Annotation ② of "Xuan Yao Chapter, Part II

Author: Kong De What is the Yin Demon? If I don't explain, later learners of the Tao might not understand. All of this lies in the fact that once the true Yang within the body dissipates, all the energy within is Yin energy. Yin energy is connected with the netherworld. During its circulation, whether it is day or night, it encounters the ghosts and gods of the netherworld. Some of them even clearly harm you. Whether open or closed, one can see ghosts and gods coming and going, and the ears can also hear the noisy sounds of ghosts and gods. Under such circumstances, it's even stronger during the day, after all, it's bright everywhere. People feel the most uncomfortable at night because it's pitch-dark all around, and the disturbance of ghosts and gods makes them unable to remain calm for a moment. Their nerves are always on edge. Physiologically speaking, the true Yang energy of the lower dantian, which is said to be "the home of that person, the Lord of the sea, and the earth of the Wu element of gold", due to the fright of the primordial spirit, surges disorderly among the qi and blood of the five internal organs, all rising along with it. The body feels suspended in mid-air, with a terrifying sense of falling to the ground at any moment. It can be seen that taking one's life and losing it is the ultimate move of the evil spirits against the cultivators to kill them as soon as possible. Given that I was already in such a perilous state at that time, I really couldn't go any further. So, following his master's instructions, he temporarily gave up the achievements he had gained from his previous practice and left them alone. He returned to the bustling world of the mundane world, not allowing others to notice that he was cultivating the Tao. Instead, he secretly refined his character through wine, women, wealth and power, cultivated his righteous energy, eliminated his selfish desires, and found the original meaning of life from the intangible essence, energy and spirit, transforming the acquired killing intent into the innate vitality. From my childhood to old age, the innocence that was stolen by nature, others and all things in the postnatal stage, because my nature has been retrieved, my life has truly taken control of it. Now, it has been snatched back from the mundane life and from my empty nature. This marks the true formation of the trinity of essence, energy and spirit. From then on, the mind is clear and the principles are integrated. When the principles are integrated, one's nature is revealed. The body and mind are in great stability. The Yin and Yang and the five elements are united. Only after this can one cultivate high-level martial arts and then complete the Great way. Note: I believe that the ancients' attitude towards discussing and dealing with evil spirits was undoubtedly correct. However, their understanding of the Yin demons has a scientific analytical aspect. For instance, they believe that it stems from the transformation of their own Yin spirits and falls within the realm of their own spirit. However, there is also a superstitious aspect, such as the belief that there are ghosts and gods from the Yin world, or that animals like foxes and snakes have cultivated to become demonic gods and immortals. And these creatures in the Yin world are always dangerous and vicious. They do not do good deeds and do not allow people to do good deeds either. Especially when it comes to the path of cultivation, they insist on obstructing it. Superstition refers to the situation where a certain thing actually belongs to the first aspect, but some people have not seen it but, based on inaccurate hearing and through their own thinking processing and shaping, determine it to be the second aspect. This kind of image, after being spread by a certain influential figure, makes the majority believe it without a doubt. In fact, any superstition, when analyzed theoretically, is hard to hold water. For instance, if we should accept the possibility that there are infinite levels and forms of life in the universe, then we can also accept the possibility of the existence of a negative world. However, the Yin world should not be composed entirely of the souls of deceased people, as well as fox spirits, snake monsters and the like. Because, if the human soul could exist independently but generally could not, then most of the time, a person's death should be a week of scrapping of both the body and the soul. Only those who die suddenly - whose bodies are abruptly scrapped and unable to entrust their souls - are forced to exist independently. However, this is extremely small among the total number of people and is insufficient to form a world of living beings. Therefore, the Yin world should still be a hidden world of living beings beyond superstitious explanations. Logically speaking, no matter how many levels and forms life exists, there will never be a situation where one level of life is extremely kind while another is extremely evil. If we must measure it by the concept of good and evil, it can be said that within each level of life, the majority are good and only a very small number are evil. Therefore, the Yin world is not a terrifying and perilous one, and the "Yang world" where human beings survive is not without bad people either. Animals like foxes and snakes are not all bad creatures, and they have no reason to be enemies of humans or harm them. To regard them as evil is the result of people judging others by their appearance. It's entirely a psychological effect. Therefore, the appearance of evil spirits in the cultivation process is mainly due to the evil spirits within the cultivator's own heart. Once the demons in the heart are eradicated, all demons will be eliminated. Looking back at the sages of previous generations, many of them failed to follow the middle Way because they did not refine themselves to hold the mountain and return to their nature. As a result, when they received the medicine in the second pentad and entered the fire in the fourth pentad, they