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Foundations of Internal Alchemy A Slideshow PDF
Foundations of Internal Alchemy A Slideshow PDF
Foundations of Internal Alchemy A Slideshow PDF
1
This slideshow is a summary of:
Wang Mu
Paperback • PDF
ISBN 978-0-9843082-5-5
Web page:
www.goldenelixir.com/press/tao_01_foundations.html
2
Index of Main Subjects
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 3
Part 1
Introduction
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 4
Part 1: Introduction — The Basis: Essence and Spirit
Introduction
• 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)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 5
Part 1: Introduction — The Basis: Essence and Spirit
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 6
Part 1: Introduction — The Basis: Essence and Spirit
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 7
Part 2
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 8
The Four Stages
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy: An Outline © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 9
Part 2: Stages — The Four Stages
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 10
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 三寶)
‣ 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 12
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations”
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 13
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations”
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 14
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — Main Points
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 15
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — Main Points
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 16
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — Main Points
The Function vessel (dumai, right) and the Control vessel (renmai, left)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 17
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — Main Points
• 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 (weilü), 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 18
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — The Functions of Essence, Breath, and Spirit
Spirit (shen 神)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 19
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — The Functions of Essence, Breath, and Spirit
Breath (qi 氣)
• 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)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 20
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — The Functions of Essence, Breath, and Spirit
Essence (jing 精)
• 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)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 21
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — The “Coagulation of the Three Treasures”
“Refining” (lian )
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 22
Part 2: Stages — 1: “Laying the Foundations” — The “Coagulation of the Three Treasures”
“Harmonization” (tiao 調)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 23
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)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 24
2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 25
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
Introduction
• “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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 26
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 27
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
Transmutation (hua 化)
• 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
one’s inner refinement
‣ This is called “transmutation”
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 28
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 29
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 30
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
• 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)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 31
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
• 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 one’s eyes
• When it appears twice, the Fire must be extinguished
• At that time, one enters the state of “non-doing” (wuwei)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 32
Part 2: Stages — 2: Refining Essence to Transmute it into Breath
Conclusion
• “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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 33
3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 34
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
Introduction
• “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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 35
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
• 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 (ying’er)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 36
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
• 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 (ying’er), 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 37
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 38
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
• The “four cardinal points” (sizheng) refer to the four spatiotemporal markers Zi 子, Wu 午,
Mao 卯, and You 酉
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 39
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
• 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)
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 40
Part 2: Stages — 3: Refining Breath to Transmute it into Spirit
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 41
4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 42
Part 2: Stages — 4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness
Introduction
• 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”
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 43
Part 2: Stages — 4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 44
Part 2: Stages — 4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness
Returning to Emptiness
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 45
Part 2: Stages — 4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness
Returning to Emptiness
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 46
Part 2: Stages — 4: Refining Spirit to Return to Emptiness
• 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
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 47
Part 3
Conclusion
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 48
Part 3: Conclusion
• The Taoist “arts of the Way” (daoshu) derive from two sources
1. The shamanic and mediumistic arts (wushu), which involve such practices as the use of
talismans, spells, prayers, and planchette writing (fuji)
2. The self-cultivation arts, which include breathing, diets, etc.
• Zhang Boduan emphasizes that the “Medicine” is a function of Essence, Breath, and Spirit
that coagulate with one another
• For those who study these subjects, Zhang Boduan’s work is invaluable
‣ It enables us to investigate the meaning of life
‣ It allows us to probe into life’s very own secret
Wang Mu, Foundations of Internal Alchemy © Golden Elixir Press 2012 www.goldenelixir.com 49
This slideshow is a summary of:
Wang Mu
Paperback • PDF
ISBN 978-0-9843082-5-5
Web page:
www.goldenelixir.com/press/tao_01_foundations.html
50
Wang Mu
Originally written for Chinese readers, this book provides a clear description of the Taoist
practice of Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. The author outlines the stages of the alchemical
practice and clarifies several relevant terms and notions, including Essence, Breath, and
Spirit; the Cinnabar Fields; the "Fire Times"; and the Embryo. The book is based on the
system of the Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), one of the main sources of Internal
Alchemy, and contains about two hundred quotations from original Taoist texts.
Wang Mu (1908-92) received the Longmen ordination in his youth. He taught Internal
Alchemy (Neidan) and was held in high regard by both Taoist practitioners and scholars. He
served as a board member of the China Taoist Association and was for some time in charge
of its research activities. He is known outside China mainly for his annotated edition of the
Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality), the text at the basis of the outline of Internal Alchemy
that he provides in the present book.
Web page:
www.goldenelixir.com/press/tao_01_foundations.html
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