Zhang Sanfeng's Commentary on the Elixir Classic, "Xuan Yao Chapter - Part 1: Personal Instructions to Emperor Yongle.

Zhang Sanfeng/Authored by Kong De/Annotated by the Sage Teacher's Personal Formula, a timeless treasure of wisdom. If it is passed on to people in the world, how many will know? Torn clothes are mended with clothes, and withered trees are nurtured with soil. When a person is damaged, how can it be replenished? The mechanism of Yin and Yang's creation. Take the elixir from Jiangkan and a branch of Golden Flower Dew. The clouds of joy spread across the sky, and auspicious light blocked the foundation. GUI was already in a daze, as if drunk and as if in a trance. The great red millet is like millet grains, shedding its shell to restrain non-action. Wandering freely in the vastness of the universe, all things are like pearls in the palm of your hand. If a person takes this medicine, his life will be as long as that of heaven and earth. If my life is not prolonged, all my words will be right and wrong. [Annotation] The opening of this poem points out that the incantations passed down in this poem are all the teachings of the predecessors who have personally imparted them from generation to generation. They should also be passed down from generation to generation now, for they will never become outdated. But when these immortal arts and techniques are passed down in the world, how many people can understand their mysteries and how many can comprehend their essence? When a person engages in the cultivation of immortality, the underlying principles are not mysterious at all. Let's give an example to illustrate: When our clothes are torn, the fabric is still used to mend them. When a tree is malnourished and its branches wither and leaves turn yellow, all that is needed to cultivate it is the soil on which it depends for growth. What does this indicate? It is indicated that the perfection of a thing must be complemented and compensated for by the similar factors that make up it, that is, it is reflected in the mutual affection and mutual pursuit among similar people. (Note: There is another phenomenon. When a tree is about to die, in order to bring it back to life, the dead part can be sawed off and a new tree of the same family can be grafted onto the trunk. Then it will have a second vigorous life.) This is also reflected in the beneficial phenomenon of similar matchmaking. But for this newly born tree, the phenomenon of life is no longer in its original form. So, when a person's life is compromised, what can be used to make up for it? It is obvious that they seek to be of the same kind. That is to look for the medicine to repair life from the human body - it's just the Yin and Yang energies. (Note: According to this theory, both the Pure Cultivation School and the Dual Cultivation School have their own explanations.) The Qingxiu School holds that a person has their own Yin and Yang within themselves and there is no need to rely on the opposite sex. The Dual Cultivation School holds that a person's body inherently has Yin and Yang. However, when the Yin and Yang in a person's body are insufficient to be replenished and repaired in the short term, relying on a complete opposite sex to nourish Yin or Yin to nourish Yang is undoubtedly a shortcut to cultivation. The Yuantong School of immortals holds that choosing between pure cultivation and dual cultivation is fundamentally not a matter of ethical views, but rather a matter of dialectical practice based on individual, time, environment and conditions. Some people's age, physical condition and mental state are not suitable for spiritual practice, so they should practice it. Some people are suitable for dual cultivation and should also pursue it. The ethical and moral views of immortals are based on the principles of conforming to the Dao, being reasonable, being in accordance with reason, being natural and scientific. They possess the nature that transcends time and space and realm, and cannot be viewed or commented on through any narrow and biased concepts that are restricted by time and space, such as ordinary, historical, regional or folk ones. Everything about it is astonishing. Having understood this principle, when we look at the elixir scriptures and Taoist books again, the same meanings in the books can be used for pure cultivation or applied to dual cultivation. The principle is consistent, but the methods are slightly different. Let's take one person's own Yin and Yang as an example. From the moment we were born, the Yin and Yang in our body were originally arranged in an orderly manner, with pure Yang at the top and pure Yin at the bottom. Pure Yang is Qian, and pure Yin is Kun. Just like nature, the sky is above and the earth is below. The sky has energy and the earth has matter. To give birth to and nourish all things, the energy of heaven and the matter of earth must undergo an exchange and transformation, with Yang energy entering the earth and Yin energy ascending to heaven. The universe is shrouded in mist, and its transformation is boundless, thus all things thrive and cease to exist. The yin-Yang universe bestowed upon human beings by nature was originally like this. The celestial Yang descends, and one's nature follows their destiny. The Earth Yin ascends, and the life receives the nature. In the future, Yin and