Theory of Qi - Vital Universal Energy

Qi - Vital Universal Energy - The Source of all Life and Vital Health

Qi, Blood and Body Fluids are the most basic substances that constitute the human body and maintain its functional activities.

They are, on the one hand, the products of the functional activities of the Yang and Yin Organs of the body, and on the other hand, the material basis of these functional activities. As Traditinal Chinese Medicine holds that the life process is, in fact, a process of the metabolism of these substances, this is regarded as the true meaning of the Yang and Yin Organs. In other words, the viscera are produced and maintained by the activities of these substances. Therefore, disorders of the viscera can be generalized as those of these substances.

Generally speaking, Qi is an essential substance that is full of vigor and flows fast. Blood is the red liquid circulating in the vessels and nourishing the whole body, and Body Fluids are a general term for all the water necessary for life.

Qi is attributed to Yang, because it is mobile and functions to move and warm; while the Blood and Body Fluids are attributed to Yin because they are motionless and function to nourish and moisten the human body. In this sense, Qi is also named Yang Qi and the Blood and Body Fluids, Yin Fluids of the body.

Qi
Concept of Qi

Qi was originally a philosophic concept. The ancients believed that the world changes and things in the world can transform from one to another, so when they tried to explain the world with a common substance, they determined that the substance must have two properties: invisibility and motion. As it is invisible or has no certain shape, it can create various kinds of things; and as it is moving, things in the world are always changing and may transform from one to another. Air, the original meaning of Qi, is just such a substance which cannot be seen but the movement of which, as wind, can be felt. This was extended to mean that the most basic substance of the world, and its movement and change can explain the generation, development and change of all things in the world.

The ancient Chinese philosophy holds that Qi is this most basic substance constituting the world. Accordingly, Traditonal Chinese Medicine also believes that Qi is the most fundamental substance in the construction of the human body and in the maintenance of its life activities. As a whole, Qi in the cosmos takes two patterns of existence, diffused Qi and coagulated Qi. The former is more vigorous, cannot be detected directly and exists everywhere. The latter is manifested as various kinds of things that can be seen or that have certain shapes. In order to survive, coagulated Qi must communicate with diffused Qi and its generation as well as its ending results from movement of the diffused Qi. That means, when the diffused Qi coagulates, it creates substantial matter, while if it separates, the matter disappears. Therefore, any substantial matter can be regarded as a special process of the movement of Qi, and life, in essence, is the course of Qi's ascending, descending, exiting and entering movements in given conditions.

Man depends on nature for his production and growth and must observe the common laws of the world. As everything in the world comes from the interaction of Heaven Qi and Earth Qi, man must breathe to absorb Heaven Qi and eat to absorb Earth Qi. The food Essence transformed and transported by the Spleen must be sent up to the Lung to combine with fresh air to produce the nutrients necessary for man's life activities.

Qi of the human body also has two patterns of existence. The coagulated Qi is manifested as various visible or structural components of the body, such as viscera, body figure, sense organs, Blood, Body Fluids and Essence; the diffused Qi is manifested as the Qi that flows in the body, but takes no certain form, such as Nutritive Qi, Defensive Qi, Primordial Qi and Pectoral Qi.

Formation of Qi

Qi of the human body comes from the combination of three kinds of Qi, Primordial Qi inherited from parents, the fresh air inhaled by the Lung and the refined food Essence transformed by the Spleen. Primordial Qi is derived from the Congenital Essence of the parents and is the primary substance to produce an embryo. So it forms the basis of the human body and its life activities. Without Congenital Essence, there can be no human body. After birth, the congenital Essence is stored in the Kidney to promote development and to control the reproductive activity of the human body. The refined food Essence is generated by the food which is taken in after birth and is distributed all over the body to produce nutrients and Qi and Blood under the action of the Spleen and Stomach. Fresh air is inhaled by the Lung after birth and is the main source of Qi of the human body.

From the process of formation of Qi, we can see that Qi of the human body is closely related to the functional activities of the Kidney, the Spleen and Stomach, and the Lung, in addition to the congenital constitution, food and nutrients, and the environment. Only when these organs function properly can the Qi of the body flourish. Conversely, dysfunction of any of these organs will influence the formation of Qi and the physiological function of Qi. For example, dysfunction of the Lung will weaken respiration, leading to failure of fresh air to be inhaled and the turbid Qi of the body to be exhaled, with the resultant inadequate formation of Qi.

The transformation and transportation of the Spleen and Stomach play a particular role in the formation of Qi, for man relies on the nutrients transformed and transported by the Spleen and Stomach for his life after birth. On the one hand, the Spleen sends up nutrients to the Lung to be dispersed, on the other, it sends down nutrients to the Kidney to supplement Kidney Essence. So, hypofunctioning of the Spleen and Stomach influences all three elementary substances that produce Qi.

Functions of Qi

Generally speaking, Qi of the human body has five functions: pushing, warming, defending, controlling and steaming.

1) Pushing Qi is a vigorous substance that flows fast in the human body. So it promotes the growth and development of the body, the movement, distribution and discharge of Blood and Body Fluids, and the functional activities of Yang/Yin Organs.
After birth, the Genuine Qi generated from Kidney Essence determines the growth and development of the human body. After middle age, Genuine Qi gradually declines, so a person grows old. If his Genuine Qi is deficient, a person's development will be poor.
The physiological functions of Yin/Yang Organs and Channels and Collaterals of the human body all depend on the pushing of Qi as well as the nourishing of Blood. The vigor and the ascending, descending, entry and exit movements of Qi play a very important role in promoting the functional activities of Zangfu Organs and Channels and Collaterals. Any organ is a place where the activities of Qi take place, so the physiological effect is in fact, the manifestation of Qi's movements. For example, the respiration of the Lung is actually carried out by the dispersing and descending effects of Lung Qi. Therefore, when Qi is deficient, hypofunctioning of Zangfu Organs will ensue. For instance, deficient Lung Qi often leads to feeble breathing, a lower voice, lassitude, weak pulse, etc.
Qi also promotes the generation, distribution and discharge of the Blood and Body Fluids. As Yin substances, Blood and Body Fluids depend on Qi's activities to be generated. In other words, generation of these substances relies on the activities of Qi of the Spleen and the Stomach, the Lung and the Kidney. Besides, Qi is a vigorous substance, so it can activate the flow of Blood and Body Fluids, as well as transform them into various secretions and excretions. For this reason, Qi Deficiency often leads to an impeded flow of Blood or stagnation of Blood, or retention of Body Fluids in the body, which, in turn, causes Phlegm or edema.

2. WarmingQi, as a Yang substance, is rich in heat, which can warm Yang/Yin Organs, Channels, skin, and muscles and tendons, to maintain normal body temperature and the normal functional activities of these organs and tissues. Motion produces heat, so the heat carried by Qi is in fact, a result of the constant movement of Qi, and the body temperature is maintained by the constant movement of Qi. In addition, Qi's warming function contributes to the movement of Blood and Body Fluids. The ancients observed that water in a river would flow in warm weather and freeze in cold weather, so they drew the conclusion that the warming effect of Qi must be an imperative condition for the free flow of Blood and Body Fluids within the body.

Pathologically, disorders of Qi in its warming function are mainly manifested as two kinds: one is a cold manifestation due to Deficiency of Qi, which results mostly from the deficient Qi failing to produce adequate Heat to warm the body, marked by aversion to cold and a desire for warmth, cold limbs, lower body temperature and sluggish flow of Blood and Body Fluids. The other is the manifestation of Heat due to stagnation of Qi, which is usually caused by sluggish flow of Qi in a local area.

3) Defending Qi
The defensive ability of the body results from the combined action of a number of physiological functions, of which the function of Qi plays a particularly important role. The defensive effect of Qi mainly indicates that Qi can prevent the invasion of external pathogenic factors into the body. Generally speaking, external pathogens invade the body through either the skin or the nose and mouth. Defensive Qi functions to protect the body surface, and control the opening and closing of the pores, so it can prevent the invasion of external pathogens. If the defensive function of Qi is deficient, the resistance of the body against the invasion of these factors will be weakened, and as a result, susceptibility to such diseases as the common cold are likely to occur.

4) Controlling Qi has the function of controlling the flow of Blood and Body Fluids to prevent extravasation or unnecessary loss of Body Fluids. Qi can keep the Blood flowing within the vessels to avoid extravasation, control the amount and time limit of such secretions as sweat, urine, gastric juice, and saliva to prevent their excessive loss, and control emission to avoid its excessive discharge. When Qi is deficient, Yin Fluids will be profusely lost. For example, failure of Qi to control Blood will cause various kinds of bleeding; inability of Qi to control Body Fluids will cause spontaneous sweating or profuse sweating, incontinence of urine or profuse urine; and failure of Qi to control emission will cause nocturnal emission, premature ejaculation, or seminal emission.
The controlling effect of Qi and the pushing effect of Qi are opposite and supplement each other. On the one hand, Qi promotes the distribution and discharge of Blood and Body Fluids; on the other, Qi controls the flow of these Yin substances to prevent their unnecessary loss. Only when these two opposite aspects are harmonized can the normal flow and discharge of the Yin substances and the metabolism of Blood and water be maintained.

5) Transforming Qi
This refers to various conversions occurring along with the movement of Qi. It includes the changes of Qi during its movement and the generation and metabolism of Essence, Blood and Body Fluids and their transformation. That is to say, any changes of substances can be considered the result of the transforming effect of Qi, such as transformation of Food into nutrients and wastes, that of wastes into feces, that of nutrients into Qi and Blood, that of Body Fluids into sweat and urine, and the discharge of urine and feces. As the transforming effect of Qi in the human body is a process in which the metabolism of the substances take place, it forms the essence of life.
Although the above mentioned five functions of Qi differ from each other, they are all based on the basic property of Qi, or the vigorous and nutritive nature of Qi.

