《金液大丹诗》

To refine the Golden Liquid Great Elixir (Jinye Dadan), one must first understand the root of heaven and earth. When the Yin-Yang (yin and yang) qi unite, the medicinal substances are born: Yin qi joins with the essence of the earth, while Yang qi issues from the spirit of heaven.

Here the Tiger symbolizes the qi of Metal, and the Dragon the qi of Wood. Metal qi travels along the path of Metal, while Wood qi lies hidden within the gate of Wood. The essence of the sun and the radiance of the moon temper one another, and when the fire phasing (huohou) reaches completion, the elixir comes to rest in Kunlun (here a symbol of the place where the elixir returns).

True Water can subdue True Fire, and when the fire phasing is pure, fine metal can be refined. Metal qi in turn restrains Wood qi and transforms it, until at last it returns to Earth and coalesces once more into a single whole.

Take the sun and moon, Yin-Yang, as the root for refining and transformation, and take wind and clouds, Dragon and Tiger, as metaphors for gathering and containing. After repeated refinement, when the fire phasing is complete, one can transcend the rise and fall of the mundane world.

The Way of creation and transformation unfolds through long ages of change, and the practitioner must break free from the bonds of birth and death, flourishing and decay. Red Lead holds an important place in the heavenly realms, while White Mercury is a special substance in the alchemy of the Daoist tradition.

A person's innate qi endowment contains the nature of Dragon and Tiger, and within the body there is likewise the principle of Yin-Yang in complementary pairing. Yin-Yang transforms into True Water and True Fire, and once the refining is complete, one may journey to the capital of the immortals.

In the Nine-Cycle refining of the elixir, three substances are employed. So long as the mind is single-pointed, the practice is not difficult. The Tiger, symbolizing Metal qi, brings forth powerful Divine Water, while the Dragon, symbolizing Wood qi, transforms into abundant Sacred Metal.

Metal and Wood share a common disposition, and through this heaven and earth give rise to the Great Elixir. When the essential qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is gathered into the body, the practitioner may ascend to the altar above the Nine Heavens.

If one understands the lead refined over a thousand days, True Mercury will naturally join with it. After three autumns (about three years) of cultivation are complete, continued decocting is not difficult: the Tiger brings forth powerful Divine Water, and the Dragon transforms into abundant Sacred Metal.

When Metal and Wood interpenetrate, heaven and earth form the Great Elixir, and the essential qi of the Five Phases is drawn into the body, allowing one to ascend to the altar of the Nine Heavens. If one understands the lead of a thousand days, True Mercury will join with it; when three autumns of cultivation are complete and the elixir is formed, the image of the Tiger appears as well.

The Dragon's might subdues the Tiger, and the Tiger's ferocity in turn lulls the Dragon to sleep. Once the gate of generation and transformation is opened, the Divine Elixir emerges in a profound and subtle way.

This one thing accords with the Dao of Heaven and endures forever; after the Nine Returns and Seven Reversions (a Neidan term referring to the repeated circulation and transformation of the medicinal substance), its radiance becomes manifest. By pursuing only lead, one will not find it; by pursuing only mercury, it too will hide itself and drift away.

The Tiger's Metal qi transforms and flows into the spring waters, while the Dragon's Wood qi enters the fire and lies concealed. When the mind and spirit (Shen) are clear and bright, one can penetrate the Great Dao and refine the most precious elixir among all medicines.

Only by understanding the essence of Wood is it fitting to plant new shoots beside the pool. Balance the fire phasing, and gather the refined golden blossoms within it.

The spirit-light of the fierce Tiger is gathered in, while the breath of the hidden Dragon flashes like lightning. If one can grasp the sacred Way in a single moment and then nurture it for a thousand days, one may refine the essence that glows like morning clouds.

If one has not even understood what lead is, how could one grasp its profound principle? The Azure Dragon does not merely rise and fall in transformation, nor does the White Tiger merely lie hidden in slumber.

Cultivating the Great Elixir (Dadan) allows one to join, in secret, with the harmonious true Qi (qi), and its effects are striking, moving the immortals above to respond. When the practice of alchemy reaches its deepest point and the work is complete, one's aspiration can reach the celestial realm.

Ren and Gui belong to Water and are the pool of the Great Elixir. Bing and Ding belong to Fire and are where the true medicine lies hidden. Geng and Xin belong to Metal and give rise to the power of the White Tiger. Jia and Yi belong to Wood and reveal the might of the Azure Dragon.

Sun and moon gain added radiance as a result, and Yin-Yang seem to put on clean garments. The immortals transmit the timing of the fire phases (huohou), and Wu and Ji, belonging to Earth, bear the practitioner upward in ascent.

From this one comes to understand the inner Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), which accord with Heaven and Earth: the White Tiger transforms into the body of Metal, and the Azure Dragon manifests the form of Wood. The Three Flowers are nurtured in stages, and all the various elements enfold one another. Through the refining of the seven returns and nine reversions, one can transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred.

To grasp the mind-method of the Great Elixir, one may look for its first clues in mercury. Once the Azure Dragon of the east and the White Tiger of the west meet, they answer one another. When temperament is harmonized and the breath is deep and inwardly gathered, a pure and unified true Qi is formed, and one can rise beyond the world's ups and downs.

The great Dao originally has no fixed name; the spirit-elixir reveals the Dao's function. Heaven and Earth give birth to sacred things, and the union of Dragon and Tiger produces marvelous transformations. Through the original true Qi of water and fire and the tempering of Yin-Yang, the essence of the sun is refined into being. The lunar disc, turning through thirty-six cycles, shines in brilliant radiance, and to take it is to attain long life.

One uses water as the true foundation; three allows a person to reach the immortal path; four lets the flowers bloom in radiance; two is used to nurture the hun and po souls, Jing (essence), and Shen (spirit). The radiance of the five colors gathers, and Yang Qi is made complete. After nine reversions, the elixir can leave the dust of the world behind. Following the twelve seasons in their turning, the impulse of generation and transformation is stirred, and the body rises along with it.

Lead and mercury are the principal materials of the Great Elixir, and the Real Person (zhenren) joins with them in cultivation. Qian and Kun conceive spiritual Qi, and Dragon and Tiger open up the vast, pure, and harmonious source. The lights of the five colors appear, and the three natures each become distinct. Through nine cycles of refining, one can ascend with one's whole household and dwelling into the azure clouds.

The discerning should investigate further: the returned elixir has five kinds of medicinal ingredients. Immortals refine it themselves, while ordinary people study and receive it with devoted attention. To know the White Tiger, one must seek a teacher's guidance; to understand the Azure Dragon, one must examine the methods of the Dao with care. After the gentle fire and martial fire have turned through the three winter months, the radiance will illuminate the clear, cold ninth heaven.

Divine water is poured into the Flower Pond (Huachi). In the terminology of alchemy, the Flower Pond usually refers to the place that receives and harmonizes the medicinal substances. Within it the substances act upon one another, revealing transformations that arise between being and non-being. The Azure Dragon and the White Tiger unite, and the White Tiger draws in the essence of the Azure Dragon.

When these two substances combine, they gain the power to reach the divine and enter the realm of the sages; when the three elements are blended, they take on a form in which five colors interfuse. After long cultivation and refinement, the substances gradually coagulate into form and complete their transformation in accord with the timing of Heaven.

