TAO TE CHING - Practicing the Eternal

52. Practicing the Eternal

The beginning of the universe is the mother of all things.
Those who discover the mother understand the children.
Understanding the children and returning to the mother,
they live always free from harm.

Close the mouth, shut the doors,
and all of life is without strain.
Open the mouth, meddle with affairs,
and all of life is beyond help.

Seeing the small is insight;
to stay with the gentle is strength.
Use the Light, return to insight,
and thereby be preserved from harm.
This is practicing the eternal.

The Theory of Yin-Yang

The philosophical origins of Chinese medicine have grown out of the tenets of Daoism (also known as Taoism). Daoism bases much of its thinking on observing the natural world and manner in which it operates, so it is no surprise to find that the Chinese medical system draws extensively on natural metaphors. In Chinese medicine, the metaphoric views of the human body based on observations of nature are fully articulated in the theory of “Yin-Yang” and the system of ‘Five Elements’.

The direct meanings of yin and yang in Chinese are bright and dark sides of an object. Chinese philosophy uses yin and yang to represent a wider range of opposite properties in the universe: cold and hot, slow and fast, still and moving, masculine and feminine, lower and upper, etc. In general, anything that is moving, ascending, bright, progressing, hyperactive, including functional disease of the body, pertains to yang. The characteristics of stillness, descending, darkness, degeneration, hypo-activity, including organic disease, pertain to yin.

The function of yin and yang is guided by the law of unity of the opposites. In other words, yin and yang are in conflict but at the same time mutually dependent. The nature of yin and yang is relative, with neither being able to exist in isolation. Without "cold" there would be no "hot"; without "moving" there would be no "still"; without "dark", there would be no "light". The most illustrative example of yin-yang interdependence is the interrelationship between substance and function. Only with ample substance can the human body function in a healthy way; and only when the functional processes are in good condition, can the essential substances be appropriately refreshed.

The opposites in all objects and phenomena are in constant motion and change: The gain, growth and advance of the one mean the loss, decline and retreat of the other. For example, day is yang and night is yin, but morning is understood as being yang within yang, afternoon is yin within yang, evening before midnight is yin within yin and the time after midnight is yang within yin. The seed (Yin) grows into the plan (Yang), which itself dies back to the earth (Yin). This takes place within the changes of the seasons. Winter (Yin) transforms through the Spring into Summer (Yang), which in turn transforms through Autumn into Winter again. Because natural phenomena are balanced in the constant flux of alternating yin and yang, the change and transformation of yin-yang has been taken as a universal law.

Traditional Chinese medicine holds that human life is a physiological process in constant motion and change. Under normal conditions, the waxing and waning of yin and yang are kept within certain bounds, reflecting a dynamic equilibrium of the physiological processes. When the balance is broken, disease occurs. Typical cases of disease-related imbalance include excess of yin, excess of yang, deficiency of yin, and deficiency of yang.

The Sixth Dalai Lama

Tsangyang Gyatso (1683-1706), was the Sixth Dalai Lama, and the most controversial of all the Dalai Lamas. He was born on March 1, 1683 in the remote Tibetan region of Mon (Tawang), the son of Rigdzin Tashi and mother Tsewang Lhamo, under mystical circumstances, as his parents were members of a Tantric sect of Buddhism. His identity remained hidden until 1698, when Desi Sangay finally decided it was time to announce the death of Lobzang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, and reveal the identity of the new Dalai Lama.

Now fifteen years old, Tsangyang had grown to be a handsome, intelligent young man who loved archery and roaming about the countryside. He showed little interest in scholarly or spiritual pursuits, preferring the carefree life to the rigors of his office. When Tsangyang Gyatso reached the age of 20, instead of completing his vows and entering into full monkhood, he renounced his original novice vows and became a layman once again. Nowhere was it written that the Dalai Lama had to be a monk. Therefore, he continued to live at the palace, maintaining his role as Dalai Lama by day, and living the life of a dandy, a gadabout, and a sexual roué by night, all the while, composing some of the most subtle romantic poetry the world has ever known. Dressing in blue silk brocade, wearing his hair long, and practicing archery with his friends, he continued living the carefree life he so enjoyed. In the evenings, he would visit the brothels and chang taverns of Shol-town at the foot of Red Hill, where he gambled, drank barley beer, caroused with the common folk and indulged in the carnal pleasures of a different woman every night. Sometimes he would venture a little farther afield into Lhasa, where he drank wine and mingled with the daughters of the aristocracy.

Meanwhile, political unrest was brewing between Tibet and the Mongol empire. After much political and military subterfuge, the Mongol Qosot tribe, led by Lhazang Kahn, lay siege to the city of Lhasa and Desi Sangay was forced to submit to unconditional surrender. On September 6, 1707, Desi Sangay was captured and executed at Tolung Nangtse, near Kyomulung monastery. Lhazang also declared Tsangyang Gyatso unfit for the title of Dalai Lama and ordered him to leave the Potala Palace and relocate to a Mongol camp at Lhalu Garden near Lhasa.

When the people of Tibet learned of Tsangyang's exile, they gathered in anger outside the Lhalu camp, where they overthrew the guard and transported Tsangyang Gyatso to the Drepung monastery. The monastery was soon surrounded by Lhazang's Qosot Mongol troops, and in the face of a brutal massacre, Tsangyang Gyatso appeared before the crowd and surrendered to the Qosot. He was carried off toward China, however, at Gunga-nor, a small lake to the south of Kokonor, on November 14, 1706, at the age of 23, the Sixth Dalai Lama vanished. Some say he was murdered. Others say he was taken ill and died, while still others believe that he escaped, and continued to wander about Tibet, India and Nepal for many years thereafter.

TAO TE CHING - Mystical Power

51. Mystical Power

The Way produces all things.
Power nourishes them.
Matter gives them physical form.
Environment shapes their abilities.
Therefore all things respect the Way and honor power.
The Way is respected, and power is honored
without anyone's order and always naturally.

Therefore the Way produces all things,
and power nourishes them,
caring for them and developing them,
sheltering them and comforting them,
nurturing them and protecting them,
producing them but not possessing them,
helping them but not obligating them,
guiding them but not controlling them.
This is mystical power.

The Fifth Dalai Lama

The Fifth Dalai Lama, Lobzang Gyatso (1617-1682) is one of only two Dalai Lamas who are referred to as The Great. The Gelukpa dignitaries discovered the child Yonten Gyatso at age two in Chhonggye, in the U region of Tibet in 1619. The discovery was kept secret until 1620 however, and he was enthroned as the Fifth Dalai Lama at the Depung Monastery in 1625.

The stirrings of Tibetan political and military controversy began with the reign of Lobzang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama. While Tibet was in the hands of the power-hungry regent Desi Tsangpa, several Mongol tribes, including the Khoshot, the Bonpo, and the Khalkha, converged on the city of Lhasa. Chieftain Gushi Khan of the Khoshot defeated the other tribes, executed Desi Tsangpa and declared himself Po Gyalpo, King of Tibet. He recognized the Dalai Lama as both the secular and the spiritual leader of Tibet, and the head of all Buddhist sects in Asia.

With his renewed authority, Lobzang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, defined the lineage of both the Dalai Lama and the kings of ancient Tibet, beginning with Srongsten Gampo (605-49), as the incarnation of the founder of the Tibetan race, which according to legend, sprang from the union of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion in the form of a monkey, and Dolma, a feminine deity of wisdom in the form of an ogress.

Lobzang Gyatso also declared the city of Lhasa, founded by King Srongsten Gampo, to be the political capital of Tibet. He based the new Tibetan government on the concept of Chhosi Shungdel, the integration of religion and politics, with clergy and laymen sharing power over the country, for which he established two training schools, the Tsedung and Shodung.

The Fifth Dalai Lama ordered the construction of the great Potala Palace on the crown of Red Hill overlooking the city of Lhasa, built on the ruins of the ancient temple where Buddhism was first introduced to Tibet. The Fifth Dalai Lama relocated his residence from the Ganden Phodang, the Palace of Joy in the Depung Monastery to the Potala Palace in 1649, however, the Potala was not completed until 1695.

Using his alliance with Gushi Khan, the Fifth Dalai Lama also reclaimed the regions of Nyanam on the Nepal border, which had been seized by Raja Pratap Malla of Nepal in the early 17th century, as well as the kingdoms of Ngari and Ladakh. He formed an alliance with the Nepalese region Sikkim, and visited the Manchurian court of child Emperor Shun Chin in Peking in 1652.

Lobzang Gyatso was also a prolific scholar, who composed volumes of history, poetry, and religious mysticism, including the biographies of the Third and Fourth Dalai Lamas, a history of Tibet, his autobiography, and a code of studies, rituals, and behavior for monastic orders that remain in effect today. Having successfully unified the nation of Tibet, toward the end of his reign, Lobzang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, withdrew from public life. He relinquished the affairs of Tibet to his regent Desi Sangay Gyatso, who later concealed the death of the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1682 for 15 years, ostensibly to maintain the stability of the country and to preserve the Fifth Dalai Lama's many enhancements to Tibetan culture.

Life comes from death and death from life

There are several way in which we can understand this. Some see it as another example of the mystical side of Taoism and point to it relaying the possible achievement of immortality. Yet again, there are also some logical and natural explanations.

One is that life comes from death and death from life. Just as plants come to life from the ground and revert back to death to be consumed again by the ground and their lives become fertilizer for the next generation of life, so too all thing come into being and then revert back to the Source.

The very organisms that are created to hold life are soon corrupted into death so that they may serve as a resource for the next cycle. The life-force is then consumed by its usage, and once this occurs, it reverts to death. Death then reverts it back to the source to be used again.

Life then cannot exist without death, and death cannot be without life to feed it. Neither life nor death are greater in this cycling. Both should be considered sacred.

