《中和集》Vol. 1

The Zhonghe Ji (Collection of Central Harmony) was written by Du Liang Qing’an Yingchanzi Li Daochun and compiled by his disciple Sun’an Baochanzi Cai Zhiyi.

Cai Zhiyi of Yangzhou was a disciple of Li Qing’an. Seeing through the emptiness of the world, he devoted himself to cultivating the way of immortals, inherited Li Qing’an’s teaching, arranged it into this book, and titled it Zhonghe Ji after his master’s quiet chamber.

In the autumn of the Dade bingwu year, Cai Zhiyi came to visit me and asked me to endorse the work, intending to have it printed so that later generations might be inspired by it. Before I had even opened the scroll, I already knew that it speaks of sweeping away all deluded thoughts and revealing the pure original nature. As heaven endows one with what is called ming (life-destiny), and one receives from heaven what is called xing (nature)—as for the natural principle of the pre-heaven Taiji (the primordial state before the arising of things), the golden elixir’s light illumining the great void, and the attainment that comes without forced cultivation—the book expounds these with full clarity. From this one may penetrate the wondrous transformations, deepen the root and bring the mind to utmost stillness; one may also shed the bodily shell in spiritual transformation and return to Wuji (the formless, limitless source).

Thus it is clear that what Daoists call “there was something blended and complete,” what Confucians call “central harmony nurturing things,” and what Buddhists call “seeing one’s nature by illuminating the mind”—though the words differ, they spring from the same Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Laozi said “constantly practice saving people”; the Buddha said “do not despise you”; the Duke of Zhou said “would I deceive you?” Readers of this book should not harbor doubt.

Du Daojian of Dangtu Nangu wrote this at the Xuanyuan Zhenguan in Qiantang.

Buddhism calls this “complete enlightenment” (yuanjue); Daoism calls it the “Golden Elixir” (jindan)—the state sought in inner alchemy (neidan); Confucianism calls it Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate). “Wuji yet Taiji” means that the root which is formless, imageless, and beyond fixed limits appears as the supreme source from which the myriad things arise and change.

Buddhism says: “Abiding as such, unmoving; clear and always knowing.” The “Appended Remarks” on the Book of Changes says: “Silent and unmoving, yet responsive and penetrating.” Alchemical texts say: “After body and mind are unmoving, the true mechanism of Wuji is again revealed.” All these lines speak to the subtlety of the Taiji source. From this we know that what the three teachings esteem is the practice of stillness and concentration; Zhou Dunyi’s “take stillness as fundamental” means the same.

When the human heart is still and not yet pulled by outer things, it is clear and at ease, and heavenly principle (tianli) naturally appears—this is the subtlety of Taiji. Once pulled by outer things, the heart easily leans to one side—this is the change of Taiji. If in stillness one carefully guards the original heart, heavenly principle can stay bright and the spirit remain empty and clear without dimming; when one acts, there is naturally a master within, and one can meet all things appropriately.

When the work of stillness is fully mature, one naturally reaches this state: the truth of Wuji returns, the subtlety of Taiji is made manifest, and the principles of heaven, earth, and the myriad things are all present within oneself.

The Book of Rites says: “When joy, anger, sorrow, and delight have not yet appeared, this is called zhong (the Center); when they have appeared and all accord with due measure, this is called he (Harmony).”

“Not yet expressed” means that when a person is quiet and settled, they watchfully guard the inner original mind-and-heart; hence it is called zhong. Though the original mind-and-heart dwells within, it has no fixed form; therefore it is said to be “the great root of the world.” When feelings appear and accord with due measure, it means that in action one carefully holds to how one presents oneself; hence it is called he. Each manifestation hits the right mark; therefore this is said to be “the great Way that all under heaven jointly follow.”

If one can truly attain zhong and he in oneself, the innate heart-nature becomes empty, bright, and keen, quiet yet alert, and in conduct upright and fitting—so one can respond to the world’s boundless changes. Lord Lao said: “If people can constantly keep to clarity and stillness, heaven and earth and the myriad things will all turn to them.” This matches what Zi Si said: “When zhong and he are reached, heaven and earth take their proper places and the myriad things flourish.”

Zhong and he are the wondrous efficacy of responsive communion and the key to meeting change; they embody the Book of Changes teaching of generating and carrying forward, of movement and stillness in the round. That I have inscribed my dwelling with the name “Central Harmony” (Zhonghe)—is that not quite fitting?

Body, mind, world, and affairs are called the “four entanglements”—the physical self, the inner heart, the conditions of the world, and the business one undertakes. Ordinary people are often bound and pulled by these four; only those who know how to entrust themselves and follow the flow can handle them well. While handling them, they can still keep the heart quiet—then what further burden remains?

What is entrust? Entrust the body: let the body rest in stillness. Entrust the heart: let the inner mind be empty, clear, and penetrating. Entrust the world: dwell in worldly circumstances as they come. Entrust affairs: let things unfold according to their natural principle.

What is follow? Follow mandate of Heaven, the Way of Heaven, the seasons of Heaven, and the principle of Heaven. When the body follows mandate of Heaven, it can respond to other people. When the heart follows the Way of Heaven, it can respond to the ten thousand things. When one’s place in the world follows the seasons of Heaven, one can respond to change. When one’s work follows the principle of Heaven, one can seize the right moment.

Able both to entrust body and world and to follow change, and also to respond well—then the four entanglements can be released with ease. Seen this way, one can constantly meet affairs while the heart stays quiet, always pure and clear.

The ancients said: “Constantly still the restless heart, yet do not extinguish the illuminating heart.” A heart that is not stirred by outer things yet still sees clearly is always illuminating mind. A heart that cannot settle and keeps moving in delusion is always deluded mind. Illuminating mind is mind of the Dao; deluded mind is human mind. “The mind of the Dao is subtle” means the mind of the Dao is fine and hard to discern. “The human mind is precarious” means the human mind easily falls into danger and instability. Human mind may also hold mind of the Dao; mind of the Dao may also mix with human mind—the key is whether the heart is in quiet or in delusion.

Only one who truly holds the central and upright Way can keep illuminating mind present and deluded mind still, so the originally precarious human mind becomes settled and the subtle mind of the Dao becomes manifest. At that point, the heart without delusion is restored, and the Way without delusion is fulfilled. The Changes says: “Return—perhaps one can see the original heart of Heaven and Earth?”

The circle in the middle represents “the Limitless giving rise to the Supreme Ultimate”—how the formless, imageless origin manifests as Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). When Taiji moves, Yang arises; when movement reaches its limit it turns to stillness, and stillness gives birth to Yin. Yin and Yang alternate, forming the Two Modes (the two fundamental forces of Yin and Yang).

The circle also stands for the Two Modes: Yang belongs to movement, Yin to stillness. When Yin and Yang interpenetrate, the Four Images appear (Lesser Yang, Greater Yang, Lesser Yin, Greater Yin). Change among the Four Images in turn produces the Eight Trigrams. Qian and Dui correspond to the movement and stillness of Greater Yang; Li and Zhen to those of Lesser Yin; Gen and Kan to those of Lesser Yang; Dui and Kun to those of Greater Yin. Yin qi moves counter to the usual direction, Yang qi moves with it—one ascends, one descends, and the pivot of change never rests, so the sixty-four hexagrams take shape and the principles governing the transformation of all things are complete.

The upper circle represents the beginning of qi transformation; the lower circle represents the root of bodily form. To grasp only qi transformation without bodily generation is to fail to reach the vast; to grasp only bodily generation without qi transformation is to fail to penetrate the subtle. For this reason the author composed verses to explain these principles.

Verse, Chapter Twenty-five

The origin of the Dao is utterly empty and still—so empty that it has no form. Its scope is boundless, with neither beginning nor end.

When emptiness reaches its extreme, spirit is born; spirit transforms and produces qi; qi condenses into tangible things, and the myriad beings divide into Yin and Yang.

Once Yin and Yang separate, they respond to each other; after responding, they pair. Yin and Yang interact, and Qian and Kun (symbolizing Heaven and Earth) are established. Movement and stillness change without cease, the Four Images link with one another; firm and yielding push and pull, the Eight Trigrams connect in sequence. The Five Phases run by their laws, the four seasons are fixed, and the year takes shape.

Yin and Yang harmonize in mutual thrust, nurturing the myriad things so they can begin and grow. In Heaven it turns the myriad phenomena; on Earth it nourishes all living beings.

Forms pass from one to another, things gestate one another, change and growth continue without end—how could there be a limit?

All things under Heaven arise from “being”; “being” in turn arises from “non-being.” Being and non-being weave together, hidden and manifest depend on each other.

Tracing back to the beginning of the ten thousand things, nothing yet had taken fixed form, nor had things joined, gestated, or transformed one another—yet change and growth went on without end. Where could their limit lie?

The ten thousand things under heaven arise from “being”; “being” in turn arises from “non-being.” Being and non-being interweave; the hidden and the manifest rely on each other.

Tracing back to the beginning of the ten thousand things, nothing was not rooted in Qi; probing to their end, nothing failed to change through form.

Thus one knows that the ten thousand things ultimately consist of form and Qi; the root of form and Qi is Shen; the root of Shen is utmost emptiness; and the root of the Dao is utmost non-being. The principle of change in the ten thousand things is already contained therein.

Heaven stands above, earth below; humans and the myriad beings dwell between heaven and earth, each melting and transforming—within this lies the work of Qi.

Heaven and earth are the greatest among the ten thousand things; the human being is the most spiritually keen. Heaven and humanity are originally one body. The cosmos seems to lie in the palm; the changes of the ten thousand things arise from oneself, and the principle of change is right there.

When a person reaches the utmost of self, they can stand between heaven and earth and establish nature and life, receive empty spirit and complete their true nature. In establishing true nature and life, the work of Shen lies therein.

Nature and life depend on Qi; true nature depends on Shen. Hide Shen within the heart; gather Qi in the body—the realm of the Dao lies therein.

When form changes, birth occurs; where there is birth, there is death. The passage from birth to death is the usual law of the ten thousand things.

When Qi changes, birth and death no longer apply; where there is neither birth nor death, that is the normal state of Shen. Form changes take earth as their model; changes of Qi take heaven as their model. Changes of form arise from responsiveness; changes of Qi occur of themselves.

The clear-sighted adept can preserve Qi and Shen; through myriad harmonies and ten thousand transformations, all finally return to non-birth. Where there is no birth, there is no death; non-birth and non-death are the normal state of Shen. Form changes take earth as their model; changes of Qi take heaven as their model. Changes of form arise from responsiveness; changes of Qi occur of themselves. The clear-sighted adept can preserve Qi and Shen, let myriad harmonies and ten thousand transformations naturally converge, and ultimately attain the perfected person (Zhenren).

The truly subtle realm is profound beyond measure; form and substance arising from formlessness and quality—this is called “fetal immortal” (taixian), the cultivation stage in which embryonic gestation and immortal transformation are linked.

If one wishes to reach such Dao, where should one begin? Only through clarity and stillness, emptiness and non-being, is there hope of achieving the fetal immortal.

When the inner mind is empty, there is no obstruction; when the inner mind is clear and still, there is no desire. Reaching utmost emptiness and deep stillness, one can observe the changes of the ten thousand things and understand that all things ultimately return to the root.

In action, take stillness as primary; in filling oneself, still embrace emptiness and stillness. These two principles depend on each other, and Shen becomes one with the Dao.

The Dao is the master of spirit; spirit is the master of qi; qi is the master of form; and form is the root of life.

When life no longer moves, form becomes still; when form is still, qi is still; when qi is still, spirit is still; and when spirit is still, one reaches a state where nothing remains stuck—this is called “dwelling in non-dwelling” (wuzhu zhu): abiding without clinging, yet resting at ease in that very state.

Refining and nourishing the body with golden elixir fluid, and guarding spirit with jade talismans, until both spirit and form reach a subtle perfection—then one merges with the Dao and becomes truly authentic.

The treasure of life has coalesced, the pearl of nature-and-life shines bright, the original spirit (yuanshen) has become numinous, the embryonic immortal (taixian) is accomplished, and the way of empty non-being and naturalness is complete.

How great is spirit! It is perhaps the root of change in the ten thousand things.

Secret Meaning Before the Diagrams

Chapter One: Yi and Images (Yixiang Di Yi)

The Yi that can be changed and displayed is not the ever-constant Yi; the image that can be drawn and depicted is not the greatest image. The constant Yi itself does not change; the greatest image has no fixed form.

“Constant Yi” (changyi) is the Yi before any hexagram lines are drawn; “changing Yi” (bianyi) is the Yi that appears once the hexagrams are formed. The unchanging constant Yi is the substance of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate); the visible, mutable Yi is the root of creation and transformation. The greatest image is the root where stillness and movement begin; the image that can be depicted is the root from which forms and names arise.

What remains still through kalpas is constant Yi; what never ceases changing from antiquity to the present is changing Yi. What is utterly empty, formless, and without substance is the great image; what appears along with concrete things is the visible image.

What is called “constant” cannot be traced to a beginning nor measured to an end; through ten thousand generations it remains vast and alone. What is called “great” outwardly embraces heaven and earth, inwardly fills the cosmos, extends through worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, clear and complete.

Because constant Yi does not change, it can encompass the infinite changes of the world; because the great image is formless, it can present the infinite things of the world. Yi and image are perhaps the origin of the Dao?

Chapter Two: Constant and Change (Changbian Di Er)

The constant Dao never changes, yet the transformations of all things in the world have no fixed form. Precisely because the constant Dao is unchanging, one can align with change; precisely because change has no fixed pattern, one can embody the constant Dao. Being one from beginning to end is the constant way of the Yi; the alternation of movement and stillness is the change of the Yi. Standing alone without altering embodies the constant Dao; circulating without ceasing masters change. Without understanding the constant Dao, one is not equal to meeting change; without grasping change, one is not equal to knowing the constant Dao. Constancy and change are perhaps the root of the Yi?

