《重阳全真集》

The Chongyang Quanzhen Collection is included in the Quanzhen writings section of the Zhonghua Daoist Canon. The work comprises thirteen volumes, containing various kinds of poetry, ci lyrics, and song lyrics. The first two volumes consist mainly of poetry; volumes three through eight and eleven through thirteen are devoted mainly to ci lyrics; volume nine contains song lyrics; and volume ten contains poetry.

How vast is the teaching of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection)! What is called “the Real” is pure and free of admixture. It has endured since ages beyond measure; it is the original source of Heaven, Earth, and all things, and the common ancestral root of everything that exists.

In the earliest times, people’s De (Virtue) was rich and pure, and their nature and disposition were simple like those of an infant. They settled into order without being governed and regulated themselves without being taught. Their lives were easy and free, and each found their proper place. Thus they were healthy and peaceful, lived long, and were united with the Dao (the Way). In later ages, human nature gradually changed. The Dao faded, De declined, and simplicity and sincerity were lost. Desires and passions ate away at the heart like food and drink, while worry and grief troubled people from without like frost and fire. One’s nature rose and fell with one’s emotions, and one’s emotions shifted with external things. The mind and spirit scattered and could not be gathered in; once lost, they could not return. The inborn Real nature was exhausted, and people then wandered through birth and death, chasing external circumstances and drifting wherever fate carried them. Even after countless ages, they could not find their way back—a cause for deep lament.

The Perfected One Chongyang, Honored for Compassionate Transformation and Wondrous Practice—that is, Wang Chongyang—was broadly learned in the Three Teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, and deeply versed in the teachings of many schools. He met an accomplished master at Ganhe and found kindred friends by the Eastern Sea. He taught worthy people in three regions and formed bonds of goodness in five communities. He traveled widely to spread the Dao and guide people, aiding living beings and leading the world toward the Way. People revered him when they heard his name, and crowds gathered like mist wherever he went. He never turned away anyone who came seeking instruction. He wrote poems, lyrics, petitions, hymns, and many other works; his ideas flowed naturally, and he answered each occasion with writings composed at once.

The heart of his teaching was to help people recover their unspoiled simplicity: to become quiet, empty the mind, and gather the spirit; to nurture the numinous clarity that had been theirs since antiquity; to reveal their true and unerring wondrous nature; and to recognize who they were from the beginning. In this way, people could return to their constant Real nature and enter the mysterious Great Dao.

Someone asked the Perfected One, “People live between Heaven and Earth and are said to be the most spiritually endowed of beings, yet in the end they are only one kind among the myriad things. Who can escape the fixed course of Yin-Yang change? Who can go beyond the laws of creation? Whatever begins must end, and whatever lives must die: these are the natural principles. Without an exceptional endowment, one cannot become an immortal; without causes and conditions from a former life, one cannot learn the Dao. Why impose such hardship on yourself? It is as futile as chasing a shadow or trying to catch the wind, as pointless as carving ice or carving flowers into rotten wood. Why attempt what is bound to fail and pursue a result that can never be attained?”

The Perfected One sighed and said, “The wondrous principle of long life is already complete in everyone. How could the Way of the immortals be impossible to attain? It is plain to see, and happens often, that some are lax and achieve nothing. Those who practice diligently and attain proof are fewer, but they do exist. People believe what they see often and doubt what they see rarely, so they think the Way of the immortals is too remote to hope for.

“Consider the transformations of the myriad things. Ore can be smelted into iron, and copper can be transmuted into gold. A fish can leap over the Lüliang Falls and become a dragon; a pheasant can enter the great waters and transform into a clam-dragon. Ice readily melts, yet if stored properly it can be kept until summer. Grass readily withers, yet if covered and protected it can survive the winter. If people can relinquish greed and attachment, hold to softness and embrace the One, and let their minds and spirits rest in calm, then their Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) can unite with emptiness. They too can transcend the world, rise up, and travel afar: treading on the sun’s shadow to ascend into the sky, riding the wind from place to place, riding whales across the vast sea, and mounting phoenixes to fly into the blue heavens. They can endure for a thousand years, returning like the immortal crane of Liaodong, or appear before the sun as the immortal duck of Yexian ascended. To join the ranks of immortals alongside Anqi, Xianmen, Hongya, and Dongxuan is no difficult matter.

“From ancient times to the present, those who attained the Dao and ascended as immortals are beyond counting. To say there is no evidence is like a deaf person being unable to hear the sounds of strings and bamboo, or a blind person being unable to see the colors in a painting. How can people with little knowledge and experience discuss the Great Dao?”

The questioner held his breath, withdrew in shame, and said no more.

The Perfected One opened a gateway of skillful means and revealed a compassionate heart. He rescued people from the burning house of the dusty world and led them out of a vast, bewildering maze onto the right path. He helped them understand the roots of nature and life, and harmonize Qi and Shen (spirit), which depend on one another like mother and child. He brought being and nonbeing into unity and let emptiness and form fall away together. Those who entered this gate were like people waking from a dream in Southern Bough; those who took this path were like people coming to their senses after drinking in Zhongshan. They could thus return to their own Real nature, lacking nothing and possessing nothing in excess, and merge once more with the undivided state of the beginning. They could return to their root without losing it again and unite anew with the Great Beginning. The nature of the True One is clear and complete; it responds to circumstances and transforms freely, without a place where it cannot move at ease.

After the Perfected One’s feathered transformation—that is, his departure from this world as one who had attained the Dao—his disciples gathered his writings, which numbered more than a thousand pieces. They range widely in language and reach deeply in meaning, nurturing the spirit of what is Real and simple while containing mysterious principles. They are truly a foundation for cultivating the Real and a boat and ladder for guiding people across.

The Daoist community of Jingzhao funded the carving and printing of these writings. But the Daoists of Dongzhou lived far from the place where the blocks were carved and found it hard to obtain them. Lord Liu Changsheng was a model for the religious community and a paragon among the immortals, a great master of the present age and a religious leader throughout the four directions. He saw that the spirit of Quanzhen had arisen in the west, flourished in the east, and spread everywhere, its teaching vast and far-reaching. He therefore directed Cao Zhen, Lai Lingyu, Xu Shoudao, Liu Zhenyi, Liang Tongzhen, Zhai Daoqing, and the others to raise funds and travel to my hometown to ask me to write a preface. They arranged the Perfected One’s collected works into nine volumes, had them printed, and circulated them widely. When later generations receive this collection and study its words and principles, it will be like digging a well: once earth appears, one knows water is not far away; or drilling wood: once smoke appears, one knows fire will soon come. May everyone awaken early and attain results quickly—this is the intention of a benevolent person.

Alas! Since ancient times, some who cultivated the Real traveled far in search of a teacher but never found one; others severed an arm in pursuit of the teaching but never obtained the true teaching. Some reached old age with their lives nearly spent, still not knowing how to practice. They wasted their lives in vain—a truly regrettable thing. Now the collected writings of Quanzhen circulate in the world, and their mysterious applications and hidden workings are clear to see. Those who study the Dao and practice accordingly will gain much if they invest much, and gain little if they seek little. How fortunate those who aspire to the Dao are to live in such an age!

Written with reverence by Fan Zeyu, school director of Ninghai Prefecture, on the Qingming Festival in the Wushen year of the Dading era.

Befriending Kin Beyond the Dusty World

A nephew, two sons, Shandong (referring to Ma Yu), and I make five in all. Our aspirations are aligned, and we devote ourselves single-mindedly to cultivating the Dao (the Way). With six companions, it is as though we accompany the bright moon at the edge of the sky; traveling together as seven, it is as though we welcome the fresh breeze over the sea.

Keep profound and subtle truths hidden in the heart, and step into emptiness beneath the clear sky. East or west, north or south, all can be reached with ease and harmony. Only upon arriving here do we know that every place offers a way through.

One younger brother, one nephew, two sons, and I: five transcendent cultivators practicing together. We form true kin beyond the worldly realm, leaving behind the false body, temporarily assembled from flesh and blood in the dusty world.

We plant a realm of stillness all around us and pass the purple lingzhi (a symbol of the elixir of the immortals and the fruits of cultivation) from one to another. Together we will attend the Dragon-Flower Assembly on the mountain (a grand gathering symbolizing the future meeting of perfected immortals); I will first go to Penglai (the legendary immortal mountain in the sea) to pay my respects to the master.

In Ninghai Army, the master dressed up as Bange (one of Wang Chongyang’s assumed names) and practiced with me and the five transcendent cultivators in the marketplace. We formed true kin beyond the worldly realm, leaving behind the false body, temporarily assembled from flesh and blood in the dusty world.

We plant a realm of stillness all around us and pass the purple lingzhi from one to another. Together we will attend the Dragon-Flower Assembly on the mountain; I will first go to Penglai to pay my respects to the master.

The master dressed up as Bange in Ninghai Army and begged for alms in the marketplace. He carried a large sheet of paper on his back, bearing these two poems, to encourage Ma Yu to join him in begging.

When Circle-Eyed Wang San (a man known by this nickname) begged for alms, people often called him “Madman” (a term then used for those whose behavior differed from the norm). Five colors appeared on his body, but the inner radiance of his heart was known only to himself.

A sheet of paper posted in the Daoist temple contained eight lines of verse, identifying the appointed date and requiring a seven-character poem to be revealed. The long street was lined with wealthy people, yet no one understood whom the matter of the silkworm’s return referred to.

White is bone; red is flesh. Joined together, red and white make the false body, temporarily assembled. Yesterday, everyone called him Chongyangzi; today, everyone sees him as Bange.

Changing the body and altering one’s appearance do not amount to awakening to the Dao. Those who change their faces and forms may still fail to understand the truth. People of the world toil in vain over projects lasting a thousand years; a hundred years pass in the blink of an eye.

Sun Gong’s Question

As for oneself, there is no need to dispute whether one is wise or foolish. Instead, face the sun, moon, and stars, and realize the Great Beginning (the source before all things were differentiated). Set the four gates straight (the openings through which body and mind engage with the outside world, often referring to the senses of hearing, sight, speech, and smell), so that instruction can flow freely. Support and correct one’s original nature, and the heart-mind will unfold.

Reside in a cool and carefree realm, passing the days at ease. Attain the immortal elixir (a pill symbolizing the achievement of inner cultivation in Daoist practice), and you can transcend the transformations of nature. Gain abundant true joy, and you will realize the state of nothing left to attain (a complete and flawless state).

In Reply to Lord Zhan’s Question on Explaining Buddhism Before Daoism

Buddhism and Daoism have been one family since ancient times. Though their outward forms differ, their principles are the same. Recognize your own mind and nature, and see your original nature: you will awaken to Quanzhen (Complete Perfection), preserving what is true and returning to your original state. Understand how mercury and lead—terms in Neidan practice that symbolize Yin-Yang, essence, and Qi—communicate and unite, and you will form a good fruit.

Ma Ziguang dwells in freedom beyond the reach of time, at ease in himself. Seize the elixir, and you can transcend the limits of nature’s transformations; attain abundant true joy, and you can enter the state of no remainder, complete and lacking nothing.

Buddhism and Daoism have been one family since ancient times. Though their forms differ, their principles are the same. Recognize the mind and see your original nature, and you will attain the awakening of Complete Perfection. Understand how mercury and lead communicate and unite, and you will plant good roots.

Ma Ziguang, do not let your mind and spirit wander at will; monkey-like thoughts should not churn like shifting sand. Bring forth the lamp of wisdom and raise it beyond the clouds. Part the dense clouds, and you will see the rosy glow of dawn.

Lord Lü Asks About Leaving Office to Seek the Way

When managing records and enforcing laws, one must always be cautious, as if standing at the edge of an abyss or walking on thin ice. It is best to withdraw to the mountains and forests and devote yourself to the Way. Cultivate yourself through the wondrous Dao until you become tranquil and clear.

Refine your mind and nature in stillness and concentration, as though polishing a bright moon. When insight comes, its light will appear and kindle the lamp of wisdom. A true master will naturally come to guide you, helping you ascend to the summit of Jade Peak and take flight.

Lord Wang Asks About the Five Gates

Explain the Five Gates on the Mountain of the Five Aggregates—a Buddhist metaphor for the elements of body and mind—and bring Qi and spirit together until they coalesce, round and whole like a jade peach. Then you will see your original nature, with both spiritual insight and wisdom; your heart will be true and clear, free from confusion.

External things gather and endure like the blue sky, while the bright moon in the heavens remains forever clear. A celestial youth brings forth the wondrous method of the Golden Elixir, but only those who return to their original nature can investigate its principle for themselves.

Lord Ma Asks About Equality

In your dealings with others, keep your bearings by the fixed star that serves as a point of reference. In moving forward or holding back, discern the direction of the Dipper’s handle. When you see another person’s faults, remember that you too can make mistakes. Wish others clarity of mind just as you wish it for yourself.

When your mind and nature are open and unobstructed, you accord with Heaven and Earth, and your spirit becomes especially clear. You will see the crow and toad—the sun and moon—and your nature will become pure and fragrant. This is the true wondrous secret of cultivation. Follow it, and you can reach the heavenly court.

Lady Zhang Asks for Guidance

The nine-leaf golden flower unfolds forever; let the jade waters of the eight channels—a cultivation image for pure, flowing inner fluid—meet and flow freely. Open each of the seven gates in turn, and let the four symbols, representing complementary forces such as Yin and Yang, become clearly manifest. In the end, return to stillness and emptiness.

A grain of divine elixir—the symbol of perfected inner essence—returns to the true path, while two silver threads join in the realm of primordial beginnings. In radiant brilliance, one knows that all has been entrusted and set in order. Once cultivation is complete, nothing is lacking in what has been attained, and peace and joy continue without end.

Polishing the Mirror

What can polishing a mirror compare with refining one’s own mind? Once the mind is clear and bright, it can naturally reflect things, seeing far into the distance. Let the mind turn back upon itself like a mirror: thoughts of fame and gain become pure and clear, revealing the realm of emptiness, and no longer sinking into delusion.

A single gleam of numinous clarity opens the way to the proper timing of cultivation; many pure, lustrous colors appear from on high. To teach people to recognize this mysterious treasure, suspend it in the Hall of Brightness—the imagined seat of the heart and spirit—where it shines across past and present.

In the Rhyme of Fallen Blossoms

There is no need to scheme for a weightless ascent to the heavens, nor to waste effort shutting the jade gate of the green grotto. I have long tired of worldly desires, fame, and gain, and have never cared for human quarrels over right and wrong.

Know that one should carefully cultivate the heart and nature. Why be bound to wearing a Daoist robe and walking through the streets? Outside the gate, fallen blossoms are left to wind and rain. Who, I wonder, can grasp the subtle and silent realm of Xiyi, too profound for words?

On Red and White Peonies

The red and white peonies are like clusters of flowers cut from red and white silk, set in orderly rows before a blue gauze canopy. Their fragrance is equally pure. Though their colors differ, each is upright and beautiful in its own way.

These two peonies seem to be immortal blooms from the Three Isles, the fabled sea mountains where immortals dwell, long removed from the dusty world. People should not regard them as separate kinds. I now pluck them both and carry them away, stepping through the clouds and rosy mists as if accompanied by a rainbow phoenix.

Master Chi’s Commentary on the Dao De Jing

He reverently upholds and expounds the five thousand words transmitted by the Most High Lord Lao, the revered deity of Daoism, in the Dao De Jing. The Great Dao has no name; its subtlety cannot be conveyed in words. The One Qi, the primordial energy from which Heaven and Earth arose, contains their very essence. The four seasons turn, driving the passage of years and the changes of time.

From this, the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—reveal the positions of Yin and Yang. The two luminaries, the sun and moon, are distinguished, displaying the power that brings forth creation. The Dao’s deep, still, and unfathomable realm cannot be fully described in words. The mysteries of nature conceal the path of the immortals.

Liu the Immortal Seeks Guidance

With thorough realization, one can understand the passing of time and the “Six Ji,” a specialized term in Daoist divination, and also perceive within oneself changes as unmoored as drifting tumbleweed. Cultivate with ease; there is no need to burn incense and bow in worship. Follow the natural course of things, without being bound by scriptural teachings and ritual forms.

Liu the Immortal Seeks Guidance

With thorough realization, one can understand the passing of time and the “Six Ji,” a specialized term in Daoist divination, and also perceive within oneself changes as unmoored as drifting tumbleweed. Cultivate with ease; there is no need to burn incense and bow in worship. Follow the natural course of things, without being bound by scriptural teachings and ritual forms.

As long as the numinous nature remains unobstructed and can illuminate what is near and far, its radiance will shine in all directions. Once the false is returned to the true, light will arrive. The cultivator advances step by step, like lotus blossoms joined one to another, and ultimately reaches the Upper Palace, the realm of the immortals.

Duke Xing Asks Whether One May Cultivate at Seventy-Two

Even if one reaches a hundred before beginning to cultivate, it is not too late. What matters is whether the heart can change in time. If one cannot attain full realization in this life, cultivation may continue in the next.

At the moment of death, the most important thing is to keep one’s thoughts upright; one must also gather in the Three Lights, commonly understood as the essences of the sun, moon, and stars, or the body’s Jing, Qi, and Shen. One must simply leave the old and enter the new. Only by leaving one’s former dwelling behind can one attain, in the new dwelling, the wondrous perfection of the immortals, like the lingzhi mushroom.

A Word for Daoist Students

Cultivators often have too much cleverness and cunning, yet speak of the “Diamond” as though it were something small and low. They boast of their handsome refinement before others, while their inner cultivation declines day by day.

