On the Cantong Qi (11): Know the White, Keep the Black; Spirits Naturally Come

The virtue of the higher is non-action; it does not seek through observation. The virtue of the lower is action; its use never ceases. This speaks of the natural Way—like human breathing: though a person breathes at every moment, when one does not attend to it there is no awareness; though it seems one does not know where it resides, it yet operates without end—this is the higher method. To still the breath with intention is the mind; if not with intention, it is the spirit. Thus when the mind does not move, intention ceases; spirit naturally appears and regulates—this is the way of mind and breath depending on each other, mind and spirit becoming one. And if operation occurs only when a thought arrives, and does not when no thought comes, then one must keep a single luminous awareness at every moment, not separating for even a hair—this is the lower method. Therefore cultivation practice is not confined to brief periods of silent sitting; walking, lying, standing, and sleeping can all be natural and effortless—training itself without practice, turning without being operated, accomplishing all things though non-doing. When the upper is closed, it is called "having"; when the lower is closed, it is called "not-having." That which is not-having serves that which is above; above, the virtue of spirit resides. This is the method of the two apertures; the qi of metal also depends on each other. "Key" is male; "closed" is female. Having and not-having—these two arise from the same source under different names; both are called profound, hence they form the profound female. Closing the upper is gathering medicine above in the nine palaces; having obtained it, one enters downward into the Yellow Court. Closing is drawing lead from beneath the Winding River and transporting it upward to the inner court. The Wuzhen Pian says: "To make the valley spirit deathless, one must establish the foundation upon the profound female." The Jinbi Jing says: "Having and not-having each regulate each other; above dwells the Azure Dragon. The two not-havings share one having; the numinous transformation's subtlety is hard to peer into." "That which serves above and has the virtue of spirit residing" is flying the golden crystal from behind the elbow, returning the crystal into the Muddy Pellet, drawing lead and adding mercury to form the great medicine. Know the white and keep the black; spirits naturally come. White is the essence of metal; black is the foundation of water. White is something known but not yet seen; if one only keeps to the dark place, then within black there is naturally light—this is "spirits naturally come," which is the essence of metal. Black is the image of water, hence called water-gold. Water is the pivot of the Dao; leaving the count, it is named the One. Heaven first begets water—not by using water, but what is used is that which begets water, that is water-gold. Of yin and yang's beginning, the profound contains the yellow sprout. Form is born of the formless—how would Qian and Kun arise? Thus there is Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, and Taisu. Taiyi is where qi is not yet seen. Taichu is the beginning of qi. Taishi is the beginning of form. Taisu is the beginning of substance. Qi, form, and substance are complete yet not yet separated, hence called "hunlun" (the undifferentiated mass). Hunlun means that all things are mixed and formed together without yet being separated. Yin and yang are the Supreme Ultimate; that from which they begin is precisely the undifferentiated mass. The beginning of form is Taishi; of substance, Taisu; of qi, Taichu. Qi, form, and substance are mixed and not yet divided. Thus in harmonizing the four images, dragon and tiger copulate, spirit and qi embrace each other, blending into one mass—this is the image of the undifferentiated mass. Having and not-having both arise from this; hence it is called profound. Within the profound is contained yellow—hence heaven and earth are xuan (dark) and huang (yellow), and it is the sprout, the place where life qi first buds. The master of the five metals: the Northern River Chariot. Five Zi return to Geng, hence the name five metals. The central qi of heaven is one; the southern qi of cinnabar heaven is three; the northern qi of dark heaven is five; the western qi of plain heaven is seven; the eastern qi of azure heaven is nine. Thus the east from Ren-Zi returns to Geng-Shen in nine counts; the north from Bing-Zi returns to Geng-Chen in five counts; the south from Wu-Zi returns to Geng-Yin in three counts; the west from Jia-Zi returns to Geng-Wu in seven counts; the center Wu-Zi originally had one count, and returning to Geng-Xu gains eleven counts, together making twelve. Counted as thirty-six counts, this is one small circuit. The Zhong-Lü Chuan Dao Ji says: In the past, ambitious and wise men observed that floating clouds obscuring the sun could be taken as yin and made into a canopy; observed that fallen leaves floating on waves could carry things and be made into boats; observed that drifting tumbleweed rides the wind back and forth without ceasing—then withdrew and made a cart. And as for the cart as an object, its frame has the image of heaven and earth; its hub and wheels are like sun and moon. Therefore the circuit's operation is likened to the river chariot: metal is contained