《金液大丹口诀》

To attain realization, one must probe the principles of things to their depths, fully understand human nature, and from there cultivate life itself. If one's nature (xing) has not yet been understood, the root of life (ming) cannot be known either.

Buddhism takes "nature" as primary and "life" as secondary; Taishang (the Daoist honorific for the Dao) takes "life" as primary and "nature" as secondary. Each position has its own reasoning. The practice that makes nature primary first requires understanding what one truly was before one's parents gave birth to one. If one can see through all circumstances and attachments, one will realize that at root there is only this single point of luminous nature, and that even the body is illusory. Yet when the final moment arrives, where is one to settle? The Buddhists say: "The step beyond is transmitted by no sage." One who grasps this key is called a Tathagata of unobstructed six supernormal powers and six freedoms (a Buddha possessed of complete spiritual powers and a state of freedom). One who fails to grasp it will in the end fall into stubborn emptiness.

The Patriarch said: "Even if you awaken to your true nature of Suchness, you still cannot avoid casting off this body and entering another. From then on you must also cultivate the Great Medicine, so as to transcend life and death in an instant and become a Realized Person." The practice that makes life primary, as taught by Taishang, first calls for strengthening the body and nurturing life, preserving Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), so that Jing and Qi transform into Shen (spirit), and Shen then unites with the Dao (the Way). When cultivation succeeds, one moves freely in every direction, flourishing in leaf and branch like a jade tree. Through training, one makes oneself pure Yang in substance and reaches the state of "a body beyond the body," capable of endless transformation, of passing through gold and stone, and of manifesting all manner of supernormal powers. How does this differ from the state the Buddhists describe?

Nature and life cannot be severed, nor can they be spoken of as one and the same thing. For this reason, the immortals' wondrous instructions on the Golden Liquid Great Elixir (a core term of Neidan, internal alchemy) are regarded as the most precious of secret transmissions. The Xuanke says: "To meet the right person and not transmit is to go against the Way of Heaven; to transmit carelessly to the wrong person is to leak the treasure of Heaven. One who divulges or treats this Dao with negligence will bring punishment upon body and spirit, and the Nine Mysteries and Seven Ancestors (a general term for ancestors and their descendants) will be judged in the underworld." Patriarch Boyang likewise said that the true instructions may be spoken of only privately with the right person and dared not be written casually on bamboo and silk, lest Heaven's secrets be revealed. Yet to fall silent for that reason would risk offending against the Dao and incurring blame. This Dao is suited to oral transmission and not to being put into writing; one must savor it carefully, say little, guard it deeply and closely, and not lightly pass it on in text.

Patriarch Pingshu said that he had met with calamity each of the three times he transmitted the Dao in the past, and from then on resolved to keep silent, not daring to speak again even with cauldron and boiling water before him or blades at his neck. The author reflects on this, yet still hopes that all people under Heaven may understand this Dao. But with prohibitions so severe, what is to be done? Having already received the master's transmission, one cannot but disclose something, and even if one's body were ground to powder, one could hardly repay the master's kindness. My late master said that when one person transmits the Dao, the blessings reach nine generations of ancestors; what Taishang wishes for is long life, and he would not punish this severely.

And so the author composed sixty-four lines of oral instruction, titled Taiyi Hanzhen Huofu Zhizhi Qiyan Shi (Direct Pointers on the Fire Phase of the Taiyi-Contained Truth, in Seven-Character Verse), seventeen poems in all; he also composed Yi Cheng Jin (One Scale of Gold) and six Xijiang Yue lyrics, corresponding to the pure Qian hexagram (the hexagram of six Yang lines). These pieces summarize the initial work of cultivation, the single aperture of the Mysterious Gate (the key aperture referred to in Neidan), the source of the medicinal ingredients, the secrets of the fire phases, advancing and retreating, withdrawing and adding, as well as bathing and warm nourishment, and the shedding of the womb and the divinization of the spirit.

