GLOSSARY

Alchemical agents, The three:

1 The microcosmic outer alchemical agent is produced by outer fresh air breathed in and out to restore the generative force which has drained away in order to purify and transmute it into vitality.

2 The microcosmic inner alchemical agent is produced by the inner vital breath in the body which transmutes vitality into spirit.

3 The macrocosmic alchemical agent is gathered to break through the original cavity of spirit in the brain for the mortal man to become immortal, i.e. for the integration of microcosm into macrocosm.

Alchemical agent, The three components of the: The generative force, vitality and spirit.

Alchemical process, The four phases of: Move (hsin), stay (chu), re-start (chi) and stop (chih). The element of fire in the generative force, vitality and spirit moves from A to D (for cleansing) and then to G where it stays for a while and is called the ascending positive fire; and subsequently re-starts from G to J (for purification) and then stops at A (see figure 2) and is called the descending negative fire.

Alchemy, Taoist: An ancient science which teaches the stopping of the flow of the generative force inherent in every man so that instead of being discharged to procreate offspring or to waste away, it is retained in the body for purification and transmutation into positive vitality to restore original spirit which existed before the world came into being and so that it can return to its primal immortal state.

All-pervading one, The: See I kuan

Ambrosia (kan lu): The sublimation of the generative force, vitality and spirit in the brain produces the ambrosia which, flowing in the mouth, becomes a liquid (saliva) which, when swallowed, makes sounds in the abdomen. This ambrosia produces and nurtures the immortal seed in the lower tan t’ien whence it radiates, lighting up the heart to reveal the formation of the immortal seed. See Kan lu and Sweet dew.

Ascent and descent of inner fire in the microcosmic orbit: When breathing in, the heart, spirit and thought should rise together in the channel of control from the cardinal point A at the base of the penis to the cardinal point G on the top of the head, and when breathing out, the heart, spirit and thought should together go down in the channel of function from the cardinal point G to A (see figure 2). The ascent is positive and the descent is negative.

Audible vibration at the back of the head: It reveals the strength of fire in the generative force, vitality and spirit. It differs from the wrong type of fire which causes buzzing in the ear.

Bellows (t’o yo): The mechanism of ventilation in the body caused by in and out breathing to kindle the psychic fire in the lower abdomen like a bellows used for blowing fire.

Blazing fire in the lower tan t’ien: It shows the fullness of the generative force and vitality from which it arises.

Body, Essential (fa shen): Spiritual body of an immortal.

Breath, Vital: Breath of life which keeps the heart, stomach, liver, lungs and lower abdomen functioning, and without which the body perishes. When the white and golden lights unite, concentration in the head of these five vital breaths produces the macrocosmic alchemical agent which should be gathered for the final breakthrough thereby causing the practiser to leap over the worldly to the saintly state, and so leaving the state of serenity to appear in countless transformation bodies in the macrocosm.

Breathing, Foetal: Breathing of a foetus in the womb through the two channels of control and function of the microcosmic orbit ceasing to function when the umbilical cord is cut at birth and being replaced by breathing through the nostrils.

Breathing, Fourfold: A full fourfold breathing consists of in and out breaths with corresponding ascent and descent of inner fire in the microcosmic orbit which contributes to the immortal breath.

Breathing, Immortal: It rises in the heel pathway, from the heels to the brain and, descends in the trunk pathway, from the brain to the mortal gate. It is also called the self-winding wheel of the law, i.e. the macrocosmic orbit through which the vital breath goes up and down to restore the profound foetal breathing, thereby wiping out all postnatal conditions so that prenatal vitality can be transmuted into a bright pearl that illuminates the brain where an ambrosia produces and nurtures the immortal seed in the lower tan t’ien, in which it radiates, lighting up the heart heralding the formation of this immortal seed, when breathing appears to cease and the pulses seem to stop beating in the condition of complete serenity. See Self-winding wheel of the law.

Cardinal points of the microcosmic orbit, The four: 1. North (tzu) at the base of the penis, 2. South (wu), the top of the head, and, between them, 3. East (mao) on the back and 4. West (yu) in front of the body.

Cauldron: Cavity in which the process of alchemy transmutes the generative force into vitality and vitality into spirit. It changes place rising from the lower tan t’ien under the navel to the middle tan t’ien in the solar plexus to transmute the generative force into vitality, and then to the upper tan t’ien in the brain, called the precious cauldron, to transmute vitality into spirit.

Cavity of true vitality (chen ch’i hsueh): The lower tan t’ien under the navel where true vitality manifests. See Chen ch’i hsueh.

Cavity of vitality: The lower tan t’ien under the navel; also called Ocean of vitality (ch’i hai) and Gate to life (ming men).

Channel of control (tu mo): A psychic channel in the spine, from its base to the brain. It forms with the channel of function (jen mo) the microcosmic orbit.

Channel of function (jen mo): A channel in front of the body, from the brain to the base of the penis.

Chao Pi Ch’en: A Taoist master, born in 1860, who wrote the treatise Hsin Ming Fa Chueh Ming Chih or The Secrets of Cultivation of Essential Nature and Eternal Life, presented in this book.

Chen ch’i hsueh: Cavity of real vitality, or the lower tan t’ien 1·3 inches under the navel.

Chen hsi: True breath.

Chen hsin: True nature.

Chen jen: Immortal man.

Chiang kung: The solar plexus. See also Yellow hall (huang ting).

