《混元八景真经》

The Perfected One Hunyuan said: Before Heaven and Earth took shape, chaos first began to open. The myriad things had not yet sprouted; all was empty and desolate, with nothing but the Void. From the Void arose luminous Qi. When this luminous Qi developed to its utmost, a deep and obscure state appeared. Only when that state reached its utmost did moist Qi come into being. As the moist Qi continually gathered, it first formed mist and dew, which then changed into water. Water flowed downward, and its vapor grew abundant. Flowing water belongs to Yin; only when Yin developed to its utmost did Yang begin to arise. Yang gradually rose, and its heat condensed into fire. Fire arose from water; water and fire met and stirred one another. As they mingled, each accumulated its own Qi. The accumulated Qi caused Yin and Yang to refine one another. Only after reaching a certain point did they coalesce into chaos. Once formed, chaos transformed into a single Qi. This single Qi began to sprout and became the source of Heaven and Earth.

Chaos arose from formless Qi, then established Yin and Yang and generated the Five Phases (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) and the Four Images (the four states of Yin-Yang transformation). When the Qi of Hunyuan developed to its utmost, chaos began to divide, and the Primordial Beginning came into being. Once the Primordial Beginning had arisen, clear Qi gathered to form Heaven, while turbid Qi gathered to form Earth. After Heaven and Earth had taken shape, light, clear Qi rose to become Heaven, and heavy, turbid Qi sank to become Earth. Though light, clear Qi belongs to Yang, Yin Qi arises within it and descends to become Earth. Though heavy, turbid Qi belongs to Yin, Yang Qi arises within it and rises to become Heaven.

Heaven descended and Earth rose; water and fire mingled, and Yin and Yang contended. When the joined Qi had grown abundant, it coalesced into the Great Elixir, that is, the sun. As the sun’s Yang Qi moved with the workings of Heaven and Earth, it gradually generated Metal Qi. Metal Qi belongs to Yin; when its movement became complete, it gave rise to the Great Yin, that is, the moon. Thereafter, the sun and moon joined and Yin and Yang refined one another. When this process reached a certain point, the stars gradually took shape. From ancient times to the present, all things have been generated from the true Qi produced by Heaven descending, Earth rising, Yin and Yang joining, and the sun and moon coming together. Among all things, human beings are the most endowed with spirit and the most noble.

Thus it is said: One gives rise to two, two give rise to three, and three give rise to the myriad things. Human beings and all things must receive the transformations of Yin and Yang and the Five Phases; only when their allotment of Qi is complete can they take form. If those who study the Dao do not know to begin at the source, how can they attain the Dao? If they cultivate in accordance with the root from which all things arise, follow the workings of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, and the joining and movement of water and fire in the Five Phases, and bring the inner and outer into correspondence until the true Qi is abundant, they may hope to attain the state of the holy immortals.

The cultivation of immortals has three grades, each divided into three levels, making nine levels in all. Immortals of the highest three levels cultivate the “observation of Heaven’s Dao.” They refine themselves according to the patterns of movement at the beginning of Heaven and Earth, and can prolong their lives only when the conditions of the Qi are complete. This work is extremely difficult. It requires that practitioners have not damaged the “Three Wonders” (the fundamental elements of cultivation referred to in the scripture). Only then can they follow the measure of Heaven’s movements, bring the inner and outer into correspondence, complete the great work, and become Perfected Ones of the highest grade. Those who damaged the Three Wonders in their youth may restore them by gathering and replenishing the Yang essence of the Li Dragon’s Primordial Palace (the Yang Qi of Daoist internal alchemy). They can then undertake the great work of observing Heaven and reach the state of a middle-grade Perfected One. Those who do not gather and replenish, but simply cultivate their existing Jing, Qi, and Shen while awaiting the Qi mechanism to become complete, belong to the lowest three grades of earthly immortals.

Beyond the nine grades of immortals is the naturally formed Golden Elixir. Born of Heaven and Earth, this elixir is not uncommon in the world; people simply do not understand how to obtain what Heaven has secretly stored away. Those who study the Dao are unlikely to encounter it. It is the Great Return Elixir of Inner Golden Liquid, the highest of all methods of elixir cultivation. Upon encountering it, one can bring something forth from nothing, without relying on human effort to refine it. If one is fortunate enough to encounter it, taking it can make one a Perfected One. The inner Golden Elixir is first formed by gathering the sun’s hun and the moon’s po, harmonizing Yin and Yang, and nurturing the elixir. Its formation involves the mutual overcoming of the Five Phases and Four Images, the changes of extraction and addition, the transformations of obstruction and advance, and the patterns of Heaven and Earth’s movements: the seventy-two pentads, the twenty-four solar terms, and the four seasons and eight seasonal markers. Only through the workings of Heaven and Earth and the mutual refinement of Yin and Yang can the Inner Golden Liquid Return Elixir be refined. This elixir is shaped like a ripe cherry and forms in the Golden Hall of the Li Dragon. After three thousand six hundred periods, when the signs and counts of Heaven’s timing are complete, it ripens. It must be gathered on a specific date and at a specific hour. This elixir is stored secretly in Heaven and is extremely difficult to encounter. It is said that, from the time of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan onward, the immortals who attained the Dao took this elixir, left the world of dust, and became true immortals.

In later times, someone who understands the principles of destiny and is wholehearted in studying the Dao may refine this elixir if a realized master transmits the secret instructions. Such a person must also cultivate merit, accumulate De (Virtue/Power), do good, and put a stop to deluded conduct. If past failings are not corrected, calamity will immediately follow and destroy all the work already done. When someone encounters this elixir, the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest deities revered in Daoism, and the immortals of the various grotto-heavens above will know. One must relinquish all attachments, remove the Three Poisons (greed, anger, and delusion), cleanse the intestines and stomach first, and then gather the elixir. It should be placed in a clean room, with incense burning on all four sides. One must continue to bow and pray, swear an oath to Highest Clarity, one of the realms of Daoist immortals, and affirm that one has no other intention. Only then may it be taken, transforming the mortal body.

The scripture says that taking one pellet can dispel all illness; taking two causes its medicinal power to spread throughout the body; taking three makes one move like a galloping horse; taking four turns white hair black; taking five restores an old person’s youth; taking six gives one the appearance of a baby; taking seven enables one to reach wherever one’s thoughts go, with a hundred spirits welcoming one; taking eight makes the body shine with red light and clouds rise beneath one’s feet; and taking nine brings feathered transformation into a Perfected One of the highest grade, with nothing obstructing one’s way.

The Golden Liquid Return Elixir comes in inner and outer forms. The Outer Return Elixir takes the sun’s hun and the moon’s po as its starting point, Eastern Wood essence as its root, and Western Metal essence as its foundation. The two essences combine to produce Yellow Sprouts. If one sets up the furnace and cauldron, chooses a site and builds an altar, places the gathered true Qi in the cauldron so that something may arise from nothing, and adjusts the timing without error—following five days to a pentad, three pentads to a Qi period, two Qi periods to a month, and the cycles of the twelve months, the twenty-four solar terms, and the moon’s dark, new, first-quarter, and full phases—one can refine the elixir. If the elixir is not successfully refined, the cultivator may draw upon the power of Yin-Yang union and the appropriation of seasonal Qi, waiting for the Qi mechanism to become complete in pursuit of longevity. This is the efficacy of external alchemy. Among the various elixirs, this method has great power; for that reason, not one person in a million succeeds.

To cultivate the inner elixir, one must grasp the days and hours, apply the Qi mechanism, and devote oneself to seeking the Dao. As long as one does not lose one’s commitment to the Dao, the heavenly secret will be revealed upon receiving its instructions from a realized master. Cultivation has three mechanisms and three vehicles; the three vehicles are the three levels of elixir methods. One must also coordinate the four seasons and eight seasonal markers with the transformations of water and fire, and follow the creative processes of Heaven and Earth to establish an altar and obtain the medicine. After gathering the elixir, one should burn incense and report the matter to the Three Pure Ones, Lord Lao, the Northern Dipper, and the sun, moon, and stars, then renew one’s great vows. The scripture holds that though many people cultivate themselves and study the Dao, very few complete their work and conduct. Those who take the elixir according to the method can become long-lived beings. Anyone seeking this elixir must pray with utmost sincerity to the Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper, relinquish worldly affairs, and await the right opportunity. Those who truly understand destiny, do not act carelessly, and complete their accumulation of good deeds will surely encounter a realized master and thereafter enter the source of chaos.

This scripture chiefly discusses the initial stages of immortal cultivation, the principles of destiny and the heavenly secrets, as well as the three vehicles—highest, middle, and lowest—and the nine grades of cultivation. The nine grades comprise three grades of Golden Elixir, three grades of great accomplishment, and three grades of great medicine, together called the twelve teachings. The scripture says that Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, the stars, people and things, wind and clouds, seasonal Qi, and the myriad things all arise from chaos. “Hun” means mixed together; “dun” means obscure. Chaos is shaped like an egg, round above and square below. At the beginning of differentiation, clear Qi dispersed to become Heaven, while turbid Qi gathered to become Earth. Human beings were born between Heaven and Earth. In the deep obscurity there is Qi, like dust seen through a bright gap in a window: one can say it exists, yet it has no fixed form; one can say it does not exist, yet the eye can see its image. From this interplay of being and nonbeing, the two modes of Heaven and Earth were established. The two modes joined and produced Yin and Yang; Yin and Yang acted upon each other to form the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity; the Three Powers then differentiated into the Four Images, the Four Images arranged themselves into the Five Phases, and the Five Phases ultimately generated the myriad things. The Three Powers are Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, all of which arise from the same single Qi.

Question: Humans and Heaven and Earth all receive the same Qi and come into being. Why, then, does Heaven not collapse and Earth not sink, while humans are born and die?

Answer: Heaven belongs to Yang Qi: it is light and clear. Nothing is lighter or clearer than what is light and clear, so Heaven occupies the realm of lightness and clarity. Earth belongs to Yin Qi: it is heavy and turbid. Nothing is heavier or more turbid than what is heavy and turbid, so Earth occupies the realm of heaviness and turbidity. Humans are formed from the harmonized Qi of Yin and Yang. They are neither turbid nor clear, neither heavy nor light. If a person cultivates the Way of lightness and clarity, life returns to Heaven; if they create causes of heaviness and turbidity, after death they return to Earth. Thus Yang represents life, and Yin represents death.

Heaven does not collapse because it was formed from Qi that is light and clear, and its nature is purely Yang. It follows Yang Qi while setting Yin Qi in motion, and so it endures. If it were instead to go against the natural order and turn toward heaviness and turbidity, it would collapse once its Qi was exhausted. But Heaven was formed from Qi that is light and clear; how could it turn to the Way of heaviness and turbidity? Thus Heaven does not collapse.

Earth does not sink because it was formed from layer upon layer of accumulated heavy, turbid Qi, and its nature is purely Yin. It follows Yin Qi while setting Yang Qi in motion, and so it endures. If it were instead to go against the natural order and turn toward lightness and clarity, it would sink once its Qi was exhausted. But Earth was formed from heavy, turbid Qi; how could it turn to the Way of lightness and clarity? Thus Earth does not sink.

Humans have life and death because they have lost their original harmonizing Qi and no longer protect the root of life. People originally possess a pure Yang true nature, but for worldly gain they covet fame and profit and exhaust their spirit, causing their Shen and Qi to weaken and their Jing and hun soul gradually to scatter. When Qi weakens and Jing is depleted, and Qi is exhausted, a person naturally dies. While living in the world, people are often burdened by sights, sounds, fame, and profit. Their spirit becomes weary, their Shen and Qi weaken, and their Jing and hun soul scatter. When Qi weakens and Jing is depleted, they die.

All the tangible things people pursue and produce belong to Yin. If a person devotes themselves entirely to Yin, then when their allotted years run out, they die and return to Earth. Life and death depend on each other: after a person dies, the body’s “Four Great Elements” (the basic elements of earth, water, fire, and wind) each return to where they came from, and the true Qi of the Five Phases returns to its original direction. Humans originally come into being through the transformation of the Yin-Yang Qi of the Five Phases. After death, the body returns to the Four Great Elements, while the true Qi is not destroyed; it simply disperses, with each part returning to its original place. The “original places” referred to here are the five zang organs. When Yin and Yang Qi combine, they transform and give rise to humans once again. Thus death is the root of life, and life is the sprout of death: where there is life, there is death; without life, there is no death.

If a person can preserve their original true Qi, cultivate in accord with the Dao of Heaven, avoid going against the natural order, and bring their De into harmony with Heaven and Earth, they can transcend life and death. To transcend life and death is to become an immortal. One who understands the workings of the Dao of Heaven can escape life and death.

Someone asked: If people seek immortality, can they follow the enduring principles by which Heaven and Earth operate?

The answer: Yes. When Yang energy wanes, use Yin energy to replenish it; when things reach their extreme, restore them from the root. Once you understand the source, there is a way to attain long life. If you do not cultivate in accordance with the root, even waiting a thousand or ten thousand years will bring no result. People live between Heaven and Earth, yet cannot endure as long as they do. Why? Because their cultivation is misguided and they have taken the wrong path, so they remain subject to life and death. If they see clearly the way beyond death, where could life and death still be? No longer being born, they would be free from death. With neither birth nor death, they could endure as long as Heaven and Earth.

Someone asked: What is the right path, and what is the wrong one?

The answer: In dealing with things, people often deplete their original Qi (the vital energy at the root of life), damage the Three Wonders (important inner foundations in Daoist cultivation), disturb their minds, and neglect to regulate body and mind. Though people are endowed with the qualities of immortals, they instead become ordinary mortals. Once they do, they lose the affinity needed to attain long life and lasting vision, and their physical form eventually perishes. This is the great error. If one can keep one’s original Qi from being depleted, prevent Shen and Qi from being weakened, maintain the Three Wonders in clarity day and night, keep the spirit and soul at rest, and remain unattached to worldly affairs—while sharing the virtue of Heaven and Earth and the radiance of the sun and moon—then one is following the right path.

Someone asked: If a Daoist cultivator has damaged the original spirit, whether slightly or severely, but later meets an accomplished perfected person who offers guidance, understands the secrets of Heaven, and cultivates according to the proper method, can they still escape death?

The answer: To “transgress” is to cause damage or destruction. Once the original spirit is harmed, the spirit perishes; once the original spirit has perished, Qi cannot be abundant, and one naturally cannot accord with the patterns by which Heaven and Earth operate. Even if one meets an accomplished perfected person, receives instruction, understands the secrets of Heaven, and cultivates according to the proper method, the damage cannot be undone. Trying to force the practice will not work either.

If someone committed misdeeds in the past but has since awakened, how should they cultivate? The answer is: first cultivate the body, then nourish life. This is the proper principle of cultivation. To cultivate the body means to address the damage once done to the original spirit—the person’s fundamental spirit—which left Jing and Qi depleted. One should first cultivate until true Qi is abundant and spirit and Qi are complete. Only then can one proceed to nourish life and ultimately attain the state of an immortal. If Jing, Qi, and Shen are not yet sufficient, but one rushes to cultivate according to the principles for nourishing life, one is forcing the process, and the Dao will be difficult to realize. The Qi within the body cannot unite with the Qi outside it, so this kind of cultivation goes against the proper principle.

Question: What does it mean for the Qi within the body to unite with the Qi outside it and correspond with Heaven and Earth?

Answer: Heaven and Earth came into being by receiving a single Qi, and people were born by receiving a single Qi as well. Thus, people and Heaven and Earth originally come from the same Qi. Why, then, can a person’s inner and outer Qi not unite? Before awakening to the Dao, a person damaged the original spirit, leaving the Qi within the body insufficient and unable to unite with the Qi outside it. One should promptly cultivate and gather in the Shen and Jing that have been depleted, restoring them to their original state. Then one should nourish and replenish the Qi that has declined and dispersed. After that, by cultivating according to the original method, the Qi within the body will naturally unite with the Qi outside it.

Question: A person’s body and mind have already been damaged. How should they be cultivated and restored?

Answer: Earlier, the text spoke of “Yang diminishing and Yin replenishing” and “replenishing things from their source” (restoring what has been depleted by replenishing it with source Qi). The forms of all things in the world are composed of the Five Phases: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. For example, if a wooden object is damaged, it must be repaired with wood to restore it to its original state. Repairing it with Metal, Water, Fire, or Earth would be unsuitable because the materials differ. If an object is made of Earth and is damaged, it should be repaired with Earth; repairing it with Metal, Wood, Water, or Fire would likewise be unsuitable because their natures differ. The same principle applies to all things. This is why the text says, “replenishing things from their source.” When a person’s body and mind are damaged, one should trace the cause to its root and begin replenishing them from the source Qi. Once Jing, Qi, and Shen are sufficient, one can nourish life and ultimately attain the state of an immortal.

To cultivate oneself and become an immortal, one must first make the spirit (Shen), vital energy (Qi), and essence (Jing) abundant. If these three are deficient, then even by following the proper principles of cultivation, success will be difficult. If one does not understand the source of life and cultivates recklessly, one’s practice will stray from the right path.

The “root” is the basis; the basis is the foundation on which a person establishes and sustains life. Hence the saying, “When the foundation is established, the Way arises.” “Basis” also refers to the primordial beginning, the original state. The primordial beginning returns to unity, and this Qi of primordial unity is called the “primordial basis.” The scripture says that a drop of the father’s true essence transmits spirit and receives Qi, with Qi moving in accordance with spirit. Then, receiving a drop of the mother’s true Qi, the Yin and Yang energies unite, and life takes shape. This is what is meant by “one Yin and one Yang are called the Dao.” The Dao gives rise to one; one gives rise to two; two give rise to three; and three give rise to the myriad things. Thus Heaven, Earth, and all things come into being.

Primordial unity is the root of human life: it is the two energies of Yin and Yang. People are born through Yin and Yang. If, later, they suffer depletion and lose the “three wonders”—spirit, Qi, and essence—they should restore what has been lost by returning to the source of Yin and Yang and nourishing themselves accordingly. Since the damaged body originally arose from Yin and Yang, one can use Yin and Yang energies to replenish what is depleted, allowing spirit, Qi, and essence to recover gradually. When essence, Qi, and spirit are full and complete within the body, and the Qi within the body joins with the Qi of the surrounding world, one can attain longevity. By going further, learning how to nourish life and continuing to cultivate, one can become an immortal.

Someone asked, “Since we know that the body will decay and comes from the union of Yin and Yang Qi, it makes sense to use Yin-Yang Qi to cultivate the body. But what is the specific method?”

The answer: In general, cultivating the Dao must begin with cultivating the body. Once the body has been nourished and restored to wholeness, one can go on to nurture life and thereby attain the realm of the immortals. The key to cultivating the body lies in subtle, hidden essentials: secretly drawing on the true Qi of Yin and Yang to replenish and gather in the damaged body, restoring it to its root. This root accords with Heaven and Earth without the slightest discrepancy. Once the body has been restored, the original Shen and Qi will naturally become abundant. When Shen and Qi are abundant, practicing according to this method enables one to live long and become an immortal.

The method in question is the secret working of Heaven—the mechanism by which the Dao of Heaven operates. Cultivation must follow the changes of Yin and Yang and proceed in accordance with the seasons and their cycles. One turns Heaven and Earth, drawing and adding Lead and Mercury—the names given in Daoist Neidan to the essences of Yin and Yang—and lets the breath flow in and out, passing between the inner and outer realms and responding to each in turn, without error. After one year of cultivation, one attains spiritual powers; after two years, one transcends the ordinary; after three years, one is called an immortal. The way of cultivating the body follows the patterns of Yin-Yang, seasonal cycles, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The details appear in the next scroll.

End of Scroll One of the True Scripture of the Eight Visions of Primordial Unity.

A word of encouragement to those who study and understand the Dao in later generations: cultivate the body first, then nurture life, and only then can you attain the realm of the immortals. If the body has not been properly cultivated and its original Qi is insufficient, then even if you understand the truth and put it into practice, you will find it difficult to reach the goal. This is because the Qi within the body is too weak to flow through and unite with the Qi outside it, making success in cultivating the Dao difficult.

Someone asked, “In the ‘Yang diminishes and Yin replenishes’ described above, what is the ‘One’ in the original One Qi? Is this ‘One’ a single drop of the father’s true Jing?”

Someone asked: In the phrase “Yang wanes and Yin replenishes,” mentioned above, does “the primordial One Qi” mean that a trace of the father’s true Jing is passed on to the Shen and Qi, then joined by a trace of the mother’s true Qi, and that the body forms only after these two Qi combine? If the two currents of Qi merely join and congeal into a pearl, how does Jing come into being, and how does Qi transform so as to receive the creative power of Heaven and Earth and produce a human being?

The reply was: The father corresponds to Wood, and Jing to Fire. These two images originally arise from a single Qi: Wood is the governing principle, and Fire its function. The mother corresponds to Metal, and Qi to Water: Metal is the governing principle, and Water its function. Father, mother, Jing, and Qi correspond to the Four Images, the four basic forces. When they meet Earth, they can generate one another; without Earth, they overcome one another. The mother’s primordial palace—the root of gestation—corresponds to true Earth. Here the Four Images naturally harmonize and converge, forming the root of life. Each has its own nature, from which arise nature, intention, wisdom, and insight: Metal is nature, Wood is intention, Water is wisdom, and Fire is insight.

Metal’s nature corresponds to the West and, within the body, to the lungs. Wood’s intention corresponds to the East and to the liver; Water’s wisdom to the North and the kidneys; Fire’s insight to the South and the heart. Earth has no fixed direction or form. It changes with the Qi of the four seasons, occupies the center, and corresponds within the body to the spleen. The kidneys govern the bones, the liver the sinews, the spleen the flesh, the heart the blood, and the lungs the skin and body hair. The liver corresponds to the eyes, the spleen to the lips, the lungs to the nose, the kidneys to the ears, and the heart to the tongue. The gallbladder is the liver’s bowel, the small intestine the heart’s, the large intestine the lungs’, the bladder the kidneys’, and the stomach the spleen’s. Each of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) takes its place and performs its function, and so all parts of the body are formed. This is how the Five Phases give rise to the myriad things.

A person’s flesh and blood, bones and marrow, skin and body hair, sinews, and teeth all gradually form from nature, intention, wisdom, and the like. What is called “coming from nonbeing into being” means establishing Yin-Yang. Yin-Yang divides into the Four Images; the Four Images enter the central position of Earth and constitute the Five Phases. In this way they receive the creative power of Heaven and Earth and generate the myriad things. If people understand this principle, they can in turn gather the true Qi of Yin-Yang to nourish and restore an impaired body. When the Qi of the Five Phases’ creative transformations is abundant, they can naturally attain the state of a sage.

The human body originally forms naturally, from nonbeing into being. This process of bringing the body to completion through Wuwei (non-action) is not easy. Now, by cultivating according to the underlying principle, one can progress from an ordinary person toward sagehood and complete the process through deliberate practice; this is indeed not difficult. If one cultivates by the method described above, Qi will be complete after thirty days, and the creative process will be complete after three hundred days, bringing the physical form and all its parts to completion. Once the body has formed, Shen, Qi, and Jing take precedence: Shen belongs to Earth Qi, Qi to the Qi of Metal and Water, and Jing to the Qi of Fire and Wood. These three—“Shen, Qi, and Jing”—are called the “Three Wonders” in volume two of the Scripture of the Eight Visions of Primordial Chaos.

The scripture then uses the development of a fetus to explain this process. Shen, Qi, and Jing move through the mother’s Ying and Wei channels and meridians, reaching the central palace and the diaphragm’s primordial palace, the place of gestation described in the text. As the fetus gradually develops in the womb, layer upon layer of membrane forms, and golden fluid and white cream arise on these membranes. Once the fluid fills them, it flows into the primordial palace, nourishing the Shen, Qi, and Jing gathered there. The scripture says that the membrane layers increase gradually, forming nine layers by the three-hundredth day. When Heaven and Earth’s creative process is complete, flesh and blood, sinews and bones, skin and body hair also grow, and the fetus is born. It is then nourished by its mother’s milk. Over the course of one and then three years, it gradually consumes what the text calls the accumulated milk of the nine layers, until Shen and Qi are considered fully developed.

When the body and its Qi mechanisms are complete, a person begins to eat various foods and the Five Pungent Flavors. Food enters through the mouth, passes through the twelve-story tower—the throat and the passage below it—and is received by the lungs, then conveyed in turn to the kidneys, liver, heart, and spleen. Earth, to which the spleen belongs, can generate and nourish the myriad things, as well as digest and transform them. The waste of food becomes urine and feces; its essence becomes bodily fluids and returns to the primordial palace. The primordial palace lies three inches below the navel, is four inches across, and is called the “Great Sea.” Within it is a “spirit turtle”: its left nostril draws in, and its right nostril breathes out. It takes in the bodily fluids produced by the spleen and, after circulating them along the celestial circuit, sends them out through the right nostril.

The fluids rise from the Kan palace, the region corresponding to kidney Water, to two openings beneath the tongue. The left is called Jade Fluid, and the right, Flowery Pool. The fluids gather on the tongue; when the mouth is full, they are swallowed and pass through the twelve-story tower to the lungs. The scripture says that after these fluids have circulated through the spirit turtle in the primordial palace, they are no longer conveyed through the other organs but pass only to the heart. Within the heart is a place called the “Saliva Gathering Point.” Saliva flows from it through a central passage, nourishing the whole body and washing the five organs. The left opening circulates Ying Qi, and the right circulates Wei Qi. Together they are called Ying and Wei, also known as Dragon and Tiger, and they are connected with the body’s blood vessels.

The blood vessels run beneath the skin and body hair. Once their circulation around the celestial circuit is complete, they transform into blood; blood transforms into flesh, flesh into sinews, sinews into bones, bones into marrow, and, after circulating, marrow forms Jing. The scripture also says that everything above the twelve-story tower, up to and beyond the nine palaces issuing from the Supreme Harmony Jade Pillow, is Jing; below, between the body’s three hundred and sixty joints and bones, is marrow. When Yin and Yang revolve, Shen moves first, then Qi, and only afterward Jing. Jing and Qi descend and Yin and Yang unite; this is the root of life. Understanding this mechanism and cultivating according to the method is the essential principle of cultivating the Real.

Question: Earlier, it was said that when a person first receives life, they obtain a measure of true Qi from their parents, and after thirty days their Qi is full. It was also said that it takes three hundred days of transformation for the body’s form to become complete, and that after birth the body depends on the power of “Golden Liquid and White Paste” to stay alive. I would now like to understand more clearly: according to the fundamental laws of creation and transformation, how does Qi become complete in thirty days? How is the process of transformation over three hundred days carried out? And where does the Golden Liquid and White Paste spoken of in connection with the following three years come from?

Answer: Before Heaven and Earth were divided, all things first received the true Qi of the Great Dao. It entered the Middle Origin, one of the Three Origins of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Yin and Yang then separated, establishing the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. These divided into the Four Images, took on the Five Phases, corresponded with the Six Pitch Standards, gave rise to the Seven Qi, changed into the Eight Trigrams, and formed the Nine Palaces, from which all things appeared. The movements of the sun and moon divided time into day and night. A day was further measured by one hundred ke and twelve double-hours, with a water clock used to keep time.

The completion of Qi in thirty days and the completion of bodily form in three hundred days are both results of the Great Dao’s natural transformations. Time accumulates from miao into fen, and from fen into ke. Ke mark the double-hours; double-hours make up the day; days establish the seasons; seasons divide into solar terms; and solar terms determine the Qi, from which the year is reckoned. These are the fixed measures governing the movements of Heaven and Earth, with the water clock serving as the standard for measuring time.

At the beginning of life, a person receives true Qi from their parents at the intercourse point, the place associated with sexual union and conception. This corresponds to the process by which Heaven and Earth bring things into being. The completion of Qi in thirty days secretly draws upon the creative power of Heaven and Earth’s three-hundred-day transformation; only then can bodily form become complete. The so-called White Paste and Golden Liquid are gradually accumulated over those three hundred days.

If one can grasp the key to this process and practice according to the method, one can become an immortal. The practice for congealing true Qi over thirty days and the method for transformation over three hundred days are recorded in the lower volume, where their mysteries are explained in detail. The middle volume first discusses cultivating the body and nurturing life, replenishing Qi and completing Shen, because some people have damaged the “Three Wonders”—the vital foundations, including Jing, Qi, and Shen—and so their Original Shen cannot become complete. These methods reveal the profound principles by which Heaven and Earth generate life.

Later students should cultivate the body first, then nurture life. With practice carried on without interruption, they will attain the intended result. Those who receive these methods should treasure and guard them, and not reveal them lightly; otherwise they may invite calamity and sink into the lower realms. Take great care to cherish these teachings, and do not pass them on to those unfit to receive them.

The Perfected One of Primordial Unity says: “If we explain the principles only through a single question and answer, we will never say everything that needs to be said. But if we present all the teachings at once, those who study and practice may find them hard to grasp. So here we discuss the fundamental principles as well, using questions and answers to prompt insight. The secret essentials of Heaven’s mysteries, the great work and its great medicine, and the detailed methods for cultivating the Golden Elixir are all recorded in the Five Lanes.

“Someone asked: Earlier, you said that when Yang Qi wanes, it must be replenished, and when things have declined to their utmost, they must be restored at the root. You urged people to examine the source closely and begin cultivation from the original starting point. All things in the world, whether sentient or insentient, including human beings, arise from the formless and take on form, changing from the immaterial into the material. Once their forms are complete, they also receive, unseen, the Qi of Heaven and Earth’s Five Phases, so that both bodily form and Qi are complete. But later, the Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases moves in disorder. Their actions no longer accord with the Dao of Heaven, and they gradually grow old and decay, until they wither and are destroyed. Why is this?”

“The things of the world cannot be made to grow forever, nor can they be shortened at will. Each has its proper length and height. When it reaches its proper state, it is called ‘settled.’ If it remains settled without cultivation for a long time, it will move toward its limit. If it continues without cultivation after reaching that limit, it will inevitably be ruined. When ruin comes, cultivating the root and practicing in accord with the original nature will surely bring it into harmony with Heaven and Earth.

“Moreover, though the things of the world have form, they lack the capacity for spiritual awareness, and so cannot accomplish this. Of all things, only human beings are most honored and endowed with the greatest spiritual capacity. Even when ruin is near, if a person lets body and Shen perish, they still cannot investigate the root and cultivate themselves—how much less can other living beings? This book is now being preserved among humankind so that people in later generations may know there is a path to long life and a gate to immortality. If they cultivate in accordance with its methods, no one will be unable to attain the realm of the immortals.”

Someone asks: The previous volume said that if a person has damaged their original Qi, they cannot accord with the patterns of Heaven and Earth’s movement. They should therefore cultivate the body first, then nurture life; investigate the root, understand original Qi, and apply it according to the established method, so that cultivation follows the proper principles. What does this mean?

The answer is: To cultivate the body, one must first understand the timing and patterns of the movement of Heaven’s true Qi—that is, the true Qi in the workings of Heaven and Earth. Heaven’s true Qi gathers and disperses, comes and goes; the body’s true Qi does the same. From the moment the human body takes shape, it is secretly attuned to the patterns of Heaven and Earth’s movement. When the body’s Qi gathers, the Original Palace—the place within the body where original Qi is stored and nurtured—becomes a treasure. When Qi disperses, it circulates throughout the body. In cultivating the body, one should nurture it in accordance with changes in the Qi and climate of Heaven and Earth; then the results will naturally be easier to verify. If one does not understand the timing of Heaven and Earth’s movement, cultivation may often fail even when one knows the root, because the states in which true Qi gathers and disperses, comes and goes, are not fixed. The details will be explained in the next volume.

Before cultivating the body, one must first rid it of illness. Only when there is no illness can the body be at ease; when the body is at ease, the spirit can be calm. If the body is ill, the spirit will naturally be disturbed. If one’s body and spirit are not yet settled, how can one draw in Qi from outside and bring it into harmony with the Qi within? The desired results will therefore be difficult to attain. First bring the body to a state free of illness, then cultivate according to the established method; results will naturally come more easily.

Illness in people is caused by imbalance in the Five Zang organs—the five organs as understood in traditional Chinese medicine—and by obstruction of Ying and Wei, the Qi associated with nourishment and defense that circulates within the body. Cultivation should begin by making the body’s Qi flow smoothly. When Qi flows smoothly, the spirit becomes clear. Then harmonize the Five Zang organs and regulate Ying and Wei, allowing Qi to circulate back and forth without departing from its normal course and preventing it from becoming stagnant. When Qi flows smoothly, the Five Zang organs can nourish one another; when Qi runs contrary, they constrain one another. Smooth Qi flow dispels illness; disrupted flow brings illness. When the Qi of the Five Zang organs flows smoothly, Ying and Wei circulate throughout the body without obstruction. When that Qi runs contrary, the body’s many channels become blocked, and Ying and Wei cannot flow freely. Once the spirit is disordered, the spirit and Qi throughout the body will also become disordered. How, then, could one draw in spirit and Qi from outside? The principles of bringing Qi downward and dispelling illness are explained in detail below.

According to the scripture, practice should follow the proper time: begin when the appointed hour arrives. First move the limbs and meridians, then stretch the hands and feet so that all the joints loosen. Next, move the whole body to help the breath flow smoothly. The scripture says that the hours of Xu, Hai, and Zi—roughly seven in the evening to one in the morning—are the time for practice. Begin by quieting yourself and regulating the breath. Yin energy gradually grows stronger then, and people also become more inclined to sleep. After lying down, the channels of Qi may become sluggish through prolonged stillness, so first guide the breath into motion before continuing with the rest of the practice.

The scripture explains “spirit and clarity” this way: changes in Yin and Yang that are difficult to fathom are called “spirit”; what is clear like the sun and moon on a bright day is called “clarity.” The arising of a person’s thoughts is called “spirit,” while responding accurately to things is called “clarity.” If a person uses the mind with subtle skill, they can respond to events smoothly; when things go poorly, the scripture says, it is because the spirit has not been sufficiently clear-sighted. To attain spirit and clarity, first sit upright and set aside distracting thoughts. Once the mind and breath have settled, inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Inhaling through the nose gathers clear Qi; exhaling through the mouth expels turbid Qi. The scripture regards turbid Qi produced by food and pungent substances as something that affects the Five Viscera and clouds clear Qi, so it should be breathed out.

After expelling the turbid Qi, keep the mouth closed and let the breath move slowly in and out through the nose alone, softly and continuously, without making a sound the ears can hear. The scripture uses the saying “the nose is Heaven’s gate, the mouth is Earth’s door” to distinguish the clear from the turbid: breath through the nose belongs to light, clear Qi, while breath through the mouth belongs to heavy, turbid Qi. Letting clear Qi circulate through the Five Viscera and throughout the body helps the limbs and joints flow freely. Here, “nutritive and defensive Qi” refers to the system of Qi and blood that circulates through the body, nourishing and protecting it.

Once the meridians and joints are unobstructed, combine the fluids produced from food with primordial Yang True Qi—the fundamental Yang energy believed to reside within the human body—and circulate them along the route described in the scripture. Qi rises along the back, passes through the apertures, and reaches the front of the brain and the crown of the head. It then descends into the mouth. After rinsing and swallowing, it passes through the “Twelve-Storied Tower,” a Daoist term for the throat and the passage leading down from it, into the lungs, then proceeds in turn to the kidneys, liver, heart, and spleen. Finally, it returns to the “Primordial Palace,” the place within the body where Jing and Qi are stored and nurtured in Neidan practice, nourishing the “spirit turtle,” a Daoist Neidan term symbolizing the place where Jing and Qi return.

The scripture goes on to describe fluids undergoing the generating transformations of the Five Phases and repeated refinement until they become “spirit water,” then forming the essence referred to by Neidan terms such as “white cinnabar.” It further says that this essence emerges from the “Saliva-Gathering Point” in the heart and transforms into nutritive and defensive Qi, which circulates throughout the body. The nutritive and defensive Qi then transforms into blood, blood into flesh, flesh into sinews, sinews into bones, bones into marrow, and marrow into Jing. At last, it is refined into the Primordial Palace and becomes the treasure of “True Unity.” “Gold within Water” and “Three-Five-One” are both Neidan symbols. Through the generating transformations of the Five Phases, they describe the refinement and condensation of Jing and Qi until they return to a single Qi.

The scripture concludes that “three” symbolizes Wood and the vital energy of spring growth, while “five” symbolizes Earth and the foundation from which all things arise. The true Qi of Wood returns to Earth and, through refinement in Earth, becomes a supreme treasure: this is “Three-Five-One.” The scripture calls this process the subtle pivot of the workings of Heaven and Earth and the essential principle of nourishing life and refining the body. It says that understanding its teaching enables one to pass from the ordinary to the sacred and attain the realm of the immortals.

Someone asked, “We should investigate where the human body comes from. It takes shape out of emptiness, but how exactly does this form come about?”

The answer: The human body takes shape through the union of Dragon and Tiger, and the blending of Lead and Mercury. This is no ordinary matter, but a great principle governing how all things under Heaven and Earth come into being: when their Qi resonates and they join in the Central Origin—the Qi at the source and center—concrete form is produced. As for the fundamental source of Dragon and Tiger, nothing within Heaven and Earth, in any direction, can come into being apart from this principle. If you understand this true source, the way of the immortals will be as clear as the lines on your palm. The Dragon gives birth to Mercury, and the Tiger to Lead. When True Lead and True Mercury regulate and harmonize one another, they accord with the natural way. If you cultivate according to the method of Lead and Mercury, it will never fail to bring results. The meanings of Dragon and Tiger, Lead and Mercury, will be explained below.

Someone asked, “Please explain the subtle principle of Cleansing the Real: removing impurities and returning to one’s true nature through cultivation.”

The answer: The preceding passage calls on people to investigate the source and cultivate in accord with the origin of life. Human beings are formed from the True Qi of their parents: Wood is the human father, and Earth the mother. Their True Qi transforms and gives rise to the human being. This is the meaning of “Three and Five become One,” which uses the numbers of the Five Phases to explain how Yin and Yang unite and bring forth the One. It is also the true source from which a person takes shape. Before beginning cultivation, one should first bring the Five Viscera into harmony and ensure that the Qi of nourishment and defense circulates freely, without any illness. Only then is it easier for cultivation of the body to bring results.

