道言浅近说 – 张三丰

Speaking of the Dao in plain words – ZhangSanFeng

translated by LI Siming, 2011

 

1. Three gates three stages of Dao cultivation in four sentences

夫道者，其层次须知三候三关。

大抵不外四言：『无为之后，继以有为；有为之后，复返无为』而已。

Those pursuing the Dao, need to know the three stages and three gates.

To sum up in four sentences: “after non-doing, follow by doing; after doing, back to non-doing”.

 

2. Three stages in Internal Alchemy

内丹功夫亦有小三候，积精累气为初候，开关展窍为中候，筑基炼己为三候。

下手于初候求之，大抵清心寡欲，先闭外三宝，养其内三宝而已。

In Internal Alchemy there are also three stages, accumulating the essence and chi is the first stage, opening and closing passages is the second stage, building the foundation and refine the self is the third stage.

Begin with the first stage, is basically to purify the mind and to abstain from desire, first close the external three treasures, and nurture the internal three treasures. (translator’s notes: external three treasures: eye, ear, mouth; internal three treasures: essence, chi, spirit)

 

3. Outline of Daoist Cultivation: Exhaust the truth, reach the end of the nature

《系辞》：『穷理尽性，以至于命』，卽是道家层次，一步赶步工夫。

何谓穷理？读眞函，访眞诀，观造化，参河洛，趁清闲而保气，守精神以筑基。

一面穷理，一面尽性，乃有不坏之形躯，以图不死之妙药。

性者内也，命者外也，以内接外，合而为一，则大道成矣。

『以至于』三字明明有将性立命，后天返先天口诀在内，特无诚心人，再求诀中诀以了之也。

<<IChing>> said, “Explore and understand the truth and the source of life, and then to life”, this describes stages of Daoist cultivation.

What is exploring the truth? Read the authentic teachings, explore the authentic pathways, observe the transformation of the universe, explore the Horse Diagram and the Turtle Diagram, retain the chi during leisure times, keep the spirit (from scattering) to build the foundation.

Explore the truth together with the source of life, and you will get the unbeatable body, and to pursue the medicine to last forever.   Source of life means internal, life means external, connect the internal to the external as one, and arrive at the great Dao.

The three words “and then to” describes the process of returning to innate life from the acquired life, there is no need to look for further formula within.

 

4. Basic practice: Condense the spirit, regulate the breath

『凝神调息，调息凝神』八个字，就是下手工夫。

须一片做去，分层次而不断乃可。

“Condense the spirit and regulate the breath, regulate the breath and condense the spirit” is the first step to proceed.  Do these two together, in stages, and without interruption.

 

凝神者，收已清之心，而入其内也。

心未清时，眼勿乱闭，先要自劝自勉，劝得回来，清凉恬淡，始行收入气穴，乃曰凝神。

凝起神了，然后如坐高山而视众山众水，如燃天灯而照九幽九昧，所谓凝神于虚者，此也。

Condense the spirit, means collecting one’s purified mind to enter into the inside.

When the mind is not yet purified, don’t close the eyes, first encourage the mind to come back, be cool and indifferent, then bring the mind to the energy center, this is called condensing the spirit.  When the spirit is condensed, it is like sitting on top of a tall mountain and looking at the mountains and waters, like putting up a sky lamp lighting up every darkness and obscurity, this is the meaning of condensing the spirit on emptiness.

 

调息不难，心神一静，随息自然，我只守其自然，加以神光下照，卽调息也。

调息者，调度阴蹻之息，与吾心中之气，相会于气穴中也。

心止于脐下曰疑神，气归于脐下曰调息。

Regulating the breath is not difficult, when the mind-spirit is quiet, following the breath naturally, i only abide in the naturalness, this when combined with spirit lighting downward, is what means by regulating the breath.  Regulating the breath, means mixing YinQiao Chi with mind’s chi in chi center.  Condensing the mind under the naval is called condensing the spirit, returning the chi under the naval is called regulating the breath.

