The Teacher Mentors His Students

The Fireplace Records, Chapter 7

The Teacher Mentors His Students

Some call it "teaching"; some call it "indoctrination."
Some call it "making another brick in the wall'; some call it "liberation."
Some call it "listening"; some call it "swallowing."
Some call it "learning"; some call it "unlearning."

What do you call it? 

A Teacher Mentoring His Students
Ink and Color on Paper by Yang Zhiguang, 1959
From the Chinese Art Book, p.77

How does the Watcher/Observer, from the outside,
me viewing the painting, make the distinctions?

How does the Insider/Experiencer, from the inside,
make the distinctions?

How does your place in history, your real life,
your existential circumstances,
make the distinctions?

Maybe there are few distinctions between the two options. 

I attended Cantwell Catholic High School from 1959-1963 in Montebello, California.  Our respected teachers were Irish Christian Brothers and a few lay teachers.  

The Brothers lived in a three story building next door to the High School and grounds.  Across the street north of our campus was the all girls Sacred Heart of Mary High School.

The Brothers wore black or brown uniforms.  Some were old men and a few were young.  I remember one tall and fit gentleman, Brother Parent, lecturing us in class, working as our coach in sports, and talking casually and mentoring to us small groups of men.  We learned from them, listened to them, and tried to model them in our lives.

Our fellow students were a mixture of lower middle class youngsters of Mexican-American and Anglo heritage families. A Latin combo dish spiced with fellows Homeboy, Kool-Serious, Fit/Fist, Surfer, and all Catholics. 

One friend of mine, from my Bandini neighborhood, Jerry Garcia, graduated from Cantwell and went to college to become himself an Irish Cristian Brother Teacher.  We rode in the back of a pick up truck, driven by two carpenters, each morning to high school; and we walked home together many times after school.  Jerry introduced me to  Latin jazz, good books, and Catholic mystics.  

The above painting reflects the mood of my youthful, serious, religious, and impressionable High School days.  My conscious and unconscious sense of learning, role models, respected teachers, and mentors was formed in those bygone days over 60 years ago. 

The special clothing, a teacher's uniform, a religious costume, a formal attire when teaching was standard.  In my college and university days, 1963-1968, the professors all wore suits with shirts and ties. I remember Professor Benson's crisp cleaned starched white long sleeved shirt and a perfect bow tie. In the above painting, the main taller speaker is the only one wearing a long white tunic.   

Some of my secular college philosophy teachers at California State University at Los Angeles influenced me in a similar manner: like Professor Burrill's ethics and history of philosophy classes or Professor Glathe's or Professor Benson's logic and philosophy of science classes. 
Many Gassho Bows to all of them!!!

The above painting by Yang Zhiquang was commissioned by the Communist Party in 1959. They wanted to glorify recent revolutionary Communist Chinese history.  The painting supposedly depicts "Mao Zedong at the Peasant's Training School" in 1925.  Mao Zedong was likely proselytizing.  

Comments, Sources

Refer to Cases ??? in Koan Classics.  OK. find any?  

Refer to my Cloud Hands Blog Posts on the topic of Koans/Stories. 

The Daodejing by Laozi    Best? 

Pulling Onions  Over 1,043 One-line Sayings by Mike Garofalo

Chinese Chan Buddhist and Taoist Stories and Koans

The Fireplace Records By Michael P. Garofalo

Subject Index to 1,685 Zen Buddhist Koans

Subject Index to 1,975 Zen Buddhist Koans

Indexing by Michael P. Garofalo
Fourth Version, August 2, 2023. Updated Monthly. 358 Pages, PDF.
Green Way Research, Vancouver, Washington

Blue Cliff Record 100 Koans (BCR)
Book of Serenity/Equanimity 100 Koans (BOS)
Dao De Jing 81 Chapters (DDJ)
Dogen's Shinji Mana Shobogenzo 300 Koans (DSMS)
Dogen's Shobogenzo 95 Essays Buddhist (DSE)
Entangling Vines 272 Koans (ENT)
Fireplace Records 30 Chapters (TFR)
Flock of Fools: Parable Sutra 98 Koans (OHPS)
Gateless Gate 48 Koans (GB)
Iron Flute 100 Koans (IF)
Opening A Mountain 60 Koans (OM)
Philosopher's Garden (PG)
Record of Empty Hall 100 Koans (REH)
Record of Linji 50 Koans (LIN)
Rinzai Zen Buddhism (RINZ,SOG)
Samurai Zen 100 Warrior Koans (SAM)
Suzuki D.T. 10 Books (SUZ)
Transmission of Light: Keizan 53 Biographies (TOL)
The Whole World is a Single Flower 365 Koans (WWSF)
Zen and the Ways (ZWAY)
Zen Echoes 43 Koans (ZE)
Zen Flesh Zen Bones 100 Koans (ZFZB)
Zhuangzi 33 Chapters (ZUAN)

