"Breathing Techniques"

the 9 chambers of the Upper Cinnabar Field -- according to the [Tun-c^en] T>ai-s^an Su-lin [Tun-yu:an] Ta-yu Miao-c^in ('Very-High Pure-Transcendence Great-Being Marvelous-Book') (= TT 1026) 19b

p.

penetrating __ inches

__ Kun ('__ Palace')

456

3/10

S^ou-ts>un S^uan-t>ien ('Twin Fields')

 

1

Min-t>an ('Government Chamber')

 

2

Tun-fan ('Chamber of the Arcane')

 

3

Tan-t>ien ('Cinnabar Field')

 

4

Liu-c^u ('Moving Pearls')

 

5

Yu:-ti ('jade Emperor')

 

1 above M.-t>.

T>ien-t>in ('Heavenly Court')

 

1 above T.-f.

C^i-c^en ('Summit of Reality')

457

1 above T.-t>.

Hsu:an-tan ('Mysterious Cinnabar')

 

1 bove L.-c^.

T>ai-huan ('Great Sovereign')

pp. 455-456 "This is perhaps ... the internal brain in the interhemispheric region, the callous body with the ventricle of the septum lucidum apparently constituting the upper level, and ... the third and fourth ventircles, plus the epiphyse, making the lower level."

breaths according to the Yen-lin Hsien-s^en C^i Hsin-c^iu Fu-c^>i C^in ('Books New and Old on the Absorption of Breath Gathered by the Master of Yen-lin') (= TT 570) 18a

p.

c^>i ('breath')

in the __

479

internal

T>ien-kuan ('Caelestial Tollgate')

 

external

S^en-lu ('Divine Hut')

481

tzu-jan yu:an ('spontaneous original')

viscera

 

fan-c^en c^ih ('hot')

4 limbs

 

c^in-hua c^ih ('Essential-Flower')

Ocean of Breath

484

red pearl of yin-huo ('Planet Mars')

Caelestial Barrier

p. 487 respiratory exercises, according to the Han Wu Wai-c^uan (= TT 137) 12a

dress head

with Golden Turban

enter

Caelestial Door

swallow

the Mysterious Source

beat

the Caelestial Drum

nourish

the Ni-huan

p. 488 respiratory exercises, according to the S^en T>ien-s^ih Fu-c^>i Yao-c^u:eh ('Efficacious Formula for Absorbing the Breath, by Caelestial Master S^en'), in Yu:n-c^i C^>i-c^>ien cap. 59, 16b

drain away

the "breath of cereals"

guide

the "Ocean of Breath" into the "Cinnabar Field"

pp. 491-494 Huan-t>in C^in ('Yellow Court Book') (= TT 167-168) [and paraphrased by Liu C^>an-s^en in TT 189 (p. 490, fn. 98)]

p.

verse

 

 

491

3

direction

place

 

 

above

Huan-t>in ('Yellow Court')

 

 

below

Kuan-yu:an ('Origin of the Barrier')

 

4

behind

Yu-c^>u:eh ('Dark Portal')

 

 

before

Min-men ('Door of Destiny')

 

5

in centre space of

the Hut, make breath enter Cinnabar Field

 

 

 

 

492

6

while with

Pure Water of the Jade Lake, bathe Transcendent Root

 

7

from its depths

get Continual Life

 

8

2 deities

clad in vermilion, who

 

9

 

with lock with key the door of the Barrier

 

10

high

on both sides, is the Dark Portal

 

11

amidst

[Lower] Cinnabar Field, Essence & Breath are rendered subtle

 

12

rising

Pure Water of Jade Lake produceth fat [grease]

 

13

firm

is the Transcendent Root

493

14

in the

Central Lake is god clad in red & in vermilion

 

15

3 inches below

the Cinnabar Field / Transversal is a venerable god

494

16

close tight

the separation between interior & exterior

 

17

set in order

the interior of the Hut where the gods pass

2 commentaries on Huan-t>in C^in ('Yellow Court Book')

p.:fn.

'Yellow Court Book'

W.-c^>.

L.-c^>.

