《紫阳真人悟真篇三注》Vol. 1

Three Commentaries on the Awakening to Reality by Perfected Ziyang is a Daoist work of commentary on the Awakening to Reality. It is included in the “Scriptures on the Great Clarity and the Golden Elixir” category of the Chinese Daoist Canon.

The contents include the “Record of the Awakening to Reality,” a preface to the Awakening to Reality by Lu Ziye, a preface by Shangyangzi, and The Guide to the Awakening to Reality by Perfected Ziyang—an introductory guide to understanding the Awakening to Reality. The work is divided into five volumes. The first two volumes each contain eight seven-character regulated poems; the third and fourth each contain thirty-two seven-character quatrains. The fifth volume contains one five-character poem, twelve Xijiang Yue lyrics, one additional Xijiang Yue lyric, and five continuation quatrains. At the end are appended the “Postface by Perfected Ziyang” and the “Record of the Awakening to Reality.”

Master Zhang Pingshu—that is, Zhang Boduan, whose courtesy name was Pingshu and who practiced Neidan (internal alchemy)—was from Tiantai. In his youth, he pursued success in the imperial examinations. Later, he became implicated in a case, was convicted, and was demoted to military service in Lingnan. During the Zhiping era, my grandfather, Lord Longtu Shen, was commander in chief at Guilin. He kept Zhang in his staff, entrusting him with confidential affairs. Whenever my grandfather was transferred elsewhere, he took Zhang with him. After my grandfather died in Chengdu, Zhang traveled through the Qin and Long regions. Much later, in Hedong, he served Ma Chuhou of Fufeng.

When Ma Chuhou was summoned to take up an appointment, Zhang Pingshu gave him this book and said, “Everything I have learned in my life is in this book. I hope you will circulate it, so that those destined to encounter it may understand its meaning.” When Ma was serving as Vice Minister of Agriculture, Zhang Lütanfu of Nanyang was a registrar at a temple. Tanfu said, “I am the son-in-law of Lord Longtu.” Ma thought Tanfu could understand the methods of cultivation in the book and passed it on to him. Tanfu then gave it to my father, Lord Baowen. When I was young, I once read it secretly nearby, but could not understand it.

Later, when my father was in command of the Qin region, Wang Zhen, courtesy name Gunchen, who served in his staff, spoke of how his elder brother, Master Chongxi, had studied the Dao and met Liu Haichan, from whom he received the art of the Golden Elixir. Master Chongxi believed that few among those who cultivated the Dao in the world understood this path; Zhang Pingshu alone did. Completing the Great Dao is no easy matter, and success is difficult without powerful support. Master Chongxi later traveled to Luoyang to pay a visit to Fu Bi. Relying on Fu’s assistance, he was able to complete his cultivation.

At the time, I was young and full of energy. Though I had heard these accounts, I paid them little heed and did not know who Zhang Pingshu really was. Now that the years have advanced and my vigor has waned, I have begun to draw somewhat on the arts of the lineage of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi to nourish myself. Someone transmitted the art of the Golden Elixir to me, saying, “Shen (spirit) is the master of life, and the body is the dwelling place of Shen. The Dao preserves the spirit; methods strengthen the body. When the spirit is whole and the body firm, one can decide freely whether to leave this world or remain in it.”

Before the transmission, one must choose an auspicious day and establish vows and prohibitions. After passing on the teaching, that person said to me, “The Nine-Turn Golden Liquid Great Return Elixir, one of the highest attainments of Neidan, is a secret method held in the utmost regard by the sages of antiquity. It must not be revealed lightly. When each of you transmits it in the future, you must first keep the oath; you must also practice it yourself. Once your work is complete, choose carefully whom to teach. Only those who have practiced it firsthand can explain its essentials to later students, so that they can avoid danger when regulating the firing times and carrying out the methods. In this way, the principle of the wondrous perfection of body and spirit can be made clear. Transmissions throughout history have been governed by such agreements; those who break them will surely incur Heaven’s punishment. Was it not because Zhang Pingshu passed the method to unsuitable people that he met with calamity three times? You must cultivate diligently and never take this lightly.”

The person also explained that the book had been passed down by an extraordinary adept in Chengdu. Could that adept have been Liu Haichan? The difficulties Master Chongxi faced in refining the Elixir, and his view that few people who cultivated the Dao were worthy of recognition, with Zhang Pingshu the sole exception, agreed with what I had earlier heard from Gunchen. So I took up the book and read it, and only then understood its meaning. I also examined the Qinyuanchun poem attributed to Lü Dongbin and the poems of Liu Haichan that circulated in the world, and found not a single line at odds with the purpose of this book. From this, we can see that this teaching truly has a lineage.

Many people today delight in this book, but the wording differs considerably among the various editions. I suspect that after the book was first written, it was copied and circulated before it had been revised and polished. I once compared the texts and corrected more than twenty errors. The differences are especially clear in lines such as, “When you see the sprout emerge, gather it at once; when the full moon is past, it is no longer fit to taste.” Some editions instead read, “When Lead sees Gui arise, gather it at once; when Gold meets the waning moon, it is no longer fit to taste.” Clearly, technical terms from Elixir practice have been inserted into the poem. This shows that the versions in circulation are deficient in both wording and meaning. Another edition also includes a quatrain titled “Awakening to Suchness”; in my version, I have replaced it with the story of Ou Yezi forging a sword.

In the postface to the Wuzhen pian, Zhang Pingshu says: “The verses in the Wuzhen pian set out in full the subtle instructions concerning the Great Elixir, the medicines, the firing times, and so forth. Readers can follow the text to investigate their principles. Without these poems, how could one learn the wondrous principles by which Metal and Wood are refined and transformed? Because the principles are concise while their meaning is profound, I wrote this work to bring the undertaking to completion. Thus the purpose of Metal and Wood returning to their source can be made clear; once the Great Elixir has been refined, the Sacred Embryo—the attainment in Neidan symbolizing a life transformed into sanctity—can be formed. Those who study the Dao should know that, though this book has spread widely, only the copy kept by my family is authentic, because Zhang Pingshu transmitted it in person. Though I obtained the book, my strength and resolve are insufficient. I hope to find people of like mind with whom to complete the cultivation.” Thus he entrusted the book to later generations.

When the Dao of Yin-Yang loses its proper principle, it degenerates into muddle and disorder. The methods of cultivation concerning the Nine and One, and the like, have countless names and branches. Perfected Peng said, “People in the world do not understand the root of the Great Dao, so all they follow are side paths and narrow trails. These many methods stray from the right path, violate the order of Heaven, and depart from the ultimate truth. They go against the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and entirely miss the meaning of Laozi. They seek longevity, yet end up damaging life.” Master Zhongli also said, “The gate through which life is born is precisely the door through which I die.” These words carry profound meaning. The worthy have spoken plainly, yet few in later generations have been able to take up and understand their teaching. Why? Because people cultivate while clinging to their own ideas, and so a thousand paths and byways all become side paths.

Out of compassion, the immortals have directly pointed out that one must seek the source from which life first arose. Is this not a revelation of Heaven’s secret? People in the world come into being through karmic consciousness and depart through karmic consciousness. Once the precelestial Yang Qi (vital energy) has drained away, the body may be that of a man, but within it there is only Yin Qi. If one clings solely to one’s individual body in cultivation, how can one restore the original source and return to the root? If one cannot return to the root and restore the origin, how can one restore Yang and transform the bones?

Therefore, great practitioners seeking precelestial true Lead—a Neidan term for original Qi—must search at the source where life first received Qi and the body took form. Only then can they obtain the precelestial Qi of the One, restore the original source, and return to the root. Men and women who cultivate should both follow this principle. For women seeking immortality, the breasts are where life-generating Qi resides, making the method simpler. Thus men seeking immortality are said to “refine Qi,” while women seeking immortality are said to “refine the body.” A woman first gathers Qi in the breasts, then establishes the cauldron and furnace—the bodily and mental conditions for Neidan cultivation—and practices the method of Taiyin body refinement. The Dao is more readily attained in this way, and it holds its own mysteries.

During the Xuanhe era, Lü Dongbin traveled through Wuxing and met a courtesan named Zhang Zhennu. She was beautiful, with a calm and unadorned nature. Though caught up in the world of courtesans, each night she bathed, changed her clothes, burned incense, and prayed earnestly to Heaven to be freed from that life as soon as possible. Lü Dongbin transformed himself into a scholar and went to visit her. Zhennu saw his distinguished bearing and treated him with great respect. They talked pleasantly, after which the scholar departed lightly. He returned the next day, and things went as before. This continued for more than a month, yet they never had sexual relations.

Zhang Zhennu said, “You have honored me with your visits for so long, yet never stay the night. Is it because you consider my station too low for me to serve you?” The scholar replied, “That is not so. What matters is that our hearts understand one another; why must things be done that way? Besides, you pray to Heaven every night. What is it you hope to gain?” Zhennu answered, “Having lost my virtue in this place, what other wish could I have? I think only of how, after entering this profession, I dress in heavy makeup and finery, passing falsehood off as truth, singing songs of passion while disguising sorrow as joy. I am merely flesh and blood, using a false appearance to beguile others. I often regret that people do not know how to value themselves: they pass my door, see me beautiful as a flower, and become infatuated, unable to let me go. This not only makes them squander their money, but often costs them their lives. Though I welcome people with a false appearance and false affection, I feel deeply guilty. So I pray to Heaven day and night, hoping to leave this path as soon as I can.”

The scholar asked, “With such an aspiration, why not study the Dao?” Zhennu said, “How can I find a teacher while I am trapped here?” The scholar replied, “What if I became your teacher?” Zhennu immediately bowed to him. The scholar said, “Come see me again, and then I will transmit the teaching.” With that, he left.

Zhennu longed day and night for him to return, but he did not appear. Regretful, she wrote: “I met my teacher long ago, but he spoke no secret instructions. When shall we sit facing one another as we did before? I regret that those good hours passed in vain; even now, the thought leaves me troubled.” Before she had finished writing, the scholar suddenly arrived and added: “The Dao’s method has no special trick. I give you just one instruction: after the Zi hour and before the Wu hour, sit quietly in meditation; let Qi travel up the spine, pass through the two gates, and reach Kunlun above. Focus your attention and you will gain power; also remember me constantly.”

Zhennu was overjoyed, and Lü Dongbin then transmitted to her the Great Elixir method of Taiyin body refinement. Afterward, her Shen and Qi were abundant, as though she had awakened completely. Lü Dongbin secretly transmitted many other methods to her as well, which Zhennu told no one. At their parting, she wrote the lyric “Stepping to the Moon Palace”:

“Kan and Li, Kun and Dui divide the Zi and Wu; recognize clearly your own ancestor. Earth’s thunder shakes, and rain falls from the mountain’s peak: wash away the dust and let the yellow sprout break through the soil. Seize the essence of Metal and seal it fast; distinguish Jia from Geng, and the Dragon and Tiger will be born. When others ask who taught you, simply say your teacher’s surname is Lü.”

Only then did Zhennu understand that her teacher was Lü Dongbin. Before transmitting the Dao’s methods, one should first determine whether the recipient is suited to cultivation, and only then teach them. The methods should not be passed on casually even to someone with a fortune of ten thousand households, nor even to one’s own father or son. Carelessly revealing the methods brings calamity upon oneself, extends misfortune to one’s clan, brings disaster upon the household, and leaves one’s descendants ill-fated. It may also invite many forms of retribution, even sinking one into the depths of the Nine Earths, where one remains unable to be reborn for a long time. Never take this lightly.

On the Mid-Autumn day of the Yichou year, the fifth year of the Qiandao era, Sun Xueshi respectfully recorded this.

The preface titled “Lu Ziye’s Commentary on the Wuzhen Pian,” found at the beginning of *Three Commentaries on the Wuzhen Pian by the Perfected Ziyang*, states that the key to cultivating the Golden Elixir lies in a person’s intentions and whether they have grasped the true path. A person of integrity may practice methods that seem deviant, yet ultimately return to what is right. A crooked person may practice methods that seem correct, yet ultimately put the true method to crooked use. Even a slight deviation can lead far astray.

The Dao described here is the Dao of Yin-Yang joining together. By mastering its method, one can cultivate life and live beyond the ordinary human span. Though everyone encounters the principles of Yin-Yang in daily life, people often fail to understand them and instead become trapped in desire and deception. Nothing in the world is separate from Yin-Yang; this includes the union of man and woman that leads to procreation. When practitioners of the immortals’ way say, “Following it, one becomes human; reversing it, one makes the mother of the Elixir,” they mean that following the ordinary course of Yin-Yang gives rise to human life, while reversing its operation is used to cultivate the Golden Elixir.

The preface says that this method is simple in essence, but the Elixir classics often express it through metaphor rather than explaining it directly. They do so not to conceal it deliberately, but because they fear that people will disbelieve it and slander it instead. The Upper Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger uses a magnet drawing iron across an obstruction as a metaphor, showing that things separated from one another can still respond to each other unseen. The Cantong qi says that if the myriad things lacked Yin-Yang, they would violate the fundamental origin of the Dao of Heaven; a hen sitting on eggs alone cannot produce a fully formed chick. Those who study the Dao should grasp the intent behind these metaphors.

The author says that after devoting himself to this Dao for many years, he eventually met a sage teacher. A single remark from the teacher helped him understand that the subtle principle was right before his eyes. When he consulted the Elixir classics again, many of his doubts suddenly cleared. He believes that the Jing and Qi in the human body and mind, which are easily dissipated, are like mercury that is difficult to control. Without “true lead”—a Neidan term for the essential factor that regulates and gathers Jing and Qi—to bring them into balance so they can join and congeal into the “sacred embryo,” the achievement of Neidan cultivation, life will be spent and weakened year by year until the body is exhausted.

The Wuzhen Pian says, “Do not use artifice and contrivance as your labor; recognize the deathless formula of the other family.” This counsels people not to rely on clever contrivances, but to seek the true way to long life. “In the pot, keep adding the wine that prolongs life; in the cauldron, gather the broth that restores the soul.” The pot, cauldron, wine, and broth are metaphors for preserving and gathering the vital Jing and Qi in cultivation. The poem also says, “Know that the gate of death is the gate of life; do not insist that the gate of life is called the gate of death.” This means that in cultivation one must understand the transformations of Yin-Yang and cannot judge life and death by names alone. Only by understanding how opposites give rise to one another can one see that forces which seem harmful may also contain the seed of life. The author believes these two poems have already revealed the essentials of Elixir cultivation in broad outline.

