YMWong

More simply they are of course represented in iconography the way people of their times used to look like, be that hair, beards or clothing A grown up male in old China would be 'naked' without his "five peaks" (a pair of mustaches, a pair of lateral beards and a goaty - the only beard most Chinese ethnics could afford) YM

For those eventually interested our new issue 6 of JOCMS is now available with the full translation on an early republican era neigong illustrated instructional manual. www.martialstudies.com.hk Best YM

Each one of us is a microcosm and we are connected to the outside (the macrocosm) and to each other at a gross level through our senses. We are also connected at a finer level through what you call "vibration", what common people refer to as "feelings" and what the Chinese call (again) "qi". Like a mobile phone that can be connected to a far-away antenna signal when the right frequency is found, we can also connect to each other or to "the outside" in a similar way. To connect and send/receive data you need an advanced device (a transmitter or whatever it is). Within our body we need to build such qualities which have long been lost. So a real master can and sometimes DO connects with his students in various ways, to check with their practice or to help with the same. This connection can take various 'forms' which may include the kind of transmission you talk about, but again this may happen or not depending on the situations so its presence (or absence) is not necessarily a sign we are talking about "the real thing" YM

Hello Mike, in general terms transmission simply means what you mention i.e. been accepted by a (real) master who truly agrees to teach. This "acceptance" may take different forms and specific "procedures" depending on the lineage rules and the kind of material passed down, but all in all it simply means finding a master and receiving guidance from him/her. YM

The exact same possibilities a Chinese has Yes of course, as long as the basic principles are not removed. These are extremely "practical" treasures and, while their theoretical background is vast and important, they can in fact be learned successfully as long as hands on transmission happens, no matter where YM

Yes, it is important to realize the difference between the popular approach to Daoism and the actual real thing. Since early times, Daoism has been spread to the masses through novels and so-called "morality books" 善書. These works are not meant for the actual pratictioner but they are only addressed to the masses, in an effort to spread morality in the population, to reward their good deeds and behaviour with positive hope. They can be an introduction in that many people in Chinese history got started on their path by reading these works, but they really don't convey reality of Daoist practice and transmission. It is very much like the story of Newton discovering gravity while being hit by a fallen apple. Even if the story was true, he had tons and tons of real knowledge acquired from proper studies at the time and that causality only generated an idea that was in fact borne out of formal studies. If we want to become another genius we must therefore find a proper academic institution and follow their curriculum studying hard for many, many years instead of just sitting under a tree waiting for magic to happen YM

Most of those stories are true, but they have been passed down to the general public in a novel-like way so - while they have a value - they are not complete. In fact, immortals will transmit teachings only to those already in their own lineage. Let's say that one follows a certain teacher and he is, thru the teacher, introduced to that specific line of transmission up to the founder. Only once this is done, and he is accepted by the chain of masters before him, can he work hard on himself practicing the teachings of that lineage and MAY later be visited by the immortals (of that specific lineage) for further guidance. Failing to be formally introduced to the line of transmission this help from the Sky is basically impossible, unless one is for instance a huge hero who has saved the lives of million people than maybe the immortals may notice him. It is basically the same in "normal life": one who works for Apple, at any level, and therefore is introduced to the "chain of comman" of the company may be noticed by his superiors and has the opportuny to be given a better job, a better position, higher training. Another guy who works for a factory in India may hardly be noticed by Steve Jobs, no? YM

CD, I am not sure if you are trying to convince me of something I already know as a practical fact, by searching on the web definitions that fit the paradigm that you have created with your guesswork, but I can assure you that you can find "proof" of any possible scenario you may draw. "Internal" and "external" simply mean in-and-out, than when you apply that definition to the different situation you get the specific meaning. Anyway, good luck with your quest Best YM

Guesswork is totally useless with these subjects, and can become extremely dangerous if taken practically. You don't need to believe what I say, but let me suggest that you don't simply try to understand things "logically" without the guidance of a good teacher as that usually takes people astray. We all have the (bad) tendency to think we are clever enough to understand things on our own, but we forget that these are Sciences that have taken GENERATIONS of people to develop and there is NO WAY no matter how smart you are that you can match that in a single lifetime. Best YM

