《了明篇》

Living in this world is no easy matter. Human beings stand with their heads beneath the vast heavens and their feet upon the great earth, the most spiritually endowed among all things. Yet people so often chase after fame and profit, pursue what is false, and lose their original authenticity. They pass through life until old age and death without ever hearing of the Great Dao (the Way), wasting their existence with almost no awakening. This is truly something to sigh over.

People fail to consider that even Confucius (styled Zhongni, later honored as Xuanni) once said: “If one hears the Dao in the morning, one may die in the evening.” If even a sage like Confucius was so eager to seek the Dao, how much more so should we be?

What I speak of now as “the Dao” is the Great Dao. The Great Dao is impartial and without selfishness, upright and without deviation. It precedes the undivided chaos of heaven and earth, and it precedes the appearance of the sun, moon, and stars. It is silent and without sound, impossible to hear with the ears; it is profound and without form, impossible to see with the eyes. As long as one holds it in reverence, one can draw near to it in daily life. It is unlike the lesser methods of side paths, nor is it heterodox arts that confuse the world and stray from the true Way.

The Dao (the Way) originally has no name; people forcibly name it by means of concrete things, and therefore names are many. If we speak of the true inner content of the mysterious Dao, it stands uniquely as one, yet it is hard to fathom, hard to meet, and cannot be fully expressed in speech. Now I am fortunate to receive Heaven’s gracious regard; because of Yun’s inquiry I met Master Song, and thus I specially recorded the Master’s words:

“I met Zhongli Gong and Lü Gong (legendary Daoist immortals) and obtained the oral secrets they transmitted. Following the formulas I cultivated the meritorious work of returning to the root and restoring life, practiced the way of replenishing the brain and returning Jing (essence), causing the two substances to be cooked in the furnace and condense into the Great Medicine. After swallowing a knife-point (a tiny quantity of elixir), Yin Qi (vital energy) was exhausted and Yang Qi complete; the three Dantian (energy centers) (upper, middle, and lower) were full, and thus another body could appear outside the physical form. When merit and virtue are fulfilled and cultivation completed, one can cast off the bodily shell and ascend as an immortal.”

The Master further said: “The heavenly secret is not distant; it is right before the eyes. Provided the will is firm and one holds fast without shifting, cutting off doubts, there is no Dao method that cannot be cultivated to success.”

The Master also took out lyrics he had composed himself, as well as thirty poems matching those of Langranzi. These works have shallow words yet deep meaning, clear sentences and complete principles. I respectfully received them with a bow, compiled them into one collection, and named it the Liaoming Pian. I dare not keep it treasured alone at home, hoping to share it with the multitude, only expecting that gentlemen who love the study of the Dao will not begrudge a detailed reading.

The first day of the tenth month, fourth year of Qiandao, Mao Rixin of Sanqu respectfully prefaces.

As related by Master Song

Song of Encountering the True

In the middle ten days of the fourth month of the Yiyou year, in daylight I again met Zhongli Gong. The oral formulas of the immortal household personally transmitted the mysterious Dao; accumulating day and night, through three thousand days the work was accomplished.

Gratitude to the ancestral master for transmitting the oral formulas; how can such affairs be casually spoken of to the ignorant? Cultivate in concealment, accumulate meritorious practice, and Heaven will naturally know; to leak the heavenly secret rashly will surely suffer severe punishment.

Close and lock the Golden Pass, not allowing Jing and Qi to leak; open the Dual Passes (the passes in cultivation) and circulate the Yin-Yang Qi resembling sun and moon. Conceal the brilliance, silently causing Shen (spirit) and Qi to return to the Niwan (the upper Dantian in the head), letting Shen and Qi follow one another as they together pay homage to the palaces of the Heavenly Emperor.

The true fire in the furnace burns fiercely; the true gold refined is pure white like snow. When Yin-Yang Qi is sufficient, the Yang Shen (the pure Yang spirit spoken of in cultivation) appears; outside the physical form, the spirit-light is bright and clean.

When the Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy) and Shen (spirit) in the three fields (the upper, middle and lower Dantian (energy centers) within the human body) are abundant and pure, a person becomes truly complete. One who can understand one’s own name and surname may be called an immortal. There is a separate method of cultivation for long life without death; the truly untransmitted immortal formula is sworn not to be imparted lightly.

One must constantly visualize the immortal realm within the pot (the inner immortal scenery spoken of in Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation). The perfected one in the cavern abode is always youthful. Purple mist and red light arise in the bedchamber, and before the grove it is as though wind and thunder resound and lightning flashes.

One day one sheds the physical form, leaves the dusty world, leaps from the cage of the mundane and ascends to the heavenly realm. The truly untransmitted immortal formula is sworn not to be imparted lightly.

One must constantly visualize the immortal realm within the pot. The perfected one in the cavern abode is always youthful. Purple mist and red light arise in the bedchamber, and before the grove it is as though wind and thunder resound and lightning flashes.

One day one sheds the physical form, leaves the dusty world, leaps from the cage of the mundane and ascends to the heavenly realm.

