《丹经极论》

True Lead (zhenqian, a term in elixir Dao that symbolizes the prenatal true unified Qi) already existed when Heaven and Earth had not yet taken form and the myriad things were still in chaos. It first condensed into shape, and only afterward did Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the myriad things gradually arise. Thus True Lead is called the parent of Heaven and Earth and the root of Yin-Yang. Ancient cultivators held that the sage takes the fundamental Qi (vital energy) that existed before Heaven and Earth were generated, and uses the original source of Yin-Yang as the foundation of elixir work. If what is being refined cannot give rise from within itself to Heaven and Earth and Yin-Yang, it does not belong to the way of the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir. If one merely refines with materials that appeared only after Heaven and Earth had formed—metals and minerals, plant ashes and juices, frost and dew, ice and snow—it is unlikely that the goal can be reached. Cultivators should carefully contemplate and come to know the root of Heaven and Earth and the original beginning of Yin-Yang; without insight into these, it is difficult to speak of the orthodox path of the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir. Those who understand this should take care not to wander into side doors and deviant paths.

True Lead is none other than the true unified Qi. A person’s original yang true Qi dissipates day by day; the cultivator must use True Lead to gather and condense it so that it coagulates into cinnabar. Thereafter one gradually applies fire and adds mercury (the symbolic medicinal counterpart of lead in elixir Dao), so that mercury gradually increases and the Qi of lead gradually recedes. This is called “extracting lead and adding mercury.” When cultivation has reached ten months, the lead is exhausted and the mercury is complete, and it transforms into the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir; the body likewise transforms into a body of pure yang.

True Lead is the fire of Heaven and Earth, and also the foundation from which Yin-Yang are generated. The sage takes the original source of Heaven and Earth as the basis of the great medicine, and takes the pure Jing (essence) of Yin-Yang as the substance of the great elixir; this is not something produced by ordinary human artifice. Mercury readily flies and disperses, but when it meets lead it can coagulate; this is because lead and mercury are bound to each other like mother and child. Before Heaven and Earth took form, True Lead received the One Qi and was completed first, and only afterward did Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and the myriad things gradually come into being. Using the yang elixir that was born before Heaven and Earth to transmutate one’s own yin mercury causes it to turn into pure yang. Thereafter one must still circulate and refine it within oneself, until at last the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir is accomplished; therefore it is called the “inner medicine” and Neidan (internal alchemy).

Although the true fire used in Neidan circulates of itself within the “earthen cauldron” (a symbol of the elixir furnace inside the human body), one must still rely on diligent practice with the outer furnace, carefully regulating the fire phasing, increasing and decreasing, extracting and adding, without error. Although the transformations of the inner and outer true fires are many, the key lies in the wondrous function of True Lead: it can subdue mercury so that it does not fly away. The two medicines, inner and outer, appear different, yet the principle of their actual application is the same.

The reason for distinguishing inner medicine and outer medicine is that the human body is born by receiving the Qi of Heaven’s Dao (the Way), and is shaped into form by Yin-Yang. The human body takes Jing and Qi as its root; Shen (spirit) is born from Qi, and Qi is born from Jing. Yet this Jing, Qi, and Shen are all Qi formed after a person is born, and they belong to the yin side. Although the work of the cultivator of the real cannot do without refining Jing, Qi, and Shen, if one relies only on these postnatal things, the yin quality remains uneliminated, and one cannot transform the bodily form into pure yang and go beyond Heaven and Earth. Therefore the ancestral masters said: “Solitary yin cannot generate of itself.” The cultivator must gather the prenatal One Qi, and with matching medicines of this kind—true yin and true yang—refine them together within a single two-hour period into a grain of the ultimate yang elixir, which is called True Lead. Because the root of its creative transformation lies outside the body, it is called the “outer medicine.”

