| Read Time: 3 mins 04 secs |
“They expelled all the toxins from the body, and constantly preserved their true energy. Having accumulated these effects over a long time, their bodies were transformed, and they became immortals.”
The Daoist arts of health and longevity are founded on the principle of the dual cultivation of mind and body. An unhealthy body cannot support a clear mind and an egotistical mind will weaken a healthy body. Clearing the mind and strengthening the body are equally important whether our goal is health, mental well being, or spiritual enlightenment. As students of the arts of health and longevity, how should we go about cultivating both mind and body?
Today, cultivating the body is usually associated with techniques of Qigong, Daoist callisthenics, and internal martial arts such as taijiquan and baguazhang. On the other hand, cultivating the mind is usually associated with long sessions of sitting meditation. Westerners, who are more comfortable with movement than stillness, have gravitated more toward the techniques of cultivating the body than those of cultivating the mind.
In Europe and especially North America, the dropout rate in meditation classes is higher than that of say, taijiquan. The perceived differences between cultivating mind and body, moreover, have separated practitioners into those who prefer “mind only” and those who prefer “body only” programs of training. This is unfortunate, because to benefit fully from the Daoist arts of health, the training of body and mind must be integrated in a balanced and harmonious way.
Knowing that a strong spine, articulated joints, flexible tendons, and relaxed muscles are necessary for practising sitting meditation, the Daoists have recommended that new students start their training with a gentle physical exercise such as taijiquan. Once the body becomes soft and relaxed a form of meditation known as quiet sitting is introduced. In this way, the practitioner can work on emptying the mind without being distracted by backaches and cramped muscles. As the mind begins to empty its thoughts, the practitioner will become more comfortable with stillness. Subsequently, when he or she practises the physical techniques, thinking will stop spontaneously, body and mind will be united, and stillness will become the guiding force behind movement.
As the practitioner progresses into increasingly challenging physical movements designed to massage the internal organs and open blockages in the circulatory system, the techniques of cultivating the mind also change. Because the physical foundation has been built, meditation can now be used to gather and conserve internal energy or Qi. Once internal energy is gathered, physical movements are used to circulate it through the body thus, alternating movement and stillness and simultaneously cultivating mind and body, health, longevity, and spiritual enlightenment can be attained.
Attitude and lifestyle are important in cultivating mind and body. This is where the wisdom of the Daoist sages can be a valuable guide. Many people do not see the connection between classroom training and daily lifestyle. Consequently, they lose what was gathered in the training session the very next day. The Daoist sages tell us that too much thinking can dissipate energy, too much desire can confuse the mind, and too much activity can harm the body. Therefore, those who cultivate mind and body should refrain from a lifestyle of excess.
Many practitioners of the Daoist arts of health think that they can indulge in spending energy, believing that energy can always be replenished by practising Qigong or meditation. This is unfortunate, because if energy gathered is spent immediately, there will be no net improvement of health in the long run.
Attitude can also affect how much we can benefit from the Daoist arts of health. Negative and competitive attitudes are not conducive to learning. Neither is the desire for fame and power. The Daoist sages and founders of the arts of longevity lived a simple life and were at peace with themselves. They had few desires and did not seek social recognition and political power. They were not excited by gains or worried over
losses. They did not compete with anyone; therefore no one competed with them. Because they integrated the practices of strengthening the body and clearing the mind with their lifestyle, they were able to attain the highest levels of physical health, mental wellbeing and spiritual development. In the words of the Triplex Unity of the foremost Daoist texts of the arts of longevity, these sages
“Carried the mystery and embraced the ultimate reality… They covered their traces and hid from the world. They conserved their energy and nourished the spirit… The sweet nectar moistened their skin and flesh. Their tendons and bones were soft and strong. They expelled all the toxins from the body, and constantly preserved their true energy. Having accumulated these effects over a long time, their bodies were transformed, and they became immortals.”
Credit:
Article written by Eva Wong. Taken from the March/April, 1998 (Issue 36) of Qi Magazine. Qi Magazine was founded in 1990 by Michael Tse as a means of helping his students learn more about Chinese culture. After 18 years this now has sadly ceased production. Eva Wong is the author of Seven Taoist Master, Cultivating Stillness along with many other titles.
If you are interested in exploring the role of Daoism (also called Taoism) further within Wing Chun then check out our article "Taoism and Buddhism in Wing Chun" here: Link
Wing Chun Journey 