《玉清内书》

The Primordial Lady (Yuanjun) said: The so-called "Yellow Sprout" (huangya) refers to the generative qi (Qi) that appears in the movement of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) together with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. "Jia" belongs to Wood, and Wood is the root of the growth of Yang qi. Its mother qi belongs to the qi of the north: after the winter solstice, Yang qi begins to stir, which is called "the birth of one Yang." The sprout receives its generative force from the mother qi, and so it is called "Jia." Jia relies on Earth, breaks through the soil, and brings forth a tender shoot; the shoot in turn depends on the mother qi, and that mother qi is called "Kun." This is the "Yellow Sprout" in the Gui position. In the cycle of the Six Jia, when Jia qi occupies the Gui position, it falls precisely at the point of decline and rest.

The five grains, the five fruits, grasses, trees and flowers, and all kinds of living beings, whether born from wombs or eggs, as well as medicinal substances and human beings, all grow from the Yellow Sprout. When Yang qi spreads and circulates, the earth is like a womb that nurtures the myriad things, and qi causes them to grow. In spring and summer the myriad things develop and flourish, which is the manifestation of the Yellow Sprout; in autumn and winter they contract and ripen, each returning to its original color and flavor, with its original form unchanged. This is the meaning of the "Returned Elixir" (huandan), which is to say, a return to the root. When a person loses their normal state, they die; when a thing changes its color, it decays. From this we can see that if a substance, after being refined by fire and carried through the movement of Yang qi, still keeps its original form, it is as though it takes part in the transformations of Heaven and Earth. The Returned Elixir receives qi and returns to its original nature, which is also a return to the root. Yang qi shines upon it and gathers it together, and this principle forms of its own accord; therefore it is called the "Yellow Sprout."

Worldly people do not know that after the sun, moon, and stars (the "Three Lights") appeared between Heaven and Earth, and after the clear and turbid qi first separated, human beings and the myriad things were all nourished and grown by the Yellow Sprout, and that their generation and transformation cannot be separated from the Five Phases. The Yellow Sprout is the state in which a tender shoot has just emerged, stretching and bending. It takes form through the condensing of Yang qi and grows through the nourishment of Yin qi. At the beginning, when Yin and Yang (Yin-Yang) meet and the myriad things receive qi, there is first only a undifferentiated chaos; only after the clear and turbid have separated does the Yellow Sprout appear. When it is at the stage of "Jia" it is called "Yellow," when it is stirring it is called "Sprout" in the sense of "beginning to move," and when it is stretching and growing it is called "Shoot"; together they are called the "Yellow Sprout." The Yellow Sprout is the qi of primordial harmony (the original qi of Heaven and Earth at their beginning, in a state of union), and it never departs from the Five Phases.

The Five Phases are water, fire, metal, wood, and earth: water moistens and flows downward, fire blazes and rises upward, metal can be reformed and given shape, wood can bend and can also grow straight, and earth is used for sowing and reaping.

The Dao (the Way) that operates between heaven and earth allows the myriad things to endure. Among all things formed from the primordial harmonious qi (yuanhe zhi qi, the fundamental qi that harmonizes and generates all things), the most enduring are the sun, moon, and stars. Things transformed by Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) depend on the earth day and night for their life, and in the end return to it. They follow the changing of the seasons and ultimately have a fixed term. This too is the way of nature.

Consider pine resin: it absorbs the qi of the sun, and after a thousand years becomes "xia ling" (a term from the original text, whose referent is unclear). After another thousand years it gives off light and becomes "xia shen." After yet another thousand years it becomes amber, and after a further thousand, crystal. All of these are regarded as refined substances condensed from the essential qi of the sun and moon. Likewise, the toad playing with the moon and the clam holding a pearl are both said to absorb the essential qi of the sun and moon and condense it into a pearl. The pearl is formed from the congealed yin spirit-soul of the moon (yin po, the Yin essence). The text says that both of these substances can be ingested, and are especially suited to regulating lung qi, and to treating fright-induced disturbance and forgetfulness: made into pills with wood honey, each the size of a hemp seed, three pills are taken after meals with saliva. The clam can also be used to produce mercury.

If a person cultivates virtue within the heart, so that the primordial harmonious qi is abundant and balanced, and their practice accords with the great Dao, then Jing (essence) and Qi will congeal into a pearl, and long life will naturally follow. The so-called "pearl" lies within the "red water," and the red water refers to blood.

Birds, beasts, mole crickets, and ants are able to emerge from dormancy and to hide away through the winter. They too sustain their lives by means of the primordial harmonious qi, and not because parents taught them to do so. To grasp this, one must steady the mind and will. Sounds answer one another, and things of the same kind resonate with one another. Being and non-being interpenetrate, and Yin and Yang join together, and in this way the Dao is preserved. When the two qi of Yin and Yang are harmonized and united, they restrain one another and also complete one another, and so the great Dao takes form.

The "River Chariot" (hechē) is the sovereign of the five metals and corresponds to the north. Water can carry a chariot, transporting all things in ceaseless circulation. This symbolizes Yang residing in the place of Yin, and Yin containing the essence of Yang; metal and mercury combine, and so it is called the River Chariot. It is the root of the primordial harmonious qi, establishing heaven and earth, harmonizing Yin and Yang, setting the four seasons in motion and allowing the myriad things to grow. All things receive qi and thereby have life, and among them the most spiritually endowed is the human being. No blessing is greater than life, and no calamity is greater than death. Since one dislikes death and hopes to live, one is already, in that very wish, embodying the Dao.

The commentary I have composed differs from those of other schools, yet its meaning accords with the orthodox scriptures (Jing) and ultimately returns to the Dao. In discussing the hexagram images, I treat the regulation of the fire phases (huohou, the mastery of heat and timing in the process of cultivation) as foremost; in explaining the medicinal substances, I take Yin-Yang as the foundation. "Can" (參) carries the sense of blending: the three substances of water, earth, and metal are joined into one, fitting together like the two halves of a tally and conforming to a single principle. This is why the work is called "Cantong" (參同, "Joining the Three").

All things depend on the illumination of the sun and moon in order to grow, and even Metal and Water must be acted upon by Fire and Earth before they can take form. Metal and Water are the root of transformation, while Fire and Earth embody the principle by which Yin-Yang (阴阳) operates. When heaven and earth were still in chaos, all was silent and without sound. Although no transformation had yet appeared, this state was already the source of the myriad things. The white-golden Qi (气) and the Qi of Water joined together within the Qi, taking a form like that of an egg.

The yangsui (a bronze mirror used in ancient times to make fire) can be used to obtain fire: without the sun, no flame can be produced. The Quanrong people would focus sunlight through a fire-mirror onto mugwort, and in a moment fire would arise. This phenomenon symbolizes the union of Yin-Yang producing the Returned Elixir (huandan, a term from Daoist alchemy referring to a completed elixir). Such things can often be seen within the borders of the Great Tang today. Writing cannot fully convey what is seen, and words cannot fully express the mind's intent; but does this mean the intention of the sages cannot be grasped?

