Xingming guizhi

The (性命圭旨, Principles of Inner Nature and Vital Force) is a comprehensive Ming dynasty (1368-1644) text on ("internal alchemy") self-cultivation techniques, which syncretistically quotes sources from the Three teachings of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism (particularly the Yogachara school), and is richly illustrated with over fifty illustrations that later texts widely copied. The classic has been republished for over four centuries, from its first woodblock edition in 1615 to digital versions in the present. (性命雙修萬神圭旨, Principles of the Joint Cultivation of Inner Nature and Vital Force and of the Ten Thousand Spiritual Forces) is the full title of the (tr. Darga 2008: 1106). (雙修) denotes the "joint cultivation" of ("inner nature") and ("vital force"), which is the objective of Neidan schools (Esposito 2008: 906). Although the promulgates the (雙修, "joint cultivation") of and , it does not attach much importance to physiological practices and emphasizes the spiritual aspects of inner transformation (Darga 2008: 1107). Both titles use the common Chinese word (性命, "life"; 8.9 average occurrences per million characters of text, Bishop 2016), and the rare, if not nonce, word (圭旨). Unlike , is found in Chinese dictionaries. For instance, the unabridged monolingual (Comprehensive Chinese Word Dictionary), which is lexicographically comparable to the Oxford English Dictionary, defines three meanings for xingming: 中国古代哲学范畴。指万物的天赋和禀受。 [Ancient Chinese philosophical category. It refers to the natural talents and endowments of all living things.] 生命。 [Life.] 本性。 [Natural character; inherent quality; original nature.] (Luo 1994 7: 477–478). The English translation equivalents of the title's and are informative. (性): Inborn; one's inborn nature, one's fundamental being. Native character, predisposition; one's endowment at birth; particular inherent quality; innate; inborn destiny. (Kroll 2017: 510; n.b., abridged henceforth) (命) Call on one to do X; give orders to; bid; direct. Command, ordain; decree; injunction, mandate.