Those who practice the Dao must understand that these statements do not concern ordinary matters. They should fast, quiet the mind, and examine the subtleties within. If cultivation succeeds, one may hope to have one's body and name enrolled in the realm of the immortals, and lead (Qian) and mercury (Gong) become the sacred medicine on which practice relies.

The union of dragon and tiger is the root of the Returned Elixir (Huandan). The text uses husband and wife as a metaphor for the foundation of the medicinal substances: Yin-Yang each has its own key to pairing, and few are able to understand it thoroughly.

The work of alchemy contains many points that easily cause confusion, and even the immortals have examined them repeatedly. The Fire Dragon opens out the realm of water, and the Water Tiger establishes the foundation of metal. The Water Tiger becomes the true husband, and the Fire Dragon responds and becomes the sacred wife. Their union gives birth to the great Dao, which is then welcomed into the chamber of the Nine Merits. This is a metaphor for the completion of the method and the return of the medicinal substances to their proper place.

The Dao penetrates Heaven and Earth, and the immortal path is deep and far-reaching, difficult to fathom. Only one who understands the transformations of lead and mercury will not lose the way when riding the cloud-chariot along the immortal road. The terms Kan, Zhen, and Dui, which are trigram positions of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), are used to mark directions within the alchemical method: Kan belongs to the north, Zhen to the east, and Dui to the west. The poem also says that the Kan position is set high between north and south, thereby arranging the positions of cultivation. By using the Four Images to refine the dragon and tiger, one seeks extraordinary effects.

The scriptural formula (Jing, scripture) follows the Cantong qi, describing how Yin-Yang begins in the north and moves toward the south. The line in the poem, "The boy is four, five, six; the girl twelve or thirteen," uses the ages of male and female as a metaphor for the stages and timing of the fire in the Yin-Yang medicinal substances. When sun and moon meet, they are like husband and wife meeting at dusk; when Yin-Yang unite, the elixir can be completed according to the proper fire phases. The so-called Nine Transformations are not empty talk; they refer to the elixir being refined through repeated transformations.

The numinous elixir reveals the profound principle of the Dao; one Qi (vital energy) moves within it, and the fire burns fiercely. The mating of sun and moon is a metaphor for the union of Yin-Yang, and the mutual devouring of dragon and tiger likewise speaks of the joint refining of the substances. The immortal employs metal and wood, and day and night plays with the Crow and the Toad, the crow and the toad symbolizing the sun and the moon respectively. Having understood the principle of long life, one can rely on the lead medicine to cast off aging.

Lead and mercury move with the four seasons and are suited to cultivation between Heaven and Earth. When the work is complete, one obtains a transcendent medicine beyond the worldly; after taking it, one can reach the heavens. Yang Qi is refined so that the hun soul gathers; Yin Qi recedes so that the po soul is restrained. Subduing the dragon and swallowing the tiger means bringing the Yin and Yang substances into union; the two substances are thereby joined, and a sacred state is attained.

The Dao (the Way, the fundamental pattern of Daoist teaching) is right before your eyes; there is no need to seek it far away. Nor is the "Yellow Sprout" (a term from alchemy for the first sign that the elixir is forming) found through deliberate searching. The Metal Mountain opens the Tiger's Valley, and Wood and Water nourish the Dragon in the fields and furrows. Here the "Dragon" and "Tiger" serve as metaphors for the Yin-Yang qi (vital energy) used in alchemy and its transformations.

Yang qi is exhaled like a dragon, and Yin wind is drawn in like a tiger. With subtle and skillful control of the fire, one refines the "Sacred Water" (an alchemical term for the elixir liquid). Once the elixir is complete, the spirit can roam through the Nine Heavens.

The transformations of the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger complement one another, and lead and mercury interpenetrate. The natures and feelings of man and woman unite, like husband and wife reflecting brilliant, colorful clouds. Within Yin-Yang lies one essential thing, which must be made to circulate vigorously, day and night, through the three essences. After eighteen sexagenary cycles of practice, the road to the clouds will not lead one astray.

Within Yin-Yang the medicinal substances lie hidden; an immortal envoy descends and opens up their mysteries. The marvelous transformations of the great Dao are fulfilled at this point, and the returned elixir (huandan, the elixir spoken of in Daoist cultivation) that has been attained must not be lightly discarded.

The Dragon's feelings are written on the left, and the Tiger's nature meets on the right. The Primal Sovereign (Yuanjun, a revered Daoist deity) beneath the banners and standards is joyful and pleased, while cultivators of the Mysterious Gate come to pay their respects.

One numinous substance is infused with three kinds of metal qi, and the transformations of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) must all be mastered and thoroughly investigated. In the west, gather in the Tiger's qi so that its roar subsides; in the east, steady the Dragon's qi so that its cry grows calm.

The body of the elixir forms in the sacred realm, and only a heart in accord with the Way of Heaven can respond to it. The work of refining Yang, through three times nine turns, draws praise and admiration even from the assembled immortals.

The Great Elixir formed by sun and moon is full of essence and qi, and the immortals manifest their numinous wonders. Once Yin and Yang have been harmonized and joined, Dragon and Tiger merge of their own accord. Water and fire carry the true qi through the body, and morning and evening one must nurture the physical form. After three cycles of cold and heat in this discipline, one may at last taste its sweet and pure flavor.

By what means is the principle of cultivation grasped? One must guard the mind and keep it clear as ice. Yellow Lead responds and is drawn forth; Black Mercury reveals its essence and congeals. The two medicines emit a dazzling radiance, and the Three Flowers (a Neidan term, commonly referring to the gathering of Jing, Qi, and Shen) revolve in shining light. When Yin essence has dissipated entirely, Yang qi can ride the clouds upward.

The black water is still and deep, and the white lead is refined in its depths. The Metal qi of the west subdues the Wood qi of the east, yet the root of eastern Wood lies in western Metal. When the two meet and unite, they can hardly be parted; after three autumns have passed, one must still continue the nurturing for a thousand days.

All things can shed their original forms, and among the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, the human being is the most numinous and refined. One who knows the secret of using lead to cultivate mercury and who understands the Great Dao will be in accord with the celestial classic.

Refining the Tiger (the tiger symbolizes one side of the ingredients, or a yin force) allows one to penetrate the efficacy of the Golden Elixir; seizing the Dragon (the dragon symbolizes the other ingredient, or a yang force) brings forth the fragrance of the medicine. After the alternation of cold and heat and long cultivation, the true elixir is completed, and the practitioner seems to enter a pavilion where immortals gather.

The fame of lead and mercury (alchemical terms often used to refer to the ingredients and their yin-yang properties) has long been passed down, and they must be steamed and refined through water and fire. One who knows the oral formula of using lead to cultivate mercury can understand the Dao (the Way) and become one with the Way of Heaven.

Refining the Tiger penetrates the efficacy of the Golden Elixir, and seizing the Dragon brings forth the fragrance of the medicine. After the alternation of cold and heat and long cultivation, the true elixir is completed, and the practitioner seems to enter a pavilion where immortals gather.

The fame of lead and mercury has long been passed down, and they must be steamed and refined through water and fire. They must also accord with the sacred Way of Heaven and Earth, in harmony with the movement of the sun and moon and the alternation of Yin-Yang.

