《洞玄金玉集》Vol. 4

The Dongxuan Golden Jade Anthology depicts a practitioner's transcendent state of mind, free from worldly concerns, and insights gained from witnessing extraordinary oceanic phenomena.

The cultivator describes himself wandering freely like flowing water and drifting clouds, refining body and mind amidst jeweled trees and miraculous flowers. Though dwelling in a simple tile kiln, he is enveloped by the celestial Qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth. He shows no attachment to worldly wines, preferring instead the jade nectar drunk during quiet meditation. Following his master's teachings on the "Three Essentials" of cultivation, he guides the dance of spiritual energy within, awaiting immortal guidance to the Penglai paradise of eternal carefreeness.

During the Laba Festival, he witnesses a marvelous sea spectacle: fishermen who spent their days catching fish yet strayed from the Daoist path, until encountering the cultivator's transformative guidance. They burn their fishing nets in repentance, whereupon a mirage suddenly appears—jade towers and pearl pavilions shimmering on water, golden boys and jade maidens playing celestial music, manifesting auspicious signs. Through this vision, the practitioner attains realization, sensing the guidance of immortal creatures like the crimson phoenix and azure ox. During the Double Yang Festival, he receives teachings from immortal sages, experiencing the pure, crystalline realm of true Dao.

In response, official Wu Yan Wuchu composes matching verses describing the Laba sea vision: purple mists and crimson clouds materializing Penglai's fairy isles and treasure-vase palaces in the empty sky. Pearls illuminate sea clams, brocades guide boats, while mystical scenes reveal mountain tigers and water dragons. With jade maidens riding phoenixes and golden lions pouncing on elephants, even literary giant Su Shi couldn't fully capture these wonders in verse, nor painters adequately depict them. He urges people to turn toward the Dao while devoting himself to cultivation—saving beings with compassion, abandoning worldly thoughts to pursue true enlightenment.

(Note: The "Three Essentials" refer to key Daoist cultivation principles; "Penglai" represents the legendary Daoist oceanic paradise; "crimson phoenix" and "azure ox" serve as mounts or manifestations of Daoist immortals)

This scripture passage depicts the scenes and realms of Daoist cultivation, revealing the spiritual pursuit of practitioners.

The first paragraph describes the unrestrained state during practice—like bronze palms turning and wild singing and dancing—yet subtly aligned with the movement of the Dao. The poem employs Daoist imagery such as "Magpie Bridge" and "Phoenix Chariot" to symbolize the practitioner's journey across the "Three Mountains" (referring to the three Dantian, or energy centers) and ascension to the celestial heights. Phrases like "Kan man riding the White Tiger" and "Li woman astride the Azure Dragon" draw from the hexagrams of the Book of Changes (Yijing), representing the harmonization of Yin and Yang and the alchemical state of water and fire in balance. The passage concludes by highlighting the practitioner's transcendence of illusion and contentment in simplicity, using expressions like "clear spirit and refreshed energy" and "compassion as the finest medicine" to portray the enlightened state.

The second paragraph uses the imagery of immortal mountains in the sea as a metaphor, depicting the auspicious Qi condensing during the tenth month of cultivation. Lines such as "spouting clouds, exhaling mist, playing with pearl dragons" vividly illustrate the movement of genuine Qi (vital energy) during Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. The verse mentions "refining inner harmony to enrich the Dao's Qi," emphasizing the cultivation of primordial Qi through balancing Yin-Yang and maintaining discipline. Allusions like the "Four Elders dancing wildly" and the "Eight Immortals feasting" subtly suggest the practitioner's attainment of a carefree and liberated state.

The third paragraph expresses the author's reflections while passing by Mount Fu. Phrases like "governing emptiness" and "water nurturing spiritual mist" describe the meditative state of focused breath and stillness, while "turning the luminous" and "prying open the radiant" metaphorically represent the unlocking of the body's essence (Jing) and energy (Qi) treasures. The passage concludes by exhorting later students to uphold the tradition of pure cultivation and spread the Dao's teachings among farmers, artisans, merchants, and scholars—embodying Daoism's spirit of aiding the world and delivering beings.

This scripture primarily expounds on the process and realizations of a Daoist practitioner attaining transcendence through Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation.

The practitioner harmonizes Yin-Yang within the "alchemical furnace" (a metaphor for the human body), intertwining the dragon (symbolizing Yang Qi) and tiger (representing Yin Qi), allowing lead (original Jing/essence) and mercury (original Shen/spirit) to return to their roots and restore life’s mandate. He comprehends that Wuwei (non-action) is the true path of cultivation, no longer clinging to illusory fame and achievements. By devoting oneself to the Dao, one may transcend suffering; by earnestly exploring its mysteries, one avoids stagnation.

