《通幽诀》

Refining the precious elixir takes a single substance as its root, and from the one comes the two. The two belongs to Fire. It dwells in the positions of Bing and Ding and arises from the position of Jia. When the time of the first Nine arrives, like a hidden dragon beginning to stir, Yang Qi is established at the Zi position. The Heavenly Tally (Tianfu, the law by which the movements of heaven and earth answer on schedule) begins to take effect, and at the Awakening of Insects (Jingzhe) it receives breath from the mother. The "mother" spoken of here is Earth. The Dao (the Way) gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, and two gives birth to three. The three are the father and mother formed when Yang Qi reaches its fullest. Yang Qi is the essence of heaven and earth, and so it is called "the three, the five, and the one." These are the foundation for refining the Returned Elixir (Huandan, in Daoism the internal elixir or elixir of alchemy).

The Heavenly Tally is the sun's token, the timely sign displayed as the sun moves. The sun is the primordial essential Qi of heaven and earth, and the original source of illumination for the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The sequence of the luminaries connects to the day, the day to the moon, the moon to the hour, and the hour to the year. In this way one can record the nearness and distance of time and distinguish the similarities and differences among things.

When Chaos first divided, essential Qi transformed into Yin-Yang. The pointing of the Northern Dipper established the twelve earthly branches (the twelve positions used to mark direction and season), and as the heavens shifted and turned, the water clock never ceased its measuring. The Qi of Yin-Yang moves and unites, and through this the myriad things are generated and take form. The Heavenly Tally is "trust," the law by which heaven and earth answer on schedule. It causes the myriad things to arise, and it also drives them back to their root, where they condense into essential Qi.

Working in darkness, essential Qi circulates and congeals into Jing (essence), and Jing in turn transforms into cinnabar. Cinnabar takes on the color of the southern Fire of Bing and Ding. It is Yang without and Yin within, it belongs to the male, and it symbolizes the Yang spirit-soul of the sun. The essential Qi of sun and moon shines upon heaven and earth. The sun and the Taiyin (Great Yin, the moon) harmonize as Yin and Yang, uniting with each other, rising, and receiving breath. Only after one thousand and eighty years does it condense into essential Qi.

Cinnabar (danshа; the vermilion mineral used in Daoist alchemy), when illuminated by the celestial talismans (tianfu; the heavenly mandates or operative forces spoken of in Daoism) and after a further one thousand and eighty years, becomes zhusha, or "vermilion sand." It is called "Yin within Yang" (Yin-Yang), and is also known as the Great Yang and the Vermilion Bird Stone, and it governs water. At this stage the qi (Qi) of primordial harmony (yuanhe zhi qi; the original qi produced by the blending of Heaven and Earth) is not yet abundant, so it is still called cinnabar.

Celestial lead (tianqian; an alchemical term for the essential qi transformed from lead) passes through ten thousand heavens and merges with "the essence of the Emperor's Son and the blood of the Dragon Maiden." Yin and Yang transform into one another, so that a thing of the south is changed into a thing of the north. When the portion not yet fully transformed is drawn off, it becomes Yin mercury, which governs water. The number of water is one, and for this reason it is said that mercury is born from lead, with Yang qi standing in the position of the minister.

Once celestial lead has become divine water, the celestial talismans revolve and shine upon the cinnabar, nurturing it for another one thousand and eighty years. Celestial fire transforms it into the qi of Great Yang; at this point Yang qi is full and Yin qi has waned. When Yang qi is brimming it flows and circulates, again and again, and a fresh luster naturally appears. It receives the qi of Ren and Gui water of the north; its exterior is Yin and its interior is Yang, and it is linked to the Yin hun (soul) within the moon of woman. It is no ordinary thing of the human world.

Therefore, it arises spontaneously in the red waters and, flowing, becomes Yang mercury, also called the essence of celestial lead and the ancestor of the Yellow Sprout. The radiant qi of the sun and moon unites with water and in the end transforms into the naturally formed Returned Elixir (huandan).

The celestial talisman (Tianfu, the correspondence of heavenly seasons in motion) shines down for a further one thousand and eighty years, bringing the total to four thousand three hundred and twenty years. Once the primal Qi (qi, vital energy) is abundant, the returned elixir forms of its own accord. The substance, once naturally subdued by fire, turns black and shifts from the north to the west. The west belongs to Metal, whose number is four, and Metal is also the root of Water. From this we know that "three, five, and one" are the most subtle elements between Heaven and Earth: three stands for fire, five for the parents of cinnabar, and one for the source of cinnabar. They revolve in cycles, their essence and Qi combine in harmony, and through mutual resonance they coalesce into form, never departing from "one." "One" is the root of the Dao (the Way), and it also refers to the essence of water.

Three stands for fire, five for the parents of cinnabar, and one for its source. The three revolve in cycles, their essence and Qi unite, and through mutual resonance they take form and return to "one." "One" is the root of the Dao, and it also signifies water. If the practitioner does not understand that cinnabar is lead, and that gold can be born from within lead, the meaning will remain beyond grasp. Lead and gold are Yin-Yang (yin-yang) contained within a single substance. They move of themselves and restrain one another: within Yang there is Yin, within Yin there is Yang, and within the profound there is yet more profundity. This substance is called the Xuanwu stone, and it can transform water into gold. Thus it is said that cinnabar arises from the Yin aspect of gold and takes gold as its master. As the celestial talisman turns, after a total of four thousand three hundred and twenty years of illumination, it is like parents nurturing their children, and in the end celestial lead is produced and the returned elixir is refined naturally.

The oral instructions say: later sages used fire as a metaphor for the transformations of the hexagram lines. Reckoned by the month, there are three hundred and sixty periods; reckoned by the year, the cycles of seasonal Qi total four thousand three hundred and twenty periods. When the alchemical process is modeled on these seasonal changes, the celestial talisman naturally brings the returned elixir to completion. Hence it is said that cinnabar, mercury, gold, and water, together with the dragon and tiger and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), merge into one and return to "one." It appears that there are not two things, yet in truth it contains five elements. By following the hexagrams and the movement of the solar terms to operate the earthly talisman (the correspondence of earthly Qi and the seasons), one can refine the Golden Elixir.

The oral instructions say further: the essence and spirit of cinnabar are matched to the changes of the seasons by analogy, and the celestial talisman naturally brings the returned elixir to completion. Hence it is said that cinnabar, mercury, gold, and water, together with the dragon and tiger and the Five Phases, merge into one and return to "one." It appears that there are not two things, yet in truth it contains five elements. By following the hexagrams and the movement of the solar terms to operate the earthly talisman, one can refine the Golden Elixir.

The formula states: The essence-spirit of cinnabar (dansha) is produced within the Twelve Divisions of the Central Land (the twelve regions into which the ancients partitioned the earth according to celestial phenomena), corresponding chiefly to the Kun position, which is the southwest. Cinnabar is a treasure formed from the condensation of the purest primordial Qi (vital energy) between Heaven and Earth. As the sun and moon move and the celestial tallies turn, it unites within the "Five." The "Five" refers to Wu and Ji, which belong to the Earth of the center.

The places where cinnabar forms are usually hills of fine terrain, regarded as blessed with virtue (De). The climate there is mild, the mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees are lush, and the earth and stones are solid and strange, as though guarded by spirits. Yin and Yang qi meet within them, nurturing and illuminating the vital essence (Jing) and causing it to take form from the earth and transform into cinnabar.

Where cinnabar is found, whether by day or night, just after the sky clears or in times of gloom, a radiance often appears. Sometimes it emerges like sunlight and then flickers in and out of view, recognizable only to those who mine it. What follows records the prefectures, counties, and valleys to which the cinnabar-producing sites belong, along with its various alternative names.

Cinnabar is also called vermilion sand (zhusha), vermilion lead, gold within lead, celestial lead, fire lead, divine water, Flower Pond, Yin mercury, Yang mercury, Yin within Yang, Yang within Yin, quicksilver, five-colored stone, five metals, chief of the seven treasures, returned elixir (huandan), heaven-born sprout, yellow sprout, and womb of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

Cinnabar essence (danshajing, naturally formed cinnabar that has not been refined) may be found in Guifu, Chen, Jin, Heng, Lang, Shao, Goulou, Duyun, Xiangdu, Yong, Bang, Rong, and throughout Hunan, wherever the mountains, rocks, caves, and valleys are lush and beautiful in their terrain.

To gather this cinnabar essence, one can break open rocks at places where cinnabar was mined in the past, or dig out mine shafts that were once filled in. Whether a pit is new or old, it may be found wherever the terrain is lush and beautiful, though not every new or old pit contains it.

Among cinnabar, the finest grade is bright in color and grows naturally along the mineral vein, with a form that seems to be surrounded by attendants, as if ruler and ministers followed one another and faced the same direction. Its color is like an unopened red lotus, crystalline and luminous, shining in the sunlight. Others are like the hibiscus, purple and translucent, shaped like a zither. Still others come in flakes with sharp edges, clear in texture and transparent to light. All of these are of the highest grade.

Some resemble flakes of mica, white and translucent, and are also called "white horse teeth." Some are granular, ranging in size from about one or two liang to one or two jin, and when taken from the rock the crushed grains are bright red. Some are flaky and sharply edged, gleaming white, and disappear from sight when placed in water. Others have a vivid bluish luster and sharp edges. All of these belong to the middle grade. Like the highest grade, they can be used, and they suffice as a supreme medicine (zhiyao, cinnabar regarded as having especially high medicinal value).

