Where the eyes should be

Hi John,
Good question.

Eyes are important.

It’s pretty hard to tell where the eyes should be looking from watching a video.

The classics say that the mind leads the Qi.

It’s also pretty hard to know specifically how your Qi is flowing.

The eyes are an important component of the mind.
But using the mind, however, usually means that mental images are the master, the body is the servant.
But the eyes can be used to lead your intent.

I was surprised that when I started to look through treatises on tai chi that very little is said about where the eyes should look, this includes Bruce’s Tai Chi Mastery Course.
There are a lot of admonitions to relax the eyes, to soften the eyes, not to focus on something specifically, not to be distracted by sense images.

However, some books on tai chi forms do specifically note where to focus the eyes during a posture.

For example:
during Brush-Knee-Twist”
Wang Peisheng’s book on Wu Style TaijiQuan says to
“Just look ahead over the right thumb, let the thrusting hand follow the direction of your eyesight.”
Earlier in the posture as the lower hand brushes the knee he says,
“Your sight rests on left forefinger;”

In a book on the Yang Style Long Form,
(“TaiJiQuan in 88 Forms”) Victor Wu notes that in pushing the right hand forward,
“”Eyes on Right Hand,” then
“Eyes on right fingers.”

Then there’s the “principle” of
“Gaze left, look right.”
Other times it goes,
“Look left, gaze right.”

I think the idea is to take in everything in general with a broad gaze.

But “look” specifically at your immediate opponent,
target.

But, of course, you don’t want to telegraph your intent to your opponent by letting him/her read your eyes.

In meditation,
some say keep your eyes open, but not focused on a specific object,
others say it’s OK to close your eyes as long as you don’t fall asleep.

So I conclude,
just follow your own intuition about your eyes.

Good practice,

Bob