《龙虎还丹诀颂》

I was born in the Ba-Shu region and later lived for a long time in the land of Qi-Lu.

Here “Yu” is the Master referring to himself. The Master’s surname was Lin, given name Taigu, courtesy name Xiangxian, and Daoist name Chunhezi. His ancestral home was Taiyuan in Bingzhou; he was born in Liangzhou because his father held office there. After coming of age he sought the Dao (the Way) and visited teachers, often traveling in the Qi-Lu region. Emperor Taizong of the Tang heard of his reputation and summoned him, granting him a mountain dwelling in Jingzhao, so he called himself the Mountain Man of Jingzhao. Later he lived in seclusion at Huayang in Yizhou and was also known as Master Huayang.

I have long yearned for leisure and have often experienced the realm of quietude and stillness.

To remain detached from fame and profit and to preserve a state of calm serenity is my aspiration.

The Dao takes the principle of natural spontaneity as its foundation, and transformation ultimately returns to a profound and far-reaching origin.

This means that the Dao is rooted in naturalness; those who can follow the Dao and apply its principles can attain a profound and mysterious realm.

Examine and harmonize Kan and Li (symbolizing Water and Fire), taking lead and mercury (Neidan (internal alchemy) terms that respectively stand for dragon and tiger) as the guiding aim of cultivation.

“Kan” belongs to Water and “Li” to Fire; “lead” stands for the tiger and “mercury” for the dragon. What is spoken of here are the true Water and true Fire, as well as the true lead and true mercury, in Neidan practice.

This ode was composed as sixty-four verses of the Huandan Jue. The sages of former ages who sought the essential meaning of the reverted elixir all took their methods from the hexagrams of the Yijing.

Therefore the elixir formulas were written as sixty-four verses, corresponding to the sixty-four hexagrams of the Yijing (Classic of Changes). If later students can study them carefully and practice accordingly, gradually gaining understanding, they will be able to perceive the profound wonders contained therein.

Ever since the Golden Chamber (the precious and solemn chamber for refining elixirs) opened the spirit furnace (the elixir furnace capable of transforming cinnabar),

the boundlessly mysterious wind of the Dao has blown throughout the four quarters.

I have been fortunate to observe the transformations of the myriad things within the Ninefold (here referring to the dingqi, or cauldron vessel, and also to the layered enclosing structures of Yin-Yang).

The spirit furnace has eight faces, therefore it is said that the “eight corners” can all feel the blowing of the Dao wind. In the song of Lord Li Taibai it is also said: “The altar is set with three layers and the furnace has eight faces.”

The elixir furnace has eight faces, so that the winds from all four directions and eight quarters can blow upon it. Lord Taibai (a legendary immortal in Daoist lore) therefore sang: “The elixir altar is arranged in three layers, the elixir furnace has eight faces.”

Fortunately one can observe the transformations of the myriad things within the nine-fold. The “nine-fold” refers to the layers of the ding vessel, and is also used as a metaphor for the instrument that encompasses the transformations of Yin-Yang. The Jade Pouch Ode says: “The ancients called it the marrow of the divine dragon; success in refining the elixir depends entirely on the nine-fold.” This is precisely what is meant.

Is there not a sacred grand design worthy of astonishment, chanting, and praise? The “imperial diagram” is used as a metaphor for the extraordinary nobility of the divine elixir.

Since the first differentiation of chaos, I alone am the most honored. Amid the flourishing of the myriad things, nothing of highest honor surpasses the Great Elixir.

The Great Elixir contains the Four Images (the four constituents of cosmic transformation), and thereby establishes Qian-Kun (Heaven and Earth). One must understand the Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) of Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire between Heaven and Earth in order to refine the supreme medicine.

To refine the Returned Elixir (the medicinal elixir produced through refinement), one should seek it here; obtaining it is to have found the most subtle gateway. Employing it fittingly without leaving a trace is to enter the wondrous gate.

People today all take the five metals to burn and refine; who knows that the Primal Lord (a revered Daoist deity) actually dwells amid the ocean waves?

People today compete to burn and refine mercury and cinnabar, thinking this to be the numinous elixir, yet they do not know that the essential secret of the Golden Elixir (jindan) lies in the Flower Pond (Huachi, a Daoist cultivation term often referring to the seat of Jing within the body).

To refine the “red jade powder” in the ding, first prepare the “white gold paste” in the furnace. The Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) says: “Those who understand the principle and cultivate it may be called sages.” From this it appears that only a sage can distinguish gold paste and jade powder.

All who wish to burn and refine elixir medicines must identify the sand they use: only sand luminous enough to reflect the countenance is of the highest quality. This “sand” comes from true lead, and is not the worldly cinnabar of the marketplace. Perfected Tao said: “Sand is the most precious treasure within the lead.” Yuanyangzi said: “Elixir sand need not be sought from distant Chen prefecture or Jin prefecture; one should look for it nearby.”

Its root is the bone of the Azure Dragon; those who cultivate immortality call it White Horse Teeth.

The Azure Dragon refers to Wood and also to mercury, which is produced from cinnabar. Perfected Yin said that cinnabar is the Jing (essence) of Wood, and further that when cinnabar dissolves it becomes water shaped like interlocking horse teeth. Perfected Tao remarked that white horse teeth constitute superior cinnabar, the term “horse teeth” indicating cinnabar of fine quality.

