Qi Gong Theory the Basic Theory Behind Qi Gong and Much of Chinese Medicine Is That Stagnant Breath and Qi Are the Root Causes of Disease

Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System

The Daoist Way to Health, Long Life & Boundless Energy

Tom Bisio

CONTENTS

Preface 5

Introduction 8

Chapter 1 Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System 11 Ancient Technologies for Modern Times

Chapter 2 Mountain Sages 15 The Life Nourishing Tradition in Ancient China

Chapter 3 Ge Hong & Chen Tuan 21 Inspiration & Insight into Longevity & Transcendence from Two Daoist Sages

Chapter 4 Dao Yin 49 Unblocking the Meridians & Balancing the Qi Dynamic

Chapter 5 Daoist Yoga 55 Balancing the Fascial Web & Opening Energy Gates

Chapter 6 Qi Gong 63 Healing the Organs and Strengthening the Body

Chapter 7 Longevity Diet 73 Nourishing the Life Force

Chapter 8 Internal Martial Arts 81 Strengthening the Will & Adapting to Change

Chapter 9 Ba Gua Energy Practices 91 Connecting Heaven & Earth

Chapter 10 Daoist Meditation 95 Calming the Heart Mind & Transforming Energy into Spirit

Chapter 11 Sexual Cultivation 105 Connecting Life Force with Qi & Spirit

Chapter 12 Heavenly Qi 119 Living in Harmony with the Seasons

Chapter 13 Herbal Medicine 127 Supporting & Nourishing the Three Treasures

Chapter 14 Steps on the Path 133 Stages of Self-Cultivation

Chapter 15 A Daoist Life Style? 137 Ongoing Change & Transformation

Chapter 16 Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System 139 Summary & Resources

Preface After more than 30 years of clinical practice I developed unusual palpatory, massage, acupuncture and bone setting skills through martial arts training and apprenticeships in Chinese medicine. As these skills flourished and matured, my practice was very busy. I almost always got results, but my patients all-to0-often needed to return for more treatments. One of the unfortunate things I discovered was that the better I became at treating acute illnesses and acute trauma, the less patients were willing to implement the suggested life-style and dietary advice that could prevent them from becoming ill in the first place. Many patients asked me how I stayed healthy and fit. I would enthusiastically mention Qi Gong, internal martial arts, and living in harmony with the seasons. Most were not interested in pursuing these seemingly esoteric disciplines that were not the latest fad. It was also not unusual for people to continue to perform damaging exercises or to adhere to questionable diets, that I warned them would lead to the same problem we had just “fixed” recurring again. Several responded that they would rather pay me to treat them, so they could continue that behavior rather than changing it, despite my response that one day, too much damage would be done and at that point repairing the damage might not be possible. The exceptional patients were those who were genuinely interested in Chinese medicine or martial arts students and Qi Gong practitioners who were already engaging with Chinese health practices on more than a superficial level. These patients would only need to come in periodically, sometimes with years between appointments, because they saw that taking charge of their own health was the most effective way to prevent illness and lead a healthy and full life. There is an oft-quoted observation that there are three types of Chinese physicians: Superior doctors prevent the disease, mediocre doctors treat the disease before it is evident, and inferior doctors treat the disease when it is already manifest. By this standard, by the end of my clinical practice, I realized to my chagrin, that I would certainly be placed in the camp of the inferior doctor! However let’s look at the quote more closely. The Superior Doctor really does not treat anyone – he or she is not performing acupuncture and massage or giving out herbal prescriptions. The Superior Doctor teaches people how to prevent disease so their “patients” do not get sick and do not place themselves in positions that will lead to illness. The Superior Doctor is really a kind of Daoist Sage who acts effectively by “not acting”, or acting just enough. This person is not really “treating” patients but dispensing life wisdom.

In internal martial arts training I learned very early on to treat small injuries immediately so they did not become big injuries. This is the so - called “mediocre” doctor (although actually quite sophisticated upon reflection), who treats the disease before it is really evident, when there are only small signs that something is amiss. The Yi Jing tells us that big changes begin with small, almost insignificant signs. If we act when things are small, it is easy to flow with the changing circumstances and restore balance. If we wait, heroic efforts are required. Unfortunately much of modern Chinese Medicine, just like Western Medicine, focuses on treating the disease after it has a lready occurred – the realm of the inferior doctor, where heroic measures are needed. Don't get me wrong, this is an important and necessary part of medicine, but ideally, being the recipient of heroic life-saving measures should be a wake up call, an entry point for the patient to begin to take care of their own health. In Western culture we have been culturally conditioned to love heroic measures - the physician who pulls out all the stops to save someone’s life, or the soldiers who turn the tide of battle at the last possible moment through remarkable heroism and bravery. We find the idea that the battle could have been won without bloodshed (or not fought at all), or that the doctor could have prevented the disease, if he or she intervened sooner, a bit lukewarm. In Asia the opposite is the case. The great general is the one who wins without fighting, and the great doctor is the one who acts minimally but prevents disease from taking root. In the West, we are drawn to the new restrictive diet that promises all kinds of benefits, even though it goes against the seasons, balance, and common sense, and we want the magic food supplement or herb that will prevent cancer. These things are touted publically and are great moneymakers for their creators. In the East, diet and supplemental foods must adhere to proven centuries-old principles that have withstood the test of time, and are woven into the fabric of daily life. No one get s famous or makes a lot of money touting these things. Reflecting on these experiences and ideas after closing my clinic several years ago to return to teaching martial arts, Yang Sheng (Life Nourishing) methods, meditation, and Qi Gong, led me organize the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. The Two Immortals System is organized around very sophisticated methods of preventing disease, promoting health, and even extending life that were discovered over two millennia ago in ancient China. Daoist Life Nourishing methods are not esoteric; they are direct and practical, as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. Some of their principles of operation are only now being substantiated by Western “science.”

The methods for Nourishing Life and promoting longevity taught in the Two Immortals System are effective and very quickly create profound changes in health, one’s sense of well-being and one’s outlook on life. These methods are life changing. To use another oft-quoted saying: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. By learning the methods presented in the Two Immortals System, you take charge of your own health. Instead of relying on an outside expert to figure out what is happening inside you, you become the master of your own inner and outer worlds. You learn how to prevent disease entirely, by moving in harmony with the world rather than against it, and you learn how to adjust small imbalances in mind and body, before they become large. You become the sage-like doctor who prevents disease within your own body. Over the years, people who have consistently engaged with some of the knowledge and practices that are part of this program have experienced vast improvements in health, less illness, increased energy, a more positive outlook on life, and even reversal of the aging process. This book outlines the philosophy and methods contained within the Two Immortals System. It is a useful guide to understanding how the different components of health and Nourishing Life fit together into a cohesive whole. The book is meant to help you as you begin to actively engage with and navigate the practices in the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. I sincerely hope you find it useful. Tom Bisio (2020)

Introduction The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System teaches and promotes practical, contemporary Daoist approaches to improving health, balanced living, longevity, and an embodied spiritual path that is free of ritual, rules and constraint. I first encountered Daoist teachings almost 40 years ago through the martial arts, starting a path that would lead me to study and later teach Chinese Medicine, Daoist Meditation, Daoist Yoga, Qi Gong, and Daoist influenced martial arts like Xing Yi Quan and Ba Gua Zhang. The Two Immortal Life Nourishing Longevity System is a product of that journey. The Daoist approach to meditation and spiritual practices involves first balancing the body, promoting health, and augmenting and optimizing the life force. Balance and health changes the body’s internal energy patterns from which growth and change naturally must flow. By living longer and living well, one creates an energetic reservoir that acts as a foundation to allow further development of one’s higher self. Many people who practice the health and longevity methods taught in our online classes report a return to a level of health that they had decades early. They regain the internal body potential they had as a child, now imbued and enriched by life experience and Daoist wisdom. One student recounts: Over the past few years I have purchased all of your Qi Gong/Nei Gong courses...5 element, 6 healing sounds, and Seasonal Qi Gong. They have given me the opportunity to put together a very nice workout routine for myself that focuses on maintaining an energetically balanced physical/psychological/spiritual practice as I age over time. (Currently I'm 68). These teachings have slowed and in some cases reversed my aging process to the point where I now feel and exhibit a level of health that I had 20 to 30 years ago. And now with the addition of your Daoist Yoga class, I feel a whole other level of excitement and internal body awareness potential soon to become an integral part of who I am. Gary M. Daoist practices are ancient technologies created by Daoist sages who lived in harmony with the surrounding world. Through close observation of natural forces and energetic patterns in nature, Daoists discovered ways of augmenting their life force and increasing the body’s energy potential. They further discovered that this in turn had positive effects on the mind and spirit that led not only to a more positive and worry-free life, but also to spiritual achievement and transcendence.

The discoveries of the ancient Daoists can be viewed as technologies of the body and mind that have withstood the test of time; they are as valid today as they were two thousand years ago. The techniques and methods that are part of the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System were created in times of strife, warfare, and famine. These methods were, and still are, a means of maintaining health and mental and spiritual equanimity in times of great stress and uncertainty. For this reason, Daoist Life Nourishing methods have been passed on through the centuries, from generation to generation; perhaps they are needed today more than ever. In organizing and working with the Two Immortals System, we take two Daoist Sages as our models, Ge Hong and Chen Tuan, who exemplify our approach to self-cultivation. Both men employed a variety of self- cultivation methods in order to address all aspects of human life, and in order to develop themselves and guide others. Both directed their efforts toward openly promoting the importance of self-cultivation and spiritual transcendence without becoming leaders of a formal religion, and without creating hierarchies and fixed rules. More can be read about Ge Hong and Chen Tuan in Chapter 3. In the spirit of Ge Hong and Chen Tuan, there are no honorary titles, archaic clothing, or uniforms in the Two Immortals System, and there are no secret techniques and methods. We simply offer open access to profound and effective health preservation techniques and self- cultivation methods that are deeply rooted in Daoist wisdom. The purpose of the Two Immortal Life Nourishing Longevity System is to provide information, instruction, and guidance to others, so that each person can discover their own individual path toward vibrant heath, longevity, self-cultivation, and transcendence. In this sense the word “system” may be misleading, because it implies something that is fixed, with a series of carefully demarcated steps to arrive at a specified goal. “System” here can be taken to mean a body of interlocking and interconnected self-cultivation and life practices that offer a variety of expressions and paths for fostering health and mental and spiritual growth. The pages that follow outline the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. Having an overview of the system helps individuals investigate and navigate their own path.

Chapter 1 Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System Ancient Technologies for Modern Times

Daoist teachings contain many methods for the development and transformation of the internal energy of human beings. Thousands of years ago, proto-Daoist Yang Sheng (Life Nourishing) adepts began to study and experiment with methods of extending life. Over many centuries, sages and hermits who lived in harmony with the natural world, developed self-cultivation techniques that nourished the life force, prevented disease, extended one’s lifespan, and cultivated spiritual transcendence. One important discovery the ancient sages made was that because human life has many aspects, no one method would suffice to nourish life and promote longevity. One needed an interlocking system of methods and techniques in order to address the many aspects of human existence – work, play, diet, sexuality, seasonal change, health and disease, and physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual life. Moreover, these methods had to be natural, and resonate with the universal energies of which human beings are a part. While Daoism is now generally understood as a religion, Daoist practices were originally not part of any systemic, regulated, hierarchical system. Daoist teachings provide every individual, no matter their belief system, with an integral practice for nourishing life, and living all of life to the fullest. Daoist methods of self-cultivation seek to inspire and teach individuals how to perfect themselves by harmonizing with the natural forces in the world around us. Rather than denying the world, Daoist life nourishing longevity practices build vibrant health while simultaneously showing us how to live fully and freely, and without fear in an uncertain world. The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System is not a series of fixed steps, or a set curriculum, but a serious of interlocking methods that nourish the health of the whole body and interact with all aspects of human life. Our methodology is to provide a framework in which each individual can explore his or her own path to self-cultivation. Each individual has a different constitution, a different history, and a different life trajectory that has drawn him or her to Daoist methods of self- cultivation, longevity and transcendence. Therefore, each individual must ultimately find their own path. The written material, online courses,

and the teachers and presenters of the Two Immortals System all act as guides to assist you in finding your own way. The purpose of the Two Immortals System is to give you the tools to maintain an energetically balanced physical, psychological, and spiritual practice, one that excites and maintains your internal energy, promoting health and vibrant energy while developing an internal body awareness and a potential to become an integral part of who you are - to embrace your true self and your own inner spirit without artifice or pretense. One of the unique aspects of Daoism is the recognition that mind, body, and spirit interweave, and that spiritual transformation begins with cultivation of the physical substrate and the internal energy, rather than the mind alone. By strengthening the life force and the physical structure of the body, one prepares the body and strengthens the mind and the will for the path of further self-cultivation and ultimate transcendence. This path improves health and resistance to disease, so that one can enjoy a fuller, longer and more vibrant life. Daoism is replete with tales of Daoist Immortals with formidable powers of physical prowess and strength, who do not age and do not die, but eventually disappear into the heavens on the back of a crane or dragon. As most of us have never met a Daoist immortal, and likely do not believe that Daoist Immortals exist, it is reasonable to question the relevance of immortality to ordinary people living mortal lives. For most of us, simply trying to achieve equanimity and a measure of happiness in the face of life’s ups and d owns are more pressing concerns than immortality. However, if we look at the notion of immortality as a positive example of superior functioning of body, mind and psyche, it shows a way to improve our lives and our mental and physical health. Reggie Pawle, a Daoist-influenced family therapist points out: Daoism with its goal of immortality is implicitly a very positive psychology. It is saying, “To deal with your life concerns, what you need to do is nurture the life force within you. Doing so, you can live better and longer, and maybe you don’t even need to die. The Daoist focus on life also distinguishes it from the India-originated yoga and Buddhist practices. Both of these assert that a person’s desire to live is attachment that must be let go of in orde r to realize their goal. Daoism, however, asserts that letting go of the attachment to life is not necessary. Rather what is needed is to harmonize this attachment with the life force that permeates the universe.1

1 “Immortality and Psychology in Mortal Life” Reggie Pawle, in Living Authentically: Daoist Contributions to Modern Psychology. Livia Kohn ed. (Dunedin, FL: Three Pines

The famous Daoist text the Dao De Jing tells us repeatedly that aligning with nature is a means of personal cultivation, and it specifies how an attunement with natural forces changes us, creating compassion and humility. The person who seeks to attune with natural patterns of things does not attempt to impose his or her will on the world. This person encourages growth and nourishment within themselves, and within others, without telling them how to grow or how to be. It generates and nourishes. It acts and does not possess. It causes growth but does not rule. This is called the mysterious Te (Power/Potency).2 -Dao De Jing Chapter 10

The heightened internal and energetic state produced by attunement with nature gradually resolves obstructions to the internal energy flow, which lead to disease and early aging. As the internal energy flow becomes smooth and strong, one experiences health and boundless energy, and a restitution of one’s true inner nature and natural serenity. The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System offers a Daoist lifestyle that is easily integrated into one’s life, regardless of culture or religion. Harmonizing one’s inner nature is a way of following the natural order of the world that is without dogma, coercion or specific rules. The methods and principles contained in this system are technologies that that have withstood the test of time, and are accessible to all. The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System simply gives one access to these methods and technologies with guidance, and without secrecy or obfuscation.

2 Ho Shang Kung’s Commentary on Lao Tse Eduard Erkes Trans. (Switzerland Artibus Asiae, Ancona: 1950), p. 28.

Photo by Valerie Ghent (Taiyuan, China)

14 Chapter 2 Mountain Sages The Life Nourishing Tradition in Ancient China

Yang Sheng A growing number of modern scholars and historians believe that Daoist self-cultivation methods were largely created in antiquity, as part of the early Yang Sheng (“Nourishing Life” 养生) tradition developed by hermits and sages who practiced self-cultivation in the forests and mountains of ancient China. Yang Sheng methods may have developed from philosophical schools of thought that arose in the Zhou Dynasty (1000-256 BCE), in particular the School of Yin Yang, also known as the School of the Naturalists. Through close observation of the natural world, the Yin Yang School developed and synthesized theories about Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. The Yin Yang School was later absorbed into life nourishing and “internal alchemy” meditation practices that became part of Daoism and traditional Chinese medicine. In the Han Dynasty (202 BCE to 220 CE), Yang Sheng methods became a major concern of the Fang Shi (“Recipe” or “Technique” Masters”) of the Han Court. Texts on Nourishing Life detailed techniques and methods for absorbing and circulating Qi in the body. These techniques included breathing and meditation exercises, physical yogic exercises, diet, herbal medicines, and sexual techniques. Some exercises mimicked animals, while others involved regulated breathing combined with body movements that stretched and opened the joints and meridians, in order to direct and balance the flow of internal energy (Qi). Texts excavated from ancient tombs make it clear that a wide range of longevity techniques had been developed before the Han Dynasty. Some of the most important of these texts are a corpus of medical manuscripts (dated to 169 BCE) excavated from Mawangdui in Hubei Province. Techniques described in the Mawangdui texts include Qi Gong and Dao Yin exercises that mimic animals, stretch and pull on the sinews, and regulated breathing combined with yogic practices that stretch and open the joints and meridians, in order to direct and balance the flow of internal energy. Other texts detailed methods of meditation, sexual cultivation, diet, theories on meridians and energetic channels, and herbal cures for various diseases. These texts are thought to pre-date the Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), a text which forms the classical basis of the practice of much of modern Chinese Medicine. Early Dao Yin from the Mawangdui Texts

In addition to the Mawangdui tomb documents, there are other earlier proto-Daoist texts, like the Nei Ye (內業 Inward Training), thought to have been written around 350 BCE, which describes techniques of meditation, breathing and Qi circulation. The Nei Ye is believed to have influenced classic Daoist texts like the Dao De Jing and the Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu). Ge Hong, a Daoist adept of the 3 rd century, collated many of the Yang Sheng techniques from earlier periods. In his writings, Ge Hong also names and discusses the lives of almost one hundred Yang Sheng recluses who lived in the mountains and forests. His writings provide indications of vibrant networks of Daoist or Proto-Daoist, communities located throughout the mountainous areas of China, while simultaneously giving us a picture of the life of a mountain hermit.3 I say “Proto-Daoist” because Ge Hong, and those whom he describes, did not refer to themselves as “Daoists.” The techniques that they practiced and the social strata within which they practiced had no overall name, as it had no unity and no known unifier before Ge Hong.4

3 In the Shadows of the Dao: Lao zi, the Sage and the Dao De Jing. Thomas Michael (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015) p. 99. 4 To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth – Translation and Study of Ge Hong’s Traditions of Divine Transcendants. Robert Ford Campany (Berkeley: University of California Press 2002) p.6.

16 From Ge Hong we get a picture of at least six different aspects of Yang Sheng (more about this in Chapter Three): • Living in Harmony with nature • Dietary Regulation • Meditation • Qi Gong Exercises & Physical Movements (Originally known as Dao Yin) • Sexual Cultivation Methods • Herbal Medicines Some of the earliest Dao Yin (Qi Gong) practices involved moving like animals, and may have evolved from hunting practices and shamanic dances during which the shaman communicated with spirits and animals and cured illness. Some exercises, like those practiced in Seasonal Qi Gong, are clearly designed to dispel pathogens and guide them out of the body. When and how these earlier, loosely organized practices became associated with the Dao De Jing ( or Laozi), is unclear. Most of us are familiar with the Dao De Jing as a philosophical text, but not everyone is aware of the overlap of vocabulary and terminology between the Dao De Jing and early Yang Sheng texts. One of the oldest known commentaries on the Dao De Jing is attributed to He Shang Gong (Ho Shang Kung). In reading his commentary, it is clear that He Shang Gong aims at enabling the reader to make practical use of the Dao De Jing, teaching him or her how to use the book as a guide to Yang Sheng practices. To this end, He Shang Gong gives chapter headings that serve as instructions or guideposts for the practice of Qi Gong and meditation. Like a “how to” book, these headings attempt to instruct the reader in key concepts about the circulation of Qi that pervade Yang Sheng methods. For example, in Chapter 5 - “How to Use Emptiness” the text says: The space between heaven and earth, Should it not be like a bellows? Who talks much is soon emptied. This is not equal to keeping to the center.5

5 Ho-Shang-Kung’s Commentary on Lao-Tse, translated and annotated by Eduard Erkes. Switzerland: Press of Artibus Asiae Ascona (First published in Journal Artibus Saiae),1950, p. 20.

17 Human beings vibrate in the space between Heaven and Earth, and the Qi (“breaths”) of Heaven and Earth flow through us. The bellows represents the life nourishing movement of Qi and Breath, moving in a harmonious flow. The quote on the previous page is talking about the cultivation of Qi as actualized in Qi Gong practices. This passage also references meditation. For example, talking empties rather than fills this space, so the passage advises us to save and cultivate the breath, and diminish idle talk, because words often create a gap between the speaker and listener. He Shang Gong’s passage implies that a true understanding of one’s moment-to-moment reality cannot be described with words, but must be experienced in silence. The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System is heavily influenced by the earlier “Proto-Daoist” tradition that comes down to us from mountain recluses like Ge Hong and Chen Tuan (see Chapter 3). Many of these early methods have been transmitted through martial arts, Qi Gong, and Yang Sheng lineages to the present day, and the techniques are still practiced in many forms and combinations. Because psychological and spiritual processes are tied to physiological processes, Yang Sheng practices often begun by first cultivating the life force and the physical body. Usually this “physical cultivation” begins with fortifying and strengthening the vitality through the kidneys and their association with Jing-Essence, the physiological substrate of the body. Part of strengthening vitality involves exercises that strengthen the will (Zhi) such as yogic exercises, holding postures, or even methods of mediation, all have connections with martial exercises. The will is ‘housed” by the kidneys. Therefore a strong will, to some degree, depends on gathering and storing Qi and Jing in Dan Tian, a practice that is an essential part of Daoist Yoga, Meditation, Qi Gong and the internal martial arts. Fortifying the kidneys and the will is the strong physical and mental foundation necessary to actualize one’s goals and aspirations, and therefore to persist in the disciplined practice of meditation and inner transformation. Xing & Ming The life nourishing aspects of Yang Sheng practices are often referred to as Ming. Ming can mean “life,” “destiny,” “vital force” or “fate.” Ming refers to an individual’s existence on earth. Therefore Ming is associated with one’s life force and one’s existence, and even more specifically, with one’s lifespan - the duration of one’s life.

18 命 Ming The Ming ideogram above can also mean to call out, or to hail. The character for Ming is essentially Ling (令 command) with the mouth radical (Kou 口) added. Ming and Ling together (命令) can mean “to order,” “command” or “a directive.” The character for Ming is also said to depict the two kidneys viewed from the back.6 In cultivating Ming we are cultivating Qi and the Qi Dynamic, which in turn reinforces Jing, and helps it gather and coalesce in Dan Tian. While cultivating Ming and will, one is simultaneously cultivating Xing (Inner Nature). 性 Xing Xing usually refers to someone’s (or something’s) character or disposition, and its inherent possibility. Xing is comprised of 忄 (from 心 xin – “heart”) and 生 sheng (“birth” or “life”). More specifically, Xing refers to the innate nature of the Heart-Mind with which one is born, and its possibility. This includes both our instinctive animal nature and the human qualities we associate with our higher self. An important part of Xing is related to how we understand ourselves - our tendencies, openness, adaptability, and our ability to change and transform. Xing refers to the innate nature with which one is born, while Ming can refer to what is acquired after birth. Ming can also refer to the idea of self-cultivation, and Xing to what the person experiences from self- cultivation. One cultivates Life (Ming) to realize one’s Nature (Xing). Once Nature (Xing) is realized, one’s Life (Ming) is revitalized and renewed.7 Over the course of time, some Yang Sheng exponents delineated two main emblematic and usually intertwined paths of self-cultivation. The first, related to Xing, is based on cultivating the mind, with the intention of removing the blocks that prevent one from seeing one’s True Nature. This usually involved sitting in stillness and removing extraneous thoughts in order to clearly see the True Nature of things The second, related to Ming, is based on purifying various components of the body, and increasing one’s life force (Jing and Qi) in order to extend one’s life.8

6 Daoism: a Guide for the Perplexed. Louis Komjathy (New York & London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2014). 7 Immortal: True Accounts of the 250 Year-Old Man. Li Qingyun. Yang Sen, Stuart Alve Olsen, trans, (Phoenix: Valley Spirit Arts, 2014) p. 178. 8 On the Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing or Human Nature. Fabrizio Pregadio. (道教研究學報：宗教、歷史與社會第六期 No. 6, 2014) p.157–218.

