The Journal of Daoist Philosophy and Practice - CommunityAwake

The Journal of Daoist Philosophy and Practice
Winter 2013 $5.95 U.S. Canada $6.95
Year of the Water
Snake
Art and Practice
of Tai Chi
Lao Zi –
The Hidden Dragon
Taoist Sexual Meditation
and more!
The Empty Vessel 1

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The Tai Chi for Beginners and Tai Chi Circling Hands programs were created for those who want
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The Tai Chi for Beginners and Tai Chi Circling Hands programs contain:
■ A tai chi mini-form that builds the foundation for you to learn longer tai chi forms
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■ Online program for immediate access to downloadable lessonscsTai Chi Push Hands
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For more information visit www.energyarts.com
2 Winter 2013

Empty Vessel China Tour 2013
Hangzhou • Mao Shan • Wudang Mountains • Beijing
May 12-28, 2013
Join us in May when we travel to the sacred mountains of Daoism – Wudang Shan – home of Daoist taiji, qigong and
martial arts. We will spend days hiking and visiting some of the many Daoist temples there, attend classes with a
local master, drink tea in the temple teahouse and practice Wuji Qigong, a 600 hundred year old qigong form, created
by the famous Wudang Daoist master Zhang San Feng. We will also be visiting Maoshan, an ancient Daoist mountain.
We will visit the Qianyuan Guan, a Daoist nunnery, famed for the purity of their practice and the wonderful sounds of
their orchestra. The abbess, Yin Xinhui, is one of the few heads of temples who does not take government money for
rebuilding (which means fewer tourists) but works to maintain her temple through ceremonies (which, hopefully we
will get to witness while we are there.)
We will also be spending time in Hangzhou, one of the most beautiful cities in China. Hangzhou, circling around West
Lake, has long been revered for its beauty and culture. While there we visit a tea plantation (where the famous Dragon
Well tea is grown), as well as the museum of Chinese Medicine and take in an awe inspiring lake show by Zhang Yimou,
the well known Chinense film director, called West Lake Impressions (check it out on youtube).
The last few days will be spent in Beijing, where we will visit the White Cloud Temple, the Great Wall and the fabulous
tea market as well as attend some amazing acrobat shows. All along the way we will eat amazing food, meet qigong
masters, artists, musicans, tea masters, and one cave dwelling hermit.
17-day China Tour
Per person: $4300
Single room supplement: $400
Credit card payment available
(Price may be subject to change.)
What’s included:
• Roundtrip airfare from U.S. to China
• All hotels double occupancy
• Study tuition
• Meals
• Excursions and sightseeing
• Translation
“Thank you so much for planning such a perfect trip for us.”
For more information call or write:
The Abode of the Eternal Dao
541.345.8854/solala@abodetao.com
“Thanks again for organizing such an amazing trip. I had a fantastic
time and will never forget it.”
The Empty Vessel 3

Contents
Winter 2013 Volume 20 Number 2
Features
8 Year of the Water Snake
by Susan Levitt
11 The Wise Man and the Sage
by Kurt Levins Sr.
12 Art and Practice of Tai Chi
by Pixiang Qui & Weimo Zhu
21 The Uncarved Block
by Solala Towler
28 Lao Zi – The Hidden Dragon
by Zhongxian Wu
31 Formless Taoism
by Ted Cibik
37 Taoist Sexual Meditation
by Bruce Frantzis
Our Cover:
This issue's cover comes from the
good folks at www.heartsforlove.
com. See their website for many
other beautiful images! (Also see
ad on page 35.)
Photo by Judy Mullan
Departments
Along the Way 5
Directory 47
4 Winter 2013

“The Dao that can be described is not the eternal Dao.”
So begins the Daodejing of Laozi written some 2,500 years ago.
How then, to describe the indescribable? How to fit into words
that which is beyond words? The Dao can only be pointed to,
or referred to, say the ancient sages. It cannot be held, only
experienced. It cannot be touched, only felt. It cannot be seen,
only glimpsed with the inner eye.
Dao, then, is the Way, as in direction, as in manner, source,
destination, purpose and process. In discovering and exploring
Dao the process and the destination are one and the same.
Laozi describes a Daoist as the one who sees simplicity in the
complicated and achieves greatness in little things. He or she
is dedicated to discovering the dance of the cosmos in the
passing of each season as well as the passing of each precious
moment in our lives.
Daoism was already long established when Laozi wrote the
Daodejing. It originated in the ancient shamanic roots of Chinese
civilization. Many of the practices and attitudes toward life were
already established before Laozi’s time. For many centuries
Daoism was an informal way of life, a way followed by peasant,
farmer, gentleman philosopher and artist. It was a way of deep
reflection and of learning from Nature, considered the highest
teacher. Followers of the Way studied the stars in the heavens
and the energy that lies deep within the earth. They meditated
upon the energy flow within their own bodies and mapped out
the roads and paths it traveled upon.
It is a belief in life, a belief in the glorious procession of
each unfolding moment. It is a deeply spiritual life, involving
introspection, balance, emotional and spiritual independence
and responsibility and a deep awareness and connection to the
earth and all other life forms. It requires an understanding of
how energy works in the body and how to treat illness in a safe,
non-invasive way while teaching practical ways of maintaining
health and avoiding disease and discomfort. Daoist meditation
techniques help the practitioner enter deeper or more expansive
levels of wakefulness and inner strength. But most of all, it is
a simple, natural, practical way of being in our bodies and our
psyches and sharing that way of being with all other life forms
we come into contact with.
Today in China and in the West, Daoism is often divided
into two forms, dao jio and dao jia. Or religious Daoism and
philosophical Daoism. Many scholars argue that there are not
two distinct forms of Daoism and in many ways they are right.
There is really a great intermingling of the religious form of
Daoism and its various sects and the philosophical Daoism
of Laozi and Zhuangzi. But many people who follow the Dao
do not consider themselves religious people and do not go to
temples and are not ordained as priests. Rather these two forms
exist both side by side and within each other.
As it says in the opening lines of the Daodejing: “Dao or
Way that can be spoken of or described in words is not eternal
Dao.” It is up to each of us to find the way to the Way in our
own way. What we try to do with The Empty Vessel is offer articles
and information to help you, our dear readers, to do that.
The Empty Vessel
The Journal of Daoist Philosophy and Practice
Publisher
The Abode of the Eternal Tao
Editor and Design
Solala Towler
Proofreading
Jack Woltz
Contributing Editor
Kurt Levins Sr.
Copy Editor
Shanti
Technical Consultant
Darrell (Tandava) Klette
The Empty Vessel: A Journal of Contemporary Daoism is
published quarterly by The Abode of the Eternal Dao,
1991 Garfield Street, Eugene, Oregon 97405.
E-Mail address: solala@abodetao.com.
Web site: www.abodetao.com.
Subscriptions are $24per year (U.S. funds).
Online version at www.CommunityAwake.com
©2013 by The Abode of the Eternal Dao, all rights
reserved. The Empty Vessel is not responsible for opinions
or statements expressed by authors or for advertisers'
claims.
Advertising rates are available by writing to The Empty
Vessel, 1991 Garfield Street, Eugene, Oregon 97405,
calling 800-574-5118 or emailing solala@abodetao.com.
Statement of Purpose
The Empty Vessel is dedicated to the exploration and
dissemination of Daoist philosophy and practice. It is
open to sharing the various traditional and contemporary
teachings in a nondiscriminatory manner. We
at The Empty Vessel believe that it is in using these
practices and attitudes of the ancient achieved ones in
a timely and contemporary manner that we can best
benefit from them and in doing so, be able to effect
change in the world around us.
The Empty Vessel 5

Please join us in "Cyber-Dao."
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6 Winter 2013

It's been a cold winter here in Oregon, a good time
to do kidney qigong. But it has been a lot colder than
usual. I know I shouldn't complain, after all, we don't
have giant snow drifts or frozen pipes, or roads covered
with ice and snow. I guess I have gotten spoiled after
leaving New England so long ago for the milder climes
of the Pacific Northwest.
Winter is associated with the element water, the organ
kidney/adrenals, the color black (or blue black), the animal
turtle (or a kind of strange turtle/snake combination)
and the energy of "returning to the root." It is the time to
go within, to the deep yin places we sometimes neglect
in the sunnier, warmer days of summer. Instead of the
outward, yang, expansive energy of summer we are in
the inward, yin, refective energy of winter, what the poet
called "Bringing it all back home."
It is a good time to spend time with friends, family
and community. Traditionally, it is a time to stay close
to the fire, telling stories, singing songs and eating. It
is a good time to create or build upon a yin practice
like meditation. It is a good time to eat lots of warming
foods, and to staying warm in general. It is a good time
to reconnect with a daily practice or expand upon the
one you already have.
The idea of community has certainly changed over
the generations. At one time community was your tribe.
This has expanded over the years to encompass a wider
and wider area. For myself, I have my tea brothers who
I share gongfu tea with; I have my qigong friends and
students and I have my music connections.
Of course, with The Empty Vessel, I have community
all over the place. Through the magazine, the website and
Facebook I have friends all over the world. I treasure all
aspects of my community. There is a common language
and experiential understanding that I have with fellow
students of the Way as well as anyone studying the Daoist
arts (which are many).
Indeed, the paths that students of Dao have traversed
for so many thousands of years are the same footsteps
that we in the modern age of computers and Facebook
walk today. The concept of Dao and the principles and
practices of Dao may change forms in the way they
are presented to modern people but the practices and
principles themselves are the same ones that Laozi and
Zhuangzi used for their own self-cultivation.
The Dao that the Old Boy described so many lifetimes
ago is the same Dao that I attempt to live up to in my
own life of self-cultivation...in my own struggles and
practices...in my dreams and aspirations...in my explorations
and experiences...in my own stumbling in the light
and the darkness...in my own dance of Dao.
Welcome to all of us into the year of the Water Snake.
May all our prayers be answered and may all our spiritual
gardens bear sweet and lovely fruit!
Subscribe to
and receive four issues of
•Insightful and stimulating
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masters and teachers
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Solala Towler, editor
The Empty Vessel 7

The Year of the Water Snake
Susan Levitt
The wise and introspective Water
Snake year is time for powerful
rebirth and transformation in all areas
of your life. Finally, you can shed
your skin and be reborn. Now is the
time for introspection, reflection, and
deep experiences. It is very fortunate
to develop a spiritual practice if you
do not already have one. Rewards are
found in the inner world of spirit, not
the outer world of material things. The
pace of life is slow in a Snake year, and
that includes an economic slow down.
But that gives us time to recover from
the hectic pace of Dragon year 2012,
and prepare for the wild ride that will
be Horse year 2014.
During this Water Snake year, it is
fortunate to make a journey to a sacred
place or find a quiet, healing spot in nature
or by water. Coil up, contemplate,
and strike when the time is right. Snake
is a magical creature because it sheds
its skin to be reborn. As Snake crawls
on the ground with strength and fluidity,
it is connected to Earth and to the
powers of healing. The venom of this
mysterious power animal can cause
death. Snake truly embodies many
mysteries and has a place of honor in
world traditions. In ancient China, Snake was a celestial
deity and one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. A
very ancient creation story tells of a Chinese Snake goddess
who formed the first people from the clay from the
banks of the Yellow River.
A classic Chinese tale concerns a 1,000 year old white
Snake who transformed herself into a beautiful maiden
and married a scholar. Snake is not a symbol of evil like in
the west, but a goddess, heroine, and healer!

Those born
in Snake years (1905, 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977,
1989, 2001, 2013) are extremely determined and strive for
success. Snakes accomplish goals through careful plans
and calculations, like a coiled Snake waiting for the exact
time to strike. Snakes follow their desires regardless of
circumstances.
Yet Snake is enchanting, creative, spiritual, attractive,
and talented. Snake possesses both charm and a mysterious
quality. Snakes can be very social when they want to
be, but can appear cool and aloof at times. A Snake won’t
reveal their thoughts to just anyone. If you’re allowed
to get close, you’ll discover that Snake is very sensitive,
caring, and humorous. 
Sensuous Snake correlates to the
Western sign Taurus.
Your Fortune in Snake Year
RAT Success continues from Dragon year 2012. Be
patient, bide your time, and organize. Rats are smart,
sharp, and clever. Snake is also smart, sharp, and clever,
making this a very favorable year for you. If you were
successful in Dragon year 2012, in general a lucky year for
Rats, then your good fortune will continue in this Snake
year. If you were not as successful as you thought you
would be in Dragon year, now is your time to succeed.
8 Winter 2013

