《紫阳真人悟真篇三注》Vol. 3

The "wine" and "water" mentioned in the cultivation methods are all "divine water" (shenshui), referring to the inner substances produced in practice, such as jing (essence) and qi (vital energy).

Shangyang Zi said: Earlier the text speaks of "sowing seed in the family garden," and here it speaks of "the other family not dying." Are these two different things? The so-called "life-extending wine" (yanming jiu) and "soul-returning elixir" (fanhun jiang) are simply the true jing and true qi of a person. The scriptures say that immortals and cultivators of the Dao can store up jing and keep condensing it, and this is exactly what is meant.

Snow mountain has a fine wine, which is poured into the transformation furnace (zaohua lu) of Dongyang.

If it crosses Kunlun and heads northwest, only then does Zhang Qian get to see Ma Gu.

Daoguang said: "snow mountain" is a metaphor for whiteness, and "west mountain" symbolizes metal. This means that a single golden elixir (jin dan), as sweet as ti hu (clarified cream), is swallowed and returns to the dantian (energy center), which is the "transformation furnace." Kunlun lies in the sea, while the Kunlun within the body lies in the sea of the lower cinnabar field. When it first emerges, its shape resembles Kunlun, and in fact this is where the fire ignites. At the summit of Kunlun is a gate called the Mysterious Gate (xuan men), also called the Heavenly Gate (tian men), located in the northwest, the Qian position. Zhang Qian symbolizes the Qian trigram, whose lines represent true mercury (zhen gong) and belong to yin fire. Ma Gu symbolizes the Kun trigram, whose lines represent true lead (zhen qian) and belong to yang fire. The meaning is that once fire enters through the Mysterious Gate of Kunlun, the true lead in the cauldron appears and begins to transform. When the true embryo melts within and true fire is drawn in from outside, the Kun line becomes the Qian line, and yin water turns back into the yang sign. The fires of the south connect with one another, lead joins with mercury, and the way of the immortals takes this as its root. The story of Zhang Qian riding a raft to the moon palace and meeting the Maiden Star is used as a metaphor for the meeting of yin and yang.

Zi Ye said: Ti hu is the golden fluid (jin ye) of the Kan trigram. Take it and send it into the Li trigram, where "Li" is one's own self. Then circulate it so that it passes through the weilü (the lower end of the spine, a key passage), then through the niwan (the inner elixir point at the head), and from the abdomen reaches the dantian, where it merges with the yin mercury in the body into one.

Shangyang Zi said: The Snow Mountain is the place where yin qi reaches its utmost extreme, yet yin contains yang within it. For this reason the scripture says "good ghee poured over the crown of the head" (haocihu guanding), and this is the principle it refers to. "Pouring in" means that what was originally below has in fact arrived above. I belong to the East, and so I call myself "Dongyang" (Eastern Yang). My Xuan Gate (the mysterious gate of cultivation, meaning the subtle portal of practice) is called the "Furnace of Creation and Transformation" (a metaphor for the place where inner cultivation generates and transforms). As for the accounts of Kunlun and Zhang Qian, the principles in them have already been explained by Daoguang. In the past, the Buddha practiced in the Snow Mountains, and his teaching also points to this. The ancients borrowed the names of real places to name things in cultivation, so borrowed names were often used to compare and describe things.

Those who do not understand yang essence (a term of inner alchemy referring to true yang qi) cannot tell host from guest or near from distant, and so they do not know which kind is truly in accord with themselves.

Merely sealing the weilü acupoint (a point near the end of the spine) within the bedchamber, without understanding the root of cultivation, has harmed many people.

Daoguang said: Zhongli Gong taught that the human limbs and the whole body belong to yin, and that people do not know what counts as yang essence. The Essence of True Oneness is the most intense yang qi, called yang elixir (yangdan). It comes from outside and governs the yin mercury of the self (a term of inner alchemy referring to yin qi), and for this reason it is the "master" (zhu). These two things sense each other and unite, condensing into golden sand, which then does not disperse naturally and in the end becomes the returning elixir (huandan, the elixir obtained through inner alchemical cultivation). People who have lost the correct path do not understand this principle. Instead they practice the arts of the bedchamber and the mastery of women, forcibly seal the weilü point, and call this "refining yin," believing it will prolong life. In truth this is like embracing firewood to put out a fire. The Scripture of the Yin Talisman (Yinfu Jing) says: "Fire is born from within wood, and calamity follows and spreads with it." How could one not be cautious?

Ziye said: Yang essence is in fact the gold within the kan (in the terms of inner alchemy, the true yang qi symbolized by the kan trigram). Although it is said to come from outside, its essence is still something within oneself; it is only the same source under different names, and the difference between the two is slight.

Shangyangzi said: Yang essence (yangjing, the innate essence-qi attained through cultivation) may be obtained through bedchamber practice, but it is not acquired by mastering women through the bedchamber arts. To practice such methods is to walk a deviant path, and how could such a path endure? Thus the Buddhist scripture says: "Those who walk such a path cannot see the Tathagata." Without a true teacher who points out the correct way to cultivate yang essence, all the various side-door methods belong to the deviant path.

Blind teachers in the world transmit strange techniques such as "gathering yin from the three peaks" and "governing women," passing them from hand to hand. This is what is meant by "the blind leading the blind." When the thirtieth night of the twelfth lunar month arrives (a metaphor for the moment of death), practitioners instead blame the alchemical classics for being false and deceiving people, yet they never turn back to reflect that they themselves took the wrong road. Therefore the Immortal Elder directly clarified this poem:

Myriad things flourish and grow in profusion, and in the end each returns to its root; to return to the root and revert to the source of life is to endure long.

To understand the constant Way and return to the origin is something people find hard to grasp; to act recklessly invites calamity, a principle everyone has heard.

Daoguang said: The scripture says that myriad things flourish in profusion and in the end each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called "stillness" (jing), and stillness is the reversion to the source of life. Reverting to the source is called "constancy" (chang), and understanding the constant Way is called "clarity" (ming). Before a person is born, they exist in a state of unknowing, undifferentiated simplicity. After birth, one receives the yin and yang qi of one's parents. The sage cultivates in reverse, retrieving the innate qi as the root of alchemical refinement, and transforms the newly arisen yin-yang qi as the foundation of transformation. Refining the form (lianxing) returns the body to formlessness; refining the qi (lianqi) returns the primordial qi to its original simplicity. One who understands the constant Way and returns the mind to its origin is a sage. One who does not understand the constant Way yet acts recklessly is a deluded person, and therefore invites calamity.

Ziye said: Myriad things such as grasses and trees can still return to their roots and revert to their origin, and so endure through long years. Humans are the most spiritual of all beings, yet they often walk to the edge of death and instead cannot be like grasses and trees. What is spoken of here is the Way of returning to the root and origin, not the reckless conduct that invites calamity.

Shangyangzi said: All things have a time of returning to their roots, and one who has attained the Way understands the principle of longevity. Grasses and trees can grow by relying on shaded places, yet people fail to be like grasses and trees in understanding how to accord with their nature. What is spoken of here is the Way of returning to root and origin, not the reckless conduct that invites calamity.

Shangyangzi said: All things have a time to return to their roots, and the Perfected understand the principle of longevity. When the yin qi of plants and trees reaches its peak, they retreat to their roots, and they flourish again when spring comes. When the qi and blood of ordinary people begin to decline, they too must seek the way of returning to the root, so that they can reverse aging, return to an infant-like state, and thereby attain longevity. Alas, what is called "returning to the root" is Huandan (Returning the Elixir), the process in internal alchemy (Neidan) by which jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit) return to their origin.

The "constant" mentioned here refers to the ordinary methods of everyday worldly life. Only when these ordinary methods are applied with care can one return to the origin and restore the primordial, and this is what is meant by "knowing the constant." Thus, those who truly live in seclusion amid the markets and the dust of the world make it impossible for others to recognize who they really are. If their affairs leak out, or if they act rashly, they may bring upon themselves disaster and censure.

Bodhidharma (Damo), the first patriarch of the Chan school, came from afar to the Central Plains to seek the way to buddhahood, in order to avoid calamity and distance himself from slander. Chan Master Liuchan lived in seclusion among the hunters of Sihui, and he too cultivated the Buddha way in order to avoid disaster. Later, Chan Master Daoguang received instruction from the Perfected Shi, but was obliged to return to lay life and to rely on powerful patrons to accomplish this task. Chongyang Dijun (Wang Chongyang) cultivated the Way and attained perfection while living in the "Tomb of the Living Dead." Taixu Zhenren went to Wuyi Mountain for seven months, and Changsheng Zhenjun went to Luoyang for three years. The predecessors endured great toil and hardship, all for the sake of this great matter.

Today, some who study the Way happen to remember a sentence or two from earlier worthies and then believe they understand the Dao, and they discourse grandly all day long. Others, with shallow understanding, do not inquire into the practices of the immortals and sages, but instead slander cultivation, saying that since whatever is born must die, there can be no way to avoid death. Such people willingly fall into the cycle of rebirth, becoming like seeds of hell. Still others, being attached to their views, hear a little guidance about some side path and declare that they are already able to cultivate. They have not met a true immortal or perfected adept, they do not understand returning to the root and restoring destiny (guiming, the return of the life breath to its source), and they do not grasp the methods of cultivation that transcend the mundane. Nor do they understand what "kind" refers to. Even if they know these things, they must still learn to conceal their edge and keep their light hidden in everyday life, and to accomplish the essential affairs of active advancement in cultivation. If they proceed without restraint and act rashly, will they not surely bring disaster upon themselves?

Therefore the scripture says: "To know the constant is called enlightenment; to not know the constant and act recklessly brings misfortune. One who knows the constant is able to embrace all things, and because one embraces all things, one can be impartial."

Ouye (a famous sword-smith of the Spring and Autumn period) personally handed down the method of forging swords, and Moye (the name of a legendary treasure sword) paired gold with water so that hardness and softness were brought into harmony.

Once the precious sword was completed, it could grasp the intentions of its wielder. Even at a distance of ten thousand li, it could pursue evil and malign forces as swiftly as lightning.

Daoguang says: When Ouye forged swords, he took as his model the principle of "knowing the constant." To know the constant regularity of things is called clarity. Those who do not understand this regularity yet act rashly invite danger. Those who know the constant have broad minds, and broad minds are capable of impartiality.

Ouye personally handed down the method of forging swords, and Moye paired gold with water so that hardness and softness were brought into harmony. Once the precious sword was completed, it could grasp the intentions of its wielder. Even at a distance of ten thousand li, it could pursue evil and malign forces as swiftly as lightning.

Daoguang says: It is said that when Ouye forged swords, the Heavenly Emperor sent a divine maiden to attend the furnace. Gold and water were used in the refining, and hardness and softness were made to cooperate with one another. Once the sword was cast, it could be used to slay demons and monsters, moving as swiftly as lightning, with extraordinary spiritual efficacy. The sage's skill in forging the precious sword is also like this: heaven and earth serve as the furnace, Yin-Yang serves as the water and fire, the Five Phases are blended in proportion, and Shen and Qi are tempered in the forging. Once the precious sword is completed, it can bend and extend, be soft and be hard, be good and be evil, be round and be square. When the mind holds a thought and intention turns toward a goal, the sword can swiftly cut away deluded and false thoughts, like a flash of lightning. This is the sword of divine efficacy. If one cultivates the elixir method without this sword, it is like wanting to catch fish or hare but having neither the fish-trap nor the hare-net.

Ziye says: In refining the elixir and gathering medicinals, one relies entirely on the sword of wisdom to subdue obstructing demons and cut down monsters and evil spirits. Obstructing demons and evil spirits change in an instant and can reach ten thousand li away in the blink of an eye. If the sword of wisdom is not sharp, how could they fail to cause harm?

Shangyangzi

Ziye says: In refining the elixir and gathering medicinals, one relies entirely on the sword of wisdom to subdue obstructing demons and cut down monsters and evil spirits. Obstructing demons and evil spirits change in an instant and can reach ten thousand li away in the blink of an eye. If the sword of wisdom is not sharp, how could they fail to cause harm?

