廣弘明集 13.153

13.153

The gentleman said: The Yangqi huangjing jing says: 'Flowing cinnabar undergoes nine transformations, and the coalesced qi forms essence. Essence transforms into spirit, and spirit changes into man. Yang qi is red, named Mysterious Cinnabar; yin qi is yellow, named Yellow Essence. Yin and yang unite, and the two qis bring down essence. Essence transforms into spirit; essence and spirit congeal and ascend to the nine heavens. The qi of the nine heavens descends to the cinnabar field, congealing together with the spirit at the gate of life. It must undergo nine cycles, which are the nine cinnabars. Transforming above and congealing below, man is formed.' It does not say that there is a separate god of the Dao capable of governing the ten thousand things and bringing them to life. The scholar versed in antiquity said: From ancient times, renowned Ruists and Heshang Gong, explaining the Five-Thousand-Word text [of Laozi], said: 'Looking at it and not seeing it is named yi, which is essence; listening to it and not hearing it is named xi, which is spirit; grasping it and not catching it is named wei, which is qi. This is called the shape without shape, the image without substance.' Thus we know that the substance of qi is vast and boundless, which is why meeting it, one does not see its head; the form of qi is pure and subtle, which is why following it, one does not see its back. This then describes the root of the Dao as being born from qi. Therefore the Shangqing jing says: 'I was born in the vast and boundless, in the deep obscurity. In the deep obscurity was born Kongtong; within Kongtong was born the Great Non-being. The Great Non-being transformed, and three qis became clear: one qi was blue-green, one qi was white, and one qi was yellow. Therefore it is said: One produced two, two produced three.' According to the Shengshen zhang: 'Laozi united the three qis of Original Beginning into one.' This is the master's bodily essence: essence is the spirit-soul, spirit is transformation, and qi is the appearance. As in the Laozi commentaries of Lu Jianji, Zang Jin, Gu Huan, Meng Zhiyou, and others: 'These three vehicles are combined to form the sacred body.' It also says: 'Spontaneity is the body of common characteristics, and the three qis are the body of particular characteristics.' Examining what the Dao honors, it takes qi as the root. Inspecting within the three qis, there are form and mind; since it is composed of form and mind, it cannot escape the calamity of birth and death—how could it be called eternal? The gentleman said: Tracing the precedence of the Dao, it takes qi as substance. How is this known? According to the Yangsheng fuqi jing: 'The Dao is qi; preserving qi, one attains the Dao; attaining the Dao, one endures long. Spirit is essence; preserving essence, the spirit is luminous; with luminous spirit, there is long life. Essence is the flowing river of the blood vessels, the numinous spirit guarding the bones; when essence departs, the bones wither; when the bones wither, there is death.' Therefore Zhuang Zhou said: 'Blowing and breathing, exhaling the old and inhaling the new; Pengzu practiced this to attain longevity.' Judging from this, being able to cultivate harmonious qi to bring about longevity is what is meant by 'attaining the Dao.'