Southern Sect

The Southern School of Kongde was founded by Zhang Boduan (styled Pingshu, with the pseudonym Ziyang, a native of Tiantai, Zhejiang Province, 987-1082) of the Northern Song Dynasty. As this school spread in the southern regions and most of its disciples came from the south, it was named the Southern School. It was also known as the Ziyang School by the name of Zhang Boduan and as the Tiantai School by its geographical location. Zhang Boduan learned the Inner Elixir technique from Liu Haichan. After obtaining the technique, he wrote the "Wuzhen Chapter" and passed it on to Shi Tai. Shi passed on to Xue Daoguang, Xue passed on to Chen Nan, and Chen passed on to Bai Yuchan. The Taoist history refers to these five as the Five Ancestors of the Southern School. Among the five patriarchs of the Southern School, Zhang, Shi, Xue and Chen were not Taoists. It was Bai Yuchan who began to teach Taoists. The Southern School is a cultivation lineage of "first life, then nature", and its transmission is divided into two methods: purity and tranquility, as well as the dual cultivation of Yin and Yang. The Qingxiu Method was inherited by Bai Yuchan and further developed. The method of dual cultivation of Yin and Yang was first revealed in "The Secret Essentials of the Three Vehicles" by Liu Yongnian, a disciple of Zhang Boduan (another disciple was Shi Tai). It is generally believed that the Southern School regards the cultivation of both Yin and Yang as its orthodox approach. Regarding the essence of the Southern School's "first fate, then nature", Zhang Boduan's "Wuzhen Chapter" states: "A humble heart, a solid heart, and profound inner meaning are all for the purpose of being humble and recognizing the heart." It is not like smelting lead by first strengthening the abdomen and then collecting a full hall of gold." Here it is mentioned that "being humble and having a solid mind" is a dual cultivation skill for both life and nature. However, since "being humble" first requires "recognizing the mind", this step is rather arduous. It is better to start with the cultivation of life skills first, lay a solid foundation for life, and then proceed to cultivate one's nature. Peng Haogu of the Ming Dynasty commented on this formula, saying: "A humble heart is the most important thing for the cultivation of one's nature, and a solid abdomen is the most important thing for the cultivation of one's life. Both have profound meanings." But when the heart is in turmoil, how can one achieve emptiness? It is not like refining lead and subduing qi. First, one should strengthen the abdomen to fill the body with the essence of gold, and then perform the work of holding one to empty the heart. In this way, both life and nature can be cultivated, and both form and spirit will be wonderful. Thus, the major cultivation is completed. In sharp contrast to the Northern School's view that "the most important thing in my study is to see one's true nature, and the combination of water and fire is secondary", the Southern School holds that "true essence and primordial energy are the great foundation of the Elixir" (Shi Tai's "Returning to the Source"). The Southern School does not neglect the cultivation of sexuality; rather, it holds that only by first preserving the foundation of life can conditions be created for "attaining sexuality". Therefore, he placed self-cultivation and self-refinement in the final stage. The pure cultivation theory of the Southern School holds that a person's body is complete with all the elements of heaven, earth, Yin and Yang, and there is no need to seek external support. As Yu Yan, a successor of the Bai family's Qingxiu Dharma lineage, pointed out in "The Outer Chapters of the Yi" : "If one knows that one has the sun and the moon within oneself, then the beauty of the endless flow lies only within oneself, and there is no need to seek the lofty and far-reaching." Bai directly expounded the Dharma, saying, "Cultivate, plant and refine by yourself. One grain a day is like millet." The theory of dual cultivation of Yin and Yang of the Southern School is inherited from the "Zhouyi Cantongqi", which holds that when a person's vital energy is deficient, it is most convenient to replenish it from the opposite sex of the same kind. For those who are particularly elderly or weak, if they embark on the path of spiritual cultivation, it may take several years for them to accumulate vital energy within their bodies. By then, their bodies will already be unable to wait any longer. If one takes supplements from the same kind, it is like grafting new branches onto an old tree, and there is hope for a new life. In his "Wuzhen Chapter", Zhang Boduan directly stated: "When a bamboo is broken, it must be mended; when holding a chicken, one should use its egg." All kinds of non-manual labor strive to be like the true lead and the sacred machine. This is in line with the "Zhouyi Cantongqi" by Wei Boyang of the Eastern Han Dynasty, which states, "It is easy to construct with the same kind, and it is difficult to be ingenious without the same kind." If one desires to become a celestial being, one should follow the same principle as those of the same kind. The Southern School's Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Method is divided into three vehicles. The middle and lower vehicles practice the "physical interaction method", while the superior one practices the "spiritual interaction method". Both are great methods of dual cultivation and mutual supplementation, benefiting oneself without harming others. It is quite different from the imperial concubines of the world. Because it is easily misunderstood, all the masters of the Yin-Yang School of the Southern School throughout history have been reluctant to reveal its secrets lightly. However, this method is no longer an incomprehensible secret nowadays; it's just that outsiders are unaware of its subtleties. The Southern and Northern schools basically merged around the Yuan Dynasty. This indicates that the characteristics of the alchemy sects and their relationship with the objects of inheritance are not absolute and will change with The Times and the objects. This kind of change is about adapting to The Times and people. All rights reserved. Any infringement will be prosecuted. This article is exclusively authorized by Mr. Kong De to be published on this website.