“Enlightenment” Chapter 6 “the practice of self spiritual upliftment 
It is done early in the morning on the new moon

The light of the burning incense and it’s fragrance represents the direction in which you wish to move in the development you wish to obtain. This is the direction of self discipline and self training which brings about the process of turning your bad habits into Good ones . 
Lighting incense represents your spiritual self discipline. You will need five sticks of incense This  incense ceremony is particularly helpful when practiced in the early morning of the first day of a lunar cycle, at the new Moon. Performing this practice will bring you great spiritual benefit

Set  the incense in the center of the holder and upon lighting it say “I worship the supreme virtuous one let my discipline bring fragrance into my life let my mind hold no wrong or evil idea, jealousy, greed, hatred, poison or harm.“

Then put a second piece of incense in the holder and upon lighting it say “I light this incense to symbolize the fragrance of my achievement, a stable and  peaceful mind. By my peacefulness, no disorder or confusion exists in my mind. 
By my peacefulness, no disorder or confusion exists in my mind. From my peaceful undisturbed mind, I can see in my environment what is right and what is wrong, what is best to do, and what should be avoided

Then put a third piece of incense in the holder light it and say, “this incense is to center myself in the learning and pursuit of wisdom. Let my mind have no further instruction. Let the subtle light of wisdom shine in my mind and create no further evil. I intend to do all good things without holding or extending any special preference. I respect those above me; I love those beneath me. I always take care, if possible, of the lonely, poor and suffering ones.”


Then put a fourth piece of incense in the holder and light it saying “this Incense symbolizes My liberation and freedom. My mind will no longer continually be searching to obtain more for myself. I do not think about bad or good but enjoyed great freedom without obstruction.”

“Put a 5 th piece of incense in the holder and upon lighting it say,“This represents my liberation from the knowledge of my conceptual mind. First I liberate myself from the Idolization of the objects of dependency; I free myself from the false things I am dependent upon so I do not remain in an unfruitful, unproductive or empty condition. I am always willing to develop myself and to know myself better through the external truth. I will harmonize and be receptive to all people in all things. I will not play the game of ego, and I will not change my direction for any spiritual conceptual or material
Fantasy

There are many cycles in Five Element Theory.  There is the Creation Cycle, the Destructive Cycle, the Over-Controlling Cycle, and the Insulting Cycle.

The Creation Cycle, or Sheng Cycle, maps how how the Five Elements create one another. 

Wood springs forth to initiate the Five Element Cycle, as it fuels and sustains Fire,  
Fire is the catalyst, that transforms  and transmutes Wood with its flame.
Fire's embers and ash generate Earth's soil.
Deep within the Earth are Treasures of Metal, and also we find Metal, high on  Mountaintops, as Glaciers and snows, which reflect like Metal.
The snow melts and creates life-giving  Water.
Water nitrifies Wood and the Cycle begins again.
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Each Element relates to seasons, star systems, planets, directions, emotions, physical attributes, herbs, foods, tastes, smells, time, family members, and has a spiritual significance,  
 
For more information on The Five Elements and Five Element Creation Cycle check out:
www.askdrmao.com/blog/an-introduction-to-infinichi-from-dr-mao/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPdhodaw1iE

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxing_(Chinese_philosophy)

https://www.thecsc.net/shiatsu-constellations/

/https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2015/189357/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2lARKGMezg
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 PLEASE JOIN EVERY 3RD THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

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Chapter 11 The Social Goal of The Centermost Way 
    from the book entitled, The Centermost Way- Touchstone of Universal Life 
                    by Hua Ching Ni

All people should have the sense to contribute to    
    making the world a better place
    and to treating the world 
    the way they wish the world would treat them.
Not mis-treating anyone is the foundation of a safe world. 

You do not like to be mistreated by the world.
You would like the world to consist of people you can trust & with whom you can feel carefree. 
When all people value a balanced life,
    all people are your friends.

A better world is made of better people.
A better world is near
    when the desire to contribute to a better world
    grows in all people.

Your contribution is essential.
It is the cornerstone of a great society.
We are invited to be models for others.
This is not a matter of fortune, fame or power,
    but of contributing to a better world. 

It has taken a million years for human society to develop.
Only during the last three to five thousand years
    have philosophies been refined,
    religions developed,
    political systems been tested,
    patterns of society been implemented,
    and great scientific discoveries been made.
However, the population of the world is still growing
    and it is the different qualities of individuals that create difficulties.
Some people even experience the world as a nightmare.

Most great cultural achievements are aimed at creating a better world,
    but the uncertainty of life is aggravated 
    by negative cultural trends.
Any culture or religion that does not contribute
    to a better world and better people,
    has gone astray
    and is a trouble-maker.

The teaching of the Universal Centermost Way is focused on
    the goal of a better world with better people.
It is essential that your personal life
    contributes to a better world.
what is a better world?
It is a world like the spiritual world I (Master Ni) enjoy.

The goal of my life is to have
     a world of peace
    a world of self-sufficiency,
    a world of where all people have equal importance, 
    a world of shared responsibility,  
    a world of open opportunity,
    a world of freedom,
    a world of health,
    a world of fairness & justice,
    a world of security for everyone,
    a world of self-reliance.