Therefore, while we live, we would do everything in our power to preserve life by avoiding that which tend to wear it down quickly. Whether this is also true when we revert back to death, It would seem so though.

The Fourth Dalai Lama

Yonten Gyatso, the Fourth Dalai Lama (1589-1617), was the great grandson of Altan Khan, the Mongolian tribal chieftain who first bestowed the title of Dalai Lama on Sonam Gyatsu, the Third Dalai Lama. Yonten Gyatso was also the only non-Tibetan Dalai Lama, first recognized as the reincarnation of Sonam Gyatso by Mongol leaders. However, because they had no authority to do so, it was only after much debate among the three great monasteries of Tibet, that Yonten Gyatso was declared the Fourth Dalai Lama.

For his early education, the Gelukpa leaders sent religious teachers from Drepung to Kokonor in Mongolia. Yonten Gyatso was later escorted to Tibet by an entourage of Mongol supporters, where he ascended the throne as the Fourth Dalai Lama at Drepung in 1601. He made his pilgrimage to Chhokhorgyal in 1606. In 1615, Chinese Emperor Wan-Li, who had invited the Third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso, also invited Dalai Lama Yonten Gyatso to visit China. And like his predecessor, he declined the invitation as well. He did however, send a Tibetan delegation to the Manchurian court at the invitation of Emperor Tai-tsung.

Because of the controversy surrounding his legitimacy as a true Dalai Lama, during the reign of Sonam Gyatso, Tibetan Buddhism was divided into conflicting factions that resulted in the persecution of Gelugpa followers by the Kagyupa (Red Hat) Order, and may even have resulted in the assassination of the Fourth Dalai Lama. Sonam Gyatso died mysteriously at the young age of 28 at the Ganden Phodang, the Palace of Joy, in 1617.

TAO TE CHING - Those Who Preserve Life

50. Those Who Preserve Life

Coming into life and going out at death,
the organs of life are thirteen;
the organs of death are thirteen;
and these thirteen make life vulnerable to death.

Why is this so?
Because they feed life too grossly.

It is said that those who preserve life
walk the earth without fearing tigers and wild buffalo,
and in battle they are not touched by weapons of war.
The wild buffalo's horns find nothing to gore;
the tiger's claws find nothing to tear;
and weapons' points find nothing to pierce.

Why is this so?
Because they have nothing for death to enter.

TAO TE CHING - The Power of Goodness

49. The Power of Goodness

The wise have no mind-set.
They regard the people's minds as their own.
They are good to people who are good.
They are also good to people who are not good.
This is the power of goodness.
They are honest to those who are honest.
They are also honest to those who are dishonest.
This is the power of honesty.
The wise live in the world peacefully and harmoniously.
The people share a common heart,
and the wise treat them as their own children.

The Third Dalai Lama

Sonam Gyatso (1543-1588), the Third Dalai Lama and first to bear the title, was born in Khangsar in the Tolung Valley west of Lhasa. He was identified by the high lamas of the Drepung Monastery for his ability to recognize people and the places familiar to his predecessor, the Second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso. Once identified, Sonam Gyatso was placed in the care of many great scholars, and thus grew to become a scholar himself. He divided his time between Depung Monastery and the mystical setting of Lake Chhokhorgyal. However, he also spent much of his life traveling.

Gongma Phadupa Dakpa Jungne invited Lama Sonam Gyatso to Nedong, his capital, in the Yarlung Valley in 1559. Lama Sonam Gyatso also visited Tashi Lhunpo in 1569. He even received an invitation from Emperor Wan-Li to visit China, however, he declined, due to his already extensive travel itinerary. Sonam Gyatso founded the Champaling Monastery at Lithang in Kham, southeast of Chhamdo, as well as the Sandal Khang, the Sandalwood Temple, and the monastery Kumbum Champaling, one of the largest and most famous monasteries in Northern Tibet.

Perhaps the most significant event in the life of Sonam Gyatso was his visit to Lake Kokonor in eastern Mongolia to meet with the great Mongol chieftain Altan Khan in 1578. The two men exchanged titles: Altan Khan declared Sonam Gyatso Dalai bla ma Rdo rje chhang,Ocean of Wisdom, who in turn called Altan Khan Chhoskyi Gyalpo Dharma Raja, the Righteous King. This event marked the beginning of the spread of Buddhism among the Mongols, who built their first Buddhist monastery, Erdene Zuu, on the ruins of Karakorum in 1586. Sonam Gyatso is also known for discouraging such Mongolian customs as shamanistic animal slaughter and the sacrificing of wives with their deceased husbands. After his many travels, Sonam Gyatso died in Mongolia on his way back to Tibet on April 20, 1588. He was cremated at Kumbum, after which his ashes were returned Drepung Monastery.

The Second Dalai Lama

Even before Sonam Gyatso's posthumous declaration, Gendun Gyatso, the Second Dalai Lama (1475-1542), was recognized as the reincarnation of Gedun Drub as a young boy. Born in Dorjiden, northwest of Shigatse, the high lamas of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery identified him when he was four years old. According to legend, upon learning to speak as an infant, he declared his name to be Pema Dorje, the given name of the first Dalai Lama. At age four, he announced to his parents that he wanted to live in the Tashi Lhumpo monastery.

Gendun Gyatso grew to be a great scholar and poet, who spread the tradition of Gelugpa asceticism throughout Tibet, making pilgrimages to various sacred places in Tibet, including Yarlung, the cradle of Tibetan civilization. In 1509, Gendun Gyatso founded the Chhokhorgyal Monastery above Lake Chhokhorgyal, 90 miles southeast of Lhasa. With its crystal-clear waters, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, the site is believed to have the power to reveal the future in its reflection. Each Dalai Lama visits Chhokorgyal at least once in his lifetime.

Gendun Gyatso also became the abbot of three other great monasteries: Tashi Lhunpo in 1512, Drepung in 1517, and Sera in 1526. Drepung is the largest Gelugpa monastery, and has always been closely associated with the Dalai Lamas. Gendun Gyatso died in 1542 at the Ganden Phodang, the Palace of Joy, which had once been the residence of his predecessor Gendun Drub. The written works he left behind include a history of Buddhism, a treatise on the various sects of Buddhism in India, and his own autobiography.

TAO TE CHING - Doing Less

48. Doing Less

The pursuit of learning is to increase day by day.
The practice of the Way is to decrease day by day.
Less and less is done until one reaches non-action.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
The world is led by not interfering.
Those who interfere cannot lead the world.

TAO TE CHING - Understanding

47. Understanding

One can know the world without going outside.
One can see the Way of heaven
without looking out the window.
The further one goes the less one knows.
Therefore the wise know without going about,
understand without seeing,
and accomplish without acting.

The First Dalai Lama

Gendun Drub (1391-1474) was born in a manger to a nomadic shepherd family. At the age of seven, he was sent to Nartang monastery, where he became a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gaden monastery near Lhasa and the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) order of Buddhism. Known as the Virtuous Ones, the Gelugpa adhered to austere discipline, strict celibacy, and abstinence from alcohol and gluttony. The Gelugpas trace their spiritual lineage and modeled their asceticism after Atisha, the great teacher of Indian Buddhism who made a pilgrimage to Tibet from 1042 to 1054. Gendun Drub was one of the three great disciples, and perhaps even the nephew of Tsong Khapa. Gendun Drub later became the abbot of Gaden, and founded the Tashi Lhumpo monastery near Shigatse, west of Lhasa, which grew to become the largest monastery in the world. He also fostered the tradition of reincarnated lamas to ensure a smooth transition of spiritual leaders from one Dalai Lama to the next.

By the time he reached middle age, Gendun Drub had become one of the most renowned scholars in Tibet. Among his many writings are Sunlight on the Path to Freedom, a commentary on the ancient Buddhist texts known as Abhidharma-kosha, Crushing the Forces of Evil, an epic poem on the life of Buddha, and Song of the Eastern Snow Mountain, a poem dedicated to his mentor Je Tsongkhapa.

TAO TE CHING - Contentment

46. Contentment

When the world lives in accord with the Way,
horses work on farms.
When the world does not live in accord with the Way,
the cavalry practices in the parks.

The greatest temptation to crime is desire.
The greatest curse is discontent.
The greatest calamity is greed.
Whoever is content with contentment is always content.

The Fourteen Dalai Lamas of Tibet

The tradition of the Dalai Lama actually began in the 16th century with Sonam Gyatso, the Third Dalai Lama of Tibet. It has long been believed by practitioners of the Buddhist faith that all sentient beings may achieve the enlightened state of nirvana and become buddhas. However, some compassionate beings called bodhisattvas postpone this ultimate passage, and instead choose to reincarnate so that they might continue to serve the suffering souls on earth.

All the Dalai Lamas are believed to be the reincarnation of Chenrezig, also known as Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion. The tradition began when Mongol chieftain Altan Khan once referred to the Buddhist lama Sonam Gyatso, the Third Dalai Lama as the All-Knowing Vajra-Holder, the Dalai Lama, Ocean of Wisdom. Sonam Gyatso retained this honorary title, and posthumously declared his two predecessors, Gendun Drub (1391-1474), and Gendun Gyatso (1475-1542), the First and Second Dalai Lamas.

Homage to the teacher!

Fortunate practitioners gathered here in Tingri, listen!

Just as worn-out clothes can never again be made as new,
It's no use seeing a doctor once you're terminally ill;
You'll have to go. We humans living on this earth
Are like streams and rivers flowing toward the ocean -
All living beings are heading for that single destination.

Now, like a small bird flying off from a treetop,
I, too, will not be here much longer; soon I must move on.

1
If you spend the present meaninglessly and leave with empty hands,
People of Tingri, a human life in the future will be very hard to find.

2
To apply yourselves with body, speech and mind to the sacred Teachings,
People of Tingri, is the best thing that you can do.