To take ordinary mercury for the elixir is the act of a fool. To claim that cinnabar, if only refined by the proper method, can preserve one's appearance without decline is likewise to misunderstand the principle. In this way one drifts ever farther from the true Way of the Sun (the sun-related alchemical principle spoken of in the scripture).

Some say that mercury made by refining ordinary lead is the Primal Spirit (yuanling, the fundamental spiritual nature). This shows no grasp of the true nature of mercury and true lead: it praises only the efficacy of ordinary lead and says nothing of the subtlety of mercury. Since both must work together to form the elixir, how can one fail to attend to both and praise only one? To treat ordinary lead as the medicine is to stray far from the Dao (道); to treat mercury as the Golden Elixir (金丹) is likewise not the true method. To grasp the correct method, one must understand that water-lead and fire-lead are the key. Once the original Qi of lead is obtained, meeting "Five" brings the elixir to completion without abandoning its fundamental nature. If one understands that primordial transformation is carried out in a single thought, its wondrous function can reach its utmost. If one makes external things the object of pursuit, one's own nature cannot unite with them.

To apply the correct method by means of water, one must likewise understand that water-lead and fire-lead are the key; obtaining the original Qi of lead, and meeting "Five," completes the elixir without abandoning the root. If mercury is substituted for cinnabar-mercury, the lead cannot be drawn into affinity, and neither emotion nor nature has anything to rely upon; how then can the Three Palaces (the important cultivation sites within the body in Daoist teaching) be made secure? If lead cannot be drawn into affinity, how can the Eight Minerals (the minerals and substances used in Daoist alchemy) exercise their wondrous function?

The weight of gold is like the original nature: gold does not lose its original measure. The forms of the sun and moon likewise remain constant, and mercury does not lose its weight. The sun and gold have, from the beginning, corresponding measures. My nature and life (性命) are lodged in lead, not in the mandate of Heaven; once the Returned Elixir is completed, one may endure for hundreds of millions of years. Lead and mercury are in truth one body, not originally two separate things. Hence it is said: "Heavenly lead, do not harm my lead, so that my nature and life may be preserved; do not destroy my cart, so that it may carry me home." Here "lead" refers to the lead naturally produced within cinnabar, and "cart" refers to the liquid drawn out from cinnabar.

When Metal is refined and transformed by Fire, it is called the Returned Elixir. The Yellow Sprout of the metal essence can restrain Water and keep it from overflowing; the power of the metal essence is the Mysterious Water. Metal essence and Yellow Sprout both refer to the same thing, namely the naturally produced lead. The "water" here is the liquid drawn out from cinnabar.

The so-called "using lead" and "not using lead" do not mean using ordinary lead; even without adding lead from elsewhere, one can attain long life. "Using lead" means that the cinnabar itself contains the lead capable of restraining mercury; "not using lead" means not using the ordinary lead of the world (called in the scripture "the mother of worldly silver"). If the lead is not true, the mercury is difficult to unite with; if the lead is true lead, it ensures that the root is not lost. The lead that is not true is ordinary lead; the true lead is the cinnabar lead naturally produced within cinnabar.

It is better to refine the gold within lead, that is, the gold naturally produced in cinnabar, than to refine the treasure within gold, that is, mercury. The sage used such metaphors to instruct later students. As for the cauldron used in refining the elixir, what cauldron should it be? It is the earthy substance of the cinnabar itself. And what is the medicine used? It is the mercury that flows naturally from the cinnabar.

Cinnabar (zhusha), moved by the qi (Qi) of the sun and moon, naturally gives rise to mercury (gong), which is called "fire lead." Quicksilver is simply another name for mercury. When the yang qi within the cinnabar is not yet full, the mercury drawn out of it is called quicksilver. Hidden within the cinnabar, it waits until the essence and qi (Jing and Qi) inside have grown abundant, and then it suddenly generates itself. This is called the "male." The pairing of male and female is the natural union of Yin-Yang (yinyang). The principle behind it makes no distinction between cases, for in every instance things of different kinds combine to bring forth something new.

The Golden Elixir (Jindan) is originally one thing, not two. Set in motion by yang qi, it is called the "Way of the Three-in-One" (the Dao of Sanyi). White stands for the essence of metal, and black for the root of water; it returns to unity while still containing duality. The sages of antiquity used the line images of the Book of Changes (Zhouyi), the alternating yin and yang lines within each hexagram and their symbolism, to explain how this transformation proceeds and how the elixir is refined. Both refining and taming take as their model the union of yin and yang in the father and mother, and their operation never departs from the Five Phases (Wuxing). One must follow Yin-Yang and not miss the fitting moment. If one goes against its pattern, the hun and po souls will be harmed, like the sun and moon in eclipse, their courses thrown out of place, unable to join and restrain one another.

The sages prized these secret methods and could not state them plainly, so they often resorted to veiled language. As a result, the formulas of later generations differ from one another, and many attempts at refining have failed. The secrets of the golden cauldron (the furnace and its related teachings used in making elixirs) must be guarded with care. Mixing foreign substances together at random does not accord with the principles described here. The Way of Heaven is hard to disclose. Sometimes it is conveyed through profound symbols, and sometimes its meaning is passed on in hidden form through the language of Yin-Yang. It speaks of subtle principles, and for that very reason people are often led astray.

Since Fuxi, many have loved the arts of the Dao and sought long life, yet very few have actually met the right teacher and obtained the secret teachings. If one relies only on one's own conjectures, ignores the oral instructions handed down by a master, and searches for a way to transcend the world solely by following the metaphors of ancient books, then even if one wanders in vain through famous mountains, great rivers, deep valleys and hidden streams, no one from ancient times to the present has ever been seen to attain deathless long life that way. People eat the five grains and give free rein to the seven emotions. In life they belong to yang, and in death to yin. Yang qi is manifest while yin qi lies hidden, and the two are so intermingled that they are hard to discern. If one cannot command ghosts and spirits or direct Yin-Yang, and has no way to transcend the world, one will in the end die and sink beneath the world.

When it is cold, people wear padded clothes to keep warm; when it is hot, they wear thin garments and drink water to cool off. Living in the borderland between Yin-Yang, humans are governed by the Five Phases. Moreover, they eat what grows from the earth and return to the earth at death, which is indeed a return to the root. Without the essential qi of the sun and moon to circulate the bodily fluids and refine the "Three-in-One Returned Elixir," how can anyone rise above ordinary people, who are no better than walking corpses? It is like a stone dropped into a river, which cannot return by itself; it sinks and rots, a truly lamentable fate. But if one can meet with and take both Neidan (internal alchemy) and Waidan (external alchemy), the body will circulate and harmonize, and one's appearance will remain remarkable. Only then can one leave the bounds of Yin-Yang, no longer be governed by the Five Phases, be struck from the registers of the dead, and be guarded by ghosts and spirits.

The oral instructions say: In the transmission of the immortals' Way (Dao) there are secret records and elixir classics, such as the verses and formulas found in the Longhu (Dragon and Tiger), the Shangqing, the Wujin xianglei (Resemblances Among the Five Metals), and the Zhouyi cantong qi. The intention of the ancients was this: from the sages of antiquity to the sages who followed, all received this path of cultivation. Now people in the world are ignorant and confused, and cannot comprehend it. Those who have cultivated and attained the Dao do not reveal their names even when they meet others, and those who obtain the secret instructions each keep them hidden and do not disclose them lightly.

