This paper is about the Fifteen Discourse 重陽立教十五論 asserted by the famous Taoist Wang Chung-yang 王重陽 (1113-1169), who established the Quan-zhen Dao 全真道 in Sung dynasty. My intention is to investigate the methodology of the discourses to see how much it is influenced by the Confucianism, and Buddhism. And, with these elementary materials, I will try to sort out what are the main differences of the practices of moral activities in Confucianism, and the similarities of achieving the purity of mind in that of Buddhism. However, I need to emphasize the contribution of his efforts to the development and inheritance of the traditional Taoism. As we know from the history he stands as a symbol denoting the great synthesis of the three teaching: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Of course, I couldn’t deny that this synthesis was not merely the merit of Wang Chung-yang, and it might be credited to the natural cultural development when the three teaching had already been proposed since Six dynasty. But on behalf of Taoism Wang Chung-yang did establish a characterized system of religion as well as philosophical approach that appropriately suited to the society of his time. Among all of what he had asserted, the most important features were the methodology of the ontology as well as the cosmology in presenting the way of practice toward immortality. Anyway, this is also the traditional attitude in Taoism, while throughout the history, the ultimate concern of the religion must be in this area: the way of achieving immortality.

There are quite a lot of studies and researches by scholars nowadays in the theories and the practices of Quan-zhen Dao. For one thing, Quan-zhen Dao is the most important Taoist religion after Jin-yuan period (1115-1368) and it really has a tremendous impact toward the history of Taoism. Just with this reason we couldn’t take it for granted. Moreover, the studies of Quan-zhen Dao ought to be started with his earliest thoughts, especially those of the founder. Some important parts in the methodology of the earliest Quan-zhen Dao were asserted by the Seven Disciple of Wang Chung-yang, knowing that these seven disciples had their own different characteristics in giving out the system of their master. Their personalities even in some way overrode their teacher. For example, Qiu Chu-ji 丘處機 is one of the figures that dominate and attract scholars to study for the sake of his importance in the political achievements. In fact, the thoughts founded by Wang Chung-yang ought to be understood also by looking into the scriptures and the dialogues of the seven disciples. For this I will also put my attention on the relevant materials of his students, and some other texts written by him in Chung-yang Quan-zhen Ji 重陽全真集 (The Collections of Wang Chung-yang’s Quan-zhen Dao) will also be used in backing up my arguments.

From the very beginning of Quan-zhen Dao, the synthesis of the three teaching has been elaborately brought forward with the slogan “the Tao of Confucius and Buddha are the same, the three teaching have got the same ancestor”. This philosophy has grounded the basic thoughts of the Seven Disciple and it is commonly assumed that in that period of time, the three schools of thought, Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, present three different ways of thinking but with the same ultimate reality in character. The ability of this big task of synthesis is located at the methodology of the practices of Wang Chung-yang. He and his disciples adopted the idea of shi-xin 識心 (the cognitive mind) of Buddhism and claimed the similarity of xin and Tao. This would then deduce that the physical changes of beings were actually the changes of the subjective mind, however this set up the main structure of the ontology of Quan-zhen Dao. Secondly, he and his disciples had borrowed from Zen Buddhism the thought wu-chang 無常 (without regularity) to tell people the “suffering” of life. From this point he successfully established a system of immortality that people could attain immortal state by just transforming their suffering into the most purity of their reality. Thus he developed a new system of immortality that was entirely different from the tradition. At least his assertion of suffering is contradictory to the traditional saying of the human lives that are considered as valuable and joyful. In addition, he had also transplanted the Confucius ethics onto the foundation of the practices of immortality. Moral actions and the practices toward immortality are in some way related with each other. The practice of mind and the practice of physical body are actually two different categories and hard to link together in terms of epistemology, however, this becomes the characteristic of the methodology of Wang Chung-yang. There is confusion in the arguments when Wang Chung-yang talked about the practice of xin 心 (mind) and tried to call this practice the practice of physical xin (heart), as we know, the moral creativity of Confucianism is different from the practice of immortality.

