Daoist Alchemy: Jerry A. Johnson

[Green Tiger]

Interesting Green Tiger. I share your thoughts on not wanting to go into advanced level stuff sifu-less. I have most of his books, how much is new, would you estimate percentage wise?

Well, I haven't read everything he's written so couldn't say for sure. My impression was that about half of it was either new or at least stuff I hadn't seen before. I know the last 100 pages or so focuses on spiritual transformation and creating the golden fetus, which is something I haven't seen in any of his books. There's a fair amount of what I'll call 'taoist magic stuff' that I haven't seen before but could be in his other books that deal with taoist magic. I haven't read any of those. There's a large section on the three dan tiens that may contain info unique to this work, but of course he's talked about the dan tiens in his previous books.

 

I know some of the basic stuff like the 20 dao yin posture points and the five yin organ exercises are covered. That stuff was in his original medical qigong text and on his qigong video.

 

There are several sections I wouldn't mind reading. He has a section on going celibate for 100 days that I'm sure would be interesting. I don't remember seeing anything about that in the internal martial arts books, although it might have been in his new medical qigong series. I haven't read any of those volumes.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Green Tiger

[Zhongyongdaoist]

I do have all of his Daoist Magic books and four of his medical qigong books. In terms of his previous books there is a lot of material that is 'new', by which I mean that he has not written about it in his other books, though I have known about or worked with some of it for a long time. I posted on the Tao Bums a couple of years ago that one should start with his medical qigong books:

 

I have four of his medical qigong books and all of his Daoist magic series. It is an impressive body of work, though the Daoist magic series is not conducive to self study (nor do I really think it is intended to be), the medical qigong books are more user friendly and since Professor Johnson seems to view Daoist magic as an extension of medical qigong, there is enough material about Daoist magic training and techniques in the four medical qiqong books that they would make a good starting point for independent study, if you have a serious interest in this type of thing.

They seem to agree with me because their guide to buying Daoist books recommend buying the first two of the medical qigong books first. You can find the guide here:

http://daoistmagic.com/guide-to-buying-books/

Knowing what I do about his work this guide seems a sensible approach to me. I haven't gone through and taken a look at what may be new or not, but as I am in a position to do so I will bear it in mind and post about it as I can.

 

Edit: changed quide to guide

Edited October 28, 2013 by Zhongyongdaoist

[Horus]

"reading it at work"

nice work when you can get it

giddyup! I read and write (write out my paper version from electronic/pdf's) taoist texts while the phone is ringing

 

I love working from home!

 

Semi naked wife walking around, a kiss and a cuddle for every deal processed!!

[Horus]

Don't forget the longmen pai sect released a text of their practices as well for like $28.00, I believe that it is a great buy as well.

What is the name of that text Gooch - do you have a link?

[Zhongyongdaoist]

What is the name of that text Gooch - do you have a link?

 

Thunder_Gooch was banned, but there was a lot of talk about Wang li Ping and this book:

 

Ling Bao Tong Zhi Neng Nei Gong Shu

 

lists for $28.00. There are apparently other books in the series, some of which are classical Daoist texts. Maybe that is what he meant.

[flowing hands]

Agreed, Scotty. FH, so what if some of us grew up christian...how many of us do you think that grew up steeped in that still practice it to this day? Rhetorical question. Let's keep this thread about JAJ's Daoist Alchemy - if there's overlap in relevant areas, that's of course ok, but it is fruitless to take these tangential bits of discussion too far. /\

 

-modstuff

Hi Joeblast, I was just re reading this and realised that some gross unfairness has gone on in this post.

h.uriah makes some nasty comments about being the apprentice of the Monkey King etc. and certain members here particularly Athereous and Green tiger jump on my back for me mimicking the jibes certain people made when I make a pertinent point about Daoist cultivation. As a Daoist who has been under a traditional master for 32 years and that master being enlightened, I have no need for Jerry Johsons book and I would certainly not pay the money he's asking for it. I'll go back to my original point which if any of these Jerry Johson sycophants knew anything about cultivation, would realise that you are aiming to have nothing in your heart other than the Dao when cultivating and you can't call it anything else.

