Monday, October 30, 2006

A link to Heaven

Daoists who frequent Daoist temples to ask about things from deities or immortals are sometimes surprised that the divinities were able to read their minds or know what they have done recently or way back in the past.

How the divinities could read the thoughts and the past actions of these devotees or disciples was a subject of discussion between my Daoist friend and me a couple of weeks back. While both of us may see similar phenomena during meditation, probably just like everyone else, we have our own theories on the link to Heaven. Science does not help much either since it cannot unlock the mind and inform what is and how much data or information is stored within; and how such data and information can be read by psychics and/or divinities.

Perhaps Daoist immortal Lu Dongbin provided some information on how humans are linked to Heaven through the mind in his Secret of the Golden Flower. While one has read the following excerpt many times over the past thirteen years, one is no nearer to discern if such a link exists. Maybe it would strike a key in some one’s mind and bring out an ‘aha’ moment when they read this:

The one effective, true human nature, when it descends into the house of the Creative, divides into animus and anima. The animus is in the heavenly heart. It is of the nature of light; it is the power of lightness and purity. It is that which we receive from the great emptiness, that which is identical in form with the primordial beginning. The anima partakes of the nature of the dark. It is the energy of the heavy and the turbid; it is bound to the bodily fleshly heart. [W/B]

The highlighted paragraph informs us of many things; what happens in the fall from Tao, the duality of light and darkness, and the link to Heaven and Tao. Is it through this link where Divinities can read or reach our minds? Hopefully, someone reading this entry can tell us.

Or you may have to patiently wait …. until either my Daoist friend or me is able to climb up to Heaven to test the link. One can then post a further entry to update readers on how the wireless connection (think unlimited broadband access and internet) actually works.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

‘Thermal healing’ 2

It would not be a surprise if those who practice neidan (inner alchemy) do not know that they can assist healing using thermal heat from their palms. Even my learned Daoist friend has not heard or read about it when one first mentioned how it is done. Most neidan practitioners would know or have heard about healing with Qi; just using the natural heat from the palms is perhaps more akin to acupressure but that is not it.

As neidan practitioners progress along the Way, they will find that their daily meditation will increase their Qi and thereby improve their health. They may also find, when at rest, that the surfaces of their palms become increasingly hot, the heat can at times be as hot as a hot iron. Obviously at such times, it will not be ideal to use the hot palms to iron clothes but they can be put to better use than that. From observations made on how Buddhas heal the ill with the heated palms of the mediums and with further experimenting one has found thermal heat to be effective in providing relief and quicken the natural healing process.

In the earlier entry on ‘Thermal healing’, one had mentioned that the thermal heat can kill viruses in the throat and can quicken healing of sprains, bruises and wounds. What we will discuss in this entry is perhaps more advanced types of assisted healing using thermal heat from our palms. Unless the heat from the palms is strong, it would be difficult to assist the healing of broken bones, wounds of a diabetic and some brain disorders.

If you place your hot palms on your own thighs and your thigh bones can feel the heat then you would be ready for advanced types of healing. Another test is how many sheets of paper the heat can pass through (which also serves as a good measure of your progress in neidan meditation).

Thermal heat can only assist or quicken healing or kills some types of viruses; it cannot directly cure the ‘patient’. Those ill still have to take their prescribed medicine. Broken bones will have to be reset and held together by things.

For example, my teenage son was hit by a car and his right thigh bone broke into two. One piece had pierced out of his flesh. I took him to the nearest hospital and the surgeon operated on his thigh, straightened the bone, inserted and screwed on two steel plates to strengthen the bone. The steel plates had to be taken out within several months since they would hamper his growth. To assist the healing of the broken bone, one had applied thermal heat on the particular thigh for a few weeks. It would help if you ask the ‘patient’ whether they feel the heat in their bones when you apply this thermal heat. This feedback ensures that the heat from your palms has actually reached the bone.

My teenage son recovered faster than expected and was able to play basketball within two to three months of the operation and reluctantly I allowed him to play football after that. He is almost six feet tall now and luckily does not walk with a limp.

Wounds on a diabetic are difficult or take a long time to heal and can sometimes turn gangrenous. Speaking from experience if we apply thermal heat over the wound for a few minutes, at the most for a few sessions, the wound will heal quickly – remember the diabetic ‘patient’ still needs to have the wound regularly cleaned and to take prescribed medicine, until it is completely healed.