The Dao transforms and nurtures the myriad things, and holds within it a spiritual energy that keeps people from decay and destruction. When the Golden Elixir has been refined for three years, a single grain is completed, and one can rise upon the clouds.

The root of the Dao is subtle and profound, and must be opened from the foundation of the five colors; it penetrates the spiritual energy of Heaven and brings forth radiance in the sacred ground.

When clouds veil the sky, the Dragon appears and transforms; when the wind subsides, the Tiger loses its might. In deep autumn, the true elixir appears in the furnace; the practitioner sheds the mortal body, as if clothed in the robes of an immortal.

In cultivating the Golden Elixir, there is no need to speak much of high or low aspirations; once lead and mercury are refined, one may be called venerable. Nourish the mercury so that it is born in the Flower Pool (an alchemical term for the place where the medicine is tended and nourished); gather in the Dragon so that the sacred fire remains.

Yin-Yang are repeatedly refined together, and the sun and moon come and go in their courses. When the Three Flowers (a Daoist cultivation term often referring to the gathering of Jing, Qi, and Shen) are set in motion, the immortals gladly arrive at the gate.

First, rectify the source of the ingredients; second, open the Dragon-Tiger gate; third, rely on the power of the sun and moon to bring about transformation; fourth, refine and unite the hun and po souls; fifth, remove the forces of Yin-Yang; sixth, harmonize cold and heat; seventh, reveal the true Shen and the sacred realm; eighth, rejoice and bring benefit to Heaven and Earth.

Second, open the Dragon-Tiger gate; third, rely on the power of the sun and moon to bring about transformation; fourth, refine and unite the hun and po souls; fifth, remove the forces of Yin-Yang; sixth, harmonize cold and heat; seventh, reveal the true Shen and the sacred realm; eighth, rejoice and bring benefit to Heaven and Earth.

When the two ingredients join and meet, the Qi of Yin-Yang condenses and thickens. When the water grows still, the White Tiger is born; when the fire burns fiercely, the Azure Dragon emerges.

The marvelous efficacy of creation and transformation is achieved through this resonance, and the sacred, numinous realm is inexhaustible. After the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) have been nurtured for a thousand days, a cloud-borne crane comes to carry the practitioner away in person.

Lead and mercury accompany one another day after day, yet many do not understand their mystery and are therefore confused. In the deep and distant place, water and earth unite; their brilliant radiance shines upon east and west.

Emotion, nature, and the radiance of Shen condense, and the sacred power of Yin-Yang comes together. After being blended and balanced twenty-seven times, one's name is already recorded in the register of the immortals.

The fame of lead and mercury has long been passed down, yet few truly understand their mystery and succeed in the cultivation. Red lead is born from a black liquid, and white mercury enters the yellow light Qi (vital energy).

Dragon and Tiger give rise to the golden marrow, and the lunar mansions Fang and Shen (names of constellations) transform into the essence of Wood. When the Golden Flower is set in motion and nurtured for a thousand days, and the Golden Elixir enters the belly, one may greet the immortal realm above the nine heavens.

True Mercury (Zhenhong; an alchemical term for the yin, responsive and fluid class of ingredients) is the key to becoming an immortal, while True Lead (the yang, solid and firm class of ingredients) is the foundation of the sacred medicine. If one drew close to these principles in a previous life, a slight hint is enough to awaken to their subtle mystery.

The divine elixir, after three years of cultivation, reveals its radiance; after nine transformations, its luster grows brighter still. Those who later pursue the Dao (the Way) should inquire after the "Purple River Robe" (an alchemical term for a precious inner substance associated with the formation of the elixir).

The great Dao embraces Heaven and Earth, and Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) are the source from which the ingredients arise. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) respond to and transform one another, while the Four Images (four states related to the changes of Yin-Yang) run through them all.

Divine water is the root of cultivation, and spirit metal enters the wood to be refined. Who can understand the marvelous use of true fire? It can transform matter into earth. After wandering through the Nine Heavens, the treasure born within the wood can be put to use; within the water lies hidden true gold. Once the essences of the inner Five Phases have all been obtained, these three ingredients lie deeply concealed within.

Refine the Qi (vital energy) of Yin-Yang, and by nurturing the tiger one gains the dragon. The "dragon and tiger" here are two interacting forces in Neidan (internal alchemy). When the fire phasing (huohou; the control of heat and timing in refining the elixir) is sustained for a thousand days, the elixir's radiance appears, as though immortals and perfected beings were descending.

The great medicine is the reverted elixir, refined again and again. Take a single pill and it seems one could soar straight up to the heavens; the dragon's might can seize the tiger, and the tiger's ferocity can subdue the dragon.

After two years, the three ingredients congeal like an embryo; from among them, one is selected. After another ten months of inner refining, the elixir is complete, and the practitioner seems to sit upon a golden altar.

The relationship between water and earth must be made clear, for Kunyuan (the Qi of the Kun earth) is the intimate and fitting foundation. In the Zhen position lies hidden the numinous wood Qi, and in the Li position dwell the forms of fire and metal. The principles of the inner Five Phases must be understood, and then a thousand days of practice are spent refining Shen (spirit); once the transformations of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) are thoroughly explored, the treasure held within the dragon and tiger will appear.

Alas, how fleeting is this floating life of the world; people can hardly escape the gate of life and death. One should hasten to refine the sacred medicine, and once it is complete, one can stand against Heaven and Earth.

With divine water, decoct the dragon's soul; with spirit fire, nurture the tiger's soul. After three years of sustained effort, a single elixir is formed, and one may behold the Celestial Venerable.

Sit in stillness and reflect, and one can see clearly the changes of rising and sinking; within the dragon and tiger a treasure truly lies hidden. Alas, how fleeting is this floating life of the world; people can hardly escape the gate of life and death. One should hasten to refine the sacred medicine, and once it is complete, one can stand against Heaven and Earth.

With divine water, decoct the dragon's soul; with spirit fire, nurture the tiger's soul. After three years of sustained effort, a single elixir is formed, and one may behold the Celestial Venerable.

Sit in stillness and reflect on the changes of rising and sinking, and one will understand that the great Dao has not failed the practitioner. An immortal must be one who is awakened and fully penetrating, able to break free from the bonds of life and death, flourishing and decay.

The great Dao is the source of the transformation of all things. By cultivating oneself, one can renew one's life; to understand the true secret of the Five Phases is like receiving sweet dew poured down from the crown of the head, being nourished and rewarded.

Yellow Lead (Huangqian; an alchemical term for lead-type substances or their properties) surpasses entry into the realm of the profound, and Black Mercury (Heigong; an alchemical term for mercury-type substances or their properties) wells up as a spiritual spring. When the two kinds of Qi (vital energy) meet and blend, the Three Flowers (Sanhua; a Neidan (internal alchemy) term for the essences of Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen (spirit)) secretly enfold and refine them.

East and west follow the movement of the sun and moon, while north and south accord with the shifting of the seasons. After three years of cultivation, the light of the elixir appears, and the practitioner may take a place among the immortals.

The Dao (the Way) has no form, yet it can be grasped by the heart and spirit; the spiritual medicine lies hidden in deep and mysterious places. True Water turns back and True Fire responds. Red Lead (an alchemical term) withdraws, and Black Lead remains.

