"Essence" is mainly divided into two types:

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One is primordial essence, also known as congenital essence, which originates from the endowments of one's parents and is the original substance of life. It is hidden in the lower dantian of the human body. This congenital essence is like the spark of life, laying the initial foundation for our life activities.

The other is impure essence, mainly composed of sperm and semen, stored in the reproductive organs. Unlike the congenital nature of primordial essence, impure essence is more closely associated with the physiological and reproductive functions of the human body.

Vital energy, or true energy, is generated from abundant primordial essence and is the foundation and driving force of human life activities, encompassing various energies that sustain life. In spiritual cultivation, the "essence" in "refining essence into energy" refers to congenital primordial essence, which, through specific practices, can be transformed into congenital true energy (primordial vitality).

The effects of having sufficient or insufficient vital essence.
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There's a common saying in traditional spiritual practice: "When essence is abundant, lustful thoughts cease." A state of abundant vital essence is like a bottle full of water; no matter how much you shake it, no water will spill or foam. At this time, the mind is calm, and desires are not easily disturbed by external factors. Conversely, when vital essence is insufficient, it's like a half-filled bottle of water; even a slight shake will cause the water to slosh around, and a person's desires will fluctuate accordingly, making them easily susceptible to external temptations and distracting thoughts.

When vital essence is abundant, it continuously transforms into vital energy, thereby achieving the effect of replenishing the brain with essence, allowing a person to gradually reach the ideal state of "abundant essence, full energy, and vibrant spirit." Mr. Nan Huaijin, in his "Record of Zen Practice," mentioned: "Truly purifying the vital energy and replenishing the brain, reaching a state where the energy flows through the diencephalon, one can remain in a state of profound stillness. At this time, one is not afraid of distracting thoughts." This fully demonstrates the importance of vital essence for spiritual practice and inner peace.

In reality, unhealthy sexual behavior and exposure to pornography and other negative stimuli can lead to the transformation of "vital essence into impure essence," causing a reverse transformation of vital energy and spirit, a process of "degeneration." This not only affects one's character but also leads to the loss of physical and mental energy. If this continues for a long time, it becomes difficult to accumulate vital essence, making the transformation of essence into energy impossible, let alone the higher levels of cultivating the spirit and returning to emptiness, the gathering of the three flowers at the crown, and the five energies converging at the center.

Furthermore, excessive physical exertion, prolonged overtime work, and late nights are all unhealthy lifestyle habits that can lead to a deficiency of vital energy, resulting in the depletion of the body's fundamental life force. For men, a simple way to determine if their energy is depleted is to observe whether they experience regular morning erections. If morning erections disappear or become irregular, it usually indicates a weakening of yang energy, and at this point, it is necessary to replenish energy through internal cultivation practices.

The amount of congenital essence is limited, and once consumed, it is difficult to restore through conventional methods, just as spilled water cannot be recovered. Although energy can be replenished through oxygen and nutrients obtained later in life, this acquired energy is easily dissipated, and its replenishment requires a certain amount of original essence as a foundation. When the original essence is exhausted, life comes to an end, as Master Zhang Sanfeng said in "The Rootless Tree": "Refrain from meat and lust, for lust leads to the loss of the treasure of longevity," where the "treasure of longevity" refers to the original essence.

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100-Day Foundation Building: Repairing and Enhancing Life Energy

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In the world of spiritual cultivation, "Hundred-Day Foundation Building" is a crucial concept. It's like laying the foundation for a house; it's the fundamental stage of spiritual practice. During this stage, one must, on the one hand, use efficient and superior methods of physical and mental training, such as standing meditation, to gather the scattered energy of the body into the lower dantian (energy center). Simultaneously, one must maintain a calm and tranquil state of mind, allowing the energy of nature to continuously flow into the body, creating a compounding effect of energy accumulation.

On the other hand, it is crucial to strictly control the leakage of bodily energy. This involves not only avoiding voluntary semen loss through actions like masturbation, but also preventing involuntary semen loss, such as nocturnal emissions.

After approximately one hundred days of continuous practice, if the energy in the lower dantian is replenished, one will noticeably feel more energetic and automatically enter the "refining essence into qi" mode.

Upon successful completion of the "hundred-day foundation building," practitioners will experience a transformative change: their bodies will feel light and agile; the essence will nourish the brain, resulting in mental clarity and a refreshed mind; the kidneys will feel warm, the lower abdomen full, and they will be filled with strength and confidence, no longer controlled by desires, reaching the state of "full essence, no desire for lust." Simultaneously, some sub-health issues, such as frequent urination, urgency, and sexual dysfunction, will also be significantly improved or even disappear.

In Journey to the West, it is mentioned: "Three years without leakage of vital energy leads to an immortal body, unlike ordinary people who suffer torment." If a person can persevere for three years without losing bodily energy, and simultaneously transform this energy through high-level, high-energy methods of physical and mental cultivation, maintaining inner tranquility and emptiness, allowing vital energy to flow naturally, coupled with a light diet and avoiding staying up late, they can potentially achieve a pure state of mind and body similar to that of a young boy or girl.

The foundation for achieving all these states lies in standing meditation (Zhan Zhuang). High-level standing meditation techniques originated in ancient times. Emperor Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) once said: "Connecting with heaven and earth, grasping yin and yang, breathing in vital energy, standing independently and guarding the spirit, the muscles become as one." The Tao Te Ching also records: "The sage embraces unity, stands independently and remains unchanged, circulating endlessly without ceasing," both emphasizing the important role of standing meditation in gathering energy and calming the mind. By consistently practicing high-level standing meditation every day, one can noticeably feel an improvement in vital energy, spirit, and mental clarity in just one month.

Although standing meditation offers many benefits, these benefits will never be realized if you only understand them theoretically without putting them into practice. Therefore, instead of just talking about it, it's better to start acting immediately.