Developing Stillness 9.

So What is Qigong?

Although the origins of Qigong has its roots lost in ancient Chinese Shamanistic and Daoist culture the word Qigong can be traced to the Tang dynasty (618-907AD), and comes from the words Qi meaning “breath”, “air”, “energy” and gong meaning “work” or “practice”. Traditionally the practice was past from Master to Student in unbroken lineages, but China’s turbulent 1940’s and 50’s the Chinese government banned all Qigong practice, before reinstating the practice in the 1980’s after the cultural revolution. Different Qigong styles were integrated into a coherent system. The style of Qigong we practice in the west today has grown out of the Post Mao Zedong era when a number of “Masters” came down from the mountain to seek fame and fortune as China opened its doors to the Western world.

In his book “Tao, the Subtle Universal Law and the Integral Way of Life” Hua-Ching NI writes:

“Vital energy or chi (qi), as the ancient developed ones¹ in the integral way referred to it, is formless, elusive, and without tangible qualities, yet it is the subtle breath of life which permeates and vivifies the entire universe……..”

Everything that exists in the universe is a manifestation or projection of that energy, in grosser or finer states, everything in the universe (including man) has a time to be born, grow, ripen, mature, and finally a time to fall. The heart beats because of Qi energy and it is said that if our Qi becomes stagnant we become ill, if our Qi stops…..

The concept of Qigong and the cultivation of a universal life force or energy, “Qi” has been practiced since the dawning of man, but the maintenance of Qi for good health was first postulated in the Chinese Classic, the “Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine”, and is considered to be a reflection of medical accomplishment dating from the Warring States Period (475-221BC) and earlier.

Traditional Chinese Medicine, (TCM), Chinese pharmacology (herbalism), acupuncture, massage and Qigong, has proven effective for a range of conditions, and is used extensively by tens of millions of people daily around the world for preventative medicine and self-healing, (however TCM has not received widespread acceptance by Western medical practitioners). Good health results from a well balanced and free flowing Qi energy, which is encouraged by regular Qigong practice and meditation to relieve tension in the body. When our body relaxes, our mind relaxes as well, and the division between the mind and body dissolves enabling us to create a higher state of consciousness. This expanded awareness leads to greater mental clarity and a healthier physical and emotional state.

Chinese Philosophy suggests there are three basic types of Qi (also known as the three treasures), Heaven Qi - (Tian Qi), the Qi of the Universe, and the largest most powerful form of Qi, Earth Qi - (Di Qi), the Qi that is contained within our planet and Human Qi - (Ren Qi). Human Qi regulates our growth, vitality, spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance.

The Sages understood, that everything from the smallest particle to the movement of galaxies through space and time, (including man), is a product of Qi energy in its grosser or finer states. However just as a fish is unaware that it lives in water, so man is unaware that he lives in a vast, inexhaustible sea of energy that supports life and is the subtle essence of all creation. They reasoned that if everything comes from the same subtle origin then everything shares the same true nature, a universal nature of harmony and balance, they called it the Tao.

The Sages reasoned the Tao contained within it all that does not exist, the un-manifest, the “nothingness”, that existed before heaven and earth was born, as well as all that does exist, the manifest, that which is perceptible, that which occurred after heaven and earth were born. This polarization of manifest and un-manifest the Sages called Yin and Yang. The polar aspects of Yin and Yang describe the inter-relationships of everything. We will explore Yin and Yang later, but first let us continue in the realm of Qi……

Today science informs us that air we breathe is made up of 78% Nitrogen, 20% oxygen and 2% of a mixture of gasses of which approximately 0.03% is Carbon dioxide. Every cell in our body requires oxygen in order to generate energy through aerobic respiration, (see the Krebs cycle) in which a molecule of Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), combines with six molecules of Oxygen (6O₂) to produce six molecules of Carbon dioxide (6CO₂), and six molecules of water (6H₂O), plus energy this can be seen in the equation:

C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ = 6CO₂ + 6H₂O  Energy.

Conversely, plants produce the oxygen and glucose that we need to survive through the process of photosynthesis this can be shown in the equation:

6H₂O + 6CO₂ + Light = C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

So we live in a symbiotic relationship with all plant life and our surroundings, they give us food and the oxygen we need to survive. Is it not better to respect and cherish plants that give us oxygen rather than cut off our supply?

