袁康就太極內丹學會
The Tai-ji, Inner Alchemy and Kungfu Practice of
Master YUEN Hong-chau

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Implications of the God’s Particle on Inner Alchemy Self-cultivation

Abstract

    In July 2012, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced that the Higgs Boson, which is suspected to be the commonly known “God’s Particle”, was discovered during an experiment using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This has without doubt provided more physical evidence in support of “being created by non-being” (無能生有), which is traditionally classified as a metaphysical concept, and in terms of inner alchemy self-cultivation, it has also added a few new perspectives for the ability of a divine immortal (神仙) to have its Yang spirit (陽神) “migrating from being to non-being” (出有入無). The pursuit of light in the state of entering into tranquility (入定) and being elusive and impalpable (恍惚) by a self-cultivationist during meditation, as well as the operation of true intent (真意), are going deeper and deeper under a frozen time frame; however, time determines space, and transcending time will be able to change the space of existence, and the magical ability displayed by the Yang spirit shuttling in an extremely minute instance (極微瞬間) is closely related to the God’s Particle, which only exists in 10-24 second, and the evolutionary mechanism for it to disintegrate into other particles. If the Yang spirit has actualized the ability of “shuttling between being and non-being” (出入有無) or even incarnation (道成肉身), that will be equivalent to the process during which infinite energy (無限能量) is manifested by the God’s Particle and its Higgs Field (希格斯場) and the finite material world is created after the negation (陷坎) of such infinite energy, especially, the description of the states attained in inner alchemy will become clearer and the ability of a divine immortal and the elaboration of its reality (實相) will be more convincing.

Key words: Inner Alchemy, Yang Spirit, Elusive and Impalpable, God’s Particle

…………………………………………

I. Introduction

    The way of thinking of the Chinese people, under the predominance of metaphysics, has often neglected the exploration and study of physical phenomena. In the West, particle physics has to date developed to such an amazing state, further displaying in front of our eyes the reality of the physical, phenomenal realm. In July 2012, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) announced that the “Higgs Boson” [1], which is suspected to be the commonly known “God’s Particle”, was finally discovered during an experiment using the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Such discovery, apart from winning quite a few applauds from the scientists, has also made a revolutionary step for the exploration of material reality and physical cognition. [2] Perhaps, an even greater achievement is that, such scientific achievement will bridge the gulf between the metaphysics immanent in China and the development of physics in the West, especially providing a physical basis for the Daoist way of thinking that “being is created by non-being” (無能生有).

    Although, in the past, the Daoists, in explaining “being created by non-being”, like with other metaphysical concepts, had no scientific evidence to aid such understanding, however, with today’s information explosion, culture and knowledge around the globe are currently converging and complementing each other, any scientific interpretation relating to “being created by non-being” (無能生有) will definitely be beneficial to Chinese philosophy. [3]

    Particle physics is in pursuit of the most primordial particle in the phenomenal realm. The God’s Particle is that primordial particle which creates all physical phenomena. The Higgs Boson originates from an invisible energy force field, the “Higgs Field” (希格斯場), which covers the entire universe, and all particles acquire their mass from the Higgs Field in which the Higgs Boson is found. If without such particle, human beings and all other related atoms in the universe will not exist. Simply, without it, all substances do not exist. It is the creator of all forms and substances. The related study of its formation and the evolution of the particles and substances derived therefrom will provide a clearer blueprint for the concepts of “non-being” (無) and “being created by non-being” (無能生有) in Chinese metaphysics. [4]

    Inner alchemy self-cultivation is about the cultivation of “being” into “non-being” (以有煉無), and in terms of the traditional operation of self-cultivation for becoming an immortal, the “Yang spirit” (陽神) is an intermediary concept, which can shuttle between “being” and “non-being”. Daoist meditation is moving towards such ability. The ability of migrating to the world of “non-being” can be acquired only through self-cultivation of the Yang spirit; whereas, the ultimate manifestation of the ability of the Yang spirit is this so-called “non-being” energy grid (能量位格), which, from a religious perspective, is expressed through the concept of “divine immortals” (神仙).

