ChiDragon

I have been hearing that lot of newcomers that they have practicing or practiced Neidan. It just dawned on me with curiosity. How people do their practice or what they think that is? I would to hear their comments before I introduce the original Taoist method of Neidan. I mean in the Chinese version with the help of AI. I have been using Gemini AI which gives me a very good explanation in the Chinese language. However, one may tell it in any way just for the purpose of comparison only. Thanks!

Before we start, we must clear some of the misunderstand of the terms of 精氣神. The direct translation of the terms will throw everything off. If we stay out of using the term "energy", then we will be safe. 精 is like a microscopic living organ, it is not a sperm as one might think. 氣 is the vital source that invigorates the body. It is not an energy. 神 is the driving source of the body. It is the commander-in-chief of the body. So to speak! It is not spirit.

何必對牛彈琴!

Back on course. Disclaimer: The following information is collective throughout the years of research. It is not my original idea nor my invention. It is the principle that counts. However, who said it, where is coming from is true or not are immaterial. It is up to the judgment of the reader. Please keep in mind. It is only the principle. Per the request of @Apech I am only fulfilling his desire to hear the method of Neidan from me. This is the only way that I understand it. I will not argue with the contradiction of other sources. Their ideas may be as good as mine. Hopefully, the end result will be the same. Peace!

我是說他們是在針對我們!

Don't be surprised. People might think that you are occasionally! Do you see how this thread was contaminated with trolls?

有理必爭

Good morning! Love to hear you all. No hard feelings. Tao is with us. Your words are precious. @Apech Since I heard lots of wonderful words for my amusement, do you still want me to continue? Please advise.

Is it that serious and you are not overreacting?

Sure, gladly. It starts with TCM. Dan, 丹, is just a pill. It is no different in Western medicine. At first, the Taoist started with the idea of using poisonous chemicals to make pills. The intention of the pills was assumed to make them live longer. However, they took the final product and caused death. Eventually, they tried and tried to bake it in a cauldron and blew up. That was how gunpowder was invented by the Chinese, by the way. So, Taoists thought, since the external method failed. Let's try it internally. They thought there must be something in the body to make it function. They thought the material that makes up the body structure is 精(jing). Something that vitalizes the body is 氣(Qi), Something that drives the body is 神(shen). The three items were called as three treasures. It was assumed they interacted with one another to form an internal pill. The purpose of the pill was for longevity. Instead of calling it a pill, it was called Elixir. So far, this is the introduction of the pill per your request. We will go into the procedure in the next post. PS It is getting late, I must go to bed now. See you all at sunrise! TBC

Haha! How could I intend to teach? There is no student here. I am so lonely here. I just want to find someone that I can talk to. Hopefully, we can share some common knowledge.

Thank you. Let me put it this way. Before the AI was invented. I Had already researched the information and stored in my head. I had filtered out the distorted and unwanted information. The definition are very straight forward. I used as my reference to reason with any doubt. I always update these information as new idea comes along. As I am interacting with the members, here, I am also learning from them. I wouldn't be prejudice about using AI. It is because some of the information online is no longer available for me. I had discovered by using AI, it can bring back the information for me and save me a lot of time. Based on my mental reference, I am at a point that I can spot what is useful to me or not with reason and logic. I will never say that was not it without reasoning. I wouldn't just say no and that was not it and stop from there. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here this long trying to reason with the members. Every time I am making a point I get side tracked. People think I am using AI to snow everybody without reasons. I just have to swallow it. The cultivation of 性 and 命 I had translated, once, few years back from the explanation of 王重陽, the Taoist priest himself. In return I got various disparaging remarks or even got banned for the manner. To make the story short. Why should it be a problem I am relying on AI to get the information when it's true. If someone put a gun through my head, I still would say the same thing with no regret. When a term comes up, people start citing with irrelevant information for their argument has no merit. In one case, someone cited some Chinese phrases out of nowhere and ask me to translated as his argument. He didn't even know what he was asking. That was ridiculous.

The modern Chinese interpreted as 動力。 I don't think it means energy. It should be said that it is a vital factor and a driving factor. If we said it this way, then we can do away with any misleading terms.

