《大还丹照鉴》

The Great Reverted Elixir (the “Great Elixir” spoken of in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) or Golden Elixir cultivation) is considered to originate from emptiness and void, encompassing the primordial Qi (vital energy) generated by the processes of creation. Heaven and Earth thereby open and unfold, revealing the phenomena of sun, moon, Heaven and Earth, and all things thereby acquire their spiritual nature. The Four Images (the four forms of Yin-Yang transformation) constitute the shapes of things, while the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) determine their attributes. The principle is profound and difficult to fathom, residing in a state of vague and indistinct obscurity, and cannot be exhausted by thought alone.

From ancient times to the present, people have composed many elaborate and complicated discourses on it, making it even harder for later students to grasp the essential points. The secrets mastered by former worthies are all hidden in mysterious and wondrous language; from where then can the secret methods be sought? I was born in Zi Commandery, my family originating from the imperial capital, and from childhood I have admired the Way of the immortals. I wholeheartedly abandoned an official career, not pursuing fame and achievement; reflecting that every person must eventually die, I sought methods of extending years and attaining long life. I believe that among all things in the world, humans possess the greatest spiritual nature; to cultivate and realize the true Dao (the Way), the key lies in oneself. Thus I traveled through famous mountains and scenic spots, and also entered the mundane world, visiting like-minded people for discussion, hoping to encounter an enlightened teacher for transmission.

Later, Heaven did not disappoint my aspirations, and I finally met an extraordinary person. He pointed out for me the forms of Dragon and Tiger (terms in Neidan symbolizing the interaction of Yin-Yang, lead and mercury, and so forth), enabling me to understand the basic meaning of Turtle and Snake (likewise used as imagery for the conjunction of Yin and Yang). Thereafter I widely sought immortal secrets and read elixir texts, wanting to clarify the root of lasting indestructibility and to verify the principle of returning to primitive simplicity. For ordinary people to transform into sages, long-term accumulated cultivation is indispensable; the transformation of Yin Qi and return to Yang Qi likewise requires devout effort. As for the Great Elixir, it is said that its radiance condenses like the sun and moon, its atmosphere saturates like clouds and rosy mists, gathering the essence of the Jade Rabbit in the moon and the flowing spiritual light resembling a dragon embryo. Its numinous traces are rarely manifested; how then can worldly people know of them? Investigating this Way requires prolonged patience; if one willingly accepts that humans must die, one will ultimately miss the opportunity for cultivation.

Those who greedily pursue wealth and profit, caring only for themselves and slighting others—even if halls are filled with wives and concubines, who can die in their stead? Even if gold and jade fill the house, how can they be exchanged for longevity? The thousand kinds of striving in the world ultimately amount to nothing more than a handful of earth in a desolate suburb; who has thereby lived beyond a hundred years? Some people only indulge in unrestrained pleasures; others, though they follow the Dao in cultivation, still greedily seek fame and profit. If one merely verbally claims to deeply understand the methods of the Dao, until hair turns white and the countenance ages, then lamenting that time is hard to retain and the years do not return, it is truly regrettable.

Some beginners rigidly cling to the writings of former teachers, speaking of the Reverted Elixir yet not understanding Yin-Yang, discussing human endowment and lifespan while everywhere fearful and anxious, damaging the spirit. They mistakenly identify mercury and lead, delusionally wanting to use them to produce gold and silver; some say that cultivation can cause the five viscera to transform and can also transmutate the five metals into gold and silver, that transmuting gold requires Geng, transmuting silver requires Gen; others say that gold can only be transmuted into gold, silver only into silver, and besides this there are no other miraculous methods. These statements are greatly mistaken, misunderstanding the words of the superior immortals, even presumptuously attempting to use plants, trees, minerals, and stones to produce gold and silver, confusing things of essentially different natures in Heaven and Earth.

I often think that many people are foolish and ignorant, not understanding that there is Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin. Cultivation requires knowing the matching of mercury and lead, and also understanding the principle of mutual resonance of things like a magnet attracting iron, following the law of Yin-Yang conjunction and natural operation. As long as one understands the natures and patterns therein, cultivation has hope of success. If there were another marvelous method in the world for transmuting gold and silver, then the Way of the immortals would not be this set of principles at all; from ancient times to the present, this lineage of Dao methods has no second explanation.

In my leisure I collected immortal Jing (scriptures), recompiled the maxims of former worthies, leaving them as standards for later generations, naming it the Collection for Illuminating the Mirror and Ascending to Immortality. The entire book is one volume, divided into thirty-three chapters, intending to illuminate deviations, making right and wrong, beauty and ugliness distinct, allowing the subtle principles to be easily understood. What is collected in the book are all numinous texts and secret essentials, elixir secrets and mysterious mechanisms, hoping to make the principles of former worthies clear, so that later students can also generally understand. I pray that the immortal perfected ones inspect and protect, that the Lord on High bestow grace, that the power of the Great Dao shield and assist, and grant the Way of ascension, leaving this book for like-minded people, helping them wash away the obscurations in their hearts.

Even a cursory reading of this book should be like appreciating pearls and beautiful jade; obtaining the complete book, one should treasure it even more, as if possessing a rare treasure. If one cultivates according to the Jing secrets, one may reach the realm of transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood. If one cultivates unauthorized according to one's own ideas, one will surely exhaust wealth and ruin the family. This book must not be casually transmitted to unsuitable people; rashly leaking the secret methods will invite yin retribution.

Preface written on the Shangyuan day of the Yin month in the twenty-fifth year of Guangzheng, the Renxu year.

The Northern Song says:

The Northern Xuanwu (the numinous beast symbolizing the north and water) is originally black, with its root at Kunlun. As long as the mind and will remain settled, longevity can be sought; in cultivation, by according with the principle of round completeness, there is also the chance of successful refinement. If one always drifts with the current and leaves matters to fate, one will long remain a wandering guest; who then can recognize that this original nature of mine is not entirely without brightness? I not only contain the Jing (essence) of the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), but within it especially feel the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang. Harmonize the Dui and Zhen trigrams as husband and wife, then arrange and place the Four Images (the corresponding categories of Yin-Yang and the four seasons) above. This has already clearly pointed the way for later cultivators, hoping they will not remain dim and confused, taking the wrong path toward the Heavenly Dao.

The original text repeats the passage beginning “If one always drifts with the current and leaves matters to fate, one will long remain a wandering guest...” once more.

Aliases of True Water:

True Water is also called White Gold, Numinous Pearl, True Body Relic, Flowing Mercury, Flowing Sand, Mysterious Pearl, All Beings, Living Treasure, Nine-Times-Turned Golden Elixir (Jindan), Mani Pearl, Cinnabar, Night-Shining Pearl, True Water of Great Yin, Profound Dark Flower Pond, Black Gold Alum, Kunlun Alum, Black Gold, Sacred Stone, Metal Lord, Xuanwu Black Donkey Milk, and Persian Alum. These are all variant names for True Water found in alchemical literature.

The Western Song says:

The Western White Tiger (the numinous beast symbolizing the west and metal) originally belongs to Yin; whether spoken of as male or female, it all returns to Metal. It grows at the zi position and takes form through gestation at the wu position; it becomes the body of the Dui trigram yet shares one heart with the Kan trigram. Its appearance is beautiful, white as jade and surpassing ice and snow; its substance is pure, holding radiance and carrying a faint red tinge. Therefore some call it “White Langgan” (a white beautiful jade). But how can one understand that this original body of mine is actually the bright moon? It unites with the Yellow Sprout (an alchemical term for an important medicinal substance or sign appearing in the process of elixir formation) without any intermediary; whether in life or death, it must return to the Wu-Ji position (the heavenly stems of Earth, often used to indicate the central Earth). When the fire rages fiercely it occupies a cold place; the Qi of Yin and Yang urge each other onward, ultimately refining into cinnabar.

If anyone understands these words I have spoken, then the path to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) lies right before the eyes; the day of mounting a crane and ascending to heaven will not be far off, and one may be certain of eventually breaking free from the bonds of the dusty world.

