《生天經頌解》

Praise Commentary on the Scripture of Ascension to Heaven (Part 7)

Praise by Master Chaoran

On the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (the supreme deity of Daoism):

Supreme and vast, originating from emptiness, he guides all beings as the root of all phenomena

Ruling over the thirty-two heavenly realms, eternally unchanging, revered as the Most High

Exposition on "Ascension to Heaven":

Creator of heaven and earth and progenitor of humanity, through the Four Symbols (Great Yang, Great Yin, Lesser Yang, Lesser Yin) and Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), he nurtures the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth)

The original formless and nameless state is the origin of heaven and earth; the manifestation of sentience and form becomes the foundation of all things

The Essence of the True Scripture of Attaining the Dao:

Anchor practice in the fundamental source, returning to the origin of life to establish true nature

Cultivate until reaching the realm of pure Yang (the Golden Cauldron of Nine Yang), where radiant wisdom illuminates heaven and earth

The Celestial Worthy in the Primordial State:

Abiding in the undifferentiated chaos of the origin, neither existing nor not existing, elusive and profound

Utmost emptiness embraces all phenomena, gradually differentiating into the Five Primordial States (Great Change, Great Beginning, Great Origin, Great Simplicity, and Supreme Ultimate) to form the human and heavenly worlds

In the Jade Capital Mountain of the Great Brahma Heaven (the highest celestial realm in Daoism):

The Jade Capital Mountain is pure and unstained, severed from worldly entanglements

The awakened reach this realm of purity in an instant, while the deluded face countless barriers

The Celestial Worthy’s Admonition to the Immortals:

Through the wondrous appearance of emptiness, open body and mind, temporarily using mortal form to reveal profound principles

With golden words, he expounds the mysteries of heaven and earth; with divine light, he manifests the arcane secrets of chaos

Clarifying the Core of Cultivation:

The profundity of the Dao transcends concepts of existence and non-existence, manifesting form from emptiness

Within form, refine the formless true body, attaining transcendent freedom beyond worldly concerns

The Immortals of the Ten Directions Who Attained the Dao:

All rely on this scripture to practice and comprehend the mysteries

Eighteen thousand methods establish the wondrous; ascension to heaven begins with attaining the Dao

Methods are like boats to cross the river of attachment—once the shore is reached, they are naturally relinquished

Guidance for Practitioners:

The Celestial Worthy’s teachings pervade the ten directions; men and women are regarded equally

The key lies in purifying the heart, revering the Great Dao—whether wise or foolish, ordinary or sage, all may attain immortality

The Importance of Purification and Abstinence:

Purifying the heart and guarding against transgressions is true purification; relinquishing emotions and desires is the bridge of practice

When external conditions dissolve and the inner heart remains unstained, spiritual clarity manifests, and all becomes complete

The True Meaning of All Conditioned Phenomena:

The original nature is unmoved and inherently Wuwei (non-action); only with the differentiation of form does conditioned action arise

Through conditioned practice, the true nature is revealed—do not lose the innate spiritual clarity for external things

Only by realizing this principle can one truly cultivate.

This scripture elucidates the cultivation methods for freeing oneself from the bondage of desires and purifying body and mind in Daoist practice.

The opening employs hunting and fishing metaphors: just as one forgets the snare after catching the hare or disregards the net after securing the fish, practitioners must likewise relinquish attachment to methods (referring to various cultivation techniques) upon achieving their purpose. True cultivation transcends the duality of "form" and "formlessness."

The essential aspects of practice include:

1. Severing external conditions: Closing the six sensory gates (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) to prevent the Three Corpses (three harmful spirits residing in the human body according to Daoist belief) representing greed, anger, and delusion from roaming freely

2. Harmonizing Yin-Yang: Like alchemical refinement, blending the dual energies of Yin and Yang (symbolized by the Azure Dragon and White Tiger) within the Dantian (precious cauldron) to distill pure Yang Qi

3. Purifying body and mind: Cleansing karmic obstructions from the 360 bone joints and defilements caused by the seven emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hate, desire) and six sensory pleasures, particularly the three karmic activities (physical, verbal, and mental)

At advanced stages of cultivation:

• The five energies (of the internal organs) return to the Dantian (paying homage to the origin), with Yin energies fully dissolved and pure Yang generated
• One internally perceives vital energy as pure luminous moonlight illuminating both inner and outer realms
• One enters the profound and obscure state of deep stillness, with complete internal and external purity beyond thought or desire
• Ultimately reaching the natural state of Wuwei (non-action), blissfully free like one intoxicated yet perfectly at ease

The "white ox" symbolizes pure Yang energy, "spirit mushroom" metaphorically represents the Golden Elixir, and "three fields" denote the upper, middle, and lower Dantian. Through focused visualization of the energy fields and harmonizing Yin-Yang, practitioners ultimately transcend the cycle of birth-death and worldly afflictions.

