《泥丸李祖师女宗双修宝筏》

Master Niwan said: In women’s cultivation, one should first still distracting thoughts, then harmonize the mind and spirit. Only after thoughts have settled and the mind and spirit have grown calm should one begin massage. During cultivation, one must avoid simply fleeing heat and seeking coolness. Women take Blood as their foundation and are constitutionally more Yin; Yin tends toward coolness. Without massage to set the Qi mechanism moving gradually, one can easily fall into pure Yin. When Yin Qi is excessive, the body grows cold; prolonged cold is like ice forming. If the body is not set in motion, illnesses such as phlegm accumulation and Blood stasis may develop, making cultivation difficult.

However, one must begin by stilling thoughts and regulating the mind. Women belong to Kun, the trigram in the Book of Changes that symbolizes Earth and Yin, and true Fire is concealed within Kun. Fire is auspicious when it remains hidden; if it flares up too strongly, it scorches Metal. To set the practice in motion before the mind and spirit are harmonized is like having Metal pressed by Fire, and may bring about the kind of disorder symbolized by “the wild goose’s cry ascending to Heaven.” Thus, the key to women’s cultivation is first to still thoughts and regulate the mind. There is no harm in practicing this work often or for a long time, because stillness and stability contain inner movement.

Master Taixu said: When distracting thoughts cease, Qi becomes pure; when the mind and spirit are harmonized, Qi becomes calm. Continue with massage afterward, and Yang Qi will begin to arise. There is no harm in practicing the work of stilling thoughts and regulating the mind often or for a long time, because stillness and stability contain inner movement.

Taixu says: When scattered thoughts come to rest, the breath becomes pure; when the mind and spirit are harmonized, the breath becomes calm as well. Continue the massage, and signs of Yang Qi stirring may appear. But worrying that the flow of Qi might become obstructed can easily lead to agitation, so the text offers another warning.

In general, women tend to favor coolness and dislike dryness and heat. When they first learn to quiet scattered thoughts and harmonize mind, spirit, and breath, the flow of Qi may sometimes become obstructed and agitation may arise. At such times, they often feel tempted to draw up and infuse “true Yin” (a cultivation term used in the scripture). The scripture holds that doing so makes pure Yin Qi gather with greater force. Stillness causes Yin Qi to collect, while a lack of movement causes Yang Qi to become bound up; beginners are especially prone to this problem.

If you do not investigate why agitation has arisen and instead hurry to seek temporary relief by cooling yourself, you have misunderstood the method of cultivation. You must continue your practice and set the flow of Qi in motion; once Qi begins to move, the agitation will naturally dissipate. Failing to understand this and seeking only immediate results can worsen the condition. The scripture also regards this as one cause of phlegm accumulating and blood vessels becoming congested, and therefore gives a particular warning against this approach.

Continuing the massage is precisely what helps prevent congestion and accumulation. Yet people often crave results and are eager to advance, so they may massage too vigorously, causing the “earthly fire” (a cultivation term for heat arising in the lower body) to surge upward. If ordinary fire also rises, it can cause the harm called “scorching the metal.” The scripture therefore warns against this with the phrase “the wild goose ascends to heaven”: “wild goose” here refers to a bird at the hour of the Rooster; when pressed to the extreme, a bird will flee by taking flight. The image serves as a reminder not to force cultivation too far.

The scripture thus again explains the benefits of quieting thoughts and calming the mind, treating them as essential principles to be followed throughout women’s cultivation, from beginning to end.

Niwán, a Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) term for the upper Dantian in the head. Master Li said: A woman’s cultivation should begin with the flourishing of Yang Qi within her body and end with Yin Qi brought into harmony and settled. This method is extremely secret, and few know it. Those who have lost their way follow men’s methods of cultivation. The clever turn to Chan Buddhism and may attain a level of realization, reaching the point where they die while standing or sitting. But without understanding these methods of cultivation, they may still fall into the realm of ghosts, far from the Dao.

For women, blood is fundamental. When blood is abundant, Jing and Qi are also full. Only when the heart-mind and spirit are calm and peaceful can blood be produced. The ancients said that refining blood and Jing depends on the clarity of Shen and Qi. If blood cannot be transformed into fluids, and those fluids are not nourished by Shen and Qi, they congeal into phlegm: first stagnating in the spleen and stomach, then steaming upward into the lungs and spreading through the channels. This gives rise to all kinds of illness and harms the five zang organs and six fu organs. That is why ancient alchemical instructions always begin with calming the mind. When thoughts settle and Shen and Qi become clear, the heart naturally grows cool.

