《金丹赋》

I have heard that the Dao (the Way) is the root of life, and that only Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon, endure for long. The teaching is the instruction established by revering the great Dao and following the natural process of creation. The Celestial Venerable of Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi Tianzun) displayed the millet-grain pearl, subtly illuminating profound and hidden principles; Laojun ascended the Jade Shoulder and proclaimed the doctrine of stillness and Wuwei (non-action). The very name "Golden Elixir" (Jindan) comes from this source.

In the Han dynasty, Wei Boyang modeled the Cantong qi on the Book of Changes (Zhouyi). From the Jin and Tang through the Song, Xu Jingyang, Ge Zhichuan, and others likewise delved deeply into the study of the Golden Elixir and attained accomplishment in the Dao through it.

Your disciple Ma Lizhao was fortunate to be born between Heaven and Earth, and in my heart I admire the profound manner of the Dao. Although the Way of Wuwei has been widely opened, each time I wish to step forward I remain cautious; although the gate of all wonders stands open, to glimpse its mysteries I must proceed with reverence and care. Fortunately, the sages guide people patiently and step by step, allowing me to accumulate learning; and I have also been able to recognize true De (Virtue), receiving guidance and inspiration according to differing circumstances.

For this reason I have dared to open the subtle classics and recite their profound words again and again. I wish to grind away my dullness with a will firm as iron and stone, and to unite with the numinous root through a mind clear and still as ashes. I reflect that human life is brief, like foam on water or a lamp flame in the wind, while I know that the Dao endures, stretching on like Heaven and Earth, the sun and the moon. My Shen (spirit) and thoughts turn ceaselessly, so how could my study and reflection be called profound? To show the sincerity of my search for the Dao, I have never been able to stop seeking.

Once, at an inn, I heard the cicadas sing through the night and vainly realized that autumn had arrived. Another time, facing a lamp whose light was as cold as frost, I put away my books, heavy with sorrow, almost saddened to the point of tears by the insects chirping beside the steps. By chance I came upon this Rhapsody on the Golden Elixir (Jindan fu), though I do not know who wrote it. I often recite it to relieve the knots of melancholy in my heart. Each time I finish, I clasp my knees and lift my head, feeling awkward and at a loss.

Yet the oral formulas of cultivation were not casually invented, nor are their principles empty fabrications; they were all handed down by sages with sincere hearts. I know that I am dull, and that I am also lost in the pursuit of study, so I find it difficult to read through their principles completely or think them through fully. Still, I hope to savor their subtle meanings with devotion and gradually draw near the Dao's deepest places. I know that I may be rashly entering a realm that should not be discussed carelessly, and I am deeply aware of the fault of overstepping and impropriety. Therefore I have carefully treasured this text and respectfully await one who has truly attained the Dao, while urging myself to study it repeatedly in my heart, and I venture to write this commentary.

Ma Lizhao (马莅昭), a disciple of the Great Way (大道), comments as follows:

The character "fu" (夫) serves to introduce profound and subtle principles, and it also carries the sense of concealing brilliance and a spiritual marvel that cannot be put into words. The Dao (the Way) is the empty and original source, the root of all things in their undivided unity. The Daodejing (道德经) says: "There was something formed in chaos, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent and void, it stands alone and does not change; it moves in cycles without ever ceasing, and it may be regarded as the mother of all under Heaven. I do not know its name, so I call it 'Dao,' and, if forced to give it a name, I call it 'Great.'"

This passage shows that the Great Dao brought forth a single Qi (vital energy) from the vast stillness of the Great Void. From this one Qi came the division into Yin-Yang, which established Heaven and Earth, set the four seasons in motion, and caused the myriad things to change and come into being. Hence the Dao precedes Heaven and Earth and is the mother of all things. The Xuangang Lun (玄纲论) likewise says: "The Dao is the pivot of the empty and original source, the root of creation and transformation, the foundation of spirit and illumination, and the wellspring of Heaven and Earth." Among all the things of Heaven and Earth, whether they have breath, awareness, form, or color, whatever can touch and be connected with one another comes from Qi. Qi transforms ceaselessly and without limit, and all of it is generated from within the Dao.

What is called "ziran" (自然, naturalness) refers to the time before the primordial chaos had divided and before Heaven and Earth were opened, when the great void stretched vast and without boundary. Later, when emptiness reached its utmost, Shen (spirit) naturally appeared. Here "Shen" means the extremely subtle and marvelous activity within the void. Shen moved and changed, and gave rise to Qi. Qi then divided and took on different forms, clear and turbid. Once these forms appeared, the myriad things were transformed into concrete bodies. The clear and the turbid, the forms, and the bodies of the myriad things were all established in dependence on the empty original source, and were not deliberately made by any master or controller. The sages observed how Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things change, saw that all of it came about of itself, and therefore called it "ziran."

For this reason, people can follow the patterns of naturalness and put them to use. What is called "zhi" (制, regulation or fashioning) means taking the One Qi as a model, drawing on the two forms of Yin-Yang, and grasping the subtle principle of naturalness, so as to reach the realm of longevity and "feathered transformation" (yuhua, 羽化, cultivating the Dao and becoming an immortal). This is not achieved through contrivance or the display of skill, but by accord with the principle of utmost truth and naturalness. In this way one can endure as long as Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon, always following what is natural; if one forces and fabricates, one will fail to attain the effect of naturalness. Hence it is said: humans take their law from Earth, Earth takes its law from Heaven, Heaven takes its law from the Dao, and the Dao takes its law from naturalness.

The method of cultivation requires understanding the true principles and following the way of naturalness over the long term. If one forces and strains, one cannot attain the effect of naturalness. Thus, humans take their model from Earth, Earth takes its model from Heaven, Heaven takes its model from the Dao (the Way), and the Dao takes its model from what is naturally so.

The Art of Discerning the True and the False

The work of cultivation requires continual deduction and application within the mind. Before beginning to deduce, one must first understand the principle of the Great Dao: the Dao manifests out of emptiness, primordial beginning, and the great void, and then comes to have a source and a place from which the myriad things are differentiated. The sage, facing the myriad things as one undivided whole, looked up to observe the signs of Heaven and looked down to examine the patterns of Earth. The sage studied the movements of the stars, sun, and moon, investigated the reasons behind the changing seasons, and thoroughly examined the meaning of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), fixing the attributes of metal, wood, water, fire, and the rest. Using the dragon, tiger, tortoise, and bird as symbols, the sage made clear the principles of mutual generation, mutual overcoming, and the waxing and waning of strength and decline. The sage also drew the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and the Nine Palaces, forming diagrams that explain Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things, and investigated the signs by which things generate and transform one another. In this way, those who study could grasp the principles within, comprehend the transformations, exhaust the numerical patterns, and then deduce and apply them accordingly.

The so-called true and false take shape through mutual blending. One Qi (vital energy) gives rise to the myriad things, and within each of them the true and the false are both present. Is there anything among the myriad things that does not arise from the Dao? Since all arise from the Dao, the myriad things have, at root, no absolute true or false. The substance of the Dao penetrates Wuwei (non-action). It embraces Heaven and Earth without considering itself large, and enters a speck of dust without considering itself small. It has no near or distant, no beautiful or ugly, and it cannot be harmed. How, then, could it have true or false?

It is only that each thing has its own standpoint: what benefits a thing and is close to it is called "true," while what harms it and is distant from it, seeming ugly and repugnant, is called "false." Because closeness and distance, beauty and ugliness, benefit and harm each have their attachments, people crave what they desire and sink deeply into desire. Who, then, can open the heart, transcend the limits of body and Shen (spirit) to seek the profound, merge the distinction between true and false, and enter the subtle and ineffable source?

Viewed from a shallow and near perspective, the so-called true and false can correspond to Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, water and fire, cold and heat, day and night, firm and yielding. Although these things differ, from the standpoint of the Dao there is no fundamental difference among them. Thus, being and non-being give rise to each other, long and short reveal each other, high and low depend on each other, difficult and easy complete each other, sounds harmonize with one another, and before and after follow one another.

Therefore, the myriad things have no fixed "false": because there is the "true," the "false" appears. Nor do they have any fixed "true": because there is the "false," the "true" appears. Yin-Yang generate each other, and cold and heat oppose each other, so the false contains the true, and the true is made manifest through the false. To leave stone and seek jade, to leave the low and seek the high, to abandon night and seek morning, or to cast aside the false and seek the true: none of these can be attained. Therefore, this text speaks first of naturalness, and only afterward discerns the true and the false.

Follow the Laws of Heaven and Earth.

"Law" (fa) refers to the norms that take shape when things are deduced to their utmost limit, while "principle" (ze) refers to the standards established by clearly discerning the root of how things work. The "Two Modes" (liangyi) refer to Heaven and Earth. In refining the elixir, one must set up the cauldron (the vessel used in alchemical refining) in accordance with the laws of Heaven and Earth, and follow the changes of Yin-Yang (yinyang) and the movement of the four seasons, so that the transforming Qi (qi) circulates within the furnace and cauldron and travels throughout the space between Heaven and Earth.

The scripture (Jing) says: "Dwell in the center to govern the outside." That is to say, the method of the elixir takes the inner furnace and cauldron as its center, masters the rhythms of the calendar, and thereby directs the operating patterns of the outer Heaven and Earth. To condense the most genuine essence and Qi (Jing and Qi) within the furnace and cauldron, one must understand the patterns by which creation and transformation proceed, and grasp the key to the changes of Heaven and Earth, so that one can reach the principle of transformation and generation. Hence the saying: follow the laws of Heaven and Earth.

Draw on the imagery of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) (the Bagua symbolize the patterns of change in Heaven, Earth, and all things).

Here the images are drawn from the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). The Yijing (Classic of Changes) explains that gua (卦) means "to hang up" or "to display," while xiang (象) means expressing through images, as if things were hung out for people to see, which is why they are called trigram images. Heaven presents its celestial signs, earth forms the shapes of the myriad things, and change becomes manifest through them. Therefore the sages looked up to observe the signs of heaven and looked down to examine the patterns of the earth, grasped the subtle laws by which the Dao (the Way) of heaven operates, and drew the Bagua.

The Eight Trigrams are Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui. The character "高" in the original text should be "离" (Li), and "束" should be "东" (east). Qian consists of three yang lines and symbolizes heaven, metal, the ruler, and the father; its direction is the northwest. It stands opposite Kun, and together they symbolize heaven and earth. Kun consists of three yin lines and symbolizes earth, soil, the subject, and the mother; its direction is the southwest. The text says that Kun "gives birth through fire" and is paired with Qian.

Zhen has two yin lines above and one yang line below, and symbolizes thunder, wood, the eldest son, and the Azure Dragon. It lies due east, opposite Xun. Xun has two yang lines above and one yin line below, and symbolizes wind, wood, and the eldest daughter. It lies in the southeast and governs the issuing of commands.

