《金丹真一论》

The source of the spiritual elixir (the immortal elixir of Daoist alchemy) is received from the "Qi (vital energy) of True Unity." The treatise says: "True Unity" is the water at the source of the great Dao (the Way). Water is Qi, and Qi is the Dao. The Dao originally had no name; it was only with the arising of Qi that form and substance took shape.

Form and substance are simply things that have shape. At first the Dao was formless; beginning from a single Qi it transformed, and through transformation developed into things with form, and things with form came to have names. Hence it is said that the Dao is originally nameless, and is only reluctantly called "Dao." The root of the Dao is One, and the One is the mother of all things. It disperses and transforms, gives birth to the myriad things, and is put to use by all under heaven. Taishang (the Supreme One) said: "Spread the name of the One throughout the world." All who refine the great elixir trace things from the root to the branch tips: the root is the source of True Unity, the mother; the child is the elixir. Those who refine elixirs must all seek the source of True Unity, so that Qi transforms and coagulates into the elixir, which is precisely the wonder of the divine elixir.

Once form and substance have differentiated, clear Qi and turbid Qi become distinct.

Clear Qi is the Yellow Sprout (an important term in Neidan, or internal alchemy, referring to the subtle substance generated during the refining process), which is light and floats. Turbid Qi is lead (an alchemical term often used for a heavy, turbid substance), which sinks and stagnates. Grand Lord Mao said to Master Qingxia: "Lead sinks and silver floats; this is called the Yellow Sprout." The Yellow Sprout is also called "refined autumn mineral." In refining the Nine-Turn Divine Elixir (an elixir refined through repeated transformations), one must always distinguish the clear and turbid Qi within the cauldron, for only then can one grasp the laws of creation and transformation.

As for the two Qi, one is purely Yang and holds the proper position among the six lines (the six line positions of a hexagram); the other is purely Yin and likewise holds the proper position among the six lines. This shows that Yin and Yang are each complete and fully endowed. The Rhapsody of Lord Yin on the Returned Elixir says: "The supreme Way of the returned elixir makes Yin and Yang whole. It can transform tiles and rubble into gold, and can also guide many people to attain the Dao and become immortals." When the Yellow Sprout has been refined through nine cauldrons and become an aged sprout, it may then be put to use. The elixir texts say: "The Yellow Sprout is the ultimate achievement of creation and transformation." In particular, the sprout of old Yang has abundant Shen (spirit) and Qi, and can be used to refine the elixir.

The count begins with the River Cart of the north (a Neidan term for the practice or process of circulating essence and Qi).

"Chariot" (che) refers to the number of days in the circulation of the Returned Elixir (huandan, a method of refining the Neidan, or internal alchemy). That is, the application of fire to refine the elixir must run a full thirty days, with the fire phases arranged according to the seasonal divisions of each month. The movement of fire must not be interrupted; Yin-Yang each account for half, coordinating and acting upon one another. Each time the Qi completes one circuit, the elixir turns once. The refining begins with the Fu hexagram, which corresponds to the north, and advances the Qi along the yang lines until the end of the tenth month; by then the numbers of Yin-Yang are both complete.

Determining the Use of the Divine Water

Each time one undertakes to refine the Great Elixir, one must first determine the use of the Divine Water and Flowery Pond (shenshui huachi, an alchemical term for the inner essence and Qi used in refining), which serves as the basis of the work. Only once the Divine Water is obtained can it be paired with True Lead. The alchemical texts say that Qi of the same kind unites, the two depending on each other, and their action is wondrous.

If the lead is not pure and true, the Divine Water cannot bear it, and this is what the immortals avoid. What they avoid is precisely the pairing of things of different kinds. For this reason, one must first determine the Divine Water before speaking of True Lead. The Cantong qi (Zhouyi Cantong Qi) says: "If the lead is not true, the mercury can hardly settle." The "mercury" here is the Divine Water and Flowery Pond. Without True Lead, this Qi cannot subdue the mercury within it. Once the mercury is subdued, it has many other names and is not called "mercury" alone: it is also called Flowing Pearl, Golden Liquid, Golden Syrup, Jade Nectar, and Purple Wandering Ointment. All of these names refer to the True Lead within the Divine Water and Flowery Pond.

When the two refined Qi, True Lead and True Mercury, congeal together, they form the elixir. Those who refine the elixir should first determine the use of the Divine Water and Flowery Pond. If a cultivator of the elixir can understand the Divine Water and Flowery Pond, they will know that the road to the immortal Way is not far. In refining the Great Elixir, without the Divine Water it cannot undergo its wondrous transformation; and if the Divine Water does not meet True Lead, it cannot gather and condense the refined Qi. Only when the two unite can the Returned Elixir be completed.

The commentary says: Water has the number one; it holds Qi and mingles with the True Origin. Its position corresponds to the color black, and it is able to unite with True Lead.

True Lead receives its nature and is nourished within the black Qi of the north. This black Qi is the Divine Water.

This is the Returned Elixir.

The commentary says: Water has the number one; it holds Qi and mingles with the True Origin. Its position corresponds to the color black, and it is able to unite with True Lead.

True Lead (a term from alchemy, referring to a key substance in the elixir-making process) receives its original nature and is nourished within the black qi (气, vital energy) of the north. This black qi is none other than the Divine Water.

True Lead holds radiance within itself yet keeps it hidden and unrevealed; its generation and transformation follow the course of nature.

True Lead bears the signs of five colors. Every three hundred and sixty hours (an ancient unit of time, roughly fifteen days), the Daoists open the elixir cauldron, add and blend medicinal substances in set measure, and extraordinary changes then appear: at times black, at times white, at times yellow, purple, red, or blue-green, each corresponding to the proper position of the Five Phases (五行) of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The Yin Zhenjun Liuzhu Jinjing (Master Yin's Golden Mirror of Flowing Pearls) says: "One substance possesses five colors, and it may forever serve as provision for the immortals." It also says: "Lead contains five colors; mercury gives forth three blossoms." When True Lead and mercury (an alchemical term referring to another elixir ingredient) are joined as one, the union is called the River Chariot; "River Chariot" is another name for the elixir.

At times it sinks, at times it floats, seeming to exist and yet seeming not to exist; when dispersed it is like a hidden dragon, and when condensed it is called Autumn Mineral (an alchemical term referring to the substance that congeals within the cauldron). The Jinhu Yuanjun Jue (Formulas of the Primordial Lord of the Golden Tiger) says: "Its floating and sinking, its changes, are indistinct and hard to fathom, distant as the clouds; yet within it lies an essence that can be set in motion and put to use. It seems to be and seems not to be, and its true original form is difficult to discern."

Here the Primordial Lord (a revered Daoist deity) points out and reveals True Lead, explaining its wondrous nature of floating, sinking, and transformation.

