《灵砂大丹秘诀》

So-called "shedding the body like a husk," departing the world while seated or standing, and "the dragon coiling around the golden cauldron, the tiger encircling the Dantian (energy center)" all refer to Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. Refining precious materials such as red lead, white lead, mercury, and true gold, so that the medicines are neither lost nor dispersed during the cooking and refining, refers to Waidan (external alchemy) practice. Among those in the world who study the Dao (the Way) yet fail to achieve anything, many cultivate only Neidan and neglect Waidan, or refine only the inner elixir and not the outer. When the two cannot be pursued together, the Dao is hard to accomplish. Ordinary people have thin fortune, and it is difficult for them to meet a master who can transmit both methods.

Only the "Embracing-the-One Spirit Cinnabar" (a elixir method that joins inner and outer cultivation) is said to enrich both household and state and to bring a person to the Dao. It is the great medicine of deathless longevity. A quail that eats it turns into a luan bird, a chicken into a phoenix, and a dog into a dragon. When a person takes it, they achieve sagely merit and become a superior immortal. When ordinary people take it in old age, their youth returns; even withered bones and dead remains can live again if they obtain it. One who has accomplished cultivation of the Dao, on receiving it, may enter the realm of the immortals. This is the "inner landscape" (the visions that appear in Neidan practice) of the Spirit Cinnabar of the Sacred Embryo.

This method uses herbs whose true names are concealed as auxiliaries, and chooses medicines that are easy to obtain. The process is not elaborate, yet its claimed results are great: nurturing and refining mercury until it becomes a treasure, and nurturing and refining the medicines until they coalesce into the elixir. The treasure is used to meet worldly needs, and the elixir is used to advance one's attainment of the Dao. This is the "outer landscape" (the visions that appear in Waidan refining) of the Spirit Cinnabar of the Sacred Embryo.

When people in the world refine elixirs, if the color changes of the lead and mercury do not follow the proper standards, and the Yin-Yang medicines are not taken up in accordance with principle, the mercury cannot be refined into a stable, unchanging form. Moreover, some take lower-grade silver as the mother medicine, attach metal and mineral materials to it, and place it in a chamber to be nurtured with the mother medicine. Although these practices may make the medicine look solid and full, it is not the true Sacred Embryo; it only shows that the method is wrong. To then complain that the immortals' words are untrue is the result of careless cultivation and disrespectful conduct.

The sage handed down this method of the secret formula, sometimes recording it in precious secret manuscripts, sometimes inscribing it on jade tablets, and sometimes storing it in a golden casket (a precious chest or box). Without fasting and ritual bathing, it may not be read; unless one is a worthy person of outstanding virtue (De), it may not be heard. Tradition holds that this method was transmitted by Laozi to the Immortal Duke Ge (Ge Xuan), who passed it to Zheng Siyuan, who passed it to the Perfected Ge Hong, who in turn passed it to the Celestial Master (Tianshi) Zhang Xujing (Zhang Jixian). In the third month of the first year of the Jianzhong Jingguo era, the Celestial Master came to court, and the emperor then summoned Palace Attendant Zhang into the palace to discuss the art of "planting seeds" (a transmission or cultivation method within alchemy). The emperor transmitted this method to Palace Attendant Zhang together with the Celestial Master. Later, when Palace Attendant Zhang took up a post in Shuchuan, he passed it on to the Chan Master Guiyan ("Ghost Eye"). Now the entire course of this method, from its origins onward, is complete, and its line of transmission is intact from beginning to end.

To obtain this method is said to raise one's ancestors of seven generations to higher realms; to cultivate it is to be certain of ascending the path to the realm of the immortals. Through it, a state can be made prosperous and strong and its people secure, and a household can be made wealthy and an individual benefited. When elixirs are refined by it and pass through the nine transformations, wonders of creation and transformation come about; the jade grove (a splendid vision of the immortal realm) appears and is revered by lofty adepts; the jade smile endures, and even heavenly immortals bow in reverence. It accords with the profound principles of Heaven and Earth and is able to seize the upright qi of Yin-Yang. The Daodejing says: "Look at it and you cannot see it, so it is called 'xi' (the faint); listen to it and you cannot hear it, so it is called 'yi' (the subtle)." For this reason, the elixir can undergo a thousand changes and ten thousand transformations, and it is called "Numinous Cinnabar" (lingsha). Master Zhongli said, "A single grain of the Golden Elixir is enough to determine long life." This is the very elixir he meant. Sages of every generation have cultivated it, and what the ten thousand scrolls of immortal scriptures (Jing) teach cannot depart from this principle.

Numinous Cinnabar (Lingsha) is the core that governs all the methods of alchemical refinement, and it is also the principal guideline of cultivation. It is regarded as the root of refining the Great Medicine and the ancestral master of the Golden Elixir (Jindan). Sulfur is considered the essence of the Great Yang, and mercury the breath of the Great Yin. In the refining, the separate force of the yang nature and of the yin nature must each be extinguished. The two are then joined like husband and wife, so that the qi of Yin-Yang may blend smoothly together.

This method should be neither heard nor seen by those who have no merit or cultivation, who begrudge money yet disregard their own lives, or who are of poor character and ignorant of propriety.

The method of refining is as follows. Take two liang each of sulfur and mercury and refine them into ten liang of Azure Gold. To treat the blue-green cinnabar, put half a liang of chalcanthite and three liang of smoked plum into an earthenware pot and soak them in rice vinegar. Boil the initially refined Azure Gold in this for a full double-hour. The text says there is no need to use a water-and-fire cauldron for the refining; the material is then placed into the so-called "True Dead Seed." Next, treat the initially refined Azure Gold again with half a liang of chalcanthite, three liang of smoked plum, and rice vinegar, in the manner described above, and place it into the "True Dead Sulfur Casing." The casing is a vessel that holds the medicine and allows it to be nourished and refined by fire. Line the bottom with a sand crucible and cover it, then set it in a light-ash furnace and nourish it with fire for twenty-one days. Take it out and grind it fine to make the casing material, which is then used to nourish and refine the White-Bodied Numinous Cinnabar.