Aliases of True Gold

The White Tiger (Baihu), which symbolizes Metal, lead, and other alchemical medicines, is also called White Gold, Great White, Great Mystery, Great Truth, Great Simplicity, True Mercury, Water Essence, Autumn Stone, Stone Liquid, Jade Liquid, True Lead, Qian Essence, Fine Gold Flower, Male Gold, River Chariot, Soft Silver, True Gold, Kan Male, Mysterious Liquid, Gold in Water, Divine-Talisman White Snow, Sacred Unknowing, Tin-Qiezhi, White Horse Teeth, and Fine Cinnabar.

Song of the South

The Vermilion Bird of the South (Zhuque), which symbolizes Fire and yang Qi (vital energy), has a body of crimson red; it is fierce, unyielding, and powerful, its momentum hard to withstand. Its endowed nature accords with Qian and Kun, it forms one body with the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth, and it also governs the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang.

Water is its wife, Earth is its mother, and Wood is its eldest son; the Metal represented by the White Emperor receives its endowment and thereby takes shape. The Four Images (in Daoist alchemy, symbols of the forces of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and the like) all arise from my Qi, and the myriad things likewise live by my Qi and die by my Qi. Its temperament is linked with Jia and Yi (the Heavenly Stems that represent Wood of the East), and their Qi mechanisms communicate especially closely. Thus the Metal Lady is paired with the Wood Elder; they return to Wu and Ji (the Heavenly Stems that represent Earth of the Center), enter the Central Palace, and in the course of transformation and circulation ultimately all converge into red.

If this song still cannot be understood, I will explain it once more with earnest care: every line must be carefully analyzed from the beginning. Do not suppose that accumulating learning is enough; one must also secretly cultivate and accumulate merit, only then can one comprehend and thoroughly experience the essential secrets I have transmitted.

Alternative Names of True Fire

True Fire is also called the Great Sun, Huanghu (the elusive and indistinct), Red Stone, Red Basin, Vermilion Bird, Vermilion Child, Red Lead, Fire Lead, True Fire, and Red Quartz.

Song of the East

The Wood of the East was originally named sand; it can act as male or as female, and also as a sprout. It receives Qi and takes form at the hour of Wu, and must wait until the hour of Zi before it can stand firm. It contains Jing (essence) and Qi, nurtures form and substance, and grows into the foundation of Metal.

After many years of growth, each day it turns toward the distant horizon. Do not despise it because its exterior is dark, coarse, and full of wrinkles; its entire body is in fact the essence of the sun. If it suddenly meets the child of the Yin family, the two need no matchmaker to bring them together but naturally consent to one another. Welcome it into the precious canopy and send it to the Central Palace, and the Qi of Yin-Yang will unite, their feelings and intentions in accord.

It is specially made to form an embryo in order to create transformation anew. Then circulate Kan and Li (the trigrams that symbolize Water and Fire) and make the circuit of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). After ten months the fetus is complete, mother and child separate, and one may know that it will ride the luan carriage and ascend into the heavens.

Alternative Names of True Wood

The azure (referring to the Qi (vital energy) of the Azure Dragon in alchemy) unites with the son of the Yin household; without any matchmaker to bring them together, they naturally combine. Invite it to return into the precious canopy and arrive at the Central Palace, where the two Qi of Yin-Yang intermingle and their feelings communicate. This is deliberately used to gestate the embryonic elixir, then to recreate the mechanism of transformation, circulating Kan and Li (the trigrams representing Water and Fire) and touring the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). After ten months of “pregnancy,” the elixir embryo matures and mother and child separate; at that time one knows that one has already mounted the luan-carriage that leads to the heavens.

Aliases of True Wood

Azure Dragon, Zengqing, Wood Essence, Fire Essence, Mysterious Maiden, Golden Liquid, Granny Maiden, Flowing Mercury, Flowing Pearl, Mingdang, Golden Fluid, Red Marrow, Li Maiden, Female Metal, and Kun Essence are all alternative names for “True Wood.” Here “True Wood” is a symbolic designation in Neidan (internal alchemy), not ordinary wood.

Song of the Center

The Wu and Ji of the center (Earth) belong to Gouchen (symbolizing the divine general of the center); its original substance unites with emptiness and approaches the Great Dao (the Way). It purely embraces the primordial harmonious Qi and the refined essential Qi; through repeated refinement and nourishment it finally transforms into the True Elixir.

Wood is the wife, Fire is the son, and Water is the ghost within the household; Water and Earth mutually restrain each other, so the elixir work cannot be set in motion. One must also let the Metal of the West take part in the refinement, allowing each stage to succeed the previous in sequence and thereby strengthening Jing (essence), Qi, and marrow. Although I myself have no fixed bodily form, the intention of refining the elixir must rely on the Four Images (symbolizing the four powers of Water, Metal, Wood, and Fire) in order to come into being. If the Four Images cannot connect with my breath, how can Water, Metal, Wood, and Fire be refined?

Cause Metal and Wood to communicate, make them intimate with each other, then remain within the embryo and personally nurture them. When the two forces combine and the Qi gathers, one must still rely on Bing Fire to decoct, refine, and collect them. Bing Fire is originally my own life-Qi; arrange the circulation according to the seasons and solar terms, follow the regulations, and naturally one can accord with the creative mechanism of Heaven and Earth’s operation. Who can see the true path of the immortal families?

These lines are restated: cause Metal and Wood to communicate and become close, nurture them in the embryo; after the two combine, rely on Bing Fire to decoct, refine, and collect. Bing Fire is one’s own life-Qi; it must circulate according to the solar terms and regulations so that cultivation accords with the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth. Who can see the true cultivation path of the immortal families?

Aliases of True Earth

Yellow Earth, True Earth, Purple Earth, Chrysanthemum, Taiyi, True Yellow Sprout, True Dragon-Tiger, Numinous Cinnabar of the Two Qi, and Great Reverted Elixir are all alternative names for “True Earth.” These names designate the elixir substance formed in Neidan (internal alchemy) through the intercourse of the two Qi of Yin-Yang and their refinement and nourishment.

On the Two Qi Producing Yellow Sprouts, First

The Yellow Sprout is a form and substance produced by the interaction of Heaven and Earth through the natural processes of creation, in which Yin contains Yang and Yang likewise contains Yin. Its Yang nature is spiritually lively, displaying a bright and translucent radiance like the color of blood; its Yin nature is of pure Jing (essence), revealing a lustrous sheen as transparent as jade. Its white light seems able to rival the moonlight, while its rosy brilliance appears as if it would outshine the sun.

It resembles a golden body, its exterior covered all over..., with skin growing upon its form, situated in the Yang position yet secretly uniting with Yin Jing (essence). (The original wording “医鬣遍，体生皮” is of unclear meaning and may contain textual errors or omissions.) It can pair with the Five Metals, commanding various minerals and ores while occupying the principal position. Those who understand it can instantly ascend beyond the clouds; those who do not remain long trapped in the mundane world. Although it is something commonly used in daily cultivation, people often fail to recognize it, busying themselves throughout their lives until their hair turns white without knowing what it is.

The song says: It commands various minerals and ores while occupying the principal position. Those who understand it can instantly ascend beyond the clouds; those who do not remain long trapped in the mundane world. Although constantly used in daily life, people do not know its true name, busying themselves throughout their lives until their hair turns white.

The song further says:

Heaven and Earth interact, and from this form and substance initially come into being; the root of creation is accomplished through the northern door. The sun and moon circulate in their courses, causing Hun and Po to unite; Yin and Yang conjoin, condensing into Jing (essence). It is clearly visible that this Qi (vital energy) grows from Metal; to recognize the Yellow Sprout, one must know that it is born from Water. In the mundane world there are countless illusory things; people come into contact with them every day yet do not know its name.

Recognizing Lead and Mercury, Second

To cultivate the Great Medicine, one must first clearly understand the true nature of “lead” and “mercury”; to combine and refine them into the elixir, one must grasp the principle of the joining of Kan and Li (symbols of water and fire, of Yin-Yang). Lead conceals the yin Jing (essence) and is therefore called the “Tiger,” positioned in Kan; mercury generates yang Qi (vital energy) and is therefore called the “Dragon,” positioned in Li. The Kan moon and Li sun meet and circulate back and forth, serving as the medium that communicates between the two; the pairing of the Li woman and the Kan man is the essential outline of reverted cultivation.

