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Qi Cultivation and Dao 炼 气 与 道A Consideration of “Transactional Energetics” forQi Cultivators and Healthcare Providersby Jill Gonet, MFA and Guan-Cheng Sun, PhDWhen Taoist practitioners develop the energeticbody via qigong and/or martial arts practice, inaddition to developing the power of the musclesand tendons, there’s also a development of thereflexes, which may become so quick they’re almostimperceptible. However, this type of rapidreaction can also have drawbacks. In the case ofmartial arts practitioners and qigong practitionerswhose bodies are extremely advanced, theremay be a discrepancy between body and mind ifthe awareness is not advanced enough to keepthe practitioner balanced. For example, excellentreflexes can be led by external stimulations easilyand automatically without the individual’s beingconsciously aware of it at the level of the intellectualmind; this may cause unexpected energy loss,or undesirable energy exchanges, or unexpectedoutcomes. This kind of unconscious dynamic energyexchange might be termed “transactionalenergetics.”When such discrepancies between reflexes andmind, body and mind - in other words, when suchpassive-reactive “transactional energetics”- arepronounced, the awareness will have to work tokeep pace with what happens to the body whenthe body and its energetic development have becomeadvanced.In order to overcome reactions relating to“transactional energetics,” practitioners must godeep into the level of the organs and, thus, of thevirtues. The energetic development of the virtuesof the internal organs takes place as the practitionercomes to regard situations with enhancedclarity. This is a grass roots development, andforms a central focus in many Taoist schools. It’snot that we decide intellectually, ‘oh, I should bemore virtuous because it will make me more holyand that will make me look good.’ It’s more thecase that the energetic development of the organsthemselves makes the new vantage point and/orcourse of action possible. In all cases, the real issueis one of mastery. A reaction, whether in behavioror in emotion, that does not flow from thehigher ground of the virtues and alignment withthe Tao, is not a decision. A decision is an entirelydifferent order of creation, intent, and will,than an emotionally or behaviorally passivereactiveresponse.It is, therefore, very helpful to engage in practicesthat quiet the mind, allowing the catch-and-Transactional Energetics and Passive ReactiveResponses38 Yang-Sheng (Nurturing Life) Volume 3, Issue No. 3