He praises the far-reaching intent of the Perfected Ziyang, and laments that people often take the true Dao for falsehood and so miss it even when it is right before them. The author says that he received his teacher’s oral instructions and has gained some understanding of the approach, but believes the real difficulty lies in weak resolve and failure to practice consistently. He cites Ge Hong, known as Baopuzi, as an example: even if one knows this Dao, poverty at home and a lack of the necessary means can make cultivation difficult, leaving one only to sigh. This shows that the Dao requires both understanding and practical cultivation; the two should not be confused.

The author also recounts that when the Perfected Yaolin transmitted the Dao to Chan Master Daoguang, he instructed him to go to a prosperous city and rely on capable people in order to accomplish the task. Daoguang followed this teaching, taking off his monastic robes and dressing as a layman so that he could carry it out. The author uses this story to show that cultivation requires practical conditions.

Finally, the author says that he has ventured to write a commentary on the Wuzhen Pian, hoping that perceptive people who share his aims will read it and understand the subtle Dao. If someone of limited insight, attached to names and appearances, rashly interprets this method of cultivation as “Three Peaks Copulation and Absorption”—a sexual technique based on men and women having intercourse to absorb and replenish vital forces—that would be as regrettable as Confucius weeping over the death of the qilin or Bian He mourning because his fine jade was mistaken for an ordinary stone.

The body can be preserved through the Dao, and life can be prolonged through methods. These two statements already sum up the purpose of Golden Elixir cultivation. The Old Immortal of the Southern Flower, Zhuangzi, said, “Fish forget one another in rivers and lakes; people forget one another in the ways of human life and in its methods.” Laozi said, “Those of highest De act through Wuwei, without even intending to act; those of lesser De act, and know that they are doing so.”

Highest De means that Neidan, the alchemical practice grounded in body and mind, is not depleted; thus the body is preserved through the Dao. Lesser De means employing Waidan, alchemical methods that use external substances either to refine elixirs or to aid cultivation; thus life is prolonged through methods. Anyone who wishes to become a celestial immortal must cultivate both the inner and outer.

What is the “Dao”? It is like governing a state. When all under Heaven is at peace and the country has no troubles, a sage teaches the people through the Dao of Wuwei. Even if wise counselors and able generals are present, there is no need to call on them. What are “methods”? When all under Heaven is in turmoil and wars go on without end, how could ordinary people restore order without wise counselors and able generals?

The human body is the same. At birth, Shen and Qi are complete and undivided. If they continue to be nurtured through the Dao, one may attain longevity; such a person belongs to those of highest De. But if, in adulthood, Qi is abundant and one indulges one’s desires, how can life be prolonged without the support of Waidan methods? Those who truly understand this way know that the Dao is the root and methods are its application. To use methods to realize the Dao is like relying on worthy and capable people to bring peace to a state.

By “methods” I do not mean minor tricks, but the principles of change in Yin-Yang between Heaven and Earth, through which life continually renews itself. Follow these principles, and they give life and nurture the myriad things and human beings: this is the path that accords with Heaven and Earth. Reverse the ordinary course, and one may become an immortal or a Buddha: this is the Golden Elixir Way, which precedes the transformations of Heaven and Earth. This is the kind of method meant here. Thus, when sages of successive generations transmitted the Dao, they relied on methods passed down through a teacher to assist its practice. The Changes is a method transmitted by Fuxi, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius. Hence it says, “The alternation of Yin and Yang is called the Dao.” Confucius also said, “Use this method with care, and nothing will be lost.” In Buddhism, the word “Dharma” also carries the sense of method and technique. The Huayan Treatise says that many skillful methods can increase wisdom and compassion. The subtle Dao transmitted by the Yellow Emperor and Laozi was also called a “method.” This means that the Yellow Emperor and Laozi attained the Great Dao through it. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are one family; in essence, they do not teach two different Daos.

The poems, lyrics, songs, and chapters of the Awakening to Reality, composed by the Perfected Person of Ziyang from Tiantai, explain the methods of the Golden Elixir, by which one preserves the Dao of long life and enduring vision. In his preface, the Perfected Person says that the Yellow Emperor and Laozi took pity on people’s attachment to worldly life. They first used methods of nourishing life to meet people’s desires, then gradually guided them into the Dao. Ziye’s preface also says, “When an upright person practices a deviant method, even that method will return to what is right.” These words grasp the heart of the matter.

The Jing, Qi, and Shen used in Golden Elixir cultivation are called the “Golden Elixir.” Though these principles have been explained in full, few people in the world truly understand them. The commentaries by Chan Master Daoguang and Perfected Lu make them very clear, yet without investigating the transformations of Yin-Yang, one still cannot understand them. Outsiders dismiss this as a deviant path, even slanderously calling it the “Three Peaks sexual arts.” This is truly regrettable.

The Dao is difficult to transmit for three reasons. First, people of the highest capacity, when they fail to meet a true teacher, fall into emptiness and stillness or into reckless abandon. Second, people of ordinary capacity, stubbornly relying on themselves without a teacher, make wild interpretations based on guesswork. Third, foolish people of the lowest capacity follow the crowd and do not believe that the Dao exists in the world. What good is there in people like Ye Wenshu and Yuan Gongfu making commentaries based on their own conjectures, then citing old words from immortal scriptures to support them, with the result that they confuse truth and falsehood and fail to distinguish the good from the bad?

When Zhixu first heard Master Zhao expound the Dao, he did not dare think himself satisfied. Later, he met an old immortal of Qingcheng, who transmitted secret instructions to him. Only then did he understand the principle of Yin-Yang transformation: “Follow the course, and one becomes human; reverse it, and one becomes immortal.” He had no further doubts. As for the moon’s course, the emergence of Yang at the Geng position, and the mysteries of the firing process—the rules for managing the advances and retreats of Yin-Yang and the timing of alchemical work—the teachings of the old immortal of Qingcheng were the most precise and easy to put into practice. Now I no longer keep these teachings hidden. After each chapter of the Awakening to Reality, I have written a few lines to clarify further what the families of Xue and Lu preserved but did not fully explain, so that later readers will not be left in doubt.

Few in the world believe in and practice the Dao. No book comes as close to the heart of the Golden Elixir Way, or speaks of it as earnestly, as the Awakening to Reality. What it teaches was personally transmitted by Chunyang and Haichan; the words of old immortals such as Chongyang and Danyang also accord with it. Practitioners such as Xinglin, Daoguang, Nimian, and Ziqing passed it down from generation to generation, all using it to cultivate and realize the immortal Way. People have heard so much that they have grown tired of it. Even when a three-foot-tall child knows the principles, people still often ridicule them. They have given the matter too little thought.

The old immortal of Qingcheng transmitted the true instructions to me, then charged me, saying, “In time, lords and high officials will come to you seeking a teacher. The Dao cannot be hidden away without limit, nor can it be disclosed indiscriminately. How can you tell whether those who come seeking the Dao are sincere? I have a method of testing them, which can reveal the truth. I now transmit it to you, like panning gold from sand.” After receiving my teacher’s instructions, I felt such reverence that I dared not grow careless even in sleep or at meals. At first, I transmitted the Dao to Marquis Tian. Later, Zhiyangzi traveled widely through Yelang, Koushui, Yuanzhi, Chenyang, Jingnan, the two E regions, Changsha, Lushan, and the lands on both banks of the Yangtze, transmitting it to more than a hundred people. But he taught them only the principle of “preserving the body through the Dao.” Of a hundred people, fewer than two or three could be taught the secret of “prolonging life through methods.” This is not because I presume to choose arbitrarily; it is simply that people differ in the sharpness or dullness of their capacities.

I have therefore written these words here in the hope that all who hear of the Dao will strive to advance in their practice. How marvelous! Even a precious jade bi placed before a chariot drawn by four horses is worth less than sitting quietly to cultivate and advance along this Dao.

The most important thing in cultivating immortality is to grasp the essential formulae. Even a dull person in this world can enter the realm of the sages if they obtain subtle instructions. Why? Because they hold firm to their conviction, remain free of doubt, and have the courage to put the teachings into practice. However priceless the treasures a student of the Dao may possess, they are worth less than sitting down to devote oneself to cultivating the Great Dao.

Without the instructions of a true master, students of the Dao often lose heart before they begin. Others speak of nature and life, Chan and its teachings, on the basis of guesses and imaginings, displaying nothing more than verbal cleverness. Who remembers that the Wuzhen Pian already contains these lines: “Even if you fully awaken to your true nature, you may still have to leave this body and take birth in another. How much better to cultivate the Great Medicine as well, transcend the realm of leakage and dissipation in a single stroke, and become a perfected person?” Here, the “Great Medicine” is a term from Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the root of Jing, Qi, and Shen sought through refinement and cultivation. “Without leakage” means no longer losing or dissipating them, and thus attaining release from the cycle of life and death.

Thus, although the three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—follow different paths, in the end they converge. In study and practice, one should first understand one’s nature, then cultivate life. To cultivate life without understanding nature is incomplete; the Great Medicine must begin with nature if it is to be the true Golden Elixir. Conversely, those who understand nature alone may still know nothing of the mystery of the Mysterious Female, the source where Yin and Yang unite and the Elixir is conceived. Many people in the world awaken to their nature but do not understand the cultivation of life. The poem therefore calls them “followers of the Four Fruits”: they have reached only the realm of the Buddhist śrāvaka who attains one of the four fruits, without grasping the higher teaching of Bodhidharma, the patriarch revered by the Chan school. Later, fools reversed the order and claimed that one should seek to understand nature only after cultivating life. This claim is truly deceptive and misleading.

In recent times, some reckless people have also forged hymns of praise and appended them to the Wuzhen Pian, including more than forty Chan hymns such as “Reading the Collected Writings of the Patriarch” and “Reading the Cantong Qi.” Their language is crude, and they do nothing to illuminate one’s nature. It is said that ignorant beginners copied these obscure and muddled passages from one another and used them to delude the world. I have now removed them so that they will not defile this mysterious and subtle classic. Those people had not studied the writings of Perfected Ziyang deeply and did not understand how they probe the Great Dao and reveal the workings of creation. The Perfected One’s verses, such as “First take Heaven and Earth as the vessel; then gather the medicines of the Crow and Rabbit and cook them,” and “When Lead meets Gui and is born, the two substances come together,” express a sublime vision. How could those with shallow understanding comprehend them?

In his preface, the Perfected One says, “Though the teachings are divided into three, the Dao returns to one.” Yet in later generations, Daoist priests and Buddhist monks each guarded their own tradition and rejected the others. As a result, the fundamental aims of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism were obscured by false teachings and could not be brought together as one. When I formerly served in the Central Secretariat, I was devoted to learning the Dao, but often wondered whether immortals and Buddhas followed separate paths, and whether nature and life belonged to different ways. Later, with my master’s guidance, I came to understand that there are not two Great Daos in the world. Without a master’s direction, many teachings are nothing but empty talk.

I have read widely across the classics and examined them closely, and found more than thirty sets of commentaries on the Wuzhen Pian. Some commentators put the teachings into practice and understood them deeply; others understood the principles but did not practice them. Some entered the tradition by paying their respects to a master, yet did not understand the firing process. Some grasped the general meaning but did not know where to begin. Others wrote commentaries on their own, without a clear-sighted master’s guidance, and seriously misconstrued the original intent. As the Perfected One said, students understand according to their respective capacities, and so the three vehicles naturally arise.

I have now brought together the commentaries of the Xue, Lu, and Chen families and had them printed and circulated. Their views accord and their aims are consistent; they can truly serve as a stepping-stone for later students. Later generations have offered various accounts of the origins of the Wuzhen Pian, and some have told their own stories of how they obtained the text. These accounts are not reliable. Some say that three stars appeared mysteriously in a city wall before the Perfected One was born into the world; others claim that after his remains were burned, hundreds or even thousands of relics were found. These are fabricated tales and should not be believed. If clear-minded people accept these teachings and practice accordingly, both the Immortal Way and Buddhist principles can be verified.

Written by Zhang Shihong, Minister of Works.

Alas, a human body is hard to obtain, while time passes all too easily. If we do not cultivate ourselves and awaken in time, how can we escape karmic retribution? If we do not examine ourselves early, but merely leave everything to fate, then at the moment of death a single mistaken thought may cast us into the three evil realms—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals—where we will endure long eons with little hope of escape. By then, even regret will come too late.

For this reason, Laozi and Buddhism alike opened accessible paths through the study of nature and life, teaching people to cultivate themselves in the hope of escaping birth and death. Buddhism takes emptiness and stillness as its foundation. If one can awaken completely and understand thoroughly, one can directly transcend birth and death and reach the Other Shore. But if habitual tendencies and afflictions have not been fully eradicated, one remains bound by a body subject to birth. Daoism makes refinement and cultivation its central aim. If one grasps the key, one can attain the state of a sage; if one has not understood one’s original nature, one remains caught in an illusory form.

The Book of Changes speaks of pursuing the principles of things to their limits, fully understanding one’s nature, and reaching the Mandate of Heaven. The Analects records Confucius saying that one should not make baseless guesses, act arbitrarily, cling stubbornly to one’s own views, or put oneself first. These teachings all touch on the profound principles of nature and life. Confucius, however, spoke briefly and did not elaborate. Because he focused on setting human relationships in order and advancing benevolence, righteousness, ritual, and music, he did not speak directly of the Dao of Wuwei (non-action). Instead, he entrusted the methods for cultivating life to the hexagrams of the Changes and wove the methods for cultivating nature into subtle words. Zhuangzi’s inquiry into escaping the burdens of external things and attaining free and easy wandering, and Mencius’s teaching on nourishing the vast, flowing Qi (vital energy), also approach this central aim.

During the Han and Wei periods, Wei Boyang drew on the Book of Changes and its principles of Yin-Yang union to write the Cantong qi, explaining the method of refining the Great Elixir. In the Tang, National Master Zhong cited Laozi and Zhuangzi at the beginning of his recorded sayings, revealing the foundation and lineage of the highest Dao. This shows that although teachings are divided into three schools, their principles can ultimately be traced to one source. Sadly, in later generations, Confucians, Buddhists, and Daoists each guarded their own domains and rejected one another. Their sectarian views obscured the central teachings of all three schools and prevented them from being integrated.

