《爰清子至命篇》

Both the "human mind" (renxin) and the "mind of the Dao" (daoxin) are concerned with "fully realizing one's nature," that is, bringing a person's inborn nature completely to fulfillment. Only when one's nature has truly been fully realized can one speak of reaching the fundamental state of life. What is meant by "the Dao that can be spoken of is the constant Dao" is precisely the attainment of this fundamental state. If one's nature has not yet been fully realized, how could one reach it? No one has ever succeeded in seeking the Dao (Way) apart from nature and life.

Nature (xing) and life (ming) are originally one, yet within them there are different situations: some things exist and then perish, while others endure for a long time; some are born and then die, while others live forever without dying. Existing and then perishing, being born and then dying, are what is commonly seen throughout the world. People often notice only what these cases have in common and fail to see the differences between them, and so some avoid speaking of immortals. Immortals have existed since heaven and earth were first opened; it was only after figures such as the Yellow Emperor and Laozi appeared that the name of the immortals gradually became prominent. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, the fame of immortals has grown ever greater, yet those who have truly attained the Dao have become ever harder to encounter.

I have devoted myself to the study of the Dao of nature and life for a long time, and fortunately Heaven did not withhold the great Dao, allowing me to receive the oral instructions transmitted by one who had attained it. The instructions are concise, and the methods of practice are not complicated, so they can truly be carried out. Yet without deep merit and virtue (De) and strong resolve, it is difficult to progress quickly in cultivation. I have privately reflected that human life passes like a flash of lightning and cannot linger, like a spark struck from stone; advance and retreat in life are unpredictable, and life and death are hard to foresee.

I lament that people eager to pursue the great Dao are so often deceived: they point to a swallow and call it a phoenix, and take a fox for a fine steed. They slander the sages of antiquity and mislead later generations; they violate the precepts established by the Supreme Venerable Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun), and yet refuse to accept the ultimate truths of the Buddhist teaching. Such confusion of living beings, each leading the other astray, is found everywhere. If no clear writings and symbolic images are handed down, I fear that the methods of cultivating the Dao will ultimately be lost. Therefore, without regard for my own shallowness, I have respectfully followed the principles of Golden Elixir (jindan) cultivation transmitted by my master and composed this Treatise on the Ultimate Life (Zhi Ming Pian), copying it out to pass on to those of like mind.

The treatise discusses "setting up the furnace and establishing the cauldron" (the placing of the alchemical furnace and cauldron, symbolizing the foundation of cultivation), "the timing and method of the fire phases" (mastering the timing and methods in the course of cultivation), "fighting in the field and defending the city" (an inner-cultivation metaphor illustrating advance, retreat, and guarding in practice), and "bathing and shedding the womb" (symbolizing nourishing, purification, and transformation). All of these use plain language to explain actual methods of cultivating the Dao, and readers should ponder them with care. If, by the convergence of circumstances, you are fortunate enough to hear the great Dao and then test it against the words of this treatise, your doubts will melt like ice and snow, and your mind will become suddenly clear, everything falling into its proper order, as though you were retrieving what was originally your own by means of a tally. For those who cultivate the Dao, would this not be a great help?

When Wang Qingsheng, styled Yuanqingzi of Jiezhou, composed the Treatise on the Ultimate Destiny (Zhiming pian) and wrote its preface, he said: "When I read these words, the doubts in my heart melted away at once, like ice meeting heat. My mind felt at ease and the principles of things ran smoothly, as though I were holding a deed and taking back what had long been mine. How could this not be of great help to me?"

This preface was written on the third day of the first month of autumn in the jiyou year of the Chunyou era (1249), which was a renshen day.

Yuanqingzi's Treatise on the Ultimate Destiny, Volume One

Composed by Wang Qingsheng of Guozhai, Jiezhou

Diagram of the Four Images of the Prior Heaven, Diagram of the Four Images of the Later Heaven, and Diagram of Setting Up the Furnace and Establishing the Cauldron

The Perfected Ziyang (Ziyang zhenren) said: "First take Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) as the cauldron, then gather and refine the medicine of the Crow and the Hare (a Neidan term, often standing for the sun and moon, or the Qi of Yin-Yang) to cook it. Once these two forces have been drawn into the Yellow Way (a Neidan term for the central path along which they travel and unite), how could the numinous elixir fail to be formed?"

He also said: "Set up the furnace and establish the cauldron according to the laws of Qian and Kun, refine the essence, and harmonize the corporeal soul and the ethereal soul. Let the breath gather, disperse, and blend, and so bring about transformation. How could such a profound principle be discussed carelessly?"

He also said: "The sun dwells in the position of Li (the Li trigram in the Bagua, often a symbol of fire), yet it turns around and becomes female. Kan is paired with the Toad Palace (the traditional image of the hare in the sun and the toad in the moon, here standing for the positions of Yin and Yang), and instead becomes male. If you do not understand the principle by which Yin and Yang are inverted here, do not speak idly from shallow views."

He also said: "Everyone has the medicine of long life, but through ignorance and confusion they throw it away in vain. When sweet dew descends, Heaven and Earth unite. Where the Yellow Sprout (a Neidan term for the first vitality of the work of the elixir) grows, Kan meets what is above. The frog at the bottom of the well thinks there is no dragon's lair, and how would the gull by the hedge know there is a phoenix's nest? When the elixir is perfected, the Golden Elixir will naturally fill one to the full. There is no need to search everywhere for herbs or to learn how to burn and smelt."