All of this comes from the author's own experience in cultivation. He hopes that students will be single-minded and diligent, keep up their efforts without interruption, and test at the proper times whether their practice is bearing fruit. Once signs appear, one must discern carefully whether the movement of Qi is floating or sinking, dim or bright, early or late; one must not doze off, and must moderate one's diet. When the work has matured, then as Qi descends one must receive it, and as it rises one must meet it, so that it condenses into a mass and gives forth light. Practice must be fine, dense, and long-lasting, and must not be excessive; if one is indulgent or hasty, deviations will arise from insufficient work. Obtaining the key is not difficult; truly carrying it out is difficult, and maintaining it over the long term is especially so. After about ten months of diligent cultivation, one may enjoy boundless peace and joy for a long time.

The author also points out, however, that these words can be grasped only by those who are firm of purpose, broad-minded and benevolent, and clear about principle. One must practice in silence, so that each line of the oral instructions corresponds to actual practice; only then is the author's purpose in writing fulfilled. If someone encounters a master's transmission but is insincere, fails to practice, or is not diligent, the responsibility does not lie with De'an. The author vows: if he has deceived anyone who truly wishes to learn, may he suffer the punishment of the wind blades through ten thousand kalpas. If anyone reads this book yet treats it with contempt or laziness, that person will forever sink into the ranks of lowly ghosts, and calamity will reach the Nine Mysteries; students should treat it with care.

At nineteen I left home to seek a master, and I met a realized sage with snow-white eyebrows. In a single sentence he pointed out the Xuanguan Qiao (the Mysterious Pass, the key aperture in cultivation), which holds the principles of being and non-being, emptiness and fullness. Who can truly grasp them?

Having received the oral instruction, I returned to turn my attention inward. The "Yellow Dame" (Huangpo, in Neidan (internal alchemy), the intention or movement of Qi that harmonizes and connects) lies at precisely this crucial point. I no longer fear censure for divulging heavenly secrets, and I am willing to explain it to those who seek immortality and study the Dao (the Way).

The lines beginning "The heart: being within being, nothingness within nothingness, who can fathom it?" seem to repeat the oral formula. The place of cultivation lies below the heart and above the kidneys, in the middle of the body but somewhat high, with the spot beneath the topknot of hair at the crown of the head taken roughly as its root. Do not cling to concrete images or act on your own presumption. Simply settle the Shen (spirit) in stillness and follow this essential method.

In practice, sit upright with your legs crossed, shut out outside distractions, forget stray thoughts, and let your eyes droop slightly. Make the breath fine and unbroken, regulating it until it seems about to stop but does not truly stop; the measure must be judged with great delicacy. At this point you must on no account let a thought arise, for if stray thoughts return, Qi and Shen will scatter. Patiently bear the sensation of the whole body seeming to sink, and whatever happens, feel no doubt or fear.

After a short while, the Qi in all the vessels seems to gather together, the mind grows hazy, and the body can barely hold itself up. Then "Jade Fluid" (Yuye, the Neidan term for saliva) will form in the mouth. Swallow it slowly, and you will at once feel a cool breeze seem to pass over the crown of your head.

Next, a current of heat seems to pass through the middle of the body and flow to the Weilü (the area near the base of the spine), then turn upward and surge into Kunlun (here, the head). The heat turns into a jade pearl that descends slowly and freely, cool and moist, like a snow pear.

Watch it drip into the "Jade Pool" (Yuchi, the Neidan term for the mouth or the place where fluids gather), and then swallow the fluid. It passes through the "Double Tower" (Chonglou, the throat) and enters the "Earthen Cauldron" (Tufu, a Neidan metaphor for the part of the body where the elixir is refined). The scene is like a red lotus holding medicine, wonderful indeed. Then, with intention, send it into the "Golden Tripod" (Huangjin Ding, the part of the body that symbolizes the elixir vessel), and a fire will rise of its own accord at the bottom of the tripod, with no need to stoke it.

This is the natural True Fire. When it rises and when it moves, only a few understand. With each passing moment an elixir forms, and it too must be gathered in its time. Whenever the fire stirs, observe it at once. None of the various scriptures (Jing) record these matters. I now reveal them, hoping only that you will use them with care.

Each day, when Yang Qi first arises and enters Fu (Return, the hexagram in the Yijing (Book of Changes) for the time or state when Yang Qi begins to revive), you should advance the fire at the right moment, and not delay.

Advancing the fire (jinhuo) has no secret other than using the mind and intention to accompany and guide it. When the fire is fierce, the intention must be firm and vigorous; when the fire is gentle, the intention follows it and harmonizes slowly.

As practice gradually accumulates, the mercury slowly dries up and the lead is naturally exhausted. The changes of extracting, replenishing, advancing, and withdrawing must be mastered like the waxing and waning of the moon.

"Bathing" (a pause in the cultivation, or a tempering of the fire) is to be avoided only in the months of Mao and You. If one keeps adding fire then, there is danger of overturning the work. At this stage one should follow the seasonal rhythms and hold to the practice with care. After this period, one must be more careful still in carrying it out.

After ten months the embryo is fully formed, but it must still be nourished with warmth. When it one day appears, it takes the bearing of an immortal. Its features look no different from those of ordinary people, and this is what reveals the wondrous effect of the immortals' method.

One further instruction deserves special emphasis: after the embryo is released, never run about at will. When the Shen (spirit) goes roaming, it must often look back toward its dwelling. Only once such roaming has become fully practiced may one travel far and wander freely. Wait until three thousand meritorious deeds are complete, and the Jade Emperor will send down an edict summoning one to court.

Seventeen Poems

Beginning to Practice Sitting

First sit cross-legged in stillness for half a year, then calm body and mind and sever worldly entanglements. Never run about at will after the embryo is released. When the Shen goes roaming, it must often look back toward its dwelling; only once such roaming has become fully practiced may one travel far and wander freely. Wait until three thousand meritorious deeds are complete, and the Jade Emperor will send down an edict summoning one to court.

First sit cross-legged in stillness for half a year, then calm body and mind and sever worldly entanglements. After that, use the true and wondrous secret I have transmitted, and with sincere, single-minded devotion guard the Central Field (the region of the Dantian, or energy center, in Neidan, internal alchemy).

Setting to Work

Visualize the Shen and Qi, settle the will, and enter the Yellow Palace (a Neidan term for the central palace within the body where cultivation takes place). The hundred bones turn toward the primordial Qi, and the primordial Qi gathers at the center. The body grows heavy as a mountain, and sweat falls like rain. In a moment the flames rise in full blaze.

When the Work Arrives

The Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) is originally without form, and from it one Qi arises. This formless Qi quietly transforms and becomes Yin-Yang. The clear Qi contains the turbid and descends from Heaven; within the Qi is hidden a red light, which appears from the Earth.

Fire Timing

The sages transmitted the medicines but not the fire timing (huohou), and from of old few have understood it. Now I reveal this heavenly secret: the fire starts from the first line, and that moment is the hour of Zi.

Fixing the Moment Precisely

When the fire in the furnace burns fiercely and its light endures, one must still use intention to guide it into the Earth Palace (a Neidan term for the spleen and stomach, or the central palace belonging to Earth). Each day, grasp precisely the moment when the first Yang is born. Do not mistake the hour and waste effort in vain.

The Medicine and Its Signs

Before the altar of Guarding the One, the sprout of the medicine has already begun to grow. At the bottom of the cinnabar cauldron, the furnace fire has only just brightened. In the Central Palace the jade clepsydra drips and sounds, a bright moon spans the sky, and the night air is clear and still.