If the Golden Formula, the secret of cultivation, is difficult to open within one’s nature, how can one understand the Jade Code, the precious canon of the Dao? One abandons wife and children and leaves home to cultivate in vain; how will one bear the burden of one’s karmic offenses in the future?

Presented to Liu, Jiang, and Zhang Yizhong

To hear Zhang Liang expound the Daoist scriptures, I traveled through scenic places and felt cool and serene. Beneath my feet, a stone path beside the water led toward a road glimmering with waves; before me, cloud-wreathed mountains lay below, like a painted screen.

Amid ten thousand households, the Three Crows shine bright; every kind of flower and grass gives off the same fragrance. What, then, of the merit of my own cultivation?

Presented to Liu, Jiang, and Zhang Yizhong

To hear Zhang Liang expound the Daoist scriptures, I traveled through scenic places and felt cool and serene. Beneath my feet, a stone path beside the water led toward a road glimmering with waves; before me, cloud-wreathed mountains lay below, like a painted screen.

Amid ten thousand households, the Three Crows shine bright; every kind of flower and grass gives off the same fragrance. I must now turn back and depart; please do not blame me. I will take this opportunity to journey to the Green Cave of Zhongnan.

Spring Rain

A shower nourishes the earth like rich ointment, a cause for rejoicing in times of peace; Heaven sends down its protection, benefiting the people. Clouds spread like a canopy, and the radiance of the sun, moon, and stars shines among them. Auspicious Qi appears, and all things grow.

After the rain has washed everything clean, the wise heart grows quieter; the Daoist eye opens and sees more clearly. Carrying my bamboo staff, I set out on the road to the clouds and summon a jade carriage for a carefree ride.

Admonition to the Dull-Witted

The clever and gifted rejoice when they encounter the opportunity to study immortality; the dull and slow must undergo refinement. Fan the fire within the heart to dispel ignorance; polish your words through conversation and laughter to awaken the benighted.

If you can awaken, heed my instruction, and be willing to take refuge in the Dao, then you are my companion on the Way. The auspicious man Wang Tansong is free of thought and worry, at ease and content.

Raising Funds to Make Iron-Coin Boxes

If you can dispel the darkness and impurity within yourself, you will be able to discern the Three Fields (three sites of internal alchemy practice) on Mount Badu. When the mind grows still, it returns to emptiness and quiet. How can you seek the mysterious Great Dao amid all the noise?

It is like seeking a metal tiger in wood or nurturing a fire lotus in water. If you wish to understand the Knife-and-Cup method (a practice of internal alchemy), please contribute to Wang Feng’s iron-jar fund, used to support the community or cover ritual expenses.

Inscribed on the Carefree Studio

Carefree—what is true carefreeness? Let the pines and bamboo be battered; I only smile. From now on, when white clouds come to the mouth of the cave, there is no need to seek them far away, on the mountainside or beside green waters.

Qu Yuan threw himself into the river, lamenting in vain that the age was corrupt. Yang Xiong leapt from a tower, offering only a futile jest at his own expense. Once you see this principle and grasp its true meaning, cast aside even tortoise hair and rabbit horns—things that do not exist in the world.

Yang Gong Seeks Guidance

This dignified, seven-foot body is no more than a temporary union of causes and conditions. Food and clothing simply sustain it. Do not judge by ordinary appearance or the shape of the bones; recognize within it a true nature like the majestic sixteen-foot golden body of a Buddha.

After awakening, one can reach in all directions and use one’s powers without limit. Understand the conditions for transforming beings in the East, and you can bring a perfect virtuous cause to fruition. Even if you manifest in a body a thousand feet tall, you can remain free and unhindered. You should go among ordinary people and turn the Dharma Wheel, teaching the Way and guiding living beings.

Sending Off the Military Judge’s Younger Brother, Who Seeks the Way to Peace and Joy

If you wish to attain true peace and joy, let yourself be guided by wholesome conditions, open your heart, and leave behind the dust and afflictions of the world. Amid the noise, do not let external things entangle you and drain your mind and Qi. In quiet solitude, nourish your spirit so that body and mind may grow full and strong.

Then you will naturally recognize the clarity of the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—and bring body and mind into harmony, as though every season held the feeling of spring. Though your outward appearance may seem clear and bright, you will also possess genuine peace within. Ordinary people may not notice, but without realizing it, you will have cultivated yourself into an immortal.

To My Elder Brother

Among brothers born of the same parents, who can awaken to metal in water, a hidden phrase for internal alchemy? The years of Earth Rabbit and Water Dragon each have their own pursuits. I have now withdrawn among clouds and waters; I urge my elder brother to stop pursuing fame and fortune.

When will debts of gratitude as high as mountains and love as deep as the sea finally be settled? The life of the ordinary world is like a fiery house and a prison cage, troubling the heart day after day. Do not let the mound before you hold you back; Penglai, the legendary mountain of immortals, has finer peaks elsewhere.

The methods used in cultivation to help cope with hunger and cold are only three: the highest is begging for food, the middle is performing talismanic rites, and the lowest is preparing medicines. If one remains only at the level of these practices, without genuine inner cultivation, they have little effect and do not yet count as true cultivation.

Those who know only how to beg for food, draw talismans, and make medicines often assume that these three things are what it means to cultivate the true (to refine body and mind and seek accord with the Dao). In truth, without solid inner practice, it is difficult to regulate one’s breath; excessive fatigue from outward affairs can also deplete the spirit.

If you do not seek profound principles within your own nature, where else can you find the root of things? If you can discover here the vision of everlasting spring, you will be free and at ease, transcending the Six Dusts (the six sensory realms that pull people along).

A Duke Seeks the Release of Living Creatures

You know how to regard yourself and other living beings as equals: from the human perspective, the lives of all things are no different. Their forms may vary, but birds and beasts alike should be allowed to preserve their lives.

Your benevolence is as generous as a mountain, and your kindness flows far like a river. The unseen workings of cause and effect never go astray. Your blessings will in time be complete, and your immortal years will endure upon the altar of the immortals.

Inscribed on the View of the Perfected Ma

Personally paying reverence to the true sage, I gaze toward Mount Kunyu, a sacred Daoist mountain. The shadows of its layered peaks and the mist among them veil the sky. The mountain’s numinous beauty draws refined and unhurried people to visit; even “Wind-Struck One,” Wang Chongyang’s self-designation, is worthy to accompany the colored clouds.

Gold gives form to the true spirit’s nature; white jade adorns the original, primordial appearance. Do not speak only of Mount Zhongnan’s lovely scenery: wherever the immortals dwell, they are equally at ease and complete.

Asked about the Union of Dragon and Tiger

Do not ask what the dragon and tiger really are. That glimmer of awareness in the heart is the true teacher who guides cultivation. Harmonizing Qi (the life breath spoken of in Daoism) and settling the spirit is called “union”; setting the heart aright and devoting oneself wholeheartedly is how one nurtures a gentle, peaceful energy.

Giving equally to others is the practice of the Great Dao. Remaining pure and steadfast brings true compassion. As manifold visions appear, radiant completeness takes shape, guiding the practitioner to refine the Golden Elixir (the result of Daoist internal alchemy) and gather the Jade Fungus (a symbol of immortal medicine and the fruits of cultivation).

Sun Asks about the Three Teachings

The three traditions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are fundamentally connected; since ancient times, they have all arisen from the same underlying principle. Once you fully understand it, you will know how to advance, withdraw, and choose what to accept or set aside. Grasp its principles, and your mind will become spacious.

Who can surpass a Daoist in using spirit, Qi, and timing? The sun, moon, and stars can all serve as metaphors for understanding the Great Dao. When you understand how things work, discern the written words, and keep your mind clear and balanced, you can contemplate emptiness above the bright, open sky.

Ren Asks about Original Nature

It resembles gold, jade, or pearls, quietly displaying the radiance of five colors. Yet its myriad rays of light have not appeared; a layer of dust and grime still veils its surface.

Wash it again and again, and its rounded form gradually emerges; polish it with care, and its original appearance comes into view. It neither arises nor perishes, but rests in tranquil brightness. Only then does one realize that one has returned to one’s original state.

Wooden Fish

The wooden fish has no belly cavity and no heart. Hung in the hall, it gives a clear, crisp sound when struck. It plants wholesome causes and gathers wholesome fruits, drawing offerings of food; its sound also calls monks and nuns to chant the scriptures.

Floods cannot carry it away, and fire may not spare its form from damage. Then one day, in the moonlit night, a cool breeze arrives and breaks its attachment to external things, letting its fragrant scent drift freely.

In Praise of Idleness

I mock myself for being indolent, yet claim to be diligent; in a dream, with brush and ink, I recorded this account of causes and conditions. When others bow to me, I would rather not reply; when I see food, though hungry, I do not move my mouth to eat.

A paper-padded jacket and hemp clothes cover my body year after year. With hair uncombed and face unwashed, I preserve my true nature. I slept for nine years before waking, fearing that a life of ceaseless busyness would secretly wear down the spirit.

Bell

Cast in the shape of a bell, taking its form from the western wind, it hangs in the air, displaying its presence. Struck eighty-one times, it represents the number of Yang lines; struck one hundred and eight times, it is said to accumulate the virtue of Yin.

Thus Daoists use it to mark the Zi and Wu hours, while Buddhists also use it to distinguish emptiness from fullness. If others are willing to strike the bell attentively over time, they may come to understand the sound they themselves produce.

Wheat Porridge

The wheat porridge is white as frost and smooth as a ball of honey, pure and bright, with a fragrance all its own. A precious knife gently cuts it into jade-like portions, while a silver spoon slowly lifts its broth, like nectar.

It is as if a Golden Boy were offering up gleaming immortal herbs; as an immortal guest chews, a snow-like radiance flashes in the mouth. It harmonizes the five organs and restores upright Qi, bringing lasting coolness from then on.

Drum Tower

At dusk and dawn, the sound of the horn is mournful. The hurried beat of the drum rises, as though it could drive away pestilence and disaster. The water clock marks the hours by its graduations; the bells keep time with the beat, signaling the changes of the night watches.

With every night, the hundred years of life draw closer to their end, and night hastens the passing of a lifetime’s finest years. I urge those who ask me for poems to awaken early. Do not wait until the fifth watch is announced at your ear to realize that time has passed.

Duke Jiang Builds a Bell Tower

The Three Jewels of the monastery—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—deserve reverent devotion. The lofty tower was built to reveal a scene of solemn splendor. May the bell’s sound resound through the air, its clear, far-reaching tones cleansing the world.

The bell roars like a mass of pure gold. Once struck, it seems to set the lands in all ten directions echoing with its own sound. People, great and small, can all turn toward it and hold it in reverence. May each person ultimately attain perfection.

Asked by a Seeker of Chan and the Dao

Seeking the Dao only through Chan leads nowhere in the end. Those who truly understand the Dao can also penetrate Chan’s principles and cut off distinctions between love and aversion. Those who bring Chan and the Dao together in perfect harmony are practitioners of the highest rank; those who attain only Chan or only the Dao may still be called true monks.

When the heart is steeped in the Dao, it becomes clear and pure. When will the meaning of Chan return from purity to clarity? Ah, transcend the distinctions between Chan and Chan, Dao and Dao, and you will naturally rise beyond them.

At the Gathering in the Qingbai Hall of the Prefect of Dengzhou

A pool of spring water lies in Qingbai Hall, clear and luminous, deep and secluded. It wells up without cease and never runs dry; its lively waters surge forth to nourish those who are destined to receive them.

Light enters through the window and illuminates the jade-like surface. Before the door, the wind stirs the shadows of the trees, making their branches and leaves seem like golden lotuses. Fragrance fills the room as the lively ripples gather, seeming to lift up a pearl and carry it straight into the blue sky.

Awakening to the Dao

Uncover the nature that has always been complete within, and it will reveal itself clearly. Release the inner true light, and it can dispel thoughts and feelings. The Three Treasures—Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit), in Daoist cultivation—will surely help one investigate true awakening. If you hold fast to your numinous, lucid nature, why worry that you cannot attain perfection?

With awakening comes the ability to wield wondrous powers, and the mind becomes open and clear. Recognize the subtle import of the mysterious, and you will see the pure source. The mortal body becomes an immortal traveler beyond the clouds, continuing along the path of long life.

Strolling by Xingqing Pond

Wandering at ease by Xingqing Pond, I find that the scene before me is simply this. Rain strikes the lotus leaves, scattering droplets like pearls in every direction; the wind sweeps through the bamboo tips, and their swaying branches and leaves sound like jade pendants touching.

Spring is green as far as the eye can see, and the summer scenery is lovely too.

Strolling by Xingqing Pond

Wandering at ease by Xingqing Pond, I find that the scene before me is simply this. Rain strikes the lotus leaves, scattering droplets like pearls in every direction; the wind sweeps through the bamboo tips, and their swaying branches and leaves sound like jade pendants touching.

In spring, trees put forth fresh green leaves; in summer, red lotuses bloom in profusion. Autumn waters grow clear, while winter reveals a jade-like radiance. Where is the source, clear as crystal? Even when asked about it, no one truly knows.

Chan Master Chu Hongrun requests a verse on No-Form

Cultivation requires that you discern the right direction, see through the ordinary body, and understand that the nature of all things is the same. Seek awakening on mountains covered in white snow; experience emptiness on hills lit by red clouds.

This truth is contained in the scenes of spring, and this affinity is reflected in the moon’s shadow. Do not cling to the “cypress tree” koan before the courtyard, a Chan meditation prompt in which a cypress is given as an answer. Your own true nature is the foundation of the lineage.

An old monk asks about life and death

In my life, I have already grasped the right path and great wisdom. However words and rhythms may change, they can always return to harmony. I have climbed steep peaks on the path to awakening and crossed high slopes on the road to Bodhi.

Through spiritual insight and understanding, I attained a fruit like the white lotus. True nature rises even beyond the branches of the Jetavana grove, a Buddhist sacred site. From now on, I am no longer bound to the cycle of birth and death; I return to Prajñā, wisdom, and Pāramitā, the crossing to the other shore.

A good friend asks how farming can aid the Way

Do not be entangled in worldly concerns. Instead, be still and focused, and devote yourself to sincere worship and recitation. Keep observing your mind with wisdom, tending your mind-field each day as carefully as you would till a field and pull its weeds.

Continue to increase your merit and virtue. Do not let the lamps go unlit or the oil run out, and cut away the weeds of affliction. When the seedlings of cultivation have grown pure and abundant and your practice is complete, carry its harvest and offer it to Vairocana, the Buddha whose name signifies the Dharma Body that shines everywhere.

Master Su asks to resign from office and live at ease

If people speak of a life of ease, no one is freer than the immortals of Penglai. Clouds and rosy mists without limit are their companions; the clear wind and bright moon suspended in midair are their karmic affinity.

With penetrating wisdom, one can drift beyond the world. As wisdom rises, one’s state of realization advances with it. Master Su, cast off your ordinary body and come here to speak of the Way of long life.

Dream

By day, we are often close to the sights of the outer world; only in dreams at midnight do true feelings and circumstances appear. The Seven Po are content to turn with demons, while the Three Corpses rejoice in consuming a person’s vital essence and Qi.

Restrain the mind-monkey tightly, so that no misguided thought can touch it; keep the intent-horse firmly in check, so it does not roam at night. This body by day, temporarily formed from the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind—when you think carefully about it, how does it differ from what a person experiences in a dream?

Lü, a good friend, requests verses from the Diamond Sutra

The four-line verse of the Diamond Sutra begins with “Maha” (“great”), and next one must seek the six-syllable mantra. Raise the sword of wisdom and awaken prajna wisdom: then you can cross beyond the sea of suffering, reach the farther shore, and attain paramita—the crossing to the shore of liberation.

Only by recognizing the original mind and seeing one’s original nature can one understand the true Dao. Understanding the principles of mercury and lead is akin to understanding “mita” (paramita, reaching the farther shore). Practice in accordance with the essential guidance given here, and you can ascend into the blue sky and leave the saha world, the troubled realm of existence.

Yu Gong ate no grains from childhood. His destined path to the Dao lay only at Mount Yujing; he needed neither food to nourish his body nor deliberate adornment of his appearance. He regularly tended his original Qi with the moisture of true water, while nurturing his spirit in lasting ease, like a white cloud. When his cultivation was complete, he could transcend the intermediate realms; when lead and mercury joined, he could leave the world of dust. Once all impurities within and without had been completely cleared away, radiance could reappear and circulate without end.

Asked about Ease and Serenity

Keep the mind clear and settled; do not let it grow restless and distressed. When the nature is tranquil, raise the sword of wisdom. Shatter the distracting thoughts of the mundane world and search carefully for what is revealed; cleave open the shadowed chambers of the heart and recognize the peace and ease within.

As I pass through the peaks, the bright moon is my friend; as I cross the ridges, a lone cloud is my companion. Once cultivation is complete, we will dwell as neighbors, return to the realm of immortals, and roam freely among the Three Isles in search of the Peaches of Immortality.

Someone Jokingly Says I Want to Steal the Foot Pass

How fortunate, how fortunate, to have met a nobleman like the village marquis! Why would I steal my own foot pass, my travel document? You have not suffered the afflictions of the three poisons—greed, anger, and delusion—while I have already escaped the vengeful suffering of the Ninefold Darkness, the underworld.

