《重阳分梨十化集》

Preface to the Collection of Chongyang’s Dividing Pears in Ten Transformations

Master Danyang was a native of Fufeng and a kinsman of Dabian. His family was wealthy, and his sons and grandsons were many. From an early age he studied Confucian learning and did not pursue rank, fame, or profit. Cautious by temperament, he loved quiet and simplicity, and he also yearned for the Dao (the Way) of emptiness. He once told others that he had met an extraordinary person in a dream and had gained insight amid laughter and conversation.

In the autumn of the dinghai year of the Dading era (1167), Perfected Chongyang left Mount Zhongnan and traveled among the sea islands. He wished to befriend kindred companions bound to him by affinity, to go with them to Penglai, and to fulfill an agreement to pay his respects to his original teacher. Coming east to Ninghai, he first visited Fan Mingshu’s Pavilion of Encountering Immortals. Danyang arrived soon afterward and called upon the Perfected; at first sight the two were like old friends. In former times, when people met for the first time, a brief conversation was often enough for their hearts to meet. Knowing that Danyang had long possessed an affinity for cultivating immortality, the Perfected earnestly urged him to study the Dao and cultivate the true.

Danyang took the Perfected’s sincere teaching to heart, invited him to the prefectural city to live in the Southern Hermitage, and gave him the name Quanzhen (Complete Perfection). Thereafter the two discussed principles day and night in the hermitage. The Perfected hoped that Danyang and his wife would begin cultivation as soon as possible, set aside their worldly attachments, leave their hometown, and live as wandering travelers. At first the couple did not find this easy to accept.

The Perfected vowed to refine and transform himself in the hermitage for a hundred days. On the first day of the first month of winter (the tenth month of the lunar calendar), he bestowed a whole pear on Danyang and had him eat it. Thereafter, every ten days, he asked for one pear and divided it between husband and wife, the number of pieces gradually increasing from two to fifty-five. Every five days he also bestowed on them six taros and six chestnuts. Many times he sent dreams to warn them, showing heaven and hell and the retribution for violating the ten great precepts. Each time he distributed the food, he composed poems, lyrics, or songs of praise, using the written words to hint at the principles within. Danyang answered each piece in matching verse. In his poems he drew on heaven and earth, Yin-Yang, and the alternation of odd and even to set forth the principles of nature and life, of fortune and misfortune, and of life and death.

Thereupon Danyang and his wife set aside their worldly affairs, changed their clothing and caps, and burned the documents of their vows. With sincere hearts they placed their faith in the Perfected and honored him as their teacher. In the jichou year (1169) they followed him west to the region of Liang and Bian. After they had stayed about a year, the Perfected departed into immortality like a cicada shedding its shell. Danyang had learned the whole of the Perfected’s Daoist teaching. He then led his disciples west to Mount Zhongnan, sought out the place where the Perfected had once lived in seclusion, built a simple dwelling there, and remained for ten years. He spread the teaching, and disciples gathered in great numbers.

In the renyin year (1182), Danyang took up his ringed staff and traveled east, returning to his hometown. One day he said to his disciples: “Of the Perfected’s earlier writings, there already exist the Former and Later Collections of Quanzhen. What he wrote while traveling in our hometown consists mostly of works that discuss the mysterious, discourse on the Dao, and expound subtle principles. Gathered together, they come to more than three hundred pieces, divided into three collections. The upper collection is called Slow to Begin, the middle collection is called Dividing Pears in Ten Transformations, and the lower collection is called Good to Leave One’s Hometown. These collections have already been block-printed and circulated west of the passes. Why, then, have so few of them reached our hometown?” The disciples replied: “When the Perfected first came to Ninghai to convert and deliver our teacher, that was precisely the origin of the Quanzhen teaching here. If other places have already printed them, how can our hometown be without them?” They therefore collated and arranged the texts anew, likewise dividing them into three volumes, and engaged craftsmen to carve the blocks and print them, so that they might circulate more widely.

Danyang’s disciple Lingzhenzi Zhu Baoyi brought this collection to call on me. He said that the three elders of the locality, Fan, Zhao, and Liu, had already written a general preface, and that they further hoped I would write a preface for each collection separately. I replied: “For the present I am still reading and composing by the lamplit window, hoping to win official rank and to carry on the family estate. How can I compare with those who take fame and profit lightly and leave the dusty world? Yet from childhood I knew that Danyang had a heart inclined toward the Dao, and with my own eyes I saw the Perfected refine and transform himself for a hundred days in the hermitage and exhort Danyang and his wife. I therefore dare not decline on the grounds of my own shallowness.” I then kept the collection Dividing Pears in Ten Transformations and gladly wrote this preface, hoping that seekers of the Dao everywhere might know that the Quanzhen teaching is indeed of great benefit to the people of the world.

As for the writings in which the two masters admonished and instructed others, their miraculous deeds, and the other records, prefaces, song texts, and poems, these have already been set down in detail. Here I merely give a brief account of how Danyang and his wife left household life and entered the Dao.

Respectfully prefaced by Ma Dabian, a locally presented scholar of Dongmou in Ninghai Prefecture, in the guimao year of the Dading era (1183).

Chongyang’s Collection of Ten Transformations through Dividing Pears, Upper Volume

Composed by Wang Chu, Master Chongyang of Mount Zhongnan

“Wandering among Water and Clouds”

Stop first; stop first. The tenth month falls just at the Little Yang Spring, and one ought to shut the gate and close the doors. To refine, over one hundred days, the realm of Chongyang is not a matter of deliberate contrivance. The whole body must show forth pure genuineness and plain simplicity; one hangs only a single piece of paper cloth symbolizing spiritual brightness. Let gold and jade fly about in the outer world; I myself remain at ease and pay them no heed.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

One cannot linger; one cannot linger. One should leave the household courtyard of the dusty world and earnestly seek another dwelling. The Immortal Haifeng (Ma Yu’s Daoist name) has transformed and guided me to shut the gate and cultivate, and cultivation must be done in just this way. Abstain entirely from rank and fishy foods, and ordinarily eat only vegetarian fare; wear only hemp cloth on the body. After the hundred days, when the door lock is opened, emulate my teacher and turn the mind inward to contemplate.

Quatrain Bestowed on Danyang

Today is precisely the time to accomplish unity and return to the correct Dao (the Way). How can the flavor of this whole pear be truly tasted? If one can grasp the meaning of drinking down the waters of the West River, one will closely follow the wind of Wang (the teaching and transformation of Wang Chongyang).

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

On the day the Wind Immortal completed the Dao and locked the hermitage gate, he bestowed on me the flavor of this whole pear, and I have already understood it. My heart has left home and travels far with cloud and water; the principle reaches through to what is dark, deep, and subtle, and dragon and tiger accompany it as well.

“Wandering among Water and Clouds”

Jade nature (the pure and firm original nature)—jade nature! The jade lock is fastened tight, and the golden pass is nailed firmly shut. Deep within the jade chamber (the inner realm of Daoist cultivation), after a hundred days of clarity and stillness, jade light appears all at once. Once the jade key has opened it, the way leads toward the path of immortality. A command comes from within the jade gate. When the jade lad arrives, Quanzhen (Complete Perfection—preserving one’s original genuineness and cultivating with single-minded devotion) is granted; the Jade Emperor’s proclamation has already been fixed.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Jade nature, jade nature! The jade door is sealed fast, and the golden gate is nailed tight. Within the jade chamber one sees a black dragon, and a jade tiger comes forward and swallows it. Once the jade pass is opened, it leads onto a shortcut. The jade lad transmits the command. The Jade Emperor’s heavenly court is supreme and impartial; this jade edict has already been fixed.

