《古文龙虎经注疏》

I, Zhenyi, respectfully submit this memorial. I have read the three-volume Commentary and Subcommentary on the Ancient Text of the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, written by Wang Dao, a Gentleman of the Guard. Its account of the facts is lucid, its language direct, its reasoning clear, and its explanations thorough. It captures the subtle intent of the Cantong qi and the Jinbi jing.

The book discusses Waidan (external alchemy, the art of refining elixirs from medicinal substances), but does not treat the various minerals, such as the Five Metals and Eight Stones, as ingredients. Instead, it draws only on the essence and Qi of Heaven and Earth and the radiance of the sun and moon, bringing together the principles of transformation to refine a divine elixir. This accords with what the Immortal Yin said: “Giving form to what has no form is called the returning elixir,” and with the teaching that “there is no need to labor over ordinary lead and ordinary mercury.”

I call myself an old recluse of the mountains and forests. Though my learning in the Dao is shallow and I have no insights worthy of adoption, I have discussed Daoist books for many years. As the old saying goes, “Only one who has broken an arm can become a good physician.” Wang Dao and I have known each other for a long time, and we have discussed these matters in great detail. He brought his book to me for review, and its contents accord completely, from beginning to end, with what I learned from my master. I have therefore copied it out and submitted it, risking death, and respectfully ask Your Majesty to look it over when leisure permits.

From now on, I hope Your Majesty will choose medicines without taking harmful substances made from metals and minerals, and so preserve your longevity. This would truly be a blessing for all under Heaven. With this small expression of loyalty, I repay Your Majesty’s gracious favor and respectfully ask that it be accepted. I am filled with fear at having presumed upon the imperial dignity.

The Daoist practices I discuss fall into two kinds: internal alchemy (Neidan) and external alchemy (Waidan). Both aim to cultivate a person’s nature and life. When practiced at a basic level, they can delay aging and extend life; at a higher level, they can lead one to become an immortal and enter the wondrous realm. The books written on these subjects by Daoist practitioners are too numerous to count. Internal alchemy generally takes Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) as its foundations, while external alchemy generally focuses on lead and mercury.

An ancient formula says: “Red lead and black mercury are the foundations for refining the great elixir; only when red and black are joined is the practice genuine. Red lead draws from essence; black mercury draws from marrow. Understand the medicines of red and black, and you will know they have no equal. Take the red into the black, and you can preserve long life; take the black into the red, and you can become a celestial immortal. Reverse and harmonize the two, and in the end refine them into one. Like a fire dragon undergoing transformation, they become a celestial immortal.” This is the essential principle of using red and black substances in external alchemy.

Practitioners of the Dao throughout the ages have regarded lead and mercury as the great medicine, though they may not have known what true lead and true mercury really are. From the time I first resolved to pursue learning, I was drawn to accounts of the alchemical Dao. I collected alchemical books and studied their teachings repeatedly, day and night without rest, sometimes forgetting to sleep or eat. Yet their words never brought me to true understanding.

In the ren-shen year of the Shaoxing era (1152), a Daoist told me that lead and mercury meant silver extracted from mountain stone and quicksilver refined from cinnabar. He instructed me to obtain about a pound of these materials, place them in a vessel, and refine them according to the proper fire cycle. Taking his words as true, I built an alchemical chamber at Tianqing Abbey in Kuaiji and tried the method he described. I spent many years and considerable money, but achieved nothing. This was not because I lacked sincerity; the method of refinement was wrong.

In the jia-shen year of the Qiandao era (1164), another Daoist told me: “True lead has no visible form, and true mercury has no perceptible shape. True lead is not silver, and true cinnabar is not quicksilver.” He also said that two substances had to be joined into one and refined through nine turns of fire in the cauldron to produce what was called “yellow sprout.” Refined by this method, the substance would become a yellow or purple powder, also called “dust in the bright window.” Taking it could gather essence and Qi, draw in the spirit, and eliminate every kind of illness. I thought this was probably a middle elixir once refined by Qingxiazi.

In the gui-si year of the Chunxi era (1173), I met my true master and at last understood that what I had learned before was not true lead or true mercury. An ancient formula says: “True lead is born within. It is nurtured among the Five Phases, in a deep, dark realm that precedes Heaven and Earth.” It also says: “The sage seizes the intent of creation, turns the sun and moon in his hands, and sets the furnace and cauldron in place. He subtly turns the essence of Heaven and Earth, gathers Yin and Yang, and even ghosts and spirits move along with them. The sun’s soul and the moon’s essence—how many understand them? One who understands them has the capacity to become an immortal. After refining and taking the elixir for a thousand days, the body is free of Yin residue. How, then, could one die?”

My master transmitted the secret formula and instructions to me. In that moment, I grasped something, as if waking from a dream. Later, when I read the alchemical books of various schools, their teachings all confirmed one another, and their principles became suddenly clear. I then understood that the sun’s soul and the moon’s essence are true lead and true mercury. They bring tangible things forth from the formless, and all movement and stillness among the myriad things depend on them. If one can set up the furnace and cauldron, build the spirit chamber, turn the sun, moon, water, and fire, and follow the signs and correspondences of the seasons, then the great medicine and divine elixir may be refined.

Over thirty years, I encountered three practitioners of the Dao. Only when I finally met a true master did I become attuned to the mysterious Dao. I am merely a low-ranking military officer serving in a prince’s household. My family is poor and my stipend small. I have neither the means to seek out true companions on the Dao nor the resources to gather alchemical materials, cast a cauldron, and build a spirit chamber. Nor can I withdraw to the mountains and devote myself to practice. Even so, I remain focused on this work and do not forget it, morning or night.

Later, during some free time, I read the commonly circulated Ancient Classic of the Dragon and Tiger and found many errors in it. I corrected the text using what my true master had transmitted, divided it into chapters and sentences, and added annotations. I also used Wei Boyang’s Cantong qi to confirm the meaning of the classic, adding a further commentary to distinguish genuine medicines and their sources from false ones, and to explain the differences among mineral materials. I removed the clutter and drew out the essentials, bringing the whole work into coherence, and compiled it in three volumes: thirteen chapters in the first, six in the second, and fourteen in the third, thirty-three chapters in all. I do not presume to say that I intend to pass it down to later generations. I hope only to show it first to alchemical friends who share my aspirations.

Because I am of low and distant standing and do not understand the court’s taboos, I risk the gravest punishment in humbly requesting the eminent scholar Zhou Zhenyi to verify the text, have it copied, and submit it to you. I respectfully ask that you read it with care when your official duties allow. In this way, I may be fortunate enough to encounter an opportunity rare in a thousand years and fulfill my lifelong aspiration. This is not only my own wish; it is also what my master entrusted to me.

On the first day of the fourth month of the twelfth year of the Chunxi era, your servant Wang Dao, Baoyi Lang, fearful and trembling, bows his head a hundred times and respectfully submits this preface.

The “Spirit Chamber” is the key hub of alchemical practice and the source of all medicinal substances. Sand and mercury each occupy a different place.

The commentary says that the Spirit Chamber symbolizes Heaven and Earth. It can gather the vital essences of the sun and moon and use them to refine the Golden Elixir, which is why it is called the hub of alchemical practice. The commentary also cites the Cantong qi, which calls Heaven and Earth the gateway of the Yi.

“Father and mother of all minerals” means that True Lead is regarded as having come into being before Heaven and Earth. It is the father of all things and the mother of plants and myriad beings, and thus the source of all minerals. The commentary explains this by citing the Cantong qi’s phrase “the mother from which all hexagrams intersect.”

“Sand and mercury dwell apart” means that sand and mercury have no fixed form of their own and lie hidden within True Lead. Only when they receive the sun’s pure, undivided vital energy can they take form in the Spirit Chamber. Here, “Spirit Chamber,” “True Lead,” “sand,” and “mercury” are alchemical terms describing the relationships among Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, and the substances used in alchemy.

The explanatory commentary says that when the Supreme Ultimate first came into being, primordial Qi transformed into Heaven and Earth. Yin and Yang divided into the sun and moon; between Heaven and Earth, humanity and all things came forth. Together, Heaven, Earth, and humanity are called the “Three Powers.” Human beings are the most intelligent and perceptive, and so are called the foremost of all beings. In ancient times, people lived in the world, each in their own place.

The commentary says: At the beginning of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), primordial vitality gave rise to Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth divided into Yin and Yang, which became the sun and moon. Between Heaven and Earth, human beings and other creatures also came into being; together, these are called the “Three Powers”: Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Human beings are the most spiritually endowed, and are therefore called the foremost among the myriad things.

In ancient times, people could live for hundreds or even thousands of years. After the Yellow Emperor, people’s lifespans gradually came to vary in length. Why? Because people could no longer live in accordance with the patterns of primordial vitality as it moved through Heaven and Earth. They were consequently harmed, and their lives shortened. Heaven and Earth endure because they are fully endowed with pure and abundant primordial Qi, the fundamental energy that forms all things. They accord with the four seasons, follow the cycles of generation and overcoming among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and move naturally.

The accomplished sages of antiquity observed the Way of Heaven and followed its movements, incorporating the natural flow of primordial vitality into their own cultivation so that their lives might endure like Heaven and Earth. Later generations did not do this. In youth, their Jing and blood were not yet stable, and they were easily stirred by sexual desire. In old age, their Jing and blood were nearly exhausted, and weakness and illness grew progressively worse. Even those who understood the arts of nourishing life often began too late. Yet self-cultivation begun in old age can still prolong life.

Thus, the perfected person—one who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao—models the transformations of Heaven and Earth, sets up the furnace and cauldron, and refines the divine elixir. When the old take it, it gathers Jing and Qi, steadies the spirit, and restores a youthful state. When the young take it, they can reach the state of immortality more quickly. Zhenyizi says that refining the divine elixir follows the same path as the transformations of Heaven and Earth. For this reason, explanations of elixir refinement draw on the hexagrams of the Book of Changes (Yi Jing), beginning by investigating the foundations of Heaven and Earth as the basis for refining the Great Elixir.

Elixir refinement takes the movements and transformations of Qian and Kun as its model. It works with water and fire by following Kan and Li, arranges punishment and virtue—the cycles associated with the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang—according to Mao and You, and gathers the patterns of the four seasons’ passage into the palm of the hand. It also uses the changes between movement and stillness in Yin and Yang to form winter and summer. The text’s phrases “the quail is born at Chunhuo” and “Yang issues forth from the dark stem” likewise describe these transformations of Yin and Yang. When in motion, the bottom line of Kun changes to Yang; this is called “Yang Nine.” When still, the bottom line of Qian returns to Yin; this is called “Yin Six.” These are all key points concerning the changes between movement and stillness in the methods of elixir cultivation.

Yang Qi rises and emerges while Yin Qi descends; their radiance shines toward the east and west respectively. Their number is given as three, following the images of Water and Fire.

The commentary explains that “Yang emerges and Yin enters, their radiance flowing toward the two directions” refers to Yang Qi beginning to arise at the hour of Zi (midnight) and rising above the earth. It passes through Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, and reaches its height at the hour of Si. At this time, the Azure Dragon, the sacred beast symbolizing the Yang Qi of the east, shines upon the east like the sun’s vital essence. Yin Qi begins to descend at the hour of Wu, entering beneath the earth. It passes through Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and reaches its height at the hour of Hai. At this time, the White Tiger, the sacred beast symbolizing the Yin Qi of the west, shines upon the west like the moon’s radiance.

“Numbered as three, following the images of Water and Fire” means that both the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger are formed through the steaming and coalescing of the Qi of the Vermilion Bird, the sacred beast and vital breath symbolizing the Fire Qi of the south. Hence the number three. From the beginning of cultivation to its completion, the Great Elixir—the Elixir formed through Neidan practice—is explained solely through the images of Water and Fire, apart from True Lead, an important alchemical symbol, and the Spirit Chamber, the Neidan chamber where True Lead is placed and refined. Nothing else is mixed in.

The subcommentary reiterates that from the beginning of cultivation to its completion, the Great Elixir is explained solely through the images of Water and Fire, apart from True Lead and the Spirit Chamber; nothing else is mixed in.

The commentary says: In cultivating the Golden Elixir of Liquid Gold, one must first identify the source of the ingredients, then examine the advance and retreat of the firing process. Yang Qi rises and Yin Qi descends according to the directions of Zi and Wu; the sun and moon move in correspondence with Mao and You. Using Kan and Li, the trigrams that symbolize water and fire, to harmonize water and fire, one transforms the Dragon and Tiger into husband and wife. When the sun’s essence returns to the moon’s grotto, cinnabar is born within lead. When the Vermilion Bird moves through the Palace of Li, mercury is born within cinnabar. Gold comes from nature, mercury from emotion. Emotion and nature embrace one another like husband and wife, and Liquid Gold forms naturally.

Human emotion and nature are both within the self, just as the cinnabar and mercury in the elixir are both born within lead. Emotion and nature are not things outside the human body, and cinnabar and mercury are not foreign substances mixed in from elsewhere. From this we know that the sun and moon’s rising and setting, and the coming and going of Yin and Yang, all take place within Heaven and Earth. The essence of Qian and Kun is constantly stored within Mount Jizu, in the depths of the mysterious darkness. It is the source of the great medicine and the foundation of the Golden Elixir.

The sun has three modes of illumination, and the moon has three patterns of movement. When the sun and moon rise in the east and shine upon the west, the White Tiger of the west represents the vital force of Metal Virtue. It enters the mysterious darkness and transforms into the Six Wu. When the sun and moon enter the west and shine upon the east, the Azure Dragon of the east represents the vital force of Wood Virtue. It enters the mysterious darkness and transforms into the Six Ji. When the sun and moon reach the Wu position and shine upon the north, the Vermilion Bird of the south represents the vital force of Fire Virtue. It enters the mysterious darkness, takes form through Earth, and transforms into black lead. Black lead remains in the deep and mysterious darkness and is the root of all things under Heaven and Earth. Thus Wei the Perfected said: “The sun withdraws into the Dao and gathers in its radiance; the moon bestows its grace and spreads its light. The sun receives the moon’s nourishment, and its form is not diminished.”

From this we know that the realm where the true origin resides is the source from which Heaven and Earth come into being. The ancient adepts knew that the mysterious substance lay hidden there. They therefore sought it through the symbols of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things, regarding them as the parents of the medicine. They modeled the spirit chamber on Qian and Kun, established the vessel to symbolize Mount Jizu, followed the patterns of the heavens and the cycles of the seasons, and allowed Metal and Water to return to their source in accordance with nature. They set the Yang fire in motion to bring back the sun’s essence, applied the Yin tally to summon the moon’s soul, and gathered the vital forces of the three directions together in the Golden Cauldron, so that the harmonious Qi of the Four Images would congeal in the mysterious darkness. Yin and Yang mingle in primordial union, gradually forming the foundation of the elixir until it is complete. All of this follows the transformations of nature.

