Anapana Chi Conversations of Master Nan Huai-Chin and Peter Senge

[Mal]

http://www.meditationexpert.com/AnapanaChi.htm

 

Anyone read it, or even know how many pages it is? Only $20 so quite intrested, possibly covers the same sort of stuff as Tao and Longevity??

[mwight]

http://www.meditationexpert.com/AnapanaChi.htm

 

Anyone read it, or even know how many pages it is? Only $20 so quite intrested, possibly covers the same sort of stuff as Tao and Longevity??

 

Willing to chip in $5.00 via paypal anybody else?

[mwight]

actually make that $10 if no one else chips in

[styrofoamdog]

I have this eBook -- it's 115 pages and very different from Tao & Longevity.

 

Tao & Longevity focuses on the effects of meditation and explains them using Daoist terminology. It's very good, but a bit limited in what it offers as far as explaining exactly how to meditate, when compared to Working Toward Enlightenment. But it does go over the basics of meditation, and covers the effects of opening the Qi channels in the legs, the Du Mai, the Ren Mai, etc. But it does not cover practical aspects of how to reach those stages, so much. Still, it's a good buy and I really like its appendix on the different routes to cultivating samadhi. It also briefly highlights supernatural abilities that result from samadhi. But as for actually reaching the state of samadhi, it doesn't have a lot of material on it.

 

The Conversations of Nan Huai-Chin and Peter Senge is a series of more informal dialogs between Nan Huaijin and Peter Senge, a Management professor at MIT who learns meditation from him. Nan discusses anapanasati and draws parallels between the stages and those in Daoism such as embryonic breathing. He discusses the Entering the Womb Sutra and how a fetus develops, relating it to anapana practice, again. And he discusses reaching the state of Xi, where breathing becomes very refined and practically stops. They do go off on some different tangents, though (it's pretty informal). I definitely recommend it for its information on anapana, and probably has more practical advice to offer, but it's more scattered, and there is less technical content. I would certainly recommend it for someone who has Working Toward Enlightenment.

[Mal]

Price isn't the barrier it's quality

 

Sounds good styrofoamdog, just re-read you practice page. Looks like we are hunting the same thing. Cheers.

[styrofoamdog]

Yeah, normally I would really hesitate to buy an eBook, but given that it's Nan Huaijin talking informally about anapana, I gave it a shot and I'm very glad I did. It not only has some excellent information on the practice, but it's a lighter and illuminating read that can help with understanding the denser material like Working Toward Enlightenment and To Realize Enlightenment. They also cover topics on cultural differences, theory from the Surangama Sutra and relating it to modern science, Confucian ideals for business, etc. In my opinion, it's all pretty interesting when it's coming from someone like Nan Huaijin.

[Mal]

I need to learn how to use the search engine better

 

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showto...24&hl=Bodri

[SiliconValley]

From the same book:

 

This is to answer your question on how to reach Samadhi through breathing methods. In doing your practice, do not tie your mind rigidly to the breathing. Only if you want to, then observe the exhaling only, not the inhaling. A big mistake commonly committed by those practicing Qigong is to focus on the inhalation and to try to hold on to it. The truth is just the opposite. For correct practice, one should pay attention to the exhalation, if only for improving the health of the body and mind. The more one releases, the more one relaxes. This is the best of practice.

[joeblast]

Good stuff!

[SiliconValley]

Edited October 24, 2008 by SiliconValley

[mwight]

sry

Edited October 24, 2008 by mwight

[mwight]

I found it, its a great book. Lots of real information. Anyone who wants to compare notes, please shoot me a PM.

 

 

 

the part where it talks about farting out bad qi is classic

[gendao]

[Eric23]

I had been focusing on the space between the inhale and the exhale for some time. My yoga instructor had us dissolve on the exhale and then pause. It's been a very nice change. I've also noticed that my belly expands on the inhale when first starting out. As I relax and let go the breath goes down deeper into my abdomen. Interesting topic, thanks.

[styrofoamdog]

Very interesting...my lower belly bulges a bit...I wonder if this is why? And if I should start to try reverse breathing?

He is criticizing the idea of holding the breath in the Dan Tian, and making a remark about how this isn't effective for martial arts. He isn't recommending using reverse breathing for meditation, only saying that this is the way to breathe, to use "wind" maximally for martial arts. "Wind" in this case in the Tian Tai Buddhist term for the air and energy associated with normal breathing. To understand what he is getting at, it's necessary to read the book.

[voidisyinyang]

Actually, as Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality describes when you achieve real samadhi then the center of the feet and palms BREATHE -- which means the electromagnetic energy converts to oxygen without the use of the lungs. The center of the palms and feet literally pulse with the electromagnetic breath thereby lightening the need for the lungs. The exhale is when this conversion is made possible because it shows that the electromagnetic channel through the pineal gland is open so that any energy stored in the body can be harmonized and "exhaled" or released (as electromagnetic energy). Samadhi is called "breathless ecstasy" by Sri Yuteswar, the teacher of Yogananda.

[rain]

Actually, as Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality describes when you achieve real samadhi then the center of the feet and palms BREATHE -- which means the electromagnetic energy converts to oxygen without the use of the lungs. The center of the palms and feet literally pulse with the electromagnetic breath thereby lightening the need for the lungs. The exhale is when this conversion is made possible because it shows that the electromagnetic channel through the pineal gland is open so that any energy stored in the body can be harmonized and "exhaled" or released (as electromagnetic energy). Samadhi is called "breathless ecstasy" by Sri Yuteswar, the teacher of Yogananda.

 

certain points and the body's joints exchange with surrounding nature

you don't even have to be ecstatic. watch tv. relax.

Edited October 26, 2008 by rain

[voidisyinyang]

I think Master Nan would agree:

 

http://www.fuuse.com/article.php?story=20060103225311305

 

http://mothershiplanding.blogspot.com/2008...of-alchemy.html

Edited October 26, 2008 by drew hempel

[styrofoamdog]

I think Master Nan would agree:

 

http://www.fuuse.com/article.php?story=20060103225311305

 

http://mothershiplanding.blogspot.com/2008...of-alchemy.html

As I recall, you own a few of Nan Huaijin's books, but it's clear from your posts about him that you don't understand the basics of what he teaches. It's unfortunate that you have excellent resources right in front of you, but you can't accept them because you're only interested in validating your own preconceptions and pseudo-scientific theories.

[froggie]

Very interesting...my lower belly bulges a bit...I wonder if this is why? And if I should start to try reverse breathing?

 

I think it's more about extracting chi from the air through breathing and *directing* it after that with the *mind* to the dan tien and focus on keeping it there, and after a long time of doing that the dan tien place gets used to it and starts holding it there automatically (but you still have to direct it there 'always') and after that 'phase' you actually start to build up your own energy center there.

 

anyone else seeing it this way?