People today believe that the Daoist tradition focuses on cultivating life, but they do not know that there are two kinds of methods for doing so: one is easy to encounter but difficult to succeed with; the other is difficult to encounter but easy to bring to completion. Refining the Qi of the Five Sprouts, absorbing the light of the Seven Luminaries, visualization and massage, inhaling the pure and exhaling the turbid, reciting scriptures and holding incantations, spraying water and shouting over talismans, clicking the teeth to gather the spirit, abstaining from sex and food, visualizing the spirit and holding the breath, concentrating between the eyebrows, replenishing the brain and returning Jing (essence), practicing sexual techniques, and ingesting and refining minerals, metals, plants, and trees—all belong to methods that are easy to encounter but difficult to succeed with. Most of them do not reach the root of cultivating the body. However much effort one expends, their effects are hard to see. Diligent practice may help ward off illness and prevent unexpected calamities; once practice stops, its benefits gradually fade. To delay year after year in this way makes true success difficult. It is exceedingly hard, and regrettable, to expect such methods to bring lasting attainment, restore youth, or transform and ascend.

Practitioners in recent times often cling to these methods. Not understanding the true meaning of the wondrous teaching, they instead complain that the words of the immortals cannot be trusted. They do not know that all who attained the Dao did so by refining the Golden Elixir. The immortals feared revealing Heaven’s secrets, so they used various accounts as disguises. Among these methods, only breath-holding, if practiced by forgetting the calculating mind and clearing away distracting thoughts, resembles the seated meditation of the Lesser Vehicle of Buddhism. With diligent practice, one can enter samadhi and send forth the spirit. But the spirit belongs to Yin, and the body is difficult to preserve for long, so one must continually move from one temporary dwelling to another. Without mastering the Way of returning mercury and lead, how could one restore Yang, change one’s bones, and ascend to Heaven in broad daylight?

Refining the liquid elixir and returning it to the body is a method that is difficult to encounter but easy to bring to completion. Practitioners must thoroughly understand Yin-Yang and transformation before they can bring the two Qi into union at the Yellow Path, gather the Three Natures in the Primordial Palace, assemble the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and harmonize the Four Forms. They must make the dragon roar and the tiger howl, with Yin and Yang responding to one another; then, as though boiling broth in a jade cauldron and stoking a fierce fire in a golden furnace, they bring the Mysterious Pearl to form and return the Great One to its true state. The entire work takes only a brief moment, yet it brings endless joy for all time.

As for guarding against danger and carefully regulating the advance and retreat, increase and decrease of the firing process, and nurturing upright Qi so that it remains full, the key lies in holding to the feminine and embracing the One. In this way, Yang Qi is born again and the Yin form recedes. When the period of refinement is complete, one sheds the womb and undergoes spiritual transformation; one’s name is entered in the registers of the immortals and one receives the title of Perfected Person. This is the moment when a great man has completed his work and made his name.

Some practitioners today take lead and mercury to mean the two Qi of Yin and Yang, assign the Five Phases to the organs, divide the heart and kidneys into Kan and Li, call the liver and lungs the dragon and tiger, describe spirit and Qi as mother and child, and take bodily fluids for lead and mercury. They do not understand the rising and sinking of Yin and Yang, nor can they distinguish host from guest. It is like claiming someone else’s property as one’s own, or calling a child of another family one’s own son. How could they understand the subtlety of Metal overcoming Wood or the key to Yin and Yang working through one another? Their practice is like the sun and moon straying from their courses, or lead and mercury being placed in separate furnaces. They are far from achieving the returned Elixir.

From childhood I drew close to the Daoist tradition and read widely in the scriptures of the three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. I also studied law, writing and arithmetic, medicine and divination, military strategy, astronomy, geography, and the arts of discerning fortune, misfortune, life, and death. Yet when it came to the method of the Golden Elixir, even after reading every kind of classic, song, poem, treatise, and commentary on elixirs, I found only accounts of how the sun’s soul and moon’s spirit, the Geng tiger and Jia dragon, mercury and cinnabar, white metal and black tin, and the Kan male and Li female are refined into the liquid elixir and returned. None explained what true lead and true mercury actually are, or described the rules of the firing process, the methods of nurturing, or the goal of cultivation.

Later, confused people made arbitrary conjectures and freely annotated the classics of the ancient sages, producing mistake after mistake. This not only disturbs the immortal scriptures but also misleads later students. I had not met a truly realized person and could not find anyone to impart the oral instructions, so I was restless in both sleep and waking and worn down in spirit. Though I traveled through mountains and rivers and sought instruction from both learned people and ordinary folk, no one could make me understand the true teaching or illuminate my heart.

Later, in the year Jiyou of the Xining era, I accompanied Lord Lu of the Dragon-Chart Bureau to Chengdu. My aspiration to seek the Dao had never changed, and my sincerity had grown still more earnest. At last, my devotion moved a Perfected Person to transmit the substances of the Golden Elixir and the oral instructions on the firing process. His words were concise and direct, yet went straight to the heart of the matter. They enabled me to trace the stream back to its source: from hearing a little, I understood much, as though mist had cleared and the sun appeared, or dust had been wiped away and a mirror shone bright. Compared with the immortal scriptures, his teaching was in complete accord with them.

I thought of the many people in the world who study the path of immortality, and of how few truly understand its central teaching. Having received the true transmission, how could I dare to keep it hidden? So I set down what I had learned in eighty-one regulated poems and titled the work Awakening to Reality. Of these, sixteen seven-character quatrains in regulated verse express the number sixteen; sixty-four quatrains correspond to the sixty-four hexagrams of the Book of Changes; and one five-character poem symbolizes the Great One. Later, I added twelve poems in the Moon Over the West River form, corresponding to the cycle of the year. The relative roles of the cauldron and vessel, the proportions of the ingredients, the advances and retreats of the firing process, the order of host and guest, being and nonbeing, existence and extinction, good fortune and misfortune, and obstruction and difficulty are all included.

After completing the work, I felt that it spoke chiefly of nourishing life and securing the body, without fully exploring the original, awakened nature. So I continued studying Buddhist texts and the Records of the Transmission of the Lamp. When I read of a patriarch awakening upon hearing the sound of a bamboo being struck, I wrote thirty-two eulogies, poems, songs, and pieces in mixed forms and appended them to the end of the scroll. I hoped in this way to express the teachings of understanding the root and clarifying one’s nature as well. May those who share this aspiration read the work and, from awakening to the lesser, come to understand the root, relinquishing the false and returning to the real.

Written on New Year’s Day of the Yimao year in the Xining era of the Great Song, by Zhang Boduan Ping Shu of Tiantai.

If one refuses to seek the Great Dao and find a way out of delusion, then however outstanding one’s talents may be, how can one be called a true great person?

A hundred years pass in a flash, like a spark from a fire; the circumstances of a whole life are as brief as a bubble on water. People think only of grasping office, salary, honor, and success, while neglecting the gradual wasting and decline of their body and mind. Tell me: even if one amassed gold in mountains, could it buy freedom from death and eternal life?

Xue Daoguang said: “Meeting a true enlightened master is the hardest thing. Cultivating the Great Dao to completion, however, is not as difficult as people imagine. If, today, one can use one’s standing as a senior official to befriend fellow practitioners of the Dao who refine the Elixir, then, in an exceedingly short time, one can refine an Elixir as small as a grain of millet and attain the Dao at once. This is what it means to say that ‘attaining the Dao is easy.’”

Xue Daoguang also said: “High officials and nobles may hold lofty positions and possess great wealth, and their households may be imposing and secluded. Yet they often drive those who possess the Dao to keep their distance. This is precisely why meeting an enlightened master is so difficult. Conversely, some people live in poverty and wander alone across the land, yet have long since laid the foundations for cultivating the Dao and have personally received its transmission. Still, the Dragon and Tiger—the Yin-Yang or Water and Fire within the body, in the language of Neidan—are difficult to harmonize, and the lock on the knife and measure, the small but essential quantity of ingredients or Elixir in alchemical terminology, is difficult to open. Though they obtain the medicine, they do not know how to continue refining the lead ingredient, and so attaining the Dao remains difficult. This, in turn, shows that meeting an enlightened master is easy, while truly cultivating the Great Dao to completion is hard. How could both things ever fall into place at once? This is precisely when one should secretly investigate the Mysterious Pass, the crucial opening in Neidan practice. Is this not a rare opportunity, one that comes once in a thousand years and surpasses the Ten Continents and Three Islands, the legendary abodes of immortals?”

When the Immortal Elder traveled through Chengdu, he met the Elder of Qingcheng and received the wondrous teaching of the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir, a method of Neidan cultivation. He marveled that completing the Elixir was no difficult matter…

The elder of Chengyuan grasped the wondrous Dao of the Golden Elixir of Returning the Elixir (a method of Daoist internal alchemy that refines and nurtures Jing and Qi to form the “Golden Elixir”). He marveled that refining the elixir was not difficult, and so composed this poem to make friends with fellow cultivators of the Elixir. The poem’s final section says: “Tell me, can gold and silver piled up like mountains buy back the life that impermanence has taken away?” The words are heartfelt. The meaning is that even if someone offered jade treasures as gifts and came seeking the Dao in a four-horse carriage, that would be no match for quietly cultivating this Way. The immortal elder has long since departed, like waters flowing past lofty mountains, with few who can understand his music.

Ziye said: “The Dao does not let people down; people let down the Dao.”

Shangyangzi said: “Since ancient times, sages and worthies have revered the Dao and cherished De. What is the Dao? It is the foundation from which the primordial Qi (the original vital energy that existed before Heaven and Earth were formed) moves and brings creation into being. What is De? It is the accumulation of meritorious deeds and the nurturing of primordial Qi, through which one becomes a sage or worthy. In ancient times, people of insight first cultivated De, and the sages of old were certain to hear the Dao first. No one who had not heard the Dao was ever called a sage, and no one who had not cultivated De was ever called a worthy. If someone has already been called worthy but does not devote themselves to cultivating the wondrous Dao, they will ultimately perish just like an ordinary person and cannot be called a great man.

“A hundred years of glory and wealth vanish in an instant. Even a house filled with gold and jade cannot escape death. Those whose achievements rival Han Xin’s and whose wealth surpasses Shi Chong’s only ruin themselves if they endanger their lives and cast them aside in pursuit of fame and riches. Thus the Jing says: ‘The true essence of the Dao can be used to cultivate oneself; its derivative applications can be used to govern the state, and then the world.’ Those who cultivate De are called worthy; those who accumulate possessions are foolish. When the foolish are also wealthy, their karmic offenses grow grave; even if the worthy are poor, their offenses are slight. This is the principle of Heaven’s cycle of retribution. The immortal elder pitied the world’s foolishness and greed for wealth, which lead people to accumulate offenses. So he wrote this book, beginning with this poem to urge people to honor and cultivate the supreme Dao.

“Even if people hope to live to a hundred, they cannot know in advance how long their lives will be or whether their circumstances will prosper or decline.

“Yesterday, someone was galloping on horseback through the streets; today, they lie dead in a coffin.

“Once a wife and possessions have been left behind, they are no longer one’s own. At life’s end, one departs carrying one’s karmic offenses and cannot deceive oneself.

“If you do not seek the Great Medicine—the Golden Elixir of internal alchemy—how can you hope to encounter it? To encounter it and then fail to cultivate it is truly foolish.”

Daoguang said: Auspicious beings such as the qilin and phoenix are rarely seen in this world; immortals, too, are not often seen. To see through the body’s impermanence—as fleeting as a dream, a bubble, or a shadow—and escape the suffering of birth, aging, illness, and death is exceedingly rare in human life. When you meet a teacher on the path of seeking the Dao and receive the essential instructions from them, you should begin your cultivation at once; even then, it may already be too late. In the final stanza of this poem, the Immortal Elder also says: “If you do not seek the Great Medicine, how can you hope to encounter it? If you encounter it but do not cultivate, you are foolish.” He repeats this admonition with heartfelt earnestness. Those of us who have not yet heard the teachings of the Dao should seek a teacher immediately. And those who have already met one—how can they sit idly by? They should gather the “millet grain” (the subtle vital essence or seed of the elixir in Neidan cultivation) in an instant, preserve it for nine years, and attain the state of the “hollow immortal” (an immortal who values emptiness, purity, and Wuwei). Let the heart contain the Great Void, let the spirit roam to the farthest reaches in all eight directions, reveal a glimpse of the purple-cloud realm of immortals, and face the immortals’ trials at Xuandu (a fabled Daoist paradise). Do not let Perfected Xu Xun alone leave a shining name in the Jin dynasty.

Ziye said: “Knowing the principle is not difficult; putting it into practice is truly difficult.” How incisive these words are.

Master Shangyang says: The scriptures tell us that a long human life is a hundred years, an average one eighty, and a short one sixty. Once worries, illness, and funerals are taken into account, a person has only four or five truly carefree days in a month. People in the world are always chasing fame and wealth, thinking they can enjoy them forever. Who would imagine that death might come at any moment?

I often sigh over the foolishness of people in the world. In this life, they think not only of themselves but rush to make plans for their wives and children, doing everything they can to gain wealth and status. Yet once they die, their wives may remarry, and their property may pass to the new husband. Who would think that the former husband might by then be suffering karmic retribution in hell? As the Immortal Elder says: “Once your wife and wealth are left behind, they no longer belong to you. When the sins you have committed come due, you cannot deceive yourself.” These words are full of compassion: they are meant only to encourage people to cultivate the Dao and escape the cycle of rebirth.

How many people with lofty ambitions and a high opinion of themselves have already met a wise master and been given the chance to receive direct instruction in the Great Dao, yet still want to wait until they have achieved fame and fulfilled their wishes before refining the Golden Elixir? In the blink of an eye, Heaven grants them no more time, and it is too late for regret. Is this not foolishness? Alas, those who have not yet heard of the Great Dao should hurry to seek a wise master; those who have heard of it should seek a method for cultivating the Golden Elixir. No one can know whether their life will be long or short. Only by letting go of attachment at once, abandoning foolishness, and trusting and following the teaching can a person be called wise and worthy.

