There is a substantial increase in available energy re-
serve after Taoist lovemaking, as the male has not only conserved
his own super potent seed power but also absorbed a high dose of
equally potent yin/earth power from his lover. Any athlete who can
master the urge to ejaculate his life-force will have taken a step in
the life-long process of mastering himself and his chosen sport. He
can awaken from a night of ecstatic lovemaking feeling light
hearted and energetic, with his batteries fully charged. This is quite
different from the pleasant exhaustion that often follows ejacula-
tory sex. Some male athletes claim that ejaculatory sex the night before
is beneficial to their sport. The reason for this is usually simple—
the athlete has too much nervous energy and lovemaking relaxes
him. His excess energy impedes his performing ability, and
ejaculation relieves that tension. This improves his coordination
and attention in the field the next day and thus helps him to win. This is entirely in line with the Taoist idea of the function of love-
making to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit. Huge quantities of
raw chi energy in the physical body are useless until they are
harmoniously integrated with the mind and spirit. University of New Mexico Professor Mark Anshel did exten-
sive research on sex and the athlete. He found that many coaches
were intentionally creating sexual frustration with the hope that
their athletes would redirect their drives against an opponent. "All
people don't react to frustration the same way," Anehel points out. "By preventing sexual activity, these coaches (or the athlete him-
self; Guillermo Vilas, the Argentine tennis pro, once admitted stay-
ing celibate for a year to improve his game) may actually bring
about negative personality manifestations such as anger or feelings
of isolation. "The Sexual Economy 41
The Taoists have used sex since ancient times to heal phys-
ical, emotional, and mental imbalances, a practice very much in
line with helping athletes maintain maximum fitness. The Taoists
were martial artists as well, and knew the secret of defeating an
opponent was a combination of physical discipline and maintaining
a superior degree of self-awareness. For this reason they cultivated
their chi energy and guarded against the loss of their seed to
women. This Taoist practice of "Sexual Kung Fu" is kept a closely
guarded secret amongst martial artists lest their opponents learn it
and grow stronger. The modern athlete can enjoy the same benefits
today as the Taoist fighters, swordsmen, and Tai chi chuan players
have for hundreds of years—the full freedom to love without losing
the competitive edge. SEX, COMMITMENT, AND MARRIAGE
This subject of marriage is too vast to be generalized by any fixed
rules. Marriage may suit some men and not others. One man may
marry and be happy for a lifetime and his brother find it torture. In
the Tao, nothing is ever forced; alignment with the natural is
sought, and from this comes lasting balance of yin and yang. The Taoist sages would never say that a celibate man is higher
or more pure than a married man. Both men have equal opportu-
nity to adapt their daily practice of cultivating their chi energy to
their life situation, and thus, to achieve union with the Tao. If all
spiritually inclined men were to remain celibate, society might suf-
fer from the lower quality of parental guidance offered to children,
and result in disharmony in the world. Practically speaking, a marriage, especially with children,
consumes an enormous amount of time and energy and should not
be entered into lightly or for the wrong reasons. The wrong reasons
include marrying because of outside cultural pressure or to satisfy
someone else's desire, such as parents. The decision should come freely from within you or else later
you will have trouble accepting the responsibilities which arise
from your choice. Many men marry because they are emotionally
insecure and hope a woman will offer that security. This emotional
insecurity can often be traced to insecurity in the male sexual role. So, if you have not yet married, I suggest you master the sexual
energy cultivation methods in this book before making that deci-42Taoist Secrets Of LoveThe Sexual Economy 43
sion, and if possible learn the Fusion of Five Elements meditation
for balancing emotional energy (see Chapter 18 for a description). Even this is no miraculuous overnight cure for emotional inse-
curity. If you spent decades feeling and acting insecure, it will take
a while to change. Cultivate and balance your internal energy con-
stantly, and you will be surprised at how your emotions will lose
their power over you, and be replaced by a continuous feeling of
inner connectedness. You won't need to seek your emotional un-
derstanding from a woman, which is a dependancy trap many men
fall into. When you understand the source of your emotions in the
movement of the chi energy in your body, you will be in a position
to maintain inner balance and help your lover to achieve the same. Once you are free of sexual and emotional compulsiveness
you will find yourself a very changed man in your relations with
women. Ideally, you would get to know a woman for several years
before having children with her. This allows you both to learn the
subtle energy rhythms of the relationship before your attention is
focused on child-raising. If, by then, you have practiced dual
cultivation to a high level, the deep bond will go far in getting you
through the inevitable difficulties that lie ahead. For many American men, sexuality actually remains on an
infantile level. It is often no more than an extension of feeding. It is
an attempt to take in love from outside themselves and childishly
demand the certainty of continual gratification. This leads neces-
sarily to the jealous dependency that plays havoc with so many
relationships. People spend years watching to see if they are loved:
in this way they annihilate even the possibility of what they seek. This type of destructive sexuality is a constant looking outside
oneself for assurances. This insecurity can generate negative emo-
tions we are often unconscious of, such as jealousy and guilt, as
well as acts that consciously violate our own integrity, such as
adultery. One ceases to live in the present moment, creation stops,
and life becomes slavish rehearsals of lust broken by long periods
of boredom. It's easy to observe that after a time the life of many couples
seems weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. One reason for this is
because when they embrace intending to make love, the man ejacu-
lates and thus excretes his deep vitality and depletes his yang
charge. Nature is abundant and forgiving, but after years of
ejaculation the difference shows up as weakened sexual desire.44 Taoist Secrets Of Love
Unless the couple has spontaneously found the will to transform
their life energy into a higher love—a process of spiritual attune-
ment that balances the daily losses of vital energy—the relationship
is in danger of becoming a ghost of its former passionate self. Energy that could become genuinely joyous is spasmodically
thrown out of the body by ejaculation. This loss occurs every time
you ejaculate. Eventually a man can develop feelings of indif-
ference or hate for his sexual partner because he subconsciously
realizes that when he touches her, he loses those higher energies
that could make him a truly happy man. This produces a deep
crisis, because during the years of love-making and sharing their
lives, a powerful emotional bond has developed. A lot of his sexual
energy has gone into making that bond and he can't understand
how the bond could exist and yet he feels bored, resentful, and
fatigued. This flattening of sexual desire between regular partners is
due largely to depletion of polarity or sexual-electrical tension. You can increase the attraction by charging the positive and nega-
tive poles of the male-female battery. Some couples achieve this
temporarily by taking seperate vacations or sleeping in separate
beds, or they find other ways to naturally keep the balance of
energy through outside friendships and activities. With polarity
restored the current of life flows between the lovers ever more
swiftly and powerfully. Dual cultivation allows a couple to remain
together and keep this polarity of their relationship fully charged. Dual cultivation is designed to promote the happiness of cou-
ples, to teach the partners to discover inexhaustable pleasures in
each other. There is no inherent reason for love to grow old. The
practice of conserving and exchanging sexual energy without loss
of the seed will help remove a major cause of promiscuity: in-
complete satisfaction with one's lover. It can also alleviate a common problem in marriage: not
enough energy to work things out. With the stress of both parents
working and modern fathers trying to share in the child-raising
tasks, many couples simply burn out. They never have enough
time to make love; if one is aroused the other is exhausted or
asleep. Using the Taoist Secrets of Love, both husband and wife
will find sex rejuvenating and an endlessly fascinating journey into
the subtle realms of chi exchange. They can return to the routine of
daily drudgery with renewed vigor and light heart; when your chi isThe Sexual Economy 45
full and running in all your meridians, the most ordinary things
become interesting again. Your chi is the glue between your body,
mind, and spirit; until it is completely integrated you will feel in-
complete. The Tao teaches there is infinite pleasure and limitless poten-
tial within every human being. The addiction to sex as emotional
food can gradually be changed from within the male body through
chi cultivation. One grows to appreciate this fact with the retention
of the seminal fluid and its transformation into the higher center of
the heart. One experiences the fullness of life long after the love-
making has ceased, and a delicacy that more easily moves beyond
temporary sensory stimulation, to a continuous connection of feel-
ings with the lover. The man who diligently studies the Tao learns that the source
of all emotions as well as the source of a woman's allure is also
within himself. However, when difficulties arise, the first question
to arise is always, "What does my commitment to her mean?" This
self-questioning can raise its head at any stage of spiritual accom-
plishment or emotional maturity in your marriage. The highest commitment a Taoist can make is to the marriage
of yin and yang in the universe. In fact yin and yang are always
married, as they are just two poles of the same subtle energy field. Thus, the real commitment a Taoist makes is to consciously real-
ize their union in his life and thus empower himself (single cultiva-
tion) and his lover (dual cultivation) with his awareness. When the
level of chi and ching chi cultivation reaches a very high level and
is integrated with shien, or spirit, the awareness extends to an even
wider field and might be likened to the Christian universal love or
Buddhist sense of compassion for all sentient beings. The difference is that a Taoist cultivates this universal sense
within his body, so it remains as a tangible experience of his subtle
chi energy field. This insures it does not become a conceptual or
theological idea of love into which a man is trying to fit his be-
havior. This is an impossibility, as no whole human being with an
integrated body, mind, and spirit can fit into the shoes of an ab-
stract idea, even a noble one like love. The Taoists in China traditionally cultivated themselves in
pairs or small groups, whether it be two friends, a master and
student, a man and woman, or a small community of adepts. There
were many different approaches used by these different groups;46 Taoist Secrets Of Love
some were strictly celibate, others quite openly favored dual
cultivation between man and woman. Because of the strong em-
phasis on sexuality in America, and the freedom from social re-
straints, I'm certain that the method of dual cultivation will become
a major path for growth among couples. Americans are raised with
the idea that they can do anything they want to do, and don't like
being told by priests or gurus that their love of sex is dirty, sinful,
or blocking their path to enlightenment. So, let them enjoy sex and
take the best from it. It's all part of the Tao, and their marriages
will be all the better for it as long as the sexual energy is properly
used. Some men and women will choose to love outside of mar-
riage, and if they cultivate a harmonious balance of yin and yang
their union is as holy as one with an official state seal stamped on
it. A word about the virtue of a lengthy committment. It normally
takes decades to fully cultivate one's chi energy to the highest level
of shien. It will likely take years to appreciate the subtle energies
your woman is capable of creating and making available for your
own cultivation. It is said it takes seven years to know the rhythms