Cinnabar that is iron-colored, or gathered from bamboo streams, valleys, earthen pits, or water, or that comes in grains of uneven size and irregular weight, or in powdered form scooped up by hand, belongs to the lowest grade. Even cinnabar taken from places rich in water and then processed by extracting its juices and refining it can serve only to treat common ailments. It cannot bring long life or lasting vitality, and so it is unsuitable as a supreme medicine.

The scripture (Jing) uses officials as a metaphor. The highest and middle grades are like officials who hold rank. Those without title or position are like commoners, of low standing and unable to act on their own authority, and so they can hardly produce extraordinary effects. That is why the lowest grade can only treat the ordinary illnesses of the world and cannot bring long life or lasting vitality.

"The Heavenly Talisman, the Sun" means that the Heavenly Talisman corresponds to the sun. The scripture also mentions what the Spring and Autumn Annals calls "the day of the Heavenly Talisman."

The Heavenly Talisman (Tianfu) refers to the sun. The Spring and Autumn Annals speak of the "day of the Heavenly Talisman." The sun is the essence and spirit-soul of yang qi (Qi) and an embodiment of the laws of the Heavenly Dao (Dao), which is why it shines with radiance. The Huainanzi says that when accumulated yang heat meets and rises, it forms fire, and the essence of fire is the sun. The sun's blazing brilliance expresses majesty and vital essence. It adds that the sun is born in Jia and dwells where yang qi is at its fullest. Fire is born in the position of Zhen, which corresponds to Chen and Si. Zhen symbolizes the eldest son and Xun the middle son, so together they are the father and mother of southern fire. Fire is called "zeng" (layered) and wood is called "qing" (azure). Because the two set all things in motion, they are named "Zengqing."

The Yin Talisman (Yinfu) refers to the moon. The Spring and Autumn Annals speak of the "month of the Yin Talisman." The moon is the essence and corporeal soul of yin qi and an embodiment of the laws of the Earthly Dao, and it gives off a clear, bright light. The Huainanzi says that when accumulated yin cold meets and rises, it forms water, and the essence of water is the moon. The moon waxes and wanes, which shows the influence of the sun upon it. It adds that the moon is born in Geng, where yin qi is at its fullest, and that water is born in the position of Dui, which symbolizes the youngest daughter and is the wellspring of water.

Men take their stance from the sun, while women symbolize the moon, which appears in the west when it first takes form. Cinnabar, in the Way of the Elixir (Dandao), is the qi of the essence of sun and moon and the foundation of dual cultivation of nature and life (性命双修). It joins with the original harmonious qi within and without, which bears it and gives it form. Whoever consumes it gains long life and does not die. Because cinnabar condenses the essential qi of the sun and moon in their interaction, it is called the "Yin Talisman." The moon is born and nourished by the sun, and as Yin-Yang alternate in their course, all things are born in dependence on a mother body. The mother body spoken of here is Earth.

The sun and moon, these two treasures, are the most numinous and subtle essences between Heaven and Earth. Their qi interacts, transforms, and glows, then congeals into cinnabar, which was first called the "Vermilion Bird Stone." Among the seventy-two kinds of minerals, none is more honored than mercury. Mercury responds to the twenty-four solar terms and connects with twenty-four designations, and through transformation it is refined into the elixir. A crow that consumes it turns into a phoenix, a snake that consumes it turns into a dragon, and a person who consumes it gains long life and lives as long as Heaven and Earth. Such a person can also gather and hold the hun and po souls, return from old age to youth, breathe in wind and clouds, and summon Jade Maidens to attend them. Such are the effects of the Great Elixir.

"Lead" (qian) is a liquid refined from cinnabar. It can gather and restrain the hun and po souls, restore youth to the aged, allow one to sense wind and clouds within a single breath, and summon Jade Maidens to serve as attendants. This is the power of the "Great Elixir" (the attainment sought through Neidan, internal alchemy).

The formula goes on to say that "lead" is a liquid that arises naturally from cinnabar. It belongs to water and is the Yin within Yang, and it is also called mercury. What arises naturally from cinnabar belongs instead to metal; it is the Yang within Yin, and it too is called mercury.

Thus wood, which cannot be reconciled with metal, is held in check by it. Metal contains water, so water must depend on metal; wood contains fire, so fire must rely on wood. In this way lead-water restrains mercury-water, and lead-fire restrains mercury-fire. Water accords with its nature, and fire accords with its form.

What is called "lead-water" arises naturally from cinnabar and represents Yang mercury, while "mercury-water" is a liquid extracted from water and represents Yin mercury. Hence it is said that lead-water restrains mercury-water. What is called "lead-fire" is naturally generated metal, while "mercury-fire" is an extracted liquid, and lead-fire restrains mercury-fire. Many people do not understand these explanations, which is why it is called the "Way of Metal and Mercury."

The sun is the essence of the day, that is, vermilion mercury, and it symbolizes the dragon. The moon is the water-essence of Great Yin, that is, lead-silver, and it symbolizes the tiger. The dragon represents Yang qi (Qi), with nine as its ultimate number; it belongs to wood and symbolizes "non-being." The tiger represents Yin qi, with four as its ultimate number; it belongs to metal and symbolizes "being."

The formula says that "non-being" must be used to restrain "being" in order to unite with the great Dao (Way). Therefore it is said that cinnabar is the essence of wood, and when it meets metal, the two can combine. The proportions of dragon and tiger must be balanced, without any deviation, in order to reach the state of supreme sanctity and efficacy. Ordinary people do not understand this principle, and even when they see metal, they treat it as mere dirt.

The Song of the Elixir (Yaoge) says: the "Taixuan Yinfu" (the principle of Yin-Yang transformation operating within the subtle and hidden) causes the Dao (the Way) to give birth to Yin-Yang, and Yin-Yang in turn gives birth to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When the Five Phases are harmonized and unified, they become the Returned Elixir (huandan), which is why it is called "Dragon and Tiger." Heaven has three precious things: the sun, the moon, and the stars. Earth has three precious things: the rivers, the great streams, and the seas. The human world has three honored persons: the ruler, the father, and the teacher. The human body has three vital places: the three Dantian (energy centers), namely the upper, middle, and lower. Refining the medicine likewise has three essential conditions: Earth, Fire, and Metal.

Thus Qian and Kun (the Heaven and Earth trigrams of the Yijing) represent above and below, like father and mother. Kan and Li (the Water and Fire trigrams) represent Water and Fire as the ingredients of the medicine. Zhen and Xun (the Thunder and Wind trigrams) represent the method of cycling through the hexagram images. If one circulates according to the scriptural method for three years, the Returned Elixir will form naturally, and this is the Qi (vital energy) of the Great Origin (the fundamental primordial Qi). How, then, could the elixir fail to be completed?

The Instructions (Jue) says: calculate twelve thousand nine hundred sixty double-hours, without separately counting long months, short months, or intercalary months; reckon only by the actual number. If one circulates according to the scriptural method for three years, the Returned Elixir forms naturally, and this is the Qi of the Great Origin. If the primordial Qi is insufficient, it is no different from broken tiles and rubble; but if one can master the myriad phenomena, the spirits will naturally accord with one.

The Instructions says: as Yin-Yang moves and transforms, Qi transforms into Jing (essence), Jing transforms into cinnabar (a cinnabar-like substance), cinnabar transforms into mercury, mercury transforms into gold, and gold in turn transforms into the medicine. For this reason it is called "Golden Sand" (jinsha) and also the "Great Return" (dahuan). "Great Return" carries the sense of returning to the source; "elixir" (dan) refers to the color red; and "mercury" was originally the very substance of gold. Because gold and water restrain each other, it is called "Golden Sand," and the elixir refined from this original substance is called the "Great Returned Elixir."

Earth is the Yinfu. Wu and Ji (the two Heavenly Stems belonging to Earth) occupy the center and form the "Five Talismans" (wufu); another expression calls this the "Golden Cauldron of the Five Qi."

The Instructions says: when the Five Qi are restrained and do not disperse, they give rise to the five colors and return to their mother. Whoever consumes it will attain long life.

The Instructions says: cinnabar is the father of flowing mercury, and Wu and Ji are the mother of yellow gold. The mother's number is five, and five belongs to Earth, which is the "Golden Cauldron of the Five Qi."

The Instructions says again: when the Five Qi are restrained and do not disperse, they give rise to the five colors and return to their mother. Whoever consumes it will attain long life.

The formula text says: cinnabar is the father of flowing mercury, while Wu-Ji (戊己, the Yin-Yang designations of Earth) is the mother of gold. The mother's number is five, and five belongs to Earth, so Earth is used to make the cauldron for refining, which is called the "Golden Cauldron." Earth gives birth to and nourishes the myriad things, and gold is born from Earth, so Earth is called the father of gold. Conversely, gold in the end is also born from Earth, so Earth is also called the mother of gold. Water is restrained by Earth: when Earth fills in the water, the water can no longer surge up. The function of Wu-Ji is called the "Five Talismans."

Mercury cannot be subdued without Earth. When Earth is at its height, gold, water, and Earth must all be present, and they are arranged according to the principle that symbolizes the sovereign. It is like a ruler who follows the Way (Dao): the four directions will come to offer tribute. Once one distinguishes the two true ingredients of the alchemical work, lead and mercury, one has grasped the most fundamental method of the cauldron. Therefore it is said that the three are like one family, all returning to Wu-Ji; without Earth to control them, gold and water cannot be refined into the elixir.