A diagram uses images to present things, and a poem uses words to express principles. To understand the images in the diagram, one should seek them in the words, and to grasp the meaning of the words, one should draw on the images. Only when both words and images are clear does the thing they point to become plain. If one clings to the image and is bound by the words, one has not truly understood the image. If one clings to the words and is bound by the image, one has not truly understood the words. Those who are bound by words and images cannot discuss the great Dao. Only those who are held by neither, and who have thoroughly integrated the two, can speak of the Dao.

Diagram of Arranging the Talismans and Advancing the Fire

The Perfected Ziyang said: "The eldest son suddenly drinks the wine of the West..."

When the Zhen trigram (representing the stirring of Yang qi) changes once into the Dui trigram (representing Yang contained within Yin), the Divine Water is produced.

"The young maiden's blossoms first open in the northern land."

When the Dui trigram changes once more into the Qian trigram (the pure Yang trigram), the Golden Flower condenses into form. This is called the "Field Battle Method" (the stage of cultivation in which Yang qi and Yin qi meet and contend with one another).

Diagram of Arranging Talismans and Advancing the Fire

The Perfected Ziyang (Zhiyang) said: "The eldest son (the Zhen trigram) has just drunk the wine of the West (the Dui trigram).

When Zhen changes into Dui, the Divine Water is produced.

The young maiden's blossoms first open in the northern land.

When Dui changes into Qian, the Golden Flower condenses into form. This is the Field Battle Method.

If, after the Dark Maiden (referring to Yin qi) has been met,

Qian changes into Xun (the trigram in which Yin qi begins to arise), this is "the birth of one Yin."

At this moment one must immediately seal the passes and orifices, so that the Yang qi is gathered and held in the Yellow Household (referring to the Spleen-Earth, or the Central Palace). When Yang reaches its fullest, Yin begins to arise; the fire phase cannot keep being advanced indefinitely, and the Earth qi must be used to store and contain it. This is the "City-Guarding Method" (the stage of cultivation concerned with gathering in and holding fast)."

It is also said: "After the former chord, before the latter chord."

The period after Zhen changes into Dui is "after the former chord"; the period before Xun has yet to change into Gen is "before the latter chord."

"The flavor of the medicine is even and mild, and its aspect is complete."

Here the "medicine" refers to the Primordial Qi of Prior Heaven (a Neidan term for the original qi that exists before the formation of the physical world). Between the former chord and the latter chord, the breath is pure, harmonious, and whole, neither excessive nor deficient.

"Gathered and brought home, it is forged within the furnace."

"Gathered" means obtaining the Primordial Qi of Prior Heaven. The mutual response of the qi's movements depends entirely on naturalness, just as a magnet attracts iron; it is not plucked by hand. "Brought home" means that the Primordial Qi is not originally something external; it is something one possessed before the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) divided, and it was forgotten only after being disturbed by desires and emotions. Now that this qi is regained and returned to its root, it is called "brought home," which is to say recognizing the Primordial Qi and guiding it back to its dwelling to be nourished. "Forged within the furnace" means drawing it into the Eastern Yang Furnace of Creation and Transformation (the inner furnace-cauldron in Neidan practice in which the original qi is refined and nourished) and forging it there.

"Once forging is complete, one should nurture it gently with a mild fire, as though cooking a small fish."

"Forging complete" (liancheng, or duancheng) means that one cycle of the fire phase (huohou) has been finished; "warm nurturing" (wenyang) means maintaining the work in a gentle manner. In other words, once the "field battle" (entering the fire, that is, active cultivation) has ended, one should turn to "defending the city" (warm nurturing). This is like cooking a small fish: as Laozi said, "Governing a large state is like cooking a small fish," one must command the heat and must not stir it carelessly.

The scripture (Jing) also says: "Sun and moon meet once in every thirty days." The sun and moon complete their cycle within one month and join on the first day of the lunar month (shuo), which is called the "joined jade discs."

Using the hour to exchange for the day is a wondrous method. The sun completes one celestial circuit in a year, totaling three hundred and sixty days; the Great Yin (here meaning the moon) completes one circuit in a month, totaling three hundred and sixty hours. I gather the seasonal rhythms of a whole year into a single day, and then gather the seasonal rhythms of a day into a single hour. Is this not a wondrous method? Some have matched the twelve lines of the two hexagrams "Morning Zhun, Evening Meng" (a line, or yao, is the yin or yang symbol that makes up a hexagram) to the twelve double-hours, calling this "hexagram brilliance" (guaxi). This is truly regrettable.

Defending the city and field battle each have their proper moment, and each carries its own fortune or misfortune. Defending the city is warm nurturing; field battle is entering the fire. To "distinguish fortune from misfortune" means this: after the Zhen hexagram changes into the Dui hexagram, one is at the stage of "dragon seen in the field"; after the Dui hexagram changes into the Qian hexagram, one is at the stage of "dragon flying in the heavens." In both situations it is fitting to "see the great person," so the timing is called auspicious.

However, before the Zhen hexagram has changed, it is "hidden dragon, do not act"; after the Qian hexagram has changed, it is "arrogant dragon, there will be regret." "Do not act" and "there will be regret" both indicate an unfavorable moment, so the timing is called inauspicious. Once these principles are understood, both defending the city and field battle can be arranged appropriately.

When you know the timing is unfavorable, you should defend the city and nurture warmly; when you know the timing is favorable, you may fight in the field and enter the fire. If advance and retreat follow proper measure and no opportunity is missed, then each day yields a day's gain, and the spirit cinnabar (lingsha, a term in internal alchemy (Neidan) for the elixir that has been refined) will fill the Spirit Chamber (shenshi, a term in Neidan for the place within the body where the elixir is refined and nurtured), increasing in radiance.

