Huang Shāng's Theory of Neidan

黄裳的内丹学理论

Yin Zhihua

尹志华

  Huang Shāng, courtesy name Yuánjí, was a Daoist neidan scholar from Fengcheng in Jiangxi Province during the late Qing Dynasty. Little is known about his life. According to the available information, he travelled to Sichuan during the Daoguang and Xianfeng reigns of the Qing Dynasty, and was retained by local Daoist scholars in Fushun County, where he set up the Yueyu Tang to teach neidan methods. He left the school after more than ten years, and his whereabouts are unknown. ①Huang Sheng's lectures were transcribed by his disciples and compiled into three books: “Luyutang Yulu” (Sayings of the Happy Upbringing Hall), “Dao De Jing Jieyi” (Commentary on the Dao De Jing) and “Daomeng Yuyao” (Essentials of Daoist Teachings). ②Huang Sheng's works were first published in the Sichuan region during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty in woodblock print. In the early years of the Republic of China, Long Tengjian and Jiang Qikun reprinted them in lead type, ③and they spread throughout the country. They were later reprinted many times and spread to Japan, Thailand and other places.

  清末道教内丹学家黄裳，字元吉，江西丰城人。其生平事迹不详。根据目前掌握的材料，可知他曾于清朝道光、咸丰年间云游至四川，在富顺县为当地好道之士所挽留，设乐育堂讲授内丹诀法，十余年后解馆离去，不知所终。①黄裳讲道的内容，由其门人笔录而成《乐育堂语录》、《道德经讲义》 (又名《道德经注释》)、《道门语要》三书。②黄裳的著作先是在清朝光绪年间以木刻本刊行于四川地区，民国初年龙腾剑、江起鲲等改以铅印重刊，③于是流传全国。后又多次刊刻，并流传到日本和泰国等地。

  Modern Taoist scholars generally value the works of Huang Shāng. Chen Zhēngníng, former president of the China Taoist Association and a scholar of immortals, once said: “The two schools of Taoism, Northern and Southern, each go to extremes, and it is difficult to practice them both. This is why they have not become popular. However, the school of Chen Xīyī and Shāo Kāngjié is the most convenient for scholars. As Mr. Huang Yuánjí said, this is the school that I personally admire, and I am happy to introduce it.” He also believed that the Tianyuan Dan method at the top level could be applied simply by reading the two books by Huang Yuanyi, “Lectures on the Tao Te Ching” and “Luyutang Quotations,” and that there was no need to look elsewhere. ④ Taiwanese scholar Xiao Tianshi, who compiled “Essence of the Taoist Canon,” said of Huang Sheng's work, “Its key lies in its ability to seamlessly integrate Confucianism into Taoism; to promote Confucianism through Taoism, and to do so seamlessly,Mingdao Xiu De can set the trend of the world; nourishing the heart and cultivating the spirit can rectify the hearts of people for all eternity. ... If used, it can help one understand the mind and the nature, achieve enlightenment, be wise in dealing with the world, and govern the country and bring peace to the world. ... Both Taoism and Confucianism can be regarded as supreme scriptures, and as the only way to cultivate the holy and immortality.” ⑤Such a high evaluation can perhaps only be regarded as the opinion of one family, but it shows the importance of Huang Sheng's work.

  现代道教学者大多重视黄裳的著作。前中国道教协会会长、仙学家陈撄宁曾说：“道家南北两派，各走极端，而实行皆有困难，其势不能普及。惟陈希夷、邵康节一派，最便于学者，黄元吉先生所讲，即是此派，亦即顿 (陈撄宁道号‘圆顿子")所私淑，而且乐为介绍者。”并认为最上层的天元丹法，只要“看黄元吉先生所著《道德经讲义》并《乐育堂语录》二书，已足应用，不必他求矣”。④编纂过《道藏精华》的台湾学者萧天石称黄裳的著作“其要尤在其融儒入 道，而能凿空无痕；因道弘儒，而能浑全一体。明道修德，可端天下之风尚；养心养气，足正万世之人心。……以之为用，可以明心见性，可以入圣登真，可以明哲处世，可以治国平天下。……无论道家儒家，皆可奉为无上圣经，视作修圣修仙之不二法门也。”⑤如此高的评价，也许只能看作是一家之言，但黄裳著作的重要性，于此可见一斑。

(1) Cultivating both life and character, nature before destiny

  Huang Sheng believed that “people receive the primordial energy of heaven and earth to form their nature, and the essence of their parents to establish their destiny.”⑥ The primordial energy of heaven and earth is the innate formless energy that neither arises nor perishes; the essence of one's parents is the acquired yin and yang energy that has a beginning and an end. Therefore, “nature has no beginning or end, but destiny does.”⑦ However, this does not mean that “destiny” is unimportant. “If there is no destiny, there is no way to see nature."⑧ ‘Destiny’ is an essential condition for the concrete realization of ‘nature’ in human beings. Huang Sheng said: ‘Before there is destiny, the nature of the soul is suspended in the heavens; after there is destiny, the nature of the soul is already embodied in the human body.’ ”Nature is the master of the body, and destiny is the use of the body. If you don't preserve the essence and enrich the qi, and just do things to achieve a wonderful and enlightened state, then the body and destiny will not exist, and where will nature be?” ⑨Therefore, “sex, life, and fate can be combined but not divided.” ⑩This view of preserving the unity of sex, life, and fate in order to attain immortality and become a immortal follows the traditional Taoist thinking since the Taiping Jing.