Ascending, Descending, and Joining

Water flows down from the high source into the Jade Capital (Yujing; here a term of cultivation practice for an inner landscape of the body), while fire rises into brightness from the Earth Gate (the gateway of qi movement in the lower body). Water descends and fire ascends, and together they return to the Central Earth (the center of the body), where they condense into a single mass. The fire of the Li trigram and the water of the Kan trigram then blend together, clear and limpid.

The Wondrous Use of Withdrawing and Adding

Mercury (a term from alchemy, referring to restless, flowing essence and qi) returns into the cauldron and falls drop by drop. The bright moon stretches across the sky, and the night qi is clear and still.

Ascent and Descent, Joining and Knotting

Water flows down from the high source into the Jade Capital, while fire rises into brightness from the Earth Gate. As one ascends and the other descends, they return to the Central Earth and condense into a single mass, and the Li fire and Kan water blend together, clear and limpid.

The Wondrous Use of Withdrawing and Adding

Mercury returns into the golden cauldron, and lead (an alchemical term for essence and qi that are still, settled, and solid) lies hidden. When lead is born in the jade furnace, mercury disperses of its own accord. Lead and mercury seem at once to exist and not to exist, yet once united they become a supreme treasure. The principle and method of withdrawing and adding are naturally profound and extraordinary.

Floating, Sinking, and Bathing

The reason for "bathing" is subtly embodied in Yin and Yang. The practitioner must follow the right moment and never go against it. True qi (zhenqi, the primordial qi of the prenatal state) steams and suffuses the whole body, and only then can the rising and sinking of this single qi be exactly right.

The Purple River Chariot

Nourish the original Shen, the Qi, and the Jing. When the Purple River Chariot (Ziheche, a Neidan term for the circulation of essence and qi through the body) sets out, it turns like a wheel of wind. In the Flower Pond (Huachi, where the saliva in the mouth gathers) a gentle sound of flowing water can be heard, golden light glimmers, and the whole body seems filled with the feeling of spring.

Gathering, Dispersing, and Transformation

The brevity described earlier is the state at the time Yin and Yang unite. After that, it withdraws and gradually lengthens, condensing into something with form, then disperses and returns. Once the Yang qi has receded and the mercury qi has run dry, all settles into stillness, until the circulation of the celestial cycle begins again.

Forming the Mother of Qi

The Golden Embryo (the inner embryonic origin formed in Neidan practice) and the Spirit Chamber (the inner place where Shen and qi are stored and nourished) are in the Central Palace (the center of the body). It seems to exist and not to exist, and requires long accumulation of effort. At three months its form is like a tangerine. When a full year has passed and the timing of the fire is complete, it is like a red light running through the sky.

The Foundation Established in a Hundred Days

Within the hundred days of cultivation, be careful in your guarding and avoid overfilling. Gradually you will sense what seems to be the fragrance of chrysanthemums beside the elixir furnace, a sign that the work is half complete. At this point, keep watch with care and wait for it to appear from the Yellow Court (Huangting, the part of the body where Shen and qi are stored and nourished).

Bathing and the Days of Restraint

In the Month of the Hare and the Parrot (as in the original; the month or season meant is unclear), keep to a calm and safe guarding for the time being. Halt the fire phases and follow the season of rest, so as to preserve the Sacred Embryo. When ten months are complete and the work is accomplished, radiance pours through the whole body, the Heavenly Gate (the inner aperture at the crown of the head) opens blazing bright, and the neck seems to open along with it.

Moving the Shen and Changing the Neck

In the Month of Ointment (Gaoyue, the eleventh month of the lunar calendar), move the Shen upward. When the qi passes through the Three Passes (a cultivation term for the several gateways through which qi travels in the body), one can reach spiritual clarity. The Azure Maiden (Qing'e, a fairy image common in Neidan poetry) gazes up at the summit of Kunlun, passes through the Yellow Court, and enters the Purple Court (Ziting, a deeper realm of inner cultivation).