These oral formulas given in sequence, these secret techniques, secret records, verses, and hexagram images only reveal fragments and clues. They are unwilling to record the whole, and unwilling to point directly to the way in. Since ancient times, those who encountered such transmissions have had to trouble their master to pass on the oral instructions in person. Whether one has the affinity to receive them differs from person to person, and cannot be obtained through study alone. Those who obtain a "pocket formula" (zhouhou fang, a secret recipe kept close at hand) often hide it in their hearts and refuse to pass it on. The Way of Heaven must not be carelessly disclosed; if it leaks out, it is like raising a tiger only to be bitten by it. To pass it to an unsuitable person brings calamity upon seven generations, and the one who transmitted it will himself be demoted to a lowly ghost.

Among the people of the world, those who can truly know this Dao are fixed in number. Without the proper affinity, one will not receive the transmission even on meeting a teacher, so one must still seek out the clues. Only those who are single-minded in practice and truly fated may sincerely take an oath, make a declaration to the hundred spirits, and swear before the sun, moon, and stars. Only after a tally (fuqi, a token of credentials used in transmission) has been handed over and received may the Dao be transmitted.

Cultivation must be single-minded. One must reach the state in which the medicine accords with the primordial Qi (vital energy), Heaven and humanity accord with the Dao, and principle accords with naturalness. One cannot hurry toward success, nor hope for lucky gain as in fishing or hunting. Only on meeting a master who understands this Dao can one grasp that the so-called Great Medicine has but one gateway, yet contains three elements: water, earth, and metal. These are not the ordinary water, earth, and metal of the world. Obtaining these elements means the hun and po souls have a place to return to. So long as one practices with constant single-mindedness, the Daoist master will eventually arrive. One who masters the gateway to the methods of the Golden Elixir, both internal and external (Neidan and Waidan), and who takes the elixir, will live without dying and endure as long as Heaven and Earth. These "pocket formulas" are left for later students who have not yet understood.

The matters mentioned above, such as refining the cauldron, introducing the metal, and fixing the positions of the talismans and the hours of the water clock according to the hexagram images, are not recorded here.

The Golden Elixir, when taken, transforms the five metals and subdues mercury.

The oral formula of cultivation says: after the Golden Elixir (jindan, the elixir of Daoist alchemy) has been kept in circulation for fifteen days, the nature of the gold will change. One liang of Golden Elixir used to transmute one jin of mercury will turn the mercury into a white metal. After thirty days of circulation, the elixir may be taken orally, and it may also be used to refine vessels (ding) and to bring metals into the vessel. As for the methods of operating in coordination with Fulu (talismans and registers), hexagram images, and the clepsydra (water clock), these are not recorded here.

Taking the Golden Elixir, transforming the five metals, and subduing mercury

The oral formula says: after the Golden Elixir has been kept in circulation for fifteen days, the nature of the gold will change. One liang of Golden Elixir used to transmute one jin of mercury can produce a white metal. After thirty days of circulation, the elixir may be taken; if it is used to transmute mercury, two liang of Golden Elixir may be used each time.

After forty-five days, ninety days, or a full year of circulation, half a liang of Golden Elixir used on one jin of mercury will likewise produce a white metal, and one and a half liang may be taken as a dose. After two years of circulation, one fen of Golden Elixir used on one jin of mercury can produce a white metal, and three fen may be taken. After three years of circulation, when the so-called "Qi of the Great Origin" (da yuan zhi qi) has become abundant, a very small amount of Golden Elixir used on one jin of mercury can produce a white metal, and one fen may be taken.

After five years of circulation, a very small amount of Golden Elixir used to transmute iron, mercury, the five metals, and rubble of various colors, one jin of each, is said to turn them all into treasures matching their original colors. Taking a single zhu is said to confer immortality, allowing one to remain in the world without dying. The text further claims that not only humans may take it: chickens, dogs, birds, and livestock that consume it will likewise never die.

The original text then repeats its account of transmuting the various substances after five years of circulation, and adds an explanatory note: twenty-four zhu of gold make one liang, and a "knife-tip measure" (daogui) is equivalent to one fen.

The oral instructions say: adjust the amount of medicinal agent according to the length of the "guarding and circulating" period (days, months, years, and so on), and use different quantities of the agent to refine mercury into gold and silver. The gold and silver so produced are then used to transform copper and cassiterite into "great silver." For every catty of silver refined, two ounces of the agent are used. If the mercury-silver is left to be guarded and circulated for one year, three ounces of the agent are used to refine one catty of mercury, and the result is called the "White Way" (Bai Dao). For two years of guarding and circulating, two ounces are used; for three years, one ounce. After this, the same method is followed, with the quantity of agent corresponding to one, two, or three years of guarding and circulating, to refine mercury and produce the "White Way." If the guarding and circulating continues, the agent can also be converted into a guiding agent, set as the "head" of the agents, and used again in refining, in an unending cycle. This is the marvelous function of the Golden Elixir (Jindan, the wondrous elixir sought in Daoist cultivation): its source transforms and generates, and a single application produces the mutual generation of child and mother. To obtain spiritual powers and transformations, one must use materials produced locally as the cauldron, and the fire phasing must also follow the method of concealment. When this is repeated in an unbroken cycle, it becomes a treasure of the world and the blessing and fortune of the immortals.

The oral instructions continue: take native celestial lead (lead in its original color, unaltered) and ordinary mercury from the world, combine them in suitable proportions, up to a total of one catty. After placing them in a casket (a vessel for sealing the agents), use materials of the same original color to make an outer cauldron and seal it tightly. Form it into a furnace ring and bury it in ashes with the opening facing upward. The ashes should be spread to a depth of five inches, and the fire is then applied above. Begin with five ounces of fire; after one fu shi (about a day and a night), increase it to half a catty. After another fu shi, increase it to thirteen ounces, and after one more, to one catty. Maintain this fire quantity continuously, day and night, for thirty days. Then take two ounces of the agent to transmute one catty of mercury into the "White Way." The two ounces of silver obtained can in turn be used to transmute one catty of copper into great silver.

The oral instructions conclude: place the mercury again into the casket for guarding and circulating. So long as one follows the method of protection and keeps to the proper fire quantity and the days and nights, one can continue refining mercury, so that the child agent and mother agent accompany each other, continuing from generation to generation without ever being interrupted.

The secret instructions say that iron, the various base metals, and all kinds of minerals can be transmuted into precious substances by methods of this kind. Why is this so? Because such methods use one substance to subdue another; the result is not a medicine that has received the primordial Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth at its root. Moreover, it has not obtained the original source or the Qi of the "parents," and the functions of Qi and Shen (spirit) differ from one another within it. It can therefore only convert lower-level refining methods into what is called the "White Way" (here meaning one category of finished product). Taking it as an elixir for ingestion is outside the scope of this discussion, because such a substance is poisonous.

