Volume 8 Relieve stagnation

Some may ask, "There are many ways of humanity, and it is extremely difficult to seek immortality. If there is no need to abandon it, then one should not handle all matters simultaneously." In the field of art and literature, the affairs of joy and sorrow, and the way of a ruler and his subjects, can Hu take their place? Baopuzi replied, "If one is not bothered by the way, what is truly delightful will be heard." But if one is worried about the lack of determination and firm belief, why should one be concerned about the failure of human reasoning? How difficult is it for a person of great talent to cultivate both? Cultivate the way of health preservation within, and illuminate the world externally. By governing oneself, one can achieve physical growth; by governing a country, one can ensure national peace. A senior scholar who instructs the common people with the Six classics, imparts his confidants with the art of alchemy, and if he wishes to stay short, he should stop and adjust to the right time; if he wishes to rise, he should ascend to the heavens and lift himself up lightly. If one cannot achieve success by relying on one's own talent and ability, then one should abandon oneself in the world and focus solely on moral cultivation. This is the second best. In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor, shouldering the responsibility of the four seas, did not hesitate to take the initiative to expand the lake. Peng Zu served as a minister for eight hundred years and then moved westward to Liushan. Bo Yang was a Zhu Shi, Ning Feng was a Tao Zheng, Fang Hui was a Lu Shi, Lu Wang was a Grand Tutor, Qiu Sheng served in the Yin Dynasty, Ma Dan held an official position in the Jin Dynasty, Fan Gong Ba Yue and Fei Hai, Qin Gao held a tablet in Song Kang, Chang Sheng lowered his mind to hold a whip, and Zhuang Gong kept his tools in the hands of a minor official. Many ancient people achieved enlightenment and improved the world. They cultivated themselves in the imperial court, which is why they had the remaining strength. Why build in the mountains and forests, completely neglecting the affairs of the common people, and then achieve success? There are also those who are at peace and quiet, detest noise, take pleasure in indulgence, and regard honor and position as a source of sorrow. They wear silk threads, eat grass, and engage in 耜, enjoying the three kinds of pleasures. They remain steadfast until the end, do not seek a mere existence, and are not afraid of a quick death. They resign from a thousand-gold offer and neglect the status of a prime minister. Even without much cultivation, it is still like this. Moreover, if one knows the way of immortals, they will surely not be willing to serve themselves in this world. Everyone should follow their own will and cannot be generalized. Baopuzi said, "In the world, it is said that a good word is more valuable than a thousand pieces of gold, because it is also the gain and loss of the military and the state, and the praise and criticism of one's own conduct." As for imparting to others the secret of immortality and teaching them the way to stay alive, it is no different from the kind words of ordinary people. Then, why would it be nothing but a thousand pieces of gold? If there is someone who is in distress, ill or on the verge of death and can be saved and cured, it is undoubtedly a great and generous act of kindness. If one were to follow the immortal scriptures and fly the Nine elixirs, water, gold and jade, then all in the world could be made immortal. The benefits would not only be equivalent to saving one person's life. The virtues of the Yellow Emperor and the old man are indeed immeasurable, yet none can surpass their understanding. They are called groundless words, which is truly lamentable." Baopuzi said, "If one desires to be a deity, one must obtain its ultimate essence. The ultimate essence lies in the practice of the precious spirit 炁. A large dose is sufficient; there is no need for more." However, these three matters have varying degrees of depth and are not worth a wise teacher. Without diligence and hard work, one cannot be fully understood in a hasty manner. Although it is said to do 炁, there are several ways to do 炁. Although it is called "room", there are nearly a hundred kinds of techniques within it. Although it is said that one should take medicine, there are a thousand prescriptions for taking it. When first imparting knowledge to others, one should start from the very beginning. Only when one is determined and diligent can they understand the key points. Therefore, the practice of 炁 can either cure all diseases, or prevent epidemics, or restrain snakes and tigers, or stop sores and bleeding, or allow one to live in water, or allow