Lead is nurtured by receiving the Qi of Xin Metal, so the “Illuminating Mirror of the Great Reverted Elixir” likens it to wearing coarse cloth while concealing gold in the bosom; mercury inspects the embryo of Jia Wood, appearing outwardly damaged yet inwardly containing Wood Qi. Lead is not ordinary tin of the mundane world, nor is mercury commonplace silver. Lead is the foundation of Heaven and Earth, mercury the numinous Qi of Yin-Yang. Lead contains the lunar Po, mercury the lunar Hun; what are called lead and mercury are by no means the ordinary substances of worldly speech. They extract the Jing of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and mutually coagulate into gold; they further gather the essences of the two symbols of sun and moon, transforming and condensing into liquid.

The moon turns from waning to fullness, the lunar Po sinks and conceals itself; the yang Hun diminishes with the moon’s deficiency, the solar Qi fills to repletion, the Hun vanishes and the yin Po comes to an end. Yin and Yang respond and unite, matching as dragon and tiger, husband and wife; water and fire intermingle again and again, refining the elixir between Qian and Kun. Yang Qi is able to subdue the yin Po, and in its circulation it is refined into gold; yin can draw upward the yang Qi, causing it to return, ultimately becoming a marvelous form and substance. When the Qi of Yin-Yang is sufficient, one awaits the refining of the cinnabar that transcends the dusty world; when the circulation of water and fire reaches its end, it transforms into a liquid that rises like rosy cloud-light.

Red elixir frost upon the tripod suddenly reveals the brightness of morning clouds; white powder in the furnace shines with the luster of auspicious snow. The clear and vivid colors are like the morning sun rising from Fusang; the deep and pellucid water-light resembles the autumn moon illuminating a cold watery islet. Cranes fly above azure peaks, osmanthus blossoms beside a solitary tower; splendid rosy clouds stretch across the distant sky, and far off appear lotus-like verdant hues. When the medicines are pounded and ground, a fragrant aroma is emitted; after nine kneadings and refinings, a subtle light begins to flow.

Through transformation and refinement the elixir becomes a precious treasure. After ingestion the countenance can be restored; with only a minute quantity one instantly enters the realm of empty stillness and transcendence, as if taking on feathered form and soaring freely between Heaven and Earth.

The Third Section of Guangchengzi’s Oral Instructions.

Worldly people bustle about all day, yet there are not many days left in life. A person's hundred-year lifespan is like a fragrant aroma that quickly dissipates; even after nine times of forging, time still flows only faintly. Only after undergoing transformation and refinement can it become a treasure; ingesting the numinous medicine restores youth. Just a minuscule amount of elixir can instantly attain Chongxu (transcending the dusty world and entering the realm of empty stillness), transforming into an immortal with feathered ascent and soaring between heaven and earth.

Guangchengzi's Oral Formula, the Third. Worldly people are busy and bustling, a lifetime passing in the blink of an eye like a dream, with glory and splendor also quickly fading. They do not know that there are people in the world pursuing the immortal Dao, but only compete for fame and chase profit, wishing to transcend the mundane. If one wishes to extend lifespan and follow Taiyi (the primordial Dao as spoken of in Daoism), one should take numinous medicines to seek longevity. One must extract from the essence of heaven, earth, and Yin-Yang, obtaining the quintessence of Qian and Kun, sun and moon.

Transmission of the Two Flavors. Subduing the Li Palace (symbolizing Fire) is not difficult; the key is to seek the Kan Door (symbolizing Water) and carefully study and refine. It can be compared to the union of husband and wife, Yin and Yang interacting, gestating the Yellow Sprout (a manifestation of the numinous medicine generated in the elixir-refining process), thereby revealing the original source. If there is no master's personal transmission and guidance, efforts besides this are merely wasting money. The fire timing still must be refined to the number of nine nines, and after the elixir is completed, one must wait another three years.

Yang Zhenren's Oral Formula, the Fourth. The King of Huainan refined Autumn Stone (an elixir refined from materials collected in autumn), and the Yellow Emperor esteemed the Golden Flower (the name of an elixir). Worldly people do not understand the principle within, and there is no need to sigh: the medicines used by immortals are spread all over the land of China. Neither use lead nor use cinnabar; yet those who are deluded and ignorant are as numerous as hemp. One must cultivate the lead and refine the sand, and in a moment one can see the Golden Flower. Worldly people do not understand, no need to sigh: immortal medicines fill China. Do not use lead, do not use cinnabar, the deluded ignorant are many as hemp; just cultivate lead, extract the sand, and in an instant see the Yellow Sprout. After obtaining the Yellow Sprout, do not boast lightly; pair the Yellow Sprout with the "Female Household" (the yin counterpart matched with it in alchemy), making them unite like husband and wife, then one can extend lifespan. In the end, draped in purple robes, riding clouds and mounting rosy mists. Using a daogui (a very small amount of medicine) to inspect, what it points to is the River Chariot (a metaphor in Neidan (internal alchemy) for circulating Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)).

Another Song. Yin contains yang within it, and yang also contains yin. Having recognized the mercury within the sand, one must still seek the gold within the lead. These two medicines are great treasures between heaven and earth, and also the essence of sun and moon. After they are refined, one will not be deceived by ghosts and spirits.

Liangqiuzi's Oral Formula, the Fifth. There is lead in water, and there is also lead in fire; the two leads of water and fire have the same origin. If people do not know that the immortal Dao is close at hand, they will fry and refine cinnabar with wine and vinegar, resulting in it turning into smoke, wasting the materials in vain. Even if one barely refines it, one only obtains a hard and useless substance. If one wishes to become an earthly immortal in the human realm, one must refine the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and Four Images to make them complete; one should also accumulate hidden virtue and relieve the people of the world, only then can one truly ascend to heaven.

Peng Zhenjun's Oral Formula, the Sixth.

The principles of Yin-Yang transformation need not be transmitted at length; it is enough to understand the pairing of mercury and black lead. In the work of refinement neither mercury nor lead is depleted, and the marvel within is profound, more profound still. If people of the world can recognize the true “dragon and tiger” (an alchemical term for lead and mercury), attainment of the Dao (the Way) seems to come in a single instant.

The Seventh Oral Formula of Master Cheng

“White Tiger” denotes the refined essence within lead; “Green Dragon” denotes the primordial Qi (vital energy) within cinnabar. When Jing (essence) and Qi conjoin, they give rise to the “Yellow Sprout” (an alchemical term for the first sign that the elixir has begun to form). Lead and mercury combining is as if being arises from non-being; mercury, aided by lead, then transforms its shape, as if being returns to non-being. The two kinds of Qi generate one another and at last return to the “True One” (the pure, undivided source). They change into the Four Images yet never leave the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Internally and externally, Kan and Li (the images of Water and Fire among the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams) cycle back and forth, while Yin and Yang recede and appear in turn. Study Wu and Ji with care (terms for the Earth phase and its directional correspondences), and a luminous splendor becomes visible: when it gathers, it resembles a jade-green mountain peak; when it disperses, it returns to the Purple Palace (the dwelling of the immortals in Daoist teaching).

Metal is paired with Water, and the lines of the hexagrams are arranged according to numerical principle. Heaven and Earth open forth, and the Qi of primordial chaos intermingles; sun and moon conjoin, and the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are thereby made complete. The alchemical vessel and the practitioner are not isolated from one another, nor can embryonic breathing (in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, a term for respiration that is deep, slow, and exceedingly subtle) be sharply separated from them. When the mind and Shen (spirit) settle in composure within the abdomen, wisdom arises of itself; when the ingredients are placed in the vessel, transformations of every kind unfold.

The Tun hexagram is counted from the hour of zi; the Meng hexagram is cultivated through to the hour of wu. Rosy radiance rises from the furnace, its brilliance surpassing sun and moon. One who ingests this elixir may prolong life and remain untouched by cold or heat, and may also transmute the five metals into treasures that endure and are of great worth.

