Coincidentally, just this morning—shortly before I wrote a response to someone's question related to Taoism here (The Role of Physical Cultivation and Energy)—John Tan shared a video that relates with Taoism.

03 MARCH 2026

John Tan: https://v.douyin.com/u6Ra8temH18/ This is about Taoism 玄关... If you have time, listen to the descriptions. In my opinion, it is very similar to the experience of anatta and points out certain critical aspects that are worth taking note of. So, although the descriptions and narration may sound a bit mystical and cryptic, it is worthwhile to listen to it.

21 AUGUST 2009

Thusness: Back home. Tao does not really actually source. It is the way of life of anatta. Though some people think so.

AEN: I see. Hari kept quoting this part which he thinks is "reified" :P

"There was something undefined and complete, existing before Heaven and Earth. How still it was, how formless, standing alone and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere with no danger of being exhausted. It may be regarded as the mother of all things. Truthfully it has no name, but I call it Tao"- TTC, chapter 25

Thusness: Longchen (Sim Pern Chong) is not experiencing it wrongly, just that when the grandeur is over and yet before the natural state, he seems to be a bit discouraged. I too have this experience before. Once anatta is experienced naturally, it will be over. :)

AEN: I see.

Thusness: He has to read Chuang Tzu and Lieh Tzu also. Anyway, there is no point kept talking on something you are not sure or have not even put in effort in it.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Do you bring out the part where Buddha said about the unconditional Self and said Buddha is referring to Brahman? So don't just comment on something you do not know. Otherwise, there is no difference from others. In the Mahanirvana sutra, the idea of Self is all around yet Buddhists have been trying to educate people on the right view of it. Similarly, do not jump into conclusion on stuff you are unsure.

AEN: I see.

23 AUGUST 2009

Thusness: I was reading through the Tao Bums discussion. Few hundred pages to read... One thing I realized is when you cut and paste what I said, you did not reference which phases of insight I am referring to.

AEN: Back. I see.

Thusness: What do you understand by Tao?

AEN: I think Tao is just everything happening naturally?

Thusness: Not good enough, but is better than treating it as a metaphysical essence.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: There is no emphasis about Awareness, luminosity, and this Self. What is mentioned in Dao De Jing, Zhuangzhi, and Lieh Tzu doctrine?

AEN: What do you mean?

Thusness: Have you read these doctrines?

AEN: Lieh Tzu I have never read before. Chuang Tzu only a bit. Chuang Tzu talks about clarity also I think... he uses the analogy of a mirror or water reflecting all things clearly when still.

Thusness: Read the wu wei section at https://web.archive.org/web/20200115044530/http://www.kktanhp.com/taoism_1.htm and compare it with the anatta article and tell me what you have understood.

AEN: Ok.

Thusness: Read through your conversation with Dwai, interesting. :) It will not be easy to convince him as he has gone quite far into experiencing the Self.

AEN: Back. I see. He said he experienced turiya. By the way, do you think Dwai is clear on non-dual?

Thusness: Not bad. Dwai based his experiences on Self.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Maybe I will write a little comment on Rob Burbea transcript and relate it to Dwai. Got to think of a title.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Have you read the Taoism article?

AEN: Yeah, I read the wu wei part and some others I'm reading. I noticed there's a lot on dependent origination also, other than anatta.

Thusness: Read the wu wei and see how you relate to the experience of anatta on Zhuangzhi and Lieh Tzu. Then tell me what you understand from there.

AEN: Ok. The emphasis on the flow is so that one doesn't resist or make artificial effort trying to manipulate things, but see that everything is just happening on its own accord due to dependent origination without a separate entity?

Thusness: Don't think about Buddhism first. They are not talking about Buddhism.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: However, the descriptions are?

AEN: What do you mean?

Thusness: What are they describing?

AEN: They're describing non-dual?

Thusness: What Dr. Tan is trying to say about Zhuangzhi chapter 6, yes. That is precisely the experience of non-duality. And what does it mean?

AEN: Wu wei is non-dual action?

Thusness: What is the characteristic?

AEN: Just direct experience without experiencer-experienced split?

Thusness: Yes, and without the experiencer-experienced split, what is it?

AEN: Just experiences and feelings and whatever is happening? Everything just is.

Thusness: No good, no good.