one to walk on water, or relieve hunger and thirst, or prolong life. The most crucial aspect is merely the breathing of the fetus. Those who have achieved fetal breathing can refrain from breathing through their noses and mouths, as if they were in the womb. Then the path is accomplished. At the beginning of the practice of 炁, draw 炁 through the nose and close it. For Yin, count to 120 with the heart, then slightly exhale through the mouth and draw it in. Do not want to hear the sound of 炁 coming in and out, often making the intake more and the output less. It is considered a wait when the hair is covered above the nose and mouth, and the exhalation 炁 does not move. By gradually increasing one's mental count, one can reach a thousand in the long run. When reaching a thousand, the number of elderly people becomes even fewer, and it gets worse day by day. One should live 炁 rather than die 炁. Therefore it is said that the immortal takes six 炁, this is what is called. There are twelve hours in a day and a night. From midnight until six o 'clock in the morning, one is born 炁; from noon until six o 'clock in the morning, one is dead 炁. At the time of death 炁, doing 炁 is of no benefit. Those who make good use of 炁 boo water, and the water flows backward several steps; SHH the fire, and it will be extinguished. Boo the tiger and the Wolf. The tiger and the Wolf lie still and cannot move. Boo the cobra, but it will twist and cannot go. If someone is wounded by a weapon, the bleeding will stop. I heard that a poisonous insect had struck me. Though I didn't see the person, they booed my hand from afar. The man booed me to the left and the woman booed me to the right. And even though they were a hundred miles away, they all healed in an instant. If one is stricken with an acute illness, but swallows the 炁 of the third nine, it also indicates a time difference. But human nature is often impetuous; few can remain calm to cultivate their spiritual path. It also has a major intention of 炁, not wanting to eat too much, and eating raw and fresh vegetables, which makes it 炁 hard to stop. It is also forbidden to be angry or resentful. If one is too angry or resentful, there will be 炁 chaos. Since it cannot be overexpressed, it may lead to 欬. Therefore, there are few people who can do anything. My great-grandfather, the immortal, would often fall to the bottom of the abyss when he was extremely drunk or in the heat of summer, and would not come out for a day. This was because he could close the 炁 fetal breath. There are more than ten methods in the room, some for healing injuries, some for treating various diseases, some for nourishing Yin and tonifying Yang, and some for prolonging life. The most important thing is to restore essence and nourish the brain. This method is passed down orally by a true person and is not written in books. Even if one takes famous medicines, if they do not know this principle, they will not be able to achieve immortality. A person cannot completely eliminate Yin and Yang. When Yin and Yang do not interact, it will lead to diseases such as congestion and 阏, thus resulting in seclusion, resentment, emptiness, frequent illness and a short life. Letting one's heart run wild will also ruin one's life. Only by achieving the harmony of self-restraint and self-promotion can one avoid harm. If one does not master the art of the oral formula, no one can do it without harming their own evil spirit. Xuan Suzi was all subordinate to Duke Peng Zu, covering up his coarse affairs, but never wrote down the most important things on paper. Those who aspire to immortality should diligently pursue it. I follow the words of my teacher, Lord Zheng, and thus record them to indicate those who will believe in them in the future. It is not an arbitrary statement. I still haven't fully grasped the essence. A Taoist priest with a single brush might want to focus solely on the art of handover to regulate immortals, rather than making a powerful elixir. This is extremely foolish." Baopuzi said, "The origin of the Daoist script was from Huanglaozi, with a few ears. It led many later enthusiasts to grow based on their knowledge and views, and thus the volumes were piled up in the mountains." The ancients were simple and unadorned, and many of them lacked talent. The physics they discussed were neither comprehensive nor clear, and the methods they verified were not clear. They all lacked the essentials and were difficult to understand. Their understanding was not profound enough to elaborate on subtle words, to enlighten 愤悱, to encourage those with aspirations, to teach the beginning of learning, and to enable people to know the profound paths and the sources of fortune and misfortune. No matter how many times one recites it, it is simply impossible to