The Relationship Between Material Body Restoration and Mental Contemplation

To sink qi into the dantian, simply take deep breaths to guide the qi downward until it reaches the dantian. Combine this with visualization, focusing your mind on directing the qi to the dantian, and you will be able to guide the qi there. Qi follows the mind; wherever the mind goes, qi and blood will follow. This "mind" (意, yi) refers not only to the "intention" of the mental faculty (意根, manas), but also to the "intention" of consciousness (意识). However, only the intention of the mental faculty can guide the flow of qi and blood; the intention of consciousness can only guide the mental faculty itself.

The functional roles within the physical body (色身) are twofold: one is the sole function of the alaya-vijnana (如来藏), and the other is the combined functional role arising from the interaction between the mental faculty and the alaya-vijnana. Put simply, most functional roles in the physical body involve the directing function (作意) of the mental faculty. If the intention of the mental faculty is absent or insufficient, many things cannot be accomplished. Even if consciousness focuses its intention on the dantian and tries to guard it, it will have little effect—unless the intention of consciousness successfully guides the mental faculty, and the mental faculty then activates its own intention, will there be efficacy. Consciousness "guarding" the dantian is false guarding; qi will not follow it there. Consciousness cannot guide qi or blood; it can only guide the mental faculty. This is consciousness's greatest and most useful capability.

The repair and regulation of tissues and cells in the physical body also partly involve the participation of the mental faculty. If the mental faculty cooperates actively, maintains an optimistic attitude, and remains calm and unhurried, the body's positive energy will rise, and physical repair will occur faster. The difference in physical repair with or without the mental faculty's participation is significant. For example, during acupuncture, if you add your mental focus (意念) to the needle tip, the effect is very obvious and rapid—the physical body can change immediately. If someone has cultivated genuine qi (真气) and uses it in conjunction with acupuncture, the effect is even better, sufficient to rapidly alter the body's four elements (四大). Physical recovery can be remarkably fast, potentially immediate. If genuine qi is circulating within the body, transmitting it into another person's back via the palm—the stronger the mental focus, the more qi enters the body, and the faster it circulates—can immediately improve the body. When qi and blood fill the body, health is achieved.

Wherever the mind goes, qi follows. Therefore, physical repair involving the active participation of the mental faculty occurs quite rapidly. Where the mind does not reach, the flow is not smooth, or does not occur at all. For instance, if attention is scattered while eating, qi and blood become dispersed, leading to poor digestion. Immediately after eating, if you concentrate intensely on pondering problems, qi and blood gather in the brain area, leaving insufficient qi and blood for the stomach, which also affects digestion. Prolonged periods of this can lead to stomach ailments. Similarly, if attention is scattered during urination or defecation, the process becomes difficult. Where the mind goes, qi goes; where the mind is present, qi is present. Thus, the power of mental focus (意念) is extremely potent. How is this power of mental focus generated? It arises when the power of concentration (定力) increases, thereby strengthening mental power (心力). Mental power is the power of mental focus (意念力).