Yang will alternate endlessly, and human life will also continue to thrive. To follow one's nature and destiny means to lower one Yang in the "Gan SAN" position, and then the "Gan" position becomes the hollow "Li SAN" hexagram. To connect one's nature with one's destiny means to elevate one of the Yin elements in the "Kun SAN SAN" hexagram, and thus the "Kun" position becomes the "Kan SAN" hexagram with inner substance. After the transformation from the innate to the later celestial, the deity in the "separation" position in the later stage is the true Yin spirit, which governs tranquility. The "Kan" position in the postnatal period represents the true Yang energy, which is proactive. When Yin and Yang, movement and stillness continue to alternate and cycle, and transformation and transportation never cease, life will have no end. But most people in the world have not deciphered this kind intention of the heaven. Instead, in their later lives, they have pushed the "Li" fire upwards in the form of spiritual thoughts and behaviors, and lost the "Kan" water downwards in the form of material essence. The energy and matter of the entire ecosystem of life are not used for the internal virtuous cycle; instead, the essence of this system is constantly being consumed outside the system. Then this ecosystem will naturally get worse and worse and won't last long. The cultivators of immortality have understood the mechanism of the creation of Yin and Yang in heaven and earth. Therefore, the effort they take is to cultivate the true Yang primordial energy in the "Kan" hexagram, allowing it to repair the life that has been lost. When we have completed all the cultivation work, the true Yang vital energy finally sprouts vigorously in our dantian. We compare it to blooming a golden flower for the tree of life. Once the tree of Life has the blooming of the golden flower of True Yang Primordial Energy, the entire life form will naturally develop towards the best condition, and everything in the ecosystem will become harmonious and beautiful, full of vitality. This is just like the weather in the world where the wind is gentle and the sun is shining, the rain is flowing with the wind, and the clouds in the sky are slowly turning into a riot of colors, bringing joy and peace. This scene is precisely the auspicious sign of benefiting life, blocking all possibilities of death. The innate and the acquired are like "one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things", following the sequence of birth. When all things reach their peak of life, they will die. The cultivation of immortals is to return from the acquired to the innate, from ten thousand to three, from three to two, from two to one, and from one to unite the Dao. Returning to the root of life along the path of death is thus called "returning". When one returns to harmony with the Dao, life is entirely created by the Dao. Therefore, the practitioners of alchemy are different from ordinary people. Ordinary people take "I" as the main body and "Dao" as the guest. Thus, in philosophy, the subjective refers to the self and the objective refers to the external nature. The alchemists take "the Way" as the main focus and "I" as the guest. In the process of cultivation, it is entirely "the guest follows the host's convenience". When one achieves unity with the Dao, "I" has been completely forgotten, just like drinking fine wine, intoxicated and lost in it. The sense of beauty, pleasure and comfort in the internal environment, which is characterized by the transformation and circulation of Yin and Yang, the subtle and unobstructed flow, and the ethereal and unambiguous nature, cannot be expressed in any words. When the true Yin and true Yang within the body cooperate and unite as one, it is called a golden elixir. Taoism refers to millet as a pearl, while Buddhism calls it a relic. If one truly acquires this golden elixir, further cultivation of martial arts will no longer pose a problem for the Yang spirit to shed its shell. From now on, the practice will merely be about "non-action", and there will be no more complicated methods or essentials. When the Yang spirit departs from its shell, a person truly enters a realm of infinite freedom. Mountains, rivers and the earth seem to be in the palm of one's hand. Life and time and space are in sync and in harmony, and there are no obstacles to one's behavior and functions. In conclusion, the key to immortal cultivation lies in obtaining golden elixirs and great medicinal herbs. If a person can obtain it, his lifespan can be as long as that of heaven and earth. If someone truly practices the essentials of inner alchemy but fails to live a long life in the end, then "my words" are nonsense. On the contrary, as long as you practice in accordance with the Dharma, there is no one who will not live a long life. Emperor Yongle refused to reveal the secrets of heaven lightly, fearing that the present might not be intense enough. After countless hardships and efforts, I now pass it on to the heavens and the earth. The emperor came to me to ask about the golden elixir, and the divine master left behind the immortality formula. What is the key to immortality? When the Dao is full and virtue is abundant, it is a good plan. To restrain desires, clear the mind and ease mental worries, immortals have no extraordinary skills. Kong