《西山群仙会真记》

The Record of the Immortals’ Assembly and Realization on the Western Mountain is a classic of Daoist internal alchemy, included in the Jing of the Golden Elixir of Great Clarity in the Chinese Daoist Canon. The book is divided into five volumes. They discuss, in turn, understanding the Dao, methods, people, timing, and things; cultivating health, the body, Qi, the heart, and longevity; replenishing the interior, Qi, and essence, as well as restoring and reducing; and internal alchemy terms such as true Water and Fire, true Dragon and Tiger, true elixir medicines, true Lead and Mercury, and true Yin-Yang. The final volume describes the stages of cultivation, from entering the Dao through refining methods, to refining the body into Qi, refining Qi into Shen, refining Shen to unite with the Dao, and ultimately refining the Dao to attain sagehood.

The preface says: Human nature is not born with an understanding of principle, so those who study the Dao must ask questions with humility and earnestness. Principle is difficult to teach directly in words. For this reason, the ancients established methods of instruction without favoring the explicit explanation of everything. They concealed crucial points and deeper meanings within their words, lest the Sages’ teachings be revealed too casually; they also used metaphors and indirect expressions to pass them secretly to those who could truly understand.

Some people in the world read extraordinarily quickly: they can open a book and remember every page, and their fame spreads everywhere. Yet who among them has learned the way to long life and immortality? Others have exceptional talent and great renown, but how could they grasp the profound and subtle principles? Those who wish to study the Dao must seek out people who have attained it, looking for teachers and visiting friends. Though there are countless volumes of immortal scriptures, their teachings never stray from Yin-Yang. A single pointer from a revered teacher, however, can reveal what is true and what is false within them.

Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth are the Five Phases. Everyone knows that the Five Phases generate and overcome one another, yet few understand how to use the method of reversing the Five Phases or the principle of “drawing out and adding” — a method of cultivation that adjusts, increases, or decreases the Yin and Yang essences within the body. The body’s upper, middle, and lower Dantian (the sites of internal cultivation in Daoist teaching) correspond to Jing, Qi, and Shen: Qi arises within Jing, and Shen within Qi. People in the world have heard these teachings too, but few truly understand how to return Jing, Qi, and Shen to their source and original state, and thereby transcend the ordinary.

To understand the reversal of the Five Phases is to have entered the gate of the Dao; to understand drawing out and adding is to have become a person of the Dao. To understand the return and circulation of the three Dantian, restoring Jing, Qi, and Shen to their source, is to have attained the Dao; to go further and achieve transcendence is to have truly realized it.

In antiquity, most people of understanding were able to cultivate the Dao with success, yet among a hundred, only one or two truly realized it. Later students of the Dao often bore that name in appearance alone; among ten, few truly entered the Dao. As for attaining the Dao and reaching transcendence, more than ten people have already done so in the region of the Western Mountains.

Accordingly, the compiler consulted the teachings of Sages from earlier and later generations, secretly brought their principles together, and composed a book in five volumes. Each volume contains five pieces, using the number of the Five Phases; the work as a whole also corresponds to the meaning of pure Yang Qi. The book sets out the highest Dao and explains its hidden workings. It also includes short recitations that expound the supreme teachings of Zhongli Quan, Lü Dongbin, and the Most High Lord Lao. May readers of later generations gain insight from it, practice diligently, carry on the compiler’s aspiration, leave the dust of the world behind, and become pioneers on the road to the immortal realms of Penglai and Yingzhou.

The Huayang Perfected Man, Shi Jianwu Xisheng, wrote a preface to The Supreme Lord Lü’s Utterances, hoping that people in later generations would understand its principles, practice diligently, carry on his work, transcend the world, and become pioneers on the journey to Pengying, the legendary immortal mountains in the sea.

Preface by the Huayang Perfected Man, Shi Jianwu Xisheng.

Records of the Assembly of Perfected Immortals on Western Mountain, Volume One

Written by the Huayang Perfected Man, Shi Jianwu Xisheng, of the Clear Void Grotto-Heaven; compiled by Li Lian, Complete Beauty, a disciple of the Three Immortal Gates and a leisurely wanderer beneath heaven.

Recognizing the Dao

Ge Xianxi said: “The Dao of the world has never been divided in two. People simply take different paths, but in the end all arrive at the same place. The sages, too, have never held different intentions: though they pass through many reflections, ultimately they arrive at accord. From ancient times to the present, the principles have always been the same, and the minds of the worthy and the sages are connected.

“Later, the source of the Dao was divided, and people’s understanding became varied. Those who speak of the Dao force distinctions upon it. Even those who follow the same path alter what they say, plucking leaves from the branches and searching for details until each forms a view of their own and establishes a separate teaching. If the principles of all things cannot be fully exhausted, how could one person completely understand their own nature?

“For example, Buddhist practitioners become attached to inert emptiness—that is, they understand emptiness as sheer nothingness—and so place their hopes for this life’s practice in a future life. Confucians become attached to present reality, and so take the glory of youth as an achievement sufficient to represent a whole life. Yet they do not know that, for the sages of old who practiced the Great Dao, the key was single-mindedness.

“The Record of the Western Mountain states that Master Lü said: ‘As a boy I studied Confucian learning; as I grew older, I came to cherish the teachings of the nature school, which investigates the source of mind and nature. I cultivated the Heavenly Rank, the inner nobility that comes from virtue, and cast aside the Human Rank, worldly rank and emoluments gained through office and status. I did not agree with inert emptiness; I understood true emptiness, which does not cling to things but does not deny the relations of causes and conditions. Confucians become attached to present reality, and so take the glory of youth as an achievement for old age. Yet they do not know that, for the sages of old who practiced the Great Dao, the key was single-mindedness. Cultivating the Heavenly Rank reaches its limit in worldly affairs; true emptiness, meanwhile, does not depart from the relations of causes and conditions.’”

Ge Xianweng said: “To speak of the Great Dao through the Confucian Five Constant Virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness—is to touch only its branches and lingering implications. To understand one’s nature through the Buddhist Three Vehicles—the śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva paths—is likewise insufficient to explore the Great Dao at its root. The Great Dao does not reject Confucianism or Buddhism; it is simply that the teachings of each remain too far from it. Since ancient times, all people of intelligence and insight have attended to the Dao of stillness and emptiness, directing their aspirations toward Xuanyuan, the source of the Great Dao.

“Cultivation begins with seeking well-being and longevity, then turns to the pursuit of immortality, secretly grasping the workings of Heaven and putting them to one’s own use. To cultivate from an ordinary person into an immortal, and then rise further to become a celestial official—is this merely like Confucian scholars pursuing empty fame in their own time? To extend a lifespan from a hundred years to ten thousand—is this like the karmic retribution Buddhism says will come only in a future life? Those who cultivate the Dao cannot know the Great Dao without distinguishing the correct path from the mistaken one. Among the Three Teachings, Daoism honors the Most High (Taishang Laojun) as its foremost figure. What else is there to seek?”

Recognizing the Methods

The Hidden Book of the Most High says: “In itself, a method has no fixed form; the principles of all things ultimately follow their own nature. The human mind is unsettled by external circumstances, and the many methods of cultivation arise from the mind. Methods are established to make up for shortcomings that have already appeared and to prevent problems before they arise. Thus there are three thousand six hundred methods, as well as dozens of schools of life-nurturing arts.

“The ‘three thousand six hundred methods’ refers to a period of ten years. The ‘dozens of schools of life-nurturing arts’ are based on the Yin-Yang principles represented by the heavenly stems and earthly branches: the number of Heaven is one, and the number of Earth is two; the number of Heaven is three, and the number of Earth is four; and so on, up to nine for Heaven and ten for Earth. One, three, five, seven, and nine are the Yang numbers of the Five Phases; two, four, six, eight, and ten are their Yin numbers. The Great Dao divides into the two Qi, Yin and Yang, and these two Qi divide further into the Five Phases. In its vastness, it forms Heaven and Earth; in its brightness, the sun and moon; and in its spiritual refinement, humanity among the myriad things. All things receive the two Qi of Yin and Yang at birth, move according to the Five Phases, and connect the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity.

“The Record of the Western Mountain says: ‘Hua Tuo observed the Five Animal Frolics, an exercise that imitates the movements of the tiger, deer, bear, monkey, and bird, and from them created methods of Daoyin. He believed that when people remain at ease and still for too long, Qi stagnates and blood congeals. They should therefore bend and stretch the body and set it in motion, allowing nutritive Qi and defensive Qi—the Qi that flows inside and outside the channels—to circulate freely, and bringing the human body and mind into connection with Heaven and Earth.’”

The Xishan ji says: Hua Tuo observed the movements of five animals and devised a practice of daoyin—a method of health cultivation that regulates the breath through stretching and bending the body. He believed that prolonged idleness and lack of movement make Qi and blood circulate poorly. The limbs should therefore be stretched and bent, and the body moved, so that nutritive Qi and defensive Qi—the Qi that sustains the body’s functions and protects it—can flow freely. Later practitioners carried on this method, calling it “circulating and mobilizing,” and mistakenly believed it alone could bring transcendence.

Long ago, Chen Yi abandoned his daughter by the roadside. After enduring hunger for a long time, she learned the tortoise’s method of breath regulation—breathing slowly in and out—and so lived for many years. Later practitioners took up this story and called the method “nourishing oneself with Qi,” mistakenly believing it could enable them to refine an elixir.

Zhang Shao saw that the Five Flavors—sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty—disrupt the body’s original fluids. Different organs each have their own likes and dislikes, and Qi can consequently become either excessive or deficient. He therefore stopped consuming the Five Flavors and adopted a plain, simple diet. Later practitioners called this “abstaining from grain,” mistakenly believing that they could achieve cultivation by giving up food.

Liu Dong understood the true Yang and true Yin—the actual workings of Yin and Yang Qi within the body. When either was excessive, he guided its Qi so it could circulate; when either was deficient, he removed the “ghosts” that obstructed it, then replenished or reduced it as needed. Later practitioners instead tried to gather the essences of the sun and moon and absorb the vital energy of Heaven and Earth. This was a mistake.

Long ago, Guang Chengzi taught the Yellow Emperor the arts of the bedchamber—sexual practices intended to support health—with the aim of preventing the loss of true Qi and aiding cultivation. Their purpose was to address desire, not to encourage its indulgence; they emphasized restraint in sexual intercourse and avoiding depletion. Later practitioners instead interpreted them as taking nourishment from another person and gathering Qi to restore essence, believing that harming others could make them live forever. This was a mistake.

Guang Chengzi also taught the Yellow Emperor to cultivate himself according to the proper methods. After practicing for a long time without seeing results, the Yellow Emperor followed the principles of inner cultivation on Mount Kongtong and refined Waidan—elixirs made by heating medicinal substances in a furnace—to compensate for the damage accumulated through prolonged depletion. Later practitioners instead understood this to mean heating lifeless metals and minerals over a fire to produce an elixir said to “reveal the treasure within the womb,” then taking it in hopes of ascending, becoming immortal, or prolonging life. This was a mistake.

When Bian Que explained the Lingshu, he said to inhale clear Qi (pure vital energy) through the nose, exhale turbid Qi (impure vital energy) through the mouth, and then hold the breath. Twenty-four breaths make one liang of fire-tending, used to refine true lead, which is like a playful medicine; this is called the “Yang embryo.” Refining true mercury is like holding a lotus flower in the mouth; this is called the “Yin embryo.” Once fetal breathing (breathing so subtle it seems like that of a fetus in the womb) takes shape, the breath ceases while the spirit and awareness remain. One can then preserve the body, dwell in the world for a long time, and eventually become a sage and transcend the ordinary. Later readers concluded from this that one should inhale more and exhale less, hoping to gather Qi into an embryo, and treated breath retention as the method. This is mistaken.

The Jiuxian Jing says that when a shoulder ailment is severe, one should “make extensive use of fire”; when it is mild, one should use “water.” With fire, the Qi taken in is then raised and spread throughout the body. True Qi reaches every limb and bone, and Yin ghosts and evil spirits dare not come near. With water, the Qi taken in is raised again, passing through the water like a spring welling up. During meditation, direct the Qi with the mind to the affected area so that Qi and blood can flow freely and no obstruction remains. Later readers took this to mean sitting alone in silence and holding the breath. They also treated the tongue as an aid, moving it from side to side to gather excess saliva, rinsing the mouth and swallowing, then letting the saliva pass through the stomach and intestines and be excreted. They called this “watering the yellow sprouts” (a symbolic term in Neidan cultivation), hoping by this means to refine the Great Medicine. This interpretation is also mistaken.

The Tongxuan Zhenjing says: hold to the Dao of Wuwei (non-action), comprehend the principle of nature, keep the mind clear and unclouded, and be still before moving. Let the spirit and awareness abide in Xiyi (a subtle, tranquil state beyond ordinary perception), and let the body follow the path of benevolence and longevity. When not a single thought arises and every delusion comes to rest, one can prolong life and live at ease and in contentment. Later readers failed to grasp what “choosing stillness” means. Instead, they simply withdrew from the world, kept silent, and forgot worldly affairs throughout the year, yet in the end saw no results. This too is mistaken.

The Scripture of Inner Observation of the Numinous Treasure (Lingbao Neiguan Jing) says: Outer sights do not enter the mind, and inner sights do not appear outwardly. The awareness of spirit abides within itself. Close the eyes and turn your gaze inward, bringing the “ruler’s fire”—the fire of the mind and spirit within the body—down to the lower field, or lower Dantian (energy center), and letting yellow cloudlike Qi spread through the limbs. At that moment, it seems as though one hears the sounds of reed pipes and sees carriages and horses passing by. In this way, one can grasp the subtle wonders within body and mind. Later practitioners followed these instructions until their bodies became like withered wood and their minds like cold ashes. Fixated on emptiness and stillness, they sank into dull, lifeless quiet. Their Yin spirits—the Yin aspect of their spiritual awareness—left through the Gate of Heaven, the opening at the crown of the head, and in the end they could only be reborn. This practice is mistaken.

Some people also practice opening the crown and retracting the tortoise, methods for drawing in certain parts of the body; they withdraw to the mountains to cultivate their nature, burn substances, read and contemplate scriptures, and make offerings. These practices bring no benefit and instead cause harm. They are minor methods and heterodox paths invented by people of shallow understanding. Practitioners who follow them sink into dull, lifeless quiet; their Yin spirits leave through the Gate of Heaven, and in the end they can only be reborn. This is mistaken.

Some people practice opening the crown and retracting the tortoise, withdraw to the mountains to cultivate their nature, burn substances, read and contemplate scriptures, and make offerings. These practices are not merely useless; they are harmful. People of shallow understanding invent minor methods and heterodox paths, then pass them on to one another, misleading later Dao practitioners and gradually drawing them away from the Great Dao. They do not understand that cultivation should look up to observe the heavens and down to examine the earth, silently grasping the patterns of Yin and Yang rising and descending between Heaven and Earth, as well as the comings and goings of the Sun and Moon’s souls.

When the primordial Qi—the fundamental breath that constitutes all things in Heaven and Earth—first begins to stir, one must distinguish Yin and Yang within oneself. Once the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) have differentiated, one must harmonize the Water and Fire within oneself. There is water within Fire, and Heaven within Water: Yin rests above the Fire, and amid indistinct obscurity, the true substance within it is the “True One Water.” Yang is held above the Water, and in deep, dim mystery, its essence is “Upright Yang Qi.” When these two energies unite, they congeal into the inner medicine and nurture the Golden Elixir (the refined essence produced through Neidan, or internal alchemy), enabling one to become an Earthbound Immortal—one who has attained the Way of the Immortals and remains in the human world.

