Going to classes even after death

Eight years ago when I started teaching courses in Chinese astrology in Sofia, one of my students had brain cancer. Her name was Snezhana - extraordinary woman, with very intelligent and nice appearance and a kind smile. She was very good in studying Chinese astrology and she liked to come to all our classes on qigong, Chinese medicine, nutrition and Chinese herbs... Her disease progressed rapidly and one day Snezhana died... Everybody in the class liked her a lot. Most of us felt her presence - even after death she was coming and listening to the lectures. Always sitting in the back of the classroom. Every time I was giving new printed materials for the lecture, there were some students who were always leaving a set of the materials for Snezhana. In this way, Snezhana continued to participate in the classes for several months ...

One night after the lecture, all students were already gone, the lights were turned off, so the place was in complete darkness. I was waiting for the elevator to come. And then I felt her just in front of me - her body was cold yin energy, moving like a cloud. I saw her face - shining with happiness to see me. I felt her breath and her smile, as if she was saying: "Annie, it's me! Snezhana!" I smiled and told her: "Snezhana, we love you and are glad that you are coming here. But it is time for you to continue your life into other dimensions. Keep on and upward to higher vibrations. Later you again will have opportunities to study all of this! "

After this she stopped coming to the lectures. But the memory for Snezhana, her enthusiasm in the study of Chinese astrology and medicine, and her genuine friendship remains forever.

Awakening of insects 惊蛰

   On March 5th starts “Awakening of insects” 惊蛰 15-day solar term according to Chinese calendar. It denotes the start of the month of Rabbit (Mao), which corresponds to hexagram 34 (Da Zhuang – “Great Vigour”) in Yi Jing. “Great Vigor” here means activation of the Yang energy. Now everything in nature becomes more active and grows up full with energy. The hibernating insects awaken and start to move. The energy and blood within our body also starts to activate and move from the inner organs outwards. But this is also a time of relapse of old diseases. That’s why some TCM doctors in China say: “With the start of “Awakening of insects” watch for old diseases”. Wherever there is a blockage in the movement of qi and blood, there will be obvious feeling of pain. Very common is the relapse of arthritis, chronic cough and liver diseases. It’s not a time for heavy tonification 重补, but rather for a light moisturing methods. There is an old tradition in China to eat pears during the “Awakening of insects” time. I think this is very reasonable, because at this time the weather is not very stable and fluctuates between cold and warm, and the throat and lungs are more vulnerable to dryness and infections.

The Cycles of Life according to Yi Jing

 

The Cycles of Life according to Yi Jing 

Some years ago I have read a Chinese text from the qigong classics, which describes the changes of qi during the different periods in life. It's quite interesting, so here is the translation:

Age 0 - 3  Pure Yin  - hexagram 2 KUN (Earth)






Age 3 - 5  One Yang is generated  – hexagram 24 FU (Returning).
The original qi (yuan qi) increases with 64 grains.

Age 5 - 8   Two yang appear – hexagram 19 LIN (Approach)
The original qi increases with 64 more grains.

Age 8 - 10  Three Yang appear – hexagram 11 TAI (Peace)
The original qi increases with 64 more grains.

 

Age 10 - 13  Four Yang appear - hexagram 34 Da Zhuang (Great Vigour)
The original qi increases with 64 more grains.

Age 13 - 16  Five Yang appear – hexagram 43 GUAI (Resoluteness)
The original qi increases with 64 more grains.

Age 16 - 24  Six Yang appear - hexagram 1 QIAN (Heaven)
The original qi increases with 64 more grains.

At 24-years of age we have gained 360 grains genuine energy from Heaven and Earth. In addition, we have 24 grains ancestral (genetic) energy from mother and father.
  So, in total we gain 384 grains of qi in our life.
At the time of 24, pure Yang is complete, the essence (jing) and the energy (qi) are sufficient. If at this time of life one starts practicing qigong meditation, one can progress very fast and achieve great results.
  From age 24 onwards the original energy starts to decrease.

Age 24 -  32 One Yin is generated - hexagram 44 GOU (Coupling)
The original qi decreases with 64 grains.

Age 32 - 40   Two Yin appear – hexagram 33 DUN (Retiring)
The original qi decreases with 64 more grains.

Age 40 - 48  Three Yin appear - hexagram PI (Obstruction)
The original qi decreases with 64 more grains.

Age 48 - 56  Four Yin appear - hexagram 20 GUAN (Viewing)
The original qi decreases with 64 more grains.

Age 56 –  64 Five Yin appear - hexagram 23 BO (Splitting Apart)
The original qi decreases with 64 more grains.

