《上阳子金丹大要》Vol. 1

The Essentials of the Golden Elixir by Shangyangzi is a Daoist text included in the Quanzhen collected works in the Chinese Daoist Canon. It focuses on the cultivation of the Golden Elixir.

The book is divided into sections titled “Emptiness,” “Supreme Medicine,” “Wondrous Applications,” “What Must Be Known,” “Accumulating Merit,” “Building Deeds,” and “Revealing the Truth.” “Emptiness” contains a preface and related commentaries on the Dao De Jing. “Supreme Medicine” discusses Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). “Wondrous Applications” addresses the Golden Elixir, medicinal substances, the cauldron and vessel, gathering and obtaining the medicine, true earth, the timing of the firing process, and spiritual transformation. “What Must Be Known” explains matters such as directing the fire and moving the talismans, the new and full moons and the waxing and waning phases, guarding against danger and loss, the punishments and virtues of Mao and You, bathing and mental concerns, the measures of killing and bringing to life, and shedding the embryo and changing the cauldron.

Later chapters also include Golden Elixir poems, “Songs for Dispelling Doubts,” sword poems, poems to awaken the eye, and “Turning Phrases from the Dao De Jing,” along with writings exchanged with several fellow Daoists. The final section, “Revealing the Truth,” discusses life and death, the Virtue of sages, Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, the Golden Elixir of liquid gold, immortality in the Daoist and Buddhist traditions, words and the Dao, shedding the embryo and whether to depart or remain, the relationship among the Three Teachings, and whether everyone can attain the Dao.

“Contemplating water, one attains the Dao; seeing one’s nature, one becomes a Buddha” means that by observing water, one awakens to the Great Dao, and by recognizing one’s own nature, one reaches the state of Buddhahood.

Volume Fifteen of The Essentials of the Golden Elixir is titled “Beyond the Norm” and contains a “General Discussion” with Wang Xiangweng. Volume Sixteen is titled “Transcending the Tradition.” Both volumes bear the phrase “Seeing one’s nature, one becomes a Buddha.”

According to the author’s account in Volume One, The Essentials of the Golden Elixir originally comprised ten volumes. The Ming-dynasty edition in the Daoist Canon divided it into The Essentials of the Golden Elixir in sixteen volumes, Illustrations to The Essentials of the Golden Elixir in one volume, Biographies of Immortals in The Essentials of the Golden Elixir in one volume, and The Immortal Lineages of The Essentials of the Golden Elixir in one volume. A separate one-volume edition, Essential Knowledge for Cultivation, also exists.

In this book, every occurrence of the character kuang is written with one stroke omitted, following the practice of avoiding taboo characters under the Song dynasty. This suggests that the first printed edition may have been produced by a loyalist from the final years of the Song dynasty.

Master Yichuan said that there are three things under heaven that are most difficult to accomplish. The first is to pray to Heaven on behalf of the state, so that its fortunes may endure. The second is to pursue learning until one becomes a sage. The third is to cultivate oneself until one becomes an immortal. This is indeed a sound judgment.

In my youth, I, Tiancóng, began to study; as I grew older, I turned to the study of the mysterious and profound, firmly believing that the way to long life could be attained through learning. I therefore resolved to seek the highest truths, explore the mysterious and investigate the hidden, dispel obscurity and refine my nature, curb outward display and return to what is real. I once planned to withdraw to the summit of a solitary peak, build a thatched hut, and keep company with immortals such as Hongya and Chisong. I would preserve the “yellow center within the egg” (an image in Neidan practice for the core vital energy) and nurture the “bright, pure light of the toad” (an image for the clear and pure inner radiance), hoping to gain some small realization and fulfill the wish of my life.

Unexpectedly, Heaven favored the Great Dao and proved skilled at awakening the human heart. In the fifth month of the Yihai year, at Fanghu Heaven, I met my revered teacher, the Perfected One Shangyang of the Purple Empyrean and Crimson Palace. We felt at once as though we had known each other for years. We loosened our robes and sat facing one another, drank tea and burned incense, and spoke together about the Dao of the Elixir. The teacher revealed a little of its essential secrets, and I grasped them quickly. Later, I followed him to the Jiaotai Retreat. I bowed and asked for instruction, and after pleading repeatedly, I swore an oath with him concerning the Dao of the Elixir and vowed before Heaven and Earth. The assembled Perfected Immortals bore witness, and only then did the teacher impart the entire secret transmission to me.

At first, his words struck me like thunder, and I was deeply shaken. Then I felt as though I were lost in a fog, my confusion growing until I could not sleep through the night and my mind remained unsettled for many days. I dared neither conclude that the teacher was wrong nor hastily believe that everything he said was correct. So I pondered again and again and sought evidence far and wide. Later, I felt that the divine powers had offered guidance, and suddenly I understood. At last I broke through the web of confusion and unraveled my doubts. It was like a long illness suddenly cured, or like waking with a start from a great dream: sweat poured from my whole body, and the darkness in my eyes gave way to sudden clarity.

I then compared and tested these teachings against the Elixir scriptures I had memorized throughout my life, such as the Cantong qi and the Wuzhen pian, and found that their words and passages agreed with one another. Though the transformations are myriad, in the end they return to a single source. From then on, I understood that the transformations of the cosmos could be realized within oneself, and that profound repose and freedom could also be attained through this. Gazing upon the Mysterious Pearl (an image in Neidan practice for the Dao or one’s true nature), refining the Golden Elixir from liquid gold, ascending in broad daylight, entering the Pure Capital (a fabled celestial realm of immortals), and attaining immortal rank—all became possible stages of cultivation.

Looking back on the learning of the first half of my life, it was like peering at the sky through a bamboo tube or measuring the sea with a seashell: the gap in breadth and depth of understanding was immense. It was like cooking sand into a meal or stirring water into oil: one could never satisfy hunger or provide light in this way.

Alas, since Perfected Bai Ziqing returned to the immortal realm in recent times, the world has lacked true teachers, and the teachings passed down have often been distorted. Those who speak of “nature” may lapse into unrestrained abandon or become trapped in emptiness and stillness. Those who speak of “life” may cling to contrived action or veer into Wuwei (non-action). When gifted and keen-minded people lack a teacher in the lineage and seek the Dao only in books, they easily take their own conclusions as proof and become self-satisfied and arrogant. Thinking that a little hearing makes them masters of everything, they look down on the whole world and imagine they can stand alongside Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin. How could they still be willing to seek instruction humbly? Those of duller ability who seek guidance from teachers who do not understand the principles grasp only the surface, then take pleasure in their meager knowledge and cling stubbornly to their own views. They think that gathering the mind, stopping delusions, and sitting in stillness and non-action are enough to find the Dao within; why, then, should they trouble themselves to ask others for guidance?

Thus right and wrong stretch as wide as the sea, and the prejudices between people rise like mountains, difficult to cross. Bias takes deep root in the heart, and ingrained habits become so firmly fixed that they are hard to uproot. The world has neither the power to move mountains and drain seas nor a remedy to correct error and purge its poison. This is deeply lamentable.

My teacher, Perfected Shangyang, rescues those who have sunk into delusion with a compassionate heart and cuts away wrong views with the sword of wisdom. He continues the orthodox transmission of Danyang and reveals the secret teachings of Qingcheng. He clarifies what earlier masters could not clarify and explains what the ancients left unsaid. He teaches with sincerity and cares for his disciples. His work The Essentials of the Golden Elixir comprises ten scrolls. It is orderly and comprehensive, its language clear and its meaning profound; its explanations are penetrating, and it speaks from the heart. He wishes he could make all beings throughout the Dharma Realm members of the family of the Great Luo Immortal Realm. His kindness and compassion are truly profound.

I fear that disciples may fail to understand the intentions of a true teacher and read the sacred principles and mysterious chapters as though they were ordinary words. This would not only be of no benefit; it might even give rise to doubts, lead them to slander the Daoist teachings, or cause them to abandon cultivation. I have therefore recorded my own experience of seeking the Dao and written this preface to the book, hoping to help those lost in delusion find their way out and awaken those whose understanding is blocked. May people see the moon by following the finger that points to it, and see the sky when the seal is lifted from the wine jar. This, too, may count as a small contribution.

The mystery of the Golden Elixir rests on three great essentials: first, the vessel; second, the ingredients; and third, the firing process. The vessel has Yin and Yang aspects, the ingredients are divided into inner and outer, and the firing process follows its proper times. These three are the central principles of refining the Golden Elixir. Those who understand them may hope to reach the end of their cultivation and need not keep searching elsewhere for the way.

May everyone bring the teachings together wherever they encounter them, test them against one another, and together give rise to the aspiration to advance along the Dao and devote themselves diligently to cultivating immortality. The thousand-year iron pillar has long sealed the covenant of the Dragon Sands, and ten thousand jade lotuses join in celebrating the grand assembly of the Celestial Origin. All who share this aspiration should strive in their cultivation.

Preface by Ming Sufchan Tiancóng, a disciple of the school.

Laozi and the Book of Changes reveal Heaven’s secrets. Drawing on them, the Ancient Classic of the Yellow Emperor and the Black Dragon and the Token for Joining the Three in Accordance with the Book of Changes explain that Wuwei (non-action) is the foundation of all things, while purposeful action is the essential condition for alchemy. They liken Heaven and Earth to the furnace and cauldron, and describe Kan and Li—the trigrams that represent water and fire, Yin and Yang—as circulating between above and below. Opening primordial chaos, gathering and refining the ingredients, and discerning the firing times are all expressions of the ceaseless transformations of Yin and Yang in Heaven and Earth. Alchemy must follow and make use of the sequence of these transformations, until the Golden Elixir is formed.

Later, the Perfected Person of Ziyang, Zhang Boduan, wrote the Awakening to Reality, developing these subtle principles further and bringing them nearly to full expression. Only the secrets of the firing times remained concealed in refined oral instructions. Practitioners in the world often stray from the path and act on their own conjectures. They have often not even grasped the essentials of alchemy, let alone understood its subtleties.

Master Shangyang of the Purple Empyrean and Crimson Palace carried on teachings from the true masters’ lineage that had nearly been lost, and showed later students the way out of confusion. Such an opportunity is rare even once in a thousand years, and seldom appears within a century. He clarified the profound principles of cultivating the Dao found in Laozi and the Book of Changes, and carefully revealed what the Immortals and Sages had left unsaid. He taught that human beings and the beings of Heaven are the most spiritually perceptive among all things, and that this principle is inherent in them from the beginning. Those who understand it and cultivate accordingly can swiftly transcend life and death. With a sincere heart, he taught and transformed others, expressing his insights eloquently in writing. He composed the ten volumes of Essentials of the Golden Elixir, explaining them repeatedly and earnestly, and setting out their meaning in meticulous detail. He hoped that those with aspirations would understand the whole course of cultivating the Dao, from beginning to end, and, through their own realization, attain it truly and never lose it, so that they might ascend together to the realm of the Immortals. His compassionate intention was indeed boundless.

The Lord of Mingcao combined the talents of a recluse and an official, and from an early age had a deep affinity with the Way of the Elixir. When he met someone who understood him, he wanted the book to circulate widely. Pan Taichu, the abbot in the mountains, managed the affairs of the Daoist temple and chose a secluded, tranquil place to devote himself to cultivation, immersing himself in profound learning. He was the first to propose carving the text for publication. The disciples of Master Shangyang were all exceptionally talented and distinguished. They each wrote a preface or explanatory note, through which one can imagine the character of that time.

While living temporarily at Ziyuan, I devoted myself to studying the profound principles. The time was ripe, and I was able to hear some of these teachings. “The moon appears in the Geng direction” and “in the southwest, one finds a companion” refer to the timing and the union of Yin and Yang in the process of alchemy. “Gold returns to the beginning of nature” means that the Golden Elixir returns to original nature. “In obscurity and darkness, there is a sign” means that even amid what is subtle and difficult to discern, there are still signs of confirmation. Gather and refine the ingredients at the proper time, allowing the three natures to blend together, and it is like finding the Dark Pearl in the Red Water. This pearl cannot be found directly through tangible things; it must be apprehended in a state of indistinctness, beyond form. At this point, the greatest aspiration has been fulfilled.

By thoroughly investigating things and fully understanding one’s nature, one can then grasp the Dao of life, attain longevity and lasting vision, and take one’s nature and life into one’s own hands. The Essentials of the Golden Elixir was written to open a path for people into the learning of Laozi and the Book of Changes. Ah, if one leaves Laozi and the Book of Changes aside and seeks the Great Dao elsewhere, where could one even begin?

On the eve of the New Year in the first year of Zhiyuan (“Zhanmeng Dayuanxian” is an ancient calendrical designation), the disciple Ouyang Tiantao of Ziyuan Monastery on Mount Lu respectfully composed this preface.

The Essentials of the Golden Elixir of Shangyangzi, Volume One

Written by Shangyangzi Guanwuchen Zhixu of the Purple Empyrean and Crimson Palace

Emptiness

Shangyangzi said: Those who cultivate the Way of the Golden Elixir include the Yellow Emperor, who ascended into the clouds after completing his cultivation, and Laozi, who became a founding patriarch of Daoism after his. Chao Fu and Xu You were noble men who withdrew from the world, while Peng Zu attained great longevity. From antiquity to the present, those who have cultivated this Way are too numerous to count.

To seek the Way of the Golden Elixir in the classical texts, one should take the Yinfu Jing and the Daode Jing as foundations, then consult the Jinbi Jing and the Zhouyi Cantong Qi. This lineage was passed down through Heshang Gong and, after the Five Dynasties, reached the Perfected Master Boyang. The Celestial Master, Zhang Daoling, grasped the teachings of Perfected Master Boyang, completed his Golden Elixir cultivation, and brought his Dao practice to fulfillment. Through his spiritual powers, he subdued demons and spread the teachings. The Immortal Elder, Ge Xuan, rescued beings in the underworld, while Xu Xun of Jingyang slew a flood dragon. These were deeds by which they responded to their times, aided the world, and saved people from calamity. For true immortals, however, such deeds lie outside the cultivation of the Dao itself.

Since Huayang Xuanfu, Wei Huacun, and Yunfang Dongbin, Lü Dongbin, masters have passed the teachings to their disciples. Generation after generation, practitioners have lived in secluded valleys and remote mountains. Many completed their Dao practice and withdrew into seclusion, seeking only to preserve themselves and unwilling to leave a name in the world; they too are too numerous to count. Others taught the Dao publicly, leaving behind prefaces, biographies, and poems, while their lives were sometimes hidden and sometimes known. How could their stories all be recounted? Those whose merit and virtue are profound, who hold rank in the celestial realms and govern the cycles of tribulation, are even harder to know in full.