AEN: I see. Everything is just consciousness? As in conscious as it is, not as observer. Everything is like self-so and happening by itself.

Thusness: Worse.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: Read the paragraph on Pu Liang I. And read Lieh Tzu riding on the wind. When you read Taoism, whether Lieh Tzu, Zhuangzhi, Yang Zhu, or Lao Tzu, it is always about this. It is not about residing in Self. Nor residing in Tao.

AEN: I see.

Thusness: You must know what they are describing and one that is at stage is known as? (attain the Tao). So what is Tao?

AEN: Everything as it is without a self? Lieh Tzu seems like describing a state where he is no longer self-conscious. Tao is like the universe. http://www.kktanhp.com/Theravada%20Buddhism.htm -- K.K. Tan wrote on Buddhism anatta also:

"...The famous saying of Buddha: 'Within this fathom-long sentient body itself, I postulate the world, the arising of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world.' This sentence explains a great deal. It means that there is no Self or Atman who realises Nibbana. Everything devolves down to the five aggregates. There is no thinker: it is the thought that thinks. Similarly, it is wisdom that becomes enlightened: there is no one that became enlightened. Put it in another way, dukkha arises because of craving and it ceases because of wisdom. Craving and wisdom are within the five aggregates. And after the death of an arahant, the five aggregates become extinct: there is also no more self to be reborn! Unlike other religions, in Buddhism one can be in Nibbana while still alive. In other religions, one has to die before entering heaven...."

"...The dukkha of being is not easy to see. If you are in duality and see your-self as a separate entity from the rest of the world, you will continue to be in dukkha until you breakthrough to non-duality. The suffering and depression will not subside. .."

"Man is composed of the Five Aggregates, which are 1) the body, 2) feelings, 3) perception 4) mental tendencies and 5) consciousness. Try as hard as one may, one can find no essence or a Self or an Atman in any of these constituents. He also emphasized that there is no other essence or substance outside these five constituents. These conditioned and ever changing constituents are subjected to suffering---dukkha."- Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo

AEN: You saw this article before? You saw my messages?

Thusness: What messages? K.K. Tan anatta?

AEN: Yeah. By the way, I remember last time reading Dr. Tan's early articles on Buddhism and he was basically mistaking anatta as a state of no ego or personality. I think his recent articles are very different.

Thusness: Yes, I told you it is well written.

AEN: Oh, I didn't receive. You were logging off that time, I think.

Thusness: I see. Yes, seems like his realization has deepened into anatta. And when he wrote the article on Taoism wu wei?

AEN: Also quite recently.

Thusness: Because his insight of Tao seems to have deepened too. :)

AEN: I see. Just checked, the website started in mid 2004, the Buddhism article is written in late 2005, the Taoism articles maybe around mid to late 2007.

Thusness: I see. He must have matured his experience of anatta. :)

AEN: I see. Wow, Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo is very old, almost 80 already :P

Thusness: Wow...

Soh's Comments

p.s. I asked ChatGPT on Dr. Tan Kheng Khoo's background.

ChatGPT said:

Yes — your claim is basically supported. Dr Tan Kheng Khoo appears to have been a real Singapore pathologist-turned meditation teacher, and there is credible archival evidence that he taught meditation to Lee Hsien Loong in the early 1990s. The strongest source is Singapore’s NewspaperSG archive: a 27 May 1993 New Paper item says then–Deputy Prime Minister BG Lee Hsien Loong (who will later become the third Prime Minister of Singapore) had started meditation that year and was practising one-pointed meditation under Dr Tan Kheng Khoo, identified there as a retired pathologist. A later Straits Times piece from 2024 also refers to Tan as a meditation teacher to many people, including Lee Hsien Loong.

On the medical side, he was not just a fringe spiritual figure — he had a documented pathology career. PubMed lists him as author of “Frozen section service in the general hospital, Singapore” in Singapore Medical Journal (1965), and another pathology paper in 1966. Oxford Academic also lists him with pathology credentials and affiliation to the Department of Pathology, General Hospital, Singapore, with links to the University of Singapore. A 1962 Straits Times archive item also reports Dr Tan Kheng Khoo returning from postgraduate pathology studies in Britain.

By the early 1990s, he was publicly appearing in Singapore as a meditation teacher. A 1991 NewspaperSG listing advertises a talk by Dr Tan Kheng Khoo, calling him a retired pathologist and Honorary Patron of the Buddhist Library. Separately, SMA News mentions another doctor discussing meditation with him and describes him as an experienced practitioner of Buddhist meditation.