Song of Unraveling Delusion

The Dao (the Way) is not distant; it resides in the Niwan (the upper Dantian in the head). Do not believe the idle talk of miscellaneous people. Even if one reads through a myriad volumes of immortal Jing (scriptures), the principles they set forth are nothing more than mercury and lead (the symbolic elements of cultivation in Neidan).

If one wishes the true Jing not to leak outward, one must make the spiritual terrace (the mind-spirit) as still as the bright moon. If the mind-spirit is not still, the Jing and Shen cannot become lucid; therefore cultivation day and night must never be interrupted.

Cultivation must not be interrupted, and one must also practice diligently. When the work in the three fields accumulates to fullness, accomplishment arises of itself. Once the work is complete the Shen is refined; when the Shen is accomplished, longevity is attained.

Those who cultivate the Dao, listen to these words: Carefully guard and cultivate the transmitted marvelous secrets of the immortals. Do not leak the secret methods of heaven’s mechanism; leakage will implicate the ancestors.

I advise the people of the world to establish their resolve: every person has the possibility of cultivating to become an immortal.

Thirty Poems Harmonizing with Langranzi on Entering the Dao

To study the Dao one must persist for fifty years, sitting upright through the night without craving sleep. One charges through the dual passes (two key apertures in Neidan cultivation), crosses the Kunlun summit (an important aperture at the crown of the head) and opens the nine orifices (the nine apertures of the body), thereby obtaining the power of transformation.

The jade rabbit (symbolizing yin Qi or the lunar essence) travels and enters the North Sea (a symbolic location in Golden Elixir cultivation), while the golden crow (symbolizing yang Qi or the solar essence) flies into the cavern heaven. The daogui (an ancient measuring implement for medicines, here denoting the refined elixir) is the medicine of long life; after taking it the mortal form is transmuted into an immortal body.

In the stillness of late night the scenery is bright and clear, as though filled with the vitality of spring; the perfect, luminous and unobstructed realm is originally genuine. In the obscure and hazy depths one contemplates inwardly and seems to behold the stars; in a trance-like state one seems to encounter that master (the inner true spirit or original nature).

Fierce flames blaze in the golden cauldron like a crimson sun hanging high in the sky, while the waters of the Yellow River surge and roll as if stirring the deep and hidden currents. Once the precious pearl has been refined and the work of cultivation is complete, a brilliant golden light radiates from the crown of the head.

Sitting quietly in a small chamber, one concentrates the Shen (spirit) in contemplation; the mind’s intention must be held like a tethered iron ox, not allowed to run wildly east or west. A tiger’s roar comes from the mountain peak, yet others cannot see it; a dragon’s chant arises from the seabed, presenting quite another scene.

When Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are abundant, the body naturally resists aging; when Shen (spirit) is complete, the appearance seems to return to childhood. Alas for those who greedily pursue fame and profit: once death arrives, all they have sought comes to nothing.

White snow falls densely before the eyes, and yellow flowers filling the vision seem to transform into purple clouds; the mountain spring at the crown of the head sounds from time to time, and immortal music is often heard in the ears. The Dantian (energy center) (the site in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) for refining Jing and Qi) naturally holds the medicine that extends years and benefits life, yet whose body has not undergone calamities and the traces of gradual aging? Few in the world comprehend this principle, and already many graves lie outside the city walls.

Do not envy glory, wealth, and honor; one should study the way of becoming an immortal. The skill of attaining the Dao is all cultivated from here. Lead in the cauldron is refined into the great medicine, and mercury in the furnace gradually congeals into the numinous embryo. If Yang Jing (yang essence, a cultivation term referring to the Jing-Qi within the human body) does not leak outward, the body can endure long; if true breath (the long, deep, and fine respiration) constantly remains, the black Qi naturally reverses. Mixing among the mundane world and concealing one’s edge, one lives peacefully day by day, letting others laugh at one’s foolishness.

After thoroughly penetrating Xuan Yuan (the origin of the Dao), all things can be set aside, allowing spring to pass and autumn to come. Drinking the jade nectar (the sweet numinous liquid spoken of by immortals), the body does not easily age; grasping the golden Jing (the Jing-Qi in Neidan cultivation), life can be mastered autonomously. The Moon Po and Sun Hun (respectively using moon and sun to refer to Yin-Yang Qi) constantly join, and the Infant and Maiden (terms in Neidan symbolizing Yin-Yang Jing-Qi) are further harmonized. Sitting alone late at night at the place of elixir refinement, the top of the canopy seems to reflect ten thousand points of starlight.

The circulation of breath in cultivation has gone back and forth for ten years; only through the master’s instruction does one enter the Xuanmen (the Daoist gate and its path of cultivation). Thus taking Wu and Ji (Five Phases terms, in Neidan often referring to the central Earth Qi) as the furnace and ding, one already understands the timing of light and dark symbolized by Tun and Meng (hexagram names from the Yijing, here borrowed to indicate Yin-Yang changes and the advance and retreat of cultivation). The original text continues with “Yuan Qi fills to the standard, saturating the belly full; true Yang movement warms the whole body. Death and life thanks first,” the meaning of the sentences seeming incomplete; afterward it again repeats the beginning portion of “seven,” failing to form a complete piece.