Substance and Function, Third

Constancy is the substance of the Yi; change is the function of the Yi. What does not change from ancient times to the present is the substance of the Yi; what shifts with the moment is the function of the Yi. Without thought and without deliberate action is the substance of the Yi; being affected and responding is the function of the Yi. To clarify the function of the Yi is to penetrate its substance; to grasp the substance of the Yi is to employ its function well.

The sage looked up at the heavens and down at the earth, sought from afar and took evidence from what was near, and thus apprehended the substance of the Yi. The noble person augments virtue and cultivates undertakings, handles affairs and makes implements—all in accord with the function of the Yi. As for investigating principle, fully knowing human nature, resting in Heaven’s way and understanding Heaven’s mandate, as well as cultivating the person, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the realm, together with every rule and standard—none lies outside the Yi. To hold the substance of the Yi complete is enough to know the constant Dao; to use the function of the Yi well is enough to penetrate change.

Stillness and Movement, Fourth

Motion and stillness alternate with each other—this is what the Yi (Book of Changes) calls movement and rest. The ascent and descent, coming and going of yin qi and yang qi, are the motion and stillness of qi; the interleaving and overlapping of odd and even numbers are the motion and stillness of the hexagram lines; the waxing and waning of qi and form are the motion and stillness of the ten thousand things; day and night, rising and sleeping, are the motion and stillness of the body. Human advance and retreat, the arising and ceasing of the mind, the openness or blockage of the times, success and failure in affairs—all likewise depend on the alternation of motion and stillness and on mutual dependence. By observing motion and stillness, one can discern the transformations of all affairs and the conditions of the ten thousand things.

In stillness one must hold fast to something; in action one must examine and distinguish carefully. In stillness the heart has a master; in action one can render judgment. In stillness the mind is settled; in action nothing is inauspicious. Stillness is the root of action; action is the germ that stirs within stillness. When neither motion nor stillness departs from their proper measure, the Way becomes clear and bright.

Bending and Stretching, Fifth

When summer heat passes and cold arrives, that is the bending and stretching of the four seasons; the sun’s course and the moon’s rising are the bending and stretching of yin and yang qi; what is past becoming history and the present constantly renewing are the bending and stretching of worldly affairs. Being and non-being generate each other, difficult and easy accomplish each other, long and short reveal each other, high and low depend on each other—these too are the principle of bending and stretching and change. One who understands how bending and stretching respond to each other can fully employ the boundless benefit of all under Heaven.

Waning and Waxing, Sixth

“Xi” (rest/cessation) is where dissolution begins; “xiao” (dissolution) is where generating life ends. Xi is the gathering of Qi; xiao is the scattering of the bodily form. Begetting and growth are called xi; returning to the root and reverting to one’s original nature and destiny is called xiao. In the Yijing, “yuan” and “heng” belong to generating life (xi); “li” and “zhen” belong to dissolution (xiao). Spring and summer are the xi of the year’s cycle; autumn and winter are its xiao. Growing from infancy to prime adulthood is the body’s xi; aging until death is the body’s xiao. A thing’s passing from nonbeing to being is its xi; from being to nonbeing is its xiao.

Xi goes with life; xiao goes with death. Ever since Yin and Yang began to differentiate, there has never been a case of only dissolving without ever generating again, nor of only generating without ever dissolving. Whoever can see through this has grasped the truth of things to the full.

Shen and Ji, Section Seven

The marvelous efficacy stored within is called shen (spirit/marvel); efficacy that appears and hits the mark is called ji (trigger/mechanism). Stillness without movement is shen; meeting stimulus and penetrating through is ji. What is wondrous, hidden, and hard to fathom is shen; responding to things without a fixed pattern is ji. What is held within oneself is shen; what is extended to the myriad things and put to work is ji. Omens of fortune and calamity belong to shen; ceaseless change with no fixed abode belongs to ji.

Embodying the four virtues—yuan, heng, li, and zhen—and ceaselessly strengthening oneself is the inner way of nurturing the marvelous; penetrating the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity and applying them without limit is the way of deploying ji.

Wisdom and Practice, Section Eight

“Zhi” (wisdom) means penetrating the principles of things; “xing” (practice) means earnestly carrying out the Way one follows. When one truly understands the principle, one can know without seeing with one’s eyes; when one earnestly practices the Great Way, one can accomplish without deliberate contrivance. Without stepping outside the door, one can still know the principles of all under Heaven.

“One whose use is inexhaustible is one who moves his ji” means: efficacy can keep unfolding without end because one works through the transformations of ji.

Those with wisdom can deeply grasp the principles of things; those with practical strength can earnestly practice the Dao. To deeply grasp principle is to understand without needing to see with one’s own eyes; to earnestly practice the Dao is to achieve without forcing.

“Without leaving the door one knows the affairs of the world; without looking out the window one penetrates the way of Heaven”—this is deep grasp of principle. Constantly advancing oneself and adapting wherever one goes—this is earnest practice.

Seeing disorder before it has formed, danger before it has appeared, decline before it has arrived, and calamity before it has begun—this is deep grasp of principle. Settling body and life without being burdened by the body, acting from the heart without being enslaved by the mind, dwelling in the world without being changed by the world, handling affairs without being obstructed by them—this is earnest practice.

Those who deeply grasp principle can turn disorder into stability, danger into safety, decline into continuance, and calamity into blessing. Those who earnestly practice the Dao can enter the realm of long life, reach the subtlety of spirit, bring the world to great peace, and bring affairs to full success. Who but those of great wisdom and great conduct can do this?

Ming the Times, Section Nine

To respond well to change, one should first understand the times; to understand the times, one should first clarify principle; to clarify principle, one should first empty and still the mind. When the mind is empty, one sees clearly; when the mind is still, one is clear and bright. Hold clarity and brightness in oneself, and the principle of Heaven appears. The changes of Heaven and earth can be known through the Yi (Book of Changes, the classic that explains change through hexagrams). To understand the times, one should first clarify principle; to clarify principle, one should first empty and still the mind. When the mind is empty, one sees clearly; when the mind is still, one is clear and bright. Hold clarity and brightness in oneself, and the principle of Heaven appears.

The seasons of Heaven can be known by observing the Yi; the trends of the world can be verified by observing signs; truth and falsity in things can be distinguished by observing outward form. Whatever attaches to form necessarily has its counterpart; what appears in color can also be told apart. Before Heaven sends rain, the air is first damp and warm; before a mountain collapses, there is first damage below; before a person meets gain or loss, benefit or harm, the expression changes first.

It is like a nest sensing the wind, burrowing creatures sensing rain to come, dormant insects following the seasons, and fallen leaves showing that autumn has come. Merchants put pheasant tails on boats or carts to judge fair or foul weather: in clear weather the tail stands upright; when rain is coming, it hangs down. Even things without feeling are like this—how much more so people? Yet some today cannot read the turning of the times because they have not yet seen principle clearly.

Rectifying Oneself, Section Ten

Cultivating virtue and advancing in learning—nothing is more important than rectifying oneself. Once you rectify yourself, other aspects tend to fall into place. Names and designations for things must be grounded in rectitude before they can be established; affairs must be grounded in rectitude before they can succeed. Daily arrangements and dealings with others all begin with oneself. The myriad principles of the world and all things likewise cannot depart from the self as root. Therefore, the key to progress in cultivation must take rectifying the person as foundation.

When you treat others with rectified self, people tend toward rectitude; when you handle affairs with rectified self, matters are managed well; when you respond to the ten thousand things with rectified self, each thing finds its proper place. Only the utmost rectitude of principle can penetrate the myriad changes under heaven. From this one knows that rectifying oneself is a major function of cultivation and a stairway toward the sage’s realm.

Gongfu (Practice) — Eleven

Purifying the mind, clearing entanglements, cutting off stray thoughts, forgetting emotional clinging, reducing selfishness and desire, and keeping plain authenticity—these are methods of cultivating body and mind through the Way of Change (using the principles of the Yi to nurture body and spirit). When the mind is pure and entanglements dissolve, one can fully discern principle; when stray thoughts are severed and clinging fades, one can fully unfold innate nature; when selfishness and desire are cleared, one can draw near the Great Dao; when plain unity is maintained, one can apprehend Heaven’s Way.

Ganying (Resonance) — Twelve

Stillness yet able to respond and connect—acting without deliberate effort yet accomplishing, knowing without having to see: this is the working of resonance in the Way of the Yi. Stillness that can connect leaves nothing unreachable; non-action that can complete leaves nothing unfinished; knowing without seeing leaves nothing unclear.

If one must act first in order to connect, that is not yet true connection; if one must do something first in order to succeed, that is not yet true achievement; if one must see first in order to know, that is not yet true knowing. These three stand far from the way of resonance.

If one can truly achieve before affairs have appeared, respond while things have not yet stirred, and discern before signs have sprouted—and align these three so they support and deepen one another—then there is no response that fails to connect, no matter that goes unanswered, and no situation that brings no benefit. Who fully reaches this level? Perhaps only Yan Hui (Yanzi, Confucius’s disciple)?

The Thirteen: Three Yi

The so-called "Three Yi" are, first, "Tian Yi" (Heaven's Changes), second, "Sheng Yi" (the Sage's Changes), and third, "Xin Yi" (Heart-Mind Changes). Tian Yi expounds the principles of the Changes; Sheng Yi expounds the symbolism of the Changes; Xin Yi expounds the Dao of the Changes. To study Sheng Yi, the emphasis is on understanding hexagram imagery; once imagery is clear, one can grasp the sage's meaning. To study Tian Yi, the emphasis is on probing how things work; when principle is thoroughly explored, one can know the Way of Heaven. To study Xin Yi, the emphasis is on putting the Dao into practice; when the Dao is lived, one can fully know one's own original heart-mind.

Without reading the Changes composed by the sage, one cannot understand Tian Yi; without understanding Tian Yi, one cannot grasp Xin Yi; without grasping Xin Yi, one is not equal to mastering transformation. Therefore the Changes is a book about penetrating transformation.

The dissipation and growth of Qi, the rise and fall of the seasons, the hardship and smoothness of fortune, and the blockage and openness of the age—all belong to Tian Yi. The auspicious and inauspicious shown in the hexagrams, gain and loss in the line positions, the peril and ease spoken in the line statements, and the brightness and dimness displayed in the figures—all are what the Changes uses to explain change.

The waxing and waning of qi, the rise and fall of the seasons, the smooth or adverse turn of fortune, and whether the age is open or blocked—these are called “Heaven’s Yi” (tianyi), meaning the changes by which heaven and earth run their course. The auspicious or inauspicious of the hexagrams, gain or loss in the lines, ease or difficulty in the judgments, and whether the figures appear clear or obscure—these are called “the Sage’s Yi” (shengyi), what the sages expound through the Yi as the principle of change. Stagnation or prominence in one’s lot, advance or retreat in one’s situation, success or failure in affairs, and security or danger in one’s station—these are called “Heart-Mind Yi” (xinyi), change as it appears in the human heart and in personal circumstance.

To penetrate Heaven’s Yi is to know the times; to study the Sage’s Yi deeply is to grasp the principle of change; to enter Heart-Mind Yi fully is to know human nature and life. Use Heart-Mind Yi to take in the Sage’s Yi, use the Sage’s Yi to infer Heaven’s Yi, and use Heaven’s Yi to verify Heart-Mind Yi—when the three are threaded into one, such a person is called a “supreme adept” (zhishi), one whose cultivation and insight have reached the deepest level.

“Explaining Doubts, Part Fifteen” is the section title, meaning “Explaining Doubts, the fifteenth chapter.”

Changes in worldly affairs unfold according to their own timing, yet safety and danger rest in one’s own hands. Fortune and misfortune, gain and loss—all arise from oneself. Therefore, those who grasp change can align with the times; those who align with the times can turn danger into safety even when peril is near. Those who understand change can settle disorder even amid chaos. Those who keep their place and do not abandon principle can reach success even in hardship; those who act without care may sink into obscurity even when circumstances are ample.

Those who know how to hide their sharpness can avoid harm even in Mingyi (Darkening of the Light); those who lean on everything they possess will invite disaster even in Dayou (Great Possession). People far apart yet answering one another do so because their aims agree; people face to face yet unable to unite do so because their hearts diverge. The weak who still prevail do so because they gain support; the strong who commit no fault do so because their conduct follows the right path.

The hexagram Yi (Increase) speaks of applying benefit to what is dangerous in order to relieve distress; the hexagram Kui (Opposition) speaks of meeting those one dislikes in order to ward off resentment. Those who do not hold to virtue cannot stand firm; those who think only of themselves gain no lasting benefit. Those who stand alone and trust only themselves achieve little; those who stay wary and examine and correct themselves receive blessing. Benefit others, and others will help you; enrich others, and others will repay you; keep faith with others, and others will trust you; show kindness to others, and others will return it.

Those who respect danger avoid it; those who guard against error avoid fault. Respect calamity, and blessing will come in time; neglect good fortune, and calamity will follow. When I say that safety and danger lie in oneself, what room is there for doubt?

The Sage’s Achievement, Section Sixteen

The reason the sage becomes a sage is simply that he is good at applying the Yi (the Book of Changes). Apply the Yi, and faults can be avoided.

The reason sages become sages is simply that they are good at using straightforward methods. To accomplish their work through straightforward methods, the key lies solely in emptiness and stillness. When the mind is empty, nothing cannot be received; when the mind is still, nothing cannot be observed. Emptiness enables one to embrace the myriad things; stillness enables one to respond to affairs. By long maintaining emptiness and stillness, the spirit of the heart becomes keen and clear.

