Thousands of years ago, the sages of Oriental Medicine recorded their understanding of the Five Spirits. The Spirits together encompass the totality of our awareness, and both represent and support our soul’s journey through life. 

 When we are in touch with a Spirit, we experience its mental and physical gifts. But when we have lost touch with one (or more) of the Five Spirits, we experience the physical and psychological symptoms flowing from the loss of that Spirit. Thus our symptoms can show us which Spirit or Spirits are blocked in our lives. 

 Hun, the Spirit of Wood is the messenger of the soul’s purpose. It represents our greater soul’s vision of the purpose of our life, as distinct from the smaller visions of ego.  If we are not in touch with this grand vision, purpose, dream or quest, it manifests as signs and symptoms in the liver, from feelings of frustration to extreme conditions such as Blazing Liver Fire and Stagnant Liver Qi. 

 Shen, the Spirit of Fire awakens compassion. It relates directly to heart function and to relationships. It also relates to openness to guidance from Spirit. This Spirit is impeded by sentiment, pity, and colluding sympathy. Disorders such as heart and blood flow problems, palpitations, memory loss, sleep problems, anxiety and nervousness are all symptoms that result from loss of contact with the Spirit of Fire. 

 Yi, the Spirit of Earth engenders manifestation. It supports transformation of life experience into ideas and intentions.  What gets in the way of this is worry, obsessive thought, and self absorption. Signs and symptoms that result are eating disorders, muddled or excessive thinking, insufficient movement, over-nurturing of others to avoid the self, inability to implement ideas, and inability to assimilate, to digest, and to cope with life. 

 Po, the Spirit of Metal is the corporeal soul, and joins body and mind. It is the realm of the body unconscious, the storehouse of identity that is embedded in the muscles, tissues, fascia, nerves and organs of the body. Sorrow and the inability to let go impedes access to this Spirit. ‘You have to be cool with endings to be OK about the Now.’ Dysfunctions that follow from disconnection with Po are problems with the lungs, colon and skin, lumps and tumours, chronic tension, negativity towards others and psychosomatic symptoms. 

 Zhi, the Spirit of Water aligns purpose with will. It represents our vitality and our will. Both are drained by fear and desire, while nourishing our dedication and determination increases our connection to Zhi. Problems that arise from disconnection relate to the bladder and kidneys and to our bones. 

 Geoffrey presented us with one of his cases to illustrate the use and usefulness of this system. His client, a 30 year old woman suffered from PMT, dysmenorrhea, oedema and headaches. This is a case of Liver Qi Stagnation, and suggests loss of the Spirit of Wood. He offered her the perspective that her symptoms were related to loss of contact with the vision and purpose of her life. Inquiry into this then became an effective  part of her treatment. 

Reading people is not as difficult as it may seem. And it could come in handy! Who knows? You might just be the one to orchestrate a winning strategy because you were able to accurately evaluate the mentalities of those around you.

And on that note, imagine sharpening your awareness so finely that you were able to see into the core nature of people and things at a glance. As if you could see it all – equipped with a crystal ball and highly developed powers of observation.

In China several thousands of years ago, the King of Huainan invited a number of sages to his court in an effort to compile a comprehensive body of teachings on life. The plan was ambitious but not without a chance for success. And the King as an established patron of the arts intended the auspicious gathering of the wise to serve as a model on how to live in society harmoniously.

Happily, the result was the erudite collection of sayings known as the ‘Huainanzi’ – the teachings of the Masters of Huainan. No doubt the King thereafter felt as if he had the good fortune of looking at life through a crystal ball!

From a layperson’s perspective, the most striking features of the ‘Huinanzi’ seem to focus on the sages’ abilities to see directly into the heart of the human condition.  With chapters on society, peace, war, and government, the authors speak with a lucidity that only the wise can muster. In one famous passage they also seamlessly evaluate people in terms of status and intention. Some examples of their prowess follow. 

On High Status

In evaluating people who hold positions of high status, carefully observe what they promote. In observing what they promote you will know their genuineness.

