Qigong's Buddhist Origins

[Scott R. Brown]

Regarding:
'Below shows the archaic writing carved on the jade piece mentioned and my rough translation:

"To move the Qi, breathe in deeply to store, to store is to elongate, to elongate is to sink, to sink is to consolidate, to consolidate is to breath out (like young shoots), to breath out is to grow, to grow is to "retreat" (to repeat), to retreat is heavenly, Heaven is above and Earth is below, (therefore) to go with is to live, to go against is to die."

"To go with", is to breathe naturally and deeply, to follow the forces of nature (e.g. gravity), the time of the day and the seasons, is to live a long life, to go against them is to die early.'

This could describe flute playing or mere breath control.

This is not Qigong, if you claim it is; produce a training manual comparable to Da Mo's bone washing and show your lineage's foundation on its unique properties.

Try reading the nei yeh Einstein.

[extrajoseph]

FF,

Try reading this:

Circulating Qi Inscription
Xingqi ming 行氣銘 (475 B.C. – 206 B.C.), scholars consider this text to be from the earlier Warring States Period. This is the earliest available text on the meditative practice solely. It appears to be an esoteric text, short but complete. According to Li Ling’s study, the text is identified as a complete “Rendu Channeling Micro-orbit Qi Gong 任督二脈小周天氣功,” and the much later concept of upper and lower dantian 丹田 was also indicated in the text. (Li, 342-346)

From this internet source: http://literati-tradition.com/qi_gong_text_sources.html

[Scott R. Brown]

If it wasn't published by Yang Jwing-Ming and there is no video.......it didn't happen!

Oh yeah! And if Foiling Fist doesn't approve of it!

[rett]

foiling fists,

Cool translation. I was wondering...

The parts in parentheses, are some of them extrapolations (or comments) and some of them the literal meaning of an expression you have translated more figuratively?

"Like gravity" seems like a modern interpretation.
"like young shoots" ? Is that your contribution, or is it in the original?
etc.

[extrajoseph]

In the original translation (Post #5), they are my comments when written in parentheses.

XJ

[rett]

In the original translation (Post #5), they are my comments when written in parentheses.

XJ

Thanks. What's the idea behind the "like young shoots" comment. Is that a literal reading of the Chinese or a comparison you made yourself?

[extrajoseph]

"Like young shoots" came from a commentary made by Guo Mo-Ruo (a Chinese scholar) on the ancient writing from the Xingqi Ming:

按照郭沫若《“行气铭”释文》的考释。“这是深呼吸的一个回合。吸气深入则多其量，使它往下伸，往下伸则定 而固；然后呼出，如草木之萌芽，往上长，与深入时的径路相反而退进，退到绝顶。这样天机便朝上动，地机便朝 下动。顺此行之则生，逆此行之则死”.

He likened the character "meng" in the text to breath out like young shoots sprouting upward. The original text says to store (to solidify) is to "meng" and to "meng" is to grow (to elongate) and so forth.

Below is the original text in ancient Chinese:

“行气，深则蓄，蓄则伸，伸则下，下则定，定则固，固则萌，萌则长，长则退，退则天。天几春在上，地几春在 下。顺则生，逆则死”。

[taai gihk yahn]

Regarding:
'Below shows the archaic writing carved on the jade piece mentioned and my rough translation:

"To move the Qi, breathe in deeply to store, to store is to elongate, to elongate is to sink, to sink is to consolidate, to consolidate is to breath out (like young shoots), to breath out is to grow, to grow is to "retreat" (to repeat), to retreat is heavenly, Heaven is above and Earth is below, (therefore) to go with is to live, to go against is to die."

"To go with", is to breathe naturally and deeply, to follow the forces of nature (e.g. gravity), the time of the day and the seasons, is to live a long life, to go against them is to die early.'

This could describe flute playing or mere breath control.

This is not Qigong, if you claim it is; produce a training manual comparable to Da Mo's bone washing and show your lineage's foundation on its unique properties.

you're joking, right?

[taai gihk yahn]

"Like young shoots" came from a commentary made by Guo Mo-Ruo (a Chinese scholar) on the ancient writing from the Xingqi Ming:

按照郭沫若《“行气铭”释文》的考释。“这是深呼吸的一个回合。吸气深入则多其量，使它往下伸，往下伸则定 而固；然后呼出，如草木之萌芽，往上长，与深入时的径路相反而退进，退到绝顶。这样天机便朝上动，地机便朝 下动。顺此行之则生，逆此行之则死”.

He likened the character "meng" in the text to breath out like young shoots sprouting upward. The original text says to store (to solidify) is to "meng" and to "meng" is to grow (to elongate) and so forth.