The commentary says: what is called floating and sinking is the process of gathering in and condensing within the cauldron. The essence congeals into blossoms and rises through the upper part of the cauldron; this is called the buoyant essence, and it is also known as Divine Talisman White Snow, Stalactite, or Horse-Tooth Balustrade. All of these names refer to things of the Yellow Sprout (an alchemical term referring to the essence that appears as the elixir forms) kind, products of the cauldron's extraordinary transformations. If a lofty adept who cultivates the elixir reaches this stage through subtle and profound methods, they will know that all the methods and steps for refining the Nine-Turn Divine Elixir (a Daoist alchemical term for an elixir of the highest grade) are contained within Divine Talisman White Snow and its like. Through this one draws near the realm of the immortals and has one's name entered in the Jade Register (the register of names in the immortal realm).

All of the above concerns the Dao (道) of the transformation of the Yellow Sprout, an especially marvelous method and a matter prized by the immortals.

The Great Elixir Song (Da Dan Ge), composed by Xiao Ziyun, Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate, says: "A thousand words and ten thousand phrases all serve to explain the secret of the Yellow Sprout; ten thousand scrolls of formulae speak only of ordinary stones."

The treatise states: Before the Yellow Sprout (a term from alchemy referring to the key substance that appears during the formation of an elixir) is placed in the cauldron, an auspicious time must first be chosen, and the black lead refined so that its essential qi (vital energy) rises and transforms. One then takes the light, clear portion of it and pairs it with the Azure Dragon (an alchemical term for a complementary drug or substance used in the refining), and together they are placed in the golden cauldron.

Even once they have been placed in the golden cauldron, the ingredients have not yet separated into the clear and the turbid. Why? Because they have not yet received the true qi bestowed by the transformations of Heaven and Earth, so what is there to carry them along with the changing seasons and allow the clear and turbid to be distinguished? For this reason, the practitioner must skillfully circulate the essential qi and balance the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), bringing them into accord with the process of transformation. He must also observe the water clock (an ancient timekeeping device) with care, mastering the advance and retreat of the fire and its rhythm. Only when all this is accomplished can the Yellow Sprout come to form.

If the proportions of water and fire are mistaken, the timekeeping is inaccurate, Yin-Yang falls out of balance, and the seasonal conditions fail to align, then the Yellow Sprout may fail to form. This happens because the practitioner has been careless and negligent, and has missed the proper moment.

The Perfected Mao said to the Lord of Azure Mist: "If Yin-Yang cannot be harmoniously regulated, the Yellow Sprout will never emerge." This is a prohibition observed in common by all Daoist traditions, out of concern that heavenly secrets might be revealed. Today there are people who refine drugs in pursuit of long life yet do not understand the root of the spiritual elixir, and who casually take cinnabar-derived mercury as the true material for refining.

People of the world often mistake cinnabar for mercury, then mix it with lead blossom and burn it into an elixir. To do so is extremely harmful to human life.

Since ancient times, accomplished masters of the Dao have left behind alchemical texts, immortals' scriptures (jing), cavern writings, and the secretly transmitted esoteric instructions of the various Perfected Ones. These works set out in detail principles that people find hard to grasp and illuminate profound meanings, so as to guide later practitioners. Whenever the refining of the Great Elixir is discussed, the first requirement is to prepare a pure elixir cauldron, an elixir well, and sweet spring water. These are the essential conditions for cultivating the elixir.

People today who refine medicines do not know what true lead is, nor what the Divine Water and the Flowery Pool are, nor what function the elixir well and the elixir cauldron serve. Since the immortals refined elixirs one after another, and each left behind an elixir well once the elixir was complete, would these implements have been useless at the time? Could the sages, in their transformative creation, have left them behind for no reason, merely to mislead later generations?

The secretly transmitted instructions say that once an elixir well has been built, it must not be tainted by foreign matter or filth. After the water channels have settled, the well water should be changed and the stagnant spring water washed away. The mouth of the well should then be left open beneath the light of the sky, so that the stars and moon shine upon it. Ordinary well water may contain sand worms too small to be seen with the naked eye. If the water is held in a vessel of gold or silver for ten days, the worms will transform into footed creatures.

A commentary adds: if no gold or silver vessel is available, one may use a clean new bottle that has never held oil, fill it with water, and seal its mouth with wax paper to keep dust from falling in.

When the nature of the water has become stable and the Earth qi (土气) has condensed, one may then draw on the water to combine and refine the elixir. In building an elixir well (丹井), if you find a place where the spring water is clear, bluish-white in color, and the stone beneath is firm, this is by nature a Yang-vein water, suited to circulating the methods of the elixir and restoring the elixir's spiritual potency. If you see blue-green mud or black soil, yellow spring water, or red water veins, or if you smell an iron-like tang, it shows that the water veins are mixed and that damp, Yin-natured earth has accumulated there. The Earth qi is then turbid and murky, unsuitable for refining elixirs, and another site should be chosen for the well. Only spring water that is clear and sweet in flavor, like sweet wine, is worth treasuring.

The passage above comes from the twelfth section of the Neijin jue (《内禁诀》), which discusses the elixir well. The text says: water nourishes the myriad things and is the beginning of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); water belongs to the Yin qi of the north. For this reason, when the Five Phases are given in order, they are counted as Water one, Fire two, Wood three, Metal four, and Earth five, and the numbers of the Five Phases are all connected through the "one." At the very beginning, the myriad things emerge from emptiness and nothingness, and afterward pass from non-being into being.

The "green water" mentioned here is the original substance of emptiness and nothingness, which is why the text says it "comes from non-being." To "enter being" means that within the qi of emptiness, the transformations of the Five Phases are set in motion, and suddenly the returned elixir (还丹) is refined, so that what was formless takes on form.

After that, it returns once more from "being" to "non-being."

Although the elixir has taken shape, when the time comes to change the cauldron, one must still add and combine the Azure Dragon month by month and nurture the White Tiger, so that the elixir returns again to formlessness. "Azure Dragon" and "White Tiger" here are alchemical terms, referring to the Yin and Yang forces that work in concert during the refining process. The elixir passes from non-being into being, and then from being back to non-being.

When the number of returns is complete, the divine elixir (神丹) will appear. After several rounds of transformation, once the spiritual medicine in the cauldron has reached its full count, the whole cauldron turns a deep crimson, like drops of blood, and within it a white, creamy substance seems to well up. Only sages and worthies can see through the subtle marvels of its transformation.

The refining of the elixir must follow the changes of sun and moon and accord with the nature of the Five Phases. For example, on the fifteenth and sixteenth days of the lunar month, when the moon is full and bright, the elixir's qi (丹气) is likewise flourishing and luminous; as the moon gradually wanes, the elixir becomes hidden, withdrawn, and condensed. Throughout the Nine Turns (九转), the changes of each cycle follow this general pattern. What the elixir texts call "nine returns and seven reversions" (九还七返) refers precisely to this kind of repeated transformation.

Nine is the number at which Yang qi first arises, and seven is the number at which Great Yin (Yin qi) begins. In every refining of the Great Elixir (大丹), Yin and Yang must be brought into accord, made to rise and descend in a continuous cycle, and made to move according to the changes of the nine and six lines. The Book of Changes says: "Qian's primal source employs nine, and the world is well ordered." It also says: "Employing nine means returning," which speaks precisely of the sense of turning back.