During cultivation, wait until the mind is cool and fluids well up. Then focus the intention on the “Breast Stream,” the cultivation area between the breasts, while slowly massaging it in circles with the hands to make the movement of Qi abundant and smooth. Next, raise both hands and massage in circles on either side of the chest. Wait until the breath is warm and circulates throughout the body, and you feel warm Qi steaming from behind. When the two gates—the points through which Qi moves—seem to glow with rising smoke and flame, and the force presses through the gates until they are filled with fluids, guide the fluids separately toward the Breast Stream, where they well up like spring water.

Then use true intention, focused and undistracted, to guide the fluids into Nanyang, a named cultivation area. Rest quietly with attention there for about four sets of nine breaths, or thirty-six breaths. Once you release your attention, if you feel the fluids naturally descending, let them flow separately toward the two sides of the waist, circling left and right, and rest with attention on each side for about four sets of nine breaths. Next, concentrate on gathering the breath deep within the navel wheel, the cultivation area at the navel. Rotate slowly forty-nine times, then quickly forty-nine times, while keeping the tailbone in mind. If the warm Qi seems too weak to pass through from behind, you can raise the anus and contract the perineum to help it pass through the tailbone and rise along the spine, pass through Kunlun, the head area, and descend into Niwán.

If Niwán feels vast as the sea, let the breath remain there and be nourished. Then guide it downward again through the Flower Pool and Crimson Palace, Daoist names for bodily cultivation areas, where it falls abundantly like dew before gathering and descending into Niwán.

After becoming aware of the Nivan (the central point in the head used in Daoist internal cultivation), one senses that it is vast as the sea, as though it could hold and nourish the breath. Then the breath descends into the Flower Pool and Crimson Palace, terms in internal cultivation for places such as the mouth and the heart, as though sweet dew were sprinkling the whole land of Jambudvīpa, the human world in Buddhist cosmology. At this point, forget what you are doing and simply feel the mind and body in a hazy, unselfconscious state. Do not try to breathe; breathing happens naturally. Do not deliberately raise the Qi or swallow saliva; the breath and saliva move of their own accord. A sweet fragrance fills the mouth, Qi and Shen (spirit) become full and harmonized, and the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)—flow together as one.

Next, wondrous visions seem to fill the surroundings. Gather the mind and spirit at once, turn inward to observe yourself, and let go of all distracting thoughts. Gradually, the body feels as spacious as a valley, and even the earth seems not to exist. A faint, cool Qi seems to arrive, as though clouds envelop the whole body. Suddenly, the mist disperses and the clouds draw back, revealing the Sea of Nature, clear as emerald waves: a state of mind and nature. The mind is completely still; the outer world and emotions are forgotten. Then countless rays of golden light appear, with pearl-like drops of fine rain descending in their radiance. They swirl and flow, forming a full, bright moon that rises and sinks upon the crystal-clear sea. At once, it is as though one awakens from a dream.

Nivanshi says: At this point, turn inward and examine yourself at once. If the breath feels fresh, the mind clear, and the whole body at ease, the state is suitable. Once it is reached, let the sensations throughout the body settle for a moment. Then direct your attention to the Yin, a term in internal cultivation for a part of the female body. If it feels calm and comfortable there, the state is appropriate. Next, rub your hands together and massage your face; use intention to guide the spirit around the abdomen; raise and lower the shoulders; and rotate the torso like a windlass, doing each for forty-nine breaths. Then slowly twist the waist, swing the knees and legs, and, while seated, move the tips of the toes, doing each for twenty-four breaths before stopping. Practice this continuously for one hundred days, three times daily without interruption, and you will lay the foundation for cultivating into a Celestial Immortal.

Master Taixu says: This passage outlines the general stages of cultivation. The ancients called it the “Ladder to Heaven”; it also contains the essentials of the Great Dao’s Elixir Instructions, though the final, crucial step is still missing. Later students should first read it until they know it well, attend to every word, and quietly contemplate its meaning. Read it dozens or even hundreds of times each day. Then, in actual practice, it will be like walking a familiar road, and you will be less likely to be misled by the various visions that arise. Even if the visions differ, the stages of cultivation remain clear. Remember not to treat it as a story like Journey to the West.

There are countless texts on men’s Elixir practice, but few complete transmissions of texts on women’s Elixir practice. The eighteen sections of a work such as Direct Guidance on the Golden Flower (Jinhua Zhizhi) are already part of a secret transmission. If you obtain this guide and study it alongside Direct Guidance on the Golden Flower, you will have the complete secrets for women’s cultivation into Celestial Immortals. If you obtain only Direct Guidance on the Golden Flower, you will have methods for cultivating into Earth Immortals and Human Immortals.

