Danding Sect

The Danding School, also known as "Jindan Taoism", is one of the important tribes in Taoism. The Danding School is a common name for the various Taoist sects that mainly align gold and elixirs to seek immortality. It was first developed from the ancient immortals and the Fangxiandao. The early theoretical work of the Danding School "Zhou Yisan Tongqi". During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the Danding School further developed the Jindan School's immortal Taoism and made a theoretical summary.

Also known as Jindan Taoism, it is a common name for all Taoist sects that mainly align golden elixirs to seek immortality.

The earliest developed from the ancient immortals and the Fang Xiandao. The early theoretical work that has been passed down to this day is "Zhou Yisan Tongqi", which is regarded as the king of the eternal alchemy scriptures and has a great influence on later alchemy scholars. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Ge Hong further developed the Jindan School's immortal Taoism and made a theoretical summary. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Danding School took the refining of external alchemy as its main feature. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it turned from external alchemy to internal alchemy. The Quanzhen Dao and the Northern and Southern Sects belonged to the cultivation of internal alchemy. The Danding School started from the pursuit of immortality and immortality and promoted the development of ancient chemical smelting and qigong health science in my country. Introduction

It is not a real sect. It is a common name for the various Taoist sects that mainly align golden elixirs to seek immortality, also known as Jindan Taoism. It was first developed from the ancient immortals and the immortal Taoist Tao.

The Danding School consists of external elixirs and internal elixirs. External elixirs refer to the use of furnaces and cauldrons to burn ore medicines such as lead and mercury to prepare edible immortal golden elixirs, which were popular before the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Inner elixirs generally refer to treating the human body as a "furnace and cauldron" with its own essence and qi as medicine, and uses spirit to burn it to form a thing that combines spirits and qi. After the Song and Yuan dynasties, it has been popular to this day.

Furnace

"Furn and Cauldron" refers to the process of borrowing the furnace that refines external elixirs and the container cauldron that holds medicine to metaphorize the process of refining internal elixirs.

That is to say, the part of practicing qigong (either essence, qi or spirit) is a furnace, or what needs to be transformed by practicing qigong, that is, where the mind is located, so that the qi mechanism changes here, and here is the furnace; the place after the change is called a cauldron, or the mind is concentrated and the one that increases it one step further is called a cauldron. This is the practice of the Northern School Qing Cultivation. Specifically, it is divided into:

1. Small furnace and tripod: refers to the lower dantian (navel, below the Mingmen) as a furnace, from the navel to Jianli (two inches above the navel) as a cauldron. There are also people who use the perineum as a furnace and the sea of ​​qi as a cauldron. Burn fire in the furnace, the soul, and the mind is focused on fire. The heat of the furnace is to refine essence into qi. After the qi is refined, it is lifted up to the cauldron, which is called collecting medicine and returning to the cauldron (or calling collecting medicine and returning to the pot). The middle statement is that after the qi is sufficient, follow the supervision and upward, and then go down to the cauldron, and then the energy is sufficient, it will move around the world.

2. Big Fu and Cauldron: The big Fu and Cauldron refers to the part of refining qi and transforming into spirits. The belly is used as the furnace and the head is used as the cauldron. That is, after refining essence into qi, the essence is gone and it is all qi. At this time, the lower two fields are combined, and the lower neck is a furnace, refining qi and transforming into spirits (forming fetus), and then rise to the upper field to the cauldron.

3. Heaven and Earth Furnace: Heaven and Earth Furnace uses heaven and earth as the furnace, to practice external qi and man as the cauldron, to enter the human body. In the past, the static exercises that blended human and heaven in the mix were heaven and earth as the furnace. Now, the internal qi is released and external qi is collected and the internal qi belongs to this type, and the purpose is to better combine it with the qi of nature. Practicing this kind of exercise can cure diseases in the early stage, and at the advanced stage, it must attract the true yang of the sky to enlighten the yin energy in the body.