4. Basic patterns of Qi's movement
Qi flows throughout the whole body because of its strength and vigor. The movement of Qi is called Mechanism of Qi, which can be generalized as four aspects: ascending, descending, entering and exiting movements, which are based on directions. Ascending refers to the upward movement of Qi from a lower area; descending means the downward flow of Qi from an upper area. Exiting means the outward movement of Qi, and entry indicates the inward movement of Qi. Although the activities of the human body are multiple, they can all be summarized as these four aspects. For example, the dispersing effect of the Lung is a manifestation of the exit and ascent of Qi, while its descending effect is a manifestation of the descending and entering movements of Qi.

The physiological function of Zangfu Organs is often reflected on their Qi's ascent, descent., entry and exit movements. Take the Spleen and Stomach for example. The food that enters the Stomach is separated as nutrients and wastes after digestion. The nutrients are then absorbed and transported to each part of the human body through the activities of Spleen Qi, which is mainly marked by ascent and exit. On the other hand, Stomach Qi functions downward to send down the wastes as well as urine and stools, indicating that it goes downward in physiological conditions. Take the Kidney for another example; the Kidney is located in the Lower Jiao, but Genuine Qi manufactured by Kidney Essence has to go upward so that It can be distributed all over the body. This is a manifestation of ascent. On the other hand, the Kidney can assist the Lung by its receiving function, so it also has the manifestation of descent.

The ascent, descent, exit and entry movements of Qi are of prime importance in human life. The Kidney Essence, the food Essence transported and transformed by the Spleen and Stomach and the fresh air inhaled by the Lung, will not be distributed over the body to perform their physiological functions if they do not make ascent, descent, entry and exit movements.

Entry, exit, ascending and descending movements of Qi must be kept in harmony. In other words, the two opposite aspects should be balanced. A free flow of Qi as well as balancing the ascent, descent, and exit and entry movements of Qi are known as the harmony of activities of Qi. Once this harmony is destroyed, disharmony of the activities of Qi will ensue, which mainly consists of five states: adverse upward flow of Qi, collapse of Qi, escape of Qi and obstruction of Qi in its outward passage. The adverse upward flow of Qi refers to excessive ascent or insufficient descent of Qi, which affects the Liver, the Lung and the Stomach in most cases. As Liver Qi tends to go up, any induction factors may cause uprising of Liver Qi; Lung Qi and Stomach Qi, in a normal case, tend to go downward, so when the pathway for descent is obstructed, their Qi will go upward instead. The former case is a result of excessive ascent of Qi, while the latter is a result of inadequate descent of Qi. Collapse of Qi results mostly from excessive descent or inadequate ascent of Qi, which occurs mainly in the Spleen. As Spleen Qi functions upward to send up nutrients, it may sink if it is deficient. Escape of Qi indicates inability of Qi to be kept within the body which leads to excessive loss of Qi, which often follows profuse sweating or severe hemorrhage. Obstruction of Qi in going outward is usually caused by an attack of noxious gases which obstruct the pathways for Qi in the Interior of the body to go out. Such a case is marked by sudden occurrence of coma or syncope. The last type is stagnation of Qi, meaning impeded flow of Qi in the whole body or in a local area.

5. Classification of Qi
As the most basic substance that constitutes the world, Qi can be used to name everything in the world, so it is hard to classify it. However, Qi mentioned here is something concrete, or Qi that is different from Blood and Body Fluids. That means, it is not a gen eral term for all the components of the body, but substance that has a certain distribution and function. Clinically, the following four kinds of Qi are most the commonly mentioned.

1) Primordial Qi
Primordial Qi is also named Genuine Qi. It is manufactured by Kidney Essence and functions as the primary motive force for the growth and development of the human body, as well as the functional activities of Zangfu Organs. After being manufactured, it goes through the whole body by the way of the San Jiao to promote the life activities.
The main function of Primordial Qi is to initiate and promote the vital activities. The growth and development of the human body, and the functional activities of Zangfu Organs all depend on Primordial Qi. Therefore, when Primordial Qi is sufficient, the functional activities of Zangfu Organs will be strong and the constitution will be good. However, if Primordial Qi is deficient due to a congenital defect or improper feeding after birth, the functional activities of the whole body will become weakened.
It must be pointed out that the mutability of Primordial Qi is not only determined by the congenital Essence, but also determined by the acquired Essence or the Food Essence sent down to the Kidney. So congenital Deficiency of Primordial Qi can be corrected to some extent by supplementing the acquired Essence, or by strengthening the function of the Spleen and Stomach to promote the production of Food Essence. Long-standing diseases, which often consume the Essence of the human body, may lead to Deficiency of Primordial Qi.

2) Pectoral Qi
Pectoral Qi is also termed Great Qi. It accumulates in the thorax where Qi of the whole body converges. So the thorax is also known as "the sea of Qi".
Pectoral Qi is generated by the combination of the food Essence the Spleen transports and transforms and the fresh air in haled by the Lung. Therefore, the functional states of the Spleen and the Lung directly influence the formation of Pectoral Qi.

Pectoral Qi is distributed in the thorax after its formation, then to the Blood vessels and the respiratory tract. Its main functions are twofold: first, it can assist the Lung in breathing. As Lung Qi serves as the force for breathing and voice, speaking, voice and respiration are all closely related to the quality of Pectoral Qi. Usually, clear speech, a strong voice and moderate and rhythmic respiration indicate strong Pectoral Qi, while unclear speech, a feeble voice and shallow breathing or shortness of breath are signs of Deficiency of Pectoral Qi. Second, Pectoral Qi can assist the Heart in activating the flow of Blood. So, circulation of Qi and Blood and the pulsation of vessels can reflect its condition. Generally speaking, when Pectoral Qi is sufficient, the pulse will be moderate and forceful, and the Heart will beat rhythmically and evenly. If Pectoral Qi is deficient, the pulse will be swift, irregular, feeble or scattered.
Pectoral Qi is usually considered a link connecting the functional activities of the Heart and those of the Lung. In the clinic, Deficiency of Pectoral Qi in most cases indicates Deficiency of Lung Qi leading to Deficiency of Heart Qi and ensuing Blood Stasis. For example, when a patient suffering from chronic bronchitis develops pulmonary Heart disease, which is marked by shortness of breath, a low voice, palpitation, a purplish face, running or intermittent pulse, etc. , he or she can be diagnosed as having deficient Pectoral Qi.

3) Nutritive Qi Nutritive Qi is the Qi flowing in the Blood vessels. It is so named because it is rich in nutrients. As it exists together with the Blood in the vessels, they are often collectively named Ying Blood (Ying means Nutritive Qi here).

Nutritive Qi is formed by the combination of the nutritious part of the food Essence transported by the Spleen and fresh air inhaled by the Lung. After its formation, Nutritive Qi is sent to the Channels to flow in the order of the Twelve Regular Channels.

The main functions of Nutritive Qi are to generate Blood and to nourish the whole body. In TCM, Blood consists mainly of two parts: Nutritive Qi and Body Fluids. The Nutritive Qi can absorb Body Fluids from refined food and carry it to the vessels to form Blood. So Nutritive Qi has the function of generating Blood. Moreover, all Zangfu Organs, Channels and tissues depend on the nourishment of Nutritive Qi for their existence and functional activities. As Nutritive Qi, compared with Defensive Qi, belongs to Yin it functions chiefly to nourish the physique of the body.

4) Defensive Qi
Defensive Qi is Qi that functions to defend the human body. It is also named Defensive Yang, because it belongs to Yang compared with Nutritive Qi.
Defensive Qi comes from refined food that is vigorous and flows fast, and fresh air inhaled from Heaven. Being vigorous, Defensive Qi cannot tolerate the control of the vessels, so it flows out of the vessels. The distribution of Defensive Qi has two features: the flow following Nutritive Qi and free flow. The former indicates that Defensive Qi also goes along the Twelve Regular Channels, while the latter indicates that Qi is distributed all over the body.

The main functions of Defensive Qi include three aspects: First, protecting the body surface from the invasion of external pathogens. Defensive Qi permeates the muscular striae and the skin to control opening-closing of the muscular striae, so it acts as a defense against the invasion of external pathogens. If Defensive Qi is deficient, diseases due to the attack of external pathogens are likely to occur. Second, warming and nourishing Zangfu Organs, skin and hair, muscles, etc. , to maintain the normal body temperature and ensure the normal activities of the organs and tissues. When Defensive Qi fails to warm due to its Deficiency, cold symptoms may be exhibited. On the other hand, stagnation of Defensive Qi will produce Heat and give rise to Heat manifestations. For example, when a Cold pathogen attacks the superficial areas of the body, fever and chills often occur. The fever is related to the stagnation of Defensive Qi, while the chills are due to failure of Defensive Qi to produce its warming effects. Three, controlling the opening and closing of the sweat pores. Sweat is derived from Body Fluids and Blood, but its discharge depends on the function of Defensive Qi. When the striae of muscles are tightly closed due to an attack of external pathogens, Defensive Qi will be unable to go outward, so there is fever and absence of sweating. When Defensive Qi is deficient, spontaneous sweating will occur.

Both Nutritive and Defensive Qi are mainly derived from refined food transported by the Spleen and Stomach. Nutritive Qi flows in the vessels while Defensive Qi flows out of the vessels. Coordination of the two maintains a normal sweat discharge and a normal body temperature. If this coordination is destroyed, abnormal sweating or fever with chills will ensue.

