Internal precepts

It now appears that much more careful thought is required in the selection of systems which may offer the prospect of yielding unambiguous results. In particular, the choice of solvent and initiator must be considered very carefully, and features such as mechanisms of initiation, catalyst efficiency, nature of end-groups, and the internal order of reactions need to be explored much more thoroughly than has been customary in the past. Too much effort has been wasted by ignoring the precept First the Chemistry, then the Kinetics . 

Without wishing to challenge the belief systems of transcendental meditation adepts, it is possible to propose a mechanistic explanation along the same lines as those used to analyze hypnotic phenomena and lucid dreaming. In the case of transcendental meditation, the subject wishes to remain awake—or at least remain aware—but to be free of directed thoughts, organized precepts, and internal language. 

The second precept concerns the gas-fillcd cube. While the great majority of vacuum tubes have, as their name implies, been highly evacuated, some are deliberately filled with rather exotic gases at low pressure. If a voltage is introduced across the tube s internal electrodes as in figure 32, an interesting phenomena takes place. 

Here Ge Hong draws two sets of distinctions. The first is between the alchemical elixirs and the herbal drugs the elixirs confer immortality, the herbal drugs only prolong life. Of equal importance, for Ge Hong, is another distinction, namely the one between practices that deal with the sacred at various levels—alchemy, meditation, use of talismans and charms, and observance of precepts—and those that merely help one to heal from internal ailments (neiji), but leave one subject to outer evil influences. The importance of the calamities that come from outside (tvailai zhi huo), which include anything from wild animals to baneful demons, is often emphasized in... 

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