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The Lesser Enlightenment of Kan and Li

Forming the Taoist Soul Body

The Lesser Enlightenment of Kan and Li is the first of the Universal Healing Tao’s Inner Alchemy practices. The meditations at this level explore how to let go of a self that is often filled with negativity and move on to experience the Oneness of the Tao. This is accomplished through real love and compassion.

The practices discussed below help us to form the pearl in the body. This is the energy body or soul body, which allows us to harness the power of Kan and Li and can later form the Immortal Spirit body.

The formulas of the Lesser Kan and Li draw fire energy from the heart and water energy from the kidneys and sexual organs; these elements are combined in a cauldron in the lower tan tien. The practitioner learns to create steam, then uses this steam to purify the organs, glands, and channels of the body. The formulas literally steam the sexual energy (ching) into life-force energy (chi) by reversing the location of yin and yang power (see fig. 2.1). This creates an internal energetic steaming machine, which sustains the energetic body known as the soul body. The soul body allows us to harness the power of Kan and Li and is required for the subsequent transformations of the Inner Alchemy practices.

Fig. 2.1. Reversing the locations of fire and water

PRELIMINARY PRACTICES

It is important to clean out the emotions each day so the energies will be pure for the Kan and Li practice. As with most things, regular practice promotes efficiency: what takes an hour to do at the start takes only ten to fifteen minutes later on. What is critical is that you arrive at a simple formula that you’re comfortable with and practice it regularly. In addition, students should practice the following meditations before beginning the Kan and Li formulas.

In practice, the formulas are usually integrated and combined, rather than performed sequentially.

The Inner Smile

The Inner Smile meditation activates the positive energy of the organs. Begin with the compassion fire of the heart; then follow the Creation Cycle to the spleen, lungs, kidneys, and liver.

The Orgasmic Upward Draw

As sexual energy is a vital part of the Kan and Li practice, students should be sure to connect with their orgasmic energy with one or two sexual practices. They can then guide this sexual energy to the organs, glands, and brain to charge them up. See chapter 6 of Healing Love through the Tao (Destiny Books, 2005) for more detail on the Orgasmic Upward Draw.

Pakua Spinning Practice

Energy spins around us just like it does the planets and the universe, and much of what circulates within our bodies is also spinning. A profound way of attuning to this endlessly spiraling cosmic energy is to spin the pakuas. The pakua is an eight-sided three-dimensional crystal that draws energy from the organs (fig. 2.2). The organ energy needs to be collected, blended, and then refined and condensed until it forms a pearl, which can then be circulated in the Microcosmic Orbit. The pakua spinning practice in Fusion of the Five Elements (Destiny Books, 2007) is the same one used in the process of spiraling during Kan and Li practice.

Fig. 2.2. Pakua symbol

Spinning the pakuas creates a powerful vortex that calls in different energies of the body and the cosmos (fig. 2.3). It transforms negative energy and highlights the essential stillness within. In addition, spinning the pakuas creates a protective field around you, which prevents bad spirits from coming close.

Fig. 2.3. Spinning the pakua energies

Planet and Star Forces

The planetary forces are the powers that come from the planets and stars in our solar system, and from the entire universe. Affiliating ourselves with those forces and then connecting with them has the potential—and indeed the power—to facilitate immortality, preparing the body to free its spirit beyond its physical limits.

Protection Forces

During Kan and Li practice, you need to establish a field of protection in which the advanced meditations can occur. One way of achieving this is to call the sacred animals of the earth and the planets of the solar system to surround you. They will enter and protect you, provided that good intentions are present.

Fusion is a critical element of the protection forces because it cleans and purifies the body and its organs. It facilitates connections and draws out negative emotional energy. Through combining, regulating, and fusion there is a procedure of protection that takes place: when we are purified, we can control our inner forces (see fig. 2.4 below). Pure life force allows us to gain self-mastery.

Use the Fusion practices to draw out, blend, and purify negative energies via the pakuas. When the resulting pearl circulates its refined, balanced, neutralized energy through the Microcosmic Orbit, the body absorbs this enhanced life force. The pearl is then used to form the energy body.

Once the negative emotions have been drawn out and transformed, the pearl is moved through the Creation Cycle, nurturing the virtues. These qualities are cultivated, blended, and condensed into the pearl, forming the energy of compassion—the essence of the senses, glands, organs, and the mind.

The highly refined pearl can then be used to clear out the Thrusting and Belt Channels, which are required for the transmutation of Kan and Li.

Fig. 2.4. Fusion of the eight forces creates protection.