The divine furnace of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) resembles the Five Peaks in shape, with its body formed upright. A Yang cauldron is set in the furnace’s center to constrain the Yin Jing (essence), which means bringing water and fire into mutual cooperation and Yin-Yang (yinyang) into reciprocal harmony.

Behold the dragon and tiger coursing and interweaving inside the cauldron, agitating wind and thunder so that all strange kinds are shaken. As an ancient song puts it, when the Five Phases (wuxing) are inverted in calculation the dragon emerges from fire, and when they run contrary to sequence the tiger is born in water. Once water and fire have entered the cauldron the dragon and tiger race together therein like rumbling wind and thunder, striking awe into all things.

Metal arises from water, thereby revealing the life-giving and nurturing office of creation. The elixir in the cauldron ought to be as light as snowflakes. Yuanyangzi stated that cinnabar is the substance and snow the outer robe, employing snowflakes to figure the elixir’s lightness and luminosity.

One must not interrupt the work through the succession of cold and heat, but persist until the tally of Yang Nine is complete, numinous light is produced, and the Jing (essence) of the Five Emperors is gathered. When seasons and fire timing are fulfilled, the Jing and Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases transform and the Great Elixir is finally refined.

Those in the world who would refine and nourish the Jing-soul of the sun must first locate the mysterious source, the root of creation itself. This mysterious source is the profound and subtle origin as well as the basis for preparing the medicine. Perfected Tao observed in a later passage that the Jing of Great Mystery is the root of the Dao (the Way). Thereafter Kan and Li are taken as a couple, Kan standing for the male and Li for the female; when they conjoin and their natures blend they correspond with Qian and Kun.

Nature (xing) refers to sand and mercury, while emotion (qing) refers to gold. The Cantong Qi says: “Nature governs the interior, establishing boundaries within; emotion governs the exterior, building city walls without.” It also says: “The dragon represents emotion, the tiger represents nature. Emotion and nature depend upon each other; this is the principle of reversion.”

I often see people of the present age discussing the Great Elixir, competing to smelt the eight stones or secluding themselves in the mountains. An ancient song says: “The eight stones merely damage a person’s Qi (vital energy) and blood; the five metals mostly harm the yellow sprout.” Some people of this age hide in the mountains, others smelt the eight stones, thinking thereby they can refine the Great Elixir; none of this accords with the Dao (the Way). [The eight stones and five metals refer to the minerals and metals used in ancient alchemy.]

They do not know the true form and substance of the dragon and tiger, which exist only in the vague and indistinct of xuanqi. [“Xuanqi” is suspected to be a copying or reading error; the original text is thus.] The crucial medicinal substance is not far away; it is only that bewildered people cannot comprehend it.

When gold is used to cast the ding, only then is it a true ding; when the golden ding is refined, mercury naturally becomes intimate with it. An ancient song says: “The true ding originally is not a physical ding, therefore by employing the true ding, genuine mercury will be produced.” [“Ding” here is an alchemical term, referring both to the vessel used in alchemy and to the fundamental basis upon which alchemy relies.]

Only by wrapping and holding these two things together can they become the supreme medicine; ingesting it, one may hope to become a person who transcends the mundane world. If one cannot wrap and hold these two things together, the Great Elixir cannot be refined.

The two hexagrams Qian and Kun constitute the regulations; water and fire must be continuously employed for a thousand days before efficacy can be seen. Following the laws of the Qian and Kun hexagrams to employ water and fire, after a thousand days the reverted elixir can be refined. Therefore, when Qingxiazi transmitted to Maojun, he said: “The Great Elixir is circulated and refined for a thousand days; after a thousand days, the purple mushroom will appear.” [Qian and Kun are hexagrams in the Yijing (Classic of Changes); water and fire here refer to the coordinating functions in the alchemical process.]

The upper and lower two strings penetrate “two eights,” corresponding without the slightest discrepancy to east and west. Qingxiazi said: “Eight liang of yellow sprout as the upper string, eight liang of mercury as the lower string, together making one jin, used to correspond to the two strings.” Therefore it is said that the upper and lower two strings penetrate two eights, corresponding to the total of one jin of the medicinal substances.

The secret of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) lies in the Flower Pool (Huachi). [Huachi is a term in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), often referring to the bodily fluids or the place of cultivation.]

The phrase “shenshui huachi lun rixi shu” in the original text appears to contain errors and cannot be clearly interpreted based on the existing wording. The ending “the secret of the Golden Elixir is in the Huachi” repeats the preceding text.

In “Shen Shui Huachi” (Spirit Water Flower Pond), “Chi” refers to water and fire. Zhongyuan says that “Hua” refers to fire and “Chi” refers to water.

Those who study this are as numerous as hemp plants, yet those who truly understand it remain few. People confuse one another and point things out to each other, so those who genuinely grasp it are rare.

Prince Huainan Liu An understood this principle; after completing his cultivation, even his chickens and dogs ascended to heaven with him. Legend holds that once Liu An had successfully refined the elixir, the chickens and dogs licked the medicine remaining in the cauldron and likewise flew upward.

