Dear S Space and luminosity are interesting attributes. The purpose of Spiritual Science seems to be the inner appreciation of this observation - through an ever-refining clarity of awareness. Another way of looking at this is training to remove the obstructing or hindering inner barriers that prevent the emergence of spontaneous insight. Of course, 'inner' and 'outer' are not entirely unrelated and neither can each be treated in isolation from the other. That being said, however, sometimes one of these aspects needs to be emphasised over the other given the caveat that this orientation can (and must) change when the moment is correct or the situation calls for it. Perhaps each single Chakra contains the essence of all the other Chakras and that this is the reality that joins it all together. The Centre of insight, at least from a Daoist perspective, is both between the eyes (in the middle of the fore-head) and simultaneously around the naval area - the place where physical life begins, develops and emerges. Therefore, we encounter time and time again the concepts of 'Pre-Birth' (Earlier Heaven) and 'Post-Birth' (Later Heaven) in the Chinese spiritual literature - with 'Heaven' better translated as 'Divine Sky'!
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As far as I can tell, once the mind has been 'stilled' (not an easy task), and the awareness 'expanded' (tricky), then the body and material universe appear to manifest and exist within the conscious awareness. This understanding should be, (although achieved within 'time'), purely 'existential' when profoundly experienced. The 'cause and effect' of spirituality cannot occur without material reality (and the proper placement of events) as conscious growth and development unfold in the correct physical sequence (that is, the correct unfolding of the 'mysterious' path or 'technique'). The correct sequence of events (the 'quest') ensure an enhanced and permanent transformation in 'awareness' (which seems 'timeless') whilst the body continues to 'age' according to natural (mechanical) processes.
The expanded awareness (Samadhi) is purely existential as all past, present and future events (its three reconciled qualities) are easily (and naturally) reconciled within 'it' - here and now. For instance, although the expanded mind is able to discern and participate within dualistic (subject-object) thinking processes (the last word of our previous communication feeds seamlessly into the first word of this exchange - and the time inbetween being both 'insignificant' and yet highly 'relevant') - all barriers fall away when this dualistic function is 'suspended' for the duration of the intense and/or profound meditational experience. When discursive thinking is required - then the 'dualistic' function re-emerges - but we are no longer enslaved to it. In the unenlightened state, we have no choice but to be thrown from one dualistic pole to another - but in the enlightened state - all is well, reconciled, complete and at peace. At least this is the case when we sit quietly in the fully expanded mind - allowing conscious awareness to fully permeate the maximum extent of the six senses. This is the ideal (and the idyllic) state. Everyday life, that is all the machinations concerned with interpersonal interaction, is an 'aside' that can be intense or sedate (and every level inbetween). This 'interlude' is the drama that defines our lives and which forms our (material) personal history. Samadhi exists right in the centre of all this nonsense - and yet has absolutely 'nothing' to do with it! Although we may prefer 'this' or 'that' - Samadhi does not care about any of it - and this is where it might get serious. Although we are 'alive' to be consciously aware - eventually we will be 'dead' to be consciously 'unaware'. I suspect this is the contradiction the Buddha discusses in his Pali Suttas when he describes 'Nirvana' as being 'non-conditioned' and 'beyond' (and 'between') the states of perception and non-perception. This is the reconciliation of 'awareness' and 'non-awareness' - as this is the actual challenge to be dealt with in the human mind, body and environment. The traditional answer is to 'sit through' all the worldly movement so that the 'still' and 'underlying' reality is 'identified' and 'pulled' into the present... Immortality has not really got anything to do with a long life lived over many years. A genuine Daoist must a) perceive the eternal moment, and b) integrate with that insight. As perception folds in on itself at the point of physical death – this is the only immortality that truly matters! We dissolve into the ‘eternal moment’ - this is the genuine ‘immortality’! The side-effects of taking the journey that leads to this insight involves the ‘neidan’ self-discipline and the pursuance of psychological and physical science that comprises ‘Daoist’ methodology. In this case, the functionality of the mind and body is brought to a maximised frequency whereby a robust health and a certain sense of longevity are definitely incorporated. Although this type of immortality is important – it is not the most favoured or elaborate of those available. We may give-up our bodies at the point of death and merge with the timeless universe – or we may remain in our no longer functioning bodies which retain the upright, seated meditation position. In this case, the physical is ‘dead’ in one sense, and yet ‘living’ in another – again, this is a matter of ‘frequency’ of manifestation. Furthermore, there are people who possess bodies that are permanently ill or injured (for various reasons), and yet they are considered ‘immortal’ by their teachers. This being the case, health is not always the complete lack of illness, injury or disability, and is reliant upon what the mind is able to ‘perceive’ rather than the state of the cells of the physical body. Such insight carries with it the power to revitalise the cellular structure of the human-body even if it is carrying an illness, injury or disability. The point is that life will improve for such successful aspirants and they will certainly live longer than if they had never trained. Immortality, of course, is linked to the purification of insight rather than any notions of physical purity. Physical purity does not exist as the body certainly does not last forever – but forever is a very long time!