Nine is the number at which Yang qi first arises, and seven is the number at which Great Yin begins. In every refining of the Great Elixir, Yin and Yang must be brought into accord and made to rise and descend in a cycle. The movement and regulation of the elixir method must follow the seasons of Heaven: when the moment is in harmony, restrain; when the moment arrives, act. The Book of Changes says: "Heaven and Earth have their regulation, and so the four seasons take shape; Yin and Yang have their regulation, and so the myriad things grow."

For this reason, the alchemists imitate the way Heaven and Earth transform and nurture all things. Through the changes of Yin-Yang they bring about many wondrous transformations: the "flower-medicine" appears in red, yellow, and other colors, and its branches hang down and spread, all manifesting within the cauldron (ding). The sage imitates the transformations of Heaven and Earth. The Book of Changes says: "Heaven and Earth transform and change, and the sage models himself on them; Heaven hangs out images, and the sage takes them as his pattern." This is what the alchemical texts mean by employing the tally and measure (fujie) to refine the elixir. The returned elixir (huandan) refined in this way can then come into being.

The above explains the general meaning of "nine returns and seven reversions" (九还七返). All of these are methods for bringing the returned elixir to maturity. If one refining the elixir does not understand restraint and control, or does not know when to stop and when to gather in, the precious elixir cannot be completed. The sages of the alchemical texts took as their model the conditions of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things, investigated the laws by which Yin and Yang combine, brought the tally and measure into accord with the work of creation, and fully applied the subtle principles of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water): when the qi of spring stirs, plants and trees blossom; when the qi of autumn draws in, the myriad things bear fruit.

The Taiyi Dan Shu (太易丹书) says: "When the returning and reversion reach maturity, the jing and qi…" It then goes on to say that in refining the elixir one must bring the tally and measure into accord with the work of creation and apply the subtle principles of the Five Phases: when the qi of spring stirs, plants and trees blossom; when the qi of autumn draws in, the myriad things bear fruit. The original text is fragmentary at this point, and the meaning after the word "jing" (essence) cannot be determined.

The Taiyi Danshu (Book of the Great Change Elixir) says that once the practice of reversion and return reaches a certain stage, Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) condense and are no longer dissipated. Extracting mercury from cinnabar, drawing the "lead flower" out of lead, and then refining these with various minerals, sulfur, and metals are not the fundamental materials for making the great elixir. They serve only for processing and transformation, turning ordinary substances into yellow and white matter (gold and silver), which increases the world's wealth. That wealth can be used to relieve the poor, to support the practice of the Dao (the Way), and to aid the lonely and those in distress.

If one takes these heavy, sluggish substances as the elixir, one is unlikely to achieve the effects described in the immortal scriptures. Those scriptures say that after taking a single daopgui (刀圭, an ancient measuring implement for medicine, also used to mean a small dose of elixir) in the morning, one grows wings by evening. An elixir refined from such heavy substances could hardly have this effect. Moreover, cinnabar, mercury, and the like are all substances with physical form, and having been refined by fire, they carry yang toxicity. Taking them brings thirst, ulceration of the intestines, and a throat burning like fire, and even if every remedy is tried, it is hard to cure. The five organs are damaged, and this precious body is harmed for nothing. This is truly needless.

Master Ma Ming said: "The returned elixir (huandan, an elixir that returns to its source) reverts to the nature of water when it meets water, and turns into liquid gold when it enters fire. Once taken, it dissolves as swiftly as wind and rain and flows through all the vessels of the body."

The returned elixir is transformed from a substance like a thick fluid, which is why it is called "Liquid Gold." It penetrates and connects the hundred vessels. Once taken, it streams swiftly through the whole body, as fast as wind and rain, and drives out pathogenic qi.

Lord Yin said: "To generate form from what has no form is the returned elixir. Ordinary mercury and cinnabar need no laborious refining."

The "formlessness" spoken of here refers to the Qi of emptiness and nothingness. It moves with breathing and with movement and stillness, rising and lying hidden, never departing from its root. Its root is called the "Mother," which is water. When water joins with true lead, they form the "Flowery Pool" (huachi), and the Flowery Pool is the Dantian (energy center). The elixir texts say: "Whether or not one uses lead, lead is simply the original Dantian." Once the elixir has been formed, it is called "generated substance," which is why it is said that "to generate substance from the substanceless is the returned elixir."

The text goes on to say that although water has form, it ultimately has no fixed form or substance; the immortals, regulating it through their methods, can cause it to take on form and substance. The reason it takes on form and substance is that, at the beginning, the rising and descending of Qi brings it about.

What is called "rising" is the yang qi in the cauldron ascending; what is called "descending" is the yin qi in the vessel condensing downward.

The treatise says, "The elixir resides in emptiness and nothingness," meaning that it is like a bellows, concealing a subtle qi within. Heshang Gong said: "The bellows is empty, and therefore it can produce sound and breath."

When the Qi (vital energy) is wholly of Qian, everything it carries out follows the Yang path; when the Qi is wholly of Kun, everything it carries out follows the Yin path. When Yin and Yang unite, the two kinds of Qi coagulate into a true substance, and this true substance is the Elixir (dan). The term "dan" describes something condensed into form, that is, a red liquid.

Once the Elixir is refined, it does not take the form of sandalwood powder, but appears as a red liquid.

The oral instructions say: the crucial point is first to establish the hours by the clepsydra (the ancient water clock), allowing no error by day or night. Whether withdrawing the water or advancing the fire, one must keep time by the clepsydra before noon. The incense fire must never be interrupted, and one must reverently address the Perfected Ones above (the venerated immortals), for the Qian fire is at its height of strength and brilliance, and one must guard against any loss to the cauldron and furnace.

"The arrogant dragon will have cause for regret" speaks of precisely this moment. Here one must manage the perilous momentum of excessive, fierce Yang; the Virtue (De) of the Nine Heavens is at its most abundant now, which is why it is said that the Qian fire is strong and brilliant.

One must not casually leave the elixir chamber, but listen only for the grand sound like a dragon's roar and carefully observe the signs of Yin-Yang harmony. If one hears a powerful, fierce sound—

this fierce sound signifies the fire of the arrogant dragon, which is the fire of pure Yang. When the Yang path is about to recede, one must still advance the fire, proceeding according to the proper count of hours. The furnace fire must be brought to full strength so that there is no need to fear disturbance or error; yet one must also be concerned that the cauldron vessel may not withstand it. When such a powerful sound appears, be especially cautious and regulate the fire according to the time.

Open the Noon Gate for a moment (here meaning the door on the cauldron and furnace used for the next advance of fire). This is the entrance for the next advance of fire, and also the starting point for admitting Yin Qi. Open it briefly so that the fire's Qi may spread and soften; then, when the sound grows slightly gentler and more tranquil, like the music of strings and bamboo pipes, close the door partway so that the Qi is harmonized.

Let the fire's Qi pass through a little, and once you hear the tranquil sound, slowly close the door again. At the same time, avoid letting the fire lapse, lest the interval grow too long and the movement of Qi stagnate, harming the transformation of the Divine Elixir.

All that has been described above is the process of transformation in the Way of Qian. Those who refine the Elixir should guard it well, so that they may preserve what is correct and firm and obtain good fortune.

The oral instructions say: next comes the time of advancing the water and withdrawing the fire.

