"Xuan Yao Chapter - Part 1: A Song about Taoist Love.

Author: Kong Dedao. Love songs: Dao Qing is not just about waiting for leisure. Once you understand the secrets of heaven, you must not be underestimated. First, let go of all worldly affairs, and then delve deeply into the principles. Before refining the elixir, one must first cultivate one's nature; before taking the great medicine, one must first cultivate the mind. When the heart is cultivated naturally, faith in the elixir will come. Ren Qing then grew the medicinal materials. When the medicinal herbs grow, the effort is intensified, and the faint thunder rumbles through the void. In the flash of lightning, seek the true seed; when the wind comes, search for the original sect. A myriad of rays of rosy light envelops the golden cauldron, and a thousand feet of purple clouds cover the Heavenly Gate. If you still come here, don't be afraid. Keep your primordial spirit firmly guarded the cave entrance. Just as a cat catches a mouse and a rabbit meets an eagle, one must be eager and diligent. All scenes are unique; a single red light is the ultimate truth. This red glow is the sign of spring, within which there is dust like a bright window. A bit of innate medicine hangs in the middle, far like grapes and close to gold. At this point, one must be cautious and have the slightest thought of losing one's innocence. When it subsides on its own, the four seasons of spring will transform within it. A white cloud gives off a refreshing fragrance; after a rain comes a fresh look. All day long, I am like a drunkard, leisurely guarding the cave and the spring. All the Yin essence in the body was stripped away, transforming into a pure piece of Yang gold. At this moment, his breath was as if he had died a little. Blending together is the true truth. That's all it takes. But he came to this world to accumulate merit. When the merit was fulfilled and the mandate of heaven was fulfilled, the true spirit of the Yang God appeared. Don't say this to the wrong person, and don't talk about it lightly to those who haven't reached the right position. Among them, there is profound truth. Beyond this truth, there is no truth at all. Pack your bags tightly and seal them up. When you achieve success in the future, it will be engraved in your heart. If one speaks falsely and is punished by heaven, saying that he will be flogged and killed by a lawless person. [Lyrics] Dao Qing is not just idle sentiment; once you recognize that there is nothing, you should not take it lightly. First, let go of all worldly affairs, and then delve deeply into the principles. This "Song of Dao Love" is not just about making up lyrics for fun when there's nothing to do. Instead, it spreads the secrets of the Dao and the universe through familiar and beloved tunes, and in this way, it seeks a karmic connection. If you can discern the divine secrets within and know that this song contains the secrets of cultivation, then you mustn't miss it easily. (Note: In ancient times, some sanctimonious scholars often carried fishing drums and sang them all over the streets when begging for alms. This tune is called "Daoqing".) Through chanting, they promote education, encourage people to do good and abandon evil, and also attract the public in order to obtain favorable conditions. This form of singing "Daoqing" was later passed down by beggars and developed into a local folk tune. For instance, in Hubei Province, there is "Hubei Daoqing". When it comes to the cultivation sequence of the Golden Core Path, the first step is to set aside all other matters one by one and devote dedicated thoughts and energy to understanding the principles and methods of cultivating the Golden Core Path. Note: The last two sentences are the key points of these four sentences. Why do you say so? Confucius said, "To thoroughly investigate the principles, to fully understand one's nature, and to reach one's destiny." Cultivating the path is like walking; one must understand the condition of the road clearly before walking. But it's different from walking, because if you take the wrong path, you can still turn back and start over. It's just a matter of taking more detours. If one practices the Tao wrongly, it may cost one's life. Life is but once for a person and cannot afford to be corrected. Moreover, only by delving into the principles can one possibly distinguish the right and wrong, the great and small of the Tao, and the true and false, the high and low of the teacher. It is common to see people in the secular world who learn the Tao but do not understand this principle. They are often deceived by some charlatans and cult leaders who claim to be "masters" or "authentic inheritors", and thus fall into the wrong path and cannot extricate themselves. Or like a headless fly, if you learn this skill today and practice it for a year or two, there will be no effect. Tomorrow I'll learn that skill again. After practicing for a year or two, it still has no effect. After ten or eight years, I have learned a lot of martial arts, but in the end, there has been no effect at all. I am still looking for some other martial arts method. The reason for this is that they were reluctant to