Neidan Foundations Level 1
Hi friends, I hope you are enjoying the summer!! We’ve just started out journey studying Qimen Dun Jia Fengshui with teachers of the lineage here in Kaifeng (funny thing, they are located a five minute walk from our house) and some other things are cooking too, but more on that later!!
this is the ad for the Complete Neidan Foundations Level 1 program starting next week. There is a 50% discount available for paid subscribers to this substack, so please avail yourself of it. The ads for the rest of the July courses including Tian Zhaolin’s Taijiquan Middle Frame Grasp Sparrow’s Tail part 1, Xing Ming Gui Zhi and Alchemy of the Dao De Jing chapter 9 will be up next week and those courses will start the second weekend of July and end on August 1st (a total of four weeks), so be on the lookout for those classes too if you are interested.
Neidan Foundations Level 1:
Get it here:
https://immortalitystudy.gumroad.com/l/fundamentals-1
I have been teaching Neidan online since 2016, first as email correspondence courses, then via zoom and recordings starting in 2020. During that time hundreds of students have studied with me online, I’ve travelled around the world to teach, and some students have even come to visit me in Canada. Traditionally Neidan is taught according to the curriciulum of particular schools such as the Northern, Southern, Middle etc... Each school has its own special characteristic, but the founders of each school were also influenced by the other schools which came before them. My approach to Neidan is based on the Middle School, a synthesis of the earlier Southern and Northern Neidan ancestor schools. The main books I teach are Dao De Jing Chan Wei and Xing Ming Gui Zhi, but I also place great emphasis on Northern and Southern school documents since they are foundational to the Middle School.
The key difference between the three schools is the perception of where practice should start, but ultimately their methods are closely related and results are similar.
In order to fully understand the Neidan genre I have led students through the curriculums of all of the major schools and although we have not read every Neidan document, we certainly have been exposed to all of the mainstream schools.
As such I have narrowed down the literature and approaches I believe to be most useful to the new and intermediate Neidan student and have created a foundational program of practice which will get you in the gate.
The teaching of my program is based on the idea that students should develop four qualities in order to advance in their studies:
Understand the core concepts of internal alchemy and basic practices to prepare the body and mind,
Obtain the core knowledge and practice of pre-heaven spiritual cultivation in order to attain basic realization,
Add the methods of pre-heaven energy cultivation in order to develop the Dantians and meridian body,
Merge the two methods in order to simultaneously practice spirit and energy in their primary forms which are known as nature and life.
The program is broken into seven sections each of one month in length:
Month 1: Daoism Must know: a unit dealing with core Daoist information related to internal energy and alchemy which will help you get the core concepts you need to begin practice. This section will also introduce basic Daoist practices to help you sense Qi and build a physical relationship with the lower Dantian,
Month 2: Xing/Nature 1: this will primarily introduce Neidan ideas related to the cultivation of pre-heaven spirit and draw on Northern School concepts along with modern Neidan concepts from Chen Yingning’s Immortality Study School based on ancient Daoism. The goal of this section is to help you realize the “mystery gate,” a phenomenon in meditation in which the spirit suddenly awakens into a realized state after deep meditation.
Month 3: Ming/Life 1: this section will introduce the pre-heaven life energy practices of the Southern and related schools according to the alchemical theories associated with fire and water, lead and mercury etc.. In this unit you will learn the true meanings of concepts such as merging water and fire, the cauldron and burner etc.. and how to develop the medicinal product in your lower Dantian so it can be used in the meridians and cultivate the golden elixir over time.
Month 4: Xing and Ming 1: this will introduce basic middle school practice, mainly of the Huang Yuanji school. This practice is based on combining the life energy aspect of Ming with the mystery gate aspect of Xing so that when the energy moves it is more potent and causes more rapid spiritual development than the Southern School, while being more energy focused than the Northern school. Huang’s method is the number one best approach for people who want to study Neidan at a fundamental level, but it is helpful to have an introduction to concepts and practices before starting with his work.
Month 5: Xing 2: in Xing level 2 we will begin to look at practices such as maintaining spiritual awareness in the Ming Tang area of the head which is popular in Northern School offshoots such as the Wu Liu and Qian Feng schools. We will also look at how to understand spiritually related Yang energy phenomena, especially those that occur in the upper Dantian.
Month 6: Ming 2: In this section we will especially focus on the Wu Liu School understanding of the Small Heavenly Orbit and if you have practiced the course seriously up to this point it is likely you will already have some small orbit activity. This unit will clarify the nature of the orbit, since it is much more than just Qi travelling in two meridians and requires specialized knowledge about specific hexagrams, energetic phenomena, and time space relationships,
Month 7: Xing and Ming 2: In this final section we will look at practices from our core text Xing Ming Gui Zhi which introduce more advanced practices and concepts, especially related to what to do when the energy develops to a high level.
After the seven months you will understand Neidan at a fundamental level and can choose to use the information from this course to keep practicing, or go forward with level two of the curriculum, or join a reading course like Xing Ming Gui Zhi when it is offered (which you are always welcome to do by the way).
