《慧命经》Vol. 3

First question: Where should one begin cultivating the correct Dao?

Answer: Begin where the mind and spirit and the gaze are focused: gather them together and bring them into harmony. Understand that this gathering must settle at a subtle point. The ancients said that when turning the light inward, observing within, and gathering the spirit, one should know where it returns. It returns to the very root of life.

Second question: When should cultivation begin?

Answer: When the inner “thing” appears, one can begin. A Patriarch said, “This thing, formed naturally, is most precious; it is unique and has no companion.” It is neither the mind nor intention, but lies hidden deep within the body. When it stirs, perception arises; this is the moment to begin cultivation.

Third question: In the ancients’ saying “subduing the Dragon and taming the Tiger,” what do the Dragon and Tiger refer to?

Answer: The Dragon refers to the mind’s nimble thoughts; the Tiger refers to the warm sensation in the Qi Sea, the inner gathering of Qi below the navel. To subdue the Dragon and Tiger, first let the Dragon dwell where the Tiger is, then let the Tiger return to the Dragon’s cave. In this way, the Dragon and Tiger will naturally come into harmony.

Fourth question: What does “the fierce tiger emerging from the forest” mean?

Answer: It refers to the arousal of the male sexual organ.

A further question: How can it be brought to rest?

Answer: Use the Dragon to guide it, then let the “wind” blow over it. Here, “Dragon” and “wind” are symbols in Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the mind and spirit guiding the movement of Qi.

Fifth question: What is the “true seed”?

Answer: When the Dragon and Tiger unite and refine into one thing, a moment of activation then appears. This is called the “true seed.”

Sixth question: What is the “Śarīra”?

Answer: After the true seed is produced, one follows the method to set the Dharma wheel in motion, a Neidan term for the circulation of breath. When it has circulated a certain number of times and the external kidneys no longer rise, this is called the “Śarīra.”

Seventh question: What is the “Muni Pearl”?

Answer: After the Śarīra is produced, one follows the method to guide it through the three rear passes, the three apertures described in Neidan cultivation, and then return it to the Central Palace, an inner location at the center of the body. This is called the “Muni Pearl.” The ancients’ saying, “Three threes in front, three threes behind,” refers to this process.

Eighth question: What is the “Dao embryo”?

Answer: After the Muni Pearl returns to the Central Palace, it unites with intention. Intention settles within the Pearl, as iron is drawn to a magnet; hence it is called the “Dao embryo.”

Question: What are the “six spiritual powers,” or six kinds of supernatural ability?

Answer: First, one must cultivate the “power of ending outflows”—the wisdom that eradicates afflictions and frees one from birth and death. Only then can the other five powers be attained. If one cultivates only the mind and nature, without understanding the “wisdom of life”—the inner work that concerns life’s original source—one can attain only the five powers, not the power of ending outflows. Without this power, one cannot become a Buddha; one will instead fall into the state of a spirit or ghost and pass through successive kalpas.

Question: What does “emerging from meditation” mean?

Answer: It means that the pearl within the Dao embryo—the inner sacred embryo formed through cultivation—has been refined into a single whole. When the work is complete, it emerges through the crown of the head.

Question: What is a “transformation body”?

Answer: It is the body manifested after emerging from meditation. How is it manifested? Just as all ten fingers of the hand can move, whether one finger moves or all ten move together depends entirely on the mind’s intention.

Question: When those who follow heterodox paths and those who cultivate the Orthodox Way attain realization, what signs distinguish them?

Answer: Claims of attainment made by those on heterodox paths are often nothing more than empty words, with no proof. When the Orthodox Way produces śarīra—spiritual crystals formed through cultivation—the external kidneys, meaning the male genitals, do not become erect at all. When the Dao embryo is formed, the six pulses cannot be felt by touch at the wrist; white hair turns black again, and lost teeth grow back. When one emerges from meditation, there is another body outside the physical body. When seeking a teacher, one should examine these signs in person.

Question: What will happen later if one has not cultivated the Orthodox Way to completion?

Answer: You reap what you sow.

Longjiang, abbot of Haihui Temple in Taiyi.

Question: Through seated meditation alone, without allowing distracting thoughts to arise, can one prevent the loss of Jing and Qi and thereby attain the “supernatural power of ending leakage”—the power to eliminate all afflictions and desires?

Answer: Seated meditation can stop sexual activity in the body, but it cannot cut off the inner source of sexual desire. As long as that source remains, one cannot attain the supernatural power of ending leakage. To attain it, one must also employ the practice of “fire and wind,” which the scriptures call “transforming with fire” and “blowing with wind.” This is a genuine method passed down through a lineage.

Venerable Shicang, abbot of the Hongdu Medicine Master Monastery

Question: I suddenly awaken to the fact that there is no distinction between ordinary beings and sages, and that a single thought is perfectly integrated, like empty space. After sitting in meditation for a long time, I feel warmth and ease in my lower body. It begins to move, even tugging at the external kidney—that is, the male genitals. Why does this happen?

Answer: This is a subtle phenomenon in meditation. When one first begins cultivating the wisdom-life—a term in Daoist Neidan practice for cultivating nature and life—if one can use a method to draw this moving force back to its original place, this is called “dual cultivation” (here meaning the cultivation of both body and mind).