Zen Buddhist Koans and Discourses:
https://www.egreenway.com/buddhism/koansdup1.htm

Dao De Jing, Laozi, Chapter 66

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu
Chapter 66

"The sea is the ruler of the rivers,
Because it lies below them.
Thus a ruler should always:
Speak like a subordinate, and lead by following after.
The ruler stands above, and no one feels the weight.
The great rivers and streams all pour their tribute of the world onto the seas.
The seas gain this tribute and are called high and mighty because they lie low, humility gives the sea its power.
It is for this reason that the followers of Tao humble themselves before mankind.
They speak in tones of humility and lowborn status.
They do not attempt to lead, but learn to follow, and find themselves leading the people from behind.
In this way the wise sovereign will rule over the people, but they will not feel his weight.
He will lead the people, but they will not feel slighted or displeased.
The people will gladly uphold and support such a one as this.
The master does not strive, in this way no one can strive against him."
-   Translated by John Dicus, 2002, Chapter 66  

"The sea is the ruler of the rivers,
Because it lies below them.
Thus a ruler should always:
Speak like a subordinate, and lead by following after.
The ruler stands above, and no one feels the weight."
-   Translated by Ned Ludd, Chapter 66  

"That which allows the rivers and seas to serve as kings of the small valley streams,
Is their ability to be below the small valley streams.
Therefore, they can serve as the kings of the small valley streams.
The Sage's presence at the front of his people, results from putting himself behind them.
The reason he is above them is that in his words he is below them.
But although he is on top of his people, they do not regard him as heavy;
And although he is in front of his people, they do not regard him as posing a threat.
All under heaven delight in advancing him while never tiring of him.
Because he does not compete,
No one in the world can compete with him."
-   Translated by Robert G. Hendricks, 2000, Chapter 66  

"The reason why the sea
is king of all the valleys and the streams
is because it lies beneath them,
and so can act as king.
So anyone who wants to rule the people
must speak humbly to them;
Anyone who wants to lead the people
must follow them as if behind.
Those who are enlightened stand above the people,
and yet the people do not feel weighed down.
Those who are enlightened stand in front of the people,
and yet the people do not feel obstructed.
The whole world joyfully supports those who are enlightened
and never tires of doing so.
Because those who are enlightened contend with no one,
no one contends with them."
-   Translated by Tim Chilcott, 2005, Chapter 66  

"Why is the sea king of a hundred streams?
Because it lies below them.
Therefore it is the king of a hundred streams.
If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility.
If he would lead them, he must follow behind.
In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed;
When he stands before them, they will not be harmed.
The whole world will support him and will not tire of him.
Because he does not compete,
He does not meet competition."
-   Translated by Jane English, 1972, Chapter 66 

"Why are the oceans and rivers kings of all the valleys?
Receiving all the watercourses in tribute.
Because they are benevolently the inferiors of all the valleys with regard to levels.
That is why all the water flows towards them.
Following this example, the Sage who wishes to become superior to the common people should speak in words beneath himself, speak very humbly of himself.
If he wishes to become the first, he should put himself in last place, and continue to do so, after he has been exalted. 
He could then be elevated to the highest peak without the people feeling oppressed by him; he could be the first without the people complaining about him.
The whole empire would serve him with joy, without becoming weary of him.
For, not being opposed to anyone, no one would be opposed to him."
-   Translated by Derek Bryce, 1999, Chapter 66 

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu: Introduction, Bibliography, Commentary, Chapter Index 

Chapter 66 of the Dao De Jing by Laozi: Text and Commentaries

Index of English Language Translators of the Tao Te Ching

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

 

Chapter and Thematic Index to the Tao Te Ching

Dao De Jing, Chapter 27

 Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu

Chapter 27

"Good walking leaves no tracks
good talking reveals no flaws
good counting counts no beads
good closing locks no locks
and yet it can't be opened
good tying ties no knots
and yet it can't be undone
thus the sage is good at saving others
and yet abandons no one
nor anything of use
this is called cloaking the light
thus, the good instruct the bad
the bad learn from the good
not honoring their teachers
not cherishing their students
the wise alone are perfectly blind
this is called peering into the distance."
-   Translated by Red Pine, 1996, Chapter 27 

