Reflections on a Bigu: Lighten the Body, Illuminate the Path, Benefit the Practice

Lighten the Body, Illuminate the Path, Benefit the Practice

- Reflections on a Bigu by Mingda

 

(“Mingda" is the honorific title for Leo Chen, the CEO of TVCMALL)

 

Previously, I participated in a study tour organized by the De Ren Xin group. It deepened my understanding of the Four Immeasurables in Buddhism - "loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity." This experience led to the changes I anticipated in my character and behavior. When the opportunity arose to join this Bigu, focusing on abstinence from certain foods, it aligned perfectly with my health concerns and available time. Hence, I enthusiastically enrolled.

 

Bigu (grain avoidance) is a Daoist fasting technique that avoids grains and is linked to the pursuit of transcendence or immortality. This practice holds significance in Chinese culture due to beliefs surrounding expelling malevolent spirits called the "Three Corpses," which were thought to reside in the human body and report sins to heaven. Grain avoidance has diverse interpretations—it can mean abstaining from specific grains or, in extreme cases, not consuming any food at all. In traditional Chinese culture, grains held symbolic importance in sustaining human life, but Bigu emerged as a departure from this tradition within the context of Daoist philosophy.

 

 

Fasting wasn't entirely unfamiliar to me, having experienced it previously on my own. However, the previous experience wasn't comfortable; discomfort was prevalent throughout, and I didn't reintroduce food afterward in a scientifically sound manner. Despite a reduction in weight, my body's resilience and immunity seemed to decline. This time, with De Ren Xin's guidance, the entire fasting process was scientifically structured. Unlike my previous experience, I only felt slight fatigue or a need to rest occasionally between the second and fourth days.

 

Physically, post-fasting, I lost around seven to eight kilograms and felt remarkably lighter. Before fasting, I struggled with slightly high blood pressure, a constant worry at the back of my mind. Additionally, my sleep quality suffered due to sinusitis, affecting my daytime energy levels. However, during the fasting period, I stopped medication for these issues, and both significantly improved (hoping for sustained improvement post-fasting).

 

Another notable change was increased physical flexibility and endurance. Previously, during meditation, I could only sit comfortably for about half an hour, often needing some support for my back. Now, after meditation training, I can sit unsupported for over an hour. Post-meditation, I experience a unique clarity occasionally.

 

I consulted Teacher Lao Fan regarding meditation, and they mentioned how daily work life often muddles thoughts for ordinary individuals, making it challenging to discern direction. Meditation helps quiet and align thoughts, resulting in clearer thinking and higher accuracy in problem-solving—the initial explanation of "attaining clarity.

 

During the Bigu, Teacher Lao Fan shared practical knowledge related to our daily lives, furthering our understanding. Some insights were particularly enlightening:

1. Fasting is akin to non-invasive surgery for health, rejuvenating organs, and rebooting immunity while also having a wisdom aspect, resetting wisdom and embracing nature, yet varied for each individual.

2. Health preservation prioritizes calming the mind and nourishing the spirit ("impure fire" within is often the root of many issues); balancing activity and rest are inseparable.

3. Healing through food is better than medicine; nourishing through food surpasses that, and nurturing through energy surpasses the former.

4. In health preservation, medical treatment accounts for no more than 8%; genetics, habits, temperament, and disposition play more significant roles.

5. Keep family wealth private, family faults within the family and family matters unsaid, and don't easily believe in gossip.

6. Pessimists are always correct, optimists achieve success.

7. Convert all external circumstances into internal factors; transform current circumstances using the external way.

8. Comprehend all principles through the wordless.

 

These shared insights corrected and upgraded my previous understanding and illuminated the path ahead. As the saying goes, "The master leads you to the door, but the cultivation is up to the individual." The experience of a single fasting retreat is limited, what a teacher can teach is also limited, and what one can comprehend is limited. Yet, for those earnestly seeking, if they can find the "door" through such experiences, the impact on their future is immeasurable. Just as it's often said in Buddhism: delving deep into the scriptures, wisdom becomes vast.

 

Gratitude fills my heart for being part of this fasting experience. I am thankful to Teacher Lao Fan, De Ren Xin's companions, fellow participants, and friends and family for their support. With your blessings, we have reaped these rewards and grown. I hope that more people can experience similar journeys, guiding themselves towards a more beautiful and luminous future for their bodies and minds!