《云笈七签》Vol. 28

Cloud Elixir, Crane-Controlling Elixir, Eight-Mineral Elixir, Beautiful Sun Elixir, Plain Moon Elixir, Calamity-Transcending Elixir, Talisman-Holding Elixir, Crimson Purple Wandering Elixir, Realgar Red Elixir, Red Snow Flowing Pearl Elixir, Red Glow Elixir, Red Radiance Elixir, Double Radiance Elixir, Red-and-Purple Intermingled Elixir, Gen Snow Elixir, Moonlight-Flowing Elixir, Mercury Plain Frost Elixir.

The elixirs listed above are minor elixir methods. Although they were often mentioned and used in their time, each had a different name, and people might not recognize them all. They are therefore listed together here.

Next are thirteen alternative names for the great elixirs that immortals refined to leave the mortal world: Yellow Emperor’s Nine-Vessel Elixir, Ninefold-Turned Elixir, Great Restoration Elixir, Lesser Restoration Elixir, Nine-Stage Elixir, Plain Child Immortal Lad Elixir, Nine-Transformation Elixir, Great Immortal Rosy Cloud Elixir, Great Harmony Dragon Embryo Elixir, Zhang the Physician’s Numinous Flying Elixir, Ascension-to-Immortality Elixir, Divine Dragon Elixir, and Immortal Ma’s Daytime Ascension Elixir.

These great elixirs are beyond the understanding of ordinary people. Their names are listed again here to record the title of this chapter. Yet encountering and mastering these elixir methods is no easy matter. Their preparation methods are therefore not included; those interested are given only a general idea of their names.

Next are the names of twenty elixirs not used in the world:

The Eight Scenic Elixir, Golden Flower Elixir, Jade-Taste Disaster-Averting Elixir, Spirit-Light Fragrant-Spreading Elixir, Frost-Congealing and Snow-Piling Elixir, Star-Rushing Moon-Stilling Elixir, Moon-Falling Heart-Shocking Elixir, Golden Liquid Jade Brilliance Elixir, Mao Jun’s White Snow Elixir, White Snow and Red Snow Elixir, Red Silk Hanging Jade Elixir, Seven-Star Evil-Repelling Elixir, Seven Luminaries Numinous Truth Elixir, Flowing Stone Fresh Green Elixir, Golden Radiance Emitting Brilliance Elixir, Great Clarity Five-Color Elixir, Northern Emperor’s Mysterious Pearl Elixir, Spirit-Sensing Truth-Descending Elixir, Multitudes of Ghosts Ascending into Clouds Elixir, and Great White Essence Elixir are all names of elixirs. Some of these names appear more than once in the original text.

These elixirs were prepared and taken according to their respective recipes, and were said to enable people to attain the Dao and become immortals. But the required ingredients were difficult to obtain, and the preparation was not easy. For that reason, only the names are listed here; the specific recipes and methods of preparation are not recorded. Anyone interested can use this list to learn about the names of these elixirs.

The text now begins “Method for Making Liuyi Mud,” that is, the method for preparing Liuyi Mud.

All methods that use processed substances to transform metals or turn stones into other materials rely on “Liuyi” as their key. Liuyi was an important formula or process in ancient alchemy. Since ancient times, most adepts who studied alchemical techniques have treated this art as a secret.

Most surviving methods use materials such as alum, red ochre, oyster shells turned to the left, talc, Rong salt, and alkaline salt; some people have mistakenly used earthworm castings. Each material has its own corresponding process, but the methods differ from one another, and the operational details are often unclear. In principle, the famous formulas and essential instructions passed down from antiquity had all been tested. Yet when I tried these methods, I could rarely understand their principles or obtain results resembling those described. I often grew indignant and sighed over this, unable to put it from my mind. I even suspected that the ancients had deliberately concealed this art and misled later students.

I also found an account in an ancient formula: if alum and yellow earth are burned together overnight, they will naturally turn into a fine powder. I followed the instructions and burned them for two or three days, but saw no change. Later, when I had some free time, I burned them again according to the ancient formula, continuing for about ten days. Only then, when I gently rubbed and pressed the material between my fingers, did I discover that the alum had become a loose powder, glossy and smooth, exceptionally fine and rare. Afterward, I took fresh alum and burned it for more than twenty days, then added dry stone; the result was entirely different from before. Only then did I understand that these methods cannot be tried casually or carelessly. If one does not follow the ancient method, one will think it ineffective. This is something one sees everywhere.

Alum comes in different varieties and from different places. The alum produced in Bingzhou and at Mount Song is of better quality; alum from elsewhere is unsuitable for use.

Method for Processing Alum

The vessel used to process alum should be made of yellow earth and shaped roughly as shown here. Alum comes in different varieties and from different places. That produced in Bingzhou and at Mount Song is of better quality; alum from elsewhere is unsuitable for use.

