Chapter 13 6. The Immortal Alchemy School after the Han and Wei Dynasties

Taoism and alchemists, alchemists and gods, the types of people under these three titles, and the content and origin of their academic thoughts, from the Warring States period to the Qin and Han Dynasties, actually used each other.Beginning in the Han and Wei dynasties, it continued for more than a thousand years. Until now, the name of alchemist has become a thing of the past, and only Taoism and immortals have become a mixed concept that cannot be separated.In fact, after the Han and Wei dynasties, the learning of Taoist immortals has been far from the face of Qin and Han. For more than a thousand years, Taoist immortals have actually been dominated by the alchemy sect. The inner alchemy method based on essence, energy, and spirit is aimed at attaining liberation and becoming a god as the highest goal.Regarding the types of immortals, after the Song and Yuan Dynasties, they can be summarized into five types: (1) Daluo Jinxian (immortals). (2) Angels. (3) Earth Immortal. (4) Immortals. (5) Ghost fairy.After the preliminary practice, the elves are immortal after death. In the world of ghosts, those who can survive through psychics for a long time are the achievements of ghosts and immortals.Those who have cultivated to eliminate illness and prolong life, be free from disasters and troubles, and live a long life are the achievements of immortals among humans.After this and above, if you can practice bigu to be convinced, walk and run as fast as a horse, and have a little bit of miraculous miracles, you can be partially unaffected by various phenomena in the physical world. .From here on, one can make progress and cultivate to the point where there is no trace of flying in the sky, and there is no bounds in life, and those who have all kinds of supernatural powers, just like the realm mentioned in the fables of Zhuangzi and Liezi, can be regarded as the achievements of heavenly immortals.The highest one who can cultivate to the perfect body and spirit, is not bound by life and death in the world, is free from fatigue, can disperse into qi anytime and anywhere, gather into shape, live in heaven and earth at will, is the Daluo Jinxian, that is, the so-called immortal. Extreme fruit.Are all these things true?Or is it possible?We can't prove it now, so let's not discuss it, but there is one point that deserves special attention. In Chinese culture, Confucianism's highest standard for morality and education is to elevate the personality of an ordinary person to that of an extraordinary person. The realm of sages is great enough.On the other hand, there is also Taoist academics, based on the study of cosmic physics and physiological functions of life, which further raises the standard of life, and believes that a person can transform from the status of an ordinary foolish man to a sublimated superman. , to improve the value of human beings, to transcend the ideals of the real world, to grasp the physical functions of the universe, and to transcend the constraints of time and space; moreover, as early as 1,000 BC, without scientific concepts after the sixteenth and tenth centuries, one can They produce their own independent set of scientific viewpoints, no matter whether they are fantasies, facts, deceptive lies, or experiential statements with experiments, they are all worthy of our stare and careful study.

(1) Wei Boyang, the author of the originator of the Danjing Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, there are relatively well-documented people who pioneered the academic thought of cultivating immortals and alchemy. Of course, Wei Boyang in the late Eastern Han Dynasty is the one who was honored by later Taoists as Wei Zhenren or Huolong Zhenren.About Wei Boyang's exact life experience and the exact time of his existence are still a big mystery in the cultural history. However, he is from the Eastern Han Dynasty, and he is probably not wrong. Zhang Daoling is the earliest, that is more reliable.Everyone knows that the culture of the Eastern Han Dynasty was a period of decline of Confucianism, and all academics have gradually declined. However, we must not forget that it has made great achievements in the science of theoretical physics and theoretical astronomy. Because people in later generations who generally lack scientific accomplishments put it all into the useless study "Xiangshu" files.In fact, what is "Xiangnum" and what is the true meaning of "Xiangnum"?I am afraid that ordinary people, apart from criticizing according to other people's words, have not worked hard to study it, and criticize a very profound inner behavior from the perspective of laymen: what a shame!In vain!At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in the history of Taoism and Taoism, there were two epoch-making figures, one was Wei Boyang, and the other was Zhang Daoling.Wei Boyang represents the spirit of the hermit in the ancient traditional culture - immortal.However, after the Han Dynasty, Zhang Daoling formed the lineage of the traditional Taoism. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, he has always been the family of Zhang Tianshi of the Zhengyi School of Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi.In the history of Chinese culture, only Confucius of Confucianism and Zhang Tianshi of Taoism were able to form a family system of one or two thousand years with academic ideas. Isn't it a miracle in the history of world culture?This also shows how the Chinese nation respects the spirit of cultural and academic thoughts. In the kingdom of culture, it can freely give sages, gods, nobles, virgins, hermits, etc. extremely beautiful titles, and it does not care about the past and present. , are all treated with respect.However, Wei Boyang took the "hermit" route, and the result was only to give people the suspicion of "unknown". The only gift he gave to future generations was his famous book "San Tong Qi" through the ages. .This book of his really racked his brains. Some people spent their whole lives researching and groping from various aspects, but they still had no clue. Zhu Xi, a great Confucianist in the Song Dynasty, admitted that his research on this book was a failure all his life. But he likes it. In order to avoid the suspicion of Yang Ru's secret path, he once used the pseudonym Zou Jinjin, a Taoist priest of Kongtong, and annotated "San Tong Qi".

