10: Chapter 10 The First Lesson of Zhongnan
Zhongnan Mountain, where clouds are deep and the path unknown.
Lu Mingyuan followed Xuanweizi for seven full days. They crossed three perilous peaks, forded two rushing streams, and finally passed through a thick, perpetual mist. Suddenly, the view opened up before them.
It was a valley hidden within the embrace of surrounding mountains. The valley floor was flat and expansive, covering about a hundred acres. At its center stood an ancient, simple Taoist temple. The temple was not large—a three-courtyard compound with dark grey tiles and walls, its eaves upturned at the corners, nestled amongst towering ancient trees, appearing both serene and solemn. A stream encircled the front of the temple, its waters gurgling softly; behind it stretched a bamboo grove that rustled when the wind passed through. Most wondrous of all was the mist above the valley—under his Tongming Vision, he could see iridescent clouds swirling within the mist, a phenomenon known as 'Lingxia' formed by the natural condensation of extremely dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
"We're here," Xuanweizi stopped at the foot of the stone steps before the temple, a trace of barely perceptible weariness in his voice.
Lu Mingyuan looked up. A wooden plaque hung above the temple gate, inscribed with three ancient seal characters: 'Xuanwei Temple.' The calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, with a faint sense of the Dao's rhythm flowing between the strokes. Two ancient pines, a thousand years old, stood before the gate, their gnarled branches twisting like dragons. Beneath them, stone stools and a table were spotless, clearly tended to regularly.
"This... is the Daoist master's place of cultivation?" Lu Mingyuan asked.
"One of them," Xuanweizi replied, stepping onto the stairs. "Zhongnan Mountain has seventy-two blessed lands. This valley is named 'Baopu' and is one of the more secluded ones. I have resided in this Xuanwei Temple for three hundred years."
Three hundred years. A slight tremor passed through Lu Mingyuan's heart as he followed up the stone steps.
Pushing open the temple gate, his eyes met a front courtyard paved with bluestone slabs. In the center of the courtyard was an ancient well, its mouth mottled with moss, the well rope worn smooth and shiny from use. To the left were several plots of medicinal herbs; to the right was a practice ground, its floor paved with fine blue bricks. At the center, a taiji diagram was inlaid with black and white pebbles, slightly worn and depressed from being trodden upon.
"Grandmaster has returned!" a clear, childlike voice called from the rear courtyard.
Immediately, two young novices hurried out. Both looked to be around ten years old, dressed in blue Taoist robes with their hair tied in double buns. The one leading was a round-faced boy, followed by a slightly shy-looking girl. Upon seeing Xuanweizi, they quickly performed a Taoist salute, then stole curious glances at Lu Mingyuan.
"Qingfeng, Mingyue, this is Lu Mingyuan. He will be staying at the temple for now," Xuanweizi introduced simply, then turned to Lu Mingyuan. "These are my two young attendants. They handle the temple's miscellaneous affairs. In the future, if you need anything, feel free to ask them."
Lu Mingyuan hastily returned the salute. The two young novices giggled and ran off, soon returning with hot water and cloth towels, then going to prepare tea and a meal. It was clear Xuanweizi usually treated them with kindness; they were respectful but not fearful.
"Come with me first," Xuanweizi said, leading Lu Mingyuan through the front courtyard into the main hall.
The hall did not enshrine the Three Pure Ones but rather a scroll depicting a taiji diagram. Below the scroll, the incense altar was tidy. In a bronze censer, sandalwood incense still smoldered, its bluish smoke curling upward. On the walls on either side hung calligraphy and paintings, all containing passages from the tao te ching, the brushwork originating from the same hand as the plaque above the gate.
"No statues of deities are worshipped here?" Lu Mingyuan was somewhat surprised.
"The Dao resides in the heart, not in images," Xuanweizi answered lightly. "For those who cultivate the Dao, we revere heaven, emulate the ancestors, honor the Dao, and value virtue. Why be bound by clay statues or wooden carvings?"
He walked to a writing desk at the side of the hall. On it were neatly stacked dozens of bamboo scrolls and books. "Starting today, you will come here each day at Chen hour. I will instruct you in the fundamentals of the Daoist path. From Si hour to Wu hour, you will study these classics on your own. At Wei hour, practice; at Shen hour, review. After You hour, you may arrange your time freely."
Lu Mingyuan looked at the pile of books. With a quick scan, he saw classics like the tao te ching, the Nanhua Jing, the Chongxu Jing, the Zhouyi Cantongqi, the Huangting Jing, as well as compilations like the Yunji Qiqian and the Daozang Jiyao, along with many texts he had never heard of.
"Are these... all to be read?" he couldn't help but ask.
"No need to rush," Xuanweizi shook his head. "Cultivation is like building a pagoda. If the Foundation is not solid, the earth will shake and the mountains will tremble. What I wish to teach you is not the rote memorization of these classics, but the understanding of the 'Dao' contained within them."
He pulled out a scroll of the tao te ching and unrolled the first chapter: "Take, for example, 'The Dao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Dao.' There are countless interpretations in the world. Some say the 'Dao' is ineffable, some say it is the Law, others say it is the Origin. All are correct, and yet all are incorrect."
Lu Mingyuan focused intently, listening quietly.
"The true 'Dao' requires you to comprehend it with your own heart," Xuanweizi set down the scroll. "Therefore, for the first lesson, I will not teach you scriptures. Instead, I will teach you three things."
"Please, Master... no, please instruct me, Teacher," Lu Mingyuan changed his form of address.
A flicker of approval passed through Xuanweizi's eyes: "First, observe the heavens."