The Sacred Fire Practice

The Sacred Fire practice collects and merges the three fires of the heart, the kidneys, and the lower tan tien. When the techniques of the Sacred Fire practice are mastered there is an awareness of inner truth, which allows for real and metaphysical happiness.

   Collecting the Sacred Fire

1. Inhale deeply, relaxing the spinal cord and letting go of sickness, pain, suffering, and bad emotions such as hatred and revenge. Continue to breathe in this way throughout the meditation.

2. Tune in to the power and electrical current that is the earth force. Next, feel your spinal cord and coccyx extending down to the ground like a tail. It is necessary to be grounded.

3. Become aware of a big fireball in front of you. Use the fireball to light the lower tan tien. The fire burns inside you. This is the tan tien fire (fig. 2.5).

Fig. 2.5. Lower tan tien fire

4. Expand awareness to the universe behind you. Extend your hands to the back, scoop up the fire, and use it to activate your kidney fire (fig. 2.6).

Fig. 2.6. Kidney fire

Fig. 2.7. Activate the heart fire.

5. Raise your hands under your armpits and hold two fireballs. Extend your fingers into your heart. Be aware of infinite space on either side, and feel the warmth of your heart fire (fig. 2.7).

6. Join your hands together in front of your heart. The lower tan tien charges the heart with additional energy. Feel the unconditional love and let awareness extend outward to the cosmos itself. Connect the heart fire to the kidney fire, kidney fire to the tan tien fire, and the tan tien fire to the heart fire. Circulate as one large triangular fire (fig. 2.8).

7. Extend your arms in front of you with palms toward your face and the middle fingers extended toward your third eye. Picture a crack at the mid-eyebrow point opening up to let heavenly light shine into the brain and reflect onto the organs. The crown of the head and the heart should be spiraled as one becomes more and more aware of the ever expanding universe and the relationship of all things.

Fig. 2.8. Connect the three fires to create the sacred fire.

THE LESSER KAN AND LI FORMULAS

The following exercises comprise the Lesser Kan and Li practice. They begin by cultivating sexual energy, earth energy, and kidney energy in order to merge the fire and water.

  Coupling: Reversal of the Hot and Cold Energies

1. Sit down with legs crossed and pulled in toward the body. Focus on the center of your body and feel the earth force coming up.
2. Now lie down with knees bent. Focus on the navel and cover your eyes. Look into the darkness.
3. Behind the navel and in front of the kidneys a fire is burning. Distinguish the kidneys’ cool energy from the hot energy of the adrenal glands (fig. 2.9). Exhale and feel the two forces of fire and water.

Fig. 2.9. Feeling the forces of fire and water

4. Become aware of your perineum and sexual energy. Form a spherical collection point at the perineum and begin to collect the cold kidney energy there. Melt the glacier in the perineum into water.

5. Become aware of your heart; spiral chi within it. Feel the radiance of appreciation and the combination of ultraviolet light, infrared light, and good virtue energy blending together into a compassion fire.

6. Become aware of the powerful adrenal glands storing ultraviolet light like a volcanic fire under the sea. Collect the hot energy of the adrenals at T11; then send it up the spinal cord to the crown. Next, bring it down the Middle Thrusting Channel to the heart center, and combine it with the compassion energies of the heart and thymus.

7. Slowly draw the hot energies from the adrenals, heart, and thymus into the heart’s collection point and establish a pulse there.

8. Divide your attention between the hot and cold energies at the two collection points. Without spilling, bring the hot energy down the Left Thrusting Channel to the lower abdomen and the cold energy through the Right Thrusting Channel up the back to the solar plexus.

9. Move the hot and cold energies into the Middle Thrusting Channel and carefully couple them at the navel. The hot energy/fire is the stove, and the cold energy/water is the cauldron.

10. Establish a heartbeat in the cauldron and allow the kidneys to pulse along with it as you pull up sexual energy. Feel the earth pulsing in synchrony.

11. Breathe gently into the cauldron, feeling the ultraviolet light cooking all the atoms together. Stir the cauldron with your inner eye and feel the steam rise.

12. Feel the sacred water and orgasmic energy rise from the coccyx to the sacrum and then to T11; pour it into the cauldron.

Steaming Practices

Use the steam that is generated in coupling to cleanse and purify your organs, endocrine glands, and channels.

  Steaming the Organs

1. Maintain about 95 percent of your focus on the fire and water in the center. Spiral in the fire; then wrap the energy around the kidney.