Diagram of the Nine-Turn Accomplishment

The Perfected Ziyang said: "On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, gaze upon the toad's radiance..." (the remainder is not recorded)

The radiance of the moon is the moon's essence (jing). The "moon" belongs to Metal and is the refined essence of Metal. The eighth month corresponds to the earthly branch You (酉). Metal begins to arise in the Si month and reaches its fullest strength in the You month. Thus, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the moonlight is especially bright and clear, more abundant than in other months, because it falls precisely in the season of Metal's fullest strength.

This is the very time when the essence of Metal (here referring to the refined nature of Metal as spoken of in alchemy) is robust and flourishing. "Very time" means that before this moment the fire phase (huohou, the timing of the heat) is still too tender, and after it the fire phase is too mature. On the fifteenth, the essence of Metal is at its height, neither tender nor overripe.

When the moment comes for one Yang to be born, as Yang qi begins to return, one should then advance the fire.

The fifteenth day of the eighth month is not yet the time to advance the fire; one must still wait until one Yang is born, which is the Yellow Bell (Huangzhong) phase, the season marked by the first stirring of Yang qi at the winter solstice. Even so, after the Yellow Bell phase, seven more days must pass before reaching the season of "the return of one Yang."

Once the moment arrives, one must advance the fire at once, without delay.

When the medicine has been obtained and the right moment has also come, one should advance the fire. If one hesitates or delays and lets the moment slip by, one may then miss one opportunity after another.

It is further said: "In the months and seasons of the Rabbit and the Rooster, Punishment and Virtue arrive at the gate and reveal the images of the medicine."

"Rabbit and Rooster" refer to the Mao month and the You month. "In their seasons" means that these two times have arrived.

"Punishment" refers to killing and chastisement, and "Virtue" (De) refers to generating and nurturing. Metal governs severity and belongs to righteousness, and so it is called "Punishment"; Wood governs benevolence and growth, and so it is called "Virtue." In the Mao month, the qi of Wood is flourishing and Metal is in the position of gestation and nourishment, so this is a month in which Virtue contains Punishment. In the You month, the qi of Metal is flourishing and Wood is in the position of gestation and nourishment, so this is a month in which Punishment contains Virtue.

"Arriving at the gate" means that when the sun rises in the direction of Mao, the moon gradually fades; when the moon rises in the direction of You, the sun gradually fades. Mao and You are the gates through which the sun and moon go out and enter, and Punishment and Virtue meet at these two times. The "images of the medicine" refer to the symbolic correspondences in the practice of the Golden Elixir, such as Metal, Wood, sun, and moon.

At this time, the golden sand must be bathed.

"Arrival here" refers to the point reached by tracing the process forward from the "return of the first Yang" (when Yang qi begins to recover). Golden Sand is the essence of metal. "Yellow Sprout" means the metal within water, and it has many names, so one should not cling to the literal wording. "Bathing" means washing and cleansing, and "Mysterious Vision" refers to the heart-mind. The Shuogua (Discussion of the Trigrams) of the Zhou Yi says: "The principle of the six lines can be used to illuminate change; the sage uses it to wash the heart clean and withdraw into hidden depths." The "daily bathing" mentioned here likewise means cleansing.

If more fire is added at this point, there will surely be the danger of overturning.

In the months of Mao and You, one should reduce the fire phasing, guard the furnace and cauldron, cleanse the heart-mind, and withdraw into hidden depths. If one still adds fire, there will surely be danger.

It also says: "The Mysterious Pearl takes on form, growing along with the Yang qi."

The "Mysterious Pearl" is true mercury, also called the Young Maiden (the alchemists' term for mercury). The Cantongqi (Kinship of the Three) says: "The Young Maiden of the river is spiritual and wondrous; meet her with fire and she flies off, leaving not even a speck of dust. Ghosts and spirits hide, dragons conceal themselves, and no one knows where she has gone. To subdue her, one must take the Yellow Sprout as the foundation." The "taking on form" spoken of here means that once true mercury obtains the Yellow Sprout, it no longer scatters and escapes but coagulates into a pearl. The Longhu Jing (Dragon and Tiger Scripture) says: "Harmonize the fire phasing for sixty days, and transformation will naturally show its signs; an image will appear within the spirit chamber, shaped like a hen's egg." To "grow along with the Yang qi" means that after the return of the first Yang, the mercury obtains the Yellow Sprout and coagulates into a pearl.

"When Yang reaches its fullness, Yin gradually recedes, and the form slowly peels away."

Yang at its fullness refers to the time of the Guai hexagram. Yang qi begins to grow at the Fu hexagram, flourishes at Guai, and reaches its peak at Qian. The receding of Yin refers to the fact that at Guai, five of the Yin lines have already vanished and only one remains. The "peeling away" here does not refer to the Bo hexagram. It means that the Yin line is nearing its end and gradually withdrawing, finally transforming into the pure Yang, vigorous body of the Qian hexagram.

"In the tenth month, when frost descends, the Golden Elixir (Jindan) first begins to ripen."

The "tenth month" here means the month in which the handle of the Dipper points to Hai. Yin qi must continue to recede, and the Golden Elixir is not yet ripe at this stage. Only when the last Yin line of the tenth month is nearing its end and gradually withdrawing, finally turning into the pure Yang, vigorous body of the Qian hexagram, does the Golden Elixir begin to ripen.

When the tenth lunar month arrives and the handle of the Dipper points to the Hai position, Yin qi should be gradually receding, yet the Neidan (internal alchemy) is not yet complete. The timing of the cultivation fire must wait until the tenth month, when the old embryo begins to be shed and a new form emerges.

At this point, even spirits and ghosts are startled.

