《云笈七签》Vol. 25

With time, it will naturally become unobstructed. These brief oral formulas cannot be transmitted through writing.

Someone asked: “I often feel that everything before my eyes is dim, as though I were looking through several layers of gauze. Yet as soon as Qi enters my head and eyes, my vision becomes extraordinarily clear. Why is this?”

Answer: “The haze before your eyes is caused by insufficient force in circulating Qi. Once you can circulate Qi into your head and then guide it into your eyes, letting it pass through the front of your chest and flow into your liver, your eyes will become clear and their brightness will surpass that of ordinary people.”

Someone asked: “Nowadays I take and refine internal Qi—that is, I absorb Qi through breathing and circulate it within the body—so that it circulates through the body together with Yuan Qi, the body’s innate fundamental Qi. It reaches every part of me; I no longer feel hunger or thirst, and I can also circulate internal Qi at will. This method cannot be explained clearly all at once. What exactly is involved?”

Answer: “Those who practice Qi absorption and want Qi to circulate within the body should stop eating, so that the impurities in the intestines are expelled and Qi can move more easily. If you persist patiently, in time you will feel your mental state change, and your limbs will grow stronger day by day. Once the intestines are clear, close your eyes and turn your attention inward to the Five Viscera; you will be able to see clearly where they are. Then you can quietly attend to the spirits of the Five Viscera—spirits that, in Daoist belief, dwell within them and protect the body—and have them guard you continually. It is said that those who practice Qi circulation for a long time can discern others’ goodness or evil from their eyes and know their inner nature from their outward appearance. With prolonged practice, they can even direct the spirits of the Five Viscera to heal people. When the practice of inner breathing—breath regulation and Qi circulation—has been cultivated for a long time, Qi gradually becomes abundant. But if you regularly eat food or drink wine and other beverages, the practice cannot be perfected. Its deeper principles cannot be explained all at once.”

Someone asked: “If you focus on an old illness and direct Qi into the affected area, it is sure to heal within three to five days. Why is that?”

Answer: “To treat an illness, whether it is in the intestines or the limbs, use the method of Qi circulation to apply force toward the affected area. Imagine Qi gathering and striking at the illness, and it will disperse. You must believe this without doubt. Since I began practicing Qi absorption, my abdominal masses and beriberi have both disappeared. When first using Qi to attack an illness, do not be afraid even if pus-like matter of five colors is discharged; this is a sign that the pathogenic influence is being expelled.”

Someone asked, “If I want my body to become fat, how can I use qigong to make it so? And if I want to become thin, how can I use qigong to make myself thin?” The answer was, “If you want to become thin, use primordial Qi, the body’s original vital energy, and guide it into your head. Your body will then become extremely gaunt and haggard.”

Someone asked, “How can I wear only a single layer of clothing in winter without feeling cold?” The answer was, “First circulate Yang Qi. At first, your feet will feel bitterly cold; only afterward will they begin to warm. This is because Yang Qi drives the cold Yin energy out through the feet, so you feel cold before you feel warm. Once Yang Qi reaches your whole body, you will feel warm all over even in a single layer of clothing, as if it were spring.”

Someone asked, “From the eighth or ninth lunar month onward, whenever I hear a drum, I spring into action. When I encounter cold, my face and neck itch unbearably. As soon as I scratch them, a rash like hives appears, and the same happens on my feet and lower legs. Why is this?” The answer was, “This kind of rash in autumn occurs when upright Qi enters the skin and contends with Grain Qi. Also, because primordial Qi is weak, it is driving wind evil out from between the flesh and skin; that is why this happens. Earlier teachings said that when beginning to take in Qi through breathing practices, one should drink pepper porridge. Today, however, it is considered best not to, because pepper porridge unsettles the spirit and can also cause a murky energy to appear on the face.”

Someone asked, “Why do boils keep appearing all over my body in the height of summer, even though I continually swallow Qi?” The answer was, “Summer boils arise because the body contains fluids transformed from the Five Grains and drinking water, and these give rise to them. If you take in Qi on an empty stomach, the inside and outside of your body will both be empty. How could this illness occur?”

Someone asked, “What should I do if I suddenly develop dysentery?” The answer was, “Dysentery is originally caused by food in the intestines and stomach. If you fast for a long time, how could you develop it? If special circumstances make eating unavoidable, the food will be expelled at once, without changing color and without causing dysentery. If you eat while taking in Qi, then accidentally eat something unsuitable and develop dysentery, you should fast and use Qi to expel the pathogenic influence. The dysentery will then stop.”

Someone asked, “Usually, one stream of Qi rises from my waist, while another descends. Since the eleventh day of the second month of the eighteenth year of the Kaiyuan era, one stream of Qi has also traveled from my neck down the back of my head all the way to my feet, while another has passed from the crown of my head across my face and down to my feet. What is happening?”

The reply was, “These are signs that Qi is about to flow freely through the meridians. It is difficult for the meridians to become completely unobstructed. If they do, the movement of Qi will no longer be impeded.”

Someone else asked, “What effect do speaking, laughing, and crying have on Qi? Since the eleventh day of the second month, one stream of Qi has traveled from my neck down the back of my head all the way to my feet, while another has passed from the crown of my head across my face and down to my feet. What is happening?”

The reply was, “These are signs that Qi is about to flow freely through the meridians. It is difficult for the meridians to become completely unobstructed. If they do, the movement of Qi will no longer be impeded.”

The questioner then asked, “What effect do speaking, laughing, and crying have on Qi?”

The reply was, “Joy and anger damage the Hun, while sudden fright damages the Po. Those who have attained the Dao do not engage in things such as crying. As long as the Original Qi—the body’s fundamental Qi—and the Qi stored in the Dantian (energy center) are sufficient, one can read scriptures all day without becoming tired.”

Someone else asked, “My face is often swollen these days. What is the cause?”

The reply was, “Facial swelling occurs when food affects the lungs, causing phlegm and fluids to rise and the movement of Qi to become obstructed. In particular, avoid eating coriander, rapeseed, Chinese chives, Chinese scallions, spinach, onions, and garlic. These foods are all considered ‘essences of Wood’; they damage the spleen and disrupt the movement of Qi, so they should not be eaten.”

Someone else asked, “In summer, heat rises to my head, and my head feels stuffy inside. How can I relieve this?”

The reply was, “This is caused by Qi in the Dantian being blocked and unable to flow freely. Gather and circulate Qi promptly, opening the meridians at the front and back, and the symptoms will disappear.”

Someone else asked, “From the tenth day of the tenth month until today, whenever I lie down just after nightfall, the Jade Pillow—the area at the back of the head—and my neck become extremely itchy. Why is this?”

The reply was, “This is caused by a wind disorder. If you persist in practicing Qi absorption through breath regulation and Qi cultivation, the wind evil will dissipate over time and the symptoms will be cured.”

Someone else asked, “When holding the breath to treat an illness, after swallowing Qi ten times… the small intestine… From the tenth day of the tenth month until today, whenever I lie down just after nightfall, the Jade Pillow and my neck become extremely itchy. Why is this?”

The reply was, “This is caused by a wind disorder. If you persist in practicing Qi absorption, the wind evil will dissipate over time and the symptoms will be cured.”

Question: When using breath retention to treat illness, should I wait until I have swallowed ten times and the breath has filled the small intestine, then hold my breath and direct the Qi toward the afflicted area? Or should I hold my breath directly, without swallowing?

Answer: Those who practice Qi methods should first fill the lower Dantian (the place below the navel where breath gathers), then hold their breath and concentrate the Qi toward the afflicted area. There is no need to swallow and hold the breath repeatedly.

Question: In the depths of winter, when wind and snow bring bitter cold, and the sound of drums urges me to attend court, how should I swallow to withstand the cold?

Answer: Simply use harmonious Qi (regulated breath) and guide it with the mind as it circulates throughout the body. Then wind and snow cannot harm you.

Question: After swallowing, when the small intestine is filled with breath, if I later need to pay respects to the dead or visit the sick, may I weep and choke with grief or anger?

Answer: Paying respects to the dead, visiting the sick, and giving way to sorrow, anger, or tears are all matters forbidden in Daoist cultivation. If you truly must go, find a quiet room there, sit calmly, and use primordial Qi (the body’s fundamental vital energy) to expel all harmful Qi. Then follow the method for taking in primordial Qi until your breath is full, and guide the Qi of the Dantian. Once the Qi is sufficient, circulate it into the limbs and throughout the body.

Question: This October, while walking north of Baqiao, I encountered a cold northeast wind. My eyes and face immediately swelled, and the swelling subsided only after a night. In November, after the winter solstice, I went to Yongchong on an errand. Passing through a place exposed to a cold wind, I felt an itch in my eyes. After scratching them with my fingernails, both eyes swelled at once. In such cases, how can eye swelling be prevented?

Answer: Those who practice breath cultivation ought to live in the mountains and forests, where their practice can more readily succeed. How could they fall ill whenever they encounter wind and cold? This happens because the head and face are prone to wind disorders, and the Qi inside the body has not yet been fully expelled; pathogenic wind remains in the skin. Once the proper Qi moves between the hairs, old hair falls out and new hair grows in, and this condition will change. If the eyes swell severely, it is because Qi has gathered in the liver. When the liver receives proper Qi, the eyes become clear and neither swell nor itch.

I dare to ask: After swallowing breath ten times or five times, I feel a thumping sound in my small intestine. After the time it takes to eat a meal, I tap the area once, and the sound disappears. If the breath changes, the sound also stops once a new breath has formed. If the eyes become severely swollen, it is because Qi has gathered excessively in the liver. When the liver receives upright Qi, the eyes will become clear, and the swelling and itching will subside.

I also ask: “How can I keep the small intestine thumping throughout the night?” The reply: “When you first begin practicing the circulation of Qi, if you take in breath only in the morning and evening, and at the Zi and Wu hours, it is because your Qi is weak and cannot last. So practice at all four seasons of the day, keeping the breath continuous. As long as there is no grain Qi—the Qi transformed from food—upright Qi can remain constantly present.”

I also ask: “When stabilizing Qi and preventing it from escaping, should I gradually apply effort, or firmly hold it from the beginning? If applying effort to stabilize Qi causes slight pain in the small intestine, what should I do?” The reply: “At first, it is difficult to hold Qi in place. Qi mostly comes from the mature stores—the Qi that has accumulated and matured within the body. Simply use intention to keep watch over it, and do not let it escape too often. Slight pain in the small intestine occurs when, during the circulation of Qi, you draw in too much Qi, causing pernicious wind to enter the abdomen. Whenever you feel slight pain, release the old Qi and replenish it with new Qi; this will bring relief.”

I also ask: “For years, I often felt itching in my back. In early November this year, the itching in my back stopped on its own and shifted to my buttocks, feet, and calves. Why is this?” The reply: “This is a sign that upright Qi has just entered the back and is driving pernicious wind downward. Once the pernicious wind has been expelled to the buttocks, it will continue downward until it is completely expelled, and the illness will be cured.”

I also ask: “Since the winter solstice, whenever I lie down in the early part of the night, I feel Qi flowing gently downward from the crown of my head to my feet. After midnight, my waist and feet first become warm, then this Qi gradually rises to the crown of my head. Why is this?” The reply: “This is the beginning of the movement of primordial Qi, the Qi that is the source of life. You may guide this Qi as it circulates through the whole body. This is a very good sign.”

May I ask: Sometimes the breath in both nostrils rushes straight to the head, and the breath seems to fill the face. What is happening?

Answer: Breath rushing straight to the head is a sign that Qi is moving in reverse. When Qi moves from back to front, it is moving in the normal direction; when it moves from front to back, it is moving in reverse.

May I ask: Why does this happen?

Answer: Breath rushing straight to the head is a sign that Qi is moving in reverse. When Qi moves from back to front, it is moving in the normal direction; when it moves from front to back, it is moving in reverse.

May I ask: Early in the night, while lying on my back, I swallowed the breath three to five times. At the same time, both hands grew warm, and warm Qi rose like smoke. Before long, I felt my whole body connected as one, from my head and face down to my feet. Warm Qi continued to circulate, like the warmth rising from rooftops and the ground after spring rain has stopped and the sky has cleared. My buttocks, bent legs, and heels also grew warm. The warmth circulated throughout my body, then finally dispersed from beneath the big toenails and the soles of both feet. My left hand sweated a great deal. What causes this?

Answer: This is a sign that harmonizing Qi has begun to circulate, passing through the channels and moving according to its rhythm. If you practice this for a long time, the movement of Qi will open up on its own. Its subtleties are difficult to explain with brush and paper.

May I ask: Sometimes my head and the back of my neck feel cool, as if cold Qi were moving there. It feels very comfortable. What is happening?

Answer: This is a sign that healthy Qi is circulating between the heart and liver. If you feel as though you have a cold, with a blocked nose, hot eyes, or cloudy eye whites, you can use this Qi; it is said to bring quick relief. This method is also used to treat epidemic jaundice, malaria, and similar illnesses, with good results.

May I ask: Sometimes warm Qi moves in my mouth. The breath passes over the front teeth, then through the gaps between them, travels across six or seven teeth, and repeats more than thirty times, moving along both the inner and outer sides of the teeth. What is happening?

Answer: This is a sign that Qi is about to enter the bones. Keep practicing, and do not stop out of fear.

May I ask: Sometimes waves of warm Qi rise from the Jade Pillow (the place where the back of the head meets the neck) and continue down the back of the neck. What is happening? Why does this happen more than ten times, causing Qi to move along both the inner and outer sides of the teeth?

Answer: This is a sign that Qi is about to enter the bones. Keep practicing, and do not stop out of fear.

Question: At times, a warm current suddenly wells up where the Jade Pillow (the back of the head) meets the neck. Why does this happen?

Answer: This is because too much food-derived Qi has accumulated in the Dantian, obstructing the movement and circulation of vital Qi through the body. Once the food in the abdomen has been digested, the various methods of cultivation can take effect more readily, and there is no need to worry about hunger, thirst, or becoming weak and thin. These methods are profound and subtle. As for such arts as healing others and rising into the air, these too can be mastered through long practice; there is no need to doubt it.

◎ Postscript by the Perfected Wang Lao to the Scripture

The Dao of the Most High’s methods pervades all things, yet among those who study the Dao, even one in a hundred may fail to achieve anything. If you do not apply yourself, your body will decline, and in the end you will bury the body given to you by your parents in the dark earth, leaving your bones to be gnawed by ants. Is this not something to grieve over?

The principle behind one method runs through ten thousand methods. There is no need to search everywhere for various arts and waste your energy. Apply yourself over a long period, and you will naturally reach a refined and wondrous state; these principles are already recorded in the classics. Does an infant in the womb know to seek out various arts? I have spoken of this before, but fear that those who cultivate the Dao may still overlook it and copy down various elixir recipes, so I say it again. The key lies in disciplining yourself and gathering in the spirit. The knack is exceedingly subtle: this is the foundation of fetal breathing (a method of cultivation that models an infant’s breathing in the womb and regulates the breath), as well as the first step for beginners. If you merely read this method without grasping its hidden subtlety, you will not attain the Dao. Therefore, I now append this passage on the essential knack. Never pass it lightly to those who are unworthy of the Dao, or disaster will surely follow. Be sure to exercise caution.

Scroll Sixty-Three: The Golden Elixir, Part One.

◎ The Upper Part of “The Secret Elbow-Behind Formula for Entering the Gold,” in Which Perfected Lady Xuanbian Explains the Golden Tiger, Lead, and Mercury and the Making of the Crucible.

“Golden Tiger,” lead, and mercury all fall within the domain of the Five Phases. The myriad things take shape by coalescing through Yang Qi and are nourished into growth through Yin Qi. Yin is the foundation of the Dao; Yang is the beginning of fullness and development. Yang cannot stand on its own, nor can Yin bring forth life by itself. Human beings and all things receive the same original Qi. Once primordial chaos divides into Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, the myriad things begin to appear and establish their foundations. They bend and extend as they grow; then, as the transformations of creation shape them like parents, they eventually return to their source, each going back to its root and changing along the way. Through the interaction of Yin and Yang, forms and patterns are established.