The fire phasing (the order and intensity in which the heat is controlled) is as follows. On the first day, use two and a half liang of prepared fire in the morning and again in the evening. On the third day, use two liang each in the morning and evening. On the seventh day, four liang each. On the tenth day, five liang each. On the fifteenth day, five liang each. On the sixteenth day, six liang each. On the seventeenth day, seven liang each. On the eighteenth day, half a jin each. On the nineteenth day, ten liang each. On the twentieth day, one jin each. On the twenty-first day, use one jin and seven liang in the morning and two jin in the evening. When the furnace has cooled, take out the contents and use them at once for refining silver, or place them in a lead pool and decoct them. If you wish to make the "Sacred Embryo Casing," grind the material into powder and use it to nourish and refine the White-Bodied Numinous Cinnabar.

A poem says: The Numinous Cinnabar of Taiyi is rarely heard of; Yin and Yang move each other, unite, and rise upward. The principle of the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth is now clearly shown; cultivating the Great Dao requires the inner and the outer to be joined.

Note: The fire-phasing passage in the original contains repetitions, and the statement "on the twenty-first day, one jin and seven liang of morning fire" is inconsistent with the later record of "morning fire of one and a half jin, evening fire of two jin." The translation retains both statements as they appear in the original.

Whenever three taels of "Sacred Embryo Numinous Cinnabar" (shengtai lingsha, an alchemical term for cinnabar that has been refined) have been perfected, they can be used to nourish and refine one tael of White-Bodied Numinous Cinnabar. The method of boiling and refining is the same as described earlier, and so are the fire phases and the number of days for nourishing. White-Bodied Numinous Cinnabar must not be boiled and refined again. Afterward it is ground into powder to serve as the "kui" (a vessel or auxiliary material used to hold and nourish the elixir substances). Through stripping and refining, it is made into Raw Jade Zheng Numinous Cinnabar.

Second Turn

When there is one catty of White-Bodied Numinous Cinnabar, grind all of it into powder and spread it in the upper and lower layers inside the vessel. By stripping and nourishing, it yields half a catty of Long-Life Jade Zheng Numinous Cinnabar. That is, one catty nourishes half a catty, which works out to two taels nourishing one tael. The fire phase lasts fourteen days, and no boiling or refining is needed.

Two qian of this Jade Zheng Numinous Cinnabar can transmute one tael of mercury into the Supreme Treasure of Danyang.

If the "kui method of stripping, nourishing, pouring, and drenching" (a method in which the elixir substances are held in a kui and nourished through pouring, drenching, and heating) is used, the fire phases are arranged as follows. On the first and second days, use one to two taels of mature fire in the morning and again in the evening. On the third and fourth days, use four taels each morning and evening. From the fifth to the seventh day, use five taels each morning and evening. From the eighth to the tenth day, use six taels each morning and evening. On the eleventh and twelfth days, use half a catty each morning and evening. On the thirteenth day, use one catty each morning and evening. On the fourteenth day, use one and a half catties each morning and evening. When the furnace has cooled, take out the contents, and then strip, nourish, and drench them again with the kui.

In the scripture, expressions such as "one to two taels of mature fire" indicate the strength or quantity of the fire by weight, while "fire phase" refers to the control of heat and timing during refining.

A poem says:

The returned elixir passes through seven reversions, then is refined three more times;

To grasp the subtle meaning of these lines, one must discern the principle within.

Two precious materials, black and white, each embody the transformations of creation;

Once bathed in the Flowery Pool, one can ascend in flight.

Third Turn

Take half a catty of Long Jade Zheng Numinous Cinnabar, place it in the vessel, and drench it, and it can then be drenched with four taels of mercury. Nourish it with fire for a day, from morning to evening. By dawn of the next day, the mercury has "died" (an alchemical term meaning that the mercury has been transformed in refining and no longer remains in its original state). It must not be taken out yet. Instead, drench it again with four taels of mercury and likewise nourish it with fire for one… The original text breaks off at "likewise nourish with fire for one third turn," and the sentence is incomplete.

In the original text of the Second Turn, the passage after "the third and fourth days" contains repetitions and disorder. The above has been arranged according to what can be made out.

Take half a jin of "Changyu Xiaoling Cinnabar" (长玉笑灵砂), place it in the casket, and pour it over four liang of mercury. Nourish and refine it with fire morning and evening for one day, and by dawn of the next day the mercury will have "died" (an alchemical term meaning that the mercury has been transformed by processing). It still cannot be taken out at this point. Pour over another four liang of mercury and again nourish and refine it with fire for one day; on the following day this mercury will likewise "die," and still it cannot be removed. After pouring in this manner three times, the portion from the first pouring may be taken for use. The sprout (芽子, the alchemical material used to continue the pouring and nourishing) must remain in the casket the whole time; after two pourings, the mercury is still left inside the casket. This method is called "sowing at dawn, reaping at dusk," and it is said that a casket of this kind can be used to refine the elixir of immortality.

Take one qian of this material and pour it over the sprout, and it can transmute one liang of mercury into a superior treasure. If it is used to prepare a casket, it can strip and nourish the elixir head of cinnabar (丹头朱砂, the cinnabar used as the starting material of the elixir). As for the fire phasing, use six liang of mature fire in the morning and half a jin in the evening, taking the product out only on that evening.

The poem says:

Use no ordinary silver, and the body you refine becomes light;

Once it leaves its original matrix, its numinous nature will appear.

Therefore I penetrate the numinous mystery and am able to transform;

Through this, Danyang made his name.

The Fourth Transformation

Take four liang of the refined Jiaolin sprout (侥琳芽子) and it can strip and nourish one liang of Chen cinnabar (辰砂) to serve as the elixir head, with a fire phase of fourteen days. If one wishes to nourish and refine one liang of colored frost (彩霜), that one liang of colored frost can be blended into mercury to make silver; it can also be used to transmute one liang of mercury into a supreme treasure. Using one qian of the stripped and nourished Chen cinnabar, one can transmute one liang of mercury or black iron into a treasure. If four liang of cinnabar elixir head are placed in a gold vessel (金合, a metal casket used in alchemy), the metallic substance itself can be stripped and refined; the quantity of the elixir head and the fire phasing are the same as in the method for the white-bodied casket.

The poem says:

The pomegranate husk falls away of itself, its green distinct, like a tortoise beneath the moon;

In vertical and horizontal transformations it can draw forth the Way of the sages and dispel the confusions of the common world.

One sees only the sowing at the hour of Chen, but how would one know that the sages' secret has been revealed?

The dog eats the parrot, the parrot eats its food, and so they can turn into phoenix and dragon and return home.

The Fifth Transformation

The original text gives only the title here and provides no main text.

