Taiqing Yuan Dao True Sutra Vernacular

Answer 1

The Primordial Dao in the 'Taiqing Primordial Dao Scripture' was Grand Supreme Elder's supreme Dao. Laojun's Dao was divided into three types: upper, middle, and lower. Huangting Dao was also divided into upper, middle, and lower. The other Daos also had three levels. In the Dao of Lao Zi, the Yuan Dao mentioned in this scripture was the highest grade, so it was called the Supreme Yuan Dao. This Dao technique was very profound. It was mysterious, indifferent, and inaction. Its actions followed the laws of nature, so it was difficult for ordinary people to master it. If one was not a sergeant with extremely high perception and could not understand its mysteries, one could not learn it. If one was not cautious about life and death and yearned for longevity, one could not learn it. Many of the other middle and low-grade Daos imitated and learned from the higher-grade Daos. However, it was difficult for this Primordial Dao to be compatible, so it had not been circulated in the world for a long time. If a sergeant with high perception firmly cultivated this path, he could obtain endless benefits, such as achieving a state of mind that was quiet and tranquil, a simple understanding of things, and a comfortable body and mind. Furthermore, the other Daos required a master to teach them, and there were clear rules of punishment for breaking the precepts. This Dao did not require a master to teach it, and there was no punishment. The other Daos needed to be cultivated in a quiet place in the mountains or in another thatched nunnery. Otherwise, there would be damage. Only this Dao could be cultivated in the mortal world.

The scripture mentioned that inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth could remove the floating cold and heat on the surface of the body, but it could not remove the vitality accumulated in the body. Qi injection could dredge the joints of the whole body and regulate all kinds of diseases, but it was not the way to nourish qi and return it to its original state. Breathing could relieve hunger, but it was not the way to naturally replenish vitality. Qi circulation could moisten the meridians and make the skin happy, but it was not the real way. And this essence dao was the dao of returning to one's roots, so it was called essence dao. For example, strengthening the bones and muscles, replenishing the bone marrow, stabilizing and protecting the five internal organs, clearing the Niwan Palace (brain), allowing the Dan Spirit (the spirit of the Dantian) to settle down, preventing the six qi from entering and the three qi from escaping, removing all impurities, allowing the genuine Qi to freely circulate in the body, rising to the Great Void, reaching the Jade Pure Realm, and becoming a True Lord. These were all the effects of this Dao.

Humans were the most intelligent of all living things. They were born together with heaven and earth in the beginning of nothingness, and formed a form due to the condensation of vital qi. Once the body was formed, the God of Ten Heavens would descend into the body and become a human god. Only then would he become a human. Since they were born at the beginning of nothingness with heaven and earth, they should have lived as long as heaven and earth. However, heaven and earth could last long, but humans could not. Why was this? This was because heaven and earth could be quiet and gentle, not changing its nature, always sticking to nothingness, safe and not tired, in line with the way of nature, so the vitality would not dissipate. Humans could not live forever because they had delusions and changed their nature. They did not follow the laws of nature and did not stick to their roots. They brought fatigue to themselves and often pursued their own interests. Therefore, their vitality dissipated and they could not live forever. Because the six thieves (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body, and mind) were born randomly, the eyes looked randomly, the ears listened randomly, the nose smelled randomly, the mouth smelled randomly, the body acted randomly, and the mind thought randomly, so it could not return to the root in the end. Therefore, returning could grant one eternal life. The true path of single-mindedness could allow one to live forever and return to their roots. This was the fundamental method to recover one's vitality. The only way to recover was to maintain silence. If a person could often let their heart return to a state of silence, their vitality would naturally recover. The method of recovering vitality should be to reduce the frequency of breathing as a sign. When the heart reaches a state of silence, the breathing will gradually decrease. Halving the breathing will increase the lifespan by half. From the reduction of breathing to no breathing, it will return to the fundamental state of vitality. This way, it can live forever in the world. Ordinary people were normally breathing, while saints were normally not breathing. When they were moving, they would breathe, but when they were still, they would not breathe. Therefore, breathing or not breathing was a state of freedom. People who cultivate the Yuan Dao should regard no breathing as the normal state, and breathing as false. No breathing is correct, but breathing is wrong. Quietly nourishing qi will make the three spirits (heaven, earth, and man) happy, and the three souls happy. When the spirit is happy, the vitality will naturally recover. Huangting Dao had thirty-six cautious actions, and only half of the merit points would be achieved if he did all of them. There were many things that other Daos needed to be cautious about, but this supreme Primordial Dao only needed to be cautious about one thing and achieve three kinds of fulfillment to succeed. One thing to be careful about was to avoid stopping cultivation. If he didn't stop, he could reach the realm of essence path. The three ways were to change one's mind three times, and each change would take 100 days. Within 100 days of the first change of mind, no matter what, you can reduce your breathing. This is the first change of mind. At the beginning, you can stop when there is something, and only do it when there is nothing. This will reduce the thoughts of the world and increase the state of mind. This is the fulfillment of the first change and the success of the small work. The second change of mind required 200 days. Naturally, he would stop breathing. This was the fulfillment of the second change. At this time, he would not be greedy for the taste of the five grains and would not have a great sense of hunger and thirst. This was the fulfillment of the second change. He had succeeded. The third change of mind required 300 days. It suddenly settled down naturally. This was the third change of mind. At this time, it would not feel hunger and thirst, cold and heat could not invade it, and it would forever be removed from the list of death and live as long as heaven and earth. This was the fulfillment of the third change. After a total of 31 changes, it was successful.

