What are the oldest Chinese Taoist myths?

[ReturnDragon]

There are lots of myths from the thoughts of ancient Chinese Taoist. The had some good imaginations to come up with ways for longevity. All these myths were puzzling me when I was a kid. I would like to believe all that as others. We can talking about them be accepting them blindly. However, as I get older and wiser. Since I had become an engineer and practiced Tai Chi with Taiji breathing method, there was a drastic change in my body physically and biologically. Hence, I figured that there must be a way to explain all that with the aid of modern science.

I had studied and researched for the last twenty years and came to some conclusions. Most importantly, I would like to share with those who are interested with an open mind. I would like to pass all these information before I leave this world; and hopefully someone would understand and carry on with these ideas. Finally, we are in the space age and should not be living with myths in our minds.

There are doubts in the following with many people, such as listed below:
1. What is Qi, 炁?
2. What is Qigong 氣功?
3. What is Neidan 內丹?
4. What is dantien丹田?
5. What is alchemy 鍊丹術?

I would like to explain them to the best I can with my present understanding and reserve to right to update my findings at anytime. I might start a new thread to cover each subject to prevent obfuscation.

We can starting by someone asking questions or I can post whatever comes into my mind. So, make your first shot!
 

Edited February 26, 2020 by ReturnDragon

[senseless virtue]

I am preserving the current title of this thread for posterity:

 

Quote

What the oldest Chinaese Taoist myths?

 

Look. I don't Taoist myths, but the mystery of Engrish never ceases to amaze me.

 

How come the Chinaman so funny? Why you make so lol?

[ReturnDragon]

You reacted too soooooon.

[SirPalomides]

2 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

1. What is Qi, 炁?
2. What is Qigong 氣功?
3. What is Neidan 內丹?
4. What is dantien丹田?
5. What is alchemy 鍊丹術?
 

These are cosmological concepts and practices, not myths. Myths are narratives with some important communal understanding embedded in them- the stories of Pan Gu, Nu Wa, Fu Xi, Yi the archer, etc.

[ReturnDragon]

Let's start with Qigong. This is only the beginning. I want to introduce and emphasize the significance of breathing in Qigong with the article below. In other words, Qigong is deeply involved with breathing. We should investigate the benefits of some breathing methods. So, I might conclude that one cannot deny Qigong is not all about breathing.

Ref: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31853512

[ReturnDragon]

Qigong is involved with breathing:
1. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-omr-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=omr&p=qigong+breathing+techniques#id=15&vid=6ed7f1386698231710ae1032ead59161&action=view

2. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-omr-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=omr&
p=qigong+breathing+techniques#id=40&vid=7ea354d2e6e62a5a19b0dcf43438654e&action=view

3. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-omr-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=omr&p=qigong+breathing+techniques#id=320&vid=e6743715a011e442419252499e93a7e9&action=view

Edited February 23, 2020 by ReturnDragon

[ReturnDragon]

During exercise or performing QiGong we can increase the amount of oxygen intake.

Please pay close attention to the total lung capacity reading.

Total lung capacity is the total amount of air that the lungs can hold after the biggest possible breath in. The average total lung capacity is about 6 litres (6000 ml).

That tells us when we practice Qigong, the amount of oxygen increased more than normal. Next, we will investigate what the body will do with the ample of oxygen.

Ref: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztkr82p/revision/2

[Earl Grey]

3 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

Qigong is involved with breathing:
1. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-omr-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=omr&p=qigong+breathing+techniques#id=15&vid=6ed7f1386698231710ae1032ead59161&action=view

2. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-omr-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=omr&
p=qigong+breathing+techniques#id=40&vid=7ea354d2e6e62a5a19b0dcf43438654e&action=view

3. https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-omr-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=omr&p=qigong+breathing+techniques#id=320&vid=e6743715a011e442419252499e93a7e9&action=view

 

Except there are many styles that don't emphasize breathing at all like Fragrant qigong, so there goes that hypothesis!  

[ReturnDragon]

deleted....

Edited February 24, 2020 by ReturnDragon

[Earl Grey]

37 minutes ago, ReturnDragon said:

FYI The guy who invented the Fragrant qigong was a fraud. He made the announcement of his invention to raise fund for The World Organization of Women on April fool's day(4-11-1945.) He collected 40% of the fund and returned to his old home village to evade tax.The poor guy died half year later.

