10 Questions on Cosmic Breathing

[Luo Lang]

Indeed!

[Angel Guillermo]

Thanks so much Sihing Roland!

Thanks so much Sifu for such amazing answers!

[Matthew]

Thank You!

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 3:

Thank you Sigung for kindly answering my question and providing such clarity.

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 4 -- Part 2

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 4 -- Part 2:

(Continued from Part 1)

Why does this happen? Our explanation is our theory. Our theory may be right or wrong, but our experience is a fact. This is a very important observation that can greatly enrich our daily life, though many people outside our school many not realize it, and therefore miss our benefit. A main reason why they miss the benefit is because they lack the experience and do not believe in the experience.

For example, from our experience we know that by practicing chi kung we have good health and vitality. We may explain this fact with the theory that practicing chi kung generates a chi flow, and chi flow contributes to good health and vitality.

Now, for fun, suppose this theory were wrong. Suppose that it was not chi flow that contributed to good health and vitality, it was something else. But still the fact remains that by practicing chi kung we have good health and vitality.

From their experience, chi kung healers discover that people who were sick, including those suffering from so-called incurable diseases, recover their good health by practicing chi kung. They explain this experience with the theory that people were sick because of energy blockage, and when chi flow from their chi kung practice cleared the blockage, they recovered from their sickness.

Again, just for fun, suppose the theory was incorrect. Sickness was not due to energy blockage, or chi flow did not clear energy blockage. But the fact still remains that my practicing chi kung people who sere sick recovered from their sickness.

Of course we do not formulate our theory from whims and fancies. We formulate our theory from our understanding and experience. We understand that energy is all around us, and that at the transcendental level there is no differentiation. But there is differentiation into countless entities in our phenomenal world due to our gross sense organs

In other words, in the phenomenal world because of our gross sense organs we do not see an undifferentiated spread of energy, we see countless entities like a table, a computer and other things and people, though we understand that these countless entities are ultimately energy.

When we practice Cosmic Breathing and expand into the Cosmos, we break down the conditions of the phenomenal realm into transcendental Cosmic Reality. We experience not differentiated entities as in the phenomenal world but undifferentiated spread of energy in transcendental Cosmic Reality. We become an integral part of the Cosmos, which is much bigger and stronger than our physical body.

When we return to our physical body by focusing on our dan tian, we carry back some cosmic energy with us, thus making us stronger than before. In a rough description which is not quite accurate, when we expand into the Cosmos, our spiritual presence includes energy outside our imaginary physical body. When we return to our physical body, this energy that was outside is now inside.

As a rough analogy, when you return to your house after seeing a humorous movie, you feel happier than before. The happy feeling which was not in your house before, is brought home from the movie cinema into your house.

Cosmic Breathing brings tremendous benefits into our everyday life in the mundane world. A spiritual awakening when one expands into the Cosmos is life-changing. His life will never be the same as before. It brings joy and meaning to his mundane world.

He may realize that his spirit will never die, thus overcoming the greatest fear of most people, the fear of death. This will give me tremendous confidence in life.

Things that seem important before – like passing his exam, not missing his train, saying happy birthday to his girlfriend, accepted by his peers – suddenly become petty. It does not mean that he will neglect these petty things. In fact, his spiritual awakening will enable him to derive more joy from simple, little things, but if he fails to get them, he knows the world is not going to end.

He will have a lot of energy. As he is not limited by physical breathing, he will not be panting for breadth when engaged in physical activities.

He will also have a lot of mental clarity. He can solve problems more effectively and conceptualize more clearly.

With increased energy and better mental clarity, he will have better result in whatever he does.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 5

And the journey goes on, enjoy:

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 5

Question 5

Is Cosmic Breathing primarily a health recovery practice, a vitality practice or a spiritual practice?

What advice do you have for integrating Cosmic Breathing into their training schedule for (1) fresh beginner, (i2 intermediate and (3) advanced student.


Sifu Andy Cusick



Answer

Cosmic Breathing is a very advanced exercise. In an orthodox way, Cosmic Breathing, which is the most advanced of Taoist Chi Kung, is for spiritual cultivation to attain the Tao, and is not suitable for health recovery and vitality.

