Gems of Cultivation

[effilang]

Hello Bums and Bumettes,

 

I wanted to start a cute little thread where we could just post interesting or useful quotes from various Taoist and Buddhist literature.

 

I think discussion will naturally arise, and if it does, please keep it to a minimum or transfer the quote for discussion to an independent thread where it can be discussed in detail without derailing the thread.

 

It would be nice for folks to be able to visit this thread and just read quotes one after the other, without distracting commentary.

 

Please use the QUOTE mechanic so we can keep it tidy : )

And If you know the page and name of the book, include it.

 

I'll go first:

 

If you do not open the heart chakra, not only is it impossible to correctly engage in various cultivation practices (like the Taoist method of absorbing the essence of the moon), but more importantly, you will never experience your inherent great transcendental prajna wisdom. - p82 of How to Measure and Deepen Your Spiritual Realization

 

Always wait for someone else to post so you can post again : )

 

You're next!

Edited August 9, 2013 by effilang

[steve]

Vision is mind

Mind is empty

Emptiness is clear light

Clear light is union

Union is great bliss

 

-- the Fivefold Teaching of Dawa Gyaltsen

from Awakening the Luminous Mind by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Edited August 9, 2013 by steve

[effilang]

It is absolutely, unequivocally impossible to open the esoteric structures of the body by focusing on physiological feelings. Imagination leads to delusion, and never to self-awakening. As Lao Tze said:

 

One who possesses abundant virtue resembles a newborn babe. Poisonous insects will not sting it, nor fierce beasts seize it, nor birds of prey maul it. Its bones are supple and its sinews soft, yet its grip is firm. It does not yet know of the union of male and female, yet its male member can stir. This is because it is full of virility. It can cry all day without its throat becoming hoarse. This is because it is full of breath. To know how to breathe is called being constant, and to know the constant is called insight.

 

To try to add to ones vitality is ominous. To have mind control the chi is called forcing. To become overgrown is to decay, and this is going against the Tao. That which goes against the Tao will face an early end.

[Vitalii]

Practitioners should spy out the mind's habits, biases, prejudices, fixations, obsessions, and indulgences, so that eventually they can catch them and treat them accordingly. It will not do to be too easygoing; even slight faults should be eradicated, and even small virtues should be developed. It this way entanglements may be cut off, and one may become constantly aware of true eternity.

_______________
‪‎Daoist‬ wisdom

[effilang]

 

“In the past, people practiced the Tao,the Way of Life. They understood the

principle of balance as represented by the transformations of the energies of the universe. They

formulated exercises to promote energy flow to harmonize themselves with the universe. They

ate a balanced diet at regular times, arose and retired at regular hours, avoided overstressing their

bodies and minds, and refrained from overindulgence of all kinds. They maintained well-being of

body and mind; thus, it is not surprising that they lived over one hundred years.”

“These days, people have changed their way of life. They drink wine as though it were

water, indulge excessively in destructive activities, drain their jing -the body’s essence that is

stored in the Kidneys - and deplete their qi. They do not know the secret of conserving their

energy and vitality. Seeking emotional excitement and momentary pleasures, people disregard

the natural rhythm of the universe. They fail to regulate their lifestyle and diet, and sleep

improperly. So it is not surprising that they look old at fifty and die soon after.”

[Gerard]

.

Edited August 22, 2013 by Gerard

[effilang]

 

The way of Yin and Yang is of paramount importance in the Taoist system of health and longevity.

It is also one of the most ancient elements of Chinese thought on record.

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine (Huang Ti Nei Ching) and the invaluable Classic of the Plain Girl (Su Nu Ching), both of which date from the third-fourth centuries BC, are based on materials handed down through ancient China's Imperial Archives ever since the time of the Yellow Emperor and his various Taoist advisors.

As with the Tao itself, the essential elements in the Tao of Yin and Yang are balance, harmony and the union of opposites:

For a man to nurture his male powers, he must nourish his yang essence by absorbing Yin essence. When men and women indulge freely in sex, exchanging their bodily fluids and breathing each other's breath, it is like fire and water meeting in such perfect proportions that neither one defeats the other. Man and woman should ebb and flow in intercourse like the waves and currents of the sea, first one way then another, but always in harmony with the Great Tide.