As for what he taught, the fuller picture online mostly comes from his own website and reposted lecture-note compilations, so I’d treat this part as self-description rather than independently verified biography. Those materials show he taught samatha / one-pointed concentration, vipassana, and Theravada-related material, but also a much broader mix of esoteric topics like cosmic healing, out-of-body experience, and kundalini/qigong psychosis. So he seems to have been an eclectic spiritual teacher, not just a conventional Buddhist meditation instructor.

I also found recent Singapore sources confirming he was the late Dr Tan Kheng Khoo and tying him to the well-known Holland Park house designed for him; The Straits Times says he died in 2019, and Docomomo Singapore refers to him as late Dr Tan Kheng Khoo.

Question

A practitioner recently contacted me to ask about the role of physical cultivation and energy practices in spiritual practice. They mentioned that while concepts and mindsets are one type of obstacle, the body seems to be a more fundamental obstacle that affects the intensity of experience (such as the sense of luminosity). They wondered if, upon reaching a certain stage, the full opening of the chakras or the microcosmic/macrocosmic orbit is bound to happen. Noting that Daoism places great emphasis on physical cultivation, they asked what forms of physical cultivation exist in Buddhism.

Furthermore, they shared their current state of practice: on the one hand, they are experiencing luminosity as a background for longer and more natural periods, striving to integrate the presence of "I AM" into all aspects of life; on the other hand, while trying to strengthen their physical cultivation (such as abdominal breathing and Qigong), they feel a sense of "physical weakness" and a lack of motivation, believing this might be a major obstacle in their practice, and hoped to receive some guidance.

Response

Hi [Questioner],

Thank you for the email and for completing the proofreading.

Regarding your questions about physical cultivation and energy work, I honestly cannot guide you on energy practices. For that, you really need to find a qualified teacher. I know very little about Taoism and energy practices myself; John Tan is much more of an expert in this area.

Buddhism does have its own forms of energy practice. For example, there is Yantra Yoga in the Dzogchen tradition of Acarya Malcolm Smith and Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. I actually flew from Singapore to Queensland, Australia in 2024 to attend Acarya Malcolm Smith's Dzogchen teachings, and his sangha went through some Yantra Yoga exercises there. Just letting you know, they have a sangha with practitioners in various Australian cities—I think Melbourne too, but you should check.

Another example is in the Zen tradition. Teachers like Meido Moore (Rinzai Zen) teach energy practices. These are just a few examples; there are more out there. All of these can be very helpful, but you must find the appropriate teachers.

To give you some perspective, John Tan mentioned this back in 2016:

"Anatta is like opening the upper Dan Tien... Your lower and middle need practice. Some are able to resolve immediately after anatta insight into selfless non-action, but those are the cream of practitioners." - John Tan

I also recently shared this exchange with someone that might be relevant to your questions about paths and energy:

Questioner: Hey Soh, very quick question. Nafis told me that it would be very hard to become a Buddha in one lifetime with Zen alone, and you need Vajrayana practice for this, to work with energy and the channels and stuff. Is this a view you and John Tan share as well, or was that his personal view? Just asking out of curiosity.

Soh: That is the Vajrayana's view in general, not unique to Nafis. But this is the view of John Tan which he just shared recently:

30 AUGUST 2020

John Tan: Don't worry about all those, but sort out using your view of insight of anatta, dependent origination, and emptiness, freedom from extremes, and total exertion. That is enough. All paths and traditions, and even other religions, are to have direct experiential taste of our nature. Once you are clear and have direct experiential taste of empty clarity free from observer and observed, the rest is just how to integrate into the three states.

Whether you go by energy system, yoga, Vajrayana, Taoism, or Taoist alchemy... they have the same [Soh: goal?]. It is just how clear, how precise, and does the view conflict with the path and experience.

07 JANUARY 2022

John Tan: Even post-anatta you will be dealing more with presence and energy rather than concepts, especially when you deconstruct more and more.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: But you need not go through the Vajrayana path. Like Zen, Meido Moore Roshi is good.

(Note from Soh: Zen Master Meido Moore has his own teachings on energy practices and dealing with energy but it comes from the Rinzai Zen tradition. Zen also adopts some energy practices, although I'm not sure of its origins, it may have adapted some from Taoism possibly.)