19 Although some Daoist authors have asserted the superiority of Xing and seated meditation, disparaging the physical cultivation practices associated with Ming, these authors seem heavily influenced by Buddhist meditation ideas in which one subjugates the body and self in order to dissolve the attachment to things, and dissolve into emptiness. In Buddhism, suffering is the result of our inability to “let go” of the attachments one has to this world and the things in this world (including the body), which are considered illusionary. In Daoist Yang Sheng practices, rather than suppressing the self and its attachments to this world, the goal is to engage in an ongoing process of transformation and transmutation. One lets go of desires simply in order to view the world from the perspective of consciousness itself. As a friend of mine puts it, in Daoist practices, I am seeking the Eye of my I - seeking to dissolve my ego and the desires that arise from it, and to enter a state where I am seeing things from the point-of-view of my observational consciousness. In general, most Daoist practitioners see Xing and Ming as two sides of a coin, two aspects of the same practice, each leading to and each dependent upon the other. Meditation is imbedded in the physical practices, like Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga, Qi Gong, Dietary Modification, Sexual Cultivation, Standing Exercises (Zhan Zhuang), and internal martial arts, and these physical practices enhance and provide a foundation for meditative practices. All of these elements are interwoven, but are sometimes separated for ease of learning or for different specific purposes. Chen Ying Ning, a Daoist from the Dragon Gate School of Daoism summarizes the interconnection of Xing and Ming succinctly: Xing and Ming are like an oil lamp. Ming is the oil and Xing is the brilliance of the flame. Without the oil, there could be no flame, but without the flame, the oil would remain unused.9

9 What is Xing Ming? Posted on October 18, 2016. http://daoistmeditation.com/2016/10/18/what-is-xing-ming

20 Chapter 3 Ge Hong & Chen Tuan Inspiration and Insight into Longevity & Transcendence From Two Daoist Sages

Two Sages Two Daoist Sages are the inspiration and models for the teachings presented in the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. Ge Hong and Chen Tuan are two Daoist sages who have inspired many seekers on the path of spiritual development over the centuries. Ge Hong lived in in the 3rd Century, and Chen Tuan in the 10th century. Both men had profound influence on later generations. Their life and teachings furnish us with two different approaches to self-cultivation, longevity, and transcendence. Ge Hong and Chen Tuan directed their efforts toward openly promoting the importance of self-cultivation and spiritual transcendence without becoming leaders of a formal religion, and without creating hierarchies and fixed rules. They are exemplars that each of us can look up to as we find our own individual path toward vibrant heath, longevity, self- cultivation, and transcendence. Ge Hong was one of the first to write about and catalogue ancient Yang Sheng self-cultivation methods from earlier eras and ancient books. He provides us with an inspirational example of someone whose feet are firmly on the path of self-cultivation and immortality. Ge Hong unified many diverse practices into a cohesive approach to nourishing life, and extending one’s lifespan. This had an enormous effect on future generations of Daoist adepts. From Ge Hong we learn how to integrate different methods of self- cultivation and connect them with ethical behavior in order to create a systemic and practical approach to self-cultivation, longevity, and transcendence. Chen Tuan was said to have been astonishingly intelligent as a child, with a natural gift for spiritual self-cultivation. We know little about his life. Chen Tuan provides us with a picture of the perfected sage. He serves as an example of how to apply one’s own inner wisdom to many different areas of human life. Chen Tuan’s teaching and his practice of Sleeping Meditation give us insight into transcending the small and often petty aspects of everyday life, in order to embrace the numinous and eternal. Chen Tuan advocated the integrated cultivation of Spiritual Essence, and the refinement of the body and life force through Yang Sheng practices like Dao Yin and Qi Gong, purification and calming of the mind, regulating breathing, martial arts and various forms of Daoist Meditation and Inner Alchemy (Nei Dan), thereby laying a foundation for Daoist traditions that flourished in Song and Yuan dynasties. Ge Hong’s Life & Times Ge Hong (葛洪 Ko Hung) lived in the Six Dynasties Period (220–589 CE) of China. In the Six Dynasties Period there were six successive dynasties in South China that had their capitals at Jianye (present-day Nanjing), while the North was ruled by a succession of kingdoms founded by invaders from Central Asia. During this period, the Confucian system that had ordered the Han society began to break down, and the growing influence of Daoism and the importation of Buddhism worked profound changes everywhere. Buddhism became a great popular religion, embraced by the Northern invaders. The decline of Han Dynasty Confucian orthodoxy, in combination with war and social disruption, made people increasingly aware of the transience of human life. This opened up inquiry into finding a more ultimate or transcendent self-identity outside the existing social order. Part of this was a yearning for a life of solitude and tranquility, with growing focus on practices related to the world of the Chinese “Immortals,” which emphasized self-cultivation of mind and body in order to increase one’s lifespan and transcend the normal and accepted order of things.10 Ge Hong was an aristocratic scholar-official who was born into an influential family. He was an educated man who read and studied the Confucian classics. Later, he studied for many years with Zheng Yin, who was both a Confucian classicist and a Daoist adept. Under Zheng Yin’s tutelage, Ge began his study of self-cultivation practices related to immortality. Zheng Yin himself was a disciple of Ge’s uncle, Ge Xuan, who was reputed to have become an immortal.11 Early in his career, Ge was a military officer who organized and led troops into battle. At various points in his life he studied with different Daoist masters and led a life of seclusion. During other periods he was an official of the Eastern Jin dynasty, and at times he treated patients with herbal medicine and acupuncture. Toward the end of his life, Ge Hong took up residence at Luofu, near Guanzhou, where he engaged in self- cultivation practices until his death in 343.

10 “Ko Hung's Discourse of Hsien-Immortality: A Taoist Configuration of an Alternate Ideal Self-Identity” Chi-Tim Lai Numen Vol. 45, No. 2 (1998), pp. 183-220. 11 Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (www.iep.utm.edu/gehong/#H5)

22 Ge Hong is often regarded as an alchemist who experimented with herbs and minerals. In the Bao Pu Zi he describes a method for “alloying cinnabar.” However as Daoist scholar Fabrizio Pregadio points out, although Ge Hong has often been called “the greatest Chinese alchemist,” he states twice in his writings that he never compounded an elixir. His immortalization as an “alchemist” is largely a creation of Daoist hagiography that was endorsed by Confucian literati.12 In many parts of the text, Ge Hong is clearly talking about Internal Alchemy (Nei Dan), which has nothing to do with actually ingesting or transmuting precious metals and minerals. Nei Dan texts often employ allusions to transmuting lead, pearl, jade and cinnabar as metaphors for internal transformational processes. Ge Hong’s Writings Ge Hong was the first of several explicitly Daoist physicians to write about the practice of inner alchemy, life extending self-cultivation, and transcendence. He wrote Teachings of the Master Who Embraces Simplicity (Bao Pu Zi 抱樸子) and Traditions of Divine Transcendents (Shen Xian Zhuan 神仙傳). The “Inner Chapters” of the Bao Pu Zi discuss techniques to achieve immortality and transcendence, internal alchemy, the use of herbs, Daoist Meditation, physical longevity practices like Daoist Yoga and Dao Yin, protective talismans, and avoiding demons and illness. The “Outer Chapters” discuss government, politics, scholarship, Confucianism and Legalism, and include Ge Hong’s autobiography. The Yang Sheng and “Daoist” techniques that Ge Hong practiced and wrote about pre-date him, passed down through written and oral transmissions. The strata of techniques and methods that Ge Hong advocated were not unified. They came from a proto-Daoist tradition of Nourishing Life and transcendence that, for the most part, only became known as “Daoist” after Ge Hong’s time. This is in large part due to the efforts of Ge Hong himself, who collated and organized many seemingly disparate practices. Ge Hong was the first to systematically describe the history and theory of Daoist immortality techniques such as “preserving unity” (Shou Yi 守一), circulating energy (Xing Qi 行氣), “guiding and pulling” (Dao Yin), and sexual longevity techniques (Fang Zhong Shu 房中术).

12 “Seeking immortality in ge hong’s baopu zi nei pian” Fabrizio Pregadio

23 According to Daoist scholar Robert Ford Campany: Ge Hong is best seen as a collector and unifier, but hardly a systematizer, of a congeries of techniques the sole commonality of which is the goal of prolonging and enhancing the life of the human biospiritual organism. He arranged these techniques into a hierarchy based on his view of their respective degrees of effectiveness and prestige, and he sought to bring them all under a common philosophical icotheological umbrella: that of the “Obscure” or” Mystery”(Xuan),13 another name for or an epithet for the Dao.14 Campany is accurate in this assessment, but Ge Hong did more then just collect methods for prolonging life. He also wrote books on Chinese medicine including Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang (Emergency Prescriptions to Keep Up One’s Sleeve), in which he recorded treatment methods for more that 70 acute diseases that were easy to diagnosis and treat. Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang is a medical book dealing with emergencies, and most of the medicinal herbs listed in it are those easily found in the countryside. Indications are narrated in verses for easy memorization and the acupuncture techniques are clearly described for study and practical use. The book includes first aid treatments for diseases like stroke, coma, and acute abdominal pain. Here we find references to pressing GV 26 (Ren Zhong) with a fingernail for stroke, a technique still used today to save lives, and one now substantiated by modern science. One interesting formula is essentially a folk remedy for the common cold, Green Onion and Prepared Soya Bean Soup - composed of scallion stalk and fermented soya beans. Many of these treatments are still used today by modern practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine. Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang also includes a passage on treating malaria with an extract made from the sweet wormwood shrub (Artemisia annua). This passage led a contemporary Chinese scientist to the discovery of how to make use of this plant to treat malaria.15 In his writings and life Ge tried to reconcile Confucianism with Daoism, two philosophies that were often at odds with each other during China’s long history. Ge asserted that Confucianism and Daoism addressed different aspects of life. Confucianism addressed the external world and provided a practical philosophy for improving society, while Daoism largely concerned itself with one’s inner world and provided a means by which to extend life and attain immortality.

13 ⽞ Xuan: black, dark, profound, abstruse, mysterious. 14 To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth – Translation and Study of Ge Hong’s Traditions of Divine Transcendents. Robert Ford Campany (Berkeley: University of California Press 2002) p. 8. 15 Ge Hong and Zhou Hou Jiu Zu Fang (A Handbook of Formulas for Emergencies) Min Li and Yong Xuan Liang*School of Basic Medical Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China

24 Ge Hong as depicted by Gan Bo Zong (Woodcut print, Tang Dynasty)

Ge Hong on Self-Cultivation Ge Hong has had a huge influence on generations of Daoist practitioners seeking long life and transcendence. Ge Hong felt that no one method or practice was sufficient to attain long life and transcendence. Ge embraces the Daoist and Chinese medical viewpoint that since each person receives a finite amount of Qi at birth, embracing a variety of Yang Sheng methods was necessary to retain and enhance one’s internal energies - including breathing exercises, sexual techniques, Qi Gong and yogic exercises, dietary restrictions, and the ingestion of herbal medicines. Ge Hong felt that none of these methods is infallible, so he recommends that an adept should practice a number of them in combination with each other. Ge Hong also saw the profusion of these methods as opportunities. Each technique brings benefit; the adept’s task is to select the essentials from each and combine them into a m any-faceted, carefully balanced program of self-cultivation, capped by the preparation of one of the greater elixirs.16 Ge believed that by doing so it was possible to protect oneself from illnesses, demons, and savage beasts, while simultaneously lessening desires, transforming the body, and extending one’s lifespan.17

16 To Live as Long as Heaven and Earth: Translation and Study of Ge Hong’s Traditions of Divine TranscendentS by Robert Ford Campany, (Berkeley: University of California Press 1959) p.81-82. 17 Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (www.iep.utm.edu/gehong/#H5)

25 In the following characteristic passages from the Bao Pu Zi, Ge discourses on the importance of having multiple approaches to self- cultivation: Those who fully understand the principles of nourishing life ingest the divine medicines. In addition, they circulate their breath without negligence, and they practice Dao Yin from morning to evening so that their constructive and defensive [breaths] operate without obstructions. Moreover, they practice the arts of the bedchamber, moderate their food and drinks, do not expose themselves to wind and humidity, and do not grieve about what they cannot do. Thus they can be without illnesses. 18 It might be said that one must rely upon the whole mass of recipes jointly to produce Fullness of Life. It is similar to a King’s governing of his domain. Not a single one of the many civil or military rites and standards can be discarded. Or to compare it with some lesser undertaking – it is like a cartwright’s work, w here neither the shafts, nor the rims, nor the axels, nor the hub locks may be missing. The recipes we follow stimulate the gods [spirits] within our bodies so that a prolongation of life may be acquired more quickly, and externally they exorcise evils so that no misfortune interfere. In everything pertaining to the nurturing of life one must learn much and make the essentials one’s own. Look widely and know how to select. There can be no reliance on one particular specialty, for there is always the danger that breadwinners19 will emphasize their personal specialties. That is why those who know recipes for sexual intercourse, say that only those recipes can lead to geniehood [ie: transcendence]. Those who know breathing procedures claim that only circulation of the breaths can prolong our years, those knowing methods for bending and stretching say that only calisthenics can exorcize old age. Those knowing herbal prescriptions say that only through nibbling medicines can one be free from exhaustion. Failures in the study of divine process are due to such specializations. People with shallow experience who happen to know one particular thing well will immediately declare it a panacea. But those ignorant of the true divine process, though possessing potent prescriptions continue to do more and more searching without end. Selection of the right teacher is more important than hard study. If the teacher is not widely schooled, he will not teach his subject exhaustively, and claim that pursuit of the divine process does not reside in quantity. This declaration merely signifies that, given the possession of all the essential pertaining to gold and cinnabar, no use will be made of the rest. Very few people however know these matters. How can you stand around waiting for the instruction in what is not necessarily the big thing without meanwhile practicing the lesser recipes, which are also

18 “Seeking immortality in ge hong’s baopu zi nei pian” Fabrizio Pregadio 19 ie: Those who want to make money.

26 quite beneficial? This would be as though a householder said that he would not use other things, for he had been told that the handling of gold, silver, pearls and jade could of themselves provide for generation upon generation. Yet, if he lacked such things, how could he help but sow the various grains and provide by accumulating abundant stores of fruits and vegetables.20 Ge Hong’s study and research led him to the conclusion that transcendence and self-perfection requires firm resolution and sincerity. One needs to study with experts in order to obtain the essential knowledge and tools for the inward journey. However, it is not a question of waiting for a perfected sage to arrive and grant one the secret. Willpower and discernment are necessary to persevere in sorting through incorrect or partial transmissions of self-cultivation methods, particularly in the face of societal pressures, which devalue the entire enterprise. For Ge Hong, the “Immortal” is one who overcomes the impasse of the transience and the often tawdry nature of human existence to find inner fulfillment, true identity and true freedom, unbound by the opinions of others or social conventions. Daoist teacher Ni Hua Ching says that the Ge Hong understood a key aspect of spiritual cultivation – the importance of cultivating the different sides of one’s nature in a balanced way. This includes a visible external cultivation through moving practices like Qi Gong, Internal martial arts like Tai Ji Quan, Ba Gua Zhang, and Xing Yi Quan, and Daoist Yoga, and Dao Yin practices, while simultaneously cultivating a less visible inner stillness. The body must stay active in order to build energy, while one also engages in inner stillness, in order to conserve and gather energy. Stillness is not just sitting in meditation. It also refers to refraining from engaging in purposeless, restless activity for its own sake. 21

Wang Chuan Shen, a philosopher in the Ming Dynasty, explained the importance of stillness very succinctly when he said: the quiescent state is actually quiescent movement. It is not motionless. Therefore quiescent exercise is essentially quiescent movement. So entering the quiescent state is essentially quiescent movement.22 Quiescent movement is “movement within stillness.” This movement within stillness is different from ordinary movement and can bring about psychological and physiological changes, one of which is that energy consuming processes change to energy storage, thereby retarding the aging process.23

20 Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of AD 320: The Nei Pien of Ko Hung. James R. Ware (trans and ed) (New York: Diver Publications, 1966) pp. 113-14. 21 Life And Teachings of Two Immortals (Vol. 1): Kou Hong. Hua Ching-Ni (Santa Monica: Seven Star Communications 1992). 22 Qi Gong Essentials for Health Promotion. Jiao Guorui. (PR China: China Reconstructs Press) p. 61. 23 Ibid, p. 66

27 Immortality in Context Daoism is replete with tales of Daoist Immortals, with formidable powers of physical prowess and strength who do not age and do not die, but eventually disappear into the heavens on the back of a crane or dragon. The Chinese character Xian (Immortal) contains two elements: “person” 亻 (人 Ren) and “mountain” (山 Shan). An older variant is the character: 僊. This character can mean a “person of the mountains” or a “human mountain,” referring both to the association of the Immortals with mountain recluses, and to their place in Daoist thought as embodiments of nature and natural forces. Daoist priest Kristofer Schipper adds that phonologically, Xian is derived from the root meaning “to change”, “evolve”, and to “go up”, referring to transformation, evolution, or “ascension to heaven.”24 The term Xian has many uses and can mean someone who is spiritually transcendent, or physically immortal. It can refer to a wiz ard, magician, shaman, alchemist, or to a sage or recluse, living high up in the mountains - common themes in Chinese culture. Xian can mean “perfected” or “transcendent.” Human beings of high attainment are often compared to floating clouds, “beautiful phenomena which are, but make no effort to be. The filmy lightness of an idling summer cloud is suggestive of the sensation of weightlessness that characterizes immortals, a sensation born of absolute freedom from care and anxiety. 25 Immortals are born as normal people, and achieve immortality through great effort. They represent a cross-section of the population, from rich to poor and old to the young, proving that anyone can become an immortal. In the Traditions of Divine Transcendents (Shen Xian Zhuan), Ge Hong recounted tales of early transcendent Immortals and their hagiographies – accounts or informal biographies of an individual transcendent’s life, deeds and achievements. As a result, Ge Hong gathered together many methods and combinations of practices for attaining immortality.

24 The Taoist Body by Kristofer Schipper translated by Karen C. Duval (Berkeley: University of California Press 1982) pp. 164-165. 25 Early Chinese Mysticism: Philosophy and Soteriology in the Taoist Tradition by Livia Kohn (Princeton: Princeton University Press 1991) p.84.

28 Da0ist Scholar Chi-Tim Lai suggests that Ge Hong takes as his own ideal the so-called “Earthly Immortal,” a transcendent being who lives among fellow human beings. Through great effort an “Earthly Immortal” is able to transcend his fate and live beyond his years while simultaneously attaining a higher order of human existence.26 Writings attributed to Zhuang Zi (Chuang Tzu) tell us that True Men (Zhen Ren) had unremembering hearts, calm faces, and clear brows. They were cool like autumn, warm like spring; they were pleased and angry evenly through the four seasons, did what fitted in with other things, and no one knew their high point.27 The Zhen Ren, the genuinely human person, is in tune with the cycles of nature and is therefore not upset by the vicissitudes of life. In tune with nature, and with the cycles of Yin and Yang, the True Person is not disturbed or harmed by them. This is sometimes expressed by hyperbole – the True Person cannot drown in the ocean nor be burned by fire. Zhuang Zi goes on to hint that there are ways of cultivating or genuine and natural humanity. Through these methods we: Learn how to nourish the ancestral root of life that is within us. We learn how to identify with that center which functions as an axis of stability around which the cycles of emotional turbulence flow. By maintaining ourselves as a shifting and responding center of gravity we are able to maintain equanimity without giving up our feelings altogether. We enjoy riding the dragon without being thrown around by it. O rdinarily, we are buffeted around like flotsam in a storm, and yet, by holding fast to our ancestral nature, and by following the nature of the environment – by “matching nature with nature” - we free ourselves from the mercy of random circumstances.28 In Daoist self–cultivation life nourishing practices, the adept seeks to harmonize with patterns found in nature, the movement of stars and planets, the cycles of the seasons, the cyclical fluctuation of Yin and Yang. Immortals are often described as being lively and completely alive, full of humor and deep insight into the world. Daoist Immortals provide ordinary mortals with a vision of mental health and a way to it. Basic to this vision is an expression of the Chinese cultural view that everything is interconnected. Mind is inseparable from body, spirit and the cosmos. In Daoism the life force within us is seen as both the same life force in all of us, and that which interconnects the world.29

26 “Ko Hung's Discourse of Hsien-Immortality: A Taoist Configuration of an Alternate Ideal Self-Identity” Chi-Tim Lai Numen Vol. 45, No. 2 (1998), pp. 183-220. 27 Chuang-tzu: the Inner Chapters, translated by A.C. Graham (Indianapolis IN: Hackett Publishing Co, 1981, 2001) p. 85. 28 Chapter 6: Da Zong Shi (the vast ancestral teacher) General Editors: James Fieser, University of Tennessee at Martin & Bradley Dowden, California State University, Sacramento. http://www.iep.utm.edu/zhuangzi/ 29 Ibid, p. 127.

29 The famous Daoist text, the Dao De Jing, repeatedly tells us that aligning with nature is not only a means of personal cultivation, it specifies how this attunement with natural forces changes us, creating compassion and humility. The person who seeks to attune with natural patterns of things does not attempt to impose his or her will on the world. This person encourages growth and nourishment with themselves, and within others, without telling them how to grow or how to be. Ge Hong‘s Basics on Nurturing Life One of the key points that Ge Hong makes in relationship to nurturing life and self-cultivation is to avoid being “wounded.” In the Bao Pu Zi, Ge Hong gives very direct advice on the subject, including what practices can prevent or even undo the damage done by “wounds”: Wounding occurs when our thought is troubled with things for which we lack talent; also when we force ourselves to do lifting without the requisite strength. Sadness, decrepitude, uneasiness and torment are wounds, as is also excessive joy. Constant covetousness wounds as do long conversations and the telling of pointless stories. Wasting time abed, archery contests, drunkenness and its vomitings, lying down after a heavy meal, getting breathless from running, shouts of joy and weepings, abstention from sexual intercourse – all these are wounds. When wounds have been accumulated to the point of exhaustion, death soon ensues. The text goes on to tell us: Therefore the prescription for nourishing life is this: Do not spit for distance [too much breath would be lost]. Do not walk too fast. Do not listen too intently. Do not look too long. Do not stay in bed until you get weak. Dress before you get chilled. Lighten your dress before you get overheated. Do not overeat when you have been starving. Eat only to satiety. Do not over-drink when you have been parched. Do not over- drink. Overeating begets congestions, and over-drinking produces accumulations of mucus. Don’t overwork or take too much ease. Don’t get up too early or too late. Don’t perspire. Don’t race your carriage or your horse. Don’t strain your eyes to see too far. Don’t chew your food so long that it gets cold. Don’t drink wine when you are going out in the wind. Don’t bathe your body or hair too frequently. Don’t overextend your will or desires. Don’t scheme to achieve something ingenious. Don’t seek too much warmth in winter or too much cold in summer. Don’t lie without covers under the stars. Don’t expose your shoulders when sleeping. Don’t undergo severe cold, severe heat, strong winds or heavy fogs. Don’t overemphasize any of the five savors when eating, for too much acidity [sour] harms the spleen, too much bitterness harms the lungs, too much salt harms the heart, too much acridity [spicy] harms the liver; too much sugar harms the kidneys. These are merely the laws of nature and the Five Agents.

30 All these things called wounds are indeed not immediately noticed as such, but in time one’s longevity is lessened by them. Therefore knowing how to care of the life that is theirs regulate the time of their sleeping and rising according to the season of the year. Their activity and repose follow the constant rule of perfect accommodation. To invigorate the tendons and bones there are prescriptions for bending exercises. To combat illness and noxious influences there are the arts of swallowing and spitting. 30 To circulate the blood and breaths there are rules for preventing waste. To act with or without restraint and work hard or take repose it is vital that there be compensations. Repress anger to preserve your yin breaths; restrain joy to preserve your yang breaths. After that take first some herbs to relieve your defects. Only then take gold or cinnabar to assure that you will never become exhausted. This constitutes the whole system for enjoying Fullness of Life.31 Ge Hong’s “System” In the final paragraph of the long quotation above, Ge Hong gives us more insight into his eclectic and very practical approach to nourishing life and promoting longevity. Once we understand how to avoid wounding and injuring the body and spirit we can begin to engage with what he refers to as his “system for enjoying the Fullness of Life.” As we saw earlier, rather than relying on a single avenue of transformation and transcendence, Ge Hong recommends a multi-faceted, carefully balanced program of self-cultivation. He advocates first learning to live in harmony with the seasons and nature, while building up the body and correcting defects in one’s constitution; like dispelling stagnation of Qi through the use of both physical exercises and regulating respiration. Herbs and diet may be used to correct other health issues. Only then does Ge advocate engaging in internal alchemy meditative practices that deeply transform the body and mind (his reference to “taking gold or cinnabar”). Ge Hong also felt that one needed to perfect oneself ethically in order to pursue immortality. In his Inner Chapters, Ge Hong states that: Those who seek to become immortals must regard loyalty, filiality, peacefulness, obedience, benevolence and trustworthiness as fundamental. If one does not cultivate his or her moral behavior, and merely instead devotes oneself to esoteric methods, he or she will never obtain an extended lifespan.32

30 Tu Na – breathing exercise in which stale Qi is exhaled and fresh Qi is inhaled. 31 Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of AD 320: The Nei Pien of Ko Hung. James R. Ware (trans and ed) (New York: Dover Publications, 1966) pp. 223-24. 32 Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy (www.iep.utm.edu/gehong/#H5)

31 Stages of Self-Cultivation If we extrapolate Ge Gong’s methodology into a somewhat systematic approach in relation to nourishing life, longevity and immortality, we arrive at the following “steps” in the process of self-cultivation. 1. Healing – Treating “Wounds” Healing refers to restoring the normal circulation or Qi and the normal functioning of organs damaged through injury, intemperate lifestyle and diet, exposure to disease, etc. As the emotions are considered to be the primary precipitators of internal diseases, releasing emotions that are toxic and unhealthy is usually part of this process. Tui Na Massage, Bone Setting, Acupuncture, Herbal Remedies, Rehabilitative Qi Gong, Dietary Therapy, and appropriate Life Style Modifications are all tools that are commonly used to undo “wounds” and restore the body to normal, healthy, functioning. 2. Cultivating Longevity Cultivating longevity means going beyond simply restoring health to improving one’s energy and strengthening the body in order to increase the life force and primordial Qi beyond the limits of what you were born with. One seeks optimal functioning of mind, body and spirit so that one’s physical and mental powers do not decline with age. This “step” requires an overall relaxed and healthy lifestyle, balancing work and rest, eating healthy foods, and living in harmony with seasonal change. Self-cultivation methods like those listed below, are an important part of this process: Daoist Yoga Exercises: strengthen the sinews and bones, and open the meridians. Dao Yin Exercises: regulate the Qi Dynamic and prevent disease and injury. Qi Gong Exercises: disperse blockages of Qi, regulate the flow of Qi and harmonize the Qi Dynamic of the internal organs. Seasonal Qi Gong and Seasonal Living: synchronize body rhythms with the seasonal energies. Sexual Cultivation Methods: raise energy levels and preserve Life Essence. Daoist Meditation: harnesses the Mind-Intention, harmonizes the emotions, and gathers and stores energy.

32 Internal martial arts like Tai Ji Quan, Ba Gua Zhang or Xing Yi Quan: increase body strength, promote adaptability to changing (and perhaps adverse) circumstances, strengthen the intention, and increase the force of the will. Longevity Diet: The “Clear and Bland” diet promotes maximum health and longevity by properly nourishing the Post–Heaven Qi and promoting Clear Qi, while reducing Turbid Qi. Herbal Supplements: when used correctly, can help to increase and maintain the life force. Cultivating Longevity is usually an eclectic and personal process as everyone has different needs. What tools one uses, and how, is very dependent on individual circumstance, however a combination of Daoist Meditation, Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga and Qi Gong are usually at the core of cultivating longevity. 3. Immortality Immortality implies a high and deeper level of engagement with longevity practices in order to transcend the ordinary mind and come closer to apprehending the numinous. This step usually involves more intensive levels of meditation and Qi Gong, dietary modifications that enhance higher levels of energy vibration, and attempting to live authentically, in touch with our True Nature. An important and difficult part of this process is overcoming and transcending our ingrained habits of mind, emotion and cognition. The progression described on the previous page is bit neat and idealized. Healing Wounds, Longevity and Immortality are not really orderly one- by-one “steps.” There is a progression, but there is also some interweaving and exchange between the three that is ongoing, as illustrated in the diagram on the following page.

33 Ge Hong’s Advice for Learning In the Bao Pu Zi Ge Hong repeatedly warns the reader about teachers who will lead one astray. Real teachers - those competent to understand the essentials of the divine process desire nothing of creation; they are not looking for praise from their generation.33 He goes on to caution the reader against teachers who make great claims to dazzle students, or pretend to have studied with an illustrious immortal on a famous mountaintop. Ge Hong does not mince words when he disparages “tricksters” who claim to see ghosts and gods, or even to “be” a famous immortal from a past age. All this to say, one must cho ose one’s teachers carefully. One of Ge Hong’s most interesting remarks touches on another aspect of learning that is quite important. In the passage on the following page, Ge is paraphrasing a line from the Zhuang Zi (4th century BCE) and in particular the commentaries on the Zhuang Zi written by Guo Xiang (252- 312 CE), who likely was also the compiler of the version of the Zhuang Zi that Ge Hong read.

