《养生秘录》

Gathering and concentrating the mind and spirit is called “Shen.” One then brings Shen back into Qi to refine the Elixir. Letting desires return to one’s nature and one’s nature return to its root is how life is nurtured. The foundation for forming the Reverted Elixir lies in lead and mercury. Original Jing is the foundation of life: cherish and preserve it, and true lead will arise naturally. Original Shen is the source of one’s nature: cherish it, and true mercury will arise naturally. Thus, preserving Jing nurtures Qi, and preserving Qi nurtures Shen. When lead and mercury unite at the proper time, and the breath flows long and unbroken, the alchemical firing times are established. When true Qi continually gathers and distracting thoughts are forgotten for a long time, the Golden Elixir can take shape. If true lead is lost, true mercury exhausted, original Shen scattered, and original Jing depleted, it is difficult to bring them back. These teachings should not be passed on casually to anyone without a firm resolve to cultivate the Dao. Cherish and guard them carefully, keeping them secret.

Oral Instructions

The union and joining of Yin and Yang in the external realm is called the “External Medicine”; the convergence of Kan and Li within, which respectively symbolize Yin and Yang, is called the “Inner Joy.” External cultivation involves deliberate action, while inner transformation follows its natural course. Jing, Qi, and Shen each have distinct functions, yet share a single root.

As for the External Medicine, first ensure that the essence released during intercourse does not leak away. Let the breath grow fine and slow until it is almost imperceptible, and settle the mind, spirit, and thoughts. As for the Inner Medicine, refining Jing means transforming original Jing and activating the original Yang hidden within Kan. When original Jing is preserved, the essence released during intercourse will naturally not leak away. Refining Qi means transforming original Qi and replenishing the original Yin hidden within Li. When original Qi is settled, the breath will naturally cease to move in and out. Refining Shen means transforming original Shen. When the Yin and Yang of Kan and Li unite as one, this is called “becoming Qian.” When original Shen is settled and concentrated, the spirit of thought also becomes calm and still. Beyond this is “refining emptiness and returning to unity.” This is not easily explained in passing; its value lies in silent realization and inward understanding. Strive in your cultivation! Strive in your cultivation!

Yuxuzi believes that when thoughts are settled, the spirit naturally becomes tranquil. The practice of “refining emptiness”—cultivating oneself to a state of stillness and Wuwei (non-action)—is a step beyond this and should not be discussed lightly. Its value lies in silent reflection and inward understanding. Strive onward! Strive onward!

Of the three thousand six hundred methods of cultivation and the countless arts of nourishing life, most are merely minor, heterodox techniques that take the long way around. I have studied and contemplated Daoist methods for more than thirty years. I drew the Diagram of the Central Rule and distilled its teachings into twelve characters, which I pass on to those aspiring to learn the Dao (the Way).

“Rectify the mind and make the intention sincere” is the center, like a pillar standing in the middle. “Remain centered to govern what is outside” is the means of regulating body and mind. The eight characters “warmth and harmony, balanced harmony, gathering into stillness, gathering into solemnity” serve as aids: inner balance enables one to meet changes in the world. Follow the changes of the four seasons, using outward regulation to support inward cultivation. In this way, one can accord with the Dao of Heaven above, take human affairs as a guide in the middle, and quietly conform to the changes of nature and the patterns of Yin-Yang. Externally, follow the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); internally, nourish the five organs.

The human body and mind should move like the sun and moon, turning without cease. Without deliberate striving or attachment to visualization, they settle naturally, thereby bringing the primordial Qi and the root functions of life into harmony. To achieve this, one need only curb cravings and desires, calm the mind, spirit, and breath, reduce anxious thought, eat in moderation, regulate the breath through the nose, stay alert to drowsiness and torpor, and be careful in the use of sight and hearing. In the ordinary postures of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, and in the activity of the senses, one nurtures the innate breath of harmony. Its subtle efficacy appears of itself; no complicated procedure is needed.

Those who have already established the “foundation of yin’e”—the basis for gathering and refining inner Qi, such as the Dantian (energy center), in Neidan (internal alchemy)—can use this practice to regulate the firing times and nourish the sacred embryo, the inner Elixir embryo of Neidan. Those who have not yet established this foundation can still use the practice to strengthen primordial Qi and nourish the spirit, gradually laying the groundwork for it. Even those whose primordial Qi is depleted, whose bodies are weakened, or who suffer from illness can use this method to dispel illness, strengthen their vital foundation, and support longevity. It is a simple and practical method for nourishing life.

Written as a preface by Li Gongming, Yuxizi of Yuxi in Yichun, on the Lower Primordial Festival in the jisi year of the Xianchun era of the Song dynasty (1269).

“Within the compass” means to remain at the center marked by a compass, like the single “I” reflected in a great round mirror. In cultivation, the main focus is to keep the mind upright and one’s intentions sincere, like guarding a pillar at the center. When all distracting thoughts have settled, the True Person—the true nature or spirit spoken of in cultivation—will appear. It is like a fish leaping into the deep: swimming freely in the water, yet never leaving the small space at the heart.

Before joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure arise, one can rest “within the compass,” quietly observing, while regulating the four seasons and following the transformations of Heaven and Earth. Everyday conduct—walking, standing, sitting, and lying down—should accord with proper measure and remain within bounds. When external things come, respond according to the circumstances; afterward, return to inner stillness, without disturbing the “central pillar” in the heart. Keep the mind empty and clear, without a trace of distracting thought. Over time, neither indulging nor deliberately restraining oneself, one will naturally experience its subtle wonder.

The Qi of the six Yin lines returns to the Kun trigram, where the roots and shoots of all things lie hidden. Then the first line of the Fu trigram begins to emerge, and all things start to sprout anew. The eldest son, symbolized by the Zhen trigram, separates from the father, and a single Yang Qi stirs quietly before anything has yet been born. Cultivation begins to take effect here. At this point, sit cross-legged and upright, focus the spirit inward, and let the breath become fine, slow, and long, silently guarding this flow of Qi. A single Qi arises from emptiness, deep and still, without color or form. It does not come from the Yin stillness symbolized by Zi, Xuan, Ming, Kun, and Gui; it arises in the kidneys to nourish primordial Jing, the innate vital essence. As the days and months accumulate, the breath gradually grows full and strong: first it can dispel illness, then restore the body to an infant-like state, and, through further accumulation, become the foundation for cultivating Neidan (internal alchemy).

The Perfected Yuan said, “Nourishing primordial Qi with primordial Qi—how could ordinary sand and stone compare?” This is a superior method for strengthening the body.

“Morning Tun” refers to the stage when the noble person begins to tend and cultivate, when all things are just sprouting; it symbolizes the first stirrings of benevolence. At the Zi hour, around midnight, the first Qi begins to arise in the kidneys. It appears naturally, without needing to be summoned, and should be cherished and nurtured. When regulating the breath, do not let the ears hear it clearly. Simply sense the breath as distant and continuous, following its natural course, and one will correspond to the transformations of Yin-Yang between Heaven and Earth. Over time, Qi in the kidneys joins with Qi in the heart, bringing down sweet dew—a metaphor in internal cultivation for a moistening sensation—and producing the Mysterious Pearl, a symbolic term in Neidan cultivation. “Dusk Meng” refers to continuing to nurture it.

When regulating the breath, do not let your ears hear its sound. Simply sense that the breath is long and continuous, and let it follow its natural course. In this way, you can accord with the pivot of Heaven and Earth’s movement. Over time, Kidney Qi and Heart Qi join; the two energies respond to one another, bringing down “sweet dew” (a metaphor in Neidan practice for bodily fluids or vital essence gathering within) and producing the “mysterious pearl” (a symbol of the Neidan that has formed through this gathering).

“Evening obscuration” is a method for nurturing what is upright and cultivating sagehood. Its aim is to keep a person from losing the pure, innocent original mind of an infant; this is also the beginning of moral feeling. At midday, nascent Qi is present in the heart. There is no need to summon it; it comes of its own accord. At this time, let go of thought and worry, quiet and settle the mind, and turn your gaze inward so that Heart Qi can join with this Qi. With sustained quiet sitting and inner observation, Heart Qi will eventually join with Kidney Qi, bringing about the effect of Water and Fire in harmony (the harmonizing of the energies of the heart and kidneys).

Human beings are one of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and the changes within the human body are connected to the transformations of Heaven and Earth. Thus, as the sun and moon move without pause and the energies of Heaven and Earth respond to one another, the “essence of the True One” (original, pure vital essence) also joins with them. Human primordial Qi is said to extend for eight hundred and ten zhang, corresponding to the pivot of Yin and Yang. Its great cycle follows the movement of Heaven, while its lesser cycle follows the movement of the sun. Yet if people cannot grasp the principles of Heaven and Earth’s transformations, they will act in ways that harm themselves, depleting their vital essence and throwing their spirit into disorder. They will then go against the movement of Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth themselves do not go against humanity.

Those who understand the Dao can follow its patterns and seize the right moment, thereby joining in Heaven and Earth’s work of nurturing and transforming the myriad things. They can apply this understanding to cultivating the Elixir through internal refinement, in pursuit of long life and enduring vision. Other beings in the world mostly receive mixed energies; within primordial Qi, they are merely things brought into being. How, then, could they master primordial Qi?

The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three), a Daoist classic of Neidan, says: “In spring and summer, give priority to inner cultivation, from the hour of the Rat through the hours of the Dragon and Snake; in autumn and winter, emphasize outward application, from the hour of the Horse through the hours of the Dog and Pig.” It also says: “Reward and punishment correspond to spring and autumn; darkness and brightness correspond to cold and heat. Persist in practicing benevolence and righteousness, and let joy and anger arise at their proper times. In this way, by following the four seasons, each of the Five Phases finds its proper order.”

