The masters say that in order to cultivate “Nature” and change “Destiny” you need to have them available and have access to them.

U modern man subject to many different external and internal chaotic influences, there is no, and cannot be, opportunities to change one’s “Fate.” The stage of “melting Shen” already provides for a developed and perfect “Nature”, the basis of which is a sufficient abundance of Qi energy and
harmony of its circulation in the body.
The spiritual level also improved, from simple “lead” to “silver”. Here, in addition to other healing qualities of “silver,” this refers to its excellent reflective qualities used in mirrors. The qualities of impeccable reflection necessary for contemplation and self-contemplation allow us to speak of a high degree of spiritual improvement.

Of course, for starters alchemical process you must already have all the ingredients necessary for it, that is, “melt” the trigrams and primary elements. / Tao here and now. / Heaven and Earth are primary trigrams / states / that already contain their powers. The power of Heaven is Fire, the power of Earth is Water. Therefore, everything happens as in nature - the interaction of sky and earth is accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning, cyclones and anticyclones, temperature and atmospheric changes in the weather. When we heat the lower dantian in one way or another, the rising steam energy creates clouds that can give rise to a hurricane, if we do not know how to manage this energy. Looking at the states of Heaven and Earth at the level of mental processes, we see that “good weather” - their calm state of interaction is deceptive, since the process of water evaporation does not stop, but increases and prepares for future bad weather. A higher energy level of interaction Heaven and Earth are defined by Heaven as unchangeable laws of nature that are not subject to human factors, understanding and influence. On the contrary, the Earth is defined as a certain set of forces that protects and supports human life, however, both generating and subtracting it.
This is a mother who loves not for something, but in spite of everything. Level /Shen/ defines Heaven as “Justice”, and Earth as
"Humanity".
This is exactly how our spiritual energy is structured, where in a constant dialectical process - the unity and struggle of these opposites - our actions and our human creations are born. Harmony of interaction
“Justice” and “Humanity” in our decisions and actions is never unambiguous and always has the character of both discoveries of “Creativity” and mastery
"Executions".
The Fire of “Justice” and the Water of “Humanity” are energy forces that have a very definite nature and location in the body. The Fire of “Justice” is defined as mental “will”, and the Water of “Humanity” is defined as bodily “desire”. “Wants” are born in our chest /above the waist/, and “desires” are born in the stomach /below the waist/. You need to have a good understanding of what motivates you at different points in your life and how you respond to those driving forces. To manage these forces, to cultivate them to their full natural strength - there is preparation for creation, at different stages
"Elixir of Life"
Until these forces /Fire and Water/ gain natural power, the “elixir of life” will not work.
Natural, the power of “wanting” is compared to the rage of a dragon, and the power of “desire” with the ferocity of a tiger, which is why the “spring of life” is unusually strong by nature. Masters claim that by nature, a person has enormous strength, but to survive in constantly deteriorating conditions people spend more and more of their lives more strength to external factors. This is protection from unfavorable conditions for the life of the body, as well as huge waste of energy on social problems, problems of satisfying the individual and its selfish goals, the illusion of success and well-being.
It is proposed that in order to obtain the “elixir of life”, turn all the forces within yourself and replenish
energies of “Fire and Water” to their natural strength - the strength of the dragon and the tiger. This process is briefly described in the book “Tao Here and Now”. Along with replenishing energy due to tertiary states / trigrams /, it is necessary to replenish energy due to the surrounding nature, the sky and land. Thus, you can achieve the required energy level in the shortest possible time. Much of this process is described in the book “Epiphany Here and Now.”
Currently, such practical results can only be achieved by a creative person who has a creative approach to any life activity, a worldview and an appropriate way of life.
Such a person is professionally tuned to a contemplative way of perception and a creative way of creation. Thus, it will not be difficult for her to understand the principles and methods of replenishing energies, and natural love and craving for nature will allow her to receive the necessary natural complex of energy charges without much difficulty.

Having completely restored the energy to its natural integrity, we can use it to restore spiritual integrity. By studying the “Interaction of Fire and Water” we can understand in practice what real energy is. Our “wants” and “desires” and their interactions in the processes of our life show us the laws of Yin and Yang, as well as all of our mental energy.
When we look at the Yin and Yang emblem, we see a white dot in the black half, and a black dot in the white half. The ancients say that the white dot is the moon, and the black dot is the sun. The explanation lies in the properties of Fire and Water, and accordingly
"wants" and "desires".
For example, one of the main properties of Water is to perceive and retain a charge of energy
or as they say now “information”. On the contrary, one of the main properties of Fire is annihilation, destruction, decomposition, decay into emptiness. These properties of Water and Fire are represented in trigrams by plus and minus - a solid line and a line broken in the middle of the trigram.
Our energy of Water, “desires”, easily turns into automatism, into a habit of receiving and holding a charge of energy-information. Therefore, we must understand that our moonlight thinking based on the work of memory is full of automatisms and habits that have a constant huge impact and influence on us. Moreover, having up to seventy percent of fluids in our body, we are almost completely dependent on our desires and automatisms. On the contrary, our Fire energy, “wanting,” is formed by momentary movements of emotions and has no barriers or limits in the size and scope of our “wants,” in no way consistent with our capabilities. Moreover, our raging uncontrollable fire can sometimes be so furious that, having come to our senses, after a while we are ashamed of our incontinence in the heat of our feelings. However, a discharge occurred that destroyed tensions and unnecessary, false or outdated
energy formations, clearing space for a new, fresh living space.
However, in order to effectively cultivate your “Nature” and change your “Destiny”, along with constantly increasing your level of general energy, you need to competently work with your “wants and “desires”. Ideally, it is necessary to completely get rid of the automatisms of “desire”, to subordinate them to your will and control, right down to the deep-lying instincts. At the same time, our “wants,” getting rid of chaos and dependence on the situation and accidents, acquire stable patterns that correspond to the “Laws of Heaven.” Such a joint work of our “wants and desires”
has its own methodology and various technologies. It corresponds to the stage of “Interaction of Fire and Water / Kan and Li /.” At the energy level, changes occur corresponding to the melting of Shen from Qi. The Fire and Water trigrams, exchanging their middle features, are transformed into the Heaven and Earth trigrams /Qian and Kun/.