At the stage symbolized by the Gou hexagram (姤卦), one must regulate the newly born single Yin so that it governs the five Yang. The Dao (the Way) of Qian possesses the generative virtues of origination, prosperity, and benefit, and the myriad things depend on it to grow. When people accord with the Way of Heaven, they will in the end obtain good fortune.

"Treading on frost, solid ice is coming" describes the moment Yin qi begins to congeal, while thunder in high summer uses its awesome force to bring Yin qi to rest. The tender sprout gradually takes form, and as long as it follows the correct path without error, it can keep growing. At the second watch, the workings of Qi are confirmed, and holding to correctness turns misfortune into good fortune. The Taiyi (《太易》) says: "Gou forms an auspicious sign, and frost and snow reveal their pure whiteness. The embryo stalls and gradually thickens, and Yin qi becomes the master of Yang qi." The key to the Dao lies in concealment, and within that hidden state lies a power like the tiger's. When one treads on frost, brightness already appears, and solid ice is cold and congealed. At this point the elixir gradually coagulates and the divine water has been transformed. The efficacy of the great Dao has reached a realm that communicates with the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth, and the Yellow Sprout (黄芽, a numinous medicine in Neidan, or internal alchemy, symbolizing the first formation of the elixir's substance) has taken shape. After nine cycles of refining, its numinous substance gradually emerges. It is then called the "old sprout," and only at this point is it considered mature.

The Yellow Sprout must still be purified again and again, and only when it is fully mature can it be used and then refined into the elixir. The Perfected Taiyi's Ode to the Jade Pot (《玉壶颂》) says: "In the tenth month the frost flies, and the snow grows ever thicker; the Yellow Sprout ripens within, its radiance plain to see. When those who cultivate the elixir see the Yellow Sprout mature, how could they fail to think of the Golden Tiger and the Dragon (terms in the alchemical tradition for the union of Yin and Yang)?" From this we know that the Yellow Sprout is mature only after nine cycles. Its appearance may resemble railings or stalactites, or piled and towering rocks, or it may display ten thousand patterns, agate-like veins, or exquisite jade pillars, with every kind of marvelous sight. When the nine cycles are about to be completed, one gathers this numinous sprout and places it on the altar to announce it to Heaven, looking up with sincerity and expressing one's profound aspiration. Then one refines the numinous sprout once more, praying that the great medicine will be achieved. Paying homage morning and evening, one opens the altar and the furnace. From this point on, one devotes oneself wholly to refining the returned elixir.

The Cantong qi (Zhouyi Cantong Qi) says that the "Yellow Sprout" (huangya, a symbol for the elixir's first emergence in internal alchemy) is the root of the Great Medicine and the supreme treasure of longevity. Yet the Yellow Sprout born of solitary Yang cannot stand on its own; water must harmonize Yin and Yang before it can become the Great Medicine.

Water is therefore the foundation of the Great Medicine. Within, it stabilizes the elixir; without, it transforms and generates the myriad things, harmonizes Yin-Yang, and is the source of immortality. The Daodejing says that Heaven attains the "One" and becomes clear, Earth attains the One and becomes tranquil, and the myriad things attain the One and give rise to the Yellow Sprout. Once the Yellow Sprout meets water, its nature and form change, and it becomes the Returned Elixir (huandan, the completed inner elixir). Only then is it called the Great Medicine. Hence the Cantong qi says that the sprout of solitary Yang cannot stand alone and must be harmonized by water to become the Great Medicine. Such Heavenly secrets are profound and not to be lightly transmitted; they are a subtle precept of cultivation.

The "Spirit Water" (shenshui) spoken of here does not mean that water itself is supernatural. Rather, when water attains its proper numbers of transformation, its wondrous function appears. It is set in motion by the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) working together, with the Four Images advancing and shifting in turn, cycling without end, their numbers complete. The Realized Person follows the laws of creation and transformation so that things have a beginning and an end; before things have yet appeared, such a person can already foresee their signs, which is no difficult matter. It is like the course of sun and moon and the alternation of day and night, always constant. Heaven and Earth were formed in this way, and the myriad things and humankind continue to be born and reborn through it. This is the result of Yin-Yang moving according to fixed measures, circulating inexhaustibly.

To complete the Great Elixir, one must likewise follow the right moment and bring the practice into accord with the seasons. Its effects surpass the ordinary methods of the world. The "Spirit Water" is not a supernatural substance, yet it appears wondrous because it accords with the numbers of transformation. The Yinfu jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) says that although the arts of the Golden Elixir have many branches, the key lies in the Spirit Water and the Flowery Pool (huachi, an alchemical term for the place that receives and nourishes the elixir). When the Returned Elixir attains the One, it can transform without limit, rise and endure, and last as long as Heaven and Earth.

Water seems wholly Yang in nature, yet its form can display Yin softness. Boil a hundred hu of water dry in a pot and in the end no substance can be seen; yet its moisture once spread over the earth and allowed the myriad things to grow. The myriad things have form and substance because they are born from the upright qi of Heaven and Earth. The scriptures say that Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things sustain one another, and that all things are born embracing the One and bearing Yin qi. This explains how the transformation of Heaven and Earth is complete and how each thing has its place of return, and thus can be fulfilled.

Once the Golden Elixir has completed its transformation, where does the Spirit Water go? The Spirit Water is the mother. The True Lead (zhenqian, an alchemical term symbolizing the fundamental essence and qi used in refining the elixir) unites with it to form an embryo, which gestates and transforms in the Golden Cauldron (jinding, a symbolic alchemical vessel). The practitioner operates according to the numbers of the Five Phases, the movement of the days and hours, and the order of the stars, and refines the elixir at the proper times. Through this, water reveals its wondrous power, and Jing (essence) and qi turn into True Qi. The Black Lead gives forth its essence and the Golden Flower (jinhua, a symbol of the elixir's formation) surges up. These changes do not leak out or away but coagulate within to form the elixir. This is the process by which the sage perfects creation and transformation and the Returned Elixir coagulates into form.

The substance of this elixir is not the same as the material things of the earth. The ancients used the images and principles of the Yijing (Book of Changes) to explain it. Wang Bi's commentary says that to occupy the central position and attain what is correct, to reach the Way of Earth and let things take their own course, is to let the myriad things grow of themselves. There is no need for deliberate management; the effect forms naturally, and so "without learning, nothing fails to benefit." The meaning here is that by returning to the numbers of Qian and the position of Kun, one needs no further forced study. Following the road back to one's native place, one understands the root and need not worry about the branches.

All this explains the constant law of the Way of Heaven: sun and moon revolve, and Qian and Kun, the firm and the yielding, wax and wane with the seasons. Practitioners borrow these images and numbers and pass them down through the generations, yet few in the world ever encounter them. The scriptures say that no phenomenon escapes the numbers, much less humans and spirits. If the calendar and the numbers fail to agree, the fault lies in human misunderstanding; the Way transmitted by the sages is different. The Yinfu jing says: "The nature of Heaven is the human; the human mind is the mechanism." Establish the Way of Heaven, and human affairs will be settled. One can then move the Heart of Heaven, penetrate creation and transformation, turn the Five Phases and the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), fix the seasonal nodes, and distinguish day from night. This is the essential mechanism of the Way of Heaven, and the means by which humans draw on the power of Heaven and Earth to employ creation and transformation. In this way one grasps the workings of the cosmos, makes the principles of all things manifest in oneself, and, with the celestial signs clear, the Returned Elixir is completed.

