Daoist Inner Alchemy: the JinJing Gong

The sacred mountains in Sichuan Province in China offer a unique opportunity for synchronicity with the wisdom embedded within ancient consciousness.  The roots of classical Chinese medical theory, interwoven with ancient philosophies, esoteric spiritual practices, and the secrets of Daoist inner alchemy originated here.

Every thought pattern that has been created on Mount Emei has left behind an energetic matrix that permeates the location where it was originally emitted. Thus, the transmission of ancient wisdom to currently living beings is enhanced by the lingering energetic imprints that have accumulated here over time.

In this way, Mount Emei provides us with the unique potential to directly connect with the consciousness of the many hundreds of generations of thinkers have lived, prayed, and practiced medicine in this sacred space for thousands of years.

One of the most sacred transmissions to be received on Mount Emei is the Jinjing Gong practice of Nourishing Life, a cultivational path of Qi Gong that was created deep inside a sacred cave right on this very mountain. It has been a great honor to receive this transmission directly from Prof. Qingyu Wang, the current lineage holder of the Jinjing School of Qigong and Professor of Nourishing Life and Martial Arts at the Sichuan Academy of Cultural History.

Prof. Qingyu Wang

This retreat on Mount Emei has provided the unique opportunity to train alongside both Prof. Wang and his only disciple, Dr. Heiner Fruehauf. Each morning, we convene at sunrise at the nearby Fuhu Si Crouching Tiger Temple to practice a combination of movement practices and quiet practices that are designed to stretch the tendons, release stagnant energy, and cultivate spiritual vitality.

Morning practice, led by Dr. Heiner Fruehauf

The intention of this practice is to release the muscles and tendons as a way to open the acupuncture meridians. This enables the free flow of Qi throughout the internal organ systems and within all the cells in the body to prevent stagnation, the root of all disease. The ultimate goal of JinJing Gong practice is to achieve a level of self-cultivation where we become capable of refining our thoughts and actions so profoundly that we come to embody pure love, true compassion, and deep wisdom within our own lifetimes.

Prof. Qingyu Wang

According to Professor Wang, the sense of entitlement and narcissism that currently dominate modern culture convinces us that longevity is a commodity we can buy. Advertisements convince us that by surrounding ourselves with material objects and expensive modern medicines we will retain control over our own health and mortality. He points out the fallacy with this misguided belief system, as the cornerstone of holistic medicine is cultivation of mental and spiritual hygiene. Such practice allows us to live in unison with natural processes, as a means to prevent ourselves from getting physically, emotionally, and spiritually sick in the first place. This is the true essence of preventive medicine.

From this perspective, longevity is directly related to the level to which you cultivate virtue within yourself. Within this cultivation is where the Daoist secrets of immortality begin to work their alchemical magic- even after your body dies, the energetic imprint of the virtues you have cultivated, the thoughts you have created, and their effects on the world will endure forever.

Mount Emei

​I am currently on Mount Emei (峨眉山), one of the four holy mountains of Chinese Buddhism, located in Sichuan Province, China. Emei Shan is regarded as the domain of Samantabhadra, the Bodhisattva of Universal Benevolence who is associated with practice and meditation. According to legend, this mountain was where Samantabhadra gave lectures on Buddhism. Known as Pǔxián in Chinese, he is depicted with both masculine and feminine characteristics, riding a white elephant with six tusks and carrying a lotus leaf parasol, which represents the potential for transformation.

​In Chinese medicine, mountains, rocks, and minerals belong to the Metal element, the element that governs purity and radiance. Metal is the realm where we are given the opportunity to let go of ego and pride, suspending judgments and attachments as a means to create space for the virtues of selflessness, justice, and clarity of Spirit. As such, secluded mountain monasteries and rock caves have historically represented the ultimate places to manifest a true intention for cultivation of the Self.

​In ancient times, the reasons why certain mountains were designated as sacred was not because of their beauty, majesty, or size. They were chosen because the mineralization in their water provided specific biochemical reactions that enhance the potential for development of higher consciousness. These minerals, also part of the Metal element, interact with human physiology to create a metallic network that enables the inner conduction of light, radiance, and consciousness within the human body.

This capacity for conductivity is what is lacking in the modern world, as modern food production relies heavily upon demineralization agents such as Round Up, that are found in fertilizers and in GMO foods. As modern food is increasingly derived from chemicals, and modern culture is increasingly defined by vapid materialism, we are faced with the reality that our environment is losing the ability to provide us with the nutrients we need to thrive, both physically and spiritually. Like the lotus, each human being has the potential to emerge from the mud of ignorance, to grow through the waters of experience, and to blossom into the sunshine of illumination. But it requires proper nourishment.

The focus of this retreat is to restore my own capacity to conduct the light of consciousness throughout my mind, body, and soul. I will be learning personal cultivation practices and techniques handed down over hundreds of generations, while drinking the same mineral water and bathing in the same mineral hot springs that Samantabhadra and his white elephant drank and bathed in many years ago.