Over the past decade, in the press, books and articles about spiritual teachings and spiritual teachers, a lot has been said about the power of human consciousness, about its cosmic role and purpose.
It is necessary to protect those engaged in internal alchemy from the characteristic mistake made by some authors regarding the role of consciousness in spiritual advancement and spiritual development.
When practicing internal alchemy, we understand that only spiritual consciousness, the spirit – Shen, has special qualities.
What kind of cosmic consciousness of man and his role for the galaxy are being talked about by dozens of authors of modern esotericism? All this is difficult to understand as a practitioner. Xin consciousness and Yi consciousness, which these authors operate with, cannot in any way lay claim to such an omnipotent role.
To practice correctly, you need to clearly understand what the spirit – Shen – is.
For example, you can use the concept of “fighting spirit”. Imagine an army without fighting spirit; such an army cannot be helped by a commander, numbers, or equipment. Only defeat awaits such an army, devoid of fighting spirit.
When we do something extraordinary, significant, our spirit rises to the task and attracts all the energy and all our abilities to accomplish the goal. Spirituality is an awareness of the significance of the task at hand, for the accomplishment of which we are ready to lay down our very lives. The spirit is enormous strength, which includes all energies and consciousnesses - Xin “wanting” and “desire”.
The Shen spirit is such a constant force that includes our Self and is supported by our “wants” and “desires,” as well as all our energies. Such cultivated power of our Self - the Shen spirit, as the masters say, can exist separately from our body as a self-sufficient unit.

Despite the general fascination with esotericism, parallel worlds, and the wonders of spiritual life, in our time, a complete lack of spirituality is acutely felt, along with a sophisticated, close attention to physical health and the environment.
Worldliness, material interest, consumer instincts prevail in our lives today for the majority of the population and, sadly, for the majority of young people. Therefore, interest in qigong and internal alchemy is dominated by consumer desires rather than spiritual ones. Being interested in the power aspects of energy, longevity, immortality, matters rarely come to spirituality, usually stopping at the level of general energy. That is why the teachings on the transformation of “Jing into Qi” are mainly accepted as qigong and the practice of internal alchemy.
But it is precisely this initial healing stage that has such an inflated significance and popularity among the masses, as well as an endless number of interpretations and various modifications, that one can only be surprised.
Particularly surprising is the usual situation today for qigong enthusiasts, when a young, unspent healthy body is replenished with “jing” energy for years with the help of exercises intended for old age.
The general fascination with sexual practices and the corresponding energy does not improve the quality of the general level of understanding of qigong and internal alchemy.
There is a general misunderstanding of the power of spiritual practices. I would like to remind you here that it is the spirit “Shen” that controls the entire energy of the body and is responsible for health, longevity and possible immortality..
It is “Shen” who is the real owner and manager of our body. His role is that of a driver, there is no driver in the car, the car is uncontrollable, dead.
You can have a great car and not know how to drive it, and you can also be a great driver and not have a good car.
Such an analogy can clarify the situation and lead to a correct understanding of the meaning of “Shen” in the practice of internal alchemy.
At the stage of melting “Shen from Qi”, our body gradually acquires a real owner, who can really manage everything, control not only at the level of consciousness, but also outside consciousness, and also be responsible for everything with full right. It is this kind of advancement that can be called spiritual growth.
Initially, the spirit controls the entire organism, regardless of human consciousness, but such a spirit is no different from the spirit of animals. The human spirit “Shen” acquires consciousness and freedom in order to rule over the soul and body, and then over everything that is outside it, according to the laws of Heaven, this is the original purpose of a “real” person.