Mercury is hidden within cinnabar and gold is hidden within lead; whoever can grasp this principle will naturally comprehend the mysterious wonders. Mercury is produced from cinnabar and gold from lead—this is the marvel of natural transformation. Only those who understand the principle within can enter the authentic realm.

Although one has not yet obtained the power of “Daogui” (the medicinal potency gained from elixir refinement), one has already begun seeking instruction from others and set out on the path of becoming an earthly immortal. Having realized the way of the supreme treasure in the heart, how can such a person not be counted an immortal?

Gold is concealed within the Kan trigram, yet people do not know it; water is present in the Li trigram, and those who understand this are likewise few. Perfected Tao states in the later section: “Gold is born of the moon, therefore Kan belongs to the male; the flowing pearl is born of the sun, therefore Li belongs to the female.” The song of Perfected Mao likewise says “there is Yang within Yin and Yin within Yang,” which speaks precisely of this principle.

If one can recognize the true gold and water, one may ride a luan bird in broad daylight and fly up to the Purple Tenuity Palace. Those able to distinguish true gold and true water approach the sagely realm and take their place among the immortal officials.

The gathered golden flower is the Jing (essence) of lead; once congealed it is fine and dense like fish scales, its color white and light. If one can grasp the ingenuity within, the principles of Huachi and the Golden Cauldron become clear of themselves. The lead within fire is the gold within water; the two interact and transform without end.

After a hundred refinements, impurities gradually dissipate and the color grows ever deeper. The true Jing is pure and harmonious; the more it is refined, the more its marvels appear.

If one has not met a person who has attained the Dao and received the oral instructions, relying solely on Jing (scriptures) and discussions will in the end make it difficult to find the essential secrets of the Great Elixir. Those secret essentials are not recorded in the scriptures but are transmitted among the sages and perfected ones of successive generations, consisting of no more than a few sentences of oral formulas.

The substance extracted from Yin is refined and ultimately returns to Yang. The subtle transformations involved were often beyond the understanding of people at that time.

It is boiled with water and refined with fire; those who grasp the principle can produce cinnabar (the mineral or elixir used in alchemy).

If one can clearly recognize the root of Yin-Yang, one may enter the realm of deathless immortality. Only by understanding this Dao (the Way) can one speak of longevity.

The earthly po and heavenly hun represent Yin and Yang respectively, that is, the tiger and the dragon: heavenly Yang is hun and belongs to the dragon; earthly Yin is po and belongs to the tiger. Discussions in many Jing (scriptures/classics) are written obscurely and remain hard to fathom. The eulogies of former sages likewise leave one perplexed, yet the Great Dao is actually not distant. Yuanyangzi said: “The principle of the union of Yin and Yang lies within yourself; you can see it every day, yet you may not recognize it.”

If people of that time wished to identify true lead and mercury, they had to recognize the two designations “Jin Gong” and “Shui Gong.” Jin Gong refers to lead, Shui Gong to mercury. The so-called “lead within fire” is not tin; “water concealed in wood” is not silver. The true lead and true mercury spoken of here are not the black tin and quicksilver of the ordinary world. A song of the Perfected Person says: “If one does not recognize the lead of fire and mercury, even understanding all manner of theories will be of no avail.”

Alchemy further relies on Kan, Li, Zhen, and Xun (representing water, fire, thunder, wind, and other symbols among the Bagua (Eight Trigrams)) to bring Jia and Yi into union with Geng and Xin. Jia and Yi belong to Wood, Geng and Xin to Metal. Perfected Yin said: “Cinnabar is the essence of Wood; only by obtaining Metal can they combine.” Therefore these symbols of Kan, Li, Zhen, and Xun must be employed in coordination throughout the alchemical process.

The “pond water” presents the clear and luminous color of autumn waters. Yin and Yang undergo nine transformations, descending and then rising again. The so-called “nine turns” here refers to the refining process from the first month to the ninth month. An ancient song says: “When the ninth turn is reached and the ninth month draws to a close, the Yellow Sprout (an alchemical term for the first signs of the elixir’s formation) displays an auspicious hue, suffused with purple light.” Master Lü said: “As it rises and falls, the Valley Spirit (the empty, still, and spiritually luminous nature spoken of in Daoism) gradually becomes manifest.”

One waits until the white-gold-like substance is completely transmuted, whereupon a mass of Jing (essence) and po coagulates in the cauldron.

The returned elixir of the golden body is the most precious of treasures. The Cantong Qi (a classic of Daoist alchemy) states: “Only when gold returns to the original root of nature and life is it called the returned elixir.”

A current of primordial Qi (vital energy) between heaven and earth condenses into a frost-like substance in the elixir furnace; the immortals call it the king of medicines.

Ordinary medicines can only treat illness; even a single daogui (an ancient unit of measure for minute quantities of medicine) of the returned elixir possesses the power to transform an ordinary person into an immortal, and so it is called the lord of all medicines.

The natural work of creation resembles an egg: the exterior corresponds to Geng and Xin (the directional and Five Phases attributes of Metal), while the interior encases a yellow core. The form of the elixir furnace and the medicine is likewise like that of an egg.

By frequently studying the Yinfu Jing and the Daode Jing, one comes to see that the words of Master Lü (Lü Dongbin, a legendary immortal who attained the Dao in Daoist tradition) are indeed worthy of attention.

