《黄帝九鼎神丹经诀》Vol. 1

The Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons Divine Elixir and Its Secret Oral Instructions (Huangdi Jiuding Shendan Jing Jue) is a Daoist alchemical text included in the Zhonghua Daozang, within the Taiqing Jindan Jing (Scripture of the Golden Elixir of Great Purity) section. The chapter catalogue lists the contents of each fascicle. These mainly describe the origins of the divine elixir (shendan), the selection of a teacher and the reception of secret instructions, protection against evil influences and the guarding of the spirit (shen), the talismans (fulu) and equipment needed for alchemy, and the refining, combination, and taboos of substances such as gold, silver, cinnabar, mercury, and realgar. The book also addresses the efficacy of the elixirs and the methods of taking and refining them.

Fascicle One: The chapter is titled Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons Divine Elixir of the Yellow Emperor.

Fascicle Two: It explains the origins of the divine elixir and the methods for selecting precious materials.

Fascicle Three: It explains how to choose a teacher and receive secret instructions, and it records cultivation methods that do not require transmission from a perfected person (zhenren).

Fascicle Four: It explains methods for warding off evil spirits and demonic influences, and for guarding the heart-mind (xin) and the body.

Fascicle Five: It explains the karmic conditions under which assistance from Daoist methods is needed to complete the divine elixir. It also introduces the Daoist Three Emperors Script (Sanhuang Wen) and the True Forms Diagrams of the Five Sacred Peaks (Wuyue Zhenxing Tu), and describes methods of using talismans to summon spirits and make their responses manifest.

Fascicle Six: It explains the efficacy of the divine elixir and the principle of seeking benefit through it.

Fascicle Seven: It explains the cultivation of the One (shouyi) and the avoidance of evil influences, as well as the arrangement of the cauldrons (ding), kettles (fu), and alchemical chamber (danfang).

Fascicle Eight: It explains how to transform stone into water and how to refine saltpeter (xiao, nitrates).

Fascicle Nine: It explains the properties of gold and silver, and the methods of taking and refining them.

Fascicle Ten: It explains the taboos and precautions to observe when refining medicines, as well as methods of harmonizing yin and yang and subduing the potency of substances.

Fascicle Eleven: It explains the relationship between mercury and longevity, and the methods of tempering it and removing its toxicity.

Fascicle Twelve: It explains methods involving water and saltpeter, and describes the lead (qian) used in the combined refining of the Nine Elixirs, along with the efficacy of lead.

Fascicle Thirteen: It explains the potency of cinnabar and the methods of using it to cultivate the Way of longevity.

Fascicle Fourteen: It explains the methods of refining realgar (xionghuang).

Fascicle Fifteen: It explains the spiritual qualities (lingxing) attributed to the various mineral medicines.

Fascicle Sixteen: It explains the reasons for refining the various kinds of mineral medicines, and the longevity uses they are believed to have.

Fascicle Seventeen: It explains the order in which medicines are used, the intoxicating properties of certain drugs, and the origin of Huachi ("Flowery Pool," a liquid or vessel used in alchemy).

Fascicle Eighteen: It explains minerals such as stalactite (zhongru), and the reasons why metals such as copper and iron are believed to have longevity uses.

Fascicle Nineteen: It explains how to handle toxicity, combine medicines, and avoid taboos when refining medicines such as copper, iron, and sulfur stone.

Fascicle Twenty: It explains the taboos in the combined refining of elixirs, the causes of failure and the mnemonic formulas for avoiding them, and the secret oral formulas of the Nine Cauldron Elixir.

Fascicle One (text): The chapter is titled Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons Divine Elixir of the Yellow Emperor.

The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) received from the Mysterious Woman (Xuannü), a goddess of the heavens, the method for refining the Returning Elixir (huandan) and for reaching the Supreme Dao (zhidao). After the Yellow Emperor refined the elixir and took it, he became an immortal. The Mysterious Woman told him: "Those who long for longevity but do not obtain the divine elixir and golden fluid (lingyao, the spirit medicines produced through alchemy), which constitute the supreme Dao, suffer in vain. Even those who practice breath regulation and guiding exercises (daoyin), expel the old and take in the new, or take herbal medicines may extend their years, yet they cannot ultimately escape death. Taking the divine elixir enables a person to attain the Dao, become an immortal, and transcend the mundane world, enduring together with Heaven and Earth and shining together with the sun and moon. Seated, one can see ten thousand li away and command gods and spirits, and an entire household may ascend together. Even without wings, one can ride the clouds and mount dragons, rising as high as Taiqing (Grand Clarity), the lofty heavenly realm of Daoist cosmology. In a brief moment one can journey through the eight directions, unhindered by rivers and undaunted by any poison."

The Yellow Emperor transmitted this method to Xuanzi (Master Xuan) and solemnly admonished him: "This method is of the utmost importance and must be passed only to a person of virtue and worth. If no suitable person can be found, then even if someone has gold piled up like a mountain and a realm of ten thousand li, do not reveal the method to them. Mastering a single one of the elixir methods is sufficient to attain immortality; there is no need to seek all nine."

When transmitting the method, one must prepare a golden figure weighing nine liang and a golden fish weighing three liang, to serve as offerings from the initiate, which are cast into east-flowing water as a sworn oath. Before the transmission, both master and disciple must fast and bathe. At a place by the water where no one is present, a seat is set up to enshrine the Mysterious Woman, and incense is burned to report the wish to bestow the way of longevity upon a certain person. The elixir scriptures are then placed on a table, the seats are arranged, and the transmission is readied. The participants bow facing north for a period of time. If the sky is clear and windless, the transmission may proceed. Master and disciple also drink the blood of a white parrot to seal their covenant, and the oral formulas and the essentials for compounding the elixir are transmitted. Finally, the golden figure and the golden fish are cast into the water. The scripture concludes that among the countless multitudes of the world, those without the innate capacity for immortality will ultimately never encounter this method.

The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) said: In refining divine elixirs (shendan), one should choose deep mountains, great marshes, or remote villages and empty, uninhabited places. If the elixir is refined where people live in crowds, one must build high walls and thick barriers so that ordinary people cannot see it. Those without a foundation in cultivating immortality will in the end be unable to glimpse this art of the Dao.

The Yellow Emperor further said: The divine elixir should be refined in deep mountains, great marshes, remote villages, or uninhabited wilds. If it is refined among people, it should be screened off with high walls and thick barriers, so that it cannot be seen from either inside or outside. No more than two or three people should accompany the work. Before beginning, one must fast for seven days and bathe with five kinds of fragrant herbs, so that the body, the mind, and all the implements used remain clean. Do not touch defilement, and do not visit households holding funerals or marrying off daughters.

The Yellow Emperor said: Before buying the medicinal materials needed to refine the divine elixir, one must fast for seven days. Bathe on a zi day or a chou day, and buy the materials on a "Seizing Day" (zhiri), an auspicious day in traditional day-selection practice. Sit facing the "Monthly Virtue" (yuede) direction of the current month, which is also auspicious, and do not argue over whether the price is high or low.

The Dark Woman (Xuannü), a goddess of legend, said: The fifth day of the fifth month is the best time to refine the elixir, and the seventh day of the seventh month comes next. To begin, the days jiazi, dingsi, the "Opening Day" (kairi), and the "Removal Day" (churi), all from traditional day selection, are preferred. The days jiashen, yisi, and yimao are the next best. The elixir also has days to avoid. In spring, avoid wuchen and jisi. In summer, avoid dingsi, wushen, renchen, and jiwei. In autumn, avoid wuxu, xinhai, and gengzi. In winter, avoid wuyin, jiwei, guimao, and guiyou. Further inauspicious days include the "Moon Killer" (yueshi), the "Branch Heavenly Season" (zhitianji), the days of the first, middle, and last months of each season (sim-meng, zhong, ji), the "Monthly Harvest" (yueshou), renwu, bingxu, guihai, xinsi, the days of the "Monthly Establishment" (yuejian), and the first and fifteenth days of each month. None of these days may be used to light the fire for refining the divine elixir.

The work must be kept secret. Do not associate with ignorant worldly people, and do not let anyone who is jealous, quick to gossip, talkative, or disbelieving of the Way hear of the refining, or the divine elixir will not be completed.

Once the divine elixir is complete, a person becomes a zhenren (a perfected person, one who has attained the Way and become an immortal), able to ascend to heaven, descend into the abyss, and transform in unpredictable ways. One can even lead the whole family to immortality, not just oneself. Ordinary people, however, begrudge their money and refuse to refine elixirs, placing their faith instead in herbal medicines. But herbs buried in the earth rot, herbs boiled turn to mush, and herbs burned become charred, so they cannot even preserve their own substance, let alone grant long life. Herbal medicines can cure illness and replenish vital energy, yet they still cannot spare a person from death. The "returning elixir" (huandan), refined through processing, is the essential key to the Great Way, and it is not something ordinary people are able to hear of.

The Yellow Emperor said: When you first light the fire to begin refining, set out an offering beside the cauldron: five sheng of fine white liquor, three jin each of dried beef and dried mutton, and two portions of cooked yellow millet.

The Yellow Emperor said: When beginning the refinement, one should set out an offering beside the furnace and cauldron. Prepare five sheng of fine white liquor, three jin each of dried beef and dried mutton, two sheng of cooked yellow millet rice, three sheng of jujubes, a dou of pears, thirty boiled eggs, and three carp, each weighing three jin. Divide the offerings among three offering tables, placing two cups on each table. After burning incense, bow twice and pray, saying: "Your disciple, so-and-so, sincerely offers reverence to the Great Dao Lord, Lord Lao, and the Grand Harmony Lord. Your disciple, so-and-so, wholeheartedly seeks life and delights in the Great Dao. I pray that the medicinal materials will not scatter or be lost during their refinement, and that all will be completed as fire-subduing medicine. May the medicine be finished and of excellent quality, transforming at will so that the yellow and white substances can all be refined and subdued. Having taken the elixir, may I ascend to immortality, have audience at the Purple Palace (the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor), attain boundless longevity, and ultimately become a Perfected." During the prayer, perform the libation rite, then bow again. When the rites are complete, present the various red fruits along with tangerines, pomelos, and the like, and then ignite the fire according to the prescribed method.

The Yellow Emperor said: To refine the divine elixir (shendan), one must first refine "Mysterious Yellow" (xuanhuang). The method for refining Mysterious Yellow is to take ten jin of mercury and twenty jin of lead, place them in an iron vessel, and heat them from below with fierce fire. The lead and mercury will release their essences, which appear purple and at times golden-yellow. Collect these essences with an iron spatula. They are called "Mysterious Yellow," and are also known as "Yellow Essence" (huangjing), "Yellow Sprout" (huangya), or "Yellow Light" (huangqing). Next, place the medicinal substance in a bamboo tube and steam it one hundred times, then perform "flying refinement" (feilian), a method of heating a substance so that it sublimates and recondenses, using a water prepared with realgar and cinnabar. The method for preparing this realgar-cinnabar water is found in the Thirty-Six Waters.

The Yellow Emperor said: One must also prepare "Six-One Clay" (liuyi ni), the earth used to seal and coat the vessels for refining elixirs. The method is as follows. Take four materials, alum (fanshi), Rong salt (rong yan, an ancient kind of salt), brine salt (lu xian), and yushi, and roast them together for twenty days. Then add seven equal portions of the following: Eastern Sea Zuogu oyster shell, red ochre (chishizhi), and talc (huashi). The amounts may be adjusted as circumstances require. Mix the materials and pound them ten thousand times until they are as fine as powder. Wrap the powder in an iron vessel and fire it for nine days and nights. The fire must be strong enough to make the materials glow red like flame. Then pound the mixture another ten thousand times, sift it through silk, and blend it with "Hundred-Day Flower Pool" (baiyi huachi), a liquid named in the scripture, to form a paste.

Next, coat a pot made of red earth with this paste. The pot should hold eight or nine sheng, and a larger one may hold one dou. Apply the paste inside and outside to a thickness of about three fen, then set the pot in the sun for ten days until it is completely dry. Next, roast hufen (lead white) until it turns golden yellow. Take equal portions of the "dark" (xuan) and "yellow" (huang) materials mentioned earlier, blend them with Hundred-Day Flower Pool, and coat the inside and outside of the earthen pot, again to a thickness of three fen. Dry it in the sun for another ten days until it is thoroughly dry. Only then may it be used to fly-refine the Elixir Flower (danhua).

There is also an alternative method. Once the pot and the Six-One Clay are prepared, place the pot inside a jar, cover the mouth of the jar, and leave it to dry in a cool place. The jar should be kept three or four chi above the ground and must remain dry. This likewise makes it suitable for fly-refining the Elixir Flower.

The first of the divine elixirs is called the "Elixir Flower" (danhua).

Method of preparation: Take one pound of true cinnabar, though two or even ten pounds may also be used; the quantity may be chosen according to one’s means. Place the cinnabar in a cauldron, cover it with brine salt, and tamp it down. Then seal the joints around the mouth of the cauldron with Sixfold Mud, so that no vapor can escape. Inspect it carefully: there must be no crack as fine as a strand of hair. Otherwise, all the essence of the medicine will disperse, leaving only residue, which is of no benefit to take.

Once it is sealed, leave it to dry for more than seven days before using it. Do not apply heat before it is dry. First warm it for nine days and nine nights with a fire made from horse manure and bran, keeping the fire five inches from the cauldron. Then move the fire closer and continue for another nine days and nine nights. Finally, let the fire reach halfway up the cauldron and burn for nine days and nine nights more. After thirty-six days in all, put out the fire and let the cauldron cool for one day. The medicine will fly up and adhere to the upper part of the cauldron, like five-colored langgan, a precious stone resembling jade. Some pieces will look like shooting stars, some like frost or snow; some will be bright red like cinnabar, while others will be blue or purple. Sweep them up with a broom. From the original pound, four ounces will have been lost.

If the medicine has not been refined enough to withstand fire, it should be subjected to another sublimation. Mix it with Dark Water liquid and Dragon Ointment, stirring until slightly damp. Put it in a cauldron of Dark, Yellow, and Red Earth, seal it as before, and sublime it over a fierce fire. Sublime it for another thirty-six days. After seventy-two days in all, the medicine will be refined.

To take the medicine, observe abstinence, bathe, and burn incense for five to seven days. At dawn, face east and bow; then kneel and take a dose the size of a large millet grain, or a small bean. A superior adept who takes it can ascend to heaven after seven days; a middling adept will attain immortality after seventy days; an ordinary person can attain immortality after one year. This cinnabar flower—the essence obtained through alchemical refinement—is also well suited for refining the cauldron to sublime a second medicine, as well as the Nine Elixirs and various divine elixirs.

