Translation by Sifu John A. Fey
1 creative spirit
vital soul
wondrous bodymind
2 can you combine these into one phase and gently hold onto it
3 one phase one part one moment
4 can you commune with
and direct the elemental force of life and enter into the rebirth of gentleness and be like a newborn
5 can you wash and cleanse your mystic inner vision while clearing it of the refuse left behind by
ordinary sight
6 is it possible for you to stay out of your own way while being your own leader
7 can you stomp the earth look to the heavens while being receptive passive
possessed of quietude
8 can you be knowledgeable and clever and regard it as whimsical
9 create and nourish
let all creation be the worlds not your own
10 have fun when you work work when you have fun
11 be a leader without appearing to be and you will personify fine uncarved wood in the hands of a master carpenter
12 can you guess who this master is
1 MIND: These are facets of the Three Treasures: ching (essence), shen (spirit, soul) and qi (lifeforce energy).
Creative spirit is the drive to live an industrious and creative life.
Vital soul is the essence and power expressed by your soul.
Wondrous bodymind is your corporeal self and all its inner workings.
2-3 HAND: Joining the above three and being mindfully under their combined influence with all that you do lays the foundation of a Cultivator's life.
4 HAND: Absorbing life-force energy into your bodymind to induce a profound state of relaxation. A Taoist Cultivator engineers this by turning inward and suggesting that each part of his bodymind should release tension and fill up with blood and life-force energy. The order of this progressive relaxation is very specific: hands and fingers, arms and shoulders, back of neck and head, face and full neck, upper torso and back, mid-torso and back, lower torso and back, thighs, knees, lower legs, and finally, feet and toes. This process of progressive relaxation can take anywhere from five minutes to one hour.
5 HAND: Affer progressively relaxing from hanas to feet, the Cultivator inhales and imagines drawing energy upward from the ground, filling the entire bodymind.
The energy leaves the body and returns to the earth with each exhalation, taking any vestiges of tension or dis-ease [sic] with it. This cleansing is inclusive and washes away mental confusions as well as physical ones.
6 HAND: Once the bodymind is conceived as being cleansed, the Cultivator imagines that his bodymind is a conduit of outflowing qi coming to him from the Tao Realm via the Mysterious Space. The Cultivator holds the notion that he is not controlling the life-force, instead he makes himself a fit receptacle for it.
7 HAND: These are instructions:
"Stomp ...
": Lightly stomping the feet stabilizes the
mystic state.
"Look ... heavens...": Look inward while maintaining a light, buoyant, and sensitive energy at the crown of the head
... of quietude": The quiescent state induced by this
meditation is called rur-jing.
8 MIND: The Cultivator's overall mental state.
9 BODY: Under the influence of this technique, the Taoist is inspired to paint, write, play, or engage in creation of some kind. The Taoist creates for the good of all by projecting the nourishing energy of creation to his environs and beyond.
10 MIND and BODY: In all areas of your life, pertorm with active engagement and intense interest tempered by whimsy and happiness.
11 HEART: Open up to the Tao Source and allow it to move you; to influence, initiate, and support your actions.
12 MIND: The Master in this case is the Tao expressing itself through your bodymind. To the Taoist, this is the ultimate act of nourishment for both the Cultivator and his community.