Commentary on the Taiji Elixir Classic: "A Simple Explanation of Dao Yan" ④

Author: Kong De, Invading and practicing without knowing the entrance hall, no matter what else. Just this is like entering a dark room. Where should I start? The entrance hall is the qi point. The qi point refers to the state where the spirit enters the qi as if it were in a deep cave. When the spirit and spirit are in love, the body of the entrance hall has already been established. If one does not know the key to enlightenment through cultivation, all other matters will be in vain. Because one doesn't know the entrance hall, cultivation is like entering a dark room where one can see nothing. How could there be a place to start? The so-called "Xuan Guan" refers to the qi point. The so-called qi point refers to the infiltration of the spirit into the qi, as if one were in a deep and vast valley. If the spirit and the qi are inseparable, then the phenomenon of the entrance hall holds true. [Explanation] Concentrating the mind, regulating the breath, and maintaining a state of calm and composure are all aimed at seeking a gateway to the entrance. When it can be even flatter and even more moderate, the entrance hall will naturally open. The opening of the first aperture at the entrance hall indicates that the cultivation of the Great Way has reached a high level, and the subsequent steps are merely for further advancement. Therefore, if one cannot reach the entrance hall, one should not rashly talk about cultivation. Therefore, it can also be said that the entrance hall is the boundary between immortals and mortals. However, for the average person, it is not an easy task to reach the entrance hall. The ancients said, "It is easy to obtain elixirs, but it is the hardest to refine oneself." Practice can no longer be pure. Even if the entrance is obtained by chance for a while, it can be gained and lost intermittently and cannot be obtained forever. Furthermore, if one is seriously ill, the illness will surely subside. Otherwise, even if the mind is free from distractions, if one is plagued by illness, the mind will not be at peace and one will not be able to see the entrance hall. In the preface, the three adjustments, in terms of the extreme state of mind, breath and form, are all called diseases. When the mind is ill and dies, the mind must be adjusted; when the breath is ill and dies, the breath must be adjusted; when the form is ill and dies, the form must be adjusted. Once the three diseases are gone, the three adjustments will naturally follow. Once the three tunes are completed, the entrance hall is set up. Therefore, the third adjustment is the process of laying a solid foundation. The so-called "Hundred-day Foundation Establishment" is a specific stage of completing martial arts after obtaining the entrance hall. However, the third national Land survey stage before laying the foundation still falls within the scope of laying the foundation. For instance, when building a house, the "100-day foundation laying" is the official process of laying the foundation, and before that, there are still processes such as leveling the site and excavating the foundation trench. The mental, mental and physical conditions of a person in the afterlife are like the location for building a house. Each person's situation is different, and the inherent conditions of the foundation site are also different. Before building a house, if the foundation site is good, less effort will be needed to build the foundation. If the foundation site is poor, the effort required to build it will be greater. I have seen some people say that the foundation-building practice is the practice of cultivating the mind and refining one's nature. If cultivating the mind through the Great way is the top priority, this is only half right. The remaining small part is about regulating breath and body shape. However, this small part is also indispensable; without it, it will be difficult to lay a solid foundation. I often fail to discuss the method of regulating the body shape in the elixir classics, which makes me feel quite frustrated. Today's scholars; It must be known. The ancient immortal said, "When regulating the breath, one should regulate the true breath; when refining the spirit, one should refine the non-spiritual spirit." The true breath of the breath is the breath of the breath. This "god" is truly supernatural. Only when there is no heart but there is a heart for the Tao, and this heart is returned to nothingness, in a state of confusion and silence, remaining in the rules, can one nourish the suffering of true breath and obtain the divine that is not divine. Ancient immortals' tax: "When regulating the breath, one should cultivate the breath of true breath; when refining the spirit, one should refine the spirit of non-spirit." The true breath of breath is the breath that has ceased breathing. The god of non-gods is to nourish the gods of nature with the gods of nature. To obtain the true breath and the non-divine spirit, in the end, the human heart is no longer there, only the Dao heart remains. Return this Dao heart to the state of nothingness, in a daze and silence, just like being fixed at the center point without moving or swaying. Only in this way can one cultivate the true breath and obtain the non-divine spirit. [Explanation] The true breath of the breath and the divine of the non-divine are both phenomena that occur after the entrance hall becomes three-dimensional. The "true breath" refers to the cessation of the fetal breath after the postnatal inhalation through the mouth and nose. Its root lies in the kidney, it is uniform within oneself, and then spreads from the kidney to the body, generating resonance. Its vastness is boundless, and its subtleties are within the universe. The undivine god is the innate natural god that eliminates all mental distractions acquired later in life. The so-called non-divine means that it exists naturally and originally, being neither formless nor visible, neither ordinary nor strange. The so-called divine beings