Master Niwanshi said: “A man practicing the dual cultivation method need not use a cauldron vessel, a symbolic implement for cultivation. If he insists on using one, he will ultimately find it difficult to attain the Dao. The so-called ‘adding oil,’ a method for replenishing Jing and Qi, is only a minor technique, not the true secret. The true secret is to unite Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—the Three Powers—within oneself. The principle is the same for a woman practicing dual cultivation: do not become attached to external implements. Within her are three kinds of life force, which are nurtured and refined into the Elixir. The True One Qi within is like grain stored in a granary. Take the workings of creation as the furnace, and once the Elixir is refined, it can be put to use.

“He also said: ‘Uncovered assemblies—ritual gatherings held openly without concealment—truly exist in the world. The seeds of cultivation are scattered throughout the vast world. Use a ritual altar as the furnace and cauldron; after Lu Neng departed, the true transmission was lost.’”

When I recite this verse, a cultivation formula composed in rhyme, I fear the Eight Classes of Heavenly Dragons, the collective name for Buddhist guardian deities, will be astonished. They may think me too talkative and fear that I will suffer mysterious punishment from the gods. Yet I speak plainly because I have received the gracious decree of the Divine Mother of Jade Clarity, a Daoist deity. She believes it would be a great pity for the Great Dao to be lost, and once commanded the Holy Nun of Nonduality, the female immortal who transmitted this method, to proclaim it solemnly. She also taught it to me herself. Her intent was to state the secret directly, without resorting to aliases or changing titles, so as not to mislead later generations again. She said: “Cultivating alone is not the Great Dao; those of the same kind must work together. The saying ‘a body beyond the body’ means that only after the physical form has been forgotten can one undertake the various practices.”

The formula says: “The Primordial Qi of Qian is obtained from the crown of the head; the Primordial Qi of Kun flows away from the genitals. The Primordial Qi of Humanity is spread throughout the vast world; the Three Primordial Energies must be governed by a single mind. The key lies not in external things, but in an inner mind that is still and clear, and a body that flows freely without obstruction. Movement and stillness alike accord with the constant Dao. If my mind clings to nothing, the Primordial Qi will naturally gather. As the Primordial Qi gathers, the ‘One’ also returns to unity. This Primordial One is emotion and nature. Emotion is the root of nature; nature is the endowment with which a person is born. If Primordial Qi and the ‘One’ can merge without obstruction, one can transcend the highest rank.”

This is the gracious decree of the Divine Mother of Jade Clarity and the teaching transmitted orally by the Holy Nun of Nonduality. Those capable of cultivating it may put it into practice accordingly.

Master Taixu said: Mutual dependence between beings of the same kind is the principle of Taiji, the Supreme Ultimate. It is what is called the essence of the two Qi of Yin and Yang joining and coalescing. The Wuzhen pian and both the inner and outer sections of the Cantong qi expound this principle. People misunderstood it, and so the impure practices known as the “Three Peaks” arose. Now, through the teachings of the master, a heart-to-heart method passed down for thousands of years has finally been made clear. I, Bing, was fortunate to receive this teaching, and people everywhere are fortunate to learn of it. This is the final and most important step in the methods cultivated by the two schools, male and female. Yet without sufficient wisdom, few can persevere to the end.

Bing has grasped its essential point: the method lies in having no self, and then in clinging to no external things. When self and things are both forgotten, the True Oneness—the state of original, undivided purity—can appear. Once it appears, one holds to it and follows its course; when Oneness merges with oneself, generation and transformation become inexhaustible. Among the most orthodox methods, none surpasses the Unrestricted Buddhist Assembly, an assembly held openly, without concealment. At such an assembly, Bing saw with his own eyes what the alchemical texts describe as “a living dragon and a lively tiger, filling all space.”

But one must follow the ancient method, or risk inviting contempt and regret. The principle of this assembly is deeply hidden, while its outward conduct is entirely open; it must not be misunderstood. “Hidden” means that the gains and losses of cultivation lie only within the heart and cannot be known by others. “Open” means that, like a marketplace, all comings and goings are plainly visible, without the least concealment. It is precisely this manner of observance that prevents worldly suspicion from arising. Ah, how profound is the intent of the wise, and how far-reaching their insight!