Nourishing the Embryonic Immortal

When Qi (vital energy, 炁/气) has accumulated sufficiently, the Shen (spirit) becomes numinous and subtle, and enters the Purple Palace (Zigong, a term in Neidan, or internal alchemy, for an important chamber within the body). At this stage one must still spend three years in unhurried nourishing and warming. If even a single thread of attachment remains between the mind's thoughts and the dusty world of ordinary realms, the road to Penglai will be lost, and the path ahead will be layered with obstacles.

Natural Spiritual Transformation

After nine years of sustaining and nourishing, one can complete the refining of the "body beyond the body" (in Daoist cultivation, a form and spirit that transcend the physical body). By this point, one's comings and goings are no longer bound by ties of kinship. When merit and practice are fulfilled and the Cinnabar Register (Danshu, a document recording cultivation attainments) summons, one rides a crane gracefully to Zichen (the celestial palace).

Six Poems to the Tune "Moon over the West River"

One Yang (the stage when Yang energy first arises) is born anew from where Bo (Peeling) has run its course, and the spirit spring at the bottom of the well stirs warmly. White snow falls in profusion from the long sky, and the practitioner feasts in a jade tower.

Suddenly comes word from Huangkui that the Jade-Browed Maiden has already arrived before the palace. The two meet and form a bond of kinship, and surely no one else can see.

When Two Yang arrives, one must hurry to invite the Golden Lord (Jingong, a Neidan term symbolizing the metal nature, often associated with the elixir-refining process). The three meet and enter the Yellow Palace (Huanggong, a Neidan term for the place within the body where cultivation is carried out), bestowing favor on one another and gathering in joy.

They drink the dragon's liver and tiger's marrow, and float a boat upon fine wine, its fragrance rich. Such wealth belongs to the immortal elder, surpassing the pleasures of great and powerful houses.

Suddenly Three Yang brings the harmonious union of heaven and earth, with all things in a mood of ease and concord, spring everywhere. The people are at peace and the state is prosperous; they celebrate the new year, and all on earth rejoice together.

Before one knows it, the Lantern Festival arrives, and the imperial court holds a banquet to admire the lanterns. The Infant and the Old Maiden (terms often used in Neidan poetry for the Yin and Yang qi that unite) rejoice in secret; remember the moment the moon is full.

Thunder roars in the heavens, awe-inspiring, and everyone is awakened to cultivate themselves. Among the mountains, clouds gather thick and the workings of Qi steam upward; the practitioner bathes body and mind, keeping them empty, still, and clear.

If the worthy can grasp this principle, they will understand the essential teachings transmitted by the many Perfected. Yin and Yang reach balance here, and De (Virtue) and punishment, represented by the "two eights" (a symbolic number for Yin-Yang or the timing of the fire phases), correspond and accord with one another.

The Old Yang (Yang energy) drives out the Young Maiden (Yin energy), and the whole household becomes male. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and the Four Images (Sixiang, concepts in Neidan used to explain the transformations of Yin-Yang and the stages of practice) are in full flourishing, and so wealth and honor shelter the household.

The Central Palace has walls of yellow gold, and the multistoried tower has steps built of jade. Within the body there is also a Mani pearl (the wish-fulfilling jewel, often a metaphor for luminous inherent nature), like the pearl that the Primordial Celestial Venerable hangs aloft.

In the fourth month, when the pure Yang qi (Qi) reaches its fullest and summer has just begun, the old stalks of lingzhi in the Flowery Pool bloom once more. The moonlight shines bright as golden ripples, illuminating the pavilions and terraces; dewdrops hang on the lotus leaves like pearls, utterly lovely.

To accord with the natural laws of creation and transformation, one must rely on the movement of the spirit (Shen) to arrange them. The skill accumulated in emptiness, stillness, and non-action (Wuwei) is truly marvelous; yet when explained to ordinary people, they often cannot understand it.

Song of Peace and Joy

Have you not seen:

In the Nest of Peace and Joy lives a carefree, leisurely person, who neither craves wealth and rank nor pursues fame, but seeks "being" within "non-being," and so must discern clearly what is true and what is false.