Kan has yin lines above and below with a yang line in the middle, and symbolizes water, the moon, the Black Tortoise (Xuanwu), and the middle son. It lies due north. Because the yang line is born between two yin lines, it corresponds to the eleventh month, when at the winter solstice yang qi (气, Qi) begins to sprout from beneath the earth. Kan stands opposite Li, and together they symbolize heaven and earth. Li has yang lines above and below with a yin line in the middle, and symbolizes fire, the sun, the Vermilion Bird, and the middle daughter. It lies due south and is called the "heart of heaven." Because the yin line is born between two yang lines, it corresponds to the fifth month, when at the summer solstice, at noon, yin qi descends from the sky.

Gen has a yang line above and two yin lines below, and symbolizes mountain, earth, and the youngest son. When the myriad things reach Gen, they come to rest. It lies in the northeast, opposite Dui. Dui has a yin line above and two yang lines below, and symbolizes marsh, metal, the White Tiger, and the youngest daughter. It lies due west and is also called the "Moon Cave."

Qian and Kun are composed of purely yang and purely yin lines respectively, so they symbolize the extreme states of heaven and earth. Xun, Li, and Dui each have two yang lines and one yin line, and so belong to the female; Zhen, Kan, and Gen each have two yin lines and one yang line, and so belong to the male. Why divide them this way? Because when the numbers of yin and yang lines differ, the minority is regarded as the ruling element: when yin is many and yang is few, yang governs; when yang is many and yin is few, yin governs. The single odd line is thus given priority, just as one person may be honored by the many.

Qian and Kun are purely yang and purely yin and have no line at the center. Zhen and Gen each have one yang line, but it is not in the center; Xun and Dui each have one yin line, but it too is not in the center. When a yin or yang line is not central, the trigram can change but cannot achieve free circulation. In Kan, the single yang line is central, and in Li, the single yin line is central, so these two trigrams can penetrate heaven and earth and symbolize cyclical change. When it comes to modeling the seasonal order of the movement of heaven, earth, Yin-Yang, one should draw its images from the Bagua.

Opening up heaven and earth means breaking apart the original undifferentiated chaos so that heaven and earth each take form. Before this opening and differentiation (kaipi), within the Primordial Chaos (hunyuan, the original state in which the myriad things have not yet separated), there already existed the True Spirit (zhenshen, the source deity of Daoism), which set a single Qi (vital energy) in motion and opened out heaven and earth. Once they were formed, heaven covered the earth like a round canopy, and the earth bore the myriad things; the climate likewise came to vary among warmth, coolness, cold, and heat. Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire each returned to their corresponding directions, and all things between heaven and earth were distinguished and transformed accordingly, cycling ceaselessly through vast kalpas.

For this reason, the sages established teachings to guide those who cultivate the Dao (the Way) toward recognizing the scene of Primordial Chaos opening and the myriad things dividing. In refining the Great Elixir (dadan, the fruit pursued in Neidan, or internal alchemy), what one investigates is precisely the profound principle contained within it. Taishang (the Supreme One) said: "Under heaven there is a great thing, unbroken and continuous, deep and unfathomable, dwelling within chaos and difficult to know." These words call on people to grasp the meaning the sages transmitted and to understand the principle of the Great Elixir. This "great thing" exists between heaven and earth, continuing without end, deep and chaotic, as though it were the Great Origin (taiyuan, the primal state before the myriad things differentiate). The Qi of the True Spirit opened heaven and earth and distinguished the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the four seasons. Its transformative and creative功用 is the same as the opening of heaven and earth, yet its principle is subtle and hard to discern. Even if people diligently read the golden chapters and jade writings (the Daoist scriptures), they may not be able to grasp it.

In refining the elixir, one takes Metal to symbolize the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and places the corresponding materials separately within the cauldron (ding, the vessel used in alchemy). This is like heaven and earth being opened and the myriad things each returning to their proper place, until at last the Great Elixir is completed.

One blends Yin-Yang and causes them to transform. The function of this blending and transformation is in harmony with the creative work of heaven and earth, yet its principle is deep and subtle. If people merely read the Daoist scriptures diligently, they may not truly grasp it. In refining the elixir, one takes Metal to symbolize the Bagua, and arranges the corresponding materials within the cauldron, just as heaven and earth were opened, and thereby the Great Elixir is completed. One mixes Yin-Yang so that they act upon each other and transform.

"Hun" (混) means a state of blending and non-differentiation. Yin-Yang (阴阳) are the transformative forms of Qi (气, vital energy): when Yin and Yang have not yet begun to move, the two remain fused as one; once they begin to circulate, all manner of change arises.

Yang is the Qi of Heaven. It first stirs from within the extreme of Yin, beneath the Nine Earths. At midnight, the Zi hour of the day of the mid-winter solstice period, it gradually gathers and begins to move; its breath intermingles, slowly grows full and rises, turning to the left toward the east, where it brings forth the myriad things. Reaching the southeast, it arrives at the position where Yang Qi is at its height.

Yin is the Qi of Kun, the Earth. It first arises from within the extreme of Yang, above the Nine Heavens. At noon in mid-summer, it grows faintly still, then gradually increases and sinks, turning to the left toward the west, where it causes the myriad things to coalesce into form. Reaching the northwest, it arrives at the position where Yin Qi is at its height.

To understand how the Great Elixir (Dadan, the state of completed elixir sought in Neidan, or internal alchemy) is formed within the cauldron (ding, the symbolic vessel of alchemical refining), one must know that it contains within itself the true, primordial Qi of Yin and Yang. When this true Qi circulates, the Bagua (八卦, Eight Trigrams, symbols of the transformations of heaven, earth, and all things) correspond to one another in proper order without confusion, and the five colors each form their own patterns without disorder. When the Qi of Yin and Yang is complete, and the Dao (道, the Way) of transformation is fully realized, the Great Elixir is achieved.

Qian and Kun (乾坤, Heaven and Earth) are used to explain its form and position.

"Pointing" (zhi) means taking the images of these things as models. One takes the images of Qian and Kun (symbolizing Heaven and Earth), arranges their positions, and sets up the cauldron (ding, the symbolic vessel used in alchemy), in order to refine the Great Elixir.

The scripture says: "Qian and Kun are the cauldron." The shape of Qian and Kun resembles a chicken's egg, and so the scripture also says: "Round and rising high, its form is like Penghu." It further says: "Like an egg, with yolk and white resting on each other, it must be tightly sealed." The yolk lies within and the white lies outside. When a hen incubates her eggs, the eggs receive the hen's warm Qi (vital energy), and after twenty-four days they transform into the chick's eyes, beak, claws, and feet, as well as its feathers and markings. This is the result of obtaining true Qi and of natural transformation and nurture, and it is truly marvelous. Yolk and white depend on each other, and so life can take form; if the egg is broken and the true Qi disperses, it naturally cannot hatch.

The scripture also says that the shape of Qian and Kun resembles the human head, saying "the head is like Penghu." It further says: "The brain is the root of the whole body's spiritual clarity, the dwelling place where the hundred spirits lodge their lives, the source of bodily fluids, and the essence-soul of the golden mud." Thus the stomach pool is square in form, so that it may hold things, while the brain is round and hollow, so that it may receive true Qi. Within the brain, cavities stand like a forest and its openings are many, like rising vapor. Its Virtue (De) encompasses Heaven and Earth and connects with the profound and mysterious Great Way (Dao), and so it is called "Hunyuan" (Primordial Chaos). The Niwan (the upper spirit that dwells in the head) is the divine intelligence above the physical form.

This passage on establishing the position of the cauldron explains that before refining the Great Elixir, one must first understand the two images of the egg and the brain. Both take Qian and Kun as their model, and on this basis one sets up the cauldron and arranges the positions for its use. The scripture further says: "The Yi is the gateway, the parent of all the hexagrams."

One must also draw analogies according to the south–north orientation, making choices and omissions accordingly.

"Lei" (类, "category") refers to things of the same nature that can be compared with one another. "South and North" refers to the two directions of Taiyin (Great Yin) and Taiyang (Great Yang), and also to the two positions of Danxuan (丹玄, Cinnabar Mystery) and Danzhen (丹真, Cinnabar Truth). They also correspond to the Kan and Li trigrams of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes). "Taking and relinquishing" (取拾) means that when the Kan and Li trigrams join, like Heaven and Earth in union, the Qi of the two trigrams blends together, with one side taking and the other giving up. When the moment is right, one takes; when it is not, one relinquishes. The meaning here is profound and subtle, and hard to convey in words alone. To grasp its source, one must discern the subtleties of Kan and Li, as well as the mysteries of the human body and the cauldron (鼎器, the vessel used in alchemy, or the body understood as the cauldron of internal cultivation), and only then can one fully understand what "taking and relinquishing" means.

"The Di and Fang asterisms leap in the Azure Dragon": "Di and Fang" are the Di and Fang lunar mansions among the seven mansions of the East. "Azure" (苍) means blue-green, and "Dragon" refers to the Qi of the East. The Zhouyi Zhongzheng Yi says that the dragon excels at transformation, as does Yang Qi, and so Yang Qi is called the dragon's Qi. In the East, the myriad things grow and flourish, and the blue-green Qi is at its height. In the practice of alchemy, when mid-spring arrives, the true Qi in the cauldron is full, like the Azure Dragon leaping in the East, with the Di and Fang mansions seeming to sway in response. Wei Boyang's Zhouyi Cantong Qi contains the line, "The Azure Dragon dwells in Fang, at six; the spring blossoms of Zhen in the east, at Mao," which speaks of precisely this image.

"The Yi and Zhang spread their sash over the White Horse": "Yi and Zhang" refers to the Yi and Zhang mansions of the South among the twenty-eight lunar mansions. "Sash" (襟带) carries the sense of linking and connecting. The "White Horse" refers to the essence of the first-grade Great Elixir (大丹). The whole sentence means that the Qi dynamics symbolized by the Yi and Zhang mansions are connected to the White Horse.

"Wings Spread" (翼张, Yizhang) refers to the Wing mansion (Yi) in the south among the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions. "Lapel and sash" (襟带, jindai) means to connect and run through. "White Horse" is a metaphor for the material of the first-grade Great Elixir. The Huainanzi says: "The white horse's tooth, fond of cinnabar." Here, "white" represents the west, "horse" represents the south, and "tooth" refers to the material of the elixir. The mansions Fang, Zhang, Yi, and others belong to the image of the Azure Dragon and are linked to one another. The imagery of the south and the color of the west are used as metaphors for the circulation of fire in the work of refinement; once this stage is reached, the first-grade Great Elixir is complete.

Solidifying the Form and Substance of Qian and Kun

"Solidify" means to make firm, and the author stresses this point solemnly in the fu. Qian and Kun are comparable to the cauldron used in alchemy, and also to a chicken's egg: if the cauldron has a crack, the Qi being refined will escape; if the cauldron is not tightly sealed, one loses the very root from which the myriad things are generated and transformed. In refining the divine elixir, the key lies in making the cauldron sealed and firm, and this matter is of great significance. Without the ability to understand the divine mystery and perceive transformation, how could one grasp the principle of sealing the cauldron?

What is meant by making the form and substance of Qian and Kun firm is not that they become firm solely through the work of sealing, nor that they become so entirely without the work of sealing. Why is this said? Qian and Kun exist naturally of themselves and do not require sealing by human effort; yet if they are not sealed, Qian and Kun will be destroyed, with heaven collapsing and earth caving in.

