Monday Morning Tai Chi Training Tip # 361
Teaching
There will come a time, and I hope not too far in the future, when a person will be judged not by what he has, but what he gives! There needs to be a shift in thinking about what is valued and important. In our present age, teaching is among the worst paid and least respected of all professions. But to my mind, there is nothing as important as passing down knowledge and tradition from one generation to the next.
In most ancient societies, the teacher, or wise elder, was a position of respect that had to be earned. If we are ever to get ahead, we need to build on the foundation of the past. The “higher” you want to go, the more solid your foundation must be. We need to learn from our successes and also our mistakes. Tai Chi Chuan was orally passed down, usually from father to son. This is because Tai Chi was important as a martial art and instructors didn’t want others to know their secrets. This lasted many generations, until printing became popular. Now we have the internet which has enabled instructors to share with wide audiences.
Children are born pure and simple, yet lack most of the qualities that maturity brings. I encourage you to work to perfect your Self, develop your unique skills and talents, and share these with any seeker regardless of his or her ability to pay you money. It is the effort to learn, not the natural ability the students possess, that earns them the attention of the instructor. And if the instructor corrects you more than most of the other students, don’t feel bad. It really means that you are doing well and minor corrections will help you to perfect the form.