However, we are special. Because of our ability in energy flow, which maybe available to other practitioners, we can use Cosmic Breathing for vitality practice. In theory, we may also use not Cosmic Breathing for health recovery, but it is not recommended as it is too powerful for this purpose. Our students can employ less powerful exercises,which are actually more effective, to recover from illness and regain good health.

This fact is of much importance to chi kung practitioners in general and to our students in particular. Due to shallow understanding, many people want to learn advanced exercises from books, and in shorter time than students learning from living masters. They end up wasting their time or harming themselves.

It is beneficial for our students to know that a more powerful exercise is not necessary more useful. As most people today practice chi kung to overcome illness, medical chi kung, which is the least powerful exercise, is the most useful. If sick people practice powerful chi kung exercises, they may harm themselves.

At the risk of appearing to be arrogant, the answer to integrating Cosmic Breathing into their practice for beginners, intermediate students and advanced practitioners depends on whether the answer is for most practitioners who practice chi kung as gentle physical exercise but they honestly think it is chi kung, or to very few practitioners who practice genuine chi kung, like our students.

It does not matter whether they regard themselves, or others regard them, as beginners, intermediate students or advanced practitioners, because all they practice is gentle physical exercise which does not bring any Cosmic Breathing benefits or any chi kung benefits.

It is not advisable for them to practice Cosmic Breathing irrespective of whether they are beginners, intermediate students or advanced practitioners. They would be lucky if they just waste their time. It would be worse if the practice

For those who practice genuine chi kung, like our students, it is not advisable for beginners to practice Cosmic Breathing because it is too powerful. It may bring harmful effectives if they practice wrongly, or over-training if they practice correctly. Either way it does not bring them benefits. However, for our beginning students, their chi flow can erase the harmful effects due to wrong practice or mild over-training.

It is recommendable for those who practice genuine chi kung at the intermediate level to practice Cosmic Breathing for vitality and peak performance. For those at the advanced level, they can practice Cosmic Breathing for spiritual cultivation.

Because we are frighteningly cost-effect, our intermediate and advanced practitioners must guard against over-training. Cosmic Breathing is a very powerful exercise, and over-training, even when it is practiced correctly, may bring powerful side-effects. An excellent way to guard against over-training is not to enter too deeply in a chi kung state of mind.

As I have often mentioned, students over-train at my regional as well as intensive courses. This happens because I want to teach many things, many of which are advanced, in just a few days. It is alright when over-training occurs once a while, but not on a regular basis. Hence, when students practice at home, they should not aim to get the best from their practice; they should aim at getting just 30% of what they obtain at the courses. To other people, it sounds like a big joke.


<End>

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 6, Part 1

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 6, Part 1:

Question 6

In Sifu's Q and A series about the 18 Jewels, Sifu wrote the following:

“Four Gates is like the kungfu counter-part of 18 Jewels, and Triple Stretch the kungfu counter part of Sinew Metamorphosis” — http://www.shaolin.org/chikung/18-je...-jewels04.html .

I don't know if this is a general description of these arts or if Sifu was using these comparisons to make the answers regarding different types of chi flow more clear. In either case, if the comparison was general or meant specifically to highlight the answer about chi flow, or both, what would be the kung fu counterpart of Cosmic Breathing?

Sifu Mark Blohm



Answer

The comparison is a general description of the powerful nature of the arts, and not a specific description of their chi flow.

Many people have a misconception that the more vigorous a chi flow movement is, the more advanced is the art. This is not so, although at the beginners’ stage a more competent practitioner has a more vigorous chi flow movement than a less competent practitioner. But as the two practitioners have progressed to an advanced stage, their external chi flow movement is little, though their internal chi flow, which may not be expressed as external chi flow movement, may be powerful.

In other words, when students start to learn chi kung, they hardly have any external chi flow movement. This is mainly because they are not relaxed and their mind is not clear of all thoughts.

Please note that this situation applies to students in general. Our students are different; as they can enter into a chi kung state of mind readily, they can have a chi flow manifested as outward movement on the very first day of their chi kung training. For most students in general, their first chi flow movement manifested externally may happen only after many months if they are competent. Others who are not competent will not experience any chi flow movement.