The Kan trigram belongs to Water and has the number one; the Li trigram belongs to Fire and has the number two. Here, they are said to change from Yin to Yang. Fire has the number one, and Water the number two; here, they are said to change from Yang to Yin. Water as two and Fire as one: the former represents form, the latter essence. Together, they serve as a metaphor for the source of cultivating the Dao within the human body. A deeper, more mysterious principle accords with the truth: lead and mercury stand for two Yin substances, which combine as Water’s “two.” Fire by nature burns upward and holds its place according to its position, representing Fire’s “one.”

Between Heaven and Earth, each of the Five Phases has its corresponding symbol. In the practice of Neidan (internal alchemy) within the human body, the heart belongs to Fire, lies below the lungs, and has the number one; the kidneys belong to Water, are lodged at the Gate of Life (Mingmen, the source of life between the kidneys below the navel), and have the number two. This is enough to show that “Fire one, Water two” is the foundation of the Great Dao. For those who understand and practice it, becoming an immortal is not difficult. The Mysterious Pearl, symbolizing the subtle substance gained through inner cultivation, moves freely in the Red Water, a symbol of the mysterious realm, and gradually gestates into an embryo. The Return Elixir, formed through inner cultivation, also arises from the Mysterious One, the single Qi that is the source of all things; stirred and lifted by Yang Qi, it becomes a flowing pearl. This shows that three, five, and one are all the purest essences between Heaven and Earth, capable of transforming in an instant.

To obtain “one” through inner cultivation means to obtain the Qi of the Yin Elixir, which can sustain life. To obtain “one” through outer cultivation means to obtain the Yang Elixir. Once refined and ingested, it can stabilize one’s inner nature and life, and also transform the five metals outside the body. Thus, the foundation of cultivation is one and the same, and there is only one supreme medicine. When the human way is brought into accord with the Way of Heaven, transformation happens swiftly, and things unfold in harmony with nature.

Without Yin, the myriad things cannot be born; without Yang, they cannot come to completion. The joining and transformation required for the Return Elixir never depart from Water and Fire. Metal, Wood, and Earth also work together according to their proper times and principles, and the Elixir is then refined naturally. The foundation of elixir refinement is “one”; the key is to distinguish true lead and mercury—that is, true Yin and true Yang. This is the Great Dao. Hence the text uses the trigrams of the Book of Changes to explain that the ingredients need not be fixed by weight in catties and taels: the figure of 384 zhu symbolizes the Moon’s two opposing phases, waxing and waning.

Two and eight add up to sixteen, so the measure is set at sixteen liang. If there is even the slightest error, it will fail to accord with the images of the hexagram lines—the numerical and symbolic patterns they reveal—and it will no longer be possible to act in accordance with the proper measures and talismanic methods. Kan and Li represent the medicinal substances; Heaven and Earth represent the furnace and vessel. Qian, Kun, Zhen, and Xun set the hexagram images in motion, bringing the substances into being. If they are condensed according to the talismanic method, Yin Qi is transformed into white horse teeth, and Yang Qi into golden cinnabar. As the saying goes, “When golden cinnabar enters the five viscera, the vapor disperses like wind and rain.” Even without any external operation, its marvelous effects are inexhaustible. These are methods for attaining long life and transcending the world, and the highest teachings of the Return of the Elixir—the refining of internal alchemy.

Whenever New Year’s Day arrives, the Primordial Lord and the Perfected Ones of the Three Luminaries summon those who have attained the Dao. Those with the proper affinity may receive an edict from the Red Emperor Lord of the Celestial Bureaucracy, who transmits this secret in vermilion writing on golden tablets. If one is insincere in inner cultivation, wavering in one’s resolve, or says one thing while thinking another, one will never grasp its principles. Those who study the Dao need only maintain a single-minded, unwavering heart, and the Daoist master will naturally come to them. This is offered as a warning to later students.

Instructions for the Inner Use of the Five Phases

The secret instructions say: To distinguish the medicinal substances and regulate the firing times, one must follow the patterns of things—that is, take the symbolic correspondences of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things as one’s model. In the Scripture of Perfect Truth of Shangqing, in the secret books and records of the immortals, and in their songs and verses, whenever the Five Phases are discussed, their numbers always follow this sequence: Water is one, Fire is two, Wood is three, Metal is four, and Earth is five. Earth has no fixed direction; it moves through the four seasons. The Five Phases arise from Earth: Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, and Wood generates Fire. When the vital essence of Jia Wood joins with it, the myriad things take shape; the life and death of all things ultimately return to Houtu, the Earth Deity. Earth corresponds to yellow, and Metal to white. Consider an egg: its yolk within is yellow, and its white without is white. The two Qi, Yin and Yang, respond to one another and naturally differentiate and take form. Why would anything external be needed to bring this about?

First, the north belongs to black and corresponds to Zi Water, the Water associated with the Earthly Branch Zi. This is also where Metal resides, and it is the starting point of the Five Phases’ movement. Metal corresponds to white. Consider an egg: its yolk within is yellow, and its white without is white. The two Qi, Yin and Yang, respond to one another and naturally differentiate and take form. Why would anything external be needed to bring this about?

The north is black and corresponds to Zi. In the Five Phases it belongs to Water and is also the dwelling place of Metal; it is the beginning of the Five Phases and the foundation of the Dao. The “tooth” that naturally forms in black lead and cinnabar is a white substance that takes shape within the cinnabar when the sun and moon shine upon it and conditions are sufficient. It conceals the nature of Fire, so it is called “Heaven-born Lead.”

The south is red and corresponds to Wu. It is the proper position of Fire and the dwelling place of vermilion cinnabar. “Dan” is another name for the south. Cinnabar is said to be the parent of lead, and is also likened to the upturned moon.

The east is azure and corresponds to Mao. In the Five Phases it belongs to Wood; it is the source of the Dao and the parent of Yin and Yang. All things receive Qi in their own way, yet share a common source and depend on the principle of generation through turning their backs to the shade and facing the sun. The essence of Jia Wood is called the source and parent of Fire; it is also known as the “Sun Soul.”

The west is white and corresponds to You. In the Five Phases it belongs to Metal and is the dwelling place of divine Water. Turning from the north toward the west, Mao and You stand opposite each other. Metal overcomes Wood, while Water and Fire move in mutual exchange; through this, the Great Dao is brought to completion. The essence of Yin is called the “Moon Po.”

The center is yellow and corresponds to Wu and Ji. In the Five Phases it belongs to Earth and is the dwelling place of the “Flowery Pool,” a Neidan term for the place that holds or harmonizes the ingredients in alchemical practice. Earth can restrain Water, preventing it from flowing, as though it had lost its vitality. Earth is the parent of the returned Elixir, and life and death both depend on the parents: the father is Fire, the mother Earth. Together they subdue all things and keep them from stirring, each following its original relation to the parents. Hence the phrase “Metal Cauldron and Earthen Stove,” a metaphor for the alchemical vessels and their coordination. In other words, the coordination of Three, Five, and One must be without the slightest error.

The oral formula says: “The sun is the essence of accumulated Yang Qi; its disappearance…” Earth is the parent of the returned Elixir, and life and death both depend on the parents: the father is Fire, the mother Earth. Together they subdue all things and keep them from stirring, each following its original relation to the parents. Hence the phrase “Metal Cauldron and Earthen Stove”; in other words, the coordination of Three, Five, and One must be without error.

The verse says: The sun is the essence formed from the gathering of Yang Qi, and its number is nine. In heaven it appears as the image of the sun; on earth it takes form, harmonizes the myriad things, and spreads Qi so that life may grow. The crow in the sun—symbolized in antiquity by a three-legged crow—is black, signifying the Ren and Gui Water of the north. It is called “the Yin essence within Yang,” meaning that Yin is contained within Yang. Thus, the Li position (the Li trigram among the Eight Trigrams) belongs to Bing and Ding Fire and is called the Fire Palace. It receives the number nine; when Qi condenses into Vermilion Essence and is refined and nurtured, the form can be stabilized. “Three and Five joined with One; Dragon and Tiger come to meet” is a term from the art of cultivation. It refers to the union of the Qi of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, and the meeting of the two Qi known as Dragon and Tiger. The immortals of antiquity refined and nurtured the sun’s essence, returning themselves to pure Yang and flying through the Great Clarity, the Daoist realm of clear emptiness in heaven.

Mercury belongs to the category of Water, yet contains Yang: it is Yang on the outside and Yin within. Yang symbolizes yellow, while Yin symbolizes white. From this we can understand that being red on the outside and white within can stabilize the form. The verse then repeats, “Three and Five joined with One; Dragon and Tiger come to meet,” and says that the immortals of antiquity refined the sun’s essence, returned themselves to pure Yang, and flew through the Great Clarity. Mercury belongs to Water yet contains Yang; it is Yang on the outside and Yin within. Yang signifies yellow and Yin signifies white, so mercury is red on the outside and white within. Mercury is born within cinnabar—that is, mercury is produced from lead. This explains that Yin is present within Yang, and that Yin and Yang cannot exist in isolation.

The verse also says: The moon is the essence formed from the gathering of Yin Qi. It occupies the Kan position (the Kan trigram among the Eight Trigrams), and its number is one. Yin and Yang contain one another and give rise to life within it; the ethereal soul and the corporeal soul respond to each other. The toad in the moon and the crow in the sun symbolize the union of Yin and Yang Qi. Both kinds of Qi appear white, signifying the Geng and Xin Metal of the west. They are called “the Yang essence within Yin,” meaning that Yang is contained within Yin. Thus, the Kan position belongs to Ren and Gui Water and is called the Water Palace. It receives the number one, and its Qi condenses into Dark Essence. This serves as an analogy for how people take form through the Qi transmitted by their parents: generations continue in succession, nurturing one another. This is the natural Dao.

The medicine takes the moon as its image. It receives Yin from within Yang, and when the embryo forms it also contains Yang essence; it is Yin on the outside and Yang within. Yin symbolizes white and Yang symbolizes yellow, so it is white on the outside and yellow within. White Metal—a term in Daoist cultivation for a substance associated with metallic medicines—is produced through the River Cart. The River Cart is another name for cinnabar, so called because its color resembles fire. Thus it is said that cinnabar is produced from Metal. This explains that Yang is present within Yin, and that Yin and Yang cannot exist in isolation.

The oral instructions say: Place cinnabar and lead in the furnace and smelt them, extract their essence, and add it to the “soul of the elixir” (the core of internal alchemy) to establish Qian, the aspect symbolizing Yang and Heaven. Its efficacy is wondrous, like that of a spirit. Thus, “Maiden” refers to lead, while “sand” refers to white metal, a substance in ancient alchemical terminology. The basis of metal is a substance of the “Yellow Light” or “Yellow Chariot” kind.

The oral instructions say: First, the basis of the elixir belongs to Water, with lead within it. Second, the basis of Fire belongs to Wood, with the tally—the symbol or marker used to regulate the firing process—within it. Fifth, the basis of Earth belongs to the mother, with metal within it. If a practitioner of the elixir methods does not understand the principle of the “True One,” merely calls metals and stones medicines, and does not know how to regulate the tally and firing process according to their proper cycles, how could they refine the Returning Elixir?

The oral instructions say: The Great Elixir is not made from the various metallic and mineral substances, such as gold and silver, copper and iron, lead and tin, copper sulfate, realgar, or the five alum salts. Each of these substances has its own toxicity. Properly combined and neutralized, they may be used to treat illness, but they cannot prolong life.

The oral instructions say: Cinnabar, when neutralized by unorthodox methods, can treat common illnesses and preserve one’s appearance, but it cannot make a person immortal. Why? Because it has not been compounded in accordance with the original parents and the trigrams, which symbolize the changes of Yin and Yang. It has therefore lost its original primordial Qi.

The oral instructions say: Mercury is called “water essence.” When it receives and contains the tally, the token of Yin-Yang transformation in alchemy, it is called mercury; when it rises, it becomes “flowing pearls.” Hence the saying: “Cinnabar gives birth to flowing mercury; Wu and Ji, the names for central Earth, are the mother of gold.”

The oral instructions say: To condense flowing pearls into white metal is to show that white metal takes form through the condensation of the “One.” The paths of metal and water work together, with metal serving as black lead. When Yang is born within Yin, one can return from old age to youth. When Yin essence reaches its extreme, it transforms: even the aged can regain their youth and move toward long life. Thus mercury, born in the north, comes to the position belonging to Fire and joins with Fire to refine the Great Elixir.

The cultivation formulas of the ancient masters are obscure and difficult to understand, and ordinary people often misuse them through ignorance. In alchemical writings, “common lead,” “black metal,” “mercury,” and “silver” are used as metaphors for the “River Cart,” a symbol for transporting the elixir. Realgar is likened to Earth, while gold and silver are regarded as the generative mother. Yet none of these is the fundamental source from which the supreme elixir is refined. “Common lead” refers to lead found in copper, iron, and plants, as well as lead in ores; “true lead” means “child-and-mother lead.” The “silver” mentioned here refers to lead as the spirit-water of the great elixir and as the mother of gold. Only when child and mother unite can their inner relationship be made manifest.

Metal symbolizes the essence of the moon and occupies the Yang position. Mercury contains the Qi of Li Fire and corresponds to the six lines of a hexagram from the Book of Changes. The numinous Qi of Heaven and Earth gives birth to the essences of the sun and moon. When decline reaches its limit, renewal begins; when Yin is exhausted, Yang arises. Both follow the changes of the Dao of Heaven.

From the first day of each month, one receives the talismanic Qi—the timed phases that govern the alchemical process—and the six Qi transform from their innate nature into outward expression. From the sixteenth day to the end of the month, the six Qi transform back from outward expression into innate nature. This process symbolizes the moon’s waxing from crescent to fullness, then waning from fullness to decline.

Gold symbolizes the father, and wood the mother. The Zhen trigram represents the eldest son, while the Dui trigram represents the youngest daughter. “White” means returning to unity; “gold” means attaining its proper position. “Black” symbolizes water held within; “lead” belongs to the same category as gold. “Yellow” symbolizes Earth, and “sprout” signifies the emergence of new growth. “Child” is a name for the nine transformations—the repeated cycles of refining in alchemy. “River” is the source of water, while “cart” symbolizes the function of the timed phases as they circulate and give birth to the elixir.

People do not understand that cinnabar is the mother of lead, and the timed phases are the father of the elixir. Birth and death alike return to the Yellow Earth, the deity or quality of Earth. Yellow Earth can restrain water and prevent it from dispersing; all things depend on Earth as they are born and die. Earth is the mother of Fire.

Cinnabar is the ancestor of lead and the foundation of the Reverted Elixir, the elixir that returns to the source and restores the original state. Lead is born from cinnabar. Thus it is said that mercury is born from lead, and cinnabar is produced by gold. Those who truly grasp these principles are exceedingly rare.

The oral teaching says: The Yin Mercury within cinnabar, nurtured and cultivated through the turning of celestial timings and correspondences, matures through cycles of the sun and moon and naturally gives rise to Yang Mercury.

Yang Mercury is the ruler, Yin Mercury the minister. The two Mercuries, Yin and Yang, are originally the same substance; they do not come from two different sources.

The oral teaching says: The precious Elixir is generated from a single substance; nothing else is added from outside. For example, a mussel absorbs the vital energy of the moonlight and forms a pearl within itself. Could the pearl have been made from some other kind of thing?

The oral teaching says: The Great Elixir has three grades: Mercury is the highest, Elixir the middle, and Cinnabar the lowest. Those who understand know that, at root, these are one and the same, with no distinction between them. The Metal Tiger, an alchemical term for the Yin force associated with the West and Metal Qi, contains Yin energy. Its direction is West; True Qi is stored within and lodged in the Great Yin, where Yin energy is at its height. Mysterious Lead, an alchemical term for lead-based substances and the vital essence they symbolize, condenses into the utmost essence. Together they are called the Dragon and Tiger. Mao and You overcome one another, while Zi and Wu stand opposite each other: this is the pattern by which Heaven and Earth’s Yin and Yang turn like an axle, generating change.