The vessel used to refine alum can be made from yellow clay in the shape of a bamboo tube, about five or six inches long and three or four inches wide. Place two or three fen of alum inside and cover the opening with a lid made from a roof tile. Then mix equal parts fine sand and yellow clay into a paste and spread it evenly around the tube, to a thickness of about one or two fen. Warm it slowly over a gentle fire until dry. Apply another layer of clay and heat it again until the tube is dry and hot, then place it in the furnace for refining. As long as the fire is tended and controlled properly, nothing will go wrong.

How to make a furnace for refining alum

Build the furnace about two feet high, with a fire chamber about one foot wide. Cut a small opening on each of its four lower sides to draw in air and strengthen the fire, and to make it easy to remove accumulated ash. Prepare an iron cauldron (an iron vessel) sized to fit the medicine tube, about three or four inches high. Put the cauldron in the furnace, then set the medicine tube on top of it. Burn charcoal continuously for seven days and nights, maintaining the fire without interruption. Once the heat is just right, there is no need to continue burning it.

After seven full days, remove the substance and grind it very fine. Take some red stone fat (a mineral commonly used in refining), pound it coarsely, and sift it. Mix it with the substance to form a paste, shape the paste into a cake about half an inch thick and four inches wide, and dry it in the sun. Then put it in the alum refining furnace and fire it for one day. Afterward, pound it again, sift it, and grind it until extremely fine. Take some raw red stone fat, pound and sift it finely, and mix it in equal amounts with the refined red stone fat.

Once these are mixed, take two parts each of alum and red stone fat and combine them into a paste of moderate consistency. Stir it thoroughly and use it to seal the iron cauldron. After sealing it once, take the medicine with one hand and do not keep opening it to inspect the contents; this prevents the medicinal vapors from escaping. The author says that he has used this method many times and found it very effective, and knows of no better way.

The best alum is produced in Dunhuang. Pound it gently, sift it through a sieve woven from horsehair, and put it in an iron pot. Boil it over a high flame until all the moisture has evaporated, then pound it again and sift it finely. Mix cinnabar-colored mineral clay and alum in a ratio of two to one. For every five liang of the mixed powder, you may add one liang of Rong salt and two liang of saline brine; you may mix them in or leave them out.

When making “Six-One Mud,” cinnabar-colored mineral clay and alum are mixed in a ratio of two to one to seal vessels securely and make the seal firm. These days, mud made from just these two substances is enough; adding one or two more substances may not help. Why use so many? “Six-One” is an obscure expression used by the ancients: adding “one” to “six” makes “seven,” so mud made from seven substances is called “Six-One Mud.” People today do not understand the reason and therefore do not know why it is called “Six-One.”

Talc originally came from Donghua Prefecture. Today, people do not investigate its origins and instead use talc from the Kunlun Mountains to make Six-One Mud. This is like mistaking the north for the south, and is, in principle, unsuitable. Talc comes in several grades. If it is hard, pound it carefully, sift it, and grind it thoroughly; it will work better that way.

Method for “Left-Looking” Oyster Shell

What matters in so-called “Left-Looking Oyster Shell” is its fine texture. After testing it two or three times, I found that it had no effect, whether it was first calcined over a fire or used without heating. This shows that the material is of no use. If there is another method that makes it effective, I do not know it.

Method for Rong Salt

The ancient recipes do not clearly state where “Rong salt” comes from. Without knowing its place of origin, even knowing that it is produced somewhere does not tell us which kind is considered the finest. People all claim to recognize this salt, yet may not be able to distinguish which kind is said to come from the south. The south does not produce this salt, so the kind produced in the Guanzhong region is the Rong salt in question. I offer these modest views, though I do not know whether they are correct. Those with expertise should examine the matter carefully before using it. Although this salt is precious and useful, its practical use is much like that of other kinds of salt. I hope those who wish to investigate the subject will come to understand it.

Method for Preparing Lujian

Lujian is produced northeast of Tongzhou, about seven or eight li from the city. It forms in low-lying marshland. It looks like the fine-grained salt produced in the river, but tastes bitter rather than salty. The ancient recipes do not specify its place of origin either. Some believe that in a saline patch of marshland on level ground, the white, fine-textured earth is lujian. On examining the basis for this claim, however, I find it entirely unreasonable; it also proves ineffective in use. I therefore make this clear here.

Lujian produced in Tongzhou works very well as an ingredient in “Six-and-One clay,” a mixture used to seal and secure the furnace and crucible during alchemical refining. But if one carefully prepares materials such as alum and red halloysite according to the method described earlier, there is no need to use lujian as well. Those who wish to investigate the matter need not be in doubt about this. The ancient recipes also say that earthworm castings can be used to make the clay. I have tried this, but the result was no different from ordinary earth; in principle, it is unsuitable for this purpose.