 

For further tips on Daoist alchemy and cultivation see chapter 83 of the DDJ new verses.

Edited March 27, 2014 by flowing hands

[SonOfTheGods]

I do have all of his Daoist Magic books and four of his medical qigong books. In terms of his previous books there is a lot of material that is 'new', by which I mean that he has not written about it in his other books, though I have known about or worked with some of it for a long time. I posted on the Tao Bums a couple of years ago that one should start with his medical qigong books:

 

 

They seem to agree with me because their guide to buying Daoist books recommend buying the first two of the medical qigong books first. You can find the guide here:

 

http://daoistmagic.com/guide-to-buying-books/

 

Knowing what I do about his work this guide seems a sensible approach to me. I haven't gone through and taken a look at what may be new or not, but as I am in a position to do so I will bear it in mind and post about it as I can.

 

Edit: changed quide to guide

That was 1/2 year ago- did you get his Daoist Alchemy book?

[Green Tiger]

Hi Joeblast, I was just re reading this and realised that some gross unfairness has gone on in this post.

h.uriah makes some nasty comments about being the apprentice of the Monkey King etc. and certain members here particularly Athereous and Green tiger jump on my back for me mimicking the jibes certain people made when I make a pertinent point about Daoist cultivation. As a Daoist who has been under a traditional master for 32 years and that master being enlightened, I have no need for Jerry Johsons book and I would certainly not pay the money he's asking for it. I'll go back to my original point which if any of these Jerry Johson sycophants knew anything about cultivation, would realise that you are aiming to have nothing in your heart other than the Dao when cultivating and you can't call it anything else.

 

For further tips on Daoist alchemy and cultivation see chapter 83 of the DDJ new verses.

 

You call yourself a shaman. Have you ever invoked a spirit? Called upon a deity?

[Green Tiger]

That was 1/2 year ago- did you get his Daoist Alchemy book?

 

I definitely think it'd be up your alley, SotG. You might want to clear your schedule for a few weeks if you buy it, though.

[BaguaKicksAss]

You call yourself a shaman. Have you ever invoked a spirit? Called upon a deity?

 

You must have missed most of his posts on TTBs .

[BaguaKicksAss]

I definitely think it'd be up your alley, SotG. You might want to clear your schedule for a few weeks if you buy it, though.

 

I was thinking more like a few decades....

[Green Tiger]

You must have missed most of his posts on TTBs .

 

Yeah, I just looked at the website in his signature. Something tells me I didn't miss much.

 

I think it helps to be more familiar with Jerry's larger body of work before making assumptions about his beliefs.

 

For instance, in Jerry's medical qigong text he describes a preparatory step he calls the 'divine hookup'. At that point the medical qigong practitioner is instructed to link up with the "divine" or "divine healing light." Not with Jesus, mind, but with a more ambiguous concept of divinity.

 

THE DIVINE HOOK-UP

 

Once the doctor has established energetic grounding, the next step in establishing a clinical environment is to connect with his or her spiritual center through the divine hook-up. From this spiritual center the Qigong doctor observes the patient, void of personal thoughts, feelings, and judgments. This spiritual state of open receptivity allows patients to feel secure and to release their guarded emotions. Lacking a safe environment, patients may feel the need to repress emotions or to be distracted from experiencing and letting go of the original trauma.

 

The Qigong doctor, once healing has begun, enters into a state of "oneness" with the patient and the divine, in which the doctor's will and intention envelops and fuses together with the divine will and wisdom. Both doctor and patient begin to communicate through deep subconscious interactions. The doctor's success or effectiveness as a Qigong healer depends on a willingness and ability to connect with the patient and the divine healing light. Drawing from this interpersonal communication with the patient, and the deep spiritual connection with the divine, the doctor begins the treatment. According to Dr. Meng XianTong of the Beijing Chengjian Integrated Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine Experts Clinic, when Qigong doctors perform the divine hook-up, they increase their own body's Righteous Qi, which then extends the energetic Message encoded in their Qi into the patient's body. The doctor's Righteous Qi is then absorbed by the patient's body and fused together with his or her Qi. This fusion empowers the patient to heal his or her disease.

