Vol. 12, No. 5
October 1988

Several articles in this issue have ideas that converge. In two articles we learn about Chen Xiaowang, China's premiere Chen stylist, who we were fortunate enough to have in this country this past summer. His mastery is impressive, not only because of his extraordinary inner focus and intensity.

And the article on mastery explores a process which is often baffling.

In my contact with Chen Xiaowang in China five years ago and this year, he was a very humane person, in the best sense of the word.
During an interview in China in which the interpreter had little knowledge of Tai Chi Chuan, Chen made a special effort to get his idea across three languages – Chinese, English and Tai Chi Chuan.

Last summer, he again showed his willingness to extend himself to help people here to understand the spoken and unspoken language of Tai Chi Chuan.

Whenever striving mightily for mastery, it is important to be able to return to a natural balance, if we are to really cultivate our humanity.

If we don't, we can be prisoners of a self-interest that propels us toward an excellence that is one-sided and can be a mask for self-assertion.

After all, it is our humanity that counts, not mastery. Mastery is a way to fulfill our capacity as human beings and through that cultivation of humanity to more fully understand others.

That's what masters and all of is who aspire to mastery or a higher state of being must try to do.