Master Niwanshi said: The sages of antiquity taught that if ordinary people’s bodies and temperaments have not been transformed, their cultivation of the Dao has no end; if their practice is not complete, there will be no day when they attain the fruit of the Dao. Rushing ahead by skipping stages leads only astray. Seeking attainment before one’s practice is complete brings only a lesser fruit. Those who study and cultivate should keep this compassionate teaching in mind and first practice according to the proper method, making the Dharma Body—the pure body realized through cultivation—firm. Only then will they have a foundation capable of withstanding refinement. Without this foundation, higher levels of cultivation cannot be discussed.

What is called the highest form of cultivation consists entirely of transformative work, yet each step begins with the corporeal body. This is a method of cultivation that rests the void within the real and proceeds from the substantial toward the void. Without this foundation, the highest form of cultivation cannot be discussed. The method of cultivating as a Celestial Immortal is the same.

Master Taixu said: The Dharma Body is a body beyond the body. It is not obtained out of nothing through visualization, nor can it be created by practicing methods alone. The key is to use the corporeal body to cultivate what is real. Cultivation still relies on the corporeal body; the essential point is to refine and nourish it until it is pure and clear, both within and without. In time, this body is both a body and not a body, neither a body nor anything other than a body. When the work is in motion, one is unaware of the body; when the work ceases, the body appears again.

When the body no longer appears, sensations of cold, warmth, pain, and itching all seem unrelated to oneself. This is awareness without attachment to awareness. How is this achieved? The key is to let Shen (spirit) abide in the realm of emptiness and no longer take the body to be the body. It can also be achieved by understanding that “True Unity”—the original, true Qi spoken of in Daoism—is real, while everything else is illusion. When cultivation reaches a state in which there is no distinction between far and near, or inside and outside, one advances further. When it reaches a state without coming or going, entering or leaving, one truly attains the state in which far and near, inside and outside, are undivided. Cultivate further until there is no arising or passing away, no movement or stillness, and one truly transcends coming and going, entering and leaving. In this way, one attains the pure state of the Dharma Body. Yet this work must still be sought through the corporeal body.

Master Nivan said, “What you say about true Yang—the pure Yang energy spoken of in Neidan cultivation—is right.” With such careful cultivation, the Dharma body—the state of body and mind achieved through practice—will naturally come to be complete. By persisting without retreat, one can reach the state in which “a body exists beyond the body.”

You should know that practitioners of the Dao in antiquity often relied on a final, decisive step to complete their cultivation. This is a shortcut in the practice of the Dao. The true Yin and true Yang within a person are limited; cultivation consists in letting them follow one another in turn and temper each other. Practicing this method day by day can indeed bring results over time. Yet ordinary losses that arise in the body after birth also increase with each passing day. Even those who cultivate with great vigor have, in every age, suffered many severe calamities—a truly regrettable thing.

There is no other reason for this: the amount of primordial true Qi in the human body is limited, while acquired impurities and distortions continue to grow without measure. Moreover, practitioners often do not begin cultivating before their original purity has been disturbed, so contamination and loss are unavoidable. You have recognized this point; it is enough to serve as a warning to the world.

Taixu said: When drinking water or soup, one naturally knows whether it is cold or hot. Likewise, if the “Dharma Body” (the inner state of body and mind referred to in cultivation) has been established, the body itself will show clear signs by which one can judge how to nourish and maintain it, gather and release it. There is no need to seek answers from outside. Even if the Dharma Body has not yet been established, one should still look within for signs of change when nourishing and maintaining it, gathering and releasing it. In the end, these changes concern only openness or blockage, rising and descending, and coldness, warmth, dryness, and moisture.

The corresponding methods are simply to open what is blocked, warm what is cold, moisten what is dry, and regulate the shifts among these conditions. The breath is governed by the same factors, and the methods of regulating it are likewise the same.

The essentials of cultivation are to remain focused and gentle, undistracted by external things; to harmonize the mind and Qi at the root, bring the movement of Qi (the state of the body’s internal energy in motion) into alignment, and understand that this body is merely a vessel in which body and mind are lodged. Massage, contraction and lifting, and the various repeated practices of visualization and circulating the breath are only meant to make the movement of Qi supple. Once it is supple, one need only remain focused and gentle: let a thought disperse as soon as it arises, and, once the breath has been gathered, stop at the proper time. Do not be like someone riding an ox while searching everywhere for the ox. Gathering and then failing to know when to stop is called “adding a head on top of a head”—merely adding another layer of effort.

