refining the Shen, This special training is divided into four major steps: Keeping and Protecting the Shen; Solidifying the Shen; Stabilising and Calming the Shen; and Concentrating, Refining, Focusing, and Strengthening the Shen, described as follows:
1 - Keeping and Protecting the Shen: Only
after regulating the Heart's emotions and the
Mind's intentions can the Shen be watched
over, directed, nursed, and kept in its residence. This is achieved by using the imagination and intention of the conscious mind to direct, nurse, and oversee the Shen. This can be accomplished with the help and support of positive affirmations, used to stabilize the emotions.
2 - Solidifying the Shen: Once the Shen is willingly kept in its residence/ it can be solidified and formed. This is achieved by regulating all thoughts and emotions. Once all thoughts and emotions have been regulated, the mind will then become steady and calm.
3 - Stabilising and Calming the Shen: The Shen must not be allowed to attach itself to any outside emotional distractions. It must be carefully energised, but not excited. Only after the Heart's emotions and Mind's intention are in a state of inner peace can the Shen be calmed and stabilized.
4 - Concentrating, Refining, Focusing, and
Strengthening the Shen: Only after practicing
the foundations of keeping, solidifying, and
stabili zing the Shen can a disciple begin the
level of refining and strengthening his Shen. This is achieved by condensing and focusing the Shen onto a tiny point of light, in order to build, strengthen, and refine its power. One way that a disciple's Qi can be trained to nourish and strengthen his Shen, is through a form of coherent light meditation. This special meditation focuses the projecting the intention of the disciple's Shen onto a small circle of light (generally about the size of a marble or pearl). Through continual practice, the disciple's focus of concentration can be taught to extend either externally onto a specific point outside his body, or internally onto a specific point inside his body. Through this type of focused "coherent light" training, it is possible to build the Shen's strength and refine its power. When focused intention and imagination are placed onto a specific area, the Qi and Shen condense together, forming a more powerful type of energy.
MAINTAINING A POWERFUL SHENGONG
In ancient China, if a Daoist student was to master the skills of Shengong and energetic projection, he or she must first discipline and completely master the Shen Zhi (Acquired Mind). Once the disciple could control the Shen Zhi and easily access his or her Yuan Shen (Original Mind), the next challenge was to acquire, stabilize, and strengthen the Six Transportations of Shen. This was brought about by understanding and avoiding the following excess ive interactions of the senses.
• Excessive Touching: This weakens the priest's ability to "emit energy," causing the projected Qi to diminish or disperse.
• Excessive Thinking: This weakens the priest's
ability to "transfer thoughts," causing the projected thought form to diminish or disperse.
• Excess Talking: This weakens the priest's ability to "read thoughts."
• Excessive Indulgence in Taste: This weakens the priest's ability to "control energetic power."
• Excessive Meekness: This weakens the priest's ability to cultivate and utilize the “power of understanding."
• Scattered Thoughts and Feelings: This weakens the priest's ability to cultivate and utilise the "power of suggestion."
• Excessive Submissiveness: This induces sleep during mental visualization training, weakening the potential and power of the Shengong exercise.
In advanced Shengong training, the Daoist priest must first purify the lower sensory states
(sound, sight, smell, taste, touch, and form) in
order to transform them into the spiritual states of celestial sound, celestial sight, celestial smell, celestial taste, celestial touch, and celestial form”