Yuanyangzi said: Qian stands for Heaven and Yang, Kun for Earth and the mother; the south belongs to the Vermilion Bird, the north to the Dark Warrior. After the passing of years, all returns finally to Earth. Yet people do not know where to find the Dragon and Tiger (longhu, an alchemical term symbolizing the two forces of Yin and Yang). The "Earth" here symbolizes the formation of the elixir, the yellow of the central position; the "yellow position" means that the number nine-times-nine is complete and transformation has ripened. When the myriad things have completed their transformation they are called "Earth," which is the elixir sprout. It can overcome and digest the water in the cauldron. This "Earth" is not the soil of the ground but the form of the sprout at its first formation. It is also called the White Tiger, which can swallow the Azure Dragon. The alchemical texts say: "Dragon and Tiger embrace and swallow one another, fix their positions, and transformation lies within; as the Eight Nodes (the two nodes of each of the four seasons) advance, cold and warmth alternate, and the Yellow Sprout gradually grows." Thus the Yellow Sprout belongs to Earth and is able to digest water.

Water has no fixed form and stores the primordial qi; when its essence coagulates, the Golden Liquid (jinye, an alchemical term for the refined, condensed elixir fluid) forms with it. The "Golden Liquid Great Returned Elixir" of the alchemical texts refers to precisely this process. Ordinary people do not understand its principle, and so they vainly squander their family fortunes and cannot fathom its mystery.

The so-called "Golden Elixir" is not an elixir refined from metals and minerals; it is named according to the directions and colors of the Five Phases. It belongs to the west, and its color is originally white. The Cantong qi says: "Cinnabar is originally white, not red; the four seasons are arrayed and return to the position of the south." The southern position corresponds to the Yin, female pulse; once Yin qi gathers, it takes on a ruddy color, appearing as the circulation of blood and qi. Master Xu said that a man's qi is white Jing, and a woman's qi is red blood. The Way of Qian represents the male and the Way of Kun the female; qi gathers to form an embryo, and Yin qi is taken into it. The elixir changes color only after it takes in Yin qi; it was not originally red, so the scripture says cinnabar is originally white. "Autumn Mineral" (qiushi) also refers to the white substance mentioned earlier; white corresponds to the west, and so it is called Autumn Mineral.

To begin the Great Elixir practice, one must choose the time when Metal qi is at its height: starting from White Dew, Metal flourishes in the You position (the western direction and the autumn season). At this time the qi of Metal and Water is clear, and the autumn moon is full, which is just right for refining the elixir; the Golden Flower is abundant, symbolizing that the elixir is about to be completed. Realized Person Wei said that gathering and refining have particular days and hours, and although people follow them, they do not understand why. The ancient immortals refined the medicine simply by choosing the time when Metal qi is full and the moonlight abundant, and the methods used by the Realized Persons are broadly the same. He also said that when the Golden Elixir meets water they nourish each other, rising from emptiness and embodying the generation of something from nothing. To operate the Golden Elixir, one must understand the "True One" (zhenyi); the True One is water. Water nourishes the elixir and is its mother; "True" refers to qi, and qi is the function by which the Dao gives rise to the myriad things.

"Transformation" (hua) refers to the circulation of breath; only when the breath is abundant can it be called the Dao (the Way). What is called "circulating qi" (Qi, vital energy) refers precisely to the movement of the two energies of Yin-Yang.

Moreover, the Dao is not distant; it can be seen right before one's eyes. Master Bao said: "The method of True Unity (the practice for cultivating True Unity) is found in what lies before your eyes each day." Taishang said: "The great Dao is vast and boundless, yet it is present everywhere." The myriad things rely on the Dao for their birth, and the Dao causes them to grow without claiming credit for it. How could it be distant? The scripture (Jing) also says: "The mother is hidden in the child's womb, and the child is concealed in the mother's belly; know the white, yet hold fast to the black, and the spirits will come of themselves."

Here "white" refers to Metal of the West, and Metal is the mother; "black" refers to Water of the North, and Water is the child. One should know that there is Metal of the West, yet the beginning of the alchemical method starts from Ren-Gui Water of the North. The scripture says: "The offspring of Metal is born in Water; simply keep to the Water, and nourish its elixir (dan)." This explains the two meanings of "black" and "white." An alchemical text says: "Know the white and hold fast to the black, and even if you seek death, you will not find it." This is what it means.

Lord Qingxia said: Water gathers and takes in Fire; Metal disperses and enters Water. The qi of Water and Fire steam against each other, and the form of Metal changes accordingly, coming and going without fixed pattern, transforming above and below without constancy. Water, receiving Fire, rises; Metal, receiving Water, sinks into hiding. The two depend on each other and transform one another, congealing into form within the qi. Where does the Fire in the cinnabar hide, and how does mercury condense into frost? An alchemical text says: "Using a mirror to illuminate the gallbladder, or climbing a mountain to net fish: when will you ever obtain it?" This means that if one seeks by methods that do not correspond, one will never succeed in the end. When one refines the elixir and refines the divine water, "sprouts" (the first budding shoots) will arise within the water; when one smelts the Metal medicine in a fire cauldron, the so-called Metal medicine is the "Three Flowers" (an alchemical term referring to three kinds of essence).

Lord Jinhu said: In refining the Three Flowers, one need only remove their dark black color, allowing them to reveal the true color of Western Metal: pure white. The scripture says: "When it is pure white, one can see the treasure, and the Golden Flower can be refined."

When the Golden Flower enters the cauldron, one must rely on the water clock to distinguish the clear from the turbid. Without the water clock, the spirit sprout will not grow. The verse on the Three Flowers entering the cauldron says: "Entering the cauldron requires the clock; without the clock, no elixir is formed. A blind man runs and loses his staff; a deaf man embraces a zither and plays." This means that when refining the elixir, lacking the necessary timing and conditions is like a blind person running without a staff or a deaf person holding a zither to play: it is difficult to achieve one's aim.

The Great Elixir (Dadan), that is, Neidan (internal alchemy) or the Golden Elixir (Jindan), must be refined according to the proper hours. Without accurate timing, it cannot be completed. The Three Flowers (Jing, Qi, and Shen) enter the cauldron. The verse says: "To enter the cauldron one must rely on the clepsydra; without the clepsydra, no elixir is formed. It is like a blind man running without his staff, or a deaf man cradling a zither to play." It means that entering the cauldron to refine the elixir must follow the clepsydra (the ancient water clock), and without accurate timing no elixir can be made, just as a blind man cannot run without a staff, nor a deaf man play the zither.

In refining the Great Elixir, one must grasp the timing, just as a blind man cannot advance without his staff. Even if one calls out commands and marshals water and fire, the effort will not succeed if the moment is wrong. And if one is silent and unable to discern the process, how can one determine the rising and falling of Qi? This is like a deaf man playing the zither, unable to tell the sound of his own music.

