Xiang Gong - Fragrant Qigong

[SirPalomides]

This article is a very good overview of the period: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20059006?seq=1

 

Non-academics, take heart, JSTOR is offering free membership during the pandemic.

[tao stillness]

My view on death is just my take after being on a spiritual path for the last 50 years and having 2 world famous masters. I think that the exact time of our death, just the exact time of our day of enlightenment is already determined. What qigong does is allow us to be more healthy during our allotted lifespan. We probably can agree that one thing for certain that we all get from qigong is a stronger immune system. That alone would result in better heath. Same principal applies to my practice of Transcendental Meditation. It was meant to produce enlightenment which it certainly did for the guru who brought it out to the rest of the world. But I have never heard of anyone else reaching enlightenment who does TM, even for several decades. But what it does do is give other benefits that makes your daily life go better with less stress. We do not get physical immortality from doing qigong but we get better health and some spiritual growth.  Daisy Lee during her webinar the other day mentioned that one of her teachers lived to be 108, Master Duan, and her other teacher lived to be 115! I say that is good enough.  

[Zork]

19 hours ago, SirPalomides said:

In the 90’s the category of “medical qigong” was promoted by the government, as opposed to “superstitious” styles with religious overtones or charismatic leaders.  Scams and cult/ mass-movement behavior were growing concerns.

The government promotes styles that lack a supernatural element. There is nothing "medical" going on with the Yijinjing or the baduanjin version that is promoted by the CCP. They are plain exercises, nothing more than their western counterpart, isometrics. Are they "good for health"?, yes but so are isometrics, callisthenics, stretching etc.

Did you never wonder why there are no pranayama exercises, promoted by the CPP, for example like "9 bottled breaths"/"nine purification breaths"?

Some of those have no visualisation and no "supernatural" elements while clearing the channels (which are a big part of TCM which the Chinese government promotes at every corner. Double speech? you bet!)

Edited June 17, 2020 by Zork

[Sudhamma]

22 hours ago, Cleansox said:

This was not what I was looking for, in the late 90-ties several styles advertised that they were on a list of about ten approved styles. Maybe the list have changed. 

I've 2 books, one is published by China Qigong Research Institute, Beijing, in 1985, "Discussions on Chinese Qigong". There are two lists of qigong styles in the book: 1. Jing-gong (stationary) styles - 18 schools. 2. Dong-gong (dynamic) styles: 17 schools. Some of the above list are in this book. Two other popular qigong styles, Da Yan and He Xiang are featured in the book as well. Another book, "300 questions on Qigong Exercises" was compiled by Lin Housheng and Luo Peiyu. In this 2nd book, about 40 styles were featured including hard qigong. This book was printed in Guangzhou, 1994. Ma Wang Dui's Daoyin system was not in the two books. Of course, these two books are not exhaustive in their listings as there are close to 2000 types of qigong.

 

After the collapse of the Imperial Qing Dynasty in1911, there was a hasty and fervent social revolution across China propagating the removal of opium, superstition, and prostitution. Of the three, Superstition was very deeply rooted in the rural population where paper charms and magic spells were touted to cure all ills and evils and as an alternative to proper medicine. China then was very poor and there were not enough doctors and TCM physicians then. When CCP took over the rein of government, opium and prostitution were quickly eradicated, and superstition was the last to be resolved. In time, with education and the improvement of the health system, 'witch-doctors' were eradicated as well. However, when any one or group tilted any established religious teachings for their advantage or claimed to have supernatural powers like distant qi-healing, passing through walls, or with powers of levitation, the Chinese government would intervene and disband the group. And not because the group commanded a huge following. I think Taijiquan has a larger following if you understand what I meant. If you are a Buddhist and have read Falun Dafa then you will understand that Falun Dafa is a serious corruption of the Buddha-dhamma. I was given the book Falun Dafa to read some 20-30 years ago and concluded that it was a serious corruption though some Buddhist terminology was kept, just like some other cult-leaders claiming 'reincarnation' of Buddha. The Dhammacakra is the Turning of the (Dhamma) Wheel, but the 'turning' is not a rotation but a starting, a beginning, an activation; not a rotation in accord with the Cosmos. That's BS.

 

 

[tao stillness]

I would like to mention something about the turning of the Dharma Wheel in Falun Dafa. After I learned Falun Dafa I had my medical clairvoyant check to see if there was a wheel installed inside of me. He described in correct detail including how it was rotating. And I also felt the wheel being installed. 

[Sudhamma]

Very good! Soon you can levitate, go through walls, and perform miracles. 

[Vajra Fist]

3 hours ago, Sudhamma said:

Very good! Soon you can levitate, go through walls, and perform miracles. 

 

You've already stated you disagree with it on Buddhist canonical grounds, which was an excellent point and well made. Petty ridicule of other members then detracts from that point in my opinion. 

 

I know there are still practitioners of Falun Gong in China getting arrested for passing out literature that (they see) as 'clarifying the facts' about their practice. I'm curious, what is the situation with Fragrant in China? Are there still people practicing, albeit behind closed doors? Is it largely tolerated now, with authorities turning a blind eye?

Edited June 18, 2020 by Vajra Fist

[mark]

Uncertain, cloudy. Celestially this is the case, might take time to trickle down.

[Sudhamma]

@Vajra Fist, You are right...I should not have made that remark. I am sure that Falun Gong is still practised secretly but the pseudo--Buddhist philosophy of Falun Dafa especially the outlandish claims would not be tolerated. It was their outlandish claims that got the society into trouble with the authorities. 

[senseless virtue]

I have been practicing Fragrant Qigong level 1 for a while now. It's clearly a powerful and very healing method so I wanted to give it my public endorsement and a very brief review.