Take four taels of the cinnabar elixir head (the cinnabar obtained during the alchemical process) that is about to be removed, grind it fine, and place it in a golden casket. Seal it tightly according to the method, then secure it with iron wire. Nurture and refine it in fire ash for twenty-one days, adding one and a half taels each morning and evening, with the ash about two inches deep. The scripture (Jing) says that this cinnabar can transmute hard, congealed substances into red gold. One qian of cinnabar can transmute one tael, producing half a qian of "Geng" (庚), which is silver. The characters "He" (贺) and "Geng" (庚) are unclear in meaning in the original text and may be corrupted, so they are retained here as written.

The poem says:

When effort accumulates to its deepest point, the sign of efficacy appears; lead-type materials will enter the true path.

Having obtained it, I can transform the body and change its substance. One who grasps the profound principle without greed may rightly be called a true man.

The Sixth Transformation

Take four taels of the cinnabar elixir head that has been nurtured with metals and minerals, grind it again into fine powder, and spread it along the bottom and over the top, as though making a casket within the metallic and mineral materials. Only when this is done can one be said to have achieved something.

The Sixth Transformation

Take four taels of the cinnabar elixir head that has been nurtured with metals and minerals, grind it again into fine powder, and spread it along the bottom and over the top, as though making a casket within the metallic and mineral materials. Then take two taels of the gold-body cinnabar produced by this nurturing and use it to transmute mercury into "Geng" (庚). The scripture says that one qian of cinnabar can transmute two taels of mercury, refining it into superior gold. The four taels of cinnabar can be made into a casket for nurturing and refining the "Three Wonders Cabinet" (its name and exact referent are unclear). Form the gold-body cinnabar with paper mulberry sap (the sap of the paper mulberry tree) into pills the size of a hemp seed, and take one each day on an empty stomach with cold water. Taken for one month, it extends life by thirty years; taken for one year, it extends life by three hundred years. For the fire phase and the nurturing method, use fourteen days, the same as in the "pouring-and-drenching fire" practice.

The poem says:

Only by accumulating merit and meeting a master who transmits the teaching can one master it; the Great Medicine, the Golden Elixir, is not something to be lightly spoken of.

One must also cast aside selfish thoughts and speak no deceitful words; only then can one live long in this world and become a lofty immortal.

The Seventh Transformation

Take the cinnabar elixir body that has been refined and combine it with the Three Yellows, three qian of each. This combination is called the "Three Marvels" (sanqi). Each qian of the Three Yellows elixir can transmute one liang of "He Cheng Geng" (a term from the original text, whose referent is unclear). Refine and nourish four liang of the Three Marvels, and one liang of the Great Elixir Head can be produced; once it is used for transmutation, iron takes on the lustre of purple-polished gold.

The firing schedule (huohou, the control of heat and timing during refining) at this stage lasts forty-nine days in total. In the first week, use four liang; in the second, six liang; in the third, half a jin; in the fourth, ten liang; in the fifth, twelve liang; in the sixth, one jin; in the seventh week, the material is ground and tempered into gold. The original text then records the forty-nine-day schedule a second time, giving the seventh week's quantity as twenty liang. When the firing is complete, take one liang of the cinnabar elixir head that has been nourished by fire, and the Three Marvels elixir can transmute forty liang of "He," producing what is called the treasure of supreme truth.

The poem says: the elixir head responds to the breath and brings forth "He Huang Lang," and the cinnabar at once shows its radiance; after refining, the five metals become a great treasure, the Yin-Yang qi (vital energy) is exhausted, and pure Yang appears.

The Eighth Transformation

Take the cinnabar that has been refined into a golden body and refine and nourish it further into the Great Cinnabar Elixir. The firing schedule lasts eighty-one days in total. For each liang of cinnabar, make one hundred and twenty-nine pills with paper-mulberry sap (chuzhi, the sap of the paper-mulberry tree); each pill can transmute five liang of mercury, copper, or iron, or produce purple gold.

If the elixir is to be taken internally, roll it with paper-mulberry sap into pills the size of hemp seeds. First place the elixir in a precious vessel or a golden bottle, seal the mouth of the bottle with oiled paper, and lower it into a well for forty-nine days. After taking it out, bathe in fragrant water, burn incense, and bow in homage to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) and the Perfected Ones (the Sanqing and the high Perfected revered in Daoism). When the rites of prayer and thanksgiving are complete, face north and take the elixir.

The firing schedule is recorded as follows: in the first nine-day period, use half a jin; in the second through fourth nine-day periods, use one jin each morning and evening every day; in the fifth through seventh nine-day periods, use one and a half jin each morning and evening every day; in the eighth nine-day period, use two jin; in the ninth nine-day period, keep adding fire morning and evening without interruption, using three jin to "fire-forge" (huoduan) the elixir.

At the end, the original text again repeats the firing schedule from the fourth through the ninth nine-day periods, and once more writes "fire-forge it."

True Yin and True Yang (Yin-Yang) continually transform and merge, and the elixir naturally reaches maturity, while the practitioner's mind and nature grow clear and bright.

The great Dao (the Way) of Wuwei (non-action) reaches the realm of the numinous and subtle. Pay reverence to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three highest deities venerated in Daoism) and to the host of Great Perfected beings.

Ninth Transformation

Take the cinnabar from the first great elixir head you refined and use it to nourish and refine the Primordial Chaos Great Elixir (the name this alchemical method gives to its elixir), then place it in a vessel of gold. Add four taels of cinnabar, and then one tael of Primordial Chaos cinnabar that has already undergone the stripping and nourishing process. Nourish it with fire for one year, taking the cinnabar out once each month and bathing it once. For every tael of cinnabar, wash and refine it with half a tael of mercury, then return it to the sealed chamber (the closed vessel in which the elixir is nourished and refined) and continue nourishing it with fire. Use one jin of mature fire (the fire phase used in alchemical refining) for a year of nourishing. Then take the cinnabar out, grind it into powder, and bind it with paper-mulberry sap (the sap of the paper mulberry tree) into pills the size of mustard seeds. Take only one pill at a time, and only once a year. The scripture says that taking it for one year will extend one's life by a thousand years.

Before refining and taking the elixir, one must bathe to purify the body, observe a fast, and give aid to the poor, placing the accumulation of merit and the practice of good deeds above all else. Once the pills are made, they must not be taken at once. Prepare incense, flowers, wine, and fruit, and make offerings for seven days. Afterward, place the pills in a jade vessel, seal it tightly with oiled paper, and lower it into a well. On the appointed day, take it out, bow in worship, and give thanks to Heaven and Earth. Express gratitude for the protection of the Perfected, for the nurturing of one's parents, and for the teachings of one's master, and only after offering sincere prayers may one take the elixir.

