Mantak Chia - Wisdom Chi Kung: Practices for Enlivening the Brain with Chi Energy

Acknowledgments

The Universal Tao Publications staff involved in the preparation and production of Wisdom Chi Kung: Practices for Enlivening the Brain with Chi Energy extend our gratitude to the many generations of Taoist masters who have passed on their special lineage as an unbroken oral transmission over thousands of years. We wish to thank the thousands of unknown men and women of the Chinese healing arts who developed many of the techniques and concepts presented in this book.

We wish to thank Taoist Master Yi Eng who worked so patiently to teach his students for his openness in transmitting the formulas of Taoist Inner Alchemy.

We offer our eternal gratitude to our parents and teachers for their many gifts to us. Remembering them brings joy and satisfaction to our continued efforts in presenting the Universal Tao System. As always, their contribution has been crucial in presenting the concepts and techniques of the Universal Tao.

We thank the many contributors essential to this books final form: The editorial and production staff at Inner Traditions/Destiny Books for their efforts to clarify the text and produce a handsome new edition of the book, Victoria SantAmbrogio for her line edit of the new edition, and the artist, Juan Li, for his fine illustrations; as always, he has played an integral role in presenting the Universal Tao concepts and techniques.

We wish to thank the following people who contributed to the earlier editions of this book: Angela Dawn Babcock for her writing and editorial contributions; Udon for his illustrations, book layout, and beautiful cover; James OConnell and Jean Chilton for their assistance in preparing, editing, and proofreading the manuscript; Jettaya Phaobtong and Saumya Comer for their editorial contributions to the earlier revised edition of this book; and our Thai Production team, Raruen Keawpadung, Saysunee Yongyod, Udon Jandee, and Saniem Chaisarn.

Putting Wisdom Chi Kung into Practice

The practices described in this book have been used successfully for thousands of years by Taoists trained by personal instruction. Readers should not undertake the practice without receiving personal transmission and training from a certified instructor of the Universal Tao, since certain of these practices, if done improperly, may cause injury or result in health problems. This book is intended to supplement individual training by the Universal Tao and to serve as a reference guide for these practices. Anyone who undertakes these practices on the basis of this book alone, does so entirely at his or her own risk.

The meditations, practices, and techniques described herein are not intended to be used as an alternative to or substitute for professional medical treatment and care. If any readers are suffering from illnesses based on mental or emotional disorders, an appropriate professional health care practitioner or therapist should be consulted. Such problems should be corrected before you start training.

This book does not attempt to give any medical diagnosis, treatment, prescription, or remedial recommendation in relation to any human disease, ailment, suffering, or physical condition whatsoever.

Neither the Universal Tao nor its staff and instructors can be responsible for the consequences of any practice or misuse of the information contained in this book. If the reader undertakes any exercise without strictly following the instructions, notes, and warnings, the responsibility must lie solely with the reader.

Western Science Meets the Tao

RESEARCH ON THE TAO

The material presented in this book is a condensation of the knowledge and experience gained from thirty years of teaching. Over these years, I have been able to devise a very simple and effective way of gaining awareness of the mind, body, and emotions, through a series of meditations (fig. 1.1). In recent times, Western researchers have been studying the effects of these meditations, using the latest, most sophisticated technologies to measure brain waves and energy levels. As a result, research has recently proven these meditations to be among the most effective forms of quieting the mind and energizing the body with chi (or qi).

You just need to learn some simple practices that will help your brain give up its unnecessary and unproductive hold on many of your conscious, intuitive, and emotional experiences.

Fig. 1.1. Empty the mind down to the tan tien.

Many research groups have investigated the methods and practices that we teach in the Universal Tao. More and more scientists have discovered, using these bio-electro-measurement techniques, that the details of the ancient Taoist forms coincide with their conceptual theories. But these scientists bypass a complete understanding of the connection of the wisdom of the body and mind. The understanding of these concepts is the link of information that we will expand upon in the upcoming chapters of Wisdom Chi Kung.

Research has also been done on many monks and practitioners of other kinds of meditation than the ones we present to you in this book. This research has found that through various techniques, in a very deep meditation, practitioners can virtually stop their brain waves. However, in this state, the alpha and theta brain waves that cycle healing energy in the physical body are not present. Healing energy is a vibrational frequency that charges our system with its potential highest charge to increase the functioning of the body.

So the potential of a clear mind, or a meditative state, is present when the brain waves are stopped. Yet healing energy, which is one of the main focuses of Taoist meditation, is not present at all (fig. 1.2).

In 1996, I was invited to Vienna to participate in a scientific study using modern measurement techniques. Chapter 3 describes this study in more detail. To start, I was able to help the researchers verify the results of previous studies of the brain in a meditative state. But using Taoist practices, I was then also able to increase the measurable brain waves in a surprising manner. The meaning of this kind of testing was still not very clear. I myself really didnt understand how I was creating these results. Basically, I was performing two practices: The first was the Inner Smile (fig. 1.3). The second was working with orgasmic energy to raise chi and energize the brainWisdom Chi Kung.

Fig. 1.2. Many forms of meditation do not produce healing energy.

Fig. 1.3. The Inner Smile meditation: healing energy is present.

Fig. 1.4. Sexual energy synchronizes the left and right brain.

When focusing on these energies, the frequency heightens and the beta, alpha, and theta waves all rise up to a very high level, at which the left and right brains synchronize (fig. 1.4). Normally it would be assumed impossible for all three brain waves to be at a high level at the same time. It would be similar to a person driving a car while asleep.

But as we explain step by step in this book, the meditations actually increase consciousness and awareness by completely activating the physical bodys energetic potentials.