The mind is like the bright moon, moving in accord with the heart of Heaven; the nature is like a clear breeze, flowing with the nature of the Dao. Even if the short foot pass is taken again, the long foot pass remains, enough to keep spiritual radiance circulating without end above the Eastern Sea.

Director Yan Asks about Long Life

Yan Zhongxian, the director in charge of prison affairs, asked about the way to long life. It was the hour when the first night watch was being struck in the tall tower. Seize the moment and set the Five Qi—the five primordial energies spoken of in cultivation—circulating clearly. Also reverse the order of Jia and Geng, and subdue the Three Peng, the Three Corpses, inner spirits said in Daoism to cause illness and wrongdoing.

To obtain the golden vessel refined in a single day, one must first emerge from today’s pit of red fire. Recognize the true road to Penglai, sit securely upon the Jade Terrace, and raise a cup to drink the jade nectar.

Duke Song asked how to cultivate. Set the mind straight and clear the heart, and your actions will flow freely; from this, flowers like jade will appear. The treasures in the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers within the body regarded in Daoist cultivation as places for refining and nurturing) greet the morning dew, while a grain of cinnabar gleams in the breeze at dawn.

Scarlet radiance gradually turns white, and the bright white light turns deep red. When you are not attached to substantial forms, illusory visions appear; abide in emptiness within emptiness, and what appears is still the original emptiness.

People often do not understand cultivation; in the end, it is simply the earnest practice of compassion. The lofty adept in red robes wanders through mountains and rivers; the master in a black cap enters a luminous realm.

People often do not understand cultivation; in the end, it is simply the earnest practice of compassion. The lofty adept in red robes wanders through mountains and rivers; the master in a black cap enters a pool of fire. When the white horse neighs, gold answers in kind; where the green ox plows, jade lies pure and flawless. Luminous clouds shine across heaven and earth, and even the smallest child appears within a dragon-shaped halo.

Those who cultivate the Great Vessel do not shun the world’s splendor. The cool and crystalline, the wild and foolish—all belong to my family. A fresh breeze brushes the face, filled with the Qi of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection); before the bright moon, precious cinnabar takes form.

Often examine your former appearance and nature, then take up and reveal a new form. Cast everything you have cultivated into the blue sky; pierce through empty space, and reveal a scene like tender shoots.

A dragon’s roar brings forth the tiger’s cry; waves of snow, caught up in the wind, roll and surge without end. Purify the heart and make the spirit nature clearer; harmonize the two Qi of Yin and Yang until they mingle. The turtle swims out to play in the sea, and a red phoenix flies in to nest above your head. A radiant full moon shines high over the jade peak of Sanmao, a Daoist sacred mountain.

Once you have seen your innate nature, you understand today what you were before. Leave the dusty world and become a guest beyond the clouds; step away from worldly life and cease to be a person of the soil. Looking back, subduing cinnabar and mercury (terms in alchemy often used to refer to the fiery nature or mind-spirit) was the very work of old that settled mercury (an alchemical term often used for the watery nature or Jing). A spark of numinous clarity returns to stillness; within its perfectly integrated radiance, a golden wheel turns.

Once you seize the Mysterious Pass (the crucial inner aperture in cultivation), there is no more need to search elsewhere. Refine the Qi of pure Yang, and Yin will be exhausted. From then on, continually add “fire above the wood” and use it to smelt “metal within the water.” Who can see the many wondrous responses? This spark of true numinosity can only be experienced for oneself. When gathered, it becomes form; when dispersed, it becomes Qi.

Once you seize the Mysterious Pass, there is no more need to search elsewhere. Refine the Qi of pure Yang, and Yin will be exhausted. From then on, continually add “fire above the wood” and use it to smelt “metal within the water.”

Who has truly seen the many wondrous responses and signs? The one genuine spiritual nature can only be experienced and cherished for oneself. When it gathers, it takes form; when it disperses, it becomes Qi (vital energy). It moves to and fro in the clear sky, never by deliberate effort.

The fetal immortal—the inner immortal spirit spoken of in Daoism—dances lightly and brings the immortal body to completion. This is all because one has always followed the upright path. Why would one need to imagine a golden tiger coiling in the Dantian (energy center), or make a jade dragon surge about in the precious cauldron, the symbolic vessel of alchemy?

Dismiss the lead and mercury that stir and disturb—the Neidan terms for the Yin and Yang energies within the body—and let the heart-mind and spirit settle into stillness. Once Yin and Yang have transformed, joy deepens within. A red glow rises over the mountaintop; reflected light shines brightly, revealing the azure luan, a mythical bird and image of the immortal realm.

The floating clouds disperse, and the moonlight grows clear. Inner radiance shines back, like a divine vessel drawing near the shore. Water and Fire meet and open the proper path; the interplay and harmony of Wood and Metal establish the foundation for long life. Black lead and red mercury dwell in the north and south, while the White Tiger and Azure Dragon—symbols in Neidan of Yin-Yang and the energies of the Five Phases—shift in turn with the seasons. Practice in this way, and you will understand the true meaning within and form a canopy of jade threads in the void, a symbolic image of the fruits of inner cultivation.

Once the light shines through, there is no need to seek deliberately or cling to shallow or profound stages. Sit upright in stillness and let the flow of Qi pass through Zi and Wu, the north and south, which may also refer to the channels through which Qi moves in the body. Turn the spirit inward, and Ding and Ren, the Celestial Stems, appear again, expressing changes in the flow of Qi during inner cultivation. Five-colored radiance turns without cease, and a mysterious principle reveals itself at every moment. Grasp the wondrous scene in the void and regard it as a precious sign of attainment.

The art of breathing and guiding the breath is no shallow matter; it nourishes the Golden Elixir that has always been within. Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen (spirit) follow one another like mother and child, condensing into true radiance; when Qi and Shen come together, a strange light appears. Yin and Yang reverse and unite, each concealing its own secret principle. Only when the breath above and below is harmonized is the key grasped. One should go to the highest place in the deep mountains and dwell there in peace, like a lone moon hanging high.

From the very beginning, when one learns to gather the breath and regulate the flow of Qi, one sows it in the Jade Pool, the name of an immortal pond and an image of the inner cultivation realm, as though planting a jade lotus. A particularly white lotus grows, then unfolds into five petals, each complete in itself. In the past, one had already understood the realm of penetrating mystery; now one understands that all things return to nature. No longer driven by the four seasons…

From the very beginning, when one learns to gather the breath and regulate the flow of Qi, one sows it in the Jade Pool as though planting a jade lotus. A particularly white lotus grows, then unfolds into five petals, each complete in itself.

In the past, I had already grasped the principles that lead to the mysterious Dao. Now I understand even more clearly that everything ultimately returns to its natural course. Having transcended the ordinary, I am no longer hurried along by the changing seasons. Dwelling in an immortal realm of eternal spring, I need not count the years and months.

Cultivation draws on the “Diagram of the Nine Yangs,” a chart symbolizing the generation and circulation of Yang Qi during practice. Once its principles are understood, all things can be brought back to life. The wise therefore know how to transcend natural change; the foolish may toil in vain, yet still fail to comprehend.

When cultivation succeeds, one can see through “being within nonbeing”: within the formless, life is already stirring. After attaining success, one also understands that “being” is like “nonbeing.” Being and nonbeing, and their intermingling, no longer show any fixed form. To perceive the formless and shapeless within being is to comprehend the Way of Heaven.

Knowing where to begin in cultivation can free one from the suffering of the “Three Paths”—the three realms of hardship described in Daoism. A shout awakens the former, ordinary self, and one is no longer the same mediocre person as before. Even entering fire, one is not burned; crossing a river, one neither sinks nor drifts away.

The essence of the sun shines on forever, and the jade tree in the moon palace never withers. This Great Elixir, the crystallized Jing, Qi, and Shen formed through Neidan practice, transcends the mundane world, allowing one to roam freely through the realm of emptiness.

The “Ever-Learning Daoist” says:

Those who boast that they have cultivated the Dao, though they have achieved nothing, truly need to be shaken awake: all they do is show off their supposed abilities before others. They understand neither the Confucian Way, and have only a coward’s heart; nor do they grasp Buddhist teachings, yet they look down on monks.

They seek transcendence while clinging to a life of sensual pleasures and wealth, and dream of becoming immortals while indulging in food, drink, and pleasure. There is nothing inherently wrong with living in the ordinary world. It is only by multiplying distinctions and attachments in the pursuit of the Dao that people bind themselves ever more tightly.

Keep the heart upright and free of deviant thoughts. Study the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism widely, and they can be brought together. When their principles are made clear, the Three Teachings have no fundamental differences. Once their subtle mysteries are understood, there is no higher method left to seek.

To remain unattached to all things and keep the mind clear and pure is most worthy of praise. The perfected one, reborn after countless kalpas, can then ride the clouds and mists.

If you truly admire the Great Dao, let go of worries and entanglements, be content in solitude, and sleep alone. In stillness, find stillness once more, and you will grasp the mystery; in leisure, find still more leisure, and in the end you will firmly return to the Dao.

Then, by releasing body and mind and acting freely, you will truly be worthy of praise. The perfected one, reborn after countless kalpas, can ride the clouds and mists.

If you truly admire the Great Dao, let go of worries and entanglements, be content in solitude, and sleep alone. In stillness, find stillness once more, and you will grasp the mystery; in leisure, find still more leisure, and in the end you will firmly return to the Dao.

At the time, I gave myself over to freedom and abandon, yet my mind remained calm and at ease, cool and clear day after day as I received the teachings of sages and worthies. Do not look to immortals for help, and there is no need to speak idly of immortals. Teach people simply to sit in stillness; in time, they will sit upon a pure white lotus.

Last year I lived in Ninghai Army; this year I have traveled through Wendeng County. I have passed through two year-ends, as the cold gave way to warmth, and celebrated two New Year festivals, as darkness once more yielded to light.

Who can understand this way of turning things upside down? I alone have mastered the changes of Yin-Yang within it. A measure of true gold has just been refined in the furnace. There is no need to hammer it further; it will naturally become whole.

If you can grasp the principle, do not seek beyond yourself. Your own mind and spirit are the true master. Study the accounts of the ancients’ practice with care, and do your utmost to follow your own path of cultivation.

Reflect deeply, and you will understand the awakened nature you knew before. When your mind is clear and upright, you can recover your original compassion. When compassion and purity are both complete, awakening comes suddenly, and nothing in the world can bind you again.

Recognize the lotus in your heart, and you will feel the wind stir it. Within the mysterious, mercury and lead—the symbolic terms of Neidan cultivation—are joined. Inner practice over three thousand days must follow the method of a thousand dawns; over ten years, the Ninefold Turning practice teaches transformation through successive stages.

Ten thousand layers of colored light spread into whiteness; within the bright light, a single point gives forth deep red. Use the void to reflect the images within the void: see true emptiness, which is not nothingness.

Several fellow practitioners gather together to nourish the body, while I alone wander the streets like a fool. When hungry, I eat coarse food; when cold, I let rough clothes cover me.

These verses still cannot distinguish the subtleties of their meaning, and my heart can scarcely recognize its awakened nature. In practice, it is not enough to maintain one’s discipline at every moment; one must also repay the kindness of one’s parents.

Poem of One to Seven Characters

Ode to Tea

Tea, tea.

Jade-like calyxes, precious jade buds.

It gives rise to the wisdom that sees all things as empty, and reveals the beauty of the void.

It refreshes the spirit, as though summoning clouds and rosy mists.

This is what my heart treasures; there is no need to praise the world’s flavors.

One cup of tea can stir Li Bai’s delight; seven bowls recall Lu Tong’s tale.

Brew the jade-like buds alone over a golden flame, and the radiance of golden blossoms will appear.

Wine

Wine, wine.

It soils the lips and dirties the tongue.

It often clouds one’s disposition and dims the spirit.

It damages one’s original vitality, the root of life, and shortens one’s years.

A little drunkenness clogs the heart with sorrow; heavy drunkenness harms the mind and spirit.

When you are reckless and arrogant with yourself, you show no shame toward others either. Better from now on to abstain from wine, remain clear-headed, and devote yourself to the practice of the Ninefold Cultivation, a Daoist regimen based on the number nine.

Sexual Desire

Sexual desire, sexual desire—its troubles are many, and it drains away blessings. It damages Golden Essence and Jade Nectar, Daoist terms for essence and bodily fluids.

It wears down Qi and Shen, and corrupts benevolence and virtue. It leaves the Three Dantian empty and throws the Five Organs into disorder.

It causes the clear awareness of one’s innate nature and spirit to perish, cutting off the practice of the Ninefold Cultivation.

Sexual desire, sexual desire—its troubles are many, and it drains away blessings. It damages Golden Essence and Jade Nectar, wears down Qi and Shen, and corrupts benevolence and virtue. It leaves the Three Dantian empty and throws the Five Organs into disorder.

It causes the clear awareness of one’s innate nature and spirit to perish, and exhausts the strength of the sinews in the limbs. Better not to indulge in it, so that body and mind may remain at ease for a long time. In this way, one avoids harm and calamity and finds lasting contentment.

Wealth

Money and wealth often become instruments for committing sins. If you spend only to buy sexual pleasure, you will bring calamity upon yourself.

This makes virtue fall away and invites disaster. The suffering caused by accumulated sins extends throughout the Three Realms—Desire, Form, and Formlessness—and one cannot escape the torments of the Nine Netherworlds, the Daoist realm of the dead.

Even if this makes your household wealthy, how could you escape transmigration? Better not to covet wealth and profit, but to remain content and joyful. In this way, you avoid harm and calamity, and your heart grows broad and free.

Anger

Anger, anger—it harms Shen and damages the stomach. Fierce and violent anger is especially bitter to endure. The seven orifices—the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and mouth—remain as usual, yet the eyes seem to boil. Even a heart devoted to the Dao can scarcely turn back such anger. How, then, could one revere the law of the sovereign?

Those who struggle to prevail gather in the streets and lanes, each showing off their strength, only to waste their efforts in vain. Better to stop in good time and withdraw in peace. In this way, you avoid harm and calamity and may also attain distinction and high standing.

A Seven-Syllable Long Poem: In Praise of Wine

Cloud companions and rosy-cloud friends, a Daoist term of endearment for fellow practitioners, often draw near and gather together. The wine’s sharp fragrance seems to nourish Qi and refresh Shen. As all present speak freely of the teachings of the Three Religions—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—a cup passed from hand to hand seems to fill all four seasons with spring.

If you can grasp the ease of the pavilion’s scene, it is as though your body and mind have gained freedom from the world and roam at ease. In stillness and quietude, a gentle breeze keeps you company; in a secluded, tranquil place, the bright moon is your neighbor.

A wondrous fragrance swirls and drifts across the empty sky, while layers of emerald mist unfurl above and below. In a pure and still heart, free of action, thoughts of craving and attachment no longer arise. After drinking, you dance with sleeves in motion, then return to the search for the true Dao.

Hall of Complete Perfection

The hall is called “Complete Perfection.” Its name holds rich meanings of stillness, uprightness, and freedom. Where thatch is enough to shelter one from wind and rain, there is no need to spend the seasons in a tiled house.

Such a quiet, secluded retreat is hard to come by, for the ordinary human body is temporarily formed from the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind. It is always at hand, and so is the practice; whether lying down or resting, one never leaves it.

At times, upon waking, the mind feels especially spacious; with each moment of clarity, one draws closer to oneself. Qi and blood circulate without leaking away, while spirit gathers and joins, remaining undispersed for a long time.

Huichun.

Such a quiet, secluded retreat is hard to come by, for the ordinary human body is temporarily formed from the four great elements. It is always at hand, and so is the practice; whether lying down or resting, one never leaves it.

At times, upon waking, the mind feels especially spacious; with each moment of clarity, one draws closer to oneself. Qi and blood circulate without leaking away, while spirit gathers and joins, remaining undispersed for a long time.

The light of wisdom shines from within, revealing the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars. Blessings gather, drawing one toward longevity and beyond the Six Dusts, the external appearances that stir the mind. One smiles at oneself: the fire within the hall has gone out. Even if thieves outside pile up firewood, what harm can they do?

Lord Lü Seeks the Essential Instructions

Making reverent bows, chanting, burning incense, and praying for blessings may build a mountain of merit. Yet these are not the same as entering the Dao, nor do they reveal its mystery. One must open the inner treasure within the outward, provisionally formed body, and recognize the True Person—the inner true nature—deep within body and mind.

Practice everywhere with a mind free of intention; in every household, one may reveal one’s nature and attend to it with care. A single white thread is firm and pure; a grain of Golden Elixir, the symbol of the refined Jing, Qi, and Shen formed through inner cultivation, shines clear and bright.

Two forces accompany one another, like notes joined in a melody. When the paired passes, the mutually connected openings in cultivation, are opened together, their principle becomes apparent. A lotus rises from the water and blooms in vivid color; every leaf is distinct, each revealing the world of the immortals.

Master Cheng of Wenshan Asks About Inner Matters

Each person is endowed from the outset with the spiritual radiance of the Three Luminaries—the sun, moon, and stars. Their essences descend into the ordinary human body and gather within its form. If one cannot bring one’s nature to fruition, one cannot transcend the transformations of creation; embodied in the body, these essences instead leave one subject to hunger and cold.

To attain understanding, one must search inward for the original source; to see it directly, one must also turn one’s gaze within. Do not cling to sayings about water rising and fire descending, or the tiger retreating and the dragon coiling.

Once Shen, Jing, and Qi are settled, one can pass beyond the Twin Towers. The essences of the sun, moon, and stars circle and converge into a single mass. This is the truly simple path of cultivation: within the azure mists lies the Withered Gold Pellet.