The Shangqing Xuange says: The Great Dao does not appear remarkable, and people of profound De often seem to fall short in some way. They draw in their radiance and conceal their edge to protect themselves, so others may not recognize them. If a Dao cultivator’s own practice is still insufficient, yet they speak dismissively of others; if their inner cultivation is not yet full, yet they display arrogance outwardly—these are all signs of a competitive spirit, though those around them may not notice.

Those who cultivate the Real and seek the truth must first learn how to discern people. When selecting talent, listen to what a person says and observe what they actually do. When seeking a method, examine its principles and test the results of practicing it. Do not dismiss someone because they are not eloquent; be wary of those whose thinking is far-reaching but whose words seem halting. Nor should you appoint someone on the strength of their words alone; be wary of those skilled in persuasion. Some people are, on the whole, honest and pure, with only minor flaws in the details. Others seem dull at first but later attain sage-like understanding. Those who cultivate the Real must also develop an eye for recognizing talent and follow the supreme Great Dao.

The Xishan Ji says: The worthy and sages of ages past and present, though they possessed qualities beyond those of ordinary people… Those who cultivate the Real must also develop an eye for recognizing talent and follow the supreme Great Dao.

The Xishan Ji says: “The sages and worthy people of ancient and modern times, even those with extraordinary wisdom and insight, always begin by seeking instruction from others. They believe that diligent study is important, but seeking out a worthy teacher is even more important. A master is a model for others.

“The Yellow Emperor sought out Master Chi Song and, after six months, received the Jing of Central Precepts. It taught only how to prevent errors in outward conduct. Liu An took Wang Daoyuan as his teacher, but it was not until the end of the year that he learned a few minor techniques; Wang Daoyuan never spoke of cultivating body and mind. Yin Changsheng did not abandon Ma Mingsheng as a student, though Ma had been ill for a long time. Ge Zhichuan did not reserve the family teachings of Zheng Siyuan solely for his relatives. Zhu Du served the Hu clan as his teacher with unwavering devotion. After meeting Jin Hua, Fang Fang followed him everywhere, whether near or far. Zhang Mengqian met Haichan three times before learning the methods of the Three Vehicles—the three levels of cultivation. Xie Zhi visited Jingyang again and again before finally receiving the work of the Nine Turns, a method of refinement and cultivation that advances through successive stages. When Wang Meng met the Immortal of Longevity, he grasped the Great Dao in the course of their conversation and laughter. When Mei Fu met the Perfected Lord of the Great Cavern, he received oral instructions and understood the workings of Heaven as they walked and talked.

“Since ancient times, immortals have indeed come into the human world. Those who cultivate the Real often fail to meet a worthy teacher because they are poor judges of character. Some see that a person looks like a Daoist and speaks eloquently, and assume they have met an immortal. Only much later do they discover that the person is ordinary. This is the first way in which people seek instruction yet fail to meet a worthy teacher.

“Some people carry heavy karmic obstacles and have little good fortune. They do not believe in Heaven’s secrets, value money over life and destiny, and willingly sink to a low level. They notice other people’s small faults but overlook their great virtues. Even when they meet a worthy teacher, they do not heed his words; even when they hear them, they do not accept their meaning, and in the end gain nothing. Their own nature places them at a distance from the Way of the Immortals. Such people seek instruction but fail to meet a worthy teacher: this is the first case. Even if they do meet one, they receive no transmission: this is the second.

“Others are learned and resolute in their love of study, diligent in asking questions and careful in reflection. Yet even after obtaining a true secret teaching, they may grow lax: they enjoy brief pleasures but tire of long perseverance; they make a resolution in the morning and change their minds by evening; they wait idly for success and expect immediate results. To receive a secret teaching but fail to keep it is the third case.

“Moreover, if one is always in the company of reckless people and collects strange, unorthodox doctrines, time is wasted—and how could one hope to succeed in cultivation? The accomplished cultivators of antiquity first read widely in the alchemical scriptures, then visited Daoist friends far and wide. They tested people’s words against reason, so those they consulted did not speak absurdities; they judged people by the Dao, so the masters they served were not reckless fools.

“It is lamentable that some ignorant people are self-satisfied and cannot distinguish the worthy from the mediocre, while some of low standing presume to make their own judgments and cannot tell the proper Way from heterodox teachings. The principles for judging people and choosing teachers and companions are too numerous to recount. Thus the accomplished sages and Perfected Ones of every age cultivated their bodies and minds before undertaking cultivation.

“The scripture also says that one must not face the wind while bathing. In a quiet, secluded room, close the eyes and gather the spirit, stretch the body, and sit upright. Let the Original Qi rise and fill the limbs and bones, then ascend to the Mudball Palace, the upper Dantian in the head. This is the true ‘bathing,’ a thousand times more important than washing with water and fire outside the body.

“Also take care not to spit far, lest you waste your Original Qi; do not walk hastily, lest you injure your sinews and vessels; do not strain your eyes, lest you deplete your Jing and Qi; do not overuse your ears, lest you harm your kidneys; do not stand for long, lest you injure your bones; and do not lie down for long, lest you weaken your muscles. Too much sleep makes the spirit dull and clouded. Frequent drunkenness dissipates Original Qi, excessive sweating damages blood and Qi, and overexertion harms the body. Riding swiftly in a carriage or galloping on horseback disorders the breath and startles the spirit. Climbing high to gaze into the distance or scaling dangerous heights unsettles the hun and po souls.

“The way to preserve the body is to remain settled and free from strain. Even when working, do not exhaust your strength. Keep still and undisturbed; even when something stirs you, do not let your breath become disordered. Nourish the body outwardly and strengthen body and mind inwardly. Then understand the principles of the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—and preserve the Qi of harmony. Make the body firm on the outside and full within; only then can both sides be cared for and sustained over time.”

Every thing with a physical form has its own name; once it is named, its transformations become difficult to exhaustively describe through numerical principles. Yin and Yang rise and descend throughout Heaven and Earth, each following its proper pattern; the sun and moon likewise move along their own courses. Even the slightest deviation can turn order upside down.

When Yin and Yang wax and wane irregularly, the seasons fall into disorder and living things cannot grow. When the alternation of cold and heat loses its regularity, the eight seasonal markers—which indicate stages of climatic change—fall out of order, and the primordial Qi (vital energy underlying the workings of the universe) can no longer circulate as it should between Heaven and Earth.

Of all living things, human beings are the most honored and best embody the numinous quality of primordial Qi. We should model ourselves on Heaven and Earth, ensuring that our own rising and descending follow the proper patterns; we should also model ourselves on the sun and moon, keeping our activities within their proper bounds. If we seize the right moment and arrange our cultivation according to numerical principles, how far can we be from the Dao?

The Great Dao (the fundamental pattern underlying all things in the universe) has no form, yet it brings forth Heaven and Earth and causes warmth and cold to alternate in their proper seasons. The Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth unite once each year, and their union never misses its appointed season. Thus, when one year ends, another begins. The Great Dao has no feelings, yet it sets the sun and moon in motion and causes the moon to pass through its phases: waxing half, full, waning, and new. Each month the cycle repeats without error, so when one month ends, another begins. The Great Dao has no fixed name, yet it nurtures all things. Do not think that growth comes only in spring and flourishing only in summer: plum blossoms open in winter, and chrysanthemums release their fragrance in autumn. Nor should you think that harvest comes only in autumn and storage only in winter: the paulownia still bears fruit, and the pine remains lush. All things receive the Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth according to the seasons, then grow as the Qi changes. If plants and trees, though unaware, follow this pattern, why should people, the most spiritually endowed beings, not follow its laws to nurture their true nature and cultivate their bodies?

Cranes know the hour of midnight, and swallows can discern the Wu and Ji phases, governed by Earth’s Qi. They move in response to Yin stirring Yang. Snakes do not cross roads on days of the Si branch, while orioles fly out of the valleys in spring. Birds and beasts, though they lack human knowledge, still know to move with the seasons. Why, then, should people, the most honored beings, not follow the seasons, nurture their primordial Yang (innate Yang energy), and gather their true Qi?

Alas, ignorant people, once their primordial Qi is abundant, let it drain away and dissipate. A person originally possesses eight hundred and ten zhang of primordial Qi; if it is depleted over a long time, it will eventually decline. How few people know that the great circulation of true Qi follows the seasons: spring corresponds to the liver, summer to the heart, autumn to the lungs, and winter to the kidneys. The small circulation of primordial Qi follows the hours of the day: the Zi hour corresponds to the kidneys, the Mao hour to the liver, the Wu hour to the heart, and the You hour to the lungs. The spring, summer, autumn, and winter of Heaven and Earth; the waxing, full, waning, and new phases of the moon; and the Zi, Wu, Mao, and You hours in the human body all correspond to one another.

Winter belongs to Yin. Yang arises within Yin, the weather warms, and spring arrives; at this time Yang is dominant and Yin subordinate. Yang then arises within Yang, the weather grows hot, and summer arrives. Summer belongs to Yang. Yin arises within Yang, the weather cools, and autumn arrives; at this time Yin is dominant and Yang subordinate. Yin then arises within Yin, the weather grows cold, and winter arrives. This is how the four seasons of Heaven and Earth change.

At first the moon is dim. Within the lunar po (the Yin aspect), the lunar hun (the Yang aspect) arises, and the moon gradually brightens; this is called the waxing half. After this phase, the lunar hun is dominant and the lunar po subordinate. Yang arises within Yang, and the moon reaches fullness: the full moon. After the full moon, the lunar po arises within the lunar hun, and the moonlight gradually fades; this is called the waning half. After this phase, the lunar po is dominant and the lunar hun subordinate. Yin arises within Yin, and the moon becomes completely dark: the new moon. This is the cyclical change in the movements of the sun and moon.

Heaven and Earth have three hundred and sixty days in a year; the movements of the sun and moon have three hundred and sixty periods; and the human body has three hundred and sixty degrees. Heaven and Earth have twenty-four solar terms, the sun and moon have twenty-four degrees, and the human body has twenty-four periods. From the Zi hour to the Wu hour, Qi rises and flourishes, belonging to Yang; from the Wu hour to the Zi hour, Qi wanes, belonging to Yin. The Yin hours of Yin, Chen, Wu, Shen, Zi, and Xu are times when Yang Qi rises; the hours of Si, Wei, You, Hai, and Chou are times when Yin Qi rises. Jia, Bing, Wu, Geng, and Ren are the Yang hours of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); Yi, Ding, Ji, Xin, and Gui are the Yin hours of the Five Phases.

The twelve double hours also correspond to the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang channel Qi: Chen is Greater Yang, Mao is Bright Yang, and Yin is Lesser Yang; Chou is Greater Yin, Zi is Lesser Yin, and Hai is Terminal Yin. Xu is Greater Yang, You is Bright Yang, and Shen is Lesser Yang; Wei is Greater Yin, Wu is Lesser Yin, and Si is Terminal Yin. At the Wu hour, kidney Qi and heart Qi unite, and Qi moves upward from below. This is when the Qi of the Three Yang gathers. At the Zi hour, heart Qi and kidney Qi unite, and Qi moves downward from above. This is when the Qi of the Three Yin gathers. The hun belongs to Yang within Yin, and its Qi first rises at the Mao hour; the po belongs to Yin within Yang, and its Qi first rises at the end of the You hour.

Nurturing Yang is not confined to spring and summer. Spring and summer are favorable for nurturing Yang because Qi then moves through the heart and liver. Nor is nurturing Yin confined to autumn and winter. Autumn and winter are favorable for nurturing Yin because Qi then moves through the kidneys and lungs. After the summer solstice, true mercury—a Neidan term for Yin essence and Qi—gathers in the Scarlet Palace (the Dantian in the heart region). After the winter solstice, true lead, a term for Yang essence and Qi, gathers in the Dantian. When the Wood cycle meets the heavenly mist at the twenty-fifth degree, the position is Xun, where Yang joins Yang. At this time one should gather and contain it, condensing it into the great medicine. When the Metal cycle meets the numinous talisman at the twenty-fifth degree, the position is Qian, where Yin joins Yin. At this time one should refine it; this is called returning the Elixir.

Body refinement and setting the firing times in motion should take place before Qi rises. Gathering the fire and returning it to its origin should take place as Yin Qi descends. To refine the body and seek long life, one must first grasp the movement of Qi and make use of the moments when the Five Phases overcome one another. To refine Qi and transcend the ordinary, one must first grasp the timing, set the Qi moving back and forth through the upper, middle, and lower Dantian, and seize the firing time when Yin Qi gathers at the Mao hour.

Those who cultivate the Dao often see no results because they fail to act when Qi is flourishing, fail to replenish it when it is depleted, fail to gather it when it is scattered, and fail to take it when it is joining. They do not seek what should be sought, nor refine what should be refined. They do not understand when Yin and Yang meet, and they lack the corresponding methods for gathering them. If they miss the right moments and disrupt the proper sequence, they can hardly achieve any results. How, then, could they endure like Heaven and Earth or remain firm like the sun and moon?

The Discourse Record of the Grotto Heavens says: Explaining the Dao in words can reveal only a few details, so once one truly attains the Dao, one forgets words. Seeking meaning through images can show only the surface, so once one grasps the meaning, one forgets the images. Yet the Dao does not reside in words. For those who know first to enlighten those who know later, one must still use words to seek understanding. Meaning, however, is entrusted to images; for greater things to enlighten lesser things, one must also use images to make the principle clear. Words explain principles, while images reveal meaning. The Great Dao is profound, and in the end it must be grasped inwardly, through an experience of the realm beyond form and speech. At first, detailed explanations and repeated reminders are given for fear that people will fail to understand. Things are used as metaphors and images as illustrations for the same reason. Once one has seen the Dao with one’s own eyes, one knows that it does not reside in words. Once hearts are in accord and the meaning is understood, one is no longer bound by images.

The Record of Western Mountain says: What is above form is the Dao; what is below form is material. Only on the basis of form can the Dao become manifest, while the Dao acts through material things.

The Secret Teachings of Zhongli say: Regard the heart as Heaven and the kidneys as Earth; also compare the heart to the Moon and the liver to the Sun. The Sun, Moon, Heaven, and Earth are the most luminous and conspicuous among all things.

The Secret Teachings of Cui Xuanzhen say: Compare kidney Qi to the Infant and heart fluid to the Maiden (Yin-Yang symbols in internal alchemy); regard liver Qi as Yang within Yin, like the soul within the Sun; and lung Qi as Yin within Yang, like the spirit within the Moon. The Infant, Maiden, soul, and spirit are all symbols of subtle numinous power. The heart is also compared to the Vermilion Bird, the kidneys to the Black Tortoise, the liver to the Azure Dragon, and the lungs to the White Tiger. These too are the Four Symbols, which represent the four directions and the transformations of Yin and Yang.

Immortal Ge says: The Infant is the upright Yang Qi contained within the heart fluid; the Maiden is the true One Water within kidney Qi; the Golden Lord is the predominant Yang Qi in the lungs; and the Yellow Matron symbolizes where Yang Qi is weak. These, too, belong to the Four Symbols.