Shedding Flesh and Becoming Unfettered

"Shedding flesh" means being released from the physical body; "unfettered" (潇洒, xiaosa) refers to being clear, tranquil, pure, and free, untouched by burdens or disturbance.

"Shedding the flesh" (tuoji) means freeing oneself from the bonds of the physical body. "Carefree ease" (xiaosa) means being clear, serene, empty and still, undisturbed, and not entangled by close relationships or external things.

The Song of the Supreme Change and the Five Phases (Taiyi zhi Wuxing ge) says: "Why must one regard Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth as five external things? To devote oneself wholly to preserving life is the essence of the Dragon and Tiger. If a student of the Dao does not grasp the subtlety of the Five Phases (Wuxing), they will mistake others for their own parents." The Five Phases mentioned here can also be mapped onto the human body: Wood governs Qi (vital energy), bone corresponds to Metal, blood to Water, and flesh to Earth. The so-called Way of immortality lies in change and transformation.

Follow the seasons of Heaven and uphold the Dao of Heaven.

"Following" means not going against the sequence of the seasons. To oppose the seasonal order invites calamity, while to accord with its proper progression brings good fortune. The scripture (Jing) says: "The five Qi move in turn; cultivate in accord with the seasons, and one will reap the results." It also says: "Like a charioteer who holds the reins and drives according to the rules and the tracks of the wheels." This means that one who masters the timing of the fire phases (huohou) in Neidan (internal alchemy) must handle the process as a driver handles a carriage and horses, keeping it on course and free of error, and aligning it with the four seasons, the eight seasonal junctures, the twenty-four solar terms, and the seventy-two pentads.

The phrase "uphold Heaven" comes from the Yijing (Book of Changes): "If one acts before the time of Heaven, Heaven does not oppose; if one acts after the time of Heaven, one should follow it." The scripture uses this to explain that once the Great Elixir (Golden Elixir, Jindan) is accomplished, the processes of generation and transformation within the cultivation continue without interruption, just as the myriad things of the later world follow the seasons of Heaven, and descendants nourish their forebears, continuing for ages.

Male and female must be joined as a pair.

The scripture says: "Yang cannot stand alone, and Yin cannot exist by itself." The passage on Xuanwu (the Dark Warrior, a Daoist deity representing the north, depicted as a combined tortoise and snake) stresses here that only when Yin-Yang join and complement each other can generation and transformation continue.

Yin and Yang cannot stand alone. The tortoise and snake of Xuanwu (the Dark Warrior, symbol of the northern water deity) coil around each other and lend each other support, showing that female and male must work in concert. Thus "female and male" simply means Yin-Yang: the Kan trigram is male and masculine, while the Li trigram is female and feminine.

The Qian trigram is the father, with three sons, Zhen, Kan, and Gen; the Kun trigram is the mother, with three daughters, Xun, Li, and Dui. Why, then, are only Kan and Li paired as male and female? Because Kan and Li occupy the central position, whereas Zhen, Gen, Xun, and Dui do not. So Kan the son and Li the daughter are matched, symbolizing a husband and wife joined as a pair. Master Tao said: "The man wears the cap, the woman holds a smile; when female and male unite, their breath blends and their forms answer one another, and transformation has no end." This is the function of this Way (Dao). The scripture (Jing) also says that one must observe the moment when Yin and Yang meet, grasp the measure and signs of their union, and understand thoroughly the principle of their pairing, and only then can the Great Elixir be achieved.

In the end, one soars aloft and ascends as a supreme immortal.

"End" means that the three years of cultivation are complete. "Soaring" means that the body has returned to pure Yang and the myriad spirits (Shen) are whole, so that one becomes light, flies upward, and rises to realms such as the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Great Void, and the Great Tenuity; hence the name "supreme immortal." An immortal, in this sense, is one who has achieved success in cultivating the Great Elixir.

In the end, one soars aloft and ascends as a supreme immortal.

"End" means that the three years of cultivation are complete. "Soaring" means that the body has returned to pure Yang and the myriad spirits (Shen) are whole, so that one becomes light, flies upward, and rises to realms such as the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Great Void, and the Great Tenuity; hence the name "supreme immortal." Another explanation holds that the character for "immortal" is like a person standing on a mountain: after taking this Great Elixir, the spirit (Shen) becomes a treasure and the bones turn to metal and stone, as steady and unmoving as a mountain.

Thus there appear people who have transcended the mortal world,

The phrase "there exist" (yuan you) means that, from ancient times, those who attained the Dao (the Way), those who shed their mortal forms and became immortals, and those who lived long and kept their vision undimmed were all originally ordinary people. They simply cultivated themselves from the common world into a sacred state. It follows that people who transcend external things truly do exist.

People often give rise to desires because of external things and sink into them. Once held in thrall by such things, they are bound by the distractions of the mundane world. One who does not strive deliberately or grasp greedily, whose heart is free of worry and whose actions are free of entanglement, may be said to transcend external things. The Jing (scripture) says: "Only one who can rise above all things under heaven can truly possess all under heaven; only one who can rise above the self can preserve the self." External things can nourish the body, but they can also harm it. Therefore, practitioners of cultivation must empty the mind and forget the body, drawing on external things to nurture life while avoiding being burdened by them. If, after achieving success and fame, one instead sinks into the pursuit of fame and profit and cannot free oneself, how can that be called wisdom? Thus, people who transcend external things truly do exist.

A person's nature is received from the heavenly truth.

The "truth" spoken of here is the fundamental standard of the Dao. The Perfected Wu said: "Shen (spirit) is received from the Dao, and when it is at rest, it accords with one's nature. A person receives life from Shen, and when in motion, easily follows the passions and desires. When one follows one's nature, Shen settles and is able to perceive the heavenly truth; when one chases desires, Shen is disturbed, and pernicious Qi (vital energy) takes the chance to invade. When desires stir, Shen becomes clouded and turbid; when nature is still, Shen is clear and bright. When Shen is clear and bright, it can enter the gate of the mysterious, grasp the principles of the heavenly truth, and shine inward upon body and mind." This is the meaning of "a person's nature is received from the heavenly truth."

Hold within oneself an aspiration and bearing of clarity, stillness, and peace.

"Bao" (抱) means to store or contain. "Chonghe" (冲和) is the balanced, harmonious qi (气, vital energy) that lies between Heaven and Earth. The pure Yang qi of Heaven is brilliant and blazing, while the pure Yin qi of Earth is dark and profound. If pure Yang remained only above and pure Yin only below, Heaven and Earth could not communicate, the myriad things could not grow, and Yin and Yang (阴阳) could not unite. How, then, could good and evil be told apart? Only after Heaven and Earth interact do Yin and Yang blend and circulate, and from this the myriad things arise. This balanced, harmonious qi between Heaven and Earth is called the "qi of chonghe."

"Chonghe" carries the sense of equilibrium and impartiality. Therefore, in handling affairs and setting actions in motion, one should be like someone drawing a bow: press down what is high, lift up what is low, so as to reach the middle. It is like ringing a bell so that its sound reaches just the right measure. What is meant here, then, is the aspiration of the mind and the breadth of one's bearing.

"Loathing the filth of the mortal world."

"Loathe" (厌) means to cast aside. "Huanhai" (寰海) refers to the vast realm encircled by the four seas, where all parts are connected. "Nichen" (泥尘, mud and dust) refers to the earth within the huanhai: when wet it turns to mud, and when dry it rises as dust. Mud soils things and dust obscures them. The defilement becomes so intolerable that one is said to be right to loathe it.

"Thus one seeks the method of immortality."

"Fang" (方) means pattern and principle. The sages established their teachings through symbols, and so left behind many scriptures on the Dao of alchemy (丹道), such as the Ancient Text Upper Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, Gold and Jade in three fascicles; the Jinbi Jing (金碧经, Scripture of Gold and Jade) in three fascicles, transmitted by Ziyang; the Jinbi Qiantong Jue (Instructions on the Hidden Penetration of Gold and Jade) in three fascicles; the Zhouyi Cantong Qi (周易参同契, Token for Joining the Three in Accord with the Book of Changes) in three fascicles; and the Taiyi Zhi (Records of the Great Change) in twenty-four chapters. Later, immortals and scholars who had attained the Dao continued to expound and record these teachings, and their writings became numerous. Most of these books discuss methods of cultivation and of refining the Great Elixir (大丹), and they hold that taking the Great Elixir allows one to live forever without dying. Hence the text speaks of "seeking" this method.

"Seeking the essential secrets of prolonging life."

Of all those who seek the secret of prolonging life, it is not that the sages have failed to give earnest guidance; it is only that the seekers of the Dao (the Way) have not grasped it themselves. Master Chongxu said, "The road of the immortals leads straight into the clouds. To reach the immortal path, one need not cross remote bridges or climb the perilous Sword Pass." Worldly people do not know that the immortal path is utterly different from the roads of the mortal world. They take it for a treacherous trail through mountain passes, and so they are misled and mistaken. What is meant here is that people do not understand the gateway to seeking the secret.

The secret should be sought within oneself. I have studied and examined classics such as the Cantong qi and the Jinbi. Outwardly, they examine the celestial signs; inwardly, they accord with a profound and mysterious state of mind. One takes the subtle and abstruse principles to heart and unites one's spirit (Shen) with the workings of Creation. Hence the Perfected Chongxu said, "The immortals are nowhere else; they are only in your heart and spirit." The Treatise on the Learnability of Immortality likewise says, "Is the Dao far from people? Follow the Dao, and you will arrive."

Within utmost emptiness lies the mysterious, and only when it receives a response does its numinous function appear. It is like the sound within metal and stone, which rings only when struck. Therefore, open the heart and let the mind return to emptiness and stillness. Emptiness and stillness allow response, and response allows penetrating understanding. When this stage is reached, heaven, earth, and the whole cosmos settle naturally into peace, and the light of heaven appears. From this one can understand that subtlety lies hidden within emptiness and stillness and becomes penetrating through response. This is the essential key of the Great Elixir (Dadan). The "Great Elixir" mentioned here is the name given in Daoist internal alchemy (Neidan) to the central achievement of cultivation.

Master Yanluozi said, "Those who study the true Dao should all possess insight that transcends the common world and hold profound mysteries within. They should be in communion with the Dao and upright in heart. They should be tranquil in their dealings, empty and still in mind, and their actions should accord with the subtlest principles. Afterward, they can hold heaven and earth in the palm of the hand and regard the four directions, above and below, as minute things. Whether small or great, they can discern and embrace it all. Only when they can distinguish the true from the false and right from wrong can they dwell within the true Dao and bring peace to the spirit." Do these words teach people to do nothing and merely sit waiting for the secret to be delivered to them?

Therefore, though my talent and learning are shallow, I have looked up in supplication to heaven and earth, prayed to the spirits, paid reverence to the sun and moon, sought out the true scriptures (Jing), studied the principles of Yin-Yang, and probed the marvels of Creation. My recitation has never ceased, and my studies have never rested. I have repeatedly pondered subtle words and dissected hidden principles, questioning in stillness and seeking with an empty mind. Now more than twenty years have passed, and I have still not been fortunate enough to meet a person of the Dao who could offer even slight guidance and transmit the essential secret. Yet the sages long ago set their resolve; should one then simply wait for some response and penetrating understanding?