The Mysterious Woman said: “Once the cinnabar flower has been refined, use it to test the making of gold. If it can be made into gold, the medicine has been successfully refined; if it cannot, the medicine has not been successfully refined. Medicine that has not been refined enough to withstand fire must not be taken. The cause may also be a poorly sealed cauldron or a violation of ritual prohibitions. Sublime it again according to the previous method, then test it once more.”

Form Dragon Ointment into pellets the size of small beans. Place them over a fierce fire and blow through a bellows for the time it takes to eat a meal; they will become inferior gold. Alternatively, use twenty-four zhu of cinnabar flower to transmute one pound of powdered mercury into gold. Once the gold has been made, place the medicine in a tube. Then add one zhu of cinnabar flower to one pound of mercury or one pound of lead. Apply a strong fire, increasing its intensity gradually while blowing with a bellows; either substance can be refined into gold. Take particular care with the proportions of pounds and zhu: too much will make the gold too hard, while too little will make it too soft. Neither will be suitable for hammering.

The scripture also says: “If the gold is successfully made, it can benefit the world. If it is not, one’s life will be difficult to preserve, and in the end one will only have wasted oneself in vain.”

“How should this medicine be stored and preserved?”

The second kind of divine elixir is called “Divine Talisman.” Put an appropriate amount of nontoxic mercury into a cauldron made of “Six-and-One Clay,” the clay used to seal alchemical vessels. Seal it and let it dry; prepare it in the same way as Cinnabar Blossom. After nine cycles of sublimation, let the cauldron cool, scrape off the medicine adhering to its inner surface, and mix it with carp bile. Seal it again as before and continue sublimating for nine more cycles. Once it has cooled, scrape off the medicine and mix it with dragon paste. This is called “Divine Talisman.”

Take ten jin of Lead Yellow Blossom—the yellow essence obtained by refining lead—and sublimate it nine times in the same way. After it cools, scrape off the medicine and mix it with carp bile. Seal it again, sublimate it for nine cycles, then let it cool and scrape off the medicine. Mix it with dragon paste; this, too, is called “Divine Talisman.”

Put ten jin of Lead Yellow Blossom in a measuring vessel and heat it over charcoal. Then add seven jin of mercury to the lead and heat it briefly over a fierce fire. The essences rise together, taking a form like gold and like a shooting star: purple-red, flowing beads streaked with yellow-brown and the other five colors. Catch them with an iron spoon. Once ten jin have been collected, refine them through nine cycles. This is called “Yellow of Cinnabar Blossom,” also known as “Liquid of Dark Yellow” or “Talisman of Heaven and Earth.” Pound and process it until the mercury turns into cinnabar; this is called “Returning Elixir.” The scripture says this method was secretly transmitted by the sages. Ordinary Daoist practitioners cannot know it; only those of exceptional insight can understand it.

The scripture also says that fire is called “Ziming,” and mercury is also called “Ziming.” Lead essence has other names, including “Great Yin,” “Metal Lord,” “River Cart,” “Maiden,” and “Stone that Establishes Control.” Ignorant people use “Stone that Establishes Control” from the mountains directly in their alchemical medicines, but the scripture says this is wrong. The Perfected One says that all stone gall comes from lead. Since ordinary people do not understand this, they instead use stone gall from Qiangli to refine divine medicines. As a result, the medicine cannot be completed, and they stray far from the right path.

The Perfected One also says that one must refine the essence of cinnabar sand into “Flowing Pearl Frost and Snow,” and lead essence into “Returning Elixir.” Only then can one make medicines that transform substances into gold and silver. If these two ingredients are not used, even if the medicine takes the form of an elixir, taking it still puts one’s life in danger. The scripture calls lead “Great Yin” and cinnabar sand “Great Yang.”

The text next records a method for refining lead and mercury. Take nine jin of mercury and one jin of lead, put them in a red-clay cauldron, and heat them over a fierce fire from daytime until past noon. Another account says that at sunset the mercury and lead essence rise together, golden in color. This is called “Yellow Essence,” and is also known as “Yellow Sprout,” “Light Yellow,” or “Yellow Blossom.” When it is boiled and refined with Wellhead Water—the water drawn from a well at dawn—it is called “Yellow Blossom Pool.” It is also known by the names “Yellow Dragon,” “Yellow Garment,” and “Stone that Establishes Control.”

Mix “Dark Yellow” with “Dark Water Liquid” and knead the mixture into pellets like sealing clay. Put them in a red-clay cauldron and seal it with Six-and-One Clay, about three fen thick on both the inside and outside. Let it dry for ten days, making sure no air can escape. Then heat it for eighty days over a fire of horse dung or rice husks, and the medicine will be complete. Put one knife-tip measure of Dark Yellow into a fierce fire and blow on it with bellows for the time it takes to eat a meal. If it melts completely into gold, the refining is successful. If it does not turn into gold, the medicine is still immature and must not be taken. Take another knife-tip measure of Dark Yellow and test it in the fire as before. If it still fails, return it to the red-clay cauldron, seal it with clay as before, and heat it for eighty days. Only then may it be used. Dark Yellow is also called “Cinnabar in Hiding” or “Purple Powder.”

The scripture says to take the medicine at dawn on a jiazi day, facing east and bowing. Swallow one pellet about the size of a small bean, once a day. After taking it for one hundred days, one can become an immortal; all illnesses will be cured, including epilepsy and leprosy. The text then describes mixing Dark Yellow with “Flower Pool,” sealing it in a red-clay cauldron, and adding mercury to continue the refining. The quantities of ingredients can be decided as one wishes; it says that three jin of medicine can make one person immortal.

For the specific method, take ten liang of Dark Yellow essence and three jin of mercury and put them in an earthen cauldron. Cover them with a layer of Dark Yellow about two cun thick, place another earthen cauldron on top, and seal the joint tightly with Six-and-One Clay so that no air can escape. First leave it in the sunlight until completely dry before heating it. If the medicine is damp, the vessels will crack when heated. Then, following the method for refining Cinnabar Blossom, heat it over a fire of horse dung or rice husks for nine days and nights. Stop the fire and let it cool for a day, then open the cauldron. The medicine will rise and adhere to the inner wall of the upper cauldron, resembling frost and snow, with purple, red, vermilion, green, and other colors. It will shine with five-colored light and be a little over two fen thick. Brush it off with a feather.

Seal the pellets in the cauldron again as before, cover them with a layer of Dark Yellow about one cun thick, seal them with clay, and leave them in the sun for a full ten days. Once completely dry, heat them again. The scripture says that if the medicine is damp, it will make the cauldron crack when heated. Continue heating for nine days and nights, stop the fire, and let it cool for a day. Then open the cauldron and use a feather to brush off the essence adhering to the inside of the upper vessel. If the medicine is purple, it is called “Divine Talisman Returning Elixir.” Mix it with dragon paste and form pellets about the size of small beans.

To take it, bow facing east at dawn on a jiazi day, kneel, and swallow the medicine. The scripture claims that after taking it for one hundred days, one will see immortals and jade maidens and fly among the gods. To cross a great body of water, mix Divine Talisman with dragon paste or with what the scripture calls “River Lord’s Remnant,” then smear it on the soles of the feet; one will be able to walk on the water without drowning. To enter a fire, take one pellet and one will feel no heat. The scripture also claims that after one hundred days of taking the medicine, the “Three Corpses and Nine Worms”—the harmful spirits and worms said in Daoism to dwell within the body—will decay on their own, allowing one to live forever without dying.

The third kind of divine elixir is called the “Divine Elixir.”

First, coat the inside and outside of two red-earth crucibles—alchemical vessels made of red earth—with Liuyi mud, a sealing clay used in Daoist alchemy. Apply a layer three fen thick. It is said that this will cause the Three Corpses and Nine Worms—impure entities believed in Daoism to lurk within the body and hinder cultivation—to decay on their own, enabling one to live forever.

Next, take equal amounts of oyster, red halloysite, and magnetite. Pound them ten thousand times and grind them into powder, then moisten the powder with Hundred-Day Flower Pool, an alchemical term for a treated liquid. The scripture also says that the powder may be spread inside a crucible, then covered with a layer of Mysterious Yellow Flower about one cun thick.

Then take two jin of “Imperial Male” (realgar) and one jin of “Imperial Female” (orpiment). Lightly moisten them with Hundred-Day Flower Pool so they will not scatter, then place them in an iron mortar and pound them ten thousand times into powder. Put the powder into the upper crucible, cover it with about one cun of yellow powder, and join the two crucibles. Seal them tightly with Liuyi mud so no air can escape, and leave them to dry for ten days.

Next, use horse dung and grain chaff as fuel to fire the crucibles for nine days and nine nights, keeping the flames five cun from their sides. Gradually add fuel until the fire draws closer to the vessels, and continue firing for another nine days and nine nights. Build the fire up to halfway along the crucibles’ bellies and fire them for a further nine days and nine nights. After thirty-six days in all, let them cool for one day. Use a feather to sweep up the flying essence—the fine powder formed during alchemical firing—that has adhered to the crucibles. Mix it with dragon ointment, an oil-based alchemical auxiliary, and return it to the crucibles. Seal them again with mud, let them dry, and fire them for another thirty-six days; another account gives twenty-seven days. Once the fire is out, let the crucibles cool for a day, then open them and use a feather to sweep up the product. This is called “flying essence”; after further processing, it is called the “Divine Elixir.”

The scripture says that those of the highest attainment who take one knife-tip measure a day will become immortals after fifty days; those of middling attainment after one hundred days; and ordinary people after a year. Men and women, young and old, servants, and even domestic animals will all become immortal and never die if they take it. Carrying the Divine Elixir on one’s person can also ward off injury from weapons. After one hundred days of taking the elixir, various immortals will come to welcome the practitioner. Jade boys, jade girls, jade youths, and such spirits as the Mountain Lords and Marsh Commandants will also come as attendants, appearing in human form. Whether one can transcend the world ultimately depends on oneself.

The fourth kind of divine elixir is called the Reverted Elixir.

Take alum stone, yu stone, hematite, Rong salt, oyster shell, red stone fat, earth-dragon dung, mica, and talc—nine substances in all. Refine them over a fierce fire for one day and one night. Then grind them together into powder and mix them with “zuo wei”—a term used in the original whose precise meaning is unclear—until they form a paste. Put the paste into a cauldron and add one jin of mercury.

Next, add in order di nan, ceng qing, alum stone, ting zhi, lu xian, and Taiyi Yu yuliang, then add alum stone ground into powder. Place yu stone on top, with the mercury by itself below. Prepare these seven substances separately, mixing and grinding each in a different vessel. First put one jin of mercury alone at the bottom of the cauldron, then add the other substances in order.

Fit the lid onto the cauldron. Use zuo wei to prepare “six-one mud,” the clay used to seal and secure alchemical vessels, and seal the cauldron tightly. Leave it in the sun for ten days. Then set the cauldron on three iron pillars, raised nine cun above the ground. Use horse dung and chaff as fuel, heating it from a point five cun below the bottom of the cauldron. Begin with a low fire for nine days and nine nights, then raise the fire to halfway up the cauldron’s body and continue heating for another nine days and nine nights. Keep a wet cloth over the cauldron to prevent the substances from scattering, rewetting it whenever it dries. Continue heating at the intensities specified in the text until the full eighty-one days have passed. Let the cauldron cool for one day, then open it. The substances will have sublimated and congealed on the inner surface of the lid, and five colors will appear on the cauldron. The scripture says that this method of refining substances by sublimation and congealing is the key to alchemy.

Scrape off the substances with a parrot feather, mix them with flowers from the hundred herbs, and take one dose with “wellhead water”—the first water drawn from a well at dawn. The scripture says that after one hundred days of taking it, the Vermilion Bird and phoenix will circle overhead, and divine beings and jade maidens will come. After two hundred days, one will be able to ascend to heaven and enter the earth, with immortals coming to serve. After one year, Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity, will arrive in a cloud chariot drawn by dragon horses to welcome the practitioner. This elixir is said to free a person from hunger and thirst and extend life by a hundred years. One should also drink water from a stone spring and eat twenty dates and chestnuts, along with five cun of dried beef or mutton.

The scripture further says that if the Reverted Elixir is smeared on coins to buy something, the coins will return by themselves that same day; if it is applied around the eyes, all ghosts will flee. Mix one dao gui, an ancient unit of measure, of the powder with one jin of mercury and heat it, and it will immediately refine into gold. Another method uses dragon salve to mix the substances; after heating for nine days and nine nights, they can be refined into true gold.

The fifth type of divine elixir is called the “Ingested Elixir.”

Take one jin of mercury and place it in a Liuyi vessel, a container used for preparing elixirs. Take one jin of Emperor’s Man, pound it into powder, and spread it over the mercury. Then take one jin of Yu’s Remaining Grain, also pound it into powder, and spread it over the Emperor’s Man. Fit the Liuyi vessel together, seal the join, and coat it thoroughly with Liuyi clay, the clay used to seal vessels during elixir preparation. Let it dry. Heat it for nine days and nine nights with horse dung mixed with rice chaff as fuel, then heat it for another nine days and nine nights over charcoal. After the fire has cooled for a day, open the vessel. The substances will have sublimated and condensed on the upper lid like frost and snow. Sweep them off with a feather, then combine them in equal proportions with Dragon Paste and Shaoshi Celestial Aconite. Afterward, “then take it with yingzi.” Another account says to mix it with yingzi blood.

Take one daogui, an ancient unit for measuring a tiny dose. After thirty days, one will ascend to immortality. The myriad spirits will come to guard and escort one; Jade Maidens will be at one’s service; and immortals will come to welcome one and carry one up to heaven. The hundred ghosts, the spirits of the soil and grain, the Earl of Wind, and the Master of Rain will also come to welcome one and be at one’s service.

The sixth type of elixir is called “Refined Elixir.”

Take eight kinds of minerals and refine them into an elixir. These are cinnabar from the Ba and Yue regions; “Emperor Male” and “Emperor Female” (mineral names not explained in the scripture); zengqing; alum stone; yushi; stone bile; and magnetite. Use equal amounts of each, with the total quantity left to judgment. Grind them separately into fine powder, then mix them with earth-dragon paste.

Take two sheng of earth-dragon droppings and combine them with the liver and gallbladder of a yellow dog to make a vessel for refining the medicine. Grind three jin each of oyster shell and red ochre into fine powder. Mix these with the materials described above to form a clay, then coat the inside and outside of the vessel with a layer about three fen thick. Let it dry. Another method is to use whatever quantities of the eight ingredients are appropriate. Mix earth-dragon paste, one sheng of earth-dragon droppings, and the yellow dog’s gallbladder; then add two sheng of earth-dragon droppings, along with powdered oyster shell and red ochre. Form a clay and coat the inside and outside of the vessel with a layer about three fen thick. Let it dry.

