The Essentials of the Shortcut to the

Great Achievement:
An Alchemical Compendium
by Liu Hua Yang

[Da Cheng Jie Yao]

Heavenly Horse Peak Publications 2015

www.fiveimmortals.com

Introduction: Reasons for translating

Daoisms Elixir Way Essentials of the Shortcut to the
Great Achievement of the Upright Dao
I am just a poor Daist priest; my common name is Du Song Feng, my master blessed me with
the name Xing De. I am currently residing in Hu Bei Province, Shi Yan City, Zhang Wan
District, Bai Lin Town, White Horse Mountain, Five Immortals Temple [Mount Wu Dang,
Heavenly Horse Peak]. From childhood I had a destiny with the Dao, I have been exploring
the internal alchemy for more than 30 years in order to deeply understand the Dao, it has been
very arduous, and difficult. It is not something that can be achieved in one morning or one
night.
However, the Great Dao is extremely simple and extremely easy, one merely has to let go of
the human heart; that is all. What is to be done? There are myriads of all kinds of methods.
If the heart of the human does not die, it will be difficult to establish the heart of the Dao.
Besides, there is vast and narrow knowledge, there are deep and shallow foundations, there
are strong and weak bonds with destiny, there are wise and foolish insights, karmic afflictions
differ from individual to individual. Therefore different matters cannot be treated the same.
When I renounced my family, I was conceited into believing that as little as three years, five
years at most would suffice to bear fruits as well as attain its completion.
I personally experienced many years of trials and tempering. Reflecting upon myself I was
insolent and arrogant at the beginning. I feel deeply ashamed and ignorant, naive and
ridiculous.
To this day I am a poor Daoist and still a common person who is diligently investigating the
mysteries of the universe and life. Since we are humans, our physical body is subjected to the
pull of clothing, food, shelter and travel; the entanglement of the seven emotions and the six
desires, the confinements of old habits and thinking patterns, et cetera. There is merely deep
and shallow confusions, the issue of letting go of more or less weight. My present physical
body is inside the gate of Daoism, having the duty of making the temple prosper, taking
responsibility of this space where the Dao is cultivated, also wanting to have dealings with all
social circles and many societal classes and ranks. Despite the routine business and the
entanglements of the toil in the dust [worldly worries and cares], I also would not dare to
forget the original intention of becoming a renunciant.
A very wise master said:
The path of awakening to the Dao is sought within bitterness;
Awaiting flowing water to grind down the stone;
Refining ones self and waiting for maturity.
When I have some spare time I teach a little bit of Wu Dang Kung Fu, Daoist Medicine, Qi
Gong Healing, Longevity, sitting meditation and the cultivation of stillness et cetera. In
recent years every now and then Western students happen to come inquiring about issues
around the cultivation of the elixir way -internal alchemy. Even though many talked about the
bedchamber arts being Daoisms golden elixir and the Great Dao, I still did not pay attention
at the beginning. Over time more and more questions were raised, and I felt that this could be
by no means accidental.
How could there be such a biased and fragmentary knowledge?
How could they ask about these points of study?

Only then did I understand the core of the problem:

(1) The reason being is that the upright methods of the scriptures are obscure and hard to

understand. Seemingly masters are unknowing of the authentic transmission,

therefore nowadays cultivators in China comprehending them are few and far
between.
(2) These days there are no expert scholars of true cultivation and concrete verifications
who thoroughly expound on the scriptures. Translations employing words can hardly
obtain the scriptures meanings; besides Westerners not discovering the existence of
these scripture translations.
(3) There are translations of scripture books that are completely obtained from the books

original theories, and do not come forth from any experience of concrete verifications.
Many are empty talk of profound theories.
Consequently, from the bottom of my heart I deeply sighed in regret which prompted me
to ask German Disciple Cheng Cai to translate the Founding Fathers ancient classic, in
order to transmit it to everyone with destiny in each and every country in the West, in
order to explicate the upright principles of cultivation, in order to ignite a heavenly light,
as well as to make it unlikely for anyone to end up in misinterpretations and losing ones
direction and way.
Since what has been passed down to me by my masters is finite and moreover still being
en route of practicing myself, I can only translate everything that I have already grasped.

