THE FIRST BROCADE
THE HEAVENLY DRUM
This chapter begins with my translation of the instructions, commentary, and correct method that were included in the Kao Lin engraving. Following the original text are Li Ching-yun’s commentary and my comments, and finally my instructions for practicing the First Brocade.
The Original Text
Seated cross-legged, close the eyes to darken the heart.
Grasp the hands firmly and meditate on the spirit.
Tap the teeth thirty-six times.
The two hands embrace K’un-lun Shan.
The two hands are placed on the back of the head. Breathe nine times without sound through the nose, so that neither the in breath nor the out breath can be heard.
Left and right, beat the Heavenly Drum,
Sounding it twenty-four times.
Position the hands so that they cover both ears. Press the middle finger against the index finger and then tap downward against the back of the head, alternating left and right, twenty-four times on each side.
The correct method: First, it is necessary to close the eyes to darken the heart, cross the legs, grasp the hands firmly, and still the thoughts. Afterward, tap the teeth thirty-six time to collect the spirit. Next, place both hands on the back of the head and take nine breaths that cannot be heard, using the secret of the hands to cover both ears. Next, beat the Heavenly Drum by pressing the middle finger over the index finger, and begin tapping the back of the head, left and right, twenty-four times.
Li Ching-yun’s Commentary
Closing the eyes will, in effect, nourish the spirit, and darkening the heart is necessary to control the false thinking.
After you are seated, the procedure is to securely close the eyes to focus inwardly. All the confused thoughts will begin to vanish and return into the darkness; the mind can then thoroughly and intuitively illuminate all things.
When sitting in the cross-legged position, do so on a thick cushion. The head must be held upright and the spine kept erect. Your entire being can then enter the Four Dhyanas, self-reliant and independent in all things. The tailbone must also be kept upright, not leaning to one side or another. This is very important.
Author’s Comments
In Taoism the term ching tso is used, and it means tranquil sitting. The purpose of quiet sitting is suggested by the image of a glass of water with debris floating in it. If the glass is left unmoved, the debris will naturally sink to the bottom of the glass, leaving the top portion clean and clear. Thus, the more calmly you sit, the more your thoughts will settle and the greater will be your experience of a clean and clear mind. The great Japanese Zen master Dogen maintained that the most important part in becoming a Buddha had to do with sitting like a Buddha, being ever mindful of correcting your sitting posture, and nothing more.
The proper method of sitting for the Eight Brocades is the siddha posture, a cross-legged posture that has the left heel tight up against the base of the genital area and the right leg aligned in front so that the sole of the foot rests along the left knee. However, you may also use the half-lotus or full-lotus posture. If you are physically unable to perform any of these seated postures, you can sit on the edge of a chair instead, as long as your back is straight and not supported by the chair.
All the confused thoughts will begin to vanish and return into the darkness. The idea here is that first the mind is full of confused thoughts and images. When all the confused thoughts vanish and return into the darkness, the mind settles and emptiness fills with light, which is the meaning of the mind can then thoroughly and intuitively illuminate all things. Returning to the analogy of the glass of dirty water, the debris represents the confused thoughts. When the glass is left perfectly still, there comes a point at which the water is murky but still. Last, the debris eventually sinks to the bottom of the glass, leaving the water on top perfectly clear—which represents the light one sees during meditative states.
The Four Dhyanas have various meanings. These meanings can be anything from the stages of intense meditation, to attaining supernatural powers, to the levels of rebirth in the Dhyana Heavens. But since Li Ching-yun clearly states self-reliant and independent in all things, it is obvious he is referring to stages of intense meditation, which are (1) a longing for intense concentration; (2) the desire to apply prolonged, intense effort; (3) the intense desire not to lose or leave the state of dhyana achieved; and (4) the intense state of continual dwelling in dhyana. (Dhyana is Ch’an in Chinese and Zen in Japanese.)
Tailbone refers to the very tip of the tailbone.
Grasp the hands firmly means to clench both hands into fists. The clenching of both hands into fists, in effect, gathers the qi. This closing is the apex of this mysterious art and banishes all bad influences.
The rule is to fashion both the right and left hands into fists. Clench them firmly, with the palms facing heaven and the backs, earth. Then place the hands on the upper part of the knees, which will help maintain the body in being upright and centered. Quiet the mind, getting rid of all confused thinking. The primary idea here is to fully concentrate and then retain that presence of mind.
Author’s Comments
Grasp the hands firmly (wo ku) has two techniques and varying purposes throughout the text and exercises. Generally, it refers to the technique of closing the fingers into a fist, with the thumb placed along and outside the fingers. The middle finger of each hand presses in on the center of each palm, known as the Dragon cavity (lung ch’iao) on the left hand and the Tiger cavity (hu ch’iao) on the right hand. The backs of the hands are then placed on the thighs or held close to the lower abdomen.
