《固气还神九转琼丹论》

The greatest De (Virtue/Power) of Heaven and Earth lies in generating and nurturing the myriad things. For human beings, the key to preserving life is in caring for the body. The root of the body comes from the primordial Qi (vital energy) circulating between Heaven and Earth; only when the Qi of Yin-Yang intermingles is life formed. When Yin and Yang interact, the mechanism of Qi flows smoothly; when Yin and Yang are blocked, the vitality of life is obstructed. If blockage persists too long, growth and reproduction become impossible, and longevity is hard to achieve. If a person can emulate Heaven and Earth, they can attune themselves to the movements of Heaven and Earth. When the Qi of Heaven and Earth communicates, a person’s Shen (spirit) is thereby nourished. The root of life lies in the union of Jing (essence) and Qi; if Jing and Qi can maintain their circulation, life has a lasting foundation.

The circulation of Jing and Qi is like the succession of the four seasons and the rotation of the sun and moon: continuous movement is the normal state; if they retract and stagnate, harm will result. If the four seasons do not cycle, how can the myriad things grow? If the sun and moon do not illuminate each other, how can the myriad things be bright? Therefore, to think that Jing and Qi should not circulate is a misunderstanding. The scriptures say: “Running water does not stagnate, and a door hinge is not eaten by worms.” Movement is beneficial. If this is true even of water and wood, how much more so of a person’s Jing and Qi?

The activity of Jing and Qi enables Jing to grow; just as when Yang Qi unfolds, plants and trees flourish, and just as fire blazes when aided by the wind. The dividing and uniting, rising and falling of Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth is the constant Dao (the Way) of nature, which cannot be abolished by human effort. The union of man and woman to propagate life is also the root of life bestowed by nature. If one violates this natural root, how can one hope for long survival?

Some people do not understand the root of the Dao and merely say that retaining Jing can lead to longevity; this view is greatly mistaken. If simply holding back semen could ensure perpetual existence, it would be as unreliable as holding water in a cloth bag. Jing can transform into blood, blood into Qi, and Qi again into Jing; Jing and Qi are always changing, and no state is eternally fixed. Even if one does not ejaculate outwardly, it is not necessarily beneficial; instead, it may cause over-strained Jing to stagnate internally, allowing pathogenic Qi to invade the Mingmen (the vital gate that sustains life), thereby harming life. People of the world often only covet the name of “consolidating Jing,” yet do not know the method of nourishing Jing. Merely sealing up the semen, even if it is temporarily retained, will ultimately decline along with the Qi; when Jing and Qi circulate normally, they can continually generate and transform through the blood. When blood and Qi are abundant, the complexion is moist and lustrous; when the brain marrow is depleted, the hair changes. The flourishing and decline within the body manifest in the outer form; this is a principle that people often see but do not necessarily understand.

What is called consolidating Jing first requires preserving Qi; what is called consolidating Qi first requires returning Jing to Qi. When Qi is sufficient, Yang Jing is not depleted; when Jing returns to Qi, the primordial Qi is not scattered. Therefore the Huangting Jing says: “When the three Shen return the Jing, the old become vigorous.” This means that Jing transforms into Qi and rises upward. If Qi cannot be secured, Jing will be exhausted; when Qi turns back into fluids and descends, if Jing cannot return, Qi will also be harmed.

This is like water in a cauldron that, when heated, turns into steam: water originally has no Qi, yet under the pressure of fire it transforms into Qi and rises. If the steam rises and is not constrained, it dissipates; when the Qi is exhausted, the water also dries up. If the water does not leak from below and the steam does not dissipate from above, water transforms into Qi and rises, Qi condenses into water and descends, circulating up and down without end. Therefore the Huangting Jing says: “Unobstructed pathways have no rest or end.” This is precisely the essential secret of consolidating Jing and nourishing Qi.

