The Relationship Between the Restoration of the Physical Body and Intention

If you want the qi to sink into the dantian, simply breathe deeply and let the qi descend all the way down to the dantian. Combined with visualization—visualizing the qi arriving at the dantian—you can guide the qi to the dantian. The qi follows the mind: wherever the mind goes, the qi and blood will follow. This mind includes both the mind of the manas and the mind of the mind consciousness, but only the mind of the manas can direct the circulation of qi and blood; the mind of the mind consciousness can only guide the manas.

The functions and operations of the physical body are of two kinds: one is the operation of the tathāgatagarbha alone, and the other is the combined function and operation of the manas working together with the tathāgatagarbha. To put it plainly, most of the functions and operations of the physical body involve an element of the manas' attention (manaskāra). Wherever the mind of the manas does not reach, many things cannot be accomplished. At the dantian, the mind consciousness may direct and guard there as it pleases, but there will be no real effect—unless the mind of the mind consciousness successfully guides the manas, and the manas in turn directs its mind there, only then is there an effect. When the mind consciousness guards the dantian, it is a false guarding; the qi will not follow it there. The mind consciousness cannot direct the qi and blood; it can only direct the manas—and this is the mind consciousness's greatest and most useful ability.

In the repair and regulation of the tissues and cells of the physical body, the manas also plays a participatory role in some respects. If the manas actively cooperates, maintains an optimistic attitude, and is neither anxious nor agitated, the body's positive energy will rise and the body will repair itself more quickly. When the physical body is being repaired, there is a great difference between whether the manas participates or not. For example, during acupuncture, if you add the mind's intention into it—focusing it on the tip of the needle—the effect is very obvious and rapid, and the physical body can change at once. If someone has cultivated genuine qi and uses it in combination with acupuncture, the effect is even better, enough to rapidly transform the four great elements of the body; the physical body recovers quite quickly and may be restored almost immediately. If there is genuine qi circulating in the body, and one uses the palm to infuse it into another person's back, the stronger the intention, the more qi enters the body and the faster the qi circulates within it; the body can be improved immediately, and when the qi and blood fill the body abundantly, one is healthy.

Wherever the mind goes, the qi goes. Therefore, in the repair of the physical body, when the manas actively participates, recovery is quite rapid; where the mind does not reach, the circulation is not smooth, or does not circulate at all. For example, when eating, if the attention is scattered, the qi and blood are scattered, and digestion is poor. Right after a meal, if one concentrates intently on thinking about problems, the qi and blood gather in the brain region, leaving insufficient qi and blood for the stomach, which also impairs digestion; over the long term, stomach illness develops. Another example: during urination and defecation, if the attention is scattered, the flow will not be smooth. Where the mind goes, the qi goes; where the mind is, the qi is. Thus the force of intention is extremely powerful. How is this force of intention produced? When the power of meditative concentration (samādhi) is strengthened, the power of the mind is strengthened—and the power of the mind is precisely the power of intention.