《至真子龙虎大丹诗》

Zhizhenzi (a Daoist name; personal name Zhou Fang, courtesy name Guiyi) lived in seclusion on Mount Shaoshi. He constantly studied the immortals' scriptures (Jing), probing deeply into their obscure meanings, seeking the paths by which one cultivates immortality and examining the crucial points of refining Qi (vital energy). He hoped to bring his own being into accord with the Dao (the Way) of emptiness and non-being, and so he put aside in his heart the entanglements of the mundane world.

Zhou Fang traveled widely and crossed many famous mountains. In the area around the capital, Luoyang, he sometimes met lofty masters and received their teachings in person, listening as they explained profound principles. They clarified the source of the jade water and the root of the Golden Elixir, expounded the subtle uses of the Water Tiger and the Fire Dragon and the mysteries among earth, metal, fire, and water, and also explained the laws by which Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang) alternate, along with the timings that correspond to the cycle of day and night.

Having heard all this, Zhou Fang was overjoyed. He listened with complete attention and then chose a quiet, beautiful place among the famous mountains in which to practice. He took Qian and Kun as the cauldron and Heaven and Earth as the furnace; he took Kan and Li (water and fire, Yin-Yang) as the root for refining the elixir of immortality, and lead and mercury as the substance of the great elixir. In his practice he also relied on the Four Images (four symbolic forces) and took the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) as his model. Following Wu and Ji (Earth), he caused the medicine to coagulate into form, and then he employed the River Cart (the method in Neidan, or internal alchemy, of circulating essence and Qi) to drive the medicine's potency through its course.

When Yin and Yang unite, and the Yin-Yang Qi, like the sun and moon, circulates in its rounds, the tiger's roar, symbolizing a jade chime, sounds before the furnace, and the dragon's chant, symbolizing the golden bloom, appears within the cauldron. Water and fire gather, dragon and tiger ride upon one another, and when the timing is exact to the moment, the Golden Elixir is complete.

The King of Huainan obtained the Golden Elixir, refined autumn mineral, and after taking it ascended to Heaven with his entire household. The Yellow Emperor obtained the golden bloom, and after consuming it rode a dragon up to the heavens. This elixir is not made from metals, minerals, grasses, or trees, nor is it a bedchamber art such as that of the "Three Peaks and the Young Maiden," nor a technique of repeatedly drawing in essence and Qi. Such practices all arise because their followers did not meet an enlightened master: some understand mercury but not lead, and some understand water but not fire. The saying "solitary Yang does not generate, lone Yin does not give birth" means that Yin and Yang must join before anything can be produced. It is like a mother carrying a child, or a parrot hatching an egg, which requires that Yin and Yang be in harmony and all conditions be complete.

If one meets an enlightened master who gives guidance, obtains the correct method of the elixir, and brings the practice to completion, one's name will be inscribed among the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) immortals. When one's merit and practice are fulfilled, one can roam the Purple Palace. Now I will provisionally set out my modest views, reveal the true mechanism within them, summarize the principal aims, and pass them on to those who share my purpose.

Written as a preface on the ninth day of the ninth month of the bingyin year, the fourth year of the Tiansheng era (1026).

Lead contains mercury, and this is called the "Yellow Sprout" (an alchemical term symbolizing the first growth of the elixir). Ordinary people should not boast idly. Only one who knows how to harmonize the Dragon and Tiger (the two forces of Yin-Yang in Neidan) and to turn the tripod and furnace can set the "River Chariot" (the route along which breath circulates in internal cultivation) in motion, modeling it on the sun and moon.

Set the furnace and tripod in order so that the Golden Liquid rises; follow the transformations of Heaven and Earth and refine the Jade Flower. How could the highest method of cultivation be merely like a cicada shedding its husk and leaving the body behind? When cultivation is accomplished, one roams free and unfettered and takes a place among the immortals.