People today only know that nourishing Qi is beneficial, yet do not understand the method of caring for Qi; they only know the phrase “consolidating Jing,” yet do not understand the principle of consolidating Jing. If Qi transforms into Jing and flows downward and is lost, what use is merely speaking of nourishing Qi? If Jing transforms into Qi and dissipates upward, what use is only talking of consolidating Jing? The Huangting Jing also says: “If one can preserve the primordial Zhen, all affairs are complete; the Jing and Shen of the whole body must not be lost.” Therefore, the Dao lies in transformation; the key to attaining the Dao is to make Jing and Qi return and circulate. If one can cause transformation to return to the origin and continually transform, the merit and De can reach the Nine Heavens (the highest celestial realms spoken of in Daoism).

The root of the Numinous Elixir originates from a person’s spirit (Shen) and therefore must not be allowed to scatter or dissipate. One must understand that the Dao (the Way) is manifested in transformation; those who attain the Dao are able to reverse and transform it. Through repeated circulation, reaching all the way to the Nine Heavens, merit and virtue then become manifest.

The root of the Numinous Elixir is endowed from the “Qi of True Unity” (the primordial Qi generated by the Dao).

“True Unity” is the source of the Great Dao and is called “Water.” The “Water” spoken of here is Qi (vital energy), and Qi is the Dao. The Dao originally has no name; only because Qi condenses and takes form is it provisionally called “Dao.” When Qi condenses into physical form, and after form and substance differentiate, the name “Elixir” then arises. As the Flower Pond (Huachi, a metaphor in internal cultivation for the place that receives and transforms the fluids and Qi) circulates and operates, Qi naturally generates and transforms. Therefore the Great Elixir (here referring to the elixir obtained through cultivation) takes the Qi of True Unity as its root and employs “Spirit Water” together with the Flower Pond to circulate and transform it.

The cycle of Qi begins from the “River Chariot” (Heche, a Neidan [internal alchemy] term referring to the pathway or mechanism that transports the circulation of Qi) in the north. The combined number of spokes on the chariot wheels is thirty, modeled after the thirty days of a lunar month. Each month is divided into six periods, with Yin-Yang each occupying half, alternating and interacting with one another. The inner circulation corresponds to the twenty-four solar terms; when Qi completes one full circuit, the Elixir circulates once. Circulation begins from the Kan position in the north (in the directions of the Bagua [Eight Trigrams], associated with Water and located in the north), which is the place where a single Yang first arises, symbolizing the submerged dragon beginning to unfold its De (Virtue/Power).

Next, one must determine how the Spirit Water is to be employed.

The Divine Water (the foundation in Neidan (internal alchemy) used to receive and harmonize the medicinal substances) and the Flower Pond (a metaphor for the place that receives the medicinal substances during elixir refinement) must both be present in order to receive the true lead. If the lead is not genuine, the Divine Water cannot take it in; if the mercury is not genuine, the black lead cannot unite with it. Immortal practitioners abhor the admixture of impurities and do not employ disordered Qi (vital energy), and so they first stabilize the Divine Water before matching it with the true lead.

The elixir Jing (scriptures) state: “If the lead is not true, mercury finds it difficult to settle; if the lead is true lead, mercury will naturally submit and become still.” After it has submitted and become still, it is called the Flowing Pearl (a metaphor for the form of mercury in the process of refinement); the Flowing Pearl transforms into Golden Fluid, also known as Golden Slurry or Jade Nectar. These designations are all different forms appearing in the transformation process of the Great Elixir (the medicinal substance sought in Neidan cultivation); they do not undergo change through the agency of talismans or tokens. Thus it is said that first stabilizing the Divine Water is so that it may be able to receive the medicinal substances.

The Divine Water is the very foundation of the Great Elixir. Extracting from it the essence of lead produces the Yellow Sprout (the sprout-like essence condensed from lead-essence in Neidan). Collecting the Yellow Sprout, once more circulating the work of creation and re-adjusting the mechanism of generation, and refining it through nine turnings, it is then called Cinnabar, Purple Wandering Sand, Immortal Radiance Purple Paste, Golden Fluid, or Returned Elixir. These names all originate from the Divine Water’s reception and transformation of the medicinal substances, returning to the numerical principle of “one,” with the changes occurring of themselves.

Water belongs to “one” in the numerical correspondences of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); it contains the Qi mechanism and nourishes the true nature. Corresponding to its directional position it appears black, and therefore it can unite with the true lead.