The Eighth Oral Formula of Master Luofu

In this world carriages and horses come and go amid ceaseless clamor. Even those whose youthful faces are fair and whose hair is jet-black cannot long retain their prime. Methods for refining the elixir have been handed down through countless ages, yet seekers still gaze about in confusion and fail to find the true technique. If the genuine method remains elusive, do not therefore act rashly; the fundamental issue is that one has not truly recognized the “Yellow Sprout” (Huangya, an alchemical term denoting the crucial medicinal substance sought in the work of elixir-making).

Lead is simply lead and mercury is simply mercury, yet people of the world persistently misuse them. The so-called “Yellow Sprout” found among plants and herbs is something many hear of and then discuss in wild exaggeration. From ancient times the authentic method has been transmitted solely by word of mouth and never committed to writing; those who fire and refine blindly often toil in vain and even bring their households to ruin. Only a person for whom the method is appropriate may receive transmission; it must be passed down generation after generation with the utmost caution. The technique of sealing the alchemical furnace originally belongs to this school of the Dao. Should the method be recklessly given to an unsuitable recipient, disaster will follow. Even between father and son, the closest of kin, it is not necessarily fitting to speak of these matters.

Covering sulfur with black cloth and then firing it produces no smoke; ingested, it can extend the years of life even to several thousand. If the medicine is further placed within the “Golden Chamber of Qian and Kun” (Jinshi Qiankun, an alchemical designation for the furnace chamber or the space of refinement) and cooked, one may leave the dusty world, ascend into the void, and become an immortal.

Yin Changsheng’s Oral Formula, the Ninth

Take gold as the bones and lead as the body; let Yin-Yang pair with one another like dragon and tiger in close union. The rosy-faced one of twice eight years, the Three Powers in mutual accord; the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) arrayed, the handle of the Dipper pointing to the Yin position. Circulate according to the hours of Zi and Wu without needing to shift; when the seven orifices become unobstructed, one attains the Dao and flies as an immortal.

Yin Changsheng’s Oral Formula, the Ninth

Take gold as the bones and lead as the body; let Yin-Yang pair with one another like dragon and tiger in close union. The rosy-faced one of twice eight years, the Three Powers in mutual accord; the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) arrayed, the handle of the Dipper pointing to the Yin position. Circulate according to the hours of Zi and Wu without needing to shift. The seventy-two hou (ancient seasonal periods divided according to changes in climate) must not be thrown into disorder. The Maiden, joined through a matchmaker, returns to the Great One (Taiyi, a Daoist term for the cosmic origin or supreme entity), giving birth to male and female within the Purple Tenuity Palace.

Within lead there is treasure, within cinnabar there is rarity; this substance holds vastness inside and symbolizes the qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). After seven months of gestation it transforms according to the Six Jia (Liujia, a system of timing based on heavenly stems and earthly branches); after a full year the refined product is transmuted into completion. The Huainan lineage possesses a method for refining “Autumn Stone”; the Yellow Emperor lineage fires “Golden Flower” to produce amber. White liquor into which repeatedly fermented fine wine is added becomes crystalline and sweet, and is called “Dragon Fluid.”

Some obtain it, others do not. These materials resemble three surnames dwelling together in one household and having two sons as well; fox and rabbit do not mate, nor does a horse breed with creatures of another kind, for each species possesses its own innate nature. Mystery within mystery—this method must not be transmitted to the unsuitable. People of the world do not know the true medicine that exists in the world; if one understands the path of refinement and nourishment of which I speak, one can take hold of one’s own nature and life and no longer be swayed by Heaven’s mandate.

Chunyu Shutong’s Oral Formula, the Tenth

The essential qi of the Great Yang is called the “Azure Dragon.” The Azure Dragon belongs to Wood, and Wood’s color is azure; yet within that azure there remain differing qualities. Mystery within mystery—this method must not be transmitted to the unsuitable. People of the world do not know the true medicine that exists in the world; if one understands the path of refinement and nourishment of which I speak, one can take hold of one’s own nature and life and no longer be swayed by Heaven’s mandate.

The Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of the sun is called the “Azure Dragon” (Qinglong). The Azure Dragon belongs to Wood; the color of Wood is azure. Within the azure there is hidden Fire, whose color is red. When it is assigned to the South it is called cinnabar. Wood is the mother of Fire and is directionally correlated with the East, therefore it receives the name “Azure Dragon”; this does not refer to ordinary trees found in the world.

The Azure Dragon is mercury, also called the “Lovely Girl.” The scripture says: “The Lovely Girl of the River is spiritually marvelous and wondrously numinous; when she meets Fire she flies, remaining unstained by dust and dirt.” The physical form of mercury is difficult to fathom, resembling a ghost that conceals itself or a flood dragon that hides; no one knows its whereabouts. If one wishes to subdue it, one must take the “Yellow Sprout” as the foundation. The oral formula states: “The Yellow Sprout is lead.” Lead is black in color and is endowed with the Qi of the North; it is the Jing of Taiyin (the Great Yin), its nature still and quiet, adept at restraining things of a yang character. Things of a yang character readily fly and scatter, and can be pressed down by things of a yin character.

Cinnabar belongs to Fire and to yang, and contains a numinous and extraordinary nature within it; lead belongs to Water and to yin, and its nature can be employed to restrain the lively movement of cinnabar. Water can extinguish Fire—the principle is quite evident. The scripture continues by saying that the Five Phases each possess mutually conquering relationships: the nature of Wood is upright, and it is injured by Metal; the nature of Water is weak and yielding, and it is overcome by Earth; although Earth is thick and heavy, it is harmed by Wood; although Metal is hard and strong, it is melted by Fire. This is the constant principle of mutual conquest among the Five Phases.

Ordinary people do not understand the transformations of Yin-Yang, nor do they comprehend the profound principles of lead and mercury; they erroneously mix them together and refine them into an elixir. After they ingest it, the poison invades the five viscera. This is because they have failed to clarify the natures of the medicinal substances with respect to floating and sinking, rising and descending. How can people who ingest elixirs in this manner possibly meet a good end and attain longevity? The majority perish at an early age, which is truly lamentable. Ordinary people know little and are confused in many ways, and thus they bring misfortune upon themselves.

Oral Instructions of Xuanhuangzi, Number Eleven

In seeking the immortal Dao (the Way) and searching out the Yellow Sprout, one must obtain the genuine lead-flower, and it must be of natural origin, only then can it be used to concoct the golden sand. After it has been repeatedly flown and refined, ingesting a single grain enables one to soar into the azure mists, wander beyond Heaven and Earth, and find the abodes of immortals everywhere.

Oral Instructions of Perfected Yinxi, Number Twelve

The supreme medicine (the key drug used in elixir refining) must be taken with a “lead … cup.” After swallowing a single grain, one can soar into the azure mists, roam beyond heaven and earth, and wherever one arrives belongs to the immortals. The original wording “lead j cup” is suspected to contain textual errors and cannot be definitively interpreted.

Oral Formula of Perfected Yinxi, Twelfth

The supreme medicine must be sought from lead and condensed in darkness. If one wishes to recognize the Yellow Sprout (a technical term in elixir refining referring to the key substance of the elixir), one must first examine Yin Earth. True lead pairs with the Kan Male (the yang force symbolized by the Kan trigram of the Bagua), and Wu and Ji (terms from the Five Phases, belonging to Earth) come to meet; this is called yellow alum, the foundation for refining the Returned Elixir.

Oral Formula of Perfected Tao Zhi, Thirteenth

True mercury is not ordinary quicksilver but must be obtained from here; if one wishes to acquire genuine mercury, one must seek the power within Kan. Another formula states: “Within ‘chuan yi’ there is one true [essence], which is yang, the son of water, belonging to the West.” The wording “chuan yi” is suspected to contain textual errors.

Oral Formula of Master Xuanguang, Fourteenth

The methods of nourishing life and cultivation are neither difficult nor easy to describe. Although ordinary people also use lead, they lack the aspiration to cultivate the lead. As soon as the lead sheds its black outer covering, it reveals its original white color; then, over the fire of the ash pool, one must employ an extremely small quantity of medicine according to the proper measure (“daogui” refers to a minuscule amount of medicine). The refined lead, after repeated calcinations, must still retain its original form; extraction must not err, and it is placed into the red furnace mouth for calcination, after which transmutation renders it hard as stone.

