He believes very strongly that practitioners should follow the classic texts and principles carefully and try to find the meanings within their own bodies and f eelings. People certainly shouldn t suspect or try to change the meanings within t he texts as he has heard some teachers do. He said if you want to know if your practice is on track, you should check yours elf. If you ve spent a short amount of time practicing and have made lots of progr ess then you know you re right. But, if after practicing several years, you cannot push with or do well against an opponent who has practiced the same amount of t ime in other arts, then something must be wrong. You need to know where you re wrong and be able to address the problem. He said many people say that Taiji takes years to learn and so they say don t expe ct quick results. However he feels this is misleading. The honing and refining o f Taiji skills has indeed no end, it is a lifelong study and not something that one can perfect in a few years, but one should be able to see definite progress inside three to five years. So what is Taiji? Before we move we are in the state of Wu Ji. But after we move or the opponent m oves, the peace and calm are broken and emptiness gives rise to yin and yang, (s eparateness in harmony). (In Chinese: Wu ji er sheng dong fen yin yang ). Taiji s foundation is from the principle of wu jie, not from the movements of beng, liu, ji ,an. (Expansion or ward off, dissipate or roll back, press and push). When the opponent moves, he destroys the state of wu ji or emptiness and yin and yang develops. In this change, his neng liang (energy) and his shi (potential force and energy) are yang. For example, if he uses his right fist to strike you, then his right side is yang but his left side becomes yin. What the practitioner should do is, at the point where the opponent is striking towards, one must hua or dissipate his potential force, where he is yang, you must be yin. But this apparent yielding or dissipating is not becoming diu or lost and lacking in substance, or ruan soft like tofu; it is accepting and welcoming his f orce like letting the wind blew through and out. Then your strike (yang) can fil l the opponent s yin or weak place, now that his strength and force have been diff used. The adversary s energy is now completely spent, because you have emptied out his strong yang part by dissipating it. He becomes weak and unstable and empty. This concept of emptying out his force is called yin jing luo kong in Chinese. At this time, when he is completely empty and weak, you can issue power, fa jing . One can only successfully issue power when the opponent is truly empty; otherwis e if he is still strong and stable it becomes force against force. When you issue, you must be able to release all your neng liang (energy) to the opponent. Your body must be tong tou empty and almost transparent inside, with no tense places. To be tong tou we must first be song (relaxed) says Ren. But people often have a mis taken view of what song or relaxed means. They know that being hard or tense is wrong but they then go to the other extrem e and become ruan soft and collapsed in structure. This he says is an even bigger mistake. Like this, one can still not be truly relaxed and one loses one s own neng
li
the body s integrated and unified structural strength.
If one is just soft, one cannot use Taiji as a martial art, it just suffices as exercise. This is why many other disciplines scorn Taiji as a fighting system, b ecause of this misunderstanding of song relaxed. Ren Gang says the body must be turned into a flowing, free-moving entity where o ne can move in an even, nimble and alive state. Some people like to imagine thei r bodies move like water, as this conjures up this feeling, but he says to move like air is an even better analogy. When one is genuinely relaxed, one can not only move smoothly, quickly and natur ally to deal with the opponent, but one can face life s challenges easily too. Of course, Ren says when one first learns the Taiji form, one needs to have the correct body posture and movement, particularly in relation to the waist and kua (hips). Sometimes, new practitioners will feel that their body or hips etc are not in th e right position, and thus they will feel that their own bones are holding them back; at this juncture it s very hard to use one s shen qi (energy). Once your body postures are correct you can start to move freely and you will st art to discover your shen qi. In Chinese, Ren says, the waist eventually becomes an energetic centre of the bo dy, not a physical muscular or skeletal centre. At the outset, when one begins learning, students will treat the waist as a phys ical entity which they will turn and move using bone and muscle, but this is a p reliminary stage. The heart Xin first decides what to do and tells the waist, (thi s second energetic centre or second heart and mind) and the waist then controls the energetic field or shen qi and the shen qi moves the rest of the body. He said that this concept of the waist is not easy for beginners to grasp, but o ver years of practice one can obtain this feeling of it being a non-physical cen tre. Without this sensation, he says he would not be able to smoothly and effort lessly remove an attacker s grab to his throat or body. If he said, he treated his waist as a hard or physical place, then an attack on his throat in particular, would cause him to tense up and try to resist, thus al lowing the attacker to gain an even stronger hold. When the waist moves, the legs and feet should follow the waist; this is what th e principle of the waist being the commander means. So what is shen qi ? When somebody practices Taiji form, they will slowly get a feeling that as they move, the air and energy around them is moving with them. (Taiji is often descri bed as swimming in air.) Later one will feel that one is moving within an energy field, that one is connected to the surrounding environment, and that they can control and move this energy all around them. This energy is shen qi. To explain more about the different types of energy connected to the body, Chine se says Gu rou de neng liang shi li liang, jing shen de neng liang shi shen qi .
Basically translated, it just means that physical strength (li liang) is the exp ression or manifestation of energy (neng liang) from the physical body (gu rou), and an invisible but yet tangible feeling of energy surrounding a person (shen qi) is the manifestation of the (jing shen) spirit s energy. When you meet somebody who is usually quite strong and energetic, but who at tha t time is ill, you will feel that they have no vital force, no shen qi, so you d on t feel intimidated or afraid of them, and are able to overcome them. He says this kind of invisible energy force and spirit is what drives the body s m ovements, not your physical structure that carries out the movements. In Taiji we should constantly try to practice, develop and enhance this shen qi. In doing so, one will also change not just one s physical movements but one s chara cter as well. The more relaxed one becomes, the greater their shen qi will be an d the more generous, calm and open one will become. He said this sense of calmness is a fundamental part of tui shou (push hands), f ighting, or life in general. In push hands or san shou (sparring) one must be calm and still inside. You must allow the opponent to fully take up his position or stance. Let him show you wh at he intends to do, this way you can clearly see where his faults and weaknesse s are, thereby allowing you to take advantage of them and overcome him. If you act as most people do and immediately try to go against him or react out of anxiety or impatience the moment he opposes you, then you and he become locke d in a battle, the outcome of which rests on the big overcoming the small, the s trong overcoming the weak, or the fast defeating the slow. None of which are par t of Taiji s internal principles. Going against him also allows the opponent to espy your weaknesses and utilize t hem to defeat you. Here is where the practitioner must again invoke the state of Wu Jie. In English we use one word to mean emptiness , but in Chinese the idea of empty or nothing has many different meanings: KONG DIU
empty or free empty, lost or without any firm structure or spirit
MEI YOU
without, nothing
So the problem for foreign students learning Wushu or the Chinese language itsel f is how to understand what real emptiness is, as in the state of Wu Ji . We must realize that emptiness is not just nothing, but that it is emptiness and fullness combined. It is nothing and everything in complete harmony. Before one moves, thinks, talks etc, one is first empty le which is in complete harmony with its surroundings.
wu ji. An integrated who
So, wu ji is in fact a quiet balanced state, where one thing exists peacefully a nd in harmony with another. Ren Gang says that in push hands or sparring etc, one must first look upon the o pponent not as a separate entity that you must defeat The Enemy but as a part of you, a part of your energy circle.
Chinese philosophy looks upon a person as being as one with the earth and sky; t hey are in harmony not separate. If you can fully realize this and have a sensat ion of this state, than you can cultivate the feeling that the opponent is also one with you. But, it s not just his physical body that is one with you, his spirit and shen qi tal energy around him, is part of your energy sphere too.
vi
So in Taiji, we want to first become aware of and later be able to harness this shen qi. Often people play the form and have a feeling of energy moving the body s structur e, but as soon as they push hands with someone, they go back to using physical s trength or their structure, and are more concerned about winning and thus lose c ontrol of their shen qi. In Nei Jia Quan internal arts, like Taiji, we want to forget about the body s struct ure and strength and utilize the shen qi to move our own body and deal with the opponent. In Chinese they say the Xin heart or unconscious thought controls your waist, the waist controls and moves the shen qi and your shen qi moves the physical body. If you want to do something, you feel what it is you want to do, and then your b ody responds. Ren says that you must train yourself to use your heart (Xin) and waist to contr ol your shen qi and thus change your old habits of the physical body or your rat ional thought moving the energy. He said that when one moves, whatever one wants to do or decides to do, the body will just follow precisely what you intend. In push hands, when you see the opp ortunity to dissipate or strike the opponent, your body immediately obeys this th ought or feeling with action. He said if you have to wrestle and struggle to try and overcome the opponent to move him, then this is wrong. At first, Ren mentioned, your body won t listen to your intention or your waist, b ut over time, as you concentrate on this aspect, you will start to cultivate a s ensation. Ren says that he personally doesn t think that a person s form postures are so impor tant, for example if your hand is higher, lower etc; but a student s basic posture s and structural position must be correct. It s like eating, he said, it doesn t matter if you use chopsticks or a knife and fo rk or how you hold them that matters, but that you get the food in your mouth an d not your nose that s important! Finally I asked him about his hopes for the future of Taiji. Ren replied that he hopes that all practitioners of Taiji can learn the genuine art, and not have a false impression that Taiji is either an art based on physic al strength or some mystical, magical art that is so complex that a student can never master or comprehend it. He said if he ever reaches a stage where he understands the secrets of Taiji and can use them, then he would certainly want to share this knowledge with everyon
e, so that all lovers of Taiji can share in the splendour of this wonderful art. Finally, he reiterated, that you must be open and generous in spirit. Your shen qi (an energy field that surrounds you and is interconnected with your spirit) a nd your qi liang (generosity of spirit) is connected, so if you re a mean person you r shen qi will also be small, and you ll be able to utilize very little of this fo rce. Personally, I think that he is already well on the way to reaching this sta te, and apart from Master Dong Bin, I can safely say that I have learnt more abo ut Taiji and internal arts in the short time that I have known him, than I have in over twelve years of study from many teachers around the world. His belief in Buddhism has certainly been instrumental in understanding many of Taiji s principles, and his generosity in sharing with all who meet him, is a test ament to the fact that having an open mind and generous spirit, really does rais e and benefit one s Taiji practiceHopefully those attending the event in Shanghai China in November this year, will have a chance to find out for themselves! by courtesy of www.doubledragonalliance.com -------------------------------The origins of Hunyuan Qigong go back many thousands of years to an era when tho se who were wise were very closely connected with Nature and themselves. At that time, one was considered healthy when one lived in unity with the cosmos, and i ll when one subdued one s own emotions. Animals were not enemies, but rather frien ds. Nature was not exploited, but rather respected. People schooled themselves i n modesty and contemplation and learned from one another. Such Daoistic hermits who still live in seclusion today in the sacred mountains of China were the earl y fathers and mothers of these transformation techniques, which are aimed at liv ing as one with the vast, unfathomable energy of Nature. Following this path of perfecting existence involves the training of the adept s individual perception. T he ancient texts could help convey knowledge, but only to the extent that the tr ainee is prepared to explore Nature and the further development of the teachings prompted by his own creative motivation. An elderly master can die peacefully w hen he knows that a capable student will continue to research his life s work. In this manner, the teachings of the wise elders have been handed down and refined for countless years and historical epochs to the extent that the masters found p otential successors who not only emulated their teachings, but also fostered lif e in their commitment to creation, to Dao. The mother of all learning processes for a Daoist is Nature. The natural scientist recognizes Nature s movement accordi ng to the law of polarity between the cosmic elemental forces of yin and yang. T hus, the spontaneous naturalness of life everywhere and in every form is the fun damental principle of a Daoist. If you have the inclination, observe Nature when you are relaxed. Have you ever seen a straight rainbow? Have you ever watched a tadpole swim in a straight line? Or perhaps you have seen a straight cloud, a s traight tree, a straight snake, a straight ravine, straight water, a straight he ad or spine or tongue? Everything which truly exists naturally is created in the shape of a wave. Every form of natural movement is like a wave, for everything undulates when viewed physically. Even the movement at the very center of a lase r beam is not completely straight. It cannot be, for the laser beam is also subj ect to the law of polarity and moves in waves, even if this cannot be seen with the naked eye. More about this in the next chapter. Qi can be best imagined by p lacing oneself in front of a tree for an hour, remaining motionless and letting whatever happens happen. For one should not attempt to comprehend Qi intellectua lly, but rather to experience it. Nevertheless, I shall attempt to find a few wo rds to help clarify it. Qi is not anything new . Qi is a collective term for a comm unicative sphere in Nature which combines everything on the etheric level and ma kes an exchange possible at this structural level, just as in astrology, for exa mple, where Mercury can effect the physical as well as mental state of a living being. Qi is a connective term which the breath of the cosmos can be explicated with. Qi, or simply vibrations, does not need to be manifested in a visible form . There are countless types of Qi, depending on the surroundings and context it
effects. Thus, we have a certain quality of Qi for each organ in our bodies, sin ce each organ has its own typical character and specific task and consequently, its own energy. Biophotons are an essential component of Qi in Nature because th ey are the smallest carriers of light, which transfer and exchange light from on e form to another. An interesting excerpt from Marcus Schmieke s observation of th e human biophoton field illustrates the scientific view of the light of life: Bi ophotons are characterized by an extremely high degree of order and can be descr ibed as a type of biological laser light which is capable of interference and ap pears to be responsible for many effects which ordinary incoherent light could n ot achieve. Its high coherency lends the biophoton wave the capability of creati ng order and transmitting information while chaotic, incoherent light simply tra nsmits energy. An indication of the coherent characteristics of biophotons is ex hibited through experimentally proven knowledge that the so-called induced emiss ion of biophontons diminishes hyperbolically, which illustrates an exclusive cha racteristic of coherent emission. There are clear experimental indications that biophotons have an important regulating function within the single cells, but al so between the various cells. It is possible that the entire living organism is pervaded by a coherent biophoton field, which influences and regulates functions on various hierarchical levels of control and organization. Single cells seem t o communicate with one another with the aid of the biophoton field by creating c ontinuous waves. Accordingly, the biophoton field would be a rigidly structured field of information and regulation which combines the single parts of the organ ism in a holographic manner at the speed of light and coordinates their function with one another. There is a broad spectrum of various frequencies and polariza tion and therefore, a very high density of information. According to current dev elopments in research, the biophoton wave is emitted from the chromatin of the c ell nucleus. Calculations show that the helix form of the DNA molecule exhibits the ideal geometric form of a hollow resonator, which allows it to store light v ery effectively. Just as light is stored in the internal alchemy in the cinnabar the center of gravitation for the human being it also occurs in the bioch field emical processes of the cells and in the macrocosmic processes of the galaxies o r in spirals of climatic currents. The body s light of life is contracted, channel ed, sublimated and stored at the central continuum of gravity. The cell is calle d small space in Chinese and is a counterpart to space, which can refer to a room or any type of spatial classification. Be it the DNA double-helix spiral or the galactic spiral, a spiral encompasses the energy of creation, just as the embryo , the snail s shell and the sleeping snake are also wound in the spiral of creatio n. The Daoist learns from the embryo of a human being or an animal, or from the cat or a sleeping snake, to store energy at the center of the coiling spiral in a restful or sleeping position, or to preserve the energy of life in this positi on. The material quantity of time and space which is physically or technically p erceptible can be deemed unessential when considering the ingenuity of creative constructions. Cosmos is cosmos, whether it be micro-cosmos or macro-cosmos. Spa ce is space, whether it be the synonym for a body cell or for intergalactic spac e. Energy is energy, whether it be a minute hormone or the sun s power of radiatio n. When one observes the amazing spiral of a double helix through the most sensi tive electron microscope, it is very well possible that in fact, the vastness of a galaxy can be perceived without one s realizing it for the rule of cosmic synch ronicity prevails independent of space, and this is a fractal design. Look at th e sky and you will see your inner space. Look into your inner space and you will discover the sky. The teachings of Dao instruct us: the smallest overcomes the largest, the softest of the soft penetrates the hardest of the hard; the only ta ngible fact is the void, which subdues our over-stimulation and lies beyond what is happening. It is the void which allows for free perception without ideologic al taint. Modern quantum physics, in spite of its intellectual bearing, is gradu ally converging with the ancient knowledge of the magician: Light is creative , the cosmos in an unpredictably magical change. Researchers at American universities experimented with dividing and manipulating biophoton light rays by giving the photons alternative choices of direction, reflected above a silver-plated mirror . The result, which was amazing for the empirical researcher and logical for the