Ch’ien i: Heavenly oneness, a name given to the great emptiness by the Book of Change.

Chin lu: Golden stove, the lower tan t’ien one and one-third inches under the navel.

Chin tan: The golden elixir of immortality. See Golden elixir.

Chu: A weight equal to the twenty-fourth part of a tael which is the Chinese ounce, equal to one and one-third oz. avoirdupois.

Ch’un hsien: The genital duct which links the lower tan t’ien to the testicles, which the generative force reaches to change into semen.

Chun huo: Chief fire or heart’s fire which is aroused by evil thoughts and should be avoided by the practiser.

Ch’ung mo: See The eight psychic channels.

Circle of light: A round light formed by spiritual vitality that springs from the middle tan t’ien or solar plexus after spirit and vitality have returned to the lower tan t’ien under the navel; it is the manifestation of the real nature of the self.

Cleansing and purifying (mu yu): Cleansing the positive ascent and purifying the negative descent during the microcosmic orbiting, for the positive is already pure and needs only some cleaning whereas the negative is corrupt and should be purified to be transmuted into the positive.

Coiling up the body into five dragons: A method which consists of ‘composing’ one’s head (i.e. putting it in comfortable position), curving and reclining the body on either side, like the coiled length of a sleeping dragon or the curved body of a dog, bending one arm for a pillow while stretching the other to place a hand on the belly, and straightening one leg while bending the other. Even the heart is immersed in sleep, the pupils of both eyes should be drawn close to each other for pointed concentration on the great emptiness so that in the condition of utter stillness the vital principle returns automatically to its source (under the navel), breathing continues normally and so is self-regulated, and the (vital) breath is brought under perfect control. This method of sleeping will banish all dreams and so prevent the generative fluid from draining away.

Cold storage technique: Consists of driving the light of positive spirit manifesting in the brain into the lower abdomen with pointed concentration on vitality there until it vibrates. The practiser should then imagine that this vitality goes up and down in the thrusting channel between the heart and the lower abdomen until all of a sudden it slips into the lower tan t’ien; this is called entry into the cavity within a cavity and is actual re-entry into the foetus for further creativity.

Components, The four: Body, breath, incorporeal and corporeal souls symbolised by the elements of water, fire, wood and metal.

Copulation, Inner (nei chiao kou): By inner copulation of the positive and negative principles is meant the production of the microcosmic inner alchemical agent by rolling the eyes from left to right in conjunction with the passing of inner fire through sublimating phrases at the cardinal points D and J of the microcosmic orbit, for the purpose of transmuting vitality into spirit whose full development causes a bright light, called the mysterious gate (hsuan kuan) to manifest in the original cavity of spirit between and behind the eyes.

Creativity, Mechanism of: Way in which the process of creation works to transmute mortality into immortality, that is when the generative force, vitality and spirit unite to become one as shown by the circle of light in front of the practiser.

Divisions of One vitality, The two: The positive yang and negative yin as represented by the sun and the moon.

Dragon, The cavity of the: The lower tan t’ien cavity (see tan t’ien).

Dragon and Stork: Emblem of longevity.

Dragon and Tiger: Dragon stands for negative vitality and tiger for positive vitality. Their copulation brings into manifestation the original spirit in its bright light. See also Vitality, Positive and negative.

Dragon and tiger cavities: The negative and positive cavities in the centres of the left and right palms respectively.

Dragon’s hum: Reveals the fullness of vitality in the generative force. When vitality fills the tiny channels of the nervous and psychic systems, it produces indistinct sounds.

Driving the three vehicles uphill: A technique which helps the macrocosmic alchemical agent to rise first slowly through the coccyx, the first gate at the base of the backbone, like a goat slowly drawing a cart up hill; then thrust through the second gate between the kidneys, like a deer speedily drawing a cart up hill; and finally to force through the occiput or third gate at the back of the head, like an ox drawing a cart up hill.

Earth: The lower abdomen.

Eating and sleeping: When the immortal seed matures the practiser does not want to sleep and when prenatal vitality is full he does not want to eat.

Elements, The five: Metal (chin), wood (mu), water (shui), fire (huo) and earth (t’u); the union of the five elements produces the elixir of immortality.

Elements, The three basic: The generative force, vitality and spirit. See also the Three precious elements and the Three treasures.

Elements, The three precious: The generative force, vitality and spirit. See also the Three Treasures and the Three Basic Elements.

Elixir of Immortality: Also called Golden Elixir; is produced by the union of generative force, vitality and spirit.

Emission, Involuntary: Wei hsien or risks at night.

Entry into the cavity within a cavity: Entry into the lower tan t’ien cavity within the lower abdomen (the house of water). See Cold Storage technique.

Eyes, Turning round the: There are three methods of turning round the eyes which have different purposes: a. macrocosmic sublimation of the generative force (see Chapter 4); b. microcosmic purification of vitality (see Chapter 6); and c. gathering prenatal basic vitality to invigorate spirit to produce the macrocosmic alchemical agent which develops when the light of vitality appears (see Chapter 7).

Families, The three (san chia): The body, heart and thought.

Feng fu: See Storehouse of the wind.

Field of Elixir (tan t’ien): The lower tan t’ien under the navel.

Fire, Quick and slow: Quick fire is produced by in and out breathing to put the vital force into orbit for purification; and slow fire is produced by a meditative method which consists of closing both eyes to develop a mind which, although void, does not cease to work, which, although radiant, does not continue to stay, and which is neither forgotten nor upheld. Quick fire shifts and slow fire calms, as the masters put it, and both transform impurities in the body into tears which are discharged through the eyes.

