《大成捷要》Vol. 3

The principles of Heaven and Earth—even the sage of eastern Lu, Confucius, had not fully grasped the measure by which Heaven and Earth divide and unite. Next, refine and nourish the original spirit, gathering in its radiance and returning it to the places below the heart and above the kidneys, the Golden Cauldron, the Yellow Court, and the Ancestral Aperture. These are all bodily locations and inner gates in Neidan practice. Keep the mind-spirit clear and still, untouched by external things, then enter the state of cessation through “the concentration that extinguishes all,” a meditative state in which thoughts cease and return to stillness.

This stillness may continue for a long time, perhaps one year or perhaps three. Body and spirit gradually merge into one, while form and emptiness slowly return to the true and eternal. When meditative emptiness reaches its utmost point and everything has been extinguished without remainder, the spirit-light begins to appear again, gradually surging forth from the Aperture of Great Void and Limitlessness like clouds, lightning, and rosy mists, and filling every place. It passes through the upper and lower apertures, the great and small apertures; spirit-light is present in every inner gate.

The spirit-light shines with clarity, illuminating the ten directions: above, it penetrates the celestial realm; below, the earthly realm; and in the middle, the human realm. The Three Realms seem filled everywhere with spirit-light, like mirrors reflecting one another, or like Indra’s jeweled net, whose pearls shine upon one another. Layer upon layer, lights and reflections interweave, and all manner of scenes appear clearly; spirits and ghosts, too, are reflected within the spirit-light.

This state is indeed wondrous, yet it is not the highest attainment of cultivation.

Master Chan Jiwu said: “If you still cannot pervade the boundless Dharma Realm, then you have not yet reached the state of the Western sage, the Buddha Vairocana, who symbolizes the illumination of the entire Dharma Realm.”

Next, gather the mind and spirit and draw in the radiance, letting it settle within the deep, subtle inner aperture—the inner gateway spoken of in cultivation—without becoming attached to anything. Then enter quiescence through the concentration known as the cessation of all formations, in which thoughts and sensations come to rest. Practice this for a long time, whether for one year or nine, until emptiness-concentration reaches its utmost point and every thought has completely ceased. Then the spirit-light is full, the Dharma form complete; form and emptiness merge as one, and body and spirit alike attain a wondrous subtlety.

When the spirit-light contracts, it becomes so fine and penetrating that it can enter a mustard seed without hindrance. When it expands, it is vast and vigorous, encompassing Mount Sumeru—the great mountain in Buddhist cosmology—without limit. At this point, one sees the boundless spirit-light transform into a sunlike crimson radiance, like a brilliant solar disc surging forth from the aperture of the Great Void and the Limitless. It bursts open, blazing in every direction, immeasurable and without bounds, becoming myriad dazzling rays. The light reaches upward through the nine heavens and downward through the nine earths, as though thousands upon thousands of suns were shining together, illuminating the three thousand great thousand worlds. Sages, worthies, immortals, Buddhas, and all things in the world appear within this crimson sunlight. Yet even upon reaching such a vigorous and vast state of boundless radiance, its subtle wonders are still not exhausted.

Master Shangyang says: If a practitioner’s radiance cannot yet shine throughout the four great continents—the lands in the four directions of the traditional cosmos—and beyond the thirty-six heavens, then their attainment in the Dao is not yet complete, and they have not yet reached a state as vast as empty space. At this point, they should gather the mind and spirit inward once more, conceal their radiance, and enter quiescence through the “cessation of all perception and feeling,” a meditative state in which all mental activity comes to rest.

Whether a hundred years or a thousand, a kalpa or ten thousand kalpas pass, they must continue cultivating until empty space is shattered and they unite with the Dao in their true nature. Then they will release immeasurable precious light anew, filling heaven and earth in every direction, and will be able to meet the sages, the immortals, and the Buddhas. Separated from one another since the beginningless past, they meet only now; their radiance mingles and becomes one, vast and boundless.

The verse says: The immortals and Buddhas are like a great round mirror; my body and mind are like a deep, luminous mani jewel. The Dharma bodies of the immortals and Buddhas enter my body, and my body, in turn, is ever merged with theirs.

This is the work of nine years of cultivation facing a wall. In the end, one returns to nirvana without remainder, where afflictions and the bonds of birth and death are brought entirely to rest, and reaches the state of the Greatly Awakened Golden Immortal. When one’s merits and virtues are complete, the heavenly court issues an edict, and the nine generations of ancestors are able to ascend to heaven. The practitioner attends court at the Golden Palace, the dwelling of the Celestial Emperor, and receives a true celestial proclamation and a heavenly rank. This is called becoming a Celestial Immortal.