Liu Haichan of Yanxiang received the Dao from Perfected Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin, and passed it on to Perfected Ziyang, Zhang Boduan. It was then transmitted to Xinglin, Shi Tai; Zixian, Xue Daoguang; Nimuwan, Chen Nan; and Haiqiong, Bai Yuchan, among many successive masters. Chongyang Weng, Wang Chongyang, also received the Dao from Perfected Pure Yang and passed it on to Perfected Danyang, Ma Yu, thereby founding the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school. Changchun, Qiu Chuji; Changzhen, Tan Chuduan; Changsheng, Liu Chuxuan; Yuyang, Wang Chuyi; and Guangning, Hao Datong, were all figures in this lineage…

The Elder received the Dao from the Patriarch Chunyang and the alchemical methods from the Perfected Danyang, and thus founded the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school. Later, the venerable immortals Changchun, Changzhen, Changsheng, Yuyang, Guangning, Qingjing, and others each passed on their own lines of transmission, which branched out and spread. The wondrous secrets of the alchemical scriptures likewise became known throughout the world. The Perfected Ziyang’s Wuzhen pian explains these matters in considerable detail; later, the Unknown Master and others quoted and elucidated it.

I, Huangfang Gong, received the alchemical methods from the Perfected Danyang and passed them on to the Perfected Taixu, who passed them on to the Perfected Ziqiong. I, Yuanduzi, attained the Dao from the Perfected Ziqiong. The details of this transmission are recorded in The Biography of the Perfected Taixu. Yuanduzi was naturally intelligent and widely learned. He read the classics extensively, sometimes annotating them and sometimes explaining their meaning. He also brought the three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—into harmony, and wrote such works as The Shared Source of Immortals and Buddhas and Questions on the Difficulties of the Golden Elixir. By this point, the alchemical writings had become quite comprehensive.

Yuanduzi cared deeply for those who practiced the Dao. Seeing that many had strayed into heterodox paths and mistaken what was false for what was true, he wrote that the real key is simply the “primordial Qi” (the fundamental Qi that precedes the formation of Heaven and Earth). His book mentions mercury, cinnabar, black mercury, white metal, regulating the firing times, withdrawing and adding ingredients, and setting up the furnace and cauldron. These terms may sound correct, but to treat them as instructions for actual procedures is a mistake. The Yinfu jing says, “Heaven’s nature is the human being; the human mind is the mechanism.” It also says, “Heaven and Earth steal from the myriad things; the myriad things steal from human beings; human beings, in turn, steal from the myriad things.” It further says, “People know only that what is wondrous is itself wondrous, but do not know that what appears unwondrous is the very source from which the wondrous arises.”

The Daode jing’s teachings on the “wondrous openings of being and nonbeing” and the “mysterious female’s numinous vessel,” along with sayings such as “The highest goodness is like water” and “One does not dare to take the lead in the world,” are all profound. The stories of Liezi riding the wind and Zhuang Zhou’s great bird spreading its wings are parables, yet they too contain deep meaning. The Jinbi jing and Cantong qi clearly explain that terms such as gold, mercury, firing times, the breath of the waxing and waning moon, and the lines and tallies are metaphors drawn from the images and numbers of the Yijing. Their subtle point is that, to cultivate the immortal Dao, one should take the moon’s waxing and waning as a model and use it to verify the process of gathering lead. No later account can surpass the intent of these immortal sages. To guide later practitioners of the Dao more broadly, the true essential teaching is simply the primordial, authentic One Qi.

In my early years, thanks to the virtue accumulated by my ancestors, I received the mercy of Heaven and Earth. I wandered through the human world, and it was not until I was nearly forty that my gracious master taught me the Orthodox Way. Later, I met Master Qingcheng, who personally taught me the essential first lesson: innate Qi.

In my early years, thanks to the virtue accumulated by my ancestors, I received the mercy of Heaven and Earth and wandered through the human world. When I was nearly forty, my gracious master taught me the Orthodox Way. Later I met Master Qingcheng, who personally taught me the purpose of the alchemical method of innate Unity of Qi, the Moon of Kan and the Sun of Li—terms that symbolize Yin-Yang and water and fire in Golden Elixir cultivation—as well as the secrets of withdrawing and adding, applying them, and mastering the firing times, or the timing and pace of cultivation. He passed on everything to me without reservation.

Since humbly receiving these teachings, I have lived in constant caution and unease, day and night, fearing that I might break my vow or disappoint my teachers. I cast aside all my former shallow observations and meager learning, along with the karmic consciousness accumulated through afflictions—the mind shaped by distress and habitual tendencies. I wished to become a person in this world who was carefree and at ease.

Yet I already had the materials needed for alchemical cultivation, and did not know what to do with them. This continued for two years. I sought fellow practitioners everywhere and made friends, hoping to make arrangements for my cultivation. I did not dare keep the teachings I had received secret. So I burned incense and reported the matter to Heaven, informing the sage masters, the Seven Perfected Ones, and the Five Patriarchs, revered groups of Daoist ancestors. I then drew on the alchemical scriptures of various immortals to write this work, The Essentials of the Golden Elixir. Without withholding anything out of concern for taboos, I describe the methods of cultivation in detail and explain them point by point, opening the way and guiding those who later seek immortality and study the Dao. If practitioners of the highest capacity can grasp what is here, they may roam freely alongside the immortals and fulfill the aspiration of a lifetime.

On reflection, the world has its earlier and later ages, and people differ in wisdom and foolishness. The more works are written, the clearer the principles become; yet as the world grows older, people’s minds are more easily clouded. Some therefore regard the claims of attaining immortality as false, while others believe immortals and Buddhas are born that way and cannot be reached by ordinary people through study and cultivation. When things have come to this, what can be done? Laozi said, “I was not born a sage; I attained the Dao through learning.” People of middling or lesser capacity may speak of cultivation, yet refuse to make the effort. In the end, they willingly sink into the cycle of rebirth. It is truly regrettable.

Fortunately, in recent times, people of talent and virtue have widely sought advice and visited teachers and friends. Their numbers have gradually grown, compared with those of antiquity. They may not be able to ascend to Heaven and become immortals as a whole family, as Xu Xun—courtesy name Jingyang, a revered Daoist immortal—did. But who can say that the time has not nearly come for the prophecy of an earthbound immortal’s eight hundred years to be fulfilled? Anyone with insight who can seize the moment, resolve to pursue the Way, and seek out a wise master early will surely be able to attain the Dao.

There are a thousand paths in the world. If you devote yourself to one, you will surely reach your goal. When you take pleasure in the Orthodox Way, a noble person will draw near; when you pursue the bizarre without restraint, evil influences will take advantage of the opening. Those who work hard at spinning and weaving will not suffer from the cold; those who labor in the fields will have food to eat. Learn archery and you can hit the mark; master swimming and you can swim. Cultivate with unwavering resolve, and in the end you will attain the Way of the immortals and Buddhas.

If craftsmen of every trade do not learn from masters, how can their skills improve on their own? If students of the classics who sit for the civil examinations do not seek instruction from teachers, how can they pass? In the same way, those who devote themselves to accumulating good deeds and studying the Way of the immortals will surely have a true immortal come to guide them.

Laozi says: “Observe the human body closely. It arises from nothingness, formed through the coming together of various conditions.” My teacher has repeatedly pointed out that primordial Qi (vital energy), the source that precedes the generation of the universe, comes from nothingness. Zhixu then says: “Since the true immortal Dao has already appeared…”

Laozi says: “Observe the human body closely. It arises from nothingness, formed through the coming together of various conditions.” My teacher has repeatedly pointed out that primordial Qi comes from nothingness. Zhixu goes on to explain: Since it comes from nothingness, it is not sent down from Heaven or born from the Earth; it is not something inherently present in my body, nor is it essence or blood; it is neither plants and trees nor metals and stones. None of these explanations is correct. So who, then, can know it?

The Book of Changes says, “In the southwest, find a companion, and go with those of your kind.” It also says, “The noble person receives others with an open mind.” Buddhism speaks of the Lotus Realm in the West, and Mazu speaks of “the waters of the Western River.” The Wuzhen pian says, “The medicine in the southwest is our native place.” It also says, “The light of the toad shines all day over the western riverlands.” It further says, “When lead meets Gui water and stirs, it should be gathered swiftly”; and, “Take the treasure from the heart of Kan, the Water trigram, and transform the Yin energy in the belly of Li, the Fire trigram.” Perfected One Taiyi says in the “Song for Breaking Delusion”: “Why is this the Dao? Because Taiyi contains the true Qi.” Is Taiyi not the West? The southwest is where Metal and Fire are found; Kan and Gui are where lead is found in water. Black lead symbolizes primordial Qi, concealed in the northern region associated with Water. Yet it has no fixed position to begin with, which is why it is said to come from nothingness.

The Cantong qi says, “The perfected person lies hidden in the depths, floating and wandering while keeping to the center of the compass.” Once you grasp this, why worry that you cannot become an immortal? Yin-Yang, husband and wife, male and female, lead and mercury, dragon and tiger, cauldron and furnace: all these many names refer to primordial Qi. Its form is like fine rain and dense mist, like dust drifting in the light between bright windows, and like a pearl the size of a millet grain. This principle is easy to understand, and cultivation is easy to accomplish; at the outset, there is no difficulty at all. That is why my teacher said, “When body and spirit are Wuwei (non-action), essence and Qi act of themselves.” This is like Heaven and Earth: they do not act deliberately, yet the myriad things grow and transform of themselves.

If a person cultivating the Dao receives the oral instructions of a true teacher, they will fear that time is slipping away. They will hurry to gather what they need for practice, work diligently, and seek to fulfill their own cultivation as soon as possible. How could they have time to chase fame and riches or sit chatting idly with others? Those who have not received the true formula can only speculate in secret over the alchemical scriptures, and in the end accomplish nothing. They then cite authorities from every direction and talk at length about empty ideas to while away the years. It is hardly surprising.

There are also ignorant people who invent alchemical books at random, falsely attributing them to ancient sages. Titles and practices such as Ge Xian’s Visit: The Formula for Preserving Life and Nourishing Destiny, Bodhidharma’s Treatise on Fetal Breathing, Zhaozhou’s Song of the Twelve Double Hours, Pang Gong’s Hymn to the River Cart, and the Eight Pieces of Brocade and Six Sounds for Regulating Qi have all been falsely ascribed to ancient masters. There are many other such claims, and they should not be trusted lightly. Practice should take the Cantong qi and the Wuzhen pian as its principal guides. Yet without meeting a sage teacher who can transmit the teachings in person, how could one grasp them through one’s own insight? The Yellow Emperor studied under Guangchengzi; Laozi studied under Shang Rong; Confucius studied under Laozi; and Shakyamuni studied under Gautama. Even sages sought instruction from true teachers. How absurd, then, for ordinary people in later ages to think they can realize the Dao entirely on their own.

There are indeed people of exceptional ability who, after receiving a little guidance from a teacher, practice in a place where no one knows them. When their work on the Dao is complete and they display spiritual powers, others assume they suddenly awakened to the Dao. The Golden Elixir practice contains many profound essentials: medicinal substances, the vessel, the Mysterious Female—the crucial source from which the elixir is conceived—Yin-Yang, the Great Change, zi and gui, Returning Thunder, the stages of Difficulty and Inexperience, Water and Fire, Metal and Wood, the hidden mother and the embryo child, feeling and nature, Dragon and Tiger, lead and mercury, host and guest, the Knife and Measure—the minute quantity of the elixir—matchmaker and bride, white and black, female and male, inversion, sinking and floating, gathering and combining, timing, the phases of the moon and the flow of Qi, the advance and withdrawal of the fire, weights and measures, hexagram lines and tallies, extraction and replenishment, bathing, cooking and refining, warming and nourishing, changing the vessel, and shedding the womb. Even when a sage teacher explains these repeatedly, they still worry that the student may misunderstand. How could ordinary people grasp them by themselves?

Thus the Patriarch Chunyang said: “In those days I personally took and refined the Knife and Measure. Who would believe that an infant could be nurtured from nothingness? To distinguish clear water from turbid water at its source, and understand the separation between Wood and Metal—without a teacher’s guidance, these things are hard to know.” Master Ziyang also said: “Even if your intelligence surpasses that of Yan Hui and Min Ziqian, do not force yourself to speculate if you have not met a true teacher.”

Here I offer a “three-inch touchstone” for telling true teachers from false ones. Anyone seeking immortality and studying the Dao can use it to test a teacher. If someone has truly received instruction from a realized master, ask them about the principles in the Cantong qi, the Longhu jing, and the Wuzhen pian. They should be able to explain what is meant by opposing directions such as forward and reverse, horizontal and straight, south and north, east and west. Why? The words of the sages can be understood both directly and by working backward; often a single statement carries two meanings at once. Once one meaning is understood, the other becomes clear as well. A false teacher or worldly pretender, speaking only from guesswork, will answer vaguely when asked about these classics. Even if they know the direct interpretation, they will not understand its opposite. Whether they can explain these matters clearly is a sufficient test.

Finding the right person is truly difficult. The Patriarchs Chunyang, Haichan, and Chongyang, seeing how few people in the world cultivated the Dao, vowed to guide others even after attaining the rank of immortals. They therefore appeared in different forms and moved through the human world, guiding only those truly suited to the path. Immortals can transmit the way of the Golden Elixir to people, but they cannot guarantee that everyone will succeed in its practice. They can, however, recognize those who are certain to succeed, and so they guide them. Such people can be recognized by their words and conduct: when those of deep understanding ask for instruction, they become more humble inwardly; after hearing the teaching, they consider how to put it into practice.

Shangyangzi said: “Before I had heard this teaching, I used to think that once I learned it, I would make sure everyone in the world understood it, concealing nothing from anyone. But when I finally heard it and examined it carefully, I realized that there truly was no suitable person in the world to whom this Way could be transmitted.

“Lü Chunyang, the Daoist immortal of legend, once said, ‘In the vast universe, there are countless people. How many men among them are truly great men?’ To ordinary people, isn’t a great man simply a man? Only after receiving secret instruction from my master did I understand the intention of the True Immortals and holy masters. Surely they did not wish for everyone to understand and attain realization? It is just that many people in the world do not meet the requirements, while many others seek far too much. All manner of obstacles cloud their minds, leaving them unable to hear of or understand this Way.

“When people say this Way cannot be transmitted in words, they do not mean that words are never used. If no words were used, how could anyone hear of it? What ‘cannot be transmitted in words’ means is that people of the time had too little understanding to hear this Way. Even if they were told, how could they believe it, accept it, and put it into practice? That is what is meant by saying it cannot be transmitted in words.

“If words were truly never used, how could there be oral transmission and mind-to-mind instruction? Some people today take ‘wordlessness’ itself to be the Dao, unaware that it actually involves many subtle teachings that simply should not be heard by others present. Otherwise, why would the sages not explain it plainly? This teaching has been transmitted in secret since ancient times, and even now it should not be disclosed lightly. That is the meaning of saying it cannot be transmitted in words.