The key here is in the observation of promotion. I once knew of a respected chief administrator who consistently used all the right words at just the right pitch to deliver his message with plenty of passion.

Unfortunately, as believable as his message happened to be, the actions of those he represented didn’t match his words. In other words, his position of status afforded him the luxury of posturing without substance.

On Giving

In evaluating the wealthy, observe what they are prepared to give. In watching what they are prepared to give, you will know their parsimony.

Most wealthy people become wealthy and stay wealthy because they have learned how to keep their hands on the dough once they have it. We have all heard of the famous Dickens character Scrooge. He kept it all too himself and earned a reputation as a miser. Then there are some who give it away freely. The key to this evaluation is on the quality of the giving rather than the amount of it.

After all is said and done, giving to charities is one thing when you have plenty stashed away and it looks good on the books. But there is another kind of giving. It is often measured in terms of time and energy. 

On the Poor

In evaluating the poor, observe what they refuse to accept. In watching what they refuse to accept, you will know their pride.

Pride is one of the seven deadly sins for good reason. Not only does it defy logic but it also gets in the way of taking the next step – in terms of growth. Football teams have their pride to contend with, as do all those who are in competition with one another. We expect that from our sporting heroes. In the real world however sadly, pride does go before a fall because strengthening of the ego cripples common sense.

In Oriental philosophy, pride is often associated with arrogance. There is a Yin type and a Yang type. Yin arrogance belongs to the one who believes that the world owes them a living! They suffer silently but cannot mask their discontent. Yang arrogance on the other hand is more up front and in your face. The prevailing belief is that it is one’s birthright to belligerently uphold an opinion and shout about it!

The bottom line is that pride erodes any relationship to humility that one may have. The latter is essential for personal growth. The former precludes it!

On Resentment

In evaluating people who are of low status, observe what they refuse to do. In watching what they refuse to do, you will know their resentment.

People will only refuse to do something if they think it is beneath them! This means that there is an existing inferiority complex. A man or woman of humility will not hesitate to do the dirty work if called upon. 

This is because there is no regard for either superiority or inferiority. It is all the same for this person.

Refusal to do the work however is a by-product of resentment – especially concerning those of low status. People accumulate resentment when they think they’ve been hard done by. So resentment is a justice issue as much as it has to do with being a victim of the system. The bottom line is that resentment is the brewing of unresolved emotional issues that have festered in the swimming pool of the family dynamic. 

On Greed

In evaluating the greedy, observe what they will not take. In watching what they will not take, you will know the quality of their satisfaction.

Greedy people usually take anything and everything they can get their hands on. So it’s interesting to see them leave something alone. This will only happen when they have enough of course. So we know they must have quite a bit stored away! Observation of the greedy also indicates much about personal values. 

On Self-Restraint

In seeing people change difficulties, you will know their courage. Entice people with the promise of joy and happiness and you will see their capacity for self-restraint.

Those lacking in self-restraint are prone to excesses of one kind or another. Usually this revolves around the endless pursuit of desire. Yet few realise that those who are incapable of restraint can never be truly happy. In other words, indulgences stretch the boundaries of balanced behaviour and lead to extreme shifts between sanity and neurosis.

Moreover, desire is an endless pit and the consequences of chasing after it are rarely considered. This is predominantly why ‘The Secret’ was such a runaway success. When people get a sniff of something that can lead to the fulfilment of their wildest dreams they will jump at the chance to do something about it regardless of the consequences.

So we know that self-restraint and the working off of karma have something in common. Though it is true that every desire must eventually be realised, the cultivation of understanding can sometimes knock a few unnecessary desires off the list and in so doing, bolster spiritual economy.

On Humanity

Entrust people with goods and money and you will see their humanity.

When people are in the throes of feathering their own nest though not accustomed to doing so, they invariably become self-obsessed and lose sight of others. Humane people on the other hand, always look out for those less fortunate than they are. 

This premise is really about the acceptance of responsibility. To what extent are we responsible for each other? In the grand scheme of things personal autonomy is one of the higher spiritual goals. You are not responsible for me in the sense that I must cleanup after myself. And vice-versa.