3
Give your very life, heart and soul to the Three Jewels [the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha], People of Tingri, and their blessings cannot but arise.

4
Forget your goals for this life, concentrate instead on lives to come.
People of Tingri, that is the highest goal.

5
Families are as fleeting as a crowd on market day;
People of Tingri, don't bicker or fight.

6
Wealth and poverty, like a magic show, just seduce and deceive;
People of Tingri, don't let the knot of avarice bind you.

7
This body's just a bag containing various kinds of filth;
People of Tingri, don't pamper it and spruce it up so.

8
Family and friends are no more real than a magic show;
People of Tingri, in your fondness for them don't tie yourself down.

9
Country and land are like a nomad's pastures
People of Tingri, don't cling sentimentally to them.

10
As parents, all beings in the six realms have cared for you;
People of Tingri, don't relate to them with your ideas of "I" and "mine".

11
The day you were born, your death began approaching;
People of Tingri, remember: there is never any time to spare.

12
Fundamentally there's no delusion, it's an ephemeral occurrence;
People of Tingri, look at the nature of what it produces.

13
Without distraction apply yourselves to the sacred Dharma;
People of Tingri, after death it will guide you on the path.

14
The truth of cause and effect ensures that actions yield their full result;
People of Tingri, avoid all actions that are negative and evil.

15
Leave all your activities behind like a country in a dream;
People of Tingri, just put non-action into practice.

16
The very thing you feel attached to, let go of it, whatever -
People of Tingri, there isn't anything that you need.

17
Since you won't be staying in this world forever,
People of Tingri, make your preparations for the journey now.

18
If you first finish what you have to do, you'll never get to Dharma;
People of Tingri, while you're thinking about it, practice straight away.

19
Inside the forest, monkeys may be living happily at ease,
People of Tingri - but at the edges forest fires are closing in all round.

20
Birth, sickness, ageing and death flow on, a river without ford or bridge;
People of Tingri, have you prepared yourselves a boat?

21
In the narrow defiles of birth, death and the intermediate state
Bandits await - the five poisonous emotions - sure to ambush you;
People of Tingri, avail yourselves of the teacher as your escort.

22
Your never-failing source of refuge is the teacher;
People of Tingri, carry him constantly on the crown of your head.

23
If your protection is the teacher, you'll reach wherever you aspire to go;
People of Tingri, cultivate devotion as the fare you pay for the journey.

24
Those who get wealthy get miserly too;
People of Tingri, give generously without being partial.

25
Whoever gets power acts sinfully, too;
People of Tingri, abandon all desire for rank and power.

26
Those with rank and riches are never happy and at ease;
People of Tingri, get ready to claw at your chest in anguish.

27
In the next world, there are neither family nor friends;
People of Tingri, place your confidence in the Dharma.

28
If you wander in distraction, you'll waste the freedoms and advantages of human life;
People of Tingri, make a resolute decision now.

29
While you're busy being distracted, the demon of Death will catch you;
People of Tingri, practice from this very moment onwards.

30
When will the demon of Death appear? There is no easy way to tell;
People of Tingri, right now be always on your guard.

31
The day you die, there's no one who'll protect you;
People of Tingri, be ready to have yourselves alone to count on.

32
If you reflect on death, there's nothing you will need;
People of Tingri, always keep your death in mind.

33
Like lengthening shadows as the sun sinks low,
The demon of Death relentlessly draws nearer;
People of Tingri, quickly! Get away from him!

34
The morning's ravishing flower will wither by nightfall;
People of Tingri, don't put your hopes in your body.

35
Even if resembling, while alive, the children of the gods,
Once dead they are more frightful than a demon horde;
People of Tingri, you've been deceived by these illusory bodies.

36
Visitors to market day, their trading finished, on the morrow have dispersed;
People of Tingri, your friends will part from you, be certain.

37
Since the scarecrow conjured up by magic is sure to tumble down;
People of Tingri, act now according to the linking of effect with cause.

38
For sure, the vulture of your mind will one day fly away;
People of Tingri, now is the time to soar up to the heights.

39
All beings of the six realms have cared for you as parents;
People of Tingri, towards them cultivate your love and compassion.

40
Hate for enemies is samsara's hallucination, caused by actions;
People of Tingri, transmute your hatred and your hostile mind.

41
Prostration and circumambulation purify obscuration of the body;
People of Tingri, abandon all your worldly physical work.

42
Recitation and taking refuge purify obscuration of the speech;
People of Tingri, abandon all your ordinary conversation.

43
Fervent devotion purifies habitual tendencies of the mind;
People of Tingri, meditate on the teacher above your head.

44
Your flesh and bones took form together, but in the end are sure to separate;
People of Tingri, do not believe that you will live forever.

45
Capture that most sublime of countries, the constant land of the natural state;
People of Tingri, where there is no transition or change.

46
Enjoy that most sublime of riches, the treasure of the nature of mind;
People of Tingri, which cannot ever be depleted.

47
Savor that most sublime of foods, the exquisite taste of meditation,
People of Tingri, which abolishes the pangs of hunger.

48
Imbibe that most sublime of drinks, the ambrosia of mindfulness,
People of Tingri, whose flow is never interrupted.

49
Rely upon that most sublime companion, primordial awareness wisdom,
People of Tingri, from which you never can be parted.

50
Seek for that most sublime of progeny, the young child pure awareness,
People of Tingri, for which there is no birth or death.

51
In a state of emptiness, whirl the spear of pure awareness;
People of Tingri, the view is free of being caught by anything at all.

52
In a state without thoughts, without distraction, abandon the watcher;
People of Tingri, the meditation is free of any torpor or excitement.

53
In a state of natural spontaneity, train in being free of any holding back;
People of Tingri, in the action there is nothing to abandon or adopt.

54
The four bodies, indivisible, are complete in your mind;
People of Tingri, the fruit is beyond all hope and doubt.

55
The root of both samsara and nirvana is to be found within your mind;
People of Tingri, the mind is free of any true reality.

56
Desire and hate appear, but like birds in flight, should leave no trace behind;
People of Tingri, in meditation be free of clinging to experiences.

57
The unborn absolute body is like the very heart of the sun -
People of Tingri, there is no waxing or waning of its radiant clarity.

58
Thoughts come and go like a thief in an empty house -
People of Tingri, in fact there is nothing to be gained or lost.

59
Sensations leave no imprints, like drawings made on water;
People of Tingri, don't perpetuate deluded appearances.

60
Thoughts of attachment and aversion are like rainbows in the sky;
People of Tingri, there is nothing in them to be grasped or apprehended.

61
Mind's movements dissolve by themselves, like clouds in the sky;
People of Tingri, in the mind there are no reference points.

62
Without fixation, thoughts are freed by themselves, like the wind,
People of Tingri, which never clings to any object.

63
Pure awareness is without fixation, like a rainbow in the sky;
People of Tingri, experiences arise quite unimpededly.

64
Realization of the absolute nature is like the dream of a mute;
People of Tingri, there are no words to express it.

65
Realization is like a youthful maiden's pleasure;
People of Tingri, the joy and bliss cannot be described.

66
Clarity and emptiness united are like the moon reflecting in water;
People of Tingri, there is nothing to be attached to and nothing to impede.

67
Appearances and emptiness inseparable are like the empty sky;
People of Tingri, the mind is without either center or periphery.

68
The mind with no thought and no distraction is like the mirror of a beauty;
People of Tingri, it is free of any theoretical tenets.

69
Awareness and emptiness inseparable are like reflections in a mirror;
People of Tingri, nothing is born there and nothing ceases.

70
Bliss and emptiness inseparable are like the sun lighting up the snows;
People of Tingri, there is nothing there to apprehend.

71
Deluded talk will fade without a trace, like echoes;
People of Tingri, in sound there is nothing to be grasped.

72
Happiness and suffering, through a mechanism like the sounding of a lute's body and strings,
People of Tingri, are produced when actions are combined with necessary conditions.

73
The natural freedom of samsara and nirvana is like a children's game;
People of Tingri, have a mind without any aims.

74
Your notions of the outer world derive from the mind within;
People of Tingri, let the solid ice be melted into liquid.

75
The mechanism of ignorance is like the gush of a meadow spring;
People of Tingri, it cannot be halted by obstructing it.

76
The delusions of samsara and nirvana are like coming face to face with an enemy;
People of Tingri, as your ally practice virtue.

77
The natural clarity of the five kayas [aspects of enlightenment] is like the expanse of a continent of gold;
People of Tingri, there is no hope or doubt, attachment or aversion.

78
With its freedoms and advantages, human life is like a treasure island;
People of Tingri, do not come back an empty-handed failure.

79
The practice of the Great Vehicle is like a wish-fulfilling gem;
People of Tingri, however hard you search, it would be difficult to find again.

80
For this life, come what may, you'll have enough to eat and clothe yourself;
People of Tingri, put everything you have into practicing the Dharma.

81
While you are young, practice hard and with austerities;
People of Tingri, once you're old your constitution won't withstand it.

82
When emotions arise, bring antidotes to bear on them;
People of Tingri, let free all concepts in their very nature.

83
Think from time to time of all the defects of samsara;
People of Tingri, that will make your faith become much clearer.

84
Right now, develop diligence and stand your ground;
People of Tingri, when you die it will guide you on the path.

85
If you're not free now, when will you ever get to be free?
People of Tingri, your chance to eat comes only one time in a hundred.

86
Life is so ephemeral, like the dew on the grass;
People of Tingri, don't yield to laziness and indifference.

87
From where you are now, should you lose your footing,
People of Tingri, it will be hard to find a human life again.

88
The Buddha's teaching is like the sun shining through the clouds;
People of Tingri, now is the one time that it is present.

89
You say such clever things to people, but don't apply them to yourself;
People of Tingri, the faults within you are the ones to be exposed.