We refer to this stage when chi flow movement occurs as the beginners’ stage. For a few students it may happen after a few months; for some it may happen after a few years; and for many it may never happen at all regardless of how long they may have practiced. For these many practitioners who never experience any chi flow, irrespective of whether the chi flow occurs internally or is manifested as external movements, they practice chi kung techniques as gentle physical exercise, and they are unaware of the fact.

If they have been practicing for may years and also are teaching others, they may be regarded as “masters”, though in our context they are not even at the beginners’ stage because they have not even started practicing chi kung. They have all the while been practicing gentle physical exercise. But we refer to them as “masters” put of respect.

In our context, we classify whether a practitioner is at a beginners’ stage, an intermediate stage, or an advanced stage by his results. If he just starts learning chi kung, or is still in the process of overcoming his pain and illness, we refer to him as at a beginners’ stage. If he has overcome his pain and illness and is able to use the benefits of chi kung to enrich his life, we refer to him as at an intermediate stage. If his chi kung training has enabled him to attain peak performance or he is at a high level of spiritual development, we refer to him as at an advanced stage.

Hence, in our context, time is not a deciding factor. A practitioner may be at an advanced stage after just two years if chi kung training has enabled him to attain peak performance in his daily life or attain a high level of spiritual cultivation.

(Part 2 follows)

[Fabienne]

Dear Sigung, dear Sifu

Thank you for continuing this Q&A series! If Cosmic Breathing on its own is already this powerful, I can't even begin to imagine what it's going to be like after an entire morning of Cosmic Showers ! And maybe, after the course, I'll finally be able to defeat my worst enemy with ease: STAIRS ! This reminds me of Sigung running up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath at all!

Thank you again for this Q&A and I'm already looking forward to Sigung's answer to Leo Sisook's question (the other questions too, of course)!
Fabienne

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 6 -- Part 2

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 6 -- Part 2:

(Continued from Part 1)

Most other people classify whether a practitioner is at a beginners’ stage, an intermediate stage, or an advanced stage by the time he has practiced chi kung techniques, often as gentle physical exercise. If the practitioner has practiced for less than a year, he is at a beginner’s stage. If he has practiced for a few years, he is at an intermediate stage. If he has practiced for more than 10 years, he is at an advanced stage.

But some fools, trying to impress others as wise, call themselves beginners even when they have practiced for more than 20 years. Isn’t it foolish to remain as a beginner after having practiced an art for more than 20 years? Either they have mastered the art, even at a low level, or at least have become competent practitioners, or they have totally wasted their time practicing chi kung as gentle physical exercise, or kungfu as flowery fists and embroidery kicks.

The comparison between saying Four Gates is the kungfu counter-part of 18 Jewels and Triple Stretch the kungfu counter-part of Sinew Metamorphosis is to show the relative power of Four Gates and 19 Jewels on one hand and Triple Stretch and Sinew Metamorphosis on the other.

Four Gates was the fundamental kungfu set at the southern Shaolin Temple, a set that every kungfu student learned to acquire himself the knowledge and skills in basic combat. Practicing Four Gates was an excellent way for a beginning student to apply basic stances and patterns for fighting. However, when he had progressed to a more advanced level and wanted to develop more powerful internal force and learn more sophisticated techniques, he had to learn more advanced sets like Triple Stretch. The techniques and force training in Four Gates did not fulfil his more advanced needs.

When a person is sick and wants to get well, or if he is healthy and wants to acquire basic chi kung techniques and skills, 18 Jewels is an excellent chi kung set to meet his needs. The exercises in 18 Jewels are simple but sufficient to enable him to enter into a chi kung state of mind and generate an energy flow. These simple chi kung techniques and skills are excellent to fulfil a beginner’s needs in recovering from an illness or benefiting from chi kung benefits of attaining good health. But when he has progressed to a more advanced stage for peak performance or spiritual cultivation, he needs more sophisticated techniques and more powerful force training methods in arts like Sinew Metamorphosis.

