Daoist Classics

"Vitality, Energy, Spirit"

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C^an Po-Tuan: The 400-Character Treatise on the Golden Elixir

p. 121 "combining the 4 signs"

containing	the light	of the eyen
freezing	the tones	of the earth
tuning	the breath	in the nose
sealing	the energy	of the tongue

p. 121 "the 3 flowers gathered on the peak"

successive tranformations

vitality

energy

spirit

space

p. 122 "the 2 substances in alchemy"

*house*	*master*
body	mind
its viciousness = tiger	its wildness = dragon

p. 122 struggles / battles

dragon	caelestial soul
tiger	earthly soul
sun	the vitality
moon	the spirit

pp. 122-123 seen in trance

*the true __*	*the inner sense/essence of __*
lead	real knowledge
quicksilver	consciousness

p. 123 mixture of lead & quicksilver in the central chamber

*use the __*	*of __*	*to __ them*
oil	non-doing	harmonize
uncut jewel	namelessness	settle

p. 123 real state

breeze ariseth	between the eyebrows
moon shineth	in the heart
fire burneth	in the lower abdomen
cartwheel	as midspine
limbs	as boulders
pores	as having bathed
bones & blood-vessels	as in deep sleep
the vitality & the spirit	as husband & wife in joyful embrace
the caelestial soul & the earthly soul	as mother & child hugging each other

p. 123 forming of the spiritual embryo

The caelestial soul hideth:	The earthly soul disappeareth.
The vitality co-agulateth:	The spirit congealeth.
The unified mind is flexible:	The skin is fresh.
The embryonic energy congealeth:	The spiritual infant manifesteth its form.
The mystic jewel taketh shape:	The caelestial spirit is imbued with reality.

C^an Po-Tuan: The Secret of Opening the Passes

p.	*divine place*	*its location in one’s body*
131	Ladder up to Heaven	spinal cord
	Pass of the Jade Pillow	the back of the brain
	Caelestial Eye	space between the eyebrows
	Bright Hall	space 1 inch inward
	Hidden Chamber	space 1 inch further in
	Nirvana Centre = "upper elixir field" ("repository of the spirit")	sphaerical opening 1.3 inches in diametre, 3 inches behind the centre of the eyebrows
	Pillar of the Nose = Golden Bridge	below the centre of the eyebrows
	Magpie Bridge	2 passages [sinuses] inward to the inside of the mouth
	Multi-storeyed Tower	windpipe, of 12 sections
	Crimson Chamber, where the dragon & tigre mate	opening below the heart
	Earth Pot = Yellow Court = "middle elixir field"	3.6 inches directly below that
	Root of Heaven & Earth, where the refined elixir is warmed & developed	opening 1.2 inches in diametre, where energy is stored between the left lung & the liver
131-2	(p. 131) Door of Life	the umbilical opening, having 7 channels connecting with the genitals. (p. 132:-) "The leaking of sexual energy takes place through these channels."
132	Crescent-Moon Jar = Ocean of Energy	behind the navel and in front of the kidneys
	Flower Pond = "lower elixir field" ("where vitality is stored, … where the medicine is gathered.")	1.3 inches below that
	Lower Bright Hall	on the left
	Lower Hidden Room	on the right

pp. 132-133 visualization of sequential locales of travelling "small snake" (p. 132) [= "true energy"] {cf. Kun.d.alini}

p.	*location*	*action*
132	the arches of the feet	rising
	the genitalia	the 2 streams of energy merge as 1 energy
	9 apertures of the coccyx	passing through
	where the ribs meet the spine	going through this pass
	Jade Pillow	press the tongue against the palate
	Nirvana Chamber	may feel hot or swollen
	Hidden Room	to open
	Bright Hall	also to open
132-3	Caelestial Eye	the 18,000 pores & 360 joints explode
133	Golden Bridge	descending
	Multi-storeyed Tower	cool water going down
	"return to the root"	bathe the internal organs
	"returning to life"	the complete cycling

