Taijiquan and its Taoist Lineage
The health-enhancing qualities of Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan) are founded in the lore of religious Taoism. Over a period spanning almost two millennia, various sects of Taoism have developed and perfected health exercises as part of their religious cultivation. Often referred to as daoyin, these exercises involved movements and health enhancing goals similar to Tai Chi, and were viewed by many as an essential part of Taoist practice. This association of spiritual cultivation with physical exercise may seem surprising, but in China the spiritual and physical realms were traditionally not seen as separate. As a result, in Taoism cultivation of the body was often viewed as an essential part of the religious development of the individual.Zhang Sanfeng, a Sung Dynasty (960 AD to 1279 AD) Taoist sage, is generally credited with creating the set of movements referred to as Tai Chi (taiji) or Tai Chi Chuan (taijiquan). Works attributed to Zhang Sanfeng are found in the Taoist Canon - the collection of texts that forms the main corpus of Taoist literature. The main thrust of those writings is to describe the process by which a practitioner returns to a state of health in body, mind and spirit.
Zhang Sanfeng was a practitioner of the Wudang sect of Taoism, which belonged to one of the great streams within Taoism, known as the school of neidan or internal alchemy. The school of internal alchemy advocates the Return to the Origin. This means returning to spiritual health, leading to harmony with the Tao, which is perceived as the source of all existence. At the same time, it means returning to a body of perfect health as exhibited by the physiology of a young child. This dual process is also known as cultivating original nature and life.
As originally developed, Tai Chi was a tool for Returning to the Origin. Today, although most styles of Tai Chi are not forms of Taoist practice, they all owe their origins to this Chinese religious tradition.
Lay Transmission of Tai Chi
Most styles of Tai Chi practiced today are family styles not directly linked to Taoist training, although vestiges of Taoism can still be found in some of the theories and terminology they employ. There is no historical record of how Tai Chi originally came to be practiced by people outside of the monastic community.
It is generally accepted that the Chen family of Henan province kept the practice of Tai Chi within the clan for generations before teaching it to Yang Luchan (1799-1872). Yang moved to Beijing and became head martial arts instructor for the imperial army of the Qing dynasty. It is from here that Tai Chi became widespread as a martial art and branched into a variety of styles named for the families which taught them, such as Chen style, Yang style, Sun style, Wu style, and so on.
The lay transmission of Tai Chi has from its inception stressed the use of Tai Chi principles for martial arts purposes, while also seeking health benefits from the practice of Tai Chi. It has however, maintained a tenuous link to the more spiritual or religious facets found in Taoist training. In more recent history, the health benefits of Tai Chi have attracted an increasing degree of attention, although the principles which govern the practice of the various styles generally, remain based on martial applications of Tai Chi.
The Development of Taoist Tai Chi Society† Taijiquan
Taoist Tai Chi Society† taijiquan is the result of a life-long pursuit by Master Moy Lin-shin to preserve, restore and pass on to future generations the Taoist techniques of cultivating original nature and life.
When Master Moy Lin-shin came to Canada in 1970, he brought with him a treasure of the Taoist healing arts from China. His purpose, to which he dedicated his life, was to make these arts available to all. To transmit his knowledge to greater numbers of people, Master Moy needed a vehicle that was accessible to people outside a monastic setting. He chose Tai Chi to serve as that vehicle and as the primary training method.
The Taoist Tai Chi† internal art of taijiquan was created by Master Moy using the external form of the 108 moves of Yang style Tai Chi. However, the theoretical framework, purpose and methods of training are very distinct from Yang style Tai Chi. Master Moy integrated into Taoist Tai Chi Society† taijiquan the essence of techniques of Taoist cultivation which he learned from various teachers, starting from his early teens in a Taoist temple in the city of Guangzhou.
The result is truly a remarkable achievement in restoring Tai Chi to its original purpose as a means to cultivate both physical and mental health, and as an expression of Taoism. Alleviating suffering is a fundamental theme of religious Taoism. Promoting better health using the unique skills he developed, Master Moy sought to make the health benefits of this taijiquan available to all.
The Taoist Tai Chi† internal art of taijiquan is now taught in more than 25 countries and approximately 500 communities worldwide. The rapid growth in the number of practitioners since 1970 can only be attributed to the personal skills of Master Moy as a teacher and the inspiration that he provided to his students who now continue to pass on his teachings.
Other Taoist Tai Chi† Internal Arts and Methods
Master Moy not only adapted the taijiquan form but brought together a range of other internal arts into an integrated set of teachings that we now know as ‘Taoist Tai Chi† internal arts and methods.’ These other internal arts include Lok Hup Ba Fa (liuhebafa), which dates to the 10th Century, as well as Hsing I (xingyi quan), sword and sabre forms, Chi Kung (qigong), meditation, Taoist ceremonies and chanting. Like the Taoist Tai Chi† internal art of taijiquan, all of these arts are deeply rooted in the spiritual tradition of Taoism.
The 'methods' are the methods of training in these arts and of cultivating virtue (in a Taoist sense) in a spirit of selflessness, compassion and service to others. They also include the methods of organization and management of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society and its member associations, which are seen as an extension of the training. Such methods have helped to establish within the Society an environment conducive to learning and helping others. In creating the Society as non-profit, charitable and volunteer-based, Master Moy established an organisational vehicle for the training of practitioners and for transmitting these internal arts to future generations.
In order to focus on other aspects of Taoist training such as meditation, chanting, Taoist ceremonies and study of Taoist texts, Master Moy also established the Fung Loy Kok Institute of Taoism, a member organization of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society. In addition Master Moy created the Gei Pang Lok Hup Academy in honour of his Lok Hup teacher, Master Liang Tzu-pang.
Parameters for Teaching and Practice
Our founder, Master Moy, set promotion of holistic health as the goal of Taoist Tai Chi† internal arts and methods, and this remains the goal of the International Taoist Tai Chi Society more than 30 years after its founding.
Even before the original incorporation of the Taoist Tai Chi Society of Canada, Master Moy established the fundamental parameters for the teaching and practice of Taoist Tai Chi† internal arts and methods to all his students. These parameters, which are still followed today, are as follows:
- Taoist Tai Chi† internal arts and methods are not to be practised as a martial art technique or in a competitive spirit, but rather as a means to cultivate health;
- One must work at improving one's own health and understanding the subtleties of these arts before attempting to use them to help others;
- Students should share their knowledge on a volunteer basis and not for personal gain, and should seek to help others improve their health;
- Students should cultivate an attitude of compassion and service to others.
A person who does not adhere to these parameters of practice will not be allowed to become or to remain an instructor accredited by the International Taoist Tai Chi Society or its member associations.