Daoist Cultivation, Book 35: The True Transmission of the Great Dao: A Traditional Daoist Inner Alchemy Manual Paperback – February 20, 2026

What if the “mysterious language” of Daoist Inner Alchemy were not a puzzle to decode, but a practical map—showing exactly where to begin, what must be purified, what must be stabilized, and what must be returned?The True Transmission of the Great Dao (《大道真传》) is a direct, tightly-argued Neidan manual from the Western School (西派) tradition. It is famous for explaining, in plain and systematic terms, the inner logic behind the classical symbolic vocabulary—Xing and Ming (性命), Shen and Qi (神炁), Kan and Li (坎离), the Five Phases (五行), “true intention” (真意), “true breath” (真息), and the reversal from the post-celestial to the pre-celestial state. Rather than treating these as poetic metaphors, the text insists they are *functional descriptions* of how transformation actually proceeds.This volume presents a complete English translation, with clarifying notes and terminology guidance for modern readers—so that the work can be read as a coherent inner-cultivation curriculum, not as scattered quotations.Note on companion volume: The related text 《大道真传口诀》, Oral Formulas of the True Transmission of the Great Dao, appears in Book 34 of this series. Book 35 presents the main work: 《大道真传》, The True Transmission of the Great Dao.What you’ll find inside:* Xing–Ming dual cultivation explained clearlyWhy “cultivating Xing without Ming” becomes “a yin spirit,” and why “cultivating Ming without Xing” becomes longevity without liberation—and how authentic work unites both.* Shen and Qi as the real axis of practiceThe text repeatedly returns to one central requirement: Shen must gather; Qi must return; and the two must fuse—not as philosophy, but as a lived, verifiable internal process.* Kan–Li, Five-Phase reversal, and the “work of return”The book lays out why the ordinary Five-Phase sequence produces birth and aging, while the alchemical sequence is described as “reversal,” returning the scattered to the root.* “True intention” (真意) and foundation-building (築基)A distinctive feature of this tradition is its insistence that real progress depends on establishing a stable center—often discussed through earth (土), Wu-Ji (戊己), and the inner pivot of sincerity—before higher transformation can be sustained.* A rare, practical discussion of sleep, dreams, and leakageThe text treats dream-activity and “sleep-demon” conditions not as superstition, but as a diagnostic field where scattered Shen and Qi can be seen—and gradually rectified.* A systematic bridge between Daoist, Confucian, and Buddhist languageWithout flattening the differences, the work shows how core terms (e.g., sincerity, clarity, original awareness) can point toward the same inner territory when read correctly.Who this book is for* Serious readers of Daoist Inner Alchemy (Neidan) who want a structured, readable manual—not a collection of slogans.* Practitioners trying to make sense of classical terms such as Kan–Li, Dragon–Tiger, Lead–Mercury, true yin/true yang, and the return from post-celestial to pre-celestial.* Students who appreciate traditional doctrine, but want it explained with internal consistency and step-by-step reasoning.A respectful note on practiceThis text is rooted in a traditional cultivation culture: ethics, restraint, sincerity, and steadiness are treated as non-negotiable. The work is not presenting “quick results,” but a return to the root—a reordering of life-energy and mind-activity until the original clarity can reappear and remain.The True Transmission of the Great Dao is a rare kind of book: uncompromisingly traditional, yet unusually direct. For readers willing to engage carefully, it offers what the title promises—a transmission meant to be used, verified, and lived. Read more