"Good travelers leave no trace nor track,
Good speakers, in logic show no lack,
Good counters need no counting rack.
Good lockers bolting bars need not,
Yet none their locks can loose.
Good binders need no string nor knot,
Yet none unties their noose.
Therefore the holy man is always a good savior of men, for there are no outcast people.
He is always a good savior of things, for there are no outcast things.
This is called applied enlightenment. 
Thus the good man does not respect multitudes of men.
The bad man respects the people's wealth.
Who does not esteem multitudes nor is charmed by their wealth, though his knowledge be greatly confused,
He must be recognized as profoundly spiritual."
-  Translated by Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki and Paul Carus, 1913, Chapter 27  



"The first assignment for Daisetz "Great Simplicity" T. Suzuki in 1898 was to help Paul Carus with the Tao Te Ching.  Dr. Carus knew no Chinese, but he wanted this translation to a scholarly one and he had Suzuki supply a character by character gloss, as best he could, but Suzuki found himself unable to check Carus's use of Teutonic abstractions.  "The Chinese are masters in reproducing the most subtle changes in their innermost feelings," Suzuki wrote of his first collaboration with Carus, "thus, in order to translate passages from Lao Tzu, I had to explain to Dr. Carus the feeling behind each Chinese term.  But being himself a German writing in English, he translated these Chinese ideas into abstract conceptual terms.  If only I had been more intellectually equipped then," he thought later, "I might have been better able to help him understand the original meaning."
In order to supply a corresponding Chinese text, Suzuki cut out the Chinese characters from Chinese and Japanese books, and pasted them in the proper places on the manuscript pages, which where then reproduced photographically [and then printed in 1913]."
-  "How the Swans Came to the Lake," by Rick Fields, 1981, p. 139 



"Good doers leave no tracks.
True words have no defects.
Skillful plans require no calculations.
Able closers need no locks and bars, yet none can open what they shut.
Real strength wants no cords, yet none can loose it.
It follows that the Holy Man when helping others, works in accordance with the unchanging goodness.
Hence, he rejects none.
He does the same when helping nature to develop.
Therefore, he rejects nothing.
This may be called “obscure perception.”
Thus a Good Man is the bad man’s instructor; the bad man the Good Man’s material.
Yet he does not esteem himself a teacher, nor does he love his material.
Although one may be wise, here he is deceived.
This is called “The Cardinal Mystery.”"
-  Translated by C. Spurgeon Medhurst, 1905, Chapter 27


"Translation," as T. S. Eliot wrote of the Fennollosa-Pound version of Noh plays, "is valuable by a double power of fertilizing a literature: by importing new elements which may be assimilated, and by restoring the essentials which have been forgotten in traditional literary method.  There occurs, in the process, a happy fusion between the spirit of the original and the mind of the translator: the result is not exoticism by rejuvenation."
-  "How the Swans Came to the Lake," by Rick Fields, 1981, p. 165


"A good traveler leaves no tracks, and a skillful speaker is well rehearsed.
A good bookkeeper has an excellent memory, and a well made door is easy to open and needs no locks.
A good knot needs no rope and it can not come undone.
Thus the Master is willing to help everyone, and doesn't know the meaning of rejection.
She is there to help all of creation, and doesn't abandon even the smallest creature.
This is called embracing the light.

What is a good person but a bad person's teacher?
What is a bad person but raw material for his teacher?
If you fail to honor your teacher or fail to enjoy your student, you will become deluded no matter how smart you are.
It is the secret of prime importance."
-  Translated by John H. McDonald, 1996, Chapter 27

  

"No translation of the Tao Te Ching is sufficient to understand the text, as the Chinese is subtle and frequently brilliant, carrying a different range of connotations than English, and the Tao Te Ching plays repeatedly on the double and extended meanings of words, which can only be appreciated in the Chinese, unless you have read a wide array of English translations (and perhaps a commentary or two), which will start to convey to you the range of each word's meaning in its given context. Then you can build on what you understand on your own."