The main reason for grasping the hands firmly is so that heat energy can be generated in the hands more quickly. You can think of this as how a newborn makes a loose fist in order to conserve heat and energy. In this sense, firmly does not mean that you should tense or flex the muscles, but simply hold them securely, as in the grip of a baby. Tensing and flexing of the hand muscles affect the forearm and biceps, thus blocking off circulation of blood and qi. The correct grip here is achieved by lightly pressing the middle fingers in on the Dragon and Tiger cavities. Gradually, you will be able to sense the pulses in the hands and the stimulation of qi in the Yang Arm and Yin Arm meridians (yang wei mo and yin wei mo), which end in these cavities.
The second method for grasping the hands firmly in regard to these exercises is the t’ai chi knot method, which is simply grasping with one hand the thumb of the other hand and then placing the remaining fingers over the fingers of the hand holding the thumb. The palms of the hands are then placed over the area of the lower abdomen. This method is best employed when sitting quietly or when performing the Second Brocade, Shake the Heavenly Pillar.
To tap the teeth is to remove the fire from the heart and to collect the spirit within yourself, making cohesion between the body and spirit.
The procedure is to make the upper and lower teeth tap together thirty-six times, but producing only a slight sound. Do not be hurried in performing this; just exhaust the sound of the tap and, most importantly, do so slowly and lightly. If you become too anxious about this, you could injure the spirit. Just exhausting the sound repeatedly is quite sufficient for removing the fire within the heart; it is otherwise without benefit. Pay attention to this.
Author’s Comments
To exhaust the sound of the tap means to listen attentively until the sound of each tap dissipates completely before beginning the next tap.
See “Shen” in the “Three Treasures” section in Part 1 for more on uniting body and spirit.
It is said that the head is likened to the top of Mount K’un-lun, the highest peak of the Central Mountains, as the head is also the highest point of a person’s body.
The procedure is to mutually interlace the fingers of both hands, with the ten fingers of both hands equally and alternately separated. Once they are securely interlaced, grasp the back of the head—this is to embrace. The palms are placed directly over the base of the ears, with the thumbs pointing downward. The elbows are bent, forming a triangle, with the elbows in line with the shoulders.
In this position you should inhale and exhale slowly and calmly, with nine complete respirations through the heels, and then pause. Allow the breath to become completely full when inhaling, and completely empty when exhaling. There must be no audible sound produced. If there is, the qi will then disperse. Through intent, this procedure, without question, will gather the qi.
Author’s Comments
The head is metaphorically referred to as K’un-lun Shan, the tallest peak in a great mountain range in western China, likely in consideration that the head is the highest point of a person’s body.
Breathe nine times without sound through the nose. First, breathe nine times is a phrase found frequently in Taoist yogic texts. Nine is the supreme yang number, so through breathing nine times, the practitioner stimulates the positive qi of yang. In later stages of cultivation, when the qi is actually able to be circulated, the qi is set into nine complete orbits, at the completion of which a drop of elixir of pure spirit (yang shen tan) is deposited into the lower abdomen.
Without sound means that the breath is inaudible externally. However, because the ears are covered by the palms of the hands, the breath is heard to a degree internally.
The breathing must be done through the nose, both the inhalation and exhalation. This is done mainly so that the breath will not dry or burn the throat, and also so that the nose can act as a filter, preventing unwanted particles from entering the system. Rarely is inhalation through the mouth called upon in Taoism.
Breathing through the heels refers to Chuang-tzu’s statement that “a true man breathes through his heels.” The allusion is to the sensation of true breath, which feels as if the entire body is breathing and occurs through the proper application of natural breathing.
The Heavenly Drum is the region both to the left and right and back of both ears, the “hearing door” (tsung men). Beating is to produce a drumlike sound internally by tapping the fingers on these areas. This beating can bring about good hearing faculties and also prevents the encroachment of external malignant spirits.
The proper method here is to place the two hands directly over the ear openings (erh men). Place the middle fingers on top of the index fingers, then with some force, snap the middle fingers down. It is essential to be certain that a full echo sound is produced within the ears. Tap left and right alternately twenty-four times each. Start with the left and then do the right side, collectively tapping forty-eight times, and then stop.
Author’s Comments
The Heavenly Drum is the area of the occiput and the two neck muscles below the base of the skull. This area is also the location of the Jade Pillow cavity. Covering the ears with the palms of the hands and then tapping along the base of the skull produces a peculiar echoing sound internally, very similar to the sound of a small drum. According to the Taoists, producing this sound coordinates and harmonizes the central nervous system.
The ear opening is likened to the Gates of Life. The number twenty-four is contained in the secret of the hands: the Limitless (wu chi), the Two Powers (liang yi), the Four Images (szu hsiang), the Eight Diagrams (pa kua), and the Nine Openings (chiu kung). These represent the twenty-four breaths.
