Archive for January 2020
五僊 Five Immortals (Excerpt I)
五僊 Five Immortals (Excerpt I) _____________________________________________ 五仙庙位于中国湖北省十堰市张湾区柏林镇的白马山上，在武当山山门以西50公里。是武当山七十二峰之一的天马峰，海拔1058米，庙内敬奉的是五位仙人，所以称为五仙庙。他们按年龄大小排列位次。神像道装打扮，手拿法器，形态各异，因为他们的传说很多，在这里给大家做一个简短的介绍。 相传在一千多年前的宋辽战乱时期，他们五个同时来到了白马山。当时国家战乱，到白马山 躲避战乱逃难的人很多，饥饿和疾病给难民带来了极大的痛苦。 大仙爷相貌慈祥，和蔼可亲。乐善好施，他在别处买来了很多粮食衣物，分给难民，救助了很多饥饿人的生命。人多纷争也多，大家有了纷争，大仙爷动之以情，晓之以理，为他们排忧解难，化解纷争，使大家能够相互包容，和睦相处。看到有人打猎，大仙爷就出面制止他们，不让他们随意伤害动物，并教育他们，天地万物和人是一体的，要有慈悲怜悯的思想。对受伤的动物，他也极力的救治放生。所以众人看到他都觉得好像是自己的长辈家人一样，很敬重他，都愿意听从他的教诲，按照他说的去做 。 二仙爷是一个有极高武功的人，力大无比，几个人抬的石头，他一个人就能轻松的拿起来，他手中的宝剑，会自己发出嗡嗡的响声，把宝剑抛出去很远，宝剑像有了生命一样自己会飞回来，非常神奇。战乱时期，强盗土匪很多，到处杀人抢劫，他听到有土匪抢劫的消息就会主动去找他们，让他们不要再做伤天害理坏事，重新做人，如果有的强盗土匪不听劝说，他就把他厉害的功夫展示给这些土匪强盗看，匪盗们看到二仙爷的功夫后都非常害怕，表示要改邪归正不再做坏事。虽然外面很多战乱但是白马山这一带的难民都能平安，所以山上的山寨大家叫太平寨，一直到现在都没有改名。 Five Immortals Temple is located at the top of White Horse Mountain near the town of Bai Lin, in the Zhang Wan District, Shi Yan City, Hubei Province, China. It lies fifty kilometres west of the mountain gate of Mount Wu Dang.…
Read MoreAbstention from Grains [part 3] 辟谷
辟谷 Abstention from Grains (part 4) _________________________________________________ （一）饥饿疗法 (1) The Starvation Healing Method ________________________________________________ Abstention from Grains contains three forms of fasting. Firstly, there is the so-called Starvation Healing Method; secondly, the Substitution of Grains; and thirdly, the Entering of the Cave and Seclusion. In society, only the Starvation Healing Method and the Substitution…
Read More百日筑基 Hundred Days of Laying the Foundation [excerpt 1]
Daoism Series 10 百日筑基 Hundred Days of Laying the Foundation [excerpt 1] ____________________________________________________________ 百日筑基固， 十月胎养全。 三年乳哺毕， 九载面壁完。 -劝刊大成捷要五言古 The Hundred Days of Laying the Foundation’s firmness, The Ten Months of the Nourishing the Embryo completed. The Three Years of Suckling the Infant finished, The Nine Years of Facing the Wall have come to an end.…
Read MoreExplanations of Channels and Points Vol.1 -Point Explanations II
Explanations of Channels and Points Vol.1 -Point Explanations I ______________________________________________ The following post is an excerpt from《Explanations of Channels and Points Vol. 1》 translated by Michael Brown and edited by Allen Tsaur. It explicates the origin of point names from a new perspective and viewpoint. Large Intestine Fifth Point of the Large Intestine Channel Yáng…
Read More土地公丘处机 The Earth Deity & Ancestor Qiu
