Subject: Re: The nature of Qi

From: Kanon Kubose <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 16:11:39 -0800 (PST)

> [ETH=East-Asian Traditional Healing.] If you substantiate Qi and the other
> elements of ETH terminology, you lose the capacity to view the human being in
> that way that characterizes ETH--and have to substitute modern views which
> run into limits that don't exist in the original paradigm. For instance: I

Hmmm... I think I still don't quite understand how the substantiation of Qi
would limit me. In the example you gave, I feel I could think of Qi as a
substance and still know that it is correct to "heal the lifestyle" rather
than just pouring it in. 

Sorry, but I still have to ask: How does substantiating Qi cause me to lose
the capacity to view the human being in that way that characterizes ETH?

KK

(P.S. My apologies for asking so many questions, but I really want to learn!)

---

From: Kanon Kubose <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 1995 16:04:43 -0800 (PST)

> hesitate in many cases to give Qi Boosters to individuals who are
> experiencing illness as a result of poor lifestyle. Sometimes the rule is to
> restore someone _slowly_. If the idea is to simply replenish this missing
> substance, you just pour it in, and away the person goes.

I think I may be in this exact situation. I want the Qi Boosters! But, I
guess I can agree that I must work on my lifestyle first, which I think must
have been very Qi depleting. That I became this way is unfortunate since I
have low Qi to begin with, being born five weeks premature and consequently
developing jaundice.

Later on (around 11 years old) I became very ambitious in school. In high
school, I tacked on sports and heavy spiritual/philosophical pondering.

To make a long story short, I now cannot go to school. I've tried to push 
myself, having dropped out and re-entered many times. Exertion will knock
me out for the next few days. I also have difficulty eating. A few years ago,
I'd never feel hungry, only knowing that I needed food because of the
lethargy and headache. My stomach was constantly feeling bloated and one
mouthful was enough to make me nauseated. Now, I'm a little better, but still
eat sparingly.

Acupuncture seems to have reversed my downward spiral, but I guess it's up
to me now to work on the slow climb back up. I feel I have made good progress
as long as I avoid too much exertion.

Do you have any advice for me? It is really hard to stop my heavy thinking
mind.

> I like both books, but I repeat my recommendation. Qi Gong is a royal road to
> becoming a good healer. 

I'm working on this now, studying Tai Chi and Chi Kung. It is very difficult
to meditate when my mind is rushing about and my body is so weak though...

> advice is to seek to understand the Dao, not just to feel Qi. Cheng
> Man-Ching's books are very good for understanding this, even though he was a
> self-described Confucianist. For instance, he suggests that to learn Tai Ji,
> you must be willing to be thrown a hundred times, to understand once. 

So you'd recommend me starting my study of the Dao with Cheng Man-Ching's
books? I don't mind being thrown a hundred times if it results in under-
standing. I did Judo for a few years. :-)

Kanon