Purple Clear Finger Profound Collection: Treatise on Distinguishing Delusions in Immortal Cultivation

 Bai Yuchan of Hainan served Chen Niwan since childhood. It has suddenly been nine years. One day, while resting under the shade of pines on a rocky slope, with clear wind, bright moon, quiet night, and cold mist, he pondered the great matter of life and death, the rapidity of impermanence, and thus bowed twice and asked: I have served my master for a short time. I assess myself as having thin fortune and shallow affinity. May I dare ask if there is a portion for me to become an immortal in this life? Chen Niwan said: Everyone can, let alone you. Yu Chan said: Not avoiding the responsibility of dignity, I boldly extend this presumptuous question. How many gates are there for cultivating immortality? How many methods are there for alchemy? My humble view is like unseparated jade and stone. I wish for a word of enlightenment. Chen Niwan said: Come, I will tell you. There are three grades of cultivating immortality and three stages of alchemy.

 Chen Niwan said: Come, I will tell you. There are three grades of cultivating immortality and three stages of alchemy.

 The Way of the Heavenly Immortal involves transformation and ascension. The superior scholar can learn it, using the body as lead, the heart as mercury, stability as water, and wisdom as fire. In a short moment, condensation can occur. After ten months, the fetus is formed. This is the method of superior-grade alchemy. It has no hexagrams or weights. The method is simple, so it is transmitted through the heart. It is very easy to achieve;

 The Way of the Human Immortal involves entering and exiting, appearing and disappearing. The middle scholar can learn it, using qi as lead, spirit as mercury, noon as fire, and midnight as water. Within a hundred days, mixing can occur. After three years, the image is formed. This is the method of middle-grade alchemy. Although it has hexagrams, it has no weights. The method is profound, so it is transmitted verbally. It can certainly be achieved;

 The Way of the Earthly Immortal involves retaining the form and staying in the world. The common scholar can learn it, using essence as lead, blood as mercury, the kidneys as water, and the heart as fire. Within a year, melting and knotting can occur. After nine years, success is achieved. This is the method of inferior-grade alchemy. It has both hexagrams and weights. The method is complex and difficult, so it is transmitted in writing. It is difficult to achieve.

 The superior alchemical method uses spirit, essence, soul, and will as medicinal materials; walking, sitting, lying, and resting as fire timing; and clarity, tranquility, and naturalness as application;

 The middle alchemical method uses the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys as medicinal materials; years, months, days, and hours as fire timing; and embracing the origin and guarding the one as application;

 The inferior alchemical method uses essence, blood, marrow, qi, and fluids as medicinal materials; closing, swallowing, pulling, and rubbing as fire timing; and visualization and ascending/descending as application.

 Generally, the wonder lies not in following the map to find the steed. Those scholars who cling to images and texts will vainly remain arrogant and achieve nothing until old age.

 Note: The inferior alchemical method cultivates essence, blood, marrow, qi, and fluids; the middle alchemical method cultivates the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys; the superior alchemical method cultivates spirit, essence, soul, and will. However, all are not apart from the division of the Five Elements. Although the process of cultivation differs in principle and method, it ultimately does not depart from the mixing of the Five Elements to return to the Pre-Heaven state. The distinction in grades lies only in the selection of medicinal materials.

 Yu Chan said: I have read alchemical scriptures for many years, feeling as if walking through thorns. Today, the dust is clean and the mirror is bright, the clouds part and the moon is clear. All ten thousand methods return to one, encompassing all illusions to return to truth. I only do not know where to begin the work. Chen Niwan said: What a good question! The essence of alchemy is to use the body as the altar, furnace, tripod, and stove; the heart as the divine chamber; sitting upright and practicing stability as the gathering; maintaining and caring as the firing; acting and stopping as advancing and retreating; discontinuity and lack of focus as the dike; application as drawing and adding; the steaming of true qi as bathing; stopping thoughts as nurturing fire; subduing body and mind as field battle; condensing spirit and gathering qi as guarding the city; forgetting schemes and eliminating worries as life and death; the place where thoughts move as the mysterious female; forming a single block as knotting; returning to the root and restoring life as the completion of the elixir; shifting spirit as changing the tripod; having a body outside the body as shedding the embryo; returning to the origin as true emptiness; breaking the void as completion. Thus, it can gather to form shape and scatter to become qi, coming and going without hindrance, free and natural.

  Explanation: Bai Yuchan said that after reading alchemical scriptures for many years, it felt like walking through thorns. Now it is fully understood, like wiping a dusty mirror clean, or like the sun appearing after clouds scatter. Generally speaking, all methods are one, encompassing all illusions but ultimately returning to one. It is just unknown how to begin cultivation.

