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五息直指阐微 The Five Breaths: A Direct Explication of the Subtleties By Zai Xuzi (在虚子) (Understanding Translation and AI)

五息直指阐微 The Five Breaths: A Direct Explication of the Subtleties (Understanding Translation and AI)

五息直指阐微 The Five Breaths: A Direct Explication of the Subtleties (Understanding Translation and AI)

Overview

For some time now, I have been working on this document to explore how AI can assist in translating ancient Daoist texts. These works are inherently complex; they require a deep understanding of the subtle nuances embedded in the original language and cultural context.

My objective is to leverage AI’s capability to integrate information from diverse sources, creating translations that are both faithful to the original texts and enriched with insightful commentary. This approach is designed to make these documents more accessible and to offer clear guidance on understanding and practicing the teachings presented in each section.

I am currently working with three levels of translation:

It is important to note that this method is not intended to replace traditional human translation or interpretation techniques. Rather, it serves as a complementary tool that demonstrates the potential of AI to enhance both translation and scholarly research in this field.

五息直指阐微

The Five Breaths: A Direct Explication of the Subtleties
By Zai Xuzi


打坐 (Meditation)

Original Chinese

入室打坐,先用厚褽。双单搭膝均可。右手安左掌上,放脐下。正身端坐,直起腰脊。耳与肩对,鼻与脐对。唇包舌藏,垂帘正视。
心之元神率意之真念,随二目先注入鼻端。至脐下,至气窍。任自然,如昏怠,行数息.

Literal Translation

Enter the room and sit in meditation. First, use a thick cushion. Either full-lotus or half-lotus can be used.
Right hand rests on the left, placed below the navel. Sit upright, straighten the spine.
Ears align with shoulders, nose aligns with navel. Lips enclose, tongue stores, gaze drops like a hanging curtain.
Let the Original Spirit of the heart guide the True Thought, following the two eyes first to the tip of the nose.
Down to below the navel, then to the qi aperture. Let it be natural. If drowsy, count breaths.

Faithful Translation

When entering your meditation chamber, first lay a thick cushion or mat. You may sit with your legs crossed in either a full or half-lotus posture. Rest your right hand atop your left, placing it beneath the navel. Sit upright with a straight spine—align your ears with your shoulders and your nose with your navel. Keep your lips gently closed with the tongue tucked inside, and fix your gaze straight ahead as if looking through a hanging curtain. Let the original spirit of your heart and the genuine thought of your will, guided by your eyes, first settle at the tip of the nose, then descend to the area below the navel, and finally reach the qi aperture. Allow this process to unfold naturally—even if it appears drowsy—as you begin to count your breaths.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

Upon entering the meditation chamber, first prepare by placing a thick cushion or mat (厚褽).
You may sit in a full-lotus (双盘) or half-lotus (单盘) position, depending on flexibility and experience.

Position the right hand atop the left hand, gently resting it below the navel (脐下), forming the traditional Daoist hand seal used in Neidan (内丹, Internal Alchemy) practices.

Sit upright, ensuring the spine remains straight (直起腰脊).
Align the ears with the shoulders and the nose with the navel, establishing proper energetic flow.

Keep the lips gently closed (唇包) and the tongue tucked inside (舌藏), a classical technique known as “connecting the circuit” (接通小周天) to facilitate the flow of qi (气, vital energy) through the Du Mai (督脉, Governor Vessel) and Ren Mai (任脉, Conception Vessel).

Lower the gaze as if looking through a hanging curtain (垂帘正视), a symbolic and physiological method for withdrawing external distractions while maintaining inner focus.

Allow the Original Spirit (元神, Yuan Shen) and the Genuine Thought (真念, Zhen Nian) to follow the movement of the eyes, directing consciousness inward.
Let the mind settle at the tip of the nose (鼻端), then descend to the area below the navel, finally reaching the qi aperture (气窍, vital energy gate).

This process should unfold naturally (任自然). If drowsiness or fatigue (昏怠) arises, maintain focus by counting the breath (行数息)—an introductory Neidan method for stabilizing awareness and energy flow.

Footnotes


凡息 (Ordinary Breath)

Original Chinese

鼻息有四,风、喘、气、息。息有声,曰风。息频促,曰喘。息往来不细,曰气。息绵绵不断,曰息。
风则散,喘则戾,气则劳,息则定。
四者惟定渐近于调、养,育身形,是为凡息.

