《还丹肘后诀》

The Elixir Secrets at Hand, Volume One

The Secrets at Hand is traditionally attributed to the Perfected Ge (Ge Hong) and comprises ten volumes. Nine volumes discuss various medical prescriptions, medicinal herbs, and methods of treatment; one examines mineral elixirs and Yellow Sprout, a technical term in alchemy for an important substance or stage in elixir preparation. The book also explains the regulation of the alchemical fire, intending to leave guidance for later learners and help them distinguish the methods of elixir making. Mastering this text reveals half the Way of the Great Medicine; the rest consists of oral instructions, which need not be elaborated at length. The author holds that anyone who wholeheartedly grasps the ultimate true Dao can guide those lost in confusion and give them hope of cultivating the Way of the Immortals. Later students should therefore study it carefully.

The instructions say: The precious Elixir originally comes from one substance, from which two arise; the two then unite with fire. Fire resides in Bing and Ding, the Fire stems of the Heavenly Stems, while its root arises in Jia and Yi, the Wood stems. At the time of the ninth day, the hidden dragon symbolizes the first emergence of Yang. This corresponds to the month of Jianzi, the ancient calendrical idea of taking the Zi month as the beginning of the year, and to the Heavenly Tally. Yang Qi stirs, as all things begin to awaken at the time of the Awakening of Insects. It receives its breath from the mother, and the mother here means Earth.

The Dao gives birth to one; one gives birth to two; two give birth to three. Here, “three” is called the basis from which Yin and Yang arise, while Yang Qi is the essence of Heaven and Earth. Thus, “three, five, and one” are regarded as the foundation of the Reverted Elixir. The Heavenly Tally signifies verification; the sun is the primordial essence of Heaven and Earth, and the beginning from which the Five Phases are generated and all things illuminated. Years are used to calculate months, months to calculate days, days to calculate hours, and hours to mark years. This is done to chart the distance between times and distinguish their similarities and differences.

When primordial chaos first opened, Yin and Yang Qi began to divide. The Dipper’s handle moved without pause, pointing in turn to the twelve earthly branches. Yin and Yang Qi joined and transformed, and from this all things took shape. The “Heavenly Tally” is the trustworthy, inevitable pattern that governs the natural course of things.

As Yin and Yang Qi join, all things take shape. When their movement reaches a certain stage, they return to their source and congeal into essence. Yang Qi moves unseen, condensing and transforming into essence, which then becomes sand. Its color is that of the southern Fire of the Heavenly Stems Bing and Ding. Yang on the outside and Yin within, it symbolizes men, the sun, and the Yang soul; it also symbolizes the essence of the sun and moon. The radiance of the sun and moon shines over Heaven and Earth. When the Qi of the sun and the Great Yin—the ancient name for the moon—harmonizes and joins, it congeals into sand after 1,080 years. Then, after another 1,080 years under the light of the Heavenly Tally, it takes shape and is called cinnabar.

Mercury arises from cinnabar. It is Yin within Yang and is called the “Solar Vermilion Bird”; it governs Water. Before the Qi of primal harmony is fully developed, it is called cinnabar, and is also known as “Heavenly Lead,” “Male Dragon,” or “Female Blood.” It transforms from the south to the north: the cinnabar nature is drawn out of cinnabar and transformed into Yin mercury. It governs Water and has the number one. Thus, although mercury belongs to Yang, it is like a minister.

The spirit Water of Heavenly Lead follows the movement of the Heavenly Tally, shining upon and nourishing cinnabar for another 1,080 years. Under the creative power of heavenly Fire, Yang Qi grows full while Yin Qi wanes. When Yang Qi reaches abundance and overflows, its color appears naturally. It receives the Qi of the northern Water of the Heavenly Stems Ren and Gui. Yin on the outside and Yang within, it symbolizes the moon’s Yin soul. It is not an ordinary worldly substance, but something that forms naturally within red stone and flows and transforms into Yang mercury. Called the “essence of Heavenly Lead,” it is the root of “yellow sprouts”—a term in alchemy for a key substance that appears during the refining process—and a natural Reverted Elixir transformed from the essences of the sun and moon. It naturally conceals the fire within; as its color changes, it ultimately completes the image of the west from the north. It belongs to Metal and has the number four; it is also the foundation of Water.

Thus it is said: “Three, Five, and One are the purest essences between Heaven and Earth.” Three is the parent of Fire, Five the parent of sand, and One the original ancestor of sand. They revolve in cycles, taking shape as their essences and Qi harmonize and respond to one another, never departing from “One.” “One” is the fundamental source of the Great Dao: it is Water. Those who study alchemy will not understand these transformations if they do not know that cinnabar is lead, and that the offspring born from lead is Gold. Within a single thing, Yin and Yang are contained; they can move on their own and restrain one another. There is Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin; mystery within mystery is called “Dark Warrior Stone.” It is transformed from Water into Metal, hence its name, sand. Produced within the Yin aspect of Metal, it is called “Lead-Gold” when it serves as the governing substance.

The Heavenly Tally continues its movement. Over 4,320 years, it shines upon and nourishes the original substances that constitute it, until at last Heavenly Lead is fully formed and becomes the natural Reverted Elixir.

The instructions say that sages of later generations used “fire” as a metaphor for the Yin-Yang trigrams used in alchemical cultivation—the symbols of Yin-Yang transformation. A month is reckoned as 360 double-hours, while the qi of a year is reckoned as 4,320 double-hours. These numbers correspond to the cycles of nature’s movement and explain the naturally formed Returning Elixir, the elixir refined through Daoist Neidan.

The instructions also say that this naturally formed Returning Elixir is called “Cinnabar Mercury,” and is also known as “Water within Metal.” Water dwells in the north and fire in the south; the Dragon dwells in the east and the Tiger in the west. The Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—unite as one and return to a single source. In cultivation, one follows changes in the seasonal nodes and applies the terrestrial talismans, symbols associated with the Earthly Branches and the seasons, so that they correspond to those changes; in the end, the Golden Elixir is refined.

Cinnabar is produced on the land of China, in the Kun position—the southwest—among the twelve terrestrial divisions. It is the essence formed from the purest primordial Qi between Heaven and Earth. Following the celestial timing of the Sun and Moon, it joins and gestates in the Earth position among the Five Phases. “Five” refers to Wu and Ji, which belong to Earth at the center of the palace.

Cinnabar grows on hills believed to be rich in good fortune and blessed with favorable terrain. There, Qi and blood, bone and flesh all possess the qualities of Metal; Water and Wood flourish in beauty, and the mountain’s structure is whole. Plants grow thickly and the soil and rocks are firm, so spirits of this numinous place protect it. Yin and Yang Qi circulate and mingle there, nurturing all things and allowing their refined Qi to shine. Cinnabar is born from Earth and eventually solidifies into ore.

Wherever cinnabar is found, after rain when the sky clears, or in dim conditions, it may sometimes gleam like sunlight, appearing and disappearing from view. Only miners can recognize it. This substance is called cinnabar, also known as vermilion. It has many other names, including Vermilion Lead, Celestial Lead, Fire Lead, Gold within Lead, Spirit-Water Flower Pond, Yin Mercury, Yang Mercury, Quicksilver, Yin within Yang, Yang within Yin, Five-Colored Stone, Five Metals, Lord of the Seven Treasures, Reverted Elixir, Naturally Born Yellow Sprout, and Beginning of the Five Phases.

Its places of origin include the mountain districts of Guifu, Chenjin, Hengqiu, Jielou, Yunmeng, Dushan, Bangyong, Quandao, and Tanyue. In rock caves and other terrain with favorable conditions and lush vegetation, cinnabar of many different forms may be found in both old and new mines. The finest cinnabar shines like a mirror, is shaped like a lotus or hibiscus, and is bright, translucent red. There are many kinds of medium- and low-grade cinnabar as well. Their mercury can be extracted and refined for other uses, but they cannot be used to make the finest elixirs.

The highest-grade cinnabar is like a ruler ascending the throne, with all the officials coming to pay their respects. Medium-grade cinnabar is like a celebrated minister. Low-grade cinnabar is like an ordinary person, who can only follow orders and cannot act independently. “Celestial Talisman” refers to the Sun: it is the essence of Yang Qi and a symbol of the Way of Heaven, shining with brilliance. The Huainanzi says, “Yang Qi gathers and becomes fire; the essence of fire becomes the Sun.” The Sun’s light is bright and pure; this is what the Sun signifies.

The scripture says: The Yang Qi of the sun is born in the Jia position, and Jia is the place of doubled Yang. Fire Qi arises from the Zhen position. Zhen represents the eldest son and Xun the eldest daughter; together they are the parents of fire. Fire is called “Zeng,” and wood is called “Qing.” Fire reveals the darkness of all things. The essence of fire is the sun: its radiance is pure and bright. This is the meaning of “sun.”

The scripture also says: The Yang Qi of the sun is born in the Jia position, and Jia is the place of doubled Yang. Fire Qi arises from the Zhen position. Zhen represents the eldest son and Xun the eldest daughter; together they are the parents of fire. Fire is called “Zeng,” and wood is called “Qing.” Because all things are acted upon by them, they are called “Zengqing.” The moon is the essence and spirit of Yin Qi, and also the principle by which the earth moves; it can emit bright light. The Huainanzi says: Yin cold gathers into dark Qi, which rises and transforms into water. The essence of water is the moon. The moon changes from fullness to waning; this is the meaning of “moon.”

The scripture further says: The Yin Qi of the moon is born in the Geng position, and Geng is the place of doubled Yin. Water Qi arises from the Dui position. Dui represents the young daughter and Kan the middle son; together they are the parents of water. Thus, men correspond to the sun rising in the east, while women correspond to the moon rising in the west.

Therefore, the scripture says: Cinnabar, the vermilion mineral used in alchemy, is the essence of the sun and moon and the foundation of nature and life. It combines with the Qi of inner and outer primordial harmony, which carries it along and condenses it into form. Taking it enables one to live forever. It is the essence condensed through the responsive interaction of the sun and moon. Hence the saying: The moon gives birth to it, and the sun nurtures it. The generation of all things depends on a mother; here, the mother refers to earth. The sun and moon are the two treasures, the purest things between Heaven and Earth. The Qi of Jia and Geng respond to and transform one another; their radiance appears and condenses into form, becoming cinnabar. At first it is called the Vermilion Bird, the most honored among the seventy-two minerals. Among them, none is more important than mercury. It responds to twenty-four kinds of dark Qi and connects with twenty-four names. A chicken that eats it transforms into a phoenix; a snake that swallows it transforms into a dragon. A person who takes it can live forever, sharing the lifespan of Heaven and Earth. It can also gather in the hun and po souls, restore youth, attune to wind and clouds with each breath, and summon Jade Maidens to accompany the adept. These are the effects of the Great Reverted Elixir.

The formula commentary says, “‘Red lead’ refers to cinnabar. The liquid extracted from cinnabar belongs to Water: it is mercury, Yin within Yang. What arises naturally within cinnabar belongs to Yin: it is mercury, Yang within Metal. Wood cannot coexist with Metal, so it is governed by Metal. Metal can give birth to Water; to contain Water, one must preserve Metal. Metal and Wood can give birth to Fire, but to control Fire, one must rely on Water. Thus lead-water controls mercury-water, and lead-fire controls mercury-fire. Wood contains its own nature, while Fire accords with its form.”

The commentary also says, “‘Lead-water’ is what arises naturally in cinnabar, and is called Yang mercury. ‘Mercury-water’ is the liquid extracted from cinnabar, and is called Yin mercury. That is why it says lead-water controls mercury-water.”

It further says, “‘Lead-fire’ refers to naturally generated Metal, while ‘mercury-fire’ refers to the liquid extracted from cinnabar. Lead-fire can control mercury-fire, but most people do not understand what this means; hence the phrase ‘the way of lead and mercury.’ The sun is the essence of the Fire of Greater Yang, so mercury-Wood is taken as the Dragon. The moon is the essence of the Water of Greater Yin, so lead-Metal is taken as the Tiger. The Dragon belongs to Yang, and its number is nine; it is the essence of Wood. The Tiger belongs to Yin, and its number is four; it is the essence of Metal.”

The oral instructions say: “Being” is brought under the control of “nonbeing,” and the two combine to form the Great Dao. Thus cinnabar—the vermilion mineral used in alchemy—must join with the essence of wood and also receive gold before the ingredients can unite as one. Their proportions must be exact, without the slightest deviation; only then can the highest, most subtle state be reached. People in the world do not understand this principle. They see gold yet regard it as if it were mere mud. The substance is called “Great Mystery.”

The principle of the Scripture of the Hidden Tally (Yinfu Jing) is this: the Dao gives rise to Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang give rise to the Five Phases. When the Five Phases combine, they are refined into the Returning Elixir, which restores things to their source; hence it is called “Dragon and Tiger.” Heaven has three signs: the sun, moon, and stars. Earth has three signs: rivers, streams, and seas. Human beings have three fundamentals: Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). The substances of the elixir are also three: water, earth, and metal. Qian and Kun, the Heaven and Earth trigrams of the Book of Changes, are like the upper and lower cauldrons. Kan and Li, the trigrams symbolizing water and fire, represent the water and fire used as ingredients. Zhen and Xun, the trigrams symbolizing thunder and wind, represent the advance and retreat of the fire during alchemical refinement. If one follows the methods of the scriptures for three years and models the natural formation of the Returning Elixir, the Qi of the Heavenly Origin will become abundant. How could the elixir then fail to form?

The oral instructions say: The “three years” are calculated as 12,960 double-hours. Although large and small months and intercalary months are included in the calendar, calculations must use the actual number of days; this is not a fixed time limit. If the Qi is insufficient, what is refined will be no different from broken tiles and gravel. All the myriad forms of Heaven and Earth are interconnected and imbued with spirit, and their wondrous transformations will naturally accord with one another. This elixir is called “Golden Sand,” and is also called the “Great Return.” “Return” means going back to the root.

The oral instructions say: Through the transformations described in the Scripture of the Hidden Tally, Qi becomes Jing, Jing becomes cinnabar, cinnabar becomes mercury, mercury becomes gold, and gold then becomes the elixir. “Cinnabar” means red. “Mercury” is a substance formed through the mutual control of metal and water, and so it is called “Golden Sand.” Because it returns to its original form, it is called the “Great Returning Elixir.” Another name for it is the “Golden Cauldron of the Five Qi.”

The oral instructions also say: The Five Qi mutually control one another and congeal into cinnabar; cinnabar becomes mercury, mercury becomes gold, and gold then becomes the elixir. “Cinnabar” means red. “Mercury” is a substance formed through the mutual control of metal and water, and so it is called “Golden Sand.” Because it returns to its original form, it is called the “Great Returning Elixir.” Another name for it is the “Golden Cauldron of the Five Qi.”