Someone asked: The human body is brought into being by the true Qi of one’s parents and formed through the unseen workings of Heaven and Earth. Why, then, not cultivate by following this source? Why instead draw upon the true Qi of Yin and Yang and use the transformations of Heaven and Earth to cultivate the body? Could this not lead to the state of the immortals? To trace human origins further: after three hundred days in the mother’s womb, when its Qi is sufficient, a child is born. At that time, it cannot distinguish east from west or tell north from south. By what means does its body take shape, and what Qi sustains it?

The answer: An infant has no thoughts, attachments, or desires. Apart from hunger and cold, it gives no attention to anything else. Its spirit is therefore settled and its Qi harmonious, and extraordinary sensitivity gradually emerges. This is the fundamental way the body grows. The Qi that nourishes the body is the mother’s stored milk. Humans are originally born from the two Qi of Yin and Yang. These two Qi transform into the Four Images, the four changes of Yin and Yang. When the Four Images converge in the central palace, the Five Phases are complete. The Five Phases gather, receive the transformations of Heaven and Earth, and form a human being.

The scripture says that within thirty days before and after birth, the world of Qian and Kun takes shape inside the body. Beneath the mother’s breasts, a milk like golden liquid is produced for the infant to drink; the excess is stored. After three hundred days, the stored milk divides into nine layers. After birth, the infant relies on this stored milk Qi and grows naturally. If practitioners of the Dao can understand the subtle workings of Heaven and Earth’s transformations over those three hundred days, and cultivate according to this fundamental method, they may naturally hope to become immortals and rise beyond the ordinary to sagehood.

To cultivate the body, one should first bring the breath into harmony and be free of illness, then begin practice. How can cultivating the body mean forgetting one’s own source? The following volume will explain in greater detail the work of cultivating the body and condensing true Qi, as well as its subtle and mysterious methods.

Question: Earlier, it was said that anyone who wishes to preserve life must first cultivate the body and remove illness. In practice, bodily fluids are refined into “spirit water,” and spirit water is then refined into a “treasure”—that is, medicine. When medicine is present in the Origin Palace (the inner chamber referred to in internal cultivation), illness can naturally be dispelled. Yet when I refine bodily fluids according to the method, they do not become spirit water, nor does the spirit water become the supreme treasure. Does this mean the method is incorrect, or that I am practicing incorrectly?

Answer: The method is not wrong, and your effort is not misplaced. The problem is that the true Qi of the Five Viscera has not yet been brought into harmony and smooth flow. First regulate the true Qi of the Five Viscera so that they work in coordination. Once their Qi flows freely, refine the bodily fluids repeatedly, three times, until they become spirit water; then refine the spirit water into medicine. If the Qi of the Five Viscera is turbulent and cannot flow smoothly between the nutritive Qi and defensive Qi that circulate through the body, it is even less possible to refine Qi into a treasure.

Question: How can the breath be made to flow smoothly through the five viscera? Please explain the essentials.

Answer: The five viscera within correspond to the Five Phases without. Once the underlying principle by which the Five Phases arise is understood, cultivate the five viscera in accordance with it, and their activity will naturally come into harmony.

The Five Phases are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Wood corresponds to the eastern directions Jia and Yi, follows the Yang path, begins with Bingyin, governs the Zhen trigram (one of the Eight Trigrams), and is represented by the Azure Dragon. Wood receives its vital energy from Water, which is why it takes the Azure Dragon as its image. When Wood Qi has accumulated through nine cycles and reached fullness, it gives rise to Fire. Fire corresponds to Bing and Ding, has the number two, governs the Li trigram, and is represented by the Vermilion Bird. The Li trigram contains Yin, indicating that Fire receives the Qi of Azure Dragon Wood. In essence, the Azure Dragon and Vermilion Bird are two images of the same Qi: Wood is its root, and Fire is its function.

Metal corresponds to the western directions Geng and Xin, follows the Yin path, begins with Renshen, governs the Dui trigram, and is represented by the White Tiger. Metal receives its Qi from Earth, which is why it takes the White Tiger as its image. Metal’s number is seven; when it reaches fullness, it joins with Water. Water corresponds to Ren and Gui, has the Qi number five, governs the Kan trigram, and is represented by the Black Tortoise. The Kan trigram contains Yang, indicating that Water receives the Jing of White Tiger Metal. In essence, the White Tiger and Black Tortoise are also two images of the same Qi: Metal is its root, and Water is its function.

The four images of Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire depend on Earth to harmonize and nourish them. Without Earth, they would overcome one another. Earth occupies the center and corresponds to Wu and Ji. It is the central position occupied by the sovereign, has the number five, embodies five kinds of virtue, flourishes in all four seasons, and regulates the four images. Earth Qi enables all things to generate one another and can also cause them to flourish or decline. Thus Earth is called the foremost of the Five Phases.

All five phases originate in Yin and Yang. The human five viscera, too, depend on what is inherited from one’s parents: the body first takes shape through the union of the parents’ Jing and blood, then through the regulation of Earth Qi. The father’s Jing belongs to true Wood and Fire; the mother’s blood belongs to true Metal and Water; and the mother’s original womb, the foundation in which the fetus is nurtured, belongs to true Earth. Earth regulates Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, preventing them from dispersing and allowing each to retain its nature. A person’s temperament, intentions, wisdom, and the four images are thereby formed; when they return to the central Earth, the Five Phases are established. The Five Phases are also the five viscera. Only when the five viscera are complete can they nourish and give rise to the myriad things. Here, the myriad things include the human sinews and bones, skin and hair, as well as the various spirits.

If one can recover the true Qi of Yin and Yang, follow the transformations of creation, and refine and regulate oneself, why worry that one cannot become an immortal? The above is only a general account of the fundamental directions to which each of the five viscera corresponds. Cultivate in accordance with this foundation, and the five viscera will harmonize and illness will disappear of itself. Once the body is free of illness, one can proceed to cultivate oneself; when refinement and cultivation of the body have been brought to completion, one can then nurture life and ultimately attain the state of an immortal.

Question: Now that the origins and principles of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) are clear, what is the method for cultivating the five internal organs?

Answer: Cultivation should accord with the condition of the body. If you are ill, first restore your health. Only when the body is free of illness can you proceed to cultivate it further. When bodily cultivation reaches a certain level, you can then nourish life, with the hope of attaining the state of an immortal.

To cultivate the true Qi of the five internal organs, you must understand the correspondences of each of the Five Phases. If your study is not precise, your cultivation will be in vain. You can check whether the correspondences are correct by examining the body’s nine orifices: the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, tongue, and the openings for urination and defecation. The five organs connect with the nine orifices: the liver connects with the eyes, the heart with the tongue, the spleen with the mouth, the lungs with the nose, and the kidneys with the ears and the two lower orifices. If the nine orifices are obstructed, this indicates that the five organs are not functioning in harmony. When the organs are balanced and the movement of Qi is unobstructed, the orifices will also be clear. On this basis, the scripture holds that clear orifices prevent illness, and freedom from illness prevents death, making longevity possible.

Another way to check is to observe whether the Qi of each organ displays its corresponding color: liver Qi is green, heart Qi red, lung Qi white, kidney Qi black, and spleen Qi yellow. After cultivation, if the corresponding color appears on the face, this counts as confirmation. For example, when cultivating liver Qi, the liver corresponds to the east, the Jia and Yi Heavenly Stems, and Wood; its color is green. Cultivate according to the prescribed method, taking care not to mix in the Qi of other organs. At the end, examine the face: if only green appears, with no other colors, this indicates that liver Qi is flowing in harmony. The other four organs are checked in the same way. If an organ does not display its corresponding color, its functioning has not yet been brought into harmony; if it displays its own color, this indicates that it has.

The scripture also says that once the Qi of the five organs has been brought into harmony and confirmed, neither cold nor hunger can disturb the body, and external influences such as pathogenic forces and wind-cold can no longer cause illness. In this way, one is free from illness and death and attains longevity. Those who can bring the Qi of the five organs into harmony and display the corresponding signs are called “earthly immortals”—immortals who, according to Daoism, have achieved success in cultivation while remaining in the human world.

The third scroll of the True Scripture of the Eight Visions of Primordial Unity ends here.

The True Scripture of the Eight Visions of Primordial Unity, Scroll Four

The Three Stages of Practice

The methods of the initial stage comprise five chapters. They discuss Yin-Yang, the Three Origins and Four Images, and the generating and completing numbers of the Five Phases. They explain Qi cycles and climatic conditions, divide the related material into three grades, and describe how these correspond to inner and outer, and to reversal and compliance.

The methods of the life stage comprise eight chapters. They discuss the true Qi of Great Yin and Great Yang—the Qi associated with the Yin-Yang movements of the Moon and Sun—and the hours of their daily movement, their gathering and dispersal, and their circulation and stillness. They also explain how to connect the inner and outer realms and put them to use, the practices for refining elixirs, and the sequence by which creation and transformation bring things into being.

The methods of the heavenly stage comprise five chapters on establishing an altar according to talismanic or ritual texts. Another eight chapters discuss the true Qi of Great Yin and Great Yang, the hours of their daily movement, their gathering and dispersal, and their circulation and stillness. They also explain how to connect the inner and outer realms and put them to use, the practices for refining elixirs, and the sequence by which creation and transformation bring things into being.

The methods of celestial timing comprise five sections. They explain how to combine texts and establish an altar, divide time according to celestial signs, determine when the sun and moon meet, and mark the times when they move or remain in place, as well as the changing phases of the crescent moon, full moon, dark moon, new moon, and the four seasons. Practitioners must also master cycles such as five days making one period, forty-five days making one season, and ninety days making one term. In this way, inner and outer processes correspond and practice follows the proper times. Altogether, the methods comprise eighteen sections.

The methods for beginning cultivation are divided into three vehicles and nine grades, each suited to practitioners of different capacities and paths. The highest vehicle has three grades, which cultivate holding to the One and keeping to the center. They all concern Dragon Mercury and Tiger Lead, symbolic terms in Golden Elixir cultivation. The middle vehicle also has three grades, which cultivate Spirit Water and the Flower Pond, terms from Neidan practice. They all concern Tiger Lead and Dragon Mercury, the “great medicine.” The lowest vehicle has three grades, which cultivate essence, gathering, and Qi; they all concern the methods of Qian Mercury and Kun Lead. These nine grades form the foundation for establishing oneself in cultivation, and all take lead and mercury as their root. Lead and mercury are regarded as the source of all things in Heaven and Earth.

Mercury originally comes from Wood; it is the essence of Wood. Lead comes from white metal; it is the Qi of Metal. Wood symbolizes the dragon, and Metal symbolizes the tiger. An ancient immortal’s verse says: “If you can recognize the essence of Metal, you can attain longevity. The essence of Metal is lead; when lead and mercury combine, the Elixir forms. Through the union of lead and mercury, one may seek to become an immortal; when lead and mercury congeal, there is no way of cultivation that cannot succeed. If you encounter true lead, you can extend your life.” It also says: “Even those of the lowest capacity, if they understand true lead and mercury, can endure for tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of years.” Thus, without lead and mercury, no path of cultivation can be established. What is called lead and mercury refers to true Yin and true Yang; these are the true Dao.

“Chapter on the Great Achievement of Establishing Oneself in the Three Grades of the Lowest Vehicle: Qian Mercury and Kun Lead”

Qian mercury is the essence and Qi of the father; Kun lead is the breath of the mother. The two kinds of Qi secretly unite, Yin and Yang meet, and the workings of creation can be drawn forth to bring a human being into being. It is also said that the father belongs to Wood and essence to Fire, while the mother belongs to Metal and breath to Water. When the four kinds of Qi—Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire—secretly unite and Yin and Yang meet, life takes form. Earth then harmonizes and governs the Four Images—Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire. When they gather together, they become a treasure.

As these Qi circulate, they pass through the cycle of the twenty-four solar terms, flowing throughout the body along with the Qi of ying and wei, which moves within and around the body and nourishes it. Each day they circulate ninety-six degrees, accumulating to three hundred and eighty-four. When Yin and Yang Qi are full, the Qi mechanism completes its cycle in thirty days; the bodily form is complete in three hundred days, and a human being is born.

If a person can reverse the use of the two kinds of Qi that formed their life and gather them back within the body, they can draw forth the workings of Heaven and Earth, fill out Yin and Yang Qi and their appointed measure, and pass from the ordinary into the sacred realm. This is the great work known as “Qian mercury and Kun lead.” It is called great work because a person originally takes form through the union of these two kinds of Qi, Qian mercury and Kun lead. Now, by drawing on the workings of creation, one cultivates Qian mercury and Kun lead until the Qi is full; this is called the “divine talisman.” When the Qi of the divine talisman is complete, it is called “white snow.” When the Qi of white snow is complete, Qian mercury and Kun lead are transformed once more and reunited to take form again. Ultimately, they return to the utmost Dao; hence this is called the great work.