Whilst I am not suggesting the ancient ones knew the chemical processes that are so important to our survival, they were aware of the natural order of things and the importance of harmony and balance. Today our lives are filled 24/7, we have grown accustomed to living in our own stressed filled bubble at the expense of our own health. Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation helps to regain control over our lives and to find balance in our life style. Today living in a mountain top retreat in isolated seclusion is not an option, but we can use the methods of the ancient ones to find stillness, peace and tranquility in our lives.

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

.................................................................................................

¹The Sage:

The Sage lived in close touch and co-operation with nature and though often solitary or hermit was not necessarily so. Often, like the Hindu forest dwellers’, he had served state, or humanity, in some capacity before retiring to the wild places to live a life of contemplation. His life was not world renouncing, but looking at life and rejecting the artificial and sophisticated in favour of that which is real and of primary importance.

Cooper J (1990) Taoism The Way of the Mystic Crucible page 69

Ni Hua-Ching (1998) Tao - The subtle universal law and the integral way of life (seventh printing), USA, Seven Star Communications.

Developing Stillness 8

Mindful Paddling.......

With mindfulness, the wavelets lapping around our ankles are 

dancing to the movement of the ocean. The movement of the ocean 

respond to the movement of the universe, for it is the alignment 

of the sun and moon that influence the tide.
Therefore:
"When we touch the sea, we embrace the universe".

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Developing Stillness 7

When making tea "mindfully,"
the simple act of adding hot water

to tea leaves, creates an intimate dialogue 

between man and nature. 

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

There is a Cloud inside the Calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh

Greetings Dear Friends.

Many years ago I was on a retreat with Thich Nhat Hanh in Nottingham. 'Thay' will often pause during a Dharma talk and sip his tea, on this occasion he deliberately paused, sat peacefully, poured a cup of tea and with total mindfulness and concentration, sipped his tea. After a further pause he said "when you drink your tea think of the cloud". I have enough respect for 'Thay' to know he does not use his words frivolously, but I did not know what he meant, until some time later when the penny did eventually drop......

When we include mindfulness into our lives our perspective of the world we live in changes. In this audio clip Thay refers to mindfulness, tea, clouds and the art of calligraphy. The recording is of 'Thay' giving a talk to children on a retreat but is equally as informative to the '5-year old' in us. 

I hope you will enjoy it as much as me.

Please click on the following link:
" There is a Cloud inside the Calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh "

The Art of "Mindfulness in Movement"

Developing Stillness 6

Centre Body Centre Mind.

The Stillness Project uses Tai Chi and Meditation as an exercise to nourish both Body and Mind. During the course of a session we take every opportunity to Centre the Body and Centre the Mind, but what does it mean?  When we centre the body, we stand with feet shoulder width apart, and equal weight in each foot. Slightly bend the knees and rotate the pelvis so that the posture is not unlike someone siting on the edge of a table or stool. At the same time imagine the crown of the head is being drawn upwards by a “golden thread”. With the weight evenly distributed in the legs and feet and the spine slightly stretched, relax and drop the shoulders, (we create so much tension by constantly “carrying imaginary shopping,”), so relax, let go of the tension in the body. Let your arms fall naturally by your side and let your fingers relax. Mentally scan your body and bring your attention to any areas that feel tense, feel the tension and breathe energy to those areas to help them relax. 

Now close your eyes and place the tip of the tongue on the top palette just behind the teeth, breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Concentrate on the breathing. Some people find it easier to feel the slight movement of the abdomen others may concentrate on the movement of air as it passes over moist lips. Take a few deep breaths and relax, it is important to focus the mind on the breathing. 

Thoughts and distractions will naturally occur, this is unavoidable; so don't worry. Just let the thoughts  "float" to the surface and let them dissipate, like the bubbles in a glass of lemonade that float to the surface, ‘pop’ and disappear. Try to avoid hanging on the thoughts and having an internal discussion with them, if necessary ‘think’ to your self “I am breathing in” when you are breathing in and I am breathing out when you are breathing out. Or try counting the spaces between the out breath and the next in breath and when you notice your mind has drifted, gently bring your mind back to focus on the breathing. 