90
That faith succumbs to circumstance is only a short step away;
People of Tingri, contemplate samsara's imperfections.

91
Frequenting evil friends is bound to make your own behavior evil;
People of Tingri, abandon any friendships that are negative.

92
Frequenting virtuous friends is bound to make your own good qualities arise;
People of Tingri, follow your spiritual teachers.

93
Deception and lies deceive not only others, but yourself as well;
People of Tingri, as witness take your own conscience.

94
Delusion born from ignorance is the worst disaster-bearing demon;
People of Tingri, hold fast to your vigilance and mindfulness.

95
If you don't hold on to the three or five poisons [desire, hatred, ignorance, jealousy, pride], the path is near;
People of Tingri, generate powerful antidotes against them.

96
If your perseverance has no strength, you will not reach Buddhahood;
People of Tingri, make sure that you don that Armor.

97
Habitual tendencies, being old acquaintances, keep on coming back;
People of Tingri, don't go on following the past.

98
If your understanding and realization are weak, pray to your lord teacher;
People of Tingri, and deep meditation will be born in you.

99
If you aspire to happiness in future, accept your present trials;
People of Tingri - then Buddhahood is right here just beside you.

100
This old Indian master will not stay in Tingri, he will go away;
People of Tingri, it is now that you must clarify your doubts.

101
I myself have practiced without distraction;
People of Tingri, you too should follow this example.


Dilgo Khyentse, The Hundred Verses of Advice of Padampa Sangye.
Translated by Padmakara Translation Group.
Published by Shechen Publications, New Delhi, 2002.
ISBN 81-7472-088-1

Padampa Sangye

The Hundred Verses of Advice of Padampa Sangye are utterly amazing for their clarity, depth, breadth and brevity. Padampa Sangye (known in India as Paramabuddha) was from southern India, and traveled widely in India, Tibet and China, until his death around 1117 AD. It is widely believed that Padampa Sangye was an incarnation of the 8th century monk Kamalashîla, one of the early teachers of the Dharma in Tibet.

When the Indian sage Padampa Sangye arrived in Tibet, he found the people in the area of Tingri, which is on the Tibetan side of Mt. Everest, to be especially amenable to his instruction. He therefore settled in Tingri and established a monastery.

Travel in Tibet

From the barren desert landscapes to majestic views of the Himalayas, it is breath-taking to travel in Tibet. From the border of Nepal/ Tibet to Lhasa is about 820 km (492 miles). Elevations range from 3800 meters (12,467 feet) in Gyantse, 4300 meters (14,107 feet) in Tingri (New Dingri) to 3650 meters (11,975 feet) in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. The highest point on the road from Kathmandu, Nepal to Lhasa is at 5220 meters (17,125 feet) Gyatsola Pass.

Mount Everest from a unique perspective.

TAO TE CHING - Skill Seems Awkward

45. Skill Seems Awkward

The greatest perfection seems incomplete,
but its utility is never impaired.
The greatest fullness seems empty,
but its use cannot be exhausted.
What is most direct seems devious.
The greatest skill seems awkward.
The greatest eloquence seems like stuttering.

Movement overcomes cold.
Stillness overcomes heat.
The serene and calm are guides for all.

TAO TE CHING - How to Endure

44. How to Endure

Fame or your life, which do you love more?
Life or material wealth, which is more valuable?
Loss or gain, which is worse?
Therefore those who desire most spend most.
Those who hoard most lose most.
Those who are contented are not disappointed.
Those who know when to stop prevent danger.
Thus they can long endure.

Breathing Relaxation Techniques

BY GRANDMASTER SHOU-YU LIANG, AND MASTER WEN-CHING WU

The Basic Relaxation Technique (Fangsong Gong) is especially effective for helping people with deficient-yin accompanied with excess-fire, and people with high blood pressure. It is also helpful for relaxing nervous tension from the pressure of work and to regain a vitality of spirit. Fangsong Gong will also set a sound foundation for your other qigong training.

We will be using exhalations to assist our mental and physical relaxation. During inhalation, the body is in a condensing mode. This makes it difficult for the body to relax. During exhalation, the body is in an expanding mode. T his makes it easier for the body to relax. Also, physiologically speaking, during an inhalation, the intercostal muscles and diaphragm must contract to raise the ribs. During an exhalation, the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm naturally relax and return to the uncontracted position, making it easier for the body to relax.

Preparation:
Posture - Sit comfortably on a chair with your hands placed naturally on your knees or with your hands overlapping and thumbs touching each other. Men should have their left hand on top and women should have their right hand on top.

Visualization:
Step 1. With your eyes closed, sit for about three minutes. While exhaling direct the mind to relax the entire body, one section at a time. Begin from your head (eyes, ears, nose, mouth,) and pay special attention to your eye bridge area (Yintang). Relax your hands, your chest, your abdomen, your thighs, and down to the top of your feet.

Then relax the back of your head, relax your back, relax your waist, relax your hips, relax the back of your thighs, and relax the bottom of your feet. Repeat the exercise a few more times until you feel light, relaxed, and comfortable.

Step2.Next, simply think of the word song, or pronounce the word song softly as you exhale and spread song all over your body. Feel your body and evergy channels, immersing and melting into a tranquil comfortable state.

The word song, literally means loose. It is pronounced, first with your teeth gently touching each other and with your tongue pressing gently on your teeth as you release the air in your lungs from your mouth, making a sssss...sound. Then separate your teeth and allow the air to exit from both your mouth and nose making a "ong..." sound that resonates like a bell.

Key Points:
1. If you should find that some areas are not easy to relax, don't be overly concerned, go on to the next area. With practice you will gradually be able to relax your entire body.
2. If you should feel that some areas of your body are tingling, itching, are warm, or your muscles contract slightly, or you see flashing lights during the training, don't worry. These are natural qi reactions called qigan, qi sensations.
3. Usually after this qigong training you will have a peaceful, relaxing sleep. Some people, however,when they first begin their training, are energized and can't fall asleep. If this should happen to you, lay down on your bed and do this Relaxation Technique. This should help you fall asleep.
4. If your eye lids should twitch and they are unable to stop moving, you should open your eyes for a while, then close your eyes halfway and continue the training.
5. If you should feel any discomfort during training, check your posture and make any necessary adjustments until you feel comfortable. Make sure that you are not leaning, your waist is relaxed, your shoulders are down, and your hands are placed comfortably in place.

TAO TE CHING - The Value of Non-action

43. The Value of Non-action

The softest things in the world overcome the hardest.
Non-being penetrates even where there is no space.
Through this I know the value of non-action.
Teaching without words and the value of non-action
are understood by few in the world.

Qigong questions and answers

- Is Qigong a religion?

No. Qigong is a philosophy of life that fosters wisdom, well-being and harmonious living. It is not a religion or a cult. While individual Qigong teachers may discuss Taoist, Buddhist or other Chinese religions and philosophies, Qigong itself is not a religion. If you have any doubts about a Qigong teacher and his or her integrity, we recommend that you trust your reaction and re-evaluate your involvement with that teacher.

- Can I practice Qigong if I have limited mobility?

Yes. For a person with very little mobility and/or energy, she/he may begin practicing by visualizing the movements in the mind. Then slowly, as mobility and/or energy returns, movements can be added to the visualizations. Often students find that practice of Qigong gives them more energy as well as flexibility and mobility.

- Can I practice Qigong if I’m pregnant?

The general answer is yes. However, each woman’s pregnancy is different, and we recommend that the expectant mother consult her primary care provider as well as a qualified and experienced Qigong teacher. Two Qigong methods included in Liu Dong’s Methods that focus on women’s physiology are especially beneficial for a woman to practice before, during and after pregnancy. Jade Woman and Nourishing Woman are complementary forms that are wonderful to practice in preparation for becoming pregnant. Depending on your energy level and health, Jade Woman is wonderful to practice during the first two trimesters. Nourishing Woman provides very effective support for the expectant mother and the fetus throughout the pregnancy, as well as providing excellent care for the mother after delivery. Practicing Nourishing Woman after delivery also supports abundant and nutritious breast milk for the baby.

- What’s the difference between Yoga and Qigong?

Yoga, as ancient practice of enlightenment which includes practicing physical postures, is similar to Qigong. The philosophy and practice of Yoga originates from India, and is steeped in the tradition and culture of India. Qigong, on the other hand, is an ancient practice that originates from China that retains understandings about life rooted in Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian philosophies. In comparing the physical practice of Yoga and Qigong you will find that, while both Yoga and Qigong include breathing practices and meditation, Yoga tends focus on alignment, muscles and holding of postures, while Qigong concentrates more on energy and flow of movements.

- What’s the difference between Tai-ji-guan and Qigong?

Defined broadly as "energy practice", Qigong includes Tai-ji-guan. The exploration of energy work in China is thousands of years old, and forms the early basis for Chinese medicine as well as Chinese martial arts. As the ancient philosophers considered the factors that affect human health and longevity, they understood that humans are part of nature and participate in the energy patterns of the universe. In studying the workings of the universe, they came to understand the repetitive patterns of the universe, and related those patterns to the workings of the human body. They developed methods of keeping the body and mind strong and available to receive revitalizing energy from the world.

Tai-ji-guan is a part of this energy work tradition. The difference between Tai-ji-guan and medical Qigong methods is that while Tai-ji-guan springs from the martial arts elements, medical Qigong is rooted in Chinese medicine elements of this tradition.

- Can elderly people learn Qigong?

Yes. Qigong is in fact a wonderful form of exercise, relaxation and energy building for elderly people. The gentle yet powerful movements of Qigong can be practiced by all people, including elderly people with limited mobility. By cleansing the body of blockages, and by nourishing the energy of the body and mind, Qigong is a great way to prevent injuries and chronic illnesses. Qigong has been used in Asia in rehabilitation after surgeries to help the body and mind return to health.

- Can children learn Qigong?

