Daoist Alchemy: Jerry A. Johnson

[Ish]

I see no point to mix up the stuff. Qigong is not alchemy, just you have to admit it

Definition of alchemy?

 

Then i can tell you whether it is just Qigong or alchemy.

[Ish]

1) Is that complete system in the book?

2) what is it like - seated meds, stands, qigong movements, visualizations, breath?

3) Is it authentic or made up stuff?

 

 

1) No idea, it has a load of information and practices though.

2) All of those.

3) Authentic in my opinion.

[Ish]

I see no point to mix up the stuff. Qigong is not alchemy, just you have to admit it

 

 

You can't do the Immortality stuff until you have the very strong foundation according to this book.

 

The foundation work i assume you would call Qigong and it is necessary.

[Cheshire Cat]

I've heard that there are chapters even for those who have actually attained immortality, right?

[Antares]

You can't do the Immortality stuff until you have the very strong foundation according to this book.

 

The foundation work i assume you would call Qigong and it is necessary.

 

 

Do you know anybody who attained immortallity by doing qigong and by reading books?

[Ish]

Do you know anybody who attained immortallity by doing qigong and by reading books?

 

Did you even read my post? It's a foundation i.e a prerequisite. No one ever said what you just wrote.

 

You seem to imply you know a lot about immortality, care to share your knowledge?

[Antares]

Did you even read my post? It's a foundation i.e a prerequisite. No one ever said what you just wrote.

 

You seem to imply you know a lot about immortality, care to share your knowledge?

 

Yes, I read your post. The title of the book is Taoist Alchemy!!! But you are talking of qigong.

Alchemy begins with nourishing yuan qi (xiang tian) but qigong works only with post-heaven qi (hou-tian).

 

I should not share my view on immortality as this thread is about JAJ's book and stuff in it.

[Ish]

Yes, I read your post. The title of the book is Taoist Alchemy!!! But you are talking of qigong.

Alchemy begins with nourishing yuan qi (xiang tian) but qigong works only with post-heaven qi (hou-tian).

 

I should not share my view on immortality as this thread is about JAJ's book and stuff in it.

 

It has the Alchemy in it. Look at first page at the contents link that Effi posted, it has what it says in there.

[Jox]

How are you going to use this book?

 

 

I asked master John De Anzo for mentorship, to help & teach me the stuff out from the book.

He said, that the materials in that book are very advanced and he would not be able to teach me what I wanted.

If I want to learn, I have to begin from the beginning... to start with Soul Retrieval practice.

 

 

Just curious what your opinions are...

[BaguaKicksAss]

Yeah, if you don't clear your own crap (and blockages and so forth) out first, you can screw yourself up. This is true with many different sorts of practices/systems/paths. Also it just doesn't work as well if you haven't done the preliminary practices. (also true of most paths/systems).

 

I personally find the training worth it.

 

It depends a lot on what you are after and what you want to get out of it?

 

From all I know of, and have experience of this particular path, there is a large emphasis on internal work.

[minkus]

Looks like a nice book yes, 200 is costy but still reasonable.

 

Effilang do you like it ?

[Chang]

I ordered this book on June 14th and it has arrived with me in the UK today, which is not bad delivery speed at all. I am well impressed.

 

I will be fully committed now until next week and so will not be able to take an in depth perusal of the work for some days. First impression is that the book is densely packed with all manner of useful practices as well as background information. It is going to take an awful long time to work my way through all of the information presented which appears to cover numerous different areas of cultivation. My first impression is that this is a most impressive work of encyclopaedic quality.

 

I will write more when I have had a chance to spend more time with the book.

[Jox]

Yeah, if you don't clear your own crap (and blockages and so forth) out first, you can screw yourself up. This is true with many different sorts of practices/systems/paths. Also it just doesn't work as well if you haven't done the preliminary practices. (also true of most paths/systems).

 

I personally find the training worth it.

 

It depends a lot on what you are after and what you want to get out of it?

 

From all I know of, and have experience of this particular path, there is a large emphasis on internal work.

 

If I understood you right, you are a student of this school. If yes, would you like to share your experience, curriculum, etc...?

Edited June 19, 2013 by Jox

[Jox]

My book just arrived...

After quick look, seems very detailed and a lot of info in there. Great...

[Jox]

Till now I have read:

 

DE - virtues

Explained in detail...

 

The body´s three fires

Now I understand them much better...

 

Yin (postnatal) & Yang (prenatal) fires categories

It is a "must" to know and understand...

 

One sentence out of the book:

Troughout the years, many misinformed disciples belive that they are ingesting and cultivating the imortal Alcemical Agent when they practice "Dual Sexual cultivation" techniques. However, these individuals only deceive and harm themselves and others... (Daoist Alchemy: Nei Gong & Wai Gong Training, page 89, by JAJ)

 

The six breaths methods

The six healing sounds practice.