put in the effort to read and study at the very beginning. This kind of lesson is not deep at all! The words of the Patriarch Sanfeng are not entirely accurate! [Lyrics] Cultivate one's nature before returning the elixir; cultivate the mind before taking the great medicine. When the mind is cultivated naturally, the faith in elixirs will come; when the nature is clear, the medicinal materials will grow. In terms of the specific sequence of cultivation, the nature of the cultivator's mind comes first. Before starting to refine the elixir, one must first cultivate one's nature; before cultivating the great elixir, one must first refine one's mind. Refining one's nature means to refine the acquired nature of greed for food and lust in order to restore the innate pure nature. Cultivating the mind means eliminating the mind that is defiled by impurities acquired later in life and restoring it to a clear and untainted mind that is innate. When the acquired human heart is restored to the innate Daoist heart, and the heart is as empty as the void, reaching the extreme of emptiness and stillness, the Yin energy and Yang energy will arise, and the information of the true Yang pill will naturally be presented. The innate nature is refined from the mundane nature acquired later in life. The nature is as clear as the bright moon, extremely clear and profound, extremely bright and spiritual. The primordial gods are carried by the innate 炁 and thus arise from the entrance. This true Yang substance is the medicinal material used for concocting the inner elixir. Note: The importance of cultivating one's mind and nature is regarded as the top priority by immortals. If this martial art is not mastered well, the foundation of life skills will also be lost. As the ancients said, "When the heart is dead, the heart of the Tao remains alive." It is evident that only by losing the artificial heart that goes against the innate laws in the later stage can one acquire the innate Daoist heart. For only the mind of the tao can give birth to the tao 炁. In a certain sense, this is a contradiction between enemy and self, where there is an enemy but no self, and where there is self, there is no invincibility. This can be compared to a contradiction between the host and the guest, where there is a guest but no host, or a host but no guest. From birth, I am the true self, the master who governs my life. Therefore, cultivation is about eliminating the false self and objects that are not real and pure in the later stage, so as to summon the true self and the master back to the home of my life to take charge. I have mentioned in other articles that the cultivation of the mind and nature should be divided into two layers. The first layer is to strengthen the cultivation of the mind and nature in daily life, which is the foundation that must be laid for the cultivation of the Tao. Another layer is the temporary cultivation of one's mind and nature during the practice to ensure a state of tranquility. These two layers of effort, the former is the guarantee of the latter, and the latter is a technical treatment of the former. The two also complement each other when the primary and secondary relationship is determined. [Lyrics] As the medicinal herbs grow, efforts are intensified; the faint thunder rumbles through the void. In the flash of lightning, seek the true seed; when the wind comes, search for the original sect. Cultivating the Golden Elixir path and producing innate elixirs is truly no easy feat. If you have achieved the state where the primordial elixir (i.e., the primordial vital energy) emerges from your dantian, you must seize the moment and keep up the good work in one go. The phrase "Jin Jia Gong" not only represents perseverance but also briefly and concisely describes the "Xiao Zhou Tian" practice. The process of "minor circulation" is to first combine, condense and refine the true Yin and true Yang (true Yin is the spirit and true Yang is the qi). Through repeated refinement, they eventually merge into one, transforming from a minor medicine to a major one. Thus, "non-circulation" transitions to "major circulation". If the heat of the "minor cycle" also has an element of artificial influence (that is, half natural and half artificial), then the "major cycle" is completely in a state of innate nature. The most obvious sign of this transitional change is first and foremost breathing. During the "little cycle", breathing will completely cease and enter full fetal breathing. Just as the breathing through the mouth and nose begins to disappear and fetal breathing starts to appear, there is a deep and reverse breathing at this time, that is, deep and deep inhalation is produced by nasal breathing, resulting in a snoring sound like that of a normal person sleeping, which is thunderous, dull and long. It's like pulling a large bellows, drawing it back long and then pushing it out forcefully. However, in Gongzhong, this kind of reverse fetal breathing, after deep inhalation and then exhalation, is not exhaled from the body but into the internal environment. Therefore, it can cause the breathing to drive the innate qi to expand and transport the entire body and mind, presenting