Master Lü said: “A world is hidden within a single grain of millet; mountains and rivers are cooked in a half-sheng pot (a small cooking vessel).”

As for nourishing the medicine, there is no need first to discuss three years of fire timing; the essential secret of refining the elixir points directly to that half-sheng pot.

Within the profound and mysterious is contained the essence of the sun, which is the Jing (essence) of supreme Yang; it generates all things. It is the foundation of heaven and earth and the source from which all things sprout. A person of firm resolve who understands this and cultivates according to the method will find that the numinous fluid naturally transforms into the River Chariot (an alternative name for the Yellow Sprout, referring to the circulating Jing-Qi of the elixir-refining process).

Jinyangzi said: “When the Qian trigram is cultivated to the utmost Jing, it becomes the Yellow Sprout; when the Kun trigram is circulated to a certain degree, it becomes the River Chariot.” He also sang: “The River Chariot carries the Qi of Jia Wood; it is the guide and master in cultivation. Cautiously hold to this principle, and the mind will naturally understand.”

Refining the elixir is like crossing mountains and seas and regulating the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), seizing the primordial Qi in the place of profundity and mystery. That is to say, one must attune the Five Phases so that the primordial Qi condenses.

If anyone wishes to know the root of cultivation, let them read the Daode Jing transmitted by the Mysterious Origin Emperor, the Most High Lord Lao. It is said that Lord Lao once transmitted this five-thousand-character Daode Jing to the Pass Guardian Yin Xi, and it contains the essential principles of the returned elixir and the Dao of True Unity.

The moon rabbit races and the golden crow flies; time flows in cycles. A hundred years of human life are entirely like a dream. There is indeed a path of longevity in the world, yet if a person clings to floating splendor, they will in the end not escape a lifetime of toil until death.

The Shennong Jing states: “Those who understand how to take white as the exterior while guarding the black cannot obtain death even if they seek it.” Ordinary people fail to grasp the wondrous principle by which the immortal sages teach transcendence of the world; they merely chase after ostentation and thus rapidly proceed toward decline and destruction.

“Within the one there is yet another one, most difficult to seek; it is arrayed in the west, its direction belonging to Metal.”

The “one” spoken of here refers to Water; that which is hidden within Water refers to white Metal. Tao Zhenren said: “Three, five, and one are the most subtle things between Heaven and Earth.” Metal is the mother of Water; the mother hides within the fetus of the child. Water is the child of Metal; the child hides within the womb of the mother. It is further said: “White is the essence of Metal, black is the foundation of Water. Water is the pivot of the Dao (the Way), and its number is called ‘one.’”

Those who aspire to investigate, if they can comprehend the principle herein, will know that black and white naturally sink and float respectively.

Black refers to lead, white refers to silver. Lead sinks and silver floats: this is the wondrous principle of nature.

Heaven and Earth resemble a furnace fire, cooking and refining the essence of sun and moon; Geng Metal and Jia Wood mutually combine. If a person can recognize the true meaning of Metal and Wood, the transformations of the myriad things will seem as if they can be easily grasped in the hand.

To thoroughly understand the intent of Metal and Wood is to grasp creation and transformation. Tao Zhenren says in a later section: “Those who obtain it find Heaven and Earth as if in their hands and creation as if within themselves; from this they can almost rank among the sages and have their names listed in the registers of immortals.”

Once this is realized, it is like crossing a great river with no obstacles along the way.

In daily life one must constantly cultivate hidden De (Virtue/Power) in order to resonate with Heaven. If one’s actions do not accord with the Dao and one carelessly leaks the secret transmission, one will inevitably invite calamities sent down by the spirits.

The principles set forth in the ten thousand volumes of immortal scriptures are ultimately all interconnected; the way of the returning elixir cannot depart from the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). The Five Phases themselves can become the supreme medicine.

If one wishes to know when the nine-turn elixir method is completed and when Yin-Yang are sufficient, one need only await three years of water-and-fire practice.

Gently collect the fluids from within Wood; still one cannot depart from the Five Phases. The Five Phases themselves can become the supreme medicine.

To know when the nine turns (the stages of Yin-Yang transformation and progressive fire timing in elixir refinement) reach fulfillment, simply wait until the three-year water-and-fire practice is complete. After a thousand days of regulating and circulating water and fire, the Great Elixir can be refined. Collect the fluids from wood bit by bit (an alchemical term for the Jing (essence) of wood nature), starting from the size of a millet grain and gradually accumulating to one jin. It proceeds from nothing to something, from little to much. Even if strength is exhausted and mind and Shen (spirit) weary, do not regard this as suffering. In general the former sages all succeeded only after hardship. That is to say, the former sages attained transcendence because they concentrated persistently on their aspiration.

Boiling stones to refine gold and cultivating the Way of Great Mystery (the wondrous Daoist method of cultivation), immortals do not readily transmit it to humans. The essential formula for using medicines is a precious secret treasured and hidden by immortals, ordinarily unknown to the world. If a person can recognize the principle amid the mysterious and wondrous—“Xuan” is the foundation of the medicines; one who understands this can have their practice participate in the creative work of heaven and earth—then one can surpass the power of heaven and earth's creation. After one month the Returned Elixir (the elixir that reverts to unity upon completion) begins to show signs; Yin-Yang respond to each other and penetrate the Xi-Yi (the profound, subtle, imperceptible Dao).