-  Richard Carter

"Perfect activity leaves no track behind it;
Perfect speech is like a jade-worker whose tool leaves no mark.
The perfect reckoner needs no counting-slips;
The perfect door has neither bolt nor bar,
Yet cannot be opened.
The perfect knot needs neither rope nor twine,
Yet cannot be united.
Therefore the Sage
Is all the time in the most perfect way helping men,
He certainly does not turn his back on men;
Is all the time in the most perfect way helping creatures,
He certainly does not turn his back on creatures.
This is called resorting to the Light.
Truly, “the perfect man is the teacher of the imperfect;
But the imperfect is the stock-in-trade of the perfect man”.
He who does not respect his teacher,
He who does not take care of his stock-in-trade,
Much learning through he may possess, is far astray.
This is the essential secret."
-  Translated by Arthur Waley, 1934, Chapter 27  


善行無轍迹.
善言無瑕讁.
善數不用籌策.
善閉無關楗而不可開.
善結無繩約而不可解.
是以聖人常善救人, 故無棄人.
常善救物.
故無棄物, 是謂襲明.
故善人者, 不善人之師.
不善人者, 善人之資.
不貴其師, 不愛其資, 雖智大迷.
是謂要妙.-  Chinese characters, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27


shan hsing wu ch'ê chi.
shan yen wu hsia chai.
shan shu pu yung ch'ou ts'ê.
shan pi wu kuan chien erh pu k'o k'ai.
shan chieh wu shêng yo erh pu k'o chieh.
shih yi shêng jên ch'ang shan chiu jên, ku wu ch'i jên.
ch'ang shan chiu wu.
ku wu ch'i wu shih wei hsi ming.
ku shan jên chê, pu shan jên chih shih.
pu shan jên chih, shan jên chih tzu.
pu kuei ch'i shih, pu ai ch'i tzu, sui chih ta mi.
shih wei yao miao.
-  Wade-Giles Romanization, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 27


"A good traveler leaves no trace.
A good speaker makes no slips.
A good accountant uses no devices.
A good door needs no bolts to remain shut.
A good fastener needs no rope to hold its bond.
Therefore the wise are good at helping people,
and consequently no one is rejected.
They are good at saving things,
and consequently nothing is wasted.
This is called using the Light.
Therefore the good teach the bad,
and the bad are lessons for the good.
Those who neither value the teacher nor care for the lesson
are greatly deluded, though they may be learned.
Such is the essential mystery."
-  Translated by Sanderson Beck, 1996, Chapter 27 

"Un buen caminante no deja huellas.
Un buen orador no se equivoca ni ofende.
Un buen contable no necesita útiles de cálculo.
Un buen cerrajero no usa barrotes ni cerrojos,
y nadie puede abrir lo que ha cerrado.
Quien ata bien no utiliza cuerdas ni nudos,
y nadie puede desatar lo que ha atado.
Así, el sabio siempre ayuda a los hombres,
por eso a nadie desampara.
El sabio siempre salva a las cosas,
por eso a ninguna descuida.
De él se dice que está deslumbrado por la luz.
Por esto, el hombre bueno no se considera maestro
de los hombres, sino que les enseña;
y el hombre que no es bueno estima como buenas las
riquezas que de los hombres obtiene.
No amar el magisterio ni la materia de los hombres,
y aparentar ignorancia, siendo iluminado,
Este es un principio esencial del Tao."
-  Translation from Wikisource, 2013, Capitulo 27

"The best action is free from marks either good or evil.
 The best words are free from stains either good or bad.
 The best calculator is free from calculation and measure.
 The best closure has no bolts, yet it cannot be opened.
 The best knot has no cord, yet it cannot be untied.
 Thus, the wise knows how to rescue men; hence, no one is excluded.
 He also knows how to rescue things; hence, nothing is excluded.
 This is called penetration to illumination.
 Therefore, the virtuous is the model for the unvirtuous.
 The unvirtuous is the origin of the virtuous.
 If one does not appreciate the virtuous or cherish the unvirtuous,
 Although one is intelligent, one is not free from confusion.
 This is called the indispensable wonder."
 -  Translated by Chang Chung-Yuan, Chapter 27 

A typical webpage created by Mike Garofalo for each one of the 81 Chapters (Verses, Sections) of the Tao Te Ching (Daodejing) by Lao Tzu (Laozi) includes over 25 different English language translations or interpolations for that Chapter, 5 Spanish language translations for that Chapter, the Chinese characters for that Chapter, the Wade-Giles and Hanyu Pinyin transliterations (Romanization) of the Mandarin Chinese words for that Chapter, and 2 German and 1 French translation of that Chapter.  Each webpage for each one of the 81 Chapters of the Tao Te Ching includes extensive indexing by key words, phrases, and terms for that Chapter in English, Spanish, and the Wade-Giles Romanization.  Each webpage on a Chapter of the Daodejing includes recommended reading in books and websites, a detailed bibliography, some commentary, research leads, translation sources, a Google Translate drop down menu, and other resources for that Chapter.   