People who study the Dao today believe that ordinary mercury can be refined into the Golden Elixir and ordinary black lead can serve as the River Cart, a symbol for circulating the elixir’s Qi. Later generations repeated these errors until they took false claims for truth, devising all kinds of refining methods without succeeding even in old age. Mercury can indeed be extracted from cinnabar by firing, but what is obtained is only mercury; this cannot produce Liquid Gold.

They do not know that Liquid Gold receives the natural Qi of Heaven and Earth and depends upon the pure essence of Yin and Yang. It is associated with the moon and becomes the sovereign of Yin. Hidden in the Central Palace, it secretly corresponds to Wu and Ji and is the mother of the supreme medicine. How could ordinary mercury, or the five metals and eight minerals produced in mountains and marshes, be compared with the mother of the divine medicine? The divine medicine is a treasure that enables people to transcend the mundane world and prolong their lives; it is also the source of all spirits in Heaven and Earth, and is difficult for ordinary people to recognize. Later students who use miscellaneous substances to refine Liquid Gold have gravely misunderstood the intent of the ancients.

If miscellaneous substances could truly be refined into the Golden Elixir, it would be easy to make. The “lead” and “mercury” spoken of by the ancients use material images to express principles. Later generations failed to understand their meaning and took cinnabar for lead and mercury for mercury. By substituting false substances for the true names, they confused the fundamentals; their repeated attempts therefore failed, and success remained impossible. The account above of the source of true lead is drawn from passages in the scriptures and accords with the teachings transmitted by the masters. It is not baseless speculation, and is intended to keep later students from being led astray. May those who cherish the Dao examine it with care.

“Regulation” is like a ruler issuing decrees: using military force to suppress rebellion, and civil virtue to pacify and win over the people. Earth’s De is vigorous in all four seasons, so Earth’s De is regarded as sovereign. One holds weapons while laying arms aside, thereby bringing peace to the four quarters.

The commentary explains that “regulation” means restraining and directing, as when a ruler issues decrees for the four quarters to obey. In alchemical practice, the fierce “military fire” and the gentle “civil fire” are both ways of applying the fire phases. Once the Golden Tripod is secure and the Spirit Chamber—the inner chamber metaphorically used to preserve and nurture the ingredients—is sealed, a gentle fire is first applied to draw in Yang harmony and keep it within the tripod. A fierce fire is applied afterward. Even when the Golden Liquor, the liquid elixir produced in alchemy, seems about to burst forth, it is restrained by the Kun Palace, the place symbolizing Yin, receptivity, and containment, and remains within to complete its transformation. This is like a ruler preventing rebellion so that the people may be at peace and obey.

“Earth is vigorous in the four seasons” refers to the true Earth of Wu and Ji, which is also true Lead. True Lead can summon and harmonize Qi, bringing it back to the central palace. The Qi represented by the four images—the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—cannot be refined into Golden Liquor without the regulation of true Earth. Earth occupies the center and is therefore also called the Yellow Emperor. Harmonious Qi arises with the four seasons and is present in all things. As the master of harmonious Qi, the Spirit Chamber is vigorous throughout the year and can gather the essences of the sun and moon, drawing them into the tripod so they are not scattered. The Cantong qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three) says, “Earth is vigorous in the four seasons, enveloping the beginning and the end”; this means that Earth runs through all four seasons and governs the entire process of cultivation and refinement.

The subcommentary uses the governance of a state as an analogy: when a ruler cultivates civil virtue inwardly, prepares military force outwardly, and arranges agricultural work in accordance with the seasons, the country is at peace and harmonious Qi can arise. The ancients also used the principles of governing a state to explain the refinement of the Golden Liquor and divine elixir. At the beginning of cultivation, a Spirit Chamber is needed. Outside it is the Womb, symbolizing the stage in which the ingredients are gestated; beyond the Womb is the Golden Tripod, and beyond the Golden Tripod is the ritual altar. Only when all these places are properly prepared can the essence of Golden Liquor be produced and harmonious Qi gathered.

The sovereign corresponds to the Divine Mother of the central palace and can subdue Flowing Mercury, an alchemical term for an ingredient that is volatile and difficult to stabilize. The civil fire brings forth the Qi of the ingredients, while the military fire causes them to coagulate into form. Only when the two work together can Golden Liquor be refined. The ancients also invoked the legend that Lord Gongsun ascended to Heaven and was assigned to Earth’s De at the center. This illustrated how harmonious Qi arises from Kun Earth, runs through the four seasons, and enfolds Metal and Water, gradually causing Flowing Mercury to coagulate into a divine elixir. Flowing Mercury is like a substance that readily disperses and cannot be fixed in place; only true Earth can restrain it and bring about its transformation. This is the natural Dao described in the scripture.

The numbers of Kan and Li are one and two. In the transformations of Yin and Yang, the north and south form the fundamental pattern, so Kan and Li are placed first among the seventy-two stones.

The commentary explains: “‘The numbers of Kan and Li are one and two’ because Heaven’s One gives birth to Water, which belongs to Kan, so the number one represents Kan; Earth’s Two gives birth to Fire, which belongs to Li, so the number two represents Li. ‘Only north and south form the warp’ means that Yin energy is at its strongest in the north, yet Yang energy begins to arise there. It passes in turn through Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, and Si, finally reaching the Xun position. Yang energy is at its strongest in the south, yet Yin energy begins to arise there. It passes in turn through Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai, finally reaching the Qian position. Both Yin and Yang energies take Zi and Wu as the starting and ending points of their transformations. That is why north and south are called the fundamental pattern.

Thus true lead, an alchemical term for the substance or material associated with primordial Qi, is called “the chief among the seventy-two stones.” It gives rise to primordial Qi before the postnatal body takes shape; only afterward do concrete forms develop. It is therefore the ancestor of the myriad things and the basis of the Reverted Elixir, an alchemical term for an elixir brought to completion.

The subcommentary says: “When people speak of the mysterious Dao, they often treat the firing and refining of gold and silver as treasures. Yet among those who practice and make them, almost none succeed. Even if someone does refine them successfully, they are merely worldly riches, not treasures that transcend the world; nor can they prolong life or save others. Today, those who study the Dao do not regard cultivating nature and life as their foundation.”

The commentary says that when people discuss the mysterious Dao, they often treat the smelting of gold and silver as a treasure. Yet most who practice this art do not succeed. Even if they do, what they produce is merely a worldly treasure, not a means to transcend the world, extend life, or save others. People who study the Dao today do not regard the cultivation of nature and life as essential. They simply point one another in the wrong direction, muddled and confused, and in the end are unlikely to awaken.

They do not know that the way of the Great Elixir lies entirely in the mutual dependence and coordination of the two Qi of Yin and Yang; only then can the most precious elixir be refined. The Formula for Cinnabar of the Realized Ones says: “Refine emptiness, and you will unite with the utmost subtlety; refine subtlety, and you will unite with the utmost numinosity; refine numinosity, and you will unite with the utmost spirit; refine spirit, and you will unite with the Dao.” These words express the highest principles. They can distinguish a true Golden Elixir from a false one and reveal the depth of its underlying teaching. Without guidance from the secret instructions of an accomplished adept, how could one grasp the true methods of cultivation and become someone who has transcended the world?

Kan and Li are trigrams in the Classic of Changes: Kan represents water and Li represents fire. They dwell respectively in the north and south and are the foundations of water and fire. Although they divide into two forms, they share a common source. Once differentiated, each takes on a distinct character: one appears as “being,” the other as “nonbeing.” Accomplished adepts understand that this difference arises from their natural qualities; it is not produced by artificially joining them. They bring the symbols of water and fire into harmony and, through refinement, turn them into a supreme treasure that grants longevity when ingested. These two substances, born of Heaven and Earth, contain no admixture of other kinds of matter. They are the essence of the sun and moon, the marrow of Heaven and Earth. The Classic of Changes says: “Heaven displays its various signs, and the sages act in accordance with them.” This refers to returning to the source and going back to the beginning—that is, moving from cultivation through deliberate action toward the realm of Wuwei (non-action). The water and fire of Kan and Li therefore rise and descend between north and south. They are the foremost foundation of elixir refinement and rank first among the seventy-two minerals. Once one understands the patterns by which Heaven and Earth bring forth and bring to an end, and the cycles through which the sun and moon move, one can understand the nature of “being” and “nonbeing.”

Chapter Five: Firmness and Yielding Have Inner and Outer Aspects

Firmness and yielding each have inner and outer aspects; Yin and Yang follow their natural endowments. Metal and fire each fulfill their role, while metal and water contain one another. The female and male unite as one, and their workings follow their own order.

Hardness and softness complement one another in outer form and inner substance; Yin and Yang move according to the laws of nature. Metal and Fire each take their turn and perform their own function, while Metal and Water nourish and receive one another. The female and male aspects unite as one, and their workings follow a natural order.

The commentary explains: Hardness and softness pair together like the Qian trigram, which symbolizes Yang and hardness, and the Kun trigram, which symbolizes Yin and softness. They contain one another and together form the “spirit chamber,” an alchemical term for the inner place where Jing and Qi are cultivated. There, the natural Qi of Yin and Yang and the generative essences of the sun and moon gather in the golden embryo, coalescing into the spirit elixir. The Cantong qi says, “Qian is hard, Kun is soft; matched together, they embrace one another.” This is what it means.

“Metal and Fire take their turn; Metal and Water contain and receive one another” means that, on the outer level, Water and Fire act in alternation, while inwardly Metal and Fire continue to unite. Wood Mercury, representing the Wood Qi and Mercury nature, gives rise to the Azure Dragon’s form; Metal essence, representing Metal Qi and its refined essence, nurtures the White Tiger’s embryo. Signs of cultivation gradually appear, and Metal and Wood retain their forms in the spirit chamber. After Metal and Fire have united for a time, spirit Water—an alchemical term for the Jing and Qi generated in the course of cultivation—arises naturally within the mother’s womb, continuing until the Elixir is complete. Child and mother are deeply attached to one another, and Metal and Water naturally nourish each other as well.

“The female and male unite as one; their workings follow a natural order.” Here, “female and male” also refers to the Dragon and Tiger, Qian and Kun, the sun and moon, Yin and Yang, Kan and Li (the trigrams that represent Water and Fire), husband and wife, Water and Fire, and women and men. When the female and male unite, Jing and Qi transform and give rise to the myriad things. When used properly, transformation and generation proceed naturally and in good order.

The commentary says: Man corresponds to the Kan trigram and symbolizes the sun. When the sun and moon join, Metal and Water arise naturally. Their natures and dispositions are in harmony, so they complement each other without needing anything from outside. Mixing in other, unrelated substances to refine the divine elixir goes against the nature of things.

For example, when a man reaches adulthood and a woman matures, their mutual affection is also natural. The ancients used this to explain that forming the Great Elixir resembles human procreation: both arise through nature. Cinnabar and mercury are generated within the body of lead, stirred into being by Water and Fire; they are not added from outside. Likewise, an infant takes shape in the mother’s womb through the influences of Water and Fire, not from external substances. The ancients understood that the underlying nature of these two processes is connected. They therefore joined the essences of the Dragon and Tiger, returning the Qi of Metal and Water to its source so that the supreme medicine could be refined naturally. This is how the Dao is formed through the union of Yin and Yang. Without accord with nature, there can be no union.

When a man and woman love each other, their breaths mingle and their bodies unite, changing naturally with the passage of the sun and moon. What else is needed to conceive a child? From this we can see that the divine elixir, too, is formed through the union of the Li Fire and Kan Water trigrams, without any unrelated substances. Refining the true essences of the sun and moon into liquid gold follows the same principle as human conception; the difference between immortals and ordinary people lies in purity and impurity. The perfected ones feared that later students would fail to grasp the principle, so they offered this as evidence. Its meaning can be understood from these symbolic images.

Chapter Six: The Mysterious Changes of Ji and Wei

The patterns of change are mysterious and unfathomable: when one cycle ends, another begins. The first yang line marks the start of the cycle. The movement of harmonious Yang Qi can be compared to dawn and dusk. Its revolution completes a circuit in accord with the Way of Heaven. When the yang lines have advanced to the hour of the Snake, their movement ends; true Yin begins to appear at the hour of the Horse. From the position of Ding, Yin Qi gradually grows until it reaches the position of Hai and comes to an end.

The commentary says that before the changes of the Kan and Li trigrams have fully manifested, the cycle reaches its end and then begins again. Cultivating the Great Elixir—the result of inner refinement in Daoist Neidan or alchemical practice—takes about a month to complete. If the timing and measures of the firing process are inaccurate, or the alchemical vessel is not sealed tightly, the descent of Jing and Qi will diminish and the coagulation of the Golden Elixir will be delayed; the process may therefore take more than a month. The Cantong qi says, “When Ji Ji and Wei Ji reach the turning between darkness and brightness, the end is followed by a new beginning.” This is what it means.

“Initial Nine” marks the timing and measures of cultivation. Yang Qi is regulated according to the cycle of a single day and night. On the night when the end of one lunar month meets the beginning of the next, the Yang Fire is about to rise at the Zi hour. This is called the Earth Thunder Fu hexagram: its first Yang line begins to arise below, within the Kun hexagram. From the Zi hour to the Si hour is morning; from the Wu hour to the Hai hour is evening. In the morning, the Zhun hexagram governs; in the evening, the Meng hexagram governs. The Zhun and Meng hexagrams correspond respectively to the twelve two-hour periods of the day, symbolizing the cultivation of the Great Elixir. One day corresponds to two hexagrams, and one month to sixty: the cycle begins with Zhun and Meng and ends with Ji Ji and Wei Ji. The Cantong qi says, “The days and hours set the term; movement and stillness each have their appointed times.” This refers to these arrangements.

“To follow the Zhou cycle and accord with Heaven’s heart” means to follow the course of the Zhou cycle and align with the Dao of Heaven. The Yang line reaches its end at the Si hour: the Yang Fire begins to rise at the Zi hour, reaches its peak at the Si hour, and Yin begins to arise at the Wu hour. The Cantong qi says, “Spring and summer follow the inner trigrams, from the Zi hour through the Chen and Si hours.” This refers to the phase in which Yang Qi rises.

“True Yang issues forth at Li-Wu” means that Yang Qi reaches its full strength at the Wu hour. “From Ding it ends at Hai” means that the Yin Talisman—a term in alchemy for the descending phase of Yin Qi—begins its descent at the Wu hour and ends at the Hai hour. Yin Qi reaches its peak at the Hai hour, and Yang Qi begins to arise again at the Zi hour. The Cantong qi says, “Autumn and winter operate on the outside, from the Wu hour through the Xu and Hai hours.” This refers to the phase in which Yin Qi descends.