This means: when the Four Images (the four mutually coordinating forces or states in cultivation) converge, the mysterious body is completed; where the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are fully present, purple radiance appears. After the embryo is shed, the spiritual apertures open through, and one becomes a sage with spiritual penetration; even the dragon spirits cannot help but marvel at it. This is what the passage means.

It also says: "The images of the hexagrams were set up originally to serve as standards and as proof."

"Setting up images within the hexagrams" refers to the twelve waxing-and-waning hexagrams, which begin with Zhen and end with Kun, along with Gou, Fu, and the others; it also includes the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven, and the sixty-four hexagrams that run from "Zhun in the morning, Meng in the evening," down to the four hexagrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. All of these use hexagram images to furnish proof, which is why they are called standards and norms.

"Once you have grasped the images, you may forget the words; the meaning will naturally be clear."

The Zhouyi lüeli says: images are used to express meaning, and words are used to explain images. For fully expressing meaning, nothing is better than images; for fully presenting images, nothing is better than words. Words arise from images, so one can follow the words to observe the images; images arise from meaning, so one can follow the images to grasp the meaning. Meaning is conveyed through images, and images are made clear through words. Therefore, the function of words is to explain images, and once the images are grasped, the words may be forgotten; the function of images is to preserve meaning, and once the meaning is grasped, the images may be forgotten.

It is like using a snare to catch a rabbit: once the rabbit is caught, the snare is forgotten; or using a bamboo trap to catch fish: once the fish is caught, the trap is forgotten. Words are the "snare" of images, and images are the "trap" of meaning. Thus, one who clings only to words has not truly grasped the images, and one who clings only to images has not truly grasped the meaning.

Those in later ages who have lost their way cling only to the images and act according to the qi of the hexagrams, hoping in this way to ascend and become immortals.

Yunfang said: "How can the Great Dao be conveyed through words alone? Boyang drew on the principles of the Yi to write the Cantong qi (a Daoist alchemical classic), but later people did not understand its metaphors concerning the cultivation of immortals. Clinging to the snare for catching rabbits and the trap for catching fish, they cultivated by following these superficial methods."

End of the first fascicle of the Yuanqingzi zhiming pian.

The character "日" is superfluous. (Note: the original reads "（日）字是多出来的", a textual note indicating that the character in parentheses is an extra insertion.)

The second fascicle of the Yuanqingzi zhiming pian.

Composed by Wang Qingsheng of Jiezhou Guoqi.

Poem on Entering the Dao.

The glory and fame of the floating world are like foam on water. Count through the ages, past and present: who has lived beyond a hundred years? Even if one long occupies the high station of the Ji and Jiang clans (that is, kings, nobles, or eminent families), it is truly shameful if one cannot bestow kindness on the common people.

Even in utter poverty, be content with a humble life. Yan Hui and Fan Dan were poor, yet their names have been handed down to this day. Even a wealthy man whose fortune could rival a state cannot know who will finally own those possessions after his death.

Petty profits as small as a fly's head and empty fame as slight as a snail's horn are all debts owed from past ties. What must be repaid, repay, and then leave the rest to Heaven's decree. Whether the debt is large or small, do not crave more, and do not suppose that it can only be settled once you are rich and eminent.

If one seeks wealth and rank in order to bring glory to one's parents, how many people can truly follow their parents' wishes and bring them peace and joy? To be content with one's circumstances, fulfill one's duties, and not depart from the right path is better than enjoying cauldrons full of delicacies and displays of every kind of treasure.

People hope that after death someone will visit their graves and burn yellow paper in offering, and they hope that rank and emolument will lend some radiance to the darkness after they are gone. Yet nine generations of ancestors may all ascend to Heaven and receive the favor of the Celestial Emperor simply because a single descendant has entered the realm of the immortals.

Fuxi, King Wen, and Confucius all understood the principles of the Former Heaven, and one after another set those subtle principles down in the Book of Changes (Yijing). To neglect the true principle of Yin-Yang (Yin-Yang) transformation and walk only side paths and crooked tracks is, in the end, futile.

The great images of Qian and Kun resolve into Yin-Yang; the essence of the Kan trigram lies in the light of sun and moon. If one does not grasp the moment of waxing and waning, one is either benighted and ignorant or wild and unhinged.

Those who seek the Dao (the Way) fear only that they will not meet a true master. But when someone has received the authentic transmission and is still perplexed, what kind of person is that? If one simply takes virtue (De) as the steps for climbing, why cling to connections and strive so desperately?

The arrival of the right season and the right opportunity is no accident; it depends both on what people do and on the timing of Heaven. If one is not benighted and ignorant, one is wild and unhinged.

Those who seek the Dao fear only that they will not meet a true master. But when someone has received the authentic transmission and is still perplexed, what kind of person is that? If one simply takes virtue as the steps for climbing, why cling to connections and strive so desperately?

The arrival of the right season and the right opportunity is no accident; it depends both on what people do and on the timing of Heaven. When one's practice is deep and one's virtue is great, one will receive Heaven's protection; once one's name is entered in the Jade Registers (the roster of celestial immortals and perfected beings), one will naturally attain immortality.

When speaking of military affairs, do not wait until the first Yang is born to begin preparations. Drill and inspect the war chariots in ordinary times, so that men are not startled when battle comes. If one can seize the moment as a dragon hidden in the deep leaps up at the proper time, one can bring enemies to submission without ever going to war.

End of the first part of the Yuanqingzi Zhiming Pian.

Collation note: the character "日" should be an interpolation.

