Transcription
TAOIST YOGAAlchemy and Immortality
By the scant authorCh’an and Zen Teaching, series i, 2 and 3The Secrets of Chinese MeditationThe Surahgama Sutra
Lu K’uan Yii (Charles Luk)TAOIST YOGAAlchemy and ImmortalityA translation, with introduction and notes, ofThe Secrets of Cultivating Essential Natureand Eternal Life (Hsin Ming Fa Chueh Ming Chih)by the Taoist Master Chao Pi Ch’en, born i860SAMUEL WEISER INC.New York
SAMUEL WEISER INC.J34 Broadway, New York 10003First published igyoSecond impression igysThis edition Lu K’uan Yu 1970Printed in Great Britain0-87728-067-3
This book is reverently dedicated to my godfather,the Deity Pe Ti, ruler of the Northern Heaven, whohas helpfully guided me in my translation ofTaoist Scriptures herein presented
ng spirit in its original cavityThe microcosmic cauldron and stoveClearing the eight psychic channelsGathering the microcosmic outer alchemical agentQuick and slow firesGathering the microcosmic inner alchemical agentHolding on to the centre to realise theoneness of heaven and earth8 Plunging spirit into the lower tan t’ien cavity9 The immortal breathing or the self-windingwheel of the law10 The method of gathering vitality11 Driving the elixir of immortality into thecauldron12 Preparing the elixir of immortality13 Gathering the macrocosmic alchemical agentfor the final breakthrough14 Formation of the immortal foetus15 The egress16 Appearing in 91104114127
ILLUSTRATIONSFigure1The four cardinal points92The microcosmic orbit and the channels ofcontrol and function133The three realms of desire, form and beyond form294The perfect union305Rolling the eyes to raise and lower the inner fire626The dragon and the tiger in copulation687The heel and trunk channels918The channels of control, function and thrusting1249The field of concentration for gathering themacrocosmic alchemical agent13510The immortal foetus15111The egress16112The five elements16413The five vitalities converging to the head17214Countless transformation bodies appearing inspace175
PREFACEAfter the publication of our fourth book, The Secrets ofChinese Meditation, and its Italian and German translations,1we have been delighted to hear from Western readers whohave practised Indian yoga and are also interested instudying its Chinese equivalent. But only three chaptersof that volume deal with Taoist meditation for the im provement of health, so that for lack of space we were unableto deal fully with Taoist yoga, which includes spiritualalchemy and aims at the total defeat of mortality.This presentation is a translation of The Secrets of Culti vation of Essential Mature and Eternal Life, written by theTaoist master Chao Pi Ch’en (born i860) and containinga comprehensive exposition of Taoist yoga with instructionsby the ancients which can be studied and practised bymodern students. It consists of sixteen chapters which teachhow to train in spiritual alchemy from the beginning tothe end in order to leap over the mortal to the undyingdivine state.Taoist scriptures are full of technical terms which seemvery obscure and unintelligible even to students in China, for1Rider & Co., London; I Segreti dellaUbaldini Editore, Rome; and Geheinmisse der chinesischen Meditation, Rascher Verlag, Zurich and Stuttgart. Its Frenchtranslation is being undertaken by a well known publisher in Paris.The Secrets of Chinese Meditation,Meditazione Cinese,
XUPREFACEthe authors did not intend to make the texts accessible topeople of low spirituality or of questionable character, orto unbelievers and blasphemers. Instead of translatingthem literally we have rendered them in simple Englishin order to avoid confusion. For instance, lead and mercuryare translated by vitality and spirit, for which they stand, soas to make the text more clear for the average reader. Wehave, however, kept some terms for which there are noEnglish equivalents with accompanying explanations orfootnotes so that Western readers will appreciate that wetoo encountered great difficulty when we began to studythese Taoist texts.Taoist alchemy forsakes the worldly way of life by pre venting the generative force which produces the generativefluid from following its ordinary course which satisfies sexualdesire and procreates offspring. As soon as this force movesto find its usual outlet, it is turned back and then driven bythe inner fire, kindled by regulated breathing, into themicrocosmic orbit for sublimation. This orbit begins at thebase of the spine, called the first gate (wei lu), rising in thebackbone to the second gate between the kidneys (chia chi),and then to the back of the head, called the third gate(yu ch’en), before reaching the brain (ni wan). It then des cends down the face, chest and abdomen to return to whereit rose and so completes a full circuit.By regulated breathing is meant deep breathing thatreaches the lower abdomen to arouse the inner fire and thenbring pressure on the generative force already held thereforcing both fire and generative force to rise in the channelof control in the spine to the head. This is followed by anout breathing which relaxes the lower abdomen so that thefire and generative force that have risen to the head sinkin the channel of function in the front of the body to forma full rotation in the microcosmic orbit. These continuedascents and descents cleanse and purify the generativeforce which is then held in the lower tan t’ien under thenavel so that it can be transmuted into vitality.The microcosmic orbit has four cardinal points: at the