achieve. Although one desires to explore extensively, it is advisable to carefully select the good ones and then pay attention to them. As for the unnecessary books, there is no need to delve into them. The humble scholars, regardless of the depth of the author's knowledge, wrote about the words of Taoism, filling up boxes and baskets, and devoted themselves to pondering over them. It is like exploring the swallow's nest to seek the phoenix's eggs and searching the bottom of the well to catch eels. Even if one is diligent, it is not what one has. If one cannot do it, it can be used. Without reason, the sun and the moon are wasted. There is only fatigue and toil, but no benefit at all. If one advances in a way that is not appropriate for the world and retreats without achieving the effect of immortality, then all should offer guidance, saying, "He has been so diligent in his cultivation of the Tao but has not been able to save the world. There is no way in the world that does not lead to immortality." And not knowing that one's pursuit of immortality is like standing by a river and envying fish, and not having a net is not because there are no fish in the river. Although the other five thousand writings originated from Laozi, they are all general discussions and rather brief. Among them, if one refuses to recount the entire matter from beginning to end, there is something that can be supported. But reciting this scripture in secret without grasping the key points is in vain. How much more so than that? As for the disciples of Wen Zi, Zhuang Zi and Guan Ling Yin Xi, their writing style, although their ancestors have mentioned the teachings of Huangzi and Laozi and their principles are mysterious and abstruse, they have never delivered any profound words when it comes to interpreting their major intentions. Some even consider life and death as the same, saying that there is no difference between taking survival as 徭役 and death as rest. The immortals who have passed away have already reached a hundred thousand miles. How could they possibly indulge in pleasure? His fables and parables are still worth adopting. They can be used to provide for the common needs, to satisfy the fatigue of the common people, and so that the treacherous and unscrupulous villains in the end times can take Laozi and Zhuangzi as their hideouts. Isn't that also a pity?" Some say: "To govern the world with wisdom and wisdom, only the virtuous are precious. Those who study immortals are reluctant to enter officialdom. Everyone is cultivating the Tao. Who would assist in state affairs?" Baopuzi said, "Those who live in the mountains with their backs to the holy Lord are called tall because their nests are small." Zhuangbo was thus highly regarded for those who had the virtue to retreat from the world. The reign of Xuanyuan over the world can be regarded as the ultimate truth, and Guangcheng does not follow suit. During the reign of Emperor Yao of the Tang Dynasty, the four seas were peaceful, but 偓 quan was unable to assist him, and his virtue was not diminished, nor was his talent lacking. During the Tianyi Revolution, Wu Guang carried a stone to throw himself into the river. Ji Wu overthrew the Shang Dynasty, but Yi and Qi refused to eat in the Western Mountains. When the Qi Huan Dynasty was in full swing, Shao Ji was perched high in a humble alley. The flourishing of Wei culture, and the dry wood scattered along the West River. The Four Elders stationed in Shangluo were as numerous as the scholars of the Han Dynasty. Zhou Danglin 跱 in linsou, without damaging Guangwu's xingcuo. The emperor's favor and nobility cannot touch his heart, and his wealth cannot change his good will. Youdaoplaceholder0 Canglang, neither humble nor disrespectful, uses fragrant forests as terraces and pavilions, steep peaks as grand buildings, green orchids as 絪 beds, green leaves as curtains 幙, brown clothes as fine clothes, fragrant plants as fine food, only farming to satisfy hunger, only weaving to protect the body. For thousands of years, this has happened from time to time. Moreover, he has entrusted his relatives to the state and family, donated his house and family without care, and left his glory as if it were abandoned. There is no desire in the heart. Ling Songjun goes alone, his companions influencing the famous mountains, looking inward into the formless realm, and listening to the most silent, within the eight extremes, how many people will suddenly come? And my son is afraid that the king will have no subjects. Isn't that also very worrying? Some say: "Those who study immortals, if they only purify themselves and forget the chaos of the great family, and if they go against the Lord of the world and have the arrogance of disobedience, I'm afraid they will not succeed in immortality and