《许真君石函记》

The Xu Zhenjun Shihan Ji (Records of the Stone Casket of the Perfected Lord Xu) is included in the Zhonghua Daozang (Chinese Daoist Canon), within the Taiqing Golden Elixir (Golden Elixir) scriptures. Its surviving table of contents is divided into two fascicles. The first contains the "Treatise on the Primal Essence of the Great Yang," the "Treatise on the Male and Female of Sun and Moon," the "Treatise on the Mother of Medicines," the "Treatise on the Rights and Wrongs of Medicinal Substances," and the "Song of Cinnabar Attesting the Dao (Way)." The second contains the "Chapter on the Sacred Stone Pointing to the Mysterious," the "Treatise on the Mysterious Clarity of the Spirit Chamber," the "Treatise on the Emptiness and Nonbeing of the Golden Cauldron," and the "Treatise on the Upright Virtue of the Bright Hall."

The first fascicle opens with the "Treatise on the Primal Essence of the Great Yang."

The "Profound Origin of the Great Dao" (the primordial source of the Dao) is formless and without image, yet it responds to the natural world, and from this response arise movement and stillness. The aspect of movement is called Primal Yang, which is also the Primal Jing (essence). The Primal Jing gives rise to True Fire, which emerges in the deep and mysterious darkness. Yin-Yang divide and join, forming the hun and po souls. This is the moment when heaven and earth first separate and the light of the sun first appears.

The sun rises from Fusang, the nine Qi (vital energy) clear and bright, its radiance surging up and illuminating all beneath heaven. This is what is called the brilliance of Yang and the red Li shining through the scene: luminous and crystalline, it lights the four directions. Dragon light wells up and condenses into golden mist; jade vapor, pearl-like colors, auspicious smoke, and propitious rays fill the sky. Layers of cloud appear and recede, and within the cloud-light lie sages and worthies, as well as gold, jade, pearls, incense, flowers, water, fire, and more, each giving off its own radiance that penetrates heaven and earth. Colored mists drift, cloud-light spreads, and Qi disperses, so that the myriad things are able to grow.

The generation of living beings begins with the One; the One produces two, two produces three, and three in turn transforms into the myriad things. Creatures of the waters and the land are too numerous to count; even in dark dung and soil, or within hard, stubborn rock, life can be conceived. Mountain crags, plants and trees, and every kind of animal, whether birds that fly or beasts that run, from the largest camels, oxen, elephants, and horses to the tiniest creatures like mustard seeds and grains of millet, are all born from this. Those born of decay, of the womb, of eggs, or of moisture, all living beings that possess spirit and can move, are transformed from the Great Dao and live by following it.

Each of the myriad things has its own innate nature and form, takes shape according to different principles, and displays its color according to the direction where it dwells: receiving red Qi it becomes red, black Qi black, azure Qi azure, white Qi white, yellow Qi yellow. This is the result of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) turning and transforming, and of the myriad things responding to direction and arising naturally; it is not achieved by dyeing.

As for the cases of containing and transforming, and of nurturing color, what is called "containing transformation" means that a stone receives Qi, and after changing, brings forth life.

Stones imbued with vitality display color: pale white, light yellow, pale red, faint green, deep blue-green, and ink black, along with strange greens and reds. Each has its own appearance, and their hues are marvelous and beautiful. A stone can show these colors because it has received Qi (vital energy) and, through transformation, given rise to spirit-like efficacy. The changes of all things within the stone are brought about by the wondrous transformations of Qi.

The depth of Qi that each thing receives differs, so their colors and forms have no fixed pattern. They follow the Dao (the Way) and change of themselves. It is therefore said that what has no trace yet can present an image, and what cannot be seen yet can work wondrous transformations: this is the Dao. The Dao's transformations appear in the heavens as celestial phenomena, take shape on earth as the myriad things, and congeal in stone as precious treasures. When Jing (essence) and Qi gather, they become a treasure, and the treasure in turn acquires radiance.

The Dao is so marvelous. Who, then, can bring forth the "Golden Flower" (the essence and brilliance revealed within metal and stone)? When the fire burns fiercely, metal is melted; yet metal can restrain wood, and when wood grows luxuriant, it shows Yang qi outwardly, its branches stretching outward, while within it holds Yin qi, from which the flowers open.

The Perfected Lord Yin said, "The rising of the Golden Flower is a treasure of heaven and earth." One who grasps this saying truly understands the ultimate Dao. In a moment, the Big Dipper turns, and the celestial signs shift with waxing and waning. At fullness, the wood's Qi flourishes, and its branches and leaves are firm and green; at waning, the flowers are harmed and wither. The branches stretch outward, and with Yin qi held within, the flowers open.

Zhenjun Yin said: "The Golden Flower is a treasure born of Heaven and Earth. One who can grasp this saying truly understands the supreme Dao (the Way). Time slips away in an instant, the Dipper constellation turns along with it, and the forms of all things change as they wax and wane. In fullness, the Qi (vital energy) of Wood is vigorous, and the plants stand firm and green. In decline, the flowers and trees are felled, and they wither and fall. Why is this so?

"In the beginning, Yin-Yang acted upon each other and gave rise to the myriad things. This is the result of the Dao's movement and transformation. When damaged, the blossoms decay and scatter, drifting like red powder. This is like the hun-soul (the spirit and numinous awareness of a person) leaping up and revealing its Jing (essence) and Qi: the light red rises like the hun-soul taking flight. Red has deeper and paler shades, and powder has lighter and heavier kinds. What is deep in color and light in weight flies upward, like purple frost or a black canopy. When it condenses within the elixir cauldron, it becomes golden powder of rehmannia. What is pale in color and heavy in weight turns, through nurturing, into a geng-yellow. This is like refining jiaoshao silk with fire: it is the Dan-yang (the Yang Qi of Neidan, internal alchemy) changing its substance and shedding the old bones for new.

"The hun follows the po to find its rest, and the po in turn arises following the hun. The hun displays a purple radiance, while the po gathers in the Yang Qi. Once the Yang Qi is gathered in, the hun's Qi enters the belly of the po and is stored there. The Qi of sun and moon unite. The dragon answers with the brilliance of the tiger, and the tiger draws in the radiance of the dragon. The two breaths blend, envelop the four directions, and harmonize with the Four Images (four symbolic forces), and the Qi gathers in the center.

"Thus the Qi undergoes five transformations. The first turns it into water, the second into cinnabar sand, the third into mercury, the fourth into metal, and the fifth refines it into the elixir. This elixir gathers the finest essence of Heaven and Earth and seizes the brightness of sun and moon. It harmonizes Kan and Li (water and fire, Yin and Yang), draws in the earthly po and joins it to the heavenly hun. Dragon and tiger unite and refine the cinnabar, the crow and the hare (symbols of sun and moon) race onward, and their radiance appears along with them. When the various lights and Qi are harmonized, they enter the chamber of the elixir and return to the Dao of Nine-Five (a symbol of the central and supreme position).

"The genuineness of the medicinal substances must be judged by principle. The marrow of the White Tiger and the Azure Dragon has its root in the Yellow Sprout (the nascent vital essence in Neidan, symbolizing the first stirring of life). Then gold and silver fill the house of one's own body. If this is used to aid the life of others, they too can live long and extend their years. One who takes this elixir can fly through the heavens, cross the waters, and ride dragons and cranes. There is no other reason for this; it is all the result of cultivation and transformation. The transformation of the medicinal substances means that the fire is used with spiritual subtlety. When the substances possess numinous power and accord with the natural Dao, their efficacy reaches the realm of the profound."

Someone asked: "What is meant by 'harmonizing the contents of the cauldron and drawing in the essence of the red sun of the Nine Dragons'?"

The answer: Lead is the ritual instrument used in refining the elixir. The instrument communicates with Shen (spirit), and it transforms in accordance with Shen; when the two unite, they become one body. In this way the breath naturally answers itself, so that Shen arrives with each inhalation and radiance appears along with it. Rosy light descends from among the azure clouds, and a crimson, glass-like brilliance falls swiftly, while the numinous essence of light pours down from above. One must gather it in and return it to the Water Palace and Dragon Hall (in Neidan, or internal alchemy, a symbol of the place where Jing (essence) is stored and Qi is nourished), then nurture it until it becomes the true Qi of Purple Longevity and the Golden Embryo.

This true Qi transforms into Golden Liquid. Hidden within, it follows the course of creation and transformation, and mercury arises of itself. Through the twelve double-hours, the true Qi circulates through Wu and Ji (terms of the Five Phases, here referring to the Earth position at the center, such as the spleen), while the firing phases are distributed among the Four Cardinal Points (east, south, west, and north). Thus changes such as the two solstices and the two equinoxes take shape. The so-called "two solstices" are Zi, Wu, and Chen. Pursued further, they give rise to ten thousand transformations, passing in and out of emptiness and nothingness, opening the gate of all wonders, and revealing the Ancestral Medicine that ascends to heaven. If one can obtain it and cultivate it, how could one fail to attain long life, rise on the clouds, ascend to court before the Jade Emperor, and become a pure, true, and numinous immortal?

How could this Way be so easily obtained? This is a truly secret method of the Dao (Way), and few cultivators ever have the chance to hear of it. That is why they drift on in the cycle of birth and death, moving ever further from the path of becoming an immortal.

The so-called "Dragon Light" (Longguang) is the essence of fire. The essence manifests as a crystalline radiance, and within that radiance flames arise anew; the flames penetrate to the numinous and subtle, and their brilliance blazes forth. Within it dwell golden and emerald hues and a round halo like azure sky, vast and boundless, shining without cease. This light resembles the radiance emitted by Yuyi (Yuyi, the divine name of the sun), and it corresponds as well to the alignment in which the sun lies in the south and the Great Yin (the moon) in the north. When south and north unite, the two kinds of spirit-energy (shen and qi) intermingle, like man and woman in harmony, like water and fire completing one another; when water receives the energy of fire, it can give forth light.

Taiyuan Xuanying (the Abyssal Mysterious Bloom) is a state of pure blackness and obscurity, its traces hidden and its colors submerged. The reason the "Dark Efflorescence of the Black Moon" (the moon in its dark, unlit state) can appear at all is that it contains the qi of embraced Yang; only on receiving Yang qi does light arise. As Yang qi gathers, Yin qi changes in response, and from this the waxing and waning of the moon takes form. Yang qi shifts and transforms according to fixed numerical patterns, and so the moon always has its fullness and its diminishing, with the change taking place constantly between the last day of the lunar month (Hui) and the first day (Shuo).

On the last day the moon passes into darkness, and on the first day light begins to be born. Thus by the third day, Yang qi begins to stir and sprout, quickening in the east. The radiance of the sun, Yuyi, answers to Jielin (the divine name of the Great Yin), and the moon begins to brighten. The moon's light is for a time lodged in the west, just as Jielin and Yuyi stand apart in east and west, taking turns in their circuit. The Dao lies in this: when they meet, each gains the other's help; when they part, each loses its counterpart. This is the principle embodied in Yuyi and Jielin. How vast it is indeed!

The Yuyi (郁仪; the Daoist name for the sun's divine light) shines in all four directions, and its radiance gathers at the center. This is called the "Five Virtues" (Wude), which are the five planets. Sunlight spreads over the myriad things and gives each a faint measure of brightness. The moon gives light at night and withdraws its radiance at daybreak. Sun and moon take turns shining, and heaven and earth join and rest. When the text says "the moon holds its light," it means that the moon receives the essential qi (Qi) of the sun, which is called the mutual exchange of light between sun and moon. The sun rises in the east at dawn and sets in the west at dusk, and this is why heaven and earth are said to join and rest.

In cultivating the Great Elixir (Dadan; an important goal of Neidan, or internal alchemy, and of elixir methods in general), what else could one rely on for illumination if not the principle of the mutual exchange of light between sun and moon and the union of heaven and earth? It is not the mercury, cinnabar, five metals, and eight minerals of the human world, but the wondrous function of the sun's Xuanyuan (玄元; the profound original qi). It enables the hun and po souls to ascend and transform until they reach the utmost refinement and numinosity. When it stirs a response and penetrates, one attains the utmost spirit (Shen) and sanctity. Without the bright radiance of the Yuyi, what else could be like this?

Sun and moon circulate across the sky, shifting and changing, and so the yearly rhythm of growth takes shape on earth. The sun travels between north and south: having gone south, it returns north, and having gone north, it returns south. This gives rise to the Way (Dao) of life and death and their transformations. "Death" refers to the time after the summer solstice, when the sun travels to its southernmost limit, Yin qi gradually grows strong, and Yang qi gradually wanes. When this movement reaches its extreme, it returns to Kunyuan (坤元; the origin of the yielding earth, symbolizing Yin softness), and the myriad things decline and perish as a result. This process reaches its limit at the direction corresponding to the hour of Hai. "Life" refers to the time after the winter solstice, when the sun travels to its northernmost limit and Yang qi gradually increases. It returns to Qianyuan (乾元; the origin of the Way of heaven, symbolizing Yang strength), and the myriad things thereby receive free passage, growth, and harvest. This process reaches its limit at the direction corresponding to the hour of Si. Because the sun travels between north and south, the myriad things have both life and death.

The winter and summer solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes are the four key junctures in the movement of heaven and earth. Spring causes the myriad things to sprout, summer causes them to grow, autumn causes them to wither, and winter causes them to be stored away. In this way they are brought into being in accord with the changes of Yin-Yang in heaven and earth. The wondrous function of the Great Returned Elixir (Dahuandan) corresponds to this, and the two show themselves as one whole. What is called "modeling oneself on heaven and patterning oneself on earth" means following the Way of heaven and taking the earth as one's model.

When building the cauldron and clay furnace for refining the elixir, one should choose a famous mountain or scenic site of good fortune on which to construct the altar. The mountain should be striking and graceful, and the site should face the sun, which is considered the most valuable quality. There should be a mountain formation like a crouching tiger and coiled dragon, layers of facing mountains opposite, and water views. Rare birds and strange beasts should often be found there, with treasures hidden within, and the place should be far from graves and rarely visited by people. Such a place naturally attracts blessings, and the materials used should also come from worthy and honored people. Only then is the site suitable for refining the elixir.

The sage can comprehend the Way of heaven, follow the earth's pattern of nurturing the myriad things, grasp the pivot of sun and moon, and embrace heaven and earth (Qian and Kun). To obtain the "Crow Essence" (wujing; symbolizing the sun's essential qi), one must first seek the "Hare Marrow" (tusui; symbolizing the moon's essential qi). This is the meaning of how Fuxi (伏羲; a legendary sage-king of high antiquity) drew on the symbols of heaven and earth. In cultivation, one should practice the "civil" (wen) method first and the "martial" (wu) method afterward, following the principles of the Book of Changes (Yi).

The key to the alternation, waxing, and waning of Water and Fire lies in subtle, marvelous skill; its wondrous function arises of itself, as the Yang qi (vital energy) rises within the "Golden Chamber" (an alchemical term for the place of refining and nourishing). The rising of Yang qi is the return symbolized by the Fu (Return) hexagram. At the Zi hour (midnight), Yang stirs and the Huangzhong pitch responds in resonance; Yang begins to move and passes through the stages of hexagrams such as Lin (Approach) and Tai (Peace). On reaching "Si," the numbers of the firm Yang of the Qian hexagram are exhausted, and the soft Yin of the Kun hexagram is about to arrive. Yin qi arises at the Gou (Encountering) hexagram and, after the Wu hour (noon), gradually passes through hexagrams such as Pi (Stagnation) and Bo (Splitting Apart), until the Hai hour, corresponding to the Kun hexagram, draws to a close. As the years and months turn and the Dao (the Way) of alchemy nears completion, it is as though an infant leaves its mother's womb and emerges, born anew, in a marvelous transformation.