OX Snake is your best friend, along with Phoenix
(Rooster), so the general tone of this year matches your
values. You start a new lucky life cycle in 2013. Finally
your hard work is rewarded! Take time to develop your
spiritual practice. Tai chi and forms of moving meditation
are ideal for you.
TIGER Tiger and Snake are very different. You Tiger
are strong, active, and yang whereas Snake is passive,
receptive, and yin. You want to act, express, and create
whereas Snake is content to coil up, contemplate, and seek
answers within. So anticipate a year when not all things
will be to your liking, and not all things will go your way.
Stay ahead and do not get lazy. Be strong in your spiritual
practice. Luck returns in Wood Horse year 2014.
HARE Hare and Snake are very artistic. Luck is with
you to cultivate beauty and heal. Right away you’ll feel
better because Snake year brings much calmer energy
after the stressful chaos of Dragon year 2012. The slower
pace of this Snake year is reassuring for a gentle and
peaceful soul like you.
DRAGON Your good fortune continues from
Dragon year 2012. Just move more slowly in 2013. If you
made a big change in your life last year, then this Snake
year is the cycle to build on your new foundation. If you
were unable to make a change in Dragon year 2012, you
still have time in this Snake year 2013 to shed your skin
and transform. April and December will be the most
fortunate.
SNAKE Now is an opportune year for change,
growth, and transformation on many levels. You start a
new fortunate 12-year life cycle. The energy of this Snake
year matches your steady, wise, and unhurried pace. The
meditative, contemplative focus of a Snake year is even
stronger now because 2013 is a Water Snake year, and
Water brings a yin, receptive, and reflective influence. Water
controls Snake’s natural element Fire and is calming.
HORSE You are strong but Snake is stronger. Make
plans for your lucky year Horse 2014. Snake and Horse
do not share the same values and are quite different. You
Horse are a yang astrology sign who is direct, honest,
and brave. Yin Snake is reflective, quiet, and prefers to
stew over problems. You prefer the direct approach, can
quickly solve any problem, and then move on. You act,
express, and create whereas Snake coils up, contemplates,
and seeks answers within.
SHEEP An excellent year for Sheep! You are social,
comfortable, and have a new attitude. You sensitive Sheep
will feel the difference right away at Chinese New Year
when Snake year begins. Your life has far less stress, you
are not rushed, and your kindness is appreciated. This
Snake year starts a three-year lucky life cycle for all Sheep.
First this Water Snake year 2013 is very fortunate, then
the Wood Horse year 2014 brings more luck, followed by
the Wood Sheep year 2015 when you have luck in your
own year. So let your good fortune begin!
MONKEY Restless Monkey doesn’t always flow
with the slow pace of Snake year. Monkey and Snake are
allies, but this year you’re not quite in synch. Monkey is
impatient and wants the pace of life to continue as it did
in Dragon year 2012. But the Water Snake wants events
to slow to a crawl. Snake is fine with no movement at
all, whereas you, Monkey, thrive on change and variety.
During meditative Snake year, you’ll have plenty of time
to get clear about what worked or what failed in Dragon
year 2012. If Dragon year ended in success for you, then
maintain what you accomplished. If events did not go
your way in Dragon year 2012, learn from your mistakes
and start again.
PHOENIX (ROOSTER) Snake year is a superb time
for you when dreams can come true! Phoenix, Snake, and
Ox are the most compatible signs of the Chinese zodiac.
So you have good fortune in Phoenix, Snake, and Ox
years, which occur every four years. Good luck comes
your way because you are prepared and hard working.
In 2013 your luck accelerates in springtime, in April, and
ends in a beautiful rebirth and transformation for you. So
plan well and anticipate good fortune in Snake year 2013.
DOG Snake begins with good fortune for you, Dog.
Snake year is an excellent time when you can easily recover
from any difficulties left over from Dragon year
2012. The Water Snake’s easy flow of energy offers you
security and stability. You won’t feel rushed, stressed, or
under too much pressure. The slow pace of this Snake
year is fine with you. And Dragon year 2012 is over, which
is the least fortunate year for Dogs. All months are lucky
for you this year except April.
PIG Snake is your opposite so this is not considered
your lucky year. Go slow and don’t make big plans or
big changes. OK to dream and plan, but avoid changes
such as moving your home, having a child, or changing
career. And don’t be the fall guy or victim of a Snake year
intrigue. You, Pig, are a kind and generous soul who’s
just not willing to sacrifice the essence of life for money
and material gain. That is the lesson of this Snake year:
peace and wisdom are more powerful than money. You,
Pig, already know this.
Susan Levitt is an astrologer and feng shui consultant in
San Francisco CA. She is the author of 5 books including
Taoist Astrology and Taoist Feng Shui. For more information
about Taoist astrology and medicine, visit Susan's web site at
www.susanlevitt.com and follow her blog www.susanlevitt.
wordpress.com.
The Empty Vessel 9

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10 Winter 2013

The Wise Man and the Sage
Kurt Levins Sr.
A sage was walking through a town when a woman
approached him and said, “Oh wise sage, you must come
to my house and meet my husband. He is such a wise and
wonderful man, but he needs some advice and we can
offer you a meal.” Well, since the wolf in his belly was
growling, the sage decided to agree to meet the woman’s
husband and went to their home.
Upon entering the house, the woman introduced her
husband, who was a large man, to the sage, “This is my
wonderful husband; isn’t he very handsome?” she declared.
The sage simply acknowledged the man without
commenting on his appearance.
“Welcome to my home,” said the man, “I am sure
that you will see that I am worthy of a visit from such
an esteemed guest such as yourself.” The sage was not
sure whether this was a compliment to him, a boast on
the part of the man or both. But, being a wise sage, he
leaned towards it being mostly a boast.
They sat down to a banquet-style meal, to which the
sage was unaccustomed. He was more used to simple
peasant fare, as it was the simple life that he had followed
for many years. That was the life that he found
that seemed to flow most closely with the Dao. Through
most of the meal the wife went on about how educated
her husband was, how he had gone to this school and
that school and so how smart and wonderful he was.
After the meal, the man led the sage into a large room
that was lined with books. “See sage, I have read each
and every one of these books and amassed all of this
knowledge, making me a wise man.”
“So then, why are you in need of asking my advice?”
quizzed the sage.
“Well, after all of my learning, I still seem to be having
a problem starting an occupation,” said the man.
“What,” asked the sage,” you have no occupation?
Why are you approaching 50 years old and have no occupation?
How have you spent your years?”
“Why I have spent my years obtaining this great
knowledge. I have worked some jobs to make money
but have never engaged in a great occupation until now.
Now I am ready,” said the man.
“So what do you wish to do,” asked the sage.
“I should consider that a man of my considerable
knowledge would make a fine advisor to the governor.
And I thought a wise sage like you must know the Governor,
so perhaps you could speak to the Governor for
me,” said the self proclaimed wise man.
“I am a just a simple man who follows the Dao and I
must speak the truth to you,” answered the sage.
The man who was awaiting a strong compliment
interrupted, "It is only the truth that I would expect.”
“The truth is this, sir,” answered the sage, "you have
no wisdom and know not the Dao. In all your years you
have done nothing but store up knowledge. Now you
The Empty Vessel 11

show off your books like a library. Just like a library, you
are of no use by yourself, just empty facts and words.
You have never learned to live and apply knowledge and
that, sir, is wisdom. You have hidden from life in your
scholarship and not allowed your scholarship to lead you
to embrace life and that, sir, is the Dao of the scholar.”
“That is preposterous,” shouted the man,” you are
no sage. You are the imposter. I am the wise man. I have
all the knowledge. Everyone knows this. Look at all my
books. You will see. Now get out of my house you fool.”
“As you wish,” said the sage,” thank you for the
meal.”
The sage walked out the door with the man and was
going down the walk. The man now had his chest puffed
in indignation when they both saw two men approaching.
The men were dressed in the clothing of emissaries
of the Governor.
The two emissaries approached the man and the sage
and one said, “Greetings, we come from the Governor
who needs urgent council on the most sensitive matter.
He has sent us to seek out the one who he understands
to be the wisest in the land to assist him in this matter.”
The man turned to the sage and said, “See you fool,
the Governor has learned of my great knowledge and wisdom,
now you know how wrong you were in speaking
to me in that manner.” The man stood still with his chest
puffed out but now with pride added to his arrogance.
The emissaries then approached the sage and said,
“Great sage, it is the wish of the Governor for you to be
his advisor and confidant in this matter. Will you please
accompany us?”
With that the sage turned to the man and said,” Please
excuse me sir, but it appears that the Governor wishes
this old fool to be his advisor. “
The man turned and walked into his house with his
chest deflated and his head bent down, understanding
nothing of what had just happened. He could find no
solace in any of his precious books. There were no facts
to explain life to him.
Had the man spent his life learning from the Dao he
would have known that the way of the Dao is living, it
is experiential. Though Daoists have long been among
the best-educated people on earth, they have lived by
the adage, “Learn all and forget it.” Do not let the study
of the Dao ever become mistaken for living the Dao.
Living is the gift of the Dao; do not avoid it, embrace it
fully no matter how difficult or mysterious ;t may be at
any given time.
A serious student of martial arts for 37 years, Kurt Levins
holds the rank of Master in the Lu Shan Taoist Lineage. He
holds a Masters ranking in Tai Chi Chuang in the lineage of Li
I Yu and Internal Kung Fu under master Lein Cheng Chen of
Taiwan. Levins has also complete studies at the Philadelphia
Institute of Chinese Medicine. As Director of the Pinelands
Institute for Taoist Studies he conducts training in the New
Jersey Pine Barrens. Mr. Levins teaches several forms of tai
ji, qigong and other Daoist arts. He can be reached at intao@
hotmail.com or 856.797.5987.
12 Winter 2013

The Empty Vessel 13

Art and Practice of Tai Chi
Master Pixiang Qui & Weimo Zhu
Tai chi, or more correctly tai chi quan (or tai ji quan
using the Chinese spelling system), is a Chinese mind–
body exercise that is rapidly becoming popular in the
United States. Derived from Chinese martial arts and
Tao philosophy, tai chi is a unique Chinese mind–body
exercise that has centuries of history. Some practitioners
refer to it as a moving-meditation. Mind body exercise is
typically defined as a physical exercise executed with a
profoundly inward focus. Although there is an assortment
of mind–body exercises, tai chi is the only one that
itself is a philosophy. More important, it is a recognized
part of Chinese medicine and has been proven to provide
many health benefits. It requires no equipment and
little space, and it can be practiced anytime, anywhere,
and by anyone, including older adults and people with
chronic diseases.
Because of its rich cultural history, philosophical
foundation, and accessibility to almost everyone, tai chi
is becoming one of the most popular forms of exercise
not only in China but around the world.
People in more than 150 countries practice tai chi. It
is estimated that more than 2.5 billion people practice tai
chi regularly, making it the most popular Chinese mind–
body exercise. In some countries, such as Japan, tai chi
is already as popular as it is in China, and many practitioners
in those countries have reached high skill levels.
Tai chi has become an important vehicle for introducing
and promoting Chinese culture around the world.
In 2006, Tai chi was selected to be part of the first group
in China’s national intangible cultural heritage (ICH), a
system for protecting cultural identities and therefore
the cultural diversity of humankind. The Chinese government
applied to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for tai
chi to be part of UNESCO’s ICH in 2009.
What Is Tai Chi Quan?
Tai chi quan (pronounced “tai-chi-chwon”) is a form
of Chinese boxing based on tai chi philosophy. Quan
means “fist” in Chinese. In martial arts, it refers to various
forms of boxing, and each form has its own offensive and
defensive fighting style that involves varying dynamic
and static elements, from moving back and forth to a
combination of firm and soft moves. Quan can be considered
a martial art performed without equipment, or
more simply Chinese boxing. Because the movement in
tai chi quan is similar to a moving river—long, relaxed,
and continuous—tai chi quan is also known as a long,
soft, continuous form of Chinese boxing.
Before beginning tai chi quan, one stands still and the
body enters into a state of wuji (e.g., body weight is balanced
between both legs). As soon as the practice starts,
the body enters into tai chi, that is, a constant exchange
of yin and yang, with body weight being constantly
moved from the firm (yang) leg to the empty (yin) leg.
The tai chi principle is also applied to fighting using tai
chi quan. When an opponent’s hit (yang) is coming, a
tai chi master never directly fights back because yang to
yang is not balanced and he would likely get hurt even
if he were stronger than his opponent. Rather, a tai chi
master always tries to use his opponent’s own strength
to cause the opponent to lose balance.
It is believed that the Chen style, the oldest style of tai
chi quan, was created by Master Chen (Chen, Wangting),
a retired general at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-
1644). He spent his retirement living a tranquil life in
the country. During the farming season, he was busy
working on his farm, but he practiced boxing during the
off-season. His boxing practice was initially for health
purposes in order to regulate the yin–yang of the body
and help the circulation of Qi and blood. (Qi or chi refers
to vital energy in Chinese medicine and will be explained
in more detail later in this chapter.) Meanwhile, he was
also teaching his children and grandchildren how to
use boxing as exercise and how to keep a balanced diet.
Through his exercise and diet practice, he believed that
one could live a peaceful, healthy, and harmonious life.
14 Winter 2013

The development of tai chi, that is, the modification of
a martial art from use on the battlefield to an exercise
for well-being, reflected the general’s desire to return to
nature and to live a life that reflected harmony between
man and nature.
Characteristics of Tai Chi Movements
Tai chi is an exercise with four distinct movement
characteristics:
Movements are soft and continuous. Movements mimic
a slow-moving river.
Movements are calm and quiet. While doing tai chi, you
pursue a sense or being of calmness. Again, similar to a
slow-moving river, often you do not feel the movement
but rather the calmness. This sensation is especially true
in your mind. The Chinese believe that if you relax your
mind, your qi will become calm and quiet. Even while
moving, every piece of the movement is felt as if you were
static—the movement begins smoothly and slowly progresses
through a succession of thousands of static poses.
Movements are relaxed. The principle of being relaxed
applies to all movements. To relax, you must relax the
whole body and move in a natural way. Do not use any
extraneous strength or energy. Again, you must have a
relaxed mind to have a relaxed body. Mental peace is
important because it is often associated with your outlook
and attitude toward life.
Movements are circular. The movements in tai chi are
rarely straightforward or angular, and this is especially
true for the arm movements. Instead, tai chi movements
follow paths of circles or curves. Tai chi masters often say
that all tai chi movements can be summarized by circles,
which fits perfectly within the general concept of tai chi
philosophy, as we’ll learn later in this book—the movements
create patterns of repeated circles.
The Chen style of tai chi quan is full of tai chi principles
(i.e., yin–yang contrasts and interconnections).
For example, the mind should be at peace while the
body is actively moving during tai chi practice, there is
a constant change between firmness and looseness in the
continual transfer of weight from one leg to the other and
the opening and closing of the arms while coordinating
movements with inhaling and exhaling, and the end of
a movement flows smoothly into the beginning of another
movement. Recognizing the movements’ unique
connection with tai chi philosophy, Master Wang (Wang,
Zongyue), a well-known martial arts master at the beginning
of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) who also was
well versed in philosophy, studied tai chi and provided
an excellent summary of tai chi quan in his book Tai Chi
Quan Theory (translated also as the Tai Chi Treatise),
which remains popular today. From then on, tai chi quan
or simply tai chi became the official name of this exercise
form. Because many movements in tai chi are based on
tai chi philosophy, many people believe that practicing tai
chi regularly will help them achieve balance or harmony
with nature.
Tai Chi and Traditional
Chinese Medicine Theories
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is well known
for many of its practices, such as herbs and acupuncture,
and many of its theories, including yin–yang, five elements,
qi or vital energy, and blood, meridians, and internal
organs as a system. The foundation of TCM is aligned
with tai chi theory. People are considered as a whole and
their balance (yin and yang) are key elements in TCM
diagnosis and treatment. In addition, TCM believes that
heath is directly related to one’s qi level (the higher, the
better) and circulation along the meridian system (the
more qi movement, the better). Although there are still
many unanswered questions concerning the meridian
system, it has been proven to have a relationship with
health. Fostering qi, promoting qi and blood circulation,
and dredging the meridians have always been the focus
of TCM treatments.
Tai chi breathing routines and many of its movements
are associated with TCM. For example, transferring
weight from one leg to another during tai chi practice is
directly related to the change from yang to yin and vice
versa. In line with “Exercise is medicine,” a slogan of the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), one may
say that “Tai chi is Chinese medicine.”
Yin and Yang
Tai chi (see figure 1.1 for the Chinese characters) is a
concept in Chinese philosophy that has had a great influence
on Chinese culture. Its name abounds with meaning.
It is believed that the earliest appearance of tai chi was in
the I Ching, or Book of Changes, a well-known Chinese
philosophy book written in the third century BC. The tai
chi characters in Chinese represent the Tao philosophy, or
Taoism, which believes that, although the world is full of
contrasts or conflicts, it can reach harmony by balancing
those contrasts or conflicts.
Figure 1.1 Chinese characters for tai chi
According to the Tao, the contrasts or conflicts in
nature can be best summarized using the yin and yang
concepts. The direct meanings of yin and yang in Chinese
are the bright side and the dark side of an object. Note that
the concepts of bright and dark do not have the Western
The Empty Vessel 15