True lead belongs to Metal and also receives the black Qi of the north, so it likewise belongs to Water; it is not the lead of the ordinary world. The mercury that corresponds in kind to true lead is likewise not the mercury seen in the mundane world.

True lead gathers in its radiance and conceals its traces; its transformations are accomplished by the natural processes of creation.

True lead possesses the symbolic correspondences of the five colors, resonates with the Five Phases, and communicates with the workings of creation, and is therefore called “natural.”

It sometimes sinks and sometimes floats, appearing to exist and yet not to exist.

The Jinhu Yuanjun Chilong Jue states that this realm is floating and hazy, profound and unfathomable, like clouds and vapors; yet within it there is a subtle substance capable of generating and transforming things. It seems both present and absent, making it difficult to discern what truly constitutes the “True.”

Here the “True” refers to obtaining the “unitary primordial Qi (vital energy),” causing it to transform and give birth to a sprout. This sprout differs from the lead spoken of in the ordinary world. It denotes the already coagulated “flower of True Lead,” which manifests from within the lead. Most of those who cultivate elixir methods fail to obtain this flower, instead mistaking worldly black lead for it and taking the yellow blossoms refined from lead as the “sprout”—this is a grave misunderstanding.

This flower is called “Divine Light Flowing Pearl,” also known as “Golden Flower Liquid,” “Yellow Lightness,” “Divine Talisman White Snow,” or “Yellow Sprout.” Immortal practitioners regard its meaning as extremely secret. Xiao Shilang’s Dadan Ge says: “For a thousand years it has been kept secret solely for the Yellow Sprout.”

This sprout appears in the cauldron as if a tally corresponding with a feudal lord, or like a sagely and divine object. The various wondrous scenes it presents all accord with the great work of Heaven and Earth’s creation and the marvelous functioning of the cosmos; it is truly not easily obtained. Those who obtain this sprout have already entered the realm of the immortals.

This passage discusses the essential principles to grasp when refining the Great Elixir—an important elixir in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) or elixir methods—as well as the profound source of “Divine Water,” an alchemical term for the watery Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) that play a crucial role in the elixir-refining process. Nowadays some people refine medicines in the hope of attaining longevity, yet they remain ignorant of the root of the numinous elixir and instead merely pursue cinnabar and mercury, alchemical terms that commonly refer to cinnabar, mercury, and the medicinal substances they symbolize.

From ancient times, accomplished Daoists and True Persons have transmitted immortal Jing (scriptures), elixir texts, and secret oral instructions. All of these teach that one must first understand Water and Fire together with Divine Water, and then investigate the laws and symbols of generation and transformation. By coordinating the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang), existence arises from non-existence and then returns from existence to non-existence. Through this repeated circulation, when the cycle reaches its conclusion, the Divine Elixir is naturally attained.

This back-and-forth circulation must follow the waxing and waning of the sun and moon as well as the qualitative changes of the Five Phases. For example, around the fifteenth and sixteenth of each lunar month, when the moon is fullest and brightest, the Qi of the elixir likewise reaches a state of flourishing brightness. The moon then begins to wane, and after cycling it grows again; this “generation” refers to the production of a single Qi. In accordance with the earlier state of the full moon, one then collects and subdues the “nine restorations and seven returns,” a term in elixir methods that describes the cyclic return of Yin-Yang Jing and Qi. This is the cultivation process spoken of here.

“Nine” marks the beginning of primordial Yang, the fundamental Yang Qi, while “seven” marks the inception of Great Yin, the deep Yin Qi. Yin-Yang coordinate with each other in an unending cycle, and this is therefore called the Dao (the Way).

Cinnabar, lead frost, the Eight Stones, the Three Yellows, and various metallic minerals are not the fundamental source of the Great Elixir (the true elixir of internal refinement spoken of in Daoism). They can be processed through ritual methods and transformed into useful treasures, which may then be employed to relieve poverty, assist in the cultivation of the Dao (the Way), and succor the orphaned, the destitute, and those in urgent distress. Yet if these heavy, stubborn, and stagnant minerals are taken to be the Great Elixir itself, how could the aims of cultivation possibly be attained? The Immortal Scriptures state that if one ingests a knife-point (daogui, an ancient measuring instrument for medicinal substances, also used to indicate a small quantity of a drug) in the morning, one will grow wings and feathers by evening. Could such efficacy possibly arise from these dull and inert materials? It is truly a matter for lament.