Bestowed on Danyang and His Wife

You take only two foods, taro and chestnuts, for your meal; this Daoist flavor must be equally sweet. Six and six added together make exactly twelve: three and three before, three and three behind.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

Today I am glad to have taro and chestnuts to eat; this flavor is bestowed upon Danyang and his wife.

Master, taro and chestnuts are precisely the foods you ordinarily eat. Their flavor, one may suppose, is as sweet as the taste of the Dao (the Way). Six joined with six comes to exactly twelve; the first three threes and the last three threes, taken together, likewise make six sixes—thirty-six.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

To be able to eat taro and chestnuts today truly brings joy, and the flavor is as sweet as jade liquor. The thirty-six levels of practice spoken of in cultivation must all be completed within this; how could people of the world know that thirteen kinds of principle are also contained here?

Presented to Aunt Sun

The two old matrons are still attached to the family estate, yet who knows that this estate has already exhausted its wealth? If life at home had gone on as before, Master Ma would have had no chance to become an immortal.

Presented to the Danyang Couple

Scholar Ma left home to cultivate the Dao eleven years ago; he must calmly and carefully turn back and recognize his original face. He ought to set aside the Three Paths (the three places of suffering spoken of in Buddhism and Daoism: hell, hungry ghosts, and animals), and he should no longer doubt this body formed of clay. Cold, cutting words beneath the shed cannot help anyone complete the practice, nor can secret exchanges in the upper rooms lay up family wealth for anyone. May you awaken; there is no need to call to and urge one another. Only by instructing the worthy in this way can one find a way out.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The Wind Immortal attained the Dao. Of outstanding natural gifts, he set brush to paper and made a poem that drew me back. Do not let original nature be veiled by worldly dust; the principles of sun, moon, and stars must also be carefully realized in secret. May you awaken; there is no need to call to and urge one another. Only by instructing the worthy in this way can one find a way out.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The Wind Immortal attained the Dao. Of outstanding natural gifts, he set brush to paper and made a poem that drew me back. Do not let original nature be veiled by worldly dust; the principles of sun, moon, and stars must be realized from within this cultivation. Once the true mind has understood, the distinction between self and other is forgotten; when the eye of wisdom opens, one can relinquish attachment to outward forms and to wealth. Today I have again tasted the savor of “lizi”; those with an affinity flick their sleeves and depart, never to return. “Lizi” (离子) is a homophone of “lizi” (梨子, pear); in the poem the flavor of taro and chestnut carries the meaning of leaving the secular world to cultivate the Dao.

Presented to Danyang

A gourd is carried on the back, filled with wine that was bought; within nothing there is something, and within something there is nothing again. Every clear, refreshing flavor can be distinguished; the jade grove in the moon (the legendary trees of the immortal realm) will never wither.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Jade nectar need not be bought, nor will the sweet fluid on the tongue ever cease. Transmit the Wind Immortal’s method of nourishing and irrigating, and the numinous sprouts and grasses of wisdom will never wither.

Taro and Chestnuts Presented to the Danyang Couple

Chestnut came looking for Taro, and the two of them ate Chonglou together (this may refer to tier upon tier of towers and pavilions, or it may be a particular image in the poem). Within the three-and-three there is a meaning that belongs to the three-and-three; within the six-and-six one must also understand where the six-and-six come from. Even if a sword is used, it can only slash at the shadow outside the body; even if a needle is used, it is hard to catch the foam upon the water. However you exhaust a thousand schemes, how can you escape at last being buried in the wilds and returning to a handful of yellow earth?

(The four lines repeated below are the same as above.)

Danyang Rhymes Again

From now on, I would rather go with my hair hanging loose and my face untended than cling any longer to the wine houses of former singing, dancing, and feasting. I will keep clear of the karmic grievances and entanglements of the household, and follow the chance to cultivate the Dao (the Way) beyond the dusty world. Alas, this body is like a candle flame before the wind, and life is like foam upon the water. Fortunately I have met the Dao of cultivating the True and given rise to a right awakening, so that my own numinous nature will not in the end be buried beneath a barren mound.

Wandering with Water and Clouds

Think it over, and think it over again: this mortal body is only temporarily made up of four elements. Why be lost in it and wear oneself away for nothing? In the end it is nothing but a skeleton that can walk, and yet it still boasts of its own form. Only the truly bright wisdom of the numinous nature is radiant. This old body, like a skeleton, must be exchanged for another. Haifengzi (Wang Chongyang’s name for himself) no longer clings to the human body, and will keep company with the divine immortals.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Think it over, and think it over again: wives and concubines, sons and grandsons, do not come again to bind me and wear down my mind and spirit. Those old ties and fetters of karmic enemies and kin ought to be cut clean in a single stroke. Awaken thoroughly to the source of the numinous nature; it is bright and radiant from the beginning. This time, what is called for is precisely a different way of living. Think it over, and think it over again: wives and concubines, sons and grandsons, do not come again to bind me and wear down my mind and spirit. Those old ties and fetters of karmic enemies and kin ought to be cut clean in a single stroke. Awaken thoroughly to the source of the numinous nature; it is bright and radiant from the beginning. This time, what is called for is precisely a different way of living. Mafengzi (Ma Yu’s Daoist name) takes leave of his hometown and will keep company with Fengxian (Wang Chongyang).

Poem on Dividing the Pears

Three pieces of pear are enough to dispel the delusion that dominates the dusty world; everyone can receive a mouthful or two. Their flavor seems as if it could dry up the Northern Sea; their fragrance seems as if it could drift as far as West Lake. Jade-colored waves slowly roll and swell; waves of golden light spread in a dense shimmer. Just as the meaning of the writing has already been made plain, the whole point lies among such words as zhe, zhi, and hu.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Once one meets it, one can leave the mire and taste this mild, mellow flavor. The dragon’s song shakes the mountain valleys; the tiger’s roar carries across the rivers and lakes. If one wishes to form the Golden Elixir (the fruit sought in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy), one must set forth the jade seal-script (the characters of Daoist talismanic script, or those used to write talismanic graphs). Understand this principle, and one can comprehend transformation through and through—how much more so one who cultivates the Dao?

Kindling the Heart’s Incense (Part One)

The one seated is Wang Feng, and the one standing is Fu Feng. It is only because they covet the family estate and cling to the wind of the family. How can that compare with resolutely letting go and recognizing the wind of clarity and stillness? If one wishes to form the Golden Elixir (Jindan)—the fruit sought in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy)—one must spread open the jade seal script, sacred writings of the kind of Daoist Fulu (talismans and registers) or jade tablets. Once the principle of these transformations is understood, how much more so when it comes to human beings?

Burning Heart-Incense (burning incense to express sincerity of heart)

The one seated is Wang Feng, and the one standing is Fu Feng. It is only because they covet the family estate and cling to the wind of the family. How can that compare with resolutely letting go and recognizing the wind of clarity and stillness? I wish to walk with you and sit with you, carrying the wind together. I am the true wind; you are the false wind. In early spring one always relies on the mild, warm wind. When snow falls in time to come, how can one withstand the cold wind? Inside the window and outside the door, there are two kinds of wind.