The oral teaching says: In the Nine-Turn method, the two belong to the West. True Qi is stored within and lodged in the Great Yin; Mysterious Lead condenses into the utmost essence. They are called the Dragon and Tiger. Mao and You overcome one another, while Zi and Wu stand opposite each other. This is the principle by which Heaven and Earth’s Yin and Yang revolve and creation operates.

The oral teaching says: The Nine-Turn process of refinement and cultivation lasts 270 days. The cauldron is changed once each month, continuing through the ninth cauldron. Changing the cauldron makes the method more refined; even without changing it, the timings and correspondences can still be sustained. Metal Nature, here referring to the Metal Qi spoken of in alchemy, rises and falls: by the fifteenth day it has been completely depleted. At the end of the thirty-day cycle, the way of refinement and cultivation reaches its limit and returns to the Zi position. The primal Yin of Earth receives the timings and correspondences, and the three substances sink together into the earth. The Yang correspondence rises upward; upon reaching the ancestral shrine, the inner root of the alchemical process, it then descends. The Xun position, the Wind position among the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), is thereby generated and receives the timings and correspondences. The Qi of the four trigrams Qian, Kun, Zhen, and Xun circles up and down; the Five Phases lie hidden, Yin and Yang are harmonized, and the Dao Qi of Heaven and Earth flows back and forth in an unceasing cycle.

◎ Inscription on Making the Golden Tripod

The earthen Golden Tripod concerns life and death, and longevity. Its seven divine chambers are bright; the three rounds, five Yin aspects, and single chaos unite, while Qi moves between Heaven and Earth. Yin and Yang correspond at the tripod’s two ends. It is shaped like an egg, complete in form and without flaw, with yellow and white substances concealed within. The walls of the tripod are of even thickness and sealed by the “Six Ones” method. Guard the Wu Gate, the crucial part of the furnace and vessel, with care, so that the changes within the tripod accord with the alchemical method and fit together naturally.

The commentary says, “‘One’ is the beginning of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). It also refers to the Moon’s Yin soul, its Yin essence. It resides in the Kan position, the Yin place associated with Water in the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), where the substance is born in darkness. People do not understand what ‘Metal Lord’ means: ‘Metal’ is another name for the planet Venus, and ‘Lord’ is an honorific for what is most esteemed. Together, they are called lead.

“The commentary says: When Metal enters the Central Palace, Taiyi and Dageng take shape. The Red Bird guards the Yellow Crow, the Azure Dragon lies beneath the register, and the White Tiger carries out the extraction. Things of the same kind gather together; this is why it is called ‘Joining and Matching’—things that combine and correspond with one another.

“The commentary says: Black lead enters the upturned Moon, a vessel shaped like a crescent turned upward, and the two unite like husband and wife. The Yang soul and Yin soul join, naturally harmonizing with each other. People do not understand that the Five Metals and Eight Minerals are the full complement of Yin substances. Only through combination and circulation can they be refined into the Elixir. The Eight Minerals refer to the Bagua, and the Five Metals refer to the timing and regulation of the Fire Phase according to the Five Phases.

“The commentary says: They cannot unite by themselves. People do not understand that the Five Metals and Eight Minerals are the full complement of Yin substances. Only through combination and circulation can they be refined into the Elixir. The Eight Minerals refer to the Bagua, and the Five Metals refer to the Fire Phase according to the Five Phases.

“The commentary says: The unyielding Wood is the parent of Jia, and is therefore overcome by Metal. Metal engenders Water, so Water must contain Metal; Wood engenders Fire, so Fire must also rely on Wood to arise.

“The commentary says: Lead water is a liquid that forms naturally within cinnabar and belongs to Yang; mercury water is a liquid extracted from cinnabar and belongs to Yin. Therefore, lead water is used to restrain mercury water.

“The commentary says: Lead water is the talisman, the key substance used to harmonize and restrain the ingredients. Mercury Fire is the liquid extracted from cinnabar; hence it is said that lead Fire restrains mercury Fire. Water accords with its nature, and Fire with its form. When the two substances are restrained by the true talisman inside the cauldron, the vessel used for alchemical work, they do not scatter. Their Qi acts upon one another, swallowing, dissolving, and transforming; this is why the process is called the Great Return, an alchemical term for completing the major process of returning the Elixir.

“The commentary says: The Wood essence within cinnabar can unite with Metal when it encounters it. The proportions must not vary by the slightest amount; only then can the state of supreme sanctity and efficacy be attained. People do not understand that, once restrained by the true talisman, the substances in the cauldron do not scatter. Their Qi acts upon one another, swallowing, dissolving, and transforming; this is why the process is called the Great Return.”

The oral instructions say: The wood essence within cinnabar can unite with the essence of Metal only after receiving it. Their proportions must be exactly right, without any imbalance; only then will the elixir prepared from them be most efficacious. People in the world do not understand this principle. When they see gold, they regard it as though it were clay. The medicinal formula calls this method the “Great Mystery’s Yin Talisman” (Taixuan Yinfu): the Dao gives rise to Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang give rise to the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). When Yin-Yang and the Five Phases unite, they are refined into the reverted elixir, hence the name “Dragon and Tiger.” The Dragon represents Yang Qi and belongs to Wood; the Tiger represents Yin Qi and belongs to Metal.

The oral instructions also say: Follow the method and take the two wood-based medicines, gradually bringing their properties into harmony. Even if mercury has been subdued, the Great Elixir is not yet complete. At this stage, taking the medicine can treat worldly illnesses and prolong life. Continue guarding and refining it through nine turns, and the medicine will take on a blue-green and wolf-yellow hue. After three years of guarding and refining, the primordial Qi will be abundant, and its color will change to black, the color of the north. Taking a dose the size of a grain of gold, equal to one ancient measure called a knife-point, is said to enable one to live forever in this world. One such measure of the medicine can subdue one jin of mercury, refining it into the white “Dao.” After five years of guarding and refining, taking three zhu is said to enable one to live forever; one zhu of the medicine can transmute one jin of iron and mercury into the red “Dao.” After nine years of guarding and refining, the entire method is complete. Taking two zhu is said to enable one to live forever in this world; one zhu of the medicine can transmute one jin of mercury and multicolored roof tiles, turning each into a treasure of its corresponding original color.

The oral instructions say: Practice “Guarding and Circulating the Great Elixir” for three years. Once your Qi is full, grind the medicine finely and mix it with honey from the jujube tree to make pills the size of hemp seeds. Take them in the prescribed dose. When taking the medicine, kneel and sit facing east, silently recite “Heavenly Perfection” in your heart, then swallow it.

Tie nine pills behind your arm. Wherever you go, whether presenting memorials or ascending an altar to pay your respects, people will honor you. Even when you encounter cruel and rebellious people, their thoughts of harming others will fade on their own. When you enter forests or open country, fierce beasts, venomous insects, and mountain spirits will fear you and hide, daring not to harm you. In battle, it will seem as though five hundred people surround you as guards, protecting you from arrows and swords. Wherever you are, the local earth deities will come to protect you.

A divine mirror from ancient or modern times, or an ordinary bronze or iron mirror, can be made numinous by grinding a single pill against it. If you use one pill to write a Fulu (talismans and registers), then recite and explain it according to the prescribed formula, you can summon the spirits of the Five Sacred Peaks, celestial immortals, dragon spirits, and the myriad numinous beings. They will arrive swiftly and obey your commands. If someone in the world falls ill, write a single character and swallow it, and they will recover at once. If someone has been dead for no more than seven days and has not yet decomposed, place two pills in their nostrils to call back their soul and restore them to life.

If someone has been dead for more than seven days and cannot be revived, placing one pill in their mouth will keep the body from decaying after burial. The same applies to birds and beasts. After the pills have been stored for nine years, take four zhu and boil them with one jin of yellow earth and water for three days; this will refine them into gold.

If you do not use this medicine according to the proper way, calamity and punishment will befall your ancestors for seven generations, and you yourself will become a ghost in the lower realm. The secrets of the Way of Heaven must not be disclosed lightly. Disclosing them without authorization will surely bring punishment from the immortal officials, misfortune in all affairs, and deadly calamities sent by the spirits. Observe the prohibitions and act with caution to avoid disaster.

The text reiterates at the end: If you do not use the medicine according to the proper way, calamity will befall your ancestors for seven generations, and you will become a ghost in the lower realm. The secrets of the Way of Heaven must not be disclosed lightly; otherwise, you will incur punishment from the immortal officials and all manner of misfortune. Follow the instructions with care, and you will be spared disaster.

“Methods of Zhengyin Jia, Taking the Image of the Celestial Talisman, Combining Metals with Fire to Make a Ding: Lower Chapter of the Formula Kept Behind the Elbow” is the chapter title. It means that the following chapter will discuss the methods of Zhengyin Jia, modeling them on the Celestial Talisman, as well as using fire to refine and combine metals and making a ding vessel.

The scripture says: “Jia” belongs to Wood and is the source of Wood and Fire. Its number is three, its completed number is nine, and its proper position is in the eastern blue; it also resides in Bing and Ding. It is the teacher and elder of all things, the parents of Fire, and the essence of the sun and the beginning of Yang Qi. It shines on all things and brings them into form. This essence is called the “hun.”

In Heaven, the sun is the “direct talisman” (the responsive sign that presides over and sets the times of Heaven in motion), able to bring forth life in all things. On Earth, it is the “earth talisman,” able to cook all things until they are mature. Once Yin and Yang Qi have differentiated, Jia is called the “wood essence,” also known as the “Azure-Waisted Messenger.” When the two natures of Yin and Yang unite and confirm one another, and gold sand joins with Fire, three and five return to one, and Neidan forms naturally.

“Three” belongs to Wood and is the parent of Yang essence; both Yin mercury and Yang mercury are contained within it. Yang essence shines, and Yin and Yang join to give rise to it. It is provisionally called “gold sand,” the most refined substance between Heaven and Earth.

“Dan” is Yin mercury within Yang: Yang turns into the minister, its number is two, and it is called cinnabar, also known as “fire lead.” “Five” belongs to Earth and is the power that governs the maternal body. It refers to Yang essence within Yin, that is, Yang mercury within Yin. Yin turns into the ruler, its number is one, and it is called black lead, also known as the “water foundation.”

The Yang hun, weighing nine zhu, is called “true water.” This metaphor places it in the Li position, which represents Fire among the Bagua (Eight Trigrams): it is Yin within Yang. The Yin po, refined three times, is called “yellow silver.” This metaphor places it in the Kan position, which represents Water among the Bagua: it is Yang within Yin, and is therefore also called “mercury.” Water and Fire join and merge into one, ultimately returning to unity. Once formed, it no longer depends on anything outside itself; hence the saying, “Yin Fire arises of itself.” The talismanic principles involved should be adjusted by the practitioner according to the right moment, so that they accord with the Dao and the intentions of the sages. This is a method of the highest grade.

The first secret of the Golden Elixir says: use fire lead to subdue Fire, and the Fire will naturally go out. Yin and Yang advance and withdraw according to the numbers seven and eight. The breath separates at the midpoint of the month; after running its course for thirty days, it begins again. Nurtured in this way for nine months, it can attain spiritual power.

It also says: Yin mercury and Yang mercury have the same form; when matched in sequence, they naturally unite. When met with metal, they transform into divine water. The Flower Pool (a metaphor for the place that receives and harmonizes the ingredients during cultivation) receives the maternal substance through the wood essence. The direct talisman moves according to the images of the hexagram lines. Whoever understands this principle will find Neidan naturally wondrous. Refining the treasure and consuming it is a path to longevity; Heaven and Earth return, and the three become one.

◎ Put this into practice in accordance with the patterns of the Heavenly Talisman.

The Instructions say that in cultivating the Golden Elixir, the methods of talismanic practice must accord with the patterns of movement between Heaven and Earth, and the principles of the Classic of Changes must be examined in depth. The initial period for applying the talismans takes its model from the eleventh lunar month, when the month is governed by Zi: the Yang line begins to stir, symbolizing the first birth of Yang energy in the Kan position. The Classic of Changes says of the first nine: “The hidden dragon must not act.” Here, this serves as a metaphor for Yang energy still in a chaotic state, just beginning to differentiate.

After the winter solstice, the first Yang is born. The Jiazi day marks the starting point of the Upper Origin; counting from the Zi hour, this is “the birth of one Yang.” “The dragon appears in the field” means that the energy of the line is stirring. By the time of Jingzhe, Yang energy has gradually grown stronger, and talismans begin to be applied according to the proper timing. This, too, is called “the birth of one Yang.” When a Jia day occurs, Jia is regarded as the parent of Fire, so this method symbolically uses Fire, just as Yang energy is first born in the eleventh month. Yang energy begins in the Zi position and germinates in darkness, corresponding to the palaces associated with Ren and Gui. When talismanic practice reaches the fifth lunar month, governed by Wu, Yin begins to arise within Yang. What the method symbolizes is the gradual fullness of Yin and Yang energies.

The scripture says: When beginning to calculate and set the talismanic method in motion, Zi corresponds to the measure of weight. The energy of the line stirs, symbolizing the first Yin joining with the energy of the sun. The stages of Fire match the odd and even numbers of Yin and Yang; the talisman and its seal correspond, while the inscriptions align in fours and fives and pair off two by two.

The scripture says: The hidden workings of the Sun and Moon’s movements, and the waxing and waning of the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—are first reckoned from “one Yang.” The forms through which Yang energy brings forth the myriad things appear and extend throughout Heaven and Earth; this is the pattern at work. By Jingzhe, the signs of all things sprouting appear together.

The scripture says: Take the spring equinox as the point of reference. At this time, day and night are equal, and talismans are applied according to the proper timing. The Yang lines gradually increase until the Great Strength hexagram in the Classic of Changes; numerically, this runs from one to fifteen. It symbolizes the seasons of spring and summer, when the energies of Wood and Fire are in command, and the application of talismans shifts from gentle Fire to strong Fire. On the sixteenth day, take the autumn equinox as the point of reference: day and night are equal once more, and the Yin lines gradually increase until Yin energy is at its height, at the end of the month. This symbolizes the seasons of autumn and winter, when the energies of Metal and Water are in command, and the application of talismans shifts from strong Fire to gentle Fire.

These changes also correspond to the hundred divisions of the water clock in a day, and thus accord with celestial phenomena. The related changes of Yin and Yang are concealed within the dark days and intercalary months, and also match lunar phenomena such as tiao and fei, the Moon’s apparent advances and retreats. In this way, the method accords with the Way of Heaven, and the measured courses of the Sun and Moon remain without error.

The scripture says that the tally—the marks recording changes such as the stages of the fire and the sequence of time—begins at the hour of Zi, but Zi is not the origin of the fire. Zi refers to the beginning of the first growth of a yin line, and it is also used as a metaphor for measuring weight. The full cycle of the workings of creation is reflected in the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang. The tally is coordinated with the stages of the fire according to the hours and solar terms, which is why tallies and measures of weight are used to explain it.

The tally’s movement begins at Chen and Si and passes through two and a half cycles. At noon, the Qi mechanism begins to divide; it comes to an end at Xu and Hai. The hour of Zi, then, is not the actual position through which the tally moves.

The scripture also says that the tallying method used in the Return Elixir—the process of cultivating the Neidan (internal alchemy) or preparing an elixir—takes its model from the patterns governing the Celestial Tally and the Hidden Tally. It is coordinated with the changes in the Book of Changes, timekeeping by the clepsydra, the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and the four seasons, so that the cycle proceeds without error. The twenty-eight lunar mansions, the handle of the Northern Dipper, and the positions of the stars are also connected with the auspicious or inauspicious signs they govern. Yet the symbolic models used in elixir cultivation have practical purposes of their own and are not bound by ordinary numerical calculation. When carrying out the tallying, follow the established rules and place the fire below.

What the ancients called tallying was a way of using these symbols to explain the patterns of movement.

