After the Northern Song Dynasty gradually subsided, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, which was another relatively long period of chaos in Chinese history, the development of Taoism gradually ushered in another peak period.

On this basis, the era of Song Taizong can be said to be an important stage in the development of Taoism.

Previously, Zhao Kuangyin, Taizu of the Song Dynasty, used an important figure in Taoist legend to consolidate the civil rule of the emerging Song Empire.

This Taoist figure is Chen Tuan.

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Chen Tu Nan, the name Fu Shaozi, given the name "Mr. Baiyun", "Mr. Xiyi", a famous Taoist scholar and health practitioner in the Northern Song Dynasty, respected the study of Huang Lao.

The basic characteristic of Chen Chuan's academic thought is that it is based on "old" learning, and it also integrates Taoism and Yi.

From the theory of cosmic character generation in books such as "Lao Tzu", and with the Taoist anti-original theory and the belief that "Lao Tzu" returns to simplicity and returns to the roots, he compared the idea of the sequence and regularity of the hexagram changes in "Zhou Yi" with "Lao Tzu" On the combination of the idea of the natural non-action of the Taoist body, the void nature of the Taoist body is regarded as the essence of the change of the embodied individual, and the regularity and rhythm of the concrete individual change process are the content and manifestation of the nihilistic natural Taoist body, the Taoist body is inseparable from the use of individual changes, and the content of the Taoist body is manifested by the use of individual changes, so as to connect the Taoist body and the instrumental use in the way of physical use, and communicate the metaphysical and the metaphysical, so as to establish the metaphysical ontological basis for Taoist practice, and also lay the realistic and material foundation for the metaphysical Taoist body. To be "poor, high and far", but also to be implemented. It systematically constructs a theoretical system of character generation and cultivation restoration.

Judging from the changes of the Neidan Dao in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the Neidan Dao also quoted the words "dedicatedness and softness" in "Lao Tzu" as a classic. This is the main source of Chen's scholarly thought. Chen Chuan systematically based the Neidan theory on the elaboration of the Lao and Taoist Yi, and he was deeply influenced by the pre-Qin Taoists, Wang Bi and the Tang people with the ideological methods invented by Lao Zhuang Yixiang.

Chen Chuan inherited the Taoist Yi thought of the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, and in the annotation of the "Zhengyi Xinfa", Chen Chuan quoted the statement of "Liezi Tianrui Chapter" to explain the so-called "Yi" of "Zhou Yi" with the Tao of "Lao Tzu" "not seeing":

The change is also easy, and the big easy is not angry. Blind to it, not to hear it, not to follow it, so it is easy to do it. The change is also known as the silence of the mystery. and changeable into one, one into seven, seven into nine, nine complex into one. First, the beginning of deformation.

In the book "Lao Tzu", there is "Tao Shengyi" Yunyun, Chen Chuan inherited the view of "Liezi", and explained it with the "Tong" and "Yi" phases, saying that Yi becomes one, which is the beginning of the generation and change of the form of all things, which is from the sense of exploring the "original" of all things, and the two are fused together, and in the "Wuji Tu", this "Yuan" is summarized as "returning to Wuji".

Later generations believed that there were many sayings and divisions of the "Wuji Diagram", among which Chen Lu's "Wuji Diagram" more clearly and systematically depicted the stages and theoretical foundations of this Dan Dao cultivation, and played a fundamental role in laying the foundation for the Dan Fa schools of different schools in later generations.

Zhang Sanfeng inherited Chen Tuan's thoughts, calling "Yi Dao" that is, "Tai Chi Dao", so he perfected Chen Tuan's Yi Dao thought and established the Tai Chi Dao system, which closely linked Dan Dao and Tai Chi internal strength. According to Huang Zongyan's "Yi Xue's Debate: Taiji Diagram Debate" at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Wuji Diagram is composed of five figures, representing the five different realms that can be attained by cultivation.