Method for Making the Outer Cauldron and Refining Mercury

The secret instructions say: if one wishes to refine the medicine quickly, take local earth and mold it into the shape of a cauldron to serve as the outer cauldron, then seal it according to the proper rules. The depth is again determined by the method described earlier. Place the golden cauldron inside and seal it, bury it in ash, and apply fire from above.

At the start, use a fire of five liang for one "hidden period" (fushi, an ancient alchemical unit of time). After one hidden period, raise it to seven liang; after another, raise it to twelve liang. Thereafter increase it gradually to one jin, and continue burning for a further eight hidden periods. Then, on all four sides of the cauldron, burn with fierce fire until it glows red, and after about half a day open the cauldron and take out the medicine. One liang of this medicine can transmute one jin of mercury. Transfer the medicine to another cauldron and refine it again with a fire of one jin, day and night, for one year. Then half a liang of medicine can transmute one jin of mercury. This is called the "White Way."

The secret instructions add: after the eight hidden periods, burn the four sides of the cauldron with fierce fire until it glows red, and after about half a day open the cauldron and take out the medicine; one liang of medicine can transmute one jin of mercury. Change the medicine into another cauldron and refine it again with a fire of one jin, day and night, for one year, and half a liang of medicine can transmute one jin of mercury. This is called the "White Way."

The secret instructions further say: change to yet another cauldron and tend the refining with a fire of one jin for two years, and one fen of medicine can transmute one jin of mercury. This too is called the "White Way." Change the cauldron again and tend it up to three years, and one fen of medicine can transmute one jin of mercury. After that, the cauldron may be changed year by year, with the refining method the same as described above, using the corresponding amount of medicine according to the number of years to effect the transmutation, and in the end precious substances can all be produced. Yet it cannot be taken as an elixir for ingestion, because it has not obtained the original primordial Qi; it is produced merely by tending and operating the process according to talismanic methods (fu) and the timing of the water clock.

When refining mercury, take only the mercury, add the medicinal substances, and grind them together, then place the mixture in a crucible. Cover it with a little more of the medicinal material, and set a ceramic lid (meng vessel, a clay implement used to cover vessels) on top, wrapping the surrounding seams tightly with damp paper. Place the crucible in a bed of "empty ash" (ash used to insulate and regulate the fire), and first heat it gently from a distance with a fire of about half a catty for the time it takes to eat a meal, then gradually increase the heat. After about half a day, heat it until it glows red. After a while, the medicinal substances will coagulate into a hard mass. Stop the fire, take it out, break it apart and inspect it; then smelt it again into shape, and a precious treasure can be made.

After the Great Elixir (Golden Elixir, Jindan) has been refined, one must guard, nourish, circulate, and refine it for three years, and only when the medicinal qi (Qi) is fully replete should it be taken out. Form it into pills with "wood honey" (a resinous binding material), each the size of a hemp seed, and take them year by year in the prescribed amounts. When taking the elixir, bring it out, kneel facing the sun, and recite "May the Heavenly Perfected partake of it" (an invitation to the spirits of the Heavenly Perfected to enjoy this elixir). Tie one liang of the elixir to the left arm, and thereafter, whether coming or going, submitting memorials, or ascending the altar to pay homage, one will be respected by all. If someone harbors ill will, that ill will will dissipate of itself. When entering mountains, forests, or open wilds, even if one meets fierce beasts, ghosts, or malicious people by day or night, they will withdraw of their own accord and dare not cause harm. Carry the elixir on one's person into battle, and five hundred men will surround and protect one, so that one is untouched by arrows and blades. Wherever one goes, the earth spirits will serve as guardians. If one has medical texts and Fulu (talismans and registers), and performs shijie (release from the corpse, the Daoist method of shedding the physical form to ascend as an immortal), one can summon the celestial immortals of the Five Peaks, the dragon spirits, and the myriad numinous beings, who will arrive at once and may be commanded at will. When people fall ill, write out the elixir in characters and swallow it, and they will be cured immediately.

Inscription on the Golden Cauldron

The Golden Cauldron of Houtu (a alchemical vessel symbolizing the earth) has seven as the number of its life and death. The spirit chamber (the inner chamber of the alchemical vessel) takes three for its brightness, five for its roundness, and two for its depth. Within the cauldron, the primordial chaotic qi (Qi) swirls, symbolizing heaven, earth, the four directions, and the four stars. Within the cauldron, the two poles of Yin-Yang (Yin-Yang) are shaped like a hen's egg; the form must not contain any error, and the "yellow and white" substances must be contained within. The thickness of the vessel's walls must be even, and it should be sealed by the "Six-and-One" method. One must carefully guard the Meridian Gate (a key part of the cauldron, or the critical stage in the firing process), and only then will it accord with the principles of the Cantong qi (a classic Daoist alchemical text).

The formula says: when making the tripod (ding, the vessel used for refining elixirs) and placing the golden medicine inside, take only the earth found beneath the cinnabar native to the locality. The earth may be fine-textured like yellow wax, or bluish-black. Guard the Meridian Gate (a term for a direction or bodily aperture in the refining process, whose exact referent is unclear), and you will naturally accord with the principle of the Cantong (the Zhouyi Cantong Qi, "Token for the Agreement of the Three").

The formula for making the tripod and placing the golden medicine is this: take only the earth beneath the locally produced cinnabar, fine like yellow wax or bluish-black in color. Take one ge (a unit of volume), then grind and wash it. If the earth contains grit or stones of varying sizes, some like sesame seeds, some yellowish-black, crush them. If they contain cinnabar, the earth is potent. After pounding and sieving, simply add water and work it into a clay, kneading it until it is even, soft, and well-worked, then use it to shape the tripod.

The tripod is made in the shape of a hen's egg, seven cun (Chinese inches) long and five cun around. While the clay is still moist, cut the tripod in half. After the shaped body has dried, hollow out a space three cun wide in the center of each half, tapering gradually toward the bottom, each two cun deep. Both the inner and outer spirit chamber (shenshi, the space that holds the refining materials) are made egg-shaped. The two halves of the mouth should be shaped to fit together as female and male, and must not be misaligned.

Place the Golden Water (a name for a refining material or liquid medicine) in the vessel. An even measure suffices; precise weighing is unnecessary. Then seal it according to the method. When it is to be used, an earthen furnace may be set up as convenient, and the Direct Talisman (zhifu, here referring to a talisman form or operational marker matched to the furnace and tripod) is used so that it stands one cun from the bottom of the tripod. Cover the tripod with its lid and begin the operation. At ordinary times, cover it with plant ash and bury it firmly. Use of the Direct Talisman must follow the Six-Phase Calendar (a calendar or firing rule that arranges the work in six periods).

In applying fire, regulate the heat according to the Direct Talisman and the formula for the advance and retreat of the six phases. After the vessel is sealed, an earthen furnace may be set up at any time. The Direct Talisman should stand one cun from the bottom of the tripod. Cover the tripod with its lid and carry out the operation, and at ordinary times cover it with plant ash and bury it firmly. Use of the Direct Talisman must follow the Six-Phase Calendar.

The formula for the Direct Talisman and the advance and retreat of the six phases is as follows.

