Yangsheng — Life Cultivation: Internal Reference¶
This version presents the Guide's original texts, compiled and organized by theme, with full source citations. No text has been altered.
I. Purpose and Three-Tier Structure¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · Elementary Yangsheng
The ultimate goal of human life is to create conditions, during our limited time in the human world, to extend LIFE into higher LIFE spaces. To achieve this, we need a healthy physical body — and yangsheng serves this purpose.
The purpose of yangsheng: preserve health, attain longevity, shed mortal bones, achieve the Celestial Way.
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · Intermediate Yangsheng
Elementary yangsheng focuses primarily on protecting the physical body. Intermediate yangsheng attends to both the physical body and the LIFE body. Advanced yangsheng focuses primarily on the LIFE body.
II. Elementary Yangsheng — Protecting the Physical Body¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · Elementary Yangsheng
A human being is a composite LIFE entity composed of approximately one hundred and thirty trillion individual lives of nearly ten thousand different types. On average, from birth to age one hundred, nearly twenty-five thousand individual lives die within the body every minute.
The causes of LIFE's weakening and death — setting aside natural processes — ranked by their destructive power, are: 1. mental-emotional activity arising from the seven emotions and six desires; 2. diet; 3. daily routine; 4. labor; 5. wind, frost, cold, and heat; 6. air quality in the surrounding environment; 7. noise; 8. cosmic forces (geomagnetism, gravity, radiation, various rays and waves).
Yangsheng primarily cultivates essence (jing), qi, spirit (shen), and form.
The skilled practitioner of yangsheng treats illness before it arises.
Speak less — nourish inner qi; restrain the heart-mind — nourish spirit-qi; eat lightly — nourish blood-qi; restrain anger — nourish lung-qi; eat in moderation — nourish stomach-qi; think less — nourish liver-qi; reduce craving — nourish heart-qi; reduce sexual desire — nourish essence-qi.
Whoever wishes to cultivate the body must first still the intention. No confusion, no vexation, no attachment arising, no fantasizing, no craving, no dissipation. Inwardly settle the spirit; outwardly eliminate desire.
If the heart-mind is overtaxed, it becomes depleted; if the form is overworked, it becomes timid; if the spirit is damaged, it becomes hollow; if qi is diminished, it is cut off.
Restrain thought — the spirit becomes whole; restrain speech — qi becomes whole; restrain sexual desire — essence becomes whole.
Anger drives qi upward; joy slackens qi; grief dissipates qi; fear drives qi downward; cold contracts qi; heat releases qi; fright scatters qi; overwork exhausts qi; excessive thought binds qi; stillness generates qi.
Prolonged looking damages blood; prolonged lying damages qi; prolonged sitting damages flesh; prolonged standing damages bones; prolonged walking damages sinews.
Eat and drink in moderation; maintain regular routines; do not exert yourself unnecessarily. Inwardly, do not tire the heart-mind; outwardly, do not exhaust the form.
Equanimity and tranquility — then worry and illness cannot enter; perverse qi cannot invade.
Few words in the mouth, little food in the belly, few concerns in the heart, little sleep at night.
The spirit full — no desire to sleep; qi full — no desire to eat; essence full — no desire for sexual activity.
Eight places not to inhabit: filthy and cluttered places; noisy places; places of gossip and conflict; bustling and busy places; protruding elevated places; dark and damp places; places with poor air circulation; places next to tombs or temples.
Sleep at nine-thirty, rise at five-thirty — follow the temporal order of yin and yang in heaven and earth. Do not stay up late, do not strain yourself. The body and the cosmos move in orderly rhythm. Persevere — sickness will not arise; health and joy will greet each morning.
The kidneys undisturbed — essence whole; the body undisturbed — qi whole; the heart-mind undisturbed — spirit whole. When the three are complete and whole, becoming a Celestial arises naturally.
III. Intermediate Yangsheng — Body and LIFE Body Together¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · Intermediate Yangsheng
A human being is composed of two parts: the physical body and the LIFE body. Any change in the positive universe affects the physical body — the activity of sunspots, the waxing and waning of sun and moon, destruction of the ozone layer, radioactive dust, volcanoes and earthquakes, geomagnetism and gravity, ultraviolet rays, gamma rays, beta rays, wind and rain and clouds and snow, mist and frost and cold and heat — all act upon the physical body. Likewise, all aspects of daily behavior — walking, sitting, lying down, eating, drinking, and the sensory environment and spatial structure of one's dwelling — affect the physical body. Changes in the negative universe affect the LIFE body. The will of the Greatest Creator, conflicts among divine beings, the movement of the Dao, the words and actions of Jesus, the doctrines of Buddhism and Islam, the deities one believes in, ideas like liberalism, spirits like the spirit of republicanism — all act on the LIFE body. So do all persons living and dead who are connected to you, animals, plants, your thoughts, consciousness, thinking, dreams, and the information waves left by everything you have done, said, thought, and intended.
