Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life

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Inner Alchemy
Terms of Inner Alchemy
Mind , Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life
Essential Matter , Vital Breath and Spirit
Great Reversion Elixir
Small Reversion Elixir
Integrated Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life
Three Flowers Condensing onto the Head
Transporting through the Three Vehicles
Meeting of the Three Parts
Refining the Mind through the Nine Cauldrons
Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger
Refinement of Essential Matter into Vital Breath
Refinement of Vital Breath into Spirit
Refinement of Spirit Back to Emptiness

Refinement of Emptiness into Dao
Reversing Kan with Li
Centering Merits When Yin And Yang Join
The Five Vital Breaths Oriented to the Origin
Rebirth from the Original Fetus and Bones
Basic Cultivation
Self-Refinement
Harmonizing the Breath
Obtaining the Elixir Drug
Collecting Elixir Drugs
Fire Phases
To Increase Fire
To Reduce Fire
To Nourish in Warmth
Bathing
Unfixed Zi Phase
River Chariot
Mysterious Pearls
Passages and Cavities
Cosmic Orbit
Feminine Alchemy
Cutting the Red Dragon
Refining the Form through the Supreme Yin
Body of Original Chastity

Although popularly known as a term related to Inner Alchemy, Spiritual Nature ( 性 Xing ) and Bodily Life ( 命 Ming ) has from early on been regarded as an important concept. The Book of Changes ( 《周易》 Zhouyi ) said that "Principle ought to be pushed to the extreme, and Spiritual Nature be developed to the utmost in order to perfect the Bodily Life". In later periods, however, Confucianism ( 儒家 Rujia ) and Daoism ( 道家 Daojia ) gave utterly different explanations to the concept. For Confucianism, Spiritual Nature stood for the anterior elements of human beings, the nature and universe, and Bodily Life for the destiny or pre-determined fate; Zhuangzi, the great Daoist philosopher, regarded "Spiritual Nature" as virtues and merits in human beings, and Bodily Life as the coherence among myriad beings; in Daoism, however, the concept was injected with new ideas. Generally speaking, in terms of Inner Alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ), Spiritual Nature stood for the Spirit and Mind of human beings, or the Spirit of Mind ( 心神 Xinshen ), in another term, and Bodily Life for Vital Breath and Substance. According to Daoism, the Cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life would lead to the extension of human life. Moreover, Daoist sects gave different answers to the ways leading to cultivation. In the history of Daoism, the idea that the Southern Lineage ( 南宗 Nanzong ) prioritized Bodily Life whereas the Northern Lineage ( 北宗 Beizong ) prioritized Spiritual Nature” is popularly recognized. In this case, the Southern Lineage refers to the Southern Lineage of the Golden Elixir Sect, which credited its tradition to Zhang Beiduan, the famous Daoist in the Northern Song dynasty; while the Northern Lineage stood for the Complete Perfection Tradition ( 全真道 Quanzhen Dao ), which was founded by Wang Chongyang, a Daoist in the Southern Song dynasty. Noticeably, both lineages stressed the inseparable nature of integrated cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life. The trend became even clearer after the integration of the Southern Lineage with the Northern Lineage. In general, Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life are inseparable in Daoist cultivation. The Integrated cultivation of Spiritual Nature and Bodily Life will lead to attainment of integration with Dao.