The Immortal Embryo

SPIRITUAL OR IMMORTAL EMBRYO.  In Chinese culture the Spiritual Embryo is the core energy in a human being, the original energy of the body’s conception. It is this energy, when led through various practices, to the center of the brain (the pineal gland, or nihuan point in the Chinese medical system) that results in full-realization enlightenment. Through various breathing techniques, one can return to the original embryonic breathing pattern, which is the union of yin and yang and the basis of the realization of the Tao. The cultivation of the Spiritual Embryo is the central metaphor for the evolution of mind and body in Chinese culture.

This idea of the Immortal Embryo (sheng tai) goes very far back in Taoist internal alchemy practices. The basic idea is that through continually practicing internal alchemy, one develops an immortal, spiritual embryo. Then, after further practice and refinement, this spiritual embryo actually emerges from the body of the practitioner, out through the crown or Heavenly Gate point at the top of the head. We can see illustrations from ancient China of the practitioner sitting in meditation with a small fetus floating above his head. The Immortal Embryo is also described as a form of pure yang spirit. Upon death thispure yang energy will live on outside the body.

 

In Taoism it is believed that not all people achieve reincarnation. For the vast majority of people who do no spiritual practice, upon their death their hun and po souls separate and they are basically “recycled back into the Tao.” But those who do cultivation have an opportunity to come back into the world again for further teaching or to help others along the Way.

Here is a description of the nine stages involved with creating the Immortal Embryo.

(1) the living ch’i circulates freely and unimpeded throughout the body; (2) the essence, the semen (ching), collects in the lower cinnabar field; (3) the sacred embryo begins to assume the form of a human embryo; (4) the two souls of the sacred embryo come into being; (5) the embryo is fully formed and has various supernatural powers; (6) inner and outer yin and yang reach their highest intensity and the embryo merges with the body of the adept; (7) the five internal organs are transformed by the power of ch’i into those of an immortal; (8) an umbilical cord develops, through which the breath is channeled during a practice known as embryonic breathing; (9) form and Tao combine and clouds form below the feet of the practitioner, on which he ascends toward Heaven thereby completing the metamorphosis.

- The Shambhala Dictionary of Taoism

Now whether this is an actual physical experience or if it is more of an inner spiritual or energetic one, the spiritual attainment is the same. There will be physical and energetic experiences connected with this. Just as with a mother carrying a child, much care must be taken to nourish and strengthen both the body and the spirit of the practitioner. It is only in this way that a successful birth of the Immortal Embryo can happen.

Shen Spirit

The last of the Three Treasures is shen. Shen is also called spirit or consciousness. It is what gives our lives meaning and links us with our divine source. The shen is said to reside in the heart and to open through the eyes, as in, “The eyes are the mirrors of the soul.”

A doctor of Chinese medicine can tell the seriousness of a condition by looking into the patient’s eyes. Bright or clear eyes indicate that the shen or spirit is strong; then the chances of recovery are good. Clouded, glazed or unfocused eyes indicate a more doubtful prognosis.

The shen is also the seat of the mind. Cognitive thinking, short-term memory and the ability to reason are all qualities of the shen. Shen is also formed at conception, but is replenished continually thereafter.

Shen disharmonies appear as psychic or psychological problems. In Chinese medicine it is called a “restless or disturbed spirit.” Insomnia, memory loss, inability to concentrate, too much dreaming, and confused thinking are all also signs of a disturbed shen.

To the Chinese, the mind also resides in the heart. “Follow your heart, learning by heart, listening to your heart”—these all come from this belief. As these sayings are also used in the West, could it be that somewhere long ago we Westerners also knew something about this heart/mind connection?

The Seventh Yoga of Naropa: Forceful Entry (Switching Bodies)

The forceful entry is a legendary yoga that is said to have been lost in its complete form in Tibet, although Indian yogis claim to have preserved the tradition. Like many of the yogas, there are two or three versions. The art of hypnosis, for example, is described in medieval India not as suggestion but as forcefully entering another's body and controlling them. The most important idea of forceful entry is that it is possible for an adept to switch his consciousness from one body to another without dying and without discontinuity of consciousness. The idea would be that the yogi who possesses this skill is able to transfer his consciousness from an aged body to that of another body. In China it was believed that it was possible to transfer consciousness into the child of a wealthy family, resulting in enhanced material benefits. There is a recurrent legend in China that Taoists who have been traveling out of body have returned to find their physical body cremated and thus were forced to enter the body of a recently deceased individual in the area in order to maintain an earthly existence. This is the basis of one of the stories from China of the Eight immortals (eight Taoist masters of ancient times).

One of the most beloved figures of the Eight Immortals is Ti Kuai Li or Iron Crutch Li. He is usually shown with a crutch and a gourd that contains medicinal herbs; he is associated with medicine and healers. He is known as an irascible and unpredictable figure and, since he has the form of a beggar, is known to fight for the rights of the poor and needy.

