Jing: Living as Conservation

[Small Fur]

Preface

This is a basic post meant as a simple (yet also deep) guide and reminder to living with particular emphasis from the perspective of (jing) conservation. This piece does not talk about methods of jing tonification or replenishment¹ which are different though inter-related issues. Rather, this provides foundational philosophy and perspectives with a few guiding lifestyle suggestions to consider in practicing conservation.

 

I will note that many of the suggestions appear basic and they are. Yet most people fail to take care of the roots and the foundations: if you don't take care of the foundation at its roots, any accomplishment you come to at a more advanced level will be built on unstable ground and therefore eventually and likely come to some kind of fail. This includes people who experience aspects of the Void and become fearful of the existential, people who witness Tao and walk away in carelessness or disappointment, people who see some aspect of metaphysical light but cannot access them again or more profoundly, people who find bliss but become drunken, or people who have years and decades of cultivation that just one day simply get up and walk away in disillusionment, disheartened even given all their progress and effort.

 

So, practitioners who come to resolve and completion on this path are people who care for and attend to the most basic until each succession of what is basic becomes what is fantastical to the novice.  This is what makes the understanding deep, rich and profound; this is what allows it to become complete and enduring; this how existence transcends itself to become immortal.

 

So, it is encouraged that after you read this, you take the time to assess what additional and specific changes you could make in your life to commit to improving your vitality- not only physiologically but also psychologically (which has more implication upon shen- the spiritual aspect of consciousness that resides with each yin organ (including zhi shen).  Then as you regularly apply and assimilate these commitments into your life,  consciously reflect upon how you can both broaden and deepen your understanding so as to refine your methods over time. Do this for the rest of your life. Every one who goes deep starts from a beginning over and over again, but what is the beginning becomes something completely anew with each successive cleansing and resolve, and what is basic in time becomes deep and profound if you are astute, diligent and sincere.

 

 

 

As per usual and with few exceptions, I rarely post to a thread more than once. For those who continue this thread, please be mindful- post with generosity and take care that you words and ideas are posted with intention for benevolence. Share thoughtfully what you feel you know in yourself to be of value and benefit. Be as truthful as you understand while being kind.  When we cultivate in ourselves strong yi (yi- spirit of the spleen organ whose virtue is intention), we can create greater shen for all beings (shen- spirit of the heart whose virtue is awareness and consciousness).

 

 

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Reference Notes for the following reading:

 

Jing- is the primordial essence of existential potential and the root of vital energy.  
It also is one of the Three Treasues integral to the transmutation processes of internal alchemy.

[Note that jing itself is not a tangible substance- though it becomes most notably the substance of semen and ovum;
but as iterated above, it is an essence first and foremost before it transmutes into additional forms of (post-natal) qi.]

 

Jing's associations are as follows, primarily because it manifests through the Water phase of the Kidneys:

(thus these are direct notes about the Water element and Kidney organ as they relate to jing, but not necessarily directly about jing itself.

Understanding the elemental phase from which jing arises and/or is associated is helpful to guiding health and living principles)

 

Wu Xing Phase is: Water
Housed in the Yin organ: Kidney

Spiritual Axis and Stage: Heart (shao yin)
Mother of: Wood
Child of: Metal
Seasonal phase: Winter

Associated Gland: Adrenals
Tissue governance: Bone
Orifice opening: Ears
Flavor quality: Salty
Color of light: Blue
Emotion: Fear

Virtue: Faith

Shen Spirit: Zhi

 

Other terms

Chong mai- the central channel deep within the core of the body running from perineum to crown that passes through the Triple Burners where primary subtle transmutations occur

Shen- spirit, and for the purposes of this post refers to any one of five spirits that govern the yin organs of the body

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principles of Conservation in Action and Non-Action

 

 

The principle of conservation is a simple one, yet can be exceptionally sophisticated and deep.  Pertaining to Jing, it is to prevent leakage and loss in each moment on a daily basis so that one can:

 

-have vital essence from which to live a healthy, vibrant life
-manifest the infinite potential in the ming of xing from jing
(must be done in concert with Yuan Shen in wei wu wei from the Unnamable)
-prolong existence so as to continue cultivation towards greater Consciousness
(also known as part of the transmutation process of the The Three Treasures)

 

 