Danyang Matching the Rhyme

I, a man of Fufeng, studied the wind of the Confucians in my youth; later I met the Wind Immortal and received the transmission of the wind of clarity and stillness. My conduct was wild and unrestrained—let it be; the wind of the worldly has always laughed it off. This wind, this wind, is as fierce as the mad wind in the heart. Leaving the vulgar world accords precisely with the wind of the Dao (the Way); departing the realm of dust, one gathers in the pure wind. One must go to the mysterious pass (Xuanguan—in Neidan cultivation, the crucial point of the working of body and mind) to catch the cloud wind. The fragrant wind never ceases, and it makes me love the pine wind. When the good wind and the numinous wind arrive, one rides the wind and departs.

To Danyang

Taro and chestnuts cannot keep a worthy man; once the worthy man leaves, he does not return. Since one means to still the mind and cultivate the Dao, why waste effort on schemes? I often pity myself for being tied down by household affairs—how can this body have even a moment of ease? A pair of heavy balls (weighty ball-like objects) rolls on without stopping, and two lumps of cat food are the most foolish and stubborn of all. If one can take in these cool, clear words, perhaps one may come live with me in the fine mountains.

Danyang Continuing the Rhyme

Since a way of leaving the world has already been thought out, there is no need to turn back; one must break through the passes of temper, wealth, wine, and sensual desire. Extinguish the fire of the heart, disperse the dust and smoke, and long enjoy peace and happiness; establish yourself and practice the Dao, and set the heart at ease. One must still bring merit and practice to completion in one’s own person—how dare one be as slack and stubborn as before? In the end, a man must rely on will and spirit; in time to come he will surely be able to dwell in the Three Mountains (Sanshan, the immortal mountains of legend).

Unrestrained Free Roaming (roaming at will)

If one is to cultivate, one must apply oneself with careful effort. Firmly seal the “Golden Pass” and the “Jade Gate” (bodily apertures in the practice of Neidan [internal alchemy]), so that the Qi (vital energy) above and below is harmonized and unobstructed, blending together and nourishing one another. Once this state is reached, one must still remain lucid and closely discern the mystery within it. Merge body and mind into emptiness, then return to the root. Numinous light appears, like a brilliant silver glow of clouds; its radiance is vivid, wondrous, and lustrous. In the end, the interior is pure and luminously clear, still and at peace.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The two kinds of breath continue without cease and must be slowly harmonized. Gather them into the “Jasper Flask” (a metaphor for the Dantian [energy center] within the body, or for the place of refinement and nourishment), seal them away, and guard them. Before the Zi-Wu Palace (a Neidan term for a site in the body related to cultivation), let Yin-Yang Qi assist one another. These profound principles should be clearly realized; there is no need to speculate about them again and again. The numinous sprouts of heaven and the root-base in the sea are both metaphors for inner vitality and the fundamental root. Rosy light spreads out, brilliant without bound; suddenly the true form appears, lustrous as jade. To penetrate the Dao (the Way) of the Primordial Beginning, cultivation lies in careful, painstaking effort.

To Danyang

I, this Haifeng (Wang Chongyang’s name for himself), wander among the waters and clouds. The six paths of rebirth are as plain as an iron plate. I have knocked and inquired of people throughout the world, yet no one understands; in my heart I know that only that one person has truly heard.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

Within the Precious Vase Palace (a Neidan term for the place of cultivation), one watches the auspicious clouds. As the clouds come and go, the upright and the deviant show their difference. Take the zither of the heart apart and play it into a melody; when the tune is lofty and far-reaching, the sound will naturally be heard.

To Danyang

One whole pear is divided into four portions; the old man and the old woman eat together and do not contend. Dividing the pear does not mean that they part from one another. When the fruit is formed, one must still look to its final accomplishment. “Crow and hare” refer to the sun and the moon, and here they stand for Yin-Yang Qi; let the Qi of water nourish them without cease. When the Qi of fire arrives, do not scorch and exhaust the sincere heart. If water and fire can transform and harmonize with each other, one will naturally grasp the wonder of clarity, stillness, and ease.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

From dividing the pear one comes to understand the “four separations” (using the division of the pear to speak of parting and union). Gradually one feels the thoughts of the mind grow calm, and nature and disposition are no longer in turmoil. The wonder of the transformations of tiger and dragon (a Neidan term, often standing for Yin-Yang Qi)—how could words exhaust it? A mystery like gold and jade—how could written words explain it? Numinous sprouts are best watered amid fire; the grass of wisdom is suited to being tempered in water. The “Great Elixir” refers to the state of elixir-completion sought in Neidan cultivation; only when the Great Elixir is refined and no longer leaks away does the waxing and waning movement of true Qi naturally appear.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

From dividing the pear one comes to understand the “four separations.” Gradually one feels the thoughts of the mind grow calm, and nature and disposition are no longer in turmoil. The wonder of the transformations of tiger and dragon—how could words exhaust it? A mystery like gold and jade—how could written words explain it? Numinous sprouts are best watered amid fire; the grass of wisdom is suited to being tempered in water. Only when the Great Elixir is refined and does not leak away do the true waxing and waning, and the movement of the breath, naturally appear.

The Golden Pass (a portal within the body symbolizing a crucial gateway of cultivation) is tightly shut, and the jade lock seals the doorway. If one does not practice cultivation in ordinary times, who can understand the realm within this secluded stillness and dim obscurity? One only regulates inwardly the “infant” (symbolizing the original spirit of internal refinement). When sleeping, one gathers in mind and intention, subduing the ape and the horse (a metaphor for restless, unsettled thoughts); upon waking, one again gathers and refines the jade agaric (symbolizing the quintessence of Neidan (internal alchemy)). Cultivating at the proper times each day, this work, within a hundred days, may be known only to oneself.

Once the work is accomplished, one is free and at ease. A splendor like red clouds spreads and unfurls, enveloping the luminous spiritual nature, and only then does the true compassion one originally possesses become manifest. A single spirit elixir (the elixir formed through internal refinement) congeals, upright and properly formed, with three layers of flame closely attending it. Crossing the Jasper Pool (an immortal realm), one passes straight through above the blue empyrean and enters the realm of Wuwei (non-action).

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The Wind Immortal shut the gate; Ma Yu took leave of his old nest, quiet and plain, holding fast on his own. Having already understood the root of cultivation, how could he still cling to wife and children? Having seen through the entanglements of temper, wealth, wine, and sensual desire, he relies on a pure heart to nurture firmly the numinous fungus (symbolizing the internal elixir). Setting to work from this point, he completes the cultivation in secret, not allowing others to know the merits of his practice. Covertly storing and nurturing the essentials of cultivation, he is to become one who wears a jade-brown robe (a plain Daoist robe). Striving to sweep away ignorance (foolishness and delusion), the bright lamp within the heart naturally reveals compassion. After one has endured humiliation, what flavor can still remain? When good thoughts arise, immortals and Buddhas are constant companions. Penetrating the mysterious and wondrous Dao (the Way), this true work lies in Wuwei.

To Danyang

Chestnuts paired with taro, taro paired with chestnuts: neither of the two flavors should be lost. Nature and life, life and nature—when the cultivation of the two aspects goes out and comes in in mutual accord, one can penetrate the Dao of sages and worthies. One must understand, one must understand: this is precisely the time to consolidate the foundation and thereby attain long life. Do not think only of the Jasper Terrace and Langyuan (legendary immortal realms); the six household treasures within the body are what are born from the Heavenly Pool (symbolizing the place of cultivation inside the body).

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The immortal Chongyang set out taro and chestnuts and presented them to me and my wife, urging us not to miss the opportunity. One must understand nature; one must understand life; and from this transcend the ordinary and move toward the sacred realm. One must understand the mysterious and wondrous; one must understand the mysterious and wondrous: this is the time when zi and wu within the body (symbolizing Yin-Yang, the hours, and the crucial gateways of cultivation) turn and revolve in reverse. When the Water Region (symbolizing the place of water in Neidan cultivation, and kidney water) does not leak, the Golden Elixir (jindan) is formed, and one naturally steps into the clouds and proceeds toward the Jasper Pool.