their SINS will come to light." Baopuzi replied, "The man from the north, Shi Hu, was good at the state of Juanzi. Both were of great talent. He remained calm and unrestrained, cultivated his noble character, and thus did not fall behind in promotion and demotion or lack in great transformation." Even those who study to become immortals may not possess the talent to govern a country, the ability to establish a court, gain them without adding any benefits, and discard them without causing even the slightest loss. Nowadays, there are nine people living in the same house, but they come to serve in seclusion and desolation. Yuan Kai has entrusted them with savings, but they are of no use. A scholar needs to wait for a second place to be delayed, and an official has no position to be temporarily absent. Those who have been diligent for a long time will sigh at being too late to speak, and those with great achievements will feel frustrated by being overly dependent on their knowledge. Among the abundance, nothing is more beautiful than this; for a mere person, nothing is lacking. Xi Zi Jin gave up the duty of Shi Shan and the heavy duty of Chu Er, but King Ling did not scold him for being unfilial. Yin Sheng, who was in charge of the position of a leading scholar, violated the duties of Shi Yi, and was thus accused of being disloyal by Zhou Bu. Why is it that he truly shows that he is not looking down upon the world or the Lord? It is simply because his interests are different. The will of an ordinary person is unchangeable. A virtuous ruler, being tolerant of impurities and forgiving, knows that people's hearts are not the same and that each source has its own nature. He does not force or restrain himself. He reveres light and has no partiality or resentment from those above and no joy or delight from those below. Therefore, he can spread his warm voice in all directions, making others feel embarrassed upon hearing the wind. I have heard that when the wind rises, the incense burns cease; when the world is in turmoil, the extraordinary men retreat. Now that the chaos has been quelled, the cattle and horses have been put aside, the beacon towers have vanished, and the weapons are carried away. The weak and the weak have been weakened, the Lu Que is about to cook, the descendants have stepped out of the dark curtains and turned to the streets and alleys, and Xinyue has released his armor and started fishing. How could there be a single immortal? Why is the country so indifferent to this? However, the key lies in having few thoughts and desires, and the cause is to enjoy a long life. If it is not the ugliness of competition and the burden of harming the common people, what sin could it be? Moreover, the vastness of Hua Huo, the vastness of the vast sea, is so high that it does not await the arrival of the surging clouds, so deep that it does not await the flowing water. A handful of soil is not enough to reduce its steepness, and a spoonful of water is not enough to narrow its width. There are only a few immortals in a lifetime; how could it undermine the power of a person?" Some say: "If the path to immortality can be obtained, why is it not recorded in the Five Classics, why did Zhou and Confucius not speak of it, why did the sages not save the world, and why does the supreme wisdom not endure?" If Zhou Kong did not know this, he could not be a sage. If one knows but does not learn, there is no way of immortality. Baopuzi replied, "The stars of life each have their own value. I will elaborate on them in other chapters." The son can be said to be wearing a basin and looking up, not seeing the brilliance of the seven stars. For the time being, I lead the great river, not knowing the strangeness of the deep pool. There are countless things not recorded in the Five Classics, and there are many things not mentioned by Zhou and Confucius. I would like to briefly mention it for my son. Although the laughter could not be stopped, the situation was hard to be fully opened up, and I asked your son to hear that he was rather vague about it. Heaven and earth are the greatest of all things. The Nine Sages jointly formed the I Ching, which is sufficient to encompass Yin and Yang and cannot be compounded. Now I ask those who are good at the I Ching: How many li are the degrees of the universe, the vastness and narrowness of the four seas, and the phases and boundaries of the cosmos? Where does the upper pole reach, where does the lower one hold, and its rotation, who drives it? The sun and moon move slowly and rapidly, the nine paths follow, the darkness and brightness are short, the seven stars rise and fall, the five latitudes expand and contract, the crown and the crown are thin and eroded, the four and seven ridges break, the coma protrudes, the qi arrow