Humility

qian谦
When I first met Mr. Li Lian (who is now my Tai Chi teacher) in Beijing a few years back, I showed great admiration for his moral rectitude and his high levels of skills. In answer to my compliment he replied ,''I'm only a Tai Chi amateur''. Though his great sense of humour was obvious, his humility and modesty struck me more.
Humility is a great virtue in traditional Chinese culture, especially in the traditions of Confucianism and Taoism. The 15th hexagram in I-Ching, the Classic of Changes, is Qian谦 which means Modesty or Humility. The commentary on the Judements says:
''Qian [Modesty] is such that it provides prevalence'': the Dao/Tao of Heaven provides succor to all below and so shines forth its radiance; the Dao of Earth consists of humility and so works in an upward direction. The Dao of Heaven is to make the full wane and bring increase to the modest; the Dao of Earth is to transform what is full and to make what is modest flow and spread. Gods and spirits harm what is full but enrich what is modest. And the Dao of Man is to hate the full and to love the modest. Modesty provides nobility and so allows one's radiance to shine; it provides humility and so prevents any transgression. This is how the noble man reaches his proper end. ---[translation by Richard John Lynn]
The Taoist adept Liu Yi-ming wrote in his interpretations of the Hexagram 'Humility' in the year 1796:-

Only sperior people who pratice the Tao know where to stop, disregard what they have and appear to have nothing... Those who are not superior people think they have what they have not, think they are fulfilled when in fact they are empty. [The Taoist I Ching translated by Thomas Cleary]

 

I think the more empty and mediocre one is, the more he feels the need to be loud in making false claims to fill up the lack within. A lot of smaller animals do that when threatened by larger animals to scare off the predetator. On the contary, those true masters who are full within often don't feel the need to exagerate themselves because they are full from within regardless of people's reaction to them.
 I think modesty should be made a prerequisite for all Tai Chi practitioners because one has to remain sensitive and responsive at all times in order to progress in one's practice. It takes one a life time to truly master this magnificent art. Those who call themselves Tai Chi masters or even grandmasters imply they've reached the top and there's no more room for learning and improvement, just like a glass that's been fillled to the brim (in the cases of many, with filth and rubbish). That's why in China, those Tai Chi players who have reached truly high levels never call themselve masters. In the west, it seems to be a different story alltogether - only 'masters', 'grandmasters' and 'lineage masters' sell. In fact, if you don't make a number of claims about yourself, no students will ever come to your lesson or workshop. Modesty is not considered a virtue in the west; it is seen as a lack of self-esteem rather. Instead, self-assertion, competativeness and good marketing skills are desired and valued. Unfortunately in a commercialized and materialist social environment, these values are the ones that will bring success and profit. There's no room for humility and modesty.
Sorry, whoever wrote the Commentaries of the I-Ching! Hexagram No. 15 is no longer valid!