True Joy

So the gateway is sealed with lock and key, and within it lies the most wondrous method. I set up the furnace and stove to refine the Golden Elixir (Jindan) essence of metal, nourishing the Primordial Spirit (Shen) to perfect the elixir. Two grains of elixir take complete shape, radiant and blazing, moving freely beyond the void. Auspicious light of five colors comes to lend its aid, with no need for deliberate effort (Wuwei). The mind is deep and hazy, resting on nothing; the heart is filled with brightness, keeping its appointment and honoring its vow. Following the immortal road to Penglai, I forge forever the bond promised long ago, and I will surely preserve my youth, as lovely as jade herbs and jeweled blossoms. When the cool, clear light shines in every direction, fragrance spreads of itself and turns to rosy clouds. Draped in robes, I bow to the illuminated master, and true joy and gladness appear.

Matching Rhyme with Danyang

Keep far from the four passes of wine, lust, anger, and wealth; handle affairs simply and do not be burdened by trivial matters. Only then can one seek gold within water, firmly guard the primordial Qi, and refine the immortal medicine. In the refining, the elixir must be bright and burning hot, and auspicious vapors rise in curling wisps, vast and full of themselves. This is true skill, with nothing forced or contrived. The spirit (Shen) is dim and silent, with no outside support; within clarity and stillness there is an appointment already made. The true news lies in the Numinous Terrace (Lingtai, the dwelling place of the mind-spirit): before the eyes appear what seem to be rosy clouds and blossoms of a jade forest. Radiance shines brilliantly and gradually appears; the spirit is by nature clear and bright, so what need is there for deliberate action? I expound the Dao (the Way) and chant it in elegant verse, showing the joy and gladness of pure stillness.

To Danyang

Now I say it again: the spirit is dim and silent, with no outside support; within clarity and stillness there is an appointment already made. The true news lies in the Numinous Terrace: before the eyes appear what seem to be rosy clouds and blossoms of a jade forest. Radiance shines brilliantly and gradually appears; the spirit is by nature clear and bright, so what need is there for deliberate action? I expound the Dao and chant it in elegant verse, showing the joy and gladness of pure stillness.

To Danyang

Now let me speak of who can understand the principle of this fivefold division: Yin divides into two and Yang into three, each manifesting in its own way. One who knows its savor will not suffer the afflictions of the Three Realms (the Desire Realm, Form Realm, and Formless Realm); one who comprehends the sweet Way will be spared the calamities of the Nine Obscurities (the realms of the netherworld). Before heaven and earth were divided, where did you dwell? Before your parents gave you birth, from where did you come? Awaken to this root cause and you will attain great enlightenment; from now on, slowly cultivate the Numinous Terrace.

Danyang's Continued Rhyme

Cut off clinging and stray thoughts, and let your own mind be master; once the mind-ground opens, the nature too becomes clear. Turning to look within, you realize the suffering of household burdens; gathering the spirit (Shen) and reflecting it back, you suddenly perceive the worldly dust as a pit of fire and its calamities. Let your will follow the spirit crane that has gone home ahead, and entrust your heart to mountain forests and springs, never to return. Transcend the world, roam free and unbound, and accumulate merit and practice; when the elixir is complete, carry it up to the Jade Terrace.

Wuxin Incense (to the tune of Xing Xiang Zi)

You stirred up a “royal wind.” From childhood you were affected by fetal wind; after you grew up, it turned into a wind of the heart. You wander everywhere, just like a violent wind; whenever you have a free moment, you write poems and sing songs, as if you were a long wind. You go to call on Ma Danyang, a Daoist of Quanzhen (Complete Perfection), and speak to him of the wind of humaneness, hastily declaring that you have already completed your cultivation, so flustered that you seem like a swift wind. You set to work at random, and he can only lock you up to keep you from running wild like the wind again. Yet how, after all, is this tetanus—here referring to a disordered, hard-to-cure illness of the heart—to be treated? You still wander everywhere like a violent wind; whenever you have a free moment, you write poems and sing songs, as if you were a long wind. You go to call on Ma Danyang and speak to him of the wind of humaneness, hastily declaring that you have already completed your cultivation, so flustered that you seem like a swift wind. You set to work at random, and he can only lock you up to keep you from running wild again. Yet how, after all, is this tetanus to be treated?

Danyang composed yet another poem matching the rhyme:

You, this upholding wind, do not understand the wind of peace and harmony. Only when you meet a Wind Immortal—an immortal who has attained the Dao (the Way)—is the mysterious and subtle wind of the Dao transmitted to you. How wonderful: the meaning of this wind is the family tradition of clarity and stillness. The atmosphere of this wind is excellent, and it can shut out the wind of lust and deviance. Spread widely the wind of humaneness, make plain the wind of peace and harmony, and let the wind of the Dao circulate so that it may be heard everywhere. If you understand the subtle charm of the wind, you can cast off the secular world as the wind does. Cure the tetanus, and when the scene is at its finest you will obtain the true wind.

Presented to Danyang:

This time the taro and the chestnuts must be understood with care. They are like malt sugar and honey, both produced from the blossoms of the five grains; the sweetness is the same, yet cold and heat differ—how are they to be distinguished? They are also like glue and lacquer, juices that flow from tree bark; once dried, both are equally sticky—and how, then, are the two sides of Yin-Yang to be explained?

A roofed enclosure is built all around, yet there is no gate on any of the four sides—from where does one enter? A three-year-old child has taken a wife, while an old man of sixty has no household. If one can grasp the hidden workings here, that is the Mahāprajñāpāramitā (great wisdom, arrival at the far shore of awakening). Awaken, awaken; auspicious, auspicious! A three-year-old child has taken a wife, while an old man of sixty has no household. If one can grasp the hidden workings here, that is the Mahāprajñāpāramitā. Awaken, awaken; auspicious, auspicious! That mouthless old woman is still crying out her grievance in a long, drawn-out voice.

Verse:

I deliberately use disordered words to confuse your mind, so that from beginning to end you remain perplexed. When perplexity shakes you, you are I; when perplexity does not move, I am you.

Danyang continues, matching this rhyme.

Fengxian sent taro and chestnuts five times. Husband and wife ate them together, and both understood the meaning within. The Great Dao (the Way) is like malt sugar and honey, sweet and lovely; yet if one clings to the household, one ought to step outside the family gate. The savor of purity is especially sweet, hard to put into words and impossible to press to its ultimate ground. Worldly affection sticks like glue and lacquer; clinging and refusing to let go is as painful as drinking molten copper. Suddenly awakening and turning back, one is no longer stained by attachment; standing beyond the secular world, one cultivates the Dao at leisure and sets it down in writing. One does not envy glory and wealth, carriages, or ceremonial retinues, but enters deeply into the gate of all subtleties. The infant and the maiden (chanü; terms in Neidan, internal alchemy, symbolizing the Jing, essence, and Qi, vital energy, of Yin-Yang) that arise from nothingness join as husband and wife; sun and moon shine upon each other and illuminate the spirit chamber (shenshi; the inner space in which the practitioner internally refines and preserves Shen, spirit). From this one penetrates the Jade Mysterious Pass (yu xuanguan; the subtle aperture of cultivation), and within Prajñāpāramitā (a Buddhist term meaning wisdom’s arrival at the other shore) one suddenly awakens, no longer clinging, transcendent beyond things, and cultivates at ease. One does not envy glory or canopied carriages, but enters deeply into the gate of all subtleties. The infant and the maiden join as husband and wife within nothingness; sun and moon exchange their light and illuminate the spirit chamber. From now on one penetrates the Jade Mysterious Pass and awakens within Prajñāpāramitā. Examine, examine, and examine again; auspicious, auspicious, and auspicious again—a single point of luminous true nature never sinks or is bent down.