 

Before contact with any patient the doctor first connects with the divine to purify and stabilize, not only him or herself, but also the treatment room (with a constant flow of Heavenly Qi pouring into the room). This divine hook-up enables the Qigong doctor to not only establish a sacred healing space, but also to access both spiritual insights and divine healing power.

 

Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy, pg. 506

[joeblast]

Hi Joeblast,

Hello FlowingHands....quite glad to be out of that role Its much more fun and free being just a plain ol member

[BaguaKicksAss]

Hi Joeblast, I was just re reading this and realised that some gross unfairness has gone on in this post.

h.uriah makes some nasty comments about being the apprentice of the Monkey King etc. and certain members here particularly Athereous and Green tiger jump on my back for me mimicking the jibes certain people made when I make a pertinent point about Daoist cultivation. As a Daoist who has been under a traditional master for 32 years and that master being enlightened, I have no need for Jerry Johsons book and I would certainly not pay the money he's asking for it. I'll go back to my original point which if any of these Jerry Johson sycophants knew anything about cultivation, would realise that you are aiming to have nothing in your heart other than the Dao when cultivating and you can't call it anything else.

 

For further tips on Daoist alchemy and cultivation see chapter 83 of the DDJ new verses.

 

PS h.uriah is no longer a TTBs member.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Having read the entire book at this point I would say, if you don't have an in person teacher, most definitely get this book .

[Zhongyongdaoist]

That was 1/2 year ago- did you get his Daoist Alchemy book?

 

I'm sorry if my original post was unclear. I have emphasized relevant passages below:

 

I do have all of his Daoist Magic books and four of his medical qigong books. In terms of his previous books there is a lot of material that is 'new', by which I mean that he has not written about it in his other books, though I have known about or worked with some of it for a long time. I posted on the Tao Bums a couple of years ago that one should start with his medical qigong books:

 

all of his Daoist Magic books: When I said all of his Daoist Magic books that included Daoist Internal Alchemy at the time of posting. I believe I got it sometime in the preceding summer.

 

In terms of his previous books there is a lot of material that is 'new', by which I mean that he has not written about it in his other books, though I have known about or worked with some of it for a long time.: This passage is in reference to Daoist Internal Alchemy. Several items that he mentions have appeared in the scholarly literature, in this case I am referring to Livia Kohn's Daoist Experience: An Anthology. I have used her material as well as others as the basis of my own work and investigation for quite some time. Jerry Alan Johnson's own use of them includes other material which is not in the scholarly literature. Some other material I learned before Jerry Alan Johnson, having studied with Sifu Michael Alan Brown about forty years ago. These are the exercises described beginning on p. 240.

 

Jerry Alan Johnson's Daoist internal Alchemy is a thick, densely packed book which will overwhelm a person who does not have a satisfactory background. I remain with my original recommendation, which is to start with his medical Qigong books, which contain much useful information including insight into mantra, mudra and other important aspects of Daoist magical training, which is developed in his other Daoist Magic books. I remain with my advice that:

 

Guide to Buying the Daoist Magic series

 

is an excellent guide.

[Green Tiger]

 

I'm sorry if my original post was unclear. I have emphasized relevant passages below:

 

 

all of his Daoist Magic books: When I said all of his Daoist Magic books that included Daoist Internal Alchemy at the time of posting. I believe I got it sometime in the preceding summer.

 

In terms of his previous books there is a lot of material that is 'new', by which I mean that he has not written about it in his other books, though I have known about or worked with some of it for a long time.: This passage is in reference to Daoist Internal Alchemy. Several items that he mentions have appeared in the scholarly literature, in this case I am referring to Livia Kohn's Daoist Experience: An Anthology. I have used her material as well as others as the basis of my own work and investigation for quite some time. Jerry Alan Johnson's own use of them includes other material which is not in the scholarly literature. Some other material I learned before Jerry Alan Johnson, having studied with Sifu Michael Alan Brown about forty years ago. These are the exercises described beginning on p. 240.