The treatise says: the "clepsydra" refers to the talisman envoy (fushi) on duty for the hour of the day. When the moment arrives, the envoy announces it and acts on command. From this one calculates the correct numbers of Yin-Yang and of water and fire, with each advance and retreat fixing its own measure. One must also coordinate with the day and hour so that they correspond to the revolving golden cauldron. First one determines the seasons of Heaven and Earth, and only then begins the work; this is what it means to accord with Heaven and Earth. The Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) says: "Yin and Yang push upon one another, and transformation proceeds in accordance with principle."

For example, when a Yang hour is about to arrive and the clepsydra has already announced it, this is called the Greater Yang answering its number; by accumulating work accordingly, one refines Qian. When a Yin hour is about to arrive and the clepsydra has already announced it, this is called the Greater Yin answering its number; by accumulating work accordingly, one refines Kun. When Qian and Kun are thus complete and Yin and Yang are fully present, one can seize the creative power of Heaven and Earth and take the place of the four seasons in their work of growth and transformation. If the spiritual medicine in the cauldron can be perfected, it becomes the True; the red liquid and flowing pearl (images for the finished elixir fluid) are treasured by Heaven and humankind alike.

The treatise further says: once the divisions of the clepsydra have been distinguished, one proceeds to circulate the fire, and the "sprout" (ya, an intermediate product of the refining process) will surely be formed. Circulating the elixir at the proper hours will likewise surely bring the elixir to completion. All of this follows established method, so that the celestial signs appear as form. The Ziyang Jinbi Jing (Scripture of Ziyang on Gold and Jade) also says: "The Dao of the Returned Elixir is the same as the method of the Nine Cauldrons; the divine water exercises its transformative power, and each circulates into the other." This means that one first refines the sprout by the Nine Cauldron method, and then refines the elixir by the same method, which is why the Dao of the Returned Elixir is said to be the same as the Nine Cauldron method. The Zhouyi Cantong Qi (Token for the Agreement of the Three in accordance with the Book of Changes) says: "Before the clepsydra has passed its midpoint, patterns like fish scales gradually rise to the surface." From this we can see that when the divisions are clear, the clepsydra reveals its correspondence with the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), and the subtle workings of day and night also revolve with the hours, matching one another like the two halves of a tally.

The so-called "Fujie" (符节, tally and measure) refers to the credential, or regulating standard, that governs the twelve double-hours of a day and night and moves in accordance with the seasons. Day and night revolve without ever stopping. The wondrous workings of the supreme Dao change according to the time shown by the clepsydra (the ancient water clock). Yin-Yang alternate, their movements subtle and hard to fathom; water, pressed by fire, also transforms according to its proper season.

Hence the Primordial Lady said: "Transformations are subtle and hard to fathom, and all occur at their appropriate moments." The Cantong (the Zhouyi Cantong Qi) says: "In the depth of winter the heat of high summer appears, while in midsummer frost and snow descend; the two Qi of Yin and Yang cross and interweave, no longer following the divisions of the clepsydra." This is the profound and subtle meaning of the Cantong Qi.

The oral instructions say: when you circulate the elixir and make it rise and descend, never leave the furnace even for a moment. Attend closely to the sounds within the furnace and regulate the firing phases. If you err even slightly in advancing the fire, the earlier work may be wasted.

What is called "error" refers to the measures of the firing phases failing to correspond with the seasons. For example, spring belongs to Wood, and while the Qi of Wood is not yet full, the fire phase proper to summer has already begun; or in summer, when it ought to be hot, the fire of winter is applied instead. All of these are faults caused by negligence on the part of the one who tends the furnace.

Why does the ash in the furnace remain dull for so long, and why, after the firing phases have been nurtured for many years, does the cinnabar still form into granules and lumps, so that it is said not to have been subdued? The treatise says: the elixir of Golden Liquid is formed from the condensation of the Qi of golden efflorescence. After a person takes it, its potency flows through the meridians of the entire body. It can preserve one's complexion and restore the old to youth; one moves as swiftly as the wind, and the many calamities cannot harm one. The dragon spirits revere such a person, and the local earth deities protect them. After taking the elixir for a time, unusual transformations will also appear.

After three years of taking it, genuine signs of sacred and numinous marvels will appear. One must also draw on the power concealed within Yin and quietly await the ascent. This is the process by which the Nine-Cycle Golden Liquid congeals and manifests all manner of extraordinary phenomena. After three years of taking it, genuine signs of sacred and numinous marvels will appear.

Cultivation must also rely on secret oral formulas, until the elixir matures and is sublimated. This is the process by which the "Nine-Turn Golden Liquid" (jiuzhuan jinye) coagulates and is transformed into the Reverted Elixir (huandan). How could it possibly be a matter of grinding cinnabar into powder or refining mercury into frost? Such a claim is truly lamentable. Students of the Dao who do not examine the ancient texts, but interpret the scriptures and treatises according to their own ideas and judge them arbitrarily, end up straying from the Great Dao and violating De (Virtue). Many have squandered their entire family fortunes this way and accomplished nothing, which is truly among the most foolish things in the world. If matters continue like this, who will be able to awaken them?

Moreover, the principles of the Great Elixir transmitted by the worthy sages of earlier ages and the saints of later generations were originally connected through one and the same source; there were never two or three different fundamental methods. The teaching seeks to illuminate the "True One" (zhenyi), to extend the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with subtlety, to bring Yin-Yang together, and to set the cold and the heat quietly in motion. Worthy people pass these principles on to one another and plan the work of cultivation broadly; they understand the root of lead and mercury, and they also fix the key rules governing the movement of water and fire. Only when these matters have been made clear can one begin the practice.

The oral formula says: the circulation of a person's meridians corresponds to the whole body, just as the water clock measures one hundred marks across a day and a night. The hours are set by the marks of the clock, and the time is determined according to the number of marks. Once the clock marks are inaccurate, the methods of the elixir will also change with the hours.

This is an oral formula that all the immortals have kept secret. The "quanti" originally referred to a bamboo fish trap and a snare for catching hares; here it serves as a metaphor for the means or instrument by which one grasps the underlying principle. If one can comprehend this passage on the correspondence between the meridians, the clock marks, and the hours, one has grasped a crucial link in the strategy of cultivation. Though the road is long, its subtle principle runs deep; in the profound and hidden essentials of the elixir method, nothing is more important than this oral formula.

The Taiyi (Supreme Change) says: A day has twelve double-hours, six belonging to Yang and six to Yin, and this is how the hours are counted. Time moves in cycles, returning and renewing itself, and every interval brings change. Why, then, should one squander the days with a dull and sluggish mind, dragging out the years in drowsy delay and letting life pass in gloom? This is truly laughable, and truly lamentable. Light and time slip away in vain, and those who study immortality ought to reflect on this with care.