In the medicine one must use true water essence (a technical term in elixir refining referring to a type of drug), in the quantity of eight; the wondrous essence likewise requires eight liang, obtained from the yang person. When the two medicines are mixed to produce “Fan Shan,” secrecy must be strictly observed. After Fan Qu and Wu Long have passed through the quantity of one liang, true dragon brain is still to be added. The dragon brain must be plump, moist, and fine-textured; only the white variety is true dragon brain, while the bluish-green is not. It must be taken at the moment of use so that the two substances become one.

The Great Returned Elixir Illumination contains another specific method of preparation; when gathering the medicine, genuine gold vessels must be used. One who understands these words can become an earthly immortal; if applied in the wrong place, calamity will immediately strike. The original text here contains repetitions and apparently disordered passages such as “ten years dark brain, bluish-green is also not,” making the meaning difficult to determine. At the end it states that if one transmutes using a medicine grain the size of a millet seed, one can reach the sagely realm in an instant.

A verse says: The mysteries of the Cantong Qi and the Jinbi Longhu Jing both depend on the preface of Yin Jun to clarify their structure. If the practitioner further encounters the Qingxia Jue, they can thereby recognize the original nature of dragon and tiger (the two Yin-Yang forces in elixir alchemy).

The innate primordial Qi is originally empty, silent, and formless. The bodies of both the youthful and the elderly are as soft as ghee. Fire is wrapped within fire, and after transformation it still returns to fire. Immortals who grasp its subtle marvels call it the Mysterious Pearl (a term in Daoist alchemy referring to the numinous elixir that is sought).

Worldly people understand only the soft aspect and not the hard, and thus take the Yellow Sprout (an alchemical term for the numinous medicine used or produced in the elixir-refining process) to be yellow in color. Only when they reach the stage of Cup Lead (an alchemical term whose specific meaning remains unclear) will they believe that the Yellow Sprout is not actually yellow.

The Fifteenth Oral Formula of Perfected Er Zhu Ao

Heaven is established and Earth is fixed, and chaos is thereby divided; creation and transformation nourish the myriad things, operating everywhere. Only when one Yin and one Yang unite is the Dao (the Way) completed; the Autumn Stone (an alchemical term referring to a medicinal substance in elixir methods) is vast and boundless, transmitted through successive generations of descendants. The Dark Warrior (a northern deity often paired with water and lead) and the Vermilion Bird (a southern deity often paired with fire and mercury) illuminate the path ahead; the True Mercury in the bubbling spring guards Qian and Kun. Repeatedly refining lead in the tripod-furnace turns it into a treasure; the Old Woman (a symbolic name in alchemical terminology) hides her head and will not reveal herself.

Twelve gourds contain the Purple River Cart (an alchemical term referring to a medicinal substance or refining material in elixir methods), and forty-two breaths lead to the cave of the intense immortals. The countenance is like jade, the complexion like frost. After medicines such as jujube leaves and male cinnabar have been refined, with the power of a palm one gathers the sun and moon into the furnace; the furnace fire blazes intensely, yet the spirit-soul does not scatter.

If it is merely to relieve the hunger, cold, and illnesses of ordinary people, it is better to leave home quickly and study the Dao. Using water to cook the profound body of the White Tiger, the transformations above and below in the furnace are unpredictable. An elephant will not swim into a rabbit hole, and those of great enlightenment do not cling to trivial details. When a lost person’s mind is even slightly biased, everything is missed. This method is not transmitted to the ignorant and unenlightened of the world, lest it bring the disaster of clan annihilation and loss of life.

After the “six comments and six astonishments,” Er Ao has already departed for Penglai. The mysteries of ascending in broad daylight and becoming an immortal amid the rosy clouds have been hidden and unrevealed from ancient times to the present. The crane cries ahead, the path leading to Dongting Lake; paying homage to the sacred ancestor is in order to leave behind the secret arts of elixir refinement.

The subsequent phrases such as “removing the original sound as sweet as honey, one seven two seven seven ten thousand completed” and so on have original meanings and wordings that are difficult to determine. The general idea is that after completing a series of steps according to the oral formula, upon opening the furnace one suddenly sees a ball of fire with bright and intense flames. Even if such elixir methods can aid ordinary people in their hunger, cold, and illnesses, the secret arts should not be easily transmitted. Rather than merely seeking to aid the world, it is better to seek the Great Dao and dwell in the Golden Chamber (a place of cultivation in the Daoist context).

The Sixteenth Oral Formula of Chongxuzi

One sighs at the sinking of the moon’s reflection upon the river. The lord of metal arises, revealing the heart-nature of lead. One ought to strive to seek the secret of becoming an immortal and not let the years pass away in vain.

There is also a song that says…

Nine refinements of the lead jing (essence) allow the Great Dao to be cultivated to completion. Why then should I fear failing to attain immortality? At dawn I seek Nongyu and together we pass through the immortal palaces; at dusk I visit Magu and enter the Taiqing realm. Divine illumination originally arises from numinous Qi, yet Emperor Wu of Han gloried in self-conceit and still carried worldly sentiments. Now all things have returned to emptiness and stillness; a lifetime of wandering leaves behind nothing but an empty name.

Dong Daxian's Oral Formula, Number Seventeen

The sun hun and moon po (alchemical terms referring to the two Qi of Yin-Yang) have no fixed form. Only by gathering the natural substance does its extraordinary state become apparent. It accords with the way of immortals and is truly difficult to explain in words; from above the yellow sprout (a Neidan term referring to the initial sign of the elixir's birth) one may ascend into the clouds.

Transformations resembling a dragon soaring and a tiger leaping ultimately return to the golden field (an alchemical term referring to the furnace-cauldron of elixir refinement or the place where the elixir is completed). From beginning to end one must employ the lead of leaving the world (an alchemical term referring to lead medicines that have undergone refinement). With it one has a dwelling in which to reside securely; when Yin-Yang are paired, the natural substance can be gathered in an instant. It accords with the way of immortals and is hard to put into words; from above the yellow sprout one may ascend into the clouds.

Once the “departing from the embryo” (suspected to be a term in elixir methods, the specific referent of which remains unclear) is recognized, if one rushes to speak it aloud one will know that it does not reside in the transmission of books or oral formulas.

Yuanyangzi's Oral Formula, Number Eighteen

Ah, the Treatise on the Reverted Elixir! Ah, the Treatise on the Reverted Elixir! To obtain the yellow sprout one must first ignite the lead. If yang ren does not enter and circulate within the fire, how can yin bing be refined to completion? This resembles a hen incubating eggs: when the days suffice the mother’s body produces chicks; it is also like a woman conceiving, giving birth after ten months. Provided one obtains Kun (one of the Bagua, symbolizing earth and yin) and makes it the foundation like a house, once the Kun Qi arrives why worry that the elixir cannot be refined?

I set this method before the eyes; if one violates it what is obtained will be abundant\ldots The eight stones (mineral medicines commonly used in ancient alchemy) must all be refined in fire. Do not tinker with those water-boiling methods, wasting effort in vain. The reverted elixir is not difficult to learn in this world; it is only that people of the present age lack firm aspiration. If one understands Master Wei’s “Ten Poems of Astonishment” (the original text is thus, the meaning of the title remaining unclear), even if the sea turns to mulberry fields a thousand times, still\ldots (the final sentence of the original is unfinished and the meaning incomplete).

Luo Gongyuan Zhenren's Oral Formula, Number Nineteen

Ordinary people of the world do not know that elixir medicines likewise distinguish between the marvelous and the dangerous. If one tries ingesting wolfsbane (a highly toxic medicinal substance), it will certainly harm the body. From this it may be understood that the world contains both good and evil; why then not draw close to those who are good?