Fire, Spiritual: It produces the golden light which replaces a white light which has appeared in front of the practiser when his lower tan t’ien is full of the alchemical agent which reveals to his eyes the beauty of positive vital breath.

Fire used for purification has eighteen meanings:

(a) Four kinds of fire kindled by breathing to transform the generative fluid derived from the digestion of food into generative force:

1 Kindling the fire (to return the generative force to the lower tan t’ien)

2 Leading the fire (to turn the wheel of the law to gather the alchemical agent)

3 Forcing the fire with fire (i.e. breathing in and out to drive the generative and vital forces into the stove in the lower abdomen)

4 Stopping the fire (i.e. discontinuing all breathing after the golden light has manifested twice in order not to spoil the alchemical agent gathered).

(b) Seven kinds of fire, derived from spirit, to transform the generative force into vitality:

1 Freezing the fire (i.e. freezing and driving spirit into the lower tan t’ien)

2 Driving the fire (into) is driving into the microcosmic orbit the inner fire which then passes through the sublimating phases at D and J to gather the inner alchemical agent so that true vitality soars up to the brain which will then develop fully, causing a bright light, called the mysterious gate, to manifest between the eyes.

3 Lowering the fire (to cause the negative fire to retreat so that the positive yang develops fully and replaces the negative yin.)

4 Shifting the fire (is using quick fire to enlarge all obstructed channels to clear them of obstructions)-See Quick and slow fires.

5 Calming the fire (is using slow fire to help the psychic channels that have dilated to shrink so that the breath that has spread in the body can return to its former position under the navel) – See Quick and slow fires.

6 Fire in its own house is when the heart (the house of fire) is stirred and the penis stands erect in spite of the absence of thoughts; this is real fire in its house which arouses the genital organ and is not the genuine one which vibrates at the hour of tsu (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.) when the penis erects and when the alchemical agent should be gathered.

7 Heart’s fire is the fire of passion excited by evil thoughts which arouse sexual desire; this is ‘chief fire’ (chun huo) or evil fire which should be avoided.

(c) Seven kinds of fire derived from prenatal vitality, which purify the breathing and contribute to the manifestation of original spirit:

1 Circulating the fire (up in the channel of control to the original cavity of spirit and down in the channel of function to the lower tan t’ien)

2 Gathering the fire is collecting the generative and vital forces as well as the alchemical agent to lift up the vital breath below in the twin cultivation of essential nature and eternal life.

3 Lifting the fire (which has been gathered to the brain before lowering it to the lower tan t’ien to invigorate the body which has been weakened by the drain of generative force).

4 Fire in the house of water (k’ an) stands for vitality in vibration which forms a bellows from below the heart to under the navel, which is linked with the genital gate through the mortal gate.

5 Negative fire in the stove or lower tan t’ien which drives vitality into the microcosmic orbit.

6 Fire immersed in water. When the generative and vital forces are in the lower tan t’ien they are fire in the house of water, but when they leave it to drain away they take a liquid form.

7 Fire in the stove. When spirit and vitality vibrate in the lower tan t’ien, this is fire in the stove.

Five dragons upholding the holy one (wu lung peng sheng): Five is the number of the element of earth which stands for the right thought; dragon stands for spirit, i.e. the practiser who is ready to sacrifice his body in his quest of immortality (by) upholding the holy one which means by looking up to suck up the ascending precious gem or the macrocosmic alchemical agent for the final breakthrough.

Five vital breaths: When the five vital breaths (in the heart, spleen, lungs, liver and kidneys) converge in the head, the golden light appears and unites with the white light of vitality which has manifested after the intermingling of the generative force, vitality and spirit. This is the union of the true positive and negative principles from which the immortal foetus emerges to take shape Flute without holes (played in reverse): The mechanism of breathing is closed (ho) so that outer air breathed in reaches the lower abdomen to push up the vital force in the channel of control to the brain, and is opened (p’i) to expel it from the lower abdomen while the vital force, now released from pressure, returns from the brain to the lower abdomen.

Foetus, Immortal (Tao foetus or True seed): The union of the white and golden lights produces the immortal foetus from which spirit will emerge to become immortal after the practiser, on seeing falling snow and dancing flowers, stirs the thought of leaping into the great emptiness. This thought will open the heavenly gate at the top of the head so that spirit can leave the physical body to appear in countless transformation bodies in space. (See immortal foetus.)

Foundation, Laying the (chu chi): When spirit wanders outside in quest of sense data, vitality dissipates and the generative force is corrupt. It is, therefore, necessary to sublimate the three precious elements, namely the generative force, vital breath and spirit to restore their original strength, and the foundation will be laid when these three elements unite leading to the formation of the immortal seed.

This foundation will lift the practiser from the mortal to the immortal plane, still his spirit within ten months, and enable him to give up sleep within nine or ten months, dispense with food and drink within ten months, feel neither cold in winter nor hot in summer, and achieve unperturbed spirit which leads to stable serenity.

This laying of the foundation will cause life to last as long as heaven and earth, and lead to the acquisition of the supernatural powers possessed by all immortals.

Four necessities for the practice of alchemy (on the mountain) : Utensils, money, companions and a suitable place for meditation. The utensils are: a round wooden object like a bun, covered with cotton, to sit on to block the anus; and a clothes-peg to close the nostrils. Money is to buy food for the practiser and his companions during the training.