Take the division of time by solar terms. Generally five days make one pentad, and each comprises sixty double-hours. Birds and beasts, their embryos and eggs, change with the seasons. The old books say: after another five days, sparrows enter the water and become clams; after another five days, wild parrots enter the water and become shen (a legendary kind of clam); after another five days, the hawk turns into a turtledove; after another five days, the field mouse turns into the ru (a bird mentioned in ancient texts). These transformations are not something the creatures themselves can control; when the season arrives, the change simply occurs of its own accord. The signs of heaven and earth on which alchemical refinement relies turn and transform in just the same way. After another five days, the shen appears; after another five days, the hawk becomes a turtledove; after another five days, the field mouse becomes the ru. None of this can be governed by oneself; it follows the changes of the season. In the refining of the elixir, the forms of the Divine Water and the elixir likewise change after five days. This is the combined working of the seasons of Heaven, shifting in step with the rhythms of the calendar and revealing marvelous transformation.

The profound intentions of the many sages have been much discussed by the alchemists (danjia); this section addresses precisely that matter.

The "Shengyi yi ke" (聖意一科, "One Section on the Sage's Intent") describes a method for calculating the fire phasing (huohou) of the elixir process. It takes the day's Duty Talisman (zhifu, the spirit general or symbol governing that day) as its standard and uses it to begin the work of circulating the elixir. The practitioner starts with the Fu hexagram and kindles the fire at the Zi hour. The hexagram lines are then activated in sequence, and the spiritual mechanism (lingji) is brought into communication, until the Si hour, which symbolizes pure Yang. The character "妮" in the text appears as such in the original, and its referent is unclear. The passage below says it is the head of the Nayin (a system that pairs the heavenly stems and earthly branches with the Five Phases to mark years, months, days, and hours). Following this, the practitioner gathers in and draws together the primal Qi (Qi) until the Hai hour, which symbolizes pure Yin.

The major number for the day's fire circulation requires deducing the two hexagrams Qian and Kun, so that their twelve lines change in turn and correspond to the twelve double-hours. Within these twelve double-hours there is Yin and Yang, brightness and darkness, movement and stillness, advance and retreat. Ascent and descent shift with the hours, completing one full cycle. The spiritual medicine in the cauldron also transforms along with the hexagram images and emits five-colored radiance, as if Heaven, Earth, and humanity were celebrating together.

The oral instructions are engraved on golden tablets on the outside, while on the inside they must be treasured in the heart. When they are passed on to others, they must be transmitted between worthy people and sages, on the condition of purification fasting and solemn oaths, and must never be revealed lightly. They are called the profound words of the Celestial Worthy of the Primordial Beginning and an important precept within the rules of practice, so the teacher's charge must not be violated. Lord Mao's admonition says: "The gate of Heaven opens and the door of Earth closes. Do not carelessly reveal the secrets of the sages. Whoever recklessly reveals the true instructions will bring disaster upon themselves, even to the point of cutting off their descendants." How could this be treated with disrespect?

It also says: "Those who obtain the true instructions must not reveal them; those who reveal them will lose their De (Virtue)." These words are handed down to practitioners to warn them to be careful, to keep the secret, and to remain silent.

The treatise says: if one grasps the source of the medicine, one may succeed in refining it should the chance arise. Once refined, the medicine should benefit all living beings, not only one person.

Can this medicine truly be refined?

It also says: "Those who obtain the true instructions must not reveal them; those who reveal them will lose their De (Virtue)." These words are handed down to practitioners to warn them to be careful, to keep the secret, and to remain silent.

The treatise further says: if one grasps the source of the medicine, one may succeed in refining it should the chance arise. Once refined, the medicine should benefit all living beings, not only one person.

If this medicine is refined, it has the power to make an entire household ascend to the heavens together, house and all. It is not only one person who can be raised up.

People today who refine elixirs (dan) may speak of these principles constantly, yet in truth they do not understand them. They talk of medicines every day and discuss elixirs every day, earnestly investigating the true methods (the essential keys of cultivation), but they do not know the original intent of the sages. Being so benighted and ignorant, they cannot even complete their own cultivation, so how could they benefit others and have their whole household ascend together (attain the Dao and rise in flight as immortals)? A scripture (Jing) says: "If one does not understand the source of the medicines, even a single person can hardly be preserved; if one understands the Divine Water (a key medicinal substance or symbol in Neidan, internal alchemy), the whole household will return to the true (return to original authenticity, attaining the Dao)."

The Divine Water and the Sacred Stone (Neidan terms referring to key substances or symbols used in alchemy) are the one Dragon and the one Tiger (commonly used to symbolize the two forces of Yin-Yang). That these two things know to return to their original source is precisely the beginning of an immortal's cultivation; this is what the saying means.

The treatise says: one who has attained the Dao gains a new increment of progress with each day of study.

Once one grasps the source of the medicines, one can command the marvel within them during cultivation. Within a month, if the source of the medicine is unclear, one can hardly preserve even oneself; if one understands the Divine Water, the whole household will return to the true.

The Divine Water and the Sacred Stone are the one Dragon and the one Tiger; that these two things know to return to their original source is precisely the beginning of an immortal's cultivation; this is what the saying means.

The treatise says: one who has attained the Dao gains a new increment of progress with each day of study.

Once one grasps the source of the medicines, one can command the marvel within them during cultivation. Each month, one condenses and unites once, opens the cauldron and bathes (an alchemical term meaning to open the furnace and carry out the corresponding treatment), and observes the color of the elixir, and gradually one will see the subtle and profound transformations within. Each opening of the cauldron brings confirmation, and the cultivation then passes into the mysterious work; the methods of the Dao are renewed day by day, and from this one can see its importance.

The deluded person grows more clouded with each day of study.

The deluded mistake cinnabar and mercury for the Great Medicine; after hundreds and thousands of firings, what they obtain is like powder and ash, which neither accords with the standards set out in the classics nor can be verified. Having mistaken the mysterious principle, they only become more deluded; by the time their hair is white, how could they awaken? Cultivating in this way will only lead to deeper confusion day by day.

In investigating the principle, the key lies in Guarding the One (holding fast to the root of singleness and purity).

In investigating the guiding threads of the Dao, the marvel lies in Guarding the One. "Initiating Jia and drilling the reckoning" (a phrase from the original text; its specific meaning is unclear) is like the spring season stirring growth into motion. A scripture (Jing) says: "The Way of Three and Five is the constant law of Heaven and Earth." If one still follows the mistaken path, one will only grow more deluded.

In investigating the principle, the key lies in Guarding the One.

To grasp the governing principle of how the Dao (the Way) operates, the key lies in holding fast to "the One." The phrase "begin with Jia and calculate by drilling; the spring season brings forth and spreads" refers to deducing change according to the seasons: when spring arrives, Yang energy stirs and the myriad things begin to grow. The scripture says: "The way of the Three and the Five is the constant law between Heaven and Earth. One must follow the seasons to observe waxing and waning, travel across the earth, and return to the central palace, where the numerical principle manifests as five." Here "Three and Five" is a term used in Daoist alchemy to explain the transformations of Yin-Yang and the turning of the seasons. The "Three and Five" and "the One" are regarded as the subtlest essence between Heaven and Earth, which can be transmitted orally from teacher to disciple but is difficult to convey through written words alone.

The essential key to refining the Great Elixir is that without understanding numerical principles, one can hardly grasp its subtle mysteries. "Divine Water" and "Flowery Pond" are terms in Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) that interact during the process of cultivation; without the crucial condition of "True Lead," they cannot be joined in accordance with the correct way. To understand the principle of holding to the One is to grasp the governing principle of the Dao's operation, and all other principles can then be understood through it.