"Wuji Diagram" is a diagram of the secret teaching of the ancient holy masters, according to Huang Zongyan's "Taiji Diagram Debate" at the end of the Ming Dynasty:

The original name of this picture is "Wuji Map", Chen Tunan engraved on the stone wall of Huashan, and listed this name. This picture was created from Lao Tzu, Heshang Gong, Wei Boyang's book "Participation in the Deed", Zhong Liquan was awarded to Lu Dongbin, and Lu Dongbin and Chen Tunan were hidden in Huashan, so they were awarded to Chen Tong.

From this, we can see four aspects of the origin of Wujitu's thought: first, Laozi's thought played by Kawagami Gong, the theory of cosmogenesis, and the immortal theory of "returning to the root and quiet, and returning to life". Second, it conforms to the alchemy and fire theory of Wei Boyang's "Zhou Yi Shen Tong Deed". Third, it inherited and played the theoretical system of Zhong Lu Neidan's cultivation. Fourth, Chen Shu himself used the universe generation process of the "Yi" theory to pretend to be easy to discuss the Dan Dao. "Wuji Tu" is the art of Fang Shi's cultivation, giving full play to Huang Lao's philosophical thoughts, describing the subtlety of Lao Zhuang, the method of Ming and reverse cultivation can become Dan and the idea of becoming an immortal.

Looking at the mode of "Wuji Diagram", "its diagram is from the bottom up, and the method of becoming a Dan is to clear and reverse, and its emphasis is on water, fire, and fire." If it is reversed, the fire is not fierce, but it is warm and warm, and the water is moistened, and the water is not wet, but nourishing and shiny. Nourishment is continuous, and warmth is strong, strong and undefeated. ”

According to the law of retrograde, its lowest circle is "○", which is called Xuanjiao, which is the god of ceres. It refers to the gap between the two kidneys of the human body's life, which is called "interrenal kinetic qi" in traditional Chinese medicine. The use of mortals' five senses and hundreds of bones, and the functions of meridians, qi and blood, are all rooted in this.

This stage is the "know-how" stage of Dan Dao cultivation, and the "Cultivation of True Map" is called "Xuanfu Receiving Qi". Then the ancestral qi rises, that is, a little circle of "○", which is called refining and refining gas. Refining the essence of the tangible form turns into a faint qi, refining the qi that is vaguely breathed into the god of entering and exiting the existence and non-existence, so that it penetrates through the five internal organs.

This stage is the "self-refining" stage of Dan Dao cultivation. Therefore, the third slightly smaller "○" marks the refining of qi and the transformation of the god, that is, the qi of the true yuan refined by the lower dantian runs through the five internal organs and six internal organs to nourish the god of the five internal organs. And then upward, the five elements of the middle layer are born together and form the scene of "five qi dynasty yuan". This stage of cultivation is called "harmony".

The five elements perform gossip, take the hurdle to fill in, then the water and fire ** and become pregnant; the kan is reversed, and then the acquired return to the congenital, into the black and white circle, that is, the "three back two" stage of the "holy fetus", that is, "get the medicine". And then upward, it is to continuously refine the yin essence of the womb, so that it becomes a golden pill, and then refine the gods and return to the void, and return to Taiji without a beginning, that is, the stage of "being reborn into an immortal" in the top circle.

Therefore, the cultivation of the Fan Dan Dao "begins with the acquisition of the knack, followed by the refining of the self, followed by harmony, followed by the acquisition of medicine, and finally reborn to seek immortals", that is, refining and refining qi, combining three into two, refining qi and transforming gods, merging two into one, refining gods and returning to emptiness, and returning one to infinity. This constitutes a system of reverse refining and returning to the original, which is the so-called "reverse becomes immortal", returning to the original and restoring the scientific principle of human longevity in the cultivation of Neidan.

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Zhou Shizong liked the magic of Taoist priests to smelt the elixir and ignite gold and silver, and some people played Chen Luan's name to the imperial court.

In the third year of Zhou Xiande (956), Zhou Shizong ordered Huazhou to send Chen Tuan to the imperial court, leaving Chen Tuan to live in the palace for more than a month. Chen Tuan replied: "Your Majesty is the lord of the four seas, and you should devote yourself to governing the country, how can you pay attention to such a thing as Huang Bai Fangshu?" Zhou Shizong did not blame him, and appointed him as the counselor, and Chen Tuan resolutely resigned to accept this position.