Both the left and right ears must be internally sounded twenty-four times. These twenty-four breaths are to be directed thoroughly though the body via the ears, using the Gates of Life as the source of holding the sound: this is the secret of prolonging the years. The sound produced is the ultimate of sounds and purifies the fire (qi).
Author’s Comments
The idea here is to flick the middle finger sharply off the index finger and onto the neck muscles just below the base of the skull. Always begin this procedure with the left-hand fingers, which are on the yang hand. Throughout these exercises, you will notice that every procedure begins on the left, or yang, side.
The twenty-four breaths:
The Limitless represents the emptiness created between the palms and ear openings. Wu means “nothingness” or “to be without.” Chi means “the ultimate” or “the furthest limit.” The term thus refers to what is illimitable, an expression of absolute voidness from which all things are produced. The term was first introduced by the Taoist Chou Tun-yi of the Sung dynasty, who used it to describe a mind completely devoid of all worries, thoughts, emotions, and desires.
The Two Powers is a term denoting the two powers of yin and yang, sun and moon, heaven and earth, male and female, and so on. The sound of the tapping here represents the separation of yin qi and yang qi from wu chi.
The Four Images are created from the interaction of yin and yang. In regard to the tapping sound, they represent the eyelids lowered, the tongue held against the palate, the hands held firmly, and the anus drawn up.
The Eight Diagrams, in relation to the tapping sound, are represented by the following cavities: Returning Yin, Gates of Life, Double Pass, Jade Pillow, Hundred Gatherings, Mysterious Pass, Bright Palace, and Field of Elixir.
The Nine Openings refer to the two eye sockets, two ear canals, two nostrils, the mouth, the urinary tract, and the anus.
The meaning here is not that there are twenty-four distinct breaths, rather, that in each of the twenty-four taps, there must be the production and stimulation of the qi. With each alternating tapping, the attention is directed to each of these areas. The tapping is performed slowly enough so that in each area the sound can briefly be held onto.
The secret of the hands here could also be translated as “one’s own hand.” The Chinese character that is used (which represents tzu) means either “one’s own” or “secret.” However, Li Ching-yun uses the characters representing an an in connection with this idea, and so the meaning seems to be “the secret of the palms.” Also, many Taoist works make reference to the idea that in the right palm is the Tiger cavity (hu ch’iao) and in the left palm, the Dragon cavity (lung ch’iao). When the palms are placed over the ears (with the centers of the palms cupping the ears completely), the Tiger and Dragon cavities are joined with the ear openings, and once joined with the breath, they create the divine internal sound of the Limitless. In more practical terms, this is the sound created by the empty space between the palms and the ear drums—much like the sound one hears when placing a seashell over the ear. Thus, by closing off the external hearing, the practitioner hears only the inner sounds.
Author’s Instructions
Once you have sat down in a meditative position, and before breathing the initial twenty-four breaths, first perform nine cleansing breaths to clear your lungs. Then breathe in and out through the nostrils only while slowly and deeply expanding and contracting the abdomen twenty-four times. Keep the tongue on the roof of the mouth. It is important to regulate the body posture, making sure the spine is erect and the head is suspended as if by an imaginary string.
When first doing this exercise, be aware and cautious of any subtle strain in the lungs. If you feel any tension, relax and start over again. The correct manner of breathing is to be slow and precise. Afterward, simply be aware of your improved spirits. This method is the best way to strengthen the lungs for long-lasting health and vitality.
With the fists still closed firmly, slowly and precisely tap the teeth together thirty-six times. Keep the head upright and the eyes lowered. Listen intently to the sound of the tapping.
The lower teeth are raised and lowered in relation to the upper teeth in a chewing or grinding manner, just as if eating food, but slowly. Breathe naturally during the tapping motion. This exercise helps the teeth and gums become strong and firm.
With the eyes open and the tongue up against the palate, bring both palms up to cup the ears. Tilt the head back slightly and breathe inaudibly and naturally nine times through the nose.
T’ai chi knot
Dragon and Tiger fists
Refrain from applying any force or tension in either tilting the head back or covering the ears. The eyes gaze outward as if looking into empty space. The application of this method can also make the vision more alert and acute.
Covering the ears
Middle fingers placed over index fingers
Slide both hands back so that the palm butts cover the ear openings. Place the middle fingers over their respective index fingers. Using the middle finger of each hand, snap lightly off the top of the index finger and tap the back of the head, alternately left and right, forty-eight times (twenty-four on each side). Breathe naturally throughout and do not tap too quickly, as it will make the mind anxious.
By striking the occiput region in this manner, you strengthen and stretch the membrane of the inner eardrum, which can promote excellent hearing.