Chapter 27, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Chapter and Thematic Index (Concordance) to the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

English Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Spanish Language Daodejing Translators' Source Index

Ripening Peaches: Taoist Studies and Practices

Taoism: A Selected Reading List

One Old Daoist Druid's Final Journey  

Summer Vacation and My Retirement

Today is the last day of my weekly part-time employment for this school year, 2015-2016.  I begin my summer vacation, tomorrow.  This vacation will run from June 3rd until August 18th. 

I will focus on enjoying my home and gardens this summer.  Taijquan playing, walking, gardening, weightlifting, and teaching yoga and taijiquan will be my somatic practices; albeit modified to help my right hip and right knee to mend from a recent hard fall I took while running.  I intend to travel to Oregon and Washington.  Plenty of reading and writing on hot summer afternoons.  Family visits and outings. Researching the subject of Hedonism.

I work part-time, 3 days and 24 hours a week for the Corning Union Elementary School District serving 2,100 students in grades K-8.  I've worked part-time for the CUESD since 1999.  I am a classified supervisor.  I have managed five libraries, textbooks and consumables, websites, educational software support, and have written and managed budgets for $4.5 million in grants for the district.  I work as a substitute teacher as needed.  It has been an enjoyable, challenging, and worthwhile employment opportunity.   

I have decided that the upcoming 2016-2017 school year, which runs from August 18th, 2016 until June 3rd, 2016 will be my final year at this job.  I will be 71 years of age when I retire in June of 2017.  I have been employed since I was 15 years old - 54 years of work.   

Hopefully, I can live a few more years and remain in good health and be able to enjoy myself, prosper, learn, create, and contribute something positive to others.  

Reconsidering Tai Chi Chuan Classics

    "For those who want to go to the source, there are a few good books that attempt to translate the Tai Chi Classics into modern English.  There are, however, a few problems.  One is that the language used in these texts is Old Chinese, very much like Old English to us.  Old Chinese is often full of references to classical texts that at one time were required reading for any educated person.  As this is no longer the case, the references loose their meaning.  Sometimes it is difficult to translate or even understand the old words and phrases, as many are no longer in general use.

    Another problem is that Taiji practitioners often use common words in uncommon ways.  For instance, for most people, the phrase "to lock" would have an implication of tension when applied to the body.  Used in the correct Taiji manner, "to lock" the body simply mean to take the slack out of the joints and move in a more dynamic manner.

    A third problem is that the translators of these texts were often scholars with little or no ability in Taiji.  Chinese being a very interpretative language, translators are often at a loss for an exact translation when they do not fully understand the concept described.

    For all these reasons, the classics should be treated with some caution.  As Master Liang was fond of saying, "If you only believe in books, better not read books."  Do not treat anyone's writings as gospel.  The role of a teacher or writer is to point in the correct direction; the student's role is to follow the path indicated, testing as they go.  The other half of Master Liang's saying was, "If you only trust in teachers, better not have teachers."  What he meant is that we must make up our own minds in the end.  The teacher may have limited understanding or skills.  This is one of the reasons that learning Taiji can only really be done in person with a qualified teacher of proper lineage.  When you touch your teacher and feel what they are doing, it is worth a thousand words."
-  Gordon Muir, Yang Style Traditional Long Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan, p. 35   

Yang Style Traditional Long Form T'ai Chi Ch'uan; As Taught by Master T. T. Liang.  By Gordon Muir.  Berkeley, California, Blue Snake Books, 2008.  225 pages.  ISBN: 9781583942215.  Detailed black and white photographs of Mr. Muir performing the Yang long form, which precise descriptions of the movements for each named posture.  Mr. Muir was a student of Master T. T. Liang and Stuart Alve Olson.  VSCL. 

The Teachings of Master T. T. Liang: Imagination Becomes Reality.  A Complete Guide to the 150 Posture Solo Form.  Compiled by Stuart Alve Olson.  287 pages.  Minnesota, Dragon Door Publications, 1986, 1992.  Second Edition.  ISBN: 0938045091.  Hundreds of detailed and creative pictures of the form, including some interesting multi-exposure photographs of Mr. Olson doing the long form.  VSCL. 