Knowing that Chen Tuan had no other methods, Zhou Shizong let him go back to his original place of residence and ordered the governor of the prefecture to visit Chen Tuan every New Year's holiday.

In the fifth year of Zhou Xiande, when Zhu Xian, the assassin of Chengzhou, bid farewell to the emperor, Zhou Shizong ordered him to bring 50 horses of silk and 30 catties of tea to Chen Luan.

In the second year of the Taiping rejuvenation of the Northern Song Dynasty, Chen Tuan came to the Song Dynasty to enter the Hajj, and Taizong treated him very kindly.

In the ninth year of the Taiping Rejuvenation of the Kingdom, Chen Tuan came to the Hajj again, and the emperor treated him with more courtesy. said to Prime Minister Song Qi and others: "Chen Tuan is a real outsider who is good at himself and is not disturbed by the interests of the situation." Chen has lived in Huashan for more than 40 years and is estimated to be nearly 100 years old. Chen Jun himself said that he had experienced five generations of chaos, and he was glad that the world was peaceful now, so it was worth coming to the court to visit me, talk to him, and listen to what he said. So he sent an envoy to send Chen Tuan to Zhongshu Province, and Song Qi and the others calmly asked Chen Tuan and said, "Can the method of Xuanmo cultivation obtained by Mr. be taught to others?"

Chen Jun replied: "I am a hermit in the mountains and wilderness, and I have no use for the current world, and I don't know the matter of turning the immortal alchemy into gold and silver, and the principle of spitting out health preservation, so there is no such method to teach." If we can let the sun soar into the sky, what good will it do to the way of the world today? Now the saint dragon has a beautiful face, has the appearance of a heavenly man, knows the past and the present, and deeply studies the chaos, and is really a monarch with morality, benevolence, righteousness and wisdom. Now is the time for the monarchs and ministers to work with one heart and one mind, and to rise up reforms to bring peace to the world, and the credit for diligent cultivation is not as good as this. Song Qi and others praised it and told the emperor what Chen Shu said, and the emperor paid more attention to Chen Tuan.

In the first year of Yongxi in the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty issued an edict to give Mr. Xiyi, and gave him a set of purple clothes, kept him to live in the palace, and ordered the officials to expand and repair the Yuntai Temple where he lived. The emperor sang poetry with Chen Kuan many times, and let him go back to the mountain a few months later.

Chen Tong is considered to have made the greatest contribution to history and Taoism in the "number of images".

The so-called "elephant" refers to the hexagram and the hexagram in the "Zhou Yi", as well as the use of hexagram and the hexagram to express the generation and development of the world, and to seek the law of change of all things.

Chen Tuan's "Innate Diagram" is a representative of his phenomenology. "History of the Song Dynasty: The Biography of Zhu Zhen" said: "Chen Tuan used the innate picture to pass on the seeds, let Mu Xiu pass on Mu Xiu, Mu Xiu passed on Li Zhicai, and Zhicai passed on Shao Yong. [32] Shao Yong's Yixue is known as the Congenital Yixue, and according to some historical sources, it is related to the Congenital Diagram passed down by Chen Jun. The so-called innate diagram mainly refers to the schema of the universe.

The so-called "number" refers to the mathematics and mathematics in "Zhou Yi" and the symbolic mathematical laws in "Hetu" and "Luoshu". Chen Tong's "Yi Long Diagram" is its mathematical representative.

The Yi category of "History of the Song Dynasty" has a volume of "Yi Long Tu" by Chen Tu, and the 85th volume of "Song Wenjian" retains the article "Preface to the Dragon Map". The "Yi Long Tu" created by Chen Tuan is of special significance in the history of Taoism and science and technology in China.

Whether it is to construct the framework system of various disciplines with "Yitu", or to standardize the academic trend of various disciplines with Yili as the guiding ideology, it has had a profound impact on the discipline of Chinese culture.