Shangyangzi says: To cast this sword, one cannot use ordinary metal. This divine sword cuts down the Three Corpses (the three malign spirits that, in Daoist teaching, dwell within the human body and obstruct cultivation) within, and eliminates fierce evil without. A fool who uses this sword wounds himself, while a sage uses it to lift his spirit consciousness upward. Xu Jingyang once had five young immortal maidens dance with swords to slay a demonic serpent. Lü Dongbin used the Sanqing (Three Pure Ones) treasure sword to make spirits and demons vanish. Buddhism also speaks of the Vajra Sword. It is truly a magical instrument for becoming an immortal or a buddha.

Strike bamboo and call the turtle to come and swallow the jade fungus; play the qin and summon the phoenix to drink the daogui (a minute dose of medicine used in Daoist alchemy).

Recently, practitioners whose bodies show a golden radiance no longer speak of these principles to ordinary people.

Daoist Master Guangzi (Daoguang) says: the bamboo is hollow, symbolizing an empty and receptive mind; it has no cognitive consciousness, symbolizing non-sentience. The sound of the qin is upright and pleasing to the ear, symbolizing harmony. The tortoise is the Black Tiger, and the phoenix is the Red Dragon. The bowstring energy of the dragon is called Jade Fungus (yuzhi), and that of the tiger is called Spatula Measure (daogui). The dragon and tiger are originally insentient things, yet they are able to couple, so the word "knock" is used to describe them, as if two objects were striking each other. The union of dragon and tiger is like the joining of husband and wife, and therefore it is called "playing the qin." When the dragon and tiger unite, their bowstring energies swallow and absorb each other, and they refine the Returning Elixir (a term of internal alchemy referring to the elixir produced through cultivation), so that golden light permeates the body, the dark and yellow radiance blazes, and it is as if wind arises beneath both arms, lifting one beyond the mundane world.

Master Zi Ye says: Jade Fungus and Spatula Measure are both alternative names for the elixir. The medicine is born in Kan (one of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing water and yin containing yang); Kan contains the yang of Qian, and Qian symbolizes metal and jade, which is why Jade Fungus and Spatula Measure are used as metaphors. "Knocking the bamboo and playing the qin" is the sound of yin and yang responding to and merging with each other. The bamboo is empty-minded, so it responds when struck; the qin's sound is upright and harmonious, without disorder. The resonance evoked by this sound is not ordinary depraved or false desire, nor the licentious music of the states of Zheng and Wei. "Blowing on the tortoise to summon the phoenix" expresses the principle that "what originates in Heaven tends upward, and what originates in Earth tends downward." The Ru Yao Jing (Mirror of Entering the Medicine) calls this idea "ascending the Magpie Bridge and descending the Magpie Bridge," referring to the pathways of upward and downward communication in internal alchemy practice. Li (one of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing fire and yang contained within yin) belongs to the category of birds and also symbolizes the Vermilion Phoenix of the south, used here as a metaphor for Kan; to summon Li is to take in the medicinal substance it brings, and Li is none other than my own self.

Master Shangyang Zi says: the bamboo is hollow and its outer form is straight; if it is not straight, one strikes it so that it can respond to things. The qin values the harmony between its tuning positions (huiwei) and its strings; if the sound is not in accord, one adjusts the strings so that it can accomplish what it is meant to do.

Shangyangzi said: The bamboo is hollow and its form is upright. If the bamboo is not upright enough, one must strike it so that it can respond to external things. The tuning marks and strings of the qin must be in harmony with one another; if the sound is not harmonious, the strings must be tuned, and only then can the matter be accomplished. The Jade Fungus (Yuzhi) points to the Celestial Dragon (qianlong), and the Spoon-Measure (daogui) points to the Earthly Things (kunwu). What is called "calling the turtle" is the work on one's own side; "summoning the phoenix" requires relying on the other. Without the great harmony of Yin and Yang Qi, how could the other be summoned?

If a practitioner misses the timing of the hexagram Qi's movement, the bamboo cannot respond to things. At such a time, should it not be struck? "Striking" means beating it. If the qin is not in harmony, should its strings not be tuned? "Tuning" means stirring and plucking. Therefore, even at seventy, eighty, or even one hundred and twenty years of age, one may still refine the Returning Elixir (huandan), the pill produced by internal alchemy (neidan) practice. This is the principle of this Way. People of ordinary capacity cannot understand these matters, and deviant teachers and presumptuous people have no means of knowing them. Unless one receives them directly from a true immortal or sacred teacher who has sworn an oath before Heaven, who could know them?

In the past, my teacher, Ziqiong Gong, attended the Perfected Taixu. Once, a skilled debater came to seek an audience and spoke of "striking the bamboo daily, blowing the turtle, and swallowing the Jade Fungus," and then asked the Perfected Taixu, "What is meant by calling the turtle?" The Perfected Taixu replied, "I can tell you about calling the turtle, but first let me ask you: what is meant by striking the bamboo?" The man answered, "This is the most profound key." The Perfected Taixu said, "I am not asking about the most profound key; I am only asking what striking the bamboo means." The man answered, "This is the hidden and profound mechanism." The Perfected Taixu said, "What you say is learned from a long connecting bed. You can speak only of 'the most profound key,' yet you cannot explain what striking the bamboo is. Take these words and debate them with the people of the world; this is not the place where you will understand calling the turtle." The man still did not understand, so the Perfected Taixu had Ziqiong escort him out.

Afterward, the Perfected Taixu asked Ziqiong, "Do you know what striking the bamboo is?" Ziqiong replied, "Stillness and quietude, yet it becomes penetrating through response." The Perfected Taixu then asked, "Do you know what calling the turtle is?" Ziqiong replied, "Treating others with courtesy and humility, and therefore also gaining something in return." The Perfected Taixu asked, "Why could that man not answer just now?" Ziqiong said, "He has not received a teacher's transmission; relying on forced guessing alone will not do." The Perfected Taixu further admonished, "Knowing the principle is not difficult; the difficulty lies in acting on it."

Medicinal substances must accord with the nature of Qi before they can congeal into form; the Dao lies in subtle stillness and accords with nature. When the numinous elixir is swallowed into the belly, the practitioner comes to realize that their destiny is no longer fixed by Heaven.

Daoguang said: "There is something wholly unified that existed before Heaven and Earth took shape. The sages reluctantly named it the Hunyuan Zhenyi Qi (hùnyuán zhēnyī qì, the root qi of undifferentiated oneness before Heaven and Earth divided). It cannot be seen, yet through resonance it penetrates, gathers, and descends to form the spiritual elixir. It is like a precious pearl within emptiness and profound mystery. Whoever takes it and ingests it can refine the Qianjigong (qiánjǐgōng, a mercury-type medicine relating to the self), be transformed into a body of pure Yang, and share the lifespan of Heaven."

Chaoyuanzi said: "Human life and death are ultimately governed by the Dao (dào, the Way) of Heaven and Earth. At root, human nature and life are bound up with mercury and lead (inner alchemy terms often used as metaphors for the Yin and Yang medicinals required in alchemy). Does this not show that my destiny can be grasped through my own cultivation?"

"Whoever takes this pearl and ingests it can refine the Qianjigong, be transformed into a body of pure Yang, and share the lifespan of Heaven." Chaoyuanzi went on: "Human life and death are ultimately governed by the Dao of Heaven and Earth. At root, human nature and life are bound up with mercury and lead. Does this not show that my destiny can be grasped through my own cultivation?"

Ziye said: "The Dao is simply the Dao, and cultivating it requires stillness and purity above all. Medicine is simply medicine, and only by finding its corresponding kind can it be refined. If one seeks medicine with something that does not correspond, one only wastes one's effort."

Shangyangzi said: "The Yijing (Yìjīng, the Book of Changes) says: 'In the southwest one finds companions, and goes with those of the same kind.' If two Yang things are identical, they produce excessive Yang and drought, so how could there be any mutual stirring of natures? Two Yin things in one room must contend with each other, so how can one say that Yin and Yang pair by kind? Yin must follow Yang to form a pairing, and lead must be cast into water before the medicine can be refined. Once the medicine transforms into the elixir, the elixir transforms into shen (shén, spirit). When both form and spirit reach their subtle perfection, nature and life can be held in one's own hands."

"The brilliant Jindan (jīndān, Golden Elixir) can be completed within a single day, and the words of the ancient immortals are truly worth heeding."

"To speak of nine years or three years is merely a way of delaying and postponing."

Daoguang said: "In refining the great Golden Elixir, the true work takes no more than half a shichen (shíchén, a two-hour unit of the traditional day). Once it is completed, it can be taken. When this passage says 'one day,' it refers only to drawing out that half shichen from within the day. Once the Golden Elixir enters the mouth, one ascends at once to the realm of the sages. Since it is so marvelous, why would one still need to delay for nine years or three?"

Ziye said: "The method of refining the elixir lies in joining lead with mercury, and the elixir forms within a moment. The 'one day' mentioned here also refers to this half shichen. Once the Golden Elixir enters the mouth, one ascends at once to the realm of the sages. Since it is so marvelous, why would one still need to delay for nine years or three?"

Zi Ye said: The key to the method of refining the elixir lies in the union of lead and mercury, and in an instant the foundation of the elixir can congeal. But one must understand when the lead is generated. At that moment, all things are just beginning to sprout, there is qi without physical form, the source of water is utterly clear, and the matter is truly subtle. When exactly is this? Alas, it is the time when this year is about to end and tomorrow has not yet arrived.

Shangyang Zi said: In the method of refining the elixir, one must understand the "living midnight hour" (tajia huozi shi), the moment when the qi of yin and yang stirs and is suitable for gathering and refining. If this were not the most refined principle under heaven, who could grasp its hidden meaning?

The "great medicine" (dayao) can be cultivated with both ease and difficulty. One must know that its success depends both on oneself and on the timing of heaven.

If one does not accumulate good deeds and quietly cultivate hidden virtue (yin de), that is, good deeds performed without seeking fame or reward, then during cultivation one will easily encounter all kinds of demonic obstacles (mozhang).

Daoguang said: Demonic obstacles come from without, while cultivation rests within oneself. Only when hidden virtue is deeply accumulated can there be hope of forming the numinous elixir.

Zi Ye said: On the Great Way of the Golden Elixir (Jindan), the ancients often regarded demonic obstacles as hindrances along the path of practice.

Daoguang said: Demonic obstacles come from without, while cultivation rests within oneself. Only when hidden virtue is deeply accumulated can there be hope of forming the numinous elixir.

Zi Ye said: On the Great Way of the Golden Elixir, the ancients held that it is transmitted only once in ten thousand kalpas, so it is by no means a trivial matter. The higher the Way, the more fiercely demonic obstacles tend to rise. Without the support of hidden virtue, one may meet with setbacks and lose heart and the will to continue.

Shangyang Zi said: Earlier it was said, "My destiny is not governed by heaven," meaning that the mystery of creation lies within oneself. Here it is said that cultivation depends on both oneself and heaven because, before the returning elixir (huandan) can be completed, one must first accumulate hidden virtue. To give without seeking return is hidden virtue. To do good without letting others know is hidden virtue. To refrain from pushing others into danger is hidden virtue. To quietly provide convenience for others is also hidden virtue. If a practitioner's own virtue is insufficient, they will often be troubled by external demons. If one can turn inward to reflect on oneself and vow to persevere in practice through patience and diligence, then demonic obstacles can be transformed into opportunities to accumulate virtue. The scripture says: "When others bring calamity, I respond with blessing and goodness; when others come with resentment, I repay them with virtue." These are all manifestations of deep hidden virtue dissolving demonic obstacles.

Heaven, earth, and humanity, the Three Powers, draw upon one another, and each has its own appropriate time. The Way (Dao), Virtue (De), and the way of the immortals all contain this mystery within them.

When the transformations of all things settle, the various thoughts also cease. When the whole body's hundred bones are harmonized and flowing freely, one can realize wuwei (non-action), the state of following nature without forcing anything.

Laozi said: Heaven and earth act upon the myriad things according to the cycle of the four seasons, so the myriad things flourish and decline and cannot remain in full bloom forever. The myriad things act upon human beings through the five flavors, so people are born and die and cannot live forever. Human beings, in turn, act upon the myriad things through the qi of the Five Phases (Wuxing), so things endure and perish and cannot last forever. The seasons act on the myriad things to make them wax and wane; the myriad things influence people through the five flavors to make them live and die; people influence the myriad things through the qi of the Five Phases to make them survive or be destroyed. These three kinds of action each harmonize with the others, and so the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity are settled. Thus there is birth and death, flourishing and withering, existence and destruction, and there are both the myriad things and the self. The myriad phenomena arise in profusion, and their cycling has no end. This is the Dao of nature. If one can fuse these three kinds of action into one, turn the pivot of their operation, and take hold of and make use of them by going against the sequence of the seasons, then each of the body's hundreds of bones will attain its proper order, the myriad transformations will naturally settle, and the various thoughts will naturally come to rest. This is the manifestation of the Dao of Wuwei (non-action).

