Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Well, I ought to be quiet and listen in the presence of my betters, but rather than let the thread die, I'll offer my (no doubt, inaccurate) rendering. What to make of the first half of the line? Xu ling probably isn't "empty spirit," as that doesn't make any sense to me. And does ding jin...

Jerry & Louis,

Thanks very much for your replies. It was the self-referential quality of the second line that eluded me. Practice refines itself and also refines the practician. Very nice!

Thanks again.

Dave

I've become interested in two lines from the "Thirteen Postures Song" (or "Song of the Thirteen Postures"). After reading a couple of translations (Barbara Davis and Lo, Inn, et. al), I began to wonder what the original said; but not reading Chinese, I was reduced to plugging Eng...

An interesting discussion.

To help me to understand the use of "song" in the Classics, would one of you be kind enough post an analysis of the Chinese character?

Etymology is sometimes useful (besides being fun!).

Thanks in advance.