Yang Style Taijiquan Classics

Yang Taijiquan Traditional Long Form 108 Movements   Detailed information and instructions for this form by Mike Garofalo. 

Yang Style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Taijiquan) Index 

Taoism (Daoism)   The underlying philosophy of Taijiquan is grounded in Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. 

Learning Tai Chi Chuan - Semi-Independent Study

The most frequent question I am asked is "Where I live there are no Taijiquan teachers of the the Taijiquan style X that I want to learn.  How do I go about learning Taijiquan Style X?"

You always need to learn Tai Chi by observing someone doing the Taijiquan form you are studying, and listening carefully to their instructions.  Fortunately, in 2015, for most Taijiquan forms, you have from two to ten different choices of very knowledgeable instructors or Masters who teach the Taijiquan form that you are learning by means of good instructional DVDs or videos.  Also, for some popular Taijiquan forms there are excellent books or manuals available for the form you are learning, or very good online webpages on the form.  Sometimes there are VCDs that can be played on a home computer.  Finally, there are some online courses and UTube demonstrations of the form you are learning.  

You are learning the "basics" from a good live teacher and/or a good writer.  All Taijiquan is learned this way.  

My own webpages provide extensive bibliographies of these many learning resources.  I also provide many suggestions and remarks about learning specific forms using DVDs, videos, and books, e.g.,  Standard 24 Taijiquan Form.  

Instructional DVDs come in NTSC and PAL formats, with NTSC format being used on DVD players in the United States.  If you are purchasing your DVD from outside the United States it is most likely in the PAL format and will not work properly on your DVD player.  Caveat Emptor.  

I use a small desktop DVD player.  My Vzon model, playing the NTSC format, has a hand held DVD controller and controls on the machine.  I no longer use instructional VHS videos, because you can't as easily cue as with DVDs. 

You want to purchase a DVD that teaches the Taijiquan form.  You want an instructional DVD, not a demonstration DVD.  Advanced Tai Chi students can sometimes learn from a demonstration DVD, but not without much difficulty.  All Tai Chi learners can benefit from a good instructional DVD that breaks the form down into discrete sections (lessons, blocks) and provides detailed verbal instructions on how to perform the movements in each section.  Sometimes a section is called a "lesson" and might include three or four movements of the form.  The best instructional DVDs feature frequent repetition of a movement, clear voice over narration, the use of different camera angles for showing a movement sequence, sectional performance demonstrations, and complete demonstrations of the form from a front and back view.  It is essential to get the narration in the language you use, because it is very hard to read subtitles and carefully study the the movements visually at the same time.   

Study each DVD lesson carefully, make notes, memorize the names of the movements in that lesson, then immediately practice each lesson until you can perform the movement sequence in the lesson on your own.  Repeat, repeat, repeat!!  Don't move on to the next lesson until you can perform the movements in the lesson you are studying on your own.  Give yourself a little slack and accept being just "satisfactory" at performing each lesson.  Over time you will refine and perfect your performance.   

After learning the first lesson, then proceed in the same manner to learn the second lesson.  Then combine the first and second lesson and practice them together until you can perform them on your own.  Don't move on to lesson three until you can easily and smoothly perform lessons one and two combined.  To "learn" means to me to be able to remember and easily, consistently, and smoothly perform a sequence of movements on your own.  Study Lesson 1, practice and learn Lesson 1; study Lesson 2, practice and learn Lessons 1 + 2; study Lesson 3, practice and learn Lessons 1 + 2 + 3; study Lesson 4, practice and learn Lessons 1 + 2 + 3 +4, etc. 

As with all learning the keys are: daily study, careful study, paying attention, remembering, daily practice, patience, repetition, visualization, verbal cues, making notes, and confidence.  Take your time, don't rush, be patient.  The process of learning might take months. 

Here are some suggestions from Robert Chuckrow: 

"Whereas a form-instruction video is no substitute for a qualified teacher, those who live far from any teacher are still better off learning from a video than if they had no instruction at all. For those who have a teacher, a video can augment and accelerate the learning process. Finally, those who have had prior instruction in internal arts should be able to attain a substantial benefit from a video.

One method of learning a form from a video is to repeatedly do the entire form or blocks of the form along with the video. However, this method is not efficient because there is insufficient opportunity to reinforce each movement. A better way is to refrain from doing movement while watching the video. Rather, it is good to choose a small block of material, watch it a few times. Then, without any major physical action, visualize the sequence of movements as clearly as possible. Next, go back to the beginning of that block of material, and view and visualize it again a few times. Only after clear and complete visualization is achieved should the movements be attempted physically.

