Huanjing Bunao

' ( zh, s=还精补脑, t=還精補腦, l=returning the semen/essence to replenish the brain, first=t or coitus reservatus) is a Daoist sexual practice and ("nourishing life") method aimed at maintaining arousal for an extended plateau phase while avoiding orgasm. According to this practice, retaining unejaculated supposedly allows it to rise through the spine to nourish the brain and enhance overall well-being. Daoist adepts have been exploring various methods to avoid ejaculation for more than two thousand years. These range from meditative approaches involving breath-control or visualization to manual techniques such as pressing the perineum or squeezing the urethra.

In traditional Chinese medical theory, the organ system was considered the reservoir for semen, bone marrow, brain matter, and other bodily fluids. However, in actual fact, ''huanjing bunao'' often leads to retrograde ejaculation, which redirects the semen into the bladder, from where it is expelled along with urine. Anatomically speaking, circulating seminal fluid or "seminal essence" throughout the body is impossible. While this ancient Chinese practice has historical and sexological significance, its physiological effects do not align with the traditional beliefs surrounding it.

On the other hand, in some more in-depth interpretations of Taoism, the idea that "the seed would travel up the spine" is to be understood allegorically. Sexual energy is transformed into a more subtle circulating form (from jing to chi). Chi, or vital energy, is then increased through abstinence or coitus reservatus. In Taoist sexuality or sexology manuals, this process is regularly described as follows: jing (the seed, raw and dense) is transformed into chi (vital energy, subtle and circulating).

Terminology

The present Chinese term comprises two disyllabic words.

compounds two semantically complex words. has English translation equivalents of: (1) "turn round, come round; go back, come back, return to previous location or to original condition; (re)cycle, revert", (2) "send back, send in return; answer. give back, remit; redeem; recompense; restore. rebound against one, come round again (whence it began)." ) translates as: (1) "essence; purest, most highly concentrated element (< finest bleached rice). pith, marrow, gist", (2) "germinal essence, life-germ contained in the Dao. the energy that nourishes the human body and is esp. attached to sexuality (semen, menstrual fluid); seminal; vital; seed(ling)", (3) "quintessence; purest, finest, most characteristic, very best of. concentrate(d), condensed, consolidated. subtle; delicate, fine." Although means "semen" in the expression , "it would be a great mistake to read as always referring only to the material secretion itself". The "making the semen return upwards to nourish the brain" technique was another instance of the Daoist emphasis on "reversion, restoration, regeneration, counter-current motion. and cyclical transformation".

compounds two comparatively simpler words. has equivalents of: (1) "mend or patch clothing", (2) "repair, restore; remedy, redress; improve, ameliorate", (3) "add to, supplement; supplete, supply (a deficiency); replenish." translates into English as: "the brain. one's head, noggin: also, top part."

There is no standard English translation of Chinese ''huanjing bunao'', and here are twenty samples:
*"making the return to restore the brain"
*"making the semen return to strengthen the brain"
*"reverting the sperm to repair the brain"
*"making the essence return (so as) to repair the brain"
*"making the semen return upwards to nourish the brain"
*"returning the seminal essence and replenishing the brain"
*"making the seminal essence return to nourish the brain"
*"returning the to nourish the brain"
*"to return of the essence to repair the brain"
*"return essence to the brain to fortify it"
*"returning the essence to replenish the brain"
*"conducting the seminal essence to repair the brain"
*"return of the sperm in order to repair the brain"
*"returning the essence to replenish the brain"
*"returning the semen to supplement the brain"
*"returning the sperm to nourish the brain"
*"reverting the essence to replenish the brain"
*"to revert the essence and to replenish the brain (marrow)"
*"return the essence to nourish the brain"
*"returning the semen to the brain"
is usually translated as "return", except for three "revert" and one "conduct". is rendered as seven "essence", four "semen", three "seminal essence" and one " emen'sessence", three "sperm", and two "''ching''"—in Chinese usage, both and mean "semen; sperm". is given as five each for "repair", "replenish", and "nourish"; and one each for "strengthen", "fortify", "supplement", "restore", and untranslated. consistently has nineteen "brain" translations and one "brain (marrow)". Overall, there is notable diversity among these translations of the phrase, only two are identical "returning the essence to replenish the brain"; and some translators revised their earlier versions.

Scholars have discussed the Chinese sexual practice and related Western techniques in Latin biological terms based on coitus (meaning "sexual intercourse").
* (from interruptus "interrupted, cut short"), commonly known as the "withdrawal method" or "pulling out," is an ancient contraceptive method consisting in removing the penis from the vagina before ejaculation.
* ( saxonicus "Saxon, West Germanic tribes") or ( thesauratus "repository, treasure") is a widespread birth-control method consisting of squeezing the urethra at the base of the penis before ejaculation, resulting in retrograde ejaculation.
* (with reservatus "reserved, saved") or ( conservatus "preserved, conserved") Is a practice aimed at delaying or preventing orgasm or ejaculation. This can be achieved by stopping intercourse before reaching orgasm. Alternatively, it can be done by contracting the perineum or applying pressure to it with the fingers (the latter method not being recommended for health reasons), which can cause a retrograde ejaculation.
The sinologist Joseph Needham refined his translations of . Initially, he held that the technique was not as van Gulik "inadvertently" said, but ", numerous intromissions with a succession of partners occurring for every one ejaculation." Subsequently, Needham reconsidered the problems of nomenclature. should neither be translated because that term is reserved for "the contraceptive method of sudden withdrawal and external ejaculation," nor because that usually means "allowing the state of excitation to fade without a withdrawal". He suggested two neologisms for accurately translating the Chinese methods; for "seminal retention and withdrawal after female orgasm" and for the retrograde ejaculation "'re-routing' of the secretion into the bladder". Authors inconsistently use these terms for both ''coitus siccus'' "copulation without ejaculation" and ''coitus pluvius'' "copulation followed by ejaculation".

Note that in quotations below, the romanization of Chinese is standardized into Pinyin, for instance, Wade-Giles , Simplified Wade (used by Needham), and other transcription systems are converted to .

Han dynasty

The archeological discovery and analysis of medical manuscripts in the 1970s revealed that the origins of Chinese sexual cultivation techniques dated back to at least the Warring States period (c. 475–221 BCE), rather than the early Han dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE), as previously believed.

