Commentary on the Taiji Elixir Classic: "A Simple and Concise Explanation of Dao Yan" ③

The author: Kong De [Original Text] When the mind is devoted to the deep, the spirit does not wander outside. When the heart is preoccupied with matters, the fire stirs within. When fire stirs in the middle, its essence must be shaken. When the mind is calm, rest will naturally regulate itself; when it remains calm for a long time, the mind will naturally settle down. Give up your heart to nourish your energy and rest your mind to purify your heart. The essence, energy and spirit are the inner three treasures, while the ears, eyes and mouth are the outer three treasures. Always keep the inner three treasures from drifting away from objects and the outer three from penetrating the middle but lifting. Breathe continuously and deeply into the dantian, making the breath a couple and the spirit and text a mother and son. A mother and son, a couple, gather together but do not part, so their minds do not wander outside and their thoughts do not wander outside. The spirit does not wander outside, the essence does not move rashly, and is constantly diffused in the limbs. This is the true essence of the Golden elixir path. Hide your heart in a void like a deep valley, and no longer let your mind wander or be restless. When one's heart is preoccupied with something and cannot let go, the fire of the spirit keeps burning within. The continuous burning of the fire of the heart spirit naturally depletes the essence and energy of the human body. For this reason, I first point out here that the heart should be hidden in a void realm like a deep valley. This is the way to keep the mind in peace. If the heart can calm down, then the breathing will naturally be regulated. A state of stillness can last for a long time and also enhance the stability of the heart. After death, the restless mind will receive the effect of nourishing qi. If one stops the activities of scheming in the future, the effect of purifying the soul will be achieved. In the human body, essence, energy and spirit are the three inner treasures, while ears, eyes and mouth are the three outer treasures. Human stillness means that the three treasures of essence, energy and spirit within the body do not drift away due to the interaction between the body and mind and the outside world. At the same time, it also means that the three treasures of ears, eyes and mouth do not pull the essence, energy and spirit out of the body due to their interaction with the outside world. Breathing is continuous and fine, reaching the dantian, the source of the power of life breathing. Each inhalation and exhalation is like the union of a couple, inseparable, and the spirit and energy are like the relationship of a mother and son, interdependent and dependent on each other. If one can do all these, the heart will not wander outside and the mind will not think outside. Because the mind does not wander outward, the essence of the human body will not move but will circulate throughout the limbs and bones. This is the authentic method of the Golden Elixir Path. Other than that, it is a side path. [Explanation] The saying "The heart is in the matter, and fire is in the hand" means that, according to modern scientific interpretation, fire is energy, and when the heart is stirred, there is a movement of human energy. This energy is the essence of the human body. "Jing" does not merely refer to the essence of the sympathetic system; it is actually the quintessence of the human body, a high-level energy. The occurrence of breathing through the mouth and nose of a person is caused by the movement of both the body and the mind. When the body and mind are greatly agitated, breathing becomes intense. When the body and mind move slightly, breathing becomes smooth. When the body and mind remain still, breathing through the mouth and nose stops. There are three kinds of people in the world who stop breathing through their mouths and noses: one is the fetus in the mother's womb, one is the person who has deeply cultivated great tranquility and concentration, and the other is the dead. The difference among these three types of people is that although the first two types do not breathe through the nose, they have continuous internal breathing, that is, fetal breathing. For the latter type of dead person, breathing through the mouth and nose has ceased, and internal breathing has also stopped. In fact, internal breathing does not exist. The first two types of people are also different. The fetal breathing of a fetus is based on the mother's body, while the fetal breathing of a Taoist is based on the natural environment of heaven and earth. Although we say that the human body of a monk is born from his parents, and his fetal breathing cannot be separated from the mother body that first gave birth to him, when traced back to its origin, it still comes from nature. However, we also need to say that the breathing of a cultivator is self-regeneration, a special phenomenon of active life regeneration and cultivation. In terms of tranquility, the heart of a fetus is also calm. However, a fetus's calmness is innate and involuntary. The tranquility of a Taoist's mind is the result of their cultivation, and it is self-aware and autonomous. The peace of mind of a fetus is an innate blank mind that has not yet developed acquired wisdom, while the peace of mind of a Taoist practitioner is to store and digest acquired wisdom to enrich the innate blank mind, so that the innate mind can be elevated and transformed back into an innate mind with perfect wisdom. Suppose we conduct an experiment where a baby is provided with the best nutrition from the moment he is born to ensure his