    In the last cycle all the energy from Heaven, Earth and the parents (384 total grains of qi) has been exhausted. One cycle of the original energy is completed.
    If the energy is cultivated through qigong or other energy practices, then the extreme Yin will generate new Yang energy. Thus, the old can enjoy vitality and become younger.

The Dragon island

   Liu Xi, a great poet from Tang Dynasty, once said that "any mountain can be famous with the presence of an immortal, and any river can be holy with the presence of a dragon" 山不在高，有仙则名；水不在深，有龙则灵.
   In order to promote its new construction project, a big real estate corporation from Liaoning province has changed this saying into: "any house can be famous with the presence of a dragon" 房不在名，有“龙”则灵.
  The idea of this new project is to build a new residential area in a dragon-like island, which is in Jinzhou district of Dalian city in China. According to the plan, the construction of the houses should be finished in 2012. See the map:


.    It somehow reminds me of the Palm island in Dubai..Shapes, shapes, shapes... The people like to go for shapes.
   
And, as a comparison, here is the "Dragon Island" - artwork by the 15-years old Irish-Canadian artist Lee Neyrinck.

Another qigong poem

Some time ago I wrote here that during a certain period of my qigong practice, there were 1-2 nights, in which the Chinese characters of some poems appeared in my mind while I was sleeping.These poems are related to qigong cultivation.

 The text of one of the qigong poems you can see here:
http://anniepecheva.blogspot.com/2010/06/qigong-poem-that-appeared-to-me-one.html

And here is another poem:
 

                             白 玉 上 天 桥

                             游 客 来 下 教

                             静 中 气 妙 漂

                             乾 坤 送 来 精

  The literal translation goes like this:

                           White jade ascends to the heavenly bridge;

                           The wandering visitor comes to leave knowledge.

                           In the stillness qi is flowing subtly
                          The Heaven and Earth bring pure essence.

* the white jade ascends to the heavenly bridge - this is a symbolic description of one of the phenomena occurring during the qigong practice.  A white cloud of pure qi ascends towards the head and reaches the fontanelle ( bai hui acupoint).

The Nobleman star (Tian Yi Gui Ren) and the logic behind its calculation

   The Nobleman (Tian Yi Gui Ren  天乙贵人) is an auspicious symbolic star in Four Pillars astrology. It neutralizes the negative influences and is supposed to bring good luck.  Thanks to it, one can easily receive help from others – visible or invisible assistance. 

Table for calculating the star:

year or day of birth - stem	branch
Jia  (Yang Wood)	Wei, Chou (Goat; Ox)
Yi  (Yin Wood)	Shen; Zi (Monkey; Rat)
Bing  (Yang Fire)	Hai; You (Pig; Rooster)
Ding  (Yin Fire)	Hai; You (Pig; Rooster)
Wu  (Yang Earth)	Chou; Wei (Ox; Goat)
Ji  (Yin Earth)	Zi; Shen  (Rat; Monkey)
Geng (Yang Metal)	Chou; Wei (Ox; Goat)
Xin  (Yin Metal)	Yin; Wu  (Tiger; Horse)
Ren  (Yang Water)	Mao; Si  (Rabbit; Snake)
Gui (Yin Water)	Mao; Si  (Rabbit; Snake)

There are many speculations about this symbolic star. After learning that they have Nobleman in the horoscope, many people become highly elated, feeling that they are protected by some sort of angels and higher beings. And if you tell them that they have 2 or 3 Nobleman stars in the chart, they become very excited: “Wow, I have 3 guardian angels!”. This way of thinking easily leads to illusions and misunderstandings. 

The calculation of the Nobleman star is based on the heavenly stems combination. Normally the stems combination is regarded as a positive aspect in Chinese astrology and therefore this symbolic star is given a positive characteristics of assisting the person and removing the obstacles of his way. But there really is nothing that much special in the meaning.

The Qing Dynasty book “Qian Ding Xie Ji Bian Fang Shu”《钦定协纪辨方书》points out: 
“The Nobleman star divides into Yang Nobleman and Yin Nobleman. The calculation of Yang Nobleman starts from Jia Zi (Rat) and is clockwise, while the calculation of Yin Nobleman starts from Shen (Monkey) and is counterclockwise.” 
  For Yang Nobleman, the calculation formula is Jia (Yang Wood) + Zi (Rat). From this base we look at the stems combination and find the branch of the corresponding, i.e. the combined stem:

Jia (Yang Wood) + Zi (Rat) --> Jia (Yang Wood) combines with Ji (Yin Earth), therefore for Ji the Yang Nobleman is in Zi (Rat).

