One Hundred Days of Darkness and Light

One Hundred Days of Darkness and Light is the first section in Robert Peng's book, The Master Key

After this realization, my experience of the dark chamber changed in a very surreal way. The room became a three-dimensional stage on which vivid visions manifested constantly, one after another. Multi- colored, otherworldly, swirling skies displaced the solid, dark ceiling.

The stone walls crumbled and I found myself in a lush evergreen forest carpeted with ferns and wildflowers. Then that scene would vanish and another one would appear. Next I’d be in a stunning golden meadow by a gurgling stream, gazing up at geometric pat- terns parading across the sky like neon-colored falling stars. These visions filled me with gleeful joy, and soon I completely forgot about the world above ground, the one dressed up in duller colors and coarser textures.

At about the same time these visions began, Xiao Yao announced, “Jihui, twenty days have passed. You have completed the first stage of the practice. From this point onward you won’t be eating any more dates, but you may continue to drink as much water as you want.”

A few days later he informed me, “Today I am going to empower your Central Meridian.

” I sat down on the yellow meditation cushion, and Xiao Yao stood behind me. The incense stick cast its orange glow over both of us. As my master touched the top of my head, I closed my eyes. Almost instantly I felt a very powerful current of energy shoot into the core of my brain and continue right through the central axis of my body, all the way down to the base of my pelvis. I shook as though the ground under me were quaking.

“Focus on your Lower Dantian,” Xiao Yao instructed.

The force intensified, and the current of energy expanded like a powerful, gushing waterfall of light roaring right through me.

“Breathe deeply,” he said.

Xiao Yao placed a finger on the midpoint between my eyebrows and put his other palm on my back directly behind my navel. He shot another bolt of Qi into my spine. That current flowed upward to my neck and then a warm, tingling feeling spread throughout my face. My nose, lips, tongue, ears, and eyes were electrified. Dazzling light filled my head, radiated back down toward my spine, and then cascaded down each vertebra to my kidneys, which became two luminous little suns.

Xiao Yao empowered me again. This time his energy flowed in deeper. It penetrated my bone marrow and filled every bone in my body with extraordinary bliss. As I inhaled, a groundswell of indescribable love washed over me. As I exhaled, I was swept far, far away by euphoric ecstasy.

“Keep meditating,” Xiao Yao whispered.

That was all I could do. That was all I wanted to do. My entire being was consumed by the experience, which was drawing me further in. A fireball shot up from the base of my spine to the top of my head and beyond. Brilliant light flooded my whole being. The luminosity was blinding. It was as though the sun had risen inside the dark chamber.

A blue light began to vibrate at the top of my head. It settled into my Upper Dantian, the area at the center of my head. The light expanded and spread indescribable joy as I “sipped” a little oxygen. Breathing became intoxicating and the pace of my breath slowed down to a trickle.

The blue light flowed down into my Middle Dantian, the area at the center of my chest. My heart opened up like a delicate, million- petaled flower. I would have screamed, but I was hardly breathing. My only escape from the overwhelming bliss was to slow down my breathing even more. But even so, the wave of ecstasy continued to carry me further and further in, and I completely melted into the sea of light.

The next time I saw Xiao Yao, he said, “Jihui, two days have passed since the empowerment. You have been sitting motionless and in deep meditation that whole time.”

The experience had felt timeless, and it took a while for my sense of self to return. When it did, I observed that I had undergone yet another transformation. My psychic sensitivity had greatly expanded, and I could “feel” the presence of all the Qigong masters who had meditated in the dark chamber before me. I could perceive their thoughts and feelings imprinted in the stones. The walls began to speak to me. They imparted the collective wisdom of the masters. I listened and learned from them. They looked over me as I practiced. They became my teachers.

At this stage I left my body and journeyed beyond the dark chamber virtually every time I sat down to meditate. I soared high above the monastery like an eagle, and from there I flew wherever the whimsical winds carried me.

Once they led me down the Xiang River, and I visited my hometown. I flew over Yi Suo and the boiler room, my apartment building, my high school, and the stadium where I ran hurdle races.

To be continued in the next issue of Catalyst...

Click on the following to read:   Installment #1    lnstallment #2    lnstallment #3    lnstallment #4    lnstallment #5    lnstallment #6     lnstallment #7    lnstallment #8    lnstallment #9    lnstallment #10    lnstallment #11

Robert Peng is a world-renowned Qigong Master, healer, and author of the book, The Master Key: Qigong Secrets for Vitality, Love, and Wisdom.

Click here for a free access of the audiobook, 100 Days of Darkness and Light, which is the first section in Robert's book, The Master Key.

Robert's companion resources include:

The Master Key Video Series (4 DVDs of Qigong practices)
The Master Key Audio Series (5 CDs of Qigong practices)
Qigong Ecstasy (45-minute Qigong practice video)
AM/PM Qigong (Two 30-minute Qigong routines video)

Robert was born and raised in Hunan, China. At age eight, he began an intensive apprenticeship under the close guidance of the legendary monk Xiao Yao, an enlightened master known for his profound healing ability and martial arts skill. At age 15, Robert performed a 100-day water fast in a small dark room at a secluded monastery in the remote mountains of Hunan province. He underwent a radical spiritual transformation and awakened amazing healing powers. Master Xiao Yao encouraged Robert to develop his healing skills by studying with other Chinese masters.

After pursuing his training quietly while attending university in Changsha, where he majored in English Literature, at 29 years old he began to teach publicly, and within five years had trained over 150,000 students all over China, Australia, and the U.S. 

With his deep understanding and practice of Qigong, and with extensive life and teaching experience in the western world, Robert has developed a unique way to teach Qigong that people from different cultures can easily understand and follow while enjoying the real essence of this ancient Chinese healing art of wisdom, love, and vitality. 

Robert has been a regular presenter at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, The Esalen Institute, Integrative Health Symposium, and many other organizations and schools. 

Together with Bishop Desmond and Pema Chodron, he was honored as one of "Top Ten Heroes of 2013" for his contribution to transform "the ancient Chinese healing art of Qigong into today's fast-growing holistic practices — in addition to use as a spiritual practice for inner balance and peace, Qigong movement is gaining acceptance as a gentle movement for chronic illness and pain."

Click here to visit Robert’s website.
Click here to watch and participate in Robert’s 8-minute Qigong practice, Scooping Universal Qi to Empower our Wisdom, Love & Vitality.