Nüwa (the legendary goddess who smelted stones to repair the heavens) refined the Qi (vital energy) of the Five Constants, causing it to transform and take form, and used it to patch and unite Heaven and Earth. The thirty-six tallies (tallies being ancient implements used for counting or divination; the meaning here is unclear) are known to people of the world, and the seventy-two stones (their specific identities here remain obscure) are each arrayed in their corresponding positions. Heaven, having obtained the “One,” is able to endure long; Earth, having obtained the “One,” remains stably existent. Metal, after being refined by fire, becomes still purer; wood, when burned into charcoal, does not readily decay. Thus it may be known that the value of refining lies in purity; how then could the Great Returned Elixir fail to be accomplished?

Concentrate the Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit), settle the mind-spirit; with single-minded devotion, gold can be refined. The River Cart (He Che, a Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) term referring to the pathway of Jing-Qi circulation within the body) originally must be obtained from lead, while the Crone Girl (an elixir-refining term, here usually referring to mercury) still needs to be sought from mercury. Thereafter the original text contains numerous passages that appear to be erroneous or omitted, rendering the meaning difficult to ascertain with certainty. The general sense mentions the coming and going of Taiyi (a Daoist deity or elixir-refining term), Huainan regulating the tripod (harmonizing the medicines within the cauldron, referring to elixir refining), as well as legends of Pengzu and others; it speaks of identifying the medicines, tasting and testing fragrant salts and so forth, ultimately attaining the Dao (the Way) and returning to the land of immortality.

Neither the civil fire nor the martial fire (distinctions in the intensity of fire timing during elixir refining) may be neglected. Beneath the furnace and cauldron one spreads only the “Green Sea” (referent unclear), and within the furnace one uses little of the “Fusang Sun” (Fusang being a legendary divine tree of the east; here perhaps indicating fire timing). The elixir’s radiance is vivid and bright, shining through like fish scales. The original text mentions Wei Bo (possibly Wei Boyang, an Eastern Han elixir alchemist) and Chang’e, but the related sentences are already incomplete and their meaning cannot be interpreted with certainty.

The original text then states that if one succeeds in refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan), one may leave one’s name in the Heavenly Treasury and be spared the dread of the subterranean yin officials; weapons, water and fire cannot injure, nor can insects, snakes, tigers or rhinoceroses. Golden bones stand erect and firm; the green body is lush and covered throughout with green hair. It further relates that one has repeatedly observed the transformations of the Eastern Sea, stolen the Queen Mother’s immortal peaches, commanded the Thunder Duke and ghosts and spirits, and in a thousand years has seldom departed from the waters of Liaodong. This passage contains much repetition and textual disorder, so that the accounts of immortal transformations cannot be interpreted sentence by sentence with certainty.

When sealing and securing the elixir furnace (closing the furnace mouth so that the medicinal Qi does not leak outward), one must grind and process with fine precision and seal in the purple smoke and azure flames, lest they spray out and injure people. Riding dragons and driving cranes, shaking the entire city, one can return within seven days. The way of cultivation is easy to speak of yet extremely difficult in practice: the Green Dragon and White Tiger (commonly used in elixir arts to represent lead and mercury or the two medicines of Yin-Yang) intertwine with each other; the yin cart belongs to the wet, the yang cart to the dry; like husband and wife facing one another, they are placed within the hexagram images. At the close of the original text the phrase “the four directions have not yet stayed to be stained with color, the five kings and nobles all resign their offices” has unclear meaning and is suspected to contain errors or omissions.

Baopuzi Koujue, the twentieth.

Cinnabar and mercury enter the “Flower Pond” (Huachi, an alchemical term referring to the place where the medicinal substances meet and transform in the elixir method), and from it one gathers the “Yellow Sprout” (Huangya, symbolizing the essence generated during the alchemical process). Outsiders do not know of this. These were originally secret formulas left by the immortals, yet in the world they have given rise to many conflicting accounts and been transmitted in confusion. The formula is transmitted to only one person every seventy years, and the recipient must possess the proper spiritual capacity suited to cultivating the Dao (the Way). Every operation must be personally handed down and pointed out face to face; the timing for gathering the medicinal substances lasts only a brief instant. The “River Chariot” (Heche, a symbol in the elixir method for circulating and transporting the medicinal substances) covers and protects them within the Dantian (energy center); the key to subduing the medicinal substances lies in the vicinity of the Yellow Sprout.

Secret Formula of Zhigu Zi, Number Twenty

If the lead is genuine, it can retain the “household minister” (the mercury that is paired with the lead); if the lead is not genuine, the mercury will find it difficult to unite intimately with it.

Yang Xuan — Secret Formula Number Twenty-Two

People of the world all enjoy talking about numinous medicines; each searches for them on their own, yet they are never found. Some say one must use lead, others say one must not use lead; and when it actually comes to using lead, the method is often mistaken. Speaking of using lead or of not using lead cannot thereby bring longevity. If one is to use lead, one must use the correct lead and cause it to dwell peacefully in the Dantian. Without lead the elixir cannot be refined; the Returned Elixir arises from lead. “Lord Metal” (Jingong, a symbolic designation for lead in the elixir method) is able to stabilize the water. Within black lead there is the Yellow Sprout; the Yellow Sprout enters the mercury and is then carried and circulated by the River Chariot.

The song says:

Lead is produced from within lead. It appears to be the same color as lead, yet in substance it is not the same. If one can distinguish the true from the false within it, every day one will gain something as an immortal elder does.

Secret Formula of the Monk Ruone, Number Twenty-Three

The Yellow Sprout, cinnabar, and mercury are refined together; within the yin outer shell is contained the yang essence. If one does not understand the principle of the Yellow Sprout, the completion of the Returned Elixir will remain indefinitely remote. When people of the world refine what they call the supreme treasure, they all take the yellow substance within the lead to be the Yellow Sprout; but this yellow substance is merely a dead thing, and one cannot thereby reach the realm of the immortals. The Yellow Sprout is not a medicinal substance obtained from outside; it is the essence extracted from inner imagery. If one attains the state to which the Yellow Sprout refers, the gold and silver so vaunted by the secular world will no longer be worth regarding.

The song says:

If one takes the Yellow Sprout to be lead, it is far removed from the true lead; if one says the Yellow Sprout is not lead, yet it begins from lead. Lead is the mother-body of the Yellow Sprout; the Yellow Sprout is the essence it produces. If one can attain the state of the Yellow Sprout, gold and silver, however precious, are not worth boasting of.

The song says:

If one takes the Yellow Sprout to be lead, it is far removed from the true lead; if one says the Yellow Sprout is not lead, yet it begins from lead. Lead is the mother-body of the Yellow Sprout; the Yellow Sprout is the child born of the lead. Once one has obtained the “Golden Flower” (Jinhua, a designation in the elixir method symbolizing the manifestation of the essence), one must still abandon the lead and use it no longer.

The red dragon is transformed into powder, the white tiger sharp as frost. Into this one introduces the “stone liquid,” and further adds the “imperial flowing slurry” (a legendary immortal medicine). Cultivate the spirit so that the five viscera become pure; if one wishes to refine an essence comparable to sun and moon, one must concentrate on preserving a state as firm and congealed as ice. How Yin and Yang interact must be grasped according to the secret formula.

The white tiger conceals itself and the red dragon likewise contracts; before the red dragon goes into hiding, the white tiger must first be subdued. Once the work of the River Chariot (a Neidan method of circulating Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)) is accomplished, there is no further need for anxious guarding.

When Huang-Lao (the Yellow Emperor and Laozi venerated in Daoism) studied the arts of flying immortals, a mind that is wild and loses its bearings cannot find the proper path. Even turning back to indicate the “female parrot” (as in the original, meaning unclear and possibly a cultivation cryptonym) one still cannot fathom the laws of Yin-Yang transformation. Only when one sits at ease in the Taiyi Palace (the sacred dwelling spoken of in Daoism) do the Shen and Shang stars (two stars that rise and set in alternation, standing for things originally hard to unite) begin to meet. Deities draw near on left and right, and the Four Aspects (guardian spirits or directional symbols that support cultivation) lend their aid together. Once the image of Qian and Kun (heaven and earth) has been accomplished, immortals naturally bestow their favor.