Companions are friends also practising alchemy, to help him and pinch his backbone when required. The place is a quiet hut or temple not too far from towns and cities.

Freezing spirit: An alchemical process which ensures the condition of serenity in which the practiser becomes unconscious, his breathing almost ceases and his pulses seem to stop beating for the purpose of gathering prenatal true vitality in the original cavity of spirit in the centre of the brain and then driving it into the lower tan t’ien under the navel to hold it there to achieve immortal breathing. See Self-winding wheel of the law.

Gate to life (ming men): The lower tan t’ien which is below and behind the navel, and below and before the kidneys, the distance between it and the front and rear of the abdomen being in the proportion of seven to three. Also called the ocean or cavity of vitality. See Cavity of vitality and Ocean of vitality.

Generative force (ching): Essence of procreation which produces the generative fluid that satisfies sexual desire and begets offspring. Genital organ, Retractile: Which reveals the fullness of prenatal vitality in the body, a very good sign during the training in Taoist alchemy.

Gentle breeze (sun feng): Ventilation by in and out breathing. See Sun feng.

Golden elixir (chin tan): A radiant circle manifesting in the cavity of spirit between and behind the eyes. It stands for the supreme ultimate (t’ai chi) and the original awareness (yuan cheuh). See Elixir of immortality.

Golden light: Reveals the fullness of the luminous generative force, vitality and spirit.

Golden nectar: A liquid produced by the macrocosmic alchemical agent which has been successfully gathered by the practiser. When his mouth is full of this nectar he should swallow it with a gulp to drive it into the channel of function to the lower tan t’ien to seal vitality there. If he fails to gather the golden nectar he gets only pure saliva.

Hall of voidness (hsu shih) : The heart devoid of feelings and passions.

Hall, Yellow (huang ting): The middle tan t’ien in the solar plexus.

Heart: The house of fire and the organ of essential nature (hsin ken).

Heart and lower abdomen: The heart is the seat of fire (of passion) and the lower abdomen is the seat of water (of sexual pleasure). The fire above should be driven down into the water below, and the water below should be scorched by fire to become steam and be lifted to wipe out passion in order to achieve the stable equilibrium and harmony of fire and water. The heart and lower abdomen are respectively symbolised by the dragon (the female or negative vitality) and the tiger (the male or positive vitality).

Heart’s fire (hsin huo): Or chief fire (chun huo) aroused by evil thoughts which should be avoided. See Chun huo.

Heaven and earth: The head and the abdomen.

Heavenly gate (miao men) : The aperture of Brahma at the top of the the head by which positive spirit comes out of the body.

Heavenly oneness (ch’ien i) : A name given to the great emptiness by the Book of Change. See Ch’ien i.

Heavenly palace (tzu fu): Another name of tsu ch’iao, the original cavity of spirit.

Heaventy pool (t’ien chih hsueh): A cavity in the palate by which vitality flows down to drain away. Hence the tongue is lifted up to plug it thereby making a bridge for vitality to come down through the hsuan ying cavity (the mysterious bridle) on the channel of function to the lower tan t’ien centre.

Heel and trunk pathways: The heel pathway (tung chung) from the heels to the brain and the trunk pathway (tung ti) from the brain to the trunk, i.e. the mortal gate. See Self-winding wheel of the law.

Ho and p’i: Ho is closing the mechanism of respiration while breathing in so that the air goes down to exert pressure on the lower abdomen causing the generative force to go up in the channel of control to the brain, and p’i is opening the mechanism of respiration while breathing out so that the air goes out of the body to relax pressure on the lower abdomen causing the generative force to descend in the channel of function from the brain to the lower abdomen.

Ho che: Microcosmic orbiting. See Water-wheels.

Horse of intellect, Running: See Monkey heart and running horse of intellect.

Hour of tsu: The beginning of the positive a.m. half of the day between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. when the penis stands erect of itself in sleep in spite of the absence of thoughts and dreams. It is the proper moment to gather the generative force for sublimation, for the gathering of it during the negative p.m. half of the day is ineffective.

Houses of fire and water: Li, the heart, is the house of fire and k’an, the lower tan t’ien, is the house of water.

Hsiao yo: See Microcosmic outer alchemical agent.

Hsien t’ien and Hou t’ien: See Prenatal and postnatal.

Hsien t’ien chen chung: See Prenatal true seed.

Hsin hai: See Ocean of essential nature.

Hsin ken: The organ of essential nature. See Heart.

Hsin ming shuang hsiu: Cultivation of both essential nature and eternal life.

Hsu shih: The hall of voidness or the heart devoid of feelings and passions.

Hsuan chu: The real generative force. See Mysterious pearl.

Hsuan Ying: The Mysterious bridle, a cavity behind the Heavenly pool in the palate, by which vitality goes down in the channel of function in the microcosmic orbiting.

Huang Ting: The Yellow hall or middle tan t’ien in the solar plexus.

Huang Ya: Or Yellow Bud: The real generative force. See Yellow bud.

I kuan: The all-pervading one, a name given to the great emptiness by the Confucian classics.

Immaterial spirit (ch’ung ling): A minor channel linking the right side of the original cavity of spirit with the heavenly valley (tien ku) above it and the yung chuan (bubbling spring) centre in the centre of the right foot after running through the heart in the chest.