The Hidden Dragon's position corresponds to the initial nine (first line of the Qian hexagram in the Yijing); Yang Qi (vital energy) first arises at zi hour (midnight). The Hidden Dragon corresponds to the eleventh month; fire timing follows the initial nine, beginning at the zi hour of Yang's first birth. By the second month the Green Dragon gradually appears, and the Jing-Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) gathers little by little. Wood mercury condenses into Jing, and the numinous fluid gradually shows. At this time understand the gentle changes in fire timing so that a tiger's roar seems to issue from within the ding. Mao Zhenjun said that when cold and heat alternate there appear the images of tiger roaring and dragon chanting.

In the third month the numinous elixir is termed the “Small Return.” That refined in three years is the “Great Return”; that which gathers the Jing-Qi of the Five Phases in three months is the “Small Return.” Once the Small Return coagulates its form resembles True Lead (key substance in the elixir method). One must attentively regulate Wen fire and Wu fire (milder and more intense fire timings in refining), without allowing deviation in Yin-Yang changes or fire-timing sequence. Seal the ding-furnace tightly, carefully master the fire, and gradually the mercury-lead transformations appear. The fire-timing formula states: Wen fire at start and finish, Wu fire in the middle, hence “Wen-Wu.”

By the fourth month the work is done and the Hun-Shen is established. This resembles a fetus gestating in the womb, from which the Hun-Shen is likewise generated.

The Azure Dragon (symbolizing yang Qi, or vital energy) and the White Tiger (symbolizing yin Qi) intermingle with each other. At this time, the Jade Fluid (the term in cultivation practice for the coagulated state of Jing, or essence, and Qi) quietly condenses. Yang Qi gradually establishes itself, yin Qi gradually recedes, and the White Tiger withdraws accordingly.

In the fifth month, the Qi of Yin-Yang meet, and the Yellow Sprout (symbolizing the omen of the elixir's first birth) gradually develops into a numinous seedling. This is the time of the Gou hexagram (one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the Yijing, the Classic of Changes, symbolizing yang Qi's initial encounter with yin Qi). The Qi of Yin-Yang interact with each other, and the numinous sprout is thus gradually conceived.

The numinous seedling constitutes the initial form of the medicine of immortality; one must still harmonize Water and Fire according to the proper time (Water and Fire being terms in Neidan, or internal alchemy, cultivation that refer to the operations of Yin-Yang, rising and falling, and similar processes).

In the sixth month, true yin coagulates into sand. Deluded persons, however, mistake this for the "River Chariot" (a Neidan term for the pathway or method by which Jing and Qi circulate). I particularly advise fellow Daoists not to boast of such matters casually to ordinary people. The ancient sages issued strict warnings against revealing them lightly.

By the seventh month, the medicine has secretly connected and been fully refined, yet the transformations among colors such as green, yellow, red, and white remain difficult to describe. The Qi of Yin-Yang gradually become abundant, and the colors continue to change. All this depends upon the action of Water and Fire to refine the essence of the two Qi of Yin-Yang; without employing Water and Fire, the two Qi cannot coagulate into Jing.

In the eighth month, the medicine circulates in proper sequence, returning to the Dui palace (the Dui position in the directional scheme of the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams, which belongs to Metal) and corresponding with Metal Qi. The medicine returns to its original form, and its color becomes apparent. One must still carefully guard the Spirit Chamber (the site where the elixir is installed and nurtured) in order to cultivate the dragon within the fire (symbolizing the matured state of the elixir), thus enabling a person to attain longevity.

In the ninth month, the Metal Qi of the Dui palace corresponds with the seasonal period. The medicine returns to its original substance, and color manifests. One must still carefully guard the Spirit Chamber to cultivate the dragon within the fire, thus enabling a person to attain longevity.

In the ninth month, the numinous mercury (a Neidan term for the mercurial medicinal substance possessing spiritual quality) has already dried, and the elixir is as cold as a vessel of frost and snow. The medicine gradually coagulates into Jing, with a color like frost and snow. Do not treat it as a treasure capable of transmuting mundane things; rather, wait until the work is accomplished before refining it into the Great Reverted Elixir. If one consumes it prematurely or uses it to transmute worldly treasures, the numinous elixir will not be successfully formed.

In the tenth month, the Golden Elixir has already emerged from the womb and assumed form; only then does it begin to become an infant (symbolizing the newly born elixir embryo).

The ancient immortal sages compared the Golden Elixir (Jindan) to fruit forming on a tree. The generation of the Golden Elixir resembles a fetus gestating in the mother’s womb, so that those outside can scarcely discern the transformations occurring within. After ten months of gestation the fetus leaves the mother’s body and becomes an infant.

The infant is the form of the Returned Elixir (the elixir that, through cultivation, reverts to its original source). Who could believe that it is actually brought forth from the formless?

It takes on form and substance out of emptiness and nonexistence; is this not the most subtle thing under heaven?

As the yin po (the yin vital essence) recedes, yang Qi (vital energy) naturally establishes itself; a substance resembling white gold, once smelted, produces the Red Dragon (a symbol of the Golden Elixir).

