Commentary on the Taiji Elixir Classic: "Direct Explanation of the Mysteries" - Two Parts on the Heat Control in Alchemy (Part Two)

Kongde [original text] The practice of stillness lies in a moment. Within that moment, there is also the practice of transforming essence into qi, transforming qi into spirit, and refining spirit back to emptiness. This is not unique to the ten months. That is, it is the same for a time, a day, a month or a year. It can be said that the significance of static practice is reflected in every minute and second. In the brief moment and second, there is also the entire connotation of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit back to emptiness. It is not only accomplished in a progressive form during the long period of "ten months of gestation". Even for a moment, a day, a month or a year, the principle remains the same. Note: This passage is very short, but it reveals the little-known truths of the great way and the mysteries of cultivation. In the previous article, I explained the "order" of the coexistence of positive and negative elements in the heart and principle of heaven. This "order" refers to the unchanging laws and regulations of the way of heaven. In the spiral state of the movement of the Way of Heaven, it can be considered that this law and rule exist not only in the overall spiral state, but also in a spiral ring, and also in the line segments and each unit point of a spiral ring. In fact, even each unit point is also a holographic microcosm of the overall helical state. Therefore, it can be said that the same law and rule, when reflected in time, is the same for ten thousand years and also for one second. For instance, in terms of the innate and acquired life phenomena, the laws and regulations are birth, aging, decline and death. Such a periodic life phenomenon is inevitable for any living being. A bacterium completes this life cycle in less than a second, while other organisms do so in minutes, minutes, hours, days, months, years, ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years... To complete this life cycle. From the perspective of the infiniteness of the universe and nature, a second is not short, and ten thousand years is not long. The essence of cycles is the same. In the future, when heaven returns to nature, the principle is the same. The essence of being still for a second and being still for ten thousand years is the same. The distinction between refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness is roughly determined based on the postnatal form and nature. When one completely returns to the primordial state, such discrimination no longer exists. If there is any distinction, it is the issue of the quantity of this innate essence, energy and spirit. The shorter the time of stillness, the less the amount of innate essence, energy and spirit one acquires. The longer one remains still, the greater the amount of innate essence, energy and spirit one acquires. Until he reached the limit of the vitality, energy and spirit that his innate nature could bestow upon him. When quantity reaches its limit, a qualitative change occurs. This is the mystery of attaining enlightenment and becoming an immortal. The difference between the short time of every second and the long time of thousands of years in the lives of living beings in nature is also the different special arrangements made by nature for each living being before their emergence, and each has its own limit. This is called the number of days or the limit. Having understood the above principles, one should know that the essence of Jing Gong lies in its stillness. One stillness contains three refinements, the three refinements are combined into stillness, and the stillness is added together. Do not ask about the outcome, and the great elixir will naturally be formed. Sitting down, closing your eyes and concentrating your mind to calm your heart and regulate it is the practice of transforming essence into qi. The last rays of light, the concentrated spirit of the elixir point, the true breath flowing back and forth, the inner stillness reaching its peak and the movement reaching its peak, the infinite celestial peak, this is the skill of refining qi and spirit. With the true energy reaching the source, Yin and Yang repeatedly copulate. Naturally, the wind is calm and the waves are still. At this moment, I focus my mindfulness on my dantian, which is to seal the heat. If one persistently practices the three aspects of year, month, day and hour, not only will one enter the full tenth month. Therefore, each day has its own cycle of one moment, and each hour, one day, one month, and one year has its own cycle of one hour, one day, one month, and one year. In an instant, the first half of the moment is for warmth, for fire, for observation, for strumming, for morning gathering, for spring and summer. The second half of the moment represents coolness, the retreat of the talisman, darkness, the lower chord, the twilight, and autumn and winter. At one time, there are four periods in the upper part and four periods in the lower part, that is, a day, a month and a year are all the same. This is what is called gathering the Yin-Yang and Five Elements. In a moment, one can seize the climate of a year. At this point, it is the true stillness of the void. It may take one or two years, or even ten or a hundred years, to break through the void and become one with the Great Void. This is the work of refining the spirit and restoring the void. If we want to explain the differences between refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit back to emptiness from the process of the practice stage, we can understand it from the following situation: Starting to meditate and practice, closing one's eyes, concentrating the spirit internally, having no distractions, and breathing evenly, this is the practice of refining essence into qi. All perceptual thoughts should be subdued and immobile, just like a light, not allowing it to be emitted from the outside but concentrating within, and returning to the primordial spirit condensed in the lower dantian. Let breathing return to natural regulation, transitioning naturally from breathing through the mouth and nose to the fetal breath driven by the dantian, that is, first the natural breath, allowing it to flow naturally. To bring the entire internal environment of the physical body into a natural state of stillness leading to movement and movement leading to stillness, a pure and infinite operation of celestial secrets, this is the power of refining qi and spirit. From this level, if one delves deeper, the generation and movement of true qi will continue to return to the primordial foundation. The primordial true Yin and true Yang cultivated from the postnatal spirit will repeatedly interweave. When the true Yin and true Yang converge and no longer do so, they completely return to the true qi that has been integrated into the primordial foundation. The forms of movement and stillness in the internal environment cease to exist, just like when the wind stops and the rain stops on a lake surface, everything returns to calm. At this moment, as a practitioner, one can retain the true intention and right mindfulness in the dantian. This is called sealing the fire. (Note: Just like when the rice in the pot is just steamed and there is no need for high heat, but the temperature at the bottom of the pot cannot be reduced, at this time, ashes can be used to cover the high heat, which is called the sealing heat control or the warming heat control.)" The above-mentioned three steps of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and sealing, consolidating, warming and nurturing should not only be regarded as processes that must be achieved in each practice session, but also as processes that must be accomplished over a long period of practice. Therefore, whether measured by hours, days, months or years, one should persistently practice these three aspects. Don't think that only through "ten months of gestation" can these three steps be accomplished. Otherwise, you would be confined to the understanding of the textual appearance. If the continuous completion of the upper skills is called a cycle, then it can be said that if these three skills exist within a moment, a cycle is completed at this moment. By extension, if a time, a day, a month or a year includes the existence of three kinds of martial arts, then a week of a time, a day, a month or a year is completed. Note: This principle is like the second hand, minute hand and hour hand on a clock. Each full rotation of the hand can be regarded as a full day. Therefore, the annual weekly days are accumulated from the monthly weekly days, the monthly weekly days are accumulated from the daily weekly days, the daily weekly days are accumulated from the hourly weekly days, the hourly weekly days are accumulated from the ke weekly days, the ke weekly days are accumulated from the fen weekly days, and the fen weekly days are accumulated from the second weekly days. When there is still the movement of breath coming and going during the fetal breathing, each movement constitutes a full cycle. When one reaches a state where there is no coming or going, no exit or entry, one enters the Boundless Universe and the Chaotic Universe. However, we should be aware that even within this brief period of the week, there exists a cyclical law of the alternation and transformation of Yin and Yang. For instance, a moment is divided into the first half and the second half. Using temperature as a metaphor, the first half represents an increase in energy, while the second half represents a decrease in energy. To use the analogy of information perception, the perception is obvious in the first half of the moment, but it fades away in the second half. Using the phases of the moon as a metaphor, the first half is the moon rising from the seventh or eighth day of the lunar month to the fifteenth day, and the second half is the moon fading from the twenty-second or third day to the thirtieth day when it is no longer visible. Using the metaphor of day and night, the first half is from dawn to morning and then to the morning, and the second half is from afternoon to dusk and even night. Using the metaphor of seasons, the first half is spring and summer, and the second half is autumn and winter. In terms of time, a shi Chen is divided into eight ke, which is also a Zhou Tian. This cycle of heaven is divided into the upper four quarters and the lower four quarters, and the alternation and transformation of Yin and Yang within each quarter follow the same pattern. To expand further, the weekly patterns of a day, a month and a year are all like this. As long as the state of function conforms to the laws of nature, it can be said that all the Yin-Yang and five elements created by nature have been gathered together. The seasonal transformation of nature follows a cycle of one year. Cultivation returns to the innate nature, and a moment's effort can seize the entire cycle of nature's creation for a year. When one