inner alchemy - step by step

Wang Mu

FOUNDATIONS OF INTERNAL ALCHEMY

The Taoist Practice of Neidan

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Introduction

Part 1

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Part 1: Introduction The Basis: Essence and Spirit

The Awakening to Reality (Wuzhen pian) was written by Zhang Boduan around 1075

Contains the orthodox transmission of Taoist Neidan Has been valued within all the Three Teachings (Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism)

Other works by (or attributed to) Zhang Boduan focus on the initial stage of the Neidan practice

1. Secret Text of Green Florescence (Qinghua biwen)

2. Four Hundred Words on the Golden Elixir (Jindan sibai zi)

3. Book of the Eight Vessels (Bamai jing)

Introduction

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In general, the cultivation of Ming (Life) should precede the cultivation of Xing (Nature)

Therefore doing (youwei) should precede non-doing (wuwei) However, the priority of Xing or Ming depends on the stage of the practice

1. First stage (Laying the foundations): Dual cultivation of Xing and Ming

2. Second stage (Refining Essence to transmute it into Breath): Emphasis on Ming

3. Third stage (Refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit): Emphasis on Xing

4. Fourth stage (Refining Spirit to return to Emptiness): One works only on Xing

Nature (Xing) and Life (Ming)

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The Awakening to Reality cannot be studied on the basis of the superficial meanings of its words

The large variety of terms used in the alchemical texts serves to intentionally conceal the true teachings

The most important points are not committed to writing

They are handed down in person from master to disciple Despite their obscure language, the Neidan texts simply take Essence, Breath, and Spirit as

the foundation

Essence, Breath, and Spirit are transmuted by means of the practice They coagulate in the Cinnabar Field, and form the Elixir

Imagery and Language

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Stages of the Alchemical Practicein Awakening to Reality

Part 2

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The Four Stages

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Part 2: Stages The Four Stages

The alchemical practice is generally divided into 4 stages:

1. Laying the foundations

Replenishes Original Essence, Original Breath, and Original Spirit within the body2. Refining Essence to transmute it into Breath

Generates a Breath made of the union of Original Essence and Breath3. Refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit

Generates a Spirit made of the union of Original Essence, Breath, and Spirit4. Refining Spirit to return to Emptiness

By refining Spirit one attains Emptiness and Non-Being

The Four Stages

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1: Laying the Foundations

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Part 2: Stages 1: Laying the Foundations

Introduction

At the beginning of the Neidan practice, one should replenish the basic constituents of the body

The basic constituents are Original Essence, Original Breath, and Original Spirit These are the Three Treasures (sanbao ) When the Neidan texts speak of refining the Elixir, they mean refining the Three

Treasures

Two main tasks at this stage

1. Preserving the state of Essence and Breath

2. Replenishing their shortage

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Superior virtue (shangde) refers to childhood and young age

Spirit and Breath are abundant There is no need to perform any practice to build the foundation

Inferior virtue (xiade) refers to adulthood and old age

Essence, Breath, and Spirit are consumed and should be replenished One should refine oneself using the practice of laying the foundations

Superior Virtue and Inferior Virtue

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Essence, Breath, and Spirit are a single entity they are not individual substances

From the point of view of the practice, however, they are distinguished and ranked according to their importance

Zhang Boduan establishes 5 levels:

1. Heart (xin)

2. Spirit (shen)

3. Breath (qi)

4. Essence (jing)

5. Intention (yi)

These 5 levels actually consist of the three families of Essence, Breath, and Spirit

Essence, Breath, Spirit (jing , qi , shen )

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Part 2: Stages 1: Laying the Foundations Main Points

The first step of the practice is guarding the Opening (shouqiao)

Different views of the One Opening of the Mysterious Barrier (xuanguan yiqiao)

1. It is the ancestral opening (zuqiao) between the eyebrows

2. It is the Cavity of the Yellow Court (huangting xue) above the navel

3. It is the lower Cinnabar Field (dantian) behind the navel

4. Is has no definite location

Actually guarding the Opening has different meanings according to the three main stages of the practice

1. At the first stage, one guards the lower Cinnabar Field

2. At the second stage, one guards the middle Cinnabar Field

3. At the third stage, one guards the upper Cinnabar Field

The Opening (qiao )