Over a simple person soulfulness and corporeality reign - “wants and desires.”
Although he has the same spirit, but without power. He declares himself either through fear of environmental disasters, or torment of conscience, or dissatisfaction with being grounded, but they do not pay serious attention to it, simply taking note of it, since a person living by material needs in the material world lives by the movements of his soul to create his own well-being.
As soon as such an overthrow of the power of the spirit occurred in a person, all parts of his nature fell into confusion and disorder. Mentality and physicality, “wants” and desires” entered into an endless struggle and chaos reigned in a person’s conscious life. It was selfishness and apparent impunity and independence that gave rise to passions - pride, envy, hatred, sorrow, lust, anger, etc.
Spiritual aspirations do not drive the aspirations of the soul (science, art, family, civil services and positions), however, they moderate vanity and passions, and lead to the order established by “Heaven.”
Suppose you, having examined yourself in all respects, have found and understood all the reasons for your shortcomings. However, correcting them requires a certain amount of hard work. Are you ready for such stress and work?
The usual state of our thinking “spirit” is distraction, confusion, and wandering of thoughts.
The usual state of our “desires” is inconstancy, disorder and willfulness, a passion not for the needs of nature, but for perverted passions.
The usual state of our heart, feelings, “wants” is complete capture by passions and clouding of the ability to reflect reality, incorrect impressions, perversions of tastes, and excitement are directed in the wrong direction.
Passion is “an illness of the soul” or “a painful state of mental strength.”
Unlike innate and unconscious instinct, passion is unnatural.
Passion is indignation against nature, the movement of energy against nature.
The source of “desires” should be the natural needs of life, but what is natural about passions? They upset nature and all orders of life.
The madness and unnaturalness of passion lies in the fact that in it a person refuses the connection with the Creator, which is natural in his nature, and seeks a replacement for him. It is impossible to find a real replacement for “Heaven”. Only primitive surrogates remain in the form of one’s own “I” and the objects of the material world subordinate to it. But these are limited and temporary phenomena, not eternal, and a person becomes a crazy animal that competes with the creator, trying to replace him with himself, imitating him.
This is the so-called “Demonism”. In contrast, “Spirituality” strives to understand and accept the laws of “Heaven,” to rise to their natural fulfillment and to merge with the will of the creator in every beat of its heart, in every moment of its activity and its very life.
It is impossible to instantly gain spirituality even with the appropriate energy,
a period of work to melt the Shen spirit is required. This work requires a lot of stress and a lot of patience. Without patience - “lead”, a person cannot act - “mercury”, cannot learn spiritual things, cannot achieve perfection. It is impossible to come to contemplation without working on yourself. Therefore, the first thing you need to do is do what is required now in present moment, and the highest will come by itself, doing is called what is done by the body, and contemplation is what the mind creates mentally.
Passions take possession of us through our practical life, through relationships with others, through our body.
Thus, with “dryness” we harden ourselves, we become an insensitive stone, unable to perceive the truth. With “cold” we cool ourselves, we cool our souls and our spiritual impulses. By “burning” we arouse anger and hatred in ourselves. “Warmth” arouses laziness and sexual instincts in ourselves. “Humidity” promotes weakness, lethargy, and drowsiness.
It is the regulation of qi in the “six connections” of the yin and yang channels that allows us to practically resist our passions, moderating their impact on our soul.
It should be noted that with an increase in the total amount of energy, such regulation is especially necessary, otherwise our passions gain additional strength and it is almost impossible to cope with them. More details in the books “Tao here and now”, “Epiphany here and now”.
So, without patience, action is impossible, and without action, contemplation is impossible.
Without the development of physicality, the development of spirituality is impossible. Moreover, it is Poe’s “corporal souls” that are subsequently transformed into spirituality.
Chinese wisdom says: “A noble man endures adversity with fortitude. And a lowly man blossoms in adversity.” “Great is he who is great in patience.”
True patience is accepting the world as a whole, with all its pros and cons. It presupposes a person’s ability to resist pressure without allowing persistent negative emotions within himself in relation to an external stimulus. True patience is always based on love, on its strong and pure currents. His motto is not to appear, as is inherent in patience on the outside, but to be calm and benevolent from the inside, no matter what happens.” One of my teachers told me: “Patience is when everything is bad all around, but you are calm. You don't close your eyes and act wisely."
Of course, it all starts with the “Cleansing the Heart” stage. Purity of heart frees you from excessive eroticism and prevents you from getting carried away by constant entertainment, which contribute to the development of unhealthy curiosity and illusions. Purity of heart requires purification of the social climate. Social contacts are required to create an attitude of restraint and respect for human dignity.
Such a quality as calmness, born of patience, gives rise to purity of the heart - the mirror of perception. pure heart can be compared to the mirror surface of a lake, which accurately, without distortion, reflects our face. However, a dragonfly landed on the water and created circles on the surface of the water, which distorted our image, the waves subsided and the reflection was adequate again. Thus, we need to protect our mirror of perception from the slightest external influences. Keeping the heart wide open but completely empty is possible only when one has patience, which breeds complete calm.
If the Shen spirit has already settled in our mind and we understand that we are driven by the laws of Heaven, the heart will adequately reflect the action of these laws if there is a purity of heart, and nothing will interfere with their perception and understanding. This is how we get the united action of the mind and heart, our contemplation. If our mind is tossed from side to side by the will of events, and our heart is captured by waves of emotions, we cannot adequately reflect events and, being in the grip of illusions, we always rely on our own acts of will, thus manifesting our demonic powers, which are far from real spirituality.
The Shen Gong stage - training the spirit, includes raising the spirit and keeping it in the center of the head.
Avoiding all excitement, create a permanent center of residence for the spirit, which controls all your activities in a manner
passive-vigilant control.
Achieve stability of spirit from the “seven emotions” and “six desires.” The Shen spirit should not be excited, constantly remaining in its place. Of course, this becomes possible only under the condition of the harmonious interaction of our “desires” and “wants”, the harmony of the interaction of Fire and Water. This work is called “Shou Shen”, “Gu Shen”, “Ding Shen”. Next, you need to train the Shen spirit to expand and contract into one point.
By compressing into one point, the concentrated spirit acquires amazing properties.
This stage is called “Ning Shen” - purify, strengthen, concentrate the spirit.

