ChiDragon

Yeah, I wouldn't make a doctrine out of it......

To make a metallic rigid sword feel like a feather, sometimes, in the air requires the understanding of Ting Jin(聽勁). In order to Ting Jin, one need to have some experience in Tai Ji to know Dong Jin(懂勁). Ting Jin is to feel the weight of the sword at every moment when the sword is in the hand. While the sword is in motion with the hand, the hand should try to make the weight to be as light as possible. How can you do that....??? I would like to hear some thoughts from those who have practiced Tai Ji with "push hands" for years and tell me. This is a test for those who had claimed that they knew "push hands".

Maybe......??? I need something more persuasive than that. I know what he says but that was not what he said. I don't know that other schools are using the term Xin Gong. It is certainly not the standard of Quanzhen Pai(全真派). Based on Vitalii's input, I believe he is following the Quanzhen standards. I saw what he wrote "Xin(g)". I am sure what he was trying to say. In his mind the terms of Xin(心) and Xing(性) are the same. However, traditional, they are; but, linguistically, they are not.

Why nothing can be said about it....???. Did we cause any harm by any action......??? Speaking about it and being in it are intellectualizing rather than beyond intellectualizing. It is because one cannot go beyond one's own ability. IMHO.

This the simplest way to understand them. A person has a mind and body. In order to make one a better and healthier person, one needs to cultivate the mind and the body. The ancient Chinese Taoists used these esoteric terms Xing(性) for the mind and the Ming(命) for the body. The method for the Cultivation of Xing was called Xing Gong(性功); and the Cultivation of Ming was called Ming Gong(命功). These esoteric terms are to be interpreted the Chinese Taoists only. Unfortunately, they cannot be found in any ordinary dictionaries. They are not to be translated as a common language within the same language or another language. To avoid confusion and misleading, people should not attempt to translate these two terms, on their own, without any knowledge of the Chinese Taoist terminologies. I might regret that I have said that.

Taomeow.... Remember we had a talk about a mosquito and the rain drops.....??? I think we can use the same principle to talk about the sword at free fall in contact with the hand. Do you think you can find that thread again...???

Do you mean why Xing and Ming are separated....???

It only says cultivate Chi before Xing; but it is not necessary to mean that was not before Ming. Hence, it can be before both Xing and Ming without affecting one another. I couldn't think of a reason why should Xing or Ming has a priority over one or the other based on the cultivation of Chi. Please note it should be Xing Gong(性功) rather than Xin Gong(心功) to be proper. Edited: Changed Could to couldn't.

The whole TTC was about the concept of Wu Wei. How can it not be an intellectual concept after we had a big discussion about that. Come on, you two-headed snake........

Vitalii...... Very good, you are correct.... I will revise my translation to reflect your correct definition of 端倪 as follows: 定心必先之以养气者，亦以心无处入手，故缘气为之端倪，所谓纯气之守也。 To stabilize the heart(mind), one must(必) nourish the Chi(养气) first(先). If the heart has no place to begin with, thus it is because Chi is the starting point. Hence, it was called "guarding the genuine Chi." Note: It may sound awkward, this is the closest translation. One need to interpret its meaning metaphorically.

hehehehe..... Chi is a very subtle thing to be spoken very coarse of. I do not speak of Chi, lightly, with an umbrella term. PS.... I would prefer that the energy through the sword as Jin(勁).

May I give it an explanation as a native speaker.......??? 故缘 is a rather a classic term which can be translated as: 1. Then, it is because..... 2. The reason is because..... To stabilize the heart(mind), one must nourish the Chi(养气). If the heart has no place to begin with, then, it is because the Chi had reached its limit. Thus it was so called the guarding of the genuine Chi.

