Annotation of 24 Jin Dan Poems ④

Author: Kong De Shiyi. To cultivate immortality, one must cultivate celestial immortals. Take a close look at the Golden Liquid Divine Pill. Added to the palace, drawn on the kan, placed in the dui position, and planted on the gan. Life and death are not the essence of life; the essence of life lies in mercury and lead. There are many people in the world who talk about compliance, but a few have reached the true interpretation here. [Annotation] This poem mainly urges people to understand the essence of life and death in order to pursue the highest "celestial immortal" realm of cultivation. "To cultivate immortality, one must cultivate celestial immortals. Take a close look at the Golden Liquid Divine Pill." These two sentences indicate that in cultivation, one should pursue the highest goal and not be content with obtaining small fruits. The supreme realm of the elixir path is the Celestial Immortal, which means both form and spirit are wonderful and in harmony with the truth of the Dao. Secondly, there are earth immortals, as stated in "Zhonglu Chuandao Ji: On True Immortals", "Half of heaven and earth, with the talent of immortals, do not understand the great way, stop at the method of minor perfection, no visible achievements, only aim for immortality and living in the world, and there are those who die in the human world." Secondly, there is the concept of becoming an immortal, as stated in "Zhonglu Chuandao Ji: On True Immortals" : "The land of cultivation does not understand the great way; within the way, there is a method; within the method, there is a technique..." It's all about achieving success, enjoying peace and longevity." The essence of the celestial immortal's martial arts lies in the "Golden Liquid Divine Pill" of the innate qi. Therefore, to judge the levels and realms of cultivation lies in classifying them based on the innate energy. "Look carefully" means judgment. Not only to judge others, but mainly to judge oneself. "Added to the palace, drawn from the kan; placed in the dui position, planted in the Gan." " These two lines still talk about the "Zhou Tian huo hou", which repeats the meaning of the "Zhou Tian huo hou" in the previous poems. Therefore, they will not be elaborated here. "Life and death are not the essence of life; the essence of life lies in mercury and lead." " These two lines are the key strokes of this poem. If one does not know this in the practice of cultivating the Great Way, it will ultimately be blind practice. "To be content with life and death" means not to be ashamed of life, not to fear death, and to disregard life and death. This is also known as breaking through the barrier of life and death. Because the thought of life and death is the greatest threshold for ordinary people, being exhausted by life and afraid of death ultimately accelerates the end of life. The first day of the first volume of the "Passage to Enlightenment" reads: "All the foolish scholars in the world who wish to achieve enlightenment are afraid of death." Fear of death means having the will to survive. With the will to survive, one may be afraid of starving to death, freezing to death, dying from illness, dying young, climbing a big mountain for fear of being attacked by tigers or wolves, living in a thick forest for fear of being bitten by pythons or boas, or staying in an ancient altar for fear of being invaded by ghosts. The fear of death lies in the heart of secret restraint, causing restlessness and unease. Though the form remains, the heart is lost first. The vitality has already withered, and the root of death has been planted. Stubborn and unyielding, with firewood piling up in the chest, schemes emerging in a disorderly manner, divine heads and ghostly faces, all kinds of evil and strange, all in a commotion, wearing down the spirit. All the true are lost, all the false are exposed. Day by day, night by night, how could one not die? I advise those who sincerely study the Tao to quickly clear the threshold of life and death and place the two words "life and death" beyond their control. However, breaking through the barrier of life and death does not mean seeing through everything in the ordinary sense and taking an indifferent attitude towards life and death. Rather, it is the enlightenment of the soul and the thorough understanding of the body, with verifiable and distinctive changes in the body and mind. The "life and death Gate" in internal cultivation is also known as the "life gate and Death household", which can be perceived and transcended from the objective root through cultivation. Dongyangzi's "Commentary on the Sutra of Salvation from Suffering" states: "The gate of Life and the household of death are alternative names for the female household of the mysterious gate, or they are called the gates of heaven and earth, or the gates of heaven and earth." Wherever there is a gateway, there must be something going in and out through it. If one desires to live and see for a long time, to be as old as heaven