Spirit" ("spirits", "soul", "spiritualization", "spirituality", "spirituality", "mind", "reasonableness", "holiness", "incomprehensible", "miraculous"). Category of Chinese philosophy and culture The semantic content has three main aspects: 1) mystical-religious - “spirit”, deity, personification of spiritual substances (often in combination with gui Sh., “navi and spirits”); in the “primordial” (yuan qi) and actual in the world “pneuma” (qi), one of the substantivized world “principles” along with the “pneuma” and the “seed” (jing of perception) (gan) of things, which is especially clearly expressed in neo-Confucianism In the most ancient monuments ("Shi Jing", the main text of "Zhou Yi") and the first texts of the conf. tradition, Confucius laid down the principles of the conf. ): “I honor the spirits, but keep my distance from them” (“Lun Yu”); in other passages of “Lun Yu” and in “Zuo Zhuani” “respectful caution” (jing) is recommended in relation to “Heaven and Spirits” . In the Zhong Yun, the possessor of "supreme authenticity/sincerity" (see Cheng), who is able to foresee the future, is declared to be "spirit-like." From about the 4th century. BC religious and philosopher interpretations of the concept of Sh. begin to clearly differ. In “Xi Qi Zhuang” Sh. is declared to be “incomprehensible in yin yang”; there the foreknowledge of the future is attributed to “spiritual deities.” character, but the idea of ​​Sh. is already beginning to take shape as a potency of the mind and psyche, “imbued with rational obligation” (ching yi). In the Tao Te Ching, Tao is declared to be the “spiritualizing” (Sh.) beginning of all things, incl. "Navei and spirits"; but if the Celestial Empire is harmonized (Tao reigns in it), then “the Navi are not spiritualized in it” (bu Sh.). The "Zhuang Tzu" (4th - 3rd centuries BC) recognizes the existence of "spirit people" (Sh. ren), who in an ideal land "feed on the wind and drink the dew." It also contains a provision similar to the Tao Te Ching about the “spiritualization” of the Tao “navi and rulers,” and Sh. appears as a substance capable of “having breaks” and determining “spiritual life” (Sh. sheng), “stability” to - the swarm threatens the “mechanical heart” (ji xin, see Ji) - arbitrary egoistic. cunning; "integrity of spirit" is conditioned by harmonious the integrity of the bodily “form” (syn). Confucians 4th - 3rd centuries. BC were interested in ch. arr. ontological and epistemological aspects of Sh. In the "Mengzi" the unity of the "bodily pneuma" (ti qi) and the "spiritual pneuma" (Sh. qi) was postulated, and in the "Xunzi" Sh. as a psycho-emotional principle was declared secondary and dependent on the "formed flesh "(Xing Ju). In a predominantly Taoist treatise of the 2nd century in nature. BC "Huainanzi" presents for the first time a completed cosmological. Sh.'s interpretation in connection with his epistemological psychology. interpretation: “spirit” is included in the triad of substantivized “beginnings” (yuan) of the Universe, or “three flowers” ​​(san hua), and may. derived from the "seed" (jing (3]), capable of "refining" to the state of Sh. The basis ("movement") of knowledge in the "Huainanzi" is declared to be the "response of the spirit" as the mind and psyche to the interaction of the subject with the object. Similar to " Zhuangzi", spiritual qualities ("spiritual grace/virtue" - Sh. de, see De) are opposed to the "mechanical heart" (qi xie zhi xin). From the Han era (3rd century BC - 3rd century BC) century AD) one of the important philosophical topics for Confucian-oriented thinkers was the problem of the relationship between “[bodily] form” (xing) and Sh., coming from “Zhuangzi” and “Huanzi”. end of the 1st century BC - beginning of the 1st century AD) and Wang Chong (1st century) likened Sh. to fire, and the “[bodily] form” to a candle lit by him; “a person is generated by a spiritual pneum (Sh. qi) and with death returns to it again.” [bodily] form." Within the framework of the relationship between syn and sh. in the 4th - 6th centuries, the first representatives of antibud. propaganda were considered. the doctrine of samsara (see Lunhui), interpreting it as a statement about the “immortality of the soul” (see Shen bu me). In various movements of the Middle Ages. Taoism natural philosopher. the interpretation of the substance of Sh. intersected with the explanation of the nature and functions of spirits. For example, a representative of the Xuan Xue movement, which developed both Taoist and Conf. problems, He Yan (2nd century) explained to Sh. as “the affairs of navei and spirits.” In the “doctrine of immortality” (xian xue), the idea of ​​“spiritualization” (Sh.) of the “body/personality” (shen) of the adept came to the fore as a condition for joining the unity and omnipotence of the immortal Tao and turning into an “immortal saint” (Sh . xian). With the development within the framework of the "doctrine of immortality" "internal alchemy." (ney tribute) traditions liturgical task. communication with spirits has faded into the background in relation to the transformation of “pneumatic” (qi) human substances. bodies into “spirit”, embodied in the “yang pneuma” (yang qi), which brought to the forefront the problem of localizing these substances in the body. The idea of ​​concentrating Sh. in the heart, dating back to “Guanzi” (4th - 3rd centuries BC) and enshrined in ancient medicine. treatise "Huang Di Nei Jing" ("Canon Yellow Emperor about the internal", 2nd - 1st centuries BC), starting with Ge Hong (3rd century), gave way to ideas going back to Dong Zhongshu (2nd century) about the localization of Sh. in the head, where, according to the teaching " internal alchemy", the "upper cinnabar field" (dan tian) is located; in the middle (chest) and lower (stomach) "cinnabar fields", in which the "immortal embryo" goes through various stages of development, "pneuma" and "seed" were placed respectively ". These ideas had a significant impact on the theory of Chinese medicine, which was subsequently based on a compromise scheme, providing for five “cinnabar fields” and taking into account ideas about the localization of Sh. in the head and heart, as well as its presence in all internal . organs. The ideas about Sh. in Neo-Confucianism were decisively influenced by the ideas of Zhou Dunyi and Zhang Zai (11th century). The first emphasized the epistemological-psychological essence of “spirituality” (Sh.), declaring it “the insight [into the essence] that follows perception.” things]"; the second gave a detailed substantiation of the thesis about Sh. as a manifestation of Tao, which determines the ability of things to "[mutually] perceive" (gan) and thereby "transform" (hua) of a single world "pneuma", interpreting the binomial gui Sh. in ontological sense as the potentiality of dual cosmic. forces yin yang, respectively, to “bending/compression” (que) and “straightening/expansion” (shen) of the “pneuma”. Zhang Zai's views on the content of the concept of Sh. were accepted by representatives of the main. directions of Neo-Confucianism: Cheng [brothers] - Zhu [Xi] school and Lu Zhuyuan] - Wang [Yanmin] school. Thus, Zhu Xi (12th century) borrowed Zhang Q's definition of borrowing the functions of gui sh. in line with his own concept of indestructible "pneuma", and Wang Yangming (late 15th - early 16th centuries) interpreted sh. as "refined application" ("manifestation" - yun, see Ti - yun) of a single "pneuma". In the Middle Ages. whale. aesthetics (for example, in Zhang Pu, 17th century) “spiritualization” (Sh.) was considered as a form of translating the spiritual principle into production. art through sudden insight. Anthology of world philosophy. T. 1. Part 2. M., 1964 (according to the Index - “Spirit”); ** Burov V. G. Worldview of the Whale. 17th century thinker Wang Chuan-shan. M., 1976. S. 45 - 6; Lisevich I.O. Lit. thought of China in ancient times and cf. centuries. M., 1979 (see Index); Pomerantseva L.E. Late Taoists about nature, society and art ("Huainanzi" - II century BC). M., 1979. S. 54 - 69; Kobzev A.I. The teachings of Wang Yangmin and the classics. whale. philosophy. M., 1983 (see Index); Ge Rongjin. Zhongguo zhexue fanchou shi (History of the categories of Chinese philosophy). Harbin, 1987. P. 202 - 15; Chang S. Reason and Intuition in Chinese Philosophy // PEW. 1954. Vol. 4. N 2; ffuang Siu-chi. Chang Tsais Concept of Chi // PEW. 1968. Vol. 18. N 4. cm. also literature to Art. Qi, Jing, S yan xue, Fan Zhen. A.G. Yurkevich

Finding a foreign language equivalent to the Chinese word shen is extremely difficult. As in many other cases, the translation here is primarily determined by the context in which the word is used. Thus, Shen can be translated as spirit, god, immortal, soul, mind, divine and supernatural.