The kungfu counter-part of Cosmic Breathing is the Flower Set. Cosmic Breathing and Sinew Metamorphosis are in the same high-level category of chi kung, just as Flower Set and Triple Stretch are in the same high-level category of kungfu. However, Sinew Metamorphosis and Triple Stretch are hard and consolidated, whereas Cosmic Breathing and Flower Set are soft and flowing. All of them are very powerful exercises, and it is a rare privilege to train them, enabling us to excel in perfect yin-yang harmony.

It is worthy to note, if we wish to be more precise, that Cosmic Breathing refers to skills whereas Sinew Metamorphosis refers to techniques. We can use different techniques, like Abdominal Breathing, Reversed Breathing or even performing a kungfu set to activate Cosmic Breathing. On the other hand, we can apply the same Sinew Metamorphosis techniques to activate different skills, like generating an energy flow, developing internal force, or expanding into the Cosmos.

But at the supreme stage, figuratively described as “tang fong choe kaki” in Cantonese or “deng feng zao ji” in Mandarin, which may be translated as “attaining the summit of development and extending the limits of progress” in English, skills and techniques and other terms are convenient descriptions enabling us to obtain better benefits in shorter time, and not as definitives to limit our progress. Though it may sound boastful to our critics, I am happy and proud that many of our advanced practitioners are at this stage. Engaging in sparring for hours and still not out of breath, which is a benefit of Cosmic Breathing, is an indicator.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 1

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 1:

Question 7

From all the wonderful arts we practice Cosmic Breathing is the most outstanding to me.



Whenever someone doubts the art of Bigu (not taking in food at all), I tell him that I did not breathe for about 10 minutes at an Intensive Chi Kung course with Sifu. So, when even breathing (as conceptualized by modern terms) is not necessary, why should the far less important need of eating be?



Now, I’m coming to my questions:



Sifu, is it possible to “cosmic breathe” underwater? If so, how does being underwater affect Cosmic Breathing? 



Is it theoretically possible and advisable to keep “Cosmic Breathing” all day long, while staying in the phenomenal world?



Can Sifu please tell us any interesting stories about past masters’ achievements in this incredible art?

Sifu Leonard Lackinger



Answer

You probably did not breathe, as conceptualised by modern terms, for more than 10 minutes and for many occasions. In the many sparring sessions for hours during my kungfu courses, you used Cosmic Breathing unconsciously whereby you did not breath in an out through your nose and mouth as people normally do.

Cosmic Breathing is also one of my chi kung specialties. I developed Cosmic Breathing on my own from Abdominal Breathing. I did not learn Cosmic Breathing from my sifu.

My sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, taught me Abdominal Breathing as part of Small Universe. The traditional method of Small Universe was Abdominal Breathing. When a practitioner’s dan tian was filled with energy, the energy overflowed along the ren and the di meridians completing the small universal chi flow. It took past masters more than 10 years to complete the Small Universe, and they often held a dinner to celebrate it.

My sifu taught me reverse breathing to speed up my lSmall Universe by bringing my energy up from my hui-yin to my bai-hui . I took about 2 years to complete the Small Universe.

Later I devised more methods to speed up the process of the Small Universe in 5 stages, which are Abdominal Breathing, Submerged Breathing, Long Breathing, Forceful Small Universe, and Gentle Small Universe. It is incredible but true that now Shaolin Wahnam students take only 3 days to learn the methods of the 5 stages to activate the Small Universe. But only students who already have the necessary chi at their dan tian to complete the small universal chi flow will be accepted at the Small Universe course.

The orthodox method of the Small Universe is Abdominal Breathing. I call this orthodox Small Universe the gentle Small Universe, to differentiate it from the forceful Small Universe which uses reverse breathing to speed up the process of the small universal chi flow. Having completed the small universal chi flow in relatively shorter time, I revert back to Abdominal Breathing which generates the small universal chi flow in a gentle way.

The forceful Small Universe is not just for speeding up the small universal chi flow. It is also useful for other purposes, like for exploding force in combat for a long period.

(Part 2 follows)

[Andy]

Cosmic Breathing is a very advanced exercise. In an orthodox way, Cosmic Breathing, which is the most advanced of Taoist Chi Kung, is for spiritual cultivation to attain the Tao, and is not suitable for health recovery and vitality.

