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Circulation of Chi
After three months of training you will reach the fourth stage and will have a certain amount of chi accumulated in the waist chi vessel. After completing this stage, practicing the third stage for 20 minutes every day will help you maintain healthy and youthful life. But some do want to move on further in order to achieve complete resonance with the universe by opening up all the chi vessels and chi channels. These people then undergo a special training called circulation or transportation of chi. Circulation or transportation of chi is composed of four steps; Small Heavenly Circulation -> Expansion of the Eight Basic Chi Vessels -> Grand Heavenly Circulation -> Sublime Nirvana.
In almost every meditation or Tan Tian breath-training organizations, they have tried to achieve the circulation of chi through focusing on consciousness and transporting chi by this consciousness. For example, in the first stage of circulation of chi to reach Small Heavenly Circulation, they have tried to circulate chi by concentrating on the "chi sea" and transporting chi by this consciousness. But the true circulation of chi can never be attained through this method. Through this method, only false chi is circulated, producing side-effects or obstructive chi in the body. In Sea Zen, even in the circulation of chi, just like accumulation process, we do not use consciousness or any kind of focusing, but Hang Gong, breathing and Sun Eum to circulate chi. In other words, chi is circulated not through consciousness, but purely through the force based on the theory of chi. Just as we massage our shoulders for relaxation, the force is used in order to circulate the chi in the waist chi vessel. For instance, in the process of Small Heavenly Circulation, when the waist chi vessel is motivated and moved through the resonance of the Yulryeo Numbering Sound and Yulryeo Sound, a strong dynamic force is created and this force makes chi escalate along the governing chi vessel.
It takes approximately 6 to 9 months to master Small Heavenly Circulation and the whole process up to Sublime Nirvana. Therefore, it takes no more than a year to reach Sublime Nirvana. In Chinese Taoist doctrines, it has been said that it is impossible to reach Small Heavenly Circulation in 10 years. But through Sea Zen training with 40 minutes of practice every day, you will master Small Heavenly Circulation and Grand Heavenly Circulation within 6 months and Sublime Nirvana within a year. When you reach Grand Heavenly Circulation and Sublime Nirvana, every chronic disease and disorder will be cured and you will gain peace, comfort, stability and transcendental mind. With peace and comfort, you will also get along with others harmoniously.
Chi Vessel
Before we go on to circulation of chi, let's have a look at what a chi vessel is. In the Asian philosophy and oriental medicine, chi vessel is largely divided into the 8 essential chi vessels and 12 basic chi channels. In these vessels, there are 360 chi spots for acupuncture that are connected to the external world.
Which of the chi vessels and channels are directly related to circulation of chi? Of course every chi vessel and channel is related to circulation of chi but the most directly related one is the 8 essential chi vessels. Generally in oriental medicine, it is regarded that the chi in the 8 essential chi vessels gradually stops flowing as we grow old. Thus, oriental medicine focuses on 12 basic chi channels and 360 chi spots rather than 8 essential chi vessels.
Does this mean then that chi does not flow in 8 essential chi vessels? To be short, 8 essential chi vessels are the chi vessels through which only true chi flows. In other words, the 8 essential vessels are the passages through which chi in the universe flows. But as we grow old, the 8 essential chi vessels are blocked and it seems that chi does no longer flow through the vessels. This is why the oriental medicine does not use 8 essential chi vessels but only 12 basic chi channels and chi spots. The 12 basic chi channels are the passages through which chi that we obtain from eating and breathing flows.
The process of circulation of chi in Sea Zen perforates into 8 essential chi vessels that become blocked as we grow old and makes the accumulated true chi in the waist chi vessel Tan Tian flow through 8 essential chi vessels. This makes our body and mind healthier and integrate simultaneously with the universe.
In other words, by circulation of chi, true chi can be largely circulated through the 8 essential chi vessels, and through this process true chi is made to soak into 12 basic chi channels and 360 chi spots. In this way, true chi is transported to every single blood cell in human body and the healthier mind and body helps us to realize transcendental consciousness and ultimately reach nirvana.
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Process of Circulation of Chi
Small Heavenly Circulation
Circulation means circulation of chi through 8 essential chi vessels and it is largely divided into Small Heavenly Circulation and Grand Heavenly Circulation.
