We now need to take a look at meditative techniques from Daoist traditions.  Chinese sages seemed to have understood centering as profoundly as did the ancient Hindus; indeed, the most basic patterns you can find in Daoism, including the circular Yin and Yang yang symbol, always give off a sense of balance, of unity, and of centeredness.  We need to remember that the most fundamental patterns of Daoism are concerned with yielding and withdrawing instead of advancing, with inaction rather than action, with returning again and again and again to the source of life.  If you are a good Daoist, you discover the truth not by striving or grasping, but by releasing, surrendering, and focusing your attention on natural energies or patterns.  All of which makes for very good centering.

Most people are familiar with the great Daoist scriptures:  the Dao de Jing and the Zhuang zi.  However, there are other shorter treatises which can also give us several remarkable insights:

The Secret of the Golden Flower

The Secret of the Golden Flower is a celebrated Chinese classic whose anonymous author discusses various meditative techniques, all of which are designed to "turn the light around" or help us achieve spiritual illumination.  The author describes his experience of spiritual reality in terms of such superb poetic beauty that The Secret of the Golden Flower is worth studying even if you don't want to follow the techniques.  I reread this text recently and was struck by how frequently the author refers to the idea of the center.  When the light is turned around, after all, you have brought it to the center within you.   

There have been three translations of The Secret of the Golden Flower into English:

• Richard Wilhelm (1931).
• Walter Picca (1964).  Full text online at Alchemy Lab.
• Thomas Cleary (1991).  Probably the best translation, with extensive commentary.  Selections of the Cleary translation are online at the Daily Zen Journal Archives.

Khing Kang King (The Classic of Purity)

This is a very short text dating from the Tang Dynasty and well worth study.  The text and commentary can be found in Cultivating Stillness (1992) by Eva Wong.  An English version of the text is online at Stillness.

Nei-Yeh

I know nothing about the date or author of this text, which is also online at Stillness. It is a beautiful little guide to spiritual living.  The author never uses the word "center", but does talk about balance and inward tranquility.

Spiritual Alchemy for Women

Thomas Cleary gives us several translations of unusual Daoist texts in his book Immortal Sisters (1989).  What's interesting is that all of these texts were written by women, which is not exactly the norm for most Chinese classics.  One of the most intriguing is Spiritual Alchemy for Women, written by one Cao Zenjie (1899) and designed specifically for women.

When you read this text, you can immediately see that Cao Zenjie knew a thing or two about centering.  Practically every paragraph gives us specific instructions about achieving balance, harmony, or union.  What is of particular interest here is Cao's recommendation that women, when meditating, should direct their attention to the sternum.  She writes:  "Men begin practice with the attention in the lower abdomen, just below the navel.  Women start work with the attention between the breasts."

In other words, men should focus on the hara when they meditate, which corresponds to the Svadhisthana chakra.  Women, on the other hand, should focus on the Anahata or heart chakra.  The reasons for the difference are not explained, but it is obvious that Cao knows what she is talking about--and I am willing to take her word for it.  On those rare occasions when I do attempt sitting meditation, I always focus on the energies of my heart, and if you are a woman, I recommend that you do the same.  What, after all, could be more centering... next

Centering   •   M.C. Richards   •   Tea   •   Stones   •   Exercises   •   Meditations   •   Breath   •   Chakras  •  
Four Elements  •   Daoist Scriptures   •   Cult of Tranquility   •   Etc.