If a person’s original spirit is undamaged from birth, and both Shen and Qi are whole, they can grasp the essential key to the great work and complete their cultivation. Such a person ranks as the upper grade of the lower vehicle and, while dwelling in the world, is called a spirit immortal. If the original spirit has already been depleted by middle age, but the person can still grasp part of the essential key to the great work and complete their cultivation, they rank as the middle grade of the lower vehicle and, while dwelling in the world, are called an earthly immortal. If by old age two-thirds of the person’s Shen and Qi have been depleted, and they can grasp only the first steps of the essential key to the great work, they rank as the lower grade of the lower vehicle. They may live out an ordinary human lifespan and become an earthly immortal after shedding the bodily form. These are the three grades of the lower vehicle.

The Chapter on the Qi of the Three Grades of Great Medicines in the Middle Vehicle: Tiger Lead and Dragon Mercury

“Tiger Lead” refers to the true Qi of the White Tiger, which symbolizes Metal and Yin. It also refers to the subtle substance that gathers within the White Tiger. “Dragon Mercury” refers to the true Jing of the Azure Dragon, which symbolizes Wood and Yang. It also refers to the substance formed from the Dragon’s Jing and Qi. When Dragon Mercury and Tiger Lead unite and are nourished by Earth Qi, they undergo three hundred days of transformation and form the “Yellow Sprout.” When the Yellow Sprout’s Qi is abundant, it can transform the ordinary into the sacred and perfected; this is why it is called the “Great Medicine.” In Neidan practice, Dragon, Tiger, Lead, and Mercury are all terms used metaphorically for Yin-Yang Jing and Qi.

The scripture also explains this union through the numerical correspondences of the Five Phases: the Dragon belongs to Wood, and Mercury to Fire. Fire’s number is three and Wood’s is nine, together making twelve. The Tiger belongs to Metal, and Lead to Water. Metal’s number is seven and Water’s is five, also together making twelve. The Qi numbers of the Four Images total twenty-four, corresponding to the cycle of a month. The Dragon occupies the Mao position and the Tiger the You position. Mao belongs to Wood and You to Metal; Wood’s number is nine and Metal’s is seven, together making sixteen, the number corresponding to “one catty.”

Mao belongs to Yang Wood, and You to Yin Metal. Within Yin are three Yangs, and within Yang are three Yins; each consists of Shen, Qi, and Jing, together forming the six spirits. Combined with the Qi of Metal and Wood, these symbolize the eight seasonal divisions and the Eight Trigrams. Each trigram in turn gives rise to the Eight Trigrams, forming the sixty-four hexagrams. Through their generation and union, the three hundred and eighty-four lines are derived, symbolizing the forces that govern the body’s various spirits. The scripture says that when these spirits are generated and made abundant, the body has a ruler of its own. This is the Great Medicine formed by Tiger Lead and Dragon Mercury.

The Great Medicine is also called the true Qi of Great Yin and is the root of all things. All things in the world depend on the mother Qi for their birth. Through cultivation, practitioners subtly accord with the transformations of Heaven and Earth, bringing the true Qi of Great Yin into union with the true Qi of Great Yang, then nourishing them with the true Earth of the Center. When the Qi is complete, it is called the Yellow Sprout; when the Yellow Sprout matures, it is called the Great Medicine.

Finally, the scripture distinguishes three grades of the Middle Vehicle according to a practitioner’s age and physical condition. Those who have suffered no loss, whose Shen and Qi remain whole, and who gain the opportunity to cultivate the Great Medicine, are called the upper grade of the Middle Vehicle when their practice is complete, with the title “Immortal of the Middle Vehicle.” Those who suffered some loss before middle age and can gain only half the opportunity to cultivate the Great Medicine are called the middle grade of the Middle Vehicle when their practice is complete, with the title “Spirit Immortal of the Middle Vehicle.” Those who are very old and have suffered severe loss, yet still gain the opportunity to cultivate the Great Medicine, are called the lower grade of the Middle Vehicle when their practice is complete, with the title “Long-Lived Earth Immortal.”

Dragon Lead and Tiger Mercury are methods for cultivating the Golden Elixir at the highest of the three grades.

“Dragon Lead” means that the Azure Dragon has no lead of its own; the lead comes from the White Tiger. The true lead of the White Tiger is taken and sent into the Azure Dragon’s Primordial Palace, the inner-cultivation palace corresponding to the Azure Dragon, so that the Qi of Yin and Yang may unite. When the fire phases are properly regulated and the Qi has grown abundant, it condenses into the Mysterious Pearl, a pearl of refined Qi formed through internal alchemy. Although the Mysterious Pearl is composed of the Qi of the Four Images, it cannot transform on its own. It must therefore be sent into the White Tiger’s Primordial Palace for further nurturing. This is called “Dragon Lead.”

“Tiger Mercury” means that the White Tiger has no mercury of its own; the mercury comes from the Azure Dragon. First, the White Tiger’s true lead is taken and used to subdue the Azure Dragon’s true mercury. Once constrained by the White Tiger’s true lead, the Azure Dragon’s true mercury serves as the foundation of Yin-Yang Qi and is then sent into the White Tiger’s Primordial Palace. This is called “Tiger Mercury.”

Together, Dragon Lead and Tiger Mercury form the Qi of the Four Images and possess twenty-four kinds of divine radiance. After the Mysterious Pearl gathers the twenty-four Qi, it enters the White Tiger’s Primordial Palace and acquires another twenty-four Qi. Nurtured twice in succession by the Four Images and transformed through the Five Phases, its Qi dynamic becomes complete, and it is then called the Golden Elixir. One who cultivates this Elixir to completion can become a Celestial Immortal. This is a higher method of the Immortals’ Way, and is therefore called the “Golden Elixir of Dragon Lead and Tiger Mercury.”

The original Golden Elixir forms when the true Qi of the sun is condensed and subdued by true lead. Once the Qi dynamic is abundant, it takes shape as the Mysterious Pearl, which then enters the White Tiger’s Primordial Palace. Because Metal arises through the acquisition of Qi, it is called the “Golden Elixir,” also known as “Metal in Water.” After three hundred days of transformation and nurturing, the Elixir matures. It is the size of a cherry, bright red with a purple glow, and dazzling to behold. Since it arises from the Qi of Metal, it is called the Golden Elixir.

Those who obtain this Elixir are divided into three grades according to their level of cultivation: the highest can become Celestial Immortals, the middle can become spirit immortals, and the lowest can become great immortals. If the lead and mercury of all three grades are employed together and cultivation is brought to completion, one can surpass these three vehicles and attain a higher state, becoming a True Lord. True Lords are further divided into upper, middle, and lower ranks within the highest position of the Highest Clarity. Even people of lesser ability, if they grasp the methods of lead and mercury in the three vehicles, may cultivate over an immensely long span of time.

The three vehicles above are further divided into nine grades. Beyond the three vehicles are three additional ranks, making twelve grades in all. Hence the teaching of the “twelve divisions,” which belongs to the principle of Qian Mercury and Kun Lead.

In cultivation, the Qi within the body must be brought into accord with the rhythms of the climate outside. Only when it circulates without error can it reach every part of the body. The Yin number is 192 and the Yang number is 192, making 384 in all.

The “Three Origins” are Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Each has a number of 36, making 108 altogether. To this are added the numbers of the “Four Images”: Metal is 7, Water 5, Wood 9, and Fire 3, for a total of 24. The five units of Earth Qi in the central palace are then added. When these five are combined with the Four Images and brought into the central palace, the total is 120.

A “watch” refers both to the rhythms of the climate that appear when Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon converge, and to the circulation of Qi in the body during cultivation. After Qi completes one circuit, it rises from the Primordial Palace—the inner Qi repository mentioned in the scripture—to beneath the tongue. Saliva gradually forms until the mouth is full; this counts as one “watch.”

The scripture then explains how the Spleen produces saliva. The Spleen processes the flavors and pungent foods in the diet. “Killing” means digesting and eliminating impure waste, while “giving birth” means transforming food into saliva and sending it into the Primordial Palace. The Spirit Tortoise, an image used in Neidan cultivation to represent the movement of Qi, receives this saliva. Qi is drawn in through the left nostril and circulated according to the numbers of the cosmic circuit. Once it is full, Qi is exhaled through the right nostril and rises to the two openings beneath the tongue, where it transforms into saliva and fills the mouth. This is called one “watch.” If one merely rinses the mouth and tries to obtain fluid by force, the Qi in the palace is often insufficient and cannot enter the Primordial Palace; in that case, the Qi is deficient. The practitioner should circulate Qi according to the method and wait until the mouth is full of saliva before swallowing.

Once the mouth is full, the saliva is swallowed into the “Twelve-Storied Tower,” the Daoist term for the passage of the throat, and is first received by the Lungs. The Lungs are regarded as the mother of all things, which are born through the mother’s Qi, so Qi passes first into the Lungs. It then moves according to the sequence of generation among the Five Viscera and Five Phases: the Lungs belong to Metal in the west; after seven turns, Qi passes to the Kidneys. The Kidneys belong to Water in the north; after five turns, Qi passes to the Liver. The Liver belongs to Wood in the east; after nine turns, Qi passes to the Heart. The Heart belongs to Fire in the south; after three turns, Qi passes to the Spleen. This transfer from one organ to the next is called the transmission from parent to child, and is the natural way described in the scripture.

When the Qi of the Four Images has completed 24 units of circulation, the five units of Earth in the central palace are added, bringing the Qi of the Four Images into the central palace. This forms the Qi of the Five Phases and is called one “cosmic circuit.”

When circulating the Qi of the Four Images, follow the method for guiding Qi and close the Six Gates—the sensory openings of the mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, as described in cultivation. When the breath is nearly exhausted and difficult to sustain, swallow forcefully. Divide each round into three swallows and send the Qi to the Primordial Palace, where the Spirit Tortoise draws it in through the left nostril. Once the breath is even, visualize the Spirit Tortoise exhaling through the right nostril, dispersing Qi throughout the body, raising it beneath the tongue, and carrying it through the two passes at the spine to the brain. Then bring the image to mind again and hold the breath. When it becomes difficult to sustain, swallow again and send the Qi to the Primordial Palace as before.

The scripture calls this method guiding Qi and moving the Fire; it is also called circulating the nutritive and defensive Qi. Before guiding Qi, one must first “move the Fire,” meaning that the movement of Qi must first be set in motion and made to flow freely. The Lungs move the Fire once to carry Lung Qi through the joints and limbs of the whole body. After the Lung Qi has made seven turns, move the Fire once more to open the flow of Kidney Qi. After the Kidneys have made five turns, move the Fire once to open the flow of Liver Qi. After the Liver has made nine turns, move the Fire once to open the flow of Heart Qi. The Heart then makes three turns. Finally, move the Fire five times according to the method, bringing all the Qi of the Four Images into the central palace and gathering it into the Qi of the Five Phases. When the corresponding generative count is complete, this is called a “cosmic circuit.”

Once the Four Images—the four states of Yin-Yang transformation—are complete, the Yin and Yang Qi within the body will also be sufficient, making it possible to enter the methods of cultivation described in the “Chapter on the Qi of Creation and Transformation.”

For example, when the Four Images are complete, they correspond to the twenty-four solar terms. By cultivating according to the season and following the prescribed method, one completes sixteen circuits through the heavenly cycle at a time, eventually accumulating 384 circuits. This makes the Yin and Yang Qi sufficient, so the Qi within the body naturally accords with the Qi of the world outside. The foundation of cultivating one’s person lies in the Yin and Yang Qi received before Heaven and Earth were divided. All things arise from Yin and Yang, and people do as well. Now that the Yin and Yang Qi is sufficient, the body has a governor; with a governor in place, it can naturally endure for a long time.

Yin and Yang establish the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, from which the Four Images differentiate. The Four Images are arranged as the Five Phases; the Five Phases produce the six pitch standards, an ancient system for determining musical tones; the six standards divide into the Seven Luminaries—the Sun, Moon, and five planets: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury. The Seven Luminaries transform into the Eight Trigrams, and the Eight Trigrams develop into the sixty-four hexagrams. Each hexagram has six line spirits, making 384 line spirits in all; these, too, replenish the Yin and Yang Qi. Outside the body, the 384 line spirits come into being; within it, 384 spirits that govern the body are generated. Jing, radiance, and Shen give rise to one another in interaction. Outside the body are all the myriad forms and images, including 12,000 spirits of form and shadow, 12,000 spirits of entry and exit, and 12,000 spirits of true Qi. Within the body are 36,000 spirits. This is how the transformations of Heaven and Earth proceed naturally.