Ge Xian’gong said, “The Infant is the pure Yang Qi contained above the heart’s fluid. The Maiden is the true One Water stored within the kidney Qi. The Golden Duke is the Yang Qi that is relatively abundant in the lungs, while the Yellow Matron is the part where Yang Qi is weak. They should be made to return once more to the lower Dantian, the region below the abdomen described in internal cultivation. The remaining bodily fluids belong to old Yin. When kidney fluid moves into spleen fluid, true Yang approaches lesser Yin; the Yin Qi has already weakened, and it too should be made to return to the lower Dantian. The teaching about these Four Images has already been explained in detail.”

The Perfected Tai Bai said, “The method of cultivating the Five Phases in reverse is that the Dragon is born from Fire. When the Five Phases do not follow their usual sequence, the Tiger appears in Water. The Dragon is originally represented by the Eastern Wood of Jia and Yi, yet it is born from Fire. It refers to the pure Yang Qi above the heart’s fluid; hence the saying that the Yang Dragon comes from the Li Palace, the position in the Eight Trigrams associated with Fire and corresponding to the heart. The Tiger is represented by the Western Metal of Geng and Xin, yet it is generated in Water. It refers to the true One Water within the kidney Qi; hence the saying that the Yin Tiger is born in the Kan position, associated with Water and corresponding to the kidneys.

“The Dragon belongs to Yang and moves upward freely. But when it is in Water, it is Yang within Yin, and so it serves as a metaphor for the pure Yang Qi in the heart’s fluid. The Tiger belongs to Yin and runs freely. But when it dwells on land, it is Yin within Yang, and so it serves as a metaphor for the true One Water in the kidney Qi.

“Laozi said, ‘In a haze and blur, there is something within.’ This refers to Water contained within Qi and borne by Yin. ‘In darkness and obscurity, there is essence within.’ This refers to Qi contained within fluid, which embraces Yang.”

The True Yin Lord says: The righteous Qi of the north is called the “River Chariot.” A chariot is a vehicle that carries things over land and travels back and forth without pause. Calling the movement within the human body a River Chariot draws on this name to explain how, within a body filled with the ten thousand Yin forces—the gathered Yin Qi—a spark of original Yang, the Yang Qi inherent in the body, rises and warms and steams the cellular networks, thereby giving birth to original Qi.

Original Qi passes from Kidney Qi to Liver Qi, then from Liver Qi to Heart Qi and Lung Qi, and finally returns to Kidney Qi. This is called the “Lesser River Chariot.” What practitioners call “flying the Golden Essence behind the elbows” refers to the breath beginning at the Tail Gate point, at the base of the spine, passing in turn through the Lower, Middle, and Upper Passes, and then moving through the Upper, Middle, and Lower Fields. This is called the “Greater River Chariot.” The “Passes” and “Fields” here are terms in Neidan practice for describing body locations and the routes along which the breath moves.

Pure Yin Qi descends, and true water—the Yin essence and Qi it symbolizes—arises naturally. Pure Yang Qi ascends, and true fire—the original Qi of Yang it symbolizes—is kindled naturally. As they rise and descend, they meet before the Twelve-Story Tower, a term for the area around the throat. Each restored Elixir, refined and condensed through practice, shines with ten thousand rays of golden light. This is called the “Purple River Chariot.” Thus the River Chariot travels through a river just as Qi moves through the body’s blood vessels; true water is concealed within Qi, as goods are carried aboard a chariot. This, broadly speaking, is what the term “River Chariot” means.

Master Guangcheng once taught the Yellow Emperor methods of internal cultivation, but for a long time no results appeared. He then went to Mount Kongtong and refined a great medicine from the five metals. Lead is “Qi metal”; silver is extracted from Qi metal. Among the eight minerals, cinnabar is red stone, from which mercury is extracted. By combining mercury with silver and refining them into a precious substance, the terms “lead and mercury” arose.

The lead spoken of here is the true Qi stored in the kidneys. Mercury is one’s own true Jing, formed through the union of Yin and Yang. True Yin and true Yang are refined into the great medicine. When the firing times are properly observed, with no deviation, Jing transforms into mercury, mercury into cinnabar, and cinnabar then into the Elixir. This is called “true lead.” The essence of metal flies from behind the elbow into the upper palace, then enters the lower Dantian through the crown of the head. True fire rises from the front and enters the Mudball Palace—the site of internal cultivation inside the head—then passes from the heart through the Tower of Layers, around the throat. Yin and Yang unite: water from above descends, fire from below rises, and the state of water and fire in balance is formed. They converge in the original sea and are refined into the “Purple Golden Elixir.” This is called “true mercury.”

The principles of lead and mercury have now been explained clearly. If we use external things as comparisons, Yang represents movement and ascent, while Yin represents stillness and gathering. There is no need to know too many things or seek too many analogies; simply grasp the principle that pure Yin and pure Yang unite as two kinds of Qi to form the great medicine. True Yin exists within Yang, and true Yang within Yin. Between Yin and Yang there are four forms of interaction: Yin interacting with Yang, Yang interacting with Yin, Yang interacting with Yang, and Yin interacting with Yin. There are also four forms of union: Yin joining with Yang, Yang joining with Yin, Yin joining with Yin, and Yang joining with Yang. The four interactions and four unions correspond to the eight seasonal divisions of Heaven and Earth, and also to the eight seasonal turning points in the movements of the sun and moon. Remembering too much and knowing too many mixed things not only exhausts the spirit and original Qi, but also gives rise to tangled discussions and wastes time, bringing no benefit in the end.

Collected Records of the Immortals’ Reunion at Mount Xi, juan one, complete

Collected Records of the Immortals’ Reunion at Mount Xi, juan two

Written by Master Huayang Shijianwu Xisheng of the Clear Void Grotto-Heaven; compiled by Li Lian, the Complete Beauty, a disciple of the Three Immortal Gates and a leisurely wanderer under Heaven

Nurturing Life

The True Scripture of the Three Origins (Sanyuan Zhenjing) says: Human beings and the myriad things have different forms, yet all owe their life to the same Qi, the fundamental force that makes life possible. The hun (ethereal soul) comes from Heaven, while the body and po (corporeal soul), the awareness of life bound to physical form, come from Earth. Life is originally without form or appearance; it comes from emptiness. When the father’s Jing, the mother’s blood, and this formless Qi come together, the formless becomes formed. After three hundred days of gestation, when the fetus is fully formed and its Qi abundant, it is born. This is how something comes from nothing.

If one does not know how to care for life, what exists will return to nothing. In the vigor of youth, people give all their Shen and Qi to their children. When their blood and Qi grow weak, their hun and po will return to Heaven and Earth. Thus, life contains its own ending, and ending in turn brings life to a close. When Qi is cut off and Shen disperses, life can no longer continue.

Good people and gentlemen all hope for long life, yet do not know how to nourish life. To do so, one should take Heaven and Earth as models and the sun and moon as foundations: as Yin Qi wanes, Yang Qi arises; as intestinal Qi wanes, Yin Qi arises. Through this unceasing renewal, Heaven and Earth endure. The po departs and the hun returns, moving back and forth without cease; this is also why the sun and moon endure. From this we can understand that Qi, when properly nourished, does not weaken, and the body, when properly cared for, does not wither. Only by tending well to both inner and outer life can one endure as long as Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon.

From ancient times to the present, many sages have discussed the principles of nourishing life and written works on the subject. Some say that reducing selfishness and desire nourishes the heart; putting aside distracting thoughts and forgetting clever schemes nourishes the spirit; eating in moderation protects the body; balancing activity and rest nurtures body and mind; drawing in clear Qi and expelling turbid Qi nourishes Qi (the vital energy of life in Daoist understanding); and restraining indulgence and sexual desire nourishes Jing.

Yet the way of nourishing life is not limited to these practices. Changes in life begin subtly, and those skilled in nourishing life work from these small beginnings, allowing them to grow gradually. When the body is vigorous, one should nurture it in accord with that strength; when it weakens, one should replenish it. For example, nourish the Spleen in spring, the Liver in autumn, the Lungs in summer, and the Heart in winter. In refining the body, one applies the timing of the fire; in returning the Elixir—a process in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) in which essence and Qi gather and form the inner Elixir—one gathers Qi. These are ways of regulating oneself according to the seasons and months, in keeping with the way of nourishing life.

Nourish Yang in spring and summer, allowing true Qi to move in accord with the seasons. At these times, the movement of Qi is centered mainly in the Liver and Heart, since they are where Qi rises and unfolds. Nourish Yin in autumn and winter, likewise allowing true Qi to move in accord with the seasons. At these times, the movement of Qi is centered mainly in the Lungs and Kidneys, since they are where bodily fluids descend. This is nourishment in accord with the movement of Yin and Yang.

At the Zi hour, the Qi of the Kidneys begins to rise, as though one Yang were sprouting from within two Yin. If at this time one clears the mind and quiets one’s thoughts, closes the eyes and sits upright, and visualizes a wheel of fire rising from the Dantian (the energy center below the navel used in Neidan practice), one is nourishing oneself in accord with Qi as it begins to rise.

At the Mao hour, the Qi of the Liver begins to rise, as though one Yang were sprouting beneath two Yin. At this time, sit quietly alone with eyes closed, inhale deeply and exhale lightly, and visualize a man and woman meeting in the Yellow Chamber (an image in Neidan practice that symbolizes an inner palace) and conceiving a child. This is a method of nourishment that follows the rising of Yang energy.

At the Wu hour, the Qi of the Heart begins to rise, as though one Yin were sprouting between two Yang. At this time, remain silent and free of distracting thoughts, holding saliva in the mouth so that the Qi of the Heart does not dissipate. Visualize the Dragon and Tiger (symbols in Neidan practice for Yin and Yang energies) joining amid smoke and flame, the Golden Tripod (a symbol for the inner vessel in which the Elixir is refined) gathering energy, and Qi moving downward. This is how to nourish oneself when the Qi of the Dantian begins to rise.

At the You hour, the Qi of the Lungs begins to rise, as though one Yin were sprouting above two Yang. At this time, close the eyes and quiet the mind, draw the abdomen in slightly, and visualize a great fire burning within the tripod. Three pearls lie inside it; the flames never cease, and the Threefold Fire (a term in Daoist Neidan for the stages of internal refining) is kindled all at once. This is a method of nourishing oneself at the appointed time as Yin energy begins to rise.

After three hundred days, the Embryonic Foundation (the inner basis gradually formed through Neidan practice) is complete and true Qi is born. Continue to nurture and refine true Qi, and one can refine Shen; then, as the Five Qi converge at the Origin (the energies of the five viscera returning to their source) and the Three Flowers gather at the crown (Jing, Qi, and Shen converging at the top of the head), the Yang Spirit (the awareness formed through internal cultivation) is generated after five hundred days. Continue to nurture the Yang Spirit and practice until it unites with the Dao. Beginning with embodied life, one cultivates and thereby brings forth true Qi; once true Qi is formed, Qi is used to refine Shen, and one then cultivates the Dharma Body (a body beyond the physical body formed through practice), attaining a body beyond the body and transcending the ordinary to enter sagehood. In this way, the way of nourishing life is complete.

The Jade Radiance Numinous Book says: Shen takes “xi” as its mother, while Qi dwells in the body. Through cultivating Qi, Qi is transformed into Shen; through cultivating the body, the body is transformed into Qi. If the Yang Shen has not yet been consolidated, the Three Flowers cannot converge. If the true Qi in the Niwan Palace has not yet gathered in audience, five colors will not appear in the Elixir Gate. Formless Qi envelops and interweaves with formless Qi; if Shen and Qi separate, they cannot unite.

Though Heaven and Earth are vast, light and clear Qi still rises while heavy and turbid Qi sinks. Though the sun and moon are bright, they still wax and wane, and pass between light and shadow. When Yang Qi gathers, it gives rise to Shen; what appears in the heavens is the stars. When Yin Qi gathers, it takes form; what supports the earth is soil and stone. Qi rises from water and becomes rain and clouds; moisture in the Qi descends and becomes mist and dew. All the things of the world and its many living beings depend on having a body.

Human beings receive spiritual nature at birth and take shape through reliance on the Great Dao. Yet without understanding how to nourish the body, their Jing, Qi, and souls gradually dissipate, leaving only an empty, decaying shell. Before death, the body is already like a withered tree; once the breath ceases, it ultimately returns to dust. How, then, could the art of nourishing the body go unexamined and unconsidered?

The Record of the Western Mountain says: In midsummer and midwinter, those skilled in caring for the body stay in rooms with a comfortable temperature, avoid excessive cold and heat, and protect their skin and bodies.

There is more to caring for the body than this. Add clothing before the weather turns cold, but do not put on too many layers all at once. When the weather warms, gradually remove clothing, but do not take off too much at once. After prolonged exertion, rest quietly to protect a body that has been overstrained. After a long period of inactivity, practice daoyin (guiding and stretching the body to regulate the breath), setting Qi in motion where its flow has become sluggish.

In hot weather, do not expose yourself to a cool breeze, or the nutritive Qi that flows through the vessels may become obstructed and the defensive Qi that protects the body may stagnate. In summer, do not spend the night in damp places: sleeping in dampness disperses Qi and disrupts the circulation of blood. In winter, do not overheat the body by a fire, or the kidneys may be affected by deficient heat; by spring and summer, the liver and heart may develop disorders of congestion and impaired flow. In summer, do not let the body become excessively chilled, or the heart may be affected by superficial cold; by autumn and winter, the lungs and kidneys may develop disorders of deep stagnation.

Do not wait until you are famished to eat, and do not eat until you are overly full: overeating harms Shen, while hunger damages the stomach. Do not drink too much water, for excessive drinking depletes Qi; excessive thirst, in turn, harms the blood.

Wash your hair once every ten days and bathe once every five days. Bathing every five days takes its meaning from the circulation of the Five Phases. After bathing the whole body, the nutritive and defensive Qi can flow freely. Washing the hair every ten days takes its meaning from the completion and renewal of a cycle. True Qi gathers in the brain, and washing the hair helps sharpen hearing and eyesight. Frequent bathing causes the blood to stagnate and Qi to disperse. Even if the skin appears smooth and lustrous, over time Qi will be harmed. According to this account, disorders such as paralysis arise when Qi is too weak to govern the blood and Shen is too weak to govern the body. Frequent hair washing causes Qi to congest in the upper body and disrupts its flow through the brain, making the body feel heavy and the limbs weary; over time, it can also impede the passage of the channels and collaterals.

Thus the ancients used Yang Qi to nourish Yang Qi, keeping it from dispersing, and used Yin Qi to refine and cultivate Yang Qi, keeping it from weakening. Over the course of a year, they nourished Yang in spring and summer and Yin in autumn and winter. In this way, Yin helps sustain Yang, while Yang dissolves cold Yin. Over the course of a day, they refined Qian, the symbol of Heaven and Yang, before noon to nourish Qi: after rising in the morning, they refined the body, and a little later refined the golden essence, a Daoist internal cultivation term for the refinement of Jing and Qi. After noon, they refined Kun, the symbol of Earth and Yin, to nourish the medicine: when the medicine was present, they gathered the breath and refined the Elixir; when there was no Elixir to refine, they gathered and controlled the firing process, gently cultivating it as if boiling the sea. All of this allows one’s own true Yang to take effect. One may also gather the body and mind and concentrate Jing and Qi, nurturing true Qi from emptiness. Then raise true Qi to dispel Yin influences.