The formula says that the Qi of the Five Phases can subdue mercury and keep it from scattering. It then brings about changes through the five colors and returns it to its source. By taking the elixir once it has been refined, one can attain long life.

Cinnabar and flowing mercury are called the “father,” while the earth of Wu and Ji is called the “mother.” The “mother” is associated with the number five. In alchemical work, earth is used to make the crucible, subduing the mercury so it does not scatter. This crucible is called the “Golden Crucible.” Earth gives life to and nourishes the myriad things; since metal is born from earth, metal is called the “father.” Thus, the root of the “Metal Father” is still earth. For this reason, earth is also said to be the father and water the mother. Among the Five Phases, earth can control water, holding it down so it does not move recklessly. This is the function of Wu-Ji earth, and it is called the “Five Tally.”

Mercury must be subdued by earth. Earth is strongest in the position of metal; when metal, water, and earth unite, they display a pattern that accords with the Great Dao. It is like a ruler governing with the Dao: the four quarters then come of their own accord to pay tribute. Once the true meaning is understood, lead and mercury—the two medicinal substances—are refined together in a single crucible. Metal, water, and earth become one family and ultimately return to Wu-Ji earth. Without earth to restrain them, metal and water cannot be refined into an elixir.

Earth is at its height for eighteen days in each season and is weak during the remaining days. To refine the Golden Crucible, one must observe the changes of Yin and Yang and make the vital essences return; the moment for refining must not be missed. Here, “Male Yang” is a metaphor for earth, which can bring stability to the four quarters. “Earth” means the earth that can produce metal; “male” means Yang, or the masculine; and “yellow” is the color of earth. Earth can control water and is also the source of metal. This refers not to the medicinal substance realgar. The crucible depends on external earth, and for this reason it is called the “Five Tally.”

People in the world do not understand that the Return Elixir—the refining of an elixir to seek long life—originally describes the principle by which father and mother generate one another. They mistakenly take gold and silver to be the parents, and some even take gold and silver to be the crucible. If Qi is insufficient, it cannot be separated from “five”; and “five” cannot be separated from the “six Qi.” When these terms are used loosely, they may seem to refer to the same thing, but careful examination shows that their functions differ. Original Qi governs the Qi of the five materials. The Qi of these materials are like ruler and ministers facing one another: they work together, and none can be lacking. The Golden Elixir is refined using Original Qi; this is not called the “Five Tally.” The Five Tally is Qi. Qi has no form and is generated from Jing; within and without, it contains the true origin. Taking the elixir enables one to escape death and attain long life.

The Golden Crucible is an external vessel that holds and restrains the medicinal substances. What is called the “exterior” here means Qi; Qi is also the crucible. The crucible resembles an egg, white on the outside and yellow within. When it is combined with mercury, a vessel of white metal is used. The function of the vessel also depends on “five”: five means earth. This is earth that can produce metal. The substances must restrain one another according to the appropriate method, so that the refining proceeds securely and water does not scatter. This is precisely the efficacy of Wu-Ji earth.

The oral teaching says: “Raise the sword and lay down the weapons, and it will encompass the four quarters.” The “sword” refers to Metal Essence, a term in alchemy for the essence of metal. Its nature belongs to darkness, and it corresponds to Water among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). “Lay down the weapons” means that, like water, it ceases to scatter once it returns to its proper place. This means it returns to Earth. The foundation of the Great Elixir, the Golden Elixir produced through refinement, is cinnabar. Cinnabar is regarded as Lead; it originally arises from Earth and ultimately returns to Earth. Cinnabar belongs to Earth by nature, and only those who understand the Great Dao know this.

The oral teaching says: “The cauldron has many other names, such as Outer Spirit Water, Flower Pond, Spirit Chamber, Enclosure, Outer Pivot, Five Blacks, White Garment, Cinnabar Garment, Mother Metal, Mother Abode, Five Palaces, Metal Cauldron, and Spirit Furnace.” These names all refer, in alchemy, to the cauldron or to related parts and functions.

The oral teaching says: “Primordial Qi, the fundamental energy from which all things arise and change, is vast enough to encompass the eight directions, yet small enough to lie hidden in the subtlest places. It breathes in and out through Earth, Kun, and sets the sun and moon in motion. It can appear from within existence and return from existence to nonexistence. As the Flowing Pearl passes through nine revolutions, there is no need for a father to tell his son: it transforms into yellow and white substances, which interact naturally. When Yin and Yang unite, this is called the Dao; they gather and settle within the Metal Cauldron. The Golden Elixir is the primordial, harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon. It moves in secret, gives off radiance, and congeals into cinnabar. Within the cinnabar, another kind of Returned Elixir, an elixir produced through refinement, arises naturally.

“This is like human pregnancy and the birth of sons and daughters: both are born when the Yin-Yang essence and Qi of their parents respond to one another. The form of the Returned Elixir resembles a male body lying face up and a female body lying face down or up. This is so not only in life but also after death. Place them in water, and the male lies face down while the female lies face up. This is their innate nature, not something their parents make them do. Metal and Water in the cauldron are like a man and woman responding to one another: the male above, the female below, each following its nature. Their two essences unite, and the Great Dao is thereby brought to completion.”

The oral teaching also says: “To refine the Golden Elixir, one must have the Primordial Foundation, the root condition for the Golden Elixir’s formation, as well as the source. It is like parents raising children and Yin and Yang responding to one another: the male above, the female below, each following its nature. Their two essences unite, and in the end the Great Dao is brought to completion.”

To refine the Golden Elixir, one must have a fundamental basis and rely on the primordial parents to nourish, harmonize, and regulate it. The “father” spoken of here is Yang Qi: it can set things in motion, release their potential, and drive transformation, bringing things into form. The “mother” is Yin Qi associated with Earth. It can contain and nurture, enabling things to grow. The mother Qi governs the central palace, the position at the center.

Yellow Earth is the foundational Earth from which Metal arises. Cinnabar, used in alchemy, first receives the action of Qi and takes shape through its reliance on Earth. For this reason, Earth is called “the original mother of the Yellow Sprout.” Cinnabar takes form through Yang Qi and grows through the mother Qi, so Earth is also called the “Earth father.” Earth is the father, and Water is the mother. Among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), Earth is one of the foundations of the ceaseless generation and transformation of all things. Water, Fire, Metal, Wood, and Earth each occupy their own place, while also acting upon and moving through one another. Fire overcomes Metal, and Earth overcomes Water; Water, in turn, is the child produced by cinnabar. Earth is like the cauldron, while Fire drives transformation and brings substances into form. Only when something is borne by Earth can it be generated. Earth restrains Water; when their corresponding Qi resonates, the Dao of the Elixir can be accomplished. Hence the saying, “Know the white, yet keep to the black.” Here, “white” and “black” point figuratively to the paired principles of Yin and Yang, and of the inner and outer.

Most people do not understand that Qi of the same kind follows and generates itself, while also restraining and overcoming other kinds. Water is restrained by Earth: Earth can hold Water in check and keep it from flowing unchecked. This is the function of Wu and Ji Earth, known as the “Five Talismans Golden Cauldron.” Among ten thousand people, scarcely one understands this principle.

“Earth Talisman” refers to the essence of Fire and Wood. Fire cooks all things and sustains human life. Fire is the essence of Jia Wood and is also a foundation of Yang Qi. When Yin and Yang unite, they meet with the essences of the sun and moon and return to oneness. The essence of Jia Wood belongs to Fire. Fire’s number is two, and two gives rise to three. Its completed number is nine: nine is the utmost Yang number and also represents the Qi of Fire. Jia belongs to Wood, whose color is blue-green; it is the force that impels all things to grow. The Azure Dragon of the East belongs to Wood. Wood and Fire are mutually parent and child: Wood generates Fire, and Fire is generated by Wood. The Zhen trigram represents the eldest son. When one line changes, it gives rise to the Kan trigram, the middle son; when a second line changes, it gives rise to the Li trigram, the middle daughter. Li belongs to Fire and is associated with Bing and Ding.

Wood can nurture Fire, but Water is needed to restrain Fire. Three represents the pure Yang Way. The positions of Jia and Yi are called the “Heaven Talisman,” symbolizing trustworthiness and the power to set all things in motion and release their potential. The moon represents the “Yin Talisman,” which can nurture all things. Earth, too, belongs to the Yin Talisman and enables all things to grow. Fire belongs to the “Earth Talisman” and brings all things to maturity. The original Qi of Metal and Water also belongs to the Yin Talisman and nourishes all things.

“Straight Talisman in the Mirror” uses a mirror as a metaphor for the sun and moon reflecting one another and the sixty-four hexagrams—all the hexagrams of the Zhouyi. As the six lines of each hexagram change and move, the Heaven Talisman thereby enables the Golden Cauldron to take shape. Taking the Golden Elixir makes one an immortal; this is the merit of the Way transmitted by Ziming.

The oral formula says: The fire must remain gentle and steady, without missing the proper seasonal junctures. Letting the myriad things change naturally is the meaning of the “River Chariot.” The key to cultivation lies in the timing of the fire; mistakes arise in withdrawing and adding—that is, adjusting its strength and increasing or decreasing its intensity. Another explanation says that the “River Chariot” is situated in the north, the proper position, and carries things along like a chariot. Yet another says: “Zi” belongs to Metal, “river” to Water, and “chariot” to Fire; hence the name “Zi River Chariot.”

Diagram of the Earthly Tally, Direct Hexagrams, and the Seasonal Junctures for Advancing and Retreating

The oral formula says: Here, the method of four trigrams is used to correspond to the four seasons. Another explanation says that the “River Chariot” is situated in the north, the proper position, and carries things along like a chariot. Some also explain that “Zi” belongs to Metal, “river” to Water, and “chariot” to Fire, which is why it is called the “Zi River Chariot.”

Diagram of the Earthly Tally, Direct Hexagrams, and the Seasonal Junctures for Advancing and Retreating

The oral formula says: Here, four trigrams correspond to the four seasons, while the direct tally—a symbol that rotates through the seasonal junctures—circulates like a turning wheel hub. The changes of Yin and Yang unfold in sequence according to fixed numbers, driving the transformations of creation and bearing the myriad things. This method therefore follows the months and seasonal junctures of the calendar, coordinating the patterns of five and six across its warp and woof, and responding to the sun’s course. It is already recorded in the Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three), so it is not copied here. The advancing and retreating of the line images—the Yin-Yang changes symbolized by the hexagram lines—are included as well, with the direct tally proceeding from one to nine. “The Metal Tiger Spits Forth Essence” is another formula that uses the direct tally; it is not what is meant here.

The oral formula says: Using Yin and Yang line images as a metaphor, the sixty-four hexagrams are established. Here, the moment when the fire is first applied is taken as the eleventh month, corresponding to the seasonal juncture when Yang energy begins to grow. From the Return hexagram of the eleventh month, which symbolizes Yang energy’s first birth, to the pure Qian hexagram of the fourth month, whose six lines are all Yang, Yang energy reaches its utmost at the six positions. From the Gou hexagram of the fifth month, which symbolizes Yin energy’s first birth, to the pure Kun hexagram of the tenth month, whose six lines are all Yin, Yin energy reaches its utmost at the six positions. This completes one cycle of Yin and Yang’s movement, called “the black moon’s fullness.”

The oral formula says: During the first fifteen days of each month, the bright moon—the first half of the lunar month, when the moon waxes—comes under the influence of Wood and Fire, represented by the numbers seven and eight. The Zhen trigram governs spring and belongs to Wood; Wood’s base number is three and its completed number is eight. The Li trigram governs summer and belongs to Fire; Fire’s base number is two and its completed number is seven. Seven and eight add up to fifteen.

The oral formula says: During the last fifteen days of each month, the dark moon—the second half of the lunar month, when the moon wanes—comes under the influence of Metal and Water, represented by the numbers nine and six. The Dui trigram governs autumn and belongs to Metal; Metal’s base number is four and its completed number is nine. The Kan trigram governs winter and belongs to Water; Water’s base number is one and its completed number is six. Nine and six add up to fifteen.

The foundation of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) consists of five elements: first, Ren Water and Gui Water in the north; second, Bing Fire and Ding Fire in the south; third, Jia Wood and Yi Wood in the east; fourth, Geng Metal and Xin Metal in the west; and fifth, Wu Earth and Ji Earth at the center. The scripture says, “The father is young, while the son is old.” The father refers to celestial lead, that is, cinnabar; the son is the metal born from the father and refers to black lead. The son’s number is not fixed, but the father’s number is twenty-five.

Water, fire, metal, wood, and earth are in constant transformation. Five days make one pentad, and five pentads make twenty-five days; hence the father’s number is twenty-five. The son moves along with the passage of years and months without pause, hence the saying that the father is young while the son is old. People do not understand that all things arise through the transformation of the Five Phases; the Five Phases are like the parents of all things.

The method of using fire is to direct its operation according to the changes in the six lines—the six positions of a hexagram—and the tally periods. The hexagram periods guide the timing and measure of the fire. One begins with the pure Kun hexagram and returns at last to the pure Kun hexagram, repeating the cycle.

The cauldron, the vessel used for alchemical work, is changed once each month, and the changes stop at the ninth cauldron. At the tenth, one may rest or regulate the breath as one wishes. Afterward, one continues to follow the changes in the hexagram periods to govern the timing and measure of the fire, beginning with the pure Kun hexagram and returning to it, in an unbroken cycle.

The cauldron is changed once each month, and the changes stop at the ninth cauldron. At the tenth, one may regulate the breath as one wishes. The cauldron may be used or left unused; either way, flexible practice can make the transformations more subtle. This is the primordial Qi, the root from which metal is generated—black lead. The cauldron is therefore also called the “earthen furnace,” or the “mother”; here, “mother” refers to the metal cauldron.

The instructions say that the circulation of Metal and Water should follow the hexagram images and seasonal periods, shifting once every fifteen days. After fifteen days of operation, the Metal nature has already faded; after thirty days, the elixir is refined. In the tenth month, the native Earth is no longer used as the cauldron: the child medicine and its mother cauldron emerge, having shed the embryo. The so-called “nine revolutions” are the nine cauldrons; the tally is the father at work, while the cauldron is the mother at work. This is like a human embryo being born after 270 days: in the ninth month, the Qi of Yin and Yang is vigorous; in the tenth month, Earth Qi is vigorous. All things come into being together, and the child separates from the mother. This is why it is called “the embryo shedding and the elixir returning.” It also symbolizes a person’s birth after gathering the Qi of all four seasons.

It is also like a young child being nurtured for three years until its original Qi is full and the Golden Elixir is complete. This is called “Raising the Yellow.” After the elixir changes color and returns to the North, becoming clear and black, it is then called the “Great Returning Elixir.” People in the world do not understand the principles behind this.

