六壬法教

Module 1: Neidan — Internal Alchemy (内丹 Nèi Dān)

Internal Alchemy (内丹 Nèi Dān) is the crown jewel of the Mountain Arts. It redirected the ancient pursuit of External Alchemy (外丹 Wài Dān) — the literal compounding of elixirs from minerals like cinnabar and lead — into an interior practice using the body itself as the alchemical furnace (炉鼎 lú dǐng). Through precise methods of meditation, breathing, and intention, the practitioner refines the raw substances of the body into ever-subtler forms of energy and consciousness.

1.1 The Three Treasures (三宝 Sān Bǎo)

The foundational substances of all Neidan practice are the Three Treasures (三宝) . Every cultivation method — whether Qigong, meditation, or martial arts — ultimately works with these three:

1.2 The Four Stages of Transformation (四步功夫 Sì Bù Gōng Fū)

Neidan cultivation proceeds through four clearly defined stages. Each stage transforms the substance refined in the previous stage into a subtler form, ascending from the material toward the immaterial:

1.3 The Microcosmic & Macrocosmic Orbits

小周天 Xiǎo Zhōu Tiān — Microcosmic Orbit (Small Heavenly Circuit) is the foundational energy circulation of Neidan practice. Qi circulates continuously between two extraordinary vessels:

The Qi ascends through three critical gates (三关 Sān Guān) along the spine: the 尾闾关 Wěi Lǘ Guān (Coccyx Gate) at the base, the 夹脊关 Jiā Jǐ Guān (Spinal Gate) between the shoulder blades, and the 玉枕关 Yù Zhěn Guān (Jade Pillow Gate) at the occiput. The tongue touching the upper palate (搭鹊桥 dā què qiáo, "building the Magpie Bridge") completes the circuit by connecting the two vessels.

大周天 Dà Zhōu Tiān — Macrocosmic Orbit (Great Heavenly Circuit) expands circulation to include all twelve primary meridians and the eight extraordinary vessels (奇经八脉 qí jīng bā mài). Qi flows through all six Yin and six Yang meridians of the hands and feet, plus the full extraordinary vessel network including the 冲脉 Chōng Mài (Penetrating Vessel) and 带脉 Dài Mài (Belt Vessel). The practitioner's body becomes a unified field of circulating Qi with no blockages.

1.4 The Three Dantian (三丹田 Sān Dān Tián)

The Dantian (丹田, "Elixir Fields") are the three primary energy centers of the body — the alchemical laboratories where transformation occurs:

Module 2: Qigong Systems (气功功法 Qì Gōng Gōng Fǎ)

Qigong (气功) — literally "energy work" or "breath skill" — encompasses the vast array of exercises designed to cultivate, circulate, and refine Qi within the body. These practices bridge the gap between the physical and the spiritual, serving as both health maintenance and preparation for deeper Neidan work. The major traditional systems each have distinct purposes, element associations, and organ targets.

2.1 The Six Major Qigong Systems

2.2 Ba Duan Jin — The Eight Brocades in Detail

The Ba Duan Jin (八段锦) is the most accessible and widely practiced Qigong system. Its eight movements systematically address each organ system:

2.3 Liu Zi Jue — Six Healing Sounds and Emotional Clearing

The Six Healing Sounds (六字诀) use specific vocal vibrations to release stagnant Qi and clear associated negative emotions from each organ:

Module 3: Bigu & Esoteric Cultivation Practices (辟谷·符箓·咒语)

3.1 Bigu — Grain Avoidance (辟谷 Bì Gǔ)

Bigu (辟谷, literally "avoiding grains") is one of the oldest documented cultivation practices, appearing in texts as early as the Mawangdui manuscripts (马王堆帛书, c. 168 BCE). The Que Gu Shi Qi (却谷食气, "Rejecting Grains and Feeding on Qi") describes techniques for replacing food intake with Qi cultivation. Famous historical practitioners include 赤松子 Chì Sōng Zǐ (Red Pine Master), 彭祖 Péng Zǔ (said to have lived 800 years), 陈抟 Chén Tuán (the "Sleeping Immortal" who fasted for months on Mount Hua), and 孙思邈 Sūn Sī Miǎo (the "King of Medicine").