The purpose of Wei Boyang's writing this book is to explain the principles and methods of cultivating alchemy and Taoism, and to prove that people and heaven and earth.In the universe, there are laws and principles of the same body with the same function but different functions. In order to sort out the inheritance since ancient times and prove that man-made cultivation can be sublimated into the traditional academic knowledge of immortals, he used the three parts of "Zhouyi", namely theory, image and number, and From Zhou, Qin to the Han Dynasty, the principles and principles of astronomy and physics, the theory of the five elements and the theory of stems and branches, and the metaphysics and metaphysics principles of Taoism and Laozi’s tradition, were integrated together to create a program for the practice of alchemy. complete set of instructions.The so-called "common agreement" means that the principles of alchemy cultivation and the scientific and philosophical principles of "Zhouyi" and "Laozi" can be understood thoroughly, and they can be understood to have the same function. deed".Therefore, he combined the common principles of the three academic disciplines of "Book of Changes", Huang Lao, and Dan Dao, and wrote this "Chan Tong Qi".In this book, his diction is simple and beautiful, just like the poems in "Yi Lin", and it is also a masterpiece through the ages. He divides the principles of alchemy cultivation into three major outlines: medicine, food, and imperial administration.However, just like the book "Lao Tzu", how the order of its original chapters was arranged is indeed a matter of doubt and investigation for future generations. Books are more obscure than each other.If we want to compare the originator of the Danjing, "Shan Tongqi", with Laozi's book, then the other Danjing, "Wuzhen Pian" written by Zhang Ziyang Zhenren in the Song Dynasty, should be compared with Zhuangzi's book up.

The alchemy science mentioned in "Shan Tong Qi" pays special attention to the cultivation of body, mind and spirit. He refers to "rejuvenation" and "immortality". It is the spirit, spirit, and qi that everyone possesses.That is to say, in the process of cultivation, it is also possible to borrow or have to borrow foreign medicines, which are for the purpose of cultivating and replenishing the exhausted and sick body and mind, so as to restore the life instinct of essence, spirit and qi.It is the ancestral treasure book of Chinese health preservation, and it is also the earliest work to study the mysteries of physical and mental life. It influenced the medicine, biophysics, and even Buddhism and Zen of the Han and Wei. Thoughts such as "He Qi Jing", as well as works such as "Dragon and Tiger Sutra", are all transformed from "Chan Tong Qi", but with the addition of some religious and mysterious concepts. He believes that restoring the innate and original state of the spirit can The function of being the master of life and changing life and death, everything can be controlled by me, is the effect of taking alchemy.As for the essence, spirit, and energy of forging the medicine, and the method of taking it, one must have the correct cultivation of mind and the understanding of true wisdom.Therefore, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the center of gravity of Yuzheng to control the procedures of practicing medicine and taking Chengdan.When it comes to medicine, although he pointed out that essence, spirit, and energy are the main materials for the cultivation of elixir, he is not like the elixir after the Song and Yuan Dynasties, which incorporates the theory and methods of Buddhism and Zen, and it is not like Wu Chong after the Ming and Qing dynasties. The alchemy schools of Xu and Liu Huayang, which only use the sperm and eggs of the sexual nervous system, believe that they are the essence of the spirit; at the same time, there is no such thing as the alchemy after the Ming and Qing Dynasties. For the theme of monasticism.His original text is very clear, only because later generations of Taoists and Taoist priests commented on him from different viewpoints and angles, so those who pay attention to the cultivation of nature and life, and advocate celibacy. The Shuangxiu sect who advocates not leaving the family and the salary of men and women; advocates the method of burning lead to smelt mercury and using outer alchemy. The fallacies of Lian and other sects are also far-fetched one by one, citing the classical Chinese of "San Tong Qi" to make sense and write it down.As for the spirit and spirit originally mentioned in "Shan Tong Qi", it is the external use of the soul and soul, and Qi is just a compound of spirit and spirit.It is indeed the same line of thinking as "Zhou Yi Xi Zhuan": "Essence is the object, and the wandering soul is the change".

In fact, the book "San Tong Qi" is not really difficult to read, nor is it the author's secret formula to keep the supreme secret. It is just influenced by the background of the history and the style of the article. Wenyun is moving towards the transformational period of modernization and imitation of ancient times. He did not analyze in detail like modern people, and he summarized and classified it clearly. But as long as you grasp his theme, he is explaining the principles and methods of practicing alchemy. You will never tire of reading it for a long time. It will naturally penetrate and find out its system.He quoted Lao Tzu's theory in order to use the words of the ancient sages to prove his truth, not Xiang Bi's fiction.He quoted the principle of image and number, and tried his best to explain the cosmic laws of the heaven, earth, sun, moon and meteorological changes, so as to prove that the principles of human life activities have the same rules as the changes of the heaven, earth and universe. Standardized, rigidly applied to the body and mind.Zhu Yunyang, a Taoist in the Qing Dynasty, believed that he used the profit and loss of the month to compare the decline and prosperity of the spirit, and the appearance and disappearance of the sun to compare the surplus and deficiency of qi and blood. This is a very reasonable saying.Now we will give you one or two paragraphs of theories and methods related to the practice of tranquility, which are the extensions of Lao Tzu's "to achieve the extreme of emptiness, to keep the tranquility", "everything goes back to its root, and when it returns to the root, it will be quiet, and the day will return to life". annotation.At the same time, we can also see in it Wei Boyang's Buddhism and Pai Xue, etc. a little later one or two hundred years ago, how it adopted the scientific view of explaining the status quo of mind and nature in Chinese culture, and first proposed the concept of "no-mind" as a starting point. The revision method of "San Tong Qi"; and it can also be seen from this that the Song Confucianists' methods of cultivating "quietness" and "respect" have an indissoluble bond with Buddhism and Taoism.For example:

Deduce the number of five elements, which is relatively simple but not annoying.Lift up water to stir up fire, and the light will be extinguished.The sun and the moon eclipse each other, often in the dark.The water fills the ridge and invades the sun, and the fire fades away from day and dusk.yin and yang.Food and drink, sympathy with nature.I dare not speak falsely and imitate the ancient humanities.The ancient records show the dragon and the tiger, and the Yellow Emperor is beautiful in Jinhua.Huainan refines autumn stones, Yuyang adds yellow buds.A sage can hold on to the line, and he will not be obsessed with it.The ancient and the modern are the same, conspiring with the conversation.Scholars work harder and pay attention to deep thinking.If you want to speak out, you will not be deceived.

