Ge Hong's Health Preservation - Promoting 炁 (qi)

The so-called practice of 炁 is today 's qigong. Ge Hong's great-uncle Ge Xuan and his teacher Zheng Yin were both highly skilled qigong masters. Ge Xuan was able to clone himself and also dive into the water to cool off for several days without coming out. Ge Hong was able to truly master this path and devoted his entire life to its study without ever ceasing. So when he was appointed as the Marquis of Guanzhong, he insisted on going far to the frontier. It was not his intention. He just wanted to go into the mountains and forests to find a quiet place for 炁 health preservation. There are various ways to practice 炁. Throughout history, they have been passed down orally from master to apprentice and have never been recorded in books. Therefore, although there were many qigong practitioners during the Qin and Han dynasties, the qigong methods that have been passed down to this day are still as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Ge Hong summarized the methods he had learned, outlined their key points and recorded them in the "Inner Chapters of Baopuzi", which became the basic approach for qigong practitioners throughout history to practice their skills. Ge Hong pointed out: "The practice of 炁 can either cure all diseases, or drive away pestilence, or restrain snakes and tigers, or stop sores and bleeding, or allow one to live in water, or walk on water, or relieve hunger and thirst, or prolong life. The most important thing is to breathe the fetus." The key to the practice of 炁 lies in the fetal breath. The so-called fetal breath is the ability of a person who practices 炁 to breathe without using the nose or mouth, as if in the womb. This is the highest realm of Qigong. But this cannot be achieved overnight. When one first begins to practice 炁, one must also start from the basics, be determined and persistent, and only then can one gradually achieve success. For beginners of 炁, the specific method is to inhale 炁 through the nose as much as possible, then hold the breath and silently count from one to one hundred and twenty in the mind. Then exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat this process of inhaling through the nose → holding the breath → exhaling through the mouth → inhaling through the nose continuously. Gradually extend the holding time, and the number silently counted in the mind will gradually increase. Eventually, one can silently count to thousands. The health-preserving effect can then be achieved. Of course, an important tip of this 炁 method is to inhale more and exhale less, breathing extremely gently so that you can't hear the slightest sound of breathing. There is a way to test whether the breathing is standard, that is, to place a feather in front of the mouth and nose. When exhaling, the feather does not move, indicating that the breathing is gentle and meets the requirements. This breathing method is the basic breathing method used in current Qigong exercises. Through such long-term and persistent practice, one can gradually reach the state of fetal breathing. Having mastered the line 炁 method, one must also understand the line 炁 time; otherwise, good results still cannot be achieved. Ge Hong pointed out that 炁 should be carried out when one is alive 炁, not when one is dead 炁. That is what is meant by "the sage wears six 炁". A day and a night are divided into twelve periods. The six periods from midnight to noon are the time of life 炁, and the six periods from noon to midnight are the time of death 炁. Doing 炁 during the time of life 炁 can achieve twice the result with half the effort, while doing 炁 during the time of death 炁 is of no benefit. The above-mentioned method of 炁 is the breathing regulation in later qigong, which should be characterized by long, slow and even breathing. However, the regulation of breath and the flow of qi must be combined with the concentration of the mind in order to function better. This is what Ge Hong referred to as "adhering to one principle". The saying goes, "If you wish to achieve immortality, keep your mind clear, think of the most hungry food, and the most thirsty milk." The "one" mentioned here actually refers to the "qi" that constitutes all things in the world and the human body. Heaven needs one to be bright, earth needs one to be peaceful, man needs one to be alive, spirit needs one to be spiritual, spring needs one to be flourishing, summer needs one to be growing, autumn needs one to be reproducing, and winter needs one to be storing. Its magnitude cannot be compared with the six stages of the universe, and its smallness cannot be compared with the slightest light. Laozi said, "Vague and hazy, there is an image within it; hazy and vague, there is a substance within it." It is a description of "one". It is evident that "one" is the fundamental substance that constitutes all things in the world, that is, 炁. Therefore, it is also called Yuan Yi or Zhen Yi. Practicing 炁 and maintaining unity is the fundamental method for nurturing the true essence of the human body. Therefore, the principle of maintaining unity is most valued by Taoists and is passed down orally from generation to generation through blood oaths. Ge Hong's teacher, Zheng Yin, secretly passed on his secret formula as follows: In the North Pole, in the deep abyss, there is the Bright Hall in front and the Crimson Palace behind. The grand canopy stands tall and the human tower is domed. On the left and right, the celestial guards rise, the waves soar in the sky. The Yuan Dynasty is covered by the cliff, the red grass is covered in exquisite splendor, the white jade is towering, the sun and moon shine. After passing through fire and water, passing through the Yuan Dynasty and crossing the Yellow River, the city gates crisscross, the curtains are dazzling, dragons and tigers stand guard, and the divine beings are by one's side. Neither bestow nor bestow, one is at ease in one's place, neither too late nor too fast, one is at ease in one's room, one can enjoy leisure and leisure One is not to leave, to hold fast to the truth, and then one can communicate with the divine. Have few desires and eat sparingly. One is to stay still, white 絷 by the side, think about one to be born, know one is not difficult, the difficulty lies in the end, hold fast without loss, and one can be endless. Land repels evil beasts, water repels dragons, not afraid of evil spirits, poisonous insects, ghosts dare not approach, and swords dare not hit. This is the general outline of the true One." Ge Hong delved deeply into this art and realized that the "One" is the essence of the primordial qi. To preserve it is to nourish it. There are three parts for preserving the "One", nine fen for men and six fen for women. One is located two cun and four fen below the navel, under the dantian. One is the golden palace beneath the heart, known as the Dantian, and the other is between the eyebrows. One inch is the bright hall, two inches is the bridal chamber, and three inches is the upper Dantian. The upper, middle and lower dantian are the important parts for maintaining unity. Most of the qigong practitioners in later generations adhered to these three principles when practicing Qigong. Ge Hong believed that a person is like a country, and health preservation is like governing a country. The spirit of a person is like the ruler of a country, and the qi of a person is like the people of a country. Loving the people means stabilizing the country, and nourishing the qi means perfecting the body. When the people disperse, the country will perish; when the qi is exhausted, the body will die. Therefore, those who wish to maintain good health must be serene and pure, cut off the mundane world, focus on the spirit and keep one mind, and eliminate all desires to stabilize the blood and qi. Only in this way can the true one last forever, cure diseases and prolong life.