《周易参同契注》

Qian and Kun are the gateways of the Yijing and the parents of all the hexagrams. The Commentary on the Appended Phrases says, “Are Qian and Kun perhaps the gateways of the Yijing?” Qian is pure Yang, and Kun is pure Yin. Every Yang line in the hexagrams derives from Qian, and every Yin line derives from Kun. Thus the Yin and Yang of Qian and Kun form the foundation for entering into all the hexagrams.

In the human body, Qian symbolizes the head, including the ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and tongue that are visible on the outside. Kun symbolizes the abdomen, including the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys concealed within the body. Accordingly, everything Yang takes its image from Qian, while everything Yin takes its image from Kun.

Before the myriad hexagrams took form, Kan had already been conceived within Kun, and Li within Qian. In the human body, the kidneys belong to Kan and are located below; the heart belongs to Li and is located above. When Kan and Li join, Kan sets its Yang in motion and Li its Yin, thereby forming the sixty hexagrams. The union of the man, who symbolizes Kan, and the woman, who symbolizes Li, in the human body likewise provides the foundation for the myriad hexagrams. Thus Kan and Li are like a wheel hub and its spokes, sustaining and driving the movement of the hexagram images.

The passage on the right is the first chapter.

The four hexagrams that symbolize the union of Yin and Yang are like the bolt and key of a gate: they govern the Way of Yin and Yang and encompass and connect its transformations. This is like a driver who follows the measuring cord and ink line, holds the reins and bridle, keeps the rules in order, and travels along the wheel tracks. By grasping the center, one can control what lies outside. The numerical patterns of Yin-Yang transformation are reflected in the calendar: the month is divided into periods, each lasting about five or six days, making thirty days in all. The movements of warp and weft all follow the sun, together amounting to sixty; firmness and yielding, in turn, appear respectively on the outside and inside.

The “Four Hexagrams” refers to Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. “Female and male” refers to the principle by which Yin and Yang complement one another. Viewed as a whole, the changes of Yin and Yang among all the hexagrams are governed by these four; in their operation, those changes are also set in motion by them. The four occupy the center and govern changes on the outside. It is like setting standards in the mind with tools such as the compass, square, level, and measuring line, so that external forms can be corrected; or like a driver controlling a vehicle’s direction by holding its reins and bridle.

Numerically, Qian is nine, Kun is six, Kan is seven, and Li is eight. These numbers are the basic framework for the movement of the calendar. In a month, two double-hours make up five days, and six double-hours make up fifteen days; thus a month contains six cycles of five days. If two hexagrams are used in a day, Yin and Yang alternate with one another and run through the inner and outer realms; their patterns of change are all contained in this process.

The passage above is the second chapter.

At dawn on the first day, the Hexagram Zhun takes charge; at dusk, the Hexagram Meng takes over. One hexagram governs the day and another the night, proceeding in sequence.

After the hexagrams Qian and Kun, the Book of Changes proceeds to Zhun and Meng. The account here says that Zhun governs the morning and Meng the evening, showing that two hexagrams are used each day. If one then follows the sequence of hexagrams after Zhun and Meng, using one hexagram for the day and one for the night, all sixty hexagrams can take their turn over the course of a month.

The passage above is the third chapter.

Proceeding from the hexagrams Ji Ji and Wei Ji through the end of the month, the cycle then returns to the beginning. When the cycle is complete, it starts again. The dates and double-hours set the scale for this process, and movement and stillness each have their proper times, early and late.

The sequence of hexagrams in the Classic of Changes (Zhouyi) ends with “After Completion” (Jiji) and “Before Completion” (Weiji). Beginning on the first day of the month, one proceeds through the hexagrams in order, starting with “Difficulty at the Beginning” (Zhun) and “Youthful Folly” (Meng), until, by the evening of the last day of the month, the sequence reaches “After Completion” and “Before Completion.” Yet an ending also marks a new beginning, so on the first day of the next month, the sequence starts again with “Difficulty at the Beginning” and “Youthful Folly.”

The order of the hexagrams corresponds not only to the changes of each day, but also to the hours within a day: “Difficulty at the Beginning” and “Youthful Folly” also operate during the Zi hour. Each five-day period forms a stage corresponding to two hours. The waxing half-moon corresponds to the Mao hour, the waning half-moon to the You hour, and the fifteenth and sixteenth days to the Wu hour. The Qi of Yin and Yang begins to move at different times, and each of these moments should be observed closely.

In spring and summer, follow the inner movement, progressing from the Zi hour through the Chen and Si hours. In autumn and winter, follow the outer movement, progressing from the Wu hour through the Xu and Hai hours. Yang Qi begins to arise at the Zi hour and ascends, which is why spring and summer belong to the inner movement. Yin Qi begins to descend at the Wu hour, which is why autumn and winter belong to the outer movement. This describes the principles for regulating the firing process in alchemical practice over the twelve months of the year.

Rewards and punishments should accord with the changes of spring and autumn; darkness and brightness should follow the alternation of cold and heat. The statements attached to the hexagrams and their lines contain the principles of benevolence and righteousness, and also express joy and anger in accordance with the seasons. By following the four seasons in this way, the movement of the Five Phases can proceed in proper order.

The Changes says that Heaven has transformations of Yin and Yang, Earth has distinctions of firmness and yielding, and human beings have benevolence and righteousness. When Yang Qi arrives in spring, all things grow; when Yin Qi arrives in autumn, all things wither. People should model themselves on the generative force of spring’s Yang Qi by practicing benevolence through rewards, and on the austere force of autumn’s Yin Qi by practicing righteousness through punishment. Joy and anger, when revealed outwardly, are likewise like the changes of Yin and Yang.

Those who cultivate the Dao should also model themselves on the four seasons. In spring, the time of growth—when Yang Qi is strong and the Moon is at its first quarter—they use the method called “flying the Golden Essence.” Spring belongs to Wood, while the Golden Essence belongs to Kan, the Water trigram. Water generates Wood, symbolizing the practice of benevolence. In autumn, the time of decline—when Yin Qi is strong and the Moon is at its last quarter—they use the method called “seeking the medicine.” Autumn belongs to Metal, while the medicine of the Li Palace belongs to Fire. Fire controls Metal, symbolizing the use of righteousness to suppress rebellion. By modeling themselves on the four seasons in this way, the movements of the Five Phases each follow their proper order.

Heaven and Earth each occupy their place, and the transformations of the Changes move between them. Heaven and Earth symbolize Qian and Kun; to “establish positions” means to arrange the places where Yin and Yang correspond. Here, “the Changes” refers to Kan and Li: Kan and Li embody the functions of Qian and Kun. Kan and Li do not remain fixed in any one line position but circulate through the six lines, coming and going without a set location and moving up and down without a constant position. Hidden and subtle, they transform ceaselessly within, encompassing the myriad things; they are the guiding principle of the Dao.

Kan and Li, the Water and Fire trigrams in the Book of Changes, are the two ways Qian and Kun exert their power. Qian is pure Yang and represents the virtue of Heaven, but it cannot act on its own. The Book of Changes says, “Heaven’s virtue cannot take the lead.” For it to take effect, it must rely on Yin. Even someone who is wise and discerning must remain humble and unadorned; only then can Qian’s power be brought to bear. Hence the saying, “When a host of dragons appears without a head, good fortune.” “Without a head” means remaining humble and not placing oneself at the front.

Kun is pure Yin and, likewise, cannot act on its own. The Book of Changes says, “It is beneficial to persevere in what is right.” For Kun to take effect, it must rely on Yang. Acting solely on one’s own can lead astray; receiving a guiding force brings benefit. Hence the saying, “In the northeast, one loses one’s companions; in the end, there is cause for celebration.” The northeast is the direction where Yang Qi resides.

Thus the Qian hexagram speaks of “using the nine,” and the Kun hexagram of “using the six,” while the other hexagrams do not speak of “using.” Within pure Yang, one Yin arises: the empty place at the center of the Li trigram is where Qian acts. Within pure Yin, one Yang arises: the firm line at the center of the Kan trigram is where Kun acts. The Yang lines in the sixty hexagrams all depend on the Yin contained within Qian to move and function; the Yin lines, in turn, depend on the Yang contained within Kun to arise and develop. For this reason, Qian and Kun are called the parents of the many hexagrams.

Qian and Kun are not counted among the many hexagrams; Kan and Li carry out their work. Kan and Li are concealed within change and do not appear in fixed line positions. The “six empty places” refers to the fact that the many hexagrams initially all possess the form of pure Kun, with their six line positions empty. It is precisely because these positions are empty that Kan and Li can transform within them, setting Qian and Kun’s Yin and Yang in motion. Yin and Yang flow through the six positions and thereby give rise to the sixty hexagrams.

To pass through all sixty hexagrams, Yin and Yang sometimes rise and sometimes descend, sometimes moving back and forth through change. They therefore cannot be treated as fixed, unchanging principles, nor do they have forms that remain constant. Though Kan and Li do not show themselves in fixed line positions, they contain all things and bring their forms to completion. The governing principles that order change are found here as well.

In the human body, Qian symbolizes the father and Kun the mother. The father’s Jing and the mother’s blood, too, must be joined through the workings of Kan and Li. Neither parent can produce life through their own power alone: Yang depends on Yin, and Yin likewise depends on Yang. Only when Kan and Li come together and take effect do the five organs, six viscera, hundreds of bones, and nine apertures come into being.

“To use nonbeing to govern being; the usefulness of a vessel lies in its emptiness” means that “nonbeing” governs “being”: an object can serve its purpose precisely because it has empty space within it. “Being” refers to the myriad things, while “nonbeing” refers to the vital energy of a single Yang. One may also say that “being” is like the bodily soul, while “nonbeing” is like the ethereal soul. Kan and Li, two hexagrams in the Zhouyi that often symbolize water and fire, as well as Yin and Yang, give rise to the two kinds of things, Yin and Yang, which in turn form the sixty hexagrams. This makes it possible to work out the waxing and waning of change. The statement here that Kan and Li “disappear” means that they are temporarily set aside during the derivation.

Speech must not be made up at will, and an argument must not arise from nothing. Only by citing examples, observing results, and examining and assessing them can one explain the principles involved. Derive patterns from the categories of things, establish the names of the hexagrams, and use the fundamental principles as a means of verification.

Kan corresponds to Wu and symbolizes the vital essence within the moon; Li corresponds to Ji and symbolizes the sun’s radiance. Together, the sun and moon make up “Change”—the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, and the pairing of hardness and softness. Earth has a role in all four seasons, running through them from beginning to end. Green, red, white, and black correspond respectively to the four directions, and all are shaped by the influence of Wu and Ji, the energies of Earth.

The saying “Earth flourishes in the four seasons” means that Earth among the Five Phases has no fixed season or direction, and can therefore run through all four seasons. This is like Kan and Li, which serve as the pivotal forces in the workings of Qian and Kun, generating the sixty hexagrams through derivation. Kan corresponds to Wu, Li to Ji, and Wu and Ji occupy the center.

From the first day of the month to noon on the eighth, fifteen hexagrams symbolize the green of spring. From noon on the eighth to the middle of the month, fifteen hexagrams symbolize the red of summer. From the sixteenth to noon on the twenty-third, fifteen hexagrams symbolize the white of autumn. From noon on the twenty-third to the end of the month, fifteen hexagrams symbolize the black of winter. Thus the seasonal energies represented by green, red, white, and black are all shaped by the influence of Wu and Ji.

The Yi is a book that draws on images. Among the most conspicuous images between Heaven and Earth, none is greater than the sun and moon. By probing the wondrous changes deeply, one can understand how things transform: when Yang energy withdraws, Yin energy arrives.

The Changes explains things by taking images as symbols. The brightest and most worthy of observation among the images between Heaven and Earth are none other than the sun and moon. By probing deeply into wondrous transformations, one can understand how the myriad things change: when Yang Qi withdraws, Yin Qi arrives. They are like the spokes converging at a wheel’s hub, and like a wheel turning without cease, coming and going in cycles, now expanding, now contracting.

The Changes has 384 lines. The symbols selected according to the lines are called “tallies”; here, the term refers to the sixty-four hexagrams. Whenever the dark moon, the final day of the lunar month, passes and the new moon, the first day, arrives, the Zhen hexagram begins to receive the Qi of the tally. At this moment, Heaven and Earth join and exchange their essences, while the sun and moon work in concert. The masculine Yang, symbolized by the Kan hexagram, spreads dark Qi; the feminine Yin, symbolized by the Li hexagram, transforms and brings forth yellow Qi. As Yin and Yang mingle and unite, the myriad things begin to establish their foundations. Nourished and nurtured thereafter, they gradually gather substance and take form. All kinds of things come into being by following this process; even the slightest movement of a mosquito comes from it.

