《太白经》

According to the Scripture of the Yellow Emperor's Sacred Records (Huangdi shengji jing), in the first year of the Yellow Emperor's reign, on a yin day of the yin month, the Yellow Emperor observed a purification fast (zhai) on Mount Shou. Fangming and Limu accompanied him as he climbed Mount Juci, where he paid homage to Lord Dachen. Lord Dachen transmitted to him the Divine Mushroom and Numinous Diagrams in twelve fascicles, together with nineteen methods for refining gold and silver.

Later, the Yellow Emperor ascended Mount Wangwu, where he opened a stone casket and took out a jade case, obtaining the methods for refining the Divine Elixir of the Nine Tripods and the furnace-fire techniques of the "Flying Snow." He then traveled to Mount Emei to pay homage to the Perfected Celestial Sovereign (Tianzhen Huangren) and asked about the Way of becoming an immortal. The Perfected Celestial Sovereign said: "Do you not know that in Heaven there is the Way of the Mysterious One (Xuanyi)? It is born of the Great Yang and is called Flowing Pearl. It is the gateway to all the myriad subtle methods. If you obtain it and cultivate it, you will gain long life, ride the clouds in flight, and attend the Jade Emperor in audience."

The Yellow Emperor received this Dao with reverence. On Mount Ke he cast a golden tripod, and through cultivation he completed the Divine Elixir of the Great Return of the Flowing Pearl. Hoping to pass the method of the elixir on to later generations, he afterward took the elixir at Tinghu and ascended to Heaven. At that time, seventy-two ministers also obtained the divine elixir, and those who took it ascended to Heaven together with the Yellow Emperor.

Before this, the Yellow Emperor, fearing that the Way of the Golden Elixir would be lost, had transmitted the method of the Divine Elixir of the Nine Tripods to Yuanzi and charged him to pass it on to later generations. The Yellow Emperor solemnly warned: "This teaching is of the utmost importance and must be transmitted to people of worth and virtue. If it is given to the unsuitable, it will only bring calamity." Yuanzi then observed a purification fast on Mount Dongming, cast a golden fish into the flowing waters of the Shu stream, and swore an oath in blood. Later, Yuanzi transmitted the teaching to Shushanzi. From then on, the Dao was passed down in succession by sages and by people of benevolence and virtue, and those who attained the Dao were too numerous to count.

Heaven loves humankind deeply, but if a person's resolve does not accord with the Dao, it is truly difficult to achieve cultivation. People respond to this with disbelief instead; nine out of every ten under Heaven are like this, so it is hardly surprising that when they hear of the Great Dao they clap their hands and laugh in mockery. From this we can see that the secrets of Heaven must not be lightly divulged, and the cauldron and vessels used in refining the elixir must not be handled carelessly. The foolish, the deceitful, the greedy, and the false must not be allowed to see this teaching, nor should it be discussed with them. As for transmission and cultivation, however, there are indeed rules of "ten prohibitions" and "ten permissions," known together as the "Ten Precepts."

The Ten Who Must Not Be Engaged

First, there are those who rely on flowery words and a fawning manner to eagerly pry out secret teachings. They call others foolish and themselves shrewd. They also claim that as long as what is said accords with the Dao (the Way) of cultivation, they harbor no resentment or stinginess in their hearts, and that upon hearing a single agreeable remark they will surely pass it on to the other person. They use talk of other matters to probe for this one, or point at someone else while hinting at you. Their methods are cunning and their tricks many, and their mouths are full of honeyed words. Never speak with such people.

Second, there are those who open their mouths to talk of the arts of refining the Great Elixir, the methods of transmuting metals and minerals, and the cultivation practices referred to by terms such as "subduing pi and pounding mao" and "seeking herbs to bind mercury." They say they have done these things with their own hands but cannot discuss them in detail for certain reasons. They then boast of their great skill, hoping to draw information out through other topics. They claim a cleverness that can calculate everything between heaven and earth, and they visit again and again, pressing with questions and probing in every direction. Never speak with such people.

Third, there are those who bring only meager wine and food and a few pairs of shoes and socks, call themselves poor, and beg others for help. They say they will surely remember the kindness in the future, and that even after death they will not forget to repay it. They even point to heaven as their witness and swear oaths before the spirits. Never speak with such people.

Fourth, there are those who, upon first meeting, deliberately act friendly, speaking cleverly and at length, probing your whereabouts and background and asking about the principles of the Dao. When they hear an answer that pleases them, they praise you as one of the immortals. When they meet a question that is hard to answer, they grow angry and turn to slander, calling you a fraud of shallow learning, no better than themselves. Never speak with such people.

Fifth, there are those who are greedy by nature and think only of money, unwilling to spend even a single coin. Yet they are very cunning in pursuing their aims and want every advantage. Their speech is vague and muddled; they bow their heads, make deferential salutes, and stoop to flatter. They claim they merely enjoy doing good deeds and would never want your money, but in truth they come empty-handed and insist on demanding the finest techniques. Never speak with such people.

Note: The original text is titled "The Ten Who Must Not Be Engaged," but the passage given lists only the first through fifth items, and the fourth item's content also appeared in duplicate. Judging by the duplicated portion, it has been consolidated into a single item, and the items are interpreted in the original order.

6. Lacking real knowledge, and neither following the classic texts and methods of alchemy nor receiving transmission from a master, such people act on their own subjective guesses and operate at random. Some spend a thousand coins on a single firing; others produce only five hundred coins' worth of ash. The metals vanish with the smoke, and the minerals are scattered by the flames. Yet they will not admit that their own methods are foolish. Instead they slander those who truly possess virtue (De), claiming that since ancient times no alchemical work has ever succeeded and that such a thing does not exist in the world. They slander immortals when they meet them, and fly into a rage at recluses who cultivate the Way (Dao), assuming that everyone else is just like themselves. Never speak with such people.

Here, "fire" and "ash" refer to the process of firing in alchemy and its products, while "subdued elixir" (fudan) refers to an elixir that has been refined.

7. When such people see others, they say that those others lack good fortune. The original phrase "yi tiao mie shi" is unclear in meaning and is suspected to be corrupt. They also say that others have bad intentions. They have not succeeded themselves, so how could they bring about the success of anyone else? The years they have lived are not many, and they are not old, yet they regard their elders as narrow in outlook and take running about from place to place as proof of rich experience. They therefore believe they can order worthy and accomplished people about and look down on the wise. This is like gazing at the sky through a tube, or like throwing out a brick to draw forth jade. Never speak with such people.

8. Shallow by nature, how could they understand the source of creation and transformation? Dim in understanding, they cannot grasp the principles by which heaven and earth operate. They seek only petty techniques and think only of profit; what they pursue is merely family wealth, and they lack the ambition to accomplish great undertakings. They are keen on refining elixirs from lead powder, cinnabar, and similar substances, and on boiling and refining mercury with silver, lead, copper, and "lu" (the character "lu" is suspected to be corrupt, and what it refers to is unclear). When these matters are discussed, they listen with delight; when they hear of genuine ingredients, they sneer in silence. They try to seek the genuine by means of the false, and claim that one may enter the Great Way (Dao) gradually, starting from small things. Never speak with such people.

9. The original text of this section largely repeats section 8. It begins by saying that they already know the methods of transcending the mortal world and are also able to seek out those who have attained the Way (Dao). It then goes on to describe boiling and refining mercury with silver, lead, copper, and "lu," and to say that they are delighted when these things are discussed but sneer in silence when they hear of genuine ingredients. It ends, again, by saying that they try to seek the genuine by means of the false and claim that one may enter the Great Way (Dao) gradually, starting from small things. Never speak with such people.

9. Once people understand the methods of transcending the mundane world, they will wish to seek out those who have attained the Dao (the Way). Such seekers often deliberately lower themselves and display humility and deference, yet they are always reading faces and guessing at the other person's intentions. At night they scheme and calculate, and at first light they set out to look for an opening. They think only of offering a jade disc in exchange for some benefit, unwilling to pay a real price, as one would in ceding a city. They love to show off petty cleverness, trying to toy with virtuous sages, and they pose questions that seem easy in the hope of gaining an extraordinary reward.

