《修真太极混元图》

The Golden Elixir (Jindan), regarded in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation as the path of highest attainment, is a method the ancient sages kept secret and did not transmit. It is also the root of the Great Dao (the Way), containing the principles of heaven, earth, and all things. It is so vast that it has no boundaries, so minute that it is present everywhere; its operations and transformations cannot be fathomed. It establishes heaven and earth, and it likewise communicates with human life.

The sages did not transmit it readily, not because they wished to block the road to immortality, but because the manners of the age are frivolous, people’s character and innate capacity insufficient, and their karmic affinity shallow, so that transmission is truly difficult. The scriptures state that such a method is imparted only once after an extremely long succession of kalpas. From the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) above—the three highest deities venerated in Daoism—through the sages in the middle, down to the host of immortals, all reached the sagely realm by cultivating the Golden Elixir. Being so precious, it naturally cannot be leaked lightly.

The author states that he possessed karmic connections from previous lives and was granted transmission by his master; it was not obtained through deliberate pursuit. In his youth his resolve never wavered. He traveled about seeking and studying the ultimate Dao, and at last encountered his former master. The master, pitying his diligence and hardship, transmitted to him the secret methods of Neidan cultivation such as “the return of metal and fire” and “the knife-and-jade tally of fire.” Greatly delighted, he returned and attempted the practice, feeling that within a single breath dragon and tiger contended inside the body, as if pursuing Xuanyuan, shaking Kunlun, and crossing Fusang—the transformations being exceedingly marvelous.

The author ridicules the students of the Dao of his day who do not understand the root of the Great Dao, seeking only emptiness and stillness and taking that to be thorough enlightenment. Even if they can enter concentration and project the spirit, the spirit still belongs to yin and the body is hard to keep firm for long. How then can they gather the “three flowers,” harmonize the five Qi (vital energy), slough off yin substance and change the bones, ride the clouds and mount a luan-phoenix, becoming immortals of pure yang? Yet if the passions and thoughts are clear and the mind-nature tranquil, they may still become clear and numinous ghost-immortals.

The author considers that among the Nine Elixirs—the nine methods of Golden Elixir cultivation spoken of in Daoism—the Golden Fluid Elixir is the most superior. When refined through nine transmutations, it is sufficient to attain the realm of pure yang. In this way the yang spirit is aroused, the hun-soul increases while the po-soul fades, and the work of creation-transformation accords with heaven and earth.

Neidan cultivation involves the tripod-vessel, the myriad things, the waxing and waning of fortune and misfortune, the floating and sinking of host and guest, the extracting and adding of lead and mercury, the signs of the arising of gui-water, as well as many subtle changes such as the yang dragon and yin tiger, the ascent and descent of water and fire. The author holds that these crucial points all amount to nothing other than the intercourse of dragon and tiger, the nurturing of the mechanism by which gui-water arises, the taking of yang from within Kan to replenish yin within Li, and then charging through the three passes with the power of the hidden dragon. The so-called “three passes” are the apertures through which the Qi mechanism rises and descends in Neidan practice. The author describes this process as taking place within a single breath, yet able to seize the creative work of heaven and earth.

During cultivation one must constantly observe the subtle transformations with care, recognize the right moment and then act; one must not remain muddled and confused, nor miss the time or go against the seasonal nodes. Otherwise it would be like bitter cold in the height of summer or frost falling on summer days, Yin-Yang losing their order and obstructing creation-transformation.

Upon reading the ancestral master Perfected Shi’s “Diagram of Cultivating the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) Hunyuan,” the author finds that the diagram sets forth the positions of heaven, earth, and humanity—the “Three Powers” (heaven, earth, and man)—as well as the essentials of elixir refinement in a way both mysterious and lucid. The ancients said that once the fish and the rabbit have been obtained, one may forget the fish-trap and the rabbit-snare (meaning that after grasping the essential purport one need not cling to the implements). The author now draws this diagram and is joyful in his heart; he believes that this physical body is not necessarily bound to perish, and thereby knows that the way of thorough enlightenment has existed from of old. He therefore writes this preface, hoping that all who share the same aspiration and the same Dao may read it.

