Analysis of the Practice Method of Sixteen Ingots of Gold

Lin Shuli's Sixteen Ingots of Gold, also known as Li Zhenren's Sixteen Character Formula for Longevity, is a representative practice of Taoist health preservation. These sixteen characters are: "Inhale and lift, breath returns to the navel; lift and swallow, water and fire meet." The Ming Dynasty's Leng Qian's "Essentials of Aging" first recorded this method and praised it as the most simple and easy magic formula. Subsequently, this method was introduced in works such as "Red Phoenix Marrow", "Eight Notes on Zunsheng", "Pulse Observation", "Secret Record of Health Preservation", "Collected Explanations of Medical Prescriptions", and "Compilation of Questions and Answers from the Liao Yang Hall by Master Yin". Many modern qigong works have also recommended this exercise method, which shows that the Sixteen Gold Ingots still have a wide influence to this day. However, the explanations of this method vary among different schools. For instance, some say that the clear air inhaled through the nose only reaches the dantian. Some say that after inhaling and entering the dantian, the air then passes through the Governor vessel and goes straight up to the fontanelle on the top of the head. For instance, when it comes to lifting the breath into the Du, some say it should be in coordination with exhalation. Some say it is in coordination with inhalation. This article intends to make some discussions on the cultivation methods of the Sixteen Gold ingots. Based on the textual structure and semantic hints of the Sixteen Gold ingots, as well as the records in "The Essentials of Xiu Ling", the elaboration in the "Yin Zhenren Liao Yang Dian Q&A Compilation" compiled by Min Yide of the Qing Dynasty, and in combination with Qigong, physiology, psychology and traditional Chinese medicine, after comprehensive consideration and in-depth comparative analysis, the author believes that the operation procedure of the Sixteen Gold Ingots should be as follows: Concentrate your mind and rest. First, rinse your mouth with saliva 3 to 5 times. Then, stir the upper and lower palates with your tongue. When your mouth is full of saliva, swallow it down with a sound. ② Immediately, take a deep breath of clear air through your nose and send it to the dantian of the abdomen and navel with your mind. While inhaling, lift and contract your anus (as if holding back your bowel movements), and use your mind and eyes (inward vision) to lift the internal air from the perineum to the dantian of the abdomen and navel, so that the upper air (clear air) and the lower air (internal air) converge in the dantian and remain there for a while. ③ Exhale and combine it with relaxing the anus. At the same time, use your mind and eyes to direct the qi from the dantian through the perineum into the Governor Vessel, and then from the coccyx along the midline of the spine through the Mingmen, Jiaji, and Yuzhen straight into the clay pill. At this point, exhale completely. ④ Swallow the oral fluid. At this point, breathing pauses. Use your mind and eyes to send the qi rising into the mud pill along with the oral fluid into the abdomen, navel and dantian, and keep it there for a while. In this way, inhaling, exhaling and swallowing constitute one operation procedure. Next, perform the inhalation movement, then the exhalation movement, and finally the swallowing of saliva movement. Repeat this cycle. Generally, it can be done 7 or 14 times in a row. The basis for the practice method is as follows: 1. The explanations and hints provided by the inscriptions on the sixteen gold ingots themselves. Judging from the textual structure of the sixteen gold ingots, the first two sentences have already indicated the movement actions during inhalation, while the last two sentences should describe the movement actions during and after exhalation. The third line of the sixteen gold ingots recorded in the Qigong work "Mai Wang" of the Ming Dynasty is written as "swallowing with one breath", which can also serve as supplementary evidence. This is the first one. Sixteen Ingots of Gold has a notable feature in its sentence structure, that is, it uses two consecutive "one..." The "bian" style, this sentence structure aims to emphasize the tight connection between the two actions. "Inhale and lift immediately" clearly means that as soon as the inhalation begins, a lifting action is performed immediately to facilitate the connection and integration of internal and external qi in the dantian. The phrase "swallowing immediately upon lifting" clearly refers to the rapid swallowing of the internal qi that has been lifted to the mud pill along with the saliva in the mouth into the navel of the abdomen after exhalation. This is the second point. After the sixteen gold ingots were "sucked and lifted immediately", a clear indication was further given: "The qi should return to the navel." During the inhalation period, "Qi qi returns to the navel" refers to the simultaneous convergence of the clear qi inhaled from above and the internal qi rising from below at the abdominal navel. This is the third point. The latter part of the sixteen ingots of gold emphasizes "water and fire meeting", which is the fourth point to stress that after exhalation, one can nourish water and strengthen the kidneys by swallowing