Primordial Breath: An Ancient Chinese Way of Prolonging Life Through Breath Control, Vol. 1: Seven Treaties from the Taoist Canon, the Tao Tsang

165 Pages·1987·8.59 MB·English

by  Jane Huang

THE
PRIMORDIAL
BREATH
VOLUMEI
AN ANCIETN CHINESE WAY OF
ATTEMPTING TO PROLONG LIFE
G
THROU H BREATH CONTROL
Sevetnr eatifsreosmt heT aoisCta nont,h eT ao
Tsango,n thee soterpirca ctiocfeE mbryonic
Breathintgr,a nslatbeyd Jane Huang in
collaborwaittiMhoi nc haeWlu rmbrand.
ORIGINALB OOKS
TABLEO F CONTENTS
COVER PICTURET RANSLATIONS,
page 5
PREFACE,
page 7
AI HSIEN-SHENG
SUNG-SHTA'N WU
CH'IC HING,
page 11
A Booko nB reatbhyt heM asteGrr eaNto thing
ofS ung-Shan.
T'AIH SIC HING CHU,
page4 1
The EmbryonBirce atCha nonw,i tah C ommentary
byH uaCnh enH sieSnh eng.
T'A IH SIM l AYO KO CHU EH, page4 7
The SecrSeotn gasb outhte EmbryonicB reatShe cret.
T'AIC H'ING CH'I K'OUC HU EH,
FU page5 3
The Exrtemely PurSee crOetr aTlr adition
ofB reatInhg esiotn (Attributedt oK uoC hang.)
CH'ITN'IGAO C H'IC HING,
T'AI page6 5
The Booko nt heE xtremePluyr eH armonizing
ofTh e Breat(ha ttribtuoKt edo Hsein Kung.)
CHECNH 'HIU AvUNA NM ING,
page 99
TheC arved (Teoxntt )h eR ecoveorfyt heG enuine
Breath, witah C ommentary byC h'iangM ingT zu.
HSUAN TZU
CHIK O LAO CHIEC HIE, page1 21
An EditedT exto fK o Hsi.ianCo'msm entary
toS elecotuitoo fLn asoT zu'(sT aoT e Ching)
byY enL inFge ng.
GLOSSARY page 151
,
BIBLIOGRAPHY page1 71
,
5
COVE R PICTURE:R EPRODUCTINO OF
A CHOU DYNASTY (50B0C )
JADEI NSCRIPTION.
(FrWoImL HELM.H ellsmoo uBti,b liography.)
HellWmiulth terlamn sialtfas ot lelso ws:
"Witbhr eathipnrgo,c eaedsfo llows: (Theb reath)s houlbde
heladn di tw ilbleg atherIedfi. ti sg atheredi,tb ecomes
magic. Ifi tb ecommeasg iictd, es cendIsfi.t d escenidst,
quiedtosw n. Ifi tq uiedtowsn ,i ts oliifidesI.f i ti s
solidtihfieeidntg, e rminaItfie tgs e.r miniatgt reosw,s I.f
itg rowisit,s a ttrabcatc(ekud p wsa).r Idfi its a ttrabcatcedk ,
itr eachheeasv ensI.n h eaveints, t iplrle suspe.s A tt he
lwoere nd,i ts tiplrle ssdeosw n. He who fololwst hiwsi ll
livheew; h oa ctcso ntratroty h iwsi ldile ."
KuMoo -tJroa nsialtfsa otlelso ws:
"Int ransportthienb gr eatht,h ei nhalatmiuosnt b e full.
Wheni ti sf u,li lth absi gc apacitWyh.e ni th asb igc apacity,
itc anb e extendeWdh.e ni ti se xtendedi,tc anp enetrate
downward.W heni tp enetradtoewsn waridt,w ilble c almly
settleWdh.e ni ti sc almlys ettlietwd i,l ble s tronangd firm.
Wheni ti ss tronagn dfi rm,i tw illg erminatWeh.e n it
germinatietws i,l lg row. When itg rowsi,t w illr etreat
upwardW.h eni tr etreautpsw ardi,tw ilrlea cht het opo ft he
head. Thes ecrpeotw ero fP rovidenmcoev esa bove.T he
secrpeotw eorf t heE artmho vesb elowH.e whof ollows this
willli veH.e w hoa ctasg aintshtiw si ldli e."