Literal Translation

There are four types of nasal breath: wind, panting, qi, and breath.

Wind scatters. Panting is irregular. Qi is laborious. Breath is calm.
Among these four, only breath is steady and gradually approaches regulation (调), nourishment (养), and physical cultivation (育身形).
This is what is called ordinary breath (凡息).

Faithful Translation

There are four types of nasal breath: “wind,” “panting,” “qi,” and “breath.” The breath that produces sound is called “wind.” When the breath is rapid and forceful, it is termed “panting.” When the breath moves in and out without subtlety, it is called “qi.” And when the breath flows continuously and unbroken, it is simply called “breath.” Wind is dispersive, panting is irregular, and qi is laborious—only the steady “breath” is calm. Through this steadiness one gradually attains a regulated state that nourishes and sustains the body. This is what is meant by the ordinary breath.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

In Daoist breathwork, there are four types of nasal respiration: wind, panting, qi, and breath.

Among these, only the steady “breath” is calm and gradually leads to a state that nourishes the body while cultivating energy. This is the essence of the ordinary breath.

Footnotes


观息 (Observing the Breath)

Original Chinese

息之用观者何?为人心易生念,想入非非。此想未了,彼念又来?心神劳瘁,日渐气耗形衰,身死神离,复入轮回,可不哀哉。
修真者志在脱此,先当止念。念何以止?非观不能。古人云:“大道教人先止念。念头不住,亦徒然。”
是即生死关头也,法以观随念至,念在于息,观在于思。
含随息之出入,观随息之出入。念念依息,息息必观。
观定不移,念头即住,久则风、喘、气三者俱无。自得神气台一归根矣。
此为初学炼而后五息可行。五息之法,基于此矣.

Literal Translation

Why observe the breath? Because the human heart-mind easily gives rise to thoughts, wandering into distractions and illusions.
Before one thought is finished, another arises.
This ceaseless mental activity exhausts the spirit, depletes the qi, weakens the body, and ultimately leads to death and reincarnation—a sorrowful fate.

The cultivator of truth aims to escape this cycle and must first cease wandering thoughts.
And how does one halt these thoughts? Only through observation.

The ancients said:

“The Great Dao teaches that one must first cease the thoughts. If the thought does not settle, all is in vain.”

The method is to allow observation to follow the thought until its source is reached—since thought arises with the breath, observation must accompany it.

When observation becomes unwavering, wandering thoughts naturally cease.
Over time, the three unstable breath types—wind (风), panting (喘), and qi (气)—vanish altogether.
In this state, one attains the unification of spirit and qi at their root.

Faithful Translation

Why observe the breath? Because the human mind is prone to a torrent of thoughts and fanciful imaginings—one thought unresolved, another arising. This ceaseless mental activity exhausts the spirit, depletes the qi, weakens the body, and ultimately leads to death and reincarnation—a most sorrowful fate.
The seeker of true cultivation aims to transcend this cycle and must first put an end to wandering thoughts. And how does one halt these thoughts? Only through observation.
The ancients said, “The Great Dao teaches that one must first cease the thoughts. If the thought does not settle, all is in vain.”
This is the critical juncture between life and death. The method is to allow observation to follow the thought until its source is reached—since thought arises with the breath, so too must the observation accompany it. Every thought is inseparable from the breath; with each breath, observation must be present. When the observation becomes steady and unchanging, the wandering thoughts come to rest, and eventually the forms of wind, panting, and qi vanish altogether. In this state, one attains the unification of spirit and qi at their root.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

In Daoist meditation, the practice of observing the breath is fundamental to quieting the restless mind. Because the human mind naturally generates a continuous stream of thoughts and imaginative distractions, this ceaseless mental agitation exhausts the spirit, drains the qi, and weakens the body—ultimately leading to premature decay and rebirth in the cycle of reincarnation.
The true cultivator, however, seeks to break free from this cycle by meticulously observing the breath. By tracking every inhalation and exhalation and allowing the observation to accompany each thought until its origin is reached, the mind is gradually quieted. Over time, the unstable forms of breath (wind, panting, and qi) dissolve, and spirit and qi unite at their fundamental root. This state forms the foundation upon which the advanced practice of the Five Breaths is built.