saliva, promoting the interaction between the heart and kidneys, and achieving a harmonious balance of water and fire. 2. There are traditional Qigong literature as supplementary evidence. The explanation of "The Essentials of Aging Cultivation" is relatively accurate and reliable. The following points are already quite clear: ① The route of the mind's movement during inhalation reaches the abdominal navel; ② When raising the breath to enter the Du, exhale in coordination. ③ The mental route of exhalation ascends along the Governor vessel and ends at the mudball on the top of the head. ④ Swallow saliva after exhaling. However, its account is rather brief and some parts are not explained clearly. Take a clear breath through your nose, and let it reach your mind and mind. Quietly send it straight to the Yuanhai of the dantian, one cun and three fen below the navel, and hold it for a moment. This is called taking a breath. Use the lower part, gently as if holding a bowel movement, and lift it with your mind to return to the navel, then extend to the double pass of the spine and the kidney gate, all the way up to the jade pillow Pass at the back, penetrating into the top of the mud ball. When it rises, it does not cause the qi to escape. This is called one exhalation." There are two questions here: First, when lifting the anus as if holding back a bowel movement, should it be combined with inhalation or exhalation? Because the anal lifting is a contractiative action, it is suitable to be combined with inhalation, but the statement here is not clear. The second is the route of the mind's movement during exhalation. Does it start from the abdominal navel, pass through the perineum and then ascend along the Governor Vessel, or does it start from the perineum, pass through the abdominal navel and then cross the life gate and go straight up to the Jiaji and Niwan? The traditional route of qi circulation in Zhoutian Gong starts from the navel, passes through the perineum, crosses the coccyx, and then ascends along the Governor Vessel. However, the description here is also not clear. The "Liao Yang Dian Q&A Compilation" compiled by the Qing Dynasty scholars provided a precise explanation of this, stating: "Once inhaled into the abdomen, with a slight use of the mind and eyes, it is lifted from the Yin root and placed at the navel." "Yi Ti" means to lift the air from one inhalation, which is then channeled to the lower half of the Ren meridian and gathered at the navel. This is what is meant by "one inhalation and one lift, and the air returns to the navel." " It was also pointed out: "One lift is one exhalation. Within one exhalation, with a bit of intention and visual effort, it is lifted into the Governor vessel, extending from the coccyx to the spine, all the way to the top of the head." In this way, both of the above problems were easily solved, and the original appearance of the sixteen ingots of gold became relatively clear. 3. The design of the exercises is distinctive, demonstrating an innovation in the traditional Zhou Tian Gong. The Sixteen Ingots of Gold, in terms of its framework of practice, belongs to the traditional Zhou Tian Gong. However, it has made significant innovations in Zhou Tian Gong and fully demonstrates its own characteristics: ① It combines exhalation with the lifting of the du. Allowing the internal qi to flow smoothly through the Governor Vessel is a crucial stage in the cultivation of the Zhou Tian Gong, and it is also a period when the three checkpoints are blocked and the qi flow is difficult to pass through. Traditional Zhoutian Gong places more emphasis on "fire forcing the metal element", often employing the methods of "pulling, pressing, closing, and inhaling", with the emphasis on inhaling to promote the flow of qi through the meridians. If one has good insight and persists properly, good results will surely be achieved. However, when "entering the martial fire", psychological quality is very important. If not handled properly, it is easy to lose the balance of one's mindset, and even go crazy, causing obvious side effects. The sixteen gold ingots should be combined with exhalation and the ascending of the du, maintaining a steady heat and achieving natural success. This way, one can keep a balanced state of mind and avoid going astray. ② Combine pharynx and saliva secretion to lower the Ren meridian. Alchemists have always highly valued the saliva produced during practice, considering it a jade spring or divine water. Generally, in elixir Qigong, it is only proposed that if there is saliva in the mouth during the practice, one should swallow it forcefully at any time. The Sixteen Gold Ingots, on the other hand, take swallowing saliva as an organic component of the framework of the cultivation method and an important step in the operation. This is of great significance: First, by combining the action of swallowing saliva, the internal qi after the passage can be quickly and powerfully drawn into the dantian from the mud pill, thereby promoting and strengthening the circulation of the Ren and Du meridians. Secondly, through the action of swallowing saliva, it can be combined with the golden essence created by the Heavenly Palace to promote the return of the jade liquid to the elixir. The "Cui Gong's Medicinal Mirror" states: "When practicing