A commentary explains: “Masculine Yang” refers to the Kan hexagram. “Spreads dark and bestows” means that the hexagram image first changes from Kan to Zhen, then to Dui, and finally to Qian. Qian represents Heaven, whose color is dark; thus the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger says, “Masculine Yang, emerald-dark water.” “Feminine Yin” refers to the Li hexagram. “Transforms yellow and enfolds” means that the hexagram image first changes from Li to Xun, then to Gen, and finally to Kun. Kun represents Earth, whose color is yellow; thus the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger says, “Feminine Yin, ochre-gold.”

Thus, Zhongni (Confucius) praised primordial chaos, the state in which Heaven and Earth had just begun and all things remained undivided, saying that the virtue of Qian and Kun is vast and far-reaching, empty, still, and formless. Examining ancient texts, one can trace them back to the age of the Primordial Sovereign; the “Guanju” poem, meanwhile, laid the foundation at the beginning of the Book of Songs. The capping and wedding ceremonies symbolize the joining of Yin and Yang Qi. With the arrival of a new year, life begins to sprout.

The ancient sages composed the Classic of Changes (Yijing). Its first section begins with Qian and Kun, which symbolize the way of father and mother. The Appended Statements of the Commentary on the Changes says, “The Dao of Qian brings forth the male; the Dao of Kun brings forth the female.” The second section begins with Xian and Heng, which symbolize the way of husband and wife. The Sequence of the Hexagrams says, “Only after there are men and women can there be husbands and wives.”

In the relation between Heaven and Earth, Qian is above and Kun below; they do not meet, and this is the Pi hexagram. In the human body, Li symbolizes the female and Kan the male. When they do not meet, it is like fire above and water below: the hexagram Weiji. Does this not resemble the barren state of empty, lifeless space between Heaven and Earth, where solitary Yang cannot grow and solitary Yin cannot bring anything to completion? When Heaven and Earth meet, the result is the Tai hexagram; when water is above and fire below, the result is the Jiji hexagram. Does this not show that the union of Heaven and Earth gives rise to the growth of all things, and that the union of men and women brings their feelings and intentions into accord? Thus, when the sages arranged the Classic of Poetry, they placed “Guanju” first, thereby setting the way of husband and wife in order.

The above is Chapter Eleven.

Sages do not come into the world by chance. They look upward and observe the signs of Heaven’s movements. These signs advance and retreat, bend and extend, changing in accordance with the seasons. Therefore, the Classic of Changes encompasses the fundamental patterns of the Dao of Heaven.

The Classic of Changes accords with the laws of Heaven and Earth. No one but a sage can explain it.

The Return (Fu) hexagram symbolizes the first stirrings of Yang Qi. The eldest son inherits his father’s form, while the mother thereby establishes the foundation for pregnancy. The waxing and waning of the moon correspond to the pitch standards and solar terms; the rising and descending of Yin and Yang follow the movements of the Northern Dipper’s pivot.

On the third day, the moon appears like the light of dawn. This corresponds to the Zhen trigram, with Geng in the west. On the eighth day, the moon takes the form of the Dui trigram, and the Ding position appears. Its phase is straight as a bowstring: the first quarter moon. On the fifteenth day, the form of the Qian trigram is complete and the moon is full, with Jia in the east. The image of the toad and the shadow of the rabbit in the moon both appear at this point. The Qi of the sun and moon shine together: the toad symbolizes the moon’s changes according to the sequence of hexagrams, while the rabbit symbolizes the moon emitting its radiance. By the twenty-first day, the process represented by seven and eight is complete. After the fifteenth day, the moon gradually wanes, and its light slowly contracts and declines.

This is Chapter Thirteen.

After the sixteenth day, the moon continues to change phase. The Xun trigram corresponds to the Xin position, when the sky begins to brighten. The Gen trigram corresponds to the southern Bing position, and the last quarter moon appears on the twenty-third day. By the thirtieth day, the Kun trigram corresponds to the Yi position; the moon has moved to the northeast, its radiance gone, as though it had lost its companion. When one cycle ends, the sequence of Yin and Yang passes in turn from one to the other, then returns to the beginning and stirs anew.

The point where the Sun and Moon meet in the sky is called “Chen,” and so they meet twelve times each year. Their meeting also occurs on the new-moon day, the first day of the lunar month. This is called “the Sun and Moon joined as one,” or “Shuo.” At dawn on the new-moon day, the Sun and Moon align, so the Moon’s dark side can sometimes cover the Sun and cause a solar eclipse.

The Sun and Moon both move across the sky, but at different speeds: the Sun travels about one degree each day, while the Moon travels a little over thirteen degrees. The Moon does not begin to show its light until the third day of the month, by which time it has moved about forty degrees away from the Sun. As the Sun sets, the Moon receives its light. This is like a single Yang line emerging within the pure Kun hexagram, made entirely of Yin, transforming it into the Zhen hexagram. At this time, the Moon is in the western Geng position, hence the saying, “Zhen governs Geng.”

By the eighth day, the Moon has moved farther from the Sun. Its Yang soul—the Yang energy symbolized by the Moon’s bright portion—gradually grows stronger, forming the Dui hexagram. As the Sun sets, the Moon reaches the southern Ding position. This is the first-quarter Moon, hence the saying, “Dui governs Ding.”

On the fifteenth day, the Sun and Moon stand opposite each other, and the Moon’s Yang aspect is full, forming the Qian hexagram. As the Sun sets, the Moon has risen in the east to the Jia position, hence the saying, “Qian governs Jia.” When the Moon’s bright portion reaches its fullness, at midnight, the hour of Ren-Zi, its Yin soul—the part that symbolizes the Moon’s dark side and Yin energy—begins to emerge, forming the Li hexagram. Hence the saying, “Li governs Ren.”

After the sixteenth day, the Moon’s Yin soul begins to show, like a single Yin line emerging within the pure Qian hexagram, made entirely of Yang, transforming it into the Xun hexagram. While the Moon’s bright portion is just beginning to grow, its corresponding direction can be judged by its position at sunset. Once the Yin soul begins to show, the Moon rises later and later, so its position can no longer be judged at sunset. After the sixteenth day, one must therefore observe the Moon at sunrise: just as the Sun is about to rise, the Moon reaches the western Xin position. Hence the saying, “Xun governs Xin.”

By the twenty-third day, the Moon is relatively close to the Sun, and half of its Yang soul has faded, forming the Gen hexagram. At sunrise, the Moon reaches the southern Bing position. This is the last-quarter Moon, hence the saying, “Gen governs Bing.” As the ancients put it, “Near is one, far is three; these are called the quarters.” The first-quarter Moon moves ahead and is still not very far from the Sun, so it is called “near one.” The last-quarter Moon is farther from the Sun and lies behind it, so it is called “far three.”

From the twenty-third day to the end of the month, the Moon’s Yang aspect gradually disappears, returning it to the Kun hexagram. Just as the Sun rises, the Moon reaches the eastern Yi position, hence the saying, “Kun governs Yi.” Once Yin reaches its extreme, the Yang aspect is already gestating at midnight, in the hour of Zi and the Gui position, on the final day of the lunar month. This forms the Kan hexagram, hence the saying, “Kan governs Gui.” In the following month, the Moon again receives the response of Zhen-Geng, which is why it is said, “The body continues and the dragon is born again.” The Zhen hexagram symbolizes the dragon, hence the name “dragon.”

The extremely subtle original essence—the refined Qi from which all things are formed, yet which is difficult to perceive directly—can scarcely be seen with the eyes. It can be verified only by inference and by observing signs. In stillness, observe the forms it reveals and infer the shapes it takes as it changes. Set up a gnomon as a standard of measurement, use it to divine seasonal changes, and judge what is auspicious or inauspicious. In issuing instructions and arranging affairs, always follow the seasons and do not miss the moment when the line images begin to move.

Look upward to observe the patterns of the Yellow River Chart, and downward to examine the lay of the land and the flow of water. Then discern the human mind, comparing and verifying the conditions of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. In action, follow the measures indicated by the trigrams; in stillness, rely on the trigrams and line statements of the Zhou Yi. Only when Heaven and Earth, symbolized by Qian and Kun, carry their functions into effect can the workings of the world proceed in order. How could one fail to approach this with care?

The method of regulating the fire phase—the control of heat and timing during alchemical practice—is exceedingly subtle and mysterious. It cannot be inferred from ordinary assumptions. One must examine it carefully, bring it into accord with the relevant principles, and then render it in a diagram, so that it takes a definite form that can be understood by comparison. Is this not an upward inquiry into the patterns of the River Chart, the traditional diagram of the Changes? Next, one sets up a gnomon on the ground and measures its shadow to determine the time, making that a standard for action. Is this not a downward inquiry into the lay of the land and the flow of water? Only then can one arrange one’s actions in accord with the seasons, avoiding excess and deficiency. Is this not an inquiry into the human heart from within? In this way, the three powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—are all set in order; the hexagram images and seasonal nodes are free of error. One can then accord with the virtue of Heaven and Earth, respond to the radiance of the sun and moon, and join the spirits in discerning good and ill fortune. How could one fail to be cautious?

The foremost task in administering the methods of the Elixir is to gather together and fully grasp their subtle, hidden essentials, then unfold and put their precious principles into practice. The key lies in the Dipper’s handle, which points toward the Twelve Branches—the twelve positions of time—and thereby governs the guiding principles of change. The images and principles of the hexagram lines stir within, and good or ill fortune appears without. The Five Planets move and cross one another, each in its proper order, responding and stirring in accordance with the time. If the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, arranged across the four directions, move out of their proper courses, their positions will shift, and their motions above and below will fall out of harmony.

“Taking charge of governance at the outset” refers to the beginning of the Golden Elixir practice. First, one must gather and clarify the subtle essentials, understanding them inwardly with the precision of counting one, two. Then, following the direction of the Dipper’s handle, one gathers the various precious Qi and puts them into practice in the proper sequence. Once the guiding principles and key points are established, one acts in accordance with the changes of the hexagram lines, and good or ill fortune will appear in response. The commentary explains that the “Five Planets” refers to the Five Phases and the four seasons: they move and cross one another, each following its own principle, and so give rise to timely responses. “Four and seven” refers to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, distributed across the four directions and marking the full circuit of three hundred and sixty degrees. If their sequence is thrown into confusion, the mansions shift and their movements lose order, bringing about disorder. How could one fail to be vigilant?

Wenchang, the stellar official who oversees writings and records of merit, supervises the registers and holds the Taifu—officials or stellar ministers who assist the ruler—to account. Officials at every level each manage the affairs under their charge.

Wenchang, the central office that directs government orders, is responsible for overseeing the records and assessing the Taifu, officials who assist the ruler and who here symbolize the Kan and Li trigrams. Each official has a distinct duty and oversees the matters within their jurisdiction. The officials here symbolize the sixty hexagrams.

The sun joins with the essence of the Five Phases, while the moon moves according to the Six Pitch-Pipes. Five multiplied by six makes thirty: one cycle of movement ends, then begins again. One must trace things back to their beginnings and examine their endings, for this reveals the signs of survival and extinction. If the ruler grows arrogant and complacent, rising too far, he will go against the Dao. If ministers act corruptly and flatteringly, departing from proper rules, they too will cause things to go astray. If the moon’s phases—its first quarter, full moon, waxing, and waning—run out of order, danger and calamity will follow. The officials responsible for enforcing the law expose faults, investigate them, and admonish the ruler.

Here, “the ruler’s arrogance” means failing to measure the weights accurately during the furnace’s alchemical work and neglecting the prescribed methods. “The ministers’ misconduct” means putting the sixty hexagrams in the wrong sequence, thereby harming the embryo immortal within the spirit chamber—the inner immortal embryo described in Neidan cultivation.

The Celestial Pivot, the Northern Pole Star and symbol of the center, sits upright at the middle and appoints its subordinates with composure. When the Bright Hall, the ancient seat of government, issues its orders, the state does not stray from the right path. Practitioners, too, should nurture themselves within, keeping the mind quiet and empty. They should trace things back to their source, gather in their light, and turn their gaze inward upon the body. They should close the sensory gates of the ears, eyes, mouth, and nose, and strengthen the spiritual root within. They should let the three lights—the sun, moon, and stars—sink into the body and warm and nourish the “Child Pearl,” the inner alchemical embryo formed through Neidan cultivation. This inner transformation cannot be seen, yet it is close at hand, within oneself, and easy to seek.

The commentary says that the Celestial Pivot refers to the Northern Dipper, and that a person’s head symbolizes Heaven. “Upright” here refers to the Niwan Palace, an alchemical term for a place in the upper part of the head. “Receiving the upright” means moving the Dragon and Tiger within Kan and Li—alchemical terms for Yin and Yang Qi—so that they return to this place. Once this is done, one can experience that the transformation is close at hand, within oneself. The three lights are brought into the body; this is why the process is called “sinking into the land.”