  原文：
   1995年4月1日晚我作客中央人民广播电台《百姓之家》，揭露迷信骗局，并解答听众电话提问。当时有听众问及北京首体内有人作带功报告，场外有如庙会出售各种迷信用品，最奇怪的是有中科院高能所开发公司在那里卖“高能带功水”，还有一大批迷信老太太在场外下跪，顶礼膜拜，不知是在干什么？后经调查是中国妇联为举办“世妇会”筹款，请来了田瑞生在1995年4月1日和2日在北京首体作两场“香功”报告，票价达百元以上，而会后田瑞生拿走了票价的40%，为逃避纳税潜回老家，不过半年就因病身亡，自己打破了自己制造的神话——接他的功就把水变成“带功水”喝了治百病，常喝就能长命百岁。


Ref: http://www.kxwsl.com/plus/view.php?aid=243
 

 

Except Fragrant Qigong is not a fraudulent practice and it's already been proven the article that you cited about Tian Ruisheng being a fraud are actually disinformation manufactured by the CCP!  

 

Another fail for ChiDummy!

 

And you still fail with a straw man argument because the argument you put forth was about qi and breathing, but my challenge was that there are many styles that don't involve breathing and run counter to your silly oxygen argument, old boy. 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Earl Grey

[ReturnDragon]

Ok! Despite to all the rumor and misinformation.  The full name for "香功" is "芳香智悟功". It was never classified as Chi Kung(Qigong) because it was not emphasized on breathing.
 

Edited February 24, 2020 by ReturnDragon

[Starjumper]

5 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

So, I might conclude that one cannot deny Qigong is not all about breathing.

 

I deny it.

[Earl Grey]

32 minutes ago, ReturnDragon said:

Ok! Despite to all the rumor and misinformation.  The full name for "香功" is "芳香智悟功". It was never classified as Chi Kung(Qigong) because it was not emphasized on breathing.
 

 

Llllliiiiiiiaaaaarrrrr.

[Walker]

3 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

Ok! Despite to all the rumor and misinformation.  The full name for "香功" is "芳香智悟功". It was never classified as Chi Kung(Qigong) because it was not emphasized on breathing.
 

 

[gendao]

11 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

Since I had become an engineer

Uh yea...how did I just KNOW you were an ENGINEER???

11 hours ago, virtue said:

Look. I don't Taoist myths, but the mystery of Engrish never ceases to amaze me.

 

How come the Chinaman so funny? Why you make so lol?

A typo = mystery of Engrish, funny Chinaman?  Um, you want to bang out some posts in Chinese and show us the Mystery of Complete Illiteracy, Ugly-Amurican?  Seriously, Americans are the only monolingual idiots on the planet who consistently make fun of others' imperfect ESL...when they can barely even say hello in another language.

Edited February 24, 2020 by gendao

[rideforever]

9 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

Qigong

 

I suppose the question is, have you not felt something inside (in general) ? 

The culture has its conventional ideas ... but with the practices that you have done, have not felt anything inside ?

 

I didn't read the text on Fragrant Qigong; but personally I am certain that there are qigongs out there that do more harm than good, it would be naive to think otherwise.  How they were constructed ... maybe through charlatanism, stupidity, or error.  That's just the nature of the world.

[ReturnDragon]

43 minutes ago, rideforever said:

 

I suppose the question is, have you not felt something inside (in general) ? 

The culture has its conventional ideas ... but with the practices that you have done, have not felt anything inside ?

 

I didn't read the text on Fragrant Qigong; but personally I am certain that there are qigongs out there that do more harm than good, it would be naive to think otherwise.  How they were constructed ... maybe through charlatanism, stupidity, or error.  That's just the nature of the world.

I was trying to say how I felt inside me when I practice Qigong; no body listens is because they have already made up their minds. FYI I felt that my breathing was deep like sink chi to the dantien. It seems to me people talked about that but not getting the meaning across.

The so called Fragrant Qigong, is like doing some slow exercises. It will have some health benefits. The slow movements are similar to practice Taiji if the breathing was emphasized. This has something to do with muscle contraction. I felt my strength from the energy that was generated from the muscle cells. Any slow muscle exercise does have some health benefits besides whatever you want to call the exercise. The only thing that bothers me is the claim of having a fragrant during practice.

Edited February 24, 2020 by ReturnDragon

[Earl Grey]

48 minutes ago, ReturnDragon said:

I was trying to say how I felt inside me when I practice Qigong; no body listens is because they have already made up their minds. FYI I felt that my breathing was deep like sink chi to the dantien. It seems to me people talked about that but not getting the meaning across.