Lord Yuanyang said: “Only when the formless gives birth to the formed is it called the Returned Elixir; ordinary mercury and cinnabar need not be laboriously manipulated.” The “formless” referred to here denotes the Divine Water and the Flowery Pond (terms in Neidan for the loci within the body where Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) circulate); the “formed” is the substantial quality that takes shape after the Divine Water condenses Jing and Qi. The Great Elixir resonates with the Divine Water, is born by receiving Qi, and takes form through the condensation of Qi.

Heshang Gong said: “Within the vague and indistinct, there is the One.” This means that the Dao operates and transforms amid the obscure and barely perceptible, ultimately forming something possessed of shape by means of Qi.

The practitioners of immortality take water as the foundation, causing Qi to condense into the Elixir Embryo. The Elixir Embryo and the water upon which it depends exist in mutual reliance, and this is called the Great Elixir. The Elixir Embryo receives Qi and thereby takes form, while the Great Elixir establishes its substantial quality by relying upon water. To say that it is generated by Qi is a secret jointly guarded by the practitioners of immortality, who have never lightly divulged the heavenly mechanism, and for this reason it is exceedingly precious and difficult to obtain. Although water possesses form, it has in the end not yet condensed into a fixed substantial quality; the immortals apply secret formulas to refine it, causing it to rise and transform until it can finally condense into form.

What is called “ascent” is the Yang Qi within the cauldron rising upward; what is called “descent” is the Yin Qi within the vessel condensing downward. This speaks precisely of the Qi of emptiness and nonbeing which, after condensing, forms the elixir.

“Xuyuan” refers to the state within the cauldron and vessel that bears and contains the two Qi of Yin-Yang. The two Qi of Yin-Yang are none other than one Yin and one Yang interacting and uniting to become the Dao, and thus it is said: “One Yin and one Yang constitute the Dao.”

When the process of ascent and descent has reached its proper measure, the spiritual nature of void and subtle wonder and the physical form arise of themselves. Hence it is said that "producing substance from the insubstantial" is the Returned Elixir (the process in Neidan, internal alchemy, by which the elixir is condensed from a state of emptiness). Perfected Master Yin said: "Creation and transformation form the myriad things, which is to say that being is born from nothing; only after the yin spirit lodges in physical form does one understand that within being there is nothing." This is what is meant by "one Yin, one Yang: this is called the Dao (the Way)."

The so-called monthly opening of the cauldron and bathing of the elixir requires adding the Azure Dragon (symbolizing yang qi) and bathing the White Tiger (symbolizing yin qi). When Yin-Yang blend together, they become an undifferentiated whole without form, and no concrete shape can be seen. For this reason it is called "nothingness within being."

At this stage one must keep time by the water clock, calculate the transformations of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and follow the positions of the Dipper, the Jade Armillary, and other stars to govern the advance and retreat of the fire phasing, so that it accords with the proper timing. When the time comes to introduce water or fire, one should act by the water clock before noon, keep incense burning without interruption, and respectfully report to the Higher Perfected (the venerable divine immortals). The Qian fire (symbolizing yang fire) is blazing and bright, and there is concern that the furnace and cauldron may go wrong. One therefore cannot leave the elixir chamber even for a moment, and must listen intently for sounds like a dragon's chant.

One must observe the changes of Yin-Yang closely and grasp the right moment for regulation. If the male sound grows stronger and its force turns fierce, then open the Noon Gate for a time. Above the Noon Gate there is also the Si Gate, which can cut off the Qian fire. If the martial force of the yang is hard to bear, open the Noon Gate temporarily and draw in yin fire, using yin qi to restrain yang qi, so that the fire phasing gradually turns clear, mild, and subdued.