Put aside idle chatter, lay down the burdens of books and miscellaneous tasks, and concentrate with a single mind to gather and refine the "Mysterious Pearl" (symbolizing the Neidan elixir, or the essence gained through cultivation). Take Heaven and Earth as the tripod to refine the "Three Mercuries," and take the sun and moon as the furnace to cook the "Five Talismans." The oral instructions and operational details are not spelled out in the poem.

One who knows how to gather the scattered affairs of the world and has passed through every kind of trial can bring a body of dry bones back to life. As the work of cultivation advances swiftly, one finally relies on the power of the "Knife-Measure" (a Daoist alchemical term for the elixir or the key to its refining) to mount the tiger, ride the dragon, and ascend to the Jade Capital (the capital of the immortal realm).

Recognize the root and comprehend the Kun Way (symbolizing earth and the yielding, Yin aspect), and the four directions, east, west, south, and north, all become connected neighbors. The Li palace (the Li position in the Bagua, symbolizing fire) deeply stores the "Nine-Returned Medicine," and within Kan (the Kan position in the Bagua, symbolizing water) lies the "Seven-Reverted Silver." When the white snow falls, distinguish Jia and Yi; on the day the Yellow Sprout forms, determine Geng and Xin. When the fire phasing of the Golden Elixir has been practiced for a full three years, one may roam the Eastern Capital and enjoy ten thousand years of spring.

The Golden Crow (the sun) and the Jade Hare (the moon) travel their paths without error; the three daughters and three sons were originally one family. The mind is like a horse and still chases the splendors of the red dust; thoughts are like an ape and still wander among worldly sights.

Once I offered jade nectar to the Queen Mother of the West, and now I only wait for Lord Ding (the reference here is unclear) to split open the jade melon. When the appointed time of eight hundred years arrives, we shall go together to meet; having passed through a thousand mornings of elixir practice, we shall finally dwell among the mist and glow.

For ten years I have bitterly experienced the cunning schemes of the world, yet few understand this path of cultivation. The great Peng bird beats against the dark sea and will have its day to spread its wings; the divine dragon leaps out of the cinnabar and likewise has its time. In my sleeve I hide a golden hammer to subdue the "Five Tigers" (a name in cultivation for inner disturbances or forces); in my case I keep a precious sword to cut down the "Three Corpses" (spirits within the body which Daoism holds obstruct cultivation and report a person's faults to Heaven). When the thunder chariot shakes once, Heaven and Earth settle into stillness, and at last the bright pearl is seized from within Kan and Li (the two trigrams, also meaning water and fire, Yin-Yang).

With the divine furnace I move mountains and overturn seas, and I transform my sword into a dragon, whistling long over Mirror Lake. Thunder crashes and drives away goblins and sprites; lightning flashes a thousand miles and slays the Yin maggots (monsters symbolizing malign Yin).

The treasure of Wuwei (non-action) between heaven and earth has been seized, and the pearl of creation has been added to the Li fire and the Kan water. With the golden bones as foundation, the power of lead and mercury transforms the elixir. Twin phoenixes lead the way, straight to Penghu (the legendary immortal mountain).

I go to pay respects to the immortals and knock at the gate of their cave dwelling. Chang'e, behind the curtains, holds the dragon's grandchild. I take the golden flower and the essence of the vermilion sun, pull them up by the root, and put them into the cauldron to refine into lead frost, bringing the elixir to the wonder of creation.

The essential task of cultivation is to subdue the dragon and tiger (often used as metaphors for the forces within the body, such as Yin-Yang, and water and fire), free from the constraint of the sun and moon's daily course. After passing through a full jiazi cycle (a cycle of sixty years or sixty days), one finally mounts the river cart (an image in Neidan, internal alchemy, for conveying essence and Qi) and crosses the seaside village.

Gather and refine the lead blossom, matching it with jia and geng. Adjust the sun's hun soul and the moon's po soul (symbolizing Yang and Yin Qi respectively) so that their waxing and waning accord. In the cauldron of the Three Powers, refine the golden substance; in the furnace of ten thousand phenomena, hammer out the essence.

