Taiji Tu (太极图) = ‘Grand Ridge-Pole’ (a theoretical ‘rotating, controlling and directing ‘central’ polarity that lies at the heart of all material and immaterial reality – continuously ebbing and flowing between light (Yang) and dark (Yin) – dark and light (and any and all other corresponding and associated polarities). There are a number of shaded roundels all depicting the inter-play of ‘light’ (Yang) and ‘dark’ (Yin) – all termed ‘Taiji Tu’ – although within popular culture in the West these symbols are referred to as ‘Yin-Yang’ Symbols. Within Chinese culture, the ‘Taiji Tu’ is understood to symbolise the flux of ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ – but only from within the context of a continuously rotating and controlling centrality (the ‘Grand Ridge-Pole’). Therefore, the ‘Taiji Tu’ is never referred to as a ‘Yin-Yang’ Symbol within Chinese thinking – as this would imply an inversion of logic – similar to only ever referring to an ‘automobile’ through the functional agency of ‘mileage’. This ‘measure of movement’ tells the enquirer ‘nothing’ about the ‘automobile’ that is moving.
Yin – Yang (陰陽) = ‘Shadow’ (‘Lack of Light’, ‘Dark’) – ‘Non-Shadow’ (‘Presence of Light’, ‘ Bright’)
Taiji Tu (太极图) = ‘Grand Ridge-Pole’ (a theoretical ‘rotating, controlling and directing ‘central’ polarity that lies at the heart of all material and immaterial reality – continuously ebbing and flowing between light (Yang) and dark (Yin) – dark and light (and any and all other corresponding and associated polarities). There are a number of shaded roundels all depicting the inter-play of ‘light’ (Yang) and ‘dark’ (Yin) – all termed ‘Taiji Tu’ – although within popular culture in the West these symbols are referred to as ‘Yin-Yang’ Symbols. Within Chinese culture, the ‘Taiji Tu’ is understood to symbolise the flux of ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ – but only from within the context of a continuously rotating and controlling centrality (the ‘Grand Ridge-Pole’). Therefore, the ‘Taiji Tu’ is never referred to as a ‘Yin-Yang’ Symbol within Chinese thinking – as this would imply an inversion of logic – similar to only ever referring to an ‘automobile’ through the functional agency of ‘mileage’. This ‘measure of movement’ tells the enquirer ‘nothing’ about the ‘automobile’ that is moving.
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A number of my academic colleagues in Mainland China have discussed with me the necessity for the formation of a ‘new’ type of Daoism. The point of this is to move away from the pointless ‘dead-ends’ of superstitious teachings and empower Daoist practitioners with the most effective and efficient medicalised training programmes available. Without a shadow of a doubt, this redesigning will have to accommodate the rigours of modern medical science just as it should retain the elements of traditional Chinese thinking that was premised upon logic, practice, results and replication of those results. Indeed, there is much existing within Daoist (and TCM) methodology that is both ancient in construction and highly effective in practice! Of course, something of a ground-breaking foundation already exists within the teachings of the Qianfeng School of Beijing where its founder – Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) - was able to integrate Western medical science with tradition Daoist and TCM concepts. This modified the Quanzhen, Longmen and Wu Liu Daoist lineages and created a Daoist methodology that educated Chinese people about Western thinking – and Westerners about Chinese thinkers! What many Westerners do not know is that Zhao Bichen often replaced or enhanced a traditional Chinese Daoist term with its exact Western (biological) designate – for instance, for the ‘Ancestral Cavity’ (祖窍 - Zu Qiao) - Zhao Bichen would add the Chinese translation of the Western anatomical term ‘centre of the forehead’. Within his Daoist manuals (see: ‘Taoist Yoga’ translated by Charles Luk as an example), the Western concepts of the ‘centre of the brain’ is used to correspond to the ‘mud pill’ (泥丸 - Ni Wan) and the ‘solar plexus’ is used to describe the ‘middle dan tian’ ((中丹田 - Zhong Nei Dan), etc. All these terms are in Chinese translation and are presented alongside their traditional Chinese equivalent. When Zhao Bichen set about compiling an integrated glossary of Daoist and Western anatomical terms in the early 20th century, such phrases as ‘centre of the forehead’ was completely alien for all but the most well-travelled and well educated of Chinese people of the time. A point that has to be understood is that most traditional Daoist terms were considered ‘obscure’ even for native Chinese-speakers – as the techniques and methods were closely guarded through the descriptive use of metaphor and allegory. Zhao Bichen sought to ‘align’ formerly complicated Daoist terms with regular (modern) terms so that an understanding between the two