Respectfully prefaced by Hunyi Zi Xiao Daocun of Zhanggong.

To seek out the mysterious key points of cultivation, one must receive guidance from an enlightened master. Without meeting a genuine teacher, it is difficult to grasp the Dao (the Way). I once traveled through Jiangnan and encountered in Nanjing Shi Jianwu, the Perfected of Huayang (Zhenren, a respectful Daoist title). He wore a cyan headcloth, purple shoes, a black sash, and a wide robe. His appearance was radiant and striking; from a distance he looked solemn and majestic, inspiring awe. After conversing with him he pointed out the heavenly secrets and explained the Great Dao. Such an encounter has been rare from ancient times to the present.

Later I received from the Perfected Shi Jianwu the transmitted Xiuzhen Zhixuan. This book is clear and lucid; it may be called a precious treasure of secret transmission from true immortals. Following my master’s instructions I dare not conceal it for my own use alone, so I have copied it into a book to pass on to gentlemen who delight in the arts of the Dao. This book must not be given to unsuitable persons; it differs from ordinary worldly books. Related by Jin Quanzi of Zhupo in ancient Hangzhou.

Diagram of the Three Scenes

This is the origin of the Great Dao, arising from nature and located above the Thirty-six Heavens. The Great Dao originally has no form, yet it manifests as a visible scene: above, the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) are arrayed; below, it divides into the Five Tais.

The Sacred Realm of Jade Clarity is the dwelling of the Primordial Heavenly Worthy, situated beneath the Upper Capital of Jade Mountain. Below it lies the True Realm of Highest Clarity, residence of the Supreme Lord of the Dao. Still lower is the Immortal Realm of Great Clarity, in which Lord Lao dwells. Beneath Great Clarity is the Realm of Great Vacuity; within the Realm of Great Vacuity is the Realm of Great Non-Being; within the Realm of Great Non-Being is the Realm of Great Emptiness; within the Realm of Great Emptiness is the Realm of Great Substance. In the Realm of Great Substance appears the state of heaven and earth not yet differentiated and chaos not yet opened, dividing into the two colors of mysterious darkness and yellow.

If a person practices the true methods of the Dao, they can transcend the realms of the Three Pure Ones and no longer fall into the cycle of rebirth.

The Xiuzhen Taiji Hunyuan Tu holds that the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) in the human body correspond to the three Dantian (energy centers), while the Five Tai correspond to the Five Phases. Refining the pure Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases allows one to form the Neidan (internal alchemy); causing the true Qi of the three Dantian to converge allows one to refine the yang Shen (spirit). Once the Neidan is accomplished one can endure lastingly; once the yang Shen manifests one can ascend as an immortal.

The Yuhua Jing states that primordial Qi differentiates to form the two Qi of Yin-Yang; once Yin and Yang are established they further form the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Light and clear Qi rises to become Heaven; heavy and turbid Qi descends to become Earth. Heaven is divided into nine heavens and Earth into nine springs.

From the human world upward the sequence is Wind Heaven, Cloud Heaven, Smoke Heaven, Qi Heaven, and Rosy Heaven. Still higher, certain layers possess names yet lack concrete form and belong to the realm of pure Yang. Thereafter come Azure Heaven, Jade Heaven, Cinnabar Heaven, and Bright Heaven, which constitute the boundary of Heaven.

From the human world downward the sequence is Dust Spring, Sand Spring, Mud Spring, Stone Spring, and Source Spring. Still lower, certain layers possess names yet lack concrete form and belong to the realm of pure Yin. Thereafter come Yellow Spring, Black Spring, Dark Spring, and Utter Spring, which constitute the boundary of Earth. Between Heaven and Earth, amid wind and dust, lies the human world. Beings of the human world who accumulate merit or generate karma remain after death within the cycle of the nine springs; those who honor the Dao and cultivate Zhen while in the human world may ascend into the nine heavens.