He walked to the hall entrance and pointed to the sky: "From today onward, rise each day at Yin hour and sit quietly in the courtyard. Observe the sunrise in the east, the purple Qi arriving from the east. Watch the clouds gather and disperse, observe the shifting of the stars and constellations, feel the changes of the four seasons, the workings of heaven and earth. This is called 'observing the way of heaven, holding to its actions.'"
"Second, examine the earth." Xuanweizi then pointed to the ancient well in the courtyard. "Each day at Si hour, go to the well to draw water and irrigate the garden. Observe the growth of plants, the routines of insects and ants, feel the flow of the earth's veins, the burgeoning of life. This is called 'bearing all things with profound virtue, generating life without cease.'"
"Third, reflect upon oneself." He turned, his gaze mirror-like. "Each day at Hai hour, sit quietly in your room and reflect on the thoughts and actions of the day. Were the stirrings of your heart and mind in accord with your true heart? Did your words and deeds follow the principles of the Dao? This is called 'cleansing the dark mirror, can it be without flaw?'"
Lu Mingyuan committed each of these to memory. These three tasks seemed simple, even unrelated to cultivation, but he faintly sensed a deeper meaning—they were meant to cultivate a cultivator's connection with heaven, earth, and nature, and also to temper the Foundation of one's Heart-Nature.
"As for these classics," Xuanweizi pointed to the desk, "you may peruse them on your own. If there is anything you do not understand, come and ask at any time. But remember: reading is not about memorizing words, but about triggering thought. The same sentence may yield one insight today, and perhaps a new understanding tomorrow. This is the profound mystery of the 'Dao.'"
Lu Mingyuan nodded: "This Junior understands."
"Finally—" Xuanweizi's expression grew solemn, "I will impart to you the 'General Principles' of Daoist cultivation."
He extended the index finger of his right hand and traced in the air. Where his fingertip passed, faint golden light trails condensed into three lines of large characters, suspended in mid-air:
Refine essence into Qi, refine Qi into spirit, refine spirit to return to void, refine void to merge with the Dao.
Cultivate both nature and life-force, harmonizing inner and outer.
The Dao follows nature, be pure and tranquil, act through non-action.
Twenty-four characters, each imbued with the rhythm of the Dao, slowly rotated within the hall. Lu Mingyuan gazed at these words, feeling his mind and spirit drawn in, as if about to sink into them.
"This encompasses the entirety of Daoist cultivation," Xuanweizi's voice was like a clear spring. "Starting from refining essence into Qi, and ending with refining void to merge with the Dao, each step has its methods and its perils. 'Cultivate both nature and life-force' means one must cultivate both 'nature'—that is, Heart-Nature and Primordial Spirit; and also cultivate 'life-force'—that is, the Physical Body, Qi and blood. 'Harmonizing inner and outer' means one must cultivate the inner elixir while also practicing external techniques."
He paused: "As for 'The Dao follows nature, be pure and tranquil, act through non-action,' this is the fundamental Mind-Cultivation Technique of cultivation. You have already glimpsed its gateway from the Classic of Purity and Tranquility. In the future, you must keep it in mind at all times."
Lu Mingyuan firmly committed these words to heart. Under his Tongming Vision, he could see fine threads of Law entwined around these characters. It was the 'seed of the Dao' that Xuanweizi had condensed with his own cultivation, helping him better understand their true meaning.
"That is all for today," Xuanweizi withdrew the light traces. "Qingfeng and Mingyue have prepared a side chamber for you. Go and settle in first. Tomorrow at Yin hour, we shall meet in the courtyard."
"Yes," Lu Mingyuan bowed and took his leave.
Qingfeng led him to the side chamber in the rear courtyard. The room was not large—a bed, a table, a chair. Through the window, a bamboo grove was visible. It was simple and elegant. On the table were already placed clean bedding, a Taoist robe, and an oil lamp.
"Master Lu, Grandmaster has instructed that all meals in the temple are vegetarian, served at Mao hour, Wu hour, and You hour daily. Hot water is available in the kitchen, ready anytime," Qingfeng said crisply. "If you need anything else, just call for me."
"Thank you for your trouble," Lu Mingyuan expressed his gratitude.
After Qingfeng left, he sat down in the room and let out a long sigh. Though the seven-day journey had been arduous, the environment of Zhongnan Mountain and the atmosphere of the Xuanwei Temple gave him a sense of long-missed peace. Here, there was no worldly clamor, no pressure from imperial examinations—only mountains, water, nature, scriptures, and the rhythm of the Dao.
He pushed open the window. The fresh scent of bamboo greeted him. From afar came the sound of the stream, and faintly, birdsong. The last rays of the setting sun spilled through the window lattice, casting dappled light and shadow on the bluestone floor.
"If the Foundation is not solid, the earth will shake and the mountains will tremble..." Lu Mingyuan silently recited Xuanweizi's words.
He understood that from this day forward, true cultivation had begun. No longer the hasty initiation in the ancient temple, no longer the passive Awakening in a desperate situation, but a systematic, rigorous, step-by-step Daoist Legacy.
This path was long. It was difficult.
But he was prepared.
He took out the ancient scroll of the classic of mountains and seas from his robes and gently touched its cover. Between its pages, the heart-scale gifted by the Bai Ze felt slightly warm, as if responding to the Spiritual Qi of this place.
Outside the window, twilight deepened.
The bell of the Xuanwei Temple rang out, clear and melodious, echoing through the valley three times.
It was the bell for evening practice.
Lu Mingyuan stood up, straightened his attire, and pushed the door open. He knew that a new chapter of his life had officially begun with the sound of this bell.