When the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) has gathered in full, the Four Images (Sixiang; the four states formed by Yin-Yang and its transformations) revolve like the wind. As Yin-Yang alternate and the firing process is carried through its full circuit, the spiritual elixir shines upon the blue heavens.

When Qian and Kun (heaven and earth, also Yin-Yang) unite in harmony, the sun and moon nurture their essence in the Flowery Pool (Huachi; a Neidan term for a place of cultivation within the body). The Three Flowers, represented by Green Wood, lie hidden there, and the Seven Maidens (a symbolic name in alchemical language), represented by White Metal, also know of its transformations.

Metal and Wood, like husband and wife, work together, and each gives birth to a child, the Tiger and the Dragon (symbols in alchemical language). When the nine turns and three cycles of refining are complete, one comes to understand the spiritual and subtle principle, and no doubt remains in the heart.

The Dui marsh (the Dui trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), symbolizing the marsh) conceals the Golden Tiger, and the Zhen thunder (the Zhen trigram, symbolizing thunder) holds the Wooden Dragon in hiding. When wind and rain meet, temperament too is brought into harmony, becoming gentle and humble.

Water and Earth nourish the roots and stem, and Yin-Yang refine form and substance. What has long been concealed in mystery becomes clear, and the subtle principle gained is not something ordinary people can comprehend.

True Lead lies hidden in the deep and unfathomable, now seeming present and now absent, skilled at concealing its traces. First let north and south join, then let east and west unite.

Apply the firing phases for three years, and after nine turns the elixir gives off a pure fragrance. Having passed through cold and heat and harmonized Yin-Yang, Qian and Kun can bring forth the spiritual medicine.

The Dao is profound, and ordinary people find it hard to recognize. Who knows that the Five Phases exist within the body as well? The authority of Qian and Kun is held inside the body, and the transformations of the Hun and Po souls are likewise clear within the heart.

The Earthly Po (an internal alchemy term for Yin essence-energy) opens up true principle, and the Heavenly Hun (an internal alchemy term for Yang spirit-energy) reveals sacred numinous power. One who understands these principles may have their name recorded among the immortals of the Nine Heavens.

Water and Earth give birth to the Yellow Sprout (Huangya; an alchemical term symbolizing the newly arising elixir), and Fire and Metal produce the White Blossom. The fair maiden of the eastern neighbor loves it, and the fine son of the western house praises it.

After three years of harmonizing, Yin and Yang unite, as though two families were joined in marriage through a matchmaker. Refined in the chamber of Gengxin (the heavenly stems geng and xin, also used as alchemical terms) for a thousand days, it will transform into a radiance like the colors of the morning clouds.

Water and Fire form the flesh and bones, while Wood and Metal give rise to the root of the medicine. Yellow Lead produces the white sign of efficacy, and White Mercury no longer depends on the Toad (the toad in the moon is often used as a symbol of mercury).

The Four Images move in sequence and settle into stability, and the Three Flowers surge forth and appear after the proper season. Do not fear the hardship of a thousand days of practice, for in the end one will be welcomed and escorted into the Gate of Heaven.

Wood and Metal give rise to the root of the medicine, Yellow Lead shows the white sign of efficacy, and White Mercury no longer depends on the Toad.

The Four Images (Siqiang: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, four forces symbolizing the transformations of Yin-Yang) revolve in turn. The Three Flowers (Sanhua: the inner-elixir vision formed when Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) are refined and condensed) complete one stage of transformation and then continue on their course. The practitioner should not fear the hardship of a thousand days. By continually welcoming, sending off, and harmonizing these changes, the practitioner passes through the "Gate of Heaven," which is the state of ascent and transcendence spoken of in Neidan (internal alchemy).

The yang Qi of the Wood nature turns into yin, and the yin Qi of the Metal nature turns into yang. The sacred water nourishes the body, while the numinous fire refines and transforms its outward form. The Jade Elder and the Queen Mother are personified Yin-Yang forces in the poem. They transmit the symbols of the medicinal substances and work together as husband and wife are joined. After three years the radiance of the elixir appears, and even the immortals admire the spiritual insight gained through such cultivation.

To know the source of the medicinal substances, one must understand the lead of Heaven and Earth. Here "lead" is a Neidan term for the primordial essence and Qi drawn upon in cultivation. Terms such as "Qian and Kun" and "Kan and Li" borrow the trigram images of Heaven and Earth to stand for Yin-Yang and water and fire. Once Qian and Kun have opened up, the true water represented by the Kan image has already appeared.

One must harmonize water and fire so that emotion and nature unite, and so that Yin-Yang are matched properly without leaning to either side. After three years of cultivation, a single grain of elixir forms and can rise into the heavens.

Those who understand the Dao know that "non-being" contains "being." The deluded cling to the distinction between being and non-being, which is laughable. One should bring the breath of Heaven down to join the yin Qi of Earth, and also draw out the Qi of Earth so that it accords with the Way of Heaven.

Refine the "true golden essence" and pair it with the Wood nature, as the Old Woman of Wood is wed to the Golden Child. After the "three cycles," the radiance of the elixir blazes, and the practitioner's name seems to reach the celestial court. The "Imperial Capital" here symbolizes the heavenly realm.

Yin and Yang breathe, exhaling and inhaling essence and Qi, and through their union and mutual response wondrous transformations arise. The White Tiger (symbolizing Metal, the yang within yin) first takes its place in one palace, and the Azure Dragon (symbolizing Wood, the yin within yang) joins it after two years of cultivation.

The Three Flowers move in secret, and the Four Images must all be passed through. When the transformation symbolized by the ten days is complete, one returns to one's original nature and no longer clings to the refining of the physical form.

The tiger is born of the black water, and the dragon, once transformed, sheds its red outward appearance. These two forces exchange Qi with one another, and the three medicinal substances (usually understood as Jing, Qi, and Shen) combine according to the law by which the inner elixir is formed.

The union of Yin-Yang strengthens the potency of the medicine, and the shifts between cold and heat drive the Three Flowers onward. After the "seven returns and nine reversions" (a Neidan expression for the repeated condensing and transforming of the medicinal substances), one attains lasting ease and extended life.

The numinous lead transforms like a dragon and sheds its red outward appearance. The two forces exchange Qi, and the three medicinal substances combine according to the law by which the inner elixir is formed. The union of Yin-Yang strengthens the potency of the medicine, and the shifts between cold and heat drive the Three Flowers onward. After the seven returns and nine reversions, one attains lasting ease and extended life. (This passage repeats the preceding text.)

The numinous lead is like mercury and serves as the sovereign. The numinous mercury is like fiery lead and serves as the minister. Only by grasping the principle of Yin-Yang transformation can one understand how emotion and nature truly unite.

East and West, Wood and Metal, are joined, and the year, month, day, and hour are closely tied to the process of cultivation. Ordinary fire can lead to the fire of the immortals. To grasp the timing of the fire, one must know when to advance and when to withdraw.

Within the Great Dao there is something that accords with the workings of Heaven, and only those who have attained penetrating insight can recognize it. The dragon can lie hidden and turn into the tiger, and the "son-in-law" being called was originally the "wife." These sayings all use opposing names to describe the exchange between yin and yang.