Them eaninogfm anyo ft hei deogramosft heC houp eriiosd
open toi nterpretatTihoinsi. s t her easofno rt hed ifferent
translatMioornest .r anslvaetreds ioonfts h iisn scriptarieo n
publisihnedT HE PRIMORDIALB REATH,V ol.I I.
7
PREFACE
Bleuw halaerske n own tol ivoen eh undryeeards a nd
more.F oarn imoaflt she ir sizea,n dd soeallpsh ianlsse on joy
al nogl fie-ns.pT aheg iatnutr htaslb ee comlee gendaarsty o
istl ognevitTyur.te lsa lshoo ltdh ere coridnb einagb lte o
remaino veeri ghhotu urnsd tehrwe a tewrit,hu otb rehaintg.
Thesaem azianbgi listhiaerbsey,da ldli ving animals,
counlodht a vree maiunnendo tbiyct edh Tea oisstisnt,ch ee y
werkeee no bservoefrn sa turNeeed.h am,i nh imso numental
worokn s cieinnca en ciCehnitn dae,s crtihbTeea sio stasst he
firsstc ienitnih sumtasnh istowrhyoc, a relfynu olteddo wn
theoibrs ervatainodena lsbo artedt heoriesa ndm ethobdass ed
uposnu cohb servations.
Considetrihnapgte ardli ivng,w hichs tartemdan y
thousanodfsy earasg oi nC hinaw,a sa na dditioinnacle ntive
forC hienset ot rtyo i tnitnaatteu, r ietb ecometsh een vident
howT aoisrtesl atleodn gevtiott yh ec apacittoyc ontrol and
stobpr eathing.
Sevenfitvye p erceonftt hem oret ha2n0 00,00C hinese
pageosf t heT aoisCta nond eawli tht hes ubjecotf l ongl ife.
TheT aoT e Chingo fL aoT zus tattehsa t",t heep itomoef
virtiuset oo btaini mmortality("C hapt4e2r,V ersioAn, M a
Wang Tui ExcavatiTohne.C )a nonm,a deo ut ofo vero ne
thousasnidx h underd booksw rittiennd ifferceenntt uries,
dealsm ainlwyi tthh issub jectM.o sto ft hew ritinagrsev ery
abstruTshee.y u sea na rcanmeu,l ti-lseyvmeblo,l ilca nguage.
Manyb ooksu sea lchemical itnecrommrspe,h ensitbolt eh e
researchwehro h asn oa ccetsosa ne soteirniict iatthiaohtna s
beenl ossti ncleo ngH.o wevearn,e xtensbiovdeyo fl iterature
int heT aoT sangt,h eT aoisCta noni,s e xplainiinnp gl ain
lagnuageb,r eathicnognt rporla cticTehse.r eadewri lble
amazeda tt het horoughnanedsd se tailoedb jectiovfit thye
insttriuocncso ntainiendt hesbeo oks.
Thivso lupmree siennt trsa nslsaetvioeofntn h meo st
itnelliagnicdbo lmep rehebnoosksio vnte h seu bjecOtn.eo f
thtee xdtast ietss ienltfe rntaolwlarytd h een do ft hee gihth
centuTryw.o o thteerx wtrsi tbtyeK no H siia(nals on amed
KoH sieKnu ngd)a tper obafbrloytm h bee ginnoiftn hge
fourth cHeinbsti uorgyr.wa iplhblyef ouinndt hgel soarys.
A coolphoinn dictahtaoetnes o ft hbeo okmsi ghdta tfer om
thfeo urtchet nuryA .D . Nothihnegl pafsut lod ast weas
founrde ganrgthd eio thteerxo trts h eaiuhrto sr.
A second vcoolnuintamset a rnsiolnaostf l sese osetric
bookisn hteC anond esibcirnmge thotdoas t tainl onlgi fe,
includsipnecgi Taalos itg ymnasmtoivce nmtesc,lae ldT ao­
Yin.
Untniolw o,n lsym all poofrt tihoevn osl iunmous
TaoiCsatn ohna veev ebre etnr anslatTedhi.s arcaihc
literiastt out rheida sy i naccetsost ihbel ea vCehirnaegsee
becaoufsi etc so pmlexity ofs ubjleacntg,u aangdse t ylAes.
sucht,he r eadiesar s kedt ob earw itht het raniosnli na t
passagtehsas te eumn cloearre vecno ntcaoinn tradictions.