Mawangdui excavated texts

Seven previously unknown medical and sexological manuscripts, along with the famous Mawangdui Silk Texts, were excavated in 1973 from a Western Han tomb dated 168 BCE (see Harper 1998 for details). Five were written on silk, such as the (Recipes for Fifty-Two Ailments), and the other two manuscripts written on bamboo and wooden slips each transcribed two different texts bound separately and rolled together in a single bundle. Although none of them directly refer to the techniques, three sexual cultivation bamboo-slip manuscripts mention aspects later associated with essence retention, accumulating and enclosing within the body, stimulating the penis, contracting the anus, and controlled stages of intercourse with ejaculation, all of which were believed to increase longevity and spiritual enlightenment. In the Mawangdui medical manuscripts, Chinese "essence" consistently names an internal material similar in nature to "vapor", and is not equivalent to "semen". In fact, no word for "semen" occurs although it is implicit in several passages.

First, the manuscript consists of ten dialogues between legendary sages including the Yellow Emperor, Yao, and Shun. One passage exemplifies Chinese euphemisms referring to sexual terminology.

When coitus with Yin is expected to be frequent, follow it with flying creatures. The spring dickeybird’s round egg arouses that crowing cock . The crowing cock has an essence. If you are truly able to ingest this, the jade whip is reborn. Best is engaging the member. Block that jade hole . When brimming then have intercourse, and bid farewell with round eggs. If the member is not engaged, conserve it with roasted-wheat meal. If truly able to ingest this, you can raise the dead .

Both the and the below describe accumulating and enclosing ("semen; life essence") in an enigmatic corporal space called the , where occurs. Harper notes is a standard term for "concentrating vapor and essence inside the body by 'enclosing' them". is a related word used in embryonic breathing.

and take the essence. Attend to that conjoining of vapor , and lightly move her form. When able to move her form and bring forth the five tones , then absorb her essence. Those who are empty can be made brimming full; the vigorous can be made to flourish lastingly; the aged can be made to live long. The procedure for living long is to carefully employ the jade closure. When at the right times the jade closure enfolds, spirit illumination arrives and accumulates. Accumulating, it invariably manifests radiance. When the jade closure firms the essence, this invariably ensures that the jade wellspring is not upset. Then the hundred ailments do not occur; thus you can live long.

The subsequent passage lists nine stages of without ejaculation.

In the way of coitus with Yin ntercourse stay the heart, settle and secure it; and the form and vapor secure one another. Thus it is said: at the first arrival without emission, ears and eyes are perceptive and bright; at the second arrival without emission, the voice’s vapor rises high; at the third arrival without emission, skin and hide glow; at the fourth arrival without emission, spine and upper side suffer no injury; at the fifth arrival without emission, buttock and ham can be squared; at the sixth arrival without emission, the hundred vessels pass clear through; at the seventh arrival without emission, your entire life is without calamity; at the eighth arrival without emission, you can have a lengthy longevity; at the ninth arrival without emission, you penetrate spirit illumination.

Some Mawangdui manuscript paleographers suggest that the contains the earliest documentation of ("returning the essence to replenish the brain"), depending upon whether the unusual character should be read as a copyist's error for or a graphic loan character for . The context describes an ancient method for "coitus with Yin to become strong" and "sucking in heaven's essence to achieve longevity." King Pan Geng is told,

Your lordship must prize that which is born together with the body and yet grows old ahead of the body . The weak, it makes them strong; the short, it makes them tall; the poor, it guarantees them abundant provisions. The regimen involves both emptying and filling, and there is a precise procedure for cultivating it. First, relax the limbs, straighten the spine, and flex the buttocks; second, spread the thighs, move the Yin enis and contract the anus; third, draw the eyelashes together, do not listen, and suck in the vapor to fill the womb ; fourth, contain the five tastes and drink that wellspring blossom an internally produced fluid; fifth, the mass of essence all ascends, suck in the great illumination. After reaching the fifth, stop. Essence and spirit grow daily more blissful.”

Wile translates as "brain", "stimulate the penis ... contract the anus ... absorb the to fill the brain ... all the will rise upward". However, based upon similar textual usages, Harper translates it as "womb", hypothetically meaning "a 'womb-like organ' where men as well as women store vapor and essence", and disputes the "brain" interpretation because "filling the womb" occurs in the third of five stages, whereas "replenishing the brain" is regularly the final stage in sexual cultivation.

Second, the manuscript begins with a jargonized method for doing it,

Grip the hands , and emerge at the Yang side of the wrists; Stroke the elbow chambers; Press the side of the underarms; Ascend the stove trivet ; Press the neck zone; Stroke the receiving canister ; Cover the encircling ring ; Descend the broken basin ; Cross the sweet-liquor ford ; Skim the Spurting Sea ; Ascend Constancy Mountain ; Enter the dark gate ; Ride the coital muscle ; Suck the essence and spirit upward. Then you can have lasting vision and exist in unison with heaven and earth.

Compare the parallel above saying the "mass of essence all ascends". In contrast with this "essence and spirit" translation for , Wile translates "By sucking her spirit upward" and notes " spirit" should be understood as "essentially sexual energy." This context continues with the "signs of the five desires" (e.g., the second is "the nipples harden and her nose sweats—slowly embrace") and says,

When the signs are complete, ascend. Jab upward but do not penetrate inside, thereby bringing the vapor . When the vapor arrives penetrate deeply inside and thrust it upward, thereby dispensing the heat. Then once again bring it back down. Do not let the vapor spill out, lest the woman become greatly parched.

In the last sentence, Harper reads the manuscriptal as a graphic loan character for meaning that when intercourse is excessive, "the penis must still block the vaginal opening in order to seal the sexually generated essence inside".

A subsequent passage differentiates essences by gender.

In the evening the man’s essence flourishes; in the morning the woman’s essence accumulates. By nurturing the woman’s essence with my essence, muscles and vessels both move; skin, vapor, and blood are all activated. Thus, you are able to open blockage and penetrate obstruction. The central cavity receives the transmission and is filled.

Third, the bamboo document says that enclosing ("essence") can result in achieving .