The poem “Quatrains on Drawing Water” by Zhiyizi says: “I have read tens of thousands of texts on the Dao of the Elixir, yet no one has passed on this final, crucial secret.” He laments that the practice of refining emptiness and joining with the Dao, and the discipline of facing a wall in meditation, are difficult to encounter.

In general, the final return to emptiness—the stage of cultivation that settles into emptiness and stillness—is to gather Shen (spirit) in the Qi cavity, the place where Qi is gathered in internal cultivation, and forget all worldly thoughts and feelings. At the final stage, when one returns to emptiness and enters stillness, one must also forget any thoughts of the immortal Dao, follow emptiness and stillness, and unite with the Dao. The discipline of facing a wall in meditation is difficult to encounter.

In general, the final return to emptiness is to gather Shen in the Qi cavity and forget all worldly thoughts and feelings. At the final stage, when one returns to emptiness and enters stillness, one must forget thoughts of the immortal Dao, enter the samadhi of total cessation—a meditative state in which all thoughts and sensations come to rest—and return to quiescent extinction. Neither going out nor coming in, one forgets others and forgets oneself. The three thousand great thousand worlds, the earth, mountains, and rivers all settle into emptiness and stillness. One must let the mind die and enter deep samadhi, whether for a hundred days, ten months, three years, nine years, or even a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand kalpas, until the four great elements—earth, water, fire, and wind—dissolve, and even space seems to shatter, leaving no trace. This is the great awakening of the Golden Immortal, transcending the physical body and attaining a diamond body that will not be destroyed even after ten thousand kalpas. This secret is set down here, and will never be wrong.

Master Huayang said: “When I look at the immortals of the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, I find that every one of them transcended the ordinary world by following this path of cultivation. If later generations of Dao seekers—whether Buddhist disciples or those who cultivate for immortality—happen upon this book, they need only read it closely several times to grasp its oral instructions and understand its secrets. They can then seek to become immortals or Buddhas. There is no need to cross mountains and rivers in search of a teacher or the Dao. With the resources and fellow practitioners needed for cultivation, and a sincere commitment to practice, they can rise beyond the ordinary and enter the realm of the sages.

“The ancients said that even though the world has three thousand six hundred heterodox paths and ninety-six external ways, all ultimately remain within the Supreme Dao—the highest Dao revered in Daoism. The work lies in preserving and nourishing its principles, regulating the breath, fully realizing one’s nature, and then cultivating life. Though the Great Dao is only one, there are ten thousand volumes of alchemical scriptures, and they often conceal the essentials, revealing only part of them. This book explains the twenty-four true instructions and the thirty-six perilous passes in cultivation. These teachings are conveyed through oral admonition and transmitted mind to mind; every sentence has its basis. Study the book carefully, and nothing in it will be beyond your ability to cultivate successfully.

“Since ancient times, immortals, Buddhas, and Perfected Ones—those who have attained the Dao—have kept secret the celestial workings by which the Great Dao is realized. Now all of this is revealed in this book. It offers guidance word by word, and its annotations have been gathered into a single volume, Essentials for Quick Mastery. The language is plain, but the principles are precise and true. The instructions on the celestial workings are stated clearly in every line. Do not take this heaven-sent treasure lightly; handle it with care. If you recklessly pass the instructions on to someone unfit to receive them, you may incur Heaven’s punishment, even being struck by lightning or consumed by fire. How could one fail to be cautious?

“Withdraw behind closed doors and devote yourself to cultivation, without counting the years. Set down your teachings in writing and clarify the true principles. Split open the tally and disclose its secrets, so that they may reach Heaven and Earth. Gather teachings from past and present, weigh what to accept and what to discard, and bring them into accord with the Way of the sages.

“Split open primordial chaos and seek its subtle mysteries; open Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) and behold the depths of the hidden and far-reaching. When practice is complete and merit perfected, a worthy name will remain and endure for all ages.

“Before Heaven and Earth were divided and the myriad things came into being, primordial chaos was whole and undifferentiated. The transformations and ebb and flow within it are not to be spoken of lightly. One must split open the aperture within the aperture, pass through the Heaven within Heaven and the Heaven beyond Heaven, and only then penetrate to a deeper level of cultivation.”