Those who cultivate the Dao may read widely and study much, but if they merely squander their effort without understanding that Yin and Yang are the root that governs all things, they will find it difficult to attain the Dao. When true Yin and true Yang congeal in the Dantian to form an embryo, true Yin then becomes Qi and true Yang takes form. In this way, one can attain “a body beyond the body” and transcend the ordinary to enter the realm of the sages.

Nurturing Qi (the vital energy that sustains life):

The Hidden Book of the Most High says: Heaven and Earth are formed from clear and turbid Qi. Without Qi, Yin and Yang could not move and function. The sun and moon take shape through light and darkness, yet they too depend on Qi to bring their souls and spirits together. The opening and closing that work like a key, and the rhythm of breathing, are all brought about by Qi.

A bird beats its wings and flies through the air by means of Qi. It seems to tread on solid ground, yet in truth it travels through the sky. A fish leaps and moves through the water by means of water; as it passes through, the water seems not to be there. Most plants wither, but pines and parasol trees often remain lush because their Qi is strong. Many animals grow weak and die away, while tortoises and cranes are slow to age because they can hold fast to their Qi.

The body is the dwelling that preserves Qi, while Qi is what sustains the body. To keep the body in the world for a long time, one must first nurture Qi. Vast and vigorous, Qi fills the space between Heaven and Earth. When it gathers, it can make the spirit subtle and wondrous, roaming beyond the dusty world. Those skilled in nourishing life care for the body; those skilled in caring for the body, in turn, cultivate Qi.

The Record of the Western Mountain says: From ancient times to the present, people who cultivate their primordial Qi have still been unable to escape illness and death because they do not understand the Way of nourishing Qi.

Some once believed that a person intent on cultivation could nourish Qi simply by speaking little. This only preserves the breath and can easily lead to drowsiness. Others took inhaling clear air and exhaling turbid air to be nourishment of Qi. This merely exchanges the breath and can weaken Qi. Drowsiness causes Qi to scatter and the spirit to become agitated; the true numinous spirit within grows ever more fatigued until it has nowhere to settle. When Qi is weak, the Dantian (the abdominal area believed in Daoism to store primordial Qi) becomes depleted. One then practices breathing in and out to no purpose, for Qi can never be made to settle.

Inhaling more than one exhales can be used to treat illness, but it should not be mistaken for fetal breathing, a Daoist practice in which the breath becomes so subtle that it seems like a fetus breathing in the womb. Swallowing Qi upward and pressing it downward can gather Qi, but this should not be mistaken for returning the Elixir, the process in Neidan by which refined Qi condenses. Using the breath continuously, so faintly that it seems almost absent, allows the breath to harmonize naturally with the spirit. Letting each breath settle and remain, taking in but not breathing out, is the method of holding the breath to refine the body. Repeatedly swallowing and drawing in Qi from both sides, using exhalation and swallowing as methods, is a technique for drawing water with Qi to irrigate the body. Sitting upright with the torso erect, filling the limbs with Qi, and setting the blood vessels in motion so that the nourishing and defensive Qi flow in harmony is the method of distributing Qi to burn through the body. None of these is the same as nourishing Qi itself.

The Way of nourishing Qi is to tend it when it is abundant so that it does not wane, and to tend it when it is weak so that it does not scatter. The ancients practiced the method of “Difficulty at the Beginning” (Tun) because Yang Qi has only just begun to arise, still gathered in and not yet unfolded. They practiced in the morning to nurture the vitality of Yang Qi. They practiced the method of “Youthful Folly” (Meng) because a single Yang is surrounded by Yin and remains hidden in darkness. They practiced in the evening to help Yang Qi emerge.

Moreover, forcing thought when one lacks the capacity for it harms the body, as does trying to lift heavy things without sufficient strength. Grief and exhaustion, excessive joy, eagerly chasing desires, and being consumed by worry all deplete the body. Talking and laughing for too long, keeping irregular hours, drawing a bow and shooting arrows, drinking to excess until one vomits, lying down immediately after eating one’s fill, running and jumping until out of breath, shouting with joy or weeping, and a disharmony between Yin and Yang Qi all cause harm. When accumulated damage reaches its limit, a person dies prematurely.

Those skilled in nourishing life therefore keep their minds calm and desire little. They abide in stillness and solitude, and naturally come to appreciate the pleasure of the subtle and mysterious (Xiyi), a Daoist term for the elusive, profound realm. In winter, Yang Qi begins to arise. After the spring equinox, Yang Qi flourishes and Yin Qi recedes; one should guard against residual Yin Qi entering the abdomen and causing illnesses of cold. In summer, Yin Qi begins to arise. After the autumn equinox, Yin Qi flourishes and Yang Qi recedes; one should guard against residual Yang Qi entering the abdomen and causing disorders of excessive heat.

Do not look upon the dead, lest the Qi of death offend the Qi of life. Do not go near polluted places, lest foul Qi offend true Qi. While true Qi has not yet grown strong, do not go hungry in the morning; keep food sufficiently plentiful. When true Qi is about to wane, do not eat too much at night; reduce your food intake.

Regulating Qi, harmonizing Qi, distributing Qi, swallowing Qi, gathering Qi, circulating Qi, preserving Qi, and exchanging Qi all fall within the scope of nourishing Qi. Qi is like a fine thread: a touch can break it. It is also like smoke: disturbance makes it disperse. If one cannot nourish Qi, one loses the means of preserving the body.

Yet nourishing Qi is still not as advanced as gathering the ingredients, and gathering the ingredients is not as advanced as refining Qi. Gather Qi and return it to its origin; form it into the Golden Elixir, then refine it further. In the end, one leaves the physical form and becomes an immortal. In cultivation, nourish Qi first and gather the ingredients afterward. If Qi has not yet been properly nourished, one should not begin gathering the ingredients.

The Tongxuan Jing says: A person’s body is like a house, and the heart is its master. When the heart governs a state, the proper distinctions between ruler and ministers arise; when it governs a family, the rites that order the relations between father and son arise. The heart is like a ruler and father; Qi, the vital energy that moves through the body, is like ministers and children; and the body is like the household or state. When the heart and Qi unite in single-minded accord, Qi will follow their direction.

In the Five Phases, the heart belongs to Fire. It is the essence of flourishing Yang in the south; among the stars, it corresponds to Yinghuo (Mars), and in divine form it is associated with the Vermilion Bird, the sacred bird of the south. Its shape is like three drooping leaves, and its color like a red lotus. The divine spirit dwells in the heart, its transformations beyond measure: it can unite with Yin-Yang and encompass Heaven and Earth, yet also become as minute as a hair’s breadth. When restrained, the heart is calm; left unchecked, it runs wild.

Stillness allows the Dao to appear; turbidity and agitation scatter the spirit. If the heart can remain empty and still, what it has attained can be preserved for a long time. By abiding in Wuwei (non-action), the body too can remain healthy. A person whose thoughts run unchecked can become a sage by restraining selfish desires; a sage who ceases to remain vigilant and self-disciplined may, in turn, become arrogant.

Those of understanding throughout the ages have cultivated their hearts by reducing desire and striving for utmost sincerity. In this way, the source of life becomes clear and tranquil, and the light of spiritual awareness naturally appears at the Cinnabar Terrace, the place symbolizing the heart spirit in Daoist Neidan cultivation. Whoever is not confused by affairs or driven by external things can rise above the ordinary and attain the state of a sage.

The Record of the Western Mountain says: The root of life received from the Dao (the Way) is called “nature.” The body and lifespan received at birth are called “life.” The capacity to respond to external things and deal with the myriad affairs is called “mind.” What the mind holds onto is called “intention.” What intention turns over in thought is called “resolve.” Handling affairs with thoroughness is called “wisdom.” When wisdom can examine all things in every direction, it is called “reflection.” What gives the body signs of vitality when it is active is called “Hun (soul).” What steadies the body when it is still is called “Po (soul).” What flows through the bones and flesh is called “blood.” What sustains the body and nourishes the breath is called “Jing (essence).” Clear, harmonious, freely flowing Qi (vital energy) is called “nutritive Qi”; turbid Qi that moves sluggishly is called “defensive Qi.” The coming together of the body’s many bones and parts is called the “person.” The forms that appear are called “shape.” What gathers into solid masses, separated from one another, is called “substance.” A shape with a definite pattern is called “body.” The forms that differ in size are called “frame.” Thought that is abundant yet unobstructed is called “spirit”; what is mysterious and unfathomable, and capable of transformation, is called “numinous power.” Qi entering the body is called “life”; Qi leaving the form is called “death.” The root that makes life flow through and connect all things is called the Dao.

The Dao is present, yet has no visible form; though it seems formless, it contains subtle substance. Its transformations cannot be measured, and it can connect the divine with all living beings. The perfected ones and exalted immortals teach people to cultivate the Dao; this means teaching them to cultivate the mind. Teaching people to cultivate the mind means teaching them to cultivate the Dao. The Dao itself cannot be seen, so one must rely on the mind to experience it. But the mind easily shifts and wanders, so one must rely on the Dao to keep it steady. Therefore, make the mind empty and still, and remove its attachments to inner fullness; attain a mind without grasping, and release its hold on external things. To make the mind settled and unwavering is to “settle the mind”; to make it secure and free from fear is to “comfort the mind”; to make it calm and free from disorder is to “quiet the mind”; to make it upright and free from deviation is to “rectify the mind”; to make it clear and free from turbidity is to “purify the mind”; to make it clean and free from defilement is to “cleanse the mind.” These harmful states can naturally arise in the mind, so they must be removed. A straight mind does not waver back and forth; a balanced mind has no high or low partiality; a bright mind is not dim; an open mind has no obstruction. These good qualities are already present and should be brought forth by following one’s nature.

Cultivation also calls for less thinking and fewer thoughts, fewer desires and fewer activities, less speaking and less laughter, less worry and less pleasure, less delight and less anger, less favoritism and less hatred. In this way, one can keep the numinous radiance undisturbed and the spirit and Qi from running wild, then follow the Dao’s teachings and preserve life.

How lamentable are the ignorant! Too much thinking tires the spirit; too many thoughts scatter one’s resolve. Too many desires deplete Qi, and too many affairs exhaust the body. Too much speaking weakens Qi, and excessive laughter harms the internal organs. Too much sorrow depletes the blood, and excessive pleasure makes the emotions overflow. Overwhelming delight throws the mind and spirit into confusion; overwhelming anger unsettles the channels throughout the body. Too many preferences cloud the mind and prevent clear discernment; too much aversion leaves one withered and joyless. In this way, the source of thought in the mind becomes impure, and harmonious Qi is naturally depleted, making it impossible to prolong life. All this comes from failing to understand how to cultivate the mind. The ancients compared the mind to a monkey because it is restless and hard to settle; they also compared it to a thief because it steals what a person already possesses.

When the Yin-Yang Qi of a person’s parents comes together, Jing and blood give rise to the fetus. Once the fetus is fully developed and its original Qi is abundant, the body takes shape. By gathering numinous Qi and practicing the Dao, one brings Shen and original Qi into harmony; one’s lifespan is determined through this process.

There are three grades of longevity. Great longevity is twelve thousand years: by remaining simple and following one’s natural course, even when the body perishes, the Dao does not. Middle longevity is twelve hundred years: the body remains in the world, and both the Dao and the body endure. Lesser longevity is one hundred and twenty years. Those who understand cultivation can live in peace and contentment and extend their lives. Those who do not understand cultivation will lose and scatter their original Qi, and the life force that was theirs will gradually fade. Violating taboos can also secretly shorten one’s allotted years. Here, each lost “count”—an ancient unit for reckoning lifespan—takes away three hundred days of life. A year is the basic measure of lifespan; a full cycle is the complete count.

When people are ignorant and poorly informed, they may think that small misdeeds do not matter. But as misdeeds accumulate, they harm the body. They may think that small losses are harmless, but as losses accumulate, they damage life. First one count is taken away, then the basic lifespan is reduced, and finally even a full cycle is lost. For this reason, many people have already used up most of their allotted years before reaching middle age.

The Immortals and perfected beings take pity on the people of the world. Even those who have methods of cultivation that transcend the mundane must first understand how to nourish and protect life, and practice these methods with care. Only then may they extend their years and attain great longevity. If they are not deterred by hardship and persist in their practice, then after a thousand days a path of cultivation beyond the ordinary will naturally open to them.

The Xishan Ji says: Even if one understands the principles of preserving life but does not know how to practice, one’s lifespan will not be extended. And even if one knows the arts of cultivation but does not understand how to preserve life, cultivation is unlikely to bear fruit.

The way to preserve life is to observe various prohibitions and guard against bringing misfortune upon oneself. Do not speak excessively, lest the mind and spirit become scattered and the original Qi be harmed. Do not sleep with your mouth open, lest the original Qi escape and the mind and spirit be damaged. Approaching dangerous places or climbing to great heights can alarm the hun and po souls; witnessing cruel killings or fights can cause the original Qi to stagnate. Mourning the dead or visiting the sick may cause the spirit of joy—the vital energy that governs spiritual well-being—to disperse. Sleeping in damp places or lying with the wind blowing on you can gradually weaken the true Qi. Do not enter ancient temples or ill-omened shrines, lest your mind and spirit be frightened. Do not tease fierce birds or unusual beasts, lest your spirit be overcome by fear.

Relieving yourself beneath the sun, moon, or stars shortens your lifespan. Receiving generous kindness from all quarters without gratitude diminishes your years. Do not feast beside images of the gods, lest your hun and po souls become unsettled; do not sit among graves, lest your spirit become scattered. Do not rest beneath dead trees or great trees, lest cold, Yin Qi disturb your Yang spirit. Do not recklessly cross deep waters or broad marshes, lest the cold force the true Qi into distress. Do not casually pluck bright, beautiful flowers and plants, lest uncanny beings be drawn to you. Do not eat fruit that is out of season, lest harmful Qi enter your belly.

When no trouble has befallen you, do not often make empty, boastful claims; speaking too much in this way depletes your allotted lifespan. Unless it is a gathering, do not regularly eat rich, fatty foods or drink strong wine; indulging to excess diminishes the good fortune and prosperity allotted to you. Betraying the worthy and forgetting kindness will surely bring misfortune. Treating money lightly and destroying possessions also diminishes one’s share of good fortune. Do not venture unbidden into the depths of great mountains, where dangers may lurk. Do not become excessively attached to beautiful things, or they may bring ill fortune instead.

Do not harm people or other beings, repaying resentment with resentment. Do not envy the worthy or suppress people’s talents, lest you incur resentment. Do not falsely claim to transmit teachings or pass them on recklessly; do not slight friends or show contempt for teachers and elders. If you commit these faults, then even if you obtain orthodox instructions and encounter an extraordinary adept, your lifespan will still be diminished before you complete the Great Dao. Your offenses will cancel out your merit, making swift success difficult.