33 Ibid. p. 320.

34 It has already been shown how the Five Classics 34 and the whole mass of our older books are “straw dogs,” effigies of the past. What we call footprints were of course produced by the feet. In the same way, books are written by the sages, but they are not the sages.35 In the Zhuang Zi, this passage is presented as a conversation between Lao Zi and Confucius. Lao Zi says that the classics are the stale traces of former sages. These traces, or tracks (footprints) are created by walking (by the formless naturalness expressed by the sages), but they are not themselves the walking.36 Treading on the footprints of others can inform us, but we cannot take them as the model for our own True Nature and its spontaneous expression. We must find our own way. This kind of Intention-No Intention (Yi Bu Yi), letting things take their own course and flowing with them, is one of the principles of inner transformation that Ge Hong alludes to in the passage above. We should keep in mind that Ge Hong is not saying that one should not seek knowledge, nor is he saying that one should not read books. Ge Hong collected many books on esoteric knowledge and self-cultivation in his lifetime. Knowledge is necessary in the pursuit of any course one follows. Ge Hong is simply reminding us that the books describe things, but are not the things themselves, just as the map is not the terrain it depicts. We can use these things as guides, but ultimately we must follow our own course and flow with life. Chen Tuan’s Life & Times The legendary Daoist sage Chen Tuan (陈抟), is also known as Chen Xi Yi (陳希夷) or simply, Master Xi Yi. Chen Tuan is considered to be the patriarch of the Earlier Heaven Lesser Way School of Daoism. He is sometimes acknowledged as the “Father of Qi Gong,”37 and is credited with developing “Sleeping Meditation”, Tai Ji Ruler exercises, and 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong. Some sources credit Chen Tuan with developing Liu He Ba Fa (Six Harmonies & Eight Methods Boxing), an internal martial art system that is also known as “Water Boxing” because of its supple and fluid movements.

34 The five Confucian Classics 35 Alchemy, Medicine and Religion in the China of AD 320: The Nei Pien of Ko Hung. James R. Ware (trans and ed). p. 328. 36 The Penumbra Unbound: The Neo-Taoist Philosophy of Guo Xiang. Brook Ziporyn. (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2003) pp. 31-32. 37 Tales of Taoist Immortals, by Eva Wong. Boston & London: Shambhala Publications, Inc. 2001, p. 41.

35 Little is known about Chen Tuan’s life, including exactly when and where he was born. He was probably born in the early half of the 10 th Century towards the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Some texts say that he w as born in the late 9 th century and lived to be 118 years old. The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (907–979) was another era of political upheaval and division. Five states quickly succeeded one another in the North, and more than a dozen states were simultaneously ruling in other areas – mostly in Southern China. The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period started with the fall of the Tang Dynasty and reached its climax with the founding of the Song Dynasty at the end of the 10th Century. One version of Chen Tuan’s story is that he desired to become a government official, but failed the imperial examinations and became a hermit sage instead. Another is that he was astonishingly intelligent as a child with a natural gift for spiritual self-cultivation who could quote Confucian and Daoist texts from memory at an early age. In this version of his life, he left home as a teenager in order to seek out Daoist teachers.38 In either case, Chen Tuan traveled to Daoist mountain sanctuaries, including Wudang Mountain in Hunan, seeking instruction in Daoist Nei Gong methods and meditation. He later settled in Mount Hua in Shaanxi Province, where he restored the Abbey of the Cloud Terrace (Yu Tai Guan), and the Cloister of the Jade Spring ( Yu Quan Yuan). These were his main residences until his death.39 Chen was allegedly taught by Lü Dong Bin (one of the legendary Eight Daoist Immortals) and another illusive figure, the Hemp Clad Daoist.40 Chen visited the imperial court three times. During one of these visits he met with Song Tai Zong (939–997), the 2nd Emperor of the Song Dynasty. At that time he was awarded the title, “Elder of the White Clouds.”41 There are many legends about Chen Tuan. As Livia Kohn points out, Chen lived at a time when the search for spiritual ro le models and patriarchs was just beginning, and he fulfills this role in many stories from both the Confucian and Daoist traditions.42

38 Ibid. p. 37. 39 The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, by Fabrizio Pregadio, p.257. 40 Chen Tuan: Discussions and Translations, by Livia Kohn, p. 11. 41 The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, p. 258. 42 Chen Tuan: Discussions and Translations, by Livia Kohn, p. 7.

36 Chen Tuan purportedly wrote, Mirror of Auras (Feng Chien 風鑑)43, a book on physiognomy which became a classic and this, combined with his powers of Qi and breath control, form the basis of many legends about him.44 There are number of stories concerning Chen which recount how he skillfully predicted a person’s fate by merely looking at the facial features.45 Chen Tuan is famous for predicting the future and reading auguries. Stories of these abilities have been passed down to the present as folk tales. In some stories Chen Tuan reappears a century or more after his death. In one of these stories Chen Tuan is credited with predicting the birth of Yue Fei, the famous Song Dynasty General who lived in the 12 th Century. Upon seeing an omen that a “True Lord” (Yue Fei) had been born, Chen Tuan disguised himself as a Daoist priest and went to the home of Yue Fei’s parents, where he asked to see the child. After deliberation with the father of Yue Fei, Chen Tuan named the infant “Fei” (to fly), and gave him the courtesy name “Peng Ju” (soaring of a great bird).46These stories reflect Chen Tuan’s ability to see deeply in to things due to his attunement with the universal energies. Chen studied the Yi Jing (Book of Changes) and his writing on the subject interested subsequent generations of Confucian and Daoist Yi Jing scholars. He is credited with creating some of the philosophy of the Tai Ji, and the creation of an early Tai Ji diagram that was the precursor to the famous Tai Ji diagram of Zhou Dun Yi,47 which appears on everything from book bags to t-shirts today. The Sleeping Immortal Chen Tuan has been called the “Sleeping Immortal” due to his mastery of a method of inner alchemy, which is performed lying on one’s side. In this “Sleeping Gong” (Shui Gong 睡功) the practitioner is not truly asleep. He lies still, keeping the internal energies tightly locked and continuously circulating inside his body, so that nothing escapes or is dispersed. 48 Separating himself from worldly desires and passions, the practitioner of Sleeping Meditation seeks transcendence through refinement and alchemical transformation of the Three Treasures: Jing (Essence), Qi

43 Feng Chien 風鑑 Mirror of Auras: Chen Tuan on Physiognomy, trans. by Livia Kohn. 44 The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, p. 258. 45 Feng Chien 風鑑 Mirror of Auras: Chen Tuan on Physiognomy, p. 221. 46 Yue Fei: A Novel by Qian Cai of the Qing Dynasty. T. L. Yang, trans. (Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Co. LTD. 1995) pp. 5-10. 47 Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin, by Livia Kohn, p. 184. 48 Ibid, p. 185.

37 (Vital Force) and Shen (Spirit). Purportedly Chen would “sleep” in this fashion for days or even months, his energies so dormant that he appeared dead. In an oft-told tale, a woodcutter found Chen “sleeping” in the forest. Thinking he has stumbled upon a dead man, the woodcutter took a closer look, whereupon Chen awoke and scolded him for disturbing his restful sleep.

An Enormous Statue of Chen Tuan Sleeping at the Foot of Mount Hua Shan

The creation of Sleeping Gong is often attributed to Chen Tuan, perhaps because he is the most famous practitioner of this method of meditation, however, Sleeping Gong has also been mentioned and practiced by other Daoist writers. The famous Daoist physician Sun Si Miao said that: Regular practice of Qi should take place in a secret chamber. Close the doors and quietly lie down on a bed with a pillow 2.5 cun in height under your head. Straighten the body, lie on your back and close your eyes. Keep the Qi inside and breathe with your chest. A down feather held before your nose should not move.49 Chen Tuan’s Sleeping Gong comes down to us largely through the Ming Dynasty text, Marrow of the Red Phoenix (赤鳳髓 Chi Feng Sui), where it is described as the “Sleeping Gong from Mount Hua.” The Marrow of the Red Phoenix (1578) is a compilation of a variety of texts on breathing techniques, Nei Gong and inner alchemy, most of which are from the earlier Song and Yuan dynasties. 50

49 The Revival of Qi: Qi Gong in Contemporary China, Chapter 11 by Kunio Miura in Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques, edited by Livia Kohn, p. 346. 50 The Routledge Encyclopedia of Taoism Volume I: A-L, by Fabrizio Pregadio, p. 268.

38 Within The Marrow of the Red Phoenix is a section describing the Twelve Sleeping Gong Instructions of Mount Hua Shan (Hua Shan Shi Er Shui Gong Zong Jue 華山十二睡功總訣). The description of Sleeping Gong in the Marrow of the Red Phoenix, whether written by Chen himself, or described by another author, provides a unique window into Daoist meditation. It consists of a relatively brief description of the basic practice, followed by twelve pictures of Sleeping Immortals, each of which is accompanied by a short poem. The twelve poems provide a window into Daoist Nei Dan meditative practices, while at the same time offering concentrated instruction in these practices. Teachings of Chen Tuan Chen Tuan was highly knowledgeable in many areas ranging from martial arts and Qi Gong practices to Internal Alchemy and the secrets of the Yi Jing (Book of Changes). His teachings and legacy had a large effect on Daoism and Neo-Daoism. Although many claim a direct lineage of transmission from Chen Tuan, this is very d ifficult to evaluate. Much of his teaching is found in compilation texts that were written and interpreted well after his death. However removed we are from his teachings, the knowledge we do have about Chen Tuan gives us guidance in our study of Daoist Yang Sheng Longevity and Immortality methods. Below are five areas in which Chen Tuan provides guidance to modern generations who engage with Daoist life preservation and longevity practices aimed at prolonging life and internal transcendence. As Ge Hong points out to us, the traces or tracks of Chen Tuan are not the man himself, and his traces are not his teachings, which are ultimately unknowable - however we can use his approach to self-cultivation as a guide in finding our own path when working with the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. Chen Tuan & the Tai Ji Diagram Chen Tuan is credited with creating several diagrams relating to the modern Tai Ji (Tai Chi) Diagram. These diagrams illustrate both Chinese cosmogenic theories, and Daoist ideas about self-realization and immortality. Many Daoist self-cultivation practices like Sleeping Meditation are methods of “reversion,” in which one attempts to return to the original unity, which is endlessly self-generating and therefore regenerative. This involves a return to an undifferentiated state of unity from which all things originate. The undifferentiated, unified state is sometimes referred to as Wu Ji. Chen Tuan’s diagram illustrates how Wu Ji and Tai Ji are the foundation of forms (Wu Xing) and their interaction. Reading downward, the diagram starts at the top with Wu Ji (a state of undifferentiated unity), which generates Tai Ji (separation into Yin and Yang). The movement implicit within the Tai Ji, results in the Five Elements (Wu Xing).

39 However, Chen Tuan’s diagram can also read from bottom to top. Originally carved into the face of a cliff in the Hua Shan Mountain, the diagram had explanatory labels carved next to each tier. These labels, found on the right in the diagram below, are adapted from Da Liu’s book Tai Chi Ch’uan and Meditation.51 This “reverse” method of looking at Chen Tuan’s diagram illustrates a reversion of the temporal sequence of cosmogenic creation through an internal “alchemical” transformation involving the Three Treasures (Jing, Qi and Shen). Through a process of reversal, there is a return to the unified, primordial Pre-Heaven State; a return to the original “knowing” mind of the Dao.

Chen Tuan’s Diagram

51 T’ai Chi Ch’uan & Meditation by Da Liu, pp. 28-9.

40 1. Doorway of the Mysterious Female “Doorway of the Mysterious Female” references Chapter 6 of the Dao De Jing: The spirit of the valley never dies. It is called the mysterious female. The door of the mysterious is called the root of Heaven and Earth. Flimsy and continuous as if barely existing, Yet use will never exhaust it.52 In He Shang Gong’s commentary on the Dao De Jing, he refers to the mysterious as being “Dark”, or the “Dark One.” The valley is what nourishes. Those able to nourish the spirit do not die. “Spirit” means the spirits of the five organs. When these five are injured the five spirits leave. “Dark” refers to Heaven. In a person, this means the nose, which links us to Heaven. The female refers to Earth. In a person this means the mouth that links us to Earth. The breath that passes through our nose and mouth should be finer than gossamer silk and barely noticeable, as if it weren’t actually present. It should be relaxed and never strained or exhausted.53 This passage tells us that breathing continuously, infinitesimally and smoothly is the door that connects us with the fundamental essences of Heaven and Earth, which in turn harmonizes and nourishes the spirits. The breath is described, as being performed uninterruptedly and in a mysterious way, as if one could flee and return, as if one did not exist.54 Here, Chen Tuan is advocating stillness and meditation as an important aspect process of immortality and transcendence.

52 Ho-Shang-Kung’s Commentary on Lao-Tse, translated and annotated by Eduard Erkes, pp.139-140. 53 Lao Tzu’s Taoteching with Selected Commentaries of the past 2000 Years. Red Pine (Bill Porter), trans (Townsend WA: Copper Canyon Press, 2009) p. 13. 54 Ho-Shang-Kung’s Commentary on Lao-Tse, translated and annotated by Eduard Erkes, p. 25.

41 2. Transmute Essence (Jing) so it can Transform into Qi Jing is converted into Qi, which is itself associated with the breath, and in particular, the controlled breathing practices associated with Daoist meditation. Through inner stillness and breath control Jing transmutes into Qi and is raised up to the brain. During this process Spirit (Shen) is nurtured. Shen manifests itself through the intent. Intent in turn leads the Qi. At conception, the meeting of the essences of the father and mother produces the Shen, which enters into the fetus, giving rise to the Qi, which then in turn engenders Jing and physical form. As one grows older, Daoist practices aim at reversing this order by refining Jing and transforming it into Qi, which then fills, animates and stimulates the body, becoming Shen. Shen then transforms back into Jing, creating a cycle in which are vital forces are self-generating and self-replenishing. This process nourishes life, revitalizing one’s consciousness and very existence. 3. The Five Forces Assembled at the Source The Five Forces are usually known as Five Elements (Wu Xing) - Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. The Five Forces have a connection to the forces that move through our existence in the world (the internal organs, seasons, tastes, emotions, desires, etc.). This Post-Heaven (Post-Birth) state encompasses the body-form (Xing 形), the Body-Self (身), the Heart- Mind (Xin 心), and the Spirit ( Shen 神). Although the Five Forces are generally associated with Post-Heaven existence, and the five internal organs, they simultaneously maintain a connection to our origin, the unified Pre-Heaven (Pre-Birth) state. When the Sprits of the Five Organs gather together and become unified through internal self-cultivation, this unification is called “Five Breaths assemble at the source (origin).” There is a return to the original intrinsic energies that nourish and replenish the body and reconnect the practitioner to the mind of the Dao, the deep innate wisdom that resides in every human being. 4. Taking From Kan-Water to Supplement Li-Fire Chen Tuan uses Yi Jing Trigrams and hexagrams as schematic symbols of inner transformation and alchemical transmutation of the body’s energetic substrates. In Chen Tuan’s Tai Ji diagram these processes of internal transformation and transmutation are diagrammed by exchanging Yin and Yang lines in the Water and Fire Trigrams.

42 Through proper posture, breathing and stillness of the mind, Ming Men Fire heats Kidney–Water so that it rises upward, as excess Heart-Fire sinks downward. As Fire moves beneath Water, the middle lines of the Trigrams exchange positions - True Fire in the center of Water (the solid line in the Kan Trigram) switches places with True Water in the center of the Li Diagram (the broken line in the Li Trigram). This creates Qian-Heaven beneath Kun-Earth, an alchemical transformation represented by Hexagram Eleven: Tai (Peace) – Heaven within Earth. In this hexagram, Yin is ascendant, invoking prosperity, peace and upward progress, bearing even in its character-structure evidence of the fertilizing living waters flowing down from the sacred mountain Tai Shan.55

5. Transmute Sprit So It Can Return to Emptiness This is the ideal state of achievement in Daoist alchemical doctrines. The mind and breath come together so that spirit and Qi are merged. The spiritual consciousness returns to a state of “non-being” - a return to the Dao, represented by the reappearance of the empty circle (Wu Ji) in Chen Tuan’s diagram. This return to the Dao is built on the foundation of meditative and physical practices in which Essence and Qi are refined and transmuted into Spirit.

55 Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology; Part 5, Spagyrical Discovery and Invention: Physiological Alchemy, by Joseph Needham, p. 63.

43 Chen Tuan & Internal Martial Arts: Liu He Ba Fa Chen Tuan is generally recognized as the creator of Liu He Ba Fa (Six Harmonies & Eight Methods Boxing), an internal martial art system that is also known as “Water Boxing” because of its supple and fluid movements. Many practitioners of Liu He Ba Fa claim a direct connection to the lineage of Chen Tuan. Chen Tuan understood the important part that internal martial arts could play in a spiritual path leading to transcendence and immortality. Six Harmonies (Six Combinations: Six Unities) 1. 體合于心 Body and Mind Combine 2. 心合于意 Mind and Intention Combine 3. 意合于氣 Intention and Qi Combine 4. 氣合于神 Qi and Spirit Combine 5. 神合于動 Spirit and Movement Combine 6. 動合于空 Movement and Emptiness Combine Here, emptiness means Wu Ji, the void state of integral unity. When practicing Liu He Ba Fa, one enters a quiet, tranquil internal state (stillness within movement) in which one’s movements simply follow the body's automatic reaction to changing circumstances. Eight Methods The Eight Methods describe a movement practice that is in rooted in natural principles of movement and cultivation of energy. 1. 氣 Qi: circulating Qi to concentrate Shen (spirit) 2. 骨 Gu (Bone): collecting energy inside the bones 3. 形 Xing (Shape; Form): incorporating animal forms from nature 4. 隨 Sui (Following): circular and smooth motion responding to the situation 5. 提 Ti (Lifting; Raising): lifting from the crown of one's head to have a floating feeling 6. 還 Huan (Returning): coming and going in cycles 7. 勒 Lei (Tie; Rein In): being motionless and calm while waiting 8. 伏 Fu (Conceal): looking for an opening while concealing yourself

44 Many of the “secrets” of Liu He Ba Fa are found in the Five Word Song (五字訣 Wu Zi Jue), a document containing 134 lines of five characters each, which have been passed on from teacher to student for generations. The Five Word Song has been commented on many times by different teachers, and students often read both the text and its commentary for insight into the art and its use as tool in both self -cultivation and self- defense. It becomes clear in reading the following excerpt (lines 72 to 80), that Liu He Ba Fa is more then a just a method of combat. Like Xing Yi Quan, Ba Gua Zhang and Tai Ji Quan, Liu He Ba Fa can be also used as a vehicle for inner internal transformation. 72. Have a spirit of skepticism as you seek to investigate the truth. 73. This wonderful method combines all movement harmoniously. 74. Separate the spirit with emptiness and solitude. 75.The way to these principles is extremely rare and subtle. 76. It is wise to keep the secrets you attain to yourself. 77.When you are moving, desire to appear as if you are not moving. 78.Within the center of your stillness, maintain your intent. 79.Cease wandering thoughts and the flow of your Qi will become calm and even. 80. Silently maintain the great emptiness.56 Chen Tuan & Sleeping Meditation Chen Tuan is celebrated for his ability to sleep for long periods of time. His orally transmitted practices on Sleeping Meditation, or Sleeping Gong (Shui Gong) have been passed down to us from later generations. Sleeping Meditation is a relatively advanced meditative practice in which one attempts to enter a state of deep trance-like somnolence, which approaches a state of hibernation. Therein, the mind becomes empty or has spiritual visions or “dreams”. In this state of supreme non-action, one’s energies have the possibility of reverting to a fetal-like before-birth (Pre-Heaven or Xian Tian) state, where the normal aging processes are reversed and the body purifies itself. In Chen Tuan’s Sleeping Meditation, the body lies quietly on its side. The Heart-Mind is quiescent, still and silent. Lying still, breathing imperceptibly, one gathers Qi and concentrates the Spirit. Gathering the Qi and concentrating the Spirit cannot be forced. Rather one observes and harmonizes with the natural rhythmic flow of the Qi and breath.

56 Liuhebafa Five Character Secrets. Paul Dillon (Boston: YMAA Publication Center, 2003) pp.139-140.

45 During Sleeping Meditation, breathing seems to disappear; desire and discursive thoughts gradually disperse and vanish. The spirit consolidates and is at ease. Physically and spiritually, one returns to an almost fetal state in which Qi and breath unfold in an unimpeded fashion. In this sense, Sleeping Gong is a practical embodiment of the Daoist idea of non-doing and non-striving (Wu Wei). It is clear that when Chen Tuan mentions dreaming, it is largely metaphorical. The following poem is said to have been written by Chen Tuan when explaining Sleeping Meditation to a student supplicant. Perfected ones basically have no dreams; Their dreams are excursions among transcendents. True men also do not sleep; Their sleep is floating in the clouds and mists. Their [inner] cauldrons always hold elixirs, So in a gourd they find another world. Wanting to know what’s in dreams Is people’s prime mystery.57 Seasonal Qi Gong Chen Tuan’s genius and deep insights into the natural world allowed him to expand upon earlier ideas about seasonal health and Qi Gong in order to create the 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong. These exercises, derived from Daoist Dao Yin practices, harmonize the body with the seasonal energies in order to keep the practitioner healthy throughout the year. There are 24 exercises, one for each approximately 2-week period. Not only does each exercise both prevent and treat diseases that can occur at a particular two–week period, but by performing this exercise at the appropriate seasonal node one is able to take advantage of the pulsation of Cosmic Qi manifesting at that particular time. This allows one to “ride” the energetic momentum and impetus generated by the arrival of each Seasonal Node in order to address chronic diseases that are already manifesting, or to short-circuit disease mechanisms that are already in progress, but not yet manifest. The Seasonal Qi Gong exercises naturally include a deep knowledge of subtle energetic changes, both in the outside world and within the body, that inform the inner transformational process.

57 The Dreaming Mind and the End of the Ming World. Lynn A. Struve (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2019) p. 41.

46 Chen Tuan & The Yi Jing The Yi Jing is famous for its written oracle and line commentaries pertaining to the lines of the hexagrams. We can say that there are two approaches to the Yi Jing, one textual and one focused more on underlying principles represented by the trigrams and hexagrams. Confucian scholars often focused more on the text itself, studying the words and adding layers of commentary over the centuries. Daoists like Chen Tuan studied the Yi Jing to apprehend its subtle underlying principles, contained in the lines and symbols themselves, which tell us much about the fabric of reality and the natural laws of change and transformation. A transmission on the Yi Jing ascribed to the Hemp Clad Daoist (one of Chen Tuan’s teachers) tells us that the lines that make up the symbols are representations of the cycles of Yin and Yang and the circulation of Qi. These images don’t rely on texts or textual explanations but speak directly to people who understand the symbols.58 The text goes on to essentially say that Confucians worked with the Yi Jing using words and lost the true meaning. Daoist teacher Ni Hua Ching elucidates this important idea, when he says that Chen Tuan used the Yi Jing to unravel the principles that underlie the words. Ni goes on to say that in the beginning the sages were inspired by nature. Symbols were used as an interpretation of what they saw. If one wishes to understand the symbols deeply, the real source is to look for the reality of the Pre - Heaven Stage, which is without words. One should therefore start with the pictures and symbols, because they go beyond what language can define.59 Chen Tuan’s Contributions Chen Tuan’s contributions and his example exert a very strong influence on the Two Immortals System. This is evident in the following elements of Chen Tuan’s legacy: 1. Chen Tuan’s writings on inner alchemy and transformation as expressed in the Tai Ji Diagram are an important part of Daoist meditation practices. 2. Sleeping Meditation is one of the more advanced meditation methods in which the body stores energy and reverts back toward the original unity of the Pre-Heaven State.

58 Chen Tuan: Discussions & Translations. Livia Kohn (Thee Pines Press, 2001) pp.121-22. 59 Life & Teaching of Two Immortals (Vol 2): Chen Tuan. Hua Ching-Ni (Santa Monica: Seven Star Communications, 1992) p. 31.

47 3 . Liu He Ba Fa, although a rare martial arts system, is an important example of martial arts as a spiritual path, and inspirational to many for whom martial arts and self-defense are the starting points of a deeper spiritual journey. 4. Chen Tuan’s approach to the Yi Jing had a huge influence on Yi Jing scholars in the Daoist tradition who focus on the structure of the trigrams and hexagrams to penetrate deeply into the nature of change and transformation. This approach has practical application in areas as diverse as divination, Qi Gong, strategy, internal alchemy, seasonal change, martial arts and traditional Chinese medicine. 5. Chen Tuan’s stress on Qi Gong as an important part of self -cultivation influences many of the Qi Gong practices that are part of the Two Immortals System. One very specific influence in this regard is Chen Tuan’s 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong, which helps one to harmonize with nature’s cyclical transformations.

Chen Tuan Asleep (Painting by Hasegawa Tōhaku)

48 Chapter 4 Dao Yin Unblocking the Meridians & Balancing the Qi Dynamic

Chinese healing exercises were traditionally called Dao Yin. What we today call Qi Gong, Nei Gong or Daoist Yoga, were often collectively referred to as Dao Yin in the early Yang Sheng tradition. Some Dao Yin exercises mimicked animals, while others involved regulated breathing combined with body movements that stretched and opened joints and meridians in order to direct and balance the flow of Qi. Dao Yin means “to Guide and Lead”, or “Guiding and Pulling.” Early Han Dynasty medical texts (circa 160 BC) like the Yin Shu (Pulling Book), and the Dao Yin Tu (Guiding-Pulling Chart), detail exercises that advocate pulling on (stretching or extending) the sinews or areas of pain. Dao (導): to direct, conduct, guide, transmit, or lead. Yin (引): to draw, pull, or stretch - as in drawing a bow to shoot an arrow. On the left is a bow and on the right, a bowstring. Dao refers to guiding the Qi in a physical and concrete way. Yin refers to pulling and stretching to release a blockage, or to literally “pull out,” and thereby dispel a pathogen or an ailment. Yin includes the idea of drawing or directing Qi to certain areas of the body. Yin can also refer to stretching, or limbering up muscles, joints and meridians. In this sense it can mean stretching, activating, and stimulating pathways of Qi (Meridians).60 Dao Yin movements are usually combined with breath regulation (Tu Na) exercises. One of the keys to good health is prevent stagnation of Qi. When Qi stagnates or blocks, specific ailments can result. Dao Yin exercises are one method of dispersing and releasing the stale, stuck Qi.