The Gou hexagram corresponds to the Wu hour and symbolizes Li (Fire) giving rise to mercury; the Fu hexagram corresponds to the Zi hour and symbolizes Kan (Water) giving rise to lead. Mercury congeals because of lead, and lead lies hidden because of mercury; the two are as mother and child, drawn together in mutual affection, and in the end they form the elixir. This process accords with nature, is subtle and profound, and deserves careful contemplation. What matters is to search diligently for the true secret, to devote oneself wholly to grasping its mysterious principle, and to distinguish the genuine from the false, so that right and wrong become plain. Through this I have come to understand the symbolism of the sun and moon hanging on high and the workings of ten thousand transformations; the vital impulse flows vast and unceasing, without end. Would one who attains this Dao not live as long as Heaven and Earth? How could one carelessly speak of it to those who should not be taught?

For this reason, I have set out the principles only briefly, not composing a complete essay, and have recorded only their essentials as an orally transmitted secret formula for alchemical refining. Heed my admonition: if it is wrongly passed on to unsuitable people, calamity will swiftly follow. Be careful, be careful.

Discourse on the Sun and Moon, Male and Female

For this reason, I have set out the principles only briefly, not composing a complete essay, and have recorded only their essentials as an orally transmitted secret formula for alchemical refining. Heed my admonition: if it is wrongly passed on to unsuitable people, calamity will swiftly follow. Be careful, be careful.

Discourse on the Sun and Moon, Male and Female

Nanhua (a mysterious realm of the sort associated with the south and Huaxu) reaches its highest point, and there stands the Golden Gate Chamber of Spirits (the palace where immortals and perfected beings dwell). It is perfect and luminous, vast and boundless, and through countless kalpas it is never exhausted. It revolves around Mount Sumeru, so that day and night alternate distinctly. Rosy light scatters, dark in some places and bright in others. The movements of Qi (vital energy) cycle nine hundred thousand billion times, advancing with vigor and dispersing primordial Qi to nourish the myriad things. The radiance of the sun, the treasures of the heavens, and the brilliance of dragons shine upon one another. The blazing glow of the rosy clouds burns bright, its flames reaching through to the numinous realm and onward to the sacred realm. The hun and po souls become suddenly clear and soar upward, manifesting a crystalline numinous light that illuminates the whole body. The radiance is complete, vast and boundless, and pervades the Golden City. Within the Yang Grotto lies a forest of azurite, where a divine dragon must work its transformations, and within it dwell the Golden Spirit and the Vajra Guardians (protector deities). Purple clouds thicken, and Purple Longevity and Purple Shen (spirit) appear in succession. The splendor of the rosy light arises, Purple Longevity and purple Qi are born, and the rosy blossoms transform into the Purple Numen, which, through hidden resonance, reveals the Purple Perfected. The Azure Yang and the Purple Pole are utterly true and utterly numinous, and life continues without end.

What is called the "Primordial Beginning, Primordial Crystal" means that the "crystal" is the singularly manifested, numinous radiance, while the "Primordial Beginning" is the first source of all treasures and the ancestral root of all Qi. Qi holds within it the original basis of the myriad things. It originally has no fixed form or substance, and it is Shen that sets its workings in motion and causes it to transform. Moving upward, it penetrates the vault of heaven. Moving downward, it spreads across the earth. They meet and move together, and in following their measures they come into accord.

What is called the "Primordial Beginning, Primordial Crystal" means that the "crystal" is the singularly manifested, numinous radiance, while the "Primordial Beginning" is the first source of all treasures and the ancestral root of all Qi. Qi holds within it the original basis of the myriad things. It originally has no fixed form or substance, and it is Shen that sets its workings in motion and causes it to transform. Moving upward, it penetrates the vault of heaven. Moving downward, it spreads across the earth. They meet and move together, joining with one another like a shuttle passing back and forth, going and returning, moving south and then north again. When the solar path (the track along which the sun travels) runs south, the forms of the myriad things recede from view. When it reaches its extreme, the sun turns northward, and the myriad things respond and change in their concealment. All of them give rise to two paths, one black and one red, which cross the Yellow Path (the sun's apparent track across the celestial sphere) and travel back and forth between south and north.

If a person can observe the Dao (the Way) of heaven and grasp its movements, they can summon the Dragon Crystal and take in the Tiger Standard and Rosy Bait (symbolic names for substances used in cultivation to draw in essence and Qi). This must be done under the guidance of a teacher well versed in the cultivation of the Mysterious Gate, so that the Golden Cauldron can be tempered. By harmonizing Yin-Yang and drawing on the Qi of emptiness and non-being, form and substance will condense of their own accord. In emptiness and non-being there is originally no image, so from where could an image arise? In the dim and hidden depths lies the De (Virtue) of lead. When the fire-Qi stirs, the outward yang Qi dances in the void. The Victorious Light (a flourishing blaze) rises eighty thousand zhang high and shines down upon the Chamber of Spirits. Endless streams of rosy cloud hold the glow in place and penetrate deep into the Court of Utmost Emptiness (a realm of supreme stillness and void). They aid Hedong and move into the Bright Hall (a cultivation site within the human body), causing the true De and its precious bloom to appear, and their radiance fills all five colors.

When the rosy glow of dawn rises, the earth turns blue-green; once the fire is stirred, it becomes a scorching, bright-red lotus. When Yin qi (Qi) is deep and without light, the True Lead (a symbolic material in alchemy) sinks and turns black; when Yang qi unfolds and brightness appears, the True Mercury (a symbolic material in alchemy) rises and turns white. When pure white radiance reveals the treasure, gold can be refined. When the hun and po souls are settled and condensed, patch after patch of rosy glow is born anew; when the purslane turns white as frost, the mercury is refined into powder. It can touch a corpse and call back the scattered souls, so that the dead revive. Its efficacy is unfathomable, and even ghosts and spirits cannot unveil its mystery.

The measure of the fire phasing (huohou) is hard to explain. Only when the patches of rosy glow appear anew, the purslane turns white as frost, and the mercury is refined into powder can it touch a corpse, call back the souls, and revive the dead. Its efficacy is unfathomable, and even ghosts and spirits cannot glimpse its mystery. The measure of the fire phasing is hard to explain; even the most perfected sage cannot fully grasp how it works. The wondrous transformations of the Mysterious Origin (profound and subtle changes) seem to be and not to be: call it "being," and the True Lead takes on form; call it "non-being," and fire arises from emptiness.

The Li fire (Li in the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), symbolizing fire) transforms out of emptiness, and the flower, too, turns into fire; the flower's transformation depends entirely on the work of fire. Who can apply the principle of generating fire from nothing? Once the cinnabar is refined, the fire returns again to non-being. The fire comes and goes with the changing yao positions (the positions of Yin-Yang change within a hexagram), and in the end, where there is no fire, transformation is born. The qi of Bing and Xin transforms into True Water, which nourishes Yi and Geng so that they become True Metal; the qi of Ding and Ren transforms into True Wood, which nourishes Wu and Gui so that they become True Fire; the qi of Jia and Ji transforms into True Earth. Earth can give birth to the myriad things, and it is the root of alchemical refining.

Parents pass down the line, and the sequence of embryonic breathing is arranged across nine generations; the Nine-Way First Year is the great-grandfather. Descendants follow one another, the son succeeding the father; the Way of Qian becomes male, and the Way of Kun becomes female. The qi of the Green Path rises from the east of the Yellow Path, and suddenly thunder stirs and it ascends into the blue sky. Thunder over Heaven, Dazhuang, and the Zhen trigram correspond to the east and the Mao position. Yang qi has increased to four parts, the season is fulfilled, the elm blossoms gradually wither, and the fallen leaves drift down in profusion. The Dipper turns, and the Kui star of the Big Dipper points to Mao.

The qi of the White Path rises from the west of the Yellow Path, and dense golden flowers give birth to the golden rooster. The metal qi flourishes in the west, corresponding to the Dui trigram and the You position. How could shepherd's purse and wheat not wither and decay? The four Yin qi correspond to Wind over Earth, Guan, and the slanting sun shines from the west. The Dipper turns, and the Gang star of the Big Dipper points to You.

The qi of the Red Path rises from the south of the Yellow Path, its blazing light bright and often flaring without cease. The fire of true Yang flourishes in the south, at the Wu position; from Si and Wu to the Ding position is the starting point where Yin qi is first born.

The Tian Feng Dun hexagram (遁, "Retreat") symbolizes the rising of Yin qi, as the force of Fire gradually wanes. What reaches its peak must begin to decline, and that decline begins at the hour of Wu (noon). A black vapor emerges north of the ecliptic, and the divine water in the Flower Pool (Huachi) is originally dark as ink. Within this darkness, Yang qi slowly begins to sprout, and so the Fu hexagram (復, "Return") shows the sign of revival. When the month of Jianzi arrives, the qi of the Yellow Bell (Huangzhong) begins to circulate, and the order of Heaven and Earth's movement starts anew.

The sun travels along the ecliptic, while the moon follows the Nine Paths; the sovereign who governs this movement is called Taiyi (the Supreme One). The Nine Paths and the Nine Cauldrons lead to the Spirit Chamber, where the supreme Shen dwells. In remote antiquity, the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan subdued the many spirits and rode a dragon up into Ziwei (the stellar palace where the Celestial Emperor resides). His seventy-two ministers likewise became "feathered guests" (yuke, immortals who have attained the Dao and ascended), climbed into the clouds, walked the void in the steps of the stars, and flew into the Golden City and the Cinnabar Heaven.

From then on, looking up and down across Heaven and Earth, he became a true person (zhenren) who genuinely mastered the Way of the immortals. He once met a Divine Lord, who bestowed upon him the Great Medicine, and he later followed the phoenix carriage past Mount Emei. This labor was not in vain: the thatched hut went untended, the road was hard, brambles towered to the sky, and the distant mountains were hidden from view. Mount Emei's ridges were steep and hard to climb; he respectfully invited the Huang Ren (the Sovereign Person, a legendary immortal) to ride in the carriage, and returned only at dusk.

Those who cultivate the Dao should not follow side paths and minor techniques. They should not call the swallowing of saliva the refining of liquid gold, nor refine urine into "autumn mineral" (qiushi, a preparation made from processed urine). They should not treat abstaining from grain and cutting off food as the great Dao. They should not practice by swaying the shoulders or counting breaths, nor close their eyes and toy with the essence-soul. They should not use the clenched-fist posture (wogu) to seize demons and thieves, nor claim that Yin imagery (yinjing, the Yin-natured visions of inner cultivation) can nourish spiritual beings, and still less adopt the so-called "Three Peaks for Mastering Women" sexual arts. To perfect the art, attain the Dao, and become an immortal is the highest and most subtle essential. Yet those who study the Dao in this world find it hard to follow, and when it is explained to ordinary people, they do not believe it. Read the Record of Jingyang and you will understand.

On the Mother of the Medicine (Yaomu lun)

The Way of the Elixir (Dandao) is not refined from the five metals and eight minerals of the human world, nor from cinnabar and mercury. It is a realm formed in union with formlessness and emptiness, without shape or image, and this is what is called "True Emptiness." The substance of True Emptiness is the foundation of the Returned Elixir and the mother-body of the Great Medicine.

What does this mother-body of the Great Medicine look like? What are its form and its substance? "Substance" refers to what already exists within the undifferentiated chaos. It precedes all images, and it is the state in which True Emptiness merges with naturalness. Within this natural True Emptiness, color and image appear, and they arise from the movement of Shen (spirit). True Emptiness is not mere void; within it lie subtle functions and spiritual powers. The transformations of Shen appear as black. Black symbolizes the Mysterious Origin (the deep and profound source), in which De (Virtue) is stored in the Dao. The mysterious De that the Dao conceals is deep, vast, and far-reaching, and so it is called the "Northern Abyss" (the deep and boundless waters of the north). The Northern Abyss is immense and gives rise to a limitless wondrous Being; this wondrous Being is not nothingness, for within it lies spiritual power.

The Dao is without limit and vast, and from the limitless Great Dao the "One" is born. This One is the supremely luminous prenatal Qi (vital energy), and also the primordial essential Qi. Over long ages the Dao brings forth the myriad things; the myriad things are completed through the Dao, and the Dao is the ancestor of them all. The source that can generate and transform all phenomena is the Mother of the Elixir.

The "Mother Lead" is black. Why is it black? Because it belongs to water, dwells among the Six Origins, is positioned in the north, corresponds to the stars, and presides over generation and nurture. As it descends and takes form, the essence of the lead contains the five colors of blue-green, yellow, white, red, and black, among which black represents the Mysterious Origin and is the root of water. Water is the pivot of the Dao, and its number is one.

This "One" is the true One Qi at the center of the Kan trigram (representing water). In a state of indistinct, dim, and elusive obscurity, they unite with one another: at first it resembles a dragon, and in an instant it resembles a tiger. Dragon and tiger symbolize the union of Yin-Yang qi. At the very moment they first unite, what state is it in?

When the Yin-Yang (阴阳) qi (气) respond to one another, they come into union with the Void without any visible form. The Void arises from Being, and Being in turn arises from Non-Being. Non-action (Wuwei, 无为) is the beginning of the myriad things, and action is their root. It is the head of the Four Images (the four basic states formed by the transformations of Yin and Yang), the starting point of the Five Phases (五行: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the pivot of alchemical refining. By "pivot" is meant the meeting of the two qi of water and fire.

How should we understand water and fire surging against each other, and Yin and Yang waxing and waning in turn? A simple explanation will do: the "sun and moon in the pot" (a metaphor in Neidan, 内丹, internal alchemy, for the Yin-Yang transformations within the body) are the qi of water and fire. Water qi is moist and descends; fire qi is hot and rises. One rises and one falls, meeting and answering each other in unbroken succession. As water and fire join, the fire qi subsides and turns into Earth; Earth generates Metal, and Metal generates Water, so that Metal and Water give birth to and nourish one another. When Metal and Water unite, they moisten the skin and make it lustrous and white like jade tallow. This transformation is beyond price, like a true pearl, and it is the formation of the body of cinnabar.

How does this come about? The formless transforms into the formed; water and fire nourish each other, the two kinds of qi depend upon one another, and in the formless they unite with the Void. The body that unites with the Void takes one jin as its measure, which is then divided into two "strings" (xian), forming an upper and a lower half-circle. Before the two strings have joined, one must first fix upper and lower: the upper string is eight and the lower string is also eight. When above and below unite, they become the body of Qian and Kun. Qian and Kun together make one jin, and the Dao of the elixir is then upright and without deviation. Firm and yielding divide outer and inner, and Metal and Water are equal in measure. Yin and Yang each have their lightness and weight, and Being and Non-Being serve one another. When the two work together, the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity unfold, and Qian and Kun are thereby completed.

The Qian trigram represents Heaven, shaped like an inverted round lid, with three unbroken lines. The Kun trigram represents Earth, shaped like an upturned round dish, with six broken lines. Where a line (yao, 爻, a line of a trigram) is broken, the qi passes through and moves back and forth; where it is unbroken, it also communicates freely, and the lines open and close in change. Qian changes three times, and Kun changes three times as well. Qian's lines are continuous and Kun's are broken, alternating between broken and unbroken, as black and white come and go.

The changes of black and white are vast and profound: Yang qi sows, Yin qi plants, and the seeds are nurtured until at last the Yellow Sprout emerges (a sign in Neidan practice that the elixir is first forming). The Yellow Sprout gives rise to mercury, and mercury reveals the Three Blossoms. Mercury congeals into cinnabar, and the cinnabar resembles golden grains. Take a single grain, and after a hundred days the body will be transformed, the mortal frame shed and the bones remade. The bones become hard as metal and stone, form and Shen (神, spirit) unite in subtle wonder, and life becomes endless.

