《阴丹内篇》

Kan (the hexagram from the Zhouyi that symbolizes water) belongs to Heaven and also represents the initial emergence of Yang Qi (vital energy). Li (the hexagram that symbolizes fire) belongs to Kun and also represents the initial emergence of Yin Qi. Can there be no Yin within Yang? The outer portions of the Kan hexagram consist entirely of Yin. Can there be no Yang within Yin? The outer portions of the Li hexagram consist entirely of Yang.

One extracts Yang Qi from within Yin so that the Yang Qi may fill out the Yin aspect, and one preserves the Yang Qi that is within Yang so that the Yang Qi may transform the Yin aspect. Consequently, whether one corresponds to Heaven above, to sand and mud below, or occupies the intermediate position as an ordinary person, one can alter one's form and attain the position of Qian (which symbolizes pure Yang). The purple terrace, the red bismuth, the jade peak and the jade nectar, and the firelight in the elixir vessel each remain in their proper places, whereupon the Three Peaks (symbolic designations employed in alchemy) are fully present. One must observe the marvels contained therein: two eights make one jin and three eights make one liang, so that the measures of jin and liang are brought into balance. One must stabilize the fire of the furnace: forty corresponds to the civil fire and sixty to the martial fire, so that both civil and martial fires are complete.

A Longquan sword of one chi in length together with two-horned cangjiu (the meaning of this phrase in the original is unclear) reveal the numinous wonders of a divine object. That amber can draw up mustard seeds and that a lodestone can attract a needle are manifestations of marvelous sympathetic response. One uses bismuth to gather mercury and mercury to gather Shen (spirit); one uses Shen to guard the physical form, Qi to conduct the medicinal substances, the medicinal substances to regulate the years of one's life, and then the years to refine and nourish the physical form. The entire principle of which I speak is contained in this. Those who obtain it should not speak of it, and those who speak of it should not transmit it; if one both speaks and transmits it, disaster will involve the nine ancestors (one's forebears through nine generations) and one will be subjected to examination and punishment by the Three Officials (the officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water in Daoist belief).

The minister explains: Heaven belongs to Yang, and Yang Qi originates in Kan; Kun belongs to Yin, and Yin Qi originates in Li. Yang also contains Yin, hence the Kan hexagram is Yang within and Yin without; Yin also contains Yang, hence……

(The original concluding sentence is fragmentary. After “hence……” it is followed by “nine ancestors, subjected to examination by the Three Officials,” so that the meaning cannot be made coherent. The foregoing translation is based on the content that can be discerned.)

The minister explains: Heaven belongs to Yang, and Yang Qi (vital energy) originally arises from the Kan trigram; Earth belongs to Yin, and Yin Qi originally arises from the Li trigram. There is also Yin within Yang, so the Kan trigram has a Yang line inside and Yin lines outside; there is also Yang within Yin, so the Li trigram has Yang lines outside and a Yin line inside.

The secret of the Yin Elixir lies in seeking out Yang Qi, refining and nourishing Yang Qi, eliminating the Yin Qi within the body, and enabling a person to reach a state of pure Yang. This is the general principle of the entire method. The scripture further uses trigram lines as a metaphor: Heaven has three lines, ordinary people have two lines, and sand and mud have only the initial line; by transforming the physical form, Yin can be converted into Yang. What is called “red lead” is the material first placed into the ding (cauldron); what is called “jade nectar” is the medicinal substance added therein; what is called “blazing light” refers to the fire timing. Once the method is mastered, one must abandon that side and adopt this side.

The method of observing its profundities is to measure with jin and liang: jin is placed first, liang comes after; the number of jin is small, the number of liang is large. Greater quantity is inferior to lesser quantity—this is the subtlety involved. The method of regulating rest and stillness uses civil fire and martial fire for warming and nourishing: civil fire precedes, martial fire follows. Civil fire is not intense; although martial fire is intense, it cannot be sustained for too long. Both movement and stillness must accord with their proper timings.

“Longquan cangjiu” speaks of the pairing of odd and even: one odd number and two even numbers succeed each other to constitute a whole; even numbers above, odd numbers below, arranged according to the suitable positions of the paired substances. Although “amber” and “lodestone” differ in nature, they can assist one another through Qi of the same category and are used to compound the medicines. Yang Qi attracts Yang Qi, Yin Qi attracts Yin Qi, because they share the same resonance of Qi.

After lead enters the Crimson Palace (the site of inner cultivation within the human body), Wood Qi no longer leaks outward, hence it is said “use lead to gather mercury”; when mercury gathers in the body, Shen (spirit) and Qi will not scatter, hence it is said “use mercury to gather Shen.” By guarding Shen-Qi and maintaining stillness, the physical form can endure for a long time, hence it is said “use Shen to guard the form.”

First gather the medicines, then use Qi to catalyze them; the medicines arrive following the Qi, hence it is said “use Qi to draw the medicine.” When the medicines enter the ding (the place of cultivation), jing and shen withdraw inward and are guarded; therefore it is said “use medicine to draw the years.” Continuously refining and nourishing the physical form, it can transform into so-called “golden bones”; therefore it is said “use years to refine the form.” When the Dao (the Way) reaches this stage, there are no further secrets; the crucial point lies only in cautious transmission. If transmission is not done with care, the nine ancestors will suffer calamity and the Three Officials (the Heaven, Earth, and Water Officials of Daoism) will send down punishment for examination—this is no empty talk.

I have previously examined the Lü Xian Huangding Jue and the Yin Dan Jue presented by Chuan Shi’an; the two accounts differ somewhat. Although both speak of “three peaks,” there are in fact only two kinds. This is probably because they misunderstood the so-called “purple court red lead,” taking “elixir-pot flowing sand” as that substance, and thus reduced three to two. Now the three I have explained are complete, and the contents concerning the Great Medicine have all been fully stated. Because these matters ought originally to be kept secret, I have deliberately arranged the text in disordered sequence, just as in the Cantong Qi.