Cultivation

When the Lower Dantian—the place where Jing is refined into Qi in Daoist Neidan cultivation—is firmly guarded and stable, the true fire can kindle. The pure and refined Qi is no longer disturbed by external influences and gradually grows solid. When the count of “one-nine” is reached, body and mind gain in grace and beauty; once the two passes are connected, cultivation approaches completion.

Now that it has congealed into form and begun to show results, the pass in the middle must also be opened, and the original root clearly recognized. One must reach a state of true purity, true stillness, and undisturbed quiet, so that defilements no longer entangle the mind and spirit.

In the blink of an eye, all the parts come into harmony and join together; in a moment, balanced and harmonious Qi also begins to circulate within the body. Sit peacefully in the Hall of Light, a name for the place where the mind and spirit reside in Neidan cultivation, and lift the precious incense, symbolizing the incense or true fire of cultivation. Then wander through the Golden Grotto, a symbol of the pure realm within, and attend a jade banquet in the realm of the immortals.

Free of hunger and cold, one can come and go at ease. Having let go of life and death, one can understand the workings of Yin-Yang transformation. A blue-robed attendant of the immortals holds a purple edict, inviting you to keep the company of the immortals for all time.

Reflections on My Inner Life

Sharpen the sword of wisdom until it cuts through confusion and darkness; utterly sever and clear away old attachments. The flames rise high, following the course of Zi and Wu, the directions and times of Yin-Yang ascent and descent. Deeply open the waterway, letting it nourish the eastern and western quarters.

The Upper, Middle, and Lower Dantians open into brightness, like the moon appearing in the heart. Jing, Qi, and Shen are complete, carrying forward the foundations of the Dao. Having seen one’s original nature, one no longer plays the false hero of the mundane world.

The five jade gates, symbolizing layers of inner passes opening, shine with light; a single Golden Elixir, the gathered Jing and Qi formed through Neidan cultivation, turns red. The free and realized person climbs to a mountain peak, holding a sacred mushroom as they stroll through the palace of lotuses.

Talk of tea and soup is all elegant idle conversation; what is there of substance to say about the sacred mushroom? Do not boast before others of your superior insight. Know that those who are truly free from the world simply smile at ease beyond it.

The Red Dragon, symbolizing heart fire or Yang Qi, stirs the sea and adds water to the fire of Li. Purple flames rest in the furnace, gently warming the river of Kan water. The Wooden Horse, symbolizing Wood nature and Liver Qi, can follow the Water Tiger, symbolizing Water nature and Kidney Qi; the Golden Old Man, symbolizing Metal nature and Lung Qi, must marry the Yellow Matron, symbolizing Earth nature and the intention of the Spleen. In this way, the Five Phases are brought into harmony.

Mercury and lead, which in Neidan represent the two medicines of Yin and Yang, have been joined and refined since ancient times. Now, in the cultivator’s heart, the infant and the maiden—images representing Yin and Yang essence and energy—are also gradually growing in number. If everyone at the table can turn back together to cultivate and free themselves, I too am willing to teach you to climb the high slope toward liberation.

Sharing Tea with Elder Chuan

The guests seated here are all immortal-like figures, and today they have received the heavenly sacred mushroom. At the time of gathering it, only I knew its source; as it was ground, no one understood its true nature.

The dust scatters, white as fine jade, and its fragrance is especially rich. Hot water is poured in; the tea foam churns like waves of snow, and the brew is clear and white.

Golden flowers bloom in the rabbit garden, while jade stamens unfurl in the rooster courtyard. Golden light and white radiance appear: this is Vairocana (the Buddha of universal illumination, whose name also evokes a realm suffused with light).

A Visit to Xiangyan Monastery

The bell rings out with a roar like the sound of gold; the wooden fish sounds like wood. Incense seems to kindle a sacred flame, and water rests in a jeweled vase.

Who can understand these four sights? The teachings of the Three Vehicles (the Buddhist paths of the Śrāvaka, Pratyekabuddha, and Bodhisattva) will then become clearer. To penetrate this subtle principle is to attain perfect realization.

The Monk Jingshi Seeks Instruction in Practice

Recite Amitabha Buddha’s name according to the teachings, and the mind becomes cool and calm. To let the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—shine, one must understand the Six Perfections (the six practices of giving, precepts, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom).

Let Prajñā (wisdom that sees through to truth) shine forth continually, and Bodhi (awakening) appear again and again. Realize Suchness (the true, unchanging nature of things), and joyfully transcend Samsara, the world in which we live.

Reflections

A fine gateway must be carefully guarded on every side. A golden boy holds a jade lock, while a jade maiden carries a golden key.

Once closed, it is seen by no one; when opened, only you know. Continually shoulder the task of opening a path, and come and go among the purple lingzhi, a symbol of the immortal realm.

To behold the realm of Bodhi, one must understand Pāramitā (Prajñāpāramitā, the practice of attaining wisdom). Coagulate the Three Treasures (Jing, Qi, and Shen in Daoist internal alchemy), and the Six Perfections will appear.

All things have their source, and every matter has something it depends on. Once you penetrate things completely, you can break free of bondage; jade liquid moistens the golden waves.

Breath is full, and the spirit clear; the mind is tranquil, and the nature at ease. Jade liquid flows through the Towering Chamber, an image in internal alchemy associated with the throat, while the Golden Elixir is refined in the Twin Towers, bodily images in internal alchemy.

Penetrate the essential principles completely, and every matter has something it depends on. Once you penetrate things completely, you can break free of bondage; jade liquid moistens the golden waves.

Breath is full, and the spirit clear; the mind is tranquil, and the nature at ease. Jade liquid flows through the Towering Chamber, while the Golden Elixir is refined in the Twin Towers.

Penetrate the Three Paths and bring them together as one rounded whole. Red flames rise without cease, and purple light gathers too.

This is the foundation of cultivation; the light of spiritual clarity appears through utmost sincerity. Exhaust the visions beyond the world, and extinguish worldly desires.

The energies of the four seasons circulate within the body, while the sun, moon, and stars shine above. If you understand the method of reversing Yin-Yang, why worry that you cannot attain perfect realization?

The Dao endures within one’s nature. Though the body may suffer affliction, the mind need not grieve. Yellow sprouts grow everywhere, and white snow is gathered throughout the garden.

In women’s Neidan, the “Maiden” and the “Infant” are images of the body, mind, and intention during cultivation. The Maiden is especially joyful, while the Infant is peaceful and at ease. The first essential method of cultivation is the “knife and measure” (daogui, an Neidan term for a small but potent elixir or a crucial formula). Beyond this, what else is there to seek?

To set out on the path of cultivation, one should first ascend the “Jewel Terrace,” a place symbolizing the quiet and exalted state of practice. Raise your head and gaze: the realm is lofty and vast. Turn inward and look down: you may escape the cycle of rebirth.

When the heart-mind is clear and still, the true spirit appears, and the keen eyes of spiritual insight grow bright and open. But this depends on the “inversion method,” which reverses ordinary habits of body and mind in Neidan cultivation. How can one truly master this way of reversal?

Long Poem in Five-Syllable Lines

Presented to the Prefect of Dengzhou

Dengzhou lies toward the immortal realm of Penglai. Aunt Zhu heard of this and her face lit with joy. Where your carriage and horses pass, it is like the timely rain of virtuous rule; where your procession goes, it is like a gentle breeze of benevolence.

Double banners lead the way, proclaiming your dignity; on either side, the horses surge forward with imposing force. You govern the region as Shaobo planted pear trees to benefit the people; you educate them as Weng of Wen established schools and spread instruction.

Your achievements in office are manifest and bright; your words honor the nature-principle, and your reasoning is harmonious and complete. If one day you hold high office, may your heart be of one accord with mine.

Reflections on My Life

Achievement in public service was like that of Father Wang Si; meeting calamity was like the Third Grandson’s encounter with disaster. Only when I suddenly looked back did I recognize how long I had lived in darkness.

Open the true eye of the Dao, and you will leap beyond the paths of right and wrong. Now that you have become one who transcends the world, how could you again be a corpse buried beneath the earth?

Each of the three famous mountains has its own fine scenery; all four seasons are mild and pleasant. Among the myriad things, some are right and some are wrong. As for endless disputes over right and wrong, there is no need to argue any further.

Your eyes are dim and your ears cannot hear. Even when a clear voice reaches you, you still cannot make it out. I urge you not to sing those mountain songs anymore: at the mention of anything, you rush to agree and ask questions.

If you do not honor the worthy and the sages, why trouble yourself by inviting disputes? All things are illusory; in the end, the myriad things are empty.

Wife and daughter are like a thousand catties of iron; children and grandchildren, ten thousand measures of copper: they weigh heavily on you and hold you fast. How can you fail to know that you are heading into darkness, yet still take pleasure in rushing about among the people?

As evil deeds pile up without end, how can you be sheltered by good causes? You only boast of your outward appearance, while your heart-mind drifts like the wind. All things are illusory; in the end, the myriad things are empty.

Wife and daughter are like a thousand catties of iron; children and grandchildren, ten thousand measures of copper: they weigh heavily on you and hold you fast. How can you fail to know that you are heading into darkness, yet still take pleasure in rushing about among the people?

As evil deeds pile up without end, how can you be sheltered by good causes? You only boast of your outward appearance, while your heart-mind drifts like tumbleweed in the wind.

How many people know their Original Nature, the root of life? Who still remembers their ancestors? Who is willing to worry about eventually entering the underworld? And who has ever spoken of the heavenly palaces?

People know only how to covet wealth and beauty. If they go on this way, their understanding and their minds will simply perish together. If they can act with an equal heart, they will be able to enter the “Fivefold Flowering,” a metaphor here for a flourishing state of Daoist cultivation.

A Long Seven-Character Poem with Hidden-Head Lines

Written in Reply to Wang Zirong, Director of the Capital Academy

□ This man belongs to a distinguished clan and is styled Zirong; he loves elegant poetry and wishes to associate with it. □ Fine brocade and embroidery are merely worldly, commonplace things; □ horses, pigs, and sheep are merely creatures of the mundane world.

□ Nine things are expelled from the household; □ three are driven out from the heart. □ A precious jade appears, its light shining within; □ a cinnabar pill bursts forth, strengthening the original Qi in the kidneys.

□ If the ancestors can understand the transformations of creation, □ and the spirit gains even a little insight, harmony and peace will follow. □ Do not linger within, longing to transcend the Three Realms; □ nor search below for the higher of the Two Peaks.

□ Raise your eyes, and Kunlun’s summit comes into view; □ it is said that the grotto-heaven of Linwu has already been sealed. □ Turn the light back and reflect on the path to the beginning; □ only then may you strike the jade bell below.

This concludes The Complete Collection of Chongyang, Volume One.

The Complete Collection of Chongyang, Volume Two

Written by Wang Zhe, Master Chongyang of Mount Zhongnan

Seven-Character Poems with Hidden-Head Lines

Parting from the Tomb

□ Whoever cultivates the Dao should naturally be this way; □ when smoke and fire die away, one can attain the Dao ahead of others. □ Sit calmly and still, too indolent to play; □ be empty and utterly quiet, no longer wild or confused.

□ Let the heart depart from the earth before the tomb; □ cultivate nature to become an immortal, free of the mundane world. □ Do more than leave behind a visible trace above; □ also enable seven generations of ancestors to ascend to heaven.

Presented to the Dharma Master Sengzhao

□ The conditions of this earthly realm draw people away from dusty hills; □ when the heart understands the true principle, genuine cultivation becomes possible. □ The Daoist eye sees beyond the Arhat; □ watering the spiritual root, one’s cultivation surpasses that of Zhaozhou.

□ Treasures rise in the palace of the Thirty-Three Heavens; □ clouds drift past the heights of Jing Mountain. □ The skin is shed, the black disappears, and yellow sprouts emerge; □ one blue ox bellows, and a white ox answers.

Presented to Vice Director Fu

Many lines in the Quanzhen Ji of Chongyang begin with a missing character, shown as “□”; some individual lines are also repeated or incomplete. The following interpretation is based only on the text that survives.

Fu Yue is compared to the Mulberry Lord: his discussions of the mind surpass the writings of the ancients. There are other ways to treat a long-standing illness; each person has a different practice for guarding nature and life. Those skilled in the principles of Yin-Yang can harmonize Water and Fire, while even a slight mistake in cultivation can make one’s efforts come to nothing. If the stars did not bar the way, one could ride off on the clouds.

Reflections on My Feelings

The subtle flavor of inner purity is especially fragrant. In quiet seclusion, I use the Daoist eye—the practitioner’s wisdom for observing things—to look within. Each person has a different practice for guarding nature and life. Those skilled in the principles of Yin-Yang can harmonize Water and Fire, while even a slight mistake in cultivation can make one’s efforts come to nothing. If the stars did not bar the way, one could ride off on the clouds.

The subtle flavor of purity is especially fragrant, and in moments of leisure the Daoist eye is clear. I live at ease, undisturbed by vexation, as though I had entered a gateway where everything feels cool and calm. Who can see through the true meaning of the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism? I carefully observe the three lights: the sun, the moon, and the stars. The world cares only for money; who can recognize this unrestrained resolve to cultivate the Dao?

Presented to the Daoist Wang

As the moon waxes and wanes, the body grows ever lighter and stronger; the cloud chariot, the vehicle of the immortals, travels in calm comfort. How could ordinary people understand the value of a life among clouds and waters? When immortals gather, Jing, Qi, and Shen grow abundant. The way the Ox and Tiger are used is hard for others to discern; I alone can hear the Tiger’s roar. Far from disputes of right and wrong, I set my heart on the Dao. First I go to a pure and secluded place to admire the bright, clear scenery.

In the Rhyme of Perfected Pure Yang

When practitioners of the Dao reach this place, they can delight in clear springs and wash away toil and turmoil beyond the dusty world. Disputes between self and others go on without end; lives begin and end, coming and going without limit. Years of cultivation are needed before dawn-like awakening arrives; with time, practice brings sudden understanding. Now I have seen the White Lotus, a common symbol of a pure realm. My spirit is cultivated, and I may become a Great Luo Immortal, one who dwells in the Great Luo Heaven of Daoist belief.

Admonition

To lose the human body is to face the suffering of ten thousand kalpas; if people do not awaken, they will spend their lives in sorrow. A heart full of craving is like being submerged in a sea of desire, constantly caught in longing. To cling to affection is like being trapped by a mountain of attachments, forever weighed down by melancholy. People wait until every preparation is complete before entering the Dao, yet always put it off and linger. Who can properly take care of the treasure within the heart—the original nature or what is gained through cultivation? Must one wait until after death, lying in an earthen mound in the wilderness?

Delighted to Visit Liquan Again

When the timing and degree of regulation—the firing process in Neidan (internal alchemy)—are in harmony, they nourish and balance one another, caring for the Dantian (energy center), the part of the body cultivated in internal alchemy. After years of practice and steadfastly doing good, one attains an intermediate level of cultivation. If one can remain calm and untroubled each day, one may become an Immortal of the Highest Rank.

Living in the quiet seclusion of a mountain valley keeps one far from the noise of the world. Yet even amid the bustle of the marketplace, one can live in seclusion and hold fast to oneself, and so grasp the essentials of cultivating the Dao. The spirits know a person’s allotted destiny, and Heaven protects them. I rejoice that today I have come to Sweet Spring, a name for a blessed place.

The Two Officials Liu Jiang and Yao of Zhongnan Establish a Zhaijiao

This is a fitting time to speak of the way of cultivating the mind. Here we hold a grand Zhaijiao (purification ritual) for the accomplishment of cultivation. People of the secular world rejoice at encountering this auspicious karmic connection to the cultivation of the Dao. Though we have gathered for this purpose today, the act still springs from compassion.

May De (Virtue/Power) and great blessings lend their support. May good deeds be widely performed, and our ancestors and kin be delivered. We give thanks for the many ways the sages and worthies have protected us. The names of those who take part are already known in Heaven.

Self-Account

How can progress in cultivation be verified? By carefully refining and nourishing the pearl in the Dantian, a metaphor for the Neidan. The nourishment of food and drink depends entirely on protection and support. When Yin-Yang turns, do not become caught up in emotion or attachment.

Let there be no stray thoughts; set aside deliberation and recollection. Do not wander aimlessly; remain in stillness. The firing process…

Self-Account

How can progress in cultivation be verified? By carefully refining and nourishing the pearl in the Dantian. The nourishment of food and drink depends entirely on protection and support. When Yin-Yang turns, do not become caught up in emotion or attachment.

Let there be no stray thoughts; set aside deliberation and recollection. Do not wander aimlessly; remain in stillness. When the Yin-Yang firing process is in harmony, the two nourish and balance one another. May the infant and the maiden—personifications in Neidan of Yin and Yang’s vital energies—be peaceful and thrive.

Sir, this poem repays my debt of poetry; I composed it in accordance with the Golden Rules, the essential principles and precepts. White rice must be blended with white flour; when chewed, each has its own distinct flavor. Where the jade tablet is divided, the two sides come and go, rubbing against one another.

A woman speaks clearly at the pillow’s side, while the infant boy calls out again and again. If you wish to understand the method of reversal, look to this song without words.

Presented to Xuezheng Lai Yanzhong

Who can fathom the inner workings between gold and jade? A perceptive Daoist companion opens the Daoist eye. There is no need to deliberately gaze upward at the sun, moon, and stars outside you; nor need the body within, provisionally formed from the Four Great Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—make you despair.