Names are used to determine love, words are based on sex.When gold comes back to its original nature, it is called Huan Dan. The three treasures of the ears, eyes and mouth should not be opened if they are blocked.The real person dives into the abyss, floating and obeying the rules.The melody is audio-visual, and the opening and closing are all contracts.For its own jurisdiction, the movement and stillness are endless.Li Qi accepts Rong Wei, Kannai does not need Cong.It is not necessary to talk about the combination, but I hope that the words will be in harmony with Hongmeng.The three are the key, and the slow body is empty.Commitment returns to nothingness, and "no thought" is normal.The evidence is difficult to move, and the mind is not vertical and horizontal.Sleeping and sleeping, God embraces each other, awakening and waiting for life and death.The color is soaked in moisture, and the joints become stronger.Get rid of all the yin and evil, and then establish the positive yang.Cultivate it without stopping, and carry it out with the common spirit.Lewdness is like spring water, and liquid is like thawing ice.Re-flow up to the foot, and finally rise again.There is no limit to the hole, and the Buddha is surrounded by the valley.The opposite is the test of Tao, and the weak is the handle of virtue.Yun hoe the filthy places, and the subtleties can be adjusted smoothly.The path of the turbid is clear, and the dark for a long time will be clear.

Of course, these simple and simple words contain too many meanings and reasons, and we have no time to explain them more. The Real Realm Realm of "Spiritual Intercourse" is the orthodox Taoist science of alchemy. Therefore, Wei Boyang sternly refuted many heresies that were spread under the guise of the sages at that time, deceiving the world and stealing names, and harming the world and society. For example: Right and wrong calendar victorious method, looking inside and thinking (this refers to the side-door practice of looking inside the five internal organs, such as the navel and dantian if you want to look back).Fulfill Budousu, the next day of Liujia (this refers to Bugang worshiping fighting, obsessed with talisman Taoism, etc.).Vagina is tired of nine and one, turbid messes with the cells (this refers to the practice of the Nine Superficial and One Deep in the superstitious room, and the side-door practice of picking yin and nourishing yang in the left way).Eating qi makes the intestines and stomach, exhaling and absorbing external evils (this is a side-door practice that refers to exhaling the old and absorbing the new, specializing in breathing and persuading the qi).Sleepless day and night, never resting in obscurity (this refers to the side-door practice of moving the essence of luck, tightening the valley road, and sitting for a long time without lying down).The body is tired day by day, in a trance-like state.Hundreds of pulses are in full swing, and you cannot be certified to live in a clear state (this refers to the above five types, which are exclusively in the body and move the essence).There are altars erected on tired earth, and worship and sacrifice at night and in the morning.When a ghost sees its image for the first time, it makes me feel emotional when I dream about it (this refers to the sect practice of offering sacrifices and praying, and even exorcising gods and serving ghosts).The heart is happy and joyful, and it is said that it must be postponed.Die with a sudden death, rotting away its body and bones (this refers to the conclusion of the practice of mysterious magic and other sects mentioned above).Actions often violate, and rebellion loses the cardinal.There are so many techniques, there are more than a thousand.The front is against Huang Lao, twists and turns brutal Jiudu.Those who are enlightened know the purpose, and they know the reason.

In "San Tong Qi", Wei Boyang comprehensively cites these heretical situations, and we study him together with "Baopuzi" written by Ge Hong, a Dan Taoist in the Jin Dynasty. , Those who become practitioners of deceit are really the same in ancient and modern times, which is ridiculous?Another shame!Is there any way to guard against stupidity?Therefore, he also said that the Taoism handed down from ancient times was originally the true knowledge of "the inner sage and the outer king", but because people in later generations have no wisdom, they smashed it to pieces, and instead confused the real with the fake, affecting society and causing decadence. the wind, as said:

The sages of Weixi embrace the truth with sincerity.Volunteering the nine cauldrons, transforming this obscurity.Containing essence and nourishing the mind, Tongde Sanguang.Essence overflows the interstitial muscles, and the muscles and joints become firm.All evils are eliminated, and righteousness always exists.Accumulate for a long time, deform and become immortal.Worry about the younger generations, and be good at the five ethics.Follow the elegant demeanor, finger painting ancient prose.It was written as a picture book, and it was taught in Kunming.The branches are exposed, but the roots are hidden.Putting names on various names overwhelms all the literature.Scholars get it, Yun cabinet for life.The son follows the father's career, and the grandson follows the ancestor.Passed down from generation to generation to be confused, but there is no experience.Therefore, the eunuchs are not official, the farmers lose their jobs, the merchants abandon their goods, and the nobles are poor. I am very hurt, and I will record it here.