Zi Ye said: "What is called 'stealing' means obtaining what one needs without being aware of it. The method of cultivation is to steal the pivotal secret of the operation of heaven and earth, and to take vital qi from within decline itself. Once one grasps the principle within it, every part of the body will be at peace."

Shangyang Zi said: "The 'stealing' here is not the theft of worldly custom, but the method of the Golden Elixir (Jindan): obtaining what one needs without awareness, stealing the pivot of heaven and earth, and taking vital qi from within decline. Once one grasps the principle within it, every part of the body will be at peace."

Shangyang Zi further said: "The 'stealing' spoken of here is not worldly theft, but the method of the Golden Elixir: taking the initial qi of the single point of primordial true Yang that existed before heaven and earth were opened, and using it to refine the Returning Elixir (huandan, the elixir formed through refinement in internal alchemy, Neidan). This pivotal secret can be secretly employed only by those of profound attainment and weighty virtue who have reached the realm of the immortals; those who are lacking in virtue, conduct, and ordinary in capacity cannot know it. Even if they happen to hear of it, they will only doubt or be confused. Why? Because they lack virtue. What the scripture speaks of is precisely the hidden use of this pivot by immortals of profound De (Virtue)."

The precious text of the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Accord) is less than three hundred characters, while the spiritually subtle chapters of the Daodejing (Classic of the Way and Its Power) run to five thousand characters.

Immortals of high rank, past and present, cannot be counted, and all of them have grasped the true essentials here.

Daoguang said: "These two scriptures are the pivot of all the classics, the key that governs the essential doctrines of the various philosophers of the hundred schools."

Master Shangyang said that the Yinfu Jing (Classic of the Hidden Accord) and the Daodejing (Classic of the Dao and De) are the foundational texts for cultivating the Golden Elixir (Jindan). Superior immortals regarded them as a quanti (fish trap, a metaphor for a tool that helps one grasp the Great Dao), and by practicing according to them they attained the Dao. Yet the meaning of these texts is profound and remote, and as the generations grew more shallow, people found it hard to grasp their true intent. For this reason the immortal master wrote the Wuzhen Pian (Awakening to Reality), so that later students could understand at a glance, comprehend more readily, and practice accordingly. From this we can see that the three works speak of one and the same thing.

Even if your intelligence surpassed that of Yan Hui or Min Ziqian, you should not force guesses without meeting a true teacher. The cultivation of the Golden Elixir has no transmission of oral formulas, so how could I tell you where to go to form the spirit embryo (the attainment of Neidan, internal alchemy, in cultivation)?

Daoguang said: Among the thousands of scriptures and myriad treatises, most speak only of branches and details. The Great Dao is not complicated; it is passed only from master to disciple through a mind-seal (xinyin). Without encountering a genuine teacher, one should not presume to guess.

Ziye said: Without a teacher to transmit the oral formulas and essential points, where then should one begin the cultivation?

Shangyangzi said: The teachings of the Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist schools, along with the many arts and crafts, can mostly be written down on paper and grasped through wisdom and reflection. Only the Golden Elixir (Jin Dan) Way must be taught step by step by a true master, and it cannot be understood through one's own imagination alone.

Some people have heard their master speak in broad outline about the cauldron and vessel (ding qi, the metaphor or bodily conditions used in alchemical practice), yet they do not know when the medicinal substances come into being, and so they still fail to complete the elixir. Others know the medicinal substances but do not understand the timing and measure of the work, known as fire phasing (huohou), and they too fail. Some understand fire phasing but do not know how to reverse yin and yang (diandao yin yang), and they fail. Some understand the method of reversal but do not carefully refine the self (lian ji, the disciplining and cultivation of one's own mind and nature), and they likewise fail. Some know how to refine the self but do not understand the use of both method and resources (fa cai liang yong, the practical methods and supporting conditions the practice requires), and they fail as well. The saying in the Ru Yao Jing (Mirror of Entering the Medicine), "a hair's breadth of error and no elixir is formed," means exactly this: a single mistake anywhere means the work cannot succeed.

Alas, foolish people in the world rely on eloquence and wish to grasp the Golden Elixir through words alone. They rely on cleverness and wish to comprehend it through speculation alone. Some take crooked paths, seeking it through deviant methods and contention. Others merely sit in stillness and mistakenly believe that this alone will bring accomplishment. The immortal masters, in their utmost compassion, left behind verses that are sincere and clear, and these have already helped many people in later generations.

If one can settle the restless mind-monkey (xin yuan, a metaphor for the scattered and unruly thoughts that are hard to tame) with clarity, so that the mind within the square inch (fang cun) becomes open to the essential mechanism, then the thousands of merits and practices (san qian gong xing, the accumulated good deeds and cultivation) can be made equal to Heaven.

Naturally there will be a cauldron and vessel in which to refine the Dragon and Tiger (long hu, symbols of the mutual refining of yin and yang, and of essence and vital energy, within inner alchemy). Why, then, should one bear the burden of family and cling to children and spouse?

Daoguang said: These words are spoken with great sincerity. Yet why do people still fail to turn back?

Heaven and earth move according to a fixed rhythm: spring brings forth the myriad things, summer makes them grow, autumn brings the harvest, and winter stores them away. Things flourish and decline, the constellations keep turning, and the transforming processes of creation repeat in cycles, completing one round in three hundred and sixty days. The practitioner must restrain scattered thoughts and cleanse the heart, gathering the precious true nature within the river of love and desire. This takes only a moment. Then, in the spirit chamber (shenshi), the place where the mind-spirit is cultivated in internal alchemy (Neidan), one guards the returning elixir (huandan) for nearly three thousand days. In this way, the efficacy of cultivation can accord with the transforming processes of creation, and one's virtue (De) is sufficient to subdue ghosts and spirits. Is it not the case that the merit of such practice can stand equal with Heaven?

If the returning elixir has not yet been refined, one must hasten to cultivate it. Once it has been refined, one must also know when to stop.

If one has already achieved success yet still harbors an insatiable craving, one will inevitably, sooner or later, meet with danger and humiliation.

Daoguang says: If the elixir has not yet been refined, one should begin at once, for opportunity will not wait for anyone. Once the elixir is complete, one must embrace the One and guard the state of accomplishment, facing the wall for nine years, and only then can this Way be propagated.

Shangyangzi says: If the returning elixir has not yet been refined, cultivate it without delay. If it has already been refined, one must quickly let it go. Buddhists say that once the Way is attained, the vessels of the alchemical chamber should also be abandoned and no longer clung to. If one does not let go, but the heart still clings to these states and implements, it is likely to invite danger and humiliation. The Perfected Bai of Zi Qing once encountered sudden wind and thunder at midnight, which is one such example. Therefore, Bodhidharma (Damo) left a life of long wandering journeys and entered the Shaolin Temple to sit in stillness, and thus was spared from sudden calamity.

One should turn a gate that seems to have cut off all life into a path of survival, and not cling to mistaking the so-called "gate of life" for the "gate of death."

If one can grasp the transformation of the "killing energy" and understand that opposites complete and depend on one another, one will know that sometimes harm itself contains the seeds of life and grace.

Daoist Light (Daoguang) says: Yin and Yang and the Five Phases, moving in accordance with natural order, bring about birth; moving against this order brings about death. This is the common principle. Inner alchemy (Neidan), however, teaches a different path of cultivation: attaining eternal life through "non-birth," and attaining true conformity through "non-compliance." If one understands this, one can generate blessings out of calamities, and just as a man can conceive, one can gestate the Golden Elixir (Jindan) within.

Shangyang Zi says: The poem says, "Understand the gate and quickly cultivate with diligence." If people today can grasp this principle, understand the crux of life and death, know how to invert the use of Yin and Yang, and comprehend the mystery of returning Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), and if they can transform the pivot of life and killing, then they can turn suffering into joy and endurance into grace. With this, what would there be to fear about failing to become an immortal?

Misfortune and fortune have always depended on and lurked within each other, accompanying one another like a shadow following a form or an echo following a sound.

If one can transform the pivot of life and killing, one can turn disaster into good fortune in an instant.

Daoguang says: Yang qi governs life and symbolizes fortune; Yin qi governs killing and symbolizes misfortune. When Yin qi recedes and Yang qi grows, one is moving toward becoming an immortal.

Misfortune and fortune have always depended on and lurked within each other, accompanying one another like a shadow following a form or an echo following a sound.

If one can transform the pivot of life and killing, one can turn disaster into good fortune in an instant.

Daoguang says: Yang qi governs life and symbolizes fortune; Yin qi governs killing and symbolizes misfortune. When Yin qi recedes and Yang qi grows, and when Yang reaches its peak, Yin arises again. Yin and Yang depend on and transform into each other; this is the common law. If one cultivates by moving against the ordinary course of the changes of life and killing, then in a single turn of thought one can turn calamity into blessing and generate grace out of hardship. This is like a man conceiving, and it is the practice of Dao cultivation.

Ziye says: When the Five Phases move in their ordinary course, the whole Dharma realm (the totality of all things and beings in Buddhist teaching) becomes a pit of fire; when the Five Phases move in reverse, the entire earth transforms into the Seven Treasures.

Shangyang Zi says: The transformations of creation can be governed by oneself, and misfortune and fortune can be altered through one's own cultivation. Moving along the ordinary course, one is born as an ordinary person; reversing the ordinary course through cultivation, one can form the inner elixir. People who do not know how to transform the pivot of life and killing are caught in endless cycles of rebirth with no end. How could they know that the path to becoming a Buddha or an immortal lies, in truth, within the turning of a palm?

Xiuxing (Practitioner) says: The transformations of creation can be governed by oneself, and misfortune and fortune can be altered through one's own cultivation. Moving along the ordinary course, one is born as an ordinary person; reversing the ordinary course through cultivation, one can form the inner elixir. People who do not know how to transform the pivot of life and killing are caught in endless cycles of rebirth with no end. How could they know that the path to becoming a Buddha or an immortal lies, in truth, within the turning of a palm?

In cultivation, one should blend in with the mundane world and conceal one's sharpness without displaying it; when one should be round, one takes a round form, and when one should be square, one takes a square form.

Those who cultivate the Dao keep their outward display and inner reality, their conformity and deviance, hidden from outsiders, so how could ordinary learners perceive the subtle mysteries behind traces that leave no mark?

Daoguang said: The Laozi speaks of "softening one's brightness and merging with the dust" (hé qí guāng, tóng qí chén), meaning to temper one's radiance and blend into the mundane world. Bringing the Heavenly Dao into harmony with human affairs is indeed an essential secret of cultivation.

Ziye said: Being smooth on the outside while keeping integrity within is a deliberate way of dealing with the world. How could the state the Dao describes be easily discerned by others?

Shangyangzi said: The Immortal Master extended broad compassion. Not only did they use the secrets of the Golden Elixir (jīn dān), the core terminology of neidan (inner alchemy), to enlighten later generations, but they also repeatedly admonished the ways of living in the world. How earnest they were! The hardest part of cultivating the Great Elixir is merging with the mundane world. The essential and profound secret, the one most difficult to see through, is "harmonizing the light" (hé guāng). Even when such a practice has marvelous effects, it does not display its edges. One responds to affairs round outside and square within, quietly conforming to the transformations of creation without revealing it. Once this state is reached, who could know when to act and when to withdraw? These are the vital skills of advanced cultivation.

After Daoguang heard the words at Xinglin (Apricot Grove), they took off their monastic robes and returned to lay life to complete the great task of cultivation. Is this not merging with the mundane world? When the Sixth Patriarch heard the Fifth Patriarch's words, they hid among the hunters without being noticed. Is this not also merging with the mundane world? After Perfected Daxu grasped the subtle meaning of Huang Fanggong, they lived in seclusion at Mount Wuyi for seven months before attaining the Dao. Is this not concealing one's light?