The Scripture (Jing) says again: "If you do not run swiftly when going downhill, it will be hard to meet with opportunity." People of this kind always feel that a chance must not be missed. Sometimes they claim to live simply and to be loyal and upright, yet they are timid and shrinking themselves, and they urge others to act in secret. They feign compassion and generosity and talk recklessly of fangshu (the Daoist methods of cultivation, nourishing life, and so on), deceiving the shallow and the ignorant as well as upright gentlemen. To obtain advantage, they even deliberately put on an air of caution and reverence.

The Scripture says again: "Those who claim they will teach me their arts take only social favors as their reward and say nothing of material goods. Never speak with such people."

10. Some chance upon a person of renown and learn only a little of the essential teachings and methods. They then use this to deceive the shallow and ignorant and to cheat upright gentlemen, seizing the opportunity to gain advantage while deliberately putting on an air of caution and reverence.

The Scripture says again: "Those who claim they will teach me their arts take only social favors as their reward and say nothing of material goods. Never speak with such people."

Tenth, there are those who happen to meet a person of renown and know only the barest outline of the aims of cultivation, yet they become self-satisfied, arrogant, and discourteous, and they do not understand the principles of Yin-Yang. Some learn only the beginning and not the end; others learn the end and not the beginning. This comes from narrow capacity: they are pleased with themselves at the slightest gain and go about showing it off to everyone.

Some, at first knowing the other to be a person who possesses the Dao (the Way), serve that person with great diligence. They bow and address them as "Immortal Brother," treat them as closer than a spouse, eat and live alongside them, and are content to act as servants, waiting on their commands for years. They hope to stay together until heaven and earth grow old, and would even be willing to be ground to dust for them. Later, once they have learned a little of the paths of practice, they take themselves to be entirely secure. Their attitude toward the Immortal Brother promptly cools, their expression and manner grow distant, and visits and shared meals dwindle day by day. They suppose they have "got the fish and forgotten the trap" (once the fish is caught, the bamboo trap is forgotten), or that they are like travelers who, having reached the far shore, cast away the raft that carried them across. Feeling that the great matter is already in hand and that they no longer need their elder, they leave their teacher's gate and cultivate lead and mercury on their own (a Daoist alchemical term, here referring to the process of refining and nourishing body and mind).

What they do not realize is that the perfected person (one who has attained accomplishment in the Dao) is skilled at observing people and affairs, and can judge the past and foresee the future. The elder had long since examined this person and knew that they were not, in the end, a vessel able to receive the great Dao. How could a few kind words, a few shared laughs, or a meal and some wine lead to the transmission of the immortals' great Way and the deepest mysteries between heaven and earth?

People of this kind first believe their cultivation is settled and so betray their Immortal Brother. Later they gradually find that things are not as they thought, and they turn to slandering the worthy, bringing misfortune upon themselves in the end, when regret is of no use. Alas, from ancient times to the present such people have been many. Never discuss the great Dao with them.

The above describes ten kinds of people with whom the Dao should not be discussed. A gentleman who has attained the Dao should be careful in discerning them. Divulging heavenly secrets brings regret and fault upon oneself. Yet to meet a suitable person and withhold instruction is also to hoard the Way of Heaven, and that too is improper. To transmit the Dao to an unsuitable person is to leak it in vain and to toy presumptuously with Yin-Yang, which is a grave wrong.

Ten Kinds of People Who May Be Taught

First, whether poor or wealthy, of high station or low, whether emperor or chief minister, feudal lord, general, civil or military official, or commoner, scholar, farmer, artisan, or merchant, anyone who has a heart for the Dao may be taught. Even so, one must first examine the person's character and judge whether they are suitable, and only then may the teaching be given.