4. Body and mind furnace: The body is used as the furnace, the mind (shen) is used as the cauldron, and the mind and body are combined, and the elixir is formed. The body and mind furnace is actually the combination of spirit and form, and the form and spirit farming technique belongs to this level. When practicing the exercises, the body and body produce qi, so that it combines with spirit, and use spirit to control qi, that is, the spirit and form are combined. Generally, in the alchemy sect, the fetus is refined to form a fetus and produce yang spirit. After the fetus is born, it will be taken back to the dantian to raise it, so that the dantian can fill all parts of the body and even pores, and at this time, the whole body can emit golden light. This is a high-level situation.

5. Taixu Furnace and Cauldron: Take the invisible and invisible void as the furnace, the mind nature (the unimportant ancestral nature) as the cauldron, and the external infinite enrichment of the body's subject, and finally the human and void are in the same body. This must be understood after the secret tricks of the ancestral nature are opened.

Architectural style

The Danding School Taoist Temple is a five-element and Eight Trigrams-like building, which can be represented by the Danding School building in Sanqingshan, Jiangxi Province. The Taoist buildings of Sanqing Mountain, Thunder Temple, Tianyi Shui Pond, Dragon and Tiger Hall, Hanxing Pond, Wang You Tomb, Zhan Biyun Tomb, Yanjiao Hall, Feixiantai all revolve around the middle Dan Well and Dan Furnace, and the surroundings are arranged one by one according to the Bagua direction. And its north and south central axis is particularly long, and all other buildings are unfolded one by one at both ends of this central axis, forming a strict architectural system. This is the reflection of the Taoist inner alchemy school taking the human body's small universe corresponding to the natural universe, and synchronously coordinating the cultivation of the "element, energy, spirit" idea in architecture.

Development and impact

The early theoretical work that has been passed down to this day is "Zhou Yi Shen Tongqi", which is regarded as the king of the eternal alchemy classics. The "Huangting Jing" that appeared in the two Jin Dynasties is also a classic of the Danding School, which has a great influence on later alchemy scholars. During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Ge Hong further developed the Jindan School's immortal Taoism and gave a theoretical summary of it. He wrote "Baopuzi" to discuss alchemy techniques. "Wuzhen Pian" by Zhang Boduan of the Northern Song Dynasty is also an important theoretical work on inner alchemy cultivation.

Quanzhen Taoism belongs to the cultivation of inner alchemy. The Danding School has promoted the development of chemical smelting and qigong health science in ancient China based on the purpose of pursuing immortality.

(Note from Mingzhihui: In fact, the Danding School and the Talisman School have been integrated into many current Danding School. The Danding School also emphasizes "fast, sacrifice, prayer, and benefit the country and the people". The Talisman School also emphasizes "living gold elixirs internally and using talismans externally". It should no longer be divided into sects, nor should it have a sect view. As the contemporary Taoist scholar, Yuan Chunzi, a 19th-generation layman of Quanzhen Longmen, said in "Taoism and Health Preservation": "Pure refining (referring to the Danding School) and Talisman Science and Education (referring to the Talisman School) are both Taoist cultivation methods, and they cannot be divided into Taoism sects by this. Cultivating one's own life and becoming an immortal is the ultimate goal of each sect.")

Bao Liang and the Bo family in Jiangnan (page 96 in the history of Taoism). In the sixth year of Yongchang (322), Wang Dun raised an army to rebel from Wukang. At that time, Shen Chong (named Shiju, from Wukang, Wuxing) served as the inner historian of Xuancheng (county magistrate). In response to Wang Dun, he returned to his hometown to recruit disciples (page 9 of Huzhou Anthology).