De's Note: Mr. Zhang Sanfeng was a mysterious figure in the Ming Dynasty that several generations of emperors admired and sought after. It is precisely this particular history that makes those who, with certain ulterior motives, want to deny Zhang Sanfeng as a person and his deeds think they have found a reason to believe that Zhang Sanfeng is a fictional character. They thought that if it wasn't a fictional character, why couldn't several generations of emperors send people all over the country to search for it? Little do they know that Taoist figures have the heart of a carefree cloud and the sentiment of a wild crane, seeking freedom, ease and happiness. If one has neither a nameless heart nor any pursuit of profit, why bother to see the emperor! This poem was written to Emperor Yongle when he was desperately searching for someone who was difficult to find, to prevent them from being the ones who were hard to find. It was actually an exposure that was not to be seen directly. The "Biographies" of the "History of the Ming Dynasty" records: "In the 24th year of the Hongwu reign, envoys were sent to search for him but failed." "During the Yongle reign, Emperor Chengzu sent Hu 濙, the censure, along with Zhu Xiangzhai, the eunuch, to visit him with books and incense coins, traveling through the remote and desolate areas for several years but failing to meet him." "In the third year of the Tianshun reign, Emperor Yingzong bestowed upon him the title of Tongwei Xianhua Zhenren." Wang Xiling's "Biography of Mr. Sanfeng" provides a more detailed account of this: "In the seventeenth year of the Hongwu reign, on the 60th anniversary of the Hongwu reign, Emperor Taizu summoned Mr. Sanfeng with the courtesy of the Chinese and foreigners, but he did not attend." Eighteen years later, Shen Wansan strongly invited him, but he still refused to go. ... In the fourth year of Yongle, Hu Guang, a scholar who served as a tutor, reported that Mr. Hu was highly proficient in Taoist teachings and possessed extensive supernatural powers. In the fifth year of Dinghai, he ordered hu 濙 and others to travel all over the country to visit him. On the day Renchen of the tenth year, he ordered Sun Biyun to build a palace in Wudang to pay homage and sent a letter to invite him. They have been arrested for fourteen years without any trace. The emperor was furious and said, "You dare not come to see me." "Search widely." The vast fear reached Wudang under the starry night, burning incense and praying. It was the first day of the fifth lunar month of that year... Seeing Hu Guang's deep affection... Please see you. After entering the court, he immediately followed the order of the Qing Dynasty and drifted away." Later generations investigated the reason why Zhang Sanfeng did not meet the emperors of the Ming Dynasty. The "Yuanjiao Wai Shi" stated: "It is because he entrusted immortals to flee far away to fully uphold the integrity of the Yuan Dynasty." Therefore, he often called himself an old man of the Great Yuan and also praised himself as a remnant of the Great Yuan. The gentleman, deeply impressed by his reputation as a deity, thus concealed his solitary loyalty." This speculation might also have some merit. As Zhang Sanfeng held an official position in the Yuan Dynasty, it fell. However, the idea of "one minister not serving two emperors" was reflected in Zhang Sanfeng's traditional and natural qualities, which was also natural and reasonable. Then, it is most appropriate to use the affairs of immortals to cover up the purity of one's reputation and integrity. However, Wang Xiling's "Biography of Mr. Sanfeng" holds that the reason is that "the emperor has his own way and cannot be divided into golden elixirs and golden liquids to lead people's thoughts of striving for governance." In ancient times, the disasters caused by alchemists were all due to the immortals entering the imperial court, which was a step of arrogance. Those who have reached the state of sainthood and truth are by no means like Ye Fashan of the Tang Dynasty or Lin Lingsu of the Song Dynasty. This is a warning from the past. This means that the emperor is the one who practices the way of pacifying the people and governing the country. One cannot tempt him with the immortality arts and supernatural powers of immortals. If the emperor himself was obsessed with the immortality art of immortals, wouldn't he have abandoned the important task of pacifying the people and governing the country? Everyone has their own affairs in life. Those who can bring peace to the world should let them do so, and those who can serve the immortals should let them serve the immortals. This is also determined by each person's important tools and fate. On the other hand, there are also historical lessons of alchemists entering the imperial court and causing disasters. Like Ye Fashan of the Tang Dynasty and Lin Lingsu of the Song Dynasty, they once flaunted themselves in the imperial court and were favored by the emperor. Even the emperor's daughters married them. If one day his magic doesn't work and fails to meet the emperor's needs, he might be beheaded again. Why would a true immortal health preservation expert do such a foolish thing? Obviously, the latter better reflects Zhang Sanfeng's thoughts. When Emperor Yongle sent officials to visit Zhang Sanfeng, another poem sent