21 JULY 2025

John Tan: Maybe you should explore Vajrayana guru yoga.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. Why?

John Tan: Seems to work better for you than analysis. Practice diligently for a while and see how it goes. It means, by the taste of anatta, see how guru yoga can bring you further.

Soh Wei Yu: I see.

John Tan: Most importantly, the mind-body dissolution must be so thorough and stable... see how guru yoga can open up your body and mind.

LAST YEAR

John Tan: I don't know about deity yoga. My path has been very simple and direct. By the way, I am getting a lot of benefits through deepening my views of dependent arising. There is no need to think more, in my opinion, but to bring what I know now deep into my cell level. Hopefully within this life...

I've just translated an article precisely about this practice of contemplating anatta and bringing luminosity to foreground, hope it helps:
🔗 When Sound Hears Itself: A Journey to Realizing Anatta

Best regards,
Wei Yu

P.S. On Somatic Practices and Energy

I just found an excerpt from John Tan who wrote to Nafis in 2024:

I would suggest that instead of interpreting experiences through the lens of space and time, we should consider them in terms of body and mind.

Although we recognize that appearances are a reflection of our own radiance, our understanding is still heavily biased towards the mental aspect.

As a result, the insight that 'body' is equally 'mind' and that 'freeing one's body is freeing one's mind' has not fully arisen. Consequently, we often overlook the importance of somatic practices in freeing the mind.

For several decades, I have been practicing Taoist macrocosmic and microcosmic orbit exercises, as well as yoga. I have noticed that many people, including myself, tend to focus excessively on the mental aspect due to habitual tendencies. This default mode of over-emphasizing the mental is not necessary. Instead, what is needed is not vivid and clear visualization of microcosmic energy points and channels, but rather a light and gentle attention on these points, aided by breathing and the sensations of placing the palms on them. By allowing physical sensations to naturally guide our awareness, we can gently focus on these points.

When I practice pranayama and yoga, I apply the same principle, which helps to open the body with minimal mental involvement. With this new understanding, our practice will gradually become more somatic, rather than overly reliant on the mental aspect.

Eventually, this gentle and light attention to somatic opening of our body will have a very tangible effect, facilitating a natural and spontaneous state of effortless opening when we further mature our exhaustion of mind's reifications and phenomena.

- John Tan

Also, the following conversation may be of interest:

08 JULY 2024

Soh Wei Yu: Malcolm calls schizophrenia a spirit-induced disorder.

John Tan: Yeah. Now you know why I never want to discuss energy practices.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. You think his is caused by that?

John Tan: You remember I told you about 10 years back, don't act smart and start talking about energy practices where you don't know, and it can cause issues that no doctors can solve. Not sure, but I think he may be engaged in some of these or whatever that alters the mind in a radical way.

Soh Wei Yu: I see. Yeah, nowadays I prefer the sort of calming and openness taught by Buddha even in Pali suttas. Not altering mind state. 🤣 Don't want to create trouble.

John Tan: You have created enough troubles and don't mislead people.

Soh Wei Yu: I don't talk about energy practices. But Nafis seems to be very much into it. I do chanting and Song of Vajra singing though sometimes, but it's not very intensive. Like maybe only ten minutes in the morning and evening. I don't consider it an energy-related practice. The only energy-related is I try to ground myself in somatic and dantien breathing like vase breathing.

John Tan: Ok. From an experience perspective, anatta and total exertion is already Tian Ren He Yi (天人合一) [Soh: commonly translated into English as “the unity of Heaven and humanity” or “the Oneness of nature and man”] in Taoism also, no need to look elsewhere. No need to go for radical exhaustion of karma and obscurations. There are no shortcuts for it. Do balance regular exercises and observe diets in a holistic way to complement your radiance. The rest is just refinement of views. Benefits will be very tangible.

09 JUNE 2024

John Tan: The Taoist approach to understanding energy, or qi/prana, is deeply rooted in the concepts of yin and yang five elements (2Y5E). It's a comprehensive system that considers the interactions between human beings, the earth, and the heavens, all within the framework of time and space. This perspective is seen as a universal principle that applies to everything.

