13 Formulas for the Construction of the Body Geometry
Human nature enables us to cultivate a higher harmony based on the laws of proportion and geometry. They bring us higher knowledge, which in Taoist and Buddhist terminology is called “brocade”. The thirteen formulas for constructing the body can be called “the thirteen pieces of brocade” that conceal the laws of motion and immobility (or rather their union). These laws derive from the knowledge of the thirteen formulas in the laws of moving from Taiji (duality) to Taijitu as one and then to the infinite.
The construction of the body geometry follows a specific architecture, it is not a setting that can be subdivided. This ancient system, with a high degree of probability, was created by the immortals Chen Tuan and Lu Dongbin, but shaped by Zhang Sanfeng.
The thirteen formulas not only define the path of Heaven and determine the path of Earth, but also justify the path of Man. Transform your feet and hands, fill your body with silky energy, and this will bring you to the middle path of Taiji, which will move you from within.
The path of the thirteen formulas of Taiji Quan practice is never out of proportion, no matter how your body is oriented – vertically or inclined, left or right, moving slowly or quickly. It is very important to control the position, which acts as a generator and transformer, and this requires a constant circulation of energy.
Many people know how to practice the exercise from the position of Qi energy, but it is important to practice from the position of the middle, the Jing energy. That is why it is important not just to repeat the movements and postures, but to understand how to penetrate them. Only a concentrated mind can comprehend this. Energy outside of control is not only meaningless but also harmful (just as the control without energy has insufficient penetration). The energy within us must become part of an internal pattern, for which geometry is necessary. So, it is one thing to say, “One generates two, and two generates three,” and another thing is to implement it practically.
The development of body geometry and especially the geometry of movement should be practiced carefully and consistently. First, it is important to learn the five formulas that characterize geometry. Then the eight formulas that characterize alchemy. In general, the first five formulas are based on the nature of Qi, and that is why they are called formulas of the Earth. The next six are based on the nature of shen, and they are called formulas of the Heaven, and the remaining two are based on the nature of Jing energy or the nature of the Perfect Man.
All these parts represent the method of energy proportions. Thus, the concept of Taiji exists thanks to the knowledge of geometry, without which it is impossible to achieve real deepening and penetration.
Video
Lecture by Oleg Cherne “Ideology of practices in motion”
Lecture by Oleg Cherne “Taijiquan – lost knowledge”