“When later students have not yet opened their discerning vision, one should first examine a person’s loyalty and filial devotion, integrity, goodness or wickedness, and wisdom or folly. The Great Dao cannot be transmitted to people of poor character, nor to those who are ordinarily unwilling to do good. Never seek profit by disclosing it carelessly or transmitting it rashly. If it is passed on to someone unsuitable, both the transmitter and the recipient may incur punishment. How much less could one expect such a person to honor the teacher and master the Great Dao?

“The Scripture of the Yellow Court (Huangting Jing) says: ‘The one who transmits is called the teacher; the one who receives must make a solemn vow. Let the vow take the place of cutting the hair or harming the body. Take one another by the hand, climb the mountain, and drink the Elixir fluid together. Transmit to the other the secret writings of the Golden Books and Jade Scenes. The subtle teachings of the Most High can bring a person to the realm of the immortals; the text speaks of the Way of immortality.’ Nothing in heaven and earth is weightier than this. Without a solemn vow, who would dare disclose Heaven’s secrets? It is already clear that transmitting the secret method to someone unsuitable brings punishment. The Perfected One Ziyang, the Neidan master Zhang Boduan, transmitted it to unsuitable people three times and suffered calamity three times. The immortal scriptures record these events. How could we fail to take them as a warning?

“But to forbid secret transmission entirely and refuse to teach would obstruct the two Immortal Maidens from guiding those who later seek the Way. It is also wrong simply to keep the secret methods closed off; the key is to choose recipients carefully. I considered this matter again and again, and in the end wrote The Essentials of the Golden Elixir, explaining the teachings in plain, accessible language to make them easy for readers to understand.”

What is meant by “the essential point” is to gather the true One Qi, inherited from the beginning of Heaven and Earth, when the moon appears in the Geng direction and Gui Water stirs at the Zi hour. This Qi is “black lead.” At this time, the medicine is pure and the source of water is clear. But when the moon appears must be learned through oral instructions, and the mystery of the Zi hour must likewise be transmitted directly by a master.

Guangchengzi said to the Yellow Emperor, “Guard the inner carefully and close off the outer. Knowing too much can ruin your cultivation. I will take you to the summit of brightness, to the source of utmost Yang, and lead you through the gate of the profound, to the source of utmost Yin.” Laozi said, “Isn’t the space between Heaven and Earth like a bellows? It is empty, yet never exhausted; the more it moves, the more wind it produces. Too many words bring one quickly to an end. It is better to hold to the center.” Confucius said in the Commentary on the Changes, “When Yin and Yang harmonize with each other, this is the Dao; a one-sided excess of Yin or Yang leads to illness.” Wei Boyang said that things of the same kind respond to and follow one another; when their principles are incompatible, they cannot be refined into a treasure.

The Duke of Cui says in the Mirror for Compounding the Medicine, “This is the Dao of nature and life, not spirit and Qi; the lead of the Water Land is a single ingredient.” This is precisely what is meant. The principles of one’s nature may sometimes be understood on one’s own, but the mysteries of life’s destiny must be transmitted by a master.

The Nameless Master said, “The crescent-moon furnace is a Yin furnace. Within it is Yang Qi like a jade stamen, which is the tiger’s string Qi. The cinnabar cauldron is a Yang cauldron. Within it is Yin Qi like mercury, which is the dragon’s string Qi. The Golden Elixir is formed by harmonizing and combining these two kinds of fire Qi.”

The spirit, Qi, and essence I speak of, along with every operation of welcoming, sending forth, stirring, and stopping, are all directed by intention. The sensations of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are also related to intention. When intention stirs, action follows; when intention stops, action stops as well. Thus, to seek the Elixir and gather lead, one uses intention to welcome and receive; to gather the fire and enter the cauldron, one uses intention to send it in; to cook and bathe, one uses intention to maintain the process; and to warm, nourish, and transform, one uses intention to bring it about. The Duke of Cui says, “At any of the twelve double-hours of the day, wherever intention reaches, cultivation can take place.” This is what is called the “great essential point.”

If someone can suddenly awaken and use the principles explained above as a standard for distinguishing the true from the false, they can grasp the key to the Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir. Once they have grasped the key, they may seek out fellow practitioners and worthy teachers in the hope of becoming a perfected person. Alas, some people in the world spend ten thousand gold pieces to gain rank and fame. How can such a mortal body endure for long? Others spend ten thousand gold pieces trying to bring the dead back to life. How can a corpse once again bear life? The fortunes of the world have times of decline and ending; only the Dao endures.

Some hear of the Dao but refuse to take it up at once and advance with vigor. Instead, they insist on waiting until they have achieved fame and completed all their affairs before beginning to cultivate the Dao. Their delusion runs deep indeed. Time rushes by, and Heaven grants no extra years. Once they die in this world, regret will come too late. Chan Master Fo Guo said, “Let go now, and you can let go. If you wait until every matter is settled, that day will never come.” The Patriarch said, “Even if silver and gold were piled up like mountains, they could not buy back the life carried away by impermanence.”

Zhang Liang gave up high office and great wealth to preserve himself; Ma Yifu abandoned a fortune of ten thousand gold pieces in pursuit of the Dao. The ancients did this—who among people today can match them? Those who come after us, looking back at people today, should also awaken to the Dao early.

Master Shangyang says: “After receiving instruction from a master, a true practitioner should first make friends among fellow cultivators of the Golden Elixir. Perfected Xue said, ‘Now that I have learned the secret of longevity, year after year I go to the sea in search of kindred spirits.’ He also said, ‘For many years I have traveled across lakes and seas, seeking companions in the quest for immortality. I will not rest until I find them.’ Old Man Mud Pill likewise said that after a master transmits the Dao, one should first seek companions in the Elixir Way. Perfected Xue’s two poems express the same wish: to seek kindred spirits and cultivate the Dao together. Old Man Mud Pill also said, ‘Without like-minded people to remind and correct one another, it is easy to mishandle the fire timing in the furnace.’ Chen Huqiu said, ‘Every day I eagerly seek fellow cultivators. I have traveled all through eastern Wu, yet have met no one suitable.’

With a true friend in the Dao, people can counsel and examine one another, make up for each other’s shortcomings, and cultivate together until they attain the Great Dao. Some companions may be of good character but have not yet heard the teachings of the Dao. If they have surplus wealth, they can help one another by exchanging what each has for what the other lacks. Pang Yun sought the methods for compounding the elixir with material goods, while the Great Being sang of selling his wife and children; both acts served the same purpose.

In Buddhist meditation, “earth” is used to control “lead,” and then “lead” to control “mercury.” Lead and mercury are brought together in the cauldron, calming the body and mind until they are still; this is called practicing meditation and entering concentration. The meditation some people speak of today, however, is as fragile as a glass bottle: it can break while walking or shatter while sitting. There is only one kind of “leather-waterskin meditation”—like a tough leather vessel that cannot be damaged by being thrown down or broken by biting. When this meditation is fully understood, lead and mercury will naturally blend together. Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism are one family; in truth, there are not two different Great Ways. To insist on dividing them into yours and mine is like a blind person riding a blind horse and arguing with others over who will win. Wouldn’t that make the sighted laugh?

Chan Master Yuánwù said: “Chan cannot be attained through deliberate thought; to investigate Chan by thinking is to go astray. The Dao does not lie in merit or contrivance; to study the Dao through merit and contrivance is to lose it. You must let go of deliberate thought entirely. If you ask what Chan is, it is the Chan that suddenly opens up beneath your feet, with nothing deliberately sought. That is true Chan, like a rabbit conceiving. You must also let go of merit and contrivance. If you ask what the Dao is, it is the Dao that shines forth above your head, requiring no deliberate effort. That is the true Dao, like the bright moon held within an oyster.”

The Buddha left behind hundreds of gong’an—questions, answers, and anecdotes used in Chan to awaken insight—all of them giving priority to clarifying the mind and seeing one’s nature. This Essential Overview of the Golden Elixir explains Chan and the Dao, and also shows how the Immortals’ Way and Buddhist teachings can illuminate one another. One must understand both nature and life; once they are understood, one should cultivate with even greater diligence.

Shangyangzi said: The Essentials of the Golden Elixir gathers the writings of immortals and sages and explains the mysteries of the primordial One Qi—the original vital energy that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being—to guide later students. The book explains that the Dao of the immortals and the Buddha’s teachings both lead to awakening, and that one must understand both nature and life. After gaining this understanding, one should continue to advance diligently in cultivation.

Shangyangzi also said: The book reveals a great deal, especially. Why did I write it? From a young age, I was determined to seek the Dao, but for a long time I could not find a true teacher and did not understand the essentials of cultivation. I read many alchemical classics, but their contents were profound and difficult to grasp. I could not think my way through them, nor find a path into deeper study. I neglected sleep and meals over this, and often felt regret.

If one insists that the way of the immortals does not exist, or lacks a sage teacher to explain it clearly, one will decline and perish just like an ordinary person. Later, under my teacher’s guidance, I did my utmost to set down in detail the ideas in the book that are difficult to express in words. I compiled them into The Essentials of the Golden Elixir to make up for my past regrets and point later students toward the path of cultivating the Dao. Everything that could be written down, I wrote; everything that could be spoken, I said. Later practitioners who are fortunate enough to read this book should regard it as though they were receiving instruction in person from a sage teacher. They should understand that it contains all the “ingredients and fire” needed for cultivation—the medicines, timing, and other essentials of the alchemical method—as well as complete instructions for putting them into practice.

Shangyangzi said: The Essentials of the Golden Elixir consists of ten scrolls. The first scroll discusses “emptiness and nothingness” in three chapters, symbolizing the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. The second discusses the “higher medicine” in one chapter, embodying the Dharma Body. The third treats “wondrous workings” in nine chapters, attesting to the Nine Returns. The fourth addresses “what one must know” in seven chapters, verifying the Seven Reversions. The fifth uses poems to explain the accumulation of practice, distinguishing the correct path from deviations and errors. The sixth uses prefaces and discussions to explain the accumulation of good deeds, so that people do not become attached to outward appearances. The seventh expounds the truth through questions and answers, guiding sentient beings. The eighth presents images of cultivating the Real, showing what can serve as evidence. The ninth models itself on ancient methods to explain the supreme Way of the One Vehicle. The tenth draws on ancient teachings while going beyond sectarian boundaries to discuss realizing one’s nature and becoming a Buddha. Every scroll contains teachings on cultivation, including lead and mercury and the regulation of the firing times.

Those who study the Dao, if they cannot grasp the first scroll, should continue by studying the second; if they do not understand the third, they should consult the fourth. By reading the scrolls thoroughly in sequence, they will miss nothing in the whole book. In compiling these Essentials of the Golden Elixir, I have repeated the same teachings again and again so that people may truly understand them; I have used many accessible expressions to make the principles clear. In doing so, I may inevitably have revealed Heaven’s secrets and offended the true transmission. Yet I worry that people in later generations will lack the capacity for direct realization. Unless they had an affinity with the immortals in a past life, they could not even hope to hear the title The Essentials of the Golden Elixir, much less obtain and recite it. Without deep karmic affinity, they could not preserve the book’s central teaching, much less understand it. Without exceptional wisdom, they could not enter the path it points toward, much less practice in accordance with it. Without profound merit, they could not draw near to the Dao it teaches, much less cultivate this method.

Shangyangzi said: Great practitioners have already attained the transformation of the spirit after shedding the mortal body. Even so, without profound merit, they still cannot draw near to the Dao taught in The Essentials of the Golden Elixir, much less cultivate in accordance with it.

Shangyangzi says: For those whose cultivation has reached the stage of shedding the mortal body and transforming the spirit, obtaining this work, The Essentials of the Golden Elixir, allows them to continue practicing at a higher level. Those who have completed the ten months of the sacred embryo—the stage in Neidan cultivation that symbolizes the embryo of the Elixir reaching maturity—can also use this book to confirm and understand the stages of entering and leaving, and of coming and going in their practice. Those just beginning cultivation who have already obtained the medicine and entered the chamber—the crucial stage of Neidan cultivation—can use The Essentials of the Golden Elixir to preserve and nurture what they have achieved, following the instructions in the text.

Some people hear of the Daoist teachings yet remain confused and doubtful, unsure how to proceed. The Essentials of the Golden Elixir contains a “touchstone” they can use to discern and verify the teachings. If they confirm that the path is truly right for them, they should begin their practice promptly, without further hesitation, and set out on the path of the Dao.

The poem says: “The human body is hard to obtain, yet now you have it. The true Way is hard to understand, yet now you understand it. If you do not use this body in this life to attain realization, in what lifetime will you wait to be delivered from it?”

Shangyangzi also says: If someone obtains The Essentials of the Golden Elixir but cannot grasp its profound meaning, they may paint portraits of the three perfected immortals and patriarchs Chunyang, Chongyang, and Danyang. They should offer incense and flowers before the portraits each morning and evening, focus their attention on them, and recite The Essentials of the Golden Elixir.

Shangyangzi says: If someone obtains this Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir but still cannot grasp its profound meaning, they may follow the example of the ancestral masters and perfected immortals Chunyang, Chongyang, and Danyang by making portraits of them. Each morning and evening, offer incense and flowers, focus on the portraits, and recite the Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir. Recite it once a day, or even ten, a hundred, or a thousand times. As time passes, if you preserve your original resolve and become ever more diligent, you will evoke a response: a perfected immortal will appear in person to teach and guide you. Those who study the Way will suddenly awaken, fully understand the principles of cultivation, and attain a clear and spiritually alert state of mind. Their feet will then be set on the true path of practice.

Why does this happen? The Jade Emperor once commanded Perfected Lord Danyang, an immortal who oversees the registers of immortals, to administer those registers and travel throughout the world, observing people’s diligence in cultivation and recording the names of those who merit recognition in the Cinnabar Terrace, the symbolic repository of the registers of immortals. He also sends immortals who have already attained perfection down to the human world as teachers. They transmit documents to the divine officials who manage the records, who in turn oversee the lending of the provisions and ritual treasures practitioners need to attain the supreme Dao and become perfected beings.

Those who study the immortals’ way need only devote themselves wholeheartedly and gather their spirit in visualization to have the chance to encounter such an opportunity. They should not fear hardship, but seek the Dao with sincerity. They should not assume that heaven is too high and earth too vast for humans to communicate with the immortals; that the Great Dao is too hidden and profound for ordinary people to study; that because Yin and Yang each have their proper place, ordinary people cannot attain perfection; or that nature and life are wholly determined by Heaven and beyond their control. If they let go of these views and refuse to be constrained by such claims, then through resolute effort and wisdom in cultivation, they can open the sea of nature—their original nature—without limit, and nourish the source of life until it flows abundantly. If those who study the immortals’ way can have their names entered in the registers of immortals and devote themselves to investigating this Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir, they may come to an understanding.