a magnificent and earth-shaking force. Ancient immortals described this as: "Suddenly, like a thunderclap in the middle of the night, thousands of doors and Windows opened one after another." The phrase "a thousand doors and ten thousand households open one after another" means that the key points and meridians of the human body are opened one by one. In the "Great Zhou Tian" practice, there is also the crucial step of "collecting great herbs and taking them to pass the test". When this step of practice is completed, the foundation of life is solidified, and one can achieve immortality and attain enlightenment. But when to take the big medicine and pass the test has to wait for the "three times of sunshine". What is the "Three Manifestations of Sunlight"? The "Xianfo Hezong" states: "When one refines the essence, there will be a scene where the sunlight appears." At that time, the heat was not yet complete and the lust had not yet subsided. As soon as the Yang energy is born, it should be collected and refined, and transported throughout the entire week, or even several times. Cycle after cycle, stillness after stillness, striving to complete the limit of the three hundred wonderful cycles of the universe. When the limit is reached, it is only advisable to enter a state of meditation to cultivate the true Yang energy and listen to the two manifestations of the sunlight... At that time, the limited number of the three hundred wonderful cycles of the universe was precisely perfect, and the external scenes of contraction and non-elevation were manifested in sequence... Even if there is a motive, it is advisable to clear the fire and even more so to enter the room to cultivate its true Yang energy. Just listen quietly to the three manifestations of the sunlight. When the sun shines three times, "True Yang gathers, great medicine is pure and dry..." When the fire subsides, only the sunlight appears three times." So, the "Three Appearances of Sunlight" is precisely the time to harvest the great herbs. This great medicine is the true seed of life. Therefore, it is said, "Seek the true seed in the flash of lightning." However, this sunlight must appear three times. If it appears once or twice, it means the medicine is too tender to be picked. If the four symptoms have passed, the medicine will be old and the opportunity will have been missed. The line "When the wind news comes, I seek the original sect" is, on the one hand, a repetition of the previous two lines, such as "faint thunder" and "where the lightning burns", both of which are "wind news". On the other hand, there are also hints about the "six scenic spots appearing". What are the "Six Scenic Spots"? The "Tianxian Zhengli" states, "There are six kinds of vibrating scenes when one acquires the great medicinal herb." The dantian is ablaze with fire, the two kidneys are decocted, the eyes emit golden light, wind rises behind the ears, vultures chirp behind the head, the body surges and the nose twitches. The six sense organs, due to their cessation of consciousness, all have a visual experience." Regarding these six scenic spots, ancient immortals unanimously agreed, but their descriptions of the current scenes were largely similar. As the "Four Hundred Characters of the Golden Elixir" states, the six scenes are: "The mud balls rise in the wind, the crimson palace is bright under the moon, the dantian is burning with fire, the grain sea is surging with waves, the spine is like a wheel, the limbs are like mountains and rocks, the pores are just rising after a bath, the bones and veins are as fast as sleep, the spirit is like the joy of a couple, and the soul is like the longing of a mother and child." This is the true realm, not a metaphor. [Lyrics] A myriad of rays of rosy light envelops the golden cauldron, and a thousand feet of purple clouds cover the heavenly Gate. If you still come here, don't be afraid. Keep your primordial spirit firmly guarded the cave entrance. The visual experiences such as the "Three Manifestations of Sunlight" and the "Six Scenes Before One's appearance" are all manifestations of the body and mind being in a state of great concentration, after which life is reforged by the innate great way. This kind of manifestation, in layman's terms, is a complete transformation, a cleansing of the tendons and marrow, and a thorough refinement of life. So there was an integrated and meticulous revolutionary transformation within. This kind of experience is something that ordinary people can never feel in their minds and bodies, and it is also extremely uncomfortable, as if they were braving the stormy waves, climbing mountains of knives and crossing seas of fire. Out of ten heroes, eight have reached such a point that most of them have the possibility of retreating. So, this step of practice is the greatest test for cultivation. A true man, with gritted teeth and the will to die rather than fear, can get through. Of course, it is also necessary to understand its reasoning in advance so as to be more confident in remaining calm in the face of danger. It is also necessary to master certain methods. This mantra is "Firmly guard the primordial spirit at the cave entrance." Those who