When the original Qi (vital energy), the fundamental Qi of life, is abundant, the abdomen feels full. When the true Yang, the pure Yang Qi within the body, begins to circulate, warmth spreads through the entire frame. The oral formulas passed down by the master concern matters of life and death; to have received such instruction is a kindness that even ten thousand kalpas could scarcely repay.

Eight

When Qi enters the Dantian (energy center), the site of Neidan (internal alchemy) practice below the navel, the inner fire timing naturally begins to move. A bright glow appears between the brows, flashing like lightning. The two Qi of Yin-Yang circulate through the body as heaven and earth conjoin; the three palaces, the inner Qi repositories of cultivation, turn like the sun and moon in their courses.

Once the Yang Shen (spirit), the pure Yang spirit of practice, is refined, lifespan may be prolonged. Once the precious inner elixir is completed, the original Jing (essence), the fundamental Jing of life, is restored. Even when the hair has already whitened and the face grown old, ingesting the Golden Elixir brings back youthful radiance.

Nine

When the work is accomplished, one’s name is entered among the celestial officials of heaven. To grasp the principle is not in fact difficult. When the Shen fire rises, heaven and earth grow peaceful; when Yin and Yang unite, the Valley Shen, the empty, still, and undying spiritual awareness of Daoism, becomes settled.

There is no need of ordinary medicines to restore the countenance, nor any call to seek the products of Waidan (external alchemy) in order to return to youth. Sitting quietly, one may contemplate scenes beyond the dusty world; no worldly thing can compare with this state.

Ten

How could one dare speak freely of the heavenly secrets of cultivation? By refining the false so that it returns to the true, one may abide through vast kalpas. Red mercury and black lead are the roots of the medicinal work; the Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit, allusions to sun and moon and also symbols of Yin-Yang, are the foundation of elixir refinement.

When the practice succeeds, one is sure to return to Peng Island, the legendary immortal mountain. When De (Virtue/Power) is complete, one must still present oneself at the imperial palace, the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor. A single clap of thunder startles gods and ghosts alike; ten thousand rays of rosy light illumine heaven and earth.

Eleven

One cultivates in concealment, dwelling hidden amid the dusty world; even when affairs are many, the practice never ceases. Secret effort should be applied regularly within one’s own room; there is no need to travel far into the deep mountains.

Frequent ingestion of the golden liquid and jade slurry, Daoist terms for the essential medicines or inner Jing-Qi, firms the marrow and keeps the countenance ever youthful. I have now obtained the oral formula of long life and have completed in the furnace the nine-times-turned elixir, refined through repeated applications of fire timing.

Twelve

The essentials of the Dao (the Way) are mysterious and profound, their meaning most subtle. Cultivation of the true Dao demands a resolute will. The Yellow River, in Neidan the inner Qi channels of the body, runs through and reaches straight to the heavenly path. The Crimson Palace, the inner palaces of Neidan, is fully smelted, and the Golden Elixir fills the cauldron.

Advancing the fire to refine the elixir requires no quiet chamber; seeking immortality does not demand residence in secluded mountain forests. The medicines that prolong life already exist within the body itself; it is laughable that the foolish still look for them outside.

Thirteen

Freedom from greed and attachment surpasses seclusion in the deep mountains; gold...

Not clinging to greed or being lost in infatuation surpasses living alone in the mountains. By not inviting idle worries and miscellaneous affairs, the mind naturally becomes still and clear. If one can encounter a true high adept who personally transmits the oral secrets, why would one still need to read ten thousand volumes of books?

Human life is limited in time, passing as swiftly as an arrow; a year goes by and another year of age is added. I advise the people of the world to awaken as early as possible; those who do not cultivate are truly foolish.

Fourteen

When the yin Qi (vital energy) in the three fields (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)) is completely exhausted, one can reverse yin into yang and make the yang Qi pure and unified. By refining, nourishing, and harmonizing the two kinds of Jing (essence) and Qi, one cultivates the true primordial. When De (Virtue/Power) is profound, it naturally causes spirits and ghosts to revere and submit; when practice of the Dao (the Way) is lofty, the verses one composes will also fill people with wonder.

Sitting alone in the depths of night and visualizing the spirit sword, all kinds of yin demons will keep far from oneself. Refining mercury into cinnabar (a Neidan (internal alchemy) term referring to the refining of Jing-Qi and the condensation of the inner elixir) means one should no longer grow old; lifespan becomes equal to heaven and earth, and the appearance remains forever youthful.

Fifteen

In youth I was too lazy to study Confucian writings and wasted more than twenty years of time in vain. I have no mind to greedily seek official rank, fame, or profit, and only wait with a single heart to enter the realm of emptiness.