 

The Fragrant practice and its limitations are not my cup of tea really, but its actual practice feels extraordinarily casual and accessible. If you can see past its formal part, you can't help but be thankful for how easily it integrates to daily life and how little effort it requires outside of the regular practice commitment of two or three sessions each day.

 

The Fragrant Water is another fine perk that is a stand alone healing practice on its own.

[anshino23]

On 7/31/2020 at 8:12 PM, virtue said:

I have been practicing Fragrant Qigong level 1 for a while now. It's clearly a powerful and very healing method so I wanted to give it my public endorsement and a very brief review.

 

Are you allowed to expound on what exactly it has done for you that makes you say that it's both clearly powerful and very healing? I'd be very curious to hear if you'd like to share.  Happy to hear you've been enjoying the practice.  

[senseless virtue]

On 8/2/2020 at 12:51 AM, anshino23 said:

Are you allowed to expound on what exactly it has done for you that makes you say that it's both clearly powerful and very healing? I'd be very curious to hear if you'd like to share.  Happy to hear you've been enjoying the practice.  

 

It consistently produces feelings of welfare and leaves a good and stable sense of vitality that carries on long time. My dreams have been signaling a lot more healing images and symbols since starting. To sum: it just feels right.

[tao stillness]

In reply to the death of qigong masters. You might want to look up the life of Kai Shen Tsui who is retired police dept. worker, I think in Taiwan, who was born in 1910. He learned a rare set of qigong exercises from a Buddhist monk in 1934. Since then he only did qigong sporadically but not daily. However, when he retired at age 66 his health was not so good so he then began to practice daily the qigong set that he learned in 1934. He is still alive at age 109 and you can see his flexibility on youtube videos where he teaches his form but in Chinese. However, Kevin W. Chen, whom the Chinese government called "The cancer killer", is a professor at the Integrative Medical Center at the University of Maryland Baltimore campus and he translated Tsui's teachings and he is now offering that as an online course which I recently began as a 5 session course. I will say that you will not be able to learn it from the online video unless you speak Chinese fluently. That is the value of professor Chen. Professor Chen also quotes from a Chinese master who lived to be 133. By the way, it's fascinating that Tsui, at age 109 still has his own teeth, he does not need eye glasses, and he demonstrates the bodily flexibility of an infant. See it for yourself. The exercises are easy to do except for one of them, depending on your level of flexibility. There are 20 exercises and the course fee is about as low as you will ever see for qigong. 

Edited August 10, 2020 by tao stillness
to correct a statement

[anshino23]

On 8/3/2020 at 9:47 AM, virtue said:

It consistently produces feelings of welfare and leaves a good and stable sense of vitality that carries on long time. My dreams have been signaling a lot more healing images and symbols since starting. To sum: it just feels right.

 

Happy to hear it  

[tao stillness]

I want to reply to the perception that Falun Dafa is pseudo Buddhism. Falun Dafa claims that what has been passed down as Buddhism is actually very distorted because the followers of Buddha who heard his teachings were not enlightened for the most part and thus they did not understand his teachings and interpreted the teachings incorrectly and they were passed down like that. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi told us that only 500 followers of Buddha reached enlightenment. 

An example of misunderstanding is the 8 Fold Path. The 8th path, enlightenment actually should be the first path to be achieved because when someone is enlightened their behavior becomes spontaneously in accord with all the Laws of Nature and they spontaneously engage in right action. There is no trying to be peaceful, or trying to be non-violent when you are enlightened. You naturally behave that way. It comes with that level of consciousness. So once enlightenment is achieved, all of the 7 paths are automatically achieved. Tell this to a practicing Buddhist and they will become very uncomfortable and resist this way of thinking about Buddhism. 

 

Edited August 10, 2020 by tao stillness
to add more information

[Cosmic Soldier]

@tao stillness  

Quote

he translated Tsui's teachings and he is now offering that as an online course which I recently began as a 5 session course.

I'd like to learn more. Have you got a link for the course?

[tao stillness]

This is the link for Kevin W. Chen's website. But I always have trouble finding where he advertised his current qigong class that I am taking for Longevity Qigong. 

http://yang-sheng.com/

Edited August 11, 2020 by tao stillness

[Cosmic Soldier]

Thanks @tao stillness I'll have a look around and see if I can find it.

Is the course you are doing called Longevity Qigong?

 

[tao stillness]

I think it is. I just stumbled upon the correct website for it yesterday and should have bookmarked it. 

[Fido]

I just saw this posted on John Dolic's website, him addressing the disapearance of Master Tian: http://www.qigongchinesehealth.com/blog/post/4110012

Edited November 6, 2020 by Fido

[JohnC]

On 8/10/2020 at 4:46 PM, Cosmic Soldier said:

@tao stillness  

I'd like to learn more. Have you got a link for the course?

http://yang-sheng.com/?p=10788

[Toni]

I am doing fragrant qi gong again. I have not been very well lately and this style is helping me a lot. It just so happens that some days I would like to do it more than 3 times. I know the maximum is said to be 3 times a day, but what really happens if one does it 4 times? would it be bad?

 

@virtue do you know maybe?

Edited March 7, 2021 by Toni

[Miffymog]

 I'd stick with what is advised.

 

It's like the old story of the man who asked the monk how long it would take for him to make good progress if he meditates every day. The monk replys that it will take him 10 years. The man then asks how long will it take if he tries really really hard, and the monks says well in that case it will take him 20.

[Toni]

My healing story:

 

 

[MPENA]

Hi, can kids do FQ? I got a 6 yo and an 8 yo who are keen on joining me whenever they see me practice.