The Northern Dipper occupies the central pivot of the heavens, so it is called the “Celestial Pole” here. The human head symbolizes Heaven, and “upright” refers to the Muddy Pellet Palace, the upper Dantian in the head. To “receive the upright” means to bring here the dragons and tigers symbolized by Kan and Li, Water and Fire, so they may meet and gather. Afterward, one can calmly regulate the firing process beneath the “Yang Hall document”—that is, use the firing process of Neidan cultivation to refine and nourish oneself. The point one inch in front of the Muddy Pellet Palace is called the Bright Hall. Moving inward from there leads into the three Dantian. Only when the Qi within the body is kept unharmed can it endure over time.

One should also understand that Neidan cultivation means nourishing and protecting oneself, so that the heart and spirit settle in a state of emptiness and quietude. Though the inner foundation is subtle and hidden, it can illuminate the body from within, like a bright pearl arising in water while the water’s banks remain moist and unexhausted. This refers to lead in the Kan Palace. As for gathering and containing mercury from the Li Palace, and using the Qi of the dragons and tigers to strengthen the numinous root, this depends on the five blossoms of Qi within the heart. Without closing the “Dui” (the mouth), it is difficult to gather and contain them. The Qi described here is one’s own true Qi, not Qi from outside; hence it is called “near husband.” The “Three Lights” are the sun, moon, and stars.

The foregoing is Chapter Twenty.

The Qi of the Yellow Court gradually comes to understand the workings of things and nourishes the body, reaching all the way to the skin. One must first become upright in order to cultivate to completion; once the foundation is established, the branches and tips can find support. “One” conceals its mystery within, and the people of the world do not know it. “One” refers to Water.

The “Yellow Center” refers to the spleen. The spleen transforms and generates medicines that nourish the limbs and the five organs, allowing the body to grow like branches and leaves. Thus, once the root is cultivated, the ends can find support. “One” refers to Water: Water must not be recklessly released, and it can also nourish oneself from within the body. The people of the world simply do not understand this.

The foregoing is Chapter Twenty-One.

Those of higher De follow their nature and do not deliberately seek to observe; those of lower De act, and their activity never ceases. When the upper aperture is closed, this is called “being”; when the lower aperture is closed, this is called “nonbeing.” “Nonbeing” serves to nourish what is “above,” where a wondrous De resides and keeps watch. This describes the method for using the two apertures, above and below. The Qi of Metal, too, must remain in lasting accord with them.

The distinction between Superior De and Inferior De is as follows: the Li trigram corresponds to the heart and is located above. It contains “Jade Fluid,” which can be refined into the Return Elixir and benefits people, so it is called Superior De. The Kan trigram corresponds to the kidneys and is located below. It contains “Golden Fluid,” which can also be refined into the Return Elixir and benefits people, so it is called Inferior De. Obtaining Jade Fluid requires no special cultivation. Obtaining Golden Fluid, however, requires methods of refinement and cultivation such as the furnace fire; without them, it cannot be refined.

When Jing and Qi are sealed and stored, the Jade Fluid has already gathered and entered the “Mysterious Nipple” (Xuan Ying, an upper aperture also called the Mysterious Female). This is where it comes to rest. The Golden Fluid has already gathered and entered the Tail Gate aperture, so it no longer leaks outward. This is what is meant by the distinction between “being” and “nonbeing.” The Golden Fluid rises from below and transforms into Po; the Jade Fluid descends from above and transforms into Hun. Hence the phrase, “the De of Shen abides.”

The above is Chapter Twenty-Two.

The distinction in “Knowing the white, holding to the black” is this: the Golden Fluid rises from below and transforms into Po; the Jade Fluid descends from above and transforms into Hun. Hence the phrase, “the De of Shen abides.”

The above is Chapter Twenty-Two.

In “Knowing the white, holding to the black,” white refers to Metal and black to Water. Shen will naturally arrive. White is the essence of Metal; black is the foundation of Water. Water is the pivot of the Dao, and its number is called “One.” It is the beginning of Yin-Yang, and within the mysterious lies the Yellow Sprout. It governs the Five Metals and is the “River Cart” of the north, a term in internal cultivation for transporting Jing and Qi. Thus lead is black on the outside, yet conceals golden radiance within. It is like wearing coarse cloth while carrying a piece of jade in one’s breast: outwardly, one seems ordinary, even humble.

“Mysterious” is the color of Heaven; “yellow” is the color of Earth. The passage describes how pure Yang Qi, when developed to its utmost, gives rise to Yin Qi, and the Li trigram is thereby formed. Li then gives rise to the Xun and Gen trigrams, continuing until Kun. This is what “containing the Yellow Sprout” means. At conception, a person’s root comes from the father’s Jing and Qi, which then transform to form the Five Viscera. Among the Five Viscera, the kidneys are primary. Jing and Qi stored in the kidneys are therefore called Metal. To set the Metal essence in motion, the River Cart is used to transport it. The River Cart carries Qi from the north all the way to the Muddy Pellet, an aperture within the crown of the head.

The above is Chapter Twenty-Three.

Metal generates Water, so Metal is called the mother. Water is the child of Metal, concealed within its mother. The “True Person” spoken of in cultivation refers to the most refined and subtle True Qi (vital energy) within the body, or to the source of life. Its mystery is hard to grasp: it seems to exist and yet not to exist, like something sinking and rising in an abyss. It cannot be fathomed by ordinary sight. When it withdraws and spreads through the body, the five viscera, six bowels, bones throughout the body, and nine orifices all take shape from it, each settling in its proper place.

What is gathered is white in color; after refinement, it turns vermilion. Once refined, its outer layer serves as a protective guard, while within it is white and firm. It is about one inch square, whole and unified, its parts fused together. It came into being before Heaven and Earth, exalted and noble.

The upper part of the human body corresponds to Heaven, and the lower part to Earth. Before a person is born, they first receive their father’s essence and Qi; only afterward does their own inner Heaven and Earth take shape. Thus essence and Qi come first. The Classic of Changes uses the Qian trigram to symbolize the head and the Kun trigram to symbolize the abdomen, expressing just this idea. “A square and a circle, each an inch across” refers to the Dantian, the part of the body where essence and Qi are cultivated internally. Metal is stored within Kan and belongs to the color white. In alchemical practice, unless it is joined with the vermilion color of the southern Li fire, how could the Golden Elixir be formed? This is like a father’s essence needing a mother’s blood to complete the process of generating life. Thus the white Metal resides within and keeps its nature, while the Li fire guards and tempers it from without. Only then can the two check and unite with each other within an inch-square space.

Within pure Yin, one Yang is reborn, forming the Kan trigram; it then transforms into Zhen and Dui, continuing until the Qian trigram. Within pure Yang, one Yin first arises, forming the Li trigram; it then transforms into Xun and Gen, continuing until the Kun trigram. Kan and Li came into being before Heaven and Earth, and so hold a revered position.

This is the second section, Chapter Twenty-Five.

Walls and gates stand to either side, shaped like Penghu, the fabled mountain of the immortals. They enclose the place on all sides, with the entrances firmly shut and the passageways winding and connected. The defenses are secure, able to keep out malign influences; winding covered walkways link with one another to guard against unforeseen events. In this way, the mind can remain free of distractions, though it is difficult to escape worry and fatigue. Shen and Qi fill the chamber, and nothing can hold them there. Those who guard them prosper; those who lose them decline. Whether moving, sitting quietly, or resting, they remain with the person.

“Walls and gates” refers to the gateways of the kidneys; “winding covered walkways” refers to the Tail Gate, the opening at the end of the spine. Guarding against unforeseen events means preventing the leakage of essence during sleep. Only when one is free of stray thoughts in daily life can one be said to keep the essence. Activity brings a loss of stillness, while rest preserves essence.

This is the second section, Chapter Twenty-Six.

This is not a method of storing the organs; it is a method of inner vision and visualization. The practitioner follows the days and hours, stepping along the positions of the Dipper stars, the stars of the Northern Dipper. If Yin-path cultivation rigidly clings to the number “nine-one,” it becomes turbid and disordered, disturbing the Primordial Womb, the place that nurtures life and stores essence and Qi. Relying only on breathing Qi makes the intestines rumble, while expelling upright Qi and drawing in malign influences. By day it becomes visible…

Some methods of cultivation cannot withstand scrutiny; they rely only on inward observation, meditation, and mental visualization. Some practitioners perform prescribed steps, walking according to the positions of the constellations and choosing times by the day and hour. Others practice arts that lean toward Yin, disrupting the body’s original Qi, or swallow air to churn the stomach and intestines, while breathing out upright Qi and drawing in external malign influences. They wear down their bodies without pause, day and night, never resting even as day gives way to night and night to day. As a result, they grow increasingly exhausted, their minds become clouded, and they seem almost mad. Qi surges restlessly through their bodies, leaving them unable to become still.

Others pile up earth to build an altar and make offerings morning and evening, hoping to see spirits and gods appear or to receive signs in dreams. They rejoice at these experiences, believing they will prolong their lives, but may in fact die prematurely, their bodies decaying like rotted matter soaked in dew. Such practices often violate what is right and run counter to the essentials of cultivation. Heterodox arts are too numerous to count and endlessly varied, yet they depart from the orthodox Way of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi and defy the Nine Capitals—the Daoist realms of immortals or celestial heavens.

These various minor heterodox practices are listed here so that later students will know what to beware of.

Those who understand will grasp the text’s meaning and suddenly see the orthodox Way of cultivation. They should practice diligently, without slackening day or night. After three years of taking the prescribed substances and cultivating, they will be able to lighten their bodies, ascend through flight, and travel far. They will pass through flames without being burned and enter water without getting wet; they will be able to appear and disappear at will, enjoying lasting peace and freedom from worry. Once their cultivation has borne fruit and their De is complete, they should withdraw for a time and await the proper moment. The Great One (Taiyi), one of the supreme deities revered in Daoism, will then summon them and change their name in the register of immortals. When their merit is complete, they will ascend to the immortal realm and receive the registers of immortals and the celestial talismanic mandate.

If one attends carefully to the principles in the Cantong Qi (Token for Joining the Three), one will understand that the essentials of the Golden Elixir Way are already contained in this book.

What the Fire Record describes is no fabrication; it explains the principles of the Classic of Changes. In the Crescent Moon method, which uses the crescent moon to illustrate Yin-Yang transformation, the White Tiger is crucial to the alchemical process. Mercury, symbolized by the sun, is like a flowing pearl, accompanied by the Azure Dragon. When the symbols of the east and west are joined, the ethereal soul and the corporeal soul unite. The waxing half-moon corresponds to the Dui trigram and the number eight; the waning half-moon corresponds to the Gen trigram, also with the number eight. When the essences of the two crescents unite, the forms of Heaven and Earth—symbolizing Yin and Yang—take shape. The two eights together correspond to one jin, in accord with the workings of the Classic of Changes, without straying from the proper course. One jin contains 384 zhu, corresponding in turn to the number of lines in the hexagrams of the Classic of Changes.

At the first quarter, Lead weighs eight taels; at the last quarter, Mercury weighs eight taels. Each tael contains twenty-four zhu, making sixteen taels, or three hundred and eighty-four zhu, altogether. This corresponds to the three hundred and eighty-four lines of the sixty-four hexagrams, which is why the text says, “Only then are the forms of Qian and Kun complete.” “White Tiger” refers to the silver within Kan. Unless it is refined in the crescent-shaped furnace, a vessel used in alchemy, this treasure cannot ultimately be obtained. It is called the “Pivot” because, once the treasure is obtained, it must be made to circulate along a winding path until it reaches the Mud Pill, the upper Dantian in the head, where it comes to rest.

Next, Li symbolizes the sun. The flowing pearl emerges from the Jade Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth, and the Azure Dragon travels along the same path to arrive there as well. If the Mercury Dragon can be made to enter through the Mysterious Female Gate, a term for the opening through which Qi enters and leaves, Dragon and Tiger will unite. Hence the phrase, “Raise the east to join it with the west.” The Tiger represents the Po, the corporeal soul, and the Dragon represents the Hun, the ethereal soul; they join with one another inside the furnace and cauldron.

The text on the right is Chapter Twenty-Nine.

When gold is cast into a fierce fire, it does not lose its luster. Since the separation of Heaven and Earth, the brightness of the sun and moon has not diminished; gold too has not lost its weight, and the forms of the sun and moon have remained as they were. At the beginning of the month, gold receives the sun’s mandate. When gold returns to its mother, at the end of the month sunlight envelops and conceals the moon’s outline, sinking into emptiness and stillness. Gold regains its original nature, and the cauldron’s radiant power appears.

Here, “gold” refers to the liquid within Kan. Once refined by Li’s fire, it becomes even more solid and bright. The “sun” refers to Li, and the “moon” to Kan. If Kan and Li do not interact through gold and fire, gold will sink into emptiness and stillness. When gold regains its original nature, the radiance within the cauldron will appear.

