Xiandan a.k.a. Immortal Alchemy is the belief of Xian immortals in Taoism and the study of whether or not they are more than just mythology. By comprehending wuxing, Taoism, internal alchemy, etc. and using metaphors of biology and natural science, we (the practitioners) are discussing our discoveries during our journey to reach the Heavens.
We also discusses the alchemical process of our techniques and hypotheses in depth with metaphors of natural phenomenon, science and biology in order to comprehend the Great Tao and the Tao within our techniques.
These are my hypotheses, techniques and discoveries so far:
1st realm:
Foundation stage.
- Forming the spiritual roots.
- Qi refinement phase. (Qi, Jing and Shen)
- Houtian body refinement phase.
2nd realm:
Advancement stage.
- Di refinement phase. (Di, Ren and Tian)
- Xiantian body refinement phase.
- Golden core phase.
3rd realm:
Transcendence stage.
- Ziran (nature) refinement phase. (Ziran, Yang and Yin)
- Renxian (human immortal) body refinement phase.
- Nascent soul (spiritual foetus/fetus formed in Ziran with Yang energy) phase.
4th realm:
Ascendant stage.
- Tao refinement phase. (Tao [道], Xiandan [仙丹] and Daoguan [道观])
- Void phase. (Spiritual foetus/fetus develops further in Tao and later ascents to Daoguan)
- Shenxian (spirit/divine immortal) body refinement phase.
Link to the Spiritual Roots Technique
I’m not sure of how Google Docs works, but I found a publishing option, so if that link doesn’t work for you, try this one
Circulation of vital energy, Qi, Jing and Shen
Circulation of collecting Qi
To collect Qi, one must circulate the vital energy in the motion of Breath. The airflow of inhaling goes down into your lungs which later goes up as you exhale. That is why it start from (1) to (3) and then (4) to (6).
It also circulates in the pattern of how we eat food (1), digest it (2), expose of excrement (3), as the energy and nutrition is absorbed (4) and spread throughout our body (5 and 6).
! The vital energy behaves sort of like gravity/magnitude. North and south pole of a magnet. Metaphorically, this can be seen as the creation of Earth.
Circulating Qi to transmute it into Jing
By looking at the flow of energy from the “Circulation of collecting Qi”, the energy happens to spin counterclockwise just like our Earth. If counterclockwise is to collect, then the opposite must be to use.
Qi burns around Jing and sort of behave like magma and lava. Magma moves below (1 and 2), Lava moves above (3). As it circulate around Jing, you must collect the heat/fire (4 and 5).
! Metaphorically, this can be seen as the early state of earth during its formation.
Circulating Qi around Jing to transmute it into Shen
Qi flows around Jing like groundwater both in dirt and caves (1). The water heats up and becomes steam that shoots upward as a geyser (2). The steam’s heat and vapor flows up into the sky, which later forms clouds (3). When the temperature has cooled down, the moisture in the clouds will condense and become rain (4). The rain then returns to becoming groundwater (1).
! Notice the flow of energy is counterclockwise, flowing through Shen to collect it.
Houtian body refinement circulations
Cleansing:
Cleanse the body by using Shen through Qi to wash the body with a strong wind/pressure.
By understanding that Qi means Breath you could say that breath can symbolize wind. Shen (Water), with a strong wind would therefore be behaving like a strong river or a stormy weather that clear the area wherever it passes through.
Forging:
Forge the body by using Jing through Qi to forge the body with a blacksmith’s fire.
Remember that Qi can symbolize wind, therefore using Jing (Fire) with Qi (Wind), Jing will become a blazing fire like the one in a blacksmith’s furnace, forging the body through a blacksmith’s fire.
Quenching:
Quenching the forged body with Shen (Water).
Tempering:
Tempering the hard and brittle body with Jing (Fire).