60 Chinese Healing Exercises: The Tradition of Daoyin. Livia Kohn (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2008) p. 11. How Dao Yin Works From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, Dao Yin activates the Qi Dynamic by encouraging the movement of Qi through the channels and collaterals (the Jing Luo or “Meridians”). The Jing Luo system includes the 12 Main Meridians related to the internal organs on which most acupuncture points are located, the Eight Extraordinary Channels, the Sinew Channels, which bind and wrap the joints, and other vessels that make more discrete internal connections. Daily self-massage and stimulation of the superficial channels leads the Qi, which in turn leads the circulation of blood and fluids. Dao Yin, rubbing, pressing and wiping techniques follow the innate energy patterns that are known to harmonize the Qi Dynamic and lead it to balance. Practicing Dao Yin involves relaxing and focusing the mind, and letting go of distracting thoughts to focus on the movements. This induces a state of calm inner awareness and relaxation, which in turn calms and stabilizes Heart–Mind, so that the spirit becomes tranquil and vibrant. As the heart becomes calm and less agitated, excess tension in the head and chest descends, the chest becomes open and expansive, and the muscles relax as tension abates. This helps to regulate the flow of Qi and blood so that circulation is smooth and unobstructed. People instinctively know that touch and massage can be healing. Some recent research indicates several mechanisms through which Dao Yin exercises may modulate the brain and central nervous system, as well as the functioning of the internal organs. Massage therapy has been shown to have beneficial effects on many different groups and conditions, including prenatal depression, autism, skin conditions, pain syndromes, arthritis and fibromyalgia, hypertension, autoimmune conditions, asthma, multiple sclerosis, immune conditions, and problems associated with aging including Parkinson's and dementia. Typically, the massage therapy groups and even those who performed daily self-massage experienced more positive effects than the control or comparison groups. This is thought to be due to the fact that massage stimulates pressure receptors, leading to enhanced vagal activity and reduced cortisol levels.61

61 “Massage Therapy Review” Tiffany Field. Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice. 2016 Aug; 24: 19–31.

50 In one study on self-massage, patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the knee were tested when self-massage techniques were applied. Patients in the self-massage therapy group reported fewer indications of pain and stiffness.62 Another study reported by the Arthritis Foundation and, published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, found that arthritis patients who regularly performed self-massage techniques eliminated pain, their mood improved and anxiety levels decreased. Recent research helps to explain how the light stroking or pressure on the skin can modulate what happens in the brain and central nervous system. A recent study from the Sahlgrenska Academy in Sweden found that specialized nerve fibres in the skin tell the brain that the skin is being stroked. This in turn modulates the nervous system. The specialized nerve fibres are called CT nerves (C-tactile). They travel directly to the areas in the brain that are related to feelings and sensation. The discovery may explain why touching the skin can relieve pain. Line Löken, a postgraduate student in neurophysiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy says that, Basically the signals that tell the brain that we are being stroked on the skin have their own direct route to the brain, and are not blocked even if the brain is receiving pain impulses from the same area. In fact it’s more the opposite, that the stroking impulses are able to deaden the pain impulses.63 Other studies have indicated that people with emotional disorders and chronic pain generally have increased sympathetic activity. Massage leads to an increase in parasympathetic activity, which lowers sympathetic activity and modulates the “Fight or Flight” response. In particular, activation of the vagal nerve, which has parasympathetic control of the heart, lungs, and digestive tract, seems to be closely linked to psychological function and positive mental health outcomes.64

62 “The Effects of Self-Massage on Osteoarthritis of the Knee” A Randomized, Controlled Trial” Dorothea V Atkins and David A Eichler. International Journal of Therpeutic Massage Bodywork. 2013; 6(1): 4–14. 63 “Pleasant Touch' Decoded: Signals From Stroking Skin Have Direct Route To Brain.” Science News, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090414084453.htm 64 “The Immediate Effect of Therapeutic Touch and Deep Touch Pressure on Range of Motion, Interoceptive Accuracy and Heart Rate Variability: A Randomized Controlled Trial With Moderation Analysis” Darren J. Edwards, Hayley Young, and Ross Johnston Frontiers in Integrative Neuro Science. 12-00041September 20, 2018Time: 16:48# 1

51 Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System - Dao Yin Methods 1. Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin activates and energizes the body, takes less than 20 minutes to perform, and makes a good precursor to meditation. Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin regulates the Qi Dynamic, dispels pathogens and activates the body’s energetic system, by opening the energy gates. This Dao Yin method is invaluable as a daily health tune up and longevity exercise. For this reason, many senior masters of Qi Gong and the internal martial arts practice Comprehensive Daily Dao Yin every day for their entire lives. 2. Nine Palace Dao Yin This unique and rare Dao Yin routine works with the nine sections (“Nine Palaces”) of the body in order to energize and activate the internal energy system through the Sinew Channels and the joints. Nine Palace Dao Yin ends with North Star -Big Dipper Meditation, a very powerful form of Daoist Meditation that further activates the Nine Palaces and energizes the entire body.

3. Spirit Calming Dao Yin Spirit Calming Dao Yin is a very effective method of calming the heart and spirit, dispelling anxiety, regulating Yang Qi, and improving cerebral circulation. This Dao Yin method is easily performed almost anywhere, and can act as a quick pick-me-up that revitalizes the body, activates and awakes the brain, and relaxes the nervous system.

52 4. Peaceful Sleep Dao Yin Peaceful Sleep Dao Yin is easy to do, and takes just 10 minutes to perform. It is practiced at night just before bedtime. Peaceful Sleep Dao Yin is very effective in treating insomnia and fitful sleep. Many people fall asleep without even finishing the entire routine. Peaceful Sleep Dao Yin has been practiced and prescribed by Daoist physicians and Yang Sheng adepts for centuries. 5. Abdominal Dao Yin Abdominal Dao Yin is particularly useful for rectifying chronic digestive problems, through a very focused approach to regulating the Spleen and Stomach and harmonizing digestion. In Chinese medicine, the Spleen- Stomach Axis of the Qi Dynamic is central to the proper functioning of the other organs and our energy system in general. Regular practice of Abdominal Dao Yin can help heal digestive problems ranging from indigestion and constipation to irritable bowel and intestinal gas.

53 Practicing Dao Yin Dao Yin exercises regulate the internal Qi Dynamic by rubbing and massaging acupuncture points, meridians or areas of the body, where Qi either gathers or tend to block. Massage is generally fairly light and energetic, performed with the fingertips or the palms. Sometimes areas and points are rubbed in a circle (Mo Fa: “Round Rubbing”), while other area are stroked in lines and arcs, either following meridians or movements of the Qi Dynamic. When the body is healthy and harmonious, Qi tends to move in particular patterns that Chinese medicine identifies as the normal Qi Dynamic. When Qi is blocked, or when disease enters the body, these normal, healthy patterns are disrupted and becomes pathogenic. If pathogenic Qi disrupts the normal Qi Dynamic, symptoms of illness begin to emerge. Often this disharmonious pattern starts small with light or intermittent symptoms. At this time it is relatively easy to restore balance, and this is exactly the purpose of many Dao Yin exercises. Through daily regulation of the Qi Dynamic, by performing Dao Yin every day, the body is being encouraged towards healthy, harmonious patterns. The body naturally wants to follow these normal and healthy patterns, so it takes only a little effort to nudge the patterns back on track. This is how daily performance of Dao Yin prevents disease and promotes health. The massage pressures are light because we are working with the body’s energetics rather than releasing tight muscles and directly pushing fluids and blood through the soft tissue, which are common to methods like Deep Tissue Massage. Instead, each morning we open up the energy gates of the body and remove small blockages in the energy system, so that these blockages don’t have a chance to grow. We can liken this to weeding a garden. If we do it every day, we only need to do a little each day in order to keep the garden pristine and weed-free. If we let the garden become overgrown, it requires heroic efforts to return it to a pristine state.

54 Chapter 5 Daoist Yoga Balancing the Fascial Web & Opening Energy Gates

As we saw in the previous chapter, what we today call Qi Gong, Nei Gong or Daoist Yoga were often collectively referred to as Dao Yin. Over the course of Chinese history and particularly in the modern era, Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga and Daoist Meditation methods were combined and became known as Qi Gong. Many of the original sequences were altered and reformatted into “modern” sequences that were potentially more appealing to the modern tastes. However, many older methods are still taught, and can be found within the modern teachings. Although there is considerable overlap between practices called Daoist Yoga, Dao Yin, Qi Gong, and Daoist Meditation, for both learning and practice purposes they are often separated into three distinct entities. Daoist Yoga exercises generally involve holding postures while extending and ‘pulling’ on the meridians and the fascial network, or moving through a series of postures. In this way there is some resemblance to Hindu Yoga techniques. Daoist Yoga includes breath regulation and meditative practices. Daoist Yoga exercises employ physical movements to harmonize the flow of Qi and blood in the body in order to prevent disease, improve health, and stretch and open the sinews and joints. In order to achieve these ends, Daoist Yoga combines breathing, massaging parts of the body, and guiding and leading Qi through stretching and twisting movements, and concentration of the mind and intention. All of these elements act together to direct the flow of Qi and to regulate the body, both internally and externally. The ultimate purpose of Daoist Yoga exercises is to gradually lead or guide the body’s energy into balance over a period of time. Although often simple in appearance, these exercises are based upon a deep understanding of the internal workings of the human body and the ways in which disease can penetrate the body’s defenses. By maintaining the patency of the circulation of Qi, regulating the soft tissue, and stimulating the internal mechanisms of the body, Daoist Yoga exercises stimulate one’s natural healing powers and prevent disease from taking root. Qi does not flow smoothly through tense, tight areas. Making the body more flexible and supple allows the Qi to flow more smoothly, without blocking or stagnating. Daoist Yoga exercises “pull” and extend the sinews, keeping the joints and tissues elastic, flexible, and mobile, so that Qi can flow without interruption or impingement.

The modern word “yoga” (योग) is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj (युज्), "to attach”, “join”, “harness”, or “yoke.” Yoga refers to union with the divine or numinous through methods and techniques, and the correct performance of one’s duties and responsibilities in everyday life. In addition to its health benefits, the purpose of Daoist Yoga is similar to that of Hindu yogic practices, albeit with a uniquely Chinese perspective. Opening up the body and regulating the Qi Dynamic allows us to connect with the numinous – in this case, the spirits and breaths of Heaven and the Earth that move through us with every breath. The Daoist Yoga sequences are energy-enhancing practices that employ movement and stretching to open and unblock the meridians (channels and collaterals), extend the joints, and lengthen and “stretch the muscles and sinews.” Most of the exercises are gentle and can be done by anyone. The goal here is not to perform great feats of flexibility, but to gently and rhythmically extend the sinews, stretch the meridians and open up the joints. Think of a cat stretching out its whole body in slow relaxed whole body extension, or kneading and rhythmically pushing his or her paws in and out against a soft object. This kind of movement involves contracting sets of muscles sequentially, slowly lengthening them, and then contracting back to a relatively neutral position, or even a rest position. Contracting and lengthening sections of the body in a cat-like manner creates an enormous sense of relaxation in the body and muscles, while simultaneously preparing the body for efficient movement. What Daoist Yoga adepts realized was that these kinds of movements not only relax and tone the body and reprogram the neuro-muscular system, they also increase circulation of Qi and blood through the meridians and vessels, and affect the internal organs themselves. Different exercises and body positions, when performed mindfully, were observed to guide, pull and lead the Qi and breath into different pathways and different areas of the body. Therefore, some exercises stimulate the stomach and intestines and aid digestion, while others lower rising heat and calm the heart. From these observations, specific Daoist Yoga exercises were created. When performing Daoist Yoga, one’s movements should be natural and smooth, without excessive effort or muscular tension. We are looking to increase the suppleness of the tissues. Increased suppleness reduces tension and tightness. The musculature should feel a sense of ease from the movements, rather than hard exertion.

56 Daoist Yoga is in itself a type of meditation. When practicing Daoist Yoga, we go inside ourselves and observe and sense the inside of the body as we move through the sequence of movements and postures. We attend to the breath, one of basic principles of meditation. As the body relaxes, and the energy gates and meridians open up, Qi flows more smoothly and without obstruction. This takes us further into state of inner awareness and inner stillness. Daoist Yoga & Fascial Research on Pandiculation The natural movements of Daoist Yoga can be compared to the movement of animals in nature. Scientists have recently begun to study animal movement in relation to exercise and physical and emotional health. Dr. Luiz Fernando Bertolucci has noted that animals do not exercise in order to maintain their physical capabilities. For example, it is generally thought that long striding movements will remain possible only to the extent that they are fully expressed. Yet most of the time animals are not expressing their optimal movement capabilities – in fact they only do this rarely, when they need to. How do animals in the wild maintain musculoskeletal health? They perform no stretching routines and yet still maintain their physical capabilities. Dr. Bertolucci and others have noticed that animals perform spontaneous pandiculation – shivering, shaking, stretching movements

57 that are largely involuntary, and do not involve cortical stimulation.65 Pandiculation is often defined as ”a stretching and stiffening of the trunk and extremities, as when fatigued and drowsy, on waking, often accompanied by yawning.” This is what most of us do automatically when we arise in the morning to shake off any stiffness acquired during sleep. Many of the Daoist Yoga postures are reminiscent of cat stretching, or a reptile turning its head, automatic movements that don’t require conscious attention, but that engage the whole body and consciousness. Daoist Yoga movements require the body to fortify itself with tonus in the deep postural muscles, while at the same time relaxing the superficial musculature. Under these conditions, the body is integrated as a whole and all its parts relate with one another in movement These conditions cannot be produced by voluntary motor action, but emerge spontaneously with appropriate states of attention in which mechano-sensing is enhanced.66 During pandiculation, a progressive and involuntary tonic activity gradually unites body segments in a block, up to an optimal point. 67 The initial muscle activation begins locally, and then spreads to neighboring areas until it reaches a peak of distribution and intensity; i.e., joints progressively stiffen through a chain of reflexes, in which neighboring segments are sequentially engaged to form an ever-larger block that eventually encompasses the entire body. Scientists postulate that these expressions of instinctual animal-like movement produce not only physical, but also emotional health, and that interference with instinctual movement (often due to cultural and social programming) can actually lead to disease, pain and lack of mobility and emotional imbalances. Exercises like Daoist Yoga, Qi Gong, and internal martial arts, in which the body moves through positions where spontaneous releases of soft tissue can occur, are considered to be optimal for producing and maintaining the natural flexibility and pliability of the musculoskeletal system, while neuro-muscularly programming the body to perform optimally.

65 “Pandiculation: An Organic Way to Maintain Myofascial Health” Luiz Fernando Bertolucci, md (Terra Rose e-magazine No. 9 (December 2011). 66 Ibid. 67 Sustained Manual Loading of the Fascial System Can Evoke Tonic Reactions: Preliminary Results” Luiz Fernando Bertolucci and Elisa Harumi Kozasa. International Journal of Therapeutic Massage Bodywork. 2010; 3(1): 12–14.

58 Daoist Yoga and “Stretching Although in describing Daoist Yoga, we can’t help using the word “stretching,” in fact, muscles don’t really stretch, they contract. As one set of muscles contracts (the agonist), other muscles (the antagonists) must relax and extend. A very simple example is that when the quadriceps muscles contract to extend the leg, the hamstrings must relax and lengthen. Our muscles are not rubber bands or ropes that can be stretched out by pulling on the ends. In fact, muscles and tendons have a self-protective mechanism that works to prevent a sudden or forced stretch of the muscle tissue from occurring. Muscle spindles connect to muscle cells. When muscle cells stretch, the muscle spindles stretch with them. If the muscle stretches to the point where its integrity is endangered, the muscle spindle sends a signal to the muscle cell to contract. This is known as the “Stretch Reflex.” The Stretch Reflex permits voluntary stretches that are not too sudden or forced. The tendons have similar protective mechanisms that prevent the tendons from being damaged through overstretching.68 When you practice static stretching, often your nervous system is battling against itself, negating your efforts. Consciously you are sending a message telling the body to manually stretch your muscles by pulling on them. But unconsciously and automatically, the Stretch Reflex is activated, contracting the muscles to prevent them from overstretching and tearing. This is why forced stretching, and trying to hold difficult postures for long periods often increases tension in muscles, and creates less, rather than more, flexibility. The body reads these actions as dangerous, and engages the negative feedback loop of the Stretch Reflex to contract the very muscles you are trying to relax. Forced stretches can create a temporary feeling increased flexibility. This may be because of micro-tearing at the muscle attachments that can elongate as they heal, and because, if one holds a stretch long enough, the Stretch Reflex becomes temporarily disengaged. However, the effects wear off fairly quickly. Within a short time, the muscles begin to tighten up again, and more stretching is now required to make them feel loose. In the long run, this approach can overstretch the ligaments, resulting in less stable joints.

68 A Tooth From the Tiger’s Mouth: How to Treat Your Injuries with Powerful Healing Secrets of the Great Chinese Warriors. Tom Bisio (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004) p. 72-73.

59 So rather than thinking about stretching muscles, it is better to visualize that in Daoist Yoga we are extending and lengthening sinews (fascia), and gently “opening up” space inside the joints, so that Qi and breath can move through the tissues and joints. This allows fluids to move smoothly through the fascia, nourishing and moistening the tissue. The word “supple” is a more useful term when we are talking about increasing flexibility. We want the body to be supple and flexible, while retaining strength and tissue integrity. Daoist Yoga Sequences In observing the natural movements of animals, Daoist yogis and Qi Gong Masters realized that flexibility could be increased by relaxing the antagonistic muscles, rather than by “stretching.” They created movements in which muscle groups were repetitively contracted and relaxed in alternation. This allowed both the agonists and antagonists to extend and relax. Daoist Yoga practitioners also realized that for this pattern of alternating contraction and relaxation to work properly, the movements must be slow, smooth and natural. Another discovery was that sequences of movements were more effective than individual exercises. In a carefully programmed sequence of exercises, what comes before prepares the body for what comes after. Exercise 1 prepares you for Exercise 2, and Exercise 2 simultaneously builds on the foundation of Exercise 1. Exercise 3 then builds on both Exercises 1 and 2, and so on. This approach creates an overlapping web- like effect, which acts on the body’s neuro-muscular system, allowing it

60 to reach much deeper states of relaxation. Further, this approach engages the entire fascial system, rather then isolated groups of muscles, sending signals to every part of the body, including the brain, the autonomic nervous system and the internal organs. In this way, every exercise, to some degree, has a whole-body effect. A third critical observation was that what animals did internally was as important as what they are doing externally. When a cat moves, it is fully involved in what it is doing. Mental involvement in the movements being performed engages the whole being in the exercise, producing far greater results than merely performing the movements by rote. Unlike many stretching exercises in which one can watch television, or think about something else, while stretching one’s hamstrings, Daoist Yoga sequences require that you maintain mind-body engagement with what you are doing. To that end, mediation techniques, and attention to respiration, are integrated into the practice of Daoist Yoga and Qi Gong. Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System - Daoist Yoga Methods Two Daoist Yoga Methods are contained within Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System. Each method has a particular focus and emphasis. Together, they offer you a very complete system of Daoist Yoga that can be practiced over a lifetime. 1. Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga contains 22 movements and a short meditation on the “True Fire” in Dan Tian. It is practiced sitting on a chair, on the edge of a bed or seated on a cushion. If you are outside, you can practice Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga sitting on a blanket, or even on the grass. In Daoist Hermit Seated Yoga, the different body positions and postures guide, pull and lead the Qi and breath into different energetic pathways and different areas of the body. Some exercises stimulate the stomach and intestines and aid digestion, while others lower rising heat and calm the heart. The postures and movements not only stretch muscles and sinews and open up the joints, they also contract and expand the internal cavities of the body in order to “exercise” the internal organs. The result is that both the inside and outside of the body gradually become supple and relaxed.

61 2. Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga is a unique and very powerful series of movements that simultaneously activate and unblock the Tian Gan (Heavenly Stem), lengthen the sinews of the entire body, “stretch” and pull the meridians, and strengthen the Dan Tian. This method begins lying down, and progresses from a “sleeping” meditation to standing in a series of 20 movements. The Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga contains a number of meridian stretches that pull and open the meridians and their associated fascial connections. This method also focuses on the deeper Extraordinary Vessels that connect to the core of the body, and to some degree form the inner core represented by Dan Tian and Ming Men. Awakened Immortal’s Daoist Yoga introduces you to two Daoist Meditation and Inner Alchemy practices: Sleeping Immortal Refining Hun and Po, and The Awakened Immortal Contemplates Non-Duality.

62 Chapter 6 Qi Gong Healing the Organs and Strengthening the Body

Qi Gong and Nei Gong69 are systems of exercise and self-cultivation that employ coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditative techniques to promote health, prevent disease, balance the flow of Qi, harmonize the functions of the internal organs, and promote longevity. The term “Nei Gong” originally referred to Daoist Inner Alchemical Meditation practices like Nei Dan (Inner Elixir), but this term also includes a variety of movement based practices. Qi Gong is a more modern umbrella term for diverse traditions that include early Daoist meditative practices, Internal Alchemy (Nei Dan) practices, breathing exercises, guiding Qi internally, healing sounds, visualization, standing meditation, martial arts movements, Dao Yin and even Daoist Yogic movements. As was mentioned earlier, originally Qi Gong, Nei Gong and yogic practices were collectively referred to as Dao Yin, so their principles of operation have much overlap. For our purposes, the terms Qi Gong and Nei Gong will be used to describe practices that combine movement with respiratory regulation and concentration of the Mind-Intention. Qi Gong Theory The basic theory behind Qi Gong and much of Chinese medicine is that stagnant breath and Qi are the root causes of disease. Historically, one of the earliest mentions of this idea comes from three passages in the Annals of Lu Bu Wei (Lu Shi Chun Qiu - 239 BCE) compiled by the Qin Dynasty Chancellor Lu Bu Wei. When the breath or energy or the individual is congested and stagnant, the muscles and bones are contracted and don’t flex well. One therefore prescribes certain dances, which guide the breath and ensure that it moves throughout the body in a harmonious fashion.70

69 Qi Gong and Nei Gong are terms that often used interchangeably. Methods known today as Qi Gong, or Nei Gong, were originally referred to as Dao Yin (Guiding and Leading), or Yang Sheng (Nourishing Life). Qi Gong is term created by the Chinese government in the 1950s. 70 Live Long Live Well: Teachings From the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. Peter Deadman (©Peter Deadman, 2016) p. 397. The text goes on to say: Depressed and stagnated Qi leads to infirm bones and muscles, so the people danced to free up the stagnant Qi.” Stagnant Qi easily leads to depression. “If it stagnates in the striae and interstitial spaces of the skin and muscle it causes swellings and heaviness of the body. For benefiting the action of the joints, a dance was created and taught to people to strengthen their joints; this was the “Great Dance.” Dao Yin follows after this such as Hua Tuo’s five animal exercises, bear climbing and bird stretching – all dances performed to imitate animals.71 These passages indicate that many Qi Gong exercises probably came from dances that had a medical component. These dances may be the origin of the famous Five Animal Play Qi Gong, created by the physician Hua Tuo. Five Animal Play is widely taught today, and is part of the Two Immortals System. A final passage from the Annals of Lu Bu Wei is perhaps the most quoted explanation of how Qi Gong works: The reason why flowing water does not become putrid and the doorway pivot is not devoured by bugs is because they move. The form and vapor are also thus. If the form does not move, the essence does not flow. If the essence does not flow the vapor clogs.72 Qi Gong involves regulated breathing, in which stale Qi, vapor, and breath are expelled and fresh, energized Qi, vapor and breath are inhaled. Techniques of regulating respiration are sometimes referred to as Tu Na (吐纳) – literally to “spit out” or “disgorge” (Tu), and to “receive” or “accept.” (Na). When performing Tu Na breath cultivation practices, one is literally spitting out the old and stale and taking in the new and fresh. In this way Qi and vapor are renewed and revitalized and the Qi circulates smoothly. Six Healing Sound Qi Gong employs this idea in conjunction with specific sounds and movements that aid the expulsion of pathogenic Qi. Thus, this Qi Gong Method can also be considered a form of Tu Na. Numerous studies of Qi Gong practice has been shown to: 1. Build up health by increasing vigor and vitality 2. Increase respiratory capacity 3. Calm the mind and help one maintain a content and relaxed state of being 4. Increase sensitivity and internal awareness

71 A History of Medicine in Classical China – Volume 1. Ma Boying (Shanghai: World Scientific Publishing Co. 2020) p. 42 72 Early Chinese Medical Literature: The Mawangdui Medical Manuscripts, translation and study by Donald Harper (London and New York: Kegan Paul International, 1998) p. 145.

64 5. Prevent disease 6. Aid in curing chronic health problems Qi Gong has similarities to exercise and physical therapies, however Qi Gong exercises are unique in their ability to adjust, unite, and integrate body, breath, mind and spirit. Qi Gong has the ability to accomplish many of the same things as physiotherapy and psychotherapy, but because Qi Gong involves engaging the life force and the breath, it can accomplish things that psychotherapy cannot. In the context of Nourishing Life, Qi Gong is much more complete and integrative than other forms of exercise or physiotherapy. Qi Gong engages and develops the body’s natural potential to change and transform from the inside out. These changes take many forms – strengthening the constitution and immune system to prevent and dispel disease, building body strength, energy and vigor, and imparting anti- aging and life prolonging effects. Studies on people over 60 who regularly practice Qi Gong have demonstrated that regular Qi Gong practice promotes a positive outlook on life, increased vitality and energy, good vision and hearing, good reflexes, improved balance and coordination, improvement in blood pressure and respiratory capacity, as well as reduced susceptibility to illness. Qi Gong and Longevity Qi Gong and Nei Gong practices are often associated with longevity. Traditional Chinese medicine connects aging with a decline of the vital Qi of the kidneys, and the Fire of the Gate of Life, or “Gate of Vitality” (Ming Men), the foundation of the body’s energy matrix. Many of the symptoms of deficient Kidney Qi and Essence (Jing – associated with sexual energy and reproductive capacity), are related to loss of sexual vitality, thinning of seminal and vaginal fluid, frequent urination or dribbling, greying of the hair and dryness. Qi Gong research has shown that weakness of Kidney Qi is connected to changes in the sex hormones normally associated with aging. Several studies on the ratio of sex hormones indicated that a year of regular Qi Gong practice could improve the ratio of sexual hormones,73 control blood pressure and increase respiratory capacity. Scientific studies on Qi Gong and Chinese medicine indicate that Qi Gong’s ability to promote longevity probably stems from stimulation of the glands and the endocrine system; more about this in Chapter 10 (Daoist Meditation).