Draw off the fire qi only slightly. If the sound is clear and faint, proceed slowly and close the gate quickly, so that the fire does not die out or stagnate for too long and disturb the transformation of the divine elixir. When the time comes to introduce water and withdraw fire, the season falls at the Gou hexagram (the original text reads "Shen hexagram"; the Gou hexagram signifies the first yin arising to meet five yang lines). One yin receives five yang, just as the way of Kun follows the way of Heaven; the myriad things are formed from this, and in the end there will be a good result.

"Treading on frost, the solid ice is near" speaks of yin qi beginning to congeal. In the height of summer, thunder shakes, and grace and awe descend together, and the body of the elixir gradually takes shape. Cultivation and nurturing must not falter; the water clock should reach the second watch, when it accords precisely with the auspicious time of the Fu hexagram (in which yang qi begins to return).

The Da Yi says that the pairing of Yin-Yang to form Yang is the key to the operation of the Great Dao (the Way). Yin Qi (vital energy) conceals itself in hiding, like a crouching tiger; after treading upon the first frost, brightness appears. By the time solid ice has frozen over, the elixir has already transformed into a coagulated liquid.

Once the transformations of the Divine Water (the water used in elixir refining) are complete, the efficacy of the Great Dao is fully prepared, the creative work of Heaven and Earth has taken form, and the Yellow Sprout (the initial elixir substance generated in Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation) has acquired substance. Refine it further so that it undergoes nine transformations, and a numinous form and quality will appear. This is called the “Old Sprout”; only at this stage is it considered mature.

When the Yellow Sprout is refined to the ninth transformation, its form may resemble stacked layers of stalactites, precipitous mountain rocks, tadpole-like patterns, silk-veined agate, or exquisite jade pillars, and it may also display other marvelous appearances. When the nine transformations are about to be completed, collect it to serve as the foundation for refining the Great Medicine, and then proceed to refine the Reverted Elixir.

The “Jade Pot Ode of Taiyi Zhenren” says: In the tenth month snow flies and frost is thick; the Yellow Sprout matures within the body, its color bright and vivid. How can those who cultivate elixir methods, upon seeing the Yellow Sprout mature, not think of the Golden Tiger and Dragon?

To think of the “Golden Tiger and Dragon” means that the Yellow Sprout has already matured, and next one must refine the Great Medicine to make it into elixir. Dragon and Tiger are titles of the Golden Elixir (Jindan). Although the Yellow Sprout has matured, it is merely a solitary Yang sprout; Yin-Yang are not yet complete, so it cannot serve directly as the Great Medicine. It must still be matched with the Green Dragon and White Tiger so that Yin-Yang combine, and only then can it become the Great Medicine. The Cantong qi says: “The sprout of solitary Yang cannot stand independently; water must be used to blend and harmonize Yin-Yang before it can become the Great Medicine.”

The Yellow Sprout is originally the foundation for refining the Reverted Elixir and also the root of the Great Medicine. During refining one must still reopen the processes of creation and regulate generation. The water used for combining the elixir must be clear and may be used only after standing for more than a month.

The water for combining the elixir should be clarified and left to stand for over a month to prevent dust and dirt from mixing in and causing the elixir to lose its luster. It should be stored in precious vessels of gold, silver, and the like, while avoiding the entry of dust. Combining-elixir water has distinctions of heavy and light, soft and hard; one can discern its relative weight from the way the droplets fall. Water of heavier quality can be used; this refers to the stone-spring water capable of penetrating the Yang vessels.

The Most High (an honorific title in Daoism for the supreme deity) said: When Heaven obtains “the One,” it becomes clear and luminous; when Earth obtains “the One,” it becomes peaceful and stable; when the myriad things obtain “the One,” they are able to grow. “The One” refers to the fundamental Dao (the Way) that enables all things to be generated and to operate.

The transmutation of the Golden Elixir (jindan; the medicinal elixir or Neidan (internal alchemy) in Daoist cultivation) follows the principle of nature. What is called “obtaining the One” means obtaining the spirit water, and thus it is named the Flower Pond of Spirit Water. The cultivation path of immortals who embrace and hold to “the One” is to receive primordial Qi (vital energy) and come into being amid empty stillness and harmonious blending.