Those skilled in preserving life cultivate inwardly according to the methods and conduct themselves outwardly according to principle. Inward cultivation means safeguarding and storing Jing and Qi, nurturing the original Qi, settling the hun and po, and quieting the mind and spirit, so that body and spirit reach a refined state and endure as long as Heaven and Earth. One then goes further, refining Shen and uniting with the Dao, transcending the ordinary to attain sagehood. Outwardly, one should give aid to the poor and support those in hardship, cherish all beings and benefit others; be filial at home and loyal in public life, obey those above and show consideration for those below. When faced with something harmful, do not do it for the sake of profit; even when busy, do not seek leisure for its own sake. Let all your actions be guided by what will help others, and keep personal gain and loss from occupying your thoughts. This is how one begins to serve the Dao, and how one becomes more likely to encounter accomplished practitioners and receive the true teachings. Once practice has begun, even if hardships arise from time to time, one can still bring the work to completion more quickly. This is both the result of self-cultivation and the reward for accumulating hidden virtue. If you do not understand the essentials of preserving life, how can your inner cultivation and outward good deeds both reach completion?

The Nine Heavens Secret Line says: Beneath the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing, the three highest deities revered in Daoism) are the Three Great Ones; among the Three Great Ones are the Two Principles, Yin and Yang. Once Yin and Yang have been distinguished, the Five Emperors are set in place. Once the Five Emperors are established, all things dwell together within a single realm.

Between Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang rise and descend above and below; the sun and moon travel back and forth in the east and west. They turn and begin again, moving without pause in cycles of succession, never straying from their course. The human being is the same: Jing (essence) is the foundation, and Qi (vital energy) is the governing force. Each of the Five Organs contains Jing, which can give rise to Qi; each also contains Qi, which can give rise to Shen (spirit). To live long without decline and endure in this world, one must refine Jing into an elixir and nurture Qi until it transforms into Shen. True immortals and sages cultivate the inner self and replenish themselves; they do not nourish what is external. When inner cultivation succeeds, the outer responds accordingly. One can then accomplish whatever one undertakes, bringing one’s endeavors to success and passing from the ordinary human realm into the realm of sages.

The Xishan Ji says: In men, the right kidney forms first. Its outer part is essence, and its inner part is blood, with Yin Qi surrounding it on the outside. In women, the left kidney forms first. Its outer part is blood, and its inner part is essence, with Yang Qi surrounding it on the outside.

The organs and channels of the human body take shape in stages: the kidneys give rise to the spleen, the spleen to the liver, the liver to the lungs, and the lungs to the heart. The heart then gives rise to the small intestine, the small intestine to the large intestine, the large intestine to the gallbladder, and the gallbladder to the bladder. The bladder gives rise to the Three Primordial Energies—the three kinds of original Qi within the body. These in turn give rise to the three burners—the upper, middle, and lower burners of Chinese medicine. The three burners give rise to the eight extraordinary vessels, the eight vessels to the twelve channels, and the twelve channels to the twelve collaterals. The twelve collaterals then branch into 180 connecting vessels, 180 encircling vessels, and 36,000 minute collaterals, ultimately forming 365 bones and 84,000 pores. When the fetus has fully developed and its original Qi is abundant, a numinous light enters the body. The child then separates from the mother and becomes a person.

In terms of inside and outside, the channels within the body count as inside, and the skin’s surface as outside. To nurture life, one must care for the five viscera. They are the roots: when the roots are firmly established, the branches and leaves flourish naturally. To nurture the body’s form, one must care for the five Qi. They are the source: when the source is preserved, Qi and blood can circulate for a long time.

The great cycle of True Qi follows the movements of Heaven and the seasons; the small cycle of original Qi changes with the hours of each day. In spring, liver Qi is strong and spleen Qi weak, so one should nourish the spleen and eat more sweet-tasting foods. Choose polished rice among grains, dates among fruits, beef among meats, and mallow among vegetables. Keep the mind calm and avoid excessive worry, which harms the liver. Stay quietly sheltered from the wind, for the liver is vulnerable to it. As part of ordinary self-care, one may wait quietly at the mao hour (about five to seven in the morning) for original Qi to circulate and reach the liver. Sitting at ease with the eyes closed to nourish the liver may show results after about ten days; after a month, it is said, one’s eyesight can discern the fine hairs of autumn. Those engaged in dedicated cultivation need not adhere to these everyday practices.

In summer, heart Qi is strong and lung Qi weak, so one should nourish the lungs and eat more pungent-tasting foods. Choose yellow millet among grains, peaches among fruits, quail among meats, and scallions among vegetables. Keep the mind calm and avoid excessive joy, which harms the heart. Sit quietly away from the heat, for the heart is vulnerable to it. As part of ordinary self-care, one may wait quietly at the wu hour (about eleven in the morning to one in the afternoon) for original Qi to circulate and reach the heart. Nourish the heart by staying in a quiet place and clearing the mind of distracting thoughts. Results may appear after about ten days; it is said that Qi will then be able to flow through all the hundred vessels. Those engaged in dedicated cultivation need not adhere to this method.

In autumn, lung Qi is strong and liver Qi weak, so one should nourish the liver and eat more sour-tasting foods. Choose beans among grains, plums among fruits, dog meat among meats, and shepherd’s purse among vegetables. Stay quietly sheltered from the cold, which harms the lungs, and do not grieve excessively, for grief injures the lungs. As part of ordinary self-care, one may wait quietly at the you hour (about five to seven in the evening) for original Qi to circulate and reach the lungs. Sitting quietly to nourish the lungs may show results after about ten days; it is said that the skin will become lustrous. Those engaged in dedicated cultivation need not adhere to this method.

In winter, kidney Qi is strong and heart Qi weak, so one should nourish the heart and eat more bitter-tasting foods. Choose wheat among grains, tangerines among fruits, lamb among meats, and water spinach among vegetables. Keep the mind calm and do not give in to fear, which harms the heart. As part of ordinary self-care, one may wait quietly at the zi hour (about eleven at night to one in the morning) for original Qi to circulate and reach the kidneys. Draw the body inward and sit upright to nourish the kidneys. Results may appear after about ten days; it is said that the Dantian (energy center) will warm naturally and one’s strength will grow. Those engaged in dedicated cultivation need not adhere to this method.

During the transition between seasons, spleen Qi is strong, so one should nourish the kidneys and eat more salty-tasting foods. Choose millet among grains, Chinese yam among fruits, pork among meats, and Chinese chives among vegetables. Set the mind at ease and do not be afraid, for fear harms the spleen. Quiet the mind and avoid dampness, which injures the spleen. As part of ordinary self-care, one may wait quietly for original Qi to circulate at the xu, chen, chou, and wei hours (about seven to nine in the evening, seven to nine in the morning, one to three before dawn, and one to three in the afternoon).

If True Qi is allowed to escape its bounds, a breath of Qi like wind and thunder surges through the bladder, and essence is wasted away. When True Qi disperses, internal fire rises and disturbs the lungs, heart, liver, gallbladder, and other organs. The spirit scatters as though burned by a true fire; the sinews and bones grow slack, and the body seems close to death. A single emission of essence weakens original Qi. Repeated emissions injure the spirit and organs until the body is depleted and the limbs lose their command—in other words, until death. For this reason, true immortals and sages all have methods for “returning essence.”

Those who resolve to practice the Way of the Mysterious Origin—the fundamental Daoist reality—must bring kidney Qi and heart Qi into union, gather Qi to produce fluids, and draw them back, drop by drop, into the Dantian like hanging dew. When the timing and measure of the practice are correct, essence and Qi congeal naturally into a pellet, red-orange in color. From Qi, one generates further Qi; by refining Qi into Shen (spirit), one can attain the state of “a body beyond the body” and transcend the ordinary to become a sage.

Those who have not yet grasped the Way of clear emptiness, but are given over to desire and unable to put lustful thoughts aside, should not study the arts of the bedchamber in depth. The text says that some people use the bodies of men and women in their practices, attempting to direct heart Qi into the Yellow Court, an inner site of cultivation. But if kidney Qi cannot rise, they may instead dissipate their essence and Qi. If one stops sexual activity just as emission is about to occur, there are two ways to gather and contain Qi. One is to sit quietly alone, draw the body inward, and hold both hands over the navel, allowing Qi to congeal like an embryo. The other is to straighten the body, arch the back, and draw inward; after a short while, let Qi rise from behind the elbows to the Muddy Pellet, a site of cultivation in the head, to nourish the brain and marrow. This can make the sinews and bones robust and bring signs of a return to youthful vigor.

It is lamentable that some ignorant young men try to take women’s fluids and breath to refine what they call the “Yin Elixir.” Others refine lifeless metals and stones, drawing the essence of Heaven and Earth into an “External Elixir” (Waidan) to ingest and replenish their own essence and Qi. Even if the medicine’s power is strong for a time and the body suffers no immediate harm, when one’s original Yang has already been depleted and the cinnabar platform lies empty, taking medicine may bring on an illness that cannot be cured. Taking these substances from another person may lead to a swift death. If this makes you conclude that the methods of immortals are all deception, take a moment to think calmly about where the fault lies.

The Jade Radiance Numinous Book says: Above the nine heavens there is no Yin Qi, and beneath the nine earths there is no Yang Qi. Yang Qi arises from within the earth and gradually rises toward heaven over the course of 180 days. It cannot pass beyond the heavenly realm because it originally emerged from within Yin.

As Original Qi, the vital energy at the source of life, circulates, it carries its surplus into the spleen. A person who sits in a quiet room, holds the breath, and regulates the breathing, inhaling more than they exhale, may see results after about ten days: the body will become lustrous and the meridians will flow freely. For further cultivation, there is no need to adhere rigidly to this method.

Each of the five viscera has times of strength and weakness, and the Qi of the viscera and bowels likewise waxes and wanes. One should reduce what is in excess and replenish what is deficient. Once the five viscera are harmonized, every part of the body will naturally settle into balance, illness will not arise, and one may hope to live for a thousand years.

Replenishing Jing (essence)

The Taishang Xuanjing says: Pure Yang rises and is called Qi (vital energy, the Daoist term for the original energy of life); pure Yin descends and is called fluid. When Qi and fluid combine and flow between the bones and channels, they are called marrow. When they combine and move to the area outside the bladder, they are called Jing (essence, the vital substance of life).

Inside the body are the five organs: the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, and spleen; and the six viscera: the large intestine, small intestine, bladder, Triple Burner, gallbladder, and stomach. On the body’s exterior are the hair, skin, eyes, ears, nose, tongue, hands, and feet, as well as Ying and Wei (Qi and blood that circulate within and nourish and protect the body), the channels, and the acupuncture points.

Jing is linked to the five organs. When the heart’s Qi flows to the liver, the liver generates Jing; if liver Jing is not held firm, the vision grows blurred and objects lose their brightness. When the heart’s Qi flows to the lungs, the lungs generate Jing; if lung Jing is insufficient, the muscles become thin and weak. When the heart’s Qi flows to the kidneys, the kidneys generate Jing; if kidney Jing is insufficient, vitality and original Qi diminish. When the heart’s Qi flows to the spleen, the spleen generates Jing; if spleen Jing is not firm, the hair and teeth are prone to weakening.

Among the five organs, the kidneys are where Jing gathers, and the heart is where Qi accumulates. True Jing is stored in the kidneys; the remaining Jing returns to the lower field (lower Dantian, the area below the abdomen where practitioners cultivate and preserve Jing and Qi). True Qi is stored in the heart; the remaining Qi gathers in the central origin (middle Dantian, the central region of the body in Daoist cultivation).

Thinking, worry, and distress deplete Qi, as if a cauldron were leaking its vapor; illicit sex and indulgence scatter Jing, as if the firewood beneath a pot were being pulled away. To replenish the Jing in the lower body, one must do more than abstain from sexual relations; particular care is needed in sexual life. Restraining these behaviors helps prevent the loss of Jing and Qi.

The Record of Xishan says: Heaven and Earth consume the myriad things, and the myriad things in turn consume people. Yang Qi rises and Yin Qi descends; the myriad things receive pure, vital essence from between Heaven and Earth. People eat the myriad things to replenish what their bodies need. Whenever food and drink enter the stomach, they join with true Qi and are then conveyed to the kidneys. If true Qi is abundant but external things stir the mind and give rise to thoughts, heart-fire presses downward, preventing kidney Qi from rising and leaving it to circle within the body. Yin and Yang draw one another along in a cycle: Yin Qi descends from Heaven to Earth, then emerges from Yang Qi; Yang Qi, too, rises from Earth. The cycle repeats without loss, yet it can still be shaken out of balance.

A person’s kidneys belong to Water. The Qi that arises from Water is subtle and fragile, like smoke or a silken thread: one touch can sever it, one disturbance scatter it. The six faculties of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, together with one’s thoughts, expose people to harm from external desires. The seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, liking, dislike, and thought—wear people down from within. True Qi may dissipate upward through the throat and other passages; downward, it may be lost through the leakage of Jing and Qi. It is like trying to catch the wind in a leaky net: how could there be no loss? Without knowing how to nourish and replenish true Qi, one is like oil slowly consumed by fire. As days and years accumulate, true Qi continues to be conveyed and lost.

The Record of Xishan also says: Qi has no form of its own and must rely on the body, which has form. When the body is sound, Qi has a place to abide and can therefore be cultivated and replenished. There is no age limit to cultivation; what matters is sincere, single-minded devotion sustained over time. The secret divine method of the “Heavenly Emperor’s Sacred Embryo” is the highest method for replenishing Qi. The essential principles of fetal breathing taught by Damo (here referring to a method of cultivation related to fetal breathing) are a middle method. Beyond these come the methods of allowing the embryo to settle the breath, and then bringing the breath back to the embryo. Bian Que’s Spiritual Pivot and the Fetal Breathing annotated by Ge Hong are ranked as lower methods for replenishing Qi. Practices other than these are not considered orthodox methods.

Replenishment

The True Scripture of the Cavern of the Spirit says: The principles of preserving life are to extend one’s lifespan without exhausting body or mind, and to give priority to nourishment and replenishment. Even when secure, one should consider possible dangers and guard against them before problems arise. Do not excuse a harmful deed because it is small, or let it go uncorrected; nor should you neglect a good deed because it seems too small to be of benefit.

Daily routines should follow the changes of the four seasons and the alternation of day and night. Both activity and rest should observe a calm and moderate rhythm. When regulating the sinews and channels, one should understand how to bend, extend, and stretch the body. To strengthen what is upright and dispel what is harmful, one may use the methods of breathing in and out—releasing the old and drawing in the new to regulate the breath and preserve life. To keep the Qi that nourishes and protects the body flowing freely, one must understand how to tonify and drain. In arranging work and rest, one must know how to increase or reduce exertion and maintain restraint. By restraining anger, one can preserve Yin Qi; by tempering excessive joy, one can care for Yang Qi. Calm clarity can dispel confused and troubled thoughts, while ease and composure nurture one’s true nature.

Even if someone damaged their body in youth and became weak in Qi and constitution, they can still, upon recognizing this in old age, guard against illness and replenish themselves. They can use Qi to nourish Qi, allowing it to grow gradually abundant, and use Shen to nourish Shen, so that the spirit is no longer depleted. When Qi is abundant, the body can prolong life; when the spirit is settled, life can endure.

The Record of the Western Mountain says: Those who understand the utmost Dao are not easily harmed by the decrees of Heaven. By refining the primordial Qi—the original Qi from which Heaven and Earth generate the myriad things—and attaining insight, while also guarding against illness and replenishing oneself, one can use Qi to nourish Qi until it is abundant, and use Shen to nourish Shen until it is no longer depleted. When Qi is abundant, the body can prolong life; when the spirit is at rest, life can endure.

