The Butterfly Effect

Stephen Frost

Sydney, Australia

“To look but not see is called evanescent;

To listen but not hear is called rarefied;

To grasp after but not catch is called minute.

These three qualities cannot be understood no matter how much you ask about them,

Yet when intermingled, they form a unity. (Tao Teh Ching Chapter 14)

視之不見，名曰「夷」﹔

聽之不聞，名曰「希」﹔

搏之不得，名曰「微」。

此三者，不可致詰，故混而為一。

其上不皎，其下不昧，繩繩兮不可名，復歸于無物。

是謂無狀之狀，無物之象，是謂惚恍。

迎之不見其首，隨之不見其后。

執古之道，以御今之有。

能知古始，是謂道紀。 道德經 第 十四 章：贊玄

Grandmaster Cheng Man-ching said in his commentary on these words that evanescent in this context means to level or eliminate, as if one were looking at a mountain but seeing a plain. Have you ever seen a child trying to catch a butterfly in flight? The butterfly’s floating movement beguiles the child. A child’s understanding knows not that capture is impossible. Every lunge, every fruitless grasp of thin air results in emptiness. The child does not see the butterfly's true nature, therefore, fails to understand it. The child is confused and ultimately frustrated. The butterfly survives because it simply acts in accord with its nature – it simply acts like a butterfly.

Grandmaster Cheng goes on to explain that these three qualities (i.e. evanescent, rarefied and minute) that cannot be understood are actually a description of the unity of the Tao. That is to say, when intermingled, they form a unity, the unity of the Tao. The Sage makes this unity his touchstone or structure for understanding the world. Only one who knows the unity of the Tao and uses it, as his basis for being in the world, can understand the nature of the butterfly.

The phenomenon of Tao is so elusive and so evanescent.

Evanescent and elusive it is, yet there is form contained within it.

Yes, elusive and evanescent, yet there is substance to it.

So vacant and so dark, yet there is vital essence there.

This vital essence is very real. It is verifiable. (Chapter 21)

孔德之容，惟道是從。

道之為物，惟恍惟惚。

惚兮恍兮，其中有象﹔

恍兮惚兮，其中有物﹔

窈兮冥兮，其中有精﹔

其精甚真，其中有信。

If Tao is so evanescent and elusive can it be proven? How is it manifested? Is it useful? These words from chapter 21 give us encouragement. Tao cannot be named, but it can be experienced – just like your love for someone cannot be proved, but that love, once experienced, is very real and capable of being seen and appreciated by others.

The countenance of a person of high moral cultivation comes from living according to the Tao. (Chapter 21)

自今及古，其名不去，以閱眾甫。

吾何以知眾甫之狀哉？以此。 道德經 第 二十一 章：虛心

One who follows the Tao emanates its qualities, which bears fruit in their lives and influences those with whom they come into contact. This gives us hope that we are not left alone on the journey. We may even find that unity that seems so elusive. But how are we to recognise those who are living in accordance with the Tao? The following words from chapter 22 give us a model.

The Sage embraces the Oneness of the Tao and becomes a guide for the whole world.

He does not show himself, and so is conspicuous;

Does not justify himself;

Hence he becomes his own evidence;

He does not make claims and hence is given the credit.

Does not brandish his success,

Hence he endures;

Does not compete with anyone,

Hence no one can compete with him. (Chapter 22)

「曲則全，枉則直，窪則盈，

敝則新，少則得，多則惑。」

是以聖人抱一為天下式。

不自見，故明﹔不自是，故彰﹔

不自伐，故有功﹔不自矜，故長。

夫唯不爭，故天下莫能與之爭。

古之所謂「曲則全」者，豈虛言哉！

誠全而歸之。 道德經 第 二十二章：益謙

We are fortunate to have the legacy of Grandmaster Cheng Man-ching and the example of the Tao philosophers before him, but we are even more fortunate to have a living role model. Our mentor, Master Wu Kuo Chung, who I have seen change over 18 years into someone that I believe now comprehends the unity of the Tao. He is travelling the path before us and has found the pitfalls and traps, but he had to find the path, make mistakes and learn just as we have to.

Some may think it strange that I say our mentor has changed so much, however, I think that it would be an affront to suggest that he has not changed in all this time. Everyone changes over time. Those with great talent will naturally make big changes and those with lesser talent smaller changes. The curious thing that I have observed is that our master seems to defy the "Law of Diminishing Returns" (a law affirming that to continue after a certain level of performance has been reached will result in a decline in effectiveness). He continues to make rapid progress. But how is this possible?

I believe that he has found the touchstone that the Tao Teh Ching talks about. The potential for gain then seems unlimited for one who has achieved this unity, but how do we achieve this lofty goal? The Tao operates on the principle of reversal:

In pursuing knowledge, one accumulates daily.

In practicing Tao, one loses daily.

Lose and lose and lose, until one reaches Non-action.

Non-action, yet there is nothing left undone.

To win in the world one must not act for gain.

If one acts for gain, one will not be able to win the world. (Chapter 48)

為學日益，為道日損。

損之又損，以至於無為。

無為而無不為。

取天下常以無事。

及其有事，不足以取天下。 道德經 第 四十八章：忘知

I still remember one of the first conversations I had with our master in 1986. I wanted to know the best path to follow to make the quickest progress. The answer was totally unexpected – unlearn and retrace your steps and do only what I say - don’t add to it or take away from it. Twenty years of training will result in twenty years of accumulated progress, but if you can truly lose/retrace/unlearn by even a few percent, then it will be the equivalent of twenty years of accumulating knowledge.

