We, the people of the 21st century, are accustomed to somehow condescendingly look at antiquity. Like, we have science, we went into space, but what was there before, mammoth skins and primitive drawings?
However, we are missing the main thing here: the ancient man possessed qualities that we no longer have.
By studying the ancient texts, we can see how people’s ability to perceive the Cosmos and its laws gradually degraded.
They have degraded to such an extent that humanity has ceased to understand the ancient hieroglyphics, the Book of Changes (Yijing), and all sorts of schemes like Wuxing or Bagua …What was previously obvious has become covered with a thick layer of superstition and misunderstanding…
Meditation Not Working?
Why is meditation not working? Consciousness weakens and falls asleep? Does your body ache even after a few minutes of sitting? You are not alone. Most people have this kind of problem. Unfortunately, it is rare to hear clear explanations of what to do about it.
There are not too many explanations of what happens in the body during meditation. Usually limited to a decrease in heart rate, slowing of breathing, hence the deterioration of blood circulation, cooling, stiffness of the body, etc.
If you turn to Daoism, then meditation is a well-known method there. Far from the most important, while having quite specifically outlined recommendations for its use.
The basic principle here is that “sitting produces Yin”. In other words, the practice of sitting shifts the balance of activity-passivity towards excessive rest.
Accordingly, your possibilities in meditation directly depend on how much Yang is in you, that is, activity. Regarding this, modern people are pretty bad. Hence the impossibility of success in meditation, if practiced in isolation from bodily practices that increase the amount of energy (Yang) in the body.
The Main Secret
So, we came to the realisation that Yang is needed for success in practice, that is, an excess of strength and activity.
Accordingly, this is the main secret of all traditions and methods:
Dao is the balance of Yin and Yang.
It can be seen that the vast majority of modern methods of improving balance are not even looking for: either complete rest or maximum movement.
Single Method
Based on the fact that there is the Main Secret of inner work, and also on the fact that all people have the same energy structure, the following conclusion can be voiced: any method of practice, in order to be working, must be the same, that is, based on the same principles.
Hence the famous saying about the unity of the Three Teachings in China: Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. If we continue beyond China, we find this unity, for example, in ancient Egypt, Greece, Europe, and India. There was a tradition in Russia too…
Science or Religion?
Daoism and Buddhism are often referred to as a “religion”, which, from the point of view of Buddhists and Daoists, is fundamentally wrong.
Religion is impossible without faith. Belief in something implies the unconditional acceptance of some views without their verification by personal experience.
Science, on the other hand, begins with hypotheses, with assumptions that are tested by experience and experiments. Only if there is testability and repeatability, knowledge is recognized as scientific.
Do Daoists believe in Dao? Do Buddhists believe in 4 noble truths? No. The right way is truly scientific, it goes from hypothesis to confirmation. Phenomena such as Qi, Yin-Yang, Wu-xing are not dogma, but something that needs to be investigated and confirmed by one’s own, personal experience.
Dao is deeply practical: there is no knowledge for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge in ancient times is a skill.
Therefore Dao is not a religion. This is scientific knowledge, verifiable and repeatable, accessible to anyone.
Original article source thanks to Michael Fedorov:
Yu Xian Pai Daoist School 