The Inner Essentials of the Central Yellow

Master Yuzhen said, “The Great Way of the Yellow Center within the Limitless is originally transmitted orally and understood through the heart; it is not committed to writing. I now feel compassion for those who are just beginning to study the Dao. They may not remember what they hear after a single telling, so I have written it down as a temporary expedient, so that they may hear it, keep it in their hearts, and then grasp its spiritual meaning by seeing it. Once the teaching has been transmitted, this text should be burned at once and must not be allowed to circulate.”

The Inner Instruction says, “Heaven has nine palaces, Earth has nine regions, and the human body has nine orifices. The Yellow Center of Heaven is called the Great Yin; the Yellow Center of Earth is called the Great Yin; the Yellow Center of the human body is called the ordinary shoulder. Together, these are called the Eight Extremities of the Yellow Center. ‘Center’ refers to location, and ‘yellow’ refers to color; hence the name Yellow Center. The Eight Extremities are the vital points where the eight directions converge: the Central Palace, the Yellow Court (a site of cultivation within the body), the Mysterious Female (the gateway symbolizing the union of Yin and Yang and the generation of life), the Primordial Qi, the Mysterious Pass—one Aperture (the crucial gateway in Neidan cultivation), the place of supreme goodness, and the Way of the Yellow Pole. In other words, they mean holding to the way of centrality and correctness.

“Among the Five Phases, it belongs to Earth; among the five organs, it corresponds to the spleen; among the Five Constant Virtues, it corresponds to trustworthiness. The medicines, three Qi, five spirits, timing of the fire, and breathing described in cultivation all relate to it. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one should settle one’s thoughts here and never depart from it, even for an instant. This does not interfere with daily affairs. One need only keep the heart-mind upright and respond appropriately to things, meeting each situation while remaining inwardly still.

“The Patriarch said, ‘Too much talk readily leads to an end; it is better to hold to the center.’ He also said, ‘Thirty spokes converge on a single hub.’ The spokes are the ribs of a wheel, and the hub is its central part. He also said, ‘Is not the space between Heaven and Earth like a bellows?’ This refers to breathing: as one exhales, Kidney Qi rises and comes to rest when it reaches Earth (the Yellow Center); as one inhales, Heart fluids descend and come to rest when they reach Earth. This is what is called the inter-refining of Water and Fire, which ultimately refines the Great Elixir. If one can visualize and hold to the Yellow Center, the method of cultivation will take effect.

“I often say that if you wish the Dao to be efficacious, you must hold to the central shoulder (the original text reads this way; it refers to the central place occupied by the Yellow Center). ‘Center’ means taking account of above, below, and all four directions, without bias or deviation. Heaven and Earth are eighty-four thousand li apart. The human Heart and Kidneys are like the Heaven and Earth within one body, separated by eight cun and four fen, measured by the creases of the middle finger joints. From the navel to the tip of the xiphoid process is only eight cun and four fen. The navel is mentioned because it lies opposite the Kidneys. Three cun and six fen below the Heart and three cun and six fen above the navel and Kidneys lies an interval of one cun and two fen: this is the Yellow Court, which governs a person’s life and destiny. This is the Way of the Most Holy and should be kept strictly secret.”

The Three Mao Lords (Sanmao Zhenjun) said: Use Qi to nourish and protect Jing, and let Qi gather in Shen. When Jing, Qi, and Shen are not lost or dispersed, this is called “cultivating the Real”—cultivating body and mind and realizing the Great Dao. Jing is like a child and Qi like its mother: the child does not leave the mother, and the mother does not leave the child. When Jing and Qi mutually protect one another, one can live forever and never die.

Master Dongzhen said: Guard this carefully, and guard it carefully again. Do not speak of it casually or disclose it carelessly. Follow what is natural and return to the natural; the principle is profound, ever more profound. The foundation of the Great Dao, as it has been heard, lies in Jing and Qi remaining inseparable and guarding one another, thereby bringing eternal life.

Those who are able to hear the Great Dao are fortunate across many lifetimes, and in past lives they also had an affinity for cultivating immortality. If they treat it merely as a subject for joking conversation and reveal it to others, this may bring unforeseen misfortune and disasters that continue to grow. After receiving the teaching, they should study diligently and put it into practice.

The Perfected One of Yuxi said: “The Dao discussed by the Confucians—the Dao of Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, Yan Hui, Zengzi, Zisi, and Mencius, passed down through the generations as the Confucian tradition—is this very Dao. In my youth, I yearned for a realm of stillness and emptiness and devoted myself to seeking the highest Dao. I visited and sought instruction from practitioners of every method. Later, while traveling on Mount Heng, I finally met an accomplished adept, who secretly taught me the Purple Yang Immortal’s Xihe Elixir formula, a method of Neidan (internal alchemy).

“This method follows the patterns of the Nine Palaces and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). It aligns a year with a month, a month with a day, and a day with one two-hour period. It draws on the vital energy of Heaven and Earth and the power of natural change, gathering Qi into the central palace—the center used in Neidan practice—where it interacts and condenses into an elixir. This practice does more than prolong life; it can also enable a person to remain in the world for a long time. Hence the saying: ‘My destiny is in my own hands, not determined by Heaven.’

“Since learning this method, my strength has never failed me, my hair has not turned white, and I can walk a hundred li a day with a light and easy stride. Its many wondrous signs are too numerous to recount. The practice emphasizes ‘water and fire in mutual harmony’ and ‘Kan and Li joining,’ in which water and fire, symbolized by Kan and Li, come together. With long practice, one can form an internal elixir.

“Nowadays, the fire within the human body blazes upward, while the water sinks downward with its dampness. This readily allows baleful Yin influences to enter through the body’s vulnerabilities, bringing illness and shortening life. If one encounters this formula, the Qi of the Five Phases can be made to reverse its course: the Dragon is born from fire, and the Tiger appears in water. When the Five Phases follow their usual sequence, one remains an ordinary person; when their course is reversed, one can become a sage. This principle is profound beyond measure.

“The formula says: ‘As you rise, lift; with each breath, return Qi to the navel. As you descend, swallow; let water and fire meet.’ These sixteen characters are simple and easy to put into practice. There is no need to follow set hours. Even in government service, the practice need not interfere with official duties; even amid wealth and status, one can cultivate it. This is what is meant by saying that the highest Dao is not complicated. For wind disorders—illnesses here understood to arise from pathogenic wind—the practice can bring quick results.

“Whenever you have a little free time during the day, you may sit cross-legged or with your legs hanging down. Simply sit upright; there is no need to insist on a particular posture. Let the breath through the nose set the rhythm. As you inhale, mark it as ‘inhaling,’ then immediately lift the Qi, using a slight effort in the lower body to draw it forward and bring it to the area around the navel.”

Use the breath through the nose as the rhythm for the practice. Inhaling is called “drawing in.” As you inhale, lift the breath and gently engage the lower abdomen, drawing it slightly forward and upward, so that the breath gathers at the navel. This is called “the breath returning to the navel.” The navel is the human body’s Sea of Qi, where Daoists say primordial Qi gathers; primordial Qi is stored there.

Exhaling is called “releasing.” Relax the body and let it open naturally. Then swallow gently, making a gurgling sound. This is called “Water and Fire meeting.” Practice in this way without setting a required number of repetitions: practice when you wish, and stop when you feel it is time.

With long-term practice, warmth will often be felt below the navel, as though the area were being pressed with a hot iron. The breath within the abdomen will rumble like thunder; urination will gradually decrease, Jing and Qi will no longer leak out, the lower back will grow stronger, appetite will increase, illnesses will fade, and harmful external influences will find it difficult to intrude. It is said that after a year of practice, all existing illnesses can be eliminated. With continued practice, the Three Palaces—the body’s three Qi centers—will naturally rise and descend, and the two kinds of Qi will circulate. Ultimately, one will attain the Great Dao and live long, enjoying enduring longevity.

In former times, a Mr. Guohaiwang in the capital taught people to practice by following the rising and falling of the breath through the nose, but did not teach the key methods of lifting and gathering. Later, the Daoist Li of Enzhou passed the methods of lifting and gathering on to Yang Heyu, but did not teach him how to coordinate them with the inhalation and exhalation of the breath. Thus, neither man’s teaching was complete. Zeng once traveled to the foot of Ziqi Peak on Mount Heng in the south, where he personally received the secret instructions from Master Li. Master Li was from Shandong and lived to the age of 105. His hair and beard never turned white, his face remained like a child’s, and he walked with swift, vigorous steps. I received his teaching, and the practice has indeed proved effective. I dare not keep the secret instructions to myself, and carefully pass them on to those who cherish the Great Dao.

The “Four-Part Brocade”:

First, opening the arms; second, opening the chest; third, turning the wheel; fourth, drawing the bow.

From A Direct Guide to the Elixir Classic by the Old Man of Green Mists.

I began studying and practicing Daoist methods in childhood. Around the age of twenty, I left home and traveled far and wide, seeking out teachers and fellow practitioners. Later, I received instruction from my late master, Zhang Wuzhen. I also read the alchemical classics, poems, and biographies of earlier generations again and again until I knew them well, pondering them carefully and probing the meanings behind their words. I visited many fellow practitioners and ritual specialists, traveled to famous mountains and grotto-heavens, and collected inscriptions from stone steles and walls. From these, I found teachings in which the immortal Haiqiong, a Daoist practitioner, pointed out the essentials of the Great Dao.

Later, at the Grotto-Heaven of Zhuling, I met the recluse Lü Ran. He gave me a poem, and only then did I grasp the subtle meaning of what the immortal Haiqiong had said. I finally understood that the things I had learned, sought, and encountered in my youth were like building another house on a roof or grafting one more branch onto a tree: they had only led me away from the essentials of the Great Dao. A house is simply a house, and a branch is simply a branch. The Great Dao is close at hand, yet people insist on searching for it far away.

One day, I suddenly awakened completely. I worried only that these insights might be buried and lost. Knowing that those who would later study the Dao might not all apply themselves as I had, I wrote down a few words for those to come. Whoever receives them can grasp their meaning through the written words, awaken in time, and devote themselves to practice. Even without seeking out another teacher, they can find guidance in them.