Using this yang elixir to subdue one’s own yin mercury is like a cat catching a mouse. The yang elixir is the mother Qi of Heaven and Earth; one’s own mercury is the child Qi of Heaven and Earth. Using the mother Qi to subdue the child Qi is precisely the joining of Qi of the same kind. The Jing (scripture) further says that before Heaven and Earth took form, True Lead received the One Qi and gradually generated Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and the myriad things; this shows that what the Golden Elixir refers to is the prenatal One Qi. One uses the prenatal yang elixir to transmutate one’s own yin mercury, making it become pure yang, and then by means of the Yin-Yang tally-fire (the fire phasing of cultivation that proceeds according to the transformations of Yin-Yang) one regulates advance and retreat, extraction and addition. After ten months of cultivation, form transforms into Qi, Qi transforms into Shen, and Shen unites with the Dao and becomes formless, transforming in ways beyond prediction; one can then go beyond Heaven and Earth, rise above creative transformation, command Heaven and Earth, and mold Yin-Yang. The Jing holds that this functioning comes from the prenatal One Qi, and therefore calls it wondrous beyond compare. How could postnatal yin Qi serve as the inner medicine?

When Heaven and Earth had not yet separated, their form was like a hen’s egg, and within it was the chaotic true unified Qi; this is Qi-Lead, and therefore Qi-Lead is the prior source of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things. At the beginning of the Great Change (Taiyi) and Great Simplicity (Taisu), the numinous and wondrous nature of the myriad things, though already contained, had not yet become manifest. When the stage of Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) and the Great One (Taiyi) was reached, there was already a thing of undifferentiated unity, and the true unified Jing within it is the ancestral source of Heaven and Earth and the beginning of the myriad things. After the One Qi took form, the two modes of Heaven and Earth separated, and only then came Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, the Three Powers, and the myriad things. Therefore Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) are taken as the guiding cords of Heaven and Earth, and the circulation of Yin-Yang as the pivot of creative transformation. Once Qian and Kun are established, Yin-Yang operate within them.

The cultivation of the Great Elixir of Golden Liquid follows the same principle as the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth. Therefore Qian and Kun are used as the tripod-vessel (the symbolic apparatus of elixir refinement), and Kan and Li (trigrams of the Bagua [Eight Trigrams] representing water and fire, Yin and Yang) are used as the medicines, thereby imitating the power by which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things.

The immortals’ way of embracing the One is a method secretly stored by Heaven above. What is called “Taiyi” is the original source of Taiji and of the Great Abyss; the “One” is Qi. If a person can employ the true Qi of Taiyi, causing it to unite with his or her own true Qi, nourish the Qi of Great Harmony, and refine and nourish it for a long time, the great elixir can be accomplished. The elixir is pure yang, and yang symbolizes the Dao of Heaven. When Shen gathers it forms bodily shape; when it disperses it becomes Qi. Therefore to communicate with the Dao is to nourish Qi by means of the Dao. To nourish Shen is to preserve and harmonize the Dao of Heaven. Jing and Qi assist each other; long-term refinement, nourishment, and application is what is called “refining the form with pure yang.”

Fire represents yang; the breath represents wind. Using wind to assist fire in refining the form, so that both Shen and form attain subtle perfection, is why it is called “refining.” To refine the form one must first hold to inner contemplation, so that the true Qi is harmonious and sufficient. The Qi of elixir-yang circulates in purity, ceaselessly rising and falling, going and returning, flowing around without rest, encompassing the myriad things. The Qi of Heaven descends and then rises again; the Qi of Earth rises and then descends again. The yang Jing of Heaven condenses as the sun; the yin Jing of Earth condenses as the moon. If one grasps the pivot of the movement of the Dipper’s handle, one can naturally turn the sun and moon so that they circulate without cease; this is the way of refining Shen with pure yang. The elixir cultivator gathers the essence-flower of sun and moon, blends the numinous Qi of Yin-Yang, and after the cycle of the celestial circuit has run its course, the movement of Yin-Yang comes to completion and returns to the De (Virtue/Power) of Earth (symbolizing the power of harmonizing, bearing, and bringing to completion); Shen and Jing are then made sufficient.

The Book of Changes says: “The Dao of Qian transforms and changes, each correctly establishing its nature and life.” The root of transformation and change lies in nature (xing) and life (ming): nature comes from the original source and must rely on life as its support; life comes from formed existence and in turn must take nature as its functioning. Nature becomes confused through the agitation of feelings and desires; life is depleted through craving for sound and color. When life is strong, Shen is complete and nature is luminous; when life is weak, nature is feeble and Shen is dim. Nature belongs to the side of the Dao, of Shen, and of function; it inclines toward stillness and is the yin within yang. Life belongs to the side of living existence and bodily form; it inclines toward movement and is the yang within yin. Nature and life depend on each other; neither can be lacking. Solitary yang cannot stand, and solitary yin cannot be accomplished. Only when substance and function are both present is it the wondrous Dao.

