Can someone point me in the right direction of any books or dvds instructionals on information on daoist immortality meditation practices?

Is the daoist immortality med that embro breathing?

Is there a common meditation practice for Immortality in all daoist practices?

Any comments appreciated!!


WYG

Everything comes from meditation. You have to meditate constantly, build up concentration power through the meditaiton, and bring everything to the dantian to transform it all. We say : Lian Dan.
---First step.
Peace,
Lin

Thanks, understood but ive read stuff about something that crystalises and all sorts of stuff. Do you know what this practise is?

I don't know what specifics you are talking about, but there are practices to further refine the cultivation in the Dantian, spread that energy to the tendons, bones, organs, etc and work to transform them. There are practices to make a Light body as well. It is immortal cultivation, sometimes the body gets dropped, sometimes it transforms to light...In todays world, usually the body is so drugged up b chemicals in our food and water, air, that it cannot transform completely, and its just dropped in the end. At that point you become an immortal through strict cultivation.
You may live a long long time too in that body. Depends on how well one does. Immortality is not a one lifetime attempt at cultivation. It takes a long time, and when there is enough potential to transform...POOF!

Peace,
Lin

My practise uses dan tian focus, and stillness emptiness. But i was reading something of Embryotic breathing or how something crystalizes and opens the 3rd eye etc.

I was hoping to read more and understand what the Daoist Immortality cultivation is about, what training is involved and stages etc?

Can you help?

wyg

A method for activating, cultivating the 3rd eye, is to breathe to the dantian, and keep your awareness at the third eye. That is a first step. Sitting while doing it. Full lotus or half lotus....full is better... hehe

Stillness, emptiness are states and are outcomes of good practice. It is good to cultivate with those as a focus, but I am sure you know not to attach to them.

There are further practices which involve a teacher to constantly monitor progress, and teach directly. Its safer that way, and saves time typing. The teacher will also know the student's level of understanding and potential in concentration/cultivation.

Constant correspondence will be needed if a teacher is not present, and constant questioning is important in order to work out the small things. Patience and such, because one can stay in the first level for several months. Its up to their potential, capacity.

Peace,
Lin

post birth breathing first.

Thanks Lin,

So to build the Dan Tian energy and all else will follow on after that?

You name is Tao or Buddhist and what it represent?

It is a name. Accepted by both Daoists and Buddhists. I also go by Lin Zi Yi and Lin Zi Quan. On my website is a description of my names.

To develop cultivated energy in the dantian, you have to meditate, and in that concentrate.

You can meditate, and keep you breath to the dan tian, keep your awareness at the 3rd eye. A very basic method, but a lot of things follow after that, and opens the path for good cultivation. There are many levels in that one method.

To be honest, I started with that method at age 8. And everything else came from it. Just recently my Shifu asked me if I knew of such a method, I said yes. She was surprised.

Peace,
Lin

Thanks mate, reading your site at present will get back with more questions later!

regards
WY

Hey the book "Taoist Yoga: Alchemy and Immortality" is all about creating the embryo --

http://www.kheper.net/topics/Taoism/circul...n_of_light.html

You can go to this forum for more practical information: http://foundation73.proboards55.com/

This book tells a lot... but really learning from it... ah well...
plus I was told, if memory serves well, that the translation is a little flawed...



Harry

I was thinking the same. The book gave me great insight in certain practice yeah.

Exactly doing what is prescribed in the book is a bit harder though.

Holding yin, embracing yang (eva wong) is also such a book

I was always a bit........ well ....... scared by this "body of light" idea.

The idea attracts me a LOT. I would LOVE to be here for a long long long time (but not forever) and I would love to have a body that could still interact with this world after I "die"

But it sort of seemed a bit like being a hungry ghost too....

What are you afraid of? Being a Hungry Ghost and attaining a Light Body are two totally different things. You can't have a Light Body if you are a Hungry Ghost. They are two totally different realms. Ghosts cannot attain the Light, Illuminescent body unless they change from ghosts to a higher level of cultivation. It is a stage of cultivation, not an end to cultivation.