Hence, the main body of this paper consists of two sections. The first devoted to the understanding of methodology of Wang Chung-yang by using the Fifteen Discourse as the focus of investigation, with other texts of Wang Chung-yang as supplementary materials. The second section consists of two parts. One is the discussion toward the problems arise in his discourses, especially on the similarities of the practice of mind of Buddhism. The other one is to examine with the differences of the practice of moral creativity of Confucianism. It is hoped that I can illustrate from examples provided in the texts of Wang Chung-yang as well as his disciples that his methodology is in some way changing the traditional discourse of inner alchemy. This is a revolution of Taoism.

Wang Chung-yang had put much effort in the use of knowledge. This is generally classified into two aspects. One is the knowledge attained from yun-you 雲遊 (the travel), the other is those from the books. As in the former, Wang Chung-yang didn’t recommend the travel with just playing with the water and mountain, the correct attitude of travel should include the activities of enhancing one’s own insight toward Tao. He said in the Fifteen Discourse, “During the travel, one has to ask the origin of his life with both the answers to xing 性 and ming 命 . He should not be tired of asking Tao. Once he got the enlightenment from a word he would have the sparkling of the Inner Light and totally understand the meaning of life and death; and hence, he is said to be the real man of Quan-zhen.” Other than the knowledge getting from travel, the importance of reading books is also a necessary condition of a Quan-zhen disciple. However, the main theme of the studies from books is just like that from the travel. The purpose of reading is just on the practice of xin and xing, he said, “The way of learning is not just confined into the meanings of characters for it will disturb our sights. The better way is to pick up those interesting parts and store them in the thoughts. The accumulating materials will, for the time being, deliver an Inner Light of thoughts and, at this moment our understanding becomes a state of ever knowing of everything and thus no problems cannot be dissolved. Right now, we have to restore our thoughts and make no more chasing for knowledge; or otherwise, we will lose our xing and ming.” From this point of view, the cognitive mind is only the means to the achievement of the origin of xin. Both of the knowledge acquired from the travel and the books are targeting for a higher level of insights. Wang Chung-yang named this the Wisdom. This is noted in the next point.

In Wang Chung-yang’s system of thought, the Tao, the formless and undifferentiated energy, is the underlying reality of all things. To merge with the Tao is to draw energy from this source of life. Of course, this is longevity. However, the ultimate reality of the Tao can be experienced only by original mind, which is the emptiness of thoughts. This argument is the main feature of the methodology, but at the same time, is also the central area where problems might arise in accordance with the traditional Taoism he followed as well as the thoughts of Confucianism and Buddhism he borrowed from. Here I try to pick out some major problems and discuss as follows.

3.1 Wang Chung-yang’s school adopted Confucianism’s Xiao Jing and Buddhism’s Heart Sutra into his repertoire of scriptures. Of the Taoist texts, the Tao-te Ching and the Ching-ching Ching 清靜經 (The Book of Cultivating Stillness) were especially important. Seriously speaking, the benefits of the adoption of the other philosophies will result in contradictions of different ultimate goals of different religions. The synthesis of the three teaching indeed reflects various situations beyond the story. As for Wang Chung-yang, the Tao is the ultimate goal and the use of Confucianism and Buddhism is only on the ethics of the former and the practices of xin of the latter. Xiao Jing is the book of filial piety where we can learn mainly the family ethics and it is the most important part of the Confucius’ ethics though. The famous thought of Confucianism is that moral act diverse from an own self toward the closest relatives, then the country, and the last, the people and the world. Undoubtedly, like all other predecessors, Wang Chung-yang had to establish his methodology in coherent with the Confucius’ ethics. For one thing, the Confucius’ ethics provides paradigms, principles and ideals more clearly than Taoism, and for another, Wang Chung-yang did have an intention to trace out a new big school in order to continue the tradition. In this sense, the adoption of the practices of xin from Buddhism really provides him the ability to recruit more followers. While the traditional practices of inner alchemy worked on the enormous transformation of the physical body toward immortality that had always been criticized as impossible. The history tells us that he really succeeded in founding a big school and his religion did influence the culture. And the most impressive result is that the practices of xin, so-called as xing kung, has long been used after Wang Chung-yang and his Seven Disciple, and flourished by Wu-liu school 伍柳派at Ming and Ching dynasty. Even nowadays the practitioners seem to follow the xing kung more than the ming kung. The famous book, Tai-yi Jin-hua Zhong-zhi 太乙金華宗旨 (The Secret of the Golden Flower) also known by the foreigners, is one of the typical texts that emphasized in xing kung. The prosperity of the inner alchemy is obviously due to the easy way of the practices. However, those problems arise from the improper assertion of the inner alchemy are the most important, and this will be discussed next.