can preserve their primordial spirit will surely die when they recognize the spirit. Just like a baby, when his consciousness has not yet emerged, if he is placed in the wild forest, accompanied by tigers and wolves, he will not be afraid. "Guarding the cave gate" means maintaining the state of merit and allowing the innate to continuously exert its functions within it. Guarding the cave gate is like a cat catching a mouse or a rabbit meeting an eagle; one must work harder and more diligently. All scenes are unique; a single red light is the ultimate truth. To maintain the state of function with the primordial spirit and let the primordial force act, the key to "maintaining" is to keep one's mind undistracted and to remain single-minded and constant. For instance, in cases like cats catching mice and eagles catching rabbits, their eyes are fixed as if they were nailed into nails. Only in this way can one strive for diligence and one's skills will gradually accumulate and grow. Whether it is called medicine, elixir or fetus in Gongzhong, it is always the innate pure and dry Yang energy. In modern terms, it should be described as the energy of life. Of course, this kind of energy is advanced energy, advanced energy rich in life intelligence. The function of energy is exerted. In terms of temperature, it is hot; in terms of color, it is red. So, before the "Six Scenic Spots", there is an extremely hot sensation such as "burning in the dantian" and "decoction of the two kidneys". Moreover, the previous white light between the eyebrows will also turn into red light due to the increase in the heat of pure Yang. In technical terms, this is called "the combination of the sun and the moon", with the moon entering the sun and the sun ending, showing pure Yang. So when transitioning from the "Great Cycle" to "nurturing the fetus", no matter how ever-changing the scenes are, you should not pay attention to them. In the past, focus on the "three manifestations of sunlight" and the "Six scenes", and in the future, only focus on "one red light". Everything else is irrelevant. [Lyrics] This red light represents the spring atmosphere, within which there is dust as bright as the window. A bit of innate medicine hangs in the middle, far like grapes and close to gold. The pure red light of the sun is like the mission of spring. It helps all things to grow and nurtures and supports life to develop in a positive direction. But the scene of the power state is both real and elusive. Just as the Tao Te Ching says: "Vague and hazy, there is an image within." Hazy and indistinct, there is something within. Dim and mysterious, there is a spirit within. Its essence is very true, and within it lies faith." It is the wonderful existence of the void that exists but does not exist. It seems as if sunlight is streaming in through a window. We see the swirling dust in the sunlight, but we can't catch it. Without direct sunlight, we can't see anything. However, it reflects the existence and function of the innate great medicine. What metaphor can we use to describe the purity of the innate great medicine? To make a forced analogy, if you try to figure it out from afar, it seems like a crystal-clear grape. Fresh and beautiful; To describe it more closely, it is like barefoot gold, pure and pure, shining with brilliance. [Lyrics] Up to this point, it all depends on caution; the slightest thought of losing one's innocence. When it subsides on its own, the four seasons of spring will transform within it. When the fire produced by the medicine is sufficient, one should practice the practice of taking the great elixir to pass the test. However, this step of practice is both a reverse application and should follow the innate nature. It should be carried out entirely under the guidance of the enlightened spirit and must not be influenced by the acquired consciousness spirit. So extreme caution is needed. The Dharma should be well aware of the key points of this practice in daily life, forming a subtle subconscious and original knowledge. When the time comes, one can act in accordance with the Dharma without any discrimination or thinking. This can be described as "cultivating the true with the true". If the acquired consciousness is aroused, it will surely destroy the innate self-created and self-transformed "living" state environment. For instance, when refining elixirs in a furnace, it is equivalent to breaking the furnace cauldron, and thus the elixirs cannot be refined. For instance, when steaming buns, steam is rising from the steamer. In another one or two minutes, the buns will be cooked. At this moment, suddenly a hole appears in the steamer, releasing all the steam inside. If you turn back, they will become dead goods. Only by fully and thoroughly conforming to it, after the last cycle of movement, can it finally return to the lower dantian, which is the "one point self-subduing", that is, the true seed of the immortal fetus. With this true seed, life completes its first rebirth, and the "foundation-building" work is declared accomplished. From then on, life becomes an eternal spring that never fades. [Lyrics] A single white cloud brings a refreshing fragrance; after a rain comes