Practices of Male Sexual Cultivation for Attaining the No-Leak State

The entire history of traditional cultivation is almost the history of male cultivation. The major traditions and schools of practice have all been built primarily upon the rise and fall of male cultivation experience, and this is especially true of Daoist dan methods. Yet no matter how the source and transmission of dan methods evolved, the point of entry has always remained in the region of the reproductive organs and areas related to the sexual glands, such as the lower dantian, xuanmu, shangxuan (mumen), huiyin, or xuanguan. Cultivating from these to the non-leaking pure yang body is the basic task and content of traditional male sexual cultivation. Drawing together the various schools, stripping away the superfluous and keeping the essential, I will briefly describe it here. It has an immediate and striking effect for strengthening the kidneys and supplementing essence, boosting qi and fortifying the teeth, and treating hemorrhoids, tooth sensitivity to heat and cold, impotence, premature ejaculation, and similar disorders. It also prevents the adverse "leakage of original essence" during practice, and is greatly beneficial for consolidating the results of practice and accelerating progress.

As everyone knows, to transform a liquid into a gas, heat must be generated. Essence within the body is in a half-liquid, half-gaseous state, and to transform it into a complete gas, heat must likewise be generated. To cultivate the "pure yang body," there must be not a single trace of yin turbidity anywhere in the body, meaning no place should be cool. So generating heat is a principal requirement from beginning to end. The heat throughout the body is mainly emitted from the xuanguan (one aperture), that is, from within the furnace. Yet the xuanguan (one aperture) is a ring of emptiness: when qi gathers, an aperture forms; when qi disperses, it vanishes into thin air. It appears only when heat is generated and the essence is initially transformed into qi. In other words, only by generating heat can the "furnace be set up."

How, then, is heat generated? This is the primary question that must be clarified, for it has direct and primary significance for guiding actual practice. According to the dan scriptures and our own practical experience, generating heat depends first upon intent and breathing. The Wuliu Xianzong (hereinafter referred to as the Wuliu) says: "Fire is true intent" (fire means heat). It also says: "Essence is transformed by fire; fire is refined by wind," and "cultivation depends entirely upon wind and fire." Here, "wind" refers to breathing, including internal breathing and fetal breathing.

Intent occupies a more important position than breathing. For one thing, intent is more agile; for another, intent holds the dominant role. When the intent is weighted, breathing naturally becomes heavy; when the intent is light, breathing naturally becomes light. So regulating the degree of heat lies mainly in the use of intent. As the Wuliu says: "When the intent is tight, the fire is fierce; when the intent is loose, the fire is cold." Hence: "Heavy intent, blazing fire; light intent, cold fire." Sometimes, for instance when gathering the medicine, greater attention must be paid to breathing; but even in such cases, the intent still holds the dominant role. Drawing qi back to flow in reverse is the method of gathering the medicine.

When using intent, one must use true intent. What is true intent? There are three explanations. One is that "wholehearted and complete attention is true intent"; another is that "inward observation and inner illumination is the wondrous function of true intent"; a third says that "true intent is the correct awareness within emptiness, the so-called subtle intent of mutual knowing." (The latter two are quoted from the Wuliu.) The three are not contradictory; in application they should be considered together. The first explanation emphasizes that during practice one must eliminate discursive thoughts: aside from the most essential practice instructions, think of nothing; even regarding the instructions, one should "grasp the meaning and forget the words." When the whole mind is wholly focused on guarding a particular area, the gaze of inner vision must naturally fall upon that area. So the first and second explanations are essentially the same. The third emphasizes that the use of intent must follow nature, guiding conditions so that "the water finds its own course." Never force the intent, and certainly do not strain. Thus, when guarding, one should "neither forget nor assist," and "seem to have intent, seem to have none"; the body must be relaxed.

In short, in one phrase: when using intent, one must be "relaxed, still, and natural." The "emptiness" mentioned in the third explanation is the self-feeling when "the original spirit is in charge." The Wuliu says: "The original spirit unmoved is the substance; true intent, sensitively responsive, is the function; original spirit and true intent are in essence one thing." It also says: "True intent does not involve deliberation and comparison; the moment there is deliberation, it is no longer true intent. The Buddhist tradition says: 'To speculate is to go astray; to compare is to err.'" This means that true intent is the subtle true awareness under the governance of the original spirit; it is essentially different from the ordinary thinking formed through logical reasoning. The latter is the work of the discriminating consciousness and is often incorrect; it should not be allowed to interfere with the function of the original spirit. So Lü Dongbin said: "Only when there is no thought is there true stillness." In the early stages of practice, while awareness remains, such interference is hard to avoid. Only upon entering a state of true stillness or deep concentration—that unknowing, unaware state—can this interference be completely removed. Thus, the third explanation refers to "correct awareness within unknowing and unaware." This shows that the manifestation of true intent occurs at different levels.

