- 1 - Awaken Healing Light of the Tao Mantak Chia Edited by: Judith Stein - 2 - Editor: Judith Stein Contributing Writers: Chuck Soupios, Michael Winn, Mackenzie Stewart, Valerie Meszaros Illustrator: Juan Li Cartoonist: Don Wilson Cover Illustrator: Ivan Salgado Graphics: Max Chia Revised Design and Production: Saniem Chaisarn, Siriporn Chaimongkol Revised Editing: Jean Chilton Copyright © 1993 Mantak and Maneewan Chia Universal Tao Publications 274/1 Moo 7, Luang Nua, Doi Saket, Chiang Mai, 50220 Thailand Fax (66) (53) 495-853 Email: [email protected] ISBN: 0-935621-46-6 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: Manufactured in Thailand Ninth Printing, 2002 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission from the author except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. - 3 - Contents Contents Goal of this Book ..................................................................... ix Words of Caution ..................................................................... x About the Author ..................................................................... xi Acknowledgements ................................................................... xv Preface: What is the Tao of Cultivating Inner Light? ................. xvi Chi and the Medicine ............................................................... xxii Introduction: What is the Tao? .................................................. 1 Goals of the Universal Tao ................................................... 1 Universal Spiritual Independence ..................................... 1 Cultivating Body, Mind, and Spirit ..................................... 2 Three Bodies ........................................................................ 3 Healing the Physical Body: Becoming Like a Child to Return to the Original Source ................................... 4 Developing the Energy Body ............................................. 6 Forming the Spirit Body .................................................... 7 Chapter 1 Overview of Taoist Inner Alchemy ...................................... 11 Foundations for Transformation: External and Internal Alchemy ......................................................... 11 Wu Chi and the Universe: Religion and Science ................... 12 Wu Chi: Our Original Source ............................................ 15 Yin and Yang .................................................................... 16 Five Major Processes of Energy ....................................... 17 Influence of Stars and Light on our Inner Universe ............... 17 Three Main Sources of External Chi ..................................... 19 What Are the Three Forces? ............................................ 19 Three Forces Sustain All Life Forms ................................. 20 Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals: Our Secondary Sources of the Universal Force ..................................... 20 Humans as Channels for the Universal and Earth Forces 22 Greater Heavenly Cycle and the Smaller Heavenly Cycle 24 Chapter 2 Chi .......................................................................................... 28 What is Chi? ......................................................................... 28 Chi in other Cultures ............................................................ 31 Western View of Chi ............................................................ 31 Chi and Self-Healing ............................................................ 34 - 4 - Contents Two Types of Internal Chi: Hereditary and Acquired ............. 36 Original Chi in Humans ......................................................... 37 Original Chi: Our Source of Life-Force ............................. 37 Original Chi: The Body's Battery ....................................... 37 How to Increase and Restore the Original Chi ................... 43 Chi and Meditation ................................................................ 47 Inner Alchemy; Working with Emotions and Chi ................ 51 Developing the Power of the Mind ..................................... 52 Taoist Meditations: A Practical Approach .......................... 55 Chapter 3 Virtues ................................................................................... 56 Opening the Mind and the Heart .......................................... 56 Virtues: The Heart of the Healing Tao Practices .................... 57 Understanding Our Virtues ................................................ 59 Compassion: Combining the Virtues ................................ 59 Developing a Foundation for Higher Emotional States ...... 61 Born to Be Equal .............................................................. 61 Understanding the Energy of Love ....................................... 63 Inner Source of Love ......................................................... 66 Learning Self-Love ............................................................ 67 Unconditional Love Reflects Compassion ......................... 70 A System Based on Virtues: The Highest Chi ....................... 70 Transforming Negative Emotional Energies........................... 71 Problem of Dumping Emotional Garbage .......................... 72 Recycling Negative Emotional Energies ............................ 74 Enhancing Our Life-Force with Recycled Energy .............. 79 Taoist Ways to Transform Stress Into Vitality.......................... 80 Inner Smile ....................................................................... 80 Inner Smile Meditation ....................................................... 83 Six Healing Sounds ............................................................... 99 Chapter 4 Energetic Preparations for the Healing Light Meditations ............................................................................ 101 Creating Bodily Awareness ................................................... 102 Getting Started ................................................................. 102 Opening and Expanding the Third Eye.............................. 102 Relaxing the Muscles of the Perineum............................... 104 Feeling Your Energetic Center .......................................... 109 Techniques for Enhancing the Sensation of Chi in Meditation ..................................................................... 110 - 5 - Contents Circulating Chi in the Microcosmic Orbit ............................ 110 The Methods ..................................................................... 111 Preparing for the Microcosmic Orbit Meditation..................... 127 Activating the Original Force: Warming the Stove ................. 139 1. Bellows Breathing: Generating the Force ...................... 140 2. Rest and Gather the Chi at the Navel ........................... 142 3. Loosening the Intestines with Spiraling Movements ...... 144 4. Warming Up the Kidneys and Activating the Door of Life.................................................................... 146 5. Activating the Original Force ......................................... 149 6. Activating the Sexual Energy Center and Amplifying the Original Chi............................................. 150 Daily Practice of Chi .............................................................. 153 Important Points to Remember .............................................. 153 Summary ............................................................................... 154 Chapter 5 Points of the Microcosmic Orbit .......................................... 158 Two Major Channels of The Body ......................................... 158 Governor Channel (Du Mo or Tu Mo) ............................... 160 Functional Channel (Ren Mo)............................................ 161 Energy Centers of the Microcosmic Orbit In Detail ................ 162 1. Navel: The Mind Palace (Shen Ch'ue)........................... 162 2. Lower Tan Tien, Source of Original Chi: the Internal Battery ........................................................ 170 3. Sexual Center: Sperm/Ovarian Palace (Jing Gong/Zhongji) ....................................................... 174 4. Perineum: Gate of Life and Death (Hui Yin) .................. 179 5. Coccyx and Sacrum (Chang Qiang or Wei Lu) ............. 184 6. Kidney Center: Door of Life (Ming Men) ........................ 190 7. Adrenal Center, T-11 (Chi Chung) ................................ 193 8. Center Opposite the Heart, T-5 (Gia Pe) ...................... 195 9. Point Opposite the Throat: Big Vertebra, C-7 (Ta Chui) ........................................... 197 10. Small Brain Point: Jade Pillow (Yu Chen) ....................... 198 11. Crown: One Hundred Meetings (Bai Hui) ....................... 201 12. Pituitary Point: Mideyebrow or Third Eye (Ying Tang) ................................................... 209 13. Heavenly Pool (Hsuan Ying) .......................................... 211 14. Throat Point: Heaven's Projection (Tien Tu) .................. 217 15. Heart Point (Shan Zhong) ............................................. 220 16. Solar Plexus (Chung Kung) and Related Points ............ 227 - 6 - Contents 17. Backs of the Knees, BL-40 (Wei Zhong)........................ 230 18. Sole of the Foot: Bubbling Spring, K-1 (Yang Quan) ..... 231 19. Big Toe, LV-1 (Da Dum) ................................................. 233 20. Kneecap (He Ding) .......................................................