Immortality in Daoist Alchemy

[alchemist]

(The original article by Dmitry Artemiev, translated from Russian.)

 

First of all, we need to understand that Chinese culture has its own ideas, sometimes fundamentally different from the concepts of the other cultures. Daoism, and especially alchemy of immortality in Chinese tradition, although is well-known nowadays, I dare say have not been studied at all. It is especially true for the most ancient period of Daoism and the so-called Shenxian teaching. This is not surprising, the same is almost universally true for China. In fact, immortality is not really the desire to leave memory for the descendants, and not the desire to live forever on earth (a physical immortality and longevity although considered possible, never were the supreme goal of Daoism), but it is a realization of the supreme freedom that exists in every human being, although men usually do not know about it. This is well described in Wuzhenpian. Thus, Daoism is not a philosophy, not a religion, but the way of freedom. Of course finding the true essence of Daoism is extremely difficult because of all the later developments and distortions, but even today there are people in China who preserve the tradition of Daoism in its most ancient form.

Daoist alchemy is the TEACHING of attaining UNITY. And not the physical one or the one of the mind (as nowadays the spirit is labeled), but attaining a particular state, THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE ACHIEVEMENT OF A HUMAN IN THE REALM OF THE SPIRIT. Immortality in Daoist alchemy is rather aimed at immortality of the spirit than physical immortality. In Daoist practice, there are certain stages that are characterized not by qigong phenomena, but rather by physiological changes and transformations (e.g. 人仙, 地仙, 神仙, 天仙, 金仙 and some others).

Not all schools of Daoism called the same levels by the same names. We especially need to emphasize that the Chinese spirit has nothing to do with the concept of the consciousness, and that is what the character 神 tells us about. Daoist alchemy, as we know, was formerly referred to as Neidan and Waidan (usually translated as inner and outer alchemy). The very character DAN represents a pot in which melting occurs. However, few people know (and the Daoists insist on that), that this teaching existed since the most ancient times, and it is known in China at least since Huangdi. This teaching is called HuangLaoXue i.e. the teaching Huangdi and Laozi. It also has other names. The precise terms Neidan and Waidan appeared much later, in the beginning of Current Era. In fact, only Waidan could be called alchemy as the methods of the external elixir melting. Inner alchemy (which in scientific circles is considered derived from the outer one), held in the tradition a much higher and ancient status. It is called alchemy more because of the custom than meaning.

Let's examine the classification in more details:

1. Ghostly immortal or ghost immortal - Guǐxiān (鬼仙).

Gui Xian. Literally - the immortal of devils, devil immortal. This achievement was considered to be typical for the shamanic practices, the late Chan Buddhism, pseudo-Daoism, various meditative practices. Yin spirit leaves the body while its non-breathing and without heartbeat. Practitioner remains an ordinary mortal, despite the practice of soul leaving and possible acquiring of some abilities. Moreover, it is possible that after the death the practitioner would never be reborn, remaining a ghost forever. This practice is not a Daoist one and it was forbidden (serious practicing, not just jingzuo).

2. Human immortal or immortal among people Rénxiān (人仙)

Actually not really an immortal. Moreover, each person passes this period in his or her life. It is an age of majority, peak of physiological prosperity. This is the very period when people are in their most exalted state (full and active). If one starts to practice alchemy in this period, it is possible to complete the second stage of Earth immortal very quickly. If time has passed and the energy is wasted, old age and infirmity came, then it would be necessary to bring the body back to this physiological level. Otherwise, it is impossible to proceed. Thus we can see that it is still not true immortality, but only attaining of the state of the highest primordial energy, i.e. Ming.