PREFACEX1Uroot of the penis where the generative force is gathered, atthe top of the head, and at the two points between them inthe spine and in the front of the body where the generativeforce is cleansed and purified during the microcosmicorbiting.While putting the generative force into orbit it is of para mount importance to locate the original cavity of spiritin the brain which is precisely where a light manifests inthe head when the practiser succeeds in concentrating hisseeing effectively on the central spot between and behind theeyes. If this is not done the radiant inner fire rising to thehead during the microcosmic orbiting may be mistakenfor that light and wrongly driven into a minor psychic centrein the head from which it will be very difficult to dislodge it.Many untutored and inexperienced practisers make thismistake which hinders the process of alchemy.When the generative force moves to obey its worldlyinclination, the purpose of regulating the breathing is todraw the force up to the lower tan t’ien cavity under thenavel so as to hold it there and transmute it into an alchemi cal agent which is transformed into vitality in the solarplexus. Thus the lower tan t’ien in the lower abdomenplays the role of a burning stove supporting a cauldron whichcontains the generative force ready for subsequent ascensionto the solar plexus.After being purified the generative force is carried in themicrocosmic orbit to the solar plexus, called the middletan t’ien, which becomes the middle cauldron and isscorched by the burning stove in the lower tan t ien underthe navel. It is in the solar plexus that the generative force(now the alchemical agent) is transmuted into vitality whichrises to the brain (ni wan) where the vital breath, hithertohidden and dormant, will be stirred by well regulated breath ing which will prevent it from dispersing. The precious cauld ron has now manifested in the brain (ni wan) whereas theburning stove remains in the lower tan t’ien under thenavel.So while the stove remains in the lower abdomen during
XIVPREFACEthe whole process of alchemy, the cauldron changes placerising from the lower tan t’ien under the navel to the middletan t’ien or solar plexus, and finally to the upper tan t’ienin the brain where it is called the precious cauldron. Inother words, the lower tan t’ien plays the role of primarycauldron which contains the generative force at the startof the process of alchemy. When the generative force iscleansed and purified during the microcosmic orbitingand becomes the alchemical agent, it rises to the solarplexus which then plays the role of the middle cauldron inwhich the generative force is transmuted into vitality. Whenvitality is purified it rises to the ni wan or brain which thenbecomes the precious cauldron in which vitality is transmutedinto spirit. Thus the lower, middle and upper tan t’iensuccessively become the cauldron which means the cavityor psychic centre in which transmutation actually takes place.The practiser thus ‘lays the foundation’ by gathering themicrocosmic outer alchemical agent1 to restore the genera tive force that has dispersed and so to invigorate the brain.The method consists of deep and regulated breathing toraise the inner fire in the channel of control to the brainthirty-six times and thence lower it in the channel of func tion in the front of the body twenty-four times, the numbersthirty-six and twenty-four being positive and negativenumbers in Taoist yoga. Each rotation is completed in afull in-and-out breath during which spirit and vitalitymove and halt together in the juxtaposed orbits of the earth(the body) and heaven (the head), spirit being set in motionby the movements of the eyes and vitality by the combinedaction of the vital and generative forces already gathered.This is how to gather the outer alchemical agent to free thebody from all ailments.1 SeeChapter 2, figure t, for detailed explanation of inhalation andexhalation of outer air to kindle the inner fire to cleanse.and purify thegenerative force during the microcosmic orbiting. The microcosmicouter alchemical agent is so called because it is produced by means offresh air breathed in and out to transmute the generative force intovitality.