Daoism - The Great Natural Way

Practice Principles and Guidelines

Daoist practice-realization involves experiential understanding.
Daoist practice-realization involves both being and becoming.
Daoist practice-realization involves giving primacy to the internal (nei 內) over the external (wai 外).
Daoist practice-realization involves conservation and non-dissipation (wulou 無漏).
Daoist practice-realization involves actualizing awakened nature (wuxing 悟性) over habitual nature.
Daoist practice-realization involves recognizing the interconnection between inside and outside.
Daoist practice-realization involves flexibility (rou 柔) and yielding (ruo 弱).
Daoist practice-realization involves non-action (wuwei 無為).
Daoist practice-realization involves clarity (qing 清) and stillness (jing 靜).
Daoist practice-realization involves nourishing life (yangsheng 養生).
Daoist practice-realization involves purifying and cleansing the heart-mind (xixin 洗心), making a lodging-place for the spirit (shenshe 神舍).
Daoist practice-realization involves expelling the old/stagnant (tugu 吐古) and ingesting the new/pure (naxin 納新).
Daoist practice-realization involves the dual cultivation of innate nature (xing 性) and life-destiny (ming 命).
Daoist practice-realization involves conserving and refining the Three Treasures (sanbao 三寶).
Daoist practice-realization involves forgetting (wang 忘).
Daoist practice-realization involves listening (ting 聽).
Daoist practice-realization involves energetic aliveness and sensitivity.
Daoist practice-realization involves intention (yi 意).
Daoist practice-realization involves living within the universe in its multi-layered numinosity (ling 靈) and sacredness (sheng 聖).
Daoist practice-realization involves decreasing desires (guayu 寡欲).
Daoist practice-realization involves carefree wandering (xiaoyao you 逍遙遊).
Daoist practice-realization involves non-contention (wuzheng 無爭).
Daoist practice-realization involves simplicity (pu 樸) and sufficiency (zu 足).
Daoist practice-realization involves purification (zhai 齋).
Daoist practice-realization involves lessening (shao 少) and decreasing (gua 寡).
Daoist practice-realization involves inward training (neiye 內業).
Daoist practice-realization involves observation (guan 觀).
Daoist practice-realization involves cultivating the Dao (xiudao 修道).
Daoist practice-realization involves refinement (lian 鍊/煉).
Daoist practice-realization involves transformation (hua 化).
Daoist practice-realization involves alignment (zheng 正).
Daoist practice-realization involves guarding the One (shouyi 守一).
Daoist practice-realization involves attunement and resonance (ganying 感應).
Daoist practice-realization involves connectedness or pervasion (tong 通).
Daoist practice-realization involves virtue or inner power (de 德).
Daoist practice-realization involves “firing times” (huohou 火候).
Daoist practice-realization involves quiet attentiveness (moting 默聽).
Daoist practice-realization involves being inwardly still (neijing 內靜) and outwardly reverent (waijing 外敬).

Ethics

On the most basic level, Daoist ethics incorporate the foundational Daoist view that human beings are innately good. Free from societal conditioning, familial obligations, and personal habituation, humans will naturally return to their innate connection with the Dao. From a classical perspective, “morality” (concern for and discussion of “virtues” and “moral obligations”) indicates that humans have become disoriented, have lost their original alignment. After humans lose concern for virtue and ethics, legalism, with its laws based on artificial restrictions and punishments, comes to dominate human society.

Thus, the Daoist account of human de-evolution involves a movement from personal integration and cosmological participation to morality and then to legalistic concerns, with the last two stages leading to greater disorientation and misalignment. Still, recognizing the challenges of living in various social situations, Daoists composed and compiled ethical systems, in which precepts or ethical guidelines formed the centerpiece. Daoist conduct guidelines or precepts developed within the Daoist tradition as it became more complex in its communal organization. The earliest Daoist precepts are principles for a way of life.

Originating in the early Tianshi 天師(Celestial Masters) movement, the so-called “Nine Practices” (jiuxing 九行) are as follows:

Practice non-action
Practice softness and weakness
Practice guarding the feminine. Do not initiate actions

Practice being nameless
Practice clarity and stillness
Practice being adept

Practice being desireless
Practice knowing how to stop and be content
Practice yielding and withdrawing.

These ethical guidelines are derived from the Daode jing 道德經(Scripture on the Dao and Inner Power).

Later, Daoists adopted the five foundational precepts of Buddhism:

Do not destroy life
Do not steal
Do not commit sexual misconduct
Do not speak falsely
Do not take intoxicants.

Daoist conduct guidelines provide an opportunity for ethical reflection and clarification. Moreover, they help to ensure personal integrity and communal harmony through the cultivation of respect, consideration, graciousness, and energetic attentiveness. In contrast to other religious traditions, Daoist practice activates the subtle body, including an energetic sensitivity that manifests as a natural “moral” compass.

Here ethics transcends mental categories and projected “oughts.”

Dietetics

What one consumes and ingests, whether food, air, water, or energetic influences, affects one’s being. Daoists seek to understand, clarify, attend to, and modify such influences. Daoist dietetics is far more complex than “food consumption.” In addition to the ingestion of food, Daoist dietetics includes herbology and minerology, fasting regimens, ingestion of seasonal and locality influences, and absorption of astral effulgences. Generally speaking, Daoists seek to ingest purer influences, to move from materiality to subtlety. Still, Daoist dietary practice begins with food and nutrition. One becomes aware of and attentive to the effects that various consumption patterns have on oneself and others, both human and non-human.

On the most basic level, one must gain a deeper understanding of one’s constitution and tendencies as well as the qualities of various “foods.” This centers, first and foremost, on yin-yang qualities and characteristics. Yin substances tend to be cooling and moistening. Yang substances tend to be warming and drying. “Cold foods” relate to both temperature (ice cream, for example) and nature (bananas, for example). “Hot foods” relate to both temperature (hot soup, for example) and nature (cayenne pepper, for example). There are also “neutral” foods and drinks. Thus, one may think of food along a spectrum: hot, warm, neutral, cool, cold. Yin-yang qualities also need to be considered in terms of seasons. Spring is lesser yang (warm), summer greater yang (hot), autumn lesser yin (cool), and winter greater yin (cold). By understanding one’s tendencies towards cold or hot, one can use and modify diet to relieve excess or supplement deficiency. So, those with a tendency towards cold need to be especially vigilant in the autumn and winter, and be careful with cold foods during these seasons. Adding warming foods will help to change such conditions. Beyond these elemental guidelines, the most important prohibition is not ingesting dead qi (eating rotten, old, or stale food). The most important general guideline is moderation. Through observation and experience, one gains a more nuanced sense of what is personally beneficial.

Finding a Teacher

Finding an authentic Daoist teacher is foundational for gaining a deeper entry into Daoist practice. In addition to personal affinity, there are certain qualities that are common and noteworthy. A teacher should embody what he or she is teaching. A teacher should be cultivating what you want to cultivate. Generally speaking, teachers should not demand that their students practice something that they do not or that their students not practice something that they do.

Teachers should also evidence a depth of understanding of the Daoist tradition.

Teachers should embody humility, honesty, and self-cultivation.

Teachers should embody clarity, stillness and insight, and maintain an orientation towards the sacred.

A teacher should recognize each and every student as a manifestation of the Dao and as containing the potential for spiritual realization. The ordinary and habituated human tendency toward egoistic concern is tempered by awareness of the Dao as the innate nature of each being. A teacher should not be overly self-referential or consider himself infallible. A teacher should not base his or her identity on opposition, negation, or the denial of other people's experience. A teacher’s personality, including personal opinions, motivations, and desires, should not override the subtle foundations and parameters of personal cultivation and communal flourishing. An authentic Daoist teacher has an expansive vision, deep concern, and enduring commitment to his or her students’ process of realization.

In short, an authentic Daoist teacher is an embodiment of the Dao and a model for Daoist practice-realization.
Both teacher and student should embrace and remain committed to mutual respect and mutual flourishing. There should be a natural affinity and resonance between teacher and student.

One should also keep in mind that in the Daoist tradition teachers may be gods, immortals, or physically-embodied humans.

Such teachers are only distinguished by a matter of degrees (substantiality, physicality, mortality, and so forth). Subtle experiences within Daoism have different levels of depth and different degrees of relevance to Daoist practice.

It is also important for students not to actively pursue “remarkable” experiences or to become attached to such experiences.

Ultimately, one should trust oneself and listen to one’s own aspirations and innate discernment.

Companions on the Way

In the Daoist tradition, the relationship between teacher and student as well as between fellow practitioners is often referred to as “companions on the Way” (daoban 道伴/daoyou 道友).

“Companions on the Way” expresses the central importance of friendship in Daoist cultivation. Companions on the Way share an understanding of and commitment to a Daoist way of life, including the specific principles (energetic and ethical), goals, and ideals of one’s specific community. Such friendship is spiritual friendship, an easy and natural relationship based on mutual respect and mutual flourishing.

Companions on the Way are adepts with natural affinities and parallel aspirations who recognize their own practice-realization in each other. In determining the appropriateness of potential companions, one must examine the character of people before becoming friends with them. Some important qualities include humaneness, respect, reverence, honesty, reliability, discernment, insight, generosity, and wisdom. Such qualities as honesty, integrity, and genuineness are vital. Character, including intentions and motivations, is especially important with regard to spiritual matters.
One of the best classical descriptions of friendship in Daoism occurs in chapter six of the Zhuangzi 莊子 (Book of Master Zhuang): “Master Si, Master Yu, Master Li, and Master Lai were talking together. ‘Who can regard non-action as his head, life as his back, and death as his rump? Who knows that death and life, existence and annihilation, are a single body? I will be his friend.’ The four looked at each other and smiled. There was no obstruction in their heart-minds (mo ni yu xin 莫逆於心) and so they became friends.” Here the emphasis is on natural affinity.

Similarly, Wang Chongyang 王重陽 (1113-1170), the founder of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism, provides practical advice on choosing a companion. According to Wang, there are three types of people who will nourish and advance one’s practice and three types who will harm and hinder one’s training: “Join those with an illuminated heart-mind (mingxin 明心), wisdom (hui 慧), or clear aspirations (zhi 志). Avoid those who are ignorant concerning external projections of the heart-mind, who lack wisdom and are turbid in innate nature, or who lack determination and are inclined to quarrel.”
Companions on the Way provide depth and warmth to cultivation, reminding and reorienting one towards what is essential and real.