3. Earth Immortal - Dìxiān (地仙):

This is what is commonly called immortality: immortality of the physical body on the Earth. But such a body, although may dwell forever on the Earth, can be destroyed by external damage. Therefore, such an achievement is not considered as a high one, and all practitioners sought to advance further, consider it as only an intermediate step. It should be noted that this achievement is the goal and the ultimate attainment of outer alchemy. Both at the previous and at this stage it is possible to develop various abilities of the level, but it is not the main path, but rather a side road. At this stage, Ming unites with Xing, and thus immortality becomes possible. Thats like a perpetual thermonuclear engine in ones own body on the Earth emerges. Thats where the abilities come from. Starting from this stage, the achievements are irreversible in terms of the inverse transformation (with the exception of Rénxiān who could easily become an ordinary person again, having spent Ming). But if, because of external conditions the practice is not completed or if the body is destroyed, one may have to go back to the previous level.

4. Spirit Immortal - Shénxiān (神仙)

Spiritual embryo or Yangshen goes out of the head (born in the spiritual world), and it still needs to be nurtured and developed. This is similar to a mother (body) taking care of a child (spirit). When it becomes strong and this stage is completed the spirit can move anywhere in the Universe first to learn its structure and subsequently to perform spiritual work. It is no longer possible to kill him, he is immortal. But there is still body that requires attention. At a certain stage of development yang spirit Yangshen acquires the ability to multiply, reproducing itself. It can gradually grow to a huge number. They can perform a variety of spiritual work in different worlds. This is the very moment when complete understanding of the Universe and its laws comes as well as the meaning of further development. If the practitioner wishes, this phase can be prolonged for a very long time. For example, one can dwell in a cave for thousands of years and practice in spiritual bodies.

5. Celestial Immortal - Tiānxiān (天仙)

The previous stage can already be prolonged to last forever. But the immortal spirit has still non-transformed body. Therefore, there is still an opportunity to continue to the highest stage, which, according to alchemy is possible on Earth - the transformation of the body into the body of light. This is the most difficult task, as it requires 9 to 10 years of immobility. It should be safeguarded by faithful disciples and followers, the Teacher, or by concealment, immured in a cave in accordance with certain rules.

After its completion the body and the spirit merge together in the "body" of light and when the person who attained this level leaves the world nothing is left (except for remaining possessions as with Boddhidharmas shoe). If for some reason, the practitioner does not reach the highest stage, it may either willingly or been forced by circumstances "get rid of the corpse." Depending on the level attained, his remained body may not be susceptible to decay but self-mummify or even burn because of the inner fire.

This scheme is based on the studies of the classics on the one hand and the Teachers guidance on the other. However, we must remember that the purpose of such conciseness is to provide a general understanding of the process, while in practical terms, each stage has its own pitfalls, secrets and downfalls.

[LaoZiDao]

Not all correct, 金仙 is from fairytale, there is no achievement of Golden Xian in Daoist scriptures.

[alchemist]

Not all correct, 金仙 is from fairytale, there is no achievement of Golden Xian in Daoist scriptures.

This term does exist in Daoism:

http://baike.baidu.com/subview/643591/15406166.htm

It is not as widespread as guixian, renxian, etc, and Its meaning may be ambigous, but still it exists.

BR,

alchemist

[LaoZiDao]

A baidu page, OK.

 

Can you tell me where I can see it in Daoist Alchemical scriptures? Or who used the term?

 

Zhongliquan definitely didn't use it in chapter 1 on Xians.

Edited September 25, 2014 by LaoZiDao

[alchemist]

A baidu page, OK.

 

Can you tell me where I can see it in Daoist Alchemical scriptures? Or who used the term?

 

Zhongliquan definitely didn't use it in chapter 1 on Xians.

For example, it is used in Huimingjing.

BR,

alchemist

[LaoZiDao]

For example, it is used in Huimingjing.

BR,

alchemist

Thank you, it's used as a stage of achievement?

 

Which chapter can I find it?

[alchemist]

Thank you, it's used as a stage of achievement?

 

Which chapter can I find it?

