[Repost] Vernacular Translation of 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' (Part 1): Heavenly Heart, Primordial Spirit and Conscious Spirit, Returning Light and Guarding the Center

Note: According to some考证 (researchers), 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' is believed to be authored by Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Quanzhen sect. Many of its textual contents are related to Buddhist thought, using Daoist cultivation methods as the foundation while borrowing extensively from both Daoist and Buddhist theories for argumentation. It is an extremely important cultivation classic. 'Golden Flower' is actually 'Golden Flower' (Jin Hua). In cultivation, 'Three Flowers Gathering at the Top' actually refers to the three flowers: Golden Flower, Silver Flower, and Lead Flower, with additional secret methods involved. Actually, 'The Secret of the Golden Flower' originated in the Ming Dynasty. Its cultivation methods stem from spirit writing (fuji), often attributed to the name of Lü Zu (Lü Dongbin). It cites many spirit writing verses, some of which are from the Ming Dynasty, so according to考证, it could not have been earlier than the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. Chapter 1: The Heavenly Heart Master Lü said: 'Nature' is the Dao. The Dao has no name and no form; it is merely a nature and a primordial spirit. Life and nature are invisible and intangible, residing only in the 'heavenly light'. This heavenly light is also invisible and intangible, residing only in the two eyes. Since ancient times, immortals and sages have transmitted the Dao mouth-to-mouth, passing it down generation by generation, succeeding generation by generation. Since Taishang (Laozi) enlightened Donghua, it has been passed down to me, Lü, and the disciples of the Northern and Southern sects. The Quanzhen Daoist religion can be called extremely prosperous; however, if it is said to be prosperous, it is prosperous in the number of people; but in reality, it is declining, declining because the heart-to-heart transmission has been cut off. Until today, it has truly become extremely rampant and degenerated to the extreme. When things reach the extreme, they reverse. Thus, Master Xu of the Jingming sect stood up with compassion to universally save beings, proposing the principle of 'transmission outside the teaching' to accept those with extraordinary capacities. Those who listen to the Dao can be considered encountering a rare opportunity in a thousand years; those who learn the Dao can be considered seizing a momentary opportunity. Everyone must understand Master Xu's painstaking effort to save people. One must firmly establish their footing in daily life and in dealing with people and affairs before one can talk about cultivating truth and awakening nature. I am honored to serve as the transmission master and will first explain 'The Secret of the Golden Flower', and later introduce it chapter by chapter in detail. The so-called 'Taiyi' (Great One) is a synonym for the supreme. Although there are many methods and mantras for general practice, they all borrow 'action-based' techniques to reach the 'non-action' state, so it is not a method to reach heaven in one step. The principles transmitted here are somewhat different; from the beginning, they directly propose the 'nature work' (性功), not falling into the second category of methods, so it is even more profound and mysterious. The so-called 'Jin Hua' (Golden Flower) is light. What color is this light? It merely takes the image of the brilliance of gold. Using this term, it contains the word 'light' within its connotation, which is the true qi of the primordial Taiyi. The 'Medicine Mirror' says: 'The lead of the water village is but one flavor,' which refers to this. The practice of returning light uses entirely the reverse method, focusing the mind on the Heavenly Heart. The Heavenly Heart is located in the middle of the sun and moon (the left and right eyes). The 'Yellow Court Classic' says: 'An inch of field and a foot of house can govern life.' That 'foot of house' refers to the human face; the face has a square-inch field. If it is not the Heavenly Heart, what else could it be? This square-inch place actually has the magnificent scenery of the Senluo Xiao Tai and the wondrous spectacle of the Yujing Danque. It is the dwelling place of the most void and spiritual spirit. Confucianism calls it 'Xu Zhong' (Empty Center); Buddhism calls it 'Ling Tai' (Spiritual Platform); Daoism has many more names for it, such as 'Zu Tu' (Ancestral Soil), 'Huang Ting' (Yellow Court), 'Xuan Guan' (Mysterious Portal), 'Xian Tian Qiao' (Primordial Aperture), etc. Originally, the Heavenly Heart is like a house; the light is the master of this house. Therefore, once you return the light, the qi of the entire body will ascend to the head, just like a sage king establishing the capital, where all states come with jade and silk to pay homage; or like a wise master, where servants naturally bow and listen to orders, each performing their duties. As long as you practice returning light, you are practicing the supreme truth. However, you must pay attention: the light is easy to move but hard to stabilize. After returning light for a long time, the light will gradually condense into the natural dharma body, eventually being able to concentrate the spirit above the nine heavens. What the 'Heart Seal Sutra' says about 'silently facing the Supreme Emperor and ascending