Gold is the liquid within Kan. Refined by Li fire, it becomes firmer and brighter. The sun represents Li, and the moon represents Kan. If Kan water and Li fire are not refined with the aid of metal and fire, then even after they have been used to make the Elixir, they will eventually lose their brightness. Gold, however, never loses its weighty nature and can continue to generate without end. The images of the sun and moon are often described this way because their roots are inherently firm. Yet this occurs only when metal and fire are used to refine the Golden Elixir. Otherwise, it must not be confused with what the Huangting Jing says: “Leaves fall, trees wither and lose their green; Qi disperses and liquid leaks away, and the body too will no longer be preserved.” The Jing says, “Only what is properly aligned at the beginning can reach completion at the end; establish the root, and the branches will have something to depend on.” This is the principle being described. In general, gold is often born in Kan, and waxes and wanes with the rise and decline of the sun’s soul—the sun’s essence, which symbolizes Yang Qi. Thus, after receiving the solar talisman on the new moon, gold gradually grows and flourishes. As Yin Qi begins to increase and continues to do so until the dark moon at month’s end, the moon’s spirit—the moon’s essence, which symbolizes Yin Qi—transforms into Kun. Gold then returns to its mother: Kun Earth is the mother of gold.

When Yin Qi reaches its extreme, Yang Qi begins to emerge. Thus, on the night of the dark moon, the moon already contains the sun’s soul, just as Kan water is conceived within Kun Earth. At this time, however, the light has not yet appeared outwardly. It is hidden within the moon’s outline, sunk into a realm of empty, profound stillness. It is precisely then that the Golden Elixir recovers its original nature, and its brightness grows ever more intense.

The above is Chapter Thirty.

The numbers of the Zi and Wu directions combine to make three, while the heavenly stems Wu and Ji together make five. When three and five harmonize, the eight minerals used in alchemy each find their proper order. The breaths draw one another in, and the mind settles into still contemplation, like a man and woman joining as husband and wife. Yellow earth is the father of gold, and the flowing pearl (mercury) is the mother of water. Water takes earth as its “ghost”—the force that restrains and subdues it. Earth holds water down, preventing it from moving recklessly. The Vermilion Bird, an auspicious bird symbolizing fire, is the essence of fire and is responsible for balancing and regulating the contest between the two. If water grows too strong, fire is extinguished; both return to thick earth. Once the three natures have come together, they accord with their own nature and share a common root.

The Kan trigram corresponds to Water and has the number one; the Li trigram corresponds to Fire and has the number two. Combined, they make three. Kan is paired with the Heavenly Stem Wu, and Li with the Heavenly Stem Ji. Both Wu and Ji correspond to Earth and have the number five, so this is called “three and five.” Kan and Li work together like a husband and wife, and so they can bring things into harmony.

“Eight minerals” are called “Eight Jade Essences” in the Huangting Jing. Here, the term refers to the materials used to refine the elixir during the eight days from the eighth to the fifteenth of the lunar month. Kan and Li cherish and complement one another like husband and wife. In cultivation, they must also be sought in coordination with the breath: exhale at sunrise and inhale when the moon sets.

“Yellow earth” refers to the spleen’s fluids, which can transform into the lung’s fluids. “Flowing pearl” refers to the sun’s flowing pearl and also to the lung’s fluids; these can transform into Kan Water. Yet Kan Water is a Yin substance. When the Yin Talisman arrives—the rhythm of Yin Qi’s movement—Yang Qi withdraws and lies dormant, and the body and hunpo soul transform into Kun. Kun corresponds to Earth, so Water is subdued by Earth, becoming weak and unable to rise. Without the harmonizing influence of Fire essence, how could the soul Qi of Water recover? Once Yin Qi flourishes and Fire Qi fades, Water remains constrained by Earth and loses its power to generate life. That is why the text says “Water flourishes” rather than “Yin flourishes”: from the last quarter of the moon to the end of the month, the season is winter and the direction is north, so this is called the flourishing of Water.

“The three natures share one ancestor” means that when a person is first conceived, the father’s Jing is primary and gives rise to the five viscera. Thus, the Five Phases associated with the five viscera all take Water as their root.

“Giant victory” is sesame, also called hu sesame. Taking the Reverted Elixir can prolong life.

The passage above is Chapter Thirty-One.

Giant-seed is sesame, which can help prolong life; the Reverted Elixir, once refined, can be taken. Gold is firm by nature and does not decay or rot, so it is regarded as the most precious of all things. When practitioners take it, their lives can be extended. The Earth phase moves through the four seasons, maintaining boundaries and establishing rules. Golden cinnabar enters the five viscera, spreading like mist and nourishing like wind and rain. Warm energy reaches the limbs and gives the complexion a healthy glow. White hair turns black again, and lost teeth grow back. The aged regain their youth, and elderly women become maidens once more. Those who transform their bodies and escape the world’s calamities are called perfected beings.

Gold from the Kan trigram is refined into the Reverted Elixir and never decays or rots, making it the most precious treasure among all things. The phrase “the Earth phase moves through the four seasons” means that the Kan and Li trigrams govern the two Earth phases, Wu and Ji, and arrange the sixty hexagrams across thirty days, assigning them to the four seasons. Thus, one month contains the climatic changes of an entire year. Gold from Kan and cinnabar from Li are used not only in furnace and crucible alchemy but also to nourish the inner elixir. Golden cinnabar enters the five viscera like spreading clouds and mist, bringing the moisture of wind and rain; it can therefore warm and nourish the limbs and restore youth to the aged. Perhaps this is the principle behind it.

When white lead is put into fire, its color may change, but in the end it returns to lead. Ice and snow melt when they meet hot water, becoming deep, still water. In refining gold, cinnabar serves as the basis, while mercury tempers it and brings it into being. Transformation follows the nature of things, with each stage succeeding the one before it. To refine an elixir that can be taken to attain immortality, one should choose materials of a similar nature. Grain is sown from millet seed, and chickens are hatched from eggs. When like things assist nature’s transformations, they are easy to nurture and refine. A fish’s eye cannot be counted as a pearl, nor can mugwort become a precious object. Only things of the same kind can resonate with one another; if their natures do not accord, they cannot be refined into a treasure. That is why sparrows cannot give birth to phoenixes, foxes and rabbits cannot nurse horses, water cannot burn upward, and fire cannot moisten downward.

Lead white is made from lead. When it is put into a fire and refined, it returns to lead. Ice and snow form when water freezes; placed in warm water, they melt back into water. So too, the Golden Elixir—an elixir said in Daoism to contain an essential substance and be formed through fire refinement—is made with the aid of sand and mercury, yet when the fire goes out, it returns to its original nature. This shows that each thing has its own source: though it undergoes changes from beginning to end, its nature is not destroyed of itself. How could those who cultivate abandon Kan and Li—the water and fire trigrams in the Book of Changes, often used to refer to the action of water and fire in alchemical work—and turn their minds to some other method?

There are many scholars in the world who consider themselves exceptionally perceptive and gifted. Yet they have never met a true teacher or found the right opportunity, and so they waste the furnace fire and lose their money. They rely only on guesswork about the words in books, acting however they please, with no trustworthy guidance and no grasp of the proper measure or control of the refining process.

Some use materials such as saltpeter and copper sulfate, and buy what they call “mother” substances and lodestone. Others burn Yuzhang wood with sulfur, then refine it together with clay and other materials. Still others mix the Five Minerals with copper, hoping to use them as crucial auxiliary ingredients. These substances have entirely different properties; how could they possibly be brought into one? They may fail a thousand times in their trials, and ten thousand times besides. Hoping to transform the materials, they end up deluded. Their attempts, however fortunate, never succeed; only the sages truly understand the principle.

Some refine from childhood until their hair turns white, yet grow doubtful halfway through. They turn away from the right path but remain lost, leaving the proper way for a deviant one. Their vision is as narrow as looking out through a bamboo tube, and they cannot infer what lies ahead.

If your wisdom is insufficient to understand this principle, do not refine materials recklessly on the basis of conjecture. Acting as you please will only invite ridicule from those who understand.

The earliest sage, they say, was simply Fuxi, the ancient ruler credited with devising the Eight Trigrams. When he first drew the trigrams, he too was actively investigating the principles of Heaven and Earth. To act blindly on conjecture, by contrast, would only invite ridicule from those who understand.

The wisest of the sages, when held in the highest esteem, is none other than Fuxi. He was the first to draw the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), taking Heaven and Earth as his models. King Wen of Zhou was the foremost master among rulers: he established the system of hexagrams and developed the explanations for their lines. Confucius stood out among the many sages, writing the Ten Wings to illuminate the Classic of Changes (Yijing). Heaven brought these three sages forth, each rising in turn in a different age. Their abilities varied in degree and rank, but their achievements and De (Virtue/Power) did not differ in essence. Each of them developed teachings by drawing on what came before, and carefully weighed and distinguished details when reasoning about things. Visible things are easy to measure; principles without form or trace are hard to infer and plan for. Their works became models for later generations to follow and established classics for the world. Those without innate knowledge rely on a teacher’s guidance to gain insight. When understanding suddenly dawns, it is like drawing back a curtain, opening one’s eyes, and stepping onto a high terrace: the view at once expands.

The Classic of Changes was completed through the work of three sages. How could it be easy to understand? What is more, the Way of the Golden Elixir—the Daoist practice of cultivation that seeks Neidan (internal alchemy) or longevity—takes the principles of the Classic of Changes as its foundation. Its subtleties and obscurities are even more profound than those of the Classic.

The Fire Record comprises six hundred chapters, yet the principles they point to are in fact the same. The text explains them repeatedly and with great care, but people in the world do not read it deeply or reflect on it. If we trace its origins, we find that the hidden and the manifest are connected: the hidden refers to the Way of Heaven and Earth, while the manifest refers to the principles of human affairs. I privately share these words with worthy people; how could I lightly commit them to writing? If I keep silent, I fear I may be blamed for failing in my duty to transmit the Way. If I put my thoughts onto bamboo and silk, I fear I may disclose Heaven’s secrets. I hesitated and sighed, looking up and down, and only then reluctantly recorded these limited observations. The practice of cultivation has its own methods and measures. I cannot bear to reveal all of it, so I have set out only the main points, allowing its underlying pattern to emerge.

The “six hundred chapters” mentioned here, according to the commentary, are calculated by stopping the firing in the second and eighth months of the year: sixty hexagrams are used in each month, making six hundred hexagrams over ten months. “Stopping the firing” refers to pausing the application of fire during the cultivation process. A “hexagram” is a symbol in the Classic of Changes that represents patterns of change.

Treat gold as a dike: when water enters it, the flow can proceed safely. Take fifteen parts of gold and the same amount of water. When refining in the furnace, weigh them by the zhu and liang; the water should exceed the gold by five parts. These two substances, gold and water, are the true medicines, and the weight of the gold remains at its original measure. Add no third substance; let only the two aspects of fire act together with them. When all three combine, a transformation takes place, its workings most wondrous. Below, the breath of the sun rises, steaming and refining them in a short time. The medicine first melts, then congeals. This is called “rising yellow.” If the refining is prolonged until the year draws to a close, it will damage one’s nature and diminish one’s lifespan. The medicine’s form will turn to ash and dust, like dust on a bright windowpane.

“Fifteen” here means taking five parts from ten: that is, taking gold during the waxing moon, from the first day through the fifteenth. Hence the next passage says to take five parts of water. “Water” here means the divine water of the Jade Pool, an alchemical term for the clear water used in refining. “Add no third substance” means that the day’s refining is divided into four parts: take one part each of gold and water, and add nothing during the remaining twenty-three days. Fire has two aspects, Yin and Yang. Gold refers to the Yang Qi in the Kan trigram; water refers to the Yin Qi in the Li trigram—that is, the clear water of the Jade Pool.

“The year draws to a close” can refer to different spans of time. Within a year, it means the end of the twelfth month; in terms of the trigrams, it means Kun’s cycle ending in the Hai month. Within a month, it means the end of the thirtieth day; within a day, it means the end of the Hai hour. By that time, the Yang Hun of fire—the Yang nature represented by fire—will have vanished, which is why the text says “destroying nature.” If this happens in a day, it diminishes one’s short lifespan; in a month, one’s middle lifespan; and over twelve months, one’s long lifespan. At year’s end, it will damage its radiance. As this damage continues, the moon’s form becomes like ash and dust, its appearance like dust on a bright windowpane.

Combine the various ingredients and place them together in the vermilion vessel, the cauldron used for alchemical work. Seal its opening and every other part tightly so that it is secure and airtight. Then light a fire beneath the cauldron and tend it diligently, day and night without pause.