You can read the text here: http://ctext.org/wiki.pl?if=en&chapter=60761

BR,

alchemist

[damdao]

It suggests me some questions, perhaps a little general ones. For starters:

What is the place of concepts like "fusion with the Dao" or "reverting to emptiness" in such a scheme?

Is the self-mummification referred similar to that of Huineng for instance?

[Flolfolil]

...

Edited March 5, 2015 by Flolfolil

[Yae]

So what does this system say happens to people/souls who don't cultivate? Is anything lost (as long as you remain above the stage of ghost immortal)?

 

Is it that the soul would already be immortal, but this practice allows the incarnated personality to be immortal as well or something?

[alchemist]

Hi Bluemind,

Basically, neidan systems only say that an ordinary man becomes a ‘gui’ (ghost). Everything else (i.e. what happens with guis, etc) is beyond the sphere of interest of neidan, since its ultimate goal is to prevent this scenario.

But Daoism in the wide sense shares more or less the same views as Buddhism on this question. I.e. the soul is caught into the death/rebirth cycle, having in mind that chances to reborn in the lower spheres are much higher than to become a human again.

BR

[Yae]

Alchemist, thanks.

 

The reincarnation cycle sounds very long and chaotic that way... Many lifetimes, most lived not as a human, and even in the lives as a human, the chances are very low to be an adept, and even then how many of the adepts would actually reach immortality?

 

There must be a sort of order to it, no? Maybe in the building of virtue over time so that a person can have a better and better life with better environmental conditions/good destiny etc to lead to high attainment?

 

opendao said this:

 

"Heaven and earth have no Ren-Humanity...Sage has no Ren." (DDJ, chapter 5)

 

This phrase is important, it shows clearly that humans cannot understand the Virtue basing on "common sense".

 

The only way to get Virtue is to practice. No Yuan Qi, no Virtue-De. No De, no Dao.

 

So we come back again to the Method. No method, no Virtue.

 

So would it not be held that ALL people who don't practice complete methods for xing and ming to fruition are in a more or less not going anywhere, and will probably just die and become ghosts?

[alchemist]

Alchemist, thanks.

 

The reincarnation cycle sounds very long and chaotic that way... Many lifetimes, most lived not as a human, and even in the lives as a human, the chances are very low to be an adept, and even then how many of the adepts would actually reach immortality?

 

There must be a sort of order to it, no? Maybe in the building of virtue over time so that a person can have a better and better life with better environmental conditions/good destiny etc to lead to high attainment?

 

opendao said this:

 

 

So would it not be held that ALL people who don't practice complete methods for xing and ming to fruition are in a more or less not going anywhere, and will probably just die and become ghosts?

I understand that this question is important for you (and everyone else), but as I said, neidan systems don't give a clear answer.

In theory, yes, you can improve your fate from one incarnation to another. But neidan systems don't give any recommendations on how to achieve this. You probably can try following Buddhist recommendations, since Buddhism has much better developed system of improving your incarnation conditions.

BR

[voidisyinyang]

So what does this system say happens to people/souls who don't cultivate? Is anything lost (as long as you remain above the stage of ghost immortal)?

 

Is it that the soul would already be immortal, but this practice allows the incarnated personality to be immortal as well or something?

 

If you need to meditate all the time to become immortal then you won't really have an individualized personality anyway.

 

It is like in Hinduism - the Atma (your personal soul) merges with Brahman (the impersonal God-soul).

 

As Chunyi said - his body/mind is just an empty vessel for the healing energy to go through. It is the Emptiness itself that is doing the healing through him.

 

So obviously the more you focus on the Emptiness then the less of an individual personality you have.

 

This means the lower emotions are harmonized into "unconditional love" energy.

 

For example Jim Nance said that Chunyi said watching t.v. causes too strong of blockages. Jim said that the internet causes too strong of blockages.

 

So the advanced practice requires cutting back on what would be considered more individualistic types of information.

 

Qigong master Yan Xin says an immortal is anyone who can go without food.