The mother Earth reigns for eighteen days at each turning of the four seasons, and during the remaining days it passes through different states: rest, abandonment, confinement, death, and concealment. Whenever the Golden Cauldron is used for subduing and refining, one must examine the changes of Yin-Yang (阴阳), cause the essential qi (Qi) to return, and carry on continuously according to the proper hours.

Realgar (xionghuang) is used here as a metaphor for earth, which can steady the four directions. Earth is also the root from which metal is generated. "Xiong" (male) refers to yang strength, and "huang" (yellow) refers to earth. What is meant by restraining water and earth and bringing them to stability is the working of metal and fire, not the literal use of realgar. The outer part and upper part of the cauldron are called the "Five Talismans" (wufu).

People of the world do not understand what the returned elixir (huandan, the refining of the elixir) takes as its root, and mistakenly treat gold and silver as the mother substance or the cauldron vessel. Therefore, original Qi (yuanqi) cannot be separated from the "Five," and the "Five" cannot be separated from earth; earth restrains water and earth and brings them to stability, which describes the working of metal and fire, not literal realgar. The outer part and upper part of the cauldron are called the "Five Talismans." Because people do not understand what the returned elixir takes as its root, they mistake gold and silver for the mother substance or the cauldron vessel, and so original Qi cannot be separated from the Five, nor the Five from original Qi. When their names are merged, the two are one body; when their functions are examined separately, they are each distinct.

Original Qi is the sovereign of the Five Capacities (wucai, the five basic factors that constitute all things), and the Five Capacities are the ministers of original Qi. Ruler and ministers must work together, and neither can be missing. In refining the Golden Elixir, one must employ original Qi and cannot depart from the "Five"; the "Five" is the Five Talismans. The Five Talismans refer to Qi. Qi is originally formless and is born from Jing (essence), and true nature is held within it, inside and out. Taking the elixir allows one to transcend life and death.

The golden cauldron is the outer "surface and bound" of the medicinal substances: the surface refers to Qi, and the bound refers to the cauldron. The cauldron resembles an egg, white outside and yellow within, and it unites with mercury (gong, the quicksilver of alchemy); this means that white gold is used to make the vessel. The vessel too cannot be separated from the "Five." The "Five" refers to earth, which is the earth that generates metal. When the various elements restrain one another in their twists and turns and are brought into harmony, a person is freed from worry and the water is kept from draining away or overflowing; this is the function that Wu and Ji (earth) perform.

The oral formula says: "Raise the sword, lay down the spear and halberd, and cover the four directions." "Raising the sword" refers to the original Qi of metal's essence, which is the "Five." Laying down the spear and halberd is like water that, once it meets earth, no longer flows; this means that metal is restrained by earth.

The foundation of the Great Elixir is cinnabar. Cinnabar is lead; it was originally born from earth and in the end returns to earth. What is spoken of here is the earth that generates cinnabar. People of the world each have some understanding of this point.

The cauldron has many other names: External Divine Water, Flowery Pool, Divine Chamber, Enclosure, Surface and Bound, Five Qi, White Garment, Cinnabar Garment, Mother's Abode, Golden Cauldron, and Divine Hut.

The so-called "five qi" (Qi, vital energy) can be so vast that it envelops the eight directions, yet so small that it hides within a single strand of silk or a hair's breadth. It draws in and expels the qi of Kun (the earth), circulating and conveying it onward, so that it can manifest in the realm of form and also enter the formless.

The "flowing pearl" (a term used in alchemical refinement for the elixir or the quicksilver-like, spirit-responsive substances) passes through nine transformations and becomes a yellow-and-white substance. Yin-Yang naturally join and respond to one another. One who cultivates the Dao (the Way) must cause the Dao to submit and settle within the golden cauldron (the vessel used in alchemy, which also symbolizes the place of cultivation), and refine it in the central palace (the center of the cauldron, or the center of cultivation within the human body). Then spiritual penetration becomes unhindered, and one can nurture it, bring it under control, and effect its transformations. For this reason it is called the "golden cauldron."

The Golden Elixir is cinnabar formed when the harmonized primal qi of heaven and earth, the sun and the moon (the primal qi that blends and fuses between heaven and earth) shines upon it, circulates through it, and transforms it in secret. Within the cinnabar, a specially generated "returned elixir" arises, called the "reverted cinnabar" (huandan). It is like a person conceiving and bearing sons and daughters: both are formed from the union of the Yin and Yang essences (Jing) of their parents, and so the returned elixir is likened to male and female. A boy is born facing downward, a girl facing upward; this is so not only while they live but also after they die. Place them in water, and the male faces down while the female faces up. This is simply how nature works; their parents did not teach it. When metal and water join within the cauldron, it is like a man and woman playing together, the man above and the woman below, their feelings naturally harmonizing, and so the Dao is accomplished.

The formula says that although the Golden Elixir (Jindan) has obtained its initial foundation, one must still understand how it is nurtured, harmonized, and restrained by its "father" and "mother." Here the "father" refers to the Yang qi of Fire: Fire can initiate and set things in motion, bringing the Golden Elixir into form. The "mother" refers to the Yin qi of Earth: Earth can contain and gestate, allowing the Golden Elixir to grow.

The "mother" governs the yellow of the central palace. Yellow belongs to Earth, and Earth gives rise to Metal, so Earth is called the root and mother of the "yellow sprout" (huangya, the first shoot of the elixir in the alchemical process). The Golden Elixir takes shape by receiving Yang qi and grows by receiving the qi of Earth. For this reason, the cauldron in which the elixir is refined is also called the "earthen vessel" or the "mother." The Earth spoken of here is the Earth among the Five Phases (Wuxing; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) that has a generative function.

Each of the Five Phases has its own position, and each stands in a relation of mutual interaction with the others. Fire overcomes Metal, and Earth overcomes Water. Water is called the child of cinnabar, while Earth symbolizes the cauldron. The movement of Fire works together with the restraining interactions among the Five Phases to bring the cinnabar into form; when it is further aided by the qi of Earth, the phases can generate one another. Earth can restrain Water, and the original qi of the Five Phases respond to one another. In this way they constitute the foundation of the great Dao (the Way).

Hence the saying "know the white, keep to the black": understand the bright, Yang side while holding fast to the dark, hidden side. Most people do not understand how qi of the same kind follows and generates one another while also overcoming and restraining one another, nor do they grasp such relations as Metal generating Water and Earth restraining Water. Earth can dam and control Water so that it no longer surges upward. This is the function of Wu and Ji (the stems that stand for Earth), and it is called the "Five Talismans and Golden Cauldron." Very few people truly understand the principle behind it.

The Earth Talisman is the essence of Fire and Wood.

The Earth Talisman (Difu, the cultivation method that uses fire) is fire. Fire can cook all things and so nourish the common people. The fire spoken of here is the original Yang qi (Qi, vital energy) inherent in Jia wood (the wood qi of the east). It meets and mingles with the essence of the sun and moon, and condenses into the pure essence of Jia wood. The number of fire is two; its generative number is three and its completion number is nine. Nine is the extreme of the Yang numbers, and it also stands for Yang qi.

Jia is called "Zeng" and wood is called "green." Wood is the force that drives all things to grow; it is positioned in the east and symbolizes the Azure Dragon. Wood is the root of fire, and fire is the offspring born of wood. The Zhen trigram has one Yang line newly arisen, and the Xun trigram has two Yang lines gradually growing, which is why it is said that fire is born in the Chen and Si positions. The Li trigram has two Yang lines and represents the middle daughter. Yang Bing lodges in the Zi position. Wood gestates fire, and fire must rely on wood to do its work.

"Three" is the essence-qi of wood and also the embodiment of the pure Yang Way (Dao), corresponding to the positions of Jia and Yi. The Heaven Talisman (a token of heavenly time and Yang qi) holds good faith and can make all things burst forth into life. The moon is the Yin Talisman (a token of Yin qi and the lunar calendar) and can bring forth all things. Earth belongs to the Yin Talisman and can bring forth all things. Fire is the Earth Talisman (a token of the fire qi on earth) and can cook all things. The original qi of metal and water likewise belongs to the Yin Talisman and can bring forth all things.

The Zhifu Shoujing (Hand Mirror of the Direct Talismans) uses the sun, the moon and the sixty-four hexagrams as its metaphors. The changes of the six lines set the movements of qi in motion and send them outward, and by this means the Heaven Talisman refines the Golden Elixir. Whoever takes the Golden Elixir can sprout wings and ascend as an immortal, and this is described as the achievement of Ziming. The Emperor of Primordial Chaos, the True Lord (a Daoist honorific for the Primordial Venerable), has borne different titles in different ages. Drawing on the guiding principles by which Yin-Yang is governed, on the logic by which the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) correspond to one another, and on the line images of the Book of Changes, he responded directly with matching tallies. He observed the movements of heaven and earth and the cycling of Yin-Yang: Zi and Wu face each other north and south, and Mao and You look across at each other east and west. In the eleventh month Yang qi first arises and all things begin to sprout; in the fifth month Yin qi first arises and all things begin to close and bear fruit. Growth in spring and austere decline in autumn are the law of nature.

In using fire, one must keep it faint and moderate, and must not miss the proper season. When the fire is rightly timed, all things ripen of themselves, and this is the meaning of the "River Cart" (Hechē).

In applying the fire phasing of the Zi hour, one must first understand chouti (adjusting the heat and the pace of cultivation: drawing off and adding). One explanation holds that "River" refers to the northern position and "Cart" carries the sense of conveying. Another holds that "Zi" is metal and "River" is water, and so it is called the "Zi River Cart."

Diagram of the Advance and Retreat of the Seasonal Phases in the Direct Hexagrams of the Earth Talisman.