in one cycle' refers to this. There is no further cultivation method beyond practicing the principles, except for purely focusing on the Heavenly Heart. The 'Shurangama Sutra' says: 'Pure thought leads to flying, surely being born in heaven.' That 'heaven' does not refer to the blue sky, but metaphorically refers to the generation of the dharma body in the Qian Palace (the top of the head). Qian is heaven. Day after day, year after year, naturally there will be a body outside the body. Jin Hua is also the Golden Elixir. Its divine changes vary according to each person's mind. The wonderful secret within has no slightest error, yet this method is very flexible. It relies entirely on intelligence and requires calmness. Therefore, only the most intelligent people can practice it, and only the most calm people can persist in it. Chapter 2: Primordial Spirit and Conscious Spirit Master Lü said: Heaven and Earth look at humans like mayflies that are born in the morning and die at dusk; and the Great Dao looks at Heaven and Earth like bubbles in water; their existence is very short. Only the human primordial spirit and true nature can transcend the long era of Yuan Hui and exist for a longer time. But human essence and qi decay and spoil along with Heaven and Earth, and still cannot last long [1231]. Fortunately, the primordial spirit still exists; it is what is called 'Wuji' (Limitless). Heaven and Earth are produced from there. Therefore, those who learn the Dao only need to guard the primordial spirit, and they can transcend birth and death outside of Yin and Yang, not within the Three Realms. However, this must require seeing the true nature, and the true nature is what is called the 'original face'. From the time of conception, the primordial spirit resides in that square-inch place, while the conscious spirit resides in the heart below. That fleshy heart below is shaped like a large peach, covered by the lungs, supported by the liver, and connected by the small and large intestines. If people do not eat for a day, they feel very uncomfortable in their hearts. That heart jumps when hearing shocking news; it feels heavy and depressed when hearing angry news; it feels deeply sorrowful when seeing death; it feels dizzy and floating when seeing a stunningly beautiful woman. But has the head ever moved even a tiny bit? If you ask: Can the Heavenly Heart not move? The answer is: How can the true will in the square-inch place move? If it truly moves, things will not be good, but it is also the most wonderful. Generally, people's Heavenly Heart moves only when they die, so it is called not good; the most wonderful refers to when the divine light has condensed into a dharma body and gradually becomes spiritually connected, it will be eager to move. These words are a secret never transmitted for millennia. The lower conscious mind of humans is like a domineering vassal or warlord, bullying the isolated monarch above and remotely controlling the court from afar. Over time, the status of ruler and minister will be reversed, leading to usurpation of power. Now, if you condense the divine light to fixate on the Yuan Palace (Heavenly Heart), it is like a wise monarch having virtuous ministers like Yi Yin and Duke of Zhou assisting; returning light with both eyes is like the left and right ministers diligently participating in politics. As a result, politics becomes clear, and naturally, all treacherous officials and rebels will turn their weapons around and beg for mercy. The great Dao of health preservation treats Essence (Water), Spirit (Fire), and Intention (Earth) as supreme treasures. What is Essence Water? It is the primordial true one qi. Spirit Fire is light. Intention Earth is the Central Palace Heavenly Heart. Using Spirit Fire as function, Intention Earth as body, and Essence Water as foundation. The human body is produced by 'Intention'. The 'body' mentioned here is not just the seven-foot flesh body, because within the body there are Hun (Soul) and Po (Corporeal Soul). Po attaches to 'Shi' (Consciousness) to produce effects; Shi relies on Po to survive. Po is yin, the concrete form of Shi. If Shi is not cut off, no matter how many times you reincarnate in life and death, Po always exists, only changing shape and moving house. Only Hun is the dwelling place of Shen (Spirit). Hun resides in the eyes during the day and in the liver during sleep. When in the eyes, it allows people to see; when in the liver, it allows people to dream. Dreams are Shen wandering. Even if it is nine heavens and nine earths, it can traverse them in an instant, but upon waking, one remembers nothing. That is because it is constrained by the physical body, that is, constrained by Po. Therefore, returning light is to cultivate Hun, to preserve Shen, to control Po, and to cut off Shi. Ancient cultivators advocated exhausting the yin dregs and returning to the state of pure yang, which is actually nothing more than eliminating Po and preserving Hun. The returning light method we propose is exactly the secret to eliminating yin and controlling Po; although it lacks the merit of returning to Qian Yang, it has solid returning light mantras. The so-called light is Qian Yang; the so-called returning is returning. As long as you persist in this method, Essence Water will naturally be sufficient, Spirit Fire will naturally arise, Intention Earth will naturally stabilize, and finally, the Holy Fetus can be formed. Look at the dung beetle constantly rolling the