[Notice that if you read these three points about why we conserve jing it is not so we can have egoic power to live forever, have more fun and attain more magical states- this isn't a celebrity contest to be novel and have a forever good time. Which isn't to say it isn't mystical and unimaginably beautiful- but it is also a sacred process and I encourage that those who have these kinds of feelings continue to work on their minds and hearts, to deepen their 'spiritual maturity'.  It takes a combination of great fortitude, humility and wisdom to come to recognize this path for all that it is, let alone fulfill it through yourself. This in turn requires a depth of essence inherent to what manifests as the virtues of diligence, integrity and heartfelt courage. So every time you feel these stirrings of superiority, grandiosity, passionate zeal and desire, or conversely feel deep doubt, have reservation or fear your capacity- let it all go and just keep moving inherently, deeply, sincerely and unceasingly from the most essential place you know in yourself.]

 

Just as jing can be conserved with awareness, diligence and care, it can also be lost through unconsciousness, wastefulness and careless expenditure, especially those that go above and beyond our most basic and foundational energy.  In modern life, the propensity towards excess in living automatically leads to imbalance that can cause deficiency at a deeper physical and energetic level in the body, leading to disease manifested as aging and ultimately death.

 

 

Three most basic, daily and common ways you can immediately begin working to conserve jing from the perspectives of:

 

LIFESTYLE WELLNESS AND BALANCE:  Be balanced and moderate in actions; do not over exert.

 

For instance, do not work long hours, over-think, over exercise, stay up late, allow your emotions to be become stressed or upset. Do not consume caffeinated or high sugar drinks or foods to push your body to function beyond their basic healthful limit- this pulls energy from your reserves and taxes the adrenal system- the adrenals which are the glands of the kidneys and thus this will cause jing to be extracted. Do not indulge regularly in addictive substances- in most cases, the condition of 'getting high' draws from the jing and pushes out our reserves so that people can experience sensational phenomena through uncontrolled (and therefore not fully conscious) altered states (if you want to know bliss, god, and unceasing beauty, learn to find it from within naturally through your own heart and Consciousness. Through transcendent wisdom in meditation one comes to understand this beyond all measure and through all moments in ways that no drug, medicine or supplement can compare).  Eat on time, and eat moderately so that you do not have to draw from the reserves from your body and so that the process of qi creation through the chong mai are not depleted progressively as it transmutes through each of the three burners.  

 

Drink a plentiful amount of clean fresh, vibrant water through out the day.² Note:
-as said in Taoism, "the highest good is like water"

(implications which are both literal but also progressively energetically subtle, nuanced and deep)
-the body is made almost entirely of water
-all the jin ye (heavy and light) fluids of the body require fresh water to function
-the kidney itself is the water organ in the wu xing phase

 

To the degree that you think your life is 'too busy' or that 'you must' do certain things or that you feel your situation demands your extra energy to succeed, achieve or survive re-assess your perspective, remember that everything you do in life is a choice- even if some choices are difficult to make. Consider more deeply or profoundly what is essential- essence being not of the body or ideation of the mind, but of the yuan (original) in the universe.

 

If you are a woman, until you learn the secrets to healthily cease menstruation (this is NOT the same as going into menopause- contrary) take care of your health so that your hormones are balanced during the moon phase and that your bleeding is fresh, bright and minimal. Menstruation and blood are in many ways for women analogous to the treasure of what jing is in men, so you must learn to conserve blood loss and smooth emotions/ hormones while purifying the menstrual blood. Menstrual blood that is dark, thick, heavy or excessive are signs of serious health issues in Chinese medicine and need to be addressed through lifestyle and dietary changes as well as with a trained practitioner. If you are perimenopausal, know there are ways- however rare but entirely possible, to restart your period. If you are late into menopause, then all the same lifestyle suggestions here apply but in particular you will be benefited by healthful methods of tonification because as noted later below, within
most degrees generally and practically, it takes energy to make energy- so more tonification in this case will help with conservation, particularly if you can nourish the blood and focus on qi gong for the liver and breasts.

 

 

 

SEXUAL INTIMACY AND HEALTH: When sexually engaging do so consciously, from a place of generosity and in mutual reciprocity where there is a foundation of clear, healthy trust and intimacy. Abstain from sexual behavior that is objectified, sexualized in action, thought and/or emotion whether it is with another person, a projection or image of another.