are born of all things in heaven and earth, and govern the entire universe. They possess vast supernatural powers and boundless magical abilities. Therefore, the true breath is the breath of the Tao, and the true god is the Tao God. The human heart cannot be manipulated, and all breaths cannot be united. Only when the heart of a dead person is at rest can one achieve enlightenment. This is the only way; there is no other solution. Beginners must start with internal breathing. This breath is the place where they leave their parents and are reborn as twins. When a person can achieve great things from here, it is as if they were reborn when their mother exhales and inhales. When one first starts learning the art of alchemy, it is essential to begin by regulating the inner breathing area, and then proceed to the processes of gathering, refining, transporting, and nourishing. This inner breathing is the breathing that a person re-creates after leaving the womb through practice, just like when they were pregnant in the womb. One can take this place as the foundation of one's alchemy skills. It's just like being still in the womb, where when the mother exhales, I exhale; when the mother inhales, I inhale as well, allowing the life to accept a new conception. [Explanation] Inner breathing is true breath, true breath is fetal breath, and dividends are innate natural breathing. All innate natural breathing can lead to the rebirth of life. Nature has endowed all living beings in the biological world with such mechanism conditions. For instance, plants follow their innate natural breathing throughout their lives, so they can all complete their natural lifespan. For example, some animals, such as snakes, silkworms, 螟虫, etc., can periodically return to their innate natural breathing to form hibernation, thus creating the reproduction of life. All living beings in nature have spirituality, but according to nature's arrangement, the spirituality of animals is higher than that of plants, and the spirituality of animals can be divided into several levels. However, spiritual animals, as long as they can periodically return to the primordial world to rest, will all accept the re-conception of the non-divine god. Some can extend their lives to a limited number of years, while others can cause their lives to be distorted, such as silkworms transforming from insects to moths. Among all living animals, human beings have the highest spirituality. Nature has also endowed human beings with the mechanism conditions for transformation and alienation, yet due to the expansion of their own desires, humans are unable to periodically return to their early days and rest. So, for the vast majority of people, the innate breath that represents nature in the womb only occurs once in a lifetime. So the lifespan of human beings is extremely short compared to the possibility of an exceptionally long human lifespan. In fact, when a person is born in a white womb, they can follow nature and constantly undergo periodic true breathing and reverse cycles, which is what is called constantly "rebirths". Therefore, a person's lifespan can be several thousand years or even longer. There are many records about this in ancient books. This is also recorded in Buddhism and Christianity. However, most humans, due to the expansion of their selfish desires, misuse their spirituality, causing the spirituality bestowed by nature to be unable to return to its original state and prevent "rebirths". Therefore, their lives naturally cannot last long, let alone undergo transformation and alienation. However, the phenomenon of humans being able to "reproduce twins" has still been inherited by a very small number of people among humans, and it has transformed from a natural behavior into a conscious one - this is the Taoist art of immortality, known as the Japanese Immortal Studies. Because human beings have become increasingly detached from nature. Therefore, this kind of behavior of consciously conforming to nature appears arduous yet highly valuable. Because the phenomenon reappears in some form, it instead makes most people feel magical and incredulous. As the saying goes: True is not recognized by others; true is false; false is regarded as true by others. Generally speaking, when sitting in meditation, one must hold the spirit in the breath and focus the mind on the breath. In this way, the energy within should flow gracefully and freely, gathering and not dispersing. Then, the internal energy and the external energy will converge in the dantian, growing and expanding day by day, reaching the limbs and flowing through all the meridians. One should skillfully open the double gates of the spine and ascend through the mud ball, then gradually descend to the red palace and then to the dantian. The spirit and spirit are in harmony, and every breath is interdependent. The road to the river chariot is now open. At this point in the practice, half of the effect of laying a foundation has been achieved. One must always be diligent in training and cultivating the ears. When practicing meditation at the beginning of the Dan Gong, one must unite the spirit and the qi into one, maintain the mind on the breath, and let them converge in the dantian, flowing and transforming gracefully, without letting go. The effect achieved in this way will allow the qi stored within the body to converge with the external qi from the universe and nature in the dantian. As the practice continues, both the internal and external qi will constantly fill and expand in the dantian. When the qi in the dantian is full, it will spread to the limbs and circulate through all the meridians. With its abundant energy, it will also break through the double Guan of the spine on the Bi Ma, ascend to the Nijiu in the brain, then descend from the Ren meridian to the Jianggong in the chest, and finally return to the dantian. Therefore, it can be seen that as long as the spirit and energy are inseparable and interdependent, the path of the Ren and Du meridians' movement of the Heavenly River chariot