About SunDo
SunDo – Taoist Yoga, is an authentic, indigenous Korean national practice method for developing the body and mind. It began 9,700 years ago with Dao Master Chun-gi, it has been imparted through mouth and heart to Masters Mu-woon, Chung-woon and Chung-san.
Since 1967, given the order by his master, Chung-san returned to the world and spread the SunDo teachings.
The goal of SunDo – Taoist Yoga, is to educate people to become well rounded humans with strong stamina and noble character. It is a profound practice system based on evening the breath, body and heart. The practice method is demonstrative, systematic and lively. Therefore it’s cultivation of energy brings abundant life and peace to the practitioner. It balances the body and mind and preserves mental and physical health. It improves spontaneous healing ability and helps to prevent disease. Longevity and peace of heart can also be gained.
The meaning of SunDo
The way of seeing the universe by showing man how to interact with heaven is called SunDo.
The commonly used word mountain-man sun, which means the relationship between man and mountain, is not used in SunDo. On the contrary, in SunDo we use heaven-man sun, which means the relationship between man and heaven. Thus SunDo is the practice of unifying man and nature (heavens).
The original word for SunDo is Bahk-dol-bup.
“Bahk” is a unique Korean word that stands for sun, brightness and heavens. Korean ancestors admired and feared the great and powerful life giving Bahk. SunDo is the practice method that respects the highly virtuous Bahk, the source of life, by receiving and accepting its power into the heart and body.
“Dol” is a verb that means ‘revolving round and around’ and ‘çoming back’ which involves the yin-yang movement of energy. It is a word that stands for the law of the universe that ‘Everything changes and flows, creates, grows old and disappears, and finally returns to the essence of the universe.’
Bahk-dol-bup (SunDo) refers to the correct way of participating in the revolving law of the universe by training our heart and body to follow nature’s way.
Maxim (Hoon) and SunDojoo
SunDo principles are recited at the beginning of practice.
The principles focus the mind and remind us of the purpose of the practice.
Sundojoo is an audio recording that guides the SunDo practice of haeng-gong (breathing postures).
The recording is Master Chung-san’s voice continually repeating 16 words.
This recording is called the Doh-In-Doh-Song and it’s aim is to focus attention and make the heart and breath even.
Introductory Music
The Song of Guidance to the Truth explains the essential principles of SunDo’s first stage of practice. You hear the Song of Guidance to the Truth when the warm up exercise is completed and just before the haeng-gong (breathing postures) part of the practice. This is the time of quietly calming your heart and body.
Doh-In-Doh-Song: The Song of Guidance to the Truth
Middle Energy operates and maintains all phenomena in the present state of the Universe. Middle Energy is the center principle which Yin and Yang have synthesized. The phrase ‘Truly take the middle’ from Confucianism, ‘Embrace the one and protect the middle’ from SunDo and the ‘Middle Way’ from Buddhism all protect the middle.
Middle Energy is the Earth (center) element. The changes of Yin and Yang, the rise and fall of water and fire, and the circulation of energy and blood are due to uniting the power of Middle Energy. The spleen and stomach are the middle and are the earth elements of the human body. Therefore, the Middle Energy is the important life principle. Yin and Yang in the body maintain life when they are united and die when they are separate, therefore the Middle Energy is the true characteristic of Yin and Yang. Middle Energy is the controlling characteristic of Yin and Yang and the physiological characteristic of existent and nonexistent change.
Vigorous power comes from the lower danjun and goes to the liver to become new blood and energy that invigorates the body. Therefore, Joong-gi danbup’s 50 earth motions (postures) system is made the first in Dao practice.
By synthesizing the divinity of the heavens, the virtuous mechanism of earth, and the energy flow of the five energies, all things can transform. Therefore, the Gun-gon (heaven-earth) energy becomes the supreme source for the transformation of all things.
Jung (essence), Ki (energy) and Shin (spirit) are the three foundations of our life, in other words, they are called the Three Sources of life. Gun is the source of heavens and Gon is the source of earth, and we are the source of humans. The source of humans is stored in the middle of Gun and Gon, thereby in Dao practice, the Gun-Gon danbup is made the second haeng-gong (practice).
With the five operations of heaven and six energy operations on earth, the six energies (water, fire, wood, metal, earth and the triple burner) come into existence. The six energies are the power of water and fire synthesized. This power becomes the human body’s Won-gi (source energy) and warmth. And the heavenly way shows a relationship between the 365 units of orbit around the sun and the 365 bone joints of our body. Because of this relationship we should practice this asceticism (Won-gi danbup) from a universal point of view.