The month is divided into six phases for regulating the fire phasing (huohou, the control of heat and timing in refining or cultivation). The first phase begins on the first day of the month: one liang of fire is applied at the outset and held for thirty hours; at the midpoint of the second day it is raised to two liang, bringing the total to sixty hours.

The second phase begins on the sixth day: three liang of fire is applied at first and held for thirty hours, then raised to four liang, for a total of sixty hours. The third phase begins on the eleventh day: five liang is applied at first and held for thirty hours, then raised to six liang, for a total of sixty hours.

The fourth phase begins on the sixteenth day: six liang is applied at first and held for thirty hours, then reduced to five liang, for a total of sixty hours. The fifth phase begins on the twenty-first day: the fire is first reduced to four liang and held for thirty hours, then lowered to three liang, for a total of sixty hours. The sixth phase begins on the twenty-sixth day: the fire is first reduced to two liang and held for thirty hours, then lowered to one liang, for a total of sixty hours.

These six phases follow the principles of the zhifu (the talismanic correspondence governing the day or hour on duty) and the yaoxiang (the changes symbolized by the lines of the hexagrams), and they set the monthly rise and fall of the fire, which then repeats in a continuous cycle. The original text repeats the fifth and sixth phases at its end; there, the phrase "reduced to five liang" does not fit the preceding sequence and may be an error of transmission or of the text itself.

At the first pentad (hou) of the second month, use two liang for thirty shi; afterward increase to three liang. From then on, each time the cauldron is changed and the first pentad of the next month begins, add one more liang. By the first pentad of the ninth month, nine liang are used. This gradual increase from one liang to nine is called "the Golden Tiger Emits Its Essence," and it lasts thirty shi. Then increase to ten liang for sixty shi. After this, advance and retreat according to the rules of the Zhifu, and follow the clepsydra to keep a clear grasp of the fire phasing.

When the fire is at its height, it corresponds to the fourth lunar month, when yang qi is at its fullest and the way of yang governs. In the movement of advance and return, Yin-Yang alternate and check one another. Once the season of the cauldron change has passed, Earth qi takes command and Metal qi returns to its place, and the three kinds of essence from Metal, Earth, and their associated substances all perish. This is the mutual resonance between the native qi of Metal and Earth.

When the fire retreats according to the Zhifu rules, it corresponds to the fifth lunar month, when yin qi begins to take part in the work. At this point, "one yin is born at the top of the ninth line," meaning that yin qi has just arisen. "The arrogant dragon has cause for regret" means that when yang develops to its fullest extent, it must decline. The Zhifu continues to turn until it reaches the Nine Cauldrons (Jiuding).

In the first pentad after the ninth month ends, nine liang are normally used for thirty shi; then one more liang is added for sixty shi. At the end of the third pentad, fourteen liang are used, which is the moment when yang qi reaches its peak. By the fifth pentad, yin qi begins to form, so the amount is reduced to twelve liang for thirty shi, then to eleven liang. In the sixth pentad it falls back to ten liang for thirty shi, then to nine liang, until a total of sixty shi is completed.

From the tenth month onward, regardless of the particular month or year, follow the method of the first pentad of the ninth month: first use nine liang for thirty shi, then add one liang for sixty shi. In the third pentad use fourteen liang, then retreat to nine liang by the sixth pentad, completing a total of sixty shi. Afterward, increase and decrease in sequence according to the Zhifu rules, and keep time by the clepsydra. Repeat this cycle day and night, and after passing through the nine ba (jiuba), the procedure is complete.

Here, "liang" is the quantity prescribed in the text, while "shi" and "hou" are units for measuring the fire phasing and its time periods in the refining process. "Changing the cauldron" refers to replacing the cauldron vessel or shifting to a new stage in the refining procedure. Terms such as Zhifu, Jiuding, and jiuba are retained as in the original, and their specific operational meanings must be understood in light of the context of the book.

The secret instructions say: begin applying fire in the first phase (hou) of the first month. For every twenty-four zhu of fire applied, one line (yao) is produced, symbolizing the twenty-four solar terms. Keep watch for two and a half days, then add another line; at the fifth day, count one phase. Continue increasing the fire and the number of lines in this way, so that each month contains six phases.

Normally, the last sixty hours of the third phase and the first thirty hours of the fourth phase belong to the stage of "martial fire" (the intense fire). The fire is likewise increased by one line every two and a half days, and one phase is counted every five days; fire and lines continue to be added in sequence, so that each month contains six phases. When the weight of the fire is raised or lowered with the changes of day and night, thoroughly burned charcoal must also be added. The surface of the fire should always be kept exposed; in this way, the count of phases follows the originally set weights.

The "Direct Talisman" (zhifu, here meaning the cycle of fire phases that advances with the seasons) lasts nine and a half months. When the cycle ends, the increase and decrease of the fire and its weights are determined according to the fire phases, line images, and rules of the ninth month, and no longer by the year and month.

Another secret instruction says: the timing of the fire is the hardest thing to master. I have traveled to famous mountains and discussed the matter with eminent masters, and each of us gained something. Yet the methods of earth and fire are the ones not transmitted in the world. The oral instructions I treasure are the true source of them all.

Diagram of the Advance and Retreat of the Direct Talisman by the Watch Clepsydra: a schematic showing how the Direct Talisman advances, increases, and decreases according to the hours marked by the clepsydra.

The oral instructions say: when using the Zhifu (直符, "Duty Talisman") together with the added calls (加喊, markers that record the time), one must rely on the water clock to distinguish clearly the advance and retreat of the fire phase (火候), and operate according to the prescribed rules. The water clock's marks must also be made to agree with the added-call markers, so that one grasps the pattern by which the length of the time-intervals changes.

One need only measure the lengths of day and night, and then arrange the graduations according to the twelve double-hours: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai. Beginning at the Zi hour, observe the dripping water until the Chou hour, and record how much water is used during that span. One can make a barrel three chi high with an inner diameter of one chi. Bore a small hole in the barrel wall near the bottom, fit a tube made from a black wing-feather quill (乌翅翎管) tightly into the hole, and seal all around it with wax. Fill the barrel with water and let it drip out naturally; when the water has run out, refill the barrel and let it continue to drip. By observing how many barrels of water are used over one double-hour, one can calculate how much water each of the other double-hours requires. The day and night are divided into twelve double-hours, and the graduations for each double-hour are fixed according to the measured quantity of water, with the dripped water weighed. The amount of water in the clock changes with the length of day and night; so long as one calibrates with care, the timekeeping will be accurate and free of error.

Advancing and Retreating the Fire: The Zhifu Fire Record and the Correct Calendar

Oral instruction for one month's fire phase: sixty hours make five days.

In the first stage, the fire phase first uses the first line for thirty hours, then increases to the second line for sixty hours. In the second stage, it first uses the third line for thirty hours, then increases to the fourth line for sixty hours. In the third stage, it first uses the fifth line for thirty hours, then increases to the sixth line for sixty hours. In the fourth stage, the fire turns to retreat: it first uses the sixth line for thirty hours, then retreats to the fifth line for sixty hours. In the fifth stage, it continues retreating to the fourth line for thirty hours, then to the second line for sixty hours. In the sixth stage, it retreats to using the second line for thirty hours, then falls back to the first line for sixty hours.