Emptiness is the emblem of Heaven; stillness is the emblem of Earth. Ceaseless self-strengthening embodies Heaven’s emptiness; great virtue carrying all things embodies Earth’s stillness. The sky is vast without limit, showing Heaven’s emptiness; the earth is broad without end, showing Earth’s stillness. The Way of Heaven and Earth is nothing but emptiness and stillness. If emptiness and stillness are realized in oneself, one has fused the Way of Heaven and Earth into oneself. The Dao Jing (Daodejing) says: “If a person can constantly remain pure and still, the myriad things of Heaven and Earth will all return to him.” Is this not what is meant? Purity is emptiness; emptiness and stillness are perhaps the wondrous De and the sage’s accomplishment.

Zhonghe Ji (Collection of Central Harmony), fascicle 2

Li Daochun of Duliang, styled Yuansu, Qing’an Yingchanzi, composed this fascicle; his disciple Sun’an Baochanzi Cai Zhiyi compiled it.

Wondrous Secrets of the Golden Elixir

Exposition of the Golden Elixir Diagrams

The four diagrams below use images to make clear the profound and subtle intent of the utmost Dao.

Diagram of Setting Up the Furnace

The root that props up Heaven and Earth is hard to grasp; who gave it the name “Jade Furnace”?

I once underwent refinement within it—from nothing entering into being, from being returning to nothing—all accomplished through it.

Diagram of Erecting the Cauldron

It is neither being nor non-being, nor does it fall in the middle; empty outside, empty within as well.

One of fierce, resolute spirit lifts the cover to look—and finds that the original nature has its own radiance.

Diagram of Returning the Elixir

Before the King of Awesome Voice, the primordial spirit (Yuanshen) was originally bright; the reason it grows dim is entirely because of clinging to illusory form.

If it can be brought forth through Golden Elixir practice, it becomes perfectly round and fused, reaching the utmost of emptiness and spirit.

Diagram of Returning to the Root

The Dao is originally Wuwei (non-action), following what is natural. The sage, by means of diagrams, provisionally sets up names and boundaries.

The principle shows itself everywhere in daily life; break through these images and names, and one knows the Great Dao exists before all that has form and name.

Verse on the Two Diagrams

Remove the middle line (the yin line in the middle of the Kan hexagram) and restore it to the Qian hexagram (the purely yang hexagram), so that pure yang qi returns and the root of life is firmly established; the light of nature (xingguang, the radiance of one’s original nature) becomes as round and unobstructed as a perfect pearl.

When engaging with external things, one can still preserve heavenly principle; when turning away from worldly clamor, one aligns with the highest Chan teaching. Once one knows where to begin refining lead (a term in internal alchemy), the embryonic immortal (the fully matured original spirit) can undergo three transformations and rise in dance.

Verse diagram / Illustrative diagram / Verse-and-illustration diagram

[The same passage on removing the middle line of Kan, restoring Qian, pure yang, the light of nature, preserving principle amid contact with things, leaving the dust of the world, supreme Chan, refining lead, and the embryonic immortal’s three transformations—repeated in the source with diagram headings.]

Diagram of firing phases (huohou)

Eleventh, twelfth, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth months

First, third, sixth, eighth, eleventh, full moon (fifteenth), fourteenth, sixteenth, eighteenth, twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-sixth, and twenty-eighth days

Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai hours

Mysterious palace—advance slowly; enter; bathe in the Silver River; pass Jade Gate; stop at Kun Mountain; retreat slowly; withdraw; bathe in the Crimson Palace; hold the center; battle

Fu, Lin, Tai, Da Zhuang, Guai, Qian, Gou, Dun, Pi, Guan, Bo, and Kun hexagrams

Initial nine, second nine, third nine, fourth nine, fifth nine, top nine; initial six, second six, third six, fourth six, fifth six, top six

Explanation of the Inner and Outer Medicines of the Golden Elixir, with Illustrations

The outer medicine can treat illness and can also enable long life with clear vision.

The inner medicine can transcend the mundane world and reach the state of going out yet entering in—freedom beyond ordinary existence.

Generally speaking, those who study the Dao must begin with the outer medicine before they can recognize the inner medicine. Those with deep roots and lofty virtue can understand from birth, and therefore need not cultivate the outer medicine—they may cultivate the inner medicine directly.

The inner medicine accords with the way of wuwei (non-action), yet can accomplish all things; the outer medicine achieves results through deliberate, “having-action” cultivation.

The inner medicine is formless and without substance, yet truly exists; the outer medicine has concrete form and effect, but in ultimate essence is empty.

The outer medicine belongs to cultivation at the level of the physical body; the inner medicine belongs to cultivation at the level of the dharma body (the practitioner’s spiritual body beyond the flesh).

The outer medicine is the path of the earthly immortal; the inner medicine is the path of the water immortal.

When both inner and outer medicines are complete, that is the path of the celestial immortal.

When the outer medicine is perfected, one can complete the work of nurturing life; when the inner medicine is perfected, one can fully realize original nature.

When the two medicines required for cultivation are both present, body and spirit can together reach a subtle and wondrous state.

External Medicine

The first pass—the initial stage of cultivation—is refining essence into qi. One must first recognize when tiangui (the sign that human essence is stirring) appears and seize the moment to gather and refine it.

The middle pass—the intermediate stage—is refining qi into spirit. Harmonize the zhenxi (the breath regulated in practice) so that qi circulates through the six voids (the four directions plus above and below). Qi reverses from the Tai Xuan gate until it meets at the Tiangu acupoint; then spirit and essence can together tend toward subtlety.

External Medicine

At the first pass, refine essence into qi. First recognize when tiangui stirs and refine in good time.

At the middle pass, refine qi into spirit. Harmonize zhenxi so qi flows through the six voids. From the Tai Xuan gate it runs in reverse to meet at Tiangu, then descends to the Huangfang (the locus of practice in the body) and enters the Zhonggong (the central palace in neidan). After Qian and Kun (the two poles of Yin-Yang) unite, a single thread of true qi settles in the Huangting (the inner field of cultivation).

Diagram of External Medicine

The upper pass—the higher stage—is refining spirit to return to emptiness. Using mind-spirit to refine thoughts is called the “seven returns”; letting emotional thoughts return to original nature is called the “nine reversions.”

Diagram of Internal Medicine

Internal medicine is the key to refining spirit: it can bring body and spirit to a subtle state and unite them with the Dao in truth.

Internal medicine is the single point of innate true Yang. It is like the central line of the Qian trigram (pure Yang) meeting Kun (pure Yin) to form the Kan trigram (Water). That central line of Qian belongs to Metal by nature, so it is also called “gold within water,” and altogether “ utmost jing (essence).” When utmost jing congeals, it can return to zuqi (ancestral qi). Zuqi is the innate, empty, undivided primordial qi—not the breath of ordinary respiration.

When the central line of Qian meets Kun and forms Kan, the one Yin line of Kun in turn meets Qian and forms the Li trigram (Fire). That Yin line in Li belongs to Kun earth by nature, so it is also called “mercury within cinnabar sand.”

“The Dao gives birth to One; One gives birth to Two; Two gives birth to Three; Three gives birth to the ten thousand things. Emptiness transforms into shen (spirit); shen transforms into qi; qi transforms into jing; jing transforms into form”—this describes the forward course: from emptiness, shen, qi, jing, and form arise step by step until the ten thousand things take shape.

“The ten thousand things contain Three; Three return to Two; Two return to One. Refine to utmost jing; jing transforms into qi; qi transforms into shen”—this describes the reverse course: the Three within things return to Two, then to One; through cultivation, utmost jing becomes qi, and qi becomes shen. Alchemical texts say: “Forward, one becomes a person; reverse, one forms the elixir.”

The original text lists both processes again: emptiness gives rise to shen, shen to qi, qi to jing, jing to form—this is the forward path; the Three in the ten thousand things return to Two, Two to One, then one refines to utmost jing so jing becomes qi and qi becomes shen—this is the reverse path.

What has been described above is called “reversal.” The Dan Shu (Alchemical Texts) says: “If you follow ordinary patterns of development, you become an ordinary person; if you reverse the usual order in cultivation, you can form the elixir.”

The Three Grades of Upper Medicine: Jing, Qi, and Shen

From the perspective of substance, Jing, Qi, and Shen are originally one; from the perspective of function, they divide into inner and outer aspects. What is substance? It is the fundamental unity of the three primordial elements. What is function? It is the two modes of inner refinement and outer practice.

Inner medicine includes: innate supreme Jing (essence), empty and formless Qi, and the indestructible original Shen (spirit).

Outer medicine includes: Jing from male–female union, Qi from breathing, and Shen from thinking and planning.

Diagram of the First, Middle, and Upper Passes

1. Refining Jing to transform it into Qi is the first pass. It belongs to purposeful (youwei) cultivation and aims at “filling Li from Kan”—using the image of the Kan trigram to replenish Li, borrowing the Yijing trigrams to describe the harmonizing of Yin and Yang.

2. Refining Qi to transform it into Shen is the middle pass. It is the stage where purposeful and non-purposeful intermingle, illustrated by the opening and closing of Qian and Kun (the images of heaven and earth).

3. Refining Shen to return to emptiness is the upper pass. It belongs to wuwei (non-action) cultivation.

When these three stages of work are complete, all return to unity. If you grasp the key here, you will understand the great matter at the root of Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism alike; if not, study closely what follows.

1. Refining Jing to Transform Qi

In cultivation that enters the Way, the crucial point lies in “seeking the mysterious within the Water Palace”—in neidan, turning inward to the inner root associated with kidney Water to find the subtle principle. The Dan Shu says: “When guishui (Yin Water) stirs, you must promptly gather and refine it; wait too long and it is no longer fit to take.” The “gathering” spoken of here is really “gathering without gathering”—not actually seizing something as a physical object. If you treat it as something real to take, the meaning of that single line in the Kan trigram still needs further inquiry.

Returning to the Dao means seeking the mystery within the “water mansion”—the symbolic dwelling of kidney water and the body’s internal water qi. The alchemical texts say: “When gui water first arises, one should gather it promptly; wait too long in distant gazing and it can no longer be tasted.” What is called “gathering” here is really gathering without gathering—it is not a matter of taking hold of something physical. If there were truly a substance to seize, how could the single yang line in Kan (the Water trigram, associated with water and the kidneys) ever rise?

Jing (essence) is what comes from transformation of the primordial, most spiritual substance; the body takes shape through movement, and the purest part within the person is yuan yang (primordial yang). What “gathering” gathers is precisely this yuan yang. Qian (Heaven) stands for that primordial spirit; when it first stirs and couples with Kun (Earth), Kan is formed—symbolizing the utmost spirit becoming yuan jing (primordial essence). Kan belongs to water; the single line in Kan represents Qian metal, hence the borrowed name “metal within water.” Metal is the mother of water, yet it lies hidden inside water—hence the phrase “the mother conceals the child in the womb.”

The secret of gathering lead (cai qian) is hard to put fully into words. Those who penetrate the matter find that when they read in the Yijing “Thunder in the earth: Return (Fu). The ancient kings closed the passes at the solstice; merchants and travelers did not go abroad, and the ruler did not inspect the regions,” they have already grasped more than half; the rest still depends on oral transmission through secret formulas. “Gathering lead” here is the symbolic language of Neidan (internal alchemy) for the work of refining and gathering yuan jing and yuan yang—it is not the collection of any material thing.

Second: refining Qi (vital energy) to transform Shen (spirit).

Those who revere Buddhism leave the temples to practice seated meditation. The alchemical texts say: “True Earth subdues true Lead; true Lead subdues true Mercury; when Lead and Mercury return to the Earth Cauldron, body and mind become still and unmoving.” In these few lines the principle is fully stated. Once true Lead is obtained, why worry that true Mercury will not congeal?

The crux of refining Qi lies in the circulation of Qi: opening and closing, going and coming, rising and descending, without pause. At first one must guide it with intention; afterward it runs on its own. In each inhalation and exhalation one can gather a year’s worth of cosmic transformation. This is exactly what the Supreme One meant: “The gate of the Mysterious Female is the root of Heaven and Earth. Continuous and subtle, it seems to be there; in using it, there is no need to force.” Those who understand can apply their mind to the diagrams of Qian and Kun, the Gate of Change, and the hexagrams Fu and Gou—then the essentials of refining Qi are complete.

III. Refining Spirit and Returning to Emptiness

When cultivation has reached this stage, not a single word is needed.

Explanation of the Three-Five Guide Diagram

Purple Yang True Person’s Wuzhen Pian has a verse: “Three, five, and one—three words; through the ages, those who truly grasp them have been few. East three and south two together make five; north one and west four join them. Wu and Ji still follow the generating number five; when the three families meet, the Cosmic Infant forms. The infant is one bundle of true Qi; in ten months the embryo is complete and one enters the foundation of sagehood.”

These fifty-six characters run through the hundred schools and through alchemical and philosophical classics alike. If one can grasp their true meaning from them, the business of studying and cultivating the Way can be considered complete; if not, one must go on seeking through commentaries and explanations.

The phrase “Three-Five-One Combination” refers to the Three Origins, the Five Phases, and the single Qi. “From antiquity to the present, those who truly grasp its meaning have been exceedingly few.”

“East’s three and south’s two join to make five”: east’s three belongs to Wood, south’s two belongs to Fire. Wood generates Fire; Wood is Fire’s mother. Wood and Fire share the same nature and belong to one household, hence “together they become five.”