Brain disorders can be a bit trickier. Firstly we need to know what is really wrong with the ‘patient’ and need to look at a scanned photo of the brain to know where to apply the heat. If the disorder such as fits or seizures is caused by a widening of the frontal lobes of the brain, one can apply the heat to that place. From experience, after a regular application of the thermal heat over the frontal lobes for a short period of time, the ‘patient’ may no longer require to take prescribed medication for seizures and fits. After the treatment, the ‘patient’ had not taken any medication and did not suffer any seizures or fits over the past several years. Take note that the ‘patient’ still has to avoid certain foods.

Currently, one has just started to experiment on another brain disorder which is more serious and which the specialists say is difficult and takes a long time to cure. Something related to ADHD. The ‘patient’ is taking prescribed medicine. Off and on, one applies thermal heat to the patient's brain and it seems to work the day after the application, but one cannot be certain of it yet. Therefore it cannot be discussed until one is sure thermal heat can assist or quicken the natural healing process. If the ‘patient’ makes an earlier than expected complete cure then perhaps one will update the information.

After reading through the two entries on ‘thermal healing’, neidan practitioners who find them helpful can first practice on self. If thereafter, they can use this type of healing to help others, especially those who cannot afford to pay increasingly expensive medical bills, in their part of the world for free, it will be for the good. Hopefully high level neidan practitioners will become aware that thermal heat from their palms can assist natural healing of self and others. And if they use ‘thermal healing’ to help the poor and weak, perhaps that would form part of their cultivation.



Footnote:
Every neidan practitioner can reach the stage where their palms will become increasingly hot naturally (while at rest). If you are not there yet, no need to worry. Do not think of success and success will come. Continual practice of the Circulation of the Light meditation will get you there and your Qi can flow 24/7 by then.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Updates

There are a few things that need some updates. One is the tip on timing and the other on Hexagram 51 Zhen.

In the entry on ‘A tip on timing’ [Sept 28 2006] entry, one had indicated that according to my Yi monthly charts, the time is ripe for the low liners to flare up in October. Glad to say that the prices of quite a number of low liners in KLSE had moved up by 30% to 100% over the past three weeks. Therefore if Malaysian readers have bought some of these particular low liners, they would have made some money.

In the entry on ‘Hexagram Zhen’ [Sept 03 2006] entry, one had advised people who live around earthquake prone areas to be wary, since the Zhen hexagram also meant forthcoming earthquakes. Fortunately, the recent earthquakes of a strong magnitude of 6 + did minimal damage to Hawaii and other places. There was also no tsunami.

The shock signified by Zhen is over for the particular share that one bought. After a sudden fall of almost 50%, where one bought a few fold more, its share price has now almost doubled. One is cheerfully waiting for the share price to reach the target indicated by my Yi share investment table earlier.

With no prior warnings from the Zhouyi, there would be no ‘October effect’, this year – that is the world financial markets would not plunge drastically for any reasons, for example like what had happened in 1929 and 1987.

Since one is updating on timing, it appears that what the Yi has told Professor Sam Crane early this year about President Bush has continued to unfold. 2006 is definitely not a good year for the US President. Would you not agree?

The month of November could bring in a lot of changes. Probably he has left it too late to do the things a ruler is supposed to do for the people of USA in line with the Yi oracles obtained by Professor Crane. It has been a long wait – more than a year - and still nothing substantive - for anyone sincere to do good deeds or to rectify the damage done by nature or by humans.

Perhaps President Bush and his people (ministers and advisers) know better, after all it is not easy to change fate. Or perhaps they do not really know nor believe in the Yi.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Learning from divinities

Probably many like me are self taught in reading the Zhouyi and in divining. If we have no one to teach us, then we might as well call the Yi, teacher. While there are no strings attached and complete freedom in the studies this way, proper conduct and sincerity would be required towards any teacher, be they human, the Yi and/or divinities. Just like any student who wishes to excel in any type of study, we could acquire more knowledge through further reading, holding discussions with like minded fellows and seeking out the best available teachers to have our understanding of a subject corrected. That is why there are professors, experts, and real masters for every field of study.

For a subject as profound as Yi studies, it would be nigh impossible to find an ancient, a ‘Chen Tuan’, a ‘Shao Yong’, or a ‘Zhu Xi’ nowadays to correct our understanding. Therefore if we can have readily access to consultations with divinities such as Daoist deities and immortals, and Buddhas, take every opportunity to learn from them. Learning from divinities is wealth.

For more than two decades, one is fortunate enough to have such access from time to time and various opportunities to compare notes with what divinities had predicted on the local share market, the timing of events, and the selection of auspicious dates. (No, they do not reveal major catastrophes – these are heaven’s secrets.) If asked, Daoist immortals because of their related learning and cultivation may impart some of their in-depth knowledge of the Yi. By pondering and discerning on what the divinities have said, one has improved upon one’s reading and interpretation of the Yi over the years.