The verse says: When the ordinary mind is washed entirely clean, the true mind can be seen; nourishing the spiritual root, it is as if clouds of Qi rise beneath one’s feet. Spontaneously and all at once one forgets the distinction between self and other, and only then perceives one’s original root.

Jade Flower Cavern, Five

To know the true principle, one must quietly and carefully reflect, taking cause and effect as one’s basis. Joy then arises in the heart; turning toward the mysterious Dao, one shuts the gate of the mind. When spirit and awareness are clear and lucid, that is indeed excellent, and offerings of incense arise of themselves. When the inner heart is pure and still, there is plainly only one true realm, and the master comes to visit me.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Once the true opportunity has been gained, how dare one grow slack? One ought to cultivate merit diligently. Hold the mind-horse firmly in check (a figure for restless, unsettled intention) and do not let it run wild; lock away the heart-monkey (a figure for agitated thoughts hard to tame). When demonic obstacles and hardships are met, they too can be borne with equanimity; what are called demonic obstacles are merely like smoke and flame dancing, and in the end they disperse. The master has already made it plain: the original true nature is right here—why reckon the worldly you and me?

Wumeng Ling, Six

Now I bring these principles to light and explain them to you, and record them in detail in Wumeng Ling (Song of No Dreams). The sages of old wrote the Fuchun poems; in six places the white light is bright and pure as jade. Ding belongs, Ding belongs; the three pieces each know contentment.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

Today the master passed down the ritual candle. The affairs of this dusty world are not worth recording one by one. After I parted from Lady Fuchun, each of us cultivated on our own, refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan) and the jade liquor. Listen, all of you—listen: once these principles are fully understood, the true heart’s wish will be fulfilled.

Ardent-Heart Incense (ci tune title)

Although Wang Feng has a humorous nickname, he in fact possesses the bearing of an immortal. He is thoroughly versed in the Chan school and in Buddhism, and he also has a full command of Confucian learning. In conversation his words are pure and graceful; when he writes, his brush moves like the wind. He can compose long pieces and short lines alike, and he also writes poems in the ancient style. His skill is as practiced as an axe swung true with the wind, and he is like the great peng spreading its wings to contend with the long wind. He roams at ease, as if setting out in a carriage borne by the wind. In the cold of winter he shuts his door and cultivates in stillness, his mind set on lofty realms. Even without a stove he can sit in meditation, and even without a quilt he can sleep in peace, letting the cold wind buffet him as it will.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The immortal champions the manner of Wang Feng and comes to Fufeng to teach and transform the people. He inspires them to cultivate the Dao (the Way) with sincere devotion, and in particular he displays the honored style of the family.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The immortal champions the manner of Wang Feng and comes to Fufeng to teach and transform the people. He inspires them to cultivate the Dao with sincere devotion, and in particular he displays the honored style of the family. His spirit goes forth and enters dreams, as if he were astride a crane and riding the wind. One should travel with the wind as Ma Feng does; when the wind brings word, one goes with the wind. On seeing a scene he grasps the principle within it, deeply imbued with the Confucian manner. For the sake of cultivation he frees himself from the burdens of family and deliberately appears unsettled in mind. He is not misled by false appearances, and he earnestly pursues only the principle of what is real. Still more, he must master the swift wind, ride the wind-horse, and mount the clouds to command the wind.

The upper volume of Chongyang’s Collection of Ten Transformations by Dividing Pears is complete.

The Lower Volume of Chongyang’s Collection of Ten Transformations by Dividing Pears

Written by Wang Zhe, Master Chongyang of Mount Zhongnan.

Immortal in the Yellow Crane Cavern (ci tune title)

You wish to firm your resolve and depart; I wish to firm my resolve and remain. The chestnuts are fragrant and sweet, the taro is pleasing to the taste, and the old man and the old woman open their mouths and eat together.

You are firmly resolved to depart, and I am firmly resolved to keep watch. The chestnuts are sweet and the taro is savory; the Master and his wife open their mouths together and taste them. The flowers of all four seasons have bloomed, and the willows of spring have put forth new buds. A person’s original nature appears clear and bright, and at last one obtains it completely; one also drinks a fine wine like jade liquor and roseate nectar.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

I no longer dare let the thoughts of my mind run wild, and I am deeply grateful for the Master’s firm guardianship (here “shizhen” refers to a realized adept and teacher of cultivation). The taro and chestnuts have now been eaten six times, and their flavor is still sweet and fine. I am no longer the old man of Dongmou, nor do I linger fondly over the willows in the spring breeze. Following Fengxian (the title of an immortal), I roam beyond the dusty world, and together we drink the wine of long life.

“Yellow River Clear” (Huanghe Qing)

When the foundation is firm and the source is clear, one should close the door and keep stillness, settling body and mind in a secluded cavern chamber. Warmth is gradually increased, and severe cold and freezing chill are driven out. This is a distinctive realm of pure elegance; it makes one understand at once that one has already entered the path of transcendent ascent. One awakens naturally, encounters the Dao (the Way) of long life, and is just then ready to savor the “jade flower” (a symbolic expression in Neidan, or internal alchemy).

Human beings originally possess a true spiritual nature; now at last one clearly finds “lead and mercury” (a Neidan term that, borrowing the language of metal refining, refers to the Yin-Yang Jing [essence] and Qi [vital energy] of cultivation). One then causes them to congeal and refines them into a single Golden Elixir that may be offered. Auspicious light appears and propitious radiance shines; afterward one rides a luan and drives a phoenix, coming and going freely. At the Ten Continents and Three Islands (legendary immortal realms), the immortals joyfully come to welcome one.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

The Master devotes himself to closing the door and guarding stillness, not in order to seal the cavern chamber, nor to show that he can endure the hunger and cold of the three winter months. It is because I am foolish, obstinate, and attached to the worldly that he expounds the mysterious principle in a skillful way, every line striking the vital point. When I myself awaken and understand the opportunity within it, I can abandon worldly entanglements and cultivate beyond the world.

I joyfully awaken at once to the true nature of the primordial beginning, cast aside worldly afflictions, and begin to refine “lead” and also to refine “mercury.” Amid pure stillness and limpid clarity, I nourish the pearl of Shen (spirit)—a symbol of the Neidan attained through cultivation—and take this as the fruit of practice. I wait until merit and cultivation are complete; then, gathering the clouds and astride a phoenix, I set out for the immortal island of Penglai, and from afar an immortal lad comes to receive me.

“Recalling the Prince” (Yi Wangsun)

They are plainly the Seven Treasures, and there is no need to say more; one need only refine the pearl of Shen and take it as the fruit of practice. One waits until merit and cultivation are complete; then, gathering the clouds and astride a phoenix, one sets out for the immortal island of Penglai, and an immortal lad comes from afar to receive one.

“Recalling the Prince” (Yi Wangsun)

It is plainly the seven treasures; nothing further need be said. The seven gates each open on their own, and each has its own way in. The one-four and the one-three are each swallowed in turn. Return the yang soul, and one may live long and keep life intact.

