Master Fa Chan’s Teachings 27

Dharma Master Fa-Chan’s Teachings – Fǎ Chán Shīfù de Kāishì (Èrshísì)

2026/05/17

1. The ancient worthies said: “Raise it without regard — immediately there is discrepancy and opposition (cha hu 差互); try to think about it, and in which kalpa (jie 劫) will you awaken?” The Platform Sutra (Tan Jing 壇經) also says: “One must see it upon the spoken words; thinking about it is of no use.” Yet thousands upon thousands of practitioners are still trapped in the confusion of thinking (si liang 思量), discrimination (fen bie 分別), and speculation (bu du 卜度). Isn’t this clearly running in the opposite direction of the “Dao (道)”?
   
   
2. The ancient worthies said: “It encompasses heaven and earth (han gai qian kun 函蓋乾坤), discerns the finest differences with the eye (mu ji shu liang 目機銖兩), and does not involve worldly conditions. How do you undertake and bear it?” This is truly a sentence that puts the dot in the dragon’s eye (hua long dian jing 畫龍點睛). Everyone, why not contemplate and investigate it!
   
   
3. The ancient worthies said: “Rejecting things is superior; chasing after things is inferior. The slightest emotional stirring and you have already fallen to the ground.” They also said: “As soon as there is something you value heavily, it becomes a fixed nest (ke jiu 窠臼).” Therefore, a true practitioner in the Chan (Zen) school should possess the broad mind of “standing alone beyond all things (du chao wu wai 獨超物外).” If you are constantly pulled by emotions and bound by things, you really do not resemble a genuine person of the Dao. You are still very far from the Dao and have not yet entered the path.
   
   
4. It is not Chan (禪), not Dao (道), not mind (xin 心), not Buddha (fo 佛), not Dharma (fa 法), not thing (wu 物). Then what exactly is it? Everyone, why not contemplate and investigate it!
   
   
5. The ancient worthies said: “Karmic consciousness is vast and boundless (ye shi mang mang 業識茫茫), with no root that can be grasped.” They also said: “Once you attain the root (ben 本), you need not worry about the branches.” This “root (ben 本)” is originally not in words or language, not in thinking and speculation, and certainly not in any arising of mind or movement of thought. So where is it? Everyone, why not contemplate and investigate it!
   
   
6. To examine whether you have a very high level on the path or whether you have truly attained great awakening (da che da wu 大徹大悟), there is a very basic verification standard. It is the line we have proposed before: “No four marks (si xiang 四相), understand the three minds (san xin 三心), thusness unmoving (ru ru bu dong 如如不動); transcend Shakyamuni (chao Shi Jia 超釋迦), surpass the patriarchs (yue zu dai 越祖代), and not be deluded by others.” Everyone should be very familiar with this sentence, but behind it lies an extremely profound realm of spiritual transcendence. It is easy for everyone to recite this sentence with the mouth or understand its principle in the mind, but this sentence truly represents real skill and genuine attainment. Practitioners who possess such true skill and attainment are probably still extremely rare!
   
   
   

Just taking the four marks (si xiang 四相) of self (wo 我), person (ren 人), sentient beings (zhong sheng 眾生), and lifespan (shou zhe 壽者) as an example — practitioners who can be completely free of the four marks are perhaps hard to find even among thousands or tens of thousands of people. We are very clear that all sentient beings’ attachment and clinging to the self is almost unbreakable; everyone firmly grasps it and does not let go. On the path, however, this is the greatest obstructing condition, the root source of all suffering, and the chief culprit behind endless birth and death in samsara.

This is also why the Diamond Sutra (Jin Gang Jing 金剛經) repeatedly emphasizes that Bodhisattvas cultivating the path must not have the four marks of self, person, sentient beings, and lifespan — that is, the meaning of “no four marks.” To put it plainly, if the four marks are still present, you will not achieve good results in cultivation on the path, let alone great awakening. How can there be an enlightened person who still has self-clinging?