As long as you live, your Shen represents the spirit guided by your mind. If your mind is in an unstable state, then it is said to be xin sheng bu ning, that is, “the (emotional) mind and spirit do not get along with each other.” An ordinary person can use his own to increase the energy of his Shen, to raise it to a higher level; but at the same time a person must keep his emotional mind under control. If that person's Yi is able to control xin, then the mind as a whole maintains its concentration and Yi is able to control shen. When the Shen is in an excited state, it goes beyond the control of Yi; This state is referred to as Shen Zhi Bu Qing, which means “spirit and will (produced by Yi) do not have clarity.” It is very important to teach your wisdom and effectively manage the actions of your emotional xin. To achieve this goal, they learn to free themselves from emotions. Only in this way can they create a strong shen within themselves, which is under their complete control.

Given that good health you can use Yi to protect your own Shen and keep it where it should be - in the Upper Dan Tian. At the same time, even the shen that has received energy recharge is under control. If a person is very sick or on the verge of death, his Yi weakens, and then the Shen leaves its “home” and begins to wander around. After death, the Shen is completely separated from the physical body; then it is called hun, or “soul.” The term shen hun is often used because hun arises from shen. True, sometimes the concept of shen hun is also applied to the spirit of a dying person, since at this moment the spirit is between the states of shen and hun.

The Chinese believe that if a person reaches a higher and stronger state, the person himself gains the possibility of more acute sensory perception, and his mind becomes wiser and more inspired. Usually the world of the living is considered the world, and spiritual world after death - respectively. At the same time, they say when a person’s Shen has reached its highest state, this person's mind gains abilities far beyond the normal. At the same time, the mind can easily understand ideas that were previously beyond the limits of understanding, and how to control them; At the same time, a person can develop the ability to sense the Yin world or even communicate with it. Such a supernatural shen is called ling - this word in China usually refers to an intelligent and intelligent person who is able to quickly find common language with people and have a subtle understanding of the nature of things. It is also believed that after death, this supernatural shen will not die along with the physical body. It is this supernatural shen (ling) that will continue to hold your energy together in the form of a “ghost” or gui. This is why the ghost is also called ling gui, which means “spiritual ghost”; or ling hun, that is, “spiritual soul.”

Based on the above, it can be seen that ling represents the supernatural part of the spirit. According to belief, if this supernatural spirit soul is strong enough, it will live quite a long time after the death of the physical body and will have many opportunities for reincarnation. The Chinese believe that if a person has achieved the state of or during life, then after death his supernatural spirit will overcome the cycle of reincarnation and live forever. Such spirits are called shen ming, which means “spiritually enlightened beings,” or simply shen, and in this case this word means a spirit that has become divine. Usually, if a simple person dies whose supernatural spirit soul is not strong enough, his spirit has only a short time to find a new abode in which he can be reborn before this energy dissipates. In this case, the spirit is called gui, or “ghost.”

And they believe that during life a person can use his energy to nourish, or “nourish,” the shen (yang shen), thus strengthening the ling. When this Ling Shen is raised to the appropriate level, a person's will is able to force him to separate from the physical body even while alive. When a person reaches this state, his physical body gains the ability to live for many centuries. People who have achieved this are called xian, which means “god”, “immortal” or “elf”. Since the word xian itself comes from the concept shen, sometimes xian is called shen xian, that is, “immortal spirits.” Xian is a living person whose shen has reached a state or similarity. After the death of this person, his spirit will be called Shen Ming.

The basis of the practice or is to strengthen the shen, nourish it, grow it until it matures enough to separate from the physical body. But in order to do all this, a qigong practitioner must know where exactly the shen is located and how it should be preserved, protected, nourished and trained. It is also very important to imagine where the roots of your Shen are.

Your Shen is located in (the forehead above the bridge of the nose), in a place sometimes called the “third eye.” Shen can be strengthened by concentrating on the Upper Dan Tian. In our case, strengthening means preserving and protecting shen. When a person's mind is distracted and confused, his Shen begins to wander without purpose. In this case, they say that a person has Shen Bu Shou She Wu, which means “the spirit is not kept in its abode.”

According to qigong theory, xin (emotional mind) is capable of uplifting the spirit; but he can also embarrass the shen, forcing him to leave his place. Therefore, you must constantly use your Yi (wisdom mind) to tame your Shen, control it, and keep it in its proper place.

If, as a result of practicing qigong, your qi is able to reach the shen and effectively fill it with itself, then the energy level of the shen will increase significantly, and this in turn will contribute. Shen- this is the force that keeps you alive, it is a kind of control center for the movement of qi. If the Shen is strong, then the Qi is strong, and at the same time you get the opportunity to effectively control it. When the shen is weakened, your qi is exactly the same weak. In this case, the body will quickly degrade. On the other hand, qi supports the activity of the shen, filling it with energy, helping it remain clear, strong and insightful. So if your body's qi is weak, your shen will also be weak. Once you become familiar with the location of your Shen, you must understand where its origins are, and also learn how to nourish it and make it grow. We have already talked about (Yuan Jing), which is the life essence inherited from parents. After birth, the Primordial Jing becomes most important source energy. Your (yuan qi) is created precisely from this Primordial Jing; at the same time, it mixes with qi obtained from consumed food and inhaled air, providing the body with energy for growth and activity. Naturally, this mixed qi also nourishes your shen, but if it energizes your shen, it strengthens the wisdom mind that controls the shen. Shen, preserved in its habitat by means of Yi, which in turn draws energy from the Primordial Qi, is called Primordial Shen(yuan shen). Therefore, the origins of your Primordial Shen are in the Primordial Jing. If your Shen has increased energy, but at the same time is restrained with the help of Yi, this is called Jing Shen, which literally translates as “seed-spirit” or “vital spirit”.

The Primordial Shen is considered the center of the human being. It can bring you into a calm state, clear your mind and strengthen your will. When you concentrate your mind on a task, the process itself is called Ju Jing Hui Shen, which means “gathering Jing to meet Shen” (see). This implies that in the process of concentration, you must use your Primordial Jing to meet your Primordial Shen, raising it so that the mind becomes calm, balanced and focused. Since this Shen is fueled by your Primordial Qi (which is considered Water Qi), the Primordial Shen is considered Shen of Water .

For those who have achieved high mastery in qigong, cultivating their own shen becomes the most important subject of study. For Buddhists and Taoists, the ultimate goal of shen cultivation is to form, give birth to the Sacred Embryo (xian tai) (see) from one's shen, feeding it until the spiritual baby is born and can exist independently. However, for the average qigong enthusiast it is quite enough to define it as ultimate goal practicing cultivating shen, nourishing its qi and at the same time maintaining control over it with the help of Yi. Such a “grown up” shen is able to control qi, effectively direct it, bringing health and longevity.