Although learning to become an immortal means cultivating the way of the Celestial Immortals, the most essential and proper path is the Golden Elixir alone.

When Yin and Yang meet, feeling and nature come together; when the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are all present, the Dragon and Tiger coil around one another. “Dragon and Tiger” are symbolic terms in Golden Elixir cultivation for the two forces of Yin and Yang.

Wu and Ji, corresponding to Earth, serve as the medium through which the two are joined as husband and wife. Thus the Yin-Yang couple remains harmoniously united in lasting joy. Marriage is used here as a metaphor for the union of Yin and Yang in cultivation.

Once cultivation is complete, one goes to pay audience at the Northern Gate—the imperial palace, also a figure for the heavenly court—and ascends by phoenix carriage amid the radiance of the Ninefold Rosy Clouds.

Dao Guang says: Immortals have several ranks. The Yin Spirit—a soul-spirit without visible form, yet endowed with numinous efficacy—is potent but has no body; this is a “ghost immortal.” One who lives in the world, suffers little illness, and enjoys a long life is a “human immortal.” One who can fly and travel through mist, need neither food nor drink, remain unharmed by heat or cold, roam among the islands, and live forever is an “earth immortal.” One whose body and spirit have both reached a wondrous state and become one with the Great Dao can pass through the sun and moon without casting a shadow, enter metal and stone without obstruction, and undergo endless, unfathomable transformations, appearing and vanishing at will. Such a being may grow old and then young again, is supremely holy and numinous, remains unknowable even to spirits and gods, and cannot be divined by tortoise shells. This is a “heavenly immortal.”

The True Lord Yin says: If one can put an end to cravings and desires, cultivate fetal breathing—breath as fine as that of an unborn child—nurture the spirit and enter meditative stillness, then cast off the old body and be born anew through a spiritual womb without perishing, one may become a lower-grade ghost immortal. Those who attain the Dao through the Three Jia talismans and registers, the Zhengyi Alliance with Might, the wondrous methods of the Three Caverns of Shangqing, sword arts, or methods such as corpse liberation all belong among the immortals of the Southern Palace. One who cultivates the Dao and attains realization in a grotto is a middle-grade immortal. One who cultivates the great Golden Elixir and attains the Dao, whether by casting off the shell and ascending or by rising directly, is a supreme, upper-grade immortal of the Nine Extremes. Elixir methods have seventy-two grades in all; to become a heavenly immortal, there is only one path: the supreme Dao of the Golden Elixir.

The Golden Elixir spoken of here comes into being from nothing: it is cultivated and refined from the primordial, undifferentiated Qi of the One before Heaven and Earth took shape. It is not the minerals and substances that came into being after Heaven and Earth formed—gold, stone, cinnabar, mercury, black lead, white tin, red lead, realgar, orpiment, sulfur, arsenic, or autumn stone. Nor is it something cooked and refined from materials such as plant ash, frost, snow, or ice. Still less is it extracted from tangible substances within the body, such as saliva, vital essence and Qi, or blood. The true Golden Elixir is nothing other than the Qi of the True One. Using their methods, the sages gather this Qi over a fixed period of time and condense it into a pearl the size of a millet grain, called the Golden Elixir. It is also called True Lead, Yang Elixir, the Essence of the True One, Water of the True One, Water Tiger, or the Qi of Great Unity containing the Real. Whoever ingests it can immediately ascend to the rank of a sage. This is the wondrous Dao of the supreme, upper-grade heavenly immortal of the Nine Extremes, and few people in the world have the chance to encounter it.

The Five Companions have now obtained the Great Dao. They should cast aside worldly finery and distracting thoughts, focus their spirit on the Azure Heavens, and not settle for seeking the middle or lower grades of immortality. They should instead realize the state of the supreme, upper-grade heavenly immortal of the Nine Extremes.

The Qi of the True One arose before Heaven and Earth, mingled in the midst of emptiness, and was obscure and profound: it could not be seen, heard, or touched. How, then, can it condense into a pearl the size of a millet grain? The sages use tangible things to express the principle of the intangible. What has visible form is “true Yin and true Yang”: things of the same kind that respond to one another. What is empty and formless is the “Qi of the first quarter at two-eighths”: Qi alone, without substance. Their interaction gives rise to something: the Qi of the True One condenses into a single pearl the size of a millet grain. The scripture attests to this when it says, “The Primordial Beginning suspended a precious pearl, as large as a millet grain, within the empty mystery.”

The sages feared revealing Heaven’s secrets, so they used the Azure Dragon and White Tiger as metaphors for true Yin and true Yang, and “True Lead” and “True Mercury” as metaphors for the Qi of the two crescents. In the poems of the Immortal Master, the Azure Dragon is also called the Red Dragon, Thunder Dragon, Heavenly Soul, the Qian family, Qian furnace, Jade Cauldron, Jade Furnace, Fusang, lower crescent, Eastern Yang, eldest son, Red Mercury, Mercury, Cinnabar, the Li Sun, and Red Phoenix. All these names are metaphors for the Azure Dragon. The White Tiger is also called the Black Tiger, Dui Tiger, Earthly Soul, Kun position, Kun Cauldron, Golden Furnace, Golden Cauldron, Mount Hua, forward crescent, Western River, youngest daughter, Black Lead, Crescent Moon Furnace, Kan Moon, and Black Tortoise. All these names are metaphors for the White Tiger.

The crescent Qi of the Azure Dragon is also called True Mercury, Maiden, Wood Fluid, Azure Maiden, Mercury wrapped in cinnabar, nature, White Snow, Flowing Pearl, the Maiden in Green, Golden Crow, Li Maiden, Qian Dragon, True Fire, the Maiden of Two-Eighths, and Jade Fungus. The crescent Qi of the White Tiger is also called True Lead, Golden Old Man, Golden Essence, Metal in Water, Silver in Water, feeling, Yellow Sprout, Golden Flower, the Young Lord in White Silk, Jade Hare, Kan Lad, Virile Tiger, True Water, Lord of Nine-Three, and Knife Point.

When Dragon and Tiger meet, feeling and nature unite. The Azure Dragon is in the east and belongs to Wood. Wood generates Fire, so the Dragon’s crescent Qi belongs to Fire and is called “nature”; its direction is south, and it is also called the Vermilion Bird. The White Tiger is in the west and belongs to Metal. Metal generates Water, so the Tiger’s crescent Qi belongs to Water and is called “feeling”; its direction is north, and it is also called the Dark Warrior. When Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water come together, the feelings and natures of Dragon and Tiger communicate. The Four Images gather in the center, and their efficacy returns to Wu and Ji Earth. Earth is the Elixir. This is called the complete True Five Phases.

Wu and Ji Earth are like a matchmaker. Wood lies in the east and Metal in the west; they are separated and need a matchmaker to bring them together. Only the “Yellow Matron” can guide Dragon and Tiger into union as husband and wife. Wu and Ji belong to Earth, hence the name Yellow Matron. Though Dragon and Tiger dwell in east and west, the Yellow Matron can bring them together; though Metal and Wood are separated, the Yellow Matron can bring about their union.

When these two unite, the Qi of the True One lies hidden within them. When they become one, the Qi of the True One undergoes transformation, and the Real Person emerges from it. This is the method of the outer elixir’s symbolic images, which use external symbols to explain the principles of elixir cultivation. The Elixir is refined in the human world, while its achievement is completed in Heaven. Nine-colored rosy clouds envelop the whole body, and wind seems to rise beneath the arms. Unless one has planted a numinous root and widely practiced hidden virtue, who could hear and understand the principles of this teaching?

Ziye says: A celestial immortal must rely on the Golden Elixir—the foundation of Neidan practice—to attain the Great Dao. What, then, is the Golden Elixir? Alas, it is already within us, simply concealed in the Kun Palace, which symbolizes Yin, the body, and our inner foundation. What do the “two things” refer to? They are myself and the other. When the other and I unite, feeling and nature are harmonized, and the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, the five basic forces that make up the myriad things of Heaven and Earth—are complete. The so-called Dragon and Tiger are simply metaphors for feeling and nature.

How, then, should we understand the word “meeting”? In practice, one should work as though making no deliberate effort, while allowing the practice to become part of that effort. Alas, however dense the bamboo grove, it cannot stop the water flowing through; however high the mountain, it cannot keep the white clouds from passing over.

Wu and Ji refer to the center, the middle position. The “middle” is where each thing occupies its proper place. Wu and Ji also refer to the “Earth of intention,” a term in which Earth symbolizes thought. When one person’s intention joins with another’s, it is like the mutual affection of husband and wife: their union can bring something forth. If the Yin side wishes to unite with the Yang side, but the Yang side has no wish to respond, Yin and Yang will clash and fail to blend, and nothing new can be born. Thus Wu and Ji are called the source from which the myriad things arise, because generation is connected with intention. True Earth has no fixed position, and intention has no form. The mystery within this is truly wondrous.

Shangyangzi says: Daoguang holds that immortals fall into several grades: ghost immortals, human immortals, earth immortals, spirit immortals, and celestial immortals. True Yin divided them further into three grades—upper, middle, and lower. These classifications all serve to show that the celestial immortal is the highest state. To attain it, there is no path apart from the way of the Golden Elixir, a system of cultivation based on refining Yin and Yang, lead and mercury, and the like within oneself.

The Golden Elixir is the fundamental Qi of Yin and Yang, the source that existed before Taiji arose, and the foundation of Heaven and Earth. The “two things” mentioned in the scriptures have many different names: Qian and Kun, being and nonbeing, feeling and nature, Li and Kan, water and fire, sun and moon, male and female, dragon and tiger, lead and mercury, one aperture and one wonder, the Mysterious and the Female, Wu and Ji, crow and hare, Jing and Qi, tortoise and snake, the other and oneself, self and body, Metal and Wood, host and guest, floating and sinking, hard and soft, zither and sword, and Yin and Yang. These terms refer, from different angles, to two elements that work together: Qian and Kun are their forms; Yin and Yang, their foundation; dragon and tiger, their symbols; male and female, their names; lead and mercury, their substance; “the other and oneself” distinguishes their two sides; Jing and Qi describe their functions; and the Mysterious Female—the wondrous gate of generation and transformation—is the point where they meet.

The primal, undivided Qi of the One is born through the union of these two elements. What is called “one Yang” originally belongs to Qian. Under the influence of acquired desires and delusion, however, Qian’s single Yang line falls into the middle line of Kun, forming Kan. What is called “one Yin” originally belongs to Kun. When Yin and Yang become intermingled, Kun’s complete form is broken by Qian, forming Li. The substance within Li is called mercury; the substance within Kan is called lead. Lead arises from the White Tiger, so it is called the Tiger’s string Qi; mercury arises from the Azure Dragon, so it is called the Dragon’s string Qi. The dragon belongs to Wood, and Wood can generate Fire, hence the saying, “The dragon emerges from within fire.” The tiger belongs to Metal, and Metal can generate Water, hence the saying, “The tiger is born in water.” These names refer to the forms of the two elements; in actual practice, what is used is what they produce within themselves.

The “meeting of the two things” means the union of feeling and nature, the joining of Qian and Kun, and the reunion of Yin and Yang. They can join only after meeting. Wu and Ji—here, the means of harmonizing Yin and Yang and connecting the two sides—serve like a matchmaker. A matchmaker conveys messages between the two parties, while betrothal arrangements bring about their union. This mediating means can be external or internal. An external means is the sort of verbal communication described by the Elder of the Mud Ball Palace. An internal means is Wu and Ji acting as the gate of Qian and Kun, allowing Yin and Yang to pass between them, the dragon and tiger to rise and descend, and the male and female to be brought together. Lead and mercury are far apart. Without Wu and Ji to harmonize them and bring them together, how could the Qi of the True One arise?

The “husband and wife” of the Golden Elixir are not husband and wife in the ordinary sense. People in the world rejoice in having children, yet this may also deplete their strength. Romantic attachment brings its own burdens, leaving people trapped in birth, aging, illness, and death. The scriptures say that parents are bound by gratitude, wives and concubines by love, and children by blood and bodily ties. All are held fast by desire and wealth, unable to let go. The sage acts in accord with the right moment, clinging neither to the past nor pursuing the future. Having children in one’s prime continues human relations; by the age of forty, to remain free of delusion and unmoved by desire is to be unbound by romantic attachment. The “husband and wife” of the Golden Elixir have a meaning of particular subtlety.

The distinction between inner and outer is expressed in different ways. The tiger marrying the dragon, Kan joining with Li, and the male image of the Zhen trigram seeking union with the female image of the Dui trigram are outer descriptions. The union of lead and mercury, the union of Qi and Shen, and returning from being to nonbeing belong to inner cultivation. All use the pairing of male and female to explain the union of Yin and Yang. Practitioners turn suffering into joy, avoid becoming immersed in the burdens of love, and put letting go of attachment first. The scriptures say that the sexual union of Yin and Yang takes only half an hour, yet yields the “pearl of millet,” the subtle crystallization that symbolizes the Golden Elixir in its earliest stage. Through this, one transcends the myriad things and the mortal body, becoming an immortal or a Buddha through reverse cultivation. This is the way of husband and wife in the Golden Elixir.

Everyone has the capacity for this cultivation, but that does not mean it already belongs to them. Though it can be realized, it cannot be taken up directly like an ordinary thing. To seek it, one must have both the method and the resources. The scriptures also say it must be sought in “Shenzhou Chixian,” an ancient name for China, because its wondrous workings cannot be seen directly.

To cultivate the Golden Elixir, one must first refine oneself—cultivating one’s nature and restraining scattered thoughts—in order to await the moment when Yang Qi stirs. Without this work of self-refinement, even if the two things meet, the mediator joins them, and husband and wife are paired, lead may arrive without mercury responding.

The ancient immortals and sage masters had to refine the Great Reverting Elixir of Golden Liquor, the elixir that symbolizes the complete attainment of Daoist internal alchemy, before they could ascend in broad daylight. The Yellow Emperor’s ascent to Heaven at Dinghu, and the ascensions of Zhang Daoling, Ge Xuan, Xu Xun, and others, are familiar examples. There are many similar accounts, some known to the world and others not. According to tradition, more than thirty thousand people who ascended are mentioned in even the briefest records, and over eight hundred families ascended together. They all completed the Golden Elixir, accumulated merit and good deeds, and thereby attained Dao and became immortals, finally riding phoenixes to pay court at the Northern Gate—the imperial palace, here a symbol of the heavenly court.

