《亶甲集》

Those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) and wish to inquire into the principle of long life must carefully seek out the root of the Great Dao. Having already understood “the crimson dragon coiled in the black sea” (a metaphor in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) for the union of Yin-Yang and the movement of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)), one must still bring it into partnership with “the white tiger outside the vermilion pavilion” (likewise a symbol of Yin-Yang transformation in Neidan cultivation).

Once the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) have all been gathered into the “golden domain” (a symbolic expression of the alchemical process), they undergo nine transmutations and finally return to the “Purple Palace Gate” (the immortal mansion spoken of in Daoism, also used to designate the realm attained through practice). Having apprehended the wondrous delight of that immortal realm, one ought also to transmit this path of cultivation to later generations without delay.

With the heart set solely on the “Dao of Xi-Yi” (referring to the subtle and scarcely perceptible Great Dao), one cultivates diligently over a long period and at last encounters a realized person who indicates the gateway of practice. Once one has clearly recognized the Neidan mechanisms pointed to by such esoteric phrases as “Kan high, grasping the jade tree,” one may follow the oral formula and cause “birds and beasts to drive the River Chariot” (using animal imagery to figure the circulation of Yin-Yang Qi within the body).

When tiger and dragon conjoin, the spirit chamber (the place where Shen (spirit) and Qi are stored and nourished) is settled; as the cycle of days proceeds, a precious “treasure flower” congeals. After seven reversals and nine recurrences, when the work is complete, one need only swallow a single grain of elixir to enter the ranks of the immortals.

For a time one conceals one’s traces, mixing in the dusty world like a Confucian scholar; wandering everywhere, one can still peacefully enjoy one’s innate nature. Cultivating the Dao with devotion, one is fortunate to have hope of obtaining transcendent fruit; nourishing and refining the Great Dao, one can also understand why human beings cultivate in the midst of the world.

In “gathering phoenix marrow within a single black embryo” (black symbolizes Kan water, the embryo the alchemical furnace, referring to the gathering of Jing and Qi in inner refinement), and again in “nurturing the immortal guest within the unfolding of the two lunar strings” (borrowing the image of the moon’s waxing and waning quarters to indicate the harmonizing of Yin-Yang and the fostering of the elixir). When the numbers of Yin-Yang circulation reach completeness, the elixir is successfully refined and one becomes an immortal in the grotto-heaven of long life.

Innate nature is lofty, pure, and reclusive, and one’s skill is outstanding; one travels to the ends of the earth yet finds few companions of the same path. One is able to unite the “solar hun” with the “lunar po” (symbolizing the harmonization of Yin-Yang), and can also distinguish the yin numbers and bring them into correspondence with the yang lines.

One regulates the ordinary fire in the tripod, tightly seals the furnace, and nurtures the sagely embryo (the term in Neidan practice for the state of elixir formation). After the number of nine nines, when the moment is precisely ripe, one obtains the elixir and causes the “jiao-dragon” to transform.

Even the dusty, ordinary body of a mortal is by no means incapable of being brought to completion; the principle of the union of Metal and Wood is exceedingly profound. One gathers the “golden crow” (symbolizing the sun or yang Qi) into the North Sea (symbolizing the dwelling-place of yin Jing), then lets the “jade rabbit” (symbolizing the moon or yin Qi) pass through autumn (symbolizing the season of contraction). When Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—the Three Powers—are complete, and there is also profound assistance, within a hundred days without the slightest error the potency of the medicine reaches fullness. Taken constantly, it can naturally prolong life; even if the blue sea turns into mulberry fields, one can remain long without decay.

The so-called “using non-merit within merit wrapped in non-merit” means that in cultivation one must arrive at a state of not clinging to efficacy; only by going beyond ordinary effort does one accord with the work of the sages. Understanding the principle of the correspondence of “Kan high” above and below, one may freely allow the crow and rabbit (sun and moon, symbolizing Yin-Yang Qi) to circulate in east and west.

The elixir can turn potsherds into precious treasures; an old person who takes even a small dose can return from old age to childhood. This principle is deep, subtle, and mysterious, and few people grasp it: hidden meaning is stored within the written characters, and the hidden meaning in turn dwells within the written characters.

Once the Dao (the Way) has been attained, one can free oneself from the entanglements of the dusty world. Ordinary people may be astonished that the practitioner talks to himself as if washing and refining something; in fact, this is accomplishing the work of cultivation by relying on the transformations of Yin-Yang, gathering and preserving lead and mercury in order to nourish oneself. Here “lead and mercury” are terms of Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to symbols that analogize the Yin-Yang Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) in cultivation.