That being said however, am I able to respond to your plight (whatever it is) with compassion? This doesn’t mean I am obligated to do your dirty work but in the same breath I am responsible for helping you to learn about personal autonomy.

On Discipline

Shake people with fear and you will know their discipline.

It takes tremendous discipline to overcome fear. To begin with, one must dispense with indulging in disturbances of one kind or another. Then one must pay attention to everything that is happening with enormous sensitivity.

The current economic rollercoaster is a case in point. The fear of losing everything (if one has investments) or never recovering (if one is dependent for anything on those who are players in the market) can only be overcome by limiting desire and consolidating one’s position through cutting down on spending.

To put it another way, fear drives people to accumulate. When things go awry, there is panic. Don’t worry about accumulation and focus on the day-to-day. 

In Summary

How many people do you know that fit into any of the categories outlined? There are probably a few. Make an effort to apply something that you’ve learned today. Observe what others promote. Watch what they give. See what they refuse to do. Assess what they resent. How do your values rate in terms of the greedy? Do you possess any self-restraint? Would others call you humane? And are you an accumulator?

In fairness to those sages who spent time and energy putting together a book to harmoniously live by, we might do well to pay more attention to our observational habits. Reading people is not difficult. And it does get easier with practice.

Taoist meditation exerts a profound influence on the ‘Three Treasures’: Essence (the body), Energy (the breath), and Spirit (the Mind). Essence is associated with not only the reproductive and generative power responsible for development (the Kidneys), but also drive and determination. Energy is equivalent to the Post-Natal Qi derived from food, drink and the air that we breathe (the Spleen and the Lungs). Spirit is the Mind and though it resides in the Heart, each organ is nonetheless affiliated with its own mental-spiritual aspect. In other words, Spirit is a complex of inter-connected and interdependent relationships.

There are several simple steps to follow when embarking on the journey of discovery that is learning the art of meditation. They are easy to implement and sustain, especially with practice and dedication.

1) Adopt a comfortable posture, balance your weight evenly, straighten the spine, and pay attention to physical sensations such as heat, cold, tingling, trembling, or whatever else arises.

2) When your body is comfortable and balanced, shift attention to the second level, which is breath and energy. You may focus on the breath itself as it flows in and out of the lungs through the nostrils, or on energy streaming in and out of a particular point in harmony with the breath.

3) Focus attention on thoughts and feelings forming and dissolving in the mind, your awareness expanding and contracting with each breath, insights and inspirations arising spontaneously, visions and images appearing and disappearing.

Eventually you may come upon (and perhaps randomly discover) intuitive flashes of insight regarding the ultimate nature of the mind: that in essence it is open and empty as space; that it is clear and luminous as a cloudless sky at sunrise; that in terms of its true nature, it is infinite and fundamentally unencumbered (this is called the original mind).

There are also some more specific instructions regarding posture:

Floor Position
Sit cross-legged on the floor in ‘half-lotus’ position (the foot of one leg placed to rest on the calf of the other), with the buttocks slightly elevated on a cushion or pillow. The advantages of this method are that this position is quite stable and encourages energy to flow upwards towards the brain.

Chair Position
Sit erect on a low stool or chair, feet parallel and a shoulder width apart, knees bent at a 90 degree angle, and spine erect. The advantages of sitting on a stool are that the legs do not cramp, the soles of the feet are in direct contact with the energy of the earth, and internal energy tends to flow more freely throughout the lower as well as the upper torso.

Cautions and Warnings
Most practitioners who follow Taoist Meditation techniques use both methods, depending on conditions (such as availability of chairs). When sitting cross-legged, Western practitioners, whose legs tend to cramp more easily than Asians, are advised to sit on thick and firm cushions, perhaps with a phone book or two underneath, in order to elevate the pelvis and consequently take pressure off both the legs and the knees. This also helps to keep the spine straight, without putting any strain on the lower back.

Placement of the hands is also quite important. The most natural and comfortable position for many is to rest the palms lightly on the thighs, just above the knees, with palms facing up. However, some experienced practitioners find it more effective to use one of the traditional ‘mudras’, or hand gestures (for example, thumb and index finger touching with other fingers outstretched). Experiment with different combinations of both posture and mudra until you find a style that is most suitable.