The Xishan Yi analogizes the workings of Heaven and Earth to the human body: Qi resembles the human heart, above which no Yin Qi is present; the source spring resembles the human kidneys, below which no Yang Qi is present. Causing heart and kidneys to interact so that the Yin-Yang Qi circulate in harmony stabilizes ascent and descent, allowing the body to enjoy peace, happiness, and long life. This is like accumulating merit, which brings a favorable destination. Refining the true Qi of heart and kidneys until it condenses as the Neidan permits the pursuit of longevity; this likewise resembles honoring the Dao and practicing cultivation, which enables ascent into the nine heavens.

The Lingbao Zhenyi Jing states that Heaven is like an inverted basin. Once Yang Qi (vital energy) has risen to a certain height it can rise no farther; when Yang Qi gathers to its extreme, Yin Qi is generated. Yin Qi arises because, as Yang Qi ascends from the earth, it secretly carries true Yin Qi upward with it. Earth is like a stone disk laid flat. Once Yin Qi has descended to a certain depth it can sink no farther; when Yin Qi gathers to its extreme, Yang Qi is generated. Yang Qi arises because, as Yin Qi descends from Heaven, it secretly envelops true Yang Qi and brings it down together. When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang is born; when Yang reaches its extreme, Yin is born. Yin and Yang generate each other in opposite directions, and in this way the operating principle of Heaven and Earth becomes apparent.

If a person understands the ascent and descent of Yin and Yang and grasps the reverse mutual generation of Heaven and Earth, then through cultivation and the refining of Qi one can naturally condense true Jing (essence). Jing produces Qi, and this Qi is one’s own Qi; Qi produces Shen (spirit), and this Shen is one’s own Shen.

Liu Yi said: The heart is like Heaven, the kidneys like Earth; Qi is like Yang, the bodily fluids like Yin. Only when Qi and fluids interpenetrate can they unite. Jing in a woman’s womb is called the generation of a human being; Jing in a man’s Huangting (the inner cultivation site spoken of in Daoism) is called the generation of Shen. When Shen coheres and Qi accumulates, the fetal Qi (the metaphorical inner vital force of cultivation) leaves the ordinary fetus and ascends as an immortal.

Diagram of the Sun and Moon’s Quarter and Full Phases.

The Taishang Yinshu states that the physical forms of the sun and moon each measure eight hundred li in circumference. The sun is the Jing (essence) of Greater Yang and travels the path of Qian, the trigram of Heaven and yang; the moon is the Jing of Greater Yin and travels the path of Kun, the trigram of Earth and yin. Rising and setting in the east and west, they produce day and night; traveling north and south, they determine the alternation of cold and heat. The sun receives the po, the yin vital essence of the moon, and thereby becomes clear; the moon receives the hun, the yang vital essence of the sun, and thereby becomes bright.

Clarity and brightness constitute the Qi (vital energy) of the sun and moon; their refined Jing is their fundamental nature; Yin-Yang is the law of their circulation; the crow and the jade rabbit are their emblems; the hours of mao and you, roughly dawn and dusk, mark the directional positions of their course. Day and night represent the measured degrees of their travel, and their mutual conjunction is the mode of their functioning. Because they circulate back and forth without the slightest error, they endure through ten thousand ages without diminution. One who comprehends the principle of the sun and moon’s movement may likewise emulate it and thereby traverse vast kalpas without perishing.

The numbers of Qian are reckoned by nine, those of Kun by six. Nine and six together make fifteen; therefore the lunar phases of xian (the quarter moons), wang (the full moon), hui (the dark moon), and shuo (the new moon) proceed in orderly cycles, and a full year comprises approximately three hundred and sixty days.

The Twelve Perfected of Xishan explain that this is a matter of discerning the inner principles of the human body from the outer movements of Heaven, Earth, sun, and moon. Heaven and Earth correspond to the human heart; the sun corresponds to the body’s true yang, yet this true yang is not the Qi of the kidneys; the moon corresponds to the body’s true yin, yet this true yin is not the Qi of the heart. True yang and true yin refer to the genuine water and fire within the human body.

