The Great Stillness, the Water Method of Taoist Meditation [Paperback]

Bruce Kumar Frantzis (Author), B. K. Frantzis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0963180819 | ISBN-13: 978-0963180810 | Publication Date: April 2, 1999 | Edition: Readers'

This second volume of The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series focuses on the Water Method's central technique: the inner dissolving process-showing how to overcome your inner psychological demons and distractions, how the mindstream functions and how internal alchemy differs in Taoism's Fire and Water traditions. You will gain a new understanding of the spiritual importance of cultivating the physical body and its internal energies. This book expands on Volume 1's powerful standing and breathing techniques to include moving, sitting and lying down meditation methods, with detailed illustrations. You will also learn sexual chi gung and meditation techniques, never published before, to increase the intimacy, harmony and satisfaction of your relationships and deepen your spiritual awareness.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Great Stillness, Volume Two of The Water Method of Taoist Meditation Series, presents moving meditation practices, sitting and lying down meditation practices, the inner dissolving process, as well as how to dissolve blockages in your physical, qi and emotional bodies. Another extremely interesting section is on Taoist sexual meditation with both techniques and good explanations of the energetic aspects of Taoist sexual cultivation. The last chapter is on internal alchemy, another fascinating and important aspect of Taoist self-cultivation.

The practices themselves are divided into preparatory, intermediate, and advanced stages. Step-by-step instruction is given for each stage. Volume One takes the reader through the introductory materials-including the difference between the water and fire methods of meditation, the teacher-student relationship in the fire and water approaches, and overview of Taoist meditation and both preparatory and intermediate practices.

This is an important work. Taoism is a very old and vast compendium of teachings and practices. Students can choose from a wide variety of teachings, some of which are only now coming to the West. As more long-time practitioners of Taoism begin to share their knowledge and experiences with Western students we will all benefit. -- The Empty Vessel, A Journal of Contemporary Taoism, Summer 1999

From the Publisher

Bruce Kumar Frantzis has studied meditation, internal martial arts and chi gung for four decades, including five years in Japan and India and more than ten years in China. After two decades of intensive study in the Zen, Yoga, Kundalini and Taoist Fire traditions, B. K. Frantzis met Liu Hung Chieh, one of this century's greatest Taoist masters, in Mainland China. Although Liu had stopped teaching several years prior, he had just had two dreams about this American arriving at his doorstep to study with him. This led to Liu's decision to pass on the knowledge of his lineage to the author. B. K. Frantzis teaches chi gung, internal martial arts and Taoist meditation worldwide.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: UNKNO; Readers' edition (April 2, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963180819
• ISBN-13: 978-0963180810
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,336,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A map and a travelogue for inner exploration, March 27, 2000

By 

KERGALL Erwan (France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Stillness, the Water Method of Taoist Meditation (Paperback)

At last, after years of search through various courses and readings, I have found in this book a clear explanation of what the word "Meditation" really means, and how to safely practice it.

Many teachers, even the most renowned, have talked or written about meditation, only rarely caring to define it, or when they did, it was either through obscure metaphors, or cryptic zen-like comments that only the enlightened could constructively make use of.

Here the author, expanding on the precise relaxation methods described in the precedent volume in the series, takes the reader through a precise and technical description of the meditation process : the exploration and cleansing of one's emotionnal, mental, and more and more refined bodies, through inner perception and the practice of "inner dissolving", a higher form of relaxation.

All the material in the book is clearly described, with step-by-step explanations everywhere needed, as well as theoretical explanations that help keep a global view of the work he proposes. Warnings and answers to frequently asked questionsare there to avoid all possible risk of bodily, energetic, or emotionnal injury. It is clear from reading his books that the author has a great experince of teaching. Stories from the author or his teacher's experience keep the book entertaining and give an idea of the possible depth that can be reached in this field of research.

Even such obscure subjects as Sexual meditation, that are often alluded to in mysterious exotic terms (the like of "golden clouds rise from the Jade pillar" and others) are here treated openly and simply. The technical aspect of the work keeping it from getting esoteric, and the insistance on respect of the other and openness of feelings keeping it always very humane.

This book, along with the previous tome in the series ("Relaxing into your being"), and the author's other didactic work "Opening the Energy Gates of the Body", give detailed instructions for years of safe and fruitfull inner workout. And for those who do not wish to engage into the deep work of meditation, the book can still be helpfull, as it clarifies a lot of misconceptions about the goals and methods of a vastly misunderstood field of human activity.

My only regrets about this fascinating book would be that it does not cover all of the material it alludes to, but only gives access to the first levels of meditation, and roughly outlines the higher levels. I strongly wish for a further book expanding on the intricacies of clearing beyond the emotionnal body. Hopefully it will take me a few years of meditationg work before I get to a level where I need these indications. By then the author has the time to expand the series.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very simple and also thorough..., February 22, 2001

By 

Yuri Kuzyk (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Stillness, the Water Method of Taoist Meditation (Paperback)

Frantzis, who has written a few other good books on Taoist arts, gives a good overview of the "water" method for meditation. This style of meditation is basically Chan (Zen) meditation that is closer to its Taoist roots than the pure Rinzai and Soto schools.

Water meditation is basically just a variant on the Vipassana Buddhist type of following-and-becoming-one-with-the-breath. Frantzis emphasises awareness and following energy within the body; there is no attempt to direct energy. This is in contrast with the normal Qigong style of "fire" meditation that may involve actively circulating energy through the meridians and microcosmic orbits.

I think Frantzis does an admirable job interspersing the simple progression of lessons with text on other subjects. I enjoyed his section on cults and gurus but suspect that his warning will likely fall on deaf ears given the sheer quantity of "masters" and people with "genuine Indian names" running around handing out "certificates" of achievement for meditation.

Anyone who enjoys this will also like "Mindfulness in Plain English" and "Zen Training". I also recommend looking at Deng Ming Dao's "Scholar Warrior".

5.0 out of 5 stars Dissolving, February 26, 2009

By 

Payton - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Stillness, the Water Method of Taoist Meditation (Paperback)

In my own Tai Chi and Chi Gung practice, based on Bruce's teachings, inner dissolving is possibly the skill I value the most. It's also one of the most difficult to understand without a skilled instructor and many hours of practice. That said, this book contains a very helpful instruction on this form of meditation and unless you have the opportunity to study with Bruce himself (or even, I suppose, if you do) it is a great reference to turn to. I've also found that occasionally listening to the liturgies in Ancient Songs of the TAO: Music of the Spheres complement this practice, as they are what Bruce has used in several of his meditation workshops.