Do not treat the transmission of the Way as a means of making money, and do not transmit it to someone merely because that person holds power or influence. Whether the seeker is a wealthy chancellor, a marquis or earl, a civil or military official, or an ordinary scholar, farmer, craftsman, or merchant, anyone who sincerely seeks the Dao (the Way) may be considered for instruction. But one must first examine the person's character and judge whether they are suitable, and only then transmit the teachings.

Wealth, or rank and power, should never be the basis for transmission. Whether rich or poor, an official or a commoner, if a person aspires to the great Dao and yearns for long life, does not flatter in speech, is not cunning or crooked in conduct, and does not seek the method for the sake of immediate gain, then one should observe how they have conducted themselves over time. Only if they are truly such a person may the teachings be transmitted.

Before transmitting anything, converse with the person first and assess their foundation. They should understand the transformations of Yin-Yang, grasp the meaning of the hexagram images, comprehend the principles by which Heaven and Earth create and transform, recognize the bounty of Heaven and Earth, penetrate the changes between darkness and light, and know well when to advance and when to withdraw. They should also understand the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the Four Images, and the "seven returns and nine restorations" (a term from Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, concerning the transformations of Yin-Yang, Jing [essence], and Qi [vital energy] and the process of refining them). Their words and deeds should also be consistent, and their body and mind upright. Beyond this, one should watch whether the person has good fortune but lacks De (Virtue), is clever but does not grasp principle, or begins smoothly only to meet danger later, gaining first and losing afterward. In such cases, regret may come too late. Therefore, in transmitting secret matters one must examine with great care. The truly suitable person keeps the essential mechanisms deeply hidden, appears modest outwardly, and does not display their intelligence. Such a person may receive the teachings.

If one sees a person who pursues cleverness and quick wit without understanding principle, who starts out smoothly but ends in danger, who gains first and loses afterward and may in the end be left with regret, one must be especially cautious. Only someone who knows how to grasp the essentials, who holds wisdom within without displaying it, and who has passed careful examination may receive the teachings.

A person who spends whole days busy with household affairs, toils for their own reputation and standing, is combative and quick to anger, and is fond of refined repute is not suited to discussion of the Dao and its methods. But one who preserves their original nature and is upright, has few desires and is content, is not keen on social obligations and is not burdened by family matters, is indifferent to fame and gain, shows no favoritism toward those close to them, and does not deceive others may receive the teachings.

If a person is compassionate and treats others without distinction between close and distant, wishes to do many good deeds but has limited means, and reveres the virtuous but lives in poverty, then one should carefully examine their words, conduct, and integrity. If they are truly suitable, the teachings may be transmitted.

A person who serves their ruler with loyalty and restraint, is not arrogant despite high position, remains upright and unhurried despite a meager salary and a poor household, can stay calm and keep to themselves, lives simply, avoids frivolous behavior, directs their heart toward emptiness and non-being (xuwu), and does not rush after fame and emolument may receive the teachings.

A person who serves their parents at home and whose reputation for filial piety has spread far and wide may receive the teachings.

6. Serving one's ruler with loyalty and integrity, such a person does not boast even when holding high office. With a meager stipend and a poor household, they still keep to their true nature and do not grow anxious. Calm and unassuming, able to restrain themselves, they do not chase after frivolous things; their heart inclines toward emptiness and nothingness, and they are in no hurry to seek fame or salary. Such a person may be given the teachings.

7. At home, serving their parents, such a person has a reputation for filial piety that spreads throughout the village. They also possess benevolence and virtue, are quiet and unassuming, able to hold to their discipline, and their aspiration lies in seeking longevity. Such a person may be given the teachings.

8. Not contending with external things, and harboring no closeness, distance, or resentment in the heart, such a person takes the Way of Heaven as their own standard and does not treat refining the returned elixir (what Daoism calls the Neidan (internal alchemy) or the immortal elixir) as an obsession. They have no intention of seeking union with the Dao (the Way), yet they naturally accord with it, and the Dao is right before their eyes. Such a person may be given the teachings.

