How does the language of alchemical patterns, structured as a series of formulas or evolutionary stages, allow one to communicate with Nature's intelligence? It might be useful to first consider a more familiar artificial language, that of software programming. You sit at your computer, your fingers nimbly type commands and send emails in English, your native surface language. Your typed commands in English trigger a layer of formal language installed by the software programmer, which "talks" to the silicon chip. The chip itself speaks an even simpler deep language -- one of "on-off" binary code impulses. The intermediary software language captures these yin-yang impulse patterns and projects it onto your monitor screen, where it forms a visual virtual reality. (9)

Each of One Cloud's alchemical formulas is a kind of symbolic programming in a "daoist software language". The alchemical symbols are not fixed words or pictures within the adept's mind, but rather are always moving. Their movements define a kind of living geometry that creates its own time, space. and intelligence. The alchemical meditator shapes his internal qi field, and this is instantaneously uploaded into the greater qi field of Nature, which in turn responds. The alchemist's qi language can be described as by pulsing (yin-yang-yuan) energy pathways on which felt qualities or values move in dynamic patterns that are in resonance with larger patterns in nature.

The patterns of this symbolic language may be experienced internally as yin-yang qi flow in the micro-cosmic orbit up the spine and down the chest or in the other eight extraordinary vessels; as cycling movement of the 5 phases (elements) qi through the vital organs, or as all pervading spiritual qualities (de). These energetic pathways help the adept's ordinary mind translate its mind intent (yi) into the impulses of his/her vital organ spirits (jingshen). The daoist name each of these five body-mind spirits: yi, shen, zhi, hun, and po. They are considered the intelligences that regulate the spleen, heart, kidney, liver and lung functions. These spirits are the deepest personal inner voices. The seven formulas train these body-mind intelligences to speak to and activate a response from the vast multitude of planetary and stellar intelligences shaping the impersonal cosmic qi field.

The response from the cosmic qi field to the adept's communication appears to be at core a very simple binary code of yin-yang pulsations. Like a computer chip, these cosmic impulses can instantly transmit a huge quantity of "living information" from a more universal field of awareness than the adept's ordinary senses can perceive. This information is tranmitted back to the adept, who interprets this "message" as specific energy patterns or qualities of spirit that are felt. The filter for the incoming information from the universal qi field are the adepts own vital organ spirits, which daoists believe also shape (together with other bodily spirits) one's worldly personality and behavior. These spirits govern our body's biological intelligence, and collectively transmute the incoming yin-yang impulses into the human powers of discrimination, feeling, sensation, speech, and movement. This information is not filtered by the biological senses or by conscious thinking, but rather by the "subtle senses" that the adept develops, called the subtle or chi body.

The alchemical meditations activate progressively more subtle energetic fields that allow the adept to communicate instantly across vast distances. Take for example the pattern of the Five Elements/Phases. The five phase intelligences within the human body can be trained to resonate with the five great spirits (North, South, East, West, and Center) within the Earth, which in turn can talk to the vast intelligences of the five phases within Heaven (sun, moon, planets, or stars). All three levels of intelligence - man, earth, and heaven - are "of the same blood", i.e. are born and function in the same qi field of Nature. Once you learn to listen to one pattern within the body, it is only a matter of training to "listen" to the same pattern in other parts of the qi field, even if it is physically far away. Qi patterns are not limited by physical time/space. These impulses travel at the speed of consciousness, which is much faster than the speed of light. This is because the qi patterns don't need to travel across space, the living qi field IS the matrix of space/time. (10)

What are differences between the artificial software language used to speak to the computer and the deep resonant patterns chosen by the alchemist to speak with nature? The level of human will involved and the energetic engagement of the speaker of the language are central. The keyboard operator is usually unconscious of the formal software language, and is also separated from both the deep language of the computer chip and the electrical power source needed to run it. The computer screen, hardware and software are commanded by the "outer" will of the keyboard operator, meaning the person must direct his energy into an activity or thing seen as separate from himself, which eventually tires him out.

Daoist alchemical language is an embodied experience, a merging of the adept's intelligence (shen), energy (qi), and body essence (jing) with no intermediate object. It's possible to view the alchemical language speaker (shen), the language/words being silently spoken (qi), the recorded form of the speech (jing), and the total field of possible expresssion (wu) as all contained within the alchemist and communicated by resonance to the macrocosm of Nature, which mirrors the same jing-qi-shen-wu components in another dimension..

This continuum of jing-qi-shen-wu is focused into a single intent (yi) in order to authentically "speak" to other beings or deeper energy patterns within Nature. The adept's own physical body (jing) functions like the hardware, his/her qi channels like the software, the five inner spirits fuse into an inner vision-computer screen whose subtle senses create an internally perceived virtual reality. The power source is the Dao or its manifestation as the qi flowing in Nature, which is alive and inexhaustible. The qi field flows through Nature's "wires" whether or not the adept plugs into it. Communicating with the mind of the Dao through alchemical meditation recharges and heals the adept. The adept's "inner" will must be active and focused inwardly on a pattern of resonance within Nature, such as yin-yang-yuan, five elements, eight forces to speak silently to other humans or natural entities such as the sun, moon, stars used in One Cloud's formulas.

The computer software language could conceivably be memorized from a book. To learn daoist alchemical language requires a live transmission from skilled alchemist to activate one's energy body/qi flow. This is the traditional function of lineage. Lineage is just a communication pathway with Nature that is taught to someone to make it easier for them to communicate beyond the dark clouds of ego resistance that seem to deter most people from talking with the cosmic aspects of their self. All lineage originated at some point with someone who spontaneously developed a deep way to speak with Nature, and decided to share it. One can also receive initiation into alchemical process by an inner plane guide or by simply deeply observing Nature.

But why reinvent the wheel? Few people will learn alchemy without a teacher. It is faster and easier to tune into someone who introduces you to the alchemical language patterns embedded in your own energy field. The tranmission is simple; your qi field simply resonates and re-shapes itself to match your teacher. You instantly experience the energy pattern which allows you to talk directly to Nature's mind. This normally opens a deeper ability to communicate with other human minds. Sometimes a book or object whose qi field has been intentionally imprinted can act as the initiator. LIke any language, the more you hear it spoken, the easier it is to speak it. Some teachers who initiate claim that they somehow "own" the qi or spirits being transmitted. According to deep language theory, this is untrue. The qi field belongs to the Dao. We could say that ultimately there is only one lineage, the direct lineage to the original teacher, Nature's qi field.