Yes. While Five Animals is a beloved form practiced in China for generations by children of all ages, other general methods of Qigong such as One Thousand Hands Buddha, Eight Treasures, and Six Sounds Therapy are appropriate for children as well. For children with specific health concerns, please consult a qualified and experienced Qigong teacher.

- How do I know which form is good for me?

While most Qigong methods will provide benefit to a regular practitioner, certain methods have been developed to address specific imbalances in the body and mind. Depending on the reasons for your practicing Qigong, certain forms will address that reason more directly then others. To see a list and descriptions of the various forms taught at the Ling Gui International Healing Qigong School, click here.

- What experience do I need to take a Qigong class?

None at all. We welcome beginners as well as people who have practiced Qigong for years. Each person brings their unique life experiences to the practice of Qigong. Regardless of the level or years of experience with Qigong, we ask that you come to the practice of Qigong as a beginner, with the freshness of a beginner’s mind where all the possibilities remain.

TAO TE CHING - All Things

42. All Things

The Way produced the One;
the One produced two;
two produced three;
and three produced all things.

All things have the receptivity of the female
and the activity of the male.
Through union with the life force they blend in harmony.

People hate being orphaned, lonely, and unworthy.
Yet kings and nobles call themselves such.
Often gain can be a loss, and loss can be a gain.
What others teach, I teach also:
"The violent die a violent death."
I shall make this primary in my teaching.

TAO TE CHING - What the Way is Like

41. What the Way is Like

When the wise hear the Way, they practice it diligently.
When the mediocre hear of the Way, they doubt it.
When the foolish hear of the Way, they laugh out loud.
If it were not laughed at, it would not be the Way.

Therefore it is said,
"The enlightenment of the Way seems like dullness;
progression in the Way seem like regression;
the even path of the Way seems to go up and down."

Great power appears like a valley.
Great purity appears tarnished.
Great character appears insufficient.
Solid character appears weak.
True integrity appears changeable.
Great space has no corners.
Great ability takes time to mature.
Great music has the subtlest sound.
Great form has no shape.

The Way is hidden and indescribable.
Yet the Way alone is adept
at providing for all and bringing fulfillment.

The Theory of Five Elements

Similar to the theory of yin-yang, the theory of five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water, was an ancient philosophical concept used to explain the composition and phenomena of the physical universe. In traditional Chinese medicine the theory of five elements is used to interpret the relationship between the physiology and pathology of the human body and the natural environment. According to the theory, the five elements are in constant move and change, and the interdependence and mutual restraint of the five elements explain the complex connection between material objects as well as the unity between the human body and the natural world.

In traditional Chinese medicine, the visceral organs, as well as other organs and tissues, have similar properties to the five elements; they interact physiologically and pathologically as the five elements do. Through similarity comparison, different phenomena are attributed to the categories of the five elements. Based on the characteristics, forms, and functions of different phenomena, the complex links between physiology and pathology as well as the interconnection between the human body and the natural world are explained.

The five elements emerged from an observation of the various groups of dynamic processes, functions and characteristics observed in the natural world. The aspects involved in each of the five elements are follows:

Fire: draught, heat, flaring, ascendance, movement, etc.

Wood: germination, extension, softness, harmony, flexibility, etc.

Metal: strength, firmness, killing, cutting, cleaning up, etc.

Earth: growing, changing, nourishing, producing, etc.

Water: moisture, cold, descending, flowing, etc.


The following table shows the categorization of phenomena according to the five elements:


Between the five elements there exists close relationships that can be classified as mutual promoting and mutual restraining under physiological conditions, and mutual encroaching and mutual violating under pathological conditions. By mutually promoting and restraining, functions of the various systems are coordinated and homeostasis maintained. By encroaching and violating, pathological changes can be explained and complications predicted.

The order of mutual promoting among the five elements is that wood promotes fire, fire promotes earth, earth promotes metal, metal promotes water, and promotes generates wood. In this way each of the five elements has this type of mutual promoting relationship with the other, thus promoting is circular and endless. According to the order of mutual restraining, however, wood restrains earth, metal restrains wood, etc. Each of the five elements also shares this restraining relationship with the other. Mutual promoting and mutual restraining are two aspects that cannot be separated. If there is no promoting, then there is no birth and growth. If there is no restraining, then there is no change and development for maintaining normal harmonious relations. Thus the movement and change of all things exists through their mutual promoting and restraining relationships. These relationships are the basis of the circulation of natural elements.

Encroaching and violating are the pathological conditions of the normal mutual promoting and restraining relationships. Encroaching denotes that the restraining of one of the five elements to another surpasses the normal level, while violating means that one of the five elements restrains the other opposite to the normal mutual restraining order.

TAO TE CHING - Movement of the Way

40. Movement of the Way

Returning is the movement of the Way.
Gentleness is the method of the Way.
All things in the world come from being,
and being comes from non-being.

Chi Nei Tsang - the Five Elements

In the very beginning, according to the Taoist cosmology of creation, there was nothing except the void, or Wu Chi. But within the void, all potentialities for creation existed, meaning that everything that we have not thought of or conceived of existed as well. Tai Chi arose out of the Wu Chi when something in the void shifted; the heavier and denser material descended to Earth and became the Yin component and the lighter essence arose to the heavens and became the Yang energy. The relationship between the Yin and Yang energies is a dynamic and active one; they transform into each other or they are the impetus for change in each other.

The transformation and transmutation of the Yin and Yang energies resulted in the birth of the three pure energies: the Universal Energy, the Human Consciousness Energy, and the Earth Energy.

Human beings stand between Heaven and Earth, our external existence on this plane made possible by the circulation of the Five Elements. These same Five Elements also pervade us internally; it is the healthy movement and transforming actions of these subtle energies that allow us to maintain our physical health and well-being, our mental health, and our spiritual growth.

Tibetan medicine, like traditional Chinese medicine, uses the concept of the Five Elements and the Three Humours, the biggest difference being that the Tibetan Five Elements replace Metal with Space; they share their color, white, but their attributes are different. Space, according to Tibetan medicine, is the element that accommodates everything effortlessly. At the subtle level, Space is emptiness (recalling that in Buddhism the goal of meditation is to empty the mind).

As we are able to embody emptiness, we can, on a daily basis, dissolve such "problems" as tension, anger, fear, anxiety, and worry in our internal Space. In doing so, we find the inner capability to replace negative emotions with joy, enthusiasm, love, and compassion. On the higher spiritual level, according to the Tibetan tradition, Space is about abiding in the nature of mind. In the words of Tenpin Wagnall Rinpoche: "It is pure Presence. Fully integrating oneself with Space is integrating with the ground of being."

In traditional Chinese medicine, the attributes of Metal are sensitivity and reflectivity; its positive emotional aspect is courage, while its negative aspect is sadness, grief, and depression. Chinese medicine states that all five elements are influenced by the Yin and Yang polarities. Thus, contained within the Metal Energy is a dynamic active force which, as such, may transform itself at any given moment. Both aspects, negative and positive, are valid: negative energy is not "bad" in the usual sense of the word. In reality, positive and negative energies are interdependent, like the positive and negative charges of a battery. When emotions and energies are viewed without judgment, we can own them, digest them, and process them out of our being.

The most important differences between the Chinese and Tibetan Five Elements are the rituals that exist in the Tibetan tradition and are absent in the Chinese.

According to the Tibetan Bon Po tradition, which predates Tibetan Buddhism, the Five Elements are related to the different organ systems and are embodied by the Five Element Goddesses (Khadros). Each Goddess has specific attributes and qualities and a relationship to the corresponding organ system. Khadro Element Goddesses are both gentle and wrathful, depending on what they must do on your behalf to help retrieve the elemental pieces you have lost.

The Elements are the children of the soul, and an elemental loss is also the loss of a corresponding part of the soul, a loss that could have occurred through trauma, sickness, or neglect. Traditionally, the work of the shaman is to call back or bring back this missing Elemental piece in order to render the individual integrated and whole. While there is no word for shaman in the Tibetan language, when we compare what shamans do with the rituals we use in working with the Five Element Goddesses, it is clear that our work, too, is shamanic in nature.

According to the beliefs of the Tibetan Bon Po, unexplained illnesses, weather patterns, pestilences, and business losses can be attributed to humans having unexpectedly disturbed or hurt the habitat of the Elemental Spirits. It is thus imperative that before we break ground to build a house or otherwise change the natural world around us, we must ask permission of the Elements and make appropriate offerings.

By respecting the external Space where nature resides, we learn to live harmoniously with the external world as well as our own internal world. We begin to see that we are One. It is this Oneness that allows us to live in peace, harmony, and light.

The meaning of Chi Nei Tsang

The practice of Chi Nei Tsang can stand by itself or be easily integrated with other practices by any health practitioner. Chi Nei Tsang may also be learned and practiced by individuals wishing to live a more harmonious life that includes internal Chi Kung practices and meditation.

The meaning of Chi Nei Tsang
Chi refers to energy and information; Nei Tsang refers to the internal organs. From this comes Chi Nei Tsang, the art of applying Chi Kung (energy work) to the transformation of old energy and information stored in the viscera. This stored energy and information may include undigested emotional charges and traumas of the past that are waiting to be processed. Our digestive system processes emotion and food in exactly the same way. Things that are hard to swallow, to break down, and to assimilate are stored and digested slowly, over a period of time; some are so hard to break down and digest that they go into permanent storage, where they remain immobile and undisturbed.

These storage sites are well protected; nothing is allowed to leave, and nothing enters. Physiologically, blocking off the faciae prevents the smooth flow of lymph fluids, blood, oxygen, and energy. In the view of traditional Chinese medicine, such stagnant and congested energy is what enables disease to take hold. The emotional charges and traumas of the past held in these storage sites keep all our physical systems (respiratory, hormonal, circulatory, muscular, skeletal, and so on) highly activated and hypervigilant - toxifying our entire being, constantly flooding us with stress hormones, and making our entire system acidic. We remain in a constant state of emergency, with all our body's systems mobilized to deal with imminent danger - even though the danger they fear has long passed.