    The conventional way of thinking in Chinese culture with respect to “non-being” (無) has always been understood through “being” (有). The “non-being” in Daoism is the “non-being” as in “voidness” (虛無), which is not to be understood as “absolutely nothing” (絕對沒有) but to be treated as “non-being latent with being” (無中藏有). Such voidness is being considered as the “non-being” with latent content, which is energy. Whether in terms of Chinese philosophy or religion, it is being understood this way. In the Han Dynasty, “non-being” was being classified in a hierarchical way, for instance, Supreme Change (Taiyi or太易), Supreme Origin (Taichu or太初), Supreme Inception (Taishi or太始) and Supreme Simplicity (Taisu or太素), etc., in order to explain that “non-being” is latent with different extents of “being”. [5] Later, in the core scripture for Zhong-Lü Inner Alchemy (鍾呂丹道), the Complete Methods of the Numinous Treasure (《靈寶畢法》), when describing the initial creation of the Great Dao (大道), during the entire development from “non-being” to “being”, there were six stages: Supreme Origin (Taiyuan or太元), Supreme Inception (Taishi or太始), Supreme Non-being (Taiwu or太無), Supreme Voidness (Taixu or太虛), Supreme Emptiness (Taikong or太空) and Supreme Being (Taizhi or太質). [6] From the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was the worship of the “Three Clarity Gods” (三清神), namely, Jade Clarity (Yuqing or玉清), Supreme Clarity (Taiqing or太清) and Highest Clarity (Shangqing or上清), all reflecting three different extents of “non-being” and representing the classification of energy at different levels. [7]

    The Yang spirit can shuttle between “non-being” and “being” only because there is certain interrelationship between “non-being” and “being”, without such interrelationship it cannot be actualized. The “being and non-being creating each other” (有無相生) as stated by Lao Zi [8] has provided an important theoretical basis for such acts of “reversion” (逆修) for becoming an immortal through the cultivation of elixir (煉丹). [9] The Daoists, through the self-cultivation of qi, incessantly elevate themselves level by level from the zone of “being”, until they migrate from “being” to “non-being”, and then further transcend level by level in the zone of “non-being”, until they have fulfilled the ability of the Yang spirit. The manifestation of such energy seems to be closely related to the God’s Particle.

II. God’s Particle at the Stage of Taiji

    The Daoists believe that this phenomenal realm is “being” (有), whereas the other side of “being” is “non-being” (無). This “non-being” covers all things in the non-phenomenal realm, which not only includes the “non-being” (無) of “nothingness” (沒有), but also the “non-being” (無) that is latent with certain energy. The Daoists are very good at applying “hollowness” (虛), using “voidness” (虛無) to illustrate “non-being” (無), while using “void” (虛空) to illustrate “emptiness” (空). For instance, Lao Zi used “hollow, yet with fortitude; active, yet with increased magnitude” (虛而不屈、動而愈出) to illustrate the emptiness of a “bellows” (橐籥) [10] so as to express that “void” is not empty, but is in fact latent with infinite energy. Lao Zi realized from the very beginning that the “voidness” (虛無) in the phenomenal realm is not absolute “non-being”, but is “non-being” (無) latent with “being” (有).

    Relatively speaking, today, the scientists have also adjusted the traditional concept of “non-being”, from absolutely “nothing” to “non-being” latent with certain energy. In the last two decades, the scientists have been incessantly adjusting their recognition of the phenomenal realm, especially of the universe. The scientists believe that we live in one of the many universes, and the one we are living in is expanding, with an age of 13.7 billion years, and will ultimately die one day. This is cosmic life (宇宙生命). Since this universe is expanding, such expansion necessarily creates the source of power for expansion. A more generally accepted explanation is that the primal force for cosmic inflation (宇宙膨脹) comes from “dark energy” (暗能量) or “vacuum energy” (真空能). “Vacuum energy” means that a vacuum is really not a vacuum but latent with energy.