Grind each of the eight minerals into fine powder and place them in the vessel in order: cinnabar at the bottom, followed by Emperor Male, Emperor Female, zengqing, alum stone, yushi, and stone bile, with magnetite on top. Close it with a Liuyi vessel, made according to the “Six Ones” method, and seal the join with Liuyi clay. Let it dry as before.

Then refine it for thirty-six days over a matong husk fire, fueled by horse dung and chaff, and stop the fire when the time is up. After it has cooled for one day, open the vessel. The medicines will have risen to the top and formed a frostlike deposit. Sweep it off with a feather and collect it, then mix it with dragon paste and make pills the size of small beans. Take one pill each day after eating. In ten days, one will become an immortal; spirits and ghosts will come to protect and serve. This elixir can also be used to refine gold. Both men and women can use it to ascend and become immortals.

Those who wish to abstain from grain must refrain from sexual relations for a long time, drinking only water and avoiding intercourse. The residue left after refining this elixir can treat every illness. Another account says that refining lead together with the medicine can produce gold: mix one daogui measure of the elixir with one jin of mercury, then heat and refine it to obtain gold. Another account holds that Soft Elixir resembles Refined-Meal Elixir; it is smooth in texture and easy to take.

The seventh kind of elixir is called “Soft Elixir.”

Take three jin of mercury and mix it with zuowei (an auxiliary substance used in ancient alchemy) and xuanhuang (an alchemical material whose precise identity is unknown), stirring until it forms a paste. Coat an earthen crucible (a ceramic vessel used in alchemy) with the paste. Put another jin of mercury into the crucible and heat it for refinement; gold can be obtained. Another account says that Soft Elixir resembles Elixir for Ingestion: it is smooth and easy to swallow.

The seventh kind of elixir is called “Soft Elixir.”

Take three jin of mercury, mix it with zuowei and xuanhuang, and stir until it forms a paste. Coat the inside and outside of an earthen crucible with the paste to a thickness of about three fen. Put mercury into another crucible, seal its mouth with liuyi mud (a type of mud used to seal alchemical crucibles), and leave it to dry for ten days. Then heat it for thirty-six days according to the method for refining Great Elixir Flower, and let it cool for one day. When the crucible is opened, use a feather to sweep up the substance adhering to it. Add dragon paste (an auxiliary substance used in alchemy), and take an amount the size of a small bean three times a day. The scripture says that taking it in this way enables one to attain the Dao and live forever.

The scripture also says to mix Soft Elixir with porcelain juice (a liquid auxiliary substance used in ancient alchemy) and take it. If a ninety-year-old takes it for twenty days, their white hair will turn black and their ability to bear children will increase; even sexual intercourse in old age will produce many children. Drawing on a parasol tree with Soft Elixir can make the tree become human in form; writing with Soft Elixir prevents servants from running away. Women aged eighty who take it will also be able to bear children, and officials who take it will be promoted. Heating Soft Elixir with lead for ten days can produce gold and silver. This elixir is also called Gold.

The eighth kind of elixir is called “Hidden Elixir.”

The finished product is deep black with a purplish cast, and faintly shimmers with all five colors. Take one jin of mercury, or increase the amount if desired. Coat the inside and outside walls of an earthen alchemical vessel with a layer of “Mysterious Yellow Flower” three fen thick. Then pound the blue-green mineral and magnetite into powder and spread it over the coating. Place the mercury on top of the mineral powders. Cover the vessel with a second alchemical vessel and seal the joint between them with Liuyi mud. Let it dry for ten days.

Then fire it for nine days and nine nights using fuel made from horse manure and chaff. Turn the upper and lower vessels around, and continue firing for another nine days and nine nights. Turn them again and fire for a further nine days and nine nights. Repeat this process nine times, exchanging the vessels’ positions nine times in all, before stopping. After it has cooled for one day, open the vessel and gently sweep up with a feather the sublimated material adhering to the inner wall of the upper vessel. Mix it with dragon paste, return it to the vessel, and fire it for another ten days. After cooling it for one day, open the vessel again and sweep up with a feather the sublimated material adhering to the upper part. Pound it into powder and place it in a gold tube, a silver tube, or a new bamboo tube.

Each morning, face the sun, bow twice, and kneel upright. Take about one daogui of the elixir with well water drawn at dawn; a daogui was an ancient measure for medicines, and also refers to the small amount it held. This is said to make one an immortal. Carrying a date-stone-sized pill in one’s hand while traveling is said to disperse all ghosts. Writing with this “Soft Elixir” on a doorway keeps all evil spirits, goblins, and demons at bay; it also wards off thieves and even drives away tigers and wolves. A woman alone at home who carries a bean-sized pill while traveling is likewise said to keep ghosts and thieves far away, so that none dare approach.

The ninth elixir is called “Cold Elixir.”

Make an elixir cauldron from red earth, and coat both its inside and outside with Liuyi mud (a clay used to seal and secure vessels during elixir making), three fen thick per layer. Let it dry. Follow the same method as for making Elixir Blossoms. Take one jin each of Di Nan, Di Nü, Zengqing, Yushi, and magnetite, and grind each separately into powder.

First add Xuanhuang, following the method used for making Elixir Blossoms, to the Liuyi cauldron. Then put one jin of Liuzhu (mercury) into the cauldron, followed in turn by Di Nan, Di Nü, Zengqing, Yushi, and magnetite, with the magnetite on top. Fit the two cauldrons together and seal the joint with a three-fen-thick layer of Liuyi mud.

Next, mix half a jin each of earth-dragon droppings and yellow earth into a paste. One account says to coat the cauldron with oyster shell and red halloysite, three fen thick, then apply a three-fen-thick layer of earth-dragon droppings. Leave it for ten days. Once dry, heat it over a low flame, first gently and then intensely, for nine days and nine nights without interruption. Let it cool for one day, then open it and use a feather to sweep off the medicine adhering to the surface. Mix the recovered medicine with the ingredients listed above and apply it in a three-fen-thick layer; coat the outside with another three-fen-thick layer of earth-dragon droppings. Leave it for ten days to dry, then heat it again for nine days and nine nights, first gently and then intensely. Let it cool for one day, then open it and use a feather to sweep off the material adhering to the surface.

Mix the resulting medicine with Dragon Paste and yellow-dog gall, and form it into pills the size of small beans. At dawn, draw fresh water from a well, face the sun, bow twice, and swallow one pill. The scripture says that taking it makes the body light and strong, and that all illnesses are cured within a hundred days; the Jade Maiden comes to serve, and the Director of Fate (the deity who governs lifespan) cancels one’s name from the register of the dead and enters it in the register of immortals. One can also fly freely up and down and come and go without restraint, depart at once whether sitting or standing, and ascend to heaven, light in body and riding the clouds.

End of volume one of The Instructions of the Yellow Emperor’s Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons and Divine Elixirs.

The Instructions of the Yellow Emperor’s Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons and Divine Elixirs, volume two

This volume explains the origins of the divine elixir and describes how to obtain it and the essential points of the method.

I believe there are nine methods of making the Return Elixir, the art of preparing elixirs and ingesting them in the hope of attaining longevity. These methods come from the supreme scriptures of the Nine Directions, transmitted by the Dao Lord of the Primordial Way of the Nine Heavens. In ancient times, the Perfected Ones Wang Qiao, Chisongzi, and the Yellow Emperor all received this scripture from the Dark Lady, a goddess of the celestial realm. The Dark Lady is a heavenly maiden.

The first account concerns “the Way of the Perfected One Daoming.” The Perfected Lady Suyü is the sovereign of the immortals and the teacher of Heaven and Earth. Her rank is that of a “Perfected One,” so all the immortals take her as their teacher. A Perfected One is born before Heaven and dies only after Earth; she cannot drown or be harmed by fire, poison, or weapons. Her powers are vast: she can transform herself at will and command all the immortals, accomplishing whatever she undertakes. She understands numinous medicines and can communicate with the spirits, which is why the scripture calls her a “Perfected One.” Those who take the elixir can become immortal in body and attain the state of a Perfected One; they can also summon the Lord of Wind and the Master of Rain.

Immortals rank above the myriad ghosts, and their bodies can subdue every kind of spirit-being. “Taking minor elixirs” refers to ingesting medicines such as mica, the Eight Stones, and herb fungi; these are said to enable one to become immortal. The Jade Maiden Qingyao is the daughter of the Lord of Wind and ranks far below the Dark Lady and Suyü. Jade Maidens were originally mortal women who attained the Dao through study and were then given that title. They could also serve as wives, concubines, or attendants to the immortals.

This Nine Elixirs Scripture was originally received from the Dark Lady by Wang Qiao, Chisongzi, and the Yellow Emperor; it was not transmitted by lesser immortals.

I, Ge Hong, note: The Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons of the Divine Elixir, attributed to the Yellow Emperor, says that after taking the divine elixir, the Yellow Emperor ascended to Heaven and became an immortal. Practicing breathing and daoyin exercises, or taking herbal medicines, may extend one’s life, but death ultimately remains unavoidable. Taking the divine elixir, however, can grant a person endless life, lasting as long as Heaven and Earth, and allow them to ride clouds and dragons, traveling up and down through the Great Clarity—the heavenly realm in Daoist belief. For this reason, the Yellow Emperor passed this method on to Xuanzangzi.

Cheng Xuanzangzi said: “This method is of the utmost importance and must be passed on to a person of virtue and worth. If the person is unsuitable, then even if they pile up gold like a mountain, do not teach it to them.” Those who receive the method must cast gold figurines and gold fish into flowing water as a pledge, and swear an oath in their own blood. Those without the potential to become immortals cannot hear of or see this method. Only those who can hear of and see it have the affinity to receive it.

Those who refine elixirs must work deep in a famous mountain, in an uninhabited place, with no more than three companions. Before beginning, they must observe a hundred days of purification and bathe in five kinds of fragrant water, taking care to be completely clean. They must avoid contact with anything unclean and keep ordinary people away. They must not let those who do not believe in the Dao learn of the matter, since such people will disparage the divine medicine and prevent the elixir from being successfully refined. If the elixir is successfully made, the entire family can become immortal, not only the person who refined it.

Ordinary people are unsuited to refining divine elixirs and tend to believe only in herbal medicines. But herbs rot when buried, disintegrate when boiled, turn black when burned, and decay over time. If they cannot endure themselves, how can they make a person live forever? If they are not themselves durable, how can they make a person durable? These nine divine elixirs are the key to long life; they are not something ordinary people can hear of or see.

The first elixir is called “Flower Elixir.” The scripture says that taking it enables one to become immortal in seven days. Make it into pills with Dark Paste and place them over a fierce fire; in a short while, they will turn into gold. Alternatively, take 240 zhu of this elixir, mix it with 100 jin of mercury, and refine it over a fire until its color turns red; it will then become gold. Once the gold has formed, that shows the elixir has been successfully made. If the gold does not form, seal the medicine again and continue heating it until the firing time and number of days are sufficient. The scripture says: “The original does not form.”

The second elixir is called the “Divine Talisman Elixir.” The scripture says that taking it for one hundred days enables one to become an immortal. In a great flood, applying this elixir to the soles of one’s feet allows one to walk across the water without sinking or drowning. After it is swallowed, the Three Corpses and Nine Worms—all polluting entities that Daoism holds to inhabit the human body, damage a person’s vital essence, and cause aging—disappear of their own accord, and every illness is cured.

The third elixir is called the “Divine Elixir.” The scripture says that taking one daogui—a small ancient measure for medicines, also used to mean a small dose—enables one to become an immortal after one hundred days. If swallowed by the six domestic animals—such as horses, cattle, sheep, chickens, dogs, and pigs—it can also make them live forever without aging. This elixir can ward off the five weapons, meaning swords, blades, and other dangers from weapons, and enable one to walk across water without sinking or drowning. After it is swallowed, the Three Corpses and Nine Worms disappear of their own accord, and every illness is cured. After one hundred days of taking it, one can also see immortals and jade maidens, attendants in the immortal realm. When the spirits of mountains and rivers see the person who has taken it, they too perceive that person as an ordinary human.

The fourth elixir is called the “Returning Elixir.” The scripture says that taking one daogui enables one to become an immortal after one hundred days. Vermilion birds and phoenixes will fly and circle overhead, and jade maidens will come to attend to the person. Heat one daogui of the elixir together with one jin of mercury, and gold can be produced at once. Apply this elixir to money or other valuables, and after they are used, they will return to their owner that same day. Write with it on the eyes of an ordinary person, and all ghosts will flee.

The fifth elixir is called the “Ingested Elixir.” The scripture says that taking it for forty days enables one to become a divine immortal. Spirits and ghosts will come to attend to the person, and jade maidens will arrive as well.

The sixth elixir is called the “Refined Elixir.” The scripture says that taking it for fifteen days enables one to become an immortal. Heated together with mercury, it can also be refined into gold.

The seventh elixir is called the “Soft Elixir.” The scripture says that taking one daogui enables one to become an immortal after one hundred days. Mix it with juice from raspberries gathered in autumn and swallow it; it is said that even a ninety-year-old man can father a child. Heated together with lead, it can be refined into gold.

The eighth elixir is called the “Subdued Elixir.” The scripture says that swallowing it enables one to become an immortal that very day. Carry a piece of the elixir the size of a jujube pit, and all ghosts will flee. Write with it on a door, and evil spirits will not dare approach; it can also ward off thieves, tigers, and wolves.

The ninth kind of elixir is called the “Cold Elixir.” The scripture says that after taking just one knife-gui (an ancient unit for measuring medicine), one can become an immortal after a hundred days. A Jade Maiden will come to attend one, and one will be able to lighten the body and ascend by flight. The scripture also says that once any one of these nine elixirs has been successfully refined, it is enough to become an immortal; there is no need to refine them all. One may simply choose according to personal preference. After taking one of the Nine Elixirs, whether to ascend to heaven is also a matter of choice: if one wishes to ascend, one can ascend; if one prefers for a time to remain among the living, that is possible too. One can come and go freely without being harmed.

I have examined the method for the Returning Elixir of Liquid Gold, an elixir made by refining liquid gold. According to the scripture, taking one liang will bring ascension to immortality. If one does not wish to leave the human world for now and would rather remain in the world as an earthbound immortal, one should fast for a hundred days and then take half a liang. This will enable one to live forever without dying, immune to every harm and poison, while still marrying and having children. If one holds an official post, one may also act as one wishes, without restrictions. If one later wishes to ascend to heaven, one should fast again and continue taking the Nine Elixirs until the total reaches one liang; then one can ascend by flight and become an immortal. Anyone who wishes to ascend to heaven should first abstain from grain for a year, and only then take the elixir.

I have also examined what the Scripture of the Perfected Ones’ Nine Ascents says: anyone who takes the Nine Elixirs and wishes to ascend to heaven should follow the number of days for taking them prescribed in the orthodox scriptures. Those who wish to become earthbound immortals may take half the amount described above. Even at the reduced dose, one can live forever and remain unharmed. If one later wishes to ascend to heaven, one should take the previously described medicine again. In my view, when taking divine elixirs and great medicines, following the number of days prescribed in the scriptures enables one to lighten the body and ascend by flight; taking half the amount enables one to live forever without dying and become an earthbound immortal. There is no doubt about this.