Yi (Yin Wood) + Chou (Ox) --> Yi (Yin Wood) combines with Geng (Yang Metal), therefore for Geng (Yang Metal) the Yang Nobleman is in Chou (Ox).

Bing (Yang Fire) + Yin (Tiger) --> Bing combines with Xin (Yin Metal), therefore for Xin (Yin Metal) the Yang Nobleman is in Yin (Tiger).

Ding (Yin Fire) + Mao (Rabbit) --> Ding combines with Ren (Yang Water), therefore for Ren (Yang Water) the Yang Nobleman is in Mao (Rabbit)..."  

For Yin Nobleman the calculation formula is Jia (Yang Wood) + Shen (Monkey). From this base we look counterclockwise. 
Jia (Yang Wood) + Shen (Monkey) --> Jia (Yang Wood) combines with Ji (Yin Earth), therefore for Ji the Yin Nobleman is in Shen (Monkey). 
Yi (Yin Wood) + Wei (Goat) --> Yi (Yin Wood) combines with Geng (Yang Metal), therefore for Geng (Yang Metal) the Yin Nobleman is in Wei (Goat). 
Bing (Yang Fire) + Wu (Horse) --> Bing combines with Xin (Yin Metal), therefore for Xin (Yin Metal) the Yin Nobleman is in Wu (Horse). 
And so on... 

The Winter Solstice and Qi

December 22nd is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun is at 270 degree on the ecliptic. In the past times, the Winter Solstice in China was regarded as an official holiday and the New Year's day. The scholars and practitioners of metaphysics have done important divination namely during the day of the Winter Solstice.

At the Winter Solstice the Yang energy starts to increase (and the days start to get larger), while the Yin energy gradually starts to decrease (and the nights are becoming smaller). Slowly and almost unnoticeably Yang in Nature and within the human body is awakening and increasing from inside towards outside.

To a certain point, this is also related to the month of Rat (Zi) 子月, in which we are now. It is represented by “Fu” - the 24th hexagram in I Ching:

    Lao Zi says "Returning is the movement of Dao". Fu hexagram means “Returning, Coming back" and it consists of 1 Yang and 5 Yin. The past month (Hai) 亥月was completely Yin – with 6 Yin lines, but now a new cycle is beginning, in which the first rays of the Yang energy start to appear. In Chinese this is called “the appearance of first Yang” 一阳出 (yi yang chu).

   In ancient China the 10th month was named "kun month"坤月 representing the Kun hexagram 坤卦, which consists of 6 Yin lines. It was also called "Yin month" 阴月 and "Dark Winter" 玄冬. In comparison, the 11th month, in which happens the Winter Solstice, was named "the month of Returning"复月, "New Yang" 新阳 and "Return of Yang" 阳复.

  The several days before and after the Winter Solstice are characterized with very powerful energy in Nature. This is important time for more meditation and relaxation. Even in a non-meditation state one can feel  that the energy and the blood circulation are very intensified as if in a deep state of meditation. Now the qigong meditation is very qualitative, it gets easier and faster to enter into the deep levels of subconsciousness.

During the different 24 solar terms of Chinese calendar, qi is concentrated at different energy points (guan 关) on the small heavenly orbit 小周天.



  In the 15 days after the Winter Solstice the energy is concentrated at hui yin acupoint in the body as well as in the lower dan tian. Now qi starts to activate du mai (the Yang meridian) of the small heavenly orbit. At the same time, the energy flow is faster throughout the whole body.

                                                                              

  The days around the Winter Solstice are regarded as important time for qigong meditation, during which easily occurs "interaction between Water and Fire" 水火相交. Here "Water" is a symbolic representation of the kidneys in the body.  The 63rd hexagram ("After completion") in I Ching is also called "interaction between Water and Fire" 水火既濟.  It describes a process that is very important in qigong.

   Here Water trigram (Kan 坎) is above Fire trigram (Li离). The Water flows downwards and the Fire goes upward, so when we have the conditions presented by this hexagram, the Water is above to nourish and balance the heart, and the Fire is below, so to warm up the Kidneys. In this way a good interaction is generated between the energies of the heart and the kidneys.

   The famous I Ching scholar Kong Yingda 孔穎達 from Tang Dynasty in China has commented that this hexagram gives a picture of cooking - "Drink and food are completed by it". This is related to internal alchemy - a natural process of generating and transforming  qi during qigong meditation.

  Happy Winter Solstice to all!