of a woman's body, seven years to learn her mind, and seven years
to understand her spirit. Don't be a promiscuous fool who is never
patient enough to learn the true depth of the Tao. THE MORAL EFFECT OF SEMEN LOSS
There is a distinct tendency for strengths and weaknesses to propa-
gate themselves. The weak grow weaker, the strong strive to in-
crease in strength still more. Taoist Cultivation helps curb self-
destructive tendencies which are worsened by weakness itself. The
Taoist treasures the energy stored in his vital fluid. The vital power
within him slowly begins to resist abuse of any sort to both his
body and character. The loss caused by ejaculation is not limited to the physical
sphere. Mental and emotional functions are profoundly influenced. Hormonal fitness directly effects personality and capacity for cre-
ative thought. The mind suffers from the loss of testosterone, the
hormone secreted in the testes and spent in ejaculation. Chinese medicine long ago observed that vicious crimes are
often committed soon after seminal loss. Courage is usually at low
ebb after ejaculation. One scares easily and reacts violently. This isThe Sexual Economy 47
one reason murder and mutilation often follow rape. Thus there is what may properly be called a moral effect of
cultivating one's sexual essence or ching chi. The yang fire within
the seed burns up internal poisons at the same time it generates an
essential life-supporting substance. One who retains his seed in-
creasingly respects every form of life. Everyone has experienced discomfort when watching some-
one abuse their child in public, or felt the stare of a starving bum. The anger or despair of others actually spills over to us and influ-
ences us whether we like it or not. In like manner, each of our
thoughts and acts beams to the far reaches of creation. The man who cultivates his subtle energy eventually experi-
ences in his body the fact that all living beings are part of one life. He and his lover flow into each other. He knows that across the
web of consciousness one living thing constantly nourishes an-
other. In becoming highly aware of the interconnection between all
creatures, he strengthens his tendency to be unselfish. He may
suddenly find himself asking: why pour negative thoughts into the
single stream from which we all must drink? In this sense all loving
energy is cosmic, or divine energy. When two people love each
other consciously their energies are intentionally consecrated to
the good of humanity. This kind of love offering develops a special
egolessness in the lovers and will inspire others whom they meet. While this approach to loving is not limited to the esoteric
Taoist cultivation, the use of its methods of transforming sex en-
ergy vastly increases the amplitude of loving power which is ema-
nated. In the Taoist view, man cannot direct the heavens, but if he
behaves in harmony with the laws of heaven and earth he can guide
the larger course of events by becoming harmonious within him-
self. Thus, Taoist philosophy does not preach any specific moral
guidelines. It simply posits that morality is innate within man; if he
cultivates his subtle energy and experiences his true self, he will
act in a moral fashion among men. THE CONTROVERSY:
IS SEX GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH? Man appears to be the only higher creature naturally endowed with
the power and inclination to perform sexually regardless of the
possibilities of spreading his own kind. There is no falling off of48 Taoist Secrets Of Love
sexual appetite in the pregnant female or her mate. The human
begins sexual activity soon after reaching puberty. Most people
spend a lifetime performing and dreaming of sexual intercourse for
the sake of pleasure and emotional fulfillment. It seems clear that
sexuality serves a higher function in humans, but doctors, scien-
tists, psychologists, priests and artists cannot even begin to agree
on what this higher function is and how or if it should be regulated
to improve human well-being. Western scientific texts are curiously contradictory about the
healthfulness of sexual intercourse. Many sex manuals today
praise the restorative qualities of extensive sexual activity. Others,
equally authoritative and based on psychiatric studies, caution
against sexual overindulgence. Which school of thought is correct? When does too much sex become unhealthy? To complicate matters still more, there are similar inconsis-
tencies among Oriental sages. One renowned Indian holy man
counsels the male to see every woman as a sack of shit and piss in
order to resist the temptation of losing the precious male seed to
her. Yet the Lord Buddha himself is held to have said: "Women
are the Gods, women are life ... Be ever among women in
thought." The Taoist teaching of sexual yoga reconciles these view-
points because it accepts the middle way, recognizing the truth in
both extremes. Their solution is of utmost simplicity: joyous and
loving sexual intercourse without the loss of the male seed is
healthful in the highest degree. Much depends, of course, on the path you are taking through
life. At a certain time in your life celibacy may be best for restoring
your health or for achieving rapid spiritual progress. Celibacy can
be an extremely powerful means of conserving all your vital ener-
gies freeing you to work with greater intensity in cultivating your-
self. But most Westerners are focused on finding the right mate,
and working out their sexual and emotional desires with a partner. The Taoist principles of energy cultivation work equally with
both cases, the single or the dual cultivation. For a Taoist, all paths
must ultimately move beyond a focus on sex energy and towards
attunement to all the subtle energies of the Tao. But no one can take more than one step at a time. If part of
your mind is fixed on sex, you must live out that impulse, study it,The Sexual Economy 49
and know its source before you can transcend it. Taoists are al-
ways flexible; your energy can be cultivated no matter what your
situation in life is. But the basic principles remain the same. Sexual
activity without love and with frequent loss of fluid is physically
and mentally destructive to any path. Engaging in sexual love with
a partner—but without any esoteric practice to cultivate the chi—is
an incomplete path to transforming oneself. Love will spontaneously transform any couple to a higher
level of awareness, but at the same time the repeated loss of seed
will hasten their physical decline and slow their progress. It's like
climbing a mountain slope with loose rock scree—you take three
steps up and slide back down one. This pace may lead to emotional
and mental happiness found at the top of the first ridge. But it may
deprive you—for the lack of time and energy—from seeing the
valleys, mountains, rivers and ocean beyond. This is the fullness of
the Tao, the attaining of a lasting experience of your higher spir-
itual self.CHAPTER 5
SEX IN THE ESOTERIC TRADITIONS OF THE
WORLD
". . . It is impossible for us to learn elsewhere what we are incapa-
ble of learning within our own bodies." —Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temple In Man
Religions have nearly always tried to control the sexual habits of
their followers. Their success seems to swing in cycles of the pub-
lic submitting and rebelling, but I would guess that ultimately they
have failed because for most people the experience of sex is more
powerful than their experience of religion. As a biological impulse,
sexual drive so completely permeates our actions and desires that
it is not easily harnessed by any system of belief, however dog-
matic. Hence the adage that prostitution is the world's oldest pro-
fession. In my travels I have noticed that prostitution seems to flourish
side by side with the most fanatic religious communities. Sex is like
an inflatable ball floating on the surface of a pool—the deeper you
push it down into the water, the more strongly it presses back up. If
you lose control of the ball for even a split second, it will shoot up
into the air out of control. The attempt by religions to publicly dictate sexual morality is
actually a vestige of an earlier, less material era when spiritual
experience was more intense than the fleshly pleasures of sex. The52 Taoist Secrets Of Love
founders of the earliest religions—then known as Mystery Schools
or Fertility Cults—understood the role of sexuality in spiritual de-
velopment, which is why their practices and rites held such power-
ful experiences for converts. Many modern spiritual leaders,
whether Catholic, Jewish or Hindu etc., have forgotten the link in
their religious rites connecting sexual power and spirituality. Cir-
cumcision rites, Spring fertility festivals (e.g. Easter), and commu-
nion ceremonies are all remnants of a time when the esoteric and
hidden meaning of sexuality was understood and incorporated into
religion. The task for twentieth century man is to peel off the layers of
his outer or "exoteric" religious beliefs and free his mind to experi-
ence the ecstatic core of his existence in his body. Then the outer
ritual and the beliefs of the old religions will either fall way, or take
on a new and profound meaning. By accepting sex as sacred, the
role of religion will be revitalized in society and made more mean-
ingful in ordinary personal relationships. Taoism is different from the major religions in that it is a
spiritual philosophy and not an organized religion with a body of
believers obeying a holy scripture. Faith in God (or the Tao) is not
enough for the Taoist; devotion to higher harmony must be accom-
panied with the self-knowledge that comes from cultivating one's
own energy. In a sense, a Taoist must "grow" his soul in order to
fully gain knowledge of it. Every human has the same seed within,
but unless it is properly nourished, its bearer will never see its fruit. The divine world within man is patterned after the natural world—
as a child will never know its full self until adulthood, so must a
man cultivate to maturity his subtle spiritual energy if he wishes to
enjoy and participate in the fullness of the Tao. There were some folk cults with Taoist priests that rose up to
compete with the arrival of Buddhism in China, but I am concerned
here only with the original esoteric teachings of the Taoist masters. These Taoists are famous for permitting the use of sex on their
spiritual paths. There were many Taoist sects which sprung up on
the five holy mountains of China, and each emphasized different
aspects of chi cultivation in their spiritual development. A few
sects taught the path of "single cultivation", which utilizes the
Taoist principle of mating male and female subtle energies withn
one body, but strictly forbids physical sexual intercourse as either
unnecessary or too risky.Sex In the Esoteric Traditions 53
The practice of "dual cultivation" was widely accepted by
most Taoists for both its hygienic and spiritual virtues. Even in
these schools the danger of becoming deeply attached to one's lover
was acknowledged as a possible stumbling block for those se-
riously aspiring to become immortals and enjoy full union with the
Tao. This sexual attachment was never viewed as sinful, and no
sense of guilt was encouraged as in the Christian tradition. Becom-
ing sexually attached to one's partner simply means that the aspir-
ing yogi might experience only the union of a man and woman in
this lifetime instead of the greater union of Heaven and Earth. This
is no condemnation of the couple, as such a union might be a high
accomplishment for them. The Christian religions have a strong tradition of a sacred
marriage, but church politics—mostly male priests afraid or jealous
of women's earthy, "dark," yin power—led the Christian world
into periods of woman-hating witch hunts that alternated with54 Taoist Secrets Of Love
woman-worshipping cults of the Virgin Mary. China, whose
culture was molded by a blend of Taoism and Confucianism, was
spared this vicious cycle. The yin energy of the universe—person-
ified by woman—was always viewed as necessary to its function-
ing and to the well-being of man. Even when the original Taoist teachings on the perfect bal-
ance between yin and yang fell into periods of decline after the
Manchu reign in the Eighth Century A.D., women were not sub-
jected to the same abuse seen in some other cultures. Chinese
society became increasingly paternalistic and women were viewed
as a kind of male property, but at least the general cultural senti-
j ment favored treating this female "property" with respect. Many
of the Taoist sexual manuals which survive today come from this
period, and are somewhat lopsided in advising the aristocrats who
read them on how to get healing yin energy from the woman. These manuals totally ignore how men can help to heal
women with their powerful yang energy. They do correctly advise
men to conserve their seed while suggesting that a man make love
to as many as eleven concubines a night. The manuals are really