PREFACEXVThe microcosmic inner alchemical agent2 is now gatheredby rolling the eyes from left to right in conjunction with themicrocosmic fire that passes through sublimating phasesat the four cardinal points of the microcosmic orbit. Thisprocess is called the ‘inner copulation* of the positive andnegative principles. It means that vitality, driven by venti lation (breathing) and (inner) fire, soars up and down sothat the vital breath in the brain unites with the nervoussystem, causing spirit to develop and its bright light tomanifest; this is commonly called the preparation of the‘golden elixir*. This bright light is the mysterious gate(hsuan kuan) which is indescribable and from whichspirit emerges for the breakthrough.The eyes are positive, whereas the rest of the body isnegative. Therefore, when the outer alchemical agent hasbeen gathered, it is necessary to roll the eyes to unite thepositive with the negative principles in order to developspirit in the bright light that emerges from the original cavityof spirit between and behind the eyes. This bright lightshows the exact position of that cavity and should not beconfounded with the luminous inner fire that rises to thehead during the microcosmic orbiting as we have said earlier.In Taoist yoga the negative vitality is represented by thedragon and the positive vitality by the tiger, while their‘copulation’ brings into manifestation the original spiritin its bright light.When original or prenatal spirit manifests thus, it shouldbe driven into the lower tan t’ien centre under the navel tofix it there. This centre has outer and inner cells: the outercell is the source of the positive and negative principles,the abode of vital breath, the source of foetal breathingand the mechanism of in and out breathing; and the innercell is where the immortal foetus is created and the vital breathstays; it is the house of serenity. When the vital breath,moving up and down in the thrusting channel [see figure 8, See Chapter 6, figure j, for detailed explanation of the microcosmicinner alchemical agent which is so called because it is produced by vitalbreath in the body, used to transmute vitality into spirit.
XVIPREFACEpage 1124) does not rise above the heart (the house of fire)and drop below the lower abdomen (the house of water)it will slip into this cavity under the navel, causing thesudden manifestation of true serenity.The practiser should now concentrate on the lower tant’ien cavity under the navel until vitality vibrates there,then lift it to the heart (the seat of fire) and lower it to thelower abdomen (the seat of water) with continued ascentsand descents in the thrusting channel until suddenly itslips into that cavity; this is called ‘re-entry into the foetusfor further creativity’ and is the outcome of linking theheart (fire) with the lower abdomen (water). Spirit whichhas been fixed there will be enveloped by vitality untilboth unite into a whole, called the immortal foetus in thestate of complete serenity.When this state is reached it is necessary to practiseimmortal breathing through the heel channel startingfrom the heels and the trunk channel from the lower ab domen to the brain (seefigure 7 page 91), in order to achievethe self-turning of the wheel of the law, called the macrocosmic orbit or the free circulation of vital breathingthrough the former and down through the latter channelto restore the profound foetal breathing which wipes outall postnatal conditions so that prenatal vitality can betransmuted into a bright pearl that illuminates the brain.This means that after the sublimation of the generativeforce, vitality and spirit, they gather in the brain where,under constant pressure from prenatal vitality and spirit,they will in time produce an ambrosia. This ambrosia(which is not to be confused with the golden elixir) thenproduces and nurtures the immortal seed in the lower tant’ien cavity under the navel, where it radiates, lighting upthe heart. This light reveals the formation of the immortalseed when all breathing appears to cease and pulses seem tostop beating in the condition of complete serenity.The cultivation of immortality does not go beyond spiritand vitality. Spirit leads to the realisation of essential natureand vitality to eternal life. When the generative force is
PREFACEXviifull and rises to unite with essential nature, the white lightof vitality manifests; it is like moonlight and its fullness isequivalent to one half of a whole. When vitality is full anddescends to unite with eternal life, the golden light manifests;it is reddish yellow and its fullness is equivalent to the otherhalf. The union of these two lights produces that wholewhich is the immortal seed.After the immortal seed has returned to its source in thelower abdomen, a pointed concentration on it will, in time,cause a golden light to appear in the white light between theeyebrows. This is the embryo of the immortal seed producedby the union of the generative force, vitality and spirit intoone whole. These two lights are like the male and femaleorgans of a flower, the union of which will bear fruit.At the manifestation of this positive light, which is theunion of the two lights, the practiser should stop the fireand concentrate in the head the vital breaths in the heart,stomach, liver, lungs and lower abdomen to produce themacrocosmic alchemical agent which should be gatheredto achieve the final breakthrough, thereby leaping overthe worldly to the saintly state, and so leaving the state ofserenity to appear in countless transformation bodies.When this state is reached the practiser should unite thetwo vitalities of nature and life to help spirit form the im mortal foetus. It is only after flying snow and falling flowershave been seen by the practiser that spirit emerges from thefoetus to become immortal. He should now ‘stir the thought’of leaping into the great emptiness which will open theheavenly gate at the top of the head so that spirit can leavethe human body to appear in countless bodies in space.In the text ‘prenatal’ denotes the positive or spiritualnature originally existing before birth and ‘postnatal’means its negative or corrupt counterpart which followsthe ordinary way of material life after birth, the formerbeing real and permanent whereas the latter is illusoryand transient.The lower tan t’ien under the navel is also called the cavityor ocean of vitality.