The child is the medicine; the mother is the cauldron. The medicine and the cauldron respond to and unite with each other. They generate and restrain one another, lie concealed, and alternate in flourishing and decline, rising and descending within the cauldron. The elixir substance flies up and sinks down; Yin and Yang receive one another, meet, and consume and transform each other. The four substances act upon one another, while ruler and ministers work in coordination: the nature of Earth generates, and the nature of Metal disappears. The “four substances” refer to Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin. Native Earth serves as the pivot, and the tally sets it in motion. Thus the four substances act upon one another and ruler and ministers work in coordination: Earth’s nature is born, and Metal’s nature is extinguished. The four substances each occupy a direction. When their natures dissolve and they return to oneness and to the source, this is called the Golden Elixir.

The instructions say: If you keep watch over the process and refine for one year, then take one liang, you will not fall ill. If you keep watch and refine for two years, the elixir will form the “White Way,” and you may take half a liang. If you keep watch and refine for three years, the primordial Great Origin Qi will be full and the elixir will form the “Red Way.” Take one fen, and you can remain in the world for a long time. A single dao gui, a small implement for measuring medicine, can subdue mercury and make it form the “Red Way.” If you keep watch and refine for five years, the elixir need be only seven hemp seeds in size; take it and you will attain long life. A single dao gui can transform one jin of iron and mercury and make them form the “Red Way.” When nine years of watching and refining are complete, take three pellets to eliminate the Three Corpses and Nine Worms—impure beings said in Daoism to dwell in the body and obstruct cultivation—and attain ageless longevity. The five metals, the eight minerals, and even tiles and gravel can all be transformed into treasures of the highest value.

The instructions set out in the formula text compare the stages of firing with the lines of the Changes hexagrams and record the measure of the fire. These two must be used together. For example, beginning with the eleventh month, the month of Zi, one Yang line stirs into motion. Fire is born from two, and its completed number is seven. The firing process turns like a wheel: one line advances each month until, in the fifth month, the first Yin line appears. Then one line withdraws each month until, in the tenth month, it returns to Earth, and the cycle begins again. The golden sand follows the movement of the sun and moon and forms the Elixir in accordance with nature’s rhythms. Tradition holds that Suiren was the first to understand fire, while later sages used fire to refine the Elixir.

The key to the transforming principle that governs the circulation of the celestial circuit is to keep precise track of time by the water clock, measure the fire accurately, and observe the solar terms correctly. The firing process must advance gradually, like steaming or boiling food; given the prescribed time, success will come naturally. If the fire is too strong, the Elixir will scatter; if it is too weak, the ingredients will not congeal. As long as the fire is applied according to the line images shown by the direct talisman, metal and water will naturally settle and become subdued. In the sixth month, Yang energy ceases, ending at Si; in the twelfth month, Yin energy ceases, ending at Hai.

The formula text says that cinnabar is the essence of Yang energy and the black mercury’s flowing pearl. It is used to establish Qian and Kun, set water and fire in motion, correspond to the seasons, and accord with the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Metal is the essence of the moon and occupies the Yang position. Mercury corresponds to the energy of the Li trigram, matching the six lines. It is the condensation of Heaven and Earth’s numinous energy and the sun and moon’s essence. When adversity reaches its extreme, good fortune follows; as Yin energy is exhausted, Yang begins to emerge. Thus cinnabar is called the essence of Wood: when it obtains Metal, it can become refined and congeal. This is the Way of the “Three Ones”: three represents fire, one represents the medicine, and this is called “guarding the One.”

It is also said: Sand is the substance used in alchemical refining, while gold is the vessel that holds it. Thus, the three methods in fact share a single source, and the ultimate principle of the Great Dao has only one method. Sand is mild in nature and non-toxic, with a pungent taste. Its primal Qi is dark and mysterious, yet numinous; even after repeated refining, it is never exhausted. For this reason it is called “black lead.” The “lead” in question is the liquid that naturally forms within the sand: the black fluid drawn from the crescent-shaped vessel. Placing it in the crescent vessel to be combined is like Yin and Yang joining as husband and wife: the Yang soul receives the Yin spirit, and the two natures naturally harmonize.

The verse says: To apply the method of the Five Phases, follow the directions and trigrams of Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun, allowing the Zhi Fu—the responsive force that governs the seasons and guides transformation—to take part in gestation. Begin at the start of the Zi month, when one Yang is first born at the winter solstice. Make Zi correspond to Wu, and five connect with six. As the water clock measures the passing time, take account also of the movements of the sun, moon, and five planets, and the alternation of cold and heat, so that the Yang soul receives the Yin spirit and the two natures naturally harmonize.

The verse further says: To apply the method of the Five Phases, follow the directions and trigrams of Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun, allowing the Zhi Fu to take part in gestation. Begin at the start of the Zi month, when one Yang is first born at the winter solstice; make Zi and Wu correspond, and five connect with six. As the water clock measures the passing time, work in accordance with the movements of the sun, moon, and five planets, and the alternation of cold and heat. Day belongs to Yang, night to Yin, and Yin and Yang meet once every thirty days. The seasonal periods follow one another in succession; Yin and Yang, cold and heat, harmonize and lie hidden. They revolve through the sixty-four trigrams, over and over without end. Water and fire restrain and transform one another, without aid from any external substance. The transformations of the five metals and eight minerals are all brought about by human action in accordance with the principles of creation and transformation. The five metals correspond to the Five Phases, and the eight minerals to the Eight Trigrams. Water changes when it receives the Dragon; fire is set in motion by human agency. The cultivation of the Returned Elixir follows the principles of five and eight.

The verse says: When the Zhi Fu first begins to stir, the civil fire must not exceed nine, and the martial fire must not exceed nine either. Nine is the utmost of Yang; three multiplied by three makes nine, and at its limit Yin begins to arise. When Yin is exhausted, Yang is born: both turn in accord with the laws of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth. If gold and water can be brought into harmony, the proper sequence is achieved; if the seasonal timings fall out of order, gold and water become unbalanced. The process of refining and circulation is like lowering a silk cord or cradling a bird’s egg, receiving dark Qi as its effects gradually unfold. These images show how things give rise to one another, like branches in a cold valley that sprout when warmth returns. All things grow in season and alternate in their use according to changing circumstances; these are metaphors for transformation.

The verse says: The primal dark essence of the sun’s Qi originally arises in the south, from the Fire of Bing and Ding—that is, from the Li position. The Li trigram contains a Yin line between its two Yang lines; this Yin begins to grow and take effect. The way things give rise to one another is like branches in a cold valley that sprout when warmth returns. The images of all things growing in season and being used in alternation are all metaphors.

The instructions say that the Sun’s essence belongs to the color black, originates in the southern Fire of Bing and Ding, and occupies the Li trigram. From the two yang lines of Li arises one yin line. This is called the “Sun Soul,” also known as “yin mercury” (feminine mercury), and it belongs to Water. Once the Water energy is abundant, it shifts to the northern Water of Ren and Gui and resides in the Kan position. From the two yin lines of Kan arises one yang line. This is called the “Moon’s Po,” also known as “yang mercury” (masculine mercury), and it belongs to Metal. Water is still and unmoving, embodying Wuwei (non-action); the flame moves and rises, the foundation of action. Restraining action with non-action and bringing the two together forms the Way of alchemical refinement. Thus, Metal is generated in darkness, and its initial arising is like mother and child giving rise to one another and responding to each other.

The instructions further say that when Metal enters the central palace, it is called “Taiyi” (the Supreme Unity). There it gestates and stores yellow energy, blending black and blue-green. The White Tiger, an image that symbolizes Metal energy in alchemy, follows the proper method and originally corresponds with black energy; therefore it is called “Can Tong,” meaning that things combine and respond to one another. The instructions also say that the numbers of Kan and Li are one and two, and that the south and north are the guiding principles of alchemical operation: one represents Water, and two represents Fire. All things are born through Water and brought to completion through Fire. Fire and Metal interact, while Water and Earth overcome one another; through this, the elixir is refined.

The instructions also say that the “direct tally,” the marker of stages in alchemical operation, first stirs at the Zi position and then arises from the Zhen position. By the fourth month, Fire energy is flourishing. Once yang energy reaches its peak, it begins to wane. It then arises again from the Xun position, as Wood energy gradually proceeds in its proper course. Though mercury has begun to lie dormant, the stage of the Great Elixir has not yet been reached. Refining for three periods is called “Cinnabar”; for five periods, it is called “Golden Cinnabar.” After one year, it is called “Reversed-Growth Cinnabar,” also known as the “Lesser Return.” After two years, it is called “Soul Cinnabar,” also known as the “Middle Return.” After three years, the Golden Liquid Great Elixir is complete. Whoever ingests this elixir can become a High Immortal.

The instructions conclude by repeating: refining Metal for three periods is called Cinnabar, and for five periods, Golden Cinnabar. One year is called Reversed-Growth Cinnabar, also known as the Lesser Return; two years is called Soul Cinnabar, also known as the Middle Return. After three years, the Golden Liquid Great Elixir is complete, and whoever ingests it can become a High Immortal.

The essential teaching says: If one practices the Golden Elixir without understanding its hidden principles, it is because one does not know how cinnabar (vermilion) and lead come into being in relation to each other. People mislead one another, mistakenly taking ordinary mercury, lead, and silver as ingredients for alchemy, without knowing that ordinary lead is the source of the world’s silver. Realgar belongs to the generation of medicinal substances; cinnabar is the mother of lead. Yellow belongs to Earth, and Earth is cinnabar’s ancestor. Some people do not understand these relationships and wrongly take ordinary mercury, lead, gold, and silver to be materials for the alchemical vessel, and to stand in the relations of parent and child through which things generate one another. Others, when refining lead, mistake the ore mixed into it for the medicine. No one throughout history has succeeded by these means, because they do not understand the root of the Dao. The way of the immortals is right before us: cinnabar is the essence of Wood’s vital energy; with Earth, it grows, and apart from Earth, it perishes. These transformations depend on the interaction of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Things become one another’s parents, generate and destroy one another, and thereby take on concrete forms.

The essential teaching says: Black substances can preserve the vitality of life. Neidan (internal alchemy practiced within the body) can strengthen the physical form, while Waidan (elixirs prepared in a furnace and vessel) can enable one to attain longevity. Both Neidan and Waidan are indispensable. The essence of the sun and moon is cinnabar; the Qi of primordial harmony is the foundation of nature and life. Apart from the essence of the inner and outer Golden Elixirs, nothing else is worth discussing.

The essential teaching says: Take mercury, for example. It is a substance of pure Yin and can corrode the flesh and injure the stomach and intestines. Gold harms the liver, silver harms the spleen, copper harms the kidneys, and lead and tin harm the stomach. The four yellow minerals are highly toxic and damage a person’s original Qi. Metals and minerals, along with the thirty-six kinds of water and seventy-two kinds of stone, are all treated as medicines, though in fact they are poisonous. Even if no harm is apparent soon after they are taken, in time they will ultimately cause serious damage. Even if cinnabar is subdued by minor, heterodox methods, it can bring only a small benefit and cannot be used to prolong life or attain immortality.

The phrase “mercury within ordinary lead ore” means that ordinary lead ore originally contains mercury. When refined by fire, the mercury turns into vapor and escapes. The worldly mercury obtained this way resembles the mercury in cinnabar in appearance, but its nature is different. It is like a man and a woman: they may share similarities, yet Yin and Yang distinguish them.

Cinnabar symbolizes the male and is “Old Yang,” a mature state in which Yang energy is abundant. It represents the essence and spirit and can preserve a person’s life. Mercury lies hidden within it, yet does not combine with worldly mercury. The mercury in cinnabar forms when it is suppressed and enclosed by external substances.

Worldly mercury, by contrast, symbolizes the female and is “Great Yin,” a state in which Yin energy is at its peak, like the essence of the moon. The scripture holds that it harms human life. It is a toxic substance in which Yin predominates and Yang is scarce, and so it must not be consumed. Thus, although the two kinds of mercury look alike, they remain distinct in Yin and Yang. Both are formed from the vital essences of Heaven and Earth, yet differ from each other like men and women.

If cinnabar has a small, hidden passage connecting its interior, ordinary lead can serve as the vessel and outer framework through which the medicine takes shape.

The Secret Instructions say: People in the world do not understand the fundamentals of refining “yellow and white” (alchemy). They regard ordinary mercury, lead, gold, and silver as precious substances for making elixirs, yet do not know that mercury comes from lead and cinnabar comes from gold. To refine the Golden Elixir, one must use the original black substance. How can one abandon the root and pursue only the branches?

Lead is the “child,” that is, the essence of the elixir; the black substance is the “mother,” the earth from which the gold of this native ground is born. Hence it is called “root lead.” It is also said that “celestial lead” is cinnabar. Gold originally emerges from lead, just as a child lies hidden in its mother’s womb. The child hidden in gold is likewise like a mother concealed within the fetus. Lead is also called the “yellow sprout,” and the yellow sprout is cinnabar. Since earth gives rise to tender shoots, it is called the yellow sprout. Lead is the matchmaker of the Seven Treasures and the sinew and bone of the Five Metals. Understand this, and all things become connected; remain confused, and every path is blocked.

Lead can subdue mercury, and mercury can also subdue lead. When lead and mercury work together, they can be refined into yellow and white. “One Yin and one Yang make the Dao” may also be expressed as “one metal and one stone make the elixir.” Stone substances receive Yang energy and are therefore hot in nature; metal substances receive Yin energy and are therefore cold. The mutual response of the hun and po souls is a necessary principle here. The liquid of stone can settle the hun, and the essence of metal can settle the po. Without the reciprocal response and union of Yin and Yang, how could one expect them to work? It is like a gentleman matched with a virtuous woman: when they suit one another, things proceed as they should, and the Dao becomes manifest.

The scripture says: “The Old Woman by the River”—here referring to mercury—“is wondrous and numinous. When it meets fire, it scatters and flies away, leaving not even a speck of dust. It is like a ghost vanishing or a dragon hiding; no one knows where it has gone. If you wish to subdue it, you must take the yellow sprout as your foundation.” If the yellow sprout is not added and mercury is fired on its own, even a vessel a foot thick, sealed as tightly as possible, cannot stop the mercury from flying away once the fire is lit. Before long it vanishes without a trace, like a ghost hiding in darkness or a dragon diving into its watery palace. Even eyes as keen as Li Lou’s—the legendary figure of extraordinary vision—could not see it. It is the yellow sprout that keeps mercury settled and prevents it from scattering.

The Golden Immortal’s Instructions say: “One liang of yellow sprout can subdue one jin of mercury.”