491:100

Huan-t>in ('Yellow Court')

 eyen

 spleen

 

Kuan-yu:an ('Origin of the Barrier')

 

 3 inches below navel

 

Yu-c^>u:eh ('Dark Portal')

 kidneys

 kidneys

 

Min-men ('Door of Destiny')

 

 below navel

492:101

the Hut, make breath enter Cinnabar Field

 nose

 nose

 

 Jade Lake

 mouth

 mouth

 

Pure Water of the Jade Lake, bathe Transcendent Root

 saliva

 saliva

:102

get C^<an-s^en ('Aeternal Life')

 face hath a luminous radiance

 

:103

persons clad in vermilion, who

 pupils of eyen

 

:104

with lock with key the door of the Barrier

 lock = teeth; key = tongue

 

:105

on both sides, is the Dark Portal

 

 

 

[Lower] Cinnabar Field, Essence & Breath are rendered subtle

 

 

 

Pure Water of Jade Lake produceth fat [grease]

 

 

 

is the Transcendent Root

 

 

493:106

Central Lake is god clad in red & in vermilion

 

 god of the heart

:108

in the Cinnabar Field below the Transversal is a venerable god

 

 

494:109

the separation between interior & exterior

 

 lock the Golden Barrier

:110

the interior of the Hut where the gods pass

 hairs in nose

hairs in nose

W.-c^>. = commentary by Wu-c^>en-tzu in Yu:n-c^i C^>i-c^>ien cap. 12, 30a-60a

L.-c^>. = commentary by Lian-c^>iu-tzu in Hsiu-c^en S^ih-s^u cap. 58-60 (= TT 131)

p. 497 effects of the 6 methods for expelling breath (liu-c^>i '6 breaths')

breath

governing internal organ

governed sensory organ

tissue / power

malady cured

c^>ih

lungs

nose

skin

abscesses

ho

heart

tongue

speaking

halitosis

hu

spleen

Central Palace

digestion

 

c^>ui

kidneys

ears

reproductive

impotence

hsi

3-burning

 

 

 

hsu:

liver

eyen

vision

tumors

p. 498 modes of breathing

breath

mode

hsu:

breathing gently [slowly] through mouth

c^>ui

breathing "sharply" [rapidly] through mouth {cf. Agni Yoga}

ho

"noisy snoring"

{other "breaths" might include wheezing, etc.}

expulsion of "poison" [evil spirits intaken with foods?]

p.

food

breath for expulsion

498

"food" [meats? -- spirits of animals angered at having been slaughtered?]

ho

499

"wine" [grapes -- spirits angered at having been crushed by being stomped under humans' feet?] & "cakes" [grains -- spirits angered at having been threshed by being stomped under cattle's feet?]

hsu: (or else c^>ui & hu)

p. 501 during the 6 Dynasties: # of times for swallowing the "living breath", according to Hsien C^in ('Book of the Immortals'), as quoted in the T>ai-c^in T>iao-c^>i C^in 1a

hours

breathings

midnight (tzu) = 11 PM - 1 AM

9^2 = 81

cock-crow (c^i-min) = 1-3 AM

8^2 = 64

sunrise (jih-c^>u) = 5-7 AM

6^2 = 36

meal-time (s^ih-s^ih) = 7-9 AM

5^2 = 25

almost-noon (yu:-c^un) = 9-11 AM

4^2 = 16

p. 500 noon to midnight = 11 AM - 11 PM was the period of the "dead breath"

p. 502 during the Sun Dynasty: # of times during alternating double-hours for swallowing the "living breath", according to the T>ai-s^an Yan-s^en T>ai-hsi C^>i-c^in ('Book of the Breath of Embryonic Respiration to Nourish the Life [Principle, told] by the Very High') (= TT 568) 1a-b

hours

breathings

11 PM - 1 AM

9^2 = 81

3-5 AM

8^2 = 64

7-9 AM

7^2 = 49

11 AM - 1 PM

6^2 = 36

3-5 PM

5^2 = 25

7-9 PM

4^2 = 16

pp. 503-504 S^ih-c^>i Fa ("Procedure for Feeding on Breath") by C^>i C^ien of C^un-yu:eh ('the Central Peak'), as cited in the S^en-hsien S^ih-c^>i C^in-kuei Miao-lu ("Marvelous Register of the Golden Coffer on Breath Absorption by the Divine Immortals") (= TT 571) 3a-b

p.

hours

breathings

503

gloaming (p>in-tan) = 3-5 AM

7^2 = 49

 

sunrise (jih-c^>u) = 5-7 AM

6^2 = 36

 

meal-time (s^ih-s^ih) = 7-9 AM

5^2 = 25

 

almost-noon (yu:-c^un) = 9-11 AM

4^2 = 16

 

noon (jih-c^un) = 11 AM - 1 PM

9^2 = 81

 

sun-declining (jih-tieh) = 1-3 PM

8^2 = 64

 

mid-afternoon (pu-s^ih) = 3-5 PM

7^2 = 49

 

sunset (jih-ju) = 5-7 PM

6^2 = 36

 

dusk (huan-hun) = 7-9 PM

5^2 = 25

 

man's rest (jen-tin) = 9-11 PM

4^2 = 16

pan-yeh (midnight) = 11 PM - 1 AM

9^2 = 81

504

c^i-min (cock-crow) = 1-3 AM

8^2 = 64

p. 504 Rules for absorption of the Breath for the 12 months -- according to the S^an-c^>in Ssu-min Mao C^en-c^u:n Hsiu-hsin C^ih-mi C^u:eh (TT 571; YCCC cap. 61, 12a-13b)

month

breathings in morning

breathings in afternoon

1st

160

200

2nd

180

180

3rd

200

160

4th

220

140

5th

240

120

6th

220

140

7th

200

160

8th

180

180

9th

160

200

10th

140

220

11th

120

240

12th

140

220

pp. 507-509 method of swallowing the 5 sprouts -- according to Ssu-ma C^>en-c^en: Fu-c^>i-c^in Yi Lun ("Dissertation on the Meaning of Absorbing Breath and Essence"), sect. 1, in:- YCCC, cap. 57, 2b-5a

p.

comestible

location

in mouth

507

Green Shoot

morning Flower

outside of upper teeth

508

C^u-tan ('Vermilion Cinnabar')

Tan-c^>ih ('Cinnabar Lake')

outside of lower teeth

wu & c^i of T>ai S^an

Li-c^>u:an ('Source of Liqueur')

top of gullet

Min-s^ih ('Brilliant Stone')

Lin-yi ('Transcendent Liquid')

inside of upper teeth

509

Hsu:an-tzu ('Mysterious Sap')

Yu:-yi ('Jade Syrup')

inside of lower teeth

 

p. 509, fn. 173 gods of the regions of Breaths -- according to the Tun-hsu:an Yu:an-s^ih C^>ih-s^u C^in 1b

direction

east

south

centre

west

north

stature

9 inches

3 inches

12 inches

7 inches

5 inches

garment

winged green

winged cinnabar

winged yellow

winged white

winged black

1000s in retinue

[900]

300

120

700

500

 

 

p. 514 method for absorbing the breath of the sun -- according to the S^an-c^>in Wo-c^un C^u:eh, cap. 1, 5b-6a

"At dawn…, call up from the bottom of " thine heart the jih-hun ('sun-soul'),

which shineth "like pearl with green reflections changing into a red halo".

"make the middle of the brilliant cloud have

a purple breath like the pupil of an eye. This is to be done ten times over."

The 5-colored breath [of the sun] is to be swallowed 45 times.

 

pp. 514-515 the methods, followed by the Perfect, for absorbing -- according to the Ten-c^en Yin-c^u:eh, cap. 2

p. 514 absorbing by males of jih-hsian ('sun-image') from 'sun'-character written in vermilion on green paper

p. 514, fn. 190 absorbing by females of yu:eh-hsian ('moon-image') from 'moon'-character written on yellow paper

p. 515 absorbing by males of jih-man ('sun-rays')

p. 515, fn. 193 absorbing by females of yu:eh-man ('moon-rays')

 

p. 516 colored breaths of the sun to be expelled and inhaled -- according to the Sa^n-c^>in San-c^en C^ih-yao Yu:-c^u:eh (= TT 193) 9a-10b

necessary to be __

color of breath

__-c^>I ("__ Breath")

expelled

black

S^ih (Corpse)

white

Ku (Old)

blue

Ssu (Death)

inhaled 4 times

yellow

  

inhaled 7 times

red

  

absorbed

green

  

 

p. 516, fn. 197 colors of light & of brilliance, & # of rays -- according to the S^an-c^>in Min-t>an Yu:an-c^en C^in-c^u:eh 1b-2a

 

light

brilliance

# of rays

sun

red

purple

9

moon

yellow

white

10

 

nights of the moon for practicing meditation

p.

meditation

nights of the moon

515

"upon the sun in one's heart"

5th, 15th, & 29th

517

upon the moon

1st to 15th (waxing)

 

p. 517 absorption of fog and of clouds

reference

to be absorbed

Ten-c^en Yin-c^u:eh, cap. c^un, 19b-20a

hua-c^in ('quintessence') of water & fire of mountains & lakes; yin-c^>i ('abundant breath') of metal & stones

Lin-pao C^in-min Ta-fa Wan-tao Yu:-c^an Pi-c^u:eh (= TT 315)

"a breath of purple cloud which, turning to the left from the Bushel [constellation], successively" traverseth the 28 lunar mansions and thereupon returneth to above the C^in-men ('Golden Gate')

 

Henry Maspero (translated from the French by Frank A. Kierman, Jr.): Taoism and Chinese Religion. U. of MA Pr, Amherst, 1981. pp. 443-554.