Footnotes


数息 (Counting the Breath)

Original Chinese

数息乃入手功夫耳。人伪物诱已久,心离境而竟未能,即强制亦复散乱。
用心念专注于息之法,拴住心念不乱去。
由息粗数起,至息细而止。从一息数至百千万息不乱,则息自细。
于中忽起别念即重数,得至百千万息不起一念,才得此心离境。
渐渐纯熟,再行调息功夫。
数息虽拙法,最容易最无病;非如高峰强行闭息,致人生病。
数息原不及金母观心,老子观窍,吕祖行玉清凝神入气窍,诸秘旨之捷径也。
然数息实宜初学.

Literal Translation

Counting the breath is merely an introductory technique. For a long time, one has been misled by external distractions, and even when the mind detaches from the surroundings, it remains scattered—even when forced, it becomes disordered.
Focus your mind solely on the method of following the breath, binding your attention so it does not wander.
Begin by counting the “coarse” breaths, and continue until the breath becomes refined.
If you can count—from one breath to one hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand—without interruption, the breath will naturally become subtle.
Should a stray thought suddenly arise, restart the count; only when you can count continuously without a single extraneous thought is the mind truly detached from the external world.
With gradual mastery, you then proceed to the technique of regulating the breath.
Although counting is a somewhat clumsy method, it is the simplest and least likely to cause harm—unlike forcibly constricting the breath in a strenuous manner, which can lead to illness.
Counting the breath does not compare with the “Golden Mother’s” method of observing the heart, Laozi’s method of observing the apertures, or Lü Zu’s Jade Purity technique of condensing the spirit into the qi aperture—each of which is a shortcut to the secret.
Nonetheless, counting the breath is ideally suited for beginners.

Faithful Translation

Counting the breath is merely an introductory technique. For a long time, one has been misled by external distractions, and even when the mind detaches from the surroundings, it remains scattered—even when forced, it becomes disordered.
Focus your mind solely on the method of following the breath, binding your attention so it does not wander.
Begin by counting the “coarse” breaths, and continue until the breath becomes refined.
If you can count—from one breath to one hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand—without interruption, the breath will naturally become subtle.
Should a stray thought suddenly arise, restart the count; only when you can count continuously without a single extraneous thought is the mind truly detached from the external world.
With gradual mastery, you then proceed to the technique of regulating the breath.
Although counting is a somewhat clumsy method, it is the simplest and least likely to cause harm—unlike forcibly constricting the breath in a strenuous manner, which can lead to illness.
Counting the breath does not compare with more advanced techniques such as “Golden Mother’s Heart Observation,” Laozi’s Aperture Observation, or Lü Zu’s Jade Purity technique; nevertheless, it is the most accessible method for beginners.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

Counting the breath is a fundamental entry-level practice in Daoist breath cultivation.
For a long time, people have been misled by external distractions, making it difficult to detach the mind from worldly attachments. Even when one attempts to force stillness, thoughts remain scattered.
Focusing awareness on the breath acts as a mental anchor, preventing wandering thoughts and stabilizing the mind.

Footnotes


调息 (Regulating the Breath)

Original Chinese

调息
调与数不同。数用意数,调无意调。只一念注在息头,息头即鼻头。古人云:“得来只在鼻尖头。”
此即观止入门第一法,为止念却魔之要旨,久则息自调。
调到功深,渐近踵息。但人于调息,要常绵密,似存似亡。
如是心定意静,神气归根。机窍渐露。
恍惚之中不识不知,身心静寂,只觉息念相依,神气相合,达于口鼻少,动于丹田多。
近于踵息,即行踵息,入真道矣.

Literal Translation

Regulating the breath is different from counting it. In counting, you deliberately employ your will to enumerate; in regulation, it unfolds without conscious effort.
Focus a single thought on the “head” of the breath—that is, at the tip of the nose. As the ancients remarked, “It is all attained at the nasal tip.”
This is the primary method for halting wandering thoughts and dispelling internal demons. Over time, the breath will naturally regulate itself.
As your skill in regulation deepens, it gradually leads you toward “heel breathing.” In regulating the breath, maintain a continuous, gentle flow—as if it both exists and does not exist.
In this state, the mind is steady and the will calm, so that spirit and qi return to their root. The hidden apertures begin to reveal themselves.
In a state of vague, trance-like stillness where you neither recognize nor know anything, you simply perceive that breath and thought depend on each other, and that spirit and qi merge in harmony—with less activity at the mouth and nose and more concentrated in the dantian.
When you draw near to the state of heel breathing, you then practice heel breathing and enter the true Dao.