 

Respiratory techniques

Breathing paterns, natural, reverse, holding...

 

Yin & Yang cultivation techniques

Gathering and tonfying with earth & heaven Qi.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Jox

[xor]

 

If I want to learn, I have to begin from the beginning... to start with Soul Retrieval practice.

 

I've heard of Soul Retrieval in a shamanic context, but there is a daoist one? What is it like?

[effilang]

There is. Read his Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy book.

You can find it online or buy it on his website and someone might even be nice enough to share it with you.

 

There is a section dedicated to Soul Retrieval for the medical qigong practitioner.

[effilang]

Here are some things talked about in the chapter:

 

Reasons the Ethereal Soul leaves the body:

- Demon Spirits/Ghosts

- Humans (Broken heart, death of a loved one)

- Severe Trauma (Surgery, miscarriages, abortions, incest, molestations, physical abuse, emotional abuse, stress of combat)

- Wander Off

- Frightened Away

- Stolen

 

The Purpose of Soul Retreval

Wounding and Closing the Spirit

Stages of emotional transitions before the spirit closes

Healing The spirit

Soul Retrieval meditations

 

Retrieving Lost Memories

Accessing the chambers of present emotions, future emotions, past emotions.

 

All his books are chuck full of great stuff.

 

Page 401 onward for Soul Retrieval practices.

[Jox]

Read trough Five element regulation and Fusion of the eight trigrams

 

Interesting... in my opinion, if I understood right, it is almost the same as fusion meditations I learned in HT with some differences. Here are only two pakuas, front (postnatal) and back (prenatal) pakua. Collection points right on the trigrams in a little different positions as in HT. Kidneys and lungs have each 2 col. points, heart, liver spleen, penis/testicles each one col. point. Together eight col. points...

Edited June 21, 2013 by Jox

[Creation]

The Purpose of Soul Retreval

Wounding and Closing the Spirit

Stages of emotional transitions before the spirit closes

Healing The spirit

Soul Retrieval meditations

 

Retrieving Lost Memories

Accessing the chambers of present emotions, future emotions, past emotions.

 

Are these practices for self-soul-retrevial or retreiving the soul of a pateint? What prerequisites are there to perform them?

Edited June 21, 2013 by Creation

[Fu_doggy]

Just got mine. It's absolutely loaded with info....very detailed. I'm starting at the front and will slowly work my way through it. Will post any interesting observations as I come to them.

[Fu_doggy]

BTW - There is a section at the very end of JAJ's book called Understanding Alchemical Training (Overview).

 

There is pretty interesting stuff in there. Very interesting. I will admit I read that section first and am now going to the beginning.

[Tung]

Retrieving Lost Memories

Accessing the chambers of present emotions, future emotions, past emotions.

 

 

Interesting, I rely could need some memories and emotions awakened.

[Chang]

I promised to give a review of this work once I had a chance to peruse it and I will do my best.

 

The fact is that the book is massive in scope covering a huge amount of information. As an example, regarding Neigong training it covers such training in martial arts, healing arts and magical arts.

 

There is a good deal of crossover from Johnsons other books but this could hardly be avoided and I do not mention it as a criticism. So far as illustrations are concerned we have mostly line drawings and a few photographs but this fits in with the book being encyclopaedic in nature and very much a work of reference. I cannot stress too highly that there is a massive amount of information here.

 

That being the case it is probably a work that would be confusing and overpowering for the novice and would be best approached by those with a good solid foundation and grounding in the arts concerned. It should also be mentioned that it is unlikely that any reader would practice all that is taught in the book, the scope is simply too vast.

 

The books title might suggest that this was a manual covering Qigong and Meditation but it goes way beyond anything I expected. So we have training in the body’s structure – bones and muscles, tendons ligaments, internal fascia and internal organs. The rules of proper posture are covered in great detail followed by details of training in static and dynamic postures.

Herbs and food are discussed at length as well as plant and mineral elixirs.

We have respiratory techniques, meditation techniques, celibacy training, details of the deity of the various organs detailed explanation regarding the process and practice of Taoist cultivation and one thousand and one aspects of training that spin off in tangents in all directions.

 

To sum up I would say that the work is mind boggling in scope and its author should be praised for gathering such a massive amount of information and publishing it in one book.

 

I have heard the accusation of plagiarism levelled against Johnson in that he has taken and used the work of other Masters in his books. I tend to take this lightly as we are dealing with subjects of great antiquity and we are all standing on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. I am simply grateful that this information is out there for us as a couple of generations ago that would not have been the case.

 

So to sum up let me answer a couple of questions. Is the book worth the price? Yes. Is the book worth adding to the library of the serious practitioner? Yes. Is there a lifetimes worth of training therein? Probably.

 

Well done Jerry Alan Johnson.

[effilang]

There is so much information that it hurts.