典藏书目

According to the *Secrets of the Golden Elixir*: One hand wipes, one hand cups; left and right hands alternate. Completing the number of 9x9 (81 repetitions), the True Yang will not escape. At each hour of Xu (7-9 PM) and Hai (9-11 PM), when Yin is flourishing and Yang is declining, it is appropriate to loosen clothing and hold the breath. One hand cups the external kidneys (testicles), while the other hand rubs below the navel. Alternating left and right hands, perform cupping and rubbing for 9x9 repetitions each time. Then sit cross-legged with a straight posture, keeping the hands in a specific grip (Wogu) and teeth clenched. First, lift the penis as if holding back urine, visualizing the Yuan Jing (Primordial Essence) within the body rising from the Weilu point up to the Niwan Palace, passing over the Queqiao (Magpie Bridge), and descending to the Dantian. Performing this circulation seven times will naturally consolidate the essence.
(My Note: Essence is the True Yuan Qi of the human body, the master of the five organs and hundred bones, upon which the Shen (Spirit) attaches to generate life. Shen is like fire, and Essence is like oil; when the oil is exhausted, the lamp goes out; when the essence is depleted, the spirit perishes. Therefore, essence is generated by Qi, and Shen attaches to Essence. The method of consolidating essence should be urgently practiced. Consolidating essence for half a month, and practicing it for a long time, yields better results.)

When a person enters a state of deep tranquility, the entering and exiting of Shen has no fixed location. However, for those who are ill, excessive thinking and worrying are even more severe. If one can practice these exercises, Shen will turn with Qi, and there is no need to worry about its outward dissipation; otherwise, it is difficult to maintain stability. Therefore, during constant practice, one must constantly visualize the Xuan Guan (Mysterious Pass); when feeling sleepy, one must constantly visualize the Nose Tip (Bizhun). In this way, Shen will not gallop outward and will become settled.
(My Note: Outside of Shen, there is no Heart; outside of the Heart, there is no Dao. Dao is the master of Shen, and the Heart is the residence of Shen. Since there is no Dao outside the Heart, retrieving the lost Heart means Shen is settled and Dao is present. Mencius said: "The way of learning and inquiry is nothing else but seeking the lost heart." Knowing to seek the lost heart makes ambition and Qi clear, and principles bright. This is the efficacy of the功 (practice) of settling Shen. Nowadays, those recuperating from illness think of the Dantian or the nose tip daily; this is also a method of retrieving the lost heart. It is called "settling Shen" rather than "retrieving the lost heart." Because wandering thoughts travel a thousand miles without a fixed location, this is all an outward departure of Shen, hence it is called "Settling Shen." The above three points are the general outline for dispelling disease and cultivating health. There are other methods such as Daoyin, detailed later.)

1. Clapping Teeth: Teeth are the surplus of sinews and bones; they should often be clapped to keep sinews and bones active and the mind clear. Clap thirty-six times each session.
2. Swallowing Saliva: Use the tongue to lick the upper palate. After a while, saliva will fill the mouth. It should be swallowed, making a gurgling sound, to irrigate the five Zang organs and rapidly reduce fire. The more swallows, the better.
3. Bathing the Face: Rub both hands together until hot, then cover and wipe the face as if bathing it. This prevents hair and beard from turning white and keeps temples free of gray spots, making the complexion like that of a child.
4. Ringing the Heavenly Drum: Cover both ear openings with palms. Press the middle finger with the second finger and snap against the occipital bone behind the head. Do this twenty-four times on each side to remove head and brain ailments.
5. Moving Gao-Huang: This acupoint is located below the fourth thoracic vertebra on the back, three cun lateral to the spine. Where medicinal power cannot reach, twist both shoulders fourteen times (2x7). This treats various diseases of the whole body.
6. Pushing Up the Sky: Make fists with both hands, inhale through the nose to transport Qi to the Niwan Palace, then push upwards towards the sky. Release and place hands on the knees alternately. Perform three times. This removes evil Qi from the chest and abdomen.
7. Drawing the Bow Left and Right: This method requires holding the breath. Extend the left arm straight, make the right hand into a bow-drawing shape, and look at the right hand with both eyes. Do this three times on each side. This drains Fire from the Sanjiao and removes wind-pathogenic accumulation in the arms and armpits.
8. Rubbing the Dantian: Hold the scrotum with the left hand and massage the Dantian with the right hand for thirty-six times. Then switch hands and repeat as before. This warms the Kidneys and supplements Essence.
9. Rubbing the Inner Kidney Point: This method requires holding the breath. Rub hands until hot, then rub the back area of the Kidneys (Shentang) and the Mingmen point near the spine. Do this thirty-six times on each side.
10. Rubbing the Yongquan Point: Hold the left foot with the left hand and rub the sole of the left foot with the right hand. Switch sides and do thirty-six times each.
11. Massaging the Jiaji Points: These points are located below the spinal column and above the anus, governing the Qi and Blood of the whole body. Moving them is highly beneficial and can treat hemorrhoids.
12. Shaking the Legs: If the feet do not move, Qi and Blood become disordered, and walking becomes unrefreshing. Stand firm on the left foot, lift the right foot, and shake it seven times. Switch sides as before.