The scripture says that the reversing tally of Yin Changsheng is placed above, symbolizing the winter and summer solstices and the alternation of Yin and Yang between above and below. The tally should therefore be used above to guard the vessel used in alchemical preparation, while the increase and decrease of the measures are carefully governed by the line images—the changes represented by yin and yang lines in the Book of Changes. When using Yin Guzi, it may be placed in ash and covered; tea-leaf ash makes an especially good base. But the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang must follow their changes: Yang Qi moves outward, while Yin Qi lies hidden. The whole should be sealed like a wasp’s nest, leaving no opening for breath to escape.

The scripture says: Calculate according to the seasonal images and numbers from the first day through the middle of the seventh day. Each time a Zi day occurs in sequence, add one number. Zi corresponds to the Kan position and symbolizes a Yang beginning to arise within Yin Qi. The calculation therefore starts from Zi, gradually increasing the number of lines until the Beginning of Summer. The Summer Solstice symbolizes Fire, and the Queen Mother (the Queen Mother of the West in Daoist legend) stands opposite it. Add the fifteenth and sixteenth days together as the tally number, for a total of sixty tallies. Before the full moon belongs to Yang; after the full moon belongs to Yin.

Yin Qi begins to arise on the seventeenth day. Fourteen days make the combined number, and the tally count gradually decreases until the Beginning of Winter. At the Winter Solstice, the numbers of the Five Phases have completed their cycle, ending with thirty as the actual count. In totaling the tallies, calculate each day according to the six lines—the six positions that make up a hexagram in the Classic of Changes—and cycle through them in the order of mutual generation between the upper and lower parts, ending where the cycle began. The actual number of days on which tallies are used is brought together under the Five Yin. Yin Qi begins to arise on the seventeenth day; fourteen days make the combined number, and the tally count gradually decreases until the Beginning of Winter. At the Winter Solstice, the numbers of the Five Phases have completed their cycle, ending with thirty as the actual count. The total tally count is calculated according to the six lines and cycles from beginning to end. The actual number of days on which tallies are used is brought together under the Five Phases’ Celestial Tally. When the six periods reach their full count, this gives the total number of days during which the Yin and Yang tallies each keep to their bounds and receive Qi.

The scripture also says: The principles of rising and falling take their images from the Yin and Yang tallies, and the quantity of the medicine must never exceed one jin. Thus they accord with a complete cycle of the Great Numeration, turning round and beginning again. This embodies the great principles of Heaven and Earth and the great number of the pivot around which they revolve. It also corresponds to the 216 counting rods of Qian and the 144 counting rods of Kun. These are the numbers of counting rods in the Classic of Changes that symbolize Qian and Kun; they serve as a metaphor for the measures that accord with the movement of the Celestial Tally. This is the natural pattern by which the fire phases proceed.

In the first period, two and a half days make one Qi: thirty double-hours complete two and a half cycles. At the midpoint of the fifth Qi, the tallies rotate five times through the twelve Earthly Branches, for a total of sixty double-hours. After five days of tally practice, the first period is complete, and five lines and ten tallies should be used. The second period likewise has two and a half days to one Qi: thirty double-hours complete two and a half cycles. At the midday midpoint of the Qi, the tallies again rotate five times through the twelve Earthly Branches, for a total of sixty double-hours. After ten days of tally practice, two periods are complete, and ten lines and twenty tallies should be used. The third period also has two and a half days to one Qi: thirty double-hours complete two and a half cycles. At the midday midpoint of the Qi, the tallies again rotate five times, for a total of sixty double-hours. After fifteen days of tally practice, three periods are complete, and fifteen lines and thirty tallies should be used.

The scripture says: During the first fifteen days of each month, the period is calculated in three watches, with two and a half days making one Qi. Thirty double-hours correspond to two and a half circuits. At midday, the Qi divides; after five more circuits, the total is sixty double-hours. When the talisman is put into operation—its course calculated according to the methods of talisman practice—once the three watches of the first fifteen days are complete, fifteen line changes and thirty talismans should be used.

The first fifteen days are called the White Moon, when Yang talismans are used and the Qi of Fire and Wood governs. The latter fifteen days are called the Black Moon, when Yin talismans are used and the Qi of Metal and Water governs. The talisman’s retreat is calculated in sequence, and together the counts return to “nine as the starting point.” Only when the lines begin to change is their corresponding number counted. Yang takes odd numbers and Yin takes even numbers, in keeping with the inscription “six and four”; the same inscription is used with both kinds of talisman.

The initial line of each of the two talismans serves as the reference point: add to the count at the hour of Zi, and subtract at Yin hours, repeating this cycle. This method takes its model from the celestial talisman: it begins at the establishment of Zi—the calendrical starting point when the Zi month is treated as the beginning of the year—and releases Yang Qi. This marks the beginning of Yang Qi’s movement. At this time, primordial chaos is about to divide, while the hidden dragon has yet to appear. One must wait for a Jia day, with Jia serving as the parent of Yang. The division of Qi belongs to the upper origin of the Yang path, the initial stage of Yang Qi’s circulation. As Yang Qi first begins to move the talisman, the Qi dynamic of the Zhen and Fu hexagrams comes into effect, symbolized by the first nine line. Explained in terms of the solar terms, this may be likened to early spring.

Each time the talisman makes a circuit through the twelve earthly branches, it completes two and a half circuits, ending at the hour of Si, for a total of thirty double-hours, or two and a half days. Beginning with the division of Qi at the hour of Wu, it makes another two and a half circuits, ending at the hour of Hai, for a total of sixty double-hours. This symbolizes the nine of mid-spring and, when explained in terms of the solar terms, may be likened to early spring.

“Ten periods” correspond to mid-spring, the second month of spring. Using “two nines” as the method of calculation, the Qi of the Kun and Dui trigrams intermingles, with each occupying five days in the first phase. In the second phase, Yin and Yang Qi rise and descend in turn, and Heaven and Earth begin to unite. This is symbolized by late spring and belongs to the work of the upper nine. Thereafter, calculate the positions of the lines according to the division of Qi, and use talismanic symbols in the calculation. The cycle runs only from the Zi hour to the Si hour; at the Wu and Hai hours, it ends and begins counting anew.

In the third phase, the initial nine belongs to the upper origin of the Yin path. Yin Qi begins to grow, and the talismanic method turns into a retreating course, governed by Xun and Gou and symbolized by early autumn. It gradually retreats, and the phase count returns to thirty. The numbers of the Five Phases have now been worked out; the key lies in using fire. If the timing and adjustment of the fire are mishandled, the climatic sequence will fall into disorder. If one follows the mysterious signs of Heaven without error, the spirits will naturally accord with them. If even one symbolic number fails to match, it is no different from rubble. By clearly discerning advance and retreat, and carefully observing the proper times and firing periods, the Returned Elixir can be refined.

In cultivating the medicine, the key lies in mastering the firing periods. Errors in adjustment disrupt the climatic sequence. If one follows the signs of Heaven without error, the spirits will naturally accord with them; if the symbolic numbers fall even slightly short, the elixir will be like rubble. When advance and retreat follow their proper order and the times and firing periods are strictly observed, the Returned Elixir can naturally be refined.

The refining process uses true lead and true mercury, allowing the “mother and child” to support one another in a state of undifferentiated chaos. They are heated according to the climatic sequence, so that metal and water unite and return to the union of Wu and Ji. This process is like a child receiving Qi in the womb: the mother is hidden within the womb, while the child is nurtured, enclosed in metal. Metal essence and stone liquid act upon one another, rising and sinking in turn; Yang Qi impels, and Yin Qi responds. It is also like an egg, with essence and Qi concealed inside, white on the outside and yellow within. Once the River Cart begins to turn, the child can emerge from the womb in an instant.

This is also like a sprout extending and contracting, as each thing takes in a portion of Qi and assumes form. At first, however, it has not yet acquired the capacity to change or act. It must therefore continue to be nurtured until the Great Elixir responds and reaches maturity. The scripture uses various symbols and metaphors to explain these processes and accord with the intentions of the ancient sages.

Cultivation draws on the principles of the Book of Changes, as well as the methods of the five metals and eight stones, the generation of the six lines, and the mutual application of Qian and Kun. It regulates upright Qi, arranges five cycles, and marks the beginning at Wu. Hai is taken as the end and Zi as the beginning. The increase and decrease of the line positions determine the times for advance, retreat, and concealment. In this way, cultivation accords with the Dao of Heaven and participates in the workings of nature. One must also use the water clock to keep track of time and master the firing periods; only then can the talismanic method proceed accurately. The method is suspended at the appointed times during the day and night, following a cycle of twelve double hours and proceeding according to the prescribed rule when the Zi hour arrives. The talismanic method may be practiced for one month, taking the four seasons as its model; alternatively, the elixir may be refined for nine months or three years. If one follows the complete method and brings the practice to a close after nine years, taking as models the Great Expansion’s nine cycles and the configuration in which the ruler, ministers, and people of Taiyi unite, the elixir will naturally prove efficacious.

If one can strengthen nature and life within, one can then refine the five metals externally and change their colors. Matters such as how much to take and how to transform the precious substances of the world are discussed in the Rear Sleeve Formula for Distinguishing Medicines: Dragon and Tiger.

The Lord of Primordial Truth of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate)—that is, the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan after he had taken his place among the ranks of the immortals—came from Dongting to Mount Wangwu. He ascended the Altar of Heaven and surveyed the surrounding landscape. Tian Lao served as his attendant, Feng Hou stood by to serve him, and Fang Ming, Li Mu, Chang Jie, Xian Chang, Yu Cong, and others accompanied him.

At that time, the Lords of the Six Mysterious Palaces summoned the immortals of the heavenly realm to gather at the Cloud Terrace. Dragon chariots, crane mounts, and the immortals’ ceremonial retinues stood in orderly ranks, suspended in the air. The Lord commanded Tian Lao to ride a dragon chariot to the Six Mysterious Palaces and pay respects to their six Lords. The Lords of the six palaces each sent a maiden riding a crane to convey their greetings to the Lord in return. When the formalities were over, the Lady of the Jia Yin Palace, the Darkly Mysterious Lady of Golden Radiance and Jade, entered the hall but did not rise from her seat. Her immortal seat floated before the Lord, and she said, “Revered Immortal, I have visited the Heavenly Kings, perfected immortals, and all those who cultivate the Dao throughout the heavenly realm. They all admire your virtue. The Jade Emperor’s precious registers, the secret writings of the Three Caverns, the scriptures that expound the Great Dao, and the essential teachings transmitted far and wide are all connected with you. You should know that Heaven has issued a mandate appointing you as an Immortal King. You have been placed alongside your original teacher; this is an auspicious blessing.”

The Lord of Primordial Truth replied, “My understanding is shallow, and I do not grasp these profound words. By what ritual or spiritual attainment could I be placed alongside my original teacher?”

The Lady of Golden Radiance and Jade answered, “The Central Yellow Primordial Lord is my original teacher, and the primordial essence of the sun is the elixir I take. That elixir is now in a jade chamber to the left of the Taiqing Palace. It is called the ‘Heaven-and-Earth Primordial Treasure Elixir for Protecting Life.’ For this reason, the Celestial Emperor commanded me to reside in the Yin Palace and bestowed on me the title ‘Golden Radiance,’ honoring my standing in the Daoist teachings.”

Yuan Zhen said, “I am about to receive the Precious Register of the Jade Emperor and the Scripture of the Sun’s Primordial Essence. I know that their transformations are wondrous and mysterious, and that their clarity is supreme; they belong to the true way of the immortals. Yet I have never grasped their underlying nature. How did the Sun’s Primordial Essence come to be associated with Lord Taiyi, and why was it renamed Dragon and Tiger?”

The Mysterious Maiden said, “My rank in the ritual order and my understanding are sufficient to discern the source of the Dao. The dragon belongs to the Wood virtue, and the tiger to the essence of Metal. Cinnabar is born from Wood, and lead bloom arises from Metal. The Sovereign Lord knows the virtue contained in the golden bloom. Why do you ask this?”

Yuan Zhen asked again, “Is the Sun’s Primordial Essence mercury? Is it lead bloom? Or does the Primordial Essence come into being when mercury and lead bloom are combined?”

The Mysterious Maiden said, “It is none of these. Long ago, in the Upper Palace of Purple Tenuity, I heard the Most High say that the Sun’s Primordial Essence is the numinous power of the Left Correct, joined with the Dao and transformed into the essence of the primordial beginning. It turns black when it enters water and shines brightly when it meets fire. It is lodged in mercury as in a womb, but it is not mercury itself. The Five Phases generate one another, and the Sun’s primordial Qi ultimately lies hidden and becomes essence. The Five Phases generate one another in this order: Earth generates Metal, Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, and Fire generates Earth.

“The essence of Earth produces stone; the yin essence of stone becomes jade, and its yang essence becomes gold. The Metal Scripture says that within a single stone, yin and yang divide to become gold and jade. This is what is meant by the Dao of one yin and one yang. The essence of gold produces numinous liquid; the essence of numinous liquid produces mercury; the essence of mercury produces cinnabar; the essence of cinnabar produces sunlight; the essence of sunlight produces primordial Qi; and the essence of primordial Qi produces the divine. The divine is the true numen. Once this stage is reached, the true Dao is accomplished.”

Yuanzhen asked, “What is sunlight?” The Dark Maiden replied, “It is the subtle essence found in various minerals. The numinous liquid—the wondrous fluid spoken of in alchemy—is like gold’s blood; mercury is like gold’s marrow; cinnabar is like gold’s spirit; and the sun’s primordial essence is like gold’s father. Sunlight, then, is the essence of cinnabar. It occupies the position where metal and fire unite, giving rise to primordial Qi (vital energy). Primordial Qi is like the child born of metal.”

Yuanzhen asked, “How is cinnabar formed? Why is it said to be the essence of wood? And what is this so-called Qi? I still do not understand.” The Dark Maiden replied, “All these things take shape according to the cycles of fate. The Earthly Branches pair with the Heavenly Stems, and their Na Yin correspondences—the method of deriving the Five Phases from combinations of stems and branches—meet and combine. They follow the Five Phases and divide into Yin and Yang. For example, metal corresponds to You, and You is also assigned to metal. Metal and fire unite, move along the sequence of the Earthly Branches, and enter the corresponding position, where they generate water. Thus mercury, as the ancients called it, carries the quality of You metal: its color is white, while its form belongs to Zi water and is liquid. Zi is assigned to water; water passes on to Chou, then moves through the Earthly Branches to the position of Mao, where it generates wood. Thus lead carries the quality of Zi water: its color is black, while its form belongs to Mao wood and is solid. Mao is assigned to wood and is called the dragon, the father; You is assigned to metal and is called the tiger, the mother. Fire can make substances solid and preserve primordial Qi. Therefore, those who ingest primordial Qi can make their constitution enduring and stable, unite their spirit with primordial harmony, and advance to the numinous realm.”

Yuanzhen said, “Primordial essence is already so wondrous. Is this where the highest numinous medicines end, or do they have an even more wondrous use?” The Dark Maiden replied, “There is more. In the past, I went with the gods of the celestial realm to pay court to Lord Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity. There I heard the supreme Dao expound the means of delivering heavenly beings and clarifying essential teachings. One of these medicines is called Golden Liquid; another is called the Ninefold-Refined Spirit Elixir. They were transmitted to the Perfected Ones to relieve the suffering of all beings far and wide.”

Yuanzhen asked, “What is the principle behind this?” The Mysterious Maiden replied, “Use a tube to draw off the left-flavored substance. This turns the liquid metal into water, which flows into the five viscera. It makes the limbs firm and supple, nourishes and replenishes the hundred spirits, moistens the six bowels, and can even transform the hair and bones, so that the human body does not decay for a long time. Its effect is swift.”

Yuanzhen asked, “Now that the principle of liquid gold is clear, how is the Ninefold-Refined Elixir made?” The Mysterious Maiden replied, “Boil and refine lead until it becomes sand, then turn the sand into cakes. Next, use a liquid called ‘Chou Liquid’ to dissolve them; in practice, this means turning them into a free-flowing juice. Put the cakes back into the furnace, then refine the lead again until it becomes sand, and make the sand into cakes once more. Repeat this process nine times in all. Nine is the number of Yang; when nine is multiplied by nine, the substance is transformed into sand. If it is not refined in this way, pure white powder may also be used. This is called the Ninefold Refinement.”