Inside the body, water above and fire below is termed Jiji, After Completion, the harmonious interpenetration of water and fire; when Jiji is attained, one may become an earthly immortal. Fire in front and water behind constitutes the huohou, the fire phasing of elixir work, that is, the regulated application of fire and timing; when the huohou is fulfilled, the Neidan (internal alchemy) is completed and one becomes an immortal.

The Xishan Cantong Qi states that Heaven and Earth are the true water and fire of the human body. Water above and fire below is called Jiji; attaining Jiji, one becomes an earthly immortal. Fire in front and water behind refers to the huohou of elixir refinement; when the huohou is accomplished, the Neidan is formed and one attains immortality.

The title “Chart of the Correspondence of Heaven, Earth, Sun, Moon, and Temporal Sequences with the Human Body” denotes a diagram that correlates the temporal rhythms of Heaven, Earth, and the luminaries with the human organism.

The Xishan Cantongqi states that the laws of heaven and earth, the sun and moon, and human beings are originally no different. Heaven and earth have twenty-four solar terms, the movements of the sun and moon proceed through twenty-four stages, and humans have twenty-four double-hours. Heaven and earth have eight seasonal nodes, the sun and moon have eight temporal sequences, and humans have the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). Heaven and earth have spring, summer, autumn, and winter; the sun and moon have the crescent, full moon, dark moon, and new moon (respectively the moon waxing from sliver toward fullness, the complete full moon, the moonless end of the lunar month, and the new moon at the month’s beginning); humans have the hours of zi, wu, mao, and you (four of the twelve double-hours, also used to indicate directions). The greater and lesser patterns of heaven and earth, sun and moon, and humanity thus correspond to one another.

It is simply that humans have not grasped the principles of heaven, earth, the sun, and the moon. If one can understand the rising and descending rhythms of Yin-Yang in heaven and earth, one will know the proper moment for the intermingling of heart Qi (vital energy) and kidney Qi. If one can apprehend the cyclic rhythms of the sun and moon, one will know the timing of the transmission of liver Qi and lung Qi. Treating heart Qi as fire and regulating its increase and decrease according to the degrees of the sun’s course produces no error; treating kidney Qi as Jing (essence) and regulating its advance and withdrawal according to the moon’s waxing and waning likewise incurs no fault. Heaven, earth, the sun, and the moon endure long by following these laws; if humans emulate them, they too can attain immortality.

The Qingjing Jing (Scripture of Purity and Tranquility) says: The Great Dao (the Way) is without form, yet it generates and nourishes heaven and earth; the Great Dao is without partiality, yet it impels the movements of the sun and moon; the Great Dao is without name, yet it nurtures the myriad things. Among the myriad things, humans possess the greatest spiritual awareness and the highest dignity. Humans likewise arise from the Great Dao, so why can they not endure as heaven and earth endure, or remain as constant as the sun and moon? The reason is that the seven emotions—joy, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, fear, and fright—disturb the mind from within, while the six desires (the various sensory cravings) entice from without. Upward, Jing and Qi continually leak away through the throat; downward, Jing and Qi continually drain away. When Jing and Qi first arise, one does not know how to nourish and protect them; when they are abundant, one does not know how to gather and refine them; when they scatter, one does not know how to collect and contain them; when they weaken, one does not know how to replenish them. Thus disorder of the Qi mechanism produces illness, decline of Jing and Qi produces aging, and the cessation of breath produces death.

Commentary observes that to keep the breath harmonious and free of disorder there is naturally the practice of taixi (embryonic breathing, a method of regulating respiration to nourish Qi); to render the breath firm and prevent its decline there are naturally methods of refining Qi; to condense authentic Qi into Shen (spirit) there are naturally the secrets of refining the spirit. Should one still be unable to cut off attachments and desires, there is naturally the “art of the maiden” (a form of Daoist sexual cultivation). When fatigued…

This means: To make the Qi (vital energy) harmonious and not disordered, there is of itself embryonic breathing (taixi, a Daoist method of regulating the breath so that it becomes subtle, fine, and prolonged); to make the Qi firm and not feeble, there are methods of refining Qi; to make the Qi pure and genuine and thereby refine it into Shen (spirit), there are the secret methods of refining Shen. If one has not yet cut off cravings and desires, there is the art of the young maiden (a Daoist bedchamber technique for nourishing life); if one grows weary of the work of cultivation, there is the method of Waidan (external alchemy), the art of refining elixirs with the aid of medicines, furnace, and cauldron.