in water; Zi is water; the five Zi all return to Geng, completing one full cycle to obtain thirty-six counts—this is the river chariot. Thus the Lu Quan Shu says: The river chariot arises from the correct water of the north; the kidneys store true qi, and the correct qi born of true qi is called the river chariot. The workings of the river chariot are rarely heard of in ancient and modern times—true immortals keep it secret and do not speak of it. As when Qian again seeks Kun and generates Kan: Kan is originally water; water is the essence of yin. Having sought yin, yang carries yin and returns to its position; what it passes through is Gen, Zhen, and Xun. Yang seeks yin, and through yin takes yin, transporting it into Li, receiving yang and generating—this is the river chariot, transporting yin into the palace of yang. And when Kun again seeks Qian and generates Li: Li is originally fire; fire is the essence of yang. Having sought yang, yin embraces yang and returns to its position; what it passes through is Kun, Dui, and Qian. Yin seeks yang, and through yang takes yang, transporting it into Kan, receiving yin and generating—this is the river chariot, transporting yang into the palace of yin. And gathering medicine above in the nine palaces, obtaining it and entering downward into the Yellow Court; drawing lead from beneath the Winding River and transporting it upward to the inner court—jade liquid and golden liquid are originally the reversion elixir; transporting and moving can refine the form and make water travel upward. The sovereign fire and the people's fire are originally for refining the form; transporting and moving can fire the elixir and make fire advance downward. The five qi pay homage to the origin—transporting each has its time; the three flowers gather at the crown—transporting each has its day. When spirit gathers, many demons come—move the true fire to burn the body, and the three corpses flee forever; when the medicine is complete, the sea dries—circulate the rosy dew and bathe, and entering the water there are no waves. This is the function of the river chariot. Also: the five phases cycle and return without end; secretly mastering the art of inversion, dragon and tiger intersect and transform into the yellow sprout—this is the "Lesser River Chariot." Flying the golden crystal from behind the elbow, returning the crystal into the Muddy Pellet, drawing lead and adding mercury to form the great medicine—this is the "Greater River Chariot." Dragon and tiger intersect and transform into the yellow sprout; lead and mercury intersect and form the great medicine. True qi is born and the five qi pay homage to the central origin; the yang spirit is complete and the three spirits transcend the inner court. When the purple-gold elixir is complete, always like dark cranes flying in pairs; when the white-jade mercury is finished, firm as a fire dragon rising. Ten thousand strands of golden light shroud the vulgar bones with brilliance; a single jade tree presents fresh blossoms in splendor. Either going out or entering, going and coming freely; either departing or returning, moving without hindrance. Transporting spirit into the body yet mixing with the flow of time; transforming the sage apart from the vulgar to become a feathered guest—this is called the "Purple River Chariot." These three chariots' names divide into upper, middle, and lower stages; the three stages speak of the verification of the work, not comparable to Buddhism's three vehicles of sheep cart, deer cart, and great ox cart. Speaking in terms of the Dao, after the river chariot there are three more chariots: whenever gathering fire and driving the mind's intention to attack illness, it is called the "Envoy Chariot"; whenever completion flows from top to bottom, yin and yang properly join, water and fire dwell together, and in stillness one hears thunder's sound, it is called the "Thunder Chariot"; if the mind is enslaved by circumstances and nature is pulled by emotion, sensing things and dispersing the true yang qi from within outward without rest, growing weak in qi and depleted in body until aging, or the eight pathogens and five epidemics reverse-transport into true qi so original yang cannot resist—aging and ill unto death—is called the "Broken Chariot." Therefore lead is black outside yet holds golden brilliance within; wearing coarse cloth and harboring jade, outwardly a madman. Knowing white yet keeping to black: water is black; among the qi of the five viscera, black is the kidney. So what is stored in kidney qi is lead. Yet peeling away black and seeing lead, within lead there is still true qi—that is golden brilliance. It is like jade and stone: outside there is a stone skin; peeling it reveals the jade. Thus it is said "wearing coarse cloth and harboring jade, outwardly a madman." If one practices the Northern Emperor's methods, all use black qi. Why? Because within black one can obtain lead, and within lead one can obtain the true—this is the killing qi of the metal essence White Tiger. Thus one can subdue demons, conquer demons, and drive away evil, taking effect in an instant. Metal is the mother of water; the mother hides in the fetus of the child. Water is the child of metal; the child hides in the mother's womb. The True Person is supremely subtle, seeming present yet absent, as if a great abyss, now sinking now floating. Withdrawn thus, distributed, each