This is a translated manual for a rare form of qigong that I learned in Zhengzhuo, Henan, China in 1988. It is an unusual form of combined Buddhist and Daoist Qigong. It is very rare and was passed down in secret for generations within the Gong family. As far as I know, it has never been taught outside China. For more information, see my post from Feb. 2022. This is presented for information purposes only. Qigong should only practiced only under the guidance of a qualified instructor.
Buddhist Nine Palace Palm Learning Materials
Compiled by the Zhengzhou Qigong Association
Author: Gong Zhifeng
1. What is the Buddhist Nine Palaces Palm?
The Nine Palaces Palm originated with Master Baiyun during the Song Dynasty. Drawing on the strengths of both Buddhist and Daoist qigong traditions, he combined their methods into a system of movement and stillness. The practice is based on the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and uses the human body’s structure as a foundation.
Externally it corresponds to the Eight Trigrams; internally it relates to the Middle Palace (center of the body, corresponding to the Earth element). It follows the principles of the twelve meridians to maintain health. Through the palms and the “Nine Palaces” of the hands, energy can be projected outward for therapeutic effect.
2. What are the characteristics of the Nine Palaces Palm?
The Nine Palaces Palm maps the “nine palaces” onto the hand, combining the Five Phases and Twelve Meridians. Its practice demands unity of intention, breath, spirit, the Five Phases, and exertion.
According to the Five Phase cycles:
• Metal gives birth to Water
• Water gives birth to Wood
• Wood gives birth to Fire
• Fire gives birth to Earth
• Earth gives birth to Metal
And in the control cycle:
• Metal controls Wood
• Wood controls Earth
• Earth controls Water
• Water controls Fire
• Fire controls Metal
The Eight Trigrams are:
• Qian,
• Dui
• Li
• Zhen
• Xun
• Kan
• Gen
• Kun.
The Nine Palaces are arranged as:
• 1st Palace (Kan),
• 2nd Palace (Kun)
• 3rd Palace (Zhen)
• 4th Palace (Xun)
• 5th Palace (Center)
• 6th Palace (Qian)
• 7th Palace (Dui)
• 8th Palace (Li)
• 9th Palace (Gen).
Verse for memorization:
• “Wear the Nine around, left three right seven, four shoulders two knees, eight six for feet.”
The Twelve Meridians of the body are then coordinated with this system, beginning with the hand yang meridians (which start from the hands and flow to the head, then to the feet).
Hand Yang Meridians:
• Small Intestine (Hand Taiyang)
• Triple Burner (Hand Shaoyang)
• From chest to hand → connect to the Hand Yang meridians.
Hand Yin Meridians:
• Lung (Hand Taiyin)
• Heart (Hand Shaoyin)
• Pericardium (Hand Jueyin)
• From chest to hand → connect with Hand Yin meridians.
Foot Yang Meridians:
• Stomach (Foot Yangming)
• Gallbladder (Foot Shaoyang)
• Bladder (Foot Taiyang)
• From head to feet → connect to Foot Yang meridians.
Foot Yin Meridians:
• Spleen (Foot Taiyin)
• Kidney (Foot Shaoyin)
• Liver (Foot Jueyin)
• From feet to chest → connect to Foot Yin meridians.
3. Present Situation of the Nine Palaces Palm
Since its creation by Master Baiyun during the Song Dynasty, the Nine Palaces Palm has been a shining jewel in the history of Chinese qigong. Unfortunately, as time passed, the art was nearly lost. Even its definition became obscure, leaving behind only fragments.
My grandmother, of the Mao family, was frail and often ill. Even famous doctors in Central China could not cure her. By chance she encountered a wandering monk who, after receiving gifts from the Mao family, transmitted the “Nine Palaces Palm Method.” He explained that:
“If practiced diligently, this method can prolong life, prevent illness, and provide self-defense. Its palm power is unlimited, but it must never be transmitted to unworthy people (those with improper conduct). This was entrusted to me by the great Bodhisattva.”
Because our family was wealthy and respected at the time, the transmission was preserved.
