Introductory Practices (Tian Dao Gong)

Practice Guidelines Practice in a serene state of mind. Never practice in a bad mood or in an unstable emotional state. All the intentions and thoughts during practice are benevolent and peaceful. During practice picture oneself as an innocent young child. Relax ones entire body naturally. Never get greedy or anticipate results; be attentive yet relaxed; devotion in practice with no expectations on success. By forgetting ones illness and suffering and letting go of ones controls, demands and desires, one gently connects with the Divine Universe and Tian Gong, through their transmission to send out blessings to all of Humanity (one is naturally included.) Select a comfortable place to practice. Never practice in the rain or strong wind. Do not allow any spontaneous movement. If spontaneous movement occurs, use ones mind gently to control it.

59

 For weak practitioners, do not practice the standing posture. For the elderly and anyone with a leg ailment, do not force oneself to practice in the cross-legged, kneeling, kneeling/sitting-on-ankles, or half lotus/half sitting postures. Eat lightly before practice. Women who are pregnant or menstruating should practice in the sitting or lying posture. For daily practice it is best not to exceed three times a day, with a duration of 30-40 minutes for each session. For people who are in good health, practicing up to twice daily is sufcient. For the physically weak, practices can be more frequent but shorter in duration according to the need. If one gets startled and feels uncomfortable during practice, use ones mind gently to calm oneself back to normal and then either perform a closing or continue to practice. It is best to relieve oneself before practice and wait 510 minutes after the practice to eat or take a shower. If one is currently following another practice style, there is no conict involved in switching to Tian Gong. On the contrary, Tian Gong practice will further strengthen the benets and results from any previous training.
~

60

 It is very important to perform a closing at the end of each practice. All the introductory practices, with the exception of Tong Tian Gong, require one to perform a closing before one can answer the phone, speak loudly or get up and walk away. It is recommended to bring the palms of ones hands together in front of ones chest with the ngers pointing upward before and after each practice. If one has a serious mental illness, do not practice Tian Gong for the time being without special permission.

61

Six Practices Of Tian Dao Gong Pathway to the Universe Practice (Tong Tian Gong) Styles: Walking, standing, sitting-on-chair; kneeling/ sitting-on-ankles; sitting-in-lotus (or with legs naturally crossed) or lying down. Intention: Tian Gong sends out Celestial blessings of wisdom, well-being and auspiciousness to all of humanity. Practice Method: Preparation (Figures 1 2) Spread your feet shoulder-width apart; align your feet on the same line and have them parallel to each other or pointing slightly outwards. Let your hands down naturally by your sides. Relax your entire body. Your eyes are open naturally. Smile from within and on your face. Enter a serene, natural, peaceful and calm state of mind and pray for all of humanity to receive the Celestial energies of wisdom, vibrant health, healing and longevity through Tian Gongs transmission.
62

Gently bring the palms of your hands together in front of your chest, with ngers pointing up, and prepare yourself to start the practice.

63

 First Section: Listening to the Celestial Bell (Figures 36) Place the palms of your hands tightly over your ears, and tap the back of your head lightly nine times with your ngertips, creating a dong-dong sound, like the ringing of the Celestial Bell. Continue by removing your hands from your ears so quickly that the ears resound. Repeat this a total of three times. If practicing in the lying-down posture, you can skip the tapping movement on the back of your head.

64

Close by bringing the palms of your hands together in front of your chest.

65

 Second Section: Climbing the Celestial Ladder (Figures 7 16) Next, separate your hands to the sides of your chest and make hollow sts with both hands; raise them to about the height of your eyes, then drop them past your cheeks, the sides of your chest, the abdominal area, until reaching the thighs. Now naturally open your sts. Again raise both hands to your eye level; make a st and lower your hands down to the sides of your thighs as if there were a rope ladder in front of you and your hands were gently grasping

66

67

the side rails of the ladder, continuously climbing upward. You can also move your hands gently in turn to climb the ladder. (You can start this segment in this manner to climb the Celestial Ladder). With your hand motions, your may walk around, walk in place, or stand still.

68

Close by bringing the palms of your hands together in front of your chest.

69

 Third Section: Crossing the Celestial Bridge (Figures 17 21) Bring the palms of your hands together in front of your chest, with your ngers pointing upwards. Slowly rock them in a left-and-right fanning movement in front of your chest. Your ngertips should not go higher than your eyes. Your body can sway along with the hands. The swaying motions should not be too sweeping and you should feel very little effort involved. You can move your feet or stand still.