After drinking the daogui (a Neidan term referring to the completed elixir or subtle medicinal substance), the countenance becomes moist and lustrous like jade; after flying over the golden crystal (a Neidan term referring to the essence obtained through cultivation), the face naturally unfolds and relaxes. Those who do not understand the root and the essential aim of cultivation, and merely swallow saliva and circulate the breath, in the end are only busying themselves in vain.

Sixteen

The dual passes (the apertures through which the breath travels in cultivation) ascend along the spine to the niwan (the upper Dantian at the top of the head). When Shen (spirit) and Qi circulate, the countenance can remain forever. A scene of ten thousand acres of golden coins opens up the inner heaven and earth; the light of the two wheels of sun and moon pierces through layer upon layer of mountain barriers.

Do not stop the conveying of the river chariot (a Neidan term referring to the method of circulating Jing-Qi); the work of advancing the fire (the process in Neidan of gradually increasing heat and refining) must also not be slackened. Once one has refined the true great medicine of one's own body, one already knows its name and nature and has transcended the dusty world.

Seventeen

One must clearly recognize the mysterious and wondrous principles and not remain stubbornly unawakened. When the work is complete and De has been cultivated, one can reach the realm of Wuwei (non-action). Frequently swallowing the jade fluid (the subtle saliva spoken of in cultivation) can nourish the appearance and the body; drinking the jade nectar can quench thirst and satisfy hunger.

When the two Qi of Yin-Yang conjoin, a wondrous woman is born; when the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) cooperate with one another, an infant is conceived. If one has already thoroughly understood the principles of Heaven’s mechanism, shedding the fleshly body and flying up to become an immortal is just around the corner.

Eighteen

Why must one go outside seeking elixir medicines in the quest for immortality? It is better to preserve Jing-Qi and cause the breath to return to its original source. When the marrow is full, one naturally will not age or die; when the yang Qi is pure and unified, one will certainly be able to retain a youthful countenance.

The golden pass and jade door (metaphors for the bodily apertures that must be guarded in cultivation) must be firmly locked.

The original, after “the golden pass and jade door must be firmly locked,” repeats the earlier line “having understood the principles of Heaven’s mechanism, shedding the shell and ascending as an immortal is certain to have its time,” after which some verses of section eighteen appear again; the above is translated according to the given wording.

The Golden Pass and Jade Door (names for the body's energy apertures in cultivation) must be firmly sealed, and the work of refining and nurturing within the furnace-cauldron (terms analogizing body and mind in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice) cannot cease. As soon as a bright pearl (a metaphor for the inner elixir or inner spiritual light) begins to circulate, its radiance flashes like lightning between the two eyebrows.

Nineteen

The Great Dao (the Way) is not difficult to seek; what is difficult is to establish one's resolve. Who is willing to cultivate the Dao while still young? Human life is changeable and inconstant; what is there that remains firm and unchanging? How many years can wealth, honor, and glory actually be enjoyed?

A hundred years of time pass like a dream; it is lamentable that people drift along with the current. They greedily cling to money and beauty—when will they ever awaken? Even until they turn into withered bones, people still refuse to stop.

Twenty

I have studied the Dao for twenty years, and the worldly scenes before my eyes all look like so many paths. As long as one practices the “Seven Returns” (a Neidan term referring to the repeated refining that transforms jing (essence) and qi (vital energy)), increasing the jing marrow, one can long cause the Yellow River’s waters to flow backward (a metaphor for the reversal of the qi mechanism in cultivation).

Why must one read all ten thousand volumes of immortal scriptures? It is enough to drink a pot of immortal wine until drunk. One day I will flick my sleeves and soar into the void, roaming freely beyond the dusty world—what worries will remain?

Twenty-one

Merely claiming to be versed in the Nanhua Jing (that is, the Zhuangzi) does not mean one truly grasps the Dao; without a teacher’s guidance, the Dao is hard to accomplish. It is like extracting the essence from sun and moon, connecting heaven and earth, in order to refine the returned elixir of Neidan and thereby transcend life and death.

Yang is born within Yin, which ordinary people do not understand; generating the real from emptiness is the true jing and qi. The master taught me the method of sending forth the Shen (spirit): close the eyes, and as if in the moment of bending a finger, one can reach the Penglai immortal realm.

Twenty-two

After swallowing the water of the Flower Pool (a cultivation term referring to the saliva in the mouth), one can see the immortal realms of Penglai, Yingzhou and the like; a journey of ten thousand li seems as if it takes only one li. When the elixir is refined, one rides the clouds to audience with the Jade Emperor; when cultivation succeeds, one rides a crane to take leave of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

Only through actual practice can one understand the true meaning therein; one must also return to the original source of the primordial beginning and settle into the secluded, profound, and mysterious state. Cultivating immortality in this way is truly worth pursuing; even through hundreds of thousands of kalpas, one can remain long prosperous.

Twenty-three

Everyone greedily clings to beauty and money, unwilling to turn their hearts back to cultivating the Dao. The body has already declined and is nearing death, yet they still pursue pleasure, laughing and making merry, which cannot help but arouse doubt.