and earth, one should explore the wonders of nature at the entrance of life and the entrance of death, at the end of communication and blockage, to make the continuous flow of Yin and Yang in heaven and earth, ascending and descending. This is called rising from the sun and entering the moon, also known as rising from the clear to the mysterious. It is evident that the practice of "life and death should be carried out at the" threshold of life and death "and the" door of life and door of death ". This is also known as the "entrance" skill. The famous saying of the Patriarch Sanfeng, "Going with the flow makes one ordinary, going against the flow makes one immortal, only in the middle is there a twist and turn," has its profound meaning in the "entrance" technique. To reach the entrance, one must first explore the principles and purify one's nature. Then, in the state of great concentration, stillness leads to movement, Yin generates Yang, and infinity gives rise to Taiji. When one reaches the critical point of movement and stillness, Yin and Yang and maintains it, one acquires the entrance hall, which can be regarded as life and death. This is the key to the key of cultivation, the mystery of the mystery. The ancients never lightly disclosed this to others. However, even if this insight is clearly stated, if one is not a person of great ambition, great wisdom, or great cultivation, it is extremely difficult to understand and obtain. However, even those with great aspirations, great wisdom and great cultivation will surely gradually become more refined and mundane and eventually achieve sudden enlightenment. In the entrance hall, Yin and Yang are inseparable. Because it is an innate mixed whole. All interactions between Yin and Yang belong to the postnatal stage. In cultivation, the spirit is Yang and essence and energy are Yin. The meeting of the spirit and energy is also the combination of Yin and Yang. The purpose of the combination of Yin and Yang is to distinguish between Yin and Yang and return to the primordial unity. Therefore, it is said that "life and death are not the spirit and energy." "Life and nature are in mercury and lead." Nature is god, and god is mercury. Life is like lead, and lead is like qi. The essence of life lies in the harmony of spirit and qi, and the integration of lead and mercury. "Life and death are the goal, and lead and mercury are the means." Among the people who talked about the Tao, a few reached the true interpretation here. This statement states that the cultivation of the Great Way takes celestial immortals as the highest realm, uses golden liquid and great elixirs as its means, starts with life and death, and establishes the foundation through the treasure Gate and one orifice. And this truth, this great law, has always been understood by few people. People in the world all talk about it, saying that either they are obsessed with one side or they fall into the last form, and even scratch the surface. Those who truly grasp the truth are few and far between. It is not difficult to seek the true self through twelve rounds of self-cultivation. First, capture the rabbit's marrow and pair it with the black liver. When leading a dragon, a tiger returns to its root; when making mercury, lead is added to restore life. The golden energy flows back and forth through the ridges, and the river cart carries the mud balls. The couple entered Huang Po's house together, adjusting the heat and ending it themselves. [Annotation] This poem mainly discusses the sequence and intensity of the martial arts throughout the week. It's not difficult to find the truth. First, capture the rabbit's marrow and pair it with the horse's liver. To start cultivating oneself, one must first cultivate oneself. True and pure nature can lead to a peaceful state. True nature can reflect true destiny. Therefore, when one person is still, the spirit and energy can be in harmony. This can be said to be "it is not difficult to guide the true nature." The next step is to extract the primordial essence and Yang qi stored in the kidney essence to nourish the primordial essence and spirit stored in the heart nature, so that the true Yin and true Yang can interact. True Yang primordial energy is obtained by refining kidney essence with divine fire, just like the radiance of the moon when illuminated by the sun. Therefore, it is metaphorical to be called rabbit marrow. (Note: In ancient myths and legends, there is a jade rabbit on the moon.) Here, the rabbit is used as a metaphor for the Yang within the Yin of the moon, indicating the Yang within the Yin. The primordial spirit is the god among gods, like water within fire, Yin within Yang, and the heart and liver of the sun. Therefore, it is metaphorical to be called the "black liver" (Jian: In ancient myths and legends, there are ten SUNS in the universe, which are ten golden crows.) This uses the crow as a metaphor for God. "Leading a dragon leads a tiger back to its root; making mercury and putting lead in it restores life." " In