Tai Chi Thinking (Continuation 3)

Xuefeng

April 9, 2006

The core of Taiji thinking lies in the unity of opposites, where opposing forces—yin and yang—are dialectical rather than rigid or fixed. If one clings solely to opposition without recognizing transformation, they will lose their way. Yin can become yang, and yang can become yin; good can turn into evil, and evil into good; closeness can turn into distance, and distance into closeness. Success implies failure, and failure signifies success. Opposing forces shift and transform according to changes in time and space.

“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river.” “What is long divided will surely unite; what is long united will surely divide.”

Great events in the world follow this pattern. The rise and fall of empires, the transformation of oceans into mulberry fields—such changes are like flipping planks on a wall. Fortune hides within misfortune, and misfortune harbors fortune. On the first day of the lunar month, the moon is invisible; by the fifteenth, it is full and bright. Today’s friend may become tomorrow’s most dangerous enemy. Today’s hardship may be the seed of tomorrow’s success. Excessive joy leads to sorrow, and unrestrained desire breeds disaster. Opposing forces are constantly evolving, each moving toward the opposite of its essence.

5.Strength Ultimately Leads to Decline Great strength inevitably gives way to weakness and decay. The Roman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the British Empire have all faded into history, while the United States and the European Union have risen. The rule of the proletariat was short-lived, and the bourgeoisie has once again taken power. Suppressed love can turn into hatred, kindness can transform into harm, and harm can give rise to kindness. Life is the root of death, and death is the source of life.

"When things reach their peak, they begin to decline; this is called going against the Dao. Those who go against the Dao will not last long."

When one reaches the limits of poverty, they seek change; when they reach an end, they find a new beginning. The five elements create and restrain each other in an ongoing cycle. Strength and prosperity are hard to maintain without restraint, comets come and go, geese fly south and return—there is no permanent coming or going, only endless cycles of rise and fall.

6.The New Will Become Old The new will inevitably become old, and the old will reappear in a new form. This aligns with the Taiji principle of transformation. Once we understand this, we realize that Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, communism, and even the United States will eventually decline, making way for Lifechanyuan to take their place.

7.The Transformation of Forms All forms—whether ideological or societal—transform according to the principles of Taiji.

In the past, people communicated mainly through letters; who writes letters now? Cinemas were replaced by televisions, which are now being replaced by computers. Geological surveys once required on-site personnel; now satellites handle the task. Wars once depended on close combat; today, long-range attacks dominate. Documents were once written on parchment or bamboo slips, painstakingly carved or handwritten. Now, old typewriters are museum relics, abacuses have been replaced by computer keyboards, and analog film has been surpassed by digital photography. In the past, multi-generational households were celebrated, but today, individual rights and personal independence are emphasized. Change is accelerating, and outdated concepts of family, nation, political parties, and religion are disintegrating. A new ideological and societal structure is bound to emerge. Humanity is in the midst of this transformation. Whether our thinking can keep pace with this rapidly changing era will determine our survival.

8.Speed Determines Victory Victory depends on speed. Walking, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles, and even cars are no longer sufficient for modern society. Airplanes and rockets cannot match the speed of computer networks. Clinging to old systems and rigid traditions is no longer viable. Similarly, in the field of cultivation, traditional practices such as meditation, breath control, fasting, and fetal breathing are too slow. We must take shortcuts and begin with our thinking, striving to accomplish in one day what took predecessors a lifetime.

9.The End of Individual Heroism The era of individual heroism is coming to an end. It is becoming increasingly difficult for any one person to stand out because it is impossible to master the vast and rapidly expanding body of knowledge in a short time. No individual can fully grasp all the information within even a single field.

Connections between individuals, society, and nature are becoming increasingly close and frequent. Isolation and self-reliance are no longer viable. What you take pride in today may be obsolete by tomorrow. The only way forward is to integrate yourself into collective wisdom, play your role as a cell within the larger whole, and find your place within it.

(To be continued...)