People can suddenly awaken in all sorts of circumstances: while encountering everyday things, passing a place where scriptures are expounded, traveling by boat or on foot, looking in a mirror or at their reflection in water, or seeing a man and woman join, animals slaughtered, children at play, or a monk sitting in meditation. If insight comes unexpectedly, it can become an entry into the Dao. The mind then becomes clear, free, and whole, and one gains immense freedom.

This is like a poor man who digs up a hoard of gold and silver treasures buried by his grandfather beneath his own house. He realizes that these treasures were his all along, but had been buried and forgotten for many years. Now that he has found them, he can enjoy them without end. Those of deep capacity and keen understanding already possess the potential for the Great Vehicle, the ability to receive the vast teachings of Buddhism. If they also obtain this Great Essentials of the Golden Elixir, recite it, and reflect on it repeatedly, they may suddenly see their nature and reach the state of being at once Buddha and immortal. It is like a lover of precious things finding an invaluable luminous pearl by the roadside and feeling boundless joy.

Those who study the immortals’ way should regard life and death as life’s foremost concern. They should gather the ingredients for the elixir as soon as possible and complete the work of refining it in the furnace, ultimately rising into the sky in broad daylight and ascending to the realm of the immortals. This is the aspiration I have set for myself.

This concludes Volume One of The Essential Principles of the Golden Elixir by Shangyangzi.

The Essential Principles of the Golden Elixir by Shangyangzi, Volume Two

Written by Shangyangzi, Chen Zhixu of Guanwu, at the Purple Firmament Crimson Palace (the author’s studio or residence name; Shangyangzi is Chen Zhixu’s Daoist name).

Emptiness and Nonbeing (the title of this section, referring to a still, formless state)

Preface to the Dao De Jing

Shangyangzi says: At first, the Dao had no name, and De was not a designation. Ever since Fuxi drew the trigrams (the ancient sage-king traditionally credited with creating the Eight Trigrams), the two of Heaven…

Master Shangyang said: At first, the Dao had no name, and De was not a particular title. Fuxi drew the trigrams, Cangjie created writing, the dark tortoise and dragon horse appeared as auspicious signs, the Yellow River Chart and Luo River Writing came to light, King Wen of Zhou developed the Changes Classic, and Jizi composed the Great Plan. All these were manifestations of the Dao, yet none gave it a name. Only when Laozi taught the people did he reluctantly call it “Dao.”

The Dao existed before Heaven and Earth came into being, and brought them to stability. It is the beginning of all things and nourishes them. The roots, flowers, and fruits of plants cannot grow without the Dao. Nor can the various forms of life—those born from the womb, from eggs, from moisture, or through transformation—come into being without it. What, then, is the Dao? Can it be seen? Its workings are indeed vast. Can it be touched or grasped? The transformations it brings about are indeed profound. Can it be explained clearly through thought and speech? Its movements and changes are indeed so fluid. Since Laozi pointed it out and reluctantly gave it a name, people a thousand years before him came to know the Dao through him, and people a thousand years after him have taken him as their guide. Heaven is clear because of the Dao, Earth is stable because of the Dao, the sun, moon, and stars shine because of the Dao, and all things flourish because of the Dao. Sages, immortals, and Buddhas all achieve their accomplishments through cultivating the Dao. Ah, what is this Dao, that it should have such great power?

What Confucius and the Buddha expounded was also this Dao; there is no other Dao. Only later did it divide into the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Confucians who do not understand what Zengzi and Zisi inherited from their predecessors suppose it to be no more than principles to follow in daily life. Buddhists who cannot illuminate the mind and see their nature are left with reciting scriptures and sitting motionless. Daoists who do not investigate the mysteries of the Golden Elixir mistake burning incense, cultivating through religious practice, and performing rituals for cultivating the Dao. None of these reaches the true Dao, because its transmission has not been received.

The Dao can set Qi in motion and bring Qi forth, then rely on Qi to nourish Heaven, Earth, and all things. Nothing can grow or transform of itself without relying on Qi. Yet the “Qi” I speak of is not the breathlike Qi that flows in and out between Heaven and Earth. To understand what this Qi is called, one must investigate the Dao in both its inner and outer aspects. The outer Qi is called “black lead” and refers to the Dao of the Golden Elixir. Buddhists call it the Buddha Dharma, Confucians call it benevolence and righteousness, and Daoists call it the Golden Elixir. The great sages of all three teachings must use this Qi to become Buddhas or immortals. This is the Dao; there is no other path.

The inner Qi is called “black mercury” and refers to the Dao of cultivating stillness. “Cultivating stillness” is a method of practice that brings the mind and spirit to rest. Daoists call it “heel-sound,” Confucians call it “centrality and harmony,” and Buddhists call it “world-sound.” These names all refer to the natural Dao. The great sages of all three teachings must use this method of practice. Thus, though the names differ, the principle is the same. Under Heaven there are not two Daos, and sages do not have two different hearts.

Long ago, Laozi set out westward through the pass. Yin Xi, the Keeper of the Pass, loved the way of following nature. He believed that the sages of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism all depended on this Great Dao. Though their names differed, their principles were connected. There are not two Daos under Heaven, nor do sages have two different hearts.

As Laozi traveled west, Yin Xi recognized him as a sage and went out to welcome him. “You are about to withdraw from the world,” he said. “Please make an effort to write a book for me.” Laozi then wrote more than five thousand characters and departed. Tradition holds that the place where he wrote was the Zongsheng Palace on Mount Zhongnan, in Zhengwuxian County, Jingzhao, now known as the Zongsheng Palace. The book was passed down through the generations, first bearing Laozi’s name and divided into two parts. The perfected adept Zheng Siyuan marked it into eighty-one chapters. During the Tang dynasty, it was given the title Daode Jing. Hundreds of people across the ages have written commentaries on it. The version explained by Heshang Gong for Emperor Wen of Han is plain in its wording yet profound in meaning; today, an authentic original is hard to find.

The main intent of the Daode Jing is clearly revealed in its first chapter. Those who truly understand its principles can discern the depth of understanding from an early stage. What is called the Dao originally has neither a name nor any contrivance; this is its true state. Once a name is imposed on it, that name cannot remain fixed forever. Thus the Dao acts without action, yet nothing is left unaccomplished.

The thirty-eighth chapter of the Daode Jing says: “A person of highest De follows the Dao and does not deliberately act. A person of lower De acts and keeps an aim in mind. A person of highest benevolence acts but does not deliberately seek to gain anything. A person of highest righteousness acts and firmly clings to what they do.” Those who truly understand the Dao and De can grasp the principle of acting without action and yet leaving nothing undone. “Non-action” means acting without a contrived aim; “leaving nothing undone” means following the Dao so that things can be brought to completion. To cultivate this Dao, even someone more gifted than Yan Hui or Min Ziqian must rely on instruction from a teacher.

The ancients said: “Those who were skilled in cultivating the Dao in antiquity were subtle and mysterious, penetrating the hidden depths. Their realm was so profound that it could not be fathomed.”

Master Shangyangzi said, “This principle was true in ancient times, and it remains true today. What is called ‘wealth’ here refers to the subtle, true workings of cultivation. It cannot be discerned or seen directly; and what cannot be seen cannot be grasped through speculation, discussion, or groping about.

My teacher, the Perfected One Yuandu, transmitted to me the essential teachings on the Golden Elixir of Zhongli Quan, Lü Dongbin, Wang Chongyang, Ma Yu, and others. I met my teacher on Mount Heng in the south and received his teaching in full. I, Zhixu, had just turned forty. Although I lived in the mountains and forests, I was especially fond of poetry and books. At the time, I thought that talk of stilling and extinction, of emptiness and nothingness, was abstruse and difficult to understand, mere empty theorizing. Thanks to my teacher’s brief guidance, the doubts in my heart vanished at once, and everything before me suddenly became clear. Only then did I realize that I had been standing on solid ground all along. It felt as though clouds floating in the sky had suddenly dispersed, revealing the full brightness of the moon.

I also came to understand the Dao De Jing. One day, after lighting incense and opening the book, I read, ‘These two emerge together but have different names’—being and nonbeing arise from the same source but bear different names—and knew that this passage had pointed out the cultivation of both nature and life. The more I read, the more I felt sweat break out all over my body. Sitting, I seemed to sit with Laozi; walking, I seemed to walk with him. The Buddha seemed to stand right beneath my heels. I felt then that I was the most honored being in the Three Realms, and that I had broken free of the bonds of life and death.

The Three Pure Ones’ sword and the Five Sacred Peaks’ cap; the alchemical terms being and nonbeing, thing and aperture, mercury in cinnabar, silver in water, the rabbit in the sun and the crow in the moon, female and male, black and white; and Zen expressions such as diamond, floating canopy, lantern, Buddha hall, the treasury of the true eye of the Dharma, the wondrous mind of Nirvana, the hundred-foot pole, the water of the Western River, bamboo, hemp, sparrows and reeds, and the functions of the staff’s strike, shout, illumination, and action—as well as the Buddhist teachings, numerous as the sands of the Ganges—I saw and understood the principles within them all. Day and night I contemplated their subtle workings. At times I reached a place of rest and stillness, and found it especially delightful. Why was this? Because such words often carry two meanings at once, with the aim of helping people understand the truth within them.

The scripture says ‘emerge together,’ yet there are different ways of entering; it says ‘emerge together,’ yet there are different ways of ending. Even ‘one’ is merely a name established by convention, so how much more so the phrase ‘these two’? The Dao De Jing goes on to call this the ‘gateway to all wonders.’ The sages do not speak idly; every word deserves careful examination. It is like two black pearls hidden in the grass beside a road. Ordinary people often walk straight past them, but a keen-eyed person sees their round, shining form, picks them up, and carries them along. How could that person not be delighted?

People today merely read the scriptures; they do not contemplate them. The sages, worthies, immortals, and Buddhas left scriptures to guide people toward becoming sages, worthies, immortals, and Buddhas. Ordinary people do not understand the purpose of the scriptures. They recite them morning and night as prayers, yet never investigate the fundamental question of life and death. This is truly regrettable. It is like teaching someone to practice medicine with the mnemonic, ‘On the left are the heart, small intestine, liver, gallbladder, and kidneys.’ Once a student understands it, they can use it to take the pulse; there is no need to recite it thousands of times. If a patient is ill but the physician does not take the pulse and instead repeats the mnemonic over and over, what good would it do even if the famous physician Shuhe were summoned?

The same is true of scriptures. To read the words without contemplating their principles is like hearing the name of an illness without making a diagnosis. Understanding the written words means knowing what they say on the surface; contemplating a scripture means grasping its meaning. Merely recognizing the characters can tie the tongue in knots; truly understanding the principle takes one beyond words. Mistaking the surface meaning does not count as real understanding; grasping the principle does. Those who do not understand remain ordinary people; those who do can become sages, immortals, and Buddhas.

For example, the Diamond Sutra says, ‘The Buddha speaks of no body; this is called the great body.’ The Sixth Patriarch explained that although the physical body is large, the mind’s capacity is small, so it is not called the great body. The Dharma body has no form or appearance, yet the mind’s capacity is vast as empty space, and so it is called the great body. Even if the physical body were as large as Mount Sumeru, it would still not be the true great body. This is meant to help people understand as early as possible the difference between the physical body and the Dharma body. If one can only recite the scripture aloud without contemplating its meaning, one remains in the cycle of birth and death. How could one ever be liberated?

The sages of the Three Teachings set down their words and instructions to guide those who came after them, not to set their respective schools against one another. My teacher transmitted this scripture to me so that I might continue to explain what it leaves unsaid.”

Shangyangzi says: The more than five thousand words of the Dao De Jing often explain the Great Dao through discussions of governing the world, administering the state, conducting warfare, and educating the people. Its teachings can be applied to pacifying the world, governing the state, commanding armies, and managing the people. The humane see humanity in it; the wise see wisdom. In the same way, Yingchanzi explains the Great Dao through the principles of governing a state, the way of the Golden Elixir, the methods of warfare, and the principles of meditation. These teachings, too, can be applied to governing the state, conducting warfare, and educating the people.

He intends to offer the way of Wuwei (non-action) to the emperor, following the example of Taotang—Yao, the legendary sage ruler of antiquity—who governed through non-action. He would explain the principles of purposeful action to the chief ministers, so they might put into practice a virtuous government that brings peace and stability and renews itself day by day. And he would teach those who cultivate the Dao how to alternate between non-action and purposeful action, so they might refine the Golden Elixir. Emperor Wen of Han obtained this Dao and governed the world through non-action. Zhang Zifang (Zhang Liang) obtained it and helped the Han dynasty pacify the realm. Zhang Fuhan obtained it and made it so that even ghosts and spirits could not cause trouble. Xu Jingyang (Xu Xun) obtained it and excelled in cultivating life.

The subtlety of this scripture lies in its profound language: it calls the father “teaching father” and the mother “mother of things.” Its aim is to begin with purposeful action and then reach non-action; it does not mean remaining inert and doing nothing. It takes the Dao as its foundation and then speaks of benevolence and righteousness; it does not mean discarding benevolence and righteousness. It speaks of benevolence and righteousness before speaking of ritual, but this does not mean abandoning ritual either. Its statements that “in the elusive and indistinct there are images and things” and “in the deep and obscure there is essence and trustworthiness,” along with its teaching not to prize rare goods, point directly to the Great Dao and reveal its mysteries.

The scripture also contains more than eighty hidden alternative names for the Dao, including “the many beginnings,” “the spirit vessel,” “the mysterious female”—the wondrous source that brings forth and transforms the myriad things—and “the bellows,” a metaphor for what stirs and generates the myriad things, like a bellows in motion. These expressions are meant to guide later generations toward understanding the Great Dao and entering into its practice. The cultivation that begins in this way is the way of the Golden Elixir.

Sadly, some later figures, tall-capped and broadly robed, did not understand the mystery of the “mysterious female” and did not cultivate the paths of non-action and purposeful action. Some regarded these practices as heretical and called their practitioners heretics. Yet clever and learned people in the world mingle with the ignorant, pursuing fame and profit and arguing over right and wrong. They reach old age and death without ever learning of the Dao of the immortals—a real pity. The sages of the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—each established their teachings according to their own Dao. It was only later inheritors who failed to understand and practice them well.

Laozi was a sage, the Supreme One, dwelling in the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest heavens honored in Daoism. He took as his responsibility the generation of Heaven and Earth, the movement of the sun and moon, and the ordering of the beginnings and ends of the cosmic cycles; he also held the myriad things in his care. When he saw any part of the people or the myriad things in the world at rest, he felt as though he himself were suffering. Those of middling and lesser understanding give themselves over to arrogance and folly, fail to understand the source and course of the Dao, and recklessly disparage and reject Laozi, claiming he was not a sage. In doing so, they only reveal how deeply they themselves are confused. If they think there is no blessing in taking refuge in the Supreme One, it is because they have not yet grasped the Dao within it.

