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All content in the Guanyin Health section is sourced from the internet and does not represent the views of this platform. The aim of this section is to popularize traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and health knowledge for reference by fellow practitioners to nourish the body and cultivate wisdom. All formulas are not recommended for prescription use; please consult a professional if needed!
Video: Master Zhang Discusses Grains
Master Zhang: Some fellow practitioners have shared a lot about health preservation, but those present here, I believe we have a common goal, which is health and longevity. This is true for everyone in society, whether human or animal… all seek health and longevity. So what will we discuss today?
First, let me introduce myself. I am a Chinese person. I sincerely identify as a Chinese person, a descendant of Yan and Huang, a student of our Daoist ancestors, especially as a student of our Daoist ancestors, I do not speak falsely. Confucius emphasized honesty, but if a person loses faith in their words and actions, they lose everything. If you deceive me once or twice, by the third time, I will not believe you. But I want to speak honestly; as the saying goes, to know the mountain road, one must ask those who have come back. But if you have never been up the mountain, you do not know the way back. We are all Chinese. We do not speak falsely; we cannot deceive our fellow Chinese. Above us are our parents, below are your wives and children. Who are you deceiving? Deceiving others is deceiving oneself.
In the past, there was a person who specialized in food and drink. He clearly knew that there was poison in it, and he did not care if others’ children ate it, but when he saw his own children eat it, he became afraid. He knew there was poison in it. Now, everyone talks about longevity; why can’t we achieve it? Some foods are first poisoned; he only cares about making money and does not care about your life. This is the most terrifying thing. Are we all Chinese? Why, for the sake of making a few coins, would one poison others? This is the most terrifying.
So, what will I talk about today? Twenty years ago, I spoke about a concept called the Sun-Moon Dan in the Beihai Fleet in Qingdao, where the sun hides in the moon, and the moon hides in the Dan character, and the Dan hides in the mother’s womb. I spoke for two days and seven hours. In Qingdao, I spoke about the character for light, which is like this lamp… If there is no fire, there is absolutely no light.
Now, I have spoken about the character for fire in Jiangxi Longhu Mountain for twenty minutes. That fire, what is the reason? In ancient times, every complex character represents many Daoist principles. Without Dao, a character cannot exist. I spoke about this fire and its significance. People talk about longevity; how can one achieve it? We have not found the path of life and death. It can be seen that our Daoist atmosphere has diminished for over three hundred years. There is a saying in Daoism: Daoism has three thousand six hundred side paths, while Buddhism has eighty-four thousand side paths. These side paths also have their successes.
Why? It is a matter of whether the heart is correct or not. A correct heart can succeed even in side paths. If the heart is not correct, even in the main path, there can be transgressions. Therefore, we must understand that this is truly spoken, representing a saying from Chairman Mao. Without practice, without investigation and understanding, one has no right to speak; this is a truth.
Now, what do we all talk about? I will now discuss a grain. The character for grain cannot be separated from fire. But within fire, there is a person. A person dies from fire, and life is born from fire. That fire is automatic, while water is passive. Without fire, nothing can move. The character for fire has two dots above it. That represents the Taiyin (Yin) and the Sun (Yang). The Dao speaks of Dao; the line above it, when circled, represents the Wuji (Ultimate Void) in the middle, and the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) follows. Therefore, this fire is of utmost importance.
Master Zhang: Today, I will discuss this grain, specifically the five grains, which are three types of grains. Everyone here eats five grains; can you name them? What are the five grains (sorghum, wheat, rice, etc.)? Can anyone name the five grains? So, today I will talk about these five grains, which are connected to the water and the earth.
Now, I will talk about the five grains. The first grain mentioned is millet, rice, and wheat, which is one grain. This is called fire grain, the fire of water and fire. The fruits we eat from trees, such as apples, are called suspended grains, which belong to wood. The other one, like the watermelon, which grows on vines, is called metal grain, while the potatoes and peanuts from the earth are called earth grains. The grains from water are also called water grains. Even the water we drink counts as a grain. Everyone talks about fasting; I say, have you not fasted even one grain? I have fasted for eighty-seven days.
Regarding the five grains, we discuss three types: the heavenly five grains, the earthly five grains, and the cosmic five grains. The heavenly five grains are well known: the sun, moon, stars, Milky Way, and blue sky, which correspond to the five elements. The sun is fire, the moon is water, the stars belong to earth, and some say the stars belong to metal, placing thunder and electricity in the sky. The Milky Way belongs to metal, and the blue sky belongs to wood; these are the heavenly five elements and five grains.