The Xishan Ji says: Those who observe and cultivate the utmost Dao do not easily suffer calamities from Heaven; those who ingest and refine the original Qi (primordial vital energy) are not easily harmed by the Earth’s Qi. The utmost Dao is not far away; it is within oneself. With focused and single-minded attention, life can naturally be prolonged.

The Liuxuan Zhi says: To seek long life, one should cultivate the root of life. This root begins with Jing and Qi. When Jing and Qi gather, they form the body. The body is the basis that sustains life, while Qi is the source of the visible body. Therefore, before noon, refine Qian (cultivating Yang Qi); after noon, refine Kun (cultivating Yin fluids).

Qi arises from the kidneys, beginning at the hour of Zi and ending at the hour of Wu. In this process, it gradually rises and grows strong. To refine Qian, sit quietly in a peaceful room, close your eyes and gather your spirit, keeping your body upright and still. Let Qi fill the limbs and bones, warming and nourishing the body and allowing Qi and blood to circulate freely. With long practice, Yang Qi will become abundant and the spirit clear.

When kidney Qi reaches the heart, it gathers and transforms into fluids. These fluids arise from the heart, beginning at the hour of Wu and ending at the hour of Zi. In this process, they gradually descend and grow abundant. To refine Kun, close your eyes and quiet your mind, sit upright, and clasp your hands over your abdomen. Guide the heart’s fire downward to the Dantian (the internal cultivation site below the navel), warming and nourishing the Sea of Qi. With long practice, Qi will become abundant and the spirit clear. This is a method for replenishing Qi.

In winter, avoid the cold; in summer, avoid the heat. Keep away from cold winds and scorching heat. When active, do not overtax the limbs; when still, do not neglect the body’s care. Bathe once every five days and wash your hair once every ten days. When Qi is vigorous, do not act recklessly; when Qi and blood are vigorous, do not stop warming and nourishing the Sea of Qi.

Bathe once every five days and wash your face once every ten days. When Qi is abundant, do not act recklessly; when the blood is abundant, do not let the breath stagnate. This is a method for nourishing Qi.

Completely put an end to desire, and remain inwardly unmoved when confronted with external circumstances. This is the highest method: use the temporary body to cultivate the true life, and face death in order to attain longevity. Even when the body engages sexually with a woman, do not allow Jing and Qi to escape. Though the body is amid turbid desire, inner cultivation remains undisturbed. If intimacy with one’s wife cannot be avoided, prevent the loss of Jing and Qi. Temporarily set aside affection, withdraw from intercourse, and gather the mind and original Qi to nourish the lower Dantian—the body’s fundamental Jing in its lower region—and stabilize nature and life. This is the next best method.

At thirty, Yin and Yang are roughly in balance, but the Jing and Qi produced from the five grains have no other outlet, so desire is hard to avoid; intercourse may take place once every five days. At forty, once every ten days; at fifty, once every twenty days; at sixty, once a month. At sixty-four, according to the trigrams, the life cycle has run its course, and intercourse should cease. The scripture then repeats these ages and intervals, adding that after sixty-four, no further frequency is discussed. For practitioners of the highest cultivation who seek immortality, these statements do not apply. This is a method for nourishing Jing.

Nourishing the body is not as good as nourishing Jing; nourishing Jing is not as good as nourishing Qi; nourishing Qi is not as good as nourishing Shen. Nourishing Shen is what enables the body and Qi to remain stable over time. Since ancient times, many have spoken of the way to nourish the spirit, yet often without success. This is not simply because their sincerity was insufficient: Shen is the master of cultivation.

In the past, the Perfected Liu Gang made offerings to the spirits of his body on days such as Jiazi and Gengshen, as well as on his birthday and natal day. He was still able to gather Shen and Qi and attain immortality. The Perfected Zhao regulated his spirit in a quiet room and sent it out of his body, as easily as a strong man extending his arm. He could travel thousands of miles, while ghosts and demons of the underworld dared not harass him. Thus he preserved his body and remained in the human world. How much more, then, can one restore spiritual energy that has already dispersed and replenish the Hun and Shen that remain, thereby knowing fortune and misfortune in advance? This is the manifestation of spiritual illumination. To escape birth and death forever is the manifestation of Shen’s attainment of reality.

The method of nourishing Shen includes purifying body and mind, nurturing nature and life, cutting off distracting thoughts and forgetting anxious concerns, acting and resting at the proper times, and cultivating according to the appropriate methods. Once the Elixir is refined, Qi naturally returns to its true state; once Qi returns to its true state, Shen is naturally replenished.

Where there is Yin without Yang, there is a ghost; where there is Yang without Yin, there is an immortal; where Yin and Yang intermingle, there is a human being. Ghosts take shape when Yin-aligned spiritual energy gathers and congeals. Immortals, by contrast, form an immortal body through cultivation, as harmonious Yang energy gathers without dispersing.

When a person’s Yang energy is exhausted, they become a ghost; hence the saying that the ghost is the human being’s final destination. When a person’s Yin energy is entirely dispelled, they can become an immortal; hence the saying that immortality is the state into which human beings transform. In youth, when Yang energy is relatively abundant and Yin energy relatively scarce, a person may refuse to cultivate. But in old age, when the body is frail, the breath dissipated, and the spirit diminished, how could there be no loss?

Those who cultivate the Dao should carefully nourish themselves before any loss occurs. If loss has already occurred, they should exercise caution and replenish themselves, preventing further decline. Those who have not yet suffered harm should care for body and mind so that they remain unharmed; those who have suffered harm should replenish themselves to prevent depletion. Only those of profound cultivation should presume to discuss such matters.

The Record of the Western Mountain says: The body is formed from prenatal Qi (vital energy), the root of life. After three hundred days in the womb, the fetus is fully developed and separates from the mother. For the next thousand days after birth, it is nourished by milk; after another four thousand days, it begins to draw sustenance directly from Heaven and Earth. The scripture also says that Qi becomes abundant after fifty days. Thus, at fourteen, a girl’s Tian Gui (a physiological process associated with reproductive development) arrives, and her original Yin begins to dissipate. At sixteen, a boy’s true Jing is full, and his Yang Qi begins to leak outward.

The scripture describes a man’s Qi as measuring eight hundred and ten zhang, and a woman’s blood as measuring three shi and six dou. Nine times nine, or eighty-one, is the number of pure Yang and the basic number of Qi; six times six, or thirty-six, is the number of pure Yin and the basic number of blood. Thereafter, Qi is gradually depleted according to the number nine times nine, and blood gradually wanes according to the number six times six, so the body naturally becomes depleted. If one still does not know how to cultivate and preserve oneself, decline comes all the more quickly.

Consider the households of kings and nobles, with crowds of beautiful women, or the households of high ministers, with numerous concubines. By day, they drink strong wine and damage their marrow; by night, they indulge in sexual activity and exhaust their blood and Qi. Their ears and eyes are captivated by sights and sounds, and they spend the whole day rushing about without rest. They also crave rich foods and wear fine clothes, then have sex while drunk. They do not know how to gather the spirit or preserve their original Qi. Their way of life has no restraint, while their spirit is limited; before they reach fifty, they are already haggard and frail.

True Immortals and the highest sages cultivate body and mind, placing the greatest importance on avoiding depletion. Among the rules for daily life are these: in the course of a day, do not get very drunk at dusk; in the course of a year, do not travel far at dusk; in the course of a lifetime, do not light a candle for sex at dusk. These are general ways to replenish what has been depleted.

The Five Flavors—sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty—should not be entirely absent, but one should not overindulge in any of them: sour harms the spleen, sweet harms the kidneys, salty harms the heart, bitter harms the lungs, and pungent harms the liver. Until the refinement of the “Great Medicine” (a term in Neidan cultivation for the essence and Qi being refined) is complete, one still feels hunger and thirst and must eat three times a day. For this reason, the ancients ate plain food and avoided meat and fish, fearing that these would pollute the mouth and belly.

When the Five Viscera have accumulated stagnation, they can be regulated with the “Six-Syllable Qi Method,” the method recorded in the Diagram of the Yellow Court. Zhang Chengdao used it to preserve his body and prolong his life; Wang Wuzhen used it to treat illness and extend his years; and Sun Simiao used it to cultivate himself and treat others.

Each of the Six Syllables has its own effect: in spring, do not exhale “hu”; in summer, do not swallow “yan”; in winter, do not utter “he”; in autumn, do not sigh “xu.” Throughout the four seasons, silently intone “xi” to make the Qi of the Triple Burner (the upper, middle, and lower regions through which the body’s Qi moves) abundant. At the Eight Seasonal Nodes (the beginning of spring, spring equinox, beginning of summer, summer solstice, beginning of autumn, autumn equinox, beginning of winter, and winter solstice), do not blow “chui”; this keeps the kidneys from becoming excessively strong. When the Qi of a Phase is excessive, guide it to nourish its child; when it is deficient, restrain its “ghost,” the Phase that overcomes it. Few people, past or present, understand this subtle method. The highest sages of the Western Mountain knew its essential principles.

There is no need to impose many prohibitions. The best practice is not to leave the morning on an empty stomach and not to eat too much at night. Next best is to eat plainly and consume little meat or fish. If you do this, need you still worry that your body will not feel at ease and vigorous?

As for how the Six Syllables regulate Qi: the liver corresponds to “xu,” which is used to regulate an excess of liver Qi. But to guide the liver’s “child Qi,” use “he” to release heart Qi. Once the heart Qi is moving, the liver Qi will also be carried along. If liver Qi is deficient, restrain its “ghost”—the lungs. The lungs belong to Metal, and Metal overcomes Wood; the liver belongs to Wood, so the lungs are the Qi that overcomes the liver. When liver Qi is weak, lung Qi is often excessive, and it should be released with “yan.”

If an intelligent person understands the relationships of generation and overcoming among the Five Phases and harmonizes Qi so that it is neither excessive nor deficient, Yin and Yang will naturally be set right. Then, by cultivating in accordance with the seasonal nodes and silently attuning to the workings of Heaven and penetrating the mysterious principles, one may hope to attain longevity and fulfill the Dao of the Immortals.

The Record of the Gathering of Immortals at Western Mountain, Volume Three, Complete

The Record of the Gathering of Immortals at Western Mountain, Volume Four

Begin cultivation in accordance with the seasons and solar terms. Quietly perceive the workings of Heaven, and bring yourself into accord with the Dao’s profound principles. How could you then fail to attain longevity and become an immortal?

True Water and Fire

The Secret Essentials of the Central Yellow says: “Yin energy gives rise to water, whose nature is always cold. Yet at Huayang there are warm springs: even when the water soaks into them, it cannot overcome their warmth. Yang energy gives rise to fire, whose nature is always hot. Yet at Xiaoqiu there are cold flames: even when you approach them, they never grow warm. If the water and fire of Heaven and Earth can transform into their opposites, could the Yin and Yang within the human body lack the principle of reversal and transformation?

“For example, within Kidney Water, Qi arises—and this Qi is fire. Within Heart Fire, liquid arises—and this liquid is water. Water can nourish and circulate through all the body’s channels; fire can warm and transform the four limbs and every part of the body. This is how water and fire within the human body transform into one another and carry out their functions.”

The Treatise on Penetrating the Mystery says: The Great Dao was originally one. When it divided, it formed the two fundamental modes of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang. Heaven follows the Dao of Qian: light and clear, it dwells above and acts through Yang, yet conceals within it a trace of true Yin. Thus, after the winter solstice, Yang Qi begins to grow within the Earth, rising to Heaven by the summer solstice. When Yang Qi gathers, it can give rise to Yin Qi; when Yin Qi responds to Yin Qi of its own kind, it does not dissipate. Yin Qi spreads out as mist and condenses as dew. The Qi of mist and dew is Yin Qi sent forth by Heaven, and is therefore true Water.

Earth follows the Dao of Kun: heavy and turbid, it dwells below and acts through Yin, yet conceals within it a trace of true Yang. Thus, after the summer solstice, Yin Qi begins to descend from Heaven, reaching Earth by the winter solstice. When Yin Qi gathers, it can give rise to Yang Qi; when Yang Qi responds to Yang Qi of its own kind, it does not dissipate. Yang Qi rises to become clouds and spreads downward as rain. The Qi of clouds and rain is Yang Qi sent forth by Earth, and is therefore true Fire.

The same is true of human beings. At the beginning of conception, the father’s Jing and the mother’s blood combine, forming two kinds of Qi. Yang Qi rises, and the heart is its dwelling place; within the Qi lies concealed true Water. Yin Qi descends, and the kidneys are the storehouse of Water; within the Water lies concealed true Qi. Otherwise, how could kidney Qi reach the heart, causing Qi to gather and produce fluids? This is like Yin being born within two Yangs. And how could the heart’s Qi reach the kidneys, causing fluids to gather and produce Qi? This is like Yang being born within two Yins.

The human body contains “three fires and eight waters.” “Water” refers to one current of primordial Qi passing to another. As primordial Qi gathers, it transforms into bodily fluids. Each of the five viscera has its own fluids, known as “colored waters.” Hidden within Kidney Qi is also the “water of True Unity,” called the “Yin Tiger” or “True Water.”

In cultivation, true Qi rises from behind the elbows, carrying “metal essence” upward into the Upper Palace. It then flows downward and meets True Fire. When water and fire are harmonized, the resulting fluid is called “Spirit Water.” When ill, one closes the mouth and regulates the breath, taking in breath one mouthful after another. In stillness and concentration, one directs Qi to the afflicted area. This is called “Method Water”; the scripture says it can cure illness.

Water has many uses and goes by more than one name. After the Golden Elixir is formed through internal alchemy, true Qi transforms and nourishes the body; this is called the method of “bathing.” When true Qi rises and turns back during the refinement of the body, this is called the method of “returning the Elixir.” Liu Haichan says, “The Two Luminaries pour forth to form the Hall of Seven Treasures; their channels flow and turn into eight jade nectars.” This refers to “Jade Fluid returning the Elixir.” He says that when water and fire unite and rise and descend, Yang Qi refines Yin Qi. This is the state of water and fire in “mutual completion.”

Xiaoyaozi says, “Method Water can be directed toward the secret pass, circulating without pause day and night.” The Method Water described here is used to treat illness. Such, broadly speaking, are the functions of water.

The scripture also says that the bladder belongs to the people’s fire, while the kidneys belong to the ministerial fire. Ordinary people, through ignorance, are disturbed by external things and then fall into anger and sorrow; the fire they generate is the “fire of ignorance.” If this fire is brought down to heat and refine the Dantian, without letting it dissipate, and one maintains focused attention upon it, this is called refining the Elixir. If the fire rises and passes through the two passes, it is called the “River Chariot.” If it continues upward through the layered tower, it is called “refining the body.” When the fire fills the limbs and the whole body, blazing as though it were burning the body away, …

The Scripture of the Nine Immortals says: For a mild illness, one may use the method of Water and Fire to regulate and treat it; when the illness is severe, one must call upon the power of the celestial deities. The “Fire” here refers to the fire phase in internal cultivation, which is guided by the trigrams and the timing. When the fire phase reaches the trigram Earth over Heaven, Tai (Great Peace), which symbolizes the harmonious joining of Yin and Yang, the Yin qi is fully dispelled, and only then can its deeper meaning be understood. This fire is the “Sovereign Fire” within the heart, governed by the heart spirit.

