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Since childhood I have been fascinated by the stories of immortals portrayed in Taoist books and teachings. I wondered how a person could become an immortal and achieve the god- ship. I read hundreds of Taoist books but always had a complex feeling of fascination, confusion and frustration whenever I finished reading. They seemed to be written in such a way that only the rare person could understand them. The standard excuse was that the heavenly secret should not be revealed. I could not tell which books were good and which were bad, and I did not know who, among these many authors, was a real immortal and who was a phony or a fake. So, I continued in search of Tao in the Taoist tradition by looking for a genuine teacher and,fortunately,I met my teacher in 1961. He is the author of this book.
In China, people usually meditate in order to achieve spiritual growth and to enhance their health. I have lived in the Unit- ed States for many years. To my surprise, the ideas and methods of Western meditation practices are quite different from those of the Chinese. It seems to me that most Americans meditate solely for spiritual growth and seem to want to expand consciousness or develop esp.

 

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List of Illustrations
Translator's Preface
Introduction

Part Ⅰ：The Nature of Meditation
1. Longevity is Actually Possible
2. Meditation
3. Mental and Physical Conditions During Meditation
4. Ch'i Phenomena of the Body
5. Postures in Meditation
6. Use of the Mind in Meditation
7. Concentration on the Ch'iao Cavity in Taoist Meditation

Part Ⅱ： The Nature and Reactions of Ch'i
8. The Nature of Ch'i
9. Reactions of Ch'i During Meditation
10. How to Open Up Jen Mai
11. Fasting and the Function of the Middle Ch'i
12. A Big Belly is Not Tao
13. The Human Body and the Importance of Feet
14. Arguments Over the Ch'i Channels
15. Ch'i Channels from Taoism and Buddhism
16. What is Middle Mai?
17. Why Ch'i Channels Vibrate
18. What Happens After Ch'i Channels Open?
19. Motives for Meditation
20. The Theory of Ching, Ch'i and Shen

Part Ⅲ：Cultivation of Ching, Ch'i and Shen
21. Timing and Stages of Cultivation
22. The Concept of Ching
23. Transmutation of Ching into Ch'i
24. Cultivation of Ch'i and Stopping the Breath
25. The Wonder and Mystery of Breath
26. Changing Temperaments and Cycles of Ch'i
27. Cultivating Ch'i and Calming the Mind
28. Three Flowers and Five Ch'i
29. Meditation and Cultivation of Shen

Appendix Ⅰ：Cultivating Samadhi and Wisdom Through Ch'an (Zen)
Appendix Ⅱ：Ch'an (Zen) and Pointing at the Moon
Index
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