The difference between ren du and Zhong mai

[awaken]

Ren du：convection, like the steam of boiled water in a teapot

 

Zhong Mai: swirl, like a typhoon

 

The convection in ren du can be transformed to the swirl in Zhong Mai.

 

But it needs a process to let the transform work - Hun-Dun.

 

 

There are two layers in Zhong Mai.

 

One is not in the emptiness.

 

Another is in the emptiness.

 

When chi of Zhong Mai is not in the emptiness, it has three kinds of light.

 

The first one is black liver.

 

Black liver looks like the light of north pole.

 

The second one is rabbit marrow.

 

Rabbit marrow looks like full moon, but smaller and weaker, and can last for several months.

 

The last one is point light. The point can be very bright if the chi is very strong.

 

All these three kinds of light have a sameness that they can appear again and again.

 

 

 

Another layer in Zhong Mai is in the emptiness.

 

The characteristic of the light in the emptiness is never repeated again.

 

It changes every time.

 

The only thing that stay the same is the state of stillness-- 無色界the world of formlessness, the emptiness 虛空境

 

The process of golden dan, 卍，geometric pattern , flying stars, mandala, full moon, red hot sun, light human shadow, light human beings....

[shazlor]

Despite your proclaimed lack of English skills, thou art a Wiszard with words, Mastress Awaken. Great post. I feel like posting this.

 

*

 

Journey to the West

 

Chapter 2

 

He Becomes Aware of the Wonderful Truth of Enlightenment

 

By Killing the Demon He Realizes His Spirit−Nature

 

The story goes on to tell how after being given a name the Handsome Monkey King jumped for joy and bowed to Subhuti to express his thanks. The Patriarch then ordered the others to take Sun Wukong out through the double doors and teach him how to sprinkle and sweep the floor, answer orders, and deport himself properly. All the Immortals went out in obedience to this command. When Sun Wukong was outside the doors he bowed to all his spiritual elder brothers and laid out his bed on the verandah. The next morning and every following day he studied language and deportment under his spiritual elder brothers, expounded the scriptures, discussed the Way, practiced calligraphy, and burnt incense. When he had any spare time he would sweep the grounds, dig the vegetable patch, grow flowers, tend trees, look for kindling, light the fire, carry water, and fetch soy. Everything he needed was provided. Thus six or seven years slipped by in the cave without his noticing them. One day the Patriarch took his seat on the dais, called all the Immortals together, and began to explain the Great Way.

 

Heavenly flowers fell in profusion,

While golden lotuses burst forth from the earth.

Brilliantly he expounded the doctrine of the Three Vehicles,

Setting forth ten thousand Dharmas in all their details.

As he slowly waved his whisk,

jewels fell from his mouth,

Echoing like thunder and shaking the Nine Heavens.

Now preaching the Way,

Now teaching meditation,

He showed that the Three Beliefs are basically the same.

In explaining a single word he brought one back to the truth,

And taught the secrets of avoiding birth and understanding one's nature.

 

As Monkey sat at the side listening to the exposition he was so delighted that he tugged at his ear, scratched his cheek and smiled. He could not help waving his hands and stamping. When the Patriarch noticed this he said to Monkey, "Why are you leaping around like a madman in class instead of listening to the lesson?"

 

"Your disciple is listening to the exposition with all his attention," Monkey replied, "but your marvellous words made me so happy that I started jumping around without realizing what I was doing. Please forgive me."

 

To this the Patriarch replied, "If you really understand my marvellous words, then answer this question. How long have you been in my cave?"

 

"You disciple was born stupid," Monkey replied, "so I've no idea how long I've been here. All I know is that whenever the fire in the stove goes out I go to the other side of the mountain to collect firewood and there I see a hill covered with fine peach trees. I've had seven good feeds of peaches there."

 

"That hill is called Tender Peach Hill. If you have eaten there seven times you must have been here seven years. What sort of Way do you want to learn from me?"

 

"That depends what you teach me, master. As long as there's a whiff of Way to it, your disciple will learn it."

 

"There are three hundred and sixty side−entrances to the Way, and they all lead to a True Result," the Patriarch said. "Which branch would you like to study?"

 

"I will do whatever you think best, master," replied Monkey.

 

"What about teaching you the Way of Magic Arts?"

 

"What does 'the Way of Magic Arts' mean?"

 

"Magic arts," the Patriarch replied, "include summoning Immortals, using the magic sandboard, and divining by milfoil. With them one can learn how to bring on good fortune and avert disaster."

 

"Can you become immortal this way?" asked Monkey.

 

"No, certainly not," replied the Patriarch.

