Chapter 7 of 'The Xuan Gang Lun by Mr. Zongxuan': On the Identity of Existence and Non-Existence

Original Text The Dao encompasses the numbers of billions, yet is not great; it penetrates the tip of an autumn hair, yet is not small. It precedes emptiness and non-being, yet is not the beginning; it follows heaven and earth, yet is not the end. It ascends through accumulated yang, yet is not bright; it sinks into heavy yin, yet is not dark. Originally, there is no spirit; when emptiness reaches its extreme, spirit arises spontaneously. Originally, there is no qi; when spirit moves, qi transforms itself. Qi originally has no substance; when condensed and gathered, it forms shape. Shape originally has no emotion; when it moves and acts, it diminishes nature. When shape is formed and nature moves, one moves further away from the Dao. Thus, one drowns in life and death, shifts with yin and yang, unable to maintain oneself. This is not because the Dao exists and then perishes. Therefore, the Dao can generate existence from non-existence; can it not also make existence identical to non-existence? If existence is identical to non-existence, then existence will not perish. Thus, the Dao gives birth to me, while emotion destroys me. If one forgets emotion, then nature is complete. When nature is complete, shape is complete; when shape is complete, qi is complete; when qi is complete, spirit is complete; when spirit is complete, the Dao is complete; when the Dao is complete, spirit reigns supreme; when spirit reigns supreme, qi becomes spiritual; when qi becomes spiritual, shape transcends; when shape transcends, nature penetrates; when nature penetrates, it flows freely and smoothly, becoming one with the Dao. One can make existence become non-existence, and can make emptiness become reality. I will become companions with the Creator; how can life and death burden me? Rough Explanation Although the Dao encompasses the numbers of billions, it cannot be said to be great; and although it is minute to the extreme, it cannot be said to be small. It existed before emptiness and non-being arose, yet it cannot be called the beginning; it still exists after heaven and earth have perished, yet it cannot be called the end. When yang energy rises and accumulates, it cannot be called bright; when yin energy descends and sinks, it cannot be called dark. Originally, there was no spirit; it arose because emptiness reached its extreme. Originally, there was no qi; qi transformed itself due to the movement of spirit. Qi has no physical substance, but when gathered together, it can form shape. Shape originally has no emotion, but when it moves and acts, it diminishes nature. Once shape is formed, nature moves, and thus one moves further away from the Taiji model of the Dao. Therefore, one cannot escape life and death, is controlled by yin and yang, and cannot take control of oneself. This is because without the presence of the Dao, destruction appears. Therefore, the Dao gives birth to me, while emotion destroys me. If one can forget emotion, nature can be complete. If nature is complete, shape can naturally be complete; if shape is complete, qi can naturally be complete; if qi is complete, spirit can naturally be complete; if spirit is complete, the Dao can naturally be complete; if the Dao is complete, spirit naturally becomes vigorous; if spirit becomes vigorous, qi naturally becomes spiritual. In this way, I become of the same kind as the Creator; how can life and death still burden me? Practical Cultivation Interpretation It can be easily seen that in the cultivation model described by Mr. Zongxuan, cultivation is a chain of linked stages, generally undergoing the following changes: Nature complete -> Shape complete -> Qi complete -> Spirit complete -> Dao complete -> Spirit vigorous -> Qi spiritual In this model, emotion is the initial starting point. As long as emotional desires are abandoned, one can proceed through the stages to become increasingly perfect. The foundation of these models is derived step by step from the previous text. Historically, those who achieved high levels in cultivation were mostly ancient people who cultivated well. By the Song and Yuan dynasties, it was inferior. Although Neo-Confucianism flourished in the Song dynasty, both in cultivation and social achievements, it was actually quite limited, with a significant gap compared to the Han and Tang dynasties. After the great destruction of Daoist scriptures during the Yuan dynasty, Daoist studies declined for a time. In the alchemical methods of the Ming and Qing dynasties, they were simplified to the utmost, doing whatever was simplest, making it difficult to reach the realm of the ancients. As for the strange operations of some openly published alchemical methods that appeared in the Republic of China era, such as using clips to pinch the nose or hot towels to scald the back, these have drifted far from the path of immortality and do not conform to the cultivation of the Great Dao. Therefore, to trace alchemical methods, one should excavate more from ancient scriptures. Internal alchemy has existed since ancient times. Mr. Zongxuan's theory is very helpful for understanding the principles of ancient Daoist alchemy and requires careful study.