A man’s body is made up of the Four Great Elements, and as a whole belongs to Yin; only the innate One Qi is true Yang. The “Qi” spoken of here is not the Qi of breathing in and out. It has no form or image, nor any visible sign by which it can be recognized. Thus Master Wuzhen said, “What can be seen cannot be used; what can be used cannot be seen.” What is visible cannot be taken up in cultivation, while what can truly be cultivated cannot be seen.

Before a person takes shape, this Qi is first received in the womb from the parents. Then the two kidneys develop, followed by the two eyes; from these arise the heart, liver, spleen, and lungs, and then the nine openings and four limbs take shape, completing the human form. The place where this Qi resides is between the two kidneys, and is called the “Gate of the Mysterious Female” (the source of innate primordial Qi in cultivation theory). My late master explains this in detail in his “Song of the Gate of the Mysterious Female.”

Few people in the world understand this. When livestock are slaughtered today, people can see only the area between the two kidneys, where the waist and back are located…

No one in the world understands this principle. When people slaughter livestock today, they can see a thin membrane in the area between the kidneys, where the lower back lies. Breath stirs within it and continues until the body grows cold. While life remains, Qi and blood are abundant, the hun and po remain joined, and the body contains Qi of the five colors; the Qi it receives is as plentiful as boiling water.

When a person dies, as with livestock, Qi and blood disperse, and this Qi, too, is exhausted. This one Qi is the great medicine of the Golden Elixir—the fundamental Qi spoken of in Neidan practice. That is why the former masters held that the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, gallbladder, kidneys, intestines, Jing, bodily fluids, mucus, saliva, Qi, and blood are not the Dao. They also said that things such as spirit, hun, po, intention, and the like may seem close to the Dao, yet are not the Dao. This is precisely the principle they meant.

In the human body, the right foot belongs to Greater Yin and the left to Greater Yang. The Yongquan point on the sole—the point at the center of the foot—gives rise to the two Qi of Water and Fire. These enter from both feet into the tail gate at the base of the spine and rise to converge at the kidneys. The left side is the Kidney Hall, the right the Essence Storehouse; one belongs to Water and the other to Fire. They are also represented by the tortoise and snake, stirring one another like the bellows of a forge. Between the kidneys, a void gives rise to an aperture called the Mysterious Female, a Neidan term for the source within the body that nurtures life.

The Qi of the two kidneys passes through the Mysterious Female, giving rise to two currents, yellow and red. They travel upward along the two passes on either side of the spine, passing through all twenty-four vertebrae. The Qi pathway runs through the heart and abdomen, passes beneath the Gao Huang region, and gathers at the Wind Mansion at the back of the neck. It then rises to the Muddy Pellet, a Neidan term for the brain. From the Muddy Pellet, Qi descends to the Bright Hall, a Neidan term for a region of the face, and spreads to nourish the five palaces. It then descends into the Jade Tower, the Daoist name for the throat, reaches the Crimson Palace, a Neidan term for the heart, and finally flows back to its original abode. It circulates day and night without pause, all of it happening naturally rather than being produced by deliberate bodily movements.

Today, some people stray into heterodox paths. They do not understand the principle of emptiness, naturalness, and silent transformation. Instead, they recklessly perform movements such as bending and stretching, exhaling, swallowing, massage, and Daoyin exercises; they also deliberately focus their thoughts and gaze, and practice in a confused and misguided way. As a result, they make themselves ill. For example, White Lotus practitioners often suffer from jaundice and swelling, while practitioners who manipulate Qi often suffer from Qi distension. These are cases in point.

“ This Qi” is the Qi dynamic that operates within everyone’s body. Some people recklessly perform bending and stretching, exhale and swallow breath, rub the body and practice Daoyin, or deliberately focus their thoughts and fix their attention. They imagine things out of nothing and force the practice, only to become ill as a result. The White Lotus Daoist often suffered from jaundice and swelling, while the Daoist who manipulated Qi often developed Qi distention. These are cases in point.

Everyone has this Qi, and no one has more or less of it. Those who cultivate themselves can guide it to operate properly; those who lack cultivation cannot. Its movement in and out follows its own patterns, like the tides rising and falling with the phases of the moon, or the handle of the Northern Dipper shifting across the sky according to the hours, such as Zi and Wu. Women’s menstruation and the onset of malaria also often occur at regular times. Their rhythms are indeed consistent.

When this Qi appears at a Yang time, it is called “Fire”; at a Yin time, it is called “Water.” Fire is the Wood Fluid, and Water is the Metal Essence. The left kidney corresponds to Kan, and the right kidney to Li. Li contains Ji, while Kan contains Wu. Wu and Ji both belong to Earth; combined, they form “Dao Gui,” also called “Metal within Water.” “Metal” is also called “blade,” hence the name “Blade Measure.” Fire belongs to Wood, and Water belongs to Metal. Wood and Metal communicate with one another, and Water and Fire share the same source. Ultimately, Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire together are simply one Earth, and this Earth governs the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When earlier masters said that the Five Viscera store primordial Qi, while the Six Bowels have no vital essence, this is what they meant.

This Qi naturally circulates at all times; it does not depend on human effort to force it onward. Phrases such as “the waterwheel’s three carts” and “the Yellow River and Caoxi” borrow images to describe this Qi dynamic. They do not mean that people should make it happen through physical effort. When this Qi arrives at the Zi hour, it is called Yang Fire; at the Wu hour, Yin Water; at the Mao hour, Wood Fluid; and at the You hour, Metal Essence. Mao corresponds to Jia, and You to Geng, which is why one speaks of gathering Jia and Geng. Zi corresponds to Wu, and Wu to Ji, which is why one must make use of central Earth. Without understanding the rise and descent of Heaven and Earth, the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, whether the ingredients have matured, and how Water and Fire lie dormant or become excessive, one cannot discuss these matters adequately.

Yet the earlier masters explained everything in great detail, and later generations became even more confused. Why did later generations grow more doubtful the more that was explained?

If “emptiness” is understood as doing nothing and not knowing where to begin, fetal breathing—a practice centered on quiet, regulated breathing—will be difficult to master and will end in rigid stillness and vacant quietude. Ignoring the laws of nature and indulging in delusion or forced effort will only waste the mind and spirit and may even bring on illness.

“Emptiness” means that it cannot be seen with the eyes or heard with the ears. Only when a person works according to the method in a state like open space, allowing the movement of Qi to flow freely, is the practice truly put into effect. “Naturalness” means that nothing should be forced or deliberately sought. The stages of practice described in the scripture, such as gathering the medicines and regulating the firing process, are specific methods carried out in sequence and explained in careful detail. Only by following them cautiously and practicing consistently will results appear.

Before formally entering the practice chamber to cultivate, one must first understand what it means to set up the cauldron and gather the medicines, and practice quiet sitting each day. As sitting gradually settles, the joints will loosen and the channels will open. From the bladder to the Jiaji point, midway along the spine, one may feel as if a wheel is turning. The primordial Qi spoken of in cultivation will naturally pass through the Three Passes, the three gateways through which Qi moves, rise to the Niwan, the center within the head, then descend along the Chonglou, the throat, and enter the Jiangong, the cultivation site in the heart.

The arrival of Qi and the timing for gathering the medicines each follow their own pattern. Wait until the periods represented by Jia and Geng, when Metal and Wood are flourishing, and sit quietly and upright without rubbing with the hands or deliberately pushing anything along. After a while, if the crown of the head feels warm and sweet saliva gradually gathers in the throat and drips down, focus inward through inner vision, gathering the gaze and turning awareness within, and guide it into the Jiangong and the Xuannü, the place in Neidan cultivation where Yin and Yang meet and Qi comes into being. Then stop.

Within the day, Jia corresponds to the waxing moon and Geng to the waning moon. From the Zi hour to the Mao hour is the waxing phase, said to yield “half a jin of Mercury”; from the Wu hour to the You hour is the waning phase, said to yield “half a jin of Lead.” “Mercury” and “Lead” are Neidan terms for Yin and Yang essence and Qi. Gathering Mercury at the Jia time and Lead at the Geng time, half a jin of each, is the prescribed measure. The scripture says, “When Lead sees Gui arise, gather it quickly.” This means that Wood Mercury and Metal Lead should be gathered and refined during the Jia and Geng periods. At the beginning of practice, there is no need to count the months and years. Only after long accumulation can the cauldron and furnace—the implements that metaphorically represent the conditions or foundation for refining and nourishing the elixir—take shape.

The human body as a whole is the furnace, and the “Crimson Palace” (the place where the heart is located) is the cauldron. Some people today take the “Yellow Court” in the spleen (the inner landscape corresponding to the spleen) or the “Mud Pellet” at the crown of the head (the spirit chamber within the head) to be the cauldron, but these views are mistaken. Only after long cultivation do the furnace and cauldron take shape; only then can the medicine be planted. Once the medicine arises within the body, it must be gathered while being refined and nourished. What is gathered and stored is called medicine; what is brought forth through refining and nourishing is called fire. The medicine gathered in a day is measured in “one catty,” while the fire produced in a day is measured in “zhu.”

When gathering the medicine, one should gather the flourishing Qi of the Jia and Geng days; when practicing the fire method, however, one should avoid those days. The “bathing” stage, in which the breath is regulated and the mind quietly nourished, also has different methods. Although gathering the medicine is said to resemble using a cauldron and furnace, the medicine is not something one sees directly with the eyes. It comes of itself; the practitioner welcomes it with intention and guides it inward with the gaze. Thus, alchemical texts speak of the “Yellow Matron” and the “Azure Woman”: the “Yellow Matron” refers to intention, and the “Azure Woman” to the eyes. Welcoming it with intention is called “the Yellow Matron bringing the match together”; guiding it inward with the gaze is called “the Azure Woman conveying the message.”