At first it will seem extremely difficult to work this way. With persistence, however, it is possible to achieve a level of visualization so intense that the imagined movements are almost as vivid as those seen on a TV screen. The dividends of the process of visualization are twofold: (1) By subduing the physical aspects of movement (e.g., balance, coordination, kinetic sense, timing), you can completely focus the mind on the details of the movement. (2) By cultivating the ability to visualize and mentally encompass complex details, you become increasingly able to observe and learn new movements quickly, especially in situations where it is not feasible to move while observing (e.g., dreams, teacher showing movements while the class watches). Referring to the dimension of self-defense, the more you can observe and mentally encompass the movements of the opponent, the greater the advantage achieved."
- Robert Chuckrow, The Tai Chi Book, YMAA Publication Center, Boston, MA, 1998, pp. 119–120

Can Inanmite Realms Show the Way?

A monk asked, "Can inanminate things expound Dharma?"
Daopi said, "The jade dog roams at night, never knowing the daylight."

"Zen Master Yunmen Wenyan (864-949 CE) once took his staff and struck a pillar in the hall, saying, "Are the three vehicles and twelve divisions of scripture talking?"
He then answered himself by saying, "No, they're not talking."
Then he shouted, "Bah!  A wild fox spirit!"
A monk asked, "What does the master mean?"
Yunmen said, "Mr. Shang drinks the wine, and Mr. Li gets drunk."

"In the works of Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman in particular, nature is portrayed as a beneficent living force that can, if studied and understood through careful and intentional reflection, offer enduring lessons about what it means to be human. In “Self-Reliance,” and the main ideas behind Thoreau’s “Walden”, as well as “Leaves of Grass”, the respective authors are deeply reverent of nature, and it is through their intimate relationship with the natural world that they construct their own identities and their philosophies about how to live a right life in the natural world. For Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman, nature is viewed as possessing all the knowledge that man needs to know, if only he is attentive and willing enough to study its messages and apply them to his life."
-  Nicole Smith, The Role of Nature in Transcendental Poetry

Yunmen said, "A true person of the Way can speak fire without burning his mouth.  He can speak all day with moving his lips and teeth or uttering a word.  The entire day he just wears his clothes and eats his food, but never comes in contact with a single grain of rice or thread of cloth.
When we speak in this fashion it is jut the manner of our school.  It must be set forth like this to be realized.  But if you meet a true patch-robed monk of our school and try to reveal the essence through words, it will be a waste of time and effort.  Even if you get some great understanding by means of a single word you are still just dozing."
 
"Zen's Chinese Heritage: The Masters and Their Teachings."  Translated by Any Ferguson.  Boston, Wisdom Publications, 2000, p. 262.  

Way of the Short Staff.  By Michael P. Garofalo, M.S.  A comprehensive guide to the practice of the short staff, cane, jo, walking stick, gun, zhang, whip staff, 13 Hands Staff, and related wood short staff weapons.  A detailed and annotated guide, bibliographies, lists of links, resources, instructional media, online videos, and lessons.   Includes use of the short staff and cane in martial arts, self-defense, walking and hiking.  Separate sections on Aikido Jo, Cane, Taijiquan cane and staff, Jodo, exercises with a short staff, selected quotations, techniques, selecting and purchasing a short staff, tips and suggestions, and a long section on the lore, legends, and magick of the short staff.  Includes "Shifu Miao Zhang Points the Way."  Published by Green Way Research, Valley Spirit Taijiquan, Red Bluff, California.  Updated on a regular basis since October, 2008.  Filesize: 265Kb.  Related to Mike's popular webpage on the Staff.

"Zhaozhou, who had been in poor health, asked his friend Miao Zhang, "Do the bees have Buddha nature?"  Miao Zhang smiled and said, "The roses are so fragrant today, and the cherries so sweet.  Let's walk in the garden and leave our crutches behind." 

    Gathering together in an orchard of blooming sweet lime trees, the students waited for their esteemed teacher, Kasyapa.  Slowly walking down the dirt path, relying on his danda walking staff for balance, Kasyapa joined his students.  He sat quietly for a long time, enjoying the fragrance of the lime blossoms.  Finally, he raised his danda staff.  Everyone stared at Kasyapa - serious, intent, focused, and silent.  Only Shifu Miao Zhang smiled, and then lifted his cane and pointed at a lime blossom.  Kasyapa pointed his danda at Shifu Zhang.  Another transmission was completed.  The sacred thread remained unbroken."
- Shifu Miao Zhang Points the Way

 

 

Zen Master Hakuin (1686-1768) painted a Dragon Staff with a horsehair whisk attached.  He gave the above painting to a lay student who passed the Zen koan, "What is the sound of one hand clapping." 