Do not be surprised at the straightforward exhortations that repeatedly guide you. If one allows time to pass in vain, the opportunity for cultivation will be missed. Provided one can refine, nourish and ingest the immortal elixir, even while occupying a post in a clear and bright court one will not be hindered from serving as a minister. Here the “immortal elixir” mostly refers to the Jing and Qi obtained through Neidan cultivation, and is not necessarily an externally ingested medicine.

If one wishes to seek the realm of immortality without death, one must heed such advice and not let time slip by easily. Cultivate the Qi of Jia and Geng so that it becomes the king of medicines; thereby one can drive the yin ghosts to transform and depart along with the insects, benefiting the Yang Shen (yang spirit) and extending the lifespan. “Jia-Geng” are terms of the heavenly stems, used here to designate particular Yin-Yang Qi mechanisms in Neidan cultivation; “Yang Shen” is the yang aspect of spirit in Daoist conceptions of cultivation.

Even if the seas overturn and the mountains crumble, there is no need for fear; why then worry about bodily decay and white temples? One should cultivate with diligence, hoping soon to awaken together with the many, and not delay lest misfortune be incurred.

Once comprehension is reached, one will believe that principle truly exists within emptiness, and one can also cause wisdom and insight to corroborate each other, distinguishing transformations that are hard to conjecture. The dragon is clothed in the Qi of Jia Wood and transforms on high; the tiger occupies the position of Geng Metal and conceals itself within the embryonic breathing of the north. “Dragon” and “tiger” are expressions in the arts of Neidan that symbolize the two Qi mechanisms of Yin and Yang; Jia Wood and Geng Metal are terms that coordinate the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with the heavenly stems and earthly branches.

The Four Images are distinguished among the line figures of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams); in the palaces of the Nine Heavens they accord with the Three Terrace stars. Practitioners proceed from the ordinary to the sagely realm all from this source, in order to gather the kingfisher-jade treasures of the Cold Palace. Here the Bagua, Four Images, Three Terraces and Cold Palace are all symbolic locutions within the systems of Daoist Neidan and celestial phenomena.

Even if one peruses ten thousand volumes of immortal scriptures, without encountering the genuine oral instructions it is merely wasted labor. The dragon soars to the golden cavern in the Azure Empyrean; the tiger races toward the mysterious embryo and enters the Kan Palace. “Azure Empyrean” refers to the heavenly realm; “Kan Palace” is the Kan position among the directions of the Bagua, often associated in Neidan arts with images of water, the kidneys and the like.

Inquiring of people throughout the world, it is still difficult to find anyone who truly understands; regrettably, those who aspire to cultivate have yet to comprehend. One should turn back the mind at an early date, recognizing the principle of “something within nothing,” and not allow the years to race past like a swift wind. The original text at this point contains repetitions and suspected erroneous graphs, which have been understood coherently in light of the context.

What is remarkable about a single grain of cinnabar? Yet it can render a declining body robust. It seizes the primal vitality of the creative beginnings of heaven and earth; once ingested, it frees the viscera from the cycles of flourishing and decline, withering and prosperity. Here “cinnabar” may also serve as a symbol of Neidan, referring to the elixir obtained through cultivation.

When yin Qi diminishes one returns to unadorned simplicity, which ordinary people find astonishing; when yang Qi becomes abundant one reverts to genuine purity, which the sages commend. The immortals of high antiquity ingested this medicine; no other method can manifest the Dao of emptiness.

Worldly people do not understand the principle of “metal within water”; even if they read every elixir scripture they can hardly exhaust its profundity. One must thoroughly investigate the transformations in the Kan position in order to understand the conversion of obstruction and peace; then allow the Qi mechanisms of Mao and You to rise and fall, float and sink of themselves. “Metal within water” is a Neidan term; “Kan” together with “Mao and You” employ the Bagua, directions and temporal sequences to illustrate the Yin-Yang transformations of cultivation.

If one wishes to return to the Purple Palace (the heavenly realm where immortals dwell), one must first begin at the Bing position; to gather the Qiong Flower (a metaphorical name used in elixir refinement), one must do so at the Ren position. The verses have already directly indicated the mysterious essential, so do not seek distractedly elsewhere.