9. Leaving home without encumbrance, free like a wild crane or a solitary cloud, such a person is not bound by worldly affairs and does not concern themselves with etiquette suited to conventional custom. Others do not know them, and they do not know others. In their heart they admire longevity, but they have not yet met a person of the Supreme Dao (the highest teaching of the Way). Such a person may be given the teachings.

10. Such a person often lives in a cave as a seeker of the Dao, dwelling alone in mountain forests wreathed in clouds and mist. They are of similar age to others there, and contact with relatives and friends has been entirely cut off. Afterward, one must observe their words and conduct to confirm that they will not deceive those who are weak or guileless. Such a person may be given the teachings.

Among these ten kinds of people, a master who has attained the Dao may transmit the teachings to three within a hundred years. As for the people described earlier under the "Ten Who Must Not Be Taught," one must be careful and never transmit to them. In transmission, the "Ten Completenesses" must also be in place before the Great Elixir can be refined; if the conditions are incomplete, one must not act rashly.

The conditions of the "Ten Completenesses" are as follows:

The first completeness is a place for cultivation. One should carefully choose a famous mountain or great peak, where the lay of the mountain, the flow of the waters, and the energies of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) complement one another. It must not be a place of dangerous or harsh mountains and waters, and one should also avoid places of depletion. The site must not be open to casual observation by ordinary people, nor may it have any foul or disorderly qi (vital energy). If these conditions are not met, the place is unsuitable for cultivation.

The second completeness is to have sufficient wealth and capital for cultivation. When supplies are complete, the practitioner will not be tied down by external affairs, nor will the practice be interrupted by shortages. The practitioner must also be naturally firm in intent and must not claim to have what they do not have; if they are hesitant and indecisive, or harbor worry and regret, they are likewise unsuited to cultivation.

"Third Completeness": The attendant youth on duty (the youth in Daoist ritual responsible for serving duty and relaying orders) must be an extraordinary person. Unless he is a person of lofty spiritual insight, he cannot be given commands. Let him serve only as the duty talisman officer (the talisman clerk on duty), and do not let him know the matters that cause worry and regret.

"Third Completeness": The attendant youth on duty must be an extraordinary person. Unless he is a person of lofty spiritual insight, he cannot be given commands. Let him serve only as the duty talisman officer, and do not let him know the inner workings. If they are carelessly disclosed to others, misfortune will follow.

"Fourth Completeness": When building the furnace platform, its height, dimensions, width, and thickness must all follow the established rules. The direction from which the earth is taken, the method of mixing the clay, the day and hour for lighting the fire, the opening and closing of the doors, the number and placement of the implements, and the number of stacked layers must each accord with the proper standards.

"Fifth Completeness": The making of the cauldron (ding) vessel must follow the appropriate methods. Cauldrons also differ in height and size; their width, weight, thickness, and depth must all be examined carefully for their subtle principles, so that they accord with the authentic text and are not made at will. One who can recognize a genuine cauldron is already a person of wisdom.

"Sixth Completeness": One must know the true medicine. Having recognized the true medicine, one must also know the proper season for gathering it. Hence the Huainanwang says: "Gather it before the silkworms begin to eat the mulberry leaves, and use it after it has been refined by fire." From this we know that the medicine spoken of is not mineral or metal, but belongs to the category of wood. Wood is most flourishing in the second month, declines in the eighth, and lies hidden in the tenth, which is perfectly clear. By the eighth month, the autumn qi (Qi, vital energy) stirs and frost descends; the branches wither, the leaves fall, and all return once more to the earth.

"Seventh Completeness": Text missing.

"Eighth Completeness": In gathering and storing the medicine, one must know how to wash it, which is called "bathing." After the bathing, remove the roots and keep the leaves; discard the woody parts and retain the thick, fleshy parts, then bring it into the chamber. From this point, its various parts can be brought together.

