Understanding the relationship between Shifu (Grand Master) and dizi (disciple) is essential to appreciate what Tai Ji Men is and does.
by Emma Chen*
*A paper presented at the Second World Conference for Religious Dialogue and Cooperation, Strumica, North Macedonia, June 21, 2024.
I work as a dentist in Taiwan, and I am also a Tai Ji Men dizi. Today, from the perspective of a dizi, I will share the significance and uniqueness of the roles of Shifu and dizi (master and disciple) in the transmission of culture, as well as the contribution of Tai Ji Men to spreading the principles of peace and conscience.
The master-disciple relationship in an ancient menpai
As you have heard in this session, Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpai (similar to a school) of qigong, martial arts, and self-cultivation, rooted in esoteric Taoism, encompassing the philosophy of yin and yang. Wisdom and teachings are handed down from the Shifu to the dizi. Shifu is the guide and father, and dizi are the learners and children. The relationship between Shifu and dizi is established through a solemn and elegant ceremony.
With utmost sincerity, a person seeks to be accepted by Shifu as a dizi, while the Shifu accepts a dizi based on serendipity. First, the dizi must show their genuine sincerity, expressing their willingness to become Shifu’s dizi, follow his teachings, and transform themselves.
We read in the Chinese classics that in ancient times, when people wanted to be accepted by Confucius as his dizi, they would prepare a “bundle of dried meat” as a formal offering to Confucius as Shifu. In modern times, a person prepares a “red envelope” with a monetary gift to express his or her sincere desire to become a dizi. This offering is merely a steppingstone, symbolizing the person’s readiness and sincerity in seeking the Shifu’s guidance, earnestly requesting to be accepted as a dizi. When the Shifu acknowledges the destined connection and accepts the request, a formal ceremony follows.
When a disciple bows to the master, it signifies the establishment of the master-disciple relationship. In Chinese culture, once this relationship is formed, it is long-term and lifelong, akin to the relationship between parents and children. In ancient China some described the Shifu-dizi connection in a menpai with the words “once a Shifu, always a father.”
The bond between Shifu and dizi transcends blood ties, encompassing deep emotions, trust, and mutual understanding, similar to that of a father and son, even without a blood relation. Shifu imparts not only skills in qigong, martial arts, and other techniques but also wisdom and practices for daily life. Additionally, like parents, Shifu cares for the dizi’s health and daily well-being.
Shifu and dizi exchange their thoughts and visions about culture through the practice of qigong, martial arts, and yin and yang philosophy, and entrust each other with their hearts, property, time, and even their lives, just as the protagonist of the well-known martial art film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” Li Mu Bai, said to his dizi, “As Shifu and dizi, we must entrust each other with our lives.”
In the teacher-student relationship at school, students gain knowledge and skills. However, in a traditional menpai’s Shifu-dizi relationship, the dizi should upheld the Shifu’s and the menpai’s reputation. My Shifu once said that teaching knowledge and skills is easy, but teaching people, especially their “hearts,” is the most difficult. He emphasized that the highest level of education is teaching people’s “hearts” so that they are able to educate themselves. In Tai Ji Men, this is how he guides and teaches us dizi. The Shifu passes on, and the dizi inherit; the Shifu acts, and the dizi follow; the Shifu wishes, and the dizi fulfill. Thus, the Shifu’s wishes become the dizi’s own wishes.
When the Shifu wholeheartedly spreads love and peace around the world, allowing more global citizens to receive encouragement and redemption from their conscience, the dizi follow the Shifu’s project and wish. They travel at their own expense to major cities worldwide, using martial arts, dance, songs, and other cultural exchanges to share the ideals of love and peace and promote conscience education. They hope to awaken the inherent goodness and abilities in people’s hearts, inspire human rights activists to tirelessly fight for peace, and motivate leaders from various fields to commit to and practice the wish for love and peace.
You heard in Professor Introvigne’s paper about the Bell of World Peace and Love and our trips to more than one hundred countries. The Bell of World Peace and Love has been rung by 552 influential leaders from 147 nations, including 71 heads of state and government.
