RNP Chapter 9 Immersion
Chapter 9 Immersion
Not long after.
Li Cunzhen completely digested this breath of true energy and filled it into the first major acupoint.
He woke up on his own, looked at Zuo Ruotong, and smiled.
"Master, I should have successfully cultivated my first breath of true qi, right? What did you notice?"
Zuo Ruotong smiled helplessly upon hearing this.
He had originally intended to put Li Cunzhen's arrogance to a halt.
But this kid is incredibly smart; it seems he already knows what level his performance is at.
Zuo Ruotong had no choice but to tell the truth.
"Excellent. Whether it's sitting still or swallowing saliva and breathing, there's nothing wrong with it. I have nothing more to point out."
Li Cunzhen chuckled upon hearing this.
Zuo Ruotong took the opportunity to offer some pointers.
"Sitting still is just a formality; the essence of cultivation is to let go of distracting thoughts. Since you have such talent, you should try to follow your heart and not be burdened by form."
"I will heed your teachings."
Li Cunzhen understood that Zuo Ruotong meant something, and quickly memorized her words.
Seeing this, Zuo Ruotong nodded and said seriously:
"In matters of spiritual cultivation, the favor of Heaven and Earth may make your cultivation smoother, but you still need to work hard for a long time to achieve success. Don't get impatient because of temporary success."
"I understand."
Li Cunzhen quickly composed himself and cupped his hands in greeting.
Zuo Ruotong nodded.
"Alright, it's getting late, you should go back to the lower courtyard."
"Yes."
............
After returning to the lower house.
Li Cunzhen first completed the tasks assigned for the day.
Then I went back to my room and began to think about Zuo Ruotong's last words that morning.
"Sitting down is just a formality..."
The meaning of this is quite clear: he should try to clear his mind of distractions without sitting still.
Even when doing miscellaneous tasks, one can multitask, using one part of one's mind to handle mundane matters and the other to focus on the essentials and let go of all worldly concerns.
Furthermore, this was specifically brought up after accumulating true qi.
Without a doubt, this is about making oneself enter a state of purity of the six senses at all times and in all places, integrating spiritual practice into every action.
Although I understand Zuo Ruotong's request.
It's easier said than done.
Li Cunzhen had no clue how to completely eliminate distracting thoughts.
He sat on the bed and began to think.
Perhaps it was Li Cunzhen's amazing comprehension, or perhaps it was a sudden flash of inspiration.
Soon, a guess popped into his mind.
Li Cunzhen was truly thinking.
The idea that one can only let go of distracting thoughts when seated, and the idea that one can let go of distracting thoughts anytime and anywhere, are two extremes.
Since the latter cannot be achieved for the time being.
You can proceed gradually, starting with postures that are different from sitting still but do not require much mental effort.
This way, the success rate should be the highest.
Thinking of this.
Without hesitation, Li Cunzhen immediately sat up in bed, silently reciting the mantra in his mind, striving to discard all distracting thoughts.
But unlike before, this time, Li Cunzhen did not close his eyes.
Let the myriad colors in your eyes flow into your mind.
Vision is the most important source of information for the human body and carries immense weight in the mind.
Once visual information is received, the brain will process it automatically.
This was reflected in Li Cunzhen at this time.
When one's mind is filled with distracting thoughts that are difficult to suppress, it is far more intense than when one's eyes are closed.
Fortunately, the mental techniques of the Sanyi Sect have the effect of diverting attention, and Li Cunzhen has been sitting still for several days, so his mental fortitude is beyond that of ordinary people.
I don't know how long I sat there in silence.
Gradually, Li Cunzhen felt himself entering a mysterious state.
Although my eyes are fixed on this place, my mind remains unmoved, as if my spirit and body are in two different worlds.
Did they succeed?
Li Cunzhen was overjoyed and was about to try to accumulate true qi.
However, the moment this thought arose in his mind, it was like a weight suddenly appearing and hanging on the scales that had been balanced with great difficulty.
That mysterious state disappeared.
Originally, Li Cunzhen's physical body and mind were no longer interfering with each other, but now, the information coming from his eyes is constantly interfering with his mind, making it difficult for him to calm down.
