Qi nadi and bright dot（1）

Qi nadi and bright dot（1）

The Creation Stage is the preliminary practice and foundation for the Perfection Stage. After achieving the meditation of the Creation Stage, one experiences the Sambhāra-mārga (stocking up on provisions for the Path) of the Five Path Stages. Based on this, meditating the Perfection Stage of Five Golden Dharma can bring swift perfection of the later four paths: Prayoga-mārga (Experimenting on the path), Darśana-mārga (path/method of vision), Bhāvanā-mārga (path/method of mental cultivation), and   Niṣṭhā-mārga (end of the path), and achievement of the status of Vajra Dhara.

Because of the superiority of Shangpa Kagyu teaching, many lineages of Tibetan Buddhism have more or less absorbed part of the meditation dharma of Shangpa Kagyu, and translated books in Han areas have also introduced a little related content, however, most are not systematic. Some scholars even take the “Six Dharma of Niguma” as the entirety of Shangpa Kagyu dharma teaching. Before Jianggong Guru transmitted dharma, we even did not hear the name of the “Five Golden Dharma of Niguma”, not to mention the meditation. Until now, apart from disciples of Shangpa Kagyu and some high monks and great saints in Tibetan areas, people do not know in what aspect the Shangpa Kagyu dharma teaching is superior. In order to let readers really know Shangpa Kagyu, I obtained permission from Jianggong Guru to give a simple introduction of the content of the Perfection Stage, omitting detailed meditation methods.

Meditation of the Perfection Stage focuses on the Qi nadi and bright dot. Many introductory books for tantra in Han areas have detailed introductions about the Three Nadi and Five Chakras. Briefly speaking, the three nadi are the three main nadi in the human body: the central nadi, left nadi and right nadi. There are many descriptions about central nadi, someone said it has the four characteristics of “empty, straight, red, bright”: “as empty as Musa, as straight as an arrow stem, as red as Huangdan (a red dye), as bright as strong fire”. The left nadi is the “moon nadi” and the right nadi is the “sun nadi”. There are many books for reference about their shapes and meaning; here we will not repeat.

Tilopa’s Four True Nature Teaching Bright Light Explanation states “What can be depended on in that? Nadi. Then, how many are there? 72,000 in total, among them 360, among them 120, among them 32, among them 24, among them 3, these are the most important. Inside the 120 nadi are the four chakras. They are in the navel, in the heart, in the throat, and in the head. How many? 64 in the navel, 8 in the heart, 16 in the throat and 32 in the head. What are their shapes? Like a lotus seat melted with sun and moon light, increasing with light. The colour, because it arises from the reason of the sun and moon, it is like Yuemoni (crystal), also like melted ghee’s light moving. What is their status? Since it is wisdom coupled with skilfulness, they stay based in union.