However, he himself said that in his writings, he did not explain the matter in order, and only by the reader's own thinking and discernment can he comprehend the procedure and the truth, such as: The words are easy to think, and the trouble is not troublesome.Disclosure of its articles, verification considerable.The components are counted, so follow them.Therefore, it is a random speech, and it is the door of the hole.A wise man ponders and thinks about his intentions. Therefore, he pointed out the basic method of cultivation, such as: Inside to support oneself, quiet and empty.Originally hidden and bright, the inner body is illuminated.Block its exchange and build a solid spiritual strain.Sanguang Lu Shen, Wen Zizhu.Turn a blind eye, easy to find.Huang Zhong gradually unblocks the skin and moisturizes the skin.The beginning is correct and the final repair is not sustainable.One is to cover up, and the world will not know it. Do it diligently, day and night.Three years of food, easy travel.It doesn't burn when crossing the fire, and doesn't get wet when it enters the water.It can be saved or forgotten, and there will be no worries in Changle.When Taoism is accomplished, it is time to lurk.Taiyi was summoned and moved to Zhongzhou.When the power is full, it rises, and it is recorded and accepted. In short, "Chan Tong Qi" written by Wei Boyang, from the essence of experimental science of physical and mental cultivation, talks about the metaphysical way of mind and nature, and the spiritual soul of metaphysical qualitative change. It is a comprehensive study of Taoist science and Confucian philosophy. It is not an exaggeration to say that Zhu Yunyang regards "heaven and earth as the furnace, body and mind as medicine", which is not bad at all, but , he pays attention to the cultivation of human elixir, which is the highest principle for exerting the function of human life. (2) The Alchemy of Qi Refining and Health Preservation combined with Alchemist Medicine and Yi Xiangshu In the cultural history of the Han Dynasty, apart from the exegesis and commentaries of the famous Confucian classicists, in terms of science, the greatest achievement of the Western Han Dynasty was the development of astronomy and calendar phenomena. For example, the talented and versatile Sima Qian also participated in the revision I take pride in fulfilling the behest of my ancestors.Later, Yang Xiong wanted to use the theory of images and numbers, and the laws of astronomy and calendar images to create a new theory. He wrote a very abstract astronomical theory, "Taixuan Jing", and wanted to use it to generalize the above and below. Regardless of whether his knowledge has a basis or whether it has the value of scientific discovery, a Confucian scholar who is famous for his diction is interested in theories of science and philosophy. If he is born in a modern country that values ​​science and philosophy, he should be prepared rewarded.In the Eastern Han Dynasty, due to the evolution of the theory and science of the Xiangshu School of Yixue in the two Han Dynasties, the Xiangshu of Yixue became more abstract theories, such as: Yuxi's hexagrams, Jingfang's flexibility, Xun Shuang's ups and downs, Zheng Shui's In Jiaochen, Yu Fan's Najia, Fei Zhi used images to link classical Chinese to explain the Shangxiajing, which influenced the formation of Xun's Yixue.As for the origin of the hexagrams of the news of Qiankun, it began with the tradition of cultural and academic thoughts of the Zhou Dynasty by King Wen and Duke Zhou. The "Book of Rites·Yueling Pian" was used as the backbone of the proof materials. Enriching its content will constitute a large series of academic thoughts on Xiangshu in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and thus affect the formation of prophecy and other theories of divination and weft. However, the prosperity of the study of prophecy and weft has other reasons for academic thought, so there is no need to discuss it in this topic.Now we are not tired of it, and briefly explain the content of the theory of the image and number of the Yi Xue in the Han Dynasty. In fact, it is all to explain the theory of the hexagram image of the news of the universe. How does the principle of Najia affect the theory of Qi channels in medicine after the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the practice of convincing Qi and refining essence by health-preserving experts? Of course, this set of knowledge involves too many and too many contents, and we cannot specifically discuss them one by one. Argument.Now it is only limited, and introduces some principles of a few theories about alchemy and convincing cultivation, so that everyone can know the main idea. The Yi Xue Xiang Mathematicians of the Han Dynasty inherited the traditional thinking from the concept of ancient Chinese astronomy, and believed that the movement of the sun and the moon in the universe, as well as the relationship between the heaven, the earth, the sun and the moon, all things on the earth and human beings, are really just the activities of a big life , and there is a routine to follow.In particular, the profit and loss news of the lunar moon and the change of geophysical weather are used as the standard of the atmosphere of life in the universe to explain its basic theory; The small life differentiated in the middle, people and all things, are just the small life differentiated in the heaven and the earth.But no matter how big or small life is, its source is the same body, and the laws of life activities are also the same law, so the driving force of life, big or small, is the effect of changes in Qi.However, although this formless and shapeless Qi is invisible and intangible, it has signs and can be known in the law of the movement of heaven, earth, sun and moon, and in the continuation of human life, and its rules can be found out. ; They use geophysical meteorology, a year divided into four seasons, twelve months, and three hundred and sixty days, with the sun's travel degree of 365.25 a year as a criterion, and the moon's profit and loss as a standard in the middle, thinking that the sky, the