"Ninth Completeness": Once the medicine has entered the cauldron and furnace, it must be placed according to the rules. Distinguish clearly the Four Images (Sixiang; the four contrasting forces of Yin-Yang and the like), and match them with the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Do not go against the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth, and bring the two luminaries (the sun and the moon) into union. The one who transforms and creates the myriad things is I; and who, then, is the one who causes the myriad things to arise?

The "Ten Completions" refers to the union of water and fire and of being and non-being, and to the pairing of the zi and wu hours, together with the waxing and waning that follow the sequence of time. All of this is contained in the movement of the moon. The rising and hiding of the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang are all determined by the trigrams. Only after refining oneself with care to this point is it fitting to devote the mind to further practice. This is called the "Ten Completions," and one who reaches this state may be called a "Perfected Adept." Yet if even one of the ten is missing, one cannot discuss the Dao (the Way) with such a person. And even when all ten are present, if one is incomplete, there is still a lack on the Way. The Perfected Adept should therefore examine this carefully and practice accordingly. Is this not so?

The Biography of Master Siming says: "Si" (four) refers to the Four Images, namely east, west, south, and north. "Ming" (bright) refers to the sun and moon. "Xian" (first) means prior to Heaven and Earth, the root of the myriad things. "Sheng" (to give birth) refers to the Dao. The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to the myriad things. It also says: "One" is water, "two" is fire, and "three" is wood. These three can bring the myriad things to completion, and the myriad things return to earth. The so-called "three" can revolve and transform, and in the end returns to earth, which holds the fifth position among the Five Phases. "Five" is the father of "four," and "four" is the son of "five." Thus "five" is like a sovereign and "four" like the eldest son. The sovereign has the virtue of nurturing the myriad things, while the eldest son holds the authority to carry out punishment and killing. Therefore, the sovereign and the eldest son together make the number nine. Is this not so?

Someone asked: "Three corresponds to the Zhen trigram, and Zhen governs the east. Four corresponds to the Dui trigram, yet Dui is called the eldest son."

The answer: "The eldest son begins in the palace of Zhen and ends in the palace of Dui."

Someone asked again: "Three corresponds to the Zhen trigram, and Zhen governs the east. Four corresponds to the Dui trigram, yet Dui is called the eldest son."

Note: The latter part of the original text is repeated, and the final question is left without an answer; the above is translated according to the text as given. A "trigram" is a symbol used to represent the changes of Yin-Yang, and the "Five Phases" refer to Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

The reply said that the eldest son begins at the Zhen palace (the east in the Bagua directional arrangement) and ends at the Dui palace (the west), so their names and colors are the same. Stillness is the root of movement. The Yijing says, "Those of the same sound respond to one another; those of the same qi are drawn to one another." This is exactly the principle at work.

It continues: the Five Phases generate one another, the Four Images restrain one another, and in the end all return to Earth. The myriad things are born from Earth and return to Earth when they die. Although the Five Phases have different names, their nature is shared, and so it is called "Xuan" (the Mysterious). Here "Xuan" refers to Water. Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, and Earth generates Metal. Metal corresponds to the White Tiger, Wood to the Azure Dragon, Fire to the Vermilion Bird, and Water to the Black Tortoise (Xuanwu). The Black Tortoise restrains the Vermilion Bird, and the White Tiger restrains the Azure Dragon. The ancients therefore said, "To determine the four directions, first look at the colors." For this reason the related principles are discussed together here. Silver, lead, cinnabar, and mercury each have their own position and properties; once these are distinguished, one can recognize Water and Fire, and also understand the Dragon and the Tiger. Surely you know that water extinguishes fire and metal overcomes wood? Understanding this, how could one still be confused about the Great Dao?

Seen in this light, the thousands of scriptures and books and the writings of the hundred schools all speak broadly of the Five Phases and Bagua, the Four Images and the six positions in order to clarify these principles; had they not done so, they would long ago have lost their guiding thread. Yet many books do not discuss the Divine Water (shenshui) or the Flower Pool (huachi), nor do they treat the interaction of Dragon and Tiger (a term in Daoist Neidan for the union of the two Yin-Yang forces).