Yuanzhen asked again, “Now that it has undergone the Ninefold Refinement, what comes next?” The Mysterious Maiden replied, “Use the left-flavored substance to dissolve the gong, making it as thick as possible. Then mix in powdered shell until it has the consistency of a lump of mud. Shape it into round cakes and mudlike lumps, forming them to fit the vessel. If it is not treated this way, pure white powder may also be used. This is called the Ninefold Refinement.”

Yuanzhen asked again, “Now that it has undergone the Ninefold Refinement, what comes next?” The Mysterious Maiden replied, “Use the left-flavored substance to dissolve the gong, making it as thick as possible. Then mix in powdered shell until it has the consistency of a lump of mud. Shape it into round cakes and mudlike lumps, and place them inside according to the size of the vessel. Seal the top with a cake to serve as an inner cover. It must be sealed tightly without being completely closed; this step is difficult to get right. Once the inner cover is in place, pack the vessel solidly with clay. It must be firmly rammed, but the clay must not extend beyond the vessel. Place another cover on top and secure it. Seal it all around, then put it in the furnace. Control the gentle fire by the months and the fierce fire by the days. When the periods of fire set by the sun and moon are complete, open it and inspect it. Wait until the bottom of the crucible turns red; let the fires governed by the sun and moon work together until the color changes from red to black.”

Yuanzhen asked, “Now that the method has been fully explained, what comes next?” The Mysterious Maiden replied, “Take three zhu of powder for each portion; two liang and seven … make a jin by reckoning in liang. As it boils, it sparkles like a field of stars. When the points of light disappear, the work is complete. Take one knife-tip measure of the elixir, and you can journey to the sun.”

Yuanzhen said, “Well said! My Daoist arts have been set right.” Jinhua returned to her original place. The Mysterious Maiden added, “Take three zhu of powder for each portion; two liang and seven … make a jin by reckoning in liang. As it boils, it sparkles like a field of stars. When the points of light disappear, the work is complete. Take one knife-tip measure of the elixir, and you can journey to the sun.”

Yuan Zhen said, “Excellent! Our Daoist work has been set back on the right course, and the Golden Radiance (a sacred light symbolizing an immortal or the Qi of the Dao) has returned to its proper place.” Before long, the rulers of the Six Palaces, together with many perfected beings and flying immortals, slowly withdrew and vanished into the deep darkness. Their radiance illuminated the void, its yellow light brilliant and dazzling. A red wheel of light rose in the Palace of Zhen (the eastern palace among the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams), and the Divine Lord Taiyi, a revered Daoist deity, appeared within it. Cloud chariots and feathered canopies filled the illuminated expanse. Mountains and rivers shone brightly, while even the sun seemed dim.

At that moment, Perfected Taiwei paid homage beneath the ritual altar. Fangming, Limu, Tianlao, Fenghou, and the others joined in the ceremony, offering praise. Before long, subtle spiritual energy spread everywhere. Shapes could be seen faintly moving within the light, circling and flying. The Divine Lord Taiyi and countless immortals withdrew deep into the realm of mystery. The sovereign and his attendants, the palace ladies of the Six Palaces, and thousands upon thousands of practitioners in the mountains and forests all developed the aspiration to seek the highest Dao and made a firm vow never to turn back.

The Record of Mysterious Explanations says: “When I was young, I suffered from a serious illness and devoted myself to cultivating my health. As for methods of nourishing life, such as taking mineral medicines, I also…”

When I was young, I suffered from a serious illness and devoted myself to seeking ways to restore my health. I also diligently investigated mineral medicines and the ingestion of elixirs. I saw privately that some people at the time, ardently pursuing this path, spared no expense in building furnaces and cauldrons on a grand scale. They claimed that using the “River Cart” could produce an elixir at once, and even transform earth and stone into gold. They also said that cinnabar could be quickly refined into an elixir that would strengthen the bones and sinews. Yet people were often harmed by taking these medicines, and even physicians had no time to save them. Why was this? Was it because the foundations of their pursuit were unsound, or because the methods they inherited from their teachers were unclear? From beginning to end, the results bore no resemblance to what they had expected. How could matters have gone so badly?

Later, while reading Daoist books, I happened upon the Essentials of Elixir Medicines by Liu Hong of the Nine Heavens. The book points out that worldly people who study the Dao have not even glimpsed the slightest entrance to the Great Dao, yet arrogantly boast and deceive and entice others. Everything they do is simply a shortcut to their own destruction. How could this fail to inspire sorrow? The words of a true immortal cannot deceive the world. I had long been puzzled by this, so I have now selected the main points and written them beside my seat, giving the work the title Record of Mysterious Explanations. I hope that reading it will dispel doubts. Even if one has not yet mastered the methods of refining the Golden Elixir liquid and preserving the body, at least one can avoid damaging one’s life by taking toxic elixirs. That, too, may be counted a fortunate way to enjoy the full span of one’s years. If anyone shares my interests, I am willing to help them understand what they have not yet grasped. Compiled on the seventeenth day of the fifth month, the jiazi day, in the yihai year of the ninth Dazhong era.

Distinguishing Mineral Medicines and Methods for Removing Their Toxicity

During the reign of Emperor An of Han, a man named Liu Hong studied the Great Dao for many years. He later gave up his official post and went into the mountains. In the eleventh month of the first year of the Yanguang era, the Lord of the Nine Heavens descended. Taking pity on Daoist practitioners who did not understand the proper way to make elixirs, he explained the foundations of true elixirs, distinguished the different kinds of inferior elixirs, and discussed the toxicity of mineral medicines and the Formula for the Immortal-Guarding Pill. He transmitted these teachings to Liu Hong. The relevant account is as follows.

The Lord of the Nine Heavens said to Liu Hong: “People who study the refining of liquid Golden Elixir and the ingestion of cinnabar, sulfur, and various kinds of stalactite medicines often exhaust themselves seeking these substances, believing they can quickly refine a true elixir. They do not distinguish between medicines or between methods of refinement, or judge their varying levels of depth and authenticity. Instead, they compete to learn how to ingest them.”

People in this world all seek long life and immortality. Yet they do not understand that the Golden Elixir and various mineral medicines each have their own properties and contain powerful poisons. Since the time of Fuxi and Xuanyuan, of all the Daoists who have taken these substances, scarcely one in ten thousand has survived; some even say that no one has escaped death by taking them. Liu Hong bowed and knocked his head to the ground again, then asked, “Why is this?”

The Lord of the Nine Heavens said, “People refine the Golden Elixir and take elixirs in hopes of attaining long life. Yet the foolish spend their energy and wealth on worldly affairs, then hope to use the Supreme Medicine to transform copper and iron into gold and silver. They would adorn their corpse-like bodies with riches and splendor, and use their wealth to support servants, wives, and concubines. The moment such a thought arises, it is a sign of certain death; the Supreme Medicine will not reveal its power for this purpose. According to the teaching, one medicine cannot serve two functions, and one efficacy cannot be used toward two ends.

“They also do not know that medicines can be highly poisonous. Once an elixir has been refined, people see only that residual sweetness can control the river cart, magnetite can attract needles, and sulfur can make mercury solidify. They then assume that, because these substances counteract one another, the Golden Elixir is free of poison. Consider, for example, how the sages of old refined autumn stone, a medicine made from urine and other substances. They used earth frost to solidify it into stone. It could attract living mercury and restrain the poisons in mineral medicines, but it could also intensify those poisons. Some people took it and the poison took effect along the way; nothing could stop it, and they were certain to die. Even those who did not die would eventually develop malignant sores. This is the warning sign.

“Though autumn stone is said to counteract poison, the poisons in medicines such as cinnabar, calomel, and sulfur may seem to be subdued by it. Does that mean they are truly detoxified? The teachings left by the ancient sages are difficult for people to understand. Those who understand them are true immortals; those who do not are merely ordinary people.”

Liu Hong asked, “Why are the medicines that can transform copper and iron all unsuitable for ingestion?”

Hong asked, “Why can’t the elixirs used to transform copper and iron into other substances be taken?”

The Master replied, “Elixirs used for this kind of transformation are mostly made with materials such as various alum stones and saltpeter. Once mixed and solidified, they become toxic. Though they can dry mercury during the refining process or transform copper and iron, the heat control used to make them is unlike that required for true elixirs of immortality. Their toxicity is fixed within them; no matter how many times they are refined or transformed, it will not disappear. This is like a person’s poisonous thoughts, which are hidden within the heart and do not enter from outside; it is also like fire hidden inside wood. The nature of transformation methods, too, lies within the substances themselves. Each material has its own nature: their appearances and methods of preparation differ, and their Qi—the properties and effects of matter—interacts and gives rise to other Qi, yet each substance also carries its own toxicity. When different materials such as realgar, orpiment, and saltpeter are combined, the mixture becomes even more complex. If, during refining, one fails to follow the seasons and the conditions of the land in controlling the heat, or works haphazardly, sometimes too near and sometimes too far, then the elixir has been made without following the Dao of Heaven. We can therefore see why the ancient immortals did not take these elixirs: they were highly toxic, and the power of transformation within them was not enough to eliminate the harm.”

Hong asked again, “Transformation elixirs mixed with extraneous stones and various poisons clearly cannot be taken. But I often hear of ‘Purple Powder That Changes the Head’ and ‘Cinnabar Refined Seven Times.’ They contain no alum or saltpeter. Can they be taken?”

The Master replied, “Among the thousands of people in the world, not one understands how to make these two elixirs. Even if they could be made, they still could not be taken. Purple Powder That Changes the Head is a powder refined by immortals for making palaces and halls; it contains sulfur. When mercury combines with sulfur, it becomes highly toxic. How could it be taken? As for Cinnabar Refined Seven Times, although it has been gently refined until fire can no longer alter it, it does not possess the Four Symbols, the Five Phases, sinews, bones, blood, and flesh, or the complete Qi of Yin and Yang. Taking it will dry up the blood in a person’s five organs. Ordinary people fall ill when their blood is depleted, and die when it is exhausted.”

Hong asked again, “Some people in the world refine and take cinnabar. Some grains remain intact and retain their color, and do not change even when burned in a great fire. What of taking such cinnabar?”

The Master replied, “They die when their blood is exhausted.”

Hong asked, “People refine and ingest cinnabar. If the cinnabar remains in intact grains, unbroken and unchanged in color, and does not alter even when burned over a fierce fire, what will happen if they take it?”

You replied, “When cinnabar first forms, it does so among sand and stones. Even when it looks bright, refining one jin of cinnabar yields only twelve liang of mercury. The remaining four liang are impurities mixed in from the mountains and wilds, heavy and stagnant. These impurities are highly toxic. If Daoists separate them out, mix them with medicines, and take them, they will obstruct the body’s channels of Qi and deplete the blood. How could this do any good?

“Moreover, since ancient times, Daoists who have not received instruction from someone who truly attained immortality have claimed that cinnabar refined by fire is ‘dead mercury.’ They have even falsely asserted that golden cinnabar entering the five organs can make a person live forever. This is a grave error. Surely people know that everyone who took these substances in the past died.

“Only sulfur, used by itself and not mixed with other medicines, can dispel accumulated cold in the body, and even then it must not be taken in large quantities. Sulfur is a substance of pure Yang; its nature is excessively one-sided and incomplete. As for other minor techniques, they are not worth discussing.”

Hong asked, “What medicine is worth taking to prolong life?” The master replied, “The finest elixirs refined by immortals usually take the Sun’s soul, the Moon’s spirit, and the four kinds of Qi as their symbols. The Sun’s soul never leaves the Sun, and the Moon’s spirit never leaves the Moon. For example, this finest elixir also cannot do without something born from Wood. Why is that?

“Wood corresponds to the color green and symbolizes mercury; Wood also contains Fire. Fire belongs to Yang and symbolizes cinnabar. Cinnabar belongs to the Li trigram. The Li trigram represents the south and Fire, so Fire is said to symbolize cinnabar, just as Wood contains Fire. Combine Wood and Fire and place them in the central palace of Earth. Earth can overcome Water, and Fire can generate Earth; in this way, one can attain the Dao. It is like a child being born and, upon growing up, becoming a parent, so that one generation follows another. The root of it all is in the same place. The finest elixir has the same root; it lies nowhere else.

“The Dao has no fixed root; the mind is its root. The Dao has no fixed function: the four seasons receive Qi and bring forth life, each in its own way. The Dao comes into being through Qi and also dies through Qi. The finest elixir can keep one from dying because it is unmixed with other substances and has no toxicity. When refined into a liquid and placed in a vessel, whether square or round, it becomes clear and luminous, shining day and night. Only then is it worth taking. It can dispel dullness and calm the spirit, drive away malign spirits, help one withstand cold and heat, moisten the skin, keep the beard and sideburns from turning white, and restore youth. Its effects can be seen after a thousand days of taking it; hence it is said to make one immortal.”

Hong asked again, “How many kinds of finest elixir are there?” The master replied, “There are three orthodox methods of elixir-making. The first is the Divine Talisman, called the Upper Elixir of the High Immortal; the second is White Snow, called the Upper Elixir of the Middle Immortal; the third is the Ninefold Revolution, called the Upper Elixir of the Lower Immortal. These three elixirs come from the same school of method and differ only in name. Each has its own Three-One Prohibitions—secret rules for refining elixirs—which must not be passed on indiscriminately.

“Why must they not be passed on indiscriminately? Take the refinement of the Divine Talisman: without the Taiyi Palace and the Tianyi Palace—palace positions or conditions required by the elixir method—the substance produced is called only White Liquid and can never become an elixir vessel. Since this involves the designation of the Tianyi Palace, the method of the Three-One must not be transmitted. If White Snow is not firm…”

If white snow cannot solidify into ice, it cannot enter the refining process called “adjusting the blue” or receive the blue Qi (vital energy). Such a product is called only “white liquid” and can never become a true implement. It is named “Palace of Heavenly Unity” because the “Three Ones” method within it cannot be taught. If white snow is not firm…

If white snow cannot freeze into ice, it cannot undergo the process of adjusting the blue or absorb blue Qi. What is refined this way is no different from poisonous powder or frost. This is like the sun: without the crow said to dwell inside it, its light cannot appear; and the moon: without the cassia tree, its image within the moon cannot be seen. Through guided condensation and refinement, white snow becomes solid ice, while the blue substance gathers like iron filings drawn to a magnet. The “Three Ones” method cannot be taught.

The Zengqing (a blue mineral used in Daoist alchemy), refined through nine cycles, is placed together with the white snow that has solidified into a mass in the Purple Palace (an alchemical chamber or crucible). Then, by gathering the Four Qi and containing the myriad forms, they are made to coalesce into shape. The “Three Ones” method cannot be taught.

As for the highest-grade medicine, if it cannot receive the Four Qi and merge with them in a state of chaos, how could it be called the “Elixir of the Dragon and Tiger”? What I, this immortal, speak of is the wondrous transformation of Heaven and Earth, equal to the radiance of the sun and moon. Only after materials such as divine talismans and white snow have been refined is there a path to ascending to immortality. Once the nine cycles of refinement are complete, one can grow young again, take on the appearance of a young woman, and live as long as the Southern Mountain. Is it not right that the “Three Ones formula” should not be taught lightly?

Liu Hong says: …

Liu Hong asked, “The purpose of the Three in One is profound and hidden. What kind of person can teach it?” The Master replied, “Someone like me can teach it.”

The so-called Three in One is the key to the generative transformations of Heaven and Earth. It exists not only in the highest elixirs; it is also innate within every person’s body. By cultivating the Three in One within oneself, one can keep the child and mother from separating and enable Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) to guard one another. Body and mind become harmonious and warm, and the inner light grows clear and bright.

