Annotations on the 24 Poems of Jin Dan ⑥

Author: Kong De. Among the seventeen trees, there is sand, mercury, and gold in water, which wander towards the position of Li Gong Kan. Just as the universe is divided into the main and the guest, and the rise and fall are determined by the dragon and the tiger. Therefore, the three surnames of metal and wood can be formed, thus enabling the couple to be of one mind. When Ting Wan returned, they met again. Huang Po's matchmaker was a kindred spirit. [Note] This poem has a repetitive meaning with the previous ones. One can focus on grasping the "subject and object" and "rise and fall" in the third and fourth lines. "Mercury in the water and gold in the water, they spread to the side of the palace to search." " "Mercury in water" is the true Yin spirit of knowledge, and "gold in water" is the true Yang spirit of enlightenment. "Li" represents fire, which is stored in the heart. It is Yang on the outside and Yin on the inside. This Yin is inherently Yin, that is, "sand and mercury in wood", the spiritual liquid born from the true nature. "Kan" represents water, which is stored in the kidneys. It is external Yin and internal Yang. This Yang is the true Yang, that is, "gold in water", the spiritual energy generated from the true essence. Internal elixirs refer to these two substances as genuine medicines. "Only the universe is divided into hosts and guests, and the rise and fall are determined by dragons and tigers." " "Qian" means pure Yang. "Kun" means pure Yin. Yang means firmness and movement. Yin means softness and stillness. Yin and Yang, Yin is the body and Yang is the function. Yin is the 形而下者 vessel, and Yang is the 形而上者 dao. Therefore, in terms of application, Qian is the principal, Kun is the guest, Yang is the principal, and Yin is the guest. For instance, the hexagrams "Kan Li" in the later stage of life represent Li, which is Yang. Turbid essence is cooked and Yin. Therefore, consciousness is the principal, while turbid essence is the guest. The guest was sent by the Lord. This is used in sequence. In the primordial state, the primordial spirit is the true Yin of Li Zhong and the primordial spirit is the true Yang of Kan Zhong. Therefore, the primordial spirit is the principal and the primordial spirit is the guest. This is the reverse usage. Without understanding the relationship between the subject and the object, one will act without knowing the method of the essence and application, and thus fall into confusion. "Rise and fall" refers to success and failure. "Still relying on the dragon and tiger to determine the rise and fall" means to understand the above-mentioned method of using the "host and guest" body. First, the dragon marries the tiger, then the tiger marries the dragon, and after the dragon and tiger have mated, the elixir is given. It means that first, the spirit is channeled into the qi, and then the qi is combined with the spirit. If this "subject-object" relationship is misused, success in cultivation will be hard to come by. Therefore, the three surnames of Jin and Shui can be formed, thus enabling the couple to be of one mind. The meanings of these two lines can be found in the eighth, twelfth and fourteenth verses, and will not be elaborated here. "Returning to the courtyard for a reunion, the matchmaker Huang Po is a kindred spirit." " The "courtyard", also known as the central palace or the yellow court, is the middle dantian where the tangible and the intangible are combined. The "Return and Reunion Meeting" refers to the nature, mind, essence, energy and spirit, which are the three surnames and the Three treasures. The true meaning is the "Yellow Lady" and "soulmate" who bring the three together. The eighteen genuine furnaces, genuine tripods, and genuine machines are used; the time for gathering herbs must be determined by the end of the year. The lead mother's misty light is about to flicker, and the golden womb leaps with fire approaching its peak. Do not forget the climate to regulate the true breath, but keep the void and the obstacles. In the face of battle, do not let the enemy off lightly; being diligent and conscientious is more likely to prevent danger. [Annotation] This poem suggests that during the daily transportation, one should not forget the coordination of breath control and should not neglect one aspect for another. "True furnaces, true tripods, and true machines are used; the time for picking herbs must be determined by the end of the year." " The term "true furnace and true cauldron" mainly refers to the medicine with genuine lead and mercury produced in the upper and lower dantian. If the medicine is to be genuine, the stove and cauldron must be genuine. Those who "unleash the true essence" refer to the manifestation of the true spirit and the production of true qi. It is also said that true medicine comes out. "Fa Zhen Ji" is synonymous with "Hai Jin Shi", both referring to the hour of Zi in the Yang life. The cycles of the natural flow of Yang and Yin energy can be represented by the twelve Earthly Branches, namely Zi, Chou, Yin, MAO, Chen, Si, Wu, Mo, Shen, You, Xu and Hai. Therefore, it is called the twelve hours. These twelve hours occur in a year, a month, a day, an hour, and even in every minute and second. The cycle flows ceaselessly, beginning with Zi and ending with Hai. When Hai is exhausted, Zi comes. The natural flow of