The earthly five elements and five grains are what we just discussed. What are the cosmic five grains? Wind, clouds, electricity, thunder, and rain. Thunder belongs to earth, electricity belongs to fire, clouds belong to metal, and rain belongs to water. Wind belongs to wood; these are the cosmic five grains. They are divided into three layers: upper, middle, and lower. We compare the heavens, the earth, the mountains and rivers, the water and fire, the infants, and the female deities… comparing back and forth. Thousands of comparisons, all are metaphors. Many who read the alchemical texts often get confused by the numerous names, over two hundred names. Where do you find them? Many people misunderstand the alchemical texts. I have asked several great practitioners. We have not found the path of life and death, and I once told a joke: a blind person rides a blind horse racing in the mountains. Why?
The horse thinks that since the rider is on it, he must be able to see the road, so it runs wherever the rider directs. But the blind person believes the horse can see the road, so he lets the horse run freely. Thus, this person, not knowing the road, leads himself to a dead end.
I just said, are we all Chinese? We leave our parents for just a short while, not even six inches long. We are born, and we do not repay our parents’ kindness. What is most important is our parents, the great kindness of heaven and earth, only one mother, whose kindness is the greatest. Why? Many children, when they fall ill, their mothers would rather take the illness upon themselves than let their children suffer. An elderly person can raise ten children, but now ten children cannot support one elderly person. Do you believe it? A son can throw his father from the third floor to the first floor. Just last year, in a large village in Guangxi, six elderly people, widowed and alone, called their children but they did not return. Others lived in their houses, and the land was not farmed. Two elderly people hanged themselves. What should we do? We should reflect on this issue…
Master Zhang: But I speak of the five grains, the heavenly five grains, the earthly five grains, and the cosmic five grains, which exist within us, right? Above us are the five elements. Inside us are the five organs, and the four great continents are all present. We look at this grain. If we remove the top part of the character, it becomes fire. The character for fire has two dots above it, and in the middle is a person. Therefore, we say that this person comes from fire. The place of our birth is the door of life, and the door of death. How many awakenings are there? This is all done by Master Zhang. As a monk, a Daoist, we must also consider well. We have left our parents, our wives, and children, and joined Daoism. Why are we here? As long as one person is born, we must forget the kindness of our parents. Therefore, this person has no meaning.
The grain I speak of is within us. Look at the character for person. In the old society, people pointed at their noses and said, “What will you do to me?” Pointing at the nose means me. I am this person. The two dots above the character for person represent this thing. Let us think again; I once spoke at the Eight Immortals Palace, what did I say? I posed a riddle: above is hair, below is hair, and in the middle is a water grape. Please guess, please look, across the mountain, we do not see each other. If you guess my secret, you are either a Bodhisattva or an immortal. Why do some people become trees? The Tathagata sat under the Bodhi tree, and Bodhidharma said he sat under the Twin Trees. It is better to be a tree; everyone knows the Peach Blossom Festival on March 3rd, where the Queen Mother has a peach tree. The peaches are not large, just like grapes. The Golden Mother has a Linglang tree that bears Linglang fruits, which are in this peach. The Moon Palace has a lead tree, and in Longhu Mountain, the Old Lord planted a cypress tree. In front of it, a sword is buried, called the Sword Tree.
Everyone who recites scriptures knows that the sword tree transforms into a bird, ascending to the Zhu Ling Mansion, descending into the Opening Light Gate, transcending the three realms, directly ascending to the Primordial Heaven… We recite scriptures; this scripture is not meant for you to recite day and night. This scripture is the great path of cultivation. Last year, I spoke at the Eight Immortals Palace for nineteen days, discussing the “Qingjing Jing” for two days, and the “Taiyi Jinhua Zongzhi,” which we Daoists all know. The “Jinhua Zongzhi” was personally taught by Master Lü during the Kangxi era, and I summarized it over eighteen days.
Why are we in this place? Is it to ride on others? We do not know our own height and size. The first thing is that we have not studied; this is the most regrettable thing, lacking culture. But we discuss the character for grain; the character for fire has a mouth underneath, which is one grain. Look at our seven orifices; we have seven orifices in our bodies. One nose, look at the character for person. Does it not resemble a nose? What else could it resemble? Today, some fellow practitioners are here, and there are also good Daoist friends. We are all Chinese. We must diligently and thoroughly study Chinese culture. This culture encompasses a vast amount.