After the number of nine nines has been traversed, the Qian body (the form of firm, pure yang) appears. The golden liquid in the Flower Pond (a Neidan term for the refined essence obtained through practice) circulates of itself. Radiance first manifests upon the Yin-Yang cauldron; in the lead-flower furnace one observes the transformations of all things in heaven and earth.

From this it is known that the pivot of creation lies within the person. When the method is upright and the medicine genuine, the spirits come of themselves. Having reached this stage, one ought to transcend the dusty world; the four seasons need no longer press urgently.

Its radiance illuminates sun and moon, its transformations endless and beyond conception. Once the lead sand has condensed into treasure, the furnace fire is halted and the Bing-Ding fire (the fire-timing of elixir refinement) is left to blow and refine of its own accord.

Red lead and black lead are both the root of refining the great elixir. Red lead and black lead share the same nature: the essence is taken from black gold, the marrow from the red substance. Only by knowing how to employ the two medicines of red and black does one grasp the marvels within.

Placing the red substance into the black nourishes and preserves long life; placing the black into the red refines the great returning elixir of heavenly immortals. These two methods employed in reverse are both called “lead.” The black can transform, the red can accomplish heavenly immortality. Those who thoroughly comprehend the ultimate Dao should not transmit this method lightly; it need not be given to those greedy for wealth and lust.

At the head of Hangu Pass on Liangshi Mountain, Lord Lao once carved these words upon the stone.

Heaven produces Tai Su (the original undifferentiated qi of pristine simplicity), earth produces Ling Jin (the wondrous fluid generated by the earth). It can both conceal itself and soar aloft, its transformations divine and unfathomable. It is the root of Yin-Yang, combining like ruler and minister in perfect accord. Sages regard it as a secret treasure and do not transmit it to the unfit.

Tai Su is the ruler, Ling Jin the minister; the blending of these two has left this passage.

Heaven produced Taosu (the primordial qi of unadorned purity and oneness), and the earth produced Lingjin (the marvelous fluid). It can both conceal itself and soar upward, transforming in wondrous ways. It is the root of Yin-Yang, the two combining with each other like a sovereign and minister in perfect accord. This is a treasure secretly stored by the sages; none but those with the proper affinity may hear of it.

Taosu acts as the ruler and Lingjin as the minister. Their two natures unite, breathing together, blending and ingesting one another. They are like husband and wife or male and female kin, drawing each other through transformations and uniting in affection, thereby transmitting the true Dao.

A song says: The Azure Dragon of the East is paired with Bing, Ding, Jia, and Yi; the White Tiger of the West is paired with Ren and Gui, condensing into fluid. The two qi of Yin-Yang contain the true mechanism, which ordinary people find hard to obtain. Those who master this method hold this treasure and refine it with one water and one stone. When flames flicker in the ash pool, the register of death can be erased.

Here the Azure Dragon and White Tiger are symbols in Daoist alchemy representing the directions and the qi of Yin-Yang; the “ash pool” refers to the pit of ashes that holds the furnace fire during refining, and “one water and one stone” refers to the water, minerals, and other materials used in alchemy.

Transmitting the heart-formula, another song is composed: The water spirit is cast into metal and stone, thereby gathering the essence of Qian-Kun and the sun and moon. Kan and Li unite, attaining the state of Jiji (harmony of water and fire, union of Yin-Yang), and the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity thereby reveal their names. The yang number occupies the killing position of yin, while the yin number enters the punishment position of yang. If one wishes to know this method of inverting Yin-Yang, the key lies in things that overcome each other instead bringing about mutual generation.

If one refines the various eight stones (mineral materials used in traditional alchemy), not one person in ten million will succeed. To seek the true Dao, one must search for Geng within Ren and Gui; this is a cryptic expression using the heavenly stems to indicate the pairing relationships in alchemy.

Cui Xuanzhen, the Master of Minshan, Oral Formula Twenty-Eight.

The precious chamber of Minshan is the dwelling place of nine immortals. The radiance of the sun and moon circles within the cave, so that its depths appear empty, silent, and profound. Because a Perfected One (one who has attained the Dao) has long stood guard here, jade Qi (vital energy) condenses and coils, its breath long and expansive.

There was once an accomplished adept who had wandered the immortal mountains of the sea and visited Kunlun Hill; he came from afar driving a dragon chariot to visit. He had refined the Nine-Turned Flower Elixir, in which a silver-like Jing (essence) had accumulated.

The jade rabbit in the moon stands for the yang Qi within the Kan trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams): outwardly yielding, inwardly firm and strong. The two natures of Yin-Yang, one male and one female, yet coexisting in a single body, just as Metal is stored within Water. When Metal and Water combine, it is like hun and po clinging to each other; the transformations of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are truly beyond measure. Suddenly dragon and tiger unite, transforming into a dragon that appears in the shadowy depths.

The elixir looks like congealed cream, yellow tender sprouts, and white snow, or like jade flowers condensed in the immortal precincts of Xuanpu. This is not something worldly people produce by clever artifice, but a secret formula left by the Perfected Ones.

The formula is without the slightest error. Cinnabar is found in the stone chamber of Huanshan; those who aspire to the Great Dao follow this method, gathering and refining the Qi of the Azure Dragon. The yin hun, circulating through the Zhou Tian, gradually condenses into form and substance, then tightly unites with mercury. It is like a son taking a young daughter in marriage: after they have been advised and brought together, their affection becomes inseparable.

It is said that this is the Yellow Sprout, gathered layer upon layer into the Golden Cauldron that holds the golden Jing. After it has been refined into realgar and yan-medicine sand, it must be sealed tightly by the “Six-One” method, so that the elixir chamber has not the least flaw.

The firing begins with the first arising of yang and takes the Qian and Kun trigrams as beginning and end; civil fire and martial fire alternate, unlocking the key to elixir refinement. This method is a secret instruction transmitted by the ancient sages. The toad in the heavens is continually reborn; when the elixir cauldron opens, the intent of the Great Dao becomes visible. Every firing produces wondrous sights, hues of red and purple that words cannot describe.

Then a gold box is taken and realgar used for the casket. After the brilliance of the world has vanished, the red dragon soars forth. This gold-refining student of the Dao on Minshan personally received the mysterious teaching from the Perfected One.

The mysterious teaching speaks only of mercury and lead. Cultivating the Yellow Sprout can make the body immortal. Refining the elixir also means refining one’s resolve and one’s Shen (spirit); without seeking fame or profit, a pure, upright, and beautiful character appears of itself. To withdraw from reputation, leave the dusty world, and settle in a quiet and leisurely place is to accord with the Great Dao.

Do not imitate the restless, superficial people of the world who spend their lives busily chasing fame. Even if they admire longevity in their hearts, they still cannot help remaining in the court and the marketplace.

Jin Gong (a Daoist alchemical term referring to lead or lead-natured medicines) appears aged upon reaching sixty years; Lao Nu (a Daoist alchemical term referring to mercury or mercury-natured medicines) still looks young at sixty. When Jin Gong reaches thirty, Lao Nu also gradually becomes younger. It is like an old man taking a young wife, or a withered tree putting forth tender branches. When the two are combined together, they can accomplish the Great Dao (the Way).

The foundation of refining the elixir lies in Huangya (Yellow Sprout, an alchemical term referring to the refined essence medicine). Jin Gong originally belongs to the same family. When Lao Nu enters the lead chamber (the vessel that contains the medicines during alchemy), transformation occurs in an instant. Fuyue and Yangyue (covering moon and facing moon, terms for alchemical vessels or fire timing) cooperate with each other, and the fire timing of Yangyue needs to be adjusted in a timely manner. After the vessel is sealed, it must be repeatedly sealed again; this is precisely the practice of the alchemists. Once Bingding (a term representing fire timing) is properly arranged, the medicines naturally produce essence in a state of chaos. After the Yang numbers reach seven and eight, they must continue to increase to nine and six. After four refinings make the Yang Qi (vital energy) sufficient, the color of the medicine becomes as gorgeous as the morning glow.