I have heard that there are eight reasons why people study the Dao yet fail to succeed.

First, they happen to learn a little and think it is enough. Though they labor over tending the alchemical furnace and refining elixirs, they reach old age without achieving anything.

Second, they encounter a marvelous elixir formula but decide it cannot be the true method. They keep searching for other formulas and reach the end of their lives without success.

Third, they cannot distinguish genuine methods from false ones, and they do not study the key instructions under a teacher. Their minds waver, and they waste their time.

Fourth, they rely on their own cleverness and look down on those who understand the methods. They think they have already achieved something, but have not fully grasped their teacher’s true intent.

Fifth, genuine elixir formulas and secret instructions are hard to find, yet they cling to the belief that these are hidden only in famous mountains. They undertake dangerous journeys and may even lose their lives.

Sixth, their families are poor and suffer hunger and cold. Even if they obtain a method, they lack the means to practice it, so it is as though they had never received it; knowing it is as good as not knowing it.

Seventh, they lack single-minded resolve and have no savings. Even when a worthy teacher has passed on the key instructions, they remain doubtful and hesitant, unwilling to practice as taught.

Eighth, the teachers they meet have shallow understanding and limited learning, and are unwilling to pass on all they know. They say there is little to the Dao, yet treat superficial teachings as precious secrets. Their students believe them and, like someone waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit, stubbornly cling to what little they have gained.

The Great Dao does not depend on how much one knows. Do not assume that a small method is unimportant: it is already part of the methods for refining the Great Elixir, and the most important among them is the Way of the Nine Tripods, an art for preparing elixirs in nine tripods. This Way was passed by a Perfected One to the Dark Lady, and by her to the Yellow Emperor. After receiving it, the Yellow Emperor passed it to the Dark Master. From then on, those who obtained this method could become Perfected Ones. What is truly precious is to receive instruction directly from a Perfected One and, through it, attain the state of cultivation.

People in later generations often value hearsay and dismiss what they have seen with their own eyes; they abandon what is near in pursuit of what is far away. Thus, although Qin Shi Huang met An Qisheng, a legendary immortal, he did not grasp this Way. Han Wudi sought out Shaojun, the alchemist Li Shaojun, but did not learn all its essentials. They went on to search for Fangzhang Mountain, a legendary island of immortals in the sea, and crossed the ocean, yet in the end they failed. Their promises of high office and rich rewards came to nothing. Those skilled in seeking the Dao do not rely on appointing others to achieve their aim; those who know how to draw on methods wisely need not pursue them with urgency.

When the Yellow Emperor, Xuanyuan, ruled the world, Guangchengzi, a legendary immortal who had attained the Dao, did not assist him, yet this did not diminish his virtuous rule. When Tang Yao held all under Heaven, Chaofu and Xuyou, legendary recluses who declined to serve, did not assist him, yet the moral teachings of later generations did not thereby decline. The Four Eccentrics of Shangshan, four eminent recluses who lived in the Shangluo mountains around the end of the Qin and beginning of the Han, withdrew into the hills like phoenixes folding their wings, yet this did not hinder the Han empire from having an abundance of talent. Zhou Dang, a recluse of the Eastern Han, lived in the forests and wilds, yet this did not undermine the lenient laws and political stability of the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Han.

Their noble and honored status could not shake their integrity. Their hearts were settled and tranquil, and their temperaments recoiled from noise and commotion. They regarded indulgent ease as something fearsome, and wealth, glory, and official rank as burdens. They lived simply and austerely, eating wild greens and working the land with farm tools. They made the woods their pavilions and towers, the high mountains their spacious dwellings, emerald orchids their mats, and green leaves their curtains. They wore garments made from lotus leaves in place of mourning clothes, and ate flower buds of the mallow as delicacies. They would not eat food they had not grown themselves, nor wear cloth their wives had not woven by hand. They kept to an ordinary life and awaited its end, taking pleasure in this way of living. They did not fear an early death, nor seek to prolong life by any means. They declined offers of a thousand gold pieces, scorned the high offices of ministers and chancellors, and lived freely as they pleased, with no interest in worldly affairs. For this, people of their time praised them as lofty and detached. Yet they could neither benefit the state above nor help the people below. Histories still list them as figures worthy of praise, but they had not obtained the highest method for attaining long life.

Those who study the Great Method of the Divine Elixir, a Daoist cultivation practice that seeks long life through the refinement of elixirs, do not wish to spend their energy on worldly affairs. Instead, they rely on medicines to help them, so that external calamities cannot assail them and illness does not arise within. They transform their former bodies and appearances, and live on for a long time without dying. They devote themselves to the practice without slackening, repeatedly examining and testing various arts, verifying their results and distinguishing the effective from the ineffective, all in pursuit of a real gain. They regard the dusty world as dust, and fame as morning dew. Within all the realms of Heaven and Earth, there are surely very few who can truly do this. Their aspirations reach far, and what they gain is great. The pursuit of the Dao requires support and the right conditions; those who can devote themselves to it number no more than one or two. If they are forced into it, success becomes all the harder.

When the mild, warm wind begins to blow, fur garments and braziers are no longer needed. When the kingly Way flourishes, extraordinary people withdraw into seclusion. Now that all under Heaven is at peace, oxen and horses have been released from labor to rest; no beacon fires are seen, weapons have been put away, powerful bows are shut in their cases, and war chariots stand idle. Zhang Liang, styled Zifang, a strategist of the early Han, left the military camp and returned to the lanes of his native village. Han Xin and Ying Bu, generals of the early Han, laid aside their armor and took up fishing. In a time of peace throughout the realm, those who can still devote themselves to this art and cultivate it are fewer than one in ten thousand.

In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor governed the realm through Wuwei (non-action). He caused a flowing pearl to rise, melting the frost and snow. After affairs of state had settled and peace prevailed throughout the realm, he handed over the imperial throne. After cultivating the Dao (the Way) for 110 years, he attained the Dao, took elixirs, and ascended to immortality in broad daylight. This came about with the aid of Guangchengzi and the Mysterious Maiden; it was not something he attained naturally, from nothing.

In ancient times, King Hao quarried stone to build a palace. Inside a stone that had been sealed shut, he found a golden slip inscribed with purple characters, but could not read it. So he sent someone to ask Zhongni for an explanation. The envoy said, “While King Hao was at leisure, a red sparrow flew to the front of the hall carrying a book in its beak. It set the book down and then departed. The king did not understand its meaning, so he sent me from afar to seek your instruction.” After looking at it, Zhongni said, “This is an alchemical method from the Lingbao tradition, a way to attain long life. Yu the Great once took it, and so his lifespan was equal to that of Heaven and Earth. As Yu was about to die, he sealed it in a stone casket on a famous mountain. Now it is said that a red sparrow brought it here; this shows that it was bestowed by Heaven.”

From this we can see that since ancient times, emperors who aspired to long life have all enjoyed long lifespans. Even if they sought the Dao but failed to attain it, that is still better than never seeking it at all. Some people have been like this. In cultivating the Dao, one need not worry about lacking the capacity for realization; the only concern is a lack of diligence. If one persists without giving up, one will certainly gain something. If a person sought the Dao with the same urgency as worrying about poverty at home or fretting over a low-ranking position, how could they fail to attain it?

The greatest danger is an unsteady resolve: caring only for the present and forgetting the long term. At first, one hears the teaching with joy, even leaning forward in one’s seat to show respect; before long, however, one has cast it from mind. Before accumulating even the smallest benefit, one has already incurred a loss as great as a mountain. How, then, can one deeply grasp the subtlety of the highest principle and, after careful reflection, escape deprivation? Yet even with earnest and steadfast resolve, one cannot succeed without meeting a clear-sighted master who understands the methods of cultivation.

The key to cultivating the Way of long life lies in the elixir; the most important elixir lies in the secret instructions, whose heart is the Divine Elixir—the wondrous elixir spoken of in Daoism. Only people of like purpose and compatible virtue, who swear to seek it together, may obtain the secret instructions through moral principle. They are difficult to obtain by force.

In ancient times, Yu the Great did not compel Bocheng Zigao, out of respect for his seniority; Confucius did not borrow Zixia’s carriage canopy, out of consideration for his shortcomings. Lush grass, shallow waters, broad plains, and deep marshes are places where foxes and deer roam and rest. Remote mountains, sheer peaks, secluded paths, and thatched huts are where immortal adepts dwell. To confine foxes and deer in splendid houses would be to ruin their habitat; to use high office and generous rewards to make immortal adepts leave their places of quiet cultivation would be to force them into service. Thus, when reading orthodox scriptures, one should do so as though standing before a perfected person—a person who has attained the Dao. When receiving genuine secret instructions, one should do so as though arriving in person at an immortal adept’s dwelling and meeting them face to face.

Even if poisonous beings appear in abundance, and An Qisheng, the legendary immortal, is said to have come among them, conflicting accounts do not justify concluding that the scriptures and instructions are untrustworthy; there must be some subtle differences among them. I earnestly ask the wise and enlightened ruler to examine them carefully and adopt what is good. I have heard that in spring, even if ordinary plants are cut down, they will still grow luxuriantly; but if bird nests are overturned and eggs destroyed, the phoenixes will never come again.

End of Volume Two of the Secret Instructions on the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons of the Yellow Emperor

Volume Three of the Secret Instructions on the Divine Elixir of the Nine Cauldrons of the Yellow Emperor

On Making a Clear Choice: Secret instructions handed down by a master need not depend on the methods of perfected persons.

I have heard that one need not restrict oneself to a fixed person when seeking a teacher. Anyone with a strength worth learning from can be approached. Among three people walking together, there is sure to be someone from whom one can learn. Confucius’s teachings, too, can be understood through the Way of loyalty and reciprocity.

When the Yellow Emperor traveled on inspection through the four quarters, there was no place he did not visit. If one waits single-mindedly for a Perfected One to pass on the secrets of the Dao before being willing to teach, or waits for a Primordial Lord to bestow scriptures before being willing to grant them, one will be like a disciple waiting at Confucius’s side or a minister waiting for Gao Yao to assist with affairs of state: time will be wasted, and success will never come.

Therefore, those who practice the Way of the Nine Cauldrons—the art of refining divine elixirs and seeking long life—should not simply wait for someone to teach them. To do so is no different from heading toward death. Life is precious, and death is to be feared. Delay day after day, and time will rush past like flowing water. Life is as fleeting as morning dew or the light of the setting sun; in an instant, it will be gone.

Now, when you meet someone who understands the methods, ask them to point out the essentials. Keep asking questions and testing what you learn, then practice alongside companions who share your aims, with unwavering resolve. In this way, you may achieve success; you need not rely on a Perfected One or the Mysterious Maiden, the female immortal of Daoist legend, to help you. Once the elixir has been refined, cleanse the stomach and intestines before taking it. Then a Jade Maiden may come to serve you, or a Green Dragon may arrive to welcome you. Before the elixir is complete, however, no such response will appear.

Thus the Primordial Lord warned: “Never tell those unworthy of it about the divine elixir, lest they mock the Great Dao and slander the Perfected Ones. Passing the elixir scriptures to the unworthy will surely bring misfortune. If you meet someone of steadfast faith, you may share the elixir with them once it has been refined. But do not hand the text to others indiscriminately simply because the scriptures speak of ‘transmission.’” The so-called “Perfected Ones” here are, in essence, those who guard the elixir methods as precious secrets. This is no different from personally transmitting the oral instructions.

It is also wrong to claim that one can attain the Dao only by meeting a Perfected One or finding someone skilled in the arts. In the past, Peng Zu lived during the Yin dynasty, Laozi during the Zhou, Qin Shi Huang met Anqi Sheng, and Emperor Wu of Han employed Shaojun. Yet there is no record that all these people attained the Dao as a result.

Those who cultivate the Dao especially dislike noise. They do not wish to hear people talking chaotically or to associate with the worldly. They often choose remote paths and sit or lie alone in different places. Even when they suffer neglect, receive gifts, or endure slander and insult, they simply wish to experience the Great Dao on their own and live in quiet. Since their interests differ from those of ordinary people, they are bound to attract comment. Some may even wish to leave the crowds, withdraw from the world, and keep a thousand miles away, lest they arouse suspicion.

As for a Perfected One—someone who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao and transcended the ordinary—why be in a hurry to reveal themselves? It is said that Perfected Ones walk through raging fire without being burned and tread the waves of deep waters without capsizing. They spread their wings and fly through realms of purity and emptiness, riding clouds as chariots and wind as horses. They rise upright into the heavens and descend to gaze upon Kunlun. Even when they occasionally travel among people, they conceal their true identities and extraordinary abilities, blending into the crowd and walking alongside ordinary folk. They appear utterly unremarkable. Who could recognize them or sense who they are?

It is said that Prince Qiao—the crown prince of King Ling of Zhou, who was reputed to have attained the Dao and become an immortal—rode a crane himself, and that the Yellow Emperor himself startled a red dragon. Some Perfected Ones are also said to have appeared with scaled bodies and serpentine forms, or to have ridden golden chariots and worn feathered robes. Such things cannot be seen without the ability to discern what is subtle, nor heard without exceptionally clear hearing. Since worldly people can neither see nor hear them, they often slander them; for this reason, Perfected Ones withdraw even further from the world.

What ordinary people cherish is often what those of the highest attainment reject; what ordinary people scorn may be what the Utmost Ones value. Even people of exceptional talent and broad capacity are unwilling to mingle with the dust of worldly life. Why, then, should the Perfected Lady of the Mysterious Feminine be eager to take part in worldly affairs? Ordinary people find this strange and are bound to misunderstand it.

Ordinary people can see only a hundred paces ahead, yet they want to judge that things exist by what they see and do not exist by what they cannot see. But many things in the world lie beyond the reach of ordinary sight and hearing. This is like measuring the sea with a shell and claiming the measurement is complete: it is absurd. Even if Perfected Ones are unseen, that does not mean they do not exist. But one cannot conclude, merely from the claim that they exist, that one will be able to find them. Those who understand the methods of cultivation should not insist on meeting Perfected Ones. They know the oral instructions and receive the teachings in accordance with them.

I, Qiu Ming, have written a commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals. Readers of the classics know that praise and criticism often hinge on a single word. Confucius wrote a commentary on the Zhouyi; those who study its trigrams and hexagrams know that good and ill fortune are contained in a single image. If even the Confucian classics cannot express every principle, how could the arts of divine elixirs in the Way of the Immortals be fully understood from written texts alone?