Only when the Big Dipper’s handle turns backward does its hidden image emerge; only when the light of the mind turns back and illuminates itself can cultivation bear fruit. Once the sun has been fished up from a deep pool, one sees through the state symbolized by the foreign monk sitting in meditation before a wall.

Shatter emptiness and end the cycle of birth and death across billions of kalpas. Once you have reached the far shore, set down the alchemical oar—the boat of the Golden Elixir path that symbolizes the methods of cultivation. Read thousands upon thousands of alchemical scriptures, and yet no one can speak the final sentence.

Guangchengzi said to the Yellow Emperor: “The Qi of utmost Yin is solemn and profound; the Qi of utmost Yang blazes with light. The manifestation of Yang Qi rises from the earth, while the stillness of Yin Qi comes from Heaven. I will take you above the Great Brightness, to the source of utmost Yang; then I will lead you through the gate of darkness and depth, to the source of utmost Yin.”

The secret method of sleep cultivation—a practice based on sleeping postures or regulating the breath during sleep.

The instruction says to sleep with the head facing east and the body lying on its side, curled like a dog or coiled like a dragon. Bend one arm beneath the head as a pillow, and extend the other to rub the abdomen gently around the navel. Stretch out one leg and bend the other. Gather the mind and spirit, letting them settle deep in the Dantian (the Neidan practice area below the navel), and unite Shen and Qi as if water and fire were blending. In this way, the mind and spirit will not wander outward, and the breath will settle naturally.

Before sleep, first quiet the mind. Let the mind and spirit enter stillness, then relax the gaze completely and focus on maintaining that stillness. Shen and Qi will then return naturally to their root, and the breath will become calm and clear. Without deliberately regulating the breath, it will even itself out; without deliberately suppressing the Qi, the breath will grow smooth and steady.

Chen Xiyi, a legendary Daoist practitioner, preserved his bodily form on Mount Hua, while Jiang Qingxia shed his mortal body on Mount Wangwu. The purpose of this sleeping method is not daoyin—a practice that guides Qi and blood through movement and breathing—but rather to make stillness central and establish a foundation for body and mind. On waking, slowly stretch the body. At that moment, before thoughts arise, the mind is like empty space. If you can let everything go and sit or lie quietly for a while, the effect is beyond words.

In ancient times there was also a practice called “Banquet Rest,” a method of quiet repose. Late at night, do not listen to sounds outside, look at external things, or speak; let the mind be free of concerns, the breath unhurried, and the body still. At this moment, before thoughts arise, the mind is like empty space. If you can let everything go and settle into quiet stillness, you will feel an effect that is difficult to describe. That small measure of original Shen and true Qi—the spirit and primordial energy of a person in cultivation—depends on itself and remains continuously connected, like an ember left in a furnace. With long practice and mastery, Shen and Qi will naturally become abundant, and you will no longer crave sleep. The so-called “sleep demon” will then disappear without your noticing.

Chen Xiyi’s “Sleeping Instructions” consists of thirty-two characters and is also known as the “Hibernating Dragon Method.” It reads:

“The dragon returns to the Sea of Origin; Yang lies hidden within Yin. People call it the Hibernating Dragon; I call it the hibernating mind. Silently conceal its workings; let the breath grow deep and deep. I call it ‘merchant’s repose’; in the world, few understand its meaning.”

This means: the dragon returns to the Sea of Origin, where Yang energy lies hidden within Yin energy. Others call this state “the Hibernating Dragon,” but I say it is the mind and spirit, too, becoming still and concealed. Silently gather in the workings of body and mind, and let the breath grow deep and long. I call it “merchant’s repose,” though few in the world truly understand what it means.

The instructions say that the key to cultivation is to safeguard one’s original endowment, the innate root of human life. First warm the external kidneys (here referring to the scrotum and genital area), gather the light inward and observe within (gathering the mind and spirit and turning awareness inward), and let the mind and spirit settle in the Dantian (the place in the abdomen where Qi is said to gather in Neidan practice). Lie on your left side, supporting your ribs with your left hand and firmly grasping the external kidneys with your right. Bend your left leg fully, and bend your right leg halfway, leaving it partly extended. Warm the external kidneys, gather the light inward and observe within, and settle the spirit in the Dantian. Then gather the mind and spirit in the lower Dantian and silently count three hundred and sixty breaths in and out. Let the mind and spirit follow the breath without scattering outward, maintaining a continuous, fine awareness that neither clings too tightly nor lets go completely. Next, lie on your back. Firmly grasp the external kidneys with both hands and strain forward twelve times; extend both legs forward with force as well. Hold your breath, lift your body off the bed, and support yourself on the Jade Pillow (the back of the head), heels, and palms. Lift with each breath, three times in succession. Then relax body and mind, rest quietly, and enter emptiness.