reaches this realm of martial arts that completely follows the natural creation without the slightest artificial intervention, that is the true stillness of the vacuum. Maintaining the true stillness of the vacuum, allowing nature to create, either for one or two years, or for decades or even hundreds of years, eventually breaking through the void and becoming one with the natural essence of the universe, "Tai Xu". The universe is me, and I am the universe. This is the power of the divine returning the void. Note: This passage talks about the "three years of breastfeeding" and the "nine years of facing the wall" after the "ten months of pregnancy". Since the discussion specifically focuses on the relationship and periodic rules of transforming essence into qi, transforming qi into spirit, and restoring the spirit to emptiness, many detailed key points and methods are omitted here. Even if it is briefly mentioned later, it is only "briefly". However, this passage concerning the "Three Refinements" and its discussion of the Zhou Tian are rather exquisite. Such an argument can well prevent scholars from falling into the mechanical dogmatic theories of the "Three Trials" and the "cycle of Heaven and Earth". Upon careful consideration, the "mechanical dogmas" of our predecessors were not truly mechanical dogmas either. Without those "mechanical dogmas", they could not be told to future generations. They were merely used as a pretext to serve as a raft for the universal salvation. Unfortunately, many people in later generations are not very sensitive. They recognize boats and rafts as they see them. Without boats or rafts, they would only see floating logs and floating turtles, and thus dare not make the transition. This also falls into the realm of words and creates mechanical dogma. When the first ten months of practice are over, one must constantly take care of the baby. From ten steps to a hundred steps, and from a thousand miles to a hundred miles, one will gradually make progress. If one indulges oneself without restraint, one will surely become lost and never return. After the initial "ten-month pregnancy" is completed, the next step is the "three-year breastfeeding" period. This step of martial arts requires constant care for the newly born "baby" Yang Shen, with meticulous training, allowing him to gradually break away from the physical body and enhance his ability to move independently of the outside world. The process of detaching from the physical body gradually increases step by step. With each additional step, one must be on the basis of being familiar with the process of coming in and out, and eventually take ten steps, a hundred steps, or even a thousand miles. In short, it is formed gradually through proficiency. If the Yang spirit leaves the body and is left unrestrained, it will inevitably lead to the failure of being lost and unable to return. Note: The ten-month pregnancy is to give birth to a perfect Yang spirit. Since this Yang spirit can now exist independently in relation to the physical body, it is called the body outside the body. This external body is called the true body because it is the most genuine part of life. This true body is obtained through special cultivation methods and possesses extraordinary functions, thus it is called the Dharma Body. The Yang spirit and the physical body, one is a spiritual entity and the other is a physical body. The spiritual body can also be called the soul body. From the innate to the acquired, this soul is formed by the spiritual inheritance genes injected into the sperm and egg through the parents' copulation and the innate spiritual energy sensed in the universe and nature at the moment of copulation. According to theoretical speculation, the mission of the soul of any living being is to accompany its physical body throughout the entire process of its life. Throughout this entire process, it can roughly be divided into three stages: The first stage, that is, the stage of life development. At this stage, the initial soul entity merely possesses the necessary "hardware" for the spiritual functions of life, such as the hard drive of a computer or the bookshelves in a library. Therefore, it is merely the opportunity for the manifestation of life's functions. Therefore, he must rely on the first stage of his life after birth to enrich the various "floppy disks" that the "hard disk" can hold and the various "books" that the "bookshelf" can store. In the first stage, the richer the "floppy disks" and "books" are, the higher the wisdom function that the soul will display. However, the enrichment of "floppy disks" and "books" must be determined by the improvement of physical bodies, the size and complexity of the spatial activity range of each physical body, as well as the influence of the outside world on the soul and matter as a unity of life. Therefore, to enrich "floppy disks" and "books", the improvement of physical bodies is needed to effectively solve the problem. The perfection of a material body is like transforming a computer model and a library architectural drawing into a real computer and a real library, and it has the economic strength to continuously purchase "floppy disks" and "books". Therefore, the first stage of life is a process of nurturing the body, getting in touch with life, learning and increasing knowledge, and perfecting the soul and body. In this process, the soul is called positive in relation to the body. However, in terms of the soul itself, only the little bit of spiritual energy bestowed by the innate