Verified Discourse on the Golden Immortal金仙证论

Author / transmission

Liu Huayang

Period

Qing · Written by Liu Huayang (1736–?), composed around the forty-fifth year of the Qianlong reign (1780).

Canon division

Outside the Canon

Collected in

Outside the Canon (included in the Daozang Jiyao and the Wuliu xianzong)

Category

Alchemical Texts

Fascicles

In one scroll (twenty chapters).

Synopsis

Verified Discourse on the Golden Immortal (Jinxian zhenglun) is the representative work of the Qing-dynasty Buddhist monk and Internal Alchemy master Liu Huayang, and together with his Scripture of Wisdom and Life (Huiming jing) it forms the core text of the Wu-Liu School's alchemical method. Liu Huayang claimed to have received transmission from Wu Shouyang and also practiced Chan meditation, and so named his book after 'the Golden Immortal' (an alternative term for the Buddha), holding that immortals and Buddhas share a common origin. The work comprises twenty chapters (A Simple Explanation of the Correct Way, Direct Discourse on Refining the Self, Direct Discourse on the Medicine of the Minor Celestial Circuit, the Scripture of Wind and Fire, a Discourse on Verifying Signs, an Introductory Discourse, Direct Discourse on Cultivating the Correct Way, Resolving Doubts, a Discourse on Dangers, Illustrated Explanation of the Ren and Du Meridians, Fire Phasing, and others), setting out in plain language the work of the Minor Celestial Circuit for refining essence into qi: gathering the medicine, sealing and fixing, decocting and refining, bathing, and fire phasing, with accompanying diagrams explaining in detail the Ren and Du meridians, the Cinnabar Field, the circulation of the Celestial Circuit, and the 'verifying signs' of progress, placing special emphasis on 'refining the self' and 'guarding against danger and anticipating risk.' Its style is plain and direct, with frequent criticism of Buddhist practitioners of Chan who fail to understand the cultivation of life, making it one of the most practical introductory texts on Internal Alchemy of the Qing dynasty.

Key Ideas

• Immortals and Buddhas share a common origin; the Golden Immortal is the Buddha
• The Minor Celestial Circuit refines essence into qi: gathering, sealing, refining, and stopping
• The Ren–Du Celestial Circuit and fire phasing
• Refining the self and laying the foundation; guarding against danger and anticipating risk

Structure

Twenty short chapters, with accompanying diagrams.

Editions

• The Wuliu xianzong edition
• The Daozang Jiyao edition
• The Daozang Jinghua Lu edition

Translations

• Partial English translation by Eva Wong (Cultivating the Energy of Life, 1998)

Full Text & Online Resources

• Wikipedia: Liu Huayang
• CTEXT (Chinese Text Project) search

Related scriptures

Related figures