The movement of refining follows the transformations of Metal and Wood, and its circulation back and forth also involves Kan and Li. When the work of the Three Flowers pervades the whole body, the practitioner can rise above ignorance and delusion.

That water and fire are incompatible is something everyone knows. Yet within the human body are stored true water and true fire, and if they can be matched like a happy married couple, the cultivation will be brought to completion through their mutual aid.

The work of Neidan is profound and hard to fathom. Who can see clearly the principle of its inversions and exchanges? After the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) has circulated through the breath, and after a thousand days of cultivation, the medicinal substances may be expected to condense into the elixir.

The Great Dao (Dao) is like a lamp that distinguishes the clear from the turbid, first opening the many gates of mystery. The process by which True Lead is conceived is a well-known teaching. Within it lie True Water and True Fire, and when the two are brought into harmony, they are like a happily matched husband and wife.

The efficacy of cultivation is subtle and hard to grasp. Who can understand the principle of its inverted operation? The qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) circulates through the body just as the breath pervades it. If one sustains refining and nurturing for a thousand days, the medicine may be expected to reach completion.

The Great Dao is like a lamp that distinguishes the clear from the turbid, first opening the many gates of mystery. True Lead nurtures the yin soul, and True Mercury gives rise to the yang soul. Here "True Lead" and "True Mercury" are terms of Neidan (internal alchemy). They refer to the jing (essence) and qi in which yin and yang are paired during the alchemical process, and not to ordinary lead and mercury.

The moon-shadow of the toad refines and tempers the numinous soul, while the crow-essence within the sun nourishes the sacred soul. Long life depends heavily on the yin fire, and the numinous medicine must be matched with Qian and Kun, the yin and yang of heaven and earth.

The principle of the yin fire is known to the immortals, and the movement of the yang waves is discerned by those who cultivate the Dao. Open the two gates of yin and yang, and one can grasp the principle within them. The three medicines then reveal their extraordinary efficacy.

The tiger's roar is called the Metal Father, and the dragon's chant is the Lord of Fire. The movement of qi follows a fixed sequence of seasons, and after thirty months one can ascend on the clouds.

The Way of long life can be investigated. Once the elixir is complete, one may speak of the appearance of the immortals. The tiger's nature gives birth to the dragon's body, and the dragon's feelings in turn cling to the tiger's tracks.

In emptiness and non-being, shen (spirit) and qi respond to one another and transform, and finer scenes naturally follow. The qi of the five colors rises to meet the Virtue of Heaven (De). After three years of autumn refining, fire is no longer needed for nourishment.

Everyone prizes True Lead, because it allows a person to preserve their life. The Wood Soul follows the feathered adepts, and the Water Soul turns to the immortals with its questions.

In the half-seen and the indistinct, the images are hazy. Within the mystery there is a still deeper mystery. The stages of alchemical work advance in proper accord with the seasons, and when it is accomplished, one's name is recorded among the Nine Heavens.

If you wish to know the White Metal Flower, you must firmly seek the Black Mercury Sand. Without the interrefining of black and white, where would you find the Yellow Sprout?

The Metal Flower comes from the blood of the Azure Dragon, and the cinnabar from the sprout of the White Tiger. Once the Five Phases and the Four Images are complete, then after three years the River Cart can be turned. The River Cart is a Neidan term for the movement of jing and qi along a particular route within the body.

Yin and yang are inverted, and inverted again, as if overturning the earth and letting the sky grow anew. Use True Water to summon True Fire, and use Yellow Lead to draw in Black Lead.

When Qian and Kun, yin and yang, unite, the dragon and tiger join in joy and sleep together. When the transformation of the Three Flowers reaches fulfillment, the qi of cultivation rises straight into the Mysterious Realm.

Long life is something everyone wishes to pursue. If you wish to rise beyond the mundane world, you must seek the Way of the elixir. Go to the numinous peak to gather lead, and follow the divine water to find mercury.

Refine with water through nine summers, and temper with fire through three autumns. When the work in the Golden Chamber is complete, one may return to the heavenly realm and attain freedom.

The original text repeats the passage beginning "the image is complete, in three years the River Cart ascends" and the later passage "yin and yang inverted and inverted"; the above has merged them according to their meaning.

The fundamental Qi (vital energy) of the Dao (the Way) is profound and mysterious, and Yin-Yang is distributed according to natural law. The Flowery Pool (Huachi, a Neidan (internal alchemy) term for the place within the body where cultivation takes place) communicates with the Black Water, and True Mercury (a term from alchemy symbolizing yin essence) yearns for Yellow Lead (symbolizing yang essence).

The White Tiger (symbolizing yin qi) arises in the tenth month, and the Azure Dragon (symbolizing yang qi) appears the following year. Following the proper order of cultivation, after three times nine months one can become light of body, rise in flight, and join the immortals.

The Great Returning Elixir of Dragon and Tiger (an alchemical method centered on the internal refining of Yin-Yang and the qi of the Five Phases, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) is hard to comprehend and hard to obtain. Yet once its essentials are grasped, it is as easy as turning over a hand. Those who have not yet attained understanding should guard the altar of emptiness and stillness and settle the mind.

Yang Mercury (symbolizing yang qi) gives rise to primordial qi, and Yin Sand (symbolizing yin essence and qi) withstands the cold and heat of the passing years. The Three Flowers (a Neidan term for the transformations or condensations of Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen (spirit)) ripen with the seasons and are worthy to be offered to the Jade Emperor.

After the years of the mutual refining of water and fire, following the method of refining for three times nine months, one can become light of body, rise in flight, and join the immortals.

The Great Returning Elixir of Dragon and Tiger is hard to comprehend and hard to obtain. Yet once its essentials are grasped, it is as easy as turning over a hand. Those who have not yet attained understanding should guard the altar of emptiness and stillness and settle the mind.

Yang Mercury gives rise to primordial qi, and Yin Sand withstands the cold and heat of the passing years. The Three Flowers ripen with the seasons and are worthy to be offered to the Jade Emperor.

The union of water and fire is exceedingly difficult. Who can know how the elixir is refined? One must reverse the order in which the Five Phases move, and only after three years of cultivation can one cease to be troubled by external things.

When the breath is harmonized and the mind is calm, the movement of Yin-Yang is brought into accord as well. When the work is complete and the numinous medicine has ripened, one becomes light of body and rises straight up into the clouds.

Make Yin-Yang move in reverse, so that the essences of sun and moon condense into the elixir. When the Dragon meets the Flowery Pool, it hides and vanishes; when the Tiger meets the Divine Water, it stirs and comes alive.

When the breaths of east and west accord with the right path, the movements of south and north make the Three Flowers manifest. Gather the qi of the five colors, and in the end one will leap into the air and ascend riding a crane.

Who truly understands the Five Phases within? The mysterious true qi nourishes the south. After many years, the Metal Tiger (symbolizing metal qi or yin qi) is refined; in the following year, the Wood Dragon (symbolizing wood qi or yang qi) also begins to stir.

The process of circulating the Three Flowers is arduous, but once it is accomplished, the taste of the elixir is sweet. The brilliance above the mystery has already shone forth, and when the elixir is complete, a realm of tranquility appears with it.