were unaware of the emptiness of the Dharma and were careless. That's why Bai Yuchan sighed, "Cut down the autumn bamboo again!" Who would have thought that the void message was so minute, so fierce and so evil that if it was captured and not returned, it would surely not let anyone go. If a scholar knows the true information both inside and outside the body without hindrance, and then cultivates and refines himself, restrains his own selfish interests, and restores the natural order, the practice of restoring the elixir will be simple and easy. All day long, I gather the yellow buds outside my body, waiting for the nectar from the primordial age. This is precisely the essence of drinking wine and wearing flowers, comprehending the beauty of immortality. If one is confused about the essence, there will be no intention, no necessity, no firmness, no self. One will be born and die in this way, forgetting people and things. Such as idling away one's time, neglecting one's physical well-being, spending all day wandering through the streets and alleys, enjoying the scenery and indulging in debauking and drinking. If one sits and forgets to speak, how could it not arouse the astonishment and doubt of the world? By concentrating the environment and accumulating lead, using both Dharma and wealth, how could it not be ridiculed and slandered by the common people? Therefore, it is necessary to establish powerful families in major cities and prefectures to protect the outside world, witness the existence of the Dao, and keep the light hidden. The immortal said, "To be greedy for the treasures in the heavens, one must use the wealth of the world." The "heavenly treasure" does not refer to the blue sky above, but rather the treasure of the Nine Yang Cauldron within me. Therefore, Xuanyuan cast the Nine Tripods and ascended to heaven. When the world's enigmatic people heard the three characters "Heavenly Treasure", they immediately regarded the sun and the moon in the sky as water and fire. They then used their two eyes to measure the distance and found it to be genuine water and lead. At the hour of MAO at sunrise ⑧, one also collects it with both eyes, which is true fire and true mercury. The terms "heaven", "earth", "heaven and earth", "Kan Li", "man and woman", "inside and outside", and "stove and cauldrons" refer to the internal and external Yin and Yang of my body. There is no equal distinction between man and woman. The immortal said, "All appearances are illusory." "Restoring the essence of the elixir has no quality." Well, that's all I have to say. [Note] ① "bi" : It is often used for judgments that are beyond doubt. Here it specifically refers to persistence. ② Solid: Inherent existence. Refers to other things and matters outside of oneself. ③ Nen: Pronounced as "ren", here it means to let go. ④ Wu: Alone. ⑤ Tongdu Dayi: A bustling metropolis. ⑥ A powerful family: A morally benevolent family with extremely strong economic strength and considerable political influence, which can provide all the necessary conditions for cultivators and ensure their safety. ⑦ Geng Fang: That is, the West. The Ten Heavenly Stems of the Five Elements and Five Directions: Jia, Yi, Wood, and the East. Bing Ding Huo, Southern; Guard one's own territory and enter the imperial palace. Gengxin Metal, Western Ren GUI Water, North. ⑧ MAO Hour: Approximately 5 to 7 a.m. Ancient people divided a day and night into twelve periods and represented them with the twelve Earthly branches: Zi, Chou, Yin, MAO, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. The "zi" represents the critical point between midnight and the early morning, approximately from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., with each Earthly branch equivalent to two hours. Looking back at many famous cultivators in previous generations, they often encountered failure halfway through. This is all due to the failure to properly handle the stages of "cultivating one's own mind" and "returning to the nature of gold". Note: "Refining oneself" means to eliminate the selfish self and reveal the public self. The selfish self is the consciousness of god, while the public self is the absence of god. The manifestation of the primordial spirit is the environment created by the celestial mind. Therefore, "holding the mind" means holding this celestial mind, and "cultivating oneself" is also cultivated by this celestial mind. "Metal" is the innate Yang energy, and "nature" is the innate Yin spirit. God is within me, and energy comes from outside. If I can "refine myself and keep my heart", when "gold" comes, it will naturally "return to its nature". So that when the medicine is obtained in the second pentad and the fire enters in the fourth pentad (Note: when the medicine is obtained in the second pentad, the primordial Yang is slightly emerging; when the fire enters in the fourth pentad, the primordial Yang is greatly manifested.) Failing to grasp the laws of the void and treating it carelessly leads to the perilous outcome of gaining and then losing. Bai Yuchan also had personal experience of this, so in his Dan poem, there was once a sentiment of "cutting the autumn bamboo Festival again". How many cultivators can know that the various situations that occur after entering the void state are not only very subtle but also extremely dangerous and perilous? If one is in such a situation and fails to control it, it will not only be of no benefit to others but also be harmful. If a cultivator can thoroughly understand both the inner and outer truths of the body, not mistake the acquired for the innate, not take the false for the true, have a complete understanding of the principles and methods of cultivation, and have no doubts or obstacles, then the practice of returning the elixir will be extremely simple and convenient for him. All day and night, the effort is nothing more than to retrieve the innate energy from the dantian with one's true nature, cook and refine it, transport it throughout the universe, and transform it into the spirit. Then, when the spiritual liquid in the brain