Leap free of the pit of fire, and you will return to Penglai Isle, the realm of immortals. Dwelling securely at the crown of the head is better than holding a high place in a palace hall. Now I solemnly tell you these plain words: they are spoken especially for Yanzhong.

Wang Dezhao Seeks to Study the Dao

If the tongue never stops when one speaks, desire will be stirred. Once the true seal—the proof or inner teaching of Daoist transmission—is received, the way of the true spirit naturally appears. Human nature is originally whole; through the forms of cultivation, one can distinguish the turbid from the clear.

Follow the way of the highest goodness and return to refining and practice. Begin from the Middle Dantian, the central energy center described in Neidan, and a path forward will open. Cultivation is like eating food made from wheat: one must understand its principle with an impartial heart. Hear this principle, and you will know that it was originally nameless.

Several passages begin with missing characters. The interpretations below follow the text that survives; characters whose wording cannot be established have not been supplied.

All things in the world are in harmony, yet thoughts in the mind branch into countless threads. In the darkness, a spark of spiritual light stirs to life; what appears is a vision of three layers of white vapor.

There is no need to fixate on the body’s blood and sinews, or to let one’s thoughts dwell on the liver, kidneys, lungs, and other organs. Then illness is less likely to take hold. Who can circulate and transform Qi? Sir, do you understand how it works?

These lines also appear in a text titled “In Harmony with Huxian.” Huxian is a place name.

“In Harmony with Huxian: Yang Qingsou’s Green-Variegated Studio”

The bamboo’s skin reveals a fresh green vitality; green leaves layer the hillside. Clouds are reflected in the studio windows, lending them a quiet, pristine air. The bamboo stalks stand upright like jade—how could they deceive anyone?

Hollow within and straight at the joints, bamboo seems to open onto samadhi, a state of deep, focused meditation. Beyond each joint it remains humble and empty, flourishing through every season. The poet composing beneath the eaves seems unsure of the poem’s meaning; only the breeze moves freely across the countless slopes.

“Reflections”

Reciting the classics, I leave the dusty marketplace behind. I no longer struggle to prove myself or compete for victory; I beg for food and let each day unfold as it will. Coming and going like a thread, I may seem clumsy, yet I can pass from being into nonbeing and let things follow their natural course.

In my heart, it is as though a white lotus drips golden sweet dew; a red flame rises too, as if drawn upward by a jade cord. The childlike true nature is nowhere to be seen, and distracting thoughts fade with it. Only the full moon remains.

Fortunate to have cultivated a childlike state in this life, I must still use a treasured sword to cut through distracting thoughts in the days ahead. Below lie a bright pearl and golden sweet dew, though the people of the world do not understand. Who could fathom the elixir refined by the red flame in the heart?

A flood dragon dwells in a tree without fear; a fierce tiger sinks beneath the waves without flinching or retreating. Entering the Niwan, the central point of the head known in Daoist inner cultivation as the upper Dantian, seems to happen naturally. If there is no obstruction, one can reach Penglai, the immortal realm of Daoist legend.

“To Zhao Wenlin, Clerk of Zhongnan”

A bond like gold and jade remains strong across distance and is untouched by worldly troubles; whatever changes in human affairs, it still commands respect. You govern a district and reduce taxes, sheltering the people. You have also accumulated good deeds, and your reputation has spread far and wide.

Cultivating benevolence brings Heaven’s favor of its own accord. The people receive kindness and blessings, and the grace of a sage ruler descends upon them. Who can presume to judge the rank of an official? I first wish Zhao Wenlin peace and good health.

“Thanks to Lord Nanbo”

Thank you to Lord Nanbo for generously sending provisions for the Daoist path. Vegetables and delicacies alike carry their fragrance. After eating this abundant meal, one casts oneself into a new grave and takes the old estate as a place to rest. Through images of food and the grave, the text depicts a cultivator who does not cling to the pleasures of the palate or to an earthly dwelling.

When Jing and Qi are abundant, the marrow nourishes the sinews and bones, and the face can retain its luster. When the spirit is settled and the breath is harmonious, the eyes appear bright. Who can, like Master Wang, devote the time remaining to cultivating the Dao and guarding Zhao Wenlin? The name or title “Zhao Wenlin” is unclear here, and its precise reference is unknown.

In Gratitude to Lord Nanbo

Thank you to Lord Nanbo for generously sending provisions for the Daoist path. Vegetables and delicacies alike carry their fragrance. After eating this abundant meal, one casts oneself into a new grave and takes the old estate as a place to rest.

When Jing and Qi are abundant, the marrow nourishes the sinews and bones, and the face can retain its luster. When the spirit is settled and the breath is harmonious, the eyes appear bright. Who can, like Master Wang, make good use of the time remaining and personally experience its flavor?

I live by begging for food and am grateful for what I receive. Even if it is only a meal of wheat, one should know that it surpasses exotic fragrances. If one concerns oneself only with finding three meals a day, one nourishes nothing but a filthy, decaying body. Once cultivation is complete, the body formed from the Four Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind temporarily joined together—can return to the realm of darkness.

Even as the body gradually grows plump, one should diligently cultivate goodness. Though one’s appearance is plain and the years advance, inner radiance will emerge. When one’s merit and practice are profound, body and mind become at ease and free. The meaning of the line “Whose taste has my bride tasted?” is unclear; it may suggest that the flavor of Daoist cultivation is difficult to put into words for others.

A Letter from Kaide Prefecture to Master Fu, Sent as a Farewell Poem

My heart is filled with the longing of a ten-li farewell; even ordinary people who see someone off must travel along the dusty road of the world. The ox’s bellow rings out, revealing the sharpness of its vital energy; the horse whinnies as though responding to the transformations of nature.

All things contain harmony, and the work of Daoist cultivation gradually comes to fruition. The spirit grows clear and lucid, pure and true. Master Fu, fellow cultivator, is indeed clear-minded and discerning. As he departs at Yang Pass, old friends still come to see him off.

Presented to a Fellow Daoist

I have visited this secluded dwelling many times. Now I settle my thoughts, open the eyes of the heart, and apprehend the true Dao. The jade tree before me seems to burn in the wind, while the golden lotus in the water stirs the imagination. Images such as the jade tree and golden lotus evoke a realm of purity and brightness.

Everyone possesses a nature like precious jade, and the spirit within the heart can grow like a jade shoot. When the heart is pure, it can remain empty and clear. One then connects the lower realm with the heights above and ultimately ascends to the jeweled terrace.

A Fellow Daoist Asks How to Cultivate the Heart and Settle One’s Nature

Only by using the light of wisdom to see what is true can one be said to cultivate in earnest. The key is to let one’s awareness extend throughout body and mind, keeping watch at every moment. First establish inner virtue, and protection and resonance will follow. Once Yang energy has been released, one is no longer held back.

The heart’s precious light shines forth continually, and the luminous pearl above the head burns without ceasing. Harnessing the restless mind with intention, one guides body and mind back to a pure realm. Thus one transcends the mundane world and boards the vessel of the Great Spirit.

When a fellow Daoist prepares a rite and writes talismans

Choose an auspicious day and hour, and summon the assembled immortals. Then arrange together the jade talisman script—the writing on Daoist talismans and registers. The strands of talismanic writing flow on without end, passed down according to ancient methods. Through oral instruction and transmission from heart to heart, each person grasps its essential meaning.

Who can fathom the talisman written in gold? I was the first to understand the formula for the Dantian, the energy center cultivated in internal alchemy. When the Five Phases—Water, Wood, Fire, Metal, and Earth—come together, a single numinous talisman is enough to present a memorial to Heaven.

Requested by Master Wang of the Tiancang Abbey

When you meet someone from a splendid lineage, you find a generous heart. The lord’s wondrous and true Dao shines in perfect radiance. The face first revealed is clear as the rising sun; set the numinous root in motion, and it gathers freely.

The fire of De blazes up, its red flames shining. A single talisman is enough to present a memorial to Heaven.

Requested by Master Wang of the Tiancang Abbey

When you meet someone from a splendid lineage, you find a generous heart. The lord’s wondrous and true Dao shines in perfect radiance. The face first revealed is clear as the rising sun; set the numinous root in motion, and it gathers freely.

The fire of De gives rise to sharp red flames; golden flowers bloom, and purple cold light surges from the water. Every form of cultivation has now been accomplished, and first I offer you congratulations. The infant in the meridians—the nascent original spirit, a symbol in internal alchemy—drinks the Great Elixir, the inner elixir gained through cultivation.

Requested by Lord Han of Wendeng on the Way of Cultivation

Every form of cultivation holds mysteries profound and deep. Its essential methods are interconnected, and the true path can be taught. If you regard the Five Phases as useless, you will miss the heart of the matter; the Four Symbols, too, hold a fresh meaning. In internal alchemy, the Four Symbols represent forces such as Yin and Yang.

Once it can leave the water, the golden-scaled creature leaps aloft. Once it learns to travel with the wind, the jade wrist becomes whole. I still owe an apology for my poems to a friend surnamed Jiang; Lord Han and I dwell together in the Grotto-Heaven, the tranquil realm where immortals reside.

In Praise of Ma Yu

When seeking instruction in the art of cultivation, what matters is the pursuit. Every inch of numinous light is worth an inch of gold. If you can cultivate the Dao’s fruit, you may attain the Fruit of Non-Leakage, a cultivation achievement in which Jing, Qi, and Shen are no longer lost and approach perfection. When the tones accord, there is a bond of affinity as well.

Moonlight shines down, sheltering the Three Dantian Fields—the upper, middle, and lower energy centers. The Yin soul and Yang spirit pass through nine transformations. The perfected person named Yu is refined in true nature, like a flower on a jade terrace leaning against a mountain peak of precious stone.

The Sea

The four seas stretch vast beyond measure—who can fathom them completely? Silver waves surge, their grandeur immense. Three golden giant turtles appear, and the Nine Luminaries—the sun, moon, and five planets among the celestial bodies named in Daoism—begin to shine with brocade-like brilliance.

Auspicious Qi reaches far and wide, illuminating the immortal isle of Penglai. Auspicious peaks tower high, rising straight to the Jade Terrace. At the heart of the waves, all is boundless, without paths or borders; the rivers rush eastward, their billows surging proudly.

Presented to my fellow Daoist Han Maoxian

Let the body and mind unfold freely, following their natural course. Recognize within the heart the “lotus in water,” a metaphor for the pure original nature. When will worldly troubles ever end? The burdens of this world entangle us day after day. Draw the mind back and be bound no longer; wherever you look, recognize the “Three Fields” (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian in Daoist internal alchemy). Do not slacken in the practice of purity. As for “□ shang yan shui Han Maoxian,” the original line contains missing characters, so its meaning is difficult to determine.

Seven-character quatrains

Meeting the Master

At the age of forty-eight, I was fortunate to meet my master and hear the oral instructions. My practice then began to advance. A grain of cinnabar, a metaphor in internal alchemy, grew ever more vivid in color, as though a crimson glow had appeared on Jade Flower Mountain.

Announcing the Date

The old affliction called “harm wind,” a name for one’s supposed madness, has returned. My life may not extend beyond fifty-eight. The two gentlemen have already resolved to come, earnestly seeking out and cleansing this numinous, lucid true nature.

Duanwu Festival

At the direction symbolized by the Li trigram, I encounter a new pond and the Duanwu Festival. Who can understand how to subdue the dragon and tiger, a metaphor in internal alchemy for harmonizing body and mind, Yin and Yang? Amid white clouds and emerald mist, one may roam at ease. I urge you to watch attentively over the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries.

On My Brother’s Death

Everyone weeps only for their family. Who is willing to grieve for themselves? If one could weep bitterly over one’s own life and death and awaken to the truth, one could become an untroubled traveler on the path beyond birth.

The County Magistrate Invited Me to Pay Respects to the Dead, but I Refused

Monks beat drums and cymbals, praising the dead; only “Wang Feng” remains clear-minded. If a skull could still receive people’s offerings, it would no longer be a skull. If it receives no offerings, it is still just a skull.

In Reply to Zhao Qingming of Wugong

Throughout the body are three hundred and sixty joints, each distinct and perfectly clear. The earth thunder shakes, and rain falls from the mountaintop. Wash the yellow sprouts, an internal alchemy term for the essence produced through cultivation, and harmonize the white snow, another internal alchemy term.

Not Drinking Wine

Once sober, I no longer drink the wine of the dusty world. Once awakened to the Dao, I have another cup of wine beyond the world’s bounds. Do not boast that white clouds are everywhere. Step forward naturally, and you will arrive at the immortal realm of Penglai.

The Golden Elixir

The original true nature is called the Golden Elixir. Take the body, formed provisionally from the Four Great Elements, as the furnace in which to cultivate it until it gathers into a whole. Let nothing external taint it, and give up deluded imaginings. When deluded thoughts are cleared away, one naturally enters the gate of the immortal Dao.

A Warning to Understand Heaven’s Mandate

When fortune comes and the time is favorable, it is easiest to lose oneself. Yet even when fortune and opportunity are on one’s side, one should not fear the underworld tribunal. One must still accumulate De and do good, cultivate an understanding of cause and effect, and guard against evil karma building up to its fullness.

Burning the Hermitage

The thatched hermitage has burned down; let it be. There is no need to take it to heart. Yet some people still want to rebuild it. Even if you have awakened and understood, and your resolve is firm and passionate, how could you learn to be as carefree and unrestrained as I am?

Advising Pan Shisilang to Speak Less

Wang Zhe met Pan Libin today. Hearing how eloquent he was, Wang wanted to draw close to him. I thought: your tongue can hardly be made of ordinary flesh and blood. It seems wrapped in silver, your teeth edged with gold, and your lips as hard as iron.

A full moon, without a trace of dust; a flash of numinous light, illuminating the jade terrace. No one recognizes the single Golden Elixir, forged from essence, Qi, and spirit through Daoist internal alchemy. And who can fathom the life and destiny of a person?

Presented to Master Siwu

The recluse of the Seven Pines has left the noisy world behind; the gentleman of the Five Willows has escaped the bonds of love. Once you have become a county magistrate and achieved renown, you can join me in being called “the people of the Four Wutong trees.”

Four wutong trees inspire amazement; beside them, two clusters of spiraea smile, though with a hint of reproach. After sitting for a long while, it seems the clear breeze comes to summon me. Tonight, I shall keep company with the bright moon.

Presented to Dong Defu

In my leisure, I wander at will, then seek the true Dao, taking quietude and detachment as my guide. Guangyuan is just the one to praise the ornaments at the temples, while Defu still hurries through the dusty world.

Presented to Master Du of Jingzhao

Speak neither of white snow and yellow sprouts, nor of lead, silver, mercury, and cinnabar, symbolic terms often used in Daoist alchemy. Let me ask Master Du: if one wishes to cultivate the Great Dao, whose home, exactly, is Mount Kunlun?

Presented to the Monk Ding, Abbot of Jiangcun Temple, Liu

The jade name and wise stillness have already settled the roots of cultivation. Transcending birth and death, one can realize wheat and hemp. If you can explain the principles of stillness and wisdom by turning them inside out, the fine scenery of Guifeng will be yours.

Presented to Zhao Zishen, Dai Yuegui

Who can understand why this flower blooms in every season? Its delicate fragrance drifts far away. If Chang’e had not once descended to earth, how could she have left a celestial seed here to be planted?

Presented to Feng Wulang of the Jingzhao Tax Office

Those who cultivate De (Virtue) recognize the truly worthy and can themselves become truly worthy, like free and carefree immortals dwelling on land. A trace of clear, empty Qi returns to its original place, as though rosy clouds were shining forever on the summit of white clouds.

One who settles into cultivation by the mountain can become an immortal; one who masters the oral instructions can attain the precious foundation of practice. From the Dui position, one of the Bagua directions, to the Zhen position, another of the Bagua directions, grasp the principle of “the One within” through this teaching, and you can ascend to Heaven.

A kite rises into the sky, yet remains tethered by its long string. Only when the string breaks does it realize it has escaped the bonds of the world. Ride the clear wind through the air, and you can surge straight up to the Great Luo Heaven, the highest celestial realm in Daoism.

Do not let dust soil the hermitage where you cultivate; keep the clear wind, and you can open your heart in freedom. When the bright moon rises, welcome me as your guest. The three flavors are each distinct, yet all equally sweet.

In cultivation, understand the true meaning of words in silence. To nurture Qi, you need not cling to outward stillness: even amid clamor, you can keep your heart at peace. Thus you may attain the true state of enduring spring, like dwelling in the Fragrant Garden of Anāthapiṇḍada, a garden named in Buddhist scriptures.

Preface to “The Living Dead”

When the Master had just left worldly life, he once dug a grave with his own hands, raised a mound a few feet high, and hung up a tablet inscribed “Spirit Tablet of Lord Wang.” The grave was dug more than a zhang deep. He lived alone inside it for over two years, then suddenly filled it in.

The Living Dead

The Living Dead, Wang Zhe, founder of the Quanzhen school, acted without regard for convention and found a special pleasure in keeping company with water and clouds. He chose the Daoist name Chongyangzi and jokingly called himself “the one with no ground to bury him in.”

Even while alive, one should not forget that one will eventually depart. During cultivation, hang up a spirit tablet. This is not to mislead people or spy after fame and profit, but to let them know that you are gradually making arrangements for what comes after.