The standing meditation at the beginning of the session is important to help us centre and bring stillness to our body and mind, to become grounded in this present moment, the “Here and Now”. Creating a stable, peaceful environment in which our thoughts and worries dissolve and we become less stressed and totally focused on the Tai Chi. 

When we concentrate on the postures and the form, the meditative nature of Tai Chi gives the practitioner respite from the internal dialogue of the mind; we concentrate only on what is happening at this present moment, releasing our thoughts from the stress of what has happened in the past, and the anxiety of what may or may not happen in the future. When we become focused on the movement the mind stays calm in the here and now, this is then "Mindfulness with Movement". 

Physically Tai Chi has the aerobic demand of a brisk walk however the slow deliberate nature of  Tai Chi and Qigong movement simultaneously stretching and relaxing the muscles, increasing flexibility and building muscle strength whist minimising the risk of muscle damage. Tai Chi helps to improve balance, endurance and concentration. Centering the Body and Mind transforms a simple exercise into a powerful tool to combating stress and finding inner peace. With practice we increase that sense of wellbeing.

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Developing Stillness 5

Don't Step On The Daisy......

"Practice, practice and practice 

the Tai Chi Walk, until the movements

are so soft and fluid, light and graceful,

that you feel you could walk over a lawn full of daisies,

and not harm a single one of them."

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Developing Stillness 4.

The Garden of Stillness.

"Tai Chi and Meditation are pathways

to a "garden" of perfect Stillness,

where peace and tranquility grow

like beautiful flowers".

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Celebrating the Moon Viewing Festival 2013

 Zen and the Way of Tea (part 1 continued).

The Rise of Buddhism.

The German philosopher Karl Jaspers described the period 800 to 200 BCE as the “Axial Age” when philosophy and revolutionary thinking had a profound impact in China, India, Persia, Judea and Greece. In China Confucius and Lao Zi, dominated radical thinking whilst in India it was the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, a prince in a royal household of the Shakya kingdom, who introduced a philosophy/religion that today can count an estimated 400 million followers world wide.

To the north of the Indian subcontinent the Himalayan mountain range, forms a formidable physical barrier separating the Indian subcontinent from China and Tibet in the north. The weak points in this natural defence are the high mountain passes into Afghanistan and Pakistan and the Indus River basin in the Northwest and the Ganges River basin in the Northeast. For a thousand years before the rise of the Axial Age, the Indus Valley civilisation was supported by agriculture, overseas trade and fishing.

The Indus Valley civilisation was highly organised, very conservative civilisation divided into a threefold structure of priests, warriors and farmers, a system that may have been introduced by Indo-European Vedic culture and Indo-Iranian Zoroastrian culture. The word “Hindu” that today refers to the philosophy that evolved in that region originates from the Sanskrit word “Sindhu” that means river and referred to the “Indus River”. 

The results of Iron Age technology that spread throughout the region c.800BCE facilitated a more intensive form of agriculture, it revolutionised farm implements enabling clearing of land that was able to support a growing population, and enabled the manufacture of efficient armaments. By 600BCE the population had spread and the entire Ganges basin had been colonised. A new class of religious practitioner arose who rejected the older privileged Brahmin claim to Vedic wisdom, the parivrājaka  or Holy Wonderers who were dissatisfied with the restrictions of the developing society they developed meditation techniques another group the Nirgrānyhs , (later known as Jain's), were concerned with the pollution and purity of the human body and used various forms of asceticism to purify their soul.

Siddhartha Gautama was born in Lumbini near Kapilavastu on the Indian, Nepalese border, around 500BCE, into a wealthy family, his father Siddhodana was the king and a man of great wealth, his mother Māyādevi was a woman of leisure and refinement. When a son was born a wise man was asked to bless the child "Asita" said “the child would become either a great religious teacher or a world leader”. Soon after Siddhartha’s birth his mother Māyādevi died and Siddhartha was nurtured by his aunt Mahāprajāpatī. Siddhartha grew up in the privileged existence of a royal household, his training was primarily to one day succeed his father and rule the kingdom, by the age of sixteen he was provided with a young wife Yaśodharā.

The Four Sights.

