CH'AN BUDDHISM
Buddhism has been part of the Chinese culture for almost two millennium, so there have been centuries of development making the Chinese schools very unique.
The impact of Chinese Buddhism on Traditional Chinese Kung Fu is immeasurable. Many of the legends, rituals and symbols are deeply rooted in Buddhism. In the West, Ch'an Buddhism is often called by the more familiar term of Zen, but although both of their respective lineage's can be traced back to the infamous Bodhidharma (Tamo), they follow either the more Chinese path (Ch'an), or the line of Japanese patriarchs (Zen).

Buddhism had itself become overly dependent on mastery of the sutra's, so Ch'an was a revitalization of the Buddha's fundamental practice, meditation - Just sit. Do nothing. Focus on the immediate direct experience.
Knowledge and wisdom is transmitted by such means as Kung Ans. Better known by the Japanese term of Koan, these paradoxical puzzles jam your logic. In order to answer a Koan, you must to break through your artificial mental partitions and directly experience the moment of reality. Koans are not riddles with a rational answer - It is the constraint of rationality and reason that must be overcome, so that awareness and enlightenment can result.


LAO TZU
The specific date of birth of Lao Tzu is unknown. Legends vary, but scholars place his birth between 600 and 300 B.C.E. Lao Tzu is attributed with the writing of the "Tao-Te Ching," (tao-meaning the way of all life, te-meaning the fit use of life by men, and ching-meaning text or classic). Lao Tzu was not his real name, but an honorific given the sage, meaning "Old Master."

Lao Tzu's wise council attracted followers, but he refused to set his ideas down in writing. He believed that written words might solidify into formal dogma. Lao Tzu wanted his philosophy to remain a natural way to live life with goodness, serenity and respect. Lao Tzu laid down no rigid code of behavior. He believed a person's conduct should be governed by instinct and conscience.
Lao Tzu believed that human life, like everything else in the universe, is constantly influenced by outside forces. He believed "simplicity" to be the key to truth and freedom. Lao Tzu encouraged his followers to observe, and seek to understand the laws of nature; to develop intuition and build up personal power; and to use that power to lead life with love, and without force.
Legend says that in the end Lao Tzu, saddened by the evil of men, set off into the desert on a water buffalo leaving civilization behind. When he arrived at the final gate at the great wall protecting the kingdom, the gatekeeper persuaded him to record the principles of his philosophy for posterity. The result was the eighty-one sayings of the "Tao-Te Ching." This ancient Chinese text is the world's most translated classic next to the Bible.


TAOISM
What is the Tao ? A basic tenet of Taoism states that the Tao cannot be defined.

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name" (Tao Te Ching)

To truly understand the Tao one has no other recourse but to experience it directly - This is a step that all must take alone. In the West we may use the words as way, spirit, truth, ultimate reality or God to approximate the name of Tao. When Tao is translated as way it refers to the Cosmic way of the Universe, the order of nature. This original unfathomable Tao is eternally formless and unmanifested, yet complete and perfect. From itself it brought forth the entire Cosmos and thus it manifested.

"Tao gives life to beings ... Tao shapes them ... For Tao is the life and support of all, their refuge and shield. It makes them arise and grow, mature and perfect themselves" (Tao Te Ching)

The Tao can be seen in the use of the Yin and Yang whereby it becomes dualistic in it's nature.

There are two essential and sacred books in Taoism these being The I Ching or the book of changes and the Tao Te Ching.
The I ching is considered to be an oracle and one of the oldest spiritual texts in existence. It's origin is unknown. It speaks of the Tao and it's interrelationship to life.

The Tao Te Ching was written by Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu was in every sense of the word a mystic. Any attempt to translate his work and delete it of mysticism, as is sometimes done, is like removing the cream before serving the milk, that is, removing the spiritual essence which lies beneath the external form of his teachings.

The Tao Te Ching can be translated as :-
Tao - Way, Truth .. Te - Power, Virtue ..Ching - Book, Classic

Therefore the Tao Te Ching is known as the classical book of the way or truth and it's power or virtue.
The Tao Te Ching is one of the great spiritual writings left as a guidepost and a legacy for mankind - It is so simple and simultaneously so complex that it baffles the most brilliant minds. It is rooted in spiritual eternity and therefore remains timeless and pertinent to any time in mans history or personal development.

The Tao Te Ching takes most of it's illustrations from nature. Lao Tzu taught that nature was mans finest teacher and that man would only reach a state of serenity and happiness by living in accordance with the way of nature.