Before the fire phase rises, both the front and back must be activated, extending throughout the whole body. When the illness is severe, there is no fixed time limit for carrying out this method. If someone accidentally violates a taboo or feels physically unwell, they should immediately enter a quiet room: let their hair down, drape a robe over themselves, close their eyes and quiet their mind, sit upright and hold their hands firmly together to gather their spirit. Then they should activate the fire phase, briefly retain the breath, and let the fire wheel descend. The fire wheel is as large as a bushel basket and covers the whole body like a canopy. This practice is called “Demon-Subduing Fire.” The scripture also mentions a Buddhist rite for subduing demons, including clicking the teeth and gathering the spirit. Then one should raise the body slightly, slowly breathe in and out, and silently contemplate the navel as settled. Before long, flames seem to arise from within, driving away yin ghosts and evil demons.

The Daoist practice called “Body-Burning Fire” must be founded on long-term abstinence from sensual desires and the strengthening of the Cinnabar Source—the primordial qi in Neidan cultivation. Only when the mind is focused on activating the fire phase will evil influences dare not approach. Without this foundation, the practice of joining Water and Fire will become disordered. Once Dragon and Tiger unite to form the Neidan, the work of refining the elixir is complete: yin spirits withdraw, and the Yang Spirit appears naturally. When the spirit remains within the body, Yin qi recedes, primordial qi is abundant, and the body is strong, one can prolong life and attain longevity.

The True Dragon and Tiger

The Scripture of the True Elixir of Dragon and Tiger says: The true Dragon and Tiger, and the places where they dwell and meet, have been kept secret since ancient times and never openly transmitted. Only the True Book of the Great One is said to have been written by the Most High himself. The True Explanation of the One Origin for Entering the Spirit and the Second Collection of Mysterious Words also refer to these teachings as the True Instructions on Dragon and Tiger.

The true Dragon and true Tiger dwell in different places: one within the Five Cities of Kunlun, the other within the Great Abyss of the North Pole. The related secret writings are stored in jade cases, engraved on golden tablets, sealed with gold paste, and stamped with jade seals. Fierce beasts guard them, while divine beings stand by to protect them. Ordinary people lack the necessary affinity and cannot learn these secrets.

The Perfected Tai Bai said, “The art of reversing the Five Phases is that the dragon is born from fire. When the Five Phases move against their usual course, the tiger is born from water. This principle may seem simple, yet its subtlety is profound, for it reveals the mysteries of how Heaven and Earth operate.”

Lü Gong said, “After reading Cui Gong’s Mirror for Entering the Medicine, I gradually came to understand. The so-called yang dragon appears in the Li Palace, which belongs to fire and symbolizes the heart; the so-called yin tiger is formed at the Kan position, which belongs to water and symbolizes the kidneys. The meeting of dragon and tiger is the foundation of cultivating the Dao. When the movements of the Five Phases are complete, this is called attaining the Elixir. If those of the highest attainment in cultivating the Real can understand this, they can ride the Red Dragon back to Jade Capital, the celestial palace.”

The Mirror for Entering the Medicine says, “Qi arises in the kidneys. Hidden within this Qi is the True One Water, called the yin tiger. Fluids arise in the heart. Hidden within these fluids is pure yang Qi, called the yang dragon. The dragons and tigers spoken of here are not the liver and lungs; they are an exceedingly profound and subtle principle. Those who understand this and cultivate it can become sages.”

The Collection on Transmitting the Dao says, “Kidney Qi passes to heart Qi, and when Qi accumulates, it produces fluids. These fluids contain pure yang Qi, called the yang dragon; that is why it is said to emerge from the Li Palace. Heart fluids pass to the kidneys, and when fluids accumulate, they produce Qi. This Qi contains the True One Water, called the yin tiger; that is why it is said to be formed at the Kan position. When the dragon and tiger meet, they give rise to offspring in ordinary people, and to spirits within the cultivator.”

From ancient times to the present, some have understood that the dragon and tiger are not in the liver or lungs. Yet they have only been widely read and well versed in texts; they have not grasped the moment when the two meet or awakened to the method of gathering and refining them. That is why so few have been able to live long or become immortals.

Kidney Qi—the vital essence produced by the kidneys—passes to the Liver, where Liver Qi arises. The Yin Qi remaining in the kidneys enters the Spleen and, by way of the Liver, is transformed into pure Yang Qi. This Qi contains the “True Water of the One,” the true essence spoken of in internal cultivation. It rises to the Heart and gathers into fluid, each drop like a pearl suspended in place or dew falling from above, then returns to the lower Dantian. It no longer leaves with the urine or enters the bladder.

If the timing and intensity of the fire—the regulation of heat and progress during cultivation—are kept in order, refinement and nourishment can bring everything back to a single Qi, from which Qi is generated anew. The scripture says that this allows one to live forever without dying and become an immortal on earth. When Kidney Qi joins with Heart Qi, this is called “the Tiger mating with the Dragon.” During cultivation, the fire must be increased or reduced at the right times, and the withdrawing and replenishing must follow set measures. When Heart Qi joins with Kidney Qi, this is called “the Dragon mating with the Tiger.”

Qi emerges through the lower gate and rises from the Coccyx Gate, the opening at the base of the spine. What ascends on the left is called the Dragon; what rises on the right is called the Tiger. Qi passes through the paired gates of the spine, the cultivation apertures along the back, and reaches the ridge where the paths divide. There, the Qi of the Yang Dragon enters the inner court, while the Qi of the Yin Tiger enters the Celestial Pool. The two streams of Qi revolve on the left and circle on the right, moving through thirty-six cycles. Then True Water descends like sweet dew entering the Heart. This is called the mating of the Dragon and Tiger at the upper gate. In this passage, there is no need to distinguish which union between Heart and Kidney is called “ascending mating” and which is called “ascending joining.”

Once the Embryonic Form, the alchemical embryo spoken of in Neidan cultivation, is complete and True Qi has formed, one must guard against an excess of Yang by using Water to balance it. This gives rise to Jade Liquid, Golden Liquid, and the Reverted Elixir. After prolonged refinement and nourishment, the Reverted Elixir circulates through the meridians and transforms into “Yang Cream.” Gathered in the Central Palace, the body’s region of internal organs, it accumulates as “White Snow.” If Yang then becomes excessive, one must kindle the fire and refine it, entering the stage called “refining the substance and burning the body.” Thus, during the cultivation of the Reverted Elixir, the Yin Tiger operates alone and need not mate with the Dragon; when the body’s substance is refined by fire, the Yang Dragon rises alone and need not mate with the Tiger.

The work of the Dragon and Tiger has great power. The key is to recognize their fundamental forms and understand the timing of their union and the methods for gathering and refining them. The scripture says that after three hundred days of cultivation and refinement, the inner elixir can be nurtured to completion. The essence of one’s life is then secured, allowing one to live as long as Heaven and Earth.

The Discourse of the Grotto Heavens says: When the High Primordial Lord, a revered Daoist deity, first lived in the mortal world, she taught the Great Dao. Using the rise and fall of Heaven and Earth and the cycles of the Sun and Moon as metaphors, she explained the path of Neidan (internal alchemy). Later, Guangchengzi taught the Yellow Emperor to cultivate according to these methods, but for a long time the Yellow Emperor saw no results. This was probably because he was occupied with too many daily affairs and had not laid a firm enough foundation for cultivation. So, in the Kongtong Mountains, Guangchengzi turned to methods of cultivating within the body and combined them with external materials such as metals and minerals to make elixirs, applying the cycles of the Sun and Moon to Waidan (external alchemy).

The elixir produced through Neidan is the true elixir; Waidan can only be used to treat illness and nourish the body. At a basic level, Neidan cultivation can prolong life; at a deeper level, it can transcend the ordinary and reach the sacred realm. Cultivation begins when Yin and Yang Qi (vital energy) unite and gather in the Dantian (energy center within the body). It then proceeds through the transformations described as “essence becoming mercury, mercury becoming cinnabar, and cinnabar becoming the elixir.” Once formed, the elixir is shaped like a pellet and colored like a vermilion orange; from it, True Qi, the body’s inner life force, arises. Refining Qi through Qi, until Qi and Shen (spirit) unite and coalesce, enables one to enter the realm of the Dao. When cultivation of the Dao is complete, one can enter the sacred realm. The sage reaches a state of vast transformative power and all-encompassing understanding. How could this compare with Waidan? Therefore, the true medicine and elixir must both be sought within oneself.

The Record of the Western Mountain says: Through the union of Dragon and Tiger, the “Mysterious Pearl” (a symbol in Neidan cultivation of Jing, Qi, and Shen gathered into a single essence) takes shape. When the firing times are handled without error, the Great Medicine can be refined. Just as True Qi (the body’s original vital energy) begins to arise, raise it and put it to use: this can refine and nourish the body so that a person is not troubled by heat or cold. Once True Qi has gathered, gather it inward; this can refine the Returning Elixir (a Neidan elixir that returns Jing and Qi to their source), dispelling the suffering of hunger and thirst for a long time. For oneself, is this not a medicine?

When True Qi is applied to the human body, its effects also become apparent: entering water, it makes the water boil; blown toward trees, it makes them flourish. It can turn bitterness into sweetness, restore strength to the weak, and relieve people of illness and suffering. These statements describe the functions of True Qi. Concentrating Shen can drive away ghosts and spirits, and its efficacy becomes evident as well: when inner cultivation has reached fruition, corresponding effects appear outwardly. Is this not a medicine for use on people?

Some people do not cultivate themselves and do not understand the True Origin (the source of life). They rely only on external minerals and metals, repeatedly adding fire to refine them and then taking them, hoping in this way to transcend the ordinary and ascend to the realm of the immortals. This is a mistake.

However, accomplished adepts of both ancient and modern times have also discussed Waidan (elixirs prepared by refining substances with medicines); this does not mean that Waidan is entirely unusable. For example, Guang Chengzi refined an elixir from cinnabar through nine cycles of refinement, calling it the Divine Elixir. Chen Qizi used the Seven Treasures of cinnabar to refine an elixir through nine cycles, calling it the Numinous Elixir. King Liu An used the urine of boys and refined it through seven cycles, calling it the Returning Elixir. From this we can understand that when numinous Qi gathers, it becomes Shen; when Shen disperses, it returns to emptiness. Because Qi is made to return to its source, it is called the “Returning Elixir.” Later people who took Waidan also sometimes experienced results and attained immortality. The reason is that when they first refined Waidan, they also cultivated Neidan. Only after cultivating both the inner and outer arts could they reach the Way of the immortals. If someone takes external medicines alone, their Qi will weaken and their Shen will decline; the finest, most refined Qi of Heaven and Earth will then be unable to remain within the body, and may instead cause serious harm.

True Lead and Mercury

The Jade Edict of the Mysterious Grotto says: In ancient times, Guang Chengzi taught the Yellow Emperor to refine Waidan, and the Yellow Emperor was thereby able to reach the Way of the immortals. If someone takes external medicines alone, their Qi will weaken and their Shen will decline; the finest, most refined Qi of Heaven and Earth will be unable to remain within them, and may instead cause serious harm.

True Lead and Mercury (a Daoist Neidan term, often used as a metaphor for the coordination of Yin-Yang Qi in cultivation).

The Mysterious Cavern Jade Decree says: Long ago, Guangchengzi taught the Yellow Emperor to refine Waidan (external alchemy), and this gave rise to terms such as lead and mercury. These terms from external alchemy actually describe the principles of cultivation within the human body.

When a person is first formed, the kidneys take shape first. The kidneys belong to the Ren and Gui waters of the north and correspond to lead among the five metals. The heart takes shape afterward. It belongs to the Bing and Ding fires of the south and corresponds to cinnabar among the eight minerals. Silver can be extracted from lead, just as the kidneys’ Qi secretly contains the True One Water. Mercury can be extracted from cinnabar, just as the heart’s Qi secretly contains the True Yang Qi. When the silver from lead is joined with the mercury from cinnabar, cinnabar can be refined. With the fire at the proper intensity, repeated refining turns it into a treasure. By analogy with the human body, one draws the True One Water from kidney Qi and the True Yang Qi from heart fluid. When the two are joined, they form an elixir, just as external substances are refined into a treasure.

The Collection on Transmitting the Dao says: That which contains the substance of Heaven One and ranks first among the five metals is Qi Lead. Lead can generate silver, so lead is silver’s mother. That which receives the Sun’s Qi and ranks first among the minerals is cinnabar. Cinnabar can generate mercury, so mercury is cinnabar’s son. The silver within lead is difficult to obtain, while the mercury within cinnabar readily disperses. Joined together, lead and mercury can be refined into a treasure. This explains the principle of lead and mercury from the perspective of Waidan.

In the human body, the innate True Qi of the parents combines as one. Jing and blood form the fetal sac, which condenses into the inner kidneys. The inner kidneys are lead. Qi emerges from the kidneys, and water then emerges from the Qi. When kidney water is joined with the True Yang Qi above the heart fluid, it gathers into an elixir in the Yellow Court, the site of inner cultivation. This is called True Lead. Kidney Qi and heart Qi combine; as Qi accumulates, it produces fluid, which condenses into a Dark Pearl and then returns to the lower Dantian, the cultivation site below the navel. This is called mercury.

Once the elixir has formed, True Qi rises: kidney Qi enters the crown of the head, while True Water descends. As they rise and fall, they meet at the Twelve-Storied Tower, a Daoist term for the area around the throat, bringing about “Completeing the Crossing,” in which Yin-Yang and water and fire are harmonized. Each time the Crossing is completed, True Qi returns to the lower Dantian; hence it is called True Mercury.

The Instructions of the Primordial Sovereign say: “Lead and mercury dwell within the cauldron, where refining produces a priceless pearl. In the end, only two words are needed to understand ten thousand books.” The Perfected One of Zhengyi says that the Way of lead and mercury has been handed down for many ages, yet few can understand and practice it. If everyone understood this principle, immortals in the world would be as plentiful as flowing water. Lord Lü says: “A single Golden Elixir can secure long life. It must be made by refining with True Lead. Seek the marrow of the Red Phoenix in the south for fire, and the essence of the Qi Tortoise in the northern sea for water.”

Though the sages of antiquity expressed themselves in different ways, they spoke of the same principle: lead corresponds to the kidneys, and True Lead is the elixir; mercury corresponds to heart fluid, and True Mercury is the medicine. When True Lead and True Mercury combine, the Crossing is completed. To understand this only in terms of Waidan is to miss the principles of inner cultivation presented here.

True Yin-Yang

The Secret Record of the Nine Heavens says, “The movement and transformation of one Yin and one Yang is the Dao (the Way); the profound, unfathomable transformation of Yin and Yang is Shen (spirit).” Among all things, the most wondrous and immense are Heaven and Earth. Heaven receives a single Yang Qi and maintains the Dao of Qian; Earth receives a single Yin Qi and maintains the Dao of Kun. Among all things, the most wondrous and radiant are the Sun and Moon. The Sun receives a single Yang hun (ethereal soul), follows the Dao and responds; the Moon receives a single Yin po (corporeal soul), follows the Dao and resonates.

Thus, at the summer solstice, a current of Yin Qi descends from Heaven. Without true Yang, all things would die, unable to escape scorching and withering. At the winter solstice, a current of Yang Qi rises from Earth. Without true Yin, all things may grow, but cannot be nourished. The Sun has true Yang: when a yangsui, a device for kindling fire, gathers the sunlight, it can produce fire. The Moon has no true Yin, so when a fangzhu, a device for collecting dew, is used to gather water, the water cannot condense. If Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon—so vast and radiant—still possess true Yin and true Yang, could human beings be any different?