Common Misconceptions

Misconceptions concerning Daoism are ongoing and too numerous to document. Most of these misconceptions have their origins in conventional Chinese prejudices concerning Daoism, Orientalist constructions, missionary sensibilities, Abrahamic assumptions about the nature of the sacred, and the appropriative agendas of New Age discourse communities. The most prominent misconceptions include the following:

· That there is an “original,” “pure” Daoism called “philosophical Daoism”

· That there is a later, “degenerate” Daoism called “religious Daoism”

· That the Chinese daojia 道家(lit., Family of the Dao) and daojiao 道教 (lit., Teachings of the Dao) correspond to the Western constructions of philosophical Daoism and religious Daoism

· That Laozi is the “founder” of Daoism

· That the Daode jing 道德經is the “Daoist bible”

· That Daoism begins with the Tianshi 天師 (Celestial Masters) movement

· That to be a Daoist one must venerate Zhang Daoling 張道陵

· That Daoism is a single, unified tradition

· That Daoism is non-theistic

· That Daoist identity is something that one wears on the outside

· That all Daoists are “nature-lovers”

· That to be a Daoist one must know Chinese language

· That Chineseness is equivalent to authenticity

· That the Daoist practice of non-action (wuwei 無為) leads to apathy, inertia, and atrophy

· That the Daoist notion of suchness (ziran 自然) corresponds to reproducing habituation

· That Daoism is about a New Age or Neo-Hippie idea of “going with the flow”

· That Taiji quan 太極拳 (T’ai-chi ch’üan), Qigong 氣功 (Ch’i-kung), Fengshui 風水, or Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are originally or inherently Daoist

· That “Daoism” exists


History

The Daoist tradition is a community of dedicated practitioners connected to each other as a historical and energetic continuum.

The study of this tradition, the development of historical consciousness concerning the diversity of Daoist communities, practitioners, and their material expressions, is necessary for deepening one’s understanding of the religious tradition which is Daoism as well as informing one’s participation in that community.

Familiarity with the historical precedents that have been established by the earlier Chinese tradition(s) allows practitioners to reflect on and determine the extent to which what they are doing is “Daoist.”

Considering Daoist practice in particular, there are various “models” that emerge through the careful consideration of the entire breadth of the tradition. In terms of traditional models of Daoist praxis, one may identify at least the following: quietistic, ritualistic, cosmological, exorcistic, behavioral/ethical, mediumistic/shamanic, dietetical, ascetical, literary/artistic, alchemical, meditative, hermeneutical, medical, mystical, syncretistic, and so forth. Many more could be proposed, and these various models can be either individualistic or communal. While such categories may have heuristic value, careful historical study of the Daoist tradition shows that various models and methods were combined and integrated in unique and convincing ways. Some Daoists may have embraced, applied, and developed one particular model, but most Daoist sub-traditions employed and recommended a combination. Without an understanding of such historical precedents, Daoism in the West will simply be a fabrication, a fiction, and a fantasy. This does not mean that there should not be adaptation and modification; change necessarily occurs when a religious tradition enters a new cultural context and when religious practitioners have different concerns and motivations. But it does mean that without a connection and collective memory such “innovations” become meaningless names.


Health and Longevity Practices

Generally speaking, Daoist practice centers on the conservation and refinement of vital essence (jing 精), subtle breath (qi 氣), and spirit (shen 神). Within the Daoist tradition, there is an emphasis on the inseparability of mind and body, as conventionally understood. Daoists view health as foundational for more advanced training and longevity as a sign of accomplishment. Here health is understood as psychosomatic integrity and wellness, specifically as the proper circulation of qi, subtle breath or “energy,” throughout the orb (organ)-systems and meridian networks. In contrast, disease is defined as stagnation or obstruction. Health and longevity practices are employed in different ways within the Daoist tradition. Sometimes they are remedial (curative/corrective), while at other times they are methods for health maintenance. However, health and longevity practices are almost invariably seen as preliminary and foundational, rather than as the culmination of Daoist training. Modern Qigong 氣功 (Qi Exercises) is one such practice. Although rooted in earlier yangsheng 養生 (“nourishing life”) and daoyin 導引 (“guiding and stretching”; gymnastics) practices, both Daoist and non-Daoist, Qigong is neither originally nor inherently Daoist. There are also many types of Qigong, including Buddhist, Daoist, martial, medical, and so forth. Some Qigong forms traditionally utilized by Daoists include Baduan jin 八段錦 (Eight Sectioned Brocade), Huashan 華山 (Mount Hua) forms, Wuqin xi 五禽戲 (Five Animal Frolics), as well as specifically alchemical forms.

Meditation

Daoist meditation may refer to any or all of the traditional four postures, namely, walking, sitting, standing or lying down. Daoist seated meditation consists of a wide variety of methods and practices, including inner observation, visualization, concentration, alchemy, and so forth.

A foundational Daoist meditation practice centers on clarity, stillness, and emptiness. One sits in a comfortable position either on a cushion or in a chair, and begins to draw the senses inward, to withdraw from the world of sensory phenomena and habitual reactivity. The spine is erect, and the crown of the head and coccyx relax away from each other. One allows breathing to be natural, for respiration to find its own rhythm. The hands are either placed palms down on the knees or joined in front of the navel in a Daoist mudra position. With the tip of the tongue touching the upper palate, one focuses on emptying and stilling. The ears listen to the center of the head. With the eyelids hanging and the eyes slightly open, the gaze rests on the tip of the nose. Then the gaze extends down the front centerline of the body to rest on the lower elixir field (lower abdomen).

One allows emotional and intellectual activity to become stilled and to dissipate naturally. Over time, stillness deepens and clarity increases. In Daoism, this practice is often referred to as “entering stillness” (rujing 入靜), “quiet sitting” (jingzuo 靜坐), “sitting-in-forgetfulness” (zuowang 坐忘), or “fasting the heart-mind” (xinzhai 心齋). For those beginning Daoist meditation, daily practice in the morning and in the evening, lasting from twenty to forty minutes is recommended. Of these various parameters, commitment to daily practice is most important.

Seasonal attunement

Daoist practice involves attentiveness to the changing contours of seasonal and cosmological cycles. On the most basic level, one attunes one’s life to the prevailing season. This begins with understanding the energetic characteristics of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Cosmologically speaking, the most easily observable and recognizable patterns involve the seasons and the sun and moon cycles. Following the seasonal cycles means becoming attentive to and resonating with their energetic qualities. Spring is associated with birth (sheng 生) and an outward energetic direction. Summer is associated with development (chang 長) and an upward energetic direction. Autumn is associated with harvesting (shou 收) and an inward energetic direction. Winter is associated with storing (cang 藏) and a downward energetic direction. Agriculturally speaking, and note that the Daoist tradition frequently emphasizes “internal cultivation” (neixiu 內修), spring is the time to plant seeds, summer to allow maturation, autumn to harvest, and winter to store. Similarly, the phases of the sun and moon occupy a central place in Daoist practice that is attentive to astro-geomantic influences. For instance, one becomes aware of and connected with the lunar cycles. In particular, the new and full moon are important energetic times in Daoist cultivation and ritual. Both moments have a refined and highly beneficial frequency. When these “effulgences” or “luminosities” are infused and circulated through the body, a more cosmological being develops.

Daoists also observe the so-called twenty-four seasonal periods (ershisi jie 二十四節) and Eight Nodes (bajie 八節). Since the traditional Chinese calendar is based on lunar cycles, one may access the Tongshu 通書, the Chinese almanac, for the specific dates that occur within the annual variations. These periods may be given an approximate date based on the Gregorian (Western) calendar. “Asterisks” (*) indicate the Eight Nodes.

*Lichun 立春 Spring begins February 5
Yushui 雨水 Rain water February 19
Jingzhi 驚蟄 Excited insects March 5
*Chunfen 春分 Vernal equinox March 20
Qingming 清明 Clear brightness April 5
Guyu 榖雨 Grain rain April 20
*Lixia 立夏 Summer begins May 5
Xiaoman 小滿 Slight fullness May 21
Mangzhong 芒種 Bearded grain June 6
*Xiazhi 夏至 Summer solstice June 21
Xiaoshu 小暑 Slight heat July 7
Dashu 大暑 Great heat July 23
*Liqiu 立秋 Autumn begins August 7
Chushu 處暑 Limit of heat August 23
Bailu 白露 White dew September 8
*Qiufen 秋分 Autumnal equinox September 23
Hanlu 寒露 Cold dew October 8
Shuangjiang 霜降 Frost descends October 23
*Lidong 立冬 Winter begins November 7
Xiaoxue 小雪 Light snow November 22
Daxue 大雪 Heavy snow December 7
*Dongzhi 冬至 Winter solstice December 21
Xiaohan 小寒 Slight cold January 6
Dahan 大寒 Severe cold January 21

While there are particular, observable qualities to each of these periods, and while each refers to an important time in a traditional agricultural cycle, the Eight Nodes receive particular emphasis in Daoist practice. The Eight Nodes refer to the beginning of the four seasons, the solstices, and the equinoxes. The energetic qualities of each of these cosmological moments is especially pronounced and influential. It should also be remembered that in Daoist practice there is a correspondence between external and internal cycles, including stages of life and daily energetic cycles.

Sacred Sites

All of the following Daoist sacred sites are located in mainland China. As monastic centers, and as officially-sanctioned sites, they are part of the Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) school of Daoism, which was founded by Wang Chongyang 王重陽 (1113-1170). Officially speaking, such temples and monasteries must identify themselves as part of the Longmen 龍門(Dragon Gate) branch of Quanzhen, which is the officially recognized form of Daoism in mainland China.

The Dragon Gate branch considers its founder to be Qiu Changchun 邱長春 (1148-1227), one of the seven senior first-generation disciples of Wang, but was organized by Wang Changyue 王常月 (Kunyang 崑陽 [Paradisiacal Yang]; d. 1680).

Religious freedom has increased in China since the 1980s, and in recent years control has been relatively more lenient. This has resulted in restoration of Daoist sacred sites as well as more visible differentiation and diversification, so that some Daoists and sacred sites have begun using regional or local designations and abandoning personal affiliation with the Dragon Gate branch.

