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When I was just coming of age, I suffered from hemoptysis (loss of blood), my body was emaciated and my Qi (vital energy) was weak, to no avail of medicine. In the spring of Yiwu year (1895) of the Guangxu reign, I studied exegesis under Master Zhou Shoru. The master taught me step by step the various diagrams of upright sitting, side sitting, lying down, etc., obtained from Master Jingyi Kongwu. After a few months, my illness healed, but I soon abandoned the practice. Six years later, in the Xinchou year (1901), the disease relapsed severely. The master urged me to review and practice again; within less than a hundred days, the illness healed once more. Since then, I practiced intermittently. Although I violated my teacher's instructions and did not practice day and night, whenever I became overly fatigued or suffered from gastrointestinal stagnation, I would always concentrate my mind and calm my Qi, selecting key points to practice.

For the past thirty-plus years, although I have passed the age of fifty (knowing what is wrong), my vitality has been sufficient to handle affairs, all due to this practice. Besides the various postures taught by the master, my teacher also extensively collected and cited sources to elucidate profound meanings. It was named "Zengyan Yijin Xisui Neigong Tushuo" (Illustrated Manual of Augmented Muscle-Tendon Changing and Marrow-Washing Internal Arts). It was divided into eighteen volumes and bound into ten fascicles. He personally wrote three copies and stored them in his cabinet. In the winter of Bingchen year (1916), when I returned from Youyang to Chongqing, the master had already passed away for two years. I visited to find that two copies still existed. This summer, upon visiting again, only one remained. Fearing deeply that the Great Dao would be lost and that my teacher's painstaking efforts to expound it would vanish with him, I urgently discussed with my junior brother Jianhan to plan for lithographic printing to facilitate wide dissemination.

Today, national martial arts are flourishing. Those who focus on external strength often neglect internal nourishment, while those discussing metaphysical principles often fail to understand physical movements. This compilation possesses both internal and external aspects, cultivating both nature and life (Xingming shuangxiu). It is truly the orthodox path to entering the Dao, a shortcut from Dao to Buddhism. How could its efficacy be limited merely to dispelling illness and prolonging life?

Disciple Zhang Yao Yiyun respectfully recorded in September of Geng year (1930).

I was born with a weak constitution and lacked proper care as I grew up. Before the age of ten, due to irregular diet, I suffered from epidemic colds and stagnation. After ten, I indulged in alcohol and developed many sores. By nineteen, I was enslaved by opium. By thirty, my body became even more emaciated, and my condition worsened daily. Movement caused panic, walking caused palpitations. Affected by wind, heat, dryness, and dampness, I could not sit comfortably. Through cold and heat, day and night, I was often in a state of illness, with only a breath of life remaining, and heat constantly rising upwards. Whether using purgatives, harmonizers, warming tonics, or cooling agents, no method worked.

For over ten years, the suffering was indescribable. Although treated by good doctors, first eliminating pathogens and then supporting healthy Qi, with prescriptions matching symptoms, there were always slight effects. However, fearing wind and cold, shortness of breath, and mental fatigue persisted. Having taken Ginger, Cinnamon Twig, Ginseng, and Deer Antler for nearly ten years, my Yuan Qi (original energy) ultimately failed to recover. My prime years were indistinguishable from old age. Thinking at night, I felt I could only sit and wait for death.

Yet, privately reflecting, life is a temporary lodging and death is the return; why cherish longevity or brevity? But having lived forty years in confusion without any virtuous deeds, I bear immense guilt. How much of my ambition remains unfulfilled? How much of my duty remains unperformed? I have failed the heaven and earth, parents, ruler, kin, teachers, friends, wife, and the cultivation of sages and Confucians—countless debts. Reflecting on faults to make amends, time does not allow; self-reproach and striving are but sighing at the roof. Fortunately, in the spring of Xinmao year (1931), at a banquet at Zhishan Hall in ancient Yuyu, I met Teacher Songshan who practiced Shaolin Divine Kung Fu. He advised me to use this art for healing, transmitting the heart-to-heart secret teachings. Thus, Zen mind arose spontaneously; wherever there was an affinity, I sought it out. Later, in Chengdu Daoist Institute, I obtained a copy of "Neigong Tushuo". After long study and refinement, I gained some understanding. Following the diagrams, my body felt comfortable, and my desire for the Dao intensified.

In the autumn examination session of Guisi year (1953), I went to the provincial capital for exams. At Tonghui Temple in Ziyang, I suddenly encountered Master Jingyi Kongwu. Seeing his dharma appearance, I knew he was extraordinary. We explored the true meaning along the way, following him to Zhaojue Temple, staying by his side until the end. I learned fully that the master came from Shaolin Mountain in Songshan, mastering all Shaolin arts, being the direct lineage of Bodhidharma, and deeply understanding the Tathagata's "Yijin Jing" (Muscle-Tendon Classic) and "Xisui Jing" (Marrow-Washing Classic). I bowed and begged for initiation. The master, pitying my sincerity, agreed. I took the disciple's rites and studied under him. Oral transmission and heart teaching lasted over three months, allowing me to grasp the essence completely. Upon parting, he bestowed upon me six volumes of "Zengyi Yijin Xisui Neigong Tushuo", divided into upper and lower parts, totaling twelve volumes. He warned: "This is the true essence of the Patriarchs, incomparable to the branches of the eighteen schools. Do not despise it. Practice without interruption, and you can verify Buddhist causes. Beware of stopping halfway, relying on your own spiritual bravery, abandoning superior practices, and lingering too long in worldly achievements. As a scholar, after you master this, if you have insights, you may expand and propagate these wondrous truths to ferry sentient beings widely. Never regard it as a unique secret to be hidden." Encouraging and cautioning, I bowed twice and accepted the books. I practiced daily. Within just over a year, my illness receded and addiction vanished; my spirit revived, my body became strong, and my strength gradually increased. Although future results cannot be guaranteed, I dare never neglect this practice. Thus, I narrate the beginning and end of entering the Dao at the front of the manuscript.

Respectfully preface by Zhou Shuguan, junior student of ancient Yuyu, in the middle of early summer, Yiwu year (1895), at Shiyin Studio.