 

The act of sexualization and/or objectification leads to perpetuation of leakage out the kidneys, eyes and penis- not only during masturbation or ejaculation, but upon mental and emotional provocation as well. Do not engage in random, casual or ungenerous and selfish sexual behaviors
alone, with a partner or through 'fantasy' this reduces the opportunity for natural dual-circulation that can help heal and replenish the body, heart and subtle energy systems at the least and at the worse can increase the potential for deep hurt and harm to yourself and others, individually, inter-personally and collectively.

 

To the degree that you suffer from forms of sexual addiction or unconscious habituation (ie. wanting sex out loneliness or emptiness; for vanity, control or power; viscerally unconscious base desires, etc), remove all forms of sexual stimulus from your life until you come to understand what is actually 'sexuality' free from socialized or unconscious base impulse. Instead, focus your attention on healthful life things. When you feel a strong urge or have a strong reaction to something- stop and bring great awareness to yourself.

 

If you are in a healthy and secure relationship, make sure sharing  intimacy is done in conscious presence with a mutually open heart and in generosity to each other.  This alone if done with enough genuine care, will allow for a certain potential or opportunity for dual-circulation and/or at least mutual health even if neither persons entirely can recognize, sense or understand its technical processes. 

 

If you are abstaining from sexual engagement all together make sure that you are resolved. Without true resolve around the matter, conditions of stagnation and turbidity are likely to accumulate whether this is through suppression, repression, or other unconscious desire and fear. For health, flow, and to prevent negative accumulation, continue some measure of circulation until the system is fully purified; meaning in most cases that ejaculating (or some other more subtle clarified form if you are more advanced in your practice) on a rare occasion- will prevent imbalances to various layers of the system, including negative build-up and injury from excess, or conversely depression and increasing weakness in the body.  Until the layers of the system are replete with shen to naturally circulate and refine the jing unaided, some measure of continued physical flow through the genital from a sacred inner place can be beneficial. 

 

The point in any case is to not simply abstain or not abstain from unconsciousness- be this a mindless procedure of discipline, fear or desire, listlessness or lust.

 

 

MENTAL-EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL WISDOM: Find peace and faith; learn to release fear and do not engage doubt.
(Note that not engaging doubt does not mean to relinquish discernment nor does it mean to have either blind faith nor harbor distrust)

Fear is the emotion of the kidney that drains the organ's energy and source of jing.  Doubt or the lack of faith (not meant from so much from a Western perspective but from the Taoist perspective of lacking trust in the mundane and existential mysterious) are opposing forces
to the virtue of zhi- the spirit of the kidneys. People who live in perpetual fear and (particularly existential) distrust have a propensity to exert there will inappropriately (either forcing situations or giving up. As a side note, I also often observe greater levels of procrastination in those who have a constitutional predisposition to water) and cause harm to jing and more importantly, the zhi shen itself.

 

Symptoms of these imbalances include feeling 'frozen' by fears, lacking faith about the course of things in your or other people's lives, doubting the potential of the existential, in yourself and in others; these are highly dangerous and harmful perspectives that come from a lack of clarity in the (organ) spirits. In fact, for so many the unfulfilled life, the unfilled dream, the doubt in whether this (spiritual) path is possible or true, is so integral to these emotions and perspectives. So when we look at jing from a more essential perspective of essence and spirit rather than purely
as (post-natal) qi, we come to recognize that how we orient our mind, heart and spirit- and thus our perspective to existence can deeply impact our essence, and thus our actions and the outcomes of our life- including existence and non-existence, life and death.

Among other practices, two of the most powerful to target the nature of the kidney and zhi is to dutifully practice
1) deep self-reflection in all moments- particularly when you experience fear or feel deep doubts and
2) to learn meditation that develops the capacity to listen into the
silence of Nothing. Remember that the ears are the orifice of the kidneys and that deep self-reflection is the movement between
the spiritual poles of kidney and heart.

 

 

 

 

 

In time, once you have arrived at a certain successive mastery of these very basic life actions, go back to the foundation of the applied philosophy and move deeper. That is:

Be still internally
(in the spiritual and at the utmost, true stillness requires internal silence,

the state of sung, and arrives through wisdom found through meditation),

 

while in vibrant circulation
(circulation which was once discrete circuits of the mundane body of qi as well as

physical actions and behaviors in living; now becomes the movement of essences and

treasures- including jing, and then eventually what is beyond essence and is radiant).