natural scientist, was that it was not technically possible to predict or manip ulate the path of the light ray because natural light has its own dynamics. Ther efore, it is the creativity which is capable of collecting the light, the energy , or better said the spontaneity. Biophotons are so spontaneous that astrophysic ists assume that stars very far removed from the earth are seen as double, that the creativity of the universe is playing tricks on us and that because of the s pontaneity of biophotons, time and space will be technically unpredictable facto rs as long as the cold and calculating applied science and the warm and creative mag ic of nature continue to be viewed separately. The following is a scientific rem ark from the renowned physicist, John Archibald Wheeler: Of all the characterist ic features of creation, it is the elementary quantum phenomenon the most sensat ional delayed-choice experiment (as briefly described LT). It reverts back to th e past of the apparent opposition of the normal ordering of time. The length of the distance when splitting a ray in a laboratory experiment can amount to 30 me ters and last one tenth of a microsecond. The distance, however, could just as w ell have been millions of light years and lasted years. In this manner, the obse rving trick in the here-and-now, in congruence with its ultimate effect in one o r another unpredictable direction, has an irretrievable consequence of which no one has the right to claim about the photon. For the photon already existed long before any life in the universe. Daoists like the Druids, the ancient magicians of Nature have always viewed the light of creation as something spontaneous and inspiring. A fundamental, but most often ignored characteristic of Qi holds tru e even today: creativity, the spiral. Spirals, many thousands of years old, are seen by the hundreds in cave drawings in the Cisalpine region, and the same patt erns are found in Chartres, the spiral labyrinths influenced by the Druids in Br ittany, Ireland and Scotland. Such types of snake universes , as can be seen in the magical diagrams of the Daoists or African shamans, signify the spiral dynamics , the scientifically described creativity of the cosmic energy. Therefore, the cre ative human being is capable of producing the most Qi. For this reason, the prac tice of an art such as music, poetry or painting was a fundamental component of the education of future priests of Nature both in the Daoistic as well as in the Druid teachings. Perfect tone, poetry, color, light and vibrations, find your e lemental personal expression of creation and perfect your Being through perfecti ng the arts. Gravitons are also of utmost importance for those practicing Qigong . They are the smallest of particles loaded with energy which connect and attrac t us to the earth and the cosmos. How we channel the gravitonal energies will be comprehensively described in the chapter entitled Alignment . Whoever cannot belie ve in the all-pervading gravitational forces of the planets and consequently, as trology, need only recall tidal power stations, where the effect of ebb and flow is economically used for energy: turbines are powered by the gravitation of the moon, by the shifting level of water. Immense energies are at play there, but t he potential is hardly used; the effect of trillions upon trillions of particles of gravity to which humans are not immune. Thus, we are permeated and surrounde d by various forms of vibrations, whether we like it or not. Dealing with these vibrations channeling, concentrating and bringing them into a natural balance is what the term gong conveys: more simply described as work or more elegantly as unfol ding . There are various examples of living beings in nature which can store Qi as actual bioelectric energy and ensure their survival with it. Such wonders of natu re are considered role models by Daoists. The study of such wonders has made pos sible the development of the most diversified life practices. Perhaps the most i mpressive animal in this respect is the electric eel. This fish, at times up to two meters long, has organs in which it can store current in order to later para lyze its victims with jolts of up to 600 volts before eating them. Incidentally, long before the time of Christ the ancient Romans also knew about the healing e ffect of the meat of the electric eels and prescribed it to patients suffering f rom schizophrenia: thus, an ancient form of electrotherapy. The deer is another example of the art of concentrating energy. It can let its entire Qi flow over i ts head, where it concentrates Qi in its antlers just as if they were antennae. The deer is an effortless mountaineer due to the upward movement of its Qi; a mo untaineer that moves itself to the top of the mountain, flowing in its life ener
gy, without any perceptible effort. In replicating the upward movement of the de er s Qi, the natural scientist learns how to collect and increase his own Qi above his head in order to manage distances at high altitudes and the gravitational f orces of the earth. Another examples are animals such as the gazelle or even the cat, which can accomplish tremendous leaps by storing and increasing their Qi. Ca ts are masters of Qigong, for these predators are agile and flexible due to the storage, increase and sinking of Qi. Observe how a cat concentrates (Yi), collec ts its energy (Qi), and then leaps or attacks (fali). When you also consider the fact that cats always land on their feet due to their command of Qigong, you ar e left in awe. An incredible amount can be learned from the Qigong of animals. T he art of Qigong and naturally, the matial arts which are based on it was develo ped in that way. Unfortunately, the deer s antlers have been commercialized in Chi na as tonic medicines for the above-mentioned reasons and in the West they are c onsidered a coveted hunter s trophy, symbolizing the hunter s virility. In Europe th e deer in fact symbolizes the God of the forest, the masculine aspect of nature. It should appear logical as to why this is so: male Qi typifies rising (phallus , antler rising yang fire), the female typifies sinking (menstruation sinking yi n water). When the female aspect is united with the masculine, the great art of circulating energy the way of Hunyuan Gongfu is attained. The primary factor in the Daoist teachings of transformation is as follows: storing, directing, regula ting and refining life energy. At the same time, a distinction is made between e soteric and exoteric methods which always pursue the aim, however, of increasing life energies and thereby outwitting physical and/or spiritual death. The oldes t Daoistic practice of body transformation is called Yangsheng, which refers to the body and indicates the food of the body (bones). Sexual practices also play an important role in it. The physical body, which should lead to immortality, is a lso included in these methods. The body is not viewed as the Buddhist/Hindu illu sion (Maya) but rather as the contrary: as the indispensable laboratory, in orde r to obtain the elixir of immortality. The religious Daoist who practices Yangsh eng transcends the mind through the body in order to experience a psychosomatic enlightenment. In contrast to the Buddhism-influenced philosophical Daoism, wher e the immortal spirit is striven for, in the very earliest Daoism it is the body , spirit and soul which search in harmony with the whole for the freedom of eart hly independence. In Buddhism one strives for a state of enlightenment, which is very abstract in the beginning and through deep meditation appears ever clearer . It is a future state of enlightenment (Nirvana) which the Buddhist searches fo r through the purification of his karma. In contrast, a Daoist himself strives to be spontaneous nature in the present moment and is therefore, with his endeavors , committed to the present. Immortality should, however, never be understood lit erally. Everything changes, and so there is no absolute immortality. Above the D aoist immortality, which begins consciously at a physical age of eighty years ol d, stands the zhenren the true human being. The true human being is beyond the d esires of the dissatisfied spirit, which is ultimately what the idea of immortal ity can be. Immortality begins when the adept masters the directing of natural p owers. It ends when the adept has successfully moved beyond the phase of transfo rming and storing life energy. Thereafter, the master can concentrate on the pha se of the true cosmic phenomenon, which the spirit still bound by material thing s could not perceive. Immortality in the Daoist sense does not mean, therefore, not an eternal physical life, but rather overcoming the normal span of bodily de cline and birth as a conscious being of light. Yangshen means food of the soul and brings about a channeling and sublimation of the etheric vibrations in the body at the mind/soul level, forming the basis for all psychosomatic structures. Yan gshen means the above-described term of transformation and freeing of the mind a nd soul and can, however, also mean the conscious training of the astral body in order to consciously leave the earthly temple at a given time, experiencing phy sical death as a liberating transition into the astral world. Yangshen focuses m ainly on the mind, the soul, philosophy, asceticism and meditation, and in the e arlier Daoist Yangsheng described above also on alchemy, magic and geomancy. The various directions have often overlapped in the course of history. It is said t hat both Yangsheng and Yangshen lead to the same result of perfection, although
the original Daoism and more magically oriented Yangsheng is considered a faster way to immortality than the ascetic way of Yangshen, which is influenced by Chan Buddhism. The latter is, thus, the slower, but therefore certain way. The early Daoist Yangsheng unites many shamanic elements of former times. Three types of Q i are distinguished in the human being. The first is the prenatal Qi, which is p roduced from our genetic code (Jing) and gives our body its individual character istics. In the second, we have the acquired Qi, the life energy, which we develop by eating and breathing. The third is the etheric Qi, which we produce through o ur thought and concentration potential. Qi is a term for the etheric life energy which contains life-giving light in various frequencies. The authentic teaching s make it possible for the adept to synchronize the three circles of human vital ity and thereby to harmonize them, thus enabling sheer vitality to unfold. Hunyu an is a Daoist term which is difficult to translate, but which can best be imagi ned as the nucleus of a human cell. The chromatin, the genetic code which moves chaotically, that is spontaneously, is like prenatal chaos the primary mass , the c osmic primordial ocean. In this prenatal and chaotic state the chromosomes are i nvisible, intangible. When cells begin to divide themselves, two energetic poles are created, and the previous chaotic chromatin begins to spiral toward the poles until the poles have gathered enough energy to produce a single cell. Hunyuan d epicts this moment where the primary mass, or the absolute highest (Taiji), create s the polarity and appears in various forms only to ultimately return once again to the whole. Hunyuan is the sacred process of the creation of a form which is created from the void. Thus, what is typical of Hunyuan is that these processes flow in an extraordinarily circular manner. More about this in the next chapter. If Qi were defined as the universal energy, there would preferably be two funda mental characteristics to emphasize: the tangible and the intangible energy. I p reviously mentioned coherent energy, which affects the targeted steering mechani sms, and the chaotic, incoherent form of living light, which merely transmits en ergy. For the sake of simplicity, I would like to return to the illustrative exa mple of the body cell. I equate the chaotic and intangible primary Qi in the cell nucleus the chromatin with the masculine aspect of the cosmos: the Dionysian, e cstatic, dancing and occasionally also aggressive universal energy which embodie s rage, which powers the heartbeat, the dance of the stars and the hormones, the sensuous feast, the overflowing, ecstatic and unlimited principle of Cernunnos, the Lord of wild things in the Celtic tradition, or Pan, the Pan Gu, who bursts out of his eggshell in order to lend his driving energy flow to building of the world. This Dionysian, unrestrained Qi energy is without a doubt yang; illumina ting, rising, overexerting, productive, unlimited, but over-extravagant in its b oisterousness fire. The necessary Apollonian complement to the universal Qi is t he soft spiral female energy, which extinguishes the unrestrained male fire, the s piral of creation, the security of the ovum the amniotic fluid, the constructive , creative moment, the very essential sinking of Qi in Qigong and Taijiquan, the c omforting rain after the storm. The authentic Taijiquan unites these two princip les most aptly; carried by the spiral movement of the waves in the water, the es calating whirlpool of the masculine surge is created, only to continue flowing i n the perpetual stream. Authentic Yangsheng, the original Daoist teaching of ult imate health, goes back to the initiation of emperors. According to tradition, E mperor Qin (221-207 B.C.), who united China, was led to the mountains of Kunlun in order to undergo the initiation rites in solitude, thus remaining true to the rule of the Emperor of the sky. Xi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West, one of th e most important Daoistic deities, Mother of the stars and Western paradise, is the keeper of the divine peach which leads to immortality. It was the Goddess , the female aspect of Nature, which signified initiations in the cosmic teachings, a lso during the time of the sons of the sky the emperors. The lesson of the peach is, like all myths, to be understood symbolically and depicts the initiation in the pure fruit. The divine fruit ripened into the elixir of immortality every s ix thousand years. The Daoist priests and priestesses were seen as the keepers o f the sacred knowledge of the Emperor of the sky at that time. The priesthood wa s the earthly family of immortals on earth the Emperor of the sky and therefore, also the educators and mentors of the offspring of the sky the emperors. The in
itiation and the magic of these strictly secret rites conceal the essence of the three circles in their core. The notable ancient Chinese medicine, which was re served only for the priesthood and the imperial family, is based on the three ci rcles. These three circles are connected, on the one hand, with the lunar cycles (namely with the waxing, full and new moon as well as the waning cycle), and on the other hand with the three centers of energy (the lower, animal, earthly cyc le which creates sexual energy; the middle cycle which directs the actual human level; and the upper cycle which directs the mental level). The meridians of the body are secondary and subordinate to these three cycles. We work mainly with t he lower cycle in this book the gravitonal center of the being although the othe r two are referred to again and again. The exercise for opening the earthly gate , described in following chapters, corresponds to the lower cycle, the expanding of the middle cycle to the middle cycle at the level of the solar plexus, and the e xercise called the cycle of the eye to the upper cycle. Ultimately, the essence of this emperor s schooling is to bring the three cycles into synchronic vibration. Only when these three spheres of human life are balanced and connected, can true and complete health be spoken of, and only then is one actually in the position to enter into the fourth cycle, the fourth dimension. You may gain insight into this mystery in my book entitled Die Kreise des Goldenen Drachen . The teachings o f Hunyuan Gongfu go back to this time of unspoiled Daoism. Authentic exercises f or health and the training of the martial arts, which are based on the observati ons of animals and natural phenomena, go back in history to the very first origi ns of man. Yangsheng the teaching of transformation and also Taijiquan, Xingyiqu an and Baguazhang, in short the internal martial arts, are the conversion into p ractice of these mysteries, which are only seldom found in their pure form in to day s world. It is interesting to note here that the continuing history of Daoism for example, in the monasteries in the Wudang mountains, the sacred mountains of the Daoistic martial arts and magic arose from the rebellion of the peasants wh o no longer wanted to live under the oppression of the imperial family and fled to the mountains. Daoist hermits and according to the legend the masters rising to the seventy-second rank took them in. The result was that one of the most imp ortant spiritual centers of China was created on the mountain crests. The peasan ts were assimilated through the energy of the sacred mountains and later formed the priesthood which has lasted until today. The many thousands of years of Chin a s history gave this land the widely diverse, and at times (for the Western mind) controversial periods of culture and empirical science. Today, the exponents of Qigong, also well known to the Western world, are the exercises of the legendar y doctor and master Hua Tuo, who lived toward the end of the Han dynasty from 14 1-203. Hua Tuo is considered one of the fathers of Chinese medicine; it is said that he lived on the Huashan, at times as a hermit, where he tested the effects of medicinal plants. The exercises of the five animals , an actual original form of Qigong, which is later described in the chapter entitled The Eight Wonders of Da o , leads back to Hua Tuo. But also here the historiography is insufficient, for i t is certainly an unlikely assumption that Hua Tuo learned medicinal properties of plants as well as Daoist Qigong from the priests living there, for they had a lready practiced such systems since ancient times. Another well-known Master of Qigong recorded in history was Quan Zhongli (608-905). He is considered to have been a great Daoist magician and is reported to have created the eightfold brocad e exercises Baduanjing in Chinese which are widely practiced today around the world due to their simple movements. They are, however, most often only very superfic ially exercised because today s adepts lack the magical understanding of Nature. At this time of the Tang dynasty, exceedingly diverse methods of the martial arts a nd body transformation were created. Daoists did not usually subordinate themsel ves to an earthly authority, but rather were bound only to Dao. If an emperor we re of pure heart, they supported him, if not, they attempted to bring him to the right path, for he was considered the son of the sky. But ultimately it was all the same to the Daoists that they were left in peace to explore the cosmos and immerse themselves in meditation. In the eyes of many Chinese, the Daoists are o nly good-for-nothings who are a burden to society, for they do not earn money an d, except for quite a few gifted artists among the priests and priestesses, rely
on support. On the other hand, since the founding of Zhenyipai, which allows th e combination of a secular and spiritual life, there have been tremendously weal thy business people and Daoist Free Masons who have influenced the business worl d in all of Asia and more recently the entire world. These circles support the m onasteries and the thousands of priests and priestesses who live in seclusion. M any hermits do not, however, wish for support in the form of safe ladders that l ead up the vertical rock faces in the mountains to the caves and simple dwelling s of the masters. They also do not want the institutionalized delivery of food a nd mail, which limits their spiritual and ritual freedom and leads to a comforta ble structure of dependence. The simplified paths also lead the novice pilgrims to the masters. Many priests saw themselves forced to recede to the highest moun taintops in the most remote and inhospitable regions due to the global complexit y of materialism. Hunyuan Gongfu stems directly from the roots of Daoism, and ha s maintained an uninterrupted lineage from master to student up to today. I have taken on the responsibility of carrying on the lineage properly from Feng Zhiqi ang, who still bears the magic of ancient China. The origins of Hunyuan Qigong s tem mainly from the Art of form from the power of the mind from the six treasures of unifying the heart and concentration (Liuhe Xinxingyiquan) , the origin of the later Xingyiquan from the alchemic internal schools of religious Daoism, the Da oyin; the evolving of the exercises of the five animals ; the breathing and meditat ion techniques of Tuna Fa ; and the The art of Taijiquan from the authentic Taijiqua n. Through my own personal explorations in all modesty, there are additional alc hemic elements which have sprung from the origins of the Taijiquan, the Wudang p ai, the school of the polar star as well as the Huashanpai, the celestial axis, the secrets of the sacred Chinese mountains. In their original form, which hardl y exists today, these ancient Daoist life practices include not only medicine an d martial arts, but also the systems of transformation, which cover all areas of life the arts of changing resonance, vibrations. Strictly speaking, the term Qi gong is only partially true, for one could just as well mention Neigong, Gongfu, Jingong or Shengong. You will learn the reason for this in the course of the bo ok. In summary, one can label all these levels as internal mastery Neigongfu. Ca rrying over the authentic systems to today is without doubt a wonder when you th ink what the world has experienced recently. Vegetarians, for example, were cons idered counter-revolutionaries and thus, interrogated and tortured during the cu ltural revolution in China. Healers and masters of the internal martial arts as well as priests and monks, when recognized as such, were banished in re-educatio n and disciplinary camps. My elderly teachers experienced this no differently. U nder the Nationalists before them, it must have also been dire. The key figure o f today s Hunyuan Qigong is the Grand Master Feng Zhiqiang from Peking. He entrust ed to me the continuation of his ancient, almost extinct traditions into the fut ure. His most important teachers were Hu Yaozhen, gifted healer (doctor), and Ma ster of Liuhe Xingyiquan (1890-1973) and his friend Chen Fake, the legendary Mas ter of Taijiquan (1886-1957). My spiritual father, Grand Master Feng Zhiqiang, i s in his seventies and in the best of health (he is still without gray hair), an d one of the most well-known and important masters of the martial arts and Qigon g in the world today. He is, for example, the official head of the Chen-style Ta ijiquan, the authentic shadow boxing. Feng Zhiqiang is one of the few people in this world who, as a bearer of culture, carries the legacy of the wisdom of thou sands of years of history. A master of an extinct art which I, as his successor, will carry on in the uninterrupted line of transmission in remembrance of the c ountless ancestors and in honor of and gratitude to all masters. ---------------------------Hsin Hsin Ming The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart. If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything. To s
et up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind. When the deep meaning of things is not understood the mind s essential peace is di sturbed to no avail. The Way is perfect like vast space when nothing is lacking and nothing is in exc ess. Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject that we do not see the tru e nature of things. Live neither in the entanglements of outer things nor in inner feelings of empti ness. Be serene in the oneness of things and such erroneous views will disappear by th emselves. When you try to stop activity to achieve passivity your very effort fills you wi th activity. As long as you remain in one extreme or the other you will never know Oneness. Those who do not live in the single Way fail in both activity and passivity, ass ertion and denial. To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality; to assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality. The more you talk and think about it, the further astray you wander from the tru th. Stop talking and thinking, and there is nothing you will not be able to know. To return to the root is to find the meaning, but to pursue appearances is to mi ss the source. At the moment of inner enlightenment there is a going beyond appearance and empt iness. The changes that appear to occur in the empty world we call real only because of our ignorance. Do not search for the truth; only cease to cherish opinions. Do not remain in the dualistic state
avoid such pursuits carefully.