3.2 The Three Worms Theory (三虫/三尸 Sān Chóng / Sān Shī)

Daoist cosmology identifies three "worms" or "corpse spirits" residing in the three Dantian that undermine the cultivator's progress. By avoiding grains, the cultivator starves the Three Worms, weakening their grip on consciousness:

On 庚申 (Gēng Shēn) days — when the Heavenly Stem Geng (庚 Metal) combines with the Earthly Branch Shen (申 Monkey, also Metal) — the Three Worms are said to ascend to Heaven to report the cultivator's transgressions. Practitioners traditionally stay awake all night on Geng-Shen days (守庚申 shǒu gēng shēn) to prevent this.

3.3 Fu Lu — Talismanic Arts for Self-Cultivation (符箓 Fú Lù)

While talismans are commonly understood as external magical instruments, within the Mountain Arts framework they serve a profound internal function. The classic axiom states:

"符者，合也。以我之神，合彼之神。"
Fú zhě, hé yě. Yǐ wǒ zhī shén, hé bǐ zhī shén.
"A talisman is a 'joining.' It joins my spirit with that spirit."

The act of drawing a talisman (画符 huà fú) is itself a meditation practice — the brush stroke requires concentration of Shen (聚神 jù shén), the breath must be coordinated with each stroke (一笔一气 yī bǐ yī qì), and the practitioner must enter a specific state of visualization (存想 cún xiǎng). Without genuine internal cultivation, the talisman is merely ink and paper.

3.4 Mantra & Incantation (咒语/真言 Zhòu Yǔ / Zhēn Yán)

Sound is understood in Chinese cultivation as a direct manifestation of Qi. Mantras operate on multiple levels: physical vibration (specific sounds resonate with specific organs), Qi activation (mantras activate specific meridian circuits), Shen alignment (rhythmic repetition entrains consciousness), and cosmic resonance (certain sound patterns invite cosmic forces through 感应 gǎn yìng — "sympathetic response").

Each of the five Yin organs has associated deity-mantras from the 黄庭经 Huáng Tíng Jīng (Yellow Court Scripture) tradition, which maps an interior pantheon of body deities (身神 shēn shén):

Module 4: Martial Arts Theory (武术理论 Wǔ Shù Lǐ Lùn)

The Internal School (内家 Nèi Jiā) of Chinese martial arts is directly connected to the Mountain Arts. Unlike the External School (外家 Wài Jiā), which emphasizes muscular strength and speed, the Internal School cultivates internal power (内劲 nèi jìn) through Qi development, structural alignment, and mind-body integration. The internal martial arts are not merely fighting methods — they are moving Neidan (动功 dòng gōng).

4.1 The Three Internal Arts (内家三拳 Nèi Jiā Sān Quán)

4.2 The Five Element Fists of Xing Yi Quan (五行拳 Wǔ Xíng Quán)

Xing Yi Quan is uniquely structured around the Five Elements (五行), using both the generating cycle (相生 xiāng shēng) for building power and the overcoming cycle (相克 xiāng kè) for combat strategy. The practitioner reads the opponent's "element" and responds with the overcoming element:

4.3 How Martial Training Supports Neidan Cultivation

• Opening the Channels: Physical movements of Tai Ji, Ba Gua, and Xing Yi systematically open all meridians, preparing the body for deep Qi circulation.
• Strengthening the Qi Vessel: Martial conditioning builds the body's capacity to hold and circulate larger volumes of Qi.
• Grounding the Spirit: Physical practice anchors the Shen, preventing the common meditator's problem of "floating" or disconnection from the body.
• Testing Cultivation: Push hands (推手 tuī shǒu) provides real-time feedback on the quality of one's internal development — a truth test for cultivation claims.
• Building Martial Virtue (武德 Wǔ Dé): The ethical dimension of martial training cultivates patience, humility, and courage — essential qualities for spiritual development.

Module 5: Daily Cultivation Schedule (日常修炼时间表)

The Chinese body clock — Zi Wu Liu Zhu (子午流注) — maps the peak activity of each organ to a two-hour period (时辰 shí chen). An optimal cultivation schedule aligns practice with these natural rhythms, working with the body's Qi tides rather than against them. This is the practical application of the principle 天人合一 (tiān rén hé yī) — "Heaven and Human as One."

5.1 The Twelve-Hour Organ Clock

5.2 Weekly Elemental Focus Framework

For a structured approach, each day of the week can emphasize a specific element and its associated organ, with weekends reserved for integration and rest: