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The method of cultivation "from the outside" involves absorbing the Qi of Heaven and Earth, which is external respiration. By taking from the outside to influence the inside, when the Tuoyue (the mechanism of Qi ascent and descent in the body) is in place, emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are in a state of non-arising; whereas when phenomena like wind, fire, lightning, thunder, clouds, and rain (metaphors for intense internal Qi movements) appear, it signifies that emotions have arisen. The ascent and descent of the Tuoyue cause bodily agitation; this is acting through non-action, occurring naturally without expectation. At this time, there seems to be no breathing in the nose, which is called internal respiration. Once a person attains this state, the joy is incomparable, the delight boundless, and changes emerge endlessly; one year of practice is sufficient for full utilization. However, after "attaining proficiency," the great通达 (penetration) originally has nothing to be joyful about. Although proficiency is attained, there remain areas not yet attained, and even upon attainment, there are infinitely deeper levels. Even the thought of joy becomes an obstacle.

The skill of "entering the inside from the inside" (This skill is practiced in the second year):

The joy of "attaining proficiency" lies in internal respiration, yet this still involves entering and exiting. In the state of "entering from the inside," there is no entering or exiting, only ascending and descending. The reason Heaven and Earth endure forever is solely because the Central Qi does not cease. Humans are born inheriting the Central Qi, thereby possessing physical forms, organs, and souls, which constitute "Life" (Ming). After birth, if one can preserve the Central Qi and align with the Central Qi of Heaven and Earth, this is called "Principle" (Li). During the opening of the gates (Kai Guan), this Principle enters the Zang-Fu organs, limbs, orifices, and yields supreme bliss. This is the battle between Principle and Desire; desire cannot overcome Principle. Over time, Principle becomes established, and eventually, it merges. Although it is said that "when the mind dies, the Spirit lives," what dies is delusion; when delusion dies, truth is born. Truth is Principle. Principle is Spirit. Having obtained the true mind, all transformations follow the mind; the mind forgets itself, leaving only the Spirit moving and residing in the "Middle." This "Middle" is not the middle of inside and outside, nor the middle of the four dimensions and six directions, nor the central point, nor the space between the two kidneys, but the "Middle" located below the heart, above the kidneys, left of the lungs, and right of the liver. Observing within stillness, internal respiration gradually arises, grows, merges, and refines. It ascends to the Niwan Palace and descends to the Haiyuan, with the mind appreciating its subtleties, all converging in the Middle Palace. The complete absence of worldly thoughts and distractions is called "Middle"; the total detachment from the Four Elements and Five Phases is also called "Middle." My Spirit and Qi have a path of maintenance, which must not be excessive; they have a path of replenishing deficiency, which must not be insufficient. Thus it is said: That which is silent and unmoving is the substance of the Middle; that which responds and penetrates is the function of the Middle. Seeking it in the form, the topmost part of the heart is Heaven, and the bottommost part of the navel is Earth. The distance from the upper extreme to the lower extreme is eight cun and four fen.

From the top down four cun and two fen, and from the bottom up four cun and two fen, the midpoint is the "Middle," which is what the Xuanmen (Mysterious Gate) school calls the "Regulated Center" (Gui Zhong). "Gui" refers to a compass or ruler. The distance from Earth to Heaven is eighty-four thousand li, measured by this ruler. Humans stand in the middle, constituting the Three Powers (San Cai), containing everything within their bodies. The Central Qi of Heaven and Earth resides in the human body. Without breathing, there is still ascending and descending; the more it merges, the finer it becomes. For every breath ascending from the center, five ⊙ (symbols representing nodes or images of Qi movement) send it upward; for every breath descending from the center, five ⊙ send it downward. It ascends to the Heaven at the end of the heart and descends to the Earth at the end of the navel. With prolonged practice, one naturally forgets Qi and merges with Spirit, desires exhaust, and Principle manifests. Initially, Spirit, Essence, Hun, Po, and Yi each occupy their proper positions; subsequently, they each dwell securely. The two ends of the "Middle," both above and below, are | (symbol), either using the upper | as the head or the lower | as the head, traveling separate paths, naturally merging. Those using the upper | as the head, the Qi channel penetrates upward to the Niwan Palace, going directly from Chonglou (Throat) without passing through the Jiaji points. Those using the lower | as the head, the Qi channel penetrates downward to Yongquan, going directly from Qihai without passing through the tibia. Wherever the Qi channel reaches is the Xuan Guan (Mysterious Portal). At this stage, one no longer uses techniques to move ⊙ up and down, but instead uses techniques to settle ⊙ in the center, similar to visualization methods in the Xuanmen school. The enjoyment at this time is far different from the scenes during the gate-opening phase. The reason for achieving this Qi channel penetration (|) is that the Great Dao is like a great road. The path from the inside does not treat the road as a road, but treats water as the road. Only when the water path is sufficiently filled can one allow free movement up and down. This should occur after one year, when the grain and spring sources are sufficient for 1,080 cycles. If one attempts this immediately upon starting the gate-opening practice, there is no water path, so how can the boat travel? Therefore it is said: "Managing the Yin and Ebu, embodying emptiness and void, then dwelling the Primordial Spirit within; breaths coming and going without interruption, completing the fetal state to merge with the primordial beginning." The Central Qi of Heaven and Earth is here; the human body adopts the Central Qi of Heaven and Earth as its own Qi, which is here. It generates Heaven, generates Earth, generates humans, generates all things; the Central Qi therein is none other than here.