The physical body is the carrier of the LIFE body; the LIFE body is the master of the physical body. The physical body serves only as a container; the LIFE body holds sovereign authority over the physical body's life and death. Physical disability does not greatly impair the LIFE body's perfection, but a damaged LIFE body will reduce the physical body to a mere instinct-driven shell — or even a vegetative state. A perfected LIFE body will bring the physical body into its optimal condition and can even restore lost limbs, cure terminal illness, and restore the dead to life.
Illness caused by external factors requires modern medical treatment, while any illness caused by internal factors can be self-treated through yangsheng. Insomnia, excessive dreaming, forgetfulness, mental disorder, delirium, coma, autonomic nervous dysfunction, palpitations, dizziness, and neurosis — all can be prevented and treated through yangsheng. Even so-called terminal illnesses — cancer, leukemia, AIDS, full-body paralysis — can be cured through the science of yangsheng. The key lies in one's own mental intention, confidence, faith, and strict long-term adherence to yangsheng practice.
A settled heart-mind generates life; a chaotic heart-mind generates death.
IV. Advanced Yangsheng — LIFE Body Visualization¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · Advanced Yangsheng
Advanced yangsheng already belongs to the methods of the negative universe. There are no physical postures or movements; no material objects are needed as reference. It is purely a matter of using thought and mental imagery to cultivate life.
Let me offer a brief introduction. First, hang a painting of magnificent mountains and rivers in your room. Observe the birds in flight, the green mountains, the flowing water, the houses glimpsed through mist. Then imagine those birds soaring, and soar with them — across mountains and rivers, toward a distant place where all is beautiful and peaceful. This process of imagination is the process of advanced yangsheng.
Now take the painting away, imprint its scenery in your mind, and further transform it as you wish — endlessly. Place yourself within it. Rest in a tranquil spot. Swim in a clear flowing brook. Fly to the peaks of towering mountains to take in the boundless scenery. Bring a trusted friend along in imagination. Explore beautiful landscapes together, pick celestial peaches, shout aloud, sing at the top of your voice. This process is advanced yangsheng.
The process of advanced yangsheng is the process of chemical transformation in your physical body. Over time, illness will disappear; the five viscera and six bowels, qi and blood, and meridians will all enter a state of natural, orderly flow; your capacity to resist illness will increase enormously.
V. The Method for Shedding Mortal Bones — Five-Level Dhyana¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · The Dhyana Method for Shedding Mortal Bones
Find a secluded place fragrant with birdsong, where the air is clear and uncontaminated. Invite a trusted friend to stand guard, keeping insects, snakes, and scorpions away, keeping idle visitors and affairs at a distance, undisturbed by shouts, horses, or the sound of vehicles.
Sit in meditation — full lotus or half lotus, as is comfortable. Hold the body upright; let the limbs relax. Joints should be aligned, neither leaning nor bent. Loosen clothing and belt. If slightly uncomfortable, make a small adjustment to find ease.
First, sit quietly for a time. When both body and heart-mind have settled and the breathing is peaceful, press the tongue to the upper palate, close the lips and teeth, then gradually lower the gaze and gently close the eyes. Begin regulating the breath — not coarse, not gasping — smooth and fine and continuous. No thought, no intention, no mental noting: simply sit.
In the First Dhyana state, sensations will arise — jumping, itching, coolness, warmth, lightness, heaviness, roughness, smoothness, sinking, cold, heat, floating, heaviness, firmness, softness. You will no longer perceive your own body or the objects around you; it is as though you are empty space. As concentration deepens, body and heart-mind become emptied and still; both inner and outer vanish from perception. Simultaneously, ten wholesome qualities arise: (1) stillness, (2) emptiness, (3) clarity and purity, (4) joy, (5) ease, (6) good arising, (7) clear knowing and seeing, (8) liberation from burden, (9) boundary states appearing, (10) the heart-mind becoming soft and pliable.
The First Dhyana transcends the desire realm; the Second Dhyana transcends the form realm; the Third Dhyana transcends the formless realm — and the key is transcending the "I."
In the Third Dhyana state, you have already become a Celestial. The most distinctive sign is that food intake decreases dramatically. While sitting in meditation, you may go eight or ten days without any desire for food. With so little energy consumed, you may reach a state of neither intake nor output — a self-contained microcosmic system. Even in the extreme-altitude zone of the Himalayas — the so-called death zone — you would face no threat to life over two or three months. The highest level of Indian yoga corresponds to the Third Dhyana.
Going further, one reaches the Fourth Dhyana — at which point one possesses miraculous powers and can ascend to the Thousand-Year World or the Ten-Thousand-Year World. The Fifth Dhyana is the attainment of Buddhahood and ascension to the Elysium World.
VI. The Dao, Virtue, Method, and Skill of Yangsheng¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · The Dao, Virtue, Method, and Skill of Yangsheng
The purpose of yangsheng: preserve health, attain longevity, shed mortal bones, achieve the Celestial Way.
The inner content of yangsheng: cultivate essence, qi, spirit, form, heart-mind, and nature.
The Dao of yangsheng: walk the Way of the Greatest Creator — that is, the Way of Nature — acting in accordance with nature.
