The Tiger Expounded the Dao

In cultivation, if one took the Left Path, Qi WuHuo could already enter the Dao and cultivate supernatural powers. But to walk the dignified, orthodox path, one needed Complete Essence, Complete Qi, and Complete Spirit.

His Primordial Spirit had already formed, and he had nurtured his vital qi. But he had no method for cultivating Primordial Essence.

The striped tiger asked solemnly, "Would you hear my Dao?" He looked every bit like a wild Daoist, seated by the snowy bamboo grove, watching the snow and discussing the Dao. The boy froze, then set down his basket, straightened his clothes, and cupped his hands in reply:

"It is exactly what I have wished for, though I would not have dared ask."

The tiger roared with laughter.

His voice shook the surrounding miles and made the pine trees tremble. Snow fell from their branches. The tiger laughed and said, "Please, take a seat."

The ground lay covered in snow, transformed into a Daoist sanctuary. The tiger sat upright atop the highest green stone, while Qi WuHuo sat to one side. The many beasts that had gained spiritual awareness took their seats in turn. Monkeys scratched their ears and cheeks; spirit serpents coiled up, flicking their tongues; birds folded their wings and perched on the branches.

The tiger's gaze swept over them, then he slowly began:

"Today, a new fellow cultivator has joined our gathering, so I shall expound the Dao. When cultivating, the first priority is Primordial Essence! What is called Primordial Essence is the fundamental substance of flesh and blood in all living things. Ordinary martial artists and those who follow the Left Path say that essence means blood, qi, sinew, and bone. They are gravely mistaken. Cultivating that way is like climbing a tree to catch a fish: the more you cultivate, the farther you stray."

"What is Primordial Essence?"

"The Great Dao says—"

"Within the hazy depths, seek the image; within the dark and dim, search for true essence."

"Being and nonbeing enter each other through this. If it has not been seen, how can it be imagined into existence?"

"And in chapter twenty-one of the Dao Ancestor's Classic of the Way, it says: 'The Dao, as a thing, is only hazy and indistinct. Indistinct, hazy—within it is an image; hazy, indistinct—within it is a thing; deep and dark—within it is essence.'"

"This essence is what we call Primordial Essence."

"To call it hazy and indistinct, dark and dim, means that Primordial Essence is not something with form or substance. Rather, it permeates the five organs, six bowels, and every limb and bone. The text also says to search for true essence within the dark and dim."

"What does it mean to search? It means to seek."

"And what do you seek with? You seek with the spirit."

"What the Dao Ancestor means is this."

"Primordial Essence lies hidden deep within every limb and bone, yet cannot be sensed in ordinary circumstances. Only in a hazy, indistinct state can it be felt. Let the spirit be the body and the intent its function; in the moment between seeming and nonbeing, gather and refine it from within every limb and bone!"

"This is the 'refining essence' in Refining Essence to Transform Qi."

"It means finding the Primordial Essence within every limb and bone, then gathering and refining it."

"And why refine it?"

"'By observing the truth of one thing, we behold the nature of all things; all of it comes down to honoring this primordial qi.' This is because Primordial Essence is the fundamental substance of all life, the very foundation of life! In certain great lineages, it is called the Life Treasure."

"Take back your own Life Treasure from the Creation of Heaven and Earth. When a cultivator reaches this realm, he gains Complete Longevity. He suffers neither natural disaster nor human calamity, remains free of all illness, and dies peacefully of old age. Such a being is called a Daoist elder."

The tiger's deep voice echoed as he explained the Daoist methods of cultivation.

After explaining at length, he shook his head and sighed:

"Refining essence and transforming qi were originally two separate steps. First, gather and refine the Primordial Essence in the five organs and six bowels, taking back my Life Treasure from the Creation of Heaven and Earth. Only then can one know that my fate rests in my own hands. After that, use the spirit to control qi; let qi and essence unite and transform into Primordial Prenatal Qi. From then on, one is free of all restraints."

"Cast off the mortal and take another step forward. A human may be called a True Person; a beast may shed its beastly form and receive offerings."

"But the further this was passed down beyond the Daoist sect, the more errors crept in. The two steps became one, until in the end people were actually gathering and refining their own flesh and blood to temper their inner qi. What a grievous distortion of the teachings..."

"Cultivation is about perfecting oneself. Flesh and blood are no less important than the Primordial Spirit."

"How could one gather and refine them!"

"The Daoist forebears hid the key and essential methods within a few brief words. Unless one inherited the lineage, one could not receive the true transmission. What a pity."

As the tiger sighed, he seemed like an old Daoist who had wandered the world for ages, deeply puzzled by the choices of the Daoist ancestors. Yet his body was mighty and imposing, his spirit vast, like that of a gallant hero. Qi WuHuo listened, suddenly enlightened.

He murmured to himself, "'Refining essence,' 'transforming qi.'"

The knowledge the old man who claimed to share the Dao Ancestor's surname had taught him earlier now seemed clearer.

