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The term “Three Treasures” describes both the primordial triune of essence, energy, and spirit and its temporal expression in the body, breath, and mind of postnatal life. Chi Kung practice and balanced living are methods for protecting the Three Treasures to enhance well-being, vitality, and a deep sense of spiritual connection to the universe.

GUIDELINES FOR SIMPLE CHI KUNG PRACTICE

In this section we will list the twenty-three rules that have been passed down by generations of Chi Kung masters. These rules are based on much study and experience, and you should observe them carefully.

Don’t Be Stubborn about Plans and Ideas

This is one of the easiest mistakes for beginners to make. When we take up Chi Kung we are enthusiastic and eager. However, sometimes we don’t learn as fast as we would like to, and we become impatient and try to force things. Sometimes we set up a schedule for ourselves: today I want to make my tan tien warm, tomorrow I want to get through the tailbone cavity, by such and such a day I want to complete the Microcosmic Orbit. This is the wrong way to go about it. Chi Kung is not like any ordinary job or task you set for yourself, you cannot make a progress schedule for Chi Kung. This will only make your thinking rigid and stagnate your progress. Everything happens when it is time for it to happen. If you try to force your progress, it will not happen naturally.

Don’t Place Your Attention in Discrimination

When you practice, do not place your attention on the various phenomena or sensations that are occurring. Be aware of what is happening, but keep your mind centered on wherever it is supposed to be for the exercise you are doing. If you let your mind go to wherever you feel something “interesting” happening, the chi will follow your mind and interfere with your body’s natural tendency to rebalance itself. Do not expect anything to happen, and don’t let your mind wander around looking for the various phenomena.

Furthermore, don’t start evaluating or judging the phenomena, such as asking, “Is my tan tien warmer today than it was yesterday,” or “Just where is my chi now?” When your mind is on your chi, your Yi (intention) is there also, and this stagnant Yi will not lead the chi. Instead, be aware of what is happening, but don’t pay attention to it. When you drive a car, you don’t watch yourself steer and work the pedals and shift gears. If you did, you’d drive off the road. You simply put your mind on where you want to go and let your body automatically drive the car. This is called regulating without regulating.

Avoid Miscellaneous Thought Remaining on Origins

This is a problem of regulating the mind. The emotional mind is strong, and every idea is still strongly connected to its origin. If you cannot cut the ideas off at their source, your mind is not regulated, and you should not try to regulate your chi.

You will also find that even though you have stopped the flow of random thoughts going through your mind, new ideas are generated during practice. For example, when you discover that your tan tien is warm, your mind immediately recalls where this was mentioned in a book, or how the master described it, and you start to compare your experience with this. Or you may start wondering what the next step is. All of these thoughts will lead you away from peace and calm, and your mind will end up in the “domain of the devil”—confused, scattered, and very often scared—and you will tire quickly.

Your Mind (Hsin) Should Not Follow the External Scenery

This is also a problem of regulating the mind (hsin). When your emotional mind is not controlled, any external distraction will lead it away from your body and toward the distraction. You must train yourself so that noises, smells, conversations, and such will not disturb your concentration. It is all right to be aware of what is happening, but your mind must remain calmly, peacefully, and steadily on your cultivation.

Regulate your Sexual Activity

You should not have sexual