Straightforward Words of Zhenren Danyang 丹阳真人直言
Paul PengStraightforward Words of Zhenren Danyang
Composed by Ma Yu during the Jin Dynasty.
Consisting of one scroll, it is included in the Zhengyi Section of the The Daozang.
This work is a record of lectures delivered by Quanzhen master Ma Danyang to his disciples at a gathering on Longmen Mountain, compiled and organized by his disciples. It discusses the purpose of Taoist cultivation and matters requiring attention for practitioners, with two core points.
Straightforward Words of Zhenren Danyang
First, cultivating the Dao depends on one’s own efforts—no one else can do it on their behalf. Every daily activity, whether sitting, lying down, walking, or staying, is practicing the Dao: "As long as one can calm the mind and eliminate desires, they are already an immortal."
Second, cultivating the Dao requires nurturing Qi and preserving spirit. When spirit is complete and Qi is consolidated, the Dharma body will ascend lightly, and one will become an immortal forever.
