The Chanting the True Dao 唱道真言

Chanting the True Dao is an excellent work on Daoist inner alchemy, offering a series of expositions on inner alchemical practices. The book begins by elaborating on the guiding ideology of "emptiness and naturalness" and "acting without deliberate effort". It then proposes that under the principle of "cultivating both nature and life", the practice should focus on "calm observation" and prioritize "concentrating the spirit". Furthermore, it emphasizes that under the dominance of the "true intention" and "original spirit", one should gather the "medicinal substances" (a metaphor in inner alchemy), while letting the "fire phase" (the rhythm of cultivation) follow nature—neither too hasty nor too slow, for success will come naturally when the practice reaches maturity.

This Taoist text is attributed to the transmission of Elder Qinghua and compiled by He Quzi (鹤臞子) of the Qing Dynasty. It expresses the theories of health preservation in the form of poetry and prose, which was highly in line with the social context of the time. Among the vast number of inner alchemical classics and Taoist texts, Chanting the True Dao is regarded as a renowned work on mind cultivation in Taoism.

The book not only expounds on the methods of cultivating the mind, refining the inner elixir, and nurturing the body but also systematically discusses the basic viewpoints of inner alchemical practices. The method of "quiet cultivation" is aimed at dispelling diseases and prolonging life; its essential point is to respond to things without confusion while being in a state of "purity, tranquility, and selflessness". A characteristic of quiet cultivation is that once one enters the path, wonderful insights will naturally emerge involuntarily, guided by an inherent true intention. The key to the success of quiet cultivation lies in the "Mysterious Gateway" (玄关一窍). With this moment of awareness when extreme stillness stirs to movement, one will naturally feel the achievement of Taoist practice.