The Shifu-dizi bond in times of adversity
Although my Shifu, as Jason Cherng explained in this session, had to endure a horrible ordeal, his main concern was for his dizi, not for himself. This reflects the ethos of a menpai, where dizi are not merely students but are considered the children of the Shifu, sharing a familial relationship with him.
In the Tai Ji Men case, my Shifu suffered persecution and was illegally detained, one of the reasons being precisely a misconstruction of the Shifu-dizi relationship, which the prosecutor incorrectly assimilated to the one between teacher and students in a for-profit school. However, upon Shifu’s release, his first words were to ask if we, his dizi, had been harmed. Only parents would refrain from any complaint when their reputation, property, and personal freedom are stripped away, worrying solely about their children’s safety and health. Sometimes, even biological parents may not show such boundless love and generosity, yet my Shifu did. This is because we are not just students; we are like his own children. This is the Shifu-dizi relationship in a traditional menpai.
Today, our Shifu insists on fairness and justice, refusing to compromise with corrupt officials because the injustice Tai Ji Men faces today is a potential harm that could affect all spiritual groups and individuals in Taiwan.
With one heart, Shifu and dizi spread love to the world
Despite facing persecution from corrupt officials violating human rights, my Shifu has never ceased leading us in practicing love and peace. We are committed to promoting religious freedom and human rights protection, actively advocating for taxpayer rights, and speaking out for those who suffer from tax injustice. For Tai Ji Men dizi, this is part of our self-cultivation practice. We take to the streets every week to raise awareness of taxpayer rights, hold regular public forums domestically and internationally, hoping for an end to miscarriages of justice and preventing further victims of religious freedom violations. Just as I am here today sharing about the Tai Ji Men case: it is also part of my self-cultivation practice.
My Shifu once said, “Good culture leads to good education, and good education leads to a good economy.” Over the past 58 years, Tai Ji Men Shifu and dizi have promoted love, peace, and conscience education through cultural exchanges, peace summits, and inviting leaders from all continents to ring the Bell of World Peace and Love, fostering an education rooted in love, peace, and conscience.
Finally, I would like to share a beautiful experience Tai Ji Men dizi had last month in Rome, which I believe summarizes what we are, and what we do.
On May 15th this year, during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis delivered a catechesis on the theological virtue of “caritas,” a Latin word translated as “charity” but also meaning “love.” Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered in the square. My Shifu was among the special guests seated in the first row and allowed to personally meet the Pope after the audience. Dr. Hong shared with the Pope the concept of conscience, highlighting our efforts in promoting the International Day of Conscience worldwide. The Pope gave him a thumbs up after receiving the scroll of “Love of the World, A Declaration of Peace.” For Tai Ji Men, it was a historical meeting.
My Shifu presented the Pope with three insightful books: “Conscience: The Wellspring of Wisdom,” “The History of International Day of Conscience,” and “Back to Origin.” Alongside these books, Dr. Hong also offered Pope Francis other meaningful gifts, including the scroll of “Love of the World, A Declaration of Peace” and the “Tai Ji Men Celestial Drum.”
In turn, Pope Francis presented Dr. Hong with the medal minted for the 11th Anniversary of his pontificate in 2024, which was inscribed with the Latin motto “SIMUL INVENIENDAE SUNT PACIS SEMITAE,” meaning “Together We Find Paths of Peace.”
It was the culmination of a meaningful trip to Italy. On May 11, Francesco Curto, Chairperson of the Turin organization Fedinsieme (Faiths Together), presented at the Turin Book Fair the 2024 Global Peace Award to Dr. Hong, recognizing his outstanding contributions to world peace for more than 50 years.
In front of St. Peter’s Square in Rome, my Shifu rang the Bell of World Peace and Love to pray for the world and stated, “With wars raging, people feel anxious. The sound of the bell spreads blessings far and wide. Let’s unite globally, harness the power of hope, and realize our kind wishes. May justice prevail, bringing peace and sustainability.”
Shifu’s lifelong dedication to the vision of world peace is the same peaceful aspiration we as dizi wholeheartedly follow. We will continue to promote a culture of conscience, spreading love far and wide, praying for the enduring presence of love and peace.