3.2 As said above, the methodology of xing kung in the practices is actually, on the other hand, an improper assertion by Wang Chung-yang. I am not arguing with the improper assertion of xing kung in the practices for, xing kung and ming kung are equally important in the philosophies of Zhong-lu 鍾呂. Wang Chung-yang himself also claimed the practices as the dual cultivation of body and mind. However, the inadequacy is his confusion in bringing out the two concepts. In the methodology he argued that the practices of suppressing the xin would eventually succeed in the Inner Saint and this was what the immortal should be. The idea of suppressing the xin was actually targeting for restoring the shen仙. And, the shen is the Inner Saint. He also argued that the immortal state was just like the lotus flower and its root: the flower was the shen, the immortal; and the root was the physical body. From this point of view, the human body, even though a series of practices being done, is still an ordinary mortal body. There are no changes or any transformation at all. As we know, the transcendence of the mind or say, the xin or the xing, does not physically and directly affect the body. That is also why Wang Chung-yang’s teacher, Lu Dong-bin 呂洞賓 , had to emphasize the united practices of xing and ming. So he said,

"Just to practice the xing without any of ming is the first illness toward the practices of Tao, just to practice the inherited xing without any practice of dan 丹 (cinnabar) will result in the difficulties of transcending the yin spirit into the Saint even though generations passed. On the other hand, achieving the end processing of the practices of body but losing the inherited xing will be as same as the moment when we wish to see our faces we have no mirrors. This is just like an idiot who has got the longevity like the heaven and earth, or the one who has got the authority of the house treasures lacks of the power of decision making.”

The claims of Lu Dong-bin obviously denoted the important practices of both xing and ming. The transformation during the practices of ming kung, in the inner alchemy of Zhong-lu, is not like that of Wang Chung-yang; while as in the former, the body is a real physical body that can last as long as the heaven and earth. It implies that the ming kung is the training which can change the physical human body and not just deal with the xin and shen. The suppressing of the xin and the practices of xing kung only remains on the subjective level of changing in mind. This idea can also be found in the texts Zhong-lu Chuan-dao Ji (The Book of Passing the Tao from Zhong to Lu):

"The burning of the three dan-tiens 丹田 (the storing pools of cinnabar) results in acquiring the dan 丹 (cinnabar) which permanently located in the lower abdomen. Further practices of the human form will finally attain the immortal body and becomes the De-xian 地仙 (the Earth Immortal)… When the entire yin transforms into the pure yang, it happens that a new body appears beyond the original body. At this moment the yang will turn the body into the immortal and thereafter, all other routines on earth will not be cared any more and then he returns to three mountains. We call it Shen-xian 神仙 (the Spirit Immortal)…However, the Shen-xian hates to stay on earth and so, he passes the Tao to an extent that he accumulates the merits on the way with the widespread virtues. One day when he achieves the required level he will be honored with a heavenly memorial and back to the dong-tien 洞天 (the palace of the heaven).”