earth, the sun and the moon The movement of life, geography, physics, and the activities of human life are all governed by a common force with laws; this force is called qi (though it cannot be regarded as the qi of air), so Created a theory that the moon of the great yin had no light in itself, but it glowed because it was touched by the energy of the sun. Therefore, in a month, the sympathy of yin and yang energy occurred, and in the direction of time and space, the moon had Profit and loss information such as dark circles and shortages.Therefore, in addition to the laws of astronomy, it is established to calculate the sympathy of yin and yang, to form the earth's weather, and to regularize the role of physical and personnel changes, and to form the theory of heavenly stems and earth domination to synthesize Jiazi.Five days are one season, three seasons are one Qi, and six seasons are one festival, so twelve months in a year are divided into twenty-four solar terms.Then use the inductive method to integrate the effects of this kind of qi and seasons into the twelve months, and then constitute the phenomenon of the twelve hexagrams of the news of the universe.So the ten heavenly stems, twelve earthly branches, twenty-eight mansions, twelve lulus, five elements, eight trigrams, etc., are summarized repeatedly and circle people layer by layer, forming a Taoist set of easy-to-learn images and numbers, and the relationship between astronomy, geography, physics, and personnel.Later, it developed into theoretical medical science and put forward ninety-nine and eighty-one questions. There is the theory of "Nan Jing" about the human body's Qi channels, which is combined with the theory of Rong (blood) and Wei (Qi) in Huangdi's "Internal Classics". It is believed that the twelve meridians of the human body are related to The circulation of qi and blood in the fifteen collaterals, triple energizers, and eight meridians belongs to the same rules and principles as the operation of the heaven, earth, sun, moon, and qi mechanisms. Later in the era, the immortals who practice alchemy, according to the above-mentioned theories, and the theory of the ups and downs of the heaven and earth news, believe that the life of the life is counted from the time of the parents' conception; the male is in eight digits. As the standard, the seven-digit number is the standard for women, which is still an innate endowment, which belongs to the scope represented by Qian Gua.For those who are more obvious, such as women, before the age of fourteen, menstruation (called Yaogui) has not yet been discovered, that is, a life with six lines and three hexagrams, which can be regarded as an unbroken virgin body.Around the age of fourteen, menstruation begins, and it becomes the three-three hexagram of Tianfeng (female queen), and until the age of thirty-seven and twenty-one, the first line of the Qian hexagram has been broken.From then on to around the age of seventy-seven or forty-nine, that is, the period when menstruation is cut off (now the so-called menopause of women in medicine), that is, the hexagram qi of innate life will be exhausted, which means that the life energy brought by innate endowment, At this point, it is almost used up, and the remaining years, from the stage around the age of seven, eight, fifty-six, are just the residual energy of the acquired life.If it goes on further, it will change from the yang hexagram Qian to the pure yin hexagram Kun, and enter the yin realm of another life.If it is calculated by eight digits for a man, it is around the age of sixteen, which is considered a child body, retains the original innate hexagram energy, and gradually evolves to around the age of eight, seven, fifty-six (equal to the so-called menopause of modern medicine. ), which is the stage when the life of the innate hexagram qi is about to end. After reaching the age of eighty-eight or sixty-four, the remaining life is the function of the acquired residual qi, that is to say, the Qian hexagram of pure yang becomes the Kun of pure yin. The hexagram has entered the yin realm of another life.Therefore, the theory of alchemy practice "immortality" and life cultivation came into being. It is believed that the first-class foundation, whether male or female, is the top grade for all virgins and human beings.Secondly, one should turn back and practice Taoism at the stage when the hexagram qi is not exhausted, there is still hope.If you wait until the hexagram qi is exhausted before you start cultivating your life, it is not absolutely hopeless, but it will be difficult to achieve twice the result with half the effort.Whether this theory is 100% reliable or not is not to be judged, but compared with the theory and experience of modern medicine, there is nothing completely wrong except that it is not precise enough and there are novel proofs.But everyone should know that this was before the Christian era. The Taoists in our Chinese culture published theories on physiology and medicine. Even if there are concepts and proofs that surpass theirs, in the history of scientific medicine, it was as early as two thousand years ago. invention!In the later generations, ordinary cultivators would only want to pursue the art of immortality when they are old and discouraged. If this can really become a fairy, then the cheapest things in the world will be taken up by smart people. I am afraid it is impossible! Then, based on the theory of the relationship between the heaven and earth's qi mechanism and the human qi pulse, narrowing its scope and explaining its rules, they believe that the human qi mechanism, between each exhalation and inhalation, the pulse runs six inches by itself (one exhalation, one exhalation, The pulse travels three inches; one inhale, the pulse travels three inches).A person, in one day and one night, has a total of 13,500 breaths, which is called one breath, and the air channel travels through fifty degrees and goes around the whole body. Using the standard of timepieces in the Han Dynasty, it is also a copper pot hourglass. One hundred quarters passed.However, this so-called pulse includes Rong