Immersion of fire in water: Concentration on the lower tan t’ien to direct the element of fire in the heart to scorch the element of water in the lower abdomen, thus emptying the heart of passion and stopping water in the lower abdomen from flowing down in order to achieve the stable equilibrium of water and fire. See Shui huo chi chi.

Immortal foetus (tao foetus or true seed): An incorporeal manifestation of the union of vitality and spirit as shown by the union of the white and golden lights. It has neither form nor shape and is unlike any ordinary foetus, the outcome of sexual intercourse.

Immortal seed: The crystallisation of positive generative force the fullness of which manifests as the white light of vitality while the fullness of the immortal seed manifests as a golden light which reveals the negative vitality within the generative force. The light of the eyes directed downward is positive and when the positive and negative lights meet, a precious light (pao kuang) will emerge. See Immortal foetus.

The six signs of the formation of the immortal seed are: 1. a golden light appearing in the eyes; 2. the back of the head vibrates audibly; 3. the dragon’s hum is heard in the right and 4. the tiger’s roar in the left ear; 5. fire blazes in the lower tan t’ien, bubbles rise in the body, spasms shake the nose, and 6. the genital organ draws in.

Immortals: Earth-bound immortals (shen hsien) and heavenly immortals (chin hsien).

Jen mo: See Channel of function and Psychic channels, the eight.

K’an: The house of water in the lower abdomen (See K’an and li).

K’an and li: The lower abdomen and the heart respectively. Spirit in li (the house of fire) is essential nature, and vitality in k’an (the house of water) is eternal life.

Kan lu: See Sweet dew.

Keeping vigil over a dead body: When spirit fails to come out of the foetus after the practiser has seen falling snow and dancing flowers, this is called keeping vigil over a dead body. This is caused by the practiser who takes delight in the state of serenity thereby forgetting about leaving the foetus.

Kun huo: Negative fire in the stove, i.e. the lower tan t’ien.

Lao Tsu: Born in 604 B.C. Named Li Erh, and also called Li Po Yang, he was a native of K’u district in Ch’u state (now Hupeh province). He was for a long time a censor under the Chou dynasty, but seeing that it began to decline he left the country for an unknown destination. At the request of the official defending the pass at the frontier he wrote the Tao Te Ching. According to the legend then current, he was already old at birth, hence he was called Lao Tsu or ‘Old Son’.

Lao Tsu was determined to revive the ancient tradition prevalent at the time of emperor Huang Ti (2698-2597 B.C.). Since Huang Ti was the founder of Taoism which Lao Tsu later revived it is called the doctrine of Huang-Lao.

Lead: A Taoist technical term which means vitality or the vital principle.

Li: The heart or house of fire (of passions). See K’an and li.

Life, Cavity of (ming ch’iao): The lower tan t’ien under the navel.

Life, Eternal: Endless life of an immortal man, the aim of Taoist alchemy.

Light, White and Golden (Hui kuang and shan kuang): When the generative force has been purified and fully developed, it rises to the brain to unite with essential nature, causing the white light of vitality to manifest like moonlight; and when vitality is full and descends to the lower tan t’ien to unite with eternal life, the golden light of the immortal seed manifests. The union of these two lights produces the immortal foetus which then returns to the original cavity of spirit in the brain for the final breakthrough.

Lower abdomen: The house of water as contrasted with the heart which is the house of fire. The lower abdomen is frequently referred to as the lower tan t’ien cavity under the navel.

Lower tan t’ien: See Tan t’ien.

Lung Kung: The cavity of the dragon, which is the lower tan t’ien cavity. See Tan t’ien.

Magpie bridge: The upper magpie bridge (shang ch’ueh ch’iao) is the nasal duct; the middle magpie bridge (chung ch’ueh ch’iao) is the tongue; and the lower magpie bridge (hsia ch’ueh ch’iao) is the anus.

Male and female principle: The male (chien) or positive and the female (k’un) or negative principle.

Mercury: A Taoist technical term meaning spirit.

Miao men: The aperture of Brahma on the top of the head. See Heavenly gate.

Microcosmic orbit (Hsiao chou tien): It begins at the base of the spine, called the first gate (wei lu), rising in the backbone to the second gate between the kidneys (chia chi) and then to the back of the head, called the third gate (yu ch’en), before reaching the brain, to descend down the face, chest and abdomen to return to where it rose and so completes a full circuit.

Microcosmic orbit, The six phases of the (liu hou) : Rising in the channel of control from the mortal gate A to D and G at the top of the head (see figure 2) are the first, second and third positions in the ascent, and sinking in the channel of function from G to J and A which are the first, second and third positions in the descent.

Microcosmic orbit, The two phases of the (chin yang tui yin): Ascent of positive fire (chin yang) in the channel of control and descent of negative fire (tui yin) in the channel of function.

Middle tan t’ien: See Tan t’ien.

Ming ch’iao: See Cavity of life.

Ming men: See Gate to life.

Monkey heart and running horse of intellect: When one breathes in and out, one’s concentration causes the generative force to rise and fall in the microcosmic orbit thus slowly turning the wheel of the law. By counting from one to ten and then from ten to one hundred breaths, with the mind following the counting to prevent it from wandering outside, the mind and the counting will be in unison; this is called locking up the monkey heart and tying up the running horse of intellect.

Moon: The right eye which stands for the negative yin. It also stands for the lower tan t’ien under the navel.

Mortal gate (sheng szu ch’iao): The base of the penis by which the generative fluid drains away.