Next, turn onto your right side and repeat the practice as before. Then lie on your back, firmly grasp the external kidneys with both hands, strain with force twelve times as before, and hold your breath as you lift your body three times. Then relax and rest quietly. Afterward, lie on your side and clasp the scrotum firmly with your hand, gathering the spirit in the lower Dantian. Lie on your back again, clasp the external kidneys firmly with both hands, strain with force twelve times as before, then hold your breath and lift your body three times. Relax and rest quietly. Then lie on your side again, clasp the scrotum firmly with your hand, and gather the spirit in the lower Dantian. Let the mind and spirit be faintly present yet free of distraction by external things, with stillness and composure as the aim. First maintain visualization; then let go even of visualization and enter a state of undifferentiated, primordial oneness. This is Chen Xiyi’s “Sleeping Dragon” method, a practice of cultivation through lying quietly, gathering the spirit, and regulating the breath.

After sleeping, if you wake and feel “the arising of one Yang” (a Neidan term for the first stirrings of Yang Qi), practice “regulating the medicine,” that is, follow the instructions for refining essence into Qi. As dawn approaches, again count the breaths, warm the external kidneys, and lift the body to circulate Qi as described earlier. At this point, the night’s practice is complete.

Keeping the scrotum warm is a crucial secret of cultivation.

Each of the four ordinary states—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—has its corresponding method. When walking, place your feet on level ground; when standing, concentrate the spirit in the Great Void; when sitting, harmonize the breath in the Dantian; when lying down, keep the mind on the pearl below the navel (an image of the Neidan within the Dantian). Thus, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one never departs from this essential practice.

In the cultivation method for women, practice after the hour of the Rat and before the hour of the Horse, when Yang energy begins to rise, following the prescribed method. First let body and mind settle into emptiness and stillness, entering a deep state of undifferentiated chaos. When signs of movement arise within this chaos, gather the spirit and inhale, keeping the mind and spirit at the “Breast Stream,” the cultivation point between the breasts. Visualize each breath resting there. As the breath flows in and out, silently regulate it thirty-six times, then return to emptiness and stillness to nourish the practice until body and mind are utterly still. Next, follow the method of the absorption of cessation, a meditative state in which all thoughts are stilled and the mind grows quiet, allowing the mind and spirit to enter the silence of chaos. When movement arises in the chaos again, gather the spirit and inhale as before, keeping it at the Breast Stream and visualizing the breath resting there. Silently regulate the breath thirty-six times, then return to emptiness and stillness to nourish the practice until utterly still, and enter the state of quiescent extinction.

When stillness reaches its utmost and awareness begins to return, regulate the breath and keep it centered as before. Practice this sequence three to five times in succession, then conclude the session. After practicing beyond the Month of Wei—the sixth lunar month—if you feel Qi stirring and warmth arising between the breasts, cup the breast area with both hands and inhale, allowing each breath to settle into the Breast Stream. Keep the breath long and fine, maintaining it gently, as though present and yet almost absent. When you feel the breath flowing in and out between the breasts, shift the mind and spirit downward and keep them at the Yellow Court, the inner cultivation point at the center of the abdomen.

Gently rub each breast with the hands thirty-six times. Then guide the Qi with true intent, the eyes’ focus, and spirit-light, the spirit gathered in inward contemplation: move it backward from between the ribs on either side, then upward along both sides of the spinal gate, past the Jade Pillow at the back of the head, into the Muddy Pellet, the inner cultivation point in the head, and onward to the Bright Hall, the inner cultivation point at the forehead. Complete this sequence six times.

Next, again use true intent, the eyes’ focus, and spirit-light to guide the Qi backward from between the ribs, upward along both sides of the spinal gate, past the Jade Pillow into the Muddy Pellet, and up to meet at the Bright Hall on the forehead. Then guide it downward from behind the ears to converge before the chest, and bring it together once more. Let the Qi pass between the breasts, circle each breast once, then send it together from between the breasts into the Yellow Court, returning to emptiness and stillness. Pause briefly, then cup the breasts and inhale; rub each breast thirty-six times and guide the Qi backward and upward as before. Repeat this sequence three times, then focus the mind on the Yellow Court until it seems to shine. Finally, move the mind downward and keep it at the Navel Wheel, the area centered on the navel.

