{"id":2986,"date":"2011-07-29T11:24:41","date_gmt":"2011-07-29T16:24:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=2986"},"modified":"2011-05-24T14:40:00","modified_gmt":"2011-05-24T19:40:00","slug":"qi-cultivation-and-dao-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yang-sheng.com\/?p=2986","title":{"rendered":"Qi-Cultivation and Dao"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jing, Qi, Shen in<\/span> The Journey to the West<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Jill Gonet, MFA and Guan-Cheng Sun, PhD<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/span>\"\"<\/a>One of the greatest works in Chinese literature, and in world literature, for that matter, is Wu Cheng-En\u2019s The Journey to the West<\/em>.\u00a0 Spanning 100 chapters, and four volumes, it teaches, inspires, and delights its readers all at once.\u00a0 And Anthony C. Yu\u2019s translation, from University Of Chicago Press, deserves rave reviews.\u00a0 It is unusual to find a book that simultaneously instructs the mind and spirit, delights the aesthetic sensibilities, and causes one quite frequently to laugh out loud\u2014but just such a book is The Journey to the West<\/em>.\u00a0 Not only is it a memorable tale conveyed in great style, its main characters are thoroughly and indelibly drawn. Internal cultivators will find great wisdom embedded in the feats of the protagonists, and in their foibles as well, for these protagonists dwell in the land of allegory, and from a certain perspective each character may be seen to represent a dominant type of energy or aspect of internal cultivation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jing and Chu Pa-chieh (Zhu Ba-Jie)<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Chu Pa-chieh, representing Jing, is a slapstick character, always to be counted on to be red-eyed when anywhere in the vicinity of the well-to-do.\u00a0 His appetites for food and for the company of the fair sex often cause the entire group of pilgrims to be waylaid on their journey.\u00a0 Chu Pa-chieh is<\/em> a pig, it is to be remembered, and as such, one makes allowances for the fact that although one is en route to higher ground in cultivation, this aspect of one\u2019s self and one\u2019s nature is also along for the journey.\u00a0 Chu Pa-chieh provides much comic relief amidst the others\u2019 relatively more earnest striving, as he creates situation after situation that puts the pilgrims on the spot.\u00a0 But, it must be noted, that when the going gets tough, in multiple instances Chu Pa-chieh comes out swinging on behalf of the group and its survival and its purpose, wielding his hoe with splendid martial arts finesse, and contributing enormously and with heartfelt action on behalf of the group enterprise. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Jing is a raw and genuine energy, and as it is refined and cultivated it becomes capable of achieving a higher purpose, working with others as a member of a team, and providing a certain muscular power that assists in manifesting the desired outcome. Everyone, pretty much, has a Chu Pa-chieh within to contend with and to train, and that is one\u2019s Jing. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Qi and Sun Wu-k\u2019ung (Sun Wu-Kong)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sun Wu-k\u2019ung, the Monkey King is quite the character\u2014after all he is<\/em> a monkey–and represents Qi.\u00a0 Moreover, however, he represents a Qi delinquent<\/em>: one who has cultivated Qi and gone wrong, abusing \"\"<\/a>his empowerment for his own fame, self-glorification, and all-around selfish purposes.\u00a0 He goes too far too often, thieving and stealing power at any opportunity, causing chaos in heaven itself, until the Buddha himself manages to put him in lock down.\u00a0 And while these exploits and demerits make for entertaining and instructive reading, it is understood that it can also be worthwhile to have such power available in such a person, and so Wu-k\u2019ung becomes indentured as a bodyguard.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Qi, when focused only on itself, and drunk with itself, can create the kind of commando we see in Sun Wu-k\u2019ung the Monkey King: on behalf of himself, glorifying himself at any and every opportunity, with no regard for orderly creation, or for virtue. Monkey King is a martial arts wizard, and believes he is the greatest, equal to heaven.\u00a0 His power is, indeed, very great, and is based on real disciplined cultivation, as well as some supernatural abilities and longevity stolen from the heavenly realm.\u00a0 He is so often the hero in the group\u2019s adventures and misadventures because his Qi enables him to accomplish the impossible, time and again.\u00a0 He can change form, he can exercise astute discernment, create an army of himself from a mere handful of his own hairs, turn a needle into a formidable martial arts killing machine.\u00a0 What can\u2019t he do?\u00a0 Basically he can\u2019t control himself.\u00a0 He has little or no conscience, or remorse.\u00a0 He can manage his desires and appetites, unlike Chu Pa-chieh, and is not lured by money, sex, food, and such.