If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong, the Mind-essence will be lost in confusion. Although all dualities come from the One, do not be attached even to this One. When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, nothing in the world can offend, an d when such a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way. When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist. When thought objects vanish, the thinking-subject vanishes, as when the mind van ishes, objects vanish. Things are objects because of the subject (mind); the mind (subject) is such bec
ause of things (object). Understand the relativity of these two and the basic reality: the unity of empti ness. In this emptiness the two are indistinguishable and each contains in itself the whole world. If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine you will not be tempted to pr ejudice and opinion. To live in the Great Way is neither easy nor difficult, but those with limited v iews are fearful and irresolute; the faster they hurry, the slower they go, and clinging (attachment) cannot be limited; even to be attached to the idea of enli ghtenment is to go astray. Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going. Obey the nature of things (your own nature), and you will walk freely and undist urbed. When thought is in bondage the truth is hidden, for everything is murky and uncl ear, and the burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness. What benefits can be derived from distinctions and separations? If you wish to move in the One Way do not dislike even the world of senses and i deas. Indeed, to accept them fully is identical with true Enlightenment. The wise man strives to no goals but the foolish man fetters himself. There is one Dharma, not many; distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant. To seek Mind with the (discriminating) mind is the greatest of all mistakes. Rest and unrest derive from illusion; with enlightenment there is no liking and disliking. All dualities come from ignorant inference. They are like dreams or flowers in a ir: foolish to try to grasp them. Gain and loss, right and wrong: such thoughts must finally be abolished at once. If the eye never sleeps, all dreams will naturally cease. If the mind makes no discriminations, the ten thousand things are as they are, o f single essence. To understand the mystery of this One-essence is to be released from all entangl ements. When all things are seen equally the timeless Self-essence is reached. No comparisons or analogies are possible in this causeless, relationless state. Consider movement stationary and the stationary in motion, both movement and res t disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist Oneness itself cannot exist. To this ultimate finality no law or description applies. For the unified mind in accord with the Way all self-centered striving ceases. Doubts and irresolutions vanish and life in true faith is possible. With a single stroke we are freed from bondage; nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing. All is empty, clear, self-illuminating, with no exertion of the mind s power. Here thought, feeling, knowledge, and imagination are of no value. In this world of suchness there is neither self nor other-than-self. To come directly into harmony with this reality just simply say when doubt arise s, Not two. In this
not two
nothing is separate, nothing is excluded.
No matter when or where, enlightenment means entering this truth. And this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or space; in it a singl e thought is ten thousand years. Emptiness here, Emptiness there, but the infinite universe stands always before your eyes. Infinitely large and infinitely small; no difference, for definitions have vanis hed and no boundaries are seen. So too with Being and Non-Being. Don t waste time with doubts and arguments that have nothing to do with this. One thing, all things: move among and intermingle, without distinction. To live in this realization is to be without anxiety about non-perfection. To live in this faith is the road to non-duality, because the non-dual is one wi th trusting mind. Words! The Way is beyond language, for in it there is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no tod ay. Reference: Verses on the Faith Mind by The 3rd Zen Patriarch, Sengstau Share Posted in Meditation, Mindset, Zen. No comments ---------------------------------------------------By thomas June 16, 2011
The Ancient Poem of Universal Post The universal post is a mystical form of martial arts We can never fully understand the way it is done It seems like an embrace with a smiling face You use your strength from within You are relaxed and use no force It is like clouds floating in the wind from all directions You use forces from the universe to substantiate your strength Your strength comes from your breathing You do not hold fast, leaving a lot of room to move You do not bend to great strength So smoothly you move and so naturally Your breathing and your limb movements should not be impeded It is like moving in space In and out of the highest peaks and clouds Gliding through air and clouds Floating along with the winds Graceful yet composed Always contain calmness and peace Head upheld high with pride You embrace the world below you As clear and pure as an underground brook Like lead turning into silver spinning the moon Looking into an antique mirror to look deep into your soul Your cup is filled to the brim Absolutely free of restraint and free of self You could fly as though you had wings Head towards the limitless horizon Like throwing a pebble into the water The circles get larger and larger With your hands you push open the limits of the universe You embrace from within Heaven and earth and the ten thousand things capture your thoughts The eyes look outside with determination Up and down your strength flows You push and you embrace continuously Your thought should be pure This should clear your mind This should curb all illness You always return to the center You can attack or defend at will You must have a will of iron The principle of this s to strengthen To go for happiness and health Your body will benefit from this This has been handed down from the ancients This form of exercise can help you without limits Reference: The Tai Chi Boxing Chronicle by Kuo Lien-Ying p. 139 Share Posted in Classic, Exercise, Form, Martial Art, Meditation, qigong, yiquan. Tagged with dachengquan, standing, Zhan zhuang. ----------------------------------------------------------By thomas June 8, 2011 Essentials of Body Regulation of Health Qigong Exercise
Body regulation is a component of the Tree Regulations of Health Qigong and the foundation for the Three Regulations. It was said in ancient times that: When the shape is not straight, Qi will not move smoothly. When Qi does not move smoothl y, the mind will not be at ease. When the mind is not at ease, Qi will be scatte red. This indicates the importance of body regulation. Therefore, in Health Qigong exercise we should master the correct techniques and methods for body regulatio n. Below are the essentials of body regulation that I have learned from my exercis ing and teaching experience in Health Qigong. 1. Lifting and straightening the head and neck as if propping up something The head is the controller of the entire body, as the saying goes: man cannot wal k without the head; birds cannot fly without wings and the coccygeal end should be straight and upright so that spirit can reach the top; the head should be suspe nded so that the entire body can be light. Lifting and straightening the head is very important in body regulation. Different people have different methods for p racticing this movement. As far as I am concerned, the circulation of genuine Qi will be facilitated as long as we slightly withdraw the chin and gently push up Baihui. Certainly, this should be done with a naturally relaxed neck and a natu rally upright head. The up-pushing imagination of Baihui should be moderate. An excessive imagination will result in rigidity and an insufficient imagination wi ll result in laxity. 2. Stretching Meixin Meixin refers to the midpoint of the line connecting centers of both eyebrows. I n the theory of traditional Chinese acupuncture, this place is called Yintang Ac upoint which is mainly used to clear the brain, promote eyesight, dredge the nos e, unblock the orifices, calm the spirit, and promote intelligence. In the theor y of Qigong, Meixin belongs to the upper Dantian, as the ancient saying goes: the upper Dantian is a vessel for the spirit , and the brain is the container of marro w and is referred to as the upper Dantian . Therefore stretching Meixin is a very important warm-up step for us to enter the exercising state as quickly as possib le. 3. Lowering the curtains to look inward Lowering the curtains means keep the eyes half-open. Looking inward means to foc us the attention on a certain place inside the body during the exercise. Looking inward helps eliminate distracting thoughts, purge the brain, achieve serenity, and maintain the spirit during Qigong exercise. It was believed by ancient peop le that eyes are passages for man s spirit and all essences of the five Zang visce ra are focused in eyes. By looking inward with both eyes during mind concentrati on, we can prevent the exuding of the spirit and concentrate our mind to facilit ate serenity. 4. Butting the tongue against the palate Butting the tongue against the palate can promote the secretion of saliva. Saliv a is a treasure of the human body, as the saying goes Qi is a life-prolonging dru g and saliva is a health-promoting ganoderma . Modern medical research has reveale d that saliva secreted in the mouth contains oxidases and hormones needed by the human body and helps regulate the organism, promote digestion, and prevent canc er. Secondly, by slightly folding the tongue and gently butting it against the p alate, we can form a so-called Magpie Bridge which connects Ren and Du Channels an d facilitates the circulation of blood and Qi. 5. Wearing a smile on the face
Smiling is the best relaxing method. When a person smiles, the brain will enter an almost blank state free of distracting thoughts, which can release the person from a nervous state. Scientific experiments have proved that smiling is the mos t effective method to relieve nervous emotions. By removing the stress on the ner ves, we can relax the muscles. 6. Lowering the shoulders and elbows Lowering the shoulders and elbows means the practicer should relax h shoulder joints and elbow joints in order to prevent nervousness er joints, elbow joints, and surrounding muscles. By relaxing both naturally lowering both elbows, we can promote the circulation of ee Yin and three Yang channels of hands.
and lower bot of the should shoulders and Qi in the thr
7. Slumping the chest and straightening the back This means relaxing and slightly slumping the chest without pushing it outward, and straightening the spinal column without tensioning it. This posture promotes the smooth circulation of blood and Qi in Ren and Du Channels. The chest should be naturally slumped so that the back is straight and upright. The body should be kept steady in order to facilitate the circulation of genuine Qi. 8. Relaxing the waist and abdomen As the ancient saying goes: the waist is the vessel for the kidney and the home f or Mingmen. The abdomen is an oven for the smelting of Qi . The waist and abdomen are critical gates for dredging channels and circulating Qi. Relaxing the waist and abdomen will facilitate the smelting and circulation of Qi, help us maintain an upright and straight coccygeal end, and keep unblocked Ren and Du Channels. 9. Withdrawing buttocks and relaxing knees Withdrawing the buttocks can keep the spinal column straight and upright and fac ilitate the circulation of genuine Qi over the body; relaxing the knees can prom ote the circulation of Qi in the three Yin and three Yang channels of feet. 10. Gripping the ground with ten toes Toes are where the three Yin and three Yang channels of feet meet each other. By gripping the ground with the ten toes, we can stimulate the related channels in the feet and regulate the functions of viscera to which they correspond. While practicing the stance, we should lay flat our feet and grip the ground with toes in order to stabilize the body and facilitate the ascent of genuine Qi. 11. Filling up the aperture and secluding the hearing Filling up the aperture means gently closing the mouth rather than gritting your teeth and retracting the mouth. Secluding the hearing means keeping your hearin g inside the body and isolating it from the outside world. Lao Zi says: Fill up y our apertures. Close your doors. By slightly closing the mouth, we can return the hearing to our body to block out the external distractions and facilitate our se renity in exercise. To sum up, the most fundamental keys to Health Qigong exercise are relaxation, s erenity, and a natural way. And relaxation is the precondition and foundation fo r serenity and natural way. Here relaxation means both physical and mental relax ation. Body regulation facilitates serenity, spirit cultivation, and mind concen tration. Following the abovementioned instructions on body regulation will be qu ite helpful for us to achieve serenity and enter the Qigong state as quickly as possible.
Reference: Essentials of Body Regulation of Health Qigong Exercise by Xia Xuewei Chinese Health QiGong Association jsqg.sport.org.cn Share Posted in Philosophy, principle, qigong. ------------------------------------------------------By thomas June 6, 2011 Trilogy of Health Qigong Exercise In daily exercise, it s easy to be found that a Health Qigong lover was still diff icult to grasp the essentials of exercise even though he spent a lot of time in practicing and themain cause was due to his improper practice. I ve often wondered how we can help theseimproper practicing lovers to grasp a kind of practicing t echnique, so that they can betterenjoy the pleasure brought by Health Qigong. I hereby recommend an approach for trilogy of Health Qigong exercise to everybody fro m the essential characteristics ofHealth Qigong and combined with years of teach ing and practice experiment, hope that itcould enlighten the beginners and instr uctors. I. Interpretation of Trilogy
Exercise
What are the essential characteristics of Health Qigong? The definition of Healt hQigong has given us a definite answer, namely Health Qigong is a traditional ex ercise ofour nation with body movements, respiratory Tuna (breathing in and out) and mentalregulation as the major forms of exercise. In accordance with the com monly used terms ofHealth Qigong, body regulation means body movements , breath regula tion means respiratory Tuna (breathing in and out) , mind regulation means mental regul tion , andthe essential characteristics of Health Qigong can be expressed as a hea th preserving exercise with combination of body regulation, breath regulation and mind regulation , namely the unity and collaboration of three regulations . Further simplified, if used form,breath, mind to replace body regulation, breath regulation and mind regulation , theessential characteristics of Health Qigong can be furthe r expressed as an exercise withcombination of form, breath and mind of the human. Accordingly, I proposed trilogy ofHealth Qigong exercise, namely practicing Health Qigong based on the sequence of form-breath-mind . The specific practicing contents and steps are shown in the following diagram: Form Form +breath Form +breath + mind Schematic Diagram of Trilogy f file)
of Health Qigong Exercise (see original diagram in pd
II. Sequence Analysis of Trilogy (I) The first step exercise
Exercise
form
As for the Health Qigong beginners, the first step of Health Qigong exercise is to master the practicing methods and essentials of the form . The form herein refers to body movements and adjustment of body posture, namely body regulation , which is the external manifestation of the movements. The basic contents of the form mainly include three aspects. The first is the meth ods and the hand shape, such as the tiger claw, deer horn and bird wings in Health Qigong Wu Qin Xi, the dragon claw, tiger claw, lotus leaf palm, willow leaf palm i nHealth Qigong Yi Jin Jing. As the saying goes, clever in mind and skillful in ha
nds . Modern brain physiology research indicated that the hand reflex zone also ac counted for alarge area in cerebral cortex reflex zone. The regular changes of t he hand shape inexercise can effectively stimulate the hands different nerve musc les and enable thecerebral cortex to produce good adaptation variations. The sec ond is the footwork and stances. The moving and transition of the gravity center of the body and the bodymovements are dependent on the changes of footwork and stances. The general requirement of the footwork is walking with cat-like step and changing agilely and flexibly.The third is the body methods, including chest, ba ck, waist, abdomen and hip . The substance of the emphasis on extension and rotatio n of spinal column mentioned in the essentials of four Health Qigong exercises is the body methods. Only when one has mastered the form methods and essentials can he guide thewaist an d body and exercise all the joints to fight with aging. The Health Qigong beginne ris sure to make great efforts to perform well at the first step, distinguish th e movements routines, directions, angles, vacancy and fullness, laxity and tightne ss, and achieve neatpostures and accurate methods, so as to lay a solid foundati on for in-depth exercises inthe future. (II) The second step exercise
form + breath
After being more fluent in essentials of the form , the practicers can start the se condstep and pay attention to the close coordination of body movements and breat hing. If thefirst step is required to achieve guiding the body into a soft state , the second step shouldachieve guiding Qi into a harmonious state , to combine body g uidance with Qiguidance , thus to achieve coordination of form and breath . Generally speaking, the coordination between breathing and movements is based on rules of ascending-inhalation and descending-exhalation, opening-inhalation andcl osing-exhalation, accumulating-inhalation and releasing-exhalation, andtightenin g-inhalation and relaxing-exhalation . For example, the bird flying movement inHealt h Qigong Wu Qin Xi, an inhalation is taken as the ascending of gravity center wh enboth arms are lifted to complete the movement of spread wings and an exhalation istaken as the descending of gravity center when the knees are bended and both h ands arefolded, that is the coordination of ascending-inhalation and descending-e xhalation ; the showing claws and wings movement in Health Qigong Yi Jin Jing, an inh alation is taken when both hands are changed into willow leaf palms and erected in front of chest, thechest is expanded and the force is accumulated and an exha lation is taken when bothhands are changed into lotus leaf palms and reached for ward and the force is released,that is the coordination of accumulating-inhalatio n and releasing-exhalation ; the Looking Backwards to Prevent Sickness and Strain mov ement of Health Qigong Ba Duan Jin, an inhalation is taken when looking backwards and the neck muscle is tightened and an exhalation is taken when looking forward a nd the neck muscle isrelaxed, that is the coordination of tightening-inhalation a nd relaxing-exhalation . In essence, the rules of coordination between breathing a nd movements are consistent, in general, it can be concluded as opening-inhalatio n and closing-exhalation ,for example, for the bird fly movement, an inhalation is t aken when the chest is expanded to complete the movement of spread wings and an ex halation is taken when the chest is folded to complete the movement of folded win gs . Of course, the skillful coordination between breathing and movements requires a process, which cannot be achieved overnight. How can we achieve it? It shall start with the coordination between natural breathing and movements. Natural bre athing is a way of breathing going on all the time around us. The practicers are required to slowly combine the movements withbreathing at the moment of natural breathing and breathe naturally with the changes inmovements. When the natural breathing and movements are coordinated skillfully, thebreathing will gradually become deep, slow, even and long, and then the effect of unifying state of mind is achieved to prepare for the third step exercise. If the natural rules ofcoord ination between breathing and movements are violated to pursue unrealistic coord ination, it may result in out-of-adjustment respiration, stubborn movements and
even suffocation and fail to take effect. (III) The third step exercise
form + breath + mind
If making distinction with overall exercise and decomposing exercise, the first andsecond steps can be considered as the decomposing exercises and the third ste p can beconsidered as the real overall exercise. The step-by-step principle is i n line with the rulesand is also an important principle for performing well in H ealth Qigong exercise. Based onthis principle, the first and second steps are th e precondition and foundation for the thirdstep and the third step is the goal a nd pursuit of the former two steps. Only when thecombination between body moveme nts, respiratory Tuna (breathing in and out) andmental regulation was achieved c an the essential characteristics of Health Qigong be trulyembodied, can the Heal th Qigong exercise enter the realm of integration of body and mindand the Health Qigong exercise obtain desired effect.
Whether it is the form , the breath , or the form + breath , both of them are visiblean ouchable , and what s going on about the invisible and formless mental regulation ?How to fulfill the third step? We first need to figure out the essence and contents of thementality and the nature of consciousness. What s the human s mentality? Zhang Houcan, the vice chairman of International Union of Psychology, has explained i t in plain languagein the article of Current Situation and Development Prospects of Psychology in China .She explained the psychological as first, it is the functio n of the brain, it cannot workwithout the brain; second, it is the reflection of the real world, it can reflect the realities inthe outside world; third, the re flection of the human is not negative and reactive butpositive and proactive, wh ich can be consciously carried out. The human being not onlyneeds to understand the realities but needs to reshape the realities, and we have to studythese issu es if the psychology wants to achieve a high level of development . The three note s of Zhang Houcan about the essence of mentality can be summarized as mentalityis the subjective reflection of the human brain on the objective world. The nature of consciousness theory of dialectical materialism pointed out that, consciousnes s is the subjective reflection of objective existence, which is a reflection pro cess of the human brain on the objective world and a process for continuous proc essing and production ofd ata input externally . It is easy to see the consistency between the essence of mentalityand the nature of consciousness by linking them together. According to the conclusion that the consciousness contains the unity of knowledg e,emotion and willpower , it can be considered that the mental regulation contents o f Health Qigong include knowledge, emotion and willpower . Knowledge refers to thethe oretical knowledge of body movements and respiratory Tuna (breathing in and out) an d the theoretical knowledge of how to improve our health and the mechanism ofpro ducing healthy effects. For example, the joints, muscles, routines and methods i n bodymovements, the respiratory Tuna (breathing in and out) methods and how to coordinaterespiration with body movements. Emotion refers to emotional feelings or sentiments. In Health Qigong exercise, the practicers are required to enter the healthy emotional stateand enter different emotional states according to differ ent movements. For example, thepracticers are required to enter the state of min d of Health Qigong Wu Qin Xi exercise toact like whatever role they act to achie ve the unity of form and spirit. Willpower refers tothe mental state such as selfcontrol, perseverance, confidence and indomitable spirit ofthe human being manif ested in pursuit of certain goals and ideals. Understanding theessence of mental ity and its contents before interpretation of the meaning of the third step6exer cise is, after being more proficient in coordination between body movements andb reathing and combined with the requirements of different exercising methods ands pecific movements, to give full play to the imagination based on functions of th e brain toenter appropriate artistic conception requirements and gradually achie ve the physical andmental state of the unity of three regulations .
