Bigu (Part Two)

After hearing the gist of the story, Su Ziyang looked at Daoist Jin curiously and asked, "Master, what method did you use to Bigu? I thought that with your profound cultivation, you should be able to stop eating when your qi is full."

This wasn't Su Ziyang Daoist Jin; Su Ziyang genuinely believed it.

Because each family has its own internal cultivation methods, Su Ziyang's internal cultivation and nourishment skills were taught by Mr. Mengfei.

When learning internal skills, the biggest taboo is trying to do too much at once and not mastering it.

They learned from one master to another, constantly changing their techniques.

In reality, no matter what kind of cultivation method it is, it's all just one path, and in the end, everyone is pursuing the same result.

Therefore, the kung fu techniques that Su Ziyang learned from Mr. Mengfei's school naturally did not include the methods of Daoist Jin or Yang Tianzheng.

Of the three, Mr. Mengfei has the highest cultivation level. Daoist Jin and Yang Tianzheng are probably evenly matched.

However, Su Ziyang noticed that since Daoist Jin of seclusion last time, his spirit and overall condition were completely different, and his cultivation had obviously improved by a lot.

That's why Su Ziyang said what he just said, but Su Ziyang's idea was rejected by Daoist Jin.

Daoist Jin shook his head and said, "No, I used the Water-Drinking Bigu Method. It was all for the purpose of taking another step forward!"

"Water-Drinking Bigu Method?"

Having just heard about the Substance-Ingesting Bigu, Su Ziyang was now surprised to hear Daoist Jin talk about "water-based fasting": "So you mean drinking water ton after ton? Getting full just by guzzling water!"

Daoist Jin smiled at Su Ziyang's rather surprised expression, "Hehe, of course not! It's a method with rules and regulations. If you want to hear it, I can tell you about it!"

Learning new knowledge made Su Ziyang's eyes light up. "Great, great! Please tell me, Master. I'll remember!"

"Taking water is simply drinking water, I won't go into too much detail about that. The proper way to take water is to first cultivate a vast mind, to relieve the great suffering of the Three Paths, and to universally liberate all sentient beings in the Dharma realm, and then take water."

After Daoist Jin sat down, he stroked his beard and spoke to Su Ziyang.

In other words, one should have the great aspiration to save all sentient beings with great compassion.

Here's an explanation of the meaning of the Three Paths. Some Buddhist scriptures and mantras mention this when dedicating merit, so you've probably heard it quite often.

May this merit,

Solemn Buddha Pure Land

Repaying the triple kindness

"Relieving the suffering of the Three Unwholesome Paths"

For example, the phrase "Three Paths" also appears in this sentence.

The Three Paths, also known as the Three Unwholesome Paths.

It refers to Blood Path, Blade Path, or Fire Path.

Blood Path is the Animal Realm, because animals are often found where they are killed or cannibalize each other;

The Blade Path is the Hungry Ghost Realm, because hungry ghosts are often in places of hunger or where they are threatened by knives, swords, or sticks;

The Fire Path is the Hell Realm, because hell is often located in places of ice or raging fire.

The Three Paths are another name for the Three Evil Realms.

So whether you understand it or not, just remember that when you practice the water-drinking ritual, you should maintain a heart of great compassion.

Su Ziyang nodded, understanding what Daoist Jin meant.

Then Daoist Jin began to explain the steps of drinking the water to Su Ziyang in detail.

You must use a ceramic cup to drink water; you cannot use any other kind.

First, choose a starting date. Generally, choose a day that is auspicious in all four seasons, or a Jiazi day, or a day of opening, removal, or fullness.

Choose another day that aligns with your birth year's auspiciousness during these periods.

The so-called "auspicious days of the four seasons" refers to which of the four seasons is considered auspicious.

So I've included this below as well:

Wood Five Elements in spring and in its phase in winter.

The Five Elements strongest in summer and in its prime in spring.

Earth Five Elements that is most prosperous in all four seasons, especially in summer.

Metal in the Five Elements is strongest in autumn and moderate in all four seasons.

The Five Elements water is strongest in winter and weakest in autumn.

This is based on the Five Elements. For example, if you want to drink water in spring, you should choose a day with the Wood element.

As for the "opening," "removing," and "full" mentioned later, which refer to auspicious and inauspicious days, you can look them up yourself in a perpetual calendar.

Then choose a day that corresponds to your birth element. For example, if you are associated with the wood element, you would choose a day associated with the water element. That's how it works.

To find out your elemental attribute, look up the date of your birth on a perpetual calendar. That's the day of your birth, the Heavenly Stem of that day, and that's your elemental attribute.

For example, if you were born on a Jiazi day, you belong to the Wood element; if you were born on a Bingyin day, you belong to the Fire element. It's that simple.

After choosing a date, wait until the sun has risen in the morning, then bathe and change clothes, and burn incense to pay homage to all Buddhas and saints, immortals and celestial beings, praying for their blessings and protection to ensure your success.

Then, facing east, prepare three ceramic cups, each with a capacity of about one liter, and wait for the sun to rise above the horizon.

After filling three cups with water, chant a mantra over the water three times.

Then face the sun, hold the water glass with both hands, and place it on your chest.

Then, facing due east and standing with your feet together, first clench your teeth and Sounding the Heavenly Drum three times.

Note that the "Sounding the Heavenly Drum" mentioned here is not the same as the tapping of the back of the head with fingers mentioned at the beginning of this book, but rather a method of tapping the teeth.

The Nine True Supreme Treasure Book Divine Scripture records. "The method of striking the teeth is as follows: striking the left teeth together is called Striking the Heavenly Bell; striking the right teeth together is called Striking the Heavenly Chime; and striking the teeth in the center, one above the other, is called Sounding the Heavenly Drum."

Therefore, after clenching your teeth, bring your mouth close to the water glass, that is, to the surface of the water, and silently recite the mantra.

You can recite this mantra once, three times, five times, or seven times.

After reciting the incantation, drink the water with exceptionally gentle force, then swallow it slowly and carefully.

Then imagine swallowing three mouthfuls from the left side of your body, then three mouthfuls from the right side, and then three mouthfuls from the center of your body.

Repeat this method of drinking water over and over again, until you finish the entire glass of water.

After finishing your drink, rest for a minute or two, then slowly walk in circles for about twenty steps.

Then, after returning, drink another cup using the same method. After finishing the cup, slowly walk around in place for forty steps.

Come back and drink the last cup, then stroll around for eighty steps in the same way until you stop.

When drinking water, it doesn't matter if you drink slowly or take many sips. The more sips you take and the slower you drink, the better. You'll definitely find it easy to enjoy yourself.

Then, while drinking the water, frequently burn incense and sincerely recite Buddhist prayers to express gratitude to all the gods and Buddhas.

People usually gain some insights during this process.

Do not cling to any state or appearance of enlightenment you have attained, and do not proclaim it to outsiders; keep it to yourself.

The incantation mentioned here is also recorded as follows:

During the reign of Henry Qianyuan, I was born into nine kinds of things. The sun and the moon merged with me. I am no longer hungry or thirsty. I rely on water to survive. The energy of the five stars of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, the essence of Liujia, the three true heavens, the turbid clouds are filled, the yellow father and the pure son, guarding the center without leaning. The urgency is like the law.

The above procedure is for the first time you drink water. After that, it is not necessary. Just use this incantation every time you drink water, chanting it three times for each of the three cups of water, and then drink it slowly and carefully.