The body’s Qi moves with intention: when intention moves, Qi moves; when intention stops, Qi stops. Therefore, once Qi has been sent into the cauldron, the practitioner need only direct intention to hold it there, and it will no longer flow downward. This is called “planting the medicine.”

Only after the medicine has entered the cauldron can one speak of the timing and measure of the fire. The sages transmitted the medicine but not the fire, because although fire and medicine follow different routes, they ultimately converge; their natures correspond and their functions are interconnected. At the hour of Zi, one Yang first arises; by the hour of Si, there are six Yang. From Zi to Si, the fire count accumulates to six; with all six Yang complete, it forms the Qian trigram. From Zi to Si, welcoming the movement of Qi with intention is called “advancing the fire,” also known as “adding.” At the hour of Wu, one Yin first arises; by the hour of Hai, there are six Yin. From Wu to Hai, the water count accumulates to six; with all six Yin complete, it forms the Kun trigram. Sending Qi with intention is called “withdrawing the fire,” also known as “drawing out.” Thus Zi and Si belong to fire, while Wu and Hai belong to water. Water is left unmentioned when only fire is named because advancing and adding are called fire, while withdrawing and drawing out are called water. This process occurs naturally; it does not depend on forceful human contrivance.

When the numbers of the Yellow River Chart and the Luo River Writing are mentioned in alchemical texts, this means that the timing and intensity of the fire in alchemical cultivation naturally accord with the numbers by which Heaven and Earth generate things. It does not mean that one must exert oneself deliberately to make those numbers fit. The saying “Tun at dawn and Meng at dusk, Gou by day and Fu by night” likewise means that the process of cultivation naturally corresponds to the hexagrams; one should not use intention to force it to match the trigrams and lines.

The movement of Qi refers to its natural circulation and infusion through the five viscera and the hundred channels: during Hai and Zi, Water Qi is strong in the kidneys; during Yin and Mao, Wood Qi is strong in the liver; during Si and Wu, Fire Qi is strong in the heart; during Shen and You, Metal Qi is strong in the lungs; and during Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, Earth Qi is strong in the spleen. Qi naturally flows from the viscera that are in season and flourishing. There is no need to imagine that Qi is entering or leaving a particular organ at a particular hour.

There are no special prohibitions when beginning to gather the elixir ingredients and establish the cauldron—that is, to lay the foundation for cultivation and refinement. Begin when the time is right, and stop when the work is done. When it is time to introduce the ingredients and work the fire—that is, to place the gathered ingredients into the process of cultivation and refine them according to the proper timing—one should choose a day to enter the chamber. Ordinary affairs must not disturb the chamber. The “Four Images”—ears, eyes, nose, and mouth—must no longer stir the mind, and the heart must be calm and still, reaching the state called “the empty chamber gives birth to light,” in which the mind is vacant, quiet, and clear. Any attachment in the mind is like an imperfect seal: the ingredients will leak away, and the practice will no longer accord with the Dao.

Once in the chamber, one should be neither too hungry nor too full, and must not give oneself over to sleep. Keep the mind and spirit clear and alert at all times. Gather the ingredients when they appear, and practice when the time for the fire arrives. In the course of the year, only in the Mao and You months should one refrain from working Water and Fire—that is, from carrying out the corresponding stages of cultivation. In Mao month, Wood is strong, and when Wood is strong, Fire is strong; in You month, Metal is strong, and when Metal is strong, Water is strong. Continuing to work Water and Fire in these months may overdo the process and damage the alchemical practice.

There are twelve months in the year. Since cultivation and refinement are carried out for ten months, excluding Mao and You, it is said that the embryo forms in ten months. Once it has formed, there is no need to continue working the fire; continuing to do so will damage the alchemical practice. This is what is meant by the timing of the fire. After the embryo has formed in ten months, it is moved into the Muddy Pellet, the cultivation site at the upper part of the head. This is called “changing the cauldron.”

At this point, the fetal Qi has already congealed within the body. Apart from the months of Mao and You, ten months remain; after those ten months, the embryo takes shape. There is no need to “tend the fire” beyond ten months—that is, to continue applying the timing of the fire in internal cultivation—for doing so would instead damage the Elixir embryo. This is what is meant by the timing of the fire. Once the embryo has matured, it is moved into the Muddy Pellet, the upper Dantian in the head. This is called “changing the cauldron.” The fetal Qi is now abundant, like a baby that has been born but still needs to be nursed. Thus moving the embryo into the Muddy Pellet is also called “nursing and feeding.”

At this stage, there is no need to work the timing of the fire, nor to “bathe”—an internal alchemy term for regulating the breath or adjusting one’s state of cultivation. One need only nurture it gently and steadily. After three or nine years, the Celestial Gate at the crown of the head will open of itself, and the infant will naturally appear. Then, able to come and go freely without obstruction, the practitioner can take his place among the Immortal Elders.

From beginning to end, the process of cultivation should follow what is natural, without relying on human effort to force it. Only when the right moment arrives should one meet it with intention. The sayings about accumulating days and months, making the cauldron and setting the furnace, and forming the embryo and tending the fire for a year and ten months are what the former master called “the Golden Elixir blazing red in a single day.” Why, then, does he say it can be accomplished “in an instant”? He means that the work of a moment or half a day can seize the transformations that would otherwise unfold over a year or half a year. When the medicinal substance arises, one need only respond in accord with its momentum in that instant. Hence it is called the “Golden Elixir in an instant.” This does not mean exhausting oneself in anxious thought and forced effort from dawn to dusk, day and night.

Terms such as “medicinal substance,” “furnace and cauldron,” “timing of the fire,” “bathing,” “fetal breathing,” “infant,” “drawing out and adding,” “host and guest, floating and sinking,” “raising and lowering lead and mercury,” “water, fire, and true Earth,” and “metal essence and wood fluid” are different names and metaphors for the same underlying matter. They are linked together at every turn; careful reflection makes their meaning clear. The former master explained fully, in many alchemical texts and oral instructions, how to begin the work and the principles of emptiness and naturalness. The Cantong qi and alchemical books such as the Wuzhen pian confirm one another; taken together, their meaning comes to no more than this.

The principle is not hard to explain, but difficult to put into practice. The practice itself is not hard; what is hard is persevering in it. Why is perseverance difficult? Broadly speaking, minor methods of the side paths produce no corresponding signs of attainment, whereas the Golden Elixir method alone does produce such signs.

In practicing the method of “gathering the medicine” today, young people must devote half a year to it: keeping the precepts and fasting, bathing and cleansing the body, abstaining from sexual relations, letting go of distracting thoughts, and practicing silent cultivation while sitting still. When the time is ripe, the ears, eyes, hands, and feet may feel light and strong, and all illnesses may disappear. Warmth may arise naturally between the kidneys; the middle of the spine may seem to turn like a wheel; the “Mud Ball” at the crown of the head—the area of the brain in Daoist teaching—may feel as though hot water is being poured over it. Sweet saliva may gather in the mouth and well up drop by drop. If one can remain awake and continue to preserve and concentrate the spirit without letting the mind become scattered, after a little more than two months one may experience a spirit light in the eyes, and the mind may become clear. These are signs described as occurring during cultivation; those who already possess innate wisdom may also experience them.

After having such experiences, one must not immediately conclude that one has attained the Great Dao. Otherwise, once deluded thoughts arise, one may go astray and become obsessed, or even suffer a mental breakdown. After three more months of tending the inner fire—that is, regulating the body’s Qi according to the methods of cultivation—if the practice has been carried out without fault at every moment, one may feel that the nine orifices are clear and bright, a golden wheel appears at the crown of the head, and one can perceive within and without and reach out to spirits and ghosts at a distance. At this point, what is called the “infant” has formed, a term in Neidan cultivation for an achievement cultivated within the body. One must not immediately let it move about and come and go at will, but must carefully protect and restrain it. Otherwise, what is called “fire leaking and the Elixir failing” may occur: the heat of cultivation escapes and the work on the Elixir is damaged.

After ten full months, the infant’s Qi will be sufficient, like fruit ripening and falling from its stem. From then on, although it may come and go, it must still be carefully restrained. If it travels too far from the body, it must be recalled at once; otherwise, if the spirit consciousness is seized, it may lose its way, or even be reborn in another life and never return to its original body. In truth, three years and nine years more must pass, until cultivation has accumulated sufficiently and body and mind have matured like those of a child in their early teens, able to understand the nuances and weight of human affairs. Only then may it be allowed to come and go naturally. At that point, one is said to have achieved flight and transformation and attained the rank of a true immortal. Even so, obstacles posed by demons will still arise.

When entering meditative stillness and sitting in oblivion—sitting quietly, entering deep stillness, and forgetting distracting thoughts from outside—a person’s perceptions may become exceptionally acute, and all kinds of strange visions may appear: uncanny events, scenes from before birth or after death, rare visions of immortals, and terrifying apparitions of ghosts and monsters may all seem to stand before one’s eyes, as if seen directly with a wisdom eye. At times, it may even seem that a spirit has taken possession of the body. When such experiences arise, one must not immediately conclude that they are signs of having attained the Dao. One must keep one’s judgment clear and one’s thoughts firm and focused. This is what is called “the One of Great Mystery” (Taixuan zhi yi)—a subtle, undivided state of mind—and it means guarding one’s own true nature. Never mistake illusory visions for reality, or emotional desires for one’s nature. Only by holding to the One in this way can one hope to attain the Dao.

Many people today lack composure and clear judgment when they encounter such experiences. They are therefore disturbed by external influences; not only do they fail in their cultivation, they may even fall into ruin. In the end, they come to feel that whether immortals exist is impossibly remote and unknowable. This is truly a pity. Throughout my life, I have read widely, made friends, visited teachers, sought instruction in the Dao, and put it into practice. The effects I have witnessed are as described here, so I leave these admonitions for those who will study the Dao in generations to come. If people of purpose read this text, investigate its meaning, and consult the discussions of the Elixir Classics left by earlier masters, along with the profound essentials in the Daozang (the complete collection of Daoist scriptures), they will find that these teachings accord with one another.