土地公丘处机 The Earth Deity & Ancestor Qiu ________________________________________________ This story of the Earth Deity, Tu Di [土地], and the Founding Ancestor Qiu [qiu zu 丘祖], is recounted in《Records of the Golden Lotuses’ Immortals》[jin lian xian shi 金莲仙史]: 马丹阳觉得事情奇怪，就问丘处机：我和你在庙中冻饿了三天，就有土地托梦善人送来斋饭。师弟， 你是不是动妄念了？”丘处机不敢隐瞒，如实相告，因他饥寒难耐，难以守持，于是动了一念，希望 有人送些汤面暖身。可是没有想到，神明果然知道他的心念，真的就去善人家托梦了。马丹阳一听，怒道：“我事先有言吩咐于你，修道之人不可动心妄想。你今日起了一念，就摇动虚空神明到他家托梦，我和你现在日无寸进之功，反而受他的供养，有何福分能够承当？如果我和你一样，将来可是要变牛变马去还债的，倒不如现在各自分开，我回山东修养，任凭你天堂地狱之路，你就随 心所欲的去吧。 Ma Dan Yang [one of the Seven Realized Disciples of Wang Chong Yang], feeling…
Read MoreAlchemical Classics: 大成捷要 Essential of the Shortcut to the Great Achievement
Alchemical Classics: 大成捷要 Essential of the Shortcut to the Great Achievement _________________________________________________ 产真种不老不嫩天机 The Heavenly Mechanism of the Creation of the Not-Old-Not-Tender True Seed [Excerpt] ——————————————————————————— 先天真种，本来无相。因神气交感，混合已极。知不觉，忽然丹田融融洽洽，周身稣快乐，痒生毫窍，身心无主。丹田温暖，气机渐渐流动，阳物勃然兴起，顶门有冷气吹入。而气穴之中，忽然一吼呼吸顿断，离于口鼻，倒回元海。只觉得下田之中冬冬有声，惊战移时，忽又停住不动。只觉得气息浮起，或透出鼻息，或未透出鼻息，或至喉而返。忽又吼的一声，呼吸顿然倒回气穴，不出不入，冬冬有声，惊战移时。一连三次五次，或六七次而后已。丹田空洞无际，上无覆，下无基，中含一物，此乃是药苗。气机将嫩之时，切不可动念采取，当还虚以待之。其心息如磁石之相翕，神气如虫蛰之相合。如在母腹未生之前，恍恍惚惚，我自不肯舍彼，彼自不肯离我，相亲相恋，钮结一团。不知不觉入于混沌。其中景象，似施翕而实未见其施翕。似泻似漏，而实未至于泻漏。其妙真有，不可言语形容。此时四肢百骸，皆不能动转。无非耳能听人之语，护道之侣谨谨看守，千万莫惊入定之士。 接命之时， 便是伤命之处。少焉，痒生毫窍，肢体如绵。恍惚之间，心性复灵。上则呼吸复起， 下则阳物复兴。 注 : 此乃邱祖真人研修体证。 ——————————————————————————— The Pre-Heaven True Seed originally is without form. Because Spirit and Qi intermingle [in] perception, the orbitive fusion. has already [reached…
Read MoreHerbal Legends XI : 马勃 Ma Bo
Herbal Legends XI 马勃 Ma Bo _________________________________________________ Once upon a time in ancient China a young boy named Ma Bo helped his father to herd pigs. One of his tasks was to venture into the mountains every now and then to fetch fresh grass as fodder for the stock. One day he went together with…
Read More三步修行 Three Steps of Cultivation
三步修行 Three Steps of Cultivation ________________________________________________ The three steps of cultivation are firstly, the Refinement of the Self and Retrieval of the Heart-Mind –sometimes called the Illumination of the Principles – secondly, the Completion of Inner Nature, and thirdly, the Full Comprehension of Life-Destiny. The first step entails the cultivation of one’s character and conduct.…
Read MoreNon-Action, Yet Without-Non-Action
无為而无不為 Non-Action, Yet Without-Non-Action (Excerpt) ——————————————————————————— Understand movement; the movement of society, the movement for reputation, fame, gain and honour, and protect your stillness. It is a process from movement to stillness and calmness to Non-Action [wu wei 无为], to be Without-Non-Action [wu bu wei 无不为] to culminate in a higher wisdom [1]. The Daoist…
Read More