CD, the passage you copy-and-paste from the web here quotes the "Modern Chinese Dictionary" which - I hope you will agree with that - is not the perfect reference for what we are discussing about Best YM

Of course we not only have it in nature but is a prominent kind of 'qi' which exists inside everyone of us! Let me try to oversimplify the whole 'qi' system so that you may understand how it works: we derive our 'qi' from a "prenatal qi" (also called 元氣 or better spelled 元炁) that is transmitted to us from our parents (and "the past" in general, which includes karma) that is linked to our 精(essence) and is stored in our kidneys. After birth, we start to absorb two kinds of 'qi' from the air (breathing, which is called 清氣 and is stored in the lungs) and that coming from food and water (that is usually called 谷氣 or 水穀精氣 and it is stored in the spleen). These two 'qi' combines into 宗氣 "zongqi" (central qi) which than combines in turn with "prenatal qi" to generate 正氣 "zhengqi". This final "zhengqi" is the 'qi' that most people speaks about, which flows in the body as 營氣 "yingqi" (nutritive qi, which allows for the body, the organs and their functions to work properly) and on the body surface as 衛氣 (defensive qi). Is that more clear now? All the 'qi' we have discussed above are made of two components, you can imagine that 'qi' as a molecule made of two atoms or like the negative and positive parts of elecricity. Pure Yang means removing one part of the couple and leaving only the other. It would be like being able to devide a magnet in two by removing the negative side. Sounds tough eh ? Yuanfen, in the chinese way of the World, is present everywhere. One get to know a girl and likes her, they may get together if there is "yuanfen". They can then live happily ever after or split again, which means that "yuanfen" is finished, changed or was never there is first place. This is just the way things are no? There is not much to "know" because, unless one is a fortune teller and can see the future , the future is made by us day by day. There are things that are beyond our grasp, of course, as in everything but at the end of the day it is still all in our hands. In chinese they say 命不在天而在人手中 people's destiny is not written in the Sky but it is in their hands. If you plan to travel to Rome and you decide to get there by plane, when you discover the airline is on strike you can either cry about your unlucky destiny or simply get on a train. In this case getting their by plane was not your "yuanfen" but you still can get there as destiny is in your hands, so just change the road/tool and keep the destination. Well said Best YM

Maybe Anyway, of course "qi" is not (only) breathing or air! Qi is everywhere, including inanimated objects like stones and it is not strickly related to breathing in qigong or neigong practice either, as for instance yin-qi is gathered most commonly by contact from the ground. Best YM

Not really, Steve In the old scriptures both characters are found and 炁 is used to indicate "pre-natal qi" while 氣 usually refer to "post-natal qi" YM

No, Qi is not "breath" but the Chinese character for "Qi" has ALSO the meaning of breath hence my translation So "qi" is simply "qi" because there is no English equivalent, and "breath" is one of the meanings that it entails but there are so many others Of course you can add whatever you feel fit but that is not what the original Chinese say Moreover, "internal" is relative and it does not necessarily refer to the internal organs. As a matter of fact, in most cases the "nei/internal" of "neigong" does not refer to the internal organs but to a different (internals) structure which does not have a precise equivalent in modern anatomy. By the same tokens in fact, 筋 "Jin", which I have simply translated as "tendons", means much more than that and actually also entails the muscles. But a complete translation would need explanations and it would not be equally efficient/direct. YM

As I explain in the article, the difference is cleared in the classical passage 外練筋骨皮，內練一口氣 "Externally practice tendons, bones and skin. Internally practice a mouthful of breath/qi". YM

Simple death in Daoism is a form of immortality, the lowest, so one becomes a "ghost (immortal)" 鬼仙. In this case, as the pratictioner has not reached a "pure yang" state, his "hun" and "po" spirits will dissolve and he won't be able to pursue his practice in the afterlife. As long as a "pure yang" state is achieved, which can be done at different levels, one will be in a condition to eventually pursue practice and continue on his path if he is willing to. The are many levels, an overview of which you can find here http://www.hudong.com/wiki/仙人#7, which gives birth to different states so different positions "in heaven" (or wherever that is ) Best YM