Today some Daoist and Buddhist clergy shave their heads into round crowns and wear black robes (zī yī), or bind their hair into topknots and wear square-cut robes. Do they understand the sacred teaching "wú yǒu dà huàn, wéi wú yǒu shēn" (Laozi: because I have a body, I have great troubles)?

And how can one know that this body will instead become the great obstacle to entering the inner chamber for cultivation? Therefore, the true great recluse dwells within the mundane world in such a way that no one can trace his whereabouts. One who cultivates the methods of transcending the world must likewise ensure that others cannot know his comings and goings. Laozi says, "Meet it and you cannot see its head; follow it and you cannot see its tail." He also says, "It cannot be known, so I force a description of it." Once one understands this, and then looks back at the ignorant worldly people who seek the Dao through cleverness, deception, shallow understanding, and indulgence, one sees how far they are from the true Dao. When a great practitioner has reached this level, how could he not repeatedly chant this poem in order to accomplish the work of cultivating the Dao?

End of Fascicle Four of the Three Commentaries on the Wuzhen Pian by Ziyang Zhenren.

A five-character poem, used to symbolize the mystery by which Taiyi (the primordial, undivided true qi) contains and stores the true qi:

A woman wears a green robe, and a gentleman drapes himself in white silk. What can be seen is of no use; what truly serves is unseen.

They meet in a state of abstraction, and transformation takes place in the deep and dark obscurity. In an instant the flame rises, and the True Person (zhenren) appears.

Daoguang says: The woman is the taut qi of the Dragon, called "Wood Maiden," born of the Azure Dragon, which is why she is said to wear green. The gentleman is the taut qi of the Tiger, called "Metal Lord," born of the White Tiger, which is why he is said to drape white silk. Anything that has form and substance and can be seen is a turbid residue produced after birth, and so it cannot be used in cultivation. Only the primal, undifferentiated True Unity qi arises before Heaven and Earth, dwells in abstraction, and emerges from the depths of obscurity. It is vast and fully blended, spiritually responsive and transformative, and it can bring forth something from nothing. When the fire is regulated correctly (huohou), the True Person appears. This method is extraordinarily subtle, and without the oral instructions of a true master passed down in person, who could understand it?

Ziyang says: "The woman in green" refers to Wood Mercury, and "the gentleman in white silk" refers to Water Metal. When Yin and Yang unite, both sides, with qi that has not yet manifested form, couple within obscurity and abstraction……

Ziye said, “‘A woman dressed in blue’ refers to Wood Mercury; ‘a young man clad in white’ refers to Water Gold. When Yin and Yang unite, both must join through the prenatal breath, before it has taken visible form, in a deep and indistinct state. In this way, it may be used to refine the Elixir. Once form has become visible, it belongs to the postnatal realm and can no longer be used.

Shangyangzi said: “This poem sums up in eight lines the wondrous workings of a treatise on the Elixir. The first line concerns the Zhen trigram family, which symbolizes Wood and the east, and refers to Wood Mercury, belonging to oneself. The second concerns the Dui trigram palace, which symbolizes Metal and the west, and refers to Lead, belonging to the other. The third describes how things arise from this union; the fourth, the refining of the Elixir; the fifth, entering the quiet chamber and beginning cultivation; the sixth, guarding against danger; the seventh, the Elixir’s completion after nine revolutions; and the eighth, the perfection of cultivation and the accumulation of three thousand merits. By writing this poem, the immortal master sought to point to the primordial, undifferentiated, true One Qi—the primal breath contained within the Great One. How could those who study the Dao fail to seek the guidance of an enlightened teacher?

The twelve poems of Xijiang Yue symbolize the twelve months.

The immortal master said: “‘West’ is the direction of Metal, ‘river’ is the form of Water, and ‘moon’ symbolizes the workings of the Elixir method.

The refinement of the inner medicine resembles that of the outer medicine. When internal cultivation is complete, its external application must also be complete. The Elixir’s head—the essential ingredient used in refining it—is blended and brought into harmony, its nature being the same; nurturing it through warmth has two functions.

Within, the natural true Fire is already present, keeping the Elixir cauldron bright and hot for a long time. The increases and decreases of the outer furnace must be adjusted diligently. The most subtle key of all is the true seed, the prenatal seed that is the foundation of Elixir refinement.

Daoguang said: “The Song for Dispelling Delusion from Yimen says, ‘When the Dao is within, set up the furnace and cauldron within; when the Dao is without, put Kan and Li to work without, and use Lead to unite the two functions.’”

Within, the natural true Fire is already present, keeping the Elixir cauldron bright and hot for a long time. The increases and decreases of the outer furnace must be adjusted diligently. The most subtle key of all is the true seed.

Dao Guang says: “The Song for Breaking Delusion by Yimen says: ‘If the Dao is within the body, a furnace and cauldron must be set up; yet the furnace and cauldron must stand outside the body. If the Dao is outside the body, Kan and Li—the trigrams that represent Yin-Yang—are used, while lead and mercury, alchemical terms here referring to the two Yin-Yang medicines, are within the body.’ This explains the difference between the inner medicine and the outer medicine.

“The outer medicine refers to the Golden Elixir. Its transformative process takes place in the ‘Two-Eight Furnace’ and can be completed in less than half an hour. The inner medicine refers to the returned elixir of liquid gold. Its transformation takes place within one’s own body and requires ten months before one can be reborn and become a sage. The two medicines work in much the same way, but the actual methods of cultivation and the timing of the fire differ greatly. When refining the external elixir, even a slight mistake in blending the elixir’s seed will prevent the great medicine from forming. When refining the internal medicine, one must blend the seed with particular care and guard against danger.

“Although the inner medicine has natural true fire, burning fiercely in the earthen cauldron—the inner furnace and cauldron that symbolize the body—it still requires the work of the outer furnace and diligent adjustment. The changes of inner and outer true fire are without limit. The key lies in the wondrous use of true lead, which is especially able to restrain mercury and keep it from scattering. Recently, Ye Wenshu failed to understand this principle. He claimed that the inner medicine is refined with true fire, while the outer medicine must be regulated with ordinary fire. This merely shows that he never received instruction from a transmitted teacher and, relying only on his narrow understanding, presumed to judge the Great Dao. He did not know that although the inner and outer medicines differ as inner and outer, the fundamental principle governing their use is the same.

“Why distinguish between inner and outer? Humans are born by receiving the vital essence of Heaven and Earth, and take on bodily form through the transformations of Yin and Yang. The body therefore depends chiefly on Jing, Qi, and Shen: Shen arises from Qi, Qi arises from Jing, and Jing in turn arises from Shen. If those who cultivate the elixir work only within themselves, all they can do is refine these three—Jing, Qi, and Shen. Yet all three are formed after birth and are purely Yin, without Yang. How could cultivation based on them alone carry one beyond Heaven and Earth?

“Elder Zhongli said: ‘The seven substances of the body—mucus, saliva, Jing, fluids, Qi, blood, and liquid—are all Yin.’ He also said: ‘To cultivate only one thing is to have solitary Yin.’ The sages knew that a person’s true Jing is born after birth and belongs to Yin: it is difficult to grasp and easy to lose. They therefore seek the primordial Qi and, in an instant, gather and refine substances of the same origin that resonate with one another, such as true Yin and true Yang, into a single elixir. This is called the ‘Elixir of Utmost Yang,’ and is also known as ‘true lead.’ Its transformation takes place outside the body, which is why it is called the outer medicine.

“Next, use this Yang elixir to subdue the Yin mercury within your own body, as a cat catches a mouse. The Yang elixir is the mother Qi of Heaven and Earth; the mercury within one’s body is their child Qi. When the mother Qi subdues the child Qi, are they not resonant substances of the same kind? This transformation takes place within the body, which is why it is called the inner medicine. Then, with the aid of Yin-Yang talismanic fire, use extraction and replenishment to regulate the fire’s timing and the Yin-Yang Qi. After ten months of work, when the fire has reached its full measure, the bodily form becomes Qi, Qi becomes Shen, and Shen joins with the Dao. One rises into the formless, undergoing transformations beyond measure. In this way, one can pass beyond Heaven and Earth, stand above the workings of creation, govern Heaven and Earth, and shape Yin and Yang, no longer subject to their transformations. This is brought about by the primordial Qi.

“This wondrous principle is so subtle and perfect that nothing is said to surpass the true seed. How, then, could ordinary lead, mercury, cinnabar, and common fire—things that exist only after birth, along with impure substances that do not accord with the Dao—serve as the outer medicine? Those who study the Dao should investigate the roots and distinguish what is true from what is false. They must not be deceived by frauds or let people who merely pose as exalted masters mislead later students. Such people will fall forever into the Three Evil Paths of Buddhist teaching: the hells, the realm of hungry ghosts, and the animal realm.”

Zi Ye says: The principles of Neidan cultivation are broadly akin to refining medicines over a furnace fire in Waidan. In general, without lead, mercury cannot be subdued. Once you understand the principles of Waidan, Neidan becomes easier to understand.

Shangyangzi says: If practitioners set out in the wrong direction from the beginning, they will fall forever into the Three Paths—the three evil destinies.

Zi Ye again says: The principles of Neidan cultivation are broadly akin to refining medicines over a furnace fire in Waidan. In general, without lead, mercury cannot be subdued. Once you understand the principles of Waidan, Neidan becomes easier to understand.

Shangyangzi says: Practitioners must first thoroughly understand the true meaning of the functions of Yin-Yang within and beyond themselves. Then, when they enter a quiet room to begin their cultivation, success will come more easily. The inner medicine is inherent within oneself; the outer medicine is produced by oneself. The inner medicine is within one’s own body, and the outer medicine also comes from oneself. The inner medicine does not leave oneself, and neither does the outer medicine. The inner medicine cultivates nature alone, while the outer medicine attends to life as well. The inner medicine is Jing (essence); the outer medicine is Qi (vital energy). Jing and Qi cannot be separated, so together they are called the “true seed.” Only through the dual cultivation of nature and life can one attain the status of a celestial immortal.

This path is supremely divine and sacred; the only concern is that your blessings may be too slight for you to bear it. Harmonizing lead and mercury takes less than a day, and soon you can see the first appearance of the Mysterious Pearl—the pill body that symbolizes the coalescence of Jing and Qi in Neidan cultivation.

If people of aspiration can grasp the cultivation of life, they will understand that the inner medicine is Jing and the outer medicine is Qi. Jing and Qi cannot be separated, so together they are called the “true seed.” Only by cultivating nature and life together can one attain the status of a celestial immortal.

This path is supremely divine and sacred; the only concern is that your blessings may be too slight for you to bear it. Harmonizing lead and mercury takes less than a day, and soon you can see the first appearance of the Mysterious Pearl.

People of aspiration can practice even while living amid the markets and the court. The work of cultivation is not difficult, and the medicines are not far away. When the principles are laid out plainly, people may find them laughable.

Daoguang says: The Golden Elixir enters the mouth and one immediately rises into the realm of the sages—is this not supremely divine and sacred? The firing takes only half an hour—is this not supremely simple and easy? It is found in every home and is not limited by whether one lives amid the markets or at court—is this not close at hand? Precisely because it is so near to people, speaking of it makes them laugh. Those who receive this teaching need only fear that they lack their own merit, forget their teacher, or turn away from the Great Dao, and so prove unable to bear its wonder.

Ziye said: The Golden Elixir (the essence sought through Neidan cultivation) is called sacred because its efficacy is as evident as the shadow cast by a raised bamboo pole or the echo heard when one calls into a valley. It is no vague illusion or sorcery. The Golden Elixir speaks only of lead and mercury: lead comes from external things, while mercury arises within oneself. Once this key is discerned and firmly grasped, the Mysterious Pearl (a symbol of the Neidan attained through cultivation) will appear. Cultivation then becomes no difficult task. Why insist on refining it in famous mountains and great marshes?