Classes will be prerecorded and made available with recordings and PDF posted in the course gumroad folder every Thursday starting July 2 and going for seven months and will typically be available Thursday mornings if you are in the United States or Europe since I will record them my Thursday evening in China. Students are entitled to email questions with me every week and ask as many questions as you wish, but please respect my time and only ask serious questions about your knowledge and practice. Students are also invited to have a 30 minute private chat with me once a month during the program which is included in the course fee. I can usually meet during the daytime or evening here in Kaifeng and my 9 PM is currently the same as 9 AM New York time. I’m typically available between 9 AM to 9 PM China time, so the conversations will have to take place within that time frame.
The course fee is $200/month for regular students, but there is a $100 discount for paid subscribers to this newsletter, so if you were thinking of getting a subscription and want to save a bundle of money, now is a great time to do that. The discount code is located in the paid section under this post.
Every translation used in lecture will also be provided to you and for weeks where there are no translations we will have small pdf documents to accompany the lectures.
Internal Alchemy is a meditation system which does not require any Qigong and martial arts poses or movements, so expect to sit, stand, lie down and maybe sometimes walk in meditation as your core practice. There are no guided meditations in this program and your meditation will be self guided, I provide the information, you do the practice.
Many of my students will attest to the fact that I teach real secular internal alchemy which has definite results. I do not belong to a religious Daoist lineage, but I do teach religious Daoists and non-Daoists alike. After many years of teaching I have decided to codify what I do into a system and this is the first course of the foundations of that system. I sincerely hope you will attain great success in your studies and that this will be a profound learning experience for you.
Get it here:
https://immortalitystudy.gumroad.com/l/fundamentals-1
Neidan Foundations Level 1 Timeline:
Month 1:
Daoism must know:
This unit will be dedicated to imparting core Daoist knowledge which is absolutely required if you want to learn Neidan. We will also focus on establishing foundational skills with practical approaches which rely on formulas extracted from the Dao De Jing and other sources.
Week 1: Internal Alchemy and Daoism, what are they?:
Week 2: What are the three Dantian?:
Week 3: Pre and Post Heaven States:
Week 4: The Stages of Internal Alchemy:
Meditation practices for the month will be based on teachings from the Dao De Jing, breathing practices from Han Dynasty Daoism, and a visualization practice from Sun Simiao’s Daoist practice.
Month 2:
Xing level 1:
Xing refers to our nature and can refer to our temperament, our original spiritual nature, and the origin conditions of the Universe. In this first month of the program will will read selectios from various Nature cultivation based approaches to Neidan to understand what nature is and how to practice is in order to achieve the single opening of the mystery gate, a key Neidan phenomenon which in some cases may be seen as comparable to initial enlightenment in Chan Buddhism (but changes over time to include other phenomena important in practice).
Week 1: Nature in classical Chinese thought.
Lecture: The nature of nature, how the Daoist mind works.
Practice: Heart Fasting meditation as taught by Chen Yingning,
Reading: Zhuangzi Heart Fasting Method by Chen Yingning.
Week 2: Stillness and Clarity:
Lecture: Interpreting the Clarity and Stillness Classic as a Neidan document,
Practice: Ting Fu Fa Skin Breathing Method,
Reading: Clarity and Stillness Classic level 1 interpretation, Skin Breathing Method by Hu Haiya.
Week 3: Sitting in Forgetting:
Lecture: Reading Tian Yinzi, the Heavenly Hermit.
Practice: Dantian Integration in Skin Breathing,
Reading: Tian Yinzi by Sima Chengzhen.
Week 4: The Mystery Gate level 1:
Lecture: What is the mystery gate?
Practice:Zuo Wang integration in Ting Fu Fa,
Reading: The Utmost High Method by Wang Chongyang.
Month 3:
Ming level 1:
This month we will learn about Ming, the essential life energy of Daoism. Ming in Neidan is mainly a pre-heaven concept, but we will also tip our hats to earlier Daoist studies as a way to understand energy work and to prepare the body for internal alchemy, especially by stimulating the Bai Hui through specialized visualization practices from the Shang Qing Sect. After that we will delve into the core ideas of Ming Gong and how to set up the alchemical burner in the body so the medicinal product can be produced.
Week 1: Life energy in Daoism:
Lecture: Qi as an evolving concept in Daoist practice.
Practice: Sun Simiao’s method to connect the Bai Hui.
Reading: Discussion of Yuan Qi from the Small Daoist Canon.
Week 2: Cauldron and Burner:
Lecture: Cauldron and Burner, the foundation of internal alchemy energetic methods.
Practice: Setting up the burner.
Week 3: Fire and Water:
Lecture: The foundation of spirit and essence in meditation.
Practice: Martial and Civil Fire.
Reading: Selections from 400 words on the Golden Elixir.
Week 4: Lead and Mercury:
Lecture: Pre-Heaven energy merging.
Practice: Begin to integrate Xing approach to setting up the burner.
