It seems that everything has a level, so what is it? - Calmness and tranquility. Only by calming down and concentrating can we realize the changes in the world around us.
: Calm
, pay attention to tranquility. Whether a practitioner can quickly fall into tranquility and the degree of tranquility are important indicators of a person's strength. Entering tranquility is a kind of spiritual maintenance of the human body. When people enter tranquility, they can absorb rich spiritual nutrients (also called spiritual vitamins). Entering tranquility is also a purification process for the soul. I realize that tranquility and one's moral cultivation are closely connected.
my country’s traditional health-preserving theory attaches great importance to the cultivation of both body and mind, and the most important thing in cultivating the heart is cultivating morality. The degree of tranquility is actually a sign of a person's moral level. Carefully distinguish, there are two types of tranquility: one is tranquility for a while, and the other is tranquility for a long time. Temporary tranquility can also be called small tranquility, that is, when practicing Qigong or receiving Qigong treatment, you eliminate distracting thoughts, so that the brain has no active thinking activities, concentrate on it, concentrate on it, forget yourself, everything outside seems to not exist, and enter a kind of tranquility. It's like being drunk but not drunk, it seems like it's not, it's like a trance.
Firstly, a small amount of meditation can stabilize brain waves; secondly, it can reduce energy consumption; thirdly, it can reduce the concentration of lactic acid in the blood, so it can quickly and achieve significant results. Fitness effect. After entering the Qigong state, patients and practitioners can more effectively accept the information and guidance of the Qigong master, adjust the body, and achieve the goals of fitness and elimination.
Long-term tranquility can also be called great tranquility, which means being in a state of tranquility all the time, twenty-four hours a day. If there is only temporary silence but no long-term silence, the effect of Qigong on dispelling and keeping fit will be greatly reduced. When practicing Qigong, you can eliminate distracting thoughts, but after practicing Qigong and returning to reality, you will be keen on chasing fame and fortune, gaining and losing fame and fortune. When you see others surpassing you in some aspects, you will be jealous and jealous. If you feel that you have been wronged, you will feel sad and angry. When you encounter something If something doesn't go your way, just slap the table, stare, get angry, and the effect of tranquility during practice will be completely wiped out. Qigong's approach to tranquility requires not only temporary tranquility, but also long-term tranquility, and taking long-term tranquility as the goal. Long-term tranquility can be divided into three realms, that is, three levels, namely tranquility, mental tranquility, and spiritual tranquility.
Calmness is the lower stage of long-term tranquility and the beginning of Qigong practice. Calmness seems very simple, but it is not easy to achieve.
It is difficult for people to be mentally calm when they live in this world. Just like the ocean, there are very few truly calm days. Social life is complex and ever-changing. People are like a flat boat in the rapid Yellow River, constantly fighting against the rapids and waves. Sometimes you encounter difficulties, sometimes you encounter setbacks, sometimes you encounter dangers, sometimes you are plotted against, and you inevitably suffer injustice. "Blessings never come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone." Eighty-nine". In particular, people all have desires, that is, they have various selfish desires, such as pursuing promotion, yearning for wealth, coveting beauty, etc. When the journey of life is not smooth sailing, and when your pursuit cannot be fulfilled as you wish, you will be mentally unbalanced, and your heart will even be filled with waves, thunder and lightning, how can you remain calm?!
Selfishness is The worst mental state. Those who are keen on the pursuit of fame and wealth, obsessed with the enjoyment of feasting and feasting, and shackled in the small world of "self" will be arrogant when they are proud, decadent when they are frustrated, and plummet.
People who are "locked" by the shackles of fame and fortune will not only plot against others, but also guard against others plotting against or retaliating against them. As a result, they are trapped in an emotional state of tension, anger and depression all day long. , the brain will have no peace. People who lack moral cultivation are prone to conflicts with the people around them, and conflicts can even intensify over trivial matters. When they are in a state of psychological distress, it is difficult to get rid of their psychological predicament. A person who is demanding of others or himself is always in a nervous state of mind. People who are greedy for comfort and are too selfish are often burdened by the money they are chasing so hard. They worry about gains and losses all day long and look depressed. How can they calm down!
For these people, practicing Qigong requires a lot of effort. First, let yourself reach the first level of tranquility, that is, calmness. How can we achieve peace? That is to suppress our selfish desires and be able to control ourselves even though we have selfish desires. When people practice Qigong quietly, they should pay attention to improving their self-control ability. When the thoughts of money, power, material, and sex arise, they can control them so that they cannot dominate their minds.