The Jinxian Jue says: Take one liang of yellow sprout—a refining medicine made from lead—and use it to refine one jin of mercury. When the two combine, it is like a child receiving a mother’s protection: the medicine’s form becomes stable and does not scatter, like a loyal minister who remains faithful to the ruler.

Some people call natural gold “yellow sprout.” Others say that yellow sprout is lead in its original form, which can be extracted only through refining. A verse says, “Yellow sprout is refined from lead and mercury; within its Yin shell lies the essence of Yang.” This shows that alchemy does not depart from the principles of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When the workings of the Five Phases are complete, a person can attain longevity by taking the elixir. The “Five Phases” mentioned here refer to the Earth that gives rise to gold within lead. Earth is the true mother of lead. Mastering the key to yellow sprout opens the way to refining the great medicine.

I have preserved the detailed method for regulating the firing process. Only by carefully managing increases and decreases in the heat, keeping at it day and night without interruption, and remaining wholly focused can one refine the True One—the pure unity sought in alchemy. Thus it is said: “Golden sand enters the five organs and spreads like mist, like wind and rain; blue-black vapors rise and pass through the limbs.” The sages conceal the easy-to-understand instructions but do not conceal what is hard to comprehend. Whoever obtains the key obtains the One. Those who act recklessly, damage the methods of the Dao, refuse to cultivate the heart, show no respect for their teachers, and are arrogant and conceited will, even if they receive the teachings, think only of gaining status and fame—and will surely bring harm upon themselves. This is not because Heaven does not permit it, but because their hearts are out of accord with the Dao.

The Formula for Aligning the Fire with the Talisman

First phase: On the first day, begin with one liang of fire and maintain it for thirty double-hours. At midday on the second day, raise the fire to two liang, for a total of sixty double-hours. This corresponds to advancing from the first line to the second line of a hexagram in the Yi.

Second phase: On the sixth day, use three liang of fire for thirty double-hours. At midday on the seventh day, raise it to four liang, for a total of sixty double-hours. This corresponds to advancing from the third line to the fourth.

Third phase: On the eleventh day, use five liang of fire for thirty double-hours, then raise it to six liang, for a total of sixty double-hours. This corresponds to advancing from the fifth line to the top line.

Fourth phase: On the sixteenth day, keep the fire at six liang for thirty double-hours, then reduce it to five liang, for a total of sixty double-hours. This corresponds to retreating from the top line to the fifth line.

Then use five liang of fire for thirty double-hours, and raise it again to six liang, for a total of sixty double-hours. This once more corresponds to advancing from the fifth line to the top line.

On the sixteenth day, enter the fourth phase of the fire cycle. Use six liang of fire for thirty periods, then reduce it to five liang, for a total of sixty periods. This corresponds to the line positions in the Yijing, retreating from the sixth line to the fifth.

On the twenty-first day, enter the fifth phase. Reduce the fire to four liang for thirty periods, then reduce it to three liang, for a total of sixty periods. This corresponds to retreating from the fourth line to the third.

On the twenty-sixth day, enter the sixth phase. Reduce the fire to two liang for thirty periods, then reduce it to one liang, for a total of sixty periods. This corresponds to retreating from the second line to the first.

These six phases follow the movement of the zhifu, the symbol used to mark and calculate the advance and retreat of the fire. The line positions grow and recede in turn, establishing the pattern for one month; the cycle then repeats. At the beginning of the second month, enter the first phase with two liang of fire for thirty periods, then increase it to three liang, for a total of sixty periods. Continue increasing it in sequence, as before. Whenever the cauldron used in the elixir process is changed and the first phase of a new month begins, increase the fire by one liang. At the beginning of the ninth month, the fire reaches nine liang. This progression from one liang to nine liang is called “the Golden Tiger expelling essence,” an image for the manifestation of essence and Qi during cultivation. After thirty periods, increase the fire to fourteen liang, for a total of sixty periods. The zhifu governs the advance and retreat. Keep time accurately with the ancient water clock; each time the cauldron is changed and the first phase of a new month begins, increase the fire by one liang. At the beginning of the ninth month, the fire reaches nine liang. This progression from one liang to nine liang is called “the Golden Tiger expelling essence.” After thirty periods, increase the fire to fourteen liang, for a total of sixty periods.

The zhifu governs the advance and retreat, and the hours must also be measured accurately with the water clock. When using the fire, regulate its advance and retreat by modeling the fourth month, when fire Qi is strong and Yang reaches its height. As Yin and Yang lie concealed and transform, restraint and harmony, the opposing and complementary forces of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, shift in turn, and the cauldron is changed. At this time Earth Qi is strong and Metal returns to its proper place; the three substances used in the elixir process disappear. This is the mutual resonance of the original blackness of Metal and Earth.

When the zhifu moves in retreat, model the fifth month, when the first Yin is born. This is the topmost ninth line: “The overbearing dragon will have cause to repent,” a phrase from the Yijing meaning that when Yang reaches its extreme, regret arises as it turns toward decline. When the zhifu reaches the ninth cauldron, this is the first phase after nine months, and the fire is usually set at nine liang. After thirty periods, increase it by one liang, for a total of sixty periods. At fourteen liang, Yang has reached its extreme; then retreat to nine liang. From the tenth month onward, whatever the specific year or month, follow the procedure for the first phase of the ninth month: begin with nine liang, raise the fire to fourteen liang, then retreat to nine liang and maintain it for sixty periods. After that, increase or decrease the fire in sequence according to the zhifu, keeping accurate time with the water clock. The cycle repeats until the nine years are complete.

The oral instructions say: When the Direct Talisman uses fire, there are methods for advancing and withdrawing it. In the first month, when the fire is first tended, use twenty-four liang of fire. Record this amount clearly and apply it repeatedly in cycles; the process ends after nine years.

The oral instructions also say: When the Direct Talisman uses fire, there are methods for advancing and withdrawing it. In the first month, when the fire is first tended, use twenty-four liang of fire as one yao, a stage in the changes of the firing process, and divide it into twenty-four parts according to the prescribed method. After tending it for two and a half days, add another yao. On the fifth day, this counts as one hou, or firing cycle. Thereafter, add yao in sequence as the fire is applied; each month has six hou.

Usually, at the sixtieth double-hour of the third hou, the fire should be lowered; at the thirtieth double-hour of the fourth hou, it should be raised again. Both points call for martial fire, a more intense heat. The amounts of fire by weight, and the changes in advancing and withdrawing it by day and night, require adding already heated fuel separately, so that the fire remains exposed across the surface of the furnace. The prescribed weight of fuel still governs. After the Direct Talisman has run its course for nine and a half months, the firing process, yao patterns, and amounts for advancing and withdrawing fire in the ninth month become fixed rules, unaffected by the actual length of the months and years.

Begin dripping water at the zi hour, from eleven at night to one in the morning, and observe until the chou hour, from one to three in the morning, to determine how much water should be used during this interval. Make a wooden bucket three chi high, with an inner diameter of one chi. Drill a small hole in the edge near the bottom, fit it with a fine feather tube to conduct the water, pack the surrounding area tightly, and seal all four sides with wax. Fill the bucket with water. Once the water has finished dripping, wait one double-hour and measure the amount used; use this as the basis for determining the amount needed during other intervals. This makes the water used in every interval of day and night clear and precise, in accord with the clepsydra, the ancient timekeeping device. Only after this standard has been achieved may it be used.

For the nine cauldrons, apply the Direct Talisman’s fire method by following the procedures for concealing, advancing, and withdrawing the fire. Divide each month into six hou, and record each stage of the firing process according to the calendar. Within each month, proceed in sequence by yao. Advance the fire three times and withdraw it three times each month; do not let the sequence fall into disorder.

The formula says: The sages regulate the firing times—the adjustment of heat and timing in alchemical practice—according to the recurring cycles of the celestial bodies. The Yuankun Shoujing says that when the two Qi of Heaven and Earth respond to one another and are illuminated by the sun and moon, the Returning Elixir—the elixir produced through alchemy—forms naturally. This is the work of immortal officials in the higher realms, beyond the reach or understanding of ordinary people. The immortals all follow these principles to uphold the highest Dao.

A practitioner must establish the Direct Tally, a mark used to track and order the stages of alchemical practice, and keep it in operation for three years. They must follow the Qi of nature, regulate the firing times according to the seasons, observe the changes represented by the trigrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, and gradually increase or decrease the heat and the quantities of the ingredients. These methods must be taught through oral instructions by a true master. Without a teacher’s guidance, the ingredients may be combined incorrectly or mixed together, making success difficult to attain. By observing the celestial signs, holding fast to the One, and grasping the way the forces within the source of Yin-Yang constrain one another, the sages succeed and manifest spiritual powers and transformations.

The formula also says: The method of the Direct Tally must be taught through oral instructions by a true master. Without a teacher, the ingredients may be combined incorrectly or mixed together, and success will remain difficult to attain. By observing the celestial signs, holding fast to the One, and grasping the way the forces within the source of Yin-Yang constrain one another, the sages succeed and manifest spiritual powers and transformations.

The “Direct Alignment Method” (Zhifu fa), which uses the movements of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases to explain the stages of alchemical firing, may be compared to the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, the month of Zi: at this time, Yang Qi begins to arise. It may also be compared to the period after the summer solstice, when Yin Qi begins to arise. These images describe the waxing and waning, advance and retreat, of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth over the course of a year, corresponding to the passage of the twelve months.

Each month is further divided into six stages. The Direct Alignment lies concealed within them, as the Qi of the Five Phases appears and disappears, encompassing their exchanges, mutual conjunctions, and mutual overcoming. Jia corresponds to Earth, Fire, and Wood. From the start of the month through the fifteenth day is the bright moon phase, divided into three stages, when Yang Qi reaches its height and takes charge. After that, Yang Qi turns in its course and Yin Qi begins to grow; this is called “nine-six Yin Water.” From the fifteenth day to the end of the month is the dark moon phase, likewise divided into three stages, when Yin Qi takes charge. The cycle then repeats.

The Yin-Yang numerical principles expressed by “seven-eight, nine-six” accord with the thirty-day cycle of a month. The scripture uses Metal and Water as metaphors to explain the month’s successive stages. Fire is applied through day and night, then concealed; this symbolizes the yearly changes in Yin-Yang and the seasonal markers, as well as the use of fire at night each day. This is the method for grasping the transformations of Heaven and Earth. Its key point is like a pivot, held in one’s hand; it is called the “method for transcending the world,” mysterious and profound.

The beginning of the firing process corresponds to the eleventh month, when the first Yang has just begun to arise and set in motion.

The oral instructions say: The first cauldron corresponds to the first phase of the second month. The fire advances by one line, corresponding to the Zi month in the eleventh lunar month, when Yang Qi begins to govern. This is the stage described as “Nine in the First: the hidden dragon; do not act,” meaning that Yang Qi has only just begun to emerge and should not yet be stirred recklessly. Once the first line arises, day and night proceed for two and a half days, totaling thirty double-hours. When the fire advances to the second line, five days have passed, making one pentad of sixty double-hours.

During the eleventh month, the twelve double-hours turn in sequence from Zi hour to Hai hour. Five complete cycles make sixty double-hours, or one pentad. After the first pentad has lasted five days, the solar term Awakening of Insects arrives, and the Zhen trigram receives the tally—that is, it takes up and governs the Qi appropriate to the season. When the Qi reaches the eighth day of the waxing half-moon, the nature of Metal rises and falls, and Yin Qi begins to wane by half. By the fifteenth day, Yin Qi has vanished, and the nature of Metal disappears with it. By the twentieth day, what has sprouted no longer grows; Yang Qi rises, Yin Qi retreats, and Water Qi is still. The firm and the yielding work together, and the Elixir is naturally refined.

On the twenty-first day, Yin Qi has vanished, and the Xun trigram receives the tally. The natures of Metal and Water have receded, and Yin Qi is exhausted; the two essences—the Yin and Yang Qi—breathe, swallow, and drink as though they were perishing together. The Wood Qi of Zhen and Xun gradually comes into harmony, and the Mercury Qi consequently dries up, though this is not yet the Great Elixir. At forty-five days, the solar terms shift one after another, pressing forward in succession. At sixty days, Mao corresponds to the mid-spring month of Jiazhong. Punishment and virtue restrain one another, and day and night begin to grow distinct; this is therefore called the “Elm-Pod Elixir.”

Thus it is said that the sun shines down three times and the moon shifts three times. The Qi of sun and moon joins, and all things undergo three transformations before reaching their culmination. Following the natural course of the four seasons, a month contains 360 double-hours, and a year symbolizes 4,320 double-hours. These figures are used to model the Reverted Elixir formed by nature.

The oral instructions also say: The nine cauldrons represent nine months, and each cauldron must pass through three pentads. Each cauldron is held through 270 days, receiving Yin Qi until both Yin and Yang reach fullness. In the tenth month, Earth Qi flourishes and the Elixir forms; this is called “the mother and child emerging from the womb.” People in the world do not understand the principle behind this. Water and Fire overcome and regulate one another, then become father and mother. Before reaching the number five times eight, they lie hidden and take shape. After being guarded and circulated for a thousand days, the Original Celestial Qi is full. The medicinal nature returns to the northern Water associated with the Ren and Gui stems, taking on a black color. This is called the Great Reverted Elixir.

The instructions say to divide “Primordial Black Metal-Water” into two equal portions and let them work together for a thousand days. When “Heavenly Primordial Black” is fully formed, its nature returns to the northern Ren-Gui Water and appears black. This is called the “Great Reverted Elixir.”

The instructions also say to divide “Primordial Black Metal-Water” into two equal portions, then unite them as one. The waxing and waning of the moon serve as a metaphor here, with the measure “two-eight, one jin” corresponding to Yin and Yang. Metal and Water are originally one thing, though they appear in two forms. The male and female, yellow and white associated with black are natural qualities of things, formed through the changes of Yin and Yang; their underlying substance is no different. The “two” refers to Fire, and the “one” to Water. No materials other than Water and Fire, used to refine the elixir, may be added. If anything else is mixed in, the elixir will never be successfully formed.

The key to refining the elixir lies not in weighing out quantities, but in placing Metal-Water in the cauldron and sealing it according to the prescribed method. Then choose a Yang day and hour indicated by the “Four Malefic Spirits” to kindle the fire, and regulate its intensity according to the hours. Metal-Water mingles inside the cauldron, at first resembling Heaven and Earth before they separated. Through the transformations brought about by the “Direct Talisman,” the clear and turbid gradually divide, forming a state of white above and yellow below, containing True Qi and holding fast as one.

