Onlayn kitobni bepul oʻqing: ta muallif  Tao Yin Practice. Preparation period

Shanti Nathini

Contents

Preface to the 2nd English edition

The author’s translation of the books from Russian into English was made a long time ago in 2007 when I was in India for publication on the American print-to-order service. Then the book appeared on the Amazon world trade network among millions of books on this topic.

The very idea of the book is connected with my research interests as a philosopher and orientalist, which extend to both theoretical and practical aspects of Oriental culture. The paper book was very useful when I was traveling to China (2008) as a business card.

Unsurprisingly, the original Russian edition was much more successful in Russia itself. The very first Russian editions was published in the «Vector» publishing house in Moscow (2006) although I lived and worked abroad, communicating exclusively in English.

Of course, over the years, my English language skills improved, especially since I professionally worked on reverse translations from English into Russian, which was my earnings in those years, and subsequently became the basis for admission to the Russian Translators’ Union.

Preparing the second English edition through the Russian Ridero system, of course, it would be worthwhile to make a new translation of this book. However, due to the lack of time and the large number of new projects, I leave everything as it was, correcting only few obvious mistakes.

I hope that the sophisticated reader will forgive the imperfection of my early translations, paying more attention to the content that concerns eternal questions, and perhaps enjoy the specifics of the Russian mentality when transferring knowledge from East to West.

***

The author thanks CHOM (Ben Chelero, Tzse Kun) — the founder of Development Centre at Ancient Cultures INBI, the author on Taoist practices and other ancient cultures — for his review of Russian manuscript and release (2004).

Introduction. Flying or Falling

«The Immortal Sisters appeared in both imperial courtyard and poor villages, and many miracles happened at their participation… But in the most cases Immortal Sisters simply flied away avoiding undesirable contacts… To rise above the ground is the true achievement of her real transformation for a woman, who always was earthly creature and keeper of the low energy’. (CHOM)

«Feminism is a product of mutative or modified consciousness. Being affected by rhythm of social development, feminism exchanges female quality to women quantity… Women are thrown out of aircraft not being instructed to make use of parachute; that’s why they are becoming sappers. They would like to fly! … First, a woman must learn to respect the woman within herself; next, she needs to think how such woman should live in society’. (Ben Chelero)

The question of flying ability is raised far from being rhetorical. Certainly, initially Yin Taoist practices were formed within completely different circumstances; above all, they were intended to absolutely another goal. At ancient times, a happy woman lived naturally and created her transformation up to achievement of «immortality’. At present time, an unhappy woman embarkes her artificial development while she even hardly understands how she is organized and why she needs such changes.

This book will help a woman to establish a primary background for positive perception of herself, that she could merge all over with her intention to fly. Generally, a principally problematic modern woman wishes to restore her balance. Nevertheless, firstly, she can do nothing but merely accept the practice itself as a goal involving herself into continuous transformation. After perceiving the beginning transformative archetype, gradually she can clarify the inner meaning of practice too.

Any practice is a difficult affair; therefore, herein we will be limited by the stage of preparation. Elementary techniques will allow a woman to recover her womanhood, to become more selfconfident, and to maintain deep internal calm. Please, notice that this period is emphasized in Taoist tradition itself, that’s why it is entirely acceptable for beginning. Since a woman could grow her wings easier within tranquil atmosphere, better she would learn to make use of parachute.

Let us denote priority at once. Probably, you know the book on development of female sexual energy by Manivan Chia, however herein the discourse will go to another direction. We follow the practical approach which is represented in books published by Taoist Academy INBI and was taught during seminars navigated by this centre. These books are very complicated for apprehension, and these seminars suppose extremely serious attitude to personal development.

Eventually, such madly occupied women are almost unable to accept Taoist origins themselves. Nevertheless, the basic techniques would help them in particular to preserve harmony, granting them as it were new recomposing body, energy, and consciousness altogether. Henceforth, the shape of wholeness will allow a woman to hold herself in any circumstances. Tracing the simplest expression of womanhood, later she can decide how and why improve her alignment.

Part I. Ordinary Woman’s Problems

Life according to Laws of the Male World

«I rejoice plenty of things… Nature produces trillion of creatures, but a human being is the most valuable out of them. And I have succeeded to become a human being! This is my first joy. Men and women are different; moreover, males are respected while females are neglected, therefore a male has the superior value. And I have succeeded to be born as a male! This is my second joy.» — «Excellent! — Confucius said. — You are able to smoothe yourself very well!» («Le-Tzsy’)

Taoism assumes consideration that a woman represents Yin (calm) embodiment within Yang (moving) environment. A corresponding problem is that our world is situated in motion, and a woman is forced to move instead of staying at rest. Moreover, she has to assume this inverse order positively. Although any woman has more Yin than Yang energy, yet every woman has her unique proportion of Yin and Yang energies. All women differentiate according to degree of their substantiation (Yin) and completeness (Yang). Their personal correlation can be expressed as proportion between permanence and power, or respectively between sensitivity and creativity.

Containment of active Yang energy has become completely indispensable. A modern woman has already accepted absolute quietness as something impossible and even unwished. Anyhow, she exists in a worldly stream of influences which merely compels her action. Yet, mostly she acts disorderly being in conflict with her authentic nature. Surely, some women are endued with Yang energy adequately, so that they would be able to act independently. However, then second female distinction comes into effect, namely her irrational thinking which makes her behavior lacked of any reasonable logic.