throughout the week will be unobstructed. When the Ren Du cycle (i.e., the minor cycle) is unobstructed, half of the benefits that can be achieved through the Foundation Establishment Practice have been obtained. In conclusion, to achieve these benefits, there are three key points: The first is to practice diligently, the second is to grasp the true and the void, and the third is to understand the cultivation method. [Explanation] What is "Divine Embrace of Qi"? When the spirit does not wander outward but gathers internally, it naturally embraces energy. For instance, the barrel and the shell. The shell is not fired outward; it remains inside the barrel. What is "mind attached to breath"? When the mind does not wander and is fully focused on listening to the breath, first listen with the ears, then with the heart, and finally with the breath. This is when the true mind is attached to the true breath. When the spirit is in the mind, the breath ceases. However, there are distinctions in the sequence of divine intentions and the sequence of auras. The god of the undivine is the primordial true god, and the intention of the unintentional is the innate true intention. The spirit of movement is the acquired consciousness spirit, and the meaning of movement and healing is the acquired mundane mind. The divine embrace of qi and the meaning of breath are both the intentions of the pre-celestial deities. The qi without breath is the innate true qi, and the breath without breath is the primordial true qi. The qi that moves the qi becomes the formless qi later. The rest of the moving rest is the rest that ceases to be ordinary. The qi of the divine embrace is the innate true qi. The "xi" of "Yi Xi Xi" is the first to truly breathe. In the cultivation of the Great Way, one returns to the innate state from the heavens. When one lets go of the hand, first embrace the form and energy with the spirit of consciousness, and first bind the ordinary breath with the ordinary mind. Hold it tightly, tie it firmly, and then gradually let go. The consciousness will subside, the ordinary will will recede, the form and energy will gradually dissipate, the ordinary breath will gradually cease, and naturally, the divine will and energy of the previous heaven will appear together. During this period, there was a transition and exchange between Heaven and earth. For instance, the seasons change from summer to autumn. First there was a chill, then it continued to be hot. After several transitions, autumn officially arrived. From autumn to winter, from winter to spring, and from spring to summer, there are similar transitions. The way of alchemy follows nature, and thus it is the same. The "internal qi" refers to the primordial energy within the body, while the "external qi" refers to the natural primordial energy of the universe. The tangible human body is in contrast to the intangible nature. As the human body is Yin, nature is Yang. The bright governs stillness and reception, while the Yang governs initiative and provision. The human body's vital energy is maintained, and an attractive field is formed against the external natural vital energy, thereby absorbing a large amount of external energy. When the vital energy within the body is abundant, it will spread throughout the body along the meridians of Zi and Wu. The main stream flows through the Ren and Du meridians, and the tributaries reach the limbs and the hundred meridians. Once the main flow is unobstructed, the meridians in the limbs and all the cells throughout the body will gradually become unobstructed. Therefore, when the river chariot's path is unobstructed, half of the effect of laying the foundation has been achieved. What is the effect of laying a solid foundation? The foundation is the root of life and existence. The foundation builder is the one who constructs the essence of human life. The foundation of life lies in the well-being of both the body and mind. In terms of the physical body, the meridians throughout the body are unobstructed, the qi channels are active, and every cell is vigorous and lively. This is the effect of qi flow. With the unblocking of meridians and the activation of qi channels, all obvious and potential diseases are eliminated one by one. When the disease is completely eliminated, a person's physiology will transform back to the state of youth and adolescence, with a sharp mind, clear hearing and vision, fallen teeth reappearing, white hair turning black, rosy skin, light and graceful movements, and a body as light as a swallow. Then one will reach an indestructible body that is not afraid of cold or heat and is immune to diseases. In the "Illustrated Explanation of Zengyan Yijin Xisui Nei Gong", the "Ten Tests of Gong" are summarized as follows: "Cold and heat do not enter, diseases do not occur, complexion does not age, strength does not decline, cold and hunger do not cause pressure, childbirth does not cause death, battle does not cause fear, tigers and wolves do not fear, knives and axes do not cause damage, water and fire do not cause damage." Kung Fu is called cultivation because when it is broken, it needs to be cultivated; when it is crooked and evil, it needs to be cultivated; when it is not unified and not pure, it needs to be cultivated; when it is not firm and not tough, it needs to be cultivated. To cultivate and refine oneself is a very concrete matter, a very diligent matter, and a very serious matter. There is no easy way to take advantage, no shortcut, and no pretense to use. Those who talk about the mysterious and the Taoist with great eloquence but cannot endure even half a minute of loneliness when sitting in meditation or practicing martial arts will never be able to taste the flavor of Taoism in their entire lives. To regulate one's breath, one must look for the place where a real person breathes while breathing in the future. The ancients said, "If a gentle breeze is inhaled later in life, it will trigger the breathing skills of a true person." Regulate your breathing after birth. Only by allowing it to regulate