the practice of alchemy, one's life. The process of the convergence of the spirit and energy is interdependent and rooted in each other, both in terms of principle and law as well as actual phenomena. For instance, Yin and Yang can only be understood and grasped relatively, but not treated and applied separately and absolutely. For instance, "rabbit marrow" is the true Yang produced within Yin. Its formation is due to the refinement of kidney water by divine fire, that is, the combination of Yang and Yin. This prerequisite can be called "leading the dragon to the tiger", which is reasonable based on nature. First, it returns to the "root orifice" where life and nature are inseparable, that is, the ancestral orifice and the entrance hall, and the "root orifice" exerts the function of life regeneration. The metaphor of "leading a dragon to lead a tiger" can be used to describe the process of burning external elixirs, which is like "throwing mercury into lead". The process of "mercury production and lead addition" in external elixirs can produce new medicinal seedlings with yellow buds in the tripod. The Inner Alchemy technique is the origin of the true Yang energy, providing a new opportunity for life to regenerate, which is known as the "Restoration of Life Pass". Only when the "life gate" has been restored and the "rabbit marrow" is abundant can one go to "match horse liver". The above situation needs to be in a continuous cycle. The golden energy flows back and forth through the ridges, and the river carts carry the mud pellets. The preface: "Fu Ming Guan" is the primordial vital energy that emerges from the dantian, born from the essence of water. It is the quintessence of water and is metaphorical to the gold in water, thus it is called the golden energy. After the golden energy emerges, it needs to go through a process of accumulation to grow from small to strong. It first accumulates in the dantian, then ascends in the reverse direction through the perineum, passes through the Wei Yan and resides at the life gate, and then accumulates again. This is called "the flow of golden energy". When the "Golden Energy" has been enriched to the level sufficient for clearing the level, one can enter and pass through the central ridge, ascending to the mud pill. This is the ascending heat. "Husband and wife share the Huangpo House together, adjusting the heat and making their own elixirs." These two sentences refer to the initial reduction of the heat. The "husband and wife" represent the spirit and energy. After being warmed and nourished by the clay pill Meridian, it descends from the Ren Meridian to the middle dantian. With the true meaning, it is released into this field by the Yellow Granny for further exchange and warming, and then it descends to the dantian. Therefore, the middle dantian is called "Huangpo She", also known as "Dongfang", and it is the place where the elixir is given. Although the middle dantian is within the body, in the state of practice, it is in harmony with the "middle" of the void. Therefore, it is said to be both within and outside the body, and is the "middle" of the integration of the inside and outside. The "Four Hundred Characters of the Golden Elixir" states: "This is an extraordinary insight; it is a combination of heaven and earth." This orifices, due to their significance and mystery, have been given many metaphorical names by alchemists throughout history. For example: Zuqi Point, Guizhong, Huangting, Xuanpin. Central Palace, entrance hall, sky, upright position, True Earth, Yellow Middle, Middle Yellow, Pure Land. Dan Fan, Xing Hai, Xin Yuan, Ling Tai, Chi Shui, Dan Tai, Zhen Yi Qiao, Wu Ji Men, Fa Wang Cheng, Shou Yi Tan, Wu Kong Zang, Zhong Miao Men, Xi Yi Fu, etc. During the process of the weekly cycle, the control of the heat is specific and subtle. However, the general principle is to follow nature and let things take their natural course. Only in this way can it be called "regulating the heat", and naturally, the elixir can be given. Thirteen movements to open up the universe, the shape of the 籥, the essence of the breath of the tunmeng Kan Li. The tripod and the Four symbols of true lead descend, and the furnace is prepared with the three talents of wonderful mercury. One existence and two non-existences change together, and two non-existences complement each other. At that time, people should recognize the subtleties within the mysteries and discuss them carefully in coordination with Qing 'e. [Annotation] This poem discusses the wondrous interaction between existence and non-existence. "He PI Qian Kun Tu 籥 form, tun meng breathing Kan Li essence." " "Opening and closing" refers to both opening and closing. "Qian Kun" refers to the universe of heaven and earth. The shape of "liguo 籥" represents the true breath and true breath of the universe and nature, compared to the breath of a person in a womb, that is, dividends. When the Elixir Sect enters the room to strike, it first breaks through the threshold of life and death, and then