Shangyangzi said: The work of the Reverted Elixir (a term used in Neidan cultivation) lies in subduing the dragon and taming the tiger—that is, regulating Yin-Yang within the body and the changes of body and mind. To draw upon the transformations of Heaven and Earth is to achieve the mysterious. A mind that is still and unmoving, yet can respond to all things and understand their principles, is called numinous and sacred. Those who hear of this, believe and accept it, and practice diligently are people of deep roots and fine endowment. Those who hear of it and laugh in scorn are people with little good fortune and no affinity for the practice. When lead and mercury unite, the Mysterious Pearl appears; this is called the Golden Elixir. Refining the Elixir and cultivating the Dao do not require leaving ordinary life. Whether at home amid the bustle of the town, going about daily tasks by day or working at night, the conditions for cultivation are all there. One need not cling to any particular setting. Foolish people in the world imagine that cultivation requires living in remote mountains, withdrawing from society, abandoning wife and children, and sitting alone in stillness and Wuwei (non-action). They do not understand how true Yin and true Yang are put to use.

The White Tiger (an important symbol in Neidan practice) is the foremost essential instruction and a precious treasure; the spirit-water in the Flower Pool (a symbol of the place within the body where refinement and nourishment take place) is true gold. From this we can see that the foundation on which the highest and most subtle cultivation depends is profound, and unlike ordinary medicines.

If you wish to complete the Nine Revolutions (the successive transformations in Neidan cultivation), first refine the self and guard the mind—that is, discipline body and mind and strengthen your resolve. Then gather the ingredients at the proper times and distinguish what floats from what sinks. Be especially careful when advancing the fire (a Neidan term for applying the fire phases to propel cultivation), for the risks are great.

Daoguang said: “‘Head’ means the beginning. ‘Head-period essence’ refers to the Qi produced when the White Tiger (a symbol within the human body associated with Metal Qi and true essence) is at its first crescent phase. It does not refer to the method of collecting Yin through sexual intercourse, known as ‘bedchamber alchemy’ or ‘Three Peaks, Twenty-Four Grades of Yin-Collecting.’ To call such a method a path of cultivation is to slander the Great Dao. This would cause one’s ancestors for nine generations to sink forever into the ghost realm, while one would suffer retribution in this life. The Great Dao must not be slandered, just as no ladder can be used to climb up to Heaven.

“The Qi of the True One (a Neidan term for original, pure essence) is called ‘True One Water’ in Heaven and ‘first-crescent Qi’ in the White Tiger. When refined and nurtured in the Flower Pool (a Neidan term for the place within the body where essence is refined into Qi), it is also called ‘Spirit Water.’ It is a treasure as precious as true gold. In essence, it is always the essence of the True One; it merely circulates in different places and so has various names. It can bring the transformations of creation to completion. The Daode Jing says, ‘The highest good is like water.’ True One Water came into being before Heaven and Earth, and is therefore called ‘the highest good.’ Its source and course reach far back, unlike ordinary tangible things that came into being only after Heaven and Earth had taken shape.

“‘Nine turns’ refers to nine years of cultivation: the work undertaken after the embryo is complete at the end of ten months, as in Bodhidharma’s nine years facing a wall. To cultivate the wondrous method of the nine turns, one must first refine oneself (cultivate one’s nature and gather in scattered thoughts), letting what rises and what sinks each settle in its proper place and discerning what is primary and what secondary. One must also gather in accordance with the proper times and ‘keep to the female, not the male’ (remain yielding and still, in a state of restraint), so as to avoid danger. After ten months of tending the Fire, the body naturally transforms into Qi, and Qi then transforms into Shen. Embracing the Origin and guarding unity (protecting one’s source and remaining undistracted), one cultivates for nine years until body and spirit are both wondrous, united with the Dao and returning to the Real. The sages reluctantly gave this the name ‘Nine-Turn Golden Liquid Great Returning Elixir.’

“Ziye said: ‘A man’s true essence begins to circulate at sixteen, and a woman’s Tiangui (a physiological energy related to reproductive development) begins to flourish at fourteen. When these first appear, do they count as “head-period essence”? Alas, when you meet a hero on the road, you must draw your sword; when a zither meets a kindred spirit, it is worth playing. The Spirit Water spoken of here is the head-period essence.’”

Laozi said, “The highest good is like water: it is skilled at nourishing all things.” The Realized Person used “the spirit-water of the First Menstruum” (a Neidan term for the essential bodily fluid or medicinal substance used in alchemical cultivation) as a metaphor for its power to nourish life. He did not mean other medicines such as pills or powders. The external medicine is refined through nine revolutions, completed according to the cycles of the firing process. When the elixir is nearing completion, the key to making a nine-revolution elixir lies in guarding one’s thoughts and cultivating body and mind—in other words, “refining the self.”

Shangyangzi said, “The White Tiger” (a Neidan term often referring to a medicinal substance or force in alchemical cultivation) is difficult to control. If used according to the proper method, it will not cause harm. What is rare may be attained, and success in becoming a Celestial Immortal may be possible, if one seeks it at the right time. “The White Tiger’s First Menstruum” is an approximate name for “the primordial Qi” (the subtle energy generated before the formation of the cosmos).

The Immortal Master said that the White Tiger is difficult to control, but when used correctly it will not cause harm. It is also extremely difficult to obtain; if sought at the right time, it may lead to success in becoming a Celestial Immortal. “The White Tiger’s First Menstruum” is merely an approximate name for “the primordial Qi.” The Immortal Master stated the essential method too plainly, while Xue and Lu’s commentaries explained it in excessive detail. If foolish people in the world mistake it for sexual techniques or methods of cultivation practiced between men and women in the bedchamber, they will invite disaster. Those who study the Dao must first understand the meaning of “on the third day, the moon emerges in Geng” (a Neidan teaching about lunar phases, timing, and the firing process). Only then may one speak of seeking the “spirit-water of the Flowery Pool” (a Neidan term for the bodily fluid or medicinal substance described in alchemical cultivation).

The Way of cultivating the returned elixir is not difficult; the hardest part is refining the self. That is why the Immortal Master instructs people to refine the self first. As the Perfected One of Pure Yang said, “The returned elixir is within the person; first refine the self, then await the right time.” Why is this? Fire is the most wondrous and inscrutable thing. People cannot control it, yet it can know changes in advance, as if able to verify their signs. If even ordinary fire is like this, how much more so is “true fire”—one’s own Mercury (a Neidan term for the medicinal substance or force that corresponds to Lead in internal cultivation)? One must first refine this true fire and subdue the true Dragon (a Neidan term for a force that must be brought under control in internal cultivation), so that it no longer runs wild and can obey one’s direction. Only then can one subdue the White Tiger and obtain the precious true Gold (a Neidan term for the precious elixir or achievement produced through alchemical cultivation).

The Sage Master took such care because he feared that later generations would fail to refine the self. Even when the right moment has arrived and only a brief time at the furnace is needed for the refining, they might still fail to produce even a single precious pill and instead fall into danger and hardship. Practitioners should first fully understand and put into practice the work of refining the self.

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl are joined in affection, just as the tortoise and snake pair according to their nature. The sun and moon meet on the new moon, giving rise to the moon’s radiance; the two Qi energies of Yin and Yang depend on one another and move in an endless cycle.

This is the subtle transformation of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang. Who can understand its source? If Yin and Yang were cut off from one another and could not unite, they would go against the natural order. How could their movement and continuation then endure?

Dao Guang says: The Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet once a year; the sun and the moon come together once a month. The tortoise and snake support one another like coiled hornless dragons. All these are effects of the two Qi energies of Yin and Yang, and they are indeed fundamental to the Great Dao. The principles behind refining the Golden Elixir and the great medicine are the same. The Qi of the True One, original and subtle primordial energy, is hidden and formless. Without the union of Yin and Yang, how could it condense into a form as small as a grain of millet? And after obtaining the elixir, unless it is refined and nourished with the Yin-Yang fires and their cycles—the regulation of the fire in accordance with Yin-Yang rhythms—how could it transform into liquid gold and return to the elixir?

The Cantong qi says: “The ospreys call to one another, dwelling on the river islets; a fine young woman is what a gentleman seeks. The male does not dwell alone, nor does the female live apart.” In Xuanwu, the tortoise and snake coil around and support one another. This shows that male and female need and complement one another: it is the natural order. What is there to doubt? The Immortal Master repeats this point throughout this chapter. Those who truly understand the Dao should reflect on it with care.

Zi Ye says: The Cowherd and Weaver Girl are two stars in the heavens. Each year on the seventh day of the seventh month, tradition says, they meet by way of a bridge formed by magpies. Tortoises and snakes are creatures of the earth, and they too can unite. The sun and moon meet on the new moon, like two halves of a jade disc brought together. All these illustrate how Yin and Yang seek to unite. The mysteries of elixir refinement are the same: if there is only isolated Yin or isolated Yang, with no partner to complement it, how can the alchemical work succeed?

Shangyangzi says: The Cowherd Star and the Weaving Maiden Star belong to the lunar mansions. The toad and the Golden Crow symbolize the moon and the sun, respectively; animals such as the tortoise and snake also belong to the category of Jia. All these things embody the two Qi of Yin and Yang. They must be joined in a Yin-Yang pairing to support their movement. Yet today some people cling to Yin alone or cultivate Yang alone, sitting in stillness by themselves deep in the mountains. They think they are cultivating the Dao and hope to attain long life this way. What a grave mistake! How could they know that when Yin and Yang are cut off from one another and do not meet, transformation and generation cannot occur? How much less, then, can they cultivate the Way of the Golden Elixir?

To keep true lead joined with true mercury, they must be brought close and made to unite, like family members and their attendants living together. Wood and Metal, kept apart, have no chance to meet; they must be brought together by a go-between.

Wood by nature loves Metal, expressing itself in harmony and a sense of what is right. Metal’s feelings are attached to Wood, expressing themselves in kindness and benevolence. The two swallow and merge with each other while remaining close. Only then does it become clear that a fetus has formed within the cultivator.

Daoguang says: Lead belongs to Metal and is on the outside; mercury belongs to Wood and is on the inside. Since the two are separated, they need “the Yellow Matron”—a symbol of the intermediary that harmonizes Yin and Yang and brings lead and mercury together—to unite and form the Golden Elixir. Take the Golden Elixir into the belly and make it unite with one’s own mercury. Metal’s disposition is fierce, while Wood’s nature is gentle and compassionate. The two love one another and swallow and merge together, becoming husband and wife and conceiving a child in my belly. That is why it is said, “there is a pregnancy.” This method is exceedingly subtle. Among ten thousand people, scarcely one will be found who has a compassionate heart, delights in helping others, and has accumulated hidden virtue.

Ziye says: Mercury comes from within oneself; without lead, it cannot be stabilized. Lead is born in the Kun Palace, which symbolizes the Yin position, and so it is separated from mercury. An intermediary is essential to bring lead and mercury together. Its role is to unite Yin and Yang. All things are born from the same primordial Qi, and are therefore like relatives. Though separated, they are attached to one another and cannot bear to part. Thus Wood by nature must love Metal, and Metal’s feelings must be attached to Wood. Why is this so? Because they both come from one Qi. Without deep knowledge of Yin-Yang and a thorough understanding of the patterns by which all things arise and change, who could understand the principle at work here?

Shangyangzi says: True lead, the Yang essence in alchemy, arises from the source of creation and transformation and is also hidden within the human body and mind. If you cannot gather and still your thoughts and cultivate yourself, mercury, the Yin essence in alchemy, will dissipate. If you cannot tend the furnace and cauldron at the proper time, lead too will fly away. What is called the “household minister” is your own mercury. Once it has been refined and cultivated to maturity, it can be guided by your intention. Wood may cherish Metal and be willing to yield to it, but without “wealth” it cannot be made glad. Metal may long for Wood and feel deep affection, but without a “matchmaker” the two cannot unite of their own accord. When the intermediary brings them together and material means gladden them both, they mingle with one another, and the man then becomes pregnant. If you do not nurture it through virtue and treat others with benevolence, how can you make it heed your direction when circumstances arise?

Whose household does the Two-Eight Maiden belong to? Where is the Nine-Three Young Lord? One calls herself Wood Liquid, the other calls himself Metal Essence; when they meet through Earth, the three become united.

They must also be refined with Ding Fire, the fire used for alchemical smelting, before husband and wife can form a bond. The River Cart, an image for circulating essence and Qi, dares not pause for even a moment; it must carry them up to the summit of Kunlun, here referring to the crown of the head.