"The Biography of Taoism? Bao Liang" says that Bao Liang met Yin Changsheng in Longshan in the first year of Daxing (318 AD) in the Jin Yuan Emperor's Daxing period (318 AD) and received the Taoist secret; "The Master of Taoism? The Three Caves" says that Bao Liang entered the stone chamber of Songshan in the middle of Yongkang year of Emperor Hui of Jin (300-301 AD) to obtain the "Three Emperors' Literature". "Yunji Qixuan? Bao Zhenren Biography" says that Bao Liang was in charge of Zuo Yuanfang and was impeached by the "Three Emperors' Literature" and impeached the key points of summoning the "Five Mountains" Zhen Luan said in "Xiao Dao Lun": "Bao Liang was executed in the "Three Emperors' Literature" and was executed." There is also saying that the "Three Emperors' Literature" was passed down by Bohe, and Zheng Yin gave it to Ge Hong.

In fact, the witch way of "impeaching ghosts and gods" has long been popular in society. They created the "Three Emperors' Literature", the "worldly prayer" of the Bo family in Jiangnan, and also created the "Three Emperors' Literature". Bao Liang is a believer in the witch way and the Bo family. He combined the two into first-class, and then combined the theory of magical ghosts and monsters with the belief of gods and immortals to create the three volumes of "Three Emperors' Literature". Those who first entered the world called "Xiaoyou Sutra", and those who later entered the world called "Great You Sutra".

The process of the alchemist becoming a Taoist priest is different from a wizard. He has mastered considerable special skills, such as Yin and Yang, Five Elements, and Eight Trigrams. People are most concerned about their own personal interests, including food, clothing, life and death, illness and old age. The alchemist uses his own unique theories and combines the superstition of gods and immortals.

Jingshan 17 kilometers south of Huzhou City, the record records that it was once the residence of Ge Hong in the Jin Dynasty. According to the "Wu Xing Zhi" of Song Jiatai, it was said that Ge Hong in the Jin Dynasty once lived in seclusion in Gexian Mountain on the south side of Jingshan. There was an alchemy stove and pounding medicine mortars. It is said that these ancient sites are in the "Zhifang Tu Zhi": "There are 133 places in the world where Ge Hong refines elixirs, and Wu Cheng is one of them." Ge Hong planted yellow ginger in Jingshan, so Jingshan "has many yellow ginger in the mountains to this day". During the Shaoxing period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1131-1162), the Minister Ge Lifang Tianjing Mountain built a Gexianweng Temple in Puzhaoguan to worship Ge Hong, and wrote a record of it. ("Huzhou Zhang'an Ancient Collection" page 203)

Donglin Mountain has an ancient site named Furnace Top. Song Jiatai's Wuxingzhi records: "The Furnace Top is on Donglin Mountain. "Huixianlu" says that Ge Hong had refining alchemy here. In the past, he once opened the rock top and obtained several hu of charcoal. There were double pottery combinations (niches) inside, which could not be opened. It could not be opened. There is a nine well of alchemy at the foot of the mountain, which still exists. There is a stream in the east of the mountain called Xianxi, and there is a turtle sieve and Fengze at the entrance of the stream. ("Huzhou Zhang's Ancient Collection" page 249)" There is also an alchemy well,

"The sky is chiseled without traces, and it is more than ten minutes wide and deep. The spring is sweet and cold, and the drought does not dry up. It is said that Ge Hong of Jin refined elixirs here." There was originally a Huixian Bridge at the foot of the mountain. According to legend, Lu Dongbin went to visit Donglin Mountain and slept on a stone, leaving behind a figure. This stone spans the stream, which later generations called Huixian Bridge. Su Dongpo personally wrote the three words "Huixian Bridge" and carved it on the bridge. Walls and tiles were built and tiles were installed to protect it. This bridge was destroyed in literature and during the period of the reign.

What people care about and fear most in the world are life and death, food and clothing, and diseases. These problems can be solved in the practice of inner alchemy. Practice alchemy has become the medicine for all suffering in the world. Bao Puzi, the inner alchemy of all spirits, thinks that he points to mankind's ultimate happiness path. The ignorant lower class people are also greatly tempted, flocking to them and blindly worship them. Of course, practicing inner alchemy is a type of qigong that is called by people today. If they are well cultivated, it will indeed be beneficial to their health, but taking one step forward will lead to a fallacy. Exaggerating the magical effects of qigong has become a trend since ancient times, and today's qigong heat is just a resurgence in history (see page 455 of "History of Chinese Folk Religion".

