Tao Te Ching- 1

The tao that can be told
is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named
is not the eternal Name.

The unnameable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin
of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the unknown.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet realizations and manifestations
arise from the same source.
This source is called mystery.

Mystery within mystery.
The gateway to all wonderment.


English revised by Chiyan Wang

edited by Robert H. Smitheram

Taoist Light Qigong level I

A great start to obtain an authentic, effective and powerful self-healing practice. Three consecutive Thursday afternoons 2-4pm, August 20, 27 & Sept. 3

Learn a set of customized movement meditation to heal yourself, increase energy and stay healthy.

https://www.taoistlightqigong.com/registration

Please Email office@TaoistLightQigong.com or text (805)699-6688 for more information.

Lao Tzu and Tao Te Ching

Lao Tzu named Li Dan, was a philosopher credited with founding the philosophical system of Taoism. He is best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching translated as “The Way of Virtue.”

Tao, literally means "way", where it implies the essential, mysterious process of the universe.

Te, means "virtue", "personal character", "inner strength", "integrity", "divine power", or "healing virtue”, as well as the modern meaning of "moral excellence" or "the highest goodness."

道德 Tao Te together literally means "ethical principles."

Ching, means "canon", "great book", or "classic.”

Lao Tzu, the Buddha, and Confucius were contemporaries.

Taoism - Lao Tzu (571-471 BCE) 100 years old

Buddhism - the Buddha (563-483 BCE) 80 years old

Confucianism - Confucius (551-479 BCE) 72 years old

The three lived around the same time in history!

Confucius Met Lao Tzu

The story of the meeting of Confucius and Lao Tzu in the state of Zhou, while Lao Tzu was curator of the royal archives was published by Si-ma Ch'ien Historical Records.

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Confucius went to Zhou wanting to ask Lao Tzu about the Tao three times. Lao Tzu once told Confucius:

Let go of the arrogance, desires, pretentious demeanor and unbridled ambition. None of these is good for health."

Confucius came back and told his disciples, "As for birds, I understand how they can fly; with fish, I understand how they can swim; and with animals, I understand how they can run. But when it comes to dragons, I cannot understand how they ascend into the sky riding the wind and the clouds. Today I met Lao Tzu, and he's just like a dragon! He is a real master.”

Confucius then concluded, “Having heard the Tao in the morning, one may die (content) in the evening.”


Reference: Robert G. Henricks - Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, Columbia University Press, 2000.

Editing credit to Rhonda Richey

Qi State

 The Qi State is called “Qigong Tai” in Chinese.



This term was originally defined by Qian Xuesen, a brilliant rocket scientist trained at the California institute of technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and who was later regarded as the Father of China’s space program.


Qian is the main supportive force that made many people practice Qigong. During his period of advocating for Qigong, one in every five people in China were practicing Qigong daily. He encouraged scientists to conduct more research on Qigong, especially young scientists to remain open-minded and have the courage to study the unknown. He firmly believed that science needs courage and leadership without fearing others’ criticism and doubt. He stated that science cannot explain every Qigong phenomenon, but that it does not mean that Qi doesn’t exist nor does it invalidate its healing effects and power.

There are many phenomena in the Human body and in our world that science just can’t explain, yet. He believed that through Qigong cultivation, people become able to regulate the activities within their body so as to keep it in balance. From 1983 to 1987, Qian gave more than a hundred lectures on Qigong as well as on the human body’s transcendental abilities through Qigong practice in universities and at the CNSA stadium hall, where he worked (CNSA stands for China National Space Administration, it’s the equivalent of NASA in the US). Based on his studies and lectures, he published a book titled Human body science and modern technology (1998).



Qian started Qigong when he was 19 years old, after he got typhoid. He was treated by an herbalist first but the effects being limited, he then went to see a Qigong master and experienced external Qi transmission with remarkable, immediate, and tangible results - He quickly and completely recovered. So, he decided to start practicing Qigong on his own, and since then, he kept his daily Qigong practice until his passing in 2009 at the age of 98.



According to Qian, the human body has a normal state; but when one cultivates Qi, one can enter into a different state. The mind is in between sleep and awake, it enters into a relaxing and meditative state while still being fully aware. The brain waves in that state are different from when people are asleep or awake.



 When you are practicing Qigong for self-healing, you can enter into  internal Qi State; when you are conducting healing for others, you enter into external Qi state. In both scenarios, you can use the human body’s potential and access the source of the energy from the universe to heal yourself and others.



When cultivating Qi to a certain level, Qi state is the most blissful and comforting experience: the mind is calm and crystal clear, heart energy is soft and expanded, every cell is livened, clean blood circulate in joy, and the body moves on its own with full freedom surrounded with warm and breezy life-force (Qi), you feel fully alive and unite with heaven and earth into oneness.

Editing credit to Simon Rimbert

Signs that one might be off-track from the practice (Copy)

Tao - The Way

How far have you come?

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True cultivation is not mysterious at all; it is mainly about letting go...


Based on Fengshui, 2020 is an intensely conflicted and destructive year, but it is also a chance for cultivators to make changes to transform negative habits into positive characteristics. Now is time to evaluate how we are doing with our practice, and how we can do more letting go.


