Internal Elixir Meditation - The Nature of Daoist Meditation

Robert Coons in an interesting individual. He is a Canadian who became enamored with Asian culture as a child, and later immersed himself in the traditional ways of China. He has studied areas as diverse as Daoism, internal martial arts, tea culture, poetry, calligraphy, brush painting, and pottery. And he is an expert in Daoist meditation, specifically the methods of cultivating the internal elixir, or life force energy; the topic of this book.

As a fellow traveler on the path of Chinese traditions including martial arts, traditional medicine and qigong practices, I have read several hundred books on the subject including contemporary works and translations of ancient texts. I was hoping to find a book on the topic to publish that would be fresh in its approach and clear in its lessons. I found these attributes in Coons’ manuscript.

What makes Internal Elixir Cultivation: The Nature of Daoist Meditation special is the author’s concise yet detailed approach to the topic. Unlike many works wherein the author seems compelled to shroud the content in enigmatic ideas and esoteric expressions, Coons instead uses direct, clear and simple language to teach the essence of the Daoist meditative method. In short, his work is deep and detailed, drawing on the most treasured ancient texts and teachings, yet at the same time is accessible and practical in its approach.

The work’s editor, Herb Borkland, expressed the uniqueness of Coons’ manuscript the best, when he wrote me the following sentences. “This is the work of an autodidact, and I bless his dedication and strength of mind and how he has digested and so can make legible so many elusive concepts. To use many words to advertise how to shut up is always the trap in meditation manuals. It seems to me he surmounts that paradox through a very Chinese quality of modest but unshakeable expertise.”