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The second step of the practice is clearing the barriers (tongguan)

The human body contains twelve ordinary channels (zhengjing) and eight extraordinary channels (qijing), or vessels

Among the Eight Vessels (bamai), the Function and the Control vessels (dumai and renmai) are the most important

The Function vessel is in the front of the body The Control vessel is in the back of the body

They should be cleared in order to allow Breath to circulate and to open a path for the upcoming refining of the Medicine

When the Function and Control vessels have been cleared, the six other vessels are also progressively cleared

The Vessels (mai )

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The Vessels (mai )

The Function vessel (dumai, right) and the Control vessel (renmai, left)

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At the stage of Laying the Foundations, one practices the circulation of Breath along the Control and the Function vessels

In the ascending path along the Control vessel, three points are arduous to overcome

1. The Barrier of the Caudal Funnel (weil), in the lowest section of the spine

2. The Barrier of the Spinal Handle (jiaji), in the back, across from the heart

3. The Barrier of the Jade Pillow (yuzhen), behind the head, across from the mouth

When the circulation of Breath reaches these three points, one frequently encounters obstructions that make it hard to pass through

The Three Barriers (sanguan )

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Part 2: Stages 1: Laying the Foundations The Functions of Essence, Breath, and Spirit

The whole Neidan process is ruled by Spirit

Spirit is stored within the Heart

Its movement in non-doing is called Original Spirit (yuanshen) Its movement in doing is called cognitive spirit (shishen)

One should perform practices to eliminate the impure thoughts

1. Collecting the mind (shouxin)

2. Guarding Unity (shouyi)

3. Ceasing thoughts (zhinian)

4. Entering the state of quiescence (rujing)

Spirit (shen )

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In Neidan, Breath involves both the breath of respiration and the precelestial Breath, or internal Breath (neiqi)

At the beginning of the practice, one performs the ordinary breathing

In the next stage, the inhaled breath rises along the Control vessel (dumai) and the exhaled breath descends along the Function vessel (renmai)

An an even more advanced stage, one does not rely on inhaling and exhaling

The spontaneous circulation of the internal Breath is called circulation of the hidden Breath (qianqi yunxing)

This is also known as the embryonic breathing (taixi)

Breath (qi )

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In Neidan, the terms Essence, Breath, and Spirit are used in different ways compared to the medical texts

The Neidan texts speak of two types of Essence

1. Original Essence (yuanjing) or precelestial Essence (xiantian jing)

2. Postcelestial essence (houtian jing) or essence of the intercourse (jiaogan jing, i.e., semen)

The Essence is the mother of the Elixir (danmu)

When it is damaged, it causes weakening and aging When it is restored, it can lead to a long life

The essence of the postcelestial state cannot generate the Elixir

Therefore Zhang Boduan uses the expression true seed (zhen zhongzi)

Essence (jing )

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Part 2: Stages 1: Laying the Foundations The Coagulation of the Three Treasures

The term refining derives from Waidan (External Alchemy)

In Waidan, the ingredients are refined by fire

In Neidan, the Essence (jing) is refined by the Spirit (shen)

In Neidan, therefore, Spirit is represented by Fire, and Essence is represented by Water At the initial stage, refining involves both Xing (Nature) and Ming (Life)

Refining (lian )

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Part 2: Stages 1: Laying the Foundations The Coagulation of the Three Treasures

The word harmonization has three meanings in Neidan1.Harmonizing the Spirit (tiaoshen)

The Spirit is related to the eyes By looking inwardly, the Spirit is collected within This is called circulating the light and inverting the radiance (huiguang fanzhao),

cessation and contemplation (zhiguan), or inner observation (neishi)

2. Harmonizing the breathing (tiaoxi)

Inhaling and exhaling through the nose Breathing should be subtle and long-drawn, continuous and uninterrupted

3.Harmonizing the Essence (tiaojing)

Original Essence is harmonized by not wasting ones material essence

Harmonization (tiao )

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Part 2: Stages 1: Laying the Foundations Conclusion