The Yuanqingzi Zhiming Pian, Second Part

Composed by Wang Qingsheng of Qi, Guozhou of Jiezhou

Poem on Entering the Dao

Note: The verses at the opening of the second part repeat the preceding text; the couplet "If one is not deaf and blind, one must be wild and unhinged" also appears twice. The above has been kept as in the original. Several characters in the original text are suspected to be corrupted or missing, and the meaning has been rendered literally according to context.

When the moment for cultivation arrives, one should begin without delay. A hundred years pass in the blink of an eye, scattering like tumbleweed in the wind. Those who refuse to cultivate in youth and think of it only in old age come too late; even with the great medicine, it is hard to restore marrow that has already been drained.

When a pass brought by a leap year is at hand, it must first be calculated with care. If the sequence of Yin-Yang (阴阳) timing contains any error, one must not act rashly. Wait until after the "return of a single Yang" (一阳来复, the moment when Yang qi first stirs once Yin has reached its extreme), and then regulate the timing by the direction in which the handle of the Dipper points: the handle bears upon the northeast, and the moon sinks in the west.

The work done each night should be consistent. Kan the male and Li the female (坎男、离女, Neidan (内丹) terms for the Yin-Yang qi (气) symbolized by the Kan and Li trigrams) join with one another and rejoice together. Cultivate with single-minded focus until the Yin and Yang qi are full. It is then as though soldiers have laid down their arms and ended the war, and the realm settles into peace of its own accord.

The Nine-Turn Golden Elixir (金丹) is completed after nine months. The qi of Wood and Metal is strong, and it is the right time for quiet seated meditation. In the month of pure Kun (纯坤, the image of complete Yin), pure Qian (纯乾, the image of complete Yang) is already fully formed. Holding the immortal's gourd ladle, one seems able to pour wine and drink to drunkenness with the immortals.

Lofty scholars value purity, stillness, emptiness, and non-being, yet some chase illusions, like grasping at shadows, running after the wind, or angling for fish in fire. They speak grandly and startle the common world, until even Laojun (老君, the Supreme Lord Lao) would in the end turn and leave.

The Nine-Turn Golden Elixir is completed after nine months. The qi of Wood and Metal is strong, and it is the right time for quiet seated meditation. In the month of pure Kun, pure Qian is already fully formed. Holding the immortal's gourd ladle, one seems able to pour wine and drink to drunkenness with the immortals.

Lofty scholars value purity, stillness, emptiness, and non-being, yet some chase illusions, like grasping at shadows, running after the wind, or angling for fish in fire. They speak grandly and startle the common world, until even Laojun would in the end turn and leave.

The young men of the marketplace do not understand the original heart of cultivation. They cling to side paths and heterodox methods, studying how to draw on Yin to supplement Yang. Even if they sit outside the chamber and guard the so-called "Three Peaks" (三峰, a term for particular sites or doctrines in the practice of drawing on Yin), they will end in ruin. How could they know that within the immortal Way (道, Dao) there is also a principle of ascent, descent, and transformation?

Few understand the subtle endowment of the Prior Heaven; people always take "emptiness and non-being" as their own banner. Only after the Taiji (太极, the Supreme Ultimate, the whole in which Yin and Yang are not yet divided yet are contained) returns again to Wuji (无极, the undifferentiated origin) is it called the Imperial Ultimate (皇极, the root of perfect centrality and rectitude), and from there long life begins.

The ten thousand scrolls of alchemical writings (丹书, the classics of Neidan practice) speak in similar terms, and their coded terms, such as "gold sand" and "jade stone," are hard to tell apart. Without a destiny already tied to the immortals and a capacity suited to the Way, it is not easy for you to see these matters clearly.

The supreme medicine of the Golden Elixir is by no means an ordinary thing. Fortunately, through Xihua (西华, a title for a Western immortal or the lineage associated with them), this method has been revealed. Although the thing exists in heaven, it cannot be obtained directly; one must accumulate merit and practice until reaching the state of Xu Jingyang (许旌阳, the Daoist immortal Xu Xun).

Annotations to the Qinyuanchun lyric (沁园春词注):

The Seven-Return Elixir,

The Cantong qi (Zhouyi Cantong Qi, a classic of Daoist alchemy) says: "Nine returns and seven reverts, eight reverts home and six abides. The male belongs to white, the female to red; Metal and Fire restrain one another, so that Water is able to steady Fire. This is the beginning of the movement and transformation of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The highest good is like water, pure and without stain; the image the Dao (the Way) presents is truly difficult to portray. It transforms and spreads out, and each part settles in its own place."

The Perfected Ziyang (Ziyang Zhenren) said: "The 'seven reverts' means cinnabar returning to its source; the 'nine returns' means the golden liquid going back to what is true. Do not cling to calculations of hours and directions such as Yin, Zi, Kun, and Shen. Simply observe whether the Five Phases have formed their proper standard." What is spoken of here is originally a single substance, mercury, which circulates and moves through every hour. When the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang is full, its numinous wonder appears of itself. And how could its coming and going ever depart from the Mysterious Female (Xuanpin, the deep, hidden root that gives birth to all things)?

Water is born from one and completed in six; Fire is born from two and completed in seven; Wood is born from three and completed in eight; Metal is born from four and completed in nine. Six and eight are Yin, and so they are called "abiding" and "reverting home," and are not the focus of practical use. Seven and nine are Yang, and so they are called "reverting" and "returning." This is the meaning of "the seven reverts, the elixir returns."

In cultivating Neidan (internal alchemy), one must first refine the self and wait for the proper moment.