Draw back the mind that scatters like a wild horse, and the dragon and tiger settle. Subdue the spirit (Shen) that leaps like a frantic ape, and even ghosts and spirits are startled into submission. When the Heavenly Gate (a phrase for the opening of the key passes in cultivation) swings open, a numinous light appears, and the Milky Way seems suddenly bright.

The Lü family once passed true lead on to me; only from within the mysterious can one grasp a deeper mystery. Catch the red horse and bring it into the Golden Valley, then drive the green ox to the front of the Jade Stream.

By night I follow the talisman envoy through starry mist; at dawn I emerge from the cloud-cave, as if transformed into an immortal bearing a sword. Now I cut away karmic obstacles, ride the blue waves homeward, and sail far away with my oar.

The oral instructions of the Great Elixir were handed down by my teacher. Holding a white tablet and wearing a yellow robe, I make my report to Chicheng (a realm of Daoist legend). When the golden cauldron completes its refining, a Daoist name is conferred; on the day the jade furnace finishes its cooking, an immortal name is received.

Divine cinnabar, tempered by subduing with fire, is wrapped in radiant light; numinous mercury rises and congeals, its colored vapors clear and bright. The hun and po souls, nourished through nine turnings (the repeated process of refining in alchemical method), open into sudden clarity within the gourd and reveal a realm of purity.

Set up the sword, settle the furnace, and refine the radiance of the sun. The true water within the water is called flowing mist. The Li palace (the direction or symbol of fire) has a road leading to the chamber of the Azure Dragon, yet the Kan gate (the gate or symbol of water) has no door opening to the house of the White Tiger.

Gather the white snow according to the season, and choose the right day to go forward and harvest the yellow sprout (a metaphor in Neidan for the medicinal substance or essence). Pour out the celestial fluid from the jade gourd, then use a single grain of numinous cinnabar to change the bones and open the spirit.

White gold turns purple, the most wondrous effect; it can transform an aged face and restore youth to the old. The numinous fluid enters the gourd and hides in the Kan gate; the divine elixir opens from the cauldron and appears in the Li palace.

Faintly, one has already arrived in the realm of the immortals, and the hair and beard seem to drift on the wind toward the immortal garden. After a thousand days of nurturing, the furnace is opened for inspection, and all the phenomena of the world seem to have gathered and been refined into a single cauldron.

I have taught you earnestly the principles of advancing and withdrawing, of acting and resting. When you truly understand, you must grasp the real intent within them. Do not rashly open the elixir cauldron and let the Qi inside leak away from the Li palace (the Li position among the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), which in Neidan (internal alchemy) terminology often corresponds to the heart and to fire).

It is as though you have already reached the realm of the immortals, and the wind of the immortal land seems to stir through your long hair and beard. After a thousand days of refining and nourishing, you open the furnace to look, and all the myriad phenomena of heaven and earth seem gathered in a single cauldron.

I have taught you earnestly the rules of advancing and withdrawing in cultivation. When you truly comprehend, you must understand the real secret within them. Do not rashly rock the boat or overturn the elixir furnace, and take care to avoid the great wind, lest it disturb the work of alchemy, which is like the patience of fishing.

Within the fire, one refines a radiance like the toad-moon, so that mercury may be cooked and refined; and with the silver in the water, matched with a scene like the sun, one simmers it further. The returned elixir (the Neidan that has been refined) reaches completion after three rounds of refining and nourishing. Then one is as free and unfettered as a wild crane, a person of the immortals' garden.

The true realm appears before the eyes, as though clouds and mist wreathed the five peaks. One learns to gather and refine the mysterious pearl (the subtle substance of Neidan practice) in order to nurture the valley spirit (the ever-generating original Shen within the body). One tempers the sun-soul to nourish the decaying body, and decocts the moon-soul so that the scattered Jing and Qi coalesce.