Experiencing the quality of change in our master is easy, but trying to describe the change, or as Lao Tzu put it, the “evanescence” in front of me is not so easy. Sometimes I wonder if it is master that is changing or it is I that has changed because I’m beginning to see the mountain in front of me instead of the plain. Conventional wisdom would probably suggest that it is a combination of changes in us both. Nevertheless, these last few years I have noticed a qualitative change almost every time that I have the opportunity to engage Master in contact. Again I need to refer to the Tao Teh Ching to help me in trying to describe it.

The softest in the world overcomes the strongest, just as a rider controls his galloping steed.

The insubstantial can penetrate where there is no opening.

Because of that I know the benefit of Non-action.

Few in the world attain wordless teaching and the benefit of Non-action. (Chapter 43)

天下之至柔，馳騁天下之至堅。

無有入無間。

吾是以知無為之有益。

不言之教，無為之益，天下希及之。 道德經 第 四十三章：偏用

When I first felt Master’s touch in 1986, it was a revelation, an experience that nothing in my martial arts career of 20 years could have prepared me for. His touch was as soft as a butterfly, but that’s all that I could perceive. The moment was over far too quickly and all I was left to ponder was the feeling of awe that it produced. I recently heard an American astronaut talking about his first space walk in which he also described this feeling of awe in the aftermath of the experience. The interviewer said that this must have been the most incredible experience of his life, but was surprised when the astronaut said – no! Every space walk after that got better than the one before, because he knew what was coming and was able to enjoy the experience, savour the subtle nuances of weightless movement and learn more about it each time he experienced it.

The difference between the master’s touch in 1986 and now for me is quite different. It still has that quality of softness, but I notice a level of control and finesse that borders on the extraordinary. A horse has a will of its own, with a strength that could easily crush a person, but the skill with which a master horseman can control a horse with the subtlest of touches is a very powerful and pertinent example.

Master’s ability to penetrate every defence that I have seems to have no limit. Despite any progress that I feel I may have made, when I test myself against the master he seems to be even further ahead of me than the time before – this defies conventional logic! It’s like the child chasing the butterfly. The harder the child tries the more elusive the butterfly. Non-action on Master’s part enables him to penetrate any defence that I have. Master lets me be the architect of my own demise.

The greatest fullness seems empty,

Yet its applications are never exhausted. (Chapter 45)

大成若缺，其用不弊。

大盈若沖，其用不窮。

大直若屈，大巧若拙，大辯若訥。

躁勝寒，靜勝熱，清靜為天下正。 道德經 第 四十五章：洪德

Also,

A great sound comes from a small noise.

A great form has no shape.

Tao is hidden and nameless … thus unfathomable.

Yet wonderfully, Tao guarantees that all things are fulfilled. (Chapter 41)

上士聞道，勤而行之﹔

中士聞道，若存若亡﹔

下士聞道，大笑之。

不笑不足以為道。

故建言有之：

「明道若昧，進道若退，夷道若類，

上德若谷，大白若辱，廣德若不足，建德若偷﹔

質真若渝，大方無隅，大器晚成，大音希聲﹔大象無形。」

道隱無名，夫唯道，善始且善成。 道德經 第 四十一章：同異

Master once told me that people say how good his Fa-jing is, but master believes that his Ting-jing (listening energy) is much better. He once told me that to control an opponent at the basic level, you “listen” with your body through the sense of touch. The next level is to listen to the chi and the highest level is to control someone with “Shen” (poorly interpreted in English as spirit).

In the last couple of years I have experienced two occasions when I felt Master’s Shen controlling me. Both were intensely personal experiences that are difficult to describe. Both experiences were quite different. The first was in a place with many people observing, but it seemed to me as though we were the only two there. How do I describe the first experience? Chapter 61 of the Tao Teh Ching says:

The feminine always conquers the masculine through tranquillity.

Tranquillity is the lower position. (Chapter 61)

大國者下流，天下之牝，天下之交。

牝常以靜勝牡，以靜為下。

故大國以下小國，則取小國﹔

小國以下大國，則取大國。

故或下以取，或下而取。

大國不過欲兼畜人，小國不過欲入事人。

夫兩者各得所欲，大者宜為下。 道德經 第 六十一章：謙德

In this experience, I felt an overwhelming desire to simply remain where I was. I did not want to go forward or retreat. I felt enveloped by a nurturing (motherly) cloud, which gave me a sense of contentment that obviated any need for contention or conflict. The second experience felt like I wanted to take the offensive, but there was nowhere to enter. Every time a thought entered my head to make a move, Master was there before me and any opening was closed immediately. Master Wu did not have to physically move to close this opening – I just realised that it was not there for me.

These are my personal expressions of the changes I have experienced in our master in the hope that they may encourage everyone to pursue the way, knowing that we are not alone on the path. Master Wu has mentored and passed on the tradition to many of our brothers and sisters who are also able to guide us. I have read almost twenty translations of the Tao Teh Ching in English and have come to the opinion that each one is not a translation, but an interpretation. Likewise you will interpret what I have said in the light of your own experience and bring your own personal meaning to my words. It may not have been the meaning I intended, but if it leads you closer to the Tao then I am satisfied.

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