Laozi wrote his works to guide those who cultivate the Dao toward becoming perfected beings, so that there might be people in the world able to set things right and relieve calamities—for example, subduing demons, slaying flood dragons, calming the tides, and dispelling disasters. Yet those who can understand will naturally understand, while those who are lost will remain lost. Understanding comes when the causes and the time are ripe; being lost comes from having failed to plant the corresponding roots in the past.

The bonds between ruler and minister, parent and child, husband and wife, elder and younger siblings, and friends are ethical principles encompassed by the Great Dao, unchanging through the ages. Subduing demons and slaying flood dragons, by contrast, are things that come after one has succeeded in cultivating the Dao; one should await the right moment to accomplish such deeds. Laozi’s Dao is the Great Dao of the Golden Elixir. In cultivating the Golden Elixir, one must first understand the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, the traditional principles of ethics; then wisdom arises from stillness and stability. Once these principles are clear, the Dao can manifest through everyday ethical relationships. One need not leave them behind to seek the Great Dao elsewhere. This is called “purposeful action.” Thus the scripture says, “Harmonize your light and blend with the dust”: restrain your sharpness and live among the world’s people. When stability and wisdom are complete and luminous, this is “non-action.” Hence it also says, “Know the masculine, yet keep to the feminine.” When one reaches the state of non-action, the work of the immortals is within reach.

Those who understand this scripture can understand the Dao it describes. Hence it says, “The Supreme One: the people merely know that he exists.” Those who do not understand can only argue over the words and phrases of the text. Hence it also says, “It is precisely because they do not know that they do not know me.” Now, following my teacher’s instructions, I have written commentary chapter by chapter, hoping to extend Laozi a helping hand and give the people of the world the eyes of wisdom. The helping hand is offered to guide those who have lost their way; the eyes of wisdom are given so that people may understand in good time. May everyone turn their hearts around, and may all things find their proper place. Those with the true capacity will in the end attain long life and ascend to immortality.

Three days after the Mid-Autumn Festival in the xinhai year of the Zhishun era (1331), Chen Zhixu, the Shangyangzi of Zixiao Palace, respectfully wrote this preface.

An Explanation of the Chapter “The Dao That Can Be Spoken”

If the Dao could be explained in words, it could lead everyone to turn back to the root and return to the origin, enable all things to know where they belong, and thereby attain long life and ascend to immortality. Yet reaching this state requires genuine innate capacity: the aptitude suited to cultivating the Dao.

If the Dao can be spoken, it is not the constant Dao.

Shangyangzi says: That which can govern Heaven and Earth and nurture the myriad things is called the Dao. That which reveals the courses of the sun and moon and generates the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is also called the Dao. The Dao is as countless as the sands of the Ganges. The Ganges lies in the western frontier lands. Its riverbed is forty li wide, and its sand is as fine as flour. “As numerous as the sands of the Ganges” is a way of describing an immense number.

The Dao is unique, with no counterpart. It reaches straight into the remote depths of primordial chaos, then returns to a place so deep it cannot be fathomed. It can seize the power of creation and enable a person, in an instant, to transcend both the ordinary and the sacred. Before the circumstances and states of the present moment have yet appeared, it can suddenly become wondrously effective and open to understanding. The changes of life and death, creation and destruction, are plain to see before our eyes, and no one can escape them: this, too, is the Dao. It dwells in low and filthy places, yet is supremely exalted; it resides in darkness, yet reaches the highest clarity.

The Dao has a great eye that sees through all things, but no pupil; ears of great wisdom, yet hears no sound; a mouth that can drink up the waters of the Western River, yet has no teeth; a nose that can perceive every wondrous fragrance, yet does not smell; and a tongue that can decide life and death, yet tastes no flavor. It has a vajra-hard Dharma body—the indestructible body spoken of by practitioners—and is free and unobstructed. It holds the sword that signifies the power to judge life and death, yet even the brave dare not wield it. Its principles may be condensed into a single word, yet even scholars cannot fully express them in writing.

Even in boundless darkness, one cannot blink, and yet the darkness itself seems bright. Though the mountains ahead rise steeply like cliffs ten thousand zhang high, one can cast oneself forward without fear. That which is so minute it can enter the tiniest speck of dust, and so vast it can contain Heaven and Earth, is called the Dao. The Dao is what passes from nonbeing into being; becoming a Buddha or an immortal is also the Dao.

Although the Buddhist scriptures comprise 5,048 scrolls, they do not fully explain the root of the Dao. Although the Doctrine of the Mean has thirty-three chapters, it does not exhaust its principles. Although the Dao De Jing contains more than five thousand characters, it does not speak of the Dao to its utmost. Then what, in the end, is the Dao? In a single word, it is Qi (vital energy). Thus Perfected Zheng says, “The Dao is the function of Qi.” We should therefore understand that Qi is what embodies the Dao.

“Dao that can be spoken of” means a Dao that can be named and explained. The Dao has titles and names, as well as names that are concealed and unsuitable for direct utterance. For example, calling the Dao the “Origin of the Myriad Things” is one of its titles; calling it the “wondrous mind of Nirvana” is a name that points to its De (Virtue/Power). These titles and names can all be spoken aloud, so they belong to what can be called “the Dao that can be spoken of.”

As for the Dao’s secret aspect, which cannot be spoken of directly, it is the root from which the myriad things arise. Although a name can be given to it, that name cannot be taken as the constant, unchanging Dao. Hence the saying, “It is not the constant Dao.” This means that one may realize it through one’s own experience, but others and living beings cannot see it directly; one may know it inwardly, but ordinary language cannot fully explain it to others or to living beings. It is boundless in scope and refined to the furthest extreme. Pure and unstained, transcendent and exalted, it cannot be made clear by ordinary means. It is shadowy and elusive, yet somehow truly exists; it is a self-formed unity that came into being before Heaven and Earth. This is what is meant by “the Dao that is not constant.”

A “name” is a designation used to identify and mark things, as well as a form of address people use for one another. To say that a name can be spoken but is not an eternal, unchanging name applicable everywhere means that some names are appropriate in particular situations but unsuitable in others.

For example, Qian represents Yang. It is acceptable to call it “Qian,” but not to refer to it directly as a “Yang thing.” Kun represents Yin. It is acceptable to call it “Kun,” but not to refer to it directly as a “Yin thing.” A name may point to something, but names cannot be freely substituted for one another.

Shangyangzi makes the same point by using forms of address. A person may have a formal name, a courtesy name, and a childhood nickname. It is acceptable for an elder to use a younger person’s childhood nickname, but if others use it to address that person in public, they may cause offense. Calling someone by their childhood nickname in a crowd may even invite humiliation. The “forbidden name” mentioned here is a name that should be treated with discretion and not spoken casually. A person may use a name for themselves, while others should not use it freely; that is why it is not a name for general use.

Shangyangzi’s teacher said: “In terms of its function, the Dao is not something people cannot follow; it is simply not the ordinary, everyday way. In terms of its essence, a name is not something people cannot use; it is simply not a name to be spoken casually in everyday life.”

“Nameless” is where Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things begin; “named” is the source from which the myriad things grow and take form.

“Nonbeing” refers to the state in which the myriad things have not yet begun to move and await the right conditions before becoming active. “Being” refers to the state in which they have begun to move and are about to take on visible form. “The beginning of Heaven and Earth” means that the two forces, male and female, intertwine, and the myriad things thereby manifest their brightness. “The mother of the myriad things” means that Yin and Yang respond to one another, and Qi (vital energy) thereby grows and gives birth to the myriad things.

Pairing “nonbeing” with “being” is like pairing Heaven with Earth; joining “mother” with “beginning” is like joining Qi with Shen (spirit). From this we can understand that being and nonbeing stand opposed to one another, and Heaven and Earth are thereby established in their places. “Beginning” and “mother” then appear, and the myriad things are thereby brought forth.

My master said: The mind’s luminous awareness belongs to “nonbeing”—that is, to Shen. What is full of vitality and constantly active belongs to “being”—that is, to Qi. This principle is profound and mysterious. Only with a broad and open vision can one see what cannot be seen and discern what cannot be discerned.

“Always be without desire in order to observe its subtlety; always have desire in order to observe its gateways” means: regularly observe the Dao’s subtle workings from a state free of desire, and regularly observe the Dao’s gateways and functions from a state of desire.

“Always” means seeking change within a particular state; “desire” means the impulse to arise that has not yet become manifest but is about to emerge. “Subtlety” refers to the state of emptiness and supreme holiness; “gateway” refers to the portal that conceals primordial Qi and contains latent spiritual potency.

To observe its subtlety from a state free of desire is to discern change within a particular state: things have not yet begun to move and await the right conditions before becoming active. Before they appear, one observes the signs of their impending emergence. This is to discern the subtlety of the Dao’s empty and supremely holy nature. To observe its gateways from a state of desire is to discern change within a particular state: things have begun to move and are about to take shape. Before they appear, one observes the signs of their impending emergence. This is to observe the gateways through which the Dao conceals primordial Qi and contains latent spiritual potency.

My master said: To observe “subtlety” is to see the finest reaches of wisdom; to observe “gateways” is to see the broad and far-reaching scope of function.

These two emerge from the same source, the Dao, though they have different names. Their common source is called “Mystery.”

“Dao (the Way)” and “name,” “nonbeing” and “being,” “beginning” and “mother,” “subtlety” and “aperture” all refer to two relative aspects. Of these, “nonbeing” and “being” should be discussed first. “They emerge from the same source but have different names” means that being and nonbeing come from one root, yet bear different names.

“Profound” refers to a realm that cannot be seen, heard, or spoken of. Being and nonbeing are both called “profound” because neither can be perceived through the senses or clearly expressed in words. “Profound upon profound” means that being and nonbeing become ever harder to perceive, hear, and name. It is like the Buddhist phrase “beyond words, beyond words”; deeper still lies the realm of the Dao.

“The gateway to all wonders” means that this profound realm is like the empty, harmonious place at the heart of all things, and is also where the most sacred beings enter and depart. My master said that this phrase carries a meaning beyond words.

Shangyangzi said, “There is an existence that precedes Heaven and Earth, and even now it appears perfectly clear.” The Dao’s essential nature is spontaneity; its function is emptiness. Emptiness precedes Heaven and Earth, and is also where the sages enter and depart.

Shangyangzi said: “There is a presence that existed before Heaven and Earth, clear and distinct right before our eyes. The substance of the Dao is naturalness; its function is emptiness. Emptiness preceded Heaven and Earth. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three, a Daoist alchemical text) says, ‘Settle the mind and return to the original source of emptiness.’ The Wuzhen pian (Understanding Reality, a classic of Daoist Neidan) says, ‘The Dao gives rise to a single Qi from emptiness.’ My teacher said, ‘The primordial Qi comes from emptiness. This is acting without deliberate action.’ By naturalness, we mean returning to the original state of Heaven and Earth. People receive the Yin and Yang Qi of their parents and are born and grow. In the undivided state before things separate, they preserve their integral unity without dispersing. This is Wuwei (non-action): acting without deliberate action.

The Dao originally has no name. To give it the name ‘Dao’ is to name it by force. Yet this name cannot describe the Dao for all time. Since no fixed name can describe it, neither can the ear hear it nor the eye see it in any graspable way. Is this Dao some kind of thing? Does it have form, or is it formless? It cannot be named in any fixed way, nor directly heard or seen through the senses. Since ancient times, countless people have become immortals or Buddhas. Though they left behind thousands of scriptures and treatises, none ultimately made the Dao fully clear. This is because the Dao is supremely exalted, and De is supremely precious; neither can be grasped directly by ear or eye.

People are originally pure and still. If they can see clearly from their own roots, with no obstruction in the heart, why keep searching through the words and sentences of scriptures? Yet people in the world often understand things upside down: when they should be silent, they cannot be; when they should understand, they do not. So, out of compassion, the sages adopted expedient ways of speaking. Using names and words, they expressed the truth in ways suited to people of different understandings. Even so, they were only pointing toward that presence which existed before Heaven and Earth.

The great sages of the three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—followed different paths, but arrived at the same destination; in essence, there is no difference among them. The Dao that Mengzi said arises from accumulating what is right is the same Dao as Confucius’s “thread that runs through all.” The purpose of Shakyamuni’s gesture of holding up a flower to transmit the wondrous mind of Nirvana is the same as Bodhidharma’s teaching to point directly to the human mind, see one’s nature, and become a Buddha. Laozi’s Dao of “Being and Nonbeing,” the “Mysterious Female,” and the “Mother of Things” is the same as the “single aperture of the Mysterious Pass” and the Golden Elixir of the Great Dao—the foundational principle sought in Neidan cultivation.

In deep mountains and secluded valleys, people have awakened to the Dao in every age. To truly penetrate this state is to understand one place and thereby understand all places; to awaken to one thing and thereby awaken to everything. A person of keen capacity, a superior adept, who reads this scripture can seek its meaning through its words, pass from meaning into the spirit of Chan, and grasp its intent through its sentences. From this, they can awaken to the Great Dao beyond words and meaning. Suddenly, it is as if the eye of wisdom has opened, and Heaven and humanity respond in harmony with them. Is this not a cause for joy?”

Shangyangzi grasped the profound meaning within the words and, beyond what was said, came to understand the Great Dao. It was as though the eye of wisdom had suddenly opened, allowing him to sense the mutual communion of Heaven and humanity. How could he not feel joyful and fortunate?

“On Jing, Qi, and Shen,” Part One

The Yellow Emperor said, “Those who understand these principles and put them into practice may be called sages.” The Supreme Primordial Lord said to Laozi, “The art of longevity lies in refining the elixir. The elixir’s refinement depends on Shen, so before combining and refining the ingredients, one must first bring body and mind into proper alignment.”

The Scripture of the Outer View of the Yellow Court says, “Clear water in the Jade Pool nourishes the numinous root; if you cultivate it diligently, it can endure for a long time.” The Heart Seal Scripture says, “The three superior medicines are Shen, Qi, and Jing.”

The cultivation and elixir-making spoken of by the sages ultimately come down to cultivating Jing, Qi, and Shen. These three have been indispensable from ancient times to the present. Jing, Qi, and Shen each have acquired and innate aspects; the two understandings are explained separately below.

Here, “essence” refers to what is most refined and excellent. Of all that is found in the human body, essence is the most precious and the scarcest. It is said that when a man reaches sixteen, his essence is fully developed but has not yet been released; its total amount is about one sheng and six ge, collectively called one jin. When fully stored, it may reach three sheng, while after depletion it may fall below one sheng.