Within the gourd there is another scene altogether, known to few; even among those who know, few truly penetrate it. Do not merely look at the pictures in the immortal scriptures and assume you have understood; one must still rely on oral instructions in order to distinguish and eliminate mistaken understandings.

To extend years and benefit longevity, one must rely on the Mysterious Pearl (a Neidan term, often referring to the essence obtained through cultivation). In refining the medicine, one must investigate the creative mechanisms of Heaven and Earth. Regularly ingesting one pill can drive away the yin ghosts; when yang Qi (vital energy) is full to the utmost, the body becomes light, as if able to fly up into the air.

Ancestors accumulated hidden virtue, and only then could descendants inherit the immortal Dao (the Way); this is because they encountered a chapter recounting the efficacy of the Returned Elixir. Metal and Water combine and return to Wu-Ji (heavenly stem names, often used in Neidan to refer to the central palace or a position of harmony); once the numbers of Yin and Shen have been fully calculated, they operate according to the times.

To open the year one must likewise rely on the power of the Mysterious Pearl. In refining the medicine, one must investigate the creative mechanisms of Heaven and Earth. Regularly ingesting one pill can drive away the yin ghosts; when yang Qi is full to the utmost, the body becomes light, as if able to fly up into the air.

Ancestors accumulated hidden virtue, and only then could descendants inherit the immortal Dao; this is because they encountered a chapter recounting the efficacy of the Returned Elixir. Metal and Water combine and return to Wu-Ji; once the numbers of Yin and Shen have been fully calculated, they operate according to the times.

When the furnace is opened, five-colored radiance illuminates the Spirit Chamber (an inner location that the practitioner visualizes or cultivates); after the elixir enters the abdomen, the Three Hun (the soul-spirits of the human body according to Daoism) return to the Grotto-Heaven (the immortal realm). One must grasp the meaning implied in the verses and not go elsewhere to inquire after the true essentials.

Yin is gathered and Yang collected according to the sequence of the hexagram lines; after Yin-Yang are harmonized they are taken into the tripod, causing dragon and tiger to conjoin (a Neidan metaphor for the meeting of the two forces of Yin and Yang). When the dragon meets the tiger it is like a jackal encountering a dog; when the tiger meets the dragon it is like a sparrow seeing a cat—they mutually restrain one another.

After seven successive transformations one enters the sagely realm; a single Bathing (in Neidan referring to stages of breath regulation, purification, and the like during cultivation) can stir the Spirit Womb (a location related to inner spirit and Qi). The numinous elixir can transform the constitution of ordinary people: after ingestion, it is as if a parrot has become a luan bird and roosts in the nest of the phoenix.

There is another path for refining the immortal elixir; the true oral instructions of ancient and modern times share the same principles. People always speak of using Renzi to control the Golden Tiger, and likewise say that the Azure Lad (an immortal youth of Daoist legend) fetches the Fire Ox.

Setting out in the morning and returning at dusk, circulating throughout Heaven and Earth; the sun and moon come and go, driving the succession of the four seasons. From this one knows that this method is difficult to begin. If one has killed a person and then goes to inquire of those who love the Dao...

Without obtaining the true essentials, the principles are hard to master; even if one exhausts the mind and ponders repeatedly, it may not be of benefit. Since one has caused the Infant (a Neidan image symbolizing newly generated true Qi) to leave the Mysterious Chamber (a hidden place of inner cultivation), one must cause the Yellow Dame (a Neidan image symbolizing the mediating agent) to unite with the Purple Flower (a Neidan image referring to essence or the elixir).

Once there is the slightest discrepancy in the black Qi, spirit and Qi easily scatter; even if the six lines (the six line positions of a hexagram) are complete, the medicine may still fail to be refined. I advise you it is best to be diligent in cultivation and ingestion; after ingestion, spirit and Qi can be preserved, and the body will naturally become light.

The Kan position (one of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) directions, symbolizing water and yin) occupied by high officials is rarely understood. Those who truly understand it may not necessarily claim they have already grasped the root of the Great Dao (the Way). The Gui Mother (a yin cultivation symbol related to Gui Water) often rides a white colt, while the Ding Elder (a yang cultivation symbol related to Ding Fire) delights in tending a black tortoise.

Within a thousand days one pays court to the Yellow Lord (an image in cultivation symbolizing the center, spleen earth, or the master of Neidan (internal alchemy)); arriving beside the Twelve Towers, one hangs purple curtains on the outside. Do not find it strange that these words sound so magnificent; ordinary people's lifespans also eventually come to a time of decline.