However, we are special. Because of our ability in energy flow, which maybe available to other practitioners, we can use Cosmic Breathing for vitality practice. In theory, we may also use not Cosmic Breathing for health recovery, but it is not recommended as it is too powerful for this purpose. Our students can employ less powerful exercises, which are actually more effective, to recover from illness and regain good health.

Dear Sifu,

Thanks for the points of clarification on this powerful art!

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 2

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 2:

(Continued from Part 1)

Most practitioners do not differentiate between skills and techniques. To achieve the Small Universe, for example, they use Abdominal Breathing, which refers to both the skill and the technique. In other words, practitioners breath in energy to their dan tian. Their abdomen rises gently as they breathe in, and falls as they breathe out.

After a few years they have a lot of energy at their dan tian, which gives them internal force. As they continue to practice, the energy overflows into the ren and the du meridians and eventually constitute a never-ending circle of energy flow, which gives them good health, vitality, longevity, mental clarity as well as tremendous internal force.

We differentiate between techniques and skills, which makes us very cost effective — to an extent that we have to be careful not to over-train. The manner of breathing in energy into the dan tian with the abdomen rising on breathing in and falling on breathing out, we refer to as the technique. The accomplishment of having a lot of energy stored at our dan tian, we refer to as the skill. We call this particular technique dan tian breathing, and this particular skill Abdominal Breathing. When energy has overflown round the ren and the du meridians in a never-ending circle, we call the skill Small Universe. We may attain the skill of Small Universe using the technique of dan tian breathing, or using the technique of reverse breathing.

We can also attain the skill of Abdominal Breathing using the technique of reverse breathing, but it is not as efficacious as using the technique of dan tian breathing.

I may have mixed up dan tian breathing and Abdominal Breathing as the skill and the technique in my earlier writing. In other words, in my earlier writing I might have referred to Dan Tian Breathing as the skill, and abdominal breathing as the technique. Or I might have referred to abdominal breathing (with small letters) as the technique, and Abdominal Breathing (with capital letters) as the skill. As these terms are meant for convenience and better understanding, I shall let time and usage to decide whether dan tian breathing and Abdominal Breathing refer to skill or to technique. But in this answer, dan tian breathing refers to the technique, and Abdominal Breathing refers to the skill.

I continued to practice Abdominal Breathing and sometimes Small Universe using the technique of dan tian breathing. After a few years I noticed that instead of energy coming in through my nose down to my dan tian in Abdominal Breathing, or continue the small universal chi flow in Small Universe, cosmic energy spontaneously flowed into my dan tian as I breathed in and flowed out into the Cosmos as I breathed out. Initially I called this skill Dan Tain Breathing. Now I call it Cosmic Breathing, as I literally pulsate with the Cosmos.

Bigu, i.e. not eating food, is true. I tried bigu for about 20 days more than 30 years ago (in 1980s). For the first two days, I took some chocolate, then I did not eat any food at all except on the third or fourth day when my wife, not knowing I was experiencing with bigu, specially cooked me a delicious dish I like, curry prawns. It was not a wise thing to tell my lovely wife who cooked a delicious dish specially for me that I was not going to eat it. After that I did not eat any food.

The bigu experience did not affect my daily life. I continued to teach kungfu and spar with my students, and was energetic the whole day. In fact I found bigu give me more energy and more mental clarity.

I ended big because of a graduation dinner of a chi kung class in Sepang, a small town about 500 kilometres from my home, and where the Kuala Lumpur International Airport is now situated. I found it inappropriate to tell the organiser, Ai Foong, that I would not attend the dinner due to big. Incidentally neither she nor the chi kung students and all other people knew I had not eaten for 20 days.

(Part 3 follows)

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 2

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 2:

(Continued from Part 1)

Most practitioners do not differentiate between skills and techniques. To achieve the Small Universe, for example, they use Abdominal Breathing, which refers to both the skill and the technique. In other words, practitioners breath in energy to their dan tian. Their abdomen rises gently as they breathe in, and falls as they breathe out.

After a few years they have a lot of energy at their dan tian, which gives them internal force. As they continue to practice, the energy overflows into the ren and the du meridians and eventually constitute a never-ending circle of energy flow, which gives them good health, vitality, longevity, mental clarity as well as tremendous internal force.