In the tripod one sees only a congealed mass like emerald jade, yet in the furnace neither the supposed form and substance of the Returned Elixir nor the Yellow Lightness (what elixir masters call the light and floating thing) can be perceived. Who could believe that it is actually brought forth from the formless?

It takes on form and substance out of emptiness and nonexistence; is this not the most subtle thing under heaven?

As the yin po recedes, yang Qi naturally establishes itself; a substance resembling white gold, once smelted, produces the Red Dragon.

Inside the tripod one sees only a congealed mass like emerald jade; in the furnace the Yellow Lightness remains invisible.

The various substances transform, blend, and congeal, coordinating with one another in a manner wondrous beyond words.

They are repeatedly inverted and refined so that the old dregs are removed. What is called “soaring inversion” means using repeated regulation and refinement to increase the Qi of the medicinal ingredients. The Taiyi Ge (“Song of the Great Change”) states: “Gently soaring and inverting the essence of heaven and earth, clustering yin and yang so that spirits and ghosts take flight.” This means that through minute turning and refining one gathers the essence of heaven and earth together with the Qi of yin and yang, rendering the transformations wondrously subtle.

Do not lose patience because the process is slow; continue to concentrate and attend. Dragon and tiger contend and battle, yet in the end they return to the original beginning.

Yin Qi gradually recedes while yang Qi gradually increases, so that the elixir likewise approaches purity and genuineness.

The dragon and tiger (the interacting yin-yang forces of elixir practice) coordinate with each other, and the medicinal ingredients gradually become numinous. The Yuanyangzi Ge (“Song of Master Yuanyang”) says: “The azure dragon pursues the tiger, the tiger seeks the dragon.” This is what is meant by dragon and tiger contending and battling.

One refines and transforms the yin Jing (essence), causing it to return to its original source. Immortals call it “Bailangxu” (an alternative name for the Golden Elixir).

“Bailangxu” is another designation for the Golden Elixir, used to describe the beauty of an elixir as pure and white as jade.

Ordinary people cannot see its true form and therefore suppose that the Returned Elixir must be red. The Shenshui Huachi Lun (“Treatise on the Divine Water and Flowery Pond”) explains that “huan” means returning to the root while “dan” indicates a vermilion color.

A single source contains three substances that also accord with the Three Powers. Perfected Tao’s Zhongpian (“Middle Chapter”) states: “Establish Qian and Kun, circulate water and fire, follow the timing of heaven, accord with the Three Powers, and only then can one refine the cinnabar.” From this it is clear that although the Golden Elixir issues from one and the same source, in practice the three substances must be made to coordinate and be fired together within the same furnace opening.

Yin and Yang mutually interact and condense into the Shengtai (sacred embryo, the embryonic form of the Neidan spoken of in cultivation). The Shengtai forms of itself and is therefore called “sheng” (sacred). Amid the numerical principles of the circulation of water and fire, the sovereign medicine will appear. By employing purple water and aligning the fire timing with the seasons of heaven, while coordinating the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, one can then refine the cinnabar. From this it is known that although the Golden Elixir (Jindan) issues from a single source, three materials must be used in the refining, allowing them to be calcined together within the same furnace opening.

Yin and Yang mutually interact and condense into the Shengtai. The Shengtai forms naturally and is therefore called “sheng.” Amid the operation of water and fire the sovereign medicine appears; once the Purple River Cart (ziheche, a medicinal substance or circulatory process in Neidan cultivation) is completed, the colored luan-bird will arrive. A song by an unnamed Daoist says: “When cultivation reaches the completion of the Purple River Cart, one can soar to heaven in broad daylight.”

The divine water in the Flower Pool now first reveals its function. The Treatise on Divine Water and Flower Pool states: “The Flower Pool refers to lead, the divine water to mercury.” Once the divine water stirs, it becomes as clear and transparent to the bottom as autumn waves. Refine it into the tripod and urge it with yang fire; as the fire timing circulates it is as if one faintly hears the sounds of dragon and tiger.

Urging with Li fire and fanning with Xun wind produces the effect of dragon and tiger in combat, the sounds seeming to carry outside the furnace. Here “Li fire” and “Xun wind” borrow from the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) to illustrate the coordination of fire timing and bellows.

With little food in the mouth the body still feels cold, yet one does not fear the hardships of the long years. One must firm the will, seeking within one’s own cultivation rather than going before the gates of the powerful to seek official advancement. One ought to maintain lofty aspirations and not serve kings and nobles.

The meaning of “nine returns and seven reversions” is not easy to fathom. Qingxiazi says: from the eleventh month to the seventh month is called “nine returns”; from the first month to the seventh month is called “seven reversions.” The latter half of the original sentence is missing.

Qi condenses into sand, water transforms into gold. The sand is formed by the condensation of Qi (vital energy), while gold is generated from within water. If one can comprehend the Five Phases and the Four Images, the dragon will naturally drink water in the tripod and respond in harmony. Here the “dragon” symbolizes the transformations of the medicines within the cauldron.

At the foot of Kunlun Mountain one obtains the mysterious pearl (xuanzhu, symbolizing the supreme treasure); the two medicines originally occupy one source. The mysterious pearl serves as a metaphor for the precious treasure, while the “two things” refer to the foundational substances of elixir refining. An ancient song says: “If one can know that the two things were originally united as one, after the three flowers one will then comprehend the hidden marvel of the solitary wheel.”