I love you guys......!!! There is a big difference between a flexible and metallic rigid swords. The flexible is a very light weighted sword. It is easy for an ordinary person to hold and go through the long form of movements without being tired. IMO It is fine to practice with a light and wooden swords to learn the basic forms, but it is only for looks. For the purpose of Wu Shu practice, the practitioner has great physical strength. Normally, one deals with speed and brutal strikes with a heavier sword. For the purpose of Neigong like a Tai Ji practioner, one has to deal with the principles of Yang/Yin which require to take advantage of the weight of the sword. With a flexible sword, the Yang attribute cannot be executed because of it's lightness. Unfortunately, one can only execute the Yin attribute with a flexible sword. However, it is wonderful to watch a feminine performance with a flexible sword without interference by the weight of the sword. With a metallic rigid sword, a Neigong practitioner shall be able to handle the sword like a flexible one. During the performance, one should feel the rigid sword like a feather with no weight. Of course, at some point, one should feel the heaviness and the lightness(no weight) of the sword.

It seems to me that you are telling me this: You have not learned the internal secret by intuition yet. Please let us know after you pick up the sword and find out the difference.

Yes, a teacher is God. I'm sure God will tell him what kind of sword to buy.....!!!

Who do you want it to be......??? So, it shall be your Buddha. The statue is only an idol. The real Buddha is really in your heart.

Please tell me how besides have it going down your throat......

Where is your front door direction wise.....??? What direction is the back of your house is facing.....??? If your house is a "K'un" house, then the back of the house should be facing North. The bed room is in a bad location. According to Feng Shui terms, the middle is the "earth" sector and the "bottom" is below ground level which signifies a place for burial. Bottom + Earth is a burial place. Let's wait til Sebastian's calculation in relation with your birthday. I'll tell you more. Please don't pay much attention to what I say. I don't believe in Feng Shui anymore but it's fun to study it.

Do you have any idea, in general, how to get into it with a sword.....???

In the Courtyard/Taoist Textual Studies/Tao Te Ching Section: http://thetaobums.com/forum/254-tao-te-ching/

Then you want a rigid Ba Gua Tai Ji sword like the one I have.

If you want it just for show performance, then, you want to get a flexible Tai Ji Jian(太極劍). For strength practice with Neigong experience, you probably would want a rigid one. The balance point should about 6 inches from the vicinity of the blade side of the handle. I own a slim one which is a Ba Gua Tai Chi Sword(八卦太極劍) shown, here, in the eighth figure down: http://www.wushukey.com/weapon02jian/wushu04taichijian.htm

Here is the immediate means to me with a scientific explanation: "Filling the heart with qi" is not very clear what it is really saying. Let me try to break it down with all my accumulated knowledge from the past. First of all, assuming that "qi" is energy, the question is does the heart fill with energy....??? In modern science, it is undeniable that the heart needs energy to pump blood. However, I don't know where people get the idea that the heart stores energy. Now, where does the heart gets it's energy for contraction to pump the blood out....??? We know all muscle contractions get the energy from glucose and oxygen. This energy is known as ATP. For that said, "Filling the heart with qi(氣)" becomes "filling the heart with oxygen(氧氣)". Hence, the oxygen decomposes the glucose to produce the energy(ATP) for the cardiac muscle to contract. In the case, "Filling the dan tien with qi" It is simply a description for the feeling when the abdomen was fully expanded. At that instance, only the lungs are filled with air. Thus the imaginary phrase "Filling the dan tien with qi" becomes "Filling the dan tien with air". You see how the ideas can be changed by taken all things into consideration. Otherwise, we are always living in the dark and accepting all the fallacies as facts blindly.

This is only method that I know is effective for me as a Chinese(please don't object to this). I don't think you will find anything guided online. As far as I know, if one concentrate fully on the deep, slow and long breathing, then, all the attention will be directed to the breathing automatically. Hence, there is no time for the mind to think of something else. In your OP, it seems to me that you have not done enough concentration to direct your mind into the breathing. That is why you are having problem with you meditation. Never mind about the "Filling the heart and dan tien with qi". You just do the deep breathing method; and your body will take care the rest.

Yours truly had done the translation for most the chapters in the TTC section. Perhaps, like you said: "it's a lot more blunt and to the point" but may not be acceptable by the westerners. PS..... Please try not to trap yourself into the umbrella term.