O be careful indeed! The matter of spirit illumination lies in what is enclosed . Vigilantly control the jade closure , and spirit illumination will arrive. As a rule, to cultivate the body the task lies in accumulating essence. When essence reaches fullness, it invariably is lost; when essence is deficient, it must be replenished. As for the time to replenish a loss, do it when essence is deficient. To do it, conjoin in a sitting position; tailbone, buttocks, nose, and mouth each participate at the proper time .

Compare Wile's above translation of , "The matter of achieving spiritual illumination consists of locking. If one carefully holds the "jade" in check, spiritual illumination will he achieved."

Another context, described as the "free-handed method", refers to anal constriction during sexual coitus, but does not specify pressing on the

While having intercourse, to relax the spine, suck in the anus, and press it down is “gathering vapor.” While having intercourse, to not hurry and not be hasty, and to exit and enter with harmonious control is “harmonizing the fluid.” When getting out of bed, to have the other person make it erect and let it subside when angered is “accumulating vapor.” When nearly finished, to not let the inner spine move, to suck in the vapor press it down, and to still the body while waiting for it is “awaiting fullness.” To wash it after finishing and let go of it after becoming angered is “securing against upset.”

Washing the penis is intended to bring about detumescence.

Received texts

Prior to the Mawangdui discoveries, scholars relied on received texts of Chinese classics to understand the origins of . For instance, the bibliographical section of the 111 CE ''Book of Han'' lists the in 26 chapters, along with several other lost texts on sexual cultivation.

The earliest known attestation of is the c. 2nd century CE commentary (to 9) that condemns the practice. At this early stage of practice, note the use of denoting "contemplate, meditate" on essence rather than semen.

The Dao teaches people to congeal their essences and form spirits . Today, there are in the world false practitioners who craftily proclaim the Dao, teaching by means of texts attributed to the Yellow Thearch, the Dark Maiden, Gongzi, and Rongcheng. They say that during intercourse with a woman one should not release the semen, but through meditation return its essence to the brain to fortify it . Since their spirits and their hearts are not unified, they lose that which they seek to preserve. Though they control their delight, they may not treasure it for long.

Based upon a misquotation in the transmitted 5th century ''Book of the Later Han'', several authorities have contended that was first recorded in the 2nd century CE ("Biographies of Exemplary Transcendents") hagiography of Rong Chenggong (), one of the semi-legendary founding fathers of Chinese sexology: "One should firmly hold with the hand, not ejaculate, and let the essence revert to replenish the brain."

The ''Book of the Later Han'' biography of Ling Shouguang () says he was an expert on the sexual techniques of Rong Cheng, and the commentary quotes the .

The Venerable Rong Cheng was good at the affairs of 'restoring' and 'conducting' . He could gather the from the 'Mysterious Feminine'. The essential point of this art is to guard the life-force and to nourish the [] by (relying on) the 'Valley Spirit that never dies' . When this is done white hairs become black again, and teeth that have dropped out are replaced by new ones. The art of commerce with women is to close the hands tightly and to refrain from ejaculation, causing the sperm to return and nourish the brain.

Although Needham and Lu claim the last sentence was "expurgated" from the original , the reference belongs to the commentary and not the original text.

The Quanzhen School hagiographer Zhao Daoyi (, fl. 1294–1307), compiler of the , notes he chose to omit the tradition that "Some say that Sire Rong Cheng obtained the art of 'riding the woman,' by which one firmly grasps in order not to leak out the semen cause it to return and so nourish the brain" because it probably resulted as "an erroneous divergence by later generations."

The reconstructed 2nd or 3rd century defines as "to be aroused but not ejaculate", describes a man gathering and transforming the from a woman's mouth and returning it into his brain, and details the pleasures of refraining from ejaculation.

First, the Yellow Emperor asks Sunu about the results of refraining from intercourse for a long time, and she answers.

If the "jade stalk" does not stir, it dies in its lair. So you must engage frequently in intercourse as a way of exercising the body . To be aroused but not ejaculate is what is called "returning the ." When the is returned to benefit the body , then the tao of life has been realized.

Needham mistranslates as "masturbation", despite correctly translating it more than ten times elsewhere in the book as "gymnastic techniques" and "massage".

Therefore (if you insist on refraining from women) you should regularly exercise it (the Jade Stalk) by masturbation. If you can erect it (in orgasm) and yet have no ejaculation, that is called 'making the return', and making the return is of great restorative benefit, fully displaying the Tao of the life(-force).

Second, the legendary ruler asks Sunu about how to regain strength when he cannot get an erection, and she recommends first harmonizing with his partner, then gathering her , transforming it into , and returning it to the brain.

The woman manifests "five colors" by which to assess her satisfaction. Gather her overflowing and take the liquid from her mouth. The will be returned and transformed in your own body , filling the brain .

The translator notes that denotes the "process of raising the energy from its center at the base of the body up the back to the brain", and reads the character following as a variant of , that is, "return the to fortify the brain".

Third, the goddess Cainü () asks Peng Zu, "The pleasure of intercourse lies in ejaculation. Now if a man locks himself and refrains from emission, where is the pleasure?", and he answers:

When is emitted the whole body feels weary. One suffers buzzing in the ears and drowsiness in the eyes; the throat is parched and the joints heavy. Although there is brief pleasure, in the end there is discomfort. If, however, one engages in sex without emission, then the strength of our will be more than sufficient and our bodies at ease. One's hearing will he acute and vision clear. Although exercising self-control and calming the passion, love actually increases, and one remains unsatiated. How can this be considered unpleasurable?

Six dynasties

The historical term "Six Dynasties" (222-589) collectively refers to the Three Kingdoms (220–280 CE), Jin Dynasty (265–420), and Southern and Northern Dynasties (420–589).

Ge Hong's c. 318 (Master Who Embraces Simplicity) provides early information about "returning the essence to replenish the brain" and related terms. occurs in two chapters. "The Ultimate System" lists it among common practices to nourish life.

Man's death ensues from losses, old age, illnesses, poisons, miasmas, and chills. Today, men do calisthenics and breathing exercises, revert their sperm to repair the brain, follow dietary rules, regulate their activity and rest, take medicines, give thought to their inner gods to maintain their own integrity, undergo prohibitions, wear amulets and seals from their belts, and keep at a distance all who might harm their lives.