The text mentions several Daoist patriarchs, including Chongyang Zhenren Wang Zhe and his disciples Qiu Chuji, Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, and Ma Yu, as well as Lü Dongbin and Zhongli Quan. The practitioner undergoes nine years of cultivation, enduring trials as harsh as "three gorges of flying snow," and remains untouched by worldly wealth ("the stench of copper") for a decade, upholding Chongyang’s tradition of spiritual practice.

The practitioner sees through the emptiness of worldly attachments, understanding the dialectical relationship between form (materiality) and emptiness (essence). True cultivation does not require grand palaces—the key lies in balancing water and fire (Yin-Yang), uniting the dragon and tiger (Shen/spirit and Qi/vital energy). Through Neidan practice, the practitioner’s appearance and bearing undergo transformation.

The scripture also recounts a Huanglu Zhai (a Daoist salvation ritual) held in Huangyi, where the practitioner expounds the teachings to the assembly, borrowing Su Dongpo’s poetic cadence. It emphasizes extinguishing attachments—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants alike must uphold the Middle Way. Discussing profound mysteries is like entering the celestial palace; severing the seven emotions (joy, anger, sorrow, thought, grief, fear, and shock) enables mastery of true Yang, and unlocking the Mysterious Pass allows one to ride a dragon into ascension.

Finally, the text declares no envy for the wealth of Tao Zhugong (Fan Li), preferring instead the contentment of Fan Dan in poverty. After a thousand days of cultivation, the three elixirs (Jing, Qi, and Shen) coalesce, integrating the entire body into seamless unity. The practitioner teaches according to circumstances, urging others to relinquish material obsessions and pursue genuine liberation.

This passage comes from the Dongxuan Jinyu Ji (Scripture of Golden Jade in the Mysterious Grotto), a classic text of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school of Daoism. Blending literary forms like character dissection poetry and acrostic verse, it recounts a Daoist practitioner's admonition to fishermen to cease killing and turn toward virtue. Let me unfold its deeper meanings layer by layer:

The cultivator, witnessing fishermen casting their nets, employs character dissection to enlighten them—breaking down the character "豐" (abundance) as if it were a bronze mirror reflecting the heart, suggesting that the karmic burden of fishing is like sinking into mire. He urges them to lay down their blades as gently as spring rain transforms the land, for the wondrous mirages appearing at sea (regarded in Daoism as manifestations of immortal realms) are celestial warnings to humanity.

The poem references the essential teachings passed down by Quanzhen patriarchs such as Wang Chongyang (founder of the Quanzhen school) and his disciples Qiu Chuji, Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, and Ma Yu (collectively known as the "Seven Quanzhen Masters"). It emphasizes that cultivators should uphold precepts while dwelling in huan du (meditation chambers for secluded practice) and exhort others to virtue when wandering the world. Particularly stressed is the precept against killing—just as a net plunged into water resembles a person cast into a ding huo (cauldron, a metaphor for the suffering of samsara), the lives of fish and humans are fundamentally no different.

The latter section employs parallel structures with phrases like "fear the northern abyss" (vigilance against temptation), "repent in alarm after transgressions" (swift remorse for errors), "commit no evil deeds" (firm refusal to create negative karma), and "abstain from killing" (eternal adherence to precepts). A true cultivator must transcend fame and profit, even dissolving the distinction between "self" and "other," ultimately arriving at the pure realm where shenming (divine spirits) rejoice.

The poem concludes with an allusion to the legendary Emperor Shun concealing his zither—symbolizing how cultivators should restrain their restless minds and return to primal simplicity like the ancient sage-kings. Throughout, the attitude of "wandering freely, indifferent to heat or cold" underscores the urgency of cultivating virtuous connections without delay or slackness, culminating in the perfected state where "divine spirits naturally delight."

This scripture primarily elucidates the essential methods and experiential insights of cultivating the Golden Elixir (Jindan) in Daoist practice. The opening passage emphasizes that the key to refining the Golden Elixir lies in maintaining "purity and stillness" (a mind free of distracting thoughts), much like how alchemy requires an immaculate crucible.

The text warns that the "six corpse-thieves" (referring to sensory desires of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) can disrupt cultivation. One must transcend worldly attachments like "jade encountering an immortal wind." Practitioners should harmonize the Yin-Yang Qi within their bodies, following natural rhythms as effortlessly as the moon waxes and wanes. Cultivation requires a compassionate and patient disposition, progressing gradually like "an ant threading a pearl."

Several five-character verses interspersed throughout elaborate on key principles: encountering immortal destiny demands tangible practice, as serene cultivation naturally invites celestial guidance; the cosmos operates through seventy-two transformative patterns (thirty-six Heavenly Gang and thirty-six Earthly Sha energies); practitioners must nurture compassion to deliver sentient beings; and in states of meditative tranquility, one may encounter the "embryonic immortal" (the nascent spirit during Neidan practice).