is considered Yang, while the essence and nourishment supplemented from the acquired substances are generally regarded as Yin in comparison to the innate spiritual energy. Therefore, the souls in the postnatal life forms are mostly Yin, which is why the ancients often called them Yin souls or Yin spirits. Because the soul body is endowed with the coexistence with the material form from birth, every soul naturally attaches itself to its material form. This is also the reason for the selfish nature of life. The second stage is the period when life functions are maintained and exerted. At this stage, both the soul and the material form have formed a self-healthy set. On the one hand, it needs to exert its life function advantages to survive best; on the other hand, it has to replenish itself due to the continuous consumption of life information, energy and matter. Maintain based on supplementation; supplementation can bring about full play. The second stage is generally a longer one throughout the entire life process. The third stage is when life tends to come to an end. At this stage, due to the long-term exertion of life functions, the "hard disk", "floppy disk", "bookshelf" and "books" of the soul body are constantly worn out (one is normal wear and tear, the other is abnormal wear and tear), and this kind of wear and tear is fundamental wear and tear that cannot be repaired by postnatal replenishment. On the other hand, the physical body, due to the formation of basic components, suffers the same wear and tear as the soul body and cannot be replenished with material nutrients in the future. This mutual consumption and degeneration of the spirit and the flesh, when it reaches its peak, brings life to an end. The end of life is like a flashlight battery. When the "electricity" of the soul is exhausted, the body of the "battery", as a tangible material body, can still exist for a short period of time, but eventually it will transform into other substances due to the loss of the master of life and be reborn in the re-evolution of other things. According to the life arrangement program of Zhao Xian Tian, the soul in life is like a candle and candlelight. When the candle burns out, the candlelight also goes out. For those who die of normal old age, their souls no longer exist after death. This is called the heavenly age. However, in an era when humans are lured by material and spiritual interests, very few can live a peaceful life. Moreover, the spontaneous or accidental sudden deaths that this era is prone to bring to people have made the phenomenon of longevity even more illusory. There are various situations of human death. The first is death due to a long life, the second is death due to physical and mental exhaustion, the third is death due to physical exhaustion during labor, the fourth is death due to excessive mental strain and a sudden and heavy blow to the soul, the fifth is death due to sudden illness, the sixth is death due to an unexpected disaster, and the seventh is death due to suicide or homicide. According to theoretical speculation, both the first and second types of death can be the simultaneous dissipation of the soul and the body (but the former is a natural departure, while the latter is a painful extinction). The fourth possibility is that there are two possibilities. One is the sudden explosion of the soul body and its complete disappearance. One possibility is to be instantly released from the physical body, and the consequence could be to return to the physical body after a short period of time, dying and coming back to life, or to be lost and unable to return, drifting and wandering. The third, fifth, sixth and seventh types, although the circumstances of death are different, the general feature is that the physical body has been destroyed and can no longer accommodate the existence of the soul body. It is like a battery with a sufficient charge, the battery structure has been completely destroyed, and the electrical energy is released from this battery in an instant, and the soul thus leaves the physical body. It should be said that the human soul body varies greatly in the complexity of its functions due to the innate "hard disk" and the acquired "floppy disk". Generally speaking, the simple ones have a low information content and weak information aggregation ability. Complex, with high information content and strong information agglomeration. Therefore, souls with weaker reunion power have a shorter period of independent retention and will disperse and vanish more quickly. Souls with stronger cohesion can remain independently for a longer period of time. If they continue to wish to be human and there is a suitable opportunity, the phenomenon of soul transmigration and regeneration can occur. However, if there is a lack of opportunities and too much time passes, it will also gradually fade away and vanish into nothingness. Generally speaking, life is original, and rebirth, that is, the transformation of the soul, is less likely. The difference between original and reborn life characteristics lies in that original children progress from ignorance to knowledge, while reborn children often carry the memories of their previous lives. The topic of discussion brought up here is to illustrate that the soul entity can exist independently under special circumstances. However, the soul and body of a person acquired after birth are Yin, and thus cannot be seen by ordinary people. The mature Yang spirit that a person acquires through cultivation is different from the Yin