Inner Alchemy

1. Distinguish Deep Mind from superficial-mind

Superficial-mind is the aspect of your consciousness dominated by brain activity. Superficial-mind looks outwards through the 5 external senses and is not useful for deep internal training.

The best method to go past superficial-mind is to 'close down the mind as if going to sleep' (although most traditions have rather used mantras or concentration to induce a trance like condition of the outer mind).

The deep Mind looks inwards. On its lowest level it listens to and intelligently manages the instinctive and moving functions of the body via the 5 internal sensors.

2. Distinguish 5 internal sensors from 5 external senses

Deep Mind is woken and strengthened at its lowest or etheric level by concentrating on the 5 inner sensors. The 5 outer senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch – perceive the outer world and concentrating on them will just make superficial-mind stronger. That may seem useful for outer liFe but it works against waking the Deep Mind.

The 5 inner sensors – joint-position, muscle-state, pain, pressure and temperature – are the most natural and certain entry into the Deep Mind. Of these 5, pain and joint sensors along with the muscle states of contracting and relaxing are the least important as they are also partially accessed by the superficial-mind.

Pressure and temperature sensors along with the muscle states of stretching and un-stretching activate deeper levels of the brain and also the etheric levels of the Deep Mind.

3. Distinguish 5 phases of the muscle cycle

Of the 5 inner senses only muscle-state has major corresponding motor nerves (pressure, joints, and temperature are regulated indirectly by changing muscle states). The muscle cycle has 5 phases – holding, contracting, relaxing, stretching and un-stretching.

Training conscious control of the muscle-cycles begins the development of 'Yi' (intention or will, 意) within the Deep Mind. Seek to lengthen the stretching phase while increasing the pressure that comes from stretching. Use intention to direct the wave of elastic un-stretching.

(Professor Cheng emphasized Dingjin (sensing) – relax and listen for pressure. Master Huang emphasized Yi意 (intention) – listen to and regulate the muscle cycles. Most balanced is to do both, along with awareness of the heat field of the body.)

4. Clearly understand 5 aspects of the Deep Mind Sphere

Deep Mind Energy Sphere
= Large Dantien
= Upper+Middle+Lower Dantians (Heaven, Man, Earth)
= Deep Mind Intelligence+Deep Essence(Celestial, Astral, Etheric)+Body

Within the Deep Mind Sphere you exists as Deep Mind or Soul. Deep Mind Intelligence is the point of contact with Spirit. Deep Essence exists within Lower-energies – Celestial, Astral, Etheric (Shen真, Qi气 & Jing精). Body, including the brain, neither existing before conception nor after death, may or may not be considered as part of the Deep Mind.

5. Train Deep Mind beyond the Physical-Etheric

From long years (10 to 14 years) of listening to the internal sensations, the Mind becomes stable on the Etheric level. Remember one Old Master said, "14 years to learn the basics; after that it is easy"

Next, while resting quietly with the muscle cycles inactive and the pressure mostly un-changing, concentrate on tingling (pain sensors), fullness (pressure sensors) and warmth (temperature sensors). This will quickly re-enter the Etheric energy level of the Deep Mind, based in the Lower Dantian.

Go deeper and by concentrating on light, warmth and pure awareness, centre the Mind on the sphere of energy that surrounds the body. This will be a mixture of the lower-energies (etheric, astral and celestial). Don't imagine that this is more than the earliest contact with the shallowest part of the Deep Mind, or further progress will be blocked.

Consciousness, Intention, Intelligence

Train consciousness within this level by sinking gently deeper into this state while intensifying the sense of warmth, light and pure awareness.

Train intention within this level by sending the light to those you wish to help and by clearly resolving to replace major negative aspects of yourself with positive ones. All things that assist your inner development can be seen as 'good' and all which goes against it as 'bad'.

Train intelligence within this level by seeking to understand the deep workings of yourself, of people you have contact with and of the inner and outer worlds. True understanding will cause deep gratitude to arise in response to all the good and acceptance in response to the bad.

Beyond Meditation

The influence of the Deep Mind Intelligence will grow as the effort to change your inner nature refines the lower energies. Abdullah said: "It takes at least 21 years (typically closer to 30) to crystallise the energies of the Deep Mind and enter the 4th energy level". This is the lesser enlightenment which the Buddha spoke of as being sufficient to escape the rounds of lives and deaths.

Then further development will be managed almost effortlessly, from the inside out, according to the person's degree of balance and the will of their own Spirit (fate). At this stage meditation is no longer necessary as the deep state will be present (more actively or more passively according to circumstances) at all times in normal life.