《大丹记》

Dragon refers to mercury and tiger refers to silver. Mercury is hidden within cinnabar and therefore bears a black color; silver is hidden within lead and likewise bears black. These two blacks are the colors manifested by the primordial Qi (vital energy) inherent in heaven and earth.

Ancient books say that metals possess a clear and luminous nature and are produced in the southern waters; this is what is meant by mercury being born of cinnabar, and so it is said to occupy the position of “Yin within Yang” (Yin-Yang). Stony substances tend toward heat and are produced among the black minerals of the north; this is what is meant by silver being born of lead, and so it is said to occupy the position of “Yang within Yin.”

It is further said that among the five metals gold is principal; it occupies the position symbolized by the Kan trigram of the north (Bagua) and contains within itself the “yellow sprout” (huangya, an alchemical term denoting the yellow product that appears during the refining process). It is also said: “The child is hidden in the mother’s womb and the mother is concealed in the child’s placenta; if one can recognize the white while guarding the black, the marvelous functioning of Shen (spirit) will appear of itself.”

Mercury extracted from cinnabar leaves the maternal womb symbolized by the south and returns to the position of Jia-Yi Wood in the east (Five Phases) and the Zhen trigram, and is therefore called “dragon.” Silver extracted from lead leaves the maternal womb symbolized by the north and returns to the position of Geng-Xin Metal in the west and the Dui trigram, and is therefore called “white tiger.” Transforming cinnabar into mercury and silver into gold is termed the union of female and male.

A verse declares: “The dragon calls to the tiger and the tiger absorbs the Jing (essence) of the dragon; the two intermingle and, meeting metal, become one.” Hence the chapter is entitled “Dragon-Tiger Elixir.” In the work of refining one must turn cinnabar into mercury and silver into gold. The text further states: “Lead is not lead but is in fact mercury.” The Yellow Emperor, observing its metallic radiance, therefore called it “beautiful metal flower.”

When the King of Huainan prepared “autumn stone” (qiushi, the white substance obtained by alchemy), he selected the eighth month because that month corresponds to the quarter in which Metal Qi holds sway. Its color being pure white, it is called “autumn stone”; because the color observed is yellow-white, resembling the tender sprouts of things at their first birth, it is also called “yellow sprout.” Though the names differ, they speak at bottom of the same category of substance.

A verse says: “Refine silver from lead and the marvelous efficacy appears spontaneously. Place it in the ash pool and fuse it with fire; the lead sinks while the silver rises.” This product is called yellow sprout. Yellow sprout is slightly hot in nature and very sweet in flavor. Although regarded as an important medicine of long life, a purely Yang thing must not be taken in quantity; it must be matched with mercury to become the yellow sprout of female-male conjunction.

The verse concludes: “One must use lead yet cannot use lead alone; one must still return into the lead to refine it. In the refining of the five metals one must on no account mix in lead or tin, nor employ them mistakenly.”

Hu Gangzi asked Wei Boyang: “Since lead and tin are strictly forbidden when refining the elixir, what medicinal substances ought then to be used as the cauldron vessel for the work?”

Wei Boyang replied: “The so-called cauldron originally has no actual cauldron; the so-called medicine originally has no fixed medicine either. The Yellow Sprout (Huangya, an alchemical term referring to the precious elixir or medicinal substance generated in the course of refining) is not lead, yet it is produced from within lead.”

Hu Gangzi asked again: “Since there is neither cauldron nor medicine, and the Yellow Sprout is not lead, then what is actually employed in the refining that it receives the name Yellow Sprout?”

Wei Boyang said: “To plant grain one must use grain seed; to hatch a chicken one must use an egg. Swallows and sparrows cannot give birth to a phoenix, nor can foxes and rabbits give birth to a horse. How can things of different kinds be joined together? To refine gold one must use gold; to refine silver one must use silver. Things of the same category correspond to one another, and only by relying on what is akin to themselves can they cooperate.

“Do not worry that the medicines will prove inefficacious; worry only that the medicines employed are not truly corresponding ones. Swallows and sparrows cannot give birth to a phoenix, nor can foxes and rabbits give birth to a horse; things of different kinds cannot be joined together. To refine gold one must use gold; to refine silver one must use silver. Things of the same category correspond to one another, and only by relying on what is akin to themselves can they cooperate. Once one has clearly identified the true medicines and grasped the principle involved, why should one fear that the refining will fail?

“The scriptures say: All things flourish in abundance, yet in the end each returns to its root. Gold is produced from earth; this is an exceedingly subtle gateway.”

The Formula of Medicinal Weights: a mnemonic concerning the dosages of the medicines.

Take eight liang of yellow sprouts (one of the medicinal substances used in alchemy), which belong to Qian the Firm, Yang, and the Tiger; take eight liang of mercury (one of the medicinal substances used in alchemy), which belong to Kun the Yielding, Yin, and the Dragon. Therefore it is said that Qian the Firm pairs with Kun the Yielding, and Yin-Yang correspond to Dragon and Tiger.