Here the immortal states are actually divided into five levels, named Gui-xian 鬼仙 (the Ghost Immortal), Ren-xian 人仙 (the Human Immortal), De-xian (the Earth Immortal), Shen-xian 神仙 (the Spirit Immortal) and Tien-xian 天仙 (the Heaven Immortal). The achievement of De-xian, Shen-xian and Tien-xian is entirely based on the level of practices toward the yang. But the most important point we have to concern is that those practices will transform the body into various states of immortality. This is a factual transformation. It thus shows the distinct arguments in the methodology of Wang Chung-yang. However, as said in his discourses, he still argued that the efforts of the practices would result in the appearance of dan-sha 丹砂 (cinnabar). And the brightness of this dan-sha was interpreted as the shen 神 (the pure yang) that could finally free from the body (shell) and wander through the space. This shen, as he said, is the lotus flower and the body left behind is the lotus root. The argument here is clearly a contradiction. Dan-sha should be the origin of the energy that could transform the body into the immortal state. And this should be a real physical change. Evidences can be found in the text of Zhong Li-quan, named Po-mi Zheng-dao Ge 破迷正道歌 (The Song of Disclosing the Mystery) “The blood turns into grease and the flesh becomes silver after hundred days of safety practices. And, the jade-like grease flows and soaks through the whole body then brightness appears in the next hundred days of careful practices.” This shows the factual phenomena of the result of the practices of the ming kung. Wang Chung-yang had on one side used the traditional alchemical terms as well as the descriptions of the transformation, while on the other side adopted the easier way of practices as used in the ming kung. Obviously he is quite misleading as he is using the words of ming kung to talk about the xing kung. This seems to be the weakness of his methodology and the traditional meanings of xing and ming as stated in Zhong-lu’s inner alchemy are greatly confused by Wang Chung-yang’s interpretations.

3.3 The aim of the changing of Wang Chung-yang’s methodology in inner alchemy is to create an easier way to practice. But the reasons why he had got the changes should also refer to the influence of Buddhism. There are similarities in the practices of xin in the two philosophies. As in the discourses, Wang Chung-yang had asserted that the xin was similar to the lotus flower. It could, in a certain extent after practices, transcend to the shen where the immortal state would happen. So, the Tao is definitely related with the transcendent xin. As stated in the discourses, Wang Chung-yang had put the transcendent xin on the same level as the origin xing, and this highest level was equivalent to the ultimate reality, the Tao. He said, “When there are no thoughts the xin transcends beyond the sphere of desire; when there are no themes the xin transcends beyond the sphere of phenomena; when there is no chasing of emptiness the xin transcends beyond the sphere of non-phenomena. The place where the shen stays as the immortal level is just beyond these three spheres. And the xing stays at this purity state.” However, the thoughts of the Three Spheres are extracted from Buddhism. Wang Chung-yang had used the xin practices of Buddhism to erect his thoughts toward immortality. This point is argumentative as just discussed before, the immortality here is the transcendence of the xin, or say in a simple way, a transcendence of the soul. Anyway, the adoptions of the thoughts of Buddhism finally result in the argument with the xin being the ultimate concern of reality. Once the human can control the xin he has no more disturbances from outer activities, no more desire toward the phenomena, and also, no more thoughts of the emptiness. The xin becomes the one and the only one means to reach the Tao. There are some reasons why Wang Chung-yang purposely employed the practice of the xin: he was aware of the hardship of the society and thus brought forward the concepts of wu-chang and “suffering”. These two also came from Buddhism. In his argument, Wang Chung-yang said that the life was an illusion from which the suffering had invaded. He sighed, “The word wu-chang is challenging the scholars and the saints. They all scare of old ages. They think hard and suddenly aware of the emptiness of their lives.” And, “The body is so weak like the grass and dew that are easily attacked by the sunlight. Then they turn into soil. Nothing will be left after one hundred year. However, people like to commit with the temporal dusty world and immerse into the hardship of suffering.” Mahayana early introduced the concept of “suffering”, where the suffering was considered as the result of the act of xin (mind). It said, “The action of mind is the suffering, this is the origin of all kinds of suffering on earth.” With this influence, Wang Chung-yang asserted in the discourses that the stillness of the xin is the main practice toward attaining the great Tao. This characterizes the methodology of Wang Chung-yang’ Fifteen Discourse and honestly speaking, is a result of synthesis of Taoism and Zen Buddhism.

