Glossary

acupuncture - traditional Chinese medical treatment that uses the insertion of tiny needles at points along the meridians of qi to cure disease and/or remove pain.

Baihui (pronounced bye hoo-eh) - the acupuncture point located at the top of the head, the center of the crown.

Bodhi - the tree under which Sakyamuni Buddha achieved enlightenment.

buddha - the title given to one who is fully realized, awakened, or enlightened; one with God.

cultivation – often used when referring to the care of the entire man or woman, i.e., the body, the mind, the emotions, and spirit as in the care and cultivation of a garden or farm.

consciousness - state of awareness.

Consciousness - the intelligent, pure, supreme energy that pervades all.

dan - seed of condensed qi located below the navel in the dantian.

dantian (pronounced dawn tee-ahn) - the storage place of qi in the body, about two inches below the navel.

dazhui (pronounced dah dj-oo-eh) - acupuncture point at the back, the seventh cervical vertebra.

“eight directions”- a Chinese idiom for all directions.

enlightenment- the state of full realization of being one with all, with God.

five gateways- the entry points of qi through the palms of the hands (laogong), the soles of the feet (yongquan) and the crown (baihui).

gong - effort, exertion.

Hanuman - Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon. Hanuman is the monkey deity renowned for his courage, power and faithful, selfless service.

heaven - the celestial aspect of the cosmos; the Universe.

hui chun- return to spring.

jiu zhuan - nine turns.

lotus - flower symbolic of enlightenment and purity; refers to a sitting position often used for yoga.

Laogong (pronounced lau guh-ng) - the acupoint located at the center of the palms.

Li - a unit of measurement equivalent to 1/3 millimeter; .05 gram; .666 square meters.

meditation - a method or practice to awaken consciousness.

meridians - pathways of qi; jinglou.

ming-men - acupoint located at the back directly behind the navel.

ming-tang (pronounced ming t-ong) - point just behind the yin-tang (point between the eyebrows).

“mouth of tiger” or “tiger’s mouth”- the part of the hand between the thumb and the pointing or second finger.

nature - the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers.

Nature - the pure, perfect, and nurturing world (as in to return to Nature).

ni-wuan (pronounced nee wahn) - the point located in the head, which is the intersection of lines drawn from the center of the forehead (yin-tang) and the top of the head (baihui).

“Ninth Level of Heaven” - the highest level of heaven.

qi - vital energy or life force.

qigong - the principle of the continuous interchange of qi with qi as in that between man and the universe; the form or practice of actively engaging in this continuous interchange; the state of merging, being in the flow as in a meditative state.

Ren Mai (pronounced wren my) - the meridian that flows along the center of the front torso.

San Jiao - traditional Chinese medicine triple burner – the three divisions of the body. Upper Jiao is from the diaphragm up (Heart, Lungs, Pericardium, throat and head), mid Jiao is from the diaphragm to the umbilicus (Stomach, Spleen, and Gallbladder), and the area below the umbilicus is the lower Jiao (Liver, Kidneys, Intestines, and Bladder).

saint - a spirit of a departed one in heaven; a godly person; one recognized primarily for purity and holiness.

shanzhong (pronounced sh-ann dj-ong) - acupoint located at the heart area or center of chest between the nipples.

Sheng Zhen (pronounced shung jen or shung djen) - unconditional, pure love; most sacred, highest truth.

Taiji - the unity of yin and yang; where yin and yang meet.

“ten thousand” - a Chinese idiom for everything.

wuji - before the beginning of time before the duality of yin and yang.

xing (pronounced shing) - character; the growth that comes from experiencing and knowing Nature; enlightened consciousness.

xiuxing - contemplating, striving, and working towards enlightenment; the act of walking a path to enlightenment by applying what one has learned from self-inquiry and contemplation.

yang - literally, “the sunny side of the mountain’; one of the fundamental polar forces that organize the universe. Yang manifests as form, light, activity, heavenly, masculine, and the like.

yi dan - first dan.

yin - literally, “the shady side of the mountain”; one of the fundamental polar forces that organize the universe. Yin manifests as substance, darkness, stillness, of the earth, feminine, and the like.

yin-tang (pronounced yin t-ong) - acupoint located at the center of the eyebrows.

yongquan (pronounced yoh-ng chew-on) - acupoint located at the center of the soles of the feet.

yuan- primordial, original.

zhang - unit of measurement equivalent to one palm (of the hand).

Zhongchong - acupoint located at the tip of the third or middle finger.

zhong mai (pronounced dj-ong my) - the central channel. It runs up the inside of the torso of the body in the center of the body (center from left to right and center front to back).

zhongtian - to flow through freely - to be able to pass free of obstacles within oneself and others, to arrive at Oneness; the name of the new era.