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Book Reviews, pages 10
Book Review
AUTHOR: Dr. Baolin Wu and Michael McBride
This tells the story of Master Wu Baolin and how he came to learn Daoist taijiquan from his teacher, Master Du Xinling, at the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. It introduces the original practice of taijiquan to the outside world, pristinely preserved. Zhang Sanfeng Taijiquan goes back seven generations, starting with Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Sect (a subsect of the Complete Reality School), and continuing through Zhang Daishan and other senior Daoist lineage holders.
Daoist taijiquan adheres to roundness, which symbolizes movement and exercise as well as the key to opening the mysterious life gate. It guides —and encourages us —to a better path, giving our days fulfillment and joy. Among the myriad forms of taijiquan, Zhang Sanfeng taijiquan is singular in that it is practiced in only one direction, following the rotation of the earth, the direction of the winds, the turning of the stars, and the shapes of the planets. The universe is vast and unknown, but according to Yijing, the classic divination text, the universe itself is round. By observing and practicing Daoist taijiquan, one’s self reflects and becomes integrated with the roundness of the universe.
In this rare unveiling, Master Wu, one of only five students to learn this set from Master Du, shares his insights and the secrets to enhancing one’s practice and self-cultivation. It’s an account that is hard-won by over sixty years of training experience. The potentiality of Daoist taijiquan is discussed in great detail, including its health benefits, effects on self-preservation, ability to extend longevity, as well as the path it offers to immortality. We are currently living in an age when the original meaning and intention of our history is at risk of disintegrating and disappearing. With new schools and even universities of taijiquan cropping up everywhere, dilution and misdirection are a growing concern. In order to counterbalance this trend, the original works of Zhang Sanfeng are set here today. May his teachings lead us back to Dao.
The Soul of Taiji Zhang Sanfeng-Wu Baolin Taijiquan • Author: Dr. Baolin Wu and Michael McBride • ISBN: 9781-931483-43-8 • Book (Paperback) • Three Pines Press • $34.95 • 245 pages