Begin with a gentle fire, then use a fierce fire toward the end. Observe the firing process carefully and adjust the heat and cooling with caution. Repeat the cycle through twelve stages, personally inspecting the vessel after each one. When the medicinal vapors have been spent and the firing has ended, and the souls seem to scatter and then return, the Elixir’s color changes from its original hue to purple, finally forming into a vivid, solid Return Elixir. Grind it into powder; taking just one pill or a knife-tip measure at a time is said to be highly efficacious.

The commentary explains that “praying, treating, and combining” means gathering and combining the various ingredients, while the “vermilion vessel” is the cauldron. The cauldron must be sealed tightly before firing begins. Alchemical work calls for a gentle fire first and a fierce fire later, with careful control of heat and cooling. After the firing has completed one full cycle and the medicinal vapors and fire have run their course, the Elixir is considered complete.

Calculate the transformations of the Five Phases and take their essentials without explaining them at length. When water strikes fire, the flames suddenly go out. The Sun and Moon obscure and clash with one another, often at the transition between the dark moon and the new moon. When water is strong, Kan Water encroaches upon Li Fire; when fire weakens, Li Fire grows dim as daylight fades. Yin and Yang join and nourish each other: this is the natural order.

The Moon has no light of its own; it appears bright by borrowing the Sun’s light. At the dark moon, it takes the form of pure Kun, yet the Yang energy within the Kan trigram is already being conceived. Thus, at the transition between the dark moon and the new moon, the Moon sometimes obscures the Sun, giving rise to the phrase “water striking fire.” “Kan encroaching on Yang, Li growing dim in daylight” refers to the Moon obscuring the Sun—that is, a solar eclipse. This too is a manifestation of the natural interaction between Yin and Yang.

“Name” refers to something that truly exists and can be identified by a name. “Designation” is the term used to describe it, and also touches on what is formless and difficult to put into words. Only when metal returns to its original nature can it be called the “Returning Elixir,” the elixir that restores one’s original nature. I do not dare make baseless claims; I speak only by following the words of the sages. An ancient book used “Dragon and Tiger” as its title, and the Yellow Emperor praised “Golden Blossoms.” The King of Huainan refined “Autumn Stone,” and Wang Yang added “Yellow Sprout.” Those of sound judgment can persist in cultivation; those unsuited to it should not force themselves to take part.

From ancient times to the present, the principle has remained the same. When people speak with one another and explain the principles they seek, students should apply themselves even more diligently, paying close attention and investigating through reflection. The essentials of refining the Golden Elixir are set out plainly and clearly, without deceiving the world.

The commentary says that “being,” which can be named and identified, corresponds to a person’s Po, or emotions; “nonbeing,” which is difficult to put into words, corresponds to a person’s Hun, or nature. Only when the Golden Elixir’s refinement has reached its final stage can nature return to its original state and form the elixir. Even so, one must study the purpose of the Golden Elixir with focused attention. Investigate it carefully, and its meaning will naturally become clear; nothing is being deliberately concealed.

The collation notes for the upper volume of Commentary on the Zhouyi Cantong Qi are complete.

Note from the collator: Since no other editions have yet been found for comparison, the Siku edition of Yu Ying’s Elucidation of the Zhouyi Cantong Qi has provisionally been used as the comparison text; it will be referred to below as the Elucidation edition. The notes below record, item by item, textual variants between the original and the comparison text, as well as changes, additions, and corrections made on the basis of the meaning. Some repeated entries are also included.

For example, certain words and phrases are written differently in the Elucidation edition: “hui shuang” appears as “mei shuang,” and “zhi ji” as “zhi shi.” Some characters have been changed in accordance with the comparison text or the sense of the passage: “hun guan” has been changed to “guan hun,” “cheng” to “xian,” and the omitted character “can” has been supplied. Other variants concern word order or choice of wording: “geng shou” appears as “shou geng,” “fu yang” as “yang fu,” and “xiang tong” as “xiang lian.” Where the same variant recurs later, the notes sometimes do not record it at every occurrence.

The Commentary on the Cantong qi (Seal of the Unity of the Three, Zhouyi cantong qi zhu), Scroll Two, says:

Qian, which symbolizes yang strength, and Kun, which symbolizes yin softness, work together and contain one another. Yang Qi receives its endowment from yin, and male and female depend on each other. Yin and yang must support one another to bring about transformation and creation, allowing essence and Qi to unfold. Kan, which symbolizes water, the moon, and yang within yin, and Li, which symbolizes fire, the sun, and yin within yang, take the leading roles. From them, light appears and spreads. The profound mysteries within are impossible to fathom and cannot be fully represented in a diagram.

The sages observed and investigated the changes of yin and yang, then arranged in sequence the foundations of all things. The four symbols—Kan, Li, Qian, and Kun—blend into an undifferentiated whole and enter directly into emptiness. The sixty hexagrams are set out in order to form a moving carriage. A dragon-horse draws it, while an enlightened ruler grasps the timing of its movement. When yin and yang are harmonized, the carriage proceeds smoothly along a level, straight road. If it takes a crooked path, the road becomes treacherous and blocked, and may even endanger the state.

From the first day of the month to the fifteenth, Qian contains Kun; from the sixteenth to the thirtieth, Kun contains Qian. At first the moon has only its shape; it appears bright only after receiving sunlight. Here, “foundations” refers to Kan and Li; “the four” means Kan and Li together with Qian and Kun. “Entering emptiness” means no longer clinging to concrete forms. The carriage is the system that carries the sixty hexagrams and sets them in motion in sequence; “ruler” refers to the mind.

When a gentleman speaks appropriately from within his home, people a thousand miles away will respond. This means that a ruler, dwelling deep within the palace, should issue commands in accordance with the rhythms of yin and yang, keep his abilities concealed, and wait for the right moment, without going against the patterns of the hexagrams and the months. The Tun hexagram corresponds to the months of Zi and Shen, and the Meng hexagram to the months of Yin and Xu; each of the other sixty hexagrams likewise corresponds to particular dates.

When issuing commands and arranging the stages of cultivation, one must follow the seasons of Yin-Yang’s movement. The passage here explains how to take the elixir and regulate the firing process—the adjustment of heat and timing during alchemical refinement.

According to the sixty hexagrams, two hexagrams are used each day. In terms of applying the firing process, however, the fire is used during two periods, morning and evening. The passage therefore gives only the hexagrams Zhun and Meng as examples. They are the first hexagrams put into use after Qian and Kun, but in actual cultivation there are still advances, retreats, and changes, so the timing and sequence of applying the fire vary.

For example, at midnight, during the Zi hour, when the first Yang begins to arise, the fire is applied according to the state of one Yang. During the Chou hour, when the second Yang gradually arises, the fire is applied according to the state of two Yangs. By the Si hour, the fire is applied according to the number six. “One count” represents three Qi combining to form a single Yang line; “two counts” means that, after three cycles, two Qi have formed, symbolizing two Yang lines. The pattern continues in this way, with six counts symbolizing the completion of all six Yang lines. This reflects the principle by which a hexagram takes shape through eight transformations. At the Wu hour, Yin begins to grow, so one count is withdrawn and the fire is applied according to five counts. The counts are gradually withdrawn until the Hai hour, when all six Yin lines are complete and the fire is no longer applied.

The statement that the Zhun hexagram uses Zi and Shen refers to the hexagram Zhun, whose upper trigram is Kan and lower trigram is Zhen. The Zhen trigram begins at Geng-Zi, and the Kan trigram follows, beginning at Wu-Shen. Likewise, the statement that the Meng hexagram uses Yin and Xu refers to the hexagram Meng, whose upper trigram is Gen and lower trigram is Kan. The Kan trigram begins at Wu-Yin, and the Gen trigram follows, beginning at Bing-Xu. This shows that each hexagram has its own corresponding morning and evening period.

If the discussion is based directly on the hexagrams assigned to the days, the sixty hexagrams are distributed across the twelve double-hours, and each is used in a particular sequence. But the fire is applied during no more than two periods in a day, so the passage uses the hexagrams Zhun and Meng throughout as its examples.

A brief account of the two changes of Yin and Yang is not enough to explain them fully. To establish principles and set rules, one must practice benevolence when the time calls for it. Going against this pattern brings danger; following it brings good fortune. The seasonal points in the calendar can also be explained through the two hexagrams Zhun and Meng.

To act in accordance with the calendar, one must be sincere and focused, cautious and exacting, observe the days carefully, and discern the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang. Even the slightest mistake may bring regret and calamity.

From the first through the fifteenth day of the month, the moon gradually reveals its bright side; this is called practicing benevolence. From the sixteenth through the thirtieth, the moon’s bright side is gradually obscured; this is called establishing punishments. The phases of the moon serve here as a metaphor for the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, and for the proper times to exercise benevolence and punishment.

When the seasonal order of the winter and summer solstices falls into disorder, the course of the four seasons goes awry: the depths of winter bring scorching heat, and summer brings frost and snow; the rhythms of day and night at the spring and autumn equinoxes become irregular, and the hours no longer follow their proper course. Wind and rain come out of season; floods and droughts alternate; locusts become a plague; plants and trees grow strangely; the sky shows ominous signs; and mountains collapse and the earth splits.

A filial child who devotes their heart to honoring their parents can move the Supreme Pole—the highest Way of Heaven, or the Heavenly Emperor. Words spoken nearby can travel far. Words and deeds may bring calamity or blessing; they may usher in peace or provoke war. All these outcomes arise from people’s hearts and intentions.

The winter solstice corresponds to Zi, one of the twelve Earthly Branches: the time of Yin-Yang transition represented by the Zi hour.

The winter solstice corresponds to the Zi hour, and the summer solstice to the Wu hour; the spring equinox corresponds to the Mao hour, and the autumn equinox to the You hour. At the winter solstice, Yang Qi first arises, and one count of fire is applied. As Yang Qi gradually grows, when the six Yang reach their height, six counts of fire are applied. At the summer solstice, Yin Qi first arises, and one count of fire is applied, but only for five counts. When the six Yin reach their height, the fire count must be drawn in and brought to rest.

Take the month in which the winter solstice falls as an example: apply one count of fire each month, at the Zi hour, and proceed in the same way through the other eleven months. The fire timing for each month is also arranged by date and hour: from the first through the morning of the third, use the Zi hour; from the evening of the third through the fifth, use the Chou and Hai hours; from the sixth through the morning of the eighth, use the Yin and Xu hours; from the evening of the eighth through the tenth, use the Mao and You hours; from the eleventh through the morning of the thirteenth, use the Chen and Shen hours; from the evening of the thirteenth through the fifteenth, use the Si and Wei hours; from the sixteenth through the morning of the eighteenth, use the Wu hour; from the evening of the eighteenth through the twentieth, use the Si and Wei hours; from the twenty-first through the morning of the twenty-third, use the Chen and Shen hours; from the evening of the twenty-third through the twenty-fifth, use the Mao and You hours; from the twenty-sixth through the morning of the twenty-eighth, use the Yin and Xu hours; and from the twenty-eighth through the thirtieth, use the Chou and Hai hours. “Morning” and “evening” here refer to the different fire-practice hours assigned to each date range.

In the twelfth month, Yang Qi has grown to two Yang, so the same principle applies to the two counts of fire used then. From this, one can understand how the fire count changes from one Yang through six Yang.

[Chapter 44]

The changes between day and night, light and darkness, should follow the rhythms of the tally. At this time, Yin and Yang are blended together, and Heaven and Earth have not yet separated. The two Qi move in mutual accord; fluids nourish and moisten, while the Qi of transformation circulates without end. The wondrous changes between Heaven and Earth cannot be measured. By moving in accord with their course, one can nourish oneself and keep the body concealed. Their beginning lies in the northeast, where the lunar mansions Ji and Dou are located. From there, they turn to the right and proceed like the surging disk of the moon, releasing the radiance of nascent life. Yin and Yang appear in the hidden waters, sending forth the light of Jing and Qi.

From the new moon to the dark of the moon, the measures of the Fire phase should accord with the tally; breathing must be neither excessive nor insufficient. The period from the first quarter to the last quarter is when Yin and Yang are blended: the two Qi move in mutual accord, and the fluids of Kan and Li—the trigrams representing Water and Fire, and Yin and Yang—circulate there as well. It is therefore appropriate to gather Jing and Qi during the hours of Chou and Yin, the periods corresponding to the lunar mansions Ji and Dou, in order to accord with their changes. “Turning to the right” means moving in reverse. “Ouyun” refers to the moon’s radiance; “releasing nascent life” refers to the radiance of the newly risen sun. “Hidden pool” refers to the place where Kan and Li meet and move together.

Yang Qi begins to emerge at “above the completion of the phẩm” (the Geng direction, referring to the moon’s passage through the Geng position). This corresponds to the Zhen trigram and its first nine line, called “the first nine: the hidden dragon.” Yang Qi begins with the number three, while Yin Qi is linked with eight. Thus, on the third day of the month, the moon takes on the image of Zhen; on the eighth day, it reaches the image of Dui.