The "Resolving Hesitations" chapter praises the secret practice, which had always been orally transmitted.

On the technology of sex at least ten authors have written, some explaining how it can replenish and restore injuries and losses, others telling how to cure many diseases by its aid, others again describing the gathering of the Yin force to benefit the Yang, others showing how it can increase one's years and protract one's longevity. But the great essential here is making the semen return to nourish the brain , a method which the adepts have handed down from mouth to mouth, never committing it to writing. If a man does not understand this art he may take the most famous (macrobiotic) medicines, but he will never attain longevity or immortality. Besides, the union of Yin and Yang in sexual life should not be wholly given up, for if a man does not have intercourse he will contract the diseases of obstruction and blockage by his slothful sitting, and end by those which arise from celibate depression and pent-up resentment—what good will that do for his longevity? On the other hand, over-indulgence diminishes the lifespan, and it is only by managing copulations so that the seminal dispersals are moderated, that damage can be avoided. Without the (right) oral instructions hardly a man in ten thousand will fail to injure and destroy himself in practising this art. The disciples of the Mysterious Girl and the Immaculate Girl, with the Venerable , and , all had a rough acquaintance with it, but in the end they never committed to paper the most important part of it. Those bent upon immortality, however, assiduously seek this out. As for myself, I had instruction from my teacher , and I record it here for the benefit of future believers in the Tao, not retailing my own ideas. At the same time I must truthfully say that I feel I have not yet mastered everything that could be got from his instruction. (Lastly), some Taoists with a smattering of knowledge teach and follow the sexual techniques in order to pattern themselves on the holy immortals, without doing anything about the preparation of the great medicine of the Golden Elixir. Oh what a height of folly is this!

The mentions with in the Rejoinder to Popular Conceptions chapter, which quotes a poem from a :

Those who take hemicalelixirs / And guard the primal unity / Will come to a stop from living / No sooner than Heaven itself; / Making the sperm return, / Breathing like babe in womb, / They will lengthen their days in peace / And blessing, world without end.

Compare "Revert your sperm, breathe like fetus".

The Genie's Pharmacopoeia chapter lists brain-supplementing sophora seeds among Daoist transcendence drugs. "Seal with clay in a new jar for twenty days or more, until the skin has fallen off Then wash the seeds, and they will be like soybeans. Taken daily, they will be especially good for repairing the brain. If one takes them for a long time, one's hair will not turn white, and one will enjoy Fullness of Life."

Besides the usual word ("sperm"), the synonymously uses in two contexts of .

It is inadmissible that man should sit and bring illness and anxieties upon himself by not engaging in sexual intercourse. But then again, if he wishes to indulge his lusts and cannot moderate his dispersals, he hacks away at his very life. Those knowing how to operate the sexual recipes can check ejaculation, thereby repairing the brain ; revert their sperm to the Vermilion Intestine .

If a man in the vigor of youth learns how to revert his years , repairs his brain with his sperm , and gathers mucus from his nose, he will live not less than three hundred years without taking any medicines, but this will not bring him geniehood .

The 2nd or 3rd century is "filled with cryptic expressions and divine names" designed to exclude uninformed readers, and is addressed to learned Daoists already familiar with techniques. For illustration,

The Mysterious Chest of the Breath Tube is the receptacle which receives the Essence; Take care to hold onto your Essence firmly and restrain yourself. Please yourself by exhaling and inhaling in the Hut ; if you protect and keep (Essence and Breath) complete and firm, your body will receive prosperity; the interior of the Square Inch innabar Field close it carefully and store up (its contents): when the Essence and the Spirit come back and turn around, the old man comes back to the prime of life; squeezing the Dark Door they all flow out below; nourish your Jade Tree he bodyso that it will be strong.

The circulation of the Breath is completed by that of the Essence. While the basic meaning of is "sperm in men; menstrual blood in women"; this text uses it to mean "some sort of sublimation dematerialized and capable of blending with the Breath".

"In the middle of the Cinnabar Field, the Essence and the Breath are very subtle." It is in fact necessary to "make the Essence come back", —that is, to make the Essence mingled with the Breath circulate through the body to guide it from the Lower Cinnabar Field to the Upper Cinnabar Field so that it "restores the brain", . To be capable of this the Adept must first develop his Essence. The Immortal explains in fairly coarse terms how to go about this so as to arouse and agitate the Essence under the influence of the Breath, but without expending it, which would be a cause of weakening and would diminish the term of life, for "at all times when the Essence is small, one is sick, and when it is exhausted, one dies." Essence accumulates in the Lower Cinnabar Field; when it is strong enough, it blends with Breath.

There is a parallel between ("essence returning") and . In Daoist physiology, the spinal cord, was likened to the Yellow River in its "downward-radiating trophic influence", the allusively described with the phrase

The c. 4th century quotes the Han Daoist transcendent Liu Jing () about sexual intercourse.

The of mounting women is first to engage in slow foreplay so as to harmonize your spirits and arouse her desire, to and only after a long time to unite. Penetrate when soft and quickly withdraw when hard, making the intervals between advancing and withdrawing relaxed and slow. Furthermore. do not throw yourself into it as from a great height, for this overturns the Five Viscera and injures the collateral meridians, leading to a hundred ailments. But if one can have intercourse without ejaculating and engage several tens of times in one day and night without losing , all illnesses will be greatly improved and one's lifespan will daily increase. Even greater benefits are reaped by frequently changing female partners. To change partners more than ten times in one night is especially good.

Maspero says this "elementary exercise" is sufficient for an adept who only wants to prolong life, but "making the Essence return to restore the brain" is necessary if one wants to achieve spiritual transcendence.
The ensuing passage quotes an anonymous that gives details of how to practice , where the diverted "jing" seems to be ordinary semen and not supernatrural .

The classics on immortality say that the of "returning the to nourish the brain" is to wait during intercourse until the is greatly aroused and on the point of emission. and then, using the two middle fingers of the left hand, press just between the scrotum and anus. Press down with considerable force and expel a long breath while gnashing the teeth several tens of times, but without holding the breath. Then allow yourself to ejaculate. The , however, will not be able to issue forth and instead will travel from the "jade stalk" upward and enter the brain. This method has been transmitted among the immortals who are sworn to secrecy by blood pact. They dared not communicate it carelessly for fear of bringing misfortune on themselves.