medical textbooks, with a very cut-and-dried clinical approach to
sex that treats it solely as a means to harmonizing one's health. Although these manuals fail to stress the higher path or teach medi-
tative practces for exchanging energy with the women they do
reflect the basic esoteric Taoist teachings that sex, when properly
practiced can be incorporated into daily life with tremendous bene-
fits to health. The Taoists may have one of the oldest esoteric traditions of
cultivating sexual energy in the world, but they certainly were not
alone. The idea for transforming sexual energy for spiritual pur-
poses is well known in all the esoteric traditions of the world, both
Eastern and Western, although generally it has been guarded as a
great secret. Whether in Egypt, India, Tibet or Europe, the infor-
mation that was revealed to the public was usually kept to a vague
or abstract theoretical/theological level. A practical method to hold
and transform the sex energy in the body was never taught to the
public. The best place to begin a brief historical survey of this field is
with Theophrastus Bombastus Paracelsus, the famous 16th century
physician and alchemist extraordinaire. Paracelsus' credentials as
a medical scientist are impeccable; more than 400 years ago heSex In the Esoteric Traditions 55
discovered the mercury cure for syphilis. Yet, he came to the same
conclusion as the Taoist masters of what was known as sexual
alchemy—the seemingly magical but entirely natural transforma-
tion of the sexual seed. Paracelsus experienced the seminal fire with as much reality
as an ordinary person feels when his hand is burned in a hot oven. Regarding the constituent elements of the substance, he wrote:
"All the organs of the human system, and all their powers and
activities, contribute alike to the formation of semen . . . The se-
men is, so to say, the essence of the human body, containing all the
organs of the latter in an ideal form." This position is strikingly
similar to the Taoist description of "ching chi," or sexual essence. Taoist cultivation also emphasizes balancing the subtle energies of
each organ, which one then fuses into a single higher spirit. Paracelsus distinguishes between the sperm fluid and the
"aura seminalis", which is the light or energy of the sperm. Scien-
tists today might call the "aura" the biophysical energy of the
seminal fluid. Paracelsus claimed energy could be distilled from the
physical fluid: "This emanation or separation takes place by a kind
of digestion, and by means of an interior heat, which during the
time of virility may be produced in man by the proximity of
woman, by his thoughts of her, or by his contact with her, in the
same manner a piece of wood exposed to the concentrated rays of
the sun may be made to burn." This statement rudely translated into modern language means
that contact with an attractive woman may stimulate the produc-
tion of high quality biophysical energy. Taoist alchemists realized a
thousand years before Paracelsus practical ways to retain these
valuable energies in order to profit from them. If we turn from the Renaissance alchemist to the great British
authority on Indian Tantric practice, Sir John Woodruffe, we find
the same principles. In his classic work, The Serpent Power, Sir
John speaks plainly to those who know how to hear: "... the force
of the latter (sexual centers), if directed upwards, extraordinarily
heightens all mental and physical functioning." He notes that
mind, breath and sexual function are interconnected. The spiritual
aim of the yogi is to "carry his seed high." This seed releases
pranic energies, also known as the Kundalini power, rising up the
spine to higher chakras or centers of spiritual function. Another great modern spiritual authority, attuned to the56 Taoist Secrets Of Love
power within semen was Gurdjieff. According to this master, cer-
tain peoples understood that ". . . by means of the substances
'Exhioehary' or sperm formed in them, it was possible to perfect
oneself." He adds that "... this self-perfection could probably be
actualized by itself, by abstaining from the ejection from oneself in
the customary manner of these substances formed in them called
sperm." Gurdjieff maintains that this self-perfection usually cannot be
attained simply by retaining the semen, but requires a technique to
release the energies of the seed. He is in perfect agreement with
Paracelsus and the Taoists on this point. Without exception authorities on the occult know of the semi-
nal power, and that this substance must be stored and transformed
to accomplish higher deveopment. The distinguished magician,
Kenneth Grant, writes: "Thus the function of the semen—in the
Tantras—is to build up the body of light, the astral body, the inner
body of man. As the vital fluid accumulates in the testicles it is
consumed by the heat of the Fire Snake, and the subtle fumes or
'perfumes' of this molten semen go to strengthen the inner body." Most authorities agree on the necessity of collecting seminal
fluid and transmuting it by application of inner heat. In the Chinese
practice we refer to this as "cooking" the seminal fluid to obtain its
"steam." The first step to release this tremendous vitality is con-
servation of the semen in the act of love. The modern American spiritual master, Da Free John, also
stresses the necessity of conserving the seminal force: "We must
find a way of enjoying sexual intimacy whereby Life is not lost, we
do not discharge Life in order to achieve pleasure, and we love one
another, completely happy and free in our life together." The "loss of Life" Da Free John refers to is ejaculation. He
considers proper use of the sexual force—without ejaculation and
with truly loving feeling between partners—as a key to human
evolution. He stresses the importance of love in aiding the spon-
taneous transmutation of the seed to its higher centers of divinity. In this he is in complete accord with other spiritual authorities. Alchemists, yogis, magicians, and mystics agree unanimously on
this fundamental point. Another perspective on the vital seed is found in the works of
an eminent Kabbalist and poet, Carlos Suares. The esoteric Kab-
balist tradition originated in ancient Egypt. He emphasizes thatSex In the Esoteric Traditions 57
development of the will to retain the seed is identical with develop-
ment of one's true self: "... man, endowed with his self (which,
though static by nature, shelters living seed) must struggle against
and overcome the centrifugal sexual movement which tends to lead
him into the abyss of the female. . . . Instead of being carried
away, his mind rules." Suares here alludes to the degenerative role played by woman
in unconsciously luring the seed out of man. She profits very
slightly from his great loss, since she usually doesn't have the yogic
skills to absorb it. Woman is a bottomless pit for the man who
incessantly gives his seed to her, although she can attempt to com-
pensate this loss with her nearly inexhaustable female energy and
love. This chapter could be expanded to include the entirety of
initiatory writing. There are many works by Masters who have felt
the powers of semen transmuted by vital heat. When Moses is
wandering in the desert for forty years, he speaks in the Bible of
experiencing "a serpent fire." Since the Bible also declares Moses
was "trained by the Egyptians in all their mysteries," it seems
likely that this fire refers to the transmutation upward of his psy-
chic energies. Bodily experience of the subtle realm is the final
criterion in these matters. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAOISM AND TANTRA
The principles of Tantra from India and Tibet have received wide
attention in the west in recent years, especially by seekers inter-
ested in integrating their sexual impulses into their spiritual
growth. The principles behind Tantra are nearly identical to that of
Taoism. Both seek to reconcile the opposing dualities of life as
symbolized by male and female and both accept any moment or
experience in life as a starting point for spiritual growth and as an
end point for insight into truth. Keith Dowman, a western scholar and practitioner of Tibetan
Tantric Buddhism put it succinctly: "Strip the (tantrie) yoga of its
arcane terminology and there is a simple meditation technique:
stimulate the desire and then use it as the object of meditation and
it becomes awareness—a field of Emptiness and pure Pleasure." A
Taoist would agree, only he might phrase it differently: "Within
every moment there is only the Emptiness of yin receiving the58 Taoist Secrets Of Love
Fullness of yang." This is the eternal marriage of man and woman,
of spirit and matter, of Heaven and Earth. The Taoist path and Tan trie path differ mainly in their lan-
guage and in the practical yogic methods taught to achieve the
same union of mind, body, and spirit. Both fully accept the mastery
of one's sexuality as not only a legitimate but necessary means to
attain the highest enlightenment possible in the body. Dowman
describes the importance of semen in the inner tantric path:
"Refined semen in the heart center permeates the body as awareness. Loss of semen, by any means, causes life-span to be shortened and
causes a pallid complextion. In Anuyoga (fulfillment yoga, or Kun-
dalini yoga) loss of semen is equated with killing of the Buddha. . . . After initiation, intensity of desire is essential to force the bodicitta
(seed essence) up the medial nerve (of the spine); not only is desire
vitiated by orgasm, but the will to enlightenment itself is temporarily
lost. "*
This accords perfectly with the Taoists view of retaining se-
men and transferring it upward, only the Taoists do not personify
the subtle energies with a pantheon of divine beings. So I would
say that the Tantra is for someone who is fascinated by or is at-
tracted to the religious archetypes of the Tantrics—the gods and
goddesses, the Bodisattvas and demons—and their elaborate se-
cret rituals, initiations and invocations using mantra. If you have
the patience to follow the rigorous path set out by a lama or guru
who understands the true esoteric practice and is not merely a faith
worshipper, you should eventually be successful with it. I myself was raised near a Buddhist temple in Thailand and
hung out with monks from an early age. I later decided the external
rituals were not so effective as the internal methods of cultivating I
learned from my Taoist teachers. These rituals are a blend of the
esoteric and local culture. Many westerners may not respond
deeply to the archaic imagery of the religious deities or will be
confused by the different states of mind to be invoked, as the
traditional descriptions of these states of mind do not translate
easily from Sanskrit or Tibetan into English. Certainly the acceptance of Taoism here in the west has been
slowed by the difficulty of translating Taoist philosophy from Chi-
*"Sky Dancer: The Secret Life And Songs Of The Lady Yeshe Tsogyel" (Routledge and
Kegan, Paul 1984).Sex In the Esoteric Traditions 59
nese into English. But the archetypal images of the Taoists—prin-
cipally images from nature, but including the yin and yang sym-
bol—became globally accepted archetypes long before myself and
others began teaching out the esoteric practices. The Chinese form
a quarter of the world's population, and our civilization has been
around for the last 5000 years, so our basic teaching models are
already well known throughout the world. Perhaps most important is the fact that the esoteric yogic
practices of the Taoists were not buried in the rituals or lost on the
changing doctrines of religion. They were kept secret and passed
on orally for many thousands of years, and when they were finally
written down beginning in the second century A.D. they were dis-
guised with arcane poetry to prevent the uninitiated or unvirtuous
from learning the meditative practices. But much of this esoteric
knowledge was preserved and further developed by Taoist acu-
puncturists and herbologists, which helped to keep the mystical
teachings practical and grounded in using the chi energy to heal
bodily functions. Another example of this is the Taoist art of Tai
Chi Chuan, a wonderfully multifaceted form that is simultaneously
a means of self-defense, a playful dance, a metaphysical meditation
on yin and yang, a physically healing exercise, and a ritual invoca-
tion of the cardinal energies that can be experienced by anyone
watching a master perform. The actual Taoist practices themselves are as simple to under-
stand as the sun and the moon, because the ancient Taoists used
the natural elements of the universe as their teacher. They watched
the way plants and animals lived and died, how the weather
effected their own metabolism, and how their subtle energies var-
ied with the seasons, the earth's tilt toward the sun and stars, and
the phases of the moon. Before language was even invented the
sages observed the balance of forces in nature and then found that