cultures could be built, and misunderstanding ‘educated out’ of the process of communication. Zhao Bichen was also following the instructions of his two traditional Daoist Teachers who advised him to abandon the exclusivity usually associated with Daoist instruction, and teach any who asked. To modernise and strengthen China, Zhao Bichen decided to align the wisdom of ancient China with the highly effective thinking that formed the foundation of Western medical understanding. Since 1949, the literacy rates in China have sky-rocketed and many modern Chinese readers are now able to fully understand the Western medical terms employed by Zhao Bichen. This allows the average person in China to work backwards into the traditional Daoist codes and decipher the hidden meaning contained inside! The fruits of this labour are experienced by myself when I translate the Chinese-language blog posts of Master Zhao Ming Wang into English. Not only is my task made easier by the integration of Eastern and Western thinking, but this also gives me a firm theoretical understanding when purely ancient Chinese terms are introduced!
Dear Gillian I have been dedicating a lot of time to our family Daoist Lineage (in fact, we have two - the other being 'Wong Tai Sin' - the Immortal Doctor who very common in the Hong Kong area, and linked to our gongfu style). This is because Master Zhao Ming Wang is a very kind and caring person who although very strict - has graciously recognised the lineage of his Zhao Family Daoism which I inherited through Charles Luk (1898-1978) who personally trained with his Great Grandfather Zhao Bichen (1860-1942), passed to me by Richard Hunn (1949-2006). There is a school of Daoism which claims it is from Russia - but which writes its website in US English. It uses a fake web address in Russia - but those who make contact tell me the admins are (White) American. They claim to be the sole inheritors of the Wu Liu School of Daoism - and that Master Zhao Ming Wang's Qianfeng School is 'fake'. They even penned the US (English) Wikipedia page which voices this lie - and yet the Russian language Wikipedia page (supposedly the page of their home country) does not express this lie at all and is very respectful to Master Zhao Ming Wang. Indeed, the Russians I meet all the time simply do not behave in this ignorant manner. Furthermore, it is 'law' within modern China that ALL religious groups and teachers MUST register their real names and addresses on social media and in the public domain. This is so they can perform their spiritual function of helping anybody who requires assistance and asks for it. This supposedly 'Russian School' states that its Chinese teachers do not give out their names! When I checked these claims, I was told by the Religious Support, Protection and Investigation Department (Beijing) that this school is a Western fabrication charging large sums of money for the second-hand teachings lifted out of books published in the West! Finally, the Daoist Association of China granted me the honourable task of translating a number of 'key' documents from the Chinese-language into (British) English so that the genuine knowledge is available for Western people interested in the authentic Daoist lineages of China. In the West, people can do what they want - even invent Daoist schools - but they shouldn't make claims that such entities are a) linked to China, or b) represent China. Such stupidity can get people into all kinds of trouble!
Qianfeng methodology has already been ‘modernized’ by Master Zhao Bichen (1860-1942), and part of this evolution has been the adoption of certain Western biological concept and principles, which have not replaced traditional Chinese thinking, but have rather reinforced the validity of ancient Chinese (Daoist) science. This is not very well known in the West because it happened in China in the early 1930s, with the Western terms being presented not in English, but rather in their Chinese translation (for use by Chinese-speaking people). Master Zhao Bichen was a very clever person. Logic and reason were emphasized by Zhao Bichen over superstition and ignorance. This is exactly the attitude the average Western person would have toward a medical doctor, avoiding any doctors who appealed to nonsensical beliefs, or overly used placebo, etc. Qianfeng Daoism has been modernized – but it has been modernized not by Western force of arms or economic terrorism – but rather by the Chinese people themselves, in their own time and in their own. Western science has not replaced TCM, but is used side by side in China. It is also true that Master Zhao Bichen did study Western science, understood it fully and adopted what he thought was useful for his Daoism, but he still preferred traditional Chinese thinking. He avoided dogma and prejudice and made use of what was useful in both systems whilst not allowing his personal opinion to interfere in the developmental process.