The original nature of water is pure Yang, yet the form it manifests belongs to pure Yin. Pour a hundred hu of water into a cauldron and boil it until the moisture is completely evaporated, and its originally formless and substanceless aspect is revealed. Water need only slightly moisten the earth for the myriad things to grow. The myriad things possess form and substance because they draw vital force from formless Qi and thereby condense into shape; water is the same. Since even the myriad things can draw vital force from Qi and grow, the mystery of the Golden Elixir likewise resides in the spirit water. Therefore it is said that the safeguarding of the Golden Elixir has many levels, and its subtlety lies in the Flower Pond of Spirit Water. This essential formula is truly of the utmost importance, yet regrettably people do not understand it. When the Golden Elixir obtains the spirit water, it is like grasses and trees putting forth sprouts and flourishing in growth. Is this not establishing the formed from the formless? This is the principle of the spirit water.

If one extracts mercury from cinnabar or refines lead-blossom from lead in order to obtain the sprout, the Qi natures of the materials used differ from one another and cannot accord with the Great Dao. Still less must one clearly demarcate the hours, make explicit the correspondences of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and follow the progression of day and night together with the laws of circulation, acting in accordance with the proper time and observing the tallies.

What is here called the “tallies” refers to the timing arrangements corresponding to the twelve double-hours. Each double-hour has its corresponding numerical value and is matched to the water-clock measurement; in accordance with the changes of the tallies, the Great Elixir displays five-colored radiance. All these transformations are brought about by the tallies.

Do not overlook the changes of left and right; listen carefully to distinguish the chanting sounds. If the timing is even slightly off, previous efforts may well be wasted.

The Perfected One said: “For example, the Golden Liquid elixir must contain saliva, receive the fluid, and digest it into a paste, hence it is called ‘Golden Liquid.’ If one takes cinnabar as mercury and lets the mercury condense into frost, how could that possibly be called Golden Liquid?” This shows that some people fail to examine the ancient methods, misinterpret the principles of the scriptures, and judge according to subjective imagination. As a result they depart from the Dao (the Way) and go against De (Virtue/Power), exhausting the family fortunes of many yet still failing to complete the refinement. The people of the world are ignorant; who can make them understand?

In cultivating the elixir method, the key is first to recognize the “True Lead,” after which one can arrange the transformations of Yin-Yang. If one does not know the root of the numinous elixir, one merely wastes wealth in vain. Guangchengzi said: “In cultivating the Shangqing Divine Elixir, if one can grasp the origin, understand the functions of water and fire, discern the quantities of the medicines, and apply the work according to the temporal sequences shown by the water clock, one can emulate the movements of heaven and earth, and nothing cannot succeed.”

Therefore, when heaven and earth undergo change, the sage emulates it; when the heavens display the myriad phenomena, the sage takes them as models. A person’s pulse and breath circulate throughout the body, and the water clock measures a hundred ke. In cultivation one should likewise operate according to the temporal sequences, determining the moment by the number of ke. The water clock never stops, and the elixir method also changes with time; the changes accord with the degrees and proceed according to the corresponding ke. When the timing is without error it accords with the Heavenly Dao, heavenly time corresponds with human affairs, and creation finds its destination; this is called the Returning Elixir. Is this not emulating Qian and Kun, circulating the sun and moon, completing the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity, and returning the Four Images to the real?

Cultivation begins from emptiness and non-being, generating being from non-being. One arranges the solar terms and divides the time periods, taking roughly five days as one hou; all things transform and change accordingly. The ancients said that after five days the sparrow enters the water and becomes a clam; after another five days the pheasant enters the water and becomes a shen. The elixir method takes its images from creation and likewise follows such transformations: after another five days the spirit water and the ice elixir merge into one form. This is the principle of heaven and humanity transforming together, calendar and rhythm advancing in unison.

For example, today the Zhifu is activated, initiating the qi (vital energy) mechanism of the Fu hexagram, operating the great numbers of water and fire, and matching the two lines of Qian and Kun. Within the twelve double-hours there is Yin and Yang, brightness and darkness, movement and stillness, advance and retreat. The Dou Gang and Xuanji complete one circuit, changing with the hexagram images; the five colors flow and shine, and both heaven and humanity rejoice.