Grasping the Profound Essentials of the Golden Elixir (金丹, Golden Elixir: the spiritual medicine and ultimate attainment sought in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, and Waidan, or external alchemy).

The Golden Elixir takes its name from "gold," and so it is called the Golden Elixir. The Longhu Jing (Dragon and Tiger Mirror) says: "Of all the images in the heavens, none is brighter than the sun and moon." The sun is the essence of Yang fire, and cinnabar-mercury (materials used in alchemy, such as cinnabar and quicksilver) stands for the dragon. The moon is the essence of Yin water, and lead-silver stands for the tiger. The text adds: "Cinnabar is the child of fire, and mercury is the grandchild of metal. Gold is born of the sun, and silver is nurtured by the moon." When the powers of sun and moon are employed together, water and fire are harmonized, dragon and tiger follow one another, and Yin-Yang restrain each other, the Great Elixir is refined. These two treasures are the most spiritually potent essences between heaven and earth, and to obtain them and cultivate them is what is called the Golden Elixir.

The "profound essentials" refer to such texts as the Jinbi Jing (Scripture of Gold and Jade), the Cantong Qi (Token for Joining the Three), the Taiyi Zhi (Record of the Great Change), and the Riyue Hunyuan Jing (Scripture of the Sun and Moon in Primordial Unity). These scriptures record the deep significance of the Golden Elixir and probe its subtle and wondrous principles, making them suitable for study.

This is the true teaching of the wondrous realm of Dongxuan (洞玄, one of the Three Caverns).

"Dong" (洞) means wisdom that illuminates everything and penetrates without obstruction. "Xuan" (玄) refers to water and fire: water is black in color and is therefore called "Xuanming" (the Dark Obscurity), while fire is red and is therefore called "Danxuan" (the Cinnabar Mystery). A song attributed to Laojun says: "From the black metal, take its essence; from the red, take its marrow. One who knows how to use both red and black possesses a medicine without equal. Add the red to the black, and long life is preserved; add the black to the red, and one attains the status of a celestial immortal. Using these two methods in reverse is collectively called 'Xuan'; the black can transform into red, and the red can also bring about immortality." This is precisely what is meant.

"Miao" (妙) refers to the wondrous function revealed when the two mysteries of water and fire unite. The essential qi of water is like the moon, and the essential qi of fire is like the sun; they circulate and revolve through emptiness, transforming the myriad things, and their marvelous function is immense. The scripture (Jing) also says: "Water can give birth to the myriad things, yet only the sage understands its principle." It also says: "Two 'non-beings' take one 'being' as their root, and their numinous transformations are difficult to fathom." This is why it is called "Miao."

The True Scripture (Zhen Jing) says: "Words are not casually invented, and doctrines do not arise from nothing. If one has not refined the elixir and attained the Dao to become an immortal, one should not cling to the oral formulas in the scriptures." This is a admonition from the sages. Thus the Jinbi, the Cantong, and the Taiyi are all true teachings for cultivation.

From this we may know that within the deep and dark obscurity, there are subtle essences of their own.

Practitioners come to understand the profound meaning of the Golden Elixir only through works such as the Jinbi and the Cantong: within a realm that is deep, dim, and hard to perceive, there is something subtle and real. The Daodejing (Dao De Jing) says, "In the dim and indistinct there are images; in the dim and indistinct there are things; in the deep and obscure there is essence (jing), and this essence is utterly real and can be trusted." It speaks precisely to this point.

Water is called "profound" (xuan), and fire is called "cinnabar" (dan). "Deep" (yao) means profound, and "obscure" (ming) means dark. Water is dark on the outside but bright within, hidden deep and not revealed; fire is bright on the outside but dark within, hard to see clearly. The "essence" (Jing) spoken of here is the subtle essence contained within water and fire. The Riyue hunyuan jing (Scripture of the Primordial Unity of Sun and Moon) says, "The cauldron is Heaven and Earth, the medicine is the sun and moon, and water and fire are Yin-Yang." Here the "cauldron" refers to Heaven and Earth as the fundamental field of refining and nourishing, while the "medicine" refers to the Yin-Yang essence and qi (Qi) symbolized by the sun and moon.

Mercury does not reveal its substance, and gold does not reveal its form.

Mercury is hidden within cinnabar, just as a crow dwells within the sun; gold is hidden within black lead, just as a jade rabbit dwells within the moon. When the sun is full, cinnabar and mercury can be discerned within it; as the moon waxes and wanes, black lead and white gold can be discerned within it. "Not revealing substance" refers to the fact that they are all concealed and hidden. Since Qian and Kun serve as the cauldron and the sun and moon serve as the medicine, the sun and moon are in the cauldron, and the hun and po (spirit-souls) and essence are in turn hidden within the sun and moon. How could they be directly seen? Hence they are said not to reveal their substance.

Penetrate the single qi (Qi) within the Dantian (Dantian).

"Penetrate" (guan) means to reach through and connect. The scriptures say that Heaven has the "Three Mysteries," namely the sun, moon, and stars; humans have the "Three Truths," namely the upper, middle, and lower Dantian; and there are also the "Three Treasures," namely lead, mercury, and cinnabar. The "single qi" refers to the true Dao (Dao). True qi moves within the subtle and hidden: in Heaven it appears as the sun, moon, and stars; in the human body it appears as the three Dantian; and on earth it appears as lead, mercury, and cinnabar. Hence it is said that what penetrates the Dantian is this single qi.

Discern the two names, water and fire.

The Dao originally has no form and cannot be seen with the eyes; listen for it, and it has no sound. It moves in the darkness, giving rise to water and fire. Observe that water is one and fire is two; the two combine to make three, and the three in turn generate the myriad things. Therefore, the practitioner observes and understands these transformations, and then regulates and nourishes the body accordingly.

Distributing the Four Images

"Distributing" means that a single Qi (vital energy) circulates and spreads through the four directions, forming the four seasons: in the north it is winter, corresponding to the Kan trigram; in the east it is spring, corresponding to the Zhen trigram; in the south it is summer, corresponding to the Li trigram; and in the west it is autumn, corresponding to the Dui trigram. The "Four Images" (Sixiang) is a term used in Daoist alchemy to express the transformations of Yin-Yang (Yin-Yang) together with their directions and seasons.

Molding and Refining the Five Phases

"Molding and refining" means creating and transforming the myriad things as though firing pottery or smelting and casting metal. The expressions "kiln altar" and "smelting and casting" used here both serve as figures of speech for the work of creation and transformation. The Five Phases (Wuxing) are Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. An old song says: "The Five Phases are profound and subtle; their principles are hard to fathom." It also says: "Observe the Five Phases closely, and understanding will come of itself." And again: "How are the Four Images brought to completion, and how are the Five Spirits born?"

The one Qi divides into Yin and Yang, moves to form the four seasons, and finally returns to the Five Phases. This is like a person who has four limbs, which together with the head are called the five. When the fire is circulated, the true Qi within the cauldron divides into Yin and Yang; Yin and Yang generate the Four Images, and once the Four Images are complete, they in turn form the Five Phases. The Real Person Li said: "Water one and Metal four are paired as Wu Earth; Fire two and Wood three are paired as Ji Earth." This means that when the circulation of fire reaches accomplishment, Metal is also generated and transformed along with it, and this is why the process is called cultivation.

Stilling the Sun-Hun and Summoning the Moon-Po

"Stilling" means not moving. The Chapter on Long Life says: "Sun-hun and moon-po: by them the substance of Qian and Kun is formed." The sun-hun refers to the Golden Crow, and the moon-po refers to the Jade Rabbit. Although breath passes back and forth between the hun and the po, in refining the Great Elixir one must still keep them unmoving. The Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit here are Daoist terms that symbolize the sun and the moon respectively.

Following the Tiger's Nature and Accord with the Dragon's Disposition

One accords with the tiger's temperament and joins with the dragon's character.

"Zun" (遵) means to follow and to receive. "Tiger" (虎) refers to the White Tiger of the west; "nature" (性) is the guiding principle of the Dao (the Way). "Qi" (契, to tally or accord) means to join one thing with another. Here it is said that emotion is joined with nature, which is why the term "accord" is used. "Dragon" (龙) refers to the Azure Dragon of the east.

In the cultivation of the Great Elixir, the dragon and the tiger symbolize a person's emotion and nature, just as the liver and the lungs each have their own temperament. The liver belongs to Wood and is green in color, and so it symbolizes the dragon; the lungs belong to Metal and are white, and so they symbolize the tiger. Some interpretations hold instead that the dragon represents emotion and the tiger represents nature. That emotion and nature depend on each other and return to unity is a natural principle. It is also said that nature dwells within and establishes the foundation, while emotion acts outwardly and forms the outer boundary. Emotion and nature are not things external to a person, and the dragon and tiger are not merely names for kinds of creatures. For this reason the word "adherence" is used to describe the relationship between dragon and tiger.

The text then extends the principles of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) to explain the timing of the practice.

"Yan" (演) means to extend and elaborate; "Yi" (易) refers to the Zhouyi. The Zhouyi speaks of the patterns by which heaven and earth move. The sages extended these patterns to establish their teaching, so that the cultivation of the Great Elixir would follow a fixed sequence. The great Dao is profound and subtle, and the Yin-Yang qi shifts with the seasons. Beginning with the mid-month solar term of the eleventh month, at the winter solstice, one Yang first arises, and by the fourth month Yang qi reaches its fullest, forming the image of the Qian hexagram. Beginning with the mid-month solar term of the fifth month, one Yin first arises, and by the tenth month Yin qi reaches its fullest, forming the image of the Kun hexagram. All of this extends the numerical principles of the movements of sun and moon in order to illuminate the cycles of change.

The handle of the Northern Dipper fixes its direction according to the season.

"Biao" (杓) refers to the handle of the Northern Dipper. In the first month the handle points to the Yin position, in the second month to Mao, and in the third month to Chen, turning in order according to each month's designated branch. What is described here is that, in applying the fire phases (huohou), twelve positions are established, namely Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai, and the direction indicated by the handle is observed.

It travels along Feng and Yi, scattering its radiance.

"Circulating" (xun, 循) means turning like a wheel. Ji (箕, the Winnowing Basket) is one of the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions of the eastern quadrant, and Yi (翼, the Wings) is one of the seven mansions of the southern quadrant. "Scattering radiance" means that as the fire is circulated, it moves like the sun traveling among the Twenty-Eight Mansions, following a circular path and giving off light. Ji corresponds to the moon's appearance on the third day of the lunar month, and Yi to the full moon of the fifteenth. In other words, the fire moves outwardly while inwardly following the rhythm of the calendar, radiating light in an endless cycle.

"Continuous" (mian, 绵) means unbroken. The scripture says, "Mountain and marsh are joined; Gen and Dui share their qi." The Gen trigram belongs to Earth and lies in the northeast, while the Dui trigram belongs to Metal and lies due west. The earthly branches Si, You, and Chou correspond to Metal. Gen is paired with the stem Bing and Dui with the stem Ding, so the two trigrams are said to share a common breath.