A poem says: The Primordial Chaos qi condenses into the root of the great elixir, which can be won only through accumulating merit and good deeds over many lifetimes. If one studies the Dao with a sincere heart and wins the approval of the Three Pure Ones, then after many years of cultivation the elixir will be completed. When the Waidan (external alchemy) is achieved, the family's fortunes may flourish. When the Neidan (internal alchemy) is perfected, one may ascend to the immortal realm of Penglai. Burn incense and offer thanks to all the immortals and sages, and only then will you understand that you should have taken up the Dao earlier.

Weighing the Measures and Establishing the Matchmaking Substances: Part One

In the line "At forty, the gentleman has not yet met his partner," the "gentleman" refers to Yang, and "forty" refers to four taels of sulfur.

I have kept this empty chamber alone for sixteen years.

"This humble wife" (qie) refers to Yin; "sixteen" refers to one jin of mercury.

I wish to borrow a good matchmaker, that the two of us may be joined as a pair.

The "good matchmaker" means this: first boil the silver vessel in vinegar for half a day, then take it out and do not use it again. Next, boil the mercury in vinegar until the vinegar has boiled away. Take out the mercury and wipe it dry with paper.

In general, Heaven's intent lies in treating others with generosity.

Whoever obtains this method should treat others with generosity. Master Xuan said: "Obtain it, and your household will be prosperous and honored; hear of it, and your virtue (De) will flourish."

Stir-frying with Yao-zi and Joining Husband and Wife (Step Two)

In the hall above are the husband's parents; in the hall below are the kin.

"The hall above" refers to Yao-zi, and "the hall below" refers to fire.

They are all old meritorious servants in both civil and martial affairs.

That is, one refines by stir-frying over both the civil fire (gentle heat) and the martial fire (strong heat).

First pierce the Yao-zi open with a needle and heat it over a slow fire. Then add the sulfur and let it melt into liquid. Next add the mercury and stir it quickly and evenly with an iron spoon, continuing until it is burned dry and forms a lump. If flames rise, sprinkle it with vinegar; it is best not to let the flames rise at all.

Do not despise me, your humble wife, for my withered and haggard looks.

Mercury is called the "Girl" (Niinü). This line means: do not scorn my withered appearance, for I hold a treasure within.

It is only because my heart holds a single drop of gold.

This means that when you see the blue-black substance within, you must find a way to transform it into true gold.

Placing in the Cauldron for Calcination (Step Three)

Only today have I come to the home of my husband's parents.

"Jiugu" means the husband's parents. Inside the cauldron there is a mortar. Take out the blue-black gold produced by the stir-frying, place it in a mortar bowl, and grind it finely, then pour it into the mortar inside the cauldron. Seal the navel opening at the top of the cauldron mortar slightly, then mix a little sulfur with honey and spread it over the top. After that, at the position of the Three Mountains, mix red halloysite with water to a thick consistency and seal it firmly. The seams at the mouth of the cauldron must also be sealed completely, inside and out, with salt mud.

Then boil and refine it from within and without, going through six or seven rounds.

"Outside" refers to the outer water cauldron, meaning water is added to the outer cauldron. "Inside" refers to the medicinal substances in the inner cauldron melting into liquid. "Cha" refers to charcoal, and twelve or thirteen catties of charcoal are needed. The seam at the mouth of the cauldron and the body of the cauldron are sealed tightly and reinforced with salt clay.

The inner and outer cauldrons are heated together, for six or seven "cha." Here "cha" refers to the measure or amount of charcoal used for the fire. "Outside" refers to the outer water cauldron, into which water must be added. "Inside" refers to the medicinal substances in the inner cauldron turning into liquid. "Cha" refers to charcoal, and twelve or thirteen catties are needed.

Seal the gaps of the cauldron so firmly that no medicinal vapor can escape from anywhere. The seal must be tight and allow no leakage of Qi (vital energy). Master Yixuan said: "In the water you hear the tiger roar, in the fire you hear the dragon chant, and you hide your body and enter the chamber."

The reversal of Yin-Yang is the way of refining. This describes water above and fire below. What Master Yixuan called the "water tiger and fire dragon" refers to exactly this situation.

The Fourth Step: When the Refining Is Not Yet Firm and the Medicine Is Damaged

Take out the medicinal substance from outside the cauldron and you will find that it has cracked apart on its own.

Remove the sand-like substance from the cauldron. If it has not yet congealed and hardened, grind it all finely, return it to the cauldron, and continue refining until it solidifies and becomes hard. Then put it back in the cauldron and refine it for another six or seven "cha." This step still follows the earlier method, using thirteen catties of charcoal. Sealed this tightly, it will not be seen by anyone. Seal the body and mouth of the cauldron so that it is airtight.

The hope is that it will ring with a clear and pleasing sound, like jade pendants striking one another. Refine the sand-like substance until it is hard, so that when struck it rings as clearly as jade pendants knocking together.

The Fifth Step: Boiling and Refining the Suspended Embryo

Split the medicinal substance with an axe and put it into a cloth bag. Use the axe to break it into small pieces about the size of soapberry seeds, then place them in a small cloth bag for the "suspended embryo boiling."

The heart of the Daoist lord boils and surges, as if he were standing in the Land of Flames. Refine it with fire.

The medicinal substance in the cauldron tumbles in the heat and bubbles audibly. Even a sage could hardly foresee the changes within. Keep heating and simmering it inside the cauldron.

When the liquid diminishes, add medicinal liquid from time to time. Boil and refine the suspended embryo for one full "fu shi" (a double-hour period).

Who would have thought that after a night of refining, the medicine would reveal such a transformation? It becomes a red, paste-like substance, as though one were fishing from an angler's rock.

The Sixth Step: Applying the Body-Adhering Medicine

Make the sand-like medicine fly and transform in the fire, then boil and refine it with petroleum. This means using fire to sublimate the borax, then boiling it in petroleum.

For beginners, Powder Frost (fenshuang) is the best material for practice.

