A Record of the Assembled Immortals and Gathered Perfected ...

[Pages:180]A Record of the Assembled Immortals and Gathered Perfected of the Western Hills

Shi Jianwu's Daoist Classic on Internal Alchemy and the Cultivation of the Breath

RICHARD BERTSCHINGER

Foreword by Master Zhongxian Wu

CONTENTS

Foreword : The Immortals' Messages by Master Zhongxian Wu A Short Note on Reading the Text Introduction The Knowledge 1. Knowing the Path 2. Knowing the Method 3. Knowing the Individual 4. Knowing the Timing 5. Knowing the Materials The Sustaining 6. Sustaining Life 7. Sustaining the Body 8. Sustaining the Breath 9. Sustaining the Heart 10. Sustaining Longevity The Rebuilding 11. Rebuilding Within 12. Rebuilding the Breath 13. Rebuilding the Fluid-essences 14. Rebuilding a Surplus

15. Rebuilding Depletion

The Verification 16. The True Water and Fire 17. The True Dragon and Tiger 18. The True Medicinal Elixir 19. The True Lead and Mercury 20. The True Yin and Yang

The Refinement 21. Refining the Method, You Walk the Path 22. Refining the Body, You Transform the Breath 23. With a Refined Breath, You Can Fashion the Spirit 24. With a Refined Spirit, You Can Join on the Path 25. On the Refined Path, You May Walk in the Divine

Glossary

Foreword

THE IMMORTALS' MESSAGES

Master Zhongxian Wu

Shi JianWu (780?861 CE ), who is also known by his Daoist names, XiZhenZi and HuaYangZhenRen , was a famous Daoist scholar, prolific author and cultivation practitioner from the Tang Dynasty. An astounding number of his poems were showcased in QuanTangShi (Complete Tang Poems ). Commissioned by the Qing Emperor himself, the QuanTangShi is the largest compilation of Tang poetry to date. Whilst most of the poets represented in this publication had only a few works chosen, this anthology memorialised 197 of Shi JianWu's poems. An exceptional human being, Shi JianWu passed up opportunities for the great power and wealth enjoyed by the highest-ranking government officials of the time, becoming one of the rare exceptions of Chinese history ? a person who prioritised his personal cultivation above all else.

Of all the Daoist classics, I personally believe his work, XiShanQunXianHuiZhenJi (A True Record of the Assembled Immortals of the Western Hills ), is amongst the best practical texts on internal alchemy and Qigong cultivation.

In the original preface, HuaYangZhenRen states that he deliberately wrote this book in five volumes in order to represent the numerological energy of WuXing (Five Elements). Each volume contains five chapters, which together represent one pure YangQi of each of the Five Elements (in other words, in five there is one).

He also asserts that whilst `everyone' knows WuXing and the related birth and controlling principles, only a rare few know how to apply these principles to enter the Dao . Whilst `everyone' also knows the three DanTian and their associations with the Three Layers of JingQiShen , scarcely any know how to circulate them through the three DanTian in order to attain the Dao. From my experience in the Qigong and Daoist cultivation world, I am astonished how little has changed in the last 1200 years!

The teachings of this book are a true treasure trove for the Daoist practitioner. Drawing from cryptic messages of old Daoist masters, the CanTongQi (reputed as the king of internal alchemy classics), and the ZhongLu DanFa (the internal alchemy techniques of Daoist immortals ZhongLiQuan and LuDongBing ), Shi JianWu particularly emphasises the key inner cultivation methods of WuXing and the three DanTian. By doing so, he reminds us of the most essential (and most often overlooked) elements of the Daoist cultivation tradition and modern Qigong practices.

I welcome the birth of the English version of this important internal alchemy classic with enthusiasm! Guided by Richard Bertschinger's expert translation and annotations, I hope many people will gain great benefits from this vital work.

A SHORT NOTE ON READING THE TEXT

There are two distinct ways of reading these dense spiritual texts: one is quicker, to let the strange words and passages wash over you ? without too much thinking what they mean; the other is slower, letting the significance of each phrase resonate in the brain, sparking involvement and depth of feeling. Both are fine, and both okay. Think of it as approaching a banquet ? some dishes to be savoured, others consumed with their accompanying sauces and condiments easing their passage. You are literally `munching meaning'. Here is a summary of the highlights.

The first section explains the historical context of this remarkable method of softening the breath. Chapter 1 explains the One Path, the Dao, and is fairly self-explanatory. Chapter 2 tells us that it all hinges on `acting naturally'. Simply marry together both forms of breathing, the True Yin and Proper Yang, and it is then possible to form an inner Medicine. Chapter 3 explains how to secure this elixial (`health-giving') method ? essentially not to make too much of it, but to remain peacefully and inwardly content without striving. Chapter 4 speaks of timing this action, along with the turning over of the natural world ? the crux of the affair. This is our task ? to silently join `in fit accord' with Yin and Yang, smelting out the True Yin and Yang in the body. This chapter contains the first mention of `sustaining' ? that is, sustaining the Yin and Yang of all life. Chapter 5 continues to elaborate on the same theme ? extracting the True Yin and Yang breaths.

The second section describes further `the sustaining'. This means sustaining the True Yin and Yang. Chapter 6 explains sustaining life through the quiet withdrawal of the body, and the physical senses. The

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