Development History And Literature Research Of Pranayama Meditation Regimen

Pranayama meditation is one of the traditional Chinese ways of keeping healthy. It has been widely applied in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Medicine, and established different values and characteristics in varied fields. Different schools have made various conclusions and theories, while a large number of workings, which has greatly enriched the content of Chinese traditional culture, have been accumulated.This study starts with literature review, fully applying the research methods of philology, history and history of thoughts. On the basis of reviewing500thesis about pranayama meditation, the study made a comparatively systematic research about the historical development and workings of pranayama meditation in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Medicine. From the research, it broadly explains the history of pranayama meditation in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Medicine, and analyses the characteristics and values of different schools. At the same time, it also introduces the important workings about pranayama meditation in different schools. This thesis divided into7parts is the report of the whole research.Chapter1introduces the connotation study of pranayama meditation. From linguistic perspective, this chapter briefly explains the meanings of pranayama meditation and illustrates the connotation of it.Chapter2studies pranayama meditation in Confucianism. According to the materials in Zhouyi, Mencius and Xunz, this chapter firstly analyses the concepts of pranayama meditation of Confucius, Mencius and other Confucians, making clear the original development of Confucian pranayama meditation. Secondly, it studies the pranayama meditation history of Neo-Confucianism in Song dynasty, concretely analyzing the pranayama meditation ideas of Zhou Dunyi, Chenghao and Chengyi. It focus on Nanyi school, and especially makes a conclusion of practice and experience of Zhuxi.At the same time, the meditation method of Lu Jiuyuan is introduced. Lu-Wang Xin Xue has been greatly developed in Ming dynasty, while meditation, as the means to physically illustrate the essence of nature, was widely applied by Confucians in Ming dynasty. Chen Xianzhang advocated it firstly, Wang Yangming improving it greatly, while Wangji, LuoHongxian, Gao Panlong and other Yanming Confucians promoting it more. They turned it into a theoretical and practical method which was melt in daily lives. As a kind of lectures which are open to the pubic, meditation became the core essence of Neo-Confucian culture and lead to the most active period in the history of ancient Chinese thoughts. In the last part of this chapter, the author discusses the value orientation and Gongfu theory of Confucian meditation and makes a reasonable evaluation of the health preserving values, including physical therapy degree and mysterious experience of life phenomenon and so on.Chapter3involves the sitting meditation of Taoism. The meditation of Taoism was established by the nihility thoughts of Laozi. Zhuangzi brought about the possibility of practice through "Xinzai" and "Zuowang". After Taoism was founded, from the perspective of Xinxue of Sima Chengzhen in Tang dynasty, they mixed the thoughts of Cunsi and Shouyi and wrote Theory of Zuowang. Thence, Zuowang became the practical method which was accepted generally. Since Tang and Song dynasty, alchemy started and the sitting meditation, like Taixi and Zuowang, was just the foundation method of alchemy. As a step or a level of alchemy, the original values of sitting meditation was covered and slowly disappeared, while the meanings of alchemy were exaggerated quickly. The numerous of workings of sitting meditation and even alchemy were the precious documents of studying the mysteries of human bodies, and provide references to modern scientific research of human bodies.The fourth chapter discusses the pranayama meditation of Buddhism. After Buddhism was introduced to the mainland,"Eight Zhengdao" was defined as "Jie","Ding" and "Hui"."Ding" is the key means. After "Anapanasati Sutta" was translated, peanayama meditation became the practical means of applying "Ding". Since then,"Chih-Kuan" of Tiantai,"dhyana" of Zen and " Jiazuo" of Tantra and other practices were the development of anapana pranayama. The author takes Tiantai as an example, briefly introducing the two practices of "Chih-kuan" and emphasizes on analyzing the connotation and influences on Chinese traditional health preserving of pranayama meditation introduced by Zhiyi.The fifth chapter deals with the pranayama meditation of the physicians. The concept of meditation practice appeared in Neijing. Later, influenced by Taoism and Buddhism, it absorbed the practice experiences and became the means of keeping health and curing diseases. After Song and Yuan dynasty, influenced by the Confucian theory of learning, the meditation of medicine has been practiced universally, and it was widely applied to help curing clinical disease and recovery from illness, especially used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and so on. Meditation practice has become a regular therapy.The sixth chapter discusses modern meditations. At the beginning of the last century, meditation has been advocated greatly by the scholars, and become the primary choice of exercises. Jiang Weiqiao and Tong Baimei organized Meditation Research Organization and Shanghai Chongdao Club to popularize meditation. Particularly after the workings of Japanese was translated and introduced to Chinese, meditation became popular. Later, the books by Jiang Weiqiao, Ding Fubao and Chen Yingning were published. Then, the books, edited by Nan Huaijin, Xiao Tianshi, was published. It is about different meditations of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Modern meditation mixes the advantages of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Medicine, making it more practical, universal, popular and convenient to the public.There are some conclusions of the study:With the development of thousands of years, sitting meditation has formed different value orientation:Confucianism’s "protecting the mentality and building virtue"; Taoism’s "cultivating the mind and improving the character"; Buddhism’s "understanding the mind and seeing the disposition"; Medicine’s "keeping healthy and balancing disposition". The different schools have formed various characteristic.Although Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Medicine have different origins and styles, the effect of sitting meditation is influenced by the changes of "disposition". It is a kind of inner request of practicing of disposition and physical body, which is the core value of sitting meditation.Sitting meditation has obvious therapy orientation, and with practiing insistently the function of defending disease, improving health and prolonging life could be realized. The experiences of different schools provide references and guidance to modern health preserving.The theoretical definition and mysterious practice of different schools in history are the cognitive result of human lives, which were developed by ancient people. They provide precious references for the research of human lives and could not be regarded as superstition and absurdness. It could not be ignored or abandoned easily. Pranayama meditation had universal social values. Especially in a society, in which human nature generally agitate, old society come earlier, and a variety of chronic diseases blowout, meditation has invaluable values in balancing body and mind, preserving mind and improving character, keeping healthy and promoting harmony.All in all, There are a large number of workings about meditations in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Medicine. Some of them are well-known, but the most are reserved secretly and known by few people. Further systematic collections and analysis should be done to sum up experience, reveal rules, benefit modern researches and serve the public.