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Neiye - "The Inward Training"

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part of a larger text, one chapter of the Guanzi, a Daoist text (a mixed text)

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4th century BCE

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created by a think-tank type group in the state of Qi [chee], 260 BCE

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thinkers and intellectuals

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the physiological turn is impacting philosophy

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a new, technical sense of the heart-mind, or xin [shee-in]

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the seat of cognition

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doesn't have a strong location

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thought of as an organ in the body

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not generic, but the locus of language and reasoning and decision-making

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the xin can make decisions

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the natural ruler of the self

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the xin rules the body as the king rules his state

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Neiye, Ch. 10

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With a well-ordered mind within you,

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Well-ordered words issue from your mouth

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And well-ordered tasks are imposed upon others.

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Then all under the heavens will be well-ordered.

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getting the xin right is the key

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Qi [chee]

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being used in new physiological sense

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vital energy, vital essence

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portrayal of steam rising from a bowl of rice

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refers to breathing

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breathing in and out involves Qi

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Qi animates living things

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jing

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a kind of super-charged Qi

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take your Qi and turn it into jing

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you are doing something with your body to get yourself in touch with heaven

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if you can get this jing in your chest, you become a sage

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uses physical exercise as religious tools

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"Let a balanced and aligned breathing fill your chest, and it will swirl and blend within your mind, be not joyous, be not angry, just let a balanced and aligned breathing fill your chest."

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aligned breathing probably referred to property posture when sitting

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this is aiming at wu-wei

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learn to breath in a certain physical position

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"make a lodging place for the vital essence"

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portrays wu-wei as a physiological goal

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Neiye, Ch. 24

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When you enlarge your mind and let go of it,

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When you relax your vital breath (qi) and expand it,

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When your body is calm and unmoving,

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You will see profit and not be enticed by it,

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You will see harm and not be frightened by it.

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Relaxed and unwound, yet acutely sensitive,

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In solitude you will delight in your own person.

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This is called revolving the vital breath,

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And your thoughts and deeds will seem heavenly.

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paradox: you have to use your conscious mind to shut down your conscious mind

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use your body, sit this way, breath this way, and wu-wei is just going to happen

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you can use your body to get around this paradox of trying not to try

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Neiye, Ch. 3

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The true condition of the mind is that it finds calmness beneficial and, by it, attains repose. Do not disturb it, do not disrupt it, and harmony will naturally develop.

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Neiye, Ch. 11

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When your body is not aligned, the inner power (de) will not come. When you are not tranquil within, your mind will not be well ordered. Align your body, assist the inner power, then it will gradually come on its own.

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achieving de [duh] is linked to a certain bodily posture

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Zen Buddhism is also all about posture, try not to do anything

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taking the position itself will result in enlightenment without you even noticing it

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the Neiye is a Yang Zhu-like text

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these techniques get adopted by the Confucians

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the "Physiological Turn"

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focus on body

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introduction of body-based meditation practices e.g. breathing, sitting and diet

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focus on human nature

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the xin (heart-body) is located in the chest

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the seat of language use

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the seat of decision making

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the ruler of the self