 

Jerry Alan Johnson's Daoist internal Alchemy is a thick, densely packed book which will overwhelm a person who does not have a satisfactory background. I remain with my original recommendation, which is to start with his medical Qigong books, which contain much useful information including insight into mantra, mudra and other important aspects of Daoist magical training, which is developed in his other Daoist Magic books. I remain with my advice that:

 

Guide to Buying the Daoist Magic series

 

is an excellent guide.

 

I already have his original Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy text and also The Essence of Internal Martial Arts volumes 1 and 2. For my purposes, I think that's all I need so far as his books are concerned.

 

Which volume contains the info on mantra and mudra? I'd have to take a look at the CMQT book I have, but I don't remember any chapters on mantra or mudra. There were chapters covering Dao Yin postural training and healing sounds, is that what you're talking about?

 

I would agree that the Dao Yin training sections from CMQT would be good for people to start with. I'm not sure which volume of his new medical qigong books contain that info.

[Zhongyongdaoist]

As a Daoist who has been under a traditional master for 32 years and that master being enlightened, I have no need for Jerry Johsons book and I would certainly not pay the money he's asking for it. I'll go back to my original point which if any of these Jerry Johson sycophants knew anything about cultivation, would realise that you are aiming to have nothing in your heart other than the Dao when cultivating and you can't call it anything else.

 

For further tips on Daoist alchemy and cultivation see chapter 83 of the DDJ new verses.

(Emphasis mine, ZYD)

 

As a person who has posted positively about Jerry Alan Johnson's books I suppose that I am included in this condemnation. As a person who started reading the Dao De Jing almost fifty years ago, I bought Jerry Alan Johnson's books for what was not in the Dao De Jing, not what was already in it. As for not knowing anything about cultivation and thus being misled about cultivation, I will let you and Jerry Alan Johnson speak for yourselves, that others may decide:

 

And so I cast my pearls amongst the swine!

 

83

 

A great tree stretches its limbs towards the Heavens.

Men should be like trees.

A great tree draws its goodness from the Earth and from the Heavens.

Men should be like trees.

 

For the goodness in all things comes from the Earth and from the Heavens.

 

Be at one with Heaven and Earth. If you are at one with Heaven and Earth you can become Divine. Being Divine, you can be at one forever.

(Emphasis mine, ZYD)

 

 

From the end of 'Yellow Court Meditation for internal Cultivation of Thunder', which starts on p. 239 of Daoist Weather Magic and Feng Shui:

 

 

Fusing with the Dao

• At this point, dissolve into the infinite space of the Wuji and commune with the eternal Dao.
• Maintain this state this magical state as long as you can comfortably hold your breath. (p. 240, I corrected Maintained in the original to maintain. ZYD)

 

 

 

[flowing hands]

 

As a person who has posted positively about Jerry Alan Johnson's books I suppose that I am included in this condemnation. As a person who started reading the Dao De Jing almost fifty years ago, I bought Jerry Alan Johnson's books for what was not in the Dao De Jing, not what was already in it. As for not knowing anything about cultivation and thus being misled about cultivation, I will let you and Jerry Alan Johnson speak for yourselves, that others may decide:

 

 

 

From the end of 'Yellow Court Meditation for internal Cultivation of Thunder', which starts on p. 239 of Daoist Weather Magic and Feng Shui:

 

 

 

 

How does one dissolve into the infinite space, if one does not even know what wuji is? Is this really only words and is one's experience of various states different from another's? Isn't this just misleading; the blind leading the blind. How do you know what state you have entered and is it the state that Jerry Johnson has experienced or wants you to experience? Could what he calls wuji be completely different to what at least ten others may experience for instance?

 

Now the verse that Li Erh Xian Shi taught me as your example is telling people to make themselves like trees. Now a true cultivator will understand this and recognize why this symbolism is so powerful.

 

Now If you don't know what Li Erh means by this and you can't find anything in Jerry Johnson's books, then IMO I suggest to you to sell his books and give the money to a good cause and do what Li Erh says. You may then begin to understand.