2. Steam the organs one by one according to the Creation cycle and let them become sparkly diamonds. Move the energy to the collection points (see fig. 2.10 below). Allow the steam to rise and do the work: there is no need to force anything. The organs will transform of their own accord as the kidneys become blue diamonds and the liver becomes green diamonds. The energy from the universe is drawn into the organs.

Fig. 2.10. Collection points for energy

These techniques allow the soul body to draw in energy and experience compassion and love. This permits the maximum benefit for steaming the organs. The moist steam, in addition to other things, acts as a literal and figurative cleansing mechanism. The organs are cleansed while the spirit, soul, and mind are cleansed as well. A new and happier life thus becomes possible; one that is free from pain, sorrow, and angst.

  Steaming the Endocrine Glands

Our endocrine glands connect us to the energies of the universe. In our bodies, we manifest universal energies as sexuality, facilitated by the secretions of our endocrine glands.

The pineal gland joins us to the universal cosmic energy. From the hypothalamus gland, we cast our soul or spirit upward, and we encounter the descending universal energy. The pituitary gland receives the cosmic force used to set the spirit bodies in motion on the earthly or human plane. While the pineal gland is more significant in terms of sexuality, the hypothalamus and pituitary glands are as important in the circulation of energy.

During steaming, continue to breathe deeply. Also rock the spine to feel the movement of the tailbone.

1. Smile down to your thymus gland (the “virtue gland”) and direct steam into it, allowing it to regenerate. Send two-thirds of the available steam into your thymus, and divide the remaining one-third among the other glands.
2. As you use your breath to guide the steam to the endocrine glands, you can also gently rock your spine. Feel the movement of the tailbone and feel it relax. Let go and relax daily to release all negativity, including sickness, pain, and suffering. The more you let out negativity, the more positive essence you can receive.
3. Steam the thyroid, parathyroid, and salivary glands inside the throat.
4. Turn your eyes to the mid-eyebrow point and direct steam into your pituitary gland.
5. Turn your eyes up to the top of your head and steam your pineal gland.
6. Focus on the center of your brain and steam your hypothalamus.
7. Steam your adrenal glands and sexual organs.
8. Connect with the earth force to ground your energy.
9. Feel a golden light ascending and wrapping around the coccyx.
10. Feel the strong earth forces entering your body. Allow this energy to rise to the skull and then lower itself to the sexual organs. Relax and allow this healing universal event to take place.

This power in the skull is related to the constellations and the position of the North Star. In the same sense that the North Star is the center of the known universe, the skull is the uppermost point in the body. That is, the golden light ascends to the skull in a radiant manner connecting the practitioner to Mother Earth. These forces unite as the practitioner begins to release negativity. After the release of negativity, the practitioner has the capability of attaining his or her highest powers.

  Steaming the Spine, Lymph, and Nerves

1. Exhale, drawing the cauldron to the perineum; then mentally stir the cauldron, rocking the spine and raising white steam or vapor through the spinal, lymphatic, and nervous systems.
2. Smile into the spine. Gently breathe white steam up and down the spine, into the skull, and into the bones of the arms and legs. Remove sick, negative energy with white blossoms. Let steam clean, repair, and regenerate the spinal cord fluid.
3. Smile into your lymph nodes and vessels. Gently breathe white steam up and down the lymph pathways into the chest, navel area, neck, armpits, and legs, removing sick, negative energy with white blossoms. Let steam clean, repair, and regenerate the entire lymphatic system.
4. Smile through your spinal cord into the nervous system. Gently breathe white steam up and down the nerve pathways into the spine, neck, head, chest, navel area, arms, hands, legs, and feet, removing negative toxins and sick energy with white blossoms. Let steam clean, repair, and regenerate the nervous system.
5. Repeat steps 1–4 all at same time, flowing the white steam through the lymphatic system, spine, and nervous system simultaneously. Use the breath, breathing in and out with the white steam. Repeat 3 times.

  Opening and Steaming the Twelve Channels

Meridians are recognized as the routes through which chi streams to sustain, heal, and energize the human body. Viewed as a unity, the meridians constitute the ground substance within which the body itself functions. The body’s meridian system is used to facilitate all Taoist techniques including those of Kan and Li. In the representation of the Tao in the symbol below, the wavy line separating the two halves can be thought of as a meridian (fig. 2.11).

Fig. 2.11. Meridians are represented by the wave-like central line in the familiar taiji symbol.

For the following practices, you will need to locate the Jing Well points at the lower corners of the finger- and toenails. With the palms (or soles) down, the medial side refers to the side nearest the thumb (or big toe), while the lateral side is nearer the pinkie.

  Steaming the Lung and Large Intestine Channels

1. Reestablish the pulse at the cauldron and place the tips of your index fingers on the holding points for the lungs: the outer bottom corner of your thumbnails.