Only when one has refined until the primordial Qi of Yin and Yang is sufficient does one understand that the accomplishment of the elixir Way ultimately manifests of itself from emptiness.

People appear calm and unhurried, as if somewhat dull-witted; their minds are free of distracting thoughts and remain unmoved by external things. Only after grasping the purport of “Xiyi” (the subtle and ineffable Dao (the Way)) does one realize that the Mysterious Gate (the portal of Daoist cultivation) is a path worth returning to.

The master himself claims to delight in deep and marvelous things, and this is precisely the flavor of the mysterious and wondrous gate.

Do not crave pungent foods and luxurious garments. The gate of longevity lies right before the eyes and can be sought. Those who scramble for fame and chase profit, greedy and obsessed, pay no heed to time flying past like flowing water. They indulge in sounds and colors, stained by fame and gain, and ultimately fail to enter the gate of long life; by the time of old age, the years have already flowed away like water, never to return.

Mercury can transform into gold, and gold can further transform into sand; the gold and sand gradually convert, becoming the “Purple River Cart” (an alchemical term referring to a state in the formation of the elixir). When the qi (vital energy) of the gold and sand is sufficient, the River Cart can form (in Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation, referring to the circulating state of jing (essence) and qi). If the elixir method succeeds in refining the River Cart, the road to the Penglai immortal realm is not far.

Only when the spiritual nature of the medicines appears is there hope of becoming an immortal.

When the tripod of Qian-Kun (Heaven and Earth) is completed, the Dragon and Tiger (symbols of the two Yin-Yang forces in alchemy) unite; the Four Images (the four forces representing Yin-Yang transformations) revolve, and the two qi intermingle. Grasp the essential secret of the Flower Pond (a Neidan term referring to the place where jing and qi gather in cultivation), and the elixir will naturally form within it. Understand how the Four Images shift and change, and how the two qi of Yin-Yang interact, and the cinnabar will then generate.

From non-being arises being, and being returns to non-being: what originally was not suddenly appears, and what appears suddenly vanishes. Transformation takes place amid the vague and profound, and the ultimate essence is thereby conceived. The sun and moon alternate their courses across the azure sky. Without meeting a person of the Dao who transmits the oral formulas, even reading through many books is but labor in vain.

The True Scripture says: “To obtain a little is enough; greed for more only confuses.” It also says: “Without a teacher, relying only on textual study, one can never truly comprehend.” Therefore, if one has not encountered a person of the Dao transmitting the oral secrets, even wide reading of books will hardly bring attainment.

The foundation of longevity lies in the “Yellow Sprout” (an alchemical term referring to the essence of the elixir). Hu Gangzi once asked Wei Gong: “From what is the Yellow Sprout refined?” Wei Gong replied: “With lead, yet not only with lead; the Five Metals (gold, silver, copper, iron, tin) all arise from lead.”

The so-called “Yellow Sprout” (Huangya) is the true essence that actually takes effect among the medicinal substances used in elixir refinement. Hu Gangzi asked Wei Boyang, “What is Yellow Sprout made of?” Wei Boyang replied, “It is made with lead, yet not only with lead. All five metals are generated from the Jing (essence) of lead.” Qingxiazi said, “If one says that Yellow Sprout is lead, the lead would then rush away for ten thousand li; if one says that Yellow Sprout is not lead, it nevertheless begins from lead. Lead is the mother-body of Yellow Sprout, and Yellow Sprout is the product of lead. Once the Golden Flower (Jinhua) has been obtained, lead is no longer taken and used.”

It is also said that when lead is melted by fire in the ash pond, the lead sinks down while silver floats up; this product is called “Yellow Light” (Huangqing), also known as “Golden Flower,” “Autumn Stone” (Qiushi), “Yellow Sprout,” or “Wangyang.” It is called “Yellow Sprout” first because its color is yellowish, and second because it resembles the tender sprouts of all things at the moment of their first birth. Obtaining it, one may take it as a treasure of longevity.

These materials must be refined and subdued so that they return to the position of “Wuji.” “Wuji” refers to the ding vessel used in elixir refinement, and it also symbolizes the central Earth position. The Song of Laojun says: “Wuji is the foundation; the strength and weakness of water and fire are thereby regulated.” It also says: “One must thoroughly understand the function of Wuji and not speak only of iron.” The Eulogy of the Jade Pouch says: “To know how the Great Medicine establishes its foundation, one must possess the central Wuji Earth.”

Only after mercury has been refined into a white liquid is the white liquid further made into cinnabar. Cinnabar is generated from Golden Liquid (Jinye) and is not refined solely by means of iron.

He wears hemp clothing and a tattered straw rain-cape, mixing among the dusty world, poor and down-and-out, wandering everywhere. He originally possesses within himself a pool of clear water, seeking neither fame nor profit, nor requesting anything of others. He says that he himself already has the precious treasures within the water, seeking neither wealth nor chasing after official rank and reputation.

Yellow Essence (the essence of Yellow Sprout) coagulates with Red Marrow to form cinnabar. The Song of Gold and Jade says: “Red Marrow flows and transforms into mercury; mercury coagulates into sand.”