The Medicines of Fire and Water
Taoist meditation masters teach and demonstrate three basic ways to control Fire (the mind of emotion) with Water (the mind of intent), so that the student’s goals in meditation may be cultivated, refined and ultimately realized.

Stop and Observe
The first method is called ’stop and observe’. This involves paying close attention to how thoughts both arise and fade in the mind, learning to let them pass like a freight train in the night, and certainly without clinging to any particular one. This develops awareness of the basic emptiness of all thought, as well as non-attachment to the rise and fall of emotional impulses. Gradually one learns simply to ignore the intrusion of abrasive and discursive thoughts, at which point they cease to either come and go if only for the sheer lack of attention.

Observe and Imagine
The second technique is called ‘observe and imagine’, which of course refers to the technique of visualization. Put simply, the student employs intent to visualize an image – such as a dignified and glorified spiritual giant like Buddha, Jesus, Krishna, a sacred symbol, the moon, a star, or whatever – in order to shift mental focus away from thoughts and emotions and stabilize the mind in one-pointed awareness.

You may also visualize a particular energy centre in your body, or listen to the real or imagined sound of a bell, gong, or cymbal ringing in your ears. The point of focus is not important: what counts is shifting the focus of your attention away from idle thoughts, conflicting emotions, fantasies, and other distracting antics of the ‘monkey mind’ (fire) and concentrating attention instead on a stable point of focus established by the mind of intent, or ‘wisdom mind’ (water).

Intent
The third technique in cultivating the ability to control the mind is called ‘using the mind of intent to guide energy’. When the emotional mind is calm and the breath is regulated, focus attention on the internal energy. Learn how to guide it through the meridian network in order to energize the vital organs, raise energy from the sacrum to the head in order to nourish the spirit and brain, as well as exchange stale energy for fresh energy derived from the external sources that are heaven (the yang sky) and earth (the yin ground).

Begin by focusing attention on the Lower Elixir Field (the area below the abdomen), and then moving energy from there down to the perineum, up through the coccyx, and up along the spinal centres into the head, at which point the attention shifts to the Upper Elixir Field (between the brows).

Though this may sound vague and perhaps veer on the strangely esoteric side of things (at least to the uninitiated), a few months of practice, especially in conjunction with Qi Gong exercise and balanced dietary habits, usually is sufficient to expose the subtle worlds of energy and awareness that are hidden within our physical bodies and minds. All one has to do is sit still and shut up long enough, for the mind to fall into line.

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If there is too much restraint of the Ethereal Soul’s movement, depression ensues. And if the Mind fails to control the Ethereal Soul’s movement, manic behaviours result. There is a flip to this. Depression and mania can appear independently or together. When they exist together, this is called Bipolar disorder.

Depressed patients have no faith in the future. They often lack ideas and dreams, are invariably direction-less and frequently suffer from feelings of loss, isolation and separation. The manic patient has too many ideas and dreams. Unfortunately, due to the chaotic state of the Ethereal Soul, very little ever comes to fruition. In simple terms, depression occurs when the Mind over-controls, whereas manic behaviours arise when the Mind fails to control and integrate.

Depression is often due to pathogenic factors (such as heat) inhibiting the movement of the Ethereal Soul. This produces stagnation of the liver qi. It may also be due to deficiencies emanating from insufficient stimulation of the Ethereal Soul. Most importantly, the precise differential diagnosis of depression is critical when selecting acupuncture points to needle, prescribing herbal formulas, or devising strategies for the modification of attitudes and behaviours.

Anxiety without depression is also quite common. Feelings of anxiety include the emotional expressions of fear and worry and may be accompanied by deficiencies or pathogenic factors. If the anxiety is caused by a deficiency of blood, for example, the Mind cannot be anchored. If the anxiety is caused by a pathogenic factor such as heat, the Mind becomes easily agitated.