 

When you can make living the same as conservation, the issue of either conditions will resolve and be no longer.

 

 

Thus, refine your understanding of what it means to not-strive, be moderate, and to be free of desire and fear until your recognition is no
longer mundane, until the energetic system and its spirits (the shens) do not move from unconscious impulse and until you are free of all notions that lead to such impulses- not only now in this life time and this moment, but across all planes and dimensions that are the field of time, space and dimension that become the thing you experience to be body and spirit.  This is how we cleanse the 'karmic' to prepare the 'body' for the utmost forms of profundity.

 

-------------

Footnotes and Miscellaneous Note:

 

 

Note to cultivators who are middle-aged or later in life and/or those who are sincere and exceptionally serious in progressing along this path:

If you are starting this process now, I suggest that in addition to the above, spend as much leisure time focusing on cleansing and/or purification as the means to actually conserve.  Without a properly pure and bright system at all levels, jing can only be cultivated so far- so in order to go deep, you must make sure the system is very clear.
 
The later one starts this process and/or the more accumulation a person has to work through (whether this is mental, emotional, physical or karmic) the more complex it is to minimize the loss of jing over time and thus hinder decline. This is because, if nothing else, as people age they have a phsyiological propensity toward less and less resources within themselves to achieve daily functions and balance, therefore all living increasingly must draw on the foundation of vital jing (rather than post-natal stomach and spleen) qi to act and survive, and eventually even down to the Sea of Marrow (these are bone and blood systems in Taoist medicine). Because the deeper process of systemic purification requires an intense energy of focus and application- particularly if it involves the density of physicality, in order to cultivate a more ascendant form and to refine and transmute more subtle energies, it actually requires a lot of energy. So it takes energy to make energy- energy which you may have less of depending on your constitution and/or level of health if you are deficient or burdened. (Note that once the system reaches are certain level of purity, the system will circulate in a more optimal manner and then this principal changes in certain deep and nuanced regards) Therefore, it is best to spend all time devoting energy to caring for your energy: spend your jing wisely!

 

 

¹ True jing replenishment and tonification- that is what is deep and substantial enough to make an impact that is profound and lasting enough for transmutation, exceptional longevity or immortality; only truly begins after one has sufficient mastery of conservation in their living and adequately purified the system to the degree where shen and aspects of shen can begin to guide the process. Notice here that people who talk of subtle orbital circulation as a mental-physiological procedural process of qi have not realized True Nature (xing) and that spiritual maturity,
greater depth and more profound realization is required to fulfill this process clearly and truly.

² Regarding Water: those who have cultivated to a very advanced level will note that the start and end phases of all existential processes in the system begin and end with water, breath, and light- so water, like breath and shen, are core to cultivation. Students of mine who in early phases are dismissive when asked to take inventory of how much water they drink through out a day, trivialize a core aspect of the foundational root and thus foolishly jeopardize their potential towards more profound cultivation- not so much exactly because of this one thing, but because of the totality of their perspective in depth and breadth that leads to continually misguided perception born from unconsciously entrenched notions. There is a lot of Western conception that objectifies water into a mere mundane scientifically discrete particle and so much emptily spoken rhetoric around 'drink X ounces of water a day' that others hear the mere suggestion and automatically dismiss it as trite at some level while superficially nodding in agreement at its importance to one another at another level.

 

Deep listening means the potential for deep recognition. Deep recognition leads eventually to profound understanding. And in time, that leads to wisdom; if you can do this in all moments, through all things, your understanding of what is existence and its manifestations will change beyond all conception. Take that to heart.

 

And recognize that what is wise, is often simple. Be so humble so as to be sincere when being basic. Strive less to achieve all Taoist advancements yet be utterly profound in your sincerity and inherent in your diligence and you will surpass any need for stages and levels.

 

Edited December 25, 2020 by Small Fur

[Limahong]

17 hours ago, Small Fur said:

And recognize that what is wise, is often simple. Be so humble so as to be sincere when being basic. Strive less to achieve all Taoist advancements yet be utterly profound in your sincerity and inherent in your diligence and you will surpass any need for stages and levels.

 

Hi Small Fur,

 

Thank you for your post ~ nicely worded.