and Wei. The so-called "Rong Wei travels at 25 degrees of yang and travels at 25 degrees of yin". Machine, the popular positive central nervous system is 25 degrees, and the popular negative autonomic nervous system is also 25 degrees. .In addition to detailed analysis, the heart, liver, lung, spleen, stomach, kidney, gallbladder, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, triple energizer, cell network and other twelve meridians are classified according to the frequency of the qi movement and breathing. Explain, and then add the twelve earthly branches such as Zichou Yinmao, and the twenty-four solar terms to sum up, so that this theory of health preservation, medicine, and physiology has entered the circle of mystery and mystery. In fact, it is not a Taoist or ancient story. Being mysterious is just the knowledge of that era, and people like to use these codes habitually, as symbols that are incorporated into inductive memory after analysis.In short, after the Eastern Han Dynasty, until the Tang and Song Dynasties, apart from Wei Boyang's method of cultivating the mind and exercising the spirit of the orthodox school of alchemy, the most common and powerful are theories and methods of nourishing qi such as refining qi and convincing qi. It is the mainstream of the immortal elixir.The origin of this theory similar to the experimental school should be Yuan Shao Zhuangzi's "one finger of heaven and earth, and one horse of all things", "wild horses are like dust, and all things blow with each other with their breath", "the breath of a real person is on the heel, and the breath of everyone Breathing through the throat" and other theories are deduced from this extension. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, they practiced the immortal way of inner alchemy, accepted the wonderful principles of Zen Buddhism, and at the same time were influenced by the Tantric practice introduced from North and South India, resulting in two extremes in terms of method and theory. Important key points: (1) Advocating the dual cultivation of life and soul is the law of alchemy and the ultimate fruit of immortality. (2) Pay special attention to the three steps of "refinement to transform qi, refine qi to transform spirit, and refine spirit to return emptiness", which is the only procedure for practicing alchemy.Therefore, after the Song and Yuan Dynasties, all the works of Danjing, no matter they are orthodox Taoist thoughts or heretical tricks, all follow this principle on the basis of theory, plagiarizing "Chan Tong Qi" or "Wu Zhen Pian". The famous saying of ", far-fetched, used as a basis for citations, so the concept of alchemy after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there is: "Cultivating life but not cultivating nature, this is the first disease of cultivation. Only cultivating ancestral nature and not cultivating alchemy, ten thousand kalpas Yin spirits are difficult to be holy." The legend.And the most wonderful thing is that all the traditions of alchemy all regard the god Lu Chunyang at the end of Tang Dynasty as their ancestors, just like Buddhist ideology and academics. Since Tang Dynasty, most of them are in the forest of Zen Buddhism. In history, the miracle of cultural development in the Tang Dynasty.After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, although the alchemy and Taoism studies were divided into four schools, such as: the southern sect advocates dual cultivation of yin and yang, the northern sect advocates single cultivation of tranquility, the western sect advocates single cultivation, and the eastern sect advocates dual cultivation. The theoretical foundation of the double cultivation of life and life sometimes cites Song De Confucianism, or the ideas of "University" and "The Doctrine of the Mean", focusing on theories such as "fulfilling the nature of people and the nature of things", "exhausting reason and exhausting nature to fate", and Change of temperament, as a wonderful theory of alchemy, dragon and tiger, lead and mercury.In short, the academic thought of immortal alchemy has changed from cultivating the spirit since Zhou and Qin, to refining qi after Han and Wei, and then to refining essence after Song and Yuan, which is quite different from the original and simple Taoism .Although he worships Huang Lao, it is quite different from Lao Tzu's theory of tranquility and emptiness. What's more, the later Taoists of alchemy mixed in sorcery such as picking mending in the house, plus various tricks of pretending to be monsters, all of them respected themselves as The supreme alchemy, each claims to have received the secret tradition of the orthodox alchemy; or it is said that their own masters are all people who have lived for more than hundreds of years, and they can achieve the magic technique of "curing illness and prolonging life, and immortality". Here, as long as you have read the fallacies uttered by alchemists since the Wei and Jin Dynasties listed in "Baopuzi", you will be dumbfounded and laugh, knowing that the lies of the ages are all the same. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the methods of alchemy practice were farther away from the orthodox alchemy methods since the Han, Tang, Song, and Yuan Dynasties, and the roads were narrower. Generally speaking, the alchemy methods are mostly based on Wu Chongxu and Liu Huayang. The first series of Wuliu Pai Dan Tao is the main one.Wu Chongxu wrote "Golden Immortal Demonstration", and Liu Huayang wrote "Hui Ming Jing" and other books. They participated in Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism to demonstrate the theories and thoughts of metaphysical magic, and tried their best to prove that their alchemy is the authentic Taoism. It has been passed down from generation to generation, but misunderstood Buddhism and made up the words of Buddha, which makes people daunting. It is really ridiculous and false.This school of alchemy purely advocates "refinement and transformation of qi" as the basis for initial initiation, and pays special attention to the functions of sexual physiology and sexual behavior. It is the phenomenon of