XVliiPREFACEAccording to Arthur Avalon (Sir John Woodroffe), anauthority on Tantric yoga, some modem pundits tend tomisplace the psychic centres or cavities in the body. Iwould urge readers to guard against these arbitrary specu lations. When they have made real progress in their practiceof Taoist yoga, they will automatically know where in thebody these psychic centres really are, for the latter usuallyfeel warm when the inner fire passes through them duringits circulation in the microcosmic orbit. It is harmful topinpoint places in the body, the very idea of which shouldbe relinquished since it hinders the course of the inner fireand of vitality.Like Western authors who use numbers and letters of thealphabet to indicate successive chapters of a book anddifferent parts of a diagram, their Chinese counterparts usethe ten Heavenly Stems (chia, i, ping, ting, wu, chi, keng,hsin, jen, kuei) to mark siccessive parts of their books andthe twelve Earthly Branches (tzu, ch’ou, yin, mao, ch’en,szu, wu, wei, shen, yu, shu, hai) to show various parts oftheir illustrations. For instance, the twelve divisions of themicrocosmic orbit are indicated by twelve Chinese characterswhich are the above twelve Earthly Branches in the originaldiagrams which are reproduced in this book with the firsttwelve letters of the alphabet (A to L) for the convenienceof Western readers. The ten Heavenly Stems are used withthe twelve Earthly Branches to form a cycle to indicate thehours, days, months and years in the Chinese almanac.They are also employed in medical science, astronomy,astrology, physiognomy, palmistry, etc.All brackets are mine and are added to make the ancienttexts more clear.Lu K’uan YuHongkong
1FIXING SPIRIT IN ITS ORIGINALCAVITYMy masters Liao Jan and Liao K’ung once said: ‘Whenbeginning to cultivate (essential) nature and (eternal) life,it is necessary first to develop nature.’ Before sitting inmeditation, it is important to put an end to all rising thoughtsand to loosen garments and belt to relax the body and avoidinterfering with the free circulation of blood. After sittingthe body should be (senseless) like a log and the heart (mind)unstirred like cold ashes. The eyes should look down and fixon the tip of the nose; they should not be shut completely toavoid dullness and confusion; neither should they be wideopen to prevent spirit from wandering outside. They shouldbe fixed on the tip of the nose with one’s attention concen trated on the spot between them; and in time the light ofvitality will manifest. This is the best way to get rid of allthoughts at the start when preparing the elixir of immor tality.When the heart (mind) is settled, one should restrain thefaculty of seeing, check that of hearing, touch the palate withthe tip of the tongue and regulate the breathing through thenostrils. If breathing is not regulated one will be troubled bygasping or laboured breaths. When breathing is well con trolled, one will forget all about the body and heart (mind).Thus stripped of feelings and passions one will look like astupid man.