The yellow sprout (a Neidan term symbolizing the newly born elixir substance) returns to Ren and Gui within the cauldron (the stem-and-branch positions of water), and the white snow in the furnace is discerned at Bing and Yin (the stem-and-branch positions of fire). The four images (the forces of Yin-Yang, water and fire, and others, working in concert) join secretly, and the Qi of dragon and tiger transforms along with them, as if one were riding a raft across the sea and rising straight to the Heavenly River.

The so-called cauldron is not one made of metal, but true lead (a Neidan term for the key substance in cultivation). It exists only in the profound and mysterious depths. When the mare (symbolizing soft, Yin Qi) is gathered in, she turns toward the Purple Palace (the dwelling of the immortals in Daoist belief, also the spirit-palace within the body); when the celestial ox (symbolizing firm, Yang Qi) is released, it is stored in the Dantian (energy center).

The Toad Palace (the legendary moon palace) shines in splendor, and the child of the Li dragon appears; the phoenix cries out, radiant and majestic, and the immortal of the Dui tiger emerges with it. One must rely on armor and weapons (symbolizing the strength and methods of control needed in alchemy) to wield water and fire, refining the autumn mineral (a Neidan term for the elixir substance that has been refined), and so prolong life.

After ten years, the surging waves of cultivation, rising and falling like great billows, finally subside; angling for the great sea turtle is no easy matter. Within the gourd there is the joy of an ever-present spring, and even while living in the human world, one can attain a transcendent ease.

The practitioner keeps company with splendid brocade-scaled fish and eats rice; the Golden Liquid (a Neidan term for the essence of the refined elixir) poured from the flask is smooth and rich as fat. Through a whole life untroubled by right and wrong, the practitioner shows that the universe they know lies wholly within the gourd, joyful and ever-springlike, and that even in the world one may be free and at ease.

Among deep mountains and tumbled peaks, clouds of five colors rise, faintly concealing the most renowned cinnabar. One sees the work of creation unfolding within the cauldron, and the methods of refining in the patriarch's furnace are clear and distinct.

The transformations of Qian and Kun, of Yin and Yang, have already seized and converted the infant's primordial Qi, and lead and mercury are about to congeal, like the affection joining an old woman and a young maiden. When a single pill of dragon-and-tiger medicine is refined, one imagines that after it is swallowed, even ghosts and spirits will be astonished.

Wearing the moon on their heads and the starlight on their shoulders, clad in feathered robes, such practitioners have probably never yet glimpsed Xi-Yi (a term in Daoist texts for the subtle, barely perceptible realm). Mercury is born within lead, but how is the lead to be recognized? The Great Dao is in a person's own body, yet people often do not know it.

Time slips away unnoticed in a daze, and a quiet, desolate dwelling is hardly the place to seek out a teacher. Better to set up the golden cauldron and refine the Dragon and Tiger (terms in Neidan, or internal alchemy, symbolizing the two forces of Yin-Yang). Take the elixir once it is perfected, and one can regain a youthful face and nourish the body.

Before the ancient peak lie a stream and rocks, and flowers bloom in all four seasons, as though it were another realm of immortals. The radiance of sun and moon shines upon the golden cauldron, and the Dragon and Tiger roar beside the jade furnace.

In the case, a sword bright as the stars is forged; in the satchel, brocade-like writings are composed. Cut away the baleful and the foul, and heaven and earth grow clear; naturally, one returns to youth and prolongs life.

The returned elixir (the process of refining the internal elixir) passes through nine transformations and takes three years. It also requires the Golden Lord (a Neidan term, often referring to lead) to join mercury with lead. The Old Maiden (a feminine symbol in Neidan) dissolves within the palace and turns toward the purple gate; the Infant (a Neidan symbol) clasps firmly in wogu and circulates the Qi of the Dantian (energy center). Wogu ("firm grasp") is a hand posture in Daoist cultivation, and is also often used to mean concentrating the spirit and guarding the Qi.

When the Mysterious Pearl (a Neidan term symbolizing the refined essence achieved) is gathered, heaven and earth return to stillness; when the flowing fluids are drawn back, body and mind become steady. To grasp the root of long life, the key lies in the person themselves.

