The Hundred Words Stele

by Lu Dongbin
Translated by Akrishi

Image of Calligraph

Introduction
Nourish prana by holding to giving up speech,
and subdue mind in acting and not acting.
Know the ancestor throughout silence and
dynamism,
and with nothing in mind who else to seek?
The real ordinary mind should response to object
sensed,
but in responding should not get lost.
Not get lost then the nature of one's mind will
reside by itself,
and when mind's nature resides, then prana will
revert by itself.
With prana reverted, elixirwill be borne by itself,
as Kan [i.e. water] and Li[i.e. fire] concocted in
the pot.
Yin and Yang generated repeatedly by each
other,
until generalized into a clap of thunder.
White clouds pilgrim to above our head,
and sprinkle sweet dew on Meru [i.e. on top of
our head].
Then one drink the wine of immortality,
in an ecstasy who can get to know.
Sit and listen to hymns not sounded by strings,
thus thoroughly know themechanics of creation
and manifestation.
Do all these twenty lines,
target upright to ascend heavenly staircase.

To: Commentary by Zhang Sanfeng