道教内丹学“先命后性”与“先性后命”再辨

The Discrimination of Xian-Ming-Hou-Xing and Xian-Xing-Hou-Ming in Internal Dan theory of Taoism

"性命"的先后天划分以及"性命"、"神气"和"道"在理论上的贯通确立了内丹学境界的自足性。"先命后性"和"先性后命"依据谈论的语境不同各有两层含义。首先,"先命后性"是指从"命功"到"性功"的内丹修炼过程,"先性后命"在于强调修"后天性"在内丹修炼论中的基础地位,这是"先命后性"和"先性后命"的一个基本含义;其次也是更为重要的是,"先命后性"和"先性后命"还分别对应着"先天性命"修炼的两种入手方式,即"由命而性"、"以命制性"和"由性而命"、"以性制命"的不同,这才是南北宗丹法的差异所在。

With the compartmentalization of the transcendent Xing-Ming and the acquired Xing-Ming , also with the getting-through of Xing-Ming and Shen-Qi and Tao in theory, the self-contained bourn of the Internal Dan was established. According to the different context of situation, there are two meanings about Xian-Ming-Hou-Xing and Xian-Xing-Hou-Ming each other. First, Xian-Ming-Hou-Xing says that there is a progress of the Dan Tao practice from the Ming-Gong to the Xing-Gong, Xian-Xing-Hou-Ming emphasi- zes the fundamentality of the acquired Xing pratice in the Dan Tao practice austerities. Second and the most important, Xian-Ming-Hou-Xing and Xian-Xing-Hou-Ming also point out two methods of training the transcendent Xing and Ming, one is from Xing to Ming, the other is from Ming to Xing. This is the essential difference between the South group and the North group.