by Mr. Sanfeng to Emperor Yongle read: "Idle clouds and flowing water do not take in themselves; why should the emperor be willing to seek?" From now on, I will keep my name and surname hidden. I will travel freely in the south and north of the mountains. This can be said to be an expression of Zhang Sanfeng's true thoughts. Zhang Sanfeng's "Poem in Response to Emperor Yongle" can also be regarded as an inheritance of the integrity of his tutor, Mr. Chen Tuan. In the past, Mr. Chen Tuan served in Wudang and slept on Mount Hua. His thoughts on the I Ching and the attainment of his cultivation were extremely high, renowned throughout China and commanding the court and the country. Zhao Kuangyin had repeatedly sent imperial edicts to the court, bestowed upon beautiful women brocade and silk, and intended to keep them in the court. In the end, he was politely declined by Chen Tuan and returned to the mountains, thus preserving his immortal aura for a lifetime. Not only that, when Zhao Kuangyin asked about the way of health preservation, Chen Tuan quoted Confucian ethics and thoughts on governing the world, which greatly impressed the emperor. This poem by Zhang Sanfeng also clearly reflects the ideological shadow of Chen Tuan. [Annotation] "The secrets of heaven are reluctant to be revealed gently, for fear that they are not intense enough today." This sentence states: The secrets of spiritual cultivation cannot be disclosed casually or easily. Why keep it so confidential? The reason for this does not lie in the fact that Taoism does not want to promote the Great Way. On the contrary, it would be even better if everyone could understand and practice the Great Way! The problem lies in the fact that people are classified as senior sergeants, middle sergeants and private sergeants. "Senior Sir, upon hearing the truth, diligently put it into practice;" The sergeant, upon hearing the truth, was either alive or dead. When the corporal heard the truth, he burst into laughter. It's not enough to say without a smile. It's not that they are unwilling to reveal the great Way, but they are afraid that people nowadays are not as virtuous as before and cannot diligently pursue the Way, but instead slander it! Note ① : "Fierce" means having a firm will and forging ahead without hesitation. "Through countless hardships and efforts, I have now passed it on to the heavens and the earth." In pursuit of and realization of the great Way, I have endured countless hardships and difficulties. The efforts and diligence I have made are rarely endured by the world. This indicates that to grasp the true essence of spiritual cultivation is by no means as easy as people imagine. It is precisely because I have gone through the "countless hardships and difficulties" of cultivation that I finally obtained the secret secrets of cultivation. That's why my master allowed me to pass on these true veins of the great way in the universe to future generations as a successor. The emperor sought me to ask about the golden elixir, and the patriarch left behind the elixir of immortality. This sentence says: Emperor, why did you go to such great lengths to send people to look for me five times? I understand very well in my heart: You merely said that the Golden Elixir and the Great Way can prolong one's life and make one immortal, and asked me to introduce a prescription to you, and you also went to apply it. There are many written instructions left by our predecessors regarding prescriptions for prolonging life and achieving immortality. There is nothing to keep confidential. Why do you have to ask me? How about the secret to immortality? When the way is full and virtue is abundant, a good picture is formed. "Abating desires, calming the mind and reducing mental worries, how could immortals have such extraordinary skills?" " This sentence says: If you ask what the secrets of immortality left by the predecessors and patriarchs are? It can be said that Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" is the ultimate representative. Its content is to enrich people's moral heart and nature, as well as the virtue and conduct of the general public. This is the sole intention and the only way to cultivate the Tao. To be more specific, restrain one's seven emotions and six desires, so that the mind and nature can be as pure as clear lake water, and thoughts can be as diluted as white clouds drifting in the sky with the wind. When the heart is calm and composed, the spirit is refreshed, and when the spirit is refreshed, the medicine condenses. The Taoist way of health preservation is so simple, inseparable from daily life and managing a family and governing a country. How could there be any special or magical skills? Kong De's note: After the poem "In Response to Emperor Yongle", there is a passage that reads: "Now there is another five-character poem: 'The golden elixir weighs one jin. Close your eyes and calm your mind.'" Just take it at home. Why bother looking outside? Refine the mercury of women and swallow the essence of men. "Jin Dan and Huo hou, Kou Kou is a vowel. It was written by Lu Zu at that time in response to Emperor Yongle." " It is said that a five-character poem was attached after this poem. But this poem was written by the founding master Lu Dongbin. It was just that Sanfeng Zushi used it to answer Emperor Yongle at that time.