Mysterious gate (Hsuan kuan): The bright light which manifests when spirit is fully developed for the breakthrough, i.e. the mysterious entrance to immortality.

Mysterious pearl (Hsuan chu): The real generative force. See Hsuan chu.

Nature, Essential: Man’s real nature which is undying, the realisation of which is the aim of Taoist alchemy.

Nature, Ocean of essential (hsin hai): Also called tsu ch’iao or the original cavity of spirit between and behind the eyes.

Nature, True: Prenatal vitality in its cell (ch’i pao) on the top of the medulla oblongata.

Negative embracing the positive, The: See Positive embracing the negative and vice versa.

Nei chiao kou: See Inner copulation.

Ni wan: Literally ‘Ball of mud’ i.e. the brain or region of the brain. Frequently referred to as the original cavity of spirit between and behind the eyes, like the lower belly which is usually mentioned as the lower tan t’ien about one and a half inches under the navel.

Nine unsettled breaths, The: Caused by anger which lifts and fear which lowers the breath; by joy which slows it down; by grief which disperses it; by terror which throws it out of gear; by thinking which ties it up; by toil which wastes it; by cold which collects and heat which scatters it.

Northern sea: The lower tan t’ien cavity. See Tan t’ien.

Obliterating meditation: Or extinguishing meditation, i.e. meditation which wipes out all traces of the worldly.

Ocean of vitality: The lower tan t’ien cavity under the navel. See Tan t’ien.

Original awareness (yuan chueh) : See Golden elixir.

Original cavity of spirit: (Yuan Shen Shih or tsu ch’iao, the ancestral cavity) a spot between and behind the eyes, where a light manifests when the practiser succeeds in concentrating on it.

Pai hui: See Source of the nervous system.

P’i: See Ho and p’i.

Pi kuan, K’ai kuan: Chinese terms which mean shutting and opening the mysterious gate by rolling the eyes thirty-six times to follow the four phases of microcosmic sublimation of vitality ascending from cardinal point A to D, G and J, and twenty-four times to follow it descending from G to D, A and J.

Poles, The four: Prenatal heaven and earth and postnatal heart and abdomen.

Positive and negative fires: During the microcosmic orbiting the fire that goes up in the channel of control to the brain is positive fire (yang huo) and the fire that goes down in the channel of function is negative fire (yin fu).

Positive (yang) embracing the negative (yin) and vice versa, The: In the meditation posture, when the left leg is placed outside and close to the right one, this is the positive embracing the negative; and when the thumb of the left hand touches its middle finger and the right hand is placed under it (palm upward) with its thumb bent over the left palm, this is the negative embracing the positive. This is to form a circuit of eight psychic channels, and is also the linking of the four limbs to shut the four gates so that the centre can be held on to.

Positive fire, The three manifestations of: When the golden light appears for the first time the practiser should obtain the four necessities for advanced training, i.e. utensils, money, companion and a suitable place for meditation to maintain the union of the lights of essential nature and eternal life. As time passes the golden light will suddenly reappear much brighter; this is the second manifestation of positive light. He should now stop the fire to gather the macrocosmic alchemical agent. To stop fire is to cease regulating his breathing and circulating vital air which should be replaced by the heart, spirit and thought combined to go up in the channel of control and down in the channel of function. When this golden light appears for the third time he should immediately grasp the macrocosmic alchemical agent for the breakthrough in order to transmute vitality into spirit thereby leaping over the worldly to the divine state. The fourth manifestation of the golden light will reveal the practiser’s failure to stop the fire by his wrong use of in and out breaths at this stage, for the macrocosmic agent will follow that fire to drain away in the form of postnatal generative fluid, thereby nullifying all progress so far achieved.

Positive generative force (yang ching): The real generative force See Yang ching.

Prenatal (hsien t’ien) and postnatal (hou t’ien): ‘Prenatal’ denotes the positive or spiritual nature originally existing before birth and ‘postnatal’ means its negative or corrupt counterpart which follows the ordinary way of material life after birth, the former being real and permanent whereas the latter is illusory and transient.

Prenatal true seed (hsien t’ien chen chung): The union of spirit and vitality into one single gem.

Psychic centre, cavity, cell, abode, seat, house, etc.: These technical terms are used in Taoist texts and the duty of a translator is not to change them. When vitality develops and pervades every part in the body the practiser feels as if countless tiny fishes are swimming in his body and limbs to enter the muscles, nerves, bones and marrows, filling all hollows, pockets, holes, dents, depressions, interstices, etc. which then take various forms and shapes as Chuang Tzu describes the effects of the ‘wind’ which causes huge trees to have hollows and openings like noses, mouths, ears, jugs, cups, mortars, etc. Only those who have succeeded in transmuting the generative force into vitality have this unusual experience and understand what Chuang Tzu means, and also why the ancients used more than one single term in the texts.

This note is added because we have been asked why we have not used one technical term that is either ‘centre’ or the Hindu word ‘cakra’ throughout this volume.