In this manner, they may continue all night long, constantly nourishing and preserving their precious vital essence, curing all ailments, and promoting long life. Without this basic harmony of Ying and Yang, neither medicines refined from the five minerals, nor the most potent aphrodisiacs, will be of any use. If the vital essences are dried up due to excessive emission or complete neglect, they can never be revived. [su Nu Ching].

When sex is performed according to the Way, it becomes an inexhaustible source of energy, like a well that never runs dry, rather than an exhausting ordeal. However, sex can also 'drown' you if you don't know how to stay 'afloat' during intercourse.

Unless you are a highly accomplished adept who has mastered the transmutation of sexual energy into pure spiritual power, celibacy will harm your health as much as reckless indulgence:

Yellow Emperor: I do not wish to make love any more.

Plain Girl: As human beings, we must not do anything that contradicts nature. Now, your majesty wishes to refrain from sexual intercourse and that is entirely against nature. When Yin and Yang are not in contact, they cannot complement and harmonize each other. We breath in order to exchange stale old air for fresh new air. When the Jade Stem is not active, it will atrophy. That is why it must be exercised regularly. If a man can learn to control and regulate his ejaculations during sex, he may derive great benefits from this practice. The retention of semen is highly beneficial to man's health. [su Nu Ching].

Preserving semen lies at the heart of Taoist bedroom arts, as illustrated in the following line from a commentary on the adept Pein Chang's biography in Dynastic History of the Later Han:

The art of bedroom consists of suppressing emissions, absorbing the woman's fluids, and making semen return to strengthen the brain, thereby attaining longevity.

Thus a man must treasure and conserve his semen during intercourse; whenever he does emit it, the loss must be compensated by absorbing the 'essence' of woman's secretions. That is why ejaculations through masturbation or homosexual relations are regarded as being especially harmful to the Yang essence and energy.

By now, male readers must be wondering, 'How can there be pleasure in sex without ejaculation?'

This question also occurred to the Yellow Emperor after his advisors encouraged him to start regulating his ejaculations. The Emperors inquiry on this matter sparked the following exchange between two of his closest counselors, Peng-Tze and the Rainbow Girl, recorded in Secrets of the Jade Bedroom:

Rainbow Girl: it is generally assumed that a man gains great pleasure from ejaculation. But when he learns the Tao of Yin and Yang, he will ejaculate less and less. Will this not diminish his pleasure as well?

Peng-Tze: Not at all! After ejaculating, a man feels tired, his ears buzz, his eyes get heavy, and he longs for sleep. He is thirsty and his limbs feel week and stiff. By ejaculating, he enjoys a brief moment of sensation but suffers long hours of weariness as a result. This is no true pleasure!

However, if a man regulates his ejaculations to an absolute minimum and retains his semen, his body will grow strong, his mind will clear, and his vision and hearing will improve. While a man must occasionally deny himself the fleeting sensation of ejaculation, his love for women will gently increase. He will feel as if could never get enough of her. Is that not the true and lasting pleasure of sex?

Edited August 10, 2013 by effilang

[rex]

My Alchemy

 

Every morning I sit.

 

Back straight

Strong like a mountain.

Open the heavenly gate.

Close the earthly door.

Tongue touching the upper palate.

Eyes lightly closed, like drawing a curtain.

Regulate the breath to be long, slow, deep and even.

With every breath return to the root.

 

I connect to my ancestors, my lineage.

I connect to my teachers, my lineage.

 

I connect to Heaven, Earth and my center – Man. The three treasures

I connect to the Five directions.

I connect to the Center Earth golden-yellow qi light and bring that connection to the spleen.

I connect to the Western Metal white color qi light and bring that connection to the lung.

I connect to the Northern mystical color qi light and bring that to the kidney.

I connect to the Eastern green color qi light and bring that to the liver.

I connect to the Southern red color qi light and bring that to the heart.

 

Breathing in through every pore of my skin the qi enters and penetrates my body.

Breathing out all colors condense and fuse in my lower tantien.

 

Breathing in I take in the fresh new morning qi. Breathing out I release the old stagnant energy.

 

In turn I breath in the fresh qi from each direction and breath out the old.

 

I finish by bringing my awareness back to the lower tantien. Breathing in, breathing out.

 

I make the transition from working with the qi body and come back to my physical body with self massage and Daoyin.

 

I give thanks and release gratitude to heaven, earth and man.

I thank the lineage Masters for their assistance.

 

edited; to add more detail

 

Source: http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=10865&view=findpost&p=131141