Ordinary people do not know to seek long life; they only know to go off to deep mountains and quiet places to look for it. Who can truly comprehend the refining of the elixir? The principle of doing good and accumulating De (Virtue) is plain and easy to see.

In the Magnificent Pool (a Neidan term, often referring to the place of saliva in the mouth or body), cultivate the thing of Wuwei (non-action), then use water and fire to refine the faint and subtle Qi of the indistinct. Swallow the treasured elixir in the gourd, formed from the joint refining of Dragon and Tiger, and only then can the body be nourished and life made long and flourishing.

One who cultivates the Dao (the Way) must understand Yin-Yang; once the gate where Yin and Yang unite appears, all places become open and connected. The Dragon is born in the east, and one must know its position; the Tiger dwells in the west, and has its own place as well. In the cauldron, water and fire are added according to the principles of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams); in the furnace, the green and yellow materials are covered according to the principle of the three powers of heaven, earth, and humanity. When the returned elixir is perfected in due season, one conceals one's traces and for a time drinks wine and takes pleasure in the divine capital.

Like a wild crane or a solitary cloud, one wanders freely between heaven and earth, carrying a flask of spirit medicine and a single ornament. In the satchel are copied the scriptures of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing); in the sleeve is hidden an unseen sword-dragon that cuts down demons and dispels evil. For ten years one immerses oneself in study, volume after volume, and day and night quenches thirst with a thousand cups of wine. Alone, one travels north, south, east, and west, and few of like mind meet along this road.

In stillness, one accords with "Xi Yi" (a Daoist term describing the Dao as formless and soundless). The immortal mountains of the sea and the many peaks are all gathered within the scriptures of the Three Pure Ones; in the sleeve is hidden the unseen sword-dragon that cuts down demons and dispels evil.

For ten years one immerses oneself in study, volume after volume, and day and night quenches thirst with a thousand cups of wine. Alone, one travels north, south, east, and west, and few of like mind meet along this road.

First, one must unite with the great Dao (the Way) in a realm of emptiness, stillness, and remote depth; the myriad things among the islands of the sea and the mountains ultimately all connect at the root. In cultivation, one must concentrate and subdue the scattered thoughts of the mind: restrain the restless "monkey of the heart," then gather in the "horse of intention" that gallops in every direction.

When the "white snow" appears, one can discern the "image of mercury"; the "yellow sprout" is born from harmonizing true Qi (vital energy). "White snow" and "yellow sprout" are terms used in Neidan (internal alchemy) to refer to the medicinal substances or to signs of the refining process. After three years of practicing the returned elixir and reaching the state of pure Yang, one can ride a crane at ease and soar across the sea.

Ordinary people do not understand the meaning of "lead blossom." What are called crimson snow, the Azure Dragon, and the White Tiger are all symbolic expressions in Neidan. One must draw on the union of Jing (essence), the hun soul, Qi, and the po soul, refining them into the primal fluid, and then transforming it into spirit cinnabar.

When the fire of the Li palace (symbolizing the heart and fire) burns fiercely, metal can bring forth treasure; when the spring of the Kan gate (symbolizing the kidneys and water) surges with sound, mercury puts forth tender shoots. It is said that taking the elixir thus refined prolongs life and extends one's years; radiance shines from the whole body, as if one were clothed in auspicious clouds and rosy mist.

When the five flavors have been blended, the result is called supreme essence. "Infant Boy" and "Old Maiden" are names in Neidan for the Yin and Yang medicinal substances; once the two are refined together, they no longer separate. Pure Yang is refined out of Yin, and, tempered by the fire phases, it becomes the subtle transformation represented by the "Lord of Great Change."

When the baleful, malign Qi disperses, it becomes ten thousand scenes and appearances; when one gathers in the primal Shen (spirit), all returns to a single realm. Swallow the "Son of the Li Dragon" into the flask, and one can return from old age to youth, change one's countenance, and make the body clear and vigorous.

