《金丹妙诀》

Jiyangzi said: “Gathering the gaze” means drawing the eyes back from the outer world and settling them in the Mysterious Pass—the inner aperture spoken of in cultivation—so that the breath slows and settles and the mind and Shen (spirit) grow still and calm. One then turns this inner feeling into sweet dew, swallows it, sends it into the Dantian (energy center), and with intention guides it into the aperture of Qi (vital energy), the place where intention rests during cultivation. The gaze looks downward upon the Qi aperture, and the mind and Shen appear quiet and single-minded; this is like the free contemplation spoken of by Guanzizai Bodhisattva. What is called “returning the gaze to shine inward” means constantly contemplating within so that the mind remains tranquil. Through the dual cultivation of nature and life (xingming shuangxiu) practiced in this way, one can leave the suffering of the cycle of rebirth.

The book says: “When beginning cultivation, one must first restrain the two eyes.” The two eyes are where Shen is stored; one should contemplate inwardly and not look outward. In my view, one looks neither near nor far, but constantly contemplates that aperture of Wuwei (non-action); this aperture is the Mysterious Contemplative Aperture.

The Ancestor of the Dao (the Way) said: “Ever with desire, one thereby contemplates its aperture; ever without desire, one thereby contemplates its subtlety.” “Subtlety” here means the subtle place within the aperture. Being able to contemplate the subtlety of the aperture is called “concentration and wisdom”—that is, the mind and Shen settled, and wisdom clear and lucid.

In ancient times the Yellow Emperor obtained the Colored Phoenix Book, which says: “If eating, drinking, and speaking never cease, the body cannot become light and vigorous; if thinking never ceases, the vital spirit cannot become pure and clear; if one is sunk in sounds and sensual pleasures, the inner mind cannot find peace. If the mind is not at peace, Shen cannot be numinous and bright; if Shen is not numinous and bright, the Dao is hard to bring to completion.” The essentials of cultivation lie neither in gazing up at the stars and worshipping the Northern Dipper, nor in bitterly tormenting oneself and wearying the body, but in making the inner mind clear and quiet, undisturbed by stray thoughts and affairs. Only then may one hope to accomplish the way of the immortals and attain long life.

What is called “Empty the mind by one part, and nature appears by one part; empty the mind by ten parts, and nature appears by ten parts” means that as stray thoughts lessen by one measure, original nature reveals itself by one measure; when stray thoughts are wholly let go, original nature fully manifests. Sudden, thorough understanding is called “illuminating the mind and seeing nature.”

Therefore, if the Original Shen—the fundamental spiritual consciousness—scatters outward, one should quickly draw the gaze back and gather the mind and Shen within the body. Even a short period of practice can quiet body and mind, disperse deviant thoughts, and make the inner heart like a bright sun shining in the void. When a thought arises, Shen scatters outward; when thought ceases, Shen is drawn back. Thus the Chan school takes the stilling of thought as essential, the Confucians take self-restraint as their work, and the Daoist tradition takes refining the self—cultivating and disciplining body and mind—as what matters most.

What is called “returning the hearing” means drawing the sense of hearing back inward and concentrating on the wondrous function of the Dantian (energy center)—the site within the body on which intention is focused in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. If a person no longer chases external things along with the sounds beside the ears, the jumble of thoughts disperses, like a bright sun rising in the sky. When a thought stirs, Shen (spirit) and intention race outward; when thoughts cease, Shen and intention are drawn back. Thus Chan Buddhists take the stilling of thoughts as essential, Confucians take self-restraint as their accomplishment, and the Daoist tradition takes refining the self (cultivating mind and nature and restraining oneself) as most important.

What is called returning the hearing to the Dantian means not chasing outward after sounds, but concentrating Shen and gathering it in, drawing the hearing back to the Qi cavity (a Neidan term for the place in the body where Qi [vital energy] collects) and returning the hearing to the subtle function of the Dantian. In this way the Chan impulse naturally settles into soundless stillness, and the state of mind becomes clear and quiet. With long practice the skill matures, and one can rest peacefully unmoved and naturally enter the state of harmonious great stability (a deep stillness that is peaceful and settled).

Hence it is said: “Although the eyes see colors, I turn mind and Shen inward and do not let external things enter the mind; although the ears hear sounds, I withdraw the hearing and do not let sounds disturb the mind; although Shen and intention respond to external things, I remain settled and give rise to no stray thoughts; when primordial Yang (a Neidan term for the primordial Qi and Yang Qi within the body) stirs and perceives external things, I keep the mind lucid and unconfused, and promptly apply the cooking and refining of wind and fire (a Neidan metaphor for regulating body and mind and nurturing primordial Qi).”