Month 4:
Xing Ming Dual Cultivation Level 1:
Xing and Ming Dual Cultivation is the core of Middle School Neidan practice and is how we merge Xing and Ming Gong as one meditation method. In this section we will especially emphasize teachings of the Daoist master Huang Yuanji who explained this practice in immaculate detail and who’s text Dao De Jing Chan Wei is one of the most popular Neidan methods.
Week 1: Shen and Qi Merged as One:
Lecture: Huang Yuanji’s meditation practice,
Reading: Dao De Jing Chan Wei Chapter 1,
Practice: Merge nature and life methods in setting up the burner.
Week 2: The Middle Palace level 1:
Lecture: Central emptiness as a meditation value,
Reading: Dao De Jing Chan Wei,
Practice: Continue with Huang’s method.
Week 3: Mystery Gate level 2 (when Shen and Qi move together)
Lecture: how the single opening of the mystery gate works as an energetic phenomenon.
Practice: continue Huang’s practice,
Reading: Dao De Jing Chan Wei.
Week 4: Gradual and Sudden Realization:
Lecture: we all practice both gradual and sudden realization.
Practice: continue Huang’s method,
Reading: Dao De Jing Chan Wei,
Month 5:
Xing level 2:
In this unit we return to Xing to learn more detailed information including how later Daoists such as Zhao Bichen understand the original spirit as being contained in the brain and being stimulated be specialized meditations on the area between the eyes. We will follow a process by which the Shen from the eyes is merged with the Jing in the lower Dantian in order to speed up the development of the medicine. We will also learn how Xing leads to potent Yang energy transformation in the form of sudden movements of spiritual energy which gradually bring the small orbit to a close and serve as the marker of the beginning of the large orbit and refinement of Qi into spirit.
Week 1: The Ming Tang:
Lecture: What is the Ming Tang, how does it relate to the original spirit?
Practice: learning to safely focus between the eyes,
Reading: Selection from Xing Ming Fa Jue,
Week 2: White Snow:
Lecture: when spiritual Qi appears in the head,
Practice: continue Ming Tang meditation,
Reading: Selections from Wu Zhen Pian,
Week 3: Shaking of the Six Roots:
Lecture: the powerful activation of Yang energy,
Practice: change focus from Ming Tang to Lower Dantian,
Reading: Six roots section of Da Cheng Jie Yao,
Week 4: Mystery Gate Stablization:
Lecture: how to manage the mystery gate,
Practice: return to non-action.
Reading: selections from Wang Chongyang,
Month 6:
Ming level 2:
In this section we return to Ming and discuss the nature of the small heavenly orbit according to the Wu Liu and other schools. We look at the specific operations of the Ren and Du Meridians along with techniques of developing an energetic pill in the mouth. We will use this approach to practice both Neidan and useful classic Daoist Qigong to transform the body. Then we will go on to discuss the maturation of Yang energy and specifically what lower Dantian and Du meridian phenomena to expect in the Ming department as your practice matures.
Week 1: The Zi Wu Orbit:
Lecture: Wu Liu clarify the orbit,
Practice: emphasis on martial fire,
Reading: selections from the writings of Wu Chongxu and Liu Huayang.
Week 2: Jade Fluid:
Lecture: how to swallow the medicine,
Practice: Jade Fluid Refining the Body,
Reading: Jade Fluid Refining the Body chapter of Xing Ming Gui Zhi.
Week 3: The Yin Qiao Cavity:
Lecture: Yang energy becoming mature,
Practice: emphasis on civil fire,
Reading: selections from the Western school writings of Li Hanxu,
Week 4: Chong Guan (Rushing the Pass):
Lecture: what to expect as the small orbit matures,
Practice: learn ritual bathing concept,
Reading: Chen Yingning’s entry on Chong Guan,
Month 7:
Xing Ming Dual Cultivation Level 2:
In this final unit we will look at lesser known, but essential practices of the Middle School which emphasize meditation in different modes often not covered in other internal alchemy classics. We will also learn what to do at the end of the small orbit and when to expect circulation in the ren and du to stop and the middle channel to begin developing.
Week 1: The Thoracic Dual Gate:
Lecture: the secret connection between heart and kidneys,
Practice: focus on the dual gate,
Reading: entries from Xing Ming Gui Zhi.
Week 2: Sleeping Meditation:
Lecture: how to maintain practice during sleep,
Practice: learn sleeping meditation,
Reading: sleeping meditation entry from Xing Ming Gui Zhi,
Week 3: The Yellow Path:
Lecture: the nature of the central channel,
Practice: learn embryonic breathing,
Reading: Min Yide He Pi Jing entry,
Week 4: The Role of the Bai Hui in intermediate Neidan practice:
Lecture: spiritual energy convergance,
Practice: continue embryonic breathing study,
Reading: selections from Xing Ming Gui Zhi.
I’ve never taught a course of practical theory this detailed before and to the best of my knowledge there is no other such course around. This will be a good opportunity for beginners, novices, and students who have practiced but might not be familiar with all the core Neidan concepts.
You can expect the links to sign up for this course and Xing Ming Gui Zhi later this week and paid subscribers will receive a discount on both programs.
Discount code in paid section.
Save 50% off every month ($700 USD discount)