At the second nine line, Yang Qi becomes visible, calm and bright. On the fifteenth day, the three Yang lines are full and the Qian trigram takes shape, corresponding to the third nine line. Even then, at the third nine, one must remain cautious, like someone keeping watch at night. Yin and Yang gradually wax and wane, eventually returning to their starting point. The Xun trigram continues this transformation; the key is to maintain and harmonize. At the fourth nine, Yang Qi advances and retreats in turn, so one must be cautious in moving either way. The Gen trigram governs stopping, reminding us not to go beyond the right moment. Around the twenty-third day, near the last quarter, one should observe the timing and avoid taking too much.

The fifth nine is like a flying dragon in the heavens, flourishing in its place in the sky. The Kun trigram then follows, as Yin Qi gradually grows and brings the cycle to a close. Kun nurtures all things, like a mother bearing and raising offspring. At the top nine, Yang Qi reaches its extreme and is exhausted. “Using the nine” means that after Yang Qi has run its course, it begins again, with Yin and Yang cycling according to their pattern. When things accord with their circumstances and nature, Yin and Yang repeatedly meet and interact.

The passage uses the phases of the moon and changes in the trigrams and their lines to explain the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang: the moon’s light gradually appears on the third day, reaches the first quarter on the eighth, and is full on the fifteenth. After the sixteenth, Yin Qi begins to grow, and the last quarter corresponds to the Gen trigram. The phrase “do not go beyond the appointed time” means to observe proper limits and avoid excess. The period from the twenty-third to the thirtieth day belongs to the Kun trigram, symbolizing how Yin Qi follows and gradually reaches fullness. Once Yang Qi is exhausted, Yin Qi reaches its peak and then gives rise to Yang again. The passage thus describes the ceaseless cycle in which Yin and Yang alternate and return.

Following the movement of the Xuanji (an ancient instrument for observing celestial phenomena and calculating the calendar), Yang Qi rises and Yin Qi descends. Yin and Yang move back and forth among the six lines, and their changes are difficult to discern directly. They therefore have no fixed positions; this is the foundation and source of the Yi.

Yang Qi grows upward from below, while Yin Qi descends from above. Their waxing and waning among the six lines form the sixty hexagrams. Change has no fixed rule. The two forces of firmness and yielding are the foundation of the Yi.

The dawn of the new moon, the first day of each month, corresponds to the Fu hexagram. Yang Qi begins to flow freely, moving in and out without obstruction. At this point, Yang Qi has only just appeared and remains weak. The pitch standard Huangzhong corresponds to the Zi month, the eleventh lunar month, when signs of life beginning to stir gradually emerge. Gentle Yang Qi spreads, nourishing all things at the proper time.

The Lin hexagram corresponds to the Chou month, the twelfth lunar month. Yang Qi, like a warming furnace, begins to unfold like sprouting branches, gradually brightening the way. Sunlight grows stronger, and the days lengthen one by one. This month corresponds to Dalu, one of the twelve pitch standards, as the ascent and descent of Yin and Yang gradually come into balance.

Observing the heavens gives rise to the Tai hexagram, in which both firmness and yielding are growing. Yin and Yang unite: Yin withdraws as Yang advances. All things gather in the Yin month, the first lunar month, and move in accord with the season.

Next, the sequence gradually passes through the Dazhuang hexagram, as Yang Qi takes its place at the gateway of the Mao month, the second lunar month. Elm seeds fall and return to the roots. Punishment and Virtue—the seasonal forces of decline and growth—wax and wane, and day and night begin to become equal in length.

By the time of the Guai hexagram, Yin Qi has withdrawn, while Yang Qi continues to rise and advance. All things cleanse themselves, like birds washing their feathers and shaking off old dust, removing accumulated stagnant Qi.

The Qian hexagram symbolizes Yang Qi in its strength and abundance, its brightness shining in all directions. Yang Qi reaches its culmination in the Si month, the fourth lunar month, when the forces of Yin and Yang begin to exchange places.

The Gou hexagram marks the beginning of a new seasonal cycle. Its first sign is like stepping onto a thin frost. The cold spring at the bottom of the well remains icy; the Wu month, the fifth lunar month, corresponds to Ruibin, one of the twelve pitch standards. Yang Qi now withdraws and lies hidden, while Yin Qi begins to take the leading position.

Dun (Withdrawal) occupies the twenty-second position in the sequence of worldly change and gathers in one’s own essence and Qi. Hold fast to De and await the right moment; keep authority concealed, moving slowly in obscurity, like stepping onto the first frost. Change first becomes visible here. The cold spring at the bottom of the well becomes the guest at midday. When guests submit to Yin, Yin becomes the host.

This is Chapter Fifty-Five.

Dun (Withdrawal) occupies the twenty-second position in the sequence of worldly change and gathers in one’s own essence and Qi. Hold fast to De and await the right moment; keep authority concealed in obscurity.

This is Chapter Fifty-Six.

In Pi (Obstruction), even when all things begin to sprout, they cannot grow. Yin Qi extends while Yang Qi withdraws, and the status of Yang disappears with it.

This is Chapter Fifty-Seven.

In Guan (Contemplation), assess weights and measures and observe the conditions of mid-autumn. Let even the smallest shoots grow, and withered old plants will flourish again. Plants such as shepherd’s purse and wheat sprout and grow in response to the season’s Qi.

This is Chapter Fifty-Eight.

Bo (Stripping Away) causes the limbs to decay and the body to disperse. The Qi of transformation and generation has been exhausted, and the utmost spirit is lost along with it.

This is Chapter Fifty-Nine.

When the Dao reaches its end, it returns to the root of Kun (Earth, the image of Yin and yielding). Heng (Constancy) follows the patterns of the earth, receiving Heaven’s timing to set its operation in motion.

This describes the method of tending the fire during the twelve months of the year. No fire is used in the months of Mao, You, and Hai because fire wanes in the month of Mao, dies in the month of You, and is extinguished in the month of Hai. Among the Five Phases, Metal in the process of generation most fears dead fire. Therefore, the fire’s course must be brought to rest, following the patterns of the earth and receiving Heaven’s timing.

This is Chapter Sixty.

Profound and distant, it is hard to fathom; separated by a doorway, yet linked to one another. In accord with the seasons and their measures, it nurtures the myriad things: this is the source of Yin and Yang. Heaven and earth are vast and elusive; no one knows where they begin. At first, the course is lost, but later it becomes the master. Nothing remains level without turning to a slope: this is the Dao’s natural law. Changes and alternations, waxing and waning, depend on one another. It ends in Kun and begins in Fu, like a circle that turns without cease. Emperors received and applied this principle; after a thousand years, its pattern still endures.

Kan (the trigram representing water, with Yang Qi stored within Yin) and Li (the trigram representing fire, with Yin Qi stored within Yang) seem distant and cut off from one another, with no way to communicate. In fact, however, there is a path through which they resonate and connect. “Responding in due measure” refers to the period between the first and last quarter moons. “Nurturing the seed” means the source of Yin and Yang. The source of Yin begins in Li, while the source of Yang is concealed in Kan.

“First to be lost” means that the Yin within Li does not initiate movement first. Thus, at the first quarter moon, the source of Yang is nurtured first; Yin is nurtured at the last quarter moon. “Serving as the ruler” can also be understood to mean that men and women each occupy their proper place: the man holds the outer position, and the woman the inner.

To nourish life, extend one’s years, and defer the end of one’s allotted lifespan, one must carefully consider what follows from an undertaking and trace it back to its beginning. The body received by a person originally comes from emptiness. Original Jing, the foundational vital essence from which life takes shape, spreads out and, relying on Qi, begins to gather into form.

“Later end” refers to such matters as extending life and deferring the end of one’s allotted lifespan; “beginning” refers to the moment of conception. Life first begins from what is formless and without substance. Once Original Jing has spread out and, relying on Qi, gathered into form, the hundred bones—the bones of the whole body—and the nine orifices, such as the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, gradually take shape. The principles of returning the elixir, a term in Daoist Neidan cultivation, reflect this very process.

Yin and Yang are the measure of how all things operate, and the foundation on which the hun and po (the human spirit and the vital energy of the body) depend. The Yang aspect of spiritual energy is called the “Sun Hun,” while the Yin aspect is called the “Moon Po.” Hun and po depend on one another and each serves as the other’s dwelling.

“Nature” (xing) remains within and establishes a foundation inside the body. “Yin’e” refers to the body’s contours. “Feeling” (qing) responds to what is outside, building a wall-like defense around the exterior. Only when the boundary between inner and outer is complete can the human mind and body be at ease. At this point, feeling accords with Qian and Kun, the trigrams that symbolize Heaven and Earth in the Book of Changes: Qian’s Yang stirs and expands, spreading breath and circulating vital energy; Kun’s Yin grows still and contracts, becoming the dwelling place of the Great Dao. After acting, Yang’s firm energy withdraws and conceals itself, while Yin’s yielding energy transforms and nourishes.

“Nine returns and seven reversals; eight returns and six abides” is a term from cultivation practice. It refers to the back-and-forth transformation of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases energies, each returning to its proper place. The energy of men is white, and that of women is red. Metal and Fire restrain one another, thereby stabilizing Water and harmonizing Fire. This is the beginning of the Five Phases’ operation.

The highest and most wondrous goodness is like water, clear and without flaw. The true image of the Great Dao is difficult to depict. Through transformation, it spreads among the myriad things, each abiding in its proper place.

Soul and Po are interdependent, each serving as a dwelling place for the other. In terms of the firing process—the mastery of heat and progress in alchemical refinement—the Sun Soul and Moon Po unite, displaying changes of advance and retreat. In terms of Kan and Li, the trigrams that symbolize water and fire, Yin and Yang, the essence and Qi of the male Kan must enter the womb of the female Li and receive nourishment there; otherwise, the Golden Elixir cannot be formed. In the human body, the hundred bones, nine apertures, six bowels, and five organs likewise cannot endure unless they take the Qi of the Five Metals as their foundation. From this we can see that fire, Qi, and Shen constitute the Soul, while the material forms on which the Soul depends belong to the Po. Without the Po, the Soul has nowhere to dwell; without the Soul, the Po becomes lifeless.

What acts outwardly is the function of emotion and Po; what rests within is the function of nature and Soul. Qian, symbolizing Yang, moves with firm vigor: breath spreads and vital energy circulates, like a man in sexual union. Kun, symbolizing Yin, is still and receptive; it is the dwelling place of the Dao, like a woman carrying a fetus. Thus, after firm Yang gives and withdraws, yielding Yin transforms and gradually becomes full.

The principles behind the cultivators’ sayings “the Nine Returns and Seven Reversals” and “the Eight Returns and Six Abidings” are the same. “Nine Returns” refers to the completion of three thousand deeds of merit, reckoned as nine years, and serves as a metaphor for gestation lasting a little over nine months. “Seven Reversals” refers to lead, mercury, dragon, tiger, blood, Qi, and Shen, all of which must return to the Three Fields—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian. “Eight Returns” means the completion of eight hundred deeds of merit: calculated at eight taels each month and ninety-six taels each year, the total over nine years comes to more than eight hundred taels, which return to the Dantian. “Six Abidings” refers to the six children of Heaven and Earth: during the first three years, the eldest son and eldest daughter are nurtured in the lower field; during the middle three years, the middle son and middle daughter are nurtured in the middle field; during the final three years, the youngest son and youngest daughter are nurtured in the upper field.

The white “male” is the metal within Kan; the red “female” is the cinnabar within Li. To set water and fire each in its proper place is just as described earlier: when tending the furnace, the weights must be measured precisely. The “Highest Good” is the Yin within Li. Born from the Dao, it becomes the One, and thus the Yang within Kan. Once the Yang within Kan has transformed, the five organs, six bowels, hundred bones, and nine apertures all take their fixed places.

When the embryo first takes shape, it resembles an egg, marked with alternating black and white. It is about one inch long and wide. This is the earliest form of life. As it develops, the limbs, five organs, sinews, and bones gradually take shape. After ten months, the fetus leaves the womb and is born. Its bones are then soft and pliable, and its flesh is tender and smooth, like lead.

This describes the process from conception to birth. Regarding the claim that it is “one inch long and wide,” I once read in Shinanjing that the inch measured against one’s own body was used as a standard, compared with capacity units such as the sheng and dou, and measured against such things as the square inch of a sundial’s shadow. From this we can see that, when a person first forms as an embryo, it too begins at one inch. Perhaps the “eight liang” mentioned earlier was determined on this basis.

A yangsui, a device that concentrates sunlight to make fire, cannot shine without the sun. A fangzhu, a device that reflects moonlight to collect water, could hardly produce liquid without the stars and moon. Though the sun and moon are far from these instruments, they can still respond to one another. How much more readily, then, can the human body, which is close to the Qi of Yin-Yang, respond? The key lies in the heart and mind. Yin-Yang corresponds to the sun and moon, and the effects of water and fire are the proof.

