Focus on the breath (updated)

Focus on the breath is vital to those who practise breath control meditation.

Therefore I have had blogged an article on it back in 2006. Since the term, “focus on the breath” is nowadays gaining popularity in Daoist forums and we are continuing the discussion on the Circulation of the Light; I hereby provide an updated version of the article for your reading pleasure.

About ten years ago in a Tao forum, one had advised a fellow traveler to ‘focus on the breath’ while practicing meditation. She was an earnest student of Tao and meditation, reading books on and studying various methods of meditation akin to the Circulation of the Light.

She would travel from the US to India every year to see her guru, a renowned teacher according to her, to improve her meditation and practice. And she would post the various methods of meditation on the forum board for sharing with fellow travelers. She understood Daoist meditations more than most but her practice was not improving. Only when she had indicated that she was not able to concentrate properly while in meditation because of thoughts rushing in, did I recommend her to focus on the breath.

Thereafter, one was shouted down by several members since she was acknowledged as the most knowledgeable person in Daoist meditation on that forum. According to her admirers and followers, how could I know that she does not know about it already? Yes, how would I know?

A few years later, Daoists and Buddhists in the forums started to – and still do - bandy around the term, ‘focus on the breath’ without realizing what it has to do with the backward flow meditation. Apparently some of them have come across this term in one of the books written by an elderly Chan Buddhist master – recently deceased - based in China.

Knowing how to focus on the breath is a primary requirement for the backward flow meditation and the Circulation of the Light.

If you really want to learn the proper way to focus on the breath, let us turn to Lu Yen better known as Lu Dongbin - one of the eight renowned celestial Daoist immortals and a Quanzhen Patriarch to boot - for the answer, shall we?

“In sitting down, after lowering the lids, one uses the eyes to establish a plumb-line and then shifts the light downward. But if the transposition downward is not successful, then the heart is directed towards listening to the breathing. One should not be able to hear with the ear the outgoing and in taking of the breath. What one hears is that it has no tone. As soon as it has tone, the breathing is rough and superficial, and does not penetrate into the open. Then the heart must be made quite light and insignificant. The more it is released, the less it becomes; the less it is, the quieter. All at once it becomes so quiet that it stops. Then the true breathing is manifested and the form of the heart comes to consciousness.”

The Buddha said: ‘When you fix your heart on one point, then nothing is impossible for you.’ The heart easily runs away, so it is necessary to concentrate it by means of breath-energy. Breath-energy easily becomes rough; therefore it has to be refined by the heart. When that is done, can it then happen that it is not fixed?

While sitting, one must therefore always keep the heart quiet and the energy concentrated. How can the heart be made quiet? By the breath. Only the heart must be conscious of the flowing in and out of the breath; it must not be heard with the ears. If it is not heard, then the breathing is light; if light, it is pure. If it can be heard, then the breath-energy is rough; if rough, then it is troubled; if troubled, then indolence and lethargy develop and one wants to sleep. That is self-evident.
[The Secret of the Golden Flower – W/B]

If we focus on the breath during meditation, thoughts do not flood in. Neither will we fall asleep since we concentrate on the breath and are aware of where it is going. In neidan practice, focusing on the breath is elementary but important. Learn it well to go further.

Have fun in focusing on the breath. When fire fills your belly, and thunder roars upon breathing in, while immortals sing, perhaps you may know by then if what Daoist celestial immortal Lu and the Buddha have already indicated is true.

But then again, like what those Tao forum members and Zhuangzi had asked, ‘How would I know?’

Circulation of the Light and I Ching (2)

The ancient Circulation of the Light – as taught in the Secret of the Golden Flower - and its relationship with the Book of Changes (I Ching / Yijing) can be explained in brief thus:

“The work on the circulation of the light depends entirely on the backward-flowing movement, so that the thoughts are gathered together. The heavenly heart lies between sun and moon.”

