Cheng 誠 (Sincerity)
This page is excerpted from F. Pregadio, Dictionary of Taoist Internal Alchemy (Brill, 2025).
Translation
Sincerity; authenticity. Note: This entry also contains examples for the term zhicheng 至誠 “utmost sincerity” or “thorough sincerity.”
Definition(s)
▣ The quality of being authentic and thoroughly committed, deemed to be essential in Neidan.
🕮 Yijing Wenyan: In ordinary speech he is trustworthy, and in ordinary actions he is careful. He wards off evil and maintains sincerity. 庸言之信，庸行之謹，閑邪存其誠。
🕮 Zhongyong: Sincerity is the Way of Heaven. 誠者，天之道。
⦿ Cantong qi 45: Thoroughly consider the laws and the ordinances, with utter sincerity and concerted attention. 按歷法令，至誠專密。
⦿ Ruyao jing 7: It is born in kun ☷ and is planted in qian ☰; just be thoroughly sincere, and model yourself on what is so of its own. 產在坤，種在乾，但至誠，法自然。Comm. Wang Jie: The whole practice only consists in maintaining sincerity. 行持之間，唯在存誠。
⦿ Yinfu jing Comm. Yu Yan: When Man is able to establish his sincerity and is not moved by human desires, then Heaven is stabilized and Man also is stabilized. 人能立其誠而不為人欲之所移，則天者定而人亦定矣。
⦿ Ruyao jing 18 Comm. Wang Jie: In “circulating the Fire and withdrawing the tally” (see jinhuo tuifu) the main point lies in maintaining sincerity, which cannot be interrupted for one instant. 行火退符之間，務在存誠，一念不可間斷。
⦿ Jindan sibai zi 1 Comm. Peng Haogu: Sincerity can set in motion one’s own True Intention (zhenyi): it causes Mercury (hong) constantly to greet Lead (qian), and Lead constantly to control Mercury. 誠能運吾之真意，使汞常迎鉛，鉛常制汞。
⦿ Jinhua zongzhi 1: As for the practice, it consists in two words: “maintaining sincerity.” 功法在存誠兩字。
▣ In Huang Yuanji’s exposition of Neidan, the Confucian term equivalent to Golden Elixir (jindan).
⦿ Daode jing Comm. Huang Yuanji, Preface: The Way of the Three Teachings is nothing but the Way of the sages. The Confucians call it utmost sincerity, the Buddhists call it True Emptiness, and the Taoists call it Golden Elixir. 三教之道，聖道而已。儒曰至誠，釋曰真空，道曰金丹。
Related Terms
☞ cuncheng dingyi 存誠定意
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