The Relationship Between Qi Cultivation and the Dao

Nurturing qi is nurturing the Way. When qi is sufficient, the mind abides in stability; when the mind is stable, wisdom arises, afflictions diminish, and realization of the Way becomes easier. Nurturing qi involves two aspects: replenishment and protection, avoiding frivolous expenditure. The second aspect, preventing leakage, is paramount. Because if one replenishes qi while simultaneously consuming and leaking it, the replenishment becomes meaningless, potentially even leading to erroneous supplementation and the emergence of pathological obstructions.

In which areas is the qi within the human body most prone to leakage? Firstly, during defecation and urination, qi is leaked, consuming liver qi, lung qi, spleen qi, stomach qi, and so on. If these qi are insufficient, defecation and urination become difficult. Therefore, frequent defecation and urination lead to more qi leakage; those with weak constitutions often feel debilitated after these activities. Hence, the Buddha instructed his disciples to know moderation in eating and drinking, to eat once a day at noon, and to refrain from eating after noon. This avoids: 1) consuming blessings and virtue, 2) wasting time for cultivation, 3) fostering greed, and 4) preventing frequent defecation and urination. Thus, the Buddha's precepts contain scientific rationale and are beneficial for cultivating the Way.

The second most significant way qi is leaked is through sexual desire, which also consumes a great deal of the body's qi. Those with frequent sexual desire tend to have poor physical constitutions. Emperors in the past often needed to regularly take tonics, yet the replenishment could not keep up with the leakage. Excessive consumption of tonics also harms the body, ultimately leading to physical depletion and premature death. Only emperors who practiced moderation had the possibility of longevity, though they were few. The Buddha established the precept to eradicate sexual desire because lust is the root of the cycle of birth and death; without lust and desire, one transcends the desire realm. In the Shurangama Sutra, the Buddha said: "Cultivating the Way with a lustful mind is like cooking sand to make rice – it will never succeed, because sand is not the substance of rice. Cultivating the Way with a lustful mind is demonic conduct and will ultimately not lead to enlightenment." Therefore, the Buddha established the precept to eradicate lust. Those who wholeheartedly vow to attain enlightenment, for the sake of their own liberation, should also consciously subdue the affliction of lust.

The third way qi is easily leaked is through speech. Speaking consumes dantian qi. When the manas (mind faculty) generates the thought to speak, dantian qi is mobilized. The qi ascends along the channels and chakras, passing through the throat chakra to the root of the tongue, where consciousness and body consciousness arise, and speech is produced. In this process, a lot of qi from various internal organs escapes along with the speech. Therefore, those with deficient qi speak weakly or may even be unable to produce sound. Some feel weak and exhausted after speaking too much. Those who speak extensively every day consume too much qi; such individuals generally lack meditative concentration (dhyana), and even if they attain it, they will lose it. Hence, Buddhist disciples cultivating the Way generally prefer silence, speaking only when necessary. This practice serves two purposes: gathering qi and preventing the mind from scattering.

The fourth way qi is easily consumed is through unfettered, scattered thoughts – excessive mental activity leading to internal spiritual exhaustion. When qi is completely depleted, meditative concentration is difficult to arise, and if it does arise, it will disappear. "Opening the mouth scatters the spirit qi; moving the intention chills the fire work." When one speaks, the qi within the body scatters and vanishes. When the manas stirs a thought, the inner fire cultivated within the body dissipates. Once the warm sensation disappears, the body becomes cold. Thoughts also consume energy. People who are particularly physically weak cannot concentrate on considering problems; their minds may go blank. Those who overthink easily become fatigued and hungry. People who frequently use their minds tend to have spleen deficiency and also get hungry easily. As energy dissipates, meditative concentration also fades.

The above are the primary channels through which the body leaks and consumes qi. All nine orifices easily consume qi and blood. Prolonged looking scatters liver qi, leading to liver blood deficiency. Prolonged listening scatters kidney qi, leading to kidney decline. Prolonged smelling, tasting, and touching all cause the loss of qi and blood, preventing the continuity of meditative concentration. The pores on the body's surface can also emit energy. Bathing for too long or at excessively high temperatures causes the loss of qi and blood. To cultivate the Way well, one must practice moderation in all worldly matters, knowing when to stop. Without greed for form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and dharmas, the Way is easily attained.