Some of the comparisons, the predicted timing of events, and the knowledge passed on by divinities namely Guan Yin, Daoist immortals, Buddha and the Monkey God have been posted in the blog for sharing.

It goes without saying that divinities will be the best teachers for profound subjects like the Yi and Dao studies. They possess the knowledge, centuries of experience, clarity, and the sincerity to teach the Way of Heaven. And they are the best in predictions (unless the medium is corrupted).

If you ever have a chance to learn from such divinities, value their precious teachings which can be far and few in between.

One leaves a note taken from the ten wings for the earnest and sincere Yi aficionados and Daoists for some reflection:

The transformation of things and the fitting together of them depend upon the changes. Stimulation of them and setting them in motion depend on continuity. The spiritual and clarity depend upon the right man. Silent fulfillment, confidence that needs no words, depend upon virtuous conduct. {The Great Treatise –W/B]

The Way is easy to learn but difficult to attain, yet there have been people who went on to become Daoist immortals and Buddhas. Changes are not easy to grasp, yet there are many including Western men and women whom the Yi speaks to or has spoken to. Heaven is not benevolent (Bu Ren) but is on the side of the good. Go figure.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Dance in ecstasy

The immortals sing
The body shivers
Then a jiggle
Kidneys do the rock

Fire in the belly
Water fizzles
The light shimmers
Then brightens

Twists and turns
The lotus shifts
Light circulates
The entire body shakes

Sway and twist
The body shuffles
The neck swings
And the head shakes

Qi emerge to emptiness
Movements of non being
Rests with the five elements
For a breath intake

White light turns to gold
Body of jade
Rising to Heaven
The way to roll

All this while
Empty and still
Like mediums in trance
Practise the dance in ecstasy

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Qian / The Creative

Of the 64 hexagrams, the most commonly quoted by the Chinese are Qian and Kun, since these two hexagrams pervade many important things in Chinese culture such as the meaning of heaven and earth, light and dark, creative and receptive, yang and yin, firm and yielding, dragon and mare, father and mother. These two hexagrams also feature in Chinese martial arts and neidan practice for the advanced practitioners. Because of their importance, much has been written by the ancients and the wise on these two hexagrams. This may explain why the ancients placed Qian, as the first hexagram of the Zhouyi with Kun, second, since they represent Heaven and Earth respectively.

Qian represents the fourth month (May-June) of the Chinese calendar, the beginning of summer. Qian comprise of six light (or unbroken) lines and each line can be taken to represent a dragon that mounts up to heaven.

If we follow the Xiantian (Earlier Heaven) diagram devised by Chen Tuan, Qian would be on the top of the head (Ru Ding) with Kun at the bottom of the body. Qian / Heaven would be the location where the embryo emerges into emptiness. It is also the place where the hair stands on end during meditation. Initially neidan practitioners will sense the Qi moving across this part of the head. At a later stage, they may see a brighter light when the Qi and the light pass through this point, although 'there is no longer, a head or tail’.

The Judgment in Hexagram 1 Qian says: The Creative works sublime success, furthering through perseverance. And the Image says: The movement of heaven is full of power. Thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring.

At this peak, the Junzi, Neidan adept, or Kung Fu master would have made himself or herself strong and untiring, furthering through perseverance. No one can see this since success is sublime.

No different from what Lu Dongbin has said – ‘This marvelous magic cannot be fathomed. But when the practice has started, one must press on from the obvious to the profound, from the coarse to the fine. The beginning and the end of the practice must be one.’ And similar to what Ziyang Jen Ren said – ‘If one cultivates one’s action while mingling with the world and is still in harmony with the light, then the round is round and the angular has angles; then he lives among men, mysterious yet visible, different and yet the same, none can compass it; then no one notices our secret actions.’ [Secret of the Golden Flower – W/B]

Can we really see what Heaven and the celestial beings do? Nothing seems to be done yet everything gets done. That is Qian / The Creative which works sublime success.

From the return of the first light line in Fu / Return, the light has continued pushing out each dark line, replacing them and has now reach heaven. Finally with the six light lines in place, the waxing of the moon is at its peak (full moon) and will soon start to wane. Qian will change to Gou shortly. Such change is only natural and expected.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Employ the upright

Fan Chih asked about benevolence. The Master said, ‘It is to love all men.’ He asked about knowledge. The Master said, ‘It is to know all men.’