Continuing Rhymes of Danyang

Master Fengxian speaks in marvelous words and sets out, with full clarity, the path of Wuwei (non-action) and pure stillness. The sweet fluid that forms upon the tongue is tasted and then swallowed, so as to nourish Jing (essence) and the soul. When Yang is born within Yin, one may endure for a long time.

Jade Capital Mountain

How lamentable that people lose their way in darkness and cannot find release. A foolish, stubborn heart is hard as if locked shut—how is it to be opened? Even if one passes a whole life in wealth and honor, free of calamity, the span of years still reaches its end, and in the end one falls into the cycle of rebirth. The ghost-messengers have already come to press for one’s life. Sons and grandsons cannot bear it in one’s stead; what means is there to put them off? At that moment there is nothing left but weeping in regret. Only then does one understand that studying the Dao (the Way) is the root of becoming an immortal.

Further Rhymes of Danyang

A man of generous spirit ought to break free: the reins and chains of fame and profit burst suddenly open. Only then can one bring to an end the affliction of birth and death, cross over to the farther shore, and no longer look toward rebirth in the wheel of transmigration. The Master’s teaching urges one on without cease. One ought to put on the Daoist robe, gather in body and mind, and cultivate with all one’s strength. Let wife and children weep however sadly they may; one must still set out for Guanxi and become one who rides the clouds and attains immortality.

Immortal by the River

The flavor of chestnuts draws in Master Quandao. A Perfected instructed Mr. Ma: his religious name was Tongbu, his courtesy name Quandao, and his Daoist title Wuyouzi, the Master Free of Care. The flavor of taro turns a person back. All who eat of it are without sorrow.

Four and three join together to make twelve, and everyone can send it down to the Chonglou, the storied tower. Once it has been eaten, ice melts into water. Two points within the water are like bubbles rising to the surface. Coming and going—when will it ever cease? If you can be of one heart and one vow with me, I will surely lead you onto the path of true cultivation.

Summary Rhymes of Danyang

After great and thorough awakening, one takes one’s stand as if in a straw rain-cape and bamboo hat, content to keep to simplicity. When fitting conditions are met, one turns back to cultivate the Dao. I instruct you under the name Quandao, also called Wuyou, Free of Care. With the eye of wisdom one beholds the jade cavern, and with cloud-treading steps one ascends the jasper tower.

The red wild goose’s head bores into a place of pure stillness and peace; the white gull’s feet bear up the floating bubbles. The two aspects of Yin-Yang mingle together, most settled and most wondrous. To be freed from the sufferings of the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm—one ought to cultivate this single point of spiritual nature.

Huanghe Qing: According to the Count of One Hundred and Eight

(“Huanghe Qing” is the name of a tune; “the count of one hundred and eight” means that the piece is arranged or applied according to the number one hundred and eight.)

The nine bends of the Yellow River symbolize the process of transformation, layer upon layer, in cultivation: vast waves and mighty billows ultimately return to clarity and stillness. The nine rivers converge, and the myriad streams return to the true course; in a place of clear brightness and settled calm, white gulls seem to bear up the floating foam upon the water. The two forces of Yin-Yang harmonize and blend, and this is the state of greatest ease. If one wishes to be released from the suffering of the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm—one should apply the mind to cultivating spiritual nature.

Yellow River Clear (Huanghe Qing), According to the Count of One Hundred and Eight

The nine bends of the Yellow River undergo nine transformations, and the vast waves and mighty billows at last return to clarity and stillness. The nine rivers converge, and the many streams return to the true course; scenes appear among the nine tripods, and within the Nine Palaces (Jiugong)—a Daoist term, here referring to the psychosomatic space of internal cultivation—the numinous currents stand upright and stable. A brilliance like gold and jade fills this space, reflecting the lights and shadows of the Nine Luminaries (Jiuyao), nine celestial bodies or stellar luminaries. The Nine Empyreans (Jiuxiao), the highest celestial realms, join one another in blue-green, and from the far depths comes the cry of cranes, welcoming Qi (vital energy) that is pure, essential, and numinously subtle. Brightness penetrates through and through, and spiritual nature turns its light back upon its own radiance. The spirit pearl leaps within the nine bends, and the Nine Immortals seem to swim at ease. When the mind is limpid, clear, and bright, and cultivation has been accomplished, one can reach the Nine Heavens (Jiutian) and attend in audience upon the holy realm.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The nine bends of the Yellow River undergo nine cycles of circulation, and the forward and reverse changes of Yin-Yang ultimately return to clarity and stillness. Within the nine pools, upright dragon springs well forth. The Nine Assemblies (Jiuhui)—realms of cultivation, or places of gathering, in Daoism—have been deeply clear and still from the primordial beginning; the nine passes open, and the numinous, subtle currents remain settled for a long time. The celestial Dao (the Way) reaches through to the holy realm.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The nine bends of the Yellow River undergo nine cycles of circulation, and the forward and reverse changes of Yin-Yang ultimately return to clarity and stillness. Within the nine pools, upright dragon springs well forth. The Nine Assemblies have been deeply clear and still from the primordial beginning; the nine passes open, and the numinous, subtle currents remain settled for a long time. Auspicious lingzhi grow naturally graceful; nine stalks appear, and yet are without form. Rosy light of nine colors covers the elixir cauldron, and the radiance is clear and bright. By the fire of the nine returns (Jiuhuan huo)—the firing phases in Neidan (internal alchemy) by which the medicinal substances are transformed again and again—one refines and nourishes the spirit elixir, causing it to turn and give off light. The ancestors of the Nine Mysteries (Jiuxuan)—the successive generations of ancestors spoken of in Daoism—are also to be delivered, so that they may attach themselves to the ranks of the immortals and the perfected. The oral formula of the nine-times-nine Double Yang is transmitted in secret; it is no ordinary matter, and is as composed as swimming freely. By unceasingly accumulating true merit and practice, one will in time be able to go to the Nine Empyreans and attend in audience upon the holy realm.

Linjiangxian (Immortal at the River)

The positions of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) are clearly laid out, and the two persons are each endowed with four kinds of Yin-Yang Qi. One should carefully seek out the mystery within; if one can grasp its flavor, it is as though one has obtained true gold. Resting in blandness, seclusion, and stillness, one guards what is clear, bright, and pure, and the sweet experience will also display wondrous signs. On Mount Badu the peaks rise high, just suited to climbing and gazing into the distance; only when this moment is reached can one be said truly to have ascended into the fine realm.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

The eight consciousnesses (Bashi)—a Buddhist term for the different levels of mind-consciousness—have all been penetrated, and the mind too has settled. Observing the myriad things, one finds that all of them present a Yin aspect. Better, then, to keep the mind on cultivation and go on seeking the principle within. In the midst of water one quietly nurtures fire; within jade one brings gold into being. Until the Yang Qi is pure and complete, the elixir...

The eight consciousnesses (the eight kinds of mind-consciousness spoken of in Buddhism) have all been thoroughly penetrated, and the mind has settled into calm. Looking over the myriad things, one finds that they all carry a Yin quality. Rather than remain like this, it is better to gather in one’s thoughts and go on seeking the principle within them. One must nurture fire within water and bring forth metal within jade: these are terms of Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation, referring to harmonizing Yin-Yang within body and mind and to condensing and refining Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). When Yang Qi is pure and complete and the Qi of the elixir no longer leaks away, one may then be called someone who truly understands. Stepping forth in transcendent freedom, one ascends a mountain like an immortal realm; there is no need to strain to gaze into the distance, for the beautiful scene will appear of itself.