  黄裳认为，“人受天地之元气以成性，受父母之精气以立命”。⑥天地之元气乃先天虚无之气，不生不灭；父母之精气乃后天阴阳之气，有生有灭。因此，“性无生灭而命有生灭”。⑦但这并不意味着“命”是无足轻重的。“非命则性无由见”，⑧“命”是使“性”得以在人身上具体实现的必不可少的条件。黄裳说：“未有命时而性之理长悬天壤，既有命后而性之理已具人身。”“夫性为一身之主宰，命是一身之运用。若不保精裕气，徒事妙觉圆明，则身命不存，性将焉寄？”⑨因此，“性也，命也，可合而不可分者也。”⑩这种保合性命为一以长生成仙的观点，继承了《太平经》以来的道教传统思想。

  In response to the Zen school's emphasis on “illuminating the mind and seeing sex,” Huang Sheng pointed out: “Sex is the gas, the gas is the sex, without sex, there is no way for life to be born, and without life, sex has no foundation. Not to mention that fulfilling sex can lead to life, one must know that establishing life can lead to sex. If you can only preserve your nature, you cannot establish your destiny. Whenever you see that your mind follows your emotions, you cannot overcome your desires; and when your mind wanders and your energy dissipates, you cannot escape life and death. From this it can be seen that cultivating your nature is a great task, and refining your destiny is even more urgent. 

  针对禅学家只讲 “明心见性”，黄裳指出：“性为气体，气为性用，无性则命无由生，无命则性无所立。漫说尽性即可至命，须知立命乃可了性。彼独存性，不能立命，每见气动而神随，究不能断夫情欲；神游而气散，更不能逃夫生死。由此言之，修性大矣，而炼命尤急焉。” 

  Although Huang Sheng criticized the Zen masters for their one-sided approach of just “illuminating the mind and seeing the nature,” in reality, his internal alchemy was also focused on cultivating the nature. He said: “Although people say that alchemy cultivates both the life force and the mind, in fact, cultivating the mind is the key. A clear mind is the source of the unity of the taihe qi.” If “this mind has not been purified,” “even if there are secrets to the gate of enlightenment, how can they be practiced?” Therefore, “the two words ‘cultivating the mind’ are the true way, and they are all one method. Everything else is not the true way.” 

  黄裳虽然批评了禅学家只讲“明心见性”的片面性，但实际上，他的内丹学也还是以修性为主的。他说：“人之炼丹，虽曰性命双修，其实炼心为要。心地清静，那太和一气，自在于此。”若“此心未曾炼得干净”，“纵有玄关秘诀，何由行得？”因此，“‘炼心"二宇，是千真万圣，总总一个法门。除此而外，皆非大道”。

  In terms of the order of cultivation, Huang Sheng advocated cultivating the nature of the mind before cultivating the life force. He said: “First, you must attain the truth of your nature, and then you can learn about destiny.” “First, you establish your destiny through your nature; then you understand your destiny through your nature; and finally, you unite your destiny with your nature, and return to the body of nothingness.” The reason for this is that if “the study of human nature has not been completed, the essence, energy, and spirit cultivated through selfishness are all things tainted by the world, and not only are they useless, but they will surely burn the body with evil fire.”Therefore, cultivators must first clean their hearts and minds before they can follow the sequence of the secret teachings of destiny cultivation.

  在修炼次序上，黄裳主张先性后命。他说：“先得性真，继加命学”， “始以性立命，继以命了性，终则性命合一，以还虚无之体”。其理由是，若“人性学未至，一片私心所炼之精气神皆是后天污浊之物，不惟无益，且必邪火焚身”。因此，修道之士必须先将心地打扫干净，然后才能按命功口诀次第行去。

  Huang Shao's internal alchemy teaches that the highest realm is the unity of life and soul, and returning to the body of nothingness. This realm is not the eternal preservation of the body, but the immortality of the spirit. He himself made it very clear: “When the body is transformed and the true spirit ascends, it is like the death of an ordinary person. However, when an ordinary person dies, the spirit disperses, but when a sage dies, the spirit is still complete. Although the form is dead, the spirit is as alive as ever. How can it not live as long as the heavens and the earth! ” 17 This reflects Huang Sheng's internal alchemy's return to the Laozi idea of “those who do not die live forever.”

  黄裳的内丹学以“性命合一”、还于虚无之体为最高境界。这种境界并不是肉体永存，而是精神不灭。他自己即说得很明白：“凡身脱化，真灵飞升，亦犹凡人之死。但凡人之死，死则神散，而圣人之死，死犹神完。形虽死而神如生，乌得不与天地同寿耶 !”17这反映了黄裳内丹学向《老子》“死而不亡者寿”思想的复归。

(2) Cultivating life in stillness, cultivating character in motion

（二）静处炼命，动处炼性

  Huang Sheng believed that the path to immortality is not separate from the human path, and that people should cultivate their character and life in the world. In the world, there will be all kinds of affairs, and there will inevitably be less stillness and more motion. Huang Sheng pointed out that when you are still, you cultivate your life, and when you are moving, you are just training your heart. In his view, gathering herbs and refining pills, and circulating the universe, can only be done by sitting quietly; as for training the heart, it is not just about sitting quietly, but more importantly, it is about training yourself in the world. He said, “The Dao says that one must cultivate oneself. It is not just about sitting alone in silence and being content with one's own purity. One may cultivate one's innate nature to become bright.”If a Daoist cultivator “does not cultivate in the city of dust, just as a lotus does not grow in the mud, how can one be straight inside and out, and appear clean and pure like jade?”He criticized “the world's cultivators, who do not know how to cultivate themselves in the world of the mundane. They are able to remain calm can be stable, but as soon as something happens, they inevitably become distracted and their greed, anger, ignorance and attachment arise one after the other."He also gives an example to illustrate his point: ”I have seen many monks who, in their daily cultivation, just retreat to the mountains and meditate in silence, without getting involved in human affairs. When they go out into the world, they start a fire and cause a thousand pounds of spiritual sand to collapse."Therefore, he ‘teaches people not to practice exclusively in quiet places, but to practice in the hustle and bustle of the city.’ He believes that ‘when people encounter trouble, it is just the right time to make an effort to turn back. When they come to their senses, they suddenly wake up and get the message. This is better than meditating a hundred billion times on a bamboo chair or a futon.’