Lin Zexu has a motto: "Control anger", which is used to warn himself that when he is about to get angry, he must "control" and suppress the anger that is about to burst out in his chest. Only when your anger is suppressed can you be calm and deal with various difficult problems calmly.
Zhang Zhongfu, a famous scholar in the Qing Dynasty, wrote such a health-preserving couplet: "Greed and ignorance are the three precepts of a gentleman; concentration, precepts and wisdom, and understanding of the five classics." This couplet eclectically combines the world of Confucianism with the world of Buddhism. It means that greed, caution, anger, and ignorance in Buddhism are connected with the "three precepts of a gentleman" in The Analects. of. Only by abstaining from obsessiveness can you prolong your life; and by adhering to what Buddhism teaches, you can live a healthy and long life. Zhai Gongjia, a famous person in the Qing Dynasty, once wrote a famous couplet for health care: "Stand still and move, the five internal organs disappear ***; honor also endures humiliation and endures, never suffers from crisis in life."
This couplet expounds the health-preserving method of keeping calm and active, and not being alarmed by favor or disgrace. It is indeed a wonderful medicine for people who are often troubled and upset and prone to anger.
There are many similar famous sayings by the ancients, such as "The body should be clean, the desires should be avoided, the pleasures should be moderate, and the daily life should not be intimidated." Conscience is still conscious. It disappears as soon as you wake up, and the human heart is still happy." and so on. Only by practicing Qigong and working hard to "eliminate the desire to compete and the desire to be gorgeous and beautiful" can we enter the door of tranquility.
: Calm mind
A further improvement in calmness is calm mind. Calmness of mind is an intermediate stage of long-term tranquility.
To be calm is to get rid of selfish desires and be selfless on the basis of calmness, to be unmoved in the face of complicated temptations, not to be fooled, to be free from greed and desire, to purify oneself, and to have no pursuit. When it comes to things, there is no city in the chest, contentment, happiness, natural tranquility.
Taoist health care emphasizes starting with a pure mind, few desires, and a leisurely and pleasant psychological temperament. The real world is a material world. People cannot live in it without materials, and they cannot help but possess certain materials. For example, a person always has more or less private property. Without certain private property, people cannot survive, let alone practice Qigong. When talking about "getting rid of selfish desires", it means not to be bound by property and selfish desires, and to maintain a free and unrestrained mentality.
"It's not for fame, nor for profit. Otherwise, there will be intrigues and competition for things and people, which will hurt the spirit and damage the body." "A selfless heart and a broad mind." Saints and celebrities throughout the ages have expressed many consistent insights in this regard and put them into practice. Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, wanted to help the world and did not consider personal gain or loss. His ambition is to make "old people feel at ease, friends trust them, and young people cherish them". The requirements for personal life are not high: "I don't need enough food to eat, and I don't need to live in peace." He said, eating whole grains, drinking cold water, and bending his arms as a pillow, "I am happy in it." Wealth and wealth obtained through evil practices are regarded as passing "clouds".
Zhang Sanfeng, a scholar, martial artist, and qigong master said: "If a person can see through and move away, he will naturally not envy others' wealth or dignity. Please seek the truth for my life and keep my cultivation." The way. People are clamoring, I am silent, everyone is troubled, I am alone, and I ask whether people are prosperous or not, poor or not, it is unfair to be a bystander."
Health experts all emphasize that health care must focus on nourishing the mind, and nourishing the mind should be "plain and innocent", keep thoughts pure, persist in will, and cultivate good character. How can we achieve peace of mind? First, we must know ourselves and have self-awareness; second, we must understand objectivity and adapt to society. In this way, you will regard yourself as an ordinary person, with no extravagant expectations and a calm mind, and thus sublimate to the realm of plainness and innocence, that is, taking everything calmly.
The ancients believed that the way to do this was to strive for a lifestyle of "nothing, no attachment, no distinction", that is, do not be bound by your own property, abandon yourself, and do not want anyone. My difference. Taoism puts forward the requirement of "Nine Shou", that is, "Keep harmony, keep God, keep Qi, keep benevolence, keep simplicity, keep Yi, keep purity, keep surplus and keep weakness", so as to achieve a kind of natural inaction and inaction. A peaceful state of mind without any thoughts.