The instructions say that cinnabar, gold sand, liquid gold, long sand, yellow sprouts, Heavenly Lead, cinnabar and mercury, lead and mercury, Yin and Yang, Metal, Earth, Water, and Fire, Kan and Li, Qian and Kun, Dragon and Tiger, the Golden Elixir and jade liquid, and the Great Elixir of the Nine Reversions and Seven Returns are all different names for the same alchemical substance. The ancients kept the methods of cultivation secret, so the names were obscure and the explanations varied. Those who understand will know that, in the end, they are all one and the same. Reverted Elixir practice emphasizes return and forbids contact with anything bloody. The ancients guarded these methods so carefully that they should not reveal the secrets of Heaven to anyone who does not share their way.

The place of cultivation must be quiet and pure, away from places where people have died, given birth, wept, or been buried, as well as from graves and unclean sites. Choose a blessed place in a famous mountain. Before cultivation begins, offer sacrifices to the local earth deities, divine officers, and other spirits, and pray for their protection. Burn incense and light lamps morning and evening. Keep ordinary people from looking in or bringing in impurity, and conduct the work in secret. If the place is clean and quiet, and the participants share the same purpose, are upright in character, and act with single-minded devotion, they may also cultivate there, but they must keep the site pure. Related diagrams and texts are included in a separate supplement.

The eulogy says: “The precious secrets of alchemy were transmitted by Celestial Immortals. Their explanations of mineral substances are perfectly clear, so there is no need to wait for further guidance. Practitioners should keep their minds tranquil, live simply, and put helping others first; they should devote themselves to studying the profound and mysterious principles. These principles are vast and deep, and their source is beyond fathoming. If you carelessly divulge the secrets, you will fall forever into the netherworld.”

Auspicious Days for Practice

The days suitable for practice are the nine days of Jiazi, Jiachen, Yisi, Gengshen, Xinyou, Bingwu, Dingsi, Wushen, and Jiyou. The original text also says that the work may be carried out only on these days. If the elixir can be successfully refined, one will gain access to the realm of the immortals and the spirits of the elixir. During the practice, one must also stamp a seal on the ground to invoke the response of the hundred spirits. This seal must be carved at midnight, during the Zi hour, on a Jiazi day at the Winter Solstice. Then another seal is to be buried three chi beneath the floor of the alchemy chamber. It is said that this will prevent the hundred spirits from causing trouble or harm.

The Upper Scroll of Secrets of the Returned Elixir, Kept at One’s Elbow

The Middle Scroll of Secrets of the Returned Elixir, Kept at One’s Elbow

The Heart Mirror of the Returned Elixir of the Golden Liquids of the Dragon and Tiger

The secret teaching says: “The only concern is that lead may not be genuine. If the lead is genuine, the elixir will naturally prove efficacious once refined. The only concern is that mercury may not be pure. If the mercury is pure, the elixir will naturally become wondrous once refined.” When ancient immortals spoke of alchemy, they discussed only the two substances lead and mercury, never the Four Yellow Minerals or the Eight Stones. As for those who speak of the Four Yellow Minerals and the Eight Stones, …

The true teachings on cultivating the Elixir say: one need only worry that the Lead is not pure. When the Lead is properly prepared, the medicine will naturally prove efficacious once the Elixir is complete. One need only worry that the Mercury does not accord with the correct Way. When the Mercury is properly prepared, the medicine will naturally become wondrous once the Elixir is complete. The ancient immortals spoke only of Lead and Mercury as the two medicines, not of the Four Yellow Minerals or the Eight Stones. Anyone who says that refining the Elixir requires the Four Yellow Minerals and the Eight Stones is mistaken.

The operation of the Great Elixir encompasses the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the transformations that take place as it is refined are expressed through the Four Images. This is the natural principle by which the original Qi of Yin and Yang responds and communicates. It is like a human being receiving Qi and forming in the womb: at first, the embryo receives red and white Qi. A man’s essence-Qi belongs to white, and a woman’s blood-Qi to red. When the two Qi unite, the fetus develops fully over ten months. If it receives ample Qi, the child will grow up intelligent and strong; if it receives too little, the child may be dull and weak. These are real examples that resemble the principles of Elixir refinement, and students of the practice should consider them carefully.

What are the Dragon and Tiger? The Dragon refers to Mercury, and also to Wood and Fire. The Tiger refers to Lead, and also to Silver, the Metal Lord, and Water. Metal gives birth to Water, Water gives birth to Wood, Wood gives birth to Fire, and Fire gives birth to Earth: the principle lies here. Lead contains five colors, while Mercury displays three kinds of radiance. When the two medicines are combined, they are called the “River Cart.” People in the world do not understand this principle, and often exhaust their wealth and lose everything as a result. Those who truly know the Way understand it, and can then ascend through the clouds and ride the rosy mists.

The Way is not far off; it can be seen right before your eyes. Wei Boyang worked out the principles of the Book of Changes and wrote the Cantong qi, explaining the mysteries of Yin and Yang, Li and Kan—the Li and Kan trigrams of the Eight Trigrams—and the use of the Five Phases. The principles in the book are clearly written, yet also partly concealed, so scholars find them difficult to understand. Even if one knows about the Lead and Mercury medicines, the fine changes in the firing process, and the principles symbolized by the crucible and furnace, one must still look more deeply into one’s own heart. The heart is the foundation of Elixir refinement. If it is not aligned with the Dao, then even meeting an accomplished adept and receiving secret instructions may not bring the protection of Heaven’s principle and divine powers; instead, one may invite demonic obstacles.

What is truly hard to obtain, then, is a person’s heart. When the heart accords with the Dao, cultivation can succeed. Truly sincere and dedicated people are rare. The ancient immortal sages did not deliberately keep their teachings secret; they simply found it difficult to meet the right person to receive them. The three chapters of Tao Zhi are subtle and difficult to understand. Without a teacher’s guidance, how could anyone understand Jinbi or the Cantong?

I wrote Xinjian—“Mirror for the Heart”—where “mirror” means clear discernment: it enables people to use the heart to examine the principles and keep them constantly in hand. The book explains the Yi images in the Cantong, and clarifies the quantities and weights of the medicines, so that readers can understand and grasp their meaning, as though looking into a mirror to see the principles clearly. I did not dare to write at excessive length, and was also concerned that doing so might raise more questions that are difficult to investigate.

The wondrous teachings of the ancient immortals ultimately come down to the union of Yin and Yang; this is called the Dao. The transformations of Yin and Yang are beyond prediction; this is called Shen (spirit). These wondrous transformations give rise to the myriad things. Thus the Cantong qi says: “To grow grain, use grain seed; to hatch a chicken, use a chicken egg. Things of the same kind can respond to one another. If things are not compatible, they cannot be refined into a treasure.”

Perfected Taoist Master Tao said, “Cinnabar is born from mercury, and gold is formed from lead.” This is the true principle. Things of the same kind cannot be mixed together: mercury and quicksilver are not the same. Those who are confused use them incorrectly, and their methods are naturally clumsy. If lead is true lead, it will not lose its original nature. When mercury produces quicksilver, it loses its original nature; when lead is subjected to arduous refinement, the Yellow Sprout appears—the essence revealed within lead, in alchemical terminology. This is the accurate account.

The ancient immortals spoke only of lead and mercury, not of the Four Yellows and Eight Stones, the many mineral substances used in alchemy. Those who study the Dao should take this as a clear lesson. The author repeats this warning, still concerned that later students will mislead one another and remain slow to understand.

The so-called “Returning Elixir” means restoring the elixir to its original cinnabar color; hence it is called the Returning Elixir. If one understands the firing process and does not damage the medicine’s original fundamental substance, it is called the Returning Elixir. The so-called “Nine Cycles” refers to the ninefold transformation that changes lead’s original Qi; it does not mean that lead must be refined nine times before it can be made. Miraculous elixirs are formed by the joining of Yin-Yang energies. No other substances are added: pure refinement is the true method. One must obtain the essence of true lead—that is, its black essential substance. Without the ability to recognize true lead, success in alchemy is impossible. True lead does not change color, while true mercury has a wondrous efficacy. The teachings of the ancient immortals must be understood.

Once black lead enters the fire, it turns to ash, because its true substance has already been destroyed and it has lost its original black essence. If one then takes this discarded residue and refines it together with mercury, how could it possibly produce a superior elixir? These words are meant to dispel ordinary people’s ignorance and reveal the true secrets of alchemy. Those with insight into the Dao, on hearing them, will suddenly understand, like a thirsty drunk receiving cooling ice drink or someone in darkness encountering the bright moon. They should study the sacred texts deeply and not be misled by their mysterious language. Only then can they join the immortals in refining lead and mercury and attain the realm of the immortals. The ignorant hear these words with doubt and disbelief, so they are not worth discussing them with.

An immortal’s scripture says, “The mystery of the Returning Elixir lies in the Three Ones; the essence of the Dragon and Tiger is the vital energy of Heaven and Earth. Use no other medicines, but work only with the Five Phases.” These are the words of one who has attained the Dao. Even if later generations obtain these teachings, they must not depart from the guidance of the ancient sages. Yet if they do not understand how the ancients took Heaven and Earth as their models and symbols, they will still fail to grasp them. What is meant by “models and symbols” is the fundamental order of Heaven and Earth. Once the foundation is established, the Dao arises from it. Heaven, Earth, and humanity together are called the Three Powers. They encompass the transformations of creation and set Yin-Yang in motion; the key lies in three essential principles. How could such matters be overlooked? A difference as slight as a hair’s breadth can lead far away from the principles of Heaven and Earth. How could this be easy to explain?

The Zhizhen Jue says: Cinnabar, the source of mercury, is the essence of the sun. It originally receives the vital energy of true blackness in the south, then undergoes the harmonizing of Yin-Yang and Water and Fire. Thus it stands at the head of the Azure Emperor, the eastern deity of Wood, and becomes a name for mercury. Born of Fire, it naturally contains De and is wondrously potent.

Lead is the essence of the dark waters of the north. Through transformation, it returns to the Metal of Geng and Xin in the west. Metal generates Water, and Water generates Wood; lead and cinnabar are two substances that complement each other. Without a power of the utmost subtlety and sanctity, how could the divine elixir be refined? How could ordinary, mediocre people believe in this truth of the utmost reality?

I often feel sorrow over this. Since ancient times, realized beings have cultivated and taken this divine medicine. In this way, body and spirit alike could reach a wondrous state and unite with the Dao in reality. How could one fail to believe it? People often cite Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han as examples. Yet however efficacious the Great Elixir may be, it cannot save those who bring punishment and disaster upon themselves.

In the past, Liu Xuanmu served Master Wei and watched over the elixir furnace for a year. But through deluded thoughts and doubt, he left of his own accord, ultimately losing his opportunity and dying young. Yu Jingxiu, by contrast, devoted himself to cultivating De and served his master without ever flagging. He therefore obtained the divine elixir, took it, and became an immortal. He now lives in an immortal’s grotto on Mount Taibai. Though more than a thousand years have passed, he still often wanders among the markets of the human world. The difference between the two was simply that one doubted and the other believed steadfastly. They seemed only a hair’s breadth apart, yet their outcomes were as far apart as ten thousand miles: one obtained the elixir and the other lost it, as though passing from mud to the clouds.

Even the Five Grains can sustain human life; how much more efficacious must the divine medicine be? People of the world have little good fortune and insufficient affinity, so they do not believe, do not encounter it, and do not cultivate. They waste their lives and die in vain, sinking into ruin for a long time. They crave status and profit, indulge in wine and sensual pleasures, and remain bound by affection and love. They do not realize it even as their bodies weaken and their spirits are depleted. Day and night they are troubled by worries and thoughts, yet their desires are never satisfied. Most people are like this, whether noble or lowly, rich or poor. When they hear of cultivating the Dao and becoming real, they slander it. How, then, could they attain the way of the immortals?

In recent times, Xie Chongxuan and Su Dan both became immortals by taking the Golden Elixir, and these stories are known to everyone. What is more, those who obtain the elixir method usually mingle among the crowds, concealing their radiance and following ordinary custom. How could others recognize them?

The Cantong qi states, “Gold takes sand as its foundation.” In other words, the “gold” of alchemy takes cinnabar as its root and is harmonized by drawing on the nature of mercury. The transformations of the substances follow their inherent properties, each succeeding the other in an unbroken sequence. These two substances originally contain the potential to give rise to one another.

The scripture also says there is no need to seek other medicines from outside: what matters is applying the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The medicine forms naturally, like a tender shoot that springs from the heavens. “White horse’s teeth,” “true cinnabar,” and “the two-eight of Mao and You harmonizing the two houses” are all alchemical terms, referring to different medicines matched with Yin-Yang and the seasons. The King of Huainan refined “autumn stone,” while the Yellow Emperor praised “golden flower”; both accounts concern the preparation of medicines. A tender shoot is not lead, and lead is not a tender shoot. The mystery of true lead and true cinnabar lies in refining the two together as one. Regulate the firing process step by step, approaching the nine turns, and the yellow sprout will form of itself.

The scripture says that fire turns the medicine white, and the medicine then turns red; the transformations of spiritual sand and autumn stone are interlinked. Neither Yin nor Yang alone can complete the refinement. Only when the two are refined together can the originally pure substance undergo a wondrous transformation.

When the dragon and tiger meet, they join together. Their white fluids mingle and swallow one another, like husband and wife in union. They then transform into the yellow sprout and follow the season in accordance with “Houtu,” the Earth energy among the Five Phases. Understand the principle of the “purple river carriage,” a term in internal alchemy that symbolizes the medicine’s gestation and transformation, and you will naturally attain the state of immortality.

The scripture also says that the method for cultivating the divine elixir is in hand, and its wondrous operation lies within the person. The generation and dissolution of the medicine are under one’s control; the key is to distinguish the true from the false. Without the alchemical secret, a whole year of anxious effort will achieve little. Do not refine lead and mercury that have already withered and decayed, or you will be casting your efforts away into the dust.

The spiritual medicine between Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon, is called “Metal Duke.” Metal Duke is not ordinary lead, but the true medicine concealed within lead. The scripture has made the principle clear, yet the bewildered still rush past it. Adding mercury to lead is broadly similar in meaning to “golden flower,” but golden flower itself is not the medicine. Without understanding what it means, one merely wastes one’s effort. The immortals’ account of this Way is not inherently difficult to understand. Read the Cantong qi closely, and still bring its teachings together through the categories of the Five Phases. Once you find true lead and mercury and cultivate them according to the method, you will see results.

Lead and mercury can be brought into harmony with Heaven and Earth to refine the Great Reversion Elixir. Once the elixir is complete, its precious nature becomes evident. Without understanding this method, success is indeed difficult. When people today who understand the Way read the teachings handed down by the Perfected of High Antiquity, they are still struck with awe. Only by grasping their true meaning can one understand that it is necessary to unite with the Dao. The medicine contains within it transformations of five colors, with its wondrous workings concealed inside. After ten months of gestation, the medicine is born anew, and all who see it rejoice.