During chaotic years of war, members of the Mao family were skilled in martial arts and literature, and so used this art to protect the family. It is said that my grandmother once used the Nine Palaces Palm to defend herself against several dozen bandits who could not approach her. From then on, the art was firmly passed down in my family.
By 1961, its healing and protective effects had already reached a very high level: diagnosing illness, relieving disease, sensing messages from afar, and even battlefield applications were all within its scope. But due to harsh political circumstances, my family suffered, and the Nine Palaces Palm was nearly buried in obscurity.
Since the Third Plenary Session [of the Party Congress], especially this year, society has begun to rise again from the mud. The government now pays attention to qigong, the people long for it, and the nation has great hopes. This treasured art cannot be allowed to vanish.
Therefore, I once more summon my strength to bring the Nine Palaces Palm into the light — to benefit the people, spread healing, and give future generations the power of protection.
I also call out: “Among the hidden masters of the Buddhist Nine Palaces Palm — those who are true adepts or immortals — now is the time to step forward.”
Here I can only play a humble role, offering a brick to draw out the jade.
4. How to Learn the Buddhist Nine Palaces Palm
• Maintain the correct attitude:
• Believe that the Nine Palaces Palm can prolong life, prevent illness, and provide self-defense.
• Persevere without slacking, and the skill will naturally be accomplished.
• Memorize the mutual generation and mutual overcoming (cycles) of the Five Elements.
• Be familiar with the Nine Palaces.
• Memorize the fourteen meridian pathways and the principles of treating illness.
5. What is “Qi”?
When speaking of “Qi,” people naturally think of the air we breathe. Air is “Qi”—this is correct, but it does not fully encompass the “Qi” of Qigong. According to measurements by scientists, the “Qi” emitted by Qigong practitioners contains “infrared radiation,” “static electricity,” “particle flow,” and so forth.
Based on the functions of Qigong within the human body, it is believed that the “Qi” of Qigong within the body is a kind of information and its carrier. Moreover, it has been confirmed that this carrier is a kind of material substance.
Therefore, the “Qi” of Qigong is not merely the inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide, but rather a substance with richer and more complex information and energy content.
In Qigong training, this is often called “internal Qi,” or “true Qi,” to distinguish it from ordinary inhaled air. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the body’s “true Qi” is the driving force of the body’s life activities. Thus, the “Qi” referred to in Qigong, the refinement of “Qi,” is precisely the refinement of true Qi.
“True Qi” can be classified into “pre-heaven Qi” and “post-heaven Qi.”
Qi
The “prenatal qi can be divided into essence and original qi.
• Essence: This refers to the minute “essence” present at the very beginning of life. It is the basis for the growth of the fetus, and comes from the parents.
• Original Qi: This refers to the fundamental material and activity capacity that sustains the body, maintains tissues, and supports organ function. Original qi forms during the fetal stage, is stored in the kidneys, and is closely connected with life itself.
The “postnatal qi can also be divided into two types:
• Heavenly qi This is the qi of the air we breathe.
• Earthly qi: This is the qi from grains and food, since all living things grow from the earth. In fact, it includes all nutrients. The substances we eat and drink are digested, absorbed, and transformed into the subtle essence that sustains life.
• Heavenly qi and earthly qi combine to fill the body; only then can human life activity proceed.
• Prenatal qi is the root and the driving force. It must not be lacking.
• Postnatal qi is the material source of life activities. It too must not be lacking.
The relationship between the two:
• Prenatal qi is the motivation of life.
• Postnatal qi is the material support that life depends upon.
All of a person’s life and activity rely on the propulsion of prenatal qi, while depending on the constant nourishment and replenishment of postnatal qi. The two interact, depend on one another, and together form the body’s true qi ( ), which underlies all life activity.
6. What is Gong?
Through training and refining, if the true qi within the body becomes vigorous and flourishes in an orderly way, this is the “gong” of qigong—what is commonly referred to as “kung fu” (gongfu).
Through refining and training, if the true qi ( ) within the human body flourishes vigorously and operates normally, this is the “gong” of qigong—what is commonly referred to as “kung fu.”
