Fundamentals of Developing the Alchemical Process

The basis for the development of the alchemical process, or the basis for the development of the Immortal embryo, is the prerequisite for the formation of internal effort (understood as a pill) associated with the influence of the mind upon the area of ​​energetic conception. This effort is also associated with the concept of Daoist meditation.

Daoist meditation is a phenomenon that requires not really an explanation, but rather practical mastery, as it is a structural technological process. This process is based on the knowledge of internal improvement, which is described with the help of a set of hexagrams and is associated with attunement to Daoist alchemy.

The practice of Daoist meditation originates from the contemplative and mental principles of the teachings of the Shangqing school (school of Supreme Clarity), which belongs to the Maoshan tradition. These principles determine the style and character of what can be called Daoist meditation. This practice is characterized by the following processes:

• Mastery of direction (Zhang Wo Fang Xian)
• Mastery of reflexivity (Zhang Wo Xun Huan)
• Mastery of internal nutrition (Zhang Wo Nei Bu Ying Yang)
• Mastery of internal breathing (Zhang Wo Nei Hu Xi)
• Mastery of the mind (Zhang Wo Xin)
• Mastery of energy (Zhang Wo Qi)
• Mastery of the alchemical process (Zhang Wo Nei Dan Guo Cheng)

 

Mastery of direction

Mastering the direction, or understanding the Path, is related to the organization of the development process. It combines the nature of the primordial energy jing and the prenatal mind, linked to our personal middleness or deviations (the inability, relatively speaking, to connect the higher with the lower, or Heaven with Earth). This process is described by the Fu hexagram.

Mastering the direction allows us to take control not only of chaotic energies, but also of the causally formed nature of the mind. Gaining control over the body and mind helps to streamline the energy and preserve the spirit in the heart-mind concept. This is the most important prerequisite for furthering our alchemical work. Mastering the direction is the basis for understanding the mutually generative work of body and energy.

This work must start by focusing our attention on the distractions of the mind, as a distracted mind cannot achieve harmonization, due to a lack of concentration. Such a brain is not focused on the middle state. Therefore, mastering the direction helps eliminate all factors that interfere with and impede harmonization. So, Daoist ideas are not so much focused on calming the mind, but rather on the renovation of the mind with the goal of achieving harmonization and the middle state.

Improvement in Daoist alchemy is linked with having control over the mind, which requires concentration, developing a true intention, and focus on maintaining the task, that is, keeping the mind in a certain toned state. Until we replace the chaotic qi with a more perfect jing, we will not be able to improve in our practice and learn how to cultivate shen energy.

 

Mastery of reflexivity

An important aspect of the alchemical work is reflexivity, which begins with the process of energy accumulation. The main task here is to gain mastery over our state/ position or to learn to understand the body at rest. This process is described by the hexagram Shi.

Mastering the position is a necessary prerequisite for the accumulation of energy, which allows you to experience the body in a state of rest. This requires that we learn how to work with the mind and the body at rest (i.e. understand accumulation), so that we can rely on our internal qualities and use them in the practices involving movement.

Rest in movement and movement in rest are key concepts in Daoist alchemy. The body at rest allows one to achieve balance and harmony, while movement at rest allows one to understand the concept of depth.

Reflexivity also allows you to solve the primary task of the practice, which is to restore your vital energy. Since our body is the seat of our spirit and energy, we need to first reduce the dissipation of energy, resulting from the disturbances in the body and mind.

 

Mastery of internal nutrition

Mastering internal nutrition solves the problem of additionally imported energy. This energy can be accumulated via various processes – from saliva nutrition to the energy of food. This additional energy may be internal or external qi, which affects the preservation of the original jing and the process of energy breathing. This process is described by the Qian hexagram.

Mastering internal nutrition is not only the most important prerequisite for cultivating internal breathing, but also an important factor in the nourishment of our bone marrow (and spirit). This is the main effort aimed at restoring and organizing the internal space of the lower cinnabar field. In addition, having achieved moderation with respect to external food, we can also turn to our internal nutrition.

 

Mastery of internal breathing

Mastery of internal breathing is associated with the Li hexagram. This is the process of attaining energy breathing, where breathing is initially understood in the same way as internal nutrition. This process helps to develop the perception of the energy of the breath.

Achieving balance and inner peace is the primary task of internal breathing. This is the depth that our practice must achieve. The mastery of internal breathing is based on the internal nutrition effort and involves primarily the change of qi energy to jing energy, which is used in external breathing.

Mastering internal breathing, just like mastering internal nutrition, is an important prerequisite for nourishing our bone marrow (and spirit). This is the main effort aimed at strengthening and organizing our internal space. By moderating ourselves in external breathing, we strengthen our internal breathing.

 

Mastery of the mind

Mastery of the mind is associated with the Tongren hexagram. It refers to the knowledge of spirituality – the true original goal, which is the basis of alchemy. The way to achieving this goal is through a gradual advancement of the internal effort, which leads us to the idea or delineation of the external and the internal consciousness. Working with the mind is of primary importance in the alchemical practice, as it activates the processes of nourishing our spirit, which is correlated with the development of contemplation.

Mastering the nutrition of the mind allows you to improve both consciousness itself and the processes associated through it with internal nutrition, internal breathing and internal movement (energy circulation). We need to have command over our minds not in order to be in the practice, but in order to master the alchemical work, even the purification of the mind is part of the alchemical process.

 

Mastery of the energy

The most important among the fundamentals of alchemical work is the mastery of energy circulation, which allows us to manifest our original nature (this determines the properties of our energy reserve), as well as to develop our ability to accumulate energy. The mastery of the energy is associated with the hexagram Tai.

Gaining knowledge and mastery over the energy is the most important task on the Daoist path, as it leads us to the stage where we work with the ultimate. This work is based on the ability of the lower cinnabar field to control the internal processes. This helps to develop internal harmonization, which forms the proper directed efforts and frees us from the distractions of the mind.

Initially, the control process is used as a way to eliminate all interferences and impediments hindering internal harmonization, however later it becomes a way of managing the harmonization process. In addition, this helps us to manifest our original nature, which determines certain qualities and properties of our energy reserve.

We must first realize what is given to us, before determining that which is brought in. Knowing and mastering the energy is an important task on the Daoist path, leading us to work with the ultimate.

 

Mastery of the alchemical process

Completing all the previous stages opens the path to understanding the alchemical process, the alchemical ingredients and elixirs. This is described by the hexagram Da’yu (Da-yu).

The perception of the process itself takes time, therefore it can be approached via the examples of obtaining a particular elixir (for example, the Circulating elixir associated with orbital torsion or the elixir of the Hidden Spring). What is important is the ability to bring ingredients into the lower cinnabar field and the mastery of the mind of the lower cinnabar field (the embryo mind), as well as the availability of an internal effort used to maintain the process (maintaining a certain tonus).

 

Jie Kong (Oleg Cherne)