This set of secret methods is inscribed beyond the golden slips and may also be stored within the heart; it is not something that can be casually spoken to worldly people. The Immortal Precepts say: “When the Heavenly Gate opens and the Earthly Door splits, the mysterious mechanism held by the sage cannot be leaked at will.” How then could one discuss it lightly? The Elixir Scripture says: “If one can obtain the origin of the medicines, perhaps one can succeed in refining it; once it is refined, it will surely benefit the multitude.”

Once this elixir has been refined to completion, it has the power to preserve an entire family and enable the whole household to escape disaster and calamity; it is not merely for a single person to ascend as an immortal. It is not something that may be casually discussed with ordinary worldly people. The immortal precepts (the disciplinary rules observed by those who cultivate immortality) state: “When the Heavenly Gate opens and the Earthly Door splits apart, that is the moment when the sage employs the essential mechanism; do not leak it arbitrarily.” How, then, could one speak of it lightly? The elixir texts say: “If one can obtain the root-source of the medicine, the chance of success is one in ten thousand.” Once it is successfully refined, it can bring benefit to the multitude.

Nowadays some people refine the medicine: although they talk about it with their mouths, they have not actually grasped the true method. They speak of the medicine every day and discuss the elixir daily, yet when they inquire into the genuine root-source they do not know the marvelous purport within. How can such people bring benefit to the multitude, preserve the entire family, and enable the household to ascend as immortals? The immortal scriptures say: “If one does not obtain the root-source of the medicine, even a single person will find it difficult to achieve completion; if one understands the Divine Water (an internal alchemy term referring to the key subtle substance used in refining the elixir), the entire family can return to authenticity (returning to original truth, meaning successful accomplishment in cultivating the Dao).”

The elixir texts say: “The Divine Water and the Sacred Stone (two key substances used in elixir refinement), one dragon and one tiger (internal alchemy terms often used to refer to the two complementary forces of Yin-Yang), are the root of the ten thousand things, guided by the divine immortals.”

After obtaining the source of the medicine, one studies every day and thereby makes new progress every day.

What is called obtaining the source of the medicine means continuously cultivating in accordance with the regulations, operating at the appointed times, and combining and refining once each month. Opening the tripod and bathing (opening the elixir furnace and performing cleaning and arranging), one observes the color of the elixir; as cultivation proceeds, one gradually perceives the obscure, subtle, and mysterious aspects, comprehension likewise increases, and the principles become clearer day by day.

To grasp the Dao (the Way) of transformation, the key lies in guarding the One (holding single-mindedly so that the mind-spirit does not scatter).

The Dao of transformation has its regulations, and its marvelousness lies in guarding the One. The calculation of commencing Jia (calculating the timing of cultivation according to the gan-zhi calendar) is like the generative season of spring. The scriptures say: “The Dao of the Three and the One (the cultivation principle related to ‘three’ and ‘one’), Heaven and Earth always wax and wane and change according to the temporal sequence, circulating across the great earth, and finally returning to the Central Palace; the number of the Central Palace is five.” The elixir texts say: “Three, five, and one are the most refined essence between Heaven and Earth; they can be transmitted by oral secret formula, yet are difficult to write in books for circulation.” The essential secret of refining the Great Elixir cannot be separated from calculations of the numerical arts; the Divine Water and the Flower Pond (internal alchemy terms referring to the subtle substances related to cultivation and the locations in the body), if there is no genuine attainment, cannot be coordinated according to this method. Guard the Sovereign Earth (symbol of the central earth), return to the Central Palace; the number of the Central Palace is five. The elixir texts say again: “Three, five, and one are the most refined essence between Heaven and Earth; they can be transmitted by oral secret formula, yet are difficult to write in books for circulation.” The essential secret of refining the Great Elixir cannot be separated from calculations of the numerical arts; if the Divine Water and the Flower Pond have no true cultivation, they cannot be made to unite. Guarding the One is the guiding outline of cultivating the Dao.

August Heaven has no partiality (Heaven above does not show favoritism toward any particular person).

Heaven above nurtures the ten thousand things, and its concern for human beings is especially deep. There is not a single phenomenon or mechanism in the operation of Heaven and Earth that is not under the observation of Heaven above. When cultivation of the Dao is accomplished and De (Virtue/Power) is complete and perfect, one will resonate with the Jade Emperor (the celestial deity venerated in Daoism); only good deeds are worthy of closeness, and Heaven above will also discern clearly.

