Master Zongxuan's Treatise on the Profound Outline: Chapter 14 - Refining Yin with Yang

 Yang is fire, Yin is water; ice and charcoal do not coexist in the same vessel, and victory and defeat find their respective归宿. The Dao and the世俗 reverse their natures, and each person has their own method of refinement. The masses refine Yang with Yin, while the Daoists refine Yin with Yang. Those who refine Yang with Yin go from vigor to old age, from old age to decline, from decline to extreme old age, from extreme old age to illness, and from illness to death. Those who refine Yin with Yang return from old age to infancy, from turbidity to clarity, from decline to vigor, from bulk to essence, from illness to harmony, from premature death to longevity, gradually aligning with the True Dao and attaining immortality. Therefore, if even a hair's breadth of Yang remains unexhausted, one does not reach death. If even a trace of Yin remains unextinguished, one does not attain immortality. The immortal transcends to extreme Yang and aligns with the True, while the deceased sinks into extreme Yin and becomes a ghost; this is called following one's kind. Thus, those who embrace the primal harmony and hold fast to the pure unity, exhale the old and inhale the new, bend and stretch to guide the flow, concentrate their thoughts and maintain silence, and live freely without desire, strive to use the spiritual Yang to refine and transform the stagnant Yin energy, making the interior and exterior empty and white, perfectly merging with the ultimate truth. Those who persist in this practice, how far is immortality?

 Explanation: Yang is fire, Yin is water; ice and charcoal are different, and in different environments, victory and defeat vary. The feelings of cultivating the Dao and worldly life are opposite; different people have their own methods of practice. Common people refine Yang with Yin, while Daoists refine Yin with Yang. Refining Yang with Yin involves growing from youth to adulthood, then aging, falling ill, and finally dying. Refining Yin with Yang involves returning from old age to infancy, from turbidity to clarity, from decline to vigor, from complexity to essence, from illness to health, from premature death to longevity, gradually aligning with the True Dao and becoming an immortal. Thus, if even a tiny amount of Yang is not exhausted, a person does not die; similarly, if even a trace of Yin energy is not eliminated, a person cannot become an immortal. The immortal transcends extreme Yang and aligns with the True, while the deceased sinks into extreme Yin and becomes a ghost; this is following one's kind. Thus, embracing primal harmony, holding fast to pure unity, exhaling the old and inhaling the new, bending and stretching to guide the flow, concentrating thoughts and maintaining silence, living freely without desire, one must use Yang to spiritually refine and eliminate Yin stagnant energy, making the inside and outside empty and white, perfectly merging with the ultimate truth. Persisting in this for a long time, how far is becoming an immortal?

 Analysis: This passage primarily highlights the difference between refining Yin with Yang and the common practice of refining Yang with Yin. The saying "following the natural order makes one mortal, reversing it makes one immortal, it lies in the inversion within the middle" corresponds to this meaning.