  黄裳认为，仙道不离人道，人应该于尘世中修性炼命。而在尘世中，则会有各种事务，必然是静时少，动时多。黄裳指出，静时则炼命功，动时则正好磨炼心性。在他看来，采药炼丹，周天运转，必须静坐方可；至于炼心功夫，则“不区区在端坐习静间也”， 更重要的是在尘世中时时磨炼。他说：“夫道曰炼己，不是孤修兀坐、清静自好者，可能炼得本性光明。”修道之士“若不于尘市中炼，犹莲不于污泥内栽，焉得中通外直，独现清洁如玉者乎”？他批评“世之修士，不知炼己于尘俗，静时固能定，一遇事故，不免神驰气散，贪嗔痴爱，纷纷而起”。并举例论证说：“吾见几多修士，平日修炼，只在深山静养，不与人事。及至出而和光，竟自一炉火起，而万斛灵砂立地倾矣。”因此，他“教人不专在静处修，而必于市廛人物匆匆之地炼也”。认为“人遇闹时，正好著力回头。当前了照，蓦然一觉，撞开个中消息，胜于竹椅蒲团上打坐百千亿万次”。

  So, how do you cultivate your heart in the world? Huang Sheng believes that the first step is to establish the value standard of cultivating immortality, so that you can take the worldly fame and fortune lightly. “How long can a mortal body last? There is no need to run after fame and fortune and suffer yourself to death!” “When you think about death, you will realize that you cannot take any of your fame, fortune, home or family with you. Only the karma created in one's lifetime is carried with you. If it is good karma, there is still the blessing of reincarnation. If it is bad karma, even before being born again in the next life, the King of Hell will surely seize the soul and spirit. From this point of view, it is better to cultivate yourself as soon as possible. If by chance the result is achieved, wouldn't it be very happy if you don't enter the cycle of rebirth in the future? Even if not, if you are born into the human world, you will not suffer from hunger, displacement, fatigue, or disability, so isn't that beautiful? Moreover, if one is destined to become immortal, the supreme saints and immortals will not abandon one. Although one's body is different, one's nature remains, and one will surely be saved again. For example, Lord Wenchang was not saved by the primordial beginning until the seventeenth life. This is evident from past events.” In particular, one must know that ‘heaven is carefree and wealthy, and it is up to the emperors, kings, and generals of the world, but they cannot compare to even a tiny fraction of it. If one can think about the joy of immortality, one will not be attached to the blessings of the world.’ 

  那么，如何于尘世中炼心呢？黄裳认为，首先要树立修道成仙的价值标准，这样就能看淡世间的功名利禄。“夫人血肉之躯能有几时，受用亦无多日，何必奔名场、走利薮以自苦哉！”“要想到人死时，一切名利室家，丝豪也拿不去。唯有平生所造之业，尽带身旁。如其善业，还有转世之福。若是恶业，不待再世投生，即眼前冥王，亦必追魂摄魄。从此一想，倒不如趁早修行，万一道果有成，他日不入轮回，岂不甚乐？即不然，投生人世，亦不受饥饿流离疲癃残疾之苦，又岂不美乎？况有仙缘所结，上圣高真，必不忍舍我而去。此身虽异，此性犹存，亦必再来拔度。如文昌帝君，十七世始得元始之度，往事可征矣。” 尤其要知道“那天上清闲富贵，一任人间帝王将相，不能方其万一也。能将仙家之乐一想，自不恋人间之福。”

  After realizing that the only thing that matters in life is cultivating one's moral character, one should “be sincere in order to establish one's foundation, and follow one's destiny in order to respond to its opportunities.” This is the so-called “being mindful of all things without being mindful, and being compassionate towards all things without being emotional.” “If you can do this, then in the midst of a busy day, all your interactions will be like practicing meditation in the mountains. If you can't, then even if you sit quietly in your room, it will be like being in the middle of a busy battlefield, with all the noise and chaos.” In terms of operating methods, “but when walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, constantly adjust your breathing, follow your nature, let it be natural, without harming it or indulging in it. In all daily activities, always remain calm, never agitated, neither overworking nor underworking. ‘ ’Respond to things as they come, let them go as they go. ‘ ’Think of nothing before, remember nothing after. as if it comes from the heart and is applied according to the situation. “At first, it is supported with reluctance, but over time, it becomes second nature, so that one is at ease with all things.” However, one cannot live in the world without earning a living. Therefore, Huang Sheng also pointed out, “One should attend to matters as they arise, but one should not be careless.” One should just not be too calculating, and one should not let worldly matters cloud one's mind, so that one is no different from the common people. A Daoist cultivator, “in general, when dealing with social matters,” should “always use a vigilant mind, feeling that I have a body that will not decay for ten thousand years, and that everything else is an illusion.” Thus, “once one is free of the dust and dirt, one can be carefree and at ease, shed one's shell, and become a carefree man.” 

  觉悟了人生唯有修道事大之后，在日常生活中就应该“存诚以立其体，随缘以应其机”，所谓“心普万物而无心，情顺万物而无情”是也。 “能如此，即一刻之中万事应酬，俱如山中习静一般。若不如此，即闭门静坐，亦如万马营中，扰攘不休。”就操作方法而言，“但于行住坐卧之时，常常调其呼吸，顺其自然，任其天然，毫不加损于其间，亦无放纵于其际，一切日用云为，总总一个不动心，不动气，不过劳过逸”，“事来应之，事去已之”，“前无所思，后无所忆，如心而出，因物以施”，“其初勉强支持，久则禽鱼花鸟，无在不是化机焉”。但是，人生在世，不能不谋生计，因此，黄裳又指出，“随事应酬，不可全不经心”，只是不要太为计较，不要为世俗之事昧了本心，以至与俗人无别。修道之士，“大凡行动应酬”，要“常常用一觉心，觉得我自有千万年不坏之身，以外一切事物，皆是幻具”，于是“一空尘垢，自能洒然融然，脱壳而去，做一个逍遥大丈夫”。

  From Huang Shao's theory of internal alchemy and life, we can see that internal alchemy has far surpassed the level of general alchemy. It is a set of practical ways to live life guided by the belief in becoming immortal and attaining the truth. It seeks to enable people to achieve a carefree and spiritual state of mind through the autonomous regulation of the mind and body.