“White Tiger” and “Green Dragon” are originally one body. They are merely names borrowed in the art of elixir refinement, referring respectively to the Qi (vital energy) of Metal and of Wood; when the two mix and coagulate, they form the pure elixir.

These things are clearly right before the eyes, yet people fail to recognize them and instead take all sorts of miscellaneous substances to be Yellow Sprout.

The Cantong Qi, a Daoist classic that discusses the principles of alchemy, says that only things of the same kind can mutually induce and respond to one another. If the substances employed do not correspond with each other, no precious treasure can be refined. It is like needing grain seeds in order to plant grain, or chicken eggs in order to hatch chicks. Qingxiazi stated that those of like kind will gather together, while those that do not accord will part; a luan bird will not hatch a magpie’s egg, and a fox is not a horse.

“Three thousand young maidens” refers to the legend of the Yellow Emperor’s union with women, whose inner principle is exceedingly subtle. The cyclical movement of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) can be experienced through the Xun trigram (one of the Eight Trigrams, symbolizing wind and wood). Xun pertains to wind, and women are further used as a metaphor for the water clock (an ancient time-measuring device). By extrapolating and arranging the transformations of Yin-Yang from this, one can obtain the numerical principles involved.

If students of the Dao fail to grasp the purport transmitted by the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan (Xuanhou) and merely lose themselves in sounds and sights, they become no better than walking corpses. The scriptures record that the Yellow Emperor united with three thousand women and finally ascended to heaven in broad daylight. Even a man matched with only a single wife who nevertheless indulges in lust may thereby injure his life. Ordinary people prize beauty and chase after many desires, frequently bringing ruin upon themselves, yet they do not realize that the secret of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan’s becoming an immortal lay in the work of the returned elixir (Neidan, or internal alchemy, whose core is the transformation of Yin-Yang).

The mysterious and profound principles are difficult to fathom, yet if one can apprehend the minute details within those mysterious principles, one will recognize that the crux lies in Kan and Li (the Kan and Li trigrams among the Eight Trigrams, commonly standing for water and fire as well as Yin-Yang). Cultivation takes place solely in the reciprocal employment of Kan and Li; therein is naturally contained a mysterious mechanism that accords with the heavenly Dao.

With continual practice the effects gradually appear, transforming in the manner of chrysanthemums changing from yellow to the red of liao flowers. Yellow chrysanthemums and red liao flowers serve as metaphors for the changes perceived during cultivation. By repeatedly applying Kan and Li and following the natural heavenly mechanism, one can progressively witness results.

After a thousand days of refining and nourishing, one opens the furnace to inspect, and the ten thousand phenomena seem to converge within a single ding cauldron. When the thousand-day work is complete, one may behold the state in which the myriad phenomena return to unity.

Do not casually transmit the method of the returned elixir to others; the sage’s deep meaning is stored within the heart. Worldly people scramble to extract mercury from mineral sands, believing that by refining an elixir they can attain the Dao, unaware that the true significance of cinnabar is hidden elsewhere in the mysterious principles.

During the nine-times circulating process of refining and nourishing, one must perform bathing on multiple occasions. Here “bathing” is a technical term of Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, denoting the staged regulation, nourishment, and purification of body, mind, and the Qi (vital energy) mechanism, so that the Qi numbers may become firm and robust. Among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), Water is especially intimate with cultivation. Once the elixir is achieved, only a small measure of the medicine or the crucial work (a daogui) is required to accomplish the rank of a high perfected one and to join the assembly of the immortal perfected.

Thunder roars with fierce intensity, and the Xun wind (the wind symbolized by the Xun trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams)) howls into arising. At this moment the autumn tiger and the spring dragon contend with each other; dragon and tiger swallow one another, emitting a sound like a thunderclap.

The Yuanjun (a revered deity in alchemical terminology) naturally receives the assistance of the Santai (Daoist stellar deities or guardian spirits), sitting serenely and unmoved at the ninefold heights. The verse says that the Yuanjun sits peacefully upon the Santai, undisturbed. True Lord Wei’s “Song of Fire Timing” states: “When the Santai encircle, the embryonic elixir can take form; in receiving the mechanism of Qi (vital energy), one must still remember Bing and Ding (the heavenly stems that represent the fire timing).”

The path to the mysterious gate of the Great Dao (the Way) is not far, yet people of the world scramble after profits as tiny as the tip of an awl or the edge of a blade. The poem laments that people draw close only to profit and constantly contend over paltry gains.

Those who are indifferent to fame and fortune and who transcend the dusty world in seeking the true Dao—who hereafter can succeed us? The poem says that cultivating immortality requires encountering a suitable person, and one must also remember the Bing-Ding fire timing.

The silent and profound matters of true spirit can be investigated and understood from this; there is no need to seek further in the Jinbi (a Daoist alchemical classic) and the Cantong (the Zhouyi Cantong Qi, a classic expounding alchemical thought). If one wishes to know the dragon-tiger returned elixir (Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation or alchemical formula symbolized by dragon and tiger), the essential points are clearly contained in this poem.

The poem says that the true secrets of the returned elixir are all contained within this verse. Reciting it is sufficient to grasp its key points; there is no need to seek them afar in classics such as the Jinbi.