The meaning of kung fu is broad. It can refer to:
• the time spent training,
• the quality of the training,
• or the skillfulness of the training methods.
In general, here it refers specifically to the methods of training qi.
The length of time spent in practice reflects the practitioner’s willpower and determination. “Three days of fishing, two days of drying nets” (i.e., inconsistency) cannot bring lasting results. Thus, training in gong “lies in persistence.”
The quality of training is directly tied to the effectiveness of training results. Training in gong is the cultivation of true qi, also called “nourishing true qi.” When true qi is abundant, the body becomes strong.
The refining of true qi must be carried out in three aspects:
• Breathing essence
• Establishing independent spirit
• Strengthening muscles and tendons
(*Based on the Huangdi Neijing, Suwen)
In practice, these three aspects amount to the refining of:
• Intention
• Breath
• Form
7. The Methods of Qigong Practice
The methods of qigong training differ according to schools and traditions. In China, qigong is generally divided into five main schools:
• Daoist
• Buddhist
• Confucian
• Medical
• Martial
Daoist qigong: Training emphasizes “cultivating both body and mind,” also called “dual cultivation of nature and life,” meaning practice balances spiritual and physical aspects.
Buddhist qigong: Methods emphasize “cultivating the mind,” seeking to free the body from external conditions.
Confucian qigong: Focuses mainly on “rectifying the mind” and cultivating qualities such as sincerity and proper intention.
Medical practice methods mainly emphasize healing disease, but also stress strengthening the body and preserving health.
Martial arts practice methods emphasize strengthening the body and developing defensive power, cultivating the ability to strike and protect oneself.
Although each school has its own emphases, in the field of health preservation they all share the effect of prolonging life and benefitting the body. The differences lie in how they integrate health-preserving aspects with their specific goals.
The methods of practice can be summarized in three main types, but they all include: training intention, training breathing, and training form.
Training intention: This means the concentration of the mind. The requirement is that the mind be guided and focused, leading the brain cortex into a special inhibited state. This is called “the guarding of intention.”
Training breathing: This means guided breathing, in which posture and bodily rhythms are regulated.
Training form: This includes moving, standing, sitting, lying, walking, and massage—six categories in total.
Regardless of which method is adopted, as long as one trains under the guidance of a systematic approach, and concentrates on one discipline, one will certainly develop true skill.
8. The Characteristics of the Nine-Cycle Method for Treating Illness
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence of human illness arises from two aspects: internal causes and external causes.
Internal causes: The “seven emotions” (joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, shock). These are emotional responses to the environment. When emotions are overly excited or excessively suppressed, they disturb the balance of the internal organs and cause disease. For example, explosive anger damages the liver, excessive joy harms the heart.
Excessive grief injures the lungs; great sorrow harms the heart; overwhelming fear damages the kidneys; constant worry injures the spleen. Because the heart governs the spirit, all of these are also connected to the heart.
Modern medicine holds that 50–80% of illnesses are caused by people’s emotional strain, such as cancer, lung disease, liver disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, gastric ulcers, and so on.
External causes: these mostly refer to the influences of seasonal climatic changes: wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire — collectively called the “six qi.” When the body is subjected to the adverse influences of the six qi, its physiology is directly disturbed, leading to imbalance of the body’s systems and the onset of disease.
Through external training of the body’s form, breathing, and refinement, qigong achieves the principle of “motion within stillness, stillness within motion.” This allows the cerebral cortex to become tranquil and calm, thereby regulating the nervous system and reaching the purpose of preventing and treating disease.
(All of the above belongs to the theoretical foundation of qigong. The discussion here draws on the writings of the National Qigong Research Advisor Zhang Zhiwu. His work systematized qigong into the Nine-Cycle Method, aligning it with the twelve meridians and the theory of the five phases. This adaptation is the greatest distinguishing feature of the Jiugong Palm practice.)
“Jiugong Palm” Eight Postures
1. Child Worships Buddha (Tongzi Bai Fo)
Breathing:
natural inhalation and exhalation.
