Bagua palm

Bagua

The palm has a special status in our body, shaped ultimately by the nine efforts associated with the lo shu scheme (The Great Ordering scheme, Luo Shu, 洛书). The palm establishes a special type of connection and brings about internal transformation.

The palm has an individual pattern for each person and a universal pattern associated with the Heavens. This latter, celestial pattern of the hand is shaped by the nine letters, or efforts, associated with the energetic activity of the palm. These forces are activated by the bones of the wrist and the centre of the palm connecting the bones of the wrist and fingers. Thus, the palm is the seat of the Nine Palaces that regulate the circulation of the energy in the hand.

The palm is studied from the perspective of the laws of motion and rest. If we fix the wrist, we can manifest the unique celestial essence of the palm. This possibility is realised in the bagua-zhang system with the help of the Eight efforts of the palm. These are: flexion; turning; turning over; pressure; tension; reflexiveness; stretching; and twisting.

The palm plays an important role in our nature, as it determines various manifestations of the laws of internal form, based on the principles of macrocosmic construction. These efforts form the power of jing, which is assimilated through the palm itself. Such a palm is associated with the concept of ‘tiger power’. The palm that has tiger power is regarded as having a cinnabar field (the field that binds the generative force) capable of producing the ingredients of jing (related to the formation of inner strength) as well as absorbing them through the very same generated efforts. All this is based on one’s ability or inability to support and develop the marrow through the palm (the Nine Palaces).

The palm does not only determine the order of the hands, but also the order of the whole body. This knowledge of our anatomy underpins the concepts of Daoist medicine. Our task here is to develop three efforts:

• Intensity (Li)
• Tension (Shen)
• Focus (Tou)

The palm itself is represented by the elixir of the wrist (zhang dan). Thus, the palm is the great transformer, the “source of change.” Moreover, through its position and change, it also sets the internal movement, which can reach all the extremities of the body (hands, feet, crown). That is, the palm is related to the nature of internal transformation, therefore it is associated with various efforts linked to the nature of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

There are eight basic patterns of the palm in Bagua Zhan, each corresponding to one of the trigrams:

1. Kun Palm. Palms pressing down (Xia Chen Zhang).
2. Qian Palm. Palms supporting the sky (Tiao Tian Zhang).
3. Kan Palm. Palms holding a ball (Bao Qiu Zhang).
4. Li Palm. Palms holding the moon (Bao Yue Zhang).
5. Sun Palm. Palms supporting a spear (Tiao Qiang Zhang).
6. Zhen Palm. Yin-Yang fish palms (Yin Yang Yue Zhang).
7. Gen Palm. Palms pointing to the Sky and fixing the Earth (Zhi Tian Hua Di Zhang).
8. Dui Palm. Palm pushing millstones (Tui Mo Zhang).

Each of the eight primary trigrams corresponds to specific areas of the hand, known as the Palaces. The effort of the palm shapes the changes manifested in the three main lines of Heaven, Man and Earth. Moreover, the palm itself is also divided according to the principle of trigrams:

• The outer side of the palm – trigram Qian
• The inner side of the palm – trigram Kun
• The wrist – trigram Zhen
• The thumb – prenatal, trigram Kan
• The index finger – postnatal, trigram Li
• The middle finger – axis, trigram Gen
• The ring finger – variability, trigram Sun
• The little finger – edge of the palm, trigram Dui

Thus, the hand plays an important role in Daoist mysticism and reflects the nature of spirituality, or thought, and thus becomes the body of thought (like tulpa in Buddhism and Hinduism) with its own intention and focus. As soon as certain abilities are achieved in the hand, one can speak of the creation of consciousness in the hand, or radiance in the hand.

This consciousness has eight luminosities and is associated with Ursa Major, the star constellation associated with the lo shu diagram on the tortoise shell. The rotation of the Big Dipper around the North Star reflects the pictogram drawn on the turtle shell. Looking at the celestial sphere at rest, we get a static Ursa Major and a static fu xi chart; in motion, we get the activity of the nine stars of Ursa Major:

1. Star of Heavenly support (Tian Shu Xing, 天枢星). Alpha star in the constellation Ursa Major. Trigram Kan.
2. Star of the Big Gate (Tian Xuan Xing, 天璇星). Beta in Ursa Major. Trigram Kun.
3. Star of the Preservation of the existing (Tian Lu Xing, 天禄星). Phecda in Ursa Major. Trigram Zhen.
4. Star of Heavenly balance (Tian Quan Xing, 文曲星). Delta in Ursa Major. Trigram Xun.
5. Star of the Jade axis (Yü heng Xing, 玉衡星). Epsilon in Ursa Major. Monad Yin-Yang.
6. Star of the Rhythm of Light (Kai Yang Xing, 武曲星). Zeta in Ursa Major. Trigram Qian.
7. Shining star (Yao Guang Xing, 摇光星). This is the Big Dipper. Trigram Dui.
8. Star of the Penetrating Rays (Dong Ming Xing). Star Alcor (the second in the double star Mizar). Trigram Gen.
9. Star of the Dim Light (Yin Guang Xing). Star Lalande 21185. Trigram Li.

The palm represents the Amulet of Heaven. In Daoism, the palm is a vessel through which Heaven transfers its power to man. This corresponds to the teachings of the school of Heavenly Masters (Tianshi Dao). According to the Daoists, palms have two parts, earthly and heavenly, which are linked in the palm. Due to this, the palm is used in the practice of internal alchemy. Daoist masters used to say that “just as all people must obey the Emperor, so the body must obey the palms.” The palm carries the “inner light” both inside the body and into the created objects. The palm is endowed with special power that can reproduce the cinnabar. However, unless the palm has power, it cannot be considered true.

The empowered palm can materialise Amulets in space through its movement or by moving a sword. Such a palm is also capable of invoking spirits, which makes it a “magic palm” – this is how the position of the palms acquired a ritual meaning.

Initially, the efforts of the palm simply served to get in touch with the supernatural forces, therefore there were no fixed forms. In time, the palms became instruments of magical techniques. Actually, fixing the forms of the palm was made possible by the Steps of Yu technique. By preserving the effort, the palms turn into the “palms of the Big Dipper” and represent the highest order of internal alchemy.

Jie Kong (Oleg Cherne)