energy is relatively fixed. For instance, the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter in a year, the first, second and third moons of January, the morning, noon and evening of a day, day and night, their patterns will not be disrupted. In the process of human survival after birth, the Yin and Yang energy flow in one's physiology is in sync with the natural world and is subject to its constraints. For instance, a woman's menstrual period is clearly restricted by the Yin and Yang energy flow of the sun and moon. For instance, the qi of a person's internal organs is also influenced by the changes of the four seasons. Spring belongs to water, and its qi is in the liver. Summer belongs to fire, and its energy lies in the heart. Autumn belongs to metal, and its energy is in the lungs. Winter belongs to water, and its energy is in the kidneys. The four seasons of the Earth King have their qi in the spleen. If the internal organs are not in harmony, the onset of the disease will surely manifest in the corresponding season. However, those who practice Taoism can create new laws of fortune in the state of cultivation. This new law of qi and fortune is a brand-new era of qi and fortune created by connecting with the essence of the Dao, and is not bound by the inherent laws of qi and fortune of the external nature. Therefore, this artificially initiated phenomenon of the beginning of one element within the body is called "the living hour of Zi". Its "vitality" is manifested in randomness. Whenever it enters a state of function that conforms to the norms, the "Zi hour" will occur within this state of function. Therefore, it is said that when a person is alive and appears at the Zi hour, it can seize the creation of a day, a month, and a year in heaven and earth. "The lead mother's misty light is about to stir, and the golden fetus leaps with fire approaching its peak." " These two lines describe the stage scene of the emergence and development of true Yang energy when the hour of the Living Zi arrives. You can refer to the sentence explanation of the fifteenth verse. "Lead mother" refers to the primordial essence, and "golden fetus" refers to the energy of refinement. "Do not forget the climate to regulate the true breath, but keep the void and the obstacles." " When the hour of Zi comes and the true energy bursts forth to gather herbs, one must not forget to breathe naturally in coordination with the fetal breath. This coordination, that is, when collecting and transporting, focuses on the inhalation of breath; when descending, on the exhalation of breath; and when warming and bathing, both inhalation and exhalation are observed simultaneously. But this "restraint" is actually compliance, without any human intervention, completely in accordance with the natural movement of the true breath. However, without human intervention, it cannot be separated from or forgotten. The key is to "neither forget nor assist, neither too close nor too far". In this sense, what is meant by "guarding" is still the void of nature. The process of "taking the kan and filling the Li" in the weekly cycle is accomplished in this state of "adjustment" and "defense". "Never let the enemy go lightly in battle; be more diligent and vigilant to prevent danger." " These two lines are repeated with the "Defending the city in the open field" and "entering the house to prevent danger" in the fifteenth poem and will not be interpreted separately. After nineteen days of practice, the creation will be firm. If one adds more heat, it will surely harm the elixir. Forget the turbidity of qi and blood in the other room, and there's no need to look at the precious tripods and golden furnaces. Facing the wall for nine years, the body shed its shell, transcending the three realms and growing with vigor. When the millet is swallowed by the Buddha and the full merit is accomplished, one can cross the phoenix and phoenix. [Annotation] This poem talks about the heat and humidity of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which is to leave it to the will of nature. "After ten months of practice, the nature of creation becomes firm. If one adds more heat, it will surely harm the elixir." " "Ten months of work completed" means the effort of "ten months of pregnancy" has been accomplished. Ordinary people are born from the mother's womb, and the completeness of the Yin and Yang qi and numbers during the ten months of pregnancy is accomplished by the mother's body. The cultivation of alchemists involves recreating "fetuses" from within oneself. Therefore, this "ten-month pregnancy" is achieved through the regulation of the heat and humidity adopted by oneself in accordance with nature. Therefore, it is said that half of it is taken from nature and the other half is given to human beings. However, the purpose of this half of human efforts is to be in harmony with nature. When human efforts are completely in harmony with nature, all the work of creation is entrusted to the eternal way of nature. This is called "the firmness of creation". At this point, human efforts have fulfilled their mission and no longer need to exist. If one continues to apply artificial techniques, it is deliberately applying artificial methods, falling behind the physical form. Not only will it fail to conform to the innate nature, but it will also cause damage to the innate nature, preventing it