Citing this early description of the urethral pressure method, Pfister says a few people consider it "a beginner’s practice, which should, after some training, be replaced by the free-handed procedure".

Needham and Lu reason that "making the semen return to nourish the brain" originated at some very early time during the Zhou dynasty (1046 BCE – 256 BCE), when the discovery was made that if pressure was applied at "the right point in the perineal region the urethra could be occluded, so that at the moment of orgasm the semen instead of being ejaculated could be made to pass into the body." The fact that it passed into the bladder and was later urinated always escaped the notice of the Daoists, and "over more than two thousand years a great structure of theory grew up" concerning how the precious secretion of essence was conveyed up into the head and ultimately to the center of the body for the preparation of the internal elixir.

Next, the describes how to ejaculating , without mention of "returning" it to the brain or "absorbing" it from the partner.

If one desires to derive benefit from mounting women, but finds that the is overly aroused, then quickly lift the head, open the eyes wide and gaze to the left and right, up and down. Contract the lower parts, hold the breath and the will naturally be stilled. Do not carelessly transmit this to others. Those who succeed in shedding their but twice a month, or twenty-four times in one year, will all gain long life, and at 100 or 200 years will be full of color and without illness.

The pre-Sui c. 4th century expands the semantic range of the ("return the sperm/essence to nourish the brain") vocabulary. This text uses "jing" and "qi" more or less interchangeably, the "woman's sexual energy" in one instance being called and in another similar context . Elsewhere, refers to both" male and female sexual essences". In the following examples of passages, instead of "returning the " to the brain, the text mentions "return the and restore the fluid ", "mounting the 'vast spring and returning the ", and "return the ". Another comparable illustration of semantic polysemy is the word , which Wile translates as "semen", " secretions", and "fluids".

First, "return the " is paired with and is translated as "semen".

The of and ; is to treasure the semen . If one can cherish it, one's life may be preserved. Whenever you ejaculate you must absorb the woman's to supplement your own. The process of "reestablishment by nine" means practicing the inner breath nine times . "Pressing the one" refers to applying pressure with the left hand beneath the private parts to return the and restore the fluid . "Absorbing the woman's is accomplished by "nine shallow and one deep" strokes. Position your mouth opposite the enemy's mouth and exhale through the mouth. Now inhale, subtly drawing in the two primary vitalities, swallow them and direct the with the mind down to the abdomen, thereby giving strength to the penis .

Second, "returning the " occurs after absorbing the woman's and mounting the , which may mean "female genitalia".

Those who seek to practice the of uniting yin and yang for the purpose of gaining and cultivating life must not limit themselves to just one woman. You should get three or nine or eleven; the more the better. Absorb her secretions by mounting the "vast spring" and "returning the " Your skin will become glossy, your body light. your eyes bright, and your so strong that you will be able to overcome all your enemies. Old men will feel like twenty and young men will feel their strength increased a hundredfold.

Third, the expands the standard "return the " to with . This context claims the health benefits of avoiding ejaculation include achieving clear vision, preventing deafness, and regulating the Five Viscera.

The for achieving clear vision is to wait for the impulse to ejaculate and then raise the head, hold the breath, and expel the air with a loud sound, gazing to the left and right. Contract the abdomen and return the so that it enters the hundred vessels .

in this occurs in another passage where is simply translated as "fluids".

If a woman knows the way of cultivating her and causing the two to unite harmoniously, then it may be transformed into a male child. If she is not having intercourse for the sake of offspring, she can divert the fluids to flow back into the hundred vessels . By using to nourish , the hundred ailments disappear, one's color becomes radiant and the flesh fine. One can enjoy long life and be forever like a youth.

The pre-Tang c. 5th century Dong Xuanzi (, named after the , which is one of the Three Grottoes in the Daoist canon. One passage lists a number of standard techniques for ejaculation control, mentioning neither squeezing the penis base nor pressing the perineum, and concludes, "the jing will rise of itself."

Whenever one desires to ejaculate, one must await the woman's orgasm and then bestow the , ejaculating at the same time. The man should withdraw to a shallow depth and play between the "zither strings" and "wheat teeth ." The " sword tip" moves deep and shallow like an infant sucking the breast. Then one closes the eyes and turns one's thoughts inward. As the tongue is pressed against the lower palate, arch the back, stretch out the head, dilate the nostrils, hunch the shoulders, close the mouth and inhale, and the will rise of itself . The degree of control is always dependent on the individual. One should only ejaculate two or three times in ten.

Chinese sex manuals variously list terms for vaginal depths, beginning with the shallowest and , between which is the optimum depth for ejaculation.

The c. 5th century

(The couple) should be free from the effects of wine or repletion of food, and they should be clean of body, for otherwise illness and disease will afflict them. First by means of meditation they must have put away all worldly thoughts, then only may men and women practise the Tao of life eternal. This procedure is absolutely secret, and may be transmitted only to sages; for in it men and women together lay hold of the of life, cherishing and nourishing respectively the seminal essence and the blood. It is not a heterodox thing. In it the is gathered up in order to benefit the . If one practises it according to the rules, the and the fluids will circulate like clouds, the pure wine of the will coagulate harmoniously, and whether one is old or young one will revert to the state of youth. The man guards (controls) his reins (i.e., his libido), keeping firm grasp of his semen and refining its , (till eventually) they ascend along the spinal column to the brain going against the (normal) current. This is called 'regenerating the primary (vitalities; )'. The woman guards (controls) her heart (i.e., her emotions) and 'nourishes her ,' not allowing the refined fire to move (, , i.e., refraining from orgasm), but making the of her two breasts descend into her reins, and then also rise up from there (along the spinal column) to reach the brain. This is called 'transforming (life) into the primary (vitalities; )'.

Sui to Tang dynasties

In Sui (561-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasty sex manuals, the "return," "circulation," or "rising" of the takes place "naturally as a result of simultaneous stimulation and ; and that male and female sexual energy usually are treated in separate passages in the texts and never explicitly linked".