The fire phasing (huohou) for the second month is as follows. In the first period (hou), the practitioner begins at the second line (yao) for thirty shi, then advances to the third line for sixty shi. In the second period, the practitioner begins at the fourth line for thirty shi, then advances to the fifth line for sixty shi. In the third period, the practitioner begins at the sixth line for thirty shi, then advances to the seventh line for sixty shi. In the fourth period, the practitioner starts again from the seventh line for thirty shi, then retreats to the sixth line for sixty shi. In the fifth period, the practitioner begins at the fifth line for thirty shi and continues retreating to the fourth line for sixty shi. In the sixth period, the practitioner begins at the third line for thirty shi and retreats to the second line for sixty shi.

The fire phasing for the third month is as follows. In the first period, the practitioner begins at the third line for thirty shi, then advances to the fourth line for sixty shi. In the second period, the practitioner begins at the fifth line for thirty shi, then advances to the sixth line for sixty shi. In the third period, the practitioner begins at the seventh line for thirty shi, then advances to the eighth line for sixty shi. In the fourth period, the practitioner begins at the eighth line for thirty shi, then retreats to the seventh line for sixty shi. In the fifth period, the practitioner begins at the sixth line for thirty shi and continues retreating to the fifth line for sixty shi. In the sixth period, the practitioner begins at the fourth line for thirty shi and retreats to the third line for sixty shi.

The fire phasing for the fourth month is as follows. In the first period, the practitioner begins at the fourth line for thirty shi, then advances to the fifth line for sixty shi. In the second period, the practitioner begins at the sixth line for thirty shi, then advances to the seventh line for sixty shi. In the third period, the practitioner begins at the eighth line for thirty shi, then advances to the ninth line for sixty shi. From the fourth period onward, the order in the original text contains repetitions and apparent corruptions. It first states "the returning-to-the-beginning period: sixth line for thirty shi, adding up to the seventh line for sixty shi," then repeats the third period, "eighth line for thirty shi, adding up to the ninth line for sixty shi," and then gives the fourth period as beginning at the ninth line for thirty shi and retreating to the eighth line for sixty shi. In the fifth period, the practitioner begins at the seventh line for thirty shi and retreats to the sixth line for sixty shi. In the sixth period, the practitioner begins at the fifth line for thirty shi and retreats to the fourth line for sixty shi.

"Fire phasing" here refers to the timed measure of progression arranged in the course of cultivation, and "line" (yao) refers to a line position in the Yijing (Book of Changes) system. The terms "thirty shi" and "sixty shi" are kept as in the original; how they are to be timed cannot be determined from this passage alone.

For the fifth month, only the heading is given, with no fire phasing content attached.

In the first stage of the fire phasing (huohou), one first runs to the fifth line (yao) at thirty shi, then increases to the sixth line at sixty shi. In the second stage, one first runs to the seventh line at thirty shi, then increases to the eighth line at sixty shi. In the third stage, one first runs to the ninth line at thirty shi, then increases to the tenth line at sixty shi. In the fourth stage, one first still uses the tenth line at thirty shi, then retreats to the ninth line at sixty shi. In the fifth stage, one first retreats to the eighth line at thirty shi, then continues retreating to the seventh line at sixty shi. In the sixth stage, one first retreats to the sixth line at thirty shi, then continues retreating to the fifth line at sixty shi.

Here, "line" (yao) refers to the lines of a hexagram. "Fire phasing" (huohou) is a term in Neidan (internal alchemy) used metaphorically for regulating the rhythm of cultivation and circulation. "Shi" is the unit of time used in the original text. In the text, "increase" indicates progression, and "retreat" indicates return.

Formula for the Fire Phasing of the Sixth Month

In the first stage, one first runs to the sixth line at thirty shi, then increases to the seventh line at sixty shi. In the second stage, one first runs to the eighth line at thirty shi, then increases to the ninth line at sixty shi. In the third stage, one first runs to the tenth line at thirty shi, then increases to the eleventh line at sixty shi. In the fourth stage, one first still uses the eleventh line at thirty shi, then retreats to the tenth line at sixty shi. In the fifth stage, one first retreats to the ninth line at thirty shi, then continues retreating to the eighth line at sixty shi, and afterward increases again to the eleventh line at sixty shi. The original text then repeats itself: in the fourth stage one still uses the eleventh line at thirty shi, then retreats to the tenth line at sixty shi; in the fifth stage one retreats to the ninth line at thirty shi, then retreats to the eighth line at sixty shi. In the sixth stage, one first retreats to the seventh line at thirty shi, then continues retreating to the sixth line at sixty shi.

Formula for the Fire Phasing of the Seventh Month

In the first stage, one first runs to the seventh line at thirty shi, then increases to the eighth line at sixty shi. In the second stage, one first runs to the ninth line at thirty shi, then increases to the tenth line at sixty shi. In the third stage, one first runs to the eleventh line at thirty shi, then increases to the twelfth line at sixty shi. In the fourth stage, one first still uses the twelfth line at thirty shi, then retreats to the eleventh line at sixty shi. In the fifth stage, one first retreats to the tenth line at thirty shi, then continues retreating to the ninth line at sixty shi. In the sixth stage, one first retreats to the eighth line at thirty shi, then continues retreating to the seventh line at sixty shi.

Formula for the Fire Phasing of the Eighth Month

In the first stage, one first runs to the eighth line at thirty shi, then increases to the ninth line at sixty shi. In the second stage, one first runs to the tenth line at thirty shi, then increases to the eleventh line at sixty shi. The third stage: the original text breaks off at this point, reading only, "Third stage, formula for the fire phasing of the eighth month."

In the first stage, the initial firing phase (huohou) uses eight lines (yao) running for thirty periods, then gradually increases to nine lines running for sixty periods. In the second stage, it begins with ten lines running for thirty periods, then rises to eleven lines running for sixty periods. In the third stage, it begins with twelve lines running for thirty periods, then rises to thirteen lines running for sixty periods. In the fourth stage, thirteen lines are still used for thirty periods, after which it recedes to twelve lines running for sixty periods. In the fifth stage, it begins by receding to eleven lines running for thirty periods, then recedes further to ten lines running for sixty periods. In the sixth stage, it begins by receding to nine lines running for thirty periods, then recedes further to eight lines running for sixty periods.

Formula for the Firing Phase of the Ninth Month

In the first stage, the initial firing phase uses nine lines running for thirty periods, then rises to ten lines running for sixty periods. In the second stage, it begins with eleven lines running for thirty periods, then rises to twelve lines running for sixty periods. In the third stage, it begins with thirteen lines running for thirty periods, then rises to fourteen lines running for sixty periods. In the fourth stage, fourteen lines are still used for thirty periods, after which it recedes to thirteen lines running for sixty periods. In the fifth stage, it begins by receding to twelve lines running for thirty periods, then recedes further to eleven lines running for sixty periods. In the sixth stage, it begins with ten lines running for thirty periods, then recedes to nine lines running for sixty periods.