Many things depend upon an attitude of woman herself, rather, upon her ability to objectify her personal attitude in existence. Really, a woman needs for her ordinary life not so much Yang nurturance as much Yin regulation and consolidation. The abovementioned two distinctions between woman and man (according to their energy types and thinking processes) preset all other differences. We will examine them one by one, not forgetting that separation itself is artificial.

Step by step, we will try to explain certain problems of female physical body, energy, and consciousness. Nevertheless, even preparation for practice claims attention to all three components at once. That’s why such layer-by-layer review will serve as «preparation to preparation’. At first, we will gradually oversee female existence, not seeking for any intervention. Indeed, you have to understand the whole before correcting some parts.

Body Aspects: Sore Feet and Headache

«Lots of women endeavor to get healthy by love… First, it’s necessary to heal your ill body, to free your breath. Breathing must fill your whole body from your feet till the top of your head. Your heart must recall your female body. It must be self-feeling instead of self-cognition. You know, while your body is ill, your love is ill too…» (CHOM)

All physical problems are caused by three states arousing any malaise. They are sickness, weariness, and physical incoordination. Supposing, first and second problems are comprehensible in straightway, but third one requires some explanation. It is a matter of wrong possession of your personal body which literally «practices what it preaches’. Occasionally, perhaps, your own body becomes an independent personality, and you attempt endlessly to put clear arrangements with your body.

It is not the question of our insufficient flexibility or strength, which leaves much to be desired since they are inappreciable in city circumstances. The point is that chronically your legs are lazy, your head is stupid, your heart is broken, and your stomach is hungry. These spontaneous actions are far from intuitive masterpieces. Mostly, it is just inefficient operation of your personal body. In this chapter we will not touch your excessive worry of how you look. However, we will return to this point later to discuss female beauty.

You will be released from inefficient operation of personal body in the period of preparation for practice. A social active and fatally tired woman needs her own force restoration. At the physical level, this is the matter of healthy food and sufficient sleep which are chosen individually. Sustentation of comfortable conditions includes hygienic procedures starting with everyday shower. It is well-known that water washes away dirtiness but it also cleares temporary energy disturbances and supports bloodstream as a massage.

Indeed, common recommendations concerning food and sleep are the most general.

• Nutrition depends upon individual characteristics and your way of life. Generally, than more complex is your day schedule, than more you need simple food without bread, potatoes and meat. Any diets are not recommended at all. You have to learn feeling of food energy and its actual acceptability. Sensitivity is developing with practice, therefore your requirement for quality and quantity of food is changing by itself. Thus, at regular exercises your ration will twice smaller in comparison with normal one. It is important also to stop eating two hours before practice in order to escape undesirable tension.

• Sleep is needful for energy recharge in your body and preparation to its normal circulation. Therefore, lack sleep can be only compensated by excess sleep! Relative limits are between 5 and 10 hours, but on average 7 hours are enough for a woman.

However, an affecting ailment is the soreness itself. Envisaging the distinctions between male and female body types we must note straightway that it touches on not only genitals and so-called «secondary sex characters’. Your female body reflects the particular energy structure. Even one would think that common physical parts of human body such as heart and other viscera, sinews and bones, etc. are situated in the female body in different correlations with each other.

Importantly, homonymous organs have different qualities and various functions in male and female bodies. For example, the heart is center of spirit (Shen) for a woman while that spirit dwells in brain palace (Nivan-Goon) of a man. It means, male and female heart failures are caused by different existential problems. The same conclusion can be inferred on any other sickness. We will attend to the most important organs and their connections in details.

First of all, let us look at our body in whole and our personal attitude towards it. Human body is a form filled with Yin and Yang energies which direct us from within. Theoretically, they must be perfectly in balance. Hot sicknesses (inflammations) arise at Yang abundance while cold sicknesses (indurations) arise at Yin abundance. It is customary in Chinese medicine to check «emptiness’ and «fullness’ syndromes which mean lack and excess of each energy type.

You could direct energy flows consciously staying in balance. Nothing maintains resistance in completely relaxed body, therefore you have to learn feeling of your own body thoroughly. The first task is listening your body, determining «what’, «where’, and «how’ is existing inside of you, and catching current processes in distinct organs and their connections. Such connections seem strange for western people but this is a matter of your experience.

Obviously, a female body can suffer from inherent Yin predominance not infrequently. Since confined energy flows are subject for compression, a female body is more congregate within itself. However, body loses its wholeness because of this energy condensation. It divides onto some separate parts which are weakly connected. In other words, body keeps certain seeming wholeness only when a woman looks in the mirror, but the body frame is disappearing if she closes her eyes.

Namely this condition deprives woman ability to perceive her wholeness from within. It creates interest to all kinds of magical manipulations with her appearance. As for the body adornment from within, originally it requires certain psychological effort from an ordinary woman. Primarily, she has to understand an interior arrangement of her personal body.

• Head is energetically squeezed part in female body wherefrom everlasting headache originates. Though it is energy problem in the greater measure we can notice the demand on relaxation at the physical level.

• Five Yin organs (heart, liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys) back up all energy flows. In female body all energy flows by itself towards Yin organs and further towards glands and blood. Supposing, they are all right then woman’s life passes peacefully and happily. But If they are impaired then energy excess causes excessive emotions. At the same time her activity becomes chaotic and her energy is lost through sensory organs. Conscious Yin organs sustentation in proper condition allows her creating facilities for spiritual origination. The initial movements of Tao-Yin complex will allow you developing control of Yin energy.