The restoration of a spiritual connection for the patient is vital to the healing process and the role of the practitioner is to assist with this process in a supervisory capacity, being sure to provide ample resources for growth and encouragement, all the while managed with compassion. The onus of responsibility for the practitioner is to find a way for the patient to restore a connection to spirit and subsequently maintain this re-connected state of Mind.

After nearly 25 years as a holistic practitioner of Oriental Medicine, I have observed that emotional imbalances are unequivocally an obstacle to spiritual growth and the maintenance of general wellbeing. A great sage once said, “Balance is when emotions have not yet emerged. Harmony is when they are active, but all in proportion.” If this is true, then it seems plausible to suggest that the focus of therapy in relation to the treatment of depression and anxiety is to precisely identify the emotional state (e.g. insecurity, timidity, anger, sadness, resentment and so on) and cultivate within the patient the means to regulate emotional responses thereby harmonizing the activities of the Ethereal Soul.

Published in International Wellbeing Magazine 2006

Fear is insidious and has the potential to destroy the foundation of the inner self. It can manifest in many different ways and at times may even slip under the radar when conditions suit. Beyond the fear of death that every human being without exception cannot avoid and must eventually face, sooner or later, there still remains the common fear we all seem to share, of endings – a relationship, a job, the prime of youth, the security of a home, money in the bank, a child leaving home and so on and so forth.

Not surprisingly then, anxiety presents as an obstacle to forming a meaningful relationship to the inner self. It rides on the wings of fear and produces endless fret and worry over the outcome of events that may be concealed as wild imaginings about the future or simply an inability to feel comfortable walking in one’s own shoes. Regardless, ‘sadness and worry move the heart and the organs tremble’ as a famous Chinese classic states.

According to the principles of Oriental philosophy and medicine established many thousands of years ago, inner calm and inner strength were clearly identified as the basis of a balanced psychological and emotional disposition. Inner calm is a priceless quality that facilitates the capacity to rise to a challenge without getting upset. Inner strength makes it possible to maintain balance in the face of constant and relentless challenge.

Both of these characteristics require significant cultivation and the classical Chinese teachings of spiritual alchemy were precisely developed to achieve it. Spiritual alchemy is the science of unifying yin and yang within the self so that psycho-emotional stability is preserved. Those either trained in the oriental healing arts or spiritual disciplines that accompany the martial arts, will readily attest to the challenges encountered in learning these remarkable skills. Though they require perseverance to master, they are nonetheless the essence of balance and harmony.

In order to manage fear and anxiety successfully, it is important to establish the fact that fear resides in all of us in some way. In other words, to a large extent, fear cannot be avoided. It is not something that one can control. Nor is it something to be ashamed of. Rather, it is something to embrace; to be with, day in and day out, moment-to-moment. In the acceptance of this fact without judgment, one may very well discover that anxiety dissipates and loses its sting.

Published in International Wellbeing Magazine

On the other hand, I recoiled at the thought that some people might mistake the satisfaction of desire for change and subsequently presume that they were hooking up with their spiritual nature. Let’s get something clear: the satisfaction of desire and the implementation of strategies to enable change, are two different things.

Weighing it up, I had to respond or risk not being true to myself and suffer the consequences of not speaking my mind. From out of this, ‘The Danger of the Secret’ was born. I sat down once my mind was made up and then identified and evaluated all of the obvious contradictions and erroneous applications – at least as far as I could see. ‘The Danger of the Secret’ shows you what these are and how to rectify them.

In the same breath, I also realised that it’s not just about me. There are simply far too many people out there whose lives are at stake. Good people with sincere intentions to live honestly and lovingly. It’s a shame to see people such as this tricked by marketing hype and showbiz fanfare! People should be well informed about what they are getting into. That’s why ‘The Danger of the Secret’ is useful and beneficial.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the creators of the hype are evil or that everyone is getting ripped off. There is some good stuff there – for sure. It’s true that the mind is a powerful tool. Yes, we do attract whatever it is that shows up in our lives. Yes, we tend to be very negative about everything and are prone to getting weighed down by the struggles of daily life. However, wishing, wanting, and hoping for things to turn out in a particular way is asking for trouble – especially, if you haven’t considered the consequences. ‘The Danger of the Secret’ clarifies the matter, once and for all.