keeps its own territory. Metal as mother of water: heaven first begets water—this One, among the five Zi returning to Geng, is in the center palace's position; thus it manifests in the center palace. This true lead and metal essence are truly pre-heaven; its name is Heavenly One. Therefore metal and water are child and mother containing each other: although metal begets water, water also contains metal—this is water as metal's child, the child hiding in the mother's womb. The True Person's way lies only in refining metal—looked at it is not seen; listened to it is not heard; seeming present yet absent, its depth is as if a great abyss, seeming to sink, seeming to float. When still, it can envelope heaven and earth and nurture the host of beings; when moving, the three realms stand as guards and the five emperors receive in attendance. Within the methods, golden light is often used to form the Purple Tenuity talisman-graph. The Purple Tenuity graph is "Jian Er" (漸耳). In the character "Jian" (漸), the "Che" (車, cart) in the middle is the river chariot. "Che" has seven strokes, which is the Northern Dipper—for Dipper is truly the emperor's chariot, transporting the circuit of heaven; its central part images the center, where metal essence is produced. The left "San-dian" (氵) forms three strokes as Zhen, thunder; the right "Jin" (斤) forms four strokes as Xun, wind. Thus three and four form thunder and wind pressing upon each other. Again, the water-radical takes water; Jin as an axe in ancient meaning chops wood, and as metal is the image of metal-in-water. As for "Ear" (耳), the Yi says in Shou Gua: "Kan is the ear"—so it images Kan-water; its six lines are Qian-metal, also the same as metal and water. This is water as metal's child, the child hiding in the mother's womb—the supremely subtle way of the True Person. What is gathered looks white; what is made becomes vermilion. Refined as outer defenses, white within is the true residence. The so-called white: lead-white when fired becomes oxidized lead, its color yellow-red; mercury-white when heated with sulfur becomes cinnabar, also red. Thus, regardless of which it is, the lead is red. This is analogical to the image of inner alchemy. Thus the Ziqing Zhixuan Ji says: "White as snow in the sky, red as the smell of fresh blood; hidden in the precious gourd, kept secret and not dared to be leaked." Within a square inch, round an inch, mixed and restraining each other. Born before heaven and earth, lofty and towering. Beside are walls and gates, shaped like Penglai isle. Enclosed and shut on all sides, paths four-way yet hesitant. Guarded and sealed firmly, blocking all treachery. Through curved gates it communicates, guarding against the unexpected. This speaks of where the furnace is set and the cauldron established—all within a square inch of ground, in the place of chaos. It is not in the body, not sought through external things; its being is that which was born before heaven and earth. Beside it there seem to be palaces; its shape resembles Penglai isle. This place is the heart of heaven; Penglai isle is precisely Penglai. The Han dynasty's Dongfang Shuo in the Shizhou Ji says: Pengqiu is Mount Penglai. Facing the northeast shore of the Eastern Sea, it is five thousand li around. Outside there is a separate circular sea encircling the mountain; the circular sea water is pure black and is called the Dark Sea. Without wind there are still hundred-zhang waves; passage back and forth is impossible. Above are the Nine Elders, the Palace of the Nine Perfected Heavenly Kings—this is where the Supreme True Person dwells. Only flying immortals can reach that place. The Dark Sea is Kan; the northeast is Gen. The black water images the place to seek lead; qi is already misting and swirling, hence without wind there are great waves. Thus "Penglai is beneath the heart; Great Luo is before the eyes"—not merely speaking of mind and nature, but pointing to the real. "Enclosed and shut on all sides, guarded and sealed firmly, blocking all treachery; through curved gates it communicates, guarding against the unexpected"—all speak of securing the seal: guarding against danger and considering peril, with the inner breath continuous and warming in nurture, tightly sealed without leakage of air. It can be done without thought; it is hard to do with worry and toil. Spirit and qi fill the room; none can seize it. Those who guard it flourish; those who lose it perish. In movement and rest, in repose, it is always with the person. Without thought, spirits naturally come; do not let the seven emotions and six desires harm the body. Practice this long and spirit and qi fill the chamber. Yet spirit is easily stirred—meeting agitation it moves; when it moves, spirit migrates. Thus one must guard it in order to flourish; those who lose it perish. The Qingjing Jing says: Human spirit loves clarity, yet the mind disturbs it; human mind loves stillness, yet desire pulls it. If one can always cast out desire, the mind is naturally still; if one clears the mind, spirit is naturally pure—and naturally the six desires do not arise and the three poisons are extinguished. Thus the Jade Maiden of the six Gui makes strong the edge, so that the yellow sprout fills without overflowing. Therefore it is called sincerely cutting off the edge of the six Gui—the warning of the True Person: do not let the sprout's shoots overflow the yellow palace.