The skill of "transforming the inside into the inside" (This skill is practiced in the third year):

The wonder of entering the Dao reaches the state of no respiration. The Heavenly Body, Earthly Body, and Human Body become a浑然一片 (homogeneous whole), bright and clear, residing in the Middle Palace. If there is still distinction between upper and lower, there is a middle, and thus two ends. Two implies duality, not unity. If the upper end has many | and the lower end has many |, it has not returned to the ⊙ image of Taiji. Originally, there was no convergence of upper and lower into one. Without Heaven, without Earth, without Human, there is unity. With Heaven, Earth, and Human, experiencing diversity to achieve non-diversity leads to transformation. How does "One" arise? It arises from "Nothingness." From Nothingness comes generation; the single stroke of Taiji is this. The upper stroke is Heaven, the lower stroke is Earth, the middle stroke is Human. Drawing three lines creates the Qian Trigram.

The Three Bodies are revealed; six lines form the Kun Trigram. The pairing of the Three Bodies generates Two, Two generates Three, Three generates Ten Thousand Things. The more the bodies pair, the more numerous they become, making it impossible to return to One. Yet why is everywhere "One"? When motion and stillness intersect, the Two Modes (Liangyi) are born. When Yin and Yang intersect, the Four Symbols (Sixiang) are born. "One" appearing in Old Yang is Qian One, Dui Two. "One" appearing in Old Yin is Gen Seven, Kun Eight. "One" appearing in Young Yin is Li Three, Zhen Four. "One" appearing in Young Yang is Xun Five, Kan Six. The generation of hexagrams is merely the manifestation of "One." Thus it is said: "One is the root of Heaven and Earth, the ancestor of Yin and Yang, the head of all things, generating the Spirit." Heaven and Earth use "One" as the root to generate humans as Spirit; humans, using the spirituality of Spirit, generate Heaven, Earth, and all things, returning to One. Attaining "One" completes the myriad things, and this has verifiable proof. After "entering the inside from the inside," one has attained "One" but not yet transformed. Transformation means removing the upper | and lower | of the previous "Middle," and removing the ○. Changing vertical strokes to horizontal ones, pausing once in the center, and using the technique number Five. Starting from one end on the left, rotate using the technique, turning from the lower left to the upper position. This is the Four-Five Technique, represented by the Five Diagrams. Rotating and executing the technique, slightly and continuously, purely and unceasingly, this is the moment. "One" is剛 (firm), Yang. The movement of the Five Techniques softens it, makes it Yin. Suddenly, the Five Diagrams begin like a bean, gradually becoming like the sun and moon. Eventually, one acquires the left-rotating structure of Heaven, naturally and spontaneously, rotating like a wheel. It splits into heads entering the Five Zang and Six Fu organs, nine orifices, four limbs, traversing every pore. When it stops, it suddenly disappears, unknown where it went. Thousands of changes and ten thousand transformations, its wonder is indescribable, and it is no longer the pleasure of "entering the inside from the inside." Harmonizing the Three Families, blending the Three Primordials, gathering the Five Phases, opening the Seven Orifices, harmonizing the Five Zang, returning Qi to the Three Fields, circulating through the Six Voids. One attainment brings eternal presence. This is the same principle as the ultimate transformative realm of the Xuanmen practitioners. The Three Vehicles of Daoism, Five Schools of Chan Buddhism, and Five Teachings of Confucianism appear distinct but are essentially undifferentiated. Like a lamp burning, light shines everywhere; thousands of lamps together form one fire. This is experiencing diversity to achieve non-diversity, the theory of "Transforming into One." Thus it is said "Dao generates One," because Water is stored here. Through the outside and through the inside, two years suffice for the count of seven hundred and twenty jin. Then the Five Diagrams can be rotated, transforming like a dragon. Without water, how can the dragon manifest its divine transformations?