If you cultivate in accordance with these methods, then, after ten months, the “embryo” will form—a metaphor in Neidan for the maturation of the Elixir work. You must then transfer the cauldron and nourish it with warmth, a Neidan term for relocating and nurturing the Elixir that has formed. You must also investigate a higher level of the essential methods. Only after that may you read the lower section of Understanding Reality and seek further methods of cultivation. In this way, rare opportunities may naturally come your way, some of which cannot be conveyed in words.

If you do not cultivate in the proper sequence, there will be no guiding master within the body, and the “infant”—a Neidan term for the inner achievement formed through cultivation—cannot be nurtured. If you rashly take up Chan study, it will be like water without a source or a tree without roots, and you will easily fall into stagnant emptiness: attachment to nothingness that loses the substance of genuine practice. To escape stagnant emptiness, real effort is essential. Working in the Dantian, the place within the body where Daoist practitioners cultivate and nourish themselves, and bringing body and mind into accord with the path of Neidan—this is the principle that brings the teachings together.

If even one point in one’s cultivation is left unguarded, it will be difficult to achieve anything in old age, and one will ultimately fall into the evil paths of the cycle of rebirth. Looking back, one sees how much effort was wasted in ordinary life. Only when cultivation brings the Elixir to completion, unites body and mind, and makes one a true being can it be called genuine understanding, honest and without pretence. Then, cultivating from the Dantian (energy center) as one’s foundation, one can gather Jing and Qi into the precious Neidan (internal alchemy), leave the physical form behind, and transform into Shen (spirit). This is the true treasure.

The cultivator must truly refine this treasure within the body. Once the Elixir is complete, the outcome depends on the depth of one’s practice, whether one can hold it steady, and what result one ultimately attains. All of this rests on daily effort: one must not be careless for even a moment or give oneself license even one step at a time. Among the levels of attainment, ascending to the heavens ranks highest; dismemberment and liberation from the corpse, in which the body is left behind and consciousness departs, comes next; seizing another’s body by entering it with one’s consciousness ranks third; rebirth through reincarnation ranks lowest.

Ascending to the heavens and attaining long life and enduring vision is the highest attainment; liberation from the corpse is the second highest. Both require practice brought to completion and virtue made whole. One must also have the merit of proclaiming Heaven’s teachings, relieving the suffering of all things, and benefiting living beings. Without merit and good deeds, even the ability to prolong one’s life cannot make one an immortal.

Why is this so? Once consciousness departs and does not return, the breath ceases, and the body cannot revive. Above this is seizing another’s body; below it is rebirth; lower still, one becomes a wandering soul with no place to depend on. I deeply pity those who are ignorant and deluded. Millions speak of the Great Dao, yet only one or two truly attain it. So I have written these words as a warning to those who cultivate the Dao in generations to come, setting aside the concern that I may be revealing too much. Those who read them later should study them again and again, honoring them as they would a teacher, an elder, or their parents. They should treasure this book as a lifelong possession. Do not show it to the unworthy or pass it on to the unworthy. To violate these words will bring calamity first upon oneself, then upon one’s entire clan of nine generations, consigning them to the Avici Hell, with no hope of release.

On the autumn full moon day, the fifteenth day of the lunar month, in the Jiazi year of the Xianchun era, written at Zhuling Grotto-Heaven, the immortal realm of Daoist tradition.

Song of the Great Dao

The Dao is not far away; it lies within oneself. Although all things are empty and illusory, human nature is not nothingness. When one’s nature is not empty, the spirit and breath can settle; when Qi returns to the Dantian (the part of the body where Qi is refined and life is nourished), one can prolong life and preserve health.

To keep the spirit within the body from dispersing outward, do not let any distracting thoughts linger in the Lingtai (the place where the mind and spirit reside). When such thoughts remain in the heart, the spirit cannot be clear, true Jing will be depleted, and the sinews and bones will be harmed. The spirit governs Qi, and Qi remains within the body. One can naturally nourish life and prolong it without relying on complicated techniques. The methods of cultivation are easy to learn, but the true Dao is hard to encounter. Of those who do encounter it, how many can devote themselves to practicing it? Thus, thousands upon thousands study cultivation, yet only a very few ultimately succeed.

If the spirit disperses outward, gather it back in. When the spirit returns within the body, the breath will naturally return as well. Persist in this day and night, and a “true embryo” as pure and innocent as an infant will naturally form—the image, in Neidan cultivation, of Jing and Qi coalescing.

The “golden lock” refers to the mysterious pass, the key place in cultivation where Qi enters, leaves, and gathers. The “jade key” refers to primordial Qi. While sitting quietly, regulate the breath through the nose and focus on guarding the aperture at the center of the body until the mind and spirit grow settled. At this point, the spirit and breath will become long and subtle; not a trace of stray thought must intrude. Once the breath has been regulated, it will seem as though no breath is moving in or out through the nose. Simply guard the inner place of return, keeping the mind firm and unwavering. Use primordial Qi to guide the breath at the mysterious pass. When you suddenly feel something open there, the corresponding experience will arise naturally. Only upon reaching this stage of practice can one truly understand what “the Center” means.

To keep the mercury in the Golden Tripod, it must be wrapped in sand. Here, “Golden Tripod” refers to the middle of the body, the center of the cauldron. “Sand wrapping mercury” refers to original Jing, the primordial essence and vital energy cultivated in practice. First, silver must appear in the Jade Pool—the mouth. Here, “water” means spirit water, a cultivation term for saliva.

While sitting in meditation, first keep watch over the central gate within the body, an inner aperture. Once the central gate is held steady, the breath naturally becomes subtle and quiet. As it settles, the breath feels calm, the original Qi moves freely, and breathing seems to be hidden within the body. When the body feels wholly integrated, and in a hazy state you no longer perceive external things, yourself, or Heaven and Earth, saliva will naturally well up in the Jade Pool. When the mouth is full, swallow it with a gurgling sound, and guide it with the mind to the central gate, also called the Mysterious Pass, an inner aperture in cultivation. A gurgling sound comes from there, as though a lock has opened. When tired, close the eyes and turn the gaze inward to observe the body’s inner state. The wondrous visions within are too many to describe one by one.

Questions and Answers on the Golden Elixir

Question: What is meant by “returning the Elixir through golden liquid”?

Answer: “Gold” in “golden liquid” means water. Gold is the mother of water, and the mother is concealed within the child’s womb; hence the term “returning the Elixir.” Earlier masters also explained it this way: “Elixir” means the Dantian, and “liquid” means lung fluid. Since lung fluid is sent back to the Dantian, it is called “returning the Elixir through golden liquid.”

Question: What are “lead” and “mercury”?

Answer: They are not ordinary black tin and quicksilver. Zhenyizi said that lead is the parent of Heaven and Earth, and the foundation of Yin-Yang. The sages took the source of Heaven and Earth as the foundation of the Great Elixir, and the pure essence of Yin-Yang as its substance; neither can be made from ordinary materials. Mercury tends to fly off and scatter, but when it meets lead it congeals, because the two are attached to each other like mother and child.

Someone asked, “What is meant by fire?”

The answer was: “Fire refers to the Sun’s true Qi, that is, the Yang Qi within the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water and contains Yang. The Perfected Ziqing said, ‘Fire arises within Kan.’ This is what he meant.”

Someone asked, “What is meant by a hou?”

The answer was: “Five days make one hou, completing one sexagenary cycle of sixty units. A day is divided into twelve double-hours; five days make sixty double-hours, completing the cycle. The Perfected Ziyang said, ‘In a moment’s time, the rhythm of a whole year is present.’ This means that when fire is kindled, a full orbit is completed in an instant.”

Someone asked, “What is meant by the fire phases?”

The answer was: “Within a day, use the rhythm of the month; within a month, use the rhythm of the day. Within a day, use the rhythm of the double-hours; within a double-hour, use the rhythm of the ke.”

Someone asked, “What is meant by the True One?”

The answer was: “If a person can place their own innate true Qi within the Heavenly Valley, a cultivation site inside the head, and keep it there through sustained attention, this is the way of guarding the True One. The Master of the Golden Cavern said, ‘The True One is within the Great Abyss at the North Pole.’”

Someone asked, “What is meant by movement and stillness?”

The answer was: “Yang governs movement; Yin governs stillness. The Perfected Cuixu said, ‘Seek stillness within movement, and act within stillness; there is practice to be carried out in both movement and stillness.’ An oral teaching says that the True One is within the Great Abyss at the North Pole.”

Someone asked again, “What is meant by movement and stillness?”

The answer was: “Yang governs movement; Yin governs stillness. The Perfected Cuixu said, ‘Seek stillness within movement, and act within stillness; there is practice to be carried out in both movement and stillness.’ These words have been passed on orally.”

Someone asked, “What is meant by the Nine Returns?”

The answer was: “The number of Metal begins with four, and its combined number is nine. ‘Return’ means to come back from above to below; nine is the number of old Yang. The Yin Perfected said, ‘From the Zi hour to the Shen hour is called the Nine Returns.’ This, too, proceeds in the forward direction.”

Someone asked, “What is meant by the Seven Reversals?”

The answer was: “The number of Fire begins with two, and its combined number is seven. ‘Reverse’ means to return from below to above; seven is the number of young Yang. The Yin Perfected said, ‘From the Yin hour to the Shen hour is called the Seven Reversals.’ This proceeds in reverse.”

Someone asked, “What is meant by the furnace?”

Question: What are the three grades of alchemical methods: upper, middle, and lower?