itself can the innate breathing be regulated. I merely aim for emptiness and tranquility. As soon as the true breath moves, the entrance hall is not far away. If one keeps practicing in this way, the foundation can be established with one's feet lifted, and it doesn't take a hundred days. The so-called regulation of breath means first regulating the breathing through the mouth and nose in the afterlife, and finally tracing back to the root of life's breathing. The ancients said, "Only by regulating the breathing through the mouth and nose in the later stage to a slightly fine state can the fundamental breathing of life be triggered." However, the way to regulate the acquired breathing through the mouth and nose is to follow the natural breathing and let it regulate itself without intervention. Only in this way can the innate breathing be regulated, and we ourselves are merely in a state of emptiness and tranquility. As soon as the true breath moves, the opening of the entrance hall is not far away. If you do the work in this way, the effect of establishing the foundation will be obtained very soon, and it doesn't have to take a hundred days. [Explanation] The so-called "true person" refers to the essence of our life, namely the primordial essence, the primordial energy, and the primordial spirit. In the womb, a person is connected to the mother by an umbilical cord, and the primordial essence, vital energy and spirit breathe and share the same destiny with the mother. When a person is born from the mother's womb, an umbilical cord is cut off, and the person exists independently from then on. However, the breathing root of the primordial essence, vital energy and spirit still lies in the ancestral orifice below the umbilicus. To find this root is to find the essence of life. As long as one holds on to one's roots, the opportunity for life will never come to an end. Human beings are born from nature and inherently possess all the natural physiological regulatory mechanisms, which are the most complete and reasonable, without the need for subjective intervention by humans in the later stage. The main reason why people fall ill after birth is that their physical and mental behaviors are extreme, which disrupts the most perfect and reasonable natural regulatory mechanism established by nature. And the most crucial aspect among them is the disruption of natural breathing. Unnatural breathing leads to unnatural transformation of internal qi, which in turn causes a chain of physiological disorders. Therefore, in the cultivation of the Great Way, concentrating the mind and regulating the breath are the top priorities. Concentrating the mind is to seek my true self, and regulating the breath is to guide my true breath. The method is nothing more than eliminating the subjective and conforming to the objective. Therefore, I advocate a state of emptiness and tranquility. The calmer I am, the faster the true breath of the real person appears, and the quicker the effect of establishing a foundation. The achievement of a hundred days is like a person taking shape in a hundred days in the womb; it's just a metaphor. If practiced properly, the effect of establishing a foundation can be achieved in less than a hundred days. If one does not practice in the right way, it may take one or two years, ten or eight years, or even a lifetime, to achieve the effect of establishing a foundation. The two lines from the Tao Te Ching, "Reach the ultimate state of emptiness and remain steadfast in stillness," can be discussed collectively or separately. To put it bluntly, it's merely teaching people the skill of entering a state of meditation. In other words, "void" means nothingness, "extreme" means the middle extreme, "still" means quietness, and "steadfast" means being dedicated and steadfast. It is said that my spirit lies in the void, yet it reaches the ultimate realm, keeping its spirit within tranquility, and will surely fulfill its steadfast and dedicated duties. The two sentences in the Tao Te Ching, "Reach the extreme of emptiness and hold fast to stillness," can be summarized or analyzed and elaborated on in detail. In summary, it merely teaches people to enter a state of meditation and tranquility by following this. To break it down specifically, "xu" means nothingness, "ji" means the ultimate harmony within the extreme, "jing" means quietness, and "du" means single-mindedness. It is equivalent to keeping one's mind in a state of nothingness and reaching an extremely middle state, keeping it within tranquility and striving for single-mindedness as much as possible. [Explanation] In the cultivation of the Great Way, our ancestors did not seek to have anything. This is a method of returning to the innate through the acquired. When the innate nature emerges, one has to use the existing to counter the non-existent. This state of "nothingness" is "reaching the extreme of emptiness and maintaining a firm state of stillness". Therefore, "Reaching the ultimate state of emptiness and maintaining a firm state of stillness" is the practice of concentrating the mind. The great application of the skill of concentrating the mind lies in the fact that it works on both sides before one takes action later in life and after one acquires it from birth. For instance, when starting to meditate, one must first "reach the ultimate state of emptiness and maintain a firm state of stillness", waiting for the mind to calm down. Then, use the lower part of the spirit to illuminate the dantian, and finally return the breath to the dantian. Only in this way can it be considered appropriate. For instance, after the river cart has completed its operation, it should be returned to the dantian for sealing and nurturing. It is necessary to "sit to the extreme and remain calm and steadfast", and wait for the new medicinal seedlings to grow before collecting, refining and transporting them. So it was he at the beginning and he at the end, only in the middle that it was neither him nor him. (Continuous) 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.