Iluminescent beings always interact with our world. And they can form any "body" they want.

The wanting you have is of a human condition. There is more than just Human condition.



Peace,
Lin

Hi Lin

have you ever shared your point of view on WHY actually there are so many levels, WHY the separation from "the one" ever happened, for WHY we have to cultivate at all?



Harry

Oh, my cheap occult background is showing through I thought body of light was a ghost that could interact physically with the world, like an actual body to walk around in after death. And yes its a wanting for the human condition, I enjoy being what I am now, my life is cool fun.

But don't worry, I don't want it to be like this forever

WYG,

"Can someone point me in the right direction of any books or dvds instructionals on information on daoist immortality meditation practices?"

Yes, but understand that there is no one thing that anyone can prescribe for you that is necessarily "right" or best for you. Only you can find this for yourself and for your own path. That is my understanding. With that said, try the Healing Tao stuff if it is calling you. You could try the practices in "Spiritual Qigong" by David Twicken as well (which are HT based and layed out in one book in a simplified manner). You could also do a Google on Zen meditiation and get instruction on that, etc. You could also do yoga, do nothing, etc.

"Is the daoist immortality med that embro breathing?"

Not from what I understand but hey, everything is posible.

"Is there a common meditation practice for Immortality in all daoist practices?"

No, there are many approaches and techniques in daoist practices. The historic big split is on using or not using sexual energy. However, I would add (not nessesarily a taoist perspective) that it depends a lot on aones personal deep rooted desire towards this aim or even what is in your life path (astrology, past life stuff, etc). I feel that the path will "appear" so to say when you are ready. If there is something common, it is getting out of your mind and into the mind of Tao. Most people find meditation a great catalyst but there are cases that people haven't even done that.

I personally know many people who have come to the same state via very different practices or even lack of pratice. We generally want things to make sense and to be able to be understood in terms of if I do this, this will happen. The spiritual path, ime, is a bit different and is a lot about being able to let go and surrender to Tao and then Tao will lead you. Tao is everything and it can be found in as many ways and places as are imaginable.

Best!

Matt

There are so many levels due to the ideas within the minds of living beings, people. Actually, there are no levels, but because we have attachments, some heavier than others, there is an experience of things according to the manner of our thoughts.

Separation from the "one" never actually happened. The cause for the perception of there being a one and so on, was because of living beings attaching to what they experienced...whether it was good or bad. And so, they attained confused thinking from wanting things and putting alot of thought into getting it in, becoming upset when they didn't get it, and began doing things, thinking thoughs, indulging in emotions that empower the mind of separation.

Why we have to cultivate is simple. If we don't cultivate, then we will be subject to our outcomes, and be swung in all directions from our confusion. Cultivation "opens" the doors to wisdom. Not just worldy wisdom, but our inherent wisdom.

One doesn't have to cultivate, but that doesn't mean they will be actually free from their ideas of them self. A person may be cool to hang out with, but that doesn't mean they are wise and spiritually inclined...awakened.

These answers are really simple answers. Wondering about the "WHYs" of thihngs takes away from cultivation. When one has put down much, they realize the answers to all those "Whys". It is one of those things that intellectual understanding cannot grasp. It has to be seen, and understood through one's meditation, cultivation..."opening" of inherent wisdom.



Peace,
Lin

p.S.- If there were to be a full on discussion about this, the answers would be even simpler...but even more less accepted.. And so, they would have to get confusing, and complex in order to get back to the simplicity of it. After all, the wisdom is revealed through meditation, cultivation.

Once again, thank you Lin

Harry

Thank you

Peace and Blessings my brother.

>>>bows<<<

bowing too

Enlightenment is already in front of you. Meditate to polish the mirror so you can see yourself. Immortality? More addings on.

There is no mirror to be polished.

Thats' actually a very famous diolgue between the 6th patriarch..who recieved lineage transmission..and the head monk..who subsequently chased after him in the night..

Maybe Lin can recount this famous story for us it has been a long time.