The golden cinnabar possesses a sacred Virtue (De, 德), able to turn what has no substance into what has substance, while substance itself arises from Non-Being. The hexagrams and lines accord with the Dao of the elixir, and also with the principle by which Zhen, Dui, Kan, and Li meet (four trigrams that correspond to the shifting of qi in Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and the methods of the elixir). The Four Images dwell within emptiness and cannot be drawn in any diagram; the original Jing (精, essence; here the vital essence at the source of life) is hard to see. The formless unites with the Void, forming a form without form and a transformation of the Void's own change. The generation of cinnabar comes about of itself, naturally, and this is its wondrous function.

This wondrous function belongs to the Young Maiden, who corresponds to the direction of Dui. The Metal Mother dwells in the place of the Metal Father, charged with nurturing and guarding. The Dao of nurturing begins with one and sustains with four, nourishing Metal and Water; the numbers of Metal and Water together are four and one. The third day is paired with Geng, and Geng Metal is born at the gate of Dui, which in turn gives birth to Father Qian; Qian is the father of Metal. Metal takes water and fire as its foundation: when the fire burns fiercely it melts the Metal, the Metal turns to Water, and the Water qi, harmonized, circulates, turning from the north toward the east, where it nourishes the green Zhen Wood of the east and brings forth the dragon light of the Horn and Neck lodges.

The stars of the east receive the qi of Mars (Yinghuo) in the south and shine upon the Legs and Bond lodges, putting in order the positions of Geng and Xin. The positions of Geng and Xin correspond to the Golden Hall, where the Venus star (Taibai) of the west resides. The Golden Hall is also called the Tiger's Chamber. It harmonizes the descending qi, so that the qi of the earth changes and takes form in due season, displaying signs of abundance and auspiciousness. The myriad spirits respond, and the revered, supreme Virtue transforms without end, beyond all comparison.

Once, a single grain of cinnabar was enough to extend its influence to the ends of the earth; it could aid life and bring peace to a household. If one hears of this Dao early and practices it diligently, one will be received by the Supreme Lord and ascend to Daluo Heaven (the highest heaven in Daoism).

When Heaven and Earth interact through Yin-Yang, the myriad things are transformed and born. But suppose there were only the pure yang of Qian, without "Yuan" (the beginning of generation). Then even if generation occurred, it could not penetrate; even if it penetrated, it could not proceed smoothly to completion; and even if it reached completion, it could not be held firm and lasting. This would violate the Way of Heaven (Dao) and depart from the root. In such a case, yang qi (Qi) would have no way to unfold, and yin qi would be unable to sprout. The qi above could not descend, and the qi below could not rise, so the qi of Heaven and Earth could not blend. Once the conditions for harmonizing Yin-Yang and creating the myriad things are lost, from what could anything be born?

This is to say that if the medicinal substances do not accord with the correct Way, they run counter to the timing of Heaven; if the fire phases are not coordinated, they depart from the root. Even if the furnace fire is kept running, if it does not correspond to the timing of Heaven, numinous qi will not descend, and the hun-soul's qi will scatter. If the medicinal substances are impure, the qi of Yin-Yang cannot unite; if the "Tiger" has no substance or form, the radiant qi of the "Dragon" will be cut off, and from where could cinnabar be produced?

From this we know that the elixir depends on the transformation of medicinal substances, and the medicinal substances in turn arise from within the elixir. If the medicinal substances do not accord with the correct Way, the qi of Yin-Yang cannot unite; if the "Tiger" lacks substance and form, the radiant qi of the "Dragon" will be cut off, and cinnabar will have no way to come into being.

From this we know that alchemical refining requires the transformation of medicinal substances, and that these substances are in turn generated within the elixir (dan) itself. The Jinbi Jing (Scripture of Gold and Jade) says: "The kè is the essence of metal, and the water returns to become a yellow liquid." This refers to the transformation of the medicinal substances. Once they are transformed, the fire is set in motion and a luminous brilliance rises to the surface, a sight unlike any other. The maternal Qi (vital energy) departs from its original place and gives rise to change, welling up as a yellow liquid. This is the essence of the sun, called "Flowing Pearl," which is to say flowing mercury.

When the sun's spirit-soul (the sun's essential Qi) is about to descend, it condenses like dew into droplets. Gathered together, it becomes water; set in motion, it becomes liquid; once congealed, it grows as hard as ice. It then forms delicate, intricate frost, twisting like coral or resembling the blossoms of the cassia tree. These images are described under the name "Reclining Moon Numinous Mushroom," and in the end they coalesce into a great precious pearl. The firing process (huohou) moves through the three lights of sun, moon, and stars, and its miraculous radiance illuminates the night. This speaks of the mutual harmony of Yin-Yang: the Qi of Xun and Gen returns to the position of Kun; Yang Qi withdraws and Yin Qi arrives, so that light fades and darkness arises.

"Light and dark" refers to "the exhaustion of nine," that is, the Yang number reaching its limit. After the nine is exhausted, the sunlight gradually reappears, and the Shen (spirit) storehouse (the place where spirit and Qi are stored) draws in its radiance; the brilliance recedes, and the numinous cinnabar lies hidden within the body. "Giving rise to darkness" refers to "the birth of six," which is the beginning of the Yin tally (the symbol representing the movement of Yin Qi). The second six corresponds to obscurity and to the si branch, and the third six corresponds to ren and gui. When Yin Qi is complete, it returns to a black form. This speaks of the end and the beginning of Qian and Kun (heaven and earth, Yin and Yang): the hexagram images arise line by line, and through them wondrous transformation is made to flow freely. This too is the process by which the medicinal substances are transformed.

Thereupon nature draws in the rosy glow and gathers its colors; it collects these images and gives birth to spiritual power, summoning the radiant sprouting Qi of the sun and nurturing the round, luminous divine medicine. It resonates with Fulu (talismans and registers) and with the workings of creation, displaying the auspicious signs of the tiger and the dragon. The five tones play upon one another, and the shimmering light congeals into a golden paste like amber; the six pitch-pipes transform in succession, and the cinnabar transmutes into red lapis-like glass and agate.

Fire possesses the qualities of emptiness, numinous responsiveness, and brightness, and it penetrates Yin-Yang. It moves back and forth between the Yin and Yang sides, so that Metal flourishes and Wood thrives, and the medicinal substances can spread out and transform. What is called "transformation of the medicine" is the Vermilion Bird (the divine bird symbolizing Fire) directing the circulation, causing the Wood qi of Jia and Yi to nourish the Fire qi of Bing and Ding; Bing-Ding Fire in turn nourishes the Vermilion Fowl. The Vermilion Fowl belongs to the west and corresponds to the Dui trigram, and it finally transforms into Metal. Metal generates Water, which joins with the Water qi of Ren and Gui; Water in turn arises from within Metal and receives the Metal qi of Geng and Xin. Metal and Water generate and nurture each other, conceiving one another, and in the maternal womb this is called "Metal Embryo, Water Mother." Water and Fire smelt and digest the qi of Metal and Water, making it at times rise and at times sink: what floats upward is the white cinnabar-mercury, and what sinks downward is the black water-lead. Floating and sinking without fixed course, their transformations are profound and obscure, and difficult to fathom.

The Supreme One (Taishang) said: "Look at it and you cannot see it; listen to it and you cannot hear it; it lies hidden within creation and transformation, moving along with the seasons." The seasons spoken of here are the four times of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You. At the hour of Zi, patterns like fish scales appear, densely interlaced with one another; at the hour of Wu, forms like horse teeth appear, like frost; at Mao, forms like langgan (a jade-like precious stone) and stalactites emerge; at You, forms like feathers are broken and crushed. By the hour of Xu, the hexagram "Bo" (Splitting Apart), the form resembles dog's teeth; on reaching the Kun position, Yin qi arises and Yang qi transforms in accordance with it.

The Kun trigram gives rise to the Zhen, Dui, and Qian trigrams, and the Qian trigram in turn gives rise to the Xun, Gen, and Kun trigrams. Qian is paired with Ren and Jia, Kan holds Wu within it, Gen corresponds to Bing, Zhen reflects Geng, Xun forms Xin, Li conceals Ji, Kun encloses Yi and Gui, and Dui responds to Ding. These correspondences between the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) serve to explain the movement and transformation of the Yin-Yang and Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) qi within the trigram images.

The Eight Trigrams (Bagua) arise from the transformations of the Qian hexagram into the Ten Heavenly Stems, and together these correspond to the laws governing the movement of the heavenly bodies. In the east, Jia and Yi belong to Wood and correspond to the Azure Dragon, whose seven lunar lodges are Horn, Neck, Root, Room, Heart, Tail, and Winnowing Basket. Its form resembles a dragon and it stands in the east, hence the name Azure Dragon. In the south, Bing and Ding belong to Fire and correspond to the Vermilion Bird, whose seven lodges are Well, Ghost, Willow, Star, Extended Net, Wings, and Chariot. Its form resembles a quail-bird and it stands in the south, hence the name Vermilion Bird. In the west, Geng and Xin belong to Metal and correspond to the White Tiger, whose seven lodges are Legs, Bond, Stomach, Mane, Net, Turtle Beak, and the Three Stars. Its form resembles a tiger and it stands in the west, hence the name White Tiger. In the north, Ren and Gui belong to Water and correspond to the Dark Warrior, whose seven lodges are Dipper, Ox, Woman, Void, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall. It takes the combined form of a tortoise and a snake and stands in the north, hence the name Dark Warrior.

The Eight Trigrams display the celestial phenomena and the wondrous workings of the revolving Twenty-Eight Lodges. Observe the sun travelling between south and north, the moon passing between east and west, and the stars shifting as the Northern Dipper turns: the principle of transformation lies within all this. Within it there is also the cauldron of numinous cinnabar, in which the Qian hexagram becomes mercury powder. When this is used to transmute mercury, it can produce gold in quantities beyond counting. Yet to use this gold to relieve the world's people is still not much, and not enough to be called sacred. One who takes the elixir becomes a flying immortal, ascends the blue heavens in broad daylight, passes beyond the Three Realms, and is no longer bound by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). One's fate then lies in one's own hands, and one is freed forever from the sufferings of the underworld. Without the Great Returned Elixir (Dahuan Dan), who could escape being consigned to the Yellow Springs after death?

I dare not speak rashly; those who study and cultivate should come to understand it for themselves. Here the principles of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are set out in full, as are the transformations of Qian and Kun from beginning to end. Cinnabar, mercury, lead, and silver share one source in their natures and inner principles. One who grasps the sages' meaning can refine the Golden Casket (something produced by refining metals). When the night-radiant sand is refined, the cinnabar is also called "As-You-Wish"; and once a priceless pearl has been perfected, one's lifespan can last as long as Heaven and Earth.

Those who grasp the principles within should cherish and revere them, and those who read this text may use it to verify their own nature. Students of the Way should reflect on it carefully and examine it in detail, treating it as a bright mirror within the alchemical chamber. Master the principle of Yin-Yang: within Yin there is Yang, and the Yang qi (vital energy) manifests within it. The sunlight shines in all directions, and the wondrous art radiates brilliance. The purple glow is rich and its rays are bright, illuminating the deep sky, connecting above and below, each joined to the other.

Water and fire are the fundamental forces that make up heaven, earth, and humanity, and from them arise the changes of cold and heat. Fire rises and water descends, like the movement of the sun and moon; water and fire follow the turning of sun and moon without any loss of their brightness. Cinnabar and mercury, lead and silver, all come from one and the same root. This numinous herb of medicine divides into two and eight within a single cauldron; only after refining through twenty-four cauldrons does the "Flowery Pool" take form. In the end, the spirit-qi (Shen, spirit; Qi, vital energy) brings forth an elixir like white snow. The divine talisman and the white snow can cause the hun and po souls to return. Hearing such words, shallow-minded people slander and rage.

They demand: the person is already dead, so how can the souls be made to return? If the souls scatter forever after death, where could one even search for them? Xu Fu spent many years gathering the medicine of soul-return, and those who heard of it likewise slandered and raged. They press the question again and again: after a person dies, how can the souls be called back, and where can they be found once dispersed? Xu Fu went off after years of gathering herbs, yet the immortal herb and the numinous mushroom were nowhere to be found. The immortal herbs of Penglai have no form to begin with, so what basis is there for the doctrine of soul-return?

I will now tell you the medicine of soul-return. What is called soul-return must restore the souls endowed by Heaven. This is the original source of a person's souls, able to bring a dead body back to life and restore the body as it was. But if a person is to be born again into the world, what principle do they follow? This principle is rooted in the soul at the very beginning of life and in one's parents. The parents and the primordial embryo at the beginning of life are difficult to describe in full; the vast power of generation and transformation ceaselessly produces all kinds of souls. They come from the growth of crops and the conception of embryos, and they also transform through the forms of life, whether born from wombs, eggs, moisture, or transformation, becoming humans, beasts, birds, or insects.

Humans, beasts, birds, and insects each receive their own nature and life (xing and ming). Nature and life are linked, and the hun soul governs life; the hun is like the essence of metal, the foundation of life, and this foundation nourishes nature, so that the hun accompanies and is bound to nature and life. The po is deep and unfathomable, while the hun is hazy and elusive; the subtle essence of these two qi, obscure and indistinct, can bring forth the ten thousand things and accords with Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth). Qian and Kun are vast and join with one another, like the two leaves of a door meeting. The Yi (Book of Changes) contains the principle of Qian and Kun and also speaks of the union of sun and moon; the crow's essence, the hare's marrow, and the po and hun are connected at the root, all belonging to the source of nature and life. By refining and nourishing the hun and po, one can refine the divine elixir.

Gathering in and summoning back the hun and po souls so that they live again cannot be achieved with a single cauldron of cinnabar (the zhusha used in alchemy) alone. Even if one takes cinnabar over a long period, it may support yang qi and transform the body, yet it cannot make one a true immortal. To reach that goal, one must have divine talismans (shenfu) and the "White Snow" (baixue, a term from Neidan, internal alchemy).

The power of the divine talismans and the White Snow is immense. They can bring the hun and po back and restore the dead to life, just as Xu Jia was brought back to life. This is the most subtle method of Xuanyuan (the origin of the Dao), and side paths and minor arts can never accomplish it. Minor techniques are many, but they cannot forge immortal bones or produce a true immortal, nor can they surpass "true lead and true mercury."

True lead and true mercury are also called the true dragon and tiger. Their radiance blazes, like the scene at the first opening of heaven and earth. Beneath the Primal Azure, dragon and tiger vie in brilliance and seize the divine light, separating it into two colors, yellow and azure. The essences of the dragon and tiger shine upon each other and are gathered into Penghu (the golden realm of the immortals). There stands the Terrace of Lingering Light and Gathered Treasure, where the precious flowers are full and perfect, and their brilliance blooms.

The light is pure and white. Five-colored red glass (red liuli) envelops the precious moon; then suddenly the precious moon envelops the red glass in turn, the two overlapping, and their radiance condenses. Water and Fire intertwine, and sun and moon blend. As sun and moon join like linked rings, the five stars align in a single line, penetrating the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When the Five Phases are penetrated and nothing is lost, Water and Fire naturally congeal into a divine substance.

The divine substance reveals a marvelous vision, and the Old Man of the South Pole, the star of longevity, manifests an auspicious sign. As the star displays its blessing, the spirits help the sun give rise to purple qi (Qi). The purple qi rises straight upward like smoke, ascending into the center of the Canopy Cauldron (Huagai ding). Within the cauldron, the breath coils and knots, like frost and snow, rising and descending, joining one another, branch linked to branch and supporting one another, exquisitely intricate like a coral tree.