In Taoism, the dynamic exchanges between the yin and yang and the 5 elements (2Y5E) of an individual and the (2Y5E) of the environment and (2Y5E) of space and time, are believed to influence one's spirit, health, and astrological destiny. 2Y5E is the common denominator; therefore, a profound comprehension of the I Ching and the Yin Yang Five Elements (干支) is essential for those seeking to delve into Chinese practices such as alchemy and meditation.

In my opinion, the practice of Taoist alchemy is intricate, much more elaborate in terms of the energy system than the 5 elements of Tibetan, that is why I do not delve into Vajrayana Buddhism to understand energy aspects. However, the two systems of 5 elements do not tally, so there is no point trying to integrate them. I have wasted quite some time trying to do that.

That said, Taoism lacks a direct method for realizing one's radiance and the pointing of how the conventional obscures and confuses the mind. It wasn't until Buddhism was introduced to China that these concepts were somehow integrated. The Secret of the Golden Flower addresses a bit on the part on primordial consciousness, but it was a much later development in Taoist practice and was significantly influenced by Buddhist philosophy, particularly the concept of primordial consciousness.

Taoism philosophy does not contradict emptiness and dependent origination of Buddhism; in fact, it complements very well the teachings. However, from a liberation perspective, we do not need to delve too deeply into the energy system in my opinion. The deconstructive path itself is enough; more direct and to the point.

The way of the natural state in fact was addressed in Tao De Jing from the very beginning (even before Buddhism), but the part on mind's radiance and how de-construction of reified constructs led to realization that appearances are just one's radiance is a most important insight that can turn one's understanding and path upside down if we understand correctly, but was entirely missed out in Taoism. We won't be able to understand the natural state without this crucial insight (anatta). However, we do need some pointings in the right direction on the spontaneous and effortless path of our primordial nature—the natural state by some qualified masters. It is a path most misunderstood but most crucial for unreserved opening.

John Tan also wrote in 2024:

"I can only tell you Taoism lacks the clarity of view of anatta, dependent origination, and emptiness, and that is precisely what it lacks; otherwise, it would be quite perfect. In terms of energy practices, it is much more elaborate in my opinion, but that is just my opinion." - John Tan

Question

一位修行者最近联系了我，询问了修身和能量修习在修行中的作用。他提到，虽然思维观念是一种阻碍，但身体似乎是一种更基础的阻碍，会影响体验的强度（如光明感）。他想知道，到达一定阶段后，脉轮全开或大小周天是否是一定会发生的。他注意到道教非常注重修身，因此询问佛教中有哪些修身的形式。

此外，他分享了自己目前的修行状态：一方面在体会光明作为背景的时间越来越长、越来越自然，努力将“我是”的临在融入生活；另一方面在加强身体修行（如腹式呼吸和气功）时感到“身弱”和动力不足，认为这可能是自己比较大的一个修行障碍，希望能得到一些指导。

Response

[提问者] 你好，

感谢你的来信，也感谢你完成了校验工作。

关于你对修身和能量修习的疑问，说实话，我无法在能量修习方面指导你。对此，你确实需要找一位合格的老师。我自己对道教和能量修习知之甚少；John Tan 在这方面要专业得多。

佛教确实有其自身的能量修习形式。例如，在 Acarya Malcolm Smith 和 Chögyal Namkhai Norbu（南开诺布法王）的大圆满（Dzogchen）传承中，有幻轮瑜伽（Yantra Yoga）。实际上，我在 2024 年特地从新加坡飞往澳大利亚昆士兰参加 Acarya Malcolm Smith 的大圆满法会，他的僧团在那里也进行了一些幻轮瑜伽的练习。顺便提一下，他们在澳大利亚的各个城市都有修行者组成的僧团——我想墨尔本也有，但你需要核实一下。

另一个例子是在禅宗传承中。像 Meido Moore（临济宗）这样的老师也会教授能量修习。这些只是一些例子；还有很多其他的。所有这些都非常有帮助，但你必须找到合适的老师。

为了给你提供一些参考，John Tan 在 2016 年曾提到过：

“无我（Anatta）就像是打开了上丹田……你的下丹田和中丹田需要修习。有些人在获得无我的洞见后，能够立即契入无我的无为（selfless non-action），但那些都是顶尖的修行者。” - John Tan