The tiger glanced at him. His voice low, he continued:

"The Dao Ancestor's Classic of the Way says: 'Its essence is utterly real; within it lies certainty.'"

"From ancient times to the present, its name has never vanished, through which it has observed the beginnings of all things."

"How do I know the form of the beginnings of all things?"

"'Its essence is utterly real' means that Primordial Essence truly exists. And 'through which it has observed the beginnings of all things': 'observe' means to receive; 'beginnings' means the start. In other words, Primordial Essence is the source from which all things arise, the beginning of their birth."

"Above all, this is important!"

A bird whose feathers shimmered with a strange light listened, its eyes shining with delight. It bowed its head and said, "I have now learned the method of cultivating Primordial Essence!"

"I beg you, Mountain Lord, teach me the orthodox method!"

A monkey scratched its ears and cheeks, then prostrated itself. "I beg you, Mountain Lord Patriarch, teach me the orthodox method! Pass on the true teachings!"

The tiger's presence was imposing. He furrowed his brow, shook his head, and spoke in a low voice:

"The way of transforming qi is the way of a True Person. Your qi has not yet become fully harmonious, and your spirit cannot leave your body. You have not yet gathered and refined your Primordial Essence. If I passed this on to you, even the Great Dao of the orthodox method would be twisted into the Left Path!"

The tiger glanced at Qi WuHuo.

Qi WuHuo lowered his eyes, lost in thought.

What the old man had told him earlier was the most basic method: use the spirit to control qi, use qi to refine the flesh and blood, and when the flesh and blood became harmonious and pure, Primordial Essence would naturally gather. But the tiger before him had taught him another method from the Dao Ancestor: gather and refine essence in the far-off, dim reaches, reclaiming his Life Treasure.

One relied on nonaction, the other on gradual cultivation.

Yet they seemed to confirm one another.

Just then, the tiger glanced at the little green cauldron and struck it with a paw. The cauldron rose into the air. It gave a slight tremor, and in an instant, endless green light poured from it. The little cauldron transformed into a massive vessel, decorated with ancient Taotie patterns. Three iron rings hung from the mouths of the beasts, arranged in the positions of the Three Powers, and clanged against the vessel.

The cauldron hung in the air, flames enveloping it as it turned through nine cycles.

The medicinal materials gathered by the spirits from more than a dozen nearby mountains were melted into it and refined in Tiger Fire. Gradually, an incredibly rich medicinal fragrance began to spread.

It was not wine, yet the whole hall of spirits grew drunk. They swayed their heads, staggered on their feet, and watched the world spin as if the heavens themselves were about to topple over. Only the blue-robed youth sat upright. The tiger struck the great cauldron, and its rumbling sounded like rushing water taking a turn.

"Come, let us all drink!"

The green spirit liquid was distilled, and lotus leaves curled in the air, transforming into cup after cup. The liquid inside gleamed jade-green, yet was also crystal-clear.

The tiger drank first, emptying his cup in one gulp.

Qi WuHuo's Primordial Spirit sensed no malice. He took the cup, and when the tiger urged him to drink quickly before the medicinal effects faded, he too drained it in one gulp.

The spirit liquid slid down his throat, leaving him pleasantly tipsy. But a moment later, he sensed something different. His body grew drowsy, yet his qi and blood steadied; his Primordial Spirit emerged. Qi WuHuo felt it with perfect clarity: his Primordial Spirit was slipping slightly out of his body, his flesh and blood were gathering, and his vital qi was flowing through every limb and bone.

Within the far-off, dim depths, gather and refine essence.

The beasts lay scattered on the ground, dead drunk, while the boy sat cross-legged in the falling snow.

The tiger perched on the green stone, beating the great cauldron. Its thunderous sound rang out, and he threw back his head in a long laugh:

"The Dao, as a thing, is only hazy and indistinct."

"Seek and seek, yet in the end it cannot be grasped."

"Cultivate the Dao!"

"Seek immortality!"

"Seek eternal life!"

"Behold the world, vast as a plate; this is a single pill in my home!"

"If you would understand, appear and vanish at will; do not mistake outward form for the mind you behold."

When he finished laughing, he drank the spirit liquid as if it were wine.

Snow fell among the mountains.

The tiger expounded the Dao.

Qi WuHuo's eyes were half-closed as he circulated his breath.

All things hold great medicine within them. Gather and refine it, cast off the body shaped by Creation, and reclaim my original qi.

He had no idea how much time had passed. Faintly, he sensed an incomparably pure substance gathering within every limb and bone.

The tiger raised his eyes, staring wide.

So soon?!

Primordial Essence had gathered.

PS: The explanations in this chapter regarding the Classic of the Way and records of Daoist cultivation were drawn from the Fangxian Dao Patriarch, True Person He Shang, also known as He Shang Gong; the Northern Song True Person Ziyang's Chapter of Understanding Reality; and the founder of the Daoist Western School, True Person Chang Yi, Li Hanxu.