“Master Lu-tsu said, since when has the expression ‘circulation of the light’ been revealed? It was revealed by the ‘True Man of the Beginning of Form’ (Guan Yinshi). When the light is made to move in a circle, all the energies of heaven and earth, of the light and the dark, are crystallized.” [The Secret of the Golden Flower of Lu Dongbin as translated by Wilhelm / Baynes]

The Judgment in Hexagram Fu / Return contains the term, “To and fro goes the Way (Tao)” while the first verse of Chapter 40 in the Tao Te Ching says: “Return is the movement of the Way”.

The following paragraphs explain the terms: the backward flow movement and the Circulation of the Light. And what are depicted in the accompanying picture - [the picture is scanned from the book, “Tai Chi Chuan and I Ching – Second Edition – by Da Liu, 1981 R&KP].

The picture tells the profound story of how the Light circulates together with the Qi where from the bottom they progress up the back of the body to the top of the head before their descent down the front making a full circle or an orbit.

For Hexagram #24 Fu / Return represents the start of the waxing of the moon reaching Full Moon at Hexagram #1 Qian / The Creative Heaven while Hexagram #44 Gou / Coming to Meet represents the first waning phase of the moon and ends with the New Moon at Hexagram #2 Kun / The Receptive Earth. And the Circulation continues to complete a full circle or an orbit.

Therefore the Circulation of the Light crystallizes all the energies of heaven and earth and of the light and the dark – represented respectively by Qian and Kun and the lines of the twelve sovereign hexagrams.

This is the correct way to practise neidan (inner alchemy) meditation – the Circulation of the Light - for the return to Tao. For neidan practitioners would then be practising the Way of Heaven that of the Light and the Dark - as indicated in the ancient method of the Holy Sages who wrote the Book of Changes.

While it is profound, ancient neidan meditation follows that of nature (ziran) and can - more often than not – be supported by science. For once an orbit has been duly completed - similar to the eight planets orbiting our Sun - the Light together with the Qi continues its natural circulation course over the duration of the meditation.

Those already with good aptitude – having receiving confirmatory sign(s) according to Lu Dongbin in his Secret of the Golden Flower – in the Circulation of the Light would have to acquire the profound ability to ignite the fire in the furnace to cook the medicine - represented by Kan (Moon) and Li (Sun) - in the cauldron (as depicted in the centre of the body in the picture). This ability to ignite the fire in the furnace is another major eternal signpost of the Way that would appear naturally (ziran).


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Emulating ancient Zhou (and Zhuge Liang) (2)

The time was on the morrow, when the king [King Wu] went round his six hosts in state, and made a clear declaration to all his officers. He said, 'Oh I my valiant men of the west, from Heaven are the illustrious courses of duty, of which the (several) requirements are quite plain. And now Shang, the king of Shang, treats with contemptuous slight the five regular (virtues), and abandons himself to wild idleness and irreverence. He has cut himself off from Heaven, and brought enmity between himself and the people.

He cut through the leg-bones of those who were wading, in the morning; he cut out the heart of the worthy man. By the use of his power, killing, and murdering, he has poisoned and sickened all within the four seas. His honours and confidence are given to the villainous and bad.

He has driven from him his instructors and guardians. He has thrown to the winds the statutes and penal laws. He has imprisoned and enslaved the upright officer.

He neglects the sacrifices to heaven and earth. He has discontinued the offerings in the ancestral temple. He makes contrivances of wonderful device and extraordinary cunning to please his wife.

--God will no longer indulge him, but with a curse is sending down on him this ruin. Do ye with untiring zeal support me, the One man, reverently to execute the punishment appointed by Heaven. The ancients have said, "He who soothes us is our sovereign; he who oppresses us is our enemy."

This solitary fellow Shâu, having exercised great tyranny, is your perpetual enemy. (It is said again), "In planting (a man's) virtue, strive to make it great; in putting away (a man's) wickedness, strive to do it from the roots."

Here I, the little child, by the powerful help of you, all my officers, will utterly exterminate your enemy. Do you, all my officers, march forward with determined boldness to sustain your prince. Where there is much merit, there shall be large reward; where you do not so advance, there shall be conspicuous disgrace.

'Oh! (the virtue of) my deceased father Wan was like the shining of the sun and moon. His brightness extended over the four quarters of the land, and shone signally in the western region. Hence it is that our Kâu has received (the allegiance of) many states. If I subdue Shâu, it will not be from my prowess but from the faultless (virtue of) my deceased father Wan.

If Shâu subdue me, it will not be from any fault of my deceased father Wan, but because I, the little child, am not good.'


[Sacred-Texts.com - The Great Declaration (3) Part V The Books of Zhou – Book of History (Shujing)]

Circulation of the Light and I Ching

The above picture (page 102) is taken from the book, “Tai Chi Chuan and I Ching – Second Edition – by Da Liu, 1981 R&KP". Da Liu, a grandmaster of Tai Chi Chuan, had taught this ever popular Chinese martial art - suitable for both the young and the old - in the US for more than twenty years.

While no accompanying explanations or credits to the picture were given in the book, Da Liu had elaborated on how the movements of Tai Chi Chuan - as founded by Zhang SanFeng - relate to the various hexagrams of the Book of Changes, and to the Circulation of the Light meditation which is represented by the waxing and waning of the Moon hexagrams. (The particular picture has also been published on a neidan blog years ago with no explanation.)

People say that a picture paints a thousand words. But unless they are very familiar with the Book of Changes and/or neidan (inner alchemy) meditation, not many viewers of this fascinating picture – including me at the time of this book purchase in the 1980s - could understand the profound story it wanted to tell.

Those who know what the picture wants to tell are welcome to post their commentary to help readers obtain a better understanding of the mystery.

Meanwhile others have to wait for me to gather my thoughts – contemplation – for the follow up article.

Emulating ancient Zhou (and Zhuge Liang)

____ ____
_________ Kan
____ ____
_________
____ ____ Gen
____ ____

#39 Jian / Obstruction


The southwest furthers.

The northeast does not further.

Hill pours water (Shan Dou Shui)

In the midst of greatest obstructions, friends come.



Pig behind, Ox in front

Previous intimidated multitude arose with one voice

Five one reverse

Falsely jailed minister and patriots march into palace

Poker fish and Fish in the tank (2)

________
________ Qian
________
________
________ Xun
____ ____

44 Gou


The previous article provided a summary of reasons why poker has enjoyed resurgence and a huge following by youths over the past decade and how they are seduced into playing it.

To recap the poker slang, Fish are players who do not play well in poker and Tank is when a player takes time to think whether or not to fold, call, or to re-raise a bet. Tank also takes on the usual meaning of an aquarium to some poker players.

No matter what poker literature you read, an element of luck plays a part in your very success of winning at the gaming tables; since no one can predict with certainty which five - 3 + 1 + 1 - community cards would respectively fall at the flop, turn, and the river in “Texas Hold’em”. That is why young amateurs - if they are so destined - playing against professionals to boot have had the good fortune to win several major championships including the World “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker tournament (s). The only difference is that in the long run, professionals with much better playing skills would have a higher probability to beat the odds and luck to win in cash games against poker fish.

When lady luck plays a part in winnings and losses at the gaming tables, it is gambling. And gambling is a sin vice or an evil since ancient times.

It is good to see youths optimistic and as long as they do not misplace this optimism by aiming for the wrong things that could lead to a bleak future, they are fine. While poker professionals can be very successful at their profession, not everyone - amateurs and professionals included - can make a good living out of playing poker.

For a very good example, Jerry Yang won the 2007 world poker championship and the whopping prize money of USD 8.25 million that came with it. However, over the next five years he only managed to win a little over USD 150,000 in live tournament earnings – an average annual gross income of USD 30,000 can hardly be called making good money even by Malaysian standards, let alone in the US where the cost of living is much higher. It was also reported in pokernews.com on March 12, 2013 that his awarded 2007 WSOP bracelet and watch are listed among the various jewelry to be auctioned off by the US Internal Revenue Service to repay tax lien of more than USD 570,000.