Baxian gong 八仙宮
(Eight Immortals Palace)

Eight Immortals Palace is located in Xi’an, Shaanxi. The temple is named after the famous Eight Immortals, who came to occupy a central place in Daoism and Chinese popular culture from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) onward. The most famous of these is Lü Dongbin 呂洞賓 (Chunyang 純陽 [Purified Yang]; b. 798?), associated with various internal alchemy lineages. Eight Immortals Palace also contains the Yuxian qiao 遇仙橋(Bridge for Meeting Immortals), where legend has it that Wang Chongyang 王重陽 (1113-1170), the founder of Quanzhen全真(Complete Perfection) Daoism, encountered Lü Dongbin.

Baiyun guan 白雲觀
(White Cloud Monastery)

White Cloud Monastery is located in the western district of Beijing. As a Daoist sacred site, it has historical roots that go back to the eighth century. The site has been destroyed and rebuilt throughout the centuries. It was restored during the thirteenth century when it was known as Tianchang gong 天長宮 (Palace of Celestial Perpetuity). At that time, it became the headquarters of the newly established Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) monastic order, with Qiu Changchun 邱長春 (1148-1227) serving as abbot. After Qiu's death, it was renamed Changchun gong 長春宮 (Palace of Changchun), and that location formed the foundation of the contemporary shrine devoted to Qiu. Today, White Cloud Monastery is the headquarters of the Longmen 龍門 (Dragon Gate) branch of Quanzhen and houses the Chinese Daoist Association.

Chongyang gong 重陽宮
(Palace of Chongyang)

The Palace of Chongyang is located in present-day Huxian, Shaanxi. It was the location of the eremitic community of Liujiang 劉蔣 where Wang Chongyang 王重陽 (1113-1170), the founder of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism, engaged in religious praxis from 1163-1167 and where he was buried after his death in 1170. It is considered the “ancestral hall” (zuting 祖庭) of the Quanzhen tradition.

huashan 華山
(Mount Hua)

Mount Hua is located in Huayin, Shaanxi. Mount Hua is the westernmost of China's five sacred mountains, with the other four being Hengshan 恒山 (Shanxi; north), Taishan 泰山 (Shandong; east), Hengshan 衡山 (Hunan; south), and Songshan 嵩山 (Hebei; central). Mount Hua is characterized by sheer granite rock formations and numerous eremitic caves. As a Daoist sacred site, and as a distinct Daoist sub-tradition, it is associated with Chen Xiyi 陳希夷 (d. 989) and Hao Guangning 郝廣寧(1140-1213), one of the Seven Perfected of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism.

Longmen dong 龍門洞
(Dragon Gate Grotto)

Dragon Gate Grotto is located near present-day Longxian, Shaanxi. It is the place in the Longmen mountains where Qiu Changchun 邱長春(1148-1227), the third patriarch of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism, engaged in intensive religious practice. This Daoist sacred site is considered the “ancestral hall” (zuting 祖庭) of contemporary Longmen 龍門 (Dragon Gate) Daoism, a Quanzhen lineage associated with Qiu.

Louguan tai 樓觀臺
(Lookout Tower
Monastery)

Lookout Tower Monastery is located in Zhouzhi, Shaanxi at the foot of the Zhongnan mountains. It is the place where Laozi 老子 is believed to have composed the Daode jing 道德經 (Scripture on the Dao and Inner Power) at the request of Yin Xi 尹喜, the “guardian of the pass.” As such, it is considered the “ancestral hall” (zuting 祖庭) of Daoism. Lookout Tower Monastery was the first Daoist monastery, which was founded by Yin Tong 尹通 (398-499?), an alleged descendent of Yin Xi.

nanyan gong 南巖宮
(South Cliff Palace)

South Cliff Palace is a cliff-embedded temple at Wudang shan 武當山(Mount Wudang), which is located in Junxian, Hubei. Mount Wudang, also known as Taihe shan 太和山 (Mount Taihe [Great Harmony]), is home of the Zhenwu 真武 (Perfected Warrior) tradition. Zhenwu, also known as Xuanwu 玄武 (Mysterious Warrior) and represented as an entwined snake-turtle, is the guardian of the north. Mount Wudang is also believed to have been the place where Zhang Sanfeng 張三丰 (14th c.?) engaged in Daoist cultivation and created the internal martial arts, such as Taiji quan 太極拳 (Yin-yang Boxing).

Qingcheng shan 青城山
(Azure Wall Mountain)

Azure Wall Mountain is located near Guanxian, Sichuan. The mountain is so named because of its lush vegetation. It is one of the few Daoist sacred sites that escaped major damage during the Ten Years of Chaos (a.k.a. Cultural Revolution; 1966-1976) and where Daoists continued to reside during that time. Because of its location in Sichuan province, where Zhang Daoling 張道陵 (fl. 140 C.E.?) received a revelation from Laojun 老君 (Lord Lao) in 142 C.E. and where the Tianshi 天師 (Celestial Masters) movement began, the history of Azure Wall Mountain is mingled with that of the early Tianshi movement. This is so much the case that one can find Tianshi dong 天師洞 (Grotto of the Celestial Master) located within the mountain complex. At the summit, one finds Shangqing gong 上清宮(Palace of Highest Clarity), behind which a huge gold statue of Laozi on his ox is housed.

Qingyang gong 青羊宮
(Azure Ram Palace)

Azure Ram Palace (a.k.a. Black Sheep Temple) is located in Chengdu, Sichuan. According to one account, this temple is so named because Laozi 老子passed by the site on an azure ram when leaving the “central kingdom.” An alternative legend recounts that Laozi, when parting from Yin Xi 尹喜 at Hangu Pass, predicted that he would be reborn three years later in a Chengdu market where azure goats were being sold. The present site of Azure Ram Palace is where this miraculous event supposedly occurred. The central altar of Azure Ram Palace consists of three immense statues of the Sanqing 三清(Three Purities), the highest and most venerated “gods” of contemporary Quanzhen 全真(Complete Perfection) Daoism. The temple compound also has an excellent vegetarian restaurant and a public teahouse, a feature for which Chengdu is famous.

Taishan 泰山
(Mount Tai)

Mount Tai is located in Tainan, Shandong. Mount Tai is the easternmost of China's five sacred mountains, with the other four being Huashan 華山 (Shaanxi; west), Hengshan 恒山 (Shanxi; north), Hengshan 衡山 (Hunan; south), and Songshan 嵩山 (Hebei; central). The mountain complex contains both Buddhist and Daoist temples, with one summit shrine being dedicated to Yuhuang dadi 玉皇大帝 (Jade Emperor). The mountain is probably most famous as the residence of the God of Mount Tai, who is considered the overseer of people's life and death, with the underworld located under Mount Tai. His daughter, Bixia yuanjun 碧霞元君 (Primordial Goddess of the Morning Clouds), is the protectress of women and children.

Yuquan yuan 玉泉院
(Jade Spring Temple)

Jade Spring Temple is the base-temple at Huashan 華山 (Mount Hua), which is located in Huayin, Shaanxi. Mount Hua is the westernmost of China's five sacred mountains, with the other four being Hengshan 恒山 (Shanxi; north), Taishan 泰山 (Shandong; east), Hengshan 衡山 (Hunan; south), and Songshan 嵩山 (Hebei; central). Mount Hua is characterized by sheer granite rock formations and numerous eremitic caves. As a Daoist sacred site, and as a distinct Daoist sub-tradition, it is associated with Chen Xiyi 陳希夷 (d. 989) and Hao Guangning 郝廣寧(1140-1213), one of the Seven Perfected of Quanzhen 全真 (Complete Perfection) Daoism.

Zixiao gong 紫霄宮
(Purple mist Palace)

Purple Mist Palace is the central temple complex of Wudang shan 武當山 (Mount Wudang), which is located in Junxian, Hubei. Mount Wudang, also known as Taihe shan 太和山 (Mount Taihe [Great Harmony]), is home of the Zhenwu 真武 (Perfected Warrior) tradition. Zhenwu, also known as Xuanwu 玄武 (Mysterious Warrior) and represented as an entwined snake-turtle, is the guardian of the north. Mount Wudang is also believed to have been the place where Zhang Sanfeng 張三丰 (14th c.?) engaged in Daoist cultivation and created the internal martial arts, such as Taiji quan 太極拳 (Yin-yang Boxing).

Complete Perfection Taoism

Introduction to Quanzhen Daoism

~ Complete Perfection Daoism ~

and the Dragon Gate Tradition

The Zhongnan mountain range in central China has been the abode of hermits, sages, and shamans, for at least 3000 years. Amidst its forests, waterfalls, and misty valleys, they dwelt in natural caves and built hermitages made of wood and stone. It is here, far away from the intoxications of the dusty world, that Daoism has its roots. It is also in this region that Laozi chose to give Yin Xi the teachings of the Dao de jing, that so clearly express the way of the Dao.

Wang Xuanpu and Zhongli Quan

During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) Wang Xuanpu, a Daoist adept and cultivator of the golden elixir, lived in these mountains at the Misty Sunlight Grotto. His lineage, according to tradition, was passed down from Laozi to Jinmu, who passed it to his master Baiyun Shangzhen. The oral teachings of this lineage were later written down by one of Wang’s disciples, Ge Xuan, as Laozi’s Clear and Tranquil Classic, an important text for Daoist cultivation.