If the body, Shen, and Qi are free of error and injury, one can master the transformations of Heaven and Earth, and the inner and outer worlds will naturally accord. But those who have injured their bodies, or grown old and weak, are not suited to cultivate this method. Indulgence in sex and sensual pleasures and giving free rein to desire in youth deplete the Original Spirit—the spirit at the root of life—leaving Qi deficient and Jing weak. The Qi within the body then cannot accord with the Qi outside it.

Those who receive this secret method need only focus their thoughts in stillness, gather in their spirit, and cultivate in harmony with the seasons. Even if they do not become immortals, they can extend their lives to the natural limit of an ordinary lifespan. At that point, the movement of Qi can advance no further, and they will die naturally, becoming an Earth Immortal who has left the physical body. The key to the method described here is gathering in the spirit; the essential practice for cultivating the body and nourishing life is to consolidate one’s nature and preserve the spirit.

People first take shape by receiving the two Qi of Yin and Yang, and the Qi within the body has a fixed period of operation. When that period ends, the Qi can no longer grow, and the person dies. The body is the dwelling place of Qi; Qi is the body’s governor. When the governor departs, the dwelling is empty, and the body decays. Therefore, cultivation must begin by restoring the body and replenishing the original Qi. Only when both body and Qi are sufficient can one proceed to nourish life; only then can cultivation hope to reach its goal.

If one does not understand how to restore the body and replenish Qi, and learns only the art of nourishing life, then even if one gathers the Shen and Qi already present within the body, the Qi will eventually be exhausted and one will die if it cannot grow. Yet as long as awareness of one’s nature does not scatter, one can leave the physical body and become an Earth Immortal. Those who come to understand this only in old age should also first restore the body and replenish Qi, then nourish life; they can thereby naturally transcend the ordinary human state.

A mature Yin can absorb the Qi of young Yang, naturally extending the life of the elderly. Mature intestines can absorb the Qi of young Yin, keeping a person’s allotted lifespan from being cut short by death. Whoever understands this method can restore youth to the aged and return them to childhood. Since one can go from old to young, what other Daoist method could compare? Simply cultivate in accordance with the root, and one can naturally return from old age to youth.

The root in question is true Qi. If true Qi is preserved, it can transform one into an immortal; if it has diminished and is then restored, one can return to the human source. Taking the One Qi as a seed, responding to the transformations of Yin-Yang, and then transforming it into the root gives rise to seeds without end. If a person’s original true Qi remains undamaged, they can grasp the transformations of Heaven and Earth and cultivate accordingly to become an immortal. If their true Qi has already suffered some damage, they can still cultivate with the Shen and Qi that remain, surpass the ordinary human lifespan, and become an earthbound immortal—one who lives long in this world but has not yet fully transcended it. If true Qi can be made to transform back into the root, it will continue to bring forth new life without end.

If true Qi can be put to use in the body, and one cultivates according to the rule of the white moon’s union, absorbing enough Qi of creation, one will naturally attain spiritual powers. If true Qi has been severely damaged, take sixteen liang of black lead. Once the lead has been obtained, use a bell as the furnace. The scripture says that the lead bell is white metal formed from the true Qi of the West. Bell furnaces come in different weights: five jin for the upper grade, forty-five jin for the lower grade, and ninety jin for the middle grade. Use the five-jin furnace once every five days, corresponding to the five-day seasonal cycle; use the forty-five-jin furnace once every forty-five days, corresponding to the forty-five-day cycle; and use the ninety-jin furnace once every ninety days, corresponding to a season. Using it every five days means making the Qi accumulated over five days into the medicine; using it every forty-five days means combining the Qi accumulated over forty-five days into the medicine; using it every ninety days means gathering together the Qi accumulated over ninety days.

Begin each use at the winter solstice, when the first Yang begins to arise. At first, the furnace must be changed every day. The person used for this purpose must also have the proper physical and mental qualities: they must avoid the “Nine Ugly and Ten Evil” taboos described in the scripture, and have a well-nourished body and a gentle temperament, making them suitable to serve as the furnace. The furnace has eight gates and nine openings through which Qi can flow up and down. Three channels are crucial: Qi enters and leaves through the upper, middle, and lower gates. When the Qi in these three gates is left undisturbed, it will naturally become full in five days; after forty-five days it will reach its limit, and after ninety days it will attain its greatest abundance.

The upper and middle gates are used to take in nourishment, while the lower gate is used to circulate and apply Qi, drawing the Qi of the cauldron and furnace back to nourish oneself and cultivate the body. Therefore, choose someone who is free of illness, full of Qi, well-nourished in body, and gentle in temperament. Those with an even disposition and quick responses are best. By cultivating in this way for three years, one can transcend the ordinary and become an earthbound immortal.

Even if someone has previously damaged their true Qi, as long as they have not exhausted it completely, they should not continue to deplete it; if it is entirely exhausted, they will die. Since they have not yet died, some Shen and Qi must remain as their root. If this remaining Shen and Qi is made firm, then, once their allotted lifespan is complete, they can shed the body and become an earthbound immortal. If they can also replenish their true Qi and continue cultivating, they will certainly realize the Dao of the immortals. This brings one to the principles of tiger lead and dragon mercury.

Cultivation begins by recognizing the Five Phases within life and using them to stabilize the vital energies of one’s life. One then unlocks the “Golden Lock”—bringing true Lead and true Mercury together until they coalesce—and nurtures the “Mysterious Pearl,” a precious substance formed from the coalescence of the energies of Gold and Lead. One preserves and nourishes spiritual intent in the Primordial Palace, where the body’s spirit and Qi gather, and lets the breath settle and hide within the kidneys. Then one causes the Jing and Qi to rise again and ascend to the Great Harmony, the state of harmony within the body. This is the gateway to the sacred realm.

The Five Phases referred to here are the “true Five Phases.” They are not the directions east, west, south, north, and center, nor the familiar Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The true Five Phases are symbols that correspond to Qi: they have names but no fixed form. Their actual forms each have their own names and qualities, and they are not the human organs. Yet the human organs, too, are formed through the coalescence of the true Five Phases. Earth has no fixed shape, yet it takes part in generation and transformation. Heaven and Earth generate things in the outer world; within, the human body contains them. True Gold is the mother of the person, true Wood the father; true Water is the Qi of Gold, true Fire the Jing of Wood, and true Earth the Primordial Palace of the mother.

The Four Images—the four basic configurations of Qi that make up the myriad things—give rise to Qi. Once gathered in the Primordial Palace, this Qi is governed by Earth and transforms to generate the human being. The human body takes shape through the gathering of the Qi of the Four Images and the transformations of the Five Phases; all forms and substances arise from them. Cultivation follows the fundamental patterns by which life is generated, and the realm of the immortals can then appear naturally. It is therefore essential to recognize the Five Phases and stabilize the “Golden Lock.”

The “Golden Lock” means obtaining true Lead and settling true Mercury, then gathering them together with true Lead until they form a precious substance. Because Gold and Lead coalesce and subdue true Mercury, this substance is called the “Mysterious Pearl.” The two Qi contained in the Golden Lock coalesce and transform into the Mysterious Pearl. “Preserving the spirit in the Primordial Palace” means that the true Qi of the Four Images generates the many spirits and gathers them in the Primordial Palace. As for nourishing and concealing the breath within the kidneys, this means that the Mysterious Pearl contains the twenty-four Qi, from which it further generates three hundred and eighty…

The “four forms of Qi” means gathering and subduing this Qi within the kidneys; this is called “concealed Qi.” “Returning Jing to pay court above” means allowing the body’s inner Shen and Qi to move along with nutritive Qi and defensive Qi, circulating throughout the body and bringing about transformation. This is the method of cultivating “returning Jing,” also called “Golden Essence.”

Chapter on the Union of the Two Qi and the Method of Coagulating Qi

The “two Qi” refer to Tiger Lead and Dragon Mercury. When Tiger Lead gathers, it returns to the Primordial Palace and becomes a treasure; when it disperses, it circulates through the whole body as Qi. When Qi arrives, it gathers; once gathered, it unites. When Qi disperses, it circulates. For this reason, practice must be carried out without error.

“Coagulating Qi” means that the two Qi meet and condense. For example, on the first day after the new moon, when the hour of Gui arrives and the Qi of Great Yin descends, one gathers Lead Qi at the appointed time. True Qi descends, and Lead Qi descends with it; both are then gathered into the Primordial Palace of the Azure Dragon. One kind of Qi alone is insufficient: the two Qi must both be obtained.

The Tiger Lead referred to here is the true Qi of white metal. Take an amount of white metal greater than thirteen liang but less than fourteen liang. In a quiet chamber, bathe it with fragrant water, then use medicines to strip away its original properties. When the appointed time arrives, gather it according to the usual method, preventing outside breaths from disturbing it. If it is disturbed by outside Qi, it cannot enter the Primordial Palace and will instead be expelled with the dregs. Once true Lead has been obtained at the proper time, let the two Qi unite and condense. For example, if it is obtained in the hour of Gui, bring them together in the hour of Chou. After obtaining it, make Metal and Wood meet and overcome one another. The one overcome by Metal will inevitably have its feelings aroused; when the feelings are aroused, true Qi descends. As true Qi descends, desire will also be discharged. It must be restrained and prevented from dispersing, and then the two Qi will unite naturally. Follow this procedure at the appointed hours on each subsequent day.

To coagulate Qi is to make true Lead settle and hold true Mercury, thereby bringing the Four Images and Five Phases to completion. This is regarded as the foundation on which a person establishes life. The formation of the human body requires thirty days for the Qi mechanism to become complete; after three hundred days of transformation, the physical form is fully formed. The foundation of life originally rests in the Primordial Palace of the White Tiger, in the position of Kun. Kun symbolizes true Earth. Since Earth governs the true Qi of the Four Images, it is not easily destroyed. Now, if the two Qi are instead drawn into the Primordial Palace of the Azure Dragon, the Qi there belongs to a different category. Thus a separate method of nurturing for thirty days and a three-hundred-day course of transformation are required. If one understands the underlying principle, one can accord with the transformations of Heaven and Earth and cultivate oneself into an immortal.

“Nurturing for thirty days” means that after the two Qi unite and Qi is coagulated, one does not recklessly undertake other methods of practice or allow distracting thoughts to arise. One should focus on keeping watch for the appointed times, so that the inner and outer correspond, and the Qi of the Four Images becomes full and enters the Central Palace. Once the numbers of Yin and Yang have reached completion, the Qi will naturally condense over the course of thirty days. If the time for moving Qi has not arrived or the required count is insufficient, the Qi mechanism will not become complete. Therefore, one must devote thirty days to focused nurturing. After this, a further three hundred days bring the transformations of Heaven and Earth to completion, and the inner and outer movements can flow through without obstruction.

To cultivate the Qi of the five viscera, follow the seasons, months, days, and hours so that what happens within the body accords with the changing seasons outside. Take the liver as an example: it belongs to Wood and is strongest in spring. During the three months of spring, choose an hour on a Jia or Yi day. Sit upright with your body straight, set aside distracting thoughts, gather the Qi below and open the breath above. Let the breath become fine, slow, and prolonged, without allowing it to scatter.

Focus on guiding the Rong-Wei Qi (the Qi that circulates inside and outside the body) and set the liver Qi in motion. From the two gates beside the spine (passages through which Qi travels along the spine), guide it upward to the brain. Then let it descend from the crown of the head into the mouth; swallow it and rinse it around, so that it returns to the Twelve-Storied Tower (the throat). The Qi first reaches the lungs, then passes from the lungs to the kidneys, liver, heart, and spleen, and finally enters the Primordial Palace (the place where the scripture says the movement of Qi is stored and gathered), where it is received by the Spirit Tortoise (an image symbolizing the movement of Qi within the body). Once the Spirit Tortoise has completed the prescribed circuits along the Celestial Circuit (the path along which Qi circulates within the body), the Qi naturally rises and returns to the two openings beneath the tongue, where a blue color appears. This shows that the liver’s original Qi is circulating smoothly. The other four viscera are cultivated in the same way.

When first cultivating the liver Qi, begin during the three months of spring, on a Jia or Yi day and hour. At this time, the liver Qi is in season. As it circulates, it is not mixed with the Qi of other viscera; only the liver’s original Qi travels along the Rong-Wei pathways and the body’s channels. After completing the prescribed circuits, the Qi that has been obtained can nourish the body. Its purest part is gathered into the Primordial Palace. The Qi of the Five Phases, with their cycles of generation and control, each settles into its proper place and no longer flows outward.

When spring comes again that year, choose another Jia or Yi day and hour to practice. The liver’s true Qi stored in the Primordial Palace will then circulate again, passing through the five viscera and throughout the body. The color that appears will still be the liver Qi’s own color, unmixed with any other: pure blue Qi. The same applies to the other four viscera. When each of the five viscera displays its corresponding original color, this is a sign that the cultivation has borne fruit.