Laying the Foundations actualizes the inherent life force of the body

It applies the natural, spontaneous potential of the human being When Essence is abundant, when Breath is full, and when Spirit is flourishing, they are called

the three wholes (sanquan)

Conclusion of the Stage of Laying the Foundations

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2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath

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Part 2: Stages 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath

Refining Essence to transmute it into Breath is the first level after Laying the foundations

This stage of the practice is also called the Barrier of the Hundred Days (bairi guan)

This is only a conventional term It does not mean that this stage of the practice requires 100 days

Introduction

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According to the stages of the alchemical practice, the Medicine is divided into three types

1. External Medicine (waiyao)

The result of the stage of Refining Essence to transmute it into Breath It is then submitted to 300 cycles of refining

2. Internal Medicine (neiyao)

Obtained during the stage of Refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit Generated by the joining of Original Breath and Original Spirit

3. Great Medicine (dayao)

The result of the stage of Refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit Generated by the joining of the External and the Internal Medicines

The Medicine (yao )

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Essence, Breath, and Spirit coagulate with one another and form the Medicine

The practice of harmonization allows the Essence to collect itself and produce the mother of the Elixir (danmu)

Through further sublimation, the mother of the Elixir becomes the material foundation of ones inner refinement

This is called transmutation

Transmutation (hua )

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The River Chariot is the route defined by the Function and the Control vessels

At the stage of Refining Essence to transmute it into Spirit, this route is called the Lesser Celestial Circuit (xiao zhoutian)

The practice consists in the circulation of the Yin and Yang Breaths along this route

The River Chariot (heche )

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In Neidan, Fire is a metaphor of Original Spirit

When Original Spirit coalesces with Essence and Breath, they circulate along the Function and Control vessels

As they begin to circulate, they are heated by means of the Fire Times (huohou)

These are stages of advancement and withdrawal, slow and fast pace, and ascent and descent in the circulation of the External Medicine

The transmission of the Fire Times from master to disciple occurs only by means of oral instructions

The fast movement is called fierce fire (or martial fire, wuhuo)

The slow movement is called gentle fire (or civil fire, wenhuo)

To collect the Medicine, one uses the fierce fireTo heat and refine the Medicine, one uses the gentle fire

The Fire Times (huohou )

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The terms tripod and stove derive from Waidan (External Alchemy)

They represent the places where the Golden Elixir is refined

The tripod is in the upper Cinnabar Field The stove is in the lower Cinnabar Field

In the circulation of the River Chariot, the External Medicine rises to the Muddy Pellet, then descends and coagulates in the earthenware crucible (tufu)

In other words, it rises along the Control vessel and reaches the upper Cinnabar Field, then descends along the Function vessel and enters the lower Cinnabar Field

This stage of the alchemical practice is called the Great Tripod and Stove (da dinglu)

Tripod and Stove (dinglu )

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The terms collecting, sealing, refining, and extinguishing describe the completion of the process of Refining Essence and transmuting it into Breath

They are called the four oral instructions (si koujue) Collection, sealing, and refining constitute a series of methods of doing (youwei)

After 300 cycles of refining, a Yang radiance (yangguang) appears before ones eyes

When it appears twice, the Fire must be extinguished

At that time, one enters the state of non-doing (wuwei)

Collecting, Sealing, Refining, and Extinguishing(cai , feng , lian , zhi )

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Laying the foundations and Refining Essence and transmuting it into Breath constitute together the first part of the Neidan practice

When they are completed, one can proceed to the higher stages of the practice

Conclusion

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3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit

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Part 2: Stages 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit

Refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit is also called Barrier of the Ten Months (shiyue guan)

The Barrier of the Ten Months uses the metaphor of the 10-month pregnancy

Introduction

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Between the stages of Refining Essence to transmute it into Breath and Refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit there is an intermediate stage

At this intermediate stage, the Internal Medicine and the External Medicine coalesce together in the lower Cinnabar Field and form the Great Medicine (dayao)

After a further refining of 7 days, it forms the Embryo of Sainthood (shengtai)

The 7-day refining is called entering the enclosure (ruhuan) The Embryo of Sainthood is also called the Infant (yinger)

The Great Medicine (dayao )