In terms of practice methods, the early Taoism advocated the acceptance of Qi, treasured essence, refining and nourishing essence, Qi, and spirit.

Ge Hong, whose courtesy name is Zhichuan, named himself Baopuzi. He was from Jurong, Danyang (now Jurong County, Jiangsu Province). He was born in the fourth year of Taikang in Emperor Wu of Jin (283) and died in the first year of Xingning in Emperor Ai of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (363). Ge Hong can be regarded as a famous Taoist thinker in ancient China. The founder of the Foreign Alchemy School and Taoist theology, and also made outstanding contributions to ancient medicine and chemistry. Therefore, Ge Hong occupies an important position in both Taoist history, philosophy and natural sciences in China. Ge Hong was born in a family of officials. His ancestors "Ge Tianshi" were fed with Gedi, and because he was considered a surname. His grandfather Ge was involved in all his studies and had a talent for governing the country. He served as the Minister of Personnel of the Wu State, Dahonglu, and General Wu, and was granted the title of Marquis of Shou County. His ancestor Ge Xuan was fond of immortal cultivation.

The art of refining was highly believed by Sun Quan. He was called "Ge Xiangong" and "Taiji Zuo Xianweng" by the people of Wu. His father Ge Su was a filial friend and a representative of his behavior. He served as the Dazhongzheng, Feixiang ruling, and Shaoling prefect. Ge Hong was the third son of Ge Ti. When Ge Hong was thirteen years old, his father died as the prefect of Shaoling, and his family declined. Therefore, Ge Hong had to farm and support his family at a young age. Because he had no money to study in a private school, Ge Hong studied hard during the slack farming period. Later, due to the chaos of war, all the books left by his ancestors were burned down. Ge Hong had to borrow on foot, search for books and ask questions, and sold the cut firewood and grass to buy paper and pens, copy books and recite books. Sometimes even the back of the paper was written by him, so others could not recognize his handwriting.

When Ge Hong was fifteen years old, he could write poems, essays, and essays. At the age of sixteen, he began to read "The Book of Filial Piety", "The Analects of Confucius", "The Book of Songs", "The Book of Changes". Later, he widely studied other Confucian classics and "the words of the hundreds of historians". It is said that he read nearly ten thousand books in a very short time. Because he only cared for reading behind closed doors and rarely interacted with idle people, he often had no traces of carriages and horses in the alleys, no guest of different ambitions in the hall, and there could be a sea of ​​birds and silk, and a few banquets accumulated dust.

In "External Chapters? Preface", Ge Hong once said that he "had a certain ambition but never had a background." Later, because of the dark politics at that time, Ge Hong felt that his talent was not a political affairs and was not a tool for governing the people, so he changed to studying Taoism from Zheng Yin. Zheng Yin, whose courtesy name was Siyuan, was originally a coward, understood the Five Classics, was good at the law, was good at Taoism, and was obsessed with the immortal scriptures, knew the Taoism, and studied the Taoism in the Nine Palaces, Three Chess, Astronomy, "River", and Luo, and his Taoism was very rich. Zheng Yin had more than 50 disciples, all of whom were used as

The servant worked while reading. Ge Hong was young and weak, and could not bear the labor of others, so he could only brush the bed for Zheng Yin. He grinded ink and held candles and copied old books. He finally gained Zheng Yin's trust and read a large number of Taoist scriptures that other disciples rarely saw. Later, Zheng Yin taught Ge Hong all the golden elixir magic and oral punishments, and also taught him some important immortal scriptures. However, according to "Xia Lan", Ge Hong was "old at that time, he was still young and strong. He was not dedicated to his meaning and had not finished his feelings, so he could not gain much."