Fortunately, he was not discouraged.
He secretly remembered this lesson and began to try again.
With experience, Li Cunzhen quickly entered that mysterious state of separation between spirit and body again.
Then, he started to try his luck.
Ren Du gives birth to gold and jade, and gold and jade combine with nectar.
Sweet dew transforms into true energy, and true energy resides in the dantian...
After several failures.
Finally, Li Cunzhen successfully released a breath of true energy while his eyes were open, and buried it in the first major acupoint.
Li Cunzhen did not stop there, but continued to increase the difficulty for himself.
From sitting to standing, from standing to walking around, from walking around to drinking water and eating...
In the end, Li Cunzhen even picked up a wood-chopping knife and chopped a bundle of firewood in the yard.
Throughout the process, although there were occasional interruptions, Li Cunzhen spent most of the time in a state of tranquility and emptiness, free from distractions.
The feeling of separation between the body and the mind became even clearer.
In the end, Li Cunzhen even felt that his physical body was just an object, and he was merely using his mind to manipulate it to complete various activities.
Just like controlling a game character in a past life.
Since the physical body is merely an object, the various influences imposed upon it are unrelated to the spirit.
Although I still feel hot and cold.
But this feeling will not affect Li Cunzhen's spirit or true self at all.
During this process, Li Cunzhen's understanding of the so-called seated state deepened step by step.
It turns out that the so-called "freedom of distractions" is merely a process, not the goal.
The essence of sitting still is to uphold one's original mind, enter a state of tranquility and emptiness, and remain unaffected by the seven emotions of joy, anger, worry, sorrow, fear, and shock, as well as the six senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought.
Therefore, sitting still does not mean having no thoughts, but rather that thoughts follow one's true nature.
Therefore, one can utilize the body's internal energy to achieve a complete circulation of Qi.
Otherwise, if one can only sit still without any thoughts, how can one talk about cultivation or accumulating true energy?
This includes what Zuo Ruotong said about practicing while walking, sitting, lying down, or standing.
You need to manipulate your body to walk and process external information.
How could one truly have no thoughts? It's just that these thoughts don't affect one's true nature.
Keep walking down this road, and you'll reach great heights.
That is introspection.
I use my heart to illuminate my own heart, sweep my mind clean, awaken to enlightenment, and understand my true nature.
If it gets to that point...
The fact that you can cultivate your skills in every gesture is just a side benefit.
It can even calm the mind and understand the Way, and even lead to enlightenment and true realization.
It is a mark of a great spiritual practitioner.
Li Cunzhen today.
Observe the physical body as you would an object; the spirit transcends the external world and operates internally.
That's when we took the first step on this path.
Of course, he is now vastly different from those great cultivators.
Firstly, it's unstable; once something happens and his emotions fluctuate, he can't maintain that state.
Secondly, it lacks depth. The so-called true intention and distracting thoughts are not as clearly distinct as ordinary people imagine, and cannot be distinguished at a glance.
Often, what you think are your true thoughts are actually products of the influence of desires, worldly norms, or other things.
Distinguish between one's true nature and distracting thoughts, and attain enlightenment.
This is a hurdle that all spiritual practitioners must overcome.
Once you pass the test, you become a grandmaster.
However, no matter how extraordinary your abilities are, even if you master the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, you are still just an ordinary person.
Li Cunzhen is now standing at the threshold of this hurdle.
He could only distinguish obvious distracting thoughts such as hot and cold, hunger and thirst, but could not truly understand his own heart.
However, that's still true.
He was able to achieve this level in less than a month of practice.
Li Cunzhen's talent can only be described as monstrous.
If you want to go further, you can't just stay on the mountain and cultivate yourself; you have to go down the mountain and enter the world to experience the hustle and bustle of life.
Li Cunzhen does not currently have such conditions.
Moreover, he was not in a hurry to achieve quick results.
Now that I've reached a level where I can cultivate at any time without any unexpected events affecting my mood.
Li Cunzhen then stopped there for the time being.
Practice mindful meditation every day.