The term "elephant number" was first seen in the fifteenth year of the Duke of Zuo Chuan: "Turtle, elephant also; Objects are born and then there are images, and images are followed by nourishment, and then there are numbers. ”

"Note": "The turtle is shown by the image, the Xiao is told by the number, and the number of the image is born, and then there is a possession, and the occupation is so that the ancient murderer is known." "The number of images is inherent in "Zhou Yi". Although the Book of Changes does not say anything but uses images and numbers, the Book of Changes says more about numbers and numbers. "Yi Chuan" believes that "xiang" plays an important role in Yi: "It is the one who changes, the elephant also, the elephant also, the elephant also." "Gossip is told by elephants, and gossip is told by love. "Bagua" is based on the virtue of the gods and the affection of all things. ”

Elephants, hexagrams, and dictionaries are the three forms that make up the "Zhou Yi". "The sage sets up hexagrams, observes phenomena, and makes good fortune and evil in words. "The saint sets up the image with all his intentions, sets up the hexagram to the fullest, and the words are as good as he can. ”

Numbers are mainly used for divination and hexagrams, and the "Yi Chuan" repeatedly emphasizes the significance of numbers to "Yi", believing that "those who count the past are smooth, and those who know the future are reversed." It is so easy, and the inverse is also. "Towering two places and relying on the number", "The extreme number knows the meaning of occupying", "Joining the army to change, the number is intricate", "The extreme number determines the image of the world." ”

The sixty-four hexagrams were originally not explained in words, but later they were written in simple divination words, and the "Yi Chuan" was used to explain the hexagram from the perspective of images and numbers, giving it philosophy.

The doctrine of "Yi Chuan" is derived from the change of the number of images. Images and numbers are the basis of the I Ching, from which all changes come from. Later, it developed into the science of elephant numbers. In the Han Dynasty, Meng Xi, Jingfang, Zheng Xuan and others used the number of symbols to solve the problem of change, and founded the doctrines of hexagram qi, najia, yaochen, and mutuality. "Elephant mathematics" was born from this, and Shao Yong of the Northern Song Dynasty created "innate learning".

The meanings of "xiang" and "number" in Zhou Yi have been continuously expanded, and have evolved into a huge and complex elephant mathematics system including astronomy, calendar, music rhythm, Taoism, and health preservation. "Elephant number" was originally included in the "number of techniques", the earliest Yi Ben is the number of techniques, the content of the number of spells is complex, the number of elephants and the number of spells in the Han Dynasty is still difficult to separate, after the Song Dynasty until the Qing Dynasty there is a certain demarcation, generally to the number of elephants as a natural philosophy to explore the order of the universe generation, and to the number of spells as a method to account for the good and bad of people.

The number of objects and mathematics were mixed. The deniers believe that the "number of images" mentioned by the Xiangshu school deviates from the original meaning of "Zhou Yi" and embarks on the path of forgetting the image. Those in favor believe that elephant mathematics enriches the study of Yi, which is not only consistent with the "Zhou Yi", but also consistent with the principle of heaven and earth, and is a practical and scientific model of the universe.

In Chen Wei's understanding and application of the number of symbols, it is mainly because he likes to read the Book of Changes, and he can't release the volume. He often called himself a son and wrote eighty-one chapters of the "Finger Mystery Chapter", expounding on the things that guide health preservation and make mercury return to Dan. Prime Minister Wang Pu also wrote eighty-one chapters to note the gist of the "Finger Xuan Chapter".

It is said that Chen Shu can predict people's intentions, there is a big scoop hanging on the wall in his room, Taoist priest Jia Xiufu wants this big scoop in his heart, Chen Tuan immediately knew what he meant, and said to Jia Xiufu: "You didn't come for other things, you just want my big scoop." ”

Chen Jun asked the waiter to take the scoop and give it to Jia Xiufu. Jia Xiufu was taken aback and thought that Chen Jian was an immortal.

There is a person named Guo Xin, who lived in Huayin when he was a child and stayed overnight at Yuntai Temple. Chen Tuan told him to hurry home in the middle of the night, but Guo Xin hesitated, and after a while, Chen Tuan said, "You don't want to go back." The next day, Guo Xin returned home, and sure enough, his mother suddenly suffered from heartache in the middle of the night and almost died, and the cooking of the meal was better again.