    In the past, the scientists’ understanding of the cosmic space (宇宙空間) was that it was an absolute vacuum with “nothing” in it; however, after many scientific researches and explorations and with the involvement of quantum physics (量子物理學), such way of thinking has been revolutionarily changed. Today, the scientists believe that extremely minute basic particles exist in such vacuum, and such particles appear suddenly and disappear suddenly within an instance, and such condition is referred to as a “field” (場), which is the source of cosmic energy (宇宙能量), i.e., “vacuum energy”. The Higgs Boson is accompanied by the Higgs Field, therefore we cannot say that such field is “being” (有) because subsequent particles only exist after the disintegration of the Higgs Boson; but we cannot say that such field is “non-being” (無) either because other subsequent particles appear after the disintegration of the Higgs Boson, and such particles manifest their mass in terms of the Higgs Field.

    This critical particle, which is being referred to as the “God’s Particle”, exists in the 125-126 GeV zone and causes an object to have “weight” (重量) when interacting with gravity (重力). GeV is a unit used to express the mass of a particle. 1eV is the energy acquired by an electron (電子) after it has gone through 1 volt’s voltage acceleration (電壓加速), and 1 GeV is equal to 1 billion eV; therefore, the mass of the Higgs Boson is approximately 250,000 times that of an electron (電子) and 133-134 times that of a proton (質子). The existence of the Higgs Boson directly explains why any substance exists in mass and pattern, and the Higgs Boson itself is the ultimate component for creating all beings, but it can only remain intact in less than 1 yoctosecond (攸秒), i.e., 10-24 second, and then it will disintegrate into twin-photons (雙光子) and further evolve into other particles.

    If the God’s Particle is the most primordial basic particle and such kind of particle only exists far beyond the reach of any recognition tool of the human race, then the “non-being” (無) recognized by the human race could well be something like this. In the past, our recognition tools were limited and as a result of which such “non-being” was being classified as something that was non-material. Prior to the discovery of the God’s Particle, the representation of “being created by non-being” (無能生有), quite naturally, was also being classified as a metaphysical concept. Today’s scientific research achievements have enabled us to pull down some of the old “metaphysical” philosophies, at least “being created by non-being” can be explained in a more specific way. Such scientific research achievements precisely tally with the general understanding of “voidness” (虛無) by the Daoists because two thousand and five hundred years ago, Lao Zi already advocated that “voidness” was “not void but latent with power”, for instance, “hollow, yet with fortitude; active, yet with increased magnitude”  [11] , “the divine power of voidness (谷神) never dies, which can be called mysterious femininity (玄牝), and the opening of which can be called the root of Heaven and Earth. Unceasingly, as if it is everlasting; inexhaustible, if applied without exertion” [12] , “non-being is for application” [13] , and so forth.

    The Daoists believe that “non-being” (無) has the capability to create life. [14] Such view is confirmed in the interpretation of “eternal Dao” (常道). “Eternal Dao”, or simply referred to as “Dao”, is able to create all beings, yet exists among all beings, it is so minute that it has no interior, yet it is so enormous that it has no exterior (其小無內,其大無外). Such view of creation is rooted in Lao Zi’s saying that “the Dao evolved into one; one into two; two into three; three into all beings” [15] , and the existence of the God’s Particle and its evolutionary patterns seem to be similar to such creation formula.

    “One” is Supreme Polarity (Taiji or太極), which is “being” as well as “non-being” and in the unstable state of being elusive and impalpable (恍惚不定); the God’s Particle too exists in the void and only emerges in an extremely minute instance, its spin (自旋) is zero, it is unique and independent, but is unstable and has the inclination to disintegrate. “Two” is the representation of a polarity structure; the God’s Particle will disintegrate into twin-photons (雙光子), evolving into supersymmetric partners (超對稱粒子), and all subsequent particles are in pairs, with spin. “Three” is the “polarization and harmonization of qi” (冲和氣), which is “innate energy” (先天炁) that is not yet hylemorphic (有形質); the God’s Particle further evolves into different kinds of particles, elusively and impalpably, it seems to have specific form of qi (氣象), however, it is too early to say that it has formed a hylemorphic world (形質世界).