Even when experiences arise of the breath flowing freely and becoming full, of rising and descending, or of warmth, coolness, calmness, and moisture, one must not cling to them or linger in them. This is the same principle as knowing to stop after gathering. Cultivating and nourishing oneself according to this principle prevents the danger of losing or exhausting one’s vitality and putting one’s life at risk. Bing understood this point clearly.

Master Nivan says: “Yes, you are right. Women’s awareness scattering and men’s Jing and Qi becoming stagnant both result from adding unnecessary contrivances to cultivation. Awareness depends on Jing and Qi: when Shen is gathered and Jing and Qi are balanced, body and mind are settled; when Jing and Qi are depleted and awareness is isolated, Shen is liable to scatter. Those who do not understand this mistake the condition for shedding the body and ascending to immortality. How tragic.

“This makes clear that excessive use of methods such as massage and visualization is inappropriate. Why? Women are Yin within and Yang without, and in the trigrams they correspond to Li. Their innate Yin within the body is often lost with menstruation, so quiet stillness over agitation is auspicious, while agitation over quiet stillness is inauspicious. For men, Jing is the root; for women, blood is the root. Jing and Qi flourish with warmth, while blood is generated in coolness. Once these principles are understood, one knows how to nourish oneself.

“There are good reasons why women’s cultivation retains massage and visualization. The main purposes are twofold: first, to regulate the flow of Qi and keep the channels open; second, to refine and nourish bodily fluids, preventing them from stagnating and turning into phlegm. These fluids also give rise to blood. Ancient practitioners made quieting the mind and nurturing it the foundation, and this too has two meanings. Within, when ruler and ministers are settled and the people at peace, awareness is clear and does not scatter. In stillness, wisdom arises, undisturbed by desires, and the root of life is thereby preserved.

“This is the secret of cultivating body and mind together. Once the flow of Qi is smooth, make the will clear and settled, then nourish it with abundant, balanced Qi and maintain it with an upright, pure state of mind. Each day may seem to bring little progress, yet by the month’s end there will be gains. Continue cultivating, and one day you will experience the body as if it were empty, with the upper, middle, and lower Dantian connected. The limbs, joints, and every aperture will seem to grow bright. At this stage, an ‘outer body’ takes shape beyond the self—a further body spoken of in cultivation.

“If you can continue cultivating without turning back, keeping Shen and Qi abundant and the mind from rushing outward, awareness will not chase after thoughts, blood and Qi will flourish, innate Yin will become sufficient, and Qi and Jing will naturally grow full and expansive. But if you pursue thoughts and send awareness flying outward, you will fall into a lower level of cultivation, what the alchemical texts call ‘the Yin spirit leaving the shell.’ Practitioners must be alert to this.”

Master Taixu said: I once heard the teacher explain that what is called “spirit” refers to the mind-spirit. To settle it and keep it from scattering outward is to cherish and guard Jing. Once Jing is depleted, Shen disperses. The Jing mentioned here is kidney Jing. When Jing does not become stagnant, Shen can guide it. Yet this stagnant Jing is not “Original Jing,” the innate, primordial essence; it belongs instead to the bodily fluids and represents a state in which the body has not yet matured. When true Shen departs, Jing congeals and becomes stagnant.

The Book of Changes says, “One Yin and one Yang: this is the Dao.” A verse says, “Only when half a catty meets eight ounces is the true thing formed.” It also says that isolated Yin cannot give birth, and solitary Yang cannot grow. The trigrams Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Xun, Dui, and Gen, as well as Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, nature and life, and men and women, all express the union and cyclical alternation of Yin and Yang. This is the constant Dao. If cultivation takes only one side, its resonance will also be one-sided, and this gives rise to harmful effects.

For most people who are beginning cultivation, the key is to seek complementary forces within themselves. These also have an order: what comes first is called true, and what follows is called false. On closer examination, the false arises from the true, and the true can also be called false; when the false returns to the true, it becomes the Origin. If one misses the proper time for gathering and refining, or clings to outward forms, one falls into heterodox paths and ordinary, illusory methods. The harm can be great, though rescue may still be possible.

The gravest case occurs when someone has made progress through solitary cultivation and enters a realm of obscure and unfathomable resonance, but a fixed and biased intention causes their understanding to become distorted as well. Even if they want to stop in time, it may already be too late: a woman’s Shen may fly off and disperse, while a man’s Jing may congeal and stagnate. How could one fail to be cautious?