Posture:
Stand facing south, feet shoulder-width apart. Loosen the belt, let the body naturally relax. Both hands, palms facing upward, slowly raise diagonally upward. Then from the front, slowly draw the hands back, returning them to the chest.
2. The Whip Sweeps Away the Demons
Posture:
Step left foot across so that the feet are shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly inward. Tongue presses against the upper palate. Hands (except the middle fingers, which point outward) are relaxed with the other fingers naturally curved. Palms face each other. Slowly extend both hands forward from the sides until the middle fingers meet with the palms facing each other.
Visualization:
Imagine drawing in a ball of fire, guiding the fireball with the middle fingers until they come to rest touching the lower dantian. From there it rises up to the heart area where the ball expands and bathes the heart, lungs, and liver with red light From there, lead it through the throat into the upper palate, pass it out through the nostrils to the top of the head (Baihui point), down the back to the coccyx, then to the lower Dantian. Circulate it around in this orbit, then release the tongue.
3. Mother and Child Reunite
Posture :
Left hand (except the thumb) is curved inward. Slowly extend the palm from the Dantian toward the left side until the arm is extended, head turning toward the left. Visualize a yellow sphere being guided outward. Then bring the palm back in, thumb touching the center of the chest.
Right hand (except the little finger) is curved inward. Slowly extend the palm toward the southwest. Visualize a yellow sphere being drawn in from the little finger, brought inward along the arm to the chest, meeting the left thumb in front of the chest.
(Mind focus for 10 minutes)
4. Golden Elixir (Pellet) Enters the Sea
Posture:
The arms separate and circle around to rest with the palms over the kidneys. Visualize a ball of white light descending from above, entering the top of the head at the Baihui point and traveling down the spine. At the waist it divides, travels to, and bathes the kidneys, then continues on to the Dantian. It again separates and the balls travel down the inside of the legs to the center of the sole of the foot (Yongquan). Repeat the visualization.
5. Mighty Eagle Flaps It’s Wings
Posture:
When the white sphere reaches the Yongquan points, the visualization changes: the sphere becomes black. Both arms extend outward horizontally, palms facing upward like an eagle spreading its wings. The black sphere rises up the outer sides of the legs, through the hips, passing the perineum, back to the lower Dantian. Hands also draw inward to the Dantian, forming a sphere-holding shape.
(Mind focus for 10 minutes)
6. Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl
Posture:
Face east. Slowly extend both palms forward horizontally. Visualize a tall blue forest in front of you, full of blue fruits. Two fruits fall from the trees, like a magician conjuring them. Guide the fruits into both palms, moving them upward along the arms to the shoulders, then into the face—eyes, ears, mouth, nose—finally into the Yintang point (between the brows). There, they transform into a radiant, dazzling jewel.
7. Sphere Practice of the Nine Palaces
A. Circulation of the Nine Palaces
B. Reverse Sequence of the Nine Palaces
Bring the left foot back, right foot forward (facing zheng / due east). Step forward with the right foot and place the left foot in a "T"-stance. According to the sequence—Si, Wu, Er, Jiu—practice the arrangement of the nine palaces. Result: 7294.
Turn around to face zhen (due east). Step forward with the right foot, left foot forming a "T"-stance. According to the sequence—San, Min, Yi, Qian—practice the arrangement of the nine palaces. Result: 3816.
8. Delivering the Elixir and Bowing to the Buddha
Posture: (Receiving mode) With hands carrying a five-colored sphere, slowly turn toward the front (due east). Inhale deeply through the nose, and gently send the qi into the dantian. Join both palms together in the “child paying homage to the Buddha” position, and softly exhale.
Poem:
The Nine Palaces of the Buddha’s Gate are not ordinary.
Do not pass this method about carelessly.
Refine the Golden Elixir to enter the Sea of Qi,
And in time, you will surely become a Great Luo Immortal.
Application of the Nine Palaces Palm:
It is transmitted only by oral instruction,
and is not to be put into written form.
Zhengzhou City Nanyang Road Qigong Clinic
Successor of the Buddhist Nine Palaces Palm – Gong Zhifeng