    If we say that “innate energy” (先天炁) is at a time when it is invisible but has some form, then it is equivalent to the time when the unstable God’s Particle is disintegrating into other particles. Such time is the marginal state of “non-being” but closer to “being” (無而近有). The existence of the God’s Particle is accompanied with a “Higgs Field” which covers the entire universe, and all particles acquire their mass from the Higgs Field in which the Higgs Boson is found. The Higgs Field gives the cosmic space (宇宙空間) infinite energy, latent in which is a kind of strong tension which will soon vigorously disintegrate into subsequent particles, or even into forms and substances. The instability of the God’s Particle will inevitably requires it to complete its disintegration process, which is equivalent to that pattern created by twin particles (雙粒子) as described in Lao Zi’s “bearing the Yin and embracing the Yang” (負陰而抱陽).

    Disintegration may be understood as a kind of “negation” (坎陷). As a result of the instability of the God’s Particle, the emergence of the disintegration process will follow, which is moving towards the “negation” of the material world. If interpreted according to its capability to create, the God’s Particle is right in the grid of infinite energy, whereas other subsequent particles and the hylemorphic world are the finite phenomenal realm. All existence in the phenomenal realm originate from the “self-negation” (自我坎陷)  [16] of infinite energy.

    The “divine immortal” (神仙) as understood by the mortal world is a superior existence (高級存有) that is sometimes invisible and sometimes visible. In inner alchemy, the Yang spirit (陽神) is a carrier of infinite energy, and when the Yang spirit jumps from the initial zone of infinite energy to the phenomenal realm of the mortals, which, exactly, is the process of self-negation of infinite energy. Conversely, the self-cultivation of the Yang spirit by a Daoist is to go through the process of transcending to the grid of infinite energy from the finite phenomenal realm. If a Daoist practices the dual cultivation of the mind and the body (性命雙修), and the ability of his Yang spirit has been virtuously fulfilled (功德圓滿) through elevation level by level until it migrates from “being” to “non-being” (出有入無) and then comes back to the mortal world, then he is a divine immortal (神仙). That is to say, by migrating to “non-being”, it means the Yang spirit fuses with infinite energy and evolves into the God’s Particle, thereby achieving immortality (肉身成道); and by returning to the mortal world as a divine immortal, it means the Yang spirit goes through self-negation from infinite energy, thereby achieving incarnation (道成肉身), and executes in the phenomenal realm the moral tasks of helping the needy and dispelling disasters (扶危解厄).

III. Transcending Time to Track the God’s Particle

    During actual meditation, if we want to enter into the state of tranquility (入定), we must use our best efforts to eliminate all scattered thoughts. Entering into tranquility is the state of mind that is seemingly “being” yet seemingly “non-being” and is elusive and impalpable. Such state of mind is real. However, the so-called “being elusive and impalpable” is merely that the brain is unable to decode an image or thought it displays. The human race does not have extremely precise tool which can recognize what is happening within an extremely minute time frame. Of course, we cannot deny that the scientists may in the future invent a sensitive detector like the LHC used to discover the God’s Particle to clearly decode the information inside our brains. Today, the recognition tools of the human brain are too limited, too imprecise, unable to discern the images displayed by the brain. [17] If we want to describe the real state of entering into tranquility, then we have to wait for advanced technology to further detect and decode each part of our brain. One of the possibilities is that, at the instance of entering into tranquility, we are not emptying or eliminating all scattered thoughts or images, but that at that point of time, we are unable and have no intention to decode those images being released. The emergence of the feeling of being elusive and impalpable does not mean that there is no thought, but only that we are unable to decode such thought.

    Being elusive and impalpable is the general feeling resulting from the synchronized emergence of a thought and no thought. It is called “true intent” (真意) in inner alchemy, a subjective state of mind that is in between with intent and with no intent. Specifically, that is the brain being confronted with the state of hesitation of being able to decode and not being able to decode. If we want to achieve true intent in inner alchemy self-cultivation, then it must be induced using “primordial breathing” (真息), a kind of state in which there seems to be breathing yet there seems to be no breathing, which is referred to as “internal breathing” (內呼吸). [18] The essential point for actualizing primordial breathing is to first regulate breathing until it is gentle and slow, and is even and prolonged. When our breathing is slow and gentle, we feel very much like not breathing, but not in a state of oxygen debt (氧債), anyway, it is “unceasingly, as if it is ever lasting” (綿綿若存), and is very comfortable. After we have adjusted to primordial breathing, vital energy (真氣) will be generated.