Answer: In the upper-grade method, Shen (spirit) is the furnace, symbolizing the place where the elixir is refined; nature is the medicine, meditative stillness is the water, and wisdom is the fire. In the middle-grade method, Shen is the furnace, Qi (vital energy) is the medicine, the sun is the fire, and the moon is the water. In the lower-grade method, the body is the furnace, Qi is the medicine, the heart is the fire, and the kidneys are the water. There is also a furnace method known as the “Reclining Moon Furnace.”

Question: What is the cauldron?

Answer: Perfected Bao said, “The Golden Cauldron is near the Mud Ball,” a symbolic region in the head. This is like the Yellow Emperor casting the Nine Cauldrons.

Question: What is the medicine?

Answer: Used in accordance with ordinary principles, this “medicine” can bring worldly people to fulfillment; used by reversing those principles, it can refine the elixir. When the sequence of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is reversed, the earth can be transformed into the Seven Treasures. When the Five Phases follow their usual order, the entire Dharma realm becomes like a pit of fire. People use these principles every day without knowing it. Ziqing said, “Gather the medicine amid the stillness of the heart and spirit.” This is what he meant.

Question: What are the Spirit Water and the Flower Pool?

Answer: Li Quan said that the key to returning the elixir lies in Spirit Water and the Flower Pool. Ziyang said that when lead is put into mercury, it is called Spirit Water; when mercury is put into lead, it is called the Flower Pool. Haichan said that Spirit Water has always come from a high source. Ziqing said that the Flower Pool is within the Sea of Qi.

Question: What are the Three Passes?

Answer: The head is the Heavenly Pass, the feet are the Earthly Pass, and the hands are the Human Pass.

Question: What are the Three Inner Essentials?

Answer: The first essential is the Great Deep Pool, the second is the Crimson Palace, a symbolic chamber where the heart resides, and the third is the Earth Gate.

Question: What are the Three Outer Essentials?

Answer: The mouth and nose have three openings in all, serving as gateways through which Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) enter and leave. At the start of cultivation, regulate the breath through the nose and gather the breath at the tongue. This is called “sealing the Dui” (closing the mouth and gathering the breath).

Question: What does “Dui” mean?

Answer: Zhen Yizi says, “Dui” means the mouth.

Question: Where are the Infant and the Young Maiden?

Answer: The Infant is in the kidneys, and the Young Maiden is in the heart.

Question: The kidneys correspond to Water and Yin, yet the Infant is Yang. The heart corresponds to Fire and Yang, yet the Young Maiden is Yin. Why is it described this way?

Answer: The kidneys correspond to the Kan trigram, which contains Yang within Yin; this Yang is true Yang. The heart corresponds to the Li trigram, which contains Yin within Yang; this Yin is true Yin.

Question: Where is the Muddy Pellet Palace?

Answer: The head has nine palaces; the one at the center is called the Muddy Pellet.

Question: What does “Metal Duke” mean?

Answer: Add the character for “Duke” to the metal radical, and the result is the character for “lead.” Ziyang says, “Only by subduing it can you find the Metal Duke.”

Question: What does “Yellow Matron” mean?

Answer: Yellow corresponds to Earth, and Earth occupies the Kun position, so it is called the “Yellow Matron.” Ziqing says, “The Metal Duke is silent, the Young Maiden has died, and the Yellow Matron does not age, but still carries a child.”

Question: What is important about breathing?

Answer: When you exhale, Qi emerges from the heart and lungs; when you inhale, Qi enters the kidneys and liver. Exhaling connects with the celestial root, while inhaling connects with the terrestrial root. Exhaling is like a dragon’s cry as clouds arise; inhaling is like a tiger’s roar as wind springs up. Between inhalation and exhalation, wind and clouds gather and condense into golden liquid.

Question: What are the jade nectar and jade liquid?

Answer: Both are spirit water.

Question: What are Shen and Qi?

Shen (spirit) may be likened to fire, and fire corresponds to the heart; Qi (vital energy) may be likened to medicine, and medicine corresponds to the body. Shen and Qi are like child and mother, each depending on the other. The Celestial Master Xujing said, “Qi is the root of life, and Shen is its master. Keep Jing (essence) and Qi abundant, govern the mind and spirit, focus on guarding Qi and holding to oneness; Shen then relies on Qi and settles. Only when Shen and Qi unite can one hope to attain long life.” The Three Mao Perfected Ones also said, “Qi is the medicine that lengthens life, and the mind is the master that directs Qi. To understand how to use the mind as master in moving Qi is to know the methods of immortal cultivation.”

Question: What is meant by the “Twelve-Storied Tower”?

Answer: It refers to the throat, which is made up of twelve sections.

Question: What is meant by the “curtain”?

Answer: It refers to the eyes. In cultivation, Yunfang of Hanguang says to “close the doors,” meaning to withdraw the senses of sight and hearing. “Lower the curtain and gaze inward in silence” means to lower the eyelids slightly and quietly turn one’s attention within.

Question: What is meant by “Zi and Wu”?

Answer: Zi and Wu represent the central axis of Heaven and Earth. In the heavens, they correspond to the sun and moon; in the human body, to the heart and kidneys; in the cycle of the hours, to the Zi and Wu hours; in the trigrams, to Kan and Li; and in direction, to south and north.

Question: What is meant by “the five positions accord with one another, each having its own union”?

Answer: The numbers of Heaven and Earth add up to fifty-five. The number one of Qian joins with nine to make ten; four of Kun joins with six to make ten; Xun and Dui each take two and eight to make ten; and Zhen and Gen each take three and seven to make ten. Li takes five, and Kan takes ten. Kan and Li have no corresponding numbers to pair with, so each forms its own union. In terms of numbers, these are the central numbers of Heaven and Earth; in terms of the lines, they are the central lines of Heaven and Earth; and in terms of direction, they are the central positions of Heaven and Earth. Are the meanings of Kan and Li not also of great importance?

Question: What is meant by the “Five Peaks”?

Answer: The Diagram of the True Forms of the Five Peaks says that the Five Peaks are located in the human head. Ziqing speaks of “covering the Five Peaks with a cloth and wearing a crown.”

Question: What is meant by “Mysterious Female”?

Answer: The upper part is called “Mysterious,” and the lower part “Female.” In the body, the single aperture of the Mysterious Pass—a technical term for a crucial inner opening in cultivation—is called “Mysterious” on the left and “Female” on the right.

Question: What is meant by the phrase “the mysterious storehouse crowned by the Five Peaks”?

Question: What is meant by “Mysterious Female”?

Answer: The upper part is called “Mysterious,” and the lower part “Female.” In the body, the single aperture of the Mysterious Pass—a technical term for a crucial inner opening in cultivation—is called “Mysterious” on the left and “Female” on the right.

Question: What is meant by “the Gate of the Mysterious Female”?

Answer: The nose connects with the Qi of Heaven and is called the “Mysterious Gate”; the mouth connects with the Qi of Earth and is called the “Female Portal.” Thus, the mouth and nose are the gateways of the Mysterious Female.

Question: What is meant by “three sons and three daughters”?

Answer: When the Qian trigram, symbolizing Heaven and Yang, joins with the Kun trigram, symbolizing Earth and Yin, it successively produces three sons: the eldest son is the Zhen trigram, the middle son the Kan trigram, and the youngest son the Gen trigram. When the Kun trigram joins with the Qian trigram, it successively produces three daughters: the eldest daughter is the Xun trigram, the middle daughter the Li trigram, and the youngest daughter the Dui trigram.

Question: What is meant by “Fire Dragon and Water Tiger”?

Answer: The tiger symbolizes Metal in the West. Metal generates Water, so the tiger instead conceals its form in Water. The dragon symbolizes Wood in the East. Wood generates Fire, so the dragon is instead constrained by Fire. Perfected Lord Taibai said, “When the Five Phases do not follow their usual order, the tiger is born from Water; when the Five Phases are used in reverse, the dragon emerges from Fire.” This is what he meant.

Question: What is meant by the “solstices and equinoxes”?

Answer: The Zi hour corresponds to the winter solstice, when Yin reaches its peak and Yang begins to arise. The Wu hour corresponds to the summer solstice, when Yang reaches its peak and Yin begins to arise. The Mao hour corresponds to the spring equinox, when Yin is contained within Yang; the You hour corresponds to the autumn equinox, when Yang is contained within Yin. The human body has corresponding solstices and equinoxes. Ziyang said, “Divide the body and mind into upper and lower arcs, then correspond Shen and Qi respectively to the winter and summer solstices.”

Question: What is meant by “bathing”?

Answer: When true Qi—the inner breath described in cultivation—nourishes and warms, and divine water—the inner saliva or subtle fluid described in cultivation—irrigates and moistens, this is called bathing. The Supreme One said, “Irrigate the two arcs with sweet spring water…”

Question: What is meant by “bathing”?

Answer: When true Qi nourishes and warms, and divine water irrigates and moistens, this is called bathing. The Supreme One said, “Irrigate the two arcs with sweet spring water and wash away the impurities; divine water arises from the Flower Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth, and then returns to the Kun Portal, the part of the body associated with Kun in cultivation.” Yaolin said, “Bathing depends on divine water.” This is what he meant.

Question: What is meant by “drawing out and adding”?

Someone asked, “After ‘drawing lead at the back of the elbow,’ why must one also ‘add mercury at the central yellow’?”

The answer was: After drawing out lead at the back of the elbow—the area referred to in bodily cultivation—one must also replenish mercury at the central yellow, around the Yellow Court within the body. The Collection on Transmitting the Way says, “When it is time to draw out, do not replenish.” That is what this refers to.

Someone asked, “What does ‘transporting’ mean?”

The answer was: Transport the Golden Essence to the back of the elbow, and convey the Jade Liquor to the Muddy Pellet in the head. The specific methods and instructions for practice are transmitted separately.

Someone asked, “What are the Three Fields?”