mud ball, and a white substance actually produces inside the mud ball. This can be said to be a pure work of concentrated spirit. Even in a mud ball, eggs can be produced, fetuses formed, hatched, and emerged; then our Heavenly Heart, this treasure land where the primordial spirit rests, if we concentrate our intention, how can it not produce a dharma body? People's spiritual true nature, after settling in the Qian Palace of the head, divides into Hun and Po. Hun resides in the Heavenly Heart, belongs to yang, is a light and clear qi, coming from the vast space, of the same type as 'Yuanshi' (Primordial Beginning). Po belongs to yin, is a heavy and turbid qi, attaching to the有形 (form) mortal heart. Hun makes people seek life, Po makes people seek death. All bad habits of lust and anger are manipulated by Po, which is the 'Conscious Spirit'. Po can enjoy blood sacrifices after death, but it suffers when people are alive. The reason it is happier after death is because it returns from yin to the yin realm, which is 'birds of a feather flock together'. Those who learn the Dao can naturally become bodies of pure yang if they can cultivate away this yin Po. Chapter 3: Returning Light and Guarding the Center Master Lü said: Who started the term 'Returning Light'? It started with Wenshi Zhenren (Guanyinzi). When returning light, the yin and yang qi of heaven and earth all condense. The so-called 'Essential Thought' and 'Pure Qi' refer to this matter. When initially practicing this method, it is 'having but seeming to have none'; after a long time and success, reaching the state of 'body outside body', that is 'having from none'. You must concentrate on practicing for one hundred days for the light to reach the true state, which is the true Spirit Fire. After one hundred days, the light will naturally condense; a point of true yang in the human body suddenly produces a light pearl the size of a millet grain, just like a couple conceiving a fetus. At this time, you must calmly wait. The method of returning light and the degree of returning is what people commonly call 'Fire Timing' (Huohou). In the vast creation, there is yang light as the master. Those with form are the sun; in the human body, they are the two eyes. Through the gaze, the spirit and consciousness leak out, which is the most smooth. Therefore, the Golden Flower method cannot let it be smooth, but adopts a reverse method. You must know that returning light is not only returning the essence of the whole body, but also returning the true qi in creation; not only stopping temporary delusions, but also liberating from the reincarnation of a thousand kalpas. So, saying that one breath and one exhalation is a year is the time in the human world; saying that one breath and one exhalation is a hundred years is the long night under the nine springs. Since humans were born from the womb with a cry, they have lived along with the environment until old age, never having looked back. Yang qi gradually declines, gradually entering the yin nine幽 (dark) realm. So the 'Shurangama Sutra' says: 'Pure thought leads to flying, pure emotion leads to falling.' You who learn the Dao originally have more 'emotion' and less 'thought', thus sinking into the lower paths. Only by internal observation of breath and stillness can you become enlightened, using the reverse method here. In training, the eyes are most important. The 'Yinfu Jing' says: 'The mechanism is in the eyes.' The 'Huangdi Sùwèn' also says: 'The essence of the human body all flows up to the empty apertures.' Both emphasize this. If you understand the principles explained in this chapter, the method of longevity relies on it, and the art of ascension also relies on it. This connects the cultivation principles of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Light is not in the body, but also not outside the body. Look at mountains, rivers, and the earth; the light of the sun and moon shines on them, so light is not only in the body. Intelligence and wisdom, the normal operation of all things, all rely on this light, so it is also not outside the body. The brilliance of heaven and earth fills the great thousand worlds; the brilliance of one body can also be said to cover the sky and earth. Therefore, as long as you return the light, the mountains, rivers, and all things also return the light. The essence of humans gathers upward in the eyes, which is a major key in the human body. Think about it, if you do not sit in stillness for a day, the light flows with vision, can it ever end? If you can take a moment to sit in stillness (Baidu), even if it is ten thousand kalpas and a thousand lives, you can understand it within. All methods ultimately return to stillness; this is truly inconceivable! This is the most profound principle. However, when starting to practice, it is still from shallow to deep, from coarse to fine. The most important thing is to practice without interruption. The功夫 (kung fu) is always consistent, but in the process of practice, one knows the cold and warmth oneself, and can only be experienced by individuals. In short, only when you reach the state of 'vast as the sea and sky, all methods as they are' can you be considered having entered the door and mastered it. Since ancient times, sage masters have passed down generation to generation, never leaving the saying of 'reflecting back'. Confucius said: 'Attaining knowledge'; Shakyamuni called it: 'Observing the heart'; Laozi said: 'Internal observation'. All refer to this one method. But the two words 'reflecting back' are spoken by everyone, yet most cannot achieve entering the door and mastering it; the main reason is that they do not understand the true meaning of these two words. 