If a former world poker champion cannot make a good living out of playing the game, how many professionals and amateurs out there can really make it? Probably only the top 5% and the rest could be considered fish by the crème de la crème of the poker profession.

Recently, a young man had requested me to consult the Book of Changes to see if he can make a career out of playing poker. The apt and concise answers given by the ancient classic could even astound the skeptics. Since these prognostications will be clear as day even for beginners of Yijing divination, poker players and other readers – especially with the summary information on the poker scene provided in the previous article and in the preamble of this second article. For the answers given are akin to poker lingo! (Even if this is not Ripley, you better believe these phenomena!)

And the received Yijing prognostications will prove easy to understand and simple to follow by most readers including skeptics of divining with the Book of Changes.

Together with the additional information in this article on the current global poker scene, readers would be able to determine if the Yijing has truly spoken – that is answered the question posed.

This forms part and parcel of the science of Yijing interpretation which can be tested by wherewithal Yi aficionados from different eras and/or from different parts of the world. And is my usual practice - while not as comprehensive - to interpret the oracle for clients (whether fee-paying or not). For diviners, interpreters and their clients need to first and foremost determine if the Yijing has really spoken since if the Yijing did not speak - and therefore without any real guidance given - they will invariably end up in blind alleys.

The oracle:

Hexagram 44 Gou Judgment:

Coming to meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden.

“The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that a man delights in it; it looks so small and weak that he imagines he may dally with it and come to no harm.”

“The inferior man rises only because the superior man does not regard him as dangerous and so lends him power. If he were resisted from the first, he could never gain influence.” [W/B]

Nine in the second place means:

There is a fish in the tank. No blame. Does not further guests.

“The inferior element is not overcome by violence but is kept under gentle control. Then nothing evil is to be feared. But care must be taken not to let it come in contact with those further away, because once free it would unfold its evil aspects unchecked.” [W/B]

Nine in the third place means:

There is no skin on the thighs, and walking comes hard. If one is mindful of the danger, no great mistake is made.

“There is a temptation to fall in with the evil element offering itself – a very dangerous situation. Fortunately circumstances prevent this; one would like to do it, but cannot. This leads to painful indecision in behavior. But if we gain clear insight into the danger of the situation, we shall at least avoid more serious mistakes.” [W/B]

Nine in the fourth place means:

No fish in the tank. This leads to misfortune.


Further elaboration on the oracle:

People often get taken to gambling because of their first win. They are seduced by the ease and thrill in making some quick money from gambling. And addicted gamblers invariably gamble away their hard earned money or fortune.

At the amateur levels, poker fish abound. But it is incorrect to introduce poker and fish to non gamblers since this would help spread the evil (sin) (vice).

At the mid levels, less poker fish would be found and therefore walking comes hard - and painful - with no skin on the thighs. Expenses including major tournament buy-ins, travel, food and lodgings especially in expensive cities could very well exceed cash earnings and start to deplete savings.

Misfortune arrives when there is no fish in the tank since at the professional level, poker players turn out to be sharks and the best ones could be aggressive Great Whites. And it is rare to see current and former world poker champions win at televised big cash games with minimum buy-ins of USD 100,000.

When even world poker champions cannot make a good living playing at these levels what are the chances of amateurs numbering in the hundreds of thousands hoping to make it and/or to win huge sums of tournament prize money? Their chances would be very slim.

Therefore - in line with the guidance from the Book of Changes - it could be wise of those youths intending to drop out of their studies to complete their degrees and thereafter secure a job with steady income. And not make playing poker a career or a profession.

When they can afford it, they can spend some time and spare money playing in major poker tournaments like what some successful businessmen have done and still do, if they so wish.

For no one can stop a dream of instant wealth and fame. However it is time for Contemplation (Guan) - the resultant Hexagram 20 with the three lines change - to choose the way of life going forward.

Deeper thoughts:

Did the Book of Changes speak?