It was to the Misty Sunlight Grotto that fate led the general Zhongli Quan who was lost in the mountains after losing a battle. Realising his good fortune at meeting the hermit, Zhongli asked to be accepted as his disciple. Wang Xuanpu agreed and after some years of guidance in internal cultivation, Zhongli perfected the golden elixir, tied his hair in two buns and, calling himself the “freest tramp under heaven”, began his travels. Spirit immortals like Zhongli Quan drop their bodies like old clothes at death and the liberated spirit enters the celestial realm. At an auspicious time the immortal can retake human form and return to the world to teach sincere seekers of the Dao. Wang Xuanpu and Zhongli Quan are considered the first two patriarchs of the Quanzhen tradition.
Lü Dongbin – The Third Patriarch

One day, several hundred years later in the Tang dynasty (618 – 907), Zhongli was in a tavern in the city of Chang’an, writing poems on the wall and singing them to all that would listen. Sitting at a nearby table was a young man named Lü Dongbin and he was watching the Daoist with great interest. He had travelled from his native village to take the civil service entrance exam and that day he had stopped at the tavern to quench his thirst. Seeing that he had the spirit to follow the Dao and could be the student that he was looking for, Zhongli engaged the young man in conversation. While they talked Lü Dongbin felt himself to be getting very tired and gradually he fell into a deep sleep in which he dreamed that he took the civil service exam and passed with honours. He rose very quickly through the ranks of the emperors court and became a trusted advisor to the emperor himself. He married, had a family and lived in a very luxurious house, and it seemed to him that he had everything that a young man could ever wish for. However, others in the court grew jealous and schemed behind his back, creating false rumours about him. The emperor was taken in and believed these stories, but as there was no real evidence against him the emperor decided that rather than have Lü Dongbin executed, he would banish him to the outer reaches of China, a terrible fate. Suddenly, awakening from his dream, Lü knew that he no longer wanted to follow that lifestyle and that his path was to follow the Dao. Zhongli accepted him as a student and together they headed off into the mountains to pursue inner cultivation. Lü became highly attained in Daoist cultivation as well as embodying many of the characteristics most admired by the Chinese, being a Confucian scholar, poet, and swordsman. A free wanderer, he was known and loved all over China, especially in the north. As the third patriarch of the Quanzhen school he is honoured as Ancestor Lü. He wore a red sash about his waist and when priests are ordained into the tradition they are given a red sash as a symbol of this.
Through Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin’s teachings of the Golden Elixir, Daoism was moving away from the older approach to immortality that emphasised external elixirs and physical longevity. Their emphasis was on inner cultivation and spiritual immortality, and they taught that the way to the golden elixir was to nourish the spirit through tranquillity and emptiness.

Liu Haichan – The Fourth Patriarch

Liu Haichan, whose name means Sea Toad, lived in the Liao Dynasty (916 – 1125), serving as prime minister to the King of Yan. One day Zhongli Quan visited his home calling himself Master Zhengyang. He engaged Liu in a conversation about the Dao and asked for ten eggs and ten gold coins. Liu provided these and Zhongli proceeded to pile up the eggs, with the coins in between, pagoda fashion. Liu said “Your crazy! What is the point of this recklessness?” Zhongli said “This is not as reckless as living your life in pursuit of wealth and fame.” With that he took the coins, broke them in two and threw them away. Liu realised his folly and resigned as prime minister so that he could travel to the mountains and study the Dao. Later he met Lü Dongbin who taught him about tranquillity, non interference and ways of nourishing the spirit. After this he went to live in seclusion at Phoenix mountain to developed these cultivations.

Wang Chongyang – The Fifth Patriarch

Wang Chongyang was born to a wealthy family in a village in Shaanxi province at the end of the Northern Song dynasty (960 – 1127). Like Lü he was a Confucian scholar and he also studied Chan Buddhism. He worked as a military officer and was highly respected in the community but despite all this he felt a deep dissatisfaction with his life. Eventually he decided to leave the world, abandoning his family and career, and taking to the life of a drunken drop out. One day as he was on his way back to his hut with a jug of wine, he met a strange Daoist on the road who asked him for a drink. Wang was happy to share his wine but to his surprise the Daoist proceeded to drink every drop. Telling him not to worry, the Daoist went to the nearby river, filled the jug with water and gave it to Wang who took a sip. He had never tasted anything like it, and was sure it must be the wine of the immortals! Wang asked him who he was and the strange Daoist laughed, saying “I am Liu Haichan!” From that day forward, Wang never drank another drop of wine.

Later he was walking by the Sweet River in the Zhongnan mountains when he came upon two wanderers on a bridge. He was struck by their presence and engaging manner and soon fell into conversation with them. He asked them where they were going and what they were doing to which they replied that they were “spreading the mysterious wind.” Wang knew this was a term for the Daoist teachings and, being intrigued, he was very happy when they invited him to accompany them for a while. He gradually realised that this was no accidental meeting and these two wanderers were actually Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, who had picked this time to introduce him to the Dao.

Renouncing his old life, he began a period of intense practice, wandering and living in the mountains. For three years he buried himself ten feet below the ground in a grave that he called “The Tomb of the Living Dead”. He also spent some time in cultivation at the Misty Sunlight Grotto, the ancestral cave of Wang Xuanpu, and then built himself a hut to continue his cultivations. After four years in the hut he set fire to it and was seen dancing and laughing amongst the ashes, so that he became known as Mad Wang. “Who can become an immortal without a touch of madness!” he said. Wang Chongyang then travelled to Shandong province where two of his disciples, Ma Danyang and Sun Bu’er, built him a retreat in their garden. This retreat was known as “Quanzhen”, meaning “The Complete Realisation”. This became the name of the sect founded by Wang and it was during this time that he began his main period of teaching.

The Teachings of Wang Chongyang

Wang embraced many of what he considered the better aspects of the three teachings which dominated China’s religious followings at the time – Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism – and incorporated them into the Quanzhen school. He moved away from the elaborate ceremonies, the writing of talismans, and the intricate visualisations that were central to the old Daoist traditions and put a greater emphasis on self cultivation through the practice of quiet sitting meditation. He identified closely with the simplicity and naturalness in Laozi’s Daode jing, as well as Zhuangzi’s teachings of spontaneity and non interference (wu wei). There are several other texts considered important in the Quanzhen school and these include the Clear and Tranquil Classic, the Yin Convergence Classic, and the Jade Emperor’s Mind Seal Classic.

The elements he took from Buddhism included their approach to karma and rebirth and, in particular, the Chan (Zen) teachings of the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. He also had great respect for the teachings of Confucius and encouraged his followers to study the Classic of Filial Piety, to help others, and do good deeds whenever they could. Wang considered the golden elixir to be our true nature. He said that helping others and being clear and tranquil contributes to developing this elixir. He advised that people wishing to cultivate their true nature should not seek fame, wealth, or profit, should eliminate worry and anger, and should abstain from sex, alcohol, and strong smelling vegetables (onion, garlic, etc.) He left behind fifteen principles for following the Dao which form the basis of the Quanzhen teachings.

Wang and his followers lived a very simple and ascetic life, surviving on only the bare necessities. They had intensive periods of meditation, and followed ascetic practices such as never laying down to sleep. Sometimes they would wander together from place to place, at other times they would live separately as hermits. Although the Quanzhen school adopted a temple lifestyle as it developed after Wang’s death, the path of simplicity that he advocated still remains a strong part of the tradition. To this day it is still common for priests to spend a period of two or three years “cloud wandering”, in which they travel the countryside, visiting temples and studying with different teachers. Those whose cultivation develops may also choose to spend time living as a hermit in one of the small shrines or caves that are found in the mountains of China.
By tradition the priests possess seven sacred objects: “The first object is the meditation cushion which tames the monsters of the mind. The second is the robe which subdues the mischievous mind. The third is the bowl which holds only purified (meatless) food. The fourth is a straw hat for protection against wind, rain, frost, and snow. The fifth is a horse-hair whisk or fan for sweeping away the dust of the mundane world. The sixth is a bag for carrying the sacred scriptures. The seventh is a staff for clearing the obstacles that block the clear wind and bright moon of the Tao.”

The priests will also apply the following cultivations in their daily life: “When walking, the gait should be like that of a crane and the body should move like an immortal floating with the winds. When sitting, the body should be still as a rock. When sleeping, it should be curved like a bow. When standing, it should be like a tall pine. Your body should be as flexible as a willow in the wind and as relaxed as the petals of a lotus.”

The Seven True Daoists of the North

Wang left seven accomplished disciples, six men and one woman. They all continued to spread the teachings of the Quanzhen sect and are called the Seven True Daoists of the North. Each one expressed the Quanzhen teachings in their own way, creating seven different lineages:
The sect of Qiu Chuji is called Longmen (Dragon Gate)The sect of Liu Chuxuan is called Suishan (Mount Sui)The sect of Tan Chuduan is called Nanwu (Southern Void)The sect of Ma Danyang is called Yuxian (Meeting the Immortals)The sect of Hao Datong is called Huashan (Mount Hua)The sect of Wang Yuyang is called Yushan (Mount Yu)The sect of Sun Bu’er is called Qingjing (Clarity and Stillness)

Qiu Chuji and the Dragon Gate Sect

The largest of these is Qiu Chuji’s Dragon Gate sect. Following Wang’s death the seven disciples dispersed. Qiu Chuji continued to follow a quiet ascetic life, living in caves and begging for food. He lived for several years in the Dragon Gate Cave and his sect is named after this place. It was here that Qiu began to develop his teachings, emphasizing Wang’s view that the three doctrines of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism are complimentary and share a common origin. Later in his life he gained favor with the Jin emperor Shizong and then with the conquering Mongol ruler Chinggis Khan, who honored him with the title Spirit Immortal. With this recognition and support the Quanzhen school grew very quickly and Qiu encouraged the building of many Daoist temples, developing the structure for that way of life. He gained a large following, including many among the working class, and over the years the Dragon Gate sect spread to many parts of China becoming the main representative of the Quanzhen school. There is even a saying that “the Dragon Gate covers half the land.” Qiu spent the last few years of his life in Beijing living at a Daoist temple now known as the White Cloud Temple, and was buried there after his death. Since his time the White Cloud temple has been the seat and headquarters for both the Quanzhen and Dragon Gate sects, and continues to be so even today.
“When tranquillity and clarity are constant… you gradually enter the perfect Dao. When you enter the perfect Dao this is called realisation.” Qingjing jing (The Clear and Tranquil Classic)

Sitting meditation is a key element in the view and practice of the Dragon Gate tradition, emphasizing the individual’s need to take responsibility for their development and cultivation. In Daoist view cultivation embraces the totality of our being where nothing is rejected or suppressed. Meditation is a natural unfolding that releases what is held, dissolves what is reactive, and discovers what is hidden. We discover that tranquillity and clarity are inherent in our being and not added or imposed through applying concentration or effort. In this view the spiritual path is not seen as a heroic endeavour that entails great struggle and effort, as this only leads to frustration and disappointment in trying to reach some idealized goal. The method is a process that dissolves the false perception that something within us or around us is inadequate and needs to be improved. It is not seen as a substitute for a direct experience of life.