2TAOIST YOGAThe left leg should be placed outside and close to the rightone; this means the positive embracing the negative.1 Thethumb of the left hand should touch its middle finger andthe right hand should be placed under it (palm upward)with its thumb bent over the left palm; this means thenegative embracing the positive. This is what the ancientsmeant by forming a circuit of eight psychic channels. TheTaoist scriptures say: ‘The linking of the four limbs shuts thefour gates so that the centre can be held on to.’Question I have read Taoist books which all urge thedevelopment of the light in the original cavity or centre ofspirit (tsu ch’iao, in the centre of the brain between andbehind the eyes) at the start of practice but I do not see why.All Taoist schools regard this as the aim of the cultivationof (essential) nature without giving details. Will you pleasetell me where true nature actually manifests?Answer (The tsu ch’iao cavity in) the centre of the brainbranches out into two minor channels on its left and right;the left one stands for t’ai chi (supreme ultimate) and theright one for ch’ung ling (immaterial spirit); they are linkedwith the t’ien ku (heavenly valley) centre above them andthe yung chuan (bubbling spring) centres in the soles of thefeet after running through the heart in the chest.The Tan Ching says: ‘Nature is (in) the heart and mani fests through the eyes; life is (in) the lower abdomen andmanifests through the genital organ.’(Essential) nature is spiritual vitality in the heart thatmanifests through the two channels from the centre of thebrain. So when seeing is concentrated on the spot betweenthe eyes, the light of (essential) nature manifests and will,after a long training, unite with (eternal) life to become onewhole. This union is called seeing the void that is not emptyand he who is not awakened to this union will achievenothing in his practice.QuestionWhen I was taught meditation I was urged to1 This posture will help some Westerners who cannot sit with crossedlegs.
FIXING SPIRIT IN ITS ORIGINAL CAVITY3empty my heart (the house of fire) of all thoughts, set mymind on cultivating (essential) nature and open my eyes tocontemplate the void to accord with the correct way; willyou please explain all this to me?Answer Seeing the void as not empty is right and seeing thevoid as empty is wrong, for failure to return to the (tsuch’iao) centre (which is not empty) prevents the light ofvitality from manifesting. Under the heart and above thegenital organ is an empty space where spiritual vitalitymanifests to form a cavity. When spirit and vitality return tothis cavity, spiritual vitality will soar up to form a circle (oflight) which is not void. Voidness which does not radiate isrelative but voidness which radiates is absolute. Absolutevoidness is not empty like relative voidness. Voidness thatis not empty is spiritual light which is spirit-vitality thatsprings from the yellow hall centre (huang ting or middletan t’ien, in the solar plexus).My master Liao K’ung said: ‘When the golden mechanism(of alchemy) begins to move and gives out flashes of lightthat hall of voidness (hsu shih, i.e. the heart devoid offeelings and passions) will be illuminated by a white lightwhich reveals the mysterious gate (hsuan kuan)2, thepresence of which does not mean emptiness.Man lives and dies because of this immaterial spiritvitality; he lives when it is present and dies when it scatters.Hence it is said: ‘Spirit without vitality does not make aman live; and vitality without spirit does not cause him todie.’ Prenatal spirit in the heart is nature and prenatalvitality in the lower abdomen is life; only when spirit andvitality unite can real achievement be made.Question Will you please explain the saying: ‘If one reachesthe original cavity of spirit (tsu ch’iao, in the centre of thebrain between and behind the eyes) one will find the sourceof immortal breath.’?Answer Worldly men who discover the original cavity ofspirit are very rare indeed. It is under heaven (the top of* Mysterious entrance to immortality.
4TAOIST YOGAthe head), above the earth (the lower abdomen), west of thesun (the left eye) and east of the moon (the right eye).Behind the mysterious gate (hsuan kuan) and before thespirit of the valley (ku shen) is true nature (chen hsin) whichis the source of true breath (chen hsi). Although this truebreath is linked with postnatal (ordinary) breathing, thelatter coming in-and-out through the mouth and nostrils,cannot reach the original cavity of spirit to return to thesource. The immortal breath that comes from inner (vital)fourfold breathing8 and not through the nose and mouth,can then return to the source.In your quest for immortal breath, you should regulate post natal (ordinary) breathing in order to find its source. Thisimmortal breath is hidden in the original cavity of spiritand is genial and will not scatter away when postnatal(ordinary) breathing is well regulated. Hence my masterLiao Jen said: ‘When vitality returns to the original ocean(its source) life becomes boundless.’Question Will you please give me the exact position of theoriginal cavity of spirit?Answer It is (in the centre of the brain behind) the spotbetween the eyes. Lao Tsu called it ‘the gateway to heavenand earth’; hence he urged people to concentrate on thecentre in order to realise the oneness (of all things). In thiscentre is a pearl of the size of a grain of rice, which is thecentre between heaven and earth in the human body (i.e.the microcosm); it is the cavity of prenatal vitality. Toknow where it lies is not enough, for it does not includethe wondrous light of (essential) nature which is symbolisedby a circle which Confucius called virtuous perfection (jen) ;the Book of Change calls it the ultimateless (wu chi), theBuddha perfect knowledge (yuan ming) and the Taoists theelixir of immortality or spiritual light; which all pointto the prenatal One True Vitality. He who knows this* A full fourfold breathing consists of in and out breaths with corres ponding ascent and descent of vitality in the microcosmic orbit.