After the four stages of accumulation of chi, we enter the next process called Small Heavenly Circulation. Small Heavenly Circulation, as mentioned before, can be achieved by a strong force produced by the chi waves which are formed through the Yulryeo numbering sound and Yulryeo sound in the waist chi vessel Tan Tian. With Small Heavenly Circulation, the governing chi vessel (back chi vessel) is unblocked and it is connected to the conceptive chi vessel (abdomen chi vessel).
When Small Heavenly Circulation is achieved, chi passes the eyebrows in a circle and finally opens up the chi channel around the head. In this proces you will experience and feel chi wave around your head. Just like the angel's halo, chi wave in the shape of a circular ring forms around the head. This is called Heavenly Crown or Small Heavenly Crown. With this Heavenly Crown, you will gain transcendental consciousness and peace and stability so that you will no longer feel frustrated or angry over trifles.
Small Heavenly Crown gives us many advantages. First, as said before, with a strong transcendental consciousness we no longer become anxious about trifles. We gain peace and stability and no longer suffer from stresses. When I(the manager of the website) first had Small Heavenly Crown, I no longer had any thoughts or anxiety. I did not look at objects but gazed at them without any thoughts and I was able to maintain peace in my mind. Afterwards, a few more days in peace and stability, I have become used to this transcendental state and can enjoy everyday life again, but without any anxieties. In other words, the formation of Small Heavenly Crown has become the foundation of spiritual enhancement.
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Expanding the 4 Essential Chi Vessels in the Upper Body
When Small Heavenly Circulation is achieved, 4 of the 8 essential chi vessels (in the upper body) are open for the flow of true chi. Through the process of accumulation of chi, three essential chi vessels in the upper body, i.e., conceptive chi vessel and 충맥, and waist chi vessel are opened. Through the process of circulation of chi, the governing chi vessel is opened and connected with the conceptive chi vessel. Thus, the 4 chi vessels in the upper body are completely opened for the flow of chi through circulation of chi.
But Small Heavenly Circulation is only a small achievement in the whole process of Sea Zen. Small Heavenly Circulation is compared to the small path that leads to the top of the mountain. A better path must be scythed of grass, removed of scrub trees. Like the path, the 4 essential chi vessels must achieve a good condition for the smooth flow of chi. Although governing chi vessel and conceptive chi vessel are opened for the flow of chi, it is not enough for the complete circulation of chi. We need to expand the passages of 4 essential chi vessels, which is called On Yang, or expansion of the 4 essential chi vessels.
In other Tan Tian breath-training organizations, there has been theories about On Yang or expansion of the 8 basic chi vessels, but their concept is not clear. They define the process of On Yang without any clear conception and these vague definitions make On Yang even more mysterious and ambiguous. However, On Yang means nothing more than expanding of 4 essential vessels in the upper body.
Logically, after Small Heavenly Circulation is achieved and governing vessel and conceptive vessel are connected, expansion of 4 essential chi vessels in the upper body must be the next following stage.
In the On Yang stage, for training, there are Diamond posture 1, 2 and 3, and Diamond Meditating Posture. We also add Standing Yulryeo Posture which helps expand the circulation of chi. Through these postures, the accumulated chi in the waist chi vessel Tan Tian circulates even more strongly and actively, expanding the governing chi vessel and the conceptive chi vessel and the amount of circulating chi in the body increases drastically.
The representative phenomenon caused by the expansion of chi vessels is the adaptation of bones. Adaptation means changes of bones. In other words, as chi vessels expand, the structure of the bones also adapt itself to the smooth flow of chi. The symptom vividly appears on the head and you can easily see it with your eyes. Accordingly, the outline of your face will change for better appearance and so will your look and the structure of your skull.
Of course, we cannot detect all the delicate changes of bones easily. However, during this adaptation process, the straightening of the spine is one of the changes which we can notice easily. As chi comes up through the governing chi vessel repeatedly, the structure of the spine becomes straight and upright. In other words, during the process of On Yang, the blocked region where chi could not pass through because of the bent spine, becomes unblocked and the bent spine become straightened up as well. The modification of the spine cures chronic backaches and back discs which were caused by the imperfect structure of the spine. As the chi is circulated and provided to the back and the backbone becomes straight, backaches can be cured. |
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