is born into the mouth and swallowed down the abdomen, this process repeats itself over and over again. It can be said that one drinks wine and wears flowers every day, savoring the wonderful pleasures of immortality. The cultivation of the Great Way focuses on the innate and primordial unity of qi, which is an objective matter. Therefore, there must be no trace of subjective consciousness or behavior mixed in this. The principle to grasp in cultivation is not to generate distractions, not to pay attention to observation and discrimination, and not to be stubborn and attached. One should completely abandon the "I" and follow the objective and innate laws of fortune, as if it tells me to live and I live, and to die and I die, forgetting everything. If a monk is not truly practicing Taoism but pretends to be one, fearing that the world won't know, and can't calm his mind, he goes around talking and showing off in front of others. There's you on the dance and song stage, there's you at the banquet table, and no longer deliberately meditating and practicing in places visible to others, wouldn't this make the world suspicious and laugh at him? Since you say you have a clear mind, your heart is even more wild and chaotic than others'. Since you say you have few desires, your greed is even stronger than others'. How could this not be ridiculed and attacked by the world? So those who truly cultivate the great way, although they are in the hustle and bustle of the world, are not easily noticed by others. When he was actually practicing martial arts, he still had to rely on the wealthy, virtuous, powerful and influential families in the city to provide special places and conditions for his practice, without any loopholes, and focused on the affairs of his practice. Therefore, ancient immortals said, "To be greedy for the treasures in the heavens, one must use the wealth of the world." This "wealth" refers to all the external conditions necessary for cultivation. The term "Heavenly Treasure" does not refer to any treasures from the celestial realm of heaven or immortals, but rather to the innate substances obtained within my body through nine transformations and nine refinements, known as the Nine Transformations Great Return. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor cast nine tripods and ascended to heaven. In fact, these nine tripods are a metaphor for the process of the nine transformations of the Great Elixir. Some enthusiasts in the world do not understand the essence of these metaphors. As soon as they hear about "heavenly treasures", they mistake them for the radiance of the sun and the moon, believing that the moon's light is real water and lead, and the sunlight is real fire and mercury. They then use their eyes to capture the light of the sun and the moon in the morning and at night. Little do they know that terms like "heaven and earth", "heaven and earth", "Kan and Li", "men and women", "inner and outer protection", etc., are merely metaphors for the Yin and Yang inside and outside the body, without any actual reference to other physical phenomena. The immortals and Buddhists say, "All appearances are illusory," and "The essence of the elixir has no substance." All these have thoroughly expounded the truth. Those who learn well in the world will never do anything that harms others for their own benefit. In the universe, the only thing that sustains life for both men and women is this tiny bit of Yang essence. How could there be a person who studies immortals extracting the essence of women for his own benefit! What's the difference between this and the killers in the world? Moreover, the ancient sages said that "the men and women of that family", "two families and two states", as well as "internal and external furnaces and cauldrons", etc. If one does not have the correct inheritance, it is very unlikely that they will be able to recognize it. Once, I met a wise master who, with his ears and face in his hands, exposed the two true information inside and outside the false room. Not daring to take it for himself, he broke the taboo and shared it with others. He wrote down all the information about the creation of heaven, earth and man, the scriptures of the three religions, the timing of medicine, the conjunction of the sun and the moon, and the degree of fullness and fullness, and spoke the true words, so that the scholar could not wrongly identify and practice this mistake. It is kept in a place and protected by a sacred object. If one has no chance to see it, it is nothing but blind singing of words and lyrics. It is the Golden Elixir Path, a rare encounter in countless eons. It is just like the saying goes, "I trudge through my straw sandals but find nothing, yet it comes effortlessly." If a scholar can cultivate himself in the midst of the vicissitudes of life and maintain his composure, it is the restoration of the natural order. After the principle of heaven was restored, he then sought the upward external medicine to enter his abdomen. In an instant, he became enlightened, transformed completely, and turned into a golden light, turning the earth into a treasure. The Five Dragons' Great Awakening Method involves generating the body from the outside, the Yang spirit detaching from the body, maintaining emptiness and nourishing deficiency. Having been liberated by all, transcending the three calamities of wind, water and fire, one is no longer in the suffering of birth, aging, illness and death. Nowadays, some people do not engage in spiritual practice. There are those who are fond of taking elixirs outside the furnace fire. This is even more perplexing. In this world, anyone who wants to be a good and perfect person will surely not do anything that harms others for their own benefit. In the universe, the only thing that sustains life and keeps us men and women alive is this innate innate Yang energy. There is nothing else. How could anyone who studies immortals collect the essence and energy from a woman's body for their own benefit? What's the difference between this practice and the illegal