Trauma and transformation
Trauma can be hell on earth; transformed, it is a divine gift. Traditional Chinese medicine seeks to alleviate and eventually resolve trauma by working on all the systems of the body through the energy of the internal organs. Believing that all energy and emotions begin and end in the internal organs, traditional Chinese medicine works on their energy to guide individuals to discharge highly charged emotions and traumas, without introducing further trauma.

Centuries ago, Taoist Sages practiced Chi Nei Tsang to clear and discharge old energy and information stored in their internal organs and to bring in new, clear healing light. Through this practice, they cleared themselves of stagnancy, toxicity, and emotional poisons to reach the highest level of meditation practice; there, they found information in the Wu Chi that they brought back for practical application on the human plane.

Freedom from old patterns
Similarly, through the practice of Chi Kung, practitioners of Chi Nei Tsang are able to clear their own stagnant and congested energy, and thereby connect to the source. As a therapy for the internal organ systems, Chi Nei Tsang is a safe way for the individual to gently and progressively digest emotional charges and traumas and gradually outgrow them to the point where they are no longer active.

Since we come from our parents and our parents from their parents, we can suppose that the emotional charges and traumas our ancestors did not resolve remain in our cellular memory through our heritage. Locked within the matrix of our ancestry patterns, these legacies run us like puppets without our conscious consent, making us react in ways that often confound us.

A command from within
Chi Nei Tsang enables all of the individual's systems to follow a command for healing, a command which comes from within us and happens in the here and now. In the words of Peter Levine: "As we are unbound from the past, a future abundant with new possibilities unfolds. Our ability to be in the present expands, revealing the timeless essence of the now."

Chi Nei Tsang works on the energy body, which is pliable, flexible, emotional, and non-rational. We feel one way or another because that is exactly how we feel, it's not something we can make rational sense of. Our energy body needs validation for what it feels; it reacts because it feels unheard. The moment we touch it, listen to it, and validate it, the energy body can gradually and progressively discharge old information and energy still remaining in our cellular memory. This enables the individual to be more in charge - to act on a situation rather than always replaying the same reaction.

An important premise of Chi Nei Tsang is that each individual is responsible for his or her own health. Chi Nei Tsang helps make that possible by teaching you to listen to your whole being with compassion, patience, love, generosity, and kindness.

What Chi Nei Tsang can do
Dr. Micheal Gershon's The Second Brain points to the importance of "the guts" and the role they play in maintaining our well-being. Chi Nei Tsang treatments involve using a gentle, soft, and deep touch to the abdomen to coax and train the internal organs to work more efficiently and to deal with unprocessed emotional charges.

* Relieves the body of physical, emotional, and energetic stagnation at various levels.
* Improves elimination and stimulation of the lymphatic and circulatory systems.
* Strengthens the immune system, enhancing resistance to disease.
* Helps other types of treatment to achieve optimal results - for example, clients using it before and after surgery recover better and faster.

Chi Nei Tsang restructures and strengthens the body:

* Chi Nei Tsang works on the visceral structures and positioning of internal organs, stimulating them to work better.
* Chi Nei Tsang helps correct postural problems resulting from visceral imbalances.
* Chi Nei Tsang relieves deep seated tensions and restores vitality.
* Chi Nei Tsang reduces or relieves chronic pains, such as back, neck and shoulder pains and problems related to misalignments of the pelvis, legs, and feet.

TAO TE CHING - Oneness

39. Oneness

The ancients attained oneness.
Heaven attained oneness and became clear.
Earth attained oneness and became stable.
Spirits attained oneness and became divine.
The valleys attained oneness and became fertile.
Creatures attained oneness and lived and grew.
Kings and nobles attained oneness and became leaders.
What made them so is oneness.

Without clarity, heaven would crack.
Without stability, the earth would quake.
Without divinity, spirits would dissipate.
Without fertility, the valleys would be barren.
Without life and growth, creatures would die off.
Without leadership, kings and nobles would fall.

Therefore humility is the basis for nobility,
and the low is the basis for the high.
Thus kings and nobles call themselves
orphans, lonely, and unworthy.
Do they not depend upon the common people for support?
Dismantle the parts of a chariot, and there is no chariot.
Rather than tinkle like jade, rumble like rocks.

Baduanjin - Life depends on physical motion

Providing the person is able to do tasks by themselves (daily living skills) and are motivated then they have a greater survival rate. If they have an interest in qigong or taijiquan, then that is a good thing.

Obviously some methods are better than others. Start with a simple enough method like baduanjin and see how they progress.

Life depends on physical motion

Exercises are necessity for life. Exercises for Health and Longevity have absorbed the guiding theory of ancient Chinese medicine and the experience of doctors and health experts trough centuries.

These exercises can

[ stimulate the sexual function
[ increase hormones
[ spur the circulation of the main and collateral channels
[ balance YIN (earthly energy) and YANG (heavenly energy) to obtain the goals of reducing weight
[ preserving the gracefulness of the body
[ retaining the moisture and softness of the skin
[ keeping fit and living long.

Qigong with Baduanjin (eight graceful forms) is a kind of dynamic qigong practice having the characteristics of both qigong and health-strengthening exercises. Everyone who want to do ancient body building exercise must understand that the exercises are for preserving health, they are for people to build up health and promote skills in sports activities while provides rehabilitative activities aiming primarily at helping patients recover the various functions. The exercises are effective for people of old and middle age, weak or sick, overweight.

The “Eight-length Brocade” exercise

This exercise consist of eight sections (forms), which the ancients thought as beautiful as brocade, hence name. To practice this exercise one must keep a tranquil mind, concentrate the mind on Dantian (elixir field) and pose as if the head is suspended with mouth shut, the tongue-tip resting on the palate, the eyes looking straight forward, the body relaxing as a whole, and breathing natural. It's practiced in the morning and evening in fresh air for 15-30 min. each time. In addition Baduanjin can be used as a warming up exercise.

Section 1. Both Hands Stretching Upward Regulating the San Jiao. This exercise promotes the dispersing function of the lung, normalizes the function of the stomach and spleen; sliming, preventing kyphosis. Also has effect of improving the function of the spine and preventing and treating cervical spondylartritis periarthritis of shoulder and scoliosis.

Section 2. Bending a Bow with Alternate Hands to Shoot Vulture. This section can expand the chest, relieve functional disturbances of the lung-qi, and limber up arms and shoulders; prevent and treat diseases in the neck and shoulder, pain in lower back and leg.

Section 3. Stretching One Hand Upward
This regulate the function of the stomach and spleen, promoting digestion and removing food stagnancy.

Section 4. Looking Round Removing Five Kinds of Consumptive Diseases and Seven Kinds of Impairment.
This section can enrich the essence and blood, tranquilize the mind and replenish plentiful essence to the zang-fu organs so that five kinds of consumptive diseases and seven kinds of impairment are removed.

Section 5. Shaking the Head and Wagging the Tail To Eliminate the Heart-Fire.
This section has tranquillising effect and is chiefly used for neurasthenia and irritability. It can also improve the motor function of the waist and knees.

Section 6.Touching the Feet With Hands to Strengthen the Waist. It is indicated in the treatment of lumbago. Promoting a smooth flow of the qi of the urinary bladder channel and strengthen the defensive energy to protect the integument and musculature against external pathogens, thus no disease can occur.

Section 7. Clenching the Fists with Eves Open for Increasing Strength. It's used for prevention and treatment of diseases in the neck, shoulder and lumbar region, also for increasing physical strength. Improves the power of muscles in the chest, the shoulders, the arms, the waist, the back, the legs, etc., and enhances their strength.

Section 8. Lifting the Soles Seven Times It's chiefly used for regulating the meridians all over the body and improving their functions. When directing qi downward by the will, the blood pressure can also be reduced.

Text and drawings: N. Kotrchova

Daoyin to conduct Qi

Daoyin is an ancient Chinese body-mind exercise, with simple routines people practise to conduct Qi within the body, originally aimed at health care as well as physical and spiritual purification. The ascetics of past time believed it could be used to obtain the "eternal youth" (changsheng bulao). The first historical reference about it appears in Zhuangzi, a Taoist text written between the 4th and 2nd century BC:

Zhuangzi

Breathing in and out, exhaling and inhaling, they get rid of the old to absorb the new. They swing like bears and stretch like birds - all this they do in order to have long life. They are Daoyin disciples, people who nourish their form seeking for longevity like Pengzu.
(Zhuangzi, Keyi)

Yangsheng, which can be translated as "nursing life”, is a Daoist term for methods to maintain health. These include taking care of the body, physical exercises, meditation, healthy nutrition, in some schools also include sexual techniques to cultivate energy.

Professor Zhang developed the DYYSG on the basis of the classical theories of Daoyin, the schools to nurse life and longevity. It is also based on the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Apart from the traditional exercises of Daoyin he further developed new exercises based on his knowledge and experience in Wushu and Taijiquan, also including findings on motion by sports science.

The system of Daoyin Yangsheng Gong offers many different possibilities for movement, suitable not only for ill people and for health preservation, but also for practitioners of Wushu and Taijiquan. Emphasis is also laid on the artistic and philosophical background of the traditional Chinese culture, indicated in the many names of the movements, very often describing stories from Chinese culture.

The system of DYYSG also includes a specific greeting gesture and a "song”. The DYYSG song is a separate form, independent from all the other methods, combining various movements of the system with Qigong exercises and Taijiquan movements to present the DYYSG system. The "song” therefore has no special therapeutic effect, but is intended as a demonstration form. Professor Zhang composed a poem which accompanies the movements together with the music.

"Health preservation Qigong” is read in Chinese as "Daoyin Baojian Gong”. The name refers to an exercise with eight movements. Officially this exercise is meant to promote health and prevent illnesses for example of the cardiovascular or digestive system.