The “Golden Lock Method” refers to taking the true lead formed from the White Tiger’s first essence. The text uses the numbers “two times seven makes fourteen, two times eight makes sixteen, and three times five makes fifteen” to explain the amount to be taken, and regards fifteen as the highest grade. The process must be kept pure, without allowing outside breath to intrude. If intrusion occurs, the true lead cannot enter the Primordial Palace—the place where essence and Qi are refined internally—and will be expelled along with impurities.

“Gold” refers to the true Qi of the west, which is true lead; lead is where the White Tiger’s true Qi resides. The White Tiger is an image symbolizing one aspect of the internal refinement of essence and Qi. “Lock” means to seal shut: it refers to gathering in the true Qi of the Azure Dragon, another image symbolizing this internal refinement, so that it does not disperse or leak away. The Azure Dragon’s true Qi is true mercury, the place where the Azure Dragon’s utmost essence resides. The utmost essences of the Dragon and Tiger transform from the true Qi of the Four Symbols, and therefore have no fixed form.

Lead and mercury each have their own substance, but they require Earth to harmonize and regulate them. Only after obtaining the Qi of lead and mercury do they take on a concrete form. When the two kinds of Qi meet, they naturally condense into a treasure. Thus, one must secretly obtain the White Tiger’s true lead and send it into the Azure Dragon’s Primordial Palace. Lead originally resides in the White Tiger’s Primordial Palace; once it has moved into the Azure Dragon’s Primordial Palace, it can remain there as long as it is undisturbed by outside breath. With true lead in the Azure Dragon’s Primordial Palace, lead can regulate true mercury. When true mercury encounters true lead, they naturally unite and no longer disperse. This is called “the Golden Lock of the Sun.”

The principle by which Dragon lead and Tiger mercury unite has now been explained.

The Mixed Origin Eight Views True Scripture, fascicle four, ends here.

Fascicle Five: The Chapter on Generating the Mysterious Pearl

The so-called “Mysterious Pearl Method” uses about fourteen ounces to one pound of platinum. The platinum must be unrefined. According to this method, first bring Metal and Wood into harmony, keeping the mind and spirit calm and free of distracting thoughts. Then use the numbers of Yin and Yang as the measure, carrying the practice through to nine times nine. When you sense that Wood is about to weaken, use Metal to restrain it and prevent it from moving. Next, close your eyes and lie on your back. Draw in your abdomen as you inhale, curl your fingers like hooks, and hold the original Qi upward without letting your body move. Remain still for a while, then repeat once your breathing has settled. Continue to restrain the Qi as before, keeping the Azure Dragon’s true Qi from escaping and returning it to the Origin Palace. Perform the practice sixteen times at the prescribed moments, and the Mysterious Pearl will form.

The Mysterious Pearl is formed by the gathering of the true Qi of the Four Images. The Four Images arise from the union of Metal and Wood: Wood is the Azure Dragon and belongs to Yang; Metal is the White Tiger and belongs to Yin. Within Yin is true essence, called lead; within Yang is true essence, called mercury. Lead can stabilize mercury, and mercury, in turn, clings to lead. When lead and mercury unite and resonate with each other, the Mysterious Pearl can take shape. In cultivation, first use a secret method to obtain true lead, return it to the Azure Dragon’s Origin Palace, and let it settle there. Mercury will then naturally remain.

Lead and mercury are where the essential Qi of the Dragon and Tiger gathers. Once the Dragon and Tiger Qi receives lead and mercury, it gathers and coalesces; this is called the Mysterious Pearl. The scripture explains that true lead should first be settled in the Azure Dragon’s Origin Palace, after which Metal and Wood are brought together. When Wood is restrained by Metal, its nature is stirred into action. Once it moves, the Qi descends and tends to escape. At that point, restrain it so that it can neither escape, return to its former position, nor rise. It then returns to the palace and unites with mercury, forming the Mysterious Pearl below the navel. The practitioner feels heat there, as if a pot were burning over a fire.

Next, bring Metal and Wood together. This step requires careful observation. When the “Metal Tiger”—the divine beast symbolizing Metal Qi—reaches the height of its arousal and the mind can barely restrain it, rush swiftly toward “Wood,” then let the “Mysterious Pearl,” the spiritual essence and Qi cultivated through internal alchemy, enter the Palace of Conjunction. The Palace of Conjunction belongs to Earth and holds the Qi of all Five Phases. After thirty days, when the movement of Qi is complete, the bodily form can take shape. At this point, one can seize three hundred days’ worth of the creative power of Heaven and Earth, complete both the upper and lower parts, and refine what is called the Golden Elixir.

After ten months, the Golden Elixir matures and is born from beneath the left breast. It is the size of a cherry, shaped like fresh blood, and red-purple in color, shining brightly. This is the Golden Elixir. At that time, the White Tiger receives the Mysterious Pearl in the Acupoint of Conjunction; the Qi then is unlike ordinary Qi. One must especially avoid sorrow or joy, cold or heat, fear, anger, hunger, overeating, and conflict, for any of these can damage the Golden Elixir. In daily life, nourish it calmly and protect it from disturbance, waiting for the Elixir Qi to reach completion. When it is about to descend, catch it in a vessel.

Next, bathe with fragrant water. Once the movement of Qi has gathered and become complete, and the mind and spirit are quiet, hold the Golden Elixir and ascend the altar platform. Enter through the Earth Gate—the opening in the altar’s floor—and climb onto the platform. Face north and offer thanks to the Most High Lord Lao, the Most High Dao Lord, and the Most High Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. Then swallow the Golden Elixir so that it may forever guard the Original Palace, the dwelling place of the body’s original Qi. Thus, one should preserve the spirit and guard the Qi, allowing Jing and Qi to rise back up and pay court to the brain. This connects the Qi above and below, allowing the Elixir Qi to circulate back and forth and bring about transformation naturally. It quietly changes the sinews, bones, skin, and hair, bringing one into the sacred Dao.

The Golden Elixir can transform the realm of Heaven and Earth, freeing a person from the ordinary and bringing them into the sacred realm. It can connect the Qi above and below, opening all the joints. As the Golden Elixir’s Qi circulates, it quietly transforms the ordinary human body into an immortal body. Those who obtain and ingest the Golden Elixir have their mortal bodies completely transformed within three years. They are called perfected beings and can ascend freely to pay court to the Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial Beginning. This is indeed true.

Therefore, thirty-six thousand spirits of radiant essence, twelve thousand spirits of form and shadow, twelve thousand spirits of true Qi, and twelve thousand spirits of entry and exit accompany and guard the person, who may then move freely in every direction. All these spirits arise from the two Qi of Yin and Yang. The two Qi of Yin and Yang govern the Four Images; the Four Images establish the Five Phases; the Five Phases give rise to the myriad things, and the myriad things are themselves the myriad spirits.

“Golden Liquid White Paste” is formed through the transformation of the Four Emblems’ true Qi. The “Four Emblems” arise when the Dragon and Tiger unite, Lead and Mercury congeal, and these are joined with the Central Palace—the body’s center for harmonizing Yin-Yang and the Five Phases. In this way, the Qi of all Five Phases is brought together.

The Dragon and Tiger refer to true Yin and true Yang. Yang contains Shen, Qi, and Jing; Yin likewise contains Shen, Qi, and Jing. These transformations of Yin and Yang also correspond to the six trigrams Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, and Dui. Yin and Yang each have three, making six; with the Dragon and Tiger added, they are called the “Eight.” Each set of eight gives rise to eight more, unfolding in successive layers into the sixty-four hexagrams and generating sixty-four spirits. Each hexagram has six lines, making 384 lines in all; correspondingly, the human body contains 384 spirits. When the Yin spirits unite with the Yang spirits, they give rise to another 384 spirits, so the whole body contains 36,000 spirits. The scripture uses this to explain that Yin and Yang produce the Four Emblems, the Four Emblems produce the Five Phases, and the Five Phases in turn produce the myriad things.

When a person is first conceived in the womb, the two Qi of Yin and Yang begin to take shape. By the thirtieth day, the breath is nearly complete: a membrane forms beneath the breasts, and Golden Liquid Moisture emerges from above. This is the Golden Liquid White Paste. Nourished by it, the fetus can receive the creative power of Heaven and Earth and gradually develop into a human body. Thus, bodily cultivation cannot be separated from the Golden Liquid White Paste.

At birth, the two Qi of Yin and Yang take shape in the mother’s Primordial Palace, the source in which life is conceived, and the Golden Liquid White Paste emerges beneath the breasts. If practitioners today wish to receive the two Qi of Yin and Yang anew and have the Golden Liquid White Paste arise from their own Primordial Palace, they must gather the Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases. Once the true Qi of the Five Phases has congealed in the Dantian, it rises from the Kan Palace—a bodily region associated with Kidney Water and Yin essence—to the two openings beneath the tongue, where it transforms into Golden Liquid White Paste. When the Three Primordial Energies of Yin and Yang and the Qi of the Five Phases have been accumulated and refined in sufficient measure, they congeal into White Paste.

The White Paste travels with the nutritive and defensive Qi, circulating through the channels and vessels throughout the body and nourishing the Shen, Qi, and Jing gathered in the Primordial Palace. Shen, Qi, and Jing ride the original Qi contained in the White Paste as it circulates, enlivening the body as though secretly appropriating the creative power of Heaven and Earth. The sinews, bones, skin, and hair gradually transform. The scripture says that after three years, the ordinary body can be completely transformed into that of an immortal.

The gathering and refining of the great medicine of the Golden Elixir, as well as other methods of Qi cultivation, likewise depend on the transformation of the Golden Liquid White Paste. Later students may not yet understand the foundations of Heaven and Earth’s creative power, but even if they cultivate the Golden Elixir using only the Shen, Qi, and Jing they currently possess, correct methods and uninterrupted practice can prolong life and improve the appearance of aging. If they go further and cultivate from the root, attaining immortality will be as clear as looking at something in the palm of one’s hand.

A practitioner can outlive ordinary people and restore a youthful appearance to a face worn by age. How much more clearly, then, can one understand the path to becoming an immortal through deeper cultivation at its root—it is as plain as looking at one’s palm.

The phrase “when the Sun and Moon join” refers to the “method of departure and return”: observing how the Sun and Moon move and pause, and aligning their patterns with the movement of Qi within the body.

Those who practice cultivation and nurture life must understand how the Sun and Moon move. Heaven and Earth rely on the Sun and Moon as the basis of their workings; in human beings, the basis is Ying Qi and Wei Qi—the Qi that nourishes and protects the body. If practitioners align the “Sun and Moon” within themselves with those in the heavens, and their movements remain error-free, they can endure as long as Heaven and Earth.

When Heaven and Earth join, they depend on the Lü and Lü pitch system, which was used in antiquity to establish musical pitches and coordinate the rhythms of Yin-Yang, and on the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When the Sun and Moon join, they give rise to the myriad things. If the Sun and Moon meet but their Qi does not harmonize, the body is harmed. If they move in the heavens while the Qi within the body remains still, a person gradually grows old and falls ill. By allowing Ying Qi and Wei Qi to harmonize and circulate within the body according to the movements of the Sun and Moon, one can ward off aging, prolong life, and attain longevity.

Heaven and Earth endure because the Sun, Moon, and stars—the “Three Wonders,” the three essences between Heaven and Earth—move together. The Sun, Moon, and stars are the purest forces of Heaven and Earth: without the Sun by day or the Moon by night, there would be no stars to speak of. The human “Three Wonders” are Shen (spirit), Qi (vital energy), and Jing (essence). If a person’s spirit disperses and their Jing and Qi are depleted, life cannot be sustained. The Shen spoken of here is associated with Ying Qi and Wei Qi: Ying Qi corresponds to the Sun, and Wei Qi to the Moon. When the outer Sun and Moon meet, the Qi within should also unite; when they move in the heavens, the Qi within should move as well. With the inner and outer in correspondence, one can live long without aging easily. If one can also refine elixirs, one can reach a state that corresponds to Heaven and Earth.

The scripture next describes the Sun and Moon’s movements over a month of thirty days. During each day’s twelve double-hours, the Sun corresponds with the Moon for nine double-hours and does not correspond for the other three. Over thirty days, this amounts to 360 double-hours: 270 in correspondence and 90 without correspondence. The Great Yin—the Moon—is bright for twenty-four days each month; for a total of six days at the beginning and end of the month, it is not visible.

According to the system of directions and palaces used in the scripture, the Great Yin begins its course at the Shen position and moves in reverse, passing through the Xu, Hai, and Zi palaces and entering the “secret chamber,” the abode of pure Yin. During the first three and last three days of each month, the Great Yin moves through its own palace and does not leave it, so it cannot be seen. The Sun begins at the Yin position and moves forward through the Xu, Hai, and Zi palaces, arriving at the place where the Great Yin resides. The two currents meet and join there, so their effects are temporarily not apparent. The six days from the twenty-seventh day of one month to the third day of the next are called the time when the Sun and Moon join and gestate. During this period, the Moon is dark, and the Sun’s movement is also temporarily concealed.