cultural connotation of good and bad in Tao phil-osophy.
The Tao philosophy uses yin and yang to represent a wide
range of opposite properties in the universe: cold and hot,
slow and fast, still and moving, masculine and feminine,
lower and upper, and so on. In general, the characteristics
of stillness, descent, darkness, erosion, slowness, and
organic diseases pertain to yin, and in contrast, movement,
ascent, brightness, growth, energy, and functional
diseases pertain to yang. Yin and yang are opposites yet
complementary; they do not exist independently of each
other but rather are able to change, or morph, into each
other. For example, day (yang) turns into night (yin) and
winter (yin) turns into spring (yang). The internal forces
or rules of nature lead to the harmony of yin and yang
and are the Tao, or way. In the Book of Changes, tai chi or
Tao is the integration of yin and yang, the contrary forces
interconnected and interdependent in nature.
In TCM, health is represented as a balance of yin and
yang, although the balance of yin and yang in a healthy
body is not always perfect. Under normal circumstances,
the yin and yang balance in the body is in a state of
constant change based on both the external and internal
environment. For example, while exercising, a person’s
body is more energized and has greater yang, and once
exercising stops and a quiet, peaceful state is entered,
yin dominates. Illness is caused by an imbalance of yin
and yang in the body. The treatment of illness in TCM
therefore is the process of rebalancing yin and yang in
the body. This is done through the use of acupuncture,
herbal remedies, exercise, diet, and lifestyle changes (e.g.,
smoking cessation). As balance is restored in the body,
so is health restored. Balance in TCM includes balance
in both physical and mental health.
According to medical science, diseases can be classified
into two general groups: organic and functional.
Organic diseases are those in which an actual destruction
of bodily tissue has occurred (e.g., blood diseases, cancer,
tuberculosis), whereas functional diseases are caused by
temporary disturbances of function and there is no actual
loss or structural alteration of tissue (e.g., arthritis, balance
disorder, dementia).
The character tai in Chinese derives from the character
dai, meaning “big.” To represent something that
is much larger than just being big, the ancient Chinese
added a stroke inside the dai character to create the tai
character. Thus, tai refers to the largest or most supreme
(see figure 1.2 for a comparison of the characters). The
character chi, as shown in figure 1.3, originally referred
to the highest section, or peak, of a roof. Placing both of
these Chinese characters together into tai chi (see figure
1.1) synergizes their meanings into a new meaning that
refers to the universe or something that is immense.
It is believed that Tuan Chen (872-989 AD), a Taoist
during the end of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
period (907-960 AD) and at the beginning of the Northern
Song Dynasty (960-1127 AD), created the earliest wuji diagram,
which is simply a circle (see figure 1.4). The circle
represents the original status of the universe in which
everything was static. Later, Dunyi Zhou (1017-1073
AD), a philosopher during the Northern Song Dynasty,
published a short, well-known article called “Tai Chi Diagram,”
in which the tai chi concept was further described
and extended. Basically, the ancient Chinese believed
that the universe was originally a static entity without
yin or yang. Later, the yang element came into existence
through some mysterious and dynamic movement of qi,
or vital energy. The end or extreme of the yang dynamic
movement is stillness, which produced yin. Life and the
world were then created as a result of the movement and
exchange of yin and yang.
Figure 1.4
Wuji diagram.
Wuji does not include the yin and yang concept, yet
tai chi can be considered a special form of wuji, one that
includes the balancing of yin and yang. Zhou’s descriptions
of tai chi can be better represented by the yin and
yang diagram (see figure 1.5). In the diagram, yin and
yang are symbolized by a circle consisting of two semicircular
teardrops, a white one representing yang (sun,
male, fire, and so on) and a black one representing yin
(moon, female, water, and so on). The black spot inside
the white teardrop and the white spot inside the black
teardrop symbolize that yin and yang are not absolutes;
they change or morph into each other (e.g., the end of day
begins night). In its entirety, this symbol of yin and yang
also represents the balance and change of tai chi within
the universe, nature, and even society. Tai chi therefore
reflects the mechanism of the universe.
Figure 1.5
Yin and yang diagram.
16 Winter 2013

Qi and the Meridians
Qi (pronounced “chi”) in Chinese medicine is considered
to be vital energy, or life force. Although its
existence has not been completely confirmed by modern
science, it is generally believed that qi circulates along the
body’s meridians, whose existence has been confirmed by
modern biophysics (Chen, 2004). A meridian, according
to TCM, is a path through which the life energy known
as qi is believed to flow. There are 20 meridians in the
body, including 12 regular channels or meridians and
8 extraordinary channels or meridians. The 12 regular
meridians each correspond to an internal organ, nourishing
the organ and extending to an extremity (see figure
1.6). There are 649 acupuncture points on the meridians.
Meridians are also divided into yin and yang groups. For
example, the yin meridians of the arm are Lung, Heart,
and Pericardium meridians, and the yang meridians
of the arm are the Large Intestine, Small Intestine, and
Triple Heater.
The smooth circulation of qi within the meridians
helps maintain health. Qi and the meridians can benefit
from tai chi practice because tai chi emphasizes relaxation
of the mind during practice, which in turn aids the circulation
of qi. In addition, it is believed that the relaxed
manner of tai chi movements improves the ability of the
meridians to nourish organs and tissues. Finally, tai chi
movement, such as waist rotation and limb flexion and
extension, could function as a kind of self-massage, which
should stimulate qi and strengthen the physiological
function of tissues and organs.
Although there is still a long way to go to understand
how meridians work, more and more scientific evidence
is being accumulated to support its existence and role in
maintaining health. As an example, there is growing interest
in acupuncture, which is based on the meridians. It is
believed that medical effectiveness, cost effectiveness, and
credibility provided by clinical trials and physiological
research are the key reasons for the growing interest in
acupuncture (Stux & Hammerschlag, 2001).
Five Elements Theory
The back-and-forth footwork of tai chi is believed
to connect with the Five Elements theory, which posits
wood, fire, earth, metal, and water as the basic elements
of the material world. The theory of Five Elements is
an ancient philosophical concept used to explain the
composition and phenomena of the physical universe.
In TCM, the theory is used to interpret the relationship
between the physiology and pathology of the human
body and the natural environment. For example, when
a person’s heart, an element of fire, has a problem, the
cause could originate from the kidneys, an element of
water, since water restrains fire. As in yin–yang theory,
the five elements are interdependent and are constantly
moving and changing (see figure 1.7).
Figure 1.6 Twelve regular meridians in the body.
Figure 1.7 Five Elements relationship diagram.
The ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi declared,
“Nature is the law,” thousands of years ago, and this
remains a key concept in Eastern culture. As mentioned
earlier, tai chi is the martial art whose development was
The Empty Vessel 17

influenced the most by traditional Chinese philosophy.
There is a saying about this particular aspect of tai chi:
“Every part of the human body is tai chi; the contrast
and harmony of the dynamic and static movements of
the body is a reflection of tai chi.” One should relax while
practicing tai chi by breathing naturally and performing
movements according to the feedback one’s body provides.
When practicing tai chi outside in nature (e.g., beside
a lake, in a forest, on grass) and in the fresh air, there
is likely a feeling that nature is the law and a focus on
the connection between one’s mind and soul with nature;
thus, it is easy to relieve stress and enjoy the relaxation
and flow between body and mind. In return, one should
achieve better health and a peaceful mind. In fact, tai chi
theory and practice open up a new way of thinking that
promotes practitioners’ balance with nature so that they
may live a more harmonious and ecological life.
Tai Chi Styles and Schools
China is a huge country, and travel during ancient
times was inconvenient. As a result, each region formed
its own distinct culture. Because of limited interaction
among people of various regions, family heritages, legacies,
and traditions feature strongly in the long history of
Chinese culture. In all of these areas, regions, and families,
many styles and schools of various professions and skills
were formed. The great variety of Chinese cuisines is a
perfect example of the cultural diversity across China. The
same is also true for tai chi styles or schools. Named after
families, the most popular tai chi styles are Chen, Yang,
Wu (Z-Q), Sun, and Wu (Y-H) (Although the spelling of
Wu is the same, they are two different Chinese characters,
so to distinguish between them in English, the initials of
their first names were added.) These styles are briefly
described next.
Chen
The Chen style is the oldest type of tai chi. Created
by the retired general Chen (Chen, Wangting; 1600-1680),
Chen style is known for its combination of both soft and
firm, as well as quick and slow, movements. Occasionally,
explosive strength and a strong foot and leg pushing are
used. It is a style that maintains many boxing features
used in fighting on battlefields.
Yang
Created by Master Yang (Yang, Luchan; 1799-1872),
Yang style is known for its standardized format, slow
and relaxed movements, and soft and continuous style.
Because it is easy to learn and the movements are beautiful
to observe, it is the most popular style of tai chi, and
it is the one taught in this book.
Wu (Z-Q)
Wu (Z-Q) style is modified from the Yang style and
features a small range of quick yet relaxed movements.
The upper body is slightly inclined forward during
practice. The key master who developed this style was
Master Wu (Wu, Zhen-Quan; 1870-1942).
Sun
Sun style was developed by combining the skills
and methods of other Chinese martial arts, specifically
Xingyiquan and Baguazhang, into tai chi. As a result,
its footwork moves much faster and it contains more
frequent back-and-forth movements. In addition, its
transitions are often combined with open–close movements
(i.e., transferring body weight from one leg to
the other while the arms are open). The key master who
developed this style was Master Sun (Sun, Lutang; 1860-
1933).
Wu (Y-H)
The Wu (Y-H) style is known for its slow and relatively
small range of movements, lesser bending of the
knee, and limited reach of hands and arms. The person
responsible for this Wu style was Master Wu (Wu, Yu-
Hsiang; 1812-1880).
Later, to meet the needs of the general public, many
more variations of tai chi were developed. For example,
to help the general public learn tai chi, the Chinese government
developed and promoted a 24-form simplified
tai chi in the 1950s; later, routines with 48 and 88 forms
of tai chi, based mainly on the Yang style, were offered.
Because of the rich history of tai chi, many tai chi styles,
including several subvarieties within styles, and forms
are practiced both in China and around the world. Special
forms of tai chi have also been developed specifically for
a population or an aesthetic purpose, such as in the case
of wheelchair tai chi and tai chi fan, which involves holding
a fan during tai chi practice. There even are tai chi
routines that exist purely for the purpose of competition.
Tai Chi and Health
The industrial and information revolutions changed
the world. Although they brought many advances to
civilization, they also brought many social problems,
including competition and its related stress and increased
isolation among people. Their negative effects on health
and well-being are significant and well documented.
Fortunately, tai chi can be used to buffer these negative
effects. For example, tai chi can help young people
achieve relaxation and bring their bodies and minds
into balance, and for older adults who practice together,
as many do every morning in China, tai chi serves as a
social network, a place and time to make new friends and
provide social support.
Tai chi is part of TCM, and its significant impact on
health has been well documented. Although tai chi was
introduced to the United States in the 1970s, an interest
in its health benefits did not start until Dr. Steven L. Wolf
and his team published their balance study in 1996 (Wolf,
Barnhart, Kutner, McNeely, Coogler, & Xu, 1996). Their
subjects were 162 women and 38 men with an average
age of 76.2 who were free of debilitating conditions such
as crippling arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke.
The researchers divided the subjects into three groups:
18 Winter 2013

One group performed a simplified 10-form version of tai
chi, one group received biofeedback-based training in
balance on a movable platform, and one group received
education about falls but no physical training. The tai chi
and biofeedback groups were given 15 weeks of training,
and researchers kept track of the participants’ reported
falls for four months.
After the intervention, the tai chi subjects reduced
their falling risk by an average of 47.5 percent compared
with the other groups. Since the publication of that study,
interest in tai chi and its health benefits has continued to
grow. Hundreds of studies have now been published and
interest has extended to many other health areas, such
as the impact of tai chi on physical function, quality of
life, and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, many tai
chi books have been published, including some with a
research focus (e.g., Hong, 2008).
According to a recent review (Zhu et al., 2010) of
25 reviews, which included hundreds of studies from
around the world, tai chi has been demonstrated to be
a useful exercise for a variety of chronic diseases and
conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis,
rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, cancer, cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, a propensity toward falling,
and so on. In addition, tai chi practice has been shown to
be beneficial to overall health, balance and control, bone
mineral density, psychological and mental status, and
aerobic capacity. A few highlights are summarized here.
Overall Health
Tai chi has the potential to improve many of the
physiological and psychological aspects of chronic conditions,
and it is also a safe and effective intervention
for promoting balance, cardiorespiratory fitness, and
flexibility in older adults. Tai chi has been shown to be
effective as an aerobic exercise in reducing blood pressure,
reducing the risk of falls, and increasing function
in older adults.
Balance and Control
Moderate evidence supports using tai chi to improve
balance and postural stability, indicating that it
is a reasonable intervention for clinical use. It has also
been found that tai chi improves balance in older adults,
although it was not shown to be effective at reducing the
rate of falls in older populations. Studies have shown that
health outcomes associated with postural control could
benefit from tai chi practice.
Although not all studies supported tai chi in fall prevention
for older adults, a number of studies found tai
chi to be effective in reducing the fear of falling, meaning
that interventions aimed at improving older adults’ selfefficacy
regarding falls could use tai chi. Meanwhile, tai
chi was found to be useful for preventing falls in relatively
young, prefrail older adults. In addition, although more
rigorous studies are needed to make any assertions about
the use of tai chi for Parkinson’s patients, there is favorable
evidence in support of using tai chi to help people
with Parkinson’s disease.
Osteoarthritis
There is promising evidence in support of using tai
chi to reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis, and
there are even larger effect sizes in pain reduction from
tai chi compared with other popular interventions, such
as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
Also, the review found that tai chi may be beneficial for
improving the balance and physical function of people
with osteoarthritis.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Tai chi improved ankle plantar flexion in people with
rheumatoid arthritis, but most other measures, such as
activities of daily living and swollen joints, showed no
improvements after tai chi interventions. None of the
studies indicated any harmful effects of tai chi practice,
and the review reported that adherence rates in the tai
chi interventions were higher than in the controls, indicating
that subjects may enjoy participating in tai chi
over other exercises. Some studies also found that tai chi
interventions could improve the pain, fatigue, mood,
depression, vitality, and disability index of people with
rheumatoid arthritis.
Bone Mineral Density
Tai chi has been found to be a promising intervention
for maintaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal
women. No significant adverse effects of practicing tai
chi were reported, and research also indicates that tai
chi may improve other risk factors associated with low
bone mineral density. Additionally, it was found that tai
chi interventions did increase bone mineral density in
postmenopausal women compared with a no-treatment
control group.
Psychological Health
Tai chi has been found to increase well-being and
self-efficacy as well as improve overall mood. Tai chi
was also a safer choice of exercise for those who were
deconditioned or had exercise intolerance.
Blood Pressure
Many studies have reported that a tai chi intervention
could lead to lower blood pressure. In all the studies,
tai chi was shown to be safe and had no adverse effects.
Cancer
Tai chi has been useful as a complement to traditional
cancer treatment. Tai chi helped improve the self-esteem
and health-related quality of life, function in activities of
daily life, and shoulder range of motion of cancer survivors.
In addition, tai chi has been shown to increase the
immune response as well as psychological function of
cancer survivors.
Cardiovascular Disease
Most studies for this population reported improvement
with tai chi interventions, such as lower blood
pressure and greater exercise capacity. In addition, no
adverse effects were reported. These studies concluded
that tai chi may be a beneficial adjunctive therapy for
patients with cardiovascular disease.
The Empty Vessel 19