    Interesting though, even if we are in the state of gentle and slow, even and prolonged breathing, we are not necessarily in the state of entering into tranquility. Meditation up to this stage requires further transcendence. If we want to transcend our recognition of breathing and enter into the real state of entering into tranquility, we can make reference to an ancient and commonly adopted method, that is the method of “Safeguarding the Palace of Qian for Harvesting the Mysterious Pearl” (守乾宮採玄珠). [19]

    During meditation with our eyes closed, what we see is complete greyish darkness. In such inner vision (內景) of complete darkness, we can look for a relatively bright “grey spot” (灰點), and then focus on it intensely. After a long while, we will enter into the world of “no self, no thing” (無我無物), and such grey spot may become bigger or smaller, or become brighter or drift away, no matter how it changes, we just focus on it intensely, and going deeper, we will achieve having the spirit concentrate on the black hole. Black means light, which comes from such black hole, and the brightness will slowly enlarge, and naturally, we will arrive at that magical state (神妙之境). Such light is called the “mysterious pearl” (玄珠). [20]

    In the real word, we exist inside a four dimensional space-time and there is no way to transcend it. The four dimensions are the three dimensional space of length, width and height plus time, and the space-time dictates and determines the time frame in which we exist. So long as we can transcend time, time will change, and that space will change as time changes. That is to say, we have entered the time tunnel, images from our previous lives and this life will as a result be determined. Entering into the state of tranquility during meditation, to a state of being elusive and impalpable, as if everlasting, that world is so vast, desolate and boundless. At the initial stage of entering into tranquility, we feel like entering into a “big trumpet” (大喇叭) [21]. The other end of such trumpet is so enormous, so enormous that it has no exterior (其大無外). When we enter by properly applying the “time transcendence method” (時間超越法), we can place ourselves in any section of such trumpet, and let time decide the space, which is being referred to as “magical” (出神入化).

    A journey transcending space-time is one of the many wonderful efficacies experienced after entering into tranquility. When we focus intensely on the light spot in inner vision (內景), from a tiny spot to a prominent spot, as if we had entered into the microscopic world of particles, searching for the most basic, most primordial God’s Particle, which will disappear in an extremely minute instance of 10-24 second and disintegrate into other particles. However, if we properly master entering into tranquility, we can continue to improve the quality of entering into tranquility, and thereby transcend it, from being so minute that it has no interior (其小無內), to chasing after it with all efforts to extremity, rambling in the land where non-being bears no being (無何有之鄉), elusively as if there were images, suddenly in true communion with Dao, in the same dimension as the God’s Particle. If one has the ability to enter into the state of being so minute that it has no interior, one will definitely be able to ramble in the vast and desolate universe which is so enormous that it has no exterior (其大無外), shuttling between “being” and “non-being”, into true void and primordial existence (真空妙有), with the spirit rambling in Supreme Voidness (太虛), one will be in cosmic union with all beings (與萬化冥合).

IV. Yang Spirit in the Same Dimension as the God’s Particle

    In the spiritual calling between Man and the deities, there exist certain media or intermediate substances, which can connect with the Great Realm (Taiji Realm or 色界) or the Limitless Realm (Wuji Realm or 無色界). The “worm hole” (蠕蟲洞) advocated in astrological science means there is certain form of passage between one universe and another universe, which makes passing through them possible, and provided that such worm hole is captured and the method of rambling such worm hole by the spirit is mastered, there will be no more obstacle between Man and the deities. Today, the ability of “encompassing the Earth and reaching Heaven” (絕地通天) still does not allow us to interpret it from the perspective of physics, but that does not mean that the deities (神靈) forever stay in the metaphysical aspect of faith.

    Time is the major element determining the passing away of phenomena which manifest themselves in the three-dimensional space of length, width and height. When time changes, a phenomenon will also change. If there were really a time tunnel, and we had the ability to travel through time, perhaps, the changing of things and images and each instance that passes away may all be perceived.