Thus the Yellow Emperor once climbed Mount Kongtong to seek the Way of Nature, and later went to Mount Wangwu to seek the scriptural methods for refining elixirs. These teachings are recorded in formularies and passed on through oral instructions. Once spoken, an oral instruction is gone, so a formulary cannot take the place of the scriptural instructions. Those who seek the method are as numerous as oxen; those who truly obtain it are as rare as unicorn horns. Though it is hard to find, people have obtained it in every generation. If some have received this method, are their bodies not also mortal bodies? The sages of antiquity knew that people in later generations could still be taught these methods and put their trust in them. So they had people grasp them through reflection, enabling them to escape the calamity of death.

Ordinary people do not believe this and dismiss it as empty talk. In doing so, they slander the sages of old. For this reason, when refining divine elixirs, one must never let unbelievers know. If they do, the medicine cannot be successfully refined. This is a grave taboo in alchemy, not a minor prohibition. People often fail because they have not received the true oral instructions; when the transformations do not take place and their work comes to nothing, they begin to slander the art. This is like farmers whose crops fail after a flood or drought, and who then declare the land impossible to cultivate. When the floods and droughts pass in their proper time, the crops can naturally be harvested. If the scriptural instructions are genuine, the divine elixir can be refined.

There are two kinds of instructions. One kind is written instruction, which can be conveyed in writing and recorded with paper and ink. The other is oral instruction, which must be given face to face. The Zhouyi says, “Writing cannot fully express speech, and speech cannot fully convey the mind.” Methods for cultivating oneself and following the Way can be taught in full, but the transformations of Yin-Yang cannot be made clear through words alone. Cinnabar is red by nature, but after firing it becomes mercury. Mercury is white, yet after further firing it takes on the color of cinnabar. Those of shallow understanding cannot grasp such transformations. It is like refining lead powder until it resembles gold, or white lead until it resembles flame. If someone claims that no such method exists but has never practiced or sought it, his understanding is poorer than that of an ordinary person. Ordinary people at least worry that they may fail to obtain these methods and be mocked; if they happen to obtain them, they fear being ridiculed by the well informed, and tell themselves that they must not have received the true scriptures and proper instructions. Passing the method on to an unsuitable person can instead bring blame upon oneself. That is why these teachings are hidden from view and hard to hear.

Ge Hong said that in any one generation no more than two or three people obtain this method. He also said that it is impossible to count how many people in the world might be able to see and understand it. Since the secret instructions are difficult to hear and few obtain them, an oath must be sworn before they are passed on. There are a thousand formulas and countless methods for the drugs of longevity and immortality; without this oral instruction, they can never be refined.

The secret method is extremely precious and cannot be imparted even for ten thousand units of gold. If it is to be transmitted, it should be given orally once or twice according to the original scripture; it must not all be passed on at one time. Under the prescribed rites of the covenant scripture, one must prepare eight liang of gold, forty chi of yellow cloth, eight liang of silver, and forty chi of white silk as tokens of the covenant. The method may be passed to only one person within a hundred years, and the covenant must be sealed with blood. If thereafter one passes it to someone unworthy, breaks the covenant, or reveals the method, the Heavenly Emperor will condemn the offender and forever cut off the road to the mysterious realms of the immortals. The spirits of the Great Dark Immortal Capital will make the oath taker’s mind confused and bring about ruin and destruction. The Immortal Lord will cloud and pollute the person’s spirit, so that the teachings they have learned come to nothing. The Registrar of the Great One and the Lords of Destiny of the Three Heavens will shorten their lifespan, cause their undertakings to fail, and punish them in the Great Dark Capital. These are the stipulations of the instructional text transmitted by Celestial Master Zhang concerning the various alchemical methods of the Great Clarity.

Hu Gangzi said, “In the past, I longed for the Way of long life. For decades, I endured hunger and hardship, braving cold and deprivation. I sought it wherever I went, whether near or far, yet gained nothing. My resolve never wavered; my aspiration to seek the Dao only grew firmer. Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), here referring to the highest Dao or a divine being, sensed my sincerity and sent this set of secret instructions to me at Weiyang Valley. After receiving them, I followed the method to make the elixir, and it never failed. This was where my path of cultivation began. I often kept the instructions safe in a jade casket, hidden in a famous mountain. If anyone in the world obtains them, whether wise or foolish, they need only devote themselves to following the method, and it will not fail: they will surely attain the Dao.”

Ge Hong said, “Though I was born in a declining age, I greatly admired the ways of the ancients. For decades, I collected and examined more than eighty years’ worth of immortal scriptures. Although I had heard of these secret instructions, I had never seen them with my own eyes, and continued to seek them. Only later did my teacher, Lord Zheng, pass them on to me. After receiving them, I pondered them wholeheartedly and observed a period of quiet purification and fasting. When the hundred days of fasting were complete, I followed the method to make the elixir, and it indeed did not fail.”

Ge Hong also said, “Only after I began circulating pure Qi, regulating my breath, and taking the Five Spirit Spring (an elixir or medicinal substance used in cultivation) did I obtain a method for prolonging life. Only after testing it myself did I dare believe that Daoist arts could truly be put to effective use. If people in later generations obtain these instructions as I did, they must keep them in their hearts and not speak of them carelessly or pass them on lightly. If they transmit them to someone untrustworthy, they may instead invite disaster; the spirits will not protect them, and their cultivation will fail. I now earnestly warn those who come after me: do not transmit them indiscriminately. These instructions belong to the sacred secret methods passed down through the generations and kept by masters and disciples. Their value lies in oral transmission; they must not be proclaimed widely, lest ordinary people learn of them. The specific method of transmission is recorded in the ‘Powder Instructions’; this passage is from the ‘Mysterious Pearl Instructions.’”

Hu Gangzi said, “The Divine Powder of the Five Metals (an elixir powder made by refining five metals or minerals) is not only for ingestion and the pursuit of long life. It can also be rubbed on the body, so that ordinary illnesses cannot afflict a person and many kinds of disaster cannot harm them. This method originally comes from the hidden writings kept in the secret treasury of the Jade Emperor, a revered Daoist deity; it is not something of the secular world. Unless one has received the transmission of the immortal instructions, one will not obtain it.”

Hu Gangzi says: The Divine Powder of the Five Metals is used not only for ingestion and cultivating longevity; it may also be rubbed onto the body. It is said to keep ordinary illnesses from invading and disasters from causing harm. This method comes from a secret text hidden by the Jade Emperor, and is not something an ordinary person can obtain. Anyone who has not received an immortal’s blessing will never see it. I have deliberately preserved this hidden text and passed it on to the sages of later generations. Those who receive the oral instructions must accept them according to the proper transmission rite. They must not treat what I have transmitted lightly, nor pass it on to unsuitable people. Without receiving the teaching in the prescribed way, the preparation will not succeed; even after countless kalpas spent studying the Way of the immortals, one will find it difficult to attain.

The Powder Diagram says that the transmission of formulas must not be undertaken carelessly. On the day of transmission, choose a King-and-Prosperity Day, an auspicious day considered suitable for taking action, observe purification and fasting, and set up an altar. Master and disciple stand together before it, burning precious incense continuously, day and night, as they petition the Heavenly Emperor and state their request. The master must declare: “This person has loved the Way of longevity since childhood, has passed through countless kalpas, and has often received the blessings of the Great Dao. Now, with the permission of the sacred will and the compassion of the master, they are allowed to receive the formulas. I do not dare agree to transmit them on my own; I must submit a petition to the August Lord, the revered deity of the heavens, for each matter.” The disciple, too, must address the August Lord, saying: “I have sought the Dao without respite, day and night. I now hope that my master will transmit a certain formula to me. I do not dare decide this on my own, and respectfully submit this petition.”

After performing these rites with sincere reverence for seven days and seven nights, they burn incense once more and ascend the altar. They drink blood and make an oath, then break a gold ring in two and cast the pieces into water flowing eastward. After that, they ask the master to transmit the formulas, oral instructions, diagrams, and texts for the various divine Golden Elixirs. Other formulas are transmitted by the same rites. If these rules are not followed, the preparations made by master and disciple will not succeed. Such are the formulas recorded in the Powder Diagram.

Master Foxqiu said to Immortal Ge: “Your destiny belongs to the star of immortals, and your name has already been entered in the Register of Immortals. You are to continue my lineage. Therefore, I will transmit to you secret teachings such as the Ten Thousand Gold Formula, along with methods for cultivating immortality. You must practice according to them. If you wish to pass these teachings on, you must find someone of lofty aspirations who lives in seclusion among the mountains and rocks and seeks no worldly gain. You must also swear an oath over joined blood, establish an altar, and make a covenant. Otherwise, you must never pass them on casually. If you transmit the formulas to someone unsuitable, the transmitter’s name will be erased from the Register of Immortals, their blessings will diminish, and misfortune will extend to their descendants. Be sure to act with care; do not transmit them recklessly. This is the Ten Thousand Gold Formula.”

Your servant has examined the matter and observes: the Five Metals, Three Mercuries, Nine Leads, and Eight Minerals are all toxic. Without the secret teachings handed down by the ancients, even someone with new insights cannot truly master them through the oral transmission of a few dozen phrases alone. Thus Master Foxqiu said: “When the Five Metals are refined by fire, their toxicity increases. If they are not blended and processed to remove the poison and made into powder, then even if transformation and refinement produce a divine elixir of great potency, its toxicity will not be fully removed. After taking it for a long time, even the slightest violation of the precepts can cause it to turn against the person and do harm.” For this reason, he set out in detail the secret teachings, diagrams, and methods for refining away the poison, leaving them for later generations.

Master Foxqiu’s Ten Thousand Gold Formula; the formula illustrated in diagrams for making powder from the Five Metals; the Formula for Subduing the Mysterious Pearl; and the oral instructions of Celestial Master Zhang.

Your servant has examined the matter and observes: these four secret teachings are all treasured and revered by the sages of earlier times. Even if a worldly person is fortunate enough to obtain one scroll, they still will not understand its meaning from beginning to end. The text is disordered and mixed with various methods; even if the whole work falls into the hands of an ordinary person, they will not know how to use it. Therefore, these secret teachings must still be transmitted with great care, even after ten thousand calamities.

When receiving the oral instructions, even if a person is fortunate enough to obtain one scroll, they still will not understand its meaning from beginning to end. The text is disordered and mixed with various methods; even if the whole work falls into the hands of an ordinary person, they will not know how to use it. Therefore, these secret teachings must still be transmitted with great care, even after ten thousand calamities.

The ritual for receiving the oral instructions: first lay out the ritual implements and arrange the seats. Prepare a white silk mat, four chi and five cun long, one dou of clear wine, and dried venison—or seven pieces of dried beef or mutton, each three cun square. Also prepare seven wine cups. Place the cups on a tray table, the pieces of dried meat behind them, and the token to the left of the cups.

Burn incense nearby and kneel for a long time in formal reverence, saying:

With reverence, I pray that the Supreme Great Dao Lord of the Jade Steps of Great Clarity, the Heavenly Emperor of Great Subtlety, the Nine Elder Immortals of the Immortal Capital of Great Mystery, and the Divine Lords who keep the registers and determine the fates of the Great One will descend to the residence of so-and-so, in such-and-such village, such-and-such district. I invite the spirits to take their seats and partake of the offerings.

I, so-and-so, am ordinary and dull-witted, yet have a Dao affinity from former lives. Fortunately, I received important formulas from my former master. I have kept these formulas treasured in my heart and have never revealed them. Though I know the prohibitions of Heaven are extremely severe, the methods of the spirit realm should not remain forever hidden. Now there is so-and-so, who, though living in the secular world, inwardly admires the Daoist tradition. He places no value on gold and jade and seeks no worldly glory. He looks up to the wondrous Immortal Dao and wholeheartedly hopes to ascend among the purple clouds. He has therefore curtailed his own expenses, prepared tokens of sincerity, and come to ask me, so-and-so, to transmit the important formulas. I dare not decide this on my own, and so I make this report. I beseech the spirits to examine the matter clearly.

When the prayer is finished, bow twice, then offer incense and wine three times. Once the offerings have been presented, say:

I have troubled the Profound Venerable by asking you to descend to the human realm. I rejoice in your arrival and gracious attention. Please hear my statement and grant your benevolence. May all the Divine Lords eat and drink their fill. I respectfully offer wine and food, inviting the spirits to partake. May I receive the blessings that remain, and may this matter be recorded in the registers forever.

After the ritual, take back the wine and dried meat and eat them together with the person receiving the formulas. Do not give them to anyone else.

End of volume three of The Formulae and Methods of the Yellow Emperor’s Nine Tripod Divine Elixirs.

Volume Four: Discerning and Guarding Against Evil, Driving Away Malevolent Spirits, and Protecting the Spirit and Preserving the Self.

I believe that anyone who wishes to learn the Way of long life must cultivate the divine elixir. Without obtaining the great medicine of the Golden Elixir, one can only take medicines made from plants and herbs. At most, these can delay death; they cannot make one an immortal. Taking medicines alone, without understanding the arts of the bedchamber—the methods for harmonizing Yin-Yang and preserving Jing and Qi—cannot sustain life for long. Knowing only how to wear divine talismans, perform prohibitions, visualize deities, and guard the True One—the original Qi that Daoist practitioners focus on preserving—can at most keep illnesses in the body from flaring up and ward off rheumatic ailments. But one may still lose one’s life to evil ghosts and spirits, or to mountain and water demons. If one cannot enter the mountains to cultivate, the mountain gods may bring calamity, goblins may test the practitioner, fierce beasts may attack, and snakes and insects may bite.

I believe that the Yin-Yang arts of the bedchamber—the methods for harmonizing male and female Yin-Yang and nurturing Jing and Qi—can, at their highest level, cure minor illnesses, and, at a lesser level, prevent the body from becoming depleted. But they cannot turn aside calamity or dissolve offenses, bring good fortune or avert misfortune, secure the body and protect the spirit, or make a person live forever. Some hear that the Yellow Emperor ascended to immortality after joining with twelve hundred women and conclude that he achieved long life through the arts of the bedchamber. They do not know that the Yellow Emperor refined the divine elixir of the Nine Tripods beneath Mount Jing, beside Lake Ding, and afterward rode a dragon up to Heaven. He may indeed have had twelve hundred women in his company, but that was not why he attained the Dao and became an immortal.

Those who cultivate their nature and preserve their lives gain no benefit, even if they take all kinds of medicines and eat sacrificial animals such as cattle, sheep, and pigs, if they do not understand the essentials of the arts of the bedchamber. But if they indulge their desires without knowing how to restrain and nourish themselves, they will damage the foundations of nature and life. The teachings of the Mysterious Maiden and the Plain Maiden liken the way of the bedchamber to water and fire: both can harm and nourish, depending on how they are used. This shows that since ancient times, the refining of the divine elixir has always depended on renowned mountains.

I believe that, in former times, the Yellow Emperor received the elixir scriptures on Mount Wangwu.

