There are four major stages in the practice of martial arts: refining the Qi, refining the Qi to transform into the spirit, refining the spirit to return to the void, and refining the void to combine with the Tao. However, the Yijin Jing and the Marrow Cleansing Sutra only describe the process of refining the Qi.
Related content, as for the next three stages, was not mentioned.
The so-called refining and qi refining actually means strengthening the muscles and bones, washing the marrow and exchanging blood. The purpose is to strengthen the body and reach the peak of physical fitness.
However, this is just an appearance, and the human body has deeper potential that remains to be explored.
Therefore, after the muscles and bones are strengthened and the marrow is washed and exchanged for blood, the meridians are strengthened and the orifices are opened, and the qi is circulated throughout the body.
This process is refining Qi and transforming into God, which is the second stage of practicing martial arts.
Bodhidharma only wrote the "Yi Jin Sutra" and the "Marrow Cleansing Sutra". Regarding the subsequent cultivation content, he only verbally said a few words, but few people could understand it.
It was not until the Yuan Dynasty that another great master of martial arts emerged. He was Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of Wudang Mountain.
We all know that Zhang Sanfeng created Tai Chi, but his martial arts skills are different from the mainstream Shaolin Kung Fu in the world. He advocates practicing Qi rather than strength, emphasizing mind rather than form, and emphasizes using stillness to stop and attack later.
From then on, the martial arts world had two great mountains, Beidou, which ushered in an era of co-existence of two heroes, and gradually came to be known as the inner family and the outer family.
First of all, it is used to distinguish Buddhism and Taoism. Shaolin Kung Fu is regarded as an external martial art, and Wudang Kung Fu is regarded as an internal martial art.
This is because Patriarch Bodhidharma is an Indian, and Buddhism also originated in India and was something transmitted from abroad, so it is called "foreign"; Patriarch Sanfeng is a native of his country, and Taoism is the national religion of his country, so he was born and raised in India.
"Inside".
Secondly, it is used to distinguish between hardness and softness. Shaolin Kung Fu is strong and fierce, showing its shape on the outside, while Wudang Kung Fu is feminine and lingering, hiding its shape on the inside.
You must know that hardness is easy to appear, but softness is not obvious; therefore, hardness is seen on the outside, but softness is hidden on the inside.
Third, it is used to distinguish between movement and stillness. "Outside" means to preemptively strike, and "inside" means to stop with stillness.
In the eyes of ancient philosophers, the active one is often regarded as an offender, and the quiet one is regarded as a defender. So when the two fight, the active one comes first, which is an invasion, that is, an external enemy; and the quiet one comes last.
, is a defensive counterattack, that is, defending the homeland and the country.
In this way, the internal and external relationship between the two will be clear at a glance.
This is the initial division of the internal family and the external family, which can be regarded as a parallel relationship, without distinction between superiority and inferiority.
But as the development progressed, the theories on martial arts cultivation became more and more perfect, and the terms internal and external practitioners began to change and were given new meanings.
As mentioned before, the Chinese martial arts is from the outside to the inside, first practicing the muscles, bones and skin, and then practicing the Dantian Qi. This is very consistent with the natural law of going from easy to difficult, from easy to difficult.
As a result, some people have proposed that "inside" and "outside" should not be opposing differences in style, but a sequential relationship that connects the past and the following.
First improve physical fitness, which is the "external", and then tap your life potential, which is the "internal".
This statement has been widely recognized by the ancient martial arts community. After careful summarization and organization, the saying "there are three levels of strength inside and outside, and perfect practice is innate" has spread. This is actually a detailed division of the realm of martial arts.
The outer three layers are Ming Jin, Gang Jin, and Cun Jin, and the inner three layers are Dark Jin, Dan Jin, and Hua Jin. As for the highest state of perfect practice, it is called "Xiantian."
Wai Sanzhu is relatively simple. It means practicing boxing step by step, gradually increasing physical fitness, and finally reaching the limit of the human body. This is the so-called peak of Wai Jia.
When you cross that threshold and reach the inner realm, your body is still the same as before. The strength of the muscles, bones, skin and flesh is almost the same, and the difference in strength is reflected in two aspects. One is the use of physical strength, and the other is the potential of the body.
development.
The key point of Anjin's power lies in the use of body strength. Condensing the whole body's strength into one point and bursting out in an instant can exert unimaginable destructive power.
Basically, there is no need to integrate 100% of the whole body's strength. As long as most of the muscle strength can be mobilized and gathered, it is possible to exert force from zero distance and achieve both light and dark strength.
The depth of An Jin's power depends on the maximum percentage of power it can exert.
Ordinary dark strength may only be 70 or 80%; advanced dark strength may be at least 90% or more; as for the peak level, it has reached the limit, and one finger can explode 100% of the whole body's strength.
However, ancient warriors at the Danjin level can not only use all the power generated by their muscles, but can also release more powerful cell potential and turn it into invisible armor or weapons to produce incredible power and effects.
This is what people often call "qi", and ancient warriors call it true qi.
As for why it is called Zhenqi, it is because in ancient times, some warriors were extremely powerful and thought that the power they controlled was beyond the scope of "martial arts", so they euphemistically called themselves cultivators.
It is important to note that cultivators are not the same as cultivators of immortality. There are essential differences between the two and they must not be confused.
What is the "truth" of cultivation? It is everything that really exists!
And what is the "immortal" who cultivates immortality? It is a myth!
Cultivators seek truth, and power is truth, so cultivators want to gain power and control it perfectly.
Immortal cultivators are not like that. What they want is not power, but immortality. That is an unrealistic fantasy. No one can prove it, but they still flock to it.
Of course, in the process of cultivating immortality, the cultivators also gained some kind of mysterious power, which is also an important reason that inspires those who come after to continue to explore and pursue.
Therefore, when cultivators develop their physical potential, they will have true energy, while when cultivators develop their spiritual potential, they will have magical power. These are two completely different powers, each with its own mysteries.
However, with the demise of immortality and the decline of martial arts, both immortal cultivators and true cultivators have long been forgotten by history, and no one mentions these two titles anymore.
It wasn't until mutants brought trouble to the world and those masters who had lived in seclusion emerged one after another that the world knew about the existence of ancient warriors, so the name ancient warriors came into being.
So, now back to the topic, when ancient warriors practice to a certain level, the Dantian in the body naturally awakens, and begins to generate a sense of Qi. Not only can it sense the existence of Qi, but it can even guide the flow of Qi with thoughts.
Reaching this step means stepping from An Jin to Dan Jin and taking your martial arts cultivation to a higher level.
However, without the guidance of an expert, even if the Dantian is opened, it will be difficult to effectively develop and utilize the power of Qi, and the progress of martial arts will become very slow, or even stand still and be stuck in the present.
Xuan Rumeng just fell into this kind of predicament, unable to find a solution and struggling to move forward.