The scripture admonishes those who pursue wealth and status: a human life inevitably declines after a hundred years, so why cast away the world and sit rigidly in search of the Way? Yet those who do nothing but mock its profound principles and obscure words will also miss its meaning. The world has endured years of war and toil; the boundless sea of suffering rises and falls like waves through life and death. The palaces where ancient emperors once lived are no longer worth longing for.

The scripture also says that the white medicinal fluid transforms in the furnace, and the yellow sprout gradually takes shape. At their first meeting, mercury is difficult to recognize in form. When Yang energy reaches its peak, Yin fire arises. As the fire wanes, Yang energy joins with the dark substance, and the medicine naturally becomes the yellow sprout. Taken as food, it can bring long life.

The author then compares the medicine’s gestation to ten months of pregnancy. In the first month, the white fluid begins to congeal, like snow. In the second month, it resembles melted, buttery cream and gradually sets. In the third month, the medicine forms a bud and droops with faint, pearl-like droplets. In the fourth month, the two substances embrace one another like a spot of blood. In the fifth month, the medicine seems to soar, yet remains attached to its mother. In the sixth month, it moves to the “Purple Palace,” and Yang energy is exhausted. In the seventh month, Yin energy rises and the medicine turns black. In the eighth month, the medicine nears completion and congeals within. In the ninth month, pearls of medicine form one by one, as if growing hair. In the tenth month, mother and child are about to part.

At this point, the mother is exhausted and the medicine is mature; its appearance has become pure white. Once lead leaves the “womb,” a metaphor for the furnace environment that encloses and nurtures the medicine, it is white as snow. It must then continue to be gently warmed in the furnace until the whole medicine is mature and its color lustrous. Follow the instructions to remove its poisonous, dark vapors.

The scripture says this medicine is like a fetus growing within its mother’s vital essence, gradually developing bones and flesh. Each stage has its proper order, and none may be skipped or omitted. Refine the yellow sprout and let it continue transforming until it matures; then it can be taken to seek long life and turn white hair black again. The silver obtained can also be used to aid the poor. A benevolent person who receives this method will persist in cultivating it, for this too is connected with a deep affinity with the Dao.

This method must be passed on with care to a carefully chosen recipient, and its contents must be kept in one’s heart. If someone who does not cultivate the Way obtains it, the offense is grave and may even bring disaster. It is not easy to master the pivot of transformation, so the method must not be passed on lightly. The ancients established solemn oaths: passing it on recklessly brings misfortune and may also implicate one’s ancestors. Believe this and do not doubt it; the worthy and discerning should receive the method. Today I charge you solemnly: swear to observe each precept in turn.

As Yang energy rises, Yin energy stirs in response. The furnace that nurtures the medicine is set within the crucible corresponding to the central Earth of Wu and Ji. The upper and lower parts join together and must be guarded securely, so that the medicinal vapors do not escape. One must also grasp the seasons and the firing process. The forces of dragon and tiger rush forth and meet; the infant-like medicine forms quietly, its appearance like that of a young child. The mother continues to nurture the medicine as she gradually diminishes. When the medicine matures, the mother is weary, yet the two still depend on one another.

Yang at its utmost is Qian, and Yin at its utmost is Kun. The Four Images and Five Phases are gates of transformation, and the sixty-four hexagrams are likewise within the process of change. The dragon and tiger swallow and absorb one another, moving according to their assigned positions. Water and fire serve as intermediaries, bringing Yin and Yang together and nourishing the medicine day and night as it grows. The eight seasonal nodes of the year set the changes of cold and heat in motion, and the yellow sprout gradually takes root. The movement of Sun and Moon hastens the transformation and also calls to mind the mother’s nurture. At last, the medicine condenses into fruit, establishing the foundation of cultivation.

This wondrous method must be kept carefully and not spoken of lightly. Its principles are profound and mysterious, and not fit for casual discussion; people of the world often mock it as confused and obscure. Do not pass the method of the divine medicine to ordinary people, or it may invite slander and dispute. Keep this firmly in mind: do not pass it on recklessly, and guard it carefully in a golden cabinet. The Way of long life should be transmitted to the worthy; the celestial officials will record their names.

Before taking the Restored Elixir, one must first cleanse the mind, regulate Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), observe a pure fast, reflect on oneself, and gather the spirit inward. One must also hold to the true Dao (the Way) and quiet distracting thoughts. The Spirit Who Directs Destiny will watch from the side, while the medicine attendant will inspect whether the person taking the medicine is sincere and reverent. The elixir must not be passed on carelessly; the celestial officials will record the names of those deemed suitable.

When taking the medicine, one must not be negligent. Carefully observe changes in the body to understand whether its power has begun to act. At times the throat may grow warm and itchy, becoming so hot it feels suffocating; at other times the mouth may taste foul and fishy, as though it held rotting flesh. The scripture explains these effects as the opening of the heart’s chamber and the expulsion from the body of stagnant, malign Qi. It regards them as signs that the elixir is taking effect. If they occur, roast licorice until warm, hold it in the mouth, and swallow the saliva slowly for five days in a row. The scripture says this will refresh the Five Spirits and harmonize the body’s true Qi.

Sometimes stagnant waste may be discharged from the lower back or below the navel. The abdomen may rumble, and wormlike matter may pass from the bowels. One may also expel purple, juice-like clots of blood, mucus, or pus. If old food has accumulated in the stomach, one may often feel oppressed, want to vomit after eating, and feel distressed; one may also vomit accumulated fluid and be unable to eat. The scripture considers these effects to be signs that the elixir is acting against old illnesses. If the discomfort is severe, boil plenty of licorice in water and drink it once it has reduced to half a bowl and grown strong in flavor.

While taking the medicine, the limbs may also become stiff and tense, with agitation and internal heat, even to the point of seeming close to madness or becoming dazed. One may suddenly feel afraid, become confused and unsettled, or dream of falling from a height, encountering armies and horsemen, being pursued or taken to court, or meeting tigers, leopards, snakes, and insects. One may dream, too, of friends and family dying or parting, or of weeping and suffering harm. The scripture explains these dreams and discomforts as signs that the Three Corpses—spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation—and corpse demons are about to leave. If these signs appear, one should take care to nourish oneself and restrain both joy and anger, without giving free rein to one’s emotions. The scripture says that once the Three Corpses have departed, a person will have fewer selfish and distracting thoughts, act calmly and peaceably, carry oneself with modest respect, and feel settled within. One will also regard worldly desires lightly and put an end to attachments and cravings.

At times there may be slight pain in the throat or forehead, a dull or rough sensation when swallowing, and a burning itch. Urine may be blue, yellow, or purple, or diarrhea may occur with pus, blood, and wormlike matter. The scripture attributes these effects to pathogenic Qi accumulated long ago through wind and exhaustion, and says that they bring an end to all illnesses. Sores, convulsions, or bleeding at the roots of the teeth are likewise explained as signs that the medicine is driving wind pathogens from the flesh, skin, and bones. Fatigue in the limbs is said to mean the medicine’s power is at work; smoothness in the limbs means the medicinal Qi has blended within the body. Old illnesses and accumulated toxic Qi will disperse together, sometimes leaving black or red marks on the body. The scripture regards these as signs that the toxins are dissipating, and claims that after the muscles and bones have been nourished through steaming, hearing and sight will become keen. A bloody taste in the mouth, it says, means the teeth are renewing and the medicine’s power is strong.

The scripture then describes the benefits of taking the medicine over a long period. After one year, it says, all the Qi will be vigorous; after two years, the blood vessels will flow freely; and after three, the sinews and bones will be strong, the marrow full, and the face youthful as a child’s. Urine and stool will no longer smell foul, the hands and feet will move with ease, and the stomach and intestines will grow strong. Neither cold nor heat will intrude, weapons will cause no injury, and one will neither drown in water nor be harmed by fire. Fallen teeth will grow back, white hair will turn black, the body will feel light enough to fly, and one will walk like the wind. The scripture further claims that the person taking the medicine will feel neither hunger nor thirst, fear neither cold nor heat, and be able to leave the ordinary world behind. Evil spirits and strange beings will not dare approach, while the spirits of mountains and rivers will respectfully pay homage.

The scripture says that anyone under fifty who takes the medicine for a year will regain youth, and that someone aged twenty-seven or twenty-eight will look like an adolescent. Anyone over fifty who takes it for two years will also regain a rosy complexion, as though someone aged sixty-seven or sixty-eight had grown young again. In this way, one may rise beyond the realm of the Nine Yin and become a body of pure Yang, living long and enduring, with the same lifespan as Heaven and Earth.

Anyone who wishes to ascend to Heaven and fly must abstain from grains for a year; after taking one dose, they will be able to ascend. Those who do not wish to ascend for the time being may instead become earthly immortals: they need only observe a pure fast for one day before taking the medicine. The scripture says they may still marry, raise children, and remain in the human world as officials. They need not deliberately withdraw from society, but may follow worldly ways without losing the Dao. If they later wish to ascend to Heaven, they can observe a pure fast and take half a dose; they will then ride the clouds and mount a crane, ascending to Heaven in broad daylight. The elixir is also said to transform the Five Metals into precious treasures. A chicken that eats it will become a phoenix, and a dog that takes it will become a dragon.

Immortal Yin said: There are many methods for refining the Golden Elixir. The key lies in such secrets as “divine water and the flower pool” and “the river chariot subduing mercury.” Those who grasp the principles can refine elixirs and minerals by a thousand different methods, but the essentials of refining the Great Elixir never go beyond the scope of the two books Jinbi and Cantong. If one carefully cultivates lead and mercury until, refined by fire, they congeal into an elixir, this is called the “Great Return,” an important achievement in alchemy. Its subtlety can go no further.

The crucial thing is to distinguish true lead from true mercury; only then can cinnabar be refined into an elixir. If the materials are not genuine, then however many methods one tries, success is unlikely. Those who study the Dao must seek out teachers and guidance widely, and not be ashamed to ask others for instruction. Only then can they hope to reach their goal. Those who think too highly of themselves and are stubborn, clinging only to their own methods, will struggle to achieve anything even by old age.

An ancient song says: “White mercury gives birth to cinnabar; black lead transforms into yellow sprout. In the end, the count reaches nine times nine; transformation takes place in the Three Blossoms. When cultivation reaches the Palace of Purple Yang, even gold is nothing to boast of. So long as Lord Metal joins with his counterpart, one can refine Golden Liquid Sand.” “White mercury,” “black lead,” “yellow sprout,” “Three Blossoms,” “Lord Metal,” and “Golden Liquid Sand” are all terms from Daoist alchemy, referring to materials, stages, or products in the alchemical process. The “Palace of Purple Yang” symbolizes the attainment of a profound level of cultivation. Even if one has not yet reached such subtle heights, simply refining the materials by fire until they congeal into an elixir may still be called a numinous medicine of immortality.

A scripture also says: “When using lead, do not let it remain within the mercury. The lead must first be completely processed, with its ‘ancestor’ removed”—an alchemical term for the fundamental impurities that must be eliminated from a material—“before cultivation and consumption may proceed. This is the subtle method of the Way of the Yellow Sprout.” This passage explains that alchemical materials must be processed; they cannot be used directly for cultivation or ingestion.

The herb huangjing can help slow aging, while eating too much wild kudzu will certainly poison a person and cause death. These are things we can see for ourselves. Why, then, should we not believe that a way to immortality also exists in the world? It is only that people’s blessings and affinities are shallow. A scripture says: “When dragon and tiger join, one may seek the Returning Elixir.” Dragon and tiger are metaphors in alchemy for two interacting materials or forces. The Way of the immortals is not lightly transmitted to ordinary people. From this we can see that the mysteries of the Great Elixir depend on true lead, true mercury, and the essential materials and transformations referred to by alchemical terms such as “divine talisman” and “white snow.”

Secrets for the Returning Elixir, Kept at Hand, Scrolls Two and Three

The Hidden Mysteries of Xuandi

To refine the liquid essence into a spirit elixir, one must first understand the transformations of Yin-Yang, deeply comprehend how Heaven and Earth generate and transform things, grasp the subtle workings of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and understand how Metal and Water engender one another. Gather a single trace of the subtle Qi (vital energy) of the Former Heaven as the foundation of the elixir, join Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) to form the vessel, and use Kan and Li (the trigrams of Water and Fire) as the ingredients. Kan and Li symbolize the sun and moon: the sun is Yang on the outside and Yin within, and a crow is said to dwell in the sun, so it belongs to the Li trigram. Cinnabar contains a trace of Wood Qi, symbolizing the Azure Dragon. The technique of reversing the Five Phases is called “the Dragon emerging from fire”; this is the father’s essence and Qi. The moon is Yin on the outside and Yang within, and a rabbit is said to dwell in the moon, so it belongs to the Kan trigram. Lead contains a trace of Metal Qi, symbolizing the White Tiger. When the Five Phases do not follow their usual order, this is called “the Tiger born within Water”; this is the mother’s blood and Qi.

The father’s essence is true mercury; the mother’s blood is true lead. True lead arises within black lead, and true mercury is produced within cinnabar; the two represent true Yin and Yang. What is called true Yin is the mercury within the Li trigram; what is called true Yang is the lead within the Kan trigram. Thus it is said that when the essence of the sun and the radiance of the moon unite, true lead naturally emerges from cinnabar. To obtain true lead is to obtain the foundation of alchemy. True lead is itself the source of the elixir, so why devote oneself to refining the so-called “mother of lead”? The lead discussed here is not ordinary lead visible in stone, but Heavenly Lead, which must be gathered from Water. Lead is the mother of the sprout, and the sprout follows from lead; once the Golden Flower is obtained, lead is no longer needed. The methods of alchemy unfold in successive stages, each transformation giving rise to another. If one can circulate and control mercury, it can be made to transform without end; nothing else in the world compares with it.

Those who study alchemy often treat the Five Metals, the Eight Minerals, and the ash and frost produced by burning plants and trees as alchemical ingredients. But the Five Metals and Eight Minerals are formed things that came later in the generation of Heaven and Earth, and they are not of the same kind as mercury. Mercury, by contrast, is regarded as the essence of the original Qi of Heaven and Earth, condensed from the essences of the sun and moon. It must not be lumped together with the Five Metals, Eight Minerals, or the ash and frost of plants and trees. Thus it is said that formed things cannot serve as companions; only formless Qi that can give rise to physical substance is the Returning Elixir. It is also said that mercury is a treasure of the immortals, and that since ancient times it has been exceptionally difficult to refine until it is subdued by fire. If it encounters the “River Chariot” (an alchemical term for circulating the ingredients), it can be refined into purple powder, which can then transform into the Golden Elixir.