The coral-like branches spread apart, and the twigs scatter and fall away. The yang force gradually grows, while yin qi slowly wanes. When all the yin is exhausted, the qi of yin and yang gathers, and the elixir, having passed through nine transformations, is perfected and bears purple blossoms. In the light of the purple blossoms, the breath rises and descends, joining one another, branch linked to branch and supporting one another, exquisitely intricate like a coral tree.

Coral-like branches lie scattered in disarray. The Yang Qi (qi) grows steadily while the Yin Qi diminishes layer by layer. As Yin and Yang (yinyang) gradually transform into one another, the elixir passes through nine refinings and condenses into a purple radiance.

Within the purple radiance, golden radiance gathers, and the essences collected there form the Radiance of the Five Emperors. The essence of the colored clouds is divided into five names: Morning Cloud Brightness, Evening Cloud Spirit, Setting Cloud Numen, Flying Cloud Descent, and Fire Cloud Welcome. The Welcoming Cloud and the Bridal Cloud then return to their original house, and this house gives rise to five kinds of blessing. True Noble Cloud, Wondrous Numinous Cinnabar, Auspicious Ten Thousand Omens, Great Prosperity Cloud, Vast Numinous Cinnabar, Fortunate Omen Cloud of the Honored Ones Attending the Dragon, Purple Numinous Cinnabar, Cloud of Ten Thousand Years Saving the Host of Immortals, Ten-Thousand Numina Cinnabar, Wish-Fulfilling Cloud That Turns Stone to Gold, and Precious Numinous Cinnabar: all of these are the Five Clouds, the Five Stones, and the Five Numinous Cinnabars.

The Supreme Sage Ancestor of Mysterious Origin (Taishang Xuanyuan Shengzu) refined them further into the Five-Cauldron Purple Spirit Cinnabar. The twenty-four cauldrons were divided into five, and water and fire were added to refine the cinnabar. The months and years of refining followed one after another without interruption. The twelve divine talismans (fulu) and the nine turnings of White Snow were used to refine it again and again, and during this process the Qi of sun and moon was added, followed by more water and fire. Neither the Yin talisman nor the Yang talisman may be in error: there must be no mistake, no ominous change, and no alteration. When the White Snow has been refined for nine years, it enters the turnings once more, so that the spiritual power of the cinnabar is joined with that of the divine talismans and the divine medicines.

The transformations of the divine medicine follow Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang follow the hexagram images. The hexagrams and the fire support one another, and Yin and Yang complement each other, shifting and revolving, ending and beginning again without interruption. One regulates the line images and links the hexagrams together, coming and going as the lines change, without error, ominous change, or alteration. The process is repeated: after nine years of refining the White Snow, it enters the turnings again, so that the powers of the cinnabar, the divine talismans, and the divine medicines continue to build upon one another.

The upper, middle, and lower levels together contain 8,640 hexagrams, of which the four, Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, are the key. Li belongs to fire, and its fire Qi rises; Kan belongs to water, and its water Qi moistens and flows downward. Kan and Li, water and fire, drive and complement one another. The fire waxes and wanes along with the hexagram images and finally returns to its source. After this return, another year, another month, and another day are added, so that sun and moon accord with the primordial talisman. The fire phasing and the calendrical reckoning likewise accord with the primordial talisman, without the slightest deviation.

The fiery radiance accumulates layer upon layer, and its essence gathers without cease until it reaches the state of the utmost spirit, the utmost sanctity, the utmost numinosity, and the utmost ultimate, where nothing more can be added. The blessings it brings are immeasurable and boundless, vast beyond comparison, and its divine power and numinous subtlety likewise reach their peak, beyond any further increase. These three things to which nothing can be added are precisely the realm of the cinnabar of the Sage Ancestor of Mysterious Origin.

Refined for six years, the Three-Cauldron Cinnabar becomes Purple Numinous Cinnabar; at seven years it becomes Purple Longevity Cinnabar; at eight years it becomes Purple Gold Cinnabar. These are the superior medicines, wondrous and numinous in nature, divine medicines and talismans in purple seal script that come from Heaven.

Song of Cinnabar Attesting the Dao

The true and wondrous teaching for instructing disciples is to help them understand the origin of the Dao (the Way). The nameless is the state in which Heaven and Earth began; one must seek the root from before Heaven and Earth took form. The named is the mother of the myriad things, and the myriad things in turn return to their source through her. Gathering yin qi forms the Earth, and accumulating yang qi forms Heaven. Once one grasps the principles of the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, the refining of cinnabar will accord with the natural course of things.

The true De (Virtue/Power) of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) brightly gives birth to the life and form of all things. Profound and ever more profound, the distant spiritual light holds within it Taiyi (the Great One, the supreme source in Daoist thought). Gold takes cinnabar as its master and is harmonized by the mother-qi of mercury; the essence of the sun's Li fire shoots into the Palace of Xi and Yi (the subtle realm that cannot be seen or heard), so that life and form shine forth clearly. In the deep and silent obscurity, the spiritual light holds Taiyi within. Gold takes cinnabar as its master and receives the harmonizing mother-qi of mercury; the essence of the sun's Li fire shoots into the Palace of Xi and Yi, and the wondrous essence emits radiance, its brilliance shining forth and settling into stillness.

The White Tiger (an alchemical term, often referring to lead or yin substances) draws in the Red Li (an alchemical term, often referring to mercury or yang substances), and the golden bloom brings forth the jade mushroom. To condense the supreme elixir, ten thousand transformations all move according to the unfolding of the hexagrams and lines. The form of the elixir shifts with the line images and their measures, and its spiritual transformations are too subtle for any picture to capture. The treasure congeals into a sky-blue green, and the glow of dawn clouds divides into five colors: the first is called Purple-Gold Red, the second Flying White Snow, the third Heavenly Valley Blue-Green, the fourth Black Lead Liquid, and the fifth Central Yellow Essence. These can make the body firm and keep vitality long-lasting.

Examine the whole body, its hundred bones and nine orifices, and illness can be dispelled. The aged and frail countenance can be restored, the body made light and vigorous, the hair kept from turning white, the teeth made firm again like jade, and dim eyesight made bright as a lamp or candle. The practitioner conceals their traces in the human world, accumulating good deeds and performing hidden virtue.

This is not a craving for worldly glory. If one has not yet been able to attend the court of Yuqing (the Jade Pure realm, abode of the revered Daoist deities), one should heal the sick when one meets them, give money to the poor, pass on the elixir classics (Jing) to those who seek learning, and explain the oral instructions of cultivation. On the day one's merit and practice are fulfilled, one may rely on the celestial writ to attend the court of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate, a realm of the revered deities in Daoist thought).

The true medicinal substance is lead, and true mercury manifests with fire. The movement of water and fire must accord with the celestial tallies of time and must not miss its moment. If the four seasons fall out of order, cold and warmth lose their proper rhythm: at the winter solstice there is scorching heat, and at the summer solstice thick frost falls. Day and night may also lose their order, and light and dark become indistinct. The Kun fire (the yin fire phase in alchemical practice) weakens and is about to go out, yin qi invades while the vital spark has not yet sprouted; when water is overwhelming, the Kan yang (the yang qi symbolized by the Kan trigram) recedes; when fire is excessive, it in turn harms Wood. The Five Phases overcome one another without generating one another, and Yin-Yang fall out of their normal sequence. Fire and Metal cannot return to their places, the Dipper constellation is thrown into disorder, and north and south shift position; the stars of the four directions run in confusion, and the Xuanji (the system of stars used to observe the heavens) loses its accuracy.

Those who refine the elixir should reflect carefully and attend closely to the details within. Understanding does not necessarily require speaking; what matters is diligent practice and following the instructions. Read this book ten thousand times, and it will be called the "Ladder to Heaven."

All things are generated within emptiness and nothingness, and their marvelous transformations all originate, at root, from the cinnabar and mercury (the cinnabar, mercury and similar substances used in Daoist alchemy, often also a symbol for internal alchemy, or Neidan). When the Fusang tree (a legendary sacred tree in the east) rises, the Golden Crow (the divine bird within the sun) flies out bearing essence and qi (Jing and Qi), its fiery feathers gleaming.

The sun's radiance shines upon birds and beasts and is called "Yang fire," also known as the "hun soul." The sun sets and rises again, light and darkness alternating in an endless cycle. As the red sun climbs, it seems to drive the Jingyang chariot along its course between heaven and earth, turning round and round without end.

The true essence (Jing) that appears is like grains of sand, its light and heat so fierce that it seems able to melt stone and metal, and it is hard to tell apart. Its brilliance illumines heaven and earth, receiving the sunlight and the colors of dawn, and the myriad things are born through the transforming nurture of the elixir.

The cinnabar spoken of here is not something made by human hands, nor is it a matter of placing the five metals and eight minerals in a furnace to be smelted. Within the Great Void (the vast, formless ground of the cosmos) there is already a Reverted Elixir, which becomes a night-shining pearl, yet people do not recognize it.

The pearl's light is rich and full, appearing above the Cinnabar Heavens. The Jade Rabbit (the white rabbit said to dwell in the moon) shines pure and clear, moving with the changes of the trigram lines (the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams). Kun gives rise to Zhen and Dui, and Qian turns again into Xun; between Gen and Kun it revolves back and forth, until at last the Yang line returns.

As Yin-Yang goes and comes and changes, it forms a sacred medicine, which the immortals and perfected call the "Purple Gold Paste." One drop restores sight to the blind; two drops make withered bones grow flesh and blood again; three drops turn stubborn stone into gold; four drops turn a great river into cream. At five drops, spring flowers no longer fall away with the leaves, and sun and moon shine on forever without interruption.

Even common things such as lodestones and broken tiles can be turned into gold, and decayed things that touch it become bright and new. If someone suffering from consumption, or from "corpse-transmitted consumption" (a severe lung disease that the ancients believed to be contagious), obtains this medicine and takes it, it will take effect and the body will become light and agile.

Foolish people regard the elixir as something inside the body alone, and keep seeking a partner for it in the bedchamber arts (techniques that use sexual union as a means of cultivation). But the elixir is not the qi and essence within the body; once essence and qi are dissipated, what is left to be refined into an elixir? The hundred spirits (Shen) then scatter, the breath of life vanishes, and a person grows old and withered, even falling into stubborn illness. The sage says that all these practices are wrong. How could they compare with refining the "Yellow Gold Liquid" (here meaning the precious elixir fluid obtained through cultivation)?

The Master said: Where does the Golden Liquid (a term from alchemy for the refined essence produced) come from? When Pangu first opened up heaven and earth, the root of the Great Dao (the Way) already existed. It was originally the Dragon's essence (Jing) and the Tiger's marrow, which passed through Jia, Yi, Geng, and Xin and were transformed into Ren and Gui.

Bing and Ding belong to the Vermilion Bird (one of the Four Symbols, representing the south and fire). The fire spirit soars upward and descends from the Dark Heaven to unite with Wu and Ji. Rising and descending, this exchange repeats thirty-six times, and the blazing fire-qi (Qi, vital energy) circulates back and forth between south and north.

The subtle essence and Qi of heaven and earth stir gently, rising and turning over. The finest workings of creation all derive from the numbers three, five, and one. What do three, five, and one refer to? They are the root from which heaven, earth, and human beings are produced.

The power that produces heaven is enough to keep the celestial cycles turning. The power that produces earth makes the ground firm and the myriad things flourish. The power that produces human beings gives rise to distinctions of noble and humble. How could those of meager fortune ever succeed in refining cinnabar?

Those who aspire to cultivation must first learn to recognize true lead (an alchemical term for the key substance used in refining the elixir). If one cannot recognize true lead, one's practice will be in vain. Heaven has Five Thieves (a Daoist term for the hidden mechanisms at work in the movements of heaven and earth); whoever sees through them will prosper. Within the lead are five colors, which appear in marvelous and auspicious forms.

The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of the myriad things. This root is no ordinary thing, and even those who have attained the sacred realm find it hard to know. It lies within the Mysterious Origin (the profound and subtle source), hidden in the realm of the indistinct and elusive.

Within the deep darkness, one waits for the most refined Qi to gather. When Yang qi is stirred, it brings forth light like a flash of lightning. The light coils and circles, dividing into five colors. Beneath it lies the essence of lead, yet few people recognize it.

In spring, plants and trees sprout, yet in summer it is as cool as ice. In autumn no frost gathers, and in winter there is no snow. Harmonious qi nourishes the myriad things and gradually brings them to spiritual awareness. The Yellow Sprout (an alchemical term for the essence that emerges as the elixir forms) is not the same as what the common world calls lead.

After eight hundred years of nourishment, the Yellow Sprout transforms into Blue-Green Mercury (an alchemical term for a transformed state in the refining process), which ultimately becomes hard to find. Blue-Green Mercury is none other than quicksilver, and it is hard to seek; it circulates among the Four Great Elements (the four basic elements that make up the world), changing without end.

After another eight hundred years, the Blue-Green Mercury turns into Blue-Green Gold, which is harder still to obtain. Blue-Green Gold is originally the bone of the Azure Dragon; its generative number is three, and its completion number is eight.

When the cycle of the numbers three and eight has run its course, the mercury-qi turns blue-green and becomes a blue-green vapor that flies upward. Once it has ascended, it becomes the immortals' blessing and emolument for all time. Through long ages, the primordial radiant Qi is transformed into five kinds of blessing.

The kingfisher-colored clouds are called Blue-Green Dust. They rise to the Pure Capital (the serene celestial capital in the realm of the immortals) and return to the place where they belong. The kingfisher-feathered banners (the ceremonial regalia of the immortal realm) enter the Palace of Purple Yang, and a red dragon-light rises from the Hall of Radiant Yang.

The light blazes and shines, illuminating the boundless. Yang qi reaches its utmost peak, the images cease, and Yin qi dissipates. The lead separates into five colors, and flames leap up into the sky: blue-green, red, white, black, and yellow, with yellow at the center.

The silvery-white radiance is bright and gentle, and purple divine light and auspicious qi (vital energy) seem to be enveloped in crimson clouds. The many spirits commune with the "lead qi" in rhythm with their breathing, while the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens swallow the red dragon-light rising from within the palace. Elsewhere it is said that the Jade Youths and Jade Maidens swallow the essence of the great void.

The light shines without limit, and when the light of utmost yang reaches its extreme, darkness disperses. The "lead" divides into flames of five colors, blue-green, red, white, black, and yellow, with yellow at the center.

The Elder of Heaven (a title of a Daoist immortal) and the host of immortals swallow this radiance and so live without end. Long ago, the Jade Emperor appeared in the Xuanqiong (the lofty heavenly realm) and called it the root of the returned elixir (huandan, an elixir produced through refining). The "lead" spoken of here is not the lead of the mundane world: it hangs in the air, bright and clear. Rosy light penetrates the crystal palace, and its faint glow casts the image of a golden rooster.

Between one breath and the next, wind and clouds gather, and the dragon and tiger answer each other: when the dragon calls the tiger responds, and when the tiger calls the dragon responds. The vast, flood-like qi condenses into the true supreme medicine. After one takes it, one swiftly ascends into the clouds, transforming the body and shedding the mortal frame, rising into the air with an appearance like that of the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun, a revered Daoist deity). All share this one qi together and merge with Heaven and Earth; returning to the source is the root of the myriad things.