Edited March 27, 2014 by flowing hands

[Zhongyongdaoist]

How does one dissolve into the infinite space, if one does not even know what wuji is? Is this really only words and is one's experience of various states different from an others? Isn't this just misleading; the blind leading the blind. How do you know what state you have entered and is it the state that Jerry Johnson has experienced or wants you to experience.

 

Now the verse that Li Erh Xian Shi taught me as your example is telling people to make themselves like trees. Now a true cultivator will understand this and recognize why this symbolism is so powerful.

 

You certainly know how to change the subject quickly when you have been caught on your own hook. Your argument at this point is purely ad hominem and continues to make assumptions and assertions about people, and their supposed inferiority to your own definition of a 'true cultivator'. I could ask similar questions about you, but I leave that to others. As I said you seem to want to change the subject and no one can be blamed if they think it is because you have no satisfactory answer.

 

As a Daoist who has been under a traditional master for 32 years and that master being enlightened, I have no need for Jerry Johsons book and I would certainly not pay the money he's asking for it. I'll go back to my original point which if any of these Jerry Johson sycophants knew anything about cultivation, would realise that you are aiming to have nothing in your heart other than the Dao when cultivating and you can't call it anything else.

 

For further tips on Daoist alchemy and cultivation see chapter 83 of the DDJ new verses.

(Emphasis mine, ZYD)

 

you are aiming to have nothing in your heart other than the Dao when cultivating and you can't call it anything else: You criticized Jerry Alan Johnson, myself and others for not knowing this. I provide an example from a tiny portion of his writing and you act as if it is all he has to say about the matter. He has much more to say about this and trees too.

 

I have no need for Jerry Johsons book: You do if you want to put forward a cogent and convincing criticism of it. Otherwise even a person of relatively little judgement is likely to conclude that you have nothing important to say about the matter.

[dawei]

You call yourself a shaman. Have you ever invoked a spirit? Called upon a deity?

 

That is exactly what he does... call upon his teachers

 

Maybe the counter question to us all is: Have any of us?

[SonOfTheGods]

Okay thank you everybody

[dawei]

For instance, in Jerry's medical qigong text he describes a preparatory step he calls the 'divine hookup'. At that point the medical qigong practitioner is instructed to link up with the "divine" or "divine healing light." Not with Jesus, mind, but with a more ambiguous concept of divinity.

 

Have you actually participated in the program and performed it? Or only read about it?

 

I have studied under a Qigong master prior to going to JAJ program... and I was taught the "Divine Hookup"... and used it in clinicals... and since have studied again further with others.

 

Do you know why a national program would provide a simple and safe and easily re-produced set? Do you know the liability which comes with such programs?

 

Why is this useful as a national program teaching?

 

And when does one actually decide whether for themselves this is useful or necessary?

 

I will tell you my experience.

 

As a national program, I get it. It is a safe method to teach everyone and anyone. Just follow it. No need to think.

 

I like aspects of it and what it aims to do... but it is not necessary.

 

The divine hookup is within you; not by rote steps. Rote steps are to help people get there... if your there, you smile at an instruction to: Left foot step; right foot step.

 

There is a place for it and as part of an eclectic practice there is much to use... from this and from everyone you learn energy work from.

 

Build your own system. Be your own person. Connect under your Way...

 

That is just my experience.

[BaguaKicksAss]

Yeah, I just looked at the website in his signature. Something tells me I didn't miss much.

 

I think it helps to be more familiar with Jerry's larger body of work before making assumptions about his beliefs.

 

For instance, in Jerry's medical qigong text he describes a preparatory step he calls the 'divine hookup'. At that point the medical qigong practitioner is instructed to link up with the "divine" or "divine healing light." Not with Jesus, mind, but with a more ambiguous concept of divinity.

 

Actually I've always liked his posts, and found his site interesting. Though I appreciate JAJ much more than he does . FH just uses a different approach than many is all.

[BaguaKicksAss]

One thing I always tend to forget is that some folks are starting off brand new, or only a year or two in. ZYD has a good point about the medical qigong books (1 and 2) before the Neigong one.