Regarding a character, I remember in Nanyue, in Changsha, eight provinces held a meeting of qigong masters and cultural figures. I spoke about the character for body for three hours. Just the character for body, the simplified characters cannot express it. It is one character for person, one character for root, and cannot be expressed. In the past, the character for body included over one hundred and twenty characters, and it is not yet complete. That character for body hides over one hundred characters.
So I told them, my book is called “Qi Body Source Flow.” Qi does not leave the body, and the body does not leave Qi. No one can separate them. This means the sun does not leave the moon, and heaven cannot leave the earth. Heaven rises from the earth. Everyone knows that the Qian hexagram belongs to metal, and the Kun hexagram belongs to earth, which shows that earth produces metal. Heaven is born from the earth. Therefore, the grain I speak of, we also eat this five grain.
Further Reading
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It is said that “diseases are myriad, but do not stray from Yin and Yang. People are countless, all for fame and profit.” To truly treat illness, one must start from the heart to achieve fundamental healing.
When we fall ill, our first thought is to see a doctor. But can doctors really cure our diseases? Facts have proven that there are many diseases that medicine cannot solve.
If one contracts a serious or strange illness that doctors cannot treat, what should one do? Give up life or strive to survive? If there is a glimmer of hope, would you not fight for it?
Some may say that if medicine has no hope, how could there be other treatments? Is there a way? Yes, of course, but it is definitely not an ordinary medical method; it is a higher level of treatment.
Everyone wants to be healthy, to overcome pain, to live long, and to age peacefully. How can we ensure a good end in this life?
We believe in our eyes, but sometimes what we see is not the truth. Diseases are sometimes not just physiological or pathological reasons; they have other pathogenic factors.
What is the root of disease? Modern medicine has its definitions, but these definitions are limited to diseases that medicine can cure. What about diseases that medicine cannot cure? We know that the current level of medical development finds it difficult to provide reasonable explanations for many life phenomena.
From another perspective, diseases are the result of the five poisons burning within. The five poisons include resentment, anger, annoyance, and are the sources of mental suffering and endless diseases.
Resentment harms the heart, anger harms the liver, annoyance harms the lungs, and worry harms the kidneys. The sick are rooted in the toxins born from human nature, transitioning from nature to physiology.
Perhaps many of us do not believe this statement, thinking it is nonsense. Disease is just physical discomfort; what does it have to do with psychological resentment, anger, annoyance, and worry?
Those who have been ill for a long time can ask themselves: have you been living in the five poisons? Have you punished your health and life for trivial matters?
Everything has cause and effect. All diseases are self-created, created by the body, nature, and heart. To eliminate disease, one must start from the body, nature, and heart. Simply relying on medication and surgery only treats the physical level and cannot achieve the effects of treating nature and heart.
Traditional Chinese medicine believes: the heart governs the spirit, and the heart is the master of the five organs and six bowels. The heart houses the sovereign fire; if the sovereign fire is unclear, the twelve organs are in danger. The spirit of the heart can govern the spirits of the five organs, including the spleen’s intention, the lung’s po, the kidney’s will, and the liver’s hun, all governed by the heart’s spirit. If the heart’s spirit can be adjusted well, then the spirits of the five organs can also be adjusted.
In materialist philosophy, there is a viewpoint: spirit influences matter. Spirit is metaphysical but affects the physical body. From the perspective of TCM, spirit determines the health of the body. As long as the spirit is healthy, the five organs and six bowels will tend toward health.
Thus, nourishing the heart is equivalent to eliminating disease. Human diseases include both physical and psychological aspects. The psychological level is higher than the physical level because the body is governed by the mind. Regardless of the type of disease, a corresponding point can be found in the mind.
The heart is the ministerial official; when the heart is at peace, the five organs and six bowels are also at peace.
There are many methods to cultivate and nourish the heart. For example, treatment based on nature allows the patient’s heart and spirit to be liberated. Or filling the heart with kindness and love is also a way to balance the heart and spirit. Or wholeheartedly doing good deeds, guided by good thoughts, can also be effective.
The treatment of diseases begins with deep inner liberation. To repel the invasion of the five poisons, I believe love, joy, and good deeds are necessary.
For most human diseases, love is a very good remedy. Loving others, especially from the heart, forgiving others, can end our internal five poisons and consequently end our diseases.