Have you never seen the full moon at noon? It hangs high in the sky, unobscured by wind or clouds; even a fine, thin net cannot block it. The blue sky is clear and pure, without obstruction. A person’s body and mind, too, can reach such a state. If one regularly harmonizes the Three in One within the body, keeps all worries from arising, and joins with the Qi of the blue sky, then inside and out one becomes bright, body and mind merge with emptiness, and one can ascend.

Some people in the world hear only a little of this Daoist teaching and assume that taking in Qi means inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, then puffing out the cheeks and forcibly swallowing the breath, expecting immediate results. They may instead lose their lives. This is like accidentally taking a poisonous pill while trying to take medicine: the consequences cannot be undone. Therefore, the Three in One within the body is no different from the Three in One in the supreme medicine, and the method for cultivating the Three in One within the body must not be taught lightly.

Hong asked again, “When someone is overcome by the toxicity of cinnabar, stalactite, sulfur, or purple powder after taking it, how should they be treated?”

The master replied, “There is no treatment for someone who has already died from taking the medicine. If anyone has not yet taken these substances, people should urge one another to avoid them. When Daoists undertake to prepare and safeguard elixirs of immortality, they should also keep a Pill for Safeguarding Immortals on hand for treatment, which may save a life.

“For example, what is called ‘head-changing purple powder’ is known as highly toxic purple powder if it has been made without adding condensed white snow to form its mineral base (the medicinal matrix produced during preparation), and without blending in a blue-green ingredient. Once someone takes it, an attack of toxicity is beyond the reach of ordinary medical treatment, regardless of how much was taken, how long ago it was taken, or whether the person violated a taboo by eating something else. Within three to five days after the attack begins, no remedy can save them.

“If toxicity breaks out from sulfur, purple powder, fire-treated cinnabar, or any of the various stalactite medicines, taking the Pill for Safeguarding Immortals may still help. Even so, only about two or three out of twelve people are likely to survive. Those who have taken various mineral medicines before may also take this pill as a precaution, even if no symptoms have appeared. It is very effective for that purpose.”

Hong asked again, “It is said that the Three Great Elixirs prolong life and are not toxic. If one knows that their preparation is not yet complete, may they be taken?”

The master replied, “The three elixirs called Divine Talisman, White Snow, and Nine Revolutions must not be taken before the Taiyi Palace stage of preparation has been completed and the Four Forms—the four required ingredients or stages in preparing the elixirs—are all in place. If someone takes them by mistake and suddenly feels the medicine taking effect and their body becoming unsettled, they should quickly take a decoction of dragon’s-liver earth, a licorice decoction, and fresh mung bean juice. The symptoms will then subside, and few people die as a result. Why? These three medicines contain no miscellaneous substances that might react against one another; they have only the toxicity left by fire treatment, so they are not fatal. With other cinnabar medicines, however, if foreign ingredients have been mixed in, taking them hastily can put one’s life at risk when their effects begin.”

Liu Hong asked, “Could you tell me the recipe for the Pill for Preserving Immortality?”

The Lord of the Nine Heavens replied, “The Five-Seed Pill for Preserving Immortality is a secret method handed down by the immortals. It should be taught only by those who possess the Dao, and is used to safeguard a person’s life. Now I will explain it to you in full, and outline the essential points of the three kinds of elixir. You should consider them carefully and pass them on to future generations, helping those who have yet to understand. Do not forget my words. I must leave now.”

Liu Hong bowed repeatedly in farewell, weeping. The Lord of the Nine Heavens raised his hand in parting, entered the clouds, and vanished in an instant. Liu Hong then had these words carved into a stone in the mountains. Later, a Daoist saw the inscription and copied it down, and that is how it came to circulate in the world. During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, Master Tongxuan, Zhang Guo, presented this recipe to Emperor Xuanzong. The emperor was delighted and had it stored within the palace. Master Tongxuan also described the effects of the three elixirs in detail, but did not write down the methods for preparing them. They are therefore not copied here, to avoid unnecessary detail.

Recipe for the Five-Seed Pill for Preserving Immortality

The ingredients are Chinese gooseberry, raspberry, dodder seed, schisandra, and plantain seed. Take five large liang of each, and grind them separately into a fine powder. Collect the tender stems and leaves of goji in the second and third lunar months, pound them, and extract two large sheng of juice. Mix the juice into the powders until it has been absorbed and they are dry. In the seventh or eighth month, collect lotus grass and extract one large sheng of juice. Mix it into the powders in the same way, then let them dry.

Next, take one large sheng of apricot kernels. Grind them with good wine and extract five large sheng of juice. Put the juice in a silver vessel and simmer it until its bitterness is gone. Then add half a large sheng of fresh Rehmannia juice, five liang of pure butter, and five large liang of deer antler glue. Add the powdered ingredients after roasting and grinding them, and simmer briefly. Finally, add the five prepared seed powders from earlier. Stir quickly with a sieve made from willow twigs until the mixture has the right consistency, then have several people roll it together into pills the size of parasol tree seeds.

Take thirty pills each day with wine. Adjust the dose as appropriate. While taking the medicine, avoid pork, garlic, mustard greens, radishes, and similar foods. The scripture says that after one hundred days, the lingering toxicity from previously taken mineral medicines will be eliminated, and the “Qi of the Golden Elixir” will also be strengthened. In Daoist alchemy, this refers to the vital essence associated with Golden Elixir cultivation.

The medicine’s potency can circulate through the five viscera, nourish the flesh and blood, eliminate various poisons, turn the beard and sideburns black as lacquer, and restore youth. This is all because it harmonizes and regulates the Qi of Yin-Yang, allowing the two qualities to work together and complement each other. Keep these methods secret! The medicine’s potency can circulate through the five viscera, nourish the flesh and blood, eliminate various poisons, turn the beard and sideburns black as lacquer, and restore youth. This is all because it harmonizes the Qi of Yin-Yang, allowing the two qualities to work together and complement each other. Keep these methods secret! Master Tongxuan composed “Song on Making the Five-Seed Elixir for Preserving Immortality” to praise the marvels of this pill. The song says:

“To regain youth from old age, one relies on the Returning Elixir, the Daoist elixir of immortality. Without the Elixir for Preserving Immortality, long life is hard to attain. Seeing one’s sideburns turn gray brings sorrow; one hopes to make them black again. Take only thirty pills each day. Pine and bamboo have no flames of their own, yet liquid gold must be refined by fire before it can be made. The five seeds can fulfill the wish for long life, so that a person of a hundred years may seem to have lived ten thousand.”

When Immortal Yin spoke of the wondrous effects of the upper, middle, and lower grades of the Great Elixir, graded according to their efficacy, he also said that the five-flavored herbs for preserving immortality could help people preserve their lives. Even if they could not ascend to Heaven, at least they could become earthbound immortals—immortals who remain in the human world and live forever—and never die. These medicines can control all kinds of cinnabar and dispel the toxicity of mineral drugs and stones, preventing their poisons from taking effect. They can also enhance the efficacy of elixirs and act broadly between the Rong and Wei, the forms of Qi and blood said in Chinese medicine to circulate inside and outside the body. There is no doubt about this. Lord Yin’s meaning is that if the five-seed herbs can keep people from dying, one may infer the efficacy of divine elixirs from this. Since these herbs now assist the Elixir for Preserving Immortality, this passage is appended here.

The Numinous Chapter of the Secret Essentials of Yin Elixirs, Personally Taught by the Perfected of Wangwu Mountain

Yang Elixir can enable a person to rise up and ascend; Yin Elixir can prolong life. The “Yin Elixir” mentioned here is the Returning Elixir: a method of cultivation that restores and preserves Jing and Qi. When the Yellow Emperor asked Guangchengzi about the Dao, Guangchengzi said, “Do not overtax the body or dissipate your Jing and Qi. Hold fast to this principle, and you can live a long life.” This is the same principle: Yang Elixir helps a person ascend, while Yin Elixir prolongs life.

The Daodejing says, “Only with deep roots and firm foundations can one endure for a long time.” Heshang Gong’s commentary explains, “For a person, Jing is the root and Qi is the foundation.” This expresses the same idea. The Daodejing also says, “Make the mind empty and still; fill the belly. Weaken the will to contend and prevail; strengthen the sinews and bones.” The method of strengthening the sinews and bones expresses the same idea as well.

The Huangting Jing says, “The essences of the sun and moon can rescue those weakened by old age.” Because Yin and Yang unite, they are called the “splendor of the sun and moon”; this too expresses the principle of harmonizing Yin and Yang. The Huangting Jing also says, “Carefully nurture the numinous root so it will not wither; seal the Gate of Life and preserve the Jade Capital.” The Gate of Life refers to the area beneath the chamber of Jing; the Jade Capital refers to the five internal organs. Only by keeping excessive desires at bay can one spare the limbs from illness and bring both root and branches to flourish, thereby gaining hope of long life.

Heaven’s Dao bestows differing degrees of intelligence and dullness on people, but does not predetermine how long they will live. A person’s nature is like fruit, which may be sweet or sour. Trees flourish when nourished by water and decline when dried out; flourishing trees can grow for a long time, while declining ones are liable to wither and fall. So it is with human longevity and premature death. For this reason, people of the Daoist tradition have long said, “My life is in my own hands; it is not arranged by Heaven.” This expresses the same principle.

Whether a person’s life is cut short or prolonged follows the same principle. Thus, when Dao practitioners transmit their teachings to one another, they say, “My destiny is in my own hands; it is not determined by Heaven.” This is what they mean.

Moreover, primordial Qi—the fundamental energy of life—moves with the seasons and undergoes a renewal of spring each year. When the Yin Dantian, the inner cultivation site described in Daoism, is warm and harmonious, it can bring a healthy glow to the face, sharpen the hearing and sight, and settle the mind into calmness and peace. How could someone like this fail to live a long life?

Daoist traditions also include a practice of guarding the Three Corpses on the Gengshen day. The Three Corpses are inner spirits believed to hinder cultivation and shorten one’s life. But that is not the practice meant here. Rather, the Three Corpses are allowed to dissipate on their own and transform into refined essence. An ancient Immortal Scripture says there are ten kinds of immortals, one of which is the “wandering immortal”: one preserves Jing, Qi, and bodily form from decline, and continues cultivating until Jing and Qi are brought to full fruition, thereby attaining a lifespan of millions of years. This expresses the same principle.

The Oral Instructions of the Perfected Liu Shouyi, the Perfected One of Wangwu were presented to Emperor Daizong. The Perfected One’s surname was Wang and his given name was Changsheng. He traveled among famous mountains and had no fixed home. I met him on Mount Wangwu, which is why I call him the Perfected One of Wangwu.

The Perfected One said he had lived during the Eastern Jin dynasty. His wife’s surname was Liu, and she said she had lived during the reign of Emperor Taizong. Both husband and wife looked fresh and youthful, like ice and snow. They often explored secluded places together and sought out hidden things.

My paternal uncle was named Dengchang. He once studied the Dao on Mount Heng, in the Northern Marchmounts, and followed Master Zhang Guo for more than fifty years. He lived to the age of 116. In the spring of the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), in the third month, he said to his sons, “The movement of primordial Qi, the fundamental energy between Heaven and Earth, has fallen into disorder. I can no longer remain with you for long. I am going to the sea and the Three Mountains to seek precious medicines. If I am late in returning, do not take offense.” Having said this, he left and never came back. In the eleventh month of that year, An Lushan indeed raised a rebellion.

My family had long been a family of Confucian scholars, but I later took up Daoist arts. I have lived in seclusion on Mount Wangwu for more than ten years. Whenever I meet an old woodcutter, I dare not fail to treat him with respect, and I have never ceased my practice. In time, I did meet an extraordinary person: the Perfected One of Wangwu. He asked about my origins and family, then said that he had once studied under Master Zhang Guo alongside my uncle. Because of this old connection, he treated me with special warmth, and our friendship went far beyond ordinary acquaintance.

By then I was old and frail; my hearing had grown dull and my eyesight dim. The Perfected One took pity on me and taught me these oral instructions. Recently, my various ailments have eased. Although my appearance has not returned to the way it was in my youth, I gradually feel as though my body were young again.

The instructions say, “Do not dare to occupy the host’s position; instead, be willing to take the guest’s position.” This borrows language from the Dao De Jing to explain the principle being discussed here. The one who gives first is the “host,” while the one who receives later is the “guest.” Giving actively is like bestowing a favor on someone; receiving is accepting the benefit another provides. Giving actively dissipates one’s feelings and depletes Jing and Qi; receiving helps preserve Jing and Qi and keep one’s feelings focused. By this means, one takes in harmonizing Qi to support Yang energy—what is there to worry about?

However, excessive Yang energy brings harm, while excessive Yin energy produces poison: harm injures oneself, while poison can cause death. Any blockage of the breath through the nose and mouth is caused by poisonous Yin energy. Never leap down from a height. When Yang energy surges, it is eager to discharge; if allowed to plunge as though falling from a height, how could it be controlled? The Weilü—the end of the spine, near the anus—is especially liable to injury as a result. The Huangting Jing says, “As though the sea had burst its banks and all rivers were rushing out; leaves wither and trees dry up, losing their green.” This describes precisely that condition.

“To turn the body sideways, contemplate inwardly, and close the zhǐ” means to sit quietly with the body turned sideways, draw one’s attention back within, and gather in the related Qi. It does not mean turning sideways to do something to the Yin gate, the genital area. What it specifically refers to is…

To close the body’s various openings, first lie on your side. The “gap” mentioned here refers to the Gate of Destiny (Mingmen), a traditional cultivation term for the place in the lower back where essence and Qi are rooted. It lies below the chamber of essence, near the end of the spine. The Yellow Court Scripture says, “Attend closely to nurturing the numinous root, so it will not wither; seal the Gate of Destiny and preserve the Jade Capital.” This is what the passage means.

While lying on your side, stretch your heels and keep your back straight and level. The text calls the heels “hanging flasks.” Lying on your side, leveling your back, and extending your heels naturally closes the Gate of Destiny. Calling the heels “hanging flasks” probably preserves an ancient expression whose origin later readers may not understand. Once your posture is settled, gather your spirit and gently breathe out with a soft, slow intention—the “gentle fire”—so that the azure Qi, the energy described as blue-green, spreads through the marrow of the bones. Nothing in the art of cultivation is more urgent than this.

Only after doing this may one undertake the practice of the Yin Gate, that is, the related method for regulating Yin and Yang. This method follows a set routine: after four or five unions, the Yin and Yang energies come together. During the movement in and out, whether four times or five, wait until the essence and Qi gradually stir and the channels begin to flow freely. This is the foundation of Qi.

Gathering essence and breathing in and out should proceed gently and gradually. To gather essence is to draw it inward; to breathe in and out refers to the gentle exhalation described above. Yet this practice may also deplete essence, so a slight release is needed to preserve the true Qi. This is the meaning of “allowing it to pass through in a subtle way.” The Yellow Court Scripture says, “By gathering the breath and retaining your own essence, you can nourish life in the inch-field and foot-house.” This is precisely the point. Ancient practitioners also passed down the saying, “If you wish to avoid aging, circulate essence to replenish the brain.” This too refers to the same method. In general, Qi is transformed from essence, so this practice turns essence into Qi. The Dao taught by Guangchengzi to the Yellow Emperor says, “Do not stir your essence and Qi.” This, too, likely refers to using this method.

As the numinous root—the foundation of the body associated here with essence and Qi—gradually grows full, it is no longer depleted. One must then slowly replenish the Jade Rampart, a traditional cultivation term for the place within the body where essence and Qi are stored, to make up for what was previously spent. After essence and Qi have circulated, the skin and interstitial tissues may become weak. Without replenishment, this may lead to illness.

Gradually use the Jade Embankment—a method of replenishment in Daoist cultivation—to make up for the work done earlier. Once the breath circulates freely, the body’s interstices—the textures of the skin and muscles—will inevitably loosen. Without replenishment, this can lead to illness. Peng Zu said, “Nourish Yang essence with Yin Qi, and life can be prolonged.” This is the principle at work. Since raising Yin can nourish Yang, it is equally clear that Yang can nourish Yin. When Yin and Yang fail to harmonize with each other, both harm life; the principles of the numinous stalk and the Jade Embankment are thus self-evident.