2. Mentally stir the cauldron. Rock the spine and raise white steam through the Lung and Large Intestine channels (figs. 2.12 and 2.13).

3. Breathe white steam through the lungs and the Lung meridian, mentally tracing the channels.

4. Hold the Large Intestine points by placing the tips of your thumbs on the medial side of the index fingers, at the bottom corner of the nail. Breathe white steam into the large intestine and the Large Intestine channel.

As you finish steaming each channel, remember that the next channel begins very nearby. Make a mental connection to the next channel as you shift to its holding point.

  Steaming the Stomach and Spleen Channels

1. Mentally stir the cauldron and rock the spine. Raise a yellow steam from the stomach and spleen (figs. 2.14 and 2.15).

Fig. 2.14. Steaming the Stomach meridian

Fig. 2.15. Steaming the Spleen meridian

2. Hold the Lung points with your fingers as you focus your inner eye on the Stomach holding points: the lower lateral corner of the second toenail.

3. Steam the stomach and the Stomach meridian with yellow steam, mentally tracing the channels.

4. Hold the Lung points with your fingers as you focus your mental energy on the Spleen holding points: the inner edge of the big toe, at the lower corner of the nail. Breathe yellow steam throughout the spleen and the Spleen meridian.

  Steaming the Heart and Small Intestine Channels

1. Stir the cauldron mentally and rock the spine, raising a red steam from the heart and small intestine (figs. 2.16 and 2.17 below). Hold the Heart points by placing the tips of your thumbs on the medial edge of your pinkie finger, at the lower corner of the nail. Breathe red steam throughout the heart and its channel.

2. Press your thumbs against the lateral edge of the pinkie finger, at the lower corner of the nail. Steam the small intestine and the Small Intestine meridian with red steam.

Fig. 2.16. Steaming the Heart meridian

Fig. 2.17. Steaming the Small Intestine meridian

  Steaming the Urinary Bladder and Kidney Channels

1. Mentally stir the cauldron. Rock the spine, raising blue steam through the Urinary Bladder and Kidney channels (figs. 2.18, 2.19).

2. Hold the points at the outer edge of the pinkie toe, at the lower corner of the nail—or focus mentally on these points as you hold the Lung points. Gently breathe blue steam through the bladder and the Urinary Bladder channel, repairing and rejuvenating them.

3. Focus on the Kidney holding points—in the center of the soles—as you physically hold the Lung points. Breathe blue steam to the kidneys and the Kidney meridian.

Fig. 2.18. Steaming the Urinary Bladder meridian

Fig. 2.19. Steaming the Kidney meridian

  Steaming the Pericardium and Triple Warmer Channels

1. Stir the cauldron with your mind and rock the spine. Raise purple steam through the Pericardium and Triple Warmer channels (figs. 2.20, 2.21).

Fig. 2.20. Steaming the Pericardium meridian

Fig. 2.21. Steaming the Triple Warmer meridian

2. Place your thumbs on the tips of your middle fingers and breathe purple steam through the area around the heart. Then steam the Pericardium channel.

3. Place your thumbs on the tips of your ring fingers and breathe purple steam throughout the upper torso, middle torso, and lower abdomen. Then steam the Triple Warmer meridian.

  Steaming the Gall Bladder and Liver Channels

1. Stir the cauldron mentally and rock the spine. Raise a green steam through the Gall Bladder and Liver channels (figs. 2.22 and 2.23). As you hold the Lung points, focus your mind on the Gall Bladder holding points, located on the lateral edge of the fourth toe, outside the lower corner of the nail. Steam the gallbladder and the Gall Bladder meridian with green steam

Fig. 2.22. Steaming the Gall Bladder meridian

Fig. 2.23. Steaming the Liver meridian

2. Hold the Lung points and focus your mind on the Liver holding points, located on the medial edge of the big toes, outside the lower corner of the nail. Breathe green steam through the liver and the Liver meridian.

  Body Pulsing

1. Mentally allow the heart rate to decrease.

2. Direct the steam to the aorta and vena cava and feel it pulse there.

3. Move your hand to gently touch the navel and feel the pulse. This will help assist the heart by moving the blood and chi through the groin and inner ankles.

4. Move your hand to very gently touch the neck, temple, back of the skull, armpits, inside elbows, and wrists; amplify the pulse.

5. As you become familiar with this exercise, begin to synchronize all pulses. By recreating the pulse in other areas, you will eventually be able to transfer the heartbeat up to the energy body.