The virtue of yangsheng: treat all living beings with kindness. Without virtue, yangsheng is impossible. Benefiting others is benefiting oneself; harming others is harming oneself.
The method of yangsheng: purify the heart-mind, empty consciousness, dissolve self and form, unite with the Dao.
The skills of yangsheng: regular routines, moderation in diet, calming the spirit and stilling intention, appropriate balance of movement and stillness, regulating breath to nourish qi, simplicity and tranquility, guiding qi to harmonize, making the body supple, clarity of heart and reduction of desire, reducing mental rumination, holding yin and embracing yang, knowing strength and maintaining softness, treating others with equanimity, acting in all things with measure, visualizing beautiful things, performing merit in secret, frequently changing one's living environment, and merging with nature.
Yangsheng is a science, an art, a quality of character, and a process of elevating LIFE — not something done in stages, but practiced throughout one's entire life. Viewing everything one encounters through the lens and perspective of yangsheng, life acquires different levels and realms.
Yangsheng begins with cultivating the Dao; next comes virtue; once the virtue of yangsheng is established, one can apply its methods; once its methods are understood, one can employ its skills with ease and fluency. The skills of yangsheng are vast and touch every dimension of human life. Placing excessive emphasis on skill becomes a burden and encumbrance. Use skill as a remedy matched to the situation. "The self-nature can give rise to ten thousand dharmas" — there is no need for excessive wariness or anxiety.
May everyone "make love until ninety-nine and live to a hundred and two."
VII. The Fundamental Secret of Health¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · The Secret and Value of Health
A person must maintain physical health and a vigorous vitality. Only with health can one taste the full flavor of life; without health, everything is hollow.
From birth to death, one should not fall ill — and even at the moment of death, one should not die of illness but aspire to pass away peacefully and without disease.
The secret of maintaining health without illness lies in perfecting the heart-mind and refining consciousness. If a person's heart-mind is perfect and consciousness is refined, I can guarantee that person will not fall ill or encounter unforeseen disaster.
Every cause of illness lies in the nonmaterial structure of LIFE. When the structure is flawed, illness or disaster is inevitable. When the structure is flawless, illness or disaster is simply impossible.
The problem of structure is the problem of consciousness. Impure consciousness produces an imperfect structure; ordered, pure consciousness produces a perfect structure.
How does one purify and refine consciousness? There is only one path: walk the Way of the Greatest Creator; listen to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Buddha Shakyamuni; live and act according to the guidance of divine beings, Buddhas, Celestials, and sages.
More concretely: cultivate the Soul Garden well. As long as the Soul Garden is free of weeds, the body will certainly be healthy — illness cannot arise, unforeseen disaster cannot come.
Greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and doubt are weeds in the Soul Garden. Jealousy, complaint, comparison, irritability, resentment, rage, selfishness, laziness, arrogance, and acquisitive greed are all weeds in the Soul Garden. Every negative, pessimistic mental state or thought-emotion is a weed. Until these weeds are thoroughly cleared away, genuine health is essentially impossible.
VIII. Resentment in the Heart Inevitably Causes Illness¶
Chanyuan Corpus · Yangsheng Chapter · Resentment in the Heart Inevitably Causes Illness
I have not done statistical research, but I know the principle: resentment in the heart inevitably causes illness.
The human body system is remarkable — it has self-healing capacity and regulatory capacity, and it has spontaneous "toxin-release switches" and "self-destruction switches."
The occasional rise of grievance and resentment is not so serious. But if a person harbors chronic resentment — ceaselessly complaining about this and that — the body's systems will necessarily change. When complaining, every cell in the body is in a state of suppressed misery and energy deficiency. Over time, cells undergo qualitative change. The most vulnerable organ or region of the body will undergo pathological transformation. The heart is especially susceptible to the injury of resentment. Resistance to cancer cells declines; qi-depression and stagnant blood-qi follow.
Therefore, never allow yourself to be perpetually complaining. Open your perspective; be optimistic; be romantic; find more ways to bring yourself joy. Once you feel happy, resentment dissipates — and the body becomes healthy.
IX. Value 743 — New Era Yangsheng Essentials¶
800 Values for New Era Humanity (4th ed.) · Value 743
Everyone in the New Era needs yangsheng, minimizing illness to the greatest extent possible. Yangsheng primarily cultivates essence, qi, spirit, and form. Cultivating yangsheng begins with cultivating the heart-mind; cultivating the heart-mind begins with cultivating virtue; cultivating virtue begins with entering the Dao. The skilled practitioner of yangsheng treats illness before it arises. Speak less — nourish inner qi; restrain the heart-mind — nourish spirit-qi; eat lightly — nourish blood-qi; restrain anger — nourish lung-qi; eat in moderation — nourish stomach-qi; think less — nourish liver-qi; reduce craving — nourish heart-qi; reduce sexual desire — nourish essence-qi. Whoever wishes to cultivate the body must first still the intention. No confusion, no vexation, no attachment arising, no fantasizing, no craving, no dissipation. Inwardly settle the spirit; outwardly eliminate desire.