Master Zongxuan's Treatise on the Xuan Gang: Chapter 32 on Clarifying Selection and Rejection

 Someone asked: Immortals are the utmost beauty in human life, while death is the utmost evil. Yet gentlemen of all ages have known this, yet those who follow worldly customs are numerous, and those who practice immortality are few. Why is this? I replied: There are two reasons. First, the qi one inherits is not lofty, so the aspirations one harbors are difficult to broaden. Thus, one is immersed in immediate affairs, forgetting long-term vision, overwhelmed by fame and reputation, blinded by desires and cravings, ultimately bound and subdued by the net of the world, never stepping into the realm of truth. Second, although one inherits a lofty and distant qi, with a spirit that is elegant and outstanding, the merit of benefiting others and the world is not yet complete, and the path to becoming an immortal is still far. Therefore, one hesitates regarding worldly honors and ranks, unable to break free from the emperor's hanging [threat/reward]. If one's past merits are already established and one's name is entered in the Cinnabar Terrace, then one transcends traces and cuts off dust, and worldly things cannot burden one. Another asked: Must an immortal have an immortal bone? Without such a bone, one cannot learn the way of immortality. How should this be understood? I replied: The craftsman must utilize the material to apply skill; the student must possess the bone to aspire to the Dao. Thus, ice cannot be carved; the foolish cannot become immortal. This is the principle of nature. Therefore, those whose spirit is not clear and whose bone is not upright do not inherit the qi of yang spirit. Those who do not inherit the qi of yang spirit will certainly not have the heart to admire immortality. Those who have the heart to admire immortality have invariably possessed the immortal bone since early times. [The questioner] said: Then, can one achieve immortality without cultivation if one has the immortal bone? [I] said: Having the bone but not learning is like having material but no craftsman. Thus, gold hidden in ore, if not smelted, remains stone. The Dao lies within people; if not refined, one remains ordinary. Although those without the bone cannot become immortals, one must not rely on having the bone and wait for light ascension without effort.

Explanation:

   Someone asked: Immortality is what everyone wishes to pursue, while death is what everyone dislikes. Gentlemen of all ages know this, yet there are many worldly people and few who practice immortality. Why? I answered: There are two reasons: One is that the inherited qi is not high, so the ambition is not broad enough, leading one to be busy with worldly affairs without foresight, hindered by fame and troubled by desires, ultimately sinking in the world, thus failing to cultivate the truth and attain the Dao. The other is that although the inherited qi is good and various conditions are sufficient, the merit of helping people and the world is insufficient, and the path to becoming an immortal is still far. Thus, one hesitates regarding power and status, unable to achieve success. If the accumulation of merit is sufficient, one's name enters the Cinnabar Terrace, and then one retreats to cultivate, one will not be burdened by external things.

   Another asked: To practice immortality, one must have an immortal bone; without it, one cannot learn the way of immortality. How is this explained? I answered: Generally, craftsmanship requires acting according to the material. Those who study the Dao necessarily have the Dao as their aspiration because they possess the immortal bone. Thus, ice used for carving will always melt, looking no different from uncarved ice, and the foolish person will never even develop the heart to study the Dao, so naturally, they cannot become immortals. This is the principle of nature. Therefore, those whose spirit is not clear and whose bone is not upright do not inherit the qi of yang spirit. Since they do not inherit the qi of yang spirit, they will not have the heart to admire immortality. Generally, those who expect to cultivate and become immortals all possess the immortal bone.

   Another asked: Can one practice immortality if one has the immortal bone but does not cultivate? I answered: Having the immortal bone but not learning is like having material but not carving or polishing it, similar to gold hidden in ore; if not smelted, it remains stone. The Dao lies in people; without cultivation, one remains ordinary. Therefore, although those without the immortal bone cannot become immortals, one should not assume that having the immortal bone allows one to become an immortal without cultivation.

Analysis:

 First, an important concept is pointed out: most people understand it, but simply do not act upon it, thus failing to achieve anything. This is the reason for the few cultivators. Later, Mr. Wang Yangming also discovered this point, hence proposing the unity of knowledge and action. Merely knowing is useless; one must take action to achieve results. This is the meaning here.

 Second, the concept of the immortal bone is proposed: only those with the immortal bone will pursue the way of immortality, while those without it will not generate the heart to cultivate the Dao. Furthermore, having the immortal bone only indicates the condition for cultivating immortality; it does not mean that one can become an immortal without cultivation simply by having the bone.