《重陽真人授丹陽二十四訣》

This scripture records the explanations given by Wang Chongyang (Master Chongyang), founder of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) tradition, to his disciple Ma Yu (Master Danyang) regarding key Neidan (internal alchemy) terminology:

Ma Yu asked his master: "What do these terms mean - ancestral source, nature-life, root-stem; dragon-tiger, lead-mercury, measuring spoon, golden lord-yellow dame, infant-maiden, dragon-snake, heart-monkey-mind-horse, guest-host-awareness, the Three Supreme Treasures, nine stars-five firmaments, three powers refinement process, golden elixir transcending the three realms, and the seven returns in daily activities?"

Wang Chongyang explained each point:

The "ancestral source" refers to human origin: "source" denotes nature (original spirit/Shen), while "ancestor" represents life (original Qi). "Nature-life" means nature is the original spirit, life is the original Qi. "Root-stem" - root signifies nature, stem indicates life.

"Dragon-tiger" symbolizes spirit as dragon and Qi as tiger, together representing nature-life. "Lead-mercury" - lead is original spirit, mercury is original Qi. "Golden lord-yellow dame" - the golden lord is the heart, the yellow dame the spleen. "Infant-maiden" - infant refers to the liver, maiden to the lungs.

"Heart-monkey-mind-horse" depicts the heart as a restless monkey and thoughts as galloping horses. "Guest-host-awareness" - guest is life, host is nature; discernment of truth and falsehood constitutes awareness. "Dragon-snake" - dragon represents nature (kidneys), snake the true Qi in the heart.

The "Three Treasures" include external treasures (Dao, scriptures, teachers) and internal treasures (Jing/essence, Qi, Shen/spirit). "Supreme" (Taishang) means "tai" as ultimate greatness and "shang" as highest attainment. "Leaving worldly life" signifies transcending mundane attachments.

These dialogues reveal core Neidan concepts, correlating bodily organs, mental activities with cultivation terminology, providing practitioners with concrete visualization and practice guidelines. The systematic pairing of physiological, psychological and alchemical terms forms a complete framework for internal alchemical transformation.

This dialogue records the transmission of essential Daoist teachings from Quanzhen patriarch Wang Chongyang (Master Chongyang) to his disciple Ma Yu (Master Danyang), elucidating core concepts of Daoist practice:

On renouncing worldly life:

Renunciation does not merely mean leaving one's family, but relinquishing all worldly attachments while maintaining mental clarity. The essence of cultivation lies in practicing the Dao of the true self—where "practice" refers to cultivating both nature (Shen/spirit) and life (Qi/vital energy), which constitutes the true meaning of spiritual cultivation.

The true meaning of immortality:

Authentic longevity does not mean physical immortality, but preserving the true nature undisturbed, remaining unaffected by external phenomena to attain the transcendent state of "neither coming nor going."

The nature of Dao:

Dao is the source of both nature and life—profound and unfathomable, impossible to fully describe with words. Dao itself transcends gain and loss, existing eternally.

The meaning of purity:

Purity manifests in two aspects: internal purity means maintaining a mind free of distracting thoughts, while external purity means remaining untainted by worldly dust.

The doctrine of Three Destinies:

Quoting the Huangting Jing (Scripture of the Yellow Court), it states: Preserving original Jing (essence) corresponds to the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun), preserving original Shen (spirit) corresponds to the Supreme Lord Dao (Taishang Daojun), and preserving original Qi corresponds to the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (Taishang Laojun)—collectively called the "Three Destinies." In practice, these three share the same essence and need not be rigidly separated. The Emperor of Eastern Florescence (Donghua Dijun) symbolizes the heart, while the Great Emperors of the Ten Directions symbolize the kidneys—all being crucial elements in cultivation.

Cosmic-human correspondences:

The text details the theory of macrocosm-microcosm correspondences:

• Heaven has the Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper (seven stars plus two auxiliary ones), while humans have nine orifices
• Heaven has four seasons, humans have four limbs
• Heaven contains earth, water, fire and wind (representing the Five Phases), while humans possess corresponding bodily elements (heart as fire, Jing as water, Qi as wind, body as earth)
• The Five Sacred Mountains correspond to the five viscera (liver, gallbladder, spleen, lungs, kidneys)
• Heaven, earth and humanity all possess "Five Strengths" (dynamic forces) and "Three Powers" (heaven-earth-humanity as fundamental principles)

These systematic question-and-answer exchanges present the foundational framework of Quanzhen Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, emphasizing dual cultivation of nature and life (Xingming Shuangxiu), internal-external purity, and the correspondences between human physiology and cosmic patterns—providing concrete guidance for Daoist practitioners.

This scripture contains essential cultivation teachings transmitted by Wang Chongyang (the Chongyang Master) to his disciple Ma Yu (Danyangzi), expounding the core principles of Daoist practice:

On the cosmos and human body: Heaven, Earth and humanity each possess their Three Treasures (fundamental elements). Heaven's Three Treasures are the sun, moon and stars; Earth's Three Treasures are Yi, Bing and Ding (representing Wood and Fire in the Five Phases); humanity's Three Treasures are Jing (essence), Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy). The eyes serve as windows to observe the world, the mouth as the gateway of communication, while the heart and kidneys hold importance comparable to the sun and moon. Cultivation should focus inwardly rather than seeking external attainments.

On cultivation methods:

1. "Regulating the fire times" refers to eliminating distracting thoughts and worldly defilements, maintaining the purity of one's Shen-Qi (spirit and vital energy) without dissipation.

2. The true meaning of "leaving the householder life" lies in preserving inner purity and cultivating De (virtue), not merely formal renunciation.

3. The "Sevenfold Reversion of the Supreme" comprises seven health-preserving methods: speaking less to nurture inner Qi, cultivating heart-nature to nourish Jing-Qi, eating lightly to sustain blood Qi, restraining anger to preserve lung Qi, moderate diet to strengthen stomach Qi, reducing overthinking to benefit liver Qi, and controlling desires to nurture heart Qi.

Essential cultivation points:

• Maintain mental emptiness and stillness - this stabilizes Qi, clarifies consciousness, and ultimately leads to union with the Dao.
• Practice the Five Constant Virtues: benevolence means not abandoning others, righteousness means not defiling virtue, propriety means no arrogance, wisdom means no contention, and trustworthiness means no false speech.
• A purified heart opens the heavenly path, while mental confusion leads to hell's gate. Both ascent to heaven and descent to hell are determined by one's mental states.

Crucial warnings:

• Without subduing deluded thoughts, practitioners will have no spiritual refuge after death.
• Formal renunciation while remaining entangled in worldly affairs damages one's moral cultivation.
• Purifying heart and intention constitutes the foundation of practice - when delusions cease, true nature manifests. Therefore practitioners must first illuminate the heart to perceive true nature.

(Note: Figures like Xu Shenweng and Jin Zhenren mentioned are renowned Daoist masters; "samadhi" is a Buddhist term denoting meditative absorption; "Taishang" refers to Lord Lao, one of Daoism's highest deities)

This passage comes from the twenty-four essential cultivation principles that Wang Chongyang (founder of the Quanzhen [Complete Perfection] school of Daoism) transmitted to his disciple Ma Danyang. It explains that the root of spiritual practice lies in the Dao, which is essentially one's original mind. There exists no so-called "Dao" separate from mind-nature, nor is there any independent mind-nature outside the Dao. The teaching emphasizes that "mind" and "Dao" are fundamentally unified - spiritual cultivation means realizing this original state of being.