 

神息相依，守其清净自然曰勿忘，顺其清净自然曰勿助。

勿忘勿助，以默以柔，息活泼而心自在。卽用钻字诀。

以虚空为藏心之所，以昏默为息神之乡，三番两次，澄之又澄，忽然神息相忘，神炁融合。不觉恍然阳生，而人如醉矣。

When spirit leans with breath, abide in natural cleanliness is called “not forgetting”, allow for natural cleanliness is called “not assisting”.  Not forgetting and not assisting use silence and softness, breath is active and mind at ease.

See nothingness as the place to keep the mind, see dim silence as home for breath and spirit, again and again, purify and purify, all of a sudden spirit and breathe both forgotten, spirit and energy fused. The Yang suddenly arise like one is drunk.

 

眞消息，玄关发现时也。凡丹旨中有『先天』字、『眞』字、『元』字，皆是阴阳鼎中生出来的，皆是杳冥昏默后产出来的，就如混沌初开诸圣眞一般，以后看丹经可类推矣。

True appearing and disappearing, happens when the mystical gate is realized.  In scriptures what named as “innate”, “real”, “original” arise from the Yin-Yang furnace, from the dark-unconscious-silence, like one appear from obscurity, you can use this to read Internal Alchemy scriptures.

 

5. What is true spirit

学道甚难，传道亦不易。传道右甚勤，学道者可懒乎？传道者耐烦，学道者可不耐烦乎？学不精，功不勤，心不清，神不眞，以此入道，万无一成。

孔子曰：『知几其神乎』。不曰其念其意，而曰其神，可见微动之息，非神不知也。

今为分之曰：微动者几，大动者直。

欲知其几，使心使意使念终不得见也。神乎！神乎！

Dao is difficult to learn, and so is teaching the Dao.  The teacher is diligent, are the student lazy?  The teacher can bear the trouble, can the student endure?  Learn not thoroughly, practise not diligently, and mind is not pure, spirit is not real, if approach the Dao with these, not one in ten-thousand succeed.

Confucius said “To know this mechanism, is via the spirit”.  He did not say via one’s intention, but via the spirit, we can see this subtle appearing and disappearing can only be known via the spirit.

Now classify this as “mechanism moves slightly, the straight-forward is straight.

To know the mechanism, one can never succeed via the mind, intent, and thought. This is mystical!

 

神要眞神，方算先天。

眞神者，眞念是他，眞心是他，眞意是他。如何辨得眞？

诀曰：玄关火发，杳冥冲醒，一灵独觉者是也。

丹家云：『一念从规中起』，卽眞神、卽眞念也。又云：『微茫之中，心光发现』，卽眞神、卽眞心也。

又云：『定中生慧，一意斡旋』，卽眞神、卽眞意也。

眞神从不神中炼出，学者知之。

Spirit need to be the real spirit, to be called innate.

Real spirit is, real thought, real mind, real intent. How to differentiate?

Teachings said: “fire started in the mystical gate, awake the obscure darkness, the consciousness is it.

Alchemist said: “one thought arise from completeness”, is real spirit, the real mind.

Other said: “In mist, light of the mind is found”, is real spirit, the real intent.

Other said: “In stillness arise wisdom, one’s intent circulates”, is real spirit, real intent.

Real spirit never arise from refining the spirit, student should know this.

 

6. Leading the mind into Truth, human mind becomes Dao mind

学道人原有常格宜破，乃能引心入理，热心去则冷心来，人心绝则道心见。此吾所以撇功名势利，弃儿女家园也。

顶眞学道，要把道当为奇货可居，乃有效验。

Those learning the Dao have to break the habit they have developed throughout their lives, and lead their minds into the truth, let go of the hot mind and the cool mind appears, surrender the human mind and the Dao mind seen.  This is reason for letting go attachment to fame, gain, family and society.

Those who are sincere about learning the Dao, have to treat the Dao as precious in one’s life, for the endeavor to succeed.