Having exhausted the many different methods, one finds that all of them differ from the matter of the golden cinnabar. The lead-essence that dwells in the world is the lord of the five metals and the origin of the seventy-two kinds of minerals. If an alchemist is able to gather it, he must first remove the yin-earth within it before pouring it into the furnace. The lead-sand is kneaded into clay lumps and carefully sealed with the "Six-One Sealing Mud" (the materials and method used in alchemy to seal furnaces and cauldrons).

It is calcined with fire for a day and a night; when the fire dies and the smoke clears, the clay has been burned to ash. The lead is then inverted into the ash pit and smelted again over fire, and the lead turns into "divine water." This divine water originally comes from white gold, so a cauldron is first fashioned from white gold. White gold is said to be the womb-root of mercury, and the refining of mercury must likewise return to the water of the source.

The mercury spoken of here is the medicine of long life, not the mercury of the ordinary world. The Vermilion Bird (the divine bird symbolizing the fire qi of the south) flew down from the scorching sky, and its feathers, head, and feet were all broken off; for this reason mercury cannot fly upward, and only through refining does it become the great medicine of the Golden Elixir. The scripture also says that, for fear of divulging the secrets of Heaven, these words are seldom heard in the world.

"Have I not told you again and again that craving beauty and craving wealth will make you like the birds and beasts? If you violate the precepts, the spirits (shenming) will watch over you, and those whose offenses are grave will be seized and taken to Fengdu (the legendary underworld). Such guilt is no small matter.

Beyond that lie the endless torments of the Nine Springs (the depths of the underworld). Do not treat these words as idle talk. If you carelessly disclose the secret instructions to people who are not fit to receive them, you will sink through ten thousand kalpas and suffer retribution in the realm of darkness."

Treatise on the Perfect Radiance of the Spirit Chamber

Among all the affairs of the world, one is out of the ordinary: the matter of the True One (Zhenyi), which concerns the Way of the Returned Elixir (the method of the "returned elixir" in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, and elixir refining). Many students have dabbled in this Way, but most fail to see its root and cannot grasp its beginning and end. They try again and again, fail again and again, and in the end accomplish nothing. Can it really be so rare for someone to meet this teaching through true affinity?

In cultivating the Great Elixir (the principal aim of Daoist alchemy), the crucial step is building the altar. One must choose a suitable direction, select the ground and an auspicious day, and never act carelessly, or disaster will follow. The altar has three tiers and a square plan, eight feet on each side. The upper and lower tiers differ in size, and it must be built according to the prescribed measurements and rules.

The upper tier stands two chi and six cun high, corresponding to the positions of the Nine Palaces and the Nine Luminaries. Its square measures one zhang and six chi across, corresponding to the number "two-eight." The middle tier stands two chi and five cun high. Its center is divided into the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), which forms the heart of the altar. Its square measures two zhang and four chi across, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms. The lower tier stands two chi and six cun high, and the Eight Gates are arranged upon it, each with its own rules for opening and closing. Its square measures two zhang and eight chi across, corresponding to the twenty-eight lunar mansions.

Swords are set on all four sides to guard the four directions, and mirrors are hung on all eight sides to illuminate and dispel malign spirits and calamities. Silks of the five colors are hung according to direction, each corresponding to the quarter in which it stands. On the altar is a stove called the "Spirit Furnace." The fire-qi within the Spirit Furnace now hides and now appears; once gathered in, it is collected into the cauldron, and the cauldron receives it in order to nourish and refine the Spirit Chamber.

The Spirit Chamber (the inner chamber of Shen, or spirit, and Qi in the process of cultivation) is round and bright, yet it cannot simply be called round or bright. It is called not round because its shape is like an egg; it is called not bright because it takes form gradually as the moon does. The golden cauldron is like an upturned, crescent-shaped pot, and the Spirit Chamber lies at the point where its two sides part. When the fire-qi enters the cauldron, it fixes the cauldron's position. If the cauldron is hard to steady, the fire-qi entering it will lay the embryo sideways and tilt the cauldron out of place. When the cauldron is inverted, the Bright Hall loses its proper De (Virtue); when the embryo lies sideways, Yin-Yang is thrown into disorder.

When the sun and moon lose their union, Metal and Water wither along with them. Nature and emotion separate and cannot meet; man and woman each miss the moment of joining, so their breath cannot blend and their bodies cannot unite. This happens because the imagery (the symbols used to represent the changes of Yin-Yang) has fallen out of balance, so that Qian and Kun (symbols of heaven and earth, Yin-Yang) cannot connect. Kan and Li (symbols of water and fire, Yin-Yang) are scrambled between south and north, and the east-west positions of Mao and You (symbols of direction and seasonal order) can hardly be told apart; Water and Fire lose their places, and Metal and Wood stand in the wrong directions.

The dragon hides and transforms, having lost the celestial boat that would carry it home; the lethal energy of autumn scatters with the wind, and the tiger too loses its form. This describes the Golden Embryo (the Neidan (internal alchemy) symbolized by gold) failing to form, the rooster and the hare (symbols of Mao and You, the meeting of Yin-Yang) drifting apart, heaven and earth losing their order, and the Divine Water (an alchemical term for the water symbolizing Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) in inner cultivation) overturned and lost.

To recover the Crow (the golden crow, often a symbol of the sun or true Yang) and avoid this imbalance, one must rely on someone who knows the methods of refining to re-establish Qian and Kun, tend the fire phases in the cauldron, regulate Yin-Yang anew, and set the sun and moon turning. Only then can every direction and position return to its proper place and Metal and Wood join. By using the breath of fire, one produces the essence of the sun, and by subduing Metal and Water, one nourishes the moon's soul; the energies of east, west, south, and north all flow together into the golden cauldron. Auspicious signs of the tiger and dragon (omens of Yin-Yang in harmony) then congeal in the deep and mysterious.

Within the primal chaos, lights shine upon one another, and their radiance fills the empty, vast expanse. From vastness one returns to true emptiness, and in true emptiness one refines; having been refined, one returns again to true emptiness, in which subtle mystery lies hidden. Here marvelous function is perfected and the "Geng Metal" (an Neidan term symbolizing the nature of metal and true Yang) is refined. This marvelous function divides into the Young Maiden (symbol of the Dui trigram and of Yang within Yin), and from the body of Dui, Ren Water is born. This speaks of refining subtle and refined Qi so that it congeals into the Chamber of Spirit (the place in inner cultivation where Shen (spirit) and Qi gather).

The Chamber of Spirit is bright and open, and Shen (spirit) comes and goes within it; when Shen appears, it becomes radiance. This speaks of refining the subtle and refined substance until it unites as numinous presence. The numinous presence has a delicate, exquisite form, and Shen is embodied as Qi; Qi has no fixed form and enters the deep and dim realm of the indistinct. Within that indistinctness, at the center, there is still numinous presence. The numinous presence is Shen formed from the union of subtle Qi; Shen moves Qi, and Qi gives birth to the numinous. The numinous is like the child, and Qi is like the mother. The principle spoken by the Primordial Sage Ancestor (the venerated patriarch of Daoism) is no empty word.

It is also said that after refining Shen, one must unite with the Dao. But what is attained through refining Shen and uniting with the Dao is not the "Dao" in the ordinary sense; one should read the Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) carefully to investigate it. Observe the Way of Heaven: how does heaven actually move? There is a Milky Way in the sky, and there is a counterpart within the Chamber of Spirit in the human body; within it, constellations are arrayed like a river of stars. Zhang and Yi fly, Lou and Wei chase each other; the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions move according to their patterns, and Water and Fire meet between south and north. Stars such as Zi and Shen correspond with Ming, He, Di, and Fang, and the White Tiger and Azure Dragon stand on either side. When the tiger roars, wind rises; when the dragon exhales, mist forms. Crimson clouds blaze and scatter like fire, breaking into red pearls. Each one is a true pearl of red, and from within the red blossoms and purple veins, the Metal Lord (symbol of metal) is born.

The Metal Lord unites with Water and Earth and is refined into Yellow Sprouts (a sign that the inner elixir has begun to form), then refined further into White Snow (a sign that the elixir is maturing). Purple cinnabar and red powder drift in profusion and finally transform into the Azure Dragon Paste. As the red powder dwindles, the White Tiger grows old; once the Dragon Paste and Tiger Marrow are refined, the wish-fulfilling treasure is born in the Palace of Longevity. If it can transmute metal, what are ten thousand taels of gold? More important, it can keep the aged forever young. The medicines in the Palace of Longevity bring lasting vitality, and the bright sun nourishes that vitality, making the Heavenly Pillar shine.

When the Heavenly Pillar shines, the Hun and Po souls join; in the essence of the toad and the jade rabbit, mercury-vapor appears as white. The Po responds to the light of the Hun and brings forth the Jade Mushroom. The spirit-dwelling in the Palace of Broad Cold is where Chang'e lives. Flying radiance and cinnabar rise from the Zhen and Li positions (east and south), and the Golden Crow flies into the Palace of Broad Cold. Amid fiery light and misty clouds the dragon exhales vapor, and crimson cinnabar falls, showing a purple-gold red.

Red blossoms and purple gold shine upon each other, and the golden blossom takes on a purple hue; the golden blossom turns into purple talismanic script, unfurling in threads like purple clouds. Golden light pierces the purple mist, and red and purple blend to reveal gold. Purple radiance illuminates the sunlight and raises the colors of gold and jade-green; within the gold-jade and the azurite (a mineral also used as an alchemical symbol), purple radiance is born once more. Emerald clouds, clear and translucent, join the blue clouds and finally transform into cloud-blossoms, numinous scenery, and the liquid of numinous cinnabar.

Cinnabar (zhusha, the red mineral used in alchemy) sheds its original colors of red, blue, and green and takes on a deep, hidden form. When it disperses, it is like a dragon in concealment or a ghost in hiding, flying off and transforming, hard to find within water and fire. Cinnabar and mercury depend on their physical forms to produce water and fire, but without true lead they cannot be refined into an elixir.

Cinnabar hides within lead just as fire hides within stone. Strike the stone, and the fire appears and gives off smoke. When it is not struck, the fire is unseen but still lies naturally hidden inside. Cinnabar hidden in lead is the same. Only after being nourished by water and tempered by fire do the two respond to each other, and once this response is fully connected, Golden Liquid is born. The Golden Liquid can communicate with the Shen (spirit, shenming). Over time it acquires numinous power, and its fiery spiritual energy and the intent of the Shen flow into one another.

The Shen's intent sets the movement of Qi (vital energy) in motion, like wind and thunder roiling. When wind and thunder stir, fire gives rise to earth. The Wu earth (a symbol of yang earth) in the Kan trigram is the father of metal, and the Ji earth (a symbol of yin earth) in the Li trigram is the mother of mercury. Mercury is called the mother, just as the Daodejing says: "The world had a beginning, and this beginning was the mother of the world."

The heavens stretch vast and boundless, and a crystalline numinous light flits through them. Moved by the response of the true spirit, cinnabar and mercury give off radiance. Fierce fire presses upon them and they are calcined again and again, and they give out a sound like weeping, as if answering an echo in the emptiness above the river. Where does this sound come from? It comes from water surging and fire refining. As the fire refines, the Qi of the Maiden (Chanü, a symbol of mercury) is gradually exhausted. As the water surges, the Infant (a symbol of lead) sheds its blackness. When the blackness is gone, a pure white treasure appears. When the mercury's Qi is spent, its original red also changes.

The sun is bright and spreads its radiance, symbolizing the renewal of all things. When the sun first rises, the mercury also begins to congeal. When lead and mercury first join, the image of the elixir gradually emerges. Refined by fire, the elixir body exhausts the Maiden's Qi. Stirred by water, the Infant sheds its blackness, the pure white treasure appears, and the mercury loses its red. The sun rises in brilliance and spreads its light, symbolizing the constant renewal of the elixir. At sunrise, the mercury begins to congeal.

The image of the elixir appears in the heavens and becomes the sun and moon. The sun is like a flowing bright pearl, and the primordial Qi lies deep within the void, able to pass through metal and enter stone, appearing and vanishing like a spirit. When the Shen manifests, it rises into the Gate of Heaven and is called the "heavenly soul" (hun). When the ghost hides away, it enters the Door of Earth and is called the "earthly soul" (po). The heavenly hun and the earthly po together form the foundation and serve as each other's dwelling, stationed at the directions of Zi and Wu. When water and fire unite, fire gives rise to earth. The two earths combine into the shape of a jade tablet, and silver is transformed into gold.

The fire in Li conceals the Jing-Qi (essence and vital energy) of Kan. Within the radiance of Li's Jing-Qi lies the Qi of Heavenly One. Heavenly One gathers in its brilliance and does not let the light shine outward. Instead it illuminates within, while also reaching outward and revealing its glow. The radiance is full and empty and clear, with the brightness flowing through everything. This is the sight of metal and fire shining upon each other, clear and radiant. What illuminates is the female of Li, and what is illuminated is the male of Kan. When Li's female and Kan's male are open to each other in light, and the female Qi enters the male, transformation becomes endless.

In the sacred images of the sun and moon, their numinous and wondrous transformations quietly interpenetrate. The purple numinous divine medicine also has a marvelous power of penetration. It flows through the yang fire and burns like blazing flame in the sky.

Rays of light scatter and fly, and the breath of Qi (vital energy) spreads and circulates, so that all things respond to one another and communicate. The elixir, with the texture of jade fungus, passes through the rosy glow and turns red. Entering the realm of red, the flames rise layer upon layer; piercing the rosy glow, the radiance deepens fold upon fold. This splendor is born of the two lights of sun and moon, and within it are contained true Wood and true Metal.

True Wood belongs to the east and corresponds to the Zhen trigram (one of the Bagua, Eight Trigrams, symbolizing thunder and movement), and the thunder of Zhen is able to generate fire. Zhen also represents the eldest son, and Zhen-Wood can give rise to fire; Zhen also symbolizes the dragon, which moves along with the progress of the flame. The west belongs to the Dui trigram (one of the Bagua, symbolizing marsh and the youngest daughter), which holds both Metal and Water; the water can harmonize the Geng-Metal, and Dui represents the young girl. When the tiger roars, the wind rises, and wind and rain reveal their form and sound, changing swiftly without pause, form and sound vanishing in an instant. When Metal and Wood join, the two kinds of Qi send down numinous energy, which condenses into the Metal Essence.

The Metal Essence is the core of refining the Great Medicine, and it contains the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The divine water of the Five Phases congeals into a golden fluid, and divine water and divine fire unite and draw close to one another: within the fire there is water, and within the water there is metal. The yang true mercury (an alchemical term referring, in Neidan or internal alchemy practice, to the essential Qi that stands opposite the yin medicines) receives the Qi of Metal, and the Zhen trigram joins with Geng and Xin, entering the position of You. Zhen receives the yang tally and gradually generates the nine lines, and its radiance spreads out in brightness.

When Zhen first begins, the yin line starts to transform from its original position, and Zhen emerges from the Kun trigram (one of the Bagua, symbolizing earth and yielding softness); the first six of Kun changes into the first nine of Zhen. Following the order of the six Geng, Geng belongs to You; Zhen corresponds to one hou for every five days (in ancient times, five days made one hou), and as Zhen comes to receive the yang tally, it passes through sixty double-hours in all. The upper cycle of Yang Dun (a division of time measured by the movement of yang Qi) ends and begins again, finally reaching Zhen, forming the nine lines, and the radiance spreads out.

When Zhen first begins, the yin line starts to transform from its original position, and Zhen emerges from the Kun trigram; the first six of Kun changes into the first nine of Zhen. Following the order of the six Geng, Geng belongs to You; Zhen corresponds to one hou for every five days, and as Zhen comes to receive the yang tally, it passes through sixty double-hours in all. The upper cycle of Yang Dun ends and begins again, and finally, beginning from Zhen, it turns toward Dui; Dui follows the yin tally, and the second six line of Kun changes accordingly. As the line positions interlace and the trigram images shift, their subtle mystery is difficult to glimpse.