Tai Chi Chuan

What is Tai Chi Chuan?

The Chinese characters for Tai Chi Chuan can be translated as the 'Supreme Ultimate Force'. The notion of 'supreme ultimate' is often associated with the Chinese concept of yin-yang, the notion that one can see a dynamic duality (male/female, active/passive, dark/light, forceful/yielding, etc.) in all things. 'Force' (or, more literally, 'fist') can be thought of here as the means or way of achieving this ying-yang, or 'supreme-ultimate' discipline.
Tai Chi, as it is practiced in the west today, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined. There are a number of so- called forms (sometimes also called 'sets') which consist of a sequence of movements. Many of these movements are originally derived from the martial arts (and perhaps even more ancestrally than that, from the natural movements of animals and birds) although the way they are performed in Tai Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with smooth and even transitions between them.
For many practicioners the focus in doing them is not, first and foremost, martial, but as a meditative exercise for the body. For others the combat aspects of Tai Chi are of considerable interest. In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists the concept of 'chi', a vital force that animates the body. One of the avowed aims of Tai Chi is to foster the circulation of this 'chi' within the body, the belief being that by doing so the health and vitality of the person are enhanced. This 'chi' circulates in patterns that are close related to the nervous and vascular system and thus the notion is closely connected with that of the practice of acupuncture and other oriental healing arts.
Another aim of Tai Chi is to foster a calm and tranquil mind, focused on the precise execution of these exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical avenue for learning about such things as balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from the body's vital center, and so on. Thus the practice of Tai Chi can in some measure contribute to being able to better stand, walk, move, run, etc. in other spheres of life as well. Many practitioners notice benefits in terms of correcting poor postural, alignment or movement patterns which can contribute to tension or injury. Furthermore the meditative nature of the exercises is calming and relaxing in and of itself.
Because the Tai Chi movements have their origins in the martial arts, practicing them does have some martial applications. In a two-person exercise called 'push-hands' Tai Chi principles are developed in terms of being sensitive to and responsive of another person's 'chi' or vital energy. It is also an opportunity to employ some of the martial aspects of Tai Chi in a kind of slow-tempo combat. Long-time practitioners of Tai Chi who are so-inclined can become very adept at martial arts. The emphasis in Tai Chi is on being able to channel potentially destructive energy (in the form of a kick or a punch) away from one in a manner that will dissipate the energy or send it in a direction where it is no longer a danger.
The practical exercises of Tai Chi are also situated in a wider philosophical context of Taoism. This is a reflective, mystical Chinese tradition first associated with the scholar and mystic Lao Tsu, an older contemporary of Confucius. He wrote and taught in the province of Honan in the 6th century B.C. and authored the seminal work of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. As a philosophy, Taoism has many elements but fundamentally it espouses a calm, reflective and mystic view of the world steeped in the beauty and tranquillity of nature.
Tai Chi also has, particularly amongst eastern practitioners, a long connection with the I Ching a Chinese system of divination. There are associations between the 8 basic I Ching trigrams plus the five elements of Chinese alchemy (metal, wood, fire, water and earth) with the thirteen basic postures of Tai Chi created by Chang San-feng. There are also other associations with the full 64 trigrams of the I Ching and other movements in the Tai Chi form.

Master Zhong 

Push Hands 

Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy 

Wudangshan 

Wudangshan 

Master Zhong 

WUDANG SHAN - HOLY MOUNT WUDANG

WUDANG TAOIST KUNG FU ACADEMY

The Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - www.wtkfa.org is headed under the direction of: Great Grand Master, the Late Abbot Guo Gao Yee; Grand Master, Jhong Yun Long; Head Coach, Master Xiugang Yuan; Assistant Coach, Master Bin.Master Jhong Yun Long, also known by his Taoist name Qinhui, is the 14th Generation Direct Inheritor of the Wudang Sanfeng Sect. Master Jhong has been learning Wudang Kung Fu since he was a young boy, he was a direct disciple of many Kung Fu masters such as the late Wudang Abbot Guo Gao Yee and Zhu Chengde, and also Mt. Laoshan Taoist priest Kuang Changxiu. He is very famous all through out China as the authority of the true Wudang Kung Fu Tradition.In 1989, Master Jhong and the late Abbot Guo together founded the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - with the approval of the WTA (Wudang Taoist Assoc.). It was the first time ever in the long history of the Wudang Arts that Wudang Kung Fu was introduced to the outside world and general public at large in China. From the spring of 1996 to the winter of 2000, Zhong was elected as the standing committee member of WTA and the Abbot of the Purple Heaven Palace.

WTKFA teaches the traditional Wudang Taoist Inner Kung Fu arts, such as Wudang Taiji, Wudang Hsing-Yi, Wudang Pakua, Wudang Tai Yi Sword, Yellow Mud Yin Palm, Three Secret Pure Yang Arts, Wudang Yang Sheng Health Preservation Arts, Wudang 8 Immortals Sword, Wudang Nei Tan Meditation, 36-form Wudang Boxing, Heavenly Gate Qigong, Golden Elixir Steel Clothing, Moon Gazing Qigong, Wudang 27-Movement Sword, Wudang Spear, Zhi Ran Divine Hitting Boxing, Six-Round Mind Will Elbow Boxing and many other rare Wudang Kung fu arts.

Wudang Internal Kung Fu has the characteristics of overcoming toughness with flexibility, hardness with softness and movement with stillness, and seeks to cultivate the Inner Qi of the practitioner to a supreme refined level. Wudang Internal Kung Fu not only has the functions of body-strengthening and self-defense but also can preserve one's inner energy, increase vitality, aid in longevity, promote self-healing, and give one a deep inner peace and tranquility.

Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - www.wtkfa.org is located in the Mysterious Mist Palace Mount Wudang Scenery ZoneShiYan City, Hubei Province, China.

MOUNT WUDANG SECT

Regarding Mt. Wudang as its birthplace, this sect was called the Wudang Tradition. Mt. Wudang, also called Mt. Taihe, was a sacred site of Daoism, and even before the Ming dynasty was honoured as the birthplace of the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor of the Mysterious Northern Heaven. Historically, Daoism on Mt. Wudang was affiliated to the Orthordox Oneness sect in earlier times, and to the Complete Perfection sect in later times. During emperor Zhengzong's era (AD 998-1022), the Orthodox Oneness sect spread to Mt. Wudang and developed into the main power of Daoism on Mt. Wudang, under which the Elder Mao sect, the Three Mao sect and the Lay Daoist Priest Tradition emerged. The Complete Perfection spread to this area 200 years later. During the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1398 AD), Qiu Yuanqing, the fourth generation patriarch of the Dragon Gate branch, became master of Jade Dragon Temple on Mt. Wudang. In the middle of the Ming dynasty, the Dragon Gate had replaced the Orthodox Oneness sect, becoming the main power of Daoism on Mt. Wudang. During the Yongle ear of Ming emperor Chengzu (AD 1403-1424), Zhang Sanfeng, a Daoist of the Complete Perfection sect, founded the Wudang Tradition, a new Daoist sect which differed from the Complete Perfection sect in religious theories and rules as well as sectarian style. The Wudang Tradition attributed its origin to Cheng Tuan's Daoist sect, but then the government put it under the Complete Perfection sect. The Wudang Tradition was characterized by its worship for the Great Perfect Warrior Emperor, its practice of Chinese Inner School Boxing, its advocacy of the Integration of the Three Doctrines and its emphasis on Cultivation and Refinement of Inner Alchemy and Spiritual Nature. It was a new sect of the Complete Perfection Tradition which emerged between the Yuan and Ming dynasties. According to the General Summary of Perfect Men and Sects, the Wudang Tradition had as many as eight branches, among which the Spontaneity sect, the Sanfeng sect, the Renewal sect and the Penglai sect lasted until modern times.

Mt. Wudang, also known as Mt. Taihe and the Mountain of Mystery, is located in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. Adjoining the Qinling Mountains in the west and Shennongjia in the south, it stretches over 800 li and consists of 72 peaks, 36 cliffs and 24 valleys. With its magnificent temples, the mountain attracts endless pilgrims. It is a famous Daoist sacred site in China.Mt. Wudang has a very long history in connection with Daoism. It is recorded that Xie Yun and Yi Gui of the Jin dynasty, Liu Qiu of the Southern Dynasties and Yao Jian of the Tang dynasty all entered the mountain to practice Dao. Temples such as Wulong Shrine, Taiyi Temple and Yanchang Temple had been built by the Tang dynasty. Both the imperial families of the Song and Yuan dynasties believed in the spirit of the Perfect Warrior of the north. As a result, Wudang Daoism, whose major belief is that of the Perfect Warrior, became prosperous gradually during these two dynasties. The celebrated Daoist priest of the Five Dynasties, Chen Tuan, was once a hermit at Jiushi Cliff, Mt. Wudang, where he Abstained from Grains and Refined the Vital Breath for more than 20 years. At the beginning of the Ming dynasty, the famous Daoist, Zhang Sanfeng, lived on the mountain in seclusion. At that time, all the temples on Mt. Wudang were destroyed in wars. Zhang Sanfeng said to others, "This mountain is bound to thrive someday." As things turned out, after Zhu Di, king of Yan, rose in revolt as a military governor of the northern outlying prefectures and usurped the throne from his niece, Emperor Jianwen claimed that he had been assisted by the Perfect Warrior in the "pacification" campaigns and so set up temples in large scale on Mt. Wudang, the sacred place of the latter. Emperor Chengzu sent Longping Marquis Zhang Xin, leading over 200,000 soldiers and artisans, to complete 8 "gong", 2 "guan", 36 "antang" and 72 "yanmiao". In addition, they built 39 bridges, 12 pavilions and the 70-odd-kilometer-long path leading from the piedmont to the peak. Mt. Wudang at that time had the grandest temples and largest Daoist communities of the country. It was honored as "the first famous mountain under heaven". After more than 500 years, several of the buildings were damaged throughout the ages. Only the six temples (gong) of Zixiao, Taihe, Jindian, Nanyan, Yuzhen and Yuxu, the two temples (guan) of Fuzhen and Yuanhe, and buildings such as Mozhen Well and Xuanyue Gate still remain in existence.