Aerobic Capacity
Tai chi is an effective exercise to improve aerobic
capacity. Statistically significant and large effect sizes (ES
= 1.33) were noted in the cross-section studies, meaning
that subjects experienced significant aerobic improvements
from practicing tai chi. On the other hand, small
effect sizes were found within the experimental studies
(ES = 0.38). Studies comparing sedentary people with tai
chi participants also noted larger effects when tai chi was
practiced for at least a year. It has been concluded that
tai chi could be used as an alternative form of aerobic
exercise, and further inquiry is recommended in this area.
Practice Tips for Learning Tai Chi
Compared with most exercises, tai chi requires no
equipment and little space, and it can be done at anytime.
The following tips may be helpful for tai chi beginners.
Am I ready?
If you are planning to start an exercise program or
become much more physically active than you are now,
it is a good idea for you to answer the following seven
questions from the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire
(PAR-Q):
1. Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart
condition and that you should only do physical activity
recommended by a doctor?
2. Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical
activity?
3. In the past month, have you had chest pain when
you were not doing physical activity?
4. Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or
do you ever lose consciousness?
5. Do you have a bone or joint problem (for example,
back, knee, or hip) that could be made worse by a change
in your physical activity?
6. Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for
example, water pills) for your blood pressure or heart
condition?
7. Do you know any of other reason why you should
not do physical activity?
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you
should talk with your doctor before starting a physical activity
program or becoming much more physically active.
(Source: Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) ©
2002. Used with permission from the Canadian Society for Exercise
Physiology www.csep.ca.)
What do I wear to practice tai chi?
There are no specific requirements other than wearing
clothing that is loose and comfortable. There are also
no specific requirements for shoes; any exercise shoes or
comfortable shoes with low heels are fine.
When should I practice tai chi?
The best time of the day to practice is in the morning
for easier adherence since there is less chance of interruption
of practice time first thing in the morning. Other
times are also fine, but you should wait at least 30 minutes
after eating a heavy meal.
How often and for how long should I
practice tai chi?
To get the best results, 30 to 60 minutes is the best
length for practice, but any time is better than no time.
Just 5 to 10 minutes of practice (especially the stances)
here and there will also be beneficial. Ideally, you should
practice every day. Try to practice tai chi at least three
times a week.
Where should I practice tai chi?
Outside in nature in the fresh air is best, but practice
anywhere you can, such as in your office when taking a
break.
Can I combine tai chi with other exercises?
Tai chi can integrate with other exercises easily. If you
already have a regular exercise routine, you can link it
with your tai chi practice. For example, you can practice
tai chi as part of your cool-down after running.
In this chapter, you learned what tai chi is, including
its historical roots, relationship with Chinese Tao
philosophy and traditional Chinese medicine theories,
its movement characteristics, and different styles and
schools. More important, you learned the health benefits
of practicing tai chi. This book, through a step-by-step
approach and illustrations, is designed to help you learn
tai chi in an easy and enjoyable way. In chapter 2, you
will learn some basic postures; then some basic foot
movements in chapter 3; basic hand forms and movements
in chapter 4, and basic stances in chapter 5. Then,
in chapters 6-9, you will learn some of the most popular
tai chi forms: forms for cardiovascular health (chapter
6), forms for stress management and lower back health
(chapter 7), forms for balance (chapter 8), and forms for
coordination (chapter 9). In chapters 10 and 11, you will
learn routines with the above forms connected together.
You will learn a simple 6-form routine in chapter 10 and
a slightly more difficult 12-form routine in chapter 11.
Finally, in chapter 12, you will learn push hands, practicing
tai chi with another person.
Learn and enjoy tai chi!
Reprinted, with permission, from Tai Chi Illustrated: For
Greater Balance, Relaxation, and Health by Master Pinxinag
Qiu & Weimo Zhu, published by Human Kinetics, 2013.
20 Winter 2013

The Uncarved Block
Solala Towler
The principles treasured by the Daoist are simplicity,
equilibrium, harmony and quietude.
Hua-Ching Ni 1
“Rabbit’s very clever,” said Pooh thoughtfully. “Yes,” said
Piglet, “Rabbit’s clever.” “And he has a brain.” “Yes,” said
Piglet, “Rabbit has a brain.” There was a long silence. “I suppose,”
said Pooh, “that’s why he never understands anything.”
Winnie the Pooh 2
The principle of the Uncarved Block or P’u in Chinese
is an essential element of Daoist philosophy and practice.
It is the concept of the simple, uncluttered and natural
man and woman and their way of life. This way of being
in the world is in perfect accord, of course, with the
teachings of Laozi and Zhuangzi. 3
Laozi says:
Fame or self: Which matters more?
Self or wealth: Which is more precious?
Gain or loss: Which is more painful?
He who is attached to things will suffer much.
He who saves will suffer heavy loss.
He who knows when to stop does not find himself
in trouble.
He will stay forever safe.
(Chapter 44)
The ancient Daoists were not only content to live
simple, natural lives but actually felt there was a solid
advantage to doing so. It isn’t necessary to “drop out”
The Empty Vessel 21

and live in the mountains away from the world in order
to live a simple, natural life. What we’re actually talking
about is an internal state of simplicity and naturalness.
We may be involved in all kinds of things, from running a
large clinic to teaching a group of children or overseeing
a complicated business. Yet all of this need not stop us
from having internal simplicity and naturalness.
It is when we allow outside pressures and complications
to take up residence within us that we run into
trouble and lose our sense of safety and spontaneity,
which to Daoists is very serious indeed. How often do
we meet someone at a party or other gathering and are
asked by way of introduction, “So what is it that you do?”,
as if a description of our work life defines us. Why aren’t
we asked or why don’t we ask, “What is it that interests
you in life? What turns you on?” That information would
probably go much further in describing or defining us to
others and to ourselves.
Remember the principle of wu wei? It is often in not
doing that we get the most done! Often not doing defines
who we are much more thoroughly than all the doing we
could possible produce. Yet we get caught up in an urge
to produce to some extent. After all, if I were following
the principle of wu wei exactly, I wouldn’t even be writing
this book!
It is said that the Dao will manifest itself to everyone,
sooner or later. There is no rush or even set time when this
will or should happen. But all the teachers, both ancient
and modern, stress that it is in the natural simplicity of
our being that we can best manifest and embrace the Dao.
The question is, how do we do this?
Hua-Ching Ni says: “A natural human being is
directed by his spiritual energy and causes appropriate
responses not by his need, but by his pure spontaneity.” 4
Remember, spontaneity is something that rises from
deep within our true nature and cannot be artificially produced.
This spontaneity also has something of the “holy
fool” in it. Max Kaltnemark says the true Daoist must,
in his perfect simplicity, have the appearance of a fool. 5
Indeed, there is a vast tradition of “holy fools”
throughout the world. Here, however, we will limit
ourselves to the Daoist version of this interesting and
amusing figure.
N. J. Girardot describes him thusly:
Daoist images of madness are related to the mystical
experience of the chaos condition and to the unique effortless
freedom of wu wei, the sage’s playful freedom beyond human,
or even humane, bounds. The Daoist as a ‘demented drifter’
is aloof and indifferent to the normal order of the world. From
the perspective of his belly knowledge, the Daoist is a wayfarer
who knows that ‘the way things appear to be—permanent,
predictable, manageable—is not the way things really are in
an ultimate vision of the real.’ 6
The “holy fool” is one who is not actually a fool in
22 Winter 2013

the real sense, but is called that by a society which does
not understand his or her actions. This is because the
Daoist is operating outside of the norm, or what society
at large considers normal. To the highly rigid and structured
Confucian society of the Han dynasty and beyond,
the Daoists, with their free and “wild” (in the sense of
natural) ways, were often regarded as fools and rebellious
outcasts, content to live “in the world but not of it.”
And, because they were basing their understanding
and approach to life on something other than the status
quo, they were considered rebels and malcontents or
just empty-headed dreamers. It was a state not always
comfortable for them either.
As Laozi puts it so poignantly:
Is there a difference between yes and no?
Is there a difference between good and evil?
Must I fear what others fear? What nonsense!
Other people are contented, enjoying the sacrificial
feast of the ox.
In spring some go to the park, and climb the terrace.
But I alone am drifting, not knowing where I am.
Like a new born babe before it learns how to smile,
I am alone, without a place to go.
Others have more than they need, but I alone have
nothing.
I am a fool. Oh, yes! I am confused.
Other men are clear and bright.
But I alone am dim and weak.
Other men are sharp and clever.
But I alone am dull and stupid.
Oh, I drift like the waves of the sea,
Without direction, like a restless wind.
Everyone is busy,
But I alone am aimless and depressed.
I am different.
I am nourished by the great mother.
Chapter 20 6
This is a beautiful way to describe the often sad
feeling of being different or cut off from the crowd. Daoists
have to get used to going their own way and being
misunderstood, or even ridiculed because of their beliefs
and way of life. But isn’t it better to be called a fool than
to actually be one? After all, isn’t the unhealthy, unbalanced
and unconscious way that most people live true
foolishness?
When we first become aware and sensitive to the
subtle currents of energy in our being—spiritual, physical
and emotional—it can be painful. Many of us are not
used to being particularly sensitive and we sometimes
come up hard against our limitations, created both by
The Empty Vessel 23

the world and by ourselves. We may feel alienated and
cut off from those around us who are busy rushing after
the next thrill, the next high, the next desperate way of
trying to be real.
While there are, even today, many students and followers
of the Way, they are often hard to identify. You may
see a wide eyed, open-ended look that is offered when
you least expect it, or perhaps a certain loose limbed way
of walking, a sign of one who is attuned to his or her own
energy flow. You may encounter an attitude toward healing
or an openness to the use of herbs or acupuncture,
or a way of unaffected talking, and a deep awareness of
the importance of good listening. Or else you may hear
a good strong laugh, coming from deep in the belly, a
laugh that says yes, I am a believer in the sanctity and
miraculous unfolding of each precious moment in the
Dao and I am willing to share that feeling, that awareness,
that experience with you.
There is also the shared knowledge that most of what
passes for “reality” in the collective unconscious is actually
a huge joke, a play, a pantomime.
To the Daoists, what we experience on the material
plane is as real as the nose on our face. Yet at the same
time it is also a bit of a dream. Zhuangzi once dreamed
that he was a butterfly, flitting merrily about the multicolored
flowers. When he awoke he exclaimed, “How is
it that I can be sure that instead of Zhuangzi dreaming
that I am a butterfly, I am not a butterfly dreaming that
I am Zhuangzi?”
In another place he says:
Men in general bustle about and toil; the sage seems unlettered
and without “knowledge.”...When people dream they do
not know that they are dreaming. In their dream they may even
interpret dreams. Only when they awake they begin to know
that they dreamed. By and by comes the greater awakening,
and then we shall find out that life itself is a great dream. All
the while the fools think they are awake, and that they have
knowledge. Making nice discriminations, they differentiate
between princes and grooms. How stupid! 7
The experience of “life as a dream” frees us from the
awful burden of always having to do it right, of toiling
under the enormous weight of having to be ‘on the job’
at all times. It frees us also to make mistakes and allows
us the freedom, the privilege, of starting over again, time
after time if need be. And, most of all, it frees us to change,
to begin anew, to metamorphosize into whatever lovely
and colorful butterfly we always wanted to be but never
felt the permission or strength to become.
Remember, the Dao does not judge, it does not punish,
it does not condemn. We do that ourselves. And as we
judge, so also can we forgive ourselves and others who
have wronged us through their own mistaken sense of
24 Winter 2013

eality. And we find, in that forgiveness, an even greater
sense of freedom and unlimited potential—for growth,
exploration, and an enlarged sense of the Dao and our
place in it.
Through forgiveness, through trust, through taking
chances with ourselves and others, and through returning
to our “original nature”—our own sweet simple and
natural self, our own “uncarved block”—that we can
begin the journey that leads back to its beginning, to our
original nature, or Dao.
Once, after a particularly poignant lesson by his
teacher, Lieh Tzu decided that, in truth, he had never
learned anything, so he went home and for three years
did not leave his house.
He cooked meals for his wife,
Served food to his pigs as though they were human,
Treated all things as equally as his kin,
From carved jade he returned to the unhewn block,
Till his single shape stood forth, detached from all
things.
He was free of tangles
Once and for all, to the end of his life. 8
Or, as Hua-Ching Ni puts it:
Become the kind of person whose wish is infectious. Then
what you want, others will want, and while you seem to do
nothing (wu wei), everything will be done. The power of the
infectious wish comes from certain virtues: compassion, moderation,
and humility. These virtues and their power are te.
Te cannot be achieved, however, until you have erased the
aggressive patterns etched by society into your nature. You must
return to your natural self, to p’u. You must discard morality
and ambition, for if you keep these you will never be capable
of compassion, moderation and humility. When you discard
some of your wishes, you will have them all. 9
Reprinted from Cha Dao by Solala Towler, published in 2011 by
Singing Dragon Press.
1
Tao: The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of Life,
Hua-Ching Ni, Tao of Wellness Press, 1979.
2
Winnie the Pooh , A.A. Miln,. Methuen, 1924
3
Tao: The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of Life,
Tao of Wellness Press, 1979.
4
Laozi and Daoism, Max Kaltnemark, Stanford University
Press, 1969
5
Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism, N.J. Girardot, m University
of California Press, 1983
6. Lao Tsu: Tao Te Ching, Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English, Vintage
Books, 1972
7
Zhuangzi: Genius of the Absurd Clae Waltham, Ace Books,
1971
8
The Book of Lieh Tzu, A.C. Graham, Colombia University
Press, 196
9 Tao: The Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of Life
The Journal of Daoist Philosophy and Practice
Fall 2012 $5.95 U.S. Canada $6.95
The Empty Vessel 1
CommunityAwake.com
(under Abode of the Eternal Dao)
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The Empty Vessel magazine
(extra pages than the print version)
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The Empty Vessel 25