Faithful Translation

Regulating the breath is different from counting it. In counting, you deliberately use your will to enumerate each breath; in regulation, the process unfolds naturally without conscious effort. Focus a single thought on the “head” of the breath—that is, at the tip of the nose. As the ancients remarked, “It is all attained at the nasal tip.”
This method is the primary means for halting wandering thoughts and dispelling inner demons. With time, the breath naturally begins to regulate itself. As you deepen your practice, regulation gradually guides you toward heel breathing. In regulating the breath, maintain a continuous, gentle flow—as if it both exists and does not exist. In this state, the mind becomes steady and the will calms, allowing spirit and qi to return to their original root. Hidden energetic apertures begin to reveal themselves. When you reach a state of vague, trance-like stillness—where you neither fully perceive nor are entirely unaware—you simply sense that breath and thought are inseparable and that spirit and qi merge in harmony. As you draw near to heel breathing, you then transition into its practice and enter the True Dao.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

Breath regulation is distinct from breath counting. While counting requires active, deliberate effort to track each inhalation and exhalation, true regulation unfolds naturally, without forced concentration. To practice regulation, one must fix the mind on the “breath head” (the tip of the nose). As the ancients observed, “It is all attained at the nasal tip.” This principle serves as the first step in halting wandering thoughts and dispelling inner disturbances. With persistent practice, the breath gradually begins to regulate itself. As the practitioner deepens this state, the process approaches that of heel breathing. It is vital that the breath remain smooth, continuous, and subtle—so gentle that it appears both present and absent. In such a state, the mind is quieted, and spirit and qi return to their root. Moreover, hidden energetic centers gradually emerge. Only then, when breath and thought have merged to such a degree that one seamlessly transitions into heel breathing, does the practitioner enter the realm of the True Dao.

Footnotes


踵息 (Heel Breathing / Whole-Body Breathing)

Original Chinese

常人息以喉,真人息以踵。踵者深至气窍。
气窍即呼吸处,又曰“四会田”。
黄庭云:“后有密户前生门,出日入月呼吸存”即此。但常人非不踵,为神不内存,纵其驰外,不觉以为喉耳。
真人念常依息,神入气窍,惟常绵密,存而无间,故得专气致柔。抱一无离,虚极静笃,方观其复.

踵者履践虚窍,呼吸在此规中。学者于目中神光,一意注在息之深处。为入气窍,心自虚静,气自充满,百日功深,定有效验。观心愈静,凝神愈圆;真息愈定,元气愈足,此皆由凝神气窍之效.

在踵息之始,气里神凝,注于呼吸处,下至气窍,呼降吸升,谓之运转周天也.

Literal Translation

Ordinary people breathe through the throat; the Real Person (真人) breathes through the heel (踵). The “heel” reaches deeply into the qi aperture—the very site of respiration, also referred to as the “Four Convergence Fields.”
Huangting once wrote, “Behind is the secret door, in front the gate of life; as the sun emerges and the moon retreats, breath is preserved.”
Common practitioners do possess this “heel” aspect, but because their spirit does not dwell inwardly, even if their qi flows outward, they unconsciously regard it as merely a function of the throat.
In contrast, the Real Person always lets thought depend on the breath, and the spirit enters the qi aperture in a continuous, gentle, and unbroken manner. This focused cultivation of qi produces suppleness and holds the One without separation. In a state of utter emptiness and profound stillness, one then perceives its restoration.

The heel acts as a firm foothold on the empty apertures, governing the pattern of respiration. The adept, with divine light in the eyes, fixes their attention deep into the breath to enter the qi aperture. With a mind that naturally becomes empty and tranquil, and with qi gradually filling the body, after a hundred days of deep practice the results become evident. As the mind grows increasingly serene and the spirit’s focus becomes ever more complete, the true breath steadies and the original qi becomes more abundant—these are the fruits of consolidating the qi aperture through dedicated effort.
At the outset of heel breathing, the spirit gathers within the qi and fixes at the point of respiration; the breath descends to the qi aperture during exhalation and ascends during inhalation—this process is called “circulating through the entire circuit of heaven.”