Psychic channels, The eight (ch’i ching pa mo) : The eight main psychic channels:

1 The channel of control (tu mo) rises from the base of the penis and passes through the coccyx up the backbone to the brain;

2 The channel of function (jen mo) rises from the base of the penis and goes up along the belly, passes through the navel, the pit of the stomach, the chest and throat, up to the brain;

3 The belt channel (tai mo) from both sides of the navel forming a belt which circles the belly;

4 The thrusting channel (ch’ung mo) rises from the base of the penis, goes up between the tu mo and jen mo channels and ends in the heart;

5 The positive arm channels (yang yu) in the outer sides of both arms, link both shoulders with the centres of the palms after passing through the middle fingers;

6 The negative arm channels (yin yu) in the inner sides of both arms, link the centres of the palms with the chest;

7 The positive leg channels (yang chiao) rise from the centres of the soles and turn along the outer sides of the ankles and legs before reaching the base of the penis where they connect with other channels;

8 The negative leg channels (yin chiao) rise from the centres of the soles and turn along the inner sides of the ankles and legs before reaching the base of the penis where they connect with other channels.

Purifying: See Cleaning and purifying.

Re-entry into the foetus for further creativity: The outcome of the entry into a foetus is the birth of a man into the world, and his subsequent practice of Taoist alchemy causes him to re-enter a spiritual foetus to become an immortal.

Returning a myriad things to one whole: In order to develop the immortal foetus fully the practiser should concentrate on spirit forgetting all about the foetus which is within his spirit. This is called ‘returning a myriad things to one whole’.

Seed, The true: See Immortal foetus.

Serenity: Minor serenity (hsiao ting ching) lasts only one day in which dullness and confusion cause the practiser to be unconscious, like a dying man who is breathless; medium serenity (chung ting ching) lasts three successive days; and major serenity (ta ting ching) seven successive days.

Serenity, The four stages of: Thoughtlessness (nien chu), breathlessness (hsi chu), pulselessness (mo chu) and extinction (unmindfulness) of worldly existence (mieh chin).

Seven passions that damage vitality, The: Intense delight that harms the heart; intense anger the liver; grief the lungs; fear the gall bladder; love spirit; hate the disposition; and intense desire the stomach.

Sheng szu ch’iao: The mortal gate at the base of the penis, by which the generative fluid is discharged.

Shou i: Holding on to one i.e. the great emptiness.

Shui huo chi chi: Water and fire in equilibrium. When fire is immersed in water it stops soaring up thereby causing the heart to be empty, and when water is scorched by fire it becomes steam and stops flowing down. This is water and fire in stable equilibrium which will in time produce true vitality. See Immersion of fire in water.

Six transcendental powers: To realise: 1 stoppage of all drain of the generative and vital forces; 2 divine sight; 3. divine hearing; 4. knowledge of past lives; 5. understanding of other minds; and 6. divine mirror.

Snow and flowers: When the immortal foetus is fully developed snow and flowers are seen falling in disorder by the practiser.

Solar plexus: The middle tan t’ien; also called Chiang kung and Huang ting.

Source of the nervous system: Pai hui literally ‘the point where hundreds meet’ on the top of the head.

Spirit (shen): The divine in man or his immortal nature which derives from the purification of vitality. Spirit leads to the realisation of essential nature and vitality to eternal life which are the aim of Taoist alchemy.

Spirit, Positive and negative: The negative spirit (yin shen), visible to the practiser when he closes his eyes, is created by the first five of six transcendental powers, and is the negative spiritual breath which can see others but is invisible to them, cannot speak to them and cannot pick up objects, and is, therefore, mortal in the end. The positive spirit (yang shen) is created by the five kinds of eyes and six transcendental powers, is visible to others, can speak to them, can pick up objects and has the same features of the practiser’s own body. It takes form when it gathers in one place, or becomes pure vitality when it scatters to fill the great emptiness which will be its boundless body. See Six transcendental powers.

The five kinds of eye are: the heavenly eye which sees all things in the thirty-three heavens; the earthly eye which sees the eighteen hells; the spiritual eye, or eye of vitality, which sees past and future events in the world; the human eye which sees happenings before birth and death; and the ghostly eye which sees through the mountains, earth and metals.

Spirit-vitality: After spirit and vitality have returned to the lower tan t’ien under the navel, their union, called spirit-vitality, produces the spiritual light which springs from the middle tan t’ien or solar plexus.

Stirring the thought of jumping into the great emptiness: To open the heavenly gate on the top of the head in order to leap into the great emptiness otherwise the practiser will fail to emerge from the immortal foetus.

Storehouse of the wind (feng fu) : A cavity of the element of the wind in the back of the head.

Stove (lu): A cavity where the inner fire is kindled by regulated breathing to put the generative force into microcosmic orbit and transmute it into vitality. The stove remains in the lower tan t’ien cavity throughout the process of alchemy.

Suck: Drawing nourishment from the body.

Sucking (hsi), pressing (shih), pinching (ts’o) and shutting (pi), The method of: To gather the macrocosmic alchemical agent and help its ascent in the channel of control by shutting the anus with a wooden bun, by pressing the tongue against the palate and a finger on the mortal gate, by sucking in a breath through the nose and by pinching the backbone above the coccyx to warm and loosen the marrow at the base of the spine.

Sun: The left eye which stands for the positive yang; it also stands for the heart.

Sun and moon: The two eyes.

Sun and moon, The union of the: When the pupils of both eyes are drawn close to each other in a squint for pointed concentration so that the heart (fire) and lower abdomen (water) are linked for the production of prenatal vitality.

Sun feng: Gentle breeze or ventilation by in and out breathing.

Supreme Ultimate (tai chi): The circle of tai chi wherein real positive vitality and essential nature unite to emit the light of vitality which is the light of true nature in the precious cauldron in the brain and that of true life in the stove in the lower abdomen. See Golden elixir.

Sweet dew (kan lu): Pure saliva. See Ambrosia.