To be strong without desire is also very suitable as a way to maintain health. Being strong without desire is because people who have no selfish desires are open-minded. They can forgive and understand others when they do something wrong. They don’t always think about revenge when others do something wrong to them. They do good things for others and are kind to others. , never consider how others will repay; nor retaliate with an eye for an eye or a tooth for a tooth with those who have hurt themselves. (Of course, it refers to villains and gangsters who are not illegal or criminal). In this way, your mentality will never rise and fall in the sea of ??desires, and you will achieve "the true god without desires" and stay healthy.
Practice: Shenjing
Shenjing is a further sublimation of mental calmness. It is the state of tranquility achieved by Qigong and is also the pursuit of Qigong practitioners. Of course, Shenjing also requires selfless desire, but Shenjing's selfless desire is based on the idea of ??great enlightenment and a deep understanding of the principles of the great way of nature.
The "Ancient Innocence Theory" in "Huangdi Neijing" says: "The ancient people, those who knew their way... were able to have the same form and spirit, and spend their entire life and lives. "I will die when I am a hundred years old." Ancient Chinese philosophers have explained a lot about Tao, and Tao has very rich connotations. It not only refers to the biochemical state of all things in the universe, but also refers to the general laws of the development and change of things. It is believed that changes in nature and human society are the result of certain laws.
When practicing Qigong and entering tranquility, we must strive to pursue the integration and penetration of Tao, so that we can completely integrate ourselves into nature, look at all changes around us and ourselves according to the laws of nature, and realize that everything is The reflection and inevitable result of the inherent laws of nature. An isolated "I" does not exist. "I" is melted into nature. The individual is a part of nature. At this time, you will feel that "Tao" is great and "I" is very small. Only then can you do it. Stay out of things, let things take their own course, and look at everything that happens around you from a macro perspective. Trivial matters such as your own ups and downs, honors and disgraces, are like a drop in the ocean, insignificant. Only then can your state of mind be tranquil, clear, and pure. , without thinking or worrying. As Bai Juyi described vividly: "The color of the jade spring is pure, the floating clouds are leisurely, the calm mind is facing the water, both are pure and dust-free.
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Reaching the level of divine tranquility will be reflected in appearance. The ancients said: "The complexion is not dull, and the eyes are not chaotic. Then you know that the calmness in your chest cannot be achieved unless you cultivate it for a long time. "Li" said: "It looks thoughtful, has calm words, is good at describing, and has a Taoist atmosphere." ", which means that if the face is not impetuous and the eyes are not disordered, you can know that the person's mood is peaceful and quiet, and only then can everything come naturally, be calm when encountering things, be calm when you are proud, be calm when you are frustrated, and be at ease with yourself. Leisurely, calm when nothing happens, and detached after all the vicissitudes of life. Especially when encountering major events, you have the self-cultivation and courage to "not be surprised when something is broken, and not angry when there is no reason".
Staying out of things and letting nature take its course does not mean passively withdrawing from the world and doing nothing. People who achieve Shenjing and Gaogong also have career pursuits. What they pursue is the career itself, and they are never moved by fame, wealth, and power. Su Dongpo's life was full of ups and downs. He was demoted many times until he was demoted to Yazhou (now Hainan Island), a "barbaric land" at the time. Even so, he still sang Daodi. : "I don't hate the nine deaths in the Southern Wilderness. The quick travels are the best in my life. He once said something rich in philosophy: "Be willful and carefree, follow the circumstances and let go. As long as you put your heart and soul into it, there is no other solution." "It means to achieve the purpose of cultivating one's emotions and cultivating one's character through philosophical insights, conversations with friends, and sightseeing of mountains and rivers. In order to survive the harsh environment in his later years, Su Dongpo focused on self-discipline and nourishing one's energy
Zhijian. “Who embellishes the scattered clouds and the bright moon, making the sky clear and clear. "The world has changed in the floating clouds, and Gu Yue's mind is clear" vividly depicts his clear and clear spiritual world. It is precisely because of this state that he can make great contributions in many aspects. Only the large number of handed down works he wrote A brilliant chapter is enough to illuminate the annals of history.
The ancients said well that to achieve spiritual tranquility, one must “cultivate the mind for a long time”. , nourishing nature", in the "long-lasting nourishment", the mundane atmosphere of the soul is washed away, creating a pure and pure spiritual space.
Jingqishen is a Taoist inner alchemy term, and calmness, tranquility, and spirit are Quietness is the state of Qigong practice. For more related content, please continue to pay attention to the channel.
The highest state of practicing qigong, the highest state of qigong