On the Relation of *Yangsheng*, Work, and Wisdom
Stillness strengthens the brain, brings wisdom. Stillness stores spirit; restlessness wastes. In work, keep the heart still — do not be vexed. Cultivation has its moving and its still: regulate heart, regulate breath, regulate form; the emphasis is on entering stillness — full-body relaxation, breath unbroken, motion like flowing cloud and water — one moves, all moves; stillness in motion, motion in stillness; firmness in softness, softness in firmness. With virtue as root, life-and-nature both kept, virtue-and-longevity together. Traditional yangsheng — qigong, taiji, and others — strengthens the zàng-fǔ and the skin-flesh-sinew-bone. Self-cultivation builds the body, prevents and removes disease, and opens wisdom; for the practice asks: refine essence to qi, refine qi to spirit, refine spirit to emptiness. The content of refining spirit, returning to emptiness is: strengthen brain, open wisdom. To revive the country by science, to serve the people, requires first the light of wisdom; only then come inheritance, opening, innovation; only then invention, climbing the heights. Yangsheng aims at more effective work; without it, hard to be efficient; hard to carry forward and pioneer. Yangsheng is the most positive rest. He who cannot rest cannot work. So yangsheng advances the work, lengthens life, benefits the people, gives to the country. A couplet of the Most-High Lord Lao on yangsheng in its inner meaning: Inwardly refine essence-qi and primal-spirit, secure the root — a longevity herb. Outwardly cultivate true Way and dark virtue, serve the people — a life-extending pill. On wisdom, the Qigong Mind-Method has it: "The most precious thing in life is what? — the seeking of wisdom. Wisdom differs from cleverness and genius; it is the capacity for insight that flows from the radiant and full nature. With it, all things are clearly seen — they hide nothing; it grasps all truth, missing none. Cleverness is the development of the senses, not as full as wisdom. Sages may have genius (innate gift in some area), but genius is not as comprehensive as wisdom. Wisdom is mother of all virtues. Loyalty without wisdom is foolish loyalty; filial duty without wisdom is foolish filial duty; faith without wisdom is superstition; love without wisdom is dotage; benevolence without wisdom can be exploited; courage without wisdom invites disaster. Decision without wisdom is dogmatism; firmness without wisdom is stubbornness; vigor without wisdom advances into error all the deeper; innovation without wisdom is mere surface — old wine in new bottles."
Reason — wisdom's first property. A person of wisdom can grasp his own life — my life is mine, not Heaven's: he speaks what should be spoken, does what should be done, masters the old and the new, sees the small and knows the great, looks back and sees ahead. He has self-knowledge, is humble; he knows others and the world; no cause for low spirit, no cause for arrogance. Way follows Nature; revere the Way, honor virtue.
Compassion — wisdom's second. A person of great wisdom holds a great heart and great feeling — broad in mind, broad in love; the love that issues from wisdom is purified love, true love, dangerless love. To walk Heaven's way: take from the more than enough to fill the less than enough; people-as-root, citizens-as-root.
Conviction — wisdom's third. A person of full wisdom, having grasped truth and held it firmly, imitates Heaven-and-Earth's selfless giving — give birth without owning, do without depending, foster without controlling — that is dark virtue. Non-acting yet leaving nothing undone; selfless, fearless; anxious before the world is anxious; pleased after the world is pleased. To seek truth, to seek Nature's law, to plumb Nature's secret — however dark the environment, even at the cost of life. Communists must establish the Party for public good, struggle one's life for communism.
Peace — wisdom's fourth. A person of full wisdom has heart like clear sky without cloud, like calm sea without wave; he carries the highest goodness is like water; he practices kindness, frugality, humility, yielding; he pursues Nature's harmony, that looking up he is not ashamed before Heaven, looking down not ashamed before man. If China and the world really practice the Three Represents, there will be peace at home and in the world.
In sum: yangsheng lifts the body and the wisdom both. Sound body and high wisdom are life's greatest wealth. We must each strive to open wisdom, lift work efficiency, pioneer in service of society, give more to the country.