FIXING SPIRIT IN ITS ORIGINAL CAVITY5cavity can prepare the elixir of immortality. Hence it issaid: ‘When the One is attained, all problems are solved.’Therefore, during the training both eyes should turninward to the centre (between and behind them) in orderto hold on to this One which should be held in the originalcavity of spirit (tsu ch’iao) with neither strain nor relaxa tion; this is called fixing spirit in its original cavity whichshould be where (essential) nature is cultivated and the rootfrom which (eternal) life emerges.My master Liao Jan said: ‘If the original cavity of spiritis overlooked true breath will not stay permanently, spiritwill lack a basis for sublimation, the alchemical agent willbe incomplete, and the golden elixir cannot be produced.For this cavity (between and behind the eyes) is the foun dation of (spiritual) stability and the centre of all things,having neither outside nor inside, which cannot be heldon to by mindfulness and sought by mindlessness, because tobe mindful of it is clinging to the visible and to be mindlessleads to (relative) voidness. Then what sort of trainingshould be undergone (to realise it)? The correct methodconsists of closing both eyes to still the heart (mind) sothat the tsu ch’iao cavity can be held on to until the lightof (essential) nature appears to confirm its effectiveness.The practiser should close his mouth and touch the palatewith the tongue to immobilise spirit and vitality. Whenthought is right so is the heart between heaven (the head)and earth (the lower abdomen) and when spirit is pure, thesupreme ultimate (t’ai chi) will be well understood. If thenon-rising of a single thought is achieved this will in timelead to the state of clearness and purity. In the completevoidness (of sense data) and utter stillness, a white lightwill manifest to light up the empty heart (hsu shih) and thegolden mechanism will give out flashes of light. You will thenbe automatically clear about the heart of heaven and earth.Question All schools teach their students to close the mouthand touch the palate with the tongue. Some also urgethem to lift the tongue to the palate when they breathe out
6TAOIST YOGAand to lower it when they breathe in; they call the tonguea key. Is this correct?Answer All this teaches worldly men to behave properlyin the earthly way in order to induce them later to seekimmortality; this has nothing to do with the quest of (essen tial) nature and (eternal) life.These ascents and descents of air serve solely to restorethe generative force and to fortify the brain when men growold. For most people by indulging in passions and sexualpleasures shorten the span of life, thereby injuring the sourceof vitality. Hence this teaching on preserving the generativeforce and strengthening the lower abdomen, the aim ofwhich is to conserve the positive principle for rejuvenation.Therefore, seekers of immortality should begin by prac tising the method of preserving the generative force bystrengthening the lower abdomen.My master Liao K’ung said: ‘The cavity of the HeavenlyPool (t’ien chih hsueh) is in the palate, and since it is linkedwith the brain above, it lets vitality flow down and drainaway; so the tongue is lifted up to support that pool therebymaking a bridge for true vitality* to come down through thehsuan ying cavity (the mysterious bridle on the channel offunction behind the heavenly pool in the palate) to thelower tan t’ien centre (the field of elixir below the navel)where it is held (for alchemical reasons).’So if the tip of the tongue touches the palate vitality willgather in front of the original cavity of spirit (tsu ch’iaobetween and behind the eyes, which will easily become theobject of contemplation) being always seen by the eyes(when closed and turned back); always heard by the ears(when they listen for it); always felt by the tongue thatsupports it and always aimed at by thoughts.Therefore, this original cavity of spirit should be con centrated on whether the practiser walks, stands, sits orreclines. And all of a sudden the heart becomes pure and4 True vitality is vital force which has been purified by the alchemicalprocess.
FIXING SPIRIT IN ITS ORIGINAL CAVITYJthe spirits high causing vitality to be overwhelming and thebody robust. In this utter stillness devoid of thoughts andfeelings the practiser will awaken fully to the void that isnot empty and to his (essential) nature. When
After the publication of our fourth book, The Secrets of Chinese Meditation, and its Italian and German translations,1 we have been delighted to hear from Western readers who have practised Indian yoga and are also interested in studying its Chinese equivalent. But only three chapte