Sun and moon each leave behind their essential light, and as essence and qi circulate, they become the formula of immortality. The qi of Wood and Fire enfolds and transforms into the image of the Dragon; the qi of Water and Metal lies hidden and changes into the image of the Tiger.

The Four Images (the four states formed from Yin-Yang and its transformations) converge in their proper order, and the qi of the Five Phases returns to the position of Earth. Refining the elixir takes thirty months, and after taking it one ascends to the heavenly realm.

The essence within the Palace of the Supreme One (Taiyi, symbolizing the inner spirit or the place of cultivation) is as fine as powder, and before the bright window even the dust seems close at hand. When the essence of Wood and the nature of Metal are settled, the Yellow Emperor and Laozi (Huang-Lao, the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, revered in Daoism) and the true spirits of Ziwei appear within.

The Dragon of Wood and Fire soars and leaps, and the Tiger of Water and Metal patrols and crouches. When the qi of the Five Phases responds to one another, the power of the elixir can raise a person into the ranks of the immortals.

The qi of cold and heat alternate in their course, and the immortals observe the changes within them.

Seize the Dragon of Wood and Fire and bring it back into the essence of the Palace of the Supreme One; before the bright window, even the dust seems close at hand. When the essence of Wood and the nature of Metal are settled, the Yellow Emperor and Laozi and the true spirits of Ziwei appear within.

The Dragon of Wood and Fire soars and leaps, and the Tiger of Water and Metal patrols and crouches. When the qi of the Five Phases responds to one another, the power of the elixir can raise a person into the ranks of the immortals.

The alternating movement of the cold and hot breaths is something the immortals observe closely, watching the changes within it. They set out to capture the dragon in the "Jia ground" and hunt the tiger on the "Geng slope." "Dragon" and "Tiger" are metaphors in Neidan (internal alchemy) for the medicinal ingredients such as Yin-Yang and lead and mercury, while "Jia" and "Geng" are terms from the system of Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches.

Practice begins with the "dragon's child," and success still depends on the "tiger's son." The ingredients are obtained in the so-called "place where one seizes the living and the dead become sages," and the Nine-Fold Transformation of refining is then completed in accordance with the timing of Heaven.

When the radiance of sun and moon shines forth, one imitates the Way of Heaven, and the course one follows will not go astray. The Qi (vital energy) of the three Yang sinks into the Black Water, and after ten months the Yellow Sprout forms in response. "Three Yang," "Black Water," and "Yellow Sprout" are all technical terms of Neidan practice, used to describe the changes of Yin-Yang and the generation of the medicinal ingredients.

When the tiger crouches, the Metal Qi becomes light and robust; when the dragon lies hidden, the Wood Qi stretches and unfolds. After Yin-Yang is transformed through the number three times nine, it finally arrives at the "Purple River Chariot" (a Neidan term for the process or pivot by which Jing (essence) and Qi are circulated and transformed within the body).

Lead must be refined until it no longer blackens, and mercury must not be mistaken for cinnabar or silver. Wood Fluid is a subtle and numinous substance, and Metal Blossom enters the realm of spiritual wonder. "Lead," "mercury," "Wood Fluid," and "Metal Blossom" here refer to the medicinal ingredients and the Jing and Qi of Neidan practice, not merely to external minerals.

The tiger is born in the place enclosed by Ren and Gui, and the dragon rises in the direction adjoining Jia and Yi. When the numbers of Heaven and Earth have completed one full circuit, a purple radiance illuminates the body.

The mother, through the child, becomes the elder; metal condenses into form within wood. After two years the complexion is restored, and in an instant one seizes a ruddiness like that of the sun.

When Yin Qi is eliminated, the work of cultivating the Dao is complete; by refining Qi one enters the realm of spiritual wonder. Once the Returned Elixir has been refined, it can be called the Way of long life, reaching through to the azure sky.

There is a numinous thing that conceals its true name yet communicates with Heaven and Earth. The Sun Palace transmits its bones of Qi, and the Moon Cave nourishes its form. Through cultivation the Yang hun-soul is set upright, and the Yin po-soul dissolves and comes to rest. When the gentle fire and the martial fire, represented by Bing and Ding, have both been refined to their limit, a single grain of elixir can carry a person across to the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

The transmission of the Great Dao is no illusion; it opens up the very source of Heaven and Earth. Without understanding the wonder of this numinous thing, one will hardly meet the guidance of a sage.

Lead transforms and becomes the tiger, while mercury is called the dragon. After years and months of refining, when the fire phases and the methods of gentle and martial fire are all complete, swallowing a single grain of elixir allows one to enter the realm of the high immortals.

How profound is the mystery of the supreme medicine! One must refine Yang out of Yin. Once the medicine is divided into south and north, the pattern of east and west is likewise fixed. Dragon and tiger lie hidden, breathing in response to one another, while stars such as the Chamber and the Three Stars secretly govern their movement. After the refining of the Nine Returns and Seven Reversions, the body seems to rise and is able to soar.

The numinous sprout answers to water, and so water receives the name of strength. In autumn one gathers the essence within metal, and in spring one stores the essence within wood. From the Kun position one reaches the realm of Purple Polish, then enters the sacred realm and is transformed into the Yellow Light Qi. Wu and Ji dwell in the central palace, supporting one another, and at last reach the Highest Purity (Shangqing).

Within the medicines of the world one comes to appreciate the mystery, for the medicine is born from the lead of Heaven and Earth. Yin-Yang gives rise to dragon and tiger, and the Qi of metal and wood combines within the Dantian (energy center).

When refining the elixir, one must carefully manage the advance and retreat of the "Three Flowers" (a term from Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit)), and harmonize and circulate the two Qi of Yin-Yang. From emptiness and non-being, one cultivates tangible results, finally shedding the mortal frame and becoming an immortal.

Black mercury can give rise to white mercury, and the practitioner moves from ignorance toward the sacred realm. The hun Qi of the south often comes from the north, while the po Qi of the west is conceived and born from the east.

The Yin and Yang Qi, symbolized by the sun and moon, respond to one another and unite like husband and wife. After "three autumns, twenty-seven" (possibly referring to the days or number of refinements; the original gives no further explanation), the elixir's potency reaches a wondrous state.

There is a kind of essence belonging to Taiyin (the Great Yin, in Daoist usage the Yin Qi or essence of the moon), and "Kun Dew" is its true name. When three forces are aligned with the correct Dao (the Way), the five colors become all the more distinct.

Subduing the tiger and burning the dragon are both metaphors in alchemy: one subdues dragon and tiger and harmonizes Yin-Yang; like the sun and moon at their cooking, one transforms the ingredients within the furnace. By repeatedly refining in the order described in the Hetong Jing (here referring to the methods or texts followed in refining the elixir), the practitioner rises beyond the mundane and reaches the sacred realm.

The names of lead and mercury have long been handed down; they are born of true water and true fire. Yellow Light (an alchemical term whose precise referent varies by method) can produce white mercury, and white mercury can in turn transform into Yellow Light.

The two ingredients merge into one and cannot be accomplished by one person's strength alone. They must be refined personally by the Qi of the Nine Yang; when the firing is complete, the immortals come to welcome the adept.

Yellow lead again turns into black lead, and white mercury reaches the profound mystery. The marsh of the west is paired with the middle son, and the palace of the east corresponds to the youngest daughter (these directions and family titles are symbols in alchemy for assigning Yin-Yang and the ingredients).

