《丹陽真人直言》

At the Chongyang Dharma Assembly in Longmen, Master Danyang instructed his disciples thus:

In daily cultivation, one must pay attention to the following points:

First, never deceive Heaven and Earth. Be constantly vigilant in practice, treasuring every moment without wasting time.

Second, reduce sleep—while natural to human needs, excessive slumber is improper.

Third, maintain stillness of mind during meditation, yet remember all activities—walking, standing, sitting, lying—can become cultivation.

Fourth, refrain from stirring thoughts, swiftly returning to original nature and life-force (xingming). When the mind becomes clear and desires dissolve, one enters the realm of immortals.

Fifth, never doubt this truth—these are the most authentic words. The key lies in sustained purity and diligent practice.

Sixth, through continuous realization, desires naturally fade, one's nature stabilizes, life-force (ming) solidifies, the internal elixir (neidan) coalesces, and the immortal path spontaneously fulfills.

Cultivation requires personal effort—none can substitute for you. Maintain composure without undue haste. Were it not for the master's revelation, disciples might never recognize this as wondrous Dharma.

Those who truly attain the Dao:

1. Harbor no doubts within

2. Abide constantly in the natural state of wuwei (non-action) and purity

3. Persist like unbroken incense smoke (symbolizing unwavering practice)

The master particularly emphasized:

1. Just as Heaven-Earth's operations ceaselessly create all things, cultivators must emulate this cosmic principle—never pausing even across the twelve daily time periods

2. One must personally "rotate creation" (referring to neidan circulation), maintaining purity without allowing distracting thoughts

3. If not a single daily hour is devoted to cultivation, how can one hope for attainment? How repay the ten-direction offerings?

4. Otherwise, after death one falls into Fengdu's hell-realm, suffering interminably without deliverance

Final admonitions for disciples:

1. This is the true method—follow it precisely without deviation

2. If failing, blame not the lineage master (zhangjiao)

3. Remember how seven generations of ancestors suffered from karmic burdens, hoping descendants' enlightenment would liberate them

4. Never forget these daily cultivation essentials

(Note: "Rotating creation" refers to microcosmic orbit circulation in neidan practice; "Fengdu" is the Daoist purgatory)

This scripture discusses the dual cultivation of external conduct and internal practice in spiritual cultivation.

For external conduct, practitioners must particularly guard against:

• Constantly focusing on others' faults
• Boasting and showing off
• Envying those of virtuous ability
• Giving rise to ignorant anger
• Harboring competitive and contentious thoughts
• Clinging to distinctions between self and others
• Indulging in verbal disputes
• Maintaining attachments to preferences and aversions

For internal cultivation, one should:

• Refrain from suspicious thoughts
• Maintain constant mental clarity
• Cultivate serene awareness whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down
• Let go of desires and attachments
• Preserve a carefree and unconstrained state
• Approach practice with the natural urgency of hunger or thirst
• Correct any deviations immediately

The master admonishes disciples to:

• Persevere consistently without forgetting their original aspiration
• Avoid slackening or retreating
• Follow natural processes while regulating emotions
• Respond adaptively to external circumstances while guarding their fundamental nature internally
• Abandon cunning intentions
• Refrain from envy
• Maintain the purity of their Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy)

Key cultivation principles include:

• The harmonious interaction of Shen and Qi (referring to the alignment of Jing, Qi, and Shen)
• The proper balance of Water and Fire (symbolizing Yin-Yang equilibrium)
• Through prolonged practice:
• Three years of unbroken practice forms the lower elixir
• Six years forms the middle elixir
• Nine years forms the great elixir
• Completion of the nine transformative cycles (referring to the nine stages of Neidan practice)
• Perfection of the three Dantian (energy centers)
• Ultimate attainment of the divine elixir body (the immortal form achieved through cultivation)

The text concludes by observing that all physical forms eventually perish, but the formless Dharma body attained through cultivation endures eternally. Even heaven, earth, and mountains cannot last forever—only by realizing the formless "primordial substance" (referring to the Dao itself) can one achieve indestructible permanence.

Note: Terms like "lead and mercury," "dragon and tiger," and "infant and maiden" are Neidan (internal alchemy) terminology representing different manifestations of Yin and Yang energies within the human body.