martial arts, one first collects gold from water, uses the earth of Wu Ji to transform into fire to force the gold to move, and then ascends to the clay pill palace, where it turns into sweet dew and jade slurry, which falls on the Yellow Court. When tasted, it is sweet and delicious, and is called the 'Yin Dao GUI'." The "Great Dan Direct Pointing" states: After the internal qi enters the top of the head, one should "tightly close both ears to prevent the kidney qi from escaping and merge it into the Heavenly Palace, causing the golden essence of creation to descend, just like being caught in the rain." Ancient people believed that after the true qi passed through the top of the body, it could transform into golden essence and jade liquid. The timely movement of the sixteen gold ingots and the swallowing of saliva could precisely complement and enhance this physiological effect during the alchemy process. Thirdly, through the rhythmic swallowing of saliva during exercise, the function of salivary glands can be enhanced. Because the action of swallowing saliva, through the afferent nerve, stimulates the swallowing center and digestive fluid secretion center of the medulla oblongata, thereby causing reflex activities in the medulla oblongata, and then through the efferent nerve, it sends impulses to the tongue, salivary glands, throat, esophagus, etc., thus further enhancing the function of the salivary glands. ③ It intensifies the stimulating and stirring effect on the dantian, promoting the direct convergence of internal and external qi in the dantian. Alchemists believe that the dantian in the abdomen is the place where essence is stored. In the minor Dantian stage of the Zhoutian Gong, the main task is to transform essence into qi, turning essence into high-quality qi. Therefore, the dantian is the core part of the Zhoutian Gong. The sixteen gold ingots, through the unique technique of "one suction and immediate lifting", effectively stimulated and invigorated the dantian, thereby enhancing the effect of refining essence into qi. Moreover, the ancients believed that the primordial qi of human beings did not arise spontaneously. It was only through the illumination of divine light and the catalysis of the breath that the qi could be activated. The connection between the breath and the innate breath is what is meant by the postnatal manifestation of the innate. This is the proper practice for forming elixirs. The simultaneous operation of the sixteen-spindle Golden Tong, which inhales clear qi at the top and lifts internal qi at the bottom, enables the direct convergence of internal and external qi in the dantian, thereby generating favorable physiological effects. This exercise emphasizes "one inhalation and immediate lifting", and its main intention lies precisely here. 4. The design of the exercises takes good care of both physical and mental balance. One notable feature of the Qigong state is the homeostasis balance of the mind, and this balance must first be based on physiological balance. If there is a physiological imbalance, such as shortness of breath, mental excitement, restlessness and so on, it fundamentally disrupts the state of qigong. Sixteen Gold ingots is a form of exercise that is deliberately combined with breathing exercises. From a physiological perspective, inhalation is accompanied by excitation of the sympathetic nerve, and exhalation is accompanied by excitation of the parasympathetic nerve. Moreover, when the qi is drawn to rise, it is easy to stimulate the nerves (to raise Yang). When the qi is drawn down, it is easy to guide the nerves to calm down (descend Yin). The Du meridian belongs to Yang. In traditional Zhoutian Gong, when the qi rises to the Du meridian, it not only combines inhalation and mental power but also employs the techniques of "pulling, pressing, closing, and inhaling". This significantly enhances the excitement of the nerves. If not handled properly, it can easily lead to an imbalance in one's mindset. For the sixteen gold ingots, the exhalation is combined with the ascending of the Du meridian, allowing the practitioner to move the qi to the Du Meridian on the basis of the excitation of the parasympathetic nerve and the relaxation of the body and mind. This effectively handles the relationship between the ascending of the Du meridian and maintaining a certain level of neural excitement. The Ren meridian belongs to Yin. Guiding the qi to descend can induce the nerves to calm down. By combining deep inhalation with the descent of the Ren meridian, one can not only maintain the nerve excitement necessary for the transformation and transportation of internal qi but also control the excitement of the sympathetic nerve through the descent of Yin. From this perspective, the design of the sixteen gold ingots' movement fully takes into account the need for physical and mental balance in the human body, playing a role in cultivating both life and nature. 