《上陽子金丹大要》Vol. 4

This scripture expounds the core theory of "Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit)" in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, particularly the mystery of the "True Unity Qi." Master Haichan (patriarch of the Southern Daoist School) mentions in his Golden Elixir Song that cultivation progresses through two stages: "refining form into qi" and "refining qi into form," ultimately returning to the realm of "True Unity."

The recluse Wumingzi explains that this "True Unity Qi" originates before the formation of heaven and earth, existing within emptiness—invisible, inaudible, and intangible. Sages manifest the formless Dao through tangible phenomena (True Yin and True Yang), akin to the faint crescent moon on the eighth day of the lunar month. When Yin and Yang energies unite, they produce the "millet-sized pearl" (a Neidan term referring to the nascent form of the Golden Elixir).

Master Cui (Cui Xifan, author of Entering the Mirror of Medicine) divides qi into "Primordial Qi" (Xiantian Qi) and "Postnatal Qi" (Houtian Qi). Primordial Qi resembles dust motes visible in sunlight through a window—ethereal and barely perceptible. Master Chongyang (Wang Chongyang) describes Primordial Qi as existing beyond the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and prior to the formation of life. Master Danyang (Ma Yu) emphasizes maintaining slow, gentle breathing during cultivation.

The Cantongqi (a foundational Daoist text) uses a tree metaphor: for lush branches and leaves, one must strengthen the roots. The Wuzhen Pian (by Zhang Boduan) states that ordinary lead from earthly mines ("mundane lead") cannot compare to "True Lead" (True Unity Qi) produced from the "cavern of creation" (the Dantian or energy center). The Qimi Tu further explains through Yijing trigrams: the Li trigram (symbolizing sun, fire, and heart) corresponds to mercury (original spirit), while the Kan trigram (symbolizing moon, water, and kidneys) corresponds to lead (original essence). The Yijing's first line, "Hidden dragon, do not act," precisely describes the latent state of Yang energy.

This scripture integrates cultivation philosophies from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, emphasizing the harmonization of Yin-Yang and the concentration of spirit into the lower Dantian to gather Primordial True Unity Qi for forming the Golden Elixir. Practitioners must distinguish between tangible Postnatal Qi and formless Primordial Qi, mastering the crucial "True Lead" as the essential ingredient.

Ordinary people should not casually skim through books, for within them lie the true principles of attaining officialdom, achieving Buddhahood, and cultivating immortality. One must exert great effort to comprehend these truths. The Daoist master Shangyangzi said: When yang qi (the primal life energy) lies deeply concealed, it becomes truly difficult to discover—only those of great capacity can attain it. When Bodhidharma first came to China, he remarked that the Central Plains bore the signs of Mahayana practice, knowing this land could realize the Great Dao. He journeyed far precisely to seek this cosmic spiritual energy through those of great capacity to achieve enlightenment. Yet his meeting with Emperor Wu of Liang proved fruitless, and it was only in Northern Wei that he attained Buddhahood. This shows that without sufficient capacity, one cannot obtain this spiritual energy.

The immortal Zhang Boduan (Ziyang Zhenren) succeeded with Ma Chuhou's assistance; Wang Chongyang relied on Han Fugong's support; and Shi Xinglin advised Xue Zixian to "seek powerful patrons in bustling cities." All this demonstrates that cosmic spiritual energy prefers concealment—how could the incapable obtain it? The immortal Taiyi Zhenren sings in his "Song Dispelling Delusions": "What is the true Dao? The Supreme Unity (Taiyi) contains the primordial qi." Bai Yuchan (one of the Five Patriarchs of Southern Daoism) also said: "This qi is not the breath of respiration, but rather the energy transformed from the primordial substance (Taisu)." My master taught: "The primordial qi spontaneously arises from emptiness." Shangyangzi sighed: "Whoever truly understands this saying is a living immortal!"

This qi emerging from emptiness comes neither from heaven nor from human constitution. Mencius said: "I am skilled at nourishing the vast, flowing qi." This qi is supremely great and strong, requiring upright cultivation without harm. He further stated: "It accumulates through sustained righteousness, not through temporary pretense," and emphasized: "One must strengthen the will without misusing qi," "The will commands while qi follows." The will acts as a general, directing qi's movement and stillness. Finally, he concluded: "Qi must harmonize with righteousness and the Dao." The truly wise discern clarity here: Mencius first speaks of "nourishing," then "upright cultivation," expounding the Yi Jing's principle that "the Qian hexagram (Heaven), in stillness is concentrated, in movement is direct, thus able to transform all things." Zhou Dunyi's description of the lotus—"hollow within, straight without"—conveys the same meaning. "Accumulated righteousness" stresses sustained cultivation, while "harmonizing with righteousness and the Dao" reveals the ultimate attainment.