There are three thousand six hundred gateways for entering the practice of the elixir, and all of them serve to refine the self and await the right moment. Yet no single method leaning toward Yin can, on its own, bring the practice to pure Yang. Yunfang (a title of a Daoist immortal) said: "The Dao has three thousand six hundred gates, and students of the Dao each cling to one of them, taking it as the root. How could they know that the single key to becoming an immortal does not lie within the three thousand six hundred methods?" When the master transmitted the teachings, there was surely not just one path; instruction was given according to each person's foundation and in proper sequence. First people were taught the methods of ease and joy found among the side gates, and then, step by step, the teaching moved on to the principle of nourishing lead.

To refine the self and await the right moment, one should first practice the method of ease and joy (anle fa, an introductory method for settling body and mind).

Just when the Qi of the first Yang is beginning to stir,

Perfected Ziyang says: The fifteenth day of the eighth month, when the moon is admired, is the time when the metal essence (jin jing) is at its height. When the "one Yang" begins to return, the fire should be advanced at once, without delay. The "first stirring of the one Yang" refers to the month of Jianzi, the eleventh lunar month, when the sun's course reaches the Dipper lodge. The Lingbao Jing (Scripture of the Numinous Treasure) says, "Following the turning of the Northern Dipper, it passes through the Winnowing Basket lodge." This is what it means.

"In the long night the water clock drips on" means that the night is deep and the clepsydra still keeps its count. The midnight hour is borrowed here to show that the "one Yang" sprouts at the Zi hour. The Longhu Jing (Dragon and Tiger Scripture) says, "Taking the first nine as the cycle, the qi of Yin-Yang moves from dawn to dusk, completing one circuit in accord with the heart of Heaven. The Yang line ends at the Si hour; the Yin qi reaches its fullness at the Wu hour, continuing from Ding through Hai. Water and fire each hold one side and guard their boundary, and so cold and heat arise." Because Yang qi begins to arise at the Zi hour, it is said, "In the long night the water clock drips on."

"Warm is the lead cauldron" means that the lead qi within the furnace and cauldron should be gentle and warm. The "lead" here is the true lead of alchemical practice: in the position of Kan it is called black lead, and in the position of Li it is called red lead. Red lead is the mercury within cinnabar. Mercury also has two names: in the position of Li it is called cinnabar mercury, and in the position of Kan it is called black mercury. Black mercury is the silver within the lead. The cauldron and furnace should be warm and must avoid cold. If the cauldron is cold, black mercury is insufficient, and red lead can be gathered to supplement it; once the lead is obtained, mercury will arise of itself. If the furnace is cold, red lead is insufficient, and mercury cannot produce lead. One must then hurry to find a remedy; otherwise there will be no benefit, and one may even harm oneself.

"Light penetrates the curtains and hangings": the light here is moonlight. The fifteenth of the eighth month falls at the full moon, and moonlight passing through the drapes is just right for continuing the practice. Master Yunfang says, "Close the orifices of the mouth, let down the curtains, and observe in stillness; the whole sky is filled with white snow, swirling and crossing. When the mechanism stirs, gather it in and do not let it scatter; wait quietly for a bright moon to rise." This describes exactly such a situation.

"Creation and transformation race against each other,"

"Zaohua" (造化) refers to the Shenzhen (神真), the divinely subtle and true origin. This is what the Lingbao Jing (scripture) calls "number" (数), meaning the law by which the Shenzhen moves. It rises and descends, and its marvelous workings are inexhaustible; it comes at one moment and goes at the next, and its Yin-Yang (阴阳) transformations are beyond measure. For this reason it is said that they operate day and night without pause.

The Union of Dragon and Tiger: "Tiger" and "Dragon" are two symbols in alchemy. The Tiger refers to lead: in the Dui position it is called the White Tiger, and in the Kan position the Black Tiger, which is also the "true mercury." The Dragon refers to mercury: in the Zhen position it is called the Green Dragon, and in the high position the Red Dragon, which is also the "true lead." Although there are two names, they speak of one and the same thing. When Wuji (the Limitless) transforms into Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), Dragon and Tiger appear separately; when Taiji returns to Huangji (the Imperial Ultimate), Dragon and Tiger unite. What is described here is the process by which Yin and Yang join in alchemical practice.

Advancing the Fire at Ox, Dipper, and Rooftop: "Advancing the fire" refers to the use of fire phasing in refining the elixir. The author cites Laozi: "No calamity is greater than underestimating the enemy; to underestimate the enemy is nearly to lose my treasure." And: "One who is brave in daring to press forward will meet death; one who is brave in not daring will preserve life." The two approaches bring different benefits and harms, which shows precisely that advancing the fire is extremely dangerous and must be approached with caution. Ox, Dipper, and Rooftop are names of star lodges, used to mark the timing or position of the fire phasing.

Above the Winding River: The Winding River refers to the Yuanhai (元海, the Original Sea), an internal alchemy term for the fundamental place within the body. The Lingbao Jing calls it the "Gate of Life," and the Cantong qi (Zhouyi Cantong Qi) calls it the "Pivot of the Dao" (Dao), that is, the place from which life arises and where the pivot of Dao-Qi (Qi) lies.

Gazing at the moon, its radiance bright and pure: (This line is incomplete in the scripture as given.) Looking up at the moon, one sees its light shining bright and clear.

The moon belongs to Great Yin (Taiyin), yet a rabbit dwells within it, symbolizing Yang contained within Yin. The sun belongs to Great Yang (Taiyang), yet a crow dwells within it, symbolizing Yin contained within Yang. Yin is born from Yang, and Yang is born from Yin; this is the law of nature. The "moonlight" (yuehua) spoken of here is not the moon of the external heavens but the "moon" within the human body, what is called "the moon within Li."