a fresh start. All day long, I am like a drunkard, leisurely guarding the cave and the spring. After taking the self-medication, one enters the stage of "ten months of pregnancy". During this "ten-month pregnancy", the practitioner's spirit and energy are unified, and the spirit remains motionless, just like a baby. And this mother is the natural way of heaven, and the place where she gives birth is her own physical body. I am like a baby in the "mother's womb", receiving nourishment from the "mother". "I" do nothing, while "my mother" does nothing. All of this is because the nourishment bestowed upon "me" is the most delightful and indescribable. Borrowing from natural phenomena, it can only be said that it is like the continuous spring rain, refreshing once it passes. Like light clouds floating, the fragrant breeze gently blows. It's like drinking the nectar from the heavens and savoring the rare flowers and dewdrops in the forest. I'm slightly intoxicated all day long, with a thick and continuous feeling. In this situation, I just enjoy it and let fate take its course. [Lyrics] All the Yin essence in the body is stripped away, transforming into a pure piece of Yang gold. At this moment, the breath died as if it were a minor death, and when it merged into one, it was all true. The cultivation of the Tao, which is the elevation of physical matter from the human body to the immortal body, when summarized in terms of the spirit and energy, means to transform all the impurities of the postnatal energy (including the breath from the mouth and nose and the energy from food and water within the body) into the primordial energy. It is to transform the acquired mortal spirit (all thoughts, ideas and emotions) into the innate primordial spirit. Innate and acquired: The acquired is Yin, while innate is Yang. Although there is innate nature, it is also interspersed with acquired nature. The Yang of this innate nature is impure. Only by allowing the natural way of heaven to refine and transform itself over and over again can the acquired nature within the innate be thoroughly refined and transformed. It then becomes a completely innate pure Yang body. Qi is Yang qi, and shen is Yang Shen. When both qi and shen are Yang, it is called Quanzhen. Since there is no mundane energy, breathing through the mouth and nose also disappears. All the so-called 38,000 pores on the body become breathing channels, and even all the cells in the body breathe on their own. So at this moment, the person was as if they were dead. Note: In those days, Grandmaster Zhang Sanfeng went on a journey to observe the Yang Deity at Jintai in Baoji and left his physical body to sleep and appear here. The scholar Yang GUI Shan believed that the ancestral master had passed away, so he bought a coffin to bury him. When he was about to be buried, the ancestral master's Yang spirit returned, snoring loudly like thunder and then coming to an end after a few roars. This is the test of "minor death due to exhaustion of breath". [Lyrics] Having achieved success and talent, one comes to this world to accumulate merit. When the merit was fulfilled and the mandate of heaven was fulfilled, the true spirit of the Yang God appeared. After the completion of the "foundation building" stage, from a technical and procedural perspective, the next steps of "ten months of pregnancy", "three years of breastfeeding", and "nine years of facing the wall" can all be carried out continuously. The orthodox view of immortals holds that the purpose of learning immortals is to achieve enlightenment, and becoming an immortal is merely an inevitable change in life during the process of cultivation and enlightenment. This is very similar to the Tai Chi of Taoism. Its original purpose is to prolong life and grasp the true essence of Tai Chi. But when it comes to prolonging one's life, the ingenious application of martial arts also lies within it. If one cultivates immortality merely for the sake of becoming an immortal, it is called "self-destruction of the Han". Since the Han Dynasty, he has not been valued by the orthodox immortals; instead, he has been unanimously criticized. Why? People think that they lack a positive outlook on life, have no sense of responsibility towards society, are too selfish, and only pursue their own cultivation. Orthodox immortals, while cultivating and attaining enlightenment, also need to act on behalf of heaven and uphold justice, possessing a strong sense of social responsibility. Not only in terms of social responsibility, Taoism advocates the unity of heaven and man. People should be in harmony with heaven, with the earth, and then with all living beings and with themselves. It can be seen that there is even a greater sense of responsibility towards the universe. Therefore, one cannot abandon oneself. One must fulfill one's cosmic responsibility mission and social responsibility mission before attaining the ultimate enlightenment. Specifically speaking, it means to accumulate merit and virtue for society, for others, for all living beings, and for the universe. One should not only do good deeds oneself but also encourage others to do so. It is also necessary to induce bad people to transform