Melanie Sunga

Professor Payor
East Asian Civilization
15 October 2018

Neidan

The word neidan is a compound combining two words. In

Chinese culture, nei means “inside” or “internal,” while dan means
“cinnabar,” “elixir,” or “alchemy.” Although it is uncertain of the first
use of neidan, this practice was influenced by the total opposite,
waidan. Through the practices of waidan, there was the text of the
neidan seal script
cantong qi, in which directly influenced the neidan. Wai means
“external,” making it the opposide of neidan. This book was known to be the first
book of alchemy in China. In English, this title means “Kinship of the Three.” The English
translation to jindan dao is the “Way of the Golden Elixir.” Jindan dao was the term to refer to
neidan in Chinese alchemical texts and sources. The use of the word neidan was uncommon during
the late Tang dynasty from 618 to 907 and the Five dynasties from 907 to 960. This term only
became popular at the beginning of the Song dynasty from 960 to 1279. At this point, neidan
progressed into a more multifaceted system involving its theoretical and practical qualities.
Aside from its terminology; what actually is neidan? It
is a collection of doctrines and practices involving physicality, sanbao
mentality, and spirituality. This practice is presented through
the religion of Taoism in which supports the use to prolong life
and produce an immortal spiritual body. The inner alchemy of
neidan combines theories from waidan practices, correlative
cosmology in which includes the Five Phases, the emblems of
Yijing, medical theory, techniques of meditation, and sexual
hygiene. In neidan practices, the human body is referred to as
a ding, which is an ancient Chinese cauldron used for rituals.
Through this cauldron, there are the Three Treasures known as
sanbao, which were the traditional Chinese medicines. These
medicines consisted
of Jing (“essence”),
Qi (“life energy”),
and Shen (“spirit”) to
cultivate physical, mental, and emotional health.
Correlative cosmology referred to the new
assumptions about the origin and development of the
universe. During the Han dynasty, this concept
influenced the development of Chinese thought. Wu
Xing also known as the Five Phases, is a fivefold abstract
system that is used in Chinese culture to explain
phenomena. This concept of phenomena ranges from
cosmic cycles and the interaction between internal
organs, to the series of political systems and the
properties of medicinal drugs. In the order of the “mutual generation” sequence, the five phases
are mu (“Wood”), huo (“Fire”), tu (“Earth”), jin (“Metal”), and shui (“Water”). According to the
“mutual overcoming” sequence, the order is Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal. This system
was used to describe relationships between phenomena, then became a way to influence Chinese
thought, such as Feng shui, astrology, and many more.

Yijing is known as the

Chinese classic, The Book of
Changes. In this book, there are
64 pairwise permutations of
trigrams. These symbols are
referred to as “hexagrams” with
explanations of each one in the
book. A very popular kind of
trigram is the Chinese zodiac,
in which includes the names of
animals. These animals are
categorized under the bagua,
which are eight symbols of
Taoist cosmology. These
symbols are used to represent
the essential principles of
reality.

64 emblems of Yijing

Through the concepts, understanding, and history of neidan, neijia is a huge example of
this practice. Neijia, being a term of Chinese martial arts, translates to “internal martial arts” and
focuses on a “soft style.” This involves spiritual, mental, and aspects of Qi, contrasting the
differences between “external” approaches. Dating back to the 17th century, neijia was developed
by using neigong exercises. Neigong exercises are internal, in which focuses more on Chinese
breathing, meditation, and spiritual practice disciplines. These all relate to the practices of Taoism.
The many martial art schools of neigong train people how to coordinate each individual's body
with breath. This leads to the harmonization of the inner and outer energy. From there, this creates
a method of utilizing power and technique within the body. While the physical body is still, one
learns how to move in conscious, deliberate, movement. The purpose of it all is to be more relaxed
and release muscular tension, while maintaining the skills of coordination, concentration, and
technical skill. The ultimate goal is to become one with Heaven.
 tuishou

The focus on the internal emphasizes the importance of awareness of the spirit, mind, and
energy. This all refers to the Three Treasures. An example of a training method for neijia is
called tuishou or “pushing hands.” This routine involves two people and is also played as an
international sport similar to Judo and Sumo wrestling. Through this, one learns how to manage
leverage, reflex, sensitivity, timing, coordination and positioning. The purpose of “pushing
hands” is to disengage natural instinct to resist force with force. The human body learns how to
yield to force and redirect it. Another method in neijia is called fa jin. This method means to
release explosive power or to refine it and isn’t specifically a striking method. Through this
method, it shows the concept of internal martial arts. Every move begins with the management of
internal state, then projects to a physical one. Without the internal, there is no successful
external. The strength isn’t necessarily
measured through physical health, but is
measured through internal. An example that
defies the physical concept of strength is the
“one-inch” punch. Popularized by the martial
artist Bruce Lee, the “one-inch” punch is a
move executed between 0 to 15cm. This
move’s power isn’t focused on the amount of
momentum of the punch, since it doesn’t
have much length. This is where internal
martial arts come to play. One’s technique
emphasizes the internal to achieve such a
move. On top of that, having a relaxed and
Bruce Lee performing the “one-inch” punch. positive mindset is the first step in self-
defense and health.
Although neijia seems like a great,
methodical practice, there are cultural problems for Western students. When Westerners begin the
practice of neijia, they get “bored” of the simplicity of movements. Having said, they expect more
of a “complicated” system in terms of physicality. Westerners usually find trouble in letting go
and letting Qi develop naturally. This takes patience in a way they don’t expect. This makes it hard
for some Westerners to fully understand the concept of internal martial arts. They need to
understand that the true internal power comes from the understanding of the basic principles of
neijia, not the complexity of physical movement. Going on this journey of neijia makes it hard for
Westerners to understand that there will not be a formal recognition of completion. This will
always be a work in progress. In Chinese culture, it is known that if a master thinks he has mastered
his art, his knowledge is in decline.