73 Chinese Qi Gong Essentials. Cen Yue Fang (Beijing: New World Press, 1996) p. 39.

65 One very important aspect of Qi Gong is that the output of energy necessary to perform the exercises is minimal in comparison with the energy gathering and storing aspect of the exercises. Therefore Qi Gong energizes rather than depletes, and builds energy instead of creating an energy deficit. This aspect of Qi gong makes it very suitable for prolonging life and building a surplus of vital force.

Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System - Qi Gong Methods There are numerous Qi Gong and Nei Gong methods. Many emphasize a particular aspect of the body: regulating the internal organs, strengthening the sinews and bones, regulating and stimulating brain and nervous system function, improving joint and spinal mobility, or opening and regulating the meridians. However all Qi Gong and Nei Gong methods work with the following aspects of the body, mind and spirit: 1. Regulating the mind and entering into a state of calm and tranquility 2. Regulating the breath 3. Regulating Qi, both internally in the organs and meridians, and more externally in muscles and joints 4. Regulating body movement and posture with the joints and muscles aligned and balanced 5. Reprogramming the neuro-muscular system. Which Qi Gong method is best for an indi vidual depends on that person’s physical condition and personal needs. The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System includes the following Qi Gong Methods: 1 .Six Healing Sounds (Liu Zi Jue) Liu Zi Jue (literally: “Six Word Song”) is popularly known as the “Six Healing Sounds”, or “Six Mouth-Shape Qi Gong.” The Six Healing Sounds are a very ancient and important part of the Life Nourishing tradition, and a very powerful method of regulating the internal organs and dispelling disease from the organs. Making specific sounds and mouth shapes that resonate with specific organs creates a vibration in the target organ that clears energy blockages and negative emotions. This opens the meridians and disperses stale and stagnant energy. Daily practice of the mouth shapes and sounds can harmonize organ functioning, while dispelling pathogens that have penetrated internally. The sounds and mouth shapes are combined with simple movements that amplify the effect of the inner vibration.

66 “HU” Sound: Earth & Spleen-Stomach

2. Five Element Qi Gong (Wu Xing Qi Gong) Five Element Qi Gong was the first Qi Gong I learned almost 4o years ago. Five Element Qi Gong is a simple, yet powerful set of exercises that regulates the internal organs, opens and energizes the meridians and generally stimulates the vitality of the whole body. In particular, Five Element Qi Gong regulates and harmonizes the Five Zang Organs (Lung, Kidney, Liver, Heart and Spleen) and their numerous interactions with the tissues, emotions, secretions and sense organs. Five Element Qi Gong is an easy-to-learn practice that can deepen over time, increasing one’s ability to sense internally and to detect minor imbalances in the body before they become more serious. Recently one practitioner wrote me to say: Five Element Qi Gong is so powerful and clearing of the entire system. The effects of that practice, and how it amplifies the energy spirals and circulations inside (and outside) of the body, initiates a rapid progression of internal awareness.

67 Five Element Qi Gong

3. Five Animal Play (Wu Qin Xu) Five Animal Play is one of the oldest documented Qi Gong methods. It is based on observations of animal movement. Hua Tuo (140–208 CE), the legendary physician of the late Han Dynasty, is generally considered to be the creator of Five Animal Play. In Five Animal Play one imitates the movements and walking patterns of the Bear, Deer, Bird, Tiger and Monkey. Each of the stepping patterns of the Five Animals creates a different series of wave-like pulsations that move rhythmically through the body dispelling blockages and freeing restricted tight sinews. Imitating the movements of each animal also engages the Mind– Intention and Spirit – one’s internal and external perceptions change with each animal. This modulates one’s consciousness in subtle and profound ways. Five Animal Play looks relatively simple, yet its hidden depths create many subtle internal transformations and bring us into deeper harmony with nature.

68 Bird Play

4.Xing Yi Nei Gong Xing Yi Nei Gong was created by Xing Yi Master Wang Ji Wu (1891- 1991). Wang Ji Wu attained a high level of s kill in both martial arts and the practice of Chinese medicine. Like many martial arts teachers of his time, Wang was skilled at treating external injuries and was an expert in bone setting (Zheng Gu). He also studied and taught Nei Gong and Daoism. Combining his martial and medical skills Wang created a set of 16 exercises to build and preserve health. Xing Yi Nei Gong is based on developmental Xing Yi Quan exercises Wang learned from his teachers. Wang often taught Xing Yi Nei Gong to patients to speed the healing process, a practice that I also found to be useful in my own clinic of Chinese medicine. Wang also taught Xing Yi Nei Gong to his Xing Yi Quan students as a set of foundational developmental exercises, because the exercises open the joints, stretch and strengthen the muscles and sinews, activate the meridians, coordinate mind, body, and breath, maintain health and prevent disease, while simultaneously developing internal power dynamics specific to Xing Yi Quan.

69 5 .Tian Gan Nei Gong The Tian Gan Exercises are very important in developing the wind ing and torsional power that is characteristic of Ba Gua Zhang. These exercises also develop the so-called “silk reeling power,” which can be used to emit force, off-balance, lock, and strike the opponent. Tian Gan Nei Gong is also a Ba Gua energy practice that “wrings out” the spine and frees and opens the Central Channel, which in turn allows all the other channels in the body to be clear and open. The Tian Gan Exercises are said to “Modify the Spinal Chord and the Marrow.” One of the stages of Daoist internal cultivation is to nourish and replenish the marrow and energetically activate the spinal cord from the tailbone to the brain and the top of the head. This energetically changes the brain and nervous system so that they function at a higher level. For this reason, the Tian Gan exercises can be employed as a precursor to the more advanced methods of Daoist Meditation.

Tian Gan Covering Palm

70 6 .Meridian Qi Gong (Jing Luo Qi Gong) In Meridian Qi Gong, one combines gentle Tai Ji Quan–like movements with Dao Yin based rubbing 0f acu-points and channels, to open and free the 14 Main Meridians, their internal trajectories, and their collateral branches. The focus is on dredging the meridians in order to clear blockages in the energy flow. Once the blockages are cleared, the body will bring itself back into harmony. This Qi Gong method is bit more complex to learn than some of the others, because the practitioner must gain a deeper understanding of the acupuncture points and channels. One of the unique aspects of Meridian Qi Gong is that it teaches the practitioner about meridians and acupuncture points through an internal experiential approach of sensing the places where energy flows and gathers (channels and points), rather than the cerebral book- learning memorization approach acupuncturists suffer through in school. This makes Meridian Qi Gong ideal for students of traditional Chinese medicine. 7. Seasonal Qi Gong Chen Tuan’s genius and deep insights into the natural world allowed him to expand upon earlier ideas about seasonal health and Qi Gong in order to create the 24 Seasonal Node Qi Gong. The theory behind this Qi Gong is based on energy shifts that occur every 14 -15 days, based largely on the position of the sun relative to earth. There are 24 exercises; one for each approximately 2-week period (Seasonal or Solar Node). These exercises harmonize the body with the seasonal energies in order to keep the practitioner healthy throughout the year. Not only does each exercise both prevent and treat diseases that can occur at a particular two–week period, but by performing this exercise at the appropriate seasonal node one is able to take advantage of the pulsation of Cosmic Qi manifesting at that particular time. This allows one to “ride” the energetic momentum and impetus generated by the arrival of each Seasonal Node in order to address chronic diseases that are already manifesting, or to short circuit disease mechanisms that are already in progress, but not yet manifest. On the following page is an illustration of one of the 24 Seasonal Node exercises.

71 Qi Gong Exercise for the Clear and Bright Seasonal Node (April 4-6 to April 19-21)

72 Chapter 7 Longevity Diet Nourishment From the Earth

The origins of Chinese cooking and diet are usually attributed to the legendary cook Yi Yin (伊尹). Yi Yin is remembered today as a kind of patron saint of cooking. Purportedly Yi Yin was the son of a slave woman who became a cook for the royal family during the Shang Dynasty (1600–1029 BCE), because of his ability to add ingredients that improved the taste of the food, in one case making a smelly fish taste delicious. The Shang King made Yi Yin an administrator, and later he became the prime minister, employing his ideas about harmony and balance in cooking to a philosophy of life, politics and society. Yi Yin is also credited with being the inventor of herbal decoctions – using multiple herbs together to create a balanced medicinal formula. Chinese herbal and dietary therapies are deeply rooted in the basic principles of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. These criteria, outlined below, form the basis for understanding the properties of foods and medicinal herbs, and their therapeutic application. Balancing Energies & Qualities The key to a healthy diet is to balance the qualities and energetic natu re of foods in accordance with your individual constitution and the seasons. This means having an understanding of the body’s energetic nature and how it interacts with the energetic configurations of foods. The following brief introduction to Chinese dietary principles is a good start to understanding how food and diet factor into a Life Nourishing Longevity program. The basic Longevity Diet is the Qing Dan Diet discussed below, because it promotes proper Qi transformation. Yin Yang: Energetic Nature (The 4 Energies)

YIN YANG Cool Warm Cold Hot NEUTRAL Generally, hot and warm foods and herbs are indicated for pathological conditions of a cold nature, and cool and cold foods and herbs are indicated for hot conditions. An excess of cooling foods drains the body's energy because the body must warm the food to match its own internal temperature. "Cold" refers not only to the temperature of the food, but also to its intrinsic nature. Ice cold drinks are cold, but even hot green tea has a cooling effect on the body. Too may cooling foods interfere with the transformative power of Yang Qi. Hot and warm foods have an intrinsic warming effect on the body regardless of temperature. In excess warming foods like alcohol can cause a buildup of heat in the internal organs. The Five Tastes Each of the Five Elements is associated with a specific flavor or taste. These "tastes" represent not just what something tastes like on the tongue, they also represent inherent qualities found in food and herbal ingredients that have specific traits and effects. Each flavor “homes” to one of the five organs in accordance with Five Element Theory. For example, pungent, acrid or spicy foods “home” to the lung and can directly activate the lung, while sweet foods “home” to the spleen and stomach. In general, because foods need to be broken down by the digestive system, many foods have a sweet taste, even if that is not their primary property. This is largely because foods grow on the Earth, and therefore automatically have an affinity with the Earth Element and its associated organs, the spleen and stomach.

Element Taste Color Organ Action Binding Liver/ Sour Green Tightening Wood GB Astringent Drying Heart /SI Bitter Red Detoxifying Fire Per/SJ Anti-Inflammatory Nourishing Spleen Sweet Yellow Soothing Earth Stomach Tonifying Disperses Diaphoretic; Spicy; White Lung; LI Goes Upward Metal Acrid Decongests Salty Blue/ Black Kidneys Softens, Concentrates, Water Bladder Flows Downward

74 Overconsumption of one of the Five Tastes at the expense of the others can create an imbalance leading to disease: Excessive Sour Flavor: damages the Sinews (Tendons and Ligaments) Excessive Bitter Flavor: damages the Qi Excessive Sweet Flavor: damages the Flesh Excessive Spicy/Pungent Flavor: consumes the Shen (Spirit) Excessive Salty Flavor: injures the Bone The Five Tastes can also categorized according to Yin and Yang.

Yin Tastes Yang Tastes Sour Spicy Salty Sweet Bitter Bland

The association of taste with a particular Element implies that foods with that taste will have a nourishing effect on the Organ/Meridian system associated with that Element. Sweet Foods Sweet foods supplement the Qi and moisture (fluids), but have a rich, thick quality that can lead to a stagnation of moisture, which may, over time, congeal into phlegm. Excessive consumption of sweet food can weaken the kidneys (Earth controlling Water) and cause the skin to take on a dark color. Sweet Foods include: corn, carrots, sugar, and yams. Bitter Foods Bitter foods help the body eliminate heat and can disperse stagnant moisture and Qi. In excess they can dry out the spleen and stomach. Bitter Foods include: radishes, coffee, turnips, and watercress. Sour Foods Sour foods tone the viscera and tendons because of their astringent quality, but in excess can contribute to cramping and pain. Sour foods can be useful if there is a lack of muscle tone, but should be consumed with caution if there are pulled muscles or strained tendons. Sour Foods include: lemon; raspberry, vinegar, tomato, and alcohol.

75 Pungent (Spicy) Foods Pungent, spicy or acrid foods tend to accelerate the movement of Qi and blood. This acceleration helps to warm the body and causes sweating. In excess, pungent foods can exhaust the Qi and the b lood. They are contraindicated in conditions involving bleeding, because they cause the blood to move more rapidly. Pungent Foods include: peppers, onions, and oregano. Salty Foods Salty Foods tend to concentrate substances and move then downward. They also dissolve phlegm blockages, but in excess will stagnate fluids. Salt can strengthen the kidneys, due to its consolidating effect, but too much salt can “over-consolidate,” causing water retention and edema. Salty Foods include: olives, kidneys, and shellfish. Changing Tastes & Temperature According to Season Just as Yin and Yang and the Five Elements change with the seasons, so too must a person's dietary habits. In the spring, one should eat more sweet and less sour food (because Wood is already effulgent and will otherwise over control Earth). Also it is important to eat food that is easier to digest. In the summer, eat less bitter food, as it may over-stimulate the heart. Greasy or fried foods and alcohol are not recommended, because they can cause a buildup of heat in the body. Cooling, moistening foods like watermelon, tomato, cucumber, celery, and cool drinks ameliorate summer’s heat and replenish body fluids. Green tea or chrysanthemum tea can help reduce heat and cool the body. However, too much cold food can block and damage the interior heat (Yang Qi) of the body, and damages the digestive fire. It is important to eat some warming foods and even a little pungent and spicy food that moves the energy upward and outward, preventing fluids from stagnating and aiding perspiration. Traditional diets in hot, humid climates often contain hot sauces, peppers and spices for this reason. In the fall, too many pungent, spicy foods may dry out the lungs in an already dry season. At this time, it is also important to stop eating cooling fruits and cold drinks as the weather also becomes cooler. In autumn it is useful to eat more sour foods in order to prevent the lungs from over-controlling the liver.

76 In winter, eat more warming and tonifying foods such as beef, squash, mutton, carrots, and potatoes, but it is also important to eat some cooling foods to move the energy downward and inward and to nurture the Yin. While salted preserved foods are often eaten in winter, be careful not to overdo the consumption of salt. Salt moves things inward and consolidates. Too much salty flavor in this time of consolidation can cause stagnation. Wine and alcohol are good to drink in moderation in winter, because they warm the body and help promote the assimilation of tonifying foods. It is good to drink black tea in winter as its energy is warm, and it warms and strengthens the Stomach.

Season Decrease Increase Spring Sour Sweet

Summer Bitter Pungent

Autumn Pungent Sour

Winter Salty Bitter

Qi is abundant as long as it is replenished and nourished by the spleen and stomach, because these organs are central to the assimilation of food and the production of Qi and blood. Food by its nature must be processed by the spleen and stomach, therefore many foods, although they may have other properties, “home” to the spleen and stomach through their sweet flavor. Warming and tonifying foods should form the basis of a balanced diet. Frozen and cold foods, iced drinks, or ice cream should be avoided, as they tend to chill the middle burner - the “Fire” of digestion (the active processes of the spleen and stomach). Nourishing foods like beef, chicken, carrots cabbage, potatoes, corn, turnips, peas, eggs, etc. can be eaten in any season to aid healthy functioning of the spleen and stomach. The general rule for a healthy diet is to balance the Five Flavors and the energetic quality of the food (Yin and Yang) at each meal, and to change the diet in accordance with seasonal and climactic fluctuations. As to the 5 flavors, one must be abstemious to avoid surfeit even if the mouth has a taste and desire for them, for surfeit will damage the correct Qi.74

74 Treatise On The Spleen & Stomach. Li Dong-Yuan, Trans: Yang Shou-zhong and Li Jian-yong (Boulder, CO: Blue Poppy Press, 1993) p. 5

77 Balancing the Five Flavors Balancing means that each of the Five Flavors should be represented at each meal, but it does not mean the Five Flavors will be equally represented in a single meal, or even over your meals in general. Many foods are sweet. This makes sense as the sweet taste homes to the spleen and stomach and the organs of digestion. Most nourishing foods are sweet, although they may also be slightly sour or slightly salty at the same time. Therefore, it is likely that typical meal will include about 50% of the sweet taste and varying percentages of the other flavors sometimes provided through herbs and spices. This does not mean you can just eat s ugar. The sweet flavor should be provided by nourishing foods that also have a sweet flavor - for example, we don't necessarily think of beef or pork as being sweet, but these meats in fact do have a sweet flavor, and pork is additionally salty. Obviously, salted pork would be much more salty. We also might not think of radishes as being both sweet and pungent, kohlrabi as being bitter, sweet, and pungent, or olive oil being both sour and sweet. The wide range of produce available in modern times provides many opportunities to add bitter, pungent and sour flavors without having to spice food heavily. Each organ needs nourishment. If you never eat bitter foods the body is unsatisfied and the heart is not being properly nourished. This can create cravings for things like coffee that provide a bitter taste but do not nourish. When one eats in such a way that the Five Flavors are balanced in every meal, or even most meals, then individual organs are not clamoring for attention, and the body is satisfied. This eliminates the food cravings that lead one to eat between meals. The Five Element Flavors also have generalized effects on the movement of the Qi. Salty, bitter, and sour foods often have a contracting and sinking energy, while sweet and pungent foods often have and ascending or expanding quality. The famous physician Li Shi Zhen described these relationships as follows: Sour or salty herbs have no function of ascending, pungent-spicy or sweet herbs have no function of descending, cold herbs have no function of floating and hot herbs have no function of sinking. 75

75 Practical Traditional Chinese Medicine and Pharmacology: Medical Herbs. Geng Junying et al. (Beijing: New World Press, 1991) p.7.

78 Longevity Diet - The Qing Dan Diet Simple and light diets have been recommended by many generations of Chinese physicians in order to preserve good health. In his book, Supplement To The Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold, Sun Si Miao, one of China's most famous physicians, advocated a diet that stressed natural light foods like cereals, beans, vegetables and fruits.76 An excess of heavy, greasy, and rich, sweet foods often produces heat, dampness and phlegm. Too much heavy food can also overload the stomach and block the Qi. Excessive drinking of alcohol and spicy food produce excess heat which can dry the blood, while too many fruits and raw vegetables can impair the spleen and stomach's ability to transform and transport food, causing a buildup of moisture (dampness). Heavier foods tend to be warmer. and light foods tend to be cooler. Physicians like Sun recommend a balance of Heavy and Light foods in conjunction with a balance of the Five Flavors and the Yin and Yang energetic qualities of food. This balanced approach to food and diet is called the Qing Dan Diet. It is the diet advocated by many doctors of traditional Chinese medicine. Qing Dan (清淡) means “Clear and Bland.” The Qing Dan Diet is composed mainly of grains, beans and bean products, vegetables and fruits. It is low in animal protein like meat, eggs and fish. These heavier foods are eaten more sparingly and not every day. The Qing Dan Diet is the basic Longevity Diet because it prevents Qi stagnation and promotes Qi transformation. Blander, lighter foods like grains, beans, and vegetables are considered to be relatively high in Qi as opposed to Wei (Flavor). Flavorful (Wei) foods are more dense, heavy, turbid, and damp-producing than Qi foods. Lighter foods that are high in Qi promote the arousing of clear Yang and pure Qi. Wei foods are very nutritious and necessary, but they are also rich and harder to digest. Therefore, they can overload the digestive system and interfere with the harmonious unfolding of the Qi Dynamic. However, relatively small amounts of rich Wei food add critical nourishment and flavor to a diet based on light foods. Eating too many highly nourishing foods actually reverses their effect, making the body weak. However, at the same time, a diet overly weighted towards light food, can be unsatisfying, insufficiently nutritious and energy producing, and therefore difficult to maintain. The lack of richness and flavor often leads to over-eating and cravings for things like sugar, chocolate and coffee.

76 Health Preservation And Rehabilitation: A Practical English- Chinese Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine Vol. 8 (Shanghai: Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine) p.82.

79 Heavy Foods Light Foods Sugar Fruit Bread Grains Cheese Vegetables Deep Fried Food Potatoes Fish Sprouts Meat Beans

For more information on the Longevity Diet look for our books: The Longevity Diet: Chinese Secrets of Healthy Eating for Vibrant Health Eight Winds in the Heavens: Seasonal Health Secrets and Qi Gong Exercises from Daoist Sages that Prevent Disease and Promote Optimal Health and Vitality

80 Chapter 8 Internal Martial Arts Strengthening the Will & Adapting to Change

Internal martial arts are methods of self-defense that provide balanced physical exercise, however they are also spiritual paths that activate the internal energies and transmute them for the purpose of achieving spiritual attainment. Daoist transcendents like Chen Tuan practiced martial arts, and many martial artists see the value of Daoist practices in relation to martial arts. It is not uncommon for martial arts to become a path that leads practitioners to Daoist self-cultivation. In the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System we offer two martial arts that can be used as pathways to health, longevity and higher levels of self-cultivation. They are auxiliary practices to our goal of Nourishing Life and promoting longevity and spiritual attainment. This chapter will briefly discuss Xing Yi Quan (Form-Intention Boxing) and Ba Gua Zhang (Eight Diagram Palm) in relation to self-cultivation. More details on these arts can be found in the books Xing Yi: Art of Inner Transformation and The Art of Ba Gua Zhang. These books explain the background of the two arts, their benefits, underlying philosophies, training and their relationship to health and psych0-spiritual development. For many people martial arts are an entry point for engaging in self- cultivation. Martial arts begin with the body, but in the end aim at forging a strong mind and will and an indomitable spirit. One of the things that martial arts training adds to self-cultivation, besides the obvious benefits of increasing agility, strength, and confidence, is that one learns how to engage with resistance. Resistance takes several forms. First, there is the internal resistance to doing things that are difficult and even painful. Then, when one trains with a partner, there is external resistance, and this resistance has many dimensions. You are testing and calibrating your own energetic and physical alignments against the outside force of your partner, and simultaneously receiving feedback in the form of force, movement, or even aggression. At the same time, one comes up against one’s own emotional and psychological barriers - negative feelings of failure, inability to act, ego, etc. And there is not only your ego in play, but also that of your partner. Engaging with these elements teaches one to change and adapt to changing circumstances, and understand the idea of strategic placement of energy – an important aspect of both life and martial arts. Learning to adapt and change, and to break through barriers of resistance, teaches one to be flexible and reinforces the natural propensity for change and transformation, which lies at the very heart of the body’s energy matrix. Much more on adaptation, change, and strategy can be found in the book Beyond the Battleground: Classic Strategies from the Yijing and Baguazhang for Managing Crises Situations. Xing Yi Quan Xing Yi Quan literally means: “Form-Intention Boxing.” Xing Yi Quan training emphasizes internal movement within external stillness, allowing the practitioner to actualize the instinctive, hair-trigger reactions of the human body in direct, powerful movements. Xing Yi training focuses on natural integrated movement, whole body breathing, and the cultivation of Qi (vital energy), rather than external technique. The postures and movements of Xing Yi Quan simultaneously arouse and enliven the Qi, so that there is no gap between intention and action. This creates the basis for developing a sensitized awareness of internal transformation and change. In addition, Xing Yi Quan is a method of Daoist Inner Alchemy that integrates body, mind and spirit, allowing a return to one’s Natural Self, characterized by True Mind, True Spirit and True Action. Xing Yi Quan is a very powerful Daoist health practice that promotes longevity and dispels illness. Because past masters of Xing Yi Quan were famous for their martial prowess, Xing Yi Quan is often pigeonholed as a fighting art rather than a health practice or spiritual practice. This perception is misleading. Part of what makes Xing Yi Quan a very effective martial art for both self-defense and inner transformation is that Xing Yi Quan training draws upon ancient Daoist Meditation practices that transform the body’s internal structure and actualize True Intention. Xing Yi training results in an unmediated mind that is without artifice, and natural, appropriate whole-hearted behavior, and whole-body movement. Xing Yi Quan training begins and ends with Pi Quan (Splitting Fist). Pi Quan unifies the energies of the body and integrates them with the Intention (Yi) and Spirit (Shen). Training Pi Quan in all its forms is a process of integration, both mental and physical, that prepares the body to explore the connection between internal transformation and external movement, manifesting in the forms and techniques. This connection is further explored through the practice of the Five Elements (Wu Xing). The individual “Elements” are not fixed forms, but moments of transformation described in the form of archetypes: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. Each of the Five Elements engages with a different internal power dynamic that externally manifests in the form of Xing Yi Quan’s “Five Element Fists.” Each Element also represents a different manifestation of a single unified, transformative dynamic. Practicing the Five Element Fists, while engaging with their varied forms

82 energies, and techniques, becomes a means of returning to, or reconnecting to, one’s True Intention, True Movement and Original Spirit, which then spontaneously manifest in one’s daily life as well as in combat and self-defense.

The Five Elements of Xing Yi Chuan are: Metal Pi Quan Splitting Fist Water Zuan Quan Drilling Fist Wood Beng Quan Bursting Fist Fire Pao Quan Pounding Fist or Cannon Fist Earth Heng Quan Crossing or Transverse Fist

The seemingly simple and direct Five Element Fists are actually composed of balanced internal spirals that generate movement and power in all six directions simultaneously – up, down, front, back, right, and left. This creates the ability to instinctively and instantly transform in accordance with the changing situation.

83 Xing Yi Quan as a Psycho-Spiritual Path An important concept in Xing Yi Quan is the idea of the Three Internal Harmonies or Internal Unities (內三合 Nei San He). The word He (合) can mean “to join,” “whole,” “together,” “combine,” “unify,” “jointly,” or “in conjunction with.” The Three Internal Unities are: 1. Unification of Heart and Intention (心與意合 Xin Yu Yi He) 2. Unification of Intent and Qi (意與氣合 Yi Yu Qi He) 3.Unification of Qi and Force (氣與力合 Qi Yu Li He) In essence, this means that Intention (Yi) comes from the Heart-Mind. Therefore, when the Heart-Mind’s intention is genuine within, effects will manifest externally, with internal and external always operating in unison. Some Xing Yi practitioners, perhaps extrapolating from the Three Internal Unities, say that Xing Yi Quan lends power to the intention so that it becomes focused and powerful. This in turn allows one to take action and move undeterred toward the achievement of one’s goals and aspirations. The intention of “Splitting” is seen as a means cutting through obstacles to achieve goals and favorable outcomes. While there is some truth to this viewpoint, it misses a real understanding of the true nature of Xing Yi Quan, and the interaction of Intention, and Form. Xing Yi Quan training cultivates a serene heart linked to a focused, flexible intention. This allows the practitioner to move through life with a flowing, flexible and elastic quality that allows one to adapt to the changing circumstances as they unfold, while remaining rooted, calm and stable. From this perspective Splitting, Drilling, Bursting etc. are not aimed at removing external obstacles to external goals and objectives, but at breaking though one’s own internal blocks – the obstacles that prevent us from observing and responding naturally, spontaneously and without artifice – to think and act harmoniously. Xing Yi Quan’s Twelve Animal Forms are variations of the Five Fists that further develop body skills, inner awareness and practical fighting skills. Xing Yi Boxers say that: Boxing is like taking a walk and striking an enemy is like snapping your fingers – natural and effortless. The real substance and purpose of Xing Yi Quan is transformation of the internal body-mind-spirit, so that one moves, responds, and acts with naturally and effectively.