26 Winter 2013

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The Empty Vessel 27

Lao Zi – The Hidden Dragon
Zhongxian Wu
Introduction
The first time I picked up Lao Zi’s Dao De Jing 道 德
經 , I could not truly understand one single sentence. I
found this interesting, as I already had a solid foundation
in classical Chinese literature. The very first sentence,
道 可 道 非 常 道 Dao Ke Dao Fei Chang Dao, which literally
translates as “The Dao that can be the Dao is not the
constant Dao” initially felt like a maze to me. I used my
knowledge of classical Chinese to interpret the meaning
as “The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.”
Still, I felt slightly puzzled.
After some years of a dedicated inner cultivation
practice, I picked up the book again and I found that I
could understand it a little bit more than before. When
reading the first sentence again, I decoded a different
interpretation: “The Dao, discussed in any language, loses
its original meaning.” In other words, we cannot truly
understand the Dao simply through words alone. The
way to access the Dao is through direct bodily experience.
In order to gain experiential knowledge, you must be
seriously committed to your inner cultivation practice.
I have had a concentrated focus on Qigong, Neigong,
martial arts and other internal cultivation practices since
the 1970s. I continue to come back to the Dao De Jing again
and again. Each time, I gain insights based on the layers
of meaning that reveal themselves to me. Now, the very
same opening sentence tells me that the entire book is
not a text that passes philosophical truths to us. Behind
the words is a powerful teaching encouraging us to use
our cultivation practice to connect with the Dao and Xian
仙 – immortality.
Over the last twenty years, I have been preparing
to write a commentary on Dao De Jing from a Qigong/
internal cultivation perspective. In this article, I will share
a small piece of my project with you.
Zhi Qi Dong Lai 紫 氣 東 來
Zhi Qi Dong Lai is a popular Chinese phrase often
used as a prayer or charm. It is very common for Chinese
families to post this above the entryway of their home as
a blessing. Zhi Qi Dong Lai literally translates as “purple
colored Qi comes from the east”. The phrase originates
from the birth story of the Dao De Jing:
In the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (circa 770-256 BCE),
there was a famous astronomer named YinXi 尹 喜 . One
evening while he was reading the sky, he noted a mass of
purple colored Qi accumulating in the east. He was astonished
by this natural phenomenon, and recognized it as
an omen indicating that a great sage or truly enlightened
master was traveling from the eastern direction. He made
a predication about the master’s travel route – passing
through Han Gu Guan 函 谷 關 and arriving in Lou Guan
樓 關 . Yin Xi subsequently traveled to Lou Guan and
built himself a hut to wait for the master’s arrival. After
28 Winter 2013

several days, an old man with long gray eyebrows and
beard rode towards his hut. He was riding on a green
colored ox. Yin Xi immediately understood that this was
the person he had been waiting for. He invited the old
man to be his guest in his hut, hoping that he could study
with the old master. The old master, Lao Zi, saw that Yin
Xi was seriously committed to his own inner cultivation
and agreed to spend some time teaching him.
After three months had passed, Lao Zi decided he
was ready to keep traveling onwards. Yin Xi humbly requested
that Lao Zi write down some teachings for him
before he left, so that Yin Xi would be able to continue
his studies even if they would not have a chance to see
each other again. Lao Zi consented, extending his stay
to write what we now know as the Dao De Jing for his
student, Yin Xi. Yin Xi continued to live a hermit’s life in
LouGuan, continuing his cultivation practice with the
guidance of LaoZi’s Dao De Jing. Years later, after Yin Xi
achieved true enlightenment, he wrote the renowned
Daoist classic Wen Shi Jing 文 始 經 .
From this creation story, we see that the original
purpose of the Dao De Jing is to provide guidance for our
spiritual cultivation. It is a great blessing to create opportunities
that allow us to focus on our spiritual selves.
Through our Qigong practice we can continuously refine
our study and understanding of the Dao De Jing.
The Wordless Teaching
In general, the first chapter of each of the Chinese
classics reveals the purpose of the rest of the book. Consequently,
it is always worth spending extra time on the
first chapter so that you can get a real sense of the spirit
of the book.
Please allow me to make a set of Gong Fu 功 夫 tea
so that we can savor the first chapter of the Dao De Jing
together slowly (please read my book, Vital Breath of the
Dao, if you are interested in learning more about the Gong
Fu tea ceremony).
Let us sip our tea and discuss the first line of Dao De
Jing together.
Dao
Ke
Dao
Fei
Chang
Dao
道
可
道
非
常
道
The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao.
Tea Commentary: The original meaning of Chinese
character 道 (Dao) is simply a trail, road, or path
on which to walk. Later on, the meaning expanded to
include rule, law, way, method, and the spoken word. In
traditional Chinese philosophy, the Dao also refers to the
way of nature or the universal law. In the first sentence of
the Dao De Jing there are three Dao characters. The first
and the third instances use Dao to mean the way or the
method, while the second occurrence is used to mean
speak or express.
The hidden meaning of this line is as follows:
The ways that are expressed in our daily lives, such as
those pertaining to politics, business, and knowledge do
not provide the pathway to the Eternal Dao – immortality
or true enlightenment.
The way to attain the Eternal Dao is wordless. The
path to the Eternal Dao involves gaining a deep understanding
of your physical body, your Qi body, and your
spiritual body. That is because the path to the Eternal
Dao is not mental or verbal. Rather, it is experiential.
We reach the Eternal Dao through the same method
as we enjoy our tea. We savor the tea, experiencing it
directly through our senses – by tasting, smelling and
seeing it, and by being in touch with its effects on our
bodies - that way we accurately understand the rich and
subtle complexities of the tea. If I tried to describe the
flavor, fragrance, and color of the tea to you and never
offered you the opportunity to savor the tea yourself, you
would gain some superficial knowledge about the tea but
The Empty Vessel 29

you would never grow to truly understand it.
We learn about the Eternal Dao not only through the
Dao of tea, but also through the Dao of Qi. Traditional Qigong
forms serve as another pathway to the Eternal Dao.
By cultivating our Qi, we learn to experience the Eternal
Dao through our bodies, our breath, and our spirits.
Conclusion
Guan 觀 which meansobserve or observation, is
one of the traditional names for Qigong. Guan is also
the name used to refer to all traditional Daoist temples
in China. For thousands of years, Daoist temples have
been much more than regional sites for ceremony or
religion. Traditional Daoist temples have been and
continue to be havens where Daoist masters, following
Lao Zi’s teaching, diligently practice various methods of
Guan, or inner observation. Guanis both the secret and
not-so-secret method of Lao Zi’s own Qigong and inner
cultivation practice.
The lineage of Lao Zi’s teachings is known as the
Hidden Immortal Lineage or Dragon Like Lineage. This
name came about through Confucius. One day, Confucius
returned from studying with Lao Zi. His students,
curious about the mysterious master, asked Confucius
what he thought about Lao Zi. Confucius replied: “Lao
Zi is just like a dragon.”
In China, the dragon is the most common icon, replicated
on businesses and temples, in homes, on paintings,
ceramics, clothes, etc. However ubiquitous in Chinese
culture, the dragon itself is still a mystery – both seen and
unseen, ever present but little understood.
Similarly, although the Dao De Jing is arguably
China’s most famous book, most people don’t realize that
the Dao De Jing is actually Lao Zi’s cultivation handbook.
The secret to understanding the Dao De Jing is not a secret
at all. Through a committed inner cultivation practice
and guidance of an illumined master, you can decode the
enigmas within these five thousand words and find the
path to the Eternal Dao.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to express my gratitude and appreciation
for my wife, Dr. Karin Taylor Wu, for her helpful
suggestions and her editorial assistance.
Master Zhongxian Wu is the lineage holder of four different
schools of Qigong, Taiji and martial arts. Since 1988, he has
instructed thousands of students, both Eastern and Western in
ancient Chinese wisdom traditions. Master Wu is the author
of Vital Breath of the Dao, Seeking the Spirit of the Book of
Change, The 12 Chinese Animals, Chinese Shamanic Cosmic
Orbit Qigong and Fire Dragon Meridian Qigong. He synthesizes
wisdom and experience for beginning and advanced
practitioners, as well as for patients seeking healing, in his
unique and professionally designed courses and workshops.
For detailed information, please visit www.masterwu.net.
Yijing (I Ching) readings
with Solala Towler
Using his 23-year training in the Daoist Arts,
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30 Winter 2013

Formless Taoism
Ted Cibik
Photo by Judy Mullan
This is an introduction to Formless Taoism that perhaps
will explain why I chose to name it something paradoxical
and to explain a little of its premise. The concept
has been smoldering in the back of my mind since 1999,
but I never really announced it 'til three years ago, once
I had its major tenents down.
Formless Taoism is something that can never be
locked into stasis, but must be experienced and felt in
your blood. It grows with the family of practitioners
that it serves, as it is an individual journey, rather than
a set of rules.
A lot of Formless Taoism concepts originate from
a period in China’s history called the Zhou period and
the gifts that the Shang dynasty gave to the Zhou. The
Shang Dynasty (also called Yin 殷 after the last capital
near modern Anyang 安 陽 /Henan) is the second of the
Three Holy Dynasties (San Dai, 三 代 ) of Chinese historiography
(Xia 夏 , Shang 商 , and Zhou 周 ).
Some of the most specific discoveries of Chinese
medicine were made during the Zhou dynasty, including
the theoretical foundations of Yin/Yang, the Five
Elements (Five transformational Phases), the pathogenic
factors of external environment as a cause of disease and
further understanding of the meridians of acupuncture.
The basic theories of acupuncture were established and
stone needles became obsolete, being replaced by metal
needles.
Formless Taoism is not a spin off of any particular
sect, nor is it an attempt to create something new. It is
closer to Philosophical Taoism (Daojia) or getting back
to the original roots of humans respecting and learning
from nature. This is why I have researched the Zhou and
obtained a lot of information from the oral tradition of Yu
Ching Huang Lao Pai. A Formless Taoist is a true scientist
or explorer of the mind and consciousness who continues
to ask questions as they travel down their unique path.
Also, having assisted professionals in the mental health
field for the last 20 years come to a fuller understanding of
mind and spirit has taught me how to also offer patients
practices to eliminate their suffering.
I think formless is a curious word, which is part of
the appeal for me. Formless is equivalent to the Sanskrit
word arupa (without body or form). From an earthly point
of view, anything formless would be undefined by qualities
of the particular plane of existence. Because of this
lack of qualities, it could not be distinguished (neither
Yin nor Yang) from any other entity or thing existing on
that plane.
First let us understand that when we say planes of
existence, we generally picture or understand a hierarchy
or level(s) that are being manifested in the mind. A better
way to explain it would be to describe these levels more
in a spherical presentation.
One of my teachers spoke of the arupas such as arupadhata
(the formless element) and the arupa-loka (world of
the formless). These arupas and the levels or spheres of
existence are what Plato would call ideas. In other words
these are spheres of the mind.
Whatever takes form is false.
Only the formless endures.
When you understand
The truth of this teaching,
You will not be born again.
For God is infinite,
Within the body and without,
Like a mirror,
And the image in a mirror.
The Empty Vessel 31

Photo by Ted Cibik
As the air is everywhere,
Flowing around a pot
And filling it,
So God is everywhere,
Filling all things
And flowing through them forever.
Ashtavakra Gita 1: 18-20
Moving in the direction of classical Chinese texts,
I think of chapter 54 of the Ling Shu. When the Yellow
Emperor, Huang Di, asks this question, “What is the Shen;
what is the Spirit”? Qi Bo answers, “When Qi and blood
are complete and harmonized, when Wei Qi and Ying
Qi are complete and unimpeded, when the five Zang are
complete and evolved, then the Shen spirit resides in the
heart and mind, the Hun and the Po contain themselves
within the Zang and humanity is complete.”
This paragraph has caused me much reflection. For
in it, I see much wisdom and guidance on how to practice
my life and how to lead my life in practice. It is a wonderful
place to explain Formless Taoism.
One of my favorite sayings is from one of my Zen
teachers, “The ancient teachings illuminate the mind, the
mind illuminates the ancient teachings.”
First, I call Qi the Great Communicator. I call it that
because Qi, to me, is the very thing that connects all
things – even Jing and Shen. It is what allows us to have
a relationship with something as intangible as the Shen. It
is something we can cultivate in our human Jing-formed
body. Qi cultivation is also the method to evolve the five
Zang so that they are complete and unimpeded via our
Dao Yin practice.
So the Wei Qi in Chinese medicine is something autonomic,
much like the unconscious mind. The emotions are
found in the blood in Chinese medicine. The Ying Qi, or
blood level, is our emotional consciousness. So, basically
what the Ling Shu is saying is when the unconscious and
the conscious mind are harmonized and unimpeded, you
can know the Shen. In other words, both consciousness
and unconsciousness are completely aware of each other
– no more inner secrets to yourself. You are self-actualized
and enlightened to yourself. Enlightenment can mean
freedom from karma (if you believe in karma). Karma is
created every time you act out of consciousness or with
intentional maliciousness in word and action, ignorance,
and selfishness in ways that cause suffering to others.
For most of us, this behavior is a powerful force – the
accumulated momentum of literally countless actions.
The opposite of that is grace or the state of what grace
is; a synonym here is peace.
Another way of looking at this is to study the breath:
the Yin and Yang of it. The inhale allows for entrance into
Yin-Lungs and dissension into the Kidneys. The exhale
allows exit from the Kidneys to Lungs/Heart (into the
brain). The exhalation moves Wei Qi and the inhalation
moves Ying Qi. So we can see that that Ling Shu is talking
about regulation of the breath also, only in archaic
language. We can also support this by Chapter 34 of the
Nan Jing – “That which guards the essence is the mind.”
The Spleen/Earth (mind) and Kidney/Water (essence)
relationship is better explained through the union
between the two, resulting in wisdom in the mind.
The matchmaker of the mind and essence is the Lungs
(the breath). At night, the Lungs descend into the Kidneys
and as we sleep, we become aware of our unconscious
32 Winter 2013