“My fate is in my own hands,”

Life is not bestowed by Heaven, nor is longevity decided by Heaven. If one can nourish body and mind according to the circulating laws of Yin-Yang, one can preserve youth and also learn longevity; all of this can be achieved through cultivation.

Without the Golden Elixir (Jindan), one cannot become an immortal.

The human body weighs more than a hundred jin; how could it possibly become light enough to fly and ascend? Without the Golden Elixir, there is no way to wash and refine body and mind. Once the miraculous elixir has been completed, it is said to reverse aging and restore childhood, listing a person among the Perfected (zhenren, those who have attained the Dao (the Way) and become immortals), with the name recorded in the Jade Register (yuji, the roster of the immortal realm). Thus one shares longevity with Heaven and endures as long as the Earth. That is why it is said that without the Golden Elixir, one cannot become an immortal.

Refining the elixir requires long-term perseverance.

Refining the divine elixir cannot be finished in a day and a night: after nine cycles of transformation the medicine first congeals into a “sprout,” and only after another nine cycles is the Golden Elixir completed. To bring the elixir into accord with the creative work of nature, one must cultivate in famous mountains and blessed lands, prepare all that is needed each day, have several fellow practitioners take part together, and set up facilities such as a medicine chamber, an altar ground, and an elixir furnace. Morning and evening one pays homage and gives thanks to the gods, without giving rise to a restless mind, resolving to return to the true Dao and keeping Shen (spirit) concentrated. Such cultivation is not easy and often takes many years to complete, so it is said that elixir refining must be persisted in for a long time.

After ingesting the elixir, one can long maintain a state of renewal.

After taking the medicine, it is said that the Three Corpses and Nine Worms (sanshi jiuchong, the evil and filthy things within the human body which, according to Daoism, harm body and mind and hinder cultivation) gradually recede; Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are replenished, and the bone marrow is also nourished. Even in a dark chamber it is as if there were light illuminating it; the countenance grows ever younger, the spirit is exceptionally clear and refreshed, and the radiance of Dao-qi appears on the body. The numinous Perfected of the Five Sacred Mountains (the spirits who dwell in the Five Peaks) come to meet one; the hun-soul and Shen can be perceived completely; the body becomes as pure as jade marrow and as firm as gold, so that one may roam freely in the immortal realm and long enjoy peace and happiness.

When the numerical cycles run unimpeded, the elixir transforms.

When the numbers of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) circulate freely, the four seasons complete their cycle, and after the period of the musical pitches has ended, the numinous elixir naturally undergoes change.

When the cycles reach their extreme, the marvelous is manifested.

The laws of Yin-Yang transformation are not themselves mysterious: when Yin qi reaches its extreme, Yang qi begins to arise in latency; when Yang qi reaches its extreme, Yin qi begins to conceal itself. The interaction of the two qi of Yin and Yang is the natural law of the Dao. “Extreme” means that transformation has developed to its limit. Therefore it is said that after transformation is exhausted the marvelous appears; by means of this marvelousness one can understand the Dao. When the numbers of Yin and Yang run to their extreme point, transformation is thereby completed.

From this one obtains this Heaven-bestowed secret key...

Among all the various sublime skills under heaven, none surpasses the Dao (the Way). The profundity of the Dao is concentrated in the elixir methods; the profundity of the elixir methods cannot be separated from Qi (vital energy). Qi generates all things that have form, and its transformations follow certain numerical principles. By following these numerical principles to refine the Golden Elixir, harmonizing the “three fives” and the “one,” and holding fast to this crucial heavenly mechanism, the work of becoming an immortal can be completed, and a person can forever be ranked among the immortal perfected.

In the world, heterodox teachings, miscellaneous theories, and the countless derived arts they produce are innumerable. When it comes to being forever enrolled among the ranks of the Perfected, one needs only a single grain of the Returned Elixir (the elixir that reverts and refines Jing (essence) and Qi, restoring them to their origin), and one can then fly up and become an immortal.