Presented to Ning Bogong

The Living Dead, the Living Dead! Burying this body, formed from the Four False Conditions—the four temporary conditions that make up the body—in a grave is the beginning of cultivation. After sleeping soundly in the grave, your mind and spirit grow especially clear, as though cleaving open emptiness and trampling the world’s dust beneath your feet.

The Living Dead, the Living Dead! Speak neither of the fruits of cultivation nor of cause and effect. Live freely in the grave and follow your heart, and you can roam beyond the Six Dusts—the worldly realms encountered by the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.

The Living Dead, the Living Dead! Today I tell you of profound karmic ties. To die alone in a grave is a beautiful thing; sharing a pillow and a coffin, all things in the world at last return to dust.

“Living dead” does not mean that the physical body has died. It refers to a practitioner who lives among people but whose heart has withdrawn from worldly concerns, as though dead to their influence. “Fire, wind, earth, and water” are the four great elements that make up the human body. Practitioners should understand that the body comes together through causes and conditions and will eventually fall apart. The poem repeatedly mentions “the tomb,” which can mean a grave, but also suggests a secluded place of cultivation, far from the world. The “true elixir” refers to the essence gained through Neidan (internal alchemy), not an ordinary medicine. In such a place, practitioners nurture body and mind and shed their worldly habits, as if changing out of clothes covered in dust.

To keep the heart undisturbed by worldly affairs while alive is a sound foundation for cultivation. The tomb’s deep quiet embodies true emptiness and stillness, as though cut off from the turmoil of human life.

“Harmful Wind” was Wang Chongyang’s self-chosen name. In the poem, he says that being at odds with the world and mocked by others is itself part of the conditions for cultivation. In the tomb, one can experience the truth within it, like a white lotus rising from the water, unwilling to be stained again by dust.

The Five Grains nourish the body and sustain life. The poem’s phrase “eating earth and dining on mud” means that if we see the body only as flesh that needs feeding, we are ultimately nourishing nothing but dust and grime. Practitioners should see clearly the nature of the body and worldly life.

Sleeping by day and resting at night each arise from natural conditions. In the tomb there is a “true child,” symbolizing an original nature untouched by worldly pollution. It sees through the body, which is like mud, and through the world, wrapped in layer upon layer of dust and grime.

Even within the emptiness of all things, emptiness remains the basis. In the tomb, one often finds a true state of “emptiness.” When one realizes that even emptiness is not something to cling to, worldly entanglements can no longer hold one.

People living in the world often treasure pearls and jade, unaware that these things will ultimately turn to dust. The state found in the tomb is the true place to settle oneself and establish one’s life.

Heaven and earth are vast, covering and supporting all beings. Yet the human heart is often full of cunning and calculation, and may fail to understand how things arise through causes and conditions. People value fame and profit as their own treasures, without seeing that they too are wrapped in external things and will eventually return to dust.

Once this is understood, it is like reaching the far shore and leaving the ferry behind. White clouds drifting freely can serve as a symbol of this teaching. Within everyone is an inner treasure as precious as a “cinnabar orange”: the Neidan formed through cultivation. It shines forth naturally, unstained by even a trace of dust.

When people stop clinging to disputes over right and wrong, they can leave behind the causes that lead to falling into hell. Within the human body is a spiritual nature capable of rising beyond the Three Realms. If one ascends to the Immortal Palace, one is naturally no longer stained by worldly dust and grime.

There are people who live freely and at ease, their manner calm and silent, their hearts clear about the principles of cultivation. They preserve their spirit, nurture their noble Qi (vital energy), and safeguard their true nature. Though they still have an ordinary human body, they can live peacefully in the world without being polluted by worldly concerns.

If people can uphold the Great Dao, the Great Dao will draw near to them. The righteous path people follow has been the highest form of affinity since ancient times. If they can drive away all the clouds in their hearts and open their minds, the moon of the heart will illuminate the bustling world.

To keep the clear breeze and bright moon as neighbors is also a way of life in this world; to take flowing water and white clouds as companions is to find a true affinity. If one can ride a phoenix and crane back to Peng Island, the legendary realm of immortals, one will no longer be fated to fall back into the mundane world.

Suddenly recognizing the person by the riverbank, one finds the reason behind it hard to fathom. Why insist on calling it only a song? Understand what the song means, and you can see through the fleeting illusions of the mundane world.

I sigh for the people of this world: they do not know what brought them here in a former life. I fear their nature may stray from the righteous path, causing them to lose the way they came; when it is time to return, they may instead fall into the mundane world again and again.

Womb-born, egg-born, moisture-born, and transformation-born are the four ways living beings come into existence. If people are confused and unenlightened, how could they understand the affinities that give rise to these four forms of life? The human body is like a lump of mud pressed into a clod of earth: gathered together, it becomes a body; scattered apart, it turns to dust.

Indulgence in drink and sex clouds the mind and brings suffering, while these impure desires keep generating harmful causes. If one should stumble in the future, one will fall into the cycle of rebirth, willingly sink into it, and become dust beneath the earth.

Outsiders do not recognize the person with his head wrapped up. Only when he is called out of the door do they learn the reason behind it. Bright moon and clear breeze, do not laugh at me as my form disperses and turns to dust.

Indulgence in drink and sex clouds the mind and brings suffering, while these impure desires keep generating harmful causes. If one should stumble in the future, one will fall into the cycle of rebirth, willingly sink into it, and become dust beneath the earth.

Outsiders do not recognize the person with his head wrapped up. Only when he is called out of the door do they learn the reason behind it. Bright moon and clear breeze, do not laugh at me: this time, it seems I have left the world of red dust far behind.

How laughable that the foolish and confused come into this world in vain. Everyone says that supporting a family and making a living is life’s purpose. Yet attachment to one’s family can be like a fire that consumes the body; once the body, like clay, has burned away, it ultimately turns to dust again.

Now I would urge the people of this world to seize this moment and seek the affinity that leads to attaining the Dao. Understand these principles even a little, and you will grasp their true meaning, like wind scattering a heap of dust.

Those who cultivate the Dao should not covet Yin energy. If they are drawn along by Yin energy, they will damage their affinity for cultivating goodness and realizing the true. They should refine themselves into a pure Yang body, symbolizing a state of purity and unity in Daoist cultivation, and embody the precious qualities of the Seven Treasures. Then they can take the path of no birth and remain unstained by worldly dust.

In moments of leisure, sit quietly and observe the people of the world: everyone is scheming and striving, yet no one can find a way to liberation. Like fish that cling to the water, they know only the body of the mundane world and cast themselves back into it.

Among the beings caught in the world’s cycles of rebirth, each has its own divine nature and its own affinities. A hundred-year lifespan must come to an end; from birth to death, the Five Skandhas—the form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness that make up the human person and experience—ultimately return to dust.

At ease astride a blue ox was the ancient sage Laozi. From him also arose the lineage symbolized by the white ox. Confucius mastered Confucian learning, medicine, and other fields, shaping a pattern of instruction through the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism). Like one clearing wasteland, he guided the unenlightened, fearing only that they might sink into the world of dust.

The countless people who live and die in this world are beyond reckoning, yet few plant good causes and reap good fruits. You who are jealous and greedy, and boast of wealth and status—I will not join you in such company.

Who can recognize this person amid the bustle of the marketplace? He practices Wuwei (non-action), letting things follow their natural course. White clouds seem to come with the wind and moon, drawing one away from worldly toil and beyond the bounds of ordinary life.

People come and go, watching one another and scheming in their hearts, each speaking of cause and effect. The sun, moon, and stars clearly behold everything from beyond the world of dust—even your form will eventually turn to dust.

Reflections on My Aspirations

I travel among water and clouds, arriving in the west, where I find pure gold, firm and strong. I place it in the Crimson Palace—the heart in Neidan practice—and seal it away. Its radiance shines forth, reflecting rosy clouds.

The Golden Elixir, formed by refining Jing, Qi, and Shen in Daoist Neidan practice, can be completed in an instant; there is no need to undergo the lengthy work of three years and nine turnings. If fellow cultivators can understand it first, their path ahead lies deep within the azure clouds.

At ease, I stand alone before the mountain peak, surrounded by beautiful scenery. Once a single Golden Elixir has been refined into the Great Medicine, there is no further practice that needs to be refined.

The subtle principles are not hard to investigate; the key lies in silence without words. Seek out and understand the ever-true fundamental principle, without distinguishing north from south or east from west.

If you refine the true medicine according to the prescribed method and uncover subtle mysteries, your understanding will gradually deepen. From then on, the turtle returns to the blue sea, and Zhu Lang on the Mountain of Flames rejoices. In Neidan terminology, the turtle and Zhu Lang often stand for symbolic forces such as Yin-Yang and Kan-Li.

The true treasure gathers into a single mass and gradually begins to glow. At this point, the Four Symbols—the four complementary symbols in Neidan practice—return to pure Yang. Five-petaled golden lotuses bloom in profusion, and countless threads of jade-white stamens unfurl densely.

Before noon and after midnight, Yin and Yang within the body meet and contend for mastery. Securing the Golden Essence, which symbolizes the refined essence of Qi in internal alchemy, reveals the fruits of cultivation. It is as though a head falls to the ground before one’s eyes; lifting it up, one joyfully presents it to Lord Ding, a figure or deity whose precise identity is unclear.

A golden lotus blooms of its own accord. Only those of profound cultivation, endowed with the Dao-eye—the ability to perceive the mysteries of cultivation—can understand it. Inhale its fragrance and refine it again and again, bringing the two Qi of Yin and Yang into harmony until they form the inner elixir, as if nurturing an embryo.

The formidable power of the gods sweeps away the demonic armies and defeats every kind of evil Qi, without relying on outside aid. The light appears on its own, shining like the sun. Only then does one know that a treasure lies hidden here.

A golden lotus blooms of its own accord. Only those of profound cultivation, endowed with the Dao-eye, can understand it. Inhale its fragrance and refine it again and again, bringing the two Qi of Yin and Yang into harmony until they form the inner elixir, as if nurturing an embryo.

The formidable power of the gods sweeps away the demonic armies and defeats every kind of evil Qi, without relying on outside aid. The light appears on its own, shining like the sun. Only then does one know that a treasure lies hidden here.

On Jade Peak Mountain, one gathers lingzhi, a precious spirit fungus symbolizing rare elixirs or the fruits of cultivation. It fills the body with strength and gathers the spirit, becoming the foundation of practice. A point of light shines brilliantly, forever accompanied by rosy clouds in five colors.

In stillness, one investigates and comprehends the principles behind the movement of the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—and thereby relinquishes the “four false elements” of the body, understood as a temporary, illusory combination. Looking back to one’s original true face, one is like an immortal riding serenely upon white clouds.

This body of “four false elements” is merely a guest; the numinous truth within it is an old and familiar companion. Living alone among the Three Peaks, who could keep one company? The fresh breeze, the bright moon, and oneself make exactly three.

Understanding that the image of weapons and conflict points to an inner struggle, one no longer acts rashly or shows off one’s strength. Facing the clash of dragon and tiger, a common image for the battle between Yin and Yang Qi, one dares to bear it alone. Securing a luminous pearl can melt away all the frost of deep winter.

Beneath the White Cloud Hall, the night is still. Fine rain falls drop by drop like little bells, each sound resembling the ring of gold. Drunkenly enjoying the “Penglai” melody, savoring the “Ling” melody, one then slowly sings “Sheng Sheng Man” and “Feng Xiao Yin.”

In cultivation, one must first distinguish what is skewed from what is upright, what is primary from what is secondary, and find the right direction, joining north, south, east, and west. There is no need to rely on the external elements of Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal: the frost of deep winter will melt away all the same.

Beneath the White Cloud Hall, the night is still. Fine rain falls drop by drop like little bells, each sound resembling the ring of gold. Drunkenly enjoying the “Penglai” melody, savoring the “Ling” melody, one then slowly sings “Sheng Sheng Man” and “Feng Xiao Yin.”

In cultivation, one must first distinguish what is skewed from what is upright, what is primary from what is secondary, and find the right direction, joining north, south, east, and west. There is no need to rely on the external elements of Water, Fire, Wood, and Metal: a bright pearl will appear from the center.

Through inward contemplation, one gains insight and encounters a kindred spirit; beneath the moonlit mountain peak, one chants freely. One may write ten thousand poems, but who can truly understand them? Even someone who does understand will know that there is no clinging mind within them.

The tender shoots of purple lingzhi sprout first. Gather them, and then refine them at once. Harmonize the jade fluid and jade nectar, images of refined Qi in internal alchemy, then swallow them down the throat to attain long life.

Since obtaining the “gold within water”—a metaphor in Neidan cultivation for precious inner essences such as Jing and Qi—I have used the “knife and ladle,” meaning a small but crucial alchemical ingredient and, by extension, a method of cultivation, to cut away Yin residue. A flower like fine jade opens toward the sun; pure Yang Qi shines back into the heart and sets the circuit of the celestial orbit in motion.

Subduing the “heart-monkey and mind-horse,” a metaphor for settling unruly thoughts, is cultivation. The disturbances of all things fade away, and no delusive thoughts arise in the heart. If one can beat the evening drum in the painted tower and wait for dawn, why strike the clanging instrument that announces daybreak? This means that when cultivation comes to fruition, the right moment will appear of itself; there is no need to hasten it.

If you understand the Golden Elixir, the key to cultivation lies in preserving the true, numinous nature. Look at the scene on Mount Kunlun: green rays of rosy clouds shine there, seeming to reach as far as the Qin River plain.

My surname is Wang, my given name Zhe, my courtesy name Zhiming, and my Daoist name Chongyang. “The four flavors complete” means that the several elements needed for Daoist cultivation are all in place. A single nature is easily troubled by wind; no amount of gold can buy peaceful sleep beneath the sun. Here, “wind” stands for disturbances of thought, while “sleep” means tranquil stability.

From this day on, split open the iron-hard net and leap out of the cage of the troubled world. Then you can hold the bright moon in your hand, part the layers of thick cloud, and dispel the baleful winds that hinder cultivation.

The mysterious principle is profoundly deep: refine away the Yin Qi, white as frost, and eliminate attachment as well. Mount the iron ox and plow the land of “Wuji”—a term from the Five Phases, often referring to Spleen-Earth and also symbolizing harmony at the center of body and mind—so that the whole garden is planted with golden inner-Elixir essence.

Do not hope to gain new life through taking over another body and being reborn. Instead, begin planting beneath the Jade Pool, an image of an immortal realm that also often refers to a place of cultivation within body and mind. From this, a white lotus grows, its pure fragrance reaching all the way to Tiantai.

True cultivation is not difficult. The key is to know how to apply the Dao, contemplate the Way of Heaven, and harmonize with it. Attain the true state of the “two mountains” and form a bond within the “stamen of the Wang flower.” “Two mountains” and “the stamen of the Wang flower” are coded phrases in Neidan poetry, referring to the state achieved through cultivation and the inner process of refinement within body and mind.

Deep within the Jade Pool, contemplate the yellow sprout—a Neidan term for the subtle vitality that first emerges in cultivation. Jade-like stamens and golden branches unfold into a flower of jade. The flower is exquisitely formed, pure Qi rises, and its ringing tones seem to belong to me.

Only after a lifetime of purity, nurturing and refining the upper, middle, and lower fields—Dantian, the parts of body and mind where Jing, Qi, and Shen are stored and cultivated—can one speak of tranquil Wuwei. A bright, rounded pearl returns to the mountaintop, borne aloft by clouds and rosy mists as it rises into the Great Luo Heaven, the highest celestial realm in Daoism.

Even if you could find a sound in emptiness or catch a bubble in water, and let a thousand calculations and a hundred schemes turn as you wish, how could you avoid the calamity that comes upon you? This passage warns that spiritual powers and clever devices cannot exempt anyone from the transformations of life and death.

If you are unwilling to be an ordinary, vulgar person in your village, then one day you should return to the immortal realm beyond the dusty world. The destination will become clear of its own accord; as for its signs and principles, study them carefully.

Call forth the Original Beginning, meaning the original true nature or primordial spirit, and look closely. You will see the purple-gold Elixir refined into being: crystalline, radiant, perfectly rounded and wondrous beyond compare, shining with five-colored rosy light.

Call forth the original nature and observe it closely: it is crystalline and bright, condensed into a Purple-Gold Elixir (a symbolic name in Neidan cultivation for the achievement of refined Qi brought together). It is clear, pure, and complete, with wondrous powers beyond measure; five rays of rosy light gather into one.

It can wear a white cloth robe and race through water; it can also wear a blue headscarf and walk through flames. Four elements harmonize and combine as one. If this continues without end, life can be preserved for a long time.

Only those who understand how to nurture and refine the Purple-Gold Elixir can temper it into a pearl, and this is no difficult task. Its radiance shines with exceptional brilliance, and countless hues of rosy light gather at once.

When the Jade Fluid flows, no one notices; when the fine nectar wells up, who could know? Now I alone water the Golden Flower Tree (a symbol of the growth of body and mind in Neidan cultivation), letting its fragrance spread and fill the four directions.

Only I know how to eat the flesh of the Azure Luan; I alone can taste the liver of the White Horse. When the two parts are joined as one, those who see them from afar are struck with awe.

Suddenly grasp the original nature, and through transformation come to understand that it belongs to no individual. That light is perfectly clear; the five colors appear of their own accord, each settling into its proper place.

When Mercury and Lead (terms in Neidan that commonly refer to interacting elements such as Yin-Yang and Jing and Qi) meet, a long process of cultivation begins. The foundations of nature and life grow firm, bringing enduring renewal. Part the springs and draw forth the fire; brush aside the flames and point toward the lake.