我最近也和某人分享了以下这段对话，可能与你关于道路和能量的疑问有关：

提问者： Hey Soh，问个简短的问题。Nafis 告诉我，仅仅依靠禅宗很难在这一生中成佛，你需要金刚乘的修习，去修习能量、脉络等等。这也是你和 John Tan 的看法吗，还是他个人的看法？纯粹出于好奇问一下。

Soh： 这通常是金刚乘的知见，并非 Nafis 独有。但以下是 John Tan 最近刚分享的知见：

30 AUGUST 2020

John Tan: 不要担心所有那些，而是用你对无我（Anatta）、缘起（DO）和空性（Emptiness）的洞见、离于两边以及一法究尽（total exertion）的知见去理顺，这就足够了。所有的道路、传统，甚至其他宗教，都是为了对我们的本性有直接的体验和品尝。一旦你清楚了，并且对免于能观和所观的空明有直接的体验和品尝，剩下的就只是如何将其融入三种状态中。

无论你走的是能量系统、瑜伽、金刚乘、道教，还是道家内丹术……它们都有相同【Soh:的目标？】。只是在于有多清晰，有多精准，以及其知见是否与道路和体验相冲突。

07 JANUARY 2022

John Tan: 即使在无我之后，你也会更多地与临在（presence）和能量打交道，而不是概念，尤其是当你解构得越来越多时。

Soh Wei Yu: 明白了（ic..）

John Tan: 但你不需要非得走金刚乘的道路。像禅宗的 Meido Moore 老师就很好。

（Soh 注：禅宗大师 Meido Moore 有他自己关于能量修习和处理能量的教导，但它是源自临济宗传承的。禅宗也采用了一些能量修习，虽然我不确定它的起源，它可能多少改编自道教。）

21 JULY 2025

John Tan: 也许你应该去探索一下金刚乘的上师瑜伽（guru yoga）。

Soh Wei Yu: 哦，明白了.. 为什么呢？

John Tan: 这似乎比分析更适合你。精进地修习一段时间看看如何。意思是，借由对无我的品尝，看看上师瑜伽能如何将你带得更远。

Soh Wei Yu: 哦，懂了..

John Tan: 最重要的是，身心的消融必须非常彻底且稳定……看看上师瑜伽能如何打开你的身心。

LAST YEAR

John Tan: 我不太了解本尊瑜伽（deity yoga）。我的道路一直都非常简单直接。顺便说一下，通过加深我对缘起（dependent arising）的知见，我获得了很大的益处，在我看来没有必要想太多，而是要把我现在所知道的深入到我的细胞层面。希望在这一生中能做到……哈哈。

我刚刚翻译了一篇文章，正好是关于这种参究无我以及将光明带到前景的修习，希望对你有帮助：
🔗 当声音自己听自己：体证无我的旅程

祝好，
Wei Yu

P.S. 关于身体修习与能量

我刚找到一段 John Tan 在 2024 年写给 Nafis 的摘录：

“我建议，与其通过时间和空间的视角来诠释体验，不如从身和心的角度来考量它们。

尽管我们认识到显现（appearances）是我们自身光明（radiance）的影子，但我们的理解仍然严重偏向于心理层面。

结果，关于‘身’即是‘心’，以及‘解脱身体即是解脱心灵’的洞见还没有完全生起。因此，我们经常忽视身体修习在解脱心灵方面的重要性。

几十年来，我一直在修习道家的大周天和小周天，以及瑜伽。我注意到许多人（包括我自己）由于习惯的倾向，往往过度关注心理层面。这种过度强调心理的默认模式是不必要的。相反，我们需要的不是对小周天穴位和经络进行生动清晰的观想，而是借由呼吸和将手掌放在上面所产生的感觉，对这些穴位保持一种轻柔的关注。通过让身体的感觉自然地引导我们的觉知（awareness），我们就能温和地专注于这些穴位。

当我修习调息（pranayama）和瑜伽时，我也应用了相同的原理，这有助于在最少的心智参与下打开身体。有了这种新的理解，我们的修习将逐渐变得更加偏向身体层面，而不是过度依赖心理层面。

最终，这种对身体打开的轻柔关注将产生非常切实的成效，当我们在耗尽心智的实体化（reifications）与显现（phenomena）方面进一步成熟时，它将促进一种自然且自发、毫不费力的敞开状态。”