Each liang is divided into four major portions; one jin comprises sixty-four portions in all, with each portion measuring six zhu, used to correspond to the number of hexagram lines. Water corresponds to one, Fire to two, the weight divisions to three, the medicinal substances to four, and Earth to five, thereby symbolizing the numbers of the Five Phases (Wuxing).

Starting from the Fu hexagram, Yang qi (vital energy) gradually grows, passing through Lin, Tai, Dazhuang, and Guai until the Qian hexagram, at which point Yang qi reaches its peak; it then passes through Gou, Dun, Pi, Guan, and Bo, finally arriving at the Kun hexagram, at which point Yin qi reaches its peak. These twelve hexagrams together correspond to the seasonal changes of a year.

The medicinal substances inside the tripod are like a fetus within the womb. Water is placed above and fire below, so that the qi of Yin and Yang circulate in proper sequence. Water qi sinks downward while fire qi rises upward; the two qi intermingle and harmonize, cold and heat operate without losing their proper measure, and the medicinal substances naturally reach completion. Even sages and worthies find it difficult to fathom the transformations that occur within the furnace and tripod.

When the fire timing represented by the twelve hexagrams reaches sufficiency, the twenty-four qi circulate throughout. Fire corresponds to the bitter flavor, Wood to the sour, Water to the salty, Metal to the pungent, and Earth to the sweet. The qi of the Five Phases circulate from the south through one complete cycle and finally return to the center. Wu and Ji belong to Earth, and their flavor is called the Returned Elixir; “dan” means the color red. It is termed Returned Elixir because the medicinal substances return to their original nature, and is therefore called the Returned Elixir.

Fire Timing Formula

In the first month use half a jin and refine for ten days; in the second month use one jin, gradually increasing, up to twenty days; in the third month use one and a half jin and refine up to thirty days; in the fourth month use two jin, increasing to forty days; in the fifth month use two and a half jin, increasing to the peak of abundance and refining for fifty days; in the sixth month use two jin, as Yin qi begins to grow, refining for sixty days.

In the first month half a jin is used and refined for ten days; by the second month this is increased to one jin over twenty days; in the third month one and a half jin is used and refined for thirty days; in the fourth month two jin is used and refined for forty days; in the fifth month two and a half jin is used and refined for fifty days, reaching the “Changji” stage; in the sixth month two jin is used and refined for sixty days, at which point yin Qi (vital energy) begins to arise; in the seventh month one and a half jin is used and refined for seventy days; in the eighth month one jin is used and refined for eighty days; in the ninth month half a jin is used and refined for ninety days. Upon reaching the tenth month, after a full one hundred days, the cold Qi has stabilized; only then is the ding vessel opened so that the Jing (essence) and Qi will not disperse. Refining begins at the yin hour, flourishes at the wu hour, and is stored away at the xu hour; if the count is begun at dawn, the work is regarded as complete after a full one hundred days. It is also said that a day comprises twelve double-hours, so that ninety days amount to one thousand and eighty double-hours, sufficient to correspond to the cycle of three rounds of operation.

The “ding” mentioned in the oral formulas for elixir refining ought to employ “tulongzi.” The genuine oral formula does not advocate iron or porcelain as the ding, but rather a vessel fashioned from wu earth, that is, a yellow-earth ding. Here the ding is likened to husband and wife uniting intimately in the bedchamber until they become full and mature; it is further compared to the fetal ding in which parents conceive a fetus, taking from this the sense of gestation and nurturing. Ding is an alchemical term denoting the vessel that holds the medicinal substances and in which they are refined.

The medicines employed in the refining are the Jing of Yin-Yang, which ultimately all return to wu-ji earth. The Jing of Yin-Yang refers to true mercury; true lead is born within black lead, and true mercury is produced within cinnabar. These two medicines are said to be formed through the circulating transformations of the Qi of heaven and earth; they are also called the Jing of the sun and moon, and further known as dragon and tiger, Kan and Li, Yin-Yang, or husband and wife. Wu-ji earth is the mother of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); the medicines rely upon it for their nurturing so that they may be refined into the great medicine. After a person ingests it, it is said that longevity may be obtained; gold, wood, earth, tiles, stones and the like can all thereby be transformed into treasures.

Wu-ji earth cannot accomplish the work by itself; its function still depends upon yellow lead.

Wuji refers to Earth in the Five Phases (Wuxing), and in this context it symbolizes “the son of the Earth Dragon.” Yellow lead is yellow sprout (huangya); it is so named because of its faintly yellow exterior, and it is also called “yellow silver.” Its efficacy is beyond measure and its changes are manifold; it can subdue vermilion mercury and can also cause the eight stones and five metals (the mineral and metallic materials referred to in alchemy) to lose their original properties, and is therefore known as the foundation of the Great Elixir.

“The son of the Taiyi Yin family, the daughter of Li-nine Yang” means that Taiyi Yin is a name for the moon and Li-nine Yang a name for the sun. The two alchemical ingredients are here likened to the essences of the sun and moon, which must undergo proper matching before they can unite in the manner of husband and wife.

