Sound

Meridian of Fortune | 財經二周天 (2018)

經,織也、徑也、法也。財,人所寶也,可入用者也。所謂財經者,謀倉稟之道,辨出入得失耳。ASMR者,知覺之刺激,經絡之感應也。輔之以出神洞虛,或可通常曉易,分外清明。是以天地不周,無以通經絡;形神不合,不可理財經。所以處虛實之間,匯內外之流,是爲財經二周天。

人活着,就得考慮如何生活;而要活下去,就需要財富。理財之道因而也就成了生而爲人的一門重要的功課。打理好自己與財富之間的關係,既需要學習相關的知識,也需要鍛鍊良好的心態。對此,雖千萬人俱往,但真正有境界的卻寥寥無幾。將之比作修行,實不爲過。

修行皆苦,人們往往被要求靜心明神,但卻常常在苦思冥想之後,還是不明所以。而《財經二周天》反其道而行之,用ASMR的“松”來調和財經(也即理財之道)的“嚴”,並用高潮來緩解痛苦。它試圖營造並進入聽者半夢半醒的意識空間,尋找一種身心交融的狀態,利用身體和神經的放鬆,來打通財富的經絡。

ASMR與財經,看似風馬牛不相及,實則暗含隱匿的關聯。“財經”一詞中作“方法、道路”之意的“經”,脫胎於紡織的經線,其要在通,也暗合了身體的經絡和循環;而ASMR通過聲音所刺激的感官感受,也正是一種經絡反應。對我來說,ASMR就像是某種密宗——雖然尚未被充分瞭解,但卻充滿魅力。它常被用來催眠,也是進入半夢半醒空間的關鍵鑰匙。此外,財富與睡眠之間也有着微妙的關係:大多數工薪階層,依靠醒着時的勞作來獲取報酬,那麼睡眠就意味着財富的休止;而另一邊,富裕人士的財富即使是在他們睡覺的時候,仍然可以持續地增加。ASMR與財經的結合也許擁有某種潛能,把“生產性的睡眠”帶給每一個聽衆

與其想通,不如放鬆,身體的通透也許也可以成爲某種通往理解的路徑。

In ancient Chinese, Jing (經) means thread, path, and method; and Cai (財) is what is treasured and utilized by people. Therefore, the meaning of so-called “Cai Jing” (財經) is the strategies that seek fortune and the ability to analyze/discern gain and loss. ASMR is a practice that is able to stimulate the listener’s perception and arouse meridian responses through the sensory system. Meridian of Fortune blends the tao of finance with ASMR, the process of which helps the body and mind wander while coming to see the ordinary and its variations with more clarity and wisdom. It has been said: those who are not in tune with the circulation of heaven and earth are unable to ease the flow of their meridian channels; those who do not find unity between body and spirit cannot manage their wealth. So position yourself between the illusory and the real, and gather the flow between external and internal--that is the way to Meridian of Fortune. 

To survive, one must consider how to live; and to live, one must possess wealth. And so, the tao of finance becomes an important lesson for every living person. In order to better manage your relationship with fortune, one has to study relevant knowledge and maintain a good attitude. Hundreds and Thousands of people seek this path but very few reach a sound level of practice. It is justified to say that the tao of finance is truly a process of self-cultivation. 

Self-cultivation is often a journey full of hardship that requires a peaceful mind and clear spirit; but oftentimes, clarity still cannot be achieved despite the long hours of hard thinking and meditation. Meridian of Fortune offers an alternative path that tempers the severity of Cai Jing with the gentleness and relaxing quality of ASMR. In this method, climax eases the pain. Meridian of Fortune seeks to cultivate and enter the listener’s state of half-asleep-and-half-awake, searching for a space where the mind and body become one and the body and nerves are relaxed. In this space of consciousness, let flow the meridians of wealth. 

ASMR and Cai Jing- two ideas that do not appear to be related- actually imply underlying connections. The word Jing (經) in Cai Jing (財經), means “method” or “route”, which originally referred to the vertical thread in weaving that serves to connect the fiber together. The gist of Jing is fluidity which also reconciles with the meridian and flow of circulation in a body while the feeling and sensation evoked by the sound of ASMR is also a kind of meridian response. For me, ASMR is like a mystic practice that is not yet fully understood but is full of charisma. ASMR is often used for hypnosis and it is also the key to the aforementioned state between dream and awakeness. Furthermore, Cai (fortune) and sleep are also subtly connected. Most people of the working class earn their wage by working while they are awake; sleep, therefore, becomes a time when the flow of fortune is suspended. The wealth of the rich is, however, continue to accumulate even while they are sleeping. The integration of ASMR and Cai Jing may entice a potentiality that brings the “productive sleep” to every listener. 

Instead of thinking it through, you could as well just relax. The fluidity of body might just become a path towards a kind of understanding.