Even through hundreds of thousands of kalpas, one can remain long prosperous.

Twenty-three

Everyone greedily clings to beauty and money, unwilling to turn their hearts back to cultivating the Dao. The body has already declined and is nearing death, yet they still pursue pleasure, laughing and making merry, which cannot help but arouse doubt.

Once the breath has completely dispersed, one can never recover the breath again; once calamity arrives, how can one evade it? If one wishes to transcend life and death, one must understand that the root of creation and transformation lies in the Lingtai (referring to the heart-spirit, the inner mind).

Twenty-four

To study immortality, one should learn from the Three Maos (referring to the Three Mao True Lords and their methods of cultivating the Dao (the Way)), rather than lazily copying ten thousand volumes of idle books. It is better to clarify the mind and Shen (spirit) and cultivate the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) within the body. In the depths of night, within the Golden Cauldron (a symbol of elixir refinement), the dragon and tiger meet and Yin-Yang unite.

Water and fire are refined together without pausing even for a moment; the refining of cinnabar must not be set aside halfway. Having cultivated to this stage, it is as if one has already become a guest of the Ten Continents and Three Islands (legendary dwelling places of immortals) and will soon be able to brush one's sleeves and leave the dusty world.

25

Longevity without death is the realm pursued by the immortal school. No matter how the years pass and the seasons change, those who attain the Dao will eventually set foot on the path to the heavenly realm; the ignorant and deluded will ultimately sink into the mortal world.

Now the path to immortality is clearly laid before one's eyes, yet the human heart remains as fierce and clinging as a yaksha. Before one even notices, life has ended and one sinks into the sea of suffering; thinking of this is truly regrettable.

26

Many people devote themselves wholeheartedly to cultivating the True yet do not understand what genuine cultivation actually is; they speak of it with great fluency but cannot put it into practice. If the various methods of visualization and contemplation miss the essentials, they only waste effort; sitting in meditation until the fifth watch of the night may likewise prove fruitless.

If one understands the governing principle of circulating Qi (guiding and moving the breath within the body) and also comprehends the root of circulating Jing (regulating Jing and Qi), then after successful cultivation one can fly and ascend; one's name will already appear in the immortal registers.

27

Even if one reads every book in the world, the root of cultivating nature and life cannot be obtained by reading alone. It is better to turn the heart toward the Dao, practice the supreme Dao, and not grow weary of watching over the elixir furnace late at night.

When the Great Medicine is refined, one can return to Penglai Island (the legendary immortal isle); when the numinous cinnabar is formed, one can enter the Great Void (the vast and boundless emptiness). Do not say that no one has the affinity to become immortal; it is only that the human heart is too stubborn and ignorant, thus missing the opportunity to cultivate the Dao.

28

Greed for profit and the pursuit of fame have no end; indulging private desires all day long leads to all manner of improper deeds. It is better to return to oneself, cultivate merit and accumulate practice, refine the Yang Shen (the purely yang spiritual form spoken of in Daoism), and thereby free oneself from worries and doubts.

Constantly nourish with Divine Water (a term in Neidan (internal alchemy) referring to the saliva mentioned in cultivation), increase the Qi of the Dao, and one's appearance will naturally not age easily. Once able to attend the immortal gathering at the Jade Pool (the legendary residence of the Queen Mother of the West), one can arrange to meet the immortals beyond the dusty world.

29

The Dao is within one's own body; do not seek it outside. The key to cultivating practice lies entirely in one's own heart. What are the dragon's Jing and the tiger's marrow (metaphors in Neidan for Jing, Qi, and the like), and who can truly understand them? The joining of Li and Kan (two trigrams of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), often used in Neidan to indicate Yin-Yang, water and fire) contains profound principles.

Refining the medicine depends entirely on the fire of heaven, while firing the elixir requires the gold within the cauldron (both are symbolic expressions in Neidan). The ignorant do not understand the principle of the Mysterious Origin (the original root of the Dao); even if they vainly examine the immortal Jing (scriptures), how can they comprehend their meaning?

30

When the Weilu at the base of the spine flows freely, Qi (vital energy) permeates the Nine Palaces, the nine apertures or sites within the body. Respiration connects with the mysterious primordial Qi and also with the root of heaven and earth. The subtle dual apertures become evident at the Jiaji pass along the spine, while the two wheels of sun and moon within the body revolve aloft like the stars.

When Yang Qi is plentiful and Yin Qi completely exhausted, the three Dantians (energy centers)—upper, middle, and lower—are all filled to fullness. By refining Qi into Shen (spirit), it can be preserved through long ages. Upon the completion of cultivation and meritorious practice, a celestial summons arrives, enabling the practitioner to become an immortal of the Ten Continents and Three Islands.

The thirty poems are composed with clarity and thoroughness, fully expounding the fundamental principles of the Dao (the Way). The heavenly mechanism is disclosed, granting insight to those who perceive it; unfortunately, the ignorant refuse to cultivate and learn the path to immortality.