Alas, one must understand that Cui Gong’s Mirror for Compounding the Medicine speaks of “nature and life,” not of Shen and Qi. When the scripture speaks of Shen and Jing, it is using a makeshift expedient, like waving a yellow leaf to stop a child from crying. If you do not recognize real gold, how can you tell it from a yellow leaf? Patriarch Zhong said, “The four great elements in the body are all Yin; who knows what thing is Yang Jing? If fate brings you to meet an enlightened teacher, attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal is a matter of the body alone.” He also said, “The intermingling of being and nonbeing is the root of the Elixir; the hidden and the manifest support one another as Water and Metal. Do not insist that this body is the Dao; to cultivate alone without its counterpart is isolated Yin.” Considered alongside the teacher’s guidance, the “true seed” mentioned here may well be the key. Yet the teaching that the foundation of cultivation lies nowhere outside oneself is indeed profound.

Master Nivana said: That is so. The Dao De Jing (Classic of the Way and its Virtue) says, “There is something formed from undifferentiated unity that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being. Silent and empty, it stands alone and does not change; it moves in a cycle and never wears out. It can serve as the root of all things under Heaven. I do not know its name, so I can only call it ‘Dao.’” It also says, “In a haze, there is something real within; in the depths of darkness, there is a subtle substance within. This subtle substance is real and not illusory, and within it there is its own proof.”

This “thing” is concealed within the human body. The ancients said it cannot be deliberately sought inside the body, nor can it be obtained from outside. It is indistinct, as though it lay amid emptiness and obscurity, yet it is never separate from the “mysterious pass,” the key aperture spoken of in Neidan cultivation. This aperture is so vast that it has no bounds, and so small that it has no interior. Thought cannot find it, nor can intention force it open. The method of cultivation is simply to let body and mind return to emptiness and stillness, release every attachment, forget even the thought of “emptiness,” and let go even of the sense of “stillness.” Then awareness naturally settles within it, and Qi (vital energy) arises from within. A warm, flowing current of breath with no discernible beginning or end is a sign that this one thing is manifesting and that the “body beyond the body”—another form that appears in cultivation—is beginning to emerge.

If this aperture has not opened, then even if one can achieve such practices as “severing the dragon” or “spiritual transformation,” they remain like yellow leaves: illusory appearances that seem to exist and yet do not. How could such a state be called forming the embryo, or count as truly entering the gate? What was described earlier is still only yellow leaves, not genuine gold.

Master Great Void said: Massage may not accord with the correct method, but to abandon it entirely leaves the Qi mechanism blocked. Focused visualization may also be unreliable, but to dispense with it altogether leaves Qi and Jing (essence) deficient. How could such a state be called forming the embryo, or count as truly entering the gate? What was described earlier is still only yellow leaves, not genuine gold.

The Void Sage says: Massage may be only an expedient method, but if it is abandoned entirely, the movement of Qi cannot flow freely. Visualization may rely only on the mind’s intent, but if it is discarded completely, Qi and Jing will become insufficient. Follow this gradual practice, and even if you reach a state that seems both present and absent, the master still does not consider it the final achievement. These are still practices of “this side”—that is, cultivation on one’s own side.

Yet when the work on one’s own side is complete, the way to “the other side” becomes easier to open. If the other side has not yet been reached, the way between them is like a range of mountains standing in the way. When the two sides connect, the mind’s intent can guide the process, and the movement of Qi will naturally surge and grow abundant; the surrounding Qi will follow. Thus, even across mountains and lakes, when the Qi connects, it is as though the two were face to face. How is this done? The master says: Let the light appear as a guide, gather the spirit, and wait quietly. If the other rises while I descend, or the other retreats while I return, that is only an encounter; it brings no benefit.

The method is to remain inwardly settled and unmoving, with an open and receptive mind, even before thought has become completely still. When the Qi arrives, if you feel ease and comfort, remain settled and unmoving. Use your intent to embrace and gather it, store it deep within, and refine and nourish it. As the Qi moves from Kun (one of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing Earth) to Gen (one of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing Mountain), it is as though you were riding a raft into the River of Heaven. At this point, you may feel golden light flash and cool Qi spread like clouds and mist, surrounding the body within and without.

At this point, guard against stray thoughts. Whether desire or doubt arises, let the thought go at once. Then you will feel the Qi naturally filling body and mind, with no distinction between inside and outside and no boundaries. In an instant, all kinds of transformations appear one after another, beyond counting, depiction, or description. At times, however, all is still and there is no light, as if in the dark of night. These are called “mysterious shadows,” also known as the “perfect image of the other shore.”