"August Heaven has no favorites": Heaven does not favor any single person.

Heaven nurtures the myriad things universally, and its care for human beings is especially profound. The mysteries revealed in the celestial signs resonate with human life; when one succeeds in cultivating the Dao and perfects one's De (Virtue), one may behold the Jade Emperor. Only the Dao can be drawn near, and it shines forth clearly before the Supreme Lord.

"My life is in my own hands": My life lies within my own control.

It is not that Heaven decrees I must be born, nor that Heaven arbitrarily determines when I shall die. The Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity endure and remain stable, each preserving its original Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy). It is only that people are often unskilled at nourishing themselves and do not know how to refine the Great Elixir. Heaven sees everything clearly, and the laws between Heaven and Earth are plainly displayed.

A person's life is neither arranged by Heaven at birth, nor left by Heaven to run out its span. Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, the three powers, operate for ages, each preserving its original Jing (essence). Only human beings so often fail to nurture themselves, and do not understand how to cultivate the great medicine of long life. Heaven sees everything, and its laws and signs are plainly visible; the records of the transmission of the Dao (the Way) and the books of alchemy also set down these principles. Yet people are unwilling to set their will on learning. They fail themselves, harm their own lives, treat life as lightly as dirt, and in the end become mere ghosts.

Nothing is more precious than the self, which is so hard to attain through long cultivation; and what is easily lost through habit and negligence is precisely what the Way of the immortals calls "nature and life" (xingming). Moreover, true lead (a term from alchemy, referring to the key substance used in refining the elixir) is not far away. People handle it every day without knowing it. The great medicine (an alchemical term for the substance sought in cultivation) is not in some distant place either; "yellow sprouts" (an alchemical term symbolizing the elixir's ingredients or the spark of life) are to be found all along the streets, yet people cannot see through them.

Even those who do not study the Dao know that superior adepts (those who have achieved success in cultivation) are difficult to instruct, let alone ordinary people, who commonly say, "A person's great destiny is decided by Heaven." If one does not understand the principle of cultivating the Dao to seek life, how can one ever hear of the Way of the immortals? If destiny is already decided by Heaven, then why do you die after taking poison? Looking across past and present, those who have attained the Dao number in the tens of thousands, and at the beginning they were all ordinary people who later followed a teacher and studied. Did they wait for the Jade Emperor (a Daoist deity) to issue a decree before ascending in broad daylight? Thus those who know to seek life strive to pursue it, while those who stumble blindly toward death simply let themselves die. Rising and falling, gaining and losing cannot all be attributed to the decree of Heaven; my life lies in my own hands.

Without the Golden Elixir, life can hardly endure.

Lesser adepts (those of a lower level of cultivation), common and plagued by illness, indulge their desires, drink wine without restraint, and eat rank, fleshy, bloody foods. These things linger in the five viscera and six bowels, and their turbid Qi (vital energy) steams through the whole body, making it heavy. How could such a body become light and soar? Without the wondrous medicine of the Golden Elixir, this filth cannot be washed away. Once the divine medicine is perfected, a person can return from old age to youth, take rank as a Perfected One (an immortal who has attained the Dao), have their name recorded in the Jade Registers (the roll of names in the immortal realm), and live as long as Heaven and Earth. Therefore, without the Golden Elixir, life cannot endure.

Only once it is perfected can it last.

Refining the "elixir of the spirit chamber" is by no means something that can be accomplished in a short time. The elixir must pass through nine transformations, first condensing into the "sprout" (ya, the initial elixir substance that begins to form), and then undergo nine further transformations before it becomes a true elixir and opens the mechanism of creation and transformation. The work must be carried out in a renowned mountain, with several like-minded companions practicing together. From morning to night they must keep the elixir chamber, the altar, and the furnace in readiness, dig wells and build the work site, offer worship at dawn and dusk, and practice moderate eating and pure cultivation. The practitioner must also be single-minded, return to original authenticity, and unite with the divine. None of this is easy, and success often takes many years. Hence it is said that refining the elixir demands long perseverance.

Body and Mind Gradually Renewed after Taking the Elixir

After the elixir is taken, the Three Corpse worms (in Daoism, parasitic spirit-worms said to dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation) gradually depart, Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) are replenished, and the bone marrow is filled. Even in a dark room, one seems to be surrounded by light; the complexion grows younger day by day, the spirit is clear and bright beyond the ordinary, and the Qi of the Dao manifests auspicious signs. The numinous perfected beings of the Five Marchmounts (spirits associated with the Five Sacred Mountains) will naturally come to meet the practitioner, the spirit and soul become penetrating and all-seeing, and the Jade Marrow (a Neidan, or internal alchemy, term, here referring to the essence condensed from Jing and Qi) fills the whole body, so that one may at last roam in joy in the immortal capitals. This is why it is called "ever-renewing."

When the Numbers Are Mastered, the Elixir Transforms

The sage refines the numinous elixir by following the movement of the great numbers, bringing it into accord with the four seasons: in spring it stirs and all things grow; in summer it flourishes, blazing like fire; in autumn it contracts and the energy of Metal grows full; in winter it lies hidden, congealing like water. If the alchemist grasps the workings of Qi through the four seasons, the Golden Elixir will transform of itself. Hence it is said that once the numbers are mastered, the elixir will change.

When the Numbers Reach Their Limit, Transformation Enters the Divine

The "limit of the numbers" mentioned here means that the numbers of Yin-Yang have reached fullness. Only when the numbers of Yin-Yang are complete does the subtlety of the formula reveal itself. When Yin reaches its extreme, Yang is quietly born; when Yang reaches its extreme, Yin withdraws and lies concealed. The mutual interaction of the two Qi of Yin and Yang is the natural course of the Dao. The "limit of the numbers" also means that the laws of transformation have been traced to their end; only then can one comprehend the Dao of Yin-Yang and grasp the ultimate of number. This is precisely the mystery of the transformations of the immortals, and so it is said, "When number reaches its limit, it becomes divine."

One who obtains such heavenly secrets (the mysteries bestowed by Heaven),

The most important matter in the world is nothing other than attaining the Dao (the Way). Attaining the Dao is not complicated, and the simplest method is the refining of the elixir. The key to refining the elixir lies in mastering and regulating Qi (vital energy). Although the transformations of Qi follow traces that can be observed, they too do not go beyond certain fixed principles. By following these principles to refine the Golden Elixir, applying the method of "the Three, the Five, and the One," and comprehending the heavenly mystery within it, the work of cultivating immortality can be accomplished.

Once the cultivation is complete, one can take a lasting place among the Perfected (zhenren).

The methods of cultivation in the world are many, with varied names and differing conventions. Yet to become a Perfected who holds a lasting place in the ranks of the immortals, one need only refine a single Returned Elixir (huandan) and one can ascend into the heights. "Returned Elixir" is a technical term in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) or Waidan (external alchemy) practice, referring to the elixir or the alchemical achievement that has been completed; "ascending to the celestial heavens" describes rising into the realm of the heavens.