soul. It is the condensation of innate spiritual energy, which is the essential element that gives birth to all things, and thus can be shaped according to circumstances. For instance, if he is born from a primordial life form, then he can take on the form of the primordial life form. Not only can he exist independently, but he also has a form and image, which can be seen by ordinary people. Whether or not it needs to be seen by ordinary people is entirely up to its own discretion. Because he can gather to form and disperse to transform into qi, gathering and dispersing freely. However, all these functions of the Yang spirit must be accomplished during the "three-year breastfeeding" period. The practice of "three years of breastfeeding" was introduced in great detail by the previous enlightened ones. After the fetus is round, there are approximately procedures and related methods such as "Stopping the fire by spreading the flowers", "Transcending the upper field", "Moving the Yang Spirit back to the upper tower", "Regulating the spirit out of the shell", "opening the Heavenly Gate", "Gathering the Golden Light outside the Body", "Gathering the Golden Light to spread the Five Buds' spiritual energy", and "Regulating the Entry and exit of the Yang Spirit". This is a special discussion and will not be discussed here. The Immortal Classic states: "When the spirit enters the qi, the fetus is formed; when the qi returns to the spirit, the elixir is formed." This is what is meant by "a single drop falling into the Yellow Court". But those with fewer distractions will obtain the elixir earlier, while those with more distractions will obtain it later. This method is simple, but it makes people reluctant to be brave. If one can persist in this practice for a long time, one will surely penetrate through metal and stone, enter water and fire, and reach heaven and earth. If one continues to accumulate virtue and practice, and takes the great elixir of refining the spirit, one will surely achieve both physical and mental perfection, ascend in the daytime, and move the entire family out of the house. It also depends on the depth of merit. Even if one does not submit to the divine elixir and only pursues the surging of the Yang spirit, looking back at the old remains as a pile of dust, it would still be like a feather in the sun, lasting for ten thousand eons, and could be on par with the universe. In the classics of immortals, it is said: "Later, the practice of forming a womb was based on the spirit and human energy, while earlier, the practice of forming elixirs was based on the energy returning to the spirit." The fetus is formed by the spirit entering the qi, which is what is called "a single drop falling into the Yellow Court". (Note: "One point" refers to the divine; "Yellow court" refers to emptiness, emptiness, moderation, uprightness, and qi.)" But the sequence of cultivation is to form the elixir first and then the fetus. As for the formation of elixirs, if a person has fewer thoughts and they are easier to eliminate, they will form elixirs earlier. When people have many distractions that are hard to eliminate, it will be too late for them to form elixirs. In general, it is only when there are no distractions that one can form a pill. Returning qi to the spirit and integrating the spirit into qi is a simple and feasible method that is easy to achieve. Unfortunately, most cultivators lack the spirit of bold and diligent progress. If one can persist in practicing for a long time, one is bound to reach the level of extensive supernatural powers, such as penetrating through metal and stone, leaping into water and fire, and reaching the heavens and the earth. Next, when one accumulates virtue and merit in the human world and takes the great elixir of Refining the spirit, it will surely make both the Yang spirit and the physical body become immortal bodies, enabling one to ascend during the day and even take the entire family or even the house to heaven together. However, this is determined by the depth of the merit. If, in the future, one does not accept the Spirit Refining Pill but only focuses on the training of the Yang Spirit, and when the Yang Spirit is fully trained and exists independently, looking at the original body, it seems like a pile of dung, unwilling to combine with it again, one can still ascend in the daytime and coexist with the universe and nature forever, without being affected by any natural disasters. Note: The divine elixirs mentioned in this paragraph come in two forms. One type is the primordial energy directly absorbed from the universe and nature, which requires "nine years of facing the wall" to refine the spirit and restore the void to be completed. Another approach is to use a special method, special objects, and select a special time to extract the essence of the sun and moon and condense it into a tangible divine elixir for consumption. Both of them can achieve the skill of both form and spirit being wonderful. But the former only enables one person to attain enlightenment, while the latter can ascend to heaven along with others and other things. The highest martial arts realm of the immortal path is astonishing and beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. However, they only exist for practical cultivation and verification, not for the sake of whether the world believes or not. The author, Mr. Kong De, authorizes this website for exclusive publication and recording. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use for other purposes is prohibited.