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Lift upon rising, and qi returns to the navel; swallow upon descending, and water and fire meet.

For those engaged in cultivation, the nose is the Heavenly Gate (Tianmen), and the mouth is the Earthly Door (Dihhu). The Earthly Door should remain closed, while the Heavenly Gate remains open. Therefore, this method relies solely on nasal breathing as the guide.

When inhaling through the nose, it is called "inhale"; immediately lift the qi, exerting effort in the lower front and back to raise slightly, causing the qi to return to the navel, which is "qi returning to the navel." When exhaling through the nose, it is called "descend"; immediately relax the body freely, exhale slowly, swallow a mouthful of saliva, making a sound, and simultaneously use intention to send it into the navel. This is "swallowing upon descending, water and fire meeting."

The navel is where the True Yuan (True Origin) gathers, where true qi is stored, and it is the site of fetal respiration (Taixi). Whenever swallowing and receiving qi, if there is saliva, it is particularly wondrous. Rising and descending cause qi to meet, heart and kidney to combine, and water and fire to meet. Thus, it is said to refine the liquid of the Li trigram (Fire/Woman) and swallow the essence of the Kan trigram (Water/Man).

Practice thus without counting repetitions or restricting time; practice when you wish, stop when you wish. After a period, the Qi wheel at the navel will feel like blazing fire, both kidneys like boiling soup, abdominal qi will rotate sounding like thunder, urination will gradually decrease, and after a long time, all diseases will be eliminated, extending life and benefiting longevity.

Accumulating qi to generate essence is nothing other than the merit of Shen (Spirit) and Qi abiding together. Although the method is the same, its application differs. For those with insufficient essence and qi, and for those needing to open the gates, the merit of accumulating qi to generate essence is suitable. For those with insufficient Shen and Qi, and for those after opening the gates, the merit of Shen and Qi abiding together is suitable. If one has consumed their spirit and essence due to wine, lust, wealth, anger, and excessive thinking, leading to an empty Dantian (Elixir Field), cold and weak lower Yuan (Lower Origin), susceptibility to failure during intercourse, inability to conceive or ejaculate, one should practice the ascending and descending of true breath at the Xuan Guan (Mysterious Pass).

Between Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM) and mid-morning, or when the abdomen is empty after eating, operate the mechanism using breath, internally linking respiration. At each Xuan Guan, exhale while rising and inhale while descending, constituting one breath, all converging at the Ming Di (Life Root). Practicing true breath generates true qi; having true qi generates true essence. This accumulation of breath is precisely accumulating qi, and accumulating qi is precisely generating essence. Why? True breath is the opening and closing of qi, and true qi is the parent of essence. Therefore, cultivators wishing to accumulate qi and generate essence must seek it within the accumulation of breath. Accumulate thirty breaths per segment, swallow one mouthful of saliva, totaling twelve segments, corresponding to the number of 360 days in a year of the microcosmic orbit (Zhou Tian). Upon completion, one will naturally feel qi full and essence generated.

Practice for ten days, abstain from desires, conserve labor, preserve essence and qi, and miraculous effects will naturally appear. Long-term practice causes essence and qi to flourish, prevents various diseases, and the work of opening gates relies entirely on this. Completing one segment of thirty breaths produces enough Shui Shen Shui (Divine Water of the Hua Pool) to fill the Dui trigram position; this is the sign. If no saliva is produced, the skill is not yet attained, and another method must be adopted.