The commentary says: The method for refining the Great Elixir and bringing about its transformation takes the two trigrams Qian and Kun as its guiding framework. Yang Fire begins at the Zi hour (around midnight), while the Yin Tally arises at the Wu hour (around noon). Yang Qi reaches its height at the Si hour (roughly nine to eleven in the morning), corresponding to the Qian trigram; Yin Qi reaches its height at the Hai hour (roughly nine to eleven at night), corresponding to the Kun trigram. Together, the Qian and Kun trigrams have twelve lines. These change as the twelve double-hours pass, and through this process the Golden Elixir is refined—the subtle substance produced through Daoist internal alchemy.

Some people imagine that refining the Great Medicine is easy. They make blind attempts based on guesswork, exhausting their wealth and wasting away physically, yet never succeed. How could they know that the Supreme Dao encompasses Heaven and Earth, breathes in and out Yin and Yang, sets the four seasons in motion, governs the Sun and Moon, manifests the Five Phases, cycles through day and night, and gives life to all things? All of this is shaped by the transformations of the Supreme Dao. Those who attain the Dao understand the foundations of the Great Dao and can bring order to the world. They therefore model themselves on Heaven and Earth, gather Yin and Yang, seek the souls of the Sun and Moon, harmonize the numinous Qi of Water and Fire, and refine the supreme medicine, allowing it to return to its natural state. The classics and treatises of past ages have preserved these principles and passed them down to later generations.

Even so, some who study the Dao refuse to believe them. They simply cobble together tangible substances and rely on artificial methods, which ultimately go against reason. Even if they achieve something, they cannot restore youth or prolong life in the human world. Their efforts may instead cause paralysis, poisoning, bleeding, and other harms. How can those who practice alchemy fail to take warning from this?

Chapter Seven: Water and Fire Each Have Their Place

Water and Fire each occupy their own place and keep to their own bounds, giving rise to cold and heat. East and West respectively embody benevolence and righteousness, while the transformations of the Five Phases bring forth the four seasons. From this we can see that Yin and Yang work together and act upon one another. By following the “Three”—the three factors or principles governing the transformations of Yin and Yang—we can grasp the underlying principle.

The commentary explains that water and fire each occupy their own direction and keep to their proper places, giving rise to cold and heat. Water belongs to Yin, and cold reaches its extreme in the Kan position, which symbolizes the north and water. Fire belongs to Yang, and heat reaches its extreme in the Li position, which symbolizes the south and fire. When water and fire each remain in their places, winter and summer take shape. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three, a Daoist alchemical classic) says, “Rewards and punishments correspond to spring and autumn; darkness and brightness accord with cold and heat.” This is the principle it describes.

The east corresponds to ren (benevolence) among the virtues of benevolence and righteousness. The east belongs to Wood and is where all things sprout and grow, so it is called benevolence and also symbolizes joy. The west corresponds to yi (righteousness). The west belongs to Metal, whose nature is to bring things to their end, so it is called righteousness and also symbolizes anger. The movement and transformation of the Qi of the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—establish the order of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The Cantong qi says, “The line statements have seven meanings; joy and anger appear in accordance with the seasons.” This is the same idea.

From this, we can see that Yin and Yang interact, and that by following the “Three in One”—the relationship in which Yin and Yang accord with the Dao—we can grasp their principle. If the movement of the Four Images, the four states formed by the changes of Yin and Yang, keeps its proper timing, then the Qi of Yin and Yang can accord with the changes of water and fire, cold and heat, each following its proper pattern. The Cantong qi says, “The Qi of the four seasons accords with the changes of the Five Phases, and so follows their principle.” This is also what it means.

The explanatory commentary says that the sun and moon move according to their own rhythms, as do cold and heat. The sun withdraws and the moon rises, each following its proper course. The Cantong qi says, “The Qi of the four seasons accords with the changes of the Five Phases, and so follows their principle.” This is precisely the point.

The explanatory text says: The sun and moon follow their regular courses, and the seasons of cold and heat alternate in turn. When the sun sets in the west, the moon rises; when one year ends, a new year begins. In alchemy, the climatic changes of a whole year must be compressed into the twelve double-hours of a single day, arranging spring, summer, autumn, and winter within them so that the firing times correspond to the seasonal divisions. Whenever these principles and symbols are put to use, every step must accord with the right moment. When the sun and moon move without error and the seasonal divisions of cold and heat are precise, the stages needed to refine the Great Elixir can take shape.

Once the models and correspondences—the principles that imitate the workings of Heaven and Earth—are set in motion, the inner transformations can be inferred from them. Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) arise in the elixir chamber, while Yin-Yang Qi condenses in the cauldron. Once Yin-Yang and Jing-Qi are present, the contents of the cauldron gradually become moist and fluid, undergoing successive transformations in response to the seasonal divisions. Thus the Five Treatises says: “Spring is gentle, embodying benevolence; summer is hot, embodying propriety; autumn is cool, embodying righteousness; winter is cold, embodying wisdom.” When the Qi of the four seasons flows smoothly and harmoniously, the transformations of the year are complete.

The Qi of spring nourishes and brings forth all things. It is the foundation of the Yang Fire firing process and corresponds to the firing before midday. The Qi of autumn brings all things to their close; it is the foundation of the Yin Talisman firing process and corresponds to the firing after midday. Among the twelve double-hours, Zi, Chou, and Yin belong to spring; Mao, Chen, and Si to summer; Wu, Wei, and Shen to autumn; and You, Xu, and Hai to winter. In alchemy, the firing process must be carried out through the twelve double-hours in correspondence with the four seasons and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), without the slightest deviation. In this way, the flowing pearl in the cauldron will gradually congeal, the Golden Liquid will solidify, and the elixir will be secretly refined.

Thus the Song says: “The sage grasps the intent of creation, takes the sun and moon in hand and sets them within the furnace; subtly turning the essence of Heaven and Earth, he brings Yin and Yang together and sets spirits and ghosts in motion.” This means that the sage understands the principles by which Heaven and Earth bring things into being, uses the images of the sun and moon within the alchemical furnace, and subtly directs the vital essences of Heaven and Earth, allowing Yin and Yang to converge and move, as though spirits and ghosts were stirring too. From this we can see that refining the divine elixir of Golden Liquid requires imitating Heaven and Earth, taking Yin and Yang as one’s measure, and following the principles of natural creation.

The “spirit chamber” refers to the two furnaces above and below, called “cauldrons” in the terminology of ancient alchemy. “Setting their positions” means combining and placing the female and male substances according to a secret method. They transform inside the furnaces and ultimately produce cinnabar and mercury. Here, cinnabar and mercury refer to the substances of Metal and Earth, and to their respective functions.

These two functions have no fixed positions among the yao lines. Like outstretched wings, they fly back and forth among the Xu and Wei constellations and others, unbound by fixed palaces. Their upper and lower positions, too, follow no regular pattern. Only when Earth remains centered and unchanged can the transformations return to the central palace. Without Earth there, the other substances cannot be controlled. Earth can contain all kinds of minerals, and is therefore regarded as the foundation of alchemy.

A commentary says, “The spirit chamber—the furnace room where the vessels are placed during alchemical refinement—is established, and transformation takes place within it.” This means that building the spirit chamber symbolizes Heaven and Earth. Once their positions are set, the radiance of the sun and moon appears within them. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) says, “Heaven and Earth take their positions, and change proceeds between them.” This is what it means.

The spirit chamber consists of two cauldrons, one above the other, corresponding to Heaven and Earth. The Cantong qi identifies Heaven and Earth with Qian and Kun, which symbolize Heaven and Earth’s Yin-Yang. To “set their positions” means to arrange the complementary places of the female and male: the upper cauldron symbolizes Heaven and is male, corresponding to Qian; the lower cauldron symbolizes Earth and is female, corresponding to Kun. The Yin and Yang represented by the two cauldrons are brought into harmony and joined as one. This is also what the Cantong qi means by “laying out the positions where Yin and Yang pair and unite.”

The transformation of cinnabar and mercury refers to the interaction of Metal and Earth. Establish the vessels according to the pattern of Qian and Kun, place the “Metal Mother” at the center, and let each of the three positions fulfill its function: in this way, numinous mercury can be produced. Cinnabar and mercury also correspond to the two fires of Kan and Li, which respectively express the two functions of Qian and Kun. The Cantong qi says that Kan and Li are the two functions of Qian and Kun; this is precisely what it means.

These two functions have no fixed line positions. The Zhang and Yi lunar lodges mark the position of Li Fire in the south, while the Xu and Wei lodges mark the position of Kan Water in the north. The sun and moon rise and set, and Water and Fire are drawn off or replenished—adjusting the firing times and the fluids—without being confined to fixed line positions. The Cantong qi says, “The two functions have no line positions; they circulate through the six empty spaces.” This describes their continual movement and change.

Water and Fire move back and forth within the spirit chamber, but their positions are not fixed; their ascent and descent, too, have no constant pattern. This is what the Cantong qi means by, “Their coming and going is not fixed; their ascent and descent are likewise without regularity.”

When the increase and decrease of the firing times accord with the proper measure, the refined substance continually transforms and enters the center, becoming liquid gold. The Cantong qi calls this state “hidden and concealed, ascending and descending within.”

The central spirit chamber must be governed by Earth. Here, “Earth” refers to true lead, a key alchemical ingredient; for this reason, the spirit chamber is said to possess the virtue of Earth. It contains all things and is regarded as the root of liquid gold. This is what the Cantong qi means by, “Encompassing all things, it is the ancestor and source of the Elixir.”

The commentary says that the key to refining the Great Elixir lies entirely in two kinds of materials: lead-silver and cinnabar-mercury. Cinnabar-mercury symbolizes the sun’s vital essence, while lead-silver symbolizes the moon’s radiance. The art of refining the Golden Elixir depends on the changes of Yin-Yang between Heaven and Earth and on celestial phenomena. The preceding text has already explained this clearly. The author repeats the point through metaphor because he fears that students may not grasp it: once they understand, there is no need to search laboriously for cinnabar-mercury, for they will already know how to obtain it.

Lead contains cinnabar-mercury, just as a person’s inner heart-mind contains emotion and nature. Emotion and nature arise from within the heart-mind and manifest outwardly; they do not come from outside. Cinnabar-mercury likewise arises from within lead and manifests outwardly; it does not come from elsewhere. Though emotion and nature have two distinct functions, both reside within a person’s body and mind. Though cinnabar-mercury has two names, both are concealed within lead. When a person makes use of emotion and nature, they become visible; when lead contains cinnabar-mercury, it works within. The functions of the two may appear different, but their underlying principle is the same. The sages of antiquity used this to make clear that one should take the vital essences of the sun and moon and refine them together into an elixir, without mixing in anything else.

Chapter Nine: Mutual Restraint of Being and Nonbeing

Being and nonbeing restrain one another. The Vermilion Bird, a divine bird symbolizing Fire, sends its flames surging into the sky; its purple radiance shines upon the sun, and cinnabar-mercury disappears.

The commentary says that “being” clearly indicates this: take the vital essences of the sun and moon and refine them together into an elixir, without mixing in anything else.

Commentators say, “‘Being’ refers to the tiger, while ‘nonbeing’ refers to the dragon. ‘Being’ also refers to white metal, while ‘nonbeing’ refers to the Qi of Yin and Yang. If white metal is used as the spirit chamber—the vessel or furnace cauldron used in alchemical practice—it cannot bring about change by itself. It must rely on the rise and fall of water and fire, operating in accordance with the four seasons, before it can be refined into an elixir. Thus, an empty vessel is used to refine what has form. Zhu Sheng is the fire deity, steaming from below; the golden liquid in the spirit chamber is produced by fire. This is the principle expressed in the Cantong qi: ‘Use nonbeing to govern being; the vessel works through its emptiness.’”

“Purple radiance shines like the sun; cinnabar and mercury vanish” means that, within the spirit cauldron, the essence of the sun and moon sometimes transforms into golden radiance, displaying the light of sun and moon, and sometimes into numinous liquid, displaying the forms of dragon and tiger. Refined in the cauldron, it becomes cinnabar and mercury. Under the action of water and fire, it alternately disperses and gathers, rises and sinks. This is the kind of transformation described in the Cantong qi: “Examine the waxing and waning, the changes and transformations; Kan and Li [the trigrams representing water and fire, and Yin and Yang] disappear from view.”

The commentary says that people of antiquity refined elixirs using mercury as their sole ingredient. Perhaps they had the dragon but not the tiger. They did not rely on the Five Phases or the Four Images, nor did they imitate Heaven and Earth. They did not depend on the Yin-Yang union of man and woman; instead, they allowed the Qi of Yin and Yang, Kan and Li, to wax and wane within themselves, nourishing and developing the essence of dragon and tiger within the body. They followed things as they naturally unfolded and joined with the Great Dao. For this reason, people of antiquity mostly lived long lives and did not die young.

Since the middle antiquity, those who wished to regain youth, extend their years, transcend the mundane world, and ascend to the mysterious realm have had to set up a furnace and cauldron, gather the perfectly harmonized Qi of Heaven and Earth, and bring together the essences of sun and moon, so that the Four Images are stabilized and the Five Phases complete. After nine cycles of refinement, when sufficient time has passed, opening the furnace reveals purple powder congealed like frost and golden radiance shining like the sun. By ingesting it, one can attain long life, even outlasting the span allotted by Heaven.

People today mostly know the tiger, but few recognize the dragon. The golden liquid is the Azure Dragon, the foundation of the Wood virtue of the East, and thus the sun. The yellow sprout is the White Tiger, the source of the Western metal liquid, and thus the moon. The vital essences of these two substances both possess the principle of wondrous transformation. That is why the scripture says, “The essences of sun and moon can rescue one from old age.” When refined correctly and ingested, they can also transform a person.

The transformation of the elixir means that cinnabar becomes mercury, a process called Yang returning to Yin; then mercury becomes cinnabar again, called Yin returning to Yang. Only then is it called a pure-Yang elixir. One who ingests it can attain long life. The sages used the souls of the sun and moon as a metaphor to point out that the principle lies in the positions of Kan and Li, and nowhere else. Fearing that later generations might fail to grasp the true principle, they explained it directly and passed it down to posterity.

The formulaic text was not made up arbitrarily, and its principles were not invented from nothing. In concise language, it unfolds profound meanings, guides people in seeking wondrous truths, and develops them into the hexagrams and their changing lines. The Five Phases offer a framework for understanding these principles: the yang line in Kan is called “male” and symbolizes the essence of Metal; the yin line in Li is called “female” and symbolizes the light of Fire. Metal and Wood restrain one another, while Water and Fire overcome one another. When Earth flourishes in the position of Metal, Metal, Wood, and Fire are all harmed. Only when the Qi of the four directions gathers can peace be achieved. All of this is attributed to the virtue of Earth in the central palace—that is, to the achievement of the Yellow Emperor.

The sage uses the sun and moon as metaphors for Yin and Yang, and for the hun and po souls, pointing out that their principles are expressed only in the Kan and Li hexagrams, with nothing else involved. Fearing that later generations would fail to grasp the true principles, the sage states them plainly, leaving them as guidance for those to come.