He was not always a crippled beggar. One time when he had left his body to go to the mountains to do his spiritual cultivation (some say with Lao Tzu himself), he gave precise instructions to one of his students that if he was not back in seven days to burn his body. Unfortunately, while he was away his student got news that his mother was very ill and on death’s door. Even though it had only been six days that his master had been gone his student decided that he had waited long enough; he burned his master’s body and then took off for his home village to visit his ailing mother. So when the master returned after being gone for seven days he found that his body was now a heap of ashes. Desperate, he was forced to enter the body of dead beggar he found at the side of the road, who had a crippled leg. From then on he inhabited this unfortunate body, hence his often terrible temper.

The idea of being trapped without a body, or consciousness traveling from body to body, is relatively common in yogic alchemical literature.

Six Yogas of Naropa

The Six Yogas of Naropa are a collection of techniques passed down by enlightened couples, many of whom have achieved the permanent union of the Three Bodies. These yogas can be done before or during death, with the understanding that some yogis can only achieve full Buddhahood at the time of death. Each of the techniques is considered a complete method of transcendence in and of itself; the Six Yogas represent a collection of practices of a number of Mahasiddhas. In many ways, the Six Yogas appear to be based on the original shamanic and yogic methods of inner power development; the most complete form results in the union of the Three Bodies.

Naropa, one of the most well known practitioners of Buddhism and tantric yoga, was a student of Tilopa in India in the 10th century. He studied with Tilopa by first being subjected to what are known as "The Twelve Trials of Naropa,” which involved Tilopa's placing Naropa into situations that were quite challenging and painful, testing Naropa's willingness and devotion.

There are many stories of spiritual teachers who test their potential and ongoing students with extremely harsh conditions, demands, requests, and questions. The trials to test sincerity, which many teachers put their students through, are meant to eliminate dilettante practitioners who do not have the mental fortitude or devotion to traverse the path to its end. The students who successfully pass through these trials demonstrate a level of devotion conspicuously absent from many modern spiritual or religious disciplines. The focus and dedication that it takes an Olympic athlete to earn a gold medal are similar to what is necessary for a student to master advanced spiritual disciplines, such as those in chi gong or mahamudra teachings.

The Six Yogas of Naropa, advanced teachings that are the foundations of the Buddhist lineages, especially in Tibet.

Tantric Sex

It is said that the tantric path can be a slippery slope without proper understanding and guidance. Without the amount of preparation, self-cultivation, and deep understanding of the principles involved, one will only be indulging in low-level desires and not truly experiencing the tantric path of ultimate freedom and awareness.

In ancient tantric texts from India we see that sex is viewed as having three distinct purposes — procreation, pleasure, and liberation. Spiritual seekers are able to use this most fundamental of human expressions to facilitate greater communication and trust levels with their partners, and are able to improve their health physically, emotionally, and psychologically. They can also use this powerful form of energy cultivation for further spiritual growth.

In India many types of sexual rituals were practiced. Some of them involved elaborate preparation and purification rites. In these rituals, the male and the female were seen as living embodiments of the primordial aspects of the universe—Shiva and Shakti. When they are joined physically these Shiva and Shakti energies are fused, resulting in a powerful energy field. This energy field then allows both the male and female to achieve higher states of consciousness as well as greater levels of health and spiritual insight.

An important part of this practice was seminal retention. It was believed that semen, being full of life-giving properties, was too precious to be lost.

Sexual Yoga

The use of sexual energy for spiritual attainment, sometimes called dual cultivation, has been practiced for health and spiritual cultivation in both the West and East for centuries. In the West it was sometimes called sex magic and was used in both religious and magical pursuits. The fundamental concept of dual cultivation and sex magic is that sexual energy is an extremely powerful force; when we harness this potent energy we can use it for attaining transcendent states.

In some schools it was the orgasmic release that was thought to confer power upon the celebrants; an example of this is in the union of the High Priestess and the High Priestas they celebrate the Great Rite of Wicca in European pagan schools. In other schools it was thought that retention of the orgasm freed up great areas of creative and spiritual energy. It was believed that in the transmutation of the orgasm one could be lifted into greater heights of energetic and spiritual attainment.

In India the study of sexual yoga covered a wide range of practices. One can travel to the great temple of Konorak to see these holy buildings absolutely covered with hundreds of intertwined figures having sex in every sort of posture possible. Rather than viewing this as pornographic the Indians see it as the god and goddess at play.

The image of yab-yum is a common symbol found in India, Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet. This image is that of a male deity in sexual union with his female consort, usually sitting in his lap and facing him. The male figure usually represents the quality of compassion and the female figure that of insight. This is actually a representation of an inner union, one that takes place within the body and psyche of the tantric practitioner. It often represents the mystical union of wisdom and compassion. Yab-yum can also be connected to the tantric practice of Karmamudra. This practice involves having a physical partner as well as the practice of tummo or inner heat.

Dual cultivation was taken very seriously in some tantric Buddhist circles. In Tibet one sees many tankas (religious paintings) of various divinities, male and female, in conjoined bliss. There are, of course, many layers of meaning in these images.

Tibetan ritual chanting practice also uses two objects. The dorje, called the Diamond Thunderbolt Scepter, is the male and represents compassion. The bell is the female and represents wisdom. Manipulated together during ritual, these two objects dance together in a cosmic dance of male and female, compassion and wisdom. In some schools of Buddhist practice, trying to reach enlightenment without tantric union is likened to using water to churn butter.