The Map of the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands of the Human World

The Record of Blessed Lands says: Blessed lands exist not only in the mountains but also in the human world. The twelve superior blessed lands symbolize wealth and honor, outstanding appearance, longevity, and flourishing descendants; the thirty-six inferior blessed lands symbolize poverty and lowliness, short life and ugly appearance, together with frequent punishments and illness; the twenty-four intermediate blessed lands have inconstant fortune and uncertain wealth or poverty—some have short lives yet have children, some are ugly and often ill, with nobility and lowliness alternating and gains and losses cycling.

If a person accumulates good deeds, their fate may gradually rise; if they create sins, they will fall. By practicing the great Dao (the Way), one can transcend the cycle of rebirth; it is as if a road leading to the immortal realm lies open. If one does not know how to cultivate, circumstances will decline again and again, and one will be reborn into different situations, forever sinking in the sea of suffering.

The superior, intermediate, and inferior blessed lands spoken of here may also correspond to a person’s upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers; terms used in Daoist Neidan [internal alchemy] for different parts of the body): the superior blessed lands correspond to the upper Dantian, as in refining Shen and abandoning the bodily shell; the intermediate blessed lands correspond to the middle Dantian, as in refining Qi to restore youth; the inferior blessed lands correspond to the lower Dantian, as in refining Jing (essence) in order to prolong life and remain in the world. Inferring inner principles from outer things is using the false to recognize the true.

The Map of the Three Islands and Ten Continents in the Sea

The original text breaks off at this point, and a passage preceding the map title is fragmentary, so a complete interpretation cannot be made on this basis.

The Records of the Ten Continents (Shizhou Ji) states that beyond the mundane dusty world there are also the Four Seas, and within the Four Seas lie three immortal mountains that are further divided into ten continents. The upper islands are called Fangzhang, Penglai, and Yingzhou; the middle islands are called Furong, Weiyuan, and Yaochi; the lower islands are called Chicheng, Xuanguan, and Taoyuan. There is additionally one continent named the Purple Palace (Zifu). The Purple Palace is the residence of the True Lord of Grand Tenuity (Taiwei Zhenjun), the divine true being who oversees the merits and practices of immortals and who is also charged with examining their cultivation achievements. If a practitioner refines Qi (vital energy) into Shen (spirit), sheds the physical form and flies upward to become an immortal, they must first pay homage to the True Lord of Grand Tenuity, verify their origins, and confirm their cultivation merits and practices; they initially dwell on the lower islands and thereafter are gradually promoted.

The scripture explains that the dusty world is comparable to a person’s abdomen. Blessings, sins, and karma resemble the influences of generation and transformation by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) upon the human body, which can bring no more than peace, joy, and longevity. The three islands are comparable to the three apertures behind the elbows of the human body. Shedding the physical form to fly upward and become an immortal cannot rely solely on the effects of the Five Phases’ generation and transformation; one must also circulate the Golden Crystal, first replenishing the Niwan (the cultivation aperture at the crown of the head) so that the marrow becomes full and the sinews and bones strong, only then is ascent possible. Moreover, when the divine water descends, the body gradually manifests a golden radiance; proceeding in this manner, before long one can shed the physical form and become an immortal.

Diagram of the Void Grotto-Heaven (Xuwu Dongtian Tu)

Those who cultivate the Great Dao (the Way), if they can refine Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) so that these condense into an elixir, may attain longevity; if they then refine Qi into Shen (spirit), they can cast off the mortal body and ascend as immortals. At first they dwell on the Three Islands (the legendary immortal mountains overseas where immortals reside). If later they grow weary of life on the Three Islands and return to the mundane world, they may turn instead to transmitting the Dao and delivering others. When their merit and practice are complete, they receive the purple edicts and cinnabar registers (heavenly decrees and immortal registers granted by the celestial realm), and pass from the Three Islands into the Grotto-Heavens. The Grotto-Heavens lie in the realm of emptiness and void, and are the dwelling place of celestial immortals.