Essence and Qi nourish one another: when Qi gathers, essence becomes abundant; when essence is abundant, Qi is vigorous. The refined parts of everyday food and drink also transform into bodily essence. At sixteen, a man’s essence begins to be released; each act of intercourse is said to consume about half a ge. Ordinary semen, when depleted, can be replenished through the body’s daily processes of nourishment and growth, but what is restored is only acquired essence. If original essence, the essence bestowed from birth, is lost, it cannot be restored through acquired means. When much is spent and little replenished, essence becomes depleted and the body grows tired. Thus, unrestrained sexual indulgence depletes essence and Qi; when essence is spent, Qi weakens, and when Qi weakens, illness becomes more likely. Severe illness can put the body in danger.

Alas, essence is so precious—how can one indulge desire and harm the body? Patriarch Danyang said that craving women is more harmful than tigers or wolves: it ruins a person’s character and good conduct, depletes essence and Qi, diminishes spirit, and can even endanger life. It is a major taboo in Daoist cultivation. The foolish believe their lifespan is already predetermined, so they give free rein to desire in pursuit of fleeting pleasure. The ancients warned: “When the lamp oil is used up, the flame goes out; when the marrow is exhausted, a person dies.” Essence is clearly the foundation of the body, just as a tree cannot survive for long without roots.

Master Xiangchuan said that essence transforms into Qi, and Qi can transform into Shen, nourishing the whole body; nothing is more important. Those who cultivate health should first cherish essence. When essence is abundant, Qi is vigorous; when Qi is vigorous, Shen flourishes; when Shen flourishes, the body is strong and illness is rare. Internally, this can strengthen the Five Zang organs; externally, it can moisten the skin, brighten the face, and sharpen hearing and sight. Even in old age, one can remain strong, with abundant spirit and vitality. Some people retain their sexual desire even at an advanced age; this is taken as evidence that they restrained the release of essence when young. If, in later life, they can further cut off desire, their lifespan may be longer still.

An infant has the most complete essence and Qi. An infant is born receiving the Yin-Yang Qi of its parents, and its body grows day by day. Laozi said that an infant’s bones are weak and sinews soft, yet it can clench its fist; though it knows nothing of sexual intercourse, its reproductive organ can still become erect naturally. This is a sign of abundant essence and Qi. If, after growing up, a person can preserve this unspoiled and complete essence and Qi without letting it be depleted or released, and then, in adulthood, meets a wise master who teaches methods for harmonizing essence and Qi, that person may become a true immortal who cultivates in accordance with nature and through Wuwei. Such a case, however, is indeed rare.

The discussion above concerns the essence in the human body, which is acquired essence. The “Returning Elixir” (the alchemical process in Neidan cultivation) does not refer to this kind of essence.

The so-called Golden Liquid Returning Elixir (jinyè huándān)—the elixir formed when essence and Qi gather in internal alchemy—is surnamed Metal in its subtle aspect. Its given name is Jiusanlang, its courtesy name Yuanjing, and its title Lord Jinhua Shang. It resides west of the Jade Pool and rides a tiger when it comes and goes. In childhood it is called the Infant; when grown, it is called the Metal Lord. When it comes to a neighbor’s house, it is called the host. It delights in the “intertwined pear,” a symbolic immortal fruit in Daoist cultivation texts. This is the essence that existed before Heaven and Earth, and the most precious thing in the human body.

Laozi said, “In the depths of mystery and stillness, there is essence. This essence is utterly real, and within it are signs that can be trusted.” He was speaking of this. A cultivator must first possess this essence; with insight into it, one can become an immortal. This is called the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir. The “sixteen-foot golden body” of Buddhist teaching—the Buddha’s body, sixteen feet tall—is also related to this: both are formed when essence and Qi accumulate to sixteen taels.

The Pure Yang Master said, “To take in essence and Qi, begin with what has form; to understand the principle and return to what is original is to enter the formless realm.” The Golden Toad’s Song of the Golden Elixir says, “Why do immortals too cherish the body? They must also rely on this body to nurture the spirit.” Chen Nitan said, “The Great Medicine depends on essence, Qi, and spirit; gather them in one place and let them mingle and coalesce.” The “Great Medicine” is the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir.

Long ago, Yao received this method of cultivation from Wuchengzi and was eager to practice it at once. But as he oversaw all the affairs of the realm, he feared he could not devote himself to it fully. So he yielded the realm to Shun and instructed him: “Keep your essence pure and unified; sincerely hold fast to the Mean.” When Shun passed the throne to Yu, he added: “The human mind is prone to error and partiality; the Dao mind is subtle and hard to discern. Keep your essence pure and unified; sincerely hold fast to the Mean.” Later, Chan Master Longhu also said, “Human feelings are strong, while the Dao mind is weak. The Dao’s workings are entrusted to human feelings, yet people do not understand this. If there are only human feelings and no workings of the Dao, how long can human feelings endure?” Since ancient times, none who became immortals or Buddhas have abandoned this essence to seek another path.

As for the essence of Heaven and Earth, it belongs to Yin. If people cherish it, they can only intensify their desires; they cannot make the Dao’s workings take effect. If there are only human feelings and no workings of the Dao, how long can human feelings endure? Since ancient times, none who became immortals or Buddhas have abandoned this essence to seek another path.

The Jing and Qi that come afterward are Yin in nature. If people preserve them, they can only strengthen the body and prolong life. Is it not foolish for shallow practitioners of the Dao to try to consume this impure bodily fluid, whether by taking fluid produced during sexual intercourse or by using their own fluid to nourish the brain, and to regard these practices as methods of cultivation?

Only the Yang Jing that existed before Heaven and Earth is what sages use to refine the Elixir. The Immortal Elder Yunfang said, “Mucus, saliva, semen, bodily fluids, Qi, blood, and other fluids—all seven belong to Yin.” He also said, “The human body is made up of the Four Great Elements, and all are Yin. What, then, is Yang Jing? People do not know.” Zhao Zhongyi said, “Everything inside and outside the human body is Yin. Do not mistake Yang Jing for something hidden within the body and go searching for it there.” Bai Ziqing said, “This Jing is not the fluid produced by sexual intercourse between men and women; it is the saliva in the mouth of the Jade Emperor.” The monk Yunmen said, “Between Heaven and Earth, within the cosmos, there is a treasure, secretly hidden inside the mountain of form.” Confucius said in the Commentary on the Book of Changes, “Through the union of man and woman, the myriad things come into being.”

Those of superior capacity who hear these words should be able to grasp the principle they point to. Why? Because the statement “Through the union of man and woman, the myriad things come into being” is extraordinary. If Confucius meant only the ordinary union of men and women and the birth of children, he should have said, “Through the union of man and woman, human beings are born.” Instead, he said, “The myriad things come into being.” Do not be hasty in taking this literally. People of superior capacity and profound cultivation understand as soon as they hear it. How could those of middling or lesser capacity understand it by guesswork, without meeting a true teacher who can instruct them in person and impart the secret transmission?

My teacher, Yuanduzi, said, “What are nature and life? Nothing in a person is more refined, precious, or revered than Jing, Qi, and Shen.” Few in the world truly understand this. The Scripture of the Yellow Court says, “Quickly guard the chamber of Jing; do not let it leak away. Seal it and treasure it, and you will live long.” Guangchengzi taught the Yellow Emperor, “Do not tire the body; do not disturb the Jing and Qi.” The Yellow Emperor cultivated according to these instructions and later ascended to Heaven at Dinghu. Thus, later generations called the path of cultivation the “arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi”—a foolish way of speaking. This is the Great Way of the Golden Elixir; it should not be called an occult technique. Nothing in the world is more important than this, and everyone can become an immortal through cultivation.

Qi (vital energy) is the foundation from which all things between Heaven and Earth are formed. Beyond Heaven and Earth, Qi envelops them; within them, Qi also drives their movement. The sun, moon, and stars shine through Qi; wind, clouds, thunder, and rain change through Qi; and the myriad things grow and gather through the seasons through Qi. These are all forms of Qi produced by the transformations of Yin-Yang between Heaven and Earth. The human body, too, possesses the Qi created by the Yin-Yang forces of Heaven and Earth. With diligent cultivation, one can learn to make use of it.

Qi is further divided into two kinds: precelestial Qi and postcelestial Qi. We will begin with postcelestial Qi. It arises from food and drink. Since the word “Qi” is said to be composed of the elements “beg” and “rice,” Qi is said to come from grain and to be stored in the stomach. When the stomach receives grain, it transforms it into Qi. The Yellow Emperor said that the Qi of the Five Organs gathers in the stomach, and that Qi is generated there. Ye Wenshu said that a person first receives Qi in the mother’s womb, through her breathing; after birth, when the umbilical cord is cut, a spark of original spirit Qi gathers below the navel.

The body depends first and foremost on Qi, and breathing is especially fundamental. The eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—the six faculties and consciousness described in Buddhism—all function through Qi. Without Qi, a person could not perceive form, sound, scent, taste, touch, or mental objects, the six objects of perception. Exhalation connects with the root of Heaven, while inhalation connects with the root of Earth. The Qi within the human body is said to extend for eight hundred and ten measures, moving together with the meridians, with their strength and decline linked to one another. When Qi gathers in abundance, the body becomes strong. When it is depleted through toil and desire, little remains.

If people cherish their Jing (essence) and Qi, their Qi will be abundant; when Qi is abundant, Jing will also be full. The nourishing essence and warmth in everyday food and drink can replenish Qi. Around the age of twenty, a person’s Qi is vigorous. Restraining desire and avoiding excessive exertion allow Qi to remain steady and calm; excessive desire and overwork make it weak and hurried. When Qi is depleted, the body grows weak and becomes prone to illness; severe illness can threaten life itself. For example, breathing often becomes hurried after sexual intercourse. Ye Wenshu said that people become absorbed in passion and exhaust their Jing and Qi day and night, without knowing how much they have lost. Once the root is exhausted, life itself becomes difficult to sustain.

People in the world know only that preserving health requires abstaining from sexual desire. They do not understand that even the stirrings of thought can make Qi scatter with the mind and Jing be consumed by Qi. Therefore, those who cultivate the Dao should keep their minds as spacious as the Great Void, and remain inwardly and outwardly calm and unified. Qi is so vital—how could it not be cherished?

The foolish exert themselves by day and indulge their desires by night, depleting their Jing and Qi until their Qi grows weaker with each passing day. Qi is the foundation of life, like the stem of a flower. Without its stem, how could a flower avoid withering? Those who cultivate health should first nurture Qi, and the key to nurturing it is to reduce desire. When desire does not stir, Jing and Qi can nourish one another.

Those with abundant Qi fall ill less often. Inwardly, their will is firm and their bones strong; outwardly, their sinews are powerful and their bodies robust. Their teeth are white and their lips red, and even in old age they are less prone to decline and walk with a light step. No one possesses Qi in a state of greater completeness than an infant. An infant receives the Yin-Yang Qi of its parents and grows day by day without depletion. Nourished also by milk and food, its Qi gradually becomes abundant. Laozi said that an infant can cry all day without becoming hoarse because its harmonious Qi is at its fullest. Chen Jingyuan, known as Bixuzi, explained that this is because an infant receives the most complete Qi of natural harmony. The perfected person’s breathing reaches deep within, as if the breath extended to the heels; this is a similar idea.

If an infant knew how to preserve its undivided, complete Qi, and to cultivate it together with Jing without letting either be depleted, then, upon growing up, it might encounter a great master who could guide it in the way of longevity. It could then become a true immortal who practices Wuwei (non-action). Such people, however, are rare. The Patriarch of Danyang said that a plain diet helps nourish Qi, while carefully avoiding danger helps cultivate one’s nature. He also said that the secret of preserving Qi lies in keeping Jing and Qi intact, especially by guarding against depletion during sleep.

The Huangting Jing says: “Original Qi gathers and forms the pattern of the constellations; purple mists rise and fall, and the Three Pure Clouds ascend; original Qi flows into the essence of the Five Organs and nourishes the numinous root.” Confucius said that when blood and Qi are vigorous, one should guard against quarrels. When people walk, their breathing becomes hurried; when they sleep too deeply, their breathing can also become labored. Only when sitting quietly does the breath become even and gentle. He also said that Qi belongs to Fire, and that the Spleen depends on the movement of Qi to function. Excessive sleep or eating cold foods harms the Spleen and makes the complexion yellow. Having eaten a great deal of cold rice and then engaging in sexual intercourse can also leave a person unsettled in spirit and yellow in the face. The reason is that food and drink obstruct the movement of Qi, the mind becomes grasping, and excessive sleep damages the Spleen.

The foregoing concerns postcelestial Qi in the human body. Some heterodox methods mislead people into thinking that swallowing saliva and drawing in breath constitute the Great Dao. This is like trying to cook a meal with sand: it will never become food. Ziyang Weng said: “Swallowing saliva and taking in breath are things everyone can do. Only when the ingredients are present can transformation take place. If the cauldron contains no true seed, then it is like boiling water over fire in an empty pot.” In other words, swallowing saliva and taking in breath alone cannot form the Elixir; alchemical cultivation also requires the true essential conditions.

Only the original, unitary Qi that exists before the creation of Heaven and Earth—the primordial Qi—can be refined into the Returning Elixir, the elixir sought through Daoist Neidan practice. It comes from the midst of emptiness. This Qi has the surname Bai and is called “Taiyi Lang”; its personal name is “Original Qi,” and its title is “Lord Su Lian, Ruler of the Cosmos.” It resides in “Western Sichuan” and, when it comes and goes, rides a white horse. In its youth it is called the “True Seed”; in old age, the “White-Headed Old Master.”

When it reaches the neighboring household, it is called “parents.” It delights in “tortoises” and is amorous. This is the true Qi that existed before Heaven and Earth, and it is humanity’s most precious treasure. The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman says: “Heaven’s deepest secrets, when put to use, are impartial; the key to controlling all things lies in Qi.” Laozi says: “All things bear Yin and embrace Yang; the Qi of Yin and Yang blend and achieve harmony.” He also says: “Qi sometimes exhales, sometimes blows forth; sometimes it is vigorous, sometimes it is weak.”

Those who succeed in cultivation must first fully understand this Qi. When they obtain it, it is called the “Purple Golden Flower,” and also the “Mani Pearl,” the wish-fulfilling jewel. Perfected Maos says in his Song from the Quiet Chamber: “Qi is the medicine that extends life; the mind is the spirit that governs Qi. If you understand how to guide the movement of Qi with the mind, you are one who has attained the Dao and become an immortal.”

This concludes Volume Three of Shangyangzi’s Essentials of the Golden Elixir.