Powder Frost is simply Smooth Powder (nifen). Wash the boiled numinous cinnabar (lingsha) clean with water and drain it, then simmer it in naphtha for two or three double-hours, take it out, and place it in a large cup. First grind calcined borax fine and sprinkle it over the cinnabar, mixing until it turns white. Next sprinkle in Light Powder (qingfen), then add lead-white frost, mixing again until white. Then place it in a sealed vessel (hezi, a closed container for refining) and set it in position for nurturing and refining, as one would plant a lotus.

Clearly there is a further body of principle here, concerning how things transform, open, and close. Whoever understands it need not search to the ends of the earth.

Chapter Seven: Entering the Casket Cauldron

Four joined with one is, by nature, the Five Metals.

Use four taels of Mountain-and-Marsh Powder (a powder used in the nurturing and refining) to nurture and refine one tael of numinous cinnabar.

The supporting "mother" material is plentiful, while the numinous cinnabar, the "child," is scant, so the pieces must be set apart from one another like lotus seeds. Nurture and refine them with care in the "Pool of Ten Thousand Coins," and let the firing follow the natural course of creation and transformation. "Lotus Blossom" means that, when the lotus seeds are placed, they must not touch one another.

Take one jin of the mother powder and mix it lightly with vinegar. Hide the numinous cinnabar within it and seal the seams of the vessel two or three times. Pack the base tightly with paper ash, then apply fire in stages, evenly. After the heat corresponding to five taels and to half a jin has been completed, the finished treasure will appear.

Take one jin of the powder that serves as the "casket mother" and mix it with good vinegar. First lay a layer of casket powder in the vessel, then set the four taels of numinous cinnabar in it one piece at a time, and finally cover them with another layer of casket powder so that none is exposed. Seal the seam at the mouth of the vessel with red halloysite (chishizhi), then seal the whole vessel with clay. When the clay has dried, place the vessel in the ash pool, set it on a three-legged stand, and nurture and refine it according to the proper firing.

Who knows that this is the path beyond the ordinary world? If the root has not been planted, do not lightly set your mind on pursuing it.

Even when one clearly knows that a path to immortal ascension exists, one will not encounter it without a bond (yuan) from a previous life. When it cannot be found, do not let reckless thoughts arise; instead, be content with simple poverty, keep to your proper station, follow Heaven's will, and accept your fate with contentment.

Eighth: Applying the Fire Phases (Huohou)

"One, two, two, then add three, four, five; four and eight surround it, five and eight dwell at the center."

On the first day, begin applying the fire. Place the sealed vessel (hezi) in the ash basin and cover it with ash from spirit-money paper. Then set cooked charcoal fire upon it, changing it often so that the flame never goes out. Over the following days, gradually increase the heat, but never let it become too fierce. On the fourth day, as the text describes, place the charcoal both around the vessel and on top of the ash, so that the vessel glows red-hot. The fire on the fifth day is the same as on the fourth.

The above is the fundamental image of what is profound, subtle, and true, not false. The fire must not be too fierce, or the contents may well be damaged.

The heat should begin small and increase gradually. If the fire is too hasty or too violent, what is being refined will scatter and fly away. The fire must be applied slowly and evenly for the refining to succeed.

Ninth: Removing from the Chest (Chukui)

"Until death, do not forget the original pledge; see that the sincere heart has not changed, and the body has still not been forgotten."

After the seven days of fire are complete, take out the sealed vessel, let it cool, and open it. Remove the cinnabar (sha) inside and bite it open with the teeth to examine it. If it is blue-black in color and heavy in substance, the treasure is considered complete. If it is reddish, the refining is not yet finished. Return it to the chest (kui) to continue nourishing it with gentle heat, following the same fire phases as in the previous six days. It must total a full seven days.

Tenth: Dividing the Embryo (Fentai)

"Combine the two substances and hold them in a single vessel; if you wish the mercury to divide its embryo, you must be careful and discerning."

Terms such as "sealed vessel" (hezi), "chest" (kui), "fire phases" (huohou), and "cinnabar" (shazi) are technical terms of ancient Waidan (external alchemy). They refer to the equipment used in the refining process, the stages of heating and gentle nourishing, and the substances being refined. The original text describes an ancient alchemical method and should not be taken as a modern set of instructions.

The two vessels refer to the "sweet crucible" (ganguo) and the "medicine crucible" (yaoguo). To make the medicine crucible, take equal parts of croton seed (badou), castor bean (cămázi), anemarrhena (zhimu), and fritillary bulb (beimu), and pound them together. Then pound them again with jujube dates until the mixture becomes sticky enough to be molded into shape. Form it into the medicine crucible and set it inside the sweet crucible to dry in the shade. Next, place the already refined sand (cinnabar) into the medicine crucible and heat it in the qi furnace, so that it melts into a liquid, stirring continuously. Then add saltpeter (yanxiao) and continue until it melts together with the ingredients of the medicine crucible described below, forming a bluish-white liquid. Once molten, pour it into an ingot mold. It is said that ingots made this way can withstand forging.

In the line "Outside the gate of the three carts, it is fitting to transport," the "three carts" refer to the goat cart, the deer cart, and the ox cart. The scripture borrows the Buddhist image of the "three carts escaping the burning house," saying that these three carts can carry living beings out of the burning house. One who obtains this method of refining is likewise able to be freed from all afflictions.

The line "One must rely on the three gates to fan the flames and pour out the liquid" means that one must draw on the strength of the three gates to blow air and stoke the fire, and then pour out the medicinal liquid. Pouring and refining it three times in the Xi furnace will reveal the treasure. Another interpretation holds that the "three firmnesses" (sangu) refers to the third transformation: the first transformation does not yet allow entry into the sacred realm, but by the third transformation one naturally transcends the ordinary world and enters it. This is the most profound point of the passage.

Secret of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir: Refining the Numinous Cinnabar, Part One

The method for refining numinous cinnabar (lingsha) explains its fundamental origin: take four liang of sulfur and two liang of silver.

First melt the two together into a liquid and pour it into the crucible. When the flames rise, spray it with vinegar.

Place the "green metal" in the cauldron (ding) as the first ingredient. Seal the medicine bottle with clay so that the medicinal vapor does not escape.

The control of heat must be exact and must not be mistaken. Every step, before and after, must also proceed in order and evenly.

When the refining is complete, split the material into pieces about the size of soapberry pods (zaojiaozi), and refine it for ten double-hours according to the method of creation and transformation.

Place it in the casket (kui) and keep it close to the body, taking care that it does not fall out or get lost. Only after ten days of transformation is it considered complete.