Six in the second place changes into yang and becomes Nine in the second place, which signifies Metal entering the position of Fire. The moon travels to the Ding position and shows a half disc of light. Why is Metal said to belong to Fire? Why does the Dui trigram (one of the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams, symbolizing the marsh and also matched with Metal) resonate with Liu Ding? Does Ding belong to Ji? Dui belongs to Metal and Ding belongs to Fire. When Metal and Fire meet, Fire generates Earth and Earth in turn generates Metal; as Metal and Fire unite, the Dui trigram appears. Every five days make one hou (in ancient times, five days formed one hou, used to divide the seasons).

The Dui trigram comes forward to receive its talisman, and every sixty double-hours form the Middle Cycle of Yang Dun; when one round ends, it begins again. As the Dui trigram concludes, the Qian trigram begins to take shape; yang Qi (vital energy) recedes and yin Qi arrives, each moving freely along its natural course. When yang Qi reaches its extreme it corresponds to Qian, and when yin Qi reaches its extreme it corresponds to Kun. The Qian trigram ends in the nine line, while the yin trigram ends in the six line. Six in the second and third places passes through three transformations to become Nine; at Nine in the third place, one remains vigilant even at dusk, and so the body of the Qian trigram is finally formed. Yang Qi is then brilliant and full, shining upon the Jia position in the east. Among the seasonal periods belonging to the Six Jia, the Qian trigram corresponds to the Three-Five. Every five days make one hou for Qian, which comes forward to receive its talisman, and every sixty double-hours form the Lower Cycle of Yang Dun, totaling one hundred and eighty double-hours, which symbolizes half a year. The virtue of the Qian trigram is now complete, and the trigram's body moves to the juncture of the Two and the Eight. When yang Qi reaches its extreme, it gives rise to yin; once the image of Qian is full, yang Qi withdraws and turns toward yin, and the Xun trigram then takes over.

The Xun trigram governs the yin talisman and is linked to the first six of the Kun trigram. Liu Xin forms the Xun trigram, beginning on the sixteenth day and continuing to the twenty-sixth, when Xun is about to give rise to the Gen trigram. The stage of Xun is that in which yang Qi yields to yin and passes the succession to Xun. Every five days make one hou; Xun comes forward to receive its talisman, and every sixty double-hours form the Upper Cycle of Yin Dun, which begins anew when the cycle ends. As the Xun trigram concludes, the Gen trigram begins to take shape, and the line images by which Xun and Gen succeed one another are thereby settled.

Once the line images are settled, the Gen trigram joins with Liu Bing and succeeds Xun: the first six belongs to Xun, the second six belongs to Gen, and by the third six the yin Qi is already vigorous. As yin Qi flourishes, the power of Water grows stronger and the fire Qi is about to decline; the twenty-third day corresponds to the last-quarter moon. At the last quarter, the fire of the Gen trigram naturally wanes. Every five days make one hou for Gen, which comes forward to receive its talisman, and every sixty double-hours form the Middle Cycle of Yin Dun; when the cycle ends, it begins again. As the Gen trigram concludes, the Kun trigram begins to take shape. The image of Kun is black, and Yi and Gui are matched with the third six. The first six of Kun corresponds to the thirtieth day. The stage of Kun takes five days as one hou, and here it is completed. Kun comes forward to receive its talisman, and every sixty double-hours form the Lower Cycle of Yin Dun; when the cycle ends, it begins again. Starting from the earlier Three-Five, it ends with the later Three-Five.

As the Gen trigram concludes, the Kun trigram begins to take shape. The image of Kun is black, and Yi and Gui are matched with the third six. The first six of Kun corresponds to the thirtieth day. The stage of Kun takes five days as one hou, and here it is completed. Kun comes forward to receive its talisman, and every sixty double-hours form the Lower Cycle of Yin Dun; when the cycle ends, it begins again. Starting from the earlier Three-Five, it ends with the later Three-Five.

The six hou correspond to the brightness and darkness of day and night and also carry the changes of cold and heat; sunrise and sunset, the last day and the first day of the month, all follow the passage of the seasons. The hours accumulated by the last day of the month number one hundred and eighty double-hours, symbolizing half a year. Between the first quarter and the last quarter, the six hou combine into three xun, symbolizing one year. A year fully employs the twelve solar terms, and the waxing and waning of fire Qi symbolized in the trigrams changes with each month. A month contains six hou and completes one full circuit of the heavens; the Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven follow one another in succession, totaling ten thousand and three thousand double-hours.

The fire from thirteen thousand talismans (Fulu) is now sufficient; by this reckoning, it amounts to three years of refining. For those three years the Flowing Pearl Cauldron (the cauldron used in alchemical refining) is fired. Its form is like a bright mirror that draws in yang qi (Qi) and gathers the light of heaven. The radiance within the cauldron glows crimson like sunset clouds; the glow reflects the sun's soul (the essence of the sun), and the sun's soul then comes to unite with the cauldron.

Once the sun's soul has united with the cauldron, the red light casts the sun's shadow, which moves southward until it reaches the Bing position. At the hour of Bingwu, the hexagram lines unite with mercury and surge into the Spirit Chamber (an alchemical term for the key place of inner refining within the cauldron). The spirit (Shen) drinks in the light and scenery as if intoxicated, then wakes from its drunkenness; the spirit-qi is harmonized and blended, and the spirit's intoxication (the spirit-qi entering a state of drunkenness) then comes to unite with the cauldron.

Once the sun's soul has united with the cauldron, the red light casts the sun's shadow, which moves southward until it reaches the Bing position. At the hour of Bingwu, the hexagram lines unite with mercury and surge into the Spirit Chamber. The spirit drinks in the light and scenery as if intoxicated, then wakes from its drunkenness; the spirit-qi is harmonized and blended, and the spirit is thoroughly drunk. Having entered this state of intoxication, it continues unbroken, the flames burn brightly, and the numinous light flows through and circulates, revolving all around in perfect harmony.

The brightness is like a mirror's surface, and the firelight like a crystal plate; scattered upon the crystal plate are fine golden grains, like golden millet (grains like gold). The firelight flickers over the golden millet, and the intoxicating color gradually deepens and yellows like willow leaves and ears of wheat, as though the Great Granary Spirit Dwelling (the spirit chamber that stores abundance) were filled with elixir substance. The radiance is full and shimmering bright. When night comes, the moon's soul (the essence of the moon) corresponds to the white scene within the cauldron.

White appears within the cauldron, just like the full moon; the cauldron is in communion with heaven, so when the moon above is full, the moon within the cauldron is full as well. Both heaven above and the cauldron within display the state of the Qian hexagram (symbolizing pure yang). The substance of the Qian image revolves round and bright within the cauldron, like the full moon, its light like a mirror or a crystal plate. The silver toad that has been refined (the toad in the moon, used as a metaphor for the elixir substance) is as round and full as the full moon.

After the moon is full, it gradually wanes, and when it reaches the Xun position (one of the directional positions of the Bagua) it shows the image of loss; the end of the month corresponds to the yin talisman, and black appears within the cauldron. The moon's image at the month's beginning is white, and at the month's end it is black; black and white wax and wane, now full, now lacking. In the midst of this waxing and waning, the moonlight illuminates midnight, and people listen to the sound of the night water-clock (an ancient timekeeping device).

Just as the water-clock's sound ceases, one should check the sundial. The sun's shadow has moved for a long while, and the previous day's sunset seems already forgotten; the sun sets at the You hour (roughly five to seven in the evening), and the evening glow is crimson, symbolizing cinnabar. At the same time, a black scene appears within the cauldron. Black and white wax and wane, now full, now lacking; in the midst of this waxing and waning, the moonlight illuminates midnight, and people listen to the sound of the night water-clock.

As soon as the clepsydra (an ancient water clock) has run dry, noon arrives and one consults the sundial; the shadow of the sun moves on for so long that the sunset of the previous day is already forgotten. At the hour of you (5 to 7 p.m.), the evening glow reddens the sky, symbolizing cinnabar. Within the cauldron too, a stretch of crimson cloud is reflected. The cauldron's body is exquisitely wrought, and its flames turn into a radiance like lotus blossoms; the fire talismans (huofu, formulae used in coordination with alchemical refining) condense and gather, and the light of the sun returns into Hongmeng (the state of undivided chaos). This substance of Hongmeng is no ordinary food; it is sweet as honey in the mouth. After one takes it, without noticing, the body becomes light as if carried on the wind, and rises up into the air. Ascending to the vast firmament, one sees the gateway of the immortals revealed. Do not suppose that you can still meet again in a later life; as for the foolish, there is no need for them to talk idly of "wondrous being" and "true emptiness." Right and wrong are fundamentally the same; emptiness is form, and form is emptiness; the appearance of form stretches vast and hazy, reflecting a red light.

Let me tell you about the method of my own school: the sun has moved into the midst of the bright moon. When the moon holds the sun within it, this is the medicine of Heaven; when a person takes it, they can ride upon phoenixes and cranes. All the myriad methods are mistaken; learn this one move of mine. By this one move, one can leap beyond the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and attain true joy.

Treatise on the Void of the Golden Cauldron

I have heard that in high antiquity, the cultivation of alchemy required reliance on established methods. Only through skillful comprehension across many lifetimes, and by meeting through bonds formed in a previous life, can one accomplish the true Dao (the Way); this is called jointly obtaining the numinous qi (vital energy) between Heaven and Earth. Someone asks: "From where does the numinous qi of Heaven and Earth arise?" The answer: "When chaos was cleaved open, black and yellow separated out of the earth, and from this arose the golden essence (jing) between Heaven and Earth. It lies hidden in murky, profound depths, and is the root of the Dao. The feathered guests (yuke, Daoists) who obtain it can refine it into the Golden Cauldron."

As for the Golden Cauldron, how exactly is it brought into being, and by what cause does it exist?

Life arises from the formless and nameless primordial beginning, and the myriad things are born from it as well. The practitioner takes "metal essence" (jinjing, the subtle qi of Neidan practice) as the root of nature and life. This root is the "Golden Flower Pool" (jinhuachi), the abyss that holds the spirit-water. The golden fluid at the heart of this abyss surpasses all things in the world, and so it is called "the Mother of the Myriad Things." The ancient sages took it as the golden medicine within the cauldron.

The golden medicine within the cauldron must be sought among the medicinal substances, but it is not the gold of which common people speak. What is rare about worldly gold? The golden cauldron and the cauldron's gold can penetrate Heaven and Earth and communicate with the sun, moon, and stars, and thus the cauldron can receive the mandate of the talismans. When mercury (a term of alchemy, often referring to quicksilver or to Yin-natured medicinal substances) enters the golden cauldron, qi gives rise to an empty realm. Metal essence surpasses all spirits and powers, so it is called the Mother of the Myriad Things; the ancient sages took it as the golden medicine in the cauldron. The cauldron's gold of this kind must be sought among the medicines and is not common gold. The golden cauldron and the cauldron's gold penetrate Heaven and Earth and communicate with the Three Luminaries (the sun, moon, and stars), and so the cauldron receives the mandate of the talismans; when mercury enters the golden cauldron, qi gives rise to an empty realm.

Empty qi arises from emptiness and nothingness into being, and being in turn returns to non-being; emptiness and being originally issue from a single source. The empty realm becomes the pivot (shuji, the key to transformation and movement), and within the pivot a true seed condenses, so that water and fire can interact according to their proper order. Water by nature flows downward, yet in cultivation water is made to dwell above; the po (the Yin-natured soul of a person) draws in the mercury, and the hun follows, stirring in response. Fire by nature rises upward, yet in cultivation fire is made to dwell below; fire nourishes water and water gives birth to fire, and they proceed step by step according to the Yin-Yang line images (yaoxiang, the symbols in the study of the Changes that represent Yin-Yang transformation).

The Yang image is like flowing mercury, which is refined into the elixir by means of water; the Yin image follows the metal and grows gradually in accordance with water. Metal, water, and fire together are called the "Three Fives" (sanwu), among which metal belongs to the Yang side, and mercury is paired with it. The Zhen position symbolizes the Azure Dragon, and the Dui position symbolizes the White Tiger.

The celestial body is perfectly round and bright, and the movement of metal follows the numbers "three and five." As the Qi of Metal gradually withdraws, the Qi of Water gradually rises. The White Tiger (symbolizing the Qi of Metal) passes from fullness to waning and transforms into the Black Tiger; the Black Tortoise (Xuanwu, symbolizing the Qi of Water) sees its yin Qi begin to grow and enters the Gui position. The Qi of the Xun and Gen directions returns to the Kun position, and the Qi of Water moves according to the numbers three and five.

Metal is the child of Water, and Water is the mother of Metal. The Yin tally and the Yang fire are matched respectively with the zi and wu hours; the hard and the soft, the civil and the martial, alternate in their turns. Fire rises and is extinguished, and in the end is transformed into Earth. This is the "three and five" of Fire. Water and Fire meet in the four directions: when the Qi of Metal is about to decline, the Qi of Water is about to be born; when Fire is about to end, new Fire begins. Decline means an ending, and rising means a beginning. Metal turns into Water, and the hours on the clepsydra (the ancient water clock) change with it, white turning to black; when darkness ends, light begins, and black and white go back and forth, following the monthly cycle. One who knows to hold fast to black when white arrives, and to welcome white when black departs, can grasp the movement of the three hundred sixty-five degrees of the year.

Open the gate of life and close the door of death, so that Water and Fire may move steadily within the cauldron (the furnace vessel used in alchemy). When Water and Fire are in harmony, the medicinal substances will show their efficacy. Why is it called efficacious? Because Water can dissolve and Fire can steam; with Water and Fire as the medium, the Sun Hun (the spirit-soul symbolizing the essence of the sun) is summoned. As the Hun unfolds, the Shen (spirit) and Qi gather together and the yang radiance rises; the Po swallows the radiance of the Hun and absorbs the Green Cinnabar. Green Cinnabar, also called Horse Tooth, is an alchemical substance regarded as supremely numinous and extraordinary, and so it is called the "Flowing Hun."

The Hun relates to Water, and Water responds to the Hun. The yang Qi of the Zhen direction becomes manifest, and the celestial tally descends to be carried out. The days and hours are completed at their appointed moments: "Swiftly, swiftly, as the statutes and ordinances command!" (a Daoist formula of command). Summon the Hun to return and subdue it in the Tiger's Den; draw wind and clouds forth in the breath, and bring Water and Fire into the cauldron. Water and Fire boil fiercely, producing a sound like a tiger's roar. Water has its numinous crystal, and Fire has its numinous crystal; Water and Fire each possess spiritual power and unite with the Po and the Hun. The numinous power of the Po can draw in the numinous crystal of the Hun, the Hun draws the Po, and the Po in turn draws the Hun. As the Hun draws the Po, the Hun is settled in the cauldron; as the Po draws the Hun, the Po too is settled in the cauldron.

The so-called "Hun Cauldron" means subduing the mercury so that it no longer scatters and flies away. Let it move within the cauldron, its radiance flowing, transforming into a glow like purple gold and into a red powder; hence it is called "the Hun settled." When settled, it does not move; when set in motion, the fire's force proceeds straight ahead. The fire's force goes back and forth, and in the end it congeals into a treasure. The so-called "Po Cauldron" refers to Xuanwu (the divine creature symbolizing the Qi of Water) being tranquil and still. Stillness enables Metal to give rise to Water, and the Water becomes clear and limpid; the clear Qi gathers into images. This is the meaning of the "Po Cauldron."

