【Description】
The trajectory of the planets in outer space is circular; when practicing Energy Bagua, we circle around trees. Is there a connection between the two?
Planets usually only move in one direction. So why do we have to alternate clockwise and counterclockwise when practicing Energy Bagua? What is the purpose of the tree in the middle? What does this have to do with the health and longevity methods studied by the Taoists and medical scientists of the ancient world?
Grandmaster JinBodhi reveals the answers to us.
【You will learn】
- The secrets links between circles, swirling and energy
- The way of balancing life and the secret to longevity
- The origin of ancient yin-yang philosophy
- The secret behind circling around a tree during Energy Bagua practice
【Featured aphorisms】
- The secrets links between circles, swirling and energy
- Circling can produce extremely strong energy.
- The way of health is the way of balance.
- Circling around a tree in Energy Bagua is simulating the trajectory of celestial bodies; alternating between clockwise and counterclockwise directions provides the balance which is good health.
【Content】
My master, Grandmaster Ren, didn’t tell me much about this. I had to look for the answers myself. Look at the Earth circling the sun, as well as its own rotation. It moves in circles, right?
The atmosphere and celestial bodies are all moving in circles. Asteroids aren’t always round when they crash into Earth. They sometimes do move in a straight line in outer space. But once they enter the magnetic field zone of a certain planet, they will move in circles. Or, they may turn into gas when it gets too hot.
There is so much energy in the Universe, but the one we mainly see is kinetic. The orbital movement of all living planets is circular. Knowing that most planets move in circles, I believe that this movement can produce extremely strong energy.
When frisbees circle in the air, they produce their own energy. Right? Can the Earth do the same? There are theories behind this concept. The Earth can produce its own energy which surpasses electricity. However, it contains some elements of electricity that ensure the Earth can continue to rotate constantly. The Earth is itself a living being.
In Ancient China, a self-cultivator who wanted to cultivate energy from their dan tian would study astrology. At that time, there was nothing like the space telescope, and nobody told them that the Earth was round, or about the solar system, or how the Earth moved around the solar system. The ancients found out by sensing and feeling it.
They imitated the planets’ movement and applied some balance to it. They knew that they couldn’t circle in just one direction. Humans are living organisms, so accumulating too much energy can result in dying young. To live long, humans should practice a balanced lifestyle. Remember that everything has a limit.
What’s the limit? For example, a height limit. There is a limit when it comes to how much shock your heart and body can take. We catch a cold or get a fever when our environment gets too hot or cold. A temperature change of only 1-2 degrees Celsius is all our body can take. Our fragile body is built to sense temperature accurately. We are not like planets or asteroids that can fly in a straight line or circle freely.
Humans are not the same as them. To live a long life like a planet, you can’t operate the same way. We need to make it suitable for our body’s limits. For people in Ancient China, the way of health was about being balanced. All theories and treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are built on the concept of balance.
The Cantonese are good at making soups, right? When a Cantonese granny sees that you have got inner heat with a thick tongue coating and red eyes, she will make you soups that cool you down. The soup is considered a balancing medicine. Boiling vegetables, meat and other ingredients will make a soup that reduces the fatigue and excess heat in your body.
Likewise, when you are weak, you need more heat to stay in a balanced state. You need to consume more protein, meat, fish or flour. These foods give you more heat so your weakness can be balanced out. The Cantonese soup is an example of using external foods and herbs to balance the energy in our body. All Cantonese, regardless of age, love to visit the herbal tea stall. They drink at least 2 cups of herbal tea every week. Those herbal teas lower the energy that causes fatigue and irritation.
So these experienced self-cultivators, health practitioners and scientists from China have found ways to control balance. The term “balance” can be applied widely. For example, a day is balanced out with day and night. This is an example of yin and yang. Male and female is another example. When yin and yang combine, a new life is created. You prolong life by keeping things balanced. When the state of your body is kept balanced, you stay healthy and live longer. That is how the art of balance is understood.
Many patterns were discovered that led to the creation of the yin-yang
theory, which was then boldly applied to medicine. Everything that is derived from TCM uses the yin-yang theory.
Our Energy Bagua is inspired by the orbital movement of the planets. The thing is, unlike the planets, we don’t circle in one direction. That causes an overaccumulation of energy in our human body. An overaccumulation of energy leads to sickness, which means you won’t live long. When you disperse too much energy, you won’t live long either. To live long, we must know when to disperse and accumulate; that is balance. The circular movement is a way of balance that corresponds to the patterns in the Universe.
Why do we have a tree in the middle of our circle? It helps to balance out the positive and negative energy we accumulate. When we accumulate too much negative energy due to, say, bad weather or air pollution, the tree helps to filter such energy. The winds of autumn can be pyretic dryness, which causes dry skin and inner heat in our body. A tree balances the heat. It is like a filter we install in our water dispenser. The tree helps us balance in this aspect.
The way of balance is no doubt a special contribution from self-cultivation practitioners in Ancient China to the world. Our Energy Bagua‘s circling movement is inspired by the orbit of the planets. We circle in 2 opposite directions in order to be healthy through the way of balance. The human body is different from planets, so we don’t circle in one direction like they do. If we do so, it is easy to make mistakes and go to extremes.