    In such passing away of space-time, which is vast, desolate and boundless, there indeed exists infinite energy that is more superior than we are. Different kinds of divine immortals are just negation of such infinite energy. The divine immortal that we are calling upon, its name and form define the special nature of such energy. For instance, when we kneel and pray in front of the Child-sending Guan Yin (送子觀音), infinite energy will be negated into a special state, from infinite to finite, and such finite ability can help us conceive a smart, healthy baby. When we are diagnosed with cancer, and we kneel and pray in front of Celestial Master Lü Dongbin (呂祖洞賓), infinite energy will, as result of our definition, cause such energy to be positioned, to be narrowed down to such divine immortal who is able to cure our terminal disease. All deities are created by one of our thoughts, and determined by such one thought. However, the abilities of all deities must be called upon through spiritual communion with devotion to the celestial court (一誠上達), with devotion then comes enlightenment.

    Perhaps, a deity exists in such 10-24 second or close to such extremely minute instance, which is a position that cannot be reached by the recognition tools of the human race, and we call it “non-being” (無). That position is the root from which all phenomena emerge. If we want to establish a worm hole for communion with respect to infinite power, we must intercept in an extremely minute instance. The Yang spirit is intangible Yang Qi (陽炁) carrying information, and Yang Qi is subtle energy (精微之炁) that can migrate to “non-being” (無), and information may travel through space-time, able to straddle all “beings” (有). Such subtle energy, which is able to travel through space-time, will enter into the “big trumpet” by means of non-assertive practice to the state of entering into tranquility (無為入定工夫), with the spirit concentrating on a frozen passing-away of space-time, burrowing into a minute instance, from 10-2 second that can be sensed by the human race in the phenomenal realm, pushing further and further, to 10-10 second, and further to 10-24 second. Up to this point, the Yang spirit can see through its vision that it is so minute that it has no interior, to be in the same wave and dimension as the God’s Particle. The Yang spirit will further self-negate, and then with the assistance of the “time worm hole” (時間蠕蟲洞), go back from such minute instance to the phenomenal zone of the human race that can be seen with eyes and heard with ears, that is a “divine immortal” (神仙).

V. Conclusion

    The mode of existence of the divine immortals is something difficult for the human race to fathom. The God, Jesus and Virgin Mary of the Catholic faith; the Bhaişajya guru vaidūrya prabhārāja (藥師佛), Daoji (commonly known as Ji Gong or濟公) and Avalokiteśvara (觀世音) of the Buddhist faith; Lü Dongbin (呂洞賓), the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (太上老君) and Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) of the Daoist faith, etc. etc. are all infinite energy that fulfill our prayers, who can shuttle through space-time to this phenomenal realm to deliver those praying from sufferings.

    Communicating with the deities is a practice established since ancient times. In ancient times, the shamans were well versed in medicine, drugs, human relations, politics, and astrology and geography, as well as had the ability to reach Heaven and Earth and communicate with the spirits and deities. In modern times, there are fortune telling with turtle shell (龜卜), planchette writing (扶乩), praying (祈禱), Taro cards (塔羅牌), spiritism (問米), talisman (符咒), drawing of divination sticks (求籤), Chinese ouija boards using a dish or a coin (碟仙、銀仙), also, there are large-scale religious offerings and ceremonies (齋醮法會), ritual obeisance (朝賀), hell breaking (破地獄), etc., etc., all manifesting the special channel existing between Man and the deities, even though it is rare for the mortals to have the ability to sneak through such channel, the deities at various levels, however, seem to have the ability of coming and going at their own free will (出入自如).

    When we meditate, we must transcend time. If we enter into tranquility with good quality, we will no longer see the passing away of scattered thought, even though the natural basic instinct of a human being is inadequate in recognizing and decoding thoughts being broadcasted at fast speed, and hence it is being defined as “elusive and impalpable”, nevertheless, all phenomena of having a thought and eliminating a thought must proceed in accordance with the time frame, and if we want to eliminate scattered thoughts, we must transcend time. If we want to transcend time, we must first freeze the time.