III. Supplemental Instructions of Trilogy
Exercise
There are two points need to supplement. First, the purpose of putting forward t he trilogy exercise is to provide some theoretical guidance for beginners, and more important is to tell the beginners that they must follow the principle of step-b y-steppractices and always grasp the essential characteristics of combination of bodymovements, respiratory Tuna (breathing in and out) and mental regulation of HealthQigong. Never start to imagine or absorb ideas and even random thinking witho utbeing proficient in coordination between movements and breathing. This is aggre ssivedoctrine in exercise and is totally bad for the practicers; second, there is no absoluteboundary between the three steps and it does not mean that the pract icing cognitiveprocess of Health Qigong exercise is ended up after three steps e xercise. The principle ofepistemology of practice, cognition, re-practice and recognition is also applicable to thepracticing process of Health Qigong. As the sa ying goes, art is endless , Health Qigongexercise is always a continuous learning a nd continuous improvement process. Duringthe practice, only when we continuously improve the state of form , form + breath and form + breath + mind based on understand ng and practicing levels at different stagescan we gradually improve the level o f exercising methods and acquire maximum effectivehealth-preserving effects and more harmonious physical and mental skills. Reference: Trilogy of Health Qigong Exercise (pdf) by Wang Yanqun Chinese Health Q iGong Association jsqg.sport.org.cn Share Posted in Breath, Energy, posture, principle, qigong, Structure. No comments ------------------------------------------------By thomas June 6, 2011 How to Successfully Lower Qi to Dantian Lowering Qi to Dantian can dredge the channels of the entire body, harmonize blo od and Qi, prolong life, eliminate worries and fatigue, calm the bad emotions li ke anger, fear, and worry, open the mind, and boost wisdom. As far as I am conce rted, lowering Qi to Dantian means: the exerciser has made a certain progress an d entered the deep relaxation and serenity in the exercise, as mentioned in Lao Zi empty the heart and fill the abdomen . Lowering Qi to Dantian means to meet the requirements of keep the head and neck straight and lift the head as if propping up something , lowering the shoulders and elbows, drawing in the chest, straighten ing the back, relaxing the waist, and keeping the coccygeal end in the middle af ter long-term persistent practice, so that the entire body is completed relaxed inside out and a serene, calm, and worriless state is naturally achieved. With t he Bird Exercise of Health Qigong Wu Qin Xi as an example, this paper dwells on how to relax the body and mind and lower Qi to Dantian to achieve serenity during pr actice. Initial Stage After the exerciser has got familiar with the movements of the exercise and has begun to comprehend the key points to the exercise, relaxation exercises such as lowering shoulders and elbows can be introduced. In the first movement of Bird F lying , both legs are slightly bent, both palms are closed in front of the abdomen , the centers of palms are obliquely directed toward each other, the eyes are di rected at the lower front. After the posture is established, attention is first drawing to the lowering of shoulders and the mind is concentrated on the tips of elbows to feel them lowering. This feeling is brought by the relaxation of the elbows. As both palms are pushing upward on the lateral sides of the body, both
shoulders will be lowered and kept from rising. The elbows should not be raised. And the back is straight and eminent. Then the head slowly moves into the strai ght position and the chin is slightly withdrawn. The neck is relaxed and the sma ll ligaments of the C-spine joints are loosened so that the suspended top is not stubborn. At the moment when both palms move laterally like spread wings, the s houlders are lowered and the mind is concentrated on the thumbs and index finger s of both hands. Lift the wrists to move the palms like waves and you will feel an indistinct force transmitted from the wrists to the ends of the thumbs and in dex fingers. As both arms are lowered and the shoulder joints are opened, the sh oulder blades will be loosened horizontally with the tend so that both shoulders will be slightly withdrawn, both flanks are slightly contracted, and the thorac ic skeleton is slightly withdrawn. Therefore there will be a slight tensioning s ensation towards the left and right on the shoulders and back. This relaxation w ill be naturally transmitted to the elbows, wrists, and fingers and the process will be too quick for the mind to stay. In this way the shoulders will be lowere d and the shoulder blades will be opened horizontally. The shrinking bosom and s traightening back results will be naturally produced. Shrinking bosom and straig htening back shall be completely compliant with the natural form of the human bo dy and shall not be arched back and shrunk chest. Do not deliberately produce it . On the basis of shrinking bosom and straightening back, slightly draw in the b uttocks. While doing this, relax the muscles in the buttocks and waist as much a s possible so that the muscles of the buttocks are spread downwards. Then gently retract them forward and inward as if propping up the lower abdomen with the bu ttocks. This will restrict the projection of the buttocks and ensure the straigh tness of the lumbar vertebrae and the coccygeal end. By combining lowering shoul ders and elbows, shrinking bosom and straightening back, and loosening waist and contracting buttocks, we can help lower Qi to Dantian. In this way the reversel y ascending pathogenic Qi caused by bad emotions will be gradually lowered and e liminated and the harmonious Qi will be gradually distributed throughout the bod y. During the breath regulation of Bird Exercise, the body and mind will have an other experience: The body will be light and delightful. The respiration will b e smooth and stable. The exerciser will temporarily forget all worries and sorro w and become carefree and cozy. This is the initial stage of lowering Qi to Dant ian. Intermediate Stage After the key points to the practice are comprehended, the movements can be furt her refined. During practice, the exerciser will be able to actively eliminate t he distracting thoughts, focus the mind on the practice of the exercise, and mai ntain a peaceful and serene mind, and achieve a leisurely and calm look. In the first movement of Bird Flying , the palms are obliquely directed towards each other and the eyes are directed towards the lower front. No mind guidance is required and the exerciser should naturally meet the relaxation requirements such as low ering shoulders and elbows and shrinking bosom and straightening back. When both palms are moved up laterally, the shoulder blades will be opened horizontally t owards both sides to drive the shoulder to move down. At the moment when both pa lms move laterally like spread wings, the shoulders are lowered and the mind is concentrated on the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. Lift the wrists to m ove the palms like waves and you will feel an indistinct force transmitted from the wrists to the tips of the ten fingers. This sensation is especially obvious with the thumbs and index fingers. As the palms move downward, the brain is betw een mindful and mindless. And the brain knows where the mind goes. Before the br ain realizes the concept of relaxation , the body movement will suddenly relax the muscles in the shoulder blades. All of a sudden the entire body will receive the transmitted relaxation. A slightly numb sensation comes across the entire back. These are the results of the force of Qigong. The force is the force produced s uddenly when the mind guides the circulation of the clear and harmonious Qi in t he body when both the body and mind are relaxed and serene. It is the result of appropriate mind, appropriate Qi, and appropriate strength. Therefore it is also
known as internal force. This practicing experience does not occur during every practice. As the shoulder blades are loosened to drive both shoulders to lower, the horizontal relaxation caused by the internal force will promote the natural extension and slight upheaval of muscles in the back. The sensation of straight ening back will come along. Once this sensation occurs, the chest will be natura lly relaxed and contained. The criterion for shrinking bosom is: At the moment t he shoulder joints are opened and the shoulder blades are loosened horizontally, you will feel as if a round door is opened in the chest and the long-standing w orries in the heart are discharged. The chest is slightly empty and the heart wi ll suddenly feel relaxed and easy. The internal Qi that sways between both arms when they are moved upward and downward seems to be blocking the arms. And drive n by the internal force of Dantian and Mingmen, the softened arms will be like t he wings of the light crane that are spread in the air. When both arms are moved upward and downward, the entire body is relaxed and kept down. At the same time Baihui Acupoint on the top of the head will always feel a slight propping sensa tion instead of an imagined up-propping force. Baihui is suspended on the top, t he coccygeal end is in the middle of the lower body, the shoulders and elbows ar e lowered, the chest is shrunk, the back is straightened, the waist is relaxed, the bottoms will be contracted, and the spinal column will e naturally relaxed s egment by segment to form an up-down pulling posture. The state of keeping the he ad and neck straight and lifting the head as if propping up something will be nat urally achieved and the heart will be suddenly enlightened. At this moment, the turbine Qi in the body will be lowered and eliminated. The clear Qi will be rais ed and infused into all parts of the body. The external form and the internal Qi will be gradually merged. Although we cannot clearly feel the incoming and outg oing movements of genuine Qi during this stage, the lower abdomen will feel the numbness, heat, and swelling caused by the swarming internal Qi. This sensation is generated because after entering serenity, the interoception is improved and the proprioceptive sensitivity is increased. The experience varies from person t o person and should not be deliberately pursued. Otherwise deviations like abnorm al sensory perception will be easily caused. After breath regulation of Bird Exer cise is completed, the exerciser will unconsciously enter the intermediate stage of lowering Qi to Dantian: The body is soft and comfortable, the breath is even , gentle, and long, the brain is clear, and the chest is relaxed and empty. The gloom accumulated in the chest will be eliminated. All constraints of material d esire are suddenly removed. The mind is suddenly opened. Dantian is filled with internal Qi and begins to communicate with the Qi of Mingmen. The facial appeara nce is calm and stable. The exerciser will look both mighty and easy. Advanced Stage With the refining of movements, the exercise enters the automation stage. All di stracting thoughts are eliminated during the exercise and even the movements as well as the ego are forgotten. But all movements are still in line with the stan dard requirements and will still represent the verves of the five animals. After the last movement of Bird Stretching is completed, both hands will be naturally l owered at the lateral sides of the body, the eyes will be directed at the front, the entire body will be completely relaxed inside out, the mind will be free of worries, and Yang Qi will be calm and harmonious. Linked with the previous post ure, both legs are slightly bent, both palms are closed in front of the abdomen, centers of the palms are obliquely directed at each other, and the eyes are dir ected at the lower front. The exerciser is still in a relaxed, serene, and gentl e practicing state. When both palms are moved up laterally, the shoulder blades will be opened horizontally towards both sides to drive the shoulder to move dow n. Lowering means the lowering sensation of muscles in the relaxed and gentle st ate and is the criterion for relaxation. The relaxation in this stage has transc ended lowering and is mainly represented by looseness. Genuine Qi flows througho ut the body. The entire body is relaxed and loosened. Relaxation is driven by th e internal force from the muscles to the tendons and bones and from the exterior to the interior to penetrate the body bit by bit and segment by segment. When b
oth palms are lowered, the relaxation and looseness produced by the internal for ce will be even stronger. The mind already knows everything before the thought i s moved. The interior of the shoulders will be automatically relaxed and loosene d. The relaxation and looseness will be suddenly transmitted to every part of th e body. The chest will be vacant. The back will be filled up with internal Qi. I t seems that the muscles and bones are missing. Shrinking bosom and straightenin g back has exceeded the body form requirements. Baihui Acupoint on the top of th e head will be vacant and unobstructed. And almost no up-propping force is felt because the channels around Baihui are smooth. The exerciser will begin to compr ehend the true meanings of Achieving the ultimate vacancy and adhering to the tru e serenity , coordinating the mind with Tao , and clearing the mind to gain insight in to nature . At this moment, the Qi activity will be smooth. Man resides in Qi and Q i resides in man . As the internal Qi is unsettled and breaks through the body sur faces, the body will be merged into Qi between heaven and earth and the feeling of boundaries of the body will be lost. This state does not run through the enti re practicing process as Qi activity is transient. It shows up at different mome nts for different people. And it differs even in the same person with the differ ent serenity states during exercise. After breath regulation of Bird Exercise is completed, the exerciser will unconsciously enter the advanced stage of lowerin g Qi to Dantian: The body will be naturally relaxed and gentle and the respirato ry Qi will directly reach Dantian. The targets of Exhale softly, inhale slowly, s tay between consciousness and unconsciousness, and remain continuous and unbroke n will be truly reached. The brain will be clear and free of thoughts. The mind w ill be vacant and ready for everything. Wisdom will appear in the vacant mind an d shine the interior and exterior of the body like bright sunshine (deficiency o f the upper portion of the body). Qi circulates smoothly in Dantian and merges w ith the Qi of Mingmen. The facial expression will be calm and imbued with suprem e heroism and mightiness (excess in the lower portion of the body). Reference: How to Successfully Lower Qi to Dantian by Zhang Caiqin, Inner Mongol ia Normal University Chinese Health QiGong Association Share Posted in Breath, Energy, Mindset, principle, qigong. --------------------------------------------------------By thomas June 6, 2011 Exploring Analysis on Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field No matter you are a Health Qigong beginner or an experienced exerciser for years , you might not feel unfamiliar the term Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field(qì chén dan tián) , because nearly every stance emphases that Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field is essenti al for exercising Health Qigong. However, few of exercisers can clearly explain how it is when asked how is Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field . Analysis finds that it is influenced mainly by conventional way of thinking, which results in a tendanc y of ambiguous perceptual mastering of many terms of Health Qigong, and just mak ing use of it rather than discussing it in depth. In fact, with the change in th e context of modern people, if some classic terms originated from tradition can be illustrated with modern language, it can not only enrich the basic theoretica l knowledge of Health Qigong so as to promote discipline building and scientific development of Health Qigong, but also help people correctly understand Health Qigong and scientifically exercise Health Qigong. In order to arouse people s seri ous attention to this issue, I hereby attempt to make a brief analysis of Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field , hopefully it could serve as a modest spur. I. Location and Functions of Cinnabar Field According to the origin of history, Cinnabar Field is an important position for
Taoist practitioners to regulate mind and build up will. In A Brief Talk on Dian tian Theory by Chinese Taoists, Xiao Zhicai expatiated the records in various an cient literatures about the location of Cinnabar Field and its important functio ns. Cai Mingzong also made meticulous discussion on Diantian in his doctoral dis sertation Discussion on Cinnabar Field Mystery and Research on the Function of De laying Aging of Female Ovariectomized Rats by Catgut Embedment in Cinnabar Field Area. In their opinions, Cinnabar Field is a very special and important positio n in one s body. It is called Mingmen (Life Gate) in Neijing, located between the ey es and joining in encephalon, which is the vital position. It is called Dynamic Q i between Kidneys , located between the two kidneys, for men to store essence and women to tie ovicell, which is the origin of vitality. One is the Upper Cinnabar Field, and the other is the Lower Cinnabar Field; between the two there is the Middle Cinnabar Field, which is in charge of human being s Qi, blood and water and food, covering heart, lungs, liver, spleen and stomach, etc. These three need a nd work mutually, containing human being s essence, Qi and spirit. The three Cinna bar Fields are not a point but an area. The Upper Cinnabar Field is located in Y intang Area, the Middle Cinnabar Field is located in the Area below Heart and th e Lower Cinnabar Field is located in the Area below Umbilicus. The ancient liter atures gave the most detailed description of the Lower Cinnabar Field Area, poin ting out that that the Lower Cinnabar Field is located three cun (Chinese inch) below Umbilicus, between the two kidneys and back, and in the middle of human bo dy, covering an area of four cun. The Taoist cognition of Cinnabar Field is somewhat different from Medicine s cogni tion thereof. Specifically, the common standpoint of both lies in that Cinnabar Field is the residence of original essence, original qi and original spirit. Acc ording to this standpoint, Taoism regards Cinnabar Field as the position for kee ping qi with ideation, as well as a main site and fundamental place for condensa tion of essence, qi and spirit. This kind of cognition produced profound influen ce on the Qigong Science and even Neijiaquan (internal boxing) of later generati ons. Medicine regards Cinnabar Field as the origin of life, which dominates all activities of life. In terms of physiological structure, it is the foundation of five viscera and six bowels, the root of twelve meridians, the gate of breathing and the source of triple energizers , and it is the physical basis for the format ion of human body. In terms of functions, it is the innate level higher than the acquired level of five viscera and six bowels, and it dominates the growth, dev elopment and functions of five viscera, six bowels, limbs and skeleton, and play s decisive roles on short or long lifespan, disease and death of human beings. II. Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field in the Eyes of Researchers What does Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field refer to specifically? How can we Sink Qi to Cinnabar Field ? Through consulting literatures, we find that, different research ers have somewhat different views. In the article Can Air be Inhaled into Cinnaba r Field? , Lin Yongjiang believes that, air breathing can be conducted only in lun gs, while Cinnabar Field is located in lower abdomen, and air cannot enter lower abdomen directly. Breathing not only functions exchange of air, but also result s in a series of phenomena of physiological changes. He further points out that, so called internal work means that, under the domination of ideas which use ideation but no force , taking actions as the guidance and breathing as the driving force, so as to enable internal qi to run in the whole body at will, which is the mech anism of running of internal qi. In the article New Comprehension of Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field, Zang Baodong b elieves that, the qi in Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field is not the air breathed, but a reflection of a kind of biological pulse which is transmitted into nerves and to cerebral cortex after various receptors of nerve endings receive external and internal stimulations of human body; qi can also be regarded as a kind of speci al reflection of nervous function under certain condition. When human body is ex ercising under a relaxing and quieting state, capillaries open under such impact
