Hello, and welcome to this piece from the Nüwa!
A handful of ideas and practices are found within all authentic spiritual traditions. Foremost amongst these is the process of release — the incremental surrender of self and corresponding development of connection to that which is greater. In the context of Daoism, the release process unfolds through apophatic meditation and is fuelled through a process of energetic development. You can read more about this in the following three pieces, each of which follows on from the next.
This piece introduces to the established framework the notion of correct awareness, which is the essential catalyst for the unfolding of meditative and energetic processes.
What is Correct Awareness?
In this piece, ‘awareness’ refers to how the mind interfaces with an object. Within Daoist inner cultivation, correct awareness is established in two stages:
The mind is placed on an object(s).
Whilst the mind is placed on an object(s), all excess mental force is removed.
The first stage may be categorised as action (wei), whilst the second stage is non-action (wuwei). In essence, correct awareness is about moving from a state of action (wei) to non-action (wuwei). It’s about moving from a post-celestial (houtian) state of narrow manifestation to a pre-celestial (xiantian) state of open potential. The cultivation of action (wei) is an entirely essential foundation for moving into non-action (wuwei). As the alchemical classic Awakening to Reality (Wuzhen Pian) states:
“Cultivation begins with action, and here people struggle to perceive. Arriving at non-action, then all begin to understand. But if you only see non-action as the essential marvel, how will you know that action is the foundation?”
Correct Awareness in Formal Practice
Formal practice = traditional seated meditation carried out under specific circumstances.
When you first start to practise placing the mind on an object, such as the lower dantian or the breath, you have to use strong intention to keep it there. Otherwise, the mind wanders from the object.
Once proficient at holding the mind on an object, practise reducing as much excess mental force as possible. You will find that you walk a line between excess force and insufficient force. If too little intention is used, the mind will slip off the object. With time and practice, the amount of intention needed to keep the mind on an object diminishes.
Correct Awareness in Informal Practice
Informal practice = practice done in any situation and under any circumstances.
In the case of informal practice, correct awareness begins with recollection of the present moment, internal environment and task at hand. Like in formal practice, at first you will have to use strong intention to keep the mind from wandering.
Once proficient at holding the mind, then, as with formal practice, begin reducing the amount of mental force used. This is difficult and requires a very high level of skill. It’s the key to establishing a direct, fully present engagement with one’s experience, and the development of spontaneity, fluidity and flexibility. It is also the key to true immersion into one’s practice.
Why is Correct Awareness a Catalyst?
As already mentioned many times, Daoist inner cultivation is fundamentally concerned with moving through a process of release. However, no matter how much you practise, the release process cannot unfold unless correct awareness is present. The rate at which the release process unfolds is directly related to the extent to which a practitioner has established correct awareness.
When the mind stabilises on an object(s) whilst also stepping back from it, something extraordinary happens. Neither compressed nor overwhelmed by mind, the object comes to life. It opens up, vibrates and becomes fluid. Simply nourished by correct awareness, an object upon which the mind is placed undergoes a process of highly intelligent, natural transformation. The details of exactly what happens at this point are complex. Sometimes you add a subtle intention to kickstart certain processes, at other times you simply observe the natural transformation. However, without correct awareness, neither option is possible.
Thank you for reading this edition of the Nüwa,
道炁長存
Oscar
I experience this as an active and passive mind. The active mind grips it’s object of attention and the passive mind supports-holds it. This has been one of the most interesting things to play with….
Love youre writing and I very much resonate with the experience of the object of meditation taking on a life of its own and opening up with the right quality of attention. I will say though that my experience of meditation, which has been heavily influence by the vipassana tradition, differs slightly (and possibly only semantically) from the description of “walk[ing] a line between excess force and insufficient force.” Instead, in my experience especially with breath meditation, the action/non-action of release is one in the same as the deeping of focus on the object of focus. In other words, one releases into the breath. So in that sense, my experience of meditation does not consist so much if walking a line as as it does of growing my capacity to let go into the object of focus, which creates the setting for this organic, spontaneous unfolding to occur. Of course, meditation is so personal and in no way am I implying a “right way” just sharing my experience. So much gratitude for your blog, looking forward to more 🙏