Neigong is a tool and it can be used for many different purposes, martial been only one. Just like having and learning to use a car: you can use it to race (as in martial) but also to pick up your kids from school, to go to work, to actually get a good job, to travel at leisure and visit new places or even to repair yourself from the rain It is just a basic tool, then the lineage and personal preferences will direct one with time toward different goals. Those goals may need additional instructions or not, depending on where one is in terms of development and where he wants to go. Everything is always done one step at the time YM

It's good; if we all were in agreement on everything sharing here would make no sense YM

The term qigong has been widely used to cover all "energetic" practices, including in most cases "athletic-only" ones, since the 50s but it is not a new terms. I have a few manuals dealing with "qigong" (in the title) from Republican era and many others which discuss "qigong" in their content, long before the 50s then. Historically speaking, as everything else in Daoism and in the Chinese Tradition in general, there is not ONE single interpretation of a subject or a term but different schools see and believe in different ideas often at the exact opposite side of the spectrum. This does not mean that "everything works" or that everything is true, of course, but schools with a history of accomplished masters can practically testify to the goodness of their theories/believes/practices. Nowadays, for as much as it is my experience, most schools and traditions labelled as "qigong" transmit either a void kind of gymnastic or at best a form of 'tuna' which is meant to balance the flow of "qi" already existing in the pratictioners' body. No matter what the advertisement say, this is used at best to produce balance of the body functions and therefore health. The term "neigong" has now been used in place of "qigong" in many schools because it sells better, but in the vast majority of cases they still teach some kind of qigong. This practice should allow for the absorption of "qi" from outside and the usage of it to strengthen the body, the mind or to be used for any purpose the pratictioner has as its goal. Needless to says there is some little overlapping between the two practices but in general they are very different. A typical "neigong" usually looks like the practice you can see on the documentary "secrets of the yogis" or whatever it is called (I think there is a thread open here on Thetaobums). Finally, for what concerns your question about the possibility for qigong and neigong to complement each other, it very much depends on the specific practice but in general I would say no, they don't. As a matter of fact many or most (actual) qigong can be practiced together since they work energies already existing in the body. Neigong, on the other side, creates, builds and generate a new kind of energy from the outside. The energy thus created has a "frequency" and characteristics peculiar to the system (the way it is created) so mixing this system with another would create huge problems as you would be mixing TWO different kind of energies. Best YM

MPG, "meditation" does not necessarily happen in sitting position and does not necessarily "slows down the mind and metabolism". Even "focusing on absorbing energy" is not necessarily related to "meditation", thou it is usually one of the concerns of neigong. Anyway, here is for you: Best YM

What do you mean by 'meditation'? YM

The specific set you are talking about only exists in some Wu style schools, so it must have been included at some point in that lineage. I seem to recall that the same practice was passed down by Frank deMaria (not sure about the name) in his shuaijiao curriculum in the US, there was an old video with his performance which was exactly the same as the one in Wu style. More in general, different schools have included existing neigong sets or have created their own. These are meant to develop some body or mind qualities which can be used in different settings, and of course a martial artist use them to help him/her with his goals YM

No we don't, I am sorry That is another set introduced into Wu style which you can find in other styles/curriculums YM

I am afraid we don't sell PDF version of the Journal which is a 140 pages, no advertisement, full-color, printed-only magazine. Neigong always includes practice of both the mind ("meditation") and the body. As a a matter of fact most so-called "martial" neigong are not originally martial in nature, they are usually simply sets which have been introduced to a specific martial curriculum to enhance certain body/mind qualities. It is the case of this set too, which was introduced by the present manual author (Bao Ding) in his xingyi curriculum after having learned it in the 20s. Most of what is taught, or better to say 'sold', nowadays is not neigong but in fact in the best cases just various forms of qigong. YM