physiological development is optimal, without being exposed to anything outside his body until he becomes an adult. The inevitable result would be that this person is completely useless: Having legs but unable to walk, having mouths but unable to speak, having eyes but unable to recognize objects, having ears but unable to perceive sounds, having brains but unable to think about problems... The Taoist cultivators are different. They explore the principles and fully understand their nature. First, they understand the principles of the great way and acquire great wisdom later in life. Then, they collect and digest this wisdom. Only when they return to their innate nature can they obtain the innate perfect wisdom. The so-called mystery of cultivation lies precisely here. Who has ever seen a foolish person cultivate or achieve enlightenment? Who has ever seen pigs and dogs cultivate or achieve enlightenment? The reason lies precisely here. The cultivation of the Great Way is precisely to borrow the spirituality bestowed upon human beings by the universe and nature, and then return this spirituality to the primordial state for further forging by it. As a result, the primordial nature that is restored is no longer the primordial nature at the time of the mother's birth, but the primordial nature of spiritual elevation. The so-called "returning jade to elixir" in Taoist cultivation means refining a body as pure as earth into jade. The so-called "golden liquid returning to the elixir" refers to refining a body as pure as jade into gold. This progression of the levels of kung fu is the process of transcending the primordial essence and then transcending it again. In the two sentences, "Give up the heart to nourish the qi, and rest the energy to purify the heart," if one does not carefully understand the word "rest the energy", misunderstandings are likely to arise. In the previous chapter, I mentioned that reason is opportunity. Here, I talk about seizing opportunity. Is it not the same as the same as the same as the principle to stop the mechanism? However, the "opportunity" mentioned here refers to the opportunity that is innate and acquired, that is, the opportunity that arises from the innate heart of a person and is free from selfish desires. Therefore, the term "cessation of the mechanism" refers to the cessation of the mechanism that generates the consciousness and spirit in the later stage. Just like plants, when they grow too luxuriantly in spring and summer, they cannot be fully grown and must be stored. Therefore, when the leaves wither and the stems wither, the essence of life is returned to the roots beneath the soil for nourishment, and it can regenerate again the following year. Therefore, the mechanism is one mechanism, the principle is one principle. To rest is to nourish. The saying "The spirit is the mother and the child" means that in terms of nourishing the spirit with qi, qi is the mother and the spirit is the child. This is a matter of the innate and the acquired. In terms of the principle that the divine governs the qi, the divine is the mother and the qi is the child. This is a matter of returning from the acquired to the innate. When it comes to the cautionary words in the Dan Jing, one must always carefully discern and understand them, and apply them dialectically. The great way lies in the middle of the characters for the people's gate. The so-called "middle character" refers to one being within the body and the other not. The practice requires two layers: the first is to find the center of the body. Zhu Xi said, "Adhere to the middle and control the outside." Those who have been caught in the middle of the body need to reflect their light and pay attention to the rules. They should not be too close or too far from the area one cun and three fen below the navel. This is to find the middle part of the body. The second is to seek not to be within oneself. The Doctrine of the Mean states: "The state where joy, anger, sorrow and happiness have not yet emerged is called the state of the mean." Before this occurs, one neither sees nor hears. One should be cautious and solitary. One's natural nature is stable and the mind is clear. The mind is clear and the energy is wise. It is only here that one's true nature is revealed. If this aspiration is not within oneself, then human desires will be easily purified and the principles of heaven will be restored to clarity. Throughout the ages, sages, immortals and Buddhas have all taken this as their first step of practice. To cultivate the Great Way, one must start with the character "middle". The so-called "middle" is on the one hand within the body and on the other hand not within the body. Therefore, to work on the "middle" aspect, one needs to divide the body into two layers: the inner and the outer. The first layer first seeks the middle part within the body. Zhu Xi said, "The key to maintaining the middle lies in restraining all cognition of external things." This actually lies in the fact that within the body, one should adopt the method of a last burst of light, concentrating the special light at the center of the body's "compass". Where is this center? It's just one inch and three fen below the knee. The divine light converges here, that is, it does not cling to it stubbornly. And not leaving it, this is finding the innermost part of oneself. The second layer is to seek not being within oneself. For this "middle", the "Doctrine of the Mean" states that it is "the state where joy, anger, sorrow and happiness have not yet emerged", that is, being in a state of moderate balance, a state of mind without emotions. When emotions and thoughts arise, the three senses of ears, ears and mouth are invisible and