This method of cultivation is especially subtle even among the truly wondrous methods, and so it stands apart. I know its key lies in reversing the use of Li and Kan—the Daoist terms that respectively symbolize fire and water, Yin and Yang—but few understand how to distinguish what takes precedence amid the changes of rising and sinking.

If mercury within the cinnabar is to be kept in the Golden Cauldron, then silver from the water must first descend into the Jade Pool. Through images of metal, water, and fire, this describes the order in which Yin and Yang, water and fire, are brought together in cultivation.

Using wondrous methods to regulate the breath and guide the fire cannot be accomplished in a day or two. Only after cultivation does a scene like the moon in a deep pool appear.

Daoguang said: “This Way is supremely numinous and sacred, supremely honored and precious. It is at once exceedingly simple and boundlessly profound, yet so subtle that few in the world have heard of it. The Immortal Elder rose above ordinary people and alone passed down its hidden meaning.” Perfected Person Wang Chongzhao said: “Once the Golden Elixir is refined, the moon in a deep pool appears.”

Dao Guang said: “This Daoist method is exceptionally efficacious and sacred. It is the most exalted and the simplest, yet also infinitely profound and beyond words. Few people in the world have even heard of it. The Immortal Elder, Zhang Boduan, surpassed ordinary people and alone transmitted its deeper meaning.”

Perfected Lord Chongzhao said: “Most cultivators in the world do not accept the way of the Golden Elixir. Only Pingshu, Zhang Boduan’s courtesy name, upheld it for a long time, while others found it difficult to understand. How could a small mound beside Mount Tai, or a puddle beside a great river or the sea, presume to compare itself with the mountain and the vast waters?”

The Li trigram belongs to Yang and occupies the south. Why, then, is it also said to turn back into a woman? Because it is Yang on the outside and contains Yin within, it is called True Mercury. The Kan trigram belongs to Yin and occupies the north. Why, then, is it also said to turn back into a man? Because it is Yin on the outside and contains Yang within, it is called True Lead. A later poem says: “The sun in the Li position turns into a woman; Kan paired with the Moon Palace is yet a man.” This means that Kan is male and Li is female. It is like speaking of the father’s essence and the mother’s blood, the crow in the sun and the jade rabbit in the moon, mercury in cinnabar and silver in lead ore, or the dark mystery of Heaven and the yellow of Earth. All these expressions point to the qi of the Dragon and Tiger at their first crescent: the dynamic of qi in which Yin and Yang first arise and respond to one another.

“Reversing host and guest” means that, in the usual arrangement, Yang is honored and placed on the left, like a host, while Yin is lower in rank and placed on the right, like a guest. Li belongs to Fire, whose nature rises and blazes upward; Fire and Wood both tend to float and ascend, so they are called the host. Kan belongs to Water, whose nature flows downward; Water and Metal both tend to sink and descend, so they are called the guest. That is the usual account. Here, however, Li is called female and Kan male, reversing the positions of host and guest. Host and guest in this passage refer to the reversed relationship between the qi of the two crescents in the Dao, not to the usual order of host and guest.

The “Golden Cauldron” refers to Metal’s belonging to Yin, while the cauldron contains qi of utmost Yang. It symbolizes Yang contained within Yin and corresponds to the White Tiger. The “Jade Pool” refers to jade’s belonging to Yang, while the pool contains qi of utmost Yin. It symbolizes Yin contained within Yang and corresponds to the Azure Dragon. Mercury in cinnabar is the Azure Dragon’s crescent qi; silver in water is the White Tiger’s crescent qi. To use the Tiger to retain the Dragon in Golden Elixir cultivation, one must first draw the Tiger to the Dragon, so that the two kinds of qi blend and Yin and Yang unite. Only then should one apply the stages of the firing process and refine them. The true, unified essence of qi will then condense naturally.

“Managing the fire” means setting the qi of the two crescents in motion. Dawn marks the beginning of the day and the start of the six Yang phases of qi, so it is called “morning.” The sages’ circulation of the elixir fire has wondrous effects: in less than half an hour, it can refine a grain of true, unified essence as large as a millet seed. It appears in the Northern Sea, its light shining through the curtains, like a bright sun rising from a deep pool. This does not mean one must wait until daybreak; it means the Golden Elixir can be refined within an hour. This passage describes the symbolic imagery of the external medicine: it uses outward images to explain the process of alchemical refinement.

Zi Ye says: I originally belong to the Li Trigram, which symbolizes Fire and Yang, but I must transform into Yin. The other originally belongs to the Kan Trigram, which symbolizes Water and Yin, but must transform into Yang. Their usual positions above and below are therefore reversed; this is why it is called “reversal.” The other’s lead sinks below, and what sinks descends; my mercury floats above, and what floats rises. When mercury is used to restrain lead, the other occupies the host position and I occupy the guest position. The Mirror of Compounding the Medicines says: “The lead dragon rises, the mercury tiger descends—subtle, oh, subtle!”

The scripture says: “The mouth is the Jade Pool, the Palace of Great Harmony.” The Golden Cauldron is a metaphor for me, and the Jade Pool for the other. If I keep the mercury within my body, join it with the silver in the Jade Pool, and then restrain it, it will not fly off and scatter. Here, “silver” means lead.

“Fire” means the Qi of Yin and Yang joining and circulating within the body. Only when this circulation is warm and harmonious can the true nature within the medicines melt and Yin and Yang unite. Without the Qi of Yin and Yang joining, it cannot be called Fire. Some practitioners today mistake breathing without a moment’s pause for the practice of Fire. How mistaken they are! They do not understand that uninterrupted breathing actually belongs to “Yin Talisman.”

Why is this so? The number “two” belongs to Fire, and the number “one” belongs to Water: when Yin and Yang join, they make two; when they do not join, there is only one. The subtle point is that when Yin Qi accumulates to its utmost, a single Yang Qi begins to arise again. Therefore, the practice of Fire must follow the proper timing and continue in sequence; this principle is clear. When practitioners understand this secret and can apply it, Yang Qi returns to the Dantian and gives rise to radiance, like the sun reflected in a deep pool. Is this effect not miraculous?

Master Shangyang said: “Who would believe in the word ‘wondrous’? Those who cultivate the Dao differ from ordinary people. The world is absorbed in love and desire, but I can discern what lies within them. How do I discern it? The sages reverse the use of Li and Kan—the Li trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) belongs to Fire, and Kan to Water—so that Water is above and Fire below. They reverse the use of Qian and Kun, which symbolize Heaven and Earth, so that Earth is above Heaven. And they reverse the positions of husband and wife, so that the man is below and the woman above.

“‘Rising’ and ‘sinking’ refer to the nature of Fire to blaze upward and of Wood to float upward; these occupy the upper position and act as host. Water flows downward and Metal sinks; these occupy the lower position and act as guest. This is the way of ordinary people, the way of the world, following the natural course of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Now, however, Fire and Wood, which rise to the top, are turned downward to become guests; Metal and Water, which sink below, move against their natural course and rise to become hosts. This is the Way of the immortals, a method of cultivation that transcends the world. It is called ‘Water and Fire in Harmony’—Water and Fire joining and harmonizing—and also ‘reversing the Five Phases.’

“‘Golden Cauldron’ and ‘Jade Pool’ are terms that Daoguang has annotated. Their essential meaning lies in the principle of reversal, and one must also keep in mind the idea of ‘to retain, first bring down.’ Ziye’s use of the Golden Cauldron as a metaphor for our side and the Jade Pool for the other side accords exactly with Master Ziyang’s original intent. Why is this so? One’s own Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), blood, and fluids are like mercury wrapped in cinnabar; they must not be allowed to disperse. Hence, ‘to retain.’ The other side’s numinous fluid in the Flower Pool and sweet spring in the Cinnabar Well are like silver in water—that is, the single spark of primordial Qi. Hence, ‘first bring down.’

“‘To retain’ means to make something stay and not let it depart: obtain what is needed from the other side without losing anything of one’s own. ‘First bring down’ means that when the other side arrives, I wait here: when lead arrives, mercury receives it; when Kan moves, Li receives it. To cultivate the Golden Elixir, one must first understand the meaning of these four words: ‘to retain, first bring down.’

“‘The firing process does not last from dawn to dusk’ means that the firing times should not be applied continuously throughout the day, but kept gentle. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) says: ‘When kindling the fire, begin with a faint warmth, as when the hexagram lines first stir.’ Master Chunyang also said: ‘Deep in the long night, warmth circulates gently in the lead cauldron, its radiance shining through the curtain.’ When all things first come into being, they receive Yin-Yang energy in an instant. How much more swiftly, then, does the Way of the high immortals refine and nourish primordial Qi. The Buddhists say, ‘Like dew, like lightning,’ meaning that it is subtle and swift and cannot remain for long; if prolonged too long, it may instead suffer depletion. If one can draw primordial true lead into the Suspended Womb Chamber, the place where Jing and Qi are nourished in Neidan (internal alchemy), it is like the red sun reflected in a deep pool.”

The tiger leaps and the dragon soars, symbolizing the meeting and surging of Yin and Yang energies, their force rising like wind-whipped waves. The “central position” refers to the place where Yin and Yang meet and true Qi gathers. The scripture says this process is as subtle and swift as dew or a flash of lightning, so it cannot be sustained for long; if continued too long, it will cause loss. If one obtains the primordial, precelestial true lead—a Neidan term for original Qi—and gathers it into the Suspended Embryo Chamber, the bodily site where the Golden Elixir is refined, it is like the red sun appearing in a deep pool, revealing the formation of the internal elixir.

The tiger leaps and the dragon soars; amid the surging waves, the central position gives birth to the Mysterious Pearl, a symbol of the essence congealed through Neidan practice.

Fruit grows on a branch and must eventually ripen. A fetus gestates in the womb; how is the life born outside it any different? This means that the fruits of cultivation must gestate within the body and will, in time, reach maturity.

The Southern and Northern lineages of Neidan each have their own origins and transmission; these must be discerned through changes in the trigrams. The timing of practice in the morning and evening must accord with the Celestial Pivot, the order of Heaven symbolized by the movement of the Northern Dipper.

Know that true recluses often live hidden amid the bustle of the human world. Why must one necessarily dwell deep in the mountains and keep to solitude?

The Perfected Daoguang says: This passage describes the images used for refining and nourishing the elixir within the body. “The essence of the True One” is an elixir formed when primordial Qi condenses externally. It is also called the Golden Elixir or “True Earth.” Once swallowed and taken into the abdomen, it is called “True Lead” or the “Yang Elixir.” The “tiger” here is the Golden Elixir, while the “dragon” is one’s own true Qi. “Wind and waves” describes true Qi surging up from the Sea of Qi—the lower abdomen, where primordial vitality is stored and nurtured—rushing like waves and stirring like wind. “The central, correctly aligned position” refers to the spirit chamber of the Golden Embryo within the Dantian, where the elixir forms and Qi condenses. The “mysterious pearl” refers to the infant, that is, the return of the elixir through Golden Liquor.

The Golden Elixir forms through the joining and condensation of primordial Oneness. In metaphor, it is the mother, the ruler, and lead, and so it is called the “tiger.” One’s own true Qi, by contrast, arises after birth. In metaphor, it is the child, the minister, and mercury, and so it is called the “dragon.” The Golden Elixir comes from outside; once swallowed and taken into the abdomen, one’s own true Qi rises from the Sea of Qi below, surging like wind and waves. It joins with the Golden Elixir as a minister serves a ruler or a child follows its mother. When the dragon and tiger unite in the spirit chamber, they form the sacred embryo. Like fruit ripening on a branch, it matures gradually, as an infant grows in the womb. After ten months of refinement and nourishment, when the work is complete, it naturally emerges from the womb, attaining a state of wondrous transformation.

“South and north” refer to the hours of Zi and Wu. “Source of the lineage” means the origin from which things begin; “dawn and dusk” correspond to the beginnings of day and night. Zi is the head of the six Yang, and is therefore called “dawn”; Wu is the head of the six Yin, and is therefore called “dusk.” At dawn, the Tun hexagram governs, making it a suitable time to advance the Fire. At dusk, the Meng hexagram governs, making it a suitable time to advance the Water. The day begins with the Tun and Meng hexagrams and ends with Ji Ji and Wei Ji; then the cycle repeats. This is called “revolving through the hexagram images.”

The Cantong qi says: “At dawn on the first day of the lunar month, Tun governs; by evening, Meng takes over. One hexagram is used for day and another for night, in their proper sequence. After Ji Ji and Wei Ji, at the turn between day and night at the end of the month, the cycle ends and begins anew.” Two hexagrams govern each day, making sixty hexagrams in a month. With six lines in each hexagram, and four further hexagrams corresponding to the paired Yin and Yang, the total is 384 lines, matching the number of intercalary days in the year. The first nine of Qian begins with the first six of Kun; Qian has a counting value of thirty-six, giving 216 across its six lines. The first six of Kun begins with the first nine of Qian; its counting value is twenty-four, giving 144 across its six lines. Together they make 360, corresponding to the number of degrees in a full celestial circuit. The movements, conjunctions, risings, and settings of the sun and moon all follow the patterns symbolized by the hexagrams and their lines.

The moon moves more quickly, completing a circuit of the heavens in a month; the sun moves more slowly, completing one in a year. “Celestial Pivot” refers to the pivot of the Northern Dipper, around the north celestial pole. Over the course of a day and night, the Dipper circles the heavens, changing its direction with each month. For example, in the first month its handle points toward Yin, and in the second month toward Mao. Hence the saying: “Month after month, it always adds Xu; hour after hour, Po Jun appears.” Those of profound attainment understand the moon’s waxing and waning and the movements of Yin and Yang. Following the sequence of Zi and Wu, they regulate the talismanic Fire so that its advance and retreat, increase and decrease, silently accord with the rhythms of the celestial bodies. This is called “joining with the Celestial Pivot.”