Love for others, love for every life, love for this world, treating the surrounding flowers, trees, birds, and beasts with a loving heart. Cherish your life while also cherishing the life of every being. Do no harm to oneself, do no harm to others, do no harm to other lives. Use a delicate heart to feel the myriad things in the world, allowing love to melt into everything. Love can fill our hearts with joy and restore our bodies to health.
When we are in a state of love, it is the most peaceful, serene, and conducive to recovery. At this time, the heart and body are completely relaxed, and the internal burning of the five poisons can be thoroughly eliminated. Imagine a person full of love; would they have resentment, anger, annoyance, or worry? Would they suffer from terminal illnesses?
Only love can reach the spiritual level of humanity, adjusting the pathological state of the five organs and six bowels through the influence of the heart and spirit, promoting the renewal of the entire body.
The first step to happiness is smiling. Friends suffering from serious illnesses should reflect on how long it has been since they smiled. How long has it been since they faced the world with joy? What are we troubled by? Who are we at odds with? What have we gained? Is it disease or pain?
If we can always keep beautiful emotions in our hearts and express good emotions on our faces, such as smiling and being calm, if there is nothing to be happy about, or if we feel pain due to illness or external stimuli, what should we do? We must sincerely cultivate joy.
Let us show joy every day. Let us express our kind, loving, selfless, generous, respectful, and confident hearts through our faces, words, and actions.
We not only see joy as a good deed and a contribution but also as a good medicine for healing and a friend for health. True joy can nourish the spirit; “Yin is balanced, Yang is secret, and the spirit is treated,” thus stabilizing the organs, harmonizing Qi and blood, and alleviating pain.
When we suffer from serious illness, we not only bear the shackles of pain but also endure the unrest of the spirit. This forms a vicious cycle, gradually worsening the disease while the spirit weakens. Therefore, to treat illness, we must first improve our spirit, and the way to do this is through joy. Let our hearts be filled with joy, treating our diseases with a joyful mindset.
Do not be troubled, do not be angry, do not be worried, do not resent; let joy permeate every organ, tissue, and cell of the body, allowing us to escape the invasion of the five poisons, letting go, not clinging, and easily walking out of the shadow of disease.
With a kind heart, treat this world with kindness, and do good everywhere; this is the key to liberation in this life and an important factor in treating diseases. Moreover, to be happy, we must first have a kind heart.
We all know that good deeds are rewarded with good, and evil deeds are met with evil. A kind person is enveloped in righteous energy, and evil cannot invade. A kind person can fill their body with vitality and energy, and diseases will naturally recede. But how can a soul filled with evil bask in the positive energy?
Some may ask, what is doing good, and what is the standard? I believe that any good deed arising from the heart is true goodness; benefiting others is true goodness; doing good without seeking reward is true goodness. Conversely, superficial, self-serving, and self-seeking good deeds are false goodness. If one engages in false goodness, it will not benefit the sick and may even harm oneself, as false goodness can disturb the spirit and injure the five organs.
True goodness is to sincerely help others and influence them. Doing good is for others and also for oneself. The result of doing good is to elevate oneself, enrich oneself, perfect oneself, and liberate oneself. It can not only cure various diseases but also create incredible opportunities for cultivating oneself.
Today’s society no longer believes in kindness and sincerity; interactions between people are filled with deception and cunning. If we treat others with sincerity and kindness, we may be seen as mentally ill. But even so, we must wholeheartedly strive for goodness, working to influence others and bring kindness back into the world.
For abandoning kindness has caused us immense mental suffering and the torment of illness. To liberate from pain and save lives, we must discover our original kind heart, present it to the world. If everyone around us feels the spread of kind thoughts and good deeds, who would still suffer from the torment of disease?
In summary, the root of disease lies in the harm of our own five poisons, and the key to treatment also lies within ourselves. Because this disease is caused by the five poisons we produce, it must be treated by ourselves. If we sincerely change, improve our character, and fill ourselves with love, doing good every day, then the demons of illness will naturally flee.
This article is not only written for patients with serious illnesses but for every one of us.
Let me ask, who is truly healthy? Temporary absence of illness does not mean one will not fall ill in the future. The five poisons burn within, and sooner or later, illness will arise. Rather than seeking medical help after falling ill, it is better to seek oneself before becoming ill. The path to self-discovery is what this article conveys, allowing us to grasp our health, wealth, and the ups and downs of life.
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