Faithful Translation

Ordinary people breathe through the throat; the Real Person employs heel breathing. The “heel” reaches deeply into the qi aperture—the very site of true internal respiration, also known as the “Four Convergence Fields.”
Huangting once wrote, “Behind is the secret door, in front the gate of life; as the sun emerges and the moon retreats, breath is preserved.”
While common practitioners may have a semblance of heel breathing, because their spirit does not dwell inwardly, they regard the process merely as throat breathing. In contrast, the Real Person allows thought to depend on the breath, and the spirit enters the qi aperture continuously and gently. This disciplined cultivation refines qi into a supple, unified force.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

The Real Person’s method transcends ordinary respiration confined to the throat. By cultivating heel breathing, one penetrates deeply into the qi aperture (also known as the Four Convergence Fields), as described in the Yellow Court Classic:

“Behind is the secret door, in front the gate of life; as the sun emerges and the moon retreats, breath is preserved.”
Because most practitioners do not internalize their spirit, they limit their awareness to throat breathing. In contrast, the adept synchronizes thought with breath, allowing the spirit to flow into the qi aperture in a continuous, unbroken manner. This process refines the qi to a subtle, supple state while preserving the unity of being.
The heel serves as a natural foundation for this advanced practice. The practitioner directs their inner light deep into the source of the breath. With a mind that empties naturally and qi that gradually fills the body, after a hundred days of dedicated practice the mind becomes serene, the spirit focused, and the true breath and original qi flourish. At the outset of heel breathing, the spirit condenses within the qi at the point of respiration; as one exhales, the breath descends to the qi aperture, and as one inhales, it ascends—this circulation is known as “circulating through the entire circuit of heaven.”

Footnotes


胎息 (Fetal Breathing)

Original Chinese

踵息行久,意愈纯,息愈微;神愈凝,气愈养。
鼻无呼吸,只有微息。脐下往来,前降后升,如婴儿在胞中。
息归脐,名胎息。神气大定,自然而然。
非比高峰强闭留注,在熊一念内凝,神息相依。
世人终日纷扰,神气疲困,全仰夜间一睡,始足日用。不然,本来清气为浊所掩.
况贪口腹,屡害生灵。不顾后世冤报偿还,且食荤酒,易动淫念,醉后入房,心爱色欲,精泄气耗,神伤寿促,日近于死,昏不自知.
至若真人,有息无睡,炼比神气,意一无纷.
耳虽闻如未闻,目虽见如无见。正身端坐,意只凝神注呼吸处.
息念相依,神气相合,交于内窍。如鸡抱卵,刻不离窝,又似火种常在炉中.
真气日足,元神日旺. 雌雄蟠虬,两不相离. 得与虚空同体,自与虚空同寿.
定息七七,元阳气生. 定息百日,小药功圆. 定息七日,大药已成. 定息十月,便成胎道.

Literal Translation

With prolonged practice of heel breathing, one’s intention becomes ever purer and the breath increasingly subtle; the spirit consolidates further and the qi nourishes more deeply.
In this state the nose no longer engages in ordinary respiration—only a faint, refined breath remains.
The breath then circulates in the region below the navel, descending forward and rising backward, much like an infant in the womb.
When the breath returns to the navel, it is called “fetal breathing.”
Here, spirit and qi are profoundly stabilized and function naturally, not by the forced concentration of a single thought.
Ordinary people, overwhelmed by constant distractions and depleted of spirit and qi, must rely on sleep at night to sustain themselves; otherwise, the originally clear qi becomes obscured by impurity.

Faithful Translation

With prolonged practice of heel breathing, one’s intention becomes ever purer and the breath grows increasingly subtle; the spirit consolidates and the qi nourishes more deeply. In this state, the nose ceases ordinary respiration—only a faint, refined breath remains.
The breath circulates in the region below the navel, descending forward and rising backward, much like an infant in the womb. When the breath returns to the navel, it is called “fetal breathing.” Here, spirit and qi become profoundly stabilized and function naturally, without forcing a single thought.
Ordinary people, burdened by constant distractions and fatigue, depend on sleep at night to replenish their qi; otherwise, their originally pure qi becomes tainted.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