Like husband and wife, they unite as the sun and moon travel their courses, and through this one comprehends the Great Dao and attains immortality. After nine refinements the radiance of the elixir appears, and long life no longer needs counting in years.

The transformative power of alchemy rivals that of heaven and earth. In the Returned Elixir there is a further chapter on this: harmonize Yin-Yang and the five colors, so that lead and mercury move according to three profound principles.

The essences of dragon and tiger come and go like breathing; the lunar mansion Fang and the constellation Shen (star names) take part unseen in the refining. Do not abandon true water and true fire; only by cultivating them can one ascend to the realm of the immortals.

From within the five colors a single medicine is born. Through the three origins and nine revolutions of refining, the hues of true Yin and true Yang appear, and true water and true fire are thereby perfected.

True mercury stands upon lead, and the true dragon, having undergone transformation, is called the tiger. When the elixir's radiance has been refined, it can shine in concert with the sun and moon, and the levels of transformation represented by the numbers three and nine gradually become clear.

Who does not wish for long life? If you wish to cross beyond the world, you should seek the method of the elixir and cultivate it. Seek lead on the numinous peak, and seek mercury by following the divine water.

Decoct with water through nine summers; forge with fire until three autumns have passed. When the work in the golden chamber is complete, one may return to heaven and attain freedom.

Every effect is at last made manifest.

Who does not wish for long life? If you wish to cross beyond the world, you should seek the method of the elixir and cultivate it. Seek lead on the numinous peak, and seek mercury by following the divine water.

First it is refined with water for nine summers, then refined with fire through a third autumn. Having been cultivated in the "Golden Chamber" (the furnace room used for alchemical refining), one finally returns to the heavenly realm and attains freedom and ease.

Within the Dao (the Way) there is a single Qi (vital energy), profound and hard to fathom; the transformations of Yin-Yang appear of their own accord. The "Flower Pool" (an alchemical term referring to a particular part of the body or a particular substance in cultivation) is connected with the Black Water, and True Mercury yearns for Yellow Lead, so that the two join together.

The White Tiger is born in the tenth month, and the Azure Dragon follows into the second year. After refining for three times nine months, one can become light of body, ascend in flight, and draw near to the immortals.

The Great Returned Elixir of Dragon and Tiger is hard to find, and thinking of it brings a sense of difficulty; yet once obtained, it is as easy as turning over one's palm. If one has not yet reached that state, one should guard the empty and still elixir altar.

Yang Mercury gives rise to original Qi, while Yin Cinnabar sand remains unchanged however bitter the cold of the years. The Three Flowers (a term in cultivation for the inner transformations of Jing, Qi, and Shen, that is, essence, vital energy, and spirit) turn with the seasons, as though they might be offered to the Jade Emperor.

The union of water and fire is exceedingly difficult; who can know how the elixir is refined? One must make the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) run in reverse, and for three years remain undisturbed by external things.

When the breath is harmonized, the heart-mind is calm, and Yin-Yang revolve as they should, then the work is complete and the spirit-medicine is refined. One becomes light of body, ascends in flight, and enters the clouds.

Yin-Yang run in reverse, and the essences of sun and moon are cast into the elixir. The Dragon, meeting the Flower Pool, perishes; the Tiger, meeting the Divine Water, is born.

When east and west unite, this accords with principle; when movement runs between south and north, the inner vital force comes to light. The elixir is lifted into the clouds.

Yin-Yang run in reverse, and the essences of sun and moon are cast into the elixir. The Dragon, meeting the Flower Pool, perishes; the Tiger, meeting the Divine Water, is born.

When east and west unite, this accords with principle; when movement runs between south and north, the inner vital force comes to light. Gathering the true Qi of the five colors, one soars into the air, as though cranes had come to greet one.

Who can understand the mystery of the inner Five Phases? The profound true Qi nourishes the south. After many years, the Golden Tiger is brought to maturity; after another year, the Wood Dragon too begins to arise.

In the course of circulation, the gathering of the flower's heart is arduous; once cultivation succeeds, the taste of the medicine is sweet. The mysterious light has already appeared, and as the elixir is completed, a realm of peace is revealed along with it.

Sun and moon each keep their radiance, and as Jing and Qi circulate, they form the formula for long life. From within Wood and Fire the Dragon is born; within Water and Metal the Tiger lies hidden.

The Four Images (a term for several symbolic forms of the transformations of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases) come into accord with one another, and the Five Phases return to the position of Earth. The elixir takes thirty months to complete, and after taking it one may journey to the heavenly realm.

The Palace of Taiyi (a divine residence of immortals in Daoism) is bright and clean, as though freshly adorned; before the luminous window, even the dust stands out in sharp relief. When Wood essence and Metal nature are settled, the Dao of Huang-Lao (a joint name for the Yellow Emperor and Laozi) leads one into the true realm wreathed in purple mist.

The Wood-Fire Dragon leaps and soars; the Water-Metal Tiger coils and prowls. When the Qi of the Five Phases respond to one another, the power of the elixir can raise one into the ranks of the immortals.

The Qi of cold and heat alternate in their course, and the immortals observe these changes. The dust stands out in sharp relief; when Wood essence and Metal nature are settled, the Dao of Huang-Lao leads one into the true realm wreathed in purple mist.

The Wood-Fire Dragon leaps and soars; the Water-Metal Tiger coils and prowls. When the Qi of the Five Phases respond to one another, the power of the elixir can raise one into the ranks of the immortals.

The interplay of the cold and hot Qi (vital energy) rotates in turn, and the practitioner must observe the changes within it. One should seek to capture the dragon in "Jia" territory and hunt the tiger on the "Geng" slope.

Cultivation begins with the "dragon's child" and, once accomplished, draws on the "tiger's young." The practitioner must obtain and subdue the medicinal substances in the proper place, then complete the nine-fold refinement in accordance with the seasons of Heaven.

The radiance of sun and moon shines on all things, and the methods of cultivation must follow the Dao (the Way) of Heaven without error. The Qi of the three Yang sinks into the black waters, and after ten months it joins with the yellow sprout.

When the tiger is subdued, the metal Qi becomes light and robust; when the dragon lies hidden, the wood Qi flourishes. After Yin-Yang has passed through three and nine transformations, it finally reaches the "Purple River Chariot" (a term in Neidan, internal alchemy, for the state in which Yin and Yang unite and the elixir circulates).

Lead must be refined until it is pure and no longer black, and mercury must not be mistaken for cinnabar or silver. The wood fluid holds a numinous essence, and when the golden flower enters the pool, its miraculous efficacy appears.

The tiger is conceived in the Qi of Ren and Gui, while the dragon arises beside the Qi of Jia and Yi. When the numbers of Heaven and Earth have completed their circuit, a purple radiance appears and shines upon the practitioner.

The mother body, through the child, transforms into the father body, and metal and wood join to take form. After two years the complexion is restored; in a moment, one seizes a ruddiness like the light of the sun.

When the Yin Qi is wholly exhausted, the work of the Dao is complete; by refining Qi, one enters a realm of wonder. At this point the elixir is finished and is called the Returned Elixir, so that life becomes long and transcends the mortal world.