When a person is free of stray thoughts and signs appear that Jing (essence) and Qi are stirring—for example, a man’s external genitals become erect, or a woman’s menstruation begins—this is called the stirring of Guanyuan (a site in the lower abdomen), also called “living at the proper time,” meaning that the moment for practice has already appeared. Seeing these signs yet not being misled by improper thoughts, one must firm the will, gather the subtle primordial Shen, and cause it to enter the Qi that is stirring. The mind’s attention remains guarded here throughout; the breath returns continuously and unbroken to the root, seeming at once present and absent, and must not be interrupted. Once this has been maintained until Jing and blood transform into Qi, one reverses this Qi and draws it back into the Qi cavity, settles mind and Shen, and seals them firmly; one then guides the turbid Qi toward Yongquan (an acupoint on the sole of the foot), while keeping the primordial Shen guarded at the Qi cavity, seeming present and yet absent, without interruption. The original text here repeats the passage from “once this has been maintained until Jing and blood transform and become Qi” through “diverting the turbid Qi to Yongquan.”

Next, one regulates it with subtle breathing. When Qi is abundant, it naturally rotates backward and rises, passing the Three Passes (a Neidan term for the three gateways along the Du meridian), reaching the Mud Pellet (Niwan, a Neidan term for a site in the head), and then entering the Mysterious Aperture (the mysterious gateway in Neidan practice). Within the Mysterious Aperture breath comes and goes, and the Dharma Wheel (a metaphor for the circulation of Qi within the body) turns with it. After the breath comes to rest and one settles in stillness, Sweet Dew (a Neidan term for the fluids, or the inner transformation, spoken of in practice) is generated and descends to the Qi cavity of the lower Dantian, so that Qi returns to the root and life is restored. Even if one practices for only a short while, one feels Shen and Qi merge, form and Shen both become subtle and refined, and body and mind are at ease. This is the wondrous method of cultivating immortality.

A person’s Shen (spirit) takes the heart as its master, and the key to the stirring of the heart-spirit lies in the eyes. When the eyes look ten li into the distance, the heart-spirit likewise projects itself ten li away. When the eyes no longer look outward, but withdraw from external things and turn back upon oneself, the heart-spirit is drawn back into the body with them. This does more than keep the heart-spirit guarded within; it also allows it to settle. When the heart-spirit settles into its depths, the water of the kidneys rises to the Mud Pellet (the site of cultivation at the crown of the head), while the fire of the heart descends to the Dantian (energy center, the site of cultivation in the abdomen). Sweet saliva forms in the mouth, and the whole body feels at ease. For this very reason, often “turning the light around to shine back inward” (recovering the heart-spirit that has raced and scattered outward, and gazing within) makes it easy to find the entrance; when the heart is free of delusive thoughts, one accords with the Dao (the Way).

Long ago the Yellow Emperor obtained the Diagram of the Divine Mushroom and asked the Imperial Lord of Great Unity (Taiyi Huangren) to explain its meaning. The Imperial Lord of Great Unity said, “This is the Dao of the Three-in-One.” If a person can constantly guard the Three-in-One, that person can cultivate realization as a true immortal. What is the Three-in-One? It is Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen. In the pre-heaven state they originally belong to one; only in the post-heaven state do they divide into three. The eyes do not look outward, so as to concentrate and steady the spirit; the ears do not listen outward, so as to preserve Jing and Qi; the mouth does not speak, so as to nurture Qi. When the three gateways of the eyes, the ears, and the mouth are gathered in and held, the methods of preserving Jing, nourishing Qi, and retaining Shen are mastered.

What is called “the outer Three Treasures do not leak” means that Jing, Qi, and Shen do not drain outward through the external senses; “the inner Three Treasures are not discharged” means that within the body they are not scattered and lost either. Refining the three and uniting them into one is called “the three flowers gathering at the crown.” The “crown” refers to the aperture of the Mysterious Pass (the crucial pass spoken of in the cultivation of Neidan, internal alchemy). It is called the root of heaven and earth and the source of the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity; it is also called the Eye of the Dharma Treasury, the Gate of Total Holding, the Ladder Ascending to Heaven, and the Road of the Southern Heaven; and it is further called the Mysterious Female, Wu and Ji, the Daogui, and the True One. What all these names indicate is the place where Metal and Wood are harmonized and joined, and the region where the infant and the maiden meet—symbolic language used in the Neidan classics to describe the conjoining of Yin-Yang and the coalescence of Jing, Qi, and Shen.