'Fan' (Return/Reverse) means returning from the heart with knowledge and sensation to the stage before the body and spirit were formed; that is, within your six-foot body, seeking back to what the body was like before heaven and earth were formed. Now, those who learn the Dao only know to sit in stillness (Baidu) for one or two hours every day, reflecting on their various behaviors, and say they have achieved 'reflecting back'. How can that be thorough? The founders of Buddhism and Daoism tell people to watch the tip of the nose when sitting in stillness (Baidu). This is not to let you concentrate your intention on the tip of the nose; nor is it to let you stare at the tip of the nose with your eyes while concentrating your intention in the middle yellow part. Because where the eyes go, the mind also goes; where the mind goes, the qi also goes. How can it go up and then down? How can it be suddenly up and suddenly down? With this understanding, it exactly matches the wonderful metaphor in the 'Shurangama Sutra' of 'mistaking the finger for the moon'. What is 'mistaking the finger for the moon'? It means someone points a finger at the moon to show someone else, but that person doesn't look at the moon, only at the finger. Returning to the main topic, then what exactly should be done? I say these two words 'tip of the nose' are the most wonderful! This is merely borrowing the tip of the nose as a standard for the eyes. The original intention is not on the nose itself, because when sitting in stillness (Baidu), if the eyes are opened too wide, they look too far, and thus cannot see the nose. If the eyes are closed too much, it is equivalent to closing the eyes, and thus cannot see the nose either. The disadvantage of opening too wide is that the eyes go outward, easily producing scattering phenomena; the disadvantage of closing too much is that the gaze rushes inward, easily producing drowsiness phenomena. Only when the eyes are lowered like a curtain appropriately, exactly able to see the tip of the nose, is it most suitable, so the tip of the nose is taken as the standard. This is just to let you lower the curtain to the appropriate place, so that the light naturally penetrates, without you needing to actively inject or not inject. Looking at the tip of the nose is only at the beginning when about to enter stillness, raising the eyes to look once to set a standard, and then you let go and do not manage it. It is like a mason building a wall and hanging a string. He hangs the string and then builds up along this string, without needing to constantly look at the string while building. The method of 'Stopping and Observing' is originally a Buddhist method, with no secret. The content of the method is to carefully watch the tip of the nose with both eyes, then sit upright and connect the mind to the 'Yuan Zhong' (Edge Center) part. What Buddhism calls 'Yuan Zhong' is the same principle as what Daoism calls 'Zhong Huang' (Middle Yellow). There is no need to call it the middle of the head. Beginners only need to connect their intention at the place between the two eyes, level with the eyeballs. Light is a lively thing. Connecting intention at the place level with the two eyes, the light will naturally penetrate, without needing to concentrate intention in the Zhong Huang part. My few words here have already summarized the essentials of Buddhist methods. The other precautions before and after entering and exiting stillness can be verified by everyone by referring to the 'Little Stopping and Observing Book' written by Master Zhiyi of the Sui Dynasty. The two words 'Yuan Zhong' are extremely well chosen! 'Zhong' (Center) means everywhere; the entire great thousand world can be included within it, merely to indicate the mechanism of creation, one must enter through this path. So the word 'Yuan' (Edge/Condition) means starting and sprouting from this starting point, not telling you to firmly cling to it. The meaning of these two words is truly too alive, too wonderful! The two words 'Zhi' (Stop) and 'Guan' (Observe) are originally inseparable, which is also 'Ding' (Stability) and 'Hui' (Wisdom). Later, when you sit in stillness (Baidu), if impure thoughts appear, do not just sit there dead still. You can find out where this thought appears? Where does it arise? And where does it extinguish? Repeatedly investigate, until you cannot trace the result, that is where the thought arises. But you must not forcefully search for where the thought arises. The most suitable is to reach the so-called 'Seeking the mind and not finding it, I have settled your mind.' This degree. Only in this way is it 'Correct Observation'; if not, it is not 'Correct Observation', called 'Evil Observation'. After seeking the thought and not finding it, new thoughts will still arise, so still continuously stop them, then go observe them. When observing reaches the appropriate degree, stop the thought of observing again. This method is a method of dual cultivation of stability and wisdom, which is the returning light I mentioned earlier. 'Return' is 'Stop'; 'Light' is 'Observe'. Stopping without observing is called 'Having Return but no Light'; observing without stopping is called 'Having Light but no Return'. Please remember this point.