The so called Fragrant Qigong, is like doing some slow exercises. It will have some health benefits. The slow movements are similar to practice Taiji if the breathing was emphasized. This has something to do with muscle contraction. I felt my strength from the energy that was generated from the muscle cells. Any slow muscle exercise does have some health benefits besides whatever you want to call the exercise. The only thing that bothers me is the claim of having a fragrant during practice.

Ha! There ARE smells when practicing! When in a group, we have experienced smells for those in the group and outsiders passing by.

 

 I loved the style when I did it years ago and hear consistently of the things that make no sense, and it isn’t placebo.

 

Someone doesn’t know or do qigong at all and calls himself a practitioner. ChiDrag-On! Rah rah sis boom bah!

Edited February 24, 2020 by Earl Grey

[senseless virtue]

1 hour ago, gendao said:

A typo = mystery of Engrish, funny Chinaman?  Um, you want to bang out some posts in Chinese and show us the Mystery of Complete Illiteracy, Ugly-Amurican?  Seriously, Americans are the only monolingual idiots on the planet who consistently make fun of others' imperfect ESL...when they can barely even say hello in another language.

Chill out my dearest white knight! You are presuming malice where there was none intended.

 

I was genuinely amused and not wanting to ridicule anyone particular's (lack of) language skills.

 

I think those Engrish spelling mistakes are lighthearted fun at best like the ones that children also make. Just a bit different in typography.

[Earl Grey]

2 hours ago, gendao said:

Uh yea...how did I just KNOW you were an ENGINEER???

A typo = mystery of Engrish, funny Chinaman?  Um, you want to bang out some posts in Chinese and show us the Mystery of Complete Illiteracy, Ugly-Amurican?  Seriously, Americans are the only monolingual idiots on the planet who consistently make fun of others' imperfect ESL...when they can barely even say hello in another language.

This might make you laugh by the time you finish the last sentence of this post.

 

So I have run across bilingual idiots who make fun of other people’s English too, and they have been like naturalized Americans from China in China like here:

 

 

and then Indians who are higher on the social and economical ladder and have been educated abroad (often in UK) before coming back to their fellow countrymen. This is a post colonial holdover that’s really hard to shake.

 

Yes, I am imagining you smile reading that.  

[ReturnDragon]

4 minutes ago, virtue said:

Chill out my dearest white knight! You are presuming malice where there was none intended.

 

I was genuinely amused and not wanting to ridicule anyone particular's (lack of) language skills.

 

I think those Engrish spelling mistakes are lighthearted fun at best like the ones that children also make. Just a bit different in typography.

Don't worry, my friend. I had no problem with that. Indeed, it was quite amusing.

[doc benway]

1 hour ago, ReturnDragon said:

no body listens is because they have already made up their minds.

 

Have you ever noticed this quality in yourself?

[ReturnDragon]

2 minutes ago, steve said:

 

Have you ever noticed this quality in yourself?

 

Of course, but I had the old concepts resonant with modern science and reasoning. Instead of believing the old myths blindly.

[Earl Grey]

59 minutes ago, ReturnDragon said:

 

Of course, but I had the old concepts resonant with modern science and reasoning. Instead of believing the old myths blindly.

Except the clinging to science without realizing so many things called “science” don’t necessarily mean rationality or fact. Soviet scientists like Lysenko were considered official science and influenced the Great Leap Forward in China as actual conventional understanding was dismissed to fit political criteria, then by unknowing masses, considered actual science.

 

Too many people say they have scientific evidence proving their points, especially climate change deniers.

 

Referring to science as a means of proving your beliefs without understanding why you hold empirical evidence to be your gold standard ignores the Platonic view of undesirable why we believe in what we believe and what makes it rational.

 

In your case, you actually ignore the scientific method of researching because you’re focused on proving your hypothesis rather than going based off of actual observed data, and are not only with bad data collected, but throwing out a lot of actual data because you don’t accept it under your ridiculous oxygen and breathing mitochondria criteria. You follow perceived scientific consensus, but not scientific methodology or principle.

 

Completely bogus and horrendous, and typical.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Earl Grey

[Walker]

2 hours ago, ReturnDragon said:

 

Of course, but I had the old concepts resonant with modern science and reasoning. Instead of believing the old myths blindly.

 

"Yes but you see I am a scientological genius so in fact no."