The commentary states: here the "Four-Trigram Method" is used to bring the movements of the sun and moon and the changes of the four seasons into the cycle of the Duty Talisman (zhifu, the hexagram image that takes its turn on duty by the hour). "Zi" belongs to Metal and "He" belongs to Water, so it is called the "Zi-He Cart" (a method of circulation modeled on the movement of water and fire, Yin-Yang).

Chart of the Advance and Retreat of Seasonal Periods under the Earth Talisman's Duty Hexagrams

The commentary states: here the "Four-Trigram Method" is combined with the cycles of the sun, moon, four seasons, and Duty Talisman. Like the turning of a wheel, it circulates Yin-Yang, embodies the transformations of creation, and carries the myriad things. Accordingly, following the calendar and the seasonal divisions of the months, each month has five or six days of taboo, and the arrangement of days and hours should be observed. The sixty-four hexagrams each have their firm and yielding aspects, outer and inner. From dawn on the first day of the month, the hexagrams take their turns on duty, and at dusk the next hexagram takes over; one hexagram is used for the day and one for the night. When the sequence has run its course, passing through phases of darkness and brightness, it begins again, and the advance and retreat of the lines are all derived from the Duty Talisman. From the first line to the top line, the Golden Tiger exhales its essential breath (Qi); the specific oral formula for the Duty Talisman is not listed here.

The commentary states: here Yin-Yang lines are used to explain the arrangement of the sixty-four hexagrams. When the firing process (huohou) is initiated and applied, it corresponds to the sequence that begins in the eleventh month and takes up the season in which Yang Qi first stirs. The "use of fire" here refers to mastering the timing of the fire phases in internal cultivation.

On the ninth day of the eleventh month, Yang Qi first stirs, at the stage of "the hidden dragon, do not act," corresponding to the hexagram Fu (Return, Earth over Thunder), with the hexagram Yu on duty. In the twelfth month, the second line, a Yang line, shows Yang Qi gradually growing, like "the dragon appearing in the field," corresponding to the hexagram Lin (Approach, Earth over Lake), with the hexagram Cui on duty. In the first month, the third line, a Yang line, shows Yang Qi continuing to rise, and the noble person should be "creatively active all day long," corresponding to the hexagram Tai (Peace, Earth over Heaven), with the hexagram Pi on duty. In the second month, the fourth line, a Yang line, shows Yang Qi developing to the stage of "perhaps leaping up from the abyss," corresponding to the hexagram Wuwang (Without Falsehood, Heaven over Thunder), with the hexagram Dazhuang on duty. In the third month, the fifth line, a Yang line, is like "the flying dragon in the heavens," corresponding to the hexagram Lü (Treading, Heaven over Lake), with the hexagram "Fu" on duty. In the fourth month, the top line, a Yang line, shows Yang Qi reaching its fullest extent, like "the arrogant dragon will have cause for regret"; at this time the pure Qian hexagram is on duty, and Yang Qi rises in interwoven fashion.

These are the six positions in which Yang Qi grows. When Yang Qi reaches its fullest extent, it corresponds to the images of the arrogant dragon and of Daguo (Great Excess), taking the patterns of heaven as its model, and so it is said that Yang Qi runs from the month of Zi (the eleventh month) to the month of Si (the fourth month), where it ends.

In the fifth month, the first Yin begins to appear, corresponding to the hexagram Gou (Encountering, Heaven over Wind), with the hexagram Xiaochu on duty. In the sixth month, the second Yin appears, corresponding to the hexagram Dun (Retreat, Heaven over Mountain), with the hexagram Dachu on duty. In the seventh month, the third Yin appears, corresponding to the hexagram Pi (Standstill, Heaven over Earth), with the hexagram Tai on duty. In the eighth month, the fourth Yin appears, corresponding to the hexagram Guan (Contemplation, Wind over Earth), with the hexagram Sheng on duty. In the ninth month, the fifth Yin appears, corresponding to the hexagram Bo (Splitting Apart, Mountain over Earth), with the hexagram Qian on duty. In the tenth month, the sixth Yin appears, and the pure Kun hexagram is on duty.

The right side describes the six positions in which Yin Qi comes into being in succession. When the hexagram of fullest Yin is reached, the Qi lies hidden and does not show itself, taking on a form like the earth, which is why it is said that Yin Qi begins to arise at the Horse hour (wu). The hexagrams Observation (Guan) and Ascending (Sheng) hold sway. In the ninth month, five Yin lines have formed, and the hexagrams Splitting Apart (Bo) and Humility (Qian) hold sway. In the tenth month, all six Yin lines are complete, and the pure Kun hexagram holds sway. Yin Qi begins at wu and ends at the Pig hour (hai).

The Zhen trigram governs spring and belongs to Wood, its numbers being three for generation and eight for completion. The Li trigram governs summer and belongs to Fire, its numbers being two for generation and seven for completion.

The oral formula says: in the fifteen days leading up to this point, the moon appears white, and the Five Phases (Wuxing) of Fire and Wood preside, so the numbers seven and eight are used.

The Dui trigram governs autumn and belongs to Metal, its numbers being four for generation and nine for completion. The Kan trigram governs winter and belongs to Water, its numbers being one for generation and six for completion.

The oral formula says: in the fifteen days that follow, the moon appears black, and the Phases of Metal and Water preside, so the numbers nine and six are used. These numbers all correspond to the six lines of the duty talisman (the symbol currently on duty). The changes of the Jie hexagram are used to calculate the seasons' Qi, and the reckoning also follows the numerical principle of mutual overcoming among the Five Phases. Thus seven plus eight makes fifteen, and nine plus six likewise makes fifteen, and with this the calculation is complete. One, two, three, four and five are all the root numbers of the Five Phases.

The oral formula says: one stands for Ren-Gui Water of the north; two stands for Bing-Ding Fire of the south; three stands for Jia-Yi Wood of the east; four stands for Geng-Xin Metal of the west; and five stands for Wu-Ji Earth of the center.

The scripture (Jing) says: "The father is young and the son is old." Here the "father" refers to the number two, which is Bing-Ding Fire of the south. Three is Jia-Yi Wood of the east, four is Geng-Xin Metal of the west, and five is Wu-Ji Earth of the center.

The scripture says again: "The father is young and the son is old." The father refers to Celestial Lead, the lead of cinnabar spoken of in alchemical refining. The son is the metallic black lead born from the father. Hence the father is young and the son is old. The son's number is not fixed, while the father's number is five. The Five Phases of Water, Fire, Metal, Wood and Earth transform and give rise to the myriad things. Five days make one pentad (hou), and five pentads make twenty-five days, so it is said that the father's years number twenty-five. The son's number is not fixed, and the years the son passes through and the revolutions it undergoes are likewise not fixed, so it is said that the father is young and the son is old. Ordinary people do not know that the myriad things are produced by the transformations of the Five Phases.

Using Fire

The oral formula says: each of the six lines has its own duty talisman, and the hexagram images are used to apply the fire. The measures of the fire's timing are reckoned from the pure Kun hexagram and in the end return to Kun, cycling on without end.

The oral formula says: each month one cauldron (ding) is replaced, so nine cauldrons are used; this is what is meant by "applying the fire."

The formula also says: the six lines (yao, the six line-strokes of a hexagram) are governed by the Direct Talisman (zhifu, the position that presides over the rotation), and the fire phasing is applied according to the changes of the hexagrams. The weights of the medicinal substances begin with the pure Kun hexagram and finally return to Kun, cycling without end.

The formula further says: each month one cauldron is replaced, so nine cauldrons are used; upon reaching this point, the fire phasing stops. The tenth cauldron may be adjusted as circumstances warrant, and it makes no difference whether it is used or not; the more flexibly one transforms, the more subtle the effect. Green is the original qi that gives rise to Metal, and so it is called the "Earth Cauldron." The Earth Cauldron is called the Mother, and the Mother is the Golden Cauldron.

The Golden Cauldron must operate according to the cycles of qi and the fire phasing. On the fifteenth day the Metal nature wanes, and on the thirtieth day the elixir is complete. When the fire phasing reaches the tenth month, the native Earth is no longer taken as the cauldron; the Child and Mother separate from the womb, having passed through nine turnings and nine cauldrons. Nine stands for the fire doing its work, and the cauldron stands for the Mother doing hers. The formation of the elixir mirrors human birth: a person is born 370 days after receiving qi. By the ninth month both Yin and Yang qi are abundant, and in the tenth month the Earth qi holds sway, so Child and Mother part. This is called "shedding the womb."

The Returned Elixir likewise mirrors human formation: when the four qi are full, birth occurs. Just as a newborn must still be nursed and raised for three years, only when the primal qi (Qi) is sufficient can the Golden Elixir be refined. This stage is called "Yellow Glory." After further transformation, it returns to the north and takes on a clear, penetrating blackness, and only then is it called the "Great Return." The people of the world do not understand this. The Child is the medicine, and the Mother is the cauldron. Medicine and cauldron respond to one another and give rise to each other; they nurture and subdue one another, and they also restrain one another as one grows and the other wanes, in alternating flourishing and decline. Within the cauldron they rise and fall, flying and hiding above and below. Yin and Yang govern one another, meeting and swallowing one another, and the four substances act upon one another as sovereign and ministers work in concert.

Earth's nature governs generation, Metal's nature governs death, Fire's nature governs extinction, and Water's nature governs "ge." The so-called four substances are Yin within Yang and Yang within Yin. With the native Earth as the pivot, and driven by the Direct Talisman, the four substances each occupy one direction. In the end the natures of the four substances all dissolve, unite as one, and return to the source, and so this is called the Golden Elixir.