What, then, is the method of replenishment? The text first poses the question, then explains: “The gate of the Mysterious Female is open and harmonious.” This is the way of replenishment: Yin and Yang join and nourish one another. Here, “Mysterious” refers to the nose, which governs inhalation; “Female” refers to the mouth, which governs exhalation. The breath exhaled from the mouth responds to the breath drawn in through the Gate of Life. Inhalation and exhalation continue without interruption; when the breath flows with sufficient ease, it stops naturally, without any fixed number of repetitions. When the various breaths are no longer dissipated outward but gather together, they become Jing (essence). If Jing is replenished, what illness could remain? This method can also be used to eliminate and disperse the Three Corpses.

When a place that was originally solid becomes empty, worms arise, like those inside fruit. When a place that was originally empty becomes solid, worms arise, like wood-boring insects in a tree. The Three Corpses—impure forces or worm spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation—reside in the Three Dantian (energy centers), the three sites of cultivation within the body: the Upper Dantian is the brain marrow, the Middle Dantian is the hollow within the heart, and the Lower Dantian is the essence chamber, where Jing is stored. Each of these places has apertures and belongs to the realm of emptiness; if sorrow or anger blocks them, “worms” will arise. The essence chamber and brain marrow also belong to the realm of solidity; if Jing is discharged excessively or Shen (spirit) is depleted, “worms” will arise there too. Keep the empty places open and the solid places full, and the worms of the Three Corpses will naturally disperse. What is there to worry about? In this way, the skin becomes moist and radiant.

The complexion becomes radiant, like a flower in spring, and the appearance of youth returns. This is the effect of the method. Jing and Qi move upward against the flow of the channels, enriching the blood and the brain, and thus the work that had to be done beforehand is complete. What is called the “numinous shoot” is now full and no longer hollow. At this point, it is appropriate to rub and stroke the hands and feet, and knead and press the joints and sinews. Jing and Qi will then naturally spread through the body and into the muscles and bones, opening the joints throughout. This is the crucial point. “Tracing upstream” means going against the current, so Jing and Qi move upward as though flowing against it.

When both husband and wife can become immortals, this is attaining the Dao. The husband takes Yang as primary and Yin as secondary; the wife takes Yin as primary and Yang as secondary. When the secondary side supports the primary, the leading partner can become settled. If both partners attain ease and free flow, does this not count as becoming immortal? This, however, is only a step on the path to immortality; ascending on wings is much the same.

To seek a limitless lifespan in this life, one must recognize the signs that appear when the Yin Gate first opens. These two lines speak precisely of the true way to live long and maintain far-reaching vision. The art of longevity is like grafting trees: one life is joined to another so that life may continue. Though a grafted tree relies on a branch, the forces that truly make it work are Original Qi (the source of vital energy) and Yang’s harmonizing power. The method of extending life follows the same principle.

When the Yin Gate first opens, there must be signs of blood. At this time, the body’s tissues have just begun to open, and Yin and Yang respond to each other; this is the moment when conception may occur. The life about to be conceived is also likened to a continuation of one’s own original life, and the principle is the same. The crucial point is not to release Jing at this time. Since ancient times, Daoist practitioners have passed down the teaching that giving Jing and Qi to another can produce a child, while retaining them within oneself can nourish life. This is the meaning of the teaching.

This method places particular emphasis on the beginning of spring, when all things sprout and grow, and so its effects should be brought to full strength then. Each time the response occurs, life is extended by twelve years; twelve years correspond to one cycle of Heaven and Earth. Repeating this ten times can extend life by one hundred and twenty years. The text gives the example of the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan ascending to immortality at the beginning of spring, when all things were sprouting and growing.

“Dark Mystery” originally had no name, so it was provisionally called the Dao. The Dao may be described as awakening; awakening means waking up. We sleep at night and wake in the morning; only after experiencing a great dream can there be a great awakening. The relationship between dreaming and waking runs deep. How could a few words possibly explain it all?

Clinging to life is called “loss through weakness”; gladly longing for death is called “delight in nothingness.” If one takes delight only in emptiness, what is real will seem inadequate. Clinging to what is real is certainly delusion, but preferring emptiness is no greater understanding. Those who truly understand forget both being and nonbeing. Then, having forgotten them, they forget forgetting itself. Their minds no longer dwell on the distinction between being and nonbeing; their spirit gathers in “profound mystery beyond duality,” the wondrous state that transcends both poles. This is the realm experienced by those who have fully investigated things and thoroughly understood their nature.

The Dao alone transforms and moves all things, following its hidden course without haste or delay. It is silent and still, yet responds to countless influences; its traces are scattered through transformations both hidden and manifest. For this reason, the Dao cannot be summed up in a single image or established by one name. Even the titles of rulers differ from one another, so what is there to doubt about the Dao, Yao, and Confucius? Teachings have inner and outer dimensions, and so the principles they explain differ in depth.

In appearance, some ancient sage rulers had scaled bodies and four breasts; others had unusual features such as double pupils and colored eyebrows. Jinyun, a legendary ancient ruler, could speak from birth. When he held court, all the spirits came to pay homage. During his reign, he waged campaigns and governed the realm, riding the clouds and commanding tigers and leopards. When he tired of the world, he rode a flying dragon up to heaven and left the human realm. Looking back at all the striving within the bounds of the Red County—that is, China—with people competing and yielding, bowing and looking up, rushing about, was it not like infants playing in a courtyard?

Others reclined high on Mount Kongtong, free of worry, thought, and desire. One person went to them on the wind and discussed the art of cultivating the spirit. Compared with teachings on governing the world and bringing order to disorder, such words seem to approach the doors and windows, touching on what is subtle or ordinary, fundamental or secondary, without yet entering the house. As for the aims of wondrous transformation, the refined and mysterious teachings, and principles that seem unreasonable yet reach the highest reason, or seem untrue yet contain the greatest truth, these have already been fully recorded in the Mysterious Tradition—the profound Daoist scriptures and teachings. They cannot be explained in a sentence or two.

Laozi also expounds the subtle principles of mystery and emptiness and records the Great Dao. The scripture uses accounts of his wondrous virtue and the causes that gave rise to responses to explain why he composed classics and established teachings, recording extraordinary encounters so that these principles might connect ordinary people with those who cultivate the Dao, and clarify the three realms of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. It first explains in full the difference between following the course of life and going against it, then uses “forgetting both” to dissolve attachment to either.

All of this is meant to help people preserve life. To go against the patterns of life is called “going against”; to nourish life is called “following.” Those who understand following life will not be content with going against it. Those who understand going against life will not think that following life is without reason. This concerns the paths of life and death, and people’s understanding of either side is limited. “Forgetting both” means letting go even of the things to which one is attached. A frog in a well does not envy fish in the sea, just as wild beasts in the forest do not wish to become cattle or horses. Each bears a different endowment of life, and they are distinct from one another.

The scripture also greatly praises people of De, then gathers these ideas under the principle of “depending on nothing.” The commentary connects this passage with Laozi’s methods of breathing and guiding Qi—health practices that regulate the breath and direct the vital energy. One inhales fresh Qi, exhales stale Qi, takes in saliva, and clears obstructions from the body. The breath moves in and out, deep and fine, so that the spirit within the body does not depart.

Qi and spirit are at work throughout life, yet living beings cannot see their beginnings or the source of their activity. People benefit from them every day without knowing what sustains their lives. Laozi’s expedient teaching is expressed through clear principles, becoming a bridge by which all things reach the Great Dao.

“Practical use” here refers to spirit and Qi. They sustain the body’s daily functions, yet few people realize that the limbs and organs all depend on them to work. One cannot be without Qi for even a moment, nor move without spirit. Without Qi, the five organs deteriorate; without spirit, the body grows confused and collapses. Qi keeps the body alive, while spirit and Qi travel together and depend on each other. When spirit departs, Qi disperses with it; when Qi disperses, a person dies. Everyone fears death and loves life, yet few know that spirit and Qi are what sustain life. As a result, some repeatedly disturb the mind, deplete their original Qi, indulge their desires, damage their spirit, and shorten their lives. Those who do not cherish stillness or preserve their original nature cannot avoid harm. Without understanding how to cherish life, even clear principles can serve only as an expedient guide.

Clarity is the original state that existed before the sun and moon appeared. Once the sun and moon emerged, all things began to flow and change without end, and calamities arose along with them, becoming difficult to avoid. Since people cannot foresee how long they will live, they should use the Way of Clarity to examine the principles of things. All things arise from what is minute; once gain and loss appear, faults and calamities follow. Troubles often have warning signs and grow through mutual relations and interactions. Those who understand the Way should cherish their Jing and Qi and protect their original Qi in order to prolong life. They should also be gentle and benevolent, nurture all things, and accumulate blessings.

The Dao Jing and De Jing investigate the central purpose and clarify the foundations, seeking the most profound principles: they bring many branches back to their true source and gather myriad lines of reasoning into a single point. Their reach is deep and enduring, without interruption; their radiance is clear, yet never dazzling. They see through the Great Dao while also widely spreading the teachings that guide the world. Their language is substantial, never shallow; their meaning is far-reaching and invites reflection. Their scope is lofty and their vision expansive.

Practitioners contemplate the well-being brought by the Three Ones—the inner deities of the brain, heart, and navel—and discern the positions of the six and nine, the locations within the body described in Daoist internal cultivation. Through breath retention and lengthening the breath, they seek a lifespan as enduring as that of the sun, moon, and stars. Through the method of fetal nourishment, they cultivate the Five Subtle Essences, the five kinds of refined Qi referred to in cultivation, in hopes of reaching the realm of the numinous and the true. The Three Ones are the Lord of the Muddy Pellet in the head, the Lord of the Crimson Palace in the heart, and the Lord of the Dantian in the navel. When practitioners keep them in mind, the three inner palaces seem to shine with brilliant light; when they neglect them, those palaces become dark and still. Those who cherish life take joy in contemplation, while those who abandon cultivation take joy in leaving it unattended.

Thus, the joy of cultivating the “Three Ones”—the name given in Daoist inner contemplation to the spirits within the body—lies in radiant manifestation and silent awareness. The Immortal Scripture says, “If you wish to live long, you should understand the Way of the Three Ones.” The Orthodox Way is here.

From midnight until noon is a time of rising Qi; from noon until midnight is a time of declining Qi. You should lie on your back when rising Qi is at its strongest, close your eyes, clench your hands, hold your breath, and keep the Qi within your heart. Silently count to two hundred, then exhale through your mouth. Gradually increase the number each day. This practice can make the spirits of the body complete and keep the Five Viscera at peace. If you can hold your breath while counting to two hundred and fifty, the spirit in the Crimson Palace—the dwelling of the heart spirit—will remain in its place, the Muddy Pellet—the spirit palace in the head—will stay full, and the Dantian—the place within the body where Jing and Qi are stored—will be abundant. At three hundred, the Flower Canopy—the spirit palace around the heart and lungs—will grow clear; your hearing and sight will sharpen, your whole body will be free of illness, and pernicious Qi will no longer trouble you. The Jade Maiden, a goddess said to reside within the body, will come to join you, bringing unending longevity.

In the phrase “the markers reflect the positions of the six and nine,” “six” refers to the six kinds of breath used in breathing practice, while “nine” refers to the names of the nine grades of the Elixir, as recorded by Lady Wang of Great Truth. Laozi says, “Practice constantly from morning to night, without interruption, and you will live long.”

Those who practice circulating Qi use one kind of inhalation and six kinds of exhalation. “One internal breath” means inhaling; “six exhalations” means blowing, heaving, hissing, roaring, sighing, and panting—all ways of breathing out. Human breathing consists of one inhalation and one exhalation. To lengthen the breath, make it slow and extended. To regulate the breath, use “blowing” in cold weather and “heaving” in warm weather: blowing dispels cold, and heaving dispels heat. Hissing can dispel illness and wind; roaring can ease vexation and make Qi descend; sighing can disperse obstruction, while panting can relieve extreme fatigue. Sighing and panting are both forms of extended breathing. If you use these six breaths appropriately, you can attain the rank of a Celestial Immortal.

“Circulating” means the natural course of movement; “marking and drawing in” refers to the movement and regulation of Shen and Qi; the grades of the nine Elixirs are called “reflections.” “Reflections and markers” are recorded in the Elixir scriptures. As long as the breath continues, life can endure without decline. The phrase “hold the breath and extend it, contending for the years of the Three Luminaries” refers entirely to the practice of circulating Qi.

The method of cultivating Qi (vital energy) begins by settling the body, dispelling anger and sorrow, and making the breath calm. Do not use the mind to forcefully control the breath. If you feel unwell, pause for a time and resume only when body and mind are in harmony; then continue diligently. When the breath flows smoothly, the body settles; when the body settles, breathing becomes calm; when breathing is calm, Qi becomes clear and still. When this clear, still Qi arrives, the breath naturally feels long and unbroken. When the body grows warm, you may exhale with the mouth open and hold the breath with the mouth closed; the mouth will then taste sweet and fragrant. As fluids increase, the Five Viscera are nourished, allowing you to live a long life, enduring as long as Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon.

“Cultivating the five substances as in the womb, in order to reach the realm of numinous reality” refers to nourishment through embryonic eating. The method is to swallow the fluids in your mouth at dawn, continuing until you feel full. This also helps promote longevity. When fluids are abundant, the Five Viscera naturally fill with numinous energy. This is what is meant by reaching the realm of numinous reality. The Immortal Scripture says: “The clear waters of the Jade Pool moisten the numinous root; if you practice this, you may preserve life for a long time.” It also says: “The mouth is the Palace of Great Harmony in the Jade Pool; its fluids are like clear water, sweet and fresh.” This is eating and drinking in accordance with nature.

The essentials of nourishing life lie in Qi and the Elixir—the Jing (essence), Qi, and Shen (spirit), and the methods of cultivation taught in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy). The relevant scriptures express their teachings in subtle, winding language, and their meaning is profound and difficult to explain clearly. I once heard these teachings from my master; now I record them here. As for writings of the Kongtong type, they explain the Dao, De (Virtue/Power), and the truths of the mysterious and profound, as already discussed above. They are not essential instructions for cultivation, so I will not annotate them one by one, lest I waste words.

It widely proclaims the Great Dao and leaves a foundation for those in the future who follow the Dao to cultivate and practice. Its words are cool and clear, like a gentle breeze passing through a grove of jade trees; its radiance is bright, like the morning sun shining upon a shop filled with precious stones.

It sets forth its principles in broad and complete detail, thoroughly and carefully, leaving nothing out. At first, it seems to rise in layer upon layer, intricate and hard to fathom; in the end, it returns to the profound and mysterious. It casts the forms of the myriad things in a wondrous furnace, then gathers their countless differences under a single principle.

It uses things as metaphors, making clear distinctions without needless elaboration, and ranges widely without confusion. What seems minute can reveal the principle; what seems opposed can ultimately come together. It draws all that is vast, strange, and splendid into the Great Dao, so that even things hidden in remote depths and seemingly unlike one another naturally return to unity.

This great and wondrous discourse is truly beyond compare in its mystery! The principles it expounds have reached the utmost; nothing can surpass them.

The achievement of cultivating the Golden Elixir can bring the mysterious awareness to a lofty realm. The body undergoes profound transformations, coming forth like a dragon and radiating wondrous light. A life that has withered and been cut off can grow again; those who absorb vital energy can prolong their years. Practitioners ascend to the heavens and travel far through the air, roaming freely among cloud-wreathed peaks. Their faces may take on the sheen of jade, strange hairs may grow from their bodies, and they may spit water, rinse with fire, and fly without wings. They can also divide their bodies and transform in countless ways, acting as they wish.

To dam a river is as easy as closing a box; to split a mountain ridge requires no axe. At a shout, clouds and rain blot out the sky; with a wave or a gesture, forests can be moved. These spiritual powers are too many to recount one by one, and their wonders too subtle to fathom. The wondrous essentials are vast and boundless, impossible to describe in full.