Shen cannot be separated from the brain. Shen is the spiritual part of your being, generated and controlled by your mind. It is the mind that produces the will, which keeps the shen strong. Because of this close connection, the Chinese tend to use the words shen (spirit) and zhi (will) together - shen zhi. You must also understand that if your Shen is raised to a sufficient height and strong, it will thereby strengthen your will. Thanks to their close relationship, they will help each other. From what has been said it is clear that the brain is the material basis of the spirit in man. When they say “feed your Shen”, it means that you need to “feed your brain”. As we said earlier, the original source of this nourishment is jing. During transformation, jing turns into qi (see), which enters the brain, nourishing it and filling it with energy. In qigong technique, this process is called fan jing bu nao, that is, “returning to jing to nourish the brain.”

Jing, qi, shen are interconnected, feed each other and follow each other. Jing Gong practice strengthens, preserves and purifies the original Jing, Jing nourishes Qi, and Qi nourishes Shen.

Shen is a spirit, like a mood. Shen is often called the main command center.

Jing is all body fluids (saliva, blood, male and female semen). Fluids are needed for any living organism, ching is like a river, there is a river - there is always life and health.

The original jing resides in the kidneys; having a sufficient amount of jing, you can provide all systems with the required amount of qi. This is why Qigong and Tai Chi contain many techniques to strengthen the kidneys.

Qi is life, if there is qi there is life, if there is no life there is no qi. What is qi? According to Chinese beliefs, there is a natural force that fills the Universe, and this force is called qi. The sky has heavenly (tian) qi, the Earth has earthly qi, which is influenced by heavenly qi. Part of earthly qi is human (ren) qi.

Qi moves in a person through twelve channels and accumulates in eight “organs”. The most important channels are Du-mai and Zhen-mai, as they control the work of all other channels.

Qi and blood are closely related, where Qi goes, blood goes. Shen (spirit) controls the flow of qi. Shen is located in the upper dantian (in the forehead above the bridge of the nose). During qigong practice, practitioners try to ensure that the qi reaches the shen and strengthens it, then the level of the shen increases, which in turn promotes the circulation of qi. This can be understood with an example: strong in spirit people cope with illnesses more easily.

The lower dantian (three fingers below the navel) is the source of the primordial (yuan, pre-celestial) qi. Post-heavenly qi, derived from air and food, is located in the chest (middle dantian) and is closely related to breathing and circulation, heart and lungs. The process of assimilating post-heavenly qi can be improved using a system of breathing exercises.

The original qi is given to every person long before his birth. Through the umbilical cord, children feel the inhalations and exhalations of their mother. While in the mother's womb, the child himself breathes ideally with his stomach through the lower dantian and then the breathing goes along the Small Heavenly Circle, which corresponds to the movement of qi along the Du-mai and Zhen-mai channels. The small celestial circle of a child before birth works without failures, since the Du-mai and Zhen-mai channels are closed and form a circle. The inhalation is long from the dantian along the back surface of the body (Du-mai channel) to the Tianxi point on the upper palate behind the gums, the exhalation is short from the point on the lower palate to the lower dantian.

When the umbilical cord is cut, such breathing ends and the point of dantiat closes. Normal breathing begins through the nose and mouth to the lungs. Breathing becomes shallow, and over time we begin to use only the upper part of the lungs; in old age, breathing often becomes only throat breathing. The post-celestial qi also does not descend lower to the dantian and does not mix with the original qi, thus the qi reserves are not replenished properly. And if there is no qi, there is no life. This results in stagnation of qi in the head and chest area, the face becomes red and blood pressure increases.

Almost all people breathe as follows: the inhalation is short and the exhalation is long, the breathing is not deep. Inhalation is the collection of new qi from the air, exhalation is getting rid of old qi. The original qi is wasted over the course of life. For example, if we don’t sleep at night and work, we waste qi. Health is getting worse and worse, qi is not collected and accumulated.

Now many people are engaged in “mental” work, and this work is hard on the head, many people sleep poorly, are anxious and irritable. This happens because the kidney meridian does not work well, the original qi is not restored, but is only wasted.

For kung fu training, it is also important that the post-heavenly qi descends down to the dantian. Otherwise, it turns out that breathing is difficult and the heartbeat is strong. If you do not practice qigong specifically, then only at a young age can you seriously practice kung fu. In order to practice kung fu strongly until old age, you need to practice jingong so that the channels are open and qi circulates freely and descends into the dantian.

Jing Gong helps us return to the state of a child in the mother's womb and restore the original breath. Qi as a foundation. In order to harmonize jing, qi, shen, you need to practice jingong exercises to improve the health of the body, calm the heart and strengthen the spirit.

Ginseng is a genus of perennial herbs belonging to the Araliaceae family and including a little more than 10 species. Under natural conditions, its representatives can be found in North America, Russia (Siberia, Altai, Ural) and some countries of East Asia (China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam). Common or true ginseng is one of the most famous medicinal plants. It is specially cultivated for medicinal purposes, since natural reserves are limited and cannot satisfy the demand for it. Ginseng root has adaptogenic and tonic properties, strengthens the body, increases immunity and resistance to various diseases. Eastern folk medicine has been actively using this plant for more than 2000 years and believes that it prolongs life and preserves youth. Due to its valuable healing properties and the similarity of the shape of the root to the human body, ginseng has received the following names among the people: root of life, salt of the earth, gift of immortality, divine herb, stosil, etc.

Botanical description

Places where ginseng grows in natural conditions, are dense shady, coniferous, broad-leaved, cedar, hornbeam and mixed forests. It occurs singly or in small groups. It is suitable for well-drained, moderately moist fertile soils rich in fertilizers. The plant does not tolerate high air humidity and direct sunlight. Reproduction is carried out by seeds. Ginseng is a long-liver, its age can reach 100 – 150 years.

Interesting: The plant greatly depletes the soil on which it grows, therefore, when grown in artificial conditions after collection, it is recommended to plant it in the same place no earlier than 10 years later.