Here lies the subtlety of the utmost Dao: the Qi of Kan and Li rises, falls, and unites to produce the numinous medicine, which first condenses as the “Yellow Sprout.” The great Golden Elixir is inherently present in everyone, regardless of external circumstances such as the marketplace or the court. Sadly, many see the dragon without recognizing it, and see the tiger without recognizing it. How few understand the method of reversing what is acquired after birth and returning to what is primordial! In an instant, a pearl can condense, as large as a grain of millet. Hold it in your hand and it cannot be seen; swallow it into your abdomen, and tell no one.

Ziye says: Violent winds and waves are a phenomenon that appears when Yin and Yang Qi meet and respond to one another. After their interaction, the wind and waves subside, and the gathered “medicine” returns to the central palace, the inner cultivation site at the center of the body. At first it is like a grain of millet; then it gradually grows from something tiny, and so the embryo of the Neidan forms. It is then nurtured and warmed through the regulation of the fire, until it finally matures. This is like a fruit growing on a branch, with its seed developing inside: the two are no different.

The central palace’s proper position is the Yellow Court, the central region of the body in Daoist Neidan practice; the Yellow Court is also the lower Dantian. “The sources of the southern and northern schools” refers to the southern trigram Li, which represents me, and the northern trigram Kan, which represents the other. Take the central Yang line from Kan and place it within Li, transforming Li into the Qian trigram. This is called “reversing the trigram image.” “Fire” refers to the regulation of the fire used in cultivation, as explained earlier. “Timing” refers to the sequence of that regulation: practicing “Tun” in the morning and “Meng” in the evening. The changes between activity and stillness from dawn to dusk follow their proper order and naturally accord with the workings of Heaven.

Master Shangyang says: The dragon is the Yin contained within the Li trigram; the tiger is the Yang contained within the Kan trigram. Subdue the dragon within your own body, and the mercury—an alchemical term for Yin-natured, unstable and flowing essence-energy—will not scatter. Tame the tiger within the other’s body, and you can obtain its lead-flower, an alchemical term for the essence of Yang-natured energy. The image of fierce winds and towering waves symbolizes the regulation of the firing process, both within and without—that is, judging the timing and degree of cultivation. Take great care. Externally, this means preventing the ingredients from dissipating while refining the elixir at the furnace. Internally, it means tending the elixir carefully after it has congealed, so that it is not depleted.

The Immortal Master compares a single spark of true Yang to a tiger because a tiger is among the hardest things to tame. Thus the line in the Book of Changes, “Treading on the tiger’s tail: it bites the person. Misfortune,” warns that acting without following the right path can bring harm. It is like facing fierce winds and enormous waves: one must take care not to capsize. When gathering the medicine, hold firmly to a single thought. This is akin to the teaching: “Look inward at the mind, and the mind is no mind; look outward at form, and form is no form; look into the distance at things, and things are no things.” If you can use intention to welcome the medicine, the Mysterious Pearl—the name in Neidan for true essence and true Qi condensed into an elixir—will form in the Dantian.

Turn the trigrams upside down: with Kan above and Li below, they form Water and Fire Already in Communion; with Qian below and Kun above, they form Earth and Heaven in Peace; with Dui above and Zhen below, they form Lake and Thunder Following; with Gen below and Dui above, they form Lake and Mountain Conjoining.

The Celestial Pivot is the handle of the Northern Dipper. The subtlety of the Golden Elixir’s Dao lies in responding to the Dao of Heaven. The Dipper’s pivot stands in the sky; a person, too, should establish a foundation and become a model for others. This is what is meant by remaining still and settled while responding to the myriad things. Buddhists call this “the Diamond.” A person who understands and puts this principle into practice should seek the Golden Elixir without delay. This elixir exists among people and may be sought in the towns and marketplaces. The Divine Continent and Red District—the name for China—is where the great medicine is produced. It does not come from remote mountains and vast marshes, nor is it found only in famous mountains and grotto-heavens. Why? Mountains that are too high have little Yang energy; marshlands that are too remote leave Yin isolated. When people speak of cultivation, they often assume that the great medicine can be found only by sitting in meditation deep in the mountains or living alone in secluded valleys. Alas, how could they understand the teachings of Bodhidharma and Mazu? Before he had cultivated the great medicine, Mazu sat rigidly in pursuit of Buddhahood and was mocked with the story of “polishing a brick to make a mirror.” Bodhidharma, by contrast, practiced in seclusion at Changlu, then later sat facing a wall at Shaolin. Cultivation and practice each have their appropriate time. As my teacher said, “Sitting in meditation is something to do after attaining the elixir.” If you cannot yet cultivate in seclusion amid the bustle of the town, why insist on going alone into the mountains to keep still? Whenever I speak of this, I cannot help but heave a long sigh.

Generally speaking, Daoguang believed he had obtained an external elixir, but could describe it only through the images of the inner medicine. Thus he said the Golden Elixir comes from outside oneself and is swallowed into the belly. He already knew that true Qi wells up from the lower Qi sea, the source of Qi in the lower abdomen, like wind and waves suddenly surging. Ziye, however, said the wind was calm and the waters still. The two accounts seem opposed. The Immortal Masters each offer different explanations to encourage students of the Dao to think carefully, distinguish the principles, and then cultivate with care and practice until proficient.

When working at the furnace, the signs will appear of themselves. Once you have obtained true One Lead—the alchemical term for condensed pure Yang essence-energy—and gathered it into the spirit chamber, the inner place where the elixir is housed and nurtured in Neidan, all you need do is remain still and contain it. It is like a fruit left on a branch to ripen, or a fetus growing in the womb until its breath is full. When the time is ripe and the breath complete, transformation will occur naturally.

Everyone originally possesses within themselves the elixir of long life. Only through ignorance and delusion do they cast it away in vain.

When sweet dew descends, the Qi of Heaven and Earth joins; where the Yellow Sprout—the symbol of the elixir taking shape in Neidan cultivation—begins to grow, the Qi of Kan and Li, the trigrams representing Yin-Yang and Water-Fire, converges.

How could a frog at the bottom of a well imagine a cavern where dragons dwell? And how could a bird among the hedges know of a nest where phoenixes dwell?

Once the elixir has been refined, the Golden Elixir will naturally fill body and mind. Why then search everywhere for herbs and learn to burn and refine thatch?

Daoguang said: Sweet Dew and Yellow Sprout are different names for the Golden Elixir. Heaven and Earth, Kan and Li, symbolize the Yin-Yang of the Dragon and Tiger. When the Qi of Heaven and Earth blends, Sweet Dew descends of its own accord; when the Qi of Kan and Li converges, the Yellow Sprout naturally grows. When the two breaths of Dragon and Tiger unite, the Golden Elixir naturally coalesces. Everyone already possesses this supreme treasure within themselves. Because it is so close at hand, people readily discard it, unaware that it is the very ladder leading to ascent to Heaven.

In recent times, many Daoist practitioners have clung to unorthodox methods and strange arts, seeking to cultivate the body through ways that favor either Yin or Yang, pursue something external on top of what is already present, or are easy to encounter but difficult to bring to completion. They do not realize that the proper Way is simple and easy to accomplish. Like frogs at the bottom of a well and birds among the hedges, they do not know that the world holds nests of phoenixes and caverns of dragons. Once a luminous pearl the size of a grain of millet appears, the principles of Heaven and Earth become clear to see. The scripture says, “The hidden store of Earth breaks open, and gold and jade reveal themselves.” This is clear proof. Why search year after year for herbs and burn and refine thatch? Alas, the years have passed and old age has come—whose fault is that?

Ziye said: Let us ask what long life really is. Alas, children and grandchildren follow one generation after another, proceeding in accord with ordinary nature and departing against it. How many people understand long life? Yellow Sprout and Sweet Dew are names for the elixir; Heaven and Earth, Kan and Li, ultimately refer to the person themself. When Heaven and Earth unite and Kan and Li converge, the elixir is produced. Ordinary, foolish people do not understand this Way. They are content to wait for life to end, like frogs and birds that know nothing of nests of phoenixes and caverns of dragons.

Shangyangzi said: The three poems above have already laid out the wondrous principle of restoring the Elixir—cultivating and refining Neidan until it is complete. This chapter further explains the meaning of Sweet Dew’s descent. Those who know this Way are nonetheless content to wait for life to end, like frogs and birds that know nothing of nests of phoenixes and caverns of dragons.

Master Shangyang says: The three poems before this one have already revealed the full mystery of Returning the Elixir—the method of cultivating and refining Jing and Qi to form the Golden Elixir. This chapter further emphasizes the key principle of sweet dew descending. The Way of the Golden Elixir is present in everyone and within every household. The foolish remain lost and unaware; ordinary people who happen to hear of it often refuse to believe it, and may even disparage it.

The Classic of Changes, in the “Tai” hexagram, says, “Heaven and Earth join: this is Tai.” It also says, “When Heaven and Earth join, the myriad things flow freely; when those above and below join, their purposes become one.” As Yang Qi rises and Yin Qi descends, sweet dew falls. When true Water moistens from above and true Fire blazes below, Yellow Sprouts appear—the sign that Neidan is beginning to take shape. Know that sweet dew and Yellow Sprouts both refer to the primordial One Qi, the original energy before Heaven and Earth separated. When this Qi arrives, the Elixir can form. If above and below do not join, their purposes cannot become one; if Heaven and Earth do not unite, this Qi will not descend; if Yin and Yang do not respond to each other, Yellow Sprouts will not appear. The Immortal Master speaks plainly of sweet dew descending so that people may understand the principle of Heaven and Earth joining in Tai. The union of Kan and Li, symbols of Water and Fire, Yin and Yang, is meant to teach the principle of Water and Fire already harmonized.

Alas, the understanding of people in the world is so limited. They are like frogs at the bottom of a well or birds by a hedge: how could they possess a far-reaching vision? How could they know that the Gate of the Mysterious Female, the portal through which Yin and Yang generate and Jing and Qi meet, can bring down sweet dew and cause Yellow Sprouts to emerge? How could they understand the accounts of auspicious signs appearing in the Dragon’s Grotto and the Phoenix’s Nest? To take these metaphors as ordinary things before one’s eyes, like gathering grass to burn or thatching with reeds, is truly laughable. Have they not heard what Master Chunyang said? “Zhang, the Minister from Jiujiang, took drugs and went blind; his spirit and Qi were exhausted. He did not know that the Returning Elixir is formless and without substance, yet he swallowed mineral medicines. How foolish!” Listen carefully to these words: how can one fail to be cautious? People are born endowed with the clear, bright Qi of Heaven and Earth, and all are capable of understanding the Way of the sages. Yet people differ in wisdom and folly, wealth and poverty; what is more, they may encounter a blind and ignorant teacher who leads them onto a deviant path.

Know that the source from which the medicine forms lies only in the southwest. That is its native place.

When Lead meets Gui Water—the sign for a Gui day or hour, marking a particular moment in Neidan practice—and begins to sprout, it must be gathered and refined at once. When Metal meets the day of the full moon and begins to wane, it is no longer suitable to attempt gathering and refining.

Return the gathered ingredients to the earthen crucible, the vessel used for refining the elixir, and seal it tightly. Then add the flowing pearl, an alchemical term for mercury or a similar substance, so the two can work together.

The quantities of the ingredients are strictly prescribed. And if one follows the guidance of an ignorant, misguided teacher, one may stray onto an unorthodox path.

Know where the ingredients originate: their native place lies in the southwest.

When Lead emerges upon meeting Gui Water, a cyclical condition represented by the Heavenly Stem Gui, it must be gathered at once. After the Moon has passed its full phase, Metal should no longer be gathered.

Return the gathered ingredients to the earthen crucible and seal it tightly; then add the flowing pearl so that the two may be joined.

The total quantity of the ingredients is one jin, to be apportioned according to the rule of “two and eight.” The firing process must be properly regulated, guided by the changes of Yin-Yang.

Dao Guang says, “The medicine is born in the southwest and, once gathered, is stored in the position of Wu and Ji (both Earth branches, here referring to the corresponding position in cultivation and refinement). There is a proper time to gather the medicine, and there is also a proper day to begin the work.”

The southwest here is the Kun position, the domain of the White Tiger, also called the “native homeland,” because the moon first appears in the Kun quarter. The moon is the essence of Metal and Water; when it waxes and wanes, the Qi of Metal and Water joins and gives rise to it. Thus the source from which the medicine of the Golden Elixir arises is, in truth, the Kun region.

“Lead appears and is born at Gui” refers to the time of day when the moment arrives, the double hour of Chou; “Metal meets the full moon and moves away” refers to the moon passing its fullness and beginning to wane. The moon’s waxing and waning must be understood through oral formulas. The use of Zi and Wu in the hours of the day depends on the subtlety of transmission from teacher to disciple. As the circuit of Heaven turns, the breaths must be counted with great precision; each drop from the jade clepsydra—the ancient water clock—falls with a chill, and every moment corresponds to a phase of the firing process. These are the secret instructions that perfected adepts have passed down only by word of mouth.

Sadly, all manner of heterodox practitioners take the Gui elixir to be lead and the time of Heavenly Gui to be the moment for gathering the medicine, treating the practice like child’s play. Ye Wenshu’s claim that “Kun receives Gui” is laughable as well. In his preface, Lu Sicheng says that copies of this poem often mistakenly write “ruo” for “qian” and “ru” for “jin,” gravely distorting the immortal master’s original intent. Lead and Metal are themselves the Golden Elixir. Such interpretations arise when people have not met a true teacher and instead force their own associations onto the text. Lord Lu identified the origin of the textual corruption and corrected errors between lookalike characters, like “fish” and “lu.” He also kept the source of the teaching hidden, fearing it might circulate in books. Since we have personally received these profound instructions, we should naturally understand them. If we still do not, then even the millet-sized pearl in the empty Mystery, five zhang above the earth, is certainly no easy thing to obtain.

After taking the elixir, place it in the Yellow Court’s earthen cauldron (the part of the body where the elixir is cultivated and refined) and seal it securely so that the Qi of the embryo elixir does not leak away. Then apply the firing process and set the Flowing Pearl Mercury (an alchemical term for the medicine that corresponds to mercury in cultivation and refinement) in motion alongside it; only then can the numinous embryo take shape.

Eight liang of Crow Liver and half a jin of Hare Marrow together make one jin. Hence the saying, “The medicine weighs one jin, in a ratio of two to eight.” The “fire” used here is not an actual flame. It relies only on the Qi of Yin and Yang to regulate the process.