Perfected Lü said: “If one only understands empty nature and does not cultivate the elixir method, then even through ten thousand kalpas the yin numen will still find it hard to enter the sagely realm.” Perfected Dou said: “Those who practice Chan meditation speak only of awakening to the Dao, thinking that seeing the nature is enough, yet they do not know that they themselves may still be in a dream. It is like a frantic ape fruitlessly scooping at the moon’s reflection in the water—how could it ever truly catch the moonlight and bring it back?”

The yang Jing (essence) is the Jing of “Zhenyi” (the True One), that is, the Qi (vital energy) of utmost Yang, and is called the Yang Elixir. One’s own true Qi belongs to Yin; it is the sovereign of the entire body and governs all the hundred bones. The Yang Elixir comes from outside and is used to restrain one’s own yin mercury (the inner Jing-Qi of yin nature). In this way the Yang Elixir becomes the host, while one’s own yin mercury becomes the guest.

The Yang Elixir and yin mercury combine with each other and condense into golden sand. Only after it has stabilized and no longer dissipates may fire be applied to refine and nourish it, producing the Golden Liquid Returned Elixir. Because the Yang Elixir lies outside it is called “distant”; because one’s own yin mercury lies within it is called “intimate.” By reversing the ordinary relationship of intimacy and distance, host and guest are thereby established, and the Way of cultivation is completed.

True cultivation of the Dao (the Way) consists in nourishing Shen (spirit). If one can guard the aperture at which one’s own breath is cut off and the vital mechanism is on the verge of extinction, so that even the withered bones of the seven ancestors receive living Qi, then the root that gave birth to me is Dao and that which enables me to live is Shen; to nourish Shen by means of Dao is precisely this.

The outer medicine refers to the Yang Elixir: the Qi of Zhenyi is refined in the furnace of creation. When the work has matured, only half a double-hour of “golden chen” (the timing used in elixir refinement) is needed to complete it. The inner medicine refers to the Golden Liquid Returned Elixir, which must pass through ten months before it can leave the embryo and become a sacred body.

Although both medicines employ the principle of Yin-Yang transformation, their concrete methods and fire timing differ greatly.

The fire timing of the outer medicine

When both body and mind are settled and unmoving, and breathing follows its natural course, Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) return to their root. Holding the breath too tightly easily makes it hurried; letting it go too freely easily makes it scattered. One should allow the breath to be long, continuous, and unbroken, without interruption. In this way the Shen naturally congeals and settles over time, and the breath naturally becomes peaceful and steady.

Applying the fire phases (the skill of regulating the process of cultivation) is like cooking small fish: one must neither overdo it nor fall short. When the true Qi (the primordial Qi within the human body) has just begun to sprout, the key is to appear not to gather it while actually nurturing it, guarding it faintly as if it were present and yet absent; one must use faint Yang Qi to nourish the newly born tender Yang. Then place the intention in the center of the compass (the central position within the body spoken of in cultivation), letting every breath return to the root, using intention to stabilize the true Qi, and then gradually circulating the fire phases so that the Qi rises and falls, cycling over and over. One must not cling to remaining still and unmoving; if one never circulates, blockage will result instead.

The circulation of Yin-Yang is entirely the wondrous function of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth), and few people are able to understand it. If Heaven and Earth did not circulate, the primordial Qi would stagnate and accumulate, and the myriad things could not grow; if a person does not circulate, the primordial Qi becomes blocked and cannot form the elixir. How then could one last as long as Heaven and Earth?

The practice at this stage is measured by nine cycles. After advancing the fire (gradually circulating and refining the true Qi) for a time, if one feels the Shen and Qi subtly blending in harmony, the fire phases are sufficient, body and mind are clear and bright, and Yin and Yang each have their distinction, then one should withdraw the fire and warmly nourish for a while. Afterward advance the fire again, gradually deepening the cooking and refining, reaching a state of utmost emptiness and stillness so that body and mind unite and Shen and Qi intermingle; at this time one feels the entire body and the nine orifices as fresh and clean as after a bath, while the Jiaji double passes (the cultivation passes along the spine) feel warm as if there were fire. Only upon reaching this step can it be called Pure Yang.