drug production when the child is alive.Just start to practice from now on, or use the eyes to reflect the light, or use the breathing adjustment to tighten the perineum (bottom of the sea), guide the yang essence to follow the governor (central spinal nerve) and return it to the Nihuan Palace (diencephalon part) of the upper dantian, the so-called The effect of "restoring the essence and nourishing the brain, and immortality" will take effect here, which is the innate qi of the dantou; after reaching the upper dantian, it will turn into Huachi Shenshui (the body fluid of the oral cavity and lymph gland endocrine, etc.) , through the twelfth floor (throat part) down to the lower dantian (below the navel), it is called opening up the Ren meridian, so that the circulation of the Ren and Du meridians is far-fetched to match the Yi Xue Xiangshu's Jiazi and other heavenly stems and earthly branches. It is called the method of running a small circle (also known as turning the river cart).Then how to change from the small Zhoutian to the big Zhoutian, with the interpretation of green dragon, white tiger, lead, mercury, yin, yang, etc., the mystery is mysterious, and the god is god, so that those who yearn for immortality and want to be immortals are all regarded as nothing. The above-mentioned Taoist alchemy, practiced diligently, and finally, it was verified by refining the horse Yin Zang phase (the male reproductive organs contracted, and the female breasts returned to the virgin body); from then on, one step further, to achieve the skill of refining qi and transforming gods, to achieve The effect of becoming a golden immortal is the effect of the yang god coming out of the body, wandering outside the body and psychic. All kinds of theories have a great impact.Generally practicing martial arts (Nanzong Najia), northern school (foreigner) boxing masters, and people who specialize in Qigong, or pay attention to meditation and health preservation, as well as martial arts novelists, the so-called opening up the two veins of Ren and Du, "going crazy", etc. The concepts and terminology such as these all come from the theoretical terms of this school of alchemy, which has caused a lot of harm. In fact, regardless of whether it is orthodox or not, the theory and method of "refinement and transformation of qi" of this school of alchemy have two advantages if used properly: (1) It can solve any religion, As for the celibate of any sect, it is an excellent help for the troubles of sexual psychology, and at the same time, it is also an excellent help for the real practice to keep the precept of not committing adultery. It is also an excellent help for the temptation of crazy pursuit of carnal desire in the late twentieth century and the psychology of health and longevity. Hygienic experiments are a good thing in terms of theory and some preliminary methods. (2) They also strongly advocate accumulating good deeds as the basis for cultivating the gods. If there is only Taoism and no accumulated good deeds, there is absolutely no hope for cultivating to the status of gods. This is very important for social education. The most decisive wise words have to do with the significance of religious education.In short, apart from these two benefits, we think it is a good self-cultivation technique for health preservation, which is understandable; however, we must still pay attention to it, as we just said, to use it to get the law, It is necessary to have a deep understanding of Taoists' theories of medical science, otherwise, its disadvantages are also very terrible. Therefore, from the opposite side, there are about four kinds of harms: (1) Because those who study cultivation do not understand the principles of home medicine, but have the true principles of essence, qi, and spirit.I also don't understand the theory of the twelve meridians of general medicine (Chinese medicine) and the eight extraordinary meridians of Taoism (Ren, Du, Chong "Zhong", Dai, Yin, Yang, Yin Wei, Yang Wei).More importantly, if you don't understand the true theories of Buddhism and Taoism about the study of mind and nature and the study of life, you will desperately inhale to refresh yourself and do contraction and refinement only for the purpose of curing illness, prolonging life, and living forever. Kung fu; those who practice well, from the surface, have the feeling of strong muscles and bones, childlike hair, or rosy face, so, from the perspective of others, and their own self-confidence, there are at least half immortals. In fact, after cultivation , Nine out of ten, they died of brain congestion, or paralyzed half of their body, the so-called "disorientation" is such a phenomenon, seeking glory instead of humiliation, seeking longevity will not be able to enjoy the rest of life, why bother to come Ya! (2) Whether a person wants to study immortality, Buddhism, Taoism or Buddhism, he must first understand that their learning and methods are full of advanced theoretical principles, and their self-cultivation and effectiveness all come from this extreme. The basis of the method is established based on profound academic theories, and it is applied according to the individual, and the right medicine is given to the case. There are only flexible guidance, and there are no rigid magic tricks.Especially Taoism, it combines with natural sciences and humanities such as astronomy, geography, physics, chemistry, cultivation of mind, ethics and morals, and enters the highest realm of philosophical metaphysics.If you don't have a good understanding of the principles, relying on a little practice, or practicing breathing, or guarding the orifices (guarding the center of the eyebrows, the dantian, the middle palace, the bottom of the sea, etc.), it is ridiculous to think that it is the supreme secret.In fact, these methods are all for the purpose of concentrating attention, paying attention to a part of the physiological function, and making it vigor instinctively. Immortal elixir, all in it.What's more, practitioners have not reached Lao Tzu's pure heart and asceticism. As for the state of tranquility and inaction, with the utilitarian