People who use the various ingredients in Six-and-One clay often cannot identify their specific properties accurately. Even those who occasionally recognize the materials may not be familiar with the practical methods of working with them. If one seeks to grasp the mysteries of furnace alchemy, explaining all these details becomes even more difficult. The conditions for preparing Six-and-One clay given here use only a few ingredients, yet produce excellent results. If one can make a firm sealing clay with strong adhesive properties, that is already enough to be considered the finest quality. Why insist on using Six-and-One clay?

The refining methods recorded in ancient recipes often fail. Perhaps the ancients worried that their texts would become too long and left out important details of the procedures; as a result, those who follow the written instructions often cannot succeed. Without a thorough understanding of where the materials come from and what their properties are, who can truly identify these ingredients?

Method for Making the Upper and Lower Vessels

Make the lower vessel of cast iron. It should be three cun deep, with an inner diameter of eight cun, a base six fen thick, and sides four fen thick. The rim should be half a cun wide and three fen thick. Make it stable, with an even rim all around.

The upper vessel should be one chi high, with an inner diameter of eight cun and a thickness of about three fen. If it is to be used for sublimating realgar, make its upper section more than five cun taller and give it an uneven shape; make the lower vessel round. Anyone who intends to conduct serious experiments should make the two vessels according to this design. Their general form need not go beyond these specifications. If properly cared for during use, the upper and lower vessels will last a long time and will not easily be damaged.

I have been interested in Daoist arts for nearly twenty years. I have tried all kinds of methods and gone through many experiences. The methods differ greatly, and I have tried almost all of them, yet I never found one that worked. I exhausted my money and ended up in hardship. Only after using this pair of vessels did I escape those difficulties.

The upper and lower vessels must be coated with Liuyi clay, a sealing and protective clay commonly used for alchemical equipment. Mix the clay to a suitable consistency, brush it on evenly with a palm-fiber brush, and leave it in the sun to dry. Once dry, apply another coat in the same way. Repeat this three or four times, until the coating is about three fen thick; this will make the vessels less likely to break. One or two coats on the upper vessel are also acceptable, and it may be left uncoated. Coating the vessels with Liuyi clay makes them last longer. Why, then, must soil be used to coat them? Mixing in sugar is an old method, but in practice it has no effect. If it does not work, what use is it simply because it is an old method? When we do not understand the reasons behind a practice, we should not accept or reject it merely because it is ancient or modern. The ancients were certainly wise, but in matters of this kind, they did not necessarily understand the underlying principles.

Method for Making the Furnace

The furnace opening should be six inches high and five inches wide, and made of iron. It should not face upward; it is best for the opening to face downward, and to be about three and a half inches high and two and a half inches wide. If it faces upward, the flames will be obstructed and weaken, so a downward-facing opening is preferable.

How to seal the upper and lower vessels with Liuyi clay

Set aside some of the clay prepared earlier. Use a small iron spoon to spread it evenly, to a thickness of about three tenths of an inch. Once it has been applied, gently press the upper rim of the lower vessel into place, taking care not to press too hard. Then seal the entire joint with Liuyi clay, the clay used to seal the seams of vessels. When the clay is dry, warm it slowly over a gentle, steady fire until it dries through. If any cracks appear, use the iron spoon to take some clay and patch them, sealing the whole area. There is no need to inspect it again until the medicine is ready. This method is simple and essential.

Method for the Taiyi Jade Powder Elixir

Ingredients: one jin of cinnabar, one jin of realgar, and ten liang of jade powder.

Jade powder is extremely hard and difficult to grind. Pound it in an unglazed iron mortar, then sift it twice through loosely woven silk gauze; it can then be added to the medicine. Magnetite powder, ten liang, is also very hard. Process it in the same way as the jade powder, then settle it in water and use the fine powder; alternatively, sift it before use.

Five liang of purple quartz, five liang of white quartz, five liang of silver powder, ten liang of kongqing, and one jin of Liugen snow (use silver snow).

Beat these ingredients into thin flakes, then process them in the same way as the jade powder treated with Hedong salt. Settle them in water and use the fine powder, or sift them before use.

Grind the medicinal ingredients into thin flakes. Add Hedong salt and pound and grind them together until fine, then sift the powder through silk. Grind and sift any material left behind, adding more salt as before, until it is all finely ground. Mix the medicinal powder with concentrated vinegar until just damp, then let it dry. Repeat this process more than ten times.

Spread a layer of white salt, place the medicinal powder on top, then cover it with another layer of white salt. Join the two cauldrons—the vessels used to enclose and heat the medicine for refining—and seal them with Liuyi clay, the alchemical clay used to seal vessels. Refine the contents for nine days and nine nights, alternating gentle and strong heat, then extinguish the fire and let them cool for a day and a night. Open the furnace and inspect the medicine. It should be clear and lustrous, like frost and snow, and hang in tassel-like clusters like stalactites. It should display five colors and have a form beyond comparison.