s as innervation, muscle flexing and biochemical and bioelectrical changes, thes e perivascular nerve receptors are stimulated and then transmit nerve impulses t o the brain s sensory center, causing such feelings as numb, hot and distending , whi ch is qi or so called internal qi . The running of qi is closely related to the runni ng of blood, which coincides with the views of traditional Chinese medicine that Blood runs if qi runs, and blood stagnates if qi stagnates , and Blood is the mothe r of qi . He also emphasizes that both air inhalation and air exhalation can sink Q i to Cinnabar Field . Upon air inhalation, due to that rhythmic slow actions cause breathing to gradually become natural, deep and long, inspiratory diaphragm mov es down more, and will give a kind of beneficial gentle extrusion massage to abd ominal organs, thus transforming the stimulations of intra-abdominal receptors i nto bioelectrical impulses, which are transmitted via sensory nerves to the sens ory center in brain, hence causing the feeling of qi rushing to the lower abdomen, which is the so called Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field . Upon air exhalation, due to that diaphragm moves up, sphincter ani relaxes, lower abdominal pressure reduces , and the closed capillaries in abdomen suddenly open, there will be a kind of w arm nerve feeling in abdomen, which means a success in Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Fie ld . In the article Cinnabar Field·Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field·Ideation of Cinnabar Fiel d, Jiang Shan points out that, the Cinnabar Field referred to in Sinking Qi to Ci nnabar Field can be located in the lower abdomen and the entire pelvic cavity of human body, namely the area in abdominal cavity below umbilicus till the bottom of pelvic cavity. In the infra-umbilical abdominal cavity, there are mainly such organs as small intestine, large intestine, kidneys, nephric duct, etc. In the pelvic cavity, in addition to bladder and rectum, a male also has an ampulla of deferent duct and a seminal vesicle; the pelvic part of deferent duct ranges fro m sidewall of pelvic cavity, upper back part of bladder to the bottom of bladder ; and there is prostate below bladder. In the pelvic cavity of a female, there a re also ovaries and oviducts, and there are uterus and vagina between bladder an d rectum. Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field means that genuine qi sinks from thoracic c avity via adbominal cavity down to the bottom of pelvic cavity, and it sinks slo wly among various organs in thoracic, adbominal and pelvic cavities. Ideation of Cinnabar Field means that using an idea to think of that genuine qi is filled a mong the aforesaid organs in infra-umbilical abdominal cavity and pelvic cavity, and genuine qi gently infiltrates these organs. III. Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field and Abdominal Breathing The term Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field(qì chén dan tián) sounds very abstruse at first, a ctually it means deep breathing in modern language. Generally normal breathing i s thoracic breaghing, which is shallow breathing relative to abdominal breathing . Abdominal breathing not only makes thoracic cavity to expand and contract more fully, and improves the air-inflation rate of pulmonary bubbles, but also cause s various viscera and bowels as well as various tissues and structures such as s ecreting glands, junctional membranes, membrane envelopes, nerves, meridians and muscle fibers in abdominal cavity and thoracic cavity to generate relative move ment, and hence gently squeeze and massage each other, which is the so-called sur ging of Cinnabar Field(dan tián gu dàng) . The air inhaled into pulmonary alveolis by a person in breathing is impossible to enter adbominal cavity through the tissue s in his body.A person has the feeling of sinking qi when he sinks Qi to Cinnabar Field , just because that the tissues in abdominal cavity relax and sink down. Th e aforesaid viewpoint was also proved when I interviewed experts, and it is foun d that, when a person sinks Qi to Cinnabar Field, his caudal vertebra sinks down ward and contracts forward, which changes the backward bending radian of the wai st, and is more advantageous to relaxing and sinking of abdominal organs. Different breathing patterns produce different impacts on human body. Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field is a manifestation of deep breathing, and it can help human bod y strengthen oxygen supply and discharge large amounts of carbon dioxide, so it
plays very big roles in the metabolism exchange process. The reasons lie in that , on one hand, slow and conscious deep breathing can improve the alkali content in human body, accelerate heart beating and blood circulation, thus transmit mor e oxygen and nutrients to human body through blood; on the other hand, trash and toxins in body are discharged out of body through deep breathing and sweats, wh ich can effectively reduce the acid content in body, and maintain a balance of c hemical compositions in human body. In addition, deep breathing can also promote shock of blood and lymphatic fluid and hence free circulation thereof, restore the connections among various nervous systems, as a result, various nerve ending s also cheer up, and directly or indirectly stimulate blood vessels, which enhan ces the nutrition of muscle due to improvement of metabolism. Furthermore, abdom en is the place where the yin meridians among twelve meridians of the conception vessel joint together, and where many important acupuncture points and autonomi c nerve plexuses of human body are distributed; deep breathing makes abdominal m uscles to generate regular ups and downs, which can not only effectively stimula te relevant acupuncture points and autonomic nerves, but also massage the liver, intestines and stomach. Thus it can be seen that, abdominal breathing is a kind of scientific method in life nurturing and health care through Health Qigong fo r promoting the running of blood and qi. It can be found through the aforesaid discussion that, the feeling of sinking qi in Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field does not mean that the air in breathing enters ab dominal cavity, but mean that various tissues in abdominal cavity relax and sink downward, due to the change in intra-abdominal pressure caused by increase in t he amplitude of up and down movement of diaphragm. For beginners, they can succe ed in Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field from two aspects, namely changing the external shape of spinal column and changing the breathing pattern. In aspect of shape of spinal column, it focuses on changing the radian of thoracic vertebra and lumba r vertebra; while in aspect of breathing pattern, it focuses on changing thoraci c breathing to abdominal breathing. When an exerciser succeeds in reaching the state of Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field t hrough efforts, he not only makes his thoracic cavity to expand and contract mor e fully, and improves the air-inflation rate of his pulmonary bubbles, but also causes various viscera and bowels as well as various secreting glands, junctiona l membranes, membrane envelopes, nerves, meridians and muscle fibers in abdomina l cavity and thoracic cavity to squeeze and massage each other, which exerts act ive roles in life nurturing and health care. Reference: Exploring Analysis on Sinking Qi to Cinnabar Field(pdf) by Lin Zhihua Chinese Health QiGong Association jsqg.sport.org.cn Share Posted in Breath, Mindset, principle, qigong. No comments ------------------------------------------------------------------By thomas June 6, 2011 Union of the Triplex Equation Let Let for for for for for for
the void be your cauldron nature be your furnace your primary ingredient, take stillness your reagent, use quietude mercury, take your vital essence lead, use your daily energy water use, restraint fire, take meditation.
Reference: A Complete Guide to Chi-gung by Daniel P. Reid p.81 Share -----------------------------------------------
By thomas June 4, 2011 Wondrous Scripture for Daily Internal Practice Now, as for your daily practice, Keep your eating and drinking regulated; Restra in your speaking and meditate alone. Do not allow even a single thought to arise . The ten thousand affairs are all forgotten. Then preserve your spirit and stabilize your intent. The mouth and lips are mutu ally locked up; The teeth should be lightly touching. Your eyes do not see a sin gle thing; Your ears do not hear a single sound. Unified, the heart-mind is guarded within. Continually harmonize your breathing. Subtle, still more subtle, make a light ex hale. It is as if the breath exists, as if it does not exist. Nothing is allowed to separate or interrupt. Then the fire of the heart naturally descends; The water of the kidneys naturall y ascends. Inside your mouth, the sweet dew arises of itself. The numinous Perfe cted support your body And you spontaneously know the path to long life. During the twelve double-hours of the day, Constantly seek clarity and stillness . The numinous tower of the heart emptied of all things: This is called clarity. Not allowing even a single thought to arise: This is called stillness. The body is the dwelling place of qi. The heart is the residence of spirit. When intent moves, spirit is agitated; When spirit is agitated, qi is dispersed. When intent is stable, spirit remains settled; When spirit remains settled, qi g athers. The perfect qi of the Five Phases Then gathers together and forms a pinc h of elixir. Then naturally in the body a sound can be heard. Walking and standing, sitting a nd lying down, One constantly practices awareness. In the body, it is as if ther e is the movement of wind. In the belly, it is as if there is the sound of thund er. Infusing and harmonizing qi fully, A rich liquid pours into the top of the head. When you drink from this pinch of elixir, Your ears begin to hear the tunes of the immortals. These are the sounds of the stringless melodies Sounding spontane ously without any strumming, Reverberating naturally without any drumming. Spirit and qi then combine together Like a child being cherished in the womb. If you can observe the inner regions, Spirit naturally begins to communicate. This is the residence of emptiness and nonbeing, The place where you can reside with the sages. If you refine the combination through nine revolutions, You will bind and comple te the great cinnabar elixir. Spirit then spontaneously enters and leaves. Your years will match those of heaven and earth; Your radiance will join with th at of the sun and moon. Then you will cast off arising and passing away.
Each day that you cease to practice this, Surely there will be injury and diseas e. So, during all the twelve double-hours of the day, Constantly seek clarity an d stillness. Qi is the mother of spirit; Spirit is the child of qi. Like a hen incubating an egg, Preserve spirit and nourish qi. Then, you will never be separated from the Wondrous. Mysterious and again more mysterious; In the human body, there are Seven Treasur es. Use them to support the country and pacify the people. Then your essence, qi , and blood will be abundant. Essence is quicksilver; Blood is yellow gold; Qi is beautiful jade; Marrow is qu artz; The brain is numinous sand; The kidneys are jade rings; And the heart is a glitt ering gem. These are the Seven Treasures Keep them firmly in your body, never letting them d isperse. Refine them into the great medicine of life. Then with all of the ten t housand spirits, You will ascend to the immortal realms. -------------------------Practise Qigong for one day Practise Qigong for one day, One Will receive a day s benefit. If one stops practicing Qigong for one day, It will be equivalent to losing one hundred days
benefits.
If one stops practicing for one hundred days, One get no benefit through all his life. Life Will become an empty dream. Share Posted in Breath, Energy, qigong. Tagged with Chi, qigong. No comments --------------------------------------------------By thomas June 1, 2011 Awakening to Reality Wuzhen pian 1 If you study immortality, you should study celestial immortality: only the Golden Elixir is the highest principle. 3 When the two things meet, emotions and nature join one another; where the five agents are whole, Dragon and Tiger coil. 5 Rely in the first place on wu and ji that act as go-betweens, then let husband and wife join together and rejoice.
7 Just wait until your work is achieved to have audience at the Northern Portal, and in the radiance of a ninefold mist you will ride a soaring phoenix. Notes on Poem 3 In this poem, Zhang Boduan uses traditional images to describe the main features and benefits of the Golden Elixir. There are several grades of transcendence, b ut for the very fact of being graded, they pertain to the realm of relativity in which we live. Only celestial immortality, says Zhang Boduan, grants complete tra nscendence, the removal of distinctions between the precelestial and postcelesti al domains. Fulfilling the Way of the Golden Elixir is analogous to ascending to Heaven as an immortal and having audience with the highest deities. 1 If you study immortality. The word translated as immortality (xian) means, more precisely, transcendence. In t he view of the Awakening to Reality, celestial immortality is the highest degree of realization. Taoist texts contain several descriptions of the grades of tran scendence. For example, the Zhong Lü chuandao ji (Records of the Transmission of t he Dao from Zhongli Quan to Lü Dongbin), a work probably dating from the tenth cen tury, states in the section entitled On True Immortality : Immortality is not of one kind only. . . . There are five degrees of Immortals, namely, the demon immorta ls (guixian), the human immortals (renxian), the earthly immortals (dixian), the spirit immortals (shenxian), and the celestial immortals (tianxian). 3 When the two things meet, emotions and nature join one another. The two things are, fundamentally, True Yin and True Yang. Inner nature (xing) is essentially pure and unaffected by phenomena or events of any kind. Emotions (qi ng, a word also translated as feelings, sentiments, or passions) are often impur e and tend to disjoin from one s nature, to the point that they may become uncontr olled. According to many Neidan texts, the separation of inner nature and emotio ns is a feature of the conditioned state in which we live. Only when True Yin an d True Yang merge can one s inner nature and emotions be not independent of one an other, but in agreement with one another. The Chinese view of emotions is more complex than it might at first seem. Emotions are not seen as merely psychological phenomena, but rather as pertaining to the sphere of existence, of one s being in the world as an individual entity. For thi s very reason, emotions are often at odds with one s inner nature, which is inhere ntly transcendent. When emotions and inner nature join one another, emotions tur n into qualities personality, temperament, attitudes that allow a person to expr ess his or her inner nature in life, according to his or her individuality. 4 Where the five agents are whole, Dragon and Tiger coil. The five agents are Wood, Fire, Soil, Metal, and Water (see tables 2 and 3). The y represent the differentiation of the One into the many, and the diverse qualit ies taken on by Original Breath (yuanqi) in the conditioned state. Soil is an em blem of the original unity of the five agents. The five agents are whole refers to the reversal to unity, which is performed first by reducing the five agents to three, and then to one (see Poem 14). Therefore the undividedness of the five ag ents is analogous to the joining of Yin and Yang. The Dragon stands for True Yin within Yang, also symbolized by the inner line of the trigram Li , and the Tiger stands for True Yang within Yin, also symbolized by the inner line of Kan . They are the two things mentioned in the previous line . Kan and Li are born from the union of Qian and Kun , the True Yang and True Yi n of the precelestial state. To generate the world, Qian entrusts its creative e ssence to Kun, and becomes Li; Kun receives the essence of Qian to bring it to f ulfillment, and becomes Kan. In Neidan, Kan and Li newly join together ( coil ) and return their essences to one another. Symbolically, this liberates True Yin and
True Yang from their residences in the conditioned state, and reestablishes the original pair of trigrams, namely Qian and Kun. 5 Rely in the first place on wu and ji that act as go-betweens. Wu and ji are the two celestial stems related to the agent Soil (see table 4). S oil, which is placed at the center, is an emblem of the One giving birth to mult iplicity. To generate the ten thousand things, the One first divides itself into t he Two, or Yin and Yang. The stems wu and ji respectively represent the Yang and the Yin halves of Soil, or the One. In the human being, Soil is associated with the intention (yi), the faculty of f ocusing the mind on a goal or an object. In Neidan, the True Intention (zhenyi) brings about the union of Yin and Yang. This is possible because intention, just like Soil, embraces both Yin and Yang, or wu and ji. For this reason, wu and ji are often said in Neidan texts to be the go-betweens (meiping) that allow the con junction of Yin and Yang. 6 Then let husband and wife join together and rejoice. Husband and wife respectively stand for the Yang and Yin principles, which join to generate the Elixir. 7-8 Just wait until your work is achieved to have audience at the Northern Porta l, and in the radiance of a ninefold mist you will ride a soaring phoenix. The expression gong cheng, translated above as your work is achieved, can also mea n your merit is complete. The Northern Portal (beique) is the gate of Heaven, and an emblem of the Center: the symbolic center of Heaven is at due North. The imagery of these lines is similar to the one found in this passage of the Ca ntong qi (Token for Joining the Three, chapter 8): With the Way completed and virtue fulfilled, withdraw, stay concealed, and wait for your time. The Great One will send forth his summons, and you move your abode to the Central Land. Your work concluded, you ascend on high to obtain the Register and receive the Chart. The last line of the Cantong qi passage refers to receiving consecration as an I mmortal. Commentary by Liu Yiming [Commentary on line 1: "If you study immortality, you should study celestial imm ortality."] Those who fulfill both their nature and their existence, who have a body outside their body, whose form and spirit are both wondrous,(1) who are joined in their reality with the Dao, are celestial immortals. . . . Only the celestial immorta ls shed their illusory body and achieve a dharmakaya (fashen, the body of Buddha hood), go beyond creation and transformation,(2) and are without birth and witho ut death. Being able to shed life and death, their longevity equals that of Heav en, and they last eternally without decaying. (1) As remarked above, this expression which authors of Neidan texts use often efers to the state of non-duality between formlessness and form, the Dao and the world, the absolute and the relative. (2) I.e., they go beyond the manifested cosmos, which is ruled by change and imp ermanence. [Commentary on line 2: "Only the Golden Elixir is the highest principle."]
r
Human beings receive this Golden Elixir from Heaven. It is perfectly good with n othing bad in it, it is innate knowledge (liangzhi) and innate capacity (liangne ng).(1) It is the Numinous Root, entirely achieved and with nothing lacking. It is the Breath of precelestial Perfect Yang. . . . Golden Elixir is another name for one s inchoate fundamental nature (xing).(2) The re is no other Golden Elixir outside one s fundamental nature. Every human being h as this Golden Elixir complete in oneself: it is entirely achieved in everyone. It is neither more in a sage, nor less in an ordinary person. It is the seed of the Immortals and the Buddhas, the root of the worthies and the sages. However, when it is not refined by fire, Yang culminates and necessarily becomes Yin, completion culminates and necessarily becomes lacking. One falls into the postcelestial state. . . . Therefore the sages of antiquity established the Way of the Return [to the original state] through the Golden Elixir, so that everyon e could go back to one s home and recognize one s ancestor, and revert to what one f undamentally and originally has in oneself. (1) The terms innate knowledge and innate capacity derive from one of the main Confu cian texts, the Mengzi (chapter 7): What one is able to do without learning is ca lled innate capacity; what one knows without pondering is called innate knowledg e. (2) By using the adjective inchoate (hun), Liu Yiming immediately suggests the aff inity between one s original nature and the Dao. There is something inchoate and ye t accomplished, born before Heaven and Earth. . . . I do not know its name, but call it Dao (Daode jing, chapter 25). [Commentary on lines 3-4: "When the two things meet, emotions and nature join on e another; where the five agents are whole, Dragon and Tiger coil." This passage provides an example of how Liu Yiming explains the relation between the precele stial and the postcelestial states of being.] The Way of Cultivating the Elixir (xiudan) is nothing more than harmonizing the firm and the yielding, making strength and compliance match one another, and mak ing nature and emotions join with one another. When nature and emotions join, Yi n and Yang meet and the five agents are whole. This is the boundless norm of Hea ven. The five agents are the five breaths of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Soil. In th e precelestial state, these five breaths are the five origins,(1) namely Origina l Nature, Original Emotions, Original Essence, Original Spirit, and Original Bre ath. In the postcelestial state they are the five things (wuwu), namely the wander ing hun-soul, the ghostly po-soul, the Yin essences, the cognitive spirit (shish en), and the errant intention.(2) The five origins include the five virtues, which are benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and sincerity.(3) The five things include the five thieves (wuze i), which are pleasure, anger, grief, joy, and lust. When the five agents are wh ole, the precelestial and postcelestial are gathered together, and the five orig ins control the five things. (1) I.e., the basic constituents of the human being in their original, uncorrupt ed state. (2) On the hun-soul and the po-soul see above the note to Poem 10, lines 3-4. On the Yin essences see above the note to Poem 9, line 1. The discriminating spirit is the thinking mind. The errant intention is the common intention, different from the True Intention that makes the joining of Yin and Yang possible; see above t
he note to Poem 3, line 5. (3) These are the five so-called
Confucian
virtues.