The Tang was preserved in Sun Simiao's 652 classic medical reference (Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand) (chapter 83). This text includes the ejaculation control techniques found in earlier sources, but also adds several new elements. First, it introduces the discovery that "frequent sex with occasional ejaculation is less depleting than occasional sex with habitual ejaculation", which supports the theory that frequent intensifies sexual power. Second, it presents meditative visualizations and yogic postures for precoital preparation and postcoital absorption, for instance, "Imagine a red color within the navel the size of a hen's egg" for deep penetration without arousing the . Third, the text emphasizes the importance of absorbing from "above", meaning the woman's breath.

When one feels the impulse to ejaculate, close the mouth and open the eyes wide, hold the breath and clench the fists. Move the hands to the left and right, up and down. Contract the nose and take in . Also constrict the anus, suck in the abdomen, and lie on the back. Now quickly press the point with the two middle fingers of the left hand. Exhale a long breath and at the same time gnash the teeth a thousand times. In this way the will ascend to nourish the brain , causing one to gain longevity.

is an alternate name for the Conception vessel CV-1 acupoint at the perineum.

The c. 785 , which is contained in the c. 1029 Daoist Canon, refers to in several passages.

The Yang enchymoma can make one ascend (into the heavens); the Yin enchymoma can confer longevity. The Yang enchymoma is a 'returning' (i.e., regenerative) medicine, the Yin enchymoma is the (regenerative) technique of making the return .

There is an analogy between party etiquette and having sex.

One should not dare to be the host, but rather play the part of the guest. We can borrow from the Taoist manuals in speaking of these affairs. He who first lifts up the cup (at a party) is the host, he who responds is the guest. The host first pours out benefits for others, but the guests are those who receive. If one gives like this one's is dispersed and one's emotions are exhausted. But if one receives, one's is strengthened and one's emotions concentrated. This is because the absorption of the of union assists one's own (primary) Yang—in that case what is there to worry about?

The text then goes on to explain the technique of "applying the perineal pressure in with the heel rather than the hand", and quotes an old Daoist saying that: "Who wishes life unending to attain, Must raise the essence to restore the brain ."

The being elevated against the current, both the man and the woman can become immortals and obtain the Tao. … Thus all the old Taoist traditions say that if (the semen is) ejaculated it leads to other men, that is to say, a child is born, but if it is retained it leads to the man himself, that is to say, an (immortal) body is born—that is the meaning of it.

Concurrent with historical developments of Daoism, the technique of "Returning the essence to replenish the brain" evolved from sexual yoga to cosmic meditation. This method originally consisted of controlling the flow of , and was related to (lit. "bedchamber arts", "lovemaking techniques") and ("longevity practices"). During the Tang dynasty, (Inner Alchemy) became popular and took on a different meaning that refers to the repeated cycling of the essence in the first stage of the practice, called

By the end of the Tang dynasty, many Chinese sex manuals were no longer extant, and only known by titles listed in bibliographies. Fortuitously, the Japanese physician Tamba Yasuyori (, 912–995) compiled and published many fragments of early Chinese medical writings in his 984 Japanese (, Formulas of the Heart of Medicine), which was partly based on the 7th century (General Treatise on the Etiology and Symptomology of Diseases). Chapter 28 of the , Japanese (, Art of the Bedchamber) contains several texts, such as the . The Chinese editor Ye Dehui republished them in his 1907 (, Shadow of the Double Plum Tree Anthology), which outraged many Chinese readers.

Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties

Sex manuals continued to be published during the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271–1368), and Ming dynasties (1368–1644).

The c. 1020 is chapter 6 of the , attributed to Tao Hongjing or Sun Simiao.
It presents some new themes, such as postejaculatory remediation, advising to supplement leaked semen by engaging in exercise to "circulate energy internally", and an early description of cloudy urine from retrograde ejaculation.

To lock the by repression is a practice difficult to maintain and easy to lose. Furthermore, it causes a man to lose through leakage and for his urine to be turbid. It may even lead to the illness of copulation with ghosts. Also, by seeking to prevent the from becoming excited, they weaken their principle. Those who desire to have intercourse with women should first become aroused and cause to rise up strong. Slowly engage her and absorb her . Circulate the and after a moment you will become strong. When strong, employ it, being certain to move slowly and in a relaxed manner. When your becomes aroused, stop. Lock the and slow the breath. Close the eyes. lie on the back and circulate your internal energy. When the body returns to normal, one may have intercourse with another woman.

Another passage describes some more serious consequences of losing "seminal essence".

Some are shocked into insanity or experience "emaciation-thirst" disease . Some lose their minds or suffer malignant sores. This is the result of loss. When emission does occur, one should circulate energy internally to supplement the loss in that area. Otherwise, the blood vessels and brain daily will suffer more harm. When wind and dampness attack them they take ill. This is because common people do not understand the necessity of supplementing what is lost in ejaculation.

Unlike earlier texts recommending the sexist concept of male release and absorption from females, the is the first to describe a path of mutual immortality for both sexes through a combination of deep penetration, low arousal, and visualizations.

The classics on immortality state that the tao of man and woman achieving immortality together is to use deep penetration without allowing the to be aroused. Imagine something red in color and the size of an egg in the middle of the navel. Then slowly move in and out, withdrawing when the becomes aroused. By doing this several tens of times in the morning and in the evening, one may increase the lifespan. Man and woman should both calm their minds and maintain their concentration.

Lastly, this text misquotes the : "If one returns the to nourish the brain, one will never grow old ."; suggesting that this () may literally mean "old one, or wise one" author rather than the text.

The c. 1029 quotes the , which paraphrases :

The primary () is (the main factor of) life and death; life and death depend on the art of the bedchamber. One must follow the method of the Tao of retention, so that the can be changed into something wonderful; one must make this flow and circulate incessantly without hindrance or obstruction. As the proverb says: 'Running water doesn't rot, and a door often used is not eaten by woodworms.' Those who understand the mystery within the mystery know that a man and a woman can together restore (their vitality), and both can become immortals; this is truly what may be called a marvel of the Tao. The manuals of the immortals say: 'One Yin and one Yang constitute the Tao; the three primary (vitalities) and the union of the two components; that is the '. When the flow goes up against the stream to nourish the brain, this is called 'making the return' () .