If later they grow weary of the Grotto-Heavens as well, they may take up office and become immortal officials: the highest rank is that of Heaven Official, the middle that of Earth Official, and the lowest that of Water Official. Those who have rendered great service to Heaven and Earth, and whose meritorious practice is outstanding across past and present, ought to become Perfected Lords and ascend into Yang Heaven, never again returning to the human world.

The Commentary says: The Blessed Lands of the mundane world are like a person circulating the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water—the five constituents that form the human body and the movements of Heaven and Earth), remaining within the region of the heart and kidneys; the Three Islands overseas are like a person circulating and transforming the Qi behind the elbows, whose range of activity does not leave the Three Passes (the three barriers spoken of in cultivation); the Grotto-Heavens of emptiness and void are like a person refining Shen so that it enters the crown of the head, gradually revealing the possibility of ascending as an immortal. From this one may know that circulating the Five Phases must begin from the Three Dantian (energy centers—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian within the human body); to see results and to transcend the ordinary, the key lies in the Three Passes.

Diagram of the Orthodox and Heterodox Paths of Life and Death (section title: a diagram distinguishing the paths of life and death and the orthodox and heterodox in cultivation).

Fame and profit are not things one cannot pursue, yet how much one may obtain is fixed by destiny. Those who see through this naturally remain unentangled by fame and profit in their hearts. Deep affection and family ties are not things one cannot wholeheartedly sustain, yet how long companions may remain together is likewise predetermined. Those who see through this will not cling in torment, unable to let go.

Ordinary people fail to grasp these truths, and so they amass gold, silver, and treasures, believing such things can last forever; they dote on their descendants, hoping the whole family will enjoy prominence, longevity, and eternal reunion. They do not realize that no amount of household wealth can ward off illness when it arrives. Even if sons and grandsons fill the hall, when the breath is cut off, who can bear the suffering in one’s place? Unceasing worry breeds disease; if disease does not cease, aging follows; before aging has run its course, death draws near.

If a person can turn the heart toward the Dao (the Way), they should first nourish and regulate the breath so that Qi (vital energy) becomes abundant and the body naturally firm. Next they should cultivate the spirit so that the mind-Shen (spirit) grows clear and bright, allowing life to be prolonged. Thereafter they form the Neidan (internal alchemy)—the state in Daoist inner cultivation in which the Jing (essence) and Qi of body and mind are condensed and refined—causing pure Yang Qi to arise; they then refine the true Qi so that the primordial Shen appears. In this way one may hope to transcend the ordinary, enter the sage realm, and avoid cycling through heterodox side paths.

Diagram of Entering the Dao with Firm Faith, Distinguishing Immortals and Mortals (a diagram illustrating cultivation of the Dao through steadfast faith and the distinction between immortals and ordinary people).

The discussion states that studying the Dao (the Way) itself is not difficult; what is difficult is finding a suitable teacher. Finding a teacher is not difficult; what is difficult is discerning the methods he transmits. People of the world do not understand this principle and often go to take a teacher upon hearing some rumor, without distinguishing whether the other is genuine or false. Some take a teacher because of the person's ancient and rustic appearance, some because the person is eloquent and skilled in debate, some are attracted by false reputation and outward appearances, and still others follow those who are unrestrained, arrogant, and behave abnormally. As a result they obtain nothing throughout their entire lives and can only vainly lament their own meager blessings.

If the one transmitting the teaching calls the liver the “dragon” and the lungs the “tiger,” then how are they to conjoin? If one takes “Gao” as mercury and Kan as an illusion, then how is one to understand choutian (the cultivation method of regulating Yin-Yang and the Qi (vital energy) mechanism within the body)? If one regards swallowing saliva as the medicinal substance, how can it be made to transform? If one takes gathering the breath as the elixir, how can it be made to condense and remain? Those who only engage in lofty talk and empty discourse on the void—this kind of learning that relies solely on oral transmission and hearing with the ears—how can it ever be put to use? Missing the years and months, wasting the days and hours, not understanding the cyclic operation from beginning to end of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, how can one recognize the root of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water)? Thus one falls once more into the cycle of rebirth and conversely claims that talk of immortals is false and talk of immortality is a lie. In truth, what people of the world should blame is themselves; it is not that the former masters failed to instruct with care.