inaudible. If one is cautious in maintaining this state, even when alone for a long time, one will not be careless. Naturally, one's nature will be stable and the mind clear. Since God is pure, the energy within him is also wise and clear. Only at this point can one see the innate true nature. This is the key and method of seeking to be out of oneself. On the one hand, with the completion within the body, one can then seek what is not within the body. In this way, one's distracting thoughts will be easily eliminated, and the principle of the innate continuous generation will regain its luster. Since ancient times, the masters of the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have all taken this "middle" as their first step in cultivation. [Explanation] The "middle" of the Great Way is neither inside nor outside, neither biased nor partial, neither formless nor nameless. It is merely a description of a certain realm. For instance, like the midpoint inside a hydrogen balloon, it is said to exist, but in fact, it does not exist. To say it doesn't exist, yet it does exist. It is only when it falls into tangible objects that the relatively concrete concept of "middle" emerges. For instance, one cun and one third below the navel is the lower dantian. To regard it as the "compass" does not mean that it is at the center of the distance from the soles of the feet to the top of the head of the human body, because it is located slightly below the height center of the human body. What is called the "compass" here is that it is the starting point of life vitality. This is sought from living beings and life phenomena. However, it is precisely because the universe and nature have this fundamental element within the boundless that all biochemical phenomena occur. For instance, it is precisely because there is no joy in a person's expression that there is joy. It is because there is no anger that anger arises. It is because there is no sorrow that there is sorrow. It is because there is no joy that there is joy. Because there were no expressions before, there are expressions. From this perspective, having no expression is the root, while having an expression is the branch. A lack of expression is permanent, while having an expression is short-lived. From this perspective, no life is eternal, while life is short. The middle is constant, while deviation from the middle is temporary. Therefore, seeking and adhering to the middle way of the Great way is to return to the original state and restore it. It is to attach the fleeting life to the eternal non-life to form eternal life. However, in the original state, there was nothing but the boundless. The Great Way merely borrows from the boundless realm, merely seeking the Taiji Realm through the boundless realm. If the void is the root of nothingness, then the Taiji is the beginning of existence. The cultivation of the Great Way is to start with this existence, to achieve the regeneration of life, to achieve the super-primordial regeneration of life, and eternal life. The saying "When one's nature is stable and the spirit is clear, and the spirit is clear and the qi is wise" means to return to the boundless state. The saying "Only here does one see the original face" means to see the essence of the Taiji. Among the Taiji, the one that is still yet vivid is called True Yang. Because it nurtures all things, it is called true essence. When it neutralizes the void, it is called true qi. Because of his clarity and insight, he is called the true God. From this point on, one's life begins and is called the innate, the true seed. Based on this root of nature, it is called the original human being, the true face. When it is legal, proper, in harmony with nature and regular, it is called "reason". Because of its innate initial movement, it is called the "Heavenly Mechanism". Because it is located in the void within the boundless, it is called the Xuan Guan Orifice. Because all phenomena arise from this, it is called the mysterious female. Though there are many names, the truth is one. To seek not to be within oneself is the only effective method for the cultivation of the Great Way. Scholars must not take it lightly. I have a close friend who, in his early years, suffered from liver disease and devoted himself to the study of Taoism. He once practiced the practice of keeping the body within the body by referring to the Elixir sutra, which proved quite effective. Later, I never expected that when I studied the Tao Te Ching on my own, I gradually came to believe that complete non-action is the great way. From then on, when practicing martial arts, I no longer adhered to the principle of being within the body, but only sought to be non-within the body. Unexpectedly, I failed to purify myself and lost the effect of keeping the body within. Liver cancer recurred and I unfortunately passed away. On the verge of death, one expresses regret. Later on, I discovered that it was in his writings on the eve of his death that he had a slight change in his understanding of non-action. Looking back now, it is already a great pity. In meditation, the most important thing is to focus your mind and regulate your breath. Take your leisure time to keep your body in check. Do not help or forget. There is no one who does not make progress day by day. Concentrate your mind and regulate your breath. Keep your heart calm and composed. When the heart is calm, the spirit is concentrated; when the qi is harmonious, the breath is regulated. The character "flat" is the most wonderful. When the mind does not stir, it is called calm; when the mind holds onto it, it is called calm. Peace lies precisely in this "middle". When the heart is in this "state", no waves