same harmony within themselves. Life is simple and natural if you
keep it that way. No extraneous cultural images or religious con-
cepts are needed to decorate the original and natural vision of the
Tao as harmonious nature. Anybody familiar with the qualities of water, fire, metal,
earth, and wood—the primal elements—and has lived through the
four seasons of the year—spring, summer, fall, and winter—is a
candidate for beginning the Taoist practices. For example, to bal-
ance the sexual relationship you basically need to know that60 Taoist Secrets Of Love
woman is water and has the power to regulate man, who is fire. On
a deeper level you would discover that man has both fire and water
in his body and can achieve a perfect internal balance by harmoniz-
ing his fire (thinking mind) with his own water (sperm fluid, or
sexual "waters"). These symbols of fire and water, often expressed as yin and
yang are simple to identify with and work with once you are given
the specific details of what to do—how to hold your seed in, how to
move your energy in psychic channels, and exchange it with the
woman, etc. Of course, the experience of more subtle levels of chi
energy takes time and cultivation of physical and mental purity. Thats why practice of tai chi, chi kung, meditation, and virtuous
living enhance the speed with you gain clarity, and thus compli-
ment the sexual practices. KAREZZA AND COITUS RESERVATUS
There are other methods of sexual intercourse which should not be
confused with the Taoist practice. Most widely known is the simple
act of coitus reservatus, which is making love without orgasm. While this conserves the valuable male seed, it does not teach how
to circulate the sexual energy upward or store it in the body's
higher centers so it can be exchanged with the woman or put to
other creative use. Coitus reservatus can also create severe pres-
sure on the prostate gland and lead to its eventual malfunction
since the orgasmic tension in the prostate is never released in-
wardly (as in Taoist sex) or outwardly through ejaculation. I specif-
ically recommend that you avoid coitus reservatus for this rea-
son—too much heat builds up in the genital area without any means
to cool it. Karezza is a love-making technique said to have originated in
Persia. It involves long periods of passive sexual intercourse—
lying still for half an hour or more while waiting for the male and
female energies to build up. The Taoist method differs in that it
encourages as much loving physical movement that the couple can
handle without genital orgasm. This dynamic aspect of sex is nor-
mally important to westerners raised on a romantic role model of
passionate love. To a Taoist, movement is life, whether in the
physical body or in the subtle energy, and should be thoroughly
enjoyed for the good health it brings. Karezza also fails to provideSex In the Esoteric Traditions 61
a method for transforming the sexual energy upward into a tran-
scendent internal orgasm, and is satisfied with simply increasing
and prolonging physical pleasure. It was originally intended to help
any royal male survive a long night of love-making with his harem. Later it was popularized in America in the Utopian Oneida colony
in 1866 as a form of mandatory birth control. Certainly it is an
improvement over hasty ejaculatory sex, but ultimately lacks true
depth.PART II
TAOIST PRACTICES FOR
MASTERING SEXUAL LOVECHAPTER 6
THE DANCE OF THE TESTES:
EXERCISES FOR PELVIC STRENGTH
"If a man has intercourse once without spilling his seed, his vital
essence is strengthened. If he does this twice, his hearing and
vision are made clear. If three times, all his physical illness will
disappear. The fourth time he will begin to feel inner peace. The
fifth time his blood will circulate powerfully. The sixth time his
genitals will gain new prowess. By the seventh his thighs and but-
tocks will become firm. The eighth time his entire body will radiate
good health. The ninth time his lifespan will be increased." —from the Canon of Taoist Wisdom collected by Emperor Tang
All of us are familiar with the shoot-out scene in which someone in
danger pulls a gun which doesn't fire. If it's a good guy, he usually
finds some heroic way out of his predicament. But when the
"weapon" is the male penis, a "misfire"—a failure to erect—is a
fiasco for the simple reason that no heroic alternative is easily
found. Repeated and chronic misfire is impotence, the incarnation
of male misery and the ruin of many relationships. In this chapter
we study two excellent pelvic diaphragm exercises that build your
urogenital and anus ring muscles and thus greatly strengthens your
control of your erection and reduce the likelihood of misfire. Care-
ful practice of these exercises will also prepare you for learning to
retain the vital seed during intercourse.66 Taoist Secrets Of Love
America is presently exercise-crazy. Yet, except for sexual
activity, few exercises strengthen the crucial pelvic muscles. There
exist pelvic exercises which greatly strengthen the reproductive
organs and the complex network of tendons surrounding them. Strength in this department is of inestimable importance—it is the
root of man's health. Leading into the pelvis are a vast number of
nerve endings, and channels for your veins and arteries. Here ter-
minate tissues communicating with every square inch of the body. All of the major acupuncture meridians carrying chi between the
vital organs pass by this area. If it is blocked or weak, energy will
dissipate and the organs and brain will suffer. This is what happens
to most men in old age—their rectal and pelvic muscles become
loose and their vital chi energy slowly drains out, leaving them
weak and feeble. It is important to remember that the foundation of penis
strength is seminal retention. Without this nothing permanent may
be accomplished, even with exercise. Spending the semen brings
about premature impotence and decay. No one, no matter how
strong or brutish, can ejaculate often without ultimately paying a
stiff price. These exercises massage and stimulate the pelvic re-
gion. Life energy is driven down into the testes, filling them with
extraordinary vitality. These exercises, combined with the "Big
Draw" method of semen retention in Chapter Seven, will allow
you to create a permanent store of sexual essence in your body. Only then can you begin to refine it into a higher state and combine
it with your chi and spirit to regain wholeness. THE PELVIC AND UROGENITAL DIAPHRAGMS
The body possesses not one but several diaphragms. Everyone is
familiar with the thoracic diaphragm in the chest that causes it to
expand on inhalation. Lesser known is the pelvic diaphragm and
the urogenital diaphragm which separates the pelvis from the per-
ineum. To practice Sexual Kung Fu properly you must use not only
the chest diaphragm but also the pelvic one. Real deep breathing
issues from this lower diaphragm. They are exceedingly important
in transmitting energy during love-making in the Taoist practice of
dual cultivation. The pelvic diaphragm is a muscular wall that extends across
the lower part of the torso. It is suspended concavely downwardThe Dance Of The Testes 67
from the level of the symphysis pubis in front and the sacrum in
back. There are several organs that penetrate this muscular parti-
tion that lies between the pelvic cavity and the perineum. These
organs are the urethra, the vagina and the rectum and they are
supported by the pelvic diaphragm and allow you greater control
over them. In fact, the pelvic diaphragm is the floor of the pelvic
cavity which contains large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and
kidney. It lifts up and helps shape these vital organs. DIAGRAM 10
Pelvic & Urogenital diaphragms
are the main lower seals to
prevent the vital energy from
leaking out lower openings in the
penis & anus
Pelvic
Brim
Urogenital
DiaphragmChest Diaphragm
Perineum
But in the perineum, which is a point midway between the
anus and genitals below the pelvic diaphragm, is another muscular
diaphragm called the urogenital diaphragm. This is penetrated by
the urethra, and to its underside is attached the root of the penis. The pudendal nerve in the penis controls the muscles of the
urogenital diaphragm, which in turn holds up the prostate gland,
seminal vas deferens, cowper's gland, penis and the anus. Part of
this lower-most diaphragm comes forward to engulf the scrotum
(which also contains muscle) and the penis and then joins to the
abdominal wall.68 Taoist Secrets Of Love
DIAGRAM 11
PELVIC & UROGENITAL DIAPHRAGM
SIDE CROSS SECTION
Pubic
BoneFRONTAL VIEW
Bladder
Pelvic Diaphragm
Urethra
Hui-Yin
(Perineum)
Urethra
SIDE VIEW
Tip of Coccyx -" " ) Y
BOTTOM VIEW
These two diaphragms are the lower seals to hold the life
force—the chi energies—from escaping out through the lower
openings in the body. When tightly sealed they will increase the chi
pressure in the abdomen. When chi pressure strengthens, it will
invigorate the vital organs and move the chi and blood flow better. The importance of these anatomical structures will become appar-
ent as you study the larger system of Taoist Yoga. The Iron Shirt
Chi Kung exercises also help develop power and strength in these
areas, and are a perfect complement to anyone seeking a daily
regimen that will aid the practice of Sexual Kung Fu. (See Chapter
18 for a course description)
THE SCROTUM PUMPS COLD SPERM ENERGY UPWARD
Taoists regard the scrotum as the lowest diaphragm, one that func-
tions like a pump. The scrotum is tight during youth and after a
refreshing sleep. It is loose in old age or after fatigue. Strong flow
of life energy tightens the skin. Scrotal breathing floods the region
with energy, and the scrotum begins to tighten almost immediately.The Dance Of The Testes 69
The scrotum is the factory that produces the sexual energy,
sperm, and male hormones. So there is a tremendous store of
"yin" chi (cold life force energy) in this area. All sexual energy,
whether male or female, is "yin" in its latent or resting state. Sexual fluids belong to the water element in the Chinese system of
classifying the qualities of different types of chi. Water-rivers,
lakes, and oceans are yin. However, yin energy can rapidly change
its nature and become more "yang", or hot, when sexually
aroused. This can only happen if the sperm is already manufac-
tured while the testicles are still cool. In fact, western scientists
have determined the male sperm count goes up dramatically when
the testicles are put on ice and several companies are already sell-
ing special devices like a "freeze-pak" jock strap to aid infertile
men. The cold quality of sperm energy means it must be circulated
upward to harmonize with the hot mental energy in the head and
the chest area and vice versa. The testicles are constantly involved in producing sperm, hor-
mones and, though it might presently be debated, or even denied
by scientists, in creating ching chi, the life-force essence. The an-
cient Taoists, who had extraordinarily astute powers of empirical
observation, noted that the energy of the sperm cells are of prime
importance in that all of the vital organs must contribute some of
their own reserves to create and maintain the potency of the sperm. Amongst those organs is the brain. The vernacular expression, "I
screwed my brains out last night," suggests a common wisdom that
bears out this connection between the balls and the brain. The records amongst the Taoists on the subject of sex were
surprisingly consistent over long stretches of time, which in China
meant not hundreds but thousands of years. This is significant
because many groups didn't even know of each others abilities or
whereabouts or even existence, because these esoteric practices
were very hidden. Their records point out that when the energy in
the testicles is cold or mostly yin, that this is a sign of strong and
youthful sperm energy. This experience of cold gives way to what
has been described as a mildly warm quality when the sperm is
moved into the body from its exterior scrotal sac and stored in the
epidedymis and vas deferens. The (cold) yin sperm ching chi is more dense than the hot
(yang) ching or sexual energy. Most people experience their sexual
energy only when aroused and the ching chi is hot, although cer-70 Taoist Secrets Of Love
tainly it is always present. This means the cold energy, since it is
thicker and slower to move, needs all the help it can get on its path
up to the higher center. If you can open the Microcosmic Orbit first
it will make it much easier. This channel, which loops up the spine
to the head and down the front to the navel, genitals and perineum,
is recognized by acupuncturists as the main energy channel in the
body linking the various organs, glands, and brain. DIAGRAM 12
BladderSeminal Vesicle
Ductus Deferent
Sacrum
Rectum
Anus
The testicle breathing exercise that follows will also help you
to open these channels and complete the microcosmic orbit, a pro-
cess more fully described in Chapter Seven. In the "testicle breathing" exercise you use your mind to
