The Mystery of the Internal Alchemy of the Ages is Revealed

千古内丹谜　一朝揭奥秘

Qiu Zhengtang

裘正堂

  The health-enhancing, disease-relieving and longevity-promoting effects of internal alchemy are increasingly valued by qigong enthusiasts. However, as a practice that has been passed down for thousands of years and is still popular today, what is the mechanism behind its health-enhancing and disease-relieving effects? What is the essence of internal alchemy? To date, there is no satisfactory answer to these questions. The author attempts to look beyond the external manifestations and explore the source of the generation of true qi and the secret of health enhancement and disease relief.

  内丹术的健身、祛病、长寿之效验，正日益受到气功爱好者的重视，然而，作为一种流传千年、至今不衰的功法，其健身祛病的机理究竟是怎样的 ?内丹的本质又是什么 ? 这些问题至今没有满意的答案。笔者试图透过其外部表象，去芜存著，探究其真气发生之源，健身祛病之秘。

  What is an internal alchemical elixir? There are many different opinions on this. Is it a mysterious pearl? Indeed, when the primordial energy occurs and the primordial nature manifests, a little bit of primordial light appears round and shining, constantly and vividly. If one excludes the acquired knowledge, the little bit of primordial light is always there, and the more often it appears, the better. If one seeks it with the knowledge acquired, it will suddenly disappear. This is indeed a manifestation of Dan, but it is only the superficial manifestation of internal alchemy, and there are still many uncertain factors. Internal alchemy should be tangible and verifiable.

  内丹是什么 ? 对此众说不一。是一粒玄珠吗 ? 的确，当元气发生，元性显现时，先天一点灵光圆陀陀，光灼灼，活泼泼地不断显现。若排除后天的识念，一点灵光常湛然，出现次数越多，则状态越佳。若以后天求之，则倏然逝去。这，的确是有丹的表现，然这仅是内丹的表象，尚有许多不确定的因素。内丹应当是具有物质性的，有实证可验的。

  Is the internal alchemy an energy flow? Is it an experience of medicine and fire? Indeed, when internal alchemy is practiced to a certain level, the body feels as if it is being poured with hot soup. This is the life energy that exists in the body. When internal alchemy is practiced to a higher level, the body's own true energy occurs frequently. The “natural true fire” in the middle and lower dantian warms and left-right circles, making the whole body feel soft and comfortable and extremely beautiful and happy. The abdomen feels as if it is moving and rising and falling like a living dragon. Danjia refers to this as “mao you zhou tian”. Anyone who has successfully cultivated internal alchemy will experience a constant burning sensation in the life gate, a raging fire in the lower abdomen, and the two kidneys feeling like they are being boiled in a pot. This is the effect of taking the great medicine, and having this experience means that you have truly entered the human gate. At this time, there is often a tide of true water in the mouth, constantly filling the lower abdomen and internal organs. The body feels like it is just out of the bath, full of springtime warmth, especially in the cold season. It feels like a gentle spring breeze blowing through the body. Every day, you feel light and healthy, refreshed and invigorated. This is indeed the experience of having Dan, and it has infinite significance for fitness. But if these are described as internal alchemy, they are merely a list of phenomena and cannot be generalized as the essence. Because only by exploring the source of true qi can we grasp the mystery of internal alchemy for health.

  内丹是能量流吗 ? 是药与火的体验吗 ? 确实，内丹术修炼到一定层次，体内有如热汤倾注，这是一种存在于体内的生命能量。当内丹修炼达较高层次时，体内自有真气频频发生，中、下丹田温热之“自然真火”左旋右回，浑身酥软，美快无比，腹内如活龙动转升降。丹家谓此“卯酉周天”。凡炼内丹得验者，命门之火常燃，丹田火炽，两肾如汤煎，此谓得大药之效验，有了这种体验就说明你真正人门了。凡此时，往往口中真水如潮，不断灌人下丹田及脏腑，身如沐浴之方起，春意融融，尤其在寒冷的季节，如阵阵春风在体内微微吹过，每日身轻体健，神清气爽，这一切确实是有丹的体验，对于健身有着无限的意义。但是如果把这些说成是内丹的话，也仅仅是罗列现象，不能概括为本质。因为只有探究真气发生之源，才能把握内丹术的健身奥秘。