The root of ginseng is taproot (length up to 25 cm, diameter up to 3 cm), fleshy, wrinkled, yellowish-white on the outside, fusiform, with large branches (up to 6 pieces). When freshly broken, it is smooth, white, and has a sweetish odor. The root shape is cylindrical with pronounced thickenings in the form of rings in the upper part, the number of which increases with age. The rhizome is short, narrowed, transversely wrinkled, located at the top of the root, and has scars from fallen stems. At its top there is a wintering bud, from which an above-ground shoot develops. By the age of 100 years, the mass of the plant root is 300–400 g.
The stem is straight, single, thin, up to 60–70 cm long, round in cross section, hollow inside, sprouts from a wintering bud. It dies off every year. The leaves are palmately compound, on long petioles (6–8 cm), consisting of 5 long elliptical or obovate leaflets with a wedge-shaped base, a pointed apex and finely serrated edges. On top they are covered with sparse hairs. The two lateral lower leaves are smaller than the upper ones (length 2 – 3 cm, width 1 – 1.5 cm), and the middle one is the largest (up to 15 cm in length and up to 4 cm in width). At the top of the stem they form a whorl of 2–5 pieces.

Flowering occurs in mid-summer, 8–10 years after seed germination. The flowers are bisexual and staminate, there are 5 stamens, a pistil with a lower ovary and two styles. The flowers are small in size (up to 2 mm in diameter), white in color, and shaped like stars. They are most often collected in 10-20 pieces in an inflorescence, a simple umbrella with a diameter of 2-3 cm at the top of a flower arrow emerging from the center of the leaf whorl. They self-pollinate and have a pleasant aroma.

The fruits, which are juicy bright red two-locular or less often three-locular spherical drupes up to 10 mm long, ripen in late summer - early autumn. Each nest contains one wrinkled seed of cream or white color, 3–6 mm in size, shaped like an irregular circle or disk.

Chemical composition

The beneficial properties of ginseng are due to the variety of active chemical compounds it contains. The main medicinal raw material is the root of the plant, but sometimes the aerial parts are also used. It contains:

• alkaloids;
• resins;
• vitamins (ascorbic, nicotinic, pantothenic, folic acids);
• minerals (S, P, Mg, K, Ca, Co, Mn, Fe, Cu, Mo, Cr, Zn, Ti)
• tannins;
• mucus;
• triterpene saponins (ginsenosides or panaxosides);
• polyacetylenes (falcarinol, panaxinol, falcarintriol, panaxidol);
• amino acids and oligopeptides;
• polysaccharides (pectins, starch);
• phytosterols;
• fatty acids;
• essential oils (mainly sesquiterpenes).

Important: It has been established that the highest content of trace elements in ginseng root is found towards the end of the growing season.

Procurement of raw materials

Wild ginseng is collected only with special permission in limited quantities (10 - 15 g). Accordingly, such pleasure is not available to every herbalist.

The roots are harvested during the reddening of the fruit. The roots are carefully dug up, the above-ground parts are cut off and thoroughly cleaned of foreign impurities. Then they are steamed for 60 minutes and hung dry for one to two months. After drying, the weight of the root decreases by 2–4 times and it acquires a light brown color. The product prepared in this way is called “yellow root.” Steam treatment does not need to be done; in this case, the roots are washed with cold water, dried in special dryers at a temperature of no more than 60 ° C, and then a “white root” is obtained.

The most popular remedy is “red root”. To obtain it, after collecting and cleaning, the roots of the plant are boiled for 1 hour in water, then pierced with needles and boiled for 3 hours in a solution of cane sugar, and then baked over an open fire and dried in the sun until completely hardened.

The finished raw materials should be stored in glass jars for no more than 3–5 years. Ginseng root folk medicine They are used not only dried, but also fresh. Fresh roots are stored in wooden boxes, covered with sphagnum moss, which retains moisture well, has an antimicrobial effect and allows them not to dry out for up to 5 years. Without special packaging, they remain valid for 5 days.

Important: Chinese ginseng is listed in the International Red Book; its remaining wild species are strictly protected by regional laws.

For medicinal and cosmetic purposes, mainly cultivated ginseng is used, which is harvested after reaching 5–8 years of age. It is grown on specially equipped plantations or obtained from cell culture in a laboratory. The medicinal properties of wild and cultivated ginseng are identical; the concentration of active substances may only slightly differ (in artificially grown ginseng it is lower). The plant is cultivated in Russia, Australia, America, Japan, Vietnam, China, but the main producer is South Korea.

Release forms

Cultivated ginseng is produced for medicinal purposes in various forms. After collecting the roots of the plant, they are carefully examined according to certain parameters and sorted by quality level, of which four are distinguished:

• heavenly root is the most expensive, perfect root ginseng weighing 68 g or more, maximally resembling the human body in shape with a strictly defined number of branches, without any holes or damage;
• earth root – does not have enough branches or does not resemble the human body;
• good root - all other roots that could not be classified into the above categories;
• cut root - roots that have been damaged during harvesting or cut off.

Made from ginseng root the following types drugs:

• plant raw materials are rectangular or triangular yellowish-white plates up to 10 cm in size, in which pieces of thread-like roots are visible;
• tincture;
• capsules, tablets, granules;
• canned red ginseng, sold in sealed tins, wrapped in paper or packaged in a wooden box;
• red ginseng extract;
• steamed, ready-to-eat roots;
• ground root in powder form.

In China, a very popular tonic and refreshing remedy is a special type of ginseng oolong tea. It is characterized by a pleasant floral spicy taste and aroma. It contains green tea leaves and healing herbs. To make it, tea leaves are rolled into balls and rolled in a special powder consisting of crushed ginseng root, rhinekia leaves, holly leaves and other herbs. As a result, it takes the form of balls or lumps, which, when brewed with hot water (80 - 95 ° C), unfold and turn into whole tea leaves. When making oolong tea, it is not completely fermented, unlike regular traditional teas. This drink helps strengthen the nervous system and helps cope with physical and emotional fatigue.

Ginseng oolong tea Some pharmaceutical manufacturers produce various dietary supplements and vitamins with ginseng, which have a general strengthening effect on the body.