draw the "cold" (yin), youthful sperm energy up the spine to your
head. You draw not the sperm itself, but the energy generated by
the sperm. At first it's slow going, but the energy is easy to deal
with since it's still cool. Later just a thought will send a re-
freshingly delightful cool wave of energy up your back to your
head.The Dance Of The Testes 71
The second exercise, "scrotal compression," trains you to
build up "warm" ching energy in the scrotal sac and move this
energy safely upward. The third exercise, the "Power Lock,"
shows you how to deal with the ching when it is sexually aroused
and very "hot." It is like a wild mare, and the most difficult to
control. It is recommended you practice this alone (using self-
arousal) before attempting to tame your sex energy at its most
explosive, during love-making with a woman. SACRAL PUMP AND CRANIAL PUMP
Contained and protected within your spinal column and head is the
very heart of your nervous system. Cushioning it is the cere-
brospinal fluid, cerebro for head and spinal for the vertebrae. This
fluid, as it turns out, is circulated by two pumps. One is in the
sacrum, and is known as the sacral pump. The other is in the region
of your upper neck and head, the cranial pump. Many people who
got these pumps working have reported feeling a "big bubble" of
energy travel up their spine during testicle breathing. DIAGRAM 13
Cranial Cavity-Storage Place
of sexual energy to
revitalize the brain cells
which are 90% unused. , Emerald Pillow (Cranial
^ Pump) Controls the
breathing process &
is the first storage place
for sexual energy. I \72 Taoist Secrets Of Love
Taoists regard the sacrum as a pump which will help to hold
the sexual energy coming from the scrotum and transform the en-
ergy at the same time it gives it a push upward. It's like a way
station that refines the ching chi as circulates in the body. If the
opening of sacrum, the Hiatus, is blocked, the life force cannot
enter and flow back to the higher center. The cranium of the skull has long been regarded by Taoists as
a major pump for the circulation of energy from the lower to the
higher centers. Medical research has recently confirmed that min-
ute movements at the joints of the eight cranial bones occurs during
breathing. Cranial movement is responsible for the production and
function of the cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal
cord and this is necessary for normal nerve and energy patterns in
the entire body. Strengthening the cranial joints can increase en-
ergy and alleviate symptoms, such as headaches, sinus problems,
visual disturbances and neck problems. In Taoist cultivation the
pelvis, scrotum urogenital diaphragm, sacrum and cranial pump
are very important to help move the sexual energy up to the higher
center. THREE POSTURES OF TESTICLE BREATHING:
SITTING, STANDING, LYING
Sitting: I generally recommend sitting on a chair. I prefer this posi-
tion for its simplicity and comfort. Sitting lends ease to a practice
that favors relaxation and good concentration. Sit on the edge of a chair with the buttocks and legs support-
ing your weight. The scrotum hangs free in the air. This point is
important because the testes must be freely suspended in order for
you to push a maximum of air energy down into them. Raise the
tongue to the roof of the mouth as this is essential in circulating the
chi, completing the loop between the front and back channels of
the microcosmic orbit. The feet are firmly planted on the floor with hands resting
palm down on the knees. The back should be quite straight at the
waist but slightly round at the shoulders and neck. This very minor
forward curvature of the upper back tends to relax the chest and
helps the power flow through the neck, chest, and abdomen. Keep
the chin slightly tucked in. Military posture, with shoulders thrown
back and head held high, tends to lodge power in the upper bodyThe Dance Of The Testes 73
and prevent its circulating back down to lower centers. A variant of the sitting position is to sit cross-legged, either in
lotus position or American Indian style. We appreciate the esoteric
virtues of the lotus position, but Chinese practice attributes to the
lotus serious disadvantages. Some Buddhist monks have been crip-
pled by lengthy meditation in lotus position. Also, turning the soles
of the feet away from the ground prevents one from directly draw-
ing in through the feet the earth's yin power. The human body is
designed to absorb earth energy through the kidney (K-l point) and
other meridians in the feet and filter it before passing it up to the
coccyx and brain. Some people can develop problems if they ab-
sorb too much "raw" earth chi directly into their sacrum, as oc-
curs in lotus position. Eventually they become allergic to this un-
digested energy and go crazy. Nevertheless, the lotus may be used by those accustomed and
devoted to it so long as they are comfortable and can apply their
whole attention to the exercise. Few cross-legged positions afford
such freedom of scrotal movement as sitting on the edge of a chair. If you sit cross-legged, you should wear very loose pants and re-
move your underpants to prevent resistance to full inflation of the
scrotum. Standing: Another good position is standing. The above instruc-
tions on raising tongue tip to palate and maintaining correct posture
apply equally to this position. Standing is particularly favorable for
scrotal breathing because the testes hang quite freely. Standing up
straight in a relaxed manner encourages good posture. The hands
are at the sides and the feet at shoulder width. Discipline yourself
to relax if you get too tense, or the chi power may stick in the heart
region and make you irritable. Lying: Never lie flat on the back when performing these exercises. In this position the chest sits higher than the abdomen and receives
too much energy. Nor should you lie on the left side. Both incor-
rect positions unduly stress the heart. The proper lying position is on the right side. A pillow placed
beneath the head should raise it about 3" to 4", so that the head sits
squarely on the shoulders. The four fingers of the right hand area
are placed immediately in front of the right ear, while the thumb
sits behind the ear and folds it slightly forward to keep it open.74 Taoist Secrets Of Love
The ear must stay open to permit air flow through the eu-
stachian tube. The left hand rests on the outer left thigh. The right
leg is straight; the left leg, which rests on the right one, is slightly
bent. This position allows the scrotum to hang free of the thighs. DIAGRAM 14
Lie on the right side so you do not
press on the heart Curve the legs
so the testicles hang freely
You may have noticed that lions often sleep in a similar pos-
ture. The animals are informed by wise instinct. The position frees
the spinal column of the oppression of gravity and allows it to
assume its natural curvature. Lying on the right side relieves the
spine from stress. TESTICLE BREATHING: STEP BY STEP
1. Sit erect on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the floor
about shoulder width apart. Wear loose pants or wear nothing from
your waist down, so it can literally all hang out. * Do not practice
naked in a cold room, or you will lose a lot of chi. With the air
circulating around your bottom you'll naturally become more
aware of your "privates." Allow your attention to center around
your scrotum between the two testicles and you might be surprised
to discover that it really is cold, or yin, down there. Make sure you
feel very relaxed. If you are tense, do some stretching exercises or
take a walk first to disperse tension. 2. Inhale slowly and pull the testicles up. Hold for awhile, then
exhale slowly and lower the testicles. As you inhale, think of the
breath going down into the testes and filling them up. At the same
time raise the testes with the breath. Gently continue inhaling and
*If a woman performs any of the exercises in this book, substituting her ovaries as the
source of energy, she should keep her panties on to prevent any chi from draining out.The Dance Of The Testes 75
exhaling with the testicles until you feel a lot of cold energy in the
scrotum. You may do this in a round of 9, then rest and practice
again 3-6 sets. Draw the life-giving air to the very root of the body. Breathe
out the accumulated wastes as the testes sink downwards. Gener-
ate a strong flow of energy to swiftly circulate the pelvic blood. Use the mind alone to cause the movement of the testes up and
down—don't flex your penis or anus muscles. After exercising for a week or two, you may observe the
actual rise and fall of the testes during practice. This movement
confirms that you are breathing properly. At a more proficient
level, the lower abdomen will appear to move less: nearly all visi-
ble action will be in the scrotal sac itself. The dancing movements
of the testes may be noted in the mirror and have a rather humor-
ous aspect. Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all breathing is to be
done through the nose. Nasal breathing affords better control of
the air inhaled. It filters and warms the air and supplies life force of
well-balanced quality. The whole body must relax. Allow all tension to flow out of
you as if you were in meditation. Use the mind alone to raise and
lower them. With practice you will learn to identify the cold ching
chi stored in the scrotum area. DIAGRAM 15
BladderTesticle Breathing. Inhale slowly. As you inhale, think the breath
down into the testes
& raise the testes
Urethra
Glans
ANUS76 Taoist Secrets Of Love
3. Guide that "cold" feeling from your scrotum to your perineum
by inhaling and pulling up slightly on your testicles. At the same
time feel it coolly flow the few inches to the perineum, an action
induced by putting your mind at the perineum and holding it there. Inhale and exhale several times at the testes to build up more
energy. The retention of the ching chi at the perineum is very
important, for if you release your attention the cold energy will
drop down to the scrotum or leak out. It is just like you are using a
straw to draw up the fluid. When you are out of breath and pause
for a while you need to keep the attention by holding your finger
over the straw. If you release it it will drop down and you'll have to
start again. Do this for several days or until you get it. 4. Begin to draw the sex energy from the testes up the back chan-
nel, as if sipping on a straw. Always start with testicle breathing,
inhaling and exhaling till you feel the ching energy is ready. Inhale,
draw the "cold" from your testicles to the perineum and then draw
it up to your coccyx, the very bottom end of your spine. There's an
area a little up from the tip of your spine, mostly bone, that's called
the hiatus opening of the sacrum. When you pull the cool ching up to the perineum and then to
the sacrum, slightly arch your lower back outward, as if you were
standing with your back against a wall and flattening it against it. Tilt the sacrum downward and hold it down in order to help acti-
vate the pump action, which will be further accentuated if you
gently tighten the back of your neck and skull bones. Hold the
energy at the sacrum for a while, then exhale but hold your atten-
tion at the sacrum. Then let your sacrum and neck relax back to their normal
positions, this will help to activate the two pumps, sacrum and
cranial pump. At the same time do the testicle breathing. Bring the
energy up to the sacrum again, hold it there till you can feel the
sacrum open and the energy gradually move up. You can actually
feel the cold energy move up a little at a time. If you're having
trouble feeling this, try rocking your sacrum back and forth and
then hold still and observe the effect of this pumping. There's an indentation in the sacrum bone and that's where
you draw your testes' "cold" energy. This particular area is usu-
ally a little difficult to work because sperm energy is denser than
chi and has to be pumped up. So that's where that pump comes in.The Dance Of The Testes 77
Some people experience pain, or tingling or pins and needles when
the "cold" enters the hiatus, so don't be upset if it happens to you. You can help get through the coccyx if you're having trouble by
gently massaging the area with a silk cloth from time to time. 5. If you've managed to go up through your coccyx, spend the next
week drawing the cold to T-11 in your mid-back (the 11th thoracic
vertebra). Do it in the same manner, with an inhale-exhale at the
testes and sucking it up your spinal "straw" to the perineum,
sacrum, T-11 (opposite your solar plexus, at the last "floating"
rib). Pull up and retain at T-11 till it feels full and continues to open
and move up by itself. Again, because sperm energy is denser than
chi, you have to accomodate to it by flexing that part of your back
in and out to straighten it. That loosens it for freer passage of the
"cold" energy. At the T-11 adrenal glands energy center, sitting atop your
kidneys.