- John Tan

此外，以下的对话可能也会让你感兴趣：

08 JULY 2024

Soh Wei Yu: Malcolm 将精神分裂症称作是由灵体引发的失调（spirit induced disorder）

John Tan: 是的。现在你知道为什么我从不想讨论能量修习了吧

Soh Wei Yu: 哦明白了（Oic）。你认为他的是由那个引起的吗？

John Tan: 你还记得大约 10 年前我告诉过你，不要自作聪明去谈论你不懂的能量修习，它会导致任何医生都无法解决的问题。不确定，但我认为他可能参与了其中一些，或者是其他从根本上改变心智状态的东西

Soh Wei Yu: 明白了（Ic..）。是的，现在我更喜欢佛陀教导的那种止静与开阔，哪怕是在巴利经文里教导的。而不是去改变心智状态 🤣 不想制造麻烦

John Tan: 你制造的麻烦已经够多了，不要去误导别人。

Soh Wei Yu: 我不谈论能量修习。但 Nafis 似乎非常沉迷于此。不过我有时会唱诵金刚歌（song of vajra），但不是很密集。比如早晚可能只有十分钟。我不认为这是一种能量相关的修习。唯一与能量相关的是，我试图让自己扎根于身体层面和丹田呼吸，比如宝瓶气（vase breathing）

John Tan: 好。从体验的视角来看，无我（anatta）和一法究尽（total exertion）在道教中已经算是天人合一了，不需要向别处寻找。不需要去追求激进地耗尽业力与障碍（obscurations）。在这方面没有捷径。要以整体的方式平衡规律的运动和注意饮食，以此来辅助你的光明（radiance）。剩下的就只是提纯知见（views）。益处将会非常切实。

09 JUNE 2024

John Tan: 道家理解能量（或气 / prana）的方法深深植根于阴阳五行（2Y5E）的概念。这是一个综合系统，考量了人、地、天之间的互动，所有这些都在时间与空间的框架内。这种视角被视为适用于万物的普遍法则。

在道教中，个体内部的阴阳五行、环境的阴阳五行，以及时空的阴阳五行之间的动态交换，被认为会影响一个人的精气神、健康和命理造化。阴阳五行是共同的基石，因此，对于那些试图深入研究诸如内丹术（alchemy）和静坐等中国修行的人来说，深刻理解《易经》和阴阳五行（干支）是必不可少的。

在我看来，道家内丹术的修习非常错综复杂，在能量系统方面比西藏的五大元素要精细复杂得多，这就是为什么我不深入金刚乘佛教去理解能量方面的原因。然而，这两种五元素系统并不一致，所以试图将它们整合是没有意义的，我曾浪费了相当多的时间试图这么做。

话虽如此，道教缺乏一种直接的方法来了悟自身的光明，也缺乏关于世俗习气是如何遮蔽和迷惑心智的直指。直到佛教传入中国，这些概念才在某种程度上被整合。《太乙金华宗旨》在元神（primordial consciousness / 本初觉智）的部分有所涉及，但那是道家修习中后期才发展出来的，并且受到了佛教哲学的显著影响，尤其是本初觉智的概念。

道家哲学并不与佛教的空性（emptiness）和缘起（dependent origination）相矛盾，事实上它很好地补充了这些教导。然而，从解脱的视角来看，我认为我们不需要过深地钻研能量系统，解构的道路（deconstructive path）本身就足够了；它更加直接和切中要害。

实际上，自然状态（natural state）之道在《道德经》中从一开始（甚至在佛教之前）就有所论述，但关于心之光明（mind's radiance）的部分，以及对实体化的建构（reified constructs）的解构是如何导向了悟显现（appearances）仅仅是自身的光明，这是一个最为重要的洞见。如果我们理解正确，它能彻底颠覆一个人的认知与道路，但这在道教中完全被遗漏了。如果没有这个关键的洞见（无我 / anatta），我们将无法理解自然状态。然而，关于我们本初自性——即自然状态——那条自发且毫不费力的道路，我们确实需要一些合格大师在正确方向上的直指。这是一条最常被误解、但对于毫无保留的敞开却最为关键的道路。

John Tan 在 2024 年还写道：

“我只能告诉你，道教缺乏对无我（anatta）、缘起（dependent origination）和空性（emptiness）之知见的清晰度，而这正是它所缺失的，否则它会相当完美。在能量修习方面，在我看来它要精细复杂得多，但这只是我的个人看法。” - John Tan