Ziye said, “The medicine arises in the Kun position in the southwest, which symbolizes the earth and the Yin direction. The key to finding the Kun position lies within the human body. This has already been made quite clear. You should remember it, though you may fail to recognize it when you encounter it.”

Here, “Gui” refers to the medicine. When the medicine is about to sprout, it must be gathered at once to be usable. If you are too late, it will have already taken shape and become a postcelestial substance—the medicine that is “seen but cannot be used.” At this point, the water source is at its purest: it consists of Qi alone, without physical form. This moment occurs only once during the day. The Rujing Jing says, “Of the twelve double-hours in a day, wherever the mind’s intent arrives can be the right moment.” This means that, during any of the twelve double-hours, the place reached by the mind’s intent can become this opportune moment. “Metal meets the distant full moon” means that the moment for gathering the medicine has passed and its Qi has dispersed. It is like the moon waning day by day after the full moon, when it is no longer suitable for gathering.

The yi is naturally bright, but grows dim when covered by dust; the lead pearl is originally visible, but becomes hidden as Gui water gradually accumulates. When the dust is removed, the mirror shines again; when Gui water is exhausted, the lead luster reappears. One should gather the lead quickly, for Gui water may gradually arise again. The image of a dusty mirror regaining its brightness serves here as a metaphor for the changes involved in gathering the medicine.

Once the medicine born from Gui has been gathered and stored in the Dantian—the abdominal site cultivated in Neidan practice—it must be sealed securely so that its power does not seep out and dissipate. Then one uses one’s own Yin mercury, a Neidan term for the Yin natured essence that pairs with lead, to bring the two together and form the sacred embryo, the state symbolizing the formation of the Elixir in Neidan cultivation.

On the method of sealing, the Cantong qi says, “The Qi of Li receives nourishment and protection; Kan then does not lose its acuity. Dui joins without speaking; few words accord with the great, undivided origin.” This means that the symbolic Qi dynamics of Li, Kan, and Dui are brought into harmony, with little speech and in accord with the undifferentiated state. The Cantong qi also says, “Mercury flows forth of itself like a pearl, and when Yin and Yang are balanced, the sacred embryo forms.” If Yin and Yang become unbalanced, then, as the saying goes, “The slightest deviation prevents the Elixir from forming”: even a minute error can keep the Elixir from coalescing. Once the sacred embryo has formed, it must still be regulated through the firing process. If the firing process cannot be properly harmonized, how can one expect the Elixir to be truly refined?

Shangyangzi says: The Book of Changes says, “In the southwest, one finds a companion.” This means that in the southwest one can find the help of one’s own kind. The southwest belongs to Kun. A place of the same kind as Kun is where lead is generated, and where the medicine begins to sprout. Dui takes the place of Kun, embracing Yang and forming Kan. The Gui that first appears in Dui represents true Yin and true Yang. Once it stirs into motion, this is called “Gui giving birth to Heaven and Earth.” After seven days, Yang returns. This is Fu (Return), corresponding to the hour of Zi.

When the moon has moved into its third day, Geng appears; Geng belongs to Metal. In bodily cultivation, the “classic” is also observed over a period of three days; here, “classic” refers to lead. Once Gui Qi stirs, lead is generated. At the moment lead first comes into being, it is called “the innate, original Qi of the One,” also known as “Golden Flower.” The text speaks of lead and Gui, but not water, because its focus is on the movement of Qi. Lead is generated after Gui Qi, and Yang Qi arises within lead. To gather true lead and refine the elixir may be called elixir refining, but the essential work takes place within half an hour, in accord with the patterns of Heaven and Earth’s creation and transformation. Thus, in a month there is only one day, and within that day only one hour in which this moment can be encountered; it is exceedingly difficult to meet. At this time, the virtue of Heaven and Earth comes together, the brightness of the sun and moon reflects each other, and the true moment for the generation and transformation of all things is present.

By cultivating in accord with the natural patterns, one returns to the root and restores the true, transcending the ordinary and becoming a sage. For this reason, the Immortal Master particularly stresses that when Gui Qi first arises, it must be gathered promptly. It is then sent into the “earthen cauldron”—a cultivation metaphor in which the body or Dantian serves as the furnace and vessel—and matched with the “flowing pearl,” a technical term in elixir practice for another medicine paired with true lead. The firing times are then regulated, and the “sacred embryo,” which symbolizes the completed elixir in Neidan practice, is formed. I now explain this key principle between Heaven and Earth to show why the Immortal Master repeatedly urged people to attend to it. Those of the highest capacity who gain insight from this should cultivate diligently and have no doubts. The know-how for harmonizing the firing times and attending to the details must be acquired through one’s own devoted practice and deep understanding of the changes involved. This is precisely the kind of person Laozi meant by “subtle, wondrous, mysterious, and penetrating.”

Do not refine the “Three Yellows,” mineral substances used in elixir practice, or the “Four Spirits,” four medicines described in elixir practice. Searching everywhere for medicines is not the true elixir method.

When Yin and Yang of the same kind come together, they interact and respond to each other. When each has its proper number and they are suitably matched, they naturally unite.

At the bottom of the pool, the sunlight turns red, and the baleful Yin Qi is dispelled. At the mountain peak, the moonlight shines clear, and the medicine sprout begins to grow.

Those in the world who wish to distinguish true lead and mercury should understand that they are not ordinary cinnabar and mercury.

Daoguang says: The Three Yellows and Four Spirits—names for minerals and medicines used in ancient alchemy—as well as metals, stones, and plants are all tangible substances that appeared only after Heaven and Earth were formed. How, then, could tangible things be refined into something intangible? The scripture says, “What comes from outside cannot bring forth a fetus; how could attaching flowers make fruit grow?” The “Qi of the True One,” the Daoist term for the original Qi, arose before Heaven and Earth and is profound and unfathomable. Two things that correspond to one another join as one, and their breath stirs and mingles, bringing forth an image. “Of the same kind” refers to things that hold feeling within the feelingless and contain form without having visible form—that is, “eight ounces of crow’s liver and half a catty of rabbit marrow,” Neidan terms for corresponding Yin-Yang Qi.

Zi Ye says: The Golden Elixir is formed through the union of true Yin and Yang; it is not refined from external substances. The essential point is “kind”: Yin and Yang must be of corresponding kinds to unite. Things that do not correspond are useless, even when brought together. The Cantong qi says: “Those of the same kind follow one another; what is contrary in nature cannot be refined into a treasure. Swallows and sparrows cannot produce a phoenix, nor can foxes and rabbits give birth to a horse.” This shows that alchemy must draw on things of corresponding kinds.

The phrase “two eights in proportion” hinges on finding the corresponding person and medicine. When one meets a truly suitable teacher, the medicine will not be depleted, and the vessel used in alchemy will not be troubled by leaks. The medicine is placed in the lower Dantian (the inner cultivation site below the navel) and nurtured with the proper timing of the fire, like the sun reflected in a pool. The Yin Qi within the body then gradually dissipates. “The moon is bright, the medicine sprout is new” is a metaphor for the moment when water’s metal (an Neidan term for substances such as true lead) first begins to arise. “The moon above the mountain” is a metaphor for Kan (one of the Eight Trigrams, often associated with water and Yin) being positioned above, thereby forming the image of “Already Fulfilled” (Kan water above and Li fire below, symbolizing the union and harmony of Yin and Yang).

The Cantong qi says: “When the pivot is high or low, harmful Qi rushes away; the waters of the Yangtze and Huai dry up, and the currents flow into the sea.” The Song of the Vessel says: “Yin is above, and Yang rushes downward.” These lines speak of the positions and union of Yin and Yang. How could anyone presume to explain such subtle principles through personal speculation, without a true master’s direct instruction?

“Mercury is what my house originally possesses; lead is the undying method of the other house.” Here, lead and mercury are Neidan terms; they should not be understood as ordinary mercury or lumps of lead. To explain them as mundane cinnabar, mercury, and other minerals is merely to guess, and in the end one will never grasp their meaning.

Shangyangzi says: Realgar, sulfur, orpiment, litharge, black lead, mercury, ordinary cinnabar, pills of elixir, and all kinds of minerals, metals, plants, and trees are not the true medicines of Neidan. What must be sought is true Yin and Yang. The Immortal Master used “obtaining the kind” to instruct later generations, and the phrase is essential. “Kind” means mutual correspondence: Heaven with Earth, the sun with the moon, woman with man, mercury with lead.

“Two eights” together make the measure of one jin, while “fifteen” symbolizes the full moon. The Cantong qi also says, “Two sevens gather to support the person.” All these expressions use numbers to describe how things of the same kind match one another: neither early nor late, neither too much nor too little, neither too large nor too small. Only when neither side argues or grows angry, conceals anything, or gives way to alarm or doubt, and both are in exactly the right correspondence, can they unite and form the Elixir.

“To form the Elixir at the bottom of the pool” conveys what Master Boyang meant by “the True Person dives deep into the abyss.” With the mind firm and focused, and all distracting thoughts set aside, Yin and evil Qi will naturally recede. “The mountain’s summit” is often a metaphor for the peak of Mount Kunlun, the place where the mysterious gate is located. When the water is clear and the moon bright, it is time to gather the newly arisen numinous medicine. The medicine meant here is not ordinary cinnabar or mercury, but true lead and true mercury—that is, the Qi of the “Numinous Father and Sacred Mother.” The Qi of ordinary parents flows forward, producing people and all things; the Qi of the Sacred Father and Sacred Mother flows in reverse, and is used to cultivate immortality and Buddhahood.

Yang Qi envelops Yin essence, but this substance lacks strength and vigor. Cultivating it alone will only weaken you further.

Deliberately exhausting the body, or practicing massage and Daoyin exercises, is not the proper path of Dao cultivation. Ingesting Qi or feeding on rosy clouds—said to bring longevity—often proves futile as well.

People vainly seek to blend and subdue lead and mercury, terms from alchemy that often symbolize Yin and Yang essences in cultivation, yet do not know when they will truly bring the tiger and dragon—symbols of Yin and Yang Qi within the body—into union.

I urge you to investigate deeply where the source of life lies. Returning to the root and restoring the original state is the most important medicine.

Dao Guang said, “The Yin essence within the body is one’s own true essence. Essence can generate Qi, and Qi can generate Shen; it nourishes and protects the entire body, and nothing is more important. When the oil runs out, the lamp goes dark; when the marrow is depleted, a person dies. This shows that essence and Qi are indeed the foundation of life.

“Yet this essence is Yin in nature: its substance is unstable, and it easily disperses. It is depleted through the ordinary excretion of urine and feces, as well as through nasal mucus, saliva, sweat, and tears. It is easy to lose and difficult to gather, and it is not readily controlled or cultivated. Without the ‘Elixir of Primordial Unity’—the foundational elixir used in cultivation to harmonize Yin and Yang and gather essence and Qi—it cannot be consolidated and transformed. Cultivating this essence alone will only make the body weaker. Practices that wear down the body are not the true path.

“Absorbing rosy mists and refining Qi, swallowing the essence of the sun and moon in the hope of making the five viscera shine, circulating Qi through the two passes, moving the spinal region, replenishing the brain and returning essence, and even pursuing corpse liberation, reincarnation, or the emergence of the spirit and absorption into stillness: if these methods cultivate only this kind of thing, they amount to cultivating only the Yin within Yang. Isolated Yin without Yang is like a hen trying to hatch an egg all by herself. How could she possibly hatch a chick?

“As Master Zhongli said: nasal mucus, saliva, semen, bodily fluids, Qi, blood, and other fluids—these seven things are all Yin. If you use them as ingredients for refining the elixir, how could they make the spirit ascend to Jade Capital, the Daoist celestial realm?

“Within the human body, true essence is not the only thing that belongs to Yin. The five viscera and six bowels are Yin as well; they are not true Yang. Can it really work to assign the heart and kidneys to Kan and Li, symbols of water and fire and of Yin and Yang; the liver and lungs to the Dragon and Tiger; spirit and Qi to mother and child; and bodily fluids to lead and mercury? The ignorant cling to these methods to nourish their bodies, yet hope to attain the state of pure Yang. This is truly lamentable.

“The Cantong qi says: ‘When it is cold, add ice; when it is hot, use broth. To make a flying turtle without a snake is all the more absurd.’ It is like two women living together in one room. Though their appearances differ, if Su Qin were to broker the match, Zhang Yi to act as go-between, and clever words to bring them together as spouses, they would never truly know each other, even when their hair had turned white and their teeth had fallen out. This is merely matching woman with woman and using Yin to refine Yin.

“Daoyin exercises, massage, Qi cultivation, and absorbing rosy mists are all minor arts. At best, they can prevent illness; once the practice stops, all the benefits gained before disappear. The Cantong qi also says: ‘The Yin Way rejects nine and one, and plays wantonly amid the turbid primordial womb. Knowing only how to take in Qi, one stirs the bowels, expelling upright Qi and drawing in harmful influences. One does not sleep by day or night, and never rests, even on the first or last day of the lunar month. The body grows weary, the spirit becomes confused, and one seems almost mad.’ These are all forced practices, far removed from the Great Dao.

“The true Dragon and Tiger are ‘two eights’; true lead and mercury are the Qi of the two arcs. This principle is exceedingly simple, not complicated; it is close at hand, not distant. But students of the Dao cling to biased, postnatal methods and mistake unrelated things for the Dragon and Tiger, lead and mercury, thereby going astray. They fail to realize that the Immortal Master has already pointed directly to the origins of these two fundamental things: where the body comes from and where life comes from. Return to the root and restore the source; reverse the ordinary direction of cultivation and practice. Then the true Dragon and Tiger will naturally be subdued, and true lead and mercury will naturally settle. Can this not be called the supreme treasure among medicines?

“Some people use the ‘Elixir of Primordial Unity’—a postnatal, tangible elixir—to represent the sacred Way. This is like joining bamboo poles together to poke at the moon: the difference is enormous. Anything formed after birth, with shape and substance, is not the highest medicine.”

Ziye said: “The Classic of Changes says that through the union of Yin and Yang in man and woman, the myriad things are born and transformed. My own body first came into being through the mingling of my parents’ Jing and Qi. If there had been only a father and no mother, or only a mother and no father, where would my body have come from? The key to alchemical cultivation follows the same principle as the generation of life; the only difference is the direction taken—following nature or reversing its course. Follow the natural course, and a human being is born; reverse it, and the Elixir is refined. The difference between following and reversing is as great as the distance between Heaven and Earth.