The great Dao (the Way) is by nature profound and elusive; Yin-Yang restrain one another, and from this the myriad things take form. Seekers of the Dao who are foolish and deluded never come to understand; even if they search through ten thousand volumes of scripture, they may still not find the answer.

When one meets an enlightened master who personally transmits the oral instructions, the crux lies between the eyebrows and the eyelashes. To ascend to the heights in cultivation seems to take but a moment; without a master's guidance, even walking a straight road is a wasted journey.

Set up the furnace and cauldron (symbolic vessels for refining the elixir) and establish the foundation of practice: within the Li trigram there is mercury, and within the Kan trigram there is lead. Bring these two symbolic medicines together in the earthen cauldron (a symbol of the vessel for alchemical refining), and let the Yellow Dame (a symbol of the medium that harmonizes Yin-Yang) unite them, and only then can they coalesce into the elixir.

This treasure can be found nowhere outside; it is subtle and hidden, and ordinary people can hardly recognize it. The fruits of one's own cultivation must be gathered and nurtured by oneself, and no matter how forceful others may be, they cannot seize it.

Everyone possesses Qi, Jing (essence), and Shen (spirit); what is spoken of here is not cinnabar and quicksilver. In the crescent-moon furnace (a symbolic furnace of cultivation), apply the fire again and again, and refine one jin of golden essence (a symbol of the pure essence of the inner elixir).

Since the root is already present, why worry about the branches and twigs? In this way one becomes free and unfettered, broad of heart. Whether in favorable or adverse circumstances, moving freely or at rest, one's nature remains the same; grasp the image, forget the words, and enlightenment will be attained.

Others laugh at me for being poor, but I am not poor: though my body is poor, my Dao is not. The mysterious pearl (a symbol of the precious inner elixir) is my supreme treasure; I nourish it in the Dantian (energy center, the region in the body referred to in Neidan practice), and it is a priceless treasure.

Emptiness is not entirely empty, and form is not merely tangible matter; creation and transformation cycle back and forth without end. If someone asks me just how to cultivate, it is hard for me to explain it to them.

Racking one's brain and exerting effort in vain is of no use. How could those of meager fortune understand its subtle mysteries? They cannot even tell south, north, east, and west apart, so how could they distinguish the symbols of cultivation: blue-green, yellow, qi, and white?

Wash away impurities with sweet spring water. Immortals too are made from ordinary people. The marvelous function of cultivation is plainly before your eyes, yet the path of practice is winding and rugged, and one must travel a long way.

Guest and host are mutually identical: the guest is the host, and the host is the guest. The two reflect one another, and their relationship is exceptionally close. To grasp the key moment in the alchemical scriptures (Dan Jing), one must understand it through the oral instructions; the true principle within will then reveal itself.

Guard the original mind and nourish the original nature. Even when the nature appears clear and luminous before your eyes, the path of cultivation may still be winding and long, and must be traveled one step at a time.

Guard the original mind and nourish the original nature. When the nature is preserved and nurtured, the mind naturally becomes upright. Act with the attitude of Wuwei (non-action), and there is nothing that cannot be accomplished; forget the tangled confusion of external circumstances, and the Shen (spirit) will naturally resonate with the Dao (the Way).

At times what seems wrong is in fact right, and at times what seems right is in fact wrong; those who become endlessly entangled in right and wrong grow attached and deluded. The lost cannot comprehend the principle of Xuanyuan (the Mysterious Origin, the source of the Dao), while the enlightened can ascend to Taiwei (the Supreme Subtlety, the high realm of the heavens).

Once you have caught the fish, why keep the bamboo trap? Once you have crossed the river, why go on carrying the raft? To sing the song of delight in the Dao within a state of peaceful ease and freedom is itself the oral formula for deathless longevity.

These are the words that the Guizhen Pian (Chapter on Returning to the True) offers to guide later students.