When you continue holding your attention there until the navel begins to itch and it feels as though water is flowing out, the breasts will gradually shrink until they become like a man’s. Then move your mind and spirit to the lower Dantian (the site for Neidan practice below the navel). Silently regulate your breathing thirty-six times, allowing your mind and spirit to return to emptiness and stillness. Continue holding your attention there until the Dantian begins to itch and it feels as though water is flowing out from the navel; the breasts will gradually shrink. Then once again move your mind and spirit to the lower Dantian and silently regulate your breathing thirty-six times, allowing your mind and spirit to return to emptiness and stillness. If the Dantian grows warm, or you feel a slight pain, as if pricked by a knife, do not be alarmed; this is considered harmless.

When the Red Dragon (a reference to menstruation) arrives, return to emptiness and stillness and rest calmly. There is no need to regulate the breath or hold your attention on any particular point. For those aged sixteen or seventeen to twenty-four or twenty-five, menstruation usually ends after seven days; for those aged twenty-six or twenty-seven to thirty-four or thirty-five, it usually ends after five days; and for those aged thirty-six or thirty-seven to forty-four or forty-five, it usually ends after three days. Once menstruation has passed and the blood has stopped, resume the earlier method of holding your attention on the lower Dantian and regulating your breathing. At first, simply keep a light awareness of the Dantian, nurturing it steadily and gently with attentive care.

When the Dantian grows warm, Yin Qi stirs, and desire begins to arise, guide the movement of Qi backward using true intention (focused, clear awareness), the power of the eyes, and spirit light (the inner brightness described in inner contemplation). Then guide it upward along the Red Path (the route described in the text) to the crown of the head, reaching the Bright Hall (the inner contemplation site between the eyebrows on the forehead), but do not let the Qi gather or remain there. Next, divide it into left and right currents and bring them down from behind the ears to the front of the chest, where they meet. Do not route them around the breasts; send them straight between the breasts into the Dantian, and let them pause there briefly.

Then guide the Qi backward again, carefully but swiftly, making three to five continuous circuits, and stop only when Yin Qi has subsided and desire has quieted. The text holds that when Yin Qi stirs, it can lead a person to indulge in desire and entertain thoughts of sexual union and play. If proper awareness does not guide the Qi up and down along the prescribed route to subdue Yin Qi, cultivation may thereby be harmed. The practice should therefore continue until Yin Qi has subsided and desire has quieted.

In addition, simply remain humble and still in quiet awareness. Do not deliberately strain to hold your attention there, lest the Dantian (energy center; the area below the navel used in Neidan cultivation) suddenly grow hot. Attend to it gently and continue to nourish it with warmth, so that the true Qi within the Dantian becomes apparent: first it feels warm, then hot, and gradually very hot, as if scorched by fire or boiled in a cauldron. Even in the depths of winter, it may become so hot that you take off your upper and lower garments and even unwrap your foot bindings. At this point, have a fellow practitioner—someone who cultivates with you and helps safeguard the practice—keep watch. Close the doors tightly, remain quietly in the curtained room, and avoid disturbance. Simply maintain still awareness, and you will gradually enter a state of undifferentiated stillness, in which body and mind are quiet and awareness recedes into a hazy state.

Once this state of undifferentiated stillness has begun to take shape, continue to maintain quiet awareness as before. When the “joining bones” (a joint or aperture referred to in this practice) suddenly open and signs of Qi appear, wash your hands with warm water and gently raise them in support. Using true intent—the focused awareness that guides the practice—and the spirit-light of the gaze, move the Qi from the Dantian toward the back. Let it rise along the red paths on either side of the spinal pass to the crown of Qian, then descend to the Hall of Brightness. It need not complete a circuit there: let it descend from behind the ears on both sides to the front of the chest, where the Qi comes together. Then guide it down between the breasts to the Yellow Court, an internal site named in the practice, and return it to the Dantian. Next, gently raise it with your hands and guide it into the Secret Gate, the hidden aperture referred to in the practice.

Continue guiding it with true intent: the Qi rises along the back and descends along the front, completing one circuit. Repeat this three to five times, until all signs of the manifesting true Qi have completely receded. Then return to emptiness and stillness and enter a state of concentration. Following the meditative absorption known as the “cessation of all activity,” let body and mind become quiet, and the joining bones will close. Whenever the heat reaches its peak, the joints open, and signs of Qi appear, you must, after drawing them back in and guiding the Qi along its reverse course, enter deeply into undifferentiated stillness for the joining bones to close. Practice in this way day and night, and the joints and apertures throughout the body will gradually open. The River Chariot, the term for the route along which Qi moves in Neidan practice, will naturally turn in reverse, and the true Qi will naturally rise and flow.