the gate of the northern Xuan. However, the key to this is to return to the fetal breath. When a person is born, their breathing is taken over by their parents. The breathing during the fetal stage is called fetal breath. When a person is born from the mother's womb, the umbilical cord is cut and no longer connects to the mother's breathing. Therefore, with a "wow", the mouth and nose open, and from then on, the life root connects to the breathing of heaven and earth. When infants and toddlers breathe through their mouths and noses, they are already lagging behind nature. However, at this stage, their breathing can still connect with their vital roots, and their breathing is smooth, fine and harmonious, often showing the signs of innate nature. However, as adults, they may experience mental activity, physical fatigue, depletion of essence, and deficiency of qi, with insufficient intake to cover expenditure. As a result, their breathing intensifies later in life. The more intense the postnatal breathing is, the further it deviates from the previous natural breathing, and the faster the end of life will be. Therefore, if one wants to restore the primordial nature in cultivation, one must first restore the primordial nature and rest. This method is not difficult to say, but by observing the condition of the fetus in the mother's womb, one can fully understand the method. It's nothing more than having no thoughts at all, no physical exertion, and maintaining the best form of the body. It's all involuntary, leaving everything to its natural control. When a fetus is in the womb, it naturally becomes the mother. When the Dan family reproduces twins, it naturally becomes an infinite universe. To take the breath of the universe and nature as the breath is the true breath, and it is the breath of the reborn fetus. It opens as it opens, it closes as it closes. This is the "closing the universe and opening the 籥 form." The true breath that the state of practice aims to achieve, although also metaphorically referred to as the breath of the fetus, is still different from the breath of the mother's womb. Although the breath of the mother's womb is not controlled by oneself, the subject is the mother. The mother's breathing comes from the mouth and nose, so this fetal breath still follows the mother's breathing through the mouth and nose, with a distinct pulsating frequency. The embryonic breath achieved in the state of energy is the connection between one's own life root and the universe and nature, so the subject is the universe and nature. In the state of practice, the fetal breath has a gradual transition. Even in the initial stage, there is a stirring frequency. However, when it reaches the stage of purely acting on the main body, there is no stirring frequency anymore. It is a kind of Taiji breath that is neither dynamic nor static, both dynamic and static. From the appearance of the human body, it is characterized that the breathing through the mouth and nose has completely stopped, and all six meridians have ceased. From the perspective of the practitioner's own feelings, the body and the outside are integrated into a complete, clear and bright whole. There is no obstruction in breathing; exhalation is immediate inhalation, and inhalation is immediate exhalation, with no distinction between the two. This kind of breathing is called "Tunmeng breathing", just like charcoal fire buried in ashes. In the state of "Tumeng breathing", all the Yin, Yang, water and fire in the human body will sprout out the innate essence. The spirit of consciousness gives rise to the primordial spirit, and all essence gives rise to the primordial essence. In the postnatal state, the spirit of consciousness is "li", and all essence belongs to "Kan", so it is called "Kan Li Essence". In fact, both of them are one qi, that is, the primordial qi. Since after life, one end of the primordial energy transforms into a spirit, creating one's own mind and thoughts, the distorted primordial energy is called "the self". The other end transformed into essence, creating the material source of life, thus it is called "Wu". In the future, these two are also called "Li" and "Kan". When the cauldron is in harmony with the four symbols, true lead descends; when the furnace is prepared with the three talents, wonderful mercury emerges. In the cultivation of inner elixirs, the physical body is compared to a cauldron. Only when true breath can be achieved is it called "cauldron harmony". "Furnace preparation". The so-called "harmony" refers to the aggregation of metal, wood, water, fire and earth into one mass in the later stage of life. The poem mentions "harmonizing the Four symbols" rather than "harmonizing the five Elements", because the harmony of metal, wood, water and fire is already within it. In this state, in terms of essence, the primordial essence is thus born. All the essence formed after birth is like unrefined aluminium ore. The innate primordial essence is formless, just like silver obtained by smelting lead