    The state of entering into tranquility in meditation may provide the conditions for structuring a “time worm hole” (時間蠕蟲洞). When we enter into the nebulous state, in which there is nothing but solitary, without any concept of time, and the images become vague, then we have entered into tranquility. Such time of “being illusive and impalpable”, seemingly “being” and seemingly “non-being”, and not “being” or “non-being” is exactly what Lao Zi said: “Though impalpable and elusive, manifesting therefrom are forms; though elusive and impalpable, emerging therefrom are beings; though distant and indistinct, withholding therefrom is essence; such essence being so real, unfolding therefrom is the truth.” [22] When such state emerges, most likely we will be able to travel through the time worm hole, entering into any one extremely minute instance, which may not necessarily be 10-24 second and in the same dimension as the God’s Particle, and even if it is the relatively lower 10-10 second, we just let ourselves stay at such time level (時間層面), being in the same wave and dimension as certain negated special energy. In such extremely short time, we let time carry space, transcending the phenomenal realm.

    When compared with the entire universe, Man is so insignificant. There are countless galaxies in space, and milky ways are like grains of sand, the Earth is so insignificant, the merits of the human race on Earth are not worth mentioning. Our lives are so short, lasting only a few decades, disappearing in one second, and when compared with the Earth or even cosmic life, we are just like a short-lived fungus which has never experienced the seasons (朝菌之於春秋). The life of this universe depends on the “dark energy” (暗能量) of voidness (虛無), and to the Daoists, “voidness” has energy. The so-called “being created by non-being” (無能生有) could only be understood in the past by way of metaphysics, in terms of rational logics and the material world, it is a meaningless representation. Today, in particle physics, the God’s Particle is confirmed in an extremely minute instance, “being created by non-being” is no longer a metaphysical cliché (陳腔濫調), and “voidness” too can be explained in terms of physics. The representation of the true nature (本質) of the Yang spirit and its abilities in traditional inner alchemy, Lao Zi’s expression of “being illusive and impalpable”, and the activation of energy with a “bellows” (橐籥) can all be explained in a rational way, with supporting evidence. Such scientific research achievement has given very strong support to metaphysics, the “being” latent in “non-being” indeed exists. If the creation of “being” by “non-being” comes from the God’s Particle, then the Dao evolving into all beings (道生萬物) and the theory of cosmogony (宇宙生成論) in Chinese philosophy can be substantiated with physical data. The existence of such creator, the God’s Particle, in the microscopic world of all beings demonstrates that the Dao exists in the ontology of all beings, which also supports the theory of ontology (本體論).

    The Dao that can be described is not the eternal Dao, and the God’s Particle being the God’s Particle just cannot be discovered, whatever that was discovered is definitely not the God’s Particle. The scientists used the word “suspected” in their reports, which is right to the point. In inner alchemy self-cultivation, the mysterious pearl (玄珠) is being harvested in the state of entering into tranquility, of “being illusive and impalpable”, intercepting with light, with the spirit concentrated and the qi stabilized, though elusive, manifesting therefrom are forms, with “being” created by “non-being”, seemingly “being” yet “non-being”, in true communion with Dao. The “suspected” God’s Particle and the “illusiveness and impalpability” (恍惚) in inner alchemy self-cultivation are of course not incidental.

    The discovery of the God’s Particle has given many implications on inner alchemy self-cultivation, providing more definite explanations on many concepts that are so vague and ambiguous in traditional inner alchemy.

(End)

Author: Dr. Hong-chau Yuen (Hong Kong)

This paper was presented at the “Daoist Culture and Ecological Civilization” academic conference of the Guangdong Daoist Culture Festival held from November 15 to November 17, 2013.

Translated by: Joanna S. Y. Yau, MCIL (U.K., H.K.), NAATI accredited (Australia), HKTS (Life Member)


[1] With respect to the theories of “God’s Particle”, British physicist Peter Ware Higgs and Belgian physicist François Englert were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013. Higgs at that time was 84.

[2] Some scientists believe that this is made possible with the assistance of contemporary quantum mechanics (量子力學). Such discovery tends to create a new look for traditional physical science, especially with new implications on the concepts of dark energy and vacuum.

[3] The author is of the opinion that among the many traditional metaphysical concepts, some of them may be misinterpreted and categorized as metaphysical, but in fact their substance can be explained in a scientific way, only that, to date, scientific development still fails to provide relevant interpretations.

[4] The transformation from “non-being” (無) to “being” (有) may give rise to many sequences, and the particle physicists already have a blueprint for the evolution of particles, which may also be the blueprint for “being created by non-being” (無能生有).