"Disseminating" (bo, 播) means to carry out and spread. "Punishment" (xing, 刑) refers to severity and decline, and "virtue" (de, 德) refers to generation and growth. The scripture says that De governs growth, while punishment governs containment. "Uniting" (he, 合) means to gather together. "Hard" (gang, 刚) refers to Fire and Metal, and "soft" (rou, 柔) refers to Water and Wood. The passage means that when the fire is circulated, true qi is dispensed so that all things follow the seasons: growth in spring and austerity in autumn. Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood, along with the qi of hardness and softness, come together and, following the changes of the seasons, are refined into the elixir.

"Entering the central palace and returning to Wu and Ji" means that Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire, together with the qi of punishment and virtue and of hardness and softness, enter the central palace and return to the Earth of Wu and Ji. Of these, Water and Metal belong to Wu, while Wood and Fire belong to Ji.

Thereupon, the Nine Returns undergo transformation…

"Nine Returns" (九还, jiuhuan) describes how, once the fire phasing (火候, huohou) has run for a certain time, the true Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) within the elixir cauldron revolve in step with the movement of the sun in the heavens. The sun advances one degree each day, and five days make one hou (候, a "phase"). These phases change and transform the myriad things in endless cycles. After ten months the fire phasing is complete and the number returns to one, which is why the process is called the "transformation of the Nine Returns." Nine is the supreme Yang number. According to the Suanjing (Classic of Arithmetic), counting reaches its limit at nine, and going beyond it returns to one. Another explanation holds that the sun belongs to Yang, and its number is nine. The scripture also uses the numbers to correspond to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and the central palace: Kan is one, Kun is two, Zhen is three, Xun is four, the central palace is five, Qian is six, Dui is seven, Gen is eight, and Li is nine. "Return" (还, huan) carries the sense of circulating movement.

"The Seven Returns Display Their Beauty" (七返呈妍) means that Dui belongs to Metal, and seven is the number of Dui. "Return" (返, fan) refers to departing and then coming back, while "beauty" (妍, yan) means upright and fair. Dui is also called the "Moon Cave" (月窟), and here the movement of the moon serves as a metaphor for the changes of Yin-Yang. The moon first travels to the right, going from the south toward the northeast and sinking beneath the earth. Its form keeps changing, and at last it returns to its original place in the west, where it displays an upright and beautiful form.

"Thus from outer firmness arises inner gentleness" (兹由外贞而内顺) means that from this process a state is formed that is firm and upright outside and gentle and yielding inside. Here Heaven, Earth, and a hen's egg serve as analogies. Heaven is outer and symbolizes uprightness (贞, zhen), while Earth is inner and symbolizes gentleness. The great medicine is like an egg: the white outside is solid, and the yolk inside is soft. Only when nurtured in warm Qi can it take form. This is the meaning of "yellow within, white without" and "firm outside, gentle inside."

"This is the mystery within the mystery" (其乃玄之又玄) means that within it lies a still deeper subtlety. The scripture calls water and fire "mystery" (玄, xuan). The Dao moves as a single Qi and gives rise to water and fire, which is the first level of mystery. Later sages imitated Heaven and Earth and used water and fire to refine the divine elixir, which is a deeper level of mystery.

"When fire turns eastward it becomes the Dragon, and water turns westward it becomes the Tiger" (当其火东旋而为龙,水西转而为虎) means that fire revolves toward the east and transforms into the Dragon, while water turns toward the west and transforms into the Tiger. The heavens revolve to the left, while the sun, moon, and five planets travel to the right. The motion of the heavens brings about the changes of the four seasons, and the motion of the sun and moon nurtures and transforms the myriad things. Cinnabar is red, symbolizing fire, and its position belongs to the south. For this reason the eastward turning of fire is called the Dragon, and the westward turning of water is called the Tiger.

The celestial sphere (the heavenly wheel) turns to the left, while the sun, the moon, and the five planets (the five planets known to the ancients) travel to the right. The leftward turning of the heavens drives the succession of the four seasons, and the rightward movement of the sun and moon gives birth to the myriad things.

Cinnabar is red. It symbolizes Fire, belongs to the south, and corresponds to the Vermilion Bird (the divine bird of the south). When it turns toward the east, mercury is generated within the cinnabar. Blue-green symbolizes Wood, belongs to the east, and corresponds to the Azure Dragon (the divine beast of the east). Lead is black, belongs to Water and to the north, and corresponds to the Black Tortoise (the divine beast of the north). When it turns toward the west, silver is generated within the black lead. Hence it is said that Fire, turning east, becomes the Dragon, and Water, turning west, becomes the Tiger. This describes the hidden circulation of true Qi (vital energy) within the great cauldron (the vessel used in alchemical refining). It turns left like the heavens and revolves right like the sun, moon, and five planets. All these transformations are produced by the single Qi within the cauldron and do not come from any outside thing.

An ancient song says: "The Dragon is not in the east, and the Tiger is not in the west. If you seek in the One Origin (the root from which all things arise), you will understand the distinction. If you seek in the east and west, you will be as blind as one who has eyes but cannot see."

The Tiger leaves its mother's womb and bears offspring; the Dragon takes leave of the clouds and sends down rain.

The Tiger symbolizes Metal. After the white metal emerges from the womb of black lead, it in turn becomes the mother and nurtures its young, which is why it is called "leaving the womb to rear offspring." The Dragon taking leave of the clouds and sending down rain means that the cloud-Qi is stored in the caverns and valleys of the mountains, symbolizing the Qi of cinnabar. Mercury is generated from cinnabar and becomes the Azure Dragon of the east, sending down rain that nourishes all things.

This is not only a process in which white and black come first and yellow is then produced. It also begins with Water and Fire and finally returns to Earth.

This passage explains how mercury (shuiyin) and cinnabar (zhusha), substances commonly used in the Golden Elixir (jindan) arts, interact. "First" (xian) means "beginning." "White and black" refers to the mercury within the cinnabar: when it is called "mercury" (literally "water-silver"), it resembles water and appears black; when it is called "silver," it appears white.

The phrase "water and fire at the beginning" means that cinnabar belongs to fire and mercury belongs to water. Before the mercury has been separated from the cinnabar, water and fire are still in a single substance, and so it is called the "beginning of water and fire." Cinnabar and mercury differ in being white or black, and also in being water or fire, and together they present four images. In cultivation one must imitate Heaven and Earth, apply the timing of the fire (huohou), and follow the changes of the four seasons; in the end, all these changes return to Earth.

Discarding the South, Taking the North

The scripture speaks of "taking" and "gathering" in three ways. At first it says "gather the north, take the south," and later "gather the south, take the north." This is because the ruler's position is in the north and the minister's position is in the south: the ruler is the ruler and the minister is the minister, yet their positions can be exchanged, so that the ruler may become the minister and the minister may become the ruler. For this reason it says "gather the south, take the north."

The Ancestors of Jia and Yi

"Ancestors" (zongzu) refers to Heaven and Earth, while "Jia and Yi" are Heavenly Stems. Jia, Yi, Ren, Gui, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, and Xin together make up the ten stems, which are used to represent the function of Heaven and Earth in covering and bearing the myriad things.

Accordingly, in the six lines of the Qian hexagram, the lower three lines correspond to Jia and the upper three to Ren; in the six lines of the "Shen hexagram" as written in the scripture, the lower three lines correspond to Yi and the upper three to Gui. This is why it is called "the Ancestors of Jia and Yi."

Divine Water and Sacred Stone

Water and stone each have a common kind and a sacred kind, and people likewise divide into the ordinary and the sage. To pass from the ordinary to the sage, one need only forget the body, cast off cunning and calculation, and rein in the keenness of eye and ear, until the body is as still as withered wood and the mind as quiet as dead ashes. One is then close to the Dao (the Way). The "water" spoken of here is mercury, and the "stone" is cinnabar. Before they are processed according to the methods of alchemy, cinnabar and mercury are merely common substances. But once the elixir cauldron (the vessel used in alchemical refining) is set up, and the workings of Heaven and Earth are followed so that a single Qi (vital energy) circulates, Yin-Yang (阴阳) arises, the four seasons are complete, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are all present, they display wondrous transformations. For this reason they are called the "sacred stone."

"The imperial son and the dragon daughter" refers to the sovereign and the dragon lineage. The emperor is the master of Heaven and Earth. The "imperial son" means the son of the sovereign; one who is to inherit the throne and carry on the mandate of Heaven is the son of the Red Emperor of the South. The "dragon daughter" is likewise the daughter of the Red Emperor of the South, and is called a seed of the dragon. The sovereign is master of Heaven and Earth and elder of all the transformations of the myriad things, and the chief ministers of both South and North obey his command. South and North here symbolize Yin-Yang. When the imperial son inherits the honored seat, he is able to govern Yin-Yang.

An old song says: "One mother bears two children, a boy and a girl. The boy is the root of Yin; the girl is the master of Yang. When Yin Qi comes, Yang Qi moves along with it, never leaving its original ancestor. The spleen and stomach grind the food, and the food is naturally digested; the two travel together and return to the Sovereign Earth." This speaks of the sovereign dwelling in the central place of Earth. The "Sovereign Earth" (后土) here means the ground, and it also corresponds to Earth among the Five Phases.

The Dao has never been apart from Heaven and Earth.

The Dao has neither name nor form; it is the Qi of the Limitless (Wuji). As it turns and transforms, it gives birth to the myriad things. "Dark and yellow" (玄黄) refers to Heaven and Earth: Heaven is dark in color and Earth is yellow, and all things pass through and are born and transformed between them. In the present practice within the elixir cauldron, the transformations of true Qi likewise do not go beyond the principles of Heaven and Earth.

The essential key to "Guarding the One" lies in contemplating the "Three Fives." "Guarding the One" means maintaining a state of single-minded concentration of spirit. The "Three Fives" is a term from Neidan (internal alchemy) in Daoism, and here refers to the key principles that one must contemplate and regulate during cultivation.

The Hunyuan Jing (Scripture of Primordial Chaos) says: "Three, Five, and One are the most subtle principles between Heaven and Earth. When Yin-Yang (阴阳) respond to one another and transform, giving birth to all things, the Dao (道, the Way) comes into being of itself." It also says: "Three, Five, and One are the key to distinguishing the relationship between ruler and minister; one cannot step beyond the Five Phases (五行, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), nor go against the Way of Heaven. If one does not understand Three, Five, and One, where can one seek the realm of the immortals?" And again: "The most essential cultivation is nothing more than guarding the 'One.' The foundation of any theory does not go beyond the Three Powers, namely Heaven, Earth, and Humanity; the main points of explanation do not depart from the Five Phases; and the key to hidden transformation does not depart from Water and Fire. All the various kinds of principles ultimately return to the 'One.'"

Let us now explain this in plain language: One gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, and three gives rise to the myriad things. The "Earth" spoken of here is the Earth transformed from the Four Images (四象, the four states formed by the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang). Earth is a manifestation of the Qi (气, vital energy) of the Dao, and all things are born from Earth. Metal is the root of the "True One" and also the force that governs the transformation of all things. Although Earth gives rise to Metal, it cannot forcibly override the function of Metal.