Daoguang says: The Maiden and Wood Liquid refer to mercury; the Young Lord and Metal Essence refer to lead. The text says that lead and mercury must be refined internally and smelted externally in an earthen cauldron, the alchemical furnace, with the proper timing of the fire, so that they can unite. Therefore, the Yin Talisman and Yang Fire, terms that symbolize the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang and the timing of the fire, must not be allowed to lapse. The subtlety of all the fire’s transformations lies entirely in the mind. After they have been carried up to the summit of Kunlun, they are gently nurtured until the Reverted Elixir—the alchemical product or cultivation achievement—is formed.

Ziye says: Mercury is Yin, so it is called the “Two-Eight Maiden”; lead is Yang, so it is called the “Nine-Three Young Lord.” Mercury is the liquid of Wood, and lead the essence of Metal. Earth serves as the intermediary that brings Metal, Wood, and Earth together. Then, through refinement with Ding Fire, lead and mercury fuse and coalesce like husband and wife joined together. Fire rises by nature; as the Elixir Qi is lifted by its warmth, the River Cart naturally finds its path and ascends to the Muddy Pellet, a cultivation point within the head.

Shangyangzi says: The Maiden is mercury in the Li Palace, and the Young Lord is lead in Kan. Earth is the intermediary that unites them as one. Metal and Wood can join and coalesce only with the help of Earth; afterward, the River Cart carries them up to the summit of Kunlun.

After cinnabar has undergone seven refinings, it ultimately returns to its original source. The Maiden (Chanu, mercury in the Li trigram, symbolizing the Yin aspect) and the Young Lord (Langjun, lead in the Kan trigram, symbolizing the Yang aspect) unite, with Earth serving as the medium that harmonizes them and allows Metal and Wood to join. Then the River Chariot (a method of circulating essence and Qi) carries the Elixir to the Kunlun summit (the crown of the head, a site of cultivation).

Cinnabar undergoes seven reversions and returns to its source; the golden liquid undergoes nine returns and recovers its true nature. Do not mistake counting from Yin and Zi to Kun and Shen for the method of the seven reversions and nine returns. The key is that the numbers governing the generation of the Five Phases follow their proper order.

Originally there is only one substance, mercury, yet it can pass in sequence through all the temporal branches. When the numbers of Yin-Yang transformation are complete, wondrous changes arise naturally. Could its coming and going, its circulation, ever depart from the Mysterious Female (the source from which the myriad things arise, and in Neidan the crucial gateway for the circulation of essence and Qi)?

Daoguang said: The so-called nine returns and seven reversions depend entirely on the numerical principles by which Heaven and Earth generate the Five Phases. People mistakenly take counting from Yin and Zi to Kun and Shen as the nine returns and seven reversions. “Reversion” means returning to the root; “return” means recovering one’s original nature. Mercury is quicksilver, a pure and undivided essence of Qi. First it changes into water, associated with the North; next it becomes cinnabar, associated with the South; third it becomes mercury, associated with the East; fourth it becomes gold, associated with the West; fifth it congeals into an Elixir, dwelling in the Center. The formation of this Elixir depends on the coordination of Heaven and Earth, the Sun and Moon, the four seasons, and the Five Phases, and requires that the numbers of the Five Phases be complete. Thus it passes through all the temporal branches, and when the numbers of Yin and Yang are fulfilled, wondrous changes naturally occur.

Ziye said: Fire corresponds to the number seven, and Metal to the number nine. The interaction of Metal and Fire is the key to alchemical refinement.

(The repeated text in the original is omitted here.) The Elixir cannot be separated from the coordination of Metal and Fire. Without Fire, Metal cannot be restored; without Metal, Fire cannot return to its original source. The Shangjing of the Dragon and Tiger says, “In the essentials of alchemy, nothing is more important than Metal and Fire.” This is what it means. The Metal within Water is therefore called mercury. The cultivation of the inner Elixir rests on this single substance. Once its mystery is mastered, essence and Qi naturally circulate at the proper times and change with the seasons. The key lies in the Mysterious Female; without it, one cannot attain its subtle workings.

Master Shangyang said: Mercury refined from cinnabar is the lead within the liquid gold. When gold returns to its original nature, it is called the “Returning Elixir,” the elixir that restores one’s innate nature. It is, in essence, a single current of primordial Qi, born at the source of creation and transformation; hence it is called mercury. Without this most precious substance, what could form the elixir? Yet without the “Mysterious Female,” the root that gives birth to and transforms Yin and Yang, how could it enter and leave, changing as it does?

The male contains the female within; the Yin aspect embraces the essence of Yang. Only when the two forces unite is the medicine fully refined. It transforms the Yin-soul and elevates the hun-spirit to sagehood.

Believe that once a single Golden Elixir is swallowed, a snake can become a dragon; a chicken that eats it can transform into a luan bird or a great roc, flying into the pure, clear realm of pure Yang.

Daoguang said: The male containing the female is the dragon’s bowstring Qi; Yin embracing Yang is the tiger’s bowstring Qi. When the dragon and tiger forces join, the numinous elixir forms of itself. Swallowed into the belly, it reveals the Yang-soul and dissolves the Yin-soul. This elixir is no larger than a grain of millet. That a chicken or snake can eat it and transform into a dragon or roc shows how wondrous its power is.

Ziye said: Within Yang there is Yin, and within Yin there is Yang. When Yin and Yang intermingle, they can give birth to numinous awareness and form the sacred embryo.

Master Shangyang said: Though I appear outwardly male, within I contain the female; though outwardly white, within I am black. The other is in Yin, yet embraces the essence of Yang. Use Yang to transform Yin, and the true great medicine is then refined. All things that obtain this elixir can be transformed—how much more so a perfected person who cultivates the Dao?

The cycles of Heaven and Earth have just passed through Pi and Tai, obstruction and flourishing; between dawn and dusk, one must also understand Tun and Meng, the beginning and not yet fully formed stages of things. The spokes gather at the wheel’s hub, and a hundred rivers flow into the sea: the key lies in knowing how to draw out, add to, and use things flexibly.

Having attained the One, the fundamental Qi through which the Dao manifests, all things are complete; there is no need to distinguish south from north or east from west. In cultivation, continually diminish distracting thoughts and attachments, and carefully guard what has already been achieved. The precious treasure that concerns nature and life must not be handled carelessly.

Dao Guang says: When advancing the Fire begins—that is, when the stages of the Fire cycle are set in motion according to the proper timing of Neidan cultivation—one works through the “Dun” and “Meng” stages, then ceases work at “Ji Ji” and “Wei Ji.” Day and night, the Fire cycle is moved in keeping with its signs and measures, gathered into the cauldron, and repeated without end, like a wheel turning with its spokes meeting at the hub, or like the waters of a hundred rivers flowing toward the sea. Through this use of extraction and addition—that is, adjusting the Yin-Yang phases of the Fire—the substance refined is the essence of the True One.

From the One Qi come Yin and Yang; from Yin and Yang come the Four Images; from the Four Images come the Five Phases; and from the Five Phases come the myriad things. All of these arise through transformations of the “Qi of the True One.” Thus the essence of the True One is the source of Heaven and Earth, the ancestor of Yin and Yang, the origin of the Four Images, the foundation of the Five Phases, and the root of the myriad things. Once this One is obtained, many aspects of cultivation have a foundation. Yet one must continually diminish stray thoughts and contrived actions in order to realize the wonder of the One. The One takes form through the workings of Yin-Yang Fire. Once it is obtained, gather it into the five inner organs. Then, as before, set the Yin Talisman and Yang Fire in motion, carefully guard the work already accomplished, and remain alert to danger. Do not act rashly, lest you lose the Mysterious Pearl on which life and nature depend—the precious essence of Neidan cultivation.

Zi Ye says: Once Yin and Yang have joined in harmony, the time has come to work the Fire. “The spokes meeting at the hub” describes the successful formation of the medicine. At this moment, undifferentiated chaos returns to a single Taiji. There is no need to cling to the directional boundaries of north, south, east, and west; simply watch over and guard it, taking care that thoughts do not stray. If, caught up in a moment of enthusiasm, one forgets the hardship endured day after day, one may instead delay the great work. Thus, the Way must not be pursued rashly.

Shangyangzi says: Those who cultivate deeply should remember how difficult it is to study the Dao and refine the Elixir; even obtaining this single pill is no easy matter. It requires enduring a thousand hardships and ten thousand trials. If, carried away by a moment of enthusiasm, one forgets the hardship endured day after day, one may delay the great work. Thus, the Way must not be pursued rashly.

Shangyangzi says: Those who have made progress in cultivation should reflect on how difficult it is to study the Dao and refine the elixir. This single dose of elixir is exceedingly hard to obtain; only after enduring countless hardships may one succeed in refining it. Once obtained, this treasure that can preserve one’s life by good fortune must be carefully nurtured and protected in a secluded, quiet place.

“Reducing and reducing again” means allowing greed and desire to fade gradually until desire is finally forgotten. One works diligently in cultivation, yet does not cling to its effects or remain preoccupied with what one seeks. Before obtaining the elixir, one must faithfully follow the methods of immortal cultivation. After obtaining it, one should hold the attitude of having gained nothing at all, allowing no external things to stir the heart. Yet indifference to everything can also be dangerous: one may become lax just when one’s practice is nearing completion and the firing times are sufficient.

At the winter solstice, Yang Qi begins to be reborn, and every thirty days one Yang line is added to the hexagram. Within a month, the cycle begins with the Return hexagram at dawn on the first day of the lunar month. After the full moon, Yang Qi reaches its peak in the Qian hexagram, and then the signs of the Gou hexagram appear.

The year, too, alternates between cold and heat. At midnight, during the Zi hour, Yang Qi arises, as in the Return hexagram. At midday, the first Yin line arises, as in the Gou hexagram. In refining the medicine through cultivation, one must understand the firing times of Yin and Yang waxing and waning, and of day and night changing.

Daoguang says: At the winter solstice, one Yang is born, corresponding to the Return hexagram. Thereafter, every thirty days one Yang line is added, passing in order through the Lin, Tai, Dazhuang, and Guai hexagrams. In the fourth lunar month, all six lines are Yang, forming the pure Qian hexagram; this is the season when the Yang fire operates. When Yang Qi reaches its peak, Yin Qi begins to arise. At the summer solstice, one Yin is born, corresponding to the Gou hexagram. Thereafter, every thirty days one Yin line is added, passing in order through the Dun, Pi, Guan, and Bo hexagrams. In the tenth lunar month, all six lines are Yin, forming the pure Kun hexagram; this is the season when the Yin Talisman operates. When Yin Qi reaches its peak, Yang Qi arises again. This cycle repeats; these are the firing times of the year.

The sages also mapped the firing times of the year onto a single month. The cycle begins with the Return hexagram at dawn on the first day of the lunar month, and one Yang line is added every two and a half days, until the pure Qian hexagram is reached on the fifteenth day. On the sixteenth day, one Yin is born, corresponding to the Gou hexagram. They then mapped the firing times of the year onto a single day, distinguishing cold and heat, Yin and Yang, warmth and coolness, and the Qi of the four seasons. Thus, at midnight during the Zi hour, one Yang is born, corresponding to the Return hexagram; at midday, one Yin is born, corresponding to the Gou hexagram. The use of Yang fire and the Yin Talisman follows the rising and descending movement of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth.

Ziye says: At the winter solstice, the first yang begins to return. This is a metaphor for the moment when the medicine begins to form within the human body. As the month reaches its end, this cycle of Qi becomes manifest, so the text speaks of “three ten-day periods,” using the cycle of a month as its analogy. With each additional yang line, the hexagram Fu (one yang line arising beneath five yin lines) moves toward the hexagram Qian (six yang lines). Once yang Qi is full and flourishing in Qian, it turns into the hexagram Gou (one yin line arising beneath five yang lines); Gou symbolizes the time when the medicine’s formation has passed. When the Golden Elixir reaches the period after the full moon, as it wanes, the changing warmth and cold can also be distinguished during the day. This means that within a single day, one must undergo the refining conditions of medicine associated with three ten-day periods. The midnight hour of Zi corresponds to Fu, and midday, the hour of Wu, corresponds to Gou. Practitioners must recognize the moment when the first yang arises in their own minds and align it without the slightest error with the moment when the first yang arises between Heaven and Earth. Only then can they hope to refine the Golden Elixir.