84 An important part of Xing Yi Quan training is holding San Ti Shi (“Three Body Posture” or “Trinity Posture”) for long periods of time. San Ti Shi is a kind of standing meditation that develops internal strength, and a supple, but powerful and aligned body structure, resulting in a natural internal alchemy in which one experiences the breaths of Heaven and Earth flowing through the body. This allows one’s energy and spirit to develop and expand. In the pictures below, Xing Yi Master Li Gui Chang stands in San Ti Shi. One can clearly see his vibrant and clear spirit.

Xing Yi Quan is based on combined training of the mind, bo dy and spirit. Xing Yi boxer Paul Kuo summarizes the essence succinctly: The goal is to achieve a state of holding a “great Air” without any worldly desire or bellicose attitude, neither humble nor arrogant, always advancing and indomitable. “Spiritual” cultivation in internal boxing is given top priority, but boxing theory and practice must also be accorded their due. When you box, the “spiritual” cultivation is transformed into physical activity in exactly the right proportion required for the work at hand.77 This “spirituality” that Xing Yi Practitioners engage with is not otherworldly, or god-driven, but an internal and immanent “spirituality” that connects us to the world around us, to the natural world, and all its manifestations, in a natural and flowing manner.

77 Pa Kua: Chinese Boxing for Fitness and Self-Defense, Robert W. Smith (Tokyo and New York: Kodansha International Ltd. 1967) p. 117.

85 Ba Gua Zhang Ba Gua Zhang or “Eight Diagram Palm” is a method of boxing that is characterized by footwork, evasive movement and constant change. The actions of the whole body are coordinated with the rotation of the waist and the walking action of the legs. These elements, when combined with relaxation and connection of mind and body, produce an explosive, coordinated power that comes from the unified action of the entire body and is not dependent on the relative strength of the external musculature. Ba Gua Zhang’s unique feature is its use of curved steps, and its practice of walking around a circle to train the mind and body and develop a whole body power that is based on rotation and spirals. The importance of circle walking is stressed in The Thirty-Six Songs, the oral instructions for correct training handed down through generations of teachers and students. For example: This palm is quite different from others, It is skillful to walk forward and raise the foot. and Curve the step and straighten the foot to extend forward. Walk like pushing a millstone. Although there are various theories about the origins of Ba Gua Zhang, Dong Hai Chuan is considered by most people to be the founder of Ba Gua. It is not known for certain what martial arts Dong studied in his youth, but there is evidence that he combined martial arts with Daoist meditation practices, which involved keeping the mind empty while walking in a circle. Dong was often quoted as saying, “training in martial arts is not as good as walking the circle.”78 Circle walking is considered one of the key exercises in Ba Gua Zhang, because it aids in evasion and counterattack and enables one to literally turn the opponent’s corner in combat. In addition, circle walking calms the mind and trains both the spirit and internal energy.

78 The Origins of Pa Kua Chang Part 3, by Dan Miller and Kang Ge Wu (Pa Kua Chang Journal Vol. 3, No. 4 May/June 1993) pp. 25-29.

86 The forms and techniques of Ba Gua are manifestations of the principles of whole body coordination, or “internal connection.” These internal connections are predicated on using circular and spiral forces to redirect, evade, or overcome external forces and attacks, and to concentrate and suddenly release the body’s full power in combat. Furthermore, in both training and combat, there is an emphasis on internal stillness while the body is in motion. Internally the mind and spirit are still and calm, while internally and externally the body constantly changes and transforms, able to create infinite techniques seamlessly linked together. That is why it is said that the basic skills of stepping and turning are said to create “1,000 changes and 10,000 transformations.” Transformation & Change in Ba Gua Zhang This idea of transformation can be expressed in many ways. Combat can be a changing, unpredictable situation. Therefore Ba Gua emphasizes continuous movement, countering and re-countering, and dynamic states of change and transformation in accordance with the changing circumstances. These ideas are often described by using the juxtaposition of opposites: “stillness within motion”, “stand like a nail and move like the wind”, and “firmness and gentleness in mutual assistance.” Another image used by Ba Gua practitioners is that one should “walk like a dragon, turn like a monkey and change like an eagle,” varying the shape, spirit and dynamics of one’s movements. Advanced practitioners of Ba Gua Zhang are said to move like “Swimming Dragons” - moving continuously, unpredictably and easily though the clouds. The French

87 Sinologist Francois Jullien’s description of the dragon motif in Chinese culture is a beautiful metaphor for this idea of constant change and could easily serve as description of Ba Gua Zhang in action: The body of the dragon concentrates energy in its sinuous curves, and coils and uncoils to move along more quickly. It is a symbol with all the potential with which form can be charged, a potential that never ceases to be actualized. The dragon now lurks in watery depths, now streaks aloft to the highest heavens, and its very gait is a continuous undulation. It presents an image of energy constantly recharged through oscillation from one pole to the other.79 Although Ba Gua Zhang literally means “Eight Diagram Palm,” it does not focus on the palm alone. In fact, every part of the body: fist, palm, elbow, shoulder, head, hip, knee and foot are trained to move and strike freely and continuously. Ba Gua is said to be characterized by “ambushing hands and hidden kicks. Within the forms and movements are Sixty-Four Hands, Seventy-Two Secret Kicks, as well as Na Fa (seizing methods), and Shuai Fa (throwing methods). From these descriptions it is easy to see why Ba Gua Zhang has been likened to guerilla warfare, because its chosen tactic is to move unpredictably, evade and counterattack, or to escape and let the opponent fall into emptiness. Ba Gua specializes in using footwork to move out of the line of the attack and then counterattacking against the opponent’s weak point, rather than confronting him directly. This has application to daily life – rather than confronting obstacles or aggression, it is often more useful to redirect and come at the problem from a new direction. Circle Walking in Ba Gua Zhang The Ba Gua Zhang practice of circle walking balances Yin and Yang. This balance occurs in many ways. An interchange of Yin and Yan g occurs as each step changes from a Yin Step to a Yang Step and back again. For example, just as one leg becomes Yang, taking all the body weight and driving the body forward, it is already beginning its transformation to Yin. The shift from Yin to Yang a nd Yang to Yin is very subtle. Circle walking using the Mud Wading Step fine-tunes one’s sense of when weight and power shift from one leg to the other, creating spiral Yin and Yang forces between the feet that are transmitted upward through the body.

79 The Propensity of Things: Toward a History of Efficacy in China, Francois Jullien (New York: Zone Books, 1999) p. 151.

88 As you walk using curved steps, the legs pass close together so that the ankles and thighs almost brush each other. This action is sometimes called “scissor legs.” This stepping pattern squeezes the thighs together, activating the sexual energy and strengthening the reproductive system and kidneys, which are the foundation of the body’s energy. As each foot lands, the Yong Quan (“Bubbling Well”) acu-point on the bottom of the foot is stimulated, activating the Kidney meridian and its connections to Dan Tian and Ming Men. Every step creates a pumping action in the Yong Quan acu-points on the soles of the feet that is transmitted upward to fill and strengthen the kidney energy. In Ba Gua Zhang’s seminal movement, the Single Palm Change, the body internally and externally actualizes the spiraling Tai Ji diagram. The Single Palm Change recreates the model of the universe inside the body, and further balances the Yin and Yang forces inside of us in a profound and powerful way, while simultaneously connecting these internal expressions of Heaven and Earth to the macrocosm around us. After circling and changing for a period of time, one ends by standing still and sensing inside the body. At this moment many practitioners experience a sense of connection with the cosmos. One feels not only the turning within, but also the turning of the earth and the planets.

89 Ba Gua Zhang as a Psycho-Spiritual Path Although Ba Gua Zhang is a martial art, for many practitioners its most important facet is its ability to promote health and deeper engagement with the world. In this sense Ba Gua Zhang provides a template for integrating body, mind and spirit. Ba Gua Zhang’s emphasis on creating internal harmony and balance, self-cultivation of mind and body, and adapting to change can help one to more easily negotiate life and interactions with others. Ba Gua’s martial tactic of changing with the changing circumstances, or as some people say, “going with the flow,” helps us to understand and adapt to the natural world, and its manifestations within us. The seasons, weather, the harmony and majesty of nature with its unending cycles of growth , flourishing, decay and renewal are constantly changing, and these changes affect us and move through us. Understanding change also helps us understand how to have a healthy relationship with ourselves and with others, so that we can adapt to different situations and cultures.

90 Chapter 9 Ba Gua Energy Practices Connecting Heaven & Earth

Dong Hai Chuan, the founder of Ba Gua Zhang, synthesized the best of various martial styles in order to create Ba Gua Zhang. It is clear that he incorp0rated Daoist energy exercises into Ba Gua Zhang. The key element of this new style was the practice of walking in a circle holding various postures that energize and strengthen the body, while calming the mind and refining and purifying the spirit. It is believed that Dong studied with the Dragon Gate school of Daoism, which practiced a form of Daoist circle walking meditation whose purpose was to open and harmonize the meridians of the body in order to promote health and focus and quiet the mind. Daoist practitioners used this practice, called “Rotating in the Worship of Heaven,” not for martial purposes, but to refine Qi and spirit through external movement in order to realize internal stillness or emptiness (ie: the Dao). Purportedly Dong saw that this circle walking had value, not only as a meditation and health exercise, but also as the foundation of an effective method of martial arts.80 As a result the following statement is attributed to Dong Hai Chuan: Training in martial arts ceaselessly is inferior to walking the circle; In Ba Gua Zhang circle walking practice is the font of all training.

Three important Ba Gua Energy practices have come down to us today and are part of the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System: 1. Tian Gan Nei Gong 2. Ba Gua Meridian Opening Palms 3. Daoist Circle Walking Meditation

80 The Origins of Pa Kua Chang - Part 3, by Dan Miller. Pa Kua Chang Journal Vol. 3, No. 4 May/June 1993. Pacific Grove, CA: High View Publications, p. 27 1. Tian Gan Nei Gong The Tian Gan Exercises were discussed earlier in Chapter Six. The Tian Gan exercises are very important for developing power dynamics used in Ba Gua Zhang techniques. However, Tian Gan Nei Gong also opens up the spinal column by literally “wringing out” the spine, while freeing and opening the Central Channel, which in turn allows all the other channels in the body to be clear and open. The Tian Gan Exercises are said to “Modify the Spinal Chord and the Marrow.” One of the stages of Daoist internal cultivation is to nourish and replenish the marrow and energetically activate the spinal cord from the tailbone to the brain and the top of the head. This energetically changes the brain and nervous system to function at a higher level. Therefore Tian Gan Nei Gong can be an important adjunct to performing the Meridian Opening Palms and Daoist Circle Walking Meditation, as well as other Daoist Meditation practices.

Tian Gan “Sword Hand” Movement

2. Ba Gua Meridian Opening Palms In the Ba Gua Meridian Opening Palms, one walks on the circle using the “Mud-Wading” step while holding fixed postures that open different meridians. The curved circular stepping used in practicing the Meridian Opening Palms combines stepping with turning the back and waist and the folding the Kua. Combining these elements engages a series of spiral

92 forces that run through the fascia of the entire body - from the soles of the feet to the top of the head - creating a unified structure that is akin to a twisted rope. These spiral forces activate and invigorate the Qi. Each of the postures of the Meridian Opening Palms has a martial component, and at the same time, each posture can also be employed to open and activate different meridians, or groups of meridians. Walking the circle while holding these fixed postures courses the meridians while powerfully activating the meridian system. One can also use the Mind- Intention to focus on a specific channel or acu-point in order to further balance the flow of Qi and dispel pathogens like excess heat or cold. Combining the postures with circle walking increases the power of the Meridian Opening Palm practice. The action of lifting and setting down the foot activates Ming Men (“Life Gate”) and Yong Quan (“Bubbling Well”) points on the soles of the fe et. This in turn activates the Kidney Meridian and the Ren and Du channels so that the primal energies of the body and their pathways - the Eight Extraordinary Vessels - are stimulated and opened. 3. Daoist Circle Walking Meditation Daoist Circle Walking Meditation is an inner alchemical Nei Dan practice that takes the meridian opening palms further by employing non-martial postures and movements that circulate Qi through the “Waterwheel” (the Microcosmic Orbit). Activating this inner circulation recharges the body’s internal “battery” and dispels negative emotions, while restoring a sense of harmony and unity. Yi Jing diagrams are sometimes visualized to understand and harmonize with the energy configurations unfolding in the body (see the picture on the following page). Some practitioners refer to Daoist Circle Walking Meditation as “Monastic Ba Gua” in order to differentiate it from the martial aspects of Ba Gua Zhang. Ba Gua Circle Walking Meditation has several components, all of which open the energy gates and guide you into a deep meditative state as you walk, turn, and circle smoothly and effortlessly. Rotating and walking harmonizes the body’s energies with the cyclical circular movements of the earth, the stars and the planets. This connects us to the natural forces of which we are a part. In turn, this connection allows the mind to become quiet and tranquil, so the heart becomes calm and relaxed, and the spirit becomes rooted and serene.

93 94 Chapter 10 Daoist Meditation Calming the Heart-Mind & Transforming Energy into Spirit

The Purpose of Daoist Meditation In Daoist meditation, turning our awareness inward allows us to connect with the “Dao”, the unitarian principle and force from which all life springs. Meditation in this context becomes a way of going inside, a disengagement from the world, in order to re-connect with the unitary energy that is at the core of our life force. By connecting with the endless, limitless flux between Heaven and Earth (the breaths of Heaven and Earth) we reconnect and replenish from the well of life itself and recover the authenticity and wisdom that was implanted within us at our inception. Worldly affairs - our wants, desires, likes, dislikes, obsessions, and fixations – tend to pull us away from a sense of inner, integral unity, leading us into countless divisions and differentiations that disperse our Qi and distract us, impeding our ability to live in a state of inner peace and connected wholeness. It is this very separation from our own inner connection and inner wisdom that also makes us susceptible to diseases and illnesses of the mind and body. Psychologist and Ba Gua Instructor Robert Santee describes lack of attunement with the natural rhythms of the world as a state of chronic stress: When we interfere with the natural, cyclic process of change and transformation through our thoughts, desires, emotions, behaviors and lifestyle, we fragment mind, body and environment. We make our world complex, absolute and inflexible. We are out of balance. As a result, we aren’t centered, rooted, or flexible. We are chronically stressed. We aren’t in harmony with the Tao.81

Daoist Meditation has been shown to improve the body’s health and functioning on many levels - improving mental acuity, health, longevity, vigor, sexual potency, and emotional balance. All of these benefits stem

81 The Tao of Stress: How to Calm, Balance, and Simplify Your Life, by Robert G. Santee, PhD (Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, 2013) p. 21 from attaining a state of quiescence, of inner stillness, where one regains connection with the primordial energies. This not only frees one from a state of chronic stress, it allows internal movement and transformation to take place at the d eepest levels of the body. Inner movement within stillness is different from ordinary movement and can bring about psychological and physiological changes, one of which is that energy consuming processes change to energy storage, thereby retarding the aging process.82

Tai Ji Quan master Jou Tsung Hwa d eftly summarizes the purpose of Daoist Meditation in the following quotation: The goal is not to become devoid of all feeling or human experience. It is simply to avoid extremes and maintain a balance. As we simplify our lives and focus on what is most important to us we become more content with our existences and less affected by the acts and influences of others and our emotional swings gradually subside from gusty turbulence to the mild breeze of wind in the trees.83 Daoist Meditation & the Imagination Daoist Meditation methods are replete with imagery, symbolism, and metaphor, offering a rich and multilayered tapestry of visual forms, and making full use of imagination and inner visualization. Engaging with Daoist imagery and symbols can be difficult at first, especially for Westerners who do not always have the requisite cultural reference points. However, the use of symbols imagery and imagination give the person practicing meditation an alternative, imagery rich language that is a departure from ordinary language. Through this departure, the everyday mind is bypassed, allowing one to engage with another, more subtle mode of perception which in turn allows one to discern and to engage with the almost imperceptible movements and changes taking place within the body. What we imagine engages our brain and nervous system. What we imagine is “real” in the sense that to some degree our brain and nervous often react the same way whether something is actually “real” or imagined. Therefore imagination, to some degree, becomes reality. Through our imagination, we can leave behind the restrictions and associations of words and come in contact with something deeper. Over time, this deeper impression and understanding builds and becomes stronger, eventually manifesting as something that is real and has force and power.

82 Qi Gong Essentials for Health Promotion, by Jiao Guorui. PR China: China Reconstructs Press, p. 66. 83 The Tao of Meditation: Way to Enlightenment. Jou Tsung-Hwa (Scottsdale AZ: Tai Chi Foundation, 2000) p. 109.

96 Daoist Meditation & Buddhist Meditation There is evidence that Buddhism first came to China in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE). Chinese Buddhism is one of the oldest forms of Buddhism (outside of India) and is China’s oldest foreign religion. Initially, Buddhism was regarded as a variation of Daoism. This belief may explain the popular Daoist story that Lao Zi brought Daoism to the West (ie: India), where it was reconfigured as Buddhism. Some early Chinese translators used Daoist concepts as stand-ins for Buddhist terms: “achieving enlightenment” became “obtaining the Dao: and Buddhist Arhats (saints) were thought of as perfected Daoist immortals. The development of Chinese Chan Buddhism (reconfigured as “Zen” in Japan) owed much to Daoist concepts, but at the same time Chan Buddhism’s refinement of meditation techniques greatly influenced Daoist Meditation methods.

As early as the Tang dynasty (618 to 907) The “Three Schools” – Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism – started to interweave. Chan Buddhism exerted a powerful influence on Confucianism. Neo- Confucianism, which began in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), was deeply influenced by Chan Buddhism. Buddhism in adapting to Chinese conditions co-opted some Daoist writings and rituals, and as Buddhism gained in popularity, Daoism absorbed ideas from Buddhism. The Tang dynasty Daoist meditation text on Sitting and Forgetting (Zuo Wang Lun), attributed to Sima Cheng Zhen, which is related to the Sitting and

97 Forgetting Meditation taught in the Two Immortals System, is clearly influenced by both Buddhist and Confucian thought. Wang Zhe, founder of the influential Quan Zhen school of Daoismm, encouraged people to recite the Daoist classic on Clarity and Stillness along with the Buddhist Heart Sutra, because he saw these books as “cross-faith” counterparts of each other84 Similarly meditation on the North Star and the Big Dipper, a version of which is part of our Comprehensive Dao Yin Online Program, seem to have flowed from Daoism to Buddhism.85 Various Emperors influenced the ascendancy of one religion over another in various dynasties. Tang Dynasty Emperors patronized Buddhism as a state cult during much of the Tang, while The Emperors of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) tended to favor Daoism. The Ming emperors gave official approval to the Zhen Yi School of Daoism over the Quan Zhen School, which had dominated the previous period, and they patronized the printing of the Daoist canon in 1445.86 From this brief discussion, one can see that many of the same meditation practices exist in both Buddhism and Daoism. So what is the difference between Daoist Meditation and Buddhist Meditation? Daoism stresses harmony with nature and the cosmos. Therefore it developed a large compendium of body-centered practices to achieve this end, including many that focus on optimizing the physical functioning of the body and its internal energies as a platform for transforming the mind and spirit. Although in both Buddhism and Daoism one attempts to escape both attachment to the perception of self and attachment to things in this world, in Buddhism the world, the body, and its doings are seen as illusion, both empty of self-nature and conceptually empty. In Daoism, the body, its energies, and inner nature, are the perspectives, the vantage points, from which we both view the cosmos and connect with it. The body, rather than being considered and illusion, something be disregarded or subjugated, is the place from which spiritual practice begins and serves as the vehicle for internal transformation. It is the platform from which our observational consciousness apprehends the numinous. In Daoism human beings are viewed as being composed of the breaths of heaven and earth, and by connecting and harmonizing with the breaths,

84 Daoist Meditation and the Wonders of Serenity. Stephen Eskildsen. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015) p. 201-202. 85 Daoism And Buddhism Face to Face: Scripture, Ritual and Iconographic Exchange in Medieval China. Christine Mollier (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press, 2008) pp. 134- 137. 86https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and- maps/daoism-and-buddhism

98 one resonates with them. This resonance allows one to see through to understanding the true nature of things, thereby achieving a state of transcendence, or “Immortality.” Seven Glands Theory Daoist Meditation methods like Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian, Meditation on the True Breath and Sleeping Meditation, all work with the Ren and Du Channels. These two channels create a central circuit in the core of the body that globally regulates Yin and Yang. The inner circulation of these channels is also an important aspect of Nei Gong practices, Daoist Yoga and internal martial arts. Recently it has been postulated that the mechanism for inner transformation and retarding aging in these forms of meditation, and various Qi Gong methods, has to do with the connection between the interior circulation of the Ren and Du channels and the “Seven Glands” (the Endocrine System). Qi Gong research has shown that weakness of Kidney Qi seems to be directly connected to changes in the levels and ratios of the sex hormones normally associated with aging. Some studies on the ratio of sex hormones indicated that a year of regular Qi Gong practice could improve the ratio of sexual hormones,87 control blood pressure and increase respiratory capacity. Scientific studies on Qi Gong and Chinese medicine indicate that the ability of Daoist Nei Dan Meditation and Qi Gong to promote longevity probably stem from stimulation of the glands of the endocrine system. After much research, Dr Tian He Lu from Taiyuan, China proposed that Ming Men (“Gate of Life” or “Gate of Vitality”) is not a single entity, but a system that includes much of the endocrine system: the Pineal Gland, the Hypothalamus and Pituitary Glands, the Thyroid and Parathyroid, the Thymus, Pancreas, Adrenal Glands and the Sex Organs (testis and ovaries). Tian He Lu postulates that the Seven Endocrine Glands regulate the body’s energies, and that the brain is effectively an extension of Ming Men (“Vital Gate”) that contains a kind of “life clock” with a “life code” that is stored in the brain, and interconnects with our sexual energy. Dr. Tian feels that this “Brain Vital Gate” controls aging and balances the body both internally and in relation to the outside environment. He also posits that the secret apertures of Qi, mentioned in ancient books on meditation, that are said to increase vitality and slow aging, are related to

87 Chinese Qi Gong Essentials. Cen Yue Fang (Beijing: New World Press, 1996) p. 39.

99 the endocrine system.88

Seven Endocrine Glands (Adapted from Wikipedia)

Dr. Tian speculates that calming the mind and activating the Microcosmic Orbit in conjunction with swallowing saliva, as in the Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian Meditation, can strengthen and intensify the secretions of the endocrine system creating a stronger mutual regulation between the glands. This occurs through “training Upper and lower Dan Tian”, thereby connecting the kidneys and sex organs with the brain - ie: engaging the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA). The Seven Glands include the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis, which has traditionally been seen as the body's "stress system", because it controls levels of cortisol and other important stress related hormones. However, new research is beginning to show that the HPA axis should instead be thought of as the body's “energy regulator”, because it is ultimately responsible for regulating hormonal activity, nervous system activity and energy expenditure in the human body, as well as modulating the immune system and the digestive system.

88 Internal Injury Due to Fire Disease in Chinese Medicine (中医内伤火病学) Tian He Lu (Huang Guo Qi, trans).

100 Interestingly, the idea of the Seven Glands has a direct tie-in with concepts related to the chakras in Indian Yogic systems of self- cultivation. Daoist physician Stephen Chang says that the Seven Endocrine Glands can be visualized as fluid-filled vessels that are attached to one another by a series of tubes. Each vessel is dependent on the others for its supply of energy (liquid). When properly balanced, all the glands are filled with energy; if one leaks, it will drain energy from the others. The energy (or liquid) moves upward from the sexual organs through the glands to finally fill the brain. This creates balance and longevity.89 Tian He Lu connects Dr. Chang’s analogy of “liquid” to the Marrow, which fills the brain and spinal cord, and is considered to be a product of Kidney Jing (Essence). Many Qi Gong, and Daoist Meditation methods facilitate this process of lifting Qi and Jing upward along the Du Channel inside the spine, to be transformed into a substrate that nourishes the glands, brain, spinal cord, and the nervous system.

89 The Complete System of Self-Healing Internal Exercise. Stephen T. Chang (San Francisco: Tao Publishing, 1986) pp. 41-43.

101 Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System - Daoist Meditation Methods 1. Kidney Breathing – Focusing on the Breath Kidney Breathing is both the foundation of many forms of meditation, and a meditation unto itself. Kidney Breathing has many names. It is also called “Dan Tian Breathing”, or “Longevity Breathing.” I prefer the name Kidney Breathing, because it reminds me that both the Dan Tian area below the navel, and the Ming Men area in the lower back should expand and contract with the breath. Dan Tian, the kidneys, and Ming Men in general, and the Ming Men in particular, form the place where Qi transformation originates. The kidneys, Ming Men and Dan Tian are effectively the hub of the many channels and vessels through which the Qi and blood flow. They set in motion and distribute the Qi, continuously producing and promoting growth, movement, and transformation. 2. Mantra & Scripture Meditation In these Mantra and Scritpure Meditation methods, meditation postures are paired with short recitations from Daoist texts such as the Nei Ye (Inward Training). Each of the postures activates a different dynamic within the body. Mentally reciting words related to the meditation experience serves two purposes. First, the words act like a mantra. Mantras give the mind a focal point, a single thought to engage with. This prevents the mind from wandering, or feeling dull and sleepy. Second, the recitations contain advice that help one relax and get the most out of the meditative experience. With repetition, the words and their deeper meanings become inculcated in one’s consciousness at a subliminal level. Different meditation postures can subtly affect the flow of Qi in the body and modify our observational consciousness so that we can experience different energy transformations. Using different postures at different times can help gather and nurture your spiritual energy in conformation with your own individual Qi and spirit. Combining these postures with specific recitations creates a powerful meditative experience. 3. Sitting & Forgetting In “Sitting and Forgetting” (Zuo Wan), one enters into a state of clarity and tranquility. When Sitting and Forgetting, one allows the Heart-Mind to become quiet by reducing the constant arising of thoughts. This is done by first becoming aware of the thoughts and then letting them go – forgetting them. One who forgets thoughts and emotions gradually lets go of the artificial self, which creates a boundary between oneself and the external world. This allows one’s lost inner nature to be recovered, so that the mind becomes clear and bright.

