Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 87 True Cultivation of Body and Soul

Ordinary practitioners lack energy and can only choose to prioritize either "nature" or "life" before guiding the cultivation of the other, thereby achieving the fusion of nature and life.

The Quanzhen Longmen School's "Burning the Body and Refining the Spirit" and the Wudang Mountain's "Golden Elixir Returning to the Pill" both follow this path.

The former uses sex to control life, starting with cultivating sex to unite the body with the spirit; the latter prioritizes life over sex, starting with cultivating life to unite the spirit with the body.

This path requires long and painstaking effort to refine one's nature and destiny, thereby achieving unity of body and spirit and returning to the state of one's innate ancestral energy.

Moreover, during this process, one must also pay attention to the difference in cultivation between [Sex] and [Life]. Although one should come first, the difference should not be too great.

Cultivating only the physical body without cultivating the spirit is the first ailment in spiritual practice.

If one only cultivates ancestral nature but not the elixir, one's yin spirit will find it difficult to attain sainthood even after countless eons.

These are words from Lü Zu's "Song of the Great Way," which are often used to warn practitioners of the importance of cultivating both body and mind.

With Guo Zu's help, Lü Qian's physical body was ignited with the Six Ding, and his soul was awakened with Samadhi.

Try to cultivate both "life force" and "physical essence" simultaneously, allowing them to progress in tandem, and ultimately converge to create a more perfect "primordial ancestral energy".

Just as Yin and Yang in Tai Chi are mutually opposed and coexist, they naturally coexist in equal amounts.

If one wishes to pursue perfection in spiritual practice, one should cultivate both one's physical and spiritual well-being simultaneously.

However, this process is extremely difficult. It is already quite difficult for an ordinary person to lead two people, let alone cultivate both at the same time.

However, Lü Qian's approach also had its shortcomings.

The Samadhi True Fire and the Six Ding Divine Fire both belong to one's own true yang fire energy. If the two burn at the same time, Lü Qian's own yang energy will be too strong, and he will die from self-immolation if he is not careful.

Fortunately, Guo Zu bestowed upon him the opportunity of the "Turtle and Snake Generals," which harmonized the water and fire elements within Lü Qian's body.

He controlled his own yang energy, keeping the practice of the two true fires in a stable state.

More importantly, under Guo Zu's guidance, the "Turtle and Snake Generals" formed a yin-yang cycle within Lü Qian's body, transforming the excess fire energy within Lü Qian's body into ultimate yin.

Yin cannot produce anything, and Yang cannot grow in isolation!

A cultivator's own cultivation is also a process of harmonizing and practicing one's own Yin and Yang. If Yin and Yang are out of balance, the cultivation will naturally fail and all the cultivation will turn into nothingness.

Yin and Yang are opposing yet unified, as described in the "Sun and Moon Chapter" of the "Zhong Lü Chuan Dao Ji".

The relationship between Yin and Yang within oneself is like that between the moon and the sun; the brighter and more intense the sun's light, the clearer and more radiant the moon will be.

Lu Qian used the two true fires, [Samadhi] and [Six Ding], to temper his soul and refine his body, feeling as if he had transformed into a pill in a furnace from the inside out.

Under the tempering of true fire, [sex] and [life] gradually become more harmonious, perfect, and stronger.

From the outside, he appeared to be surrounded by raging flames, with each breath seemingly spewing out bursts of fire.

"The moon hides the jade rabbit, the sun hides the crow, and the tortoise and snake are intertwined."

"Though intertwined, their vitality is strong, yet they can grow golden lotuses even in fire."

Guo Zu stroked his beard and looked at the flames surrounding Lü Qian. Through the barrier of flesh, he saw the [Turtle and Snake Generals] writhing and intertwining within Lü Qian's body, and nodded in satisfaction.

After completing a full cycle of energy circulation, Lü Qian stopped his practice and opened his eyes. It seemed as if flames were bursting forth from his eyes, piercing straight into the void.

The golden flames were intense and clear, shooting out from between his eyes and stretching to the horizon where they disappeared.

Lu Qian blinked, and the two beams of divine light disappeared, leaving only a faint golden light in his eyes, as if he had golden pupils.

"Hahaha... You've really succeeded in your training as a wanderer!"

Upon seeing this, Guo Zu clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

Lu Qian snapped out of his daze from the sensation of being tempered and refined by the real fire, and bowed respectfully to Guo Zu.

"Many thanks to the Patriarch for transmitting the Dharma and expounding the Way!"

"No need to be polite. Now that you have understood the path to immortality and your own Dao heart and path, there is nothing more I can give you. You should go down the mountain now."

As he spoke, Guo Zu waved his sleeve, and the surrounding dark and boundless void changed instantly. The two of them arrived at the palace and temple of Jiuding Tiesha Mountain from the void.

However, although the palace and temple were exactly the same as in reality, there were no pedestrians or tourists around, only Lü Qian and Guo Zu.

"Please, Master Guo, release me from the [inner world]."

Although the surrounding scenery changed again, Lü Qian still realized that he was in the [Inner Scene].

However, in response to Lü Qian's request, Guo Zu merely smiled slightly and said mysteriously, "Traveler, now that you have understood, you should know how to get out, shouldn't you?"

Guo Zu's advice made Lü Qian suddenly realize the truth, and he closed his eyes and entered meditation again on the futon.

As if a gentle breeze had swept by, the noise of tourists suddenly filled the air, and the scent of incense wafted around us.

Lu Qian opened his eyes, and a golden light flashed and disappeared as his pupils moved.

He was now in the palace within the [Inner Scene], but unlike before, he was now surrounded by tourists.

Some of them offered incense and prayed for blessings, while others gathered in small groups to admire the architecture of the palaces and temples.

Lu Qian, who appeared out of nowhere, did not disturb them, as if he had always existed.

"Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, Xieyue Sanxing Cave!"

He bowed respectfully once again to the statue of Guo Zu on the altar in front of him.

"Fangcun Lingtai" is an abstract metaphor representing the heart. "Xieyue Sanxing" is a word puzzle, and the answer is also the heart.

With each thought that arises, one can perceive the vast universe!

After performing the ceremony, Lü Qian turned around with a determined look in his eyes and stepped back onto the stone steps leading up the mountain, but this time he was going down.

He walked against the flow of people, step by step, slowly but firmly, on the stone steps, just like the heart beating within him.

My heart is as hard as iron, and cannot be broken!

Only when one's mind is enlightened can one see the patriarch.

He had understood Guo Zu's hint and knew how to find the main gate of the various patriarchs' temples.

The road is under your feet, but it walks in your heart.

Take two steps forward, and let your mind wander.

Although the road down the mountain was long, with endless stone steps, Lü Qian, with his resolve in the Dao, still arrived at the mountain gate before sunset.

He stood inside the mountain gate, only a step away from the outside, but he kept walking without stopping for a moment.

With one step, he arrived outside the mountain gate.

As the sun gradually sank into the western sky, its warm, golden-red light shone on Lü Qian. He continued walking down the path without ever looking back.

"Hahaha......"

Just as Lü Qian stepped down the first step he had come up at noon, Guo Zu's hearty laughter seemed to echo from the void.

"Where we meet, there are either immortals or Taoists, sitting quietly and discussing the Yellow Court Classic."

"Traveler, your journey is still long."