arise. This "middle" refers to the gateway of the Elixir classic. In the practice of meditation, the most crucial aspect is to focus the mind and regulate the breath, using the emptiness of the mind and the emptiness of the body to achieve an overall emptiness of both the body and the mind. As long as one neither encourages nor forgets to focus one's mind and regulate one's breath, then maintaining this state will surely lead to continuous improvement in one's skills every day. Concentrating the mind and regulating the breath are the initial skills for beginners, and the effect they aim to achieve is to calm the mind and harmonize the qi. When the heart is calm, the spirit can be concentrated; when the qi is harmonious, the breath can be regulated. The peace of mind is of vital importance here, and the "peace" in the peace of mind is the most wonderful within the wonderful. How can it be reflected? This is: The mind is like a lake. As long as there are no ripples, that is, no thoughts arise, it is calm. The mind is like a compass. As long as it remains at the center point without moving, it is flat. The balance is also reflected in the "middle". When the mind is in this "middle", there will be no waves. This "middle" is what is referred to as the "one orifice at the entrance" in the Elixir Classic. [Explanation] The "concentration" in "concentrating the mind" means gathering together. The spirit does not wander outside; it naturally converges. However, the mind should neither wander outward nor think inwardly. As soon as there is inner thought, the spirit remains restless, and thus cannot be concentrated. Therefore, the Elixir Classic states, "From the outside, one cannot enter; from the inside, one cannot exit." This is the true condensation of the spirit. Because the lower dantian, one cun and three fen below the navel, is the root of life, when concentrating the mind, the hand must focus the spirit on this place. At first, it might be a good idea to focus your mind a little, replacing all thoughts with one, which can achieve a certain effect of eliminating distractions. Once your dantian becomes tight, quickly let go of your concentrated thoughts and just take care of it with a calm heart. When one practices so thoroughly, all distractions are eliminated. Once one enters a state of tranquility, one no longer intends to focus on the dantian, and the true mind will naturally pay attention to it. The key to this lies in the fact that through countless trials and training, one will naturally grasp the right balance. Of course, then again. If one thinks that the teacher can solve the problem completely with just one point of clarification, that's not the case. Therefore, the predecessors said, "A master can only lead you to the door; your own efforts determine your progress." Human breathing is an innate physiological and natural transformation mechanism. When the innate state is not disrupted, the frequency of breathing is uniform and gentle. When a person undergoes extreme mental and physical activities in their later life, the even and gentle frequency of breathing is disrupted, presenting as varying degrees of coarse, short and large forms. This extreme form not only disrupts the uniform and gentle frequency, but more importantly, it gradually transforms the co-breathing that was originally connected from the dantian to the lungs into an external breathing that is solely handled by the lungs and maintained through the mouth and nose. However, the dantian breathing rooted in the source of life's power and energy has since become negligible and can no longer be felt by others. This also means that the original natural breathing, which was mainly based on the dantian and subordinate to the lungs, has changed into an unnatural breathing that is solely undertaken by the lungs but also struggles to do so. The lungs are overworked, exceeding their normal capacity, and thus they are bound to be damaged prematurely. When it is barely able to support its work, a chain of diseases starting from the lungs will manifest. When the lungs stop working, a person's life comes to an end. Therefore, regulating the breath is one of the important skills in the practice of starting out. The so-called breath regulation starts with regulating the breathing through the mouth and nose, bringing the lung breathing back to a uniform and gentle frequency. The success and proficiency of this step of regulation will gradually lead the frequency of even and gentle lung breathing towards a "moderate" and "level" state. Once a high level of neutral state is reached, lung breathing will cease and return to the dantian for breathing. This pure and uniform dantian breathing is just like the breathing state of an infant in the mother's womb, thus it is called fetal breathing or innate breathing. At this point, it is the time when the gateway opens and the mysterious female phenomenon occurs. However, when it comes to regulating one's breath, there is no other method. It is purely about breathing naturally without any artificial interference. The key lies in a calm mind, a proper posture, a relaxed body, and unobstructed flow of all the orifices and meridians throughout the body. Therefore, during the process of regulating the breath, it is essential to have the coordination of regulating the mind (i.e., concentrating the spirit) and regulating the body shape. Without the coordination of these two, pranayama is difficult to achieve. Therefore, the essence of the two characters "Zhong" and "ping" lies in the three aspects of heart, breath and form. When the "three ping" converge into one "Zhong", the gateway at the entrance will naturally be opened. (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.