from reaching its perfect state. Therefore, it is called "the Elixir of inevitable harm". The function of the application of "fire control" lies in achieving harmony from disharmony to harmony, from disharmony to harmony, and eliminating all postnatal manifestations to harmony with the innate. Therefore, there are distinctions between Wen and wu, hardness and softness, as well as refinement, collection, transportation and nourishment. When the application of this "fire control" brings the spirit and qi to the highest degree of integration, where the spirit is qi and qi is the spirit, and the body and mind are in harmony, the rise and fall of qi have been replaced by harmony, the imbalance has been completely neutralized, the irregularity has been completely in accordance with the regularity, and all the acquired factors have returned to the innate ones, then the mission of "fire control" is accomplished. From then on, the heat will be purely the result of natural creation, and the small week of heaven will be completed. "Forget the murky qi and blood of the immortal room, and there's no need to look at the precious tripod and golden furnace." " The completion of the minor cycle is the manifestation of the major cycle, when man and nature are in a state of complete integration. The artificial techniques of control naturally disappear, and the cultivation is in a state of great stability and tranquility, allowing the natural creation of heaven and earth to take control. At this point, the Yang spirit of the external body, that is, the "infant", has already taken shape. If one wants to reveal the wondrous functions of this Yang spirit, the next step is to practice "three years of breastfeeding". If one wants to reach the highest realm of celestial immortals where both form and spirit are wonderful, one can directly enter the stage of "facing the wall for nine years". What this poem refers to is the direct entry into the supreme realm. This stage is when the heart is given up and the mind is settled. The true fire of the Yang spirit continues to refine the body, allowing it to shed its final impurities. So at this time, the cultivation is "forgetting the private qi and blood", and the "precious cauldron and golden furnace" of the body and mind "no longer need to be looked at". After nine years of facing the wall, the body shed its shell, transcending the three realms and growing with vigor. "Swallow the millet at the end of the journey and complete the merit to cross the phoenix and phoenix." " This statement is a sign of completion. The saying "Nine years of facing the wall" is roughly similar to "a hundred days of laying a foundation", "ten months of pregnancy", or "three years of breastfeeding". It is merely a description and does not necessarily mean that success can be achieved in just nine years. According to the ancients, it depends on the overall conditions of the cultivators. Some people need decades or even hundreds of years to succeed, while others may take several hundred years. "Form shedding its shell" means that the immortal body of the cicada is detached from the physical body, and the physical body merely becomes a thin shell like a feather. "Transcending the three realms", in modern scientific language, means going beyond the three-dimensional space-time and entering the free space-time and the infinite space-time. "The body gives rise to Han", where "Han" refers to bird feathers. This means that a person has become an immortal body and can fly. This sentence can also be understood as the immortal body giving birth to a strange fragrance. In ancient times, the ingredients of precious ink included precious medicinal materials such as musk. When smelled, it gave off a strange fragrance and was called hanmo. The last two sentences state that the reason for achieving enlightenment lies in obtaining the Golden Core, and thus one can eventually become a super-primordial life, free to roam freely. Twenty: Swallow the upper and swallow the lower two strings, ascending section by section to prevent fire, jade field. Often, guests return to the host, and husbands and wives fall and toss. The formation of the Dan is a sign of a happy baby, and all the shells are intact by the Holy Mother. Travel far and wide to observe the Four Cardinal Principles, and navigate freely in the east, west, south and north. [Note] This poem comprehensively summarizes and describes the cultivation skills of the Great Way. "Swallow it up and swallow it down, two strings." "Be on guard against the jade field section by section." " These two sentences are about laying a solid foundation. It can be understood from the perspective of cultivating both life and life simultaneously. The phrase "cultivating oneself through sexual practice" refers to "swallowing up", which means cultivating one's nature externally and protecting the spirit within the heart. "Swallowing" means to suppress emotions externally and preserve essence in the kidneys. By using life skills to refine the words of qi, "swallowing upwards" can restore essence and nourish the brain. "Swallowing" means entering the qi with the spirit. The "two-stringed crescent" refers to the moon phase with the upper and lower strings, symbolizing the harmony between Yin and Yang. "Be on guard against each step" means to cultivate one's nature through one's own words and deeds at all times and in all