To the Tune of Sumuzhe

Qi moves in accordance with Shen, and Shen moves in accordance with Qi; the two follow one another, penetrating into the Niwan, the upper Dantian at the crown of the head. One must constantly guard and seal the Golden Pass, the aperture that conserves Jing (essence) and Qi, gathering the golden crystal, the refined essence of Jing and Qi, and taking secret delight in the heart.

Cultivation requires diligence as well as established resolve. Throughout the twelve double-hours of the day, one must not abandon the practice. When Yin Qi is exhausted and Yang Qi abundant, Shen can emerge from the body. When the work of cultivation is fulfilled, one’s name will be entered among the ranks of the divine immortals.

To the Tune of Chounu’er

The Zhenren, the True Person who has attained the Dao, was originally an ordinary human being. Once the principle is understood, what difficulty remains? Fame and profit stand like great mountains, obstructing the road to the immortal realm.

Grateful for the master’s guidance on the great matter of life and death, I shall always keep cultivation in my heart. Always holding it in mind, I will not slacken for even a moment across the twelve double-hours.

To the Tune of Qinyuanchun

Hasten to cultivate, cherishing the priceless treasure within the body. Taking the Golden Crow, symbol of the sun and Yang Qi, and the Jade Rabbit, symbol of the moon and Yin Qi, as metaphors, one refines them within the furnace and cauldron. By employing the transformations of Yin-Yang, the Yang Shen, the yang spirit formed through cultivation, is nourished into completion.

The tiger’s roar and the dragon’s cry, describing the intermingling circulation of Yin and Yang Qi within the body, arise in the Dantian; from time to time, immortal music seems to resound within the crown of the head. Then water and fire are cooked and refined in the Niwan, combining lead and mercury—terms in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) that represent Yin-Yang as well as Jing and Qi—to produce the true elixir.

Sitting upright in stillness at night, clarifying the mind and Shen, one can behold the fresh, manifest appearance of the Zhenren. Employing the River Chariot, the Neidan method of circulating Jing and Qi, one transports them to fill the vast expanse symbolized by the Ox and Dipper stars.

A pure, bright radiance shines forth, as though one has already ingested a dose of the elixir known as Daogui. After the accomplishment of the work, one naturally knows that one’s name stands among the immortal ranks, and the various immortals will come forth to welcome and receive one.

When summoned by the Jade Emperor (a venerated Daoist deity), one goes to pay homage to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the three supreme deities honored in Daoism.

Wuling Chun

What, in the end, is the sevenfold-returned elixir (a Neidan (internal alchemy) term referring to repeated cultivation that condenses Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) into an elixir), and who can understand it? Once it is truly understood, what difficulty remains? In the deep quiet of night, hold the spirit, turn the gaze inward, and the spirit-water (a Neidan term for the bodily fluids or Jing-Qi) fills the Niwan (the Neidan site at the crown of the head).

Day and night alike, one circulates the golden Jing (a Neidan term for Jing-Qi), and the breath never ceases. When the work of cultivation is complete, one can rise above the dusty world, and one’s name is entered among the immortals.

Another

The conjunction of tiger and dragon (Neidan terms commonly used as metaphors for Yin-Yang and Jing-Qi within the body) is of the most exquisite efficacy; they unite in the Dantian (energy center). The cooking and refining in the elixir furnace and tripod (metaphors for the human body and its process of cultivation) proceed naturally by the inner fire-timing; first one must regulate and refine by means of sun and moon (Neidan terms commonly used to symbolize Yin-Yang).

One must clearly recognize the transformations represented by Kan and Li (names of hexagrams in the Book of Changes, which in Neidan often symbolize water and fire, Yin and Yang), and let the true Qi return to its origin. Turning inward, clarifying the mind, sitting in stillness and contemplating oneself, after nine cycles of refining cultivation, the elixir is formed.

Chou Nu’er

How can the river chariot (a Neidan term for the method of circulating Jing-Qi within the body) come to a stop? It must be transported into the Niwan. Through cooking and refining with water and fire, a grain of cinnabar (a Neidan term symbolizing the completed internal elixir) transmutes mercury and lead (Neidan terms commonly used as metaphors for the Yin-Yang Jing-Qi within the body).

Everyone can obtain the great joy brought by the Golden Elixir (Jindan), so long as the will is firm. Do not speak idle words; do not let the yang Jing (a Neidan term for the Jing-Qi within the body) leak outward, and one can become an immortal.

Another

Because one has received from the master the teaching of returning to the origin (Chaoyuan, a Neidan term referring to Jing-Qi returning to its source), one cultivates diligently day and night. Through tempering, one finally becomes a realized person; it is as if one has taken half the essence from the transformations of Yin-Yang.

When has the heaven-and-earth within the gourd (a common Daoist expression referring to the inner cosmos of the practitioner) ever known night? The four seasons are all like spring. Within the gourd there is its own time; how could I ever explain such a realm to the people of the world?

Another

After the hour of zi has passed at night, one dons a robe and sits in stillness, the inner heart settled, the spirit clear and bright. One sees a realized person, the complexion as ruddy as rouge, the body as white as silver.

