What is spiritual cultivation?

Spiritual cultivation means cultivating one's spirituality. In Sheng Zhen Men's understanding, it involves coming to know and cultivate our original spirit, the initial source of the soul, and understanding our original self. Connecting with the original spirit differs in certain ways from what is generally called a deity's descent. Learning spiritual cultivation means understanding what you are doing, rather than merely pursuing more bodily movement or unusual sensations.

I have recalled how spiritual cultivation gradually flourished in Taiwan around the 1970s and 1980s. Some temples that had focused mainly on deities descending through mediums also began turning toward spiritual cultivation. This is my recollection of changes in folk religion at the time. To understand this approach, we still need to return to what we are learning and gradually distinguish its elements.

In our teaching, we begin with quiet sitting to nurture spiritual energy, then discuss energy-induced movement, spirit-induced movement, and the operation of moving practices. Energy-induced and spirit-induced movement involve different stages and require guidance and discernment from an experienced teacher. As with learning a skill, reading instructions and actually understanding and learning it are different things. As spiritual work progresses, human wisdom and knowledge must keep pace as well.

During quiet sitting, if your body only sways slightly forward and backward or from side to side, you can keep your attention on the breath. If the movement becomes large, raise it for discussion to understand whether the movement of energy has been activated and another practice is needed. Focus on stillness when it is time for stillness, and practice spirit-induced movement properly when it is time for that. Do not mix them together. When my energy-induced movement first began, my body rotated strongly beyond my control, although I remained fully conscious. Only through repeated practice did I gradually become familiar with the process.

When guiding people in practice, I also observe whether the process of the original spirit's entry and spirit-induced movement is smooth, but this requires experience to discern. In the situations I have encountered, some men rely more on rational thought and find entering this kind of experience harder. People who are naturally more sensitive often also have a gentler side to their character. These are my observations. Progress in practice must certainly be judged by more than outward movements. Humility, acceptance, compassion, and the vow to give to others also need to be learned.

YOYO once relayed Master Ji Gong's reminder during group practice that spiritual practice has no clocking in and out. You do your practice in the temple, but after leaving, you still need to pay attention to how you speak, treat people, and adjust your temper. The wisdom learned needs to be applied throughout daily life. It cannot be set aside simply because you are somewhere else.

For me, spiritual cultivation is therefore also spiritual practice, caring for body, mind, and spirit. Others may distinguish these two terms differently, and that can be respected. In our usage, however, including the word 'spiritual' does not mean focusing only on spiritual progress while neglecting the body, thoughts, and sound understanding. These aspects of practice influence one another.

Sometimes we begin doing something before learning its name. In the past, I accompanied temples on worship visits to different places and experienced spirit-induced movement without specifically calling it 'visiting spiritual mountains.' Only later, in talking with a teacher from another feng shui school, did I hear that name. The teacher also advised me to be careful. I listen first, consider why someone says something, then seek understanding and make adjustments. Learning a name still leaves the real substance to be studied.

I have compared it to studying and joining clubs. The purpose of school is to gain knowledge and wisdom. You can join a club and may become its president, but you can still graduate without holding that position. We need to make a similar distinction concerning visiting spiritual mountains, receiving spiritual treasures, and receiving decrees or commands. These may be part of a particular person's practice; they are not an identical sequence everyone must complete. What matters is what you have learned, whether body, mind, and spirit are more settled, and whether daily life is changing accordingly.

This also helps distinguish faith from spiritual cultivation. Worship and prayer can give people something to rely on. Going further into spiritual cultivation, I hope to understand my inner life genuinely and undertake the practice so that my thoughts and daily life change with it. Not every religious activity is the same kind of spiritual cultivation, and unusual perceptions do not remove the need to keep learning how to treat people and handle things.