
Nei-Yeh: Self-Cultivation Manual
Ancient Chinese Inner Cultivation Practices
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Techniques of the Heart-Mind is based upon an ancient Chinese work, the Nei-yeh, i.e. Inner Cultivation. It is intended for everyone who is interested in exerting a positive effect upon our community. This includes social activists, parents and teachers; artists of every kind, athletes and actors. Rather than those who perceive themselves as hapless victims of circumstances, this text is for those who want to take charge of their lives through regular inner cultivation techniques.
For that purpose, the work suggests exercises and conditions that enhance vitality and mental clarity. No pills or instant fixes. Just practice, practice, practice.
This approach is not about happiness. In fact, we consider the pursuit of happiness to be a hang-up – a Side Path – a course to be avoided that takes us away from the main stream. Nor does it concern the quest for enlightenment or self-realization. Rather, this text counsels us to attend to and follow our innate nature – despite any hardship and suffering that this Path may entail.
These inner cultivation practices are based upon a network of energies and processes that originated in Ancient China. Sages transcribed this time-tested network into written pamphlet-form several centuries before the Common Era. This self-cultivation manual is called the Nei-yeh, i.e. Inward Training. Consisting of just 26 song-poems, it was probably composed as a memory aid for students and masters alike.
As an indication of the enduring influence of the Nei-yeh's network of energies, Fu-yuan Ni, my Chinese sword teacher and Taoist Master, continued to employ these same relational constructs in the 21st century. He used them to better convey understanding of the 'spiritual' path to his students.
While unpacking this terse self-cultivation manual, I was struck by how this same behavioral technology applied to many aspects of my life. The prescribed practices seemed particularly relevant to my roles as parent, artist, musician, writer and Chinese Sword practitioner/teacher. This work is a humble attempt to re-contextualize the ancient wisdom of the Nei-yeh for modern times.
The book is divided into four basic parts:
1) historical context of the Nei-yeh
2) text of the Nei-yeh with commentary
3) relating the Nei-yeh to other important Chinese texts
4) the Nei-yeh’s influence upon subsequent texts
Details
- Publication Date
- Oct 21, 2022
- Language
- English
- ISBN
- 9781716655845
- Category
- Personal Growth
- Copyright
- All Rights Reserved - Standard Copyright License
- Contributors
- By (author): Don Lehman Jr., Edited by: Bill Powell, Edited by: King Schofield
Specifications
- Pages
- 398
- Binding
- Paperback
- Interior Color
- Black & White
- Dimensions
- US Trade (6 x 9 in / 152 x 229 mm)