A Perfected One (zhenren) wrote in a lyric: "Before Heaven and Earth were separated, how does one tell the things within? One must know how to cleave open the state of primordial chaos." The principle is hard to explain, and those who truly understand may not speak of it. This subtle oral teaching is genuinely difficult to grasp fully, and few in the world can comprehend it. To understand the inversion of Yin-Yang, one must know that "within the moon there is the sun, and within the sun there is the moon."

The so-called "moonlight" is the supreme treasure described in the White Tiger Primary Scripture (Baihu Shou Jing). The Perfected One Ziyang said: "The treasure of the White Tiger Primary Scripture is the Divine Water of the Flower Pool and true gold." From this we can see that the foundation of the highest cultivation runs deep and differs from ordinary medicines. To complete the Nine Cycles, one must first refine the self and hold the mind, that is, restrain body and mind and guard one's thoughts. One must also gather the medicine at the proper time, regulate its floating and sinking, and then apply fire to refine and nourish it, while carefully guarding against errors in the timing of the fire. The phrase "eagerly hoped for" means embracing it in the morning, and "lustrous and clear" means limpid and unclouded.

"A crow flies" refers to the crow within the sun, symbolizing Yin within Yang. "Flying" carries the sense of rising upward.

In the phrase "at that moment one drinks the Daogui oneself," the "Daogui" refers to the two functions of metal and earth in cultivation. The "dao" (blade) stands for metal: metal has a keen edge, sharp as a knife. Used in accordance with the Dao, it can lead to immortality; used rashly against the principle, it may harm the body, and so it is called a "blade." The "gui" (jade tablet) stands for the union of the two earths, "high Ji" and "Kan Wu." It is called a "gui" only as a metaphor; there is no actual tablet. "Drinking" is what the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) calls "eating it in its proper time," meaning to seize the right moment to gather, refine, and take it.

And how can one believe that an infant can be nurtured out of emptiness?

The Classic of the Dragon and Tiger (Longhu Jing) says: "All things are born by relying on emptiness and nothingness." It also says: "Refine silver within lead, and the miraculous thing will arise of itself." This is what these lines mean. The Original Essence (Jing), the primal essence and qi spoken of in cultivation, has no fixed form or substance. When one disperses and connects with it through Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy), it communicates in hidden ways and congeals in secret places. When the Qi of Yin-Yang has gathered to a sufficient degree, an embryo forms of its own accord. Even a Perfected One (Zhenren) of profound attainment may not fully believe this at first. Only on seeing the embryo emerge and enter the mouth, startling the dragon spirits (the divine guardians who protect the practice) into confusion, does one feel how truly extraordinary the matter is.

The scripture says: "A tree too large to embrace grows from a tiny sprout; a nine-story tower is raised from basketfuls of earth; a journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet." This is exactly what is meant.

Distinguishing the Clear and Turbid Sources of the Water

"Distinguishing" means discerning. The "source of the water" here refers to the origin from which the medicine is produced; "clear" means limpid and pure, while "turbid" means neither limpid nor pure. This matter has been kept secret from ancient times to the present, and it is not suited to being explained to those of shallow understanding.

Wood and Metal Are Separated

"Wood" refers to mercury, also called the Dragon, and its direction is east; "Metal" refers to lead, and its direction is west. Each occupies its own side, so by nature the two cannot meet. The method of returning the elixir (in Neidan, internal alchemy) employs the principle of union symbolized by the Tai hexagram, in which the Qi of Heaven descends and the Qi of Earth rises. This removes the barrier between them and brings the two together.

Without a Master's Guidance, This Matter Is Hard to Understand

The Perfected One Ziyang said: "Even if you are more intelligent than Yan Hui or Min Ziqian, do not strain to guess without a master's transmission." This is what is meant. Even so, once transmission begins, it is not easily passed to others without careful observation and discreet testing. If the oral instructions are recklessly given to people of shallow understanding, they may invite ridicule, so one must be cautious and keep them secret.

The Essentials of the Dao Are Profound and Subtle, and the Heavenly Mechanism Is Far-Reaching

The essentials of the Dao (the Way) are deep and mysterious, and the heavenly mechanism is hidden and remote. They are not something that people of shallow understanding can comprehend.

Even a Swift Start Is Still Too Late

Even if one hurries to begin cultivation, it is still too late, because there are nine difficulties involved. It is hard for a master to find a suitable disciple, and hard for a disciple to find a suitable master. It is hard for the heavenly mechanism to be revealed, and hard to accumulate merit and practice...

Cultivation should begin as soon as possible, yet even a swift start may still prove too late.

This is because the practice of the Dao (the Way) is beset by nine difficulties: it is hard to meet a suitable teacher, and just as hard for a teacher to meet a suitable disciple; it is hard to grasp the workings of heaven's mystery; hard to accumulate merit over the long term; hard to gather the money and materials that cultivation requires; hard to select and prepare the medicinal substances; hard to find a suitable alchemical chamber; hard to secure enough uninterrupted time for practice; and hard to remain undisturbed and free from demonic obstacles while cultivating. Because of these nine difficulties, it is said that one should set to work at once, and even then it may still be too late.

To ascend to the immortal realm of Penglai, one must rely on the fulfillment of three thousand deeds. "Deeds" (xing) refers to meritorious conduct, namely the ten good works. These ten comprise filial piety, fraternal respect (reverent love for one's elder brothers), forbearance, loyalty, and sanctity. These five are called the "Five Great Virtues" and are also known as the "Dao," the great Way. The other five are wisdom, propriety, benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness. These are called the "Five Constants" and are also known as "De" (Virtue/Power), the constant way.