The practitioner must be able to adapt flexibly according to the timing, knowing when to advance and when to withdraw, keeping the mind-spirit from being lost, in order to reach the realm of the sage.

The Circulation of Internal Medicine

The Qi (vital energy) of True Unity (Zhenyi zhi Qi, the primordial Qi of which Daoism speaks) is originally without form. If the two Qi of Yin and Yang do not intermingle with each other, how could it descend to a certain level and appear as an elixir the size of a millet grain? Even if one obtains this millet-like elixir, after swallowing it, without the dense blending of the fires of Yin and Yang, how could it be transformed into the Golden Fluid Elixir?

The Qi of True Unity, in the Furnace of Creation (Zaohua Lu, which symbolizes the inner furnace and tripod of the alchemical process), is refined by the True Fire; its radiance penetrates the curtains, and golden brilliance fills the chamber. This is the refining and combining of the two Qi by True Yin and True Yang, coagulating into a millet-sized elixir. After swallowing it into the Dantian (energy center) within the abdomen, how then can it change into the Golden Fluid Elixir?

The Qi of True Unity in the Furnace of Creation is refined by True Fire; light shines through the curtains, and golden splendor fills the room. True Yin and True Yang refine and unite the two Qi, forming an elixir like a grain of millet. Once it is swallowed into the abdominal Dantian, this elixir catalyzes the Yang Hun (the Yang soul-spirit) and dissolves the Yin Po (the Yin corporeal-soul substance). At this time a single Qi circulates back through the body, moving downward from the Niwan (the site of Neidan (internal alchemy) in the upper part of the head); one feels only that the five viscera and six bowels become cool and clear, golden light penetrating the body; the effect manifests in a single moment.

After the elixir has entered the body, one must still undergo ten months of practice, employing the method of “extraction and addition” (choutian, which regulates the fire-timing and increases or decreases the intensity of cultivation), carefully guarding against deviation and danger. The lines “The mud snake at the well-bottom dances on spreading branches; moonlight between the windows shines on plum and pear; at night Chaos is plucked and falls to earth; the myriad phenomena in their dense array remain wholly unknown” speak precisely of this state.

The Danjing Jilun (Ultimate Discourse on the Elixir Scriptures) discusses the Yang Elixir (Yangdan, the Yang inner elixir): after the Yang Elixir has catalyzed the Yin mercury within the body (Yingong, a term in Neidan that symbolizes Yin Jing (essence)), the key lies in emptying the mind to circulate the fire and forgetting emotion to harmonize, so that the movement of Yin and Yang accords with the breath. Use the breath to employ Shen (spirit) and Qi, use Shen and Qi to employ Water and Fire, then use Water and Fire to employ embryonic breathing (Taixi, which in Neidan describes the subtle, continuous inner respiration), causing it to run continuously; Kan and Li (symbolizing Water and Fire, Yin and Yang) conjoin, and from this the Golden Fluid is produced.

Circulate the mechanism of Yin-Yang creation and transformation, without being bound by the initial stages of practice; once it has already risen, then let it move downward from the Niwan. This is what is called descending to stabilize the body’s Niwan and the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the site in the chest), harmonizing the five Qi and blending the hundred spirits. At this time one must forget attachment to Qi in order to nourish Shen, and continue to move downward, with movements light and slow, silently lifting. The oral formula is:

Concentrate solely on guarding the Qi, bringing body and mind to a state of softness and harmony like that of an infant; eliminate miscellaneous thoughts, still the mind and guard the One, so that thoughts from outside do not invade and thoughts from within do not rush outward. In this way quietly nourish the spirit, and continue to move downward, circulating lightly, silently lifting.

Concentrate the mind to gather Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), allowing the heart-mind and Shen (spirit) to return to softness, attaining a state like that of an infant. Wash away stray thoughts, quiet the Shen, and exclusively guard the One. External thoughts cannot enter, and inner thoughts do not radiate outward. Remain throughout the day in a state of undifferentiated oneness, as if dwelling in the mother’s womb.

