Aspects of the Path
Ling Qi Dao is a complete path of healing and personal transformation. It’s basis is in classical Buddhist and Daoist spirituality and energy healing. On the path of the healer, one learns focus, concentration, and right relationship. One learns to channel divine light for the betterment of all beings, and this in turn begins to cleanse ones own energy body. By engaging in compassionate action, ones heart becomes clearer and clearer while the mind quiets.
To cultivate ones self, one needs practices that shine the light of awareness into all aspects of being. All spiritual traditions have encouraged seekers in such practices as meditation, healing, study, service, harmonizing with the natural world, cleansing the physical body, prayer, and honing ones intuition. Ling Qi Dao offers all of these aspects of training in order to awaken one to what Mikao Usui calls “the secret art of inviting happiness, the spiritual medicine for all illness”.
Because these principles are universal in spiritual training, one need not adopt any new beliefs in order to practice. The art of meditation and healing is the same whether you are a Christian, Sufi, Hindu, Buddhist, or Daoist, it is only the forms that differ.
The following roots are aspects and foundations of Ling Qi Dao training
Usui Shiki Reiki Ryoho
The Ling Qi Dao system is strongly based on the transmitted teachings of the traditional Usui Reiki healing system. The basis of this system is that one need not study any complicated theory, but through dedicated practice one can learn to “heal with the mind of God or Buddha”. This is the first aspect of Ling Qi Dao training because it establishes one in connection to spiritual energy. By receiving transmission of Reiki (in Chinese “Ling Qi“) one begins to be more influenced by this spiritual energy. Ones internal centers open up and life becomes more synchronistic. This system uses healing work between two people as the primary method of spiritual training. Through this training, a practitioner develops compassion, focus, dedication, and clarity of mind. As one practices healing more and more, ones own energy body becomes cleansed and one notices life beginning to feel somehow more meaningful and miraculous. Diseases may spontaneously disappear, and old habits of thought seem to fall away on their own.
The Usui Reiki system has three main levels. The first, Shoden covers subjects like hands on healing, using affirmation, connecting to spiritual energy, purification of the energy body, developing intuition, and mindfulness meditation. The second level, Okuden deals with transcending the known limits of the physical and begins to explore distance healing, advanced healing of the mind, the use of mantras and sacred symbols, and the development of spiritual Insight.
The third level is called the “Master” level, or mystery teaching. In this level, the practitioner learns to channel greater amounts of energy, and studies the phenomenon of energetic transmission.
Medical Qigong
Qigong means to work with subtle energy. Medical Qigong is the art of working with the subtle energy in order to promote healing in ones self or in others. There are two main practices that fall under the title “Medical Qigong”. One is the art of using movement, breath, or concentration to heal ones own body. The other is sometimes called “Qi Emission Healing”, where a practitioner learns to direct Qi to the body of another in order to promote healing.
There are many systems of Medical Qigong in the world, all of them growing out of the roots of shamanism and traditional medicine. In the Ling Qi Dao system, the work is characterized by connection with Ling Qi - spiritual energy. Techniques are learned for manipulating the energy body, but this is done according to the spiritual intuition one is receiving while connected to universal healing energy, rather than based on ones ideas or theories about healing. In this way, one gains access to a much greater reserve and vibration of energy than she could have ever generated on her own. The practices of “generating” or “storing” Qi in the body that are commonly associated with qigong practice are looked upon in this style of training as making the body a more fit conduit for universal energy.
The practices of movement meditation, Taijiquan, Kung Fu, and Yoga are also contained within this category, as they are all practices enabling one to grow more skillful in use of subtle energy.
Classical Asian Medicine
The traditional medicines of China, Korea, and Japan are all based on direct perception of subtle energy. In the Ling Qi Dao system, we use these thousands of years of experience from practitioners before us to guide our own exploration of the subtle body. Using techniques of meditation from classical Daoism, we begin to experience the spiritual/energetic relationships of the various organs and meridian channels of our own body. We can then develop our intuitive skill to the level where we can perceive this in another. The study of Asian medicine gives one a framework from which to analyze intuitive information that one receives.
Daoism
Daoism is an ancient Chinese spiritual tradition based on the unification of one’s self with Nature. There are many schools of Daoism. While the later developments are more religious in nature - using iconography and prayer to various deities, Ling Qi Dao draws from the earlier, more shamanic and yogic forms of this tradition. It is from Daoism that many practices of Spiritual Qigong are drawn. Because of it’s emphasis on unity with nature, the practices of Daoism are especially suited for individuals wishing to integrate spiritual insight from the intuitive realm into life here on earth. One of the goals of Daoist practice is “the unification of Heaven and Earth”, meaning that we unify our spiritual existence with our physical. This means that in traditional practice we place equal importance on cultivating the purity and health of the physical body as on cultivating the mind and spirit. The major classics of early Daoism are the Dao De Ching (also called the Lao Tze), the Chuang Tze, the Yellow Emperors Internal Classic (on medicine), and the I Ching.
Chan Buddhism
Buddhism can be called the art of learning to be happy under any circumstances. While the Buddhist religion is most often associated with certain iconography, the Chan (zen) school is known for being non-traditional in it’s approach. In Chan Buddhism, we are concerned with nothing less (and nothing more) than the recognition of the Buddha as ones true nature right in this moment. This means that the light of awareness, and the possibility of all joy are who you truly are. In Chan, we are told “if you see the Buddha in the road, kill him” - meaning that if we are still looking for enlightenment or happiness or heaven outside of ourselves, there is some delusion remaining. Buddhism offers many valuable means of training the mind, in addition to physical and energy body yogas.
Nature
Hazrat Inayat Khan, a great Sufi Master, says that there is only one Holy Book, the book of Nature. In the Ling Qi Dao system, the most trusted teacher is Nature herself. By observation of the natural world and learning ones significant and unique place within it, the root of all spiritual teachings is found. The basis of all religious traditions and methods of yoga comes from shamanic attunement with nature. It is this type of practice that enables one to attain direct perception of energy, spirit, relationship, and truth. By immersing ones self in the natural law that is all around one, one learns to communicate with the Spirit, not just the mind and body.