The oral formula says: keep to the method and carry out the operation for one year, and by taking one and a half liang you will generally be free from illness. After two years the "White Dao" is perfected, and half a liang may be taken; after three years the primordial Qi (yuanqi) is full and the "Red Dao" is perfected, and one fen may be taken. It is said that in this way one may dwell long in the world and not be entered in the registers of the dead.

Using the daogui (a tiny measuring spoon for medicines, also meaning a very small dose), one processes mercury and refines it into the White Dao. After five years the medicine has been refined to the size of a hemp seed, and seven grains are taken each time. Then, using the daogui and following the method by which the primordial Qi is made full in three years and the Red Dao is perfected, one may take one fen, and it is said that one will dwell long in the world and not be entered in the registers of the dead. Using the daogui to transmute iron and mercury, one jin of each, both are refined into the Red Dao. After keeping the practice for a full nine years, taking three grains according to the method will cause the Three Corpses and Nine Worms (the malign spirits and disease-causing parasites of the body in Daoist belief) to depart entirely, and one will live forever without dying. One can also refine the five metals and eight minerals (various metals and minerals), and even tiles and rubble, so that, following their original colors as they change, they become precious substances.

The text also discusses the method of regulating the fire phases (huohou). The hand formulas that are established serve as metaphors for the hexagram lines and the numerology of images; one holds the record of the fire phases, calculates by jin and liang, and uses the transformations of Yin-Yang to explain the hidden patterns of change within the alchemical work. Although these teachings have different branches, they are broadly similar, and in practice one should follow the correct formula. For example, the eleventh month is the month of zi, when Yang Qi first arises; this corresponds to the stirring of the first Yang line and the lighting of the fire. "The generating number is two, the completing number is seven" uses numerology to express how the fire phases are coordinated. Circulating and conveying the medicine is like the turning of a cart wheel. Each month one Yang line is added, until in the fifth month a Yin line is first born; thereafter, each month one Yang line recedes, until in the tenth month it returns to Earth, and finally reaches the Kun hexagram (all six lines Yin), and then the cycle begins again.

The Golden Elixir (jindan) is perfected naturally as the sun and moon move in their courses. Since Suiren changed the fire, the sages of later ages have followed the methods of fire, bringing the fire of the alchemical work into accord with the fire of Heaven and embodying the principle of creation and transformation. The clepsydra (an ancient water clock) is used to distinguish the hours and moments; the fire phases are arranged and the medicines measured according to the solar terms, so that the fire phases gradually steam and refine the elixir. When the times set by the four seasons, the years and months, and the clepsydra marks are all fulfilled, the Golden Elixir is complete; this is the application of the fire phases. The fire phases are like herding a flock of chickens: if too hurried, they scatter; if too loose, they do not obey. One need only operate according to the duty spirit (zhifu, the deity who presides over a given time and day) and the hexagram lines and numerology, and metal and water will settle of themselves. In the sixth month the Yang Qi ends at the hour of si, and in the twelfth month the Yin Qi ends at the hour of chou.

Cinnabar (the mineral used as an elixir material in alchemy) is the essence formed when yang Qi condenses, like flowing pearls and jade. It establishes the order of Heaven and Earth, drives the movement of water and fire, responds to the seasons, and accords with the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. Gold is the essence of the moon and dwells in the yin position. Mercury (an alchemical term) contains the yang Qi of the Li trigram and is used to correspond to the yang line. The numinous Qi of Heaven and Earth nurtures the myriad things, and the essences of the sun and moon meet one another. When yin reaches its extreme, it turns into yang, and when yin Qi is exhausted, yang Qi begins to arise. Hence it is said that cinnabar is the essence of Wood, and that when it obtains gold the two unite. This is the Dao (the Way) of "Three-in-One" (San Yi): of the three, fire is one and the medicine is one, and so it is called "Guarding the One" (Shou Yi), the holding of essence and Qi in unity.

It is also said that cinnabar is the medicine and gold is the cauldron (the vessel that holds the ingredients during refining). Thus the three ways originate from cinnabar and the essence of Wood, and when gold is obtained they merge into one body. This is the Dao of "Three-in-One": of the three, fire is one and the medicine is one, and so it is called "Guarding the One."

It is further said that the three ways merge into one and all return to the root and stem. The fundamental principle of the great Dao is that there are no two different gateways into it. Cinnabar is mild in nature, non-toxic, and pungent in flavor. It penetrates primordial Qi so that the myriad things do not wither, and for this reason it is called "black lead." Black lead is the liquid that forms naturally within cinnabar, and also the liquid drawn at the time of the "upward-facing moon." Therefore black lead enters the upward-facing moon and pairs with it as husband and wife. The yin hun-soul and the yang po-soul blend together, and the two natures harmonize of themselves.

The formula says: employ the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), take the trigrams of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), such as Qian, Kun, Zhen, and Xun, as the basis, and follow the movement of the seasons, so that the medicine is conceived and takes form. From the very beginning, yang Qi sprouts at the Zi position (the Zi position among the twelve Earthly Branches, corresponding to the time around the winter solstice). Zi corresponds to Wu, and eight and eight interpenetrate. From this one can calculate the changes of the hours, the movements of the sun, moon, and five planets, the alternation of cold and heat, and the principle that day belongs to yang and night to yin. Yin and yang meet, and every forty-five days forms one node. The seasonal nodes follow one upon another, and yin and yang are harmonized and flow smoothly. Thereafter Qi is stored away, set in motion, and made to circulate again and again, passing in order through the sixty-four hexagrams and beginning anew each time it ends. Water and fire follow one another, undisturbed by external things. The transformations of the five metals and the eight minerals, however, must be completed through human creative power. Here the "five metals" refer to the Five Phases, and the "eight minerals" refer to the Bagua.

The formula says: when water meets the dragon, rain forms; fire relies on human effort to set Yin-Yang in motion. When Qi (vital energy) is at work, the myriad things grow; when the dragon moves and the rain falls, the myriad things multiply. The Returned Elixir (huandan, an alchemical method symbolizing the condensation and transformation of Jing and Qi in Daoist cultivation) nourishes the transformation of all things, and it never departs from the Five Phases (Wuxing: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth).

The formula continues: the Zhifu (the Duty Talisman, here meaning the force that presides over or sets in motion the workings of Yin-Yang) relies on human effort to drive the changes of Yin-Yang. As Qi circulates, the myriad things grow; as the dragon sends down rain, they multiply. The Returned Elixir nourishes all things and brings about their transformation, and it too does not exceed the laws of the Five Phases.

When the Zhifu is first set in motion, the water must be kept clear and still, and the right moment must be seized. The gentle fire and the forceful fire must each stay within nine. Nine is the limit of the Yang numbers, and three times three makes nine, symbolizing change that has reached its extreme. After the height of abundance, Yin Qi begins to arise; when Yin Qi is exhausted, Yang Qi is born again. All these changes accord with the Way of Heaven and are driven by Yin-Yang. If metal and water are blended evenly, they match the seasons; if their order is lost, metal and water decline. The process must be carried out like warm incubation of an egg, so that the embryo receives Qi and comes to life. Things generate and overcome one another, like a cold valley turning to spring. The generation, overcoming, and mutual use among Yin-Yang and the Five Phases are all metaphors used to illustrate the principle.

The formula says: Jing (essence) is original Qi. It first arises in the south, in the fire of Bing and Ding, and belongs to the Li trigram (symbolizing fire). It occupies the position between two Yang lines where a single Yin has just been born; it is the spirit-soul of the sun, and is also called Yin mercury (an alchemical term). When water has received sufficient Qi, it moves to the north, to the water of Ren and Gui, and belongs to the Kan trigram (symbolizing water). It occupies the position between two Yin lines where a single Yang has just been born; it is the bodily soul of the moon, and is also called Yang mercury (an alchemical term) or metal. Water is still and unmoving, the substance of Wuwei (non-action); fire is ceaselessly stirring, the root of action. When the fire of action is used to restrain the water of non-action, and the two are joined, the profound Dao (the Way) is formed. From this we know that metal begins to take shape in darkness. This is the beginning, and it is also the principle by which Zi and Wu correspond.

The formula says: when metal enters the Central Palace (the central position), it becomes the Taiyi Gengcheng (the City of Geng of the Great One, an alchemical term for the place where metal Qi dwells). There it nurtures yellow Qi and causes the original Jing to blend together. The red horse guards the yellow raven, and the azure dragon relies on the white tiger. Corresponding forces are used to command their own kind, so that they work in concert; this is why the process is called "Cantong" (mutual joining and harmonizing).

It also says: Kan and Li correspond to one and two respectively, and south and north form the crucial passage. One stands for water, and two for fire. The myriad things are born through water and completed through fire. Fire and metal attack one another, and water and earth overcome one another; through these actions the Great Elixir is refined.

The Direct Talisman (zhifu, here referring to the sequence and rhythm of the firing process) first arises from the Zi position, corresponding to the eleventh month, and begins to generate from the Zhen position (one of the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams, directions). By the fourth month the fire Qi is at its height and Yang Qi reaches its fullest extent, after which it joins with Yin and withdraws into concealment. It then rises again from the Xun position (another of the Bagua directions), and after passing through a second stage, Water and Earth restrain one another and finally bring the Great Elixir to completion.

