Dandao
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Third-Eye Empowerment vs. Cultivated Third-Eye Opening
Many people are interested in “opening the third eye,” so it is unsurprising that the videos I posted about “third-eye empowerment” attracted considerable attention. Despite my efforts to provide context in the captions, several misunderstandings have emerged. I therefore thought it would be helpful to write a detailed article clarifying what these empowerments are—and what they are not. What is “third-eye empowerment”? Masters associated with the system of Yi Jin Jing neigong, which I have practiced for more than ten years, perform this energetic adjustment for those who aspire to begin practicing neigong. They refer to it as “kai tianmu” 开天目, literally “opening the celestial eye.” In the Chinese tradition,…
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The Celestial Eye 天目
There is a lot of interest online surrounding the third eye and “opening the third eye.” Although perhaps there are many misunderstandings as well. Many ideas are based on modern conceptions which may or may not be rooted in authentic systems of spiritual cultivation. The Chinese traditions of internal cultivation have been refined over many centuries. So one might wonder how this idea of opening the third eye is discussed in centuries-old traditions like Daoist internal alchemy (neidan). It could be said that in neidan, the third-eye (tianmu) and other related energetic anatomy of the head first become active when a practitioner’s meditation practice has become deep enough that they…
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Medicinal Herbs and Energetic Adjustments as Support for Practice
Medicinal herbs have been used as support for Chinese internal cultivation practices for centuries. In his famous Fifteen Discourses to Establish the Teachings, which are essentially guidelines on the fundamentals of cultivation, founder of the Northern School of Daoist Alchemy, Wang Chongyang has an entire discourse dedicated to medicinal herbs. 藥者，乃山川之秀氣，草木之精華 Medicinal herbs are the flourishing emanations of mountains and waterways, the essential florescence of plants and trees… …If one is willing to study them as essences, one can enliven the Xing (innate nature) and Ming (life-destiny) of people… …If you do not understand herbal preparation, you will have no way to…
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Building Foundation: Neigong vs Neidan
Building Foundation is always considered a crucial step regardless of what one’s goals are in the internal arts. It is never wise to “build on top of a shaky foundation.” At best, you just won’t get anywhere with the more advanced practices. At worst, progressing to advanced practices too early can even be detrimental. Foundational practices can involve both body and mind-based practice, although it is common to start with the more physical and substantial aspects of oneself and work towards the more ethereal. While there is some overlap, foundational practices done for neidan (inner alchemy) are not always the same as neigong/qigong practices. This is because neidan ultimately is…
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Five Types of Daoist Immortals
How you cultivate determines your results. Everyone dies, but not everyone dies the same way. There are five levels of Daoist Immortality and it’s important for a practitioner to understand what they are and what type of practices correspond to each so that they can properly align their practice with their goals. This remains relevant because it speaks to the importance of proper practice, the difference between qigong practice and neidan, and distinguishes practices that can lead to spiritual development from those that can at best lead to health and longevity. Throughout history many famous Daoist masters categorized levels of attainment, related them to certain modes of practice, and criticized…
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Winter Solstice is an Optimal Time for Stillness
“The winter solstice marks the beginning of the return of Yang; a thunderclap shakes the sky” Dongzhi yi yang lai fu shi, pili yisheng zhendong tian. 冬至一阳来复始，霹雳一声震动天。 ~ Zhang Sanfeng’s Meditation Song 三丰打坐歌说 The winter solstice (dong zhi 冬至) marks a special point in the year: The days will start to get longer again, the sun will start to get stronger. Yin Qi has peaked and will now start to decline. Yang Qi will begin to emerge and grow. Neigong and neidan practice are concerned with accumulating Yang Qi in the body. This is considered an excellent time to practice stillness-based practices such as meditation (both specifically on the winter…
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The Microcosmic Orbit
Below is a brief exploration of the Microcosmic Orbit, also known as the Small Heavenly Orbit. We will touch on its significance, history, key features, as well as different types of Microcosmic orbits and associated practices, and how it is used in different modes of practice (i.e. qigong/neigong vs dandao/neidan). This is not meant to be exhaustive and only briefly touches on some key points with a few instances of specific examples. The video form of this post can be found at the bottom of the page. The Microcosmic Orbit is the flow of Qi around the loop created by the Ren and Du meridians, but what is the significance…
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What is the difference between Qigong 气功, Neigong 内功, and Neidan 内丹?
Summary: We should be wary of narrow definitions of these terms applied broadly as they can refer to many things and can often overlap or be interchangeable in many contexts. “Neigong” and “Qigong” are basically synonymous and are umbrella terms for a wide range of energetic practices that cultivate the “post-heaven” qi 氣 (houtian zhi qi 后天之气) of the body. From what I have seen, these two terms seem to be treated synonymously in many, if not most, Chinese internal arts circles, although Western internal arts circles are increasingly distinguishing them in specific ways. Neidan differs in that it is a specific (yet still vast) genre of practice that seeks to…