in the form of dreams. Also, at night the Wei Qi moves
inward according to the Nan Jing and what has not been
cleared now circulates in the blood (emotions).
In Formless Taoism, we practice a unique way to
clear out prior to going to bed that keeps our blood from
having to transport any pathogenic factors from the Wei
Qi into the blood (Ying Qi) during sleep. No, this does
not make you an immortal; it just allows you to live your
life to the fullest the next day!
Getting back to the Ling Shu, notice the redundant
use of the word completion. The emphasis is of achieving
a state of feeling fulfilled, feeling accomplished, that
we have graduated in many ways from the curriculum,
from the lessons that life has provided us, and we feel that
there is a certain degree of peace, being harmonized with
where we have come, where we are going and obviously
more importantly where we are right now. Being forever
present in this state of harmony is what Joseph Campbell
called following your bliss.
As long as you are not feeling fulfilled and not feeling
like you are following your destiny your Shen cannot
emerge into you and you into it. Remember what Qi Bo
said about humanity becoming complete. Humanity here
refers to the San Cai or the Three Treasures of Heaven,
Earth and Humanity, which is suspended between
Heaven and Earth.
To many degrees some people will argue that was
what the Taoists talked about as immortality; that we
become immortal when we are able to live a life of our
own choosing because everything we need to encounter
in this life as part of the curriculum has already been
complete. Jesus said it another way in the Gnostic Gospel
(58):”Blessed is the man who has suffered and found life.”
So you can see that Formless Taoism is not just Chinese
in nature, but follows many great men and their
teachings. That to me became important because I believe
in the history of humankind, that there have been many,
many great teachers. Through segregation, jealousy and
hatred we have separated the whole and have missed the
message, missed the mark, on what many great teachers
have laid down before us. Why not utilize the wisdom of
humankind’s history of great wording to elevate us to a
new level of understanding?
You can also see from chapter 54, that there is a course
of action that is to be taken. First we must work on our
cultivation of Qi – Dao Yin to communicate. Second, one
must clean their blood by utilizing Qi as the cleanser and
cultivator utilizing that communication. Harmonization
is the absence of sides (i.e. Yin and Yang), but balance.
How does one get balance? That is the million-dollar
question. Answer: We must learn how not to be so judgmental
of others and ourselves and to let go!
Judgment vs. Discernment.
Judgment is when a person places an emotional value
of good or bad, right or wrong on an activity, person, or
experience and has emotional attachment to that value.
Photo by Judy Mullan
This mostly is originating from the ego of the person
(my way is the right way). Discernment is the ability to
understand clearly and make wise informed choices.
Admittedly, these are more spiritual definitions than
those of Webster’s dictionary.
Often others judge us in many ways. But, permitting
this to influence us is another trapping of the mind. By
judging their comments, or what they displayed in body
language or wrote, we too become ensnared in judgment.
In Formless Taoism we continually let go of such things
until we come to a place where we have freedom of the
mind. That does not mean that we do not discern. We
make discernments all day long from what time we get
up to what we will wear to what kind of career (or not)
we want to have. This is different than judgment.
Judgment is something I see within the clinic daily.
Where vast courage is needed most is when there is no
support for what you know in your heart to be true.
Friends and even family may not support you, you may
be criticized from near and far, in word and in writing
and yet your truth shines through. Oftentimes this happens
during a path of treatment that other family members
do not agree upon. As I try to explain, each of us is
responsible for our own health choices if of sound mind,
yet judgment is often placed if there is disagreement with
care choices.
Purging this fear of being wrong about your foundation
of life takes immense mental and spiritual courage.
Jesus searched his heart and soul in the desert and so did
Buddha in his meditation (perhaps yet another reason to
The Empty Vessel 33

venerate, have reverence for and try to copy in thought
and deed these great men).
In humanistic therapy and Formless Taoism as well,
sometimes being wrong is the worst fear of all. Being
wrong about what you have invested your time and energy
into learning and thinking about mentally, physically
and spiritually could be devastating. It can be especially
devastating when it comes to religious beliefs if the thing
that you have told yourself over and over that has become
your belief, keeps you from surrendering to what you
know in your heart to be true. The more we fear being
wrong, the more we cling to our beliefs and make judgments
to support those beliefs. This eventually moves
into a place of stasis or illness than can lead to poison
of the soul. Often the whole notion of being wrong is
defended with violence towards others either passively
or aggressively, and ultimately to yourself.
In Formless Taoism, we see fear as a question: What
are you afraid of, and why? Just as the seed of health is
in illness, because illness contains information, your fears
are a treasure house of self-knowledge if you explore
them. In Formless Taoism, we probe a person via questions
to the point that they come to their own realization
of what they need.
One of the greatest trappings of the mind is the need
to be right and prove it to the rest of the world. This is
something that takes constant work in our Jing material
world of accomplishments and goal setting. In Formless
Taoism, we practice letting go of the need to be right –
especially all the time. So many of you reading this may
say, “That’s not right or I know that is not true.” That is
fine with me and other practitioners of Formless Taoism.
In our release of being right we are free to be at peace.
(See our Spring 2013 issue with part two of this
article, with an interview with Dr. Cibik about his work
with patients and students.)
Ted Cibik has been passionate about Chinese medicine,
meditation, martial arts and healing since childhood. Having
survived two near death experiences and “crossing over” both
times, he has unique insight to the spiritual world of energy.
He was awarded the title of Zhong Yi or Doctor of Chinese
Medicine and is a Taoist Priest. Dr. Cibik teaches Inner
Strength QiGong forged from Classical Chinese Medicine
and Taoist roots at his clinic and retreat in Leechburg, PA.
For more information about Dr. Cibik's programs, please see
www.innerstrengthqigong.com
34 Winter 2013

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36 Winter 2013

Taoist Sexual Meditation:
Connecting Love, Qi and Spirit
Bruce Frantzis
The late Wang Shu Jin demonstrates standing qigong
in a park in Taichung, Taiwan.
Photo by author.
The Invitation
I was a nineteen-year-old hotshot martial arts champion.
It was the 1960s, and I had managed to get myself
introduced to the legendary tai chi, hsing-i and bagua
master, Wang Shu Jin. Amazingly, he was willing to
take me on as a student. On a hot and humid afternoon,
we were sitting together in his living room in Taichung,
Taiwan. Bald-headed, big-bellied, with arms and legs like
tree-trunks, the old man proceeded to lay into me. “I can
fight better than you. I can eat more than you,” and then
hitting me way below the belt, at least metaphorically
speaking, he added, “and I’m better at sex than you.
There’s more to being strong than youth. It’s all to do
with how much qi you have.”
Sometime later, in the middle of sparring practice,
Wang took the idea further: “You look like a sexually
high-spirited young man,” he told me, “but do you really
know how to do it?” I was shocked and insulted
and didn’t like where the conversation was going. Here
was a man in his sixties, carrying 300 pounds on a 5 foot
8 inch rotund frame—not the body type
you might commonly associate with the
buff, macho sexuality paraded about in
the West. Who was he to challenge my
youthful enthusiasm and what I thought
of as natural prowess?
In fact, I knew full well who he
was—one of the best fighters in all of
China. When I realized that his intent
was not to insult me but to open my
mind, I began to get curious about what
he might know. I’d already experienced
the remarkable power of Master Wang’s
qi firsthand—when he had first invited
me to spar with him. Even with black
belts in judo, karate, jujitsu and aikido, I
couldn’t get near him. When he asked me
to punch him in the gut as hard as I could,
he bounced me right off his big belly like
a rubber ball. As a martial artist, he was
matchless. That much was abundantly
clear. Equally remarkable were his older students, some
in their sixties or seventies, including women, who could
spar with me and hold their own. Without a doubt, Wang
was an extraordinary teacher.
Wang told me that there was a secret Taoist meditation
group with a comprehensive knowledge of sex, far
beyond what I could imagine. He invited me to join it.
For a total of seven years, I trained intensively with this
group to which Wang had given me an introduction.
Later I completed my studies of Taoist meditation in
Beijing, under the tutelage of Taoist Lineage Master Liu
Hung Chieh.
Sex and Taoism—A Match Made in Heaven
The Taoists see sexuality as essential to who and what
we are—an aspect of our nature that can be cultivated,
rather than repressed or denied. Instead of attempting
to conquer our “lower nature” and suppress what are
essentially healthy impulses, Taoists encourage living
life in harmony with what is.
Sexual energy is the single most powerful, natural
internal force that is readily available to a human being
to foster his or her spiritual development. For thousands
The Empty Vessel 37

of years, Taoists have harnessed this qi using precise and
very pragmatic methods.
The sexual act itself causes your qi to naturally become
vibrantly obvious and accessible to you.
For most of us, the word “meditation” conjures up
a person sitting on a cushion in an upright posture with
eyes closed, quietly communing with a higher power. We
don’t generally associate meditation with making love.
Yet the Taoists found combining sex and meditation with
specific methods to be one of the fastest methods to accelerate
a practitioner’s spiritual advancement.
The Goddess Bixia Yuanjun at the Bai Yun Guan (White Cloud
Temple) in Beijing. This is the main Taoist temple in China, where
the author spent many hours practicing the meditation methods he
learned from Lineage Master Liu Hung Chieh.
Bixia Yuanjun is said to bring lovers together and
bless them with peace and harmony.
Photo by Caroline Frantzis
Learning Taoist sexual practices is a multilevel process.
The beginning level could be called “ordinary sex”
or “the way of love.” The intermediate level, or “subtle
energy sex,” is what Taoists refer to as “sexual qigong”
or “the way of energy.” The advanced level is “sexual
meditation” or “the way of spirit,” an accelerated path
to full enlightenment.
Ordinary Sex
Ordinary sex is about having more pleasure, emotional
satisfaction and peace during lovemaking and in
the course of your everyday life. The foundation for this
level is learning how to navigate, activate and turn on all
the body’s erogenous zones to best effect, utilizing every
part of your body that can accomplish the task.
Ordinary sex eases the hormonal system and releases
internal pressure. It can help train relaxation and release
the nerves so that sex can become enjoyable. Feeling
frustrated and irritable after a long workday? Having
sex can be a great antidote. Along with the feel-good
experience that makes both people happy, sex regulates
the natural sexual urge that if left unfulfilled can make a
person edgy and irritable.
Sexual activity helps to regulate the flow of bodily fluids,
improve mood and balance hormones.
Sadly, many couples don’t even have an ordinary
sex life. Nerve tiredness—a common experience in our
overwhelmed, overscheduled, fear-driven, technologydependent
lives—causes lack of interest and an inability
to have sex.
Nervous exhaustion diminishes the sex drive by dulling
the central nervous system in general and the sexual nerves in
particular, rendering them incapable of feeling and responding.
This is why people say “my nerves are shot” after a
day of excessive visual and other stimulation. The nerves
actually get temporarily burnt out when your mind and
emotions are racing faster than your nerves can handle.
At the very least, ordinary sex practices can help resolve
many of the avoidable tensions that get in the way of
enjoying sex.
Over thousands of years, Taoists have developed and
honed precise and very practical methods to relax and release
the nerves.
Relaxation helps a man prolong the sex act, maintain
erections longer, and climax without ejaculating. It can
enable a woman to achieve orgasm more easily or become
multi-orgasmic, and she can learn to expand her orgasm
so that it ripples in waves through her entire body. The
two simple practices that follow can help partners relax
and restore tired nerves. The practice of pulsing 1 is especially
helpful.
The following ordinary sex practices can help you
begin to achieve relaxation during sex that you can carry
into other aspects of your life.
Practice 1: Merge Your Breathing
The simplest way to rejuvenate tired nerves is for
you and your partner to breathe together, breathing just
loudly enough to hear one another. Simply hold each
other in a comfortable position and continue until youbreaths
gradually begin to synchronize. Slowly allow
each breath to become deeper and quieter, until both of
you grow very quiet inside and breathe as one person.
This is a wonderfully simple way to create connection,
deepen emotional bonding and reawaken sexual desire.
1. Pulsing, also known as opening and closing, is a key component of
Taoist neigong. The author teaches the pulsing techniques within his
Marriage of Heaven and EarthQigong Program.
38 Winter 2013

Gently breathe, while opening and closing your hands
together in unison.
Illustration by Emmeralda Yang
Practice 2: Pulsing 1
Another way partners can calm their nerves when
exhausted is by holding and gently pulsing each other’s
hands, which involves gently opening and closing the
hand and wrist joint in a smooth rhythm. Begin with
light squeezes and then gradually add more intensity as
your sexual contractions begin to awaken. Eventually,
you will be pulsing together in unison. Keep the pulsing
synchronized while you and your lover’s minds and
nervous systems slow down and begin to relax.
You can also use both of these methods simultaneously
so that you breathe and pulse hands in unison.
Eventually, you and your partner will become quiet and
calm, aware of the simple pleasure you are generating in
each other’s bodies. Let nervous exhaustion fade away as
you both relax into and feel the interplay of each other’s
yin and yang energy.
Pulsing is the body’s basic condition during lovemaking.
Pulsation occurs naturally in your genitals during
pleasurable writhing and sexual contractions. The pulsing
exercise helps you along the path to relaxation.
The basic question is, “Can you relax your nerves sufficiently
so that you and your partner can pulse together
during sex?”
Commonly, one partner is so exhausted that he or
she simply closes down and becomes numb. A verbal or
nonverbal signal says “No thank you” to sex and that’s
where it ends. Instead, try to breathe and pulse in unison
to develop mutual relaxation. Sexual rapport is often a
direct result.
Allow your partner the time he or she needs to release
nervous exhaustion. After a few minutes of pulsing, as
accumulated nervous system tension releases, your partner
might just be in the mood. If he or she falls asleep,
or really wants to crawl into a cocoon, simply allow it.
When he or she wakes up, the deep state of relaxation that
your pulsing has induced often leads to sexual interest.
Sexual Qigong
Sexual qigong goes beyond ordinary sex by working
directly with the qi that flows through a human
being. This level works with deeper energetic physical,
emotional, mental, and psychological dimensions and,
potentially, the psychic energy realm.
Through consciously engaging, activating and directing
the flow of subtle energy within and between
sexual partners, sexual qigong can have extraordinary
significance and value. With practice you can shift from
being under the influence of your feelings—identified
with whatever is blasting through your body and mind
at the moment—to actually becoming like the conductor
of an orchestra. Once you learn to work with energy,
balancing and harmonizing it, you can bring suppressed
emotions to the surface, or tone down emotions that tend
to flare up and wreak havoc. In addition to helping you
become emotionally healthier, sexual qigong energizes
your mental and creative processes.
The author teaches tai chi push hands, an art of playing with both
your own energy and that of your partner. Push hands is the bridge
between tai chi form work and sparring. Yet when practiced in a
playful, non-threatening manner, it can be a wonderful antidote to
stress, as well as developing the qi sensitivity necessary
for sexual qigong.
Photo by Richard Marks
In the Eastern traditions that harness subtle energies
in a sexual context, the price of admission is often some
form of training in such energetic practices as Indian or
Taoist yoga, qigong, or the push hands practices of tai
chi. These body-mind methods train you to access your
inner self and become sensitive to where energy flows
smoothly and where it feels stagnant.
The Practice of Dissolving
Inner and Outer Dissolving 2 are at the heart of the
2. For more on Outer Dissolving, see the author’s qigong book, Opening
the Energy Gates of Your Body, (North Atlantic Books, 2006), Chapters
6–8. Inner Dissolving practices are described in detail in the author’s
book, The Tao of Letting Go, (North Atlantic Books, 2009) and accompanying
CD set.
The Empty Vessel 39