_OceanofPDF.com_Taoist_Secrets_of_Love_-_Mantak_Chia.txt
Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        There is a substantial increase in available energy re-
serve after Taoist lovemaking, as the male has not only conserved
his own super potent seed power but also absorbed a high dose of
equally potent yin/earth power from his lover. Any athlete who can
master the urge to ejaculate his life-force will have taken a step in
the life-long process of mastering himself and his chosen sport. He
can awaken from a night of ecstatic lovemaking feeling light
hearted and energetic, with his batteries fully charged. This is quite
different from the pleasant exhaustion that often follows ejacula-
tory sex. Some male athletes claim that ejaculatory sex the night before
is beneficial to their sport. The reason for this is usually simple—
the athlete has too much nervous energy and lovemaking relaxes
him. His excess energy impedes his performing ability, and
ejaculation relieves that tension. This improves his coordination
and attention in the field the next day and thus helps him to win. This is entirely in line with the Taoist idea of the function of love-
making to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit. Huge quantities of
raw chi energy in the physical body are useless until they are
harmoniously integrated with the mind and spirit. University of New Mexico Professor Mark Anshel did exten-
sive research on sex and the athlete. He found that many coaches
were intentionally creating sexual frustration with the hope that
their athletes would redirect their drives against an opponent. "All
people don't react to frustration the same way," Anehel points out. "By preventing sexual activity, these coaches (or the athlete him-
self; Guillermo Vilas, the Argentine tennis pro, once admitted stay-
ing celibate for a year to improve his game) may actually bring
about negative personality manifestations such as anger or feelings
of isolation. "The Sexual Economy 41
The Taoists have used sex since ancient times to heal phys-
ical, emotional, and mental imbalances, a practice very much in
line with helping athletes maintain maximum fitness. The Taoists
were martial artists as well, and knew the secret of defeating an
opponent was a combination of physical discipline and maintaining
a superior degree of self-awareness. For this reason they cultivated
their chi energy and guarded against the loss of their seed to
women. This Taoist practice of "Sexual Kung Fu" is kept a closely
guarded secret amongst martial artists lest their opponents learn it
and grow stronger. The modern athlete can enjoy the same benefits
today as the Taoist fighters, swordsmen, and Tai chi chuan players
have for hundreds of years—the full freedom to love without losing
the competitive edge. SEX, COMMITMENT, AND MARRIAGE
This subject of marriage is too vast to be generalized by any fixed
rules. Marriage may suit some men and not others. One man may
marry and be happy for a lifetime and his brother find it torture. In
the Tao, nothing is ever forced; alignment with the natural is
sought, and from this comes lasting balance of yin and yang. The Taoist sages would never say that a celibate man is higher
or more pure than a married man. Both men have equal opportu-
nity to adapt their daily practice of cultivating their chi energy to
their life situation, and thus, to achieve union with the Tao. If all
spiritually inclined men were to remain celibate, society might suf-
fer from the lower quality of parental guidance offered to children,
and result in disharmony in the world. Practically speaking, a marriage, especially with children,
consumes an enormous amount of time and energy and should not
be entered into lightly or for the wrong reasons. The wrong reasons
include marrying because of outside cultural pressure or to satisfy
someone else's desire, such as parents. The decision should come freely from within you or else later
you will have trouble accepting the responsibilities which arise
from your choice. Many men marry because they are emotionally
insecure and hope a woman will offer that security. This emotional
insecurity can often be traced to insecurity in the male sexual role. So, if you have not yet married, I suggest you master the sexual
energy cultivation methods in this book before making that deci-42Taoist Secrets Of LoveThe Sexual Economy 43
sion, and if possible learn the Fusion of Five Elements meditation
for balancing emotional energy (see Chapter 18 for a description). Even this is no miraculuous overnight cure for emotional inse-
curity. If you spent decades feeling and acting insecure, it will take
a while to change. Cultivate and balance your internal energy con-
stantly, and you will be surprised at how your emotions will lose
their power over you, and be replaced by a continuous feeling of
inner connectedness. You won't need to seek your emotional un-
derstanding from a woman, which is a dependancy trap many men
fall into. When you understand the source of your emotions in the
movement of the chi energy in your body, you will be in a position
to maintain inner balance and help your lover to achieve the same. Once you are free of sexual and emotional compulsiveness
you will find yourself a very changed man in your relations with
women. Ideally, you would get to know a woman for several years
before having children with her. This allows you both to learn the
subtle energy rhythms of the relationship before your attention is
focused on child-raising. If, by then, you have practiced dual
cultivation to a high level, the deep bond will go far in getting you
through the inevitable difficulties that lie ahead. For many American men, sexuality actually remains on an
infantile level. It is often no more than an extension of feeding. It is
an attempt to take in love from outside themselves and childishly
demand the certainty of continual gratification. This leads neces-
sarily to the jealous dependency that plays havoc with so many
relationships. People spend years watching to see if they are loved:
in this way they annihilate even the possibility of what they seek. This type of destructive sexuality is a constant looking outside
oneself for assurances. This insecurity can generate negative emo-
tions we are often unconscious of, such as jealousy and guilt, as
well as acts that consciously violate our own integrity, such as
adultery. One ceases to live in the present moment, creation stops,
and life becomes slavish rehearsals of lust broken by long periods
of boredom. It's easy to observe that after a time the life of many couples
seems weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. One reason for this is
because when they embrace intending to make love, the man ejacu-
lates and thus excretes his deep vitality and depletes his yang
charge. Nature is abundant and forgiving, but after years of
ejaculation the difference shows up as weakened sexual desire. 44 Taoist Secrets Of Love
Unless the couple has spontaneously found the will to transform
their life energy into a higher love—a process of spiritual attune-
ment that balances the daily losses of vital energy—the relationship
is in danger of becoming a ghost of its former passionate self. Energy that could become genuinely joyous is spasmodically
thrown out of the body by ejaculation. This loss occurs every time
you ejaculate. Eventually a man can develop feelings of indif-
ference or hate for his sexual partner because he subconsciously
realizes that when he touches her, he loses those higher energies
that could make him a truly happy man. This produces a deep
crisis, because during the years of love-making and sharing their
lives, a powerful emotional bond has developed. A lot of his sexual
energy has gone into making that bond and he can't understand
how the bond could exist and yet he feels bored, resentful, and
fatigued. This flattening of sexual desire between regular partners is
due largely to depletion of polarity or sexual-electrical tension. You can increase the attraction by charging the positive and nega-
tive poles of the male-female battery. Some couples achieve this
temporarily by taking seperate vacations or sleeping in separate
beds, or they find other ways to naturally keep the balance of
energy through outside friendships and activities. With polarity
restored the current of life flows between the lovers ever more
swiftly and powerfully. Dual cultivation allows a couple to remain
together and keep this polarity of their relationship fully charged. Dual cultivation is designed to promote the happiness of cou-
ples, to teach the partners to discover inexhaustable pleasures in
each other. There is no inherent reason for love to grow old. The
practice of conserving and exchanging sexual energy without loss
of the seed will help remove a major cause of promiscuity: in-
complete satisfaction with one's lover. It can also alleviate a common problem in marriage: not
enough energy to work things out. With the stress of both parents
working and modern fathers trying to share in the child-raising
tasks, many couples simply burn out. They never have enough
time to make love; if one is aroused the other is exhausted or
asleep. Using the Taoist Secrets of Love, both husband and wife
will find sex rejuvenating and an endlessly fascinating journey into
the subtle realms of chi exchange. They can return to the routine of
daily drudgery with renewed vigor and light heart; when your chi isThe Sexual Economy 45
full and running in all your meridians, the most ordinary things
become interesting again. Your chi is the glue between your body,
mind, and spirit; until it is completely integrated you will feel in-
complete. The Tao teaches there is infinite pleasure and limitless poten-
tial within every human being. The addiction to sex as emotional
food can gradually be changed from within the male body through
chi cultivation. One grows to appreciate this fact with the retention
of the seminal fluid and its transformation into the higher center of
the heart. One experiences the fullness of life long after the love-
making has ceased, and a delicacy that more easily moves beyond
temporary sensory stimulation, to a continuous connection of feel-
ings with the lover. The man who diligently studies the Tao learns that the source
of all emotions as well as the source of a woman's allure is also
within himself. However, when difficulties arise, the first question
to arise is always, "What does my commitment to her mean. " This
self-questioning can raise its head at any stage of spiritual accom-
plishment or emotional maturity in your marriage. The highest commitment a Taoist can make is to the marriage
of yin and yang in the universe. In fact yin and yang are always
married, as they are just two poles of the same subtle energy field. Thus, the real commitment a Taoist makes is to consciously real-
ize their union in his life and thus empower himself (single cultiva-
tion) and his lover (dual cultivation) with his awareness. When the
level of chi and ching chi cultivation reaches a very high level and
is integrated with shien, or spirit, the awareness extends to an even
wider field and might be likened to the Christian universal love or
Buddhist sense of compassion for all sentient beings. The difference is that a Taoist cultivates this universal sense
within his body, so it remains as a tangible experience of his subtle
chi energy field. This insures it does not become a conceptual or
theological idea of love into which a man is trying to fit his be-
havior. This is an impossibility, as no whole human being with an
integrated body, mind, and spirit can fit into the shoes of an ab-
stract idea, even a noble one like love. The Taoists in China traditionally cultivated themselves in
pairs or small groups, whether it be two friends, a master and
student, a man and woman, or a small community of adepts. There
were many different approaches used by these different groups;46 Taoist Secrets Of Love
some were strictly celibate, others quite openly favored dual
cultivation between man and woman. Because of the strong em-
phasis on sexuality in America, and the freedom from social re-
straints, I'm certain that the method of dual cultivation will become
a major path for growth among couples. Americans are raised with
the idea that they can do anything they want to do, and don't like
being told by priests or gurus that their love of sex is dirty, sinful,
or blocking their path to enlightenment. So, let them enjoy sex and
take the best from it. It's all part of the Tao, and their marriages
will be all the better for it as long as the sexual energy is properly
used. Some men and women will choose to love outside of mar-
riage, and if they cultivate a harmonious balance of yin and yang
their union is as holy as one with an official state seal stamped on
it. A word about the virtue of a lengthy committment. It normally
takes decades to fully cultivate one's chi energy to the highest level
of shien. It will likely take years to appreciate the subtle energies