“Their appearances match exactly, yet they cannot of themselves agree to union” explains that these two materials look similar, both white in color, but originally they cannot combine by themselves. One is in the east and the other in the west; they must be blended so as to meet for a brief time, after which fire Qi is applied and they are placed in an earthen tripod for warming and nourishing, enabling them to combine with each other and form the elixir.

“The fire timing is not a matter of quantity, but simply like a hen incubating her eggs” means that the fire used in making the elixir should not be too strong or last too long; warming and nourishing should be continuous and moderate, just as a hen sits on her eggs. If the fire timing is excessive, it will harm the nature of the medicinal substances and cause them to dissipate.

“Yellow sprout serves as a felt blanket, thick and warm so that it does not rise lightly” compares yellow sprout to a thick felt covering that blankets and restrains mercury, which easily flies off. After being warmed and nourished by fire Qi, the mercury no longer flies away and ultimately congeals into elixir.

“The sage understands the heavenly mechanism; it is only a matter of recognizing dragon and tiger” means that those who grasp the secrets of alchemy succeed primarily by identifying and pairing the two symbolic materials “dragon” and “tiger.” By warming and nourishing they are formed into elixir, thus serving to rescue from danger and distress and to extend longevity.

“Once the appearance has grown old and feeble, one changes course and transfers to another principal” means that when the properties of the medicinal substances gradually decline, the method of processing must be altered and another chief ingredient employed instead. After the concluding sentence of the original, the previous explanation of “their appearances match exactly” is repeated, and the text ends at “changes course and transfers to another principal.”

Using the “Yellow Sprout” (huangya, an alchemical term for the essence extracted from lead) to subdue mercury, the mercury gradually ages and loses its vitality. It is then taken out and moved into another ding for gentle nurturing. This is also called “transmitting the spirit”: causing the seed to transform while they constrain one another. Hence it is termed “correcting faults and transferring to a different master.”

At the third transformation, it no longer enters the Yellow Sprout; child and mother return to the same place.

After mercury sees the Yellow Sprout decline, it finally ceases to enter the Yellow Sprout. It is taken out and nurtured separately; this is called “child and mother first feigning death.” Mercury is the mother; were the Yellow Sprout to occupy the same place with it, the mercury would be drawn into it and ultimately lose its vitality. Thus it is said “child and mother return to the same place.” An ancient song says: “The King of Huainan refined the Autumn Stone; the Yellow Emperor prized the Golden Flower. The Autumn Stone is True Lead; the Golden Flower of lead is the Yellow Sprout. This is not ordinary lead, but the essence extracted from lead. When child and mother dwell together in one place, it is like residing in the home of an immortal.”

The many child-bodies have all grown to maturity, their color bright, fresh, and lustrous.

Once the Yellow Sprout mother-body has subdued the mercury, it has already been refined into the supreme medicine, and its luster has grown still more vivid. Therefore it is called “all the children have grown to maturity, their color pleasing, lustrous, and fine.” The Song of Taiyi says: “The cloud-like medicine is about to display the form of the Yellow Sprout; red chrysanthemums in bud seem to bear purple blossoms. Ingesting it one attains long life and soars among the clouds and rosy mists; regarding it as a treasure can also support one’s household estate.”

Wash it with the Floriate Pond to remove filth and dissolve restlessness.

This means that after the supreme medicine has been completed, it is again placed into the mercury mother-body—Bright Sand—for gentle nurturing; mercury is then added so that it flies and adheres to the sand. This is called “washing with the Floriate Pond,” meaning the removal of filth. It employs the refining method of reversing the Five Phases (wuxing) so that they nourish one another.

The cycle of Yin-Yang circulation has reached completion; fused into a single body, it becomes Golden Sand.

This means that once the supreme medicine has matured, it is called “Golden Sand.”

It is then placed into the “Nine Households Rush,” and the River Chariot is strikingly accomplished.

After the medicine has matured, it is taken out and placed in a golden container to be gently nurtured for sixty days. Three liang of the medicine can be refined into a purple, luminous River Chariot, said to be able to transmutate earth, wood, tiles, and stones, as well as lead, tin, copper, and iron, into Purple Burnished Gold. The fire timing follows what was described previously; Metal corresponds to four, Earth to five. Internally a golden container is used, externally an earthen ding; this is called “Nine Households Yellow.”

That you have been able to encounter this set of true secrets of elixir refinement which I am transmitting indicates that the good fortune accumulated over your previous lives is profound and beyond estimation.

Those capable of encountering this true formula are all individuals whose names were already recorded in past lives and entered into the registers of the immortals.

Do not casually pass on the true secrets to people who are not suitable, otherwise calamities will arise in succession.

If the true secrets are transmitted at random to those who are inappropriate, you will incur the punishment of the Three Officials (the deities in Daoism who preside over Heaven, Earth, and Water).