I have found that, in ancient times, the Yellow Emperor obtained a scripture on the Elixir at Mount Wangwu, then went to Mount Kongtong in search of the Great Dao (the Way). Later, beneath Mount Xing and above the Ding Lake, he refined an elixir, undergoing nine cycles of refinement before becoming an immortal and ascending. There was also Zuo Yuanfang, who once devoted himself to cultivation on Mount Tianzhu, attracted the response of divine beings, and obtained the Immortal Scripture of the Golden Elixir. Toward the end of the Han dynasty, as the realm fell into chaos, he had no time to refine elixirs. He withdrew to the Jiangdong region and resolved to travel to famous mountains to cultivate. He passed scriptures such as the Scripture of the Nine Cauldrons and Divine Elixirs to his disciple Ge Xiangong, and also transmitted their methods to his disciple Zheng Jun.

Zheng Jun’s family was poor, and he could not afford the medicinal ingredients. Ge Hong was Zheng Jun’s disciple and served his master with great diligence. So Zheng Jun established an altar on Mount Ma’er and, after making a covenant with Ge Hong, transmitted the elixir scriptures to him along with oral instructions that had not been written down. Ge Hong studied this Way for more than twenty years, yet his household had no surplus wealth; he could not even gather the funds needed to begin refining elixirs.

Zheng Jun said to Ge Hong: “I remember well the warning of my former master, Lord Zuo: do not refine Golden Elixirs and divine elixirs on ordinary, lesser mountains. There are no proper gods on such mountains, only tree spirits, ancient beings that have lived for a thousand years, and ghosts fed with blood offerings. These are all evil influences. They harm people and have no intention of helping anyone cultivate the Dao and accumulate blessings. Even if a cultivator who has fasted and purified themself uses magical arts for protection, ghosts may still ruin the elixir.

“Even when making good medicines and ointments for treating illness, people do not want chickens, dogs, women, or children to see them. Once the medicines have been seen, they may no longer work. Dyed cloth can fade if an ill-omened gaze falls upon it. How much more so with major elixirs that concern immortality and everlasting life! In ancient times, Daoist masters who refined divine medicines always entered uninhabited places in famous mountains. They never stayed on ordinary, lesser mountains. That is why.

“According to the immortal scriptures, mountains suited to focused cultivation and the making of immortal medicines include Mount Hua, Mount Tai, Mount Huo, Mount Heng, Mount Songgao, Mount Shaoshi, Mount Taibai, and Mount Zhongnan. These mountains all have proper gods and earthbound immortals, and they also grow the sacred herb zhi, which can ward off great calamities and disasters. They are suitable not only for making medicines: when people of the Dao climb these mountains to cultivate, the mountain gods will help them gain blessings and, in the end, bring the sacred elixir to completion.”

I believe that the many conditions in the world between Heaven and Earth, and the good or ill fortune brought about by the changes of Yin and Yang, are truly difficult to explain fully. Nor can we say with certainty that such things do not exist. For this reason, the Yellow Emperor and the Grand Astrologer both believed in and revered these patterns. Ancient texts record the calendar and explain how to distinguish the firm and yielding qualities of days and their auspiciousness or inauspiciousness. The practice of choosing an auspicious day has a long history.

Thus, rulers appointed Grand Astrologers and performed rites such as the Feng and Shan sacrifices and other offerings. They chose auspicious times for sacrifices at ancestral temples and for worshipping Heaven and Earth in the countryside. Some people, whether talented or ordinary, think they have risen above worldly concerns, yet feel ashamed to choose a suitable day when they act. Is that not itself a kind of prejudice?

Entering the mountains without choosing an auspicious day can indeed bring about harmful encounters, so one must not go casually. Mountains, great or small, all have spirits: the spirits of great mountains are powerful, while those of small mountains are less so. If you do not know how to guard against them, you may be harmed. Someone might fall ill, be frightened, or be pierced by a sharp object; hear strange sounds or encounter uncanny sights; see flashes of light or shadows; or witness a great tree break apart without wind, or rocks fall for no apparent reason. Some may become confused and run wildly, tumble into a ravine, or be injured by fierce beasts or venomous snakes. For these reasons, do not enter the mountains lightly.

When entering the mountains, choose a day when the seasonal forces are flourishing and the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches generate one another. It is also good to use Dunjia (an ancient method for calculating auspicious times and directions) to choose a favorable hour, and to select an auspicious day and hour in the current month. If the matter is urgent and you cannot wait for an auspicious day, but must go during the current month, still try to choose a suitable day and time.

The famous mountains in each direction also have prohibitions tied to particular years and months. The Eastern Peak forbids years of Jia, Yi, Yin, and Mao, as well as the first and second months. The Southern Peak forbids years of Bing, Ding, Si, and Wu, as well as the fourth and fifth months. The Central Peak forbids years of Wu, Ji, Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, as well as the last month of each season. The Western Peak forbids years of Geng, Xin, Shen, and You, as well as the seventh and eighth months. The Northern Peak forbids years of Ren, Gui, Hai, and Zi, as well as the tenth and eleventh months. These prohibitions need not be applied indiscriminately to every location among the Five Peaks. But if the mountain you plan to visit lies in the corresponding direction, you should avoid those years and months.

The Lingbao Jing says that when entering the mountains, one should choose “Protection Days,” “Harmony Days,” or “Special Days,” which are the most auspicious. Choosing “Control Days” or “Conquest Days,” by contrast, puts one’s life in danger. A “Protection Day” is a day on which the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches generate one another, such as Jiawu or Yisi: Jia and Yi belong to Wood, while Wu and Si belong to Fire, and Fire is generated by Wood. The text concludes that when practicing these methods, one should also use talismans and ritual techniques; the related material is presented in a later volume.

I have heard that anyone who seeks long life and enduring vision, hoping to last as long as Heaven and Earth, must also understand the lesser methods if they have not yet mastered the most fundamental and important arts of the Dao. These methods work together to support health and longevity.

On a large scale, this is like a ruler governing a state: civil administration and military preparedness are both essential. On a small scale, it is like building a cart: the shafts, axle, wheels, and linchpin—the small peg that secures the end of the axle—are all indispensable. The arts of the Dao include both nourishing the body and spirit inwardly, so that one may extend life and recover from illness, and warding off evil outwardly, so that calamities do not intrude. They are like a zither: music cannot be made with a single string alone. They are also like armor: a single piece cannot turn aside a blade.

Those who cultivate life should listen widely and attend to essentials, examine many approaches and choose what is beneficial, rather than devoting themselves to just one method. They should also be wary of those who cling to a single side. Those who speak of the arts of Xu and Su—the sexual arts of health cultivation—claim that only these arts can carry a person beyond the ordinary world. Those who understand breathing practices, methods of regulating the breath for health, claim that only the circulation of Qi can prolong life. Those who have mastered bending and stretching claim that only Daoyin, a health practice coordinating bodily movement with breathing, can resist decline. Those familiar with herbal remedies claim that only medicines can grant longevity. People often fail in their study of the Dao because they trust in just one method.

If the Great Elixir, the alchemical practice and its elixir described in the scriptures, has been successfully refined, there is no further need for other methods. But before the Elixir is complete, all kinds of supporting practices may prove useful. This is like a farmer’s livelihood: if one already has gold, silver, and jewels tucked away, and believes they will cover several generations’ expenses, one can naturally rest easy. Without such wealth, however, one must plant plenty of grain and store vegetables. Thus, even though fasting from grains, avoiding weapons, driving away ghosts, resisting every kind of poison, treating illness, preventing fierce beasts from attacking in the mountains, avoiding harm from flood dragons while crossing water, and guarding against snakebites and epidemics are all minor matters, those who cultivate life still need to understand them. How much more, then, must they understand matters of greater importance? The Divine Elixir concerns long life and is a great matter in the cultivation of life. How could it be taken lightly?

In ancient times, the Yellow Emperor passed through Mount Wangwu and received the elixir scriptures. He climbed Mount Kongtong and sought instruction from Guangchengzi. As he pursued the cultivation of the Dao and the preservation of life, he also learned of the teachings of Xu and Su. When he investigated marvels and strange phenomena, he recorded the words of Baize—a mythical beast whose sayings were regarded as knowledge of ghosts, spirits, and unusual beings. In this way, he plumbed the Dao’s true meaning and mastered its secret teachings. Beneath Mount Jing, he refined the Nine-Transformation Elixir; above the Ding Lake, he transformed the flowing pearl. After taking the Divine Elixir, he gained its power to preserve life without decline, and ultimately ascended to Heaven riding a dragon, attaining a state as enduring as Heaven and Earth. Once the arts of the Dao have been mastered, nothing more needs to be done. Until then, none of the methods should be neglected. Since ancient times, all who have succeeded in cultivating the Dao have relied on broad learning, mastery of many methods, and unremitting diligence.

I have heard that, from ancient times to the present, no undertaking has been accomplished without effort. People achieve success through broad knowledge and unremitting diligence.

It is said that when Daoist practitioners enter the mountains to refine elixirs and seek the Dao, they must keep both body and mind pure. The Writings of the Three Sovereigns (texts of secret formulas used in Daoism to summon spirits and ward off evil) and the Diagrams of the True Forms of the Five Sacred Peaks (depictions of the peaks’ forms, used to communicate with their mountain deities) can be used to summon the mountain gods. By consulting the registers of ghosts and spirits according to the methods in these texts, practitioners can summon the local guardian deities, the Lords of the Mountains, and the Marsh Wardens—the spirits who govern villages, mountains, rivers, and marshes—and question them. In this way, they can identify monsters transformed from trees and stones, and spirits dwelling in mountains and rivers, so that these beings dare not come and cause trouble.

This is like the way a place where a Buddhist Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra is kept is regarded as a stupa: wherever the Writings of the Three Sovereigns are present, evil spirits naturally keep away. Daoist priests who possess this text can use it to summon and command spirits and bring about efficacious results. For this reason, it is regarded as an exceptionally precious Daoist book and must not be transmitted casually. Anyone who receives it must wait forty years before passing it on to another person. At the transmission, the parties must pledge an oath over blood and swear by their own lives. It is said that the sacred mountains and Five Sacred Peaks all conceal copies of this text in hidden stone chambers. Only when someone destined to attain the Dao enters the mountains with sincere intent will the mountain spirits open a chamber and allow that person to see it.

After receiving the text, one must install it respectfully. Before taking any action, one must inform it in advance, as one would show reverence to a ruler or a father. The scripture says that a household possessing the Writings of the Three Sovereigns can escape all manner of evil spirits and demons, poisonous pestilence, miasma, and sudden calamities. If someone is gravely ill and near death, yet believes in the Daoist teachings and sincerely holds the text while praying, they can be saved.

When Daoist priests enter the mountains in search of immortality, this text can protect them from tigers and mountain spirits and keep poisonous creatures and evil beings from approaching. When crossing rivers or seas, it can also drive away dragons and storms. Practicing according to its methods can further enable transformations and dispel calamities.

To test the text’s efficacy, one should first observe ritual purification for one hundred days, then summon, according to the prescribed method, the Director of Destiny, the Grand Year, the Wandering Spirit of the Day, the Five Sacred Peaks, the Four Rivers (deities of the great rivers in the four directions), and the deities of the soil and grain. These spirits are said to appear in human form. One may ask them about good or ill fortune and safety, or inquire into the cause of a sick person’s misfortune. Even if a Daoist priest obtains this text, practicing without benevolence or compassion, behaving improperly, or harboring crooked intentions will bring swift calamity. It must therefore never be treated lightly.

According to tradition, when the Yellow Emperor traveled east to Qingqiu, he passed through Mount Feng and met Master Purple Talisman, from whom he received the Inner Writings of the Three Sovereigns. He used them to summon the various spirits. This is the text being referred to.

When entering the mountains to prepare elixirs, talismans and registers are especially important for avoiding the gods and spirits who dwell in the mountains, rivers, temples, and shrines. The preparation of divine elixirs and great medicines also relies on talismans and registers for protection. In the teachings transmitted by Laozi, talismanic methods belong to the lore of the heavens; Laozi received them from a divine being. When people use talismans and registers with little effect, the cause may be that they copied them without consulting reliable texts, allowing many errors to creep in. Or they may lack firm faith and use them casually.

After being copied several times, ordinary texts can contain errors of writing or reading. Du Yu once pointed out errors in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and others have corrected mistakes in the Records of the Grand Historian. As the saying goes, “After a book has been copied three times, fish becomes Lu, and emperor becomes tiger.” Scholars sometimes miscopy characters simply because their pronunciations are similar or their written forms differ in length. The dots and strokes on talismans are not ordinary writing. If even one is drawn incorrectly, it may be hard to recognize and easy to overlook, so people often have no way to judge whether a talisman is accurate.

Yet the main means of seeking long life is the elixir; talismans alone cannot make one immortal. Talismans and registers should still not be discarded, since they can drive away ghosts and ward off evil, helping to protect the process of preparing elixirs.

Talisman for Entering a Famous Mountain and Summoning the Lord of the High Mountain: A talisman used to summon the spirit of a high mountain when entering a famous mountain.

Use this talisman after observing a ten-day purification fast, to summon the spirit of the high mountain.

Before carrying out this talisman method, observe ritual purification and abstinence for ten days. This is done to summon the mountain lords’ attendants and ward off harm from tigers and wolves. Write the talisman in cinnabar on a square piece of silk, one chi and two cun across. Do not stop or speak while writing. When it is finished, burn incense and perform the rite at night in a quiet room, choosing a date according to the phases of the moon. Put on new clothes, hold the talisman with its characters facing downward, and summon the spirits. When using it, place the large character talismans before the left and right sides of the chest, and concentrate on the image of the spirit corresponding to each talisman. Beside them, arrange the names of the Six Jia Directing Talisman Officers (the Six Jia divine generals) and the Jade Maidens, then explain to the summoned spirit what you seek. Look upward and visualize, letting your thoughts extend beyond the eight directions. At the same time, visualize the spirit as five chi tall, dressed as described in the Scripture of the Six Jia.

This mountain-climbing talisman is said to have been used by the immortal Chen Anshi when entering the mountains. Write it on white silk on a Jia-yin day. At night, face the Northern Dipper, offer wine and dried meat, state your name, then place the talisman inside your collar. Wearing it is said to protect against malign spirits, the myriad ghosts, old creatures that have become spirits, tigers and wolves, and venomous insects. Alternatively, place the talisman on a table and face the Northern Dipper.

There is another talisman whose dots and strokes differ slightly from those of the preceding one. Its method of use and effects are the same, so it is preserved here as well.

Write this talisman in cinnabar on silk; there are several ways to write it. It may be worn behind the elbow, on the left by men and on the right by women. It may also be written on white silk and carried on the person, or one copy may be placed in each of the four directions of a dwelling. When moving, first send someone to take the talismans down. This is a very powerful divine talisman and should not be passed on casually.