Flames rise fiercely in the elixir furnace, and purple Qi billows. When a grain of elixir is completed, one can fly up to the celestial court where the Supreme Deity resides.

Taichang Yin

The Golden Elixir is within one’s own body; by cultivating it with true water and true fire (Neidan terms symbolizing the Yin-Yang Jing-Qi within the body), success is attained. Because one encountered Immortal Lü (Lü Dongbin), one came to understand the fundamental principle of returning to the origin and reverting to the source.

When yang Qi is full and yin Qi is exhausted, and the spirit-light appears, one can recognize the true self. One’s name is entered among the immortal officials, having already leaped out of the cage of heaven-and-earth and the dusty world.

Dian Jiang Chun (the original text ends here; no lyric verses appear)

The practice of circulating the two Qi (Yin-Yang vital energies) uses the River Chariot (a metaphor in Neidan [internal alchemy] for circulating Jing [essence] and Qi) to transport Jing and Qi to the Kunlun brain (the head, often referring to the Niwan Palace). Who in the world knows that this is the profound original Great Dao (the fundamental method of the Way)?

If one can preserve the Yang Jing (the Yang energy spoken of in cultivation), even in old age the body does not senesce. When the upper, middle, and lower three fields (Dantian [energy centers], the sites where Jing and Qi are gathered and refined in cultivation) are filled, the cultivation practice is accomplished, and one can flick one’s sleeves and depart, roaming the immortal island of Penglai.

Again

This set of practices is the original ancestral fundamental Dao known only through a master’s transmission. Why discuss the zi hour or the wu hour, and why speak of dragon and tiger (terms in Neidan used as metaphors for Yin-Yang and Jing-Qi)?

The immortal path is right before the eyes, perfectly clear. One must hurry to cultivate, so that when the day comes to return, one can cancel the name from the ledgers of the underworld office (the registers in the netherworld that record life, death, sins and blessings).

Daolianzi

The true water and fire (the interacting Yin-Yang Qi in Neidan) are thanks to the master’s transmission. Black lead and red mercury (alchemical terms referring to Jing and Qi in cultivation) are decocted in the tripod, and the Shen (spirit) light appears before the eyes.

When the cinnabar is refined, one can become an immortal. Guarding the golden crystal (the essence spoken of in Neidan), lifespan equals that of heaven. When the practice is completed, the Jade Emperor will summon one and cancel the record from the underworld ledgers.

Daolianzi

The true water and fire, thanks to the master’s transmission. Black lead and red mercury are decocted in the tripod, and the Shen light appears before the eyes.

When the cinnabar is refined, one can become an immortal. Guarding the golden crystal, lifespan equals that of heaven. When the practice is completed, the Jade Emperor will summon one.

Linjiangxian

Why speak of Kan and Li, dragon and tiger (terms in Neidan symbolizing Yin-Yang transformations), and there is no need to mention fire timing or the heavenly circuit (methods of circulating Jing and Qi). As long as the Yang Jing does not leak outward, Jing and Shen naturally become complete and sufficient. The dual passes (the orifices through which Jing and Qi circulate in cultivation) clearly have a path that can reach directly to the Niwan (the cultivation site in the head).

Firmly lock the golden pass and jade door (cultivation terms referring to the bodily orifices that must be guarded), refine and nourish the sun hun and moon po (terms in Neidan symbolizing Yin-Yang essences). When the three palaces (upper, middle, and lower Dantian) are all filled, the body becomes solid and stable. The intestinal spirits (bodily deities in Daoist internal cultivation) pay court to the Supreme Deity, and from then on one forever becomes a heavenly immortal.

Chounu’er

The Golden Lord (a term in Neidan symbolizing metallic nature and Jing-Qi) is originally the son of the Qian household, yet dwells in the Kun palace (Qian and Kun symbolize Yang and Yin respectively). The true tiger and true dragon (symbolizing Yin-Yang Qi) swallow completely the three corpses and nine worms (impurities that according to Daoist teaching inhabit the human body and hinder cultivation).

Cinnabar is tempered in the Niwan, its radiance blazing intensely and lasting long without extinguishing. When the work is accomplished in a single day, one can directly pay homage to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Supreme Lord (Daoist honored deities).

Langtaosha

I have a qin that I carry with me at all times and places. It has no strings, yet the sound it emits surpasses that of a qin with strings. I wish to play a tune before people, yet there is no one who understands the music.

When night is deep and people are still, the qin’s sound rings out with a clangor that startles gods and ghosts. Its momentum shakes heaven and earth, as if thunder. One only waits until the practice is refined and one returns, then carrying the qin one goes to the Penglai immortal realm.

Again

The master points out to me the refining of the Golden Elixir, teaching me to firmly guard the golden pass. The work of advancing the fire and refining-nourishing must not be neglected. Inwardly one purifies the mind and Shen, observes the scenery within the body, and between the eyebrows there flashes a radiance like lightning.