[Commentary on lines 5-6: "Rely in the first place on wu and ji that act as go-b etweens, then let husband and wife join together and rejoice."] After the original fundament of the precelestial state is lost and scattered, na ture goes east and emotions go west,(1) and the firm and the yielding do not res pond to one another. If there is no harmonizing thing that goes back and forth a nd mediates,(2) that and this separate and do not know one another.(3) What harmoniz es is the two Soils, namely wu and ji.(4) The wu-Soil rules on movement and pert ains to Yang. The ji-Soil rules on quiescence, and pertains to Yin. . . . Within the five virtues, the two Soils, wu and ji, are true sincerity. When true sincerity is in the center, one s nature is stable. When true stability functions on the outside, one s emotions are harmonized. When nature is stable and emotions are harmonized, nature and emotions go back to the root: husband and wife join together and rejoice. (1) These words should be understood in a quite literal sense. See table 3, which shows that nature corresponds to the agent Wood (east), and emotions to the agen t Metal (west). (2) The term translated as mediate, tongxin, literally means to transmit a message, and refers to the function of Soil in bringing Yin and Yang to join one another (see the note to Poem 3, line 5). At the same time, xin also means sincerity, the virtue associated with Soil mentioned by Liu Yiming in the next paragraph. (3) This (ci) and that (bi, lit. the other ) are conventional terms in Neidan for the ostcelestial and the precelestial, the ten thousand things and the Dao, the relati ve and the absolute, and other analogous pairs of notions or entities. (4)See the note to Poem 3, line 5. [Commentary on lines 7-8: "Just wait until your work is achieved to have audienc e at the Northern Portal, and in the radiance of a ninefold mist you will ride a soaring phoenix."] When benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom go back to the oneness of sincerity, and when nature, emotions, essence, and spirit meet in the One Breat h, the three families see one another, (1) and the five breaths have audience at the Origin. (2) You return to the origin and revert to the fundament, and the Golden Elixir coalesces; some call it the Embryo of Sainthood. Continue to advance in your practice, passing from doing into non-doing. Nourish [th e Embryo] warmly for ten months, keeping it tightly closed [within the womb].(3) Lessen the excess of strong emotions, and augment the insufficiency of complian t nature.(4) Using the celestial True Fire, and relying on the hexagrams Zhun in the morning and Meng at night, smelt away the postcelestial Yin breaths.(5) Gen erate the immaterial from the material, passing from the subtle to the apparent. When the Breath is complete and Spirit is whole, with a peal of thunder the gold en cicada sheds its shell, (6) and you have a body outside your body. When the work is completed and your name is recorded,(7) you will have audience at the Northern Portal and will ride a soaring phoenix. You will fly and rise in the broad daylight,(8) and will become a Celestial Immortal of Pure Yang, free from death. Wouldn t that be pleasant? (1) These words are quoted from Poem 14, line 6.
(2) This expression is found in many Neidan texts. (3) Note the emphasis given on closing, also found in texts of external alchemy wh ere it applies, in a literal sense, to hermetically sealing the crucible. (4) Lessen (chou) and augment (tian) are two other technical terms used in many Neid an texts. At this stage of the practice, Lead should be lessened and Mercury shoul d be augmented. (5) This sentence refers to one of the ways in which the fire times are represente d in internal alchemy. Sixty of the sixty-four hexagrams are associated with the thirty days of the lunar month. One pair of hexagrams, therefore, rules on each day; the first hexagram rules on its first half, and the second one, on its sec ond half. Zhun and Meng are the first two hexagrams used in this cosmological pa ttern. (6) This is another expression found in many Taoist texts. It alludes to achievi ng an immortal self, which Liu Yiming refers to at the end of the present sentence by saying, you have a body outside your body. (7) That is, one s name is entered in the registers of immortality, classical Taoist image for the achievement of transcendence.
according to the
(8) This sentence, which is frequent in Taoist texts, alludes to attaining the h ighest state of transcendence. Reference: Awakening to Reality (Wuzhen pian) Poem 3 translated by Fabrizio Preg adio www.goldenelixir.com Share Posted in Classic, Mindset, Philosophy, Taoism. -----------------------------------------------------By thomas May 21, 2011 100 Chinese and Buddhist Health Rules 51-100 No. 51 Quiet Sitting To nourish yourself in quietude: lie on your bed, completely relax body and mind , let your whole body melt without using even a tiny bit of effort, so that you feel as if there was no body. Breathe naturally and exert not even a trace of ef fort in the mind-and-heart when a thought arises, this is already the use of effo rt. Place your mind calmly on the soles of your feet and from there guide fire d own and water up, so that the qi and blood in the entire body flow vibrantly. No. 52 Cultivation Formula The essential formula of cultivation practice: Serene and radiant, radiant and serene I am utterly effortless. To become enlightened, turn into a patriarch: there is no other secret. Essential requirements for healing the body: Do not allow any part to use even a bit of effort. Fully control your thoughts, breath, and limbs. The eyes do not see, the ears do not hear, the tongue does not taste, the mouth does not ingest, the mind does not think. This is the only thing. As soon as there is anything you think, hear, or feel this is effort. Even a sligh t movement of arms or fingers this is effort. Making the breath softer or harder thi s is effort. Practicing like this, soon your breath will be naturally calm and i t will feel as if it is not moving at all through nose and mouth. Then the 84,00
0 pores of the whole body will work actively, expanding and contracting. At this point there is no I, no self, no qi, no mind. The mind of heaven has returned t o its original position. This is what we call the fire returning to the prime, o r fire and water in complete balance. It is the key mode for curing the hundred diseases. Please rethink the above rule, maybe you forgot it since you read rule no. 20 :) No. 53 Attachment and Fear Among people who nourish life, thirty percent die anyway. Why is this? It is bec ause they are overly attached to their bodies. On behalf of this stinking bag of skin, they fear being embarrassed, they fear being imprisoned; they fear being defeated, they fear reaching the top. They scan in all directions, looking forwa rd and turning back, looking left and turning right, nervous and terrified of fe ar itself, troubled by success, troubled by failure. . . . In this state their pure mind and heavenly connection shrivel to the size of a p lum pit and they look like they have been bitten repeatedly by nasty dogs how can they not end up dying? The more you fear death, the faster death comes. If you w ant to nourish life, you cannot ever feel fear of death. If you just don t fear de ath, you can easily get farther away from it. No. 54 Awarness When people are sick but think they are fine, this is the worst kind of sickness . How many people really are there who know they are sick? People who truly have no fear of death will never encounter wild tigers on the r oad or, if they do get close to one, it won t devour them; they will not encounter knives and guns when in a fight or, if they are attacked by those, won t suffer h arm. Why is this? It is because they do not make death their reference point. No t fearing death, death has no power over them. In nourishing life, what could be more important? Thus people who practice cultivation attain long life with ease . They don t think about long life, and paradoxically they can live long. Thinking constantly about long life, on the other hand, only makes death come that much faster. Long life is not the goal of cultivation; it is only a secondary phenome non on the way. No. 55 Disconnection People who surf the web in the middle of the night day after day do great harm t o their bodies and chances for long life. The so-called famous great doctors are just like this. Their mind-and-hearts are totally involved in measurements and comparisons of all sorts and trying to ask them to connect to their selves for l ife-preservation is impossible. What kind of doctors are they? No. 56 Bargaining Don t crave for anything to be a bit cheaper or even a lot cheaper. Even a bit of craving holds the evil of attachment. Craving is being troubled by gain and loss until one gets a serious heart disease. Craving is being troubled by gain and l oss: this means one has no clue about nature or the ways of Dao. No. 57 Food Don t spend your days thinking about what you could eat to supplement yin or what you could take to enhance yang. Just remember in all activities you give rise to yang; in all quietude you give rise to yin. Yin is the mother of yang; yang is the son of yin. No. 58 Precedence When your qi is deficient, don t enhance it blindly. This may have a negative impa ct on the whole body. If it is because blood is deficient, then you should first enhance the blood. This is because blood is the mother of qi, and if you don t tr
eat it first, you run burning up the inner i cannot flow freely, way you will succeed
the danger of drying and overheating the blood vessels and organs. If it is because there is an obstruction and the q enhance both blood and qi by working on them equally. This in enhancing qi.
No. 59 Environment The importance of the environment for people s health cannot be overemphasized. Th is is why people who live in deep mountains and ancient forests with clean air a nd fresh qi heal so much more easily. The subtle particles and high oxygen conte nt of the air in these places get into the deep breath when people are in a rela xed state. They thus are absorbed by the body, where they moisturize and nurture the five organs and six intestines and give people new life energy. Another poi nt people are not usually aware of is that even if they do not breathe deeply th rough nose and mouth, every pore of their bodies breathes in and out all the tim e a feature that is essential in our connection to nature and heaven. No. 60 Heaven and Earth When people are relaxed and breathe slow and deep, their body achieves a state o f subtle energetic exchange with heaven and earth. Upon inhalation, they in fact expel the inhaled breath in the lungs and the whole body moves to push internal qi out. This is how the qi of humanity moves toward heaven and earth. During ex halation, they in fact absorb the subtle energy of heaven and earth through ever y pore of the body. This is what Laozi refers to when he speaks of Between heaven and earth, it is like a bellows. No. 61 Avoid in Exercising Two things to avoid in exercising: Do not exercise when blood and qi are deficient. Do not exercise in a dirty or defiled environment. No. 62 Do in Exercising Two things to do in exercising: Increase the speed of blood and qi circulation, so the toxins inside the body ca n come to the surface. Open the body s pores wide and breathe in deeply, so you absorb the essence and qi of heaven and earth. No. 63 Simplicity What is awakening to inner nature ? What is wisdom ? Both mean to regard all beings fr om a position of greatest simplicity. However, most people and especially those who are frustrated with themselves tend to take even the simplest thing and see it as highly complex, thus creating complexity. Intricate and straightforward ar e really the same thing; they are just different sides of the same coin. Smart a nd perceptive people choose to look at things from the simple side; stupid and i gnorant people tend to see them from the complex side. No. 64 Incurable Diseases If people have a incurable disease, they have to rely on the spirit for a cure. If the disease does not respond to reliance on the spirit, they have to rely on the Buddha. What is the Buddha? The Buddha is the mind-and-heart. No. 65 Hospitals In the modern world hospitals and prisons have a lot in common, especially when we think of patients as having received a death sentence. Also, in both situatio ns, many people who do not deserve a death sentence receive one anyway. Why am I saying this? Let s think of cancer for a moment. Cancer for many people today equals a death se
ntence. That is to say, as long as we don t actually call it cancer, we give the pat ients a sense of hope and a new chance at life. So what I am saying is that the vast majority of cancer patients today are dying of their fear, of the ill treat ment of their spirit, of the harsh treatment in the hospital. You may be diagnos ed with cancer one day, but you should immediately assume a position of no fear, because if you get well and don t die, it is your destiny to do so, and if you do n t get well and in fact die, it is because you are the cancer. In actual reality, there is no disease that cannot be cured, there is only your mind-and-heart that can or cannot let go. All diseases arise from the mind-and-h eart, all diseases heal from the mind-and-heart. You only need to return to acti ve living and you will soon have your chance at life. Finding this chance at lif e means the cure of cancer and your return to full health. No. 66 Competition Any form of competition will turn order into disturbance and lead people into ev il [immorality]. What is competition? Competition is anything that pulls people into the world of craving and desire. No. 67 Pure and Turbid From the perspective of the mutual interchange of yin and yang, pure and turbid attract each other. Therefore, any pure and fresh things people eat inevitably g et mixed with the turbid juices inside the body and are expelled accordingly. No. 68 Overeating A dominance of turbid juices arises because people eat unclean things, but more importantly because they overeat. The body cannot digest all this matter and it accumulates inside, creating barriers. No. 69 Spontaneity Smoothly following one s natural course (inherent so-being, spontaneity) is the hi ghest level of nourishing life. Each human being from birth has a set pattern th at forms the foundation of his or her destiny. What he or she should or should n ot do, should or should not eat as long as he or she follows this inherent pattern of destiny, he will encounter peace and be free from trouble. Some people are very much aware of their inherent nature. They can specify the d etails and know exactly what their pattern of destiny is. They will be very clea r about what they should and should not do. For this reason, nourishing life def initely has no simple one-fits-all system to follow people are as different and as fluid as the clouds. Never go after what you admire in others, but always from the depth of your own mind-and-heart look for realizing your own inner nature. How, then, do people know whether or not they are actually following their own n atural course? If in actual life, you find dead-simple things that don t work out, you get sick a lot, you are not comfortable, and you cannot be at rest with you rself these are signs that your are going against your natural course. You need to start moving along with the great course of nature on the outside and follow th e natural course of your destiny on the inside. Don t miss out on either one! No. 70 Sensitivity Levels A lot of people, when they hear that a doctor can help with their serious health issues, often assume an attitude of innocence and expect him to eliminate their disease by cutting, excising, poisoning, or otherwise killing it. But after tha t, does the disease really not have a place from where to resurface? There reall y is no such thing in the world as a suddenly arising disease. Let me take the common cold as an example. If a patient really came to examine h imself carefully, he would find that the various symptom all first gave some sub tle indication and that he could have, before actually getting the cold, dispers
ed its building blocks in the different parts of the body. Thus, some people wil l find that they were recently exposed to some cold wind or drenched in a rainst orm. Others will discover that they had a great deal of stress at work, suffered from headaches and could not sleep. In reality, all these phenomena are element s that eventually lead to the common cold. In conclusion, if patients personal se nsitivity and inner awareness were increased to a sufficient level, one could ea sily reach the goal of blocking afflictions before they arise. No. 71 True Science What is true science? It is the law of cause and effect. If it does not work wit h cause and effect, it is not true science. No. 72 Failures Do not fear failure [defeat, loss] in your mind. Do not take advantage of others in your mind. In other words, only you can suffer failure. Other people are par t and parcel of your destiny, so you should give to them and never develop a cra ving to take advantage of them. You cannot get your mind to stay stable? Who in the world can get it there? Only the Buddha has that power. No. 73 Self-Assurance Once people have taken charge of their health-related thoughts and practices, th ey develop perfect self-confidence in their entire being that eliminates any nee d of worrying about disease. This kind of feeling is fabulous. I wish we could a ll have this kind of powerful self-assurance. No. 74 Examination In intense study, intention and qi are balanced. When the mind is stable, qi is balanced. Thus, for anyone who has attained Dao, examining another person is not a terribly difficult task but just the effect of yet another turning of the min d. No. 75 Five desires Among the five desires, fame [feeling important] is hardest to overcome. Next co mes sex [sensual pleasure, having fun], third is wealth [material stability], th en food [eating and drinking], and finally sleep [rest and recreation]. As long as the mind-and-heart for fame is not dead, there is no way one can enter Dao. No. 76 Disease Inception The hundred diseases begin when wind and heteropathy enter the body. If the body s qi is vacuous and weak, the defensive and constructive energies lose their bala nce. Then worry and speculation, fright and anxiety arise, and wine [intoxicatio n] and sex [distracting sensory pleasures] exhaust one s strength. Perfect qi is m inimal, and outside heteropathy comes in. No. 77 Rule 29 This is a circular rule, go and remember rule no. 29 No. 78 Rule 30 This is another circular rule, go and see again rule no. 30 No. 79 Side Attack In the past, when hearing about how Hitler resolved breaching the extremely well defended and highly armed Maginot Line in France, I understood the following: w hen faced with strong and resistant diseases, you cannot overcome them with a fr ontal attack. Rather, to destroy it, you must get at it from a variety of angles . Kidney and liver problems, for example, tend to be highly resistant. You get b est results when you approach them by balancing the lungs or spleen. No. 80 Centering Being well centered is the root source of nourishing life. Qi and blood in peopl
e s bodies form a pair of yin and yang. Blood is yin and substance; qi is yang and function. Blood is the mother of qi; qi is the master of blood. If qi is insuff icient, one easily gets accumulation disease, such as swellings, tumors, blood c lots, and the like. If qi is excessive, one easily gets diseases where blood flo ws too fast from the brain. Thus, as long as you keep blood and qi in even balan ce, you can stay very healthy. No. 81 First Steps When people just have awakened to some kind of feeling for their natural course [i nner spontaneity], they already reckon that they have attained Dao. But knowing the natural course is only the first step; going on and following it is what mak es people spirit men. Understanding and matching yin and yang, understanding and following one s natural course, this is the great inner power needed to be a good healer. No. 82 Natural Course What is this natural course ? It is the fact that each and every thing has the two sides of yin and yang, that each and every being undergoes the same life process of birth, growth, decline, and death. Following this process, you can use the p roduction and conquest cycles of the five phases to enhance someone s inner balanc e. Then what disease could not be cured? No. 83 Simple and Complex, Hard and Soft Simple and complex form a pair just like yin and yang. The more an affair is com plex, the more often it can be resolved by the simplest means. In the same way, if you look at what seems to be a simple issue, you often find that the solution is not easy at all and you cannot resolve it even by exerting utmost efforts. The same also holds true for hard and soft. Extreme softness can overcome the ha rdest substance; against extreme hardness softness stands no chance. For this re ason, whenever we are faced with solving an issue we should use this kind of thi nking: when encountering a complex problem, look for the simplest way of resolvi ng it; when meeting with a simple question, do not disregard it, but make sure t o give it sufficient importance. It is just like Chairman Mao used to say: The s trategy of war take lightly, the art of war take seriously. In other words, the state of the issue take lightly, the process of resolution take seriously. No. 84 Today Let us see whether the following is true in the world today: people follow their natural patterns of eating and sleeping; people honor their natural course of l ife. Not really. If they can t do so, why? Because that is way too simple. So they don t just rest at ease and honor their course. Such is the honest truth. No. 85 Balance What does balance mean? Balance is the state when yin and yang depend on each othe r and control each other in equal measure. Any form of excess or sufficiency mea ns a loss of balance. All sorts of things may harm primordial qi, loss of balanc e certainly injures it. Always resting in a state of balance, primordial qi is w ell preserved and people age and decline only very slowly. No. 86 Yin and Yang The way of yin and yang means two opposing forces depending upon, and changing i nto, one another. Thus, in any kind of oppositional situation, if one side dista nces itself from the other, it will never be controlled by it. Thus if one lets go of all loss, destruction cannot reach one. You see, the leaders in modern society do not like constraints; they want to com e and go as they please, following their whims, their own modes, greedy to obtai n more goods. The result of this is that there are more rules than one can possi bly think of.