The Grand Lord said: If you can reduce your breathing when you have nothing to do, this is the performance of merit beginning to sprout; If you can reduce your breathing when you have nothing to do, it is the performance of the gradual recovery of vitality. Natural stop breathing, is the performance of vitality will be stable; Sudden natural stability is the performance of vitality return to the root and stability. The senior king added,"From reduced breathing to no breathing, from no breathing to stability, this stability is the stability of inaction that does not deliberately seek or deliberately give up, not the kind of stability that is obsessed with stability." If this kind of stability could be achieved, Yin and Yang would naturally be reconciled, the four seasons would naturally be separated (not affected by the changes of the four seasons), the vitality would naturally be abundant, the gods would naturally rest, and they would be able to understand the mysterious and profound principles. Therefore, if yin and yang are harmonious, there will be no illness. If the four seasons are far away, there will be no cold and heat. If the vitality is abundant, there will be no hunger and thirst. If the gods rest, they will not be harmed by military disasters and wild beasts. If wisdom is profound and profound, there will be no various troubles. The Great Lord also said: People's thoughts are not focused, which is the reason for the dissipation of vitality. After the cultivation of this Tao, there will be no random thoughts. If there are thoughts that are activated, they are all good thoughts, and there is no inappropriate place to use them. Therefore, if they are not appropriate, they will not be used. If they are not used, they will not be activated. Therefore, the activation of good thoughts, wisdom and understanding are all natural. Therefore, there will be no emotions such as joy, anger, desire, battle, sadness, fear, sadness, disgust, etc. The king added: longevity is nothing else, but the preservation of spirit, qi and form. The preservation of the gods means that they are happy with nothingness and like peace. Qi and spirit will naturally be preserved. With abundant vital qi, the body and spirit would exist forever. His spirit and qi were preserved, so his entire body could ascend to immortality.

"Zhuqi and Xinggong Jing" said: regulate breath, reduce breathing, the effect is like this, if you hold qi and carry out other exercises, the effect will be doubled. Holding one's breath was to wait until the divine qi was quiet and comfortable, and then maintain this state. When it reached the limit, it would be one pass. Every time before the rooster crowed, it could be five or six passes, and gradually increased to ten passes. If the method of reducing breathing was carried out at the same time like this, the effect would be doubled and shown quickly. Be careful to avoid exhaling and inhaling heavily. It may be difficult to avoid at the beginning. Be careful with exhaling and inhaling for the time being. In the end, you must make both light. The lord said: holding qi can dredge the joints of the whole body, open the blockages, and recuperate all kinds of diseases. Once the joints of the whole body were unblocked, the disease would be alleviated. The vital qi would flow and pour into the places where it was unblocked. The places where the vital qi and body fluid reached would never be damaged. This was called the Golden Essence Jade Bone, which could allow one to live forever and ascend to immortality. The senior lord also said that reducing and holding one's breath was a sign of success by achieving a calm state without any sound. If the method of reducing breathing was carried out alone, the effect would be slow; If the method of holding qi was specially carried out, it would be difficult to achieve a state of no breath; If the joints of the whole body were unblocked and the method of reducing breathing was carried out, the vitality would be easy to fill, and the effect would be doubled.

The Taiqing Primordial Dao Scripture only gave the first chapter's table of contents. The main content could not be seen. It could only be seen when Dao Cheng was about to ascend. This was just to talk about the reward of merit. The merit of this Dao was one, but the reward was ten thousand. It was probably like how Mao Jun received nine tin (nine kinds of rewards). This was a high-grade Dao, but the reward of merit was a hundred times more than Mao Jun. Those who learned essence path should not be afraid of hardship. There were dozens of chapters in the first chapter of the second volume, but only five were recorded by the later saints, including one chapter on reward of merit, two chapters on reward of ambition, three chapters on reward of non-return, four chapters on reward of non-rashness, and five chapters on reward of non-abandonment.

There was nothing else important about essence path, but to be cautious about stopping cultivation. If one didn't stop cultivation, everything could be dealt with freely. It might be difficult for people in the mortal world to cultivate often. Sometimes, they would stop cultivating. During the process of stopping cultivation, they had to be cautious. Here are some things to be cautious about. They are said to cut off the idea of stopping cultivation. One big breath is equivalent to losing 30 days of life (15 big breaths are equivalent to a small sleepiness, and a small sleepiness will reduce 30 days of lifespan); a small sleepiness will reduce 60 days of lifespan)(30 deep breaths are equivalent to one major sleepiness, and one major sleepiness will reduce one's lifespan by 60 days); one anger will reduce one's lifespan by 10 days; one minor drunkenness will reduce one's lifespan by 50 days; one major drunkenness will reduce one's lifespan by 100 days; one sadness will reduce one's lifespan by 10 days; one anger will reduce one's lifespan by 20 days; one fear will reduce one's lifespan by 7 days; one anger will reduce one's lifespan by 30 days; one hunger will reduce one's lifespan by 3 days; one satiety will reduce one's lifespan by 5 days; one violation of desire will reduce one's lifespan by 50 days; A fright would reduce his lifespan by ten days, and a tiredness or exhaustion would reduce his lifespan by five days. In addition, eating taboo, excessive cold and heat, being affected by rheumatism, and not controlling one's daily life would also affect one's cultivation.