  Where does true qi occur? We observe various qigong exercises and find that they all pay attention to the lower dantian of the body, that is, 3 inches below the navel, which is believed to be the source of true qi. The lifemart is the sign of the lower dantian and is where the essence of the kidney is stored. Ming Dynasty physician Zhang Jingyue said, “The life gate is the source of primordial energy and the home of water and fire. The yin energy of the five internal organs cannot be nourished without it, and the yang energy of the five internal organs cannot be activated without it.” This shows that the life gate is the source of the generation of yin and yang. When the internal alchemy reaches a certain level, the true qi in the lower abdomen rises warm, and a large amount of true qi is also generated in the life gate. There is no doubt that this is the true qi that is formed from the essence of the vital orifices and the essence of the kidneys. It is worth noting that this phenomenon can also be seen in the Tantric practice of “clumsy fire meditation”. The source of the clumsy fire originates from the lower abdomen, which is undoubtedly the source of reproduction.

  真气发生在何处 ? 我们观察各类气功功法，发现其都注意人体的下丹田，即脐下 3 寸之处，认为该处乃真气产生之源。命门为后丹田的标志，是肾精所藏之处。明·张景岳云：“命门为原气之根，为水火之宅，五脏之阴气，非此不能滋，五脏之阳气，非此不能发。”这说明命门为阴阳二气发生之源，命门火旺，阳气生发，能滋养五脏六腑，故此处为生命之根本。当内丹修炼至一定层次时，丹田温热之真气升起，命门亦有大量的真气产生。毫无疑问，这是精窍之阳精与肾精所化的真气。值得注意的是，此种景象在密宗功法“拙火定”中也可见到，所谓“拙火”是指脐下 3 寸处升起命火，以此命火温养敷布全身，谓之“拙火”升腾。拙火的真源发自于丹田下极，无疑是生殖之源。

  From this we can see that neidan is a practice that develops the energy that is hidden in the human body, thereby achieving the goals of health, disease prevention, and longevity. This unknown energy is actually the reproductive energy of the human body, which the danjia refer to as the “elixir of life” and “true seed.” Qing Dynasty scholar Liu Huayang said, “The immortals refine the primordial essence to make pills. The first step in alchemy is to refine the essence in the kidneys. When the essence is full, the vital energy will naturally arise. Refining this arising energy and recovering it to replenish one's true vital energy, until the vital energy is sufficient and the vitality is unmoving, is called the pill. Everyone knows that the essence can be used to give birth to a person, but to make it go backwards and turn into energy, use this true vital energy to replenish the innate vital energy, and finally the vitality is unmoving, the appearance does not age, the yang essence becomes a body, and the pill is cultivated. This is incomprehensible to the average person. Because of this, everyone makes the essence flow smoothly, from flourishing to decline, and from passion to weakness and illness. There is a difference between innate and acquired essence. Chen Meigong of the Ming Dynasty said in Baoyan Tang Miyan: “When the essence is innate, it is hidden in the five internal organs and six bowels, nitrogenous and hydrogenous, but not yet formed. When the idea of the acquired essence is aroused, it becomes the acquired essence.” The acquired essence is the turbid essence when it flows smoothly, but before it flows smoothly, it is nitrogenous and hydrogenous in the internal organs. The primordial essence cannot be directly transformed into the innate essence, but it can be refined into qi. This true qi can supplement the innate essence, and when the qi is sufficient, it is also the pill. This is the fundamental starting point of the internal alchemy of refining essence into qi. In fact, it is based on empirical evidence, with verification at every step. The following is an example of empirical evidence.