The ancients said: “Ten thousand purple clouds turn toward the Jade Palace (the celestial court), while a thousand streams and a hundred channels converge at the Mudball (the head’s site of cultivation).” Practitioners become aware of a glimmer of spiritual light appearing, seeming to illuminate the whole body, within and without, day and night alike. After ten months of cultivation, the Yang Spirit (the spiritual form attained through cultivation) appears, resembling a man’s physical form; at first, it has no distinction between male and female.

The scripture also says that the breasts connect above with the fluids of the heart and lungs, and below with the channels of the Sea of Blood (the place where blood gathers according to Chinese medicine). When cultivation makes the breasts resemble those of a maiden or child, this is called “the woman changing into a male body.” This method is practiced only while conveying Sweet Dew (the Sweet Dew spoken of in cultivation): do not convey it to the lower Dantian (the cultivation site below the navel), but only to the Yigong (here, the area where the breasts are located), keeping the mind focused on both breasts. Clench the upper and lower front teeth, close both nostrils, and gather inward through internal breathing. At the same time, knead and press the left and right breasts with the palms, seventy-two times each. Begin slowly, then speed up; begin gently, then press more firmly. After practicing this way for one hundred days, the breasts can become like two walnuts.

A Simple Method for Women’s Practice

After midnight, during the hour of Zi, if you awaken naturally, let your mind neither cling to forms nor sink into emptiness. Become aware of Qi stirring in the Moon Grotto—a Neidan term for the place where Yin Qi changes and Yang Qi is about to arise. This is the moment when “Yang returns after reaching its extreme,” as Yang Qi begins to revive. Gather Shen and Qi at the “Breast Stream,” the area around the breasts used in cultivation. Turn the light inward toward the Life Palace, a Neidan term for the place of visualization and inner observation. Keep the mouth closed and draw inward; cup the breasts and breathe in, rubbing them with both hands. The movement below draws upon the Central Gate, an aperture in the middle of the body, while above it passes through both breasts. With every inhalation and exhalation, guide the breath back to the Life Palace. Perform seventy-two breaths in each cycle. Use the first six periods to practice and the next six to rest quietly. After each practice, swallow three mouthfuls of saliva and send them down to the womb. Practice one cycle each day at the times before Zi and after midday when Yang Qi stirs.

Continue this cultivation regularly until the period called “three after Yang, three before,” then undertake the practice of refining the body. The scripture says that within a hundred days or less, menstruation will cease, the nipples will flatten, and the complexion will become like peach blossoms. One will seem slightly intoxicated throughout the day, with a tranquil, unfocused expression. Day and night, numinous light will not disperse; in stillness, one will feel the mind to be continually bright. After ten months of cultivation, signs will appear, and one will be able to foretell good and ill fortune.

The scripture also says to first gather Jing and blood back into the breasts, then rub, press, and lift them continually, transforming Jing and blood into sweet dew that descends into the Dantian and forms Fetal Breathing, the Neidan term for a state in which inner vitality has gathered. Menstruation will then cease, and the nipples will flatten of their own accord. A sacred embryo will naturally form in the lower Dantian, without any need for further gathering and replenishing. One need only focus Shen within Fetal Breathing and abide in accordance with the meditative state called the Cessation of All Perception, in which thoughts become still and cease, allowing body and mind to return to extinction. After a hundred days of quiet contemplation, the sacred embryo will seem to begin turning amid a hazy, indistinct state. The practitioner will feel as if intoxicated; in daily life, the eyes will remain neither fully open nor fully closed, and the face will shine. It is said that golden light will envelop the whole body day and night. After ten months of nurturing and refining, the sacred embryo will be complete, and one will shed the mortal condition to become an immortal and a spirit, undergoing transformations beyond measure.

This Essential Guide claims to have fully disclosed the essentials of Heaven and Earth, and of nature and life, and to have explained where principle and Qi return. Its principles, upon examination, do not contradict the words of the ancient sages; they do not conflict with Heaven and Earth, and they withstand questioning of the spirits without doubt. Even if one waits a hundred generations for a sage to test them, they will not mislead. This is the Way that is truly constant.