Fan Chih did not immediately understand these answers.

The Master said, ‘Employ the upright and put aside all the crooked; - in this way, the crooked will be made to be upright.’ [Analects -12. 22]

If rulers follow ancients like Shun and Tang, perhaps they may be lucky to employ a Kao-yao or I Yin and on which all who were devoid of virtue disappeared.

But nowadays we often read the news and find the reverse happening. Upright ministers leave because of honor; while the crooked remain until they are dragged out into the light and shamed.

One ventures to say that there is not much difference between these crooked and the Chinese eunuchs of the Middle Ages. Both cling to power in whatever means possible. They never really care for the people or the country, their comforts and desires always come first. With his confidence, they can easily hide behind the protection of the ruler of the land. But no matter how powerful they are, can they really ‘hide heaven with one hand’?

If rulers love their people, it is time to employ the upright and put aside all the crooked; perhaps then, the crooked will be made to be upright. If upright persons - rather than the corrupt - governed the country, is it not good for the people? However if the ruler is corrupt or loves to surround himself with the crooked then nothing can be said.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Right thoughts, right actions

In Chapter One of the Dhammapada, it is said:

All that we are, is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
[F. Max Müller –Sacred-Texts.com]

Therefore right thoughts lead to right actions.

Perhaps in line with what Buddha said in the Dhammapada and through his own intensive Daoist neidan practice, Liu I Ming, a real Daoist Confucian and Buddhist master, came to this clear understanding that:

Truthfulness (or Sincerity - Zheng) has the meaning of true belief. Truly believe in kindness (Ren), and you can be kind. Truly believe in justice (Yi), and you can be just. Truly believe in courtesy (Li), and you can be courteous. Truly believe in wisdom (Zhi), and you can be wise. Truthfulness alone can be kindness, justice, courtesy, and wisdom, all according to the changes that take place in the mind.
[I Ching Mandalas – Thomas Cleary]

Since right thoughts lead to right actions, no wonder, the ancients namely Laozi, Confucius and Buddha placed much importance on the original virtue - truth or sincerity (Zheng) - in their respective texts or books.

The five virtues transcend religions and everyone can possess of them, if only they care to find and/or cultivate them again as part of their learning and cultivation of life.

If only some world leaders (rulers) of today have cultivated, they could have possessed the right thoughts and therefore taken the right actions, instead of prompting needless strife thereby increasing human sufferings. If only they truly believe a peaceful world is good for their own people and mankind. Then these leaders may not have to continue to live their lives in pain?

Monday, October 02, 2006

Why Laozi called it, Tao

Probably many Daoist students still argue as of today about why Laozi has named the One with no name, Tao. Since Laozi had also mentioned in his Tao Te Ching that there is Tao of old, it may hold water if one makes the following suppositions.

In a few of my previous entries, one had assumed that the ancient sages including Laozi and Confucius have learned from the ancients before them, legends like FuXi, Yandi (Shen Nong) and Huangdi (Yellow Emperor).

When both Laozi and Confucius mentioned in passing the fall and taught the people how to return to Tao, they may have learned this from the ancients. Of the Classics of antiquity, perhaps both have learned it from the Zhou Book of Changes – the Zhouyi - said to have existed since the times of King Wen (c 1100 BC).

If the received text has not been adulterated, and remains the same as the original Zhouyi, we will find that the name, Tao, has been mentioned on two occasions - in the first line of Hexagram 9 Xiao Chu / The Taming Power of the Small and in the Judgment of Hexagram 24 Fu / Return.

The first line in Xiao Chu simply says: Return to the way. How could there be blame in this? Good fortune.

While the Judgment in Fu says: Return. Success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame.To and fro goes the way. On the seventh day comes return. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

If you have not spotted the similarity of advice on both the line in Xiao Chu and the judgment in Fu, the Yi advise the Return to Tao (the Way). (In case you do not know why Daoists, Confucian and Buddhist cultivate, if there is no fall from Tao, why is there a need of a return? To return to Tao, we need to cultivate.)

On the assumption that the learned scholars during the Spring and Autumn era (c 500 B C) have access to the Zhouyi and other ancient classics, and with their intense investigations and pondering, perhaps both Laozi and Confucius understood Tao more than the others. Laozi went on to write down his thoughts on Tao and Te in the TTC, while Confucius taught his students the Middle Path. Both sages pointed to the Center for people to return to Tao.

If the suppositions are correct, then Laozi must have been influenced by what was written in the Zhouyi (similar to the many wise and learned down the ages) and therefore his reason to call the nameless One, Tao - just like what the ancients before him did.