The Record of the Western Mountain says: “The kidneys belong to Water; within Water, Qi arises and is called true Fire. Within Qi, the true One Water is concealed.” This is Yin containing Yang and Yang containing Yin. “The heart belongs to Fire; within Fire, fluid arises and is called true Water. Within the fluid, upright Yang Qi is concealed.” This is Yang containing Yin and Yin containing Yang.

The “Three Blossoms” refers to the three Yang currents of Qi in the kidneys, which are Yang within Yin. The true Qi in the Elixir Field, meanwhile, is pure Yang within true Yang. The Qi produced by the heart’s fluid belongs to Yang within Yang. The text does not discuss the three Yin; its concern is to bring Yin to an end and make Yang pure.

The Secrets of the Jade Emperor’s Sacred Embryo says that people should regularly lower the heart’s fire to the lower field, the Dantian in the lower abdomen. They should not let external things disturb them, but quiet their scattered thoughts so that the One Qi, or original vital energy, does not disperse and remains settled in the Sea of Qi within the Dantian. In this way, Kidney Qi does not float upward, and breathing gradually becomes faint. Even when the breath goes out, it does so slowly and lightly. Thus the “natural embryonic breathing” spoken of by the sages of later generations comes about.

When Bodhidharma spoke of the highest principle of embryonic breathing, he said that as a person’s breath rises and moves, some of it is inevitably dissipated. It is better to turn inward and observe the various states within oneself, roam through one’s own celestial palace, and enter the wondrous realm of pure emptiness. The key to cultivation is to remain without leakage—that is, not to dissipate Jing, Qi, and Shen: let no thought arise and let the mind remain unmoved. Without leakage, one can attain good results; with the mind unmoved, the true sage can appear. Bodhidharma faced a wall for nine years without losing the slightest breath. The Yin spirit, the inner spiritual nature, emerged outward, and so there was another body within his body. People in the East did not understand this principle, so Bodhidharma cast down his alms bowl and returned to the West. For this reason, the sages called this true embryonic breathing.

In explaining the Lingshu, Bian Que says that after the winter solstice, one should gather one part of True Lead, an internal alchemy term for the essence and Qi used in cultivation. Shaped like a pill, it is placed in the Dantian. Then one draws in clear Qi through the nose, keeps the mouth closed, and does not breathe out, in order to settle the breath. The text compares settling the breath for a count of twenty-four to “one liang of fire.” After forty-five days, the fire phase advances by sixteen liang, and the Yang Embryo is formed. After the summer solstice, one gathers three parts of Mercury, another internal alchemy term for the Yin essence and Qi used in cultivation. Shaped like an egg being brooded, it is placed in the Crimson Palace, the palace where the heart resides. In the same way, one draws in breath through the nose, keeps the mouth closed without breathing out, and regulates the breath by the method described above for forty-five days, thereby refining Yin Breath. When Yin Breath and the Yang Embryo are joined, true Qi is produced. True Qi gives rise to the original Shen; when Shen and the body become one, one can live as long as Heaven and Earth. Once Shen and the body separate, one can have a body beyond the body and become an immortal of the heavens, no longer dwelling in the mortal world but returning to the Three Islands and Ten Continents, the Daoist realms of the immortals.

Ge Hong’s commentary on the Treatise on Embryonic Breathing says that its essential method is to be as if one were in the womb: when the mother breathes out, one breathes out; when the mother breathes in, one breathes in. Some people today do not understand its subtle principle. They can only hold their breath briefly, then hurry to breathe out and pant without pause. This not only fails to retain the held breath but also depletes original Qi, leaving one vulnerable to invasion by external Yang Qi. Before the breath begins to feel strained, one may hold it for a while, but should not force it too hard. When breathlessness is about to begin, first draw in a breath of clear air through the nose, then use the newly inhaled breath to replace the remaining old breath that was held inside. In this way, the breath can be retained; as Qi accumulates, the Shen becomes clear and refreshed, helping to dispel all illnesses. Yet this deliberate exchange and retention of breath is not natural embryonic breathing, so it belongs to a lower grade. The embryonic breathing described by true immortals and highest sages has three distinct grades.

Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth can dispel superficial cold, drive away external heat, clear stagnation, and circulate the channels. If one can settle the breath, Qi and blood will not disturb each other, and Yin-Yang will naturally unite. If one can regulate the breath over a long period, the breath will become settled and the original Shen will be stored within. This Great Vehicle method of cultivation is difficult to put into words. Among methods for replenishing and nourishing original Qi, this is the highest. Some people swallow Qi to ease hunger and thirst, circulate Qi to strengthen the skin, gather Qi to nourish the lower field, nourish Qi to restore their complexion, or move Qi to enrich the blood vessels. These methods may produce some results, but in the end they are not as effective as replenishing Qi through embryonic breathing, which works more quickly and has more lasting effects.

This concludes Volume Four of Records of the Assembly of Immortals on Western Mountain.

Volume Five of Records of the Assembly of Immortals on Western Mountain was written by Perfected Huayang of the Qingxu Grotto-Heaven, Shi Jianwu (courtesy name Xisheng), and edited by Li Lian, a disciple of the Immortal tradition, who was known as “the Leisurely Traveler under Heaven.”

The title of this volume is “Entering the Dao through Methods of Refinement,” meaning to enter the Great Dao through cultivation.

The Record of Xishan says: Entering the Dao through techniques is not difficult once one understands their principles; seeking immortality through the Dao makes becoming an immortal easy as well. Seeking immortality is not difficult. What is difficult is studying an inauthentic Dao. Studying the Dao is not difficult. What is difficult is learning techniques that are not genuine.

In the past, people could make their bodies invisible and change their appearance, preserve their original Qi and restore their souls. Blades could not wound them, poisonous insects could not harm them, nails would fall off by themselves, and they could walk through fire without being burned. They could make water flow backward and turn wind and rain against their course. They could tie a headscarf in a knot and throw it to the ground, where it would turn into a running rabbit; coil a belt around a needle, and it would glide like a snake. They could even make water caltrop plants bear fruit in an instant and have dragon fish swim freely in a moment. These are all techniques, but they are different from the methods of cultivating the Dao.

In the past, people believed that after the winter solstice, Yang energy began to grow, and that after the spring equinox, lingering cold could enter the stomach and intestines and cause an illness resembling cold damage. At the first sign of symptoms, one should immediately retire to a clean room, sit upright with legs crossed, close the eyes and quiet the mind, regulate the breath and gather the original Qi. Then clasp the hands together beneath the external kidneys (the testicles), lean forward and bow on the knees, bending no more than twenty or thirty degrees. Once sweat appears, the cold will disperse.

In the past, when people had nocturnal emissions or seminal leakage, or weakness in the lower region, they would sit quietly in a secluded room after sunset. They would support the external kidneys with one hand and rub below the navel with the other. They would rub the navel and support the kidneys eighty-one times each, alternating between the two and switching hands, for a total of nine rounds. This would warm and replenish the Cinnabar Field, the lower abdominal region used in internal alchemy, and strengthen the true Qi.

In the past, people would sit quietly in a secluded room, put aside distracting thoughts and remain silent, restrain the heart’s fire, close their eyes and focus inward, imagining flames blazing fiercely. In time, the Qi Sea, the place in the lower abdomen where Qi gathers, would become full and stable, and their complexion would change. After a while longer, foul Qi within the body would gradually be expelled, and they would become able to withstand cold and heat.

In the past, if people ate too much and felt fullness and distention in the chest, or suffered pain and blockage from cold or heat congealing, they would sit quietly and inhale clear Qi through the nose without opening the mouth. They would inhale more than they exhaled, directing their intention and Qi toward the affected area. After holding the breath firmly, they would release it. Repeating this at least three or five times would relieve the distention and pain and prevent illness.

In the past, people believed that the heart, in the upper body, belonged to Yang, while the kidneys, in the lower body, belonged to Yin, and that the Qi of Yin and Yang often failed to circulate between them. As a result, Qi above the Yongquan point on the soles of the feet would rise without descending, while blood would flow downward without rising. This could make the feet and knees feel heavy, with Yin Qi congealing and Yang Qi dissipating. People also spent all day rushing about and laboring without rest. Washing the feet with hot water at night offered some benefit, but its effect was limited. Better to raise both feet high, allowing Qi to flow in reverse toward Yongquan and then onward to the Cinnabar Palace, where the Dantian is located. That very day, the feet would feel light; one could walk as fast as a galloping horse, with steps like flight.

In the past, when people had minor ailments in their limbs, slight discomfort in their five organs, or congestion and blockage, they would sit quietly, calm the mind, close their eyes and put aside thoughts. They would direct intention and Qi toward the affected area and briefly hold their breath. This treatment could not fail to work.

All the above are techniques, yet they are different from the Dao. The Dao, by definition, encompasses everything and connects with everything. How could it be limited to skills and the ability to cure illness? Through techniques, one recognizes the patterns; through the patterns, one comes to understand the Great Dao. The root of the Dao is nothing more than the two Qi of Yin and Yang. When Yin and Yang join, the heavens and earth have the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, while the sun and moon pass through their phases, from waxing and waning to the dark and new moons. The same applies to people: each day has four periods when Yin and Yang join. At the end of the hour of Chou and the beginning of the hour of Yin, Yang joins with Yin; at the end of Chen and the beginning of Si, Yang Qi meets Yang Qi; at the end of Wei and the beginning of Shen, Yin joins with Yang; and at the end of Xu and the beginning of Hai, Yin Qi meets Yin Qi. If one can understand the principle of Yin and Yang joining, how far away can the Great Dao be?

The body is the dwelling place of Qi (vital energy that forms the human body and sustains life), and Qi is the body’s master. By using the body to nourish Qi, one can make the body firm as Qi grows abundant. By using Qi to refine and nourish the body, one can bring the body to wholeness and Qi to its original purity.

In the larger cycles of its movement, a person’s true Qi follows the seasons: spring corresponds to the liver, summer to the heart, autumn to the lungs, and winter to the kidneys. In its daily cycle, a person’s Original Qi (the fundamental energy received before birth) follows the hours: the hour of Zi corresponds to the kidneys, the hour of Mao to the liver, the hour of Wu to the heart, and the hour of You to the lungs. The ancient adepts who understood the Way of cultivation grasped these patterns: they aligned the cycles of Qi within the human body with the seasons and compared the cycle of a single day with the changes of the year.

From the hour of Zi to the hour of Wu, Qi is on the rise, so one should use the method of gathering Qi and returning it to the Elixir. From the hour of Wu to the hour of Zi, Qi gradually dissipates, so one should use the method of gathering Qi to refine the Elixir. Here, “returning the Elixir” and “refining the Elixir” refer to practices for cultivating internal Qi, not to the external preparation of medicines. The Instructions of Perfected Pengyu say, “Before noon, refine Qian; after noon, refine Kun.” From the hour of Yin to the hour of Wu, one should sit upright and quiet, close the eyes, remain silent, let the breath through the nose grow slow and continuous, and focus on visualizing the heart palace (the abode of the heart spirit in inner cultivation) as if a husband and wife were meeting. With long practice, one can attain accomplishment and reach long life without death.

The Jue of the Perfected One of Yuanfang records: Beginning at the hour of Chen (about seven to nine in the morning), do not speak. Move the tongue against the upper and lower palate until saliva gathers in the mouth, then swallow it. Next, exhale the Qi of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure accumulated in the heart. When true Qi rises, let it remain in the face, then grasp it with the hands. Afterward, enter a quiet room, sit silently, and remain there until between the hours of Wu and Wei (about noon to three in the afternoon). At this time, Qi is flourishing and the spirit grows drowsy, so lie on your side, close your mouth, and sleep. Persevering in this practice over a long period can bring peace and longevity, and may preserve the body and allow one to endure in the world. This method teaches only how to know the times and understand the principle of Yin-Yang union; it does not yet explain how to gather the medicine.

The Perfected Ones of the Western Mountains know that at the hour of Zi (about eleven at night to one in the morning), Qi of the kidneys comes forth, and at the hour of Mao (about five to seven in the morning), Qi of the liver comes forth. At the hour of Wu (about eleven in the morning to one in the afternoon), Qi of the kidneys and Qi of the heart join. The accumulated Qi transforms into saliva and returns to the Dantian (energy center), where it is called the “Mysterious Pearl.” If the firing times are kept without error, the “Great Medicine” can be refined. Hidden within kidney Qi is the “True One Water”; hidden within the heart’s fluid is the “Righteous Yang Qi.” Embracing Yang with Yin and using water to receive Qi are the foundation of cultivating the Great Dao and the medicine of long life.

How can it be kept from leaking away? Between the hours of Chen and Si (about seven to eleven in the morning), sit quietly in a secluded room and keep the mind and spirit turned inward. Let the mouth fill with saliva without swallowing or spitting it out. Breathe in gently through the nose and exhale slowly, so faintly and continuously that the breath seems almost imperceptible. Then the two kinds of Qi will naturally join and congeal like dewdrops. If there are no mistakes for one hundred days, the medicine’s potency will be full; after two hundred days, the sacred embryo will be firm; after three hundred days, the immortal embryo will be complete, and true Qi will come forth. When there is Qi within Qi, one can refine Qi into Shen (spirit).

Thus Perfected One Zhongli said that in the past there were three Perfected Ones who transmitted and recited the six formulas of the Golden Elixir. If practitioners cannot grasp their true meaning, then people in the world who study the Dao are simply laboring in vain. He also said in a poem: “In the quiet courtyard, with nothing to do, I recall Jiangnan; spring flowers fill the city, and the pools rise high. If you see that Yangzhou’s scenery is lovely, then steadily steer the boat of the Dragon and Tiger.” This is called the “union of Dragon and Tiger,” and it is also the method for gathering the medicine.

The method of gathering Qi and refining the Elixir from the hour of Wu to the hour of Zi is called the “firing times.” Accounts of it differ from one generation to the next. Without grasping the truth and discerning the secrets of Heaven, one cannot understand the workings of transformation. The scripture next gives as an example Bian Que’s method of explaining the Lingshu: draw pure Qi in through the nose and retain it within the body. Four breaths count as one zhu; twenty-four zhu make one liang of fire. After the summer solstice, follow the “Heavenly Rain” of the Xun trigram for twenty-five revolutions to refine true mercury and form the Yin embryo. At the winter solstice, follow the “Numinous Talisman” of the Qian trigram for twenty-five revolutions to refine true lead and form the Yang breath. Then cast the Yang breath into the Yin embryo, transforming it into the Golden Elixir. A single Golden Elixir can bring long life and freedom from death.

Guang Chengzi taught the Yellow Emperor: From the hour of Chen until evening, sit quietly, forget distracting thoughts, shut out disturbances from the outside, and keep the mind and spirit focused inward without letting the attention wander. Lower the heart’s fire to the Dantian, and visualize the area below the navel as a “steaming vessel.” Inside the vessel is a bead the size of a pellet. Keep refining it with a vigorous fire, day and night without regard to the hour. Once the embryo is formed and breathing ceases, one will naturally feel neither hunger nor thirst, fear neither cold nor heat, and may preserve the body and endure in the world. This explains how to seize the moment to advance the fire, but still does not describe the specific method for gathering Qi.

A verse from Xishan says: The gifted young man and the lovely young woman are in the prime of youth, yet the flowers have already fallen.