When these ten qualities are put into practice within oneself, they are called "works" (ye); when they suffice to nourish body and mind, they are called De; when they are carried out toward particular people and affairs, they are called "conduct" (xing); and when they are sustained over a long period and bring tangible results, they are called "merit" (gong). Though the names and functions differ, at root they are one and the same. Cultivation must be realized in action, and so it is all called "conduct." The phrase "three thousand" stresses long-term accumulation.

Once cultivation is complete, one can ride the clouds homeward alone. Accumulating merit and perfecting good conduct is what students of the Dao ought to do. When merit is fulfilled and conduct complete, one's name may be entered in the register of the immortals, and one can then return to Penglai. But to hope to refine the Returned Elixir (the elixir sought in Daoist Neidan, internal alchemy, or Waidan, external alchemy), to lighten the body and fly aloft, to roam far and wide, even to let the spirit wander beyond the eight limits of the world, without accumulating merit and conduct, is impossible.

The final line, "Incantation of the True Form of the Northern Dipper," means to recite or concentrate the mind upon that incantation (a Daoist spell associated with the star deities of the Northern Dipper).

North is the direction opposite to the south, and it is also the place where "Heavenly One" (Tianyi) resides. It belongs to cold water and corresponds to steadfast stillness and wisdom. The Northern Dipper measures out and circulates the Primordial Qi (the original Qi of the cosmos), and True Qi is able to transform, possessing many virtuous qualities.

Form (xing xiang) refers to outward bodily shape and appearance. The true form (the real body) is the heart-spirit (Shen). Every visible form is not an eternally real appearance; only the heart-spirit is the master of the entire body and all its parts. When it is hidden in Heaven, Heaven becomes manifest; when it is hidden in Earth, Earth becomes manifest. It comes and goes without fixed times, and no one knows where it dwells. Hold onto it and it remains; let it go and it vanishes. When the heart-spirit is still, it is nature (xing); when it is active, it is emotion (qing).

By following one's nature, one can become a noble person or a sage; by indulging desires, one becomes a petty person or a being of a lesser kind. When one becomes a noble person or a sage, the true form is not made any more evident; when one becomes a petty person or a lesser being, the true form is not wholly extinguished. Neither made evident nor extinguished, it remains real. The incantation (zhou) is a spoken invocation; if one can hold and recite it within the heart, it can safeguard the heart-spirit.

"Heavenly Spirit, Joint and Glory" (Tianling Jierong) refers to the spirit of the Heavenly Valley (Tiangu), that is, the Original Spirit (Yuanshen, the fundamental spirit of a person). When the Original Spirit is joined as one, it is called the "Heavenly Spirit"; when it is divided into nine, it becomes the Nine Palaces' Perfected Ones; when it disperses, it becomes the myriad things and phenomena. "Joint and Glory" refers to the Qi of the Crimson Palace (Jianggong, the dwelling of the heart-spirit), which is the Original Radiance (Yuanxi). It is located behind the heart, between the seven vertebral joints, circulating to nourish the Qi and blood of the whole body; hence it is called "Joint and Glory."

"May I preserve long life" means praying to preserve long life. One who practices guarding the spirit draws in clear Qi through the nose, allowing it to enter through the Heavenly Gate. The Heavenly Gate is the two apertures of the nose, which lead upward to the Heavenly Valley. The Heavenly Valley is the Niwan (the spirit chamber of the head) within the gate, which connects inward to the Crimson Palace. The Crimson Palace is the place where the heart-spirit goes in and out, and it continues downward to the Secret Gate (Mihu). The Secret Gate is located between the two kidneys and is the chamber of the Primordial Chaos Spirit (Hunyuan).

The clear wind descends from the Heavenly Spirit and the Heavenly Valley, and the heart-spirit descends from Joint and Glory and the Crimson Palace, and they meet at the Secret Gate. Wind-Wood generates heart-Fire, and kidney-Water generates Wind-Wood; thus one can nourish life and extend one's years toward longevity.

"The One of the Supreme Mystery: guard its true form" means: hold fast to the "One" within the Supreme Mystery, and protect one's own true form.

The spirit of the left kidney is called Taiyi (Supreme One), and the spirit of the right kidney is called Xuanyi (Mysterious One), because they correspond to the number of Heaven's One. What is called the "True Form" is the heart-spirit (Shen, 神): it emerges from the Crimson Palace (the place where the heart resides), rides the horse of intention (a metaphor for the activity of the mind) downward, and enters the Secret Door (a hidden gateway of the body). Reciting the incantation of the True Form of the Northern Dipper is the supreme Dao (the Way) of the Mysterious Spirit, and the highest method of the Xuanji (the Northern Dipper).

Through long practice, the two spirits Taiyi and Xuanyi are made to complement one another on the left and right, and in turn bring Jing (essence) and Shen (spirit) into union, until nothing is any longer dissipated. When the cultivation of nature and life is complete, one reaches the realm of "Ultimate Life." This is the essential point of "Guarding the One" (Shouyi: concentrating one's contemplation and safeguarding the inner spirit and Qi). The space between the two kidneys is the "threshold." Hence what Wang Sifu called the "center," what Yao and Shun meant by "holding sincerely to the center," what King Wen meant by "stilling the back," what the Duke of Zhou meant by "stilling the threshold," and what Confucius meant by "withdrawing and storing oneself in secrecy" all express this same principle.

The spirit lords of the five organs each keep their guard, and so the five organs are kept at peace.

If one can guard the heart-spirit, the five organs will be settled.

Swiftly, swiftly, in accordance with the statutes and ordinances!

Aiqingzi's Treatise on Ultimate Life (Aiqingzi Zhiming Pian), Volume Two