into good ones. It is also necessary to select those who have the roots to pass on the ultimate path. This period should be chosen after the completion of the "Foundation Establishment" skill and before the Yang Spirit emerges from its shell. Why was it chosen during this period? Because before the foundation is established, a person's life foundation is not solid. Especially for those who enter the path due to illness, it goes without saying. At this time, if too much effort is spent on doing good deeds, although it is beneficial to the cultivation of one's nature, it will delay the repair of one's life. Perhaps your sexual cultivation is excellent, but your life might not be saved. To calculate the grand account of merit and virtue, the merit and virtue one can do in the limited life can only be limited. When the "Foundation Establishment" exercise is completed and life becomes an immortal body, the efficiency of doing good deeds at this point will be quite different. Your merit can not only be many times greater than your limited life, but also cause no harm to your life. It benefits others and things without harming yourself. What a wonderful thing this is! When your merit and virtue reach a level that makes you feel extremely satisfied with yourself - and also meets the requirements of your master, then proceed to the next step of your practice. It will be easier for you to remain calm and composed, and it will be easier for you to produce practice. It won't be too late to summon the Yang Spirit by then. Moreover, once beyond the Yang Spirit, the immortal's rank rises, and they will be able to better exert the merit of their divine abilities! Note: If someone concludes: In that case, does it mean that when we first enter the door of the path, we do not need to perform virtuous deeds? The answer, of course, is no. There is a proper measure here. When one first begins to learn the way, their merit should first be to do no harm to society, others, living beings and all things. Secondly, they should first be beneficial to society, others, living beings and all things when it is convenient (with a simple act of raising a hand). And don't deliberately do any good deeds. In the procedures of immortals, the merits and virtues are required to be performed specifically. For instance, it is stipulated that eight hundred great merits should be accomplished and three thousand good deeds should be accumulated. [Lyrics] Don't say these words to the wrong people, and don't talk about them lightly to those who haven't achieved success. Among them, there is profound truth. Beyond this truth, there is no truth at all. The essence of these spiritual practices can be described as "achieving the extraordinary in the ordinary and the extraordinary in the mundane." But these mysteries are rarely comprehended by people in the world. On the contrary, there are many people who regard these as grotesque. It's truly "a humble scholar who, upon hearing the truth, laughs heartily." Therefore, those who practice the Tao must not, first, pretend to be strange and let others gossip, and second, they must not preach or discuss the Tao to those who do not understand it, do not seek it, and oppose it, thereby provoking their own ridicule and abuse. Only when encountering people with high knowledge, high cultivation, high moral standards and fairness and objectivity can one preach to them. If you don't understand this truth, you will either pretend to be a Taoist or talk big everywhere. Wouldn't that bring you only ridicule and scolding? (Note: Several students once wrote to me, saying that their pursuit of the Tao was unanimously opposed by their families and met with cold shoulders from society. The root cause of their illness lies entirely in this.) If this is not corrected, it will never be the right path!" In this "Song of Dao Love", all the teachings are sincere and profound instructions for cultivating the Dao. But where else can one find other such instructions? [Lyrics] Pack your bags tightly and seal them up. One day, success will be engraved in your heart. If one speaks falsely and is punished by heaven, saying that he will be flogged and killed by a lawless person. The essence of Taoist cultivation has been clearly explained. Students of Taoist cultivation, you can firmly keep these principles in your hearts. While there is still a chance to turn your life around, quickly pack your bags and embark on the path of immortal cultivation! When I succeed in the future, all the mental methods I have spoken today will be verified one by one. This poem consists of fifty-two lines, and each line is verifiable. However, this requires you to look for subtle methods from the concise theories. Every word in this poem is true. If there are false words, I am willing to suffer the punishment of heaven. However, I also need to remind you again and again not to impart these true words and profound instructions to those with ill intentions or ignorance. If the orthodox way of immortals is unjustly slandered or defamed as a result, those who spread false information will also be held responsible and punished by the Way of heaven. 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