Destiny, Vital Force, or Existence? On the Meanings of Ming in Daoist Internal Alchemy and Its Relation to Xing or Human Nature

命運，生氣，或存在？論道教內丹中「命」之意義及其與「性」的關係

玄英(Fabrizio Pregadio)

《道教研究學報：宗教、歷史與社會》 6期 (2014/01) Pp. 157-218

摘要

Neidan or Internal Alchemy has developed two main modes of self-cultivation. The first is based on cultivating the mind and intends to remove the causes that prevent one from ＂seeing one's true nature,＂ which is equated with the Elixir. The second is based on purifying the main components of the human being-Essence (jing 精), Breath (qi 氣), and Spirit (shen 神)-so that they may serve as ingredients of the Elixir. These two modes of self-cultivation are said to place an emphasis on xing 性 and on ming 命, respectively. However, Neidan texts repeat time and again that xing and ming can only be understood and realized in conjunction with one another. In Neidan, xing and ming are said to be the ＂foundation＂ (ti 體) and the ＂operation＂ (yong 用) of one another; they correspond to Spirit and Breath; and they are related to the ＂mind＂ (xin 心) and the ＂body＂ (shen 身), respectively. These views are at the basis of the discourses on xing and ming in the two main Neidan lineages. The Southern Lineage (Nanzong 南 宗) gives precedence to the cultivation of ming, and the Northern Lineage (Beizong 北宗) emphazises the cultivation of xing. Despite this distinction, the ＂conjoined cultivation of Xing and Ming＂ (xingming shuangxiu 性 命雙修) is a virtually omnipresent subject in Neidan. In this context, ＂priority＂ means which one between xing and ming is seen as the basis for cultivating the other in order to realize both. Two final sections examine the views of two major Neidan masters. Li Daochun 李道純 (late 13th century) points out that xing and ming pertain to the ＂celestial mind＂ and the ＂dharma-body＂ instead of the ordinary mind and body, which harm and damage one's xing and ming. Liu Yiming 劉一明 (1734-1821) similarly makes a fundamental distinction between the ＂false＂ and the ＂true＂ xing and ming. The false ones are one's character and destiny (including one's life span); the true ones are one's innate nature and one's embodiment of the One Breath (yiqi 一氣) of the Dao.

關鍵字

Daoism ； Neidan ； Fate ； Li Daochun ； Liu Yiming

並列摘要

內丹發展出了兩種不同的修煉模式。第一種模式建立在修心的基礎上，致力於去除妨礙人們「見性」的因素，而其中的「性」即金丹。第二種模式旨在煉精、氣、神，從而使其成為金丹的成分。這兩種修身模式分別強調「性」或「命」；然而內丹作品卻再三重申，要想理解並成就性與命，必須將二者結合起來。在內丹，性與命是「體」和「用」的關係，與「神」和「氣」相對應，並分別關聯「心」與「身」。以這種看法為基礎，兩大內丹流派展開了關於性與命的論述：南宗的「先命後性」和北宗的「先性後命」。儘管有此等差異，「性命雙修」才是內丹真正的主題。因此，所謂的「先」 是指將性與命中的任何一個作為修煉另一個的基礎，從而達到既「了性」又「了命」的目的。文章的最後部分將具體分析兩位內丹大家的觀點。李道純（13世紀後期）提出，性與命指的是「天心」與「法身」，而並非現代意義上的精神與身體，後者實則損害一個人的性與命。與此類似，劉一明（1734-1821）也提出了「假」性命和「真」性命的本質區分：前者是一個人的「氣質」與「天數」（包括壽命），而後者是一個人與生俱來的本性（「良知」與「良能」）及「道之一氣」的具體化。

並列關鍵字

道教 ； 內丹 ； 命運 ； 李道純 ； 劉一明