"Cultivating Both Nature and Life" Is the Foundation of Attaining the Dao

  The third precept of The Ten Precepts of the Daoist Gate (《道门十规》) discusses "sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility" (zuò huán shǒu jìng). Here, "huán" (圜) refers to an enclosed, circular space. This precept focuses on internal cultivation practices, and The Ten Precepts of the Daoist Gate states: "Sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility is the foundation of entering the Dao."

Heavenly Master Zhang Yuchu elevated "sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility" to the status of "the foundation of entering the Dao." Why was this the case? Heavenly Master Zhang Yuchu believed that the Supreme Old Lord founded Daoism to deliver people—to free them from the afflictions of the mortal world and help them fully understand the principles of life and death. If a Daoist practitioner fails to comprehend the true essence of life or fully grasp the origin of "nature (xìng) and life (mìng)," they cannot be considered a true student of the Dao.

Addressing the then-prevalent view that Daoists of the Zhengyi School (正一派) only focused on ritual ceremonies (kē yí) and neglected cultivation, Heavenly Master Zhang Yuchu pointed out that Zhengyi Daoists also cultivate "nature and life" and practice "sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility."

In his view, all schools of Daoism take the cultivation of "nature and life" as their core practice—this applies to both the Quanzhen School (全真派) and the Zhengyi School. Although Daoism includes ritual ceremonies (斋醮科仪), these ceremonies are also part of the cultivation of "nature and life." When a Daoist performs ritual ceremonies, they cultivate themselves, help others, deliver wandering spirits, and guide believers. Without the foundation of cultivating "nature and life," how can they achieve both merit and practice? This means that besides ritual ceremonies, a Zhengyi Daoist must also cultivate nature and life. Only in this way can they cultivate themselves to benefit others, achieve complete merit and practice, and fulfill the purpose of delivering both the living and the deceased.

What insights can we gain from Heavenly Master Zhang Yuchu’s concept of "sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility"? We believe there are at least four key points:

Sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility is the foundation of entering the Dao. The Supreme Old Lord established the Dao to deliver people, precisely to help them transcend illusion and comprehend life and death. If one does not explore the fundamental essence of existence or fully understand nature (xìng) and life (mìng), how can they be called a "Daoist practitioner"?

The scriptures state: "Accumulate sincere virtue, renounce worldly desires, abandon delusional thoughts, be free from attachments, not be trapped by the concepts of 'existence' or 'non-existence,' and forever end the cycle of birth and death—such a person is called a 'True Person (zhēn rén)'."

In recent times, some claim that Chan Buddhism is the "school of nature," Daoism is the "school of life," the Quanzhen School practices "cultivation of both nature and life," while the Zhengyi School only focuses on rituals and teachings. Yet who realizes that the foundation of Daoist practice lies in nothing but the two matters of "nature and life"? Even the establishment of rituals and teachings serves only the study of "nature and life."

As for cultivating oneself to benefit others, delivering the deceased and guiding the living—without clarifying the foundation of nature and life, how can one achieve complete merit and practice? Moreover, since ancient times, the Supreme Old Lord has manifested in various kalpas, and all masters who attained the Dao through cultivation achieved this through the practice of tranquility and stillness. Only by doing so could they accomplish the merit of the Dao and gain unimpeded spiritual powers.

At the beginning of the Song and Jin dynasties, Patriarch Wang Chongyang encountered the transmission of the Dao from Zhong Liquan and Lü Dongbin, and thus established the Quanzhen School. As the scriptures state: "Nurture the formless essence, and thus preserve the true nature." This school still regards "sitting in seclusion and guarding tranquility" as essential. The "Five Patriarchs" of Quanzhen are the Supreme Old Lord, Donghua (the Patriarch of Donghua), Zhong Liquan, Lü Dongbin, and Haichan; the "Seven Perfected Ones" are Qiu Chuji, Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, Ma Yu, Hao Datong, Sun Bu’er, and Wang Chuyi. Their legacy has endured, passed down to successors such as Wang, Miao, Qi, and Wan. Today, many practice the Quanzhen Dao, all taking "true merit and sincere practice" as their foundation.

When one first enters the Dao, they must first seek out an enlightened teacher, pay respects, and receive guidance to awaken their "nature-nature (xìng dì)"—the innate potential for enlightenment. They must faithfully observe the "Ten Precepts of Daoist Cultivation," study texts such as the "Hall Rules of Patriarch [Wang Chongyang] and Venerable Feng," discipline their body and mind, uphold moral integrity, and thoroughly investigate the Daoist scriptures.

Once they understand the "gateway to the Dao," they should then choose a place with beautiful landscapes, complete terrain, and abundant vital energy (qì) to build a hermitage. They may thatch a simple roof to shelter from wind and rain, living a life of hardship—eating in the wind, sleeping in the open, and wandering like clouds and flowing water. Next, they should gather like-minded companions: only those who are sincere, simple, and unpretentious. These companions will be daily associates, providing food and drink. They may wear clothes made of grass, eat wild fruits, and live on simple meals of bamboo bowls and gourd ladles—just enough to quell hunger and ward off cold.

They must practice for a hundred days to lay the foundation, ten months to "ripen the embryo" (a metaphor for internal cultivation), and three years to complete the cycle. After completing this cycle, they may either remain in seclusion or emerge from meditation—only by cutting off worldly ties, eliminating emotions, and ending karmic connections can they attain freedom in coming and going.

If there are wealthy patrons who donate food for cultivation or provide robes and alms bowls, practitioners should only take what is sufficient for self-sufficiency. They must not greedily take more than needed, nor fabricate exaggerated tales to shock the world and seek empty fame.

Mending tattered clothes to stay warm, begging for food and alms, practicing true merit and asceticism, and maintaining a mind as still as withered wood or cold ashes—these are all duties that temper the body and mind. Only by doing so can they live up to the "Four Graces" (gratitude to heaven, earth, parents, and teachers) and avoid bringing misfortune to their nine generations of ancestors. If they slack off or retreat, demons of delusion will arise to obstruct their practice.

Companions in seclusion must support each other with all their strength: in cold and heat, in sickness and adversity, they must dedicate themselves to hard work. This is both accumulating one’s own merit and helping others achieve goodness. They must not adopt the Chan practice of "staff striking and shout reprimands," argue over ego and others, or invite criticism from the world.

The alchemical scriptures to be studied include: Records of the Stone Wall (《石壁记》), The Scripture of Dragon and Tiger (《龙虎经》), The Unity of the Three (《参同契》), An Essay on Realizing the True (《悟真篇》), An Essay on Green Emptiness (《翠虚篇》), An Essay on Returning to the Source (《还源篇》), An Essay on Pointing to the Mystery (《指玄篇》), The Song of the Great Dao (《大道歌》), Cui’s Mirror for Entering the Elixir (《崔公入药镜》), Four Hundred Words on the Golden Elixir (《金丹四百字》), and Records of the Immortals (《诸仙语录》). These works are all ladders and ships that guide practitioners to cultivate truth and become sages. One should immerse oneself in studying them to avoid errors.

Teachings of heterodox paths (páng mén zuǒ dào) must not be read or pondered over—they deceive oneself and mislead others. Worse still, those who slander the scriptures to justify their heresy will certainly incur karmic retribution in the netherworld.