Is it not profundity and synchronicity that the more than three millennia old Book of Changes has seemingly used current poker lingo to address a poker career question?

Are the pronouncements of the three lines - read together with the commentary (in italics) from the wise down the ages and my further elaboration – not easy to understand and simple to follow?

Is the guidance given not similar to those from a parent?

Do the relevant answers to the young man and in poker lingo to boot not depict the close affinity (yuan fen) between the Book of Changes and him?


These particular phenomena not only vindicate and uphold the ancient thoughts and beliefs embedded in the Ten Wings and those of Yijing aficionados down the ages; their very occurrences in one oracle would have made Richard Wilhelm and Carl Jung extremely happy.

And if your answers to my five questions are all in the affirmative, welcome!

For you are learning something from the writings.

Poker fish and Fish in the Tank

Poker, a game of skill with an element of luck thrown in, and frowned upon by the strait-laced, has enjoyed resurgence and a huge following over the past decade or so. While the older generation across the world still play poker as a pastime, the younger generation in the US and in Europe have been driven to studying the game more seriously with some turning it into a profession mainly attracted by the huge prize money pools winnable at various major annual tournaments held in the West which have made winners of the main events instant USD millionaires.

Because of this instant wealth attraction and the pervasive marketing strategies of poker dotcoms, a number of youths in the Western Hemisphere have been seduced to drop out of their degree courses to spend more time playing “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker either online or in live games. By dropping out, these particular youths would have dashed the hopes of many a parent whose wish that their adult children could obtained a tertiary education and the ability to earn a steady income therefore having a comfortable life going forward.

With the advent of YouTube, and available live and recorded video broadcasts of these major “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker tournaments on the internet, the younger generation in Asia has also been similarly attracted and influenced by the various successes of the twenty-somethings who have had won the annual World Poker Championship held in the US over the past few years and the huge prize money of USD multi millions (pooled by the large field of participants and the USD 10,000 buy-in for the prestigious main event).

The recent 2012 main event tournament was won by a 24 year old American who as the world champion took home the staggering prize money of USD 8,527,982. The past few world champions were even younger when they won this main event of “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker.

Recorded and repeated scenes of renowned poker professionals flying in private jets and chauffeured in stretched limos to the tournament venues at five stars hotels and their plush settings are constantly flashed to remind viewers of the opulence and high living that can be had by successful players in pre-recorded video broadcasts of major poker tournaments. Which young impressionable teenager or twenty-something would not be enticed by the glamour, prestige and excitement in playing live poker tournaments staged in five stars hotels cum casinos across the world and where champions become instant millionaires with bragging rights to boot?

With the huge popularity and the hundreds of thousands playing tournament and cash poker online 24/7 and the thousands playing in live tournaments and cash games, the professionals have coined certain relatively new poker terms for easy reference among the community.

While players who do not know how to play poker well were a few decades ago known as greenhorns or rabbits, the professionals now called them: Fish. Perhaps a better description since fish is food to both humans and predators as part of nature. And poker professionals are sometimes referred to as sharks (predators).

Tank in poker terms means a player in deep thought taking time to think whether to call or re-raise a big bet by another player on the same table. Sometimes Tank is equated to the usual meaning of aquarium by poker players.

By coincidence, the at least three millennia old classic – the Book of Changes – also contain hexagram lines that pronounce there is “Fish in the Tank” and “No fish in the Tank”!

Does this coincidence mean that the Holy Sages who wrote the Book of Changes also have the prescience on what is to come a few millennia later?

If readers wished to know more about the phenomenon and the profundity of the ancient classic, read the follow up article on both lines which recently appeared as prognostications for a young man considering taking up poker as a career; therefore making them clear as day even to a beginner of Yijing studies.

If your teenage or adult children are also considering dropping out of their degree courses to make playing poker their profession, do not despair; read on and see what the Book of Changes has to say. If applicable, you can also ask your children to read this particular topic which could be of interest to them before they commit to be a poker professional.

More will be revealed and discussed in the next article.