Bruce Frantzis was a disciple of the late Taoist Lineage
Master Liu Hung Chieh, of Beijing, China. The author wishes to
express his deep gratitude to Liu for passing down the ancient
traditions of qigong, internal martial arts and Taoist meditation.
Photo by Caroline Frantzis
Taoist Water tradition, described by Laozi (Lao Tzu) in
his book, the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching), written more than
2,500 years ago. I am a lineage holder in this tradition
through Liu Hung Chieh of Beijing
Within sexual qigong, Outer Dissolving activates and
opens up the body’s energetic anatomy and qi pathways.
It can also be used to bring out greater physical abilities,
for example to help an athlete perform better in competition
or give a mountain climber more stamina.
The Outer Dissolving practice of sexual qigong is used to
mitigate or heal illness as well as to release the energetic blockages
that diminish one’s capacity to experience sexual pleasure.
As you advance, you learn the Taoist sexual meditation
method of Inner Dissolving to let go of the deepest
energetic blockages. The goal of Inner Dissolving is to
release and resolve deeper energetic blockages of one or
ideally both sexual partners so that the practitioners can
evolve spiritually all the way to enlightenment.
A practitioner moves through the following three
stages within the Taoist Water tradition Dissolving
practice:
Sexual qigong techniques based on Outer Dissolving.
Sexual meditation techniques based on Inner Dissolving.
Synthesis of Inner and Outer Dissolving, taking Dissolving
to its higher potential in order to transcend the
limitations of being corporeal.
Sexual Meditation
Sexual qigong is the bridge to Taoist sexual meditation,
a sophisticated method of channeling subtle energy
for spiritual purposes. There is a world of difference between
what is often called sacred sex and sexual meditation.
Many people think that running subtle energy
through the body is meditation. It isn’t. Running
energy is running energy. When people begin to
perceive energy, sex becomes incredibly alive and
far more satisfying—however this is the purview
of sexual qigong rather than meditation.
Sexual meditation is also not related to the
spiritualization of sex that comes with creating a
sacred container, building an altar or performing
a puja (the ceremonial invocation of the god and
goddess within that is part of Indian Tantra). All
of those practices have their appropriate place.
Sexual meditation is of another order altogether.
Through sexual meditation, the Taoists discovered
that you can gain access to up to four times the
normal energy available for use within meditation
practices to dissolve spiritual blockages.
With sexual meditation you can begin to use
the more advanced method of Inner Dissolving to:
Consciously both enter and merge with your partner’s
consciousness and have your partner do likewise
with yours.
Consciously dissolve the deeper energetic blockages
of both you and your lover and have your partner
simultaneously do the same.
Go beyond the limitations of corporeal form.
In the Taoist world, sexual meditation is first and
foremost a vehicle for spiritual development and practice.
The goal is to work toward what is commonly called enlightenment.
It is considered a direct and even accelerated
path that enables lovers to start engaging with spirituality
by harnessing sexual energy, a naturally powerful energy
readily available to us as human beings.
Sexual meditation methods go well beyond what can
be attained using sexual qigong. While making love, these
practices enable you to refine and increase your ability to
release the deepest blockages that prevent the full flowering
and emergence of your soul. Sex becomes a means to
open a direct path to uncovering the possibilities of spirit
and releasing your full human potential.
Eight Taoist Principles
Although Taoism is one of the great religions of the
world, it is not widely understood by Westerners. Many
have been introduced to Taoism through three ancient
literary works—the I Ching, the Tao Te Ching (written by
Laozi) and the Book of Zhuangzi, which have been translated
and analyzed by scholars and studied in academic
circles.
At its core, the essence of Taoism is about pragmatic practices
that make it possible to live well in the world.
Taoism is very much about how to make something
work rather than how to think about a subject or analyze
it. What are the steps to becoming vibrantly healthy?
How do you best work out emotional issues that have
plagued you since childhood? How do you become a
40 Winter 2013

etter and more sensitive lover? How do you train to
become a more effective fighter? What is the best way to
deal with fear or change?
All religions have spiritual beliefs, but most do not
have health, fighting and sexual arts as part of their
religious canon. Taoism is unusual in that it does. Nor
do many religions have a living sexual meditation tradition
that guides you step-by-step on the path of spiritual
awakening.
The Water method of Taoism was passed down
through Laozi. The following eight principles are fundamental
to Laozi’s tradition of sexual qigong and meditation
and lie at the core of the Water method.
Naturalness
Nature—zi ran in Chinese—is another way of saying
the Tao. It is tempting to frame sex as something that is
either sacred or profane. To Taoists, sex may be either,
neither or both. In fact, from the viewpoint of spiritual
evolution, neither an abundance of sexual need and desire
nor a complete lack of it is relevant. Sex is a natural part
of human nature.
Naturalness is the goal.
With regard to sexuality, this means being natural,
comfortable and at ease in all phases of sexuality. Let
the flow be natural from the initial meeting to foreplay
and orgasm. Neither attempt nor engage in games to
manipulate the other. Leave aside cookbook approaches
and do what comes naturally from the qi that spontaneously
arises in both partners.
Internal Balance
The cornerstone of sexuality is the ability to attain
internal balance—something often desperately sought
in today’s frenetic world. Internal balance is an essential
component to living a satisfying life. Sex should make
both people feel smooth inside, both in the midst of sexual
play and even more importantly, for a long, lingering period
afterward. Developing internal balance is the key to
being able to have longer and more stable relationships.
An erratic jangled afterglow diminishes the possibility of
both partners being willing to try to stay bonded either
as platonic friends or lovers.
Relaxation
The entire Water tradition emphasizes relaxation at
all levels of human experience. Beyond relaxing your
muscles and nerves, its methods help you relax into the
deepest substructures of your anatomy. Energetically it
deliberately teaches you to relax your qi, the energy that
enables your physical body, emotions, thoughts and hidden
psychic capacities to function smoothly. The more
relaxed you are on all levels from the physical to the
psychic, the better the sex you can have. Relax ever more
deeply as foreplay continues. Let the ever-increasing relaxation
of sexual, emotional or mental foreplay lead you
gradually into intercourse. If only one lover is a sexual
qigong or sexual meditation practitioner, it still makes sex
significantly better. If both are practitioners this makes sex
for both partners more satisfying and spiritually fruitful.
Making Your Body Conscious
The Taoist tradition is one of the few that truly brings
people fully into their body. Practices like Taoist breathing,
qigong and tai chi are meant to strengthen the human
nervous system and prepare the body for higher spiritual
work. Taoist practices teach you how to focus your full
attention on the inside of your body until it wakes up and
feels alive, not as an imagined visualization, but as a felt
reality. The practices teach you to think less and feel more.
The methods derived from the Water tradition of Laozi to
develop internal feelings concentrate on allowing, following
and working with the energies that already exist in your body
at each instant of time.
Seventy-Percent Rule: Do Neither Too Much
Nor Too Little
All Taoist qi practices from the original Water tradition
incorporate the principle of moderation that can be
described as the “seventy-percent rule.” The rule states
that you should only do a practice or technique to seventy
percent of your capacity. Striving for one hundred
percent produces excess tension and stress that causes
the body to tense up or shut down. In this era, people are
led to believe that by straining, they will progress faster
and further. Most people do not want moderation—they
want excess. However, if you always push your energy
to a hundred percent, you will never allow your nerves
and muscles to relax so that you can progress efficiently
without producing unnecessary stress or burnout.
The seventy-percent rule and relaxation are fundamentally
linked.
This is especially true when sexual practices are involved
because they create a high energetic output that
can result in a large amount of internal resistance within
one or both partners.
Letting Go
Your spiritual progress could be likened to the way
a great statue can emerge from a huge piece of marble.
Through the application of control, the artist creates a vision
of what he or she wants it to look like in the end. The
artist draws up clear plans with all desired specifications
according to his vision. Next the plans are precisely executed
where each detail is controlled perfectly and from
this you get a statue. This is way of the Fire method of
Neo-Taoism that was developed after the Water method.
A major aspect of the Fire tradition is control.
Through the application of letting go, the artist places
the big piece of marble in the studio, looks at it and
observes while letting go of any idea of what the rock
should become. The artist waits and merges his energy
field with the rock’s energy field. The rock then tells the
artist what has to be let go and chiseled away. The statue
The Empty Vessel 41

thus emerges from the nature of the combined
energy of the rock and the artist. The
artist is the agent through which the flow
of manifestation moves. This is the way of
Water, flowing through all the practices in
Laozi’s lineage.
Inner and Outer Dissolving are the primary
methods by which letting go is accomplished.
You recognize what is tense or dysfunctional
inside and then let it go.
Wu So Hui and You So Hui
Two phrases lie at the core of how
Taoists decide to implement any moral or
philosophical principle in life. Wu so hui
means “the small stuff”; “it’s neither here
nor there”; “it’s okay if you do or don’t.”
Often these are the thousands of small
decisions a person makes each day. You so
hui considers what is critically important,
essential to living. This is the big stuff that
really matters.
On the level of ordinary sex between consenting
adults, the choices generally can be called wu so hui. From
the Taoist spiritual perspective generally, that which positively
or negatively affects the events of your life on this
earth, but will not create karma nor follow and potentially
control you in future lives, is spiritually wu so hui. This is
important to address with care, but not critical.
When something is deeply gnawing your guts, has
repetitively gotten in the way of health, emotional or
sexual relationships, it’s you so hui. If it can damage you
and negatively condition your spirit not only in this life
but potentially afterward, then it’s you so hui.
Whatever your culture or religion, looking at your
choices in life from the perspective of these two phrases
is an interesting and practical method for consciously
examining them, particularly in terms of sexuality. It’s
another tool for accessing your awareness.
When the False Leaves, Only the True
Remains
As you make your body more conscious, you become
more able to see what is inside. This brings us to
the principle of “When the False Leaves, Only the True
Remains.” Once you start to see what is inside yourself
and apply dissolving practices, then, as your blockages
resolve, you let go of layer after layer of falsehoods until
eventually you will be left only with what is true.
Dissolving blockages will enable you to let go all
these falsehoods. Without the layers of dust, clouds and
that which is false, it becomes much easier to see what
is true in all times and places. By ridding yourself of all
that is false, you will arrive at your true nature and the
Tao. Likewise, if you arrive at your nature there can be
nothing that is false.
These eight principles have no hierarchy. All Taoist
The author practices Inner Dissolving
inside the Taoist Reed Flute Cave in
Guilin, China.
Photo by Caroline Frantzis.
practices and principles each flow into the other. Like
life itself, each principle or qi practice in Taoism should
seamlessly integrate with the others.
The Superior Man or Woman
The I Ching (Book of Changes) refers to the superior
man or woman, and it also mentions the inferior man or
woman. Almost everything that transpires in conventional
society stems from the mindset of the inferior man
or woman. All the craziness of politics and corruption
are nothing more than the actions of the inferior man or
woman. The majority of people in the world simply don’t
have access to the subtle dimension of their soul. They
remain impoverished of spirit, even though their insides
contain immense untapped wealth. It’s as if they have a
million dollars in the bank, but don’t have the access code
to get cash from the ATM machine.
If you want to become a superior man or woman,
you have to get rid of the blockages—the obstacles that
prevent your conscious mind from recognizing what
the rest of you truly is. If you don’t recognize who and
what you are—if you don’t “gain your soul,” as Gnostic
Christians would say—you are left to fixate, moment by
moment and time after time, on whatever piece of you
appears to be a big deal.
The distraction, upset or fascination of the moment
becomes your whole world. There are trillions and trillions
of fixations that you could make important, but none
of this will make you smooth inside. Nothing you gain
on the outside leads to freedom from all that nonsense, it
just perpetuates your fixations. The base of what drives
42 Winter 2013

you remains.
Getting rid of what drives you and resolving it—freeing
that energy—is what sexual meditation and, in fact, all Taoist
meditation is about.
Taoist meditation leads you on the path to becoming
the superior man or woman of the I Ching. It allows you
to become extraordinary, to go beyond what Buddhists
refer to as “obstacles,” Indian yogis call “samskara” and
the Taoists call “blockages.” These are blocked impressions,
the energies within your being that prevent your
conscious mind from recognizing what you truly are.
Meditation takes you to the root of what’s in your mind.
It allows you to recognize what drives you and get rid of
it. You want to release that energy so it can be free to do
what it’s supposed to do rather than remain stuck and
churning inside, causing no end of upset, tension and
unresolved expectations.
Highly refined practice methods enable you to arrive
at a state of freedom, which is the whole purpose
of meditation. In Christian terms, the aim is to literally
know God’s mind. In Taoist meditation, it’s to gain your
being, to be inside the mind of the universe. It is in order
to attain this ultimate realization that the wide spectrum
of spiritual practices using qi work originally came into
existence.
Once you have become familiar with the reality of
your mind and spirit by traveling inside yourself and
gaining your soul, sooner or later the time will come
when you realize you are at the next stage. This requires
that each individual engage with the world, explore how
the world and the soul are connected and how each can
fulfill or block each other. This is the mutually reinforcing
circle of life that carries us through many stages of
spiritual evolution.
Little known and rarely taught, Taoist sexual practices
offer a wonderful way to experience spirituality.
However, more satisfying and fulfilling lovemaking is
just a tiny fraction of what Taoism can give you. It is my
hope that one of the world’s great religious traditions
becomes more fully understood in the West, so that its
potent, transformative techniques can be used to benefit
the human condition in all kinds of ways, from the everyday
to the esoteric, both inside and outside the bedroom.
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A laser beam can be a thousand times more radiant than an ordinary light using the
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have a similar characteristic at the nano level in that they are intelligently grown in
a geometric pattern allowing for an amplified and unencumbered flow of the
(vibrating wave) electron alignment.
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Subscribe to The
Empty Vessel and get
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own door!
This article is excerpted from Bruce Frantzis’ book, Taoist
Sexual Meditation: Connecting Love, Energy and Spirit, published
by North Atlantic Books in November 2012. Bruce
Frantzis, Ph.D., spent more than a decade following the
Taoist path of warrior/healer/priest in China, where he was
trained by some of its greatest masters. He is the first known
Westerner to hold authentic lineages in Taoist meditation,
qigong, tai chi, bagua and hsing-i. Frantzis studied in Japan
and India for five years and has extensive experience in Zen,
Tibetan Buddhism, yoga, Kundalini, energy healing therapies
and Taoist Fire and Water traditions. Visit www.EnergyArts.
com for Frantzis’ worldwide calendar of events and complete
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The Empty Vessel 43

