ChiDragon

Well, that was a gross analogy. First of all, one would know not to shoot the basket from underneath. Perhaps one would know, ahead, to shoot it from the top. Secondly, one wouldn't jump into the ocean as beginner for a swim. Thirdly, If I ask for the time, there is no need for you to tell me how the clock was constructed. For the same token, there is no need to know how the bike was constructed. One just need to know how to balance oneself and paddle.

Why would you like to be emphasized on the former and disregard the latter....??? The concrete experiences are revealed from the phrase "氣沉丹田". It is a matter of understanding rather than taken 20 years of practice for one to perceive it. PS.... Don't you think by knowing the theory before performing the actual practice is more beneficial than doing it blindly.,,,???

Yes, but this is not something to be humor about....

Is that what you think the case was.....??? IMO It didn't has to be this way. It was only in one's unintuitive mind. BTW 丹(Dan) is not 道(Tao), you know.....!!! Sigh!!!

Sigh! Sigh! Sigh! I just want to cry after reading these posts here. :( I was told by many members, here, by not reading too many books but go find myself a good teacher and learn from him/her. I see that many TTB members had paid some teachers, bought many books to read, and even went to China to learn martial arts and many Kungs(功). What has been bothering me was since they had learn all the good things from their masters, but still cannot come up with a good definition of Dan Tien. I am really feeling sorry for them for trying to figure it themselves by trial and error and doing lots of guess work. IMHO There must be a conclusion which can be reached to come up with a true definition about all these. Don't you all think so? Don't you think that we could come up with something concrete, so, everyone can live with it by consensus?

Dawei.... I have been holding my cool on you and some of the TTB members for all this time. Don't you think that was part of the cultivation of Xing Kung on my part? It is part of the Quanzhen cannon that I am holding myself to. FYI The four cardinal vices (酒色財氣). 氣(temperament) is an advice for one not to be 生氣(angry) under adversity. Anymore questions? PS...... Even through I have no idea about Xing at the beginning, but it was not to late to get myself educated which was suggested by the 全真道. My practice was not too far off. Was it?

NotVoid, Thanks for the kind words. I am practicing the DCXM which require me to follow the principles of the Quanzhen Tao. One of the requirement is to isolate the facts from the fallacies and opinions. What I am putting out here are not my personal opinions but from the high standards of the Quanzhen Tao. Some of the people were against me was because they only thought it was some translation from some fancy Chinese words without basis. I saw those who had accused me of putting lots of craps which only their personal opinions. Thus I haven't seen any merits in their presentations which are so convincing in any way. Most of time, I only see statements to say what is not rather than what it is. However, due to my present practice in DCXM, I have great tolerance for this kind of activities. PS..... There is really noting serious about what was going on in the forum, it is only a matter how one handles the adverse situations with calmness.

To those whom may concern.... I am sorry that I got involved with this thread. Due to the lack of the desirable knowledge, in your opinion, I will no longer be involved with those who do not wish to listen to this dumb China man, yours truly.

Well, I only hold to the standard practice of the QuanZhen Tao but not other Taoist beliefs. It is more than just associated with internal alchemy traditions. Perhaps read this, with your own discretion, and see does it alter your thinking in anyway. DCXM

That I do believe an electric shock is from an electrical charge. However, it still doesn't tell me which is from the so-call the "Chi stored in the Dan Tien".

No, I don't see it the way you want to describe it with respect to Chi. Unless otherwise, you can give me a universal definition of Chi...!!!

I will not tell him that he is wrong. Perhaps, I will hand him a science book about physiology.

That is right, it is only something that you feel is there and it was only one's imaginary description. I am sorry. I don't understand the last part of the questions.

Hello NotVoid, I do respect your own personal beliefs. I do have absolute facts in regards to Taoist beliefs. Have you heard of the Dual Cultivation of Xing and Ming Kung? There are two sides to Taoism, one is philosophical and the other is spiritual. However, anyone can claim anything in the spiritual side but that is beyond my scope. I have not come across any claims that a Taoist wants to be reincarnated and had an afterlife, have you?

It is a fallacy if one thinks that Qi would be stored in the Dan Tien or anywhere in the body. It comes and goes. One either breaths in or out.

Well, this is only a transition. One has to overcome it by continue with the practice. Stop only when it happens again. One must have faith in Chi Kung and let the healing cycle to be completed. Thus it takes time and courage to suppress it after the horrified torment.

There is no afterlife for a Taoist.

The highest potential is to be a better person mentally and physically. Period.

In Japanese, Ki Aikido is 合氣道 which is the same as 氣功(Chi Kung) in Chinese. It takes time to practice to get to one minute per breathing cycle. If you can get to 2 cycles per minute, that would be pretty good. IMO.