The answer was: The brain is the upper field, the heart is the middle field, and the Sea of Qi—the Dantian below the navel—is the lower field. If one can grasp and turn the pivot like the handle of the Dipper, the movement of Qi will circulate up and down like the flow of the Celestial River. Someone then asked, “The upper field at the back, the middle field in the heart, and the lower field at the Sea of Qi: if one can grasp and turn the pivot like the handle of the Dipper, the movement of Qi will circulate up and down like the flow of the Celestial River. What are the Three Passes along the back?”

The answer was: The pass behind the brain is called the Jade Pillow Pass; the pass between the shoulder blades is called the Spinal Pass; and the pass where Water and Fire meet is called the Tailgate Pass.

Someone asked, “What is the spirit chamber?”

The answer was: It is the place where the Original Spirit resides. Langranzi said, “Before understanding the chamber of the heart, the mind is beset by countless disturbances; once the heart-field is understood, all things can rest in peace.”

Someone asked, “What does it mean for the Three Flowers to gather at the crown?”

The answer was: Spirit, Qi, and essence blend into one. The One Aperture of the Mysterious Pass, a key opening in Neidan practice, is where spirit, Qi, and essence converge.

Someone asked, “What does it mean for the Five Qi to return to the Origin?”

The answer was: The true Qi of the five organs gathers upward at the Celestial Origin.

Someone asked, “What does it mean to harmonize the Four Images?”

The answer was: Keep the eyes from looking, so the ethereal soul rests in the liver; keep the ears from listening, so essence rests in the kidneys; keep the tongue still, so spirit rests in the heart; and keep the nose from smelling, so the corporeal soul rests in the lungs. Finally, let spirit, the ethereal soul, and the corporeal soul gather in the Intent Earth, the central palace guarded by the mind.

Someone asked, “What are horse teeth, the True Master, the divine tally, and white snow?”

The answer was: These are all general names for lead and mercury.

Someone asked, “What is the River Cart?”

The answer was: The true Qi of the north is called the River Cart. The left side is called the Sun Wheel, and the right side the Moon Wheel. The River Cart transports true Qi, setting it in motion within Original Yang. It turns in accord with the seasons, following their course; all that practice relies on when it begins is the action of this River Cart.

Someone asked, “What is meant by ‘old,’ and what by ‘tender’?”

In gathering the medicine—the process in Neidan cultivation of guiding and using Jing and Qi—one must distinguish between its “young” and “old” states. Peng Helin said, “Gather it while it is young; when it grows old, it withers.” The Perfected Ziyang said, “When lead first meets the water of Gui, gather it at once; once the metal Qi has passed the full moon, it should no longer be taken.” This means that gathering and refining must follow the proper timing: too early or too late is unsuitable. Cultivation must accord with the seasonal nodes and the patterns of circulation. The key lies in this mechanism of movement.

“Old and young” refers to judging whether the timing is right when gathering the medicine. Peng Helin said that one should gather the medicinal Qi while it is still young; if one waits until it has weakened and withered, it is too late. The Perfected Ziyang used “lead” and “metal” as Neidan terms to explain that one must gather and refine promptly, when the corresponding movements of Qi first appear and before they begin to decline.

“Rising and sinking” means that lead Qi rises while silver Qi sinks.

“Clear and turbid” means that Yin Qi is turbid and Yang Qi is clear. Clear Qi floats above, while turbid Qi sinks below. Those cultivating the Elixir must retain the clear Qi and remove the turbid Qi. Here, clear and turbid belong to the realm of Yin-Yang transformation.

As for the mutual overcoming of the Five Phases, the Jing of Gold and Jade says that Metal and Wood attack one another, and Water and Fire overcome one another. When Earth Qi flourishes in the Metal position, all three dissipate, and Qi from the four directions converges, bringing about peace. This all stems from the efficacy of Earth’s De in the central palace, the central position occupied by Earth.

“Going and returning” refers to moving from the hour of Zi toward the hour of Wu, then returning from Wu to Zi. The Yin Talisman and Yang Fire are stages of circulation in Neidan cultivation arranged according to the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang: the talisman advances from the hour of Zi through Chen and Si; from the hour of Wu, it retreats through Xu and Hai. The beginning is associated with the Return hexagram, and the end with the Earth hexagram; both are analogies drawn from the hexagram images. Yin and Yang wane and wax, advance and return, and so bring about transformation. The Book of Changes says, “Closing the gates is called Kun; opening the gates is called Qian. One closing and one opening are called transformation; ceaseless coming and going are called continuity.”

The feminine refers to Yin, and the masculine to Yang. Only when Yin and Yang come together is there the Dao (the Way); Yin alone or Yang alone cannot generate the myriad things. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three, a classic on alchemy) says that the feminine and masculine intermingle and like seeks like. The commentary explains that the masculine is gold sand and the feminine is fire mercury. They depend on one another and blend together; only after joining can they produce the divine elixir.

Question: How can danger be prevented?

Answer: One must avoid errors in managing the firing process, and avoid missing the right moment while drowsy or asleep. Cui Xu said that Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) arise at their appointed time. When the moment comes, the mind and spirit know it naturally. During the hundred periods of a day, one must be especially careful not to lapse into heedlessness.

Question: What is meant by joining?

Answer: It is like a lodestone attracting iron. Even with something between them, they can still sense and connect with each other unseen.

Question: What is meant by being and nonbeing?

Answer: The Jinbi jing (Classic of Gold and Jade, an alchemical text) says that being and nonbeing constrain one another. Above, the Azure Dragon (a divine beast symbolizing the Wood Qi of the East) keeps watch. Two “nonbeings” take one “being” as their root. The subtle transformations within this are profound and difficult to fathom.

Question: What is meant by punishment and virtue?

Answer: Yang Qi belongs to virtue: it causes all things to grow. Yin Qi belongs to punishment: it causes all things to wither and die. Thus, in the Yang Qi of the second month, Yin Qi is still present. The falling elm samaras symbolize gold sand, moving with the activity of Yin Qi, descending into the embryo within the cauldron. This is called “returning to the root.” In the Yin Qi of the eighth month, Yang Qi is still present. The growing buckwheat symbolizes gold and water being nourished by Yang Qi within the cauldron. At Mao and You, the periods corresponding to the spring and autumn equinoxes, Yin and Yang Qi are evenly balanced and punishment and virtue counterbalance one another; therefore, the talismanic fire (the controlled heat used in alchemy) should be stopped.

Question: What is meant by black and white?

Answer: The Cantong qi says, “Know the white and keep to the black; the spirit of awareness will come of itself.” White refers to gold; black refers to water. The foundation of the alchemical medicine is the basis of gold and water.

Question: What is meant by cold and heat?

Master Zhenyi says that in circulating Qi and refining the Elixir, one should not attend only to whether wind and rain are favorable or whether drought and flood are in due measure. One must also watch whether the timing of Yang Fire is right and the measure of Yin Talisman is precise. If winter’s bitter cold turns fiercely hot, or heavy frost falls in midsummer, the firing process has gone awry, and the numinous Mercury may fly away. How could anyone refining the firing process fail to be cautious?

Question: What is meant by “the dark moon and new moon”?

Answer: The Cantong qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three) says, “Between the dark moon and the new moon, the signs align and the process proceeds.” This is the moment when Metal and Water come together in correspondence.

Question: What is meant by “sealing and securing”?

Answer: Taizhen says, “Seal and secure the embryo so it does not leak; transformation takes place in an instant.” This means that after Water and Fire have reached completion, one must seal and guard the spirit chamber—the inner place where essence and Qi are refined and cultivated—so that the essence and Qi within do not leak away.

Question: What is the “sacred embryo”?

Answer: Something without form or substance condenses into something substantial, forming the sacred embryo—the inner essence and Qi that take shape through cultivation. It must be carefully protected, like a young woman in the earliest stage of pregnancy or a young dragon tending its pearl. For Shen and Qi have only just begun to gather and can easily disperse.

Question: What are the “Four Correct Positions”?

Answer: Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are called the Four Correct Positions. The One Cavity of the Mysterious Pass—the crucial inner opening spoken of in cultivation—is the palace of the Four Correct Positions.

Question: Where is the Yellow Court?

Answer: Above the bladder, below the spleen, in front of the kidneys, to the left of the liver, and to the right of the lungs.

Question: What are the “Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit”?

Answer: The crow in the sun symbolizes the liquid within the heart; the jade rabbit in the moon symbolizes the Qi within the kidneys.

Question: What is meant by “refining the body”?

Answer: Refine the body and transform it into Qi; refine Qi and transform it into Shen; refine Shen until it joins with the Dao. The Lord of the Golden Grotto says, “Using essence to refine the body does not mean using ordinary sand and stone.”

Question: Zhang Ziyang says that the heart and kidneys are not Kan and Li. Why?

Answer: The heart and kidneys are only the forms of Kan and Li; Kan and Li have both form and function.

Question: What is meant by “that which is possessed”?

Answer: Using essence to refine the body does not mean using ordinary sand and stone.

Question: Zhang Ziyang says that the heart and kidneys are not Kan and Li. Why?

Answer: The heart and kidneys are only the forms of Kan and Li; Kan and Li have both form and function.

What does “owner” refer to?

Answer: The Heavenly Heart is the function of the “heart” and belongs to the Li trigram; the physical body is the function of the “kidneys” and belongs to the Kan trigram. In cultivation, Yin and Yang unite here.

Question: What methods are used in cultivation?

Answer: Understand the timing and carry out the union; guard against danger when advancing the Fire. When Yang Qi arises, perform “field combat” (a Neidan term for cultivation and refinement as Yang Qi emerges). Bathe according to “punishment and reward” (the rhythms of advancing and withdrawing, gathering and releasing during cultivation), then nurture the Elixir gently until it is complete.

Question: What is “field combat”?

Answer: The Upper Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger says, “Use the civil method to pacify; use the martial method to quell rebellion.” Zhang Ziyang says, “Whether defending the city or fighting in the field, one must understand what is auspicious and inauspicious. Then the spiritual sand can continue to grow, filling the cauldron until it turns red.”