 

17 hours ago, Small Fur said:

Therefore, it is best to spend all time devoting energy to caring for your energy: spend your jing wisely!

 

 

So let jing flows up instead of out?

 

 

 

 

- Anand

 

Edited December 16, 2020 by Limahong
Enhancement

[freeform]

Thank you @Small Fur for a very informative and mature look at jing. While I may not agree with everything - it’s clearly coming from real experience.

 

What I find is often missed by modern Daoist practitioners is the psychological aspect of jing.

 

Daoism is all about the different layers of reality. The form within the formless and the formless within form.

 

We have a naturally materialist way of looking at things - and so treat jing like a magic substance we can hoard.

 

But ‘guarding your jing’ is as much a psychological thing as an energetic or physical one.

 

You ‘leak’ jing more through enflamed desires, a scattered mind, and emotional reactivity than a few late nights and occasional overwork. 
 

For instance when we read about being physically moderate - this applied to people that had very labour intensive lives. Carrying water, growing your food etc - these are labour intensive activity - and a daily minimum for people of the past. Then add in the labour intensive work that pays money - and the opportunity for depletion becomes apparent.

 

We as modern humans don’t even get close to that level of physical work. So we might read about being moderate with physical exertion and decide not to do that run or build that decking... But we’re underestimating what ‘moderate’ means for a healthy person. 
 

Similarly what was moderate in terms of a scattered mind, enflamed desires and emotional reactivity has changed considerably... we live in a world of constant stimulation, access to all manner of drugs, all kinds of stimulating foods, emotionally driven news coverage, porn or near-porn all over the place... every wish and desire is culturally encouraged and can be met at a moments notice... 

 

For us it’s the psychological aspect of jing that’s under far more pressure than the physical. Of course the physical will follow the psychological... but I don’t believe stopping ones period or all sexual expression will do much if our jing is scattered and made turbid by our mind. In fact this can be extremely dangerous.
 

Stopping this stuff in normal life has been strongly discouraged by several of my teachers. Keep these for when you retreat to a cave.

[dwai]

I didn’t get “stop one’s periods or sexual expressions” from the OP. I think she is advocating moderation, listening skills, humility, and sincerity of intent and practice. 
 

Quote

Deep listening means the potential for deep recognition. Deep recognition leads eventually to profound understanding. And in time, that leads to wisdom; if you can do this in all moments, through all things, your understanding of what is existence and its manifestations will change beyond all conception. Take that to heart.

 

And recognize that what is wise, is often simple. Be so humble so as to be sincere when being basic. Strive less to achieve all Taoist advancements yet be utterly profound in your sincerity and inherent in your diligence and you will surpass any need for stages and levels.

 

Fwiw, I do agree with you @freeform that the wanton mental modifications need to be reduced to bare minimum necessary. 
 

My teachers advice us to not let the mind go crazy with its activities as that is the biggest drain for humans today. 

Edited December 19, 2020 by dwai

[freeform]

1 hour ago, dwai said:

 

I didn’t get “stop one’s periods or sexual expressions” from the OP.

 

Oh I didn’t either. 
 

I just wanted to reiterate how important the psychological part of the post is... (I also didn’t want an important post to slip away unconsidered)
 

stopping the physical leakages was suggested as the ‘next level’.
 

From what I learned from a group of female alchemists - the ‘slaying the red dragon’ type practices (to stop menstruation) is categorically not recommended to anyone who lives in society. (Regulating it is another matter.)

 

For females the biggest drain on the jing is apparently indulgence in emotion and sensory/hedonic stimulation.
 

For men it’s indulgence in survival-based desires (sex, power and domination).

Edited December 19, 2020 by freeform

[MIchael80]

2 hours ago, freeform said:

Oh I didn’t either. 
 

I just wanted to reiterate how important the psychological part of the post is... (I also didn’t want an important post to slip away unconsidered)
 

stopping the physical leakages was suggested as the ‘next level’.
 

From what I learned from a group of female alchemists - the ‘slaying the red dragon’ type practices (to stop menstruation) is categorically not recommended to anyone who lives in society. (Regulating it is another matter.)

 

For females the biggest drain on the jing is apparently indulgence in emotion and sensory/hedonic stimulation.
 

For men it’s indulgence in survival-based desires (sex, power and domination).

Hi freeform!