Diagram of the Orthodox Path of the Three Dantians (Dantian, energy centers) and Five Phases

The Dongwei Jing (scripture) says: After the One Qi (the fundamental Qi that constitutes and operates all things) differentiates, it forms the three locations of upper, middle, and lower, arranged as the Three Powers; after Yin and Yang, the Two Modes, are distinguished, the five directions of east, west, south, north, and center are laid out as the Five Positions. The Five Positions transmit the One Qi, and the Three Powers mutually conjoin to form one Dao. From ancient times to the present their operation has never gone astray, and therefore the Great Dao itself has neither arising nor ceasing.

Daoism analogizes both the interior and exterior of the human body to the natural order of heaven and earth. Once a fetus has fully matured and its Qi (vital energy) is sufficient, it leaves the mother after approximately three hundred days. At this time the meridians gradually become complete, the outer form is fully present, and the body itself can be divided into upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)—the sites in which Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen (spirit) are stored and cultivated during practice—corresponding to the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

The five viscera correspond respectively to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water): the kidneys belong to Water, the liver to Wood, the heart to Fire, the lungs to Metal, and the spleen to Earth. Practitioners hold that the Qi of the five viscera can converge and congeal into the Neidan (internal alchemy). The lower Dantian governs Jing, the middle Dantian governs Qi, and the upper Dantian governs Shen; when these three treasures of Jing, Qi, and Shen gather together, this is called the accomplishment of the Dao (the Way), thereby attaining the realm of transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood.

The Supreme Lord Lao once taught: “Within the mysterious there is yet a deeper mystery.” In human life there is Jing, within Qi there is Qi, and within Shen there is Shen; this manifests the natural Dao. Therefore, understanding the correspondences between the Five Phases and the three Dantian is an important path for realizing the profundity of the Great Dao; without grasping this point, one merely expends effort in vain.

The “Diagram of the Correspondence of the Five Phases” is a chart that displays the correspondences between the Five Phases and related phenomena.

The Shangqing Shiyu (related discourses of the Shangqing school) states that the human body contains within it all the myriad phenomena of the world. Using the ancient Nine Provinces as a metaphor, the kidneys correspond to Jizhou, the bladder to Xuzhou, the liver to Qingzhou, the gallbladder to Yanzhou, the heart to Yangzhou, the small intestine to Jingzhou, the lungs to Liangzhou, and the large intestine to Yongzhou.

Using the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) as a metaphor, the kidneys correspond to the Kan trigram, the bladder to the Gen trigram, the liver to the Zhen trigram, the gallbladder to the Xun trigram, the heart to the Li trigram, the small intestine to the Kun trigram, the lungs to the Dui trigram, and the large intestine to the Qian trigram. These are all analogical namings drawn from similarities, and comparable statements of this kind are innumerable.

Turning to more profound theories of internal cultivation, kidney Qi (vital energy) is called the “Infant” and heart fluid the “Maiden”; residual fluids in the spleen are called the “Yellow Dame,” and remaining Qi in the lungs the “Golden Elder.” These designations likewise belong to the realm of mysterious metaphor. Concealed within kidney Qi is the “Water of True Unity,” known as the “Yin Tiger”; implicit above the heart fluid is the “Qi of Orthodox Yang,” known as the “Yang Dragon.” The conjunction of dragon and tiger is called Neidan (internal alchemy). Water from the crown of the head that descends is termed “Spirit Water”; true Qi that rises from within the elixir is termed “Orthodox Fire.”