Here, the Kan trigram symbolizes the moon and contains water, while the Li trigram symbolizes the sun and contains fire. How does this differ from the principle behind using a yangsui to make fire and a fangzhu to collect water?

The eyes, ears, and mouth are three important gateways of the human body. They should be guarded so that Jing and Qi do not leak outward. A realized person, one who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao, is still and calm as if submerged in the depths. At ease in action, they remain within the compass of the Dao’s principles. They observe and listen with a supple, rounded awareness, so that every opening and closing accords with the Dao. These three gateways are the body’s pivots: through them, change in stillness and movement can be regulated without exhaustion.

Li Qi, associated with the Li trigram and symbolizing the heart and Fire, circulates within the body and nourishes it. Kan, associated with the Kan trigram and symbolizing the kidneys and Water, does not rely on sharp hearing to listen outward. Dui, associated with the Dui trigram and symbolizing the mouth, accords with “not speaking”: speak little and follow the natural state before distinctions arise. Once the eyes, ears, and mouth have been gathered inward, relax the body and settle in a quiet room. Entrust the mind to emptiness, and ordinarily keep it free of thoughts. Let changes in the outer world unfold without disturbing you; keep Shen focused and do not let it scatter outward. In sleep, let Shen and Jing embrace one another; upon waking, attend to the changes that sustain your own life.

The complexion will gradually grow lustrous, and the joints and bones will become stronger and firmer. Dispel the various forms of Yin malign Qi, then support and establish the upright Yang Qi. Practice in this way without interruption, allowing the Qi within the body to move like clouds and rain: full as spring rain nourishing the earth, flowing like water released when snow and ice melt. The Qi and fluids descend from the head to the feet, then rise again. They circulate back and forth without cease, filling the whole body.

Returning is evidence of the Dao’s movement; softness is the key to De. Cultivation is like tilling the soil and pulling weeds: clear away accumulated filth so that even the finest parts gradually become balanced and unobstructed. Turbidity and stagnation can become a path toward clarity; after a long period of darkness, brightness will emerge.

“Reversal” refers to an old person regaining youth, or an elderly woman becoming a young girl. This is an efficacy manifested through cultivating the Dao. “Weakness” means that those who willingly take a low position are instead held in esteem, and those who willingly put themselves last are instead brought to the front. Thus “weakness” is an important principle for nurturing De (Virtue/Power).

“Impurity” refers to one’s own bad conduct; “subtlety” refers to profound and wondrous principles; “turbidity and dimness” refers to a way of cultivating the Dao by blending with the light and mingling with the dust, restraining one’s brilliance and concealing one’s edge. These are all methods of cultivating the Dao outwardly. From “letting oneself be contained within” onward, the text discusses methods of cultivating the Dao inwardly. The Book of Changes says that Li corresponds to the eyes, Kan to the ears, and Dui to the mouth; each of the three has its own spirit-energy residing within it. Since the text says both to keep them firmly shut and to close the gates tightly, the eyes can be closed, the mouth sealed, and the ears covered with both hands.

It also says to relax the body and dwell in an empty, quiet room. This means that whether awake or asleep, one should close the eyes, cover the ears, seal the mouth, and gently tap the teeth, so that within there is always a sound like wind and thunder, while the fire-energy remains vigorous and unceasing. In this way, spirit-energy is preserved, Yin evils gradually recede, and correct Yang energy naturally takes hold. With diligent practice, harmonious energy will flow freely; this is the method of inner cultivation.

People in the world enjoy minor arts but do not understand that the Great Dao has degrees of depth. They abandon the proper path and take crooked side roads, hoping for a shortcut, only to find that they cannot get through. It is like asking a blind person to walk without a cane while telling a deaf person to distinguish the gong and shang notes; like diving underwater to catch pheasants and rabbits, or climbing a mountain to look for dragons and fish; like sowing wheat and hoping to harvest millet, or using a compass to draw a square. They exhaust their strength and spend their spirit, staying busy for a whole year, yet in the end see no results. The methods of ingesting and cultivating are easy to learn: their essentials are concise, not complicated.

Those in the world who delight in cultivating goodness often begin without sufficient understanding. By chance they obtain a small method and are overjoyed, imagining that they alone understand it. This way of thinking only blinds them.

The solar flowing pearl, a metaphor for the Yang essence and Qi moving through the alchemical process, always seeks to leave the body. When it suddenly encounters golden florescence, the essence that harmonizes with it, the two become mutually dependent. They transform into a white liquid that hardens as it condenses. Golden florescence first responds; after a time, it dissolves into water, taking a form like horse teeth set in alternating rows. Yang Qi then comes to mingle with it, and the natures of Yin and Yang naturally unite.

Yin Qi draws near and is gathered and stored within the Gate of Restraint, a metaphor for the passage that closes around and safeguards the essence. It is like a loving mother raising her child, while the child is like a dutiful son repaying her care; it is also like a stern father issuing commands and instructing his descendants. The Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—interweave in their movements, restraining one another while also bringing forth transformation and growth. Fire can melt Metal, and Metal can cut Wood, allowing Wood to grow. “Three and Five unite as One,” an alchemical term concerning the joining of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, expresses the most subtle principle between Heaven and Earth. It can be passed on through oral formulas, but is difficult to set down in writing and transmit.

The sun is the ruler, that is, the person’s Original Spirit. The Flowing Pearl is the fluid in the lungs. The Yellow Court Scripture says that the seven kinds of fluid circulate within the body and gather at the “hut” between the forehead and brow; here, “hut” means the forehead. Lung fluid is easily lost because people often despise it. Golden Florescence is kidney fluid. The lungs belong to Metal and the kidneys to Water; the two are like mother and child coming together. “Horse teeth in rows” describes the abundance of fluid.

Yang is the Sun Soul and also represents a person’s innate nature. The Compassionate Mother refers to the Kun trigram. Kun symbolizes the abdomen and can generate and transform the fluids of the five organs, allowing those fluids to nourish the body. The Stern Father refers to the Qian trigram, which symbolizes the head. The fluids of the five organs must rise to the Muddy Pellet Palace, an important cultivation site within the head, before they can be refined into the Golden Elixir.

The Fire in “Fire’s nature melts Metal” refers to the fluid of the Li Palace, which is gathered during the lower bow. The lower bow corresponds to autumn and lies in the direction of You, when Metal Qi is at its height. The Metal in “Metal fells Wood in its flourishing” refers to the fluid of the Kan Palace, which moves during the upper bow. The upper bow corresponds to spring and lies in the direction of Mao, when plants and trees are flourishing. The “three” here are the heart, lungs, and liver; the “five” is the spleen; and the “one” is the kidneys. These fluids are essential to refining the Golden Elixir, so they are called the most subtle and precious things between Heaven and Earth.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Qi at the Zi position turns to the right, while Qi at the Wu position circles eastward. Mao and You lie at opposite ends and represent host and guest. The Dragon calls to the Tiger, and the Tiger draws in the Dragon’s essence. Each takes in the other, seeking to gain the other’s benefit. They join, swallow, and chew together again and again, blending as they do.

Yinghuo (Mars) remains in the west, while Taibai (Venus) stretches across the sky. Wherever the force of decline and killing reaches, how can anything avoid being overturned? The raccoon dog guards the mouse, and the sparrow fears the crane; each displays its abilities, and neither dares make a sound. These images of animals checking one another illustrate the mutual restraint and union of Yin-Yang Qi in cultivation.

The Zi position (Kan, the Water trigram) and the Wu position (Li, the Fire trigram) move to the right, proceeding in reverse. This describes the search for the medicine and the refinement of metal essence. Kan is in the north and below, yet turns right and rises; Li is in the south and above, yet its lines move eastward and descend. Mao belongs to Wood and symbolizes the Azure Dragon; You belongs to Metal and symbolizes the White Tiger. Though the names they represent differ, they are like an exhalation and an inhalation: they meet, constrain one another, and cannot be separated.

The West and Tai Bai (Venus) both belong to Metal. At first, Metal leaves the Zi position, as if emerging from the womb. In the space of a single breath, Ying Huo (Mars) can guard it; Metal then follows Ying Huo’s course and eventually passes across the heavens. After Tai Bai has crossed the heavens, it can subdue the Azure Dragon. Thus the Cantong qi says, “Fire’s nature melts Metal; Metal fells the flourishing Wood”: Fire overcomes Metal, and Metal restrains Wood. The Huangting jing also says, “The sun rises and sets; the moon’s breath remains.” This describes different forces constraining and harmonizing one another. If they do not submit to this constraint, they will sound out.

Without understanding these principles, one should not speak of them casually. Some have consequently exhausted their family fortunes, leaving their wives and children in hunger, cold, and poverty. Since ancient times, countless people have taken an interest in this Way, yet few have encountered the right opportunity, and fewer still have succeeded. Searching far and wide for precious medicines runs counter to the principles. If one truly encounters the right opportunity and sees the first signs, one should compare things according to their kinds and investigate the changes from beginning to end.

The five positions (the Five Phases or five directions and stages) correspond to one another, each with its own counterpart; this means comparing things of the same kind. The firing process has gentle and strong phases, and the medicine, too, passes through a course from generation to completion.

The Five Phases restrain and transform one another, like mother and child: the mother holds and nourishes fluid, while the father oversees discernment and giving. When Jing and Qi gather and circulate into form, even metal and stone can endure without decay. By focusing the mind and remaining vigilant, so that Jing and Qi do not leak away, one can attain the Dao. Just as raising a bamboo pole brings forth a shadow, and calling into a valley brings an echo, are these not signs of the wondrous workings of Heaven and Earth?

If someone swallows an inch of wild kudzu root and an ounce of croton seed, they will immediately stiffen and collapse, unable to move. At such a time, even if King Wen of Zhou were skilled in divination, Confucius adept at casting lots, Bian Que holding his needles, and Wu Xian beating a ritual drum, how could they bring the person back to consciousness and make them rise and walk again?

When the Five Phases restrain and subdue one another, they do not scatter and flee. Only when they cease scattering can they generate one another. Raise a bamboo pole, and a shadow appears; call into a valley, and an echo answers. When the Five Phases gather, one can know that the elixir can be refined.

“River-floating herb” refers to duckweed on the river, subtle and miraculous. When it meets fire, it scatters and vanishes, leaving not a speck of dust. Ghosts and spirits disappear, and dragons conceal themselves, so that no one knows where they are. To control it, Yellow Sprout—the alchemical substance formed from the true Yang Qi within Kan—is essential.

“Daughter-in-law” refers to the Qi of the Five Blossoms within the Li trigram. The scriptures often speak of “sealing” because they fear that this Qi will disperse beyond the body. It is not Qi obtained through breathing. Only this Qi contains the Water of True Unity: Qi is the mother of Water. Yellow Sprout is formed from Kan Metal. Yellow Sprout and the Water of True Unity seek one another like female and male, and so cannot be separated.

When the myriad things lack the pairing of Yin and Yang, they go against the Dao of Heaven and lose their roots. Why is it that a hen hatching eggs by herself often produces chicks that are not fully formed? Because Yin and Yang have not joined in mutual cooperation, the Qi of the Three and Five has not blended, and firmness and softness remain apart. The essence and Qi through which things come into being are originally the result of the natural workings of Heaven and Earth. Fire rises as it burns, and water flows downward; no one has to teach them to do so. The myriad things begin in this way and follow the natural order. This pattern cannot be changed at will.

Consider the union of male and female: firmness and softness come together and join closely. They follow their own rhythms and patterns, without being controlled by human artifice. A man is born lying face down, while a woman is born lying face up. When a person receives Qi and takes shape in the womb, they have already received the primal Qi of Yin and Yang. These forms appear not only at birth but again at death. Their parents do not teach them to be this way; they are natural laws formed at the very beginning of life’s union.

The commentary uses “man lying face down” to symbolize Kan as male, with its line image turned downward and drawn inward; “woman lying face up” symbolizes Li as female, with its line image turned upward and drawn inward. The phrases “lower behind” and “raised in front” in the Huangting Jing express the same idea. Understanding this symbolism makes clear the meaning of sexual union described in the scripture. This is why the seventh and eighth chapters that follow discuss “Zi in the south and Wu in the north.”

The male image of Kan symbolizes the moon, and the female image of Li symbolizes the sun. The sun dispenses light and heat, while the moon spreads its radiance. The moon receives the sun’s illumination and transformation without losing any of its own substance. When Yang Qi loses its rhythm of union, Yin Qi intrudes upon the sunlight. At the times of the dark moon and new moon, and during eclipses when the sun and moon draw near, they obscure and press upon one another. Yang Qi diminishes, Yin Qi bears down upon it, and calamities follow.

Men and women depend on one another, nurturing life through intake and exhalation. Male and female creatures likewise join across their sexes, each seeking a mate according to its own kind.