Take the medicine three more times and, following the previous method, mix it with vinegar, spread white salt powder underneath and over it, and arrange it for refining as before. The remaining steps are the same. Repeat this process four or five rounds. Once complete, continue refining it according to the Method of the Golden English Elixir, then take it. Its effects are not as strong as those of the Golden English Elixir, but both elixirs can prolong life and treat illness. Apart from one formula, which has a slight effect in neutralizing the toxicity of aged elixirs, the rest is profound and difficult to understand. How could anyone grasp it in haste without mastery of the oral instructions and methods? The material presented here conceals nothing. I hope that those who love this Way will understand it when they read it and be free of doubt.

Method for the Elixir of the Three Envoys of Taiyi

One jin of mercury frost, ten liang of cinnabar, ten liang of stone tingzhi, and ten liang of realgar.

Pound the three ingredients apart from the cinnabar into fragments, then mix them and arrange them according to the previous method. Spread the mercury frost over the other medicines, cover them with silk, join the two cauldrons, seal them, and refine. The “fat of the pig that bears the hide” mentioned here is fat from an old sow near the backbone.

Method for Making the Purple Wandering Elixir

Five liang each of cinnabar, realgar, cengqing, and stone tingzhi.

Grind the substances separately into fine powders. Take ten liang of mercury and grind it separately. Take three liang of stone gall, crush it separately, and sift it. Heat the white quartz separately until it boils, then remove and collect three liang of it. (The substance named here is probably mistaken; it was most likely alum, since quartz does not boil.) Take three liang of actinolite and crush it separately. Take six liang of stone gall, crush it separately, and sift it. Heat the eastern mountain essence separately until it boils, then remove and collect three liang of it. (The substance named here is probably mistaken; it was most likely alum, since quartz does not boil.) Take three liang of actinolite and crush it separately. Take six liang of stone gall, crush it separately, and sift it; use material produced on the eastern mountain. Take five liang of alum stone, sift it directly, and use it raw. Take six liang of pu xiao (a processed medicinal substance in the nitrate family), grind it separately into a fine powder, and sift it. Take three liang of magnetite, crush it separately, and sift it. Then take three liang of pu xiao and mix it with the other substances; use the remaining three liang to cover them. Process all the other substances as described above, then mix them with vinegar as before. Following the prescribed method, repeat the processing ten times, then stop. Arrange the substances, observe the number of days required for the heating process known as feilian (refining substances by methods such as heating), and repeat the treatments exactly as before; do not make any changes.

After the substances described above have undergone feilian, they must all be processed repeatedly another two or three times before they can be used. I have recently seen people refine elixirs without success and assume that the substances themselves are poisonous. This is because they did not repeat the processing enough, and so it had no effect. When substances that have undergone feilian are not processed repeatedly afterward, the properties of the miscellaneous minerals remain in them. How could their toxicity not be considerable? The ancient sages devised these methods with the purpose of helping those in danger.

Some mediocre and ignorant people in the world pursue fame and profit single-mindedly. They neither understand the principles of medicinal substances nor study books of prescriptions. They may come across a simple recipe or hear a rumor, then act rashly and trust their own judgment, convinced that no better method exists. Others, ignorant and narrow in outlook, are beset by illness yet unwilling to give anything to help another. They put on an air of dignity, while inwardly thinking only of acquiring wealth, and in their greed even cast aside all shame. I do not wish to dwell on them here.

Yet matters concerning life and death must not be taken lightly. Even if these miscellaneous minerals can just barely be taken, they certainly should not be consumed over a long period. I hope that those who follow the Dao will examine this carefully and proceed with caution. If anything in the details is unreasonable, please correct it and bring it back to the proper path.

Method for Making the Small Restoring Elixir

Mix one jin of mercury, four liang of stone sulfur, three liang of bright cinnabar, four liang of powdered rhinoceros horn, and two liang of musk thoroughly. Then use jujube flesh to form pills about the size of hemp seeds. The source says to take one pill after meals. It claims the pills can be used for palpitations, hot wind, malign influences, parasitic toxins, epidemic fevers with chills, and other conditions, and that they calm the heart, nourish the five viscera, and ease the joints. It also records different numbers of pills for different conditions. For routine use after meals, it says to take only two or three pills and not to take more. The passage concludes that the benefits are too numerous to describe fully and that further information can be found in the Bencao (Materia Medica).

Terms such as “refine until it is cinnabar-red” and “remove the toxins” refer to procedures for processing the ingredients and eliminating their toxicity. The source gives no further details about how these procedures were carried out.

Another Method

Take four liang of stone tin sulfide, one jin of mercury, three liang of litharge, and one liang of gold, made into thin sheets. Grind the mercury, gold, litharge, and the other ingredients carefully, using a large iron bottle polished smooth. First spread three liang of sulfur across the bottom of the bottle as a bedding layer, then add the three ingredients mentioned above. The source’s account breaks off here; the supplied text does not include the rest of the method.