Blanche Karen Garofalo Retires

Karen Garofalo, my wife, retired today, Thursday, on June 12, 2014.  

Her last employment was with the Tehama County Department of Education (TCDE) in Red Bluff, California, from 1998-2014.  She worked 30 hours per week, 5 days a week, as a Special Education Instructional Assistant helping physically and mentally handicapped students.  

She worked with preschool students at the special education center at the Barrendos Middle School campus in Red Bluff.  She helped severely handicapped primary school students at the TCDE Special Education Center at the Gerber School in the Gerber/Proberta area.  Then, she worked with adults, ages 18-21, at the Tehama Adult Learning Center (TALC) in Red Bluff.  She enjoyed working with and supporting the following teachers:  Gary Ulloa, Holly Allison, Judy Howry, Mary Craig, Ann Lieker, and the administrator Julie Howard.  

Karen has also worked for the Pacific Bell Telephone Company as a telephone operator; at the Popps Ferry Elementary School in Biloxi, Mississippi, as a instructional assistant; and, for an optometrist as a receptionist.  She, of course, has "worked" for many years, and will continue to do so, as a homemaker, mother, and wife.  She was very active for many years as the President of the Hacienda Heights Friends of the Library, and was given the annual Citizen's Award in 1993 by the Los Angeles County Public Library System.  

Karen has raised two fine children, Alicia June and Michael Delmer.  Our two children, their spouses, and two grandchildren live in Portland, Oregon.  

I hope that Karen has a long, enjoyable, productive and energizing retirement.  

Teaching Tai Chi

I have learned more about teaching Tai Chi from reading the following book by Dr. Paul Lam and Maureen Miller:

Teaching Tai Chi Effectively.  By Paul Lam, M.D. and Maureen Miller.  Tai Chi Productions, Narwee, Australia, 2nd Edition, 2011.  Index, 225 pages.  ISBN: 098035739X.  "Simple and Proven Methods to Make Tai Chi Accessible to Everyone."  VSCL.  

One challenge I face when teaching at the fitness center is that I have complete beginners, intermediate students, and advanced students all attending the same two classes together.  I teach too quickly for the beginners, and get into too much step-by-step detail for the advanced students.  I need to figure out a better way of dealing with this challenge.  
I need to be silent more often.  Students are really not interested in stories and facts about the history of Tai Chi.  I ramble a bit much.  
I've been better about giving more breaks to allow students to rest and get a drink.  
I'll ask for input and questions from my students more often. 

Guidelines for Integral Practices

"Some Guiding Principles for Integral Practices and Institutions That Support Them:

They promote a simultaneous development of our various faculties.

They generally require mentors, rather than a single guru.

They require a strong and developing autonomy.

They are facilitated by personal traits that promote creativity in general.

Though they encourage individual autonomy, they require surrender at times to transformative agencies beyond ordinary functioning.

They require patience and the love of practice for its own sake.

They utilize inherited all-at-once responses, or psychosomatic compliance for high-level change.

They utilize the manifold changes catalyzed by images and altered states.

They enlist more that one mediation to achieve particular outcomes.

They surpass limits by negotiation rather than force.

They depend upon improvisation.

They utilized images of unity.

They require and facilitate conscious transitions between different states of consciousness.

They depend on a developing awareness that transcends psychological and somatic functioning.

They orient all our capacities and somatic processes toward the extraordinary live arising in us."

- Michael Murphy, "The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution of Human Nature," 1992, pp. 579-586.

Three Things

"When you die, only three things will remain of you, since you will abandon all material things on the threshold of the Otherworld: what you have taught to others, what you have created with your hands, and how much love you have spread. So learn more and more in order to teach wise, long-lasting values. Work more and more to leave the world things of great beauty. And love people around you for the Light of Love heals everything."
- François Bourillon

Triads: Wisdom Sayings of the Celts, Druids, and Neopagans

Requiem in Pacem

John Daido Loori, 1941-2009, Zen Priest and author, New York, Mountains and Rivers Order

George Leonard, 1923-2010, journalist, author, educator, Aikido teacher, California

K. Pattabhi Jois, 1915-2009, Astanga Vinyassa Yoga teacher, India