The Exercise of 49 Movements to stimulate Qi in the Meridians consists of 49 movements for preservation of health, supporting the immune system and for a targeted treatment of various illnesses, in particular lung, stomach and intestine cancer as well as chronic disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems.

Brain Qigong is an exercise consisting of eight movements done sitting down and self massage. Apart from protecting against ailments and illnesses such as headache, migraine, trigeminus neuralgia, facial paralysis, tinnitus and deafness can also be treated. The exercises consist of stroking and pushing massage of the face and on the head. Apart from attention to the points, the hand movements are followed attentively.

Interview with Professor Zhang Guang De

The Daoyin Yangsheng Gong is a Qigong system put together recently aimed especially at the prevention and treatment of illness. As well as different Qigong methods mainly for regulating certain organs such as the heart or the lungs there are also Taijiquan and weapon forms in Daoyin Yangsheng Gong. In an interview with Martin Pentzialek, Professor Zhang Guang De explains how, due to a life threatening illness, he came to create Qigong practises and this system. The combination of movement and concentration on certain acupuncture points or meridians as well as spiral movements aimed at influencing certain points are the characteristics of Daoyin Yangsheng Gong. Professor Zhang also tells us about successes in clinical applications for different malfunctions of the hormonal, coronary and nervous systems, joint complaints and chronic diseases and defines the conditions necessary while practising.

Professor Zhang Guang De is the founder of the Qigong system "Daoyin Yangsheng Gong" (DYYSG). At the Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Centre at the University of Physical Education in Beijing, Professor Zhang and his staff have developed more than 30 exercises which can be used in health care as well as the treatment of diseases. The system is now taught in many countries including Japan, Australia, Singapore, Spain, France, Belgium, Great Britain and Germany. Besides the Qigong exercises, the Daoyin Yangsheng Gong system also includes three Taiji palm forms as well as weapon forms with sword and staff.
Professor Zhang Guang De was born in Thangshan in the province Hebei in 1932. In his youth he enthusiastically practised Chinese martial arts (Wushu) and entered the Wushu Institute at Beijing University of Physical Education in 1955. After successfully finishing his studies in 1959 he lectured at Beijing University of Physical Education and a few years later he was one of the first Professors of Wushu at a Chinese University.

Martin Pendzialek: Professor Zhang, Since 1974 you have been developing the Qigong system "Daoyin Yangsheng Gong". What were the reasons for establishing these exercises?

Zhang Guang De: This is a long story . At the end of the Chinese Cultural Revolution I became seriously ill. Nearly all my organs were affected: I suffered from high blood pressure, disorders of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, hepatitis and tuberculosis and the blood, so things looked pretty bad for me. My doctor told me that medicine alone would not be enough for a successful treatment of these diseases. He recommended that I use in addition my experiences in Wushu and Taijiquan to support my treatment. At the beginning I developed eight exercises to treat my tuberculosis; this was the basis for the following "Exercise of 49 Movements to Stimulate Qi in the Meridians”. At this time I was only able to lie in bed. In this life-threatening situation I used medicines and these simple exercises until I recovered sufficiently for rehabilitation.

The system of DYYSG belongs to the moving Qigong (Donggong). Would you please describe the structure of the system?

By 1982 I was able to continue my work at the Beijing University of Physical Education and decided to develop further methods to offer to people. First I developed the socalled "standing” forms such as heart, lung, stomach-spleen, muscle-bone, kidney, health-preserving and the 49 movements Qigong. For elderly or ill people I developed the sitting forms of the heart, lung, muscle-bone and health-preserving Qigong. In addition there are the forms of brain and eye Qigong as well as exercises to regulate the function of the liver and gall bladder. Moreover, for experienced practitioners of Qigong, there are three Taiji palm forms and a sword form. So there are five levels in the DYYSG system:
- basic exercises and four regulation exercises (body-breathing-mind-Qi/blood)
- exercises for various disorders of various functions
- first and second Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Taijiquan Palm forms (39 movements each)
- Daoyin Yangsheng Gong Taijiquan Sword form (33 movements), staff form
- Simplified DYYSG exercises

Each exercise includes an explanation of the theory on the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine as well as the experiences of practitioners of this exercise. Apart from the proven contents of Wushu and Taijiquan also my own experiences influence this system.

What is the meaning of the name "Daoyin Yangsheng Gong”?

Daoyin is the classical name of Qigong which I wanted to continue to preserve. I added the term "Yangsheng” to form a unit; to create the name"Daoyin Yangsheng Gong” in 1984. The name describes the regulation of body, breathing and mind by the Daoyin exercises to stimulate the meridians and conduct the Qi. It is a form of self exercise to improve physical and emotional health and thus the quality of life.

In terms of Qigong what are the particular characteristics of DYYSG?

The following points are characteristic:
The attention or the mind is regulated by the physical movement combining the exercises with attention. Various methods are used:
- retaining attention on an acupuncture point or area (Yishou)
- conducting attention along the meridians (Yinian)
- practising the Big and the Small Circle

I selected different acupuncture points and areas for different diseases, e.g.. Laogong (pericardium 8) for cardiovascular diseases, Shangyang (Large Intestines 1) for respiratory diseases and Dantian for stomach-intestine diseases.
When practising, attention should be focused naturally, flowing, light as a thread of silk.

When exercising the breathing with the participation of the pelvis should be soft, light, regular and deep. Specific methods are offered for various diseases. For disorders of the cardiovascular system the method of heart Qigong "Calm down heart and regulate circulation” can be used; here exhaling is slow and longer. The exercises of the lung Qigong "Benefiting the Respiratory System” also emphasise exhaling to support the recovering functions of the body and the activity of alveoli. For disorders of the digestive system, the belly breathing is emphasised which massages the inner organs to support circulation of blood and the flow of Qi in this area.

A further characteristic of DYYSG exercises are the spiralling, wringing movements of the extremities to stimulate certain points at wrists and ankles. During the resting positions and in motion tension and relaxation are combined, as relaxation on its own is not enough to stimulate acupuncture points and meridians. So during exercising a soft stretch without tension is applied. Only through combining softness, slowness and flow of body motion, can breathing and attention be simultaneously regulated. Finally, acupuncture points and meridians are pressed with fingers and massaged with the hands.

The DYYSG exercises are used in China in health preservation as well as in clinical therapy. What experiences and results have there been in the treatment of illnesses?

We already have a lot of experience and results. In the province of Shanxi there is a medical university with attached hospital where DYYSG is used. They report that our methods can regulate various functional disorders of hormonal, cardiovascular and nervous systems, motional disorders and chronic diseases.

For the methods to take effect especially in the treatment of illnesses the following requirements should be met:
- The patients exercise the movements according to the set standards.
- It is important to prepare and post-evaluate the exercises.
- The speed of the movements should be regular.
- The transition with breathing and weight shifting should be done exactly and flowingly.
- The steps should be exercised according to the standards.
- The eye should be combined with the attention on specific acupuncture points.

So the experiences in that hospital show the main principles of Qigong: The movements are combined with the regulation of breathing and attention.

Should the DYYSG exercises be used medically separately, or can they be combined with other therapeutic measures? Are there aspects which people who are ill need to consider when exercising DYYSG?

I think that Daoyin Yangsheng Gong can directly be combined with other therapeutic measures. Of course, medical diagnosis is a very important prerequisite before recommending the right exercise. Also instruction by qualified teachers is needed.
Daoyin Yangsheng Gong cannot replace medical treatment. However, people with chronic diseases are often able to reduce the intake of medicine after consultation with their doctor.

The Chinese moving and martial arts together with traditional Chinese medicine have experienced increasing world-wide interest for some years. What do you think about this development and what should people outside the China pay attention to, to be able to appreciate the effects of these cultural treasures?

The Chinese moving and martial arts have become increasingly popular in the West. I think this is due the high technological and scientific progress in this new century. Every person wants to be in good health and has the right to keep it. The Chinese moving and martial arts offer specific methods to do this and to fight the high stress and the resulting disorders and illnesses, especially found in industrialised countries. Therefore it is necessary to find and restore man’s original relation to nature. People’s need for calmness, balance and nature is directly related to the high developments in technology and science which separate us from nature’s regulation of life’s laws.

I wish that people in the West will continue to apprehend the background of Chinese arts. There is a difference between the extreme competitive sports with high physical pressure and the traditional Chinese moving arts. Qigong and Taijiquan support physical and emotional health and help preserve life energy and physical functions of the body by slow and soft movements. Qigong and Taijiquan help maintain the inner organs.

I also suggest people continue to support the friendly exchange between cultures and further comprehend the Chinese cultural treasures. These arts offer the possibility to understand Chinese culture through moving exercises.

TAO TE CHING - The Superior

38. The Superior

Superior power does not emphasize its power,
and thus is powerful.
Inferior power never forgets its power,
and thus is powerless.
Superior power never interferes nor has an ulterior motive.
Inferior power interferes and has an ulterior motive.
Superior humanity takes action but has no ulterior motive.
Superior morality takes action and has an ulterior motive.
Superior custom takes action, and finding no response,
stretches out arms to force it on them.

Therefore when the Way is lost, power arises.
When power is lost, humanity arises.
When humanity is lost, morality arises.
When morality is lost, custom arises.
Now custom is a superficial expression
of loyalty and faithfulness, and the beginning of disorder.

Foreknowledge is the flowering of the Way
and the beginning of folly.
Therefore the mature dwell in the depth, not in the thin,
in the fruit and not in the flowering.
They reject one and accept the other.

Yang Sheng - Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong

Nourishing the Life Force to Promote Longevity
Everyone from peasants to mandarins practiced daoyin.