 

Why did the female alchemists say that slaying the red dragon is not for women in society?

 

best

Michael 

[Limahong]

9 hours ago, freeform said:

You ‘leak’ jing more through enflamed desires, a scattered mind, and emotional reactivity than a few late nights and occasional overwork.

 

Hi freeform,

 

Thank you for your posts ~ light and digestible.

 

I am more inclined to 'leak' my jing when the Yin and Yang of my life are unbalanced... 

 

- Anand

 

 

[Mithras]

This is a good post. Though I find myself agreeing with freeform about psychological importance. Otherwise, all I can say is reliance on the physical creates results that remain very much in the physical. Though that's also coming from someone who believes that rules and tradition are not the way.

[Limahong]

9 hours ago, Mithras said:

Though that's also coming from someone who believes that rules and tradition are not the way.

 

Hi Mithras,

 

Yes ~ not The Way

 

 

 

- Anand

 

[freeform]

On 16/12/2020 at 1:46 AM, Small Fur said:

The later one starts this process and/or the more accumulation a person has to work through (whether this is mental, emotional, physical or karmic) the more complex it is to minimize the loss of jing over time and thus hinder decline.

This is an important point.

 

One of the greatest draws on ones jing is what I’d call ‘mindless habit’... 

 

This isn’t necessarily the big lifestyle habits (like brushing your teeth before bed) - these are the micro-scale mental and emotional habituated responses.

 

Effectively our mind sets up little shortcuts - so rather than ‘wasting’ energy on direct perception of the reality of each moment - instead we have little shortcut patterns... These are our preferences, biases, judgements and habituated reactions.

 

The older you get, the more of these habitual patterns you have (generally).

 

Until eventually you become completely absent - and just go through life like one of those robo-vacuum cleaners. Habitually reacting to obstacles - but no presence or consciousness there.

 

This is a big drain on one’s jing. (As well as the quality of ones Qi)

 

This is also why it’s difficult for older people to be more flexible with their mind... to learn new things, to adopt differing perspectives etc.

 

What cuts through and over time purifies this habituated gunk is mindfulness... or Ting for Daoists... Being deeply aware of the totality of the present moment... instead of operating on shortcuts.

 

Try washing yourself with this deep presence. Try eating mindfully. It’s difficult because shortcuts are tempting and the convenience addictive... but take a week to do the normal stuff (cooking, eating cleaning, walking) with deep mindfulness and you’ll start to sense how you feel when your jing is more consolidated vs more scattered and overused.

[freeform]

14 hours ago, MIchael80 said:

Hi freeform!

 

Why did the female alchemists say that slaying the red dragon is not for women in society?

 

best

Michael 

Oh because they considered periods (particularly when aligned with the lunar cycle) as a profoundly effective way to purge Xie Qi (pathogenic Qi) - as well as any turbidity in the blood.
 

(I heard that that’s partly why women tend to live longer than men.)

 

For the vast majority (of even quite advanced practitioners) holding on to the period is akin to blocking up the exhaust of your car.

 

In very controlled surroundings and with full-time practice, there’s no issue. Because one is not generating xie Qi from reactive emotionality.

[MIchael80]

14 minutes ago, freeform said:

Oh because they considered periods (particularly when aligned with the lunar cycle) as a profoundly effective way to purge Xie Qi (pathogenic Qi) - as well as any turbidity in the blood.
 

(I heard that that’s partly why women tend to live longer than men.)

 

For the vast majority (of even quite advanced practitioners) holding on to the period is akin to blocking up the exhaust of your car.

 

In very controlled surroundings and with full-time practice, there’s no issue. Because one is not generating xie Qi from reactive emotionality.

Thanks! 

 

I heard that too....but i also was told that they live longer because women stop bleeding during menopause hence they loss less yuan  jing as men (where semen production never stops)  

[freeform]

26 minutes ago, MIchael80 said:

Thanks! 

 

I heard that too....but i also was told that they live longer because women stop bleeding during menopause hence they loss less yuan  jing as men (where semen production never stops)  

On this there are many theories... there is also a difference in the numerology of the unfolding of preheaven jing into physicality for men and women... for women it’s 7 for men it’s 8...