As Westerners, we should follow the good and virtuous example of Master Zhao Bichen, and we should do this regardless of where we live, or how we live. Master Zhao Bichen abolished the traditional Daoist practice of one master teaching one disciple per generation, and instead opened his doors to all and sundry. This does not mean that everyone is suitable for the training, but it does grant everyone an equal chance to ‘try’. Rich or poor – everyone can train regardless of social status, gender or ethnicity. Master Zhao Ming Wang (b. 1966) tends to prefer ‘face to face’ training (at least in the beginning stages), and he does this because like a TCM doctor, Master Zhao Ming Wang will also ‘treat’ the student by stimulating the qi energy channels that flow throughout the body (and mind) as a means to release psycho-physical blockages (usually stored as ‘tension’ in the musculature surrounding the inner organs), build physical strength and clear the mind. He does this by examining the attitude and bodily movement of the student, the colour of the eyes and tongue, and the strength of the various pulses, etc. He also advises a vegetarian diet and no alcohol. Master Zhao Ming Wang massages the muscles, and uses a traditional Daoist acupressure stick which hits the ‘points’ of the qi energy channels exactly. A student may lie down to receive this treatment, or sit upright in a chair. Master Zhao Ming Wang also teaches people with disabilities and adjusts this treatment to their needs. (This is an important point as I have seen other Daoist schools ‘banning’ disabled people on the grounds that they are ‘bad luck’ - this is exactly the ignorance that Master Zhao Bichen abolished). Western students of Qianfeng Daoism have to meaningfully make sense of all this in a manner that fully respects the cultural view of China (as expressed through the Qianfeng School), understands what Master Zhao Ming Wang a) expects, and b) is talking about, and do all this whilst carefully navigating a course through the choppy seas of cultural adaptations and potential misunderstandings. My own view is that all this must be achieved through a sense of spiritual self-sufficiency. Spiritual self-sufficiency has nothing to do with social status or economic situation – but is rather a reliance upon the realization of the empty mind ground (shen), and how this understanding permeates through the entirety of the body (automatically ‘clearing’ all the qi blockages and building ‘jing’). The mind must be ‘stilled’ to realize this reality which does not require any other stimulus – although this is a rare state to achieve. Stilling the mind is the first crucial stage of Qianfeng Daoist training and can be performed exactly where you are right now. Without the mind being ‘stilled’ the Qianfeng training will be only moderately successful. Whilst training to ‘still’ the mind, a Qianfeng student should train in a traditional Chinese martial art that suits their character (whilst ignoring the pettiness of sport). Regular qigong exercise builds a robust body and ensure a fluid mind. All this can be pursued around a central practice of ‘nei dan’ - or meditation which ‘stills’ the mind (whilst also guiding the breath and the circulation of qi and jing etc). If this is established, then the machinations of the external world will fall into place, ensuring that all paradox and confusion falls away. ACW - 釋大道 (12.9.2019) UK Qianfeng Sub-Branch of the 千峰先天派 (Qian Feng Xian Tian Pai) - Thousand Peaks Prenatal School (Beijing) All living creatures possess a genetic clock which determines life expectancy. It is also true that lifestyle and life choices can improve life expectancy or diminish longevity. Living to an old age is usually thought of in Daoist literature to mean surviving to around 100 years old. Of course, within religious Daoism (道教 - Dao Jiao) there is the notion of physical and/or spiritual immortality, whilst within philosophical Daoism (道家 - Dao Jia), at least within the tradition of the Qianfeng School, there is a practical emphasis upon prolonging physical life to a greater degree than would have been expected if no training was undertaken. Vegetarianism features highly as a main dietary requirement, as meat is viewed as containing toxins of various kinds, and although alcohol is generally avoided as a habit, there are some traditional Chinese medicines that involve various herbs, fruits and spices distilled within rice-wine. (Western medical research agrees about the toxins in modern meat production – particularly with regard to the overloading of anti-biotics in farm animals and the use of dies to colour the meat – as well as confirms that a small amount of good quality alcohol [usually spirits] can be beneficial for