The Direct Talisman first arises from the Zi position, corresponding to the eleventh month, and begins to generate from the Zhen position. By the fourth month the fire Qi is at its height and Yang Qi reaches its fullest extent, after which it joins with Yin and withdraws into concealment. It then rises again from the Xun position, and the Wood Qi gradually moves forward in its proper course. Although mercury is at first subdued in the Qian position (another of the Bagua directions), it cannot yet be counted as a fire elixir. Keeping and circulating it through three phases yields what is called cinnabar; five phases, golden sand; one year, the "long sand," also called the Small Returned Elixir; and two years, the Soul-Returning Elixir, also called the Middle Returned Elixir. After a thousand days, the Qi received has accumulated to fullness, and this is called the Qi-Beast Great Returned Golden Liquid Elixir. Whoever takes it will live forever and never die.

The oral formula says: Those who cultivate the Golden Elixir without understanding its profound principles often fail because they do not understand cinnabar, yet cinnabar is the very root from which lead is transformed and produced. People pass the teaching along to one another but frequently point in the wrong direction, mistaking ordinary mercury, lead, gold and silver, realgar, and azurite for the medicines of the elixir. They do not know that ordinary lead is the mother of the silver of the world, that realgar is the child of the medicinal substances, and that cinnabar is the mother of lead. "Yellow" refers to Earth, and Earth is the parent of cinnabar. Azurite belongs to Jia, and Jia is connected with Wood, which is the parent of Fire. "Blue-green" belongs to Wood and lies in the east.

Worldly people do not understand these principles and wrongly use mercury, ordinary gold, silver and lead, realgar, and azurite as medicines. Some use them to make the cauldron, some treat them as mother-and-child medicines, some refine lead to extract its essence, and others mix all kinds of minerals together to compound the medicine. From ancient times until now, no one who has done so has succeeded. The root of the Dao (the Way), and the path to immortality, are right before one's eyes. Cinnabar is the essence of Wood; it is born by obtaining Earth and also dies because of Earth. Its generation and destruction cannot be separated from the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). As the Five Phases act upon one another and transform into one another, they become one another's parents. They both restrain and generate one another, and in the end they form the ten thousand things.

The Formula says that what preserves the qi of life is Neidan (internal alchemy), while what fortifies the physical body is Waidan (external alchemy). When it comes to taking medicines in pursuit of longevity, the most essential things are Neidan, Waidan, and the essential qi of the sun and moon. What is called "flowery qi" refers to the primordial, harmonious qi (Qi) contained in cinnabar, which is regarded as the root of nature and life. Beyond these, the five metals, the two blues, the four yellows, miscellaneous stones, magnetite, and the five alums are also all connected with methods of ingestion and refinement. The scripture stresses repeatedly that, in seeking long life, one should take Neidan, Waidan, and the essential qi of the sun and moon as primary; the remaining mineral drugs and stones lie outside the scope of discussion.

The Formula further says that mercury is a substance in which Yin qi is isolated and Yang qi is deficient, and that it corrodes the bones and damages the marrow. Gold harms the liver, silver harms the spleen, copper harms the kidneys, and lead and tin harm the stomach; the "four yellows" are extremely toxic. Each of these substances has its own inherent nature, and they injure Yang qi and the primordial, harmonious qi. The truly useful metals and minerals of which the scripture (Jing) speaks are not ordinary metallic ores. The six kinds of water-based drugs commonly used in the world are all gravely poisonous; even if one feels no discomfort after taking them at first, they will in the end cause severe harm.

If cinnabar is refined by minor, heterodox methods, it may perhaps cure the illnesses of the age and slightly slow aging, but it cannot bring about long life. The refining method says that one should use four ingredients, including processed sulfur and realgar, as materials, so that they restrain one another and reach a state of mutual harmony. If various poisonous drugs are used to suppress them by force, so that the qi of the ingredients is mixed and coagulated together, the product cannot be taken, and one must be careful.

The Formula also says that lead is the mother of the world's silver. When lead ore has fully received Yang qi beneath the earth, its nature is naturally able to subdue fire; once it is smelted out of the ore, it becomes what the world calls silver.

The mercury within cinnabar resembles ordinary mercury in appearance but differs in nature, much as men and women differ. Cinnabar symbolizes the male and represents the essence-soul of the sun, and it is able to preserve a person's life. The mercury inside cinnabar is restrained by its own nature; unlike foreign mercury, it does not combine with cinnabar from outside, nor is it formed through suppression by external substances, and so it is considered beneficial to human life.

Mercury (quicksilver) symbolizes the feminine and belongs to the essence-spirit of Supreme Yin (Taiyin), the yin qi of the moon. It can take a person's life: its yin is solitary and its yang insufficient, and its toxicity is severe, so it must not be ingested.

The formula (jue) says: Although the Yin-Yang nature of mercury differs from that of other substances, it too is an essence of Heaven and Earth, differing only in how it corresponds to male and female, Yin and Yang. Beside cinnabar there is a small side path by which it can be refined: make a vessel from ordinary lead to serve as the outer framework, and prepare the medicine within it.

The formula says: Worldly people do not understand the root of refining the metal-and-silver medicines, and mistakenly treat ordinary mercury, lead, and even gold and silver as supreme treasures. They do not realize that mercury is born from lead, and cinnabar is produced from gold. Those who refine the Golden Elixir know only that lead is condensed from the root qi. How could one abandon the root and instead rely on external things? Lead is the "child," the essence of the elixir; qi is the "mother," the source from which the native earth brings forth that essence. For this reason it is called "root lead qi."

The formula says: Celestial lead is cinnabar lead. Gold is originally born from within lead; gold is the "child," the essence of the elixir, while qi is the "mother," the source from which the native earth brings forth that essence. For this reason it is called "root lead qi."

The formula says: Celestial lead is cinnabar lead. Gold is originally born from within lead, just as a child is hidden in its mother's womb.

The child hidden within the gold is, in turn, the mother hidden within the child's womb. Lead is the "Yellow Sprout": yellow corresponds to earth, and "sprout" refers to cinnabar; earth can bring forth a sprout, and so it is called the "Yellow Sprout."

Lead and mercury are by nature the good matchmakers of the seven treasures and the sinew and marrow of the five metals. One who grasps their principle will find many matters made clear; one who loses it will meet obstruction everywhere. Using lead to subdue mercury allows the two to harmonize and generate one another, and joined together they form the path of refining huangbai (the art of transmuting base materials into gold and silver).

The Tongyou Jue (Secret Instructions on Penetrating the Obscure) says: Yin and Yang act upon one another and together form the Dao (the Way); metal and stone complement one another and together form the Elixir (dan). When stone meets Yang qi (vital energy), it grows hot; when metal receives Yin qi, it turns cold. This is the natural way in which the hun (ethereal soul) and the po (corporeal soul) respond to one another. The essence of stone stabilizes the hun, and the essence of metal stabilizes the po. Without the interaction and transformation of Yin and Yang, one could wait until the Nine Depths (the most remote and obscure place) and still see no result.

Hence it is said that the gentleman delights in discourse, and the virtuous lady is his fitting partner. The "River Maiden" (an alchemical term for mercury and other Yin-natured substances) is marvelously subtle: when it meets fire, it scatters and flies away, leaving not a trace behind. Like a ghost it vanishes, like a dragon it hides, and no one knows where it has gone. To subdue it, one must take "Yellow Sprout" (an alchemical term for the substance that restrains mercury) as the foundation.

If Yellow Sprout is not added and mercury is simply burned on its own, then even if the furnace is a full foot thick and sealed in many layers, mercury will still fly off the moment the fire is lit, and no one can stop it. In an instant it is gone entirely, without a single trace to be found; like a ghost concealed in the underworld or a dragon submerged in its watery palace, it cannot be seen even by eyes as sharp as those of Li Lou (a legendary figure of extraordinary eyesight). What keeps mercury from drifting and scattering is precisely the power of Yellow Sprout.

The Yuanjun Jue (Formula of the Primordial Lord) says: What is called the "Yellow Sprout" (Huangya) refers to the Qi of the Jiazi cycle, in which the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are matched with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Jia belongs to Wood, and Wood is the root of Yang energy. The "mother" refers to the Qi of the earth. After the winter solstice, Yang energy begins to stir upward, which is called "the birth of one Yang." The young sprout receives its breath from the mother soil, and this is called "Jia." Jia relies on the earth to grow and puts forth its shoot, and the shoot in turn depends on the mother body for its growth. The mother body here is Kun (representing the earth), which is the Yellow Sprout within the Gui position.

The Six Jia each occupy different positions, and some are in states of confinement, decline, death, rest, or abandonment. When Jia stands in the "severance" position corresponding to Gui, this too is one of those states. The five grains, vegetables, grasses and trees, the embryos and eggs of all living creatures, medicinal substances, and human beings all arise from the Yellow Sprout. Yang Qi spreads and flows, setting the earth in motion, and through taixi (embryonic breathing, breathing like a fetus) it forms breath.

The myriad things grow and stretch outward in spring and summer, and this stage is called the Yellow Sprout. In autumn and winter, all things contract and ripen, each returning to its original color and flavor without changing its true appearance. Therefore, the meaning of "Returned Elixir" (Huandan) is a return to the root.

When people depart from their normal state, they may move toward death; when things lose their original color, they decline. From this we can see that when the medicinal substance circulates and transforms, it must be carried by Yang Qi so that it keeps its original form. Together with the celestial fire, it takes part in the work of creation and transformation, enabling the returned elixir (huandan, the elixir refined in Neidan, or internal alchemy) to receive primordial Qi and return to its source.