When Li Quan annotated the Yinfu Jing, he cited the Yellow Emperor: "There are many methods of the Golden Elixir, but the key lies in the Divine Water and the Flower Pool." Although people past and present have mentioned these terms, they have never made their principles clear. The Divine Water and the Flower Pool are the root of the myriad things. They possess a pure and undivided De, and stand first among the Five Phases. They dwell in the south, were born before Heaven and existed before Earth, and are the mother of Heaven and Earth. They "know the white yet keep to the black," being neither hard nor soft, like stone and yet like water; they do not contend with the myriad things, and are the elders among the essences of all metals and minerals. When settled and still, they are as clear as the Great Void, yet contain the five colors. The ancients said, "If one thing contains the five colors, it is the good fortune of an immortal of long life." Do the worthy and the noble truly not understand this?

Once the Divine Water is understood, one refines it into the Flower Pool, and within it causes the Dragon and Tiger to interact. When that interaction is complete, the Flower Pool is no longer needed. Hence the ancients said, "Whether you use lead or do not use lead, you must begin from lead; if you seek only within lead, you will still go wrong." They also said, "To refine the Great Returned Elixir, you must know that lead is the root." And: "Having recognized the mercury in the cinnabar, you must still seek the gold hidden in the lead." "Lead is the mother of the ya (another substance paired with lead in the elixir method), and the ya is the child of lead; once the Golden Flower is obtained, lead can be discarded and left unused." "If the ya is lead, cast the lead ten thousand miles away; if the ya is not lead, one must still begin with lead." And again: "The original qi of the Returned Elixir lies in lead, and the original elixir is also stored within lead; making the elixir cannot be separated from lead, for lead is the field of the Great Elixir." The "field" here means Earth, from which the myriad things grow.

Master Qingxia said: "The Way of the immortals undergoes a thousand transformations, yet its crux does not go beyond the principles of lead, mercury, Divine Water, and the Flower Pool. The teaching of the interaction of Dragon and Tiger has, since the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, not been set down in writing, but transmitted only through oral secrets and spirit talismans passed from heart to heart. Now I shall first tell the world plainly the principles of the Divine Water and the Flower Pool; as for the interaction of Dragon and Tiger, this text will not expand on it for now. The furnace and cauldron used in the practice, and the advancing and retreating of the fire phases, are largely the same as in other elixir methods, so they will not be detailed here."

As for the Bagua and Five Phases, the sevenfold return and ninefold reversion, the designs of cauldrons and furnaces, and such notions as Already Crossed and Not Yet Crossed, all belong to separate specific categories. What the alchemists value is the essential method for practical application; so long as one understands Water and Fire, the Flower Pool, and the interaction of Dragon and Tiger, one has grasped the key secret of the Great Returned Elixir.

Shi Jianwu (施肩吾) sings in praise: the so-called "divine water" (shenshui) and "flower pond" (huachi) are in fact the crux of the alchemical method. The relations between east and west, and between high and low, must be observed and savored in relation to one another.

I urge you not to cling to ordinary lead. If you treat it merely as a material substance of the mundane world to be fiddled with, then you may as well give up the work of cultivation and the life devoted to it. Why must the "lead" mentioned here be lead in particular? And if one looks only within the substance called lead, where could one ever hope to find an immortal?

When the directions and transformations indicated by east, west, south, and north all return to the "Returned Elixir" (huandan, the process in Neidan, or internal alchemy, by which Jing and Qi are condensed and brought back to their original source), there is nothing to be done, for the immortals are unwilling to hand down the secret instructions.

Some things share the same color and the same name, and when they join together they can give forth a beautiful sound; they may shine brightly, or lie still and hidden in the depths. If one can make Qian and Kun (heaven and earth, Yin-Yang) revolve in reverse, one can set thunder and rain in motion. How, then, could the dragon leap out from the place of utmost Yin?

Here "divine water," "flower pond," "lead," and "Returned Elixir" are all terms of the alchemical method. The poem uses directions, the transformations of Yin-Yang, and the names of substances to express the coordination and transformation at work in cultivation.