In practice, the weight of intent and the area to which intent is directed is an extremely complex and exceedingly important matter; each person must, according to his own changing circumstances, constantly awaken, constantly test, constantly seek, constantly explore, and constantly adjust. So the Wuliu says that the golden elixir "succeeds entirely through the working of fire," and this is what is called regulating the breath.

The main method of this step is to guard with intent the lower dantian, xuanmu, shangxuan (mumen), huiyin, or xuanguan (one aperture). Which aperture should be guarded first, and which afterward? A few words are needed on the order. Practice proceeds sequentially—that is, the lower dantian is guarded first, and the xuanguan (one aperture) last. The xuanguan (one aperture) is certainly important, but a beginner has not yet generated heat and cannot locate it; generally it takes more than half a year to find it accurately. The lower dantian, by contrast, has a clear location and is easy to find; moreover, it lies relatively close to the mouth and nose and to the heart, so a beginner, whose breathing is still shallow, can easily combine guarding the lower dantian with the method of counting breaths.

The method of counting breaths combines breath with counting numbers. One inhalation and one exhalation constitute one breath, and one number is counted every two breaths. Count from one to ten, then start over; count from one to ten again, and so on in continuous repetition. This serves to eliminate discursive thoughts. While counting breaths, one may also regulate the breathing: the inhalation should be long, continuous, and sufficient; the exhalation should be fine, slow, and almost imperceptible—before the exhalation is finished, change back to inhalation. But the breathing must remain natural and comfortable—never force it, never hold the breath. When the breathing becomes relatively fine and long, and discursive thoughts are fewer, one may switch to "following the breath." At this point, one may also change from guarding the lower dantian to guarding the xuanmu. Following the breath means "mind and breath depending on one another," that is, the mind and the breathing naturally and spontaneously combine. At this stage, the breathing is entirely natural and requires no adjustment.

Here it must be emphatically pointed out that the most important source of heat is the intersection of yin and yang within the body. The intersection of yin and yang—including the intersection of heart and kidney, of Ren and Du, of heaven and earth, and of wood and metal—is a heat-generating response, not a heat-absorbing one. Because, as one's skill and power continuously grow—that is, as the quality and quantity of yin-yang intersection gradually increase—the use of intent must gradually lighten, advancing from "having action" to "having no action"; yet the heat will not decrease but will, on the contrary, increase. In the state of no action, both intent and breathing become extremely subtle; and at times the heat may develop to the point of a "scalding boil." "Scalding boil" means the heat is extremely high, yet the practitioner does not feel burning, scalding, or discomfort.

The intersection of yin and yang within the body will produce a certain pleasure similar to that of sexual intercourse. If one becomes aware of such pleasure, one should guard it with wholehearted attention. At first this pleasure is extremely faint and vanishes in an instant, requiring one's full concentration to retain it. As the pleasure becomes established and develops, a certain yin-yang intersection likewise becomes established and develops; at the same time, the problem of generating heat is thereby resolved. However, when the pleasure develops to a certain degree, the use of intent must be lightened, or even entirely released; otherwise, it may lead to the leakage of essence. This is to say: know satisfaction, know when to stop, and guard against danger.

The various internal intersections of yin and yang can occur and develop noticeably only after the state of no leakage has been attained. At the beginning, only the initial intersection of heart and kidney will occur. This is because intent belongs to spirit, which belongs to the heart, while the lower dantian and other apertures belong to the kidney. Guarding the lower dantian and other apertures with intent naturally causes the heart qi and kidney qi to combine to a certain degree, producing the intersection of heart and kidney. When guarding the lower dantian, the resulting heart-kidney intersection is weak; it becomes stronger only when guarding the xuanmu. When guarding the xuanmu, the kidney qi in the gudao is abundant, but the heart qi is lacking. Even after the heart qi descends, a medium is still required for the two to combine well. At that point, one must mobilize the Huangpo, that is, direct the spleen qi downward. The spleen lies below the heart and above the navel. When there is a sensation of heat and a certain stirring in the gudao, one may think of the heart (Jiangong); then, using intent, slowly guide the heart qi through the inside of the chest and abdomen down to the gudao, taking a little spleen qi along with it. This is the method of mobilizing the Huangpo. When the timing is right, the moment the heart qi and spleen qi reach the gudao, the stirring there will noticeably intensify. At this stage, the effect of intent is most pronounced. The stirring indicates that the heart qi and kidney qi are mixing, are intersecting, but have not yet joined, not yet become one. Once they unite, the movement in the gudao will disappear and give way to a relatively calm state, accompanied by a higher sense of comfort. This indicates that you have obtained the "one qi." One qi is also called harmonious qi, generating qi, true qi, or spirit qi. The one qi can replenish the entire body. As the Daodejing says: "Heaven obtained the one and became clear; earth obtained the one and became tranquil; spirit obtained the one and became numinous; the valley obtained the one and became full; the myriad things obtained the one and lived."