3.4 The problems arise from Wang Chung-yang in employing the xin as the ontological reality are not only the impossibility of immortality. The term xin, which also appears very often in Confucianism, had been interpreted differently when he asserted in the discourses. There are two meanings of xin. One is the cognitive mind and the other is the ultimate reality as said before. Wang Chung-yang had used the cognitive mind in arguing about the benefits of learning from the books and those from the travel. But people had to gain enlightenment through all kinds of knowledge. This is the transcendence of the xin from a cognitive agent, (shi-xin 識心 ) to a substantive essence. The first part, the use of the cognitive mind, can be categorized into the Confucianism, as Confucius said “that learning something and applying in a right way is pleasing.” It is no need to argue with the assertion of “learning” in Confucianism as throughout the history, the coherent structure of the scholars and the teachings of Confucianism have never ceased. While the concept of xin, as interpreted by the Neo-Confucianism in Sung dynasty, consists of both the cognitive and substantive meanings. Just like what Cheng Hao 程顥 (1032-1085) talked about ren (benevolence) as “the chaos of beings”, that is, the transcendence of a cognitive mind toward the ontological reality. In addition, Liu Xiang-shan 陸象山 (1139-1192) also asserted the well-known argument “the cosmos is my mind and the mind is the cosmos”. The traditional inner alchemy concerns about the internal flowing of qi 氣 (internal air) and xie 血 (blood), where the qi comes from the kidneys and the xie comes from the heart. As in the discourses of Wang Chung-yang, the descriptions of the qi and xie are reflected as “the Green Dragon blows out the Reddish Fog and the White Tiger spits out the Black Smoke”. Here the Reddish Fog is the yang qi, named zheng-yang 正陽 ; and, the Black Smoke is the yin water, named zhen-yi 真一 . When the yang qi of zheng-yang meets the yin water of zhen-yi, the brightness of the dan appears. However, the theory here bases on the internal changes of the functions of real organs. The five qi and the three origins mentioned in the discourses are also real movements that refer to yang qi. All these phenomena only occur after series of practices. Here I argue that, for the first point, when Wang Chung-yang asserted the practices of xin toward the immortal state he was actually using the meaning of the real organ, the heart. Only the real organ, the heart, can contribute to the transformation of the body. It implies that the xin he was using is not the one with the ontological meaning. Secondly, Wang Chung-yang was using different concept of Confucianism for the practices, which is “the more we keep and make it grow, the higher level of the practice we achieve”. That is obviously borrowed from the Mencian thought “Practice the xin and know the xing. Know the xing and then know the heaven. Keep holding the xin and make the xing grow, that is the way to serve the heaven.” But it is controversial when Wang Chung-yang was talking about the practices of xin and keeping the growth of the fa-shen. Fa-shen is a term of Buddhism, which means the transcendent body. This achievement, according to Zen Buddhism, is rather from the enlightenment, than the efforts of training, growing or any endeavor of practices. It is different from building up the knowledge. As a result, Wang Chung-yang had created a major problem in his methodology in a way that he wrongly put together the two different concepts of xin of Confucianism and Zen Buddhism. From this, he had not merely separated the usage of the cognitive mind from the ultimate concern of the transcendent xin, but also, he further destroyed the structure of immortality that was well established by his predecessors Zhong Li-quan and Lu Dong-bin. This is also why from there onward, the attacks of the immortality of the religion have never ceased.