Yang Qi shines upon the myriad things and causes them to coalesce naturally into form. This natural Dao (the Way) is therefore called the "Yellow Sprout" (Huangya). Ordinary people do not understand the Heaven, Earth, sun, moon, and stars (the "three lights"), nor the process by which the clear and the turbid first separated. Humans and all things are born from the Yellow Sprout, and none of them escape the transformations of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water).

The Yellow Sprout refers to the state in which a thing has just begun to bud, extend, and change. It congeals through Yang Qi and grows through Yin Qi. When Yin and Yang unite, the myriad things begin to receive primordial Qi, and at first they remain in an undivided, chaotic state. Only after the clear and the turbid have separated does the Yellow Sprout appear. "Jia" signifies yellow, "gou" signifies budding, and "shen" signifies the unfolding of the sprout, hence the name "Yellow Sprout."

From this we can see that primordial Qi is never separate from the Five Phases. The Five Phases are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Water moistens and flows downward; Fire burns and rises upward; Metal yields to change and can be forged; Wood can bend and can be made straight; Earth is where crops are planted and harvests are brought forth.

The Great Dao (Way) that governs heaven and earth allows the myriad things to grow and endure. The Primal Harmonious Qi (yuanhe zhi qi, the original qi that harmonizes between heaven and earth and gives rise to all things) enables them to live. The sun, moon, and stars, together with Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), all depend on earth for their birth and in the end return to earth. They shift with the four seasons, each following its own fixed pattern, and this too is the Dao of nature.

Consider "hair-fat" (maozhi, a fatty substance as the ancients described it). If it absorbs the sun's qi for a thousand years, it transforms into "hidden spirit" (fushen). After another thousand years it becomes amber, and after yet another thousand it becomes crystal. All of these are the essential qi of the sun and moon, congealed into refined substances through long illumination. Likewise, when the toad plays with the moon, or when the clam produces a pearl, each takes in the lunar radiance of the Great Yin and nurtures it into a pearl. A pearl is formed from the congealed yin spirit-soul of the moon. Both kinds of pearl can be taken as medicine, and are especially helpful for regulating lung qi, fright-induced disorders, and forgetfulness. Make them into pills with wood honey, the size of a hemp seed, and take three at a time after meals, swallowed with saliva. The clam pearl is able to subdue mercury.

If a person cultivates virtue within, keeps the Primal Harmonious Qi flowing freely and in balance, nourishes the mind of the Dao, and gathers Jing (essence) and qi, they too can form an essence-pearl and naturally attain long life. It is said that the pearl dwells in the Red Water, and the Red Water is blood. Creatures that lie hidden, such as birds and beasts, insects and ants, fish and crabs, all receive the Primal Harmonious Qi and so stay alive. Each lives by relying on its own source, not because parents command or arrange it, so how could this depend entirely on human understanding? One should steady one's own will, so that sounds answer one another and like responds to like, letting being and non-being interpenetrate, and letting Yin and Yang embrace so as to preserve the Dao. When the two qi unite, one distinguishes being from non-being, and then lets non-being and being complete each other; only in this way is the true Dao achieved.

The River Chariot (heche) is the chief among the five metals and also belongs to the northern position. Water can set a carriage in motion and carry all things, its wheels turning without rest. This symbolizes Yang dwelling in the place of Yin, Yin joining with the essence of Yang, and metal and mercury finding accord; hence it is called the River Chariot.

The Primal Harmonious Qi is at root without division, and being and non-being complete each other, and through this the true Dao is achieved.

The River Chariot (Heche) is the dominant substance among the Five Metals and corresponds to the northern direction. Water can bear a chariot along, carrying all things as the wheels turn without ceasing. This symbolizes Yang residing in a Yin position, with Yin joining the essence (Jing) of Yang, and metal and mercury (in alchemy, symbols of the two kinds of Yin and Yang substances) uniting with one another. This is why it is called the "River Chariot."

The founding masters of the Way of Primal Harmony (Yuanhe) opened up heaven and earth and harmonized Yin-Yang, and so the four seasons moved in their course and all things grew. Humans receive the Qi of heaven and earth and so possess life, and among all beings the most spiritually endowed is the human being. For a human, there is no greater blessing than being alive and no greater misfortune than death. Yet if one detests death and seeks long life while violating the principles of the Dao (the Way), one cannot attain long life. One must strive to cultivate the Dao, strive to cultivate the Dao.

The commentary I have written, though it differs from the views of other schools, accords in meaning with the scriptures and is in harmony with the Great Dao. In discussing the hexagram images (using the images of the hexagrams to explain the transformations of heaven and earth), the regulation of fire phasing (Huohou, the mastery of heat and timing in the process of refining and nourishing) comes first; in distinguishing Yin and Yang, the medicinal substances are the foundation. "Can" (參) carries the sense of blending. Water, earth, and metal, three substances, are joined into a single whole and fit together like the two halves of a tally, agreeing in one and the same principle. This is why the work is called the "Cantong" (參同, "Kinship of Three").

The generation of the myriad things depends on the work of the sun and the moon. Metal and water, too, must rely on fire and earth to reach completion. Metal and water are the root of transformation, while fire and earth are the beginning from which Yin-Yang takes form. When heaven and earth were still in a state of primal chaos, all was silent and without sound. Though no change had yet occurred, this state was ultimately the foundation of all things. Metal is white in color and water is black; when the two meet within the Qi, their form resembles an egg.

A burning mirror (yangsui, an instrument for drawing fire from sunlight) cannot produce fire once it is removed from the sun. The Quanrong (the ancient name for the tribes of the northwest) used a fire mirror to focus light on mugwort, and in a moment the mugwort burst into flame. Fire drawn in this way symbolizes the Returned Elixir (huandan, an alchemical term for the completion of the elixir or the return to the origin), and it is the working of Yin-Yang combined with metal and fire. Such practices were also known within the borders of the Great Tang at that time. Written words cannot exhaust everything, and language cannot fully convey the mind's intent. Does this mean, then, that the intent of the sages can never be understood?

To take ordinary mercury for the Golden Elixir is the folly of a deluded person. To speak of cinnabar without grasping its principle is to be one who does not understand the Dao, and such a person is already far from the true Way. Some say that if one refines the elixir with ordinary mercury and ordinary lead, the medicine will lack spiritual efficacy. This is because they have not grasped the original nature of mercury and true lead. They praise only the virtue of ordinary lead and say nothing of the subtlety of mercury, as though the elixir must be made from one single substance, without drawing on the strengths of both.

If one uses only ordinary lead as the medicine, one will stray far from the Dao; if one takes mercury to be the Golden Elixir, this too is not the true method. One who understands should take mercury and fire-lead as the foundation, obtaining only the original Qi of the lead, so that when it meets with "five" the elixir can be formed, without abandoning its root. If one can grasp the root of creation and transformation, then its wondrous applications will be inexhaustible.

If external substances are taken for one's inherent nature, that nature cannot achieve union. If mercury is used in place of cinnabar-derived mercury (gong), the lead cannot bond with it. If one's nature cannot unite with the Three Palaces (sangong, the three inner locations or levels spoken of in cultivation), how can the elixir be made firm? If lead cannot bond with the Eight Minerals (bashi, the mineral materials used in alchemy), how can it produce subtle effects?

When gold keeps its weight as heavy as in its original state, it never loses its true weight, and the forms of the sun and moon remain as they always were. If Yin mercury (mercury of a Yin nature) does not lose its original weight, the gold of the sun and moon can keep its primal state. My life rests upon lead. If the lead does not lose its innate nature, and the lead goes on to become the elixir, then the gold will endure for hundreds of millions of years.

The lead spoken of here is the two kinds of mercury that arise naturally within cinnabar. They were originally one body with no distinction between them, and so they are called "heavenly lead." Do not damage my lead, for only then can my life be preserved. Do not wreck my cart, or you will delay my return to my homeland. The so-called "cart" is the liquid drawn out of the cinnabar.

Within the lead there is gold, and lead and gold were originally one body, and so it is called "heavenly lead." Do not damage the lead, and life can be preserved. Do not wreck the cart, or there will be no way to return home. Lead is the substance that forms naturally within cinnabar, and the cart is the liquid drawn out of it.

Lead contains gold, and gold in turn contains the returned elixir (huandan). One who can recognize treasures and tell the true from the false is a worthy person who can attain the Dao (the Way). Lead is formed naturally within cinnabar, and gold, once refined through the proper control of the fire, will return when the time is ripe.

The Perfected One says that the golden essence and yellow sprout (an alchemical term for the essence that forms within cinnabar) has the power to restrain water and keep it from dispersing, and this water is called "dark water." The golden essence and yellow sprout is also called self-born lead. The "water" here refers to the liquid drawn out of cinnabar.

The lead needed for refining the elixir is not ordinary lead. To "use lead" means that cinnabar itself carries a leaden nature capable of restraining mercury. To "not use lead" refers to the mother substance of silver in the world, which is ordinary lead. If the lead is not true lead, it is difficult to draw close to the great Dao. If it is true lead, one can hold to the root of the elixir method. False lead is ordinary lead, while true lead is the lead contained within cinnabar. It is better to cultivate the gold that arises naturally within cinnabar than to cultivate the "treasure within gold" of the sort found in ordinary quicksilver. The sages explained these principles plainly, using metaphors to enlighten later learners.

The so-called cauldron is made from the original earth in which the cinnabar grew, and the so-called medicine is the mercury that flows naturally out of the cinnabar.

The so-called fire-lead is the state in which cinnabar, transformed by the sun and moon, naturally produces mercury. Quicksilver is another name for mercury. When the Yang qi (vital energy) of the cinnabar is not yet sufficient, the mercury drawn out is called quicksilver.