is different, the scenery is old and auspicious, the hour remains motionless, the Zhenxing is alone in the east, Xihe is hot in the outer view, the observation is cold in the inner view, Tianhan is moist and downward when seen from above, the waves and tides change in size, the five tones and six elements The emotions of joy and anger, the movement of clouds and the rise of qi, contain auspicious and inauspicious signs, 欃, spear, you, arrow, the beginning of the ten-day period is red and continuous, the four guards and five cuts, the celestial dog returns to evil, either indicating success or failure, the emergence of clear change, cannot be discussed here. If I ask the family of the four poetry and books of the Spring and Autumn Period and the three Rites, I will find no answer to all of them. All of them are said to be not recorded in the orthodox text, but only the Seven Stars Record of Xi Meng in the Shenhai of Wu Xian Gan Gong Shi is all included. I will ask, "Are the books of these six schools the teachings of the classics?" He will say no. I was about to ask again, "Is the man of Gan Shi a sage?" He also said no. However, when people are born, they wear the sky; when they reach old age, they walk on the ground. But when they seek it from the Five Classics, they cannot find it; when they seek it from the books of Zhou and Confucius, they cannot. Now, is it better to consider everything as illusory? The universe is so vast that even when one looks up, one cannot see it. How much more so when it is the most mysterious and the most wonderful? He then asked the layman again: In the land where the cloud cocoon is born, the people whose liver and heart are immortal, they live in their nests, with one eye and three heads, horses and dogs' hooves, slender arms and crossed legs, no man in the yellow pool, piercing the chest and beside the mouth, Linjun raises stones and turns earth boats, sand touches wood and gives birth to dragons, Nuwa emerges from the ground, Du yu falls from the sky, 甓 flying dogs speak, mountains move and villages shift, the troops of the three armies all disappear in an instant, the gentleman becomes a crane, the small person turns into sand, the female ugly lean on the withered, two carry the shackles, the insects that dwell there The armor and meat, the two-headed snake, the bow made of the string, the wood without ash, the fire without heat, the birds of Changshu, the beast without eyes, the head without body, the body without head, the Jingwei filling the sea, the interweaving and succession, the cloth washed by fire, the knife for cutting jade, the smell of fire and the pungent smell, the grinding of mud and the water, the dry pouring to transform into shape, the mountain kui to follow, the stone to repair nine heads, the square human face, the thousand hei Bo rate, the service of the holy minister to clear frost, the Western Qiang with the tiger Jingxing The Xianbei took advantage of the strength of the turtle, the Lin County appointed the divine Record king, the Yong Shu appointed the flowing corpse emperor, the Salt God infant came and the insects flew, looking at the world's changes in the Jingxiu Mountain, the Five Ding led the snake to lean down, and the meat flapped its wings in the three seas. A golden bamboo slip with jade characters was posted beside the Yu Well. The upright machine is balanced and cut within the stone. All such wonders, numbering in the thousands, are not recorded in the Five Classics or mentioned by Confucius. Can they all be said to be nothing? As for the Southern people being able to enter a pillar to reach their ears, stop the enemy's elbow water to control the string, Bo Hun being able to walk a hundred feet high and stand on his heel, Lu Liang being able to sing a song to pass through the deep, Song Gong defeating Xiang ye to deceive the real, Gong Shu Fei Mu Xuan 's bian 翾, Zhu 觌 a hair tip less than a hundred steps away, Ben achieving the strength of ten thousand pounds, the Yue people holding a needle to save their lives, Shu Hai surpassing the mark of a thousand miles, Ying people wielding their axes against the chalk on their noses, and Zhong Du bare their bodies in the cold, all these were beyond the capabilities of Zhou Kong. Can it then be said to be non-existent? If a sage is truly unable to do something, it is not his fault for not being an immortal. Not being an immortal does not prevent him from being a sage. A sage is never idle, so how could he be the master who overcomes difficulties? A sage may be able to stay or leave, let nature take its course, have a body without selfishness, be alive without taking care of it, leave life and death to the will of heaven, and rely on fate for long and short. Therefore, it is not strange that he does not learn from immortals.