Secret teachings are not concocted lightly, and principles cannot be invented out of thin air. When the sages passed writings down to the world, they were not speaking carelessly or trying to mislead later generations. The Cantong qi says: “Words are not made up at random, and metaphors do not arise without cause.”

“Condensing the text to unfold its hidden meaning, and probing for the divine” means removing what is redundant, drawing out the essential points, and investigating the subtle principles behind the movements of the sun and moon so that they accord with laws of mysterious subtlety. The Cantong qi says: “Citations and tests reveal the results; weighing and inference allow the wondrous principles to be examined.”

“Developing the hexagrams and line statements, with the Five Phases as the governing framework” means taking the sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhouyi as the structure for explaining subtle principles. The hexagram lines are also used to work out the numbers of the firing process, while the Five Phases—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—explain generation, transformation, and restraint. The union of the sun and moon serves as a metaphor for the joining of husband and wife; the conjunction of the Kan and Li trigrams explains the joining of Jing and Qi. The Cantong qi says: “Develop the categories of things, gather them into words, and then test them against principle.”

“Kan’s male Metal essence, Li’s female Fire radiance” means that the Kan trigram contains the Qi of Wu Earth, symbolizing the moon’s essence. It occupies a Yang position in the north. The moon belongs to Yin, and Wu to Yang: this is Yang within Yin, like a metal tiger born in water. The Li trigram contains the Qi of Ji Earth, symbolizing the sun’s radiance. It occupies a Yin position in the south. The sun belongs to Yang, and Ji to Yin: this is Yin within Yang, like a mercury dragon born in fire. The Cantong qi says: “Wu Earth in Kan is the moon’s essence; Ji Earth in Li is the sun’s fiery Qi.”

“Metal and Wood attack one another; Water and Fire restrain one another.” Here, Metal refers to white metal and Wood to red mercury. Their interaction makes their vitality all the more apparent. Water and Fire also restrain one another in turn, and in doing so reveal their brilliance. The sun and moon meet; hardness and softness act upon each other. When Yin and Yang follow their proper pattern, they can join in harmony. The Cantong qi says: “The sun and moon alternate, and this is called Change; hardness and softness join together.”

“When Earth is flourishing, Metal is in its domain, and the three substances are all lost” means that the three substances—Metal, Wood, and Fire—are enveloped by the firing process as the seasons turn. After nine cycles of refinement, they are all transformed into minute particles called “dust in the bright window.” The Cantong qi says: “Earth flourishes at the four seasonal transitions, running through and governing the beginning and end of things.”

“The four seas converge at the hub, bringing about peace” means gathering the Qi from the four directions and bringing it into the divine cauldron, the vessel used for alchemical refinement. The essence of the Dragon and Tiger is drawn in and refined into a medicine of utmost purity. Earth of the Five Phases completes the refinement, and the result congeals through the turning of the four seasons. Blue-green, red, white, and black each fulfill their function, and the divine elixir is finally made. The Cantong qi says: “Blue-green, red, white, and black each occupy a direction.”

All of this returns to the Virtue of Earth at the center, which is the work of the Yellow Emperor. The central Virtue of Earth refers to the harmonizing Qi represented by Wu and Ji Earth. The principles governing the transformations of Metal liquid also take Wu and Ji as their foundation. Wu and Ji are located at the center, which is why they are called the Yellow Emperor. Those who cultivate the divine elixir gather the essences of the sun and moon and harmonize the numinous Qi of Yin and Yang. Once the prescribed cycles of the stars and the firing process of Water and Fire have been completed, the efficacy ultimately returns to the Virtue of Earth. This is called the work of the Yellow Emperor. The Cantong qi says: “What is received at the center is precisely the work of the Yellow Emperor.”

The commentary says: People in antiquity did not speak carelessly, and they did not pass on secret teachings repeatedly. Only after their work was complete did they write it in a covenant text to guide later people who took an interest in the Daoist arts. The Cantong qi’s phrase “what was received by the central palace” refers to the achievements of the Yellow Emperor.

The commentary also says: People in antiquity spoke with care and passed on secret teachings only once. They recorded their work after completing it to guide later seekers of the Dao. Yet written teachings often convey only the general meaning. Here, the source of the “Great Medicine” is stated directly, so later practitioners need not use substances such as cinnabar and mercury. If they can grasp its subtle principles and refine the Elixir in accordance with the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth and the cycles of the four seasons, this is what is meant by “true Yin and true Yang.”

The Yinfu jing says: “When the celestial mechanism unfolds, there is no death.” Those who obtain this Dao must not pass it on indiscriminately to unsuitable people. The Cantong qi also says that one wants to write these teachings on bamboo and silk, yet fears revealing Heaven’s secrets. So one hesitates and sighs, looks up and lowers one’s gaze, then stops to ponder.

Refining the supreme medicine does not depend on external Water and Fire. Once Water and Fire unite, the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger in the cauldron, symbols of Yin and Yang forces, harmonize with each other and condense into liquid gold. Thus, true lead is the parent of the Golden Elixir and the ancestor of spiritual mercury. The generation and nurture of all things between Heaven and Earth take shape by receiving this force. If one has obtained the foundation of true lead and understands the proper method for the union of Water and Fire, the Great Elixir will naturally have a way to be refined.

Chapter Eleven: Metal and Fire Are True Lead

“Metal and Fire” refers to true lead, an important substance in alchemical practice. Its combination with cinnabar is essential to the process. The passage describes investigating subtle changes in order to accord with nature’s transformations. As Yang Qi stirs, Yin Qi recedes, and chaos ultimately returns to the numerical pattern of one and nine. Precious essences and Qi hold fast to one another, while the trigrams correspond with the alchemical substances. The weight of metal is reckoned as 384 zhu; by the standard measure, one jin equals sixteen liang.

When metal essence is transformed, the two Qi condense into an elixir, and the Azure Dragon—a symbolic spirit-being in alchemy—receives the talismanic mandate. At this stage, the spirit chamber, whether an alchemical furnace chamber or a symbolic space for internal cultivation, refines essence and Qi as Metal and Fire revolve together. The masculine Yang Qi is like emerald-green mysterious water; the feminine Yin Qi is like ochre-colored gold. When Yin and Yang unite, essence envelops primordial Qi, and the myriad things arise by relying on emptiness, each responding and changing according to its own kind. The subtle efficacy of the various elixirs, as well as longevity, depends on the spirit chamber’s refinement of essence and the transformative workings of Metal and Fire.

“Golden Fire” here means “True Lead.” “Gold” and “Fire” are also names for the sun and moon: Gold is the foundation of alchemical refinement, and Fire is the source of the sun. All these are contained within lead. The Perfected Wei Boyang understood “Golden Fire” as the Changes, and the Changes in turn as the substances of the elixir. The Cantong qi says, “The Changes are used to symbolize things.” To reveal the wondrous function of cinnabar, nothing is more important than Golden Fire. Cinnabar is the Golden Liquid. The great elixir of Golden Liquid is made solely from the essences of the sun and moon, Yin and Yang. Gold refers to lead, the moon to water, cinnabar to mercury, and the sun to fire. Outwardly, this appears as water and fire rising and descending; inwardly, it is the union of lead and mercury. Nothing else can be added.

The transformations of Gold and Cinnabar arise entirely from the essences of the sun and moon. The Cantong qi says, “To reveal the celestial signs suspended in the heavens, nothing is more important than the sun and moon.” The ancients probed deeply into subtle transformations, observing the waxing and waning, coming and going, movement and stillness of Yin and Yang’s Qi. When Yang Qi stirs, Yin Qi recedes; Yin and Yang cycle back and forth like the alternation of day and night. The Cantong qi says, “By exhausting the subtle and wondrous, one understands transformation; when Yang recedes, Yin comes.”

“Chaos ends in the unity of nine; the precious essences sustain one another” describes the Qi of Kan, Li, the Dragon, and the Tiger mingling in the Spirit Chamber and moving with the advance and retreat of water and fire. At the beginning of alchemical refinement, the movement of Qi is at the Kan position, and the number of Fire is just beginning to arise. The essences join together, but no evident transformation has yet occurred. At the Xun position, corresponding to the hour of the Snake, the number of Fire reaches its height: the Dragon produces mercury, and the Tiger produces lead, as the essences of lead and mercury gradually begin to form in the cauldron. The Qi of the sun and moon circulates outside, while the essences of water and fire unfold within. The Cantong qi says, “Qi gathers like the spokes of a wheel; the sun’s wheel turns, moving in and out, advancing and withdrawing, unfolding and contracting.”

The trigrams correspond to the alchemical substances. The trigrams have 384 lines, which also express the number of days in a full cycle of the year and summarize one complete cycle of the firing process. The weight of the Golden Mother is one jin, divided into 384 zhu, matching the quantity used for one jin of the great elixir. The firing process and the measure of the Golden Mother correspond to one another. The Cantong qi says, “The trigrams have 384 lines, and each line follows its tally.”

“When the Golden Essence transforms, the two Qi form the elixir, and the Azure Dragon receives the tally” means that the liquid of the Great Yin Golden Tiger and the fluid of the Great Yang Wood Dragon transform into the True Elixir. Each month, when the tally cycle begins from the last day of the lunar month and proceeds to the first day, the Great Spirit Azure Dragon takes charge, under the direction of the Zhen trigram. The Cantong qi says, “From the last day of the month to the first, Zhen comes to receive the tally.” At this time, the Spirit Chamber—the inner space that symbolizes the meeting and congealing of the substances during alchemical refinement—nurtures and refines the essences, while Golden Fire turns together. When the Azure Dragon receives the tally and the firing process begins, the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger knot together in the Spirit Chamber. The essences of Golden Fire unite and transform into the Divine Elixir. The Cantong qi says, “At this moment, Heaven and Earth unite their essences, and the sun and moon alternate in sustaining one another.”

“Male Yang, emerald and mysterious water; female Yin, ochre and yellow gold”: Male Yang refers to Qian, Heaven, Old Yang, the sun, and cinnabar. Its essence is called Mysterious Water, also known as female mercury. Female Yin refers to Kun, Earth, Old Yin, the moon, and lead. The sun transforms into Mysterious Water, and the moon into Yellow Gold. Yellow Gold is True Lead; Mysterious Water is True Mercury. When lead and mercury unite, the elixir is refined. The Cantong qi says, “Male Yang spreads the subtle power of transformation; female Yin becomes the yellow vessel of concealment.”

The Qi of Yin and Yang, Dragon and Tiger, meet within chaos. Water and fire respond to and transform one another, producing fluids that serve as the elixir’s foundation. The Cantong qi says, “In the union of chaos, the foundation is established.”

All things in the world are born through primordial Qi, each taking shape according to its corresponding kind. The same is true in the cauldron: Wood Qi transforms into the Dragon, Metal Qi into the Tiger, Fire Qi into mercury, Water Qi into lead, and Earth Qi into the Qi that harmonizes them. The Five Qi return to the central palace and nourish the foundation of the bodily form. Ultimately, spirit congeals into the True, as the various essences gather and become True. The Cantong qi says, “Tend and nourish the foundation; gather spirit to form the body.”

The wondrous paths of the many alchemical methods, and the arts of longevity, all depend on this great elixir of Golden Liquid. Of the twenty-four grades of Golden Liquid, this method is the most important great elixir of Golden Liquid and the supreme path to ascending in broad daylight. It models itself on Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, the stars, the Five Phases, and the four seasons, gathering their transformations within the Spirit Chamber to refine the Way of longevity through Golden Liquid. The Cantong qi says, “All people take this path; there is nothing among the myriad things that does not come from it.”

The commentary says: Golden Fire means lead and fire, that is, water and fire. When Golden Fire unites, cinnabar forms within True Lead. The secret that the ancients kept from being passed on lies solely in the firing process. The number of Fire is reckoned as one jin, and the Golden Mother is also reckoned as one jin. Divide one jin of the Golden Mother into 384 zhu, and divide one jin of Fire into 384 lines, corresponding to the numbers of the sixty-four hexagrams of the year. The number of lines in Qian is 216, and that of Kun is 144. Extended through calculation, these total 11,520, corresponding to the number of the myriad things and symbolizing the complete cycle of Heaven and Earth.

Alchemical methods, ancient and modern, model themselves on Heaven and Earth and follow Yin and Yang. They employ the rising and descending of water and fire, match the properties of Metal and Wood, and take account of hardness and softness to complete the transformations of the great elixir. The line tallies of Qian and Kun demonstrate, one by one, the numerical principles of the great elixir and reveal the subtle qualities of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. All these are the tally numbers of the Way of Heaven. Refining the elixir substances and directing the firing process must accord with these celestial tallies. If the changes of years, months, days, and hours are gathered into the twelve double hours of a single day, and Yang Fire is advanced and Yin Tally withdrawn according to the hours to refine the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir, the work can be completed in accordance with the principles of natural creation.

Thus, the mysterious breath becomes moist and radiant, and the Primal Lady begins to refine Mercury. The Spirit Chamber contains a realm of emptiness and depth; from within the mysterious emerges the “White Metal Lord,” an alchemical substance of the white-metal kind. Majestic and imposing, it was established at the beginning of all things. Through the coordinated practice of the number three and five, it is guarded and maintained; Jing and Qi course through it, nourishing and sustaining the Elixir within. The commentary follows the scripture’s original wording and offers no further explanation.

The commentary says: At this point, the vessel has become smooth and lustrous, and the Primordial Lord (the spirit presiding over alchemical refinement) begins to refine mercury. “The spirit chamber contains the hollow void” means that black lead has been refined into white metal, its essence clear and translucent, and thus becomes the spirit chamber. The chamber is hollow inside and about one inch in diameter; it is used to generate true mercury.

The Primordial Lord is the chief in charge of alchemical refinement. The Baopuzi records the Primordial Lord as saying, “I, too, attained the Dao and became an immortal through alchemical refinement.” Fuxi drew the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), and Confucius explained the hexagrams of the Yi; both did so to clarify the patterns governing the movement of Heaven and Earth. The Cantong qi says, “Then Zhongni first entered the vast primordial state, and Qian and Kun revealed the hollow void.” This is what it means.

“The mysterious Dao gives birth to the lord of white metal; lofty and sublime, it establishes the beginning” means that the subtle Dao gives rise to white metal. White metal can collect the essences of the sun and moon: before the Yang Fire is set in motion, all the essences remain stored within the white metal, with no trace visible on the outside. After Water and Fire circulate, the golden flower emerges from the white metal. The golden flower is the harmonized Qi of Wu and Ji (Earth). When the two forces of Water and Fire meet, they respond to and transform one another, producing the elixir; hence it is called lofty and precious.

Considered from the beginning of antiquity, this substance has existed since long ago. It encompasses Yin and Yang and is linked to the forms of all things, never separate from them. “The Guanju establishes the principle” means that when Water and Fire unite, sand and mercury are produced, revealing wondrous transformations. Thus it is honored as the mother of all things and the beginning of Yin and Yang. The Cantong qi says, “Looking back to antiquity, to the primordial sovereign, the Guanju established the beginning.” This is what it means.