In the second year of Tai'an (303 AD), Zhang Lu raised an army to rebel. His other division Shi Bing attacked Yangzhou. Ge Hong was afraid that his family would fall, so he was summoned by the Grand Governor Gu Mi to recruit hundreds of soldiers from his hometown to suppress the Shi Bing uprising army. This war allowed Ge Hong's military talents to be demonstrated, and he made many military achievements and was promoted to General Fu Bo. It is said that Ge Hong's army was well-mannered. After capturing the city, the soldiers of other troops were only concerned about robbing money, and the team dispersed without dissolution. Only Ge Hong's troops were disciplined and neat. Later, the rebel army launched a raid. Other troops were already defeated, but Ge Hong was able to take good care of the troops and command the troops to fight calmly. Ge Hong was indifferent to fame and fortune. Every time he was rewarded, he distributed the cloth and money he had obtained to equally.

His troops were not kept. In the first year of Yongxing (304 AD), the Shibing incident was quelled and Ge Hong was not valued by the court, so he turned to the court and went north to Luoyang to search for strange books. He was determined to learn immortals and practice Taoism. But at this time, the "Eight Kings Rebellion" occurred within the Sima Group, and the future was blocked. Chen Min rebelled against Jiangsu, and his return was cut off. Ge Hong advanced and retreated, so he had to deal with Xu, Yu, Jing, Xiang, Jiang, and Guang for several months. In the first year of Guangxi (306), Ge Hong's old friend Ji Han was appointed as the governor of Guangzhou. Ge Hong invited Ge Hong to join the army. In order to avoid the chaos, Ge Hong was invited to Guangzhou. Later, Ji Han was killed, and Ge Hong became abolished in Guangzhou and devoted himself to the writing of the book "Baopuzi".

Ge Hong lived in seclusion in Luofu Mountain, Guangzhou for many years, took food to cultivate his character, focused on practicing Taoism, and became a teacher at the prefect of the South China Sea. Bao Liang studied both inside and outside, and was astronomy, and was taught by Ge Hong Shibao's "Three Emperors' Literature", and married his daughter to Ge Hong. In the second year of Jianxing of Emperor Min of Jin (314), Ge Hong returned to his hometown, but did not entrust words, and focused on writing. In the middle of Jianwu, he completed the writing of the book "Baopuzi".

In the early years of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the court imposed a reward for the gentry in Jiangnan. Ge Hong was awarded the title of Guanzhong Marquis because of his contribution to suppressing the Shibing Uprising that year, and ate 200 households in Jurong's town. Ge Hong wrote a letter to Guren, but he did not get approval, so he had to accept the order. During the reign of Emperor Cheng, Ge Hong was summoned by Wang Dao to Buzhou because of the famine in the countryside and his life was in a difficult situation. Later, he was transferred to Situ Ran and was transferred to the military officer for the consultation. Ge Hong's friend Gan Bao believed that Ge Hong was "a talented person who deserved the history of the country". He recommended Ge Hong to the court, so Ge ​​Hong was selected as the attendant of the Sanqi and led a large work, but Ge Hong refused to surrender.

In the eighth year of Xianhe (333 AD), when Ge Hong learned that Jiaozhi was rich in cinnabar, he asked Goulu County, Jiaozhi County to be the county magistrate. Emperor Cheng of Jin was very proud of his high talent, but Ge Hong said, "It is not to be proud of it, but he has elixirs." Emperor Cheng agreed, Ge Hong went south to Jiaozhi. When he arrived in Guangzhou, due to the retention of Guangzhou Governor Deng Yue, Ge Hong kept Guangzhou and went to Luofu Mountain to refine elixirs and write them until his death. Before Ge Hong died, he had a memorial to Guangzhou Governor Deng Yue, saying that he wanted to travel farewell to find his master, and soon after he arrived, Deng Yue went to say goodbye. Before he arrived, Ge Hong died as if he was asleep. It is said that Ge Hong's face was still radiant after death, just like when he was alive. When his friends arrived, Ge Hong's body disappeared. It was said that he had already become an immortal.