Duet ot haeb brieadvtn eatuofrt eh Ceh inetseexa td,itdi ontso
ita rein dicatbedy pareenstehsT.h si isa unique health
literoanta u prreaic ceth ardmleyn tedi oonutsiCdhei naI.t
wasr esearcfhotedrhe firstti mbey Maspeor int het hirties.
Hisb ooki sa ne xcelplreinmftoe rrt ihss ujebcats w elals f or
theaer yl medickanlo wleodftg heCe h iens.e
Thougchouc hed inre ligisout enntsh,Ee m bryoBnrieact h
practcie ism ore dae scriopftp ihoyns iecxaelr ctihsaeans
doctrinTeh.ep ractititoreniset ros toarieir nh igsu twsh,e re
a transfero fo xygetno t hbel oosde empsos isblteh rough the
a
inteswtailnlIa.ftl i h st akpelsc e, thaed ept tsoeeb meas b le
naturatlosl tyo bpr eathifnorga certpaeirni Tohde.p rocsesis
claimteoh dav ea goodi nflueunpcoetn eh genheearallto fh
and
theb ody.I ti ss upposedt oc ootlh beo diytn ernally
promogtoeo dc irculaantdri jeounv enatthees kin.T he
alsos l
practitiongeairn a pecuiara wareonfeh ssibs od ya ndi ts
Thipsr actice was
workings. kepts ecraentdt hes ymbolic
9
languagues edt o descriitbs ee emtso havef ound
revbereratiinto hneess otteearcihcsi o nfgo threnra rienl igions
oft hew orldT.h iwsi lble commeo ree videinntt he
translatpiroensse inntt ehdse e covnodl usrinnetc hee tseex ts
usae m orsey n1bloalnigcu aTghee.s oet hteerx atlssg oi ve
manryn odreet anielcse stsoat rhpyera ctitioner.
Thoutghhbe r eatphriancgdt eisccer iinbs eudcg hr eater
detianit lh dei fferebnoto kissf, a scintahtreiea ndge,br y,al l
meanss,h ould hriesssu errvperf iotsrhe le a st transal ated text,
unqiue commentoarfKy o H suatnop assaogfeLa so Tz'us
maiwno rkt,hT ea oT eC hinOgn.e i ss puposoedfc, o urtsoe ,
bef amilwiiattrhh ibsoo ki nt oto.T hei nterprgeitavteino n
pretsset nhTea oT eC hinagsa na cranteet xg ivibnrgea thing
contirnoslt ru.c tions
A practoiuctes iCdhei nas,i miltaorE mbryonic
Breathiinstg h,Te ibetYaong ians tucrtoni namedD umoo r
HeatY ogai nw hicthh es oal-ledc VaesBreathnig exercise
-
represtehmneat ispn a rotfD umo.I nI ndiiati, st hper actice
ofP ranayaamnad p articutlhaaortfl K yu mbakha which
appeacrlso steoEs mtb ryoBnrieca thWihniegla .l olft hneo n
­
ChinesYeo gsaou cresd escrsicubhep ractviacugeles,y w ith
harldyan y edtailbe yond an ameT,a oitsextto sn Embryoicn
Breathing showt hew ritesrpsea kinagt g realte nght from
personeaxpler iecne. Theb ookdseal extensiwvietlthyh ed iet
necessafroyr a succeuslsp fracitc.e Theye xplainh ow
breathiistnog b et ranied,r efineda nde vens toppfedro tai me.
Alos explainarede sitxy peofse xhaliaotnst hamta y cure
diseasaensd b enefiiclalyin fluentcehe b odyi ntelrnlayInt he
.
PrefatcoeT HE PRIMORDIAL BREATHV,o lmue IIt,h e
redaerw ill finda ne xtnesiev discuisosno ft hed iffernet
poinotfst his" stobpr-eatnhgi"m ethoadn dl engtqhuyo tse
onh owt hes xi exhlataiosnou nds shoulbdep ractidc.e
The officirale corfdo rh uman retentoifob nr eath,
consicousluyn dertakeunn dewra teirs,a boutt hitreemni nutes.
Sealsa ndw halersou tinesltyo tph eibrre athifnogro veron e
hour.M oderrne searcohn w haleasn ds ealsh asa slos hown
10
that, whiled ivinthegr,i s pelena ctlsi kaen o xygne tank.