Poem for Danyang

After a hundred days behind closed doors, mind and intention have already returned to stillness, and it seems one may indeed join as companions on the same path. The mind-monkey and intention-horse (a metaphor for restless, unsettled thoughts) return to their original nature because one no longer reaches outward in clinging attachment. Though peach blossoms and apricot blossoms are beautiful, for the practitioner they are like worldly temptations one would be ashamed to linger over. From this point on, if one can truly set one’s resolve, that is an upright and dependable beginning of cultivation. Now the punting pole is already planted in midstream, and it is not easy either to advance or to retreat; since one has already set out, one should ride the boat at ease and sail toward the other shore.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Today I solemnly vow to turn toward the Dao (the Way) of cultivation and to be a companion on the path whose heart has grown cold and who stands free of the secular world. In refining Qi and nourishing Shen (spirit) there is a joy of its own at every moment; even stretching out one’s hand to beg in the street, one feels no shame. Breaking free of the nets of the world, one returns to original truth; leaping clear of bondage, one gains freedom. Following the original master (the teacher of cultivation) in wandering the four quarters, from now on one roams carefree and open-hearted, traveling onward aboard the spirit boat.

Quatrain

Do not merely talk emptily of cultivation and of studying the great Dao; you must first examine your own inner mind. I urge you to stretch out your hand and beg in the street, and you need not feel ashamed. Break free of the nets of the world and return to original truth; leap clear of bondage and gain freedom. Follow the original master in wandering the four quarters, roaming carefree and open-hearted, traveling onward aboard the spirit boat.

Quatrain

Do not merely talk emptily of cultivation and of studying the great Dao; you must first examine your own inner mind. I urge you, above all, not to cling too much to love and passion; if Heaven too had feeling, Heaven too would grow old because of feeling.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

Only by meeting an enlightened teacher can one turn toward the correct Dao; one must turn back to contemplate oneself and examine one’s own inner mind. Then one will naturally awaken and cut off attachment to the desires of the dusty world; cultivating to completion within this inner mind, one can become an immortal and not grow old.

Do Not Think of Home, Presented to Danyang

Chestnuts are worth tasting, and taro has an even richer fragrance. From now on, when you eat, quietly reflect: why does each thing have its own flavor? Carefully distinguish and inquire—taro has green shoots, and chestnuts too have their distinctive marks. What belongs to the void and what lies within the earth ultimately return to one place. Enough, enough; if the profound principle is spoken out plainly, it will only make you more sorrowful.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Draw in the intention-horse and apply yourself; do not let the mind-monkey show its head even for a moment. When the single point of spiritual brightness returns to Taisu (the pure, still, and unitary origin), what more is there to seek? Once the subtle and hidden principle has been penetrated, there is no need to scheme and calculate any further. Savoring taro and chestnut once more with care, distinguishing their flavors and catching their fragrance, one can see through what lies within them…. One ought to seek that clear, bright sound in the void. Without cease or end, the true flavor….

To subdue restless thoughts, one must put in the work; the monkey-mind and the horse-will must not be allowed to show themselves even for a moment. Once the single point of numinous clarity returns to plain simplicity and original truth, what further is there to pursue? After one has penetrated the hidden and subtle depths, planning itself may cease.

Taro and chestnuts need not be sought in every direction. If one only understands the savor within them, the fragrance alone is enough to discern the true taste. One should seek that clear, bright echo in the void, and not pause. True happiness and joy can drive away every sorrow.

Presented to Sun Gu

While she was still at home, people called her only “Second Granny”; after she left the family ties of the dusty world, she no longer passed her days tending the stove. If she can understand cultivation and the tempering of body and mind, people will forever call her “Immortal Aunt.”

Gazing toward Penglai (Fourth Poem)

Whenever a juncture of the number nine undergoes change, it must be cut off with the precious sword. The yin soul must not turn away in the company of demons; the yang soul should hasten to seek a good “pear.” Already one is now able to escape the cycle of rebirth.

Please listen to me, please listen to me: the eye of the Dao (the Way) is just ready to open. This body, falsely compounded of four kinds, ought to be tempered; and that single point of numinous clarity, the true nature, must also be examined with care. If you have the affinity, you will be able to gaze upon Penglai.

Danyang, Matching the Rhyme

In the ninth level of penetrating the true Dao, one must apply effort within it to cut off stray thoughts. Even if dragons and snakes are allowed to leap from the earth and depart, cloud-cranes must still be brought down from heaven. At dawn one watches the tide rise; at dusk one watches the tide recede.

White lotuses bloom, white lotuses bloom, and green lotuses will naturally bloom as well. One comes and goes freely through the gate of purity and stillness, and on the path of Wuwei (non-action) one no longer hesitates or guesses. In this way one is sure to reach Penglai.

To the Tune “Yu Meiren”

Danyang asked me, “Why do you drink cold water without ever stopping?” I answered, “After I met Perfected Chunyang at the Gan River, I began to drink water.” And so this lyric was composed.

How much water does Haifeng drink? Within it there is, of itself, a principle that penetrates the mysterious and subtle. Wearing a white hemp jacket and a dark cloth headwrap, his appearance is proper and his spirits are sound. There is no need to look before a mirror; every sort of matter is already clear in the heart. To recognize, within the dream, the self of the dream is to be one who can wander free and at ease and reach the other shore.

Danyang, Continuing the Rhyme

Ma Feng (Ma Yu) was fortunate enough to meet an enlightened teacher. Worldly thoughts in his heart gradually lessened, and he came to understand the subtle and mysterious Dao (the Way). He then naturally felt ashamed to go on wearing the black Daoist headcloth. True breath—the even, prolonged breathing regulated in practice—flowed on without cease, nourishing the spirit within. The lamp of wisdom remained ever bright and unextinguished, its light reaching through to Heaven. One who cultivates the Dao ought to awaken to nature and life, a person’s innate nature and life itself. The golden furnace is the body and mind in which the elixir is refined. With a mind open and unobstructed, free and at ease, one lives as a person of pure leisure.

Ruizhu Gong (Palace of the Stamen-Pearl)

There are two or three chestnuts, and six taros; this savor of leisure and ease is shared between two people. Consider it: how should one speak of this sweet taste? A person’s five viscera are perfectly clear, and the six bowels each have their place, without error; besides these, there is this one Golden Elixir (Jindan), the coalescence of Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) sought in Neidan (internal alchemy). Twelve things are neatly divided into six portions and given only to two people of leisure. Consider it: how should one speak of this sweet taste? The five viscera are distinct, the six bowels without mistake, and there is still this one Golden Elixir. These twelve things are offered to the elders—a form of address for older men and women—so that they may grasp the principle within them.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

The taros and chestnuts are again divided into six portions: upon meeting, one turns toward three places, and this refers to the Perfected Person, one who has attained the Dao. Here yu, “taro,” is borrowed for its sound as yu, “to meet,” and “turning toward three” means that the Perfected Person is a person of the Three Officials, someone connected with the Three Officials. Li, “chestnut,” is borrowed for its sound as li, “to stand,” in the sense of establishing children; all three children can stand for a long time, and so the saying takes this form. If one ponders carefully, one can recognize within it “the one within the one,” the inner truth. The moon of nature—innate nature like the bright moon—is full and complete; the heart is truly joyful, and there is no more sorrow. Someone asks why Fufeng, a place name here referring to Ma Yu, is like this. I tell you: only by abandoning that can one obtain this.

Presented to Danyang

Do not worry that the wind of Wang—the teaching and transformation of Wang Chongyang—is bleak and cold; the wind of Wang will not of itself be cold. A hundred days of practice pass in a flash. What the way out may be, you and I can both see.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Those who have desires and attachments often fear the cold; those without passion and without desire do not feel cold. If one wishes to reach the realm beyond the clouds, one must set aside the worldly and contemplate with the eye of wisdom.