When the Shen is settled, it meets with Jing and Qi; when Jing and Qi are harmonized, they unite with the Shen. The Shen gathers along with Jing and Qi, and Jing and Qi cling to the Shen and remain. In this realm of silence and rest, one is as if placed in a land of no-thing, in a hazy and indistinct state. Let the mind be empty, still, and dim, like a hen incubating her eggs, or like a fish swimming in water. Exhalation seems to reach the root of the body, inhalation seems to reach the depths of the body; the breath is long, fine, and subtle, seeming both present and absent, still holding this one breath in the state of embryonic breathing (like a fetus breathing in the mother’s womb).

One must further screen out the disturbances of the mundane world, cut off seeing and hearing, eat little, and refrain from sleep. Thereafter, let it operate according to its own nature; do not cling to deliberate holding, nor be bound by advancing the fire (the method in Neidan (internal alchemy) of mobilizing the breath and advancing the stages of practice). After a long time, one should gently nourish and cultivate the elixir, that is, the infant pearl (the condensed elixir body in Neidan cultivation). The saying “when the medicine is ripe there is no need to apply fire-phasing” means that once the elixir has matured, one need not deliberately apply the fire-phasing; if one clings to the fire-phasing, one will instead damage the elixir body. One need only continue to nourish it so that it suffers no loss; when thirsty, drink water; when sleepy, sleep; when hungry, eat.

When the elixir circulates and is generated, one suddenly feels Qi rushing upward from the Jiaji (the spinal region of the back) to the Niwan (the head; in Neidan terminology, this refers to the brain). Along the way there is a faint sound, as if something from the crown of the head touches into the brain; in a moment, one feels particles the size of sparrow eggs falling one by one from the Chonglou (the throat). Their taste is as fragrant and sweet as icy cream, incomparably delicious. When this condition appears, one has obtained the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir (a Neidan term referring to the state in which Jing and Qi, after being refined, return within the body). One should slowly swallow it so that it continually returns to the Dantian (energy center). The five viscera become clear and luminous; closing the eyes and gazing inward, the organs seem clearly visible, as if illuminated by candlelight; thereafter, ten thousand rays of golden light gradually emerge from the body. After ten months the practice is complete, the Sacred Embryo (the embryo of inner elixir transformation spoken of in cultivation) is formed, and one then nourishes the original Shen so that it emerges from the shell.

The spirit emerges.

Since ancient times, what cultivators of the Dao have called “exiting of the Shen” (the primordial Shen leaving the body) has had no other method. Here “Shen” refers to one’s own primordial Shen. When Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are abundant, the primordial Shen becomes numinous and bright; only when the primordial Shen is numinous and bright can it naturally depart, and this is not produced by visualization.

When the Yang Shen departs, ghosts and spirits cannot see or detect it; if they can see or detect it, then it is a Yin Shen and not a Yang Shen. Only after three years and a thousand days of cultivation, when the work of storing and nourishing is complete, Jing and Qi are abundant and the primordial Shen fully prepared, can one enter and exit freely.

The so-called “body outside the body” is the dharma-body (the additional body of which cultivators speak). When it gathers it can manifest a form; when it disperses it transforms into Qi, and it cannot be conceived according to ordinary notions of physical form. The Yin Shen belongs to the formless and cannot divide or transform its body; the Yang Shen can transform from one body into several dozen or even a hundred bodies, each of which can eat, drink and engage in social interaction, afterwards reuniting as one. This is what is called “sagely yet unknowable”—the sage’s realm is difficult to fathom. The Yang Shen appears and vanishes unpredictably, its transformations inexhaustible; it can reach a thousand or ten thousand li in an instant and knows in advance both past and future events. Only this deserves to be called the Yang Shen.

The Yang Shen enters and exits through the Heavenly Gate (the portal of spirit-exit spoken of in cultivation). When the Heavenly Gate first opens, one feels as though a great axe is splitting the head; one must not be startled. At this time one should be as cautious as an infant guarding a doorway, protecting it in a sealed chamber and not allowing the spirit to exit lightly. When first exiting the spirit, it merely circles left and right and turns back to inspect the spirit chamber and dwelling. Once proficient, one can see it oneself whether the eyes are open or closed. Only then is it allowed to travel through the air: first departing only ten paces, then gradually increasing to a hundred and a thousand paces. After each sending forth it must be recalled; only after long practice can one travel freely to any distance.