Mencius expounded principles through benevolence and righteousness, also emphasizing the importance of maintaining one's will without disturbing the Qi (vital energy), where the will takes precedence and Qi comes second. This shows Mencius was not only skilled in cultivating the mind but also adept at attaining true meaning. When asked how to attain it, he replied: "Through an upright heart." Asked where it comes from, he answered: "It arises from moral principles." When questioned how it manifests, he said: "Through the guidance of the will." With such understanding and manifestation, one can transcend ordinary human realms.

The Cantongqi mentions: In the cultivation method of these two key cavities (referring to the Yin and Yang apertures) in the human body, the golden Qi (referring to primordial energy) resonates with each other. The Jinbi Jing records: In the fountainhead of creation (referring to the Dantian), Yang energy stirs like the winter solstice when the sun reaches its southernmost point, forming celestial phenomena such as the alignment of the five planets and the union of the sun and moon. Ge Xianweng (Immortal Master Ge) describes in the Liuzhu Ge: Neidan (internal alchemy) practice is like chasing flowing pearls (referring to the movement of Jing and Qi), driving me to travel far and wide, study countless texts, and neglect sleep and meals. For thirty years, I contemplated repeatedly, exhausting mercury and lead (referring to alchemical materials), and even at sixty, I still feared falling into the three evil paths. Fortunately, my master transmitted the breathing method of formless primordial Qi and the true Yin-Yang, nourishing the Dantian with the five fluids (essences of the five organs), ultimately leading to transcendence by a true immortal. After obtaining the innate True One Qi, this immortal master practiced accordingly and eventually ascended on purple clouds in broad daylight, blessing future generations.

The celestial spirits (referring to the inner deities of the human body) manifest through all things and depend on physical forms for existence. The Huangting Jing states: The supreme Dao is not complicated—the key lies in visualizing the true spirits. The human head's Mud Ball Palace (Niwan) and all joints host numerous deities, too many to list exhaustively. They are specifically divided into three sections:

Upper Eight Scenery Deities: Hair Spirit, Brain Spirit, Eye Spirit, Nose Spirit, Ear Spirit, Mouth Spirit, Tongue Spirit, and Tooth Spirit;

Middle Eight Scenery Deities: Lung Spirit, Heart Spirit, Liver Spirit, Spleen Spirit, Left Kidney Spirit, Right Kidney Spirit, Gallbladder Spirit, and Throat Spirit;

Lower Eight Scenery Deities: Kidney Spirit, Large and Small Intestine Spirits, Torso Spirit, Chest Spirit, Diaphragm Spirit, Flank Spirits, Left Yin-Yang Spirit, and Right Yin-Yang Spirit.

The human body also houses the Nine Palaces' True Persons: the heart hosts the Scarlet Heaven Palace True Person, the kidneys the Cinnabar Origin Palace True Person, the liver the Orchid Terrace Palace True Person, the lungs the Ministerial Palace True Person, the spleen the Yellow Court Palace True Person, the gallbladder the Heavenly Depths Palace True Person, the small intestine the Mystic Numen Palace True Person, the large intestine the Wood Spirit Palace True Person, and the bladder the Jade Chamber Palace True Person. Additionally, the head contains another set of Nine Palaces' True Persons: Twin Cinnabar Palace, Bright Hall Palace, Dantian Palace, Mud Ball Palace, etc. (the original text does not list them all here).

This scripture describes the intricate system of divine beings within the human body and the essential principles of cultivation. Within the physical form resides the True Being of the Crimson Heaven Palace (also called the Flesh-Mound Deity, the sovereign ruler of the heart-mind), who commands 36,000 divine spirits including the Three Body Deities, Four Wisdom Deities, Three Hun and Seven Po souls. As the supreme ruler of the entire body, this Heart Sovereign perceives all phenomena and foresees fortune and misfortune. Its condition directly manifests in one's outward appearance: those with purified hearts and few desires radiate vitality, while those indulging in excess appear spiritless and haggard.

The text particularly emphasizes that the crux of cultivation lies in the Three Treasures: Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). However, it clarifies that the postnatal Jing, Qi, and Shen belong to pure Yin and must unite with the prenatal "Formless True Being" (the innate Yang Spirit, referred to in Buddhism as the Buddha of the Original Ground) to achieve transcendence. This prenatal Shen has neither form nor appearance yet governs life and death—it is the very core of attaining immortality or Buddhahood. Zhang Boduan (the Purple Yang Perfected Being) warns in Awakening to Reality that those who cultivate only postnatal Jing, Qi, and Shen without recognizing the prenatal Shen will remain trapped in delusion, unable to attain realization even after 80,000 kalpas.