When it is taken out of the cauldron to be examined, its color should be black. When viewed by firelight, you should be able to see marks resembling tooth impressions.

Only when the smell of sulfur has dispersed from the "Flower Pool" (Huachi), and the fire phasing has reached its proper time, can one trust that the mercury has transformed into silver.

(Note: "medicine crucible," "sweet crucible," "qi furnace," "Xi furnace," "cauldron," "casket," and similar terms are names of alchemical vessels or apparatus; "turn" (zhuan) refers to a repeated stage in the refining process. The original text contains repetitions and apparent corruptions or omissions; the above follows the existing text in sequence.)

The Second Transformation: It is from the second transformation that one first learns the efficacy of transmutation; only when the Sacred Embryo (the core substance formed when the elixir is perfected) comes into being does the true method of elixir refining become manifest. First, spread four taels of mercury powder at the bottom of the vessel, then lay cinnabar over it as though planting lotuses, so that it joins with the mercury. After each layer is laid, cover it with a layer of "mother of the cabinet" (the material used to support and cover the medicinal substances). Then seal it with sealing mud (the clay used to close and secure the vessel), and nourish and refine it for fourteen days, at which point the work is complete. When the furnace is opened for inspection, the substances have already become a treasure, enough to inspire awe at a power like the creative transformations of the immortals.

The Third Transformation is called the "White Lotus Cabinet of the Jade Pool." When the refining reaches the third transformation, it is like white lotuses blooming in the Jade Pool. Burn incense, keep the refining chamber pure and still, and work with single-minded focus. Pour two taels of mercury over the substances, and the amount must not be greater; if it is more, the heat of the fire will find it difficult to continue its work. Every seven days, pour and gather again according to the earlier method. The vessel produced in this way is called the "Cabinet of Long Life," in which the generation and nourishing transformations of the numinous cinnabar hold profound principles. Those who study this method must remember: do not pass this secret on to ordinary people.

The Fourth Transformation is called the "Moonlit Pool Cabinet of the Immortal's Palm," also known as the "Seed of the Golden Valley." The substances are arranged in the cauldron in proper order, and two taels of "flowing pearl" (an alchemical term for mercury) are poured over them with gentle heat, the fire phase being regulated for seven days. When the full celestial cycle (Zhoutian, a complete cycle of circulation) has been completed, it can be used to bring about the transformation of the substances. Once refined, the substance looks like jade and turns a purple-gold color. It is gathered in the evening and planted and nourished again in the morning; since the method has been explained, do not carelessly pass it on to those who do not understand this art.

The Fifth Transformation is called the "Golden Lotus Cabinet of the Purple Palace." Boil mercury with chalcanthite (blue vitriol), and do not let it remain for long. This method is called "Yellow Laughter," and it must not be interrupted midway or allowed to leak; it continues from the preceding steps until the substance is perfected. The extraordinary changes that occur once the substance enters the cauldron are no small matter, and the formation of the elixir is bound up with the mutual generation of "mother and child." This method is a profound art of the immortals' refining and nourishing, and after taking it one can ride the clouds and roam far to the immortal isles across the sea.

The Sixth Transformation is called the "Golden Cabinet of the Gushing Spring of the Purple Palace." After the sixth transformation of refining and nourishing, the sprout of the substance has been fully nurtured; the substance in the cauldron is like jade and blossoms of its own accord.

Water is poured over the mercury and lead again and again as they are refined in the furnace; sown at dusk, they can be harvested by dawn, revealing a precious radiance.

The elixir in the furnace shines brilliantly and is refined to a purple hue. Its gold-and-jade luster glimmers like drifting clouds and rosy mist.

Know that few can grasp this Daoist art. It should be guarded with care and kept secret, never carelessly revealed or boasted of.

The Seventh Cabinet: The Seven-Turn Golden Liquid Returned Elixir

The elixir is completed after seven transmutations, and it can return to the origin and restore the primal. Once it has been nurtured with cinnabar (chensha, also called zhusha), lead is no longer needed.

It can transmute the five metals into treasures. When buried in the earth, it removes poison, and it may then be placed in wells and springs.

When a frail person takes it, its power quickly disperses and takes effect; when an elderly person takes it, they keep a youthful countenance.

If a hermit of the mountains and forests is fated to obtain this elixir, swallowing a single pill will carry them up to the Ninth Heaven.

The Eighth Cabinet: The Elixir of Returning to the Origin and the Numinous Liquid

After eight transmutations, the elixir that returns to the origin is called the "Numinous Liquid." The principle by which Yin-Yang (阴阳) join together is hard to explain in full.

Cinnabar is ground into a fine powder and nurtured in the furnace. When the furnace is opened seven days later, everything obtained is yellow.

It can transmute the five metals into supreme treasures; a chicken that swallows a single pill will turn into a phoenix.

This is the true formula that the immortals left behind. If it is rashly passed on to ordinary people, it may bring disaster upon their entire kin to the ninth degree.

The Ninth Cabinet: The Nine-Turn Golden Elixir

The elixir is completed after nine transmutations and is called the "Great Return." The Eight Elders (Ba Weng) once passed this formula to Liu An.

The elixir is perfected in the hidden caves of deep mountain cliffs, and even gods and spirits marvel at it. It radiates auspicious light in countless colors.

A person of the Way who takes it will be transformed; when Lord Yin swallowed it, he could tread the clouds and rise into the sky.

To transcend the mundane and enter the realm of the sages, one must rely on this elixir; the matter has nothing to do with ordinary people.

Chisongzi's Four-Turn Formula

Method of Preparation

The First Turn, the "Flying Blossom and Frost Method": Take one jin each of realgar, orpiment, and cinnabar. Process each separately, then mix them together and grind them until extremely fine. Next, place them in an earthen cauldron (a clay vessel used in alchemy). First lay down half a liang of Cinnabar Efflorescence (danhua), then add the realgar and orpiment powders, and finally cover them with another half liang of Cinnabar Efflorescence. Seal the vessel tightly so that no vapor escapes.

Set the earthen cauldron upon the Three Terraces and Five Peaks, and calcine it for three days and three nights using reeds and rushes as fuel. Let it cool for one more night before taking it out. According to the scripture, this medicine can transmute thirty jin of gold.

Second Transmutation (zhuan): Place the frost refined in the previous transmutation into an earthen cauldron and cover it with lead-yellow efflorescence, then seal it firmly and dry it in the shade for ten days. After that, follow the earlier method and heat it over a mild fire for three days and three nights, then take it out once it has cooled. One liang of this medicine is said to be able to transmute base metal into "yellow center" (huangzhong).