“Crowned by the union of three and five, its flying essence moistens and nourishes” means that Water is one and Fire is two, which together make three; five belongs to Earth. When Water, Fire, and Earth converge, their vital essence descends into the vessel. The ancient sages first established the spirit chamber and prepared the cauldron vessels, using the union of man and woman and the pairing of Dragon and Tiger as metaphors for the combined refinement of Yin and Yang. At first, form and substance had not yet separated, like chaos. After refinement through the firing process, they were like a married couple bound by affection, or the vital essences of Dragon and Tiger joining together. Thus, the process began in the first year and eventually produced the divine medicine. The Cantong qi says, “The Qi of the wedding is joined together; in the first year, it begins to sprout and grow.” This describes precisely that process.

The commentary says: The Primordial Sovereign was one who attained the Dao and became an immortal through alchemical practice; she was an ancestral master of high antiquity. She modeled her practice on the numerical patterns of Heaven and Earth, incorporated the cycles of the Sun and Moon, and used the alchemical vessel to symbolize Qian and Kun, Heaven and Earth. A space of just over one inch was left inside the vessel. When the firing process—the careful regulation of heat and timing in alchemy—was carried out, the vessel stirred; the Qi of Heaven descended, and Earth’s Qi rose in response. When the purest Qi of Heaven and Earth joined, a divine liquid was produced. The Primordial Sovereign was exalted and revered, perfectly embodying the mysterious Dao.

In ancient times, those who attained the Dao feared that later generations would fail to grasp the truth and mistakenly believe that collecting sand, mercury, and other assorted substances could produce the Great Elixir. They did not understand the patterns of change in true lead. So the ancients used symbols and established names to guide those who studied the Dao. Making an elixir from miscellaneous substances is like going into the mountains to catch fish and dragons, or diving into the water to hunt pheasants and rabbits: it is impossible to succeed and only wastes one’s effort.

The Mysterious Maiden Expounds the Sequence: Chapter Thirteen

The Mysterious Maiden, a goddess in Daoist legend, explains the sequence of this chapter: Wu and Ji, associated with the center and its corresponding times and symbols, regard the Heavenly Talisman as precious. The Way of the Heavenly Talisman has gradually declined, making it difficult to accord with the Mysterious Diagram, an obscure and profound pattern or principle.

The commentary says: In “The Mysterious Maiden expounds the sequence; Wu and Ji prize the Heavenly Talisman,” the Mysterious Maiden is the daughter of Heaven and Earth, and she explains the sequence of this chapter.

The commentary says: “The Dark Lady, a goddess of ancient legend, explained this sequence. Wu and Ji, associated with Earth and representing the center and harmony, are precious because they correspond to the Celestial Talisman.”

The Dark Lady is a manifestation of the spirit of Heaven and Earth and the numinous Qi of Yin-Yang. Her divine power reaches everywhere; her form can change in countless ways. She can discern the conditions of all things and understand their many transformations, and is therefore regarded as a sovereign of Daoism. Wu and Ji belong to Earth: they are the Qi of harmony and the foundation for refining the Great Elixir. As the Celestial Talisman—the signs that correspond to the movement of the seasons—moves, the essence of Wu and Ji comes forth. The Cantong qi says: “Sages do not appear from nowhere. They look up to observe the celestial patterns and perceive the Celestial Talisman.” This is what it means.

As the movement of the Celestial Talisman gradually wanes, it becomes difficult to correspond with the mysterious images. When it moves through the Zi position, Yang Fire grows day by day, reaching its height at the Si position. After it passes through the Wu position, Yin grows day by day, reaching its height at the Hai position. The cycles of generation and overcoming among the Five Phases reach their end, and the cycle of the four seasons completes a full turn. Thus the Dao of Heaven is said to gradually strip away. The Cantong qi says: “The Celestial Talisman advances and retreats; its bending and extending must follow the seasons. Thus the Changes governs the heart of Heaven.” This expresses the same principle.

The explanatory commentary says: The Dark Lady is also an immortal from ancient times and the leader of many perfected beings. Wu and Ji belong to Earth, while the Celestial Talisman belongs to Fire. Fire is primordial Qi, the vital energy of original transformation. Great, it encompasses Heaven and Earth; small, it lies hidden in the most minute places. All living beings receive its primordial Qi. Vast enough to encompass the myriad things, it also secretly spreads life and brings forth growth. It can overcome Metal and Wood, set Yin-Yang in motion, make all things flourish, and also cause them to decline. Its transformations are unceasing, and its wondrous workings are immense.

Perfected beings model these wondrous transformations as they refine the supreme medicine, draw upon the essences of the sun and moon, unite warmth and cold, heat and frost, regulate Water and Fire, and follow the sequence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, in accord with the waxing and waning, flourishing and decline of the four seasons. All of this follows the natural patterns. If one relied only on gold, silver, earth, stone, plants, ash, and frost to refine the Golden Elixir and divine elixir, how could such wondrous transformations be possible?

End of Commentary and Subcommentary on the Ancient Text of the Dragon and Tiger Classic, fascicle one.

Commentary and Subcommentary on the Ancient Text of the Dragon and Tiger Classic, fascicle two. The commentary and subcommentary were composed by Wang Dao, a Bao Yi Lang of the Song dynasty and concurrently commander in the residence of the Prince of Enping, the emperor’s younger brother and Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent. The text was collated by Zhou Zhenyi, a Daoist of the Yangsu Studio at the Taiyi Palace.

So this chapter further clarifies the essentials of alchemical cultivation, without repeating the principles of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang). Cinnabar is the parent substance of flowing mercury, while Wu and Ji (Earth) are the mother substances that generate gold. The pitch standards (the twelve pitch pipes, whose tones were used in ancient times to align with Yin-Yang and the seasonal cycles) converge in the number two times six; the pivot of the Dipper (the hinge of the Northern Dipper, used in ancient times to mark celestial time and direction) establishes the number three times nine. The Red Youth (a term for red Qi in alchemy) transforms within the Vermilion Bird (the divine bird symbolizing the south and Fire), eventually becoming the Azure Dragon (the divine beast symbolizing the east and Wood).

Through images of cinnabar, mercury, Wu and Ji, pitch standards, and stars, these words explain how Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, seasonal timing, and directions correspond in the process of alchemical cultivation.

The commentary explains that the preceding chapter has already discussed the meaning of the “Great Elixir”—the elixir produced through alchemical practice—described how to establish the spirit chamber, where the furnace, cauldron, and ingredients are placed during the alchemical process, and clarified the principle of the “Mercury Father.” This chapter therefore does not repeat those points.

In “Cinnabar is fluid mercury; Wu and Ji are the mother of gold,” cinnabar symbolizes the sun, while fluid mercury symbolizes the sun’s soul. Wu and Ji symbolize the moon, while gold symbolizes the moon’s spirit. Cinnabar and Wu and Ji can generate these two things, soul and spirit, making them treasures of the highest value. That is why they are called father and mother.

In “The pitch pipes return to one through two and six; the Dipper’s pivot establishes three and nine,” “two and six” refers to the twelve pitch pipes: Zi, Chen, Wu, Shen, and Xu correspond to the six yang pipes, while Chou, Mao, Si, Wei, You, and Hai correspond to the six yin pipes. Zi is Huangzhong, Wu is Libin, and so on; they are used to correspond with the twelve double-hours. One, two, and nine also add up to twelve. The point toward which the handle of the Northern Dipper points is called “establishing”: the first month establishes Yin, the second month establishes Mao. When the empty and the solid interpenetrate, the six lines—the six components of a hexagram—change. Thus the Qian hexagram takes the numbers seven and nine, while the Kun hexagram takes six and eight.

By using the numbers of the Four Images to connect the numbers of Qian and Kun, we can see the stalk counts for the lines of old yin, young yin, old yang, and young yang—the numbers used to represent lines in divination. Four combined with six gives twenty-four, the stalk count for one line of old yin. Four combined with eight gives thirty-two, the count for one line of young yin. Four combined with seven gives twenty-eight, the count for one line of young yang. Four combined with nine gives thirty-six, the count for one line of old yang. Nine and six signify change; seven and eight do not. The Qian and Kun hexagrams each have six lines. As yin and yang change in sequence, they reveal the course of the four seasons and the growth and decline of all things.

When yang begins to move in the Qian hexagram, it first arises beneath the earth. The lowest line of the Kun hexagram changes, forming the Fu hexagram. This is called the initial nine, the principal yang line among the six. As yang first begins to sprout, a second change forms the Lin hexagram, and yang begins to move. The third change forms the Tai hexagram: yin and yang meet, and all things sprout and break through the soil. The fourth change forms the Dazhuang hexagram, and all things grow abundantly. The fifth change forms the Guai hexagram, and plants show signs of life. Finally, the upper nine changes into pure Qian. Sunlight shines brightly, plants flourish, yang rises above, and the five colors blaze forth, while the well water is cold as ice. This is the season governed by the Qian hexagram.

When yin begins to move in the Kun hexagram, it gradually descends from the sky. The lowest line of the Qian hexagram changes, forming the Gou hexagram. This is called the initial six, the principal yin line among the six. As yin first begins to sprout, a second change forms the Dun hexagram, and yin begins to move. The third change forms the Pi hexagram: yin and yang no longer communicate, and the fruits of all things hang down. The fourth change forms the Guan hexagram, and all things begin to decline. The fifth change forms the Bo hexagram, and plants draw inward and return to storage. Finally, the upper six changes into pure Kun. Yin turns cold and austere, plants wither and yellow, yin sinks below, and the five colors are hidden in the roots, while the well water is warm as soup. This is the season governed by the Kun hexagram.

Thus the scripture says, “The sun enters the earth.” This symbolizes the congealing of yin and yang. It then changes into the Fu hexagram, from which all things begin to sprout anew. We can see from this that the two forms of Qian and Kun change in accordance with the Qi of yin and yang, rising and falling through the six lines in endless return. One grows dark and the other bright; day and night cycle, the sun departs and the moon arrives, and the round continues without end. These changes are driven by a single, harmonious primordial Qi.

The perfected people of antiquity understood the waxing and waning of Heaven and Earth, and the expansion and contraction of yin and yang. They therefore drew on the hexagrams of the Yi, modeled themselves on Qian and Kun, took yin and yang as their guide, and used water and fire as analogies. They brought the harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth and the pure essence of the sun and moon into the spirit chamber, refined them into golden liquid, and used it to transform the mortal body into a sacred body. When their merit and practice were complete, they attained the title of True Person. Is this not a wondrous achievement?

In its first transformation, the Kun trigram becomes the Zhen trigram. On the third day of the month, the moon rises in the Geng direction; east and west correspond respectively to the Mao and You directions, and the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger respond to one another. On the eighth day, Kun transforms a second time into the Dui trigram. The moon appears in the Ding direction as a waxing half-moon, symbolizing that the metal and fire in the cauldron have each reached one half. On the fifteenth day, Kun transforms a third time into the Qian trigram. The three Yang lines are complete, the moon is full, and it shines in the Jia direction. At this point, metal and water are nourished and warmed by the sun’s Qi; the red essence turns into mercury, and the Old Mother joins with metal. Once the moon is full, it naturally begins to wane.

The commentary explains that the moon appears in the Geng direction on the third day because, at midnight—the Zi hour—on the night before the new moon, Yang fire has just begun to move, and the sun and moon meet near the Bi lunar mansion. After the Qian trigram transforms into Kun, its lowest line turns into a Yang line, producing the Zhen trigram. Zhen governs this stage: a Yang line arises below, and the moon appears in the Geng direction on the third day. The Cantong qi says, “On the third day it emerges as brightness; Zhen receives Geng in the western quarter.” This is what the passage means.

“East and west mark Mao and You; Dragon and Tiger seek one another” means that the eastern and western directions each have a corresponding position, where the sun and moon appear in the directions associated with metal and wood. Over five days, the firing process gradually advances. The Qi of the Dragon and Tiger respond to and draw toward one another, gathering in the cauldron. “Cauldron” is a term from alchemy: it refers to the vessel used to refine the elixir, and may also refer to the inner setting in which Neidan is cultivated.

The moon appears in the Ding direction as a waxing half-moon on the eighth day because, from the sixth through the eighth day, the second lines of the Qian and Kun trigrams join and transform into the Dui trigram. Dui governs this stage. A second Yang line arises in the middle, and the moonlight reaches half a circle, with a straight edge like a taut cord. The commentary uses this image to suggest that the metal and fire in the cauldron have each reached the halfway point. The Cantong qi says, “On the eighth day Dui receives Ding; the half-moon is straight as a cord.” This is precisely what it describes.

On the fifteenth day, the top lines of the Qian and Kun trigrams join, and Kun transforms into Qian. Qian governs this stage. A third Yang line arises above, and the moon shines full and round in the Jia direction. The commentary uses this image to suggest that the metal’s De in the cauldron is complete and the firing process has reached maturity. The Cantong qi says, “On the fifteenth day the Qian form is complete; fullness reaches the eastern quarter of Jia.” This is what the passage means.

“Metal and water are warmed by the sun; red marrow flows and becomes mercury; the Old Mother joins with metal; when the moon is full, it naturally begins to wane.” The commentary explains that at this stage, the sun’s essence in the Golden Elixir of liquid metal fills the spirit chamber, and the Qi of metal and fire transforms into mercury. Mercury and its mother become attached to one another, then transform into a metal body. The moon images of the toad and Jade Rabbit enfold one another, their radiance illuminating the cauldron. The Old Mother’s form then produces ornaments and manifests as a golden hairpin, symbolizing the gradual flourishing of the metal Qi in the cauldron and its eventual refinement into the elixir. The Cantong qi uses the images of the toad and rabbit, together with the changing radiance of Yin and Yang Qi, to explain this process.

The Great Yin—the moon—gradually becomes full from the first through the fifteenth day, then begins to wane on the sixteenth. This shows how fullness naturally turns to decline after the moon has reached its peak. The Cantong qi says, “The way of seven and eight has been recorded; bending and extending, it descends.” This too describes the changes of waxing and waning, contraction and extension.

“Sixteen: turn and diminish” refers to the Moon gradually waning from the sixteenth day onward. Qian, which symbolizes the fullness of Yang energy, begins to grow on the first day, and by the fifteenth the Moon’s light is complete. On the sixteenth, fullness turns to decline. The Cantong qi says, “The Way of seven and eight has been recorded,” referring precisely to this change from expansion to contraction, a gradual waning.