The following are the signs when one practices Tao incorrectly or is off track, especially if it keeps getting worse.


1. Feeling confused a lot with a foggy brain (Qi scattered, Qi leaks out the head)


2. Always feeling the need for more different styles of practice from different teachers (not following the Tao-inner path)

3. Having a sense of urgency to get it and get it now (ego/self energy centered)


4. Health conditions becoming worse or more weakened (usually because of the mixed practice of two conflicted Qigong styles)


5. Always feeling self-righteous towards others who become the target of blame (still hooked in drama)


6. Being unable to contain anger and raw emotions such as irritation (lack training on the wisdom eye)


7. Still being driven by addictions (looking for comfort from the outside rather than finding inner peace)


8. Always looking to calculate or bargain for almost anything (mentally stopping the natural flow)


9. Remaining mentally rigid rather than being flexible; having hardened energy rather than soft (energy is put to use in wrong areas)


10. Constantly pushing and doing, which makes things more complicated or difficult (not finding effortless doing)


11. Thinking of oneself as unique, awakened, and knowing of “the truth”; while others are still asleep and being fooled (deviation in views)


12. Feeling that one is so advanced, beyond teaching; seeing how the teacher or others have so many problems (arrogance creates trouble for the self; the more correct the practice, the more humble one becomes)


If this happens, one might need to reset the practice.

Editing credit to Robert H. Smitheram

Services are all going ONLINE

For the best of everyone's safety and well-being, please be aware that due to much worsened pandemic scenario in California and Santa Barbara, all Taoist Light Qigong Training including Healer Training group on July 18 and Level I training on July 19, Sunday will be conducted Online only.

We have had many successful Online trainings in the past dozens of years for students from all over the world.

We look forward to meeting new comers and walking in the light of Tao.

Fengshui for this time and group guided practice

We are going to talk about the fengshui for this time being.

As you can see, the World has been swirling around, for individuals as well as globally. From a Fengshui point of view, we are entering into “Zi Wu conflict” period. This means that extreme Yin energy is meeting up with extreme Yang energy. It is like icy water coming in contact with hot fire, so it's going to create a lot of conflict and disturbances. This turmoil period is going to last until July 22th, 2020. Then, afterwards, from August 15 to Sept 16, 2020,  we will enter another phase of a different kind of disturbances, called Zhong Yuan period, more Yin energy would be released from lower dimensions for energetic exchange which can affect people’s sleep pattern and mental clarity.


How can we handle this ride a little more easily?


1. Stay safe, avoid traveling, neither flights nor road trips, and be careful about accidents and injuries.


2. Avoid wearing red, purple (fire) which can magnify even more fire conflict at this period.


3. Stabilize mental and emotional states, so your sleeping remains calm as well, and try to make the best from the worst, be creative.


When we enter into Fall and Winter, these two extreme Yin and Yang energies in the cosmos will start to settle down.


For who have received Taoist Light Qigong Level I training/transmission:

We hold Online guided Taoist Light Qigong level I practice/group Healing via ZOOM. In this session, we usually have a teaching at the beginning on Tao, followed by guided practice and ending with a group Qi healing.


1. Thursday 10-11:30 am, weekly

2. Sunday 10-11:30 am, bi-weekly on the second and fourth Sundays of the month; staring on August 9, 2020



You can participate comfortably from home. This has been a very supportive way for people to enhance and maintain the practice or restart Taoist Light Qigong level I for those who may have fallen out of practice. For Zoom link and registration, please Email: office@TaoistLightQigong.com

The Jade Spring practice

For ancient Taoist cultivators, Jade Spring is another name for saliva. Because white teeth were described as white jade, the saliva, which surrounds white jade, is called Jade Spring.

In modern society, saliva is often regarded as unclean and is associated with germs, especially these days, considering that the Coronavirus can be transmitted through sneezing or coughing.

But Jade Spring is actually very beneficial for your health. It has anti-inflammation properties, can ease pain, stop bleeding, kill germs and it participates in the digestion process with its natural enzymes.

The human body has three important essences to keep itself healthy: Qi (energy), and blood and saliva (fluids), and there are certain practices we can do to keep the three healthy.

The Jade Spring practice:
1. Sit silently.
2. Gently click your teeth up and down, 36 times (to strengthen the roots of your teeth)
3. Place your tongue against your upper palate. When you close your mouth and teeth together, your tongue will naturally touch the upper palate. Then hold a slight smile for one minute.

4. Swirl your tongue around 36 times, massaging especially the palate and gums to generate Jade Spring (saliva), then, divide the mouthful Jade Spring into three parts; let the first part to go down through the left side of your body (visualize it as you do it), the second part down the right side of your body, and the third part down the middle of your body, to settle in your Lower Dan Tian.

You can practice this at any time, the best being in the morning or right before bed.

Taoists often adopt this wellness practice, such as the King of Medicine, Sun Simiao who lived up to 102 years old and Li Chengyu, who lived up to 108 years old.

When you work with your own Jade Spring, welcome it, generate it as a self-healing inner essence and medicine, think of it as clean as morning dew on the flower petal and the fresh pleasant scent of a flower you like, and allow it to moisturize your entire internal body.