70

Close

by

bringing

the palms of your hands together in front of your chest.

71

 Fourth Section: Entering the Celestial Gate (Figures 22 28) Spread your hands in front of your chest, with palms facing outward, ngers pointing up, and your arms bent, but not extended outward. In this position, make light circular motions in the same direction in front of the chest. After making several circles, reverse the direction. The direction can be switched from time to time. The size of the circles does not matter, as long as they are not too large.

72

73

You can move your feet and legs as you please. Close by bringing the palms of your hands together in front of your chest.

74

 Fifth Section: Smelling the Celestial Fragrance (Figures 29 33) With the palms of your hands facing each other, place them on either side of your nose. (Optionally, you can rst press lightly with your forengers on the Ying Xiang Xue, an acupoint next to the nose, 18 times.) Then, gradually, move them apart and then back to the sides of the nose, as if making a motion of gathering fragrance. Continue moving them apart and together at a moderate to slow pace. These motions can be big or small, as long as the palms

75

of your hands are facing each other. The movements of the hands can change as desired. Close by bringing the palms of your hands together in front of your chest.

76

 Sixth Section: Immersion in the Celestial Rain (Figures 34 50) In this exercise you feel as if your whole body and soul are bathed in a sweet shower or rain that permeates the entire rmament and is cleansing your spirit and body. You feel quite relaxed and joyful. This section has three steps: Step 1: Let your arms and hands fall naturally by your sides, with palms facing your thighs and ngers shaking lightly beside your thighs.

77

Step 2: With the hands at the sides of your body, palms facing upward and slightly forward, shake your ngers lightly as if to meet the rain. While shaking, your hands can move freely at the height of the shoulders, in front of the chest, or with one hand higher than the other, as long as they remain in the general posture of receiving the rain; or your head can look up to the sky as your hands unfold and spread upward to greet the rain. In other words, as long as your palms

78

remain upward and slightly forward in the posture of receiving the rain, you can change the hand movements as you like. The hands can shake as you please or can remain still.

79

80

Step 3: The hands take turns making a motion of lightly stroking along the arms from top to bottom, but without touching the skin. The left hand strokes the right arm, and the right hand strokes the left arm. When stroking, the ngers can shake lightly or stay still. Then, the hands stroke together or take turns stroking downward in front of the forehead, face, chest and abdomen as if you were massaging yourself after a shower and immersing in the powerful energy of the Divine Universe. The stroking motion should be lively and gentle. In the whole process of immersing in the Celestial Rain,

81

82

83

your hands and feet are well coordinated to reect gracefulness and carefree spirit and you should feel comfortable and smooth all over. Steps 1, 2 and 3 can be done in sequence, or can be done repeatedly in any order. Close by bringing the palms of your hands together in front of your chest.

84

 Closing Exercise (Figures 51 57): Gently place your hands over the navel, with the right hand beneath for women and the left hand beneath for men. Rub your Dan Tian (lower abdominal region) by moving your hands in a circle nine times clockwise, then nine times counter clockwise at a moderate to slow speed. After rubbing Dan Tian (located inside the lower abdominal cavity underneath the navel), warm your hands by rubbing them together, then dry wash (without water) your

85

face 9 18 times. How to dry wash your face is as follows: Place your hands tightly against both cheeks, push your hands to rub upward along the sides of your face up to the midpoint of the forehead; then start to rub hard downward along the center

86

line of your face. Repeat this cycle 18 times. Lastly, tap your teeth gently 36 times. Close by bringing the palms of your hands together in front of your chest. This concludes Tong Tian Gong practice.