This translation consumed much time and energy,

as well as it tired the minds of the ones involve.
Its work is considered to be a benevolent deed and practice of asceticism.
While hoping for its far and wide dissemination,
it is strictly prohibited to charge any fee in any shape or form
for this scripture including webpages, reprints and print-publications!

Daoist Xing De on Heavenly Horse Peak

First Article: Collection of Ancient Internal Alchemy Classics

The origin of the Dao is based on a single principle and its methods are divided into three
categories called primes: Heavenly prime, earthly prime and humanly prime.
Each of these three primes is further divided into three levels also referred to as three
achievements: The initial achievement, the intermediate achievement and the high
achievement.
Therefore there is nine different ranks in total that are applied by the various internal alchemy
schools. Consequently the internal alchemy scriptures can also be categorized according to
the three primes.
The heavenly prime scriptures deal with the great elixir, the earthly prime scriptures with the
spirit elixir, the humanly prime with the golden elixir. In conclusion, the initial achievement
could be compared to the first grade in school, the intermediate achievement to the second
grade, and the high achievement to the third and final grade. Every grade requires graduation
before one progresses to the next stage.
All of the three primes are considered great internal alchemy paths, including all three elixirs:
the great elixir, the spirit elixir and the golden elixir.
The heavenly prime is about tempering and disciplining ones nature and innate character and
grasping ones life-destiny. The earthly prime seizes the cinnabar sand and generates
mercury. i.e. external alchemy, the humanly prime gets rid of the old and creates the new.
The initial achievement takes one hundred days to lay the foundation, the intermediate
achievement requires ten months just like human gestation and the high achievement takes
three years likened to breastfeeding where the infant is still very feeble and has to be nurtured
and protected. It could be said the heavenly prime, is equivalent to spirit and qi inside of
oneself. Obtain and transform the pre-heaven treasure which is separated into yin yang. Take
the yin out of the yang and put it into the main yin, take the yang out of the yin, and put it
back into main yang, just like the dots in a Tai Ji diagram in order to reverse the process of
birth, age, disease and death.
Thus the principles of the three primes of internal alchemy are identical,
but their methods differ.
Besides the results and origins of the methods are not the same.
The majority of internal alchemy practitioners knowledge is very limited. And there are even
fewer who are capable of separating these nine ranks. There is not even one in ten thousand
practitioners who has fully comprehended just one method.
I have heard about people who have attained the Dao of the heavenly prime. They are only
aware of the heavenly primes worth but do not know about of the earthly prime and the
humanly primes wonders.
I have heard about the attainment of the earthly prime. However people who ascended
through the ingestion of a Daoist pill, only know about the worth of the earthly prime, but are
unaware of the heavenly prime and the humanly primes wonders.
I have heard about of the attainment of the humanly prime. But they do not know the purpose
of the heavenly prime and the earthly prime. Even worse they esteem the humanly prime, yet
they look down on the heavenly prime, regarding only their own path as the true one.
They do not know that the humanly prime is the path for seizing ones life-destiny. They are
unaware that the heavenly prime is about grasping innate nature, and they are not conscious
that the earthly prime stands for swallowing a Daoist pill.

