Meditation Practice (The Way of Life and Nature)

First, regarding life and death, it is related to life. The way of life is the way of nurturing growth, the source of life, and the step to immortality. Nature is the heart, the primordial spirit within the heart, which manifests in the eyes. The nature is as active as that of an ape. "Ming" refers to the kidney, which is the primordial energy within the kidney. It originates from the root of lust and influences the nature of the mind, with a spirit as unrestrained as a horse. It is called "the mind of the ape and the mind of the horse". Retrieve the ape of the heart, and the horse of the mind will return to its original state. In ancient times, cultivators, by retracted their postnatal intentions, consolidated their essence and nourished their qi. They transformed the breath from the heavens into wind and the true Yang qi into fire, cooking and practicing them to turn essence into qi and qi into spirit, thus concentrating the spirit and returning to the state of emptiness and harmony with the Dao. Second, the methods of practicing the foundation-building exercises are countless. Whether walking, standing, sitting or lying down, they are not bound by a single pattern and it is difficult to fully express their essence. Now, I will elaborate on the sitting meditation exercises as follows: Before sitting in meditation, loosen your belt and relax your body and mind. Make sure that when sitting down, your body is straight and upright, free from any constraints, and the blood circulation is unobstructed naturally. Clear away all distractions and bring your heart and mind back to their original state. Sit cross-legged. Before sitting cross-legged, straighten your body, lay your legs flat, and sit naturally. Bend your right leg over your thigh and then bring your left leg back over your right leg. The left leg is outside, in an embrace position. Pinch the middle finger of the right hand with the thumb of the right hand to form the character "Wu". Insert the thumb of the left hand into the right hand and hold the right hand's "zi Zi" decision firmly. This is called the "Ziwu Lianhuan Decision". Holding the right hand represents negative Yang and embracing Yin (left for men and right for women). Place it between the two thighs below the navel. Keep the spirit of the head strong, place the tongue on the palate, and observe the nose with both eyes accurately. Do not close the eyes tightly. When closed, one's spirit becomes dim. One should not be too open either. If one is, the divine light will spread outward, and one cannot return (abandon) and thus achieve nothing. It is best to draw a curtain down, aiming at the level between the two eyes. After the heart energy is suitable, hold the eyes, focus the ears, and adjust the nasal breath (breathe through the nose). When practicing for the first time, make the breath deep, fine, long, even and return to the root every breath. Over time, the vital energy returns to the center and the spiritual energy rises. Between the two eyes, there is a spiritual light emerging. Keep observing it. The Elixir Classic says, "The heart ape is locked in the olive tree." This is exactly what it means. If one often observes it, among the five elements, the vital energy naturally condenses. If one can remain calm for a long time without a single thought, when the state is extremely empty and still, the true energy will be activated (the infinite will return, the still will become vivid, the dantian will generate true Yang and true energy, that is: heat), and the empty room will become white (the spiritual light will appear, from dark to bright, from dim to white, also known as: the light of nature). The scripture says: "By hanging the curtain to clear the mind and guard the primordial enlightenment, seeing the light of nature is the practice." When the mind is subdued and the nature is pure and calm, this is the practice of self-cultivation and tempering the heart, also known as the foundational practice. (Note: Between the eyebrows, at the Yintang point, is the ancestral orifice.) Because the true nature and true spirit appear here, it is the source of the immortal path, thus it is called the "ancestral orifice". At this time, one can concentrate, close the eyes, and quietly observe the void. When the qi in the dantian is sufficient, it will naturally descend, exit the Han Valley, pass through the three passes, and ascend along the Du Meridian. However, passing through the three passes is extremely difficult. Therefore, one should adjust the breathing, maintain the heat, and use the techniques of breathing control and guiding to guide it. (Note: The heat control is the breath, which determines the depth of the breath.) However, the heat control can be classified as either gentle or intense. The gentle heat is determined by the fine breathing through the nose and inhaled through the mouth. (Deep breathing through the nose is called "Wu Huo") When guiding, one should have the spirit and qi interdependent, the mind and qi interwoven, and the mind leading the qi. When inhaling, exit the Hangu Valley, pass through the three passes, and lift the qi along the Du Meridian to Baihui (lift the anus when lifting the qi). When breathing, from Baihui, cross the Que Bridge, go down the Twelve Double towers, and follow the Ren Meridian down, calming the qi in the dantian. This is the small circulation method. If when lifting the qi, there is a warm current flowing upward along the Du meridian, and when sinking the qi, there is a refreshing qi flowing downward from Baihui and reaching the dantian, accompanied by a feeling of fever or numbness and firmness, this is called gathering herbs and putting them into the furnace (the Sutra says: The third grade of the upper medicine, "The spirit and Qi are clear", raises the qi to Baihui, which is called "collecting herbs", and sinks the qi in the dantian, which is called "entering the furnace". At the same time, when taking a deep breath and sinking the qi, a refreshing sensation flows down from Baihui to the entire body, giving a deep feeling of taking a shower, which is also called "bathing". Then, one can feel that the breathing qi rises and falls freely, and in the process of opening and closing, the qi and blood flow smoothly, and the whole body feels warm. This is the completion of the heavenly practice of transforming essence into qi. Fourth, the Great Way is like this: continuous and diligent, every breath returns to the root. When the spiritual light appears, one should constantly observe and guard it. With each inhalation and exhalation, each rise and fall, the spirit is activated and naturally condenses in the ancestral orifices, giving a sense of emptiness, relief, and mystery. At this point, one should reflect inward (the scripture says: "Observe emptiness but not emptiness"), observe without holding on (the scripture says: "Born without existence" follows the rules, forming forms and dissipating the primordial truth), and the breath should also change from large to small, from small to nothing, until the fetal breath (the breath of the spirit is the true breath). When the fetus is breathing and recuperating, it is hazy and indistinct, lingering and forgetting, neither touching nor detaching. In a trance-like and mysterious state, where the inner self does not emerge and the outer self does not enter, this is called stillness and concentration. Suddenly, my heart became clear and my spirit refreshed. My intelligence grew day by day. This is the result of refining the qi and spirit. Then, a bit of true Yang emerged from it, revealing the universe once again, and the mind and nature became enlightened. Thus, the Great Way is seen, and immortals are near. From "Health Preservation Network