Part Five: Volume Four of Shangyangzi’s Essentials of the Golden Elixir

Written by Chen Zhengxu, Shangyangzi Guanwu of the Purple Empyrean Crimson Palace.

The Superior Medicine

On Jing, Qi, and Shen (Part Two)

In his Song of the Golden Elixir, the Elder Haichan says, “Refine form to produce Qi, and return it to the True One; refine Qi to produce form, and ascend to behold the Purple Palace, symbolizing the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor.” The Song of the Essence of the Elixir says, “I once met a teacher and received the true instructions. The key lies only in gathering Shen (spirit), focusing the mind and spirit on the Qi cavity, where Shen is gathered and Qi is concentrated in internal alchemy cultivation.” The Wuzhen pian says, “The Dao arises from emptiness as a single Qi, and from this Qi Yin-Yang comes into being.” The Perfected Shi says in his Treatise on Returning to the Source, “Qi is the root of life within the body.”

The Master Without a Name says: The Qi of the True One, the primordial Qi of the precelestial origin, came from emptiness before Heaven and Earth had taken shape. It is elusive and profound: it cannot be seen, heard, or grasped. How, then, can it be gathered and formed into an elixir pearl the size of a millet grain? The sages use what is substantial to reveal emptiness, and what has form to explain what is formless. What is substantial means True Yin and True Yang, of the same kind and responsive to one another. What is empty means the Qi of the “first crescent of the two eights”—the Qi of Yin and Yang at their first emergence, before they have condensed into material form. It has Qi but no substance. When the two respond to each other, they produce one thing. This “One” is the precelestial Qi of the True One, gathered into an elixir pearl like a millet grain.

Between Heaven and Earth, everything that has already taken form and substance is postcelestial Qi, and belongs to Yin. Only the Qi that precedes Heaven and Earth belongs to Yang. Cui Gong says in his Mirror for Compounding the Medicine, “Precelestial Qi, postcelestial Qi: those who obtain it are often as if drunk.” This Qi appears like dust drifting in a brightly lit window, or like a fine mist.

What is precelestial Qi? The Elder Chongyang says, “It lies beyond the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and exists before my parents gave birth to me.” The Elder Danyang says, “Do not breathe harshly or hastily; let the movement between above and below be gentle and free.” The Cantong qi says, “Though branches, stems, flowers, leaves, and fruit flourish, keep the rootstock straight and do not lose its source.” The Wuzhen pian says, “To use all sorts of things that are unlike one another is labor in vain; how could they compare with True Lead, which accords with the workings of the sage’s Dao?”

What people obtain from ore in the world is ordinary lead; what arises from the hidden storehouse of creation is True Lead. What is True Lead? It is the precelestial Qi of the True One.

The Secret Diagram of the Contract says: Li corresponds to Ji and symbolizes the sun, fire, the heart, cinnabar, the dragon, and mercury. Kan corresponds to Wu and symbolizes the moon, water, the kidneys, lead, the tiger, and Qi. The first line of the Book of Changes says, “The hidden dragon: do not act.” Confucius explains in the Commentary on the Changes, “The hidden dragon: do not act, because Yang Qi lies concealed.” Readers among the Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—should not hurry through their books. These texts contain principles for serving as an official, attaining Buddhahood, and cultivating immortality; they must be studied with care.

Shangyangzi says that Yang Qi lies hidden deep within the body and is difficult to find. Only someone with strength and the right conditions may be able to discover it. Here, “Yang Qi” refers to the primordial True Qi spoken of in Neidan (internal alchemy), not the breath of ordinary respiration.

When Bodhidharma, the first patriarch of Chan Buddhism, first arrived in China, he said, “I see in this land of China the capacity to achieve the Great Vehicle of Buddhism; surely someone here can realize the Dao.” Shangyangzi uses this story to explain that Bodhidharma had originally hoped to rely on the support of a powerful person to find this Qi and accomplish his work on the Dao. But when he met Emperor Wu of Liang, they failed to connect; only later, in Northern Wei, was he able to spread Buddhism. This shows that without the appropriate support, it is difficult to obtain this Qi.

Ziyang Zhenren relied on the support of Ma Chuhou, while Wang Chongzhao received help from Han Fugong. When Shi Xinglin taught Xue Zixian, he said that one could go to a large, populous city with convenient transport and rely on a powerful person to cultivate. This shows that this Qi often lies concealed and hidden. Without support, how could anyone obtain it?

In his “Song on Breaking Delusion,” Taiyi Zhenren says, “What is the true Dao? Great Unity holds the True Qi within.” Bai Zhenren says that this Qi is not the breath of respiration, but “the smoke of Great Simplicity.” The master also says, “The primordial One Qi comes from the midst of emptiness.”

Shangyangzi said, “Whoever truly understands and can bear the weight of these words is already a living immortal. This substance comes from the midst of emptiness, yet it does not fall from the sky, nor is it something people possess from the beginning.

“Mencius said, ‘I am skilled at nurturing my vast, flood-like Qi.’ This Qi is immense and strong. It must be nurtured through uprightness, without harming it. He also said that this Qi arises from the long accumulation of righteousness; it cannot be obtained by doing one or two righteous things by chance. One must also hold fast to one’s intent and refrain from reckless action that would damage the Qi. Wherever the intent goes, the Qi follows. To say that it ‘follows’ means that it reaches the same place as the intent. Intent is the commander of Qi; as its commander, it can direct it. Whoever can take charge can summon the Qi, and it will come; bid it stop, and it will stop. Mencius also said that Qi must be brought into harmony with righteousness.

“Those of great wisdom can distinguish clarity from turbidity by starting here. Why? Mencius said he was ‘skilled at nurturing’ it, and that it must be ‘nurtured through uprightness.’ This shows that a person can command Qi. Mencius’s phrase ‘nurture it with uprightness’ also explains what the Book of Changes means by ‘upright’: the Way of Qian is still and focused when at rest, and upright when in motion, and so it gives rise to the myriad things. Zhou Dunyi’s ‘On the Love of the Lotus’ says that the lotus is ‘open within and upright without’; this conveys the same idea.

“Mencius also said that this vast Qi arises from the accumulation of righteousness, and cannot be seized by performing righteous acts on occasion. Later, he said that Qi must be brought into harmony with righteousness. This makes clear that he used benevolence and righteousness to explain the nurturing of Qi. He also said to hold fast to one’s intent and not damage the Qi, and that wherever the intent reaches, the Qi follows. This shows that Mencius discussed not only how to nurture Qi, but also how to attain it. How is it attained? Through uprightness. How does Qi come? It arises from the accumulation of righteousness. How can it be perceived? By making intent its commander. From this we can understand that this awareness and manifestation issue from the crown of the head, and that others possess the same awareness and manifestation.

“The Cantong qi (a Daoist alchemical classic) says, ‘The principles of these two apertures: the Qi of Metal responds to them in kind.’ The Jingbi jing (a Daoist alchemical text) says, ‘The cavern at the source of creation: Yang Qi stirs from the position of Kun. When the sun’s shadow reaches the southern solstice, the Five Planets form a line, and the lights of the sun and moon join.’ These passages all speak of Yin-Yang Qi responding to one another, bringing about transformation and movement.

“Ge Xianpu’s ‘Song of the Flowing Pearl’ sings: ‘Flowing Pearl, Flowing Pearl, you make me toil and roam. I have traveled the four seas and read many books; busy all day, I forgot to sleep and eat. I sought out every old friend, exhausting my skill in refining mercury and cinnabar. For thirty years I often sighed; now, at sixty, I still fear falling into the Three Paths of Suffering—hell, hungry ghosts, and animals. I was fortunate that my teacher instructed me, so I grasped the principle of primordial Qi and emptiness. True Yin and true Yang, one breath in and one breath out; the Five Fluids irrigate, and from the inner chamber flows a milky, cream-like saliva. The perfected one saves me; what he seeks to bring to completion is a man of great resolve.’

“The immortal master obtained this original, true One Qi—the fundamental primordial Qi before Heaven and Earth were differentiated—and cultivated it according to the method. In the end, he ascended into the sky in broad daylight, riding a purple cloud. The people of the world, in generations to come, have also received his blessing.”

Heavenly spirits are divine beings that bring the wondrous functions of all things into manifestation and dwell within physical forms. The Scripture of the Yellow Court says, “Attaining the Great Dao is not difficult; simply preserve your true nature.” The Niwan Palace—the place within the head where spirit and Qi reside—and every part of the body are believed to contain spirits.

The spirits of the human body have many names and cannot all be listed. In terms of bodily regions, the body is divided into three sections, each with its own Eight Scenic Spirits: spirits dwelling in different parts of the body. The upper section’s Eight Scenic Spirits are the spirit of the hair, brain, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, tongue, and teeth. Those of the middle section are the spirits of the lungs, heart, liver, spleen, left kidney, right kidney, gallbladder, and throat. The lower section’s Eight Scenic Spirits include the kidney spirit, the spirits of the small and large intestines, the torso spirit, chest spirit, diaphragm spirit, spirits of the two flanks, and the various spirits of Yin and Yang on the left and right.

Within the body are also the Nine Palace Perfected Ones, spirits who dwell in the body’s various palaces: the heart is the Perfected One of the Crimson Empyrean Palace; the kidneys, the Perfected One of the Cinnabar Origin Palace; the liver, the Perfected One of the Orchid Terrace Palace; the lungs, the Perfected One of the Secretariat Palace; the spleen, the Perfected One of the Yellow Court Palace; the gallbladder, the Perfected One of the Heavenly Vortex Palace; the small intestine, the Perfected One of the Dark Spirit Palace; the large intestine, the Perfected One of the Wood Spirit Palace; and the bladder, the Perfected One of the Jade Chamber Palace.

The head, too, has Nine Palace Perfected Ones, dwelling respectively in the Twin Cinnabar Palace, Bright Hall Palace, Cinnabar Field Palace, Niwan Palace, Flowing Pearl Palace, Great Emperor Palace, Heavenly Court Palace, Supreme Perfection Palace, Dark Cinnabar Palace, and Great Sovereign Palace. There are also twelve attendant spirits stationed within the layered gates of the Golden Tower.

Outside the body are eighteen thousand Yang spirits; within it are eighteen thousand Yin spirits, making thirty-six thousand spirits in all. The one who governs the entire body is the Perfected One of the Crimson Empyrean Palace, also called the Flesh Spirit, that is, the Heart Sovereign, the principal deity who commands all the spirits within the body. There are also the Three Body Spirits, Four Wisdom Spirits, Three Hun Souls, Seven Po Souls, and Seven Origins and Eight Consciousness Spirits, among others. These spirits have many different titles and names, too numerous to list in full.

The mind and spirit govern the whole body, and all the spirits within it follow their direction. They allow a person to be alert and clear, to perceive things, and to decide whether to act or stop, let things take their natural course or dispel thoughts. They respond as circumstances change: in an instant, countless thoughts can arise, and in dreams one can experience all kinds of scenes. The mind and spirit can also foresee the future and judge good or ill fortune. From affairs of state and the world to matters in remote corners and the tiniest crevices, they seem to know everything.

The mind and spirit readily take in joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure; kindness and affection, aversion, and every kind of desire. They also change with a person’s character: when someone is upright, the mind and spirit are upright; when someone is ingratiating and crooked, they too become perverse. If a person cuts off desires and forgets emotional attachments, with Jing and Qi abundant, the mind and spirit grow vigorous and bright, and the person’s appearance becomes radiant. But if desires are excessive and body and mind are worn down, the mind and spirit weaken and can no longer remain settled. If someone gives free rein to drunkenness and madness, ruining their reputation and behaving improperly, the mind and spirit follow these habits and even encourage them.

The Wuzhen pian says, “Alas, Jing and Shen belong to Yin; the dwelling that is the body is difficult to keep secure.” It also says, “If those who cultivate the Dao rely only on themselves, they do no more than refine these three: Jing, Qi, and Shen.” Yet Jing, Qi, and Shen are originally one, and all arise after Heaven, being purely Yin and without Yang. How, then, can the body be refined into pure Yang and thereby transcend Heaven and Earth?

Here, the discussion concerns the Jing, Qi, and Shen within the human body. The Perfected Ziyang uses them to remind people that, unless they obtain the Yang Shen that comes before Heaven and bring it into harmony with the body’s Jing, Qi, and Shen, they will ultimately be unable to attain immortality. As Master Fu says in his Verses on the Diamond Sutra, “Even if one cultivates for eighty thousand kalpas, in the end one still returns to emptiness.”

The “spirit that precedes Heaven and Earth” spoken of here is called the “Real Person without a Position.” In Buddhism, it is called the Buddha Hṛdaya. If one can recognize this spirit, one can make use of its wondrous powers. It governs human life and death: it can both cause a person to die and bring a person into birth. Those who cultivate the path of immortality and seek Buddhahood must let it take the lead if they are to attain anything.

This spirit originally has no beginning or end, back or front, or face, and no fixed name. Yet it can share the Buddha’s name and title, and adapt itself to a person’s appearance: if someone’s surname is Zhang and given name is San, it too is called Zhang San; if someone is named Vajra, it too is called Vajra; if someone likes eating fire dates, it likes eating fire dates as well. Because its nature is to follow a person’s preferences, it is called the “spirit that precedes Heaven and Earth.” The Scripture on the Hidden Tally says, “When people know it is a spirit, they treat it as a spirit; not knowing that it is no spirit in the ordinary sense is precisely why it can manifest spiritual powers.” Great practitioners must first understand this spirit and regard it with reverence and caution. If they can understand it completely, they can become immortal spirits.

This spirit can command the “four mind spirits, four wisdom spirits, and eight consciousness spirits,” and can also transform them: the eight consciousnesses become eight Vajras, the four wisdoms become four Bodhisattvas, and the four minds become four Buddhas. The four Buddhas listed here are the Buddha Hṛdaya, the Buddha Ālayahṛdaya, the Buddha Cittahṛdaya, and the Buddha Kṛdaya. The four wisdom Bodhisattvas are the Bodhisattva of Great Accomplishment, the Bodhisattva of Wondrous Discerning Wisdom, the Bodhisattva of Equal Nature Wisdom, and the Bodhisattva of Great Mirror Wisdom. The eight consciousness Vajras are the Vajra of Form Consciousness, the Vajra of Sound Consciousness, the Vajra of Scent Consciousness, the Vajra of Taste Consciousness, the Vajra of Touch Consciousness, the Vajra of Dharma Consciousness, the Vajra of Transmitting Consciousness, and the Vajra of Storehouse Consciousness.

In Daoist scriptures, people often speak of “divine emperors” and various gods. But those who do not understand cultivation may instead be driven by these spirits. How, then, could they master them and put them to use?

The Scripture of the Yellow Court (Huangting Jing) says, “Immortals and Daoists attain the Dao not through spirits, but by gathering Jing and Qi and cultivating until they become perfected.” It also says, “Guard the small space within the heart with care. When the spirit returns to the body, decline can be turned into strength.”