If we trace the phases of the Moon, each loss from Qian transforms it in turn into Xun, Gen, and Kun. At the first waning, Qian becomes Xun, and the Moon can be seen at dawn in the Xin direction, northwest of west. With the next loss, Qian becomes Gen; by the twenty-third day, the Moon reaches its last quarter. At this phase, half of the “water” contained in the Moon has diminished, leaving about half a jin, and the Moon rises in the Bing direction, southwest of south. After the third loss, Qian becomes Kun. By the thirtieth day, the Kun image is complete: the Moon disappears in the northeast, and its former radiance is no longer visible. When the Moon sets in the Yi direction, southeast of east, Kun-Yi marks the end of the dark Moon. At this point, Earth, Wood, and Metal are about to transform, after which the Zhen Dragon emerges from within Kun—the Zhen trigram, symbolizing Yang energy beginning to stir.

The commentary says, “On the sixteenth day, it turns into the Xun trigram.” The bottom line of the Qian trigram changes from yang to yin, becoming the Xun trigram. After the sixteenth day, Xun takes charge. The first yin line begins to arise, yang fire starts to recede, and the Yin Talisman—the phase corresponding to the movement of yin Qi—begins to emerge. Just before dawn, the moon appears in the Xin direction. This resembles the beginning of the advance of yang fire, when the moon first appears on the third day. The Cantong qi says, “On the sixteenth day it again comes under new governance; Xun appears in the Xin direction at daybreak.” This is what it means.

“The Qian trigram is damaged once more and becomes the Gen trigram.” The twenty-third day is the last quarter, when the waters of yin and yang are each half a jin. The moon rises southward, in the Bing direction. After the eleventh and twelfth days, the Yin Talisman begins to recede again. On the twenty-third day, the central lines of the Kun and Qian trigrams join to form Gen. Gen takes charge, and a second yin line arises in the middle; the moon then appears in the Bing direction. This corresponds to the first quarter, when metal and water in the cauldron each make up half. The Cantong qi says, “Gen lies south in the Bing direction; the last quarter falls on the twenty-third day.” This is what it means.

“The Qian trigram is damaged a third time and becomes the Kun trigram.” On the thirtieth day, Kun takes shape, and the moon loses its light in the northeast. Saying that the moon sets in the Yi region means that from the twenty-sixth through the twenty-eighth day, the upper lines of Kun and Qian join to form Kun. Kun takes charge, and a third yin line arises at the top. As the moonlight nears its end, the moon appears in the Yi direction; by the time it reaches the northeast, the yang light has vanished. This is called “losing its companion.” The Cantong qi says, “Kun is in the Yi direction; on the thirtieth day, it loses its companion in the northeast.” This is what it means.

Kun corresponds to the Yi direction. The moon has grown dark and disappeared, and Earth, Wood, and Metal are about to combine. Next, the dragon of the Zhen trigram arises from Kun: from the twenty-eighth to the thirtieth day, the Yin Talisman is exhausted, the yin and yang Qi each come to rest, and Earth joins with Wood and Metal, transforming into liquid. If the sun’s Qi no longer moves through the moon, the form of Great Yin disappears completely. Following their course through the northeast, the sun and moon once again pass through the region of Bi and Mao and unite; Water and Fire again act upon one another, returning to their original state. At this point, the Fu trigram again serves as the starting point, and after Kun, Zhen arises in succession. Zhen belongs to Wood and lies in the east, so it is called the “dragon”; yang fire is also called the dragon. The Cantong qi says, “When the cycle reaches its end, one follows the other, and the succeeding form arises anew.” This is what it means.

From the hour of the Rat to the hour of the Snake, Yang Fire advances gradually through six two-hour periods, with the trigrams Zhen, Dui, and Qian governing its changes. This corresponds to the degrees traversed by the Great Yin (the Moon) and symbolizes Golden Liquid, a term in Neidan cultivation for the transformation of substances such as essence and Qi. The six trigrams Fu, Lin, Tai, Dazhuang, Guai, and Qian correspond to the degrees traversed by the Sun and symbolize Yang Fire.

From the hour of the Horse to the hour of the Pig, the Yin Tally—the stage of cultivation opposed to Yang Fire, marked by contraction and withdrawal into concealment—gradually retreats through six two-hour periods, with the trigrams Xun, Gen, and Kun governing its changes. This, too, corresponds to the degrees traversed by the Great Yin and symbolizes Golden Liquid. The six trigrams Gou, Dun, Pi, Guan, Bo, and Kun correspond to the degrees traversed by the Great Yin and symbolize the Yin Tally.

The transformations of Metal and Water within the cauldron are governed by the twelve lines, which correspond to the twelve two-hour periods. The movement of Golden Liquid is also reflected in them. The changes in the Moon’s radiance in the heavens, meanwhile, are governed by six trigrams corresponding to the twelve two-hour periods. The Cantong qi explains this in detail, but people have been unable to grasp it fully.

Those who cultivate the Dao as perfected beings and wish to refine and nourish the Great Elixir must understand astronomy above, geography below, and human affairs in between. Only then can they adapt to the transformations of creation and master Yin-Yang. They set the images of the Sun and Moon in motion within the furnace, allowing the Dragon and Tiger to generate one another; indoors, they unite the Qi of Qian and Kun, nourishing essence and fluids. In this way, the Metal Mother no longer bears fruit in vain, and the Wood Father can calmly accomplish his work. Golden Liquid appears, and cinnabar and mercury congeal into bodily form. When the nine cycles of refinement are complete and Yang radiance is abundant, the elixir is named “Yellow Pi,” shining brightly like dust on a window. It can do more than turn stone into gold: once consumed, it enables one to live as long as Heaven and Earth. Its wondrous transformations are beyond compare.

Chapter Seventeen: Qian and Kun Encompass Beginning and End

Qian and Kun encompass the beginning and end of all transformations; for this reason, they are called the Zhen Dragon. As described above, the twenty-one days proceed as follows: Kun gives birth to Zhen, Dui, and Qian, and Qian in turn gives birth to Xun, Gen, and Kun. The Eight Trigrams are arranged in sequence, each displaying its own radiance. They move and transform without straying from the central position.

Qian and Kun—the Qian and Kun hexagrams in the Classic of Changes—govern the beginning and end of things. For this reason, the Zhen hexagram is called the Dragon. Qian and Kun are the foundations of the other hexagrams; by exchanging their lines, they form the Eight Trigrams. Qian first takes the bottom line of Kun to form Zhen. This corresponds to the hour of the Rat on the new moon, the first day of the month, when the Yang Fire begins to stir. Kun then takes the bottom line of Qian to form Xun. This corresponds to the hour of the Rat on the sixteenth day, when the Yin Talisman begins to stir.

Qian corresponds to jia and ren, while Kun corresponds to yi and gui. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three), a Daoist classic on the relationship between alchemy and the principles of the Classic of Changes, says, “Ren and gui are paired with jia and yi.” This refers precisely to Qian and Kun governing the beginning and end.

Over the thirty days of a month, Kun successively generates the Zhen, Dui, and Qian hexagrams. Zhen is the governing hexagram for the first five days of the first half of the month, Dui for the middle five days, and Qian for the final five. On the fifteenth day, the Great Yin—the Moon—reaches fullness at the jia position, and the Golden Liquor in the alchemical cauldron also reaches its height. This occurs as the hexagram phases gradually wax.

Qian successively generates the Xun, Gen, and Kun hexagrams. Xun is the governing hexagram for the first five days of the second half of the month, Gen for the middle five days, and Kun for the final five. On the fifteenth day, the Great Yin’s light is extinguished at the Gen position in the northeast, and the Golden Liquor in the cauldron is also fully formed. This, too, takes shape as the hexagram phases change.

Qian and Kun alternately generate and wane, forming a monthly cycle of thirty days. The Cantong qi says, “The numbers seven and eight together make fifteen; nine and six also correspond to one another. The four numbers together make thirty.” This describes the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang and their alternation.

“The Eight Trigrams are arrayed as radiant signs; their movement and transformation never depart from the center” means that the Eight Trigrams are arranged across the thirty days of the month. As they move with the sequence of time, they drive the changes of the Yang Fire and the Yin Talisman. These changes all converge in the Spirit Chamber—the central place of refinement and nourishment in Neidan—and bring about the transformations of the Great Elixir and Golden Liquor. The Cantong qi passage, “The Eight Trigrams are sealed and arrayed as radiant signs; their movement and transformation never depart from the center,” conveys the same meaning.

The commentary says that the human body also embodies the principles of Heaven and Earth. The rising and falling transformations of Yin and Yang within us correspond to those of Heaven and Earth. Yet people often allow the six desires and seven emotions to spill outward, thereby depleting their inner Jing and Qi, while remaining unaware amid the bustle of daily life. If we understand this principle, follow the changes of Yin and Yang, keep the mind calm and untroubled, and preserve our original nature, then the workings of Heaven and Earth can accord with the processes within the body, and every part of the body can respond to the rising and falling of Yin and Yang. Thinking less and avoiding disturbance by external things can also naturally help prolong life.

Going further, when refining an elixir, one sets up a furnace and vessel whose form takes its model from Heaven and Earth, draws in the essences of the sun and moon, and introduces Qi that harmonizes Yin and Yang. The elixir thus refined, called the “divine medicine,” is then taken. How could this fail to lead to immortality? Those who refine liquid gold—a Daoist Neidan and Waidan term that here refers to the elixir being made—must also understand the Eight Trigrams of Qian and Kun and how the thirty days of a month correspond to the degrees traversed by the sun and moon. The sun travels one degree each day, while the moon travels a little over thirteen. At the end of a month, the sun and moon arrive at the same position; this is called “the conjunction” (when the sun and moon meet at the new moon). The sun travels thirty degrees, and the moon travels 395. After twelve months, the moon again meets the sun at the position of the Dipper lodge, and that day is the winter solstice.

Thus, the sages of old who attained the Dao used the degrees traversed by the sun and moon to set the firing cycle for a month of elixir refinement. The first fifteen days correspond to the Zhen and Dui trigrams, governed by Qian; the latter fifteen correspond to the Xun and Gen trigrams, governed by Kun. The Li and Kan trigrams each have their own positions. The Yang Fire and Yin Tally—the terms for advancing Yang Qi and regulating Yin Qi during elixir refinement—advance and retreat at their appointed times, all arranged according to the images and numbers of the trigram lines.

Chapter Eighteen: Regulating the Fire for Sixty Days

When the fire is regulated for sixty days, transformations naturally become apparent. The Spirit Chamber—the inner space or vessel where the ingredients are placed and transformed during elixir refinement—has a corresponding form, shaped like an egg. The Five Sacred Peaks stand high within a deep cavern dwelling, and a pivotal hub governs the place where the four directions converge.

After sixty days of regulating the fire, changes will naturally appear as signs of verification. The Primordial Essence (yuanjing, the subtle vital energy used in alchemical practice) is inside the cauldron, and its form is difficult to see. Judging by the fire timing for a month, when the cauldron is opened for inspection, if little Golden Radiance (jin hua, a sign that appears during alchemical practice) has emerged and the Five Fluids have condensed slowly, this shows that the movement of Yang Fire and Yin Talisman has been excessive or insufficient. Another month is needed, continuing to follow the fire timing so that the Elixir can form. The Primordial Essence in the cauldron receives the external Talisman Fire. It changes at every step, yet these changes are difficult to see directly. Its movement—stillness or activity, rising or sinking—can therefore be judged by the hexagram images and fire counts corresponding to the twelve double-hours. The Cantong qi says: “The Primordial Essence is subtle and difficult to discern; to investigate and measure it, look to the talismanic verifications and signs.” This is what it means.

The Spirit Chamber (shen shi, the space where the ingredients are placed and the fire timing is applied during alchemical practice) has a definite form, which is likened to an egg. The perfected beings of antiquity looked up to observe the celestial patterns and down to examine the land. Taking Heaven and Earth, Qian and Kun, as their model, they established the Spirit Chamber in a shape resembling an egg, leaving an inch of empty space inside for the placement of Numinous Mercury (ling gong, an alchemical ingredient). The Cantong qi says: “When dwelling in it, observe its image; arrange it according to its shape.” This refers to just this.

The Five Sacred Peaks (the five great mountains) rise high, with grottoes within them connected to one another and joined at their meeting points by hubs. The numinous immortals of the earth are distributed among the Five Sacred Peaks, and the mountains are all secretly linked. The ancients set up markers as symbols and, following the mysterious method, arranged implements such as the altar, furnace, cauldron, and turtle vessel. They connected them with one another so that the fire energy could travel far without obstruction. If the fire energy escapes outward, signs of good or ill will appear within. The Cantong qi says: “Set up markers as standards, and observe the omens to determine good or ill.” This is what it means.

Before Heaven and Earth separated, their form was like an egg. After they separated, Yang Fire rose above, where the light and pure energy condensed to become Heaven; Yin Water sank below.

The commentary says: Before Heaven and Earth were separated, their form was like an egg. After they separated, Yang Fire rose, and the light, pure Qi condensed into Heaven; Yin Water sank, and the heavy, turbid Qi condensed into Earth. Thus Heaven and Earth each settled into their proper place.

The “Spirit Chamber” refers to the paired furnace vessels above and below in alchemical practice: the upper vessel symbolizes Heaven, and the lower vessel symbolizes Earth. Joined together, the two vessels also resemble an egg. A gap a little over an inch wide remains between them; this is the settled position of the Spirit Chamber. When Heaven and Earth meet, Fire within Water rises, and Water within Fire descends. They unite within true Earth, and all things come into being. When the Spirit Chamber meets, Fire arises from the Kan position, which symbolizes Water, and Water descends from the Li position, which symbolizes Fire. They unite within Wu and Ji, the Heavenly Stems that symbolize central Earth, and thus generate numinous Mercury—a term in internal alchemy for the wondrous substance produced through refinement and cultivation. From this, one may glimpse the hidden mystery within.

Chapter Nineteen: The Fire Is First Kindled Gently

At the beginning of kindling the fire, both the temperature and the fire’s force should be gentle and weak, as when the Yin and Yang lines—the symbols that form the hexagrams of the Yi—first begin to move. Above, the Golden Essence is supported; below, the form of Kun’s Origin is held up. Between them, pure white fluids are harmonized and circulate. Compare and examine these in relation to the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity: when Qian moves, it responds in harmony with the courses of the sun, moon, and stars; when Kun is still, it enfolds Yang Qi.

The commentary says: When the fire is first kindled, its force is mild and gentle, like a hexagram line just beginning to move. In refining the divine elixir, the fire must always be started in accordance with changes in the hexagrams and aligned with the twelve double-hours. This allows one to discern the fire’s advance and retreat.

For example, the Earth over Thunder hexagram, Fu (Return), represents the winter season. At this time, the lowest line changes from Yin to Yang, corresponding to the Zi double-hour. When the fire is kindled then, its force is not yet strong; it is only faintly warm. This is called “soft fire.” It corresponds to the lowest Yang line of Fu, the moment when all things begin to sprout. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) says: “Issue the command in accord with the season; do not miss the moment when the hexagram lines begin to move.” This is the principle being described.

