the 72 stages

[Firice30]

Hi dear all. I've started reading the foundations of internal alchemy by wang mu.  I would be grateful if someone suggested a text of the stages after the first 4 of combining yang and yin. Thanks again.

[Aetherous]

I don't recall Wang Mu's book talking about 72 stages...I think that's a different school of thought, from Mo Pai, which is an offshoot of Daoist neidan.

[joeblast]

72 is not unique to mo pai

 

  then again, if the first 4 arent understood well enough, of what use are the later? 

[Miffymog]

Just googled the significance of the number 72 - my favourite fact, from wiki, is this

 

72 is the smallest number whose fifth power is the sum of five smaller fifth powers

 

19⁵ + 43⁵+ 46⁵ + 47⁵ + 67⁵ = 72⁵

 

So there, it's all in the numbers!

[Aetherous]

72 is not unique to mo pai

 

I don't recall it being in Wang Mu's book. The four stages are a different thing from 72.