There is a numinous thing whose true name is hidden and unseen, yet it communicates with Heaven and Earth. It receives its bones' Qi from the palace of the sun and nourishes its form in the cave of the moon.

Through cultivation, the Yang soul returns to rectitude while the Yin soul recedes. When the gentle and forceful firing of Bing and Ding fire is complete, a single grain of elixir can raise a person up to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing; here denoting the highest Daoist realm).

The transmission of the great Dao is no falsehood; it opens the very origin of Heaven and Earth. Without understanding the marvel of this numinous thing, one can only come to know it by meeting a sage who gives instruction.

Lead transforms into the tiger, and mercury is refined and called the dragon. Only when the refining has been completed according to the days and times of the sun and moon's movements can it be taken, allowing one to enter the realm of the immortals.

As for the stagnation of the Yin soul, the completion of the gentle and forceful firing of Bing and Ding, and the claim that a single grain of elixir raises one to the Three Pure Ones, the meaning is as stated above.

The transmission of the great Dao is no falsehood; it opens the very origin of Heaven and Earth. Without understanding the marvel of this numinous thing, one can only come to know it by meeting a sage who gives instruction.

Lead transforms into the tiger, and mercury is refined and called the dragon. Only when the refining has been completed according to the days and times of the sun and moon's movements can it be taken, allowing one to enter the realm of the immortals.

How profound is the principle of the supreme medicine: one must refine Yang out of Yin. The roads of south and north have only just been distinguished, and the positions of east and west have already been arranged.

The dragon and tiger lie hidden within the body and move with the breath; the constellations Fang and Shen (names of lunar mansions) secretly govern their changes. Through the ninefold return and sevenfold reversion of refining, the body seems to rise up and can roam and soar freely.

The numinous sprout corresponds to water, and so water gains the name of abundance. In autumn one gathers the essence within the metal, and in spring one stores up the essence within the wood.

From the Kun position (in the Bagua, Eight Trigrams, the direction representing Earth and Yin) one passes through to the realm of Purple Polish; having entered the sacred realm, one is transformed into the Qi of yellow lightness. Wu and Ji earth dwells in the central palace (the central position), supporting and aiding the other forces, and reaches directly to Shangqing (Highest Clarity; the highest level in the system of Daoist deities and immortal realms).

Sitting quietly amid the spiritual medicines of the world, one finds that the subtle principle arises from the "lead" (qian) between Heaven and Earth. Yin-Yang (阴阳) unite and give rise to the Dragon and Tiger; Metal and Wood transform into one another and, within the Dantian (丹田, energy center), coalesce into the elixir.

In the interplay of advance and retreat, the Three Flowers (三花, the cultivated states of Jing, Qi, and Shen) move in hidden subtlety; when harmony and balance are achieved, the two Qi (气) circulate again and again. From the formless, one cultivates the formed; the bones are exchanged and the body remade, and one becomes a true immortal.

Black mercury turns into white mercury, and this is the work of passing from obscurity to the sacred realm. The soul of the south comes from the north over a long span, and the po-soul of the west sits securely within it. The subtle principle arises from the "lead" between Heaven and Earth. Yin-Yang unite and give rise to the Dragon and Tiger; Metal and Wood transform into one another and, within the Dantian, coalesce into the elixir.

In the interplay of advance and retreat, the Three Flowers move in hidden subtlety; when harmony and balance are achieved, the two Qi circulate again and again. From the formless, one cultivates the formed; the bones are exchanged and the body remade, and one becomes a true immortal.

Black mercury turns into white mercury, and this is the work of passing from obscurity to the sacred realm. The soul of the south comes from the north over a long span, and the po-soul of the west conceives and brings forth the embryo, arriving in the east.

The Yin-Yang represented by the sun and moon respond to one another and join like husband and wife. After three autumns and twenty-seven days, the power of the elixir reaches the realm of spiritual penetration.

There is a certain thing that is the essence of the Great Yin (Taiyin); the dew condensed by the Earth (Kun) is its original name. The three forces penetrate the true path, and the Five Phases' colors (五行, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) become all the more distinct because of it.

The immortal subdues the tiger in the refining, and drives the dragon to be tempered by sun and moon. Following the methods set down in the Hetong (《合同》) and carrying them out repeatedly, the body can attain the sacred realm and leave behind ordinary sentiments.

The doctrine of lead and mercury has been handed down for a long time; they are born from true water and true fire. Yellow lightness can produce white mercury, and white mercury can in turn transform back into yellow lightness.

These two things merge into one; a person alone cannot complete this cultivation. When one has personally refined the Qi of the nine Yang and the furnace fire has gone out, the host of immortals will come to welcome one.

Yellow lead again transforms into black lead, while white mercury penetrates the sacred realm and reveals its mystery. The man of the marshes in the west is paired with the woman of the palace in the east.

The two unite as husband and wife, revolve with the sun and moon, merge into the Great Dao (道), and attain the rank of immortal. After nine refinings the radiance of the elixir appears, and from then on one lives forever, no longer counting the years.

The power of creation and transformation stands level with Heaven; this chapter speaks of the Way of the Returned Elixir. Harmonize Yin-Yang and the five colors, so that lead and mercury move according to the Three Mysteries.

The essences of Dragon and Tiger move with the breath, quietly refining in the lunar lodges of Fang and Shen. Do not abandon true water and true fire, and the cultivation can be raised to the realm of the immortals.

The five colors arise from a single thing, and the Three Origins proceed through the nine revolutions. True Yin-Yang shows its proper color, and true water and true fire complete the refining.

True mercury is established through true lead, and the true dragon, once transformed, is called the tiger. The radiance of the completed work equals that of the sun and moon, and the mystery of the numbers three and nine becomes plainly clear.

The sun and moon run on for ages, and Heaven and Earth are balanced by nature. The principle of the numinous elixir is subtle and profound, and the Great Dao (the Way) is distant and refined. The elixir is formed as true water and true fire refine each other.

True mercury (an alchemical term for the mercury-type substance in the elixir method) is established through true lead (the lead-type substance paired with true mercury). The true dragon transforms into the tiger, and so it is called "the tiger." The radiance produced matches that of the sun and moon, and the numerology of "three and nine" appears clearly.

The sun and moon run on for ages, and Heaven and Earth are balanced by nature. The principle of the numinous elixir is subtle and profound, and the Great Dao is distant and refined.

"Four-five" and "six-three" are terms the poem uses to describe the numerology of elixir refining. The golden flower is lush and beautiful, and the Wood Qi (vital energy) is pure and correct. When the outer firing process communicates with the inner firing process, questions of glory and disgrace may be left for the world to dispute.

True water issues from Qianyuan (the Origin of Qian, a direction or force symbolizing the source of yang strength), and true metal arises from the Wood Gate (the place where Wood Qi dwells). The Spirit Pool (the elixir pool of alchemical imagery) gathers in the tiger's po-soul, and the sacred fire subdues the dragon's hun-soul.

The sun and moon draw in the hun and po souls, and Yin-Yang refine and nourish the elixir that follows. After the "Nine Returns" (an alchemical term for the elixir's cycles of turning back and being refined again), it returns to Wu and Ji (the Earth stems in the sexagenary cycle, denoting the central, harmonizing Qi). In the end, as if riding a crane up to Heaven, one pays homage to the Celestial Venerable.