This scripture describes the practitioner's journey toward transcendence through cultivation. Here's the modern interpretation:

In the primordial state of the universe, all was hazy and indistinct, hovering between existence and non-existence. Yet within this obscure condition, original nature remained tranquil and void. Practitioners should emulate this state—moving freely through the Dharma realm (the domain of cosmic truth) without attachment, returning to the primal condition of Wuwei (non-action).

Through the long river of time, maintain meditative mindfulness, though the eternal kalpas stretch endlessly without substantial reality. Like a thousand miles of Yangtze River lying calm without waves, crystal clear without ripples. From such a state, one comprehends the power of Dao.

When delusive clouds disperse and heaven-earth returns to stillness, the mind reflects emptiness like a polished mirror. Like the Jade Rabbit (moon) racing toward the celestial palace, or the Golden Crow (sun) flying into the lunar abode. Cultivation requires the aid of Dharma medicine (practice methods) alongside dietary moderation.

When the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) harmonize, all things flourish; food, clothing and daily life flow naturally. Regulate the balance of internal water-fire (Yin-Yang), refining the Golden Elixir (supreme achievement of Neidan) that circulates throughout the body. Expel delusions to purify the six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind), illuminating the eight consciousnesses (Buddhist concept of mental strata).

Dispelling Yin demons (negative energies) brings peace to the six spirits, while the precious cauldron (Dantian) radiates auspicious light. The Eight Scenes (eight cultivation states) transform into eight-colored sacred water, condensing into cloud seal-script rising from Mount Kunlun. Empty the five skandhas (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness), adjust the three treasures (Jing-Qi-Shen).

When the five desires (wealth, lust, fame, food, sleep) are eliminated, the five skandhas become void, and five-colored auroras interweave. The three Dantian energies circulate ceaselessly as one rides steadily on a golden dragon toward the Jade Capital (highest Daoist heaven).

Refining the Golden Elixir brings longevity; with mind transparent, all phenomena empty. Seeming to attain Dao yet not deliberately seeking it—naturally ascending through nine heavenly tiers. Then immortals report to the Celestial Worthy: "We thank your revelation that dispels beings' delusions. Like clouds scattering and winds stilling, the bright moon illuminates the realm of utter tranquility."

From beginningless time until now, the pre-cosmic chaos appears neither existent nor void. Eternal kalpas neither increase nor decrease—how can clinging to 'excess' realize the 'non-excess' (ultimate state)? Never before heard such Mahayana scripture—invisible, inaudible, beyond form and emptiness. Only because beings cling to appearances are the Three Vehicles provisionally established.

We know not what karmic seeds planted in past lives allowed us to encounter true masters in this life. Original obstructions have all dissolved; with merits complete, we ascend to the nine heavens.

The final hymn proclaims: "Oh, that profound and mysterious pure Dao..." (The text concludes in praise of the supreme Way)

This scripture describes the supreme state of "tranquil non-action" (Wuwei) in Daoist cultivation. It begins with the Dao of Yin-Yang transformation from "being born of non-being" (referring to the cosmic principle of all things emerging from emptiness), where the cyclical patterns of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) manifest in inverted order both internally and externally—symbolizing the practitioner's entry into a wondrous realm transcending ordinary logic.

The cultivator must achieve the "Three Forgettings": forgetting worldly distractions (forgetting the mind), forgetting attachment to methods (forgetting techniques), and forgetting physical constraints (forgetting form). Only then can one enter that profound and obscure (yaoyao mingming) tranquil Dao-state. Here, the spirit-mind (Shen) dwells in a muddled, unaware state (hunhun momo), merging completely with the boundless cosmos (Taixu).

In this realm, one becomes utterly unconstrained—free from defilement and transcending duality to achieve harmony. External sounds and forms no longer disturb, and all phenomena return to emptiness. Like being profoundly intoxicated, the practitioner forgets all self-awareness, abandoning even the need for speech while immersed in the primordial Taixu.

The cultivator's innate nature becomes crystal clear, unattached to anything. Severing worldly emotions and thoughts, all worries dissolve. The light of wisdom remains untainted by the slightest dust as one roams freely through the vast river of time.

Ultimately, one attains the state where "both form and mind vanish": material phenomena and consciousness dissolve into stillness, returning to the singular source of the true Dao. With the eye of wisdom, one sees through worldly illusions while the spiritual platform harbors no stray thoughts. This genuine purity contains profound mysteries—the highest truth where both form and mind are utterly quiescent.

Through progressive stages, this scripture maps the complete cultivation journey: from relinquishing attachments to merging with the cosmic void, culminating in the supreme state where self and object are both forgotten.