“Above rests the golden essence; below, the form of the Kun origin,” means that the upper vessel—the upper container of the alchemical apparatus—belongs to Qian and represents Heaven, while the lower vessel belongs to Kun and represents Earth. The two vessels together form the divine chamber, the sealed space used for alchemical work. The Cantong qi says: “Above, observe the patterns of the Yellow River Chart; below, examine the courses of the terrain.” This describes how the upper and lower correspond, and Heaven and Earth unite.

“Within, harmonious and balanced, the pure fluid flows; joined together, the Three Powers are examined” means that once the position of the divine chamber has been settled, the pure fluid and numinous mercury—the dynamic mercury vapor of alchemy—come into being within it. The “central palace” mentioned here also serves as a metaphor for the place where the human mind and spirit reside. When the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity are all present, the myriad things emerge from them, and the transformations of Metal and Water follow. The Cantong qi says: “From within, examine human nature; join together and consider the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity.” This is what the passage means.

“Qian moves in response to the Three Luminaries; Kun, in stillness, contains the bright Yang” means that Qian represents Heaven, the sun, and fire. As Heaven, Qian moves, and the essences of Wood and Fire arise in the empty vessel, eventually forming golden liquid. Kun represents Earth, the moon, and water. In its stillness, Kun holds the essences of the moon, water, and Metal in harmony with the solar flowing pearl—a term in alchemy for a mobile, Yang essence—and envelops and gathers it in so that it does not scatter. The Cantong qi says: “In movement, follow the measures of the hexagrams; in stillness, take the line statements as your model. When the functions of Qian and Kun are put into operation, Heaven and Earth return to their original state.” Therefore, the fire’s timing and the changes between movement and stillness must all be handled with care.

The commentary explains: The sun belongs to the Li position (the Li trigram among the Eight Trigrams). It lies in the south, between Bing and Ding, the proper position of Fire. Fire is contained within the sun, and Fire in turn transforms into mercury; hence the saying, “Mercury is born from the sun.” “Night” here refers to Yin, and the “Yin soul” is also a symbol of Yin. The Li trigram consists of two Yang lines and one Yin line. Its spirit is Ji Earth, and it also symbolizes the middle daughter of the Kun trigram. Sunlight, too, rises by means of Ji Earth. Since Ji Earth belongs to a Yin position, it is paired with the Li trigram. Sunlight is also the light within the sun. It contains a mysterious, hidden color and appears vermilion, changing from blue-green to red; hence it is called cinnabar.

The moon belongs to the Kan position (the Kan trigram among the Eight Trigrams). It lies in the north, between Ren and Gui, the proper position of Water. Water is contained within the moon, and Water in turn transforms into metal; hence the saying, “Metal is born from the moon.” Metal is Yin and is called the “Yin soul.” The Kan trigram consists of two Yin lines and one Yang line. Its spirit is Wu Earth, and it also symbolizes the middle son of the Qian trigram. The moon, too, takes Wu Earth as its essence. Since Wu Earth belongs to a Yang position, it is paired with the Kan trigram. The moon’s essence contains a pure white color and transforms into Qi, changing from white into Qi; hence it is called Qi lead.

Mercury joins with the Qi of the Li trigram, corresponding to the position of the Yin line. This mercury is neither the ordinary mercury nor cinnabar of the world. It is a kind of wood born within the sun, called “the sun spirit’s water”; this is true mercury. Lead joins with the Qi of the Kan trigram, corresponding to the position of the Yang line. This lead is neither the saline lead produced in Jiazhou nor the lead found in various rocks. It is a kind of wood born within the Great Yin (the moon), called “white metal”; this is true lead. Lead divides into the Two Modes (Yin and Yang) and forms the spirit chamber; mercury is born as a single Qi and becomes the dark liquid. Together, these symbolize the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

End of juan two of the Commentary and Subcommentary on the Ancient Text of the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger.

Commentary and Subcommentary on the Ancient Text of the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, juan three.

Commentary and subcommentary by Wang Dao, Palace Commandant at the residence of the Prince of Enping, Junior Tutor to the Emperor’s Younger Brother, and Gentleman of the Fifth Rank; revised by Zhou Zhenyi, a Daoist priest of the Cultivating Simplicity Studio at the Taiyi Palace.

Chapter Twenty: “The Spirit Chamber Acts First”

The Spirit Chamber—the cauldron vessel used to congeal the ingredients during alchemical refinement—must first be built before the Golden Elixir can be refined. How could a vessel for refining the ingredients fail to be sturdy? It must contain the ingredients and enable them to rise and congeal. It must also open and close a wondrous, subtle gate, becoming a hidden chamber beyond ordinary perception and a source from which transformation and generation arise.

The commentary says: Only after the Spirit Chamber has been built and the methods of refinement mastered can the liquid gold, an important ingredient in refining the Golden Elixir, have any chance of congealing successfully. Alchemists must first prepare a sturdy cauldron so that the numinous mercury—an alchemical term for a mercury-like ingredient—congeals inside it without dispersing. Only then can they refine the elixir.

The Spirit Chamber has an upper and a lower vessel. When opened, it separates into two parts; when closed, they become one. Its interior is empty. When the Qi of water and fire unite within it, the wondrous elixir comes into being; hence it is called the “Chamber of the Subtle and Unfathomable,” a place too hidden and subtle to be perceived. White metal, an alchemical term referring here to true lead, serves as the mother and gives birth to mercury, which is called liquid gold. The Spirit Chamber is thus the treasury and dwelling place of the Golden Elixir.

The explanatory commentary goes on to say: The north corresponds to water, which can generate white metal. White metal, also called true lead, is the essence of utmost Yin and contains within it the Qi of Yang harmony. When the original Qi that existed as Heaven and Earth first emerged from chaos, each part returned to its source. The perfected people of antiquity took as their model the principle by which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things. They gathered the Qi of Yang harmony back into true lead and, in accordance with the natural order, fashioned the ingredients. This is the Qi of the true origin, which cannot be produced from ordinary worldly substances. With proper cultivation and a well-arranged method, one may hope to refine the Great Elixir.

The two beings, Dragon and Tiger, both arise within lead. With the Qi of water and fire, they rise and descend, bringing Metal and Wood into union within the Chamber of the Subtle and Unfathomable, and bringing the sun and moon together in the cavern of transformation. White metal, as the mother, contains many numinous beings and ultimately produces the supreme treasure.

Chapter Twenty-One: Yang Qi Stirs from the Kun Position.

Yang Qi rises from the position of Kun, which symbolizes receptive Yin and the power that bears and supports all things. The sun passes through the Mao lunar mansion and moves to its southernmost, most vigorous point. The Five Planets move as if linked together in a string of pearls, while the sun and moon meet as two jade disks joined together. Cinnabar changes in accordance with the cycles, and the rising and falling of the breath within the body corresponds to it.

The commentary says: Harmonious Yang Qi rises from the position of Kun. When the sun reaches its southernmost point, the supreme treasure comes into being.

The Chapter on Yang Qi Rising from the Position of Kun

Yang Qi rises from the position of Kun, the sun passes through the Mao lunar mansion and moves to its southernmost, most vigorous point. The Five Planets move as if linked together in a string of pearls, while the sun and moon meet as two jade disks joined together. Cinnabar changes in accordance with the cycles, and the rising and falling of the breath within the body corresponds to it.

The commentary says: Harmonious Yang Qi rises from the position of Kun. “The sun’s course reaches its southern limit” means that at the end of the Hai month, the pure Kun hexagram comes to an end. At midnight at the beginning of the next month, during the Zi hour, a Yang line arises at the bottom of the Kun hexagram, transforming it into the Fu hexagram, which symbolizes the first stirrings of Yang Qi. This is precisely when Yang Fire begins to emerge. From the Chou month through the Yin month and up to the Si month, Yang Qi gradually rises toward the south and reaches its height; Yin Qi then begins to grow in the fifth month.

“Five Planets linked like pearls, sun and moon joined like jade disks” means that the Five Planets travel around the celestial circuit as if strung together. At times they move quickly or slowly, pause or lie hidden, and their courses also vary through retrograde and direct motion, advance and retreat. The sun and moon follow their respective orbits, corresponding each month to one line position; when they meet, they are like jade disks joined together. Together, the sun, moon, and Five Planets form a system of correspondences between the inner and outer realms, illustrating the yearly cycle of Metal and Fire.

“Cinnabar changes in accordance with the cycles, and the breath corresponds to it” means that cinnabar is the essence of the sun and moon. As Water and Fire rise and descend, and the breath wanes and waxes, the cinnabar in the cauldron also floats up and sinks down, following the changes of Heaven and Earth and corresponding to the external talismanic fire. Here, “cauldron” is a term from alchemy: it refers to a vessel, or a symbolic vessel, that holds the ingredients and enables them to change during the process of refinement.

The explanatory commentary says: Kun is the mother of True Lead, representing the substance of Great Yin and its constant Qi. Only when it encounters Yang Fire does it give rise to form. Once form has taken shape, it passes in sequence through the sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred eighty-four lines, displaying myriad transformations. All these changes follow the cycles of the sun and moon, the Five Phases, and the stars. If ordinary substances such as gold and silver are taken to be the elixir, how could they possibly arise and transform in accordance with Yin-Yang and the four seasons?

The Chapter on Huagai Presiding Above

Huagai, the name of a star, presides from above, while Santai, the name of an asterism, supports it below. The spirit officials who oversee and record this matter must guard it closely and examine whether those undertaking it possess the appropriate abilities.

The Canopy (a star official surrounding the Purple Forbidden Enclosure and shaped like an umbrella) hangs high above, while the Three Platforms (a star official formed by six stars) provide support below. The offices responsible for overall administration and record keeping must handle the seasonal timings and regulations on which their work depends with care and discretion, and must inspect and verify whether each duty is being carried out competently.

The Canopy consists of sixteen stars, arranged like an umbrella within the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, where it shields the imperial seat. The Three Platforms lie outside the enclosure and symbolize the harmonizing of Yin-Yang and the governance of the myriad things. In the metaphor of alchemy, water and fire occupy the upper and lower parts of the Golden Cauldron, the vessel used for refining the elixir. When they are regulated properly, Shen and Jing descend into the cauldron. The Three Platforms also symbolize the office that oversees administration and records. It is the chief office among the officials, equivalent to the position of prime minister. The star Wenchang, too, is associated with documents and records.

At times, the five planets move in disorder and depart from their regular courses; the sun and moon lose their rhythm as they advance and retreat; the four seasons then fail to respond as they should, and wind and rain arrive out of season, preventing the myriad things from growing. This is like an alchemist mishandling the fire phases: the substances in the cauldron may dry out or overflow, their transformations become erratic, and the alchemical work is ultimately ruined. If one can manage the various seasonal markers with the ease of moving objects in the palm, and seal the vessel securely so that the refining proceeds without error, danger can be avoided. Whenever any part of the regulation is mishandled, one must inspect and verify whether those responsible for the fire phases and the tallies are competent.

The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) says: “Wenchang oversees the records and examines the Three Platforms in their role as assistants; each official has a supervisor and each takes charge of the affairs within their jurisdiction.” This is what it means.

The commentary explains that many people in the world study the Dao, but among ten thousand, scarcely one or two truly grasp its subtle principles. Some use the name of Daoist study to pursue private gain. Some refine what they call “yellow and white” substances, combining them with techniques of numerology such as Geng and Gen. Others recklessly claim to know the meaning of ancient texts, refine the Five Metals and Eight Minerals, and hope by luck to obtain the Great Medicine. They spend years and energy, yet in the end accomplish nothing.

The foolish therefore compound their mistakes, while the wise reduce their reckless actions. Some remain stubbornly deluded until death, never repenting, and pass their mistaken practices down from generation to generation. Some even abandon their occupations, squander their family wealth, and give up their duty to support their parents and the bonds of marriage. They wander far from home, enduring hunger and cold. Such things have happened in every generation. They fail to understand that the Great Medicine of the Golden Elixir is not made by refining a few measures of lead and mercury. It is the essence and Qi of Heaven and Earth, and the souls of the sun and moon. The key to cultivation lies in the movement of breath, not in forcibly manipulating such external substances.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Refining the Earth of the Central Palace with Fire

Refine the Earth of the Central Palace with fire, so that Metal enters the northern Water. After sixty days, these three substances—Water, Earth, and Metal—will undergo a transformation. The key to their natural transformation is first to preserve and nourish them, then to let them fade away. If too much fire is applied, or the proportions are wrong, mercury may fail to stabilize: though in the same place, the substances remain apart; hardness and softness resist each other and cannot unite. The fault lies not with the fire itself; the problem should be attributed to the Earth.

“Refine the Earth of the central palace with fire, so that Metal enters the Water of the north.” Here, “fire” refers to the sun and “Metal” to the moon. Their two qualities arise in response to the Qi of the Five Phases and the Six Tones. Thus fire can generate earth, and metal can generate water. Each gives forth its essence, and together they form a wondrous elixir. This is the meaning of the line in the Cantong qi: “The sun combines the essences of the Five Phases; the moon receives the order of the Six Tones.”

The three substances—water, fire, and metal—take sixty days to undergo their transformation. In the central palace there is only the one ingredient, the Metal Mother; the water and earth must be brought into harmony through the proper firing process before they can unite. If a month’s firing has passed and the liquid metal has still not formed in the quantity set by the Metal Mother, firing must begin again for another month. This process is what the Cantong qi means by “Five times six makes thirty cycles; when a cycle is complete, begin again.”

The key to natural generation is first to make the ingredients coalesce into form, then to prevent them from dispersing. The Golden Elixir of liquid metal depends entirely on mastering the firing process: fire is the parent of the ingredients, and the ingredients are the offspring of fire. Both arise naturally from the Qi of Heaven and Earth. When the fire is even and measured, it can generate gold and mercury; when its strength is misjudged, the elixir will disperse. Whether the elixir coalesces or disperses must therefore be determined over sixty days, by following the firing process from beginning to end. This is the meaning of the Cantong qi’s words: “Trace the beginning and see it through to the end; attend to the thread of survival and extinction.”

If the fire is applied too many times, the measure of the ingredients will lose its proper order. Excessive Yang fire can instead damage Shen and Jing, making gold and mercury restless and causing them to overflow the vessel, against the measure they should observe. This is what the Cantong qi means by “Perhaps the ruler is self-indulgent and unruly, filling beyond the Way.”

If mercury is unstable, sometimes uniting and sometimes separating, this is because mercury is the liquid metal. Whenever the firing process deviates, it moves with the fire inside the vessel and cannot follow its proper course; it then gathers and disperses unpredictably. This is the situation described by the Cantong qi: “Perhaps the minister is crooked and deceitful, and does not follow the proper course.”