Theisrp elenr leaeseistn ot heb lood esamt ras iigcfinant
amuont oyfou ngr ed bolodc lelrsi cihno xgye.n Iti, s
theefro,rs eurrpsiintght aa lTlao sitt etxsp erstet nhsep elneas
them ots imporatnto grani nc onncetoin wiht bearthnig
pracet.si Ccoludi neddes ucahni neacsrde rleeaseo fy oung
bloodc elhlasva e e urjveinnaegtff etc otnhh eum anb od?y
Ther eadsehurol das w ell bwearn edn ott otak e
lighty,la tf caev aule,s moeo ft hseta etmnestt ahtm igsheetm
naeii vnt hlei gohfmt o dermned iaclkn owledge. Duet ot he
distainnct eie man d cutlruem anyw odrs,a st rnastleda,d o
not
nceessrialym ean whtat heayp peara tfi rstg lnaceto
mean.
Thutsh weo dr "rbeat"h( c'h)ii sal so cocnevied as eannre yg
flownigt horugthhb eod y. one tohtfexe trsfee srt oa ir
When
espcianoguot f tuhnego ste hrwitsheant rhougthh neo eso r
I
thmeo uthi,tr eefrpsor babtloya marekd inrc sei
ea n
esrpritaino Mostt etxsun deirm morlity"u nedrasntda
p . " ta
lnoga nhdea ltlheiy.f T hee xalmeprse qiunisgor pistictaio
h n
on thpea rotft hreea dera re ntUJonoe ursto ob e ereiwht
h
epxliande.I ti sh opde,t ehroeerf,t hatth geo lsasry willb e
helup.lf
.
if
Laslt,y ino ldetmnie ,s therea edro fs uhc xttes
itnere,s wtaedss upposde tos eek rleyo na masetr's
and
pesroaln oinerti nod retroa cheiveeff cetiveb reatcho nt.r ol
p
A wishf ro lano g,h etayhl,mea ningulf, andh appyl ife
ihse reewxirptsehes dt oa ltlh orseaeid gnt ihbs oo.k
Wurmbarn,d
Michael Octob2er0 th, 1987.
ll
SUNG-SHANT 'A IWU HSIEN-SHEGN
CH'IC HING
A BOOK ON BREATHB Y THE MASTER
GREAT NOTHING OF SUN G-SHAN
Vol.
(Tao Tsang, p.8 56H;a rvarYde nchign 56W9i;eg er8 17)
xxx,
INTRODUCTION
Whatth beo dliyf ordme pneds no sbi retah( hc' )ia nd
whabtr eatrhe luipeosin sf ormW.h ent hber eatihsp erfect,
thfeo rims p erf(etcot)o I.fb reatihse xhaustthede,fn o rm
diesT.h erefthoers ec,h owlhaorn ouri(shhielssi) fr ee fiens
thfeo mr andn oriusehs( ihs)b reatsho,a st on utrrueh ilsi fe.
Noo neh afso nwni thboruet.a tChonesquetnyl,b eratha nd
fomr mutsb ea coctpnilhsdet ogee.rt Ihns'ttih esv dietn?
Ih avbee nea dmiringt hhei ghweasy(t TA O)a ndh ave
beens eekitnhgse e crmeettoh ds ine vye rpossei bmlanen.r
Foro vetrih rtyy ear,s hIav eb eenp arcctiin(gt hTeao ist)
bearthinagn du phloditnhgoe ir ignlat ruen �true.I w as not
I
satsifiedw ihtw hta hadh eadra nsdee n.
Duringt hyeae sr ofT A-LI A..D)I, m et
(766-780
oft eh mounita.n Hec ameb ack
WANG KUNG LO-FOU
frmo thneo trhne mrounitan.s Ridign talalnd laeninagg natsi
12
hsi whip,h e lookeadt m e. I wonederda bouttah tu nusual
personI. i nudcedh imt ota lk. AsI expected,h ew asa
superiaodre opftt hwea y(T AO.B)e nigm ovedb ym yu mtost
sicneirtyh,eta ughtme cao upolfei moprtan t breathing
methso dfboodyrm angeametn.