5. The design of the exercises fully embodies the theories of traditional Chinese medicine, such as the balance of Yin and the secret of Yang, as well as the interaction between the heart and the kidney. Mouth saliva is a kind of water fluid and belongs to Yin. The Sixteen Gold Ingots take swallowing saliva as an important part of the practice. It constantly sends the mouth saliva produced after the meridian qi circulates around the heaven to the dantian through strengthened means. This nourishes the function of kidney Yin (Yuan Yin), thereby balancing it with the function of kidney Yang (Yuan Yang), preventing the fire of the life gate from rising beyond its bounds but instead fusing with the primordial natural water. Then, Yin and Yang interroot with each other, generating the true essence qi. Moreover, traditional medicine holds that the kidneys belong to water and the heart to fire. Water should ascend while fire should descend. If the heart fire flows downward to the kidneys and the kidneys receive water from the heart, when water and fire are in harmony, it can promote the balance of Yin and Yang in the body. Swallowing saliva into the dantian can not only guide the heart fire to descend but also assist in transporting the kidney water to rise, ultimately promoting the interaction between the heart and the kidneys and achieving a harmonious balance of water and fire. Obviously, the design of the sixteen gold ingots' movement reflects the theory of yin-yang balance in traditional Chinese medicine. To master the Sixteen Ingots of Gold, in addition to achieving a state of relaxation and tranquility, one should also pay attention to the following aspects: 1. Cultivate the ability to handle two tasks at once. Multitasking, known in psychology as the allocation of attention, means concentrating one's attention simultaneously on different processes, or in other words, having two or more centers of attention within a time limit. When taking a deep breath of the Sixteen Gold ingots, on the one hand, it is necessary to guide the clear energy along the Ren meridian into the dantian, and at the same time, it is required to lift the anus and lift the energy in the lower part. This requires that within a time limit, attention be allocated to the two qi circulation processes above and below. When you first start operating, you may not get used to it and feel a sense of incoordination due to neglecting one aspect for another. However, since the movements of these two qi circulation processes are not complicated and have an inherent correlation, as long as a period of training is carried out to establish a conditional connection between the two activity processes, one can quickly reach the level of smooth operation. At that time, as long as the brain gives instructions, they will naturally operate. 2. One should develop the habit of breathing gently, slowly and long, and handle the relationship between the duration of breathing and the movement of thoughts properly. The sixteen ingots of gold require a gentle, slow and long breath. Only in this way can it be convenient to complete the route of the operation of the mind and the internal vision. Since within the time limit of exhalation or inhalation, the prescribed qi circulation route of the exercise must be completed, if breathing still cannot be significantly slowed down, then the meridian movement of the mind and inner vision should be slightly faster. Only when breathing slows down significantly can the operation of thought and introversion slow down accordingly. In conclusion, the two should always maintain this synchronous relationship. Also, when the mind and introspective vision are in coordination with breathing, a uniform speed and intensity should be maintained throughout. Do not alternate between fast and slow, light and heavy. Sixteen ingots of gold move around the celestial sphere. At the beginning, one only seeks to have the mind unobstructed, not the qi unobstructed. After a long period of practice, the internal qi will naturally flow. The operation of deliberate recitation can be a little faster or a little slower, and should be controlled randomly. But in general, if possible, slow down. 3. One should perform the action of swallowing saliva well. The Sixteen Gold ingots combine inhalation, exhalation and pharynx into a relatively independent internal training system. Therefore, it is essential to perform the action of swallowing saliva well to ensure that the three are closely connected, coherent and communicative. Here are a few points that are particularly worth noting: ① When exhaling, immediately perform the action of swallowing saliva without pausing. Also, intentionally draw up the qi from the mud pill and incorporate it along with the body fluids into the navel. In this way, inhalation, exhalation and pharynx are closely connected. When swallowing saliva, one should not only think about it but also look at it (inward vision), and even listen to it (inward hearing), gradually entering the dantian. At the same time, apply a little force and make a louder noise. This can enhance the physiological effect of the throat. When swallowing saliva, if there is no saliva, it should be swallowed with a gurgling sound. The "Lingbao Bi Fa" once proposed the "empty Swallowing Method", suggesting that if saliva does not produce in the mouth, one can use "empty swallowing as a method, only swallowing the breath, and there will be water in the breath." Therefore, even if there is no saliva, "weak swallowing" can still produce good effects. One must not neglect the swallowing action just because there is no saliva produced in the mouth. Note: The above article is kindly provided by "Xianxue Network".