Siddhartha  grew up in the confines of the royal household and as a young man an insatiable curiosity grew to witness life outside the palace environment and this resulted in four secret trips outside the palace and four encounters with the human condition that would have far-reaching consequences. Whilst travelling incognito outside the palace, the first sighting was that of an old man, an experience that brought home the inevitability of old age, the second and third trip Siddhartha had similar confrontations with disease and death.  On the fourth trip Siddhartha encountered a wondering holy man, a parivrājaka poverty stricken and dressed in rags but radiant with inner peace and this sowed the seed in his mind that there was an alternative to the passive acceptance of suffering. The Pali word for suffering is “Duka”, and refers to the suffering that permeates our entire existence and affects both body and mind.

It is difficult to understand what would drive a twenty nine year old husband, father, prince, to abandon the comfort of a royal household, his royal inheritance, parents, beautiful wife and by now, a young son, to live the life of an parivrājaka, a homeless wonderer. But such was the drive to find answers. Cutting of his hair and wearing rags Siddhartha searched for teachers and learnt their ways, (the Mahāsaccaka Sutta tells of Siddhatha Gautama’s extreme asceticism).

Then at the age of 35, Siddhartha and close to death as a result of years of fasting and living a life of  extreme asceticism, Siddhartha wondered down to the river to meditate, it is said that a young girl tending cows gave Siddhartha a bowl of milk and some rice and this light refreshment gave Siddhartha enough strength for him to realise that his extreme asceticism was no more an answer than his life of sensual indulgence in the royal household. He had learned many spiritual ways but had not found the answers he sought. Having taken sustenance his fellow ascetics left him, but with renewed strength and determination Siddhartha sat under a Bodhi tree and entered deep meditation. After a long period of meditation the dawn broke and he saw his existence through new eyes, free from Samsara, the cyclic existence of life and death and rebirth.

Siddhartha had attained enlightenment, he had become a “Buddha” and spent the rest of his life teaching and ordaining his followers. Shakyamuni Buddha as he was now known declared: “Suffering I teach – and the way out of suffering” and is the tenant within his early teaching of “The Four Noble Truths” and “The Noble Eight Fold Path”.

The Four Noble Truths

1.     Acknowledging the Existence of Suffering.

2.     The Causes of Suffering.

3.     The Cessation of the Causes of Suffering.

4.     The Path that leads to the Cessation of Suffering.

The Noble Eightfold Path - is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.

1.     Right View

2.     Right Intention

3.     Right Speech

4.     Right Action

5.     Right Livelihood

6.     Right Effort

7.     Right Mindfulness

8.     Right Concentration

The Buddha likened The Four Noble Truths to “medicine for a sick person”. First we need to recognize we are ill, (Acknowledging the existence of suffering), then we need to identify what is making us ill, (The Causes of Suffering), then we need to recognize that we can get better, (The Cessation of the Causes of Suffering), and finally we need a course of medicine, (the Nobel Eightfold Path). Out of this teaching came a way of life that has orientated a moral and ethical compass that is still practiced by many millions around the world today.

The difference between Buddhism and other religions is that in Buddhism there is no Godhead deity and no text central to Buddhist philosophy such as the Bible, Koran or Torah. The word “Buddha” itself simply means “Awakened or enlightened being", and as such allows each and every one of us to nurture the seeds of Buddha in us. There where many Buddha’s before Shakyamuni Buddha and there have been many Buddha’s after Shakyamuni however, Buddha Shakyamuni is regarded as the “Historical Buddha” and is revered not as a deity but because he represents the seed of Buddha nature in us.

Buddha Shakyamuni was eighty years old when he entered Parinirvana. Nothing of the Buddha’s teachings, (Dharma), was written down whilst the Buddha was alive, (nor for at least 400 years after his death), the teachings being passed (Transmitted) to a successor who then becomes the Dharma heir. The first Dharma heir to receive the transmission was Mahākāśyapa one of Buddha’s most revered disciples. In the story of the “Flower Sermon” Shakyamuni Buddha gave a wordless sermon to the Sangha by holding up a single lotus flower, none of the Sangha understood the sermon except for one, Mahākāśyapa who responded with a smile signifying the direct transmission of wisdom without words. Mahākāśyapa became the first Dharma heir (successor to the Buddha), and the first patriarch of what was later called by the Chinese Chán and by the Japanese Zen Buddhism. 