“North’s one and west’s four join”: north’s one belongs to Water, west’s four belongs to Metal. Metal generates Water; Metal is Water’s mother. Metal and Water share the same nature and belong to one household, hence “they share it together.”

“Wu and Ji still follow the generative number five”: Wu and Ji belong to Earth; five is Earth’s generative number. Five sits in the center and has no paired number—it forms a household of its own.

What is called “the three households meet” means the Three Origins and Five Phases blend and return to one Qi; therefore it is said, “when the three households meet, they form the spirit infant.” “Spirit infant” here is a borrowed name for utter oneness; hence it is also said, “the spirit infant is that which holds and conceals true Qi.”

“Ten months’ gestation completes the fetus—the foundation for entering sagehood”: through three hundred days of nurturing, applying the dual medicines of yin and yang, and refining again and again until maturity—this is the crucial work of transcending the mundane and entering sagehood, and so it is called “the foundation for entering sagehood.”

If we explain this in terms of the human body, “the middle” refers to the central earth of Wu and Ji—that is, yi (intention). The east belongs to Wood and is associated with the number three, corresponding to xing (nature); the west belongs to Metal and the number four, corresponding to qing (emotion); the south belongs to Fire and the number two, corresponding to Shen (spirit); the north belongs to Water and the number one, corresponding to Jing (essence). The five phases, directions, and numbers here are used as analogies for how the parts of body and mind relate to one another.

Xing is what governs the heart, and the heart is where Shen dwells; both xing and Shen are anchored in the heart, so the “three” of the east and the “two” of the south combine to make five. Jing is the foundation of the body, and the body is where qing is housed; both Jing and qing are anchored in the body, so the “one” of the north and the “four” of the west combine in the same way.

Yi belongs to the central earth of Wu and Ji. The Four Images and the Five Phases are all governed by yi, yet yi has no paired counterpart of its own—it stands complete in itself. When practitioners gather in body, heart, and yi, the various parts of body and mind naturally merge into one. What alchemical texts call “gathering body and heart to gather the medicine” points to exactly this.

The crux of gathering body and heart lies in emptiness and stillness: when the heart is empty and still, Shen and xing unite; when the body is quiet, Jing and qing settle; when yi is fully stabilized, the three levels of body, heart, and yi blend into one. This is what is meant by “the three flowers gathering,” “the five qi returning,” and ultimately the coalescing of the Sacred Embryo—the inner elixir body formed in neidan (internal alchemy) practice.

When emotion accords with original nature, it is called “Metal and Wood united”; when essence and spirit merge, it is called “Water and Fire intermingling”; when intention is fully settled, it is called “the Five Phases complete.”

The alchemical texts say: “Refining essence into qi is the first pass—the body does not move; refining qi into spirit is the middle pass—the mind does not move; refining spirit into emptiness is the upper pass—intention does not move.” When the mind does not move, the three of the east and the two of the south combine into five; when the body does not move, the one of the north and the four of the west unite; when intention does not move, Wu and Ji return to the generating number five. When body, mind, and intention become one, that is the “meeting of the three families,” forming the infant. If the cultivator can grasp this, Golden Elixir practice is complete, and the great work of attaining immortality is fulfilled.

The various metaphors, symbols, and different names in the alchemical books all come down to body, mind, and intention. Still, some cannot grasp the meaning directly, so various alternate names and symbolic diagrams are listed here for those who understand the principle to study closely.

Diagram of Metaphors

Body, mind, and intention are called the “three families”; essence, qi, and spirit are called the “three treasures”; essence, spirit, soul, hun, po, and intention are called the “five qi”; lead, mercury, silver, cinnabar, and earth are called the “Five Phases.” The meeting of the three families is called “embryo complete”; the unity of the three treasures is called “elixir formed.”

On the birthday of the Pure Yang Patriarch, in the third year of Dade, written at Zhonghe Hermitage on the Luan River.

The Mysterious Pass and Single Opening (For a Disciple)

The "Mysterious Pass, the One Aperture" refers to the most profound and pivotal hinge. It is not the Yintang (between the eyebrows), the crown of the head, the navel, the bladder, or the two kidneys; nor is it any fixed spot in front of the kidneys, behind the navel, or between the two kidneys. It pervades the whole body from crown to heel—no single part of the body can be pointed to as it alone; yet it cannot be sought outside the body either. Therefore the sages indicate it with a single word, "center" (zhong): the so-called Mysterious Pass lies precisely in this "center."

Let me use a comparison so you can grasp it easily: when a puppet's hands and feet lift and it moves about, it is not that the puppet moves by itself—it is pulled by strings. Though the place where the strings attach seems like a key mechanism, what truly moves it is the person who operates the puppet. Do you recognize this operator? Do not doubt further—I tell you plainly: the puppet stands for the human body, the strings for the Mysterious Pass, and the operator for the "host" (the inner master). When a person's hands, feet, and limbs move, it is not that they move on their own; the Mysterious Pass makes them move. And though the Mysterious Pass is at work, it is also the host that makes it work. If you can recognize this pivot of activation, why worry that you cannot attain immortality?

Golden Elixir means the supreme true wondrous Way that takes emptiness and non-being as its foundation and purity and stillness as its function. Few in the world truly understand it, and few can put it into practice. Therefore the sages used flexible and skillful means to open gateways that lead people toward the Way, provisionally setting up names and symbols and writing these into elixir scriptures to guide later students. The sages’ intent was that those who came after would read the words, grasp the principle, then silently reflect and inwardly unite with it; cultivating in this way, one could quickly leave the ordinary world behind and enter the true realm of the Way.

Regrettably, later people would not probe the reasoning within. They clung only to metaphors and surface talk, freely spinning out one explanation after another, until things splintered into fragments and the highest Way was carved into countless side paths, with names numbering as many as three thousand six hundred kinds. This truly happened because the genuine transmission was not passed down. Moreover, some people of shallow insight today presume to annotate the sages’ scriptures on their own, and errors that stray from the original meaning are even worse—how could they fail to mislead those who come after? Even diligent seekers of the Way find it hard to tell orthodox from heterodox, which is truly lamentable.

For this reason I have written this Touchstone (Shijinshi) to distinguish true from false, so that students of the Way are not confused, can trust with certainty, and go straight to the far shore of the Way. The patriarch said: “The Way has three thousand six hundred gates; each person holds fast to one gate and takes it as the root. Who knows that the one point of mystery is not found within those three thousand six hundred gates?” I believe the patriarch wrote this poem out of earnest compassionate intent. If someone can share this understanding, then the whole earth is precious as gold everywhere; if one still cannot grasp it, one should put it to the test—hence these words from me.

Nine-Rank Classification

The lower, middle, and upper ranks correspond respectively to the heterodox path, the outer path, and the side gates.

Three Vehicles of Gradual Methods

Methods of step-by-step cultivation are divided into lower, middle, and upper vehicles: the method of ease and peace, the method of nurturing life, and the method of extending life.

The Supreme Single Vehicle

The unsurpassed, most truly wondrous Way.

Nine Ranks of Side Gates

The three lower ranks: bedchamber techniques involving union with women (taking the arts of male–female coupling as the method of cultivation).

The lowest grade, the middle grade, and the highest grade—the methods of comfort, nourishing life, and prolonging life.

The highest vehicle is the supreme true and subtle Dao (the Way).

Heterodox paths are divided into nine grades; the three lower grades serve as examples.

Some methods focus on bedroom arts between men and women and on gathering yin to supplement yang: they treat the woman as the cauldron furnace (dinglu), menstrual blood as the medicine, the birth gate as the place where human life enters the world, and essence-blood as the root of refining the great elixir (dadan); they also use phrases such as “forging the male-female swords” and “setting up the yin-yang furnace,” calling the woman pure yang and menstrual blood a supreme treasure, then ingesting it and calling this “one return per month.” Some use nine women as nine cauldrons and speak of nine returns in nine years; some have boys and girls unite and gather the essence produced at first emission; still others gather from the yin a substance like millet grains and call it the “mysterious pearl.” As for “golden flower,” “waving the golden spear,” “seventy-two schools,” and notions of strong troops conquering, many entries and few exits, nine shallow and one deep—all are heterodox techniques. Such methods are called “mud-water elixir methods” (nishui danfa); there are more than three hundred kinds—extremely chaotic evil paths belonging to the lowest grade.

There are also arts such as “eighty-four kinds of coupling” and “thirty-six ways of gathering yin”: they call the afterbirth (the fetal membranes wrapping the baby after delivery) the Purple River Vehicle (Ziheche), call substances refined from urine Autumn Stone (Qiushi), take ingesting one’s own semen as “returning to origin” (huanyuan), and call pressing the Weilu (tail gate, near the lower end of the spine) “sealing the pass” (biguan). When husband and wife unite, they try to prevent semen from leaking out and call that “non-leakage” (wulou); gathering a woman’s menstrual blood they call the “red round pill.” Some also use the five metals and eight minerals to refine pills, have women swallow them, and after ten months claim a fleshy mass is produced, which they treat as a supreme treasure to gather and ingest. These absurd arts need not be listed one by one; there are roughly more than three hundred kinds, belonging to the middle-lower grade of heterodox outer paths (waidan).

Some cultivation methods belong to the lower grade: smelting the five metals and eight stones (mineral medicinals) in a cinnabar furnace, refining mercury by specific methods, “pointing mao and burning gen,” stirring ash and tending fire, and refining external-elixir (waidan) medicines such as cinnabar elixir. These use minerals, stones, and plants as materials; there are more than four hundred ingestion methods, all lower grade. Among them, pointing mao and burning gen, stirring ash and tending fire, and refining cinnabar elixir are called heterodox paths and rank as the upper tier within the lower grade. The three sub-grades of the lower grade total more than a thousand methods, mostly practiced by those who crave private gain, indulge in pleasure, or seek profit.

Middle Three Grades

Grain avoidance and bigu (abstaining from grain), enduring cold, eating foul substances, ingesting pepperwood, sunning the back and sleeping on ice, and daily fasting (observing precepts)—all belong to the lower tier of the middle grade. Some deliberately eat strange foods; some take not getting drunk from wine as proof of attainment; some “refine and add” by cutting food intake; some avoid the five flavors and eat only the “three whites”; some eat nothing cooked. Others drink wine and eat meat without regard for their own life, yet call it practicing wuwei (non-action). All such inverted, showy practices also belong to the lower tier of the middle grade.

Swallowing mist and absorbing qi (vital energy), gathering the essence of sun and moon, swallowing the light of stars, ingesting the qi of the five directions, or drawing fire and water qi—or using visualization and focused intent (cunsi zhuxiang) to settle the spirit and thereby imagine traveling the nine provinces—all belong to the middle tier of the middle grade. Visualizing yin and yang within the body as male and female and imitating worldly sexual union in “harmonizing” methods, along with other vain visualizations, also fall in this tier.

Transmitting the three refuges and five precepts, teaching, reciting, and practicing precepts, giving talismans or techniques to seek karmic response; methods such as examination, going forth to receive, return journey, return to emptiness, the ten faiths, the three junctures and nine connections; gazing at stars, bowing to the Big Dipper, or maintaining silence, hard labor, and outward merit—all such deliberate cultivation belongs to the upper tier of the middle grade and can gradually bring one nearer to the Dao (the Way).

The three sub-grades of the middle grade total more than a thousand methods. Steady practice gradually improves one’s state—better than leaving the mind elsewhere.

Upper Three Grades

Sitting quietly in visualization, inspecting one’s bodily form, together with visualization of spirit-preservation and breath-regulation through exhalation and inhalation, and using the hands to rub the body to regulate qi: some practice Baduanjin (a set of daoyin health exercises), Liuzijue (a breath method using six vocal tones); some fix attention on the crown gate, hold the mind at the root of the navel, swallow saliva, then stir saliva in the mouth with the tongue—called “divine water.” Some call repeated swallowing of saliva “living”; some compare the tongue to the “red dragon”; some rub the body until it grows warm, taking that as “fire timing” (the moment and degree of breath regulation and practice); some first exhale with “ha” breath, then massage nine times, seeking longevity; some refine thick saliva into a “true seed”; some hold the mind in the dantian, some retract the external kidneys. As for contemplations such as “boiling the sea and observing the nose,” they too treat saliva, essence-qi, and spittle as material to refine. These belong to the lower rank within the superior methods.

Breath retention and circulating qi, flexing and extending in daoyin, massaging the waist and kidneys, holding intention at yintang (the forehead center), rotating the eyes, swaying the jiaji (the spine along the back), holding intention at the navel wheel—all also fall in this category. Some take the two eyes as sun and moon, the space between the brows as xuanguan (a gate or aperture in practice for visualization or holding the mind), and tooth-tapping as the “heavenly gate”; some imagine the primordial spirit (yuanshen) entering and leaving through the crown gate, wandering in an immortal realm in dreams, or silently paying homage to the Highest Lord; some take dullness as entering samadhi and breath-counting as fire timing; others visualize the black and white qi associated with heart and kidney joining, forming the image of jiji (fire and water harmonized). These belong to the middle rank within the superior methods.

Moving essence-qi so the three fires return to the navel, harmonizing the five viscera, practicing the sixteen contemplation methods, firmly guarding the dantian, ingesting “central yellow qi” (a teaching about yellow qi in the body’s center), and visualizing heart and kidney black-and-white qi joining as jiji, also belong to the middle among the superior methods.

Moving essence-qi so the three fires return to the navel, harmonizing the five viscera, practicing the sixteen contemplation methods, firmly guarding the dantian, ingesting central yellow qi, causing qi to cycle among the three fields (upper, middle, and lower dantian), returning essence to nourish the brain, lifting the “twin golden wells” (specific loci or passes in bodily practice), opening the jiaji double passes, the grasping-fist gesture together with inner gazing, and the various circulation practices—these belong to the upper rank within the superior methods.