Shangyangzi says: The tidal signs at the winter solstice are an expression of Heaven and Earth’s creative process; the appearance of Gui Water within lead, a symbol associated with the formation of the medicine in alchemical practice, is an expression of the creative process within the human body. When the first yang returns between Heaven and Earth, all things begin to sprout; when the first yang arises within the body, true lead appears. If one does not gather and refine it at this moment, but lets the opportunity pass, the medicine becomes mixed and turbid, no longer pure. After obtaining a single pill of the Elixir, one must unite it with one’s own true mercury, the medicine symbol in alchemy corresponding to lead, and bring it to the state called “already across” (jiji), in which yin and yang join and harmonize and become Qian. One then sets the yang fire in motion. Gou and Xun, hexagrams representing the gradual growth of yin and the corresponding stages of the fire cycle, then receive the yin tally; as the days pass, one turns the self-mercury and stabilizes the yang essence. Thus Gou here symbolizes the first yin arising. The specific practice must be transmitted orally from teacher to student.

Without understanding the Five Phases and the Four Images, terms used in alchemy to describe changes in yin and yang and the coordination of the medicines, one cannot distinguish among cinnabar, mercury, lead, silver, and other alchemical substances. Some claim to be recluses cultivating the Dao before they have even heard of the rules governing the fire cycle in elixir cultivation.

They refuse to examine their own faults and instead teach others a mistaken path, leaving them lost for a long time. How can anyone bear to deceive them in this way?

Daoguang said: Although there are tens of thousands of volumes on the Elixir, its deepest subtleties are found in the Cantong qi and the Dingqi ge. Few practitioners in the world understand the principles by which the Golden Elixir is refined. Sometimes they encounter an ignorant teacher who points them toward deviant paths, and they come to believe their cultivation is somehow incomplete. Before they have even learned the method of exhaling the stale and inhaling the fresh, they start dreaming of riding clouds and mist. Arrogant and self-important, they even make themselves an example and teach others. They refuse to recognize or amend their own faults, then lead others astray as well. Such a betrayal of conscience and loss of virtue often brings retribution. And what of those who slander the writings of earlier masters and recklessly invent their own arguments? How can they bear to do such a thing?

Ziye said: As the saying goes, people of above-average ability can be spoken to about profound principles; those of below-average ability are not suited to such discussions.

Shangyangzi said: Lead, mercury, cinnabar, silver, and earth are the Five Phases spoken of in the context of returning the Elixir; Qian, Kun, Kan, and Gao are the Four Images spoken of in the context of creation and transformation. Fire is an especially strange and wondrous thing. When wood burns, the flames may suddenly crackle and burst, which some people use to divine that a guest is about to arrive. At night, a flower-like shape forming on a lamp’s wick may likewise be taken as an omen of wealth and good fortune. If ordinary fire can do such things, the true fire spoken of in alchemical practice is even more responsive. It can therefore nurture and transform the myriad things and enable a person to become an immortal; its efficacy seems to wrest power from creation itself.

But ignorant people who have never met a true teacher do not know that the Way of the returning Elixir exists in the world. They rely on empty talk and reckless claims, pretending to wisdom while deceiving and enticing others. Even when their errors reach their utmost, they refuse to turn back and reflect on their faults, and pay no heed to sin or blessing. Ever since I heard my teacher’s instructions, whenever I encounter people of this sort, I have wanted to warn them and guide them back to the right path. Sadly, those with shallow understanding and narrow attachments are hard to teach. Alas, the Immortal Zhuang said, “That person was born as though subjected to the punishment of nose cutting and facial tattooing.” These words are indeed apt.

Cultivation of virtue that surpasses eight hundred, and good deeds done in secret that reach three thousand: only those who regard all things and themselves as equal, and treat loved ones and enemies alike, fulfill the original aspiration of the immortals in their cultivation of the Dao.

Tigers, leopards, weapons, and war cannot harm such a person; even the impermanent house of fire cannot hold them back. Once they obtain the precious talisman, they may go to pay audience to the Celestial Emperor.

“Born as though subjected to nose cutting” comes from the Zhuangzi, where it originally refers to someone disfigured by punishment. Here it is used to describe people who are stubbornly attached to their views and difficult to teach. “Eight hundred” and “three thousand” are expressions used in Daoist exhortations to goodness to signify the accumulation of virtue and hidden merit.

Weapons such as knives and spears cannot harm you, nor can tigers, leopards, or other wild beasts. The calamities and troubles of this impermanent world cannot entangle you either. Once you receive the precious talisman bestowed by Heaven, you can ascend to Heaven and pay audience to the Heavenly Emperor, riding in a carriage drawn by luan birds and phoenixes in peace and safety.

Daoguang says: After nine years of single-mindedly guarding the One, when your cultivation is complete and your work accomplished, you will have forgotten even the distinction between self and external things. How, then, could you fear knives, spears, weapons, or tigers, leopards, and other wild beasts? Once Heaven bestows the precious talisman, your body ascends to the Jade Palace, where the Heavenly Emperor resides. This is the moment when a great man has completed his work and made his name.

Ziye says: At the beginning of cultivation, one acts with intention; later, one enters Wuwei (non-action). The realm of Wuwei is where true immortals dwell.

Shangyangzi says: Those who cultivate the Way should practice virtue and accumulate hidden merit—good deeds done quietly, without seeking reward. No matter how many demonic obstacles they encounter, they should devote themselves single-mindedly to cultivation and the accumulation of virtue. With this intention, even enmities incurred in past lives will naturally dissolve. How, then, could they be harmed by weapons such as knives and spears, or by tigers, leopards, and other wild beasts?

On the day their work is complete, they can ascend to Heaven amid the music of the immortals. Zhang Tianshi, Xu Jingyang, Ge Xianweng, and others all achieved the Way and ascended to Heaven in broad daylight. Today, some say that becoming an immortal depends entirely on causes and conditions planted in past lives and cultivation across many lifetimes, and so is beyond the reach of ordinary people. This claim makes cultivation seem especially difficult. Yet they do not know that Ge Xianweng did not hear of the Great Way until he was over sixty. The trials he endured, including hunger and hardship, did not lead him astray; in the end, he attained the Way. Alas, Laozi said, “Those who in ancient times were skilled in cultivating the Way were subtle, mysterious, penetrating, and profound—too deep to fathom.” How mysterious indeed! What is “too deep to fathom” refers to the intentional methods practiced in refining the Great Elixir. It is precisely because this cultivation is profound and difficult to understand that practitioners can accumulate merit through sustained effort and bring their virtue and merit to completion.

There is also a “Moon over the West River” poem, which serves as an emblem of the intercalary month:

The Elixir, the finest treasure within the physical body, once refined, can bring about transformations without end. One must also investigate the true source within one’s original nature and fully realize the wondrous workings of freedom from birth and death.

There is no need to wait until this body dies or until a future life: even in this present life, one can attain the Buddha’s spiritual powers. Since the Dragon Girl accomplished this through her practice, who afterward has been able to follow in her footsteps?

Daoguang said: This “Dao” is precisely the teaching that the Patriarch Bodhidharma brought from India to China, and it is what has been passed down from generation to generation. The Sixth Patriarch transmitted the Chan teaching through the Caoxi lineage, and Mazu used “the waters of the Western River” to point his disciples toward it; both were speaking of the same thing. But people in later generations would not apply themselves to cultivating the Dao. They only talked about it, and even the Buddhas and patriarchs could do nothing but use sticks and shouts, along with various parables, to teach them. Those of the highest capacity could practice in accordance with the teaching; those of middling capacity could awaken to their nature; and those of lesser capacity could at least remember the instruction. All these methods used by cultivators were intended to help people first clearly see their own nature, and then cultivate life. Cultivating nature is the practice of “refining oneself with Jade Liquid”; cultivating life is the method of “returning the Elixir with Golden Liquid.” The foolish, however, think that in Buddhist Chan all it takes is hearing a single phrase to awaken suddenly and become a Buddha. This is a claim that deceives and confuses the ignorant. How could such a thing be possible? You should know that the Golden Elixir is the highest and most subtle method in our teaching.

Ziye said: The Elixir is the most precious treasure of the physical body. That one sentence has already expressed the whole purpose of the Great Elixir. Why say more?

Shangyangzi said: The Tathagata’s wondrous form-body is cultivated from the physical body of an ordinary person. Could there be no truth in this? You should know that the Golden Elixir is the highest and most subtle method in our teaching.

Ziye said: The Elixir is the most precious treasure of the physical body. That one sentence has already expressed the whole purpose of the Great Elixir. Why say more?

Shangyangzi said: The Tathagata’s wondrous form-body is cultivated from the physical body of an ordinary person. Therefore, this supreme treasure, the Golden Elixir, is not to be found in remote mountains or secluded valleys; it must be sought through the life and cultivation of the world. Once the Golden Elixir has been cultivated, it can give rise to limitless transformations. But first one must thoroughly understand one’s own nature, and only then can one proceed to cultivate states beyond those of the Buddha’s disciples. That is why Daoguang said that cultivating nature means refining oneself, while cultivating life means returning the Elixir. This is not about the blessings in a future life that people of the time commonly sought. It means attaining Buddhahood in this very life. In the past, when Shakyamuni Buddha taught at Vulture Peak, five thousand people withdrew from the assembly. Only the Dragon Girl presented a precious pearl before the Buddha, and afterward she attained the Buddha Way.

Even if you have fully realized suchness—the true, unchanging nature of all things—you may still have to leave this body and enter another. Why, then, go further and cultivate the Great Medicine, the essence-and-Qi elixir refined through Neidan, so that you may swiftly transcend the leakage of birth and death and become a perfected person?

Daoguang says: “I am like a pearl.” This means realizing Buddhahood and cultivating the Great Dao.

Daoguang says: The Tathagata’s teachings—the Buddhist paths of practice—put awakening first, but this is not yet their highest subtle meaning. The Way of the Golden Elixir makes obtaining the medicine its priority, yet refining one’s nature must come first. To say that awakening is the only concern would be to favor one side; there is no reason to do so. If one seeks the medicine without refining one’s nature, danger may follow.

Ziye says: The Book of Changes says, “Exhaust the principles of things, fully understand one’s nature, and thereby fulfill one’s destiny.” This is the dual cultivation of nature and life, the Way of bringing Yin and Yang into harmony. If one seeks only awakening but does not fully resolve the matters of nature and life, Yin and Yang will be out of balance, and one risks leaving this body only to take another.

Shangyangzi says: People do not understand that the immortal master cites Buddhist teachings so often at the end of his chapters to remind them that they must cultivate both nature and life. Later readers instead mocked the master for turning to Buddhism after attaining the Dao. This is a grave misunderstanding. Those who merely realize the true nature of suchness, without cultivating the Golden Elixir, cannot become Buddhas either. That is why the preface says that the method of breath retention resembles seated meditation: diligent practice can lead to meditative absorption and the emergence of the spirit. Yet spirit belongs to Yin, and the physical body cannot remain stable for long; in the end, one cannot escape repeatedly changing bodies. Without mastering the method of returning Mercury and Cinnabar—the harmonizing and congealing of Yin and Yang essence and Qi in Neidan—how can one return to Yang, transform the bones, and ascend to Heaven in broad daylight? Leaving one body and entering another ultimately cannot escape the leakage of birth and death. The Way of cultivating life proceeds directly to the practice of the formless Great Medicine. Only through the dual cultivation of nature and life can both body and spirit reach their full perfection.

Reincarnation, taking over another’s body, and moving to a new dwelling all remain forms of passage within an old dwelling. This is why they are called the “four fruits of the disciples” (the four stages of realization attained by practitioners of the Hearer Vehicle). If one can subdue the dragon and tiger within the heart (a metaphor for harmonizing Yin-Yang and unifying body and mind), the foundation of the Elixir Way, like pure gold, can endure. How could it ever decay?

Daoguang says: Reincarnation and taking over another’s body are attainments sought by practitioners attached to empty stillness. Subduing the dragon and tiger means cultivating life and nature together, bringing both body and spirit to perfection.

Ziye says: Once the Way of the Golden Elixir has been realized, its attainment can be preserved for a long time. One can also form a body beyond the body, appearing or vanishing in ways that cannot be fathomed. This differs from reincarnation, taking over another’s body, and remaining in a state of inert emptiness.

Shangyangzi says: The “four fruits” refer to the stages of realization known as Srotāpanna, Sakṛdāgāmin, Arhat, and Anāgāmin. Reincarnation and taking over another’s body are illustrated by the story of the Fifth Patriarch being reborn into the Zhou family. One may hope to continue cultivating in a future life, since he inherited the Way from Daoxin and was therefore able to avoid losing his original nature. If one loses the human body, however, one may undergo a long cycle of rebirth.

