Morality of Physical Practices and the Dao

[ganjaboy]

Would there be any harm in continuing strength training type exercises and endurance exercise for a couple years, while dabbling in other practices? I feel like it is anything but unusual for a young man to have a need to feel physically stronger. It's in accordance with what the sages say, however, because my jing and Qi are still unstable since I'm young.

[Horus]

Would there be any harm in continuing strength training type exercises and endurance exercise for a couple years, while dabbling in other practices? I feel like it is anything but unusual for a young man to have a need to feel physically stronger. It's in accordance with what the sages say, however, because my jing and Qi are still unstable since I'm young.

I'd suggest not seeing them as unstable because you are young.

 

Jing starts plummeting when you start ejaculating, and plummets the more you do.

 

Jing starts plummeting with every waning moon cycle.

 

Jing starts increasing with every waxing moon.

 

Jing increases when you develop the lower dantien.

 

There's more to it than just a jing>qi>shen transmutation - but Qi increases with Jing increase, and Shen increases with Qi increase.

 

Youth is a fading gift, wisdom is a growing pool of calm.

 

But, you are right.

 

The stability will not come with age though, it comes with turning the light around and meeting original self.

[Ya Mu]

To harmonize with Dao, you need to connect to Yuan Qi. To connect to Yuan Qi you need to first feel, then flow and then refine and strengthen your own Qi. By strengthen I mean increase the vibrational frequency of your Qi.

 

Things like weightlifting will increase muscular tension, which results in reduced Qi flow and Qi sensitivity. To feel, flow and grow your Qi you need to stretch gently, relax but not be limp. So, someone suggested Daoist internal practices such as taiji, bagua etc - I would recommend that too.

 

Body building (muscle bulking up) is bad for your Qi and therefore bad for harmonizing with Dao. Doing free-hand exercises like how traditional Martial arts training occurs is not bad, because it balances strength training with stretching and flexibility. And the strength training is done with your own body weight - thereby resulting in lean, powerful physique as opposed to bulky balls of muscle

"By strengthen I mean increase the vibrational frequency of your Qi."

Absolutely!

 

OP: You may find benefit with this article: http://qigongamerica...cs-program.html

[dwai]

Would there be any harm in continuing strength training type exercises and endurance exercise for a couple years, while dabbling in other practices? I feel like it is anything but unusual for a young man to have a need to feel physically stronger. It's in accordance with what the sages say, however, because my jing and Qi are still unstable since I'm young.

Qi and Jing are actually strong when you are younger. What decays our jing and qi is the process of thinking. When we are younger, we are relatively untouched by concepts such as "I have to get rich(er), I have to acquire these possessions, I have to do this to prove myself, etc". These concepts are artificial concepts instilled by our societies. I consider getting to this stage as "losing our innocence".

 

Prior to that, we have a natural ability to trust, to have hope and to be able to accept things for what they are (at face value) instead of trying to read deeper meanings/motives to them.

 

So, your Qi and Jing will decay with time, unless you can keep your mind clear. I believe this was part of your "De" (translated from chinese as virtue). The De is a complete part of the Dao within all of us - but with time (and the kind of mentality I pointed above), it gets dirty...hidden under layers of junk. Your relatively pristine De will get covered under the junk too, if you don't keep it clean.

[ganjaboy]

Qi and Jing are actually strong when you are younger. What decays our jing and qi is the process of thinking. When we are younger, we are relatively untouched by concepts such as "I have to get rich(er), I have to acquire these possessions, I have to do this to prove myself, etc". These concepts are artificial concepts instilled by our societies. I consider getting to this stage as "losing our innocence".

 

Prior to that, we have a natural ability to trust, to have hope and to be able to accept things for what they are (at face value) instead of trying to read deeper meanings/motives to them.

 

So, your Qi and Jing will decay with time, unless you can keep your mind clear. I believe this was part of your "De" (translated from chinese as virtue). The De is a complete part of the Dao within all of us - but with time (and the kind of mentality I pointed above), it gets dirty...hidden under layers of junk. Your relatively pristine De will get covered under the junk too, if you don't keep it clean.

From what it sounds like then I have started to lose my innocence as I have started to feel the need for things such as building muscle to feel stronger. Forget that then! I'll just continue to cultivate and work on practices such as those you mentioned. I need to get rid of the anticipation of violence, as well as the feeling of needing to prove myself. This is the effect of my mind being tainted, but I am still young so it is partially reversible.

[dwai]

From what it sounds like then I have started to lose my innocence as I have started to feel the need for things such as building muscle to feel stronger. Forget that then! I'll just continue to cultivate and work on practices such as those you mentioned. I need to get rid of the anticipation of violence, as well as the feeling of needing to prove myself. This is the effect of my mind being tainted, but I am still young so it is partially reversible.

I found this point interesting - "anticipation of violence". Is that something that bothers you/weighs you down? If that is the case, doing Taiji or Bagua etc will help you not worry about it. Especially when you do some reasonable amount of push hands practice. The constant "threat anticipation" will diminish, and eventually go away and only appear when absolutely needed.

 

Push hands practice will develop two "powers" - Ting Jin and Tong Jin (listening power and understanding power). These manifest themselves beyond just push hands or martial interactions. They will show themselves at times of need - in your everyday life as well. Also, learning Taiji properly will result in sensitivity to energy (thereby ting jin/tong jin coming into play at times of need). This sounds kooky, but actually it is very tangible and has helped me many times (averted some very damaging situations at work and in personal life).

[ganjaboy]

I found this point interesting - "anticipation of violence". Is that something that bothers you/weighs you down? If that is the case, doing Taiji or Bagua etc will help you not worry about it. Especially when you do some reasonable amount of push hands practice. The constant "threat anticipation" will diminish, and eventually go away and only appear when absolutely needed.

 

Push hands practice will develop two "powers" - Ting Jin and Tong Jin (listening power and understanding power). These manifest themselves beyond just push hands or martial interactions. They will show themselves at times of need - in your everyday life as well. Also, learning Taiji properly will result in sensitivity to energy (thereby ting jin/tong jin coming into play at times of need). This sounds kooky, but actually it is very tangible and has helped me many times (averted some very damaging situations at work and in personal life).

I'm not sure if anticipate was the right word - but the thought of getting in a fistfight with a guy or some other physical altercation, and whether I would be able to handle myself on the street is definitely in my mind a lot. I think it is very important with this to be able to weed out false threats from real threats, and only respond with aggression if absolutely needed. Would this practice help with that? It sounds like the sensitivity would lend well to this end.

[dwai]

I'm not sure if anticipate was the right word - but the thought of getting in a fistfight with a guy or some other physical altercation, and whether I would be able to handle myself on the street is definitely in my mind a lot. I think it is very important with this to be able to weed out false threats from real threats, and only respond with aggression if absolutely needed. Would this practice help with that? It sounds like the sensitivity would lend well to this end.

Do you spend time in places where you might have to resort to fist fights? I think often we tend to waste our energy on things that are unlikely/implausible under normal circumstances.

 

But Taiji practice will result in you being able to walk into a situation and "read" the energy/conditions. But it takes time. When we start, you won't realize it, but suddenly one day you'll just know (feel in your gut, in your bones) how things will transpire. You won't have to think, you won't have to analyze - you'll know.

A more immediate effect you'll find is that you can sense people's intentions better - I have a theory as to why it happens - but that doesn't matter. I"m sure other far more senior (than myself) internal artists here will be able to vouch for that.