Birthday of Zhang San Feng

[SPJ]

Zhang San Feng was born at midnight on April 9, 1247.

He wroted the Theory of Tai Ji Quan.

Emperor of Ming Cheng Tzu built a big temple on Wu Dang Shan in honor of him.

Are these info correct?

If so, Zhang San Feng would be 757 years old if he still meditates somewhere.

[GLW]

So, do they also list the Easter Bunny's birthday and Santa and Mrs.s Claus' wedding anniversary?

[backbreaker]

I remember when I was a kid, I totally beleived About Zhang San Feng. I never thought twice about it. Now I beleive in other people, but that doean't mean I know Zhang san Feng wasn't real. Happy birthday ZHang san Feng, and thanks for helping develop Taijiquan!

[SPJ]

Agreed. But you would hurt a lot of kids around the world, if you say that Krist Kringle brought toys to kids never happened.

The key of my post is the third one. Why would the emperor of Ming dynasty build a huge temple group for a unreal person?

You do not lie to the emperor. Your head will leave you soon enough.

Ming is known for its military, Wushu, intelligence and construction of longest Great Walls (the Ming Wall). So why? Cheng Tzu would look for Zhang San Feng high and low?

Anyone?

[Buddy]

<<The key of my post is the third one. Why would the emperor of Ming dynasty build a huge temple group for a unreal person?

<<You do not lie to the emperor. Your head will leave you soon enough.

Like the eight immortals or the monkey king?


<<Ming is known for its military, Wushu, intelligence and construction of longest Great Walls (the Ming Wall). So why? Cheng Tzu would look for Zhang San Feng high and low?

<<Anyone?

He owed him money? Jeez.


<< remember when I was a kid, I totally beleived About Zhang San Feng.

As opposed to...


<<I never thought twice about it.

Qu'elle surprise

<<Now I beleive in other people, but that doean't mean I know Zhang san Feng wasn't real.

Tin-foil=cap

<<Happy birthday ZHang san Feng, and thanks for helping develop Taijiquan!

Regardless what the facts show!

[GLW]

Well, can't recall right off my head...but with one of the emperors building a monument/temple the ZSF also included sending soldiers out to search for him.

This was more than likely a ploy ...what was really being done was that the soldiers were out scouring around for relatives of the previous emperor. If found, they were killed. The search and all of the trappings were a poltically acceptable ruse.

[backbreaker]

Lol at the so called "facts". The facts show the facts are wrong, can't go by them

[backbreaker]

Haters, you're just haters, and nothing more

[SPJ]

Good insights:

Yes, indeed. Ming Cheng Tzu did want something from Zhang San Feng. But it included something that money cannot buy.

If your are a Daoist, Buddhist, or whatever religions, you would know nothing is for ever. Everything you see, you feel, you hear may not be there all the time.

So facts are only part of the whole truth.

Sometimes, you have to see things, hear things and feel things yourself and via your hearts.

The intricacies of Chinese politics are as mysterious as the mists on Wu Dang Shan.

If you believe everything that is said in the "records" of Chinese history, you only know part of the truths.

You have to love something so much before you can hate. On the other hand, in the extremes of hatred, the greatest love is revealed.

[SPJ]

Ba Gua Buddy:

You have to focus on your Ba Gua walk, or you will be lost easily. The focus is that your center is in line with that of the opponent all the time or the purpose of your study is lost.

Focus and focus.

Shen Fa of WC, Xing Yi and Ba Gua are all designed to protect the centerline. What Ba Gua varies is the posture for Bu Fa. It is designed to walk to the side. Even though you are ready to walk, but do not lose your focus line with the opponent or the purpose of your life or study.

Nei Jia Backbreaker:

Do not get your heart broken easily.

The highest lesson in Nei Jia or Tai Ji Quan is Chung Zhen An Su.

Not only your Tai Ji fighting stance is this way. You study and practice your heart, soul and mind this way, too. You have your focus in life and study. Do not be confused or bothered by external forms or languages of others. You have to study to know what is right or wrong. You may believe in God or a lot of other thing. But most important of all, you have to believe in yourself. When you are Chung Zhen in your heart, mind, body and soul, you would find greatest comfort and peace or safety (An Su).

Everything else is deflected outward (Peng) as if bounced off by your ball of self-centerness.

The more Ba Gua Buddy pushes you, the greater is his fall, unless of course, he keeps walking.

Go back to your study, young heroes (Xiao Yin Xiuan)!

[backbreaker]

Thanks, SPJ, I am perhaps not as affacted as it may appear. Hater is a term that is used alot these days. Good advice

Anyways, the people who subscribe to these historical understandings, IMO miss a few things. For one, they think Taijiquan is just a name, that it was given the name "Taiji" because Taiji is a popular idea in China, and that this would give credit to the art. I say that's Bull****. Taijiquan is not just a name. When they say Taijiquan they literally mean it, for real, not just in name. It is plain to see by anyone who has practiced it that the postures are literal representations of the Taiji diagram. The spriral movements are also all based literally on the Taiji diagram spirals. And just as the Taiji diagram has small cirles within it, Taijiquan has both large and small spirals and circles. Now, this is very similar to Dao school qigong and buddha school qigong, which are based on the same priciples of Taiji, Yin Yang, and eight directions. So again, I say that when they call a move, buddha's warrior attendant pounds mortar, that this is not just a name, and has to do with qigong, not religion or history or kings at all. To take another art, such as xingyi, or shuai chiao, or praying mantis, and call it Taiji because the Taiji principle is popular, would not be correct. Taijiquan is literally Taijiquan, and it is a systematic training system, all the forms are based on Taiji, everyone of them, and you wouldn't mix up a bunch of weapon styles from other styles and put them all together, no way because Taiji is a whole system, for example the broadsword form is almost the same form as the emptyhand first form. Taiji is systematic and if you look at lao jia form you can see it was based on Dao school principles( or buddha school, they're similar and even the same sometimes ) from the beginning, ( or a long time ago )

[shrub]

Taijiquan is a relatively new term. Forms practised previously in Wudang or in early Chen Village were not labeled as such.

Temples on Wudang were built over generations and were not built by one emperor or specifically for Zhang Sanfeng.

[Ray Pina]

"Why would the emperor of Ming dynasty build a huge temple group for a unreal person"

Why has every religion spent billions on temples, statues and promotion of an external God when it is within?

[bamboo_ leaf]

;)

[norther practitioner]

Anywho, hbd Zhang San Feng..


Remember, it is not always the truths of the story, but the truths to be taught from the story.

[SPJ]

Good posts.

Indeed, the temples were built over times.

The dubbing of Tai Ji Quan was indeed a recent event.

We tend to subscribe all the good ideas to a single event or a person. sort of easier to remember by.

Daoism existed long before Wu Dang Shan and Chen's family 4230 years ago. However, the ideas were nurtured and evolved thruout Chinese history, even today.

There are a lot of good ideas and science in Chen's family fighting sets. They are evolving too since Chen Wang Ting.

The concepts of Ying Yang Tai Ji permeate in just about every school of CMA.

Every so often, new sets are created and added on.

So the idea of Zhang San Feng was "nurtured" even by the emporers.

[backbreaker]

I think norther practitioner is on the right track to the correct.

[SPJ]

Agreed.