An ancient book says, “With undivided concentration and sincerity, truly hold to the Dao of centrality and rectitude.”

Confucius said, “My Dao is threaded from beginning to end by one fundamental principle.”

Bodhidharma said, “Once the ‘One’ is obtained, the myriad affairs are all accomplished.”

Ah—though the names are many, in the end they speak of nothing more than this single aperture, the Mysterious Pass.

The ancient immortals said: “This aperture is no ordinary aperture; it is formed by the harmonious union of the Yin-Yang of heaven and earth. It is called the ‘cavity of Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy),’ and within it is contained the Jing (essence) of Kan and Li.” Without the guidance of an enlightened teacher, this aperture is difficult to recognize.

It is therefore further said: “Even if your intelligence surpasses that of Yan Hui and Min Ziqian, if you have not met a true teacher, do not force yourself to guess. The Golden Elixir comes with no orally transmitted formula; from where, then, would you know how to form the spiritual embryo?” Here both “Golden Elixir” and “spiritual embryo” are expressions used in the practice of Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the inner results attained through cultivation.

Once the practitioner has found this aperture, the perceptions of the ears, eyes, and mouth are gathered into it; this is called “the three flowers gathering at the crown.” The breathing is then made even, long, and unbroken; this is called “the four images returning to Wu and Ji.” The Wu earth resides in the Dantian (energy center), and the Ji earth is lodged at the mysterious pass (xuanguan). To restrain selfish desires and bring the mind’s thoughts back to the proper path is precisely to concentrate Shen and enter the Dantian, allowing true Qi—the original qi within the human body—to return once more to the mysterious pass. This is what is called “taking from Kan to fill Li”: Kan and Li symbolize Yin-Yang, and the two are brought back into harmony.

Concentrating Shen into Qi

Jiyangzi said: “By day a person’s mind and spirit are often scattered and without support, and at night they give rise to all kinds of dreams. If one cannot gather the mind and spirit and settle them, how can body and spirit together reach the wondrous realm? The method is, at all times, to draw the mind and spirit back, turn the light inward and contemplate within, and concentrate the original spirit (yuanshen) in the ancestral aperture (zuqiao) and the mysterious pass. When it grows still and stable and transforms into sweet dew, swallow it, sending it from the Shanzhong in the chest to the qi cavity at the navel.

This qi cavity lies in front of the waist and behind the navel, in a slightly lower position; there it is as though there were an empty circle, called Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). It is the single thread of the root that condensed at the very beginning, when a person first received life. Let the mind abide here and gaze inward, gathering all the previously concentrated mind and spirit back into this cavity, as intently as a cat watching a mouse or a dragon nurturing its pearl. True qi will then circulate of itself within the body; one gradually feels warmth, and yang qi arises along with it.”

After a person is born and the umbilical cord is cut, the true Qi (vital energy)—the primordial Qi inherent in life—within the acupoint at the navel can no longer communicate with the Xuanguan, the important aperture in the cultivation of Neidan (internal alchemy). Water and fire cannot be harmonized, and the Ren and Du meridians, the two important channels along the front and back of the body, are blocked and do not flow. This is the sign that life has begun to decline.

After the oral instructions have been received, one must concentrate mind and Shen (spirit), visualize the Xuanguan, and remain quiet for a long time. In this way, the Qi of the breath will pass from the sweet dew (here referring to the bodily fluids, or the subtle Qi, spoken of in cultivation) and enter deeply into the Qi cavity, the site of cultivation in the area of the Dantian (energy center). Each breath returns to the root, continuous and unbroken, as if present and as if absent. In the time of stillness and stability, the primordial Qi in the Qi cavity rises backward to the Xuanguan; after the breath pauses, it transforms into sweet dew and then descends from the Xuanguan to the Qi cavity. Thus child and mother meet, like a broken mirror made whole again. As the primordial Qi rises and descends, water and fire are harmonized. Gradually condensing until it is stable, the foundation of the elixir is made firm.

The Guizhi says: “Nourish the root of life, and guard and uphold precious life.”

Patriarch Yuchan says: “Come early to understand the oral instructions transmitted by an enlightened teacher; the key lies only in concentrating Shen and entering the Qi cavity.”

Master Xinglin says: “All the myriad things inevitably meet with death, yet the primordial Shen can die and live again. Let mind and Shen enter the Qi cavity, and the Dao (the Way) of the elixir will naturally come to completion.”