What I’m actually saying is that desire is dangerous! Without precise and careful interpretation and guidance, mistakes can easily be made – some bigger than others – unless desire is recognised for what it really is. Mistakes come with a price. As ‘The Danger of the Secret’ points out, if the principles are not correctly understood, they cannot be implemented accurately. A famous sage once put it this way: ‘One mistake makes for a big miss!’

‘The Danger of the Secret’ has been written to forestall potential danger for those keen to change their lives and do something bold and passionate with the resources they have at their disposal.

Many people view the purpose of life as an opportunity to satisfy desire without realising that the pursuit of happiness through the satisfaction of desire can only bring a strange mixture of success and failure, pleasure and pain, agony and ecstasy. Why? The short answer is because the opposite is implied in everything without exception. You can’t have one without the other. Death follows birth in the same way that night follows day.
 
Not only that, but desire breeds attachment and keeps Soul well and truly tethered to this labyrinth unable to rise above it in order to reach a level of contentment that does not rely on externals for satisfaction. We know from this that desire carries problems. The greatest thinkers of the world, past and present, are people who have already said this in many different ways – many times over. You don’t need a degree in philosophy to understand where they are coming from.

What they realised is that we become attached to our desires because we believe they define our purpose for living. We also believe that without them we somehow lose that relationship to purpose. So we cling to our desires in the hope that by satisfying them we will find happiness.

Desire, the constant craving for satisfaction of the senses, creates suffering. There is never an end to the craving for the simple reason that desire can never be completely satisfied. That’s only one of the problems with it, however. Any kind of craving is a form of suffering. More importantly, the craving keeps us focused on worldly pursuits that make it impossible to place our attention on the simple things and the freedom that comes with experiencing authentic living.

To be liberated from spending life after life in the world of craving requires a decent amount of inner discipline. The ancient sages wrote their classics in an attempt to show us how to understand this. To catch a glimpse of the truth is the first step to freedom.

The satisfaction of desire is not the prize it is made out to be. We have no choice but to remember this whenever the urge to chase after ‘this’ or ‘that’ entices us to forget! In other words, we have to remember what to forget and not forget what to remember. The freedom of Soul can only be discovered through the inner search and this search begins when a reliance on the satisfaction of desire ends.

Discover the ultimate secrets for true personal freedom & mastery…

The ability to accurately read another’s capacity is not easy to learn. Some gifted people instinctively have it, but the majority of us gradually come upon some awareness of it only through trial and error. In order to develop the ability to read capacity accurately and precisely, one must cultivate self-knowledge of a kind that sheds light on personal motives, intentions, pursuits, desires, fears and cravings.

A woman will be drawn to a man who not only knows his limitations, but who is aware of his spiritual goals and pursues them without compromise. She requires a demonstration from him that he has set his sights on something more than harvesting the fruits of materialism. In short, she wants to know that he has really grown up and is not just a little boy dressed in a suit. If she walks down the aisle without having established his capacity to lead from the front, she may be disappointed.

Similarly, a man will be attracted to a woman who is as soft on the outside as she is tough on the inside. He wants to be assured that she won’t fall apart at the seams when the chips are down. He wants her to accompany him on the journey and be prepared to endure the kinds of hardship and challenge that adventurers face when they raise the bar and expand their horizons. He wants to know that she has the capacity to go the distance.

Fortunately, the Taoist sages developed a model through which, the nature of correct relationship might be explored with a heightened sensitivity and awareness. The sages were precise in extolling the virtues of the male and female principles and likened them to the energies of heaven and earth.

In short, if heaven is a symbol of strength, a man must forestall the danger of aggression. Domination is not strength. If earth is a symbol of open receptivity, a woman must deflect the danger of falling prey to subservience. Obligation and love are two different things.

To see the potential in someone is to confirm that they might be interested in going on the journey. Their capacity however, is determined by the consistency they bring to the table and the extent to which their deeds match their words!