We differentiate between techniques and skills, which makes us very cost effective — to an extent that we have to be careful not to over-train. The manner of breathing in energy into the dan tian with the abdomen rising on breathing in and falling on breathing out, we refer to as the technique. The accomplishment of having a lot of energy stored at our dan tian, we refer to as the skill. We call this particular technique dan tian breathing, and this particular skill Abdominal Breathing. When energy has overflown round the ren and the du meridians in a never-ending circle, we call the skill Small Universe. We may attain the skill of Small Universe using the technique of dan tian breathing, or using the technique of reverse breathing.

We can also attain the skill of Abdominal Breathing using the technique of reverse breathing, but it is not as efficacious as using the technique of dan tian breathing.

I may have mixed up dan tian breathing and Abdominal Breathing as the skill and the technique in my earlier writing. In other words, in my earlier writing I might have referred to Dan Tian Breathing as the skill, and abdominal breathing as the technique. Or I might have referred to abdominal breathing (with small letters) as the technique, and Abdominal Breathing (with capital letters) as the skill. As these terms are meant for convenience and better understanding, I shall let time and usage to decide whether dan tian breathing and Abdominal Breathing refer to skill or to technique. But in this answer, dan tian breathing refers to the technique, and Abdominal Breathing refers to the skill.

I continued to practice Abdominal Breathing and sometimes Small Universe using the technique of dan tian breathing. After a few years I noticed that instead of energy coming in through my nose down to my dan tian in Abdominal Breathing, or continue the small universal chi flow in Small Universe, cosmic energy spontaneously flowed into my dan tian as I breathed in and flowed out into the Cosmos as I breathed out. Initially I called this skill Dan Tain Breathing. Now I call it Cosmic Breathing, as I literally pulsate with the Cosmos.

Bigu, i.e. not eating food, is true. I tried bigu for about 20 days more than 30 years ago (in 1980s). For the first two days, I took some chocolate, then I did not eat any food at all except on the third or fourth day when my wife, not knowing I was experiencing with bigu, specially cooked me a delicious dish I like, curry prawns. It was not a wise thing to tell my lovely wife who cooked a delicious dish specially for me that I was not going to eat it. After that I did not eat any food.

The bigu experience did not affect my daily life. I continued to teach kungfu and spar with my students, and was energetic the whole day. In fact I found bigu give me more energy and more mental clarity.

I ended big because of a graduation dinner of a chi kung class in Sepang, a small town about 500 kilometres from my home, and where the Kuala Lumpur International Airport is now situated. I found it inappropriate to tell the organiser, Ai Foong, that I would not attend the dinner due to big. Incidentally neither she nor the chi kung students and all other people knew I had not eaten for 20 days.

(Part 3 follows)

[Leo Shaolin]

Dear Siheng,

This part was already posted. Looking forward to the next one of this gem. Thank you!

And thanks to Sifu for this wonderful series and for answering my questions.

Best wishes,

Leo

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 7 -- Part 3

Yep sorry for that mistake! Now here we go with Part 3:

(Continued from Part 2)

At first I thought of teaching bigu to people who did not have enough money to buy food. But I was wise enough to give up this foolish idea. If you realise that even sick people suffering from so-called incurable diseases do not want to learn chi kung from us to recover, despite the abundant evidence of our successful cases, you may realise how foolish it is to teach people big so that they need not eat. It would be better for economists to teach them how to manage their resources, or to tempt them with delicious food so that they may earn money to buy it. But I am sure many of our instructors and students, including those who love to eat, can attempt big successfully for fun.

Theoretically it is possible to use Cosmic Breathing under water, but in practice I have not tried it. I am sure there is energy under water, otherwise fish would be unable to live. In Cosmic Breathing, a practitioner exchanges energy that is inside his body with energy that is outside, without having to go through the normal breathing process with the nose and month.

I reckon deep sea divers use Cosmic Breathing, though they may not have heard of the term. They probably developed Cosmic Breathing through years of doing experience.

When a practitioner is above water, if he accidentally breathe with his nose or mouth, it is fine. He can’t do that underwater. But I presume it does not matter much. As soon as he realises his mistake, he reverts to Cosmic Breathing.