On the right, carefully grind the mercury, gold, litharge, and the other ingredients. Take a large iron bottle and polish it until it shines. First spread three liang of sulfur over the bottom as a base, then add the three ingredients mentioned above. Spread another layer of sulfur over them, and finally cover the ingredients with the remaining one liang of powdered sulfur. Put on the lid. Once everything is in place, seal the mouth of the bottle with “Six-to-One Mud,” a clay mixture used to seal vessels. Begin with a gentle fire, then switch to a strong fire and heat continuously for seven days and seven nights. After extinguishing the fire, let the bottle cool for half a day before opening it. All the ingredients inside will have transformed into elixir, bright in color and dazzling to the eye.

Take one liang of the elixir made by this method, together with half a qian each of bezoar and musk. Place them in a Hongzhou earthen mortar and grind them very finely with a jade pestle. Then knead the powder with date pulp into pills the size of wutong seeds. After meals each day, wrap three pills in dates and take them. The text says this elixir can treat wind epilepsy, madness, loss of mind, and afflictions attributed to ghosts and spirits. Long-term use, it says, can strengthen the marrow, fill the blood vessels, moisten the skin, give the face a rosy glow, calm the hun and po souls, and open the way to the realm of the immortals.

Method for Making Gensue Elixir

Take one jin of mercury and thirteen liang of refined tin, allocated in proportion; in practice, combine eight liang of mercury with six and a half liang of tin. Prepare the other ingredients as follows. Take six liang of white alum from Wu, melt it in a pot, and boil it over the fire until it is dry. Then pound it and sift it into a fine powder. When alum is refined this way, six liang yields five liang. Pound four liang of yellow alum into a fine powder, dry it in a pot over the fire, then pound and sift it into powder. Pound and sift two liang of Taiyin Mysterious Essence, a mineral ingredient used in traditional alchemy. Crush two liang of pu xiao, a mineral medicine, boil away its moisture, and make it into a fine powder. Grind four liang of Fulonggan (the clay from the heart of a stove) into powder; take one liang of it and mix it with the salt and the other ingredients. Separately, take six liang of salt, pound and sift it into powder, then dry it in a pot over the fire.

After refining the tin three times, melt it again and quench it in good vinegar to remove what is called “tin toxin.” Then melt it once more in the pot.

After completing this step, pour the mercury into the tin and stir with an iron rod until the two are mixed. Spread the mixture into a thin layer. Dig a shallow pit and place a sheet of paper at the bottom. When removing the material, take care not to let any spill onto the ground. What remains on the paper is the mixture of mercury and silver. Next, spray it with good vinegar until damp and cover it immediately. Then boil the salt until it is dry.

Next, take two liang each of yellow vitriol, white alum, and Fulonggan (the earth from the heart of a stove). Pound them together, removing them from the stone mortar, and grind them into powder. Pass the powder through a fine sieve. Add a little vinegar and mix evenly, just enough to make it slightly damp. Place two liang of Fulonggan at the bottom of a pot and press it flat and firm with an iron spoon. Spread two spoonfuls of salt powder over it and press flat, then add pu xiao (a nitrate mineral) and level it with the spoon. Put in the medicine. Stir it evenly without packing it down, then smooth the surface with the spoon. Cover the pot, seal the seam, and keep the fire going continuously for three days and two nights. Then open the cover and collect the medicine.

If you are concerned that the mercury has not been fully removed, put the remaining impurities together with the medicinal residue from the pot into a small basin. Sprinkle on a little vinegar to dampen them and grind them very finely. Place one spoonful at the bottom, cover it with salt, and seal it using the “flying medicine” method described earlier. Heat it for two days and one night. When you open it to inspect, the mercury should have been completely removed. Take out the medicine.

The scripture says this medicine can calm the heart and stabilize the organs, drive away malign influences and miasmatic vapors, and treat sudden fainting, wind madness, wind epilepsy, and similar conditions. After the medicine has been refined three times, grind it very finely. Mix it with the fibrous inner layer of a jujube tree into pills the size of hemp seeds, and take four pills each day. If you notice no unusual effects, gradually increase the dose to six or seven pills. When taking it each morning, the usual dose is no more than two or three pills. The scripture also says the medicine is slightly cold in nature, so people who already suffer from cold-pattern illnesses should not take it. It further claims that the medicine can treat corpse-transmission disease, miasmatic malaria, epidemics, and various febrile illnesses, taking effect as soon as it is swallowed. Mixed into face cream, it can treat facial dark spots.

Taiyin Xuanjing (a mineral used in Daoist alchemical practice) is found around the salt lakes of Jie County in Hedong and must be collected from the water. Its color and markings resemble jade, and its shape resembles a tortoise shell. Material that is especially black and heavy is inferior; the bright yellow variety is the finest.