ore, thus it is called true lead. The so-called "completeness" means that heaven, earth and man are integrated into one, obtaining the essence of Yin and Yang, hardness and softness, and benevolence and righteousness. The Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Jing states: "The thief of heaven and earth and all things; All things are stolen by humans. Man is the thief of all things. When the three types of theft are appropriate, the three types of talents will be at ease. (Note: "Stealing" means secretly taking.) In "Mencius Wanxing - Part II", it is stated: "Those who take what they do not have are thieves." It refers to the integration and mutual utilization of heaven, earth and man, without any distinction between them. In this state, the spirit gives birth to the primordial spirit. In the later stage, one can recognize the actions and behaviors of the divine beings and perceive them. Due to the master's actions, they are regarded as the supreme beings of life, compared to external elixirs and medicines, just like precious cinnabar. The innate primordial spirit is unrestrained and unrecognizable, pure and flawless. Compared to external elixirs, it is like mercury extracted from cinnabar, thus it is called "wonderful mercury". "One existence and two non-existences change together; two non-existences complement each other." " These two lines are the finishing touches of this poem. The concept of "being and non-being" comes from the Tao Te Ching, which states, "Being and non-being give birth to each other; difficulty and ease complement each other." In cultivation, it can be regarded as a dialectical relationship between action and non-action, as well as between the acquired and the innate. These two sentences mainly refer to innate and postnatal non-existence. The "existence" and "non-existence" referred to here are wonderful existence and wonderful non-existence respectively. "One" refers to the true Yang primordial energy, meaning the innate. The "two" refer to essence and spirit, Yin and Yang, and the acquired constitution. Why are these two called wonderful existence and wonderful non-existence respectively? In the postnatal period, essence and spirit have form and image, which can be called "existence", while the innate primordial energy has no form and image, which can be called "non-existence". However, in terms of the "non-action yet nothing is left undone" that returns to the primordial state, the "being" and "non-being" in the former are completely reversed, with "being" becoming "non-being" and "non-being" becoming "being". Mr. Huang Yuanji provided a clear explanation for this in his "Commentary on the Tao Te Ching". The Supreme Master has specially instructed the work of the hand to inform the assembly: At the beginning of a person's meditation, one must let go of all attachments, leaving nothing in the mind. It is merely a matter of drawing a curtain to block the light, observing the void dantian, concentrating the mind and then regulating the breath, and still concentrating the mind after regulating the breath. For such a long time, the spirit and energy merged into one mass, and in an instant, they entered the netherworld. This is nothingness. Here it can be seen that the two existences of the acquired spirit have turned into "two non-existences". He also said, "It is the ultimate state of nothingness that suddenly moves upon a moment of enlightenment. This is what is meant by existence." From this, it can be seen that when the primordial energy has not yet emerged or is not yet touched, it is nothing. However, when it "moves upon awakening", it becomes an objective existence that can be perceived, and "nothing" turns into "something". From existence to nothingness, from nothingness to existence, from existence to non-existence to nothingness, and from non-existence to existence. So "being" and "non-being" are "changing together" and "complementing each other". One should not be overly obsessed with either of these two aspects. If one is overly obsessed, one will fall into two extremes. One should not be stubborn and empty, making life tangible but failing to reach the entrance of others. "At that time, people should recognize the subtleties within the mysterious and discuss them carefully in coordination with Qing 'e." " What is meant by "mystery within mystery"? That is, when the entrance hall is opened, the true breath emerges. One and two elements change together, complementing each other. And the result of this change and complementarity is the creation of an external body, namely the Yang Spirit. In terms of the highest realm of achieving perfection as a celestial immortal, it means creating a Dao body that is both form and spirit exquisite, namely "Qing 'e". Therefore, in the process of creating "Qing 'e", one can truly understand the subtleties of the mysterious. The author, Mr. Kong De, authorizes this website for exclusive publication and recording. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use for other purposes is prohibited.