Dear Alex The ideogram ‘無’ (Wu2) is found on the Bronze Inscriptions written like this: This is said to represent a person with a) ‘long-sleeves’, or b) ‘something held in the hands.’ This is an ancient symbol referring to someone ‘dancing’ - which was developed into this ideogram ‘𣞤’. Later, this concept settled into this ideogram ‘無‘ which was best thought to represent all the required meanings. This is constructed using a ‘person’ (人 - ren2), together with the particle representing the number ‘twenty’ (廿 - nian4) - which is thought to be a contraction of the more familiar ‘二十’ (Er Shi) - or ‘two times ten’. Added to this is the particle meaning ‘fire’ (火 - huo3). This looks like ‘twenty people fight a fire and put it out.’ In other words, through appropriate effort – the ‘fire’ ceases, or a ‘fire’ is ‘extinguished.’ In the old days, however, it appears that this ideogram originally referred to ‘not dancing’ or to ‘a dance-like movement that has stopped’. The connection could be that a person putting-out a fire ‘dances around’ - with suitable fire-fighting objects held in his or her hands – until the problem is ‘removed.’ This interpretation is more likely than the alternative image involving a ‘dancer who has ceased to move’ and who is ‘standing still like statue.’ The situation is ‘resolved’ when the fire is extinguished – whereas a dancer ‘who is yet to finish’ the performance resolves nothing! Whatever the case, bringing a problem to a definite conclusion is the meaning of ‘無’ (Wu2). Within everyday Chinese language usage, this ideogram is routinely used to mean ‘no’. The ideogram ‘爲’ (wei2) is a variant form of ‘為’. This is an ancient concept that dates back to the Oracle Bones Inscriptions that denote ‘action’, ‘governance’, ‘administration’ and ‘guidance’ in the world. This is why ‘爲’ (wei2) represents a ‘definite course of action that is to be taken as a physical inevitability.’ The left-hand particle is ‘戈’ (ge2) and denotes a Chinese halberd weapon or dagger-axe affixed to a long-pole. A central particle is ‘大’ (da4) which means ‘great’ or that ‘bigger than the average human with arms and legs stretched-out.’ The ideogram of ‘弓’ (gong1) is also present which can refer to the weapon of a ‘bow’ (or an ‘elephant’s truck’). Next, we find the particle for ‘fire’ (火 - huo3). All this symbolism is taken to mean that a ‘person holding a halberd’ - ‘戈’ (ge2) - ‘guides an elephant’ [大’ (da4) plus ‘弓’ (gong1) denotes the ‘elephant’ as in that ‘large’ animal which possesses a ‘trunk’] through a ‘fire’ or ‘burning’ [‘fire’ (火 - huo3)] area - to safety. This means, therefore, that Wu Wei (無爲) - although literally meaning ‘non-action’, or ‘no activity’, etc – probably does refer to physical ‘inactivity’ as in ‘doing nothing’ when decisive action is required in the world of dust. Taijiquan, for instance, is a martial art premised upon ‘Wu Wei’ and yet is comprised of ample physical movement. The mind, of course, is ‘still’ even if the body is ‘moving’ or at ‘rest’. Within Daoist terminology, however, ‘pure’ mind is also considered a ‘peaceful’ or ‘still’ mind and is represented by the ideogram ‘清’ (qing1). The left-hand particle is ‘氵’ which is a contraction of ‘水’ (shui3) which refers to ‘water’ - whilst the right-hand particle is comprised of ‘青‘ (qing1). This right-hand particle is constructed from the particle ‘生’ (sheng1) which denotes a ‘plant growing out of the ground’ - and the particle ‘丹’ (dan1) [Cinnabar] which refers to dyeing material a blue-green colour. Interestingly, ‘清’ (qing1) refers to a calm state of mind which is ‘still’ like a pristine body of water which ‘clearly’ reflects the ‘blue-sky’ and the ‘green-mountains.’ This state is brought about by cultivating the ‘丹田’ (Dan Tian) - which is hinted at with the presence of ‘丹’ (dan1). Another term routinely found within Daoist texts is that of ‘靜’ (jing4) which denotes ‘silence’, ‘stillness’, ‘devoid of noise’ and ‘motionless’, etc. The left-hand particle is ‘青’ (qing1) - see above (although probably now designated ‘jing1’ for phonetic purposes) – whilst the right-hand particle is ‘爭‘ (zheng4) and refers to ‘striving’, ‘hard-work’ and the ability ‘to fight’ for what one requires or believes in. This particle is actually written as ‘two hands working a plough.’ The two Daoist terms referring to ‘stilling the mind’ - ‘清’ (qing1) and ‘靜’ (jing4) - are united together by both containing the particle ‘青‘ (qing1). This particle is constructed using ‘生’ (sheng1) which denotes a ‘plant growing out of the ground’ - and ‘丹’ (dan1) [Cinnabar] which refers to dyeing material a blue-green colour. Within Daoist terminology, however, 丹’ (dan1) refers to the three energy-transformation centres which exist throughout the body – the lowest two-inches below the navel, the middle at the solar plexus and the upper in the forehead between the eyes.
You must look within with clarity of vision and insight. Without a pristine vision of the inner processes, nothing within Daoist self-cultivation can be achieved. Illness, injury and emotional agitation all lead to obscuration of the inner processes, as does bodily discomfort of any kind. We can adjust our lifestyles and manipulate our environment to reduce this discomfort (particularly in the early days of training), but the fact remains that eventually a certain strength of meditative insight must be developed that penetrates and irons-out all discomfort, just as it penetrates every bodily cell and expands out into the environment. Within Daoist iconology, this is sometimes depicted as occupying other bodies or objects whilst a ‘thread’ of awareness extends from the mind and body of the practitioner – linking the ‘one’ to the ‘many’. Touching the tongue to the palate connects the energy channels and allows the jing and qi to flow down into the lower dan tian, whilst the area of the anus is stimulated and the flowing energy is drawn round and back-up. Sometimes a sense of bliss accompanies the micro and macro circulatory orbits that is related to sexual orgasm but without the emission or requirement for a sexual partner (as no base desire is involved).
ACW - 釋大道 (24.9.2019) UK Qianfeng Sub-Branch of the 千峰先天派 (Qian Feng Xian Tian Pai) - Thousand Peaks Prenatal School (Beijing) |
AuthorAdrian Chan-Wyles (內丹 - Shi Da Dao) - Qianfeng Lineage: Zhao Bichen (1860-1942), Charles Luk (1898-1978) and Richard Hunn (1949-2006). Acknowledges Master Zhao Ming Wang (赵明旺) of Beijing as the ONLY Lineage Head of the Zhao Family Lineage of Qianfeng Daoism in China and the world. Archives
February 2024
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