In such a world you can give up stress, struggle or contention.
It is a world of mutual trust,
    a world of spiritual openness,
    a world of spiritual democracy without the expense of the government,
    a world of spiritual pleasure,
    a world of constructive change,
    a world of spiritual growth,
    a world of clear progress.
In such a world you can enjoy the happiness of life.

The world we wish to build is one of no rivalry,
    a world of no scheming,
    a world of no manipulation,
    a world of no grasping,
    a world of no dominance,
    a world of no self-created trouble,
    a world of no harm,
    a world of no violence,
    a world of no egotistic friction,
    a world of no ignorance.
In such a world you can embrace everyone as a trustworthy friend.

The world we wish to see is a world of no greed,
    a world of no evil,
    a world of no aggression,
    a world of no war,
    a world of no spiritual separation,
    a world of no killing,
    a world of no fear,
    a world where you know that naturalness is the essence of life. In such a world, over-establishment is no longer a cause of trouble.

It is self-evident that you cannot have a better world without being:
    an individual of peace,
    an individual of sufficiency,
    an individual of self-responsibility,
    an individual of creativity,
    an individual of health,
    an individual who makes good choices,
    an individual who is fair and just,
    an individual who offers security to the surroundings,
    an individual of self-reliance,
    an individual who considers the importance of others.

The world needs:
    individuals of trust-worthiness,
    individuals of spiritual openness,
    individuals of spiritual democracy,
    individuals of self-enjoyment,
    individuals of constant spiritual growth.

When all people improve themselves, each individual will become;
    an improvable individual,
    an individual of no rivalry,
    an individual of no scheming,
    an individual of no manipulation,
    an individual of no greed,
    an individual of no dominance,
    an individual of no self-created trouble,
    an individual of no self-harm,
    an individual of no violence,
    an individual of no egotistic friction,
    an individual of no ignorance,
    an individual of no greed,
    an individual of no evil,
    an individual of no aggression,
    an individual of no warlikeness,
    an individual of no spiritual separation,
    an individual of no killing,
    an individual of no fear.
A new spiritual covenant should be made
    between two eternal partners -
    the world and the individual -
    to have a better world and better people.
This covenant would be forever-renewed.
All good people should make such a contract
    for the world they may create
    and the people they will become.
This is the main learning of worldly life.

I inherited this dream from the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. This dream is over 2,500 years old. May we all work together to actualize such a long postponed dream. 
 

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If you are interested in gathering with other women to meditate and share about the value and role of feminine virtue in life, you are welcome to contact Barbara Wolff at contactlivingwellness@gmail.com  ,  
Meetings are held monthly and are open internationally via zoom.

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45. Spiritual cultivation is a process of internal alchemy. In other words, we refine ourselves through different exercises and practices that transform our course energy into high energy. This helps maintain our health so that we do not over-rely on nutrition or food. Things such as food and blood transfusions cannot be perfectly controlled, so self-control is a more important and more highly refined art, especially compared to the art of cooking or the art of a great laboratory.
    By exercising and practicing self-control, you create the necessary “medicine” through your own self-refinement. At the same time, by reading invocations you instruct your internal faculties. You engage in the refinement of your soul in order to live an independent spiritual life without returning to the cage of the body and the confinement of the material sphere.
    The entire world has gradations. In other words, evolution is a series of gradations from the course material sphere to the refined and highly free spiritual sphere of life. Internal work follows the same path as universal evolution. Universal evolution is a common natural process for all people, but the result is uncertain, because most people’s will is directed only toward things at the worldly level, not toward immortal life.

47. No medicine can really make you live forever, but the greatest medicine with which you are naturally endowed is your reproductive strength of force, which includes your mental force and your spiritual power.
    Most people do not see or accept that the mind is a power and that each thought is a form of energy, so they waste a lot of thoughts on negative things which are unproductive or fruitless.
    There is a spiritual reality much more subtle than the mind. But if you do not understand the mind, how can you understand the spirit? Only after self-awareness has been attained can you become aware of another, higher sphere.
    The three internal spheres of medicine are more potent than anything that can be discovered in a laboratory. These three internal spheres are the healthy power issued by your brain, your heart and your kidneys (reproductive system).
    External medicine can cost a lot of money, but it does not really help your life. You have to help your own life by yourself. You have to refine what nature endowed you with, and you have to do it by yourself. This internal medicine is not patented, and you cannot make money out of it, but you can achieve everlasting-life from it. You don’t need to pay $120 for anyone to prescribe it for you, like you would for a skin rash. You do it yourself. By yourself, you achieve yourself. 
    from The Light of All Stars Illuminates the Way       by Hua Ching Ni

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Each Sunday at 7 am PST, Dr. Mao Shing Ni invites you to join him and guest teachers in a spiritual renewal ceremony followed by a talk on how to apply the wisdom of the Integral Way to the Five Healths—healthy body, mind/spirit, relationship, work and finance. Free to members of College of Tao community. Friends and family are welcome.

Click to read last week’s Ceremony topic
https://www.collegeoftao.org/blog/april-29th-2020

Dr. Mao’s Sunday Renewal and Gratitude Ceremony’s version!
(Publication date: Mar 2019 printing, 1995 edition)
https://taostar.com/workbook-for-spiritual-development/

We are now requiring passwords into The Sunday Renewal meetings. It is open only to members of College of Tao. Click here if you would like to become a Member. Once your membership is approved you will receive a link to access this and other events.