Regulating the Breath, Continuous and Unbroken

Jiyangzi says: The foregoing spoke of concentrating mind and Shen and gathering true Qi, so that the spiritual root is filled and the foundation of the elixir made firm. If, however, one does not regulate the breath and settle the respiration, there is the fear that the firing process will be insufficient and the elixir slow to form.

The method of regulating the breath is difficult to explain in words. Only by frequently attaining a state of peace and stability can the true breath be harmonized. The ancient immortals said: “In regulating the breath, nurture the true breath; in refining Shen (spirit), cultivate the spirit that is undisturbed by thought.” The “true breath” and the “spirit of Wuwei (non-action)” spoken of here are precisely the true dragon and tiger, Yin-Yang, water and fire, husband and wife, embryonic breathing, the Mysterious Female (the gateway of the generation and transformation of heaven and earth), and the bellows (a metaphor for the opening and closing of the breath) in cultivation.

With each exhalation and inhalation of the Mysterious Female, and each opening and closing of the bellows, the breath naturally comes and goes. How could this naturally operating firing process ever be achieved by haphazard effort through the mouth and nose? There are, however, also methods of cultivation coordinated with the breath. Thus the former sages said: “In regulating the breath, follow the breath, and do not deliberately manipulate the mind. When the mind stands firm and settled, unmoved by external things, true gold is born in an instant.” Here “true gold” refers to the inner essence formed through cultivation.

What is called “continuous and unbroken” means that throughout the twelve double-hours of the day, one keeps cultivating at every moment without interruption.

A person’s true breath is like the sun and moon in the sky. The sun and moon travel day and night, coming and going without cease; a person’s true breath should likewise rise at the back and descend at the front—how could it pause, and how could it be cut off? In cultivation, one should bring the breath from the Mysterious Pass above (the crucial aperture spoken of in cultivation) to the Qi (vital energy) cavity below (the place where breath gathers in the region of the Dantian (energy center)), quietly guarding the Qi cavity so that every breath returns to the root, continuous and unceasing. Once practice has become fully mature, the breath will naturally go on rising and falling.

Patriarch Zhongli (Zhongli Quan, the immortal of Daoist legend) said: “So long as each breath can respond to the next, the form of the whole body will be transformed, and the jade fluid will circulate as well.” If one merely practices for a while and then stops, or practices for a day and then rests for a day, how can one accomplish the Dao (the Way) of the Golden Elixir?

Confucius said: “The Dao cannot be left even for a moment.” Is this not worthy of reflection?

Jiyangzi said: “The ‘heart’ spoken of here is not the physical heart, nor the heart of everyday deliberation. It is the heart of a person’s original nature and of true suchness—the true nature, free of falsity—that is, the ‘celestial heart.’ The Confucians say: ‘When human desires are wholly exhausted, the Principle of Heaven flows freely.’ One who can realize the Principle of Heaven can behold the celestial heart.

Journey to the West takes Wukong as its protagonist. Wukong symbolizes original nature; having seen true suchness, this is called ‘seeing the Tathagata.’ One goes in accordance with principle and likewise comes in accordance with principle. When the ordinary heart can be returned to emptiness and stillness, one beholds the celestial heart; to behold the celestial heart is to see the Tathagata. To see the Tathagata, one must seize the moment.

Shao Yong said: ‘When the moon rises to the place of the celestial heart, and a clear breeze passes over the surface of the water.’

At this point the original text of the Heart Scripture (Xinjing) is defective. The moment spoken of here is the time when the celestial heart manifests and Yang Qi (vital energy) arises, and also the time when the myriad things begin anew. When the moment arrives, the heart’s Shen (spirit) knows of itself; the celestial heart appears at precisely this time, and the Tathagata is seen. The Dantian (energy center)—the site of cultivation within the abdomen—grows warm and hot, as if the myriad things were all greeting the spring. How marvelous! How marvelous!

The ‘breath’ spoken of here is not the tangible breath of mouth and nose, but the true breath within the Qi cavity, the place in Neidan (internal alchemy) where true Qi is stored and nourished. To realize the true breath, one must clear away stray thoughts, bring the mind to the utmost emptiness and stillness, and guard stillness with single-minded attention. When thoughts are empty and still, original nature appears, and breathing through the mouth and nose seems to cease. When ordinary breathing stops, the true breath begins to stir. Amid a hazy and profound obscurity, an aperture appears within the Qi cavity, undifferentiated and whole, called the ‘aperture within the aperture.’ This is what was said earlier: ‘When the moment arrives, the heart’s Shen knows of itself.’