In fact, these visions are called the three states described in the Huayan Jing, the Lengyan Jing, and the Fahua Jing, as well as the wondrous visions of the Three Mountains and the Ten Isles. In the end, they are all transformations revealed by the generative Qi of both the other and the self. The so-called “other shore” is not truly beyond the other shore, yet attaining it cannot be separated from the practice at hand. The master says that he once asked the Pure Primordial Lady, who replied, “Exactly so.” At the end, the scripture asks: Is the practice of men not like this as well?

The Master of the Mudball says: A verse says, “The affairs of Heaven and Earth turn and return; two kinds of Qi join and mingle, and together form Gen Metal.” It also says, “The eagle captures swallows and sparrows; the falcon strikes down the jackdaw.” This speaks of subtlety within subtlety and mystery within mystery. Yet these principles do not depart from “knowing the white and keeping to the black”—understanding brightness while holding to obscurity—or from “knowing the masculine and keeping to the feminine”—recognizing strength while holding to gentleness. Nor do they depart from “abiding in emptiness while keeping to what is present”: preserving emptiness without losing the use of form.

The Master of Great Emptiness says: The Dao De Jing and the Nan Hua Jing (Zhuangzi) are not suitable for women to recite every day. The Qingjing Jing, however, should be studied until familiar and honored in the heart. Perhaps only the Kun Ning Jing and the Zhenyi Jing are worthy of such study! For unless the principles of nature and life are fully understood, life is difficult to preserve; and without strict discipline, one’s cultivation cannot become profound.

The verse quoted by the Master is subtle and profound in meaning, and not easy to investigate and understand. Even if the Master reveals the highest method, how much can ordinary women comprehend? They often remain as though watching from afar, as do many people in the world. The verse contains the complete instructions for regulating the firing process. Only after studying the Huangdi Yinfu Jing closely and consulting the Longhu Jing, Zhouyi Cantong Qi, and Wuzhen Pian can one discuss the principle expressed here.

To offer a brief hint, Bing says: “Turning and returning refers to the cycles of change in things. Recognize the ‘One’ within them, and you will understand that all things emerge from the One. At root there are only two kinds of Qi; when Jing and Qi join and mingle, myriad transformations appear. If body and mind can become wholly empty, the original substance will manifest and encompass the vastness of Heaven and Earth. The many splendid manifestations between Heaven and Earth have their source in that original substance. Do not let the source draw you away and lead you astray: the primordial beginning is your own beginning. Source and source are not separate from one another. Only when all things return to the One can they be fulfilled in emptiness. To remain still and never abandon this keeping is no ordinary work. Let swallows and sparrows go their own way, and let jackdaws be jackdaws. Do not seize what is not yet timely; when the time comes, take what follows naturally. This is the marvelous within the marvelous, the mystery within mystery. Know brightness, yet keep to obscurity; become undifferentiated, and you can attain wholeness. Why is this so? Because the utmost contains both the Non-Ultimate and the Taiji.”

This is roughly the essence of the Master’s teaching. Yet being and nonbeing generate one another, and taking and relinquishing must likewise follow a unified principle. Unless the formed body can be transformed, no form of cultivation can succeed.

Patriarch Li of Niwan said: A verse speaks of the Dao: the transformations between Heaven and Earth cycle back and forth; the two Qi of Yin and Yang meet, and Jing and Qi merge, returning to “Gen Metal” (a term in Daoist internal alchemy referring to a crucial method associated with the Gen trigram and Metal Qi). It also says that cultivation is like an eagle seizing a sparrow or a falcon catching a crow: one must grasp the subtlest turning point, whose mystery runs deep. Yet it never departs from “knowing the white and holding to the black, knowing the masculine and holding to the feminine” (understanding what is yang, strong, and manifest while holding to what is yin, yielding, and hidden). How could this be separate from the practice of abiding in nonbeing, joining Jing, and uniting with Gen Metal? Nor can it be separated from the essential principle of “abiding in nonbeing and holding to being”: abiding in emptiness while holding fast to what is real.

Tai Xu Shi says: The Daode Jing and the Nanhua Jing (Zhuangzi) are not texts that women can recite every day. The Qingjing Jing should instead be read until familiar and honored in daily life. The two scriptures that may especially deserve attention are the Kunning and the Zhenyi. For without penetrating insight into the principles of one’s nature, it is difficult to preserve one’s life through cultivation; and without strict observance of the precepts, one’s practice cannot become solid.

The verses quoted by the master express ideas of profound subtlety, not easily grasped at a glance. Even when the most exalted methods have been revealed, how much can ordinary women understand? They are often still at a loss, unable to comprehend; this is common throughout the world. The verses contain the complete instructions for regulating the firing process. Only after reading the Huangdi Yinfujing closely and consulting the Longhu Jing, the Cantong Qi, and the Wuzhen Pian can one discuss their meaning.