Therefore it can bee seen that the microcosm (man) and the macrocosm (the Universe) must blend and become the Yin and Yang, balancing and revitalizing one another.

Following is one of my best passages of the Tao Te Ching :-
"Man when living is soft and tender; When dead he is hard and tough. All animals and plants when living are tender and fragile; When dead they become withered and dry. Therefore it is said: The hard and tough are parts of death; the soft and tender are parts of life. This is the reason why the soldiers when they are too tough cannot carry the day; The tree when it is too tough will break. The position of the strong and great is low, and the position Of the weak and tender is high".


YIN AND YANG
According to ancient Taoist philosophers, before the Universe was created there was only a boundless void - Wu Chi. Within this emptiness though something existed - an energy or power, something that cannot be grasped by the human mind.
So from emptiness something was formed - Tai Chi. The expression here refers not to the martial art of Tai Chi, but to the "Great Ultimate" the Universal force from which everything springs.
The situation now has two aspects : The nothing, which is Yin, and the something which is Yang. Tai Chi is therefore often described as the mother of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang (please refer to the Yin/Yang symbol close to the bottom of this page) can be described as complementary opposites which join to form a whole, the two sides of the same coin. Yin (the black side) pertains to that which is soft, dark, feminine, still. Yang (the white side) pertains to hard, light, masculine, movement.
Many people see these as irreconcilable opposites, but this is not the case. Movement for example, begins and ends in stillness. Night and day merge seamlessly into each other. This is why in the Yin-Yang symbol the two halves are separated by a curved line rather than a straight one. As one side reaches it's maximum size, the other side is beginning. There is a smooth flow rather than a sudden change.

As an illustration of this take most people's average day - During daylight hours we are up and about, involved in various activities ... This is the Yang stage. At some stage during the night we begin to wind down, eventually going to bed and falling asleep ... The Yin stage. The process is a gradual one.
You will also observe that the white part of the symbol contains a black dot and the black half a white dot. This is to illustrate that everything contains something of it's opposite.

According to Taoist thought, then, everything in existence can be illustrated in terms of Yin and Yang. What is important is that the Two remain in complete balance. Take the body for instance. The external, Yang, muscles can be trained, but if the internal, Yin, organs remain weak the training will be in vain. A person may spend every waking hour working at their business (Yang) at the expense of their family life (Yin). A country may spend huge amounts on weapons (Yang) while it's people (Yin) are starving. One purpose, then, of the Yin-Yang symbol is to cause us to be aware of the need to maintain perfect balance in our lives.

TAI CHI AND THE YIN - YANG
As we have seen the symbol represents Tai Chi, the "Great Ultimate". The martial art of Tai Chi Chuan may therefore be translated as "Great Ultimate Fist", or "Yin-Yang" fist. The reason for this title is that the art of Tai Chi readily utilizes the interplay of Yin and Yang in all it's aspects. Thus Tai Chi as an art remains perfectly in harmony with the principles of the philosophy on which it is based.

As can be seen then, the Yin-Yang symbol, whilst looking fairly simple and straightforward, carries a much deeper meaning with regards to everyday life.


THE FIVE ELEMENTS OR WU-HSING
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water represent the Five Elements.
Earth is the center and connects all the elements but does not belong to any of them (soil in it's Yin side and rock in it's Yang side). Wood (Yin) and Metal (Yang) form a pair whilst Water (Yin) and Fire (Yang) form another pair.

MUTUAL CREATION
The Five Elements produce each other :-
Wood creates Fire (two sticks rubbed together - wood burns easily) .. Fire creates Earth (ashes after the Fire has burnt - this becomes part of the soil) .. Earth creates Metal (metallic ores found in the earth) .. Metal creates Water (when heated it becomes water) .. Water creates Wood (water nourishes the growth of plants).

MUTUAL DESTRUCTION
These are the conflicts between the elements.
Wood weakens the Earth by removing nutrients form the soil.
Earth limits Water (man made dams).
Water extinguishes Fire.
Fire conquers Metal by melting it.
Metal (axes and knives) can cut down trees and carve Wood.

THE FIVE ELEMENTS AND THE DIRECTIONS
The Five Elements "cover" the whole world.
Wood represents the East.
Metal represents the West.
Fire represents the South and
Water represents the North.
Earth is the center connecting all the elements.

The East gets the sun before the West , and so more trees and plants grow in the East.
The West gets the sun later, so the West creates more minerals, metal and iron.
The South is hot and,
The North is cold - This explains the directions pertaining to the Five Elements.