  从黄裳的内丹性命论中，我们可以看出，内丹学已远远超越了一般方术的层面，它是以成仙证真信仰为指导的一整套人生实践方式，它力图通过对心理和生理的自主调控，使人达到一种潇洒飘逸、自由无累的精神境界。

(3) “Internal cultivation of the lead and mercury of the body, external theft of the primordial yang of heaven and earth”

（三）“内伏一身之铅汞，外盗天地之元阳”

  The theory of internal alchemy has what is called the “medicine” problem. In modern terms, it is an energy problem. Internal alchemists generally refer to the essence, spirit and energy within the human body as medicine, believing that the raw materials for alchemy are within the human body itself. Huang Sheng believes that this view is one-sided. Because, after birth, people are bound to things, their hearts and minds are distracted, their essence dissipates, and their innate vitality is irreparably depleted day by day. The nutrients we absorb from the food we eat can only nourish the yin and yang energy of the acquired nature, not the innate vitality. Therefore, if we just focus on cultivating our own essence, at best we can stop the loss of vitality, but we cannot restore the innate body. To restore the innate body, one must find an appropriate way to replenish one's vital energy. Huang Shao did not agree with the view of the Shuangxiu school that the same type of person of the opposite sex is the object of cultivation, but instead took a unique approach and proposed the idea of “stealing the vital energy of heaven and earth as the basis for the pill.” Huang Shao believed that “heaven and man are originally one breath, feeling and communicating with each other,” and that attracting the vital energy of outer space and “increasing my inherent vital energy” is the most simple and effective method. Of course, the arrival of the primordial energy from the void outside the body is conditional: “Without internal cultivation and cultivation, one cannot attract the external medicine.” Therefore, one must “internally suppress the lead and mercury of the body” in order to “externally steal the primordial yang of heaven and earth.” Huang Sheng said: “If one wants to exhaust the primordial yang of the void (i.e., the innate primordial energy from the void outside the body the innate one-qi from the external void). One must first harmonize the Kan and Li in the physical body, and when the Kan and Li have been harmonized, then the yang in the Kan will rise from bottom to top, and the yin in the Li will descend from top to bottom, meeting in the middle at the huiwei acupoint. Cook and refine them, and the innate one-qi will return, and the door to the mystery will appear. So, what is the evidence for “the primordial breath returning”? Huang Sheng believes that “when the primordial breath arrives, there is only one place to check: the mind is like a lively spring, the body is like a rugged stone, and naturally the whole body, inside and out, is full of vitality and harmony. It cannot be imagined or obtained.” 

  内丹论中有所谓“药物”问题，用现代人的术语来说，就是能源问题。内丹家常笼统地把人体内的精气神称为药物，认为炼丹的原料就是在人自己身上。黄裳认为，这种说法有失片面。因为，人自有生之后，情牵物引，心神外驰，精气耗散，先天元气已无可挽回地日渐减损。而从所食水谷中摄取的营养又只能培补后天阴阳之气，不能培补先天元气。因此，若只是执着于一己之精气神的修炼，最多只能让元气不再损耗而已，不可能复还先天之体。要想复还先天之体，必须找到补充元气的适当途径。黄裳不赞成双修派以同类异性为采炼对象的观点，而是独辟奚径，提出“盗天地之元气以为丹本” 的主张。黄裳认为，“天人本一气，彼此感而通”， 招摄太空元气，“增吾固有之元气”，是最简捷最有效的方法。当然，身外虚空元气之来是有条件的，“非内照内养有功，必不能招回外来之药”。因此，必须“内伏一身之铅汞”，才能“外盗天地之元阳”。黄裳说：“欲穷生身受气初那一点虚无元阳(即来自身外虚空的先天一气)，必先向色身中调和坎离水火，迨后天水火既调，然后坎中一阳自下而上，离中一阴自上而下，上下相会于虚危穴中，烹之炼之，而先天一气来归，玄牝之门兆象矣。”那么，“先天一气来归”，有什么可作为凭据呢？黄裳认为，“先天元气到时，只有一点可验之处：心如活泼之泉，体似峻峋之石，自然一身内外，无处不爽快，无处不圆融，非可意想作为而得者也”。

  The prerequisite for attracting the primordial energy of the universe into oneself is to concentrate and regulate one's breathing, entering a state of emptiness and tranquility. Huang Sheng said: “When cultivating, you must first concentrate your mind on emptiness and unite your qi with the void. This mind and body are devoid of all things. Suddenly, you become aware and move, transforming my primordial spirit into true meaning and dominating the rotation of the two qi. ”Until the spirit and the breath merge into one, floating in the dantian, melodious and lively, my own aura and the external yang energy from the heavens and the earth, unconsciously become one, this is the phenomenon of qi and yang giving birth to each other, the mystery of the yin and the yang, the so-called 'heaven and earth uniting to bring forth the nectar'. Dew is the external spirit and yang qi.” The essence of the problem is to achieve the state of tai chi. Huang Sheng said: ”If you want to attract the primordial qi and nurture it in your body, you must concentrate your spirit and regulate your breathing. When the postnatal ordinary breath is calm, the primordial tai chi breath appears, seemingly present but also seemingly not, and the primordial qi is contained within.” It also says: “The energy of the navel wheel is connected to the external weather, neither inside nor outside, intermingled and blended, becoming one. This is returning to the beginning of receiving the breath, and being connected to the mother's breath, which is the fetal breath.” If “the external breath does not stop and the fetal breath does not appear, then one cannot become one with the heavens and it is difficult to absorb the vital energy of the heavens and the earth.” In short, one must reach a certain level of internal cultivation in order to form a sensing mechanism that allows one to flow with the energy of the heavens and the earth.