The method for refining “Vermilion Pearl Red Snow Elixir” is as follows:

Crush one jin of realgar, sift it through a fine gauze sieve, then mix it evenly with bitter wine (vinegar) until slightly moist. Dry it in the sun, then mix it again once dry. Repeat this process ten times. Next, combine it with powdered white salt, packing and covering it with the salt powder, then seal it firmly with clay. After a day and a night, gently heat the “Six-One Clay” used for alchemical refining until it is completely dry. Then gradually increase the heat; do not make it too strong all at once. Continue for another day and night. After that, raise the heat further, keeping the lower crucible at a temperature close to the flame. Do not let the fire weaken; continue firing for three days and three nights. After it has cooled for one double-hour, open it and remove the medicinal essence from the upper crucible, grinding it lightly. Crush the residue in the lower crucible as well and mix it with the medicinal essence, then add cooked rice until the mixture is slightly moist. Set it up again as before and refine it by alternating gentle and strong heat.

When the medicine is finished, it is bright and lustrous, with colored threads shaped like hanging pearls, and appears as if an open net were spread out. Its vivid brilliance is dazzling. Those who see it may feel their spirit and mind shaken, so they should steady themselves.

The scripture claims that for someone who suddenly falls ill and is close to losing their breath, or whose breath has already stopped, the medicine can be finely ground and three or four grains, each about the size of a hemp seed, mixed with roughly the amount of wine contained in an egg yolk and administered. After the medicine enters the mouth, the patient’s head should be supported; within a short while, they will improve. If the patient’s mouth is shut and they cannot take the medicine, the upper teeth should be pried apart and the liquid poured in. Then press the abdomen by hand and shake the body to spread the medicine’s effect; in a short while, the patient will awaken. The scripture also claims that this medicine cures illnesses caused by “ghostly influences” and mild malaria, bringing recovery as soon as it is taken.

Method for refining solar powder:

Shi-ting-zhi (ten jin), salt blossom (five sheng), Fulonggan (the soil from the center of a stove, two jin), and zuowei (three dou).

Break the Shi-ting-zhi into pieces the size of beans, then boil it with the salt blossom and zuowei for seven days and seven nights. After boiling, put the Shi-ting-zhi in a cloth bag and hang it up. Keep it from touching iron utensils, and boil it thoroughly to draw out its toxicity. Then grind it finely, mix it evenly with the Fulonggan, and place the mixture in the inner crucible. Lay down a layer of salt blossom first, add all the Shi-ting-zhi, then cover it with white salt and seal the mouth of the crucible firmly. Alternate a gentle fire and a strong fire for three days and three nights. When the refining is complete, following the method described above, let it cool for half a day before opening it.

Consult the records in the Bencao carefully: Shi-ting-zhi tastes sour, is warm in nature, and is toxic. It can be used to treat ulcers of the female genitals, sores, hemorrhoids, and bad blood, and can also strengthen the sinews and bones. It can further treat hair loss, accumulations in the heart and abdomen, malign influences, cold accumulations below the ribs, vomiting and rebellious Qi, cold feet with pain and weakness, nosebleeds, malignant sores, draining sores in the lower body, and can stop bleeding, kill itch mites, and treat beriberi. For men, it is said to remedy impotence and weakened sexual function; for women, bodily coldness, disordered Qi and blood, and rumbling in the abdomen; and for other illnesses caused by cold conditions that are difficult to cure with various medicines, taking it is said to bring recovery within three to five days.

To take it, grind the Shi-ting-zhi into an extremely fine powder and mix it with cooked rice to form pills the size of parasol-tree seeds. Take five or six pills each day on an empty stomach, washed down with wine. It is said to work even better when made into pills together with other herbs.

Method for refining the Golden Elixir:

Gold (eight liang, filed into powder), mercury (eight liang, soaked overnight with the gold powder described above until it forms a paste), realgar (one jin), and orpiment (one jin).

Grind the two substances mentioned earlier, realgar and orpiment, into a fine powder and mix them together. Place the mixture in a Six-One earthen vessel—a ceramic vessel sealed with Six-One clay—and seal it tightly. Calcine it continuously over a charcoal fire for nine days and nights. After letting it cool for two days, scrape off the essence that has sublimed and condensed inside.

Make a separate tube and coat its interior with a paste made from pure Zuowei Lead Elixir. Let it dry completely. Knead the Zuowei Flying Essence—the medicinal essence obtained by sublimation—until it has the consistency of soft clay. Pack it into the tube and press it down firmly, then cover the tube with a copper lid and seal it securely with Six-One clay. Suspend the tube from an iron hook so that its bottom is two or three inches above the ground. Use horse dung as fuel and heat it gently, keeping the bottom of the tube just warm, for sixty or seventy days. Once it has cooled, open the tube. If the medicine inside is cinnabar red, the preparation is complete. Grind it finely, then mix it with jujube pulp and form it into pills the size of small beans. Each morning, face the sun and take one pill with well-water drawn at dawn. The original text claims that after seven days a Jade Maiden will come to serve you; after two hundred days, meals will be delivered; and after three hundred days, you will live as long as Heaven and Earth. This method is similar to the Golden Liquid method, with only minor differences. If horse dung is hard to obtain, chaff may be used as fuel.