The marvelous function (the subtle efficacy produced by Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation) resides in the Niwan (the center of the head, known in Daoism as the upper Dantian (energy center)). Even spirits and ghosts can hardly glimpse it. The foolish and confused do not understand its principle, as if separated by a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers; once realized, it is as clear as looking at one's own palm. What difficulty is there then in transcending the dusty world?

Again: Lead and mercury (metaphors in Neidan for the Yin-Yang Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)) must be continually replenished, and the fire timing (the grasp of rhythm and degree in the alchemy process) must be repeatedly adjusted. When the Qi within the body is abundant, Yang Qi can be fully restored. Observing the inner scenes with the mind, it is as if a flash of lightning passes between the brows.

The marvelous function is in the Niwan, even spirits and ghosts can hardly glimpse it. The foolish and confused do not understand its principle, as if separated by a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers; once realized, it is as clear as looking at one's own palm. What difficulty is there then in transcending the dusty world?

Again: Lead and mercury need continual replenishment, and fire timing repeated refinement. When inner Qi is sufficient, Yang Qi recovers completely. Nurture the Infant and the Maiden (images in Neidan representing the union of Yin and Yang), letting them sit and sleep together.

The marrow fills and the body becomes firm; the Qi mechanism in the three Dantians (upper, middle, and lower energy centers) circulates perfectly. Ingesting the Daogui (the term for the elixir in Neidan), one attains the Dao (the Way) and becomes an immortal. Waiting only for cultivation to succeed and merit to be complete, one can go alone to the heavenly court to pay homage to the Primordial Heavenly Worthy.

Tangduo Ling

Transport the lead in the water, making it flow through the Yellow River (in Neidan, referring to the Qi channel along the Governor Vessel); firmly lock the Golden Pass (a gateway mentioned in Neidan). To complete the nine returns (the process in Neidan of Yang Qi returning and the inner elixir being refined), sufficient effort must be accumulated. Red light filters through the curtain, bright as flame. Before the eyes appear ten thousand golden radiances.

Going against the current, silver waves surge, bursting through the passes, reaching straight to the Ox and Dipper (the Ox and Dipper constellations, referring to the distant heavenly realm). If time is wasted during cultivation, success is hard to achieve; once one sees the Zhenren (the realized true person, or the inner true body of the cultivator), one understands that it is oneself. Secretly rejoicing in the heart, the face fills with smiles.

Taoyuan Yi Guren

Since the master pointed out the heavenly mechanism (the key secret of cultivation) and the Great Dao, the principles in ten thousand volumes of immortal Jing (scriptures) all become clear. If one can circulate the Jing-Qi back to the brain, the appearance can remain youthful for long.

True lead and true mercury (terms in Neidan for the Yin-Yang of Jing and Qi) are truly understood by few. Cooking them with the crow and rabbit (the sun and moon, referring to Yin-Yang Qi), one can refine the precious treasure. Completing the body outside the body (the Yang Shen or dharma body beyond the physical form in Daoism), cultivation is then finished, at which time the Jade Emperor will summon with a golden letter.

Xi Huanghua

The heavenly mechanism and Great Dao, few can penetrate. Circulate Wu and Ji (Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) terms, often referring to spleen Earth and the function of harmonizing Yin-Yang), causing the dragon to coil and the tiger to encircle, refining this elixir treasure. Completing the body outside the body is considered finished, then the Jade Emperor summons with a golden letter.

Xi Huanghua

The heavenly mechanism and Great Dao, few can penetrate. Circulate Wu and Ji, causing the dragon to coil and the tiger to guard, refining this cinnabar elixir; worldly people find it hard to understand the principle.

Inquire how Wood-Metal and Kan-Li (terms from the Five Phases and Bagua (Eight Trigrams), respectively symbolizing Metal-Wood and Water-Fire) invert and circulate. When Yang Qi is fully restored and Yin Qi exhausted, the appearance will not age. Cooking with water and fire, the furnace and cauldron form naturally.

When the work is complete, refining the priceless treasure, one can go to the heavenly court for audience with the primordial (paying homage to the heavenly deities); even the seven ancestors of the family are all delivered.

Ruanlang Gui

A round bright moon shines upon three mountain peaks, colored clouds fly filling the sky. Clearly I see my true host (the inner true self, original nature), a bright pearl rising translucently to the heavenly palace.

After the elixir is refined, a red glow appears in the furnace and cauldron. At this time one must still continuously apply effort in cultivation. When the cultivation practice is complete, one will certainly be able to break free from the constraints of the mundane world and leisurely roam the immortal realm.

Wuling Chun

After seven return refinements, Yang Qi is abundant and Yin Qi is completely gone, so that Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) fill the upper, middle, and lower three Dantian (energy centers) (the three cultivation sites within the human body). Cultivating to the realm of Wuwei (non-action) (without deliberate fabrication, following the natural course), success will come of itself, so why bother calculating the sequence of first and last?

To recognize the true Water and Fire among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), one must understand their origins. One should carefully observe the elixir within oneself (the Jing and Qi obtained from internal cultivation). Why go outside to search for materials with which to refine the elixir?