Thank you kindly. I was really going to bring out the universal and authentic Neidan procedure at the end of the thread. However, since I have so many objections and rejections. Some people had already made up their mind that I am full of you know what. So, might as well just say that I don't believe it. Actually, I only believe it partially. I only believed in the preservation of the Jing. The part about the transformation of Chi and Shen is very vague.

內丹術 is just a virtual concept by the ancient Taoist. There was no physical proof. It is the principle that matters. If you think you understand it, then, practice it the way you think it is. If it works for you, congratulation! I am only a spectator trying to understand what the principle was. I might not believe it. At least, I am trying to figure out what it is saying with the best of my knowledge in my disturbed and distorted mind.

It is only in the eyes of the beholder. I would just leave it!

知己知彼

Thank You. I will make a mental note of that. I would, also, like to remind you that the method of Neidan was only a virtual concept dreamed up by the ancient Taoist and there wasn't any physical proof. People are just took it for granted.

Okay, thank you for your patience. Since we have many ideas and definitions argued or agreed upon. I think we have enough information(aminition) to continue with the journey of Neidan. As I recall, I believe your question was referring to the quality in the achievement of my Taiji practice. Anyway, what I had changed in my body from the practice were: 1. I can breathe much deeper and more efficiently. It is the most important factor. 2. More alert 3. Faster reflex 4. Stay calmer in adverse situations. 5. Do not get fatigue too easily 6. More body strength to perform difficult task 7. My voice increased in tone makes it better for singing and able to handle more notes 8. Better mentality. The practice is mainly with the coordination of the breathing and the movements. You might say that Taiji is also the cultivation of 性 and 命.

Thank you. I couldn't agree more. The cultivation of 性 and 命 is not pertaining the Neidan. The cultivation was intended for one to be a better person as 真人. 真人 should be known as a "True man," other than a "real man" as commonly translated. The idea for being a True man is to have a good educated mind with a healthy body. BTW They don't called this as 性命雙修 for nothing, you know! A good educated mind is able to distinguish what is true or false and able to sort and filter things out with logic.

Yes, people made it too broad and lost its esoteric narrow meaning in the context. BTW The same problem applies the 气。

https://fabriziopregadio.com/files/PREGADIO_Destiny_Vital_Force_or_Existence.pdf I was wondering where are the people getting the confusion from. People took this as Bible. That was the problem. He wasn't sure what he is talking about. He may know the definition of the individual characters. However, he doesn't know what the individual meaning of 性 and 命 abide to definition of the cultivation. P.S. The cultivation of 性 and 命 is not pertaining the Neidan. The cultivation was intended to be a better person as 真人. 真人 should be known as a "True man," other than a "real man" as commonly translated. The idea for being a True man is to have a good educated mind with a healthy body. BTW They don't called this as 性命雙修 for nothing you know. Quoted from the above: "Neidan or Internal Alchemy has developed two main modes of selfcultivation. The first is based on cultivating the mind and intends to remove the causes that prevent one from “seeing one’s true nature,” which is equated with the Elixir. The second is based on purifying the main components of the human being—Essence (jing 精 ), Breath (qi 氣 ), and Spirit (shen 神 )—so that they may serve as ingredients of the Elixir. These two modes of self-cultivation are said to place an emphasis on xing 性 and on ming 命 , respectively. However, Neidan texts repeat time and again that xing and ming can only be understood and realized in conjunction with one another." I can accept that the 精 as essence. However, 氣 is definitely doesn't mean breath here. Rather, it is the vital force to keep the body to function. Also, it is not an energy. 神 is not spirit, rather it is a driving force to keep the body in motion.

Therefore, it is still one world.

Rephrase: If Dao is “invisible with potential,” then it already has properties. If it has properties, it is not nothing. Therefore the concept does not contradict itself. Good point. Very logical. I would replace the word "nothingness" to "invisible", then, there is no argument. Laotze had already defined Tao is either visible and invisible in Chapter One. It was the first thing that he pointed out before anything else. If someone misread that, then, there is no need to go any further for the translation. Sorry, the way it was written is very paradoxical. That was his style of thinking. He always say something negatively but ended up positive. No one can deny the authenticity of the TTC that was not written by him. Laotze was a wise man, a sage to be exact.

Tao is either visible or invisible for us to grok in our world. One world.