To refine the Golden Elixir, one must use a vessel suited to the alchemical method; ordinary vessels made of the Five Metals, Eight Minerals, or pottery will not do. The vessel is formed according to the method of the vessel, and the ingredient according to the method of the ingredient. Vessel and ingredient are one, so it is said that within the vessel there is no fixed vessel, and within the ingredient there is no fixed ingredient. The Yellow Sprout is not lead, yet it is generated within lead. When using lead, one must not use ordinary lead; once true lead has been used and the refinement is complete, it must then be cast aside. To abandon lead entirely is like leaving one’s parents behind to search for their child; to cling to lead itself is to stray far from the true Way of lead. Given this, if lead is not used, where can the alchemical method begin? Even after obtaining the Golden Flower—the essence produced by alchemical refinement—one must still cast aside lead and cease using it.

Red lead and black lead are the foundation of the Great Elixir. Only by placing red lead into black lead does true cultivation take place. Red lead yields its essence; black lead yields its marrow. This is the wondrous principle of the Returning Elixir. Red lead corresponds to the Li trigram, and black lead to the Kan trigram. Place the two trigrams, Kan and Li, together in the vessel and refine them according to the fire cycle of a single day: this can seize the transformative power of a thousand years of creation and, in a short time, refine the precious true lead. When mercury congeals, it is called lead; when it moves freely, it is called mercury. This is their mutual regulation and transformation. If other ingredients are mixed in, the elixir will never be successfully refined. Mercury and lead unite; cinnabar and gold are drawn to one another. Yin is mercury, Yang is lead; these are the true man and true woman, the true Yin and true Yang of alchemy.

If true Earth is used as the Golden Tripod to nurture and refine Geng and Xin (terms associated with Metal and Metal Qi), then, after the passage of time, when the moon is full, the ingredient will be like a child leaving its mother’s womb, and mercury will congeal into a solid form. This elixir is refined through a year of tending the fire; after ten months, the furnace is opened. At the opening, the purple powder has turned to gold, and the Yellow Sprout is seen gleaming inside the vessel. The elixir gathers the radiance of the five colors and the Qi of the myriad spirits. Used to refine other substances, it can transform mercury into gold; taken as food, it grants ageless life, brings body and spirit to a wondrous state, and elevates one to the rank of a High Immortal.

The ci poem “Looking South over the River” says: “When the ten months are complete, open the elixir vessel, and inside appears a mass of red light. Several tablets of elixir, like morning frost, hold the five colors within them. As the medicine’s embryo is released, the spirit water rings out with a clear, tinkling sound, and the elixir appears.”

The Song of Attaining the Dao

Why cling to external Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth? The true “Dragon and Tiger” means guarding the mind and spirit and preserving oneself. If those who cultivate the Dao do not understand the deeper meaning of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), they will mistake other people for their own parents.

Blood is like Water, flesh like Earth, Qi like Wood, and bones like the Tiger. The path to longevity is hidden within the “Palace of Li” (the trigram position associated with Fire in the Bagua, also used for a particular place in internal cultivation). Only by understanding what the Five Phases mean within the body can one give each aspect of body and mind its proper place.

Among the Five Phases, quicksilver is related to “Lord Metal,” a Neidan term often used to refer to lead or the Yang aspect. But their natures differ, so they cannot simply be treated as partners. Though quicksilver resembles Lord Metal, when it encounters him it does not recognize its own source.

Unless someone who truly understands cultivation teaches these words, those who cultivate the Dao will only torment themselves and exhaust their strength in vain, laboring without reward.

The Song of the Yellow Sprout

The Yellow Sprout is formed by refining lead and mercury: within its Yin shell lies the essence of Yang. People in the world refine what they call the Supreme Treasure, but mistake the yellow, flower-shaped substance produced from lead for the Yellow Sprout.

That yellow flower-shaped substance is only dead matter. How could it be what the immortals seek? The Yellow Sprout is not a medicine obtained from outside; it is an essence that appears through internal cultivation. Attaining it often requires extremely arduous work.

The Yellow Sprout is formed by refining lead and mercury: within its Yin shell lies the essence of Yang. People in the world refine what they call the Supreme Treasure, but mistake the yellow, flower-shaped substance produced from lead for the Yellow Sprout.

That yellow flower-shaped substance is only dead matter. How could it be what the immortals seek? The Yellow Sprout is not a medicine obtained from outside, but the purest essence revealed through internal cultivation.

If you reach the state in which the Yellow Sprout appears, even when everyone praises gold, there is nothing to envy. What is the key to cultivating the Dao? I will now tell you plainly:

Do not mistake the flowers that grow amid the impurities in lead for the Yellow Sprout. “Lord Metal” is hardest to recognize: lead itself is Lord Metal, and only when Lord Metal obtains lead can transformation begin.

Those who cultivate the Dao boast that they understand Lord Metal, yet end up misunderstanding his function. The “Flowing Pearl,” a Neidan term often used for mercury, is like an old woman: when she encounters Fire, she naturally scatters and flies away.

Then, suddenly, Lord Metal arrives. The two are drawn to each other and gather in one place; they walk and sit together, keeping the door shut and staying close all day.

Afterward, they change with the transformations of Yin and Yang, each shifting according to the conditions in which it finds itself. Both natures return to Earth, and the “Three Flowers,” a Neidan term for inner essences such as Jing, Qi, and Shen, no longer appear in their original forms of Qi.

When they reach the “Palace of Purple Yang,” a symbolic inner palace in Neidan cultivation, the two transform together and become Yellow Radiance. After a month, the change seems to become visible; by the end of the year, it shines with a purple glow.

Once the Yellow Sprout’s transformation is complete, few immortals can see this state with their own eyes. This is what is meant by “closing both doors”: after the two unite, they are sealed away within the body.

Afterward, they change with the transformations of Yin and Yang, each shifting according to the conditions in which it finds itself. Both natures return to Earth, and the Qi of the Three Flowers no longer appears.

When they reach the Palace of Purple Yang, the two transform together and become Yellow Radiance. After a month, the change seems to become visible; by the end of the year, it shines with a purple glow.

Once the Yellow Sprout’s transformation is complete, few immortals can see this state with their own eyes. This mercury is called “True Mercury”—how could it ever scatter and fly away again?

How laughable that people everywhere talk about the Great Return Elixir, the elixir sought in Daoist Neidan or Waidan practice, and regard it as mysterious and unfathomable. Without a true master to transmit the oral instructions, even spending a thousand gold pieces would be wasted effort.

Song on Lead and Mercury in the Golden Elixir

From ancient times to the present, people who cultivate the Dao and refine the Return Elixir have often mistaken yellow shoots, mercury, and lead for one another. They search for the supreme treasure by looking for quicksilver, unaware that a lotus cannot grow on dry ground.

Things of different natures are difficult to make respond to one another. Only by seeking at the root can one find what truly matches. Yin and Yang are paired, with Kan and Li—the trigrams symbolizing water and fire, and Yin and Yang—as their principal signs. The sun’s soul and the moon’s spirit correspond respectively to the Dragon and Tiger, symbols in alchemy for the two forces of Yin and Yang.

Everyone has heard these names, but who can distinguish their true meaning from what is false? In alchemical symbolism, turning left to the Mao position, the eastern direction, reveals the essence of Wood. From there, one proceeds through the Xun position in the southeast to the Qian position in the northwest, and finally reaches the Earth position, which belongs to Yin.

Cinnabar and quicksilver both belong to Yin. Two Yin substances placed together cannot harmonize like the qin and se zithers. How can the natures of firmness and softness be brought into accord? Sparrows and swallows do not share a forest with phoenixes and luan birds.

Making a furnace and cauldron from gold and silver does not mean one has mastered the mysteries of transformation in mountains and rivers. And though people speak of gold and silver, how many truly understand what these terms signify? Fire dwells in Wood, and Water resides in Metal; the meanings of lead and mercury must be discerned through these relationships.

The “mercury” spoken of here is not quicksilver, and the “lead” is not black lead. The Great Yin, symbolizing Yin force, lies in the south; the Sun, symbolizing Yang force, lies in the north. Mercury containing Yang absorbs the essence of Metal, and only then becomes cinnabar. To understand this transformation, one must also clarify the directions.

Lead in the Yin position congeals into the form of Metal; only then can it give rise to mercury and make it appear white. Yin contains Yang, just as Water can give rise to Metal; Yang also contains Yin, just as mercury is present within cinnabar.

Heaven bestows these two substances, enabling them to join and complement each other. True mercury, true lead, and true Water are also like mother and child, generating and containing one another. In cultivation, the two cords must be kept in balance. The “two cords” refer to the waxing and waning crescents of the moon, used here as a metaphor for harmonizing Yin and Yang forces.

The scriptures say that the Three Vehicles, different levels of practice, originally arise from a single source. The body’s upper, middle, and lower Dantians, the three sites of cultivation described in Daoism, ultimately return to unity. Metal is in the west and gives rise to Kan; Fire is in the south yet is also concealed within Kan. Wood is in the east, yet is generated in the north. Transformation begins before Metal and Fire have separated.

Water has the number one and Metal the number four; together they are called Wu. Fire has the number two and Wood the number three; together they are called Ji.

When Wu and Ji (Earth) are brought into harmony at the center, and the numbers of Yin and Yang are complete, the elixir is perfected. Three and Five merge into One, and yellow, white, and purple radiance appears in interwoven flashes.

After ninety days, the elixir is complete. It is called the “Returning Elixir”—an elixir said to restore a person to their original state and renew their vitality—and is believed to grant long life and preserve one’s youthful appearance. After a further ten months of refinement and cultivation, one is like a newborn, having shed the womb; the spirit becomes settled, ghosts and demons are terrified, and all things reach fulfillment.

To leave the world and become an immortal, there is said to be only one road leading to Penghu, the legendary immortal isle. At the moment of ascending to Heaven, one may even rise up in broad daylight. The River Cart and the Flower Pool, names for the movement of Qi and the body’s fluids in internal alchemy, need not be sought outside the body. Nor can the Eight Minerals and Four Yellows, materials used in external alchemy, compare with them.

How could a jackal be tamed in the wilderness? How could brambles compare with pines and osmanthus in autumn? Within the cauldron lies a wondrous function called “Emptiness,” which cannot be produced from the world’s gold and silver.

If a person of understanding can refine this elixir in the cauldron, ascending to the cinnabar clouds and entering the Purple Palace, the immortal realm, is no difficult matter. Ruler and minister, husband and wife, respond to and support one another. When three people cultivate with a single heart, they can ultimately become companions on the same path. All rivers, in the end, flow to the sea; in a darkened room, a lamp of wisdom must be lit.

In a single night, the spring breeze opens the peach and plum blossoms, while fine horses and fragrant carriages carry beautiful women on outings. Those who ride steeds, wear fine clothes, and enjoy worldly splendor and pleasure—how could they believe that a wondrous liquid lies within the furnace? The beauty of youth cannot be held; how many times can a person live through a hundred years? Black hair turns white in an instant, and a glowing complexion fades like the setting sun.

Some love beauty and crave wealth, yet cannot bear to spend their money on cultivating the Dao. They are like Wang Rong, who was unwilling to let others share his plums. How much better is the story of the Prince of Huainan, who refined an elixir of immortality, after which even his dogs and chickens followed him into the immortal grotto.

People of the world pursue only small, immediate gains, mistaking the refining of female lead and the turning of copper into gold for the Way of alchemy. How could they know that the divine elixir has the power to reverse one’s fate? Take a single pill, and one may rise aloft to pay homage to the Jade Emperor, a celestial deity. Do not be deluded, nor simply wait and probe endlessly into mysteries that cannot be exhausted. The principles of the elixir need not be sought from other people or things outside oneself.

Metal and Water, alchemical terms for the Yin and Yang ingredients used in refining the elixir, can complete the work of creation and grant a long life. The toad and the crow, often symbols of the Moon and Sun, alternately wax and wane as they move through their cycles. The Way of the Mysterious Origin encompasses all things, and its meaning is perfectly clear. It is only that the minds of the deluded are clouded, and they cannot comprehend it.

If you can suddenly grasp the single fundamental principle, then, once you have understood it, cultivate it quietly and do not fret or grow discouraged. The Restored Elixir (huandan)—the elixir or achievement of cultivation through which body and mind return to their original state—must return to its source. If it cannot return to its source, it is not a true Restored Elixir.

Stones piled layer upon layer do not thereby become waves; water accumulated layer upon layer does not thereby become a mountain. If you want to catch fish but do not spread a net across the river, how could you fill a jade platter with red-gilled fish?

This is advice to those who withdraw among rocky hills and those who withdraw amid the bustle of the town: do not abandon this sweet taste to pursue hardship and bitterness. This work has explained the wondrous signs in great detail; it has only left out the timing of the fire—the control of heat and timing during refinement.

“Song of the Happy Pill”

The Happy Pill uses only two things: Heavenly Wood and Earthly Metal.

The left hand puts it to work; the right hand searches. When the two hands work together as they should, they take hold of the medicine. Place it in the red mortar, and work it as you please according to the mysterious method—but the timing of the fire is not explained.

“Song of the Happy Pill”

The Happy Pill uses only two things: Heavenly Wood and Earthly Metal.

The left hand puts it to work; the right hand searches. When the two hands work together as they should, they take hold of the medicine. Place it in the red mortar and pound and refine it freely, blending it into a precious pill that answers every wish.

The gathered ingredients are no bigger than a copper coin. Why, after pounding, do they grow as large as a fist? Think it over and you cannot help laughing: pound without stopping, until a whooshing roar rises from the mortar.

Search carefully among the Six Ding—the names of Daoist deities, also used in talismanic and cultivation contexts. Both red and black must be present. It is as white as snow, beyond even jade in purity, like a luminous pearl in the night.

The key lies in gathering it at the right time. Do not let the medicine escape, or all will go wrong. Once it has begun to take shape, place it in the furnace and refine it by fire, deliberately sprinkling it with mercury as it burns.

When you open the furnace, rays of rosy light burst forth. Put it back in the mortar and pound it again; the medicine grows dry and hard. The pill gradually swells until it nearly spills over the rim, so hurry and pound the mortar with the pestle, sounding like thunderclaps.

After ten months and thirty double-hours, refine and nourish it according to the fire method of the hexagram lines, and it will naturally succeed. The blending has its own rules, and its formation its own fixed measure; everything must accord with the cycles of the celestial circuit.

Who is willing to join in refining it, and who is willing to take it? If you can prepare it properly and consume it, you will receive the blessings of Heaven and Earth. Those who know keep it hidden, afraid others will hear of it; this medicine is said to let a person live for tens of millions of years.

When the medicine is being refined and blended, wind is its greatest danger. This has been the way of refining medicines since ancient times. The medicine is not far away; people simply do not know how to seek it, and often lose their way, wandering everywhere.

Say no more; carry it out quietly and in silence. Do not let others know, lest they mock you. Those who know keep it hidden, afraid others will hear of it; this medicine is said to let a person live for tens of millions of years.