WUDANG IMMORTAL - ZHANG SANFENG

The Life of Zhang Sanfeng: Zhang Sanfeng was a Daoist from Yizhou of Laodong (southwest of present-day Zhangwu in Liaoning province) in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, whose name was Quanyi, whose other name was Junshi, and was also called Sanfeng. He lived from ca.1314~1320 to 1417. Mysterious legends about the 'Secluded Immortal': Zhang Sanfeng was called 'Sloppy Zhang' since he was careless about his appearance. It was said that Zhang Sanfeng was 'well built, with a tortoise-shaped figure and a crane-shaped back, big ears and round eyes, and a thick and long beard and whiskers. He always wore a Daoist cassock with a palm-bark rain cape. When he had a meal, he could eat a lot, but sometimes he ate only once every few days, or ate nothing for a few months. He was very learned, capable of remembering whatever books he read, and of writing poems and essays. He was very casual and free from restraint, with the manner of immortals. There were quite a few legends about his life experience and his background. One of them said that he was born in the Jin Dynasty. There was a story which said that at the end of the Song Dynasty, there was a rebellion, so Emperor Huizong called on him, and Zhang Sanfeng once beat or killed one hundred rebels with one of his fists. Another story said that he could survive by abstaining from grains, move as fast as immortals, and come back to life after death. All his life he was immune to reputation and wealth, and fond of pure cultivation in seclusion. According to his testimony, he was once a county magistrate, quit his position and left his family some time later, and then became a Daoist of the Complete Perfection Tradition. Once he ran into the Perfect Man of the Fire Dragon, who offered him an elixir formula. Wandering to Mt. Wudang with his disciples, Zhang built a cottage for cultivation of Dao after cutting down the bushes and disposing debris and rubble. He predicted: 'The mount will be flourishing some day" and told his disciples 'to carefully preserve the transmission of Dao carefully'. Soon he left Mt. Wudang and wandered to Sichuan to visit the Perfect Men and the historical sites of Mt.Qingcheng and Mt.Heming. He also authored a treatise on Taiji shadowboxing as a method to cultivate Dao and keep fit, which is still very popular even today. Claim to be a Secluded Immortal: Zhang Sanfeng had been wandering all over the country in his life, often of uncertain whereabouts. He was famous for his 'seclusion' and claimed to be a 'secluded immortal". In the 24th year of Hongwu (1391), the emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent Zhang Yuchu to look for him everywhere, but in vain. During the years of Yongle (1403-1425), the emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty sent some officials to look for him several times, but again found him nowhere. As a result, the emperor had Daoist temples constructed on Mt.Wudang on a large scale, so that Zhang's prophecy of the flourishing of Mt.Wudang could come true. In the 3rd year of Tianshun (1459), Emperor Yingzong conferred on him the title Perfect Manifestation of Pervasive Subtlety", and in the 22nd year of Chenghua (1486), the emperor Xianzong granted him the title 'Brilliant and Lofty Perfect Immortal'. In the 3rd year of Tianqi (1623) Emperor Xizong claimed that Zhang Sanfeng descended unto the altar by manifesting his spirit, and offered him the title Perfect Flying Dragon Sovereign Who Manifests Salvation, Promotes Benevolence, and Benefits the World". With the admiration and confirmation of the emperors of the Ming Dynasty and the surge of Daoist believers, the legend of Zhang's immortality was told and renewed constantly. Until the Qing Dynasty were there still stories circulation about meeting Zhang Sanfeng and being taught Daoist skills. Zhang's Thought and Works:Zhang Sanfeng's shared the same general ideas about Daoism as his contemporaries, i.e., that the three religions in China come from the same origin. Zhang maintained that the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism had the same tendency to cultivate one's own moral character and benefit the people of the world in spite of their different founders. Therefore Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism all could be named Daoism. In his On the Great Dao, Zhang said that Confucians tried to practice Dao and benefit the world, Buddhists preferred to realize Dao and awaken the world, while Daoist immortals would rather preserve Dao and save mankind. He insisted that cultivation of Dao meant the 'Cultivation Yin and Yang, Spiritual Nature, and Bodily Life"; 'The sages of the three religions established their doctrines based on this concept". Moreover, Zhang considered that “Meritorious Virtue is the essence of Dao, while the Golden Elixir is its application, allowing one to attain Immortality". Zhang Sanfeng left many works. Li Xiyue of the Qing Dynasty compiled the Complete Works of Gentleman Zhang Sanfeng, which was preserved in the Selections of the Daoist Canon.

WUDANG TWENTY-THREE FORMULAE OF THE SUPREME ONENESS

Originally named the Twenty-Three Formulae of the Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Arresting and Striking, it was an extremely secret boxing art of the Wudang lineage. In 1980, Jin Zitao (1904-1985) performed this boxing method at the National Martial Arts Viewing and Emulation Conference in Taiyuan, Shanxi, and moved all those present. Since then, this boxing form has been revealed to the public and simply known as the Wudang Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Boxing. Later, Jin was invited back to Mt. Wudang and transmitted the tradition to Zhao Jianying. Zhao, in turn, transmitted it to the Daoist Zhong Yunlong, the present boxing drillmaster of the Wudang Lineage. Jin Zitao, originally named Aixinjueluo Puxuan, was a royal member of the Qing court and the younger brother of Xuntong Emperor Puyi. Starting in 1929 he went to Wudang Mountain and learned this boxing tradition from Li Helin. Puxuan kept practicing this boxing secretly. He didn't reveal and transmit this boxing to anybody until the public performance in 1980.With high technique and deep principle, this boxing method has always been considered the Mountain Guarding Treasure of Wudang. Even among the present disciples of the Wudang lineage, few have the opportunity to learn this boxing method, for only the most promising Daoist can be initiated. Zhang Shouxing, an 8th generation disciple of the Dragon Gate Lineage in the Ming Dynasty, invented this boxing art. Based on Zhang Sanfeng's Thirteen formulae of the Supreme Oneness, this boxing is very suited for group scuffling owing to its attention to all directions, and its high mobility in prancing, warding, fighting. Simple and unadorned, its laws for footwork and bodily movements value combining softness with strength. As for striking and defense, it stresses arrest techniques, including locking up the neck, blocking the steps, seizing the arms, and dislocating the joints, etc. It is good at the "interposing strike" with the second joint of finger enhanced with bodily movements and footwork. With this technique, one cuts in with a foot to block the enemy's vanguard foot, and then turns a knee and presses the enemy to freeze him or even break his shank, and strikes the enemy in his ribs with "twining strength". Besides, its palm-strike, with relaxation and softness as its basis and strength from the interior, is very heavy and explosive and fully shows the Wudang lineage's characteristics of internal-force martial arts.

Formulae of the Wudang Supreme Oneness Five-Agents Boxing:

Preparation: Vital breath of Chaotic Oneness, circumrotation of heaven and earth.

1. The white ape bounes out; double peaks stab toward the sun.
2. Drawing the horse reins at the cliff; propping up the clouds from the seabed.
3. The flood-dragon flying in chaos; the thunderbolt striking the mountain flood.
4. The rhinoceros watching towards the moon; turning round and lifting the sky.
5. The black lion holding a ball; golden rays flashing in the court.
6. The panther standing quietly; raising his neck.
7. The roc stretching his wings; beasts escaping with fear.
8. The deer picking glossy ganoderma; the deer bowing to drink in the brook.
9. The yellow boa spitting dribble; flirting and attracting ants.
10. The carp springing; waves surging forward.
11. The lanneret exploring the mountains; seizing chickens with two claws.
12. The immortal crane blasting off; dancing in wind and clouds.
13. The golden monkey stealing the elixir; calming the fire in the furnace.
14. The black maiden reaching for the moon; pacifying billows.
15. The black bear striking backhanded; overawing the forest.
16. The golden toad gaining salvation; lying drunken in the Jade Pond.
17. The magpie stepping on a bough; standing cool in the plum-tree shade.
18. The black dragon entering the sea; pacifying the mind.
19. The mustang's quivering mane; temper getting violent.
20. The divine ape entering the cave; the spirit returning to the heart.
21. The phoenix high up in the air; all birds singing in chorus.
22. Taming the tiger in the numinous platform; guarding the yellow court forever.
23. Embracing the origin and keeping to oneness; vital breath of righteousness eternally existing.
24. Conclusion: combining motion and stillness, circumrotating heaven and earth.

Wudang Internal Kung Fu has the characteristics of overcoming toughness with flexibility, hardness with softness and movement with stillness, and seeks to cultivate the Inner Qi of the practitioner to a supreme refined level.

Wudang Internal Kung Fu not only has the functions of body-strengthening and self-defense but also can preserve one's inner energy, increase vitality, aid in longevity, promote self-healing, and give one a deep inner peace and tranquility.

Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - www.wtkfa.org is located in the Mysterious Mist Palace Mount Wudang Scenery ZoneShiYan City, Hubei Province, China.