When Hui Neng was in the monastary, he worked more than sat with the other monks.He prepared the food, and pounded the rice. He couldn't read, and so people thought him a barbarian. He actually wasn't an ordainded monk during his early yrs in the monestary.
One day the 5th Patriarch began looking for his successor. He gathered the monks together and told them all that he wants them to write a stanza(4 line) which will consist of their Prajna Wisdon, understanding, and awakening, and thus he can transmit Shakyamuni Buddha's robe and bowl to them, and they will be the 6th Patriarch.
Every one was worried they weren't wise enough, and also, they wanted their elder Shen Xiu to take the transmission, because he was their senior instructor.
Shen Xiu, worried himself so much that composing a stanza, he failed in many attempts to hand it in. Within 4 days , he made 13 attempts. He felt so much pressure from the assembly of monks that he decided to go in the middle of the night, and write his stanza on a wall. If the 5th Patriarch said it was proper, Shen Xiu would say he wrote it, if the stanza showed no wisdom, he would not say admit it.
His stanza was: The body is a Bodhi tree, the mind like a bright mirror stand.
Time and again brush it clean,
and let no dust alight.

The 5th Patriarch knew who wrote the stanza upon reading it. Shen Xiu didn't attain Prajna Wisdom, but since it was written on a wall, in the temple, no one can wash it off. The stanza would benefit people by them cultivating it, and doing so according to the verse, not fall into evil destinies, ,and attain great merit.
So mokns went around reciting it everyday.
Then Hui Neng heard a monk and asked him what he was reciting. The monk made fun of Hui Neng, sayin ghow he wouldn't understand such a verse and explained the whole situation form the beginning. Hui Neng wanted to see it also, and learn it. When he finally heard it completely, he wanted to write a verse on his own. There was an official there as well, and he helped Hui Neng write the following verse:
"Original Bodhi has no tree,
the bright mirror has no stand.
Originally there is not a single thing:
Where can the dust alight?"

When the 5th Patriarch read this, he rubbed it out, erased it, and said the Hui Neng also didn't attain Prajna Wisdom. But he said this in fear that the assembly would harm Hui Neng, and become so angry because of Hui Neng's appearance, and their own attachments to what looks like a smart person and whatnot.

After that, the 5th Patriarch summoned Hui Neng to his room, and passed him the robe and bowl. Hui Neng became the 6th Patriarch, but no one knew. Hui Neng was then advised to leave immedietly, and soon afterwards, monks of the assembly chased after him and tried to find him. One monk was very swift on his feet, and a good tracker. He found the plae where Hui Neng hid first. Hui Neng saw him, and put the robe and bowl on a rock, and hid behind the rock. The monk came to take the robe and bowl, but couldn't lift it up at all. Then he said to Hui Neng, "I have come for the Dharma,not the robe and bowl." Hui Neng then came out, sat cross -legged and conversed with that monk. That monk's lay-name was Chen, and soon after their conversation, he led the other monks away from Hui Neng, and made them search in other places. The other monks believed Chen to be honest, so they never questioned his words.

Hui Neng stayed in hiding for 16 yrs, living among hunters, cooking for them until the proper time to teach the Dharma.

Much more to this story, I tried to make it as short as possible and still leave the important turns of it.

I do request us all to read the 6th Patriarch's Diamond Platform Sutra. It is a great compilation of his teachings. Very direct and to the point, without the expedients of demons and dimensions and religion.
If anyone does get it, I advise to get a copy with a commentary by Ven. Master Xuan Hua Shangren.
He is by far the most clear and profound commentator on Buddhist Sutras and cultivation.

Peace and Blessings.

Lin

P.S.- Even Daoists study this sutra, because cultivation is simply cultivation. Anything that is good results in good outcomes haha so don't think that by reading a Buddhist text you are dis honoring Daoist teachings.. haha I know some people feel that way actually.

Great story!

If that doesn't make you grateful for Lin's presence on the board I don't know what to tell you.

dude,

could you, like..... STOP being so awesome?!


Sifu Lin.

some day...

Hey Lin,

That was awesome. Thanks for the story...

Maybe we could ask you to have little dharma-talk-posts more often often?

Thanks,

Peace,

M

That would be fun. Just post the idea, and its done