  The Inner Eye

1. In the junction point between the stove and cauldron, make the inner eye. You may begin with it as a point of light.

2. Allow the eye to grow and strengthen and begin to move it out of the stove/cauldron.

3. Eventually begin to direct the inner eye on exploratory missions throughout the various routes: the Microcosmic Orbit, Thrusting Channels, etc.

  Self-Intercourse

1. Feel the orgasmic energy in the perineum. Let it radiate up to the pineal gland.

The pineal gland is yang, but it is balanced by the yin of the hypothalamus, where the awakening of the spirit takes place. Once again, the fusion of the fire and water becomes more than the sum of its parts. The interaction of these glands holds the trigger for the universal life force/Cosmic Chi. This trigger allows access to the energies of the Big Dipper (see fig. 2.24).

Fig. 2.24. The spirit from the Big Dipper awakens in the hypothalamus.

2. Upon experiencing this orgasm, let it travel toward the center of your physical and spiritual being. Let it come to rest in the cauldron (fig. 2.25).

Fig. 2.25. Circulating orgasmic energy

3. Spiral the orgasmic energy in the cauldron. Feel it forming a new kind of energy, which travels upward.

4. At the same time, feel the protection forces spinning around you. The spinning and spiraling functions should be noted again, as they are fundamental aspects of life and the universe. Self-love and self-intercourse give birth to the immortal self in the womb of the cauldron. The immortal self is the true self.

5.  the orgasmic energy reaches what feels to be its peak, seed the cauldron with energy from the liver or the Liver collection point. The liver is said to hold the seed of the Immortal Fetus.

  Closing Practice: Turning the Wheel

Each Kan and Li meditation should be ended with this formula, which is a process of collecting refined energy in the navel cauldron to be used in future meditations, including the higher levels.

1. Form a pool of sexual energy at the perineum. Looking straight ahead with your eyes closed, form a mental image of a clock with your eyes focused on its center.
2. Look down into the pool (6:00), and draw sexual energy up into the spine. The steam will travel up the spine, drawing sexual energy with it.
3. Look from the perineum up to the right (3:00), drawing the energy up to T11 where it is refined.
4. Look from the right up to the crown (12:00), and draw the energy there to further refine it at the pineal gland.
5. Look from the crown down to the left (9:00), and draw the energy down either through the tongue or the Thrusting Channels into the cauldron at the navel. Store the energy in the cauldron.
6. Repeat steps 2–5 at least 36 times. The rising steam will eventually flow independently of your counting. However, maintain the mental revolutions to be sure it reaches the cauldron.

SUPPLEMENTAL PRACTICES

The following practices can be included in the Lesser Kan and Li meditation. Practitioners can also include the Big Dipper practice and the Nine Palaces practice as found in The Taoist Soul Body.

  Earth Force and Spirit Energy

During the following exercise, one should occasionally rest and remove negative thoughts.

1. Begin deep breathing and touching the navel.

2. Smile to the organs. Move back and forth in a rocking motion on the sitting bones or tailbone and connect to Mother Earth (fig. 2.26).

3. Recall the fire and activate it. The earth’s fire activates and energizes everything because it is the source and foundation of the mother of humanity.

Fig. 2.26. Rock the spine and loosen the lumbar region with the Inner Smile practice.

4. Begin to spiral into the perineum. This assists with the proper activation of the fire in all of the organs.

5. Extend downward into the earth—one body-length, then two—while becoming more and more aware of the source of the earthly side of being. Descend for as long as it feels comfortable and free from stress with no overextension. Emphasize the steaming in the center of the abdomen while gathering the fire-element forces.

  Great Spirit of Four Directions

When the soul and spirit are strong, there is a merging or marrying of the spirits of the directions (fig. 2.27). Each reunion improves us as a moral and upstanding person—one who is loving, compassionate, and kind.

Fig. 2.27. Connecting with spirits of the directions

1. Gather the chi from the earth and spiral it upward into the scrotum/ovaries and perineum. In this process, energy from one’s spirit bodies below is consciously moved upward.
2. Feel the great spirit of the North contacting the blue spirit of the earth. Initiating this process with good intentions is critical in order to have beneficial energy. Allow the spirit of the North to couple with the blue spirit of the earth.
3. Feel the great spirit of the South coupling with the red spirit of the earth.
4. Allow the great spirit of the East to couple with the green spirit. We become stronger and stronger.
5. Let the heart expand to the West and let the spirit of the West couple with the white spirit of the earth.
6. Feel the center. Let it couple with the yellow spirit of the great Mother Earth.
7. Feel all the spirits merging together.