In theory it is possible to keep Cosmic Breathing all day long in the phenomenal world, but it may not be advisable. In principle it is the same as the possibility of a high-level master creating water from thin air, but it is easier to get water by turning on a tap.

Nevertheless, we have not actually explored the potential benefits of Cosmic Breathing, other than specific needs like sparring for hours or expanding into the Cosmos. If the benefits are enormous and it is easier than normal breathing through the nose and mouth, some masters may choose to use Cosmic Breathing all day long while still in the phenomenal world.

Jean, the Chief Instructor of Canada, once told me a theory that an individual is given a number of breaths, and when he has used up this number of breaths, he dies. If this theory is true, Cosmic Breathing may enable practitioners to live forever, or at least prolong their life.

In my younger days I was intrigued by stories of Yogis being buried underground for a few days, then emerged alive and kicking. Later I realised that they used Cosmic Breathing.

Some kungfu and chi kung masters lived long lives. Zhang San Feng, for example, live over 200 years in the phenomenal world. It was not mentioned in records, but I guess they used Cosmic Breathing. But it was recorded that most of them practiced the Small Universe. It was likely that their dan tian breathing, the technique they used for their Small Universe, developed into Cosmic Breathing.

By the way, the term Cosmic Breathing was my invention. It was not used in the past, though pulsating with the Cosmos was sometimes mentioned in some classics.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 8 -- Part 1

Cosmic Breathing: Question-Answer 8 -- Part 1

Question 8

The techniques of either Shaolin Sinew Metamorphosis, Taoist Small Universe or Medical Big Universe can be used to operate the skill of Cosmic Breathing. If all things were equal, which technique is a better choice or is it perhaps a combination of techniques?



In the same vein, which technique is better to facilitate a progression from Cosmic Breathing to Merging with the Cosmos?

Dr Damian Kissey


Answer

Yes, any one of the techniques in Shaolin Sinew Metamorphosis, Small Universe or Medical Big Universe can be used in attaining the skill of Cosmic Breathing.

In other words, for the sake of other readers who may not understand the above statement clearly, when a practitioner practices any exercise form Shaolin Sinew Metamorphosis, besides developing tremendous internal force and mental clarity, he may also pulsate with the Cosmos. Similarly, when he practices Small Universe or Medical Big Universe, besides energy flowing continuously along his rem and du meridians, or flowing along all his 12 primary meridians, he may have an exchange of energy between his dan tian and the Cosmos without having to breath through his nose and mouth as ordinary people do.

If all other things were equal, the techniques of Small Universe will be the best choice in attaining the skill of Cosmic Breathing. It is a better choice than combining the techniques of Small Universe with the techniques of any one or both Sinew Metamorphosis and Medical Big Universe, or with other arts not mentioned here. Indeed, that was how I myself attained the skill of Cosmic Breathing. I believe other masters would have similar progression, though they may not call the new development Cosmic Breathing, and also as they focus on the small universal energy flow, many of them may not be consciously aware of an exchange of energy between their dan tian and the Cosmos without the need for normal breathing.

The term “Cosmic Breathing” was coined by me. I did not find a similar term in Chinese in chi kung classics. The closest term would be “womb breathing”, which is sometimes translated as “foetus breathing”, but these terms have different connotation as Cosmic Breathing.

When I first realised the experience of Cosmic Breathing, I used the term “Dan Tian Breathing”. For a time, I used the terms “Dan Tian Breathing” and “Abdominal Breathing” interchangeably. Now I generally use “Abdominal Breathing” and “Cosmic Breathing” to refer respectively to the skills of energy flowing to and from the nose and mouth to our dan tian, and refer to the skills of an exchange of energy between our dan tian and the Cosmos without the need for normal breathing. We can attain either skill using the technique of dan tian breathing.

We can also attain the skills of Abdominal Breathing or Cosmic Breathing using other techniques, like Lifting the Sky, Flighting Fingers, or reverse breathing. But, if all other things were equal, using the technique of dan tian breathing is most effective.

This explains why using the techniques of Small Universe is the most effective for attaining the skills of Cosmic Breathing. It is because the techniques used in both cases are the same.

(Part 2 follows)