  招摄太空元气入于己身的先决条件是凝神调息，入于虚静状态。黄裳说：“尔等修炼，必先凝神于虚，合气于漠，此心此身，浑无一物，忽然一觉而动，以我之元神化为真意，主宰乎二气之回旋”，“迨至神与气融成一片，宛转于丹田中，悠扬活泼，吾身灵气与天地外来之阳气，不觉合而为一，此即气阳生，玄牝现象，所谓‘天地相合，以降甘露"。露即外来灵阳之气”。 而问题的实质则是要达到胎息境界。黄裳说：“欲招先天元气伏养于身中，必凝其神，调其息。迨至后天凡息平，先天胎息见，似有似无之内，先天元气寓焉。”又说：“脐轮之气，与外来之天气相接，不内不外，絪媪混合，打成一片，即是返还于受气之初，而与母气相连之时，即是胎息也。”若“凡息不停，胎息不现，则不能与天为一，难以采天地之灵气矣”。总之，必须内炼达到一定程度，才能形成人与天地一气流通的感应机制。

(4) “Finding the key to the secret gate is the root of alchemy.”

（四）“寻出玄关一窍，为炼丹本根”

  The “Four Hundred Characters on the Golden Pills” contains the following passage: “This key is extraordinary, formed from heaven and earth, called the vital energy point, containing the essence of坎 and离.” This passage has been widely quoted by later generations to refer to the key to the secret gate. However, many internal alchemists only expound on the importance of the key to the secret gate, and few give clear instructions on the essence of the key. What is often seen are negative statements: for example, the key point is neither the heart nor the kidneys, neither inside nor outside, both in the body and not in the body, etc., which leaves people in the dark. Huang Sheng's writings dispel the long-standing fog surrounding this issue, clearly explaining the key point and making it the logical starting point for the entire study of internal alchemy.
  《金丹四百字》中有这样一段话：“此窍非凡窍，乾坤共合成，名为神气穴，内有坎离精。”这段话被后人广泛引用来指称玄关一窍。然而许多内丹家只是铺陈玄关一窍的重要性，对于玄关一窍的实质，则少有明白指示。经常可见的是一些否定性陈述：如玄关一窍非心非肾，非内非外，既在身中又不在身中等等，使人如入五里雾中。黄裳在著作中一扫长期以来笼罩在这个问题上的重重迷雾，对玄关一窍作了明白的阐述，并使之真正成为整个内丹学的逻辑起点。

  Huang Sheng explains the key point in terms of both body structure and the state of the body and mind. In terms of body structure, Huang Sheng clearly pointed out that the “huan” is “one inch and three-quarters below the navel, between the dan tian and the flesh.”  But the essence of the problem does not lie in this aspect of the human body structure, which is static, but in how to enable the “huan” (现出玄关之象) to appear, which is the dynamic aspect of the physical and mental state. He said: “In short, the huan is fixed. When it is fully opened, there is nowhere in the body that is not the huan; in a single day, there is nothing that is not the huan.” Huang Sheng believed that in order to open the “gate of the mind”, three conditions must be met: (1) “one must first purify selfishness, so that the mind can roam the void, with the breath flowing through the universe”, and “one can then enter a state of nothingness, a realm of clarity and emptiness”. However, this is not just aimless emptiness, but rather a state in which the true meaning and primordial spirit reign as the master, controlling one's physical and mental activities. As the ancient saying goes, “all things are empty, only the spirit remains,” and “do not extinguish the mind that is aware, but extinguish the mind that is moving.” This refers to the state of entering stillness, which is a state that is neither awake nor asleep, and is different from the awake state and the asleep state. This is a sign that entering the static state is a state that is neither awake nor asleep, distinguishing it from the awake state and the asleep state. (2) When the cultivator's spirit and energy are integrated, the spirit condenses within the energy, the energy surrounds the spirit, and the two are so blended that there is no distinction between them, to the point where they become one. “At this time, the mind is empty like water, the will is cold as ice, the spirit is still as a mountain, and the energy flows like a spring, and one is not aware of it at first. But because one is unaware of the spirit, the energy, and the emptiness, it is the same as the emptiness of space.” “When the cultivation reaches this point, movement and stillness are the same as the creation, and breathing is based on the breath,” ‘my body is true yin and yang, combined into one breath,’ and ‘with the spirit of heaven and earth, the yang energy, it goes in and out, never stopping.’ It can be seen that when the gate of the anus opens, it is also the time when heaven and man become one. (3) The practitioner's external breathing stops and true breath appears. Huang Sheng said: ”You must slightly gather the breath from the mouth and nose, until the breath is almost non-existent. Then the gate of the anus opens and the primordial breath is seen.” “Those who understand the mystery of the orifice, refine from having breath to having no breath, until they reach a state of great calm, and then they see the truth.” 

  黄裳从身体结构和身心状态两个方面对玄关一窍加以说明。就身体结构这方面而言，黄裳明确指出玄关一窍在 “脐下丹田离肉一寸三分之间”。 但问题的实质并不在于人体结构静止的这一方面，而在于如何才能使“玄关现象”(现出玄关之象)这一属于身心状态的动的一面。他说：“要之玄关何定，到得大开之时，一身之内，无处不是玄关；一日之间，无事不是玄关。”黄裳认为，要使玄关窍开，必须具备三个条件：(一)“必先炼去己私，使此心游太虚，气贯于穆”，“恍惚乎入于无何有之乡，清虚玄朗之境”。但不是一味顽空，而是有真意、元神作为主宰，控制着自己的身心活动。古云：“万象咸空，一灵独现”，“当灭动心，莫灭照心”，即是指此。这是入静态作为非醒非睡状态区别于醒态和睡态的一个标志。(二)练功者神气的交合达到神凝气中，气包神外，两者混融了无分别，打成一片的地步。“此时心空似水，意冷于冰，神静如岳，气行如泉，而初不自知也。惟其不知有神，不知有气，并不知有空，所以与太空之空同。”“功修至此，动静同乎造化，呼吸本乎气机”，“吾身真阴真阳，合而为一之气”，“与天地灵阳之气，一出一入，往来不停”。可见玄关窍开时，也就是天人合一之时。(三)练功者外呼吸断而真息现。黄裳说：“须从口鼻之气微微收敛，敛而至于气息若有若无，然后玄牝门开，元息见焉。”“是知玄牝者，从有息以炼至无息，至于大定大静，然后见其真也。”