 Chen Niwan answered: Well asked. The key to alchemy is to use the body as the altar and furnace, the tripod and stove, then the heart as the divine chamber, sitting upright and practicing stability for gathering, maintaining and caring for firing, acting and stopping for advancing and retreating, using discontinuity and lack of focus as a dike, application as the method of drawing and adding, steaming of true qi as bathing, stopping thoughts as nurturing fire, subduing body and mind as field battle, condensing spirit and gathering qi as guarding the city, forgetting schemes and eliminating worries as life and death, the place where thoughts move as the mysterious female, forming a single piece as knotting, finally returning to the root and restoring life as the completion of the elixir, then shifting spirit as changing the tripod, having a body outside the body as shedding the embryo, returning to the origin as true emptiness, breaking the void as completion. Thus, it can gather to form shape and scatter to become qi, coming and going without hindrance, free and natural.

 Note: The key to cultivating the elixir is to first know: altar, furnace, tripod, stove, divine chamber, gathering, firing, advancing and retreating, dike, drawing and adding, bathing, nurturing fire, field battle, guarding the city, life and death, mysterious female, knotting, completion of the elixir, and then also know: changing the tripod, shedding the embryo, true emptiness. Without understanding these terms, blindly beginning leads to the wrong path.

 Yu Chan said: Diligent but not meeting, one will surely meet the supreme person; meeting but not diligent, one will ultimately be a lowly ghost. Regarding this method of cultivating the elixir, what are the proofs? Chen Niwan said: When first cultivating the elixir, the spirit is clear and the qi is refreshing, body and mind are harmonious and smooth, old illnesses are completely eliminated, there are no more dreams or confusion. After a hundred days, one does not eat; drinking wine does not intoxicate. Reaching this state, red blood is changed to white blood, yin qi is refined into yang qi. The body is like fire hot, walking is like flying. One can dry mercury in the mouth, and breath can roast meat. Facing the environment without mind, remaining unmoving, commanding spirits and ghosts, summoning thunder and rain, hearing from the nine heavens, seeing for ten thousand miles, the whole body is pure yang, with golden tendons and jade bones. The yang spirit appears in form, entering and exiting naturally. This is the completion of the way of long life and immortality. But I fear worldly people cling to the theories of medicinal materials and fire timing, thinking they are tangible and having form, and cannot have sudden enlightenment. How could they know that before the chaos was undivided, where were years, months, days, and hours? Before parents were born, where were essence, blood, qi, and fluids? The Way is originally formless, metaphorically called Dragon and Tiger; the Way is originally nameless, compared to Lead and Mercury. If one learns the Way of the Heavenly Immortal, one must have both form and spirit subtle, merging with the Way to return to truth. How can one be bound by yin and yang within the Five Elements? One must jump out of heaven and earth to be called a person who has attained the Way. Some may doubt: This method is slightly similar to Zen learning. Little do they know that talking and answering all day is dry wisdom, and long-term withered and dull stagnation is illusory emptiness. However, the learning of Heavenly Immortals is like a pearl in a crystal plate, turning smoothly, lively and active, naturally round and bright. What is called a Heavenly Immortal is a Golden Immortal. This is the wonder that cannot be transmitted by words. Who knows it? Who practices it? There are not two ways in the world, and sages do not have two hearts. Moreover, everyone is complete, and each is perfect. As the saying goes, green willows everywhere can tether horses, and every household's gate opens to Chang'an. It is just taking the shortcut. Yu Chan said: Scholars of immortality in the world are numerous, but it is due to learning without meeting, meeting without practicing, practicing without controlling, until old age, willingly going to death in the nine springs. Is this not sad! Now I will carve the master's transmitted secret words to pass them to the world. This leaking of heavenly secrets is too great. Will there be no blame? Niwan said: I will enlighten the immortals of the world. If I incur guilt, will Heaven not be Heaven? The scripture says: My life is in me, not in Heaven. What blame is there? Yu Chan said: Master Grandfather Zhang Pingshu transmitted to the wrong person three times and suffered disasters three times. Why? Ni Jiu said: That time he had no eye for discerning people, let alone his heart not being universal! Alas! The master is at the edge of the sky, the disciple is at the corner of the sea. Moreover, it is very difficult to recognize people in the dust of worldly labor. Now I will only publish this to spread it throughout the world, so that scholars of immortality can seek the text and infer the meaning, making the profound principles clear. This is heaven's gift. Why bother with pen and tongue to transmit it? If one can remain calm and still, with no thoughts in the mind, pure in effort, forming a single piece, silently all day like a hen sitting on eggs, then spirit returns and qi recovers. Naturally, the mysterious gate will appear. Its greatness has no outside, its smallness has no inside. This is gathering the primordial qi to serve as the mother of the golden elixir. Diligently practicing it, in a few days one can drive alongside Zhong and Lü! This is a tested effect. Scholars of immortality have no guide. I have carefully collected the essentials of the Q&A and named it "Treatise on Distinguishing Delusions in Immortal Cultivation".

 Note: People say this is similar to Zen methods. However, Zen methods talking and answering all day are dry wisdom, and long-term withered and dull stagnation is illusory emptiness. The Way of the Golden Elixir is different. They cannot be confused as one.