your woman is capable of creating and making available for your
own cultivation. It is said it takes seven years to know the rhythms
of a woman's body, seven years to learn her mind, and seven years
to understand her spirit. Don't be a promiscuous fool who is never
patient enough to learn the true depth of the Tao. THE MORAL EFFECT OF SEMEN LOSS
There is a distinct tendency for strengths and weaknesses to propa-
gate themselves. The weak grow weaker, the strong strive to in-
crease in strength still more. Taoist Cultivation helps curb self-
destructive tendencies which are worsened by weakness itself. The
Taoist treasures the energy stored in his vital fluid. The vital power
within him slowly begins to resist abuse of any sort to both his
body and character. The loss caused by ejaculation is not limited to the physical
sphere. Mental and emotional functions are profoundly influenced. Hormonal fitness directly effects personality and capacity for cre-
ative thought. The mind suffers from the loss of testosterone, the
hormone secreted in the testes and spent in ejaculation. Chinese medicine long ago observed that vicious crimes are
often committed soon after seminal loss. Courage is usually at low
ebb after ejaculation. One scares easily and reacts violently. This isThe Sexual Economy 47
one reason murder and mutilation often follow rape. Thus there is what may properly be called a moral effect of
cultivating one's sexual essence or ching chi. The yang fire within
the seed burns up internal poisons at the same time it generates an
essential life-supporting substance. One who retains his seed in-
creasingly respects every form of life. Everyone has experienced discomfort when watching some-
one abuse their child in public, or felt the stare of a starving bum. The anger or despair of others actually spills over to us and influ-
ences us whether we like it or not. In like manner, each of our
thoughts and acts beams to the far reaches of creation. The man who cultivates his subtle energy eventually experi-
ences in his body the fact that all living beings are part of one life. He and his lover flow into each other. He knows that across the
web of consciousness one living thing constantly nourishes an-
other. In becoming highly aware of the interconnection between all
creatures, he strengthens his tendency to be unselfish. He may
suddenly find himself asking: why pour negative thoughts into the
single stream from which we all must drink. In this sense all loving
energy is cosmic, or divine energy. When two people love each
other consciously their energies are intentionally consecrated to
the good of humanity. This kind of love offering develops a special
egolessness in the lovers and will inspire others whom they meet. While this approach to loving is not limited to the esoteric
Taoist cultivation, the use of its methods of transforming sex en-
ergy vastly increases the amplitude of loving power which is ema-
nated. In the Taoist view, man cannot direct the heavens, but if he
behaves in harmony with the laws of heaven and earth he can guide
the larger course of events by becoming harmonious within him-
self. Thus, Taoist philosophy does not preach any specific moral
guidelines. It simply posits that morality is innate within man; if he
cultivates his subtle energy and experiences his true self, he will
act in a moral fashion among men. THE CONTROVERSY:
IS SEX GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH. Man appears to be the only higher creature naturally endowed with
the power and inclination to perform sexually regardless of the
possibilities of spreading his own kind. There is no falling off of48 Taoist Secrets Of Love
sexual appetite in the pregnant female or her mate. The human
begins sexual activity soon after reaching puberty. Most people
spend a lifetime performing and dreaming of sexual intercourse for
the sake of pleasure and emotional fulfillment. It seems clear that
sexuality serves a higher function in humans, but doctors, scien-
tists, psychologists, priests and artists cannot even begin to agree
on what this higher function is and how or if it should be regulated
to improve human well-being. Western scientific texts are curiously contradictory about the
healthfulness of sexual intercourse. Many sex manuals today
praise the restorative qualities of extensive sexual activity. Others,
equally authoritative and based on psychiatric studies, caution
against sexual overindulgence. Which school of thought is correct. When does too much sex become unhealthy. To complicate matters still more, there are similar inconsis-
tencies among Oriental sages. One renowned Indian holy man
counsels the male to see every woman as a sack of shit and piss in
order to resist the temptation of losing the precious male seed to
her. Yet the Lord Buddha himself is held to have said: "Women
are the Gods, women are life. Be ever among women in
thought. " The Taoist teaching of sexual yoga reconciles these view-
points because it accepts the middle way, recognizing the truth in
both extremes. Their solution is of utmost simplicity: joyous and
loving sexual intercourse without the loss of the male seed is
healthful in the highest degree. Much depends, of course, on the path you are taking through
life. At a certain time in your life celibacy may be best for restoring
your health or for achieving rapid spiritual progress. Celibacy can
be an extremely powerful means of conserving all your vital ener-
gies freeing you to work with greater intensity in cultivating your-
self. But most Westerners are focused on finding the right mate,
and working out their sexual and emotional desires with a partner. The Taoist principles of energy cultivation work equally with
both cases, the single or the dual cultivation. For a Taoist, all paths
must ultimately move beyond a focus on sex energy and towards
attunement to all the subtle energies of the Tao. But no one can take more than one step at a time. If part of
your mind is fixed on sex, you must live out that impulse, study it,The Sexual Economy 49
and know its source before you can transcend it. Taoists are al-
ways flexible; your energy can be cultivated no matter what your
situation in life is. But the basic principles remain the same. Sexual
activity without love and with frequent loss of fluid is physically
and mentally destructive to any path. Engaging in sexual love with
a partner—but without any esoteric practice to cultivate the chi—is
an incomplete path to transforming oneself. Love will spontaneously transform any couple to a higher
level of awareness, but at the same time the repeated loss of seed
will hasten their physical decline and slow their progress. It's like
climbing a mountain slope with loose rock scree—you take three
steps up and slide back down one. This pace may lead to emotional
and mental happiness found at the top of the first ridge. But it may
deprive you—for the lack of time and energy—from seeing the
valleys, mountains, rivers and ocean beyond. This is the fullness of
the Tao, the attaining of a lasting experience of your higher spir-
itual self. CHAPTER 5
SEX IN THE ESOTERIC TRADITIONS OF THE
WORLD
". It is impossible for us to learn elsewhere what we are incapa-
ble of learning within our own bodies. " —Schwaller de Lubicz, The Temple In Man
Religions have nearly always tried to control the sexual habits of
their followers. Their success seems to swing in cycles of the pub-
lic submitting and rebelling, but I would guess that ultimately they
have failed because for most people the experience of sex is more
powerful than their experience of religion. As a biological impulse,
sexual drive so completely permeates our actions and desires that
it is not easily harnessed by any system of belief, however dog-
matic. Hence the adage that prostitution is the world's oldest pro-
fession. In my travels I have noticed that prostitution seems to flourish
side by side with the most fanatic religious communities. Sex is like
an inflatable ball floating on the surface of a pool—the deeper you
push it down into the water, the more strongly it presses back up. If
you lose control of the ball for even a split second, it will shoot up
into the air out of control. The attempt by religions to publicly dictate sexual morality is
actually a vestige of an earlier, less material era when spiritual
experience was more intense than the fleshly pleasures of sex. The52 Taoist Secrets Of Love
founders of the earliest religions—then known as Mystery Schools
or Fertility Cults—understood the role of sexuality in spiritual de-
velopment, which is why their practices and rites held such power-
ful experiences for converts. Many modern spiritual leaders,
whether Catholic, Jewish or Hindu etc. , have forgotten the link in
their religious rites connecting sexual power and spirituality. Cir-
cumcision rites, Spring fertility festivals (e. g. Easter), and commu-
nion ceremonies are all remnants of a time when the esoteric and
hidden meaning of sexuality was understood and incorporated into
religion. The task for twentieth century man is to peel off the layers of
his outer or "exoteric" religious beliefs and free his mind to experi-
ence the ecstatic core of his existence in his body. Then the outer
ritual and the beliefs of the old religions will either fall way, or take
on a new and profound meaning. By accepting sex as sacred, the
role of religion will be revitalized in society and made more mean-
ingful in ordinary personal relationships. Taoism is different from the major religions in that it is a
spiritual philosophy and not an organized religion with a body of
believers obeying a holy scripture. Faith in God (or the Tao) is not
enough for the Taoist; devotion to higher harmony must be accom-
panied with the self-knowledge that comes from cultivating one's
own energy. In a sense, a Taoist must "grow" his soul in order to
fully gain knowledge of it. Every human has the same seed within,
but unless it is properly nourished, its bearer will never see its fruit. The divine world within man is patterned after the natural world—
as a child will never know its full self until adulthood, so must a
man cultivate to maturity his subtle spiritual energy if he wishes to
enjoy and participate in the fullness of the Tao. There were some folk cults with Taoist priests that rose up to
compete with the arrival of Buddhism in China, but I am concerned
here only with the original esoteric teachings of the Taoist masters. These Taoists are famous for permitting the use of sex on their
spiritual paths. There were many Taoist sects which sprung up on
the five holy mountains of China, and each emphasized different
aspects of chi cultivation in their spiritual development. A few
sects taught the path of "single cultivation", which utilizes the
Taoist principle of mating male and female subtle energies withn
one body, but strictly forbids physical sexual intercourse as either
unnecessary or too risky. Sex In the Esoteric Traditions 53
The practice of "dual cultivation" was widely accepted by
most Taoists for both its hygienic and spiritual virtues. Even in
these schools the danger of becoming deeply attached to one's lover
was acknowledged as a possible stumbling block for those se-
riously aspiring to become immortals and enjoy full union with the
Tao. This sexual attachment was never viewed as sinful, and no
sense of guilt was encouraged as in the Christian tradition. Becom-
ing sexually attached to one's partner simply means that the aspir-
ing yogi might experience only the union of a man and woman in
this lifetime instead of the greater union of Heaven and Earth. This
is no condemnation of the couple, as such a union might be a high
accomplishment for them. The Christian religions have a strong tradition of a sacred
marriage, but church politics—mostly male priests afraid or jealous
of women's earthy, "dark," yin power—led the Christian world
into periods of woman-hating witch hunts that alternated with54 Taoist Secrets Of Love
woman-worshipping cults of the Virgin Mary. China, whose
culture was molded by a blend of Taoism and Confucianism, was
spared this vicious cycle. The yin energy of the universe—person-
ified by woman—was always viewed as necessary to its function-
ing and to the well-being of man. Even when the original Taoist teachings on the perfect bal-
ance between yin and yang fell into periods of decline after the
Manchu reign in the Eighth Century A. D. , women were not sub-
jected to the same abuse seen in some other cultures. Chinese
society became increasingly paternalistic and women were viewed
as a kind of male property, but at least the general cultural senti-
j ment favored treating this female "property" with respect. Many
of the Taoist sexual manuals which survive today come from this
period, and are somewhat lopsided in advising the aristocrats who
read them on how to get healing yin energy from the woman. These manuals totally ignore how men can help to heal
women with their powerful yang energy. They do correctly advise