Question: What is “gentle nurturing”?

Answer: Xinglin says, “The rule of gentle nurturing is like the movement of the stars through the heavens.” Piling says, “Keep warm broth in the Golden Cauldron, and do not let the fire go out in the Jade Furnace.” This means maintaining the proper temperature and providing steady care during refinement and cultivation.

Question: What is “cooking and refining”?

Answer: It means cooking and refining in the Golden Cauldron and refining in the Jade Furnace. The specific instructions are transmitted separately.

Question: What are “reward and punishment”?

Answer: The rising energy of spring is called “reward,” corresponding to the stage before noon, when Yang Fire moves. The withering energy of autumn is called “punishment,” corresponding to the stage after noon, when the Yin Talisman moves.

Question: What is “defending the city”?

Answer: Hold on to primordial Qi and keep the mind focused, so that the spirit settles and the breath gathers.

Question: What are “dykes and defenses”?

Answer: Dispel stray thoughts and remain single-minded.

Question: What is the “Spirit Chamber”?

Answer: It refers to the nose, the gateway through which spirit and Qi enter and leave. The Yellow Court Scripture says, “One should cultivate the interior of the Spirit Chamber, letting the breath move within it and enter the Dantian.”

Question: What is “the Great One embracing the True”?

Answer: Guard the True One in the Celestial Valley (a cultivation site inside the head), letting Qi enter the Mysterious Origin, the hidden and profound source, and thereby reach innate naturalness.

The meaning of these words is to nourish the spirit through the True Dao. If one can guard oneself, then even at the threshold of life and death, the withered bones of one’s seven generations of ancestors can be filled with life. The Dao brings me into being; spirit keeps me alive. Use spirit to guard the Dao, and the Dao to nourish spirit.

Question: What are the “Three Corpses” (the three spirits within the body, or factors believed to cause illness and shorten life, in Daoist teaching)?

Someone asked what “the Three Corpses” mentioned in the Zhonghuang Jing are.

The answer: The Zhonghuang Jing says that the Three Corpse worms are of three kinds. The upper corpse dwells in the brain, the middle corpse in the Bright Hall (Mingtang, the place where the heart spirit resides in Daoist internal alchemy), and the lower corpse in the abdomen and stomach. They are named Peng Shan, Peng Zhi, and Peng Jiao, respectively. They urge people to do evil and abandon the cultivation of the Dao. The Upper Dantian (the part of the body regarded as the dwelling place of the original spirit) is the palace where the original spirit resides. But if a person cannot open this passage, the corpse worms will take possession of it, condemning the person to repeated cycles of birth and death. If one can keep the original spirit settled in its own palace, the corpse worms will vanish and the breath will naturally become calm. As the saying goes, “Open one passage, and a hundred passages open in turn; when the great passage is clear, the whole body becomes unobstructed.” At that point, the original Qi of Heaven descends. Though the original spirit is formless and inactive, it can bring forth wondrous effects.

Someone asked what “fetal breathing” is.

The answer: When one can keep to the True One (a state in Daoist cultivation of concentrating the spirit and abiding by one’s original nature), the breath no longer flows in and out, as though one were in the womb. This is called “great stillness,” a state of deep, settled quietude.

Someone asked what the “Jade Pool” is.

The answer: The Jade Pool refers to the mouth. The Huangting Jing says, “Clear water from the Jade Pool irrigates the numinous root”; this is what it means.

Someone asked what the “bellows” are.

The answer: A tuo is a bag without a bottom, while a yue is a flute with three holes; the term also refers to the device a blacksmith uses to blow air into a fire. Laozi said, “Isn’t the space between Heaven and Earth like a bellows?” The Treatise on Ascent and Descent says that if people can emulate the function of Heaven and Earth’s bellows, then when it opens, breath flows outward, and when it closes, breath flows inward. Outward breath is like the earth’s Qi rising; inward breath is like Heaven’s Qi descending. Through this rising and descending, one can endure as long as Heaven and Earth.

Someone asked what the “Five Sprouts” are.

The answer: The Five Sprouts are the true Qi of the five organs. The Zhonghuang Jing says, “If you can hold fast to it, the Three Corpse worms will flee in all directions, and you will be able to see the Five Sprouts and the Qi of the Nine Real Ones.”

Someone asked what “Tunmeng” is.

The answer said: The Pivot of the Dao says that the Kan trigram belongs to Water. Its first change forms the Water over Lake hexagram, Jie; its next change forms the Water over Thunder hexagram, Tun, with the line position at Yin. The Li trigram belongs to Fire. Its first change forms the Fire over Mountain hexagram, Lü; its next change forms the Fire over Wind hexagram, Ding; and its third change forms the Mountain over Water hexagram, Meng, with the line position at Xu. The Qi of Water and Fire is drawn out and added at these two times, Yin and Xu. The movement of the Qi of the twelve hexagrams is put into practice through the Tun and Meng hexagrams.

“What does it mean to gather the essence of the Sun and the splendor of the Moon?”

The answer said: This does not refer to the external Sun and Moon. At the times of Yin and Xu, one gathers the true fluid within the heart and the true Qi within the kidneys. The movement of the Qi of the twelve hexagrams is put into practice through the Tun and Meng hexagrams.

“What do the Eight Trigrams correspond to within the human body?”

The answer said: The head corresponds to Qian, the feet to Kun, the bladder to Gen, the gallbladder to Xun, the kidneys to Kan, the heart to Li, the liver to Zhen, and the lungs to Dui. This is the practice of matching the Eight Trigrams with the internal organs and parts of the body.

“Must one wait for a particular hour before beginning cultivation?”

The answer said: Cultivation includes practices performed according to the hours, as well as practices performed at any moment. Biling said, “There is no need to wait specifically for the Winter Solstice to refine the Elixir; within the heart, the birth of a single Yang will come of itself.” Ma Ziran said, “There is no need to be bound by the hours to distinguish Zi from Wu, or to rely on the hexagram lines to discern Qian from Kun.” These teachings all refer to working at any time, moment by moment.

“What is the shape of the Golden Elixir?”

The answer said: It is shaped like a pellet and colored like a vermilion orange. Baopuzi says, “As large as a pellet, yellow as an orange, with a delicious taste within, sweet as honey. When a Buddhist monk obtains it, he can enter meditative stillness; when a yellow-robed Daoist obtains it, he can transcend the world and live beyond it. By contemplating it closely and cultivating in accordance with it, one can fully understand the principles of Heaven and Earth.” Song of the Pivot of the Origin says, “Have you not seen how bright a single Golden Elixir is, as large as a pellet and yellow as an orange? Everyone is already complete and whole by nature; night after night, its numinous light shines throughout the room.” This shows that the Golden Elixir is not a material object with a physical form, but the innate, complete numinous nature present in everyone. Lord Lü said, “The Returned Elixir is one’s original essence.”

“Where, exactly, is the One Aperture of the Mysterious Pass, the key gateway or opening in Neidan cultivation?”

Answer: Working on the head may seem to bring results quickly, but it is truly difficult to know where to begin. Without a genuine master personally teaching and revealing the essentials of cultivation, one is often left merely experimenting blindly.

Question: What is the True Void?

Answer: Returning to the source and restoring one’s original state is called the True Void. Xinglin said, “Those who do not understand the mysteries of the elixir method talk about the True Void all day long.” Without a genuine master to teach the essentials, it is ultimately difficult to understand the principle.

Question: What is the function of the practice?

Answer: It uses incantations to summon the mingling (a foster child in ancient legend, here referring to the one being transmitted to), convey Jing and Qi, and transport Shen.

Question: What is the emergence of Shen?

Answer: When one can maintain the True One (the fundamental state of single-minded abiding), true Qi gathers, and the Yang Spirit (the pure Yang spirit spoken of in cultivation) also coalesces. With a single-minded heart, one regulates and moves the various breaths. As the Qi settles, Shen settles with it. Through long accumulation and sustained effort, once the work is complete, one then directs Shen to leave the physical body.

Question: What is transcendence?

Answer: “Transcend” means to go out; “escape” means to leave behind or exchange the body of an ordinary person. It is said that transcendence always takes place through the Gate of Heaven. Accounts from earlier sages also tell of leaving the body: the Sixth Patriarch emerged from a seven-tiered pagoda; Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin emerged from a seven-step red tower; and Lord Haichan rode a crane through the Gate of Heaven. A poem says: “When the work is complete, one should depart from the Divine Capital, the celestial city. Do not be burdened by the splendor of the inner court. Understand the five methods by which immortals transcend, forge an immortal body, and leave the dusty world.”

Question: What is corpse liberation?

Answer: There are five kinds of corpse liberation, corresponding respectively to Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Some people have also ascended in broad daylight through long accumulation of merit and cultivation. At the end of Emperor Huizong of Song’s “Treatise on Honoring the Dao,” it says: “From ancient times to the present, more than a thousand people have ascended; more than eighty families have risen together, houses and all.” This passage comes from the Pavilion of True Simplicity.

Question: Is the Way of the Golden Elixir not very difficult?

Answer: In fact, it is not difficult. Those who understand find it clear and easy; those who are confused make it ever more complicated and find it ever more difficult. Xinglin said, “These are clear and easy-to-understand words.” This passage comes from the Pavilion of True Simplicity.

The Daoist master replied, “It is not difficult. Those who understand find the methods of cultivation simple and easy, while those who are confused find them more complex and difficult the more they study. Xinglin said that a simple, clear teaching often takes only half a sentence, and the effects of cultivation may appear in an instant. Cuixu said that the medicines are not far away and are not difficult to gather. Biling said that the methods leading to the Great Dao are not complicated; people simply do not understand them. Ziqing said that a single sentence can illuminate ten thousand volumes of immortal scriptures, and a brief moment of effort can bring boundless peace and joy. The master said, ‘Beginning cultivation is not difficult. What is difficult is firming your resolve and holding fast to the Dao.’”