act of killing in the world? Furthermore, the ancient immortals' sayings such as "the men and women of that family", "two families and two states", and "inner and outer furnaces and cauldrons", if the learners of Taoism do not receive the true teachings, almost all lead to misunderstandings. I once encountered a master who passed on the "Void" and the "two true messages inside and outside" through practical cultivation and verification. Not daring to take it for one's own personal gain, one is not afraid to commit the illegal sin of offering it all up. Among them, the creation of heaven, earth and man, as well as the hidden elements of medicine, heat control, the conjunction of the sun and the moon, and the degree of fullness and fullness in the Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist scriptures, will be clearly disclosed one by one. My original intention was not to make the words sound good, but mainly to reveal several connotations (Note: Here are some inspirations to teach people not to be confined to the appearance of words). So that those who study the Tao will not make the mistake of misrecognizing names and appearances and blindly practicing after reading my articles. The places where this book is located are all protected by deities (Note: This is intended to instill a sense of solemnity in people), and it should not be taken lightly. If a person has no connection with the Tao and is of the lowest root and the lowest ability, obtaining this book would merely be for him to read aloud. (Note: This is the opening article of the "Xuan Yao Pian - Part II". The main content of this article is mostly written in the form of lyrics that sing about the Tao's emotions, thus there is a saying that "it is nothing but blind singing of words and lyrics".) It can be said that the Golden Elixir Path is extremely rare to encounter in thousands of years. And your acquisition of this book can truly be described as "searching hard but finding nothing, yet finding it without much effort." If those who study the Tao can find their inherent Tao heart in the complex and chaotic real life, cultivate and nurture it, and prevent it from being lost, then the heavenly principle will return to your body and mind. Since the principle of heaven has been restored and one continues to practice in the higher and deeper places, it will be very easy for the external medicine of the innate qi to sprout in the dantian. After reaching a certain stage, the entire body will undergo a qualitative change in a very short period of time: the whole body will become weak, agile, round and bright, just like a crystal pagoda. This is a complete transformation and rebirth of life. Because the body is ethereal, round and bright, we can regard it as a unified golden light. This "earth" of the physical body is no longer an ordinary quality of the common people, but has all become treasures. By further enhancing one's cultivation and practice, one can achieve the state of the Yang spirit transcending the body and having an external body. When the physical body that has nurtured the Yang spirit is then placed in the great Samadhi of the void for cultivation, this is called the Five Dragons' Great Awakening Method. Having mastered this method, one will henceforth attain the fruit of immortality. Life will no longer suffer from the hardships of birth, the torment of illness, or the pain of death. One will be free and unrestrained, with boundless freedom. Nowadays, some people do not engage in genuine cultivation but instead seek to burn and purify external elixirs of medicinal stones, hoping to achieve immortality immediately by taking them. This is another even more erroneous phenomenon, which is extremely laughable. Note: According to research, Mr. Zhang Sanfeng was a comprehensive cultivator who was also concerned with the essence of heaven, earth and human beings. However, in this article, he makes every effort to refute the practice of collecting weapons in the room and taking external elixirs of medicinal stones. To some people, there will be something that leaves them completely puzzled. In fact, there is a reason for this. Firstly, for immortals who cultivate both the three elements, there are also significant differences between the technique of male and female yin-yang transplanting and the technique of external alchemy with medicinal stones and coal balls, which cannot be compared. Secondly, even if one cultivates the three elements simultaneously, the fundamental nature still lies in one's own cultivation. Nor can it provide an eternal guarantee for the benefits in the room. Because the series of technical processes in the external alchemy of coal pellets are consistent with those in the internal alchemy process, without the verification of internal alchemy experience, it is very difficult to grasp the fine heat control in the external alchemy burning process, and the success rate is extremely low. Without a solid foundation of internal cultivation, taking external elixirs of medicinal stones is also more harmful than beneficial. Moreover, there are three drawbacks to the "Imperial Concubine in the Room" technique: First, it violates moral and ethical norms; Secondly, those who perform this procedure often find it hard to control their sexual desire. In the end, they mostly deceive themselves and others, which is no different from putting out a fire with a hemp cloak or rushing to a lamp like a moth. Thirdly, the benefits of maintaining health in the room are merely to repair life treasures, but not the fundamental method. In addition, there is another situation in the immortal school, which is to offer rescue based on the individual, teach according to their aptitude, and provide assistance at the right time. Therefore, the teachings given to Zhang SAN and those given to Li Si often have some differences. Only when scholars have a thorough understanding of the entire connotation of the study of immortals and have grasped all the principles can the reasons behind it be self-evident. 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