“Te” (Pronounced "Tduh") is the Chinese character that can be translated to mean “virtue” or to mean “power”. We might also understand Te to mean the “power of virtue”.

We typically understand virtue as high moral behavior and righteous action. However, even behavior and action that is moral and apparently righteous may come from a place that is not of our true nature but rather that of a projected nature of what we perceive as right action. Such choreographed virtues do not bring forth the power of Te.

Granted, the “fake it and you’ll make it” concept can work provided that the projected virtue invokes the inherent virtue from our Original Self to awaken. One may act in a loving and peaceful manner and they may embody the actions that characterize such behavior, however until such actions are born spontaneously from the natural place of love and peace, such behaviors would not be natural virtues that sprung from “Te”. In the same way, natural virtues such as peacefulness and love can effortlessly manifest from the Original Self and these inherent virtues are our power (Te) as a human being. So in this way we see Te or power and inherent virtue working ‘hand in hand’.

If we consider Te to be the “power of virtue”, then any virtue that would bring power would come forth from a place of truth born out of our Original Nature, and our Original Nature is a place of natural and infinite power.

According to Lao Tzu, everyone manifests “Te” is derived from the Tao, or derived from our Original Beingness if you will. So this Te or natural power is inherent within all of us. Virtues would naturally come forth when we tap into our Te as opposed to practicing virtues to find Te. So our true virtues are born of Te.

Consider a baby’s smile as an intrinsic virtue; such a smile is born from its natural Te and the power of that smile is very infectious because it is an inherent virtue as opposed to a projected virtue manifesting from the baby. Another way to understand Te very simply put, is to understand that it is basically the natural force of the universe, which we may refer to as the Tao. When we are aligned with that natural force, we are aligned with that natural power or Te. Then action becomes effortless action, (known as Wu Wei), because we are moving with the force of the universal current. Just as a boat is moving along with force of the current, it moves effortlessly with that natural force. So in that natural power, we also have natural virtue, and acting from our natural virtue brings Te, and acting from Te also brings our inherent virtues.

When we follow our Li, or the true purpose of our being we also tap into our Te. This principle of Te and Li also go ‘hand in hand’, as acting from our Original Nature and acting from our Original Purpose produce the same results, which is Te. Following the purpose of our being means that we are acting and being in harmony with our Original Nature as per the intent of the manifestation of the form or being that we are. Example; if a football wants to be a basketball yet it was created to be a football, it will not have the same power (Te) if it is used as a basketball. The football’s purpose (Li) was different than a basketball. When the football is then used in the manner it was made to be used for, then the power of the football, when thrown as a football, will manifest its Te because it is operating in its natural purpose.

To find our natural purpose and inherent power, we must become aligned with our unconditioned and original mind. In order to do so, we must remove blockages that come from the conditioned mind. The conditioned mind projects a false nature upon ourselves that in turn causes an overlay of a purpose upon ourselves that is not our true Li. And like the football wanting to be a basketball, we will not manifest our full power or Te if we are not aligned with our true Li.

Tai Chi & Qigong & Te

The more blocked a person’s channels are, the less the True Purpose (Li) and the power (Te) of a person will come forth. This is because the natural inherent power (Te) travels through the energy gates of a person. This power is always there, however clearing the path of debris is first needed if the water is to flow down the canal. From practice of Tai Chi & Qigong, a person’s channels open and balance, and one becomes more loving and gentle from the place of their original nature.

In Qigong and Tai Chi practice, we work with key energy gates that open the power of Te within us. Considering the Chinese character for Te, we can decipher that a part of the characters represent the one eye, or the “Third Eye” and another character represents Xin, or the Heart Mind. The Heart Mind is where Shen, or the soul resides. So when the two eyes become one in harmony with the Heart Mind, true power comes forth. Qigong and Tai Chi practice draw Qi into the Zhong Dantian, or the heart center energy gate where the Heart Mind resides. Also Qigong and Tai Chi practice draw Qi into, the Shang Dantian energy gate, where the third eye resides. So considering Te is referencing the heart and third eye in these Chinese characters, Tai Chi and Qigong practice bring about this Te partly because of the considerable focus on these energy gates in this practice.

So Qigong and Tai Chi practice have not only a physical orientation but also a highly spiritual orientation to its practices. That is why we use the Qi to recognize our Shen (Xin) or spirit. And through this, we bring forth our Te, because in our Shen rests our connection with Te.

• Use the body to recognize the Qi
• Use the Qi to recognize the Shen (Xin)
• Use the Spirit (Shen) to recognize Wuji (Infinite, Formlessness) The source of our Te.

Using Our Body To Recognize Qi: Using our practices of Qigong and Tai Chi, we learn to recognize the flow of force or Qi within the physical body. This is a natural force, so in that force we also find our Te. We discover that within the physical body there contains a spirit in itself. It is not spirit that is off somewhere in the heavens, but within the body. This maybe what we could consider as Body Shen.

Using Our Qi To Recognize Our Shen: When we discover our Qi within our body, we can discover that the Qi is more than only an energy force, it is a force that can bring self awareness and fulfillment. When we begin to direct the Qi into the heart center using a balance of the Wisdom Mind and Emotional Mind, we can recognize that the Qi is a tool for higher consciousness. Further, we can begin to draw the Qi into our third eye and crown center and brain centers to experience increased self awareness. Perhaps this understating is where we use Qi to recognize Shen. This may be understood as Qi Shen.

Using Our Shen To Recognize Source (Self Realization): With the awareness of Shen, our soul and our essence, the very nature of our being, we can begin to understand the nature of the universe, the Tao. Through the oneness with our own Shen, we can begin to understand the oneness of the Tao. To speculate, such a realized state maybe where we have recognized the Tao Shen.

These three aspects of our Shen contain their innate wisdom and they work in harmony with each other. When we begin to awaken the Qi force in our body and use that force to recognize our Shen, we begin to understand the Te within, and with that Te, we have the power to break through conditioned patterns and live and act according to the natural flow of life. With this Te, we act in the rightness of the moment.

In Tai Chi and Qigong practice, we learn to move our body and Qi in a harmony with the natural force or our original nature, which in turn develops a mind to act in the same manner. Through the Tai Chi and Qigong movements, we become freed from conditioned actions even at a cellular level; and this sovereignty will then bring forth our power or Te. This power is simply the freedom from the bondage of these mental and physiological patterns that are engraved upon us. With this power, we can choose how we want to act and how we want to be by recognizing these conditioned patterns.

A person who is true to themselves, acts free from conditioned patterns despite popular opinion. Despite popular opinion, the wise man acts from a place of truth and power, they act from their Te.