Use Metal to nourish Water, and use Fire to refine Metal, so that the hun and po souls cling to one another. In this way the Golden Cauldron can naturally gather and govern the Qi (vital energy) of spirit-illumination, and the Water becomes clear and bright. When this brilliance condenses into an image, it is called the "Sun Po." The "cauldron" mentioned here is the golden cauldron used to refine internal alchemy (Neidan).

With Metal nourishing Water and Fire refining Metal, the hun and po souls rely on each other, and the Golden Cauldron can govern the Qi of spirit-illumination and refine cinnabar, uniting one's inborn nature with one's emotions. The cinnabar spoken of here is neither mineral vermilion nor mercury, but the inner elixir of cultivation. The "Great Medicine of the Golden Elixir" is divided into grades of three and eight, and all its transformations, like the lines of the trigrams and the weights of the zhu and liang, are arranged within the Golden Cauldron. In applying Water and Fire, one must judge their depth and adjust them according to the progression of the twenty-four solar terms.

These transformations can be neither seen nor heard. Refining in the Golden Cauldron can prolong a person's life; the treasure produced is priceless, able to turn back the Yang energy and bring about a rebirth of the body, becoming "purple dissolving gold." This purple dissolving gold can communicate with the spirits. The Golden Crow (the mythical three-legged crow in the sun) enters the sunlight, and the blue and red mists circulate in turn; when the blue and red Qi return together into the Golden Cauldron, they form the furnace of creation and transformation. Then, through repeated refining by the method of "nine returns and seven reversions," everything finally returns to emptiness.

The seven reversions produce red jade powder, and the nine returns produce purple-gold cream. The purple-gold cream and the red jade powder bring the hun and po souls into union. All of this originally arises from emptiness, and emptiness in turn gives birth to Shen (spirit): Shen transforms into Qi, Qi into Water, Water into Wood, Wood into Fire, Fire into Earth, Earth into Metal, and Metal again into Water. The energies of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) gather within the Golden Cauldron, while the two lights (commonly the sun and moon) revolve and shine. Water and Fire soar and transform, and the Fire symbolized by the Li trigram and the Water symbolized by the Kan trigram surge against each other and merge. Water and Fire swallow and expel one another, grinding together until they turn into fine breaths that congeal like saltpeter powder.

Once harmonized, these breaths take on a pure white, luminous sheen, like the flash of light when teeth grind against each other. The radiance follows the body's life energy into the Tiger Soul (hupo) and congeals on the Purple-Gold Terrace into a form like frost and snow. Its color is like fine jade, buoyant and light, while the Yang energy is light, clear, and gentle, flowing slowly onward.

The light, clear Yang Cinnabar (yangsha, cinnabar with Yang qualities) blazes in the sunlight, sparkling and vying with the sun in brilliance, as though it outshone the sun itself. Its radiance seems to hold the numinous Qi (vital energy) of Heaven and Earth, and this numinous energy is able to transform all things. The root of Yang Cinnabar comes from the Fusang tree (the legendary divine tree from which the sun rises), and its form takes shape through cinnabar, containing lead within.

It rises in a burst of light, scattering like grains of millet or flying apart like stars. When ground extremely fine, it is called "Azure Dragon Bone." This is an exceedingly wondrous substance, able to soar; if it could not soar, how would one know its marvel? Try tossing a little into the air, and it truly seems to hold the power to reverse the patterns of the heavens.

The cinnabar climbs high and its vermilion color appears, as if entering the lair of the Golden Crow (the legendary three-legged crow that dwells within the sun). The light, clear sunlight nourishes the Yang medicine; its brilliance shines upon the sunlight, and the sunlight in turn illuminates the medicine. They reflect and sparkle upon each other, merging into a single expanse of radiance. Drawing in this purple glow, the cinnabar ascends toward the sun.

The Great Yin and the Great Yang (Yin-Yang) represent true water and true fire. Water can restrain fire; once the fire is extinguished, its excessive nature turns into earth. As the bright place recedes, the hidden fire also sinks into the earth, and the radiance is gathered in. This radiance is stored within emptiness, and emptiness in turn transforms into Qi, so that the breath flows freely above and below. Once above and below are connected, the fire moves in accord with the hexagram images (the Yin-Yang transformations that the hexagrams represent). The hexagram fire waxes and wanes, and when it is full, it flourishes.

As sunlight shines, the flames grow bright in response, their radiant force reaching tens of millions of feet. Light gives rise to fire, and the fire grows strong; the Yang essence follows the strength of the fire, and the fire in turn draws in Yang Qi. The Yang fire-mirror (yangsui, an ancient device for kindling fire from the sun) reflects the sun and shines upon its light, as though without end. When the fire surpasses the light, the light surges through the workings of Qi; the light penetrates the earth, and the earth too becomes connected with primordial Qi. Fire follows light, and as the fire's Qi circulates, the myriad things are born from it; the fire before one's eyes at last transforms into brilliant sunlight.

The yangsui (阳燧, an ancient instrument for kindling fire from sunlight) gathers the sun's rays, and once it receives their influence the two commune, giving rise to a vision that is dim and hard to make out. The flames grow bright and abundant, and the radiance of the yang essence breaks through, as though fire were kindled in a place of darkness, blazing and brilliant.

The sunlight then enters the dwelling of yellow gold, illuminating heaven and earth and the world of sand. The golden sand spews forth flames and gives off the sun's light; the earth, by that light, brings forth a world. Light follows Shen (spirit) in its movement, and Shen appears in turn through light; the entire great chiliocosm is contained within it. Even when worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges pass through their kalpas, a single grain of sand will lose its brightness once the sunlight is gone.

When the sunlight has vanished, what can still be called a world? Longhan, Yankang, and Chiming are all names that Daoism gives to cosmic cycles of calamity. What is described here is the sinking of the kalpa and the transformation of heaven and earth, a kalpa-force that cannot be escaped and can scarcely be put into words. A black wind drifts about, and the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humankind fall into disorder. Mountains topple and ranges crumble, all at last turning to dust. Earth, water, fire, and wind sweep in together, and houses and towers are all submerged.

All living things lose their nourishment, with no distinction of north, south, east, or west. Every trace of the myriad things' appearances vanishes, and neither the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) nor the Four Images can be found. Neither sound nor form can escape. The primordial light within chaos grows entirely dark, profound and still, mysterious and unfathomable, its depths impossible to probe.

At the point of utmost depth, one returns to the original source, to the state before heaven and earth were divided. Before the separation of heaven and earth, there was the primordial Qi (vital energy) capable of dividing into heaven and earth. This yuanhuang (元黄) true Qi is the ancestor of "True Unity" (Zhenyi), able to bring forth the myriad things, and it is the root of alchemical refinement. On this root one establishes the omen as the foundation of the alchemical method; through the omen one summons the primordial Qi, returning to the source and restoring the origin, back to the time before heaven and earth were divided.

Before heaven and earth were divided, one Qi divided into the primordial Qi of heaven and earth. The yuanhuang true Qi is the ancestor of "True Unity," able to give birth to the myriad things, and it is the Elixir Mother (danmu, the root on which alchemical refining depends). Based on the Elixir Mother one sets up the omen as the elixir foundation, and through the omen the Azure-Waisted Envoy (Qingyao shizhe, a divine messenger in Daoism) is summoned back. The Azure-Waisted Envoy is called into the Hall of Lingering Light, where it is refined into window dust, so that light no longer appears; this "window dust" is also called "sun-yellow motes."

When the sun changes, what happens after the Yang Qi (vital energy) transforms? The Qi of water and fire travels back and forth through the twelve double-hours. The twelve double-hours seem to be empty of anything, yet they contain Zi and Wu, while Mao and You are further divided into the numbers four and nine. Four times nine is thirty-six, and the fire Qi circulates within it. Zi, Wu, Mao, and You correspond to the cardinal directions, south, north, and so on. Wu belongs to Yang, yet within it the Yin fire stirs. Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei are divided into the numbers four and eight; four times eight is thirty-two, and the fire Qi circulates within this as well. Water and fire refine and temper one another until they finally reach jiji (既济, "already crossed over," a state in which water and fire are harmonized and Yin-Yang is in balance).

Zi belongs to Yin, yet within it the Yang fire stirs. Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai are divided into the numbers four and eight, and four times eight is again thirty-two. The hundred quarter-hours and the double-hours divide day from night: daytime belongs to heat, and night to cold. When cold and heat are clearly distinguished, one follows Yin-Yang; when Yin-Yang separate, they are like the two parts of an egg. Life and death alternate ceaselessly, circling without end.

Three days later, on the Geng day, light is born in the Zhen position and receives its Qi from the west; the hun (soul) rises in the Kun position, in the northeast. By the Yi day, the po (soul) dissolves, which is called the death of the hun. Death and life follow one upon the other and never cease. Wood's number is three and Metal's is four, and together they make seven. Yin-Yang divide to form the upper and lower quarter-moons; they then combine again into the "Golden Embryo," where Kun joins with Qian, and Qian and Kun must be tightly enclosed. Embrace the sun and moon with your hands to form the shenshi (神室, the "Shen Chamber," the inner space in which Jing, Qi, and Shen are cultivated). The Kan Hall (the palace symbolizing water and Yin) shines forth, the Shen Chamber becomes round and bright, and all returns to the union of three and five.

The three and five are formed by combining directions such as Geng, Zhen, Dui, and Qian with the stems and branches. Kun holds Yi and Gui within it, and Yi belongs to Yin. The first quarter, the full moon, the last day, and the new moon (the waxing and waning of the lunar phases) are all gathered within it. As black and white wax and wane, they foretell good and ill fortune. At the auspicious time, the moon is full; at the inauspicious time, it wanes. If the wondrous transformation loses its measure, it goes against the law. The Golden Embryo and the Shen Chamber symbolize Taiyin (the Great Yin, the Yin essence-Qi); if you doubt this, simply look at the moon in the sky.

Yellow and white refine the Jing and the hun within. The po is white and the hun is yellow, and the hun enters the po; as yellow and white transform into one another, the black of the Jing-Qi is transformed along with them. Blend the Jing and the hun, and refine the black Qi within the po, and brilliant light radiates forth. When yellow and white coalesce and are made complete, their rays meet one another; a sun is born in the heavens and a moon is born on the earth. The Tiger absorbs the light of the Dragon, and the brightness penetrates the whole body; within the White Gold Embryo, yellow gold is produced.

Yellow gold and white gold are distinguished in the proportion of two to eight. This method has been handed down since ancient times and is not lightly disclosed; if you tell ordinary people, they may well not believe it. If you do not believe it, test it by the zhaohua (照华, possibly referring to some observable sign). Tracing the matter further upward, there was originally one crucial move: you must recognize the substance that gives birth to heaven and earth. It can produce heaven and earth, and it can also produce the myriad things and human beings. You should reflect on it carefully and seek it out. Once you have found it, you may journey to the Jade Capital (the celestial palaces of the immortals), riding a luan-bird and mounting a crane to ascend to heaven.

The Mingtang (Hall of Light) has had three names: it was called "Shishi" under the Xia, "Chongshi" under the Shang, and "Mingtang" under the Zhou. It was the palace where the Son of Heaven proclaimed government decrees and put correct virtue into practice, and also the place where the assembled officials paid court in order of rank. The Mingtang was furnished with structures such as the "Gate of Offering to the Sun" and the "Station of Upright Yang." With luan birds and cranes as companions, the ruler ascended from here.

Since high antiquity, places where true deities were venerated have also been called "Mingtang." The Yellow Emperor refined the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir at Mount Jing and built the "Chamber of Mysterious Unity." This chamber is said to have drawn sunlight from fire, and as Yang Qi (vital energy) gathered, brilliance arose. For this reason it was also called a Mingtang, and was known as the "Spirit Dwelling of Azure Essence (Jing)." It corresponds to the images of the sun and moon and is the dwelling place of divine beings. Broad on all four sides and open to the light, it allows numinous spirits (Shen) to come and go and to respond in resonance.

The spirits spoken of here include the forces of water, fire, wind, and cloud. Water and fire each return to their proper positions: fire is stored in the Li position, and water returns to the Kan direction. The movements of wind and cloud, dragon and tiger, correspond to the eastern and western directions and to the twenty-eight lunar mansions (the system of star groups by which ancient astronomy divided the heavens). The crow falls in the positions of Geng and Xin, and through resonance and transformation gives birth to the myriad things. When the Qi of the west is calm and balanced, the Five Phases (Wuxing), namely Water, Fire, Metal, Wood, and Earth, revolve in cycles according to the patterns of mutual overcoming and mutual generation.

When the movements of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases fall into disorder, calamity is invited; when they are followed in accord with their principle, blessing follows. If Heaven and Earth are harmonious, an age of great peace may appear; if Yin and Yang fall out of harmony and the workings of Qi turn violent, war and ill omens may arise, and disaster will soon become manifest. Halberds and spears standing like a forest among the hills with killing intent rising to the sky, or flying sand and rolling stones, a lingering comet, a disturbed Venus: all these portend peril for the state. Fire Qi can hardly be harmonized, Metal and Water Qi become prominent, and the Qi of dragon and tiger clash fiercely. All of these are signs of Yin and Yang overcoming one another, and of generating and destroying one another in turn. War, then, is a manifestation of the Qi of Metal and Fire surging and being stirred to fury.

Once the qi (vital energy) of joy stirs restlessly, it produces a sound like crashing thunder. Thunder reverberating means that the fire of Yangming has grown too dry and fierce. Parched fire harms the metal qi, causing Yin-Yang to scatter and separate, so where could the metal fluid ever be obtained? A raging fire flares in vain and instead burns the Mysterious Pearl (the precious essence cultivated in Neidan, or internal alchemy), leaving the fire phasing improper and the medicinal substances damaged. When the hun and po souls weaken and the shen (spirit) scatters, the numinous elixir can hardly be refined.

Water qi must not become excessive. When water prevails, yin qi invades the interior; once yin holds the upper hand, yang qi is insufficient and cannot overcome it. The qi of Jueyin (the yin qi corresponding to wind and Wood) stirs up the wind and in turn damages the Wood qi. When the Wood qi is harmed, the shen qi is also injured, and the Dragon and Tiger (two forces in Neidan symbolizing Yin-Yang and Water-Fire) fall ill as a result. Because this illness bears the image of Bing fire, it is called "illness."

By "illness" is meant that, in the movement of sun and moon, the transition to the Bing position has not occurred; and the transition has not occurred because the numerical positions in which Yin-Yang are paired have gone awry. Yang loses the moment in which it should unite with yin, and yin qi then intrudes upon Yangming. This is precisely the sign that Yin-Yang cannot join. If Yin-Yang cannot be settled, the Four Images (the four states formed by the transformations of Yin-Yang) cannot be established, and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) cannot be differentiated. In that case, where could cinnabar be produced?

Fire itself contains Yin-Yang, and Water and Fire must attain a proper balance. Their waxing and waning and their contest depend on whether the foundation of the elixir is firm. In practice one must harmonize the bending and the lifting without negligence, joining the two strings so that metal and water transform; from this emptiness and nothingness arise, and then, relying on the transformation of the medicinal substances, the refining is completed. Once refined, the medicinal substances return to brightness: what is transformed from the medicine is born out of non-being, and "returning" means going back to non-being. Within non-being there is still a solid foundation; within being, what then serves as the substance? As for the principles of these two poles, being and non-being, I shall for the moment set them out in detail.