The early 13th-century (, Teacher Dou's South-Pointer for the Regeneration of the Primary italities from the Western Sacred Mountain) lists the —, , , , , , and —necessary for the . It says, "if the juices are abundant they can generate saliva, if the saliva is abundant it can change into blood, if the blood is abundant it can be transmuted the (seminal essence), if the is abundant it can (be sent up to) nourish the brain, if the brain is nourished it can strengthen the , and if the is copious it can complete and perfect the ."

The Ming c. 1500 presents a new theory with a parabolic curve of sexual vitality, peaking at middle age, which separates the concept of sexual energy from simple ejaculatory potency.

A boy reaches puberty at sixteen, but his vitality is not yet sufficient and his mind not yet stable. He therefore must observe abstinence. When he reaches the age of twenty, his vitality is becoming stronger, and the is concentrated in the intestines and stomach. One may then ejaculate once in thirty days. At thirty, the vitality is strong and abundant, and the is in the thighs. One may ejaculate once in five days. At forty, the is concentrated in the lower back and one may ejaculate once in seven days. At fifty, the vitality begins to decline, and the is concentrated in the spine. One may then ejaculate once in half a month. When one reaches sixty-four years of age, the period of one's potency is finished and the cycle of hexagrams complete. The vitality is weak and the secretions exhausted. If one can preserve one's remaining after sixty, then those who are vigorous may still ejaculate. When one reaches seventy, one must not let the emotions run wild.

The explains self-cultivation through absorbing a partner's energy and supplementing oneself:

"Heaven and earth combine prosperously" and and cooperate generously. First examine her state of emotional excitement and then observe whether the stages of arousal have reached their peaks or not. Energetically withdrawing and inserting, one realizes the marvel of "adding charcoal." This secures and strengthens one's own " coffers." Enjoying scented kisses and pressing closely together, absorb her to supplement your . Draw in the of her nostrils to fortify your spine marrow . Swallow her saliva to nourish your . Cause the hot to penetrate the point and permeate the four limbs. As it overflows, it strengthens the and blood, preserves the complexion, and prevents aging.

The 1615 Ming dynasty compendium of Inner Alchemy pictures an adept practicing . The "Illustration of Reverse Illumination" shows the vertebral column, which is flanked by the —distinct from the anatomical kidneys—which are respectively labeled as on the right, a symbol of yang energy within the yin side of the body, and on the left, a symbol of yin energy within the yang side of the body. This illustration shows twenty-four "vertebra", some labeled with the traditional Chinese medical acupoint names for fourteen of the twenty-eight points of the Governing Vessel. The relevant acupoints are GV-1 halfway between the coccyx and the anus, and Conception vessel CV-1 halfway between the scrotum and the anus.

Cross-cultural counterparts

Although the Daoist practice of "returning the seminal essence to replenish the brain" may seem to be a uniquely Orientalist mystery, there are historical counterparts in the fields of Ancient Greek medicine and Tantric sex.

In Ancient Greece, some physicians and philosophers believed that semen originated in the brain and moved through the spinal marrow. Plato's c. 360 BCE ''Timaeus'' dialog considered the brain and spinal marrow as a special form of bone marrow in which "God implanted his divine seed". The marrow supposedly passes down the spine and communicates its "universal seed stuff" to the genitalia for procreative purposes. "And the marrow inasmuch as it is animate and has been granted an outlet from the passage of egress for drink has endowed that part with a love for generating by implanting therein a lively desire for emission".

Regarding the semen, Hippocrates (c. 460- c. 370 BCE) said, "The greater quantity of the material of generation, it is believed on the authority of Galen, is drawn from the brain." (, ). This refers to the Pseudo-Galen , "The semen, as Plato and Diocles opine, is discharged by the brain and the spinal marrow, while Praxagoras and Democritus and thereafter Hippocrates maintain it comes from the whole body."

Based upon contemporary medical resources, the anatomical drawing by Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) shows two duct systems entering the penis, one with several branches from the lower spinal cord fusing to form a duct that goes directly through to the tip of the penis, the other system going from the testes with a duct sweeping backwards to circle the bladder before returning to enter the penis. In the bottom left sketches, note the two channels in the penis, one for urine and one for semen, rather than a single urethra. Leonardo "labeled the spinal cord 'generative power', reflecting the Platonic view (which he later abandoned) that semen derives from the spinal marrow". Leonardo da Vinci corrected his anatomical mistakes in a lesser-known second (probably after 1508) drawing accurately based on dissection.

In Ancient India, the Chinese technique of "returning the seminal essence to replenish the brain" has parallels in two associated mudras (lit. "seal; mystery; gesture")—symbolic body postures practiced in hatha yoga and kundalini. is practice of a male preserving his semen after ejaculation by drawing it up through his urethra from the vagina of a female . is a breath retention practice of rolling the tip of the tongue backwards and upwards until it touches the soft palate and reaches towards the nasal cavity. is said to "accomplish the simultaneous immobilization of breath, thought and semen, obstructing the throat with the tongue in kumbhaka apnea, secreting copious saliva, and never emitting semen"

The circa 100 BCE to 300 CE describes the posture "when the tongue enters the cavern of the cranium, moving contrawise (backward). The eye-glance penetrating between the eyebrows" and how it allows one to accomplish .

For him (whose tongue enters) the hole (of the cranium), moving upwards beyond the uvula, whose semen does not waste away, even when he is in the embrace of a beautiful woman, as long as the semen remains firmly held in the body, so long, where is the fear of death for him? As long as the Khe-carī-mudrā is firmly adhered to, so long the semen does not flow out. Even if it should flow and reach the region of the genitals, it goes upwards, being forcibly held up by the power of the Yoni-mudrā (sanctified by the Vajroli).

The c. 150 CE describes both mudras together.

That Yogin who practices Vajrolī, he proves to be the receptacle of all psychic powers. Should he attain (that), Yoga-siddhi is on the palm of his hand. He will know what has transpired and what is yet to take place. Khe-carī will also surely be in his reach.

And with the ,

the yogin should ejaculate, but after having done so he should positively regain this (the or semen emitted), and "having done so by a pumping process, the yogin must conserve it, for by the loss of the comes death, and by its retention, life." Thus we seem here to be in the presence of a veritable seminal aspiration, the muscles of the abdomen creating a partial vacuum in the bladder and so permitting the absorption of part at least of the vaginal contents.