men to conserve their seed while suggesting that a man make love
to as many as eleven concubines a night. The manuals are really
medical textbooks, with a very cut-and-dried clinical approach to
sex that treats it solely as a means to harmonizing one's health. Although these manuals fail to stress the higher path or teach medi-
tative practces for exchanging energy with the women they do
reflect the basic esoteric Taoist teachings that sex, when properly
practiced can be incorporated into daily life with tremendous bene-
fits to health. The Taoists may have one of the oldest esoteric traditions of
cultivating sexual energy in the world, but they certainly were not
alone. The idea for transforming sexual energy for spiritual pur-
poses is well known in all the esoteric traditions of the world, both
Eastern and Western, although generally it has been guarded as a
great secret. Whether in Egypt, India, Tibet or Europe, the infor-
mation that was revealed to the public was usually kept to a vague
or abstract theoretical/theological level. A practical method to hold
and transform the sex energy in the body was never taught to the
public. The best place to begin a brief historical survey of this field is
with Theophrastus Bombastus Paracelsus, the famous 16th century
physician and alchemist extraordinaire. Paracelsus' credentials as
a medical scientist are impeccable; more than 400 years ago heSex In the Esoteric Traditions 55
discovered the mercury cure for syphilis. Yet, he came to the same
conclusion as the Taoist masters of what was known as sexual
alchemy—the seemingly magical but entirely natural transforma-
tion of the sexual seed. Paracelsus experienced the seminal fire with as much reality
as an ordinary person feels when his hand is burned in a hot oven. Regarding the constituent elements of the substance, he wrote:
"All the organs of the human system, and all their powers and
activities, contribute alike to the formation of semen. The se-
men is, so to say, the essence of the human body, containing all the
organs of the latter in an ideal form. " This position is strikingly
similar to the Taoist description of "ching chi," or sexual essence. Taoist cultivation also emphasizes balancing the subtle energies of
each organ, which one then fuses into a single higher spirit. Paracelsus distinguishes between the sperm fluid and the
"aura seminalis", which is the light or energy of the sperm. Scien-
tists today might call the "aura" the biophysical energy of the
seminal fluid. Paracelsus claimed energy could be distilled from the
physical fluid: "This emanation or separation takes place by a kind
of digestion, and by means of an interior heat, which during the
time of virility may be produced in man by the proximity of
woman, by his thoughts of her, or by his contact with her, in the
same manner a piece of wood exposed to the concentrated rays of
the sun may be made to burn. " This statement rudely translated into modern language means
that contact with an attractive woman may stimulate the produc-
tion of high quality biophysical energy. Taoist alchemists realized a
thousand years before Paracelsus practical ways to retain these
valuable energies in order to profit from them. If we turn from the Renaissance alchemist to the great British
authority on Indian Tantric practice, Sir John Woodruffe, we find
the same principles. In his classic work, The Serpent Power, Sir
John speaks plainly to those who know how to hear: ". the force
of the latter (sexual centers), if directed upwards, extraordinarily
heightens all mental and physical functioning. " He notes that
mind, breath and sexual function are interconnected. The spiritual
aim of the yogi is to "carry his seed high. " This seed releases
pranic energies, also known as the Kundalini power, rising up the
spine to higher chakras or centers of spiritual function. Another great modern spiritual authority, attuned to the56 Taoist Secrets Of Love
power within semen was Gurdjieff. According to this master, cer-
tain peoples understood that ". by means of the substances
'Exhioehary' or sperm formed in them, it was possible to perfect
oneself. " He adds that ". this self-perfection could probably be
actualized by itself, by abstaining from the ejection from oneself in
the customary manner of these substances formed in them called
sperm. " Gurdjieff maintains that this self-perfection usually cannot be
attained simply by retaining the semen, but requires a technique to
release the energies of the seed. He is in perfect agreement with
Paracelsus and the Taoists on this point. Without exception authorities on the occult know of the semi-
nal power, and that this substance must be stored and transformed
to accomplish higher deveopment. The distinguished magician,
Kenneth Grant, writes: "Thus the function of the semen—in the
Tantras—is to build up the body of light, the astral body, the inner
body of man. As the vital fluid accumulates in the testicles it is
consumed by the heat of the Fire Snake, and the subtle fumes or
'perfumes' of this molten semen go to strengthen the inner body. " Most authorities agree on the necessity of collecting seminal
fluid and transmuting it by application of inner heat. In the Chinese
practice we refer to this as "cooking" the seminal fluid to obtain its
"steam. " The first step to release this tremendous vitality is con-
servation of the semen in the act of love. The modern American spiritual master, Da Free John, also
stresses the necessity of conserving the seminal force: "We must
find a way of enjoying sexual intimacy whereby Life is not lost, we
do not discharge Life in order to achieve pleasure, and we love one
another, completely happy and free in our life together. " The "loss of Life" Da Free John refers to is ejaculation. He
considers proper use of the sexual force—without ejaculation and
with truly loving feeling between partners—as a key to human
evolution. He stresses the importance of love in aiding the spon-
taneous transmutation of the seed to its higher centers of divinity. In this he is in complete accord with other spiritual authorities. Alchemists, yogis, magicians, and mystics agree unanimously on
this fundamental point. Another perspective on the vital seed is found in the works of
an eminent Kabbalist and poet, Carlos Suares. The esoteric Kab-
balist tradition originated in ancient Egypt. He emphasizes thatSex In the Esoteric Traditions 57
development of the will to retain the seed is identical with develop-
ment of one's true self: ". man, endowed with his self (which,
though static by nature, shelters living seed) must struggle against
and overcome the centrifugal sexual movement which tends to lead
him into the abyss of the female. Instead of being carried
away, his mind rules. " Suares here alludes to the degenerative role played by woman
in unconsciously luring the seed out of man. She profits very
slightly from his great loss, since she usually doesn't have the yogic
skills to absorb it. Woman is a bottomless pit for the man who
incessantly gives his seed to her, although she can attempt to com-
pensate this loss with her nearly inexhaustable female energy and
love. This chapter could be expanded to include the entirety of
initiatory writing. There are many works by Masters who have felt
the powers of semen transmuted by vital heat. When Moses is
wandering in the desert for forty years, he speaks in the Bible of
experiencing "a serpent fire. " Since the Bible also declares Moses
was "trained by the Egyptians in all their mysteries," it seems
likely that this fire refers to the transmutation upward of his psy-
chic energies. Bodily experience of the subtle realm is the final
criterion in these matters. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAOISM AND TANTRA
The principles of Tantra from India and Tibet have received wide
attention in the west in recent years, especially by seekers inter-
ested in integrating their sexual impulses into their spiritual
growth. The principles behind Tantra are nearly identical to that of
Taoism. Both seek to reconcile the opposing dualities of life as
symbolized by male and female and both accept any moment or
experience in life as a starting point for spiritual growth and as an
end point for insight into truth. Keith Dowman, a western scholar and practitioner of Tibetan
Tantric Buddhism put it succinctly: "Strip the (tantrie) yoga of its
arcane terminology and there is a simple meditation technique:
stimulate the desire and then use it as the object of meditation and
it becomes awareness—a field of Emptiness and pure Pleasure. " A
Taoist would agree, only he might phrase it differently: "Within
every moment there is only the Emptiness of yin receiving the58 Taoist Secrets Of Love
Fullness of yang. " This is the eternal marriage of man and woman,
of spirit and matter, of Heaven and Earth. The Taoist path and Tan trie path differ mainly in their lan-
guage and in the practical yogic methods taught to achieve the
same union of mind, body, and spirit. Both fully accept the mastery
of one's sexuality as not only a legitimate but necessary means to
attain the highest enlightenment possible in the body. Dowman
describes the importance of semen in the inner tantric path:
"Refined semen in the heart center permeates the body as awareness. Loss of semen, by any means, causes life-span to be shortened and
causes a pallid complextion. In Anuyoga (fulfillment yoga, or Kun-
dalini yoga) loss of semen is equated with killing of the Buddha. After initiation, intensity of desire is essential to force the bodicitta
(seed essence) up the medial nerve (of the spine); not only is desire
vitiated by orgasm, but the will to enlightenment itself is temporarily
lost. "*
This accords perfectly with the Taoists view of retaining se-
men and transferring it upward, only the Taoists do not personify
the subtle energies with a pantheon of divine beings. So I would
say that the Tantra is for someone who is fascinated by or is at-
tracted to the religious archetypes of the Tantrics—the gods and
goddesses, the Bodisattvas and demons—and their elaborate se-
cret rituals, initiations and invocations using mantra. If you have
the patience to follow the rigorous path set out by a lama or guru
who understands the true esoteric practice and is not merely a faith
worshipper, you should eventually be successful with it. I myself was raised near a Buddhist temple in Thailand and
hung out with monks from an early age. I later decided the external
rituals were not so effective as the internal methods of cultivating I
learned from my Taoist teachers. These rituals are a blend of the
esoteric and local culture. Many westerners may not respond
deeply to the archaic imagery of the religious deities or will be
confused by the different states of mind to be invoked, as the
traditional descriptions of these states of mind do not translate
easily from Sanskrit or Tibetan into English. Certainly the acceptance of Taoism here in the west has been
slowed by the difficulty of translating Taoist philosophy from Chi-
*"Sky Dancer: The Secret Life And Songs Of The Lady Yeshe Tsogyel" (Routledge and
Kegan, Paul 1984). Sex In the Esoteric Traditions 59
nese into English. But the archetypal images of the Taoists—prin-
cipally images from nature, but including the yin and yang sym-
bol—became globally accepted archetypes long before myself and
others began teaching out the esoteric practices. The Chinese form
a quarter of the world's population, and our civilization has been
around for the last 5000 years, so our basic teaching models are
already well known throughout the world. Perhaps most important is the fact that the esoteric yogic
practices of the Taoists were not buried in the rituals or lost on the
changing doctrines of religion. They were kept secret and passed
on orally for many thousands of years, and when they were finally
written down beginning in the second century A.
The purpose of Taoist lovemaking is to harmonize the mind, body, and spirit, and to conserve and exchange energy with the partner.
What is the purpose of Taoist lovemaking?
The two practices differ mainly in their approach and language, but they both seek to reconcile opposing dualities and achieve a higher level of spiritual growth.
What is the difference between Taoist and Tantric practices?
The pelvic diaphragm is crucial in Taoist practices as it helps to seal the life force and prevent its loss, allowing for the cultivation of internal energy.
What is the significance of the pelvic diaphragm in Taoist practices?
The scrotum is seen as a pump that helps to generate and circulate the cold, yin energy in the body, which is essential for spiritual development.
What is the role of the scrotum in Taoist practices?
The recommended positions for testicle breathing are sitting on the edge of a chair, standing, and lying on the right side, with specific instructions for each position provided in the text.
What is the recommended position for performing testicle breathing exercises?