Carrying a qin on one's back and drinking wine in vain actually accords with the Great Dao. Carefully reckoned, how many days can a human life have? When one encounters joy, one should enjoy the joy; when time is to be wasted, one might as well let it pass.

If in water one sees the appearance of an infant, in fire one should hear the startled voice of an old woman. When the refining is properly adjusted, at least one can prolong lifespan; as for the sun and moon racing swiftly and time flying like a shuttle, one can only let them run their course.

In the depths of the Northern Darkness hides a spinning fish (a hidden cultivation image); after angling it, one must find a way to pair it with the moon. Then introduce it into the Yellow Palace (symbolizing the center of the body or the place of Neidan), pay court at the Sacred Gate, and plant it in the Purple Precinct (an image of the immortals' dwelling) as vegetables eaten by the immortal household.

The bones become as solid as jade, and the countenance does not easily age; the intestines and viscera transform into sinews, and the disposition also returns to its original state. The yin region (a place of yin cultivation) naturally is no longer constrained by old designations, and the yang spirit (the yang spiritual achievement of cultivation) is unwilling to pursue the Three Carts (meaning unclear, possibly some cultivation metaphor).

Having gathered the cold jade medicine from the Heavenly Pool, if one can make the Gao Maiden (a feminine symbol in cultivation) joyful, they may together enter the tent of the Spring Lord (a symbol of spring Qi (vital energy) or vital force), then gradually ascend the Altar of the Red Emperor (an altar position symbolizing fire and the south).

Within one hundred ke one tours the Jiazi cycle (the cycle of timekeeping by heavenly stems and earthly branches); over long years one refines the divine elixir. If ordinary people have the affinity to encounter it, they can become immortal guests; if swallows and sparrows eat it, they too will transform into phoenixes and luan birds.

By cultivating De (Virtue/Power) daily, one has the opportunity to meet a True Elder (a title for one who has attained the Dao). He will thoroughly explain the principle of emptiness and non-being, enabling one to understand that the principles therein are interconnected. Since one understands the immortal household's formula of lead and mercury (Neidan terms using lead and mercury as metaphors for Yin-Yang transformation), one should know that worldly fame and profit are originally empty illusion.

Piling up gold and jade can hardly compare with the Dao; converting descendants and continuing the lineage also counts as profound merit. But cultivating the Dao does not consist only in observing the stars and worshipping the moon; only when cultivation of the Dao succeeds can one make manifest that one is connected with karmic affinities from previous lives.

Those who have lost their way do not understand “gold within water” and can only vainly seek it to the ends of the earth and the corners of the sea. If one understands that black lead can be refined into the supreme treasure, one naturally also understands how cinnabar mercury (an alchemical term opposite to black lead) transforms into a cool and refreshing realm.

The Azure Lad (an attendant youth of the immortal realm) is skilled at singing songs in the gong mode, and the Kan Mother (a feminine image symbolizing Kan water) can play the qin in the zhi mode. Please enter the gourd (an image of an immortal grotto-heaven or inner cultivation realm) to feast together, day and night in joyful abandon, like a jade dragon singing.

The Yin Fu Jing and the Dao De Jing both reveal mysterious and subtle principles, almost exhausting the principles in every character and every sentence. The mother's body grows and gives birth to children, which is worthy of cherishing; while white still exists, do not apply black (here a cultivation cryptic phrase, the specific meaning of which is unclear).

Note: Terms in the text such as “Gui Mother,” “Ding Elder,” “infant,” “old woman,” “black lead,” and “cinnabar mercury” are mostly terms used in Neidan to analogize Yin-Yang, water and fire, and bodily transformations; they should not be understood purely according to their literal meaning. The original has several difficult phrases, especially “the yin region naturally is no longer constrained by old designations, and the yang spirit is unwilling to pursue the Three Carts” and the final sentence “while white still exists, do not apply black,” whose exact meanings are difficult to determine from this passage alone; the above preserves the ambiguities of the original.

Fire at the Xun position (the southeast in the Bagua (Eight Trigrams)) produces Wood, and Wood returns to its original place to bear fruit; Water flowing into high places instead becomes a solid foundation. No matter how numerous the methods in the world or how deep the explorations, if one wishes to eliminate the Three Corpses (the spirits that Daoism says dwell in the human body and hinder cultivation), one ultimately cannot do without the elixir.