 

All jing-directed developmental processes occur according to these numbers... (such as puberty at 14 for girls and 16 for boys ... etc)

[S:C]

On 19.12.2020 at 6:35 PM, freeform said:

 

For females the biggest drain on the jing is apparently indulgence in emotion

Why is it that emotions drain women in your opinion? 

Is that always the case or only when unconsciously like reacting merely from habit a place of ritual/desire/loneliness? 

 

 

 

[freeform]

On 25/04/2021 at 6:54 PM, liberale.ironikerin said:

Why is it that emotions drain women in your opinion? 

Strong, compulsive emotions drain both men and women.

 

Classically it is said that men have a hard time with letting go of their clinging to the base desires (survival mechanisms) - whereas women have an easier time of it.

 

However women are said to have a hard time letting go of their clinging to emotion - whereas men have an easier time of that.

 

The base desires are the initial hurdle - that’s why women tend to progress faster earlier on in the cultivation process - but many get stuck at the level of transforming the emotions.

 

I should probably add that this isn’t my opinion - just what has been passed on to me by several teachers.

 

On 25/04/2021 at 6:54 PM, liberale.ironikerin said:

Is that always the case or only when unconsciously like reacting merely from habit a place of ritual/desire/loneliness? 

Yes it’s the unconscious reactive emotions that cause the most issues.
 

Once they’re allowed to transform we generally experience much more subtle, nuanced emotions that aren’t so reactive and compulsive in nature…

 

Later these also give way - to stable (unwavering) virtuous states (though this is pretty far down the line).

[freeform]

On 25/04/2021 at 6:54 PM, liberale.ironikerin said:

Why is it that emotions drain women in your opinion? 

Did I answer your question by the way? 
 

I understood it as ‘why women in particular?’

 

But I just realised your question may have been more about why emotions are draining generally.

[S:C]

Yes, partly thank you. 

From what I understood the concept of the energy doesn't differentiate between men and women, so I was confused, why women may be prone to being drained by emotions more than men - in general. (in my personal experience that is not confirmed quite as black and white.)

 

Then again I am new to the concept itself and was wondering how one would know there in this concept, which form of energy is lost ? - while being drained by "emotions" probably jing, as it is the topic of this thread. But how can one differentiate, if you use the candle comparision, how does one know if it is maybe shen that is lost or the other one, chi? 

 

In the candle comparison, so chi would be the flame, jing the wax and shen the radiance, said the search engine. 

 

That given as a premise, it seems obvious that the fast, hard and wishy-washy emotions would hypothetically drain the flame and the wax and the radiance at the same time. However that's not the point I want to get to.

 

So how would one keep the candle clear of light but annoyingly steady emotions that might seem to be wasted ? How does one know which is which?

22 hours ago, freeform said:

Once they’re allowed to transform we generally experience much more subtle, nuanced emotions that aren’t so reactive and compulsive in nature…

Which is draining and which not, which is drained and especially what one can hypothetically do about it in order to be free from it all.

[freeform]

11 hours ago, liberale.ironikerin said:

Then again I am new to the concept itself and was wondering how one would know there in this concept, which form of energy is lost ? - while being drained by "emotions" probably jing, as it is the topic of this thread. But how can one differentiate, if you use the candle comparision, how does one know if it is maybe shen that is lost or the other one, chi? 

To be honest the candle analogy is a pretty simplistic mental model. Not so useful in this context. Classically there are quite precise mechanisms that explain how emotions drain you - and which emotions drain which part of you in what way… 

 

But from a spiritual cultivation perspective this level of detail is not so important (though it is from a medical perspective).

 

Strong compulsive emotions affect one on every level - Jing, Qi and Shen. 

 

11 hours ago, liberale.ironikerin said:

Which is draining and which not, which is drained

They’re all draining. But to different extents. The subtle joy you feel when you open the door on a sunny spring morning is less draining than the exhilaration you feel when you win a big prize at a roulette table.

 

Draining isn’t necessarily bad. Life is draining  

 

But yes there is a stage when you reach a deep state of harmony where reactive emotion doesn’t work that way any longer... Where your car breaking down feels no different to winning a car in some prize draw. Then emotions cease to be draining… but this is an incredibly rare attainment.

 

11 hours ago, liberale.ironikerin said:

what one can hypothetically do about it in order to be free from it all.

cultivation

 

And not taking your ‘self’ too seriously  

[S:C]

I like the last advice a lot more than the first, I guess! Thanks!