Third Transmutation: Cover it again with white-wax River Cart (Heche) and heat it for three days and three nights, then take it out when cool. One liang of this medicine is said to be able to transmute two hundred jin of gold.

Fourth Transmutation: Use lead-white River Cart as the covering material, and knead alum powder into the River Cart until it becomes moist and soft like mud, to be used as both cover and lining. After sealing, heat it for three days and three nights by the earlier method, then take it out when cool. One liang of this medicine is said to be able to transmute four hundred jin of gold.

"Transmuting into gold" refers to the claim in ancient alchemy that metals could be turned into gold. "Transmutation" (zhuan) refers to the procedure of refining repeatedly, in sequence.

The Method of Drawing Out Thatch (Chou Mao Fa)

Take one liang of malachite, two and a half liang of roasted saltpeter, one qian of borax, and two and a half qian of arsenic.

Grind these four ingredients into a fine powder, mix them, and add oil boiled out of du fat, working it into a paste like damp sand. First place a crucible (a fire-resistant vessel used in alchemy) in the furnace and heat it until red hot. Then use a spoon to add the powder in portions until the crucible is about seven-tenths full, and cover it with a tile. Next, add more charcoal and keep heating until the ingredients melt into liquid. Stir several dozen times with a dry willow branch, taking care not to stir down to the bottom of the crucible. When the saltpeter liquid has gradually dried, pour the mixture onto the ground and let its components separate and take shape. After that, melt it again in a crucible, and it can be transmuted or cast into vessels as desired, the finished product being fine in texture.

The Method of Calomel (Qingfen Fa)

Take one jin of green vitriol and half a jin of salt.

Grind the two materials together finely and place them in an earthenware jar. Boil with hot water into a paste and stir evenly, for about half a day, until it turns yellow. Then add four liang of yellow ferment and one liang of mercury, and grind and mix them together. Before long the mercury will disperse and adhere to the vessel. Cover it with an earthenware basin, seal it firmly, and apply fire to sublime it. When it has cooled, remove the basin and sweep up the powder that has formed.

The Method of Powder Frost (Fenshuang Fa)

Combine half a liang of refined arsenic (mingxin), four liang of alum, two liang of salt, half a liang of saltpeter, two liang of mercury (quicksilver), and two liang of green vitriol. Grind them together carefully until no mercury particles can be seen. Then process the mixture with iron implements.

Method for Powder Frost (Fenshuang)

Combine half a liang of refined arsenic, four liang of alum, two liang of salt, half a liang of saltpeter, two liang of mercury, and two liang of green vitriol. Grind them together carefully until no mercury particles remain visible. Stir-fry the mixture in an iron pan until it becomes a powder, then heap it in a large bowl and cover it with another. Seal the seam with damp paper, and then seal it tightly with clay. When it has cooled, remove the cover and sweep up the condensed powder frost.

Take one liang of the powder frost made previously and grind it fine together with two liang each of salt and alum. Place it in a water-fire cauldron (shuihuoding) and refine it by "sublimation" according to the method for Numinous Cinnabar (lingsha), and the result is powder frost. The water-fire cauldron is an alchemical vessel. "Sublimation" (sheng) means heating the materials so that they vaporize, then collecting what condenses.

The divine elixir (shendan, the immortal elixir refined in Daoism) cannot be obtained by men of lowly standing; the Jade Emperor bestows blessings and emoluments only upon the high immortals. Moved by the compassion of the sages, the method of refining spirit cinnabar (lingsha) was handed down orally. Two materials are combined and roasted until they congeal into form, and only then does the treasure show its efficacy. After nine cycles of refining, swallowing it brings immediate ascent to heaven.

The original text says that although there are forty families of "Master Sulfur," none has yet found a beauty of sixteen. Since neither party has anyone to arrange the marriage, a matchmaker is needed to bring them together. The candles on the golden terrace need not be lit, but the bitter wine in the jade pool must be poured again and again. When the husband and wife in the pot meet, they grow close to each other, yet the parents-in-law in the hall are displeased. The beauty then grows haggard, and so joins with Master Sulfur to blend the numinous medicine. Here the union of man and woman serves as a metaphor for the combination and transformation of the alchemical materials.

Once the true cinnabar has formed a body, the balance of mild fire (wenhuo) and martial fire (wuhuo) must still be regulated. Even if the supreme treasure looks ugly, it should not be discarded for that reason. The cauldron's form symbolizes the two modes of Heaven and Earth, and it must be solid and intact. It is treated twice with one liang of ginger juice, then reinforced with three coats of clay, each coat a half-finger thick, made with "catty clay." Powdered blue metal is placed inside the cauldron and pounded down with a pestle; the mouth and seams are sealed with red halloysite mixed with honey. Clam powder is then added in equal measure, the whole is sealed with yellow earth clay, and it is bound tightly with white iron wire. When forging the furnace plate, examine it carefully, and be equally careful when nurturing the elixir.

Next comes the refining of the essences of sun and moon, following the principle by which Kan and Li (symbols in the Bagua, the Eight Trigrams, representing water and fire) unite. The cauldron is placed in the furnace and the vessel buried in the ground, sealed tightly so that the fire's power circulates through one full round. Charcoal is heaped around the furnace to a depth of about four fingers. Four liang of material go into the cauldron, whose belly can hold eight fen of water. When all five metals are heated through, listen for sounds in the furnace like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger. It may be opened only after two days, once the fire has cooled and the ashes are cold.

If the cinnabar still crumbles like chopped scallions, apply fire and forge it again; only when its substance is hard has the refining been truly fine. Cut it with a knife into pieces the size of a soapberry, suspend them in water, and simmer until bubbles the size of fish eyes rise to the surface. Add a little lead frost and keep adding the prepared ingredients. It may be sealed away for a day and a night, or simmered for ten double-hours. When taken out, wash it in hot water, then let it moisten slightly on the tongue and blend it with jade fluid (yujin, the saliva in the mouth).

Afterward, mix equal amounts of four powders, namely white lead frost, calomel, powdered frost, and borax, and grind them extremely fine, coating the whole surface of the elixir. Ten qian of numinous medicine are called the "child," and four liang of "matrix mother" (kuimu, the mother material used in alchemy to hold and nurture the elixir) are matched with it. Arrange the pieces as one plants lotus seeds, place them in the golden cauldron, and continue to nurture them with gentle warmth. Keep them apart and do not let them touch; cover them evenly above and below so that no elixir is exposed.