If hardness and softness resist one another and cannot blend, the problem may not lie only in the firing process; the earth must also be examined. If the gold sand does not form in the proper quantity, and hardness and softness cannot unite, the cause may be not only the firing process but also impurity in the central palace’s Metal Mother or a deficiency in its vital essence. So in this case the fire is not blamed; the earth is investigated. The Cantong qi’s words “Perhaps the minister expands or contracts, deviating and changing, bringing regret and trouble; enforce the law, raise objections, examine the fault, and shift responsibility to its source” refer to investigating the deviation and tracing responsibility to its root.

The commentary says: Those who practice the alchemical method must understand the patterns governing the movements of the sun and moon, know the changes in Yin-Yang’s rising and descending, master how to increase or decrease the firing process, and distinguish genuine from false ingredients. Only then is there a chance of completing the alchemy. The key lies with the person who actually directs the circulation of the talismanic forces and controls the firing process. If you do not understand these principles yourself and cannot make up your mind when putting the method into practice, yet blame failure on your teacher’s having passed it on incorrectly, you have only your teacher to blame and no willingness to examine yourself. Those who are eager to learn should take this as a warning.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Earth Guards the Central Palace

Earth guards the center and covers the four directions. When the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Lights—move according to their patterns, stability and peace can be attained.

When the five viscera receive inner nourishment, the limbs come into harmony as well. Water Qi gathers, Fire Qi subsides, and inner light is held within, clear and bright. Metal and Water nourish one another, their radiance contained rather than spilling outward. Temper the warm water; when it is set in motion, all manner of transformations occur together. In this way, the Dao is close at hand and attainable.

“Earth steadies the central ruler and envelops the four directions” refers to Earth—that is, the Earth of Wu and Ji—which symbolizes the maternal source. The mother dwells at the center, gathering the harmonious Qi from the four directions and drawing it into the spirit chamber, which in alchemical practice symbolizes the place where the elixir forms, where it transforms into golden liquid. The Cantong qi says, “The Celestial Pole is likened to the Golden Mother,” comparing the North Star to the Golden Mother. The Golden Mother resides calmly at the center and nurtures with composure, like a ruler who brings peace to the ministers and people. Hence it says, “The Celestial Pole receives what is right, at ease and letting those below act.”

“The three luminaries move in due measure, bringing peace to the realm.” The three luminaries are the sun, moon, and stars. When their movements and retreats follow the proper course, the realm can be at peace, its laws carried out and the state secure. Neidan practice also has three luminaries, symbolizing the Yang Fire, Yin Water, and Golden Embryo. Waidan practice likewise speaks of three luminaries, distributed through the movement and stillness of the changing lines and through the Yin-Yang talismanic fires. When their operation accords with the proper measure, there is no deviation—just as sound governance brings peace to the realm. The Cantong qi says, “When correct virtue is clearly upheld, the state suffers no harm to the Dao.” This is the principle it describes.

“The five viscera are nurtured within, and the four limbs are harmonized.” This means that when the talismanic fires operate in accord with the seasons and their proper measures, the Perfected One within the cauldron chamber—the inner life subject in cultivation—will have harmonized, settled five viscera and four limbs, with a mind empty, still, and tranquil, living out a full life without premature injury or death. The Cantong qi says, “Within, nurture yourself; be peaceful, still, and empty.” This refers to inner cultivation and to stillness and Wuwei.

“When Water dries up and Fire goes out, the joined luminaries shine within” describes the timing of the fire in refining the Great Elixir: at the hours of Si and Hai, the fire is stopped. At this time, the refined essences of Metal, Fire, and Water each attain their proper state; their radiance fills the chamber and illuminates the body of the Perfected One. The Cantong qi says, “Conceal the source and reveal its brightness; illumine the bodily form from within.” This describes returning to the source and shining inward upon the body.

“Metal and Wood flourish together, their flowing radiance sealed within” means that the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger joins, and the natures of Metal and Wood accord. Metal restrains Wood, and through this restraint Wood is able to flourish. Their brilliance is gathered into the cauldron, while the numinous root is sealed firm within the chamber. All this comes from the Golden Mother’s nurturing and cultivation. The Golden Mother’s transformations are not constant; their subtleties cannot be understood without oral instruction. The Cantong qi says, “Seal the openings and build firm the numinous root.” This refers to gathering in what would otherwise flow outward and guarding the root.

“Water is tempered and harmonized; when it issues forth, all are transformed together; the Dao is near and may be sought.” This means that the Golden Mother releases the Qi of the three luminaries from within the cauldron, drawing in the essences of the sun, moon, and stars to nurture the sacred embryo. Its form cannot be discerned. The numinous mercury of the young sprout lies hidden within the spirit chamber and is difficult to see. As long as the fire is not mistimed and the water is kept to its proper measure, Water and Fire operate together according to the method, rising and descending in response to the workings of Heaven. Metal and Mercury will then naturally unite, and the dispositions of Dragon and Tiger will join. By reflecting on these symbols, one can understand the principles of transformation, and thereby comprehend the alchemical Dao. The Cantong qi says, “The three luminaries sink from sight; warmly nurture the young sprout. Though unseen, it is near and easy to seek.” This describes the three luminaries gathering inward to nurture the numinous substance: it cannot be seen, yet it is not far out of reach.

The commentary says: The principles of the Dao of Heaven and human affairs can be inferred by analogy. Before the vital essences of the sun, moon, and stars appear, and before the Four Images—the four forms of Yin-Yang change—have differentiated, Heaven and Earth are in chaos. Clear Qi and turbid Qi have not yet separated, and the Qi of True Lead remains in a chaotic state.

Once the chaotic Qi differentiates, clear Qi rises to become Heaven, while turbid Qi sinks to become Earth. Yin-Yang Qi harmonizes and gives birth to humanity. Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Three Powers—each take their proper place. The Qi of True Lead resides at the center, corresponding to Wu and Ji, the directions and attributes of Earth, and serving as the foundation for refining the divine medicine. It extends in all directions, joining with the Qi of Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire to congeal into liquid gold.

Among the Five Phases, Metal overcomes Wood, but Fire is hidden within Wood, and Fire in turn overcomes Metal. Metal and Fire counteract one another, yet also help one another flourish. Water overcomes Fire, but Earth is present within Fire, and Earth in turn overcomes Water. Water and Earth work together and transform into one another. These principles of mutual generation and overcoming are all contained in the oral formula and are not conveyed in writing. If we seek their origin in the Dao of Heaven, we find that it is simply the Qi of Primordial Harmony, the original Qi that pervades Heaven and Earth in an undivided state.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Water and Earth Alone Are Matched

When Water and Earth are matched, emerald radiance gives rise to auspicious clouds. Yellow Qi gathers into the essence of Primordial Unity, while purple light spreads across the sun. Only the sages truly understand that Water can nourish and give life to all things.

Note: …Qi alone.

The commentary says: When water and earth are paired on their own, they produce an emerald radiance and clouds. Here, “water” refers to Mysterious Water, and “earth” to the Mother of Metal. When the Sun’s fire joins with the Mother of Metal, the essence of wood in the spirit chamber—the symbolic furnace chamber of alchemy—transforms into Qi and produces clouds. The clouds gradually condense, and the flowing pearl moistens the cinnabar palace, eventually transforming into golden liquid. This is the process described in the Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) with the words, “Yellow within, it gradually penetrates the veins; its moisture reaches the skin.”

The “yellow Qi” in “Yellow Qi mingles with the primal essence; purple radiance spreads beneath the Sun” also refers to the Qi of water and earth. The Qi of water and earth constrain one another and thereby produce the Sun’s primal essence. If one can understand the subtle principle by following the pattern of change from beginning to end, the Sun’s primal essence will gradually descend into the space between being and nonbeing, forming the “yin’e” (the boundary or outline that takes shape as the elixir congeals). Purple radiance unfurls and yellow liquid ripples, showing that the divine medicine has not yet solidified. The Cantong qi says, “If the beginning is rightly set, the end will follow its course; though Qian is established, one cannot yet rely on it.” This means that even when the beginning is correct, one must still follow the changes that come afterward; even when Yang Qi has been established, one cannot yet take this as proof that the elixir is complete.

Only sages understand that water can generate all things. “One” corresponds to the number of water; the Mysterious Heaven generates water, which resides in the north. Metal is born from water, and metal in turn can generate water. The sages understand this principle of creation and so imitate the transformations of Heaven and Earth to refine the divine elixir, something beyond the understanding of ordinary people. This is precisely what the Cantong qi means when it says, “The One conceals it; ordinary people do not know.”

The commentary says: The two forms Qian and Kun, which symbolize Heaven and Earth and their Yin-Yang forces, contain and unite with each other. Heaven generates water through the number “one,” called Mysterious Water; Earth generates soil through the number “five,” called True Earth. When water and earth unite, all things are transformed into being. The sages understand this creative process, so they imitate Heaven and Earth to establish the spirit chamber, arrange water and fire according to Yin-Yang, and follow the changes of the hexagram lines and the turning of the four seasons. In this way, primal essence is produced, and divine mercury—the mercury like substance spoken of in alchemy—is generated.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Virtue of Metal Esteems White; Refining Lead

The virtue of metal esteems white, while lead is refined to obtain yellow. Once transformed, lead is generated in the central palace, the position that symbolizes the center in alchemy. When gold is melted, it does not scatter and fly away; when it is heated, smoke and clouds rise from the earth.

The annotation says: Gold’s virtue favors white, so lead is refined in order to obtain yellow. When lead is refined into white metal, the white metal becomes the spirit chamber, a vessel used in alchemy to contain and congeal the ingredients. Within the spirit chamber is gold-water, a substance in the elixir formed by the union of golden liquid and water-vapor. Gold-water changes through the action of fire, turning yellow; this is called “Yellow Rising.” The Cantong qi says: “Below, the sun’s warmth shines; hidden steaming lasts but a moment. First it liquefies, then congeals; this is called Yellow Rising.” This is what the passage means.

Golden liquid is moved and congealed, arising in the central chamber, the central part of the alchemical furnace or spirit chamber. Gold does not disperse when smelted. As fire scorches the golden bloom, the scene within the furnace becomes harmonious and clear. At times it transforms into light smoke and thin mist, shifting unpredictably within the cauldron chamber; at times it resembles stalactites hanging upside down, or great interlocking teeth. Sometimes it takes the forms of the sun and moon, and the hun and po souls appear as well; at other times it transforms into the shapes of dragons and tigers, symbolizing the union of Metal and Wood. These subtle, wondrous forms change in countless ways and are difficult to describe. How could refining miscellaneous materials such as the Five Metals and Eight Stones produce transformations so wondrous?

The commentary explains: Of all things in the world, only gold is not easily destroyed. Since the opening of Heaven and Earth, only the substance of gold has remained undiminished. For this reason, the root of gold is called true lead. True lead is formed before Heaven; its Qi was already present within undifferentiated chaos, before anything had been divided. After Heaven and Earth separated, the form of lead appeared as well. Without lead, the myriad things of Heaven and Earth could not work their subtle effects; therefore, true lead is everywhere.

Moreover, black metal gives rise to white metal, and white metal gives rise to gold. Gold is the supreme medicine. Whoever takes it can live as long as Heaven and Earth and unite with the Dao. Therefore, the essence of the virtue of gold is the lord of all spirits and the root of all things.

“Mutual Restraint of Being and Nonbeing,” Chapter Twenty-Seven.

Being and nonbeing constrain and transform each other. Above, the Azure Dragon—here referring to spiritual mercury—dwells within them. The two “nonbeings” take one “being” as their root, and the wondrous transformations within are beyond what can be fathomed.

The commentary explains that “being” refers to white metal, while “nonbeing” refers to the fire’s vital energy. They subdue one another; when metal and fire unite, spiritual mercury forms in the central palace, the place in alchemical practice where inner refinement takes place or the elixir coalesces. Spiritual mercury is the Azure Dragon mentioned here. The Cantong qi says that when the upper aperture is closed, it is called “being,” and when the lower aperture is closed, it is called “nonbeing.” The “nonbeing” below serves the “being” above, and thus wondrous De (Virtue/Power) dwells and guards above.

The “two nonbeings” in “the two nonbeings take one being as their root” refer to the Qi of Yin and Yang, and also to the souls of the sun and moon. The “one being” refers to the spirit embryo, the inner foundation formed through cultivation and refinement. Nothing else is mixed into the spirit embryo; it consists only of an empty form and Qi. With the Qi of water and fire, one draws in the essence of the sun and moon and gathers the refined substance of Yin and Yang, bringing it into the spirit embryo. The Golden Elixir then undergoes wondrous transformations that cannot be fathomed. The Qi of water and fire above and below the spirit chamber—the inner space used in cultivation and refinement—is gathered, nurtured, and brought to fruition by the Golden Mother, the foundation that gives birth to the Golden Elixir. These forces depend on one another and generate life. This is what the Cantong qi means by “the method of the two apertures: the Qi of metal depends on each in turn.”

The commentary says that the Golden Elixir is also called “Yellow Lift,” the name for the Qi of the nine transformations, an alchemical term for the stages of refining. Before taking elixirs, the ancients first purified their minds through fasting and stillness, then took Waidan (external alchemy) elixirs. They hoped that inner refinement and external alchemy would reinforce one another, allowing true Qi to warm the limbs and the whole body, making it easier to regain youth and become a pure Yang body, with a lifespan equal to Heaven’s.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Refining Silver from Lead

By refining silver from lead, the wondrous medicine will arise naturally. The “silver” here is the essence of gold; lead contains the numinous energy of the north. Water is the pivot of the Dao’s workings and the beginning of Yin-Yang’s generation, so it contains the essence of silver.

Lead can be transformed into yellow lead (the yellow substance formed when lead is refined), and occupies its corresponding place among the transformations of the five metals. Its surface bears the energy of the north, while within it conceals the essence of silver. It is like someone dressed in coarse cloth and carrying a precious jade within, whose outward manner seems wild and unrestrained.

A commentary explains that before white metal appears, its form lies hidden in the northern Mysterious Water. If one understands that white metal is concealed within black lead, extracts it as the foundation of the great medicine (the core substance used in alchemical practice), and follows the prescribed method to set Yin-Yang transformations in motion, the wondrous substance will arise naturally. This accords with the saying in the Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three), a Daoist alchemical classic: “Know the white and hold to the black; the spirit will come of itself.”

“White is the essence of metal”: here, white metal is the essence of gold. “Qi is the foundation of water”: true lead is the foundation of Mysterious Water, and is often said to contain the vital energy of the true water of the north. The essence of silver arises from water and is used to refine the wondrous vessel. Water flows without ceasing; metal and water join one another, becoming the pivot of transformation and the root of Yin-Yang. Hence it is called the essence of silver, the medicine used in alchemy. The Cantong qi says, “Water is the pivot of the Dao; its number is called One, the beginning of Yin-Yang.” This refers precisely to water as the starting point and pivot of Yin-Yang transformation.

Lead is also called “Mysterious” and belongs to the direction of Kan, the trigram that represents the north and water. In the transformations among metal, water, and fire, lead occupies the pivotal position, and is therefore linked to the root of Yin-Yang.