Bestowing benevolence and spreading radiance is like men and women depending on one another and like seeking one’s own kind. Only when the Sun Soul, symbolizing Yang Qi, joins with the Moon Spirit, symbolizing Yin Qi, can this be called “working the fire”—that is, regulating the stages of the fire. When the dark of the moon gives way to the new moon, the Moon Spirit may sometimes obscure the sunlight. At dawn on the day of the new moon, one should therefore apply a faint Yang Qi and prevent Yin Qi from intruding too far into Yang Qi, lest it cause harm.

Metal transforms into Water, whose nature is to flow and shift without settling. Fire transforms into Earth, which obstructs the movement of Water. Thus, the man initiates and acts outwardly, while the woman remains still and holds within. If one acts excessively and goes beyond measure, one will be restrained by the Yin. The Moon Spirit checks the Sun Soul, preventing it from indulging too freely. When Yin and Yang are neither too cold nor too hot, and their advances and retreats accord with the proper time, they harmonize and together reveal the corresponding signs.

“ The man initiates and acts outwardly, while the woman remains still and holds within” means the same as “higher De” and “lower De” in Chapter Twenty-Two.

Cinnabar is the essence of Wood. When it obtains Metal, the two together reveal the corresponding signs.

Cinnabar, the essence of Wood, and Metal join together. Where Metal and Water meet, Wood and Fire guide them. The four blend into the paired forms of Dragon and Tiger: the Dragon belongs to Yang and has an odd number; the Tiger belongs to Yin and has an even number. The Liver, associated with green, is the father; the Lungs, associated with white, are the mother; the Kidneys, associated with black, are the child; and the Spleen, associated with yellow, is the ancestor. The child occupies the starting position among the Five Phases. These three kinds of substance unite as one family and ultimately return to Wu and Ji, the Earthly Stems associated with Earth.

Cinnabar refers to the Qi within the Heart. The Liver belongs to Wood and can therefore generate Fire. Metal refers to the fluids in the Lungs, which commonly join with the fluids in the Liver. Water is the child of Metal, so Metal joins with Water; Fire is also its child, so Fire guides it. The Liver symbolizes the Dragon and corresponds to the number three; it is the father of Fire. The Lungs symbolize the Tiger and correspond to the number four; they are the mother of Water. The Kidneys are the child of Metal, while the Spleen is the ancestor of the Kidneys. The “three substances” are Wood and Fire as one category, Metal and Water as another, and Earth as the third. “One family” means that they all exist within the human body. The Li trigram belongs to Fire and corresponds to Ji; the Kan trigram belongs to Water and corresponds to Wu. The effects of cultivation and refinement ultimately return to Wu and Ji.

In the world, firmness and softness rise in alternation, their movements following the seasonal nodes and the distribution of the directions. The Dragon, symbolizing the East, the Zhen trigram, the liver, and Wood, is in the West; the Tiger, symbolizing the West, the Dui trigram, the lungs, and Metal, is in the East. The two meet along the Mao and You directions. “Punishment,” which represents desolation and decline, and “Virtue,” which represents growth, come together at the same time and interact. Punishment governs concealment, contraction, and decline; Virtue governs emergence and growth. In the second lunar month, the Dipper’s handle points toward Mao. In the eighth month, as the wheat grows, the celestial signs show the handle pointing toward You. The Zi position lies to the south and the Wu position to the north, forming a framework and an order together. The numbers cycle repeatedly from one to nine. Original Qi is stored in the Xu and Wei lunar mansions, while vital essence is distributed at the Zi position.

The East belongs to the Zhen trigram and corresponds to the liver and the Dragon; the West belongs to the Dui trigram and corresponds to the lungs and the Tiger; the South belongs to the Li trigram and corresponds to the heart; the North belongs to the Kan trigram and corresponds to the kidneys. From the first quarter moon through the fifteenth day, the practitioner draws Metal Qi from the northern Kan Palace and moves it from north to south. From the sixteenth day through the last quarter moon, the practitioner gathers the medicine from the southern Li Palace and moves it from south to north. This is why it is said, “Zi south, Wu north.” The Dragon always moves with fire, and the Tiger always travels with water, so the Kan and Li palaces unite. Metal and Wood cannot be separated from each other; therefore, the Dragon and Tiger join one another. This is called “Dragon in the West, Tiger in the East.” The refinement of the Golden Elixir centers on Metal in the Kan Palace, and ultimately returns to the idea that Original Qi is stored in the Xu and Wei lunar mansions while vital essence is distributed at the Zi position.

The “Guan Ju” poem says: “Guan guan call the ospreys, perched on a sandbar in the river; a beautiful and virtuous maiden…” The poem is invoked here as an opening image: the separation between man and woman illustrates the union of Dragon and Tiger and their mutual responsiveness.

The above is Chapter Seventy-Seven.

“On the sandbanks in the river, ospreys call to one another. The gentle, beautiful woman is the companion a noble man loves.” This expresses the principle of male and female joining: the male bird does not live alone, and the female does not dwell in isolation. The Black Tortoise, a divine creature formed from a tortoise and a snake, and the hornless dragon coil around and support one another, illustrating how female and male correspond and each is indispensable to the other.

Suppose two women lived in the same room, however beautiful they might both be. Even if they asked eloquent speakers such as Su Qin and Zhang Yi to plead their case and act as matchmakers, no matter how persuasive their words or pleasing their speech, they could not become spouses or unite with one another. Even when their hair had turned white and their teeth had fallen out, they would still be unable to know and unite with each other.

The substances used in alchemical refining are the same: if their kinds and properties are incompatible, or their proportions are unsuitable, the proper method is lost. Even if the Yellow Emperor personally tended the alchemical furnace, Taiyi, a deity, controlled the fire, the Eight Immortals who are said to have assisted Liu An, King of Huainan, took part in the refining, and the king blended the substances; even if they built a high altar, laid out jade steps, presented offerings, and knelt in prayer to the gods and spirits, bathing and observing purification in hope of receiving their protection, it would be of no use. Such efforts are like mending a pot with glue or applying lime to a sore, or trying to dispel cold by adding water and reduce fever with hot soup. Even if a tortoise were made to dance and a snake to leap, the result would only stray further from the right path.

Since Heaven and Earth first came into being, Heaven and Earth came before Yin-Yang; men and women came before husbands and wives; the sun and moon came before hun and po, the ethereal and corporeal souls; and the heart and kidneys came before Qi and fluids. The key lies in the union of above and below and the joining of female and male; only then can life continue and generation follow generation. How could these things exist in isolation and sustain themselves alone?

End of juan two of the Commentary on the Zhouyi Cantong Qi.

Note: The phrase “tuo ji” in the original, along with several other passages, may contain textual errors. The interpretation above follows the general sense of prayer and alchemical ritual suggested by the context. The variant readings listed in the accompanying note reflect differences among editions.

The remaining sixty hexagrams (the Huifa edition reads “the functions of the sixty hexagrams”). This passage compares the wording in different editions.

“Establishing the meaning” (the Huifa edition reads “at” instead of “establishing”). The Huifa edition also writes “day” instead of “month.”

The two lines “Those who go against it meet misfortune; those who follow it meet good fortune” are absent from the Huifa edition.

“Frost and snow” (the Huifa edition reads “ice pellets” instead of “frost,” meaning small particles of ice).

The four lines “Locusts surge and swarm; calamities emerge on every side. Heaven displays its strange signs; mountains collapse and the earth splits” appear in the Huifa edition as: “Locusts surge and swarm; mountains collapse and the earth splits. Heaven displays its strange signs; rulers’ anomalies emerge on every side.”

“Bending and extending, turning back and forth” (the Huifa edition reads “bending and extending, reversing and repeating”) refers to the alternating changes of flexion and extension, and back and forth.

“Divine clarity” (the Huifa edition reads “numinous” instead of “clarity”). “Obscure” (the Huifa edition reads “image”). “Stopping and advancing” (the Huifa edition reads “advancing and stopping”). “Surpass” (the Huifa edition reads “key”).

“Xuanji” (in ancient usage, the pivot of the celestial bodies’ movements; it can also refer to an astronomical instrument; the Huifa edition reads “Yiji”). “Can” (the Huifa edition reads “by means of”). “Correct radiance” (the Huifa edition reads “arising” instead of “correct”). “Already” (the Huifa edition reads “by means of”). “Order of the records” (the Huifa edition reads “threads” instead of “order”).

The Fahuiben refers to the version used in the book Fahui. The following are textual differences between the scripture and that version:

At entry 22, the text reads “qu shi,” while the Fahuiben reads “shi qu.”

At entry 23, the text reads “yi yang,” while the Fahuiben reads “hui shang.”

At entry 24, the text reads “ren xu”; the Fahuiben writes “xu” as “xu” with a different character.

At entry 25, the text reads “ya nie”; the Fahuiben writes “ya” as “ya” with a different character.

At entry 26, the text reads “miao,” while the Fahuiben reads “miao” with a different character.

At entry 27, the text reads “yuan,” while the Fahuiben reads “yuan” with a different character.

At entry 28, the text reads “qian zai”; the Fahuiben writes “zai” as “qiu.”

At entry 29, “ya” is written as “ya” with a different character.

The notes for entries 26 through 28 repeat the variants: “miao” is written as “miao” with a different character, “yuan” as “yuan” with a different character, and “zai” in “qian zai” as “qiu.”

At entry 29, the text reads “yun bu”; the Fahuiben writes “yun” as “liu.”

At entry 30, the text reads “zhu yuan,” while the Fahuiben reads “da wei.”

At entry 31, the text reads “ze shui ding huo, wuxing zhi chu,” while the Fahuiben reads “ju ze shui ding, shui wuxing chu.”

At entry 32, the text reads “zhi,” while the Fahuiben reads “wu.”

At entry 33, the passage identified as “the right-hand text of Chapter 63” is placed in the Fahuiben after Chapter 61 of the base text.

At entry 34, the text reads “xiang fu”; the Fahuiben writes “fu” as “fu” with a different character.

At entry 35, the text reads “ju,” while the Fahuiben reads “ju” with a different character.

At entry 36, the text reads “ruo qian”; the Fahuiben writes “qian” as “yi.”

At entry 37, the text reads “xuan qie yuan,” while the Fahuiben reads “zhi xuan yuan.”

At entry 38, the text reads “shi ting”; the Fahuiben writes “ting” as “lan.”

At entry 39, the text reads “ying wei”; the Fahuiben writes “ying” as “rong.”

These notes record differences in wording and chapter order between versions. Without the relevant scriptural context, the specific meaning of each variant cannot be determined from these differences alone.

These notes record textual variants between editions of Commentary on the Cantong qi and Exposition, indicating how a character is written in different editions:

“Yibu” appears as “buyi” in Exposition; “xuanyuan” is the wording of the original text. “Shiting” appears as “ting” in Exposition, while some editions have “lan”; “yingwei” appears as “rongwei” in Exposition.

“Wunian” appears as “niannian” in Exposition; “nanyi” appears as “taizi”; “jin” as “qin”; and in “paique,” “pai” appears as “bi.” “Fufu bei rongzhong” appears as “fufu bei guzhong”; “yun” appears as “yun,” as in the same usage later in the text. In “wujian,” “wu” appears as “bu”; in “shiyue,” “shi” appears as “zhi”; and in “bufan,” “fan” appears as “fan.”

In “xianchang,” “chang” appears as “chang”; in “juxu,” “xu” appears as “xu”; and in “yuyi,” “yu” appears as “wei.” “Jindan” was originally written as “jinyue” and has been corrected to “jindan” based on the meaning of the context. In “tanbian,” “bian” appears as “bing” in Exposition.

The two phrases “thus biting at one another’s reefs, chewing and swallowing one another” originally appeared in the Fahui edition after chapter 67, “The loving mother nurtures; the filial child repays her kindness.”

The Fahui edition has “dog” written as “hound.”

In the Fahui edition, the second character in “its efficacy” is written as “nature.”

In the Fahui edition, the second character in “household” is written as “birth.”

In the Fahui edition, the second character in “able to become” is written as “complete.”

In the Fahui edition, the first character in “looking up and down” is written as “looking down.”

In the Fahui edition, the second character in “turning away from the origin” is written as “source.”

In the Fahui edition, the second character in “its essence” is written as “Dao.”

The Fahui edition has “one who” in place of “also.”

In the Fahui edition, the first character in “the primordial beginning” is written as “of.”

The Fahui edition has “the sun alters and the moon transforms” in place of “the moon receives and the sun transforms.”

In the Fahui edition, the second character in “opposing one another” is written as “embrace.”

The Fahui edition has “disaster arises” in place of “disaster is born.”

In the Fahui edition, the first character in “excessive measure” is written as “surge.”

The Fahui edition has “the heart, red, is the daughter; the spleen, yellow, is the ancestor; the kidneys, black, are the son” in place of “the kidneys, black, are the son; the spleen, yellow, is the ancestor.”