The three ranks above total more than a thousand methods. People of middling capacity who practice accordingly can also dispel illness.

Gradual Method: Three Vehicles

Methods of the lower vehicle take body and mind-spirit as the cauldron furnace, essence-qi as the medicinal material, heart and kidney as water and fire, the five viscera as the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), liver and lung as dragon and tiger, and essence as the true seed; they arrange practice “fire timing” by year, month, day, and hour; call swallowing saliva for nourishment “bathing”; take mouth and nose as the three essentials; take the area before the kidneys and behind the navel as xuanguan; and take the Five Phases interpenetrating as elixir completion. This is a way to nurture body and mind; the related essentials number over a hundred. If one can forget lust and emotion, life can also be sustained. It is broadly similar to the three superior categories described above, differing only in how they are applied in detail.

In the middle vehicle, Heaven and Earth serve as the cauldron-vessel, the Kan and Li trigrams represent Water and Fire, and the Crow and Rabbit (symbolizing the moon and sun respectively) serve as the medicinals; essence (Jing), spirit (Shen), the hun-soul, the po-soul, and intent (Yi) map onto the Five Phases. The body and the heart-mind stand for the Dragon and Tiger; qi is the true seed, and the cold and heat of the four seasons illustrate the fire phases (huohou). Irrigating with the method-water is called bathing (muyu); keeping the inner state from leaking outward and outer conditions from penetrating inward is called consolidation (guji). Taiyuan, the Crimson Palace (Jianggong), and the Essence Chamber are the three vital regions; Niwan (the “mud pellet”) is the pass (xuanguan); when spirit and essence merge, the elixir is complete. This is the middle-vehicle way of nurturing life. It includes dozens of concrete applications, broadly the same as the lower vehicle, with only minor differences. If one practices steadily without slackening, one may also prolong life and years.

In the upper vehicle, Heaven and Earth are the cauldron-furnace, the sun and moon are Water and Fire, and Yin-Yang is the hinge of transformation; lead, mercury, silver, sand, and earth correspond to the Five Phases. Nature (Xing) and emotion (Qing) symbolize the Dragon and Tiger; thought is the true seed; refining thought with the mind is the fire phase; stilling stray thoughts is called nurturing the fire; gathering the inner light is called consolidation; subduing inner demons is called field combat. Body, mind, and intent are the three vital regions; the Heart of Heaven is the pass; when emotion returns to nature, the elixir is complete; harmonizing qi and gentle warming is called bathing. This is the upper-vehicle path of extending life. It resembles the middle vehicle, but the points of practice differ, and there are more than ten such items. A practitioner of the highest rank who holds to the practice without wavering may attain the immortal way (xiandao).

The supreme upper vehicle.

The supreme method of cultivation is the Way that is unsurpassed yet truly subtle. Take the Great Void as the cauldron and the Supreme Ultimate as the furnace; take purity and stillness as the foundation of refining the elixir and non-action as its master; compare nature and life to lead and mercury, and concentration and wisdom to water and fire. Restraining desire and calming anger is like blending water and fire; unifying original nature with emotion is like harmonizing metal and wood. Cleansing the inner heart and clearing away distracting thoughts is called “bathing”; maintaining sincerity and settling the mind is called “consolidating and assisting.”

Precepts, concentration, and wisdom are the three essentials of practice; “the center” is the mysterious pass (the key locus in practice where yin and yang meet and nature and life interpenetrate). Illuminating the mind means practice shows tangible results; seeing one’s nature means the work gathers into accomplishment. Fusing the Three Treasures (jing, qi, shen) into one forms the “sacred embryo”; when nature and life are fully integrated, the elixir is complete. Attaining “a body outside the body” (a state in which cultivation transcends the limits of the physical form) is called shedding the shell; shattering the void is when cultivation is truly complete. Such is the subtlety of the supreme method; those who aspire to the Dao may practice accordingly. When merit is fulfilled and virtue is deep, one can directly transcend the realm of sudden, all-at-once enlightenment; form and spirit both reach wondrous transformation and unite with the Dao in truth.

Zhonghe Ji (Collection of Harmony), juan 3

Composed by Li Daojun (Master Yingchan of Qing’an in Duliang), with editing by his disciple Cai Zhiyi (Master Baochan of Sun’an).

Recorded Dialogues: Questions and Answers

Master Cheng Andao of Jie’an (Qiongchan) asked about the unity of the Three Teachings.

Master Yingchan sat in stillness in the Chan grotto. That night, the cold moon shone clear, and pure qi refreshed the heart—as if one could reach out and touch it.

The disciple Qiongchan deeply considered that birth and death are the great matter of human life, that immortals are worthy of reverence and aspiration, and that the merit of cultivating the Dao must be pursued with single-minded effort. He bowed and asked: “Disciple has heard that sages and perfected ones of old, and immortal masters through the ages, all attained the Dao through true cultivation, and invariably took lead and mercury as the root of refining the Golden Elixir. I do not understand: what exactly are lead and mercury?”

The master said: “What are called lead and mercury mark the beginning of Heaven and Earth, the root of the ten thousand things, and the foundation of refining the Golden Elixir. This is not ordinary lead, black tin, quicksilver, or cinnabar. Alas, some people never grasp the truly subtle principle; they guess on their own, mislead later learners, waste years, and ruin a lifetime—a sad case. Without a genuine teacher’s guidance, everything they do is in vain.”

The True Person of Purple Yang (Ziyang Zhenren) said: “Even if your intelligence surpasses Yan Hui and Min Ziqian, if you do not meet a true teacher, do not strain to guess.” He meant exactly this.

I will now make it clear for you: true lead and true mercury mean body and mind. The sacred master said: “These two words—body and mind—are at once the medicine and the fire.” He also said: “Know where the medicine arises; its root lies in the southwest.” The southwest belongs to the Kun trigram; Kun stands for the body. Jing (essence) in the body is yang within yin. It is as when one line of Qian enters Kun and becomes Kan: Kan is yin outside, yang inside—soft without, firm within; Kun without, Qian within. Kan water holds Qian metal, so it is figuratively called “metal in water.”

Mercury is Qi (vital energy) in the mind; it is yin within yang. It is as when one line of Kun enters Qian and becomes Li: Li is yang outside, yin inside—firm without, soft within; Qian without, Kun within. Li fire holds Kun earth, so it is figuratively called “mercury in cinnabar sand.” The subtle way Jing and Qi respond to each other and join is what “lead” and “mercury” names and images explain, so practitioners see root and function. Push the inquiry to the end and it never leaves body and mind. Once body and mind are one, lead and mercury are no longer separate.

Question: What is meant by “chou and tian” (withdrawal and replenishment)?

Answer: When the body does not move and the breath is settled, that is called “chou” (withdrawal). When the mind does not stir and the spirit is settled, that is called “tian” (replenishment). When both body and mind are settled, spirit gathers and qi congeals—this is called “return to origin” (huanyuan). The phrase “taking the yang within Kan to supplement the yin within Li, thereby forming Qian” uses the trigrams Kan, Li, and Qian to describe the process of harmonizing yin and yang and restoring pure yang in cultivation; this is what is meant by “extracting lead and adding mercury” (chou qian tian gong).

Question: What is meant by “refining and cooking” (penglian)?

Answer: When body and mind are about to unite but have not yet fully united, if there is the slightest disturbance, one uses a firm, resolute mind to overcome it—this is called “martial refinement” (wulian). After body and mind have joined and essence and qi have blended, one maintains them with a gentle, soft intention—this is called “civil cooking” (wenpeng). The principle behind this is subduing body and mind; that is also what “refining lead and cooking mercury” (peng qian lian gong) refers to.

Forgetting desires and nourishing original nature, emptying and quieting the mind while nourishing spirit, until all attachments cease at once and every kind of thought clears—until body and mind are unmoving, spirit is gathered, and qi is condensed—this is the foundation of practice, likened to the “sacred embryo” (shengtai). These various names all say the same thing: using original nature to govern emotional thoughts. When original nature is still and emotional thoughts melt away, one sees the original face, holds to the root and returns to emptiness and stillness, returns to the source and recovers one’s original destiny—this is called “elixir complete” (dancheng), likened to “leaving the shell” (tuotai).

Question: All kinds of elixir scriptures say: “The subtlety of cultivation lies in the mysterious pass (xuanguan).” But where exactly is the mysterious pass?

The Xuan Guan (Mysterious Pass)—the pivot of inner vitality and responsiveness in cultivation—is so deep and subtle that it has no fixed location. To pin it to a spot in the body is mistaken; to seek it outside the body is also wrong. Cling to the body and you are bound by the four elements (earth, water, fire, and wind that compose the person); cling to outer things and you are bound by them. The so-called Mysterious Pass exists only where one is not confined by the body’s four elements and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water).

Let me use a simile so this is easier to grasp: when a puppet’s limbs move and it performs every gesture, what matters is the string that moves it—and in truth it is the puppeteer who controls it. The puppet stands for the human body, the string for the Mysterious Pass, and the puppeteer for one’s original true nature. Without the string the puppet cannot move; without the Mysterious Pass a person cannot truly act.

You need only keep at your practice through ordinary walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, and look inward: when you speak or stay silent, look or listen, what exactly is at work? When body and mind settle and the inner awareness is clear and bright, the place where vital responsiveness appears will naturally become visible. The Xici commentary on the Book of Changes says “still and unmoving”—that refers to the substance of the Mysterious Pass; “responsive and thus penetrating”—that refers to its function.

Once you have personally realized the Mysterious Pass, you can hold to it continuously; what cultivation calls medicinals, firing phases, the three origins, the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), and the like are all contained within it. Today some people take something physically pointable as the Mysterious Pass; however diligently they practice or firmly they resolve, they will not succeed in the end. If I simply pointed it out with the finger, you might not believe it and could not truly benefit—so you must realize it for yourself.

For example, the innate learning in Confucianism also stresses realization in stillness and silence. Mencius spoke of the “flood-like qi” filling the space between Heaven and Earth, and said it is hard to put into words. Is that ineffable subtlety not precisely the “pass” (xuan guan—the critical aperture in cultivation where one recognizes the Way and its unity with body and mind)? Buddhism rejects reliance on written words and transmits outside the formal teaching, so that people grasp the meaning with the heart; this too is called the “teaching that is not transmitted in words.” Whoever understands this principle can, through one such pass, penetrate the myriad things.

Someone asked: Some say that honoring Buddhism and practicing the Way can end birth and death and escape the cycle of rebirth, whereas studying Confucianism can only fulfill human ethical duties and cannot end birth and death. Is that the real difference among the three teachings?

Answer: Those who penetrate the Way need not worry over birth and death. When one exhausts principle and fully illuminates one’s nature, one can go on to know Heaven’s mandate; when one investigates the root and end of things, one can know all things comprehensively—and thus understand the principle of birth and death. Therefore the learning of nature and life (xingming) has always been the orthodox transmission of Confucianism. If one thoroughly clarifies the Way, knows it clearly in the heart and has self-certifying understanding, how could one fail to end birth and death and leave the cycle of rebirth?

When Fu Xi, the legendary sage-king of high antiquity, first created the hexagrams of the Yi (Classic of Changes), he observed the way of Heaven and established teaching to guide the world; there was as yet no split into the three teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. Hence it is said: “The way of Heaven is one; the mind of the sage is not twofold.”

The single line Fu Xi first drew symbolized Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate)—the root state before all things were divided. Once there was “one,” it divided into “two,” symbolizing the two modes (Yin and Yang). One line belongs to Yang, one to Yin; their alternating change is the Dao. Looking up at the sky, he drew an upper line for Heaven; looking down at the earth, a lower line for Earth; and in the middle a line for humanity. Three lines together form the Qian hexagram, symbolizing the three powers—Heaven, Earth, and Man. Separating and interweaving those three lines yields the Kun hexagram, symbolizing the six directions (Heaven, Earth, and the four quarters).

Thus it is said: “To establish the law of Heaven is Yin and Yang; to establish the law of Earth is yielding and firm; to establish the law of Man is benevolence and righteousness.” Dividing each of the three powers into Yin and Yang sides gives six lines; the text here says “six lines complete Kun” because Kun is used to show the overall structure that the six lines represent.

From the perspective of body and mind, the Yin-Yang of Heaven’s way corresponds to spirit (Shen) and Qi (vital energy) in the heart; the yielding and firm of Earth’s way corresponds to form and body in the physical self; the benevolence and righteousness of Man’s way corresponds to feeling and nature in intention. Heart, body, and intention symbolize the three powers represented by Qian; spirit and Qi, nature and feeling, form and body symbolize the six directions encompassed by Kun. The Yi says: “Take images from things afar, take images from oneself nearby.” That is exactly this principle.

Question: The Xici (Appended Phrases) says “six lines complete a hexagram,” yet you say “six lines complete Kun”—why?

The Xici speaks of any hexagram formed by six lines; here “six lines complete Kun” uses Kun as the example of how those six lines hang together as a whole—Kun being the receptive, all-encompassing counterpart to Qian, not a claim that only the Kun hexagram has six lines.

Some say: “You do not yet understand this point. If you think that a hexagram of six lines only began when King Wen ‘doubled’ the hexagrams (stacking two three-line trigrams to form a six-line figure), then before King Wen doubled them, were there not already the Three Talents and the Six Combinations? The ancients said: ‘To establish the principle of Heaven is called Yin and Yang’—that is the Qian and Kun of Heaven; ‘To establish the principle of Earth is called soft and hard’—that is the Qian and Kun of Earth; ‘To establish the principle of Human beings is called benevolence and righteousness’—that is the Qian and Kun of Humanity. From this we know that the two hexagrams Qian and Kun already contained the principles of the Three Talents and the Six Combinations—how could that have waited until doubling?”