When refining and blending the medicine, the greatest danger is wind. From ancient times to the present, the principles of refining medicine have been the same. The ingredients are not hard to find; what is difficult is that people often lose their way and go searching in every direction.

Do not talk too much. Keep quiet, and tell no one, lest you be mocked. Once the medicine has formed into pellets, observe the sun’s shadow and seize the right moment. In cultivation, the passage from ignorance to understanding must not be disturbed.

Place the medicine in the vessel; do not pour it out carelessly. Nourish the innate essence and Qi within the human body according to the seasons and proper measures. The so-called “One-Origin Child” takes sixteen liang as one unit and is warmed and nurtured in accordance with the 364 lines, which symbolize the changes of the days throughout the year.

When “Earth Thunder Returning” appears—the name of a hexagram in the Book of Changes, symbolizing the first return of Yang Qi—and the Yang line emerges, if you miss the moment, put the medicine in your mouth. Wash it down with true water, swallowing nine times in succession. Be sure no ordinary person sees you.

The medicine passes through the Ninefold Tower (the throat) into the five inner organs, spreading through the channels and collaterals to protect body and mind. It can treat illnesses already present and prevent those not yet arisen. Who would want to seize true Qi to nourish their own life and destiny?

From the first line through the six positions, this medicine embodies the principles governing the movement of the sun and moon. It can delay aging and restore youth; lifespan depends on the medicine’s power, not on Heaven’s decree.

Once the medicine has been refined, gather and seal the Mysterious Gate, the crucial point in cultivation where essence and Qi are stored, so that its power does not dissipate outward. As the medicine’s power circulates, the spirit’s intention changes with it; the Mysterious Pearl, the core essence and Qi of internal alchemy, fills with white vapor… (The wording here is corrupt in the original and difficult to interpret with certainty.)

The Qi of the sun and moon shines into the abdomen, where it rumbles within, as if revealing all the injustices of the world. Practice according to the lunar calendar, dividing the work into six stages. Complete each stage at its appointed time, leaving nothing out.

When the foundation first stirs, take the medicine. Once the foundation has already stirred, taking the medicine will have no effect.

There are several restrictions on taking this medicine: dispel vexation, sorrow, and entanglements. Seal the room tightly and keep to yourself in quiet stillness. Spend a full year without concerning yourself with worldly affairs, until the body becomes as firm as steel.

Black turns to white, and white then turns to red. Keep your resolve firm; refining and nurturing depend on sustained effort. The “Happy Pill” is white as snow. Its ingredients are easy to find, but its secret is hard to obtain.

Without me to establish this method, the medicine’s power would be hard to bring back within oneself and circulate through all the body’s channels and vessels. Its power travels with the body and reaches the hundred vessels. After three years, changes will occur within, like the movement of the sun and moon.

Once the Happy Pill has been refined, if its power does not leak away, one can soar into the sky and ascend to Heaven. Warm and nurture it according to the line images, and in the end refine the Great Return Elixir. This method must not be revealed, even between father and son or ruler and minister.

To obtain Golden Essence—the pure essence used in alchemy—one must undergo a period of cultivation. The Golden Tripod, the vessel used in alchemy, is set upon the ground, but one must also seek the source within oneself.

Fire Qi rises and Water Qi stirs; one must discern how they float and sink. When the elixir boils up and over the mouth of the tripod, gather it back and consume it.

Now the essential instructions are made clear: this is the true essence. Do not let this give rise to greed or attachment, or you will harm yourself.

Parents are the root of life; lead and mercury—the alchemical terms for the two medicines or forces that symbolize Yin and Yang—are the foundation of alchemy. These are not defiled things, but the basis from which an immortal, one who has attained the Dao, may be transformed.

People should follow the patterns of Heaven and Earth as a son serves his father and a subject serves their ruler. By following the seasons of Heaven and the conditions of the land, people can reproduce and give birth.

How could Yin spirit, or the nature of emptiness, by itself give rise to a human being? The body must first be born of parents; only then does this spiritual nature exist.

People should follow the patterns of Heaven and Earth as a son serves his father and a subject serves their ruler. By following the seasons of Heaven and the conditions of the land, people can reproduce and give birth.

How could Yin spirit and the nature of emptiness, by themselves, give rise to a human being? The body must first be born of parents; only then does this spiritual nature exist.

When the body is destroyed, the spirit returns to emptiness. If one can obtain Golden Essence, one can preserve life and nurture its root.

After long cultivation, when the work is complete, one may endure forever.

Poems

Mystery upon Mystery: Mysterious beyond mystery, it existed before Heaven and Earth took shape. It continues without end amid indistinct obscurity; it is the root of the Great Dao and the source of Yin and Yang. The immortals of old passed down this method, and wise and discerning people came to understand its profound principles. If those who study the Dao can grasp them, they can preserve their bodies and dwell in the world for a long time. Only when the Golden Elixir has been refined through nine cycles will they know how to shed the old body, renew themselves, and become immortals.

Elixir upon Elixir: The methods of the elixir are profound, difficult to understand and difficult to put into words. The “dragon’s marrow” and “tiger’s liver” symbolize the transformations of Yin and Yang and correspond to the movements of the sun and moon. To gather the “Mid-Autumn Moon,” one must know when to warm and nurture it, and also take account of the cold that follows the winter solstice. After taking it, one enters the Purple Palace, the immortal realm or divine abode spoken of in Daoism. When refining the elixir, the advancement of the fire depends entirely on grasping its essential points. If later students cultivate according to these instructions, then once their work is complete, they will surely ride a phoenix and ascend.

Medicine upon Medicine: Refining the medicine requires diligence. Cultivation can make the jade towers and phoenix pavilions of the immortal realm appear, reaching upward to the moon palace symbolized by the Jade Rabbit and downward to where the solar disk resides. Gather the medicine and place it in the tripod for refinement; do not err in harmonizing it. When tempering the medicine, one must understand the principles governing the increase and decrease of the fire, its movement, and the “bathing”—an alchemical term for suspending the fire or adjusting its intensity at a particular stage. When the cultivation is complete, an immortal attendant will summon me to return to the Azure Vault, the blue sky and, by extension, the realm of the immortals.

Lead upon Lead: Lead is the true source in the realm of Water, produced by Geng and Xin—terms from the Five Phases and the celestial stems that here indicate direction and quality. Its position belongs to Qian, yet it often resides in Kan, hidden in the north. When it encounters mercury from the Palace of Li—Li and Kan symbolize Fire and Water, respectively, while mercury here represents the Yang medicine—it can be refined into a single jade-like pill. In refining the elixir, one must understand the principles governing bathing and the adjustment of the fire. When the cultivation is complete, an immortal attendant will summon me to return to the Azure Vault.

Lead: Lead is called the “true source of the land of water.” It is generated by the Qi of Geng and Xin, belongs to Qian by position, yet often dwells in the place of Kan, hidden away in the north. When it meets mercury in the Li Palace and is refined through heating, it condenses into a jade-like elixir. One must carefully guard the divine furnace at all times, keeping its fire secret and steady; only then can the foundations of one’s life and destiny be made firm. When the day comes that the Jade Emperor’s talismanic command arrives, one may ride securely on a phoenix and ascend into the blue heavens.

Mercury: Mercury is said to be something foolish people secretly take and hide in cinnabar and crevices in the rock. Used according to ordinary principles, it can bring success to ordinary people; only by reversing its use is it employed to refine the elixir. It can be made into an elixir only through refinement by fire; without fire, all effort is wasted. Mercury and lead are placed together and blended, with “the Yellow Woman” (a medium that harmonizes Yin and Yang) assisting them. After the “nine returns and seven reversals” (a term for the repeated cycles and harmonization involved in elixir refinement), they return to the central palace, and the gathered immortals command me to ride a phoenix.

Furnace: The furnace originates in the void and can be used for refining and nourishing; the Mysterious Pearl is hidden within it. Its upper part corresponds to the celestial patterns, with the Eight Trigrams arranged there; its lower part connects with the geography of the earth, with the Four Symbols (symbols representing the four directions and the changes of Yin and Yang) surrounding it. In directing the fire, one must follow the measures of the circuit of heaven, and the elixir’s cultivation must proceed without error. When a certain sign appears in the central palace, one can distinguish the wise from the foolish and discern the higher from the lower. (The wording here is corrupted in the original.)

Sword: The sword is extraordinarily efficacious: it can fly across the vastness of space and pass through thunder and lightning, sever three mountain peaks, and cleave open the sea. It can drive away Yin demons and make ghosts and spirits tremble. After seizing the luminous pearl at midnight, divine radiance comes and goes, appearing before one. In time, it will safeguard my longevity; carrying the sword, I will ascend straight to the Hall of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the symbolic dwelling place of the highest Daoist deities.

Fire: The skill of managing the fire cycle is of the utmost importance. One must grasp the timing and not miss it; this is an opportunity for those with resolve. After seizing the luminous pearl at midnight and seeing the divine radiance appear, it will in time safeguard my longevity, and I will carry the sword straight to the Hall of the Three Pure Ones.

Fire: The skill of managing the fire cycle is of the utmost importance, and one must grasp the right moment. For those resolved to cultivate, this is an opportunity; for the foolish, it may bring disaster. Refining the medicine requires the aid of Xun wind (the Eight Trigrams’ symbol for wind), and the positions of host and guest must be properly arranged. Morning and evening, adjust the trigrams in accordance with the changes of Yin and Yang. The advance and retreat of the fire, and its reduction and increase, are all under one’s own control. When cultivation is complete, men and women alike can transcend the bonds of worldly suffering.

Cauldron: The cauldron is hard to encounter, yet easy to understand. It is established through the Mysterious Origin (the source of the Dao) and is also known by the name of the Yellow Emperor. The transformations of Yin and Yang can take place within it, and ordinary people and sages alike are concealed within it. Its source is distant and hard to find, like watching the reflection of the sun in water. Its position corresponds to Geng and Xin and to the earth of Kun; its treasure is hidden at the summit of three mountain peaks. With the aid of the precious sword, cleave open the “Gate of the Three Surnames” (a symbolic barrier separating the ordinary world from the realm of immortals). By contemplating oneself, one can leap beyond the world and enter the true realm of immortals.

Black metal is refined into platinum, and platinum is refined again into gold. Gold then becomes the highest-grade elixir; here lies the whole secret of alchemy. Within the mysterious lies something even more mysterious: the root of my life and nature. Within life and nature there is another life and nature: my physical form.

Record by the Perfected Man Jianda Ling of the Tang dynasty:

When I was fifty, I accompanied the emperor on his journey west. It was the eleventh month of the Dinghai year in the Tianbao era. I met the Elder of Qingcheng, who taught me the formulas for the True Origin Elixir (instructions for cultivating the True Origin through Neidan practice). Try as I might, I could not grasp their essential meaning. At the time, the emperor was stopping along the route, and I was in charge of the registers of life, so I was very busy. Later…

When I was fifty, I traveled west with the emperor’s entourage. In the eleventh month of the Dinghai year of the Tianbao era, I met the Elder of Qingcheng and received instruction in the Secrets of the True Origin Elixir. Yet I could not grasp more than a hundred of its essential points. At the time, we were on the move, with the court temporarily encamped along the route, and I was overwhelmed with duties overseeing orders and affairs. In the Dingyou year of the Zhide era under Emperor Suzong, I was ordered to reside on Mount Song. There I met the Elder again, and only then began to learn the essentials of the Divine Water and Yellow Sprout. Afterward, once I had completed my duties, I asked to resign and return to court for an audience; later, I again requested retirement to the countryside.

It happened then that the two high officials Zhang Qufei, a gentleman of the Southern Bureau, and Cheng Taixu, a court historian, offered their former residence, where together they built an alchemical chamber. When the elixir was ready, I took it. After twelve days, my skin and appearance had become clear and radiant, and my spirit felt vigorous and refreshed. I was unafraid even when soaring through the air, and my mind and spirit had become more open, as if communicating with the divine. As for the elixir’s miraculous efficacy, people do not understand its mysteries.

Some say that to prolong life, one must restore Jing (essence) and replenish Qi (vital energy), regulate the breath, and circulate Qi. Breath enters and leaves the body, changing from turbid to clear; this is indeed an exchange between the inner and outer breaths. But from where does Jing-Qi return, and where does it enter? Some take breathing and exhalation to be the essence itself—so why would they worry about exhausting the lower back and kidneys? Some take the entering and leaving of breath to be true Qi—so why would they suffer the harm of damaged skin and an overtaxed body? In one’s prime, indulging in sexual activity is indeed the root cause of damage to the original essence. Once one’s essence has been depleted, the spirit and soul become scattered. How could they then be restored? As for preserving true Qi from childhood and regularly practicing daoyin exercises to extend one’s life, these are merely lower methods of cultivation, and they do not bring the result of rising through the air. If one can refine the Fire Dragon externally and circulate Golden Essence internally, one can directly attain the state of the perfected and become an Immortal of the highest rank.

From the time I took the elixir in the Dingyou year of the Zhide era until the present Jiawu year of the Qianfu era, under the current emperor, I have lived through 112 years and twelve reigns. I reflect that, although I have been diligent both in official service and in cultivation, it took me twelve years longer than it did the two gentlemen Zhang and Cheng to regain my youth, restore my original nature, and reach the state of spiritual openness.

Now the emperor is in exile, and treacherous ministers have seized power. As I traveled west, I happened to meet the Lord Zhongli, and was able to journey and lodge with him, surpassing the Three Vehicles—the three paths of cultivation described in Buddhism. When I think of those who remain deluded, cling to old views, and refuse to turn back, I cannot help but grieve. I have written these words to point out the fork in the road beneath the pass to those who have lost their way, and to open for them the true path leading to the state of the highest Immortals. Recorded on the Bingzi day of the Yiwei year of the Qianfu era.

The Dao, the root of all things in the universe, embraces Heaven and Earth and cannot be confined by any boundary. It is lofty and vast—who could portray its form? With a single stroke of the brush, the painter lays ink upon the finest thread of a moment, yet leaves in the heart a picture that will be remembered for ages.

In the painting, Penglai’s immortal realm seems to cross the sea and fly into the space between the brows. Eagles and crows wheel across the autumn sky, then transform into living brilliance. Amid the dusk’s mist, one seems suddenly to hear the quiet beauty of plum blossoms beneath the moon. The spring breeze rises, as if Yang energy were flourishing and all things reviving across the four quarters. A painting may depict a fraction of the Dao’s form, but it can never exhaust its transformations. It clearly reveals how the Dao moves all things and stirs the human heart. And who, across the sea, could come treading the immortals’ traces, fine as jade dust?

Secrets of the Elixir Returned, Kept at the Elbow, Scroll Two