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The Empty Vessel 45

Reviews
From Wu Chi to Tai Chi: A Story
of Ancient Beginnings by Richard
Leirer. (Qigong Academy Press,
2012) Softcover, 238 pages, $18.95
The author, who has 40+ years
of experience with taiji, qigong
and Chinese medicine, takes us
on a journey through the world
of Daoist cultivation arts. Written
in a frank and engaging manner,
this is an important book for
anyone pursuing the Daoist arts.
Drawing from a wide variety of
spiritual teachings, in addition
to ancient teachings from China,
the author leads us ever deeper
into the area of wholeness and
physical and spiritual health.
Explaining what qi and is how qi
cultivation works in the body, we
receive instruction for beginning
and maintaining a taiji or qjgong
practice and how it can effect
changes in both the physical body
as well as the mental and energetic
body. As he says: "The circulation
of Qi through the body is needed
to protect and evolve into a real
human and regain our original
self and obtain self-realization."
While many people study tai chi
and qigong for health reasons
this author reminds us that they
are both actually tools for selfrealization
as well.
Expansion Mastery: The Practical
Guide to Living a Fully Engaged
Life by Robert D. Bessler. (Morgan-
James, 2012.) Softcover, 253 pages,
$19.95. This book, with chapters
such as Awakening Mindfullness,
Choose to be Happy, Heart Connection
& Oneness, The Feeling
of Bliss, and Develop the Strength
of the Warrior are accompanied
by what the author calls Challenges.
These come in three parts:
The Idea, The Formal Practice
and the author's own experience
with the practice. In this way
the reader is guided through the
sometimes challenging, often exhilarating
experiences of these
very down-to--earth lessons in
living a fully engaged and fully
realized life. I am thrilled that
more and more author's are
drawing, not only on the traditional
teachings and practices
of Dao but their own unique
experience of them in their life
journey. This book is a valuable
contribution to its field will be
helpful for anyone interested
in creating a fuller, richer and
more dynamic life.
The Virtue of Adversity: A
journeyman's Guide to the
School of Hard Knocks by
Steve Bober. (Colorado Publishing,
2012). Softcover, 94 pages,
$14.95. An engaging and fun
account of one man's journey
to find his own Dao. Using
examples from his own life, the
author "offers illustrative ancdotes
and distilled principles as
guides for living smart during
hard times and staying on track
during easy time." In this way
we can learn from his mistakes
and enjoy his triumphs.
Taoist Sexual Meditation by
Bruce Frantzis. (North Atlantic
Books, 2012.) Softcover,
467 pages, $24.95. This book
includes a wealth of information
and illumination on this
facinating subject. (See exerpt
page 29). With chapters such as
Taoist Energy Anatomy, Taoist
Morality, The Path of Taoist
Sexual Practice, Taoist Sexual
Qigong, Taoist Sexual Meditation,
Advanced Practices and
sections on various energetic
sexual practices, this book will
prove to the the definite work
on this subject for some time to
come. Illustrated throughout
with many line drawings.
46 Winter 2013

(Nurturing Life)
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The Empty Vessel 47

Directory
Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. Three year academic
and clinical program. We offer classes in Oriental
medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese herbology. Master’s
degree is accredited. Financial aid and China internships
are available. Preparatory to national certification and
state licensing examinations. (503) 253-3443 for information,
literature.
Genesee Valley Daoist Hermitage. Qigong, sustainable
gardening, meditation for self cultivation. Chinese herbs,
daoist healing to harmonize chronic disorders. PO Box
9224, Moscow, Idaho 83843-1724. (208) 285-0123.
Tidewater Tai Chi Center has been offering classes and
workshops in tai chi, chi kung, meditation, self cultivation
practices and other Taoist arts in Norfolk and Virginia
Beach since 1974. For information call 757.533.9092. Send
email to dondavis@verizon.net or visit www.tidewatertaichi.com.
The Alaska College of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture
& Massage Therapy. 2636 Spenard Rd., Anchorage, AK
99503. Offering course work in a full spectrum of Asian
Studies including Taiji, Qigong, Meditation, Medical
QiGong, Taoist Herbology, Massage Therapy, with advanced
study in Thai Yoga Massage and Tui Na Acupressure
Massage and a three year Masters program of study
in Acupuncture. We offer year round full or part-time
schedules of study. We feature biannual Spring and Fall
Health and Wellness Festivals where participants can
study cutting edge information with our expert staff
and visiting masters from around the globe. Traveling to
Alaska? Check out our website and make sure our classes
and workshops are in your plans. www.touchoftao.com.
(907) 279-0135
White Cloud Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico offers
learning opportunities to people of all ages. Certification
programs in Taoist Studies, Energy Medicine and Chi Nei
Tsang: External Qi Healing. Weekly Tai Chi and Qigong
classes. Qigong Research and Retreats. Continuing Education
for Massage, Nursing and Acupuncture. Ask about
retreats. (505) 471-9330, www.whitecloudinstitute.com.
Qigong & Daoist Training Center, Shifu Michael Rinaldini
Qigong Certifications, local/distance: 100 hours,
foundation in qigong studies and Daoist practices.
200 or 350 hour certifications, includes above 100
hour program, plus more, and an intensive retreat
in California. Instructor: NQA Level 4 Certified
Teacher, and founder: American Dragon Gate
Lineage. Details: www.dragongateqigong.com.
The Taoist Institute offers studies and services in Chinese
qigong, tai chi chuan, Daoist weddings, shamanic energy
& Reiki healing. Director: Dr. Carl Totton. 10630 Burbank
Blvd., North Hollywood, CA, 91601 (818) 760-4219. www.
taoistinstitute.com.
Embrace The Moon School for Taijiquan and Qigong is
located in Seattle, Washington. Embrace The Moon offers
classes in the full Chen Taijiquan & Luohan Gong Qigong
curriculums to all ages and fitness levels as well as offers
extensive teacher training and advanced development
programs in these systems. Founder & Chief Instructor
Kimberly Ivy has 35 years of experience in the Martial
Arts (Judo, Aikido, Taijiquan), Qigong & Yoga. She holds
black belts in Judo & Aikido, and is ranked 6th Duan Wei
by the International Wu Shu Association. Ms. Ivy is a 20th
Generation Disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang and
among the senior international Luohan Gong students of
Grandmaster Gaspar Garcia. More information on the
school can be found at www.embracethemoon.com. Ms.
Ivy is available for seminars on the topic of your choosing.
Contact her to schedule at kim@embracethemoon.
com or by calling (206) 789-0993.
Taoist Arts Center. Wu Style Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Meditation.
Traditional Taoist arts offered in a friendly and
cooperative environment. Classes, Workshops, Private
Instruction. Director: Susan Rabinowitz, 342 East 9th
Street, NYC 10003. (212) 477-7055. www.taoist-arts.com
Daoist Traditions College of Chinese Medical Arts in
Asheville, North Carolina. Accredited Masters program
in Oriental medicine; steeped in the spirit of Daoism and
teachings by Jeffrey Yuen, a world renowned leader in
Classical Chinese Medicine. Preparing students to enter
the profession as skilled acupuncture clinicians. www.
daoisttraditions.edu. admissions@daoisttraditions.edu.
828-225-3993.
Directory/Classified $25 for first 30
words, $1.00 per word thereafter,
15 word minimum.
48 Winter 2013

Special Sale on Back Issues
Many of our back issues have already sold out. If you would like to order back
issues we still have a few sets of 44 issues available for $220 plus $25 p&h!
(U.S. postage only) For overseas orders please contact us at solala@abodetao.com.
Fall 1993
Premier Issue
Teacher of Natural Spiritual Truth:
an interview with Hua-Ching Ni
The Value of Worthlessness
Fall 1994
Cultivating the Physical Body
The Risks of Cultivating Internal Power
Zhuangzi Speaks Comics
A Taoist Abroad
Winter 1995
"Nothing Special":
an interview with Kenneth Cohen
The School of Auto-Idiocy
Sitting Still: Meditation
Spring 1995
"Cultivating the Garden":
an interview with Maoshing Ni
Winter 1996
Myth of Myself by Alan Watts
Achieving Harmony in a World of Conflict
Jing Hwa: The Golden Flower of Tao Mentoring
Spring 1996
Surfing the Wu Wei
Taoism for Children and Teenagers
Summer 1996
Stillness in Motion: Joi Eden and Betty Sun
Guidelines for Practicing Movement
Fall 1996
Curing Cancers Naturally
12 Steps of AAA Adapted for Use with Taoism
Winter 1997
Eight Immortal Days with Kwan Sai-Hung
Refining the Mind
Exploring the Terrain of Taoist China
Spring 1997
Qigong Cautions
Invoking the Heart of Compassion
Interview with T.K. Shih
Winter 1998
Tao and the Great Mother
Qigong Mysteries and Practices
Tao Yin: Meditation in Movement
Summer 1998
Working Out, Working Within
Taoist Psychotherapy
The Power of Internal Martial Arts with B.K. Frantzis
Summer 1999
Special Taoist Medicine Issue
Eight Branches of the Healing Arts Before TCM
Reiki and Qigong
Spring 2000
The Eight Immortals of Taoism
Five Elements and Taoist Feng Shui
Health, Illness and Healing in the Inner Tradition
Summer 2000
Trusting Your True Nature
Understanding Chinese Medicine
Fall 2000
Qigong and Unconditional Love
The Valley Spirit (Living Taoism)
The Taoist Antidote to Stress and Illness
Winter 2001
Lao Zi's Instructions for Spiritual Pracrice
Creating a Field of Healing Qi
Summer 2002
Longevity and the Eight Brocades
Daoist Sitting Meditation
Interview with Zhongxian Wu
Summer 2003
The Feminine and the Dao:
an interview with Ursula K. LeGuin
Daoism and the Classical Chinese Arts
The Daoist Roots of Zen Buddhism
Spring 2005
The Inner Smile
2 1st Century Strategies for New Daoism
Summer 2005
Teachings From the Dao
Wandering on the Wind:
Two Chapters from Zhuangzi
Spring 2006
The Death of Chuang Tzu
The Dao of Consciousness
The Yin Convergence Classic
Winter 2006
A Daoist Tea Ceremony
Dao and Qi
Wandering on the Wind:
Two Chapters from the Zuangzi
Spring 2006
The Death of Chuang Tzu
The Dao of Consciousness
Qigong Prison Ministery
Summer 2006
Transforming the Energy of Negativity
Spiritual/Mental Qualities of the Organs
EV Tour to China & Tibet
Spring 2007
Gardening with Qi
A Taoist View of Enlightenment
Interview with Eva Wong
Summer 2007
Discovering the I Ching
Shen: The Celestial Storehouse
Lu Yu Meets a True Tea Master
Fall 2007
Daoist Lower Dan-tien Psychotherapy
Medical Qigong
Qigong Master Wan Su-jian
Winter 2008
Looking for Daoists in China,
Mortal and Immortal
Huanyang Qigong: Tracing Life to Its Roots
Qigong Fever
Spring 2008
Special I Ching Issue
The I Ching:
The Motherlode of the Chi Revolution
Introduction to the Guidance of the Sixty-Four
Hexagrams
Flying with the I Ching
Methods of Divination
Symbolism and Prediction with the Yijing
The Empty Vessel 49

Summer 2008
The Secret Training of Daoist Magical Incantations
The Making of an Immortal
The Crocodile and the Crane
Fall 2008
Return to Wuyi Mountain with
Chungliang Al Huang
The Chinese way of the Sword
Sexual Qigong
Chicken Soup for Daoist Alchemy
Winter 2009
Returning to Essence Through Shamanic Qigong and Sacred Sound Healing
The Spirit of Tea
Dao at the Beach: Searching for Dao in Daily Life
Fall 2009
Qigong and the Dreamtime
The Natural Process of Internal Alchemy
Zhuangzi: The Inner Chapters
Winter 2010
A Daoist Master's Search for his Chinese Ancestry
Daoism in the Korean Mountains
The Daoist System of Lao Zi: Part One
Spring 2010
The Liezi: Forgotten Daoist Text?
Bagua and Tai Chi: Sophisticated Health Exercises
A Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 1 by Chungliang Al Huang
Summer 2010
Bagua: Why Practice This Old and Obscure Art?
Mystical Wudang Mountain
Guidelines for Setting Up a Daoist Altar
A Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 2
Fall 2010
Chuang Tzu: The Way of Nourishing Life
Nudan Practice and Modern Women
Taoists, Doctors and Shamans
A Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 3
Winter 2011
Chinese Astrology and Inner Cultivation
Wu Wei: The Daoist Art of Happiness
A Taoist Master's Search for His Chinese Ancestry Pt. 4
Spring 2011
Daoism in America: A Conversation with Xuan Yun (Mysterious Cloud)
Pu the HEART Back Into LOVE
Speical Section on BiGu (Avoiding Food and Eating Qi)
Summer 2011
The Ox Herding Chart of Chan Buddhism
Global Warming: A Meta-Physical Perspective
The Master of the Mountain: A Conversation with Master Zhong Yunlong
Fall 2011
Qi Cultivation and the Dao
Taiji and Spiritual Cultivation
Cracking the Matrix
Winter 2012
The World of Chinese Medicine
Qi Medicine and the Purpose of Cultivation
Immortality and the 14 Words of Laozi
Spring 2012
Free and Easy Wandering: A Western Daoist Manifesto
The Tai Chi Sword and Spiriutal Swordsmanship
Introduction to Classical Feng Shui
Summer 2012
The Three Treasures and the Golden Embryo
Shen, Hun and Po in Chinese Medicine
Tai Ji and Dimensional Learning Persepctive
Fall 2012
Big Dipper Meditation
Eliminating Pitfalls in Qiogng Practice
Embracing the One: Daoist Meditation
50 Winter 2013

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888.3396815 • DrSha.com • Facebook.com/DrAndMasterSha • Twitter.com/ZhiGangSha • DivineHealingHands.com
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