This, too, is a mountain-climbing talisman, with the same effects as those mentioned above. It is one of the thirty-nine secret talismans transmitted in the Yellow Court Scripture of Lord Lao, and is said to drive away the myriad ghosts. It may also be used in the combined refinement of immortal medicines. To refine such medicines, choose a dwelling deep within a renowned mountain, where neither people nor livestock pass. It should have a stream flowing eastward and a large rocky cavern. If there is no cavern, a quiet chamber may be built in a secluded forest where no one goes, but it must be near a water source. If the place is unsuitable, do not begin refining divine medicines there. If a great mountain has no stream flowing eastward, a stream flowing westward will also do.

This talisman should be placed where one lives in the mountains. Write it in cinnabar on a wooden board, filling the entire board with text. Then hang the board on the door, at the four corners and four outer corners, and beside the paths one usually travels. Place another copy every fifty paces along the way to ward off all manner of spirits and monsters.

This talisman is used to drive away tigers and wolves. Set it up in the same way as the wooden board for relocation described earlier. It may also be placed beside a path to ward off spirits and monsters in the mountains.

I, your servant, observe that those who cultivate the Dao spend much of their time in mountain forests, where tigers and wolves often roam, and where venomous snakes, spirits, monsters, and wangliang—ghostly beings said to haunt the woods—also dwell. If one does not take proper precautions, one may be harmed and delayed in gathering herbs and refining elixirs. In the past, many large snakes lived around Yuanqiu, where precious medicinal herbs also grew. When the Yellow Emperor went into the mountains in search of good herbs, he feared the snakes were venomous. Guangchengzi then taught him to wear realgar, and all the snakes withdrew. Thus, anyone entering the mountains to refine the Great Medicine who does not know the rules for entering the mountains and the ways to avoid danger may easily meet with harm. As the saying goes, “Beneath Mount Taihua, the ground is strewn with bones.” It refers to people who know only one thing and have made no thorough preparations: hoping to preserve their lives, they instead lose them soon after. Daoists who know only the general principles of cultivating the Dao but not the prohibitions and methods for avoiding danger in the mountains may likewise invite many calamities. These rules are no small matter. Though there are many kinds of snakes, only the huang snake and…

Bites from the two snakes called qingkuo are the most perilous; without treatment for even one day, they can be fatal. To treat a bite, cut away the decayed flesh around the wound and throw it on the ground. The flesh will quickly char and burn away like a red-hot coal, and the person will survive.

These two kinds of snakes are most poisonous in autumn. If they have nothing to bite, they use their venomous fangs on large bamboo or trees, leaving them scorched and withered. Since they thus discharge their venom on their own, anyone entering the mountains should guard against snakes. It is best to learn a protective method at home first—a Daoist technique using focused intention, incantations, and other means to ward off harm. Visualize the sun and moon, the Vermilion Bird, the Black Tortoise, the Azure Dragon, and the White Tiger guarding your body. When you reach the mountain grass, first draw in three breaths of Qi from the left and hold your breath. Then visualize the mountain grass in turn, imagining the Qi in your heart becoming red and spreading like mist and clouds for dozens of miles. If companions are with you, whether three or five, have them line up and each blow out their Qi. Then, even if you step on a snake, it will be unable to move, and you are less likely to encounter one.

When entering the mountains, also carry at least five liang of realgar, and you need not fear snakes. If bitten, grind the realgar into powder and apply it to the wound; it is said to bring a cure. You can also carry dried realgar and aconite, a poisonous medicinal herb, behind your elbow, or burn the horns of cattle, sheep, or deer as a special measure. Another method is to make pills from the dirt in wild animals’ ears and musk, then place them beneath the toenails. These methods are all said to work.

Seal for Repelling All Snakes and Talisman to Keep Tigers and Wolves at Bay

This seal and talisman are used to ward off all kinds of snakes and prevent tigers and wolves from attacking.

These two sacred seals should be carved from the heartwood of a jujube tree. Make them square, about two bi in size. After making an offering, bow twice and ask to take them for wearing; they are said to be very effective.

This is the seal taught by the Jade Maiden of the Yellow Head and Vermilion Palace in the Jianfang. It can keep tigers and wolves from approaching. It may also be drawn as a talisman in cinnabar and swallowed before entering the mountains; it is said to ward off tigers and wolves. Alternatively, it can be carved as a seal. This method comes from the Jing of the Jade Embryo.

This talisman can drive away ghosts. When refining medicines, hang it on all four sides to subdue every kind of ghost; its efficacy is extraordinary.

At the center of one copy are seven curved lines; the rest is identical. It is unclear whether this is a copying error or how the original was made.

This talisman is used when living in the mountains. Write it on a wooden board and place it at the four corners of the doorway, and tigers and wolves will not come near.

All three talismans above should be written in cinnabar.

There is a copy of this talisman, in the following form.

This is the talisman for opening a mountain. Make it from thousand-year meng, one chi and two cun long, then write this talisman on it in cinnabar and imprint it on a large stone or a famous mountain. The mountain gate will then open, and precious books will appear. Gold and jade will also become visible. “Thousand-year meng” refers to tian ci, something shaped like a mouse’s ear, which has the power to drive away ghosts and subdue demons.

An alchemical chamber should be built in a quiet place deep in the mountains. Hang bells at its four corners, and prepare medicines and talismans to drive away ghosts, placing them in the four directions. Only then may you combine the ingredients and refine the elixir. Otherwise, ghosts and spirits will siphon away the essence of the ingredients, causing them to be depleted or changed. Talismans and registers must therefore be used to suppress and ward them off.

To make the medicine for driving away ghosts, take two portions each of luminous cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, musk, aconite, white wood, ghost’s cudgel, and ghost’s arrow. Mix them with honey into pills and carry them on your person.

Diagrams and Talismans from the Yellow Emperor’s Jade Terrace Chapter

My research indicates that long ago the Yellow Emperor went to Mount Emei, where he met the Sovereign of Humanity in the Jade Hall. He asked him about the Great Dao and sought the methods of long life. The Sovereign of Humanity was therefore the Yellow Emperor’s teacher. The Sovereign of Humanity said, “A Daoist who seeks immortality and wishes to refine the Great Medicine and smelt the Five Stones must withdraw into the mountains and must not remain in the polluted places of the secular world. If this rule is violated, the medicine being refined will never succeed. Without receiving this secret talisman of the Jade Terrace from me, no other method, even if you possess one, will succeed.” The Sovereign of Humanity also said, “A Daoist who seeks immortality and obtains this text of mine will soon attain the Dao.”

Anyone who wishes to enter the mountains to seek immortality and learn the Dao, smelt an elixir, or prepare a medicine of longevity must first observe a 150-day fast. Then choose auspicious days, such as days of Wang-Xiang or Five Harmonies, and make sure that the days and cyclical signs do not conflict with one another. Prepare fragrant decoction, well water drawn at dawn, one dou and two sheng of white grain flour, one liang of cinnabar, one dou of white honey, and one dou of ash made from mulberry wood.

First take one dou of the five-fragrance decoction. Put the white grain flour, cinnabar, white honey, and mulberry ash together, then stir them with a three-cun wand made of jingthorn wood. While stirring, turn twenty-one times in the direction indicated by the poplar wand, then place the mixture in a quiet chamber.

Obtain the Tai talismans used in Zhaijiao rites. Have someone versed in the method of quiet purification draw them with a new brush, following the prescribed directions, and place them beside the basin of decoction, with each talisman facing its corresponding direction. Then take a bronze vessel and suspend the central talisman above the basin, three chi above the water. When everything is arranged, regulate your breathing, leave the room, perform the Yu steps—a ritual gait modeled on Yu’s steps—while holding your breath, and return inside. Approach the basin, slowly exhale, and regulate your breath until it is steady. Then close your eyes, bring your palms together, and stand upright. First bow seven times to the eastern talisman, then fourteen times to the southern talisman, twenty-one times to the western talisman, and thirty-five times to the northern talisman.

Next, face the doorway with your feet together and bow seven times to the talisman above the basin. Then bow in turn fourteen, twenty-one, and thirty-five times to the talismans in the south, west, and north. Finally, face the doorway with your feet together and bow forty-nine times to the talisman over the basin. Then bathe from head to foot in the decoction, cleansing and perfuming the body inside and out. When the decoction is used up, change into fresh clothes, then take the eastern…

Tie the Southern talisman to the left arm, place the Western talisman on the right arm, the Southern talisman on the chest, and the Northern talisman on the back; swallow the Central talisman. Then fast for seven days and remain in a quiet room. It is said that the Five Cloud Spirits will manifest their numinous radiance, illuminating the room inside and out. At this time, be cautious and do not panic. Concentrate on preserving unity, without wavering. After the divine beings reveal their forms, they may seem to approach and press in upon you; a moment later, the images will disappear. This is regarded as the best sign of efficacy. Sometimes the divine beings will answer questions about Daoist teachings in response to what a person says; they may also manifest only as light, serving as proof. If such signs appear, one is considered certain to attain the Dao. From then on, whatever one seeks can be accomplished.

Anyone seeking long life and deliverance from the world, refining the Five Minerals, taking wondrous medicines, restoring youth, delaying old age, or ascending to become an immortal will certainly fail if they do not follow the talisman method. All their efforts will be wasted, with no success. They will then turn to slander, saying that no method for becoming an immortal exists in the world.

Anyone seeking long life and deliverance from the world, refining the Five Minerals, taking wondrous medicines, restoring youth, delaying old age, or ascending to become an immortal will certainly fail if they do not follow the talisman method. All their efforts will be wasted, with no success. They will then slander the teachings, saying that no method of immortality exists in the world. Even if they resort to various unorthodox arts—such as performing incantations, using a single talisman, or taking various medicines—nothing can succeed without this method. There can be no doubt about this. Moreover, if one refines medicines not to seek the Dao and nourish the true, but to pursue worldly profit and honor or to make gold and silver, success is impossible. Such actions will cause the spirits to withhold their protection, give ghosts and spirits an opportunity to cause trouble, and invite further calamities and ill fortune. This not only wastes the medicinal materials but leaves a person poorer. What benefit is there in that? It may even shorten one’s life, so one must be extremely cautious. A Daoist priest must not casually transmit the arts to unsuitable people, nor speak of them indiscriminately. They must not be readily disclosed to those who do not share the same aspirations.

The first Imperial Elder Jade Terrace Spirit Talisman governs the South. Use “ban” as the ground color, and draw the talismanic characters in white.

The second Imperial Elder Jade Terrace Spirit Talisman governs the West. Use white as the ground color, and draw the talismanic characters in yellow. One copy has the character “father” written near the bottom center of the talisman; here it is written as “qian.” The rest is the same.

The third Imperial Elder Jade Terrace Spirit Talisman governs the North. Use black as the ground color, and draw the talismanic characters in blue-green.

The fourth “Imperial Elder’s Jade Terrace Spirit Talisman” (a Fulu, or talisman) governs the center. It has a yellow background, with black patterns inscribed on it.

The fifth Imperial Elder’s Jade Terrace Spirit Talisman governs the east. It has a blue-green background, with vermilion patterns inscribed on it.

The Divine Sovereign said: Whenever a Daoist wishes to use this talisman, they should arrange the seats in five colors, placing each according to its direction and making sure they are all clean. Only the central Divine Elixir Talisman should be placed in a copper basin filled with decoction. Set it on yellow cloth and suspend the talisman above the basin, three feet from the water. Another account says seven feet.

Make each talisman stand square or round, with its front sized to fit the seat. Then make a pouch as described earlier and tie it with a cord. Burn the central talisman and its stand together to ash, mix the ashes with water, and drink it.

The Divine Sovereign said: To refine elixirs and tend the furnace fire in the mountains, you must obtain this talisman of mine if you hope to succeed in seeking the Dao. When setting up an elixir furnace and its stand in the mountains, choose a day and time that accord with the year, month, day, and hour and do not clash with them. Measure three feet out from each of the furnace’s four sides, dig five inches into the ground, and bury it there. Then take the central talisman and bury it beneath the furnace, seven feet deep. Next, place the furnace equipment on top of the furnace and swallow the central talisman. Carry the personal talisman with you, and numinous immortals will protect you. This method should be kept secret.

Every famous mountain has divine fungi—wonder-working mushrooms from legend—as well as numinous herbs and immortal medicines. Without secret methods, they are difficult to gather; even when seen, they soon change and vanish. A Daoist seeking these immortal medicines should first observe purification, bathe, cleanse the body with fragrant water, and bring this set of five-colored Jade Terrace divine talismans. When they encounter a divine fungus, they may gather it as they wish. Every kind of divine fungus and numinous herb is guarded by tigers, wolves, dragons, snakes, giant serpents, and venomous creatures. Daoists should wear this talisman whenever they enter or leave the mountains. Then the mountain spirits and deities of every quarter will withdraw from sight and instead watch over the talisman bearer, strengthening their protection of that person.

End of Methods and Instructions for the Divine Elixir of the Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor, Volume Five.

Methods and Instructions for the Divine Elixir of the Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor, Volume Six

The Efficacy of the Illumining Divine Elixir and the Methods Required to Obtain It

I have heard that among all beings in human form between Heaven and Earth, humans are the most exalted. Yet human life is limited: people soon grow old and eventually die. Those skilled in nourishing life can endure. Life is precious, and death is frightening. Therefore…

Human beings resemble Heaven and Earth and are the most precious among all things. Our lives are limited by aging, and death is ultimately unavoidable; through skillful cultivation, however, life can be prolonged. Life is worth cherishing, while death is feared. For this reason, the Daoists’ most highly valued secret teachings concern the art of long life. Among the methods for seeking long life, the most important is the way of the divine elixir. If practicing this method could not bring long life, then no one in ancient times could have attained it.

Life is in our own hands, and the benefits this brings are truly great. In rank, even the highest titles of duke or marquis cannot compare with it; in value, not even a fiefdom and lavish rewards can buy it. People may live for a hundred years—more than thirty thousand days—but childhood passes in ignorance, and old age brings little joy. Once we subtract the years of childhood, adulthood, and old age clouded by dull awareness, the days when body and mind are truly at ease, filled with laughter and delight, amount to no more than eight or nine thousand. They pass in a flash. Today, fewer than one person in ten thousand lives to a hundred, and even those who reach a great age cannot escape sorrow, hardship, and turmoil.

Therefore, those who cultivate the Dao at the highest level first devote themselves to seeking long life. Once long life is within reach, they can arrange their lives as they wish. They need not pray to ascend to immortality to enjoy life in this world: they can live as long as Peng Zu, or reach the venerable age of Shaojun. They can still support a family and serve in office, observing the proper courtesies between those above and below, while keeping the ordinary joys of human life. This is truly a fine thing.