Yin and yang are like that. In the great course of life, when one being arises, it becomes the cause of the birth of other beings, but at the same time some oth er being comes into existence that starts to limit them. This in essence is how the production and conquest cycles of the five phases work, the way yin and yang depend upon and check each other. For this reason, the way of nourishing life also works like this. If you get sic k, there is always one cause that brings it forth. At the same time there is als o always a factor that controls it and makes it go away. Just like in the natura l world, in any place that has poisonous snakes, there will be plants that cure snake bite. No. 87 Body Oblivion What is self-realization through body oblivion? It means giving up control, givi ng up secret schemes. Note: we are unsure of at least some part of the translation. If anybody has a b etter insight please relay it to us. ???????????????,???????,????????
,????????????,????????????
No. 88 Great Wisdom Any so-called great wisdom, if it is without heartfelt feelings, what great wisd om is that? No. 89 Learning Ordinary people talk about living to old age and learning to old age. But learni ng also has its time and what you learn in each phase of life needs to match wha t need most at that time. Otherwise you are not in harmony with the flow of life and fail to follow your natural course. However, looking at education in the wo rld today, from kindergarten to university, how many things do the children lear n that they actually need at their age? What do you need to learn as a child? Most importantly, you need basic ethics an d a sense of reverence for your parents. Only learning to read and write, what g ood does that do after you leave school? Once you get to adolescence, you need t o learn how to be good at living in harmony and raising children, focusing on fa mily happiness. In middle age, you need to work on nourishing life. Eventually, when you get to be old, you need to learn how to relax your mental disposition a nd be at peace in your last years. Whatever else you choose to study, these are the essentials of learning. No. 90 Emotions Emotions and sickness are closely interrelated: all diseases come from emotions. You may use medications for a cure, but whether you do in fact remove the sympt oms or not, underneath you are still not well. When you deal with this kind of d isease, after you deal with the outer signs you still have to deal with the pers on inside. The five emotions can bring about disease; the five emotions can also cure them. No. 91 Courage Nourishing life centers on one thing only: do not fear death! As long as you fea r death, your yang-qi is insufficient, and when that happens, the power of death can defeat you. That s what the Daoists keep talking about: the heroic energy fou nd in people who practice cultivation and refinement. Kindness, wisdom, and cour age: you must have all three! No. 92 Samadhi Take any subject of study or practice and work on it until it becomes utterly ea
sy and simple: this is the point where you reach an essential state of samadhi. As long as you still feel that the subject has some parts that are great and pro found, sections that you cannot fathom, you still have not fully mastered its ul timate essence. You are still only seeing its outer leaves and branches and have not yet reached the root. At this point you are still in the stage of being and have not yet attained the st age of nonbeing. All things for you still are enmeshed in the realm of yin and yan g, all the myriad affairs and myriad things are still part of yin and yang. You need to find the root is of yin and yang: Know the one and the myriad affairs are done! No. 93 Nourishing Life Concentrate your spirit and stabilize your qi, forget both yourself and all bein gs. This is the ultimate core of nourishing life. No. 94 The Center The center bright and clear, peace will result. Nourish life this way and you wi ll live long, die and not perish, and become a great light in the greater univer se. The center not bright and clear, the twelve organs are endangered; they bloc k the Dao and prevent it from flowing freely, so that the body is greatly harmed . Nourish life this way and you will endanger the powers of the greater universe . Be very, very careful! No. 95 Proper Cycles How to apply the five phases cycles of production and conquest: if a disease is d ue to an excess in the five organs, use the conquest cycle to remedy it; if it i s due to a depletion, use the production cycle. This is the fundamental principl e of using the five phases. No. 96 Materialism People nowadays often pursue an expensive material life-style and put all their efforts toward that. But the result of this kind of pursuit is really scary. Wha t you need to realize is that people s desire for material goods is inexhaustible. Once this desire can no longer be controlled, it does nothing but create inexha ustible suffering. In fact, material goods can bring happiness but so can the spirit. Medications c an cure diseases, but so can psychological healing. For this reason, spending al l our life in the pursuit of material wealth is no where near as good as using o ur entire life to nurture a good mental disposition, which alone will allow our spirit to attain transcendence. No. 97 Rule 73 This is the fourth and the last (re)cycled rule, please read again the rule no. 73 No. 98 The Sentinels Our bodies are mechanisms full of wisdom: they have excellent sentinels that gua rd over our health: the teeth, the appendix, the tonsils, and so on. Originally, any time our bodies enter an exceptional situation (such as, most commonly, fire rising ), these various sentinels immediately react and communicate the disturban ce to the brain. Smart people at this point harmonize their minds-and-hearts and inspect themselves, making sure to restore inner balance. However, what do Western-trained physicians do these days? You hurt? they say. I wi ll make your pain go away. Even worse, they have developed some kind of scientifi c instrument, so they say: You have a serious nasal infection and sneeze a lot? L et me cauterize the nerves inside your nose, so that you won t be able to sneeze, no matter how strong the provocation. The result of these treatments by Western d
octors is that, if we ever fall ill, we won t know until the disease affects our f ive organs and six intestines. No. 99 Benign Symptoms Just remember: if we have sudden diarrhea, sneezes, coughs, or fever, these are signs of our bodies working at comprehensive recovery. There is no need to take medicines for these symptoms. No. 100 Terminal Diseases Most serious diseases and terminal growths have only one cause: resentment [hatr ed, discontent]. Once resentment is gone, all ailments dissolve. What is hardest to resolve in this world is continuous and unstoppable resentment. As long as t here is such unresolved resentment, there will always be incurable diseases. Reference: http://yijinjing.ro/health-rules/ Share --------------------------------------------------------By thomas May 16, 2011 100 Chinese and Buddhist Health Rules 1-50 No. 1 Sleep Sleep is the first element of nourishing life. Your preferred time to sleep is b etween 9 p.m. and 3 a.m., becausethis time in the course of the day matches the season of winter. If things are not contained in the winter,they cannot grow in the summer, which means that on the next day your spirit will be low. No. 2 Medication All the various medications used to cure diseases work on the surface and don t pe netrate to the root, no matter whether they are Chinese herbs or Western drugs. Because all the different diseases arise from basicmistakes in living and are th e result of such mistakes, as long as you do not remove the cause of the mistake s,their result cannot be eliminated at the root. Now, the root of health is the mind-and-heart and all life factors and experienc es originate from there. If themind-and-heart is pure, the body is pure. So, if you get sick, don t look for a cause outside, but rely on the innatepowers of your own body and self to recover. This reality applies equally to human beings and animals; ifanimals can recover from diseases relying on their own powers, so can people. No. 3 Correct Behavior The right understanding is to stay far away from expensive drugs and dangerous s urgery in helping patients to get rid of their diseases. Based on this, you tend to make the right decisions and follow the right patterns of behavior. This wil l also allow you to ward off the arising of numerous diseases. No. 4 Innate Wisdom People all have innate wisdom, which definitely does not come from book learning . Rather, it comes from their own true mind-and-heart, their pure and clear mind -and-heart (what Daoists call Dao nature and Buddhists call the bodhi-mind). No. 5 Inner Regulatory Abilities Among all living beings, people have the most beautiful and complex body, but th e degree of its health is determined at birth. Their level of health, then, depe nds on their original body s innate regulatory and recovery abilities; it has noth ing to do with outside elements. Outside factors can only aid in its functioning . No. 6
Purification
The vast majority of symptoms people develop are signs of their bodies ridding t hemselves of internal toxins in the process of adjustment and purification, cond itions that appear as part of the body s automatic regulation and balancing proces s. You should therefore take them as signs of the proper functioning of life and never forcefully get rid of them, thinking that they are the beginning of a dis ease and should be eliminated. For this reason, when you are sick, by all means full of resentment, hatred, anger, and anxiety. e and stability in your mind-and-heart. When the operly; when the qi flows properly, the blood is ill dissolve.
avoid developing a mind that is Rather, make sure there is peac mind is stable, the qi flows pr vibrant: the hundred diseases w
No. 7 Qi and Blood, Meridians People s heath is closely connected with two factors: sufficient qi and blood; fre e and open meridians (including blood vessels and the digestive channels). No. 8 Good Living Habits Having sufficient qi and blood depends on sufficient food + bile + good sleep at the right time from dusk to 1:40 a.m. when the brain does not work at all and we are guided by plants and spirits + good living habits. No. 9 To have nd. The in turn
Clear and Pure Mind free and open meridians you most of all need to have a clear and pure mi seven emotions and six desires all harm you re your mind-and-heart, which causes harm to the proper circulation in the meridians.
No. 10 Enhance and Control Qi To maintain a healthy body, you need not only to enhance (increase qi and blood) but also to control (diminish the loss of qi and blood). No. 11 Control Food A massive increase in food intake not only will not increase qi and blood but wi ll produce a greater burden of toxins in the body. To return to normal, rely on the purifying powers of digestive blood and qi. The five organs and six intestin es all work due to the efforts of blood and qi. Food is their raw material, but there is a limit to how much their work capacity can be increased. Since there i s no limit to available food stuffs, we must establish control over the amounts we eat. No. 12 Relaxation Appropriate exercise can aid people s blood and qi circulation, but it can also co ntribute to the loss of blood and qi. The energetic cycles in the human body sho uld most of all be approached in a state of relaxation: never compromise on this rule of health! No. 13 Detoxify, Open Meridians, Increase Blood and Qi The greater the amount of toxins in people s bodies, the more they need to purify their blood and qi. However, people s blood and qi are reduced because of this inc rease in toxins and blockages in the arteries. This creates a vicious circle and becomes the main mechanism of aging and decline. For this reason, people who wa nt to be healthy and stay young should do three things: reduce the amount of tox ins in their bodies; increase the open passage in their blood vessels and meridi ans; and increase the blood and qi in the body. No. 14 Own Intuition and Awarness Having faith in the efficacy of medications and diagnostic measurements is not a s good as trusting your own intuition and the adequacy of your body s regulatory a bilities. However, these presuppose that you have attained the Dao or opened you r inner wisdom and live from that perspective.
No. 15 Study Buddhism Health begins with regulating the mind-and-heart and inner nature. So, for the s ake of your health, start to study Buddhism. Finding happiness through the pract ice of Buddhism is the highest fortune among humanity. No. 16 False Symptoms Speaking of someone with an old disease, as long as his blood and qi are kept fu ll (by using the qi-replenishing methods introduced here and by having him do qu iet sitting to open the qi nodes), the feelings of the disease may come out in f ull force. For this reason, people who practice various forms of cultivation may experience all kinds of disease-like symptoms when they reach a certain level. At that time they should intensify their qi-work and firmly stick to their practice of quiet sitting, thereby to increase qi and blood. This way they will move quickly throu gh this situation. No. 17 Endangering Life People who go against the basic rules of nourishing life, even though they may n ot get obviously sick, as they get habituated to this unhealthy life-style, set themselves up for major disease. It is quite like the basic rules of traffic: if you go against them, you may not have an accident immediately, but the danger o f having one is easily obvious. No. 18 Emptiness Why is it beneficial in nourishing life if people maintain a certain level of hu nger and thirst? In fact, this is the wonderful application of emptiness. Daoists say that emptiness leads to numinosity. This together with humility allows peopl e to make progress, while being full in themselves just makes them drop back to square one. For this reason, one should always maintain an attitude of empty nume n. This way one can constantly maintain inner clarity and awakeness which in turn allows one to maintain health. No. 19 Food Quality People who want to live a healthy life need to make sure that they take enough q i-bringing and qi-transforming foods. Just by doing this you will avoid accumula ting lots of toxins in the body. You will also prevent having too much food rele asing a roving empty fire, which will deplete your inner organs. Plus, this empty f ire can turn around and deplete your internal qi. For this reason and speaking fr om this perspective, when people today get sick, it is for the most part because their intake of food and drink is not properly regulated. No. 20 Quiet Sitting To nourish life by quiet sitting, sit (or lie) on your bed, completely relax bod y and mind, let your whole body melt without using even a tiny bit of effort, so that you feel as if there was no body. Breathe naturally and exert not even a t race of effort in the mind-and-heart when a thought arises, this is already using effort. Place your mind calmly on the soles of your feet and from there guide fi re down and water up, so that qi and blood in the entire body flow vibrantly. No. 21 Turning Point There is a common saying: When the turning point is right, a good plan will come. To properly understand this idea of turning point, you need to open your sense of intuition. A teacher giving instructions, a physician curing diseases these are tu rning points that fall into your lap and open new chances for you. This turning p oint at times also may be a key opportunity. Naturally this turning point needs to be properly used in the right circumstances which merge with the atmosphere around you to create a certain energetic density
, just like by getting ahold of fire one can set off fireworks. Just to make sure: other people s activities and events are outside causes; your o wn talents and tendencies are proper insight causes. If they come together in th e right way, this is what we mean by turning point. The arrow in the bow ready to be released: you must find the right point for your shot. All affairs are ultimate ly like this they each have their specific turning point. If you just connect to this, all kinds of things will evolve. If you don t connect to it and are involved in too many other affairs, there is no way things will s tart moving. The turning point is just like this: it is the central element and key opportunity for things to develop. It is a core point, not just a surface ap pearance. But by setting this core point in motion, you can also move the surfac e appearance along with it. For this reason, the turning point of any disease is the central element and key opportunity when the disease arises, develops, and changes. In other words, rea ching a turning point of disease, people s condition becomes openly manifest and t hey enter a vicious circle of being sick. Responding to the turning point of disea se opens the turning point of life. Once this is opened, people enter a positive c ircle of health. In fact, these two turning points of disease and of life are tw o sides of the same coin, a matching yin-yang pair. As the turning point of dise ase opens, that of life closes, and vice versa, as the turning point of life ope ns, that of disease gradually begins to close. Such is the honest truth. No. 22 Book Learning The fact is, to appreciate numerous good discoveries and inventions there is no need for book learning. At the proper time, even someone without any kind of tra ditional education who has a highly developed sense of intution and can complete ly let go of conscious thinking will be able to arrive at enlightened truth. No. 23 Disturbance The thing people need to be most wary of is something called disturbance. If the m ind-and-heart is disturbed, it will get entangled in affairs on the outside and cause harm to blood and qi on the inside. All vexations, anger, fear, anxiety, j oy, worry, confusion, and doubt mean disturbance. They are the root cause of man y diseases and shortened life expectancy. Thus it is not only during times of he aling diseases that one should avoid all disturbance but one should keep the min d free from it throughout everyday life. No. 24 Excesses Much sadness harms the lungs; much pleasure (sex) harms the kidneys; much food h arms the spleen and stomach; much worrying harms the spleen; much anger harms th e liver; much labor harms the spirit. In all cases it will lose its proper cours e. No. 25 Craving If disease arises in the body, it is in all cases from the mind-and-heart being vacuous empty and the qi being weak. This state makes it possible for outside he teropathies to enter. The mind-and-heart being vacuous and the qi being weak alw ays comes from the mind and the spirit soul(s) being disturbed and agitated, the body structure not being full, and all sorts of anxieties arising: craving for food, for success, for wealth, for happiness all these are quite enough to produce disease. Then, when these cravings are not fulfilled, they turn into aversion (anger). Cr aving and aversion make the mind-and-heart agitated and the qi tense, the gall b ladder nervous and the liver excited, the six meridians tremble and the five org ans boil. When some outside heteropathy enters at that time, disease results.