  The opening of the orifice, which is achieved when the above three conditions are met, is a high-level ‘orifice phenomenon’ that generally does not appear until the stage of ‘refining the breath to transform the spirit’. In the stage of ‘refining the essence to transform the breath’, there is the ‘orifice of essence generation’. What is the “gate of essence generation”? Huang Shao said: “If you start meditating, even if you concentrate on breathing and reach a state of trance, your mind and breath will already be concentrated. At that moment, a bit of true essence will be stored in the yin jiao acupoint. I suddenly woke up from the chaos and hurriedly absorbed the yin jiao's qi, returning it to its proper position in the middle yellow. It was combined with the long-accumulated yin essence in the middle of the body and cultivated into one.” It can be seen that “the genesis of essence is the genesis of the gate”, meaning that the genesis of yang is the time when the genesis of the gate opens. Therefore, in essence, “the genesis of the gate is the time when the yang lives”. 

  具备上述三个条件而达到的玄关窍开，乃高层次的“玄关现象”，一般要到 “炼气化神”阶段才能出现，因此又称为“气动之玄关”。 在 “炼精化气”阶段，则有“精生之玄关”。何谓“精生之玄关”？黄裳说：“如下手打坐，即便凝神调息，到得恍惚之间，神已凝了，息已调了，斯时一点真精，即藏于阴蹻一穴之处，我从混沌中一觉，急忙摄取阴蹻之气，归于中黄正位，与离中久积阴精，锻炼为一。”可见，“精生之玄关”，意谓阳生之时，即玄关窍开之时。所以，从实质上来说，“玄关一窍，正阳生活子时”。

  Huang Sheng also believes that for beginners, as long as they “cultivate themselves, suddenly become still and calm, without any sense of awareness, suddenly feeling the mind, without any thoughts in the past and no memories in the future”, 51 it can also be considered the time when the genesis of the gate opens. In this way, “the key to the gateway is always there, just waiting to be discovered. If you can awaken your mind and illuminate it, you will be in control, and the gateway will always be there, and the Taiji will always be in focus.” Even if “people are busy, thinking about a million things, and things are a nuisance, like the vines of kudzu or the tendrils of a tree, the more you get involved, the more chaotic things become, with no end in sight,” if one can suddenly return one's attention and focus, just as a drunken man suddenly sprays cold water on his face and wakes up with a start, then one realizes that the confused state was just an empty dream. This is the key to the secret gate. Therefore, Huang Sheng summed up the phenomenon of the secret gate in four words: “wake up and move.” What does it mean to “move upon waking”? Waking is to suddenly wake up from a state of ignorance and unconsciousness; moving is to move from a state of extreme stillness and the resulting movement of the body. This movement upon waking is like lightning flashing, only lasting a split second, and the current situation is that it will soon be gone. So, for someone in the state of cultivation, how does the “movement upon waking” manifest in the body? The ancients often used thunder as an analogy. For example, they said, “Of the myriad things, there is none, and yet the thunder is heard underground.” It is also said, “The thunder rumbles faintly in the void, and the lightning flashes where the truth is to be found.” It is also said, “Suddenly, at midnight, a clap of thunder, and ten thousand doors open one after the other.” Why did the ancients use such metaphors? “Could it be that when the mysterious gate opens and the true yang moves, there is no real proof in the physical body, and so they casually use the sound of thunder as a metaphor?”Huang Sheng believes that the ancients had reason to use the sound of thunder to describe the opening of the mysterious gate. He said: “I will now point it out directly. It is when you suddenly enter into a trance, when spirit and breath intermingle, until you reach the state of emptiness, without being aware of falling asleep, with snoring breath, and suddenly waking up with a start. This is the root of the world and the ancestor of all things. Our bodies are reborn and take possession of other bodies. This has been coming since the beginning, and it is the thought of suddenly falling into oblivion and suddenly waking up with a start. The sudden awakening from meditation is the true face of my original self. Guard it with all your heart, don't let it slip away. ...You must be sure to occasionally wake up from meditation with a snore, stand up quickly, and use this opportunity to collect your thoughts and regain your breath. If you really don't feel uncomfortable at that time, if you don't miss the timing, if you don't wait 100 days, the foundation can be built.” From Huang's words, we can see that the ancients used the sound of thunder to describe the opening of the gate of the primordial spirit because when entering meditation, one does not feel asleep and one's breathing (nose + sentence) (nose + sentence). This ‘falling asleep’ is actually still a state of neither waking nor sleeping after the spirit and the qi have merged. Suddenly waking up, feeling a dream, and moving the body is the reaction of the body and the true belief in ”waking up and moving.”