"One cold, one hot" refers to the union of Kan and Li, Water and Fire, which forms the elixir (丹). Kan Water corresponds to winter's cold, and Li Fire corresponds to summer's heat. One cold and one hot, one Yin and one Yang, together with Metal and stone, are all used to illustrate the formation of the elixir.

"The breathing of the dragon and tiger" means that the dragon calls to the tiger, and the tiger draws in the essence of the dragon (精, Jing), so that the two join with and nourish each other. The scripture further says that the dragon represents emotion and the tiger represents nature; emotion and nature depend on one another, which is precisely the principle of returning to the origin and recovering the true in cultivation. Transformation arises from one's true nature, and the beginning and end of things are causes of one another; from this, one can understand the principle of breathing.

"The swallowing and expelling of the hun and po souls" means that once the dragon and tiger have breathed with one another, the moon expels the po (魄) and the sun swallows the hun (魂).

South and North join between Water and Fire: Water lies in the north and is called the Kan male, belonging to Yang; Fire lies in the south and is called the Li female, belonging to Yin. When South and North, Water and Fire, meet, this is the union of intercourse (交媾). Mao lies in the east and You in the west; in cultivation, they circulate and revolve within the cauldron (鼎), but the root of this revolution never departs from Zi and Wu.

This text encompasses the laws of Yin-Yang (yin-yang) transformation in heaven and earth, and moves in accord with their natural course. South and north interact and unite. Although the Mao position lies in the east and the You position in the west, during cultivation the movement of Qi (qi) circulates back and forth within the cauldron, never departing from the two positions of Zi and Wu.

To encompass the laws of heaven and earth is to follow the one who governs transformation.

The laws of heaven and earth are expressed through number. The Book of Changes (Yijing) says: "The count of the stalks for Qian is two hundred and sixteen, and for Kun one hundred and forty-four." Extended and developed from this, and applied by analogy to other cases, the total reaches eleven thousand five hundred and twenty stalks, which exhausts the number of the myriad things and embraces both the firm and the yielding. For this reason it is called "encompassing."

What governs transformation is the pair of trigrams Kan and Li (symbolizing water and fire, and often corresponding to the moon and the sun). The scripture says: "Kan and Li are hidden; their essence and radiance spread downward." This means that Kan and Li are not counted among the stalk numbers of Qian and Kun, and so they are said to be "hidden." Yet they still move within the space of heaven and earth formed by the six lines, dispersing their essence and light and bringing about the transformation of all things. Here the hexagram images serve as illustration: when Qian undergoes three changes of lines, it yields Xun, Gen, and Kun; when Kun undergoes three changes, it yields Zhen and Dui, and finally returns to Qian. When Qian and Kun operate, what appears are Xun, Gen, Zhen, and Dui, not the images of Kan and Li directly. To say that Kan and Li are "hidden" means that, as symbols of the moving sun and moon, they secretly bestow rhythm and cause the myriad things to change.

Mother and child (referring to true Qi and mercury) are mingled and contained within the enclosure (the realm formed by Kan and Li); relying on the cauldron and the metal (the cauldron vessel used in refining the elixir and its symbolism), they are conceived and nurtured.

The Zhusheng lun says: "Kan and Li form the enclosure, like the hub and axle of a cart returning to their proper place." Within Yin there is Yang, and through this things take form; within Yang there is Yin, and through this images become manifest. The Four Images revolve in cycles, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) interweave with one another.

"Nurturing" is like feeding an infant with gentle Yang qi, without interruption. "Relying on the cauldron" means taking Qian and Kun as the cauldron. This cauldron exists naturally; it is the dwelling place of the many perfected ones, and, like heaven and earth, it covers, bears, and nourishes the myriad things. Hence it is said that mother and child rely on the cauldron to be nurtured.

Arrange the cycle of each ten-day period according to the weights of zhu and liang, and consult the images and numbers of the hexagram lines to check the progress of the fire phasing (huohou) in the alchemical refining.

Calculating zhu and liang means weighing with a balance. Sixteen liang make one jin, and one jin contains three hundred eighty-four zhu. "Cycling through the ten-day periods" means that ten days make one period, and a number of such periods complete a full circuit of the year, again and again. "Consulting the images of the lines" means closely examining the images of the sixty-four hexagrams and their lines, and distributing the number three hundred eighty-four across the refining of the Great Medicine, until the Great Elixir is finally completed. The alchemist observes the hexagram images and checks the numbers, so that the movement of the fire phasing accords with the changes of nature.

The two solstices, the winter solstice and the summer solstice, open the changes of the fire phasing, and Yin-Yang take turns in succession.

"The two solstices" refers to the winter and summer solstices. After the winter solstice, yang qi (Qi, vital energy) begins to move, and continues until the fourth month. After the summer solstice, yin qi begins to move, and continues until the tenth month, after which the cycle begins again. At the winter solstice yang qi is first born, and at the summer solstice yin qi is first born, which is why it is said that Yin-Yang alternate and change.

When the fire phasing reaches its end, yin qi gradually gathers into the Kun hexagram, passing in turn through the images of Gou, Dun, and the others.

"End" means the close, and "gather" means to coalesce; Kun is the name of a hexagram. Gou and Dun are hexagrams within the passage from Qian to Kun. Qian reaches fullness in the fourth month, begins to wane in the fifth, and is then gradually succeeded by the side of Kun. The six lines of Qian change in sequence. The first line changes into Gou, corresponding to the fifth month, and one yin line is born. The second line changes into Dun, corresponding to the sixth month, and two yin lines are born. The third line changes into Pi, corresponding to the seventh month, and three yin lines are born. The fourth line changes into Guan, corresponding to the eighth month, and four yin lines are born. The fifth line changes into Bo, corresponding to the ninth month, and five yin lines are born. Finally the top line changes, and the whole gathers into the purely yin Kun hexagram, corresponding to the tenth month. This passage means that the author of the fu began the line in accordance with the rules of level and rising tones, and went on to mention the changes of the fire phasing that correspond to the hexagrams that follow.

Beginning with the Fu hexagram (复卦), passing through the Lin hexagram (临卦), and finally arriving at the Qian hexagram (乾卦): this describes the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang (阴阳). At the start there is only the Kun hexagram (坤卦). In the eleventh month, a single yang line appears within Kun, forming Fu; in the twelfth month another yang line is born, forming Lin. From then on the yang lines steadily increase: the first month is the Tai hexagram (泰卦), the second month the Dazhuang hexagram (大壮卦), and the third month the Guai hexagram (夬卦), until all six lines have become yang and the hexagram is the purely yang Qian.

This passage uses the changes of Yin-Yang over the course of a year to explain the cycle of "circulating the fire" (运火) in the alchemical work of Neidan (内丹, internal alchemy). The fire begins to circulate at the winter solstice and reaches pure Yang at the summer solstice. Ten further months then follow, completing one full revolution of the celestial circuit (周天).

In the line "The dragon flies, the reclining moon, the upper and lower quarters," the "dragon" refers to yang Qi (气, vital energy). The "reclining moon" (偃月) may refer to the crescent phase of the moon, while the "upper and lower quarters" refer to the first-quarter and last-quarter moons. Through the imagery of the moon's phases and the dragon, this line depicts the rising of yang Qi and the transformations of Yin-Yang.

"Dragon" (long) is a metaphor for yang qi. The Book of Changes (Yijing) says: "First Nine: the hidden dragon; do not act. Second Nine: the dragon appears in the field." Here the dragon's progress from concealment to emergence and ascent illustrates the rising of yang qi. As the sun moves, yang qi stirs with it. The sun is likened to the ruler and the moon to the minister. The moon follows the seasonal rhythm of its course, and when it turns its side toward us in the shape of a crescent, it is called the "reclining moon" (yanyue), which is further divided into the upper quarter and the lower quarter.

The moon takes about twenty-seven and a half days to complete one circuit of the heavens, then needs another two and a half days to catch up with the sun, forming a monthly cycle of thirty days. On the third day of the month, the moon first appears at the Geng position. Yang qi stirs and the qi of Wood responds to it, so the Zhen trigram is matched with Geng. Five days later, making eight days in all, the moon appears at dusk in the south at the Ding position. Its half-crescent faces the sun, and its shape is straight like a bowstring. This is called the "upper quarter" (shangxian). At this time the qi of Yin-Yang settles into calm, and the qi of Metal responds to it, so the Dui trigram is matched with Ding.

After another seven days, around the fifteenth, the moon appears at dusk in the east at the Jia position. The lunar body is full and now stands opposite the sun. The qi of fullness stirs, and the qi of Metal responds to it, so the Qian trigram is matched with Jia. Before the fifteenth, the moon always appears at dusk, which means that yang qi contains yin qi within it.

After a further three days, around the eighteenth, the moon appears at dawn at the Xin position. Yin qi is calm, and the qi of Wood responds to it, so the Xun trigram is matched with Xin. Five days later, around the twenty-third, the moon appears at dawn in the south at the Bing position. Its half-crescent faces the sun, and its shape is straight like a bowstring. This is called the "lower quarter" (xiaxian). Yang qi stirs, and the qi of Earth responds to it, so the Gen trigram is matched with Bing. After another seven days, around the thirtieth, the moon sinks at dawn at the Yi position and enters a state of darkness in which it cannot be seen. Yin qi has reached its fullness and responds in kind, so the Kun trigram is matched with Yi.

Thus the text uses "reclining moon" for the curved form of the moon and divides the upper and lower quarters according to the moon's phases. The correspondences between trigrams, directions, Heavenly Stems, and the Five Phases serve to explain how Yin-Yang qi changes over the course of the moon's movement.

Yellow Gold (a metaphor for the metal contained within Earth, one of the Five Phases) and the White Tiger (referring to the gold of True Unity, the pure and luminous white metal Qi) can both give rise to marvelous transformations on their own. The gold of the White Tiger has the nature of True Unity and takes on the white color of the West. Without the Qi of True Unity, no spontaneous transformation can occur.

From "the upper two" to "opening the interval," along with the changes of the two Yin-Yang quarter phases, the text describes how the true Qi within the great cauldron transforms, and how its parts respond to and unite with one another. This is the union of Qian and Kun inside the cauldron.

"Fuse Kun and Gen to form the Earth": here "fuse" carries the sense of smelting and casting, since Kun and Gen both belong to Earth. At the start, Xun represents wind; Xun is melted down to become Gen, and Gen is then melted down to become Kun. This is a process of turning the insubstantial into the substantial.

"Look up to Qian and Dui to make the Heaven": here "look up to" means to take as a model and to imitate. To imitate Heaven, one begins with Zhen as Qi, melts Zhen down to become Dui, and so transforms the Qi of Zhen into Dui. Zhen belongs to Wood and Dui to Metal, so this step is the condensing into metal. Dui is then melted down to become Qian, and by modeling oneself on the patterns of Heaven, Heaven is formed.

