UNDERSTANDING REALITY
Acknowledgments 3
Foreword 5
Introduction 9
Understanding Reality: A Direct Explanation 33
I. Sixteen verses, representing "eight ounces" of yin and "eight ounces" of yang, forming "one pound" of elixir 35
II. Sixty-four verses modeled on the number of signs in the I Ching 66
III. One verse representing the Great One engulfing true energy 131
IV. Twelve verses on the moon over the West River, representing the twelve months 133
V. Five verses, representing the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth 153
The Outer Collection 159
I. Four four-line verses 161
II. Verses on various themes 164
The moon on the West River—twelve verses 180
Glossary 189
Readings 207

THE INNER TEACHINGS OF TAOISM
Introduction 211
Part One: The Inner Teachings 223
Part Two: Solving Symbolic Language 263
Part Three: Related Texts 313

THE BOOK OF BALANCE AND HARMONY
Introduction 329
1. The Source Message of the Mystic School 353
2. Statements 356
3. Secret Meanings 359
4. Secrets of the Gold Pill 368
5. Explanation of the Three Fives 373
6. The Opening of the Mysterious Pass 375
7. The Gold-Testing Stone 376
8. Nine Grades of Practices: Sidetracks and Auxiliary Methods 378
9. Three Vehicles of Gradual Method 382
10. The Highest Vehicle 384
11. Dialogues: The Underlying Unity of Taoism, Confucianism, and
Buddhism 385
12. Questions and Answers 397
13. Some Questions on Alchemy 404
14. Live Teachings on Complete Reality 411
15. Spoken Teachings 416
16. Discourses 418
17. Explanatory Talks 423
18. Songs 430
19. Poems 461
20. Veiled Words 481

PRACTICAL TAOISM
Translator's Preface 491
Introduction 493
Essential Sayings to Assist Potential 507
The Way of Eternal Life through Perception of Vital Spirit 511
Alchemy Takes Its Rules from Creation 512
Foundations of Alchemy 512
A Point Falls into the Yellow Court 513
Alchemical Ingredients 513
Basic Vitality 514
Basic Vitality Is Sexual Vitality 514
Basic Energy Produces Basic Vitality 515
Detachment from Emotional Consciousness to Nurture Basic Harmony 515
Alchemy Requires Interruption of Craving 516
Basic Spirit Using Medicine 517
The Basic Spirit Is the Thinking Spirit 518
The Opening of the Mysterious Pass 518
The Handle of Alchemy 519
Alchemical Operations 520
The Bellows 521
Sixty Hexagrams Symbolizing the Alchemical Firing Process 522
Symbolizing the Firing Process by the Year, Month, and Day, Humanity and Duty, Joy and Anger, Reward and Punishment 522
Intent As the Go-Between 523
The Way of Seeing Vital Spirit and Perpetuating Life 524
The River Source Where Medicine Is Produced 527
The Receptive Is the Abode of the Way 528
Yang Disburses, Yin Receives 528
Congealing Spirit in the Energy Aperture 529
Turning the Light Around to Illumine Inwardly 530
Beginning Work on Turning the Light Around to Illumine Inwardly 531
The Womb Breath 536
The Primal 538
The Arising of Positive Energy 538
Culling 539
Keeping the Attention on Heaven 540
The Central Path 542
The Firing Process 543
Incubation 544
Punishment and Reward 545
Refining the Spirit 546
Crystallizing the Elixir 547
Release from the Matrix 548
Returning to the Origin 550
Twin Cultivation of Essence and Life 550