The also records a marvelous side-effect of practicing semen retention, "Avoiding intercourse with women, he should earnestly betake himself to the practice of Yoga. On account of the retention of semen there will be generated an agreeable smell in the body of the Yogin."

It is likely that the method of perineal pressure to avoid ejaculation was also used in India. For instance, the c. 320-390 CE uses the term ("returning the semen: rerouting the semen"), which is closely analogous to Chinese .

The Dutch diplomat and author Robert van Gulik proposed a historical thesis that sexual mysticism or sexual yoga originated in China, rather than India as commonly assumed (1971: 339-359). The 1973 discovery of the 2nd-century BCE Mawangdui medical manuscripts (above) strengthened the probability that Daoist sexual practices, including ''huanjing bunao'', were the precursor of Tantric sexual practices. Van Gulik gives Buddhist and Hindu examples of spiritual semen retention.

Some specialized Sanskrit and Pali terminology is used in the following descriptions of Hindu and Buddhist adepts visualizing semen moving up the spinal cord into the brain. Within the human body, ("life force, vital principle") energies are thought to flow through ("tubes, channels, nerves") that connect the ''chakra'' ("wheel") energy centers. There are three main ''nadi'' channels. The most important central ''sushumna'' goes along the spinal cord and connects the ''muladhara'' ("base chakra") to the ''sahasrara'' ("thousand-petalled" "crown chakra"). The left channel ''ida'' or ''lalana'' is associated with female, ova, moon, etc.; and the right channel ''pingala'' or ''rasana'' is associated with male, semen, sun, etc.

First, esoteric Vajrayana or Tantric Buddhism introduced "a highly specialized sexual mysticism, based on the principle that complete unity with the deity and supreme bliss could be achieved by a meditative process based on the ''coitus reservatus''". According to Giuseppe Tucci, "the disciple, through the sexual act, reproduces the creative moment. But the act must not be performed down to its natural consequences; it should be controlled by pranayama , in such a manner that the semen goes its way backwards, not flowing downwards but ascending upwards, until it reaches the top of the head, hence to vanish into the uncreated source of the Whole"
In order to overcome the sexual dualism of the ''lalana'' and ''rasana'' ''nadi'' channels, a male Vajrayana practitioner meditates on the ''bodhicitta'' ("enlightenment-mind; thought of awakening") while having intercourse with a female partner, acquiring her female energy stimulates his ''bodhicitta'', which blends with his activated but unejaculated semen into a new, powerful essence called ''bindu'' ("drop; dot") or "translated semen" (tr. van Gulik). The ''bindu'' breaks through the separation of ''lalana'' and ''rasana'', and opens up a new, asexual energy channel known as ''avadhutika'' ("the cleansed one"). The ''bindu'' rises up this channel, through the ''chakras'' and reaches the crown chakra, whereupon the practitioner can purportedly achieve ''nirvana''. Although Vajrayana incorporated older Buddhist and Hindu thought, the "conception of the ''coitus reservatus'' supplying a shortcut to complete enlightenment was an entirely new element, in that form unknown in pre-Vajrayana Buddhism".

Second, Saikva and Sakta Tantra schools of Hindu Shaivism also practiced sexual mysticism. The process of merging the separate ''pingala'' and ''lalana'' channels, under the stimulus of real or visualized ''coitus reservatus'' with a female partner, is called Kundalini yoga. The dormant female energy in the yogi's body is called technically ''kundalini'' ("coiled snake"), which after arousal creates a new, asexual nerve channel called ''sushumna'', along which the adept's unejaculated "translated semen" ascends until it reaches the brain. There the final union with the deity is visualized as the embrace of the god Shiva and goddess Parvati In Shaktism, a practitioner who has mastered the spiritual ''coitus reservatus'' technique is called ''urdhvaretas'' ("one who can make semen flow upward "), a practice of ''Brahmacarya'' ("celibacy"). According to Hindu concepts, a subtle form of semen exists throughout the entire body, and can be transformed into a gross form in the sexual organs. "To be ''urdhvaretas'' is not merely to prevent the emission of gross semen already formed but to prevent its formation as gross seed, and its absorption in the general system". Along with Chinese Daoists, the Sakta adept considered the semen his most precious possession. The 15th century ''Hatha Yoga Pradipika'' says: "He who knows Yoga should preserve his semen. For the expenditure of the latter tends to death, but there is life for him who preserves it". Van Gulik concludes that, "Since sexual mysticism based on the ''coitus reservatus'' flourished in China since the beginning of our era, whereas it was unknown in India, it seems obvious that this particular feature of the Vajrayana was imported into India from China, probably via Assam".

Finally, Joseph Needham says a sexual ritual of the Hindu Vaishnava Sahajiya tradition has an equivalence to Chinese ("making the , or seminal essence, return") that is "too close to be accidental". This method of ("Tantric sexual intercourse") involves the central ''nadi'' channel. A man and woman follow a series of postures and recitations that should result in "the passing of seminal fluid through the middle nerve, which will then go upwards towards the region of . If it passes through the other two nerves, the result will be either the procreation of children, or mere waste of energy. It is only the middle nerve which is the source of perpetual enjoyment."(Bose 1930: 71).

See also

*Dianism, is a 19th-century American spiritual sexual practice consisting of "sexual satisfaction from sexual contact" but without ejaculation.
*Edging (sexual practice), maintaining long-lasting sexual arousal without reaching climax
*Erotic sexual denial, the practice of refraining from sexual experiences in order to increase erotic arousal
* ''Karezza'', a term for ''coitus reservatus'' coined by Alice Bunker Stockham
*''Maithuna'', sexual intercourse within Tantric sex, or alternatively to the specific lack of sexual fluids generated
*''Sarvangasana'', a yogic supported shoulder stand believed to reverse the downflow loss of ( ''bindu'') life-force
*''Shirshasana'', a yogic headstand believed to reverse the downflow loss of ''bindu'' life-force
*''Viparita Karani'', a yogic shoulder stand believed to reverse the downflow loss of ''bindu'' life-force

References

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