A few months after the death and Parinirvana of the Bhddha, Mahākāśyapa held a council at which the Buddhas teachings were recited in the hope to establish a unified Buddhist Cannon that would define the Buddha’s teaching and establish the precepts that are to be followed by the monastics.

As the Sangha, (the spiritual community of the Buddha’s disciples), grew, so did the popularity and interest in Buddhism which gradually spread throughout the Indian sub-continent. As the number of Buddhist followers grew so did its patronage. It is said that King Ashoka the Great (304-232BCE) converted to Buddhism in 263BCE following the carnage he witnessed during the Kalinga war which resulted in 100,000 deaths and the taking of 150,000 prisoners. Ashoka is responsible for establishing a number of monuments marking sites of significant interest in the life of the Buddha and for the propagation of Buddhism throughout Asia. It is said that Asoka’s son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitra where also prominent in the expansion of Buddhism and establishing Buddhism in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 250BCE.

A schism within the community of monastics developed during the second "council," held a hundred years after the Buddhas death. One school the Hinayana, (of which the Theravadans are the only group of eighteen that survive today), felt that the path to enlightenment should be reserved for the monastic, they who could practice with no distraction. The emphasis of the Theravadan tradition was placed on education and rules; they argued that Nirvana could only be reached through personal effort and moral stringency.  Under the patronage of King Ashoka Theravadan Buddhism spread throughout India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Cambodia. 

Some scholars also suggest that under King Ashoka's patronage a second school, the Mahayana school travelled north through the mountains on existing trade routes into Afghanistan, Tibet then China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam.  Mahayana Buddhism was considered as inclusive and accessible to the lay practitioner though the aspiration of Bodhicitta, compassion and enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. A third school evolved out of Mahayana tradition that relied on symbolism and ritual, Vajrayana Buddhism settled in the remote and inaccessible mountainous countries of Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet.

Throughout its history the basic tenant of the Buddhas teaching has remained the same, but as trade between countries grew so did the transfer of goods, people, philosophies and ideas. Buddhism was absorbed into other cultures rather than domineering them, thus the teaching stayed the same but the fabric of ritual and custom changed to reflect differing cultural backgrounds.  Monks and teachers emphasised some parts of the Buddhas teaching over others.

Coming next: "Analects, Lao Tsu and the Qin".

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Developing Stillness 3

Life's Rich Tapestry

"If what is happening to you now

is part of life's rich tapestry........

make sure that each stitch is sewn 

with

Mindfulness".

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Developing Stillness 2

The Pathway out of Stress.

"What causes "you" stress and what causes "me" stress are completely different to what causes "them" stress. We all suffer from stress and there are a million and one things that cause stress. When we are stressed we rush here and there blindly in our own mind made stress bubble, restless in our hectic 24/7 life styles and we do not see it. We have become used to such life styles. When we over burden the senses, we turn to drink and other pleasures and we are becoming ill. When that short term relief, disappears then we are back to normal, high blood pressure, high pulse rate, high respiratory rate.

Stillness on the other hand is a gift, a time when we can just "be", a time when body and mind heals its self. Stillness is the same for all of us, "Your" Stillness, "My" Stillness and "Their Stillness" is all the same, we are if you like swimming in a sea of Stillness. Stillness it is there all around us, all the time, like the radio waves transmitted from BBC. But just as how it is necessary to tune a radio in to a particular station, so we have to learn to tune our body and mind into the vast resource that is Stillness.

The Practice of Touching Stillness..... Touching Stillness, through the practice of Qigong, Tai Chi and Meditation,  slows the body and slows the mind, allowing our respiratory rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure to decrease.  We find we have time for ourselves, a time for the body and mind to heal it self, to find peace and tranquility and to nourish the seeds of health, love, peace and happiness".

Stillness is with you all the time, all you have to do is to practice it.

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project

Developing Stillness 1

"Centre body, centre mind, and practice, 

Meditate and develop stillness, peace and tranquility. 

When you have inner peace you have no fear, 

External problems do not affect your peace and tranquility. 

In this state of mind you can deal with any situation 
while keeping your inner happiness".

Leon Edwards

© The Stillness Project