“What is meant by ‘six lines forming one hexagram’ is that only after doubling were they called Qian and Kun; extended in this way, the principles of Qian and Kun were already complete—they did not appear only after doubling. ‘Six lines forming a hexagram’ is a name that belongs to the period after doubling; that belongs to the acquired, posterior realm.”

Someone asked: “If before doubling the Three Talents and Six Combinations were already there, then when the Appended Phrases says ‘in making tools and vessels, take the hexagram images as models,’ does that not mean vessels came first and hexagram images were set up afterward?”

The reply: “Vessels are made in accordance with the hexagram images.”

They asked again: “From the Three Sovereigns onward, when sages made tools and vessels, they all said they followed the images of the doubled hexagrams. If vessels are made from hexagram images, then before King Wen doubled the Changes, how could there have been the name ‘doubled hexagram’?”

The reply: “That is not so. The ancients said: ‘Believe that before the lines were drawn, the principle of the Changes already existed.’ So before King Wen doubled the hexagrams, all sixty-four hexagrams were already complete.”

They asked again: “If the hexagrams were not stacked, where would the sixty-four come from?”

The reply: “They arise from transformation of the hexagrams. One hexagram can change into eight trigrams, and the eight trigrams can change into sixty-four hexagrams. For example, in the three lines of Qian, the upper two are young yang (stable, unchanging yang lines) and the lower one is old yang (a yang line that can change); from it splits off Xun—the yang line becomes yin, Qian turns into Xun, forming Gou (Heaven over Wind). Take this one case as the pattern; the other hexagrams are all the same.”

They asked again: “If the hexagrams were not stacked yet there were already sixty-four, why did King Wen double them?”

Someone said: “That the hexagram images can evolve into the sixty-four hexagrams without doubling—that is the mind-to-heart secret method attributed to Fu Xi (the legendary ancient sage credited with creating the eight trigrams), and the orthodox transmission of the lineage of the Dao. It is truly convincing.”

Someone asked: “If the hexagram images can evolve into the sixty-four hexagrams without doubling, why did King Wen double the trigrams again?”

The reply was: “Evolving the sixty-four hexagrams without doubling the images was Fu Xi’s mind-to-heart secret and the orthodox transmission of the Dao lineage—meant to lead later learners through the gate of the sages. King Wen, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucius, by doubling the trigrams to form the sixty-four hexagrams, established norms for the people to follow, set human relations right, taught the world to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and fixed for posterity the constants of ruler and subject, father and son, and the like. Therefore, the learning concerned with nature and life (the cultivation that probes one’s inherent nature and the root of life) could not be stated rashly in plain terms, yet they could not bear to hide the principle entirely. Confucius hinted at it in the Xici (Commentary on the Appended Phrases); Zhou Dunyi (Northern Song Neo-Confucian, styled Lianxi) clarified it in his Explanation of the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate and Tongshu (Penetrating the Book). The hope was that later people would ponder it repeatedly and grasp it for themselves, so that transmission of this learning would not be cut off.”

Someone asked: “What is meant by ‘The alternation of Yin and Yang is called the Dao’?”

The reply was: “Yin and Yang are Qian and Kun. Qian and Kun come from Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate); when Taiji divides, the Two Forms are established. The Two Forms are Heaven and Earth. Here the text does not say Heaven and Earth but says Qian and Kun because it values their function, not their aspect as the physical forms of Heaven and Earth.”

Heaven and Earth are Qian and Kun; Qian and Kun are Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang merge into a single Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), and Taiji itself arises from Wuji—the formless, undifferentiated origin. Speaking from the angle of Taiji, they are called Heaven and Earth; speaking from the Yijing (Book of Changes), they are called Qian and Kun; speaking from the angle of the Dao, they are called Yin and Yang.

If we use the human body as an illustration, Heaven and Earth stand for the physical form; Qian and Kun for temperament and character; Yin and Yang for Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy). If we use symbolic correspondences, Heaven is the dragon and Earth the tiger; Qian the horse and Kun the ox; Yang the crow and Yin the rabbit. If we use Golden Elixir practice as an illustration, Heaven is the cauldron and Earth the furnace; Qian is metal and Kun is earth; Yin is mercury and Yang is lead. Taken apart, the names are many and distinct; taken together, everything ultimately reduces to Yin and Yang.

In the language of immortality cultivation, refining lead and mercury to form the Golden Elixir means bringing body and mind into one and recovering the original condition; bringing Yin and Yang into one and returning once more to Taiji.

The text then asks: What is meant by “three-five-one”?

The Three Origins and Five Phases use “three” and “five” to explain how the ten thousand things arise and change. The east belongs to Wood and is numbered three; the south belongs to Fire and is numbered two—the two together make five. The north belongs to Water and is numbered one; the west belongs to Metal and is numbered four—these two also make five. The center belongs to Earth and is numbered five, hence the combined term “three-five.”

Understood through the human body and mind: nature (xing) is three, spirit (shen) is two, together forming one “five”; emotion (qing) is four, essence (jing) is one, forming a second “five”; intention (yi) is five, the third “five.” When the three groups of “five” unite as one, they return to Taiji (the undifferentiated whole that is the root of all things, before Yin and Yang divide). When body, mind, and intention merge into one, the holy embryo (the inner achievement spoken of in cultivation) takes shape.

The Purple Yang True Person (Ziyang Zhenren) said: the three characters “three-five-one” mean that the Three Origins and Five Phases return to a single Qi (vital energy). From ancient times to the present, few have truly grasped this. East’s three and south’s two make five—east’s three stands for nature, south’s two for spirit; north’s one and west’s four make five—north’s one for essence, west’s four for emotion. Wu and Ji (the Heavenly Stems for Earth, here standing for central Earth) still take the generative number five, that is, Earth’s five, representing intention. When the three “houses” meet, they form the infant; the “three houses” are body, mind, and intention. The “infant” is the fruit of cultivation when three and five become one, and is also another name for True One (pure, undivided true Qi). After ten months of practice, fetal Qi is complete and the foundation for entering sagehood is laid—meaning shedding the ordinary body and rising beyond the mundane.

Seen in this light, the way of the Golden Elixir is indeed the foundation for reaching the sage’s realm.

Question: The Xi Ci (a chapter in the Yijing commentary) says: “When Heaven and Earth have fixed their places, the way of Change runs between Heaven and Earth.” How should this line be understood?

Heaven and earth each rest in their proper places; human life arises between them, which is why we speak of the “Three Powers” (Tian, Di, Ren—Heaven, Earth, and Humanity). People and the myriad things multiply and grow without end—birth following birth without ceasing. So this passage is not only about people and things; it uses the Yi (Book of Changes) to explain the way of transformation. The sage said: “Qian and Kun [the hexagram-images of heaven and earth in the Yi] are the gate of change. One must shift with the times to accord with the Great Dao.”

In refining the Golden Elixir, taking Qian and Kun as cauldron and vessel means treating heaven and earth as the furnace for cultivation; taking Yin and Yang as the motive force of change means Yin and Yang operating and transforming within—this is the principle of the Yi. The primordial gathering of the “medicine” and the steady application of “fire” (cultivation according to firing phases) are both processes of seizing the right moment and continuing without break.

Question: Opening the gate is called Qian; closing the gate is called Kun; one open and one shut is called change. How should this be understood?

Answer: One open and one shut is one movement and one stillness. Qian belongs to Yang and Kun to Yin; like a door swinging open and closed, Qian and Kun become the gate of change. Yin and Yang interact—movement and stillness, ceaseless circulation—and so the four seasons are fixed and the year takes shape. What we call “change” is precisely transformation. The utmost Dao and the spirit-qi (shenqi) form a single whole, pervading heaven, earth, humanity, and the ten thousand things; opening and closing change without limit, at once vast and fine.

As for the human body, this can be illustrated by breathing: exhaling is like opening, connecting with heaven’s root; inhaling is like closing, connecting with earth’s root. With each out-breath and in-breath, the “golden fluid” (jinye, the subtle qi spoken of in internal alchemy) is generated. Opening and closing together with breathing are the “Gate of the Mysterious Female” (xuanpin zhi men)—the generative portal in Daoist teaching—and also the “root of heaven and earth.” The breathing meant here is not ordinary breath through mouth and nose, but the opening and closing of the “true breath” (zhenxi, the inner breathing of neidan practice).

Question: “The way of Qian completes the male; the way of Kun completes the female” (the Yang way of heaven begets the male; the Yin way of earth begets the female)—how should this be understood?

The text states that the Qian trigram corresponds to the father and the Kun trigram to the mother. When Qian’s bottom line joins with Kun, the Zhen trigram arises; Zhen’s first “taking” of yin yields the male image, hence the eldest son. When Kun’s bottom line joins with Qian, the Xun trigram arises; Xun’s first “taking” of yang yields the female image, hence the eldest daughter. When Qian’s middle line joins with Kun, the Kan trigram arises; Kan’s second taking yields the male image, the middle son. When Kun’s middle line joins with Qian, the Li trigram arises; Li’s second taking yields the female image, the middle daughter. When Qian’s top line joins with Kun, the Gen trigram arises; Gen’s third taking yields the male image, the youngest son. When Kun’s top line joins with Qian, the Dui trigram arises; Dui’s third taking yields the female image, the youngest daughter. Qian begets three sons and Kun three daughters; together they produce the six children, and with Qian and Kun themselves they complete the eight trigrams of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams).

Regarding the human body, at the very beginning of conception one receives the refined essence of father and mother to form the body. Neidan (internal alchemy) scriptures liken this essence to “celestial Ren” and “terrestrial Gui.” At the first union of man and woman, if celestial Ren arrives first and terrestrial Gui follows, it is called “Gui within Ren,” and a male fetus forms; if terrestrial Gui arrives first and celestial Ren follows, it is called “Ren within Gui,” and a female fetus forms. If Ren and Gui arrive together, twins form; if one comes early and the other late, conception may fail. Thus it is said that the principle of Qian shapes the male and the principle of Kun shapes the female.

“Celestial Ren” and “terrestrial Gui” refer to the primal refined qi (vital energy) of heaven and earth—what the alchemical classics call “Wu of Kan” and “Ji of Li,” also named “lead” and “mercury.” When essence is restrained outward, a person is completed; when essence is enriched inward, the inner elixir can be refined. Ordinary people do not know this and attribute the sex of children to fate alone, as if human effort cannot influence it. Without restraining lust and cultivating the body, essence may be exhausted and early death may follow—a great pity. The scripture also says: with few desires, the child born is noble and long-lived; with many desires, the child born is coarse and short-lived.

As for the limits of bodily form and lifespan, some things lie beyond human power to change. If one fails to restrain lust and indulges in cultivation practices regardless, when essence and qi are exhausted one may die young—a real pity. Know this: with few desires in begetting sons and daughters, the children tend to be finer in quality and the parents live long; with many desires in begetting sons and daughters, the children tend to be coarser and duller, and the parents are prone to early death.

Question: Above the bodily form is called “Dao,” below the bodily form is called “vessel” (qi)—how should this be understood?

Answer: What lies above the bodily form has no shape or substance; it belongs to xing (nature), likened to mercury; what lies below has concrete form and function; it belongs to ming (life-destiny), likened to lead. In sum, neither can be separated from the person’s body and mind.

Question: The sage follows the Yi (Book of Changes) in saying “wash the heart and retire, storing it in the secret.” What does “the secret” (mi) mean here?

Answer: It means sincerity brought to its utmost. The way of the Yi must be both broadly penetrating and finely subtle. The sage carefully discerns its principle, washes away idle thoughts from the heart, and stores the heart within utmost sincerity.

Question: The Shangshu (Book of Documents) says: “The human mind is precarious; the mind of the Dao is subtle; with refinement and unity, sincerely hold fast to the mean.” How should one grasp this “mean” (zhong)?

Answer: “Hold fast” (zhi) means to hold firmly and keep; “mean” (zhong) is the state of being upright and unbiased. The mind of the Dao is subtle and hard to detect; the human mind easily inclines toward danger and unrest. Even the greatest sage has a human mind; even the dullest fool has a mind of the Dao. When the heart is constantly upright and one holds to the mean, the mind of the Dao can appear; once the heart slips even slightly, one loses the mean and falls into danger and unease.

Those who cultivate immortality should choose the right path, hold to it single-mindedly, and not change lightly, always guarding the mean. Then the precarious human mind naturally settles, and the hidden mind of the Dao becomes clear. In Golden Elixir practice, xuanguan (the “mysterious pass”—the pivotal locus in cultivation for harmonizing body and mind and joining inner and outer) takes “the mean” as its basis; the principle is the same.

Question: “The principle borne by Heaven has neither sound nor scent—how should we understand this?”

Answer: The Way of Heaven is utterly sincere and luminous. Though we hear no sound and smell no odor, it cannot be hidden. The Daodejing says “vast, dark, dark”—meaning truth pushed to its utmost.

Question: “Without deliberately seeking knowledge, one can still align with the sovereign law of Heaven”—how should we understand this?

Answer: Sages are born able to grasp heavenly principle and quietly follow it. This is “understanding without deliberate thought, fitting perfectly without forcing”—experiencing the Way of wuwei (non-action) and naturalness. This is what the Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean) calls “sincerity leading to clarity.” “First gaining clarity, then reaching sincerity” is the path by which sages teach people to cultivate themselves.

Those who study the Way, if their root-nature is deep, can directly awaken to true nature; cultivation of life (ming) then completes itself naturally—this is understanding from birth. Those whose root-nature is shallow cannot directly awaken to true nature; they must enter through teaching, moving from the formed and purposeful toward the formless and wuwei, from the coarse toward the subtle. Hence they first refine life, then cultivate nature—this is understanding through learning.