Yet the way to long life requires the aid of medicines, and the highest method of making them hinges on the divine elixir. This is a teaching passed down from the Yellow Emperor, a method not to be altered lightly. Those who seek to learn it often go astray, while those who seek the Dao often pursue it blindly. They suppose the Dao exists only in the formulas recorded in books, and that making an elixir means producing ordinary pills for ascending to immortality. They then follow their own ideas and try the process, with almost no success. The fault lies neither in the absence of methods for the wondrous Dao nor in any defect in the divine elixir itself; rather, the essentials of the Great Dao were never written down.

Thus, Liu Xiang was unsuccessful in alchemical practice during the Han dynasty, and Tao Hongjing likewise failed to verify the methods of the Elixir during the Liang dynasty. Success requires exceptional intelligence and wisdom sufficient to take on the task, along with long, diligent effort through hardship and danger. One must know how to cultivate oneself inwardly and be skilled in preparing and refining substances outwardly; one must see things through to the end without wavering or losing direction. One cannot expect to begin in the morning and see results by evening, or simply sit and wait for success. One must not give up because of slander or jealousy, nor grow weary and slack because the work takes so long. Only by enduring hardship at the beginning can one ultimately enjoy a long life.

This is like a ruler governing a state or a general facing an enemy army: they use military strategy to restore order beyond their borders and rely on careful planning to govern within them. The human body is like a state: the chest and abdomen are like its palaces, the limbs like its officials, Shen (spirit), which governs the mind and body, like its ruler, the blood like its ministers, and Qi like its people. The way of cultivating oneself is like governing a state. Only by caring for the people can one preserve the state; only by stabilizing Qi can one preserve Shen. To keep Shen whole, one must not let Qi become depleted; to preserve the state, one must not let the people scatter. Human Qi is difficult to nourish but easily damaged, difficult to keep clear but easily muddied. Therefore, one must carefully apply firmness and kindness to preserve body and mind, and restrain cravings and desires to stabilize blood and Qi. In this way, one can persevere, accomplish the work of long life, avoid every kind of harm, and extend one’s years.

Thus, those who seek long life should devote themselves to inner cultivation; whoever goes against the principles of health will inevitably risk losing life. This is like the willow and other trees that grow readily: they can survive even when planted upside down or laid on their sides, and few trees in the world are easier to grow.

Therefore, anyone seeking longevity must pay close attention to caring for the body from within. If this care is mishandled, life will inevitably be harmed.

Take the willow, for example. It grows with ease: planted upside down or laid sideways, it can still take root. No tree in the world is easier to establish. Yet if it is buried too shallowly, damaged soon after planting, shaken, or pulled up, it may still wither and die—even when tended with fertile soil and moistened by spring rain. Its roots have already rotted; there is no time for new shoots to grow, and the fluids within it can no longer gather into vital energy.

The human body is far more fragile than a willow: it is easily injured and difficult to care for. There are many ways to damage it. Excessive restraint and depletion are worse than shaking or pulling up a tree. When the spirit is disturbed for a long time, Rong and Wei—the Qi and blood that circulate inside and outside the body to sustain life—decline from being used up too often. Physical and mental distress wears away the body’s peaceful Qi. Improper eating, too much ease or toil, sleeping in the wind, or living in damp places can also allow illness to penetrate deep into the body.

To entrust one’s life to herbal medicines or place one’s hopes in sacrificial prayers only after that point is like digging a well on high ground only when thirsty, or trying to grow crops in stony soil only when hungry. What can herbs do to make amends? What can the power of spirits and ghosts do to save you? If herbal medicines could truly prolong life, then everyone who practiced medicine would live forever; if sacrifices could truly dispel illness, then shamans would never fall sick.

Thus the scripture says that longevity does not depend on sacrificing to spirits and ghosts, nor on making vows and speaking at length. The way to longevity lies only in the divine elixir, a Daoist alchemical medicine. It is not easy to understand this path, and putting it into practice is harder still. Those who study the Dao often make little progress and suffer many setbacks. Many come eagerly seeking knowledge, but few persevere to the end. It is like digging a well: if you stop before reaching the spring, no water will gush forth.

The art of long life is not hard to hear about; what is truly difficult is to practice it. Practice itself is not the hardest part: the challenge is to persevere and see it through to the end. Unless one is exceptionally discerning, one cannot see its principles clearly; unless one is supremely diligent, one cannot master it. If the art of long life were easy to obtain, Emperor Wu of Han would have gained it when he met Shaojun. If it were easy to understand, Liu Xiang would have grasped it after reading the Book from Within the Pillow.

Thus the Yellow Emperor once climbed Mount Kongtong to seek the arts of the Dao, and Yu of Xia once sealed a golden slip inside a jade casket. Some completed their practice and ascended to Heaven; others attained the Dao and became immortals. These matters are clearly recorded, and the methods left by earlier practitioners of the Dao are comprehensive.

The method of long life lies only in the divine elixir. Refine elixir into gold, then fashion the gold into vessels for storing the elixir. Taking it can nourish the body: its medicinal power gradually enters the intestines and stomach, moistening the Rong and Wei—the nutritive Qi and defensive Qi that circulate within the body—and extending life through the enduring, stabilizing power of the medicine. Yet although gold is called a precious treasure, its quality varies, and its harms and benefits differ. The first kind of gold is toxic: once naturally formed, it is certain to injure people. The second is riveted gold, processed from other materials; its nature is fierce and toxic, and it too harms the body. The third is cinnabar gold, refined from elixir. Only after wondrous transformation does it have the power to prolong life.

Yet even the finest ore often contains toxic vapors, and after being made into vessels it may still harm people. This is like drinking poisoned wine when thirsty or eating poisoned dried meat when hungry: one intends to benefit oneself but instead suffers harm, with danger close at hand. Many learned people of the time also sought guidance from extraordinary beings. The eras of Rongcheng and Huanyan, and the time when Peng Zu oversaw medicines, each brought different experiences and knowledge; their methods were not necessarily complete. Some obtained gold but did not know how to remove its poison, nor how to refine it into true gold. Even if they succeeded in refining it, it was of no use. Unless one distinguishes carefully and chooses prudently, all one’s efforts are wasted.

The moment must not be missed or delayed. Of all that is worth cherishing in human life, long life is foremost. I earnestly ask the enlightened ruler to devote himself to this undertaking and seek a life as long as Heaven and Earth. The names of the nine elixirs are listed below.

The first is called Cinnabar Flower, the second Divine Talisman, and the third Divine Selection.

The first is called Radiant Elixir, the second Divine Talisman, the third Divine Elixir, the fourth Returning Elixir, the fifth Elixir for Ingestion, the sixth Refined Elixir, the seventh Gentle Elixir, the eighth Subdued Elixir, and the ninth Cold Elixir.

The names of the nine kinds of elixir are listed above. Their specific meanings and explanations will be given in a later volume.

End of Volume Six of The Instructions on the Divine Elixirs of the Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor.

The Instructions on the Divine Elixirs of the Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor, Volume Seven

This volume discusses illuminating and maintaining the One, warding off harmful influences, and the cauldrons and elixir chamber used in preparing elixirs. “Maintaining the One” is a Daoist cultivation method that means focusing the mind on and maintaining the “One” within body and mind. “Warding off harmful influences” means preventing pernicious Qi from intruding. The “cauldrons” are implements used in alchemical practice, and the “elixir chamber” is the building where elixirs are prepared.

On examination, I find that in ancient times the Yellow Emperor received texts on alchemy from the Mysterious Woman and asked the Sovereign of Humanity about “Guarding the One” (Zhenyi), a method of cultivation that preserves the original Shen and focuses the mind wholly on the Dao. Thus, when it comes to methods for attaining immortality, there is only the Golden Elixir; when it comes to preserving the body and warding off harmful influences, there is only Guarding the One. The ancients held these two methods in especially high regard.

The Immortals’ Scriptures say that the Scripture of the Ninefold Golden Elixir and the Instructions for Guarding the One are both kept in the Five Cities of Kunlun. They are stored in jade cases, inscribed on gold tablets, sealed with purple fungus, and stamped with the Central Seal. These are secret methods treasured by the sages of high antiquity.

There are six calamities that bring about a person’s death: bodily injury, aging, attacks by all kinds of illness, harm from poisons, disturbance by malign Qi, and assaults by pathogenic wind.

Today, those who wish to ward off harmful influences can practice daoyin, a method of health cultivation that regulates bodily movement and breathing; circulate Qi; return Jing to nourish the brain; moderate their food and drink; and keep regular hours. When taking medicines, they should also focus their thoughts on the Shen and guard the One, carry talismanic seals on their person, and observe prohibitions. These practices can drive away malign forces and prevent misfortune, but they may not prolong life or cure every illness.

If sudden evil spirits appear, an untimely death threatens, or an epidemic breaks out while the Great Medicine—the Golden Elixir—has not yet been completed, these methods alone cannot provide protection. It is like wearing armor or putting on a rain cape and a bamboo hat to prepare for war or storms: if there is no fighting and the weather is clear, it makes little difference whether one wears them or not. But when arrows and stones fly like mist and blades clash all around, someone bare of armor has no way to defend themselves. And when torrential rain pours down or snow blankets the sky, anyone standing exposed will freeze.

While illness has yet to be cured, the divine Elixir remains uncompleted, one’s lifespan is not yet secure, and the various harmful influences have not been driven away, the Way of Guarding the One is something one must know. Enter the mountains to practice Guarding the One, and the hundred poisons will not dare approach. There is no need to perform many other rites: the hundred malign forces will retreat of their own accord.

The place for preparing flying elixirs is arranged according to the method in the Huangren Sanyi Fa, so it is not copied here.

Method for Building a House for Making Flying Elixirs

First choose a quiet, rugged place deep in the mountains near a water source, away from the passage of people and livestock. Display talismans and seals, and calm the mind through fasting and purification. Remove three feet of old soil and fill the area with clean new soil, tamping it level. Then build a foundation three and a half feet high; do not build on old wall foundations or ruins. Make the house three zhang long and one zhang six chi wide. Build it solidly, cover it with good thatch, and seal the inner and outer walls tightly. Put two doors on each of the east and south sides, each four feet wide, and close them at dusk. Keep the firelight and the alchemist’s activities entirely within the house. Set the elixir furnace at the center, screen it closely on all sides, and build a sturdy enclosure around it. Both the house and the enclosure must be high and strong; otherwise, heavy rain may damage the enclosure.

This is the old method; the method used today is somewhat different. A rugged cliffside near water would naturally be ideal, if such a place can be found. But it is difficult to find enough workers deep in the mountains, so one may simply clear away any decayed material, fill the area with good soil, bury talismans beneath the elixir furnace, and then tamp the ground firm. The site can then be used.

The alchemical scriptures also say that divine elixirs should be prepared deep in the mountains, in vast marshlands, or in remote, open places without inhabitants. If the work is done where people live, high walls and thick barriers must be built so that nothing can be seen or heard between the inside and outside. Those taking part may work together, but there should be no more than two or three people. They should fast and purify themselves for seven days beforehand, bathing with five kinds of incense to cleanse body and mind. They should not visit unclean places or households attending to funerals.

When staying in the mountains and fearing harassment by evil spirits, take your left hand and break a plant from the direction of the “Azure Dragon” into two pieces. Place one piece beneath the direction of the “Peng Star,” pass through the direction of the “Bright Hall,” and then enter the direction of the “Yin Center.” After completing the Yu steps, a specific ritual walking pattern in Daoism, pray: “Nuo Gao, General of Great Yin, please clear the way only for your descendant, So-and-so. Do not let outsiders enter.” Then, when the ghosts see So-and-so, they will take him for a bundle of firewood; when they cannot see him, they will think he is not human.

Next, place the plant you brought on the ground. With your left hand, take some soil and smear it over the philtrum; with your right hand, hold a plant to cover yourself. Place your left hand before your chest and proceed with the Yu steps. When you reach the direction of “Six Gui-Ding,” stand still and hold your breath. The ghosts will then be unable to see you. The six Jia correspond to the Azure Dragon, the six Yi to the Peng Star, the six Bing to the Bright Hall, and the six Ding to the Yin Center.

To refine elixirs of immortality, choose days when the seasons are flourishing and the day’s cyclical signs are not in conflict with one another. The weather must also be clear, the sun and moon bright, and the atmosphere calm before you begin.

When taking elixirs, avoid doing so for five days if the weather is overcast, snowy, bitterly cold, stormy, or marked by heavy dew. The elixirs should also be taken in a quiet place, so that their effects appear more quickly. During the period of taking them, be careful with your diet: avoid the five pungent foods—such as scallions, garlic, Chinese chives, Chinese onions, and asafoetida—as well as meat and fish. Also avoid sexual activity and anything impure. If there is a death in the household, observe mourning. These are all strict prohibitions. They are the rules and talisman chamber arrangements used by Hu Gangzi in making the Great Elixir.

The talisman chamber should be built at the front of the courtyard. Its interior should measure twelve paces square and stand twenty-four chi high. Set a door on the south side, with a stream of eastward-flowing water running in front of it. Coat both the inside and outside with fragrant clay, and place a principal elixir talisman on each of the four sides. Inside, set up the Five Sacred Peaks and the Three Terraces, Daoist divine stations representing the mountains of the five directions and the stellar officials. Beneath the western wall, build a tiered altar for the various medicinal ingredients and the catalogue of the Instructions and Methods of the Divine Elixir Scripture, arranging them on the altar. In this way, the messengers who oversee the raw medicines will keep watch, and evil influences will be unable to intrude.

To make the “ao,” build it in the middle of an indoor space, with its opening facing east, using good-quality pebbles. Pound vinegar, water from an east-flowing stream, and fine white earth together, then spread the mixture over the “ao.” Putae mud may also be used as a coating.

Place an iron tripod inside the “ao,” preferably made of cast iron. Set the cauldron used for alchemy on the tripod, positioning it at the center of the “ao” without tilting it. Leave about one and a half cun between the cauldron and the surrounding walls of the “ao”; the walls should rise about two cun above the cauldron’s rim. Keep adding bran around the cauldron to feed the fire and prevent its heat from fluctuating unevenly.

The “Five Peaks and Three Platforms” method: First build the shapes of the Five Peaks, then set up three additional platforms at the center. Construct them from earthenware and stones, and coat them with incense-infused mud. Other methods are also recorded in various scriptures. If the Five Peaks and Three Platforms cannot be set up for alchemical work, establish a talisman chamber instead—a dedicated space for housing Fulu and alchemical equipment. Set up an “ao” in the chamber, seven chi wide on each side, built from tiles and stones and coated inside and out with mud made by mixing yellow cinnabar into the earth.

The “Iron Naowu” method: Measure a circumference equal to that of the cauldron, then fit it with three legs one chi and six cun high.

The “Earthen Cauldron” method: A note by a minister says that the vessels used to combine flying elixirs and make the Golden Elixir should be made of earth and shaped into cauldrons……