The Dao (the Way) is the heart-mind, and the heart-mind is the Dao. The Dao arises from the heart-mind, and the heart-mind exists in reliance on the Dao. Through the heart-mind one can understand the Dao; through the Dao one can awaken to the heart-mind. What the heart-mind gives rise to is nature (xing), and nature in turn comes from the heart-mind. The "nature" spoken of here is true nature: it is neither born nor extinguished, neither comes nor goes, neither increases nor decreases. It is constant and spontaneous, luminous and radiant, subtle, clear, and bright, perfectly fused and penetrating throughout the Great Void.

The function that transforms the myriad things and responds to them through resonance is called Shen (spirit). Shen manifests through the heart-mind: without the heart-mind, Shen has nothing to be established upon. Without Qi (vital energy), the heart-mind cannot be fulfilled; without Jing (essence), Qi has nothing to abide in; and without Qi, Jing cannot be generated. Without Shen, Qi cannot circulate, and without Qi, Shen cannot act. Without Jing, Qi cannot settle, and without Shen, Jing cannot coalesce. Without the heart-mind, Shen cannot be kept and held; without Shen, the heart-mind has no clarity. The marvelous working of Shen is swift without being urged, arrives without being deliberately sought, and its transformations are beyond measure. It occurs of its own accord, yet one cannot say why it is so.

I have already understood the wondrous function of heart-mind and Shen. For this reason, Patriarch Bodhidharma came from the West to China, transmitting the teaching without relying on written words. He sat facing a wall for nine years, pointing directly to the human heart-mind so that people might see their nature and become Buddhas. The "heart-mind" meant here is not the thoughts and notions that can be conjectured about or observed in outward traces, but the heavenly heart-mind (tianxin), which is also the original heart-mind within the human body. One must examine it within oneself and cannot seek it elsewhere.

Without meeting a person who truly understands the Dao, one has no way of hearing or seeing this principle. Even if one meets such a person and is secretly given the method, unless one personally applies effort in stilling the mind and entering meditative absorption, one cannot recognize it in that stillness of utterly letting go of body and mind, a state like "great death," and so one cannot truly know it. Only after truly knowing and awakening to it do the myriad things arise from it: the One gives rise to Two, Two gives rise to Three, and Three gives rise to the myriad things, so that the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth become inexhaustible.

Therefore Buddhas, immortals, and sages, having thoroughly understood the great Dao and fully awakened to the heavenly heart-mind, grasp the transformations of Yin-Yang and the profound mysteries of creation all through this single heart-mind. The heart-mind of the sage and that of the ordinary person are in truth one and the same original heart-mind: those who awaken to it are sages, and those who lose it are ordinary people. Alas! The Dao is plainly close at hand, yet people seek it far away; the matter is naturally easy, yet people insist on pursuing it through difficulty. Why is this? The wondrous nature of true suchness is fully present in everyone from the start, yet because of craving and attachment, people instead fail to recognize it. A great person should be decisive and open-hearted, take up this principle at once, and apply effort accordingly, and so be united with the Dao and become a True One (zhen).

When a thought arrives at the Mysterious Gate (Xuanguan, the key point in inner cultivation where Shen and Qi meet), it can set all the hundred meridians of the body in motion. True Lead (a Neidan term for the Jing and Qi refined in practice) sends out golden light from the depths of the Dantian. When the Shen returns to the state of primordial chaos before differentiation, it can then be infused with True Water (a Neidan term for the Yin essence that nourishes the elixir). Spirit Mercury (a Neidan term for the Shen and Qi that join with the True Lead in cultivation) transforms into jade fluid on the Mountain Peak (an image for the head in inner practice).

The practitioner should focus the mind on the Mysterious Gate and apply effort according to the oral instructions, without craving or clinging to outward results. A great person should be resolute and firm, taking up the work of cultivation directly. Only by grasping these words and putting them into practice can one unite with the Dao (the Way) and return to what is real.