Question: Confucius said, “With coarse rice to eat, water to drink, and a bent arm for a pillow, joy lies therein.” Where was his joy?

Answer: Confucius took aligning with the Way of Heaven as joy and understood the principle of fate, so he was joyful in Heaven and knew fate without anxiety. Even when besieged at Kuang, he could play the zither and sing, finding delight in himself. From the Yijing (Book of Changes) he grasped that “before long one returns to the right path and thereby cultivates the self,” that the hexagram Fu (Return) reveals Heaven and Earth’s mind of ceaseless generation, and that “investigating things to the limit, fully developing one’s nature, and thereby penetrating fate” express the same truth. This has also been used to explain the subtlety of jindan (Golden Elixir) practice.

Question: Yan Hui was content with a single basket of rice and a gourd of water—what kind of joy did he find in that?

Answer: Yan Hui’s joy was the same in kind as Confucius’s: delight in the Way, not in external things. Poverty did not touch his inner sufficiency; he “saw what was desirable and kept to it,” holding fast to the good without slackening. That is the joy of the sage who has aligned with Heaven—minimal in possessions, full in spirit.

Yan Hui grasped Confucius’s teaching of resting in Heaven’s mandate and not fretting over gain and loss, so his joy did not change. He seemed unintelligent, but in fact he was practicing xinzhai zuowang (heart-fasting and sitting-forgetting—emptying the mind and letting go of outer things and the self), stripping away sensory cleverness and discriminating thought, and thus approaching lǘ kōng (a state in which the inner mind is often empty and clear). This too is a subtle point of Golden Elixir (Jindan) cultivation.

Question: Zengzi wore threadbare clothes yet could chant so that his voice reached heaven and earth; neither the Son of Heaven could make him a minister nor feudal lords befriend him as peers. Why?

Answer: Because Zengzi had realized the subtlety of “one wéi.” “One wéi” refers to when Confucius spoke of “one thread running through it all” and Zengzi answered with only the word wéi (“yes”). He had even forgotten the distinction between speaking and hearing, cast off sensory cleverness and discriminating thought, and so could cultivate the person, regulate the family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world—penetrating and unifying the principles of all affairs.

Question: When Zilu asked about the afterlife, Confucius replied, “Not yet knowing life—how could one know death?” What does this mean?

Answer: Life and death are like day and night—ordinary patterns of nature. Knowing there is day, one can infer there is night. The Yijing says: “Push inquiry to the beginning of things, then look back to their end, and the principle of life and death becomes clear.” An alchemical text says: “Before our parents had yet begotten us—that is the root of cultivating the Golden Elixir.” Buddhism asks: “Before this body existed, where was xing (innate nature, the root of life)?” Probing these sayings, the entry points of the three teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—all lie in tracing the beginning, and from that knowing the end. If a person thoroughly investigates where he himself comes from, he will naturally understand life and death. Have you seen the Taiji diagram? Before Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) had differentiated, what was it? If one can penetrate this completely, one can trace the root from before this body was formed—and from that infer where life is bound to go.

Question: Before Taiji differentiated, its shape was like an egg—then what lies outside the egg?

The so-called taixu (Great Void) is the vast, boundless void. When a person first receives qi and forms as an embryo, the body is not yet differentiated—like an egg. Only after birth do xing (nature) and ming (life-destiny) gradually take shape; everything outside the body belongs to the Great Void.

Question: While still in the womb, does a person already have a spiritual soul (lingxing)?

Answer: The womb is foul; how could the spiritual soul remain there?

Question again: When the fetus suddenly moves in the fifth or sixth month of pregnancy, is that the spiritual soul?

Answer: That is not the spiritual soul—it is only qi in motion. In the womb, the fetus moves with the mother’s breathing. Once it leaves the womb, xing and ming are established and it has its own “heaven and earth.” For example, when a snake is cut in two, the front half may still crawl and the tail may still live; or when a crab is cooked, the severed legs may still twitch. Are those the spiritual soul? Once this is understood, you know it is merely qi moving—not the soul.

Question: The Analects says: “My Way is threaded through by a single principle.” How should this be understood?

Answer: The sage said that within human body and mind there is a heavenly principle (tianli) that can penetrate the three powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—and the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism); all matters can be understood through it. Buddhism’s “no self, no person, no sentient being, no lifespan,” and Daoism’s “grasp one root and all things become clear,” both express this same thread of one principle running through everything.

Question: When the World-Honored One held up a flower before the assembly, only Mahakashyapa smiled. The World-Honored One said: “I have the treasury of the correct Dharma eye and the wondrous mind of nirvana, which I entrust to Mahakashyapa.” Why did Mahakashyapa smile?

Answer: When the World-Honored One held up the flower, no one else grasped the subtlety of the Buddha-mind—only Mahakashyapa did.

Shakyamuni (the World-Honored One) held up a flower before the assembly. None of the others grasped the Buddha’s mind; only Kasyapa (Mahakasyapa) saw the subtle meaning within it and smiled faintly. Thereupon the World-Honored One transmitted to Kasyapa this truth that transcends words.

Question: Bodhidharma came from the West to China, did not rely on written texts, and directly pointed to the human mind, teaching that seeing one’s nature is becoming a Buddha. What is meant by “seeing one’s nature”?

Answer: Bodhidharma used the subtle principle of true emptiness to point directly at the human mind. Seeing one’s nature means letting go of attachment to external things so that the mind becomes empty and clear and one’s original nature appears of itself. How could that be conveyed by words and texts alone?

Question: Confucianism has the innate learning of the Book of Changes; Buddhism has the Prajnaparamita sutras; Daoism has the Lingbao scriptures—are these not all written words?

Answer: It is not so. Sages lodge what cannot be expressed in words within words and texts, to reveal the constant, unchanging true Way. Buddhism’s great canon, the recorded sayings of various masters, and teachings on cause and effect; Confucianism’s Nine Classics, the Three Commentaries, and the hundred schools; and Daoism’s scriptures of the Dongxuan corpus and alchemical texts—all are paths for entering the Way and ladders for ascending beyond. At the ultimate height, not a single character is needed. The questions you put to me are likewise only rafts for crossing a river; the truly profound purport must be apprehended beyond words and phrases. If, through instruction and a sudden stirring, one fully awakens, one can return to Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate, the root of all things), reach perfect clarity and awakened illumination, emptiness, stillness, transparency, and numinous pervasion, cultivate nature and life together until form and spirit are both wondrous, merge with empty space as one body, and stand on a level with immortals and buddhas—not a difficult matter.

Question: Your saying that the three teachings share one principle has greatly enlightened me. Still, Buddhism speaks of nirvana and Daoism of “shedding the shell”—do they not differ somewhat?

Answer: Nirvana and shedding the shell express the same idea. “Shedding the shell” means casting off the ordinary human body—is that not nirvana? For example, what Daoism calls refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit to return to emptiness, finally guarding the root and returning to nothingness, does not differ in principle from what Buddhism calls returning to emptiness.

Someone asked again: “After tuotai—the stage in Neidan (internal alchemy) when body and mind transcend ordinary existence—does change still continue?”

The answer was: “Change still continues. The sage said: ‘Having a body outside the body is not the marvel; only when the void is shattered does the complete true nature appear.’ This is the same principle as Buddhism’s return to emptiness (kong); there is no difference.

Therefore, after tuotai one must all the more practice with feet on the ground until one merges with the void—only then is the work truly finished. Buddhism calls this ‘true emptiness’ (zhenkong); Confucianism calls it Wuwei (non-action); Daoism calls it ziran (spontaneity). All mean holding to the root and returning to the source, becoming one with the great void (taixu). Those who cling to surface distinctions—who can grasp this teaching that runs through all three traditions?”

Jie’an said: “The master has mastered the subtleties of the Golden Elixir (Neidan) and united the profound principles of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism. He answers every question with depth and wonder that cannot be kept private. The text should be printed so those of like mind may investigate and awaken together; precious doctrine will be recognized by those who know its worth.”

Questions and Answers with Zhao Ding’an

The master said: “Former patriarchs, perfected ones, and sages left the supreme, utterly true Dao in the world to deliver sentient beings—do you know this?”

Zhao Ding’an replied: “Your disciple has only just entered the gate of the Mysterious Way (xuanmen); dull and ignorant, I was taken in by the master—a fortune rare in a thousand years. As for the supreme, orthodox true Dao, I truly do not yet understand it and beg the master for instruction.”

The master said: “The supreme, orthodox true Dao is the Way beyond which no higher realm can be surpassed—mysterious to the utmost; it has no form that can be drawn, yet manifests of itself; it reaches the utmost wonder.”

The master said: “The supreme correct true Dao” refers to a realm that nothing surpasses yet cannot be described in ordinary concepts. It is profound and subtle, without fixed form, yet it manifests in all things; it appears not to be artificially contrived, yet it is so by nature. Sages reluctantly gave it the name “Dao.” From ancient times, transcendent immortals have awakened and attained realization through it; none have cultivated and verified the Way except by following it. Successive holy masters have transmitted it mouth to ear and heart to heart; the essential teaching of the Golden Elixir they pass on is precisely this wondrous Dao of supreme correctness and truth.

Ding’an asked: “What is the rationale for comparing the supreme correct true principle to the Golden Elixir?”

The master said: “‘Gold’ (jin) signifies solidity; ‘elixir’ (dan) signifies wholeness and roundness. Buddhism calls it ‘complete enlightenment’ (yuanjue), Confucianism calls it ‘Taiji (Supreme Ultimate)’—the root principle from which all things arise. These expressions do not refer to different things; all speak of the innate luminous nature. The original true nature does not perish through long ages; it is solid as gold and round as an elixir; through cultivation it only becomes clearer. Buddhism draws a circle and calls it ‘true suchness’ (zhenru)—the nature that is real and unchanging; Confucianism also draws a circle and calls it ‘Taiji’; our Daoist tradition draws a circle and calls it ‘Golden Elixir.’ The three share the same essence; only the names differ.

The Yijing says: “In Change there is the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate); from the Taiji arise the two modes of Yin and Yang.” Here, Taiji refers to the origin that is empty, still, without contrivance, and spontaneously so; the two modes are Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang correspond to Heaven and Earth, and human beings live between Heaven and Earth, hence they are counted among the “three powers.” The principle of the three powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—is likewise fully present within the human body.

From the perspective of cultivation, Taiji is a person’s yuanshen (original spirit, the root of one’s spiritual nature); the two modes are body and mind. In speaking of neidan (internal alchemy), Taiji is the root of the elixir, and the two modes are true lead and true mercury. “Lead and mercury” here do not mean external substances such as mercury, cinnabar, sulfur, black tin, or plant materials, nor do they mean seminal fluid, fluids, nasal discharge or saliva, heart and kidneys, or qi and blood in the ordinary sense. They refer to yuanshen and yuanqi (original qi) within the person. When body and mind do not stir recklessly in practice, essence and qi gather and condense; on that basis one speaks of the “elixir” (dan).

What is called the dan is the person’s own self. The “○” in the text symbolizes the true nature (the root of authentic life and destiny); when this “○” appears from within the dan, it is called the elixir perfected. Refining the elixir is not manufacturing something with external materials; it is cultivating and realizing authenticity from the fundamental root that life already possesses. Few in the world understand this point.

Those who cultivate the Golden Elixir today mostly lack orthodox transmission. They habitually seek outward and stray from the true path, so learners are many while those who actually attain realization are few.

Some refine the five metals and eight minerals; some work with what the text calls “three submissions and five falsities”; some gather and refine external qi from clouds and mist, or draw the essence of sun and moon and the radiance of stars; some visualize a pellet in empty space and take that for elixir formation; some visualize something in the Dantian (energy center in the lower abdomen) and treat it as the elixir. Others practice circulating golden essence behind the elbows, fixation at the brow, refining Jing (essence) to nourish the brain, directing Qi (vital energy) to the navel, ingesting impure substances, swallowing vital Qi, inhaling fresh breath and exhaling stale, Baduanjin (traditional guiding exercises), the six-character breathing method, shaking the Jiaji (region along the spine), turning the “windlass” visualization, closing Weilu (the “tail gate” at the base of the spine), guarding the navel, gathering and refining Tiangui (heavenly dew, essence associated with reproductive vitality), calcining Qiushi (autumn stone, elixir prepared from urine and related substances), flexion-and-extension guiding, massage and breath regulation, silent veneration of the Supreme Lord, pressing the tongue to the palate, circulating the three fields in return, breath-holding and moving Qi, gathering the three fires in the bladder, convening the Five Phases in the Bitter Sea (an internal alchemical locus in the body)—and small methods like these are more than a thousand in number. Even with diligent gathering and refining, one can hardly achieve the Great Dao in the end.

The scriptures say: “The correct method is hard to meet; many lose the true Dao and enter deviant paths.” That is exactly this situation. The essentials of genuine cultivation are extremely simple; though hard to encounter, once encountered they are easy to complete. If one can meet a person who truly has the Dao and receive guidance, there is none who cannot attain realization.

Ding’an said: “In a past life this disciple was fortunate enough to meet you, Master, and receive your instruction. I beg you to point out the essentials of the Golden Elixir.”

The Master said: “Listen carefully now; I speak only for you. In refining gold, there is none who does not succeed.”

Ding’an said again: “In a past life this disciple was fortunate enough to meet you, Master, and receive your instruction. I beg you to point out the essentials of the Golden Elixir.”

