10

THE METHOD OF GATHERING VITALITY

WHEN (VITAL) BREATH vibrates and the penis stands erect, the practiser should press his middle fingers on the dragon and tiger cavities (in the centres of the two palms), raise his tongue to the palate to make a bridge linking with the channel of control, look up and to the left, breathe in to raise (vitality) to the region of the brain (ni wan) and then breathe out to lower it to the mortal gate (at the root of the penis). After several such ascents and descents, the genital organ will retract.

This is how to gather the generative force and vitality. To gather vitality is to insure its free circulation and to gather the generative force is to hold it in reserve for purification. By so doing the practiser will enjoy long life.

The generative force should be stored in full to guard against the loss of ‘the precious thing’ at night (by nocturnal emission). To achieve this the practiser should place the left palm on the right one, bending the two middle fingers to press on the dragon and tiger cavities (in the centres of his palms); raise the tongue to the palate to make a bridge linking with the channel of control; then breathe in to lift vitality up and breathe out to lower it in order to prevent the generative fluid from draining away. This is the method of holding up the generative force and vitality.

Chapter 9 teaches how to transmute the generative force and vitality into immortal seed but before the latter matures it tends to vibrate at night and drain away of itself even in the absence of thoughts and dreams. At this stage the practiser should be very careful. But how does he avoid nocturnal emission?

He should follow the method taught in this chapter to prevent the loss of the ‘precious thing’ in his sleep. If he has previously given rise to perverse thoughts while gathering the generative force, to sexual desires when seeing attractive women or to disturbance at licentious talk, the arousal of the genital organ indicates that he will lose the ‘precious thing’ at night even in the absence of thoughts during his sleep. It will be a matter for regret if he does not practise the method dealt with here to stop nocturnal emission.

One of my disciples who was seventy came to see me, weeping and saying: ‘I have surmounted all difficulties in my practice but last night I failed to stop positive principle draining away; will you please teach me how to prevent its recurrence?’

I said: ‘If you restart your training from the first step (Chapter I) to remedy this loss, you will still succeed later on, but if you do not start all over again, you will return home to wait for your death because there is no other method. When I gave you instruction, I told you that if the genital organ quivers, you should guard against the loss of positive principle at night and urged you to practise the tenth step (given in this chapter) to gather vitality. If you have disregarded my instruction and have now lost the positive principle, you can only blame yourself.’ He said: ‘My genital organ was aroused and quivered that day and I intended to practise step ten that evening but after being kept busy the whole day with my house work I forgot everything at night; this was the cause of my trouble.’

I said: ‘You are already in your seventieth year but disregard your (essential) nature and (eternal) life, to attend to house work. From now on every morning and evening you should train diligently with a mind set at rest during your sitting and forget all about your house work. Then concentrate both eyes pointedly on the lower tan t’ien centre (under the navel) and breathe deeply so that your breath reaches that centre. If you do this for one hundred days your lower tan t’ien will become hot, your eyes will flash light and you will hear something like wind blowing in your ears; you will thus restore the positive principle that has been dispersed. You should then practise microcosmic orbiting (by turning the wheel of the law) to repair the damage, doing it gently in order to avoid strain. If you so train you will certainly produce the immortal seed which, however, before it matures, tends to arouse and shake the penis without prior warning.

‘Each evening before going to bed, relax your heart and sit in meditation. First locate the dragon cavity by bending the middle finger of your left hand and where it touches the left palm is that cavity which is lively and is linked with the heart and the lower abdomen by a channel (artery) passing through the left wrist. Then locate the tiger cavity by bending the middle finger of your right hand and where it touches the right palm is that cavity which also is linked with the heart and lower abdomen by a channel (vein) passing through the right wrist.

‘Now place the right palm on the left pressing the right middle fingertip on the dragon cavity (in the left palm) and the left middle fingertip on the tiger cavity (in the right palm) thus blocking both cavities. Draw in the genital organ, shut the mouth, touch the palate with the tongue, breathe in through the nostrils while rising the eyes from the left to look up, and then breathe out while lowering the eyes to look down. This is turning the eyes to drive the (vital) breath up and down in the nostrils.

‘After turning the eyes up and down nine times pause a little and draw in the genital organ as before.

‘Repeat the same exercise for a second, third and fourth time to complete thirty-six turns of the eyes in order to block the channel of the generative and vital forces (at the mortal gate at the base of the penis). After so preventing nocturnal emission, practise the microcosmic orbiting to repair all deficiencies. When the generative and vital forces are fully recovered, prenatal vitality tends to escape by the anus causing you to break wind frequently. If this is due to gas in the stomach and intestines which comes from food and drink, it is good to let it escape by the anus, but if it is prenatal vitality it is most important to stop it.

‘The Fa Chueh says: “Plug the dragon and tiger cavities (as taught above), raise the tongue to the palate to link the channels of control and function, contract the anus and look up and down to drive the (vital) breath (up and down) in the nasal channel seven times. This exercise will retain and spread prenatal vitality to all parts in the body in order to strengthen it; and thus the tendency to break wind will stop.”

