Cheng Man-Ching, Ueshiba and Tohei are all great Masters, and they know it.
Dr Chi, on the other hand, thought nothing of himself. His face is empty of pride - it knows nothing, and consequently beams with openness and compassion.
The same can be said for Egami.
They both possess humility - nothing gets in the way, which makes them attractive: they don't repel or intimidate or diminish the other.
They both went far beyond their art and became what Liang would call a Master of Masters.
To become a Master of Tai Chi is relatively straightforward: you just keep up your studies for 10 years or so, start teaching and show yourself able to hold together a class of students, and the Chinese would consider you a Master.
Master of Masters, or what John would call a Master of the Tao, is something else though. It is more a matter of destiny, or even pre-destiny, and involves an ever deepening immersion into the vortex of the work, resulting in many transformations (rather like rebirths) and redefinitions of both yourself and what constitutes the work. It only becomes possible as you leave more and more of yourself behind, lightening the load, jettisoning ballast, which includes not just redundant aspects of self, but also the clinging debris of a crumbling life style. It also requires you to be apprenticed for a long period (25 years is considered the minimum) to a great teacher, because for your mastery to reach out into more and more general and abstract areas of energy and spirit, your allegiance and connexion to a powerful teaching or lineage needs to strengthen and tighten. Paradoxically your heart and soul open out into life by narrowing, sharpening and concentrating your focus and energy. Without this there will be a gradual slackening and a dispersion, which is what happened, by all accounts, to Cheng Man-Ching. Dr Chi, on the other hand, simplified his life so much that by the end his whole day was spent in contemplation of Jesus. No distractions. Hence his saintliness: no words were ever necessary - his presence was enough - it cleared the air and filled the space with softness and grace.
Egami had the ability to simply stand in a posture of readiness, clear his head, open his heart and order his energy such that none of his advanced students could find an opening and so were unable to attack. There are stories of students circling him for 20 minutes or so, unable to find it in their hearts to attack. Their master's heart had reached into theirs and taken away any motivation for aggression.
Dr Chi, on the other hand, thought nothing of himself. His face is empty of pride - it knows nothing, and consequently beams with openness and compassion.
The same can be said for Egami.
They both possess humility - nothing gets in the way, which makes them attractive: they don't repel or intimidate or diminish the other.
They both went far beyond their art and became what Liang would call a Master of Masters.
To become a Master of Tai Chi is relatively straightforward: you just keep up your studies for 10 years or so, start teaching and show yourself able to hold together a class of students, and the Chinese would consider you a Master.
Master of Masters, or what John would call a Master of the Tao, is something else though. It is more a matter of destiny, or even pre-destiny, and involves an ever deepening immersion into the vortex of the work, resulting in many transformations (rather like rebirths) and redefinitions of both yourself and what constitutes the work. It only becomes possible as you leave more and more of yourself behind, lightening the load, jettisoning ballast, which includes not just redundant aspects of self, but also the clinging debris of a crumbling life style. It also requires you to be apprenticed for a long period (25 years is considered the minimum) to a great teacher, because for your mastery to reach out into more and more general and abstract areas of energy and spirit, your allegiance and connexion to a powerful teaching or lineage needs to strengthen and tighten. Paradoxically your heart and soul open out into life by narrowing, sharpening and concentrating your focus and energy. Without this there will be a gradual slackening and a dispersion, which is what happened, by all accounts, to Cheng Man-Ching. Dr Chi, on the other hand, simplified his life so much that by the end his whole day was spent in contemplation of Jesus. No distractions. Hence his saintliness: no words were ever necessary - his presence was enough - it cleared the air and filled the space with softness and grace.
Egami had the ability to simply stand in a posture of readiness, clear his head, open his heart and order his energy such that none of his advanced students could find an opening and so were unable to attack. There are stories of students circling him for 20 minutes or so, unable to find it in their hearts to attack. Their master's heart had reached into theirs and taken away any motivation for aggression.
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