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Sinking the Chi, Bone Density and Song

On Jun 4, 2008, at 10:09 PM, McNaples (Mario) wrote:

well then you do not understand true 'sung'

Michael Phillips (MP) replies:

Careful, Mario  -  you're on the verge of sounding as pompous as Nic here, and I know you wouldn't want that to happen


Since you only read select parts of what I write, and ignore the rest, you have no real idea of what I "understand" .
> MP
> Since this is a discussion list, if you disagree with what I'v said, 
> please explain what YOU think makes the bones become heavier - 
> ie.,if not in response to increased "weight", then what do you 
> consider to be the mechanism whereby this happens; just making a claim 
> that you're right and I'm wrong is not enough...... .

MARIO
well what makes the bones become? I'll repeat to you what Cheng said, ( 
but in a reader digest version)
When 'Chi" has accumulated in the tan tien it then starts to over flow. 
( like over filling a glass of water) this over flow and will go down 
the (sacrum ) and up the spine. Cheng gave a mental image of a steam 
like thing, that permeates the spine and such.

MP

Actually, it's a kind of "underflow"  -  when enough "chi" builds up in the abdominal cavity, it seeks an outlet, and the most accessible one is a spot at the base of the spine called the "sacral hiatus"  -  you can look it up in an anatomy book......If you had paid closer attention when this happened to you, you would have felt this clearly  -  there is no feeling of "overflow", since once the abdominal cavity is "full", there is no place to overflow "to"  -  once you "fill" up to your diaphragm, there's nowhere else to go....... Cheng's version is once again the "wandering around in a dark building"  metaphorical version; notice he doesn't tell you how to actually get this DONE....... My version is explicit and exact in showing the way to actually achieve this  -  ALL my senior students have accomplished this; metaphors aside, there a well-defined way to achieve this  - and it's based on the actual anatomy involved, not some metaphorical imagery.

Ok, now this steam when inside the bones fills the pores on the bones, 
it then cools down and hardens and on top of that it actually makes 
more marrow. for the process to repeats it self... etc..etc... while not 
detailed , i think one can get the picture of what i wrote..
the process of making this mechanism happen are many... one chooses 
which one one like best.
MP

Actually, aside from Cheng's "mental image of a steam", there is also an explicit method to create the "steam", once you have achieved "sinking the Chi" and filling the abdominal cavity..... There are three main channels in the torso  - the "central thrusting route", and the "side thrusting routes"..... . The "fire", or "heart energy" resides in the left thrusting route, and the "water" or "kidney energy" resides in the right; there is a process by which you can move the fire energy in the heart down, and the water energy in the kidneys up  - when they are moved into the center channel, the "fire" energy is then underneath the "water" energy, creating the "cauldron"; and when enough energy builds up thru further meditation, it heats the "water" enough to create the "steam"..... .... Again, there is an explicit method for achieving this, it's not just some metaphorical imagery.

now for 'sung' listen to this it's a beauty. ( hope i write it well)
when this chi does it's traveling up the spine thing. not only it does 
,what i just wrote or should i say what Cheng said.
it also start the process of lifting the crown! ( suspend the head 
felling) this together with the heavy bones thing. start true "sung".
real letting go. this feeling has been explained as thus, feeling as 
if ones hairs attached to the ceiling. suspend and letting go. only 
with heavy bones.
and i used to be able to feel this!!!!!:o) )))
MP

I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but I STILL feel this way........

if we ever meet, i can show you (with my hands) what this would really 
feel like to you .... and not just talk about it.
MP

If you're ever in the vicinity, let me know, you'll be more than welcome; I'll even put you up in our spare bedroom and save you the cost of a hotel, and we can trade cooking duties  -  I hear you're a good cook... After a year in Napa, I'm not doing too bad in the kitchen myself.

And who knows, I might even be able to show you a thing or two  -  as far as I can see, there's no spiral energy in what you're doing on that push-hands tape.

Aside from that, since my former student Kelley passes thru NYC occasionally to study privately with Sifu Chin, if you'd like I can ask him to come by and touch hands with you, and I mean this in the friendliest and most fraternal way possible. I think you'll be impressed with what he can do  -  in thirty long years of teaching, he is far and away my best student, the only one to whom I've been able to pass on EVERYTHING I know.......
come on Micheal admitted it, you're impressed... . this (Little Italian 
white boy, as you called me) _is prepared_, even with out a formal 
education or Chinese teacher! :o))))
MP

I never said you were "little", Mario....... And yes, you've done a most excellent job of describing your (and Prof. Cheng's) position on this subject..... ..

There's just one little "fly in the ointment": NONE of what you and Cheng describe can take place without FIRST "sinking the chi to the dantien", and no one has ever accomplished this without FIRST becoming "sung". Sure, once you've sunk the chi, you can reach the higher levels of sung that you describe, but first you need a good basic level of sung to even BEGIN that process.
as i said i used to be a decent player...

MP

I'm sure you're still much more than "decent", Mario  -  always remember, I'm one of your biggest "fans"...... ..

All the Best,
Michael

Kalama Sutta (Kalama Sutra)

Do not simply believe what you hear just because you have heard it for a long time.
Do no follow tradition blindly merely because it has been practiced that way for many generations.
Do not be quick to listen to rumors.
Do not confirm anything just because it agrees with your scriptures.
Do not foolishly make assumptions.
Do not abruptly draw conclusions by what you see and hear.
Do not be fooled by outward appearances.
Do not hold on tightly to any view or idea just because you are comfortable with it.
Do not accept as fact anything that you yourself find to be illogical.
Do not be convinced of anything out of respect and deference to your spiritual teachers.

You should go beyond opinion and belief. You can rightly reject anything which when accepted, practiced and perfected leads to more aversion, more craving and more delusion. They are not beneficial and are to be avoided. Conversely, you can rightly accept anything which when accepted and practiced leads to unconditional love, contentment and wisdom. These things allow you time and space to develop a happy and peaceful mind. This should be your criteria on what is and what is not the truth; on what should be and what should not be the spiritual practice.

-The Buddha

wikipedia entry

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