‘If you are inconvenienced by the need to go to the lavatory more frequently than usual and if it is some way from your room, the best method is to plug the dragon and tiger cavities (in the palms), touch the palate with the tongue, contract the anus, look up and down to drive the (vital) breath (up and down) in the nose, contract the ducts of discharge (of urine and excrement), and you will get rid of the trouble.

‘The above precaution is to prevent the drain of vitality without which the spiritual seed cannot develop. If the spiritual seed is defective how can you extinguish fire when it should be put out. If fire cannot be stopped at this stage it will be impossible to break through the great gate (of the original cavity of spirit in the centre of the brain). If this breakthrough is not achieved it will be impossible to stop the drain of vitality and to retract the genital organ; if so how can the immortal seed develop? Without the immortal seed how can the immortal foetus develop? Without the immortal foetus how can you leave the body through the heavenly gate (aperture of Brahma at the top of the skull) to become a heavenly immortal (t’ien hsien)?

‘My, masters Liao Jan and Liao K’ung said: “Real Tao means spirit and vitality only. Cultivation of vitality is negative and of spirit is positive. When both the negative and the positive unite in one, the latter produces positive spirit which can manifest in bodily form visible to others, whereas negative spirit cannot manifest visibly.”

‘The ten steps taught up to here consist of uniting spirit and vitality to produce the immortal seed. Therefore, if prenatal vitality drains away at night, how can the immortal seed be produced? If the genital organ is not aroused vitality will not drain away but when it is stirred and quivers by itself nocturnal emission is bound to occur in sleep.

‘Therefore, before sleeping you should block the dragon and tiger cavities in the palms and do the exercise which I have explained.

‘The accumulation of generative and vital forces in adequate quantity will automatically lead to the stage when fire is no longer needed and should be stopped (by no longer regulating the breathing) to produce the macrocosmic alchemical agent for the breakthrough. When you reach this stage, the practice of (turning the wheel of the law or) the microcosmic orbit technique (hsiao chou t’ien) is no longer needed.

‘The ancients also mentioned the drain of positive vitality caused by the failure to stop fire in order to gather the macrocosmic alchemical agent, but in your case your genital organ is aroused and shaken by the evil fire (of passion) due to lack of vitality and the weakness of the alchemical agent; if you do not gather more vitality and block the discharge channel for the generative fluid you cannot prevent the positive principle draining away.’

Students should ponder over all this. When the generative force is full and the elixir is mature, the genital organ will not dilate and quiver and will draw in. If fire is not stopped when it is no longer needed it also causes nocturnal emission. These two different states should be clearly understood by all practisers.

The above method of gathering the generative and vital forces is for the purpose of producing the immortal seed. When enough of these forces is gathered there will be no nocturnal emission and no drain of vitality by the anus which should not be mistaken for breaking wind. If however vitality is being lost the practiser should block the dragon and tiger centres (in the palms) as already explained, raise the tongue to the palate to link it with the channel of control, drive the (vital) breath in and out while rolling the eyes to push vitality up the backbone and down the front part of the body. This exercise, done seven times, will divert from the anus vitality which will spread to all parts of the body to invigorate it. If there is frequent need to ease nature the practiser should contract the anus and wait for about half a day before going to the lavatory in order to prevent vitality from draining away so that it returns to its source (under the navel) and the immortal seed can form.

This is the method of gathering prenatal vitality to return it to its cavity (below the navel) to form the immortal seed.

My elder brother Chao K’uei I said:

When vitality drains because the penis swells and quiver

It should be turned back to its centre to strengthen the body.

No means to realise essential nature

Can overlook both spirit and vitality.

The master Liu Ming Jui said:

When enjoying the taste of spring

Guard against risks to the body

By blocking the dragon and tiger cavities

‘Til immortal seed breaks through the Great Barrier.

The master P’eng Mou Chang said:

Drive to the head vitality vibrating

And roll your eyes to control (vital) breathing

To cultivate the immortal seed by day

And night so that it rays out light from within the brain.

Question I have listened to your teaching on the ten steps (Chapters 1 to 10) but when my genital organ dilated and quivered in spite of my having blocked the drain of generative and vital forces by rolling my eyes to drive the breath in and out in the four stages of nine turns each, I failed to stop nocturnal emission. What is the reason?

Answer The outer agent which you have gathered is an illusory false one created by wrong thoughts; hence the nocturnal emission. This illusory agent is the generative fluid which contains the evil fire that develops when it is aroused by the vital force. The genital organ swells and quivers when the generative and vital forces vibrate causing this evil fire to scorch the testicles and so dilate the generative duct to drain the positive principle away. You have wrongly used this generative fluid which cannot be transmuted into immortal seed when it contains the evil fire (of passion) and cannot be employed to produce the macrocosmic agent; the most you can expect is to improve your health by eradicating all ailments. The correct method consists of using prenatal vitality, which is not produced by evil thoughts and which alone can be transmuted into immortal seed, to break through the Great Barrier (or Gate in the original cavity of spirit).