Gan Huang’en (Moved by Imperial Grace)

For a hundred days one shuts the door and cultivates in quiet, and in the hermitage there is the “dividing of pears in ten transformations,” using the dividing of pears and similar things as metaphors through which the principles of cultivating the Dao are taught. One lives in calm ease and clear stillness, and in purity nourishes the true and the false. A person sighs and asks how this period of time has passed; what the way out may be, you and I can both see.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

Those who have desires and attachments often fear the cold; those without passion and without desire do not feel cold. If one wishes to reach the realm beyond the clouds, one must set aside the worldly and contemplate with the eye of wisdom.

For a hundred days I cultivated in stillness behind closed doors, passing through ten teachings of transformation and deliverance by “dividing the pear.” My mind grew at ease and lucid, and in purity I nourished both the true and the false. When someone sighed and questioned me, I calmly accepted this free and untrammeled life. I too understood the principle within it: it is indeed pure and refined. This realm has a character all its own, plainly like a scene in a painting. I often lift it in my own hands and hang it for a while before my eyes. Whoever wishes to look upon it must offer in exchange a price worth ten thousand measures of pearls. Reflecting on these things, I pass on a little of the principle they contain.

Danyang answered in the rhyme of the preceding poem. The immortal perfected ones Zhongli Quan, Lü Dongbin, and others left a model for teaching the people of the world and devoted themselves wholly to instruction. Therefore I shut my door and cultivated; this was no falsehood. By expedient means they guided me, secretly awakening and polishing my numinous, luminous nature until it grew clear and bright. I left household life; my conduct appeared wild, and I cast aside the elegance prized by the world. The true substance of cultivation is hard to depict. I wear the dazzling six-zhu robe—in legend, an exceedingly light and thin celestial garment—and hold in my hands the elixir, crystalline and bright, its worth beyond all measure. All of this comes from the transmission of an extraordinary principle.

The sixth piece on repaying the master’s kindness: Why does the master write poems and compose lyric verses without ever wearying of it? The reason is known only to himself. What he sets down with the brush opens in others a true awakening; with a compassionate heart he helps cultivators pass through the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers), the three sites spoken of in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy). Turning the light back to shine within and contemplating the heart is precisely what cultivation relies upon; securing the root and sinking it deep also meets the fitting time. One must closely guard the hidden mystery and keep the door tightly shut; the moment the master calls, one goes to the Jade Pool, a symbol of the immortal realm.

Danyang answered in the rhyme of the preceding poem. Today I knelt to receive the master’s poem and joyfully learned the secret mystery within it. With a compassionate heart he helps cultivators pass through the Three Fields. Turning the light back to shine within and contemplating the heart is precisely what cultivation relies upon; securing the root and sinking it deep also meets the fitting time. Closely guarding the hidden mystery and keeping the door tightly shut, one goes to the Jade Pool the moment the master calls.

Danyang answered in the rhyme of the preceding poem. Today I knelt to receive the master’s poem and joyfully grasped the secret mystery within it. I saw through the many causes and conditions of the world and forgot false appearances; I washed away the six desires—the six kinds of human craving—and gave rise to true compassion. When the time came to lay down thoughts of marriage between man and woman, I abandoned worldly life at the moment when intention receded and passion faded. Reverently I follow the master in wandering cultivation, and in time I shall surely reach the Celestial Pool, an immortal realm.

Given to Danyang: The wine has worn off, and the dream too has been startled awake; the moon has just risen, and original nature has just grown calm. If one can awaken, a road lies ahead.

Danyang answered in the rhyme of the preceding poem. Clear-headed within drunkenness, startled awake within sleep, light appearing amid darkness, the heart restored to calm. Once the heart’s aperture opens and awakening is gained, the way forward unfolds from this. I vow that the descendants of Danyang shall all enter the Dao (the Way), so that ancestors of seven generations may leave the hells; if the descendants attain the Dao, ancestors of nine generations may ascend to heaven. Should one fall back and lose the mind of the Dao, one will implicate the ancestors.

Taro and chestnuts: this time one has at last eaten them and understood. Whether the worthy or the foolish, all should be startled awake from sleep. Darkness turns to light, and the heart gains balance and rectitude; once the apertures of the heart open, one can awaken to the Dao (the Way) and set out on the proper path. A vow is made that the descendants under Master Danyangzi (Ma Yu, a figure of Quanzhen [Complete Perfection] Daoism) will all enter the Dao and cultivate, so that seven generations of ancestors may leave hell; when the descendants attain the Dao, nine generations of ancestors can also ascend to heaven. If one withdraws from the Dao, one will bring harm upon the ancestors.

Awakening from the Southern Branch Dream, the Seventh Poem

Taro and chestnuts: this time everyone can tell them apart, and the worthy and the foolish alike come to partake of them. One person can cause yang Qi (vital energy) to gather into a single mass; another sinks downward, and the yin po, the corporeal soul, is harmed ever more. Those who come later turn toward purity and stillness, while those who are lost are tangled in the petty affairs of the world. When cultivation is complete, one can leap into the splendid altar-ground of the immortals; then they dwell in the very same place and keep company for a long time.

Danyang Matches the Rhyme

Suddenly the heart becomes thoroughly clear, and one can receive a pure fragrance and a wondrous flavor. A red flame rises in the water and congeals into a mass; amid the snow, jade-blossoms (flowers like fine jade) open in brilliant splendor and never wither. The candle of nature and life illuminates the golden gate-towers, and the divine elixir lights the jade platter. All together they cultivate the Six Perfections (six virtues of practice) and the Three Altars (the Daoist rite of transmitting the precepts at the three altars); all of this comes from our teacher’s transmission, and the inner vision appears of itself.

A Quatrain

The two old women know only how to dwell in the human world; they do not know that Pengying (the legendary immortal mountains in the sea) holds the immortal realm of the jade pot. If they are willing to turn back, awaken, and cultivate, their names will be handed down through long ages, and they will be called immortal maidens.

Spring in the Jade Hall

A jade-like original nature and a gold-like true nature: everyone can cultivate them to completion. The jade liquor and the Golden Elixir (a term of Neidan [internal alchemy]) must be welcomed and cherished at every moment. The jade hare and the golden crow (symbols of the moon and the sun) shine one after the other, lighting the jade railings and nourishing the jade sprouts. Jade stamens and golden stalks live on without end and do not fade; jade maidens and golden lads keep watch at all times. The jade lock and the golden key can open gate after gate. One views the spring scenery of the jade hall, face to face with the jade flowers.

Danyang Continues the Rhyme

In the heart one has grasped the principles symbolized by “jade” and “gold,” and thought after thought receives instruction. The jade tiger and the golden dragon—commonly used in Neidan (internal alchemy) to figure Yin-Yang and the Qi (vital energy) of dragon and tiger—constantly come to meet one another; jade-hued ripples and golden gleams of waves join in limpid clarity, layer upon orderly layer. One sees jade sprouts arising within the jade stream; jade leaves and golden branches flourish in luxuriant growth and do not wither for long. The jade maiden and the golden infant—Neidan terms for the images of spirit formed in cultivation—wait at ease and contemplate in stillness. The jade door and the golden pass—used in cultivation as metaphors for the apertures within the body—open brightly above and below. Thought after thought receives instruction… One sings “Spring in the Jade Hall” and delights in the jade blossoms.

Here ends the lower volume of the Collection of the Perfected Chongyang’s Ten Transformations by Dividing Pears.