Inscription on the Map of Ganshui Town

Who knows Wang Haifeng of Zhongnan Mountain (a humorous nickname for Wang Chongyang)? He wanders freely along the streets of Chang’an. Even if he occasionally gazes up at the vast sea and catches whales and giant salamanders, that alone does not make a true hero.

Further Knowledge

A full moon, a breeze; the Qi within and without move in mutual exchange, from west to east.

A talismanic petition is sent from the summit of Kunlun Mountain. With a single breath, brightness and clarity appear of their own accord, revealing a vigorous bearing. Even catching whales and giant salamanders in the vast sea does not make a true hero.

Further Knowledge

A full moon, a breeze; the Qi within and without move in mutual exchange, from west to east.

A talismanic petition is sent from the summit of Kunlun Mountain. With a single breath, brightness and clarity appear of their own accord, revealing a vigorous bearing.

Presented to Qiu Chuji

Fine golden fish scales move through the emerald waters. The fish know to seek fragrant bait, yet they swallow the hook as well. I slowly reel in the line and draw you toward Penglai (the legendary abode of immortals), where you will gain lasting freedom.

Presented to the Son of Lord Sang

Lord Sang has long cultivated virtue and done good, building up deep merit through his practice. Thus the son he raised is capable in every matter. Gradually come to understand that joy in the heart does not come from external things; strive to attain the tranquil state of a clear breeze beneath the moon.

Lord Tang Seeks the Way of Cultivation

The most important thing in cultivation is not to yield blindly to human sentiment. If you merely follow worldly feelings, it will be difficult to attain the Dao. I urge fellow practitioners: if you gain some understanding, recognize it clearly in your heart. This is the path to follow.

Becoming perfected through cultivation of the Dao is no casual or careless undertaking. One must constantly clear the field of the heart, the inner mind. The key to awakening and transcending the ordinary world lies entirely in severing worldly attachments. If even Heaven had feelings, it too would grow old.

Presented to the Students

All of you gathered here are exceptionally talented, bright, and accomplished, and you have already opened your eyes to the path of cultivation. Do not let fame and official honors bind you. You should also follow me to Penglai, the fabled realm of the immortals.

Written on a Paper Banner While Begging for Alms in Ninghai

Someone asked what grounds “Madman Harm” (Wang Chongyang’s self-chosen name) had for teaching the Dao. I have no magic arts and no special abilities. Each day, all I do is this: eat above and walk below.

Presented to a Devotee of the Dao in Dengzhou

The bright moon pours out its radiance, and the scent of osmanthus drifts through the air, as though nineteen osmanthus branches were all fragrant at once. It is now midnight, the hour of Zi, when Yin and Yang meet. Release the light within and let it shine over the Jade Pond, the fabled realm of the immortals.

Presented to Ma Yu

The master wrote this poem in Shaanxi. Later, when he arrived in the Ninghai Army district and met Ma Yu for the first time, he learned Ma Yu’s name and wrote this poem for him.

It has been a long time since I left Water and Bamboo Village on Mount Zhongnan. I have no children at home, nor any grandchildren. I have traveled three thousand li to seek a kindred spirit and guide him onto the path to immortality.

A Self-Portrait as a Skull

This is Wang Haifeng of a former life. For some reason, he was fond of roaming everywhere. Let the skull lie out in the wilderness: the inner true nature can still wander freely, clear and bright as the moon.

Presented to Huang Ge

Store up plenty of wisdom-grass, the provisions for cultivating wisdom, and keep adding oil so that the lamp in your heart continues to burn. It will illuminate the five gates, the key passages of body, mind, and cultivation, and leave you so joyful that you cannot stop clapping your hands.

Presented to Sun Ergu

Ergu was Ma Yu’s wife. The master twice cut a pear in two and shared it with the couple, intending to urge them to cultivate together and transcend the world. About a year after Ma Yu left home to cultivate the Dao, Sun also left home to devote herself to the Dao.

The pear-sharing that urged and guided them toward the Dao took place ten times the year before last. The timing was right, and events unfolded as they should. Why did you not leave home to cultivate the Dao at once? It was because you were waiting for this very day, when the Golden Lotus would finally bloom, a symbol of the fruits of cultivation.

At home, others called you only “Second Madam.” After leaving the household, you no longer need to tend the hearth. Leap among the white clouds and rise beyond the sea of suffering.

Preaching the Dao through the pear-sharing ceremony and guiding the people happened last year. Heaven granted a timely opportunity, and events followed their own course. Why, then, did she not leave the world at that time? It was because she had to wait until the Golden Lotus blossomed. Here, “Golden Lotus” is a symbol in Daoist cultivation, signifying the attainment of spiritual accomplishment.

At home, she was merely summoned back and forth by the two women of the older generation in her family. Once she left her household and severed worldly ties, she was no longer burdened by the stove and household chores. Leaping into the white clouds and crossing the sea of suffering, she could become an Immortal Maiden remembered for ages.

Ma Yu presented this poem to mark her conversion:

She laid down the golden hook, just a year ago; now she swallows the fragrant bait and lets the fishing line draw her on. When she reaches Mount Jade Capital, the Daoist mountain of legend, she will become a great roc, follow me as I soar upward, and enter the grotto-heavens, blessed lands where immortals dwell.

The Bell of Impermanence

The bell does not ring at set times, and those who hear it are filled with sorrow, knowing that its sound may mark the end of someone’s life in this world. A few more peals drift away with the setting sun. Those who hear the bell fall silent and nod to themselves.

In Response to Mr. Feng’s Question

A hundred years pass differently for each person; looking back, one finds oneself beyond confusion. I hope that, when you face the scene before you, you understand how often worldly affairs are turned upside down. Break free of attachments as tiny as specks of dust, and tread beyond constraints as boundless as empty space.

The Circle

Only the self knows the mystery within the perfect circle, an image of the Dao’s all-embracing wholeness. At that moment, Wang Zhe happened to realize its meaning. He sprang from the summit of Mount Kunlun and, in high spirits, invited the wind and moon to journey with him to the Celestial Lake.

The Weaver

What can a weaver gain? Still there in front of the street, busy weaving back and forth. If you could live as freely as I do, why be entangled in a thousand threads of concern?

Snow

The snowflakes seem determined to oppose me, falling over the human world as if to cover its disputes over right and wrong. In the green grotto there is warmth, and no changing seasons. How could I let snow stain the six-ounce robe, the famously light and spotless garment of the immortals?

Inscribed on Bamboo

People say bamboo looks graceful in the moonlight, but I think its original meaning of purity and emptiness runs deeper. If I, this “mad fellow”—a teasing name at the time for someone wild and unconventional—had not come here, how could I have inspired the bamboo to sing?

Inscribed on the Moon-Osmanthus at Jingye Temple

Who planted the moon-osmanthus in the earth? How could anyone bear to let it bloom freely in the dusty world? I’ll break off a branch and hold it in my hand, then take this immortal plant with me to Penglai, the legendary island mountain in the sea.

Seven-Character Quatrain with Acrostic: Presented to Xu Shoudao, Leader of the Equality Society in Laizhou

You come here to seek and inquire—what is your intention? As soon as you speak, you praise me for enjoying good deeds. In your heart, you are always cultivating a precious pearl; here, the pearl represents the inner treasure gained through Daoist cultivation. How could anyone bear to let it bloom freely in the dusty world? I’ll break off a branch and hold it in my hand, then take this immortal plant with me to Penglai.

The head of the Equality Society in Laizhou, Xu Shoudao, came to ask for guidance, asking what the Way means. He was told: Let the words of your mouth always encourage people to do good; guard the treasures within yourself; and first remember that your ancestors’ surname was Xu.

Master Quanren urged people to dispel karmic obstacles through repentance and guided them to set out on the right path from the beginning. There are benefits in the heavens themselves. When incense smoke rises from the burner before the Buddha, one knows that the master’s practice accords with Suchness—the truth that does not change.

Feng Wulang of Jingzhao was advised not to abandon his household estate and take another wife. The Maiden and the Infant—figures often used in Neidan practice for Yin-Yang essence and energy—will naturally meet in time. Burn the heart’s incense often, a metaphor for sincere reverence for the Dao, and convey your name to the Jade Pool, the realm of the immortals.

Words can be exchanged in conversation, yet no one can refine you on your behalf. Deep within, a warm, jade-like radiance is concealed. Take in the sweet fluid; do not take offense. Even in your own home, you may be called “Brother Ping.”

Someone from Jingzhao came seeking ink: the “Pine Treasure,” a stick of ink called Chenxuan. Its mystery lies in the purity and distance of its smoke. Wrap it up and refine it, and it becomes three characters; once they appear, they are the Great Luo Heaven, the highest heaven in Daoist teaching.

Zhang Qutong was kind and generous, and his name was Qutong. Even the particles “zhi, hu, zhe, ye”—the literary turns of phrase used by scholars—have wondrous uses. If you cannot grasp the cool clarity of the heart-field, you should know that the master is content to keep to a life of poverty.

Mount Li

Visiting often, drinking and enjoying music—how carefree it is. Golden flowers dot the mountain and guard the distant ranges. Only after the immortals came here did they know they were dwelling amid the white clouds.

Flowers of the Civil Officials

The spring scenery is lovely and deserves to be enjoyed often. The garden’s many flowers are each different. Blooming by the bank, they are charming in their serene beauty and worthy of verse; in the Civil Officials’ Garden, one can also see the Civil Palace.

Mr. Du of Jingzhao

One should be upright in character and honest in one’s actions. Only when the source is clear can one be called perceptive and discerning. In Neidan practice, a silver toad—the moon and the Elixir in symbolic imagery—emerges from the darkness. Through painstaking cultivation, sweetness at last appears, showing that one’s resolve is sincere.

Blow the jade flute, and the Infant Brother, an image of the infant in Neidan practice, begins to dance. The golden flowers before you gleam and will not fade. When the Jade Maiden, an image of Yin essence in cultivation, sings, do not insist on interpreting it as an omen or fixing its meaning. Simply clap your hands inwardly and laugh with delight.

On Trading Tea with Jia Silang of the Teahouse

The numinous tree reaches the new year again and puts forth fresh shoots. Sweet moisture gathers on the tongue, as though it carried a special flavor. With the force of the wind, its branches surpass a staff or pillar; the old man gladly trades one for new tea.

Lamp-Trimming Stick

A wondrous body grows amid the grasses. Gathered and soaked in oil, it stirs the dim lamp flame and brings forth a clear, bright light. This is its very purpose.

Inviting Guests to Admire the Qingming Season

I, Wang Zhe, take this splendid feast as an occasion to wish you all long life. Drink this wine, sweet as a spring. The Qingming season washes away dust and grime—how lovely it is. To encounter such a scene is like meeting immortals.

A Warning to Fourth Brother Shi

The Great Dao is not the Dao spoken of in ordinary terms; it cannot accord with ordinary feelings. Even a heart full of sweetness may bring suffering and trial. Who can find the flame within? Only Fourth Brother Shi walks the crooked path.

Shoushi Hall

I often come here, my mind free of stray thoughts. I think of old friends and family, and often write poems. The empty fame and worldly affairs of the marketplace are not worth dwelling on. Only in Shoushi Hall can one grasp the principle of peacefully keeping to one’s proper time.

Matching the Rhyme of Dharma Master Chi

The bow bends yet straightens, shooting toward purposeful deeds. A spring wells up in the heart, and movement and stillness find harmony. Understand Dao and De, and follow the guidance of what is just. The mind that returns to Wuwei is something only you can truly understand.

Inviting a Daoist Friend to Eat Cakes

Moist with sweet juices, the cake is soft and tender; its fine flavor is just to my liking. It can stand in for three meals, and its taste is truly special—like the exquisite flavor of jade, naturally sweet.

Inviting Fourth Brother Shi to Sip Tea

Set aside distracting thoughts as precious as gold and jade, and the mind will hold no crooked notions. Set the heart straight and face the rosy clouds. The tea is as subtle and pure as something from beyond the clouds. Fourth Brother Shi turns back and tastes the new tea.

Xue Gong Strikes the Bell

Speak with calm assurance, so others can readily accept your words. Urge Xue Gong not to be lazy. First keep in check the restless, monkeylike fancies of the heart; then everyone will gladly ring the golden bell.

Wind, fire, and water have all been forgotten; the heart’s numinous root descends with good fortune. What you said is indeed wondrous. With the right affinity in this life, one may enter the White Cloud Hall.

Inscribed on the Cloud-Shaped Wooden Gong at Jingye Temple

The scripture opens with the sound of a strike and the image of “Dharma rain”: the monks hear the sound of the teaching as though receiving the nourishment of the Buddhist Dharma. Its voice of instruction carries throughout the heavens, though not everyone can necessarily grasp its meaning.

Urging Cui Yanheng

The autumn day is clear; the leaves are still even without wind. Heaven and earth speak no words, yet their principles are plain. The crow and the moon, the Jade Rabbit too, move ceaselessly. I urge Cui Yanheng to stop clinging to arguments.

Inscribed for Han Maoxian’s Apothecary

A cultivator’s mind and nature should not be as restless as a child’s. At noon, body and mind should be as still as dead ashes. Only when distracting thoughts have dispersed can one hope to realize the true Dao (the Way). Once the prison of the dusty world is seen through, it is like beholding the immortal realm of Penglai.

Inscribed on a Wooden Fish

The wooden fish is pure at the root, and especially red at the tail; the clean-looking wooden fish has another name. It holds a wooden bead in its mouth and seems to keep time when struck. At the appointed hour, its belly must sound. The wooden fish is a ritual instrument in a Daoist sanctuary, struck to mark the time and accompany recitation.

Inscribed on a Warm-and-Cool Fan

The handle is wood, the fan is silk. You labor hard to dispel the heat for others. Now that you have left the Daoist cloister, do not take offense: I have another breeze to cool you.

The fan’s use opens the heart: in heat it summons a cool breeze, and in cold it can be put away. A bamboo handle is suited to the hand. May you, at any time, remain free from the troubles of cold and heat.

Presented to the Bathhouse

I see the bathhouse at your home: the bathing pool is built, cool and clean. A pure heart is itself a realm of coolness. Why, then, dig a pool and carve out a hollow, making the bathhouse like a bridal chamber?

On Seeing County Magistrate Dong Receive Guests and Sigh over Falling Blossoms

Wang San has already left home to become a monk; long ago he ceased craving the taste of mutton. The prominent people at the banquet are all as if asleep in a spring dream. Who among them is willing to reflect deeply on the impermanence revealed by falling blossoms?

Presented to a Daoist Friend

Since you have already recognized it, there is no need to keep searching everywhere. With a single step, you can hear a beautiful sound. If you see it in the government offices, that is only an outward manifestation; a cultivator should dwell in purity and hold fast to the inner “gold in water.” “Gold in water” is a term from Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), often used as a metaphor for the precious, hidden true nature or vital essence and energy within body and mind.

The Dharma Master Ren speaks of thirty-six disciples. Wang Zhe’s childhood name was Shibalang, “Eighteen,” and so he realized the eighteen precepts.

Thirty-six and eighteen are not the same thing, and should be carefully distinguished: Shibalang has come here, so listen and look attentively. The text that follows mentions Master Ren and “the public household,” continuing the meaning of what came before. If a cultivator can see the principle within the government offices, he should settle himself and hold fast to the inner “gold in water.”

The Dharma Master Ren speaks of thirty-six disciples. Wang Zhe’s childhood name was Shibalang, “Eighteen,” and so he realized the eighteen precepts.

□326 bears no relation to the others. □Bā Láng, please look carefully. □Gong Xia Ren passed on these wondrous words. □Now the rabbit has been obtained, and hunger and cold are no longer a concern.

Five-Character Quatrain

Presented to Ma Yu

I wanted to transform Ma Yu, but at first he would not listen. So I planned to lock the door of the hermitage and sit in stillness for a hundred days, using this example of a cultivator’s way of life to teach him. Ma Yu asked whether I was cold, so I wrote this poem for him:

Do not worry that the King’s wind is cold; the King’s wind will naturally not be cold. After wild winds have blown for a hundred days, you and I will see what path lies ahead.

Reflections

Treasures gather in the Three Fields—the parts of the body where Jing, Qi, and Shen are refined and cultivated—and a lotus blooms in full, with five petals. From within the Palace of the Pearl of the Realms, the dwelling of immortals in Daoist texts, one sees a mass of light, pure white and perfectly round.

If you have money, you should use it; to leave it unused is foolish in the extreme. Do not wait until you are out in the wilderness, clenching your teeth in the cold wind.

Three-Character Phrases Recombined into Seven-Character Lines, with a Seven-Character Introduction

When you wish to read these verses, do not first trouble yourself with pondering them. Break apart the three-character lines, then recombine them as seven-character poems.

If you would wait for the golden rooster to crow at daybreak, you must nurture and refine the jade rabbit in the Moon Palace. Here, the golden rooster and jade rabbit are familiar Yin-Yang symbols in Daoist internal cultivation.

Five-Character Quatrain

Presented to Ma Yu

□□Ma meets, □□Zhe is enamored.

□□In the hermitage, □□acts with skillful means.

When you wish to read these verses, do not first trouble yourself with pondering them. Break apart the three-character lines, then recombine them as seven-character poems.

If you would wait for the golden rooster to crow at daybreak, you must nurture and refine the jade rabbit in the Moon Palace.