Medicinal properties

Products based on ginseng root have a fairly wide range of medicinal properties and affect a variety of processes in the body. They:

• have a tonic effect;
• increase appetite;
• stop vomiting;
• help to recover faster after surgery and serious illnesses;
• increase performance;
• normalize blood pressure;
• reduces the concentration of glucose and cholesterol in the blood;
• improves the function of the adrenal glands and other endocrine glands;
• have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, help with depression, neuroses and neurasthenia;
• increase sexual desire, stimulate sexual functions in women and men.

Tincture from the leaves of the plant can be used to treat diabetes, trophic ulcers and tissue necrosis.

Taking ginseng products helps slow down the aging process, improves memory, mental performance, brain activity, metabolic processes in the body, and increases its protective abilities.

Ginseng tincture has found application in the complex treatment of diabetes, atherosclerosis, central nervous system diseases, mental fatigue, neuroses, chronic fatigue syndrome, and exhaustion. Ginseng is used to normalize blood pressure, due to the fact that water extracts of ginseng help lower blood pressure, and alcohol extracts, on the contrary, increase it. It is effective in the treatment of radiation sickness and the consequences of radiation exposure.

Interesting: In eastern countries, ginseng root is used in cooking. It is added to soups, porridges, boiled, fried. Powdered root is used as a seasoning.

The plant is effective for joint diseases and osteochondrosis. It can be used both externally in the form of compresses and lotions, and internally. Ginseng reduces pain and relieves inflammation, which significantly alleviates the general condition of the patient. It is also used externally for toothache, diseases of the throat and oral cavity.

The immunostimulating effect makes the use of ginseng effective for the prevention of influenza during seasonal epidemics. In addition, taking drugs based on it during ARVI helps reduce the likelihood of complications and alleviate the course of the disease.

The effectiveness of ginseng for men

Ginseng root for men is effective for problems such as impotence and premature ejaculation. Thanks to the content of saponins, the plant stimulates sexual activity in the stronger sex, increases sexual desire, enhances potency and increases sperm motility. The effectiveness of ginseng for increasing potency is due to its vasodilating effect; it improves blood supply and nutrition to the penis, which leads to increased duration and stability of erection.

Ginseng in cosmetology

Ginseng essential oil is used for cosmetic purposes as a component in products to stimulate skin regeneration and hair growth. It protects the skin from dehydration, enhances blood microcirculation, cell regeneration, has a tonic and bactericidal effect, slows down skin aging, smoothes out fine wrinkles. It is added to masks, creams, balms. Ginseng is effective for hair, it helps with hair loss and dandruff. The tincture of the roots and leaves of the plant should be rubbed into the hair follicles or used diluted with water to rinse the hair.

Women sometimes use ginseng for weight loss in the form of capsules or tablets; due to the normalization of metabolic processes, it helps to get rid of excess weight

Interesting: Ginseng is one of the plants with which various legends are associated. According to one of them, the plant appears in the place where lightning strikes a source that subsequently goes underground.

Ginseng analogues

In folk medicine medicinal properties Ginseng is often compared to Eleutherococcus, which is also popularly called “Siberian ginseng.” Both of these plants are adaptogens and belong to the same Araliaceae family. It is difficult to give a definite answer to the question of which is better, ginseng or eleutherococcus. Eleutherococcus has a slower and smoother effect, the effect of its use accumulates gradually, but lasts longer. Unlike ginseng, the natural reserves of Eleutherococcus are richer. It has a more pronounced effect on the normalization of carbohydrate metabolism and reduces the level of glucose and cholesterol in the blood to a greater extent. An accidental overdose of Eleutherococcus products will not have such serious consequences for the body.

Directions for use

In folk medicine, ointments, pastes, tinctures, decoctions, teas are prepared from ginseng root, and they are also used in the form of dry powder.

Warning: Any ginseng preparations should be taken orally in the first half of the day, otherwise there may be problems with night sleep due to the stimulating effect of the plant.

Ginseng tincture with vodka for joint pain

The crushed dry root (15 g) is poured with 500 ml of vodka and the mixture is kept for 2 weeks. Used for rubbing and compresses for joint pain. Rubbing is carried out 1 – 2 times a day. For a compress, soak gauze folded several times with the tincture and apply to the sore spot for 30 minutes in the morning and evening.

Honey extract

Crushed ginseng root in an amount of 25 g is placed in 500 g of honey. Place the mixture in a dark place for 2 weeks. Then carefully remove the remaining roots. Take 1 tsp. per day for headaches, fatigue, colds.

Ginseng with grape juice

The crushed fresh root of the plant is mixed with 30 - 40 ml of grape juice. The resulting product is taken orally 30 minutes before meals:

• for arthritis (½ tsp twice a day);
• for muscle pain (¼ tsp once a day);
• for baldness (1.5 tbsp once a day);
• to strengthen the immune system and prevent various diseases (½ tsp twice a day);
• for hypertension (½ tsp twice a day).

For acute toothache, this remedy is effectively rubbed into the gums, and for calluses, rubbed into painful areas on the feet.

Ginseng paste

The root (2 tbsp.) is crushed, poured with hot water (2 tbsp.), left for 3 hours, then placed in a water bath, heated with stirring to 60 - 70 ° C, allowed to cool and used for its intended purpose. This paste is effective in the form of rubbing in for skin diseases and acne, for the treatment of calluses.

Precautions

Despite the large list of beneficial properties of ginseng, there are also contraindications to its use, so before starting treatment, you should consult a doctor. It is taken in courses, the duration of which should be no more than a month. The root of the plant should not be used for treatment if a person has:

• increased nervous excitability;
• severe form of arterial hypertension;
• night sleep disturbances;
• bleeding;
• epilepsy, convulsive conditions;
• hyperfunction of the endocrine glands;
• infectious and inflammatory diseases in the acute stage;
• individual intolerance to the plant;

Ginseng is also contraindicated for children, women during pregnancy and breastfeeding. When taking it, the following side effects may be observed: allergic reactions, stool disorders, nosebleeds, headaches, insomnia, nausea and vomiting, tachycardia, overexcitation of the nervous system. If they appear, you should stop taking them and consult a doctor.

When treating with ginseng, it should be taken into account that it increases the body's sensitivity to other stimulants, such as caffeine and alcohol.

Important: Taking ginseng products for men may be accompanied by episodes of increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and sleep disturbances, so their uncontrolled use is dangerous.

Signs of the zodiac