The so-called medicine is the mercury that flows naturally out of the cinnabar.

"Fire Lead" (huoqian) is the mercury that arises naturally from cinnabar (zhusha) through the Yin-Yang transformations represented by the movements of the sun and moon. "Quicksilver" (shuiyin) is another name for mercury, referring to mercury extracted from cinnabar before the Yang qi within it has become sufficient.

Quicksilver is contained within cinnabar, as though carrying the qi of the first stem (jia), but its essence and qi are not yet full, so it is called "female." Fire Lead is likewise contained within cinnabar and carries the same qi of the first stem; once its essence and qi are full, it forms naturally, and so it is called "male." When male and female are paired, Yin and Yang each find their proper place, and the two are not things of different kinds.

The Golden Elixir (Jindan) fundamentally relies on a single ingredient and requires no foreign substance to be mixed in. Because the Yang qi circulates and transforms, it is called the "Way of the Three-in-One." White represents the essence of metal and black represents the essence of water, and in the end both return to a single body without distinction. The sages borrowed the hexagram lines and numerological symbols of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) to explain this Dao: through circulation and transformation the Golden Elixir is refined and the medicinal substances are subdued. In its application one must follow specific timings and proceed by reversing the ordinary course. If the timing and positions are thrown into disorder, it is like the hun and po souls scattering, or the sun and moon meeting and losing their proper places, and Yin and Yang can no longer be matched together.

The sages treasured and concealed these matters, unwilling to explain them directly, and so they often used veiled language. As a result, the formulas in later scriptures (jing) came to differ from one another, and many methods of refining failed. Some people therefore disparage these teachings, consider them mistaken, and even harbor resentment. The secrets concerning the "Golden Cauldron" should be guarded with care. Although the various medicinal substances can be blended, it is difficult to see results. The mysteries of the Heavenly Dao are sometimes hinted at through profound symbols and sometimes expressed through the language of Yin-Yang; the words are subtle and the principles deep, and since many formulas contradict one another, people may be confused by them and fail to understand.

Since the time of Xi Huang (the legendary ancient ruler Fuxi), many have loved the Great Dao and sought long life, yet few have truly encountered and attained it. Some act only on their own ideas, unwilling to reflect and awaken, and without seeking a master's transmission they compose their own recipe books and recklessly seek to transcend the world. They toil in vain in famous mountains and deep valleys and in the end grow old and perish. Foolish people wish to avoid death, yet have never truly obtained the method of immortality.

People eat the five grains and indulge the six passions (the various human desires), and so remain in the world of the living, while ghosts dwell in the realm of the dead. If one cannot command ghosts and spirits or direct Yin and Yang, and cannot obtain an elixir capable of transcending the world, one can only die in this world in the end. When cold, people warm themselves with cotton clothing; when hot, they drink water to cool off; they remain governed by the changes of Yin-Yang, cold and heat. Humans are born in the meeting point of Yin and Yang and are bound by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). They eat what the earth produces, and in death return to the earth, repaying the land with their bodies and going back to their source.

Without being nourished by the radiant qi of the sun and moon, and without circulating the bodily fluids, one cannot transcend the common world by means of the "Three-in-One Returned Elixir." The dead in the world follow one upon another, like stones dropping into a river, never to return, sinking into the transformations of life and death, which is truly lamentable. If one can obtain either the Neidan (internal alchemy) or the Waidan (external alchemy) and take it, the body will circulate its energies and the complexion will remain youthful, surpassing the ordinary. Thereby one can leave the boundaries of Yin-Yang, escape the jurisdiction of the Five Phases, avoid being recorded in the registers of the dead, and be attended by ghosts and spirits.

The oral instructions state: Daoist books, biographies of immortals, secretly preserved records, and alchemical classics, such as the Longhu Jing (Dragon and Tiger Classic) and the Shangqing Jing (Shangqing Scriptures), all take their model from the hexagram and line images of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes); the verses of the Cantong Qi follow the same pattern. Every scroll of scripture sets forth the intent of the sages. The Yellow Emperor, Laozi, Xuanni (Confucius), and the twenty-four sages and many immortals were all people who had attained the Dao (the Way). Although ordinary people may chance upon these texts, they are confused and cannot grasp them; only through cultivation can one obtain the principles within.

There are also cultivators of the Dao who do not reveal their names, who obtained the methods of the Dao and kept them hidden rather than transmitting them. One cannot conclude, simply because they are not publicly known, that the path of the immortals does not exist in the world; to think so is truly foolish and deluded. The verses, records, and hexagram and line images in the scriptures merely reveal the branches and first shoots; they do not explain the direct path of entry. Since ancient times, practice has succeeded only when a master personally transmits the oral instructions; those without the proper affinity must not study casually.

Whoever obtains this text of oral instructions should guard it carefully. The Way of Heaven must not be lightly disclosed. To pass the instructions to someone who does not keep to the principles of righteousness is like raising a tiger only to be harmed by it; it is said to bring punishment upon seven generations, and the transmitter will be demoted to a lowly ghost, long made to serve the officials of the spirit world. How could one not be wary? Even when one meets a suitable person, one must first examine that person's character: only if their heart is single-minded, their conduct unwavering, and the appropriate signs appear may the teaching be passed on. Before transmitting it, one must also sincerely make an announcement to the hundred spirits (the many divine beings), establish a vow and a written covenant, and only then pass it to the recipient. One must be careful in all of this.

There are not two paths of cultivation, and the medicine that brings the highest attainment is only one. If a person can bring their own being into accord with the principle of the Primordial Beginning, the opportunity will arise of itself. Cultivation demands diligence and hardship, and one must not complain or regret even when exhausted. One must not rush toward success, still less seek it casually and by luck, as in fishing or hunting. If you meet an enlightened teacher and understand a single sentence, you can grasp the key to the Great Medicine, for the Great Medicine has only one gateway. The water, earth, and metal spoken of in the scriptures (Jing) are the three substances used in the work. They are not ordinary water, earth, and metal to be asked about from other people. Once the Great Medicine is obtained, the hun and po souls are gathered into unity, and one lives forever without dying. If you hold to a single-minded, undivided resolve, the master will come of himself. Whoever masters the gateway of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) and Neidan (internal alchemy) and takes it will not die, and will live as long as heaven and earth.

The Shu Formula (Shujue) is an oral instruction on long life. It is also called the "Formula to Keep at the Elbow" (Zhouhou Jue), and it is handed down to later students who have not yet understood. It does not record how to refine the cauldron vessel, how to introduce the metals, or how to set the duty talismans (zhifu) and water-clock marks according to the hexagram images. Those who understand these matters should study them carefully.

A Method for Refining Sulfur So That It Does Not Change Color

Take a duck egg, remove the yolk and white, and wipe the inside of the shell clean with paper. The opening in the shell should be small. When the inside is dry, grind the sulfur to a fine powder, moisten it with egg white, and pack it into the shell, pressing it firmly until full with the end of a chopstick. Then seal the opening tightly with lead white (hufen) mixed with egg white. Next, mix red lead (huangdan) with egg white into a clay, and spread it around the shell to a thickness of about two fen. When the clay has dried, apply a layer of yellow clay, also about two fen thick, and dry it in the sun. Then wrap it in fine lead to a thickness of about four or five fen. Repeat these steps three times.

Stand the wrapped eggshell upright in an iron mortar and melt lead, first pouring it in until the mortar is half full. After it cools, pour again until the shell is entirely submerged, with the lead covering the top by about five or six cun. Then, outside the mortar, set up three fires in the manner of a clay furnace, so that the iron mortar stays slightly warm but the lead does not melt. On the fourteenth day, use a strong fire to melt the lead, and once it has melted, remove whatever floats to the surface. When it has cooled, open it. The sulfur inside is said to have been fire-subdued (fuhuo) and will not change color, and it can be used to make the "Mercury-Subduing Cinnabar-Sand Casket" (fuhong shazi gui). One liang of the fire-subdued material can be combined with half a liang of raw material. Material subdued for five days may also be used.

Formula for Taking Wood

Take one hu (a unit of volume) of wood, wash it clean with fresh water, dry it in the sun, and pound it into a fine powder. Then add two hu of clean water and boil it until soft and mushy, strain it through silk to extract the liquid, and place the liquid in a bronze vessel to be cooked by indirect steaming over water. Add one sheng of white honey, together with one sheng of dried jujubes that have been pitted, mashed, and thoroughly mixed so that skin and flesh are blended together. Stir these into the wood powder until even, forming a paste like dried meat. Each day one takes three or four pellets, each the size of a crossbow pellet. It is claimed that this removes all illnesses and wards off evil, gives a ruddy complexion, and sharpens hearing and sight. After three years of taking it, one's face will become like a young woman's, and one may attain immortality and long life.

Another formula: take one sheng and add it to the wood powder, stirring until even, and shape it into a dried-meat-like paste. Each day one takes three or four pellets, each the size of a crossbow pellet. It is claimed that this removes all illnesses and wards off evil, gives a ruddy complexion, and sharpens hearing and sight. After three years of taking it, one's face will be like a young woman's, and one may attain immortality and long life.

Another formula: take one hu of wood, wash it clean, dry it in the sun, and pound it into a fine powder. Remove the pits from four dou of large jujubes, add five dou of wine to blend them, and cook the mixture slowly over a low flame, stirring constantly, until it becomes a paste. Each day one takes three pills, each the size of a plum. It is claimed that this makes a person immune to illness, gives a face like that of a child, and enables one to endure cold.