"Mother and child respond with affection; flying and abiding, they link together": the scripture says that the eldest son inherits the father's form and relies on the mother to establish his foundation. The eldest son is the Zhen trigram, which symbolizes the eldest male, while Kun symbolizes the mother. Now that Gen has been fused to form Earth and Dui has been taken as the model for Heaven, it is as though mother and child respond to one another and naturally take up the father's body. Earth belongs to Yin, and the Yin lines change from Kun into Qian, so that Heaven and Earth come together. "Flying" describes the ceaseless movement of Heaven's Yang, and "abiding" describes the Yin of Earth, which settles and clings without being exhausted. Once Heaven and Earth have mingled, they draw each other close and unite.

"One embraces three and five; water surges, producing cloud and mist": this line says that the One encompasses the Three and the Five, and that as the watery Qi surges, it gives rise to cloud and mist.

The "Way of Three and Five" (sanwu zhi Dao) has already been explained above, and now it is explained further. Master Wei says: "Originally there were only two things. In the course of development they finally became three and five. Three and five merge into one, and when everything has been gathered together, it again corresponds with two."

The "cloud and mist" mentioned here refers to true Qi (vital energy). The number of water is one. Water condenses and surges, and so forms a body. Water is one and fire is two, and together they make three; five refers to earth. These are of one kind and cannot be separated, which is why the text speaks of "one wrapping" (yi bao): three and five are contained within the one.

The "Song of the Supreme Change to the Great Yang" says: "The Great Yang is the essence of the sun, and its number is nine. In heaven it appears as celestial signs, and on earth it forms the myriad things. It harmonizes all kinds of beings, spreads Qi, and lets life grow. Within the sun there is a crow, called the Yin essence. As Yin and Yang act upon each other, the hun and po souls interpenetrate. Therefore the fire of Li (the fire image among the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams) takes nine as its number and condenses into the vermilion-blossom Qi. Refine it, and you can draw on its essence, return three and five to one, and the dragon-drawn chariot will come to welcome you."

The immortals of ancient times refined the essence of the Great Yang so that their own bodies returned to pure Yang, and they roamed freely in Taiqing (the Great Purity, the Daoist realm of pure emptiness). This is why it is called the "Great Yang" and its number is said to be nine: the reason lies precisely in the meaning that "one" contains three and five.

Master Tao adds in praise: "From this we know that one is the number of water and the beginning of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Its color belongs to the north, and it can contain all five colors. Cultivate it and you will accord with the Dao (the Way); the principle it joins is also in harmony with nature." He continues: "Water is the beginning of the Supreme Mystery (taixuan, the profound and subtle source) and also the root of the Dao. It stands at the pivot of heaven and earth, refining Yin-Yang, and its function equals that of creation and transformation. All of this is Qi contained within the one, like cloud and like mist. Stirred and condensed, it forms the Supreme Medicine (zhiyao, the quintessential substance sought in cultivation)."

It is the root of transforming the body and shedding the old bones, and it is the root of the Dao. It stands at the pivot of heaven and earth, refining Yin-Yang, and its function equals that of creation and transformation. This Qi is like cloud and like mist, and when it gathers and condenses it becomes the Supreme Medicine.

This numinous fluid can restore youth to a failing body and turn an old woman back into a young girl.

This single grain of divine elixir (shendan, a pill that Daoists say can bring about miraculous transformations in a person) can restore youth to the aged. The Scripture (Jing) says: "When the Golden Elixir enters the five viscera and six bowels, its potency spreads throughout the body like wind scattering clouds. Its warming, nourishing qi (vital energy) reaches the four limbs and makes the complexion moist and radiant. The old man grows strong again, and the old woman becomes soft, graceful, and young. One's form is transformed and one escapes the calamities of the world. Such a person is called a Perfected One (zhenren, one who has attained the Dao)."

Observe the interplay of generation and killing, of the bestowal of virtue and the application of punishment, and you will find that it accords with the Way of ruler and minister.

"Punishment and Virtue" (xingde) refers to the principles of reward and penalty. The Scripture says: "Virtue governs generation and rises in spring; punishment governs restraint and is carried out in autumn." Bestowing virtue and applying punishment are the rules by which a sovereign governs the world. For government to be clear and the kingly way to prevail, both must accord with perfect impartiality; only then will the kingly way flourish and the world be at peace. In the same way, when one refines the Great Elixir, one must also follow the pattern of punishment and virtue, so that spring and autumn proceed without error and the pitch-pipes (lülü, the twelve standard pitches of antiquity used to fix musical tones and correspond with the seasonal divisions) are clearly ordered. Hence the "Song of the Elixir by the Perfected Li" says: "When Yin-Yang have been brought into balance, and the hun and po souls depend upon one another, the Way of ruler and minister is complete, and the bond of husband and wife is in harmony. Sun and moon move by fixed measure; cold and heat alternate without missing their season. The returned elixir is then accomplished, and its marvelous transformations have no equal."

"Flying Zhang, the Vermilion Summer": "Flying" refers to the Vermilion Bird (Zhuque, the divine bird representing the south), the fire official of the south. "Zhang" refers to the Zhang lodge among the Twenty-Eight Lodges. "Vermilion Summer" refers to the summer season; since summer belongs to the south and its color is vermilion red, all of these terms speak of the south.

"Subduing Mao in Mid-Spring": "Subduing" means that punishment and governance are restrained and lie hidden. Mid-spring is the second month of the lunar calendar, and Mao belongs to Wood. Mercury is blue-green in color and in the refining process is regarded as the dragon among the ingredients. Heaven and earth move according to the seasonal divisions, and punishment and governance each have their proper time; so too the dragon of mercury naturally goes into hiding.

"The Square Image, the Dragon Appearing at Nine in the Second Place": The "square image" takes its symbolism from the second yang line of the Qian hexagram in the Book of Changes, "the dragon appears in the field," signifying that virtue's grace is widely extended. Of the six lines of Qian, the upper two represent Heaven, the lower two represent Earth, and the middle two represent humanity. The Nine in the second place sits at the central position of the lower trigram, symbolizing the dragon appearing in the fields. The true yang of Heaven within the cauldron (the yang qi taken up in refining the elixir) rises from the position that the Nine in the second place symbolizes, generating and transforming the myriad things and allowing all of them to be nourished and revived. The transformations of the divine elixir are likewise compared to this far-reaching work of bestowing life.

"Rising Two-Eight to Reach the Spirit": "Rising" carries the sense of standing upright and manifesting. "Two-Eight" means sixteen, though its specific referent must be understood within the context of the alchemical method. The phrase means that it manifests marvelous efficacy.

"Ting" (挺) means to sprout and grow forth. "Twice eight" (二八) refers to the repeated testing and confirmation of the transformations of Yin-Yang and the Dao (道, the Way) of spiritual transformation within the Qian-Kun cauldron. It also refers to the numbers "two and eight" belonging to the upper and lower quarter-moon phases when the sun's course reaches its inclined position.

Having reached the southwest, one obtains the proper place; passing through to the northeast, one dwells alone in the position of honor.

The southwest is the direction of the Kun trigram. Earth has no fixed form and lodges beneath Bing and Ding. This is because the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) generate one another in a set order: Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, and Fire generates Earth, so Kun Earth sits beneath Bing and Ding. The northeast is the direction of the Gen trigram, which adjoins Kun. Gen carries the meaning of stillness, for all things come to a halt when they meet Gen. Thus the De (德, Virtue) of the earth is quiet and unmoving, and all things come to rest along with it. The Book of Changes says: "In the southwest one gains friends and moves with one's kind; in the northeast one loses friends, and in peaceful steadfastness there is good fortune, in accord with the earth's boundless nature." This means that gaining companions of one's kind in the southwest, and losing them in the northeast while steadfastly keeping to the right path, brings good fortune, which accords with the earth's way of following nature and refusing to act rashly.

When this point is reached, the River Cart (Heche) is raised high. That is, once the refining of the Divine Elixir is complete, one rides the River Cart across the river of desire and affliction and is carried to the other shore.

White and black appear everywhere in full display.

White is the sign that the Divine Elixir has been perfected. White plainness is True Unity, and black darkness is the deep, hidden water. "Zhou" (周) means to spread throughout, and "zhang" (彰) means to manifest. The scripture (Jing, 经) says: "Know the white, keep to the black, and the spirit-light will come of itself." This says that the practitioner has already passed beyond the nets of the mundane world and understood the principle of "knowing the white and keeping to the black," so that the efficacy of the Divine Elixir is complete and manifest.

Fire refines metal, yet Shen (神, spirit) and Qi (气, vital energy) are not harmed. The fire here refers to the skillful use of fire timing. The Metal of True Unity is forged by fire over many years, yet although it is refined by fire, its Qi of spiritual transformation is not damaged.

Earth can overcome Water, yet the bodily form suffers no injury.

An old song says: Earth can subdue Water, and so Water is gathered in and lies hidden. In refining the elixir, the gentle fire (wenhuo) and the martial fire (wuhuo) must follow the proper timing, so that the work accords with the Dao of Heaven and reaches success without hindrance. Master Wei said that the elixir is nourished and warmed with the qi of the great Yang, so that its ingredients blend with one another and bring each other under control. "Subduing" (fu) means bringing together things of similar nature. The essences of the Dragon and the Tiger (an alchemical term for the two Yin-Yang essences) lie hidden within Wu and Ji. Wu and Ji are names for the Earth of the center, and also stand for the yellow of the central position. Earth can set the four directions in order, and it can also subdue Water. This is why it is said that when Water meets Earth it "perishes" (wang). Here "perish" means to be subdued and gathered in, not to vanish. When a person takes this elixir and responds to its qi, they gain long life. It comes from the transformation of true lead between Heaven and Earth. The Four Images (an alchemical term for the four basic elements of the elixir method) are represented by the Earth of Wu and Ji, which stands in a relation of mutual overcoming with the Water of Xuanming, the Dark Obscurity. Yet they do not harm one another because of it; they subdue one another instead. When a person takes this elixir and responds to its qi, they gain long life.

Long life cannot do without the Dark (xuan) and the Plain (su). The Dark is the subtle, mysterious qi of the elixir, and the Plain is the very substance of the "Elixir of True Unity and White Gold." The scripture says: "Mercury, subdued by fire and refined, becomes the elixir; how could the teaching of the returned elixir be false?" It also says: "After subduing and refining, one may live long," so it is not false. It says further: "Gold by nature does not easily spoil or decay, and so it is the treasure among all things." When practitioners of the Dao take the Golden Elixir (Jindan), their lifespan is prolonged. The Perfected Li said that if one seeks an elixir to extend life and preserve a youthful face, and takes it, one may gradually reach the realm of ascending to Perfection (dengzhen, attaining immortality through cultivation). It is like winter grass: covered, it does not freeze to death, but left exposed, it is damaged. Thus one who eats gold becomes like gold, and one who eats jade becomes like jade. Lice that live in human hair turn black, a musk deer that eats paulownia leaves takes on a fragrance, and the nature of mercury can stain the human body. All these changes arise from the same principle.

The rising and falling of the elixir must depend on the qi of the great Yang.