The latter sections depict the manifestations of successful cultivation: the "jade nectar" (refined Jing-Qi) flows like golden boats upon waves, crystallizing into golden lotuses; by midsummer one can summon frost and snow (indicating mastery over environmental extremes); ultimately enabling one to "journey to Penglai" (attaining immortality). The text concludes by revealing the secret of longevity lies in "three snows in the jade furnace, one stream of clouds in the golden cauldron" (symbolizing internal alchemical processes), and identifies true immortal companions as "guests atop azure lotus ponds, transcendents within yellow crane grottoes" (enlightened adepts).

The closing reference to "consuming chives" subtly encodes the eighty-one trials (a nod to the九九归真 principle), implying that perfection demands persistent cultivation through nine times nine tribulations.

Ma Yu (one of the founding masters of Quanzhen Taoism) abstained from meat and alcohol in his spiritual practice, refusing even fresh leeks, onions, and garlic as he pursued the carefree liberation of the mind.

Gazing at trumpet vines, he sighed: These flowers may appear beautiful, but they inevitably wither with the changing seasons. When fellow practitioners wondered why he looked so gaunt, he replied: Let me be thin—what matters is that the spirit remains unbroken. Those who cultivate the Dao should resemble cranes and evergreen pines in their leanness, for this is the true countenance of mountain recluses.

In a self-mocking poem about his physical form, he wrote: This bag of skin—I ceased caring for you long ago. Better to relinquish you entirely and seek the original purity of mind.

Having pierced through worldly disputes and transcended the bonds of life and death, he recorded: Ordinary people exhaust themselves in ceaseless hustle, while I alone have attained genuine freedom.

Bidding farewell to a fellow practitioner from Longzhou, he admonished: In your cultivation, emulate my example—only by extinguishing deluded thoughts can you illuminate the true mind. Meeting other adepts, he observed: Chance encounters need no excessive courtesy. Just as long journeys test a horse's endurance, only time reveals a person's heart.

His five-character verses for disciples concealed essential cultivation principles: Resolve must be steadfast, reverence constant, words and deeds aligned, and the mind luminous with clarity.

Describing a serendipitous meeting at the Immortal-Encountering Pavilion, he wrote: Amidst the turning stars, I met this celestial affinity—seeming drunk, yet most sober. He added: Such profound states transcend vulgar understanding—who can fathom the truth between intoxication and wakefulness?

While presiding over a Zhaijiao (Taoist purification ritual) in Laizhou, he warned the assembly: Those who commit evil in life inevitably suffer hell's torments after death. Yet when filial children perform sincere rites, ancestors may escape suffering. Depicting the ceremony: Taoists holding jade tablets, crowned with star-diagram headdresses, erected altars on auspicious days, chanting scriptures to invoke the Heavenly尊's descent—thus perfectly accomplishing this soul-delivering ritual.

This scripture from the Dongxuan Jinyu Ji (Scripture of Golden Jade from the Mysterious Cavern) reveals multiple dimensions of Daoist cultivation. The opening depicts a celestial gathering: the sky filled with descending phoenixes and cranes, as sages bearing fulu (talismans used for divine communication) and sacred registers ride cloud chariots, ascending to the Great Brahma Heaven (the highest Daoist celestial realm).

The winter solstice holds special significance for practice, as this is when Yang energy first stirs—like a single thread of light beginning to emerge. Though the breath of spring can already be sensed, the cultivator persists in thin robes, unwavering in discipline. The text emphasizes the importance of accumulating virtuous deeds, repeatedly mentioning "broadly amassing good actions," just as refining the Golden Elixir requires nine cycles of purification. Cultivation, too, demands continuous refinement.

The practice instructions speak of nurturing the "spiritual root" (the inner foundation of spiritual potential) and accumulating merit through profound words. Such cultivation refines a countenance as pure as true jade, surpassing even the majestic bearing of Mahoraga (a Buddhist guardian deity). In verses dedicated to Lecturer Li, the text advises maintaining a virtuous heart—though complete transcendence of worldly dust may not yet be achieved, one must begin abandoning falsehood to seek the Mysterious Truth.

Another poem, addressed to Wang Daozheng of Laizhou, expands on this theme, urging the exploration of truth within the Mysterious and contemplation of the celestial realms within mountain caverns. Reflecting on his own practice, the author often laments insufficient effort, feeling burdened by worldly entanglements. He expresses weariness with the pursuit of fame and fortune, no longer envying the achievements of Gan Luo (a historical figure famed for early success).

Under moonlight, the Daoist practitioner opens his heart to the clear breeze and bright moon, drinking in hemp robes and a fisherman’s hat—embodying the return to simplicity. The scripture concludes by stressing the importance of reforming faults and turning toward goodness. With steadfast devotion to cultivation and virtue, one may someday stand before the Jade Emperor, bypassing the courts of Yama (the underworld judge). The closing passage advocates reverence for the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism), with particular emphasis on honoring Daoist practitioners—a reflection of the tradition’s inclusive worldview.