The Lady Sovereign's Formula of the Hand Mirror for Secret Circulation

The formula says: The two kinds of qi, Heaven and Earth, respond to one another, and the sun and moon alternate in shining down; thus the returned elixir (a term from Daoist internal alchemy, Neidan, referring to the elixir attained through cultivation) is naturally refined. The celestial officials of the upper realms guard it and gather it in. This is not a realm that ordinary people of the world can encounter; only immortals can take it up by following this method.

The Three Sovereigns, filled with reverence, sought the utmost Dao and tended their lives. Relying on the Direct Talisman (a talisman-formula used to drive the firing phases), they ran the process for three years, imitating the movement of natural qi. The firing phases were arranged according to the seasons and modeled on the trigrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. As for the "measures" (jin liang, an alchemical expression for the proportions of ingredients or the intensity of the fire) used in running the firing phases, the oral instructions must be transmitted in person by a genuine master of the scriptures. For anything the scriptures do not record, if one cultivates on one's own without a master's transmission, errors may arise, the ingredients may become mixed, and in the end one will be unable to grasp the principle within. The sage observes the regulating talismans by which the seasons of Heaven move, and holds fast to the One. By grasping how the Yin-Yang source elements constrain one another, one can complete the Great Elixir. Through this, one comes to understand the way of Yin-Yang transformation, moves freely with spiritual powers, and returns form and appearance to their root.

The oral formula says: "Zhifu" (the Duty Talisman) is a metaphor. Take the eleventh month (the jianzi month) as an example. At this time Yang qi begins to stir, symbolizing new life. By the night before the summer solstice, at the hour of the cock's crow, Yin qi begins to arise and take effect. This reflects the waxing and waning, the advance and retreat, of Yin-Yang between heaven and earth. It also corresponds to the process of growth and change in all things across the twelve months of the year.

Thus each month has six "hou" (periods, the stages into which the ancients divided the seasons), and each is marked by the Zhifu to indicate its changes. The generation and concealment of the myriad things, the manifestation and hiding of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the moments when Yin-Yang meet are all contained within these changes.

The formula goes on to say that the first fifteen days, corresponding to Fire and Wood, belong to the three stages of the white moon, when Yang qi reaches its fullest and exerts its power. After this, Yang qi gradually recedes and Yin qi gradually emerges. The so-called "nine and six" refer to the numbers and stages in the changes of Yin-Yang. The latter fifteen days belong to the three stages of the black moon, when Yin qi reaches its fullest and exerts its power. The cycle thus turns again and again, so that the numerical principles of "seven, eight, nine, and six" accord with one another, and when one month has run its course, the transformations of Metal and Water are completed as well. The phrase "huo gang fu" in the original text is probably a scribal or misreading error. The general sense here is that the changes of the monthly cycle and of day and night are used to explain the concealment and circulation of the fire phases (huohou).

This passage uses the monthly phases and the alternation of day and night as an analogy for the progression of Yin-Yang through the seasons of a year. In cultivation practice, the Zhifu is correlated with the sequence of day and night. The author believes that the pivot of heaven and earth's movement can be grasped in this way, and calls it the "method of transcending the world," that is, a teaching that goes beyond the mundane, capable of bringing about spiritual powers and transformations, with profound and subtle mysteries. The moment of activating the "fire" (referring to the application of fire phasing in cultivation) corresponds to the eleventh month, when Yang qi begins to stir and begins to take effect.

The Oral Instructions say: In the first cauldron (the furnace-vessel used in alchemical refining), during the first period of the first month, the fire phase begins with a single line (yao) arising. This symbolizes the winter solstice, the eleventh month, the month of Zi, when Yang qi begins to take charge. It corresponds to the first line of the Yijing (Book of Changes), "the hidden dragon; do not act," meaning that Yang qi has only just sprouted and it is not yet time to act rashly. As this single Yang line grows, it passes through two and a half days and nights, or thirty double-hours, and then rises to the second line. Counting from the first line's birth, the fifth day completes one period (hou), totaling sixty double-hours. These cycle through the twelve earthly branches (Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai); five rounds likewise total sixty double-hours, and together they make up one period.

The first period lasts five days. At the Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe), the Zhen trigram (symbolizing thunder and the stirring of Yang qi) comes to receive its tally. When the fire phase reaches the first-quarter moon, on the eighth day, the nature of Metal rises and falls and is already half spent. Waiting until the fifteenth day completes one qi-period, and the nature of Metal is wholly extinguished. By the twentieth day, what has sprouted no longer grows; Yang extends and Yin contracts, Water is still and unmoving, hard and soft act upon each other, and the elixir forms of itself. On the twenty-first day, the Xun trigram (symbolizing wind, the gradual entry of Yin and Yang) comes to receive its tally. The natures of Metal and Water are exhausted, and the breathing in and out of the two essences ceases together. The two Wood energies of Zhen and Xun gradually proceed in their natural order. Mercury (an alchemical term often used for Yang-natured essence) has obtained the qi of Qian (the energy of pure Yang), but this still does not amount to the completed Great Elixir.

By the thirtieth day, the cycle reaches its end and returns to the origin of Kun (symbolizing Yin softness and the root of the earthly way). It receives its tally and the elixir forms, and the three substances all return into Earth. Forty-five days make one node, and the nodes connect with and pass through one another. On the sixtieth day, the Mao hour corresponds to Jiazhong (one of the twelve ancient pitch-pipes). When Jiazhong reaches the Mao position, the elm pods fall and return to the roots of the tree. In the second month the elm withers. At the time of Kuigang Mao (a term from ancient seasonal and astral lore), punishment and virtue (De) turn against each other and day and night begin to be distinct. For this reason it is called the "Elm Pod Elixir."

The Oral Instructions continue: The sun shines three times, and the moon moves three times. Because the qi of sun and moon unite, the myriad things undergo three transformations and reach their utmost, in accord with the natural course of the four seasons. A month has three hundred and sixty double-hours.

The Oral Instructions say further: The sun shines three times, and the moon moves three times. Because the qi of sun and moon unite, the myriad things pass through three transformations and reach their utmost, following the natural course of the four seasons. A month has three hundred and sixty double-hours, and these correspond to the twelve months of the year, yielding four thousand three hundred and twenty in all. One double-hour symbolizes one year, so the total symbolizes four thousand three hundred and twenty years. This symbolizes the naturally returned elixir (an elixir formed in accord with the natural movement of Yin and Yang), which arises from the union of Yin and Yang and the alternation of cold and heat.

The oral formula says: The Kan position (one of the Bagua, Eight Trigrams, belonging to water) lies hidden and concealed; yang qi extends and unfolds, while yin qi bends and retreats. Everything else is arranged according to the solar terms, the hexagram images, and the Zhifu (the presiding spirit that moves with the seasons and governs the climate). The method employed is called the "Nine Cauldrons." The refining of the Nine Cauldrons takes nine months.