Practitioners must allow this prenatal Yang Spirit to take command within themselves to achieve genuine liberation. Though formless and nameless, this Shen produces inconceivable wonders—it is both the master of destruction and the source of vitality, the fundamental reality every cultivator must directly realize.

This scripture discusses the relationship between the "cognitive spirit" (Shishen, the innate conscious activity within the human body) and spiritual cultivation. The cognitive spirit has a unique characteristic—it perfectly mimics all attributes of its host. If a person is named Zhang San, the cognitive spirit also calls itself Zhang San; if the person enjoys eating fire dates (a legendary immortal fruit in Daoism), the cognitive spirit likewise favors them. This adaptive quality embodies the profound mystery described in the Yinfu Jing: "People know the spirit as spirit, but do not know the non-spirit that makes it spiritual."

True practitioners must first understand the nature of the cognitive spirit—reverencing it while learning to master it. Complete control over the cognitive spirit leads to immortality and attainment of the Dao. This spirit is extraordinarily potent, capable of commanding four types of mental consciousness, four wisdom spirits, and eight forms of awareness (concepts from Buddhist Yogācāra philosophy). Not only can it command them, but it can also transform and elevate them:

The four mental consciousnesses can be transmuted into four Buddhas: Hṛdaya Buddha, Ālaya Buddha, Citta Buddha, and Kṛtsna Buddha. The four wisdom spirits may manifest as four bodhisattvas: Mahāpratibhāna Bodhisattva (Great Accomplishment), Pratyavekṣaṇā-jñāna Bodhisattva (Subtle Observing Wisdom), Samatā-jñāna Bodhisattva (Equanimous Wisdom), and Ādarśa-jñāna Bodhisattva (Great Mirror Wisdom). The eight forms of awareness become eight vajra protectors: Rūpa-vijñāna Vajra, Śabda-vijñāna Vajra, Gandha-vijñāna Vajra, Rasa-vijñāna Vajra, Sparśa-vijñāna Vajra, Dharma-vijñāna Vajra, Manas-vijñāna Vajra, and Ālaya-vijñāna Vajra.

However, practitioners must be cautious—the cognitive spirit has many names and aspects. Without grasping its intricacies, one risks being controlled by it rather than mastering it. The Huangting Jing states clearly: Immortals and Daoist masters are not born with divine powers; they attain the true Dao through "accumulating Jing (essence) and refining Qi (vital energy)." Patriarch Lü Dongbin (the Pure Yang Patriarch) emphasized: concentrate one's spirit, Qi, and blood into the "Three Essentials" (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian), achieving unity of body and mind. Jing nourishes the spiritual root, primordial Qi sustains the cognitive spirit—this is the fundamental truth.

The insights of Perfected Cao (Cao Guojiu) reveal: cultivation depends entirely on the harmony of Shen (spirit) and Qi. If they remain unsettled, no amount of arduous practice will bear fruit. Shen represents one's innate nature, while Qi is the foundation of life. When Shen does not scatter outward, Qi naturally stabilizes. Celestial Master Zhang Xujing taught: when the spirit disperses, it must be promptly recalled; as Shen returns to the body, Qi follows. Perfected Bai Yuchan (the White Perfected) further clarified: this cognitive spirit differs from ordinary thought-consciousness—it is a fundamental existence comparable to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, the supreme deity in Daoism).

Ultimately, everything revolves around the three treasures: Jing, Qi, and Shen. Their natural flow follows the ordinary human life process ("the Dao begets One, One begets Two, Two begets Three"), while their reverse cultivation leads to elixir formation and immortality. As the saying goes: "Following the current creates mortals; reversing the current creates the elixir"—this encapsulates the core principle.

This scripture elucidates the core principles and practical methods of Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation. The central tenet is that "following the natural order creates ordinary humans, while reversing the process creates immortals" - through counter-directional practice one returns to the primordial state.

First, it explains the cosmogonic process: from emptiness emerges the primordial Shen (original spirit/consciousness), which transforms into primordial Qi (vital energy). This Qi condenses into primordial Jing (essence), which then forms the physical body, ultimately creating a human being. The cultivation process reverses this sequence - refining the physical body back into Jing, Jing into Qi, Qi into Shen, and finally returning to emptiness. This constitutes the foundational principle of the Golden Elixir path.

The key to practice lies in mobilizing the "eight consciousnesses" (a Buddhist Yogācāra concept). Most crucial is the "dharma consciousness" (the eighth consciousness, ālayavijñāna), which can follow mental commands. The "wisdom of equality" and "great mirror wisdom" (Buddhist terms referring to advanced states of transformed consciousness) assist in regulating the cultivation process.

During actual practice, focus should be maintained on the lower Dantian (energy center three inches below the navel). Described as a four-inch square space between the kidneys with a crimson center, this vital area stores essence-energy and is called the "spirit chamber" or "golden embryo chamber." Like the upper and lower crucibles of an alchemical furnace, this is where Yin-Yang energies interact and transform.

