Seek Clarity
At the very heart of Chinese medicine’s Daoist roots is a desire for clarity. In Daoist traditions, the way this virtue is cultivated is by observing and living in accordance with the seasons- moving as nature moves when nature moves. In order for the Heart to do its job efficiently, it requires a certain level of clarity.
“We see what we believe, and not just the contrary; to change what we see, it is sometimes necessary to change what we believe.”
At the very heart of Chinese medicine’s Daoist roots is a desire for clarity. The organ system of the body is organized hierarchically with the Heart at the top. It is an empty chamber where the empress of all the other organs sits on her throne. The virtue of the Heart is propriety- being in the right place at the right time for the right reason.
In Daoist traditions, the way this virtue is cultivated is by observing and living in accordance with the seasons- moving as nature moves when nature moves. In order for the Heart to do its job efficiently, it requires a certain level of clarity. This is the job of its paired Fire organ, the Small Intestine. The Small Intestine channel ends at the ears, and is in charge of receiving information from the outside world and accurately conveying it to the Heart.
When the Small Intestine is out of balance, perception of environmental cues and subsequent interpretation may be distorted. By harmonizing the Heart and Small Intestine with acupuncture needles, the ability to receive feedback and critique can be transformed. Feeling belittled and yelled at becomes a sense of appreciation for an opportunity to develop more clarity.
Although positive thinking may feel good as the world is painted in rosy colors, it is based on a desire to avoid discomfort. Paradoxically, the more we resist our own discomfort, the more uncomfortable we feel. The dichotomy created as we push in one direction to avoid the other direction represents the mechanism for how deep rooted disharmonies in our minds, bodies, and organ systems are created. No matter how tempting and healthy the mechanism may sound, there truly is no spiritual by-pass that will successfully and sustainably enable us to avoid our own pain.
As one of my favorite teachers, Kiran Trace, says, "We all know what obsessive mind feels like. And it’s not a great feeling. Essentially, it’s a whole bunch of thoughts colliding with aggressive, loud, busy chaos... if you are invested in turning all those thoughts into positive, life-affirming thoughts, you are giving it juice! Let’s not give it juice. Let’s find a much easier way out!”
Positivity glasses distort our perceptions and prevent the Heart from doing its job. At best, they keep you on the upswing of the roller coaster for a good while, until that roller coaster inevitably brings you back down. A much more balanced and sustainable approach is to seek clarity. Sometimes things are great, and sometimes they aren’t so great. That’s okay. By giving yourself permission to feel the full range of feelings through clear and fearless perception, and accepting that being alive means experiencing both comfort and discomfort- both pleasure and pain- freedom from that positivity-negativity roller coaster finally becomes possible.
Check out Kiran's teachings and meditations for more insight on how to achieve clarity and freedom.
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.
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.