What a pity! Have a look at the past and examine who has attained the elixirs according to
popular belief. The earthly and heavenly prime was attained by Immortal Master Xu and
Immortal Master Yang. I have heard of the dual attainment of the earthly prime and the
heavenly prime by Ge Ya Chuan, the Perfected One. I have heard of the triple attainment of
all three primes by by L Chun Yang and Zhang San Feng. The Southern Five Patriarchs all
achieved the Dao of the humanly prime and the Northern Seven Perfected Ones all ascended
through the accomplishment of the heavenly prime. I have not met or heard about anyone
having attained just the earthly prime.
Worshippers of Sakyamuni only recite the name of the Buddha and chant Buddhist scriptures.
The sages only strengthen morality between humans and follow the five Confucian virtues of
benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, wisdom and faith.
If one fully concentrates on ones search, one will be able to devote whole-heartedly to the
profound and one will be able to reach complete sincerity and therefore reach a heart filled
with compassion and universal love. One only has to bring back ones post-heaven thoughts
and prevent them from being disorderly, then the pre-heavens light of the innate nature will
accumulate. Beware of not losing your direction and purpose during this process.
This is why worshippers, who wholeheartedly recite the name of the Buddha, are able to
transcend life and ascend to the Pure Land. People with sincerity in their hearts, who
strengthen moral ties between humans, are able to have a good reputation for thousands of
years.
All Immortal Masters and Daoist patriarchs of the past have been transmitting the scriptures,
explaining the laws, establishing their theories and passing down instructions. People acquire
different profound laws and transmissions, therefore they cannot return together on one path.
Benevolence is paramount, refine in secrecy and try to figure things out step by step, then you
will be able to understand the purpose of returning to the origin.
People focus on different primes and therefore their point of view of writing differs. On the
basis of this internal alchemy books can be divided according to the three primes. Different
subject matters cannot be treated the same:
The heavenly prime classics explain purity, stillness, refinement and temptations:
Jin Dan Xin Fa, Xing Ming Gui Zhi, Tian Xian Zheng Li, XianFo He
Zong, Jin Xian Zheng LunHui Ming Jingand so on.
The humanly Prime clarifying the cultivation of Yin and Yang:
The Jin Dan Zhen Chuan,Xing Dao Ya Yan,Xuan Yao Pian,Qiao Yao
Geand so on.
The earthly prime classics [concerning the refinement of lead and cinnabar]:
Huang Di Jiu Ding,Tai Qing Dan Jing,Di Yuan Zhen JueCheng Zhi Lu
,Yu Zhuang Lu and so on.
The Dao De Jing and theYin Fu Jing belong to all three primes at the same time.
The Wu Zhen Pianand theCan Tong Qi also express ideas of the three primes
simultaneously, with an emphasis on the humanly prime. The Long Hu Jing and
theShi Han Ji also deals with the three primes, with a stress on the earthly prime.

The sages of the future will be thus be able to get a look at these scriptures in order to attain
the Dao. The accomplishment of the Dao is divided into three primes and although the
original principles are consistent, many people will not make it to the end and get lost in
confusion.
One has to know the internal alchemy scriptures and Daoist books even though there is so
many of them. Except for these three primes being based on the same principle of the preheaven Great Dao, all other methods are outside the Dao and crooked side paths. They are all
delusional, side doors, and have nothing to do with the Great Dao.
In Buddhism they say:
Only one fact exists, everything else is untrue.
Reality is just the original form of all beings.
No death- no birth, no increase- no decrease, the beginning of creation.
At the start there was a true I, not affected by form and aspect.
It was not at all falling into the emptiness,
As in fact there are spirits emitting spheres of light resembling the wheel of the sun.
Sakyamuni called it:
The true awakening to the real and the unreal.
In Daoism they say:
The spirit without spirit;
People of ancient times cut themselves off from the wheel of life.
If one relies entirely on innate nature and life-destiny,
one will be able to reach completion.
The humanly prime is considered seizing the source of life.
The earthly prime is considered the Dao of ingesting the pill.
And yet the heavenly prime
is the power of the dual cultivation of
innate nature and life-destiny.
Since I feel sorry for the younger students now, I point towards the true meaning of the
scriptures by making a list as above of the internal alchemy classics which have been
transmitted by immortals, Buddhas and patriarchs of the past.
I wish that all benevolent people everywhere in the world who aspire to reach the Dao get to
meet masters who transmits the truth to them. If one relies on the past to verify the present
and confirms all points from beginning to end, then one will not stray onto the crooked path.
But the points of reference have to be identical from top to bottom.
In addition this scriptures aim is to make the student observe the past to examine the present
and distinguish the real from the fake.
Bear in mind that ones study determines ones destination and outcome. After having read
this scripture, the true and false can be immediately discriminated and ones direction can be
set in stone If one follows this without fail, ones path will never become the crooked.
Wicked theories are all just delusions. That is why I wrote this introduction.