The Patriarch of Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin, says, “When spirit, Qi, and blood return to the Three Essentials, south, north, east, and west unite as one.” He also says, “Use Jing to nurture the numinous root, and Qi to nourish the spirit. This is what makes a true Daoist. Beyond this, there is no other true Dao.”

Perfected Cao says, “Cultivation these days depends on spirit and Qi. If they are unsettled, cultivation is nothing but wasted effort.” He also says, “Spirit is nature; Qi is life. When spirit does not scatter outward, Qi naturally settles.”

Celestial Master Xu Jing says, “If the spirit scatters outward, gather it back. When spirit returns to the body, Qi will gather with it.”

Perfected Bai says, “The spirit spoken of here is not the spirit of ordinary thought and mental activity; it can stand alongside the Primordial Beginning.”

All these teachings center on spirit, Qi, and Jing. The three respond to one another: following their ordinary course gives rise to human beings, while reversing their movement brings forth the Neidan (internal alchemy).

What is meant by “following the course”? Daoism holds that the sequence by which the myriad things come into being is this: the One gives rise to the Two, the Two to the Three, and the Three to the myriad things. Thus, the Void transforms and gives rise to Shen (spirit); Shen transforms and gives rise to Qi (vital energy); Qi transforms and gives rise to Jing (essence); Jing transforms and gives rise to form. Once the body has fully taken shape, the human being is born.

What is meant by “reversing the course”? The Three contained in the myriad things return to the Two, and the Two return to the One. Those who understand this principle settle the spirit and guard the body. They nourish the body to refine Jing, accumulate Jing to transform it into Qi, refine Qi until it unites with Shen, then refine Shen until it returns to the Void. In this way, the Golden Elixir can be formed. The key to all this lies in that which exists prior to Heaven and Earth. To bring it forth, one must apply the wondrous methods that precede Heaven and Earth and engage the “eight consciousnesses” (the eight kinds of consciousness in Buddhist Yogacara, here referring to mental faculties used in cultivation). They gather the Elixir and take in lead, while also serving to guard, seal, transport, and protect it. All these functions depend on their power.

Among the eight consciousnesses is the “consciousness of dharmas,” which governs a person’s thoughts: when thought arises, it acts; when thought ceases, it stops. There are also the “Bodhisattva of Equality Wisdom,” who governs the transmitting consciousness (the vajra), and the “Bodhisattva of Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom,” who governs the storehouse consciousness (the vajra). All these obey the ruling of the mind-spirit: when thought sends them forth, they go; when thought calls them back, they return. In the initial stages of cultivation, refining the Elixir depends entirely on these spiritual and cognitive faculties. Thus it is said that even immortals who have attained these faculties must still know where they reside.

The Song of the Golden Elixir says: “The body is like a house, and the house is also like the body; those who dwell within it should be likened to the spirit.” It also says: “The central spirit chamber is naturally empty and still; the True Qi of Heaven Before Heaven will come of its own accord.”

The Scripture on Nourishing Life says that the lower Dantian is located three inches below the navel, extending about four inches across, between the spine and the two kidneys. Its left side belongs to blue-green, its right to white, its upper part to yellow, its lower part to black, and its center is red. It is called the “Great Sea,” because it stores the body’s blood and Qi. It is also called the “Great Center,” meaning that it occupies the most central position among the body’s upper, lower, and four directions. This central position is the Dantian, also known as the Golden Embryo’s spirit chamber.

The Scripture of Gold and Jade says: “The spirit chamber is the pivot of the Elixir and the root of all the ingredients. Cinnabar and mercury dwell in separate places; Yang Qi emerges and Yin Qi enters.” It also says: “Only after the functions of the spirit chamber have been set in motion can the Golden Elixir be refined.” And again: “Once the spirit chamber has been arranged in its proper place, transformation takes place within it.” Here, “spirit chamber” refers to the upper and lower Elixir furnaces; “arranged in their proper place” refers to the precise pairing of Yin and Yang, female and male; and “transformation” refers to the use of lead and mercury.

My master said: “The sages feared revealing Heaven’s secrets. Daoism takes ‘wondrous existence and true emptiness’—what seems to exist but is, in truth, beyond form and substance—as its foundation, and often explains it through metaphors such as cinnabar and water, or the upper and lower cauldrons. ‘Setting the positions’ refers to arranging the hidden relation in which the female and male are paired; ‘transformation’ refers to the use of lead and mercury.”

My master also said: “The sages feared revealing Heaven’s secrets. Daoism takes ‘wondrous existence and true emptiness’ as its foundation, so it often uses terms such as cinnabar, mercury, red lead, black mercury, the infant, the maiden, Ding the Lad, the Yellow Matron, yellow sprouts, and white snow as metaphors. These expressions can easily be mistaken for references to actual things, leading the confused to make wild guesses. Those who study the Dao cling to statements that only seem to make sense as if they described real substances. They imagine that the ‘Golden Mother’ is a substance to be gathered and refined from outside, become trapped in material forms, and may even stray into impure practices such as sexual alchemy. In the end, they never grasp the wonder of true emptiness.

“Buddhism takes ‘wondrous emptiness that is not nonexistence’—emptiness that does not mean there is nothing at all—as its foundation, and it too often uses metaphors to express it: foxes, monkeys, and puppies; dew pillars and temple flagpoles; yellow blossoms and green bamboo; sticks, whisks, flowers, and grasses; lanterns and Buddha halls; the waters of the Western River; and Zhaozhou’s tea. At first glance, these expressions seem to have no clear meaning, making them hard to understand directly. Scholars ponder them without reaching an answer, and struggle to explain them in discussion. They then call them Zen riddles and become attached to ‘nothingness,’ falling into dull emptiness through motionless sitting, entering meditation, and sending their spirits out. In the end, they still fail to grasp the wonder of ‘not nonexistence.’

“How could they know that Zen Buddhism fears people falling into rigid sitting, while Daoism fears people straying into heterodox paths? Studying Buddhism and cultivating immortality are, in the end, one and the same great undertaking.”

Ever since hearing one word of guidance from my master, my heart has been like a bright mirror hanging high in the hall, seeing everything that comes and goes with perfect clarity. Now I will point out a great path of cultivation, so that we may practice it together.

Perfected Peng said, “In a single day, one can seize the vital energy of Heaven and Earth from four thousand two hundred and twenty years.” Master Wuming said, “Water is born of Heaven; in the human body, this is Jing. Fire is born of Earth; in the human body, this is Shen.”

Great practitioners should promptly employ the Bodhisattva of Wondrous Observation Wisdom, who symbolizes the wisdom of close scrutiny and contemplation, and command the Buddha Hṛdaya, a symbol of the heart spirit. On the night of the third day of the eighth month, at the hour of Zi-Gui, marked by the cyclical signs, they must hurry to western Sichuan to gather lead and obtain gold. In Neidan cultivation, “lead” and “gold” refer to inner ingredients such as Jing and Qi. They then harness the White Tiger, symbol of the Yin force in internal refinement, and return with the Vajra Who Transmits the Consciousness, symbolizing the escort and transmission of awareness. They hand what they have obtained to the Bodhisattva of Wondrous Observation Wisdom, who sends it into the spirit chamber, the place within the body where the internal elixir is kept. There it is stored with the Lord of the Gouchen constellation, the Lord of the Tengshe constellation, and others, and sealed securely.

At first, the Tiger and Dragon fight; later, they are subdued. The Bodhisattva of Wondrous Observation Wisdom and the Buddha Gṛdhrakūṭa, both symbols of the heart spirit, must work together with one mind, never parting for even an instant, and keep watch day and night. After guarding it for ten months, a golden-headed ascetic—that is, Perfected Shangyang—will preside over the cultivation within the body. The two Buddhas must continue their watch as before, keeping him from leaving or wandering far. Only after a cycle of one week and two years, when the two Buddhas have entrusted him to Perfected Shangyang, may they be rewarded for their merit.

Elder Zhengyang said, “To roam freely through Heaven and Earth, unbound by ties to one’s family—that is the state meant here.” Zhang Silian’s Secrets of Emergence from the Body says, “When one attains the complete original substance of Taiji, one can see one’s original face. The single spark of innate true nature is, in the postnatal state, merely given a dwelling place.”

Patriarch Lü said, “After truly completing nine years of firing times, the Celestial Gate suddenly opens at the crown of the head, and the Perfected One appears; great spiritual powers then arise. From that point on, even the Celestial Immortals may offer their congratulations.” The spirits of the postnatal and prenatal realms, accompanied by millions of chariots and riders, follow the Perfected One who has attained completion. Together they ride the clouds straight to the realm of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), where each receives a rank in the immortal realm. This is called ascending to Heaven in broad daylight: a great man has completed the supreme work of cultivation.

The Ancient Writings on Metal and Jade says that the essential point of the alchemical method lies above all in “metal and fire.” Here, “metal and fire” refers to true lead. The text also says that the Primordial Lord (a deity in alchemical terminology) begins refining mercury; the spirit chamber (the inner setting or crucial conditions for alchemy) contains the void, and qi that is dark and white gives birth to the Golden Lord. In this way, the foundation of the beginning of all things is established. Only after the spirit chamber has done its work can the Golden Elixir be refined. The Realized Master Boyang said, “Only when metal returns to its original nature can it be called the Returning Elixir.”

Shangyangzi explains that “metal” here does not mean worldly gold; rather, the term “metal” is used to refer to lead. Lead is regarded as the source of gold and silver, and so it is collectively called “metal.” This does not mean that worldly gold, silver, and treasures are used in the refining process. Only when true lead returns to its own nature can it properly be called the “Returning Elixir.”

Shangyangzi says, “Gold” does not mean the gold found in the world. Rather, lead is compared to gold. Lead is called the ancestor of gold and silver, so the methods of the Elixir are always named with “gold.” This does not refer to gold and silver mined from earth and stone, but to the primordial Qi that exists before Heaven and Earth take shape. This Qi appears within the formed body acquired after birth. Those deeply accomplished in cultivation seek the root that existed before the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) divided, observe and pursue it, and so reach the true source.

The exalted immortals and sages, after Heaven and Earth had taken shape, sought the primordial Qi that existed before their birth within the already formed and material world. They then used this Qi to refine pure Yang, which is why it is called the Elixir. Pure Yang symbolizes the Qian trigram; pure Yin symbolizes the Kun trigram. Yang contained within Yin is the Kan trigram, while Yin contained within Yang is the Li trigram. The human body may be used as an analogy: it is like the Li trigram. Take the Yang line from the Kan trigram and use it to replace the Yin line in the Li trigram; when the original Yin line of the Li trigram returns to its place, the result is the Qian trigram, symbolizing pure Yang. In the methods of the Elixir, the central line of the Kan trigram corresponds to metal, and is therefore called the Golden Elixir.

Cultivation seeks the source that is innate and has not yet taken visible form. People and all things that have taken form after birth are not the Golden Elixir itself. Yet the Golden Elixir is neither gold, lead, nor silver; it is the Qi of the source. My teacher Yuandunzi’s words, “The One Qi of the innate comes from within emptiness,” refer to this Qi.

The Huangting Jing says, “Heaven turns, purple embraces yellow; enter the hidden chamber of the Dantian, and shine brightly upon the Yang Gate.” This means that the relevant Jing and Qi should return to the Dantian—the inner place of cultivation described in Daoist Neidan—and shine brightly upon the Yang Gate. The scripture also says, “Breathe in the original Qi to seek immortality.” In his Book of the Great Learning of the Innate, Master Lü Wei says that sages can make the One Qi return to its root and the source of life, uniting it with the original Shen (the person’s true spirit) and the Dao. Thus it gives rise to life without end and encompasses the myriad things. This is called “attaining the One,” and is provisionally named the Elixir; it is not magic in the ordinary sense.

This is the subtle principle of the Qian Way’s movement and transformation, the unfathomable changes of Yin and Yang, and the supreme truth of the Taiji. It contains the roots of nature and life. It is also called “the return of the Golden Liquid to the Real,” referring to a path of cultivation in which both body and spirit reach a wondrous state. Its principle is supremely simple and easy; once truly attained, it can be maintained for a long time. With the oral instructions, even someone of dull ability can quickly reach the state of a sage. An immortal is one who can remove the Yin within the body, restore Yang, and gather the spirit to become immortal.

Danyang Weng says, “When nature is settled, emotions are forgotten; when the body is empty, Qi circulates; when the mind dies, Shen comes alive; when Yang flourishes, Yin disappears.” This means that when one’s nature and emotions are settled, desires fade; when the body is still and empty, the movement of Qi can proceed; when selfish thoughts cease, the spirit can shine forth; and when Yang Qi is abundant, Yin Qi recedes. After receiving transmission from a true teacher, practitioners should promptly remove the Yin within themselves and restore the utmost true Yang.

Yingchanzi says, “Ordinary people do not die until the Yang Qi within them has been depleted; cultivators cannot become immortal until the Yin within them has been completely removed.” When thoughts and concerns cease, Yin recedes; when delusive attachments disperse, Yang grows. Thus, when Yin is exhausted and Yang is pure, the Golden Elixir is formed. When the Elixir has fully matured, Shen can ascend to the realm of the immortals. This is what is meant by an immortal.

The Wondrous Use of the Elixir Ingredients

The Yellow Emperor said, “Human beings come into being by taking the essence of the myriad things.” He also said, “The sun and moon each follow their own courses; the changes of large and small each have their set measures. From these arise the achievements of sages and the workings of the wondrous.”

The Jinbi Jing says, “Refine silver within lead, and a wondrous substance will arise of its own accord.” The Cantong qi says, “Things of the same kind are easy to work with; things of different kinds are difficult to handle with skill.”

The Patriarch of Danyang said, “Shen and Qi are nature and life; nature and life are the Dragon and Tiger; the Dragon and Tiger are lead and mercury; lead and mercury are Water and Fire; Water and Fire are the Infant and the Maiden”—symbols in alchemy for the union of Yin and Yang. “The Infant and the Maiden are true Yin and true Yang.”

The Old Man of Ziyang said, “Swallowing saliva and taking in breath are things anyone can do. Only by obtaining the elixir ingredient can one bring about the transformations of creation. If the cauldron and furnace contain no true seed, it is like heating an empty pot with nothing but Water and Fire.” He also said, “To know where the elixir ingredient comes from, look to the southwest: that is its homeland.”

Shangyangzi said, “From ancient times to the present, the highest sages and perfected immortals have left behind elixir texts, yet have refused to state plainly what the ‘elixir ingredient’ is. The gold, wood, Water, Fire, lead, mercury, cinnabar, and silver mentioned in the texts are all metaphors. Ordinary people, however, take them to be actual substances and use them in smelting…”