"Non-being" refers to the empty, void state in which the qi dynamics of Water, Wood, Metal, and Wood reside. The qi of the four directions lies hidden within this void, and the Dao (the Way) is concealed within it as well. This means that within the formless and substanceless, form can coalesce. So then, from where does form arise?

Those who do not understand "non-principle" (wuli, the fundamental principle without form or name) venture commentary rashly. The numinous things between Heaven and Earth must not be used lightly. It is a pity when someone who has not yet mastered the methods of refining makes hasty attempts: even if they obtain the thing, they can hardly distinguish it, and can hardly plan for it.

Take the dark-and-yellow vessel of earth and metal (a subtle vessel made of earth, metal, and other materials). Once it receives fire, it begins to work, and once it is properly set up, resonance arises. At first the change seems to be and not to be; when it faintly appears, it is like a fine, delicate mist. The Dao (the Way) is hidden and subtle, neither heard nor seen. When resonance stirs in the obscure depths, a hazy vapor (yinyun) arises, and when something moves in the profound depths, the Qi (vital energy) surges along with it. As the Xiyi, the faint and the subtle, is stirred, the hazy vapor pulses back and forth like a bellows. This is the beginning of transformation: the first signs have sprouted, and from here Taiyin (the Greater Yin, the Qi of Yin and of the moon) is born.

What is called "transformation" is the numinous working of Shen (spirit). As Shen moves, Qi transforms, gathering and congealing until it finally forms substance. The substance is vast and indistinct, with rosy clouds and firelight flowing through it. The radiance condenses into Jing (essence) and Qi, and the Jing-Qi gives off a red luster. Red shadows converge and congeal into clouds like those of the Jade Empyrean and the Crimson Empyrean, called "Li-red flakes." The Li-red scatters and flies, light red drifting and rising, and the wondrous thing soars up with it, displaying the five colors. As the five colors dance, a sun-like blue-green light appears among them.

Yellow, white, black, and the other colors alternate and transform, with yellow holding the center. The Sun is lord and father, traveling along the Yellow Path. When the Yellow Path turns north, the Black Path circles back and forth, and the Yellow Path turns with it. The transformations of yellow accord with the rhythms, and the pitch-pipes (lülü, the ancient system for fixing musical pitches and seasonal divisions) generate one another. At the winter solstice, when the first Yang is born, why are the days still so short and the nights still so long?

On the night of the fourth day of each month, Yin qi (Qi, vital energy) reaches its fullest, while Yang qi has not yet recovered. At this time, one observes the changes in the sun's shadow and records the time according to month and day. Once the winter solstice arrives, the shadow gains one ke (a unit of time measurement) for every nine days after it. Five nine-day periods yield a gain of five ke, and when forty-five days are complete, this phase is finished and achieves the effect of the Beginning of Spring.

After the Beginning of Spring, the shadow again gains one ke for every nine days. Five nine-day periods yield five ke, and when forty-five days are complete, this corresponds to the Spring Equinox. After the Spring Equinox the gain is calculated in the same way, and when forty-five days are complete, it corresponds to the Beginning of Summer. After the Beginning of Summer, nine more days pass, and one ke is gained over each span of nine days. Five nine-day periods yield five ke, and when forty-five days are complete, this movement of the seasonal periods corresponds to the four seasonal nodes.

From the Beginning of Summer to the summer solstice, the shadow reaches sixty ke. With each ke gained, the daytime shadow gradually lengthens, and the sun travels to its southernmost point. After the summer solstice, the pattern turns to decline: in the nine days after the solstice, one ke is lost for every nine days. Five nine-day periods lose five ke, and when forty-five days are complete, the effect of the Beginning of Autumn is achieved.

After the Beginning of Autumn, one ke is lost for every nine days. Five nine-day periods lose five ke, and when forty-five days are complete, this corresponds to the Autumn Equinox. After the Autumn Equinox the calculation proceeds in the same way, and when forty-five days are complete, it corresponds to the Beginning of Winter. After the Beginning of Winter, the calculation continues with one ke lost for every nine days and five ke lost over five nine-day periods, and when forty-five days are complete, the movement of the eight seasonal nodes comes to an end.

Here, "gain" and "decline" refer to the increase and decrease of the sun's shadow, calculated according to the seasonal periods. They are used to describe the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang and the progression of the solar terms through the year.

The year is divided into eight seasonal segments, totaling three hundred and sixty days. Day and night together comprise thirty-six thousand ke (quarter-hour marks), and the double-hours are reckoned by these marks. At noon on the winter solstice, the sun's shadow measures roughly forty ke in length, darting past like a weaver's shuttle, as swift as a flash of lightning. The sun moves without pause, and the Yang energy naturally wanes and retreats into hiding. While Yang lies concealed, Yin takes effect, and day and night revolve without end. As Yin stirs and Yang grows, after sixty ke Yang reaches the end of its course, its Qi (vital energy) rises, and sunlight appears.

The Nine Splendors shine forth, and their radiance envelops the verdant brilliance of the jade-green splendor, which is the light revered by the spirits. The spirit who honors this light is yellow in hue; ascending into the Hall of Light (the palace where the divine beings dwell), this spirit is called the Emperor. The Emperor passes on the color red; the Red Emperor (the deity governing red) bestows its luster, the Azure Emperor receives its De (Virtue), the White Emperor brings forth radiance, and the Black Emperor manifests the deep, dark-yellow hue of mystery.

The powers of the Five Emperors blend and transform into divine light. This light surges and fills to abundance, and its marvelous workings are inexhaustible. When divine power reaches its utmost, it returns to rectitude; one then rectifies the luster of the Shen (spirit) and stores it securely within its chamber. The Shen has a yellow and a black aspect, and these colors hold the Jing (essence) of the spirit. The yellow is the Metal spirit, and the black is the numinous power of the North; black is also the foundation of Water, concealing the essential Qi within. This essential Qi is exceedingly subtle and numinous, and exceedingly firm.

Taishang (the Supreme One, an honorific for the highest deity in Daoism) said: The subtlest essence is utterly real, and within it lies verifiable proof; where there is proof, there is always a response. This talisman of resonance is the Celestial Talisman. The celestial talisman shines with brilliant light, while the flying talisman moves with spirit-like quickness, elusive and indistinct. The transformations of the spirits are verified in secret, resonating with the Purple Spirit. The Purple Spirit divine medicine is endowed with numinous power and is a marvelous remedy. Its wonder is beyond compare, for it is the quintessence from which primordial Qi (vital energy) is born.

When Shen (spirit) unites with Jing (essence) and Qi, Shen ascends into the purple clouds, while Qi circulates and transforms, moving through the directions of the heavenly stems jia, bing, geng, and ren. Geng and ren belong to Metal and Water, and they fill and enrich one another. Jia and bing represent Water and Fire nourishing each other. When two fires combine, they form a blaze, and when two trees combine, they form a forest. Fire and wood cling to one another like sisters and brothers.

Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui are four of the trigrams of the Yi (Book of Changes), symbolizing water, fire, thunder, and marsh respectively. They can also be used to explain the union of Yin-Yang as male and female. A young man who undergoes the capping ceremony at adulthood belongs to lesser Yang, and a young woman who undergoes the hairpin ceremony belongs to lesser Yin. When Yin and Yang unite according to proper measure, they follow the numbers seven and eight. Once the numbers seven and eight are complete, the numbers nine and six come together in accord. The four phases of the moon, namely the dark moon, the new moon, the first quarter, and the full moon, add up to roughly thirty days.

The numbers nine and six symbolize old Yang and old Yin. The Qian trigram is the father and the Kun trigram is the mother, and through them Yin and Yang draw close to one another. Using human kinship as an analogy, the father rears the son, and the son in turn rears the grandchildren, so that life continues from generation to generation and family ties link layer upon layer. Lead and mercury combine just as human kin do, and when Yin and Yang join, they condense into pure essence.

Ling (numinous spirit) and jing (radiant vision), which here refer to the spirits and luminous visions encountered in cultivation, follow one another in succession. Where they merge, tigers roar and dragons cry out, the five tones are played in interweaving harmony, and the Yang energy of the six pitch-pipes grows bright and full. The brilliant light of Yang and Shen shines upon the Hall of Light (Mingtang), the dwelling place of the divine in the imagery of internal cultivation. When the Hall of Light is upright and virtuous, ruler and ministers are in harmony with one another. Benevolence and righteousness are practiced, martial preparedness is drilled, and culture and learning are cultivated. When loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, and wisdom are all present, the Five Constants (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness) are harmonious and balanced. Virtuous transformation spreads throughout the realm, enriching the state and bringing peace to the people. The stars move in their proper order, Shen and Qi fill the chamber, the five Qi converge, and Shen and Qi descend and surge forth in motion.

When loyalty, trustworthiness, propriety, and wisdom are all present, the Five Constants are harmonious and balanced. Virtuous transformation spreads throughout the realm, enriching the state and bringing peace to the people. The stars move in their proper order, Shen and Qi fill the chamber, the five Qi converge, and Shen and Qi descend and surge forth in motion.

Qi (气, vital energy) flows and blends like mist and smoke, and Shen (神, spirit) and intention move along with it. The rule of union and conjunction is to follow the proper order of Qi's movement. Qi's movement admits no error: there is darkness and brightness, cold and heat; by day it is hot, by night it is cool; Yang Qi circulates and rises, while Yin Qi settles and descends.

In the Palace of Vast Cold (广寒宫, a term from Neidan, internal alchemy, referring to the region corresponding to the moon), water and cinnabar condense. The cinnabar congeals into delicate, finely wrought forms resembling horse teeth. These "horse teeth" were originally the bones of the Golden Crow (金乌, the divine bird said in ancient legend to dwell in the sun), and the blazing essence of the sun finally returns to the lunar cave. When the lunar cave is lit by sunlight, it reveals a white Hall of Light (明堂, a Neidan term for a site within the body where refining and transformation take place). The Hall of Light is the chamber of metal and water, the place where metal and water unite.

Metal and water give rise to one another, and when metal is moistened it produces a yellow fluid. The yellow fluid boils within the cauldron, and the flowing mercury turns into divine water, surging like a waterfall, layer upon layer, until it congeals as hard as ice. The dragon coils; the tiger gazes. The tiger's nature answers to the dragon's disposition, moving with the light and pursuing brightness. Within the light all is indistinct and hard to discern; within the brightness all is deep and unfathomable. The subtle, miraculous essence of the cinnabar is born within the divine and luminous.

Yin spirit and Yang brightness act upon one another: Yang Qi is gathered in order to join with Yin; Yin appears by means of spirit, and Yang moves by means of brightness. When Yin and Yang (阴阳) are properly harmonized, this is the foundation for the transformation and nurturing of all things. What is called "transformation" means that the sun shines down three times; what is called "nurturing" means that the moon shifts three times. The Qi of sun and moon unite, and the two forces of Yin and Yang propel one another.

Water belongs to one and fire to two, and together the two combine to make three. Three gives birth to the myriad things, and with three transformations the process reaches its utmost. The "three" here refers to mercury, which transforms and brings forth a miraculous substance. The spiritual flower shines forth alone and becomes a rare and precious treasure. Once the marvelous substances of the Five Phases (五行, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) have been refined, the medicine attains the state of Xiyi (希夷, a Daoist term for a realm that cannot be perceived or described).

When people seek answers from adepts, the adepts often cannot perceive the hidden mystery within. Only those truly committed to this path can keep the secret formulas in their hearts, wait for the right moment, and so grasp the true wonder of the Five Phases (Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). With the ordinary water and fire of the world, the interplay of generation and restraint among the Five Phases appears of its own accord. The sage can grasp and explain these principles with spiritual subtlety, and uses them to understand the transformations of Heaven and Earth. All this amounts to letting each thing find its proper place and understanding the rhythm of day and night.

By day, one observes the shadow of the sun and the passing hours, taking the celestial signs as the standard. By night, one listens to the water clock and looks up to study the Hetu (River Diagram, an ancient diagram symbolizing the order of Heaven and Earth). The moon moves by its own cadence, and the stars are spread across north and south. The Qi (vital energy) of the Void lodgings descends to answer the cauldron. The divine tortoise moves with the fire, the black tiger appears in the cave of the white tiger, and the red dragon leaps into the lair of the azure dragon. These are all expressions from alchemy that symbolize Yin-Yang, water and fire, and the transformation of the medicines. The two medicines return to their original source and blend together anew. Cinnabar joins with the essence of metal and enters the Golden Lord (a symbol of the metal nature, or of substances such as lead).

Mercury unites with lead, and cinnabar draws close to gold. The gold becomes the Spirit Chamber (the furnace and cauldron used in alchemy, or the site of inner cultivation). The Bright Hall is set firmly in its place, the mysterious palace shines forth, and the Qi of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) mingles and joins. From within Kun the Zhen dragon is born, and the yang Qi, following its correspondences, begins to circulate again. The soul of Li's fire enters the animating spirit of Kan's water, and the movements of Qi turn with the heavens. Water stirs fire, and the cauldron and pot ring out together. As Yin-Yang revolves, the Zhen position receives the Qi of Geng and Xin. Metal by nature overcomes Wood, so why does metal here give rise to Wood? Because when the moon reaches the Ding position, metal enters the realm of fire. When fire flourishes, the metal is melted, and its action turns to make Wood thrive. When the fire dies down it becomes Earth; Earth can generate Metal, Metal can generate Water, and Water in turn generates Wood. The Five Phases both overcome and generate one another, each taking its turn as root and support.

Parents give birth to children, and children in turn carry on their parents. Kun gives rise to Zhen and Dui, and Dui returns again to the body of Kun. When the Qi of the "three and five" is full, the three lights of sun, moon, and stars move in due measure. The moon's soul-essence, symbolized by the Jade Rabbit, gradually grows bright, and the moon is full in the east. After fullness, it begins to wane, and the Yin Qi reaches a certain stage. After the sixteenth day, the yin tallies take over the course; the Gen position is on duty at the Bing position in the south. By the twenty-third day, the "three and five" phase is complete, and metal enters the realm of water. The Kun tally is vast, and the water Qi returns to the north, congealing into metal and then turning to water again. Fire moves with the changes of the lines, and its images appear according to the practitioner's cultivation. It comes and goes within the divine furnace, hidden in the crescent-shaped furnace.

One nurtures the Golden Embryo, which transforms into the Golden Liquid. When the liquid congeals it resembles yellow butter, and when broken it looks like grains of gold. It is translucent and golden, turning from yellow to red, and when tempered by fire it becomes the Returned Elixir. The furnace is opened and the cauldron tipped, and rosy light pours in and out. The golden sand is fine as powder, and when ground it is like frost; it is then mixed and kneaded again so that the Qi of Yin-Yang gathers within. Refined to the ninth stage, it forms pellets the size of millet grains. After offerings of thanks to Heaven and Earth, not even ten thousand measures of bright pearls could buy a single grain. Take one, and wings grow upon the body, winds and thunder answer one's call, and the spirits attend at one's side. One can even swap the seasons and hold back the sun and moon, turning winter into scorching summer, sending frost and snow in summer, blooming spring flowers in autumn, and scattering yellow leaves in spring. This is what is meant by "the universe is in the hand, and the transformation of all things arises from oneself."

The great river can be turned to cream, and stones can be turned to gold, all the way to the Northern Dipper. These words are not empty. One must grasp the principle of "being arising from non-being": Heaven and Earth were born from non-being, and so I too can endure as long as Heaven and Earth. This Dao (the Way) is deeply secret, and its essential instructions are passed down only by word of mouth. If it is carelessly handed to those unsuited for it, disaster will surely follow. One should guard it carefully, practice with single-minded devotion, and perform hidden good deeds widely. Only then will one gain the protection of the spirits and, in the end, may hope to become an immortal.