  从上我们可以认识，内丹术是一种把潜藏于人体的能量开发出来，从而达到健身、祛病、长寿目的的修炼术。这种未知能量实际上是人的生殖能量，亦即丹家称为“长生药”、“真种子”的元精。清·柳华阳曰：“仙道炼元精为丹。凡炼丹下手之初机，即炼肾中之元精。精满气自然发生，复炼此发生之气，收回补其真气，补到气足，生机不动，是谓丹也。”人人都知道元精能顺出生人，但要使其逆返回去，转而化气，用此真气补先天之气，最后生机不动，容颜不衰，阳精成体，修成金丹，这对于一般人来说是不可理解的。正因为如此，人人都使元精顺出，由盛转衰，情少气弱而成病。精有先后天之分，明·陈眉公在《宝颜堂秘岌》中言：“精在先天时藏于五脏六腑，氮氢而未成形，后天之念一动，则成后天之精。”后天之精为顺出时的浊精，但在未顺出时却氮氛于脏腑之间。元精不能直接转化为先天之精，但却能炼精化气，用此真气可以补足先天之精，补到气足是为丹也，这就是内丹术炼精化气的根本出发点。其实是以实证为前提的，步步有验证，现举实证于下。

  One of the empirical evidences of internal alchemy refining essence into qi is the “hidden horse yin”. When cultivation reaches a certain stage and energy is replenished, there will be flashes of lightning in the ming tang, and the ma yin cang xiang will appear. The ma yin cang xiang refers to the phenomenon of the penis retracting into the body like a child's. This phenomenon often occurs when the small zhou tian is complete, indicating that there is no essence in the essence orifice, causing the penis to retract. At this time, the yuan essence is often transformed into true qi, gathering in the huang ting, so that there is sufficient true qi and the body is warm. This experience of medicine and fire is a clear sign that essence has been transformed into qi. The second proof of refining essence and transforming it into qi is not leaking. By not leaking, I don't mean just keeping the essence from leaking in the usual sense, but rather something much higher than that. Not leaking is also a clear sign that essence has been transformed into qi. Those who have not leaked are already in the realm of the great Zhou Tian. At this point, qi is abundant and essence is full. It is completely different from the initial state of the horse's Yin hidden aspect. When in motion, it is essence; when at rest, it is qi. As long as the mind is calm, the primordial essence can continuously be transformed into true qi. Therefore, there is no need to leak. This is a crucial step in reversing life. As the ancients said, “If you can preserve the yang essence, immortality will be yours.” Internal alchemy is a process of refining the yang essence until it becomes a solid entity. When the yang essence is fully developed, the body is strong, the essence is abundant, and the qi is full. This is the manifestation of the successful completion of internal alchemy. It is a virtuous cycle of transformation from a state of self-awareness to a state of self-actualization. This is also the meaning of internal alchemy for cultivating life. So, what is the significance of internal alchemy for health?

  内丹术炼精化气的实证之一是马阴藏相。当炼养达一定阶段，在能量补足后，明堂间时有电光闪烁之景，并出现马阴藏相。所谓马阴藏相，是指阳物缩回体内如童子，这一现象往往出现在小周天行满之时，说明精窍内无精而导致阳物缩回，此时元精往往转化为真气，汇聚于黄庭之间，因而真气充足，体内温热。这种药与火的体验正是精化为气的明证。炼精化气的实证之二是不漏。所谓不漏并不是寻常意义上的保精不泄，而是比其高出许多，不漏也是精化为气的明证。不漏者已是大周天的景象，此时气足精满，完全不同初时的马阴藏相，动则为精，静则为气，只要心静，元精已能不断地转化为真气，因而是不必漏，这是生命逆返的关键一步。古人云：留得阳精，神仙现成。内丹术炼至神府坚固，阳精成体，精足气满，是丹成的表现，是由自在状态转为自为状态的良性循环，也是内丹修命的意义所在。那么，内丹术的健身意义何在呢?