No. 26 Long Life When people want to reach long life, they first must get rid of diseases. To get rid of diseases, they must first understand the proper application of qi. To un derstand the application of qi, they must first nurture their inherent nature. T he way to nurture inherent nature is to first balance the mind-and-heart. No. 27 Five Elements People receive the five phases to come to life, thus the physical body is domina ted by qi. If qi is deficient, there is disease; if qi is obstructed, there is d isease. Thus, to cure any disease, first remedy the qi. No. 28 Attaining Balance Qi moves blood; blood enhances qi. They are two yet only one. If people do not s leep for a long time, they harm their blood; if they sleep for a long time, they harm their qi. If they stand for a long time, they harm their bones; if they wa lk for a long time, they harm their muscles. If they engage excessively in the s even emotions and six desires, they harm their primordial qi as well as their he art and kidneys. As these body aspects increase in fire, perfect yang energy is depleted. No. 29 Five Organs To cure the diseases of the five organs, one must first enhance qi. The kidneys are particularly important in this. One best enhances qi by not moving the mindand-heart, because whenever the mind-and-heart moves, the liver gets excited and the meridians agitated. Then perfect water is depleted. The mind-and-heart is l ike a fan: it moves with the wind. When the wind blows, fire rises; when fire ri ses, water dries; when water dries, the earth is depleted. No. 30 Unified Mind and Spirit When the mind is stable and the spirit unified, one can be cured. Faith strong a nd the mind concentrated, the two minds [of healer and patient] are in harmony a nd one can cure the hundred diseases. None is not ultimately the effect of spiri t. No. 31 Two Kinds of Diseases People s diseases are of two kinds: 1. The meridians are vibrant and open, but the qi is deficient. Symptoms include various pains here and there. This is so, because when the qi is deficient and cannot properly digest the food, it brings forth apparent fire (also called fals e fire or empty fire), and the meridians in the body get agitated. Then energy f lows every which way until it hits some obstruction which then manifests as pain . People like this can take some medicines and get better. 2. The meridians are blocked and the qi has no place to go in the body. Symptoms include nothing specific on the outside for the longest time, then all of a sud den a major crisis. People like this may take medicines but the cure will be ver y slow. They may even be affected at the root and cannot be helped. No. 32 Nourishing Life The highest field of Chinese medicine is nourishing life. The highest field of n ourishing life is nourishing the mind-and-heart. For this reason, when speaking about nourishing life, the lowest type of practitioner nourishes the body, the m edium type nourishes the qi, while the highest type nourishes the mind-and-heart . Examining people is the same way: looking at outside features is not as good a s looking at qi; looking at qi is not as good as looking at the mind-and-heart No. 33 Mind at Peace When mind and spirit are not at peace, feelings and inner nature are rushed and hectic the ultimate cause of disease and death. Thus calming the mind-and-heart is
the first step in guarding life. The mind-and-heart can control all other aspec ts. Thus, when the mind is stable, the qi is harmonious. When the qi is harmonio us, the blood circulates well. When the blood circulates well, essence is suffic ient and the spirit is bright. When essence is sufficient and the spirit bright, all internal parts are strong and vigorous and the various diseases dissolve na turally. Thus in curing diseases managing the mind-and-heart is the first priori ty. No. 34 Personal Resistance Wind and cold, yin and yang, heat and dampness all can cause disease in people. If your resistance is weakened, they can take advantage of your inner vacuity an d enter the body. This is why, if the body is weak, there are many diseases. Rich people have some protection through clothing, food, shelter, and so on. Poo r people also have some resistance if their qi is sufficient, their spirit brigh t, their skin thick, and so on, making it hard for these outside factors to ente r. On the other hand, rich people tend to eat heavy food and sweetmeats, thus ha rming their stomach and hurting their teeth. Poor people often suffer hunger and there is no variety in their diet, so they tend to be free from intestinal dise ase. Rich people have many obligations (and avoidances), so they have many irritation s to their qi. Poor people work very hard, so they don t get sick so fast. If rich people don t produce wealth, they become unhappy. As their wealth diminishes, the y eventually become poor. Poor people, on the other hand, work hard and save, an d thereby create wealth and good fortune. Then, once they have the protection of wealth through clothing, food, shelter, and so on, their resistance against out side invasions of essence, qi, and spirit lessens. Thus, as the protective devic es diminish, personal resistance grows. No. 35 Baths When one first recovers from a grave illness, it is best to avoid washing the fe et and taking baths. No. 36 Inner Stability To pursue long life and freedom from disease, one should strengthen the physical body. To strengthen the physical body, one should balance essence, qi, and spir it. To do so one must eliminate all impact of frustration and agitation. To control them, first work hard to manage the mind-and-heart and transform the three poisons of craving, aversion, and ignorance. Once you have gotten rid of t hese, you must learn to control the mind-and-heart with the help of precepts. Ho wever, just talking about precepts without using them in actual practice and yet hoping to develop wisdom is no different from remaining ignorant. If you really want to develop wisdom, you first must pursue inner stability. And to do so, yo u need to practice quiet sitting. No. 37 Benevolence Once quiet, you are benevolent; once benevolent, you can live long. Living long is perfect happiness. No. 38 Let Go, Look Back All the various methods of cultivating body and mind have two key aspects: let g o and look back. Let go of the butcher s knife, stand firmly on the earth, and bec ome a buddha. The ocean of suffering has no end, so look back to the shore. All you need to do is let go and look back for once and your diseases will suddenly be healed which erroneously is called sudden awakening. This really is unlimited l ife. No. 39
Mind Overwork
In people who overwork their mind, the heart is tired and the liver excited. An overworked mind means that it is too full and not empty enough. In this situatio n, it cannot control the fire generated by the liver (wood), and if that is the case, liver-qi accumulates and overflows. Now, liver-wood moves on to earth, and so the spleen and stomach get sick next. Then the digestion is not good and one cannot sleep at night. Earth in turn cont rols water, which leads to the depletion of kidney-water. If the water is not su fficient, this will once more incite fire. The heart and kidneys are closely lin ked, thus the heart-qi is weakened even more and the lung-qi is affected. The various parts of the inner body are closely interrelated: if one moves, all move; if one gets sick, all suffer. However, the beginning lies in the mind gett ing distorted, so the cure lies in calming it. As the mind gets clearer, it find s spontaneous awareness. So, all key efforts for health lie in quiet sitting. No. 40 Achieving Liberation Quiet sitting is a way of giving rest to the mind-and-heart. When it is at rest, the spirit is at peace. When the spirit is at peace, the qi is sufficient. When the qi is sufficient, the blood is bright and both blood and qi flow vibrantly. Then, even if there is some ailment, one can get rid of it easily. If there is depletion, one can enhance qi to fullness; if there is sufficiency already, one can enhance it to greater increase. One can get rid of diseases now and prevent the arising of all future ailments. This is the least of it. Also, when the mind-and-heart is at rest, the spirit is radiant. When the spirit is radiant, the turning point is numinous [inner center is connected to heaven] . Resting in quietude, the mind-and-heart becomes more wondrous and one can obse rve the turning point in its full truth. All outside phenomena are clear and one sees cosmic order as being just right. Then one creates no more detachment to o rdinary affairs and is no longer alarmed by random disturbances. Seeing the ment al projections for what they are, one remains unaffected and can pervade all, na turally achieving a state where there is no subject of observation or one-sidedn ess of any kind. Then one can greatly apply the numinous pivot and achieve liber ation. No. 41 Resents When people get sick, they often resent it and develop a great deal of anger and frustration in their mind-and-heart. At this time it is essential to calm all m ental input and allow the mind-and-heart to find peace and stability. Doing so, one can slowly balance it, and health will soon be restored. Only when the mindand-heart is calm can the qi flow properly; and only when it does so can disease be eliminated. Otherwise, the mind-and-heart gets hectic and fire rises, liver qi is depleted, and the disease gets worse. When mind-and-heart and spirit are r estful and unified, the blood and qi that circulate through the body are natural ly healthy and whole, and bring forth a glow. As regards the mind, there are two: one is the perfect mind; the other is the di storted mind. The true mind is like water; the distorted mind is like waves. Wav es move because of wind, and when the wind stops the waves rest and the water no longer moves. Being serene and without thoughts: this is the mind of no-mind. No. 42 Insomnia If you can t sleep in the middle of the night, it is because your kidney water is deficient. Heart and kidneys are closely interrelated, so when water is deficien t, fire rises. This may well harm the spirit. No. 43 Mental Unrest If you have a lot of thoughts when trying to sleep at night and cannot calm down , do not toss and turn on your pillow, pursuing these thoughts. This will seriou
sly diminish the spirit. No. 44 Noon Hour The noon hour matches the mind-and-heart. Thus it is good to sit in meditation f or a quarter of an hour around this time. Close your eyes and nurture the spirit . This will strengthen mind and qi. No. 45 Getting Up In the morning it is best to get up between 3 and 5 am. If you do so, be careful to avoid all sadness and anger. Otherwise you will cause harm to the lungs and liver. Be very careful. No. 46 Stable Spirit All the various affairs of human life have their root in the spirit. All declini ng and rising, strength and weakness of spirit, moreover, completely depend on t he mind-and-heart. Thus spirit should be quiet, stable, and without agitation. E ven a small measure of agitation is enough to obstruct all the good work. No. 47 Qi and Blood In human life, the free flow of blood and qi is most important. If there is an o bstruction of qi, this may cause a stoppage of blood which can develop into all sorts of poisons. These in turn can cause clots, swellings, ulcers, cancers, and the like. All these come from blood and qi not flowing freely. In qi, the right circulation is most important; in blood, openness means vibranc y. All the hundred diseases come from an obstruction of qi. When the qi is block ed within, the first organ to be affected is the liver. The solution to this lie s in transforming and releasing it. To do so, there are two ways: 1. Seek out its root, which is in the mind-and-hea rt; when the mind-and-heart is empty, all transforms naturally. 2. Use medicatio n and massage to help it release, allowing the qi to regain its free flow. No. 48 Craving Nurturing and curing diseases cannot be hastened. This is because any rushing in inner nature supports fire and rising fire diminishes qi. Turn away from the wo rld and give up outside beauty. Go your own way and do not crave for much. Any c raving means lack of constancy and thus rushing inner nature. Thus the hundred d iseases all arise from craving and any increase in craving means an increase in disease and suffering. No. 49 Steam of Qi The heart belongs to fire; the kidneys belong to water. Heart and kidneys are cl osely interconnected. Fire has a tendency to sink down; water has a tendency to rise up. When fire and water are evenly balanced, a steam of qi arises within. E ach part of the body then moves appropriately and can be fully healthy. One can tell whether this is the case from examining the tongue. Without water t he tongue cannot live, thus the word for tongue combined with the three strokes si gnifying water is the word for life. On the tongue one can see each body part s stat e of disease whether light or serious and even judge the presence of life and death. No. 50 Healing from Serious Disease The way to heal yourself from serious disease: Do not fear death and firmly believe not only that this disease can be completel y cured but also that the body can attain exceptional good health and can reach great longevity. This is so because at the core of the body is a very special fa culty. These are not just empty words of consolation. Trust that even without any medicinal drugs or relying on special nurturing food
s, there is without yourself a great and wonderful method of eliminating disease and extending the years. Say to yourself: From today on, I will not be frustrated by my sick body, I will not keep thinking about what kind of disease I have, and I will under no circums tances compare myself to others. During the period of recuperation, don t let yourself think about work or regret l ost time and opportunities. Keep your mind-and-heart completely focused. Otherwi se you will delay or derail your healing. Reference: http://yijinjing.ro/health-rules/ Share Posted in Classic, Exercise, Philosophy, principle. -------------------------------------------------By thomas May 16, 2011 The Understanding of the Thirteen Postures 1. The Xin (mind/heart) motivates the qi, directs it to sink, so that it can be stored and concentrated into the bones. 2. Let the qi motivate the body without hindrance, so that it will effortlessly follow your xin (mind/heart). 3. If the shen (spirit) is raised, there will not be any sluggishness. This is t he meaning of the crown being suspended from above. 4. There should be agility in the interaction of the yi (mind intention) and qi, so that it [the qi] will be circular and lively. This is what is meant by, chang ing substantial and insubstantial . 5. When executing fajin (releasing the force) the body should relax and sink. Fo cus on the one direction. 6. When the body is upright, loose and tranquil, the feet will support all eight directions. 7. Direct the qi like threading the eaches everywhere unrestricted.
nine bend pearls , by flowing continuously it r
[When the qi flows throughout the body] the jin (relaxed force) is like tempered steel, overcoming all solid defences. 8. Have the appearance of a falcon preying on a hare. Concentrate the shen (spir it) like a cat stalking on a mouse. 9. Be calm like a mountain and move like a river. 10. Store up the jin (relaxed force) like drawing a bow, discharge the jin (rela xed force) like releasing an arrow. 11. Seek the straight in the curve, first store then discharge. 12. Force is released through the back, the steeps change with the body. 13. To receive is to release, if it disconnects then reconnect. 14. In moving forwards and backwards, there should be folding. In advancing and retreating, there should be changes of direction.
15. Extreme softness yields to extreme firmness and tenacity. 16. Only with the ability to inhale and exhale, will there be agility. 17. When qi is cultivated naturally, there is no harm. When jin (relaxed force) is stored, there will be a surplus. 18. The xin (mind/heart) is the commander, the qi is the flag, and the yao (wais t) is the banner. 19. First seek exspansion while opening then seek contraction while closing. It will lead to perfect refinement. 20. Its said: If the other does not move, I do not move. If the other has the sli ghtest movement, I move ahead . 21. The jin (force) seems song (relaxed), however it is not song (relaxed), it i s about to expand, although it has not yet expanded. The jin (relaxed force) mig ht disconnect, but mind must not. 22. It is also said: First the xin (mind/heart), then the body . 23. When the abdomen relaxes, the qi sinks into the bones. When the shen (spirit ) calms, the body becomes tranquil. 24. Keep this in xin (in your heart). Remember; when you move, every part moves. When you settle every part settles. 25. When moving forwards and backwards, the qi sticks to the back and permeates into the spine. 26. Internally be acutely aware of the shen (spirit), externally appear calm and relaxed. 27. Step like a cat. Transmit the jin (relaxed force) like reeling silk from a c ocoon. 28. The yi (intention) should be on the jingshen (spirit), not on the qi, otherw ise the qi will stagnate. With qi, extra-ordinary power will develop. Without qi there will only be li (brute strength). Qi is like a cart wheel and the yao (wa ist) is like the axle. Reference: Taijiquan Wuwei: A Natural Process translation by Wee Kee Jin 2003 ISBN: 0473097818 -------------http://neigong.net/2008/05/28/zhineng-qigong/ INTRODUCTION There are probably a few thousand styles of qigong in China. Among these, Zhinen g Qigong stands out as one of the most effective in improving a person s health an d nourishing his body with vital universal energy. Translated literally, Zhineng Qigong means Cultivating Intelligent Energy . Zhineng Qigong was created by Pang Ming , a gifted Qigong teacher with training in Chinese and Western medicine and who had received tutelage from 19 Grandmaste rs in qigong and martial arts since his early childhood. With the creation of Zh ineng Qigong, he has combined the ancient Chinese internal cultivation of Qigong as a healing art with the modern science knowledge of the body and mind. Qigong
practice which has been kept secret in China for over 5000 years within familie s and esoteric schools, has now been made available to the general public and be nefiting millions of people around the world. Dr. Pang also founded the largest medicine-less hospital in China , where Zhineng Qigong was used to study mind-bo dy science and its applications to self-healing. He has set up training centers in China that have trained thousands of qigong teachers, most of whom have chose n to dedicate their lives to share and teach qigong to the public. Purpose of Qigong Practice The purpose of qigong practice is to improve human life, such as improving physi cal fitness, enhancing creativity, uplifting emotion and uncovering hidden poten tial. Qigong offers a path to liberate us from our own limitations and social co nditioning and rediscover a higher state of freedom based on consciousness and w isdom. Through qigong, we learn to cultivate chi in our daily practice to progre ssively synchronize the physical and spiritual elements of our being. Qigong is different from other exercises such as sports. In qigong you direct yo ur mind inwards while in most exercises the mind is directed externally upon the competitors instead of the activity within the body. Qigong emphasizes cultivat ing virtue, refining consciousness, regulating breath, and moving the body, whil e sports are mainly focused on bodily movement. In moving the body, qigong uses the mind to direct chi, chi to direct the body, the movement of the body to serv e the spirit, mind and chi, and experience mystery of the body in total relaxati on. In sports, one is trained to focus on physical form while the mind is not di rected internally, instead towards the movement of the body or tools. The mind b ecomes the servant to facilitate and synchronize a sequence of movements, moving muscles, tendons, etc. In terms of regeneration within the body, sports promote the consumption of ener gy to accelerate this process through triggering the movement of muscles and tra nsforming chemical energy into mechanical energy. Therefore, it requires extra n utrition and more rest to recover the energy. In other words, sports and exercis e is designed to amplify the quantity of life energy that comes into and flows o ut of the body. In contrast, qigong training reduces the consumption of energy, slowing down the process of regeneration. It regulates the order of internal lif e activity and reorganizes the biological structure, therefore increasing life v itality. Two Systems of Qigong There are two systems of qigong, the closed system and the open system. The clos ed system emphasizes the elimination of external interference by isolating onese lf from the environment. This practice focuses on the internal regulation of ene rgy, mind and spirit. All attention is turned inwardly and all bodily senses are reduced to the minimal in the process in order to achieve greater concentration . The practice requires absolute isolation Zhineng Qigong is an open system. It emphasizes the connection between the indiv idual and the environment, between the human internal chi and universal external chi. The practice applies the universal chi to strengthen the person s Jing, Chi, and Shen. It also encourages the practice of Qigong through daily living. And i t stresses the importance of interaction between human and his environment. Both systems and the thousands of schools of teaching share the same goal of enh ancing the vitality of life, exploring potential intelligence, and improving the quality of life. As a beginner, it is important to choose a suitable method acc ording to one s own preference. Eventually, through practice of one particular for m and based on a strong foundation, one will be prepared to understand and incor porate different teachings in order to progress. Three Levels of Practice Zhineng Qigong is currently formulated into three levels of practice. These leve ls are summarized below: Level 1
Lift Chi Up and Pour Chi Down (Peng Qi Guan Ding Fa) This is the basic form of t he Level 1 practice and consists of a series of gentle body movements, synchroni zed with meditative visualization to open any blockages inside and promote the e xchange of Chi between the body and the Universe. The three sequences in this Fo rm are designed to gather Chi into the three Dantians. Three Centers Merge Standing Method (San Xin Ping Zhan Zhuang) This method utili zes a proper alignment of body and centering of mind into a powerful posture des igned to root the body into the earth, connect the three main meridians and coll ect Chi at the Dantian. The method can quickly attain strength and balance of en ergy. Stretching Chi (Chen Qi) This is an effective method to stimulate and mobilize i nternal physical chi and unify chi within the entire body as a whole. Wall Squatting (Dun Qiang) This involves a gentle up-down movement of the body w hile facing a wall. The practice corrects the spinal structure and relaxes the w hole body. It is a very effective stress reduction method and also gives a stron g feeling of Chi. With daily practice, it can lead to a high level of Qigong cul tivation. Level 2 Body & Mind Method (Xing Shen Zhuang) This is the basic form of the Level 2 prac tice, comprising 10 steps. It works with the internal chi within the body, to op en joints and meridians and accumulate Hun Yuan (universal) chi throughout the w hole body, from skin to bone. It is a discipline designed to unite the mind with the body and enhance the mind s ability to command the body, thereby integrating mind and body. Level 3 Five Elements Unified Method (Wu Yuan Zhuang) Using sound, movement, and breathi ng techniques, the method is to activate and balance the internal Chi of five or gans thereby unifying the essential Chi of the internal organs into the middle D antian. It helps to achieve physical cleansing as well as emotional balance.