I, Zhao Sheng, was born too late to understand these truths and had no chance to attend gatherings of the highest order. I wandered in confusion for a long time, until, a thousand years later, I encountered a divine master. The master guided and supported me, helping me escape danger and emerge from ignorance, so that I could look up toward the mysterious path of cultivation. The mysterious gate seemed blocked by a wall, as though it could not be opened. In truth, it was not impossible to open; I simply lacked the ability. Disciples, you should examine the roots of the mystery closely and find the key that opens it.

The disciples Zhao Sheng and Wang Chang looked back on themselves, laid hands on their hearts in self-reflection, and felt both moved and ashamed. The scrutiny of the spirits has no bounds, and so they encountered an adept deeply versed in the Dao. Zhao Sheng’s mind was clear and his insight exceptional; what he had studied and understood consisted almost entirely of the profound teachings of the supreme sages. Having heard these principles, they explained them on the basis of what they had learned. They also combined them with their own limited understanding, recorded what they knew, brought out the deeper meaning, and considered and arranged it.

The Elixir of Golden Liquor and Cinnabar Blossoms, an immortal medicine refined from golden liquor and cinnabar blossoms, is a classic method handed down from the celestial realm. The immortals of Taiqing, the pure and exalted realm described in Daoism, explain it with great clarity. To begin the refinement, one must first establish sincere intent. With sustained study and practice, one may hope to attain longevity. The Six-One, a term for combining several substances in alchemy, must be blended in harmony before the elixir can be completed. When the bright sheen of gold enters the Flower Pool, an inner or outer realm used in alchemy or spirit cultivation, it is called “golden liquor.” It is said that taking it can bring forth feathered garments and enable countless transformations, suited to every purpose.

Cloud Blossom Dragon Paste has eight powers and can repel all manner of spirits, demons, and uncanny creatures. When the medicinal liquid enters the Vermilion One, a red substance or numinous being in elixir practice, a person can soar through the air. All who follow this method and practice according to its formula verses will receive protection. One should obey my divine words; the Nine Elders and the Nine Qi, spirits and vital energies symbolizing longevity, will support one another. Such numinous images as a bird a thousand years old and a person in the water are also woven into the magical imagery for seeking survival and dispelling calamity.

The Supreme One’s Radiant Lightning, a flash of light and electricity accompanying the appearance of a Daoist high god, will surely descend. Mysterious Qi swirls above, ready for me to use. Silk manuscripts or banners flutter and coil, enabling you to draw talismanic forms like gold and jade. The scripture then mentions “severing,” apparently in connection with a talismanic method or a stage of the refinement. If one disregards the teachings and acts by force, one’s nature and life will surely be harmed; the instructions handed down by the gods must not be treated lightly or mocked. Once you have received and upheld this scripture, you must not casually abandon it. Riding the clouds, you drift in a daze, as though forever in a dream.

Realgar and orpiment, two mineral medicines, are used to nourish and refine the Three Palaces, the body’s upper, middle, and lower Dantian or their corresponding divine abodes. The Perfected One in the Muddy Pellet Palace grows full and vigorous; the Red Child in the Crimson Mansion, the heart’s divine abode, rides a mysterious dragon; and the lord in the Dantian is likewise ever flourishing. When the three spirits are in harmony, the body can remain healthy for a long time. Do not let Frost Blossom, cold energy or a chill that should not enter during alchemical work, rise up and intrude. Keep the vigorous, nine-colored Qi within the cauldron and crucible. The flowing essence of dark and yellow withdraws into hidden depths. When Yin and Yang are harmonized, one may rise or sink: one can fly up to the nine heavens, while no depth sets a limit to sinking. The Cinnabar Blossom is pale yellow and, once refined, will surely transform into gold. Mercury, lead, and tin are called “Chu Emperor.” The Riverbank Maiden, a female figure symbolizing mercury or a Yin alchemical substance, rides a spirit dragon and flows…

The essence of pearls can prolong life. The numinous water of the Canopy (a spiritual liquid in Daoist cultivation) is abundant; cloudlike fluid surges and congeals into frost and snow. Ladle it up, bow toward the east, and visualize the True King, a revered Daoist deity. Mountains and ridges are called “mountains,” while sunlit places are called “cinnabar.” By nourishing the vital essence of noon during the Zi hour, you can clearly discern the transformations at work.

Therefore, make use of the qi of the moon and the officials of the sun, so their radiance may illuminate the long night and protect you in lasting peace. In this way, you can share the lifespan of Heaven and Earth. Pass these teachings to those close to you, so that none of you will meet calamity. If you do not help one another, calamities will continue. The offenses recorded in the Dark Capital, the Daoist realm of the underworld, are brought upon you by your own actions. How wronged your parents, who died before you, would be! If their children incur guilt in this way, misfortune will reach the ancestors as well. Abandoning ritual documents can also bring calamity.

When the Mysterious Water and Jade Elixir, a spiritual liquid used in cultivation, and the Vermilion Bird, a Daoist mythical bird often symbolizing the southern fire qi, appear, practice with them throughout the day and you will not grow weary. By cultivating in person among mountain forests and stone chambers, you can turn white hair black again and swallow vital essence like a child. In this way, you will accord with the natural Great Harmony and know no old age. Tap the Heavenly Drum, the Daoist practice of drumming on the head with the fingers; its sound seems to reverberate in the chest. The mountain in Heaven is like the human head, and jade wine flows without ceasing, ready to be drunk at will. Simply ladle it up, and you can live long.

A single dose used once in a thousand years may be called the ultimate method of cultivation. Cinnabar texts and jade vessels must be treated with reverence. Understand the external instructions I have transmitted, and you can already dispel illness; how much more can the art of long life transmitted in the wondrous scriptures accomplish? Calamity enters through revealing secrets, while good fortune comes from keeping them. The precepts include heavenly prohibitions that must not be violated. When the radiant essence is abundant, you can transform into an immortal. A precious jade bi disk, worth whole cities, will grow ever more durable. From this comes long life; there is no need to force or draw it forth. If you do not believe this, your allotted lifespan extends across the Nine Provinces. Consider these secret essentials carefully, and you can ascend into the azure sky.

(The text above comes from the Scripture of the Divine Elixir of Golden Liquids of the Great Clarity. The original work describes itself as written in ancient characters that are difficult to understand; Yin Jun recast it in Chinese characters, producing a text of 506 characters.)

◇ How to Make Six-One Clay

Mix equal amounts of four ingredients: alum stone, Rong salt, halite, and arsenolite.

Fire the four ingredients mentioned earlier separately, in equal amounts, for twenty days in succession. Then take left-turning oyster shell, red ochre, and talc, and add them to the four ingredients, making seven ingredients in all. Measure out equal amounts of each. The size of the earthen vessel—a ceramic container used for preparing the medicine—depends on how much medicine is needed; there need only be enough material to coat the vessel completely.

Mix the ingredients and pound them ten thousand times. Then place them in an iron vessel and heat them over a fierce fire for nine days and nights, until the medicine turns bright red. Pound it another ten thousand times, sift it finely, and mix it with strong, unfiltered bitter wine vinegar until it forms a paste. This paste is called “Six-and-One Mud.”

Take two earthen vessels made of red clay, sized according to the amount of medicine required. Coat the inside and outside of both vessels with Six-and-One Mud, to a thickness of about three fen. Then leave them in the sun for ten days to dry.

Method for Combining the Elixir (the method of refining the elixir)

Take nine jin of mercury and one jin of lead. Place them in an earthen crucible and heat over a fierce fire from morning until afternoon. The essences of the mercury and lead will separate out together, taking on the color of gold. This substance is called “Dark Yellow,” and is also known as “Flying Light” or “Flying Flow.”

Take the finest white lead powder and heat it in an iron vessel until it turns the color of gold. Mix it with an equal amount of Dark Yellow, add “left flavor,” and pound and refine the mixture ten thousand times until it becomes a paste. Coat the inside and outside, top and bottom of two crucibles with this paste, making each layer three fen thick. Leave them in the sun for ten days to dry. Do not let the coating dry until it cracks; if cracks appear, patch them at once with mud.

Take ten jin of cinnabar from Yue and five jin each of realgar and orpiment. Mix, pound, and sift them. The amount may be adjusted as needed, from as little as five jin to as much as one hundred. Place the ingredients in an earthen crucible and seal the joint tightly with “Six-and-One Mud,” the material used to seal vessels in alchemical work. Apply a layer three fen thick, then leave it in the sun for ten days.

Next, pound and finely sift white roof-tile fragments. Add vinegar, realgar, and a piece of oyster shell, then pound everything twenty thousand times until it becomes a paste. Use it to seal the vessel, applying a layer three fen thick, and leave it in the sun for ten days to dry.

If the vessel cracks once it is placed over the fire, even the tiniest fissure will let the medicine’s essence escape. If a fine crack appears, patch it again with Six-and-One Mud and inspect it carefully. First set the crucible securely on an iron stand. Use ma fu, the fuel named in the text, to heat it, keeping the fire five cun from the crucible, continuously for nine days and nights. If this fuel is unavailable, rice bran may be used instead. Then, in turn, heat close to the crucible’s sides, from beneath it, and with the fire encircling half its body, applying each method for nine days and nights. After thirty-six days in all, the medicine will be ready. Let it cool for one day, then open it and inspect it. The cinnabar should have flown up and crystallized in the upper crucible, its shape and radiance like the moon rushing down and stars falling, nine-colored cloud patterns, and flowing frostlight. It should also resemble frozen frost and piled snow, flashing with the emerald hue of a sword’s edge. The text further describes its colors through images such as purple blossoms reflecting the sun and colored clouds against a blue sky.

At this point, sweep it down with the feathers of a three-year-old red rooster. It is called the “Flower of the Golden Liquid.” If the medicine has not formed, fire it again for thirty-six days according to the same method. After seventy-two days in all, the text says, it should be ready. The fire must be tended at regular intervals so that its heat remains even, without sudden cooling or heating. With the heat properly controlled, it will be ready in thirty-six days and need not be fired longer. If the crucible cracks, the medicine loses its efficacy and taking it will do no good. When sealing with mud, leave about three fen exposed so that the coating is not entirely covered; adjust the fire as circumstances require.

To take it, bathe at dawn and fumigate your clothes. Face east and bow twice, inwardly envisioning the Heavenly Perfected and the divine officials, then kneel and swallow the medicine. Begin with an amount the size of a millet grain, gradually increasing it to the size of a small bean. The scripture says that practitioners of the highest attainment ascend to immortality in seven days, while those of lower attainment require seventy days.

When practicing the method for “ascending to immortality,” those of dull disposition should bathe at dawn, scent their clothes with incense, face east and bow twice, and inwardly visualize the gods, including the Heavenly Perfected Officials. They should first take a pill about the size of a millet grain, then gradually increase the dose to the size of a small bean. Those of superior endowment can ascend to immortality in seven days; those of inferior endowment need seventy days.

Those of dull disposition and limited understanding need a year to become immortal. If their intentions are utterly sincere, and they observe the fasts and rites fully when paying homage to the spirits, taking three daogui of the medicine each time will enable them to ascend to immortality at once.

However, Daoist practitioners feared that some people might lack resolve or harbor doubts during their practice, yet dare to swallow three daogui outright. They therefore observed the fierce effects of the divine elixir taking hold. Anyone who takes three daogui for the first time will temporarily die, then awaken after about half a day, as if waking from sleep. After awakening, they need only follow the earlier instructions and begin with doses the size of millet grains, increasing them gradually. This reveals that people differ in their endowments and in the number of days they require. Anyone who has been dead for less than three days can be revived immediately by placing a divine elixir the size of a small bean in their mouth and letting them hold it there.

First, put one zhu of the divine elixir into one jin of mercury and heat them together to make gold. This gold cannot yet be used; it must be refined again over fire. Once the gold is made, place the divine elixir in a tube. The Classic of the Elixir says it should be wrapped in an embroidered pouch. First prepare vinegar that is clean and thick; vinegar that is not thick enough cannot be used. Once the vinegar has been properly prepared, let it settle and pour off a hu into a vessel. Place the vessel in a cool spot and seal it tightly with clay, sealing the vessel’s sides with clay as well, while leaving an opening of about half an inch for air to pass through. Weigh out nine liang of gold using the ancient scale, and place it in the vinegar. After one hundred days, remove it and use it to prepare Six-One mud. This is called “Golden Liquid.”

After gold has soaked in vinegar for twenty-one days, it becomes as soft as dough and can be bent at will; its essence has entered the vinegar and transformed into divine Qi. After a hundred days, the gold must be removed. First pound three liang of cold stone into powder and soak it in three dou of cold water. Then slowly take out the gold, wash it, and leave it overnight; it will return to its original state. When first removing the gold from the vessel, do not move it with your hands, or it will soften and break apart. If gold is unavailable, it may be borrowed. When the earthen crucible is larger, the amount of vinegar need not be fixed at one hu, and the amount of gold may also be increased or reduced according to the quantity of vinegar.

First pound cinnabar, realgar, and orpiment, then sift them through fine, dense layers of silk and mix them evenly. Put the mixture into a sealed vessel whose upper opening resembles the mouth of a furnace. Take twenty jin of mica powder, pound it, and sift it finely. Spread it on open ground where the sky is visible, then lay ten jin of insect-eaten mulberry leaves over the mica powder. At the hour of the Rooster, sprinkle three dou of clean water over the mulberry leaves. Once this is done, take out the cinnabar at night, set the vessel outdoors on the mulberry leaves, and open the lid so that it comes into contact with the mica powder. Just before sunrise, cover the cinnabar again and carry it indoors; then cover the mulberry leaves on the ground with a mat.

Continue this for seven days, beginning with a fast on the Jiazi day and ending at dawn on the Xinwei day. By then, the liquid essence of the Yellow Dragon and the mica will have entered the elixir. If it rains, perform the procedure under the eaves. Keep a close watch over the cinnabar while it is exposed, guarding it against contamination by insects or other creatures; turn the cinnabar as well, so that it is exposed to sunlight again. When the process is complete, pound and refine it ten thousand times, then seal it. At the hour of the Monkey, put everything into an earthen crucible together. Lay the tube flat and straight, and do not press it down too tightly with your hand, or the medicine will have difficulty ascending.

The Ritual of Offering and Receiving the Teaching

For the ritual of offering and receiving the teaching, prepare one dou and eight sheng of clear wine, one jin of agarwood, and three “water people.” A “water person” means a chicken’s head. Prepare all the offerings according to the prescribed requirements. Take clean rice and steam or boil it, as convenient. First place it in three dishes, putting three cups in each; place the remainder in a separate dish.

Light three sticks of incense to the left and right of the seat, and set up a single altar facing northwest. After the host has observed a fast for seven or three days, perform the offering ritual at the hour of the Rat. The host should dress in clean clothes, bow three times before the seat, and respectfully pray for the Nine-Heavens August Sovereign, the Three-Heavens True Emperor, the Lords of the Nine Elders’ Immortal Capital, the Elders of the Nine Qi, the Most High Perfected Ones, the True Officials who are Elders of Emptiness, the Jade Maidens of Great Elixir, the Lord King of Heaven One, the Lady of Central Yellow, and the Nine August Divine Spirits to descend to the home of a certain person in a certain village in a certain prefecture. Then the host bows three times, knocks the head three times, and strikes their own body three times with the hand, before saying:

“Today is an auspicious day. With the sincere heart of one who has fasted, I welcome the Lords of the Most High and all the Elders. I beg you to halt your splendid chariots and rest here for a little while.”

Then offer incense again, wait briefly, and bow three times. After a long while, the host kneels and says:

“I was born a mortal, a descendant sprung from dry bones, and for a long time have sunk in ignorance and worldly ways. I have accumulated many sins and calamities, and my faults are as heavy as mountains. I ask only that the Most High release me from the Three Corpses—the spirits believed in Daoism to dwell within the human body, lead people to accumulate wrongdoing, and harm their lifespan—and dispel every kind of calamity. From this day onward, I am willing to belong to the Lord of the Most High Dao and forever become one of the people of the spirits. May my heart always dwell in purity and emptiness.”