Wan C^e: 15 Statements on the Establishment of a Teaching

p.	#	*Statement*
136	1^st	The mind gradually attaineth peace
	2^nd	A globe of light radiateth from within
136	3^rd	The light of the mind will gradually overflow
	4^th	Energies of the mountains and rivers
137	5^th	The jewelled palace within the body
	6^th	Harmony of the mind, wisdom, & the will
	7^th	Shut off the 4 gates (eyen, ears, mouth, nose)
138	8^th	The mind without a trace of thought
	9^th	Tuning a stringed musical instrument
		Forging a sword
	10^th	The 5 energies mass in the central chamber
		The 3 bases gather on the peak
		The blue dragon spouteth red mist
		The white tigre speweth black smoke
		Myriad spirits stand in rows
		The 100 channels flow gently
		The cinnabar sand shineth brightly
		The lead & quicksilver congeal clearly
	11^th	A bird taking to the sand ["The control of a bird is in energy" (p. 139)]
139	12^th	"All the holy hosts of heaven silently protect you, the infinite immortal adepts invisibly surround you. Your name is registered in the Violet City, and your rank is among the stages of immortals."
	13^th	"your spirit lives in the homeland of the immortal sages, your essence is in the realm of jadelike purity."
	14^th	"The spiritual body is formless. … Use it, and it penetrates everywhere."
139-40	15^th	Body = waterlily-root, in the mud	Mind = waterlily-blossom, in the air

Stabilization and Observation of Lin-pao (‘Spiritual Jewels) [from the Tun-hsu:an (‘Open Mystery’) section of the Daoist canon]

pp. 150-151 the 7 phases experienced by those who attain the Tao

p.	#	*phase*
150	1^st	"the mind attains stability and easily notices sense influences."
	2^nd	"body and mind become light and fresh."
	3^rd	"they repair unnatural damage and restore their natural life span."
	4^th	Immortals	Extend their life-span 10,000s of years.
151	5^th	Real People	Refine their physical bodies into energy.
	6^th	Spiritual People	Refine the energy into spirit.
	7^th	Perfected People	Refine the spirit to unite with the Tao.

Essential Secrets for Visualization according to the Immortals’ Antient T>ai-c^>in C^in (‘Books of Great Clarity’)

p.	*location*	*Name of location*	*baby/infant deity*	*Name of infant*	*Style of infant*
152	1.3 inches below navel	Lower field of cinnabar	sitting, facing outward	Occult Valley	Splendor of Original Creative Energy
	heart	Crimson Palace	scarlet-robed	Elixir of the Midnight South	Stability of Central Light
	1 inch inward from between eyebrows	Palace of Bright Halls
	to the left	Violet Chamber
	to the right	Crimson Room
	above	Palace of the Garden of Heaven
	2 inches inward from between eyebrows	Palace of the Secret Room
	1 inch above	Palace of Ultimate Reality
153	3 inches inward from between eyebrows	Upper field of elixir	sitting, dressed in scarlet	Imperial Officer Born of the 2^nd Mystery	Leader of the 3 Bases
	Above	Sacred Workshop of the Mystic Alchemy
	4 inches inward from between eyebrows	Palace of Liquid Pearl
	1 inch above	Palace of the Jade Emperor of Perfect Tranquillity
	under nose		sitting, in 5-hued robe	Where is the Father	Extending Vitality with the Mother
	*"It rides on a cloud up to the point of perfect tranquillity on the top of the head, where it commands the statements of the Jade Scripture of Great Clarity."*

p. 154 "This is called the Unity of the Trinity."

C^an San-fen: Commentary on Ancestor Lu:’s 100-Character-Tablet

p. 189 refinement

*Refine thy __*	*And "the __ __"*	*The Original __ __*
vitality	Tigre hisseth	Spirit solidifieth
energy	Dragon singeth	Energy remaineth safeguarded

p. 190 energies

"practitioners … see the two energies rising and descending in the center of their bodies,

yin and yang pairing in the alchemical crucible.

Suddenly they feel a thread of hot energy in their genitals, rising into the heart. …

Do this until the energy in the elixir field is full, and this forms the Medicinal Spoon, the linkage between the macrocosm and the microcosm."

pp. 190-191 tranquillity, stillness

"Then the body is peaceful in the Middle of Unfathomable Darkness,	the mind is clear in the Homeland of Nothing Whatsoever.
… all the body’s nerve channels spontaneously stop.	Sun and moon halt, and the stars do not revolve in the sky."