cleansing the liver and other organs). Regular exercise of various kinds is beneficial to the structures and functionality of the mind and body. This can include stretching, bone-strengthening, muscle-building, muscle-relaxing, cardiovascular development (of the heart and lungs), and the development of a calm and an expansively ‘aware’ mind (all of which is accepted without question in the West). Within the Qianfeng tradition, seated meditation is practiced to calm and still the mind. This is an important first step that bears similarities to Ch’an Buddhist meditation, and reflects the fact that Master Zhao Bichen (1860-1942) inherited the Longmen-Wu-Liu lineage from two (Linji lineage) Ch’an Buddhist teachers – namely Masters Liao Ran (了然) and Liao Kong (了空). Liao Ran’s Daoist name was ‘Pure Meditation’ (清禅 - Qing Ch’an) and Master Liao Kong’s Daoist name was ‘Pure Stillness’ (清静 – Qing Jing). Before actively circulating the ‘jing’ (精) and ‘qi’ (氣) energies, the mind must be gathered and stilled through use of the hua tou (話頭) method. The breath and the hua tou are intrinsically linked so that a practitioner can breathe deeply and fully whilst simultaneously ‘returning’ the perception related to breathing back to its empty essence (mind ground). Eventually this practice extends into circulating jing and qi – and by ‘returning this dynamic activity to its immaterial essence - ‘shen’ [神] (or ‘emptiness’) is cultivated in the mind. This is why ‘jing’, ‘qi’ and ‘shen’ appear to be different entities in practice but are understood to emerge from the same united and empty mind ground in reality. Western science (which cannot be ignored even in modern China), does not recognize ‘jing’ (essential nature), ‘qi’ (breath or vital force), or ‘shen’ (expansive and aware ‘empty’ consciousness) as existing independently, such as an observable process, organ or limb, etc. I certainly do not advocate ‘faith’ over ’fact’ and neither does Master Zhao Ming Wang of Beijing (he views ‘jing‘, ‘qi’ and ‘shen’ as being scientifically ‘real’ from Chinese historical position). My view is that ancient Chinese science clearly identified a number of psychological and biological processes which were thought to be ‘integrative’ rather than ‘distinct’ (with Chinese science focusing upon ‘collective’ processes, and Western science upon ‘isolated’ functionality). China’s scientific trajectory favoured collective operation rather than separate functionality. Jing is that part of the reproductive chemicals (hormones) that combine in within sexual union between a man and a woman that produce the conception of child. Jing is also the basis (essential nature) of the physical life of the body once conceived and is considered crucial for a long and healthy existence. Withholding sexual emission preserves ‘jing’ (which when circulated) rejuvenates the bodily processes and structures. As far as I am aware, there is no Western scientific equivalent to this teaching. Qi quite literally equates to ‘breathing’, but also to the energy an individual receives from food and drink, as well as ‘Yuan Qi’ (元气) - or ‘Original Vital Force’ - which denotes the energy received from two parents at the point of conception. Qi can also be used to describe the attitude of mind of an individual, which can be vibrant and full of virtue (healthy qi), or deceptive, low and full of greed and anger (deficient in qi and virtue). For martial arts practice and bone-building, qi also equates to ‘bodyweight’ and ‘body mass’. Western science acknowledges breathing and the importance of oxygen intake, the circulation of oxygen around the body, the nutrition received from food and drink, and the strength of an individual’s immune system, etc. Gravity and its operation upon the human body is well-known and hundreds of years old in the West. Shen equates to various states of mind and would equate with the observations relating to Western psychology and psychiatry. Chinese Daoism is an ancient science which has studied the human condition very closely and has developed a number of very interesting ideas and concepts, etc. It is important to bear in mind that no matter how many scientists in the West reject the machinations of the Judeo-Christian faith, it is exactly from the milieu of this religion that modern, Western science has emerged (in the guise of secular knowledge). With this in mind, there is no reason to demand that a purely ‘Chinese’ (indigenous) take upon the measuring and recording of the processes and objects that comprise material reality should in any way conform to the cultural norms of the Judeo-Christian belief system.
ACW - 釋大道 (5.9.2019) 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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