Sun Simiao's Maxims on Spirit-Qui Cultivation 存神炼气铭
Paul PengSun Simiao's Maxims on Spirit-Qui Cultivation
Composed by Sun Simiao in the early Tang Dynasty.
In one volume, it is included in the Methods Category of the The Dongshen Section in The Daozang.
Sun Simiao's Maxims on Spirit-Qui Cultivation
Volume 33 of Yunji Qiqian (Seven Bamboo Slips of the Cloudy Satchel) contains Taiqing’s Essentials of Contemplating the Spirit, Refining Qi, and the Five Stages and Seven States, which is this very text with slight textual variations.
It expounds on the method of refining Qi, stating: "One must first practice bigu (grain abstinence), calm the mind in the Qi Sea, contemplate the spirit in the Dantian, focus the mind, and meditate in tranquility. When the Qi Sea is full, one will naturally feel satiated." The cultivation system consists of five stages and seven states: the five stages refer to the five progressive levels of concentrating the mind to enter tranquility; the seven states are the seven realms achieved through practicing this method.