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The Embryo of Sainthood is generated when Essence, Breath, and Spirit coagulate and coalesce one with the other

According to Liu Yiming, it also called the Infant (yinger), the One Breath prior to Heaven (xiantian yiqi), and the Golden Elixir (jindan)

As described by Wu Shouyang, it is the return of Spirit to the state of great stability (dading)

The Neidan masters speak of pregnancy in the middle Cinnabar Field

This should not be understood in a literal way

The Embryo of Sainthood (shengtai )

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The Embryo of Sainthood (shengtai )

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Generation of the Embryo

Source: Xingming guizhi (Principles of Balanced Cultivation of Nature and Life)


The four cardinal points (sizheng) refer to the four spatiotemporal markers Zi , Wu , Mao , and You

Zi, Wu, Mao, and You serve to mark the practice of bathing (muyu)

This term has different meanings according to the stage of the practice

In the Lesser Celestial Circuit, bathing consists in pausing Breath at the positions of Mao and You.

In the Greater Celestial Circuit, bathing consists in washing the mind and cleansing the thoughts, observing subtle silence and brightness with the eyes, and preventing the mind from wandering around and becoming unstable

Bathing at the Four Cardinal Points (sizheng muyu )

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Seven days after the Great Medicine has been obtained, one enters the stage of refining Breath to transmute it into Spirit

In the Lesser Celestial Circuit, the External Medicine is collected and is moved to the lower Cinnabar Field by means of the River Chariot

It passes through the tripod above (the Palace of the Muddy Pellet), reaches the stove below (the Cinnabar Field), and is sealed there in order to be preserved

In the Greater Celestial Circuit, instead, the tripod is moved below: now the Yellow Court is the tripod, and the lower Cinnabar Field is the stove

This is the practice of entering stability (ruding) One proceeds from doing (youwei) to non-doing (wuwei)

The Greater Celestial Circuit (da zhoutian )

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The Zi hour usually denoted the time between 11 PM and 1 AM

In Neidan, however, Zi hour is a code name to mean the time of the refining of the Medicine

It is unrelated to time Denotes a state or a condition It is a sign that the Great Medicine has been completed

The True Zi Hour (zheng zishi )

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4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness

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Part 2: Stages 4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness

This stage is also called the Barrier of the Nine Years (jiunian guan)

Nine years does not refer to the time required to achieve the Great Elixir It alludes, instead, to the story of Bodhidharma who sat facing a wall for 9 years This story is a metaphor for the stage in which one enters the practice of Xing (Inner

Nature)

The alchemical practice emphasizes the backward process of inverting the course (nixing)

Reverting to Emptiness and Non-Being is equivalent to returning to the Dao

Introduction

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Zhang Boduan describes the fourth stage of the Neidan practice using Buddhist principles to explicate the return to Emptiness

In particular, he explains the meaning of returning to Emptiness by means of the Buddhist idea of the true enlightened Nature

He was well-versed in the principles of the Three Teachings, and was extremely learned

However, he was ultimately a master of the Taoist Golden Elixir, and did not convert to Buddhism

Zhang Boduan and Buddhism

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The Infant is moved from the lower to the middle Cinnabar Field

It is further refined and nourished Then it is moved from the middle to the upper Cinnabar Field

This is called moving the embryo (yitai) Finally one obtains the Yang Spirit, which exits from the Gate of Heaven (tianmen)

This is called delivery of the embryo (chutai) As one dwells in constant stability and constant silence, the four elements return to

emptiness, and one escapes from the cycle of birth and death

This view of the return to Emptiness is the same as the view of Chan Buddhism

Therefore the final state of realization is the same in both teachings

Returning to Emptiness

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Returning to Emptiness

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Delivery of the Infant

Source: Xingming guizhi (Principles of Balanced Cultivation of Nature and Life)


Zhang Boduan belongs to the Taoist alchemical tradition, and his approach to the question of form and spirit differs from Buddhism

The goal of Buddhist self-cultivation is crossing to the other shore, undergoing reincarnation, and obtaining ultimate bliss through rebirth

The corporeal frame is seen as a temporary lodge Taoism, instead, maintains that form and spirit should be in agreement with one another

Body and Spirit

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inner alchemy - step by step

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