Method for Making Lead Elixir (a preparation for treating seasonal heat, ghostly influence, epilepsy, and malaria):

Take four jin of lead and first heat it until fully molten. Take one jin of mercury and grind it with salt to purify it.

First take two dou of broomcorn millet and steam it until the grains split open and are fully cooked. Pour vinegar mash water over the millet, seal it, and leave it for five or six days so that it ferments into vinegar. Then take soil from a wheel rut, sift it, and mix it with the vinegar-soaked millet, stirring until it has the thickness of pancake batter. Melt lead and pour it into the mixture, stirring well.

Next, melt the lead again in a good ding, an ancient cooking vessel. While it is hot, pour one jin of mercury into it. Once the mixture has cooled and solidified, tie it with a cord and suspend it inside the ding for fourteen days, allowing its essence to fall of its own accord into the vinegar. Remove it and rinse it clean. Add one liang each of poxiao (natural sodium sulfate) and xiaoshi (saltpeter). Refine it three times according to the “Flying Elixir Method,” a method of refining elixirs through heating and sublimation, for three days each time. Collect the refined essence and mix it with rice to form pills the size of sesame seeds. Use these to treat all kinds of febrile illness.

Method for Refining the Purple Essence Elixir

One jin of mercury and half a jin of shitingshi, a sulfur-bearing mineral drug.

Place both substances in a bottle and seal it securely. Mix yellow earth with paper fiber into a mud, and coat the bottle with three layers, about one cun thick. Cover the bottle’s mouth with a porcelain cup, then seal it tightly with liuyi mud, a special clay used to seal elixir vessels, to a thickness of about half a cun.

First refine it over a fire for three days and three nights, alternating one day and night over a gentle fire, then one day and night over a strong fire. When the time is up, take out the medicinal material, crush it, and put it into a new green bamboo tube. Add vinegar to the tube, then place it in a large pot of hot water and simmer it in a water bath for three days and three nights, keeping the water at a steady simmer, with bubbles rising like fish eyes. When the time is up, remove the material and rinse it in cold water to wash away the vinegar. Dry it in the sun for one day, then put it back into the bamboo tube. Add fresh water and mirabilite, a mineral medicine, and boil it for one full day as before. Remove the material, wash and dry it, then grind it into an extremely fine powder. Form it into pills with the pulp of jujubes and a little musk.

When making the pills, add a little clarified butter and spread it on your hands; otherwise, the pills will stick. Each pill should be about the size of a parasol-tree seed. Take five pills daily before meals. The original text claims that this formula can dispel various wind disorders, improve eyesight, and nourish the heart. Taking more than two jin is also said to turn a person’s complexion fair. Its many effects are too numerous to describe individually. Do not take this formula together with the Flowing Pearl Formula; also weigh out one qian of musk. The Flowing Pearl Formula appears later in the text.

○ Method for making Flowing Pearl Elixir

Take one jin of sulfur and boil it in a pot with a little sesame oil until the sulfur turns black. Then boil it in ash liquor, an alkaline liquid extracted from plant ash, to remove the oil. Follow the remaining steps for the Flowing Pearl Formula, using one qian of musk as well. The Flowing Pearl Formula appears later in the text.

○ Method for making Flowing Pearl Elixir

Place one jin of sulfur in a pot and cook it over low heat with sesame oil until the sulfur turns black. Then boil it in ash lye to remove the oil. Grind the salt finely, add it to the pot with the sulfur, and refine them together. Seal the pot with Liuyi clay, the material used to seal vessels during alchemical refining. Heat it gently for a day and two nights, then gradually increase the heat until the pot glows red. Remove the fire and let the pot cool. Take out the substance and wash it with clean water to remove the salty taste.

Take seven sheng of wine and half a sheng of honey—another account gives one sheng—and boil them with the substance for three days and three nights, following the method for the Purple Essence Elixir. Remove the substance and wash it with clean water to remove the taste of wine. Dry it in the sun, pound it, and sift it; then knead it into pills with date flesh. Continue pounding it five or six thousand times; ten thousand strokes are better. Make pills the size of parasol-tree seeds. Take thirty pills each day on an empty stomach. If you feel heat in the body, reduce the dose to fifteen. Those taking it long term should take only five pills a day. The original text claims that it cures various ailments caused by cold winds. While taking the medicine, avoid garlic, rice, and vinegar.

Method for the Sevenfold-Returned Cinnabar Elixir: Take thirty pills daily; if you feel feverish, reduce the dose to fifteen. Those taking it long term should take only five pills a day. The original text claims that it cures various ailments caused by cold winds. While taking the medicine, avoid garlic, rice, and vinegar.