Question You have taught us to press the middle fingers on the dragon and tiger cavities (in the palms), raise the tongue to the palate, make pointed concentration to shrink the genital organ, drive the breath in and out of the nostrils and roll the eyes up and down in order to block the duct that discharges the generative force, but I do not think that the centres of the palms and the in and out breaths are linked with that channel and wonder how it can be blocked in order to prevent nocturnal emission. Will you please explain in detail?

Answer The channels conveying blood and vital force to the centres of the palms start from the heart. The channels conveying vitality to the left hand is an artery (called) the dragon; prenatal vitality coming from the heart passes through the wrist and carries blood to the centre of the left palm, which is the dragon cavity. The channel carrying blood and vitality from the right ventricle of the heart is a vein which is linked with the duct of the testicles and the restraining nerve; hence the centre of the right palm is the tiger cavity. When the dragon and tiger cavities are pressed with the middle fingers, the two channels to the heart and lower abdomen are blocked and their passage through the wrists is closed.

The heart is the seat of (essential) nature which manifests through the eyes while the lower abdomen is the seat of life which manifests through the genital organ.

In your practice to restrain and retract the genital organ, when you breathe in through the nose you actually lift the vital breath by turning your eyes up from the lower left, and when you breathe out you lower the vital breath by turning your eyes down from the upper right. You should realise that, since the heart is linked with the two eyes, this exercise in four phases of nine complete turns each causes vitality in the heart to restrain vitality in the tiger cavity while you look up to turn the eyes, and to shut the genital duct while you look up to lift the vital breath. If so how can the positive principle drain away?

Question When the heart is aroused and causes the penis to erect suddenly, is it because the genital root dilates and quivers?

Answer No, because the genital root dilates and vibrates in the state of thoughtlessness and unconsciousness; this is caused by vitality in the scrotum which stirs the testicles and widens the duct by which the generative fluid drains away. If you do not practise the tenth step (as described in this chapter) which consists of contracting the genital gate, you will be unaware of nocturnal emission which will continue and so nullify all previous progress; this is because of your carelessness.

As to the erection of the penis in the absence of (perverse) thoughts, this is due to the manifestation of the positive principle at the living hour of tsu (11 p.m.–1 a.m.) when you should take advantage of it to practise the two phases (of ascent and descent in the microcosmic orbit) in order to gather the alchemical agent (as explained earlier).

Therefore, you should not confound the dilation and vibration of the genital root with the erection of the penis for they have nothing in common.

Question You have said that the alchemical agent cannot be gathered if the genital root does not dilate and quiver at the living hour of tsu. I think the latter does so when vitality vibrates in the lower tan t’ien (under the navel) and that if it is not turned back there will be nocturnal emission of positive vitality. Will you please teach me what to do here?

Answer In your meditation when you achieve utter stillness the inner mechanism suddenly dilates and quivers in the absence of evil thoughts that stir the passionate heart. This is caused by the vibration of vitality in the lower tan t’ien centre (under the navel) in spite of the absence of thoughts. If the practiser does not recognise this vibrating vitality he will achieve nothing. When this happens, he should practise the ten steps (Chapters 1 to 10) to turn vitality back to nurture the immortal seed. His leap from the worldly to the saintly state will be made possible by (the proper use of) this shaking vitality which in sexual intercourse begets offspring. All things in the world are reproduced also through this vibrating vital force. The practiser of alchemy also uses it to produce the immortal seed.

My masters said: ‘Immortality cannot be cultivated or attained unless sexual vitality vibrates. But heretics do not know the method of using this vitality.’

The ancient masters awaited this vibration and, instead of thinking about it, immediately practised the two phases of ascent and descent (as previously taught); by breathing in and out they turned vitality back to produce and nurture the immortal seed; this is the method of stopping nocturnal emission to prolong life. All this has nothing to do with sexual desires. However, if you give rise to lust while practising alchemy you will make a very, very grave mistake and I shall not accept you as my disciple. When vitality vibrates, if the practiser, for want of self-respect, gives rise to sexual desire, he will simply hasten the end of his life.

Question I have seen many old people and sickly youths die prematurely for want of self-respect. Is there a method to avoid such an untimely death?

Answer When the genital organ dilates and quivers some old people wrongly give rise to sexual desire and enjoy intercourse. If they fall ill because of the weather or unwholesome food there is nothing in their bodies to sustain their falling spirit and vitality and stop the drain of generative fluid. This is the cause of their untimely death. Most youths think they are young and strong and that death is still far away; so they let their generative and vital forces drain away until these are exhausted and their health declines; how then can they avoid premature death?

Old people who are weak should avail themselves of the arousal of vitality to act immediately even before turning away their perverse thoughts. They should concentrate on the mortal gate (at the root of the penis) and breathe in to lift (the vital force there) up to (the lower tan t’ien cavity which is) 1.3 inches under the navel, pause a little before concentrating on the chiang kung centre (or the solar plexus) and then breathe out to lower the vital force there to the cavity of vitality (under the navel). From there positive vitality will spread to all parts of the body, killing all sexual desires. This exercise is to be repeated until the genital organ shrinks. If they so train how can there be desire for sexual intercourse?