87

Remarks: When performing this practice, there is no need to close your eyes, go into a meditative state; you should refrain from thinking about your illness, or making spontaneous movements. Breathe naturally. One can practice these exercises at home or during travel, before or after eating, or during a stroll. One can practice while watching television, or moving the body gently in a dancing posture as long as the basic practice posture remains intact. During practice one can answer the telephone rst and then perform closing movements, or continue practicing after the phone conversation. The movements should be in medium to slow speed and as gentle, natural and graceful as possible. If the hands and feet both move, they should be coordinated. The number, range and intensity of movements should be in accordance with the individuals physical condition, as well as how relaxed and comfortable you feel after practice. If you get tired during practice, take a break for a few minutes and then resume practice. Each time, practice for approximately
88

30 minutes. If you do not have enough time or a suitable place to practice, utilize whatever time and space is available to you, whether it is ve minutes, ten minutes, or twenty minutes. You can select some sections to practice or shorten the time for each section. The effects can be enhanced when practiced in groups. If feasible, the entire family or husband and wife are encouraged to practice together. It is recommended to practice with a Tong Tian Gong video or music tape. In practicing Section Five, Smelling Celestial Fragrance, some practitioners may smell various aromas. When practicing other sections, some practitioners third eye may open to see the various phenomena such as the Celestial Ladder, Celestial Gate, Celestial Bridge or Celestial Rain. One may experience clairaudience in hearing the sound of the Celestial Bell. One may feel the sensation of energy in the hands intensify. All the above and much more are the possible good responses from this practice. Tong Tian Gong can be learned easily and immediately taught to others. Helping others by teaching the practice is a very effective way to nurture and accumulate ones virtue, and expand ones energy body.
89

 Celestial Smile Practice (Tian Xiao Gong) Style: Half Lotus and half sitting. Intention: Tian Gong infuses humanity with smiles. Practice Method: Posture (Figure 58) Sit comfortably with your legs crossed naturally. Men lift the left leg to an upright folded position, making an upright triangle, while the right foot remains at on the oor. Women lift the right leg to an upright folded position making an upright remains the triangle at on Hold while the left foot oor.

the palms of your hands together in front of your chest with ngers point90

ing upward. Gently place the left hand, palm down, on the left knee or leg, and gently place the right hand, palm down on the right knee or leg. You may lean your upper body gently backward (support behind the back is allowed) and lift your face slightly upward. You may also choose to keep the upper body straight but relaxed and the chin slightly tucked in. The entire body is naturally relaxed and comfortable. Close your eyes slightly. Then engender a smile from deep within your heart, letting it gradually emanate and spread to reach every cell of your body and every pore of your skin. Let the ripples of the smile continuously radiate and expand towards outer dimensions of time/space until the human body as a microcosm and the Universe as a macrocosm smile together as one. Closing: (Figure 59 64) Change to sit in lotus position with legs naturally crossed. The closing is the same as Tong Tian Gong. Next, rub along
~

91

the center line of the soles of your feet 36 times. Using either side of your palm, rub the sole of your foot along the center line to stimulate your Yong-Quan Acupressure Point.
~

92

Men rub the left foot rst with the right hand, while women rub the right side rst with the left hand. Then change to the other foot. Rub each foot eighteen times. Finally, bring the palms of your hands together in front of your chest in prayer position. Suggestion: This practice is most suitable for those with excess worries, depression, sadness, anxiety, extreme introversion and difculty in opening up or letting go.

93

 Sun and Moon Practice (Ri Yue Gong) Style: Standing, kneeling, kneeling/sitting-on-ankles, sitting-on-chair, or lotus positions. Intention: Tian Gong transmits the Sun or Moon energy to all of humanity. Practice Method: Posture (Figure 65 85): Spread your feet shoulder-width apart; align your toes on the same line; your feet should be parallel to each other or pointed slightly outward; bend your knees very slightly; let your hands down naturally by your sides; gently close your eyes; relax your entire body; smile from within and on your face; then hold palms together in front of your chest with ngers pointing upward. (You may also practice in the sitting-on-chair, sitting-in-lotus, kneeling or kneeling/ sitting-on-ankles positions.) Sun and Moon Practice is comprised of Divine Sun Practice and Divine Moon Practice. These two practices share the same posture, but differ in intention during
94

practice. The practitioner gently connects to the Sun or the Moon Divinity with respect and gratitude, and prays for the transmission of the Sun or Moon energy to all of Humanity. Practitioners with differing religious and cultural backgrounds will have different names for the Sun and the Moon Divinity and thus can make their own choices according to custom; for those with no religious afliation, they can use their mind to connect with the Sun and the Moon directly.

95

This practice is made up of three ball-embracing postures: Lower Dan-Tian Style: Hold the palms of your hands together in front of your chest in the prayer position. Then open your arms and lower them to the lower abdominal area in a ball-embracing position as if embracing the sun or moon. Middle Dan-Tian Style: Stretch out your arms in front of your chest as if you were embracing a ball. Upper Dan-Tian Style: Raise your hands high in front of your forehead as if embracing a ball.