Shangyangzi said: “The Cantong qi says that some methods are not true paths of cultivation, but merely turn the gaze inward and indulge in empty speculation. Other methods fixate on the union of Yin and Yang and tamper with the body’s primordial womb—the root of reproduction and the nurturing of life. Cultivation techniques are complicated, with more names than anyone can count. Perfected Peng said that if people do not violate the foundations of the Great Dao and do not take crooked side paths, their practice will not fall into heterodox ways. Techniques that violate the principles of Heaven, disrupt the Way of utmost truth, and plainly depart from the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi were intended to seek longevity but instead damage life.

“Master Zhongli said, ‘The gate through which I was born is also the portal of my death.’ These words carry profound meaning. The highest sages spoke of this, yet later generations rarely understood it. Why? Because people cling to their present bodies in cultivation, and the countless roads they follow all become side paths. The Immortal Master, taking pity on the world, stated plainly that one must seek at the source from which life first arose. Is this not a disclosure of Heaven’s secret?

“People come into being through karmic consciousness—the experience of life shaped by karma and awareness—and they also depart through karmic consciousness. Once the body’s Yang Qi has dissipated, a person may have the outward form of a man, yet in substance be Yin within. If one clings only to the body as it is and cultivates from there, how can one restore the original and return to the root? Without recovering the original and returning to the root, on what basis could one restore Yang and transform the bones? Therefore, the great cultivator who seeks the prenatal True Lead, an alchemical term for pure Yang Qi that precedes birth, must seek it at the source where the body first received Qi and came into being. Only then can one obtain the prenatal Qi of True Unity, restore the original, and return to the root. This is the principle of cultivation for men.

“For women who seek immortality, the breasts are the place where life generating Qi gathers, and the method is simpler. Thus, the cultivation of immortality for men is called ‘refining Qi,’ while that for women is called ‘refining form.’ A woman first gathers Qi in the breasts, then sets up the cauldron and furnace and practices the method of refining form through Taiyin. The scripture says that this path of cultivation is easier to bring to fruition; there is a deep meaning in this.

“In the Xuanhe era of old, Lü Dongbin traveled through Wuxing and met a courtesan named Zhang Zhennu. She was beautiful and had a quiet, unadorned temperament. Though she lived among the worldly pleasures, every night she still bathed, changed her clothes, burned incense, and prayed earnestly to Heaven to free her soon from that life.

“Lü Dongbin transformed himself into a scholar and went to visit her. Zhennu saw his exceptional bearing and felt great respect for him. They spent a pleasant time together, and the scholar then drifted away. He came again the next day, and things were much the same. He continued to visit for over a month, never once sleeping with her.

“Zhennu said to him, ‘You have honored me with so many visits. Why will you not stay one night and share the pleasures of the bed? Do you think my low status makes me unworthy to serve you?’

“The scholar replied, ‘That is not so. What matters is that hearts understand one another; why must things go that far? Besides, you pray to Heaven every night. What is it you ask for?’

“Zhennu said, ‘I have fallen to this life. What could I still hope for? I think that ever since I entered this profession, I have used cosmetics to adorn myself, passing off an illusion as the truth; I sing suggestive songs and disguise sorrow as joy. I am no more than a filthy skin bag, yet I use false adornments to beguile others. I often lament that people do not know how to cherish themselves. They pass by my place, see that I am lovely as a flower, and become infatuated, unable to free themselves. They spend more than money; many ruin their lives as well. Though I take pleasure with others through a false appearance, I feel burdened by grave guilt. All I can do is pray day and night to leave this place soon.’

“The scholar asked, ‘What is your aspiration? Why do you not learn the Dao?’

“Zhennu said, ‘I am trapped in these circumstances. Where could I find a master?’

“The scholar said, ‘Could I be your master?’

“Zhennu immediately bowed to him. The scholar said, ‘When you come again, I will teach you.’ Then he left.

“Zhennu waited day and night for him to return, but he never came. Frustrated, she wrote: ‘I have met my master for so long, yet he has said nothing. When will we sit facing one another as before? Alas, fine hours have passed in vain; even now, I am left in distress.’

“She had not finished writing when the scholar suddenly arrived. Seeing her poem, he continued it: ‘The Dao has no clever tricks. I will give you a method of cultivation: sit quietly after the Zi hour and before the Wu hour. Let Qi ascend along the two passes at the spine—the two points behind the spinal column where Qi moves—and reach Kunlun, the cultivation site at the crown of the head. When you have cultivated your Qi and strength, you will naturally remember me.’

“Zhennu was overjoyed. The scholar then transmitted to her the Great Elixir method of Taiyin Refining Form. From then on, Zhennu was full of spirit, as though she had awakened completely. The scripture says she also secretly received many teachings, which she never revealed to anyone.

“As they parted, she composed a poem in the Bu Chan Gong form. It included these lines: ‘Kan, Li, Kun, and Dui each divide into Zi and Wu; recognize your own ancestral source. Earth’s thunder shakes, and rain descends from the mountain peak, urging the Yellow Sprout—the image of the Elixir’s first emergence—to break through the soil. Hold the Golden Essence fast; distinguish Jia from Geng, and let Dragon and Tiger, symbols of Yin and Yang Qi in alchemy, give rise to one another. When others ask who taught you, say only that your master’s surname is Lü.’

“Only then did Zhennu understand that the scholar was Lü Dongbin. She feigned madness, begged in the marketplaces, and withdrew to a remote place to practice the transmitted methods in secret. More than three years later, she departed through corpse liberation, a Daoist legendary mode of attaining the Dao in which the body remains while the spirit leaves.

“The scripture concludes: Cultivation is open to men and women alike. Whoever holds a fierce and unwavering aspiration will surely attain the Dao.”

Concentrate on seeking true lead, an emblem for the Golden Elixir. Do not let time slip away in vain.

Once the earth’s soul, here a medicine of the lead category, subdues cinnabar mercury, a medicine of the mercury category, the heavenly soul, the vital essence corresponding to mercury, will naturally restrain water-gold, another emblem for the Golden Elixir.

This may be called profound attainment in the Dao: the Dragon and Tiger, emblems in Daoist alchemy for the two Yin-Yang energies or for lead and mercury, will then be subdued. With deep De, even ghosts and spirits will show reverence.

Once you know that you can attain longevity and endure as long as Heaven and Earth, troubles can no longer arise.

Dao Guang says: True lead is the Golden Elixir. When used as an external medicine, the earth’s soul refers to the White Tiger; when used as an internal medicine, it refers to the Golden Elixir. When used as an external medicine, the heavenly soul refers to the Azure Dragon; when used as an internal medicine, it refers to one’s own true Jing. When used as an external medicine, cinnabar mercury refers to the Azure Dragon’s chordal energy; when used as an internal medicine, it refers to one’s own true Qi. When used as an external medicine, water-gold refers to the White Tiger’s chordal energy; when used as an internal medicine, it refers to the Golden Elixir, also called “silver in water.” These expressions all serve as emblems for the medicines of external and internal alchemy.

As the days pass, so does one’s life span diminish. We should devote ourselves to seeking a teacher and begin cultivation without delay, using the Golden Elixir to transcend life and death. First, let the White Tiger subdue the Azure Dragon; then the Azure Dragon will naturally restrain the White Tiger. When the two energies join, they produce the Golden Elixir. Use this Elixir to gather and hold one’s own true Qi; the true Qi will naturally cleave to the Elixir and congeal into the sacred embryo, an inner achievement in cultivation. Once the true Dragon and Tiger outside have been subdued, the inner Dragon and Tiger will also be pacified. Through internal refinement, the spirits and ghosts within—spirit energy and yin residue in the body and mind—are transformed into a sacred state, and spirits and ghosts in the world beyond will also pay their respects. Who could accomplish this without profound attainment in the Dao and complete De? When cultivation transforms the body into pure Yang, one can live as long as Heaven and Earth, move freely in the world, and stand beyond its bounds. With every thought stilled, there will be no more troubles.

Zi Ye says: The earth’s soul is lead, and the heavenly soul is mercury. Using lead to subdue mercury depends on how the practitioner puts them to work.

Master Shangyang said: “Devote yourself to seeking True Lead,” the key ingredient in internal alchemy, a subtle substance needed for the Elixir. The Pure Yang Elder once said: “However early you begin cultivation, it is already too late.” Since ancient times, sage masters have urged those who seek the Dao to begin cultivating early and enter a quiet chamber to do the work, because True Lead is the hardest thing to find.

Cultivators often face all kinds of difficulties. Those who are poor worry that they lack the means; those with means worry that they have no suitable place. Once they have a place, they worry that they lack the necessary supplies; once they have supplies, they worry that they have no companion. The “companion” here means someone who offers protection and assistance in cultivation. To seek True Lead, one must first gather the conditions needed for cultivation, then choose a suitable place. The Immortal Elder’s words, “At the beginning, one acts, yet no one sees,” mean that without a suitable place to cultivate, even if others see you, you cannot practice there.

Before entering a quiet chamber, I paid little attention to such matters. Only when I began to cultivate in earnest did I carefully consider the conditions and discover how many of them were difficult to arrange, and how much effort they demanded. Only then did I understand that “devoting oneself to seeking” is no easy task. Even when people receive oral instructions from a master, they often waste their time, unaware that the years are advancing and the body is weakening, until they soon grow old and die.

The “Earthly Po,” or corporeal soul, is the object sought in cultivation; the “Heavenly Hun,” or ethereal soul, is the Mercury that one gathers within oneself, a technical term for a subtle substance used in internal alchemy. The dragon of the Eastern Sea can subdue the Moon Po of the Western River, while the White Tiger of the Western River can refine its own Sun Hun. When Hun and Po unite, one can share the longevity of Heaven and Earth. To aid others and respond to all things is to cultivate a De so great that even ghosts and spirits hold it in reverence. By refining oneself and emptying the heart, one can subdue the Yin-Yang forces likened to dragons and tigers. When the troubles and desires of the mundane world have been dispelled, the heart is free of distress. The true joy attained by the immortals is extraordinary. The key to great freedom lies in skillful practice, and the accumulation of merit is especially important.

Yellow Sprout and White Snow, subtle substances spoken of in internal alchemy, are not difficult to find; genuine understanding depends on deep De.

The harmony of the Four Symbols and Five Phases depends entirely on “Earth,” while the Three Origins and Eight Trigrams cannot do without “Ren,” the Water-associated Heavenly Stem.

Those who have refined a wondrous spiritual form are difficult for ordinary people to recognize. Once all the sinister Yin energies within them have been dispelled, ghosts and spirits can no longer trouble them. I wished to leave this secret in the world, but have never met anyone who truly understood it.

Daoguang said: The essence contained in the Dragon is called “White Snow,” and the essence contained in the Tiger is called “Yellow Sprout.” Herein lies the foundation of the Great Medicine. The principles of cultivation may seem simple, and the task may seem close at hand, but without deep merit and good deeds, one will find it difficult to meet a true master and receive guidance in the mysterious principles.

The Dao gives rise to one Qi from emptiness and nonbeing. This one Qi divides into Yin and Yang, known as the Dragon and the Tiger. The Dragon belongs to Wood, and Wood generates Fire; the Tiger belongs to Metal, and Metal generates Water. Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water together form the Four Images. When the Four Images converge, they produce the Great Elixir, whose coagulation rests on Earth as its foundation. This Earth is not a fixed form; it is the harmonious Qi spread across the seasons and running through all four of them. Without true Earth running through the seasons, their cycles could not take shape. How, then, could Heaven and Earth transform and bring forth the myriad things? Thus neither the Four Images nor the Five Phases can do without Earth.

Ren belongs to Water and refers to the True One Qi, the original Qi that existed before Heaven and Earth were divided. It came into being before Heaven and Earth, and later transformed into the Yang Dragon and Yin Tiger. When the two meet, they form the Elixir. The Elixir belongs to Earth, the Dragon to Wood, and the Tiger to Metal; these are called the “Three Natures.” The transformations of the Three Origins never depart from the Water of the True One.

The Eight Trigrams, too, arise through transformations of the Qi of the True One. In its first transformation, Qi becomes Heaven, called Qian, the father; in its second, it becomes Earth, called Kun, the mother. Qian’s Yang Qi mingles with Kun’s Yin Qi: the first union gives birth to the eldest son, Zhen; the second to the middle son, Kan; and the third to the youngest son, Gen. This is how Qian and Kun unite to produce the three Yangs. Kun’s Yin Qi, in turn, mingles with Qian’s Yang Qi: the first union gives birth to the eldest daughter, Xun; the second to the middle daughter, Li; and the third to the youngest daughter, Dui. This is how Kun and Qian unite to produce the three Yins. None of these transformations departs from the Water of the True One. Hence the saying: “How could the Three Origins and Eight Trigrams ever depart from Ren?” It is not only the Three Origins and the Eight Trigrams that depend on the essence of the True One. Since Heaven and Earth were first created, everything that has form has likewise been transformed and brought forth by it.

If those who cultivate the Dao can obtain the Water of the True One, they will have a foundation for their practice. By following the prescribed method, they transform this Water into the “Millet Grain of the True One”—a symbol of true Qi condensed into a tiny seed of the Elixir—and swallow and gather it into the Dantian (energy center). Then, by nurturing it with the proper regulation of the fire for ten months, they can refine away every Yin energy. Once the pure Yang immortal of the True One has taken form, Yin demons and corpse ghosts will have nowhere to flee.

Only when the roots of goodness—good deeds accumulated over many lifetimes—have been planted can the spiritual bones, the inner foundation for attaining the Dao of immortality, grow. Once these spiritual bones have grown, one may hope to become an immortal. Their formation is the result of goodness accumulated over a long time; it cannot be accomplished in one or two lifetimes, but requires the accumulation of many kinds of goodness through countless, immeasurable lives. Without such accumulation, how could one be born with an air that rises above the ordinary world? Alas, one passes one’s days like a walking corpse or wandering ghost, carrying a flask and a bowl, originally hoping to become an immortal—yet the way of the immortals is not easily attained. Why not, then…