Method for the Sevenfold-Returned Cinnabar Elixir: Take one large jin of mercury and place it in a porcelain bottle. Cover it with a porcelain bowl and seal it with Liuyi clay. Heat it gradually over a gentle fire. After about six or seven days, heat it over a strong fire for one day; this completes one cycle of refining. Repeat the process seven times, after which it may be taken. Reduce the heat each time you complete a cycle. If you do not lower the heat, the medicine may not refine properly.

Recipe for Preparing Jade-Spring Eye Medicine: Take two liang of water crystal, a mineral of the quartz family, and grind it into powder. Mix it with half a ge of milk, place it in a porcelain bottle, and seal it with honey so no vapors can escape. Bury it in the ground for one hundred days, then remove it and let it smoke in the stove opening for one day. When opened, the medicine should be bluish white, like jade. Melt two jin of refined lead and tin, form the medicine into pills the size of parasol-tree seeds, and drop them into the melt, stirring until the lead and tin turn pure white. If someone cannot see or has red eyes but the eyeball is undamaged, place one pill the size of a millet grain at the corner of the eye. The original text claims it works very well.

The Method of Zhang He of Mount Tai for Boiling Minerals

Stem and root of the zhang plant (six jin), apricot kernels (five sheng), sour jujube kernels (five sheng), and sophora seeds (one sheng, pounded separately).

First pound the first three ingredients. Stir the sophora seeds in water, strain out the residue, and mix the liquid with the first three ingredients. Put the mixture in a watertight container and bury it in the shaded area north of a dwelling, one chi underground, covering it with soil. After one hundred days, take it out. This is called “Divine Water of Taiyi,” a medicinal liquid used in occult methods.

Select five sheng of blue-white stones from a river, each about the size of a peach or plum. Take nine sheng of water flowing from the north and boil it once. Add two ge of the Divine Water of Taiyi and stir well, then boil it once more. When the stones are cooked, they may be eaten as desired. The text says that after five days of eating them, all kinds of illnesses will be cured; taking them for a year will extend one’s life; and taking them over a long period will enable one to ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. Alternatively, soak two jin of raw iron in two sheng of the Divine Water of Taiyi. After ten days, it will turn into silver.

○ The Method of Adding Li to Use Dui (four methods in all)

Li (one liang), Dui (half a liang).

Put the stone material in a crucible and melt it. Add Li first, then Dui, and stir evenly with willow wood. Next add yellow vitriol, a mineral, and stir again as before. Pour the mixture out and cast it into an ingot. Mix yellow earth with “left-flavor” to make a crucible, and let it dry. Then take one liang each of yellow vitriol, realgar sand, a mineral containing arsenic, and Hutonglü, along with one sheng of red earth. Mix these with “left-flavor” into a paste and coat the outside. Put it into the crucible three or four times, seal it tightly, and fire it repeatedly more than ten times, until the black fumes disappear when wiped with felt.

If the black fumes are difficult to remove completely, mix red salt with “left-flavor” into a paste and coat the material. Wrap it with tangled hair and place it in the fire. When the red salt crackles, repeat the process several times, until the black fumes are gone. Then mix realgar sand into a slurry; firing it over a cow-dung fire is preferable.

○ Another method: If the black fumes are still difficult to remove completely, mix red salt with “left-flavor” into a paste and coat the material. Wrap it with tangled hair and place it in the fire. When the red salt crackles, repeat the process several times, until the black fumes are gone. Then mix realgar sand into a slurry; firing it over a cow-dung fire is preferable.

Another method:

Take one liang of “Li,” seven qian of “Dui,” and one qian of refined copper. Melt them together into an ingot. Once it has cooled, heat it in a fire until red-hot, then plunge it into horse manure to cool. Hammer it, heat it again, and hammer it once more. Repeat until the ingot is thin as paper, then cut it into pieces about the size of a finger.

Grind one sheng of yellow alum into powder, and pound it finely with three parts “Tonglü” and two parts sal ammoniac. Make a crucible and lid from loess clay. Place the thin pieces of “Li” inside, then pack the powdered ingredients around them in layers. Seal the mouth of the crucible and place it in a cow-dung fire for a day and a night. Keep the crucible glowing red throughout, until you judge the process complete.

Another method:

Pair “Li” with “Dui,” then mix equal amounts of Persian salt, green-red earth, “Hu Tonglü,” and sal ammoniac. Mix the foregoing materials into a clay paste and coat the pair with it to a thickness of about three fen. Place it in a fierce fire for a day and a night, keeping the crucible glowing red throughout, until you judge the process complete.

Another method:

Pair “Li” with “Dui,” then mix equal amounts of Persian salt, green-red earth, “Hu Tonglü,” and sal ammoniac. Mix the foregoing materials into a clay paste and coat the pair with it to a thickness of about three fen. Place it in a fