing. Water freezes, earth cracks. Do not disturb the yang at all. Early to bed, late to rise. (You) must await the daylight. Make that which is of the heart/mind as though hidden, as though concealed, as though (you) have a secret intention, already obtained. …

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Autumn: the Dao of Gathering

Dr Matthew Brewer — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:44:50 +0000

收之道 The three months of autumn are called containment and balance. Heavenly qi is quick, earthly qi is bright. Early to bed, early to rise: all participate with the rooster. Make that which is of the heart-mind peaceful and tranquil in order to weaken the punishment of autumn. Gather and collect the spirit and the …

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