Liu I-Ming and Taoist Alchemy

[fr.novumorganum]

I'm interested in anyone's experience with the Taoist Adept Liu I-Ming and his book of Taoist alchemical meditations Awakening to the Tao.

Interestingly enough in the context of some of the historical meanings of Abrahadabra, Liu I-Ming first encountered Taoist magickal practice when he was cured of a fatal illnes by a "Real Human"--an adept of taoist alchemy. He then studied "true taoism" (which included alchemy) under a teacher (who may or may not have been the healer--the story is not clear) called The Old Man of the Valley of The Crypts. (Makes me think of the city of the pyramids).

The meditations and Lamentations in the text are said to be methods of attaining full realization of the Tao/Dao and then the key to being able to use that awareness as a means of transformation.

I'm interested if these have been more generally seen as meditation practices or as ritual instructions?

[Qaexl]

I'm interested if these have been more generally seen as meditation practices or as ritual instructions?

His name and book sounds familiar but I have not read the book, so what I say here are from other sources and Wild Ass Guess.

There are meditational rituals, and by rituals, I mean ones that have an actual altar and ritual tools. One that I have a reference for involves reciting a ching.

I've recently discovered that my meditational practice is very haphazard. Although there are some things that you do in sequence ... for example, fill up the dantian with energy until it starts fluttering, then move on to stage 2 until a certain phenomena happens, I had come across a thread on another forum about the long term effects of the LBRP. It struck me that the people who performed it were very calm and sensible, and they approached the regular performance of LBRP as I do with martial arts kata. There are also some definate historical links between the Middle Pillar ritual and some Taoist practices.

I think the answer then is not so much ... how were these taught or practiced historically. I think both the haphazard and disciplined methods were used depending on what the student needed.

-Qaexl