When practitioners have abundant Qi, they should align the movements within their bodies with those of the Sun and Moon in the heavens: when the Sun and Moon join, let Ying Qi and Wei Qi join; when the Sun and Moon move, let Ying Qi and Wei Qi move. In this way, the inner and outer correspond.

The scripture also describes the meetings of the Moon and Sun by double-hour and date. During the first three and last three days of the month, the Great Yin separates from the Sun at the Chen double-hour, moving from its own palace back to its own palace. From the fourth to the eighth day, and from the twenty-third to the twenty-seventh, the Sun separates from the Great Yin at the Chou double-hour. During the first three days of the month, the Great Yin first appears at the Geng position; after the twenty-seventh day, it gradually disappears. From the eighth to the twenty-third day, the Sun separates from the Great Yin at the Gui double-hour. At this time the Qi of the Great Yin is full, and the Moon is at its brightest.

As the Sun and Moon move together, the seasonal divisions between the terms of the year proceed with perfect precision. By following this pattern and aligning Ying Qi and Wei Qi with the Sun and Moon, practitioners can ensure that the Qi moves properly through the body and keeps its rhythm without error. In this way, they can attain a lifespan equal to that of Heaven, Earth, the Sun, and the Moon. This is the method the scripture describes for aligning the Sun and Moon with Ying Qi and Wei Qi over the course of thirty days.

The times and methods for cultivating the Three Origins that establish one’s destiny, the joining of the Qi of the Sun and Moon, and the daily descent of the true Qi of the Great Yin

Each time you practice this method, observe the following schedule in the lunar month. From the first to the third day after the New Moon, begin at the hour of Gui and stop at the hour of Xu. From the fourth to the eighth day, begin at the hour of Chou and stop at the hour of Xu. From the ninth to the twenty-third day, begin at the hour of Gen and stop at the hour of Xu. From the twenty-fourth to the twenty-seventh day, begin at the hour of Chou and stop at the hour of Xu. From the twenty-eighth to the thirtieth day, begin at the hour of Gui and stop at the hour of Xu. Gui, Chou, Gen, and Xu are traditional designations for times or directions.

The Great Yin (the Moon and its Yin energy) and the Sun (the Sun and its Yang energy) join at three of the twelve daily double-hours: Xu, Hai, and Zi. The body’s Rong and Wei Qi (energy circulating inside and outside the vessels and sustaining bodily functions) follow a corresponding pattern. When these three double-hours arrive, stop the practice and let the Rong and Wei Qi join. Resume the practice only after the Qi has become sufficient.

Begin cultivation with the lungs. Set the Rong and Wei Qi in motion and let lung Qi flow into the Central Palace, the central area of the body in internal cultivation. After the lung Qi has circulated for thirty-five breaths and made seven turns, pass it on to the kidneys. Let kidney Qi enter the Central Palace and circulate for thirty-five breaths, then pass it on to the liver. Let liver Qi enter the Central Palace and circulate for twenty-five breaths, then pass it on to the heart. Let heart Qi enter the Central Palace and circulate for fifteen breaths, then pass it on to the spleen. The total is one hundred and twenty breaths, called one circuit of the small heaven, in which Qi completes one cycle through the body. Then hold the breath and regulate it. If your strength is exhausted and you cannot continue, swallow and direct the Qi to the Original Palace, an internal cultivation term for the place in the body where original Qi is nurtured. On the first day, practice the firing process (applying the stages of internal cultivation); on the second, circulate the Qi; on the third, strengthen the Rong and Wei Qi.

Sixteen circuits make one unit of practice. Of the twelve double-hours in a day, practice during nine and stop for three. After completing sixteen turns, the Yin and Yang Qi are considered sufficient. Within thirty days, the Qi will gather and become full; after three hundred days of cultivation, the work of transformation will be complete. If you practice according to this method, you will naturally meet the proper standard.

The true Qi of the Great Yin is also called the White Tiger’s True Lead. It is the mother of all things. When the true Qi of the Sun descends, it descends as well; when the Sun’s true Qi lies hidden, it too lies hidden. As it descends, it enters a deep and unfathomable realm, where the true Qi of the Great Yin remains. Its descent follows fixed dates and hours. If you fail to practice at the corresponding times, it is said that even one success among ten thousand attempts will be difficult. The Qi of the Great Yin has its appointed times for lying hidden and descending. There is no need to force it; simply follow the days and hours of its descent, and the great work of cultivation can be accomplished.

The six days from the twenty-eighth day before the New Moon through the third day after it are days when the Great Yin joins. During this period, the true Qi of the Sun comes and goes, descending at different hours on different days. On the first day after the New Moon and the thirtieth day before it, it arrives at the hour of Gui, gathers at the hour of Chou, and disperses at the hour of Gen. On the second day after the New Moon and the twenty-ninth day before it, it arrives at the hour of Zi, gathers at the hour of Gui, and disperses at the hour of Chou. On the third day after the New Moon and the twenty-eighth day before it, it arrives at the hour of Ren, gathers at the hour of Zi, and disperses at the hour of Gui.

When gathering True Lead (an internal alchemy term for the true Qi gathered in cultivation), wait until the Qi arrives before taking it in. When it gathers, bring it into union; when it disperses, set it in motion. If the timing is even slightly wrong, the practice will have no effect. The same applies whether circulating the Elixir or mobilizing the Shen and Qi already present: take in the Qi as soon as it arrives, bring it into union when it gathers, and set it in motion when it disperses. If the Qi arrives and you do not take it in, it will stagnate. If it gathers and you do not bring it into union, it will dissipate. If it disperses and you do not set it in motion, it will weaken. The scripture says this will harm the body without one’s awareness. Without understanding the timing, even with many methods of cultivation, your efforts will be in vain.

Establishing an altar and regulating the breath are intended to bring the Qi of the human body into accord with the changing conditions of Heaven and Earth. The key to the movement of these conditions is expressed through the sun, moon, and five planets. The sun and moon represent Greater Yin and Greater Yang, while the five planets correspond to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When the sun, moon, and five planets move in an orderly way, the conditions of Heaven and Earth remain within their proper bounds, and the four seasons naturally follow their regular course.

The human body’s key pivots are the Qi of nourishment and defense, which circulates within the body to nourish and protect it, and the five Zang organs. When the nourishing and defensive Qi and the five Zang organs function within their proper bounds, the body can accord with the four seasons. The sun, moon, and Five Phases distribute and circulate the seven Qi; the nourishing and defensive Qi and the five Zang organs also circulate the seven Qi. This cycle runs for 360 days, matching the number of degrees in one circuit of the heavens.

Five days make one pentad: according to the text, a day is divided into twelve periods, so five days comprise sixty periods. Once the six Jia spirits—spirits paired with the sixty stem-branch combinations—have completed their circuit, the cycle begins again with the spirits of the five Jia. This is why five days make one pentad. A year of 360 days contains seventy-two pentads. The body’s Qi should likewise move within its proper bounds.

Forty-five days make one section. A day has twelve periods, divided into six Yin periods and six Yang periods. Their coordination with day and night establishes a pattern corresponding to the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). The Eight Trigrams are the spirits employed in the course of a day. The human body, too, has twelve original spirits, each with its own function; they are divided into six Yin spirits and six Yang spirits. Coordinating with the nourishing and defensive Qi, they form the Eight Trigrams and likewise take part in the course of a day. Forty-five days comprise 360 periods, and are therefore called one section; 360 periods together are divided into eight sections.

Ninety days make one Qi period. Forty-five days correspond to the Qi of 360 spirits, while ninety days total 720, which is why they are called one Qi period. A year of 360 days contains four such periods, and the human body has a corresponding cycle.

If one can set the nourishing and defensive Qi and the five Zang organs in motion, letting the breath flow freely throughout the body without obstruction, and bring the body’s movements into accord with Heaven and Earth, then the rhythms of five days to a pentad, forty-five days to a section, and ninety days to a Qi period will arise naturally, matching the seasons of Heaven with perfect precision.

This is difficult because people do not understand how the conditions of Heaven and Earth move, how the five Zang organs function, or how true Qi circulates within the body. As a result, they cannot bring the body into accord with Heaven and Earth. If the original spirit has been damaged, spirit and Qi will be depleted, and the person will be unable to join with the Qi outside the body. Those who have suffered no such damage have their spirit and Qi intact; if they seize the right moment and cultivate in time with the sun, moon, and seasonal conditions, they can unite with them. If the original spirit has been damaged, they should recover the foundations of cultivation and make up for the loss through nourishment. Once Qi is abundant, spirit complete, and Jing and Qi full, they can cultivate according to the method and still attain results.

The movements of Heaven and Earth are measured by the water clock, which establishes the times and positions for cultivation. A day is divided into one hundred ke: the four time periods Zi, Wu, Mao, and You each comprise nine ke, while the eight periods Yin, Shen, Si, Hai, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei each comprise eight. The four periods account for thirty-six ke, and the eight for sixty-four, making one hundred in all. These divisions are used to determine how Qi changes over the course of day and night.

Zi marks the beginning of Yang Qi’s emergence. After Wu, Yin Qi begins to grow. At Mao, Yang Qi reaches its greatest strength. The Zi position corresponds to the northern Ren and Gui Water, the Kan trigram, and the Black Tortoise (water spirit); Wu corresponds to the southern Bing and Ding Fire and the Vermilion Bird (fire spirit); Mao corresponds to the eastern Jia and Yi Wood, the Zhen trigram, and the Azure Dragon (wood spirit); and You corresponds to the western Geng and Xin Metal, the Dui trigram, and the White Tiger (metal spirit). These Four Symbols are believed to form and support Heaven and Earth, so each occupies nine ke in its own position. The other eight periods correspond to the Eight Trigrams and assist the Four Symbols in their operation, waxing and waning with the Qi of the four seasons.

To cultivate the Three Primordial Qi—the original Qi of Heaven and Earth described in the scripture—one must calculate the time according to the water clock. If the timing is off by even one ke, true Qi is difficult to gather. For example, during the thirty days after the new moon, the Qi of Heaven and Earth joins; the movements of the sun and moon bring forth the myriad things, each following its own nature and responding to the changes of Yin and Yang. At the beginning, the human body, too, is formed when the true Qi of the Four Symbols gathers and fills it, through the creative power of Heaven and Earth. If one fails to accord inwardly with the moment of Yin-Yang interaction, the Qi of the Four Symbols cannot congeal into a human being. Only when inner and outer Qi align with the right moment can the formless become form. This is why the human body is so difficult to attain.

In cultivation, one now works with the formed body, using the changes of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth to guide the rising and descending, gathering and dispersing of Qi and breath, while keeping to the timing of the water clock. The scripture gives the example of the Gui period on the first and thirtieth days after the new moon, when the true Qi of the Great Yin—the moon’s Yin Qi—descends. At that time, the Qi within the body must respond to the Qi outside it. Without understanding the divisions of the water clock, one cannot determine when the Gui period occurs. It falls after Zi and before Chou; estimating the time by intuition alone is bound to lead to error.

Zi lasts nine ke, and Chou lasts eight. After four and a half ke of Zi have passed, the Gui period begins and the true Qi of the Great Yin descends. Next, take four ke after the Gui period: these belong to Chou, when the Qi gathers. Then, four ke after Chou belong to the Gen position, one of the Eight Trigram directions, when the Qi begins to disperse. Once dispersed, the Qi continues its cycle, and the same method applies throughout the remaining hundred ke. The scripture uses this example to explain that both the creative processes of Heaven and Earth and the work of cultivation must be timed by the water clock.

“The Great Achievement of Seizing the Thirty Days of Accumulated Intercalary Qi” describes a practice that draws on the “surplus intercalary Qi” of Heaven and Earth to cultivate rapidly. The text says that the intercalary surplus accumulated over three years can be combined into thirty days, hence the name “Great Achievement of Thirty Days.” By following the method and using the Qi of Heaven and Earth from those thirty days, the practitioner is said to condense within them the workings of creation that would ordinarily take three hundred days, completing the process by which all things come into being.

The text compares this process to the development of a fetus. A person receives Qi in the mother’s womb, and the body takes shape in thirty days. After a further three hundred days of gestation, the body is fully mature and the child is born. Three more years of nursing then allow the body to grow gradually. If one cultivates according to this method for thirty days, one can bring the “true nature”—the practitioner’s term for the innate, authentic spirit—to full concentration and attain spiritual powers. This is why the practice is called a “Great Achievement.”

The text also says that once the practice is complete, the practitioner can die while seated or standing, fly with wondrous ease, travel freely, and even pass through doors and windows to arrive wherever they wish. The practice requires the cooperation of three fellow cultivators; none can be left out. After the fifteenth day, the practitioner’s true nature may leave the body, so one person must remain nearby, calling to the practitioner continuously and keeping watch at the appointed times. At this point, the original text says, “If an appointed time is missed, then…”; the rest of the passage is not preserved.