Five-Character Quatrain

Presented to Ma Yu

Ma meets, Zhe is enamored;

Dwelling in the hermitage, he acts with skillful means.

Five-Character Regulated Verse

□□Wang Fengzi, □□never seeks anything.

□□Separating Zi and Wu, □□dawn and spring, autumn.

□□Fire and Li, Kan, □□emerge the tiger and ox.

□□Lead and mercury, □□join and come to rest.

□□Chongyangzi, □□why seek immortality?

□□Great kindness, the Great Cavern, □□ask about the Mid-Autumn moon.

□□Hammer the metal tiger, □□saw the wooden ox.

□□At the beginning of Wu, obtain it; □□at Zi hour, rest.

□□Chongyangzi, □□chants fine verses.

□□From having a mouth, □□Zhe has no mind.

□□A thousand pieces complete, □□ten thousand poems arrive.

□□Going out and away, □□sleeping on a lofty peak.

The final group of verses in Hidden-Head Poems uses the phrase “books, paper, banners, and guidance” to describe promoting moral teaching through writing and guiding Ma Yu and Tan Chuduan in the Dao. The poems urge people to cut off worldly thoughts, as fleeting as smoke and dust, and stop rushing after wealth. They should cultivate the “yellow vessel wall” within the heart-mind so that the “white flower lotus” can grow. They also say to seek out friends by the sea and worthy people at the foot of Mount Zhongnan, tend to such Neidan (internal alchemy) images as the “infant” and “wheat field,” and invite five fellow practitioners to cultivate together. “Infant,” “wheat field,” “yellow vessel wall,” and “white flower lotus” are all symbolic expressions in Neidan practice.

“The Oriole”

How lamentable this troubled world! How are we to pass through it? People are entangled in wine and sensual pleasures, buried beneath wealth and ambition, and are often held in thrall by all four.

When people set their hearts on chasing glory, they fall into error step by step. Everyone boasts of being clever and quick-witted; they compete and scheme against one another, and in the end only nourish greed and jealousy.

From ancient times to the present, how many have been able to turn back in time and willingly let the spirits govern them?

Though they repeatedly try to tame the “mind-monkey and will-horse”—a metaphor for unruly thoughts and desires—they still cannot learn the fundamental method passed down by the patriarchs.

People keep heading toward ruin and danger, sinking ever deeper, as though cast into the earth’s depths. When the end of life arrives, they cannot escape the suffering of the Three Paths, the realms of hardship spoken of in Daoism.

The foundation of cultivation lies in letting one’s innate true nature rule within the heart-mind. Through this, refine the Golden Elixir, the core of Neidan practice; set the body’s fluids in motion and moisten the rootless place, so that a jade-like sapling may grow there.

Through constant cultivation in purity and stillness, one nourishes the “jade branch” (a metaphor for the inner foundation of an immortal). Its leaves grow lush, as though orioles were singing among them. The wondrous sound rings clear and sweet; the eyes are bright and lucid, gazing intently at the “infant” (the inner true essence cultivated in Neidan), riding a tiger in the “Dui direction” (one of the Bagua directions, symbolizing the west).

This scene is truly difficult to describe fully: the “Maiden” (a Neidan term often referring to Yin essence or the intent of the spirit) rides the Azure Dragon, and the four forces come together as one.

Return to the original, primordial state, and in stillness let the light shine anew. Draw back the mind and spirit, gather the inner essence, and set the “fetal immortal” (the inner spiritual being symbolizing accomplishment in Neidan cultivation) dancing. Then it appears above, at Kunlun (here referring to the head or upper Dantian within the body), and at last reaches Penglai (the fabled realm of immortals, also a state of spiritual attainment).

I do not long for rosy clouds; phoenixes and cranes come naturally to keep me company.

Flower’s Heart Stirs

Hold the “mind-monkey” (a metaphor for restless thoughts) firmly in check, and understand how brief our time is: a hundred years of worldly life pass in an instant. Cultivation must begin at once, to return to the original true spirit; now is the time to leave this “corpse house” (the physical body, like a dwelling in which the spirit temporarily resides).

Even while living at home, first leap clear of every entanglement and danger; keep to quiet solitude. Remain pure and still, unmoved by external things, and put aside all desires for Qi, wealth, sex, and drink.

All attachment to worldly sights must be cut off. Let go of concern for parents, wife, children, and other close kin. Only then can one roam freely, at ease and untroubled, and recognize the precious treasure already within. Jade blossoms and precious buds (metaphors for the refined spiritual energy of Neidan) bloom in the heart, releasing their fragrance throughout the empty expanse. Strange lights gather, and auspicious radiance takes shape in nine winding turns.

Spring in the Jade Hall

Devoted practice opens a swift path. There is no need to be bound to the Zi and Wu hours, nor to observe strictly the Mao and You hours. Simply use the two precious inner essences; the rest will be enough to accompany and sustain them. Let lead and mercury (Neidan terms symbolizing different forms of essence or Yin-Yang forces) congeal into a single mass. Thus the Elixir can be refined and every principle understood. Uphold the true way of cultivation and let its reputation endure through the ages. Seek out the source of the original beginning: who, in the end, can be a companion on this path? Only at this point does one truly understand the ultimate truth.

Again, “Lock the Gate”

A jade-like nature and a gold-like true essence can be cultivated by anyone. The jade liquid and Golden Elixir (the refined essence and achievement of Neidan cultivation) should be welcomed continually. The Jade Rabbit and Golden Crow (symbols of the moon and sun, also often metaphors for Yin and Yang) shine upon each other, their roots joined. They illuminate the jade railing and plant jade sprouts. Jade blossoms and precious buds, with stems of gold, grow on and on, never fading. The Jade Maiden and Golden Youth (male and female attendants of immortals in Daoism, also symbols of Yin and Yang spiritual qualities in cultivation) remain at one’s side until complete awakening.

Jade is pure and refined by nature, like gold; everyone can cultivate it within themselves. Jade liquid and the Golden Elixir—the name for the state in which Jing, Qi, and Shen have been refined and gathered through Neidan practice—must be continually welcomed and cherished. The Jade Rabbit and Golden Crow, symbols of the moon and sun, shine in turn upon the jade balustrade, nourishing the jade sprouts. Blossoms like fine jade and golden stems grow for ages without fading; the Jade Maiden and Golden Boy, figures who serve the immortals or symbolize Yin-Yang energies, are always there to guard them. Jade locks and golden keys open gate after gate, revealing the springtime beauty of the jade hall and its jade flowers.

There is a man surnamed Wang, named Feng, who often lies peacefully at rest. He neither dreams nor sleeps, and no misfortune befalls him. The White Tiger and Azure Dragon, often symbols in Neidan of the Yin and Yang energies within the body, naturally unite, while Water and Fire support and harmonize one another above and below. This fortunate condition is, in truth, seated meditation. Tell me, do you understand its meaning? The way I practice can serve as a suitable lesson for your own cultivation. Practice does not mean exhausting the body or tormenting oneself through hardship.

“Mo Shan Xi: Presented to Luo Shouqing of Wendeng County”

Hold fast to stillness and discern the nature clearly; each of you must cultivate on your own and often reflect upon your inner heart. Amid emptiness and fullness, observe the changes of cold and warmth; seek ease and freedom, and gradually enter meditation. The teachings and admonitions of your teachers should all be followed. Hurry up to the heights, and steadily seek the shortcut to your goal. Carefully discern the profound and mysterious principles and the path that leads to the Great Dao. Act with integrity and stand firm; let every step be as if upon a lotus.

“Another Verse at Lord Yu’s Request for the Divine Tortoise”

The waves surge far and wide; observe every situation with care. Hurry up to the heights, and steadily seek the shortcut to your goal. Carefully discern the profound and mysterious principles and the path that leads to the Great Dao. Act with integrity and stand firm; let every step be as if upon a lotus.

“Another Verse at Lord Yu’s Request for the Divine Tortoise”

The vast floodwaters gradually clear, and their sources and courses come into view. The Divine Tortoise dwells here, as if it could drink up all the waters of the Western River. It sleeps as it pleases, its breathing almost inaudible. It can practice breath cultivation, regulating and retaining Qi, and swallow the rosy clouds, absorbing the vital essence of the sun, moon, and clouds; it roams freely for ages. Strange radiance appears upon its body, and its comings and goings bring auspicious signs. The flames blaze fiercely, yet it can enter the fire and benefit from it. Though scorched and roasted by the flames, it gradually gathers an aura of coolness. It drags its tail and tosses its head, ascending alone to the heart of a white lotus.

“Yu Jie Xing”

Using the “Jade Zhi” as a metaphor for a numinous medicinal herb, the text says that it can bring a person to the realm of sages and worthies and also regulate the true, luminous nature. Place the herb in a mortar of emptiness and pound and refine it with a vajra pestle until it becomes pure and bright. Then blend it with “Maha Prajnaparamita” (great wisdom), cook it until done, and roll it into a pill. Alone, ascend to the heart of the white lotus.

“Walking Along the Imperial Street”

Using the “Jade Zhi” as a metaphor for a numinous medicinal herb, the text says that it can bring a person to the realm of sages and worthies and also regulate the true, luminous nature. Place the herb in a mortar of emptiness and pound and refine it with a vajra pestle until it becomes pure and bright. Then blend it with “Maha Prajnaparamita” (great wisdom), cook it until done, and roll it into an elixir tablet. Use the “Great Compassion Thousand-Hand Pill” to give it shape, then set it by cooking it over the sun’s fire. This medicine is fit to take: add “Yellow Sprout” (the subtle medicine in internal alchemy cultivation), then decoct it with “Eight Precious Waters” (a metaphor for precious water used in refining and cultivation) to purify it. After taking it, one can attain longevity and ultimately complete one’s cultivation.

“Red Glow of the Candlelight”

The candle flame flickers, and in the darkness strings of pearl-like tears fall, as if confiding a troubled heart. Things without feeling should not give rise to such causes, yet they have repeatedly brought me to insight. I urge you not to worry: long ago, we met on Mount Zhongnan. Brush away what obscures your vision, steady your spirit, and head east along the road to the immortal realm.

Find a truly tranquil place of waters, then roam the four directions, your steps light as rosy clouds. The ends of the earth were long ago agreed upon as the time and place of our return; this is the place to pause. We need only wait for Master Mingming (a master whose understanding is clear and manifest) to arrive and explain the wondrous Way of long life. Amid the radiance of colored clouds, Penglai appears, and together we follow it home.

“Eight Voices of Ganzhou”

Dwelling in a cool realm, far from the world of dust, one opens up another world there. In its ease, one finds a truly sweet flavor, like nectar. It washes the Triple Burner (the upper, middle, and lower regions of the body in traditional Chinese medicine) and the Six Bowels, leaving the Five Organs clear and luminous. The movement of Qi flows without obstruction, and the Yin and Yang rise, descend, and transform into one another without hindrance.

White Qi fills the abdomen, helping awaken the fundamental nature already present within a person; the key lies in probing deeply. When the mind becomes clear at every moment, one can discern what comes and goes, and the directions they take. Only then does one understand how the forms and states of lucid awareness manifest and emerge from lofty heights. Once cultivation is complete, radiance appears, shining in all directions and abiding forever in the clear sky.

Wang Zhe, patriarch of the Quanzhen tradition, attained clarity of heart and mind. Seeing the chrysanthemum’s steadfast resilience, he gave himself the name “Master Chongyang,” believing it a fitting name to rely upon. He often wrote poems and lyrics, his brush moving without pause as inspiration came of its own accord. When devotion arose in his heart, the meaning of the Immortal scriptures became manifest, and he truly grasped their profound, paradoxical principles.

Once these profound principles are understood and the right opportunity is gained, their mysteries can be investigated swiftly. The more one probes the mysteries within mysteries, the more inexhaustible they prove to be. One may also consume lingzhi, the fabled herb of immortality, until white Qi fills the body from top to bottom, then condenses into the Golden Elixir—the refined essence and Qi produced through Daoist internal alchemy—and is forged into a treasure. At that point, one can live forever and dwell eternally among the Ten Continents and Three Islands, the fabled sea realms where immortals reside.

“Retaining the Guest”

People of the world care only for the pursuit of fame and profit. A human life lasts no more than a hundred years, and reaching seventy is already rare. All this striving and scrambling for recognition and gain comes to nothing but wasted toil. Time flies like the Golden Crow and Jade Hare, hastening people toward old age and death; in the end, their descendants consign them to the earth.

I have awakened at last. I have cast aside attachment to external things and longing for romantic love. With nothing to bind me, I return in peace. I roam freely like clouds and water, enjoying a life of ease and independence. I understand mercury and lead, terms in internal alchemy that symbolize Yin-Yang, essence, Qi, and other elements of cultivation; through them, I make Qi abundant, stabilize essence, and gather Shen. The Golden Old Man and Yellow Woman, symbols in internal alchemy of the harmonizing of Yin and Yang, work together to nurture the Infant and the Maiden, figures for the Yin and Yang essences within the body. When my cultivation reaches the required degree of refinement, I become an immortal guest of Penglai and am welcomed to dwell in the realm of the supreme immortals.

“Drunk Beneath the River Moon” (also known as “Nian Nu Jiao”)

The Perfected Yang is my patriarch, and the Perfected Pure Yang is my master; the Dao they cultivated is profound. There is also my true revered teacher, my uncle Haichanzi, who dwells in the immortal realm of the Three Islands. The disciple Chongyang serves his honored teacher and receives the mysterious Dao, holding lingzhi in his hands. As I return to the ultimate principle, I am especially granted permission to understand its hidden message.

Now I roam at ease and in freedom, having received the method of the Golden Elixir; a spark of clarity shines pure and beautiful in my heart. All this arises from what is subtle and mysterious, supporting the righteous Dao together; its foundation has always lain in clarity, emptiness, and mystery. I return once more to the clear sky and dwell in a remote, tranquil immortal realm. To accomplish this, one must cultivate it oneself. When I depart one day, surely you will understand as well.

Our originally pure true nature takes in the essence of the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Lights—and gathers it into form. Once formed, it should be free and unimpeded, entering the gate of carefree wandering. Why does this numinous, radiant nature of mind fall away and enter a mortal womb? Turning through the cycle of rebirth, passing from one life to another as though trafficking in flesh and bone, how long must this go on before it ends?

People chase after and seek this illusory body, believing that honor, wealth, and luxury can be relied upon, though none of them is secure. In a sudden awakening, one recognizes the truth that is real and unchanging from the beginning. When the time is ripe, one gives deep thanks for the true master’s regard. The true master personally transmits the secret instructions; one then follows them in practice to the end. Whether one can attain realization still depends on one’s karmic conditions. May we, together with our cloud companions and rosy-cloud friends—fellow practitioners of the Dao—set out for the lovely path leading to the immortal isles of Penglai.

“Touching the Fish”

Alas, a skeleton lies in the wilderness, its lonely white bones scattered beside it. No one knows whose wandering child it was, or can tell whether it was originally a man or a woman. The remains have been abandoned here. Perhaps in a former life the person did not practice, but simply let the mind-monkey and horse of desire run wild, muddling through life, and so came to this end. Wind and rain beat upon the bones, the blazing sun scorches them, and perhaps some shepherd boy kicks them for no reason.

I would ask what lies behind all this, but sorrow is all I feel—how could I speak? The skull’s mouth is packed with mud and sand, its eyes full of dust; in the end, it can only decay here. It lies day and night, passing through autumn, winter, spring, and summer, year after year, alone and without support. Young and old alike should awaken in time. They should no longer boast of their good looks or flaunt their refinement.

“Qi’s”

Cold clouds spread across the sky, drifting in and out of sight as they gather layer upon layer high above, filling the heavens densely and heralding good fortune. Snowflakes, like six-petaled jade blossoms, fall quietly, then flutter gently and drift slowly through the air. Before long, a blanket of white gradually covers the earth and sky, making all things seem adorned in the same way. High or low, near or far, everywhere looks indistinguishable. The scene thus appears fresh, pure, and still; its white adornment makes it all the brighter and more resplendent.

As far as the eye can see, the snow gleams in every direction, as though auspicious vapor were spreading outward from the center to form a beautiful scene. The snow lies a foot deep everywhere, foretelling abundant harvests and peaceful times. In the blue-gray sky, the clouds disperse and sunlight shines through with a crystalline brilliance. The snow melts and gathers again, like flowing cream, fit for immortals alone to taste. Its flavor is light yet especially fine, like jade nectar. On reflection, though snow has no rich fragrance, it seems to conceal a delicate scent in shadowed stillness.

The snowy landscape has another kind of charm: its layers are vivid, its transformations wondrous, and within its quietude it reveals the scene as it truly is. The snow also freezes into ice, taking on delicate, jewel-like forms. The wind sounds cold and clear; ice and snow strike together with a crisp ring. As night deepens, the cold grows more intense. The stars wheel overhead, and the full moon’s radiance seems extraordinary. Most moving of all is the way the bright, clear light of the snow mingles with the moonlight.

Ball-Throwing Song

This scene comes from the mysterious workings of creation and descends into the mortal world, gathering and revealing auspicious signs. Far above, auspicious vapors appear in many forms and clouds surge; in an instant, the cloudbanks spread wide. The vapor gathers and condenses densely into cloud patterns, then falls in a flurry, snowflakes flying across the sky. A scene of bitter cold and freezing stillness spreads in every direction, its fierce chill inspiring awe. The snowflakes are as beautiful as jade blossoms, precious-jasmines, and fine jade flowers.