Ancient Chinese texts describe how even as long ago as the feudal age (770-221 BC), "life-nourishing ways" were highly regarded and widely practised. Based on a combination of diet, traditional medicine, physical exercise and spiritual cultivation, "yangsheng zhi dao" aimed to promote a long and healthy life.

Many varied methods for achieving longevity were developed, each with different emphases, but all agreed that physical exercises was a vital component. However, the type of exercises created went far beyond the mere physical, involving the body and the mind in a unified way.

The term "Yang Sheng" within the title "Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong" acknowledges both its indebtedness to these original techniques and the central intent of the system to provide the opportunity for serious practitioners to prolong their own lives through dedicated practice.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is a sequence of slow motion exercices. Regular practice of which requires firm rooting to the ground, fluidity of movement, controlled breathing and concentration.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong ( Dao = the Way, Yin = to Pull in, Yang Sheng = to Feed the body, Gong = exercises) is a series of physical, breathing and mental exercices developed by Professor Zhang Guang De. These exercices are based on the theories of traditional Chinese medecine and are different from Wushu and Taijiquan, despite some similarity between their movements.

These exercices are very popular with the Chinese because their effect on health care for both cure and prevention, has proved very successful.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is a Qigong method. Controlled breathing as well as concentration and physical control enhance the flow of blood and energy, thus increasing flexibility and good physical and mental condition.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is recognized in China, by the Sports Department, the Wushu Federation and the Health Department. DYYSG is taught officially in Sports Universities and in Traditional Chinese Medecine Universities.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is currently the most popular Qi Gong in China and around the world.

TAO TE CHING - The Way Never Interferes

37. The Way Never Interferes

The Way never interferes,
yet through it everything is done.
If leaders would follow the Way,
the world would be reformed of its own accord.
When reformed and desiring to act,
let them be restrained by what is simply natural.
Undefined simplicity is free of desires.
Being free of desires, it is serene;
and the world finds peace of its own accord.

TAO TE CHING - The Mystic Light

36. The Mystic Light

In order to contract, it is necessary first to expand.
In order to weaken, it is necessary first to strengthen.
In order to reduce, it is necessary first to build up.
In order to receive, it is necessary first to give.
This is called the mystic Light.
The soft and gentle overcome the hard and strong.
As fish stay in the deep water,
so sharp weapons of the state should not be displayed.

TAO TE CHING - The Inexhaustible Way

35. The Inexhaustible Way

Hold to the great form, and all the world follows,
following without meeting harm,
in health, peace, and happiness.
Music and delicacies to eat induce travelers to stay.
But the Way is mild to the taste.
Looked at, it is invisible.
Listened to, it is inaudible.
Applied, it is inexhaustible.

TAO TE CHING - The Great Way

34. The Great Way

The great Way flows everywhere, both left and right.
All things derive their life from it,
and it does not turn away from them.
It accomplishes its work, but does not take possession.
It provides for and nourishes everything,
but does not control them.

Always without desires, it may be considered small.
The destination of all things, yet claiming nothing,
it may be considered great.
Because it never claims greatness,
its greatness is achieved.

TAO TE CHING - Inner Power

33. Inner Power

Those who know others are wise.
Those who know themselves are enlightened.
Those who overcome others require force.
Those who overcome themselves need strength.
Those who are content are wealthy.
Those who persevere have will power.
Those who do not lose their center endure.
Those who die but maintain their power live eternally.

TAO TE CHING - The Natural Way

32. The Natural Way

The Way is absolute and undefined.
Like natural uncarved wood in simplicity,
even though it is insignificant,
none in the world can overcome it.
If leaders would hold to it,
the whole world would serve them spontaneously.

Heaven and earth join, and gentle rain falls,
beyond the command of anyone, evenly upon all.
When civilization arose, names began.
With names, one should know when to stop.
Knowing when to stop, frees one from danger.
The Way in the world is like
rivers and streams flowing into the sea.

History of Tai Chi Chuan

Extracted from: Tai Chi Transcendent Art, by Cheng Tin Hung

Tai Chi Chuan was derived from Taoism. The most important practice of Taoism was concerned with tranquility of mind and improvement of temperament. Since the hustle and bustle of city is unsuitable for those seeking self-discipline, the Taoists had to search for isolated spots where they could lead the life of a hermit. Such spots exist only in the mountains where one finds little or no sound, no sorrow and no movement. But in reality such hermitage is an unsuitable environment in which to dwell. The reasons for this are that the air thought fresh, is often foggy; the winds are too strong; transportation of food is difficult making nutrition a bit deficiency. Furthermore, there is a constant danger of being a victim of wild beasts. Also, many diseases when left unattended, may cause death. So, many taoists failed to reach their Destiny, the life of transcendental bliss. Therefore, the taoists developed techniques of Martial Art in order to gain good health and to protect themselves from the attacks of beasts.

In the Tong Dynasty (618 AD to 907 AD), there were some soft styles of the martial arts of which the Thirty Seven Styles of Hsu Suan Ping was the main one. At the end of the Sung Dynasty a Taoist by the name of Cheung San Fung, in order to find one suitable martial art for the Taoist, often observed the habits of long-lived animals such as turtles and cranes. After many years of study, he, at last, created Tai Chi Chuan.

TAO TE CHING - War and Peace

31. War and Peace

Weapons are tools of destruction hated by people.
Therefore followers of the Way never use them.
In peace leaders favor the creative left.
In war they favor the destructive right.

Weapons are tools of destruction,
not used by good leaders.
When their use cannot be avoided,
the best policy is calm restraint.

Even in victory there is no glory.
Those who celebrate victory delight in slaughter.
Those who delight in slaughter
will not be successful leaders.
The killing of many should be mourned with sorrow.
A victory should be celebrated with funeral ceremonies.

Tai Chi - Origins

The original Tai Chi form is called "Chen" style practised in the Chinese Shaolin Temple since the Fifteenth Century. All other common Tai Chi styles were later derived from the Chen style. Until the beginning of this century Tai Chi was considered a secret practice passed down through families and loyal students.
The practice of Tai Chi has come down to the present through three major family traditions. As mentioned Chen, with its combination of soft and explosive power techniques. The second is Yang, with its smooth and even-flowing tempo. The third is Wu, derived from both the Chen and Yang forms. There are also quite a few other styles.

With the military use of firearms martial arts has made a slow transition from being a deadly art of war to becoming a health and longevity practice.

PRINCIPLES
The basic principles of all forms of Tai Chi are essentially the same:

1. Keeping the bone structure aligned with the forces of Heaven and Earth, and transferring the Earth force through the bone structure into a single point of discharge.

2. Relaxing in movement while distinguishing the full (Yang) from the empty (Yin).

3. Allowing the Chi to circulate and move the muscles, bones and tendons in slow, co-ordinated movements without ever pushing the physical limitations of the body to extremes, and moving smoothly and continuously with total bodily integration.

WHAT IS CHI?
Chi can be defined as bio-electricity, life force, vitality, or simply energy. Chi is all of these but none of them exclusively. Chi is the essence of the food we eat and the air we breath, the real nourishment of the body.

When we breath or eat, we are taking Chi into our bodies. Without Chi, there can be no life.

TAO TE CHING - Force of Arms

30. Force of Arms

Whoever advises a leader according to the Way
opposes conquest by force of arms.
The use of force tends to rebound.
Where armies march, thorns and brambles grow.
Whenever a great army is formed, scarcity and famine follow.

The skillful achieve their purposes and stop.
They dare not rely on force.
They achieve their purposes, but do not glory in them.
They achieve their purposes, but do not celebrate them.
They achieve their purposes, but do not take pride in them.
They achieve their purposes, but without violence.

Things reach their prime and then decline.
Violence is contrary to the Way.
Whatever is contrary to the Way will soon perish.

Why We Travel The Path

Mankind strives for wholeness and completion. It is a striving that knows no end, or indeed, any limitation. It has to be, by definition, a three-dimensional quest of inner research into the essence of our very being. On the surface, all seems well and tranquil, but this facade of 'normality' hides the true nature of mankind's predicament. We are not complete as we are, even if we manage to ignore our developmental urges by disappearing into a morass of experiential phenomenon, a morass we tend to call 'everyday life.' This can only be maintained by a firm conviction of denial. We tell ourselves that all is well, even if we feel that deep down, this might not be true.

Happiness becomes a flimsy construct, a fine, thin veil that we can see through to the dissatisfaction lurking behind. This dissatisfaction is always threatening to penetrate through the flimsy happiness and invade the oasis of illusion that society builds its very existence upon. Of course, happiness within the context we are exploring is not happiness at all. I t is a pseudo-happiness, a falsehood declared 'true' by the consensus of 'non-knowing.' The deepest parts of our minds are out of balance with the parts of our minds that are nearer the surface – that literally 'interface' between our inner self and the outer world. Society builds its institutions and establishments upon this rather rocky foundation. The pain of separation from ourselves is obscured by the minute details of dull, repetitive procedure: a set of coordinated schematics, all relying upon one another for existence, that reduces human participation to that of mere 'automation.' Society tells us that repetition without apparent error is the way to salvation. We are expected to feel completed by merely not being noticed or standing out from the crowd. It is the dogma of fulfillment by disappearance.

But of course, we never fully 'disappear,' no matter how well we conform to society. No matter how dull we become, 'we' are always present in the existential moment of life. And we have to live with the feeling and knowledge of this state, and the obvious contradiction such an existence entails. We are free to be enslaved. The prevailing ideology encourages the acquisition of material goods in the outer world, but totally ignores the acquisition of 'wholeness' in the inner world.

The Buddhist scripture entitled the 'Dhammapada' (Pali: 'Path of Truth') tells us:

"The man whose hands are controlled, whose feet are controlled, whose words are controlled, who is self-controlled in all things, who finds the inner joy, whose mind is self-possessed, who is one and has found perfect peace, this man I call a monk." (THE DHAMMAPADA by Juan Mascaro, page 86.)