[5] See Yi Wei-Qian Zao Du (《易緯‧乾鑿度》): “Hence it is said that there were Supreme Change (Taiyi or太易), Supreme Origin (Taichu or太初), Supreme Inception (Taishi or太始) and Supreme Simplicity (Taisu or太素). Supreme Change, the inception of qi, Supreme Inception, the inception of form, Supreme Simplicity, the inception of being.”

[6] See Complete Methods of the Numinous Treasure-Section 3 Copulating the Dragon with the Tiger (《靈寶畢法‧交媾龍虎第三》): “The Gold Enjoin (金誥) said: After the initial creation of Supreme Origin (Taiyuan or太元), there was Supreme Inception (Taishi or太始), in which there was Supreme Non-being (Taiwu or太無), in which there was Supreme Voidness (Taixu or太虛), in which there was Supreme Emptiness (Taikong or太空), in which there was Supreme Being (Taizhi or太質). Supreme Being, the substance that was separated into Heaven and Earth, into clarity and turbidity. Its substance is like an egg and its colors are dark and yellow, which was just something in Supreme Emptiness.”

[7] The Three Clarities (三清) are fairyland where the divine immortals reside, which are respectively transformed from the three qi (energy): mysterious (玄) qi, primordial (元) qi and incipient (始) qi. These three kinds of qi are different demarcations with respect to “non-being” (無). See Bookcase Containing the Seven Sections-Section on Origins of Daoism, Chapter 3-Lineal Origins of the Three Caverns of Daoism 《雲笈七簽‧卷三道教本始部‧道教三洞宗元》.

[8] See Verse 2 of Daode Jing (《道德經》).

[9] Inner alchemy attaches great importance to the concept of “being and non-being creating each other” (有無相生) for building the theoretical basis for becoming an immortal through reversion (逆修). Relative to the evolution of “prograde is the way for becoming a Man” (順則成人), this means there is bi-directional communication between “being” (有) and “non-being” (無), where “being” is created by “non-being” for the creation of all beings, and “being” can also be perfected through self-cultivation to the state of “non-being” and then becomes a divine immortal.

[10] See Verse 5 of Daode Jing (《道德經》).

[11] ibid.

[12] ibid, Verse 6.

[13] ibid, Verse 11.

[14] “Non-being” (無) is another name for “Dao” (道), and “non-being” has the capability to create life. Such view is not only evident in Lao Zi, but has been adopted ever since the Song and Ming Dynasties. In Zhou Dunyi’s (周敦頤) Explanation of Taiji Diagram (《太極圖說》) in the Northern Song Dynasty, there is “from non-polarity (Wuji or 無極) to polarity (Taiji or 太極), the movement of Taiji generates Yang”, which also explains that “non-being” has the special characteristic of creating life.

[15] ibid, Verse 42.

[16] “Self-negation” (自我陷坎) originates from Mr. Mou Zongsan (牟宗三).

[17] The speed at which the brain broadcasts images is not necessarily within the speed for decoding. When a person is in danger or going to die because of illness, the speed at which his brain broadcasts images is very fast. Sometimes we can decode them, but most of the time we only feel there is an image without knowing what it is.

[18] “Internal breathing” (內呼吸) is a kind of breathing that is close to invisible breathing, which is the breathing pattern after “the spirit has mutated into intangible qi” (神入炁中). Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰) said in his Explaining Dao in Plain Language (《道言淺近說》): “Beginners must start from internal breathing which is the place for leaving one’s parents and re-establishing the embryo.” See Xu Zhaoren’s (徐兆仁) Keys to Taiji Dao (《太極道訣》) (Beijing: China People’s University Press, 1990) pp 20-21.

[19] Make reference to Wang Chongyang’s (王重陽) Numinous Writings in Five Sections- Section 3: Harvesting (《五篇靈文‧採藥章第三》), Classical Readings on Chinese Qigong, Jing and Yuan Dynasties Section (Part 1) (《中國氣功經典‧金元朝部分上》), p 134.

[20] ibid.

[21] Originally, it means “mystical threshold” (玄關), but for easy understanding of such imagery, it is replaced with “big trumpet” (大喇叭) in the text.

[22] See Verse 21 of Daode Jing (《道德經》).

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