\u00a0 But Monkey King must be brought into alignment with the group\u2019s higher purpose, and the means of doing so is a filet bound round his head.\u00a0 Bodhisattva Kuan-Yin puts it there, and gives the spell for activating its power to the person for whom he is to act as\u00a0 bodyguard, Tripitaka.\u00a0 When Tripitaka recites the spell, Wu-k\u2019ung the Monkey King gets a headache that renders him powerless, and thus obtains his continued cooperation to the group endeavor and his continued service as bodyguard to Tripitaka.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Qi without conscience and virtues was obviously a matter of concern back in the Ming dynasty, when this novel was penned.\u00a0 It is always a matter of concern when there is flagrant disregard for the orderly principles of creation, and Sun Wu-k\u2019ung the Monkey King is at his best in the harness on behalf of Tripitaka and the group.\u00a0 The transformation that happens in Wu-k\u2019ung over the course of their many-years-long journey is a wonder to behold.\u00a0 It is, in a sense, a natural process for cultivators to experience Qi and its power, and to learn about it by using and exercising it.\u00a0 But it is sad when cultivation stops there, for what could have been used and managed to create a higher level of order and consciousness in the world gets dispersed and fragmented into smaller aims. Monkey King\u2019s transformation is at the heart of the novel, and it is a glorious transformation: Qi aligns with the Dao and transforms to Shen, spiritual power.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Shen and Tripitaka<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tripitaka is a holy man, one who has come into this world with a great purpose and mission to fulfill.\u00a0 He represents the Shen.\u00a0 By himself, Tripitaka is ineffective, in addition to being easily duped, gullible, and na\u00efve in general.\u00a0 Tripitaka needs to get things done\u2014he has places to go and people to meet, but he can\u2019t get there on his own.\u00a0 In fact, he can\u2019t go more than a few steps without being victimized.\u00a0 This is why heaven has wisely teamed him up with his companions.\u00a0 And while they help instill in him a sense of humor and greater discernment and savvy, in return he instills in them a sense of conscience, duty, purpose, teamwork, righteousness, loyalty, and virtue.\u00a0 Thus, the three energies\u2014of Jing, Qi, Shen\u2014create a sum greater than their parts.\u00a0 They create a synthesis of epic proportions.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When Taoist tradition speaks of Jing Qi Shen it is in that order; it is not Shen Qi Jing.\u00a0 And why is that?\u00a0 Perhaps because, in this world, Jing is the basic vital energy that sets things in motion, and then Qi helps keep it going.\u00a0 Shen is a higher order of functioning.\u00a0 It answers the question: \u201cWhat is the meaning of life? Or \u201cWhy are we here?\u201d\u00a0 Once one has a mature and able body that has been nourished and tended, whose Qi is strong and stable, it is natural to move on from there, to return to dwell, to recognize one\u2019s source and then finish the process of maturation and nourishment at that level.\u00a0 As The Journey to the West<\/em> reveals, these three energies aren\u2019t always on the same page, and they aren\u2019t always easy to coordinate with each other, but the rewards for getting them into alignment are profound and, ultimately, the most satisfying.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Tranquility and Sha Monk \"\"<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

One may ask: \u201cHow does a practitioner bring the Jing, Qi, and Shen together into greater alignment?\u201d\u00a0 There is another important character in the journey to the West, and that is Sha Monk.\u00a0\u00a0 Whenever Chu Pa-chieh or Monkey King or Tripitaka get into trouble, Sha Monk is always the essential helper.\u00a0 Sha Monk\u2019s other appellation is \u201cWu-ching\u201d (Wu-Jing) (\u609f\u9759) in Chinese, which means \u201crealization of tranquility.\u201d From the view of internal cultivation, Sha Monk represents the state of stillness and tranquility.\u00a0 During internal cultivation, the practice of stillness results in internal peace and clarity.\u00a0 With continued quiet sitting and stillness practice, the mind can reach a state of tranquility, and naturally forms a mind-mirror; this mind-mirror will reflect one\u2019s thoughts, images, memories, and emotions vividly and clearly.\u00a0 In this state, internal cultivators are able to observe their own thoughts and emotions, as well as other\u2019s thoughts and emotions. In the deep state of tranquility, everything can rise up to the screen of the mind.\u00a0 Once a disciplined practitioner achieves a stable state of tranquility they are more able to observe the natural course of the development of things and events, and also to understand what\u2019s wrong and what\u2019s right internally.\u00a0 Thus, stillness and tranquility practice can be very helpful for self-realization and self-transformation. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Body and White Horse<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the Journey to the West, a white horse is the companion of Tripitaka. This is not just any white horse, but a dragon that has been given the form of a horse; therefore it has some pretty special abilities. This reflects that when one is here to cover a lot of ground spiritually, there will be a commensurate energy available in the body.\u00a0 An integral part of the journey for Tripitaka, the white horse represents the physical body, which is the vehicle of the Shen.\u00a0 The Journey to the West<\/em> symbolizes the spiritual journey of internal cultivators.\u00a0 A human being is a unity of body and spirit. Jing and Qi are the essence and life force of the body and spirit.\u00a0 In The Journey to the West<\/em>, each character\u2014Chu Pa-chieh, Monkey King, Sha Monk, and Tripitaka–represents a part of intrinsic human nature.\u00a0\u00a0 Every human being may have a raw nature like Chu Pa-chieh, very much attached to food and sex, or, like Sun Wu-k\u2019ung, be very much attached to fame and power, or, like Tripitaka, be a kind and loving and holy person with unbelievable naivety. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Chu Pa-chieh\u2019s monk name is \u201cWu-Neng\u201d (\u609f\u80fd) in Chinese, which means \u201cRealization of Energy.\u201d\u00a0 The monkey king\u2019s monk name is \u201cWu-k\u2019ung\u201d (\u609f\u7a7a) in Chinese, which means \u201cRealization of Emptiness.\u201d And Tripitaka\u2019s monk name is \u201cHsuan-tsang\u201d (Xuan Zang) (\u7384\u85cf) in Chinese, which means \u201cRealization of the treasure of hsuan (Xuan<\/em>). \u201d With great willingness, with higher purpose, with persistent and sincere effort, Chu Pa-chieh (Jing), Monkey King (Qi), and Tripitaka (Shen), were all refined and transformed throughout the years and stages of the Journey to the West. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The journey of Qi cultivation and spiritual growth is a lot like The Journey to the West<\/em>— it is not a quick and easy journey.\u00a0 Obstacles and challenges are there at every step, at every stage, in every situation.\u00a0 But the journey is very valuable and meaningful. In the novel, at the end, everyone achieved the goal of internal realization successfully, with great teamwork and with spiritual guidance, throughout their eighty-one ordeals.\u00a0 Their journey was one of growth and learning–about virtue and wisdom, discipline, teamwork, and the importance of achieving the goal.\u00a0 So much of the journey that took place as they traveled over foreign lands also took place on the inside of these pilgrims, and led them to internal freedom and transformation. For the group of pilgrims, and for each member of the group, it was a journey of internal realization and fulfillment.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Reference:<\/span><\/span><\/address>\n
1. The Journey to the West Image-Figure 1<\/span><\/span><\/address>\n
http:\/\/www.friedmanarchives.com\/China\/Web\/Chapter22\/Journey%20to%20the%20West%20medium%20size.jpg<\/span><\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/address>\n
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\"\"<\/a>Jill Gonet, MFA <\/strong>earned her B.A. at the University of <\/span>Massachusetts, and her M.F.A. from the <\/span>University of Washington. Her writing has appeared in numerous literary journals over the years, including <\/span>Poetry<\/em>, <\/span>Ploughshares<\/em>, <\/span>The New England Review<\/em>, <\/span>The Gettysburg Review<\/em>, and <\/span>The Best American Poetry<\/em>, among others. She is the recipient of awards from the Poetry Society of America, as well as grants from the Seattle Arts Commission. She was interested in ancient Daoist classics since high school years, and has studied <\/span>Dao De Jing-the Way of Virtues<\/em>, <\/span>Yi Jing-the Book of Change<\/em>, <\/span>Ling Shu-the Spiritual Pivot, Zhuang-Zi, Lie-Zi, <\/em>diligently<\/span>. <\/em>She meditated and practiced Qigong daily for over 20 years. She has combined her interests in writing, Chinese culture, and the art of internal cultivation by collaborating on many writings with Dr. Sun.<\/span><\/span><\/address>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/address>\n
\"\"<\/a>Guan-Cheng Sun, PhD <\/strong>is the founder of the Institute of Qigong & Internal Alternative Medicine. Dr. Sun earned his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from the Graduate <\/span>University for Advanced Studies in <\/span>Japan in 1993, and was awarded a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. From 1994-1997 Dr. Sun conducted postdoctoral research in molecular endocrinology at the <\/span>University of Washington. This research enriched his theory and practice of Qigong. His understanding of modern molecular genetics and scientific principles, as well as his experience with internal cultivation, allowed him to create a unique bridge between cultures. Dr. Sun has spent over 30 years refining his skills and has developed a new system of Qigong called \u201cYi Ren\u00ae Qigong.\u201d He is currently engaged in mind-body medicine and energy medicine research at <\/span>Bastyr <\/span>University, <\/span>Seattle, Washington.<\/span><\/span><\/address>\n
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