What kind of character should one maintain when practicing Taoism?
Q: What kind of character should one maintain when learning Taoist cultivation?
A: This is a question worth exploring. Some people say that when learning Taoist cultivation, one must first be humane and be a good person, and then one can enter the Taoist path and become a fairy. The author does not think so. For example, even if one is a good person, he may still have desires; if he does, then he may not be qualified to learn Taoism. Even though Chinese Taoism has always opposed the dogma of asceticism and advocates “purifying the mind and abstaining from desires,” as a moral person, does he have the ability to restrain his thoughts? When he encounters obstacles, whether in the realm of cultivation or in real life, can he fight off the obstacles with good intentions alone? I'm afraid not. Therefore, to cultivate the Dao, it is not enough to be morally qualified.
Laozi said in the Daodejing: “It is said that those who cultivate themselves well will not encounter a rhinoceros when walking on land, nor will they be injured by the armor and weapons of soldiers. The rhinoceros has nowhere to throw its horns, the tiger has nowhere to put its claws, and the soldiers have nowhere to put their swords. Why? Because they have no place to die.” The people who cultivate themselves, as mentioned here, are people who cultivate themselves. The ability they possess is actually a heroic qualification. Therefore, as a Chinese Taoist cultivator, in addition to possessing moral qualifications, one must also possess heroic qualifications.
It is not difficult to see this distinctive feature when reading the relevant discussions of other ancestors: Ge Hong's “Baopuzi” says: “The highest level of cultivation is attained in the military.” The military is where heroes can make their mark, and one cannot attain the Dao without being in the right place.
Lu Zu's “Knock on the Lines” says: “Seek out the martyrs, seek out the virtuous, and together we will transform the mortal body in the furnace.” If you are stingy with your wealth and treasure, the immortals will never come.” Here, ‘martyrs’ refers to heroic figures.
Zhang Sanfeng's “Golden Elixir Song” says: “I am now revealing the mechanism of the heavens and telling it to all the heroes of learning the Dao. There is currently a way to achieve immortality, but millions of ordinary people are confused about this.” It is clearly stated that people who learn the Dao are “heroes”, and are not equivalent to millions of “ordinary people”. If you only have morality, you may still be an ordinary person.
Zhang Sanfeng's “Water and Stone Chats” says: “Since ancient times, there has been a scene of the seven returns of the pill when a person is loyal and chaste and kills himself for benevolence. When his mind is not moved and his resolve is not divided, the great vital breath stands in the middle and gives rise to righteousness, and no matter what the sword, saw, cauldron, or hot pot, he regards it as a trivial test and is not shaken. I only accept righteous feelings, which gather together without dispersing and become strong. When the fire is at this point, the heroic aura will last for ten thousand years without extinguishing. This is what is required when a Daoist enters a room and approaches an oven. “It is clearly stated that in order to learn the Dao, one must have heroic qualifications.
“Water and Stone Idle Talk” also says: “Without the learning of Confucius and Mencius, there will be no good people in the world; without the learning of Laozi and Zhuangzi, heroes will not progress.” The meaning is that with the learning of Confucius and Mencius, one can learn to become a good person; one must first have the qualifications of a hero before one can learn the Taoist learning of Lao Zi and Zhuang Zi. “Water and Stone Idle Talk” also says: “However, if one has lofty aspirations, the Dao will not hinder the hero. People are afraid of being weak and uninspiring. If they raise their spirits, the ancestors will definitely help in silence.” The meaning is that for heroes with lofty aspirations, learning the Dao will not be hindered. Those who raise their spirits must be heroes, but they are afraid of being weak and uninspiring.
Chen Zhening's “Learning to Become an Immortal” says: “To become a saint or a wise man, to cultivate immortality and learn the Dao, all starts with restraining one's desires. It can block the path to improvement and open the door to depravity. Without going into high-sounding theories, to put it simply, if you just want to be healthy and live a long life, you also must restrain your desires.” People who can restrain their desires may not necessarily be morally qualified to do so, and only those who are heroic can accomplish it.
Ancient cultivators have spoken a lot about this, and there are too many to list. This is why only heroes are qualified to cultivate the Way. Because only heroes can control their own bodies and minds, they are qualified to cultivate the Way.
道家修炼应持何人格
问：学习道家修炼，应当保持何等人格？
答：这个问题，值得探讨。有人说，学道修炼，首先要尽人道，做一个好人，然后才能入仙道，做一位神仙。笔者以为不见得，比如做一个好人，他未必就没有欲望；如果有欲望，那么学道就未必合格。即使中华道家一贯反对禁欲的教条，提倡“清心寡欲”，但是作为一个有道德的人，他有没有克制自己念头的能力？他在遇到魔障出现的时候，无论是在修炼的境界之中，还是在现实生活之中，仅凭好心能不能战退魔障？恐怕不能。所以学道修炼，仅凭具备道德资格，还是不够的。
老子在《道德经》中说：“盖闻善摄生者，陆行不遇兕虎，入军不被甲兵。兕无所投其角，虎无所措其爪，兵无所容其刃。夫何故？以其无死地。”这里所说的摄生之人，即是修炼之人，他们所具备的能力，实际上是一种英雄资格。所以作为一个中华道家的修炼者，除了具备道德资格之外，还必须具备英雄资格。
观看其他祖师的有关论述，亦不难看出这一鲜明特点：葛洪《抱朴子》说：“上士得道于三军。”三军，英雄用武之地也，非其地不能得道。
吕祖《敲爻歌》说：“寻烈士，觅贤才，同安炉鼎化凡胎。若是悭财并惜宝，千万神仙不肯来。”此处之“烈士”，即指英雄人物。
张三丰《金丹歌》说：“我今泄漏天机理，说与学道诸英雄。目前现有长生路，千万凡夫迷本宗。”明言学道之人，就是“英雄”，而非等同于千万“凡夫”。如果仅有道德，也许还是凡夫。
张三丰《水石闲谈》说：“自古忠贞节烈，杀身成仁之时，便有七返还丹景象。当其一心不动，一志不分，浩然之炁立其中而生其正，任他刀锯鼎镬，都视为“幺麽”试我，毫不动摇。我只收留义气，聚而不散，凝而至坚。火候至此，则英雄之光炁，亘万年而不灭也。仙家入室临炉，就要有此手段。”明白说出，学道修炼，必须要有英雄资格。
《水石闲谈》又说：“一日无孔孟之学，天下无好人；一日无老庄之学，英雄无退步。”意思是说，有孔孟之学，可以学成一个好人；先须具备英雄资格，才能学习老庄道家之学，《水石闲谈》又说：“然而冲天有志，道亦不阻英雄也。人怕软弱不振，若打起精神，祖师亦必默助。”意思是说，对于冲天有志的英雄，学道不会受到阻挡。打起精神的必是英雄，就怕软弱不振。
陈撄宁《学仙必成》说：“为圣为贤，修仙学道，皆从克制情欲下手。可见情欲是人生的大患，能阻上进之路，能开堕落之门。不必高谈阔论，浅而言之，仅求健康长寿，亦非克制情欲不可。”能够克制情欲的人，仅有道德资格未必就能做到，只有具备英雄资格才能完成。
古代修炼家有关这方面言论甚多，不胜枚举。所以说只有英雄，也才能够具备学道修炼的资格。因为只有英雄，才能把握得住自己的身心，因而具备学道修炼的资格。