Suchn denssi sb ound.l eIstis sb eyondt he
ki
descritipoonf an y langaugeItis s aid thateth imoprtant
.
meotdhso fth ew ay( TOA)ar en otb ooikn.s I sntea,td hearye
passedd owanso rsale cmretethd osT.he m ethsoo dfi gnensgt i
theb earths ucahst hodsesceir ebdi n (htet wo
ERH-CHING
rasy,)WU - YA (thfivee s hoots) and( htes iwxu )
LIU-WU
dealw itthho eue trb eart,hw hcihi srig iaddn h ard. shuold
It
nobtei ngesedt byt hsoew hoat etntdoi nerntaln ourihsi.nA gs
fotrh per opinenerbr ear t,hi itcs al dlt ehEem boryniBcear t.h
Snicieit sn ataulirlsnydi e,y oduo n toh vaet os eeokut sifdroe
itI.fy oduo n ohtav ea gootdeac hr'essce erto ralm eth,o d
yowui wlolr lko ngh raadn,d i nvyeia .tn
WhaIth vaere crodedh eeri st hees se(ntacuegb hyt)
myt eachaleonrgw iht( my)e xetndeedx pltiannoasT.he saer e
nopte ornslaf ooilhsi dea.s Once WANG KUNGt odlm et hta
LaToz-suad i," Mylf ied peednso nm ea,n ndot honeav eannd
eart"h (LaoT-zu)a slos a,i" dhTeh eave,nt heaer tanhd I
.
sahroen e bueatc hm angaeis ti ndiidlvul.ay How
breath,
codu l ande arptuhmt e t od eaht"?T hesaree r eal and
heaven
trues ainygsa ndi mportants erect.s He whop ractesi c
breathinmgus tr eviseuwc thh rteei tneIs r.ce eidv tehe
teachngi resctpufJeyia ndaw lasyp arctiictwe i ht admiartoin.
Theow shot gyce hnac(et sh)sie cnrue1tst vbeer carye fuln ot
b
tot eacihot rd meonsrtaitlteig hlty. Thesyh lodun otl eak teh
secorueottt, ehw riset hemayy e ncnoeturds iatse.r
ChaptIe r
TheS ecreotf
IngestBirnega th
Thes ecrofei tn gestbirneagth toc uivltatet hoeri igaln
is asf lolo:w s
truneat ure( tboe e xplained)
13
Lied owne vye rdayp,a cyi yfoumrin d,c utof f
tohugsh antd blkoc thebea rt.h Cleo syoru fits,s ihnale
trhougyho unro saend, e xhalteho rugyho rum ouht.D on ot
letteh b reaitgnh bea uidlb.e Leti tb em osstu lbeat ndfi n.e
Whetnh ber eatihfs lu ,lb lcoki. t Theb lkiocng( otfh beear th)
wilmlak et hseoe lso fy oruf eetpe rsprie.C outno nheu ndedr
times" onean d two".A fterb lkiocngt hebea rtht ot he
extrmee,e xhaliets b utlyI.n lheaa l iltemt oera ndb lcok( the
bearth)a gainI.f( yofuel e)h o,te xhealw it"hHo ". If( you
feelc)o lbdl,o twh beear tho uatnd e xhlaei wti th(h tes uond)
"Ch'u.i I"f youc an bearth(eil ek hist) andc ountto one
thsanodu (whne blcokin)g,t hne youw illn ede netihegrri ans
nomred icei.n
Drinka ttm ies sam lalc uopf w inteom aket hwea ter
(saliav)fl ow pleaanstly.I fy ouc an countto fi veto huasnd
(wiht sucbhlc oknig)e,x hltaaisoa nnd inahlantsai roaet y our
command. Them eri(to sfuc h beartihngw) ilmlake istefl
known:y ohuva eth ea biilttyol ideo w(nf rol on)ig nw ater
(htuhsol diynogub rear t,hN .T.)
Iti si mportatnobt e p eirtssetnw hne taking int he
beart.h nlOy whetneh geniunbeer tahd ecsednsc,a ny ou
epxeernictehs ee sntaioofno penne.s Hsowc nay ohupo ef ro
thea gicm inwgso fi mmortalityb yin dguilnignd ese aindr
luts?S cuh tmtaedrons o etix ts.
Eveinmm ortalsa nsdpu reoirs hcorls-an ottom etnion
odriaryn poepel c-annoatt t(aiinmm ortaliyt)i tfh edyon ot yet
compeltteh eeixrce ires.S ipmlhyva ef iaht int hoel mda n's
syai:n" grPatcciiniigtn sdtursiylo,yu owui klnlo iwt eyslb uyr
yoursfe".l
Chpater
II
TheS erceotf H owt oPr ogresst hMea strey( oBfr eha)t
in