thought of gaining in the world, they desire to become immortal gods, just as Ji An said to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty: "Nei Duo Doing benevolence and righteousness outside one's desire" is also a problem of mental insufficiency.Therefore, in the process of practicing this alchemy, psychological illusions and hallucinations may be caused by physical changes, or physical abnormalities may be caused by psychological hallucinations. , It comes from this reason. In fact, demons are created from the heart, and demons are created by people. Don't read." It can be quoted as a commentary on this principle. (3) Because the elixir of the Wuliu school puts great emphasis on the effect of refining essence, and it uses the sperm of the reproductive organs as the main ingredient of the elixir, so there is pinching of acupoints to extract essence, similar to masturbation, or intercourse without diarrhea Waiting for room technique, people are in this way.Those who pay attention to the double cultivation of men and women, and practice the art of becoming a plain girl, are also called refining essence and transforming energy. Various names, each established a sect, all follow the Wuliu School, in order to cure illness and prolong life, immortality and illness, refining Essence and madness can be found everywhere. (4) Huang-Lao's way, with humility and self-restraint as the main purpose, and the morality of tranquility and emptiness, without desire and desire.The alchemy method below Wei Boyang is based on the principle of "cleaning the heart and retreating to secrets", with the magical effect of maintaining surplus and health, preserving light and nourishing truth.However, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and now those who practice Wuliu School of alchemy generally fall into the realm of arrogance, narrowness, mystery, and ignorance, fully exposing the ugly side of Chinese culture, which is really regrettable. The first misguided way of this school of popular alchemy is to mistakenly recognize the function of sperm blood, mistakenly thinking that it is the essence of the spirit mentioned by Taoism, this is the most basic mistake.Ordinary people start with meditation, although there are more or less physiological reactions. They feel that the circulation of the body's qi channels and the beating of some muscles are regarded as the effect of the alchemy. In fact, these are the phenomena of physiological reactions that should occur in a static psychological state. There is nothing surprising about it, and it just proves the preliminary effectiveness of static cultivation.In fact, the governor channel is the function of the spinal cord and the central nervous system, the conception channel is the function of the autonomic nervous system, the essence is the endocrine function of the kidney glands and sex organs, and the Huachi Shenshui is the pituitary gland and lymph glands. , Endocrine function, if you have a little common sense of modern physiology and medicine, have the cultivation of psychology and philosophy, and integrate many scientific theories and experiments, you can know that this is a very common way of health preservation, and it is all due to spiritual and psychological factors. The role of fusion is not a secret of orthodox alchemy gods.Of course, in modern medicine, there are some schools of thought that are studying the relationship between sex hormones, blood serum and rejuvenation, but that is still the ideal in medical science experiments, which is equivalent to planting the pituitary gland, planting the afterbirth, and injecting various hormones. Staying at more than 2,000 years ago, the scope of thought of "alchemists" pursuing the longevity of life is just that the theoretical terms used are quite different from all medicines and methods. It can be seen that human wisdom is always young , which is another major issue in the history of human culture. In short, the essence, qi, and spirit proposed by Taoism, from a scientific point of view, are the spiritual functions of the eyes, ears, and heart; the expression and application of spirit.It is the function of sight and vision; the expression and application of qi is the function of hearing of the ear; the expression and application of essence is the movement of the heart and the instinctive vitality of the body. The three kinds of energy, qi, and essence are the effects of light, heat, and force.From a philosophical point of view, the so-called God of Taoism is similar to the so-called nature of Buddhism, and the so-called essence of Taoism is similar to the so-called heart of Buddhism.有"心精圆明"等辞句；至于精液的精，乃是心理欲望的刺激，引发性腺内分泌与心脏血液循环的作用而已，正如道家广成子所言"情动乎中，必摇其精"，也便是这个道理。道家所谓的气，便是相近于佛家所谓的息（呼吸），是属于后天生命形身的作用而已，借用物理世界的现象做譬喻，神，比如太阳的光能，它给予世界万有生命的能量，气，比如太阳光能辐射到地球所发出的蒸气，精，比如太阳赋与万物光能，而产生化合作用物质的成果。但是要注意，这种说法，因为无法可以详细说明精、气。神的情形，所以我把它借用来做譬喻，譬喻的本身，只限于类比而已，并非就是原物的原样。在周、秦时代道家的修炼，是从养神入手，即已概括了精、气的作用。秦、汉以后道家的方法，注重养气，虽然与养神论者，略有变动，但已从形而上的作用，走入形而下的境界。宋、元以后的炼精，更等而下之，完全堕入后天形质观念的术中了。关于形与神的道理，牵涉太广，也是另一专题，暂时恕不多讲了。此外，附带地说明一下静坐，与密宗、以及瑜伽的关系。静坐，俗名叫做盘膝打坐，自汉、魏以后，从印度佛教传入修习禅定的方法，对于锻炼形态、收摄身心，使其走入静定境界的一种方便。这种盘膝静坐的方法，原始便是印度古老瑜伽术的一种姿态，并非佛法的究竟，也非就是道家修炼神仙内丹道法的究竟，只是可以通用于一切修养身心性命的姿态与方法而已，在道家而言，唐、宋以上的丹经，很少讨论到静坐的关系。但是，静坐是一种助道的法门，是普通可用的一种良好的修养术，那是毫无疑问的。如果把静坐就与神仙修道或佛学禅宗的禅，混为一谈，那是错误的。至于宋、元以后，佛教由西藏传来的密宗，也和道家一样，注重气脉的修炼，与达到乐、明、无念的证验工夫，本来也是佛家讲究修养的一种最好方法，由形而下求证形而上的实际工夫，但到了明、清以后，也和道家的丹法一样，大体已经走入注重形质功效的范围，只注重气脉的修炼，比起原始的妙密，便是由升华而变为下堕的趋势。瑜伽术的最高成就的价值，仅等于道家导引养生派的内功修炼，更不是至高无上的法门，因为一般研究丹道的人，往往把静坐、密宗、瑜伽术几种世界上类同的修养术，混杂交错而不明其究竟，在此顺便略一提及，以供研究者的注意。无论学仙学佛，讲到养生全真之道，都以清心寡欲入手，而至于寂灭无为为究竟，正如道教的《清静经》所说："人能常清静，天地悉皆归。"可是现实世界中的人生，正如孔子所说："饮食男女，人之大欲存焉。"告子也说："食色性也。"人们对于色欲与饮食的追求，与贪图富贵功名的享受并重，要想作到"离情弃欲，所以绝累"，在一般的人，是不可能的事。我记得在一本笔记上看到一则故事说：时代一位巨公，听到一位修道的人，已有九十多岁，望之只像四十岁的中年人，便请他来，问修长生不老的道术。这个道人说：我一生不近女色。这位巨公听了，便说："那有什么意思，我不要学了。"这个故事，便是代表了一般人的心理，所以古今多少名士，作了许多反游仙的诗，如"姮娥应悔偷灵药，碧海青天夜夜心！"以及"妾夫真薄命，不幸做神仙。"都是普通心理的反应，这与"辜负香衾事早朝"，同样都是注重男女饮食，便是人生真谛的思想，如出一辙。但是，相反地说，仙佛之道，的确也非易事，丹道家对于修炼神仙方术的人选，非常注重生理上的先天乘赋，所谓"此身无有神仙骨，纵遇真仙莫浪求。"唐代名臣李泌，生有自来，骨节珊然，但懒残禅师只许他有一十年太平宰相的骨相。麻衣道者谓钱若水，子无仙骨，但可贵为公卿耳！杜甫诗："自是君身有仙骨，世人那得知其故。"这正如佛家所说："学佛乃大丈夫事，非帝王将相之所能为。"是同样的隽语。总之，静坐是对身心有益的修养方法，如果认为静坐便是学道，那须另当别论了。