Methods such as observing the body, regulating the breath, and visualizing deities are difficult to practice at first, but become easier with time. Even if one suddenly gains the ability to roam everywhere, in the end the old house remains unchanged; one has merely moved to a new dwelling.

Daoguang says: These practices all belong to the Daoist byways. Practicing in this way, one cannot see the Tathāgata (a Buddhist term for realizing the state of Buddhahood).

Ziye says: This passage describes the method of sending out the Yin spirit (a practice in which the Yin spirit travels beyond the body). It remains limited to moving from one old dwelling to another, unlike the Golden Elixir Great Way, which cultivates the Yang spirit to completion.

Master Shangyangzi said: “Holding the breath and relying only on the regulation of breathing means remaining on the Yin side. Even after countless kalpas, one will ultimately return to emptiness and extinction. This is not the Dao.

“The Biography of Lü Dongbin records that one day Lü Dongbin took the form of a Daoist and visited Kaixian Temple on Mount Lu. There he saw the monk Fazhen, who had practiced seated meditation for fourteen years and observed the precepts fairly well. He asked, ‘Can one attain the Dao through sitting meditation alone?’ Fazhen replied, ‘Yes.’

“The Daoist said, ‘Buddhists abstain from the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion because people may seem free of distracting thoughts while seated in meditation, yet the moment they encounter external things, they cannot forget them even briefly. A passing desire or attachment brings a flood of thoughts that is hard to control. If you wish to practice while sitting upright, you must first train the mind. Once the mind is subdued, you must go further and subdue the breath. When you have done this, the Dao remains present even if you sleep all day. Why rely on sitting meditation alone?’

“Fazhen still did not understand. The Daoist led him past the monastic hall, where they saw a monk sitting asleep. The Daoist repeated, ‘First train the mind; once the mind is subdued, subdue the breath. When you have done this, the Dao remains present even if you sleep all day. Why rely on sitting meditation alone?’ Fazhen still did not grasp his meaning.

“The Daoist asked Fazhen, ‘What does this monk usually do?’ Fazhen replied, ‘He meditates to accumulate merit and hopes to perfect himself and become a Buddha.’ The Daoist said, ‘Sit here with me for a while, and let us observe his meditation.’

“After a long time, Fazhen saw a small red snake, a little over three inches long, emerge from the sleeping monk’s crown. It crawled along the side of the bed, down from his left foot to the ground, and wandered about. It ate the mucus and saliva on the floor, then climbed into a urine pot and drank some urine. After coming out, it crossed a small ditch and wandered among the flowers and plants, as if admiring them. It tried to cross another ditch, but the water had risen, so it turned back. The Daoist stuck a small knife into the ground along its way. The snake shrank back in fear and took another route, crawling to the bed’s right foot before slipping back into the sleeping monk’s crown.

“The monk awoke at once and bowed to the Daoist and Fazhen. ‘I just had a dream,’ he said. ‘Let me tell you about it. In the dream, I went out through the door on the left and came upon a fine vegetarian meal, so I ate. Then I found good wine and drank. Next I lifted my robe and crossed the little stream outside the door. I saw dozens of beautiful women. Just as I was about to cross the stream, the water suddenly rose, so I had to turn back. On my way back, I met a bandit who wanted to kill me. I took a shortcut through the door on the right, then woke up.’

“The Daoist and Fazhen laughed and left. The Daoist said to Fazhen, ‘The bedposts became doors in the dream; mucus and saliva became offerings; urine became wine; the ditches became rivers; flowers and plants became beautiful women; and the small knife became a bandit. Such are the illusions that arise in sleep. Can one attain the Dao and become a Buddha through sitting meditation alone?’

“Fazhen asked, ‘What was the snake?’ The Daoist replied, ‘This monk often gives way to anger. His body and mind have been steeped in resentment, and signs of a snake have already appeared in his form. When he dies and closes his eyes, he will be reborn as a snake. Is that not something to take seriously? I am Lord Lü. Seeing how sincere you are in your practice, I came especially to teach you.’ Fazhen then followed him away, and what became of him afterward is unknown.

“Those in the world who sit rigidly and do nothing but practice Buddhism in this way—should they not feel ashamed when they hear this story?”

Buddhists teach people to cultivate the “Land of Ultimate Bliss,” a pure and peaceful realm in Buddhist belief, because this blissful land is likened to the Western Land of Gold. Do not be afraid. I am Lord Lü (Lü Dongbin). Seeing your sincere devotion, I have come especially to teach you. Zhen then followed Lord Lü and went with him; what became of him afterward is unknown. Should those in the world who do nothing but sit quietly and practice Buddhism not feel ashamed when they see this?

Buddhists teach people to cultivate Ultimate Bliss because it is the “Golden Direction.” In broad terms, among the forms of the body, only this path is true; the other two are not true teachings but merely empty speculation.

Daoguang said: The Dao has no divisions into this and that; there is only one source.

Ziye said: Gold is a treasure among the myriad things. The more it is smelted and refined, the stronger it becomes, and it is not destroyed by the passage of ages. When Buddhists call someone a “Greatly Awakened Golden Immortal,” they are referring to the Way of the Golden Elixir.

Shangyangzi said: Ultimate Bliss is a state in which there is no coming or going, no birth or death. To transform body and mind completely is like churning a great river into butter and pouring refined ghee over the crown of the head. This is what Buddhists call the Golden Elixir. A Buddhist scripture says, “There is only one vehicle; the other two are not true teachings.” The immortal masters point out that, in cultivating within the physical body, there is only one path: returning the elixir through liquid gold. Beyond this, there is no other method by which one can become a Buddha.

Even words spoken in daily life contain the sacred Way, and one should seek it carefully in them. If one can seek the Dao by turning ordinary ways of doing things upside down, then even the dust and sand of the earth can become treasures.

Daoguang said: True lead and true mercury, terms for the Yin-Yang substances of internal alchemy, are never apart from daily life. If one can cultivate by turning ordinary expectations upside down, then all things on earth can become priceless treasures.

Ziye said: The key to “turning things upside down” in cultivation was fully revealed in the previous volume. Is there no jade within stone? The key lies in having someone who can recognize the treasure.

Shangyangzi said: Daily words and actions themselves contain the Dao. The sages of old said that one should reflect carefully on what one does by day and by night alike. Great practitioners should ponder and investigate closely amid daily life. Only when they have truly received a master’s instruction in these transformations will they understand that even dust and sand can be turned into treasure.

End of Volume Five of the Three Commentaries on the Awakening to Reality by the Perfected One of Ziyang

Postscript by the Perfected One of Ziyang

Human life takes shape because of deluded thoughts and desires. Once there is a body, all kinds of troubles arise; if there were no body, where could troubles come from? The best way to be free of trouble is to realize the highest Dao (the Way). The best way to realize the highest Dao is to understand one’s original mind. The mind is the Dao’s essence, while the Dao is the mind’s function. When a person observes the original mind and recognizes their own nature, its complete and radiant essence appears of itself, and the function of Wuwei (non-action) is fulfilled naturally. Without deliberate effort, one can suddenly transcend the sea of suffering that is birth and death. Unless the mind is clear as a bright mirror or a spirit pearl, how could every outward appearance instantly vanish without leaving a speck of dust, the source of mind rest at ease, and one truly attain the unborn?

For those who have truly clarified the mind and realized the Dao, the body cannot bind their nature, and external circumstances cannot disturb their true nature. How could weapons harm them? How could a tiger or rhinoceros harm them? What have they to fear from raging fire or floodwaters? Those who understand the Great Dao have minds like bright mirrors: they illuminate all things without clinging to them. They respond to circumstances as they unfold, calmly and without striving to be first. Thus they can meet external things without being harmed. This is the supreme, true, wondrous Dao.

Tracing things back to their source, the Dao originally had no name; the sages gave it one only as a makeshift. The Dao originally had no words either, and the sages used words to explain it only as a makeshift. But if names and words fell utterly silent, people would have no way to know the Dao’s essence or return to what is real. So the sages established teachings and left behind their words to make the Great Dao clear. The Dao is revealed through words; once you understand the words, you should then forget them.

Yet the Great Dao is exceedingly mysterious and subtle, while people’s natural endowments are clouded and dull. They cling to the body, fear death, and crave life, so it is hard for them to understand fully. Huangdi and Laozi took pity on people’s attachment to life. Following their wish to prolong it, they guided them step by step in the practices of health cultivation. The key to health cultivation lies in the Golden Elixir (the refined union of Jing, Qi, and Shen sought in Neidan, or internal alchemy); the key to the Golden Elixir lies in the spirit water and flower pond (symbolic terms in Neidan practice). This is why the teachings of the Daodejing and the Yinfujing spread widely: people cherish life. But their language is veiled and their principles profound. Even scholars who read the scriptures repeatedly often fail to understand their meaning. Without a true adept of the Dao to transmit the oral instructions, one may investigate many methods over and over, yet still fail to achieve results or complete the practice. Those who study the Dao are as numerous as cattle; those who truly understand it are as rare as qilin.

In the year Jiyou, Bōduān (Zhang Boduan, known as the Perfected Ziyang) met his master in Chengdu and received instruction in the alchemical method. That year, his master died. Afterward, Bōduān passed the method on to three people and suffered calamity three times; each time, it came in fewer than five days. Recently he recalled his master’s warning: “If, in the future, someone can free you from your bonds and release you from hardship, you should transmit the teaching to that person. I forbid you to pass it on casually.” Later, Bōduān thought of concealing his name and withdrawing from the registers, but worried that practitioners in later generations would not believe these principles. So he wrote the Wuzhen pian to explain the foundations and sequence of alchemical cultivation. Once the book was finished, students came in great numbers, all earnestly seeking instruction. Bōduān could not bear to turn them away, and selected some of them to receive the teaching.

Yet those who received it did not all possess great power and influence, nor were they necessarily people of broad-minded compassion, able to rescue others in crisis and guided by benevolence and understanding. Bōduān suffered calamity twice, at first without recognizing the cause; only after the third time did he reflect on his earlier mistakes. He then understood that the method of the Great Elixir, though it seems extremely simple and easy, can quickly bring even the foolish and ordinary to the state of a sage if they learn and practice it. Heaven therefore treasures this method and forbids its careless transmission to unsuitable people. Bōduān had not obeyed his master’s warning and had repeatedly disclosed Heaven’s secrets. Because he remained attached to himself, he was punished again and again. Heaven’s warning came so swiftly and severely: how could he fail to be afraid and examine himself? From now on, he would keep silent. Even with a cauldron before him and a sword at his throat, he would no longer teach the method.

The songs in the Wuzhen pian have already set out in great detail the subtle principles of the Great Elixir, its ingredients, the timing of the firing process, and the rest. If someone devoted to the Dao and endowed with an affinity for immortality reads this book, they will understand its principles for themselves and can follow the words to grasp their meaning, without needing Bōduān to transmit them in person. If they understand in this way, it is a gift from Heaven, not a teaching that Bōduān has presumptuously passed on.

The verses at the end of the book speak of the method for seeing one’s nature: the wondrously awakened Dao of Wuwei described earlier. The Dao of Wuwei takes the equalizing of all things as its mind; even when its secrets are revealed, this brings no fault. But ordinary people differ in the depth of their karmic burdens, and their natural capacities differ in sharpness and dullness. So even when they hear the same teaching, they understand it in different ways. The Dharma taught by Shakyamuni and Manjushri was originally the One Vehicle, the teaching that leads to ultimate liberation. Yet those who heard and studied it formed the Three Vehicles, teachings of different levels or paths, according to their individual understanding. If, in later times, someone of keen capacity reads this work, they will know that Bōduān understood the wondrous intent of the highest vehicle transmitted by Bodhidharma and the Sixth Patriarch: through a single phrase, one can realize the myriad teachings. If practitioners still have habitual tendencies they have not cast off and ultimately settle for the views of the Middle or Lesser Vehicle, that is not Bōduān’s fault.

It was written in the Wuwu year, the first year of the Yuanfeng era.

On a certain day in a certain month of the Wuyin year, Zhang Boduan of Tiantai, whose courtesy name was Pingshu, wrote another preface.