The Principles of Self-Cultivation

The human body inherently possesses innate qi, but it is mostly obscured by postnatal food and drink, so it cannot fully play its proper role. The more one eats, the more severe the obscuration, the more waste and garbage accumulates, the heavier the body becomes, and the harder it is to cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi). In order to mobilize well the innate qi one already possesses, one must keep the mind focused on the dantian, letting the qi converge in the dantian. When the dantian qi is sufficient, the qi mechanism will be activated, supplying qi energy to the whole body, driving the circulation of the blood back and forth, and the body's functions will be stimulated and put to use. 

Countless people never make good use of the true qi and functions their bodies inherently possess throughout their entire lives; all of it is suppressed by their dietary habits. When a baby is first born, the body's functions run very well, and the body is soft and elastic. In infancy and childhood, the body's flexibility is high, and the legs can be crossed very well in full lotus. The older one grows, the harder the body becomes, the more difficult it is to cross the legs, the more garbage accumulates in the body, and the worse the circulation of qi and blood becomes. This innate qi in the body can only be released and made to perform its proper functions by reducing food intake and cultivating practice methods. Therefore, if one can fully mobilize the body's qi channels and meridians, one can cultivate meditative concentration well, improve one's constitution, and prolong life. Only by cultivating the body and meditative concentration well can we ensure that our cultivation of the Path is unobstructed and continuously progressing. Otherwise, if the body is unhealthy, the mind will not be at ease; if the mind is not cultivated well, how can there be the Way?

We cultivate the body and mind through bigu (grain avoidance/fasting). During the bigu period, we cannot eat, yet the body still needs energy, so we must transform and absorb other kinds of energy, such as light energy and qi energy. And light energy must ultimately be converted into the qi energy the body needs; qi energy drives the circulation and flow of the blood to maintain the body's energy balance. To absorb light energy, one way is to sunbathe, and another is to sit in meditation and visualize sunlight entering the body, becoming energy that can be utilized within the body. One can also recite mantras while visualizing the Buddha's light entering the body to supply the body with energy. At the same time, one must expel the diseased qi, cold qi, damp qi, and toxic qi from the body. If this visualization is cultivated well, it will be greatly beneficial to physical health—purer and more nourishing than food, and without side effects.

Furthermore, practice some exercises to supplement the body's energy and increase yang qi. Specifically, you can practice using the following methods:

1. Clasp the two hands together behind the back and lift them upward; this can lift the stomach qi and lung qi, stretch the bladder meridian, and the back will become straightened. 

2. Raise the two hands and clasp them together above the head; keeping the body still, rotate everything above the chest. 

3. Hold the two hands in front of the lower abdomen with the palms facing upward, in a ball-embracing posture, slowly raising them upward while taking a deep breath. Raise them to above the head, lift the heels, turn the palms over, and pause for a moment until the breath is full. Then lower the two hands down along the sides of the body while exhaling the breath, and let the heels fall. This increases lung qi.