Ascent and descent (shengjiang) refer to the changing movement of Yin-Yang as it rises and falls. From the eleventh month through the fourth month of the following year, Yang qi (气) rises while Yin qi descends; the qi of heaven and earth join together, and the myriad things grow as a result. From the fifth month through the tenth month, Yin qi rises while Yang qi descends; the qi of heaven and earth shift and turn, and the myriad things wither and fall away. The rising and falling of Yin-Yang are interdependent and mutually reliant, and they are also influenced by the course of the sun.

Sunlight shines upon all that lies between heaven and earth, and upon every manifest form. Among these, only Earth occupies the honored position, governing Yin-Yang and causing them to rise and fall, thereby generating and nourishing the myriad things. The mystery of refining the divine elixir (Golden Elixir), and the teaching of attaining long life through it, are likewise attributed to the working of this sun, the true spirit (Shen). The sun is revered as the most honored of Wuji (the Limitless), the source from which all transformations arise; hence it is said that ascent and descent must depend upon the sun.

Why do those two things shine so brilliantly, gleaming in five colors and giving off a sweet fragrance?

"The two things" refers to the sun and the moon. Suspended high in the heavens, they shine with vast radiance; "kun" (焜) means to hang in the sky and give off light. The sun and moon illuminate the four directions, displaying the five colors and setting in motion the transformations of all things between heaven and earth. The colors of the sun, moon, and five planets are not fixed, but change with the qi (vital energy) of the four seasons; if winter shows the signs proper to summer, disaster follows. The scripture says that since the opening of heaven and earth, the sun and moon have moved without diminishment, and bright metal has never lost its weight. This describes the qi of Metal and Wood abounding within while the qi of Water and Fire respond from without; the vigorous qi of Qian (乾) moves without rest, so that the myriad things are able to fulfill their functions, and the sunlight does not wane but grows still more brilliant.

Heaven, earth, the sun, and the moon can endure and keep moving, passing through beginning and end together with all things. The union of Dragon and Tiger is the pivot on which the great Dao (Way) turns. They correspond to heaven and earth and accord with the patterns of Yin-Yang change, quietly driving profound transformations, joining like strung pearls and like paired jade discs, and finally moving on without end. Here the sun and moon, Dragon and Tiger, the four seasons, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are used to explain that, in refining the divine elixir, the qi of heaven and earth, Yin and Yang, the images of sun, moon, Dragon, and Tiger, and the qi of the four seasons and Five Phases must all converge, like the five planets strung in a line or the sun and moon joined as paired discs, until the great elixir is at last complete. Hence the text says: "The two things blaze forth, and the five colors are fragrant."

"Feeling" (qing, 情) and "nature" (xing, 性) turn about and depend on each other; the "hun" soul (魂) and the "po" soul (魄) conceal themselves in alternation. This speaks of the divine elixir once it has been completed: through continued tempering it keeps transforming and generating without end. Dragon and Tiger respectively symbolize feeling and nature, while the hun of the sun and the po of the moon symbolize the two subtle qi of Yin and Yang. Once the great elixir is completed, Dragon and Tiger can turn about and rely on one another; this single grain of elixir corresponds to the sun and moon, and so it is said that hun and po alternate and complement each other.

Within it stands a lofty chamber of spirit, where the two essences, dark and white, hold fast to one another.

Yuan (元) refers to the original source. The Spirit Chamber (shenshi 神室, the inner chamber of the cauldron vessel in the alchemical process) is the cauldron itself, and it can also refer to Heaven and Earth, as well as to the human heart. The Jinbi Jing (Scripture of Gold and Jade) says: "Refine Jing (essence) within the Spirit Chamber, and only then can the Golden Elixir be completed; how could the Spirit Chamber not be firm?" The Spirit Chamber is the vessel in which Jing and Qi are refined and transformed. Within it, Qi gathers, rises, or condenses. It is also like a gateway of empty space that opens and closes, a realm deep and subtle, and the very root from which creation arises. The saying that Yang Qi stirs from the Kun position (the direction symbolizing Yin and Earth) describes exactly this situation.

The scripture also says: "The heart is where spiritual clarity resides, and Shen (spirit) dwells within it." It further says: "When the heart is within the belly, a thousand kinds of wisdom can arise; when the medicinal substances are placed in the cauldron, ten thousand transformations can occur." The Spirit Chamber is the crux of the Golden Elixir and the root of all the transformations of the medicinal substances. It stands majestic and firm, immovable as a mountain. The "mysterious white" (xuanbai) mentioned earlier, as well as principles such as "know the white and keep to the black" (understanding the Yang aspect while holding fast to the Yin aspect), are all connected to the Spirit Chamber and the cauldron.

Liquefy water and fire, and congeal them into metal.

The true Qi, true water, and true fire within the cauldron are all Qi of Yin-Yang. When the external fire phasing proceeds, the water and fire within the cauldron and the Qi of Yin-Yang steam and rise like clouds and rain, transforming water and fire into fluids and moistening Yin-Yang. When the autumn Qi turns severe and the winter cold grows harsh, this Qi naturally condenses once more. This is why it is called "liquefy water and fire, and congeal them into metal." The "metal" here means the metal of True Unity (zhenyi), that is, the essence formed when the Qi of Yin-Yang gathers and coalesces.

"Yaoming" (窈冥, the deep and obscure) refers to the Heaven and Earth within the cauldron. Heaven and Earth lie in a realm so deep that they are difficult to see, and the water and fire moving within them are all transformed from true Qi. Hence it is said that water and fire condense to become metal.

Facing the deep obscurity, establish being.

Yaoming belongs to the unfathomable depths of water and fire, and within it true Jing is born. Qi that was originally empty and insubstantial like smoke thereby gathers and solidifies into real being.

What makes vermilion and purple shine must lie in Qian and Kun,

The elixir displays a brilliant vermilion and purple, which are the true colors of the Great Elixir. Master Wei said: "Cinnabar transforms into mercury, mercury transforms back into cinnabar sand, and the sand transforms again into the elixir; therefore it is called the 'Returned Elixir' (huandan). 'Returned' means going back to the original source, and 'red' (dan) is the name of the crimson color. The essence of mercury belongs to metal, and once it is refined into sand, it is called 'golden sand.' Purple and red are refined into gold, which then returns to its original form; therefore it is called the 'Great Returned Elixir.'" An ancient song also says: "Turn the purple river chariot (a term in Daoist Neidan, or internal alchemy, for conveying Jing and Qi), and the yellow gold returns to my body." It also says: "When the color turns purple and the radiance blazes forth, the elixir is complete." In the world today, royal houses decorate their towers and pavilions in vermilion and purple as symbols of honor and glory; the sage took this phenomenon as an analogy for the meaning of the divine elixir.

"Roaming between Heaven and Earth, one therefore endures for a long time."

"Treading" means wandering. Roaming within Heaven and Earth, what are the farthest reaches of the four directions, and what vastness is there in the remote wilds of the eight directions? When the body endures as long as Heaven and Earth, this is what the elixir symbolizes.

"Roaming between Heaven and Earth, one therefore endures for a long time."

"Treading" means wandering. Roaming within Heaven and Earth, the farthest reaches of the four directions are not far, and the remote wilds of the eight directions are not vast; the body endures as long as Heaven and Earth, and the Dao merges with the Great Void (taixu, the boundless emptiness) without end. Master Wei said: "If there is a person whose heart is empty and calm and whose temperament is even, who regards the roads of the world as testing scalding water, who leaves behind wife and children as one takes off a shoe, who sees that human life is as brief as a blink and understands that the Great Dao can endure forever, then this scripture (Jing) may be transmitted to them. They should study its profound principles, not reckon gain and loss, and persist in cultivation until success is achieved. Once the yao (the line symbols used to express the changes of Yin-Yang) are perfected, they will look upon rivers and seas as small hills, and upon human life as foam that gathers and scatters. They will then be able to ascend beyond the Great Void and roam freely in the boundless realm. This is not the efficacy of Heaven and Earth themselves, but truly the power of the Returned Elixir."

These secret essentials of the Returned Elixir are all contents transmitted among the immortals.

The secret alchemical methods of the Jinbi (Golden Verdure), the Cantong (Token for the Agreement of the Three), the Taiyi (Supreme Change), and the Hunyuan (Primordial Chaos) have already been discussed above. These principles are said to have been transmitted by immortals, yet some of their contents are difficult to understand. It is not that the immortals pass them on to only a few people; rather, only those who meet the necessary conditions can grasp them from the immortals. As the Xuangang (Mystic Guideline) puts it, those who study immortality are born having received the Qi (vital energy) of yang spirit; those who have not received this Qi will never feel the aspiration toward immortality. If one now devotes oneself to the Dao (the Way) and resolves to seek immortality, this shows that one possesses the bones of an immortal, that is, the innate capacity for cultivating immortality.

The Shenxian kexue lun (Treatise on the Learnability of Immortality) says: Recognize the root of your own original life and understand where your true Qi comes from. Nourish the mind and nature through emptiness, stillness, and tranquil simplicity. Harmonize the body through breathing exercises and the bending and stretching of the limbs. Then settle body and mind in a realm of purity, stillness, and lofty distance, and support this cultivation with good medicines, so that inside and outside are balanced and form and spirit transcend together. Even if one has not yet ascended to heaven in flight, one may still be called an immortal.

Taking elixirs can transform the bones and prolong the life of the body, while keeping fasts and cultivating the Dao can perfect one's moral power. The phrase "taking this Great Elixir" refers to the state after one has taken the Great Elixir: the sinews and bones become as firm as gold and jade, and the body and its allotted lifespan are changed, so that one lives forever without dying. As for "fasting and cultivating Dao and De (Virtue/Power)," this means that the Dao finds its function in emptiness, non-being, purity, and stillness, while De finds its embodiment in doing good and accumulating merit. The Zhesheng lun (Treatise on Manifesting Life) says: to have the Dao without De is to damage the principle of spirit and life; to have De without the Dao is to see one's nature and life cut short. Therefore both Dao and De should be possessed together, keeping form and spirit complete, so that the Three Primes (the three kinds of primordial Qi that form the root of life and cultivation) merge into one, and life can continue without end.

In this way, one can suddenly leave the dusty world behind, like shedding an old shoe, and endure as long as heaven and earth.

"Shuran" (倏然) means "in the blink of an eye." "Ti" (屣) refers to a worn-out shoe. The passage says that after one takes the finest Qi (vital energy) and the Great Elixir (dadan), one can ascend to the heavens that very day, casting off worldly toil as easily as slipping off a tattered shoe. To endure as long as heaven and earth is precisely the power of the Great Elixir.

Tortoises and cranes may live long, but next to the Great Elixir, their lifespans pass as swiftly as a flash of lightning or a passing whirlwind. Even if mustard seeds were piled up into a city wall and then gently brushed away with a stone, it would be no more difficult than clouds dispersing and mist lifting. Master Tao (Tao Xiangong) said, "Though heaven and earth be destroyed, I can still preserve myself; though all things perish, I can still keep myself whole." These words use metaphor to show that the wondrous workings of the Great Elixir are inexhaustible. The Supreme One (Taishang) said, "Meet it, and you cannot see its beginning; follow it, and you cannot see its end." From this we may know that the Dao (the Way) spoken of by the sages could never come to an end.