  黄裳又认为，对初学者来说，只要 “修养之时，忽然静定，一无所知所觉，突起知觉之心，前无所思，后无所忆”， 也算是玄关窍开之时。这样一来，“玄关一窍，随时都在，只须一觉心了照之，主宰之，则玄关常在，而太极常凝矣”。即使“人事匆匆，思虑万端，事为烦扰，如葛之缘蔓，树之引藤，愈起愈乱，无有止息”，“但能一念回光，一心了照，如酒醉之夫迷睡路旁，忽地一碗凉水从头面喷去，猛然一惊而醒，始知昏昏迷迷一场空梦，此即玄关窍也”。因此，黄裳把玄关现象概括为四个字：“一觉而动”。何谓“一觉而动”？一觉即在无知无觉之时，猛然惊醒；动是静极而动和由此引起的人体之动。此一觉而动有如电光石火，只在一息之间，当前则是，转眼即非。那么，对处于炼功状态的人来说，“一觉而动”在人身之表现究竟如何？古人往往以雷声喻之。如说：“万有无一，地下听雷声。”又说：“雷声隐隐震虚空，电光灼处寻真种。”又说：“忽然夜半一声雷，万户千门次第开。”古人为什么要作这样的比喻呢？“难道玄窍之开，真阳之动，色身中岂无真实凭信，而漫以雷声喻之乎？”黄裳认为，古人以雷声喻玄关窍开是有道理的。他说：“吾今直为指出，即尔生入定之时，忽然神与气交，直到真空地位，不觉睡着，鼻息齁齁，一惊而醒，此即是天地之根，人物之祖。吾身投胎夺舍，其来也，即此倏忽杳冥，忽焉惊醒之念也。尔生果于入定之时凭空一觉，即是我本来真面。急忙以真意护持，切勿稍纵。……尔等务要在静定时偶有鼻息齁齁，急忙起立，趁此清空一气收摄将来，如此坐一次必有一次长益。果然不爽其时，不差其度，不待百日，基可筑矣。”从黄氏此段话可知，古人所以用雷声喻玄关窍开，乃是因为入定时不觉睡着而鼻息（鼻+句）（鼻+句）。这个“睡着”实际上仍是神冥气合后的非醒非睡状态，忽然惊醒，凭空一觉，身体一动，就是“一觉而动”在人体的反应和真实凭信。

  The theory of the “one key to the gate of the root” is the core of Huang Sheng's internal alchemy. In his view, “the key to cultivation is this one key to the gate of the root, without which there can be no progress.” He even believes that “the key to the gate of the root can explain the meaning of thousands of scriptures.” The reason why the “one key to the gate of the root” is so important is because it is the critical point of returning from the acquired to the innate. Only when the key to the gate is opened can yang life occur during the embryonic period, and one can then collect herbs to make pills. More importantly, only when the key to the gate is fully opened can the body's qi communicate with the primordial qi of the universe. Therefore, at the beginning of cultivation, one should “seek out the key to the gate and use it as the basis for pill-making.” 

  关于玄关一窍的理论，是黄裳内丹学的核心。在他看来，“修道之要，除此一个玄关窍，余无可进步也”。 他甚至认为“玄关窍，可以了结千经万典之义”。玄关一窍之所以如此重要，是因为它乃由后天返先天的临界点。只有玄关窍开，才有阳生活子时发生，才能够采药炼丹；更重要的是，只有玄关一窍大开，才能使人体之气与天地元气相沟通。因此，修道之士，下手伊始，即当“寻出玄关一窍，为炼丹本根”。

(5) “yang born from external movement” and “yang born from internal movement

(五）“外动之阳生”与“内动之阳生”

  Huang Sheng believed that ”the way of pill-making all begins with the emergence of yang.” The way of yangsheng is not limited to one aspect. From a broad perspective, it can be divided into “yangsheng through external action” and “yangsheng through internal action.” When discussing “yangsheng through external action,” Huang Sheng has already moved away from the practice of alchemy itself and is defining yangsheng from the perspective of how a person should conduct themselves in the world. He says, “For example, a virtuous woman or a devoted wife is unwavering in her commitment. If she encounters something undesirable, she would rather sacrifice her life than compromise her principles. Another example is loyal ministers and martyrs, who will follow the path of righteousness and sacrifice their lives for justice if disaster strikes. This is truly yangsheng, otherwise how could one be unyielding? From this, it can be inferred that in daily life, whether it is fulfilling one's duties as a son or daughter, being filial and friendly, or helping the orphaned, widowed, and poor, all good deeds and righteous actions done just right, without any sense of joy or encouragement, are all signs of yangsheng. ... Or perhaps you are reading and reciting poetry, and suddenly all selfish desires are gone, leaving only the spirit. This is also a way to generate yang. Or perhaps you are gathered with friends, sharing your feelings, and suddenly the yang energy soars, the true opportunity blossoming. This is also a way to generate yang. Furthermore, in the case of playing the zither, playing chess, painting and calligraphy, fishing, woodcutting, farming and reading, if one can follow the natural course of things and act according to one's nature, without seeking or desiring anything, one will inevitably be at ease and content, forgetting about the world. This is all a sign of yang vitality. One must always be aware of movement and stop when one feels it, so that the spirit has no external desires and the vital energy is full of beauty. Then it will not be difficult to grow medicinal herbs, and there is no need to worry about the fetus not being strong and vigorous! Even if one does not become immortal, if one can maintain this state, with the spirit always returning to the center and the energy always returning to the furnace, over time the true yang will naturally arise. 61 Huang Sheng was probably the first person in ancient or modern times to explain the signs of yangsheng in terms of daily life.

  黄裳认为，“炼丹之道，皆以一阳肇端”。 而阳生之道，非止一端，从大的方面划分，可分为“外动之阳生”与“内动之阳生”。在谈到“外动之阳生”时，黄裳已离开炼丹本身，而是从一个人为人处世的角度来界定何谓“阳生”。他说：“即如贞女烈妇，矢志靡他，一旦偶遇不良，宁舍生而取义。又如忠臣烈士，惟义是从，设有祸起非常，愿捐躯以殉难。此真正阳生也，不然何以百折不回若是耶？由是推之，举凡日用常行，或尽伦常孝友，或矜孤寡困穷，一切善事义举，做到恰好至当，不无欢欣鼓舞之情，此皆阳生之候。……又或读书诵诗，忽焉私欲尽去，一灵独存，此亦阳生之一端也。又或朋友聚谈，相契天怀，忽然阳气飞腾，真机勃发，此亦阳生之一道也。更于琴棋书画，渔樵耕读，果能顺其自然，本乎天性，无所求亦无所欲，未有不优游自得，消遣忘情者，此皆阳生之象也。总要一动即觉，一觉即收，庶几神无外慕，气有余妍，而丹药不难于生长，胎婴何愁不壮旺！即或不至成仙，果能持守不失，神常返于穴中，气时归于炉内，久久真阳自发生矣。”从生活方面来说明“阳生”之候，黄裳恐怕是古今第一人。

