Daoism Series 36:
龍門心法
The Dragon Gate’s Core Methods
The following excerpt is from Preface of The Dragon Gate’s Core Methods (Purple Cloud Press forthcoming) by Wang Changyue (?-1680), a very influential Daoist during the Qing Dynasty and a pivotal figure in the institutionalization and dissemination of the Complete Realization School of Daoism and the Dragon Gate sect in particular.
“余自髫年慕道，识透浮生不实，幻境无常，要免轮回，蚤修至道。但崆峒虽近，广成子未许相逢；蓬岛非遥，凡夫身安能得到？务必远离污秽，扫尽尘沙，消磨妄想而凡念如灰，陶冶色身而热心似水。诸缘顿息，皆从戒定中，一步步行来；万虑归空，悉自智慧里一层层看去。看得透，则拏得定，忍得过，则行得开。是以竖起眉毛，手掣杀人刀子；放开脚步，直登渡世船儿。翻身则解脱轮回，转念则超离罗网。
Ever since my hair was hanging in the front, I admired the dao, and became thoroughly aware that the floating life was not real, and all but illusionary sceneries and impermanence. Because I wanted to be exempt from the returning wheel, I studied the utmost dao early. But despite [Mount] Kongtong being close by, I have not yet been allowed [by fate] to meet Guangcheng Zi. Even though the Peng[lai] island was not far away, how could the body of a commoner reach there? One should devote oneself to separate far from the filth and dirt, sweep clean the dust and sand; one should eliminate and whittle away the deviant thoughts, so that it will be as if one’s ordinary thinking turns into ashes; one should temper the body of form, so that it will be as though the burned-up heart turns into water. To cease entirely all conditions [from having further dependent arising], step by step, it always comes from one’s practice in precepts and stabilization. To return from the ten thousand ruminations back to emptiness, layer by layer, it is always eliminated by the insight of one’s [supramundane] wisdom. With penetrating insight, one will grasp stabilization. With enduring forbearance, one will find openings in one’s practice. Therefore, [even if] one raises one’s eyebrows and holds the murderous knife in one’s hand, one can stride and board directly the boat of delivering the world. By simply turning one’s body over, one [is able to] dissolve and shed the wheel of return. By simply changing one’s thoughts, one [is able to] transcend and depart from this bird net.
Post-Scriptum: This publication is aiming at a Christmas 2021 release, currently the first two chapters are nearing completion of the first proof.
Post-Post-Scriptum: Another excerpt can be viewed here:
https://purplecloudinstitute.com/daoism-series-22-the…/
which however will appear in The Arts of Daoism, set for a release at the end of March 2021.
Post-Post-Post-Scriptum: If you want to be kept up to date about new releases (potentially 8 this year) as wel as receive promo codes for book purchases, please sign up for free:
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