Bing offers a few hints about their import:

Things turn and turn again; each has its own cycle.

Recognize the One, and you will know it is always before you.

At root, there are only the two Qi of Yin and Yang; when Jing and Qi unite, myriad images appear.

If the body and mind do not cling to any particular form, it will manifest and contain the whole vast cosmos.

The images of the vast cosmos shine brilliantly, and that brilliance is the manifestation of the original source.

Do not be drawn along by the source’s manifestation; the beginning of the primordial is my own source.

The source is not a fixed, unchanging One; insist that it is One, and it cannot be complete.

To remain undistracted in stillness—how could the work of cultivation be an ordinary, trivial matter?

Let sparrows be sparrows; let the crow be cold if it is cold.

The images of the vast cosmos shine brilliantly, and that brilliance is the manifestation of the original source.

Do not be drawn along by the source’s manifestation; the beginning of the primordial is my own source.

The source is not a fixed, unchanging One; insist that it is One, and it cannot be complete.

To remain undistracted in stillness—how could the work of cultivation be an ordinary, trivial matter?

Let sparrows be sparrows; let the crow be cold if it is cold.

When you do not feel hungry, do not force yourself to eat; when the time comes, simply eat.

This is the wondrous within the wondrous, the mystery beyond the mysterious.

Though you understand, remain within the shadowy, undifferentiated state, as if you knew nothing; in this way, you can preserve the Great Dao.

How is this done? Within the Non-Polar, the utmost is already present.

Such, in brief, is the essence elucidated by the master. Yet being and nonbeing give rise to one another, and taking up or relinquishing things alike must follow the Middle Way. Unless the formed body can be transformed, all manner of undertakings will ultimately remain unfulfilled.

Mr. Nivana said, “Well said! There is indeed a teaching like this: to rise beyond the ordinary, first purify ordinary thoughts, then see through the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm. At the same time, do not violate the inner precepts women should observe; do not flatter ghosts and spirits; honor your elders and cherish others; and do not disobey your husband. Act with yielding yet upright virtue, in keeping with the Kun Dao, the yielding, feminine Way symbolized by Kun. In action, follow what is reasonable; in stillness, release attachment and rest at ease. While using dustpan and broom in household work, experience the mystery of the Dao; while tending the stove and cooking, understand the timing and measure of the refining process.

“The poem says: ‘Her bearing is graceful and composed, steadfast as a mountain and broad as a river. If such a person is not virtuous, what could she be?’ What, in the end, is the warning this poem offers?”

Mr. Taixu said, “The meaning of the Master’s words here is subtle and profound. Among those in the world who take refuge in the Daoist or Buddhist path, few follow the inner precepts for women, and few understand the School of Nature—the teachings on cultivating the source of mind and nature. Some, when serving their teachers and elders, are not yielding but instead become jealous and cruel, violating the norms of human relations. If disciples defy their teachers, or teachers behave in ways that violate the standards of proper conduct, they may well cause themselves to fall into the Iron Enclosure or the Avici Hell, the Buddhist hells of immense suffering. Is this not deeply lamentable?”

Min Yide says: “My teacher, Elder Taixu, inherited the unsurpassed Great Dao from our ancestral teacher, Master Niniwan. Nine parts out of ten of what he received can be discerned in this book. In my view, this heart-to-heart transmission between teacher and disciple is far more than a precious guide to women’s cultivation methods. It also reveals, in many places, hidden essentials of men’s cultivation.

“After being copied and recopied many times, this book had accumulated numerous errors. I have carefully corrected and arranged it. Sadly, The Precious Raft of Dual Cultivation in the Men’s Tradition was taken away by the Yuan family of Changshan. I hope to seek it out in the future, and trust that it has not yet been lost. Books on men’s cultivation also refer to The Precious Secrets of the Women’s Tradition, and the surviving copy likewise has many omissions. If it can be found and corrected, then printed together with this book, both texts will be complete and can be consulted alongside one another. This would greatly help in aiding the world and guiding people to salvation. I write these words to inform discerning readers who come into possession of The Precious Raft of Dual Cultivation in the Men’s Tradition: those who destroy a book of goodness will surely suffer punishment from the unseen. The scriptures already warn of this. How could we fail to take heed?

“Respectfully written as an afterword by Min Yide, the Mountain Recluse of Jingai. The date was the fifteenth day of the first autumn month, in the gengyin year of the tenth year of the Daoguang reign.”