The twelve sections mentioned above are methods of movement, guidance, and massage, passed down from ancient sages to dispel disease and prolong life. They are clear, simple, and accessible to everyone. Zhuangzi said: "Breathing techniques, hanging like a bear, stretching like a bird, are for the sake of longevity." These are preferred by practitioners of Daoyin, those who nourish their form, and the long-lived Peng Zu. From this, methods have been transmitted to the present day, recorded in cultivation books and medical classics, in many varieties. I have selected sixteen concise and practical items, combining them with the previous twelve sections, so that the general methods are covered.

Whenever performing these exercises, it is best to do so between Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM) and Yin hour (3 AM - 5 AM), when the Qi is clear and the stomach is empty, ensuring effectiveness. First, lower the eyelids slightly, sit upright with clothes loose, grasp the hands firmly (Wogu), and sit cross-legged. Place the heel of the left foot against the root of the penis to prevent leakage from the essence aperture. Bend the thumbs so they touch the roots of the index fingers, and wrap the other four fingers around the thumbs; this is called "Grasping Firmly" (Wogu). Then clap the teeth thirty times. Next, embrace the neck with both hands and rotate left and right twenty-four times (removes evil accumulation in the flanks). Interlace hands and push up to the sky in the void, pressing the crown with the back of the hands twenty-four times (removes pathology in the chest and diaphragm). Cover ears with palms and strike the occipital bone with the second finger twenty-four times (removes Wind-Chi pathogenic Qi). Press left knee with left hand and twist body left, press right knee with right hand and twist body right, twenty-four times each (removes Liver wind-pathogen). Move hands forward and backward as if drawing a heavy bow, twenty-four times (removes accumulation in arms and armpits). Sit broadly, stretch hands, twist neck, look left and right, letting shoulders follow, twenty-four times (removes Spleen/Stomach accumulation). Grasp hands firmly, support ribs, shake shoulders twenty-four times (removes wind-pathogen in waist and flanks). Cross hands to beat arms and shoulders, then beat back connected to waist and thighs, fourteen times each (removes evil in limbs and chest). Sit broadly, lean sideways, raise both hands as if pushing the sky, twenty-four times (removes Lung accumulation). Sit broadly, extend legs, reach forward with hands, bend head to touch feet, twelve times. Hook the extended leg, bend it over the knee, and massage twenty-four times (removes Pericardium pathogenic Qi). Place hands on ground, shrink body and curve spine, lift up twelve times (removes Heart/Liver accumulation). Stand up, lean on bed, pull body back and look behind, twenty-four times each side (removes Kidney wind-pathogen). Stand and walk slowly, hands grasped firmly, step forward with left foot, swing left hand forward and right hand back; step forward with right foot, swing right hand forward and left hand back, twenty-four times (removes Shaoyang pathogenic Qi). Reach hands behind back to clasp, bend low and rotate slowly, twenty-four times (removes flank pathogenic Qi). Twist feet while walking, advance ten steps, retreat ten steps. Sit high, extend legs, twist feet inward then outward, twenty-four times each (removes wind-pathogen in knees and feet).

After completing these sixteen segments, sit upright, lower eyelids, grasp hands firmly, and meditate. Lick the upper palate, stir to collect the Divine Water of the Hua Chi (Sacred Pool), rinse mouth thirty-six times, and swallow with a sound. Hold breath, visualize the fire of the Dantian rising from below, burning throughout the inside and outside of the body, until heat permeates, then stop.
(My Note: Laozi's Daoyin has forty-two postures, Brahman Daoyin has twelve, Chisongzi has eighteen, Zhongli Quan has eight, Hu Jiansu's Five Cooked Daoyin has twelve. Among these methods, they are quite profound. However, summarizing their key merits, they amount to this. If learners practice one or two sessions daily, over time the body becomes strong and light, all evils are removed, and fatigue does not return.)