This method is said to be unrecorded in the histories and to be a secret handed down by immortals. Heat gently with grass coal so that the furnace pit and the cauldron's belly stay warm, then nurture it with charcoal fire so the cauldron's core is heated evenly. Bake it lightly with ash to keep the vapor from escaping, and turn a basin upside down over it to reduce loss. The fire is advanced in four stages, and finally eight "hou" and three qian are used, arranged according to the four directions and refined through for seven consecutive days. The room must stay sealed against any draft, and the ash must be as cold as snow.

During refining, one must also watch the changes of color. If the elixir has not yet taken form and is still red, continue nurturing it with fire; when it turns black with a tint of blue-green throughout, it may be considered complete. After this, the essential substance of the spirit cinnabar is in place, and it must be put into the Flowery Pond (Huachi, a vessel or container used in alchemy) for further refining, with the fire regulated by charcoal. Two "stars" of lead are added, to be discarded in the end; one liang of the "inner child" is added, and the elixir will settle. Then yang energy reaches its height while yin recedes, and the elixir shows yellow patterns; as sun and moon pass, its color gradually becomes like that of a white crane.

This is truly a profound and hidden method, used to illustrate the marvelous efficacy of the elixir's transformations. There is another oral secret concerning the returned elixir (huandan), which touches on inner cultivation, and its significance goes beyond petty benefit. This Dao must be transmitted to the right person; if it is passed to the wrong one, calamity from Heaven will follow.

Marvelous! This wondrous medicine is a formula handed down by immortals and sages through the ages. In refining it, the essences of sun and moon must be gathered, and the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang must be made to blend. Water and fire are carefully regulated and the mixture is decocted for a long time. The powder and borax-type substances produced are said to be able to subdue the "Three Dragons." Golden blossoms can be made into medicine, and the jade tree seems to give off fragrance; whoever takes it will enjoy boundless long life, as lasting as earth and heaven.

If a person has an affinity with the immortals, this secret method should be kept deeply hidden; but if one rashly transmits it when there is no suitable heir, disaster will fall upon oneself. I once searched widely in the capital and befriended the powerful, and I gained some understanding of the study of nature and life (the Daoist doctrine of life and spiritual cultivation). In my leisure I often read the Jing (classics) of the elixir, and found that most of these purple-covered books deal with methods of refining yellow and white gold and silver, and of protecting the body with lead and mercury. This approach has been handed down for more than three thousand years, yet it has been tried again and again and has failed again and again, and seekers of the Dao (the Way) in every age have never obtained what they wished.

One day I was fortunate enough to meet a gentleman of lofty attainment. He spoke of the principle of refining the spirit-cinnabar, the ultimate medicine, in the golden cauldron: Yin Qi alone cannot give birth, and Yang Qi alone cannot transform and nurture. Only when Yang is hidden within Yin can conception occur; only when Yin is embraced within Yang can form take shape. Yin Qi causes the myriad things to arise, and Yang Qi causes them to grow. Since the opening of heaven and earth, this generative Qi has been passed down to the present. When subtle Qi responds and condenses, it produces the "True One" (what the Daoists call the original Qi). All things are born of a mother, and every kind of spiritual being transforms by responding to Qi. The more the offspring grow strong, the more the mother declines. That anything has ever been born without being conceived by father and mother has never happened since ancient times.

To refine the elixir is to bring into accord the heavenly hun-soul, the earthly po-soul, the essence (Jing) of metal, the fluid of stone, the bones of the dragon, the marrow of the phoenix, and the like. This is to join Yin and Yang, to transform Qi with Qi and human with human. Whether born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or by transformation, and whether among the things that fly, swim, or grow in the mountains, seas, and lands, all are born by responding to Qi. The dragon can subdue the tiger, and the tiger can subdue the dragon; the dragon draws out the tiger's blood, and the tiger absorbs the dragon's essence. Only when the two restrain each other in turn can the Way of the elixir be completed. Here "dragon and tiger" are alchemical terms symbolizing the two forces of Yin and Yang, and do not necessarily refer to a real dragon and tiger.

The five metals each have different natures, and the origins of the eight minerals must also be investigated. One who masters the timing of the fire within a single day can seize the transformations of a thousand years; it is as though the changes of heaven and earth were arranged within a very short time, so that lead and mercury are transformed in an instant. The cauldron is continually tended, so that the Qi changes and becomes spiritually responsive; as dragon and tiger unite, the contents of the cauldron seem to boil by day and rise by moonlit night. The wonder of its working is said to be such that what is sown in the morning can be harvested by evening. The Yang elixir can change the bones, and its transforming effect is godlike. Neidan (internal alchemy) is said to increase lifespan, while Waidan (external alchemy) is said to enable one to sprout wings and ascend as an immortal. These principles all embody the reasoning of the sages and also reveal the workings of heaven's mysteries. Fearing that later generations would not understand the traces of the immortal path, I have written out the whole matter in detail from beginning to end.

I once chose an auspicious day in front of the Twin Junipers Hall, and the refining seemed to take less than a day, yet it nurtured a treasure of a thousand years. Those without an affinity with the immortals cannot succeed in refining it, and those without moral cultivation will have no chance of meeting this method. Were it not for the long accumulation of good deeds and blessings by one's ancestors, how could one obtain such an opportunity?

"Liang" (良) lacks the head of the elixir, and the cauldron (釜) lacks its ear-handles; Geng (庚) is the outer layer, and Gen (艮) is the inner layer. When preparing it, no other ingredients are added; one refines it directly according to the method, needing only to let water and fire work in harmony with each other.

"Pulling up thatch" (拔茅) is, in the end, only a borrowed expression, and "shrinking He" (缩贺) is not necessarily a true method of refining either. If one wishes to know the precise key to it all, it amounts to nothing more than "dead mercury" (死水银).

The Secret Instructions on the Great Elixir of Numinous Cinnabar (《灵砂大丹秘诀》) ends here.

In the text, "Geng" and "Gen" are stand-ins for directions or attributes in numerological divination; "mercury" (水银) refers to quicksilver in alchemy. The specific referents of "dead mercury," as well as of "pulling up thatch" and "shrinking He," are difficult to determine from this passage alone. Two collation notes appended to the original indicate that the chapter may be missing subheadings.