The master said: “Listen closely now—I will explain this only for you. In refining the golden elixir (the language of Neidan, internal alchemy), the key is to mobilize the mechanism of heaven-and-earth creation: take Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) as the cauldron and vessel, compare sun and moon to water and fire, take Yin-Yang as the pivot of change, and take the sun crow and moon rabbit (the golden crow in the sun and jade rabbit in the moon—standing for Yin-Yang essences) as the medicinal ingredients. Rely on the motion of the Gang stars and the shifting of the Dipper’s handle to arrange practice; gather the medicine by seizing the right moment, and move the talisman-fire according to rule. Advancing fire and retreating the talisman should follow the pattern of the four seasons in a year; drawing lead and adding mercury should symbolize the moon’s passage from waning to full in a month. Gather the Five Phases, harmonize the Four Symbols, let Yin and Yang meet along the yellow track, and let the three natures—Jing, Qi, and Shen—converge in the original palace. Thus one returns to the root and restores life; when merit is complete and spirit is whole, the ordinary body transforms into an immortal—this is called the elixir completed.”

Ding’an said: “Heaven-and-earth creation— I fear it truly cannot be seized.”

The master said: “If it does not come from within oneself, what is difficult about it? Heaven and earth are metaphors for the body; water and fire are metaphors for essence and Qi; Yin and Yang are metaphors for body and mind; the sun crow and moon rabbit are metaphors for disposition and nature. Therefore the body is the furnace and cauldron, essence and Qi are water and fire, disposition and nature are the pivot of change, and body and mind are the medicinal material. The sages feared that those who study the Dao would have nothing to take as a model, so they used heaven and earth as comparisons. The human body and mind are not different from heaven-and-earth creation. The two words ‘body and mind’ are at once the medicine and also the fire. So whether one speaks of the heavenly soul and earthly soul, the Qian horse and Kun ox, Yang lead and Yin mercury, the Kan boy and Li girl, the sun crow and moon rabbit—all of it, in the end, never leaves body and mind.”

The pivot of the motion of Tiangang (the stars of the Northern Dipper) is the Heart of Heaven (Tianxin). Alchemical texts say: “When the human heart aligns with the Heart of Heaven, inverting Yin and Yang takes only an instant.” They also say: “Use the mind to fathom the Dao, and the Dao is the mind; use the Dao to fathom the mind, and the mind is the Dao.”

The pivot of the shifting Dipper handle is the Xuanguan—the pass gate where, in practice, Yin and Yang turn and intent stirs. The Xuanguan is an extremely deep and subtle mechanism. Today most who study the Dao fixate on concrete places in the body: some say between the eyebrows, some say the navel wheel, between the two kidneys, behind the navel and before the kidneys, the bladder, or the Dantian; some take the center of the “nine palaces” of the head as the Xuanguan; some call the birth gate the place where life emerges, others call the mouth and nose the Xuanpin (the mysterious gateway of generation). None of these is correct. To identify the Xuanguan with any fixed spot on the body is wrong; yet you cannot seek it apart from yourself, outside the body.

Why do elixir classics never say exactly where the Xuanguan is? Because it cannot be pinned down in words, it is called the “pass gate.” The sages write only the single character “center” (zhong) to point people toward it—and that character is what the Xuanguan is about. The “center” meant here is not the middle between inside and outside, not the hub of the four directions above and below, and not the middle inside some object.

Buddhists say: “Think neither good nor evil—at just that moment, what is your original face?” That is the “center” of Chan. Confucians say: “Before joy, anger, sorrow, and delight have arisen, that is called center.” That is the Confucian “center.” Daoists say: “Where no thought has yet arisen, that is called center.” That is the Daoist “center”—the “center” shared by the three teachings.

The Book of Changes says “silent and unmoving”—that refers to the substance of “center”; “responsive and then penetrating”—that refers to the function of “center.” Laozi says: “Empty the mind to the utmost, hold fast to deep stillness; the ten thousand things rise together, and I watch their return.” The Changes also says: “The hexagram Fu reveals the heart of heaven and earth’s unceasing life.” In Fu, one Yang is born beneath five Yin. Yin is stillness, Yang is movement; when stillness reaches its limit, movement is born—and the moment movement begins is the Xuanguan.

You need only work, in every hour of daily life, at the very place where intent stirs, and the Xuanguan will naturally appear. Once you grasp it, elixir ingredients, firing times, operation, and withdrawal and addition—from there through shedding the shell and spirit transformation—none of it leaves this one aperture.

Gathering the Medicine refers to gathering and refining true lead and true mercury within the body—terms in internal alchemy (neidan) that stand for yin and yang vital essences. The “medicine” appears only at certain moments; those moments need not fall on the winter solstice, the first day of the month, or the hour of zi. Patriarchs said: “You need not wait for the winter solstice to refine the elixir; within the body there naturally comes a time when a single yang begins to rise.” They also said: “When true lead appears and Gui water stirs, take it in good time; after the full moon, metal qi gradually weakens and fades—then it is no longer fit to taste.” On this view, when Gui water stirs in the body and a single yang begins to rise, that is the moment to begin gathering and refining.

Advancing fire and withdrawing the talisman originally had no fixed rule to follow, so practitioners borrowed the cycle of seasonal change and cold and heat through the year as a guide to huohou—the timing and measure of “fire” and breath in cultivation—and borrowed the waxing and waning of the moon in a month to illustrate the principle of choutian (adjusting and adding or subtracting inner qi). At the winter solstice, for example, yang begins to rise, corresponding to the single yang at the bottom of the Fu hexagram in the Yijing. If huohou is pushed too far, after the full moon qi gradually declines and further gathering is no longer appropriate.

“Advancing fire and retreating symbols”—the phase in Neidan (internal alchemy) in which yang qi is raised and yin qi is withdrawn—has no fixed outward rule. For that reason, the ancients used the turn of the four seasons and the alternation of cold and heat to show how “fire timing” (huohou) moves; and they used the moon’s waxing and waning over a month to explain “choutian” (drawing out and adding—in practice, increasing and adjusting essence and qi).

At the winter solstice yang is first born, matching the hexagram Fu (Return); in the twelfth month yang grows further, matching Lin (Approach); in the first month yang has reached three parts, matching Tai (Peace); the second month matches Dazhuang (Great Strength); the third matches Guai (Breakthrough); in the fourth month yang is fully ascendant, matching Qian (Heaven). When yang peaks, yin begins: in the fifth month one yin is born, matching Gou (Encounter); the sixth matches Dun (Retreat); the seventh matches Pi (Stagnation); the eighth matches Guan (Viewing); the ninth matches Bo (Splitting); in the tenth month yin is fully ascendant, matching Kun (Earth). When yin peaks, yang rises again—and so it turns without end. That is the idea of using the year’s seasons to show advance and retreat in fire timing.

Yet practitioners often freeze on words and hexagrams, insisting that advancing fire must start on the winter solstice itself and retreating symbols on the summer solstice itself, and that “bathing” (periods of regulated breathing and quiet cultivation) must fall on the spring and autumn equinoxes—without really catching the point. To cure that fixation, the sages compressed the year’s seasons into one month: new moon and full moon stand for winter and summer solstice; first-quarter and last-quarter moons stand for spring and autumn equinox; two and a half days stand for a month, and thirty days for a year. Then people clung to the month.

They compressed the month’s phases further into one day: zi and wu hours stand for new and full moon; mao and you hours stand for first and last quarter. Practitioners clung to the hours again. Recent true teachers have said: “In the work of a single quarter-hour, the seasons of a whole year are already there within it.”

They also said: “Before our parents had yet begotten us, where were year, month, day, and hour?”

These are words the sage uses to guide and enlighten beginners; those new to the path must not misread their intent. Unfortunately, some stubborn people refuse to probe the underlying principle and cling only to words and images, wasting their effort in vain. I will tell you plainly: when the Gui water in the body stirs (referring to yin essence and yin qi), that is the “one yang”; when yang rises and yin descends, that is the “three yang”; when yin and yang separate, that is the “four yang,” corresponding to the second lunar month, like the first-quarter moon, and likened to the hour of mao (5–7 a.m.). At this stage one should bath (in practice, methods of regulating the breath and clearing body and mind), then advance the fire (circulating yang qi). When yin and yang meet and spirit and qi unite, that is the “six yang.”

After yin and yang join and spirit and qi become one, you must know how to hold fullness and not be insatiable; otherwise all prior effort is lost. Hence it is said: “When metal meets distant hope, it is not fit to taste.” At this point one should withdraw the talisman (gather in and descend the qi), symbolizing “one yin”; then when yin and yang separate again, that is “three yin.” When yin and yang return to their hidden positions, it is time for bathing, symbolizing the last-quarter moon of the eighth lunar month and the hour of you (5–7 p.m.). From there one continues retreating to “six yin.” When yin reaches its extreme, yang is reborn; in an instant one circuit of heaven (one full cycle of qi) is complete. If you cultivate accordingly and persist, your work will gradually condense until, from the formless, the formed appears—you will coalesce a Shengtai (the image of essence, qi, and spirit gathering in Neidan), and this is called Elixir accomplished.

Ding’an said: “I have heard the explanation of how to begin cultivation and how the circuit of heaven is applied in practice. I still cannot grasp all the various alternate names; I hope the master will instruct me.”

The master said: “The various names are all metaphors; in the end they never depart from body and mind. At the start of practice, gather in the hearing so the ear-spirit settles; hold the gaze inward and do not let the mind-spirit run outward; restrain the breath of the tongue, regulate the breath through the nose, and keep the limbs and the whole body still. Let spirit, soul, and intention each rest in its place—this is called ‘Five Qi Returning to the Origin’ (wuqi chaoyuan); then move them into the central palace (the body’s center, where intention gathers)—this is called ‘Gathering the Five Phases’ (cuancu wuxing).

When thought does not stir, it is called ‘dragon’s cry’; when the body does not stir, it is called ‘tiger’s roar.’ Body and mind both still and unmoving is called ‘subduing the dragon and taming the tiger.’ The dragon’s cry signifies that qi is stabilized; the tiger’s roar signifies that jing is stabilized. Holding firm is guarding the spiritual root (the foundation of life). Turtle and serpent stand for jing and qi; dragon and tiger stand for body and mind. Making turtle and serpent one is called ‘Harmonizing the Four Symbols’ (hehe sixiang).

Restraining emotions with innate nature is called ‘metal and wood united’; governing qi with jing is called ‘water and fire interacting.’ Wood and fire share one source, like one household: east belongs to wood, its number is three; south belongs to fire, its number is two—together they make five. Water and metal also share one source, like one household: north belongs to water, its number is one; west belongs to metal, its number is four—together they also make five. Earth occupies the central palace and is paired with intention; wu and ji belong to earth, and their numbers likewise return to five. Integrating mind, body, and intention is called ‘the three families meet,’ and from there forming the ‘infant’ (the condensed achievement of internal alchemy)—the whole process is called ‘blending three and five’ (sanwu hunrong).

Refining jing into qi, refining qi into shen, and refining shen back to emptiness is called ‘Three Flowers Gathering in the Cauldron’ (sanhua juding), also called the ‘three passes’ (sanguan). Some practitioners today call the tail gate, the spine pass, and the jade pillow (three places along the spine) the three passes; that is language tied to specific methods, not the crux of cultivation. Only where intention first stirs is called the ‘mysterious female’ (xuanpin, the gate of generation); treating the mouth and nose as the mysterious female is not appropriate.

Body, mind, and intention are the three essentials. Innate nature in the heart is called ‘cinnabar-mercury within sand’; qi in the body is called ‘metal-lead within water.’ Metal naturally begets water and is water’s mother; yet metal lies hidden within water—hence the saying ‘the mother hides the child in the womb.’ Neither admitting outer things nor letting inner thought scatter outward is called ‘securing and stabilizing’ (guji).

Stillness without reckless movement is called ‘nurturing fire’ (yanghuo); quiet emptiness and naturalness is called ‘application’ (yunyong); sincere mind and firm will is called ‘defending the fortress’ (shoucheng); subduing inner distractions and desires is called ‘field battle’ (yezhan). True mercury is called the ‘Crimson Girl’; true lead is called the ‘Infant’; true intention is called the ‘Yellow Woman’; innate nature and emotion are likened to husband and wife. Clarifying thought and steadying will, so nature is calm and spirit clear, until the two cultivations condense into a mass and the three root forces gather—this is called ‘forming the embryo’ (chengtai).

Cherishing and guarding the spiritual root is called ‘warming and nurturing’ (wenyang). Warming and nurturing is like a dragon guarding a pearl or a hen brooding an egg: watch carefully and allow no lapse; even a slight deviation can undo what came before. When the yang spirit (the pure yang spirit of practice) leaves the physical form, it is called ‘emerging from the womb’ (tuotai); returning to the root of life and the original state is called ‘transcendence’ (chaotuo); thoroughly breaking the bonds of empty illusion is called ‘completion’ (liaodang).

Ding’an asked: “When the Golden Elixir—the achievement realm meant in inner alchemy (Neidan) cultivation—is fully refined, can one still see it?”

The answer was: “Yes.”

He asked again: “Does it have a physical form?”

The answer was: “It has no physical form.”

Ding’an asked: “If it has no physical form, how can one see it?”

The answer was: “Golden Elixir is only a borrowed name, taken up with difficulty to point at it; how could it have a physical form? What is meant by ‘seeing’ is not seeing with the eyes. As the ancients said: ‘In what cannot be seen, one personally apprehends; in that personal apprehension, there is again nothing seen.’ The scripture of the Dao says: ‘Look at it and you do not see it; listen to it and you do not hear it.’ That is the Dao. Not seeing does not mean it is wholly invisible; not hearing does not mean it is wholly inaudible. What is called seeing and hearing is not what the ears and eyes can take in—it is only grasping in the heart and knowing through intention. For example…”