Daoist Cultivation, Book 7: Alchemical Principles:: Twenty-Four Secret Instructions for Disciples by Liu Yiming - Translation and Commentary

This book was updated to a second edition and released on May 1, 2025.If you bought it before, contact the author via Facebook or Instagram for a free e-book.About the Second EditionThis second edition of Daoist Cultivation, Book 7 presents a carefully revised and expanded version of the original work, deepening its clarity, structure, and contemplative resonance.In this edition, the twenty-four essential instructions by Liu Yiming (劉一明) — one of the great masters of Daoist internal alchemy (Neidan) — are now integrated into a complete cultivation cycle. Each instruction is paired with a comprehensive commentary, followed by an original poetic verse from the Collected Songs of Silent Cultivation in the Way of the Elixir (丹道靜修歌集). These verses, written in the Daoist tradition, echo and express the heart of each teaching through symbolic and intuitive language.The second edition introduces a new feature: Silent Ripening Style commentary. These meditative reflections follow each song and distill the inner meaning of the chapter in a tone of quiet guidance, allowing the teaching to resonate beyond the words. Each chapter also concludes with a Daoist Terms Table, offering clear definitions, Chinese characters, and pinyin for all essential concepts.This edition refines the structure of the book into a rhythm of study and contemplation:- Liu Yiming’s original instruction- In-depth commentary on the instruction- Matching cultivation song- Silent Ripening Style commentary on the song- Glossary of key Daoist termsThe second edition also benefits from improved translations, refined language, and enhanced consistency in the presentation of Daoist terminology, symbolism, and cosmology. It is intended not only as a text for study, but as a living manual for serious practitioners of the Way. Read more