matters, and be cautious not to let one's thoughts and intentions harm one's nature. With the words of life and practice, I should always and everywhere maintain the harmony of my qi and avoid the extremism of Yin and Yang. The phrase "a person without a field" means that the spirit and energy are in harmony, absorbed into the dantian to preserve essence and enrich qi. "Often, when guests return to the host, husbands and wives fall and toss." " These two sentences describe pregnancy. Often, the qi is transformed into the spirit, and the spirit refines the qi. It ascends and descends, in a continuous cycle. The phrase "The guest returns to the Lord" refers to the time when the energy is not yet abundant. The spirit is the Lord and the energy is the guest. The guest is welcomed with the Lord's city, and the guest will arrive. Qi refers to the human body. With qi as the main body and spirit as the secondary body, the secondary body is nourished by the main body's achievements. This is the method of shifting the host and guest positions. "Husband and wife" refer to Yin and Yang. "Inversion and toppling" refer to the union of Yin and Yang and the transformation of their forms. The heart spirit is Li, belonging to fire and Yang, and it is "husband". Kidney essence is Kan, which belongs to water and Yin, and is associated with "women". This is the "couple" acquired later in life. After birth, when a couple has sex, the kidney essence produces a bit of the innate true Yang primordial energy. This is called "gold in water", and a boy of the "Gold God". When the mind gives birth to a bit of the innate true Yin primordial spirit, this is called water within fire, the wood mother and the girl. When a boy and a girl mate in the central palace of the Yellow Court, this is a predestined couple. In conclusion, Yang and Yin intermingle, with Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin. A man is a husband in life and a woman in life. A woman is born a wife and a husband is born a husband. From top to bottom, a husband becomes a woman; from bottom to top, a woman becomes a husband. Only when the husband becomes the wife and the wife becomes the husband, and they are mixed together, can it be called the birth of a fetus. "The formation of the elixir is a sign of an infant, and the emergence of the shell is entirely dependent on the Holy Mother." " These two sentences refer to breastfeeding. When the foundation construction is completed, the elixir is formed, and the elixir itself is the foundation of the fetus. Therefore, the time when the elixir is formed is the time of the "infant" sign. When the "ten-month pregnancy" is completed, it has the function of training the Yang spirit to come out of the shell. However, throughout this entire process of practice, the true intention is always present, so the true intention is called "Holy Mother". If during the stage of martial arts, there is the slightest error that has not been thoroughly observed by the true intention, the elixir will not form, the fetus will not be round, and the Yang spirit will not be regulated. Therefore, the true intention is the greatest and supreme function in cultivation. "Travel far and wide to observe the Four Cardinal Principles; navigate east, west, south and north." " These two sentences refer to the method of guiding the spirit out of the body. The "Secret Formula for Regulating the Entry and Exit of the Yang Spirit" of the ancient Master Xi Yi states: "The Yang spirit should not be released or exited lightly; it should go and return quickly." He was also afraid that he would see his appearance and figure as bright as a pile of dung, but the Yang spirit would not return to him. One must enter and exit by the old path and must not look back, for fear that the Yang God will be frightened upon seeing it. Vulgar day: Turning back and not recognizing the corpse. One must always practice with proficiency. At the very beginning, one should quickly take me back in one step. The number nine is enough. Learn two more steps to take me back until the number nine is reached. The same meaning applies to all subsequent matters. After being transferred to the third year, he first went to the West, then to the East and south. "North." " When the four directions of east, west, south and north are adjusted in sequence, it is called "traveling far and wide to observe the four correct directions". The "Four Correct" also include the timing of the emergence of the Yang deity in terms of seasonal and meteorological conditions to avoid misfortune and seek good fortune. When the Yang spirit is well-trained, one can move freely and freely. The ancients believed that when one reached this stage, "one's nature and body matured, and the void became one's home. Heaven, earth, mountains and rivers were all one's bed and pillow." Walking a thousand miles, traveling all over the world, coming and going, reaching the heavens and the earth, without hindrance to human beings, metal and stone, fractal and scattered shadows, countless and trillions of incarnations, covering the three thousand sands of the Ganges River. Therefore, it is said that "one can navigate freely in the east, west, south and north." (To be continued) The author, Mr. Kong De, has authorized this website for exclusive publication and recording. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use for other purposes is prohibited.