When we think "technology" we often visualise a part human, part machine super-man implanted with super-power like abilities. Or we think of the titanic skyscrapers flexing their shiny muscles in affirmation of humanity's technological superiority.
But Technology is also something as mundane as the pencil you hold in your hand, the sheet of paper that one uses to design and give shape and form to the ideas we hold.
Animals make use of tools to better their lives too. Crows have been observed shaping leaves from trees into different shapes according to the crevice that they are trying to extract a grub from to eat. Different birds have different sized and shaped beaks according to the specific needs of their life activities to be used as effectively as possible - a kind of 'built in'
Technology, one could say if the meaning is extended to encompass the forms that lifeforms naturally manifest to match the pressures of the environment and meet the pressing needs of living.
Technology is not just something that we make or something that is naturally fashioned as a built-in feature. It is also the application of certain principles as observed in nature in order to improve our lives.
An example of this type of technology are Daoist methods for self-cultivation such as Qigong, Tai chi and Internal Alchemy. They are elegantly designed based on fundamental principles of nature (such as Yin-Yang law) taking into account the form and functions of the body in order to help the individual to reach and nurture their maximal potential. The individual can learn to manipulate and refine the movements and 'Qi activities' in one's body. Harnessing the power of Qi is harnessing the movements powering one's life. Mastering one's life is Mastering yourself.
This type of Technology cannot be seen or touched. It is like a secret toolbox that one carries with them at all times ready to use when needed. It cannot be stolen from you because the methods are not the technology themselves, but rather the combined wisdom behind them and how to do them effectively to unlock the required effects and results. Once you harness their power you become a walking manifestation of the personal results gained from practice. This is invisible technology. It utilises and nurtures what is already inside of you and uses what is already around you. It helps you to get rid of things you don't need and attract more of what you need!
This is the secret and power of Daoist Exercises. This is Daoist Technology.
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