96

The selection of the above three postures depends on the condition of your physical strength, health condition and practice level. Style, You may start proceed to with the Lower Dan-Tian then Middle Dan-Tian and Upper Dan-Tian, progressing gradually from easy to more difcult levels. Practitioners with too much heat energy such as high blood pressure should not practice the Upper Dan-Tian Style and the Divine Sun Practice.

97

98

99

100

101

When you become tired while practicing in the styles of Sitting-on-chair, Sitting cross-legged, Kneeling, or Kneeling/sitting-on-ankles, you may choose to switch to one of the following: Natural Sitting Style (Figure 70), Natural Cross-legged Style (Figure 74), Natural Kneeling Style (Figure 78), or Natural Kneeling/sitting-on-ankles Style (Figure 82). The Natural Styles can be chosen for beginning the various practices such as the Sun and Moon Practice, or separately as individual practices for meditation and cultivation. Natural Sitting Style: Follow the sitting-on-chair style of the Sun and Moon Practice, but instead of holding the hands in front, rest them on top of the thighs with palms of your hands facing either up or down; or you can gently place the hands upon the lower abdomen to protect the Dan-Tian areafor man the left hand underneath and for women the right hand underneathwith the thumb of the upper hand lightly pressing on the Lao-Gong Acupoint located in the depression on the palm of the lower hand. Natural Sitting-cross-legged Style: Follow the Sitting Cross-legged Style in the Sun and Moon Practice, but instead of holding the hands in front, rest them on top of
~

102

your thighs, with palms facing either up or down: or you can place them gently upon the lower abdomen to protect the Dan-Tian area. Natural Kneeling Style and Natural Kneeling/Sittingon-ankles Style: Follow the Kneeling and Kneeling/Sitting-on-ankles Styles in the Sun and Moon Practice, but instead of being in the ball-holding posture, your hands are positioned in the Dan-Tian Protecting Style. Closing: With the Standing Style, Sitting-on-chair Style and the Natural Sitting Posture, the closing is the same as Tong Tian Gong; with Sitting-in-lotus (or with legs naturally crossed), Kneeling, Kneeling/Sitting-on-ankles Styles and the other three Natural Styles the closing follows the Celestial Smile Practice.

103

Suggestion: This practice strengthens your energy. It will enhance your health, heal diseases and expand your energy body quickly. If you can stand, practice more in standing. Make sure you control the intensity and timing of the practice well. The best criterion is how you feel afterwards you should feel relaxed, comfortable and not feel tired. If you cannot practice standing, adopt sitting and kneeling styles.

104

 Community Practice (Gong Zi Gong)

Style: Lotus position or with legs crossed naturally. Intention: Tian Gong transmits the Universal messages of world peace and global service to all of humanity. Practice Method: Posture (Figure 86) Sit with your legs naturally crossed or in lotus position; then hold the palms of your hands together in front of your chest; tuck in your chin slightly; close your eyes gently; smile from within and on your face; be relaxed and natural;
~

105

place your hands at the sides of your body until there is 30 to 45 degrees between your arms and your body; your shoulders are relaxed and even; your elbows are bent into a natural curve; the ngers are in a natural curve shape and relaxed. For men, your palms should be facing downward and slightly backward; for women, your palms facing upward and slightly forward. The posture of this practice resembles Chinese Character Gong (for the community, which means public, sharing with others, open to all). During practice, let yourself enter the spiritual dimension of serving the world and unifying with the Universe. If you become tired during practice, you may choose to switch to practicing in the Natural Cross-legged Style (Figure 74) in order to restore your energy. You may also set yourself up in the Natural Cross-legged Style when rst begin the practice, then proceed on to practice in this posture. Closing: Same as Celestial Smile Practice.

106

Suggestion: If one is overly attached to personal gain and loss and lacks the cultivation of the Greater Self and the concept of Serving the world, one should concentrate more on this practice. If more and more people perform this practice, it will expand the power of peace globally.