Life Nourishing breath Practice

Yǎng Shēng Wěi Lǘ Dǎo Yǐn – 仙家長壽養生尾閭導引功法

Here I will also conveniently teach everyone a Taoist immortal longevity and health-preserving practice: the Coccyx (Wei Lü 尾閭) Guiding Technique. “Wei Lü (尾閭)” refers to the anal region of the human body. The practice is not difficult. Sit in a seated posture on a cushion, chair, or relatively firm sofa. Sit upright, tuck in the chin, keep the mouth closed, teeth lightly touching, tongue pressing against the upper palate, and stack both palms on the lower dantian (xia dan tian 下丹田).

The practice consists of four small continuous movements:

• First is “contract (shou 收)”: tighten the anus and perineum.
• Second is “lift (ti 提)”: lift the anus, perineum, and upper body upward.
• Third is “hold (ren 忍)”: hold and maintain the lifted posture.
• Fourth is “release (fang 放)”: relax the anus, perineum, and upper body, returning to the original state.

During “contract, lift, hold,” inhale with formless body breathing (ti xi 體吸), not ordinary physical inhalation. These three movements should be done quickly. For “release,” gently relax while simultaneously exhaling. Breathing is all body breathing (ti xi ti hu 體吸體呼), mouth lightly closed, breathing through the nose. One inhalation and one exhalation count as one breath (xi 息). One full round is 360 breaths and must be completed without interruption. How many rounds you do each day is up to you. After finishing, stand up, stretch, and move the body a little to complete the session.

This is one of the rejuvenation practices personally transmitted by an old Taoist master when I was young. Please practice it on an empty stomach. Its effects are extremely vast. It is a fundamental Taoist practice for refining essence (lian jing 鍊精) and securing essence (gu jing 固精). It heals illness when sick, prevents illness when healthy, strengthens the body and heart, and is a secret longevity technique for health preservation and extending life. Today I share it with everyone. Fellow cultivators who have already entered middle or later years, please practice it diligently so you may enjoy lasting health and peace, and comfortably enjoy your later years.

Supplementary Explanation of the “Wèi Lǘ Dǎo Yǐn Gōng Fǎ”

○ When we previously discussed the 「尾閭導引功法」(Wèi Lǘ Dǎo Yǐn Gōng Fǎ), we mentioned the breathing method called 「體呼體吸」(Tǐ hū tǐ xī). Here is a supplementary explanation.

體呼體吸 (Tǐ hū tǐ xī) means breathing without deliberately controlling the inhalation or exhalation. It is a completely natural, instinctive breathing method of the body.

When you perform the three movements of “收、提、忍 (Shōu, Tí, Rěn)” — contracting, lifting, and holding — on the anus and perineum, the lower abdomen will naturally draw inward, and air will naturally be drawn in through the nose. When you perform the “放 (Fàng)” (release) movement, air will also naturally be exhaled through the nose. This is the body’s instinctive response.

In short, the breathing will automatically coordinate with your movements, so you do not need to pay attention to it.

To be honest, this practice is somewhat difficult and physically demanding. When performing “收、提、忍 (Shōu, Tí, Rěn)”, you must use the full strength of your entire body. The lower abdomen contracts powerfully inward, and even the entire buttocks may lift upward.

During practice, you must focus your mind completely on the four movements: 收、提、忍、放 (Shōu, Tí, Rěn, Fàng). At the same time, silently count in your mind from 1 to 360 breaths. You must not stop to rest or catch your breath midway. The counting should match the movements — the faster the better — but every movement must be performed fully and correctly.

The old Daoist master also told me that in daily life, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one should always be mindful of gently contracting and lifting the anus and perineum. When urinating, one should first close the eyes, clench the teeth, and only then urinate.

Women should not practice this during pregnancy or menstruation. Those with serious heart disease or high blood pressure should also not practice it.

No matter what kind of practice we do, we hope everyone will approach it with a relaxed and joyful mindset. If you truly cannot do it, do not force yourself. Just do what you can according to your own ability.