When exiting the spirit, one Shen must be left to guard the dwelling and the protective and vigilant spirits instructed to safeguard the gate. The Shen that remains is the golden-armored spirit-person in the brain. Before exiting, one should instruct it to watch over the crown gate and prevent anything that falsely assumes a name or impersonates a form from entering one’s spirit chamber; upon returning, simply calling one’s own name allows them to reunite as one. Without three or nine years of dedicated practice, how could such a state ever be attained?

— Wu Zhen Yi Pian

The yin-yun Qi (vital energy)—that pervasive, intermingling breath hard to distinguish—gathers and then disperses; this was probably only a way of borrowing names and images in order to explain. Once it has entered my spirit-chamber (the place where one stores Shen (spirit) and nourishes Qi), it must not be allowed to leave. The moment I return, I call my own name, and thus am able to unite as one. If it were not for three years and nine years of cultivation work, how could one possibly reach this realm?

Wuzhen Yipian (Posthumous Chapters of Awakening to Reality)

The gathering and dispersing of the yin-yun Qi is, in essence, the transformation of Jing (essence) and hun; those who understand the principle within it call this Qian and Kun (the figures in the Yijing that stand for Heaven and Earth). The principle of the Yi encompasses the transformations between Heaven and Earth; do not treat the forms of the myriad things as a rigid, literal account.

The four seasons bloom in their proper time, like four pavilions each with its own scenery; when the wind blows, the fragrance of the flowers comes to meet you. I urge you to gather them according to the season, and not let the delicate blossoms wither at will.

Xijiang Yue (West River Moon)

The Elixir is the wondrous treasure within the form-body (the tangible physical body); the Dharma-body (the state of body and mind that embodies true nature) is the true heart-mind. It has never had a fixed form or color, nor any sound; it is originally one, and there is no need to know it by dividing it into two. The myriad dharmas can neither be said to be entirely nonexistent nor actually existent; as for existence and nonexistence, there is likewise no need to search them out deliberately. Set down both sides of existence and nonexistence, and do not cling even to the middle—this is the superior realm in cultivating the Dao (the Way).

Another

The principle makes no distinction between past and present; this heart-mind does not rejoice or grow angry because of circumstances. That which has no fixed form is the true form; the form-body is itself the Dharma-body. There is no need to speak many words; one or two phrases can enable ten thousand people to live with understanding. Ah! This here is the ultimate place—why always turn it over and over again, seeking another path?

Huandan Fuming Yipian (Posthumous Chapters on Returning the Elixir and Restoring Destiny)

Jueju (Quatrains)

The altar is divided into three levels, the tower has eleven stories; the Qi of the eight directions blend in harmony, with Earth held as the honored one. Ding Gong (the yang force in the process of refining the Elixir) depends entirely on the help of Huang Po (the mediating force that harmonizes Yin-Yang); north and south join together, subduing the po and hun (the earthly and ethereal souls of a person).

Guarding within a single altar, worldly thoughts have already been cut off; once one line (a single stroke in a hexagram) has been observed, the next line is generated in succession. This heart-mind is like a spark of fire still hidden in the ashes after everything has burned away; in quiet sitting, one can hear the sound of the water-clock dripping.

One must use the spirit-water (a Neidan (internal alchemy) term for the Jing-Qi used to harmonize in cultivation) to sprinkle and moisten the Kun palace (the side that symbolizes the yin). First raise the Qi of the west, then join it with the Qi of the east. Know that the principle of the Great Dao is subtle and hard to see; the sun moves into the bright place of the moon.

The Gate of the Mysterious Female (symbolizing the root of the generation of Heaven and Earth and the joining of Yin-Yang) is of the utmost importance, yet those who truly set their hands to the work of cultivation are few. If you do not believe in the Dao of long life, you might as well go look at the plum branches among the mulberry trees.

Five-character verse

Having obtained the true oral secrets of the immortal lineages, one then refines the ultimate Yang from within the Yin. Where the thunder of the earth is secretly set in motion, the stars and constellations seem to take part in the calculation as well. The Bagua (Eight Trigrams) gradually become manifest as the mother-body; the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity)…

The last sentence of the original breaks off at “Three Powers”; the Huandan Fuming Yipian section also shows clear duplication and lacunae. The above follows the surviving text.

Upon first encountering the realm of “Chang,” one no longer worries about the entanglements of life and death, and becomes certain that heaven and earth last long.