 

"No. Shan't learn it."

 

"Shall I teach you the Way of Sects?" the Patriarch asked.

 

"What are the principles of the Sects?" said Monkey.

 

"Within the branch of Sects, there is Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, the study of the Negative and Positive, Mohism, medicine, reading scriptures and chanting the name of a Buddha. You can also summon Immortals and Sages with this branch."

 

"Can you attain immortality that way?" asked Monkey.

 

"To try and attain immortality that way," the Patriarch replied, "is like 'putting a pillar in the wall.'"

 

"Master," Monkey said, "I'm a simple chap and I can't understand your technical jargon. What do you mean by 'putting a pillar in the wall?'"

 

"When a man builds a house and wants to make it strong he puts a pillar in the wall. But when the day comes for his mansion to collapse the pillar is bound to rot."

 

"From what you say," Monkey observed, "it's not eternal. No. Shan't learn it."

 

"Shall I teach you the Way of Silence?" the Patriarch then asked.

 

"What True Result can be got from Silence?" said Monkey.

 

"It involves abstaining from grain, preserving one's essence, silence, inaction, meditation, abstaining from speech, eating vegetarian food, performing certain exercises when asleep or standing up, going into trances, and being walled up in total isolation."

 

"Is this a way of becoming immortal?" Monkey asked.

 

"It's like building the top of a kiln with sun−dried bricks," the patriarch replied.

 

"You do go on, master," said Sun Wukong. "I've already told you that I can't understand your technical jargon. What does 'building the top of a kiln with sun−dried bricks' mean?"

 

"If you build the top of a kiln with sun−dried bricks they may make it look all right, but if they have not been hardened with fire and water, then they will crumble away in the first heavy rainstorm."

 

"There's nothing eternal about that either, then," replied Monkey. "No. Shan't learn that." "Shall I teach you the Way of Action then?" the Patriarch asked.

 

"What's that like?" Monkey asked.

 

"It involves acting and doing, extracting the Negative and building up the Positive, drawing the bow and loading the crossbow, rubbing the navel to make the subtle humors flow, refining elixirs according to formulae, lighting fires under cauldrons, consuming 'Red lead,' purifying 'Autumn Stone,' and drinking women's milk."

 

"Can doing things like that make me live for ever?" Monkey asked.

 

"To try and attain immortality that way is like 'lifting the moon out of water.'"

 

"What does 'lifting the moon out of water' mean?"

 

"The moon is in the sky," the Patriarch replied, "and only its reflection is in the water. Although you can see it there, you will try in vain to lift it out."

 

"No. Shan't learn that," Monkey exclaimed.

 

When the Patriarch heard this he gasped and climbed down from his dais. Pointing at Sun Wukong with his cane he said, "You won't study this and you won't study that, so what do you want, you monkey?"

 

***

He went up to Monkey and hit him three times on the head, then went inside with his hands behind his back and shut the main door, abandoning them all.

***

 

The class was shocked, and they all blamed Sun Wukong.

 

"You cheeky ape, you've no idea how to behave. The master was teaching you the Way, so why did you have to argue with him instead of learning from him? Now you've offended him we don't know when he'll come out again." They were all very angry with him and regarded him with loathing and contempt. But Sun Wukong was not bothered in the least, and his face was covered with smiles.

 

The Monkey King had understood the riddle, and had the answer hidden away in his mind. So he did not argue with the others but bore it all without a word. When the Patriarch hit him three times he had been telling him.........

 

The moon was bright and clear and cold,

The vast space of the eight points was free from dust. Deep in the trees a bird slept hidden,

While the water flowed from the spring.

Fireflies scattered their lights

And a line of geese was stretched across the clouds. It was exactly the third watch,

The right time to ask about the Way.

[shazlor]

"Do not try and bend the taiji-spoon, that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth...there is no taiji-spoon. Then you will see it is not the taiji-spoon that bends, it is only yourself."

 

卐.卍

 

[awaken]

It has both directions.

 

I got more clockwise

 

Sometime it turn clockwise, and then another direction.

 

It is not a static symbol.

 

The picture you post is not the inner sights I saw.

 

I am a ordinary person.

 

I post these just to invite more people to practice wu Wei to reach the emptiness.

 

 

 

I guess the story you post is 西遊記

 

I read it when I was 12 years old.

 

But the English version is too difficult for me to read.

Edited January 7, 2017 by awaken

[shazlor]

Indeed it does....

 

Yeah, the picture is not related per-se. It is a 'meditative' symbol of The Sidhe. Although it has another use, in this context I posted it as I seemed to seer it depicting a Zhong Mai 'typhoon' in pictograph form. "A picture is worth a thousand words."