  First, Neidan is different from other qigong methods in that it focuses solely on refining and nourishing the primordial qi. The primordial essence is the original substance of life. The method of Neidan is to transform the primordial essence into true qi, which nourishes the whole body. Zhang Boduan said, “Everyone has the elixir of life, but the ignorant waste it.” This elixir of life is the primordial essence. The “Classic of the Immortals” says: “Those who cultivate immortality should first focus on preserving the primordial essence. If the primordial essence is excessively depleted, the innate essence in the organs and viscera will gradually run dry, and vitality will turn from exuberant to depleted. Modern science believes that the lifespan of a person is about 120 to 175 years, and that premature death is caused by a variety of reasons. Taoist believe that it is caused by the depletion of the primordial essence, which makes perfect sense. The ancients said, “If one indulges in lust and emotion, one dissipates the primordial yang and depletes the true qi, and one grows old and haggard. Therefore, cultivating internal alchemy can prolong life and restore health.

  一、内丹术与其他气功方法有所不同，在于独重炼养先天一气，元精为生命原质，内丹术的方法就是把元精转化为真气，以此真气来滋养全身。张伯端曰：“人人都有长生药，只是迷徒枉摆抛。”这种长生药就是元精，《证道仙经》曰：“修长生者，首节以保固真精为本，精旺自然精化为气，气旺自然充满四肢。”元精若被过度地消耗，故而氮氢于脏腑的先天之精也将逐渐衰竭，生命力由旺盛转为枯竭。现代科学认为，人的寿命约在 120~175 岁，其所以夭寿是多种原因造成的。丹家认为是元精消耗太过所致，这是很有道理的。古人曰：“态情纵意，散失元阳，耗损真气，年高憔悴，则曰老矣。”故而修炼内丹术，以添油接命，还其健康。

 Second,the internal alchemy is a method of reversing the aging process. For ordinary people, it is natural for the essence to leak when it is full, but internal alchemy can prevent this from happening. Not only that, but it also transforms the primordial essence into true qi, which can then be circulated through the body, through the spine and the tailbone, and between the internal organs. This drives out the evil in the body, purifies the body, and uses the medicine already within the body to strengthen the body and cure illnesses. This method is truly extraordinary, and practicing it for a long time has a great effect on health. No wonder many people have experienced various phenomena of internal alchemy, such as turning back the aging process, even turning gray hair black and rejuvenating their appearance. This is a phenomenon worth exploring.

  二、内丹修炼是一种逆返的方法。对于寻常之人来说，精满则泄，天经地义，而内丹修炼能达到不漏，不仅如此，还将元精转化为真气，以此真气穿夹脊，贯尾间，流通于脏腑之间，驱除身中阴邪，荡涤秽浊，以身内已有之大药，为自己健身祛病。此种方法确实意义非凡，久久行之对于健身有极大的作用，难怪不少人通过炼内丹出现逆返的种种景象，甚至出现白发转黑，容颜返老还童，这是值得我们探讨的现象。

  Internal alchemy practice is a method of cultivating both life and soul. It is not just a practice of reversing reproductive energy, but also a way to achieve a high degree of harmony and unity between the mind and body, a kind of health in its fullest sense. Once a person has achieved internal alchemy, they will be able to achieve a state of emptiness in the body and mind, and the true energy will occur frequently.  At the same time, they will be in a state of deep inner joy. Using the infinite energy of heaven and earth to sustain our limited physical bodies, if we practice this for a long time, we will experience the infinite natural benefits. Lu Zu said: “Seal the essence as soon as possible, and don't delay receiving your life.” Life has a limited number of breaths. If you don't know how to protect yourself when you are at your peak, and don't know how to save yourself when you are declining, then all kinds of illnesses will come at once, and you will lose your life. Life is a matter of the gate, so you should start practicing as soon as possible.

  内丹术修炼是属于性命双修之法，它决不仅仅是生殖能量逆返的修炼术，而是要达到身心的高度和谐与统一，一种完整意义上的健康。内丹有成者只要做到身心虚明，真气自能频频发生，同时内心处于高度愉悦状态，以天地无限之元气，续我有限之形躯，久久行之，自有无限天然妙处，吕祖曰：“塞精宜急早，接命莫教迟。”人生气数有限，如盛不知保，衰不知救，则诸疾蜂涌，至命将丧。生命枚关之事，宜急下手修炼就是了。