  So what does it mean to say that yangsheng comes from internal movement? Huang Sheng said: “Yangsheng from internal movement is actually the result of long-term meditation and stillness, something that comes naturally.” In other words, “the birth of yang from within” is a state of mind and body achieved through meditation and alchemy, which is also generally referred to in neidan works as “yang life at the hour of the child”. Huang Shang divided “the birth of yang from within” into two different levels: one is “the birth of yang from essence”, or “the birth of yang from nature”; the other is “the birth of yang from qi”, or “the birth of yang from destiny”. He said: “At first, when meditating, one must be vast and uninhibited, clear and lucid, roaming the boundless countryside and breathing in the void. ”When one has concentrated and adjusted one's breathing, one suddenly becomes absent-minded and enters a state of chaos, as if one has no foothold. This is the time of emptiness and stillness. ... I woke up from this state and used the primordial point of yang energy to dominate the situation. I summoned the breath and collected it, not allowing even the slightest bit to leak. In an instant, the qi became vigorous and I intuitively felt the flow of qi throughout the world. At this point, the sexual energy is initially complete, which is called the birth of sexual yang. However, in terms of the acquired knowledge, it is the appearance of sexual light; in terms of the primordial way, it is the birth of essence yang. This birth of essence yang is the initial opening of the mysterious orifices. Huang Shao believes that “the initial opening of the mysterious orifices only sees the primordial nature of the palace of departure, which is why it is called the birth of sexual yang. However, this is the movement of the god, not the true movement of the qi. It can only be slowly nurtured by the divine fire, listening to the qi moving up and down, back and forth, within the body, stored in the middle yellow and in the correct position. This is the method of maintaining the middle, the hour of the union of water and fire, of the union of the yin and the yang. It is also said to be the first stage of cultivation, the second stage of cultivation, and the stage of harvesting the fruit of one's labours. And “qi yangsheng” is the time when yang qi is in great motion. Huang Sheng said: “When the spirit and the qi become one, when they flow around the dantian, melodious and lively, when the spirit of my body and the external yang qi from heaven and earth become one without knowing, this is qi yangsheng, the phenomenon of xuanfen.” Therefore, when qi yangsheng occurs, there is a strong basis for it. “The lower abdomen has the appearance of a cloud, a mechanism for movement, or a circulation throughout the body, full and overflowing. There is truly no hole or aperture that it does not reach. This is the birth of yang in the vital essence.” It can be seen that “qi yangsheng” (“ming yangsheng”) is when the mysterious orifices open wide.

  那么，何谓“内动之阳生”？黄裳说：“夫内动阳生，实由静定久久，自然而生者。” 62也就是说，“内动之阳生”，是由静坐炼丹而达到的一种身心状态，也就是一般内丹学著作所说的“阳生活子时”。黄裳把“内动之阳生”又分为两个不同的层次，一为 “精阳生”，或称“性阳生”；一为 “气阳生”，或称“命阳生”。他说：“起初打坐，必浩浩荡荡，了了灵灵，游心于广漠之乡，运息于虚空之所”，“到得凝神调息，忽然恍恍惚惚，入于混沌之际，若无著落者然。此即虚极静笃时也，……我于此一觉而醒，即以先天一点元阳主宰其间，运起呼吸之神息，招摄归来，不许一丝半点渗漏，顷刻间气机蓬蓬勃勃，直觉天地内外一气流通贯注。到此性地初圆，谓之性阳生。然在后天而论，则为性光见；以先天大道而言，此为精阳生。”这种精阳生，即为玄窍初开。黄裳认为，“玄窍初开，只见离宫元性，所以谓之性阳生。然此是神之偶动，非气之真动。只可以神火慢慢温养，听其一上一下之气机，往来内运，蕴藏于中黄正位，此为守中一法，水火济、坎离交之候，又谓前行短、二候采牟尼是”。64而“气阳生”，则是阳气大动之时。黄裳说：“迨至神与气融成一片，宛转于丹田中，悠扬活泼，吾身灵气，与天地外来之阳气，不觉合而为一，此即气阳生，玄牝现象。”因此，气阳生时，大有凭据，“丹田有絪缊之象，活动之机，或一身上下流通，洋洋充满，真有无孔不钻，无窍不到，此即命中阳生”。可见，“气阳生”(“命阳生”)即玄窍大开之时。

  Huang Sheng sometimes linked “yangsheng” with “yaochan” (the production of medicine) and elaborated on them. He said, “At the beginning, the nature of the sky is spontaneous, and the germination of the qi is faint and subtle. This is why our teaching calls it the birth of the small medicine, and also says that the one yang has just begun to move.” After taking it and warming it up, there are “six effects”: “the fire in the lower abdomen, the soup boiling in the two kidneys, the golden light in the eyes, the peculiar smell in the mouth, the sound of a vulture in the ears, and the generation of qi in the brain.” Therefore, “it is called the great movement of true yang, and also the occurrence of great medicine. It is called true yang because it can be imitated in reality; it is called great medicine because its qi is so great that it is unlike the previous slight movement.” 

  黄裳有时候又把 “阳生”与 “药产”联系起来加以阐述，以“精阳生” (“性阳生”)为产小药，以“气阳生”（“命阳生”）为产大药。他说：“其始也，天性之自动，气机之偶萌，亦觉微微有迹，不大显相耳。吾教所以名为小药生，又曰一阳初动。”及至采取过关，服食温养之后，则有“丹田火热，两肾汤煎，目有金光，口有异味，耳有鹫鸣，脑有气生，六种效验”，所以“谓之真阳大动，又曰大药发生。以其实有可拟，故曰真阳；以其气机之大，不似前之微动，故曰大药。”

  Huang Shao's multi-angle and multi-level description of the appearance of “yangsheng” shows a breakthrough in the conceptual ambiguity of neidan terminology. This was an inevitable historical trend after the neidan school had developed and entered its mature stage during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

  从黄裳对“阳生”之象的多角度、多层次描述，可以看出他对内丹术语在概念上的模糊特征有所突破。这是内丹学发展到明清进入成熟阶段后的历史必然趋势。