That is to say, when the head obtains the one qi, it becomes clear; when the kidney obtains the one qi, it becomes tranquil; when the heart-spirit obtains the one qi, it becomes empty and numinous; when the three palaces obtain the one qi, they fill the whole body; including the five viscera and six bowels, when they obtain the one qi, they grow. The one qi, when combined with heart qi and kidney qi, differs from the two qi. The one qi has no stimulating quality, is not very hot, has a warm, gentle heat, and upon reaching each part of the body produces only a sense of comfort, not of discomfort. The two qi, by contrast, has a stimulating quality, its heat is not a true heat, and the pathways it follows are not entirely orderly. The two qi can also cure illness, but it is not as efficient as the one qi, and sometimes it causes pain at the affected area. When the "inner kidney is suffused with qi and the outer kidney rises," it is called the "first emergence of yang," also known as the "living zi hour." "Inner kidney suffused with qi" means there is a distinct sensation of heat, pleasure, or pulsation in the huiyin. "Outer kidney rises" means that, without any thought, the reproductive organ spontaneously becomes excited and erect. At this moment, the true yang within the yin essence gathers at the huiyin, and this is the optimal time to begin practice. If one were to describe the entire course of practice in terms of the twelve earthly branches of a day, this moment would be the living zi hour—that is, the hour of beginning practice. Yet it does not necessarily occur at midnight; it may occur at any time of day. Thus, midnight is called the proper zi hour or the dead zi hour, whereas this is called the living zi hour. When the living zi hour arrives, one must begin regulating the medicine. When it has been regulated to the point of "neither too old nor too young," one should gather the medicine. "Medicine" is a term borrowed from external alchemy; in reality it refers to the original essence, original qi, and original spirit within the body. In the first step of refining essence into qi, "medicine" refers to the original essence and the products generated from its transformation. The method of regulating the medicine is to guard the huiyin with intent, free of discursive thoughts, quietly awaiting the medicine as it grows ever more vigorous. What is meant by "neither too old nor too young"? It is the moment when the essence is about to be emitted but has not yet been emitted. But this moment is very difficult to grasp. If handled carelessly, the essence will be ejaculated. This is a great loss. Better to obtain a little than to suffer a great loss. A single great loss generally requires ten days, or even half a month, to make up.

So when gathering, it is better to err on the side of being too young; there are two methods of gathering:

(1) Gentle gathering: a small inhalation; deliberately inhale, not deliberately exhale;

(2) Martial gathering: deliberately exhale, not deliberately inhale.

Whether in gentle or martial gathering, one must guard the heart (Jiangong) with intent, and must slightly raise the shoulders and draw in the neck. Gentle gathering is more stable and less liable to leakage; martial gathering is more vigorous, but it is difficult to obtain the full amount. Young people may use either gentle or martial gathering; the elderly must use gentle gathering. In gentle gathering, one generally takes three to five inhalations, then stops. After a short while, the reproductive organ will become soft; and within the heart there will arise a heightened sense of comfort, the so-called "joy in the heart." This is the sign of having obtained the medicine in the heart, called "gathering with intent and obtaining in the heart," or "gathering the head of the elixir into the heart." If the timing and method of gathering are appropriate and one obtains this head of the elixir, after half an hour one will immediately become a different person. If, with eyes closed, one guards it, the warm, gentle heat will persist for two to three hours without dissipating. This heat has no stimulating quality; it is extremely comfortable and peaceful, the result of the harmonious intersection of heart and kidney. There is also another method called "gathering without gathering," that is, the method of warm nurturing, also called the method of bathing. This method does not gather the medicine, yet can still form the elixir, though it requires more time. This method will not cause the loss of essence. So it is suitable for those who are old, weak, or deficient in essence. The southern school of Daoism often uses the method of warm nurturing, whereas the northern school more often uses the methods of gathering the medicine and drawing forth. When is the building of the foundation complete? Only when not a single drop leaks, when the essence is full yet there is no desire, and when the yang never rises, is the elixir foundation complete. This is called wogu ("firm grasping")—that is, non-leakage. Once wogu is achieved, the gate of essence is permanently sealed, and the temperature at the huiyin is high, so that any essence arriving there is at once transformed into qi. Thus it is said: "When the essence is full, one does not think of lust," and one can attain the state of "seeing the scene without desire" and "seeing the scene without emission."

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