Congratulations to all of you....!!! This is an indication that the effect of your practice has been taken places inside your body. I don't think your teachers had given you any warning about this kind of feelings. For those who practice Chi Kung, your body will go through a scanning process during the course in your practice. Chi Kung will find the illnesses in the body and it will go through a healing process. It is the worse experience for those whoever have to go through the healing process. The healing process is not doing one thing at a time but all at one time. Hence, while all that is going on, your body was going through a major tune up, so to speak. It depends of the illnesses inside the body, it will cause you to have some weird symptoms and hallucinations that you have never had experienced before. After all that, your body will return to normalcy and you will be a healthier person and you will gain more benefits from your continuous practices. Fortunately, I had started with Tai Ji which does not have this kind of effects.

Most people can just take one deep breath but not continuously. Those who can are considered to be performing abdominal breathing which is the ultimate method of breathing, know as Chi Kung. In your own terms, that is how one fills the Dan Tain. The "why" is to breathe in the maximum source of energy from the universe.

性命双修是道教的重要思想与教义，也是内丹学术语 “性”“命”的含义(The meanings of Xing and Ming) 性指人的心性、思想、秉性、性格、精神等。命指人的身体、生命、能量、命运、物质等。性命双修也就是指“神形兼修”、心身全面修炼。《中和集》、《性命圭旨》、《天仙金丹心法》、《天仙正理直论》、《金仙证论》等书都有关于“性命双修”的论述。《性命圭旨》说：“何谓之性？元始真如，一灵炯炯是也。何为之命？先天至精，一气氤氲是也。”又说：“性之造化系乎心，命之造化系乎身。”陈撄宁大师说：“性即是吾人之灵觉，命即是吾人之生机。”可谓既深刻，又生动。人的生命实际上是两个生命即精神生命和生理生命的双重融合，人们通常说要身心健康，亏其一即残缺不全。所以性命二字高度概括了人生的两大要素。 道教吸收了儒佛两家的心性学说，又发扬了自家传统的养生学说，遂形成性命双修的修炼理论。由此，我们可以将性命双修分为性功与命功两种，性功是道教与儒、佛相通的地方，而命功则是道教独有的传统，不讲命功，不是道教。陈撄宁大师认为，仙道贵生、乐生、重生、追求长生，所以它是生本主义，这正是道家仙学最具特色的地方。他认为性命相依，命为重。他用灯作比喻，灯油是命，灯光是性；有灯无油，灯必不能发光；徒有灯油而不能发光，则不能显现油灯照明之用；修道之意在教人积足油量，并教以点灯之法，则人生必充满光辉。 道教提倡是“性”与“命”的统一 (The Taoist religion advocates the integration of Xing and Ming) 既然命是指人的生命，性是指人的精神意识，那么很显然，对人的生存来说，两个方面都是不可缺少的，而人的存在实际上就是命与性的统一。一方面，人必须以生命的存在为基础，一旦没有了生命，人就变成一具死尸，人也就随之死亡；另一方面，人也不能离开精神意识，没有精神意识，人就变成一种纯粹的生命存在，其生活最多像动物一样，当然也谈不上作为人的存在。而且人的生命和精神意识之间还存在着密切的联系，它们互相依存、互相影响、互相作用，是一个矛盾的统一体。在道教看来，作为人，不仅要有形气所表现的生命，而且要有精神意识所表现的性，他是生命与精神意识即命与性的统一体，这就像人不仅要有形、气、神，而且是形、气、神的统一体一样。[1] Ref: “性”与“命”; "Xing" and "Ming"

Yes! When you are doing the reverse breathing, then it is the opposite. Thus 氣沈丹田 (sink chi to the Dan Tien) is still applies.

The du mai(督脈) lays along the spinal cord which is where all the central nerves run up the the brain.

Your line of questioning indicates that you don't have a clear understanding about 'filling up' the Dan Tien. Yes, it is a mile stone but in different a term, 氣沈丹田, sink chi to the Dan Tien. What that means is when you take a normal deep full breathing, your abdomen is fully expanded. It was said to be that you are under the condition of 氣沈丹田 (sink chi to the Dan Tien). In your terms, it means full. However, it is not. Here is why your Dan Tien is not full nor your abdomen. When you take a deep breath, actually your lungs are full causing your abdomen to be fully expanded. The abdomen is located at the lower Dan Tien(LTD) position. The idea is that the deep breath has sunk to the LDT. That is how the term 氣沈丹田 (sink chi to the Dan Tien) was derived which is also known as "abdominal breathing".. Abdominal breathing is the goal to be considered as an important mile stone before an esoteric practitioner can move on to other practices. Without breathing properly, noting can be accomplished. It was known as Chi Kung. Of course, it means nothing like that in the west.