Research On Wang Chongyang's Inner Alchemy

Wang Chongyang founded the Quanzhen Taoism,which was the inheritance and development of the traditional Taoism.To “three religions in unity”,“see one’s nature with making the mind awake”,“the dual-cultivation of Xing and Ming”,“to be immortal through cultivation” for the purpose,Wang Chongyang founded the theory of inner alchemy and mind cultivation,which was a unique cultivation theory of Taoism.Firstly,Wang Chongyang claimed to be the disciple of Zhong and Lv,and inherited their law tactic of inner alchemy.He inherited the main features of Zhong-Lv’s Inner alchemy(Neidan)school,which embraced the isomorphism of human nature and the principle of retrograde.Secondly,learning from the “double removal” of Two-fold Mystery in the Tang,he unified the heart,sex,and Tao.Besides,referring to the Sudden Enlightenment Introduction of Zen(Chan),Wang Chongyang expounded the theory of mind cultivation of Quanzhen Taoism.Last but not least,he absorbed the Confucian concept of benevolence and filial piety to form a completion of both merits and deeds(Gongxing Shuangquan).Anyway,based on the theory of traditional Taoist immortal,integration of the view of Confucian inner sagelidhood and outer kingliness,reference to the Sudden Enlightenment Introduction of Zen,Wang Chongyang created a system of life cultivation theory,which fully embodied the thought of “three religions in unity”.For the purpose of “to be immortal through cultivation”,Wang Chongyang used the original true nature(Zhenxing)to unify the heart-mind(Xin),inner nature(Xing),and the physical existence(Ming),and then he divided the inner alchemy and mind cultivation into natural cultivation and life practice.In the theory of mind cultivation,first of all,he considered that the mind existed with two states,which are ordinary(Fanxin)and original(Benxin).The ordinary mind is another existence of original mind,which is the original true nature,covered by delusion.The ordinary mind is relative to the physical and physical sense of the mind,but also a kind of differentiation mind,relative mind,desire mind,and trouble mind.The original mind is the innate nature of the natural purity of the true heart,is the eternal constant not with the passage of time changes in the heart,is the original true nature of the heart.Secondly,the purpose of the mind cultivation was to change the nature of the body,remove delusion,eliminate the pertinacity,get rid of the puzzles of life and death and so on all worry heart.The existence of the arousal mind is the necessary condition to change the nature of the body and make the original true nature present.The ordinary mind is another existence of original true mind,therefore through “See one’s nature”,it could be achieved that the ultimate realization of the unity of nature and the truth.In dealing with the relationship of the inner nature(Xing)and the physical existence(Ming),Wang Chongyang regarded the dual-cultivation of Xing and Ming(Xingming shuangxiu)from Zhong-Lv’s Inner alchemy school as the fundamental principle of cultivation,and was based on the cultivation theory of the nature dominated by the spirit(Shen)and the life dominated by the Qi inherent in the body(Xingshen Mingqi).Firstly,he advocated to use shen and qi to explain the meaning of Xing and Ming,and divided the Xing and Ming into congenital state and present state.The original true nature is the body of congential state,Shen and Qi is the use of the present state.Secondly,following the principle of practicing the Shen and the Qi simultaneously,the mainly element of the life practice required is the primordial spirit(Yuanshen)and congenital gas(Yuanqi),and then on this foundation,the final goal is to make the congenital essence,gas and spirit one back to the original true nature.Thirdly,the slogan of “completion of both merits and deeds” penetrated the unity of the nature cultivation and life practice.The cultivation of Gong is the life practice,and the cultivation of Xing is the nature cultivation.Life practice is to cultivate the Shen and Qi,nature cultivation is to cultivate the inner mind and outer virtual behavior.The completion of Gong and Xing is the reflect of dual-cultivation of Xing and Ming,and the ultimate gola is to make the original true mind fully visible.Finally,based on the principle of “dual-cultivation of Xing and Ming”,the attitude of “the inner nature first and the physical existence afterward”(Xianxing Houming)to cultivation showed Wang Chongyang attached more importance to the original true nature(Zhenxing).He not only took the nature as the elixir,but also took the nature as the body and the heart-mind as the use.In the inner alchemy cultivation,heart-mind guides the life practice throuth controlling the thought.At last,concerning the path in practicing,Wang Chongyang advocated pravrajana(become a monk),begging and meditation(or sit-in).In his opinion,he believed that leaving far away from the home is propitious to cut off the connection to the word and concentrate on monasticism.After meeting the fairy in Ganhe,Wang Chongyang decided to be a monk,so he abandoned his wife and son.About begging,the purpose of begging was to ask the monks to lay down their obsession with fame and fortune and to subdue self-grasping.Wang Chongyang himself ever begged along the way from Shaanxi to Shandong,in addition,then he also asked his disciples to beg from door to door.Moreover,through meditation,one can subdue the deluded mind and achieve completely secluded.It means to dispel the dualism and achieve body mind.As the founder of the Quanzhen Taoism,Wang Chongyang’s ideology has been becoming the internal life and essence of the Quanzhen,and his theory of inner alchemy and mind cultivation laid a solid foundation for the development of monastic thought.