Diagram of the Reversal of the True Five Phases (illustrating by diagram the reverse transformation of the Five Phases in internal cultivation)

The Longhu Zhongdan Jing states that the kidneys belong to Water, and Fire is born within Water; the heart belongs to Fire, and Water is born within Fire; the liver belongs to Wood, yet it flourishes in the West (the direction corresponding to Metal); the lungs belong to Metal, yet they arise in the East (the direction corresponding to Wood). This is the principle of the reversal of the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). If people of the world can grasp the principle herein, they can nourish and regulate body and mind so that Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are neither scattered nor excessively depleted, thereby achieving the effect of prolonging life.

The kidneys belong to Water, and Fire is born within Water; yet within this Fire there is originally contained the “Water of True Unity” (in Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the subtle Qi hidden deep within the body). This state is profound and unfathomable, and is therefore called “yaoyao mingming” (obscure and dark), symbolizing the Yin Tiger. The heart belongs to Fire, and Water is born within Fire; yet within this Water there is originally contained the “Qi of Correct Yang” (in Neidan practice, referring to pure yang Qi). This state is as if present yet absent, elusive and hard to grasp, and is therefore called “huanghuang huhu” (vague and indistinct), symbolizing the Yang Dragon. If people of the world can grasp this principle, they can cultivate longevity.

The Qi mechanism of the lower Dantian (energy center) travels upward to the upper Dantian, after which the Qi mechanism of the upper Dantian returns to the middle Dantian. Not only must the Qi of the Five Phases reverse its circulation, but the Qi mechanisms of the upper, middle, and lower three Dantian must also flow back and forth. When the three Dantian circulate in this reciprocal manner, one can reach the realm of “casting off the shell and ascending as an immortal.” The three fields mentioned here are the three cultivation sites within the body spoken of in Neidan practice. The oral instruction handed down by former masters says: If the Qi of the Five Phases does not reverse its circulation, the Dragon and Tiger cannot unite; if the three Dantian do not circulate back and forth, the Fetal Immortal (the inner immortal embryo of Neidan cultivation) cannot be fully charged with Qi.

Diagram of the True Five Phases Conjoining and Transmission

The Tianyuan Zhengli says that the Five Emperors (the celestial emperors of the five directions) transmit one and the same primordial Qi (vital energy), and therefore the laws by which heaven and earth operate never fall into disorder. The five viscera likewise transmit one and the same primordial Qi, and therefore the laws by which humans and the myriad things operate never fall into disorder either. From this it may be known that the circulation of a person’s true Qi corresponds with the great movements of heaven and earth: spring belongs to the liver, summer to the heart, autumn to the lungs, and winter to the kidneys.

The primordial Qi of the human body also circulates according to the double-hours. At the zi hour, kidney Qi arises and develops. At the end of chou and the beginning of yin, kidney Qi, by means of the Qi of the bladder, is transmitted into the liver. At the mao hour, liver Qi arises and develops. At the end of chen and the beginning of si, liver Qi, by means of the Qi of the gallbladder, is transmitted into the heart. At the wu hour, the heart fluids (the bodily fluids generated by the heart) arise and develop. At the end of wei and the beginning of shen, the heart fluids, by means of the fluids of the small intestine, are transmitted into the lungs. At the you hour, the lung fluids arise and develop. At the end of xu and the beginning of hai, the lung fluids, by means of the fluids of the large intestine, are transmitted into the kidneys. Fluids transform into Qi, and in this manner the cycle repeats from beginning to end, circulating without cease.

Those who are skilled in cultivation gather the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and each day refine the Returned Elixir; they take in the Qi of Yin-Yang and each day refine the Neidan (internal alchemy). Once the elixir has been refined, the Qi of longevity is abundant, and by shedding the physical form one can ascend as an immortal.

The first half of this passage discusses how the Qi of the five viscera is transmitted according to the double-hours; the second half discusses undertaking Neidan cultivation by regulating Yin-Yang and gathering the Qi of the Five Phases. “Returned Elixir” and “Neidan” are Daoist terms of cultivation and refinement.

Note: In the scripture, after the phrase “at the end of wei and the beginning of shen,” a passage is repeated from “the end of yin” to “at the wu hour the heart fluids arise,” and the phrase “the end of yin” is missing the character wei. The temporal sequence appears to contain textual errors and omissions. The account above has been arranged and understood according to the sequential order of what precedes and follows.