By removing the Yang Qi and Fuyue, one refines the superior Huangya. The Huangya presents a golden yellow color, and also a white color like that of a white horse's teeth; after transformation, it becomes the "Heche" (River Chariot, an alchemical term referring to the process or vessel that carries and circulates the medicines). Xuanming and Binfu (alchemical terms whose specific referents are difficult to ascertain with certainty) are like husband and wife, belonging to the same family. This is originally the art of Wang Yang, and also the Golden Flower art that the Yellow Emperor esteemed. The intelligent know how to keep secrets, while the foolish boast about it everywhere. If one can thoroughly comprehend this Dao, one can ride cranes and mount the clouds, roaming the celestial realms.

Lead extracts the marrow, and from the marrow Jing (essence) is further extracted; when Jing and marrow combine, the elixir can be successfully refined. One jin of mercury can yield seventeen liang of lead Jing, and one liang of medicine can undergo transformation. Refine the lead Jing into the Great Elixir, then after Laozi's nine transmutations (the procedure of repeated refining) grind it once more; one liang of mercury then possesses the strength of a special ox, and ingesting it can make a person's appearance like that of an immortal.

With an appearance like an immortal, the sinews and bones will also become robust; with robust sinews and bones, the declining body can be restored. If someone inquires about this Daoist art, there is no need to reveal it. If one is still unable to hide and appear, advance and retreat, or conceal oneself for self-preservation, then one must be even more cautious in keeping one's mouth shut and not rashly publicize it. Otherwise, it may provoke the anger of the heavenly deities of the upper realm, and one might encounter unexpected calamities, even the disaster of weapons and soldiers.

The White Maiden, just sixteen years old, boasts of her delicate frame and jade-like complexion... Had it not been for the strength of the Yellow Dame, how could Yin and Yang ever have been joined?

The White Maiden is in her sixteenth year, and she regards herself as frail, tender, and fair as jade. She often laments the passing of the years, yet she has no suitable matchmaker, and she sleeps alone day and night in solitude. Her parents do not understand her heart; they merely mention Zhang San and Li Si as possible go-betweens, and after several attempts at arrangement nothing came of it, leaving her both ashamed and embarrassed.

Then, suddenly, the Yellow Dame (Huang Po, a matchmaker, here a symbol of that which brings about the union of Yin-Yang) came to the door and said that the Golden Lord (Jin Gong, the symbol of the one matched with the White Maiden) was gentle in temperament. So the birth dates and destinies of the two were handed to Jun Ping (a master skilled in divination and fate calculation) to be reckoned, and Jun Ping judged it a fortunate match. The two leaned neither one way nor the other and accorded exactly with the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth; looked at closely, the bond was entirely fitting, and in time their descendants spread in all directions. Had the Yellow Dame not brought them together at the beginning, how could Yin-Yang have been united?

Master Cao's Oral Instruction, No. 32

Take the Azure Dragon of the east (symbol of the Wood qi of the east) and pair it with the White Tiger of the west (symbol of the Metal qi of the west); then let the Vermilion Bird of the south (symbol of the Fire qi of the south) meet the Black Tortoise of the north (symbol of the Water qi of the north). Traced back to their root, these four forces were originally of one source.

Ordinary people do not know how to investigate this principle. They mistake a great many minerals for treasure, and they do not understand how to evolve Yin-Yang and make the two join like husband and wife. The qi of Yin and Yang is paired by nature, and only when the two unite can they gather together. The most crucial element among them is central Earth (the Earth phase of the Five Phases, which occupies the center and serves to harmonize the others).

The clay furnace used in refining the elixir has no fixed clever method; the key lies in attending to the fire phases with a focused mind. Each day, at the proper hour, one calculates the fire phases of the two hexagrams, and every advance and retreat must follow the proper measure. Observe carefully the waxing and waning of the sun and moon, and do not let external changes such as wind and rain disturb the refining. After ten months, the Neidan (internal alchemy; the elixir formed through cultivation and condensation) will be complete, and the body will be freed from the suffering of poverty and illness. Only when a change of Heaven and Earth on the scale of the blue sea turning into mulberry fields takes place will you see the results with your own eyes.

Whoever obtains my teaching must not transmit it lightly. To carelessly divulge Heaven's secrets will bring punishment, even calamity upon seven generations of one's ancestors.

Oral Instruction of Han Yunzhong, Hermit of Mount Taibai, No. 33

The great Dao is vast and profound, the transformations of Yin-Yang are impossible to exhaust, and how the creation and transformation of Heaven and Earth come about is beyond the reckoning of ordinary people. To speak rashly and idly of its hollow and untrue aspects will invite disaster, even calamity upon seven generations of one's ancestors.

The Great Dao (the Way) is profound, vast, and far-reaching; the transformations of Yin-Yang are inexhaustible, and the creative processes of Heaven and Earth generate life without cease, yet people of the world find it hard to see through them. Some wildly discuss empty and mysterious principles, and even until their hair turns white they obtain nothing; others exhaust their wealth seeking only to extend their years and benefit longevity, with the result that their appearances cannot be preserved, and instead they damage their bodies and shorten their lives. From ancient times to the present, those fond of refining elixirs are many, and those who lose their lives thereby are as numerous as hemp. This is probably because they have mistaken their teacher-lineage and have not understood the essential purpose of elixir refinement.

Some take mercury as Yin, the “Four Yellows” as Yang, and further combine crude lead with it; some gather flowers, plants, and trees to serve as Earth, calling the plants and trees Tiger and Dragon respectively, and then pair worldly gold and silver as “child and mother,” using them to cultivate elixir medicines and ingest them in search of immortality. Doing this will only invite the calamity of impermanence. Similar sayings are seen everywhere, all of them demonic false transmissions and major fallacies. I formerly investigated these claims and found they have always been thus. How could one know that the truly marvelous art of elixir refinement has another wondrous method, and what it reveals is the genuine principle.

The so-called “Water” is lead, which is also mercury, the Qi (vital energy) of the yang line in the Kan trigram; its De (Virtue/Power) belongs to Ren and Gui. Through refinement and transformation, the yin Qi is melted away; after undergoing nine turns of sinking and floating, when the number is complete it becomes Qian, and is then matched with the Western Metal position. People of the world also use these names, yet they have not grasped their root.

Dragon and Tiger each have their images; hardness and softness naturally differ. The Metal Lord can extinguish fire, and the White Snow must be genuine. The Five Movements transform and generate, and fire is then naturally subdued; this is the true Dao of elixir refinement.

The so-called “Mercury” resides in the Li trigram; obtaining the “Female” it becomes the Li trigram, that is, fire and cinnabar. It obtains the Qi of Ren, Gui, Bing, and Ding, then returns the Qi to the Eastern Green Yang; the white Jing (essence) then appears from the Center. The key to all this lies only in “subduing fire” (causing the fire nature to yield and be refined back to truth); this is the authentic principle. It is right before the eyes, yet its form is hard to see, profound and vague, seeming to exist and not exist, and truly difficult to understand.

— Yan Junping's Oral Instructions, the Thirty-Fourth.

Lead is lead, mercury is mercury; what are called lead and mercury, the key lies precisely in these two substances. The dragon is the dragon, the tiger is the tiger; dragon and tiger likewise issue from the same source. If one can clearly recognize the Palaces of Kan and Li (an alchemical term referring to the crucial point where water and fire intermingle and Yin-Yang unite), then Yellow Earth (a Neidan term denoting the substance spoken of in the process of inner cultivation) will arise beneath the Palace of Li.

Yellow Earth produces the Yellow Sprout, and the Golden Flower congeals beneath the Yellow Sprout. Once the Golden Flower has formed, Purple Jing condenses below it; when the Purple Jing has matured, White Gold is generated beneath it. White Gold sinks downward while Yellow Gold floats upward. Ordinary people take the sunken White Gold as the foundation of the elixir, then seek out Red Marrow (an alchemical term referring to another essence used in coordinated refining) to blend with it and sow the seed.

Sowing has its appointed timing, and gathering and refining have their fixed days. Cultivating according to these methods strengthens the sinews and bones and prolongs life. Although the realms of celestial immortals and earthly immortals are hard to imagine, one can nevertheless transmute lead, iron, and even tiles and rubble into treasures. Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth together constitute the Five Phases (the five fundamental elements that make up all things). Once this oral formula is understood, one has set foot upon the path of longevity.