I Can Hear the Heart's Voice of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Chapter 402 - 167: Cultivating Noble Vitality, Training the Vajra Body (Eight Vajra Skills)_2
When Ji Xiuwen came back with packed breakfast and saw Lu Xuan exercising on the balcony, he curiously asked, "Hey, are you practicing Tai Chi?"
"This is Vajra Skill," Lu Xuan replied with a hint of annoyance.
While practicing Vajra Skill, he explained, "The Eight Vajra Skills have a long history, dating back to the Tang Dynasty as a prototype. By the Song Dynasty, many palaces and temples were promoting it, and during the Yuan and Ming periods, it became popular among the people, some even calling it the Eight Pieces of Brocade."
"I know about the Eight Pieces of Brocade; nowadays, many elderly folks practice it for health preservation. It’s even better than practicing Tai Chi," Ji Xiuwen responded.
"But what I’m doing is not the Eight Pieces of Brocade, it’s the Eight Vajra Skills, also known as the Outer Eight Departments, which differ greatly in heart method, sequence, and movement techniques from the Eight Pieces of Brocade."
"For example?"
Lu Xuan laughed and explained, "For instance, the heart method of the Eight Pieces of Brocade includes: ’Two Hands Holding Up to Harmonize the Three Burners, Drawing the Bow as if Shooting the Hawk, Regulating the Spleen and Stomach by Single Lifting, Looking Back to Eliminate Five Ailments and Seven Injuries, Punching Fists with Angry Eyes to Increase Strength, Touching Toes to Strengthen the Kidneys and Waist, Shaking the Head and Wagging the Tail to Reduce Heart Fire, Seven Taps on the Back to Disperse a Hundred Ills.’
On the other hand, the heart method of the Eight Vajra Skills is: ’Both Hands Supporting Sky to Benefit the Three Burners, Hands and Feet Forward and Backward to Strengthen the Kidneys and Waist, Regulating the Spleen and Stomach by Single Lifting, Left Liver and Right Lung like Shooting the Hawk, Turning the Head to Look at the Feet to Reduce Heart Ailments, Looking Back to Eliminate Five Ailments and Seven Injuries, Phoenix Spreading Wings All-Encompassing Power, Two Steps Stomping to Dissipate Unhealthy Desires.’
"Aren’t they the same?" Upon hearing this, Ji Xiuwen blinked.
"They just sound similar. However, because of different sects and personal training methods, the heart methods and movements naturally vary, and the effects on the human body are also vastly different."
Lu Xuan explained, "The sequence of training in the Eight Vajra Skills is deeply profound. It starts with ’Clearing the Three Burners’, initiating the body’s energy mechanism. Then, it trains the organs one by one. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
The Inner Scripture of the Yellow Emperor states: ’The kidneys command the heart, the spleen commands the kidneys, the liver commands the spleen, the lungs command the liver, the heart commands the lungs.’
According to the principles of the Inner Canon, you should first strengthen the kidneys and waist.
"The kidneys are the root of prenatal essence," they are the foundation of life. If utilized outwardly, they can give life to humans; if used inwardly, they can regenerate oneself.
Deep roots support lush leaves, to flourish the branches and leaves, you must first nourish the root. The spleen is the root of postnatal essence, so after ’Strengthening the Kidneys and Waist,’ comes ’Regulating the Spleen and Skin,’ which is the cell tissue between the skin and muscles, then ’Left Liver and Right Lung,’ and finally ’Turning the Head to Look at the Feet to Reduce Heart Ailments’ to regulate the heart, the ’Sovereign Official’ of the body.
Isn’t this sequence the same as the sequence of the five viscera shown in the Inner Scripture of the Yellow Emperor? It has the function of training and strengthening each organ. Moreover, based on this, it sweeps away some latent ’Five Ailments and Seven Injuries’ bodily ailments through the method of ’Divine Light Looking Back.’
This way it can clear illnesses and strengthen the body, making it more robust. Finally, through the cultivation techniques of ’Phoenix Spreading Wings All-Encompassing Power’ and ’Two Feet Stomping to Dissipate Unhealthy Desires,’ it keeps the body’s meridians and blood vessels unblocked, eliminates dietary obstructions, abstains from bad habits, and prevents various diseases, thereby achieving a perfect effect."
"Is it really that powerful?" Ji Xiuwen exclaimed.
"What else did you expect?"
Lu Xuan said, "The Taoist Zhang who passed down these Outer Eight Departments to the world lived to be 103 years old before his ascension. But it’s not just the Vajra Skill, there’s also a Longevity Skill, practicing it often naturally has the effect of prolonging life."
"Is that so? Then I should learn from you too."
"Not having breakfast?"
"Screw breakfast! Let’s practice first, I can always heat it in the microwave later."
"Then wait a bit, I’ll finish this set and then start teaching you from the beginning."
"Alright."
Finishing a set of Vajra Skill, though the speed was not fast, didn’t take much time, less than ten minutes.
When Lu Xuan finished, Ji Xiuwen was already impatiently standing by, practicing Vajra Skill with him.
After a while, Ji Xiuwen commented, "It seems like just a few movements, but it turns out to be a bit challenging, and it’s not very easygoing, it feels a bit tiring."
"Did you think a cultivation technique that can prolong life would be easy?"
Lu Xuan stopped his movements, "Watch first, I’ll practice and explain the key points and medical principles of the Outer Eight Departments to you. Knowing the movements without understanding the theory, it’s hard to truly grasp the essence."
Ji Xiuwen nodded, coming to the side to observe carefully.
Lu Xuan assumed the preparation stance, "The preparation stance of the Outer Eight Departments serves as the foundation stone for the high-rise building, playing a very important role in the whole of the Outer Eight Departments."
He said, positioning his feet shoulder-width apart, standing straight, with his hands naturally hanging at the sides, eyes looking forward. The whole body relaxed, maintaining a calm mind, eliminating distractions, heart naturally tranquil.
Even just a preparation stance, Ji Xiuwen felt a difference in Lu Xuan’s demeanor.
The aura changed.
The world seemed to become quiet because of it.
Although outside there was still the constant sound of traffic, if the heart is quiet, naturally it won’t be disturbed by the external world.
"Both Hands Supporting Sky to Benefit the Three Burners!"
Completing the preparation stance, Lu Xuan softly commanded, fingers together, both hands straightened down...
Meanwhile, he slowly said, "The Three Burners, which I introduced to you a few days ago, I won’t talk about locations, you should know this.
The human Primordial Qi originates from the kidneys, spreading throughout the body through the channels of the Three Burners, promoting the activities of each organ and tissue. The upper burner is like fog, the middle burner like ferment, and the lower burner like a ditch. The Three Burners have the functions of circulating blood and fluids, digesting water and grain, and regulating water pathways. The hand is where the hand’s three Yin and three Yang meridians converge.
The hand Shaoyang Triple Burner channel begins at the Guanchong point on the fourth finger (the point at the outer corner of the nail of the fourth finger), converging with the Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder meridian at the Sizhukong point, connecting with the Pericardium meridian.
This technique naturally applies force, turning the palms directly upward from the top of the head heavenward, moving the hand’s three Yin, three Yang, foot’s three Yin, and three Yang, Ren and Du meridians, and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, achieving the effect of benefiting the Three Burners, making an overall adjustment of the Yin and Yang exterior and interior of the head, five viscera and six bowels, and four limbs, laying the foundation for the subsequent techniques.