[Is this unfathomable darkness a waking-state trance-aequivalent to that of the transition between the waking-state and the sleeping-state?]

p. 191 movement: light, fire, sounds

"At the Extreme Limit, stillness gives rise to movement. Suddenly there is a point of spiritual light the size of a grain of rice.	This is the indication of the production of the medicine.
A blazing light passes through the kidneys like	boiling water;
the bladder is like	fire burning;
In the belly there are	sounds like a roaring gale and pealing thunder. …
When the Root of Heaven appears, it stabilizes the mastery of the mind; help this with the spirit, and the energy is like	fire applied to metal, passing up through the coccyx.
Lightly convey the energy, silently raise it, a ball of gentle energy, like	the reverberation of thunder,
bringing it up to the center of the brain, whence	it spurts out all over the body. …
From the Moon Cave, … when the energy has filled the brain …,	there leaks light from the origin of being."

[Is this "spiritual light" either an entry into (during a conscious transition from the waking to the dreaming state) the so-called "light of the path", which is supposed (in Tibetan literature) to be the waking-state trance-aequivalent to the "light of sleep" (which is in turn a diffuse light in the rememberable form of dreamless sleep)?]

p. 191 dew, pearl, elixir

"Then at the Extreme Limit, movement gives rise to yin, which has	transformed into a psychic water, like a sweet dew.
Inside one there is the pearl of spiritual awareness, which has settled in the Yellow Courtyard in the center of the self,	transmuting mercurial consciousness so that it becomes stable …
Go through … the whole cycle once, … and	the elixir will naturally crystallize."

[Is this crystallization an entry into (transition from) the "light of sleep" into the after-death realm?]

p. 191 microcosmic tour of the "unified energy" from the "medicinal spoon"

from within the Extreme Limit (tai-ji) it stirreth the Root of Heaven,	passeth the Dark Valley Pass
riseth up through the vertebrae until	it reacheth the Pass of the Valley of Heaven.
In the Moon Cave,	yin is born, fragrant, sweet delicious;
it goeth down to the Multi-storeyed Tower without stopping.	This is called "sweet dew bathing the Polar Mountain."

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C^an San-fen : On Human Characters.

pp. 211-212 upright people (as viewed by others)

*behavior*	*depretiative interpretation*	*appretiative interpretation*
independent, aloof	conceited	strong
modest	conformist	in harmony
serene, free	lazy	at peace
ebullient, spontaneous	eccentric	masterful
careful, strict	haughty	rigorous
simple, stable	uncultured	unspoiled
dutiful, unselfish	too conservative	uncompromising
transcendent, detached	one-sided	high-minded
mild, complacent	vulgar	genteel
pure, uncaerimonious	ignorant	awakened
unchanged, unbothered	strange	immortal

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Wan Hsien-c^>in: Focusing on Openings

p.	*opening*	*location*
256	Nirvana	top of the head
	Hall of Brightness	beween the eyebrows
	Root of the Mountain	between the eyen
	Tip of the Ruler	point of the nose
	Tongue-tip
	Yellow Court	a point away from the body, in front of the navel
	Upper Field	centre of head
257	Central Field	below heart, above navel
	Lower Field = Ocean of Energy	lower abdomen, below navel
	Welling Spring	centre of front part of soles of feet

Yuan-hua-tzu: Northern and Southern Schools

p. 261

School	*Southern*	*Northern*
*emphasis on mastery of __*	life	essence
*seeking spirit from the*	"other"	self
*effects*	rapid	slow

Ma Ho-yan: Four Steps

p. 265

#	*practice*	*result*
1^st	nurture energy	getting the medicine
2^nd	solidify spirit	crystallizing the elixir
3^rd	return to emptiness	projecting the spirit
4^th	return to reality	refining emptiness

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Thomas Cleary (translator): The Taoist Classics, Vol. 3. Shambhala, Boston, 2000. pp. 1-271