 

So a ghost immortal - speaking from experience - is the ability to go without food but still being dependent on getting energy from other people - even if you also send out energy.

 

The normal person does just become a ghost but as Buddhism teachers - if the person was good then they go to heaven and if bad they go to hell.

 

What does that mean? If they are controlled by their lower emotions then they go to hell - because their spirit-vitality is stuck in the lower body.

 

In Tibet the Buddhist monks actually feel what part of the body gets cold last - if the lower body gets cold last after death that means the person went to hell.

 

Taoism is more focused on the immediate - so if a person is controlled by the lower body then they are in hell already while being alive.

 

If you have a precognitive dream or vision it is more real with stronger perceptions than while being awake. So that means that physical reality is a type of lower astral realm already - a type of hell actually since more people are still controlled by their lower emotions.

 

The original human culture focused on healing people based on the ghosts of the dead as the main cause of sickness since those ghosts are still controlled by their lower emotions and so they also spread sickness.

 

So in that case it is a kind of self-reinforcing cycle of ghost pollution causing more humans to be controlled by their lower emotions to turn into more ghosts stuck on Earth, getting reincarnated into a lower emotional energy cycle of Nature.

 

The original human culture required all the males to train to be spiritual healers of the females but the original spiritual masters were female since females are yang internally and Nature overall is female.

[Yae]

Innersound, I'm pretty sure ghost immortals are not incarnate. They're like ghosts. It's not a special ability humans can gain, it's a step back from Human Immortal (mentioned in OP).

 

 

"If you need to meditate all the time to become immortal then you won't really have an individualized personality anyway."

 

opendao has said that the regular practice takes two hours a day, even being 10 years into the practice. Chunyi Lin has plenty of personality and I believe he does at least that much daily.

 

It also seems like the personality could develop quite a bit in this stage of Spirit Immortal

 

When it becomes strong and this stage is completed the spirit can move anywhere in the Universe first to learn its structure and subsequently to perform spiritual work.

 

I'm also working with the idea that it would be more valuable to do this-

 

At a certain stage of development yang spirit Yangshen acquires the ability to multiply, reproducing itself. It can gradually grow to a huge number. They can perform a variety of spiritual work in different worlds.

 

in terms of helping people and doing the most good, than the value of stopping short to spend all of one's energy here. I'm not exactly claiming that Chunyi Lin is "stopping short" because I don't know that. But objectively this sounds exponentially more valuable.

 

You know how group peace meditations have been scientifically shown to temporarily reduce crime by a significant percentage? And that's just using positive intention! Maybe someone with more spiritual energy would have a greater effect. Anyway I figure that the deeper one goes toward understanding the universe/reaching the root of things, the more powerful and far-reaching the influence can be.

[voidisyinyang]

To say the ghost immortal is a fallen human immortal makes sense because in order to be able to have your yin spirit leave your body you first need to open up the third eye via experiencing the Tai Chi as the first half of human immortality.

 

http://www.all-dao.com/ghost-immortal.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xian_%28Taoism%29#Baopuzi

 

http://www.all-dao.com/immortality-achievements.html

 

So what the links say is that it is a human who does too much yin practice and feeds off the energy of other people and also allows the yin spirit to leave their body.

 

 

A person who cultivates too much yin energy. These immortals are likened to Vampires because they drain the life essence of the living, much like the fox spirit. Ghost immortals do not leave the realm of ghosts.

 

and

 

 

They keep inside the spirit and the mind and do not disperse the intention. In the immobility the spirit of Yin goes out of the body, this is a ghost,

 

So - it is a person who is able to be conscious of leaving their body via yin spirit practices while at the same time taking in the energy of people around them.

 

This is warned against in Taoist Yoga as the evil fire of the heart practice.

 

I don't do this anymore but still I experience a lot of people taking my energy anyway - or you could say I am healing them. haha.

 

But in reality the only way a person is healed is through the Emptiness - whether they are aware of it or not.