With long-term practice of heel breathing, the practitioner refines their intention until the breath becomes nearly imperceptible and the spirit consolidates while the qi is deeply nourished. At this stage, ordinary nasal respiration ceases, leaving only a faint, refined breath. The breath circulates beneath the navel—descending forward and rising backward—as if mimicking the womb. When the breath returns to the navel, it is termed “fetal breathing.” In this refined state, spirit and qi are harmoniously stabilized without the need for forced concentration.
While ordinary practitioners, distracted throughout the day, deplete their spirit and qi and must rely on sleep for recovery, the Real Person transcends the need for sleep by maintaining continuous refined breathing. Their senses become muted, and the mind remains fixed solely on the subtle flow of breath. In this state, breath and thought merge, and spirit and qi unite at the inner apertures—much like a hen that never leaves her egg or a spark that eternally burns in the furnace. This deep cultivation results in the daily accumulation of true qi and the flourishing of the original spirit.
The progressive stages of fixed breath are then observed: “seven-seven” (seven cycles of seven days) generates primordial yang qi; one hundred days perfect the minor elixir; seven days form the major elixir; and ten months culminate in the attainment of the fetal path.

Footnotes


原息 (Original Breath / Primordial Breath)

Original Chinese

坐非空坐,数息、调息、踵息、胎息,至混元息。
自心为息,息念相依而已。
得其秘诀,由二目对视山根,内至脐后,至气窍。
久则念归一,心空踵息现。
此越数息、调息,而直以踵息为始。
苟无观止之秘,即数息以止杂念。调息要无风喘。后天呼吸要任自然,但此属口鼻,非真呼吸.

观踵息根深气窍,观胎息动在中宫,观混元息与天为一,此三者乃真人之息. 若数息调息乃有形呼吸,为后天口鼻出入,只能养育身形耳.

踵息、胎息、混元息,上天禁传,人难尽知. 夫人之生,以气为本,以息为原,以神为体,以意为用,以心为根,以肾为蒂.
心肾相交,原息乃显. 须悟此理,方知命在己存,不得不炼也.

Literal Translation

True sitting meditation is not an empty posture; it advances through the practices of counting the breath, regulating the breath, heel breathing, and fetal breathing until one reaches the “mixed primordial breath.” Essentially, the breath is the mind—the breath and thought are interdependent.
Once you grasp its secret—by letting the two eyes gaze at the “mountain root” (the area between the eyebrows), then inward toward the region below the navel, and finally to the qi aperture—the scattered thoughts gradually coalesce into oneness, the mind becomes empty, and heel breathing naturally appears.
This stage transcends mere counting and regulation of the breath, effectively beginning with heel breathing. If you do not possess the secret of “observing and ceasing” (that is, quelling extraneous thoughts), then you must rely on counting to halt distractions. Regulating the breath must be free of any forced wind or panting; the later, physical respiration through the mouth and nose is only for sustaining the body and is not the true breath.

Faithful Translation

True sitting meditation is not an empty posture; it evolves through the progressive practices of counting the breath, regulating the breath, heel breathing, and fetal breathing until one attains “mixed primordial breath.” Essentially, the breath is derived from the mind—the breath and thought are interdependent.
By grasping its secret—allowing both eyes to fix on the “mountain root” (the area between the eyebrows), then moving inward toward the region below the navel, and finally to the qi aperture—the scattered thoughts gradually merge into unity, the mind empties, and heel breathing naturally emerges. This phase transcends the mere acts of counting or regulating the breath, as it marks the initiation of true internalized breathing. If one does not possess the secret of “observing cessation” (quelling distracting thoughts), then one must revert to counting to still the mind. Regulating the breath must be free from any forced wind or panting; the ordinary postnatal respiration through the mouth and nose only serves to sustain the physical body and is not the true breath.

Faithful and Enriched Translation

Sitting in meditation is far more than assuming an empty posture—it is a dynamic progression through various stages of breath cultivation. One begins by counting the breath, then learns to regulate it, advances to heel breathing, moves into fetal breathing, and ultimately reaches the state of mixed primordial breath. In this final state, the breath arises naturally from the mind, so that thought and breath become one.
The secret is to fix the gaze first on the mountain root (the space between the eyebrows), then inward toward the region below the navel, and finally to the qi aperture. With persistent practice, scattered thoughts merge into a single, unified awareness, and the natural state of heel breathing emerges. Without mastering the art of “observing cessation” to halt distractions, one is forced to rely on counting—a preliminary method that only maintains physical respiration rather than achieving true internal transformation.
Only when the heart and kidneys harmonize, forming the basis of life through qi, does the original breath—pure and unified—manifest. This truth reveals that one’s fate lies within one’s own efforts, making the diligent cultivation of the breath indispensable.

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