The oral formula says: The Nine Cauldrons are each divided into three portions, and each cauldron is guarded for thirty days, so that the receiving of qi is complete after two hundred and seventy days. By then Yin and Yang are both at their height, and when the tenth month arrives and the Earth qi holds sway, the elixir comes into being. This is why it is called "the mother and child shedding the womb," a principle the world does not understand. Water and fire overcome each other yet also restrain each other, and in this way they are transformed into the qi of father and mother; this process never departs from the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The medicine lies hidden and takes shape. One continues to keep watch and refine it for a thousand days, and once the primal qi is replete, the nature of the medicine returns to Gui water of the north. It turns black, and only then is it called the "Great Returning Elixir."

The oral formula says: Take the metal and the water from within the primal qi, in equal measure, and blend them until they unite as one. The numbers of the waxing and waning quarter moons are likened to two eights of a catty, symbolizing the two metals of Yin and Yang. They originally issued from a single substance, but because of changes in the seasonal qi they took on two forms: female and male, yellow and white. Each one's nature naturally accords with the other, and Yin and Yang join as one and return to the primal qi. Of the two, one belongs to fire and the other to water; what remains after water and fire are removed is the true medicine, and the primal qi is distinguished in its own right. If foreign substances are mixed in, the elixir can never be completed. Whether the elixir is obtained does not hinge on the number of catties and ounces.

The oral formula says: Place the metal and water into the cauldron, seal it firmly according to the method, and then adopt the method of the "Four Killings and Punishments." Begin the fire on a yang day and at a yang hour. Prepare your own clepsydra to keep time, understand clearly the changes of the solar terms, and know when to increase and when to decrease, so that the metal and water do not escape from the cauldron. Within the cauldron, chaos is not yet divided, and the Zhifu drives its movement; Yin and Yang unite and rise, and the medicine swallows and drinks in, and so is transformed. The primal qi has its clear and its turbid, and above and below appear the dark and the yellow. Metal and water congeal into form, like a hen's egg, and within the shell the primal qi receives yang qi, holding true qi within and guarding it as one.

The oral formula says: Cinnabar, Gold Sand, Golden Liquid, Inverted-Growth Sand, Yellow Sprout, Celestial Lead, as well as sand, mercury, and lead, are all names of substances used in alchemical refining. They symbolize true Yin and true Yang, as well as metal, earth, water, and fire. It then adds: above and below, the dark and the yellow; metal and water congeal into form, like a hen's egg; within the shell the primal qi receives yang qi, holding true qi within and guarding it as one.

"Cinnabar, gold sand, gold liquid, inverted-growth sand, yellow sprout, celestial lead, sand-mercury, lead-mercury, true Yin, true Yang, metal-earth-water-fire, Qian-Kun-Kan-Li, dragon and tiger and black tiger, Western Numinous Golden Elixir (Jindan), Jade Liquid in nine turns, return and reversion, the Great Return": all of these are different names for the "Returned Elixir" (huandan). These expressions are cryptic terms with which the ancients concealed the essential keys of alchemical refining, and they are not easy to grasp at once. If one consults the Zhouhou jue (Handbook of Emergency Formulae) and the Cantong qi (Token for the Agreement of the Three), one will understand that their principles all return to a single source, which is why they are called the "Returned Elixir."

Refining the Returned Elixir carries certain taboos. For example, one must avoid the so-called "overturned-basin blood" (fupen xue). This term refers to people regarded as inauspicious. One must be careful not to disclose the secrets of the Heavenly Dao (Dao) carelessly to others.

When the metallic substances are placed in the elixir cauldron and work begins according to the talismanic instructions, the place of refining should be kept pure and clean. It must not be set up in a place associated with birth, death, weeping, the laying out of corpses, or the conducting of funerals. One should choose a place regarded as blessed with merit and virtue (De), with fine terrain and tranquility, and only then establish the altar. Once the altar is established, one burns incense and sincerely makes offerings to the local earth deities and to the gods of land and water, and only afterward sets up the furnace and cauldron. The scripture (Jing) says that in this way one may gain the protection of a hundred spirits, bring the Way of Heaven into harmony, and receive the support of the immortals; during the work, thought and action must both be single-minded.

If one practices in one's ordinary dwelling, one must likewise take care to avoid offending influences and defiling things, and must not set up the furnace and cauldron carelessly. The diagrams showing where the substances are to be placed, as well as the rules for the offering ritual (jiao), are recorded in other instructions.

Instruction on Fixing the Time Intervals of the Fire Vessel and Duty Talisman

The following instruction uses double-hours to define the stages of the firing process. Here "start" (qi) means the beginning, and "end" (guo) means the close of the stated double-hour; "first five," "second five," and so on are the numbers of the stages.

• Suppose the work begins at the Zi hour on the seventeenth day of the fifth month and ends at the Si hour on the twentieth day: this is the first stage.
• It begins at the Wu hour on the twentieth day and ends at the Hai hour on the twenty-second day: this is the second stage.
• It begins at the Zi hour on the twenty-second day and ends at the Si hour on the twenty-fifth day: this is the third stage.
• It begins at the Wu hour on the twenty-fifth day and ends at the Hai hour on the twenty-seventh day: this is the fourth stage.
• It begins at the Zi hour on the twenty-seventh day and ends at the Si hour on the thirtieth day: this is the fifth stage.
• It begins at the Wu hour on the thirtieth day and ends at the Hai hour on the second day of the sixth month: this is the sixth stage.
• It begins at the Zi hour on the second day of the sixth month and ends at the Si hour on the fifth day of the sixth month.

From the Wu hour (午, 11:00–13:00) on the twenty-fifth day of the fifth month until the end of the Hai hour (亥, 21:00–23:00) on the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month is called "Four-Five" (四五).

From the Zi hour (子, 23:00–01:00) on the twenty-seventh day of the fifth month until the end of the Si hour (巳, 09:00–11:00) on the thirtieth day of the fifth month is called "Five-Five" (五五).

From the Wu hour on the thirtieth day of the fifth month until the end of the Hai hour on the second day of the sixth month is called "Six-Five" (六五).

From the Zi hour on the second day of the sixth month until the end of the Si hour on the fifth day of the sixth month is called "Retreating Six-Five" (退六五).

From the Wu hour on the fifth day of the sixth month until the end of the Hai hour on the seventh day of the sixth month is called "Retreating Five-Five" (退五五).

From the Zi hour on the seventh day of the sixth month until the end of the Si hour on the tenth day of the sixth month is called "Retreating Four-Five" (退四五).

From the Wu hour on the tenth day of the sixth month until the end of the Hai hour on the twelfth day of the sixth month is called "Retreating Three-Five" (退三五).

From the Zi hour on the twelfth day of the sixth month until the end of the Si hour on the fifteenth day of the sixth month is called "Retreating Two-Five" (退二五).

From the Wu hour on the fifteenth day of the sixth month until the end of the Hai hour on the seventeenth day of the sixth month is called "Retreating One-Five" (退一五).

Here, "Zi, Wu, Si, and Hai" are the names of hours within the twelve double-hours (shichen); "Four-Five," "Five-Five," "Six-Five," "Retreating Six-Five," and the like are specialized designations used in the original text, and their precise meanings must be judged in light of the surrounding passages of this scripture (Jing, 经).