The Dao (the Way) can be spoken of as the Dao, yet it remains mysterious and inexhaustible. Those whose aspiration is to cultivate the Dao, when the opportunity matures, can accord with the natural Dao. All things arise in chaotic unity, and within their forms they all contain Kan (one of the Bagua, often symbolizing water); the root of generation and transformation lies entirely in Qian (one of the Bagua, often symbolizing Heaven and yang Qi (vital energy)).

Each time one refines cinnabar, one must concentrate the Shen (spirit) with focused attention; to eliminate the Three Corpses, one still must rely on the elixir.

The Dao can be spoken of as the Dao, yet it remains mysterious and inexhaustible. Those whose aspiration is to cultivate the Dao, when the opportunity matures, can accord with the natural Dao. All things arise in chaotic unity, and within their forms they all contain Kan; the root of generation and transformation lies entirely in Qian.

Each time one refines cinnabar, one must settle the Shen and intention in calm peace; ingesting the purple numinous medicine, the body becomes robust. Even after passing through a span of eight thousand one hundred and three years, one would still not wish to serve as an earthly immortal (an undying immortal who remains in the human world) amid the dust of the mundane realm.

The Zhenren (those who have attained the Dao) excel at gathering and refining numinous medicine resembling qiong blossoms, causing it to unite with mercury as if in intimate companionship, and refining it into pogu. When the Four Images (the four elements representing Yin-Yang transformations in cultivation) are complete, they return to the Yellow World; when the Five Directions (east, south, west, north, and center) are all present, it is called the Purple River Cart (a term in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the Jing (essence)-Qi formed in the process of refinement).

They can render the decaying physical husk firm and solid, and like watering withered roots, they can cause tender sprouts to burst forth anew. This is the ordinance of the King of Huainan; tradition holds that cultivating according to it allows even chickens and dogs to ascend together into the immortal realm.

Even if the immortal elixir is refined, it may not be found in the world; without the true oral instructions, dwelling fruitlessly in the mountains avails nothing. Who can comprehend that the myriad things all issue from the same Dao? And who believes that the Three Peaks unite at the Two Passes (a symbolic expression in Neidan cultivation, whose referent varies according to different oral methods)?

A black infant manifests a jade-like countenance, and the old woman in the Nine Palaces wears a golden visage. In days past, because I consulted these readily accessible sayings, even to this day my sideburns have not yet turned white.

What efficacy does the Golden Elixir possess when it enters the mouth? Its medicinal Qi steams and fumigates the entire body, rendering the breath harmonious and unobstructed; it can transform the physical form, slough off the old embryo and replace the bones, converting one into a true immortal, and it can also postpone aging, preserve the complexion, and make one appear as in youth.

One must gather and refine the “Red Woman” within yang Qi, causing her to unite with the “White-haired Old Man” within yin Qi. By means of this cultivation, one can long retain inexhaustible longevity; how could ordinary worldly people understand the efficacy within it?

Among the four great Daoist schools of the world, Daoism occupies the primary place. How can those of meager fortune succeed in refining mercury and lead? If one does not believe the teaching that “extracting lead constitutes the great medicine,” and merely speaks of calcining mercury to nourish the Dantian (energy center), one misses the essential point.

Deluded people often lose their entire lives thereby, while those who awaken to the Dao repeatedly grasp the methods of cultivation and attain the Dao to become immortals. From ancient times it has been handed down that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan also cultivated according to this method, refined the Nine Tripods, and ultimately ascended to Heaven.

Some people hurry about in all directions seeking teachers, solely in order to obtain the method of “extracting lead as the great medicine”; others merely speak of calcining mercury to nourish the Dantian.

Deluded people often lose their entire lives thereby, while those who awaken to the Dao repeatedly grasp the methods of cultivation and attain the Dao to become immortals. From ancient times it has been handed down that the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan also cultivated according to this method, refined the Nine Tripods, and ultimately ascended to Heaven.

One searches busily for those who cultivate the Dao (the Way), yet never finds them. How many times of contemplation and seeking, only to expend the mind and spirit in vain. Though knowing full well that all things in the world will eventually turn to dust, one still tirelessly clings to precious treasures.

A single method of cultivation encompasses countless principles; a few elixir pills can enable a person to live more than a hundred extra years. The poem has long hoped that people of the world would all comprehend the truths within it, and not believe that karmic connections can still be formed in a future life.