Symbols, The four (szu hsiang): Prenatal heaven and earth and postnatal heart and abdomen gathered in the solar plexus to produce the macrocosmic alchemical agent.

Szu ko yin yang: See the four yin-yang.

Ta ting: Utter serenity.

Tai chi: See supreme ultimate and Golden elixir.

Tai Mo: The belt channel. See the eight psychic channels.

Tan t’ien: Lit. ‘field of the drug’ i.e. a psychic centre where the drug or alchemical agent is produced. There are three tan t’ien in the body: 1. the lower tan t’ien, about one and a half inches under the navel where the generative force is retained so that it does not slip down and drain away, in order to purify it; 2. the middle tan t’ien, or the solar plexus, where the generative force is transmuted into vitality; and 3. the upper tan t’ien or the original cavity of spirit between and behind the eyes, where vitality is transmuted into spirit. The lower tan t’ien is also called the cavity or ocean of vitality, lung kung or the cavity of the dragon, and northern sea.

Tao: Prenatal spirit-vitality; the union of essential nature and eternal life, spirit being essential nature and vitality being eternal life.

Tao foetus: The immortal foetus. See Immortal foetus.

Ten excesses that injure vitality, The: Excessive walking that harms the nerves; standing the bones; sitting the blood; sleep the pulses; joy the generative force; looking (at things) spirit; speaking the breath; thinking the stomach; eating the heart; and too much sex the life.

Threefold continual ascension (san ch’ien fa): The generative force, vitality and spirit united into a bright moonlight which rises from the lower to the middle and then to the upper tan t’ien before the practiser sees falling snow and dancing flowers in front of him.

T’ien hsien: A heavenly immortal.

Tiger: See Dragon and tiger.

Tiger’s roar: The sound of fully developed vitality which is active.

T’o yo: See Bellows.

Treasures, The three (san pao): Or three Basic elements (san yuan) are: the generative force, vitality and spirit. See also The three precious elements and the three basic elements.

Trunk pathway: See Heel and trunk pathways.

Ts’ai ch’u: Gathering the generative force for sublimation.

Tu mo: The channel of control. See the Channel of control and the Eight psychic channels.

Tung chung and tung ti: See Heels and trunk pathways.

Tzu fu: Heavenly palace, another name of tsu ch’iao, the original cavity of spirit. See Heavenly palace.

Umbilial cord: Before the umbilical cord is cut the baby’s essential nature and eternal life are inseparable; this state is called prenatal. At birth his body becomes mortal because of the postnatal conditions of nature and life which are no longer united but divided into two, and so become unconnected.

Upper tan t’ien: See Tan t’ien.

Vital breaths, The five: These come from the vitality in the lower tan t’ien cavity from which they spread to the five viscera: to the lungs as the vital breath of the element of metal; to the heart as the vital breath of the element of fire; to the liver as the vital breath of the element of wood; to the stomach as the vital breath of the element of earth; and to the lower abdomen as the vital breath of the element of water. Their union into one vitality causes the golden light to manifest.

Vitality (ch’i): The vital principle derived from the purification of the generative force; it stands for eternal life.

Vitalities of nature and life: Nature-vitality is negative and life-vitality is positive; their union produces the true seed of immortality which will become the immortal foetus. The light of nature-vitality is like moonlight and the light of life-vitality is golden.

Vitality, Positive and negative: Positive vitality is male vitality that soars up and negative vitality is female vitality that goes down. They are symbolised by the tiger and dragon respectively. See Dragon and Tiger.

Vitality, Prenatal one true: Real vitality existing in the original cavity of spirit between and behind the eyes as revealed by the circle of light which Confucius called ‘virtuous perfection (jen)’, the Book of Change calls the ‘Ultimateless (wu chi)’, the Buddha ‘perfect knowledge (yuan ming)’ and the Taoists the ‘elixir of immortality or spiritual light’.

Voidness: Voidness that is relative and empty does not radiate whereas voidness that is absolute and is not empty is spiritual light which is spirit-vitality that springs from the middle tan t’ian in the solar plexus.

Water-wheels (ho che): The microcosmic orbiting.

Wheel of the law (fa lun): The microcosmic orbiting caused by in and out breathing.

Wheel of the law, Self-winding: Automatic immortal breathing caused by the rise of postnatal vital breath from the heels to soar in the channel of control to the brain and its fall in the channel of function from the brain to the trunk or mortal gate, which, if continued for some time, will vibrate prenatal true vitality in the lower tan t’ien causing the latter to rise also in the channel of control and descend in the channel of function. These ascents and descents of postnatal breath, followed by those of prenatal true vitality, will result in automatic immortal breathing, called the self-winding wheel of the law. See Immortal breathing.

Wu chi: The ultimateless.

Yang: The positive, male, active, advance, progression.

Yang ch’iao: See The Eight psychic channels.

Yang ching: Real positive generative force. See Positive generative force.

Yang kuan: The genital gate, the opening at the end of the penis.

Yang yu: See The Eight psychic channels.

Yellow bud: The real generative force. See Huang Ya.

Yin: The negative, female, passive, retreat, retrogression.

Yin-yang, The four: The prenatal heaven and earth and postnatal heart and abdomen are called the four yin-yang (Szu ko yin yang), i.e. the four positive and negative principles.

Yin ch’iao: See The Eight psychic channels.

Yuan chueh: Original awareness. See Golden elixir.

Yinyu: See The Eight psychic channels.