Seize the golden rainbow light, take the precious pearl, and swallow it; its taste is like cream. The black dragon departs riding the sun, and the divine sword takes flight; when the monsters of the sea flee, they are subdued with the iron talisman.

The white snow can bring the hun and po souls back to their place and fill the jade cabinet; the yellow sprout, that precious medicine, is generated in the crimson furnace. Watered with the Flowery Pool, it surpasses the spirit tortoise; the transformations of all things converge within the cauldron and flask.

One medicinal substance can divide into ten thousand forms. So long as one practices with resolve and keeps adjusting and tending the work, the goal is not hard to reach. Blend lead and mercury with "jade water," and one must still rely on the golden bloom to apply the fire phases in refining the elixir.

The power of the medicine passes through the Three Passes and heads into the Kan gate; the Shen is clear and bright, settled in the Niwan (the Neidan term for the head). When one burns incense, keeps the precepts, and is reverent and sincere, true immortals will naturally descend to the precious altar.

The great Dao is clear and plain, and the work of cultivation is not difficult; keeping a mind that is tranquil and undivided is not hard either. The dragon hides within the gate of "two-eights," and the tiger rests within the number "three-fives." "Two-eights" and "three-fives" are numerical cryptic terms used in Neidan to denote the Yin and Yang medicinal substances and their combination.

Once lead and mercury have been blended, then burning incense, keeping the precepts, and being reverent and sincere, true immortals will naturally descend to the precious altar. The great Dao is clear and plain, and cultivation is not difficult; simply keep a mind that is tranquil and undivided. The dragon hides in the gate of two-eights, and the tiger rests within the number of three-fives.

The Green Phoenix Marrow and the Purple Langya Tooth (in the poem, images such as the Green Phoenix and the Black Toad stand for the lead and mercury used in alchemy) must be blended and brought into harmony. The Southern Maiden is able to gather and master them, and brings them back to be refined into the Great Elixir. "Southern Maiden" is a symbolic expression in alchemical poetry, referring to the yin aspect within the alchemical method.

The heavenly mechanism within the Upper Mystery and the Lower Mystery is profound and hidden. To understand the Dao (the Way), one must grasp the essential alchemical key of "Three, Five, One." After the winter solstice, yang qi (vital energy) begins to stir within the Qian hexagram; by the beginning of spring, the line-images of the Kun hexagram are complete. The Dragon belongs to Metal and Water, so one must discern the seasonal changes represented by Geng and Xin; when summer solstice arrives and the fire qi is at its height, one must in turn accord with the season represented by Jia and Yi. Once the secret of the Returned Elixir is mastered, its mysteries grow all the more subtle, and the heart and mind naturally become expansive and at ease.

In refining the elixir, one must carefully distinguish Yin-Yang: within a single vessel, two medicines act upon each other. In recognizing the medicines, one must understand how the cauldron is used; when beginning the work, one must choose the proper furnace position. When the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity) are joined, Qian and Kun take their places as rulers; when the Four Images (the four transformations of Yin-Yang) submit to order, Heaven and Earth each find their proper place. One who takes the elixir refined from Dragon Essence and Tiger Mercury will hold an honored seat in the realm of the immortals.

The Black Crow and the Hare (symbolizing the sun and moon) travel on and descend into the Jade Void (the Daoist realm of emptiness and pure stillness), and the River Chariot (a term in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, for the circulation of Jing and Qi) follows, carrying them into the Jade Flask. In refining the elixir, one must follow the cauldron of the Three Powers; in nurturing the medicines, one must place them within the furnace of the Four Images. Through smelting, lead and mercury become a flowing liquid, and Dragon and Tiger are forged into the Elixir of Descending Truth (the poem's name for the finished product of alchemy). Long ago, the Xuan Emperor (that is, the Yellow Emperor) set out upon the path of the blue clouds to immortality, and left behind this method of cultivation, transmitting it to those who aspire to it.