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The waterwheel is the key to circulating the medicine. The work of the waterwheel is not a matter of imagination or conscious intention. It is the flow and ebb of vapor in the hours of zi and wu, the closing and opening of the yin and yang orifices, and the internal ascent and descent of fire.
When the foundation of the pill is complete, the golden cauldron will be filled. When the internal breath is regulated, the spirit will be focused internally. When the spirit is focused, spirit and breath will be synchronized, and wind and fire will copulate. Suddenly, the numinous sprout will eject its light and the gears of the mechanism will move. When this occurs, it is time to engage the waterwheel and start the process of refining. The movement of the wheel begins at the bottom of its circuit. Next, the movement travels through the du meridian, moving upward in reverse to the Celestial Valley cavity. Finally, the movement will enter the Central Palace. This is what happens when you attain the medicine. Few people understand the nature of the waterwheel. They think that they can get the wheel to move by imagining its movement. If you believe that you can get the wheel to move by thinking about movement, you are deceiving yourself, because nothing will happen.
I will now explain the nature of the waterwheel to you. The subtlety of the wheel lies in focusing the intention internally while allowing the spirit to fly outside. Many doubt the validity of this statement. They argue that the true spirit is the true intention, and as one single entity, how can these two be separated? Is the master inside or outside? How can there be two subordinates? This kind of questioning is understandable. I will now clarify this ambiguity.
First, you must understand that when the spirit is focused within, it should be kept still. Do not try to move the spirit. That which moves is the true intention. This is the key to engaging the Microcosmic Orbit. If you want the circulation to run smoothly outside, then it must be directed from the inside, and this internal director must be the true intention. The principle is similar to our relationship to our shadow. When we stand in front of a light, we cast a shadow on the wall. When we move, the shadow will move. Let me illustrate again with the example of speech. When we want to speak, sounds are produced. Thus, the wish to say something is followed by speech. The wish to speak is the director of the voice, and the body is the director of the shadow. Similarly, intention is the director of the movement of the waterwheel. We cannot see or hear this internal director, so for convenience, we call it intention.
The spirit is circulated outside. It is two and yet one. If there is internal circulation, there will also be external circulation. If you do not try to control the circulation, the two (spirit and intention) will naturally come to know each other. Why? The true intention resides in the center inside. If you regulate the breath, the internal and external circulations will be synchronized. When the true intention moves, you will feel something thrusting through the gates and moving to the top of the head. You will be only vaguely aware of the presence of the spirit, but you will feel the movement of intention clearly. When the spirit circulates, it becomes the true intention; when still, it remains as the spirit. Immortal Wu said, “When you feel spirit and intention becoming aware of each other, you will understand what this is all about.” I can’t tell you how spirit and intention can become two and yet are one, and how the internal and external circulations can be synchronized, because this knowledge is intuitive and not conscious. I can only tell you that you need to tame the intention and regulate the movement of breath internally. The movement of vapor is not forced, and the wind that drives its movement occurs without conscious knowledge or intervention. You will feel the presence of intention, but you will also feel the spirit floating out there somewhere. When I reach this state, I don’t even know whether spirit and intention are one or separate. I only feel that internally I have focused this entity within my home, and externally I am directing it up to the Celestial Gate (tienmen) cavity. I have no idea of how spirit and intention can become aware of each other. This is indeed the subtlest of all subtleties. The internal universe is a kaleidoscope of feelings of the immortal floating and wandering in the silver stream, welcoming the jade petals falling, and returning leisurely to the Yellow Pavilion. The wheel is running smoothly and the spirit is flowing free in exaltation. Daily it circulates; every morning it swirls back and forth. Penetrating the hundred joints, it moistens the three palaces. When you reach this stage, the medicine will not leak out and the true vapor will be plentiful.
Many practitioners don’t understand the workings of the waterwheel. If you try to engage the wheel by thinking about it or imagining its movement, you’ll only be wasting your time and effort. I hope that from this explanation of the nature of the wheel, students can find a legitimate teacher and learn the techniques properly.