The Principle of Self-Cultivation

The human body originally possesses innate qi, but for most people it is obscured by postnatal food and drink, so it cannot fully perform its proper function. The more one eats, the more severe the obstruction, the more waste and refuse accumulate, the heavier the body becomes, and the harder meditation is to cultivate. In order to mobilize well the innate qi one already possesses, one must focus the mind on the dantian, letting the qi gather there. When the dantian qi is complete, the qi mechanism will be activated, supplying qi energy to the whole body, driving the circulation of the blood back and forth, and the body's functions are thereby stimulated and put to use.  

Countless people go through their whole lives without making good use of the true qi and functions their bodies inherently possess, all because these are suppressed by dietary habits. When a baby is first born, the body's functions run very well, and the body is soft and elastic. In infancy and childhood, the body's flexibility is high, and the legs can be crossed very well in sitting. The older one grows, the harder the body becomes, the more difficult it is to cross the legs, the more refuse accumulates in the body, and the worse the circulation of qi and blood. This innate qi in the body can only be released, and its proper function brought into play, through reducing food intake and cultivating practice methods. Therefore, if one can fully mobilize the body's qi channels, one can cultivate meditation well, improve one's constitution, and prolong life. Only by cultivating the body and meditation well can we ensure that our work on the Path is unobstructed and continually advancing. Otherwise, if the body is unhealthy, the mind will not be at ease; if the mind is not cultivated well, how can there be the Way?

We cultivate body and mind through bigu (grain avoidance/fasting). During the fasting period we cannot eat, yet the body still needs energy, so we must transform and absorb other kinds of energy, such as light energy and qi energy. And light energy must ultimately be converted into the qi energy the body needs; qi energy drives the circulation and movement of the blood to maintain the body's energy balance. To absorb light energy, one way is to sunbathe, and another is to sit in meditation and contemplate sunlight entering the body, becoming energy that can be utilized within the body. One can also recite mantras and contemplate Buddha-light entering the body to supply the body with energy. At the same time, one should expel the diseased qi, cold qi, damp qi, and toxic qi from the body. If this contemplation is cultivated well, it will be extremely beneficial to physical health—purer than food and drink, more nourishing, and without side effects.

Furthermore, practice cultivation methods to supplement the body's energy and increase yang qi. Specifically, the following methods may be adopted for practice:

1. Clasp the two hands together behind the back and lift them upward; this can elevate stomach qi and lung qi, stretch the bladder meridian, and straighten the back.  

2. Raise the two hands and clasp them together above the head; keeping the body still, rotate everything from the chest upward.  

3. Hold the two hands in front of the lower abdomen with the palms facing upward, in the posture of embracing a ball, and slowly raise them while breathing deeply. Raise them to above the head, lift the heels, turn the palms over, and pause for a moment as the breath fills completely. Then lower the two hands down along the sides of the body, exhale the breath, and let the heels come down. This increases lung qi.