 

The text is the Journey to the west, and after reading Liu-I-Mings brief "How to Read the Hsi-yu chi (The Journey to the West)" a few gems jumped out whilst re-reading it

 

Anywho, I have found your description of the three lights and the next layer very helpful in clarifying my own experiences.

[Daeluin]

卍

 

492

357

816

 

The magic square (lo shu) and the colors of the numbers of the five phases.

[awaken]

The process of ren du, we use lower dan tian as an oven, middle dan tian as a pot.

 

After Hun dun, we change the oven and pot, 移爐換鼎。

 

The process of Zhong Mai, we use middle dan tian as a oven, upper dan tian as a pot.

 

 

 

The process of ren du, we have a lot of strong chi.

 

The process of Zhong Mai , our body change the chi to a pure chi, not so strong as the chi in ren du.

 

When we get into the emptiness, the strong chi disappear, 鉛盡汞乾

[awaken]

Indeed it does....

Yeah, the picture is not related per-se. It is a 'meditative' symbol of The Sidhe. Although it has another use, in this context I posted it as I seemed to seer it depicting a Zhong Mai 'typhoon' in pictograph form. "A picture is worth a thousand words."

The text is the Journey to the west, and after reading Liu-I-Mings brief "How to Read the Hsi-yu chi (The Journey to the West)" a few gems jumped out whilst re-reading it

Anywho, I have found your description of the three lights and the next layer very helpful in clarifying my own experiences.

Yes

 

A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

I learned it. Thank you.

 

Have you ever seen chilling fan?

 

A little bit like that.

[liminal_luke]

I post these just to invite more people to practice wu Wei to reach the emptiness.

 

 

Hi Awaken,

 

Your posts are very intriguing and a little mysterious, as perhaps befits the subject matter.  Any suggestions for a beginner who would like to follow in your footsteps towards practicing wu Wei to reach the emptiness?

[awaken]

Hi Awaken,

 

Your posts are very intriguing and a little mysterious, as perhaps befits the subject matter. Any suggestions for a beginner who would like to follow in your footsteps towards practicing wu Wei to reach the emptiness?

Thank you for a friendly question.

 

I have written a lot in my space.

 

Welcome to read them first.

 

http://www.thedaobums.com/forum/487-awaken/

Edited January 9, 2017 by awaken

[YiYinYiYang]

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Edited August 13, 2017 by YiYinYiYang

[dawei]

The first four characters of Qingjingjing are 大道無形 "The Great Dao has no shape", so basically colorful inner sights and spinning geometrical patterns have no any relationships with Neidan and Xiantian's channels. Working with such illusory apparitions is in fact an hindrance to proper Dao cultivation and can lead to dreadfull results.

 

I sincerly hope people can figure out what's wrong and stay away from what is finnally the bread and butter of charlatans, it can be very dangerous for physical and mental health.

 

If you can't see anything, then, I might suggest that you have not plumbed the depths yet...  

 

The body's interpretation of working with energy is varied and can include sensing, knowing, realizing, feeling, etc... and colors can be a part of that.   I've worked with Reiki masters, yoga healers, magic practitioners, daoist seers, etc...   you can bet color is known to all of them... and so much more.    I could relate my own experience but it doesn't mean anything to one who has no experience to energy/light as color.     I would just say, put the books down and keep going and see where it leads you.

[YiYinYiYang]

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Edited August 13, 2017 by YiYinYiYang

[awaken]

What is the color and shape of Yuan Qi? How does look like Yuan Shen and what kind of clothes are wearing immortals?

If you don't 悟 Wu your heart

It is very hard to let you know it.

 

Unless I am sure you are ready to know the truth, I won't reply you.

 

You should start from the first step.

[awaken]

What I said about this ren du and Zhong Mai is to invite you to practice the Wu Wei.

 

But not to let you get into another maze.

 

I am inviting you to experience the difference between ren du convection and Zhong Mai swirl.

 

I don't want you to to believe me or fight me.

 

I hope you don't stay in the stage of concepts.

 

If you show your attitude to have the interest to experience, I am very glad to be your guide.

 

If you just want to ask but not cultivate, I am very sorry to say I don't agree you act this way.

 

Before you ask , you need to have a true heart first.

 

If you don't have it, please look inside yourself and see what is going on.

 

To find your own heart is your job, not mind.

 

I am just a guide.

 

You must experience by your self.

Edited January 11, 2017 by awaken

[YiYinYiYang]

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Edited August 13, 2017 by YiYinYiYang