107

 Celestial Cross Practice (Shi Zi Gong) Style: Standing, sitting-on-chair, sitting-in-lotus, kneeling or kneeling/sitting-on-ankles. Intention: Chest Protecting Posture: Humility, gratitude, self-reection and repentance. Cross Posture: Willingness to sacrice for the sake of others and all life. Practice Method: Posture (Figure 87 93)

Chest Protecting Posture: Spread your feet shoulderwidth apart; align your toes on the same line; your feet should be parallel to each other or point slightly outward; bend your knees very slightly; let your hands down naturally by your sides; relax your entire body; gently close your eyes; tuck in your chin slightly; in a serene and sacred manner, hold your palms together in front of your chest with ngers pointing upward; then move your hands apart and
~

108

cross them softly in front of your chest as though you were protecting your chest. For men, the left hand is beneath the right hand, while for women the right hand is beneath the left hand. (You may also practice in sitting-on-chair, sittingin-lotus, kneeling or kneeling/sitting-on-ankles position.)

109

110

When you become tired during practice, you may choose to switch to practicing in one of the Natural Style (Figure 70, 74, 78, 82) in order to restore energy, then proceed on to continue with this practice. If you wish, you may also set yourself up in any of the above mentioned Natural Styles when rst begin the practice, then proceed on to practice in this posture.

111

Cross Posture: Have your feet together; stand relaxed; let your hands down naturally by your sides; gently close your eyes; tuck in your chin slightly; in a serene and sacred manner, hold the palms of your hands together in front of your chest with ngers pointing upward; then spread your arms outward to both sides of your shoulders; your palms are at the same height as your shoulders; your whole body resembles a cross. For men, the palms face downward, while for women the palms are upward.

112

 Closing: For the standing or sitting-on-chair styles, the closing is the same as Tong Tian Gong; for sitting-in-lotus, kneeling or kneeling/sitting-on-ankles style, the same as Celestial Smile Practice. Suggestion: The beginners should mainly practice Chest Protecting Posture. Humility, gratitude, self-examination, repentance and noble willingness to sacrice for all of Humanity are the best medicines to heal spiritual and physical sickness. The more you can let go of yourself, the better the effects. Those who are prone to self-blame or depression should not perform self-examination and repentance; instead, they should prepare themselves to receive Divine Grace with a humble heart full of gratitude.

113

 Celestial Pagoda Practice (Tian Ta Gong) Style: Standing, sitting-on-chair, sitting-in-lotus (or with legs naturally crossed), kneeling or kneeling/sitting-onankles. Intention: Tian Gong transmits the Universal messages of compassion and unconditional love to all of Humanity. Practice Method: Posture (Figure 94 102) Spread your feet shoulder-width apart; align your toes on the same line; your feet should be parallel to each other or point slightly outward; bend your knees very slightly; ll your heart with compassion; your manner is sacred; gently close your eyes; relax your entire body; hold the palms of your hands together in front of your chest with ngers pointing upward; then separate your hands and raise your right hand until your thumb gently touches or points toward the Yin Tang Xue (the Third Eye), located in the middle of the two eyebrows (to connect with the human energy eld); your forenger and middle nger are together as sword nger and point toward the sky (to connect with
114

the Universal energy eld); your ring nger and little nger are bent toward the ground (to connect with the earth energy eld). This constitutes what we call the upper Tong Tian Ta (Pathway to Celestial Pagoda), which facilitates the harmonious resonance among the Universal, Earth and Human energy elds. The left hand imitates the right hand to form another pagoda shape and is gently placed in front of your chest. The tip of your thumb should be at the midway point (Shan Zhong Xue) between your nipples. This is the lower Tong Tian Ta. Your mind should focus softly on the centers of the soles of your feet. You can alternate
~

115

116

hands. (You may practice in sitting-on-chair, sitting-inlotus, kneeling or kneeling/ sitting-on-ankles positions.) If you become tired during practice, you may choose to switch to practicing in one of the Natural Styles (Figure 70, 74, 78, 82) in order to restore your energy,

117

then proceed on to continue this practice. You may also wish to set yourself up in any other above-mentioned Natural Styles when rst begin the practice, then proceed on to practice in this posture. Closing: For the standing or sitting-on-chair style, this closing is the same as Tong Tian Gong; for sitting-in-lotus (or with legs naturally crossed), kneeling or kneeling/sitting-onankles style, the same as Celestial Smile Practice.

Suggestion: This practice can manifest and nurture unconditional love and compassion in the hearts of the practitioners. The more people practice, the more sufferers in this world will be relieved and bathe in the sunshine, rain and dewdrops of love.

118