The text notes that to prevent revealing celestial secrets, Daoists often employ metaphorical language - terms like cinnabar, mercury, red lead, black mercury (symbolizing Yin-Yang), the infant and maiden (Yin-Yang symbols), the yellow matchmaker (mediator of Yin-Yang), or yellow sprouts and white snow (stages of elixir formation). However, these analogies can easily cause misunderstandings, so practitioners must discern their true meanings.

This passage discusses common misconceptions in spiritual cultivation and the correct approach to practicing the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir (Jindan).

Some mistakenly believe the "Golden Mother" (the foundation of the Golden Elixir) refers to tangible external substances, clinging to impure methods like sexual practices to obtain it, thus failing to comprehend the profound mystery of true emptiness. Buddhism takes "wondrous emptiness that is not empty" as its essence, often using various metaphors like foxes, dogs, dew-laden pillars, temple banners, yellow flowers, and green bamboos. Yet these analogies frequently confuse practitioners. When scholars cannot comprehend or adequately discuss these concepts, they dismiss them as "Chan (Zen) riddles," becoming attached to "stubborn emptiness" - spending days sitting in meditation and trance states while never grasping the marvel of "non-emptiness."

Understand that the greatest danger in cultivation is straying into heretical paths. Studying Buddhism and cultivating immortality are fundamentally the same pursuit. Since receiving my master's guidance, it has been like hanging a bright mirror in a high hall - all things coming and going are clearly reflected. Now I specifically point out this Great Path of cultivation for our mutual encouragement.

Perfected Master Peng once said that a single day of proper cultivation can capture 4,220 years of the heavens and earth's vital energy (Zhengqi). The Anonymous Master noted: "Heaven's One generates Water" manifests in the human body as essence (Jing), while "Earth's Two generates Fire" manifests as spirit (Shen). True practitioners must skillfully employ the Bodhisattva of Wonderful Observation Wisdom (the capacity for insightful discernment). During specific celestial hours (like the midnight hour of the eighth lunar month's third day), they swiftly gather primordial qi (collecting lead to obtain gold), then unite it with the White Tiger (lung metal qi) and the Diamond of Transmitting Consciousness (a cultivation term), entrusting this combination to the Bodhisattva of Wonderful Observation Wisdom for delivery to the divine chamber (Dantian). There, the Divine Lord Gouchen and the Divine Lord Tengshe (internal deities) jointly seal and preserve it.

The cultivation process begins with the battle between Dragon and Tiger (water and fire), followed by their pacification. The Bodhisattva of Wonderful Observation Wisdom and the Buddha of Dry Chestnut (another cultivation term) must work in unison, maintaining vigilant protection day and night. After ten months of such nurturing, a golden-headed ascetic (symbolizing the Golden Elixir) appears. At this stage, the Perfected of Supreme Yang (the practitioner's original spirit) can take charge internally, while the two Buddhas continue watching to prevent premature departure. After one or two years, when the two Buddhas deliver the Golden Elixir to the Perfected of Supreme Yang, the merit is finally complete.

Zhengyang Weng declared: "Roaming freely through heaven and earth requires no personal attachments" - this encapsulates the principle. Zhang Silian's method of spirit liberation mentions perceiving the complete Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) and one's original face - that single point of primordial true qi. Later cultivation resembles constructing a house. Patriarch Lü also stated that after nine years of fire phase cultivation, the Heavenly Gate (Baihui point at the crown) will naturally open.

When a cultivator attains the Dao (the Way) and becomes a Perfected Being (Zhenren), they manifest vast spiritual powers, thereafter celebrating in unison with celestial immortals. The post-celestial deities formed through cultivation in the earthly realm, along with the pre-celestial divine beings who existed before Heaven and Earth, will lead a magnificent procession of countless divine attendants. These Perfected Ones who have achieved the Dao ride together upon auspicious clouds, proceeding directly to the Three Pure Realms (Sanqing, the highest divine realm in Daoism) to receive their official appointments in the celestial bureaucracy. This is what is called "ascending in broad daylight" - the ultimate fulfillment of a true cultivator's spiritual journey.

(Note: This passage describes the sublime vision after attaining the Golden Elixir (Jindan) path. The realized being manifests divine powers with myriad spirits in attendance, ultimately ascending to the sacred Three Pure Realms to complete ultimate transcendence. The phrase "countless divine chariots and horsemen" illustrates the grandeur of the immortal procession. "Three Pure Ones" refers to the supreme sacred realms inhabited by the Three Pure Deities: Jade Pure, Upper Pure, and Great Pure. "Celestial rank" denotes the hierarchical positions within the immortal bureaucracy.)