The practitioner should enter a state of utmost stillness, especially upon waking at night, when body and mind are exceptionally clear and quiet. At this time the medicine—the name, in Neidan, for Jing (essence), Qi, and the like—is generated, and the heart’s Shen becomes aware of it. If one does not notice, one has missed the moment while facing it directly. One should then concentrate Shen and enter the Qi cavity, so that every breath returns to its source—as if one had forgotten it, and yet as if one were still preserving it—and then continue the cooking and refining. One refines Jing and transforms it into Qi, reversely gathering Jing and Qi back into the Qi cavity. When the Yang Qi grows warm and hot, one then sets it moving along the route of the Zhou Tian (celestial circuit).

Heart and breath must depend upon each other. The illuminating awareness of the heart’s Shen must not depart for a moment; if it departs, the practice falls into the one-sided error of withered stillness.”

The ancients said, “When Shen (spirit) moves, Qi (vital energy) also moves; when Shen comes to rest, Qi also comes to rest.” Shen and Qi should follow one another and must not be separated, and one should at the same time be upright and sincere, with a firm will. Gathering the medicine, cooking and refining it, and the rising and falling of the breath should all follow their natural course. If movement and stillness, coming and going, are carried out in a rigid and obstinate way, one falls into a dry, congested, and unbalanced state.

The ancients also said, “When Shen moves, Qi also moves; when Shen comes to rest, Qi also comes to rest.” Shen and Qi depend on each other and do not part. The practitioner should be upright and sincere, firm in will. Gathering and refining the medicine, the rising and falling of the breath, and advance and retreat, movement and stillness, should all be arranged appropriately, so that the breath is peaceful and the mind and spirit are settled. In this way, the true firing process that forms of itself—in Neidan (internal alchemy), a metaphor for the force of the fire and the progress of the work—has endless subtle efficacy.

From beginning to end, the refining and completion of the Golden Elixir (the attainment of Neidan cultivation) never leaves this method. The mystery between the heart-mind and the breath is indeed profound and far-reaching.

Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one should regulate the breath of the mouth and nose. If the breath is not regulated, it is hard to discern the true breath (the deep, fine, and natural breathing spoken of in cultivation). The method is to concentrate Shen and enter the Qi cavity (the place in cultivation where spirit is stored and Qi is nourished), letting the heart-mind and spirit keep to the Qi cavity while intention follows the breath as it comes and goes. On exhalation one meets the “Heavenly Root Mysterious Pass” (a Neidan term for the pass corresponding to exhalation); on inhalation one meets the “Earthly Root Qi cavity.” What is called “true Qi joining within and abiding in the breath” means letting the inner true Qi intersect with the breath. Following nature’s creative working in this way, one can reverse old age and return to youth, recovering a state like that of a newborn infant.

Chen Zhixu said, “A single great Dao (the Way) is seldom sought out; the wind-tiger and the cloud-dragon each roar and chant in their own way. When one sits quietly and is settled, one must understand who directs the movement of the breath. The breathing of the True Person is naturally deep, long, and finely continuous.”

The Guizhi says, “The inner signs of the Mysterious Gate (the gate of Daoist cultivation) are not profound and hard to fathom; it is only that, like high mountains and flowing water, they find few who truly understand them. If one can find the road by which one came, one can return to the infant’s heart-mind, still whole and undivided.” The so-called “road by which one came” is precisely this aperture, the Qi cavity. After the practitioner has congealed and formed the elixir, the elixir rises past the Mysterious Pass, is then warmed, nurtured, and nourished, and finally ascends into the Heavenly Gate. All of these are terms of Neidan cultivation.

Chiduzi said: “Within the Qi cavity (the site, in Daoist Neidan [internal alchemy] practice, where one stores Shen [spirit] and nourishes Qi [vital energy]), the ancients called this the ‘Gate of Life’ and the ‘Door of Death,’ and also the ‘root of Heaven and Earth.’ Concentrate the mind and spirit here, and primordial Qi (the innate Qi) will grow fuller day by day, while the primordial spirit (a person’s original spirit) will likewise grow more vigorous day by day.

When the primordial spirit is vigorous, the breath flows freely; when the breath flows freely, the blood is harmonized; when the blood is harmonized, the bones grow strong; when the bones are strong, the marrow becomes full; when the marrow is full, the abdomen grows replete; when the abdomen is replete, the lower body becomes steady and firm. One’s steps are then light, quick, and powerful, activity does not easily bring fatigue, the four limbs and the body are healthy, and the complexion is as ruddy as a peach. Cultivate in this way, and one is not far from becoming an immortal.”