The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao

The Rhyme for Dispelling Illusion and Rectifying Dao ( 《破迷正道歌》 Po Mi Zheng Dao Ge ) is a 1-volumed Daoist book about inner alchemy ( 內丹 Neidan ). It was attributed to Zhong Liquan, the Zhengyang Perfect Man, who was a legendary a hermit of the Five Dynasties and one of the Five Northern Patriarchs ( 北五祖 Bei Wuzu ) of the Complete Perfection tradition, in that he was the teacher of the famous immortal Lu Dongbing. Already transmitted during the Northern Song, the book couldn't have been completed later than that time. The Song praises the way of inner alchemy for it's being rooted in the Anterior-heaven Vital Breath of Oneness ( 先天一氣 Xiantian Yiqi ): Anterior-heaven Vital Breath of Oneness attained, the sun and moon are mastered within one's grasp. A wise man, with the Anterior-heaven One-breath in hand, experiences ceaseless thunders all night. It also describes the medicine, medicine fetching, fire phases for refining golden elixirs ( 火候 Huohou ) of inner alchemy, "Reducing and increasing fire ( 抽添 Choutian ) applied in just a moment, the time is certain for fire phases and embryo forming. True fire fiercely burning the universe, the heaven and earth are red all through." The book stresses the importance of following a teacher in learning alchemy: "These formulae for golden liquid revision elixir are not to be learned without a true teacher." "Lucky enough to be directed by a wise teacher, one can master the creation in just a moment." Inner alchemy of the Song and Yuan Dynasties, much influenced by this song, often cited it. Later scholars also imitated its form of song. The Song, collected in the Subsection of Various Skills, Pervasive Perfection Section of the Daoist Canon of the Zhentong Era, is an essential text for the study of inner alchemy. 破迷正道歌