Below is the original text in ancient Chinese:

“行气，深则蓄，蓄则伸，伸则下，下则定，定则固，固则萌，萌则长，长则退，退则天。天几春在上，地几春在 下。顺则生，逆则死”。

nice commentary / elaboration; makes a great deal of sense;

[extrajoseph]

According to the book “The Secret Collection of Shaolin Qigong” (少林氣功秘集) written and edited by Shi De-Qian and Xu Qin-Yan (釋德虔 徐勤燕 編著)。

http://www.pcono.com/136488.html

少林氣功，源遠流長，約起源于北魏太和年間，距今有一千五百多年的歷史。公元496年，少林寺的開創者跋陀 的門徒稠禪師就能夠踏牆橫行四次，還能持丈解虎等等，可見稠禪師身藏很高的氣功卓技，可列為少林寺最早的一 位氣功武術大師。

“Shaolin Qigong has a long history, it began round about the Tai He Years in the Northern Wei Period (477-499 AD), with more than 1,500 years of history. In the year 496Ad, a disciple of Bei Tuo (跋陀), the founder of Shaolin Temple, by the name of Chou Chanshi (Chan Master Chou) 稠禪師, can be seen walking up a wall diagonally 4 times in a row, and he can also subdue a tiger with a staff and things like that, so one can see he has a high level of Qigong skill, and we can regard him as one of the earlier Qigong and Wushu master of Shaolin Temple.”.

Shi De-Qian, was a former Fang Zhang (the First Abbot, or Head Master) of the Songsan Mountain Shaolin Temple and a noted historian of Shaolin martial arts, so what he said about Shaolin Qigong is credible, IMHO. He only died recently on August 23rd. this year (2011).

Shi also mentioned in his book Damo arrived at Songshan in the year 527 AD, so it seems Buddhist Qigong from Shaolin Temple has its origin before the arrival of Damo.

[RenDaHai]

@ Joseph,

Thanks very much for posting the characters. That is very useful. The character Meng 萌 is I think refers to something being realised and created. I don't think here it is refering to breathing out, but rather the more mysterious feeling of qi being generated by the settling and consolidation of breath. The character Ding 定 is also important here. The text doesn't actually say to breath out, and in the context of qigong I think the rising of the (innate) Qi would make more sense here.

@All

Not to be in contraditiction to Josephs translation but for many of you who don't speak Chinese it is useful to have as many translations as possible. Here is my interpretation of the text;

'Engage the breath, Breath Deep and hold, hold and then stretch, stretch downwards, at the bottom settle, settle and intensify, from there something arises, the thing grows, it grows and returns towards heaven. Returning it to heaven increases vitality, returning it to earth decreases vitality, to go with this flow is to generate life, to go against is to bring death.'

The piece appears to be a description of the 'Microcosmic orbit'.


This Chinese is poetically written, and sounds very nice when read aloud. Since this is over 2000 years old it is very difficult to know the way the characters were used then. The fact it is poetically written makes it much harder to translate. The Character ze (roughly 'and then') is overused so as to make the piece flow. Characters are repeated for the same reason. I think it is more a direction of flow; engage-deep-hold-stretch-down-settle-solidify-arise-return-heaven (if you take out the repeated characters, this is it).

Note: I have translated it from the position of already knowing the microcosmic orbit, if I did not I may translate differently. The way joseph translates is equally valid.

Again thanks @Joseph for posting such an interesting piece.

Would be great if anyone who speaks Chinese could give their interpretation as well, the more the better.

[WhiteTiger666]

First of all Ide like to say that the Chinese did not invent "Chi Kung" or Kung FU or the existence of these topics which has been around for eons passed down by the ancient ones also known as the Annunaki or Elohim God head.

While I personally have no problem with them, Buddhism is New Age spiritualism when compared to the real ancient cultures which have existed much longer and in a way which Buddhisms aim to deceive that it is really the most old ancient culture there is is in fact false.

I have studied and taken two courses in Buddhism i at Hunter College in NY and no where in any book has Buddha stated I am a God make a statue and worship me yet there are many who believe that Buddhism is a religion and made statues and worship and pray to Buddha although there is no evidence he has existed at all or has he ever stated " I am a God".

The Chinese did not invent herbal medicine that is also false , There are other cultures such as the Sumerians, Babylonians that had it way before them circa 6000 bc.. I have nothing against the Chinese but they are trying to say they are the oldest source when they are not.
Sorry Charlie.

I put it to you or anyone else who challenges what I have said to prove that I am wrong in what I said and show me where Buddha said he was a God.

Let Jah Light Shine and Reveal, JDR

[Scott R. Brown]

Whew!!! Thank Anu you were here to set us all straight!!

BTW: I am the Buddha himself, and I am I God and I challenge anyone here to prove I am wrong!

BTBTW: I am also Anu and I challenge anyone here to prove I am wrong!

BTBTBTW: I challenge anyone here to prove I am wrong about anything!!!

[taai gihk yahn]

Let Jah Light Shine and Reveal, JDR

please provide proof that Jah exists and has any role in the shining of light and / or the revealing of things;

[rett]

show me where Buddha said he was a God.

In the Pali Canon Buddha is referred to as "teacher of gods and men" (satthaa devamanussaanam). Many suttas were preached for the sake of deities who approached him for teaching. So he was above gods in terms of wisdom and social rank.

I don't have the exact reference handy, but iirc the Buddha was a god in his immediately preceding lifetime. He descended from Tavatimsa Heaven and took birth as Prince Siddhattha Gotama.