Ge Hong's main works include "Baopuzi" inner and outer chapters, "Biography of Gods and Immortals", "Biography of Intestines". In addition, he also wrote "Jinkui Prescriptions" and other medical masterpieces such as "Jinkui Prescriptions" and "According to Acute Prescriptions Behind the Elbow". "Baopuzi? Preface" states that since he was over 20 years old, he "created his book on Zi, and encountered war chaos, displaced and spread, and lost things, and was connected to the road. He did not write for more than ten noon, and then settled in Jianwu. He wrote "Biopuzi" twenty volumes, and wrote "Biopuzi" fifty volumes." "The "Biopuzi" prescriptions for gods and immortals, changes in ghosts, health preservation and prolonging life, and repelling evil and disasters, belong to Taoism; his "Biopuzi" talks about gains and losses in the world, belong to Confucianism." Among them, "Biopuzi" was written in the front "Biopuzi" and the "Biopuzi" were written in the back, and finally finalized at the same time.

1. See the simple and simple man

Ge Hong called himself Bao Puzi, which may best illustrate Ge Hong's personality traits and his pursuit of returning to simplicity and return to the true life. Ge Hong said in "External Chapter? Preface" that he was "blunt and dull, ugly in appearance, but never argued with self-pride. He had bad clothes, and had bad clothes, and was either shabby, or was not ashamed of his mind." Although the style of clothing was constantly renovated at that time, there were wide sleeves and narrow collars. Sometimes short sleeves and wide collars, sometimes long skirts to the ground, and sometimes short feet, but Ge Hong always wore that worn out dresses, adapting to changes in changes, never chasing fashion. He was not afraid of others' ridicule and was silent all day long. Ge Hong was not interested in the popular plays of cockfighting, horse racing, and chess that were popular in society at that time. It seems that such a kind of last trick can both disrupt people's hearts and hinder the sun and the moon. The officials who are obsessed with this will inevitably slack off their studies. The scholars who concentrate on this will inevitably abandon their studies. The farmers and merchants who are keen on this will forget about their crops and lose their money. Especially when the victory and defeat are difficult to distinguish, the two sides are fighting against the crowd, and they are so anxious that they are called entertainment, but in fact they are fighting each other. He even didn't even know how many dots there are on the chessboard in his life. Once, a friend took him to watch chess, and he slept with his eyes beside the chessboard. Later, he told his friend that instead of letting me watch the play, it would be better to let me read books. It seems that it is not surprising that "Book of Jin? Biography of Ge Hong" says Ge Hong that "a dull person" is not surprising.

Although Ge Hong was born to be dull and dull, he liked to think and never followed the trend when encountering things. What is more valuable is that he had a strong will to achieve his goals. When Ge Hong was young, in order to find books and ask about the meaning of the book, he often did not fear the dangers of traveling thousands of miles, "even if he saw the destruction and laughter, he did not think of it as a relative" (see "Inner Chapter? Jindan". Because Ge Hong focused all his energy on reading and writing books, his yard was often overgrown with weeds, even his clothes were torn, and the house was leaking. In addition, Ge Hong was not good at interacting with others, so many people around him felt incomprehensible to him, and some even accused Ge Hong of being lazy, but Ge Hong ignored this and still did his own way, showing his extraordinary state.

Ge Hong is dull and not good at making noise with others, but he is very simple and honest, and never tempted by the power. Most of his friends are classmates, and everyone is just to discuss knowledge and explore the truth. He is unwilling to make friends with powerful people, and it is not easy to "trouble officials". However, if there are kind people in the village who invite him to drink and entertain him, he never puts on the clan's side. When interacting with neighbors, Ge Hong also treats him with sincerity, and others give him things. If

He accepts it when he needs it, and does not refuse it, but he keeps his care in his heart. Then he always finds opportunities to repay it and never receives rewards from others. He cares about others' grievances, helps others' difficulties, but never seeks to repay it. Of course, if he is not enough, he will never give up. In "External Chapters? Preface", Ge Hong called his attitude towards the world "not being a small person who does not treat the fine deeds of his observation."

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