102 4. Microcosmic Orbit Meditation The Microcosmic Orbit, or “Small Heavenly Circulation”, is a Daoist Meditation and Inner Alchemy (Nei Dan) method for activating, raising, refining, and circulating internal energy via the internal “orbit” formed by the Central Channel – particularly the Ren and Du Meridians. As these channels fill with energy and flow freely, energy is then distributed to all the major organs and meridians, thereby energizing the entire body and powerfully affecting the nervous system and consciousness. Microcosmic Orbit Meditation has profound effect on the entire energy system, and strongly promotes health and longevity. When practicing Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, vital force is drawn upward through the spine to the brain and then circulates energy back to the Dan Tian, while simultaneously transmuting the body’s fundamental energies - Jing, Qi and Shen. This not only enhances cerebral circulation, the Seven Glands also fill up and become balanced, creating an interior state in which vital force is constantly self-replenishing, like a perpetual motion machine. 5. Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian is very a sophisticated Daoist Nei Dan exercise whose origins are lost in antiquity. Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian builds on the basic Microcosmic Orbit Meditation, while adding an extra dimension of stimulating and swallowing saliva (Golden Fluid), which helps return and replenish Kidney Essence. Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian also adds some specific Dao Yin like movements and self-massage techniques that facilitate the movement of the energy through the Du and Ren vessels, and the inter-transformation of the Three Treasures: Jing, Qi, and Shen. Regular practice of Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian makes the body stronger and more energetic, while at the same time helping the spirit to become calm, tranquil and stable. The body’s resistance to disease and extremes of hot and cold becomes stronger. Simultaneously, Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian transforms the internal body in order to restore one’s Original Nature and Original Mind. It is no surprise that several Ba Gua Zhang systems adopted Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian as part of their curriculum. 6. True Breath Meditation Meditation on the True Breath is a further development of internal breathing practices like Kidney Breathing and Golden Fluid Returning to Dan Tian. When one becomes aware of the True Breath it seems as though the whole body is breathing. Hence the True Breath is also referred to as “Whole Body Breathing,” “Pore Breathing,” “Body Hair Breathing.” or “Fetal Breathing.” When sensing the True Breath, the mouth and nose are not perceived as the openings of respiration. One has the perception that Qi and breath move inward and outward through the navel and the pores of the body. Normal respiration through

103 the nose diminishes to a minimum and becomes imperceptible. The True Breath stores energy within, so that the body can continuously regenerate itself. 7. Sleeping Meditation Sleeping Meditation is a form of Daoist Meditation and “Inner Alchemy” believed to have been developed by the legendary Daoist sage Chen Tuan. As the body reclines quietly on its side, the Heart-Mind is quiescent, still and silent. Lying still, breathing imperceptibly, one gathers Qi and concentrates the Spirit. One observes and harmonizes with the natural rhythmic flow of the Qi and breath. Sleeping Meditation allows us to reach a state similar to that of animals in hibernation. The body seems to be asleep, but is internally aware. This state of “genuine sleep” produces “true rest”, untroubled by dreams which reflect and engage our emotions and desires. Residing in a state of “True Sleep” allows us to observe our thoughts and emotions, resulting in increased clarity of mind. The Daoist Zhuang Zi describes this as “sleeping without dreaming and awakening without worries.” Because in this state the body and Heart-Mind are able to truly rest, we feel an increase in energy, even when our “normal sleep” is less.

104 Chapter 11 Sexual Cultivation Connecting Life Force with Qi & Spirit

In Daoist thinking, sex is neither good nor bad; it is a necessary and important part of human life. Daoist sages like Ge Hong looked at sex as something to be understood, and even indulged in, but in a healthy and balanced way. They observed that celibacy could damage the body by stagnating Qi, just as overindulgence in sex could drain the body’s life force and shorten one’s lifespan. If one were to abstain from intercourse, your spirit would have no opportunity for expansiveness and Yin and Yang would be blocked and cut off from each other.90 Ge Hong, considered sexual cultivation to be an important and fundamental technique in cultivating longevity and immortality. As usual he is direct in his assessment of the sexual arts. There are more than ten masters of the sexual arts. Some use them to cure injury, some to attack illness, some to strengthen the Yang by absorbing Yin, and some to achieve longevity. The essential teaching is to return Jing to nourish the brain. Those who consume the most precious medicines, but fail to grasp the essential of this precious art, cannot achieve long life. It is also the case that man cannot abstain from intercourse, for if Yin and Yang do not interact, this leads to diseases of obstruction. One becomes withdrawn and resentful, and thus sickly and short lived. Giving free rein to one’s passions also shortens life, and thus only by restrained balance can one avoid harm.91 Many of the classic books on sexual cultivation have already been translated and discussed in detail in other books, so our discussion in this chapter will focus on the key fundamentals. To read the sexual classics in translation read the Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese Sexual Yoga Classics Including Women’s Solo Meditation Texts by Douglas Wile. For a more simply explained and very practical book, I suggest The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom by Stephen T. Chang.

90 Classic of Su Nu, from Live Long Live Well: Teachings From the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. Peter Deadman (©Peter Deadman, 2016) p. 241. 91 Art of the Bedchamber: The Chinese Sexual Yoga Classics Including Women’s Solo Meditation Texts. Douglas Wile (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1992) p. 25. Sexual Exercises As with many self-cultivation disciplines, the first step in Sexual Cultivation begins with some basic exercises that train the body to perform the techniques and methods correctly and easily. Deer Exercise In China, the deer is a symbol of longevity. The deer is associated with endurance, speed and long life. The deer was also considered to have strong sexual and reproductive abilities. The word deer (Lu 鹿) is the phonetic equivalent of another Lu, which literally means “good income”, or “prosperity.” The antlers of the deer are prized by the Chinese as a longevity tonic, and velvet deer horn is a traditional medicinal that supplements the Kidney Yang, strengthens the tendons, ligaments and marrow, and nourishes the blood - hence it is often employed to treat depletion of the Jing. As a medicinal, velvet deer horn is also said to fortify Yang and tonify Du Mai. The Deer Exercise enables opening of the Du vessel through a lifting action of the inguinal area and pelvic floor. The exercise acts like a pump to lift Qi up the Du channel. The deer wags its tail and moves Yang through the spine, hence it is associated with the Du Vessel. The deer refers to the genitals, perineum and sacrum that are part of the alchemical process.92

92 An Exposition of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels: Acupuncture, Alchemy & Herbal Medicine, by Charles Chace and Miki Shima. Seattle WA: Eastland Press, 2010, p. 71.

106 Male Deer Exercise The Male Deer Exercise is used to activate and strengthen the sexual energy, the pelvic floor and the genitals. It also activates the Seven Glands and pumps energy into the Seven Gland system. The Male Deer Exercise helps control ejaculation during intercourse so that the man is not depleted through loss of Essence. Male Deer Exercise Step 1: Stimulating Jing and Qi 1. Gently knock the teeth 36 times. Then gather saliva by circling the tongue around the outside of the teeth nine times in each direction. Circle the tongue around the inside of the teeth nine times in each direction. Move the saliva back and forth between your teeth to gather it further. 2. Now use a “gulping” action to swallow the gathered saliva, either all at once, or in 2 -3 portions. Swallowing saliva is aided by raising the head and extending the neck. As you swallow the saliva, feel it descend down the front of the body to the Dan Tian area where it turns into a mist, like water hitting a flame. The mist spreads outward to fill Dan Tian and nourish and moisten the internal organs. This helps gather and stimulate Jing. 3.Rub the palms together until the hands are warm 4. Cup your testicles with your left hand. Make sure they are completely covered by the palm. Simultaneously, place the palm of the right hand just below the navel. 5. Rubbing lightly, but deliberately, make 81 clockwise circles in the lower abdomen with the right palm, feeling gentle penetrating warmth enter the lower abdomen. Try and feel as though this warmth goes through to the back and Ming Men. 6. Rub your hands together again and reverse the position of the hands. Cup your testicles with your right hand, while you place the palm of the left hand just below the navel. 7. Rubbing lightly, but deliberately, make 81 counter-clockwise circles on the lower abdomen with the left palm, feeling gentle penetrating warmth enter the lower abdomen. Try and feel as though this warmth goes through to the back and Ming Men.

107 Male Deer Exercise Step 2: Activating the Du Channel 1 . Inhale as you gently lift the Kua93 and the pelvic floor. The perineum also gently lifts upward with the inhalation. Feel as though Cosmic Qi from the air is drawn inward through the anus and perineum. Try to use the minimum muscular force, so that the lifting action is as much a result of the specific application of the Mind-Intention as it is physical. 2. Let the pelvic floor and the Kua sink slowly as you exhale. The perineum also drops slightly, but remains slightly lifted at the end of this action. 3. Repeat this exercise up to 36 times. In the beginning it may be difficult to do this 36 times, so begin with a number that is comfortable. Important Note: As you lift the pelvic floor, Kua and perineum, you may feel a tingling sensation or a warm sensation briefly move upward through the Du channel and spine towards the head. Never force this sensation, merely observe it, and do not worry if you do not sense this. Effects: • Helps prevent premature ejaculation of semen and leakage of sperm • Helps control ejaculation during intercourse so that the man is not depleted through loss of Essence • Activates and Energizes the Du Channel • Strengthens the sexual organs and the glands • Aids the prostate gland • During intercourse, the Male Deer Exercise helps the man to bring the woman to climax without ejaculating, and allows him to gather and transform Essence • The Male Deer Exercise can be used as a precursor to Microcosmic Orbit Circulation, which in itself can be combined with sexual self- cultivation during intercourse.

93 The Kua is considered to be the inguinal area in the front of the pelvis going up to the top of the hipbone (ilium) and includes both the internal and external structures

108 The Female Deer Exercise The original purpose of Female Deer Exercise was to stop menstruation (“cutting off the red dragon”), because women lose Jing and Qi through menstrual blood, rather than losing their Jing and Qi through loss of semen. Stopping menstruation was considered very important in ancient Daoist internal alchemy practices. Stopping menstruation allows blood and Qi to be redirected to nourish the sexual organs and produce Jing. Stopping menstruation is beyond the scope of this brief discussion of sexual cultivation, and can involve health risks if performed improperly. However, women can safely perform the Female Deer Exercise in order to enhance health, and increase energy without “cutting off the red dragon.” The Female Deer exercise involves massaging the breasts. The breasts are thought to be where the secretions of “perfect Yin” originate. Breast secretions normally descend into the abdomen and transform into menstrual blood. These secretions, which are the foundation of breast milk, therefore transform into the menses.94 The breasts, then, are one of the key centers for physical and spiritual cultivation in women. Daoist scholar Catherine Despeux explains the basic theory as follows: Men guard their kidneys and stabilize their semen, refining it into Qi by moving it up the spine into the Ni Wan palace [the brain]. This is called “return to the origin.” Women guard their heart and nurture their spirit, refining it into fire by sitting motionless and making the Qi descend from the nipples to the kidneys. From here they move it up along the spine to equally reach the Ni Wan palace. This is called “transmutation to perfection.95 Female Deer Exercise Step 1: Activating Qi in the Breasts Sit cross-legged with your heels against the genitals. If possible, press one heel against the perineum. If this is not possible then put a hard round object like a ball against the genitals. 1. Gently knock the teeth 36 times. Then gather saliva by circling the tongue around the outside of the teeth nine times in each direction. Circle the tongue around the inside of the teeth nine times in each direction. Move the saliva back and forth between your teeth to gather it further.

94 Women In Daoism. Catherine Despeux and Livia Kohn. Cambridge Mass: Three Pines Press, 2003, p. 192. 95 Ibid, p. 190.

109 2. Now use a gulping action to swallow the gathered saliva, either all at once, or in 2 -3 portions. Swallowing saliva is aided by raising the head and extending the neck. As you swallow the saliva, feel it descend down the front of the body to the Dan Tian area where it turns into a mist-like water hitting a flame. This mist spreads outward to fill Dan Tian and nourish and moisten the internal organs. Gathering and swallowing saliva helps gather and stimulate Jing and stimulates breast secretions. 3. Rub the palms together until the hands are warm, and place your hands lightly on your breasts, so that you feel the heat from your hands enter the skin. 4. Massage the breasts slowly between 36 and 81 times in an outward motion.

Drawing Adapted From: The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom by Stephen T. Chang.

110 Female Deer Exercise Step 2: Activating the Du Channel 1. Inhale as you gently lift the Kua and the pelvic floor. Simultaneously contract the vaginal opening. The perineum also gently lifts upward with the inhalation. Feel as though Cosmic Qi from the air is drawn inward through the anus, perineum and vagina. Try to use the minimum muscular force so that the lifting action is as much a result of the specific application of the Mind-Intention, as it is physical. 2. Let the pelvic floor and the Kua sink slowly as you exhale. The vaginal muscles also relax. The perineum also drops slightly, but remains slightly lifted at the end of this action. 3. Repeat this exercise up to 36 times. In the beginning it may be difficult to do this 36 times, so begin with a number that is comfortable. Important Note: As you lift the pelvic floor, Kua and perineum, you may feel a tingling sensation, or warm sensation, move upward through the Du channel and spine to the breasts and towards toward the head. Never force this sensation, merely observe it, and do not worry if you do not sense this. Effects: • Activates and Energizes the Du Channel • Strengthens the sexual organs and the glands • Tightens the vagina • Can helps alleviate menstrual problems, like dysmenorrhea, emotional mood swings and stagnation of Qi • During intercourse the Female Deer Exercise helps the woman to gather and transform essence • The Female Deer Exercise can be used as a precursor to Microcosmic Orbit Circulation, which in itself can be combined with sexual self-cultivation during intercourse Exercise for Rejuvenating & Strengthening Sexual Energy 1. Sit on a chair with the feet on the ground and cover your kneecaps with your hands (Fig. 1). 2. With the tongue on the upper palate, inhale through the nose while bending forward from the waist until the torso is at a 45° angle. As you bend, simultaneously feel the Qi flow upward from the soles of the feet, up the legs, to the genital area (Figs. 2 and 3)

111 3. Then exhale and straighten the body while you feel the Qi flow down the legs and back to the soles. This exercise should be performed 10-20 times in the morning just after rising, and repeated again just before going to sleep in the evening (Figs. 4 and 5). After several months the exercise can be further refined by directing Qi up the legs to the perineum, and then slowly to the tip of the penis (for men). Women should direct Qi up the legs to the perineum, and then inward to the uterus.

Start (Fig 1)

Inhale: Qi flows from soles to the genitals (Figs. 2 and 3)

112 Exhale: Qi returns to the soles of the feet (Figs. 4 and 5)

Cultivation with Partner In the Daoist and Medical classics on sexual cultivation there are many instructions from different sources on intercourse and other sexual pleasures. This short section distills the key ideas to a few basic principles that can be combined with mediation and energy cultivation; hence, for simplicity, it will focus on heterosexual intercourse, realizing that it is likely possible to apply the principles to other gender pairings. In general, the goal of sexual cultivation with a partner (“paired practice”) is to intermingle and harmonize the Yin and Yang energies of male and female. Using my Jing [Essence] to nourish the woman’s Jing, the anterior channels are all activated and the skin, Qi and blood are stimulated. This open closures and unblocks obstructions.96 During intercourse, the role of the man is to pleasure the woman and activate her energies slowly so that they build and gather, often without the man ejaculating. The role of the woman is to activate the man’s energies, so that they build and gather, without overexciting them so that they disperse. This requires communication and delicacy. During intercourse, the second part of the Male Deer Exercise is used by the man to gather and draw the energies of the woman into his body through the penis, where they intermingle with his own energies. The Deer Exercise aids transformation of these energies into True Yang, Qi and Spirit.

96 Live Long Live Well: Teachings From the Chinese Nourishment of Life Tradition. Peter Deadman (©Peter Deadman, 2016) p. 241.

113 The Deer Exercise is also used to keep the man’s energies from dispersing (ejaculating), or from dispersing too much (an ejaculation that exhausts the man and disperses Jing and Qi). The Deer Exercise, combined with Kidney Breathing, can also allow the man to orgasm without ejaculation. Simultaneously, the woman uses the second part of Female Deer Exercise to increase the man’s pleasure and to draw his energies into the vagina, where they intermingle with her own. The Deer Exercise aids transformation of these energies into True Yang, Qi and Spirit. The Deer Exercise, combined with Kidney Breathing, also keeps the woman’s energies from dispersing outward too much with her orgasm. Pressing the Perineum Some teachings advocate that to prevent ejaculating, the man should press on the perineum, specifically the Hui Yin (Ren 1 “Yin Meeting”) acu-point. This is supposed to recycle the semen and Jing back into the body. While pressing Hui Yin can prevent ejaculation, it is not recommended. As an acupuncturist, I have seen several men who developed bladder infections or prostate problems from using this technique, because blocking the natural movement of sperm and Jing can cause these substances and their energies to flow into areas where they can stagnate and damage the body. Jing is recycled and transmuted into Qi by naturally holding back one’s orgasm (using the Deer Exercise and Kidney Breathing), and drawing in the woman’s energies, so that they intermingle with the man’s and transmute into Qi and Spirit, not by blocking them through pressing the perineum. Self-Cultivation with a Partner & Daoist Meditation When practicing cultivation with a partner, all of the things discussed above, and in the section which follows, should unfold naturally. Usually sexual cultivation practices are conducted in conjunction with solo practice of Daoist Meditation methods, including Microcosmic Orbit Meditation. Sexual Cultivation with a partner is meant to balance and augment solo practice, not replace it. Sexual Cultivation can both help to open the Microcosmic Orbit, build and store energy, and strongly stimulate the transmutation of Qi and Jing. The Eight Increases and Seven Decreases Medical documents found in the Mawangdui Tomb dating back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE) give pithy, intelligent and useful advice for improving health through proper sexual techniques. The text tells us that the old will be come strong and no longer senile by nourishing Qi through practicing the Eight Increases and abstaining from the Seven Decreases.

114 The Eight Increases97 1. Smooth and Relax Qi: Before intercourse, the couple should regulate their breathing, and stretch their sinews to obtain comfort and peace 2. Gather Qi: The couple can eat a little, if necessary, in order to gather strength. 3. Use Wisdom: The couple should caress each other for sexual stimulation. 4. Guide Qi: At this time, the couple should relax their bodies and guide Qi to the lower body and Dan Tian. 5. Accumulate Qi: When intercourse begins, the movement should be gentle and slow. 6. Draw in Essence: When the spine tightens do not move, so Qi will go down - wait silently holding up fullness. 7. Avoid Rash Discharge: The movement of the penis should not be too vigorous in order to avoid ejaculation. 8. Guard Essence: After ejaculation and orgasm the couple should rest and stay warm. The Seven Decreases98 1.Blockage: Discomfort or pain during sex. 2.Discharge: Heavy sweating during intercourse. 3. Consumption: Intercourse when one is exhausted. 4.Disuse: penile flaccidity or frigidity. 5. Vexation: Severe panting during intercourse. 6. Harmful: Forced penetration without desire. 7. Exhaustion: Ejaculation or orgasm resulting in deep fatigue.

97 Book of Changes & Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yang Li (Beijing: Science & Technology Press, 1998) pp.325-26 and Internal Injury Due to Fire Disease in Chinese Medicine (中医内伤火病学) Tian He Lu (Huang Guo Qi, trans). 98 Ibid.

115 Frequency of Sex As was mentioned earlier, too little sex can result in diseases of accumulation or stagnation, while too much can deplete and exhaust the body. In particular, ejaculation in men is considered to exhaust the reproductive essence stored in the kidneys. These energies, collectively referred to as Jing, are easily replaced by young men, but become harder to replace as men age and the vital energy declines. Jing forms the root of the body’s energies. Jing nourishes the bones, which are associated with the kidneys, and forms part of the blood, which nourishes the internal organs and all of the tissues of the body, including the tendons and ligaments. We sometimes draw upon Jing in moments of extreme exertion, or when we tax our endurance to the utmost. Daoist science advocates less frequent ejaculations as a man ages, and there even exist charts proposing exactly how often one can ejaculate without excessive depletion at each respective age. Since the strength and resilience of men of equal age can vary greatly, it is best to use the following criteria. If you are fatigued and experience a feeling of weakness for some time after sex, or feel that your mental and physical faculties are negatively affected for a period of time after having sex, then you may be ejaculating too frequently. Traditionally in injuries such as fractures or torn ligaments it is recommended that sex be curtailed or reduced during the early period of healing, so that the body’s full energies can be directed toward the injured area. This is particularly important in cases of injury to the knees, the lower back or the bones, all of which have a direct relationship to the kidneys and therefore to the Jing. One young man who studied Chinese medicine with me told me that his chronic back and knee pain disappeared when he stopped masturbating every day. Women also consume Jing during sex and orgasm, but to a much lesser extent than men, so that pacing sexual activity and the frequency of orgasms, seems to be much less critical for women. What does consume Jing in women are multiple pregnancies, especially those pregnancies that occur in their late thirties and early forties, prolonged breastfeeding, and excessive bleeding during menstruation. Hence the development of Daoist Meditation and inner alchemy practices in which one attempts to stop the menstruation, so that the secretions that form menstrual blood can be transmuted into Jing.

116 Seasonal Guidelines for Sexual Activity As the seasons change through the course of the year, our energy shifts in resonance with these changes. In spring, our energy extends outward, and in summer it flourishes and opens. In fall, our energies draw inward, and in winter our energies are contained deep in the body. Qi Gong practitioners and internal martial artists regularly change their training routines to conform with seasonal fluctuations (see Chapter 12 for more on this), in order to balance and harmonize internal Qi. So it is no surprise that sexual activity should also be adjusted in conformity with the seasons. In spring, as our energy begins to extend outward and living things begin to grow, one can have sex and even e jaculate more frequently without harm. Life is stirring in the outside world and it stirs within you so one should not suppress the natural urge for sexual activity and intimate connection with another person. In summer as the world heats up and things come to fruition and flowering, our internal Yang is moving outward very strongly. Therefore one should engage in sex less frequently, and not at midday, because the heat in the outside world tends to over-stimulate the internal Yang, making it flow outward and disperse more easily. During the three days around the Summer Solstice it is traditionally forbidden to engage in sex, because Yang is reaching its apogee. Instead, one should meditate quietly and rest to hold the Yang inside. In autumn, and especially late autumn after the Autumnal Equinox, as Yang begins to draw inward, the body needs to begin to store energy for winter. Therefore, sexual activity should gradually decrease as winter approaches. In winter, Yang is stored inside the body and should be retained, therefore sexual activity should be more restricted. During the three days around the Winter Solstice it is traditionally forbidden to engage in sex, because Yang is hiding deep in the body, getting ready to grow and expand in spring. Instead, one should meditate quietly and rest to nourish the growth of Yang. Although sexual activity is usually avoided during the Winter and Summer Solstices, it can safely be engaged in during the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes because Yin and Yang in the outside world are roughly in balance, and in response our own energies are also more balanced.

117 When to Avoid Sex Daoist Sages found that in certain situations sexual activity could have especially deleterious effects on the body, even if one practices correct sexual hygiene. During sex, the body is more open to negative energies that can create imbalances in the body. Below is a list of situations and environments in which sexual activity is not recommended: 1. When one is drunk or under the influence of drugs. The body is already over-stimulated, so sex can overheat and deplete the body. 2. When one is extremely tired. 3. When one is ill. 4. After an operation. One should wait 90 days after an operation, or until one is completely recovered. 5. After an acupuncture treatment. 6. During menstruation. 7. When one is angry. 8. During pregnancy. 9. Immediately after a very hot bath. The body is already overheated, so wait 30 minutes before engaging in sex. 10. After eating. The body needs energy to digest food. Wait 30 minutes before commencing sex, otherwise you may develop hiatal or stomach problems. 11. Immediately after urination. 12. During a battle in wartime because the surrounding energy is chaotic and unbalanced and can cause your energy to similarly become chaotic. 13. During hurricanes and very violent storms – again because the energy around you is chaotic. 14. During Summer and Winter Solstices. This was discussed above.

118 Chapter 12 Heavenly Qi Living in Harmony with the Seasons

Seasonal Energy-Seasonal Qi Each of the seasons has its own characteristic climate and energy. Spring is temperate and changeable; summer is hot; autumn is cool; winter, cold. During the cycle of the seasons, the energies of Yin and Yang change in their strength and proportions. Yang grows in the spring, flourishes in the summer, and wanes in the fall as Yin grows. Yin reaches its peak in the winter, and then wanes after the winter solstice as Yang begins to grow again. The warmth of spring manifests Heaven’s creative energies as living things give birth and plants send out new shoots. Summer’s heat allows living things to grow and develop, so that they peak and can be harvested in the cool weather of autumn. As autumn progresses, living things wither and withdraw, returning to stillness in winter, so that energy can be stored, conserved, and concentrated in preparation for spring’s rebirth. Under normal circumstances, the human body can easily adapt to seasonal climate changes. However, if climatic changes take a form that is different from the normal pattern - a cold snap in spring or a warm spell in winter - it can be difficult for the body to adapt. It can also be difficult for the body to adapt if the change from one season to the next is abrupt and harsh, rather then gradual. The meteorological factors of season and weather have a close relationship to human physiology. There are six environmental, climactic factors, or “Seasonal Qi,” that interact with living things and can have a profound effect on one’s health and wellbeing. These seasonal meteorological manifestations - wind, heat, dampness, summer heat, dryness and cold - are referred to as the Six Qi (Liu Qi). They are also called the Six Evils, or the Six Pathogenic Factors (Six Pathogenic Qi). If one is healthy, one easily adapts to the natural climatic changes associated with the seasons (Seasonal Qi), but sometimes the Seasonal Qi is so strong that even in healthy people it overcomes the body’s resistance and causes illness - as in the case of extreme heat or cold. Similarly, it is possible for one to develop a diminished resistance to seasonal climatic changes. This can happen for various reasons - injury, poor diet, overwork, or lifestyle choices that are not in harmony with the prevailing Seasonal Qi. Then, even if the wind, heat, dryness, damp and cold are not extreme, one suffers from their presence in the surrounding environment. In either case, the symptoms one suffers often match the characteristics of one or more of the Six Qi mentioned above, because the Qi within us directly connects to, and resonates with, the Qi around us. The Eight Winds In the Ling Shu (the Spiritual Pivot), there are said to be Eight Winds that are related to the eight directions, the Eight Trigrams of the Yi Jing, and the Six Qi mentioned above. 1. Beginning of Spring: Brutal Wind (Northeast Wind) In the beginning of spring, Yin energy has not yet retreated, and Yang energy has not yet reached its phase of fullness. The wind at this time is referred to as being “brutal,” “violent” or “unfortunate.” It can enter and lodge in the lower part of the body, particularly in the large intestine and its associated meridians. Hence, the Brutal Wind can cause intestinal problems, pain in the upper limbs, and in the ribs and armpits. 99 2. Spring Equinox Wind: Baby Wind (East Wind) Wind is born in the East. That is why this wind is called “Baby Wind,” or “Childish Wind.” Within the body the Baby Wind goes to the liver and gallbladder organs, while in the exterior it can injure the muscles and sinews. This wind can transform into humidity (dampness). The East Wind is often accompanied by rain, a precipitating factor in many cases of dampness. 3. Beginning of Summer: Weakening Wind (Southeast Wind) The energy of Heaven becomes moderate and warm so that the wind diminishes. The Weakening Wind is also called the “Feathery Wind.” It brings humidity and can therefore injure Earth (spleen and stomach). Internally, the Weakening Wind can injure the stomach, while externally it can become fixed in the flesh causing a heavy sensation in the body. 100

99 Ling Shu or The Spiritual Pivot, translated by Wu Jing-Nuan. (Washington DC: The Taoist Center – Distributed by University of Hawai’i Press, 1993) p. 256. 100 Huangdi Neijing Lingshu: vol. III with commentary,Nguyen Van Nghi. Tran Viet Dung and Christine Recours Nguyen (Sugar Grove, NC: Jung Tao Publications, 2010) pp.292- 293.

120 4. Summer Solstice: Diminishing Wind (South Wind) Heat appears and the wind diminishes and lessens. Diminishing Wind diseases are characterized by heat. Internally, this wind can injure the heart and the blood vessels. 5. Beginning of Autumn: Cunning Wind (Southwest Wind) At this time Yin energy arises as Yang passes its peak. The Cunning Wind corresponds to Earth. Internally, it can damage the spleen, and in the exterior it fixes in the muscles. The Qi of the Cunning Wind can causes dampness and weakness.

121 6. Autumnal Equinox: Violent Wind (West Wind) Autumn is the season where Metal is ascendant. Metal is strong and hard, hence this wind is also known as the “Firm Wind”, or “Hard Wind.” Internally, the Violent Wind can injure the lung, while externally it affects the skin. Its diseases are characterized by dryness. 7. Beginning of Winter: Destructive Wind (Northwest Wind) Metal is said to rule destruction. That is why this wind is called the “Destructive Wind”, or “Breaking Wind.” Internally the Destructive Wind tends to lodge in the upper part of the body and affect the lung. If the attack is more from the north, it can lodge in the lower body and the small intestine, and affect the Small Intestine meridian, which runs through the arm and shoulder blade. This combination of the energies of the North and Northwest (related to Water and Metal respectively) can be very harmful to the production and movement of Yang Qi.101 8. Winter Solstice: Extremely Destructive Wind (North Wind) Around the Winter Solstice, Yin is ascendant and the Seasonal Qi becomes cold, creating a powerful wind. This wind is called the “Extremely Destructive Wind”, or the “Great Hard Wind.” This wind corresponds to the Water Element in human beings and goes to the kidneys, The Extremely Destructive Wind can become fixed in the bones, damage the para-spinal muscles (which belong to the Bladder Meridian),102 and the muscles of the upper back, and back of the shoulder.

101 Ibid. 102 Ibid.

122 Living in Harmony with the Seasons & Climate As one can readily see from the discussion above, each season is described in terms of its energetic signature. As human beings we are part of the natural world, no matter how much central heating and modern conveniences insulate us from climate and weather, the cycles of Yin and Yang that we observe in the natural world also occur within us, and affect our health and well-being. For this reason, changing our behavior and activities in accordance with the seasonal fluctuations of Yin and Yang helps preserve our energies and harmonize them with the energetic changes that are constantly occurring in the world around us. In order to fully understand this energetic perspective on the of the seasons we must look at the Chinese calendar. Unlike the Western solar calendar, the Chinese calendar is partly based on the lunar cycle. Therefore the days on which important holidays and seasonal markers occur can vary from year to year. However, the Chinese also divide their calendar into 24 “Solar Nodes”, “Solar Terms”, or “Seasonal Nodes.” These 24 fortnight periods reflect the climactic changes that occur as the earth rotates around the sun. The 24 Solar Nodes can easily be converted to the Western solar calendar as they occur at roughly the same time each year. However, as China is in the Northern Hemisphere, the dates must be reversed for people living in the Southern Hemisphere. Eight of these Seasonal Nodes mark the beginning of each season, the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes and the Winter and Summer Solstices. Looking at these eight nodes (next page) you may be surprised to see that the Beginning of Spring in the Northern Hemisphere occurs on February 4th or 5th. In the West, we usually think of spring as beginning on the Vernal Equinox (March 20th or 21st). On the Chinese calendar, the beginning of a season comes somewhat before that season appears on the Western calendar. This is because the start of a new season actually begins when the energies of that season begin to develop. This first “stirring” of the new season’s energy happens several weeks before those energies actually manifest in an obvious way. For example. the “Beginning of Spring” is in early February on the Chinese calendar. This corresponds with the first stirring of rebirth and growth associated with the energies of spring. Often at this time a warm spring breeze will be felt for a day before cold returns. It is at this time that sap begins to rise in trees, and similarly we feel the “sap” rise within us. When Yin and Yang are discussed in the context of seasonal activity, the Chinese are referring to the cyclical transformation of Yin and Yang energies in the world that reflect the climactic changes occuring in relation to the Yang energy of the sun: • Beginning of Spring: Yang Qi begins to dispel the cold. Plants and creatures begin to grow.

123 • Vernal Equinox: Day and night are equal in length. Yin and Yang are equal. The days become warmer. • Beginning of Summer: Yang continues to grow and living things flourish. • Summer Solstice: Longest day of the year. Yang peaks and Yin begins to grow. • Beginning of Autumn: Yin Qi increases. Early fruits are harvested. • Autumn Equinox: Yin and Yang are again equal. Days grow cooler. Another time of balance in which we have an opportunity to harmonize Yin and Yang and collect vitality back to the center to strengthen health for winter. • Beginning of Winter: Yin gains ascendancy and plants and flowers wither. • Winter Solstice: Shortest day of the year. Yin peaks and Yang begins to grow again.

•

124 The Twenty-Four Seasonal Nodes The 24 Seasonal Nodes are likened to joints or n odes in bamboo. The nodes have regularity, and therefore act as demarcations. The word for node – Jie- also can means a section, a limit, a festival, holiday or a season. The extended meanings of Jie - “economize' and “moral integrity” – are thought to stem from the idea of proper behavior according to the time of year. These extended meanings may also be related to related to the Chinese character Jié (卩), depicting a person kneeling in subservience.103 The Seasonal Nodes are demarcations of the seasonal Qi that mark the transformation and change associated with each season. They delineate the rhythms associated with each season, and the regulation of Qi in each season. By understanding these rhythmic alternations, we can harmonize with them, and receive the benefits, health, and wisdom that flow from that harmony.

125 There are many health and longevity practices that resonate with the Seasonal Nodes, including very powerful Qi Gong and meditation practices. Chen Tuan is credited with the creation of Twenty-Four Seasonal Node Qi Gong exercises, which balance the body during each seasonal node and prevent diseases which can occur at those times of the year. The Seasonal Node Qi Gong exercises, and the myriad of heath practices related to the Seasonal Nodes, are too big a subject to discuss in a single chapter. For further information on Seasonal Health practices and Seasonal Node Qi Gong see:

Seasonal Qi Gong Online Learning Program (Internalartsinternational.com) Eight Winds in the Heavens: Seasonal Health Secrets and Qi Gong Exercises from Taoist Sages that Prevent Disease and Promote Optimal Health and Vitality (Book)

126 Chapter 14 Herbal Medicine Supporting & Nourishing the Three Treasures

Traditionally, the ingestion of herbal medicines is used to support the innate energies while one engages in Daoist practices that transmute the energy matrix and the internal structure of body. These herbs were, and still are, highly prized substances, often compared to gold and precious jewels. Herbs were sometimes combined to form “elixirs of immortality” and “longevity tonics.” Many practitioners of internal martial arts and Qi Gong take longevity tonics to supplement and support these energetic practices. In relation to the Two Immortals System, h erbal medicines fall into two basic categories: 1. Herbal formulae that treat illness and disease, and break energetic blockages that are impeding internal transformation of energy. These often take the form of blockages of Qi, and blood, and accumulations of fluids that interfere with free-flow in the meridians. Chronic disharmonies of the internal organs can also produce these blockages. 2. Single herbs and herbal formulas that promote longevity by nourishing the Three Treasures, and stabilizing the various components of the spirit that have their foundation in the energy matrix of the internal organs. Using herbs in either manner requires some knowledge of herbal medicine, because no one herb or herb formula is right for every person. Correct use of herbal medicinals relies on assessing the energetic state of each individual, at a particular moment, and in relation to the seasons, individual constitution, and health history. In addition, it is important to obtain quality herbs that are grown and processed correctly and picked at the right time. Poor quality herbs can actually create negative effects in the body. Ten Tonic Herbs for Health & Longevity Specific herbs have been highly prized as “tonics that promote immortality and longevity because they nourish one or more of the three treasures - Jing, Qi and Shen. Some of these herbs, like Siberian Ginseng (Ci Wu Jia), and Schizandra Fruit (Wu Wei Zi), have become touted in the West as “adaptogens” - a non-medical term used to describe substances that can strengthen the body and increase general resistance to stress and illness. Traditionally, the following herbs are often used both as “longevity tonics” and also to support meditation and inner transformation.

1. Siberian Ginseng Root or Eleuthero Ginseng (Ci Wu Jia) Siberian Ginseng has been used for centuries to increase endurance and resistance to disease, and to improve memory. Ci Wu Jia strengthens the spleen and kidneys and improves circulation. It also calms and settles the spirit. Ci Wu Jia is considered to be an adaptogen and is used by many people to improve athletic performance and the ability to work. It is said to boost the immune system and increase appetite. Currently Ci Wu Jia is also used to regulate blood sugar levels.

2. Codon0psis Root (Dang Shen) Dang Shen is often used as a substitute for Ginseng because it is much cheaper, yet like Ginseng, it tonifies the Qi and strengthens the functions for the lung and spleen. Because it is harmonious and gentle, it is an ideal herb for those with weaker digestion. Dang Shen also nourishes the blood and is good for boosting vitality and relieving general fatigue. Like Ginseng, wild codonopsis is stronger and highly prized.

3. Reishi Mushroom or Ganoderma (Ling Zhi) Ling Zhi is revered in China as a divine herb of immortality that specifically tonifies the Shen. Many people who engage in self-cultivation practices like Daoist Meditation take Ling Zhi to support and enhance their practice. Ling Zhi has been called the “food of the immortals.” The Divine Husbandman’s Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) says that regular consumption makes the body light and prevents aging. Ling Zhi tonifies the Qi and blood, protects the body and mind from stress and is a powerful anti-allergen.

128 Ling Zhi has been found to be a very strong immune tonic that supports many aspects of immune function, including generating long-term immune enhancement and there are indications that consumption prevents cancer and treats early cancers.

Reishi Mushrooms (Ling Zhi)

4. Spirit Poria (Fu Shen) Fu Shen is part of a fungus that grows on pine tree roots. This herb is specifically the part of the fungus around and including the root. Fu Shen nourishes the heart and calms the Shen, promoting a positive mental state. More recently Fu Shen has been found to strengthen the immune system and to contain antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral and anti-tumor effects.

5. Astragalus Root (Huang Qi) Astragalus root is known as a powerful Qi tonic. It enhances vitality and provides the energy for us to stand upright and move ahead. Huang Qi is also a powerful blood tonic and is often used to help recover from severe blood loss. Huang Qi is often taken with Ginseng for fatigue, debility and deficiency of Qi

129 Huang Qi strengthens the lungs and the Wei Qi (Defensive Qi), hence it is used for frequent colds. Huang Qi supports immune function, and is frequently consumed for its properties as an adaptogen.

6. Schizandra Fruit (Wu Wei Zi) Wu Wei Zi literally means “Five Flavor Seed” – hence it is said to nourish all five organs. Wu Wei Zi tonifies the Qi, fortifies the kidneys and stops the leakage of essence. It also quiets the Spirit and calms and contains Heart Qi. Like Ginseng, Wu Wei Zi is considered to be an adpatogen and Shen tonic. Some sources say that Wu Wei Zi contains all of the three treasures. Wu Wei Zi has been shown to modulate endocrine and immune functions by strengthening the adrenal cortex and liver. Note: There are two kind of Wu Wei Zi – southern and northern. Southern Wu Wei Zi does not produce the effects described above, so it is important to make sure that you are using northern Wu Wei Zi – and preferably wild grown.

7. Lycium Fruit (Gou Qi Zi) Gou Ji Zi is a tonic herb, now commonly called “Goji Berries” and can be found at many supermarkets and health food stores. Gou Ji Zi is often consumed on a daily basis to promote longevity and nourish Jing (Essence). Go Ji Zi nourishes the blood and brightens the eyes. It is often taken in conjunction with Chrysanthemum Flower (Ju Hua) to improve eyesight, treat blurry vision, and prevent eyes diseases. Gou Ji Zi can be cooked with food and is considered to be both an adaptogen and an immune system strengthener. Lightly frying Gou Ji Zi with Cuscuta Seed (Tu Si Zi) is called “Tu Si Zi Chao Gou Ji Zi.” This alchemical combination increases the Yang- Tonifying aspect of Gou Qi Zi , enabling it to replenish Jing and fortify Yang.

8. Polygonum Root (He Shou Wu) He Shou Wu tonifies the liver and kidneys, nourishes the blood and nourishes Jing. It is often taken individually as a longevity tonic, and has wide application because it tonifies, but is not cold, drying or too cloying. He Shou Wu is known for its restorative actions on the urogenital, muscular and nervous systems.

130 He Shou Wu is a famous "anti-aging" herb that is reputed to keep the body and mind young and active. By nourishing the kidneys and liver, it also nourishes the brain. It is said to keep the hair from greying. He Shou Wu literally means “He’s Black Hair.” He Shou Wu replenishes Jing for those who have lost Jing due to chronic and acute stress, overwork, pregnancy, excessive sex, etc. It is said to work very quickly in this regard, as humorously illustrated in the story of Zhang Guo Lao, one of the Eight Daoist Immortals. One day Zhang passed a temple and went inside. No one was there, but there was a big pot of soup cooking, so Zhang decided to eat the soup and fed some to his donkey. The soup contained the spirit of He Shou Wu. The priest who had made the soup returned, saw Zhang Guo Lao finishing the soup and chased him. Zhang fled on the back of his donkey, facing backward. As they ran both Zhang and the Donkey suddenly ascended to heaven and became Immortal. He Shou Wu must be cooked (“prepared”) with black beans to release its power and to prevent its one usually unwanted potential action as a laxative.

9. Cuscuta Seed (Tu Si Zi) Tu Si Zi is an outstanding tonic herb, because it tonifies both Yin and Yang, and it does so without being cloying. It is warming but not drying, and it secures and restrains Jing-Essence, while at the same time gently encouraging the movement of True Yang. Tu Si Zi strengthens Yang, nourishes Yin, astringes Jing and benefits the marrow. It tonifies the kidneys and liver and improves vision. It is often used with Gou Ji Zi for vision problems like blurry vision. The Divine Husbandman’s Materia Medica says that regular consumption of Tu Si Zibrightens the eyes, makes the body light and prolongs life.

10. Rehmannia Root (Shu Di Huang) Shu Di Huang is Rehmannia Root that has been “prepared” through a steaming process. Shu Di Huang is thick, black, heavy and utterly still in nature, it embodies the qualities of deep essence, stored potential, the body’s deepest resource available for the production of functional yin, blood and primal qi.104 Shu Di Huang nourishes the blood and Kidney and Liver Yin. It also nourishes Jing and fills the marrow. It is good for eyesight and hearing and helps the hair stay black.

104 Chinese Herbal Materia Medica 3rd edition, Dan Bensky, Steve Clavey et Als (Seattle: Eastland Press, 1986) p. 745.

131 The Divine Husbandmen’s Materia Medica says that prolonged use of Shu Di Huang makes the body light and prevents senility. ___

Are Tonic Herbs for Me? Ingesting tonic herbs to enhance meditation and energy practices like martial arts, Qi Gong and Daoist Yoga is not necessary for everyone; how much one takes, when, and for how long, requires careful consideration based on a number of factors, including one’s constitution. Herbs can aid transformative processes, but should not replace them, and become a crutch on which one’s health is dependent.

132 Chapter 14 Steps on the Path Stages of Self-Cultivation

Three Stages of Self-Cultivation 1.Healing – Treating “Wounds” Healing refers to restoring the normal circulation of Qi and restoring the normal functioning of the internal organs that may have been damaged through injury, intemperate lifestyle and diet, exposure to disease, etc. As the emotions are considered to be the primary precipitators of internal diseases, releasing emotions that are toxic and unhealthy is usually part of this process. Tui Na Massage, Bone Setting, Acupuncture Herbal Remedies, Rehabilitative Qi Gong, Meditation, Dietary Therapy, and appropriate Life Style Modifications are all tools that are commonly used to undo wounds and restore the body to normal, healthy, functioning. 2. Cultivating Longevity Cultivating longevity means going beyond simply restoring health, to improving one’s energy and strengthening the body in order to increase the life force and primordial Qi beyond the limits of what you were born with. One seeks optimal functioning of mind, body and spirit so that one’s physical and mental powers do not decline with age. This “step” requires an overall relaxed and healthy lifestyle, balancing work and rest, eating healthy foods, and living in harmony with seasonal change. Self-cultivation methods like those listed below, are an important part of cultivating longevity. Daoist Yoga Exercises: strengthen the sinews and bones, and open the meridians. Dao Yin Exercises: regulate the Qi Dynamic and prevent disease and injury. Qi Gong Exercises: disperse blockages of Qi, regulate the flow of Qi, and harmonize the Qi Dynamic of the internal organs. Seasonal Qi Gong and Seasonal Living: synchronize body rhythms with the seasonal energies. Sexual Cultivation Methods: raise energy levels and preserve Life Essence. Daoist Meditation: harnesses the Mind-Intention, harmonizes the emotions, and gathers and stores energy. Ba Gua Energy Practices: Qi Gong and meditation practices that enhance and complement Daoist Meditation and Dao Yin methods, while activating and opening the meridians, energizing the joints and spine, and stimulating the marrow to nourish the brain and nervous system. Internal Martial Arts like Tai Ji Quan, Ba Gua Zhang or Xing Yi Quan: increase body strength, promote adaptability to changing (and perhaps adverse) circumstances, strengthen the intention, and increase the force of the will Longevity Diet: The “Clear and Bland” Diet promotes maximum health and longevity by properly nourishing the Post–Heaven Qi and promoting Clear Qi, while reducing Turbid Qi. Herbal Supplements: when used correctly, can help to increase and maintain the life force Cultivating Longevity is usually an eclectic and personal process as everyone has different needs. What tools one uses and how is very dependent on individual circumstance. A combination of Daoist Meditation, Dao Yin, Daoist Yoga and Qi Gong are usually at the core of cultivating longevity.

The Interconnection of Different Aspects of the Two Immortals System

134 3. Immortality Immortality implies a higher and deeper level of engagement with longevity practices in order to transcend our ordinary mind and come closer to apprehending the numinous. This step usually involves more intensive levels of meditation and Qi Gong, dietary modifications that enhance higher levels of energy vibration, and attempting to live authentically, in touch with our True Nature. An important and difficult part of this process is overcoming and transcending our ingrained habits of mind, emotion and cognition. As we saw in Chapter Three, the progression described above is a bit neat and idealized. Healing Wounds, Longevity and Immortality are not really orderly one-by-one “steps.” There is a progression, but there is also some interweaving and exchange between the three.

135 136 Chapter 15 A Daoist Lifestyle? Ongoing Change & Transformation

The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System offers many opportunities to live a “Daoist Life” and embody a “Daoist Lifestyle.” This does not mean dressing up in Daoist clothing or praying to Lao Zi. It does mean cultivating an awareness of a unitary principle that unites all living things, and slowly changing one’s behavior to be in accord with this change in awareness. There are no rules about how to live a Daoist lifestyle, but there are methods and guidelines. One person might begin by engaging with seasonal changes and learning to live in healthy manner that is in tune with the unity of nature. This often includes understanding seasonal diet, the basics of healthy eating and the longevity diet. Living with the seasons and having a healthy diet that is not constrained by rigid rules and restrictions changes one’s energies and one’s perceptions of the surrounding world. As perceptions change, the adoption of other Daoist practices like Daoist Meditation or Dao Yin become a natural extension of Seasonal Health. A second person might begin by studying self-defense through the internal martial arts. Martial arts build a strong healthy body, an indomitable will and heightened energetic sensitivity. Experiencing these internal and external changes might lead one to eat better and live better, in order to be able to train without illness or injury, which in turn can lead to the practice of Daoist Meditation, Daoist Yoga, or various forms of Qi Gong. A third individual might enter through the window of improving their health with Qi Gong exercises. As their internal energy becomes stronger and more harmonious, perhaps they find that sexual self-cultivation and Daoist Meditation become important adjuncts to their Qi Gong practice, or they may be led to engage with seasonal Qi Gong and other Seasonal Health practices. These three examples are just that, examples - there are many roads that may lead you to adopting what I am loosely referring to as a Daoist lifestyle. It is usually a gradual process that does not happen all at once. Because change and transformation are ongoing, one never “arrives”, but rather revels in the process of constantly “arriving.” Engaging with the many parts of the Two Immortals System may not even be something that you call a “lifestyle”, a “system”, or even “Daoist.” You might view the various methods of self -cultivation within the Two Immortals System as simply adopting a series of interlocking self-cultivation methods that you find enhance your energy, your health, and your life. In the end, there is no “system” - there is only your own internal process, understanding, and ongoing transformation and change.

These methods do not need a name. They merely have to be practiced.

138 Chapter 15 Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System Summary & Resources

The Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System gives you access to some of the most ancient and powerful Chinese Health exercises and meditation practices. From Ge Hong (Chapter 3) we learned that no one practice or method is sufficient for most people to extend their life while maintaining optimum health. Methods must be combined according to one’s individual needs. For this reason we offer a complete curriculum, containing multiple pathways toward health, boundless energy, long life, and transcendence. Daoist Yoga, Dao Yin and Daoist Meditation form the core of the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System:

The Core Practices are augmented by a number of other practices and paths, some of which are themselves complete methods for enhancing energy and promoting health and longevity. The diagram on the following page shows how the three core practices interconnect with other Life Nourishing methods including Qi Gong, Life Style Cultivation, Ba Gua Energy Practices, and Internal Martial Arts. These Life Nourishing methods deepen and expand one’s experience of the core practices - Daoist Yoga, Dao Yin and Daoist Meditation - creating a complete and integral system, which encourages further opportunities for improving health, vitality, and inner transformation.

As we saw in Chapter Eight, Internal Martial Arts provide alternative paths that connect to the Core Practices and are “Lifestyle Practices” that mesh with the goals of longevity, nourishing life, transformation, and transcendence. Other Daoist Life methods, such as living in harmony with the seasons, the longevity diet and a healthy approach to sexuality, are intertwined elements that support the life force and the transformation of mind and body. As the arrows in the diagram above illustrate, Lifestyle Methods, Ba Gua Energy Practices, Internal Martial Arts, and a variety of Qi Gong Methods interpenetrate with the Core Practices. These four groups both enhance and expand on the Core Practices, and serve as ways of entering into and engaging with the Two Immortals System. I am not suggesting that one needs to engage with all of the above methods. During the course of one’s individual life journey, certain methods and techniques may be more important at particular times and less important at other times. One’s needs fluctuate over one’s life, hence the broad flexibility of the Two Immortals System. We offer you guidance, advice and instruction, but ultimately you walk the path, and like Ge Hong and Chen Tuan, create your own system that nourishes your life and fosters your spiritual development.

140 Resources - Online Courses Online Courses can be found at: internalartsinternational.com 1. Daoist Yoga Online Learning Program 2. Complete Dao Yin Online Learning Program 3. Daoist Meditation Online Learning Program 4. Qi Gong Online Learning Programs

Six Healing Sounds

Five Element Qi Gong

Xing Yi Nei Gong

Seasonal Qi Gong

Tian Gan Nei Gong

Five Animal Play 5. Ba Gua Zhang Online Learning Programs

Authentic Ba Gua Zhang: Foundational Level

Authentic Ba Gua Zhang: Intermediate Level 6. Chinese Medicine Online Learning Programs

Tooth From the Tiger’s Mouth: Gong Fu Sports Medicine

Revival Techniques: Emergency Medicine for Sports & Martial Arts

Advanced Gung Fu Sports Medicine

141 Resources - Books & DVDs

1. Daoist Meditation

Decoding the Dao: Nine Lessons in Daoist Meditation

Daoist Sleeping Meditation: Chen Tuan’s Sleeping Gong 2. Seasonal Health

Eight Winds in the Heavens: Seasonal Health Secrets and Qi Gong Exercises from Daoist Sages that Prevent Disease and Promote Optimal Health and Vitality 3. Life & Strategy

Beyond the Battleground: Classic Strategies from the Yijing and Baguazhang for Managing Crises Situations (Blue Snake Books) 4. Ba Gua Zhang

The Art of Ba Gua Zhang

Ba Gua Circle Walking Nei Gong

The Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang by Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio

The Attacking Hands of Ba Gua Zhang by Gao Ji Wu and Tom Bisio

Ba Gua Concepts #1: Ding Shi (DVD)

Ba Gua Concepts #2: Lao Ba Zhang and Linear Applications (DVD)

Ba Gua Concepts #3: Swimming Body Ba Gua Lian Huan (DVD) 5. Ba Gua Nei Gong

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 1: Yin Yang Patting and Dao Yin Exercises

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 2: Qi Cultivation Exercises & Standing Meditation

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 3: Twelve Posture Standing

142 Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 4: Foundational Body Training

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol. 5: Tian Gan Heavenly Stem Nei Gong

Ba Gua Nei Gong Vol 6: Marrow Washing Nei Gong 6. Xing Yi Quan

Xing Yi: Art of Inner Transformation

Nei Gong The Authentic Classic: A Translation of the Nei Gong Zhen Chuan

The Xing Yi Quan of Master Li Gui Chang: Wu Xing & Lian Huan by Song Zhi Yong with Tom Bisio

Xing Yi Quan Tu Na Si Ba by Song Zhi Yong with Tom Bisio 7. Chinese Medicine

A Tooth From the Tiger’s Mouth (Simon & Schuster)

A Pearl From the Dragon’s Neck: Secret Revival Methods and Vital Points for Injury, Healing and Health

Zang Fu Tui Na Basic Principles & Core Techniques

Zheng Gu Tui Na: Chinese Medical Massage by Tom Bisio & Frank Butler

143 About the Author

Tom Bisio is known internationally as a martial artist, practitioner of Chinese medicine, educator and author. He has studied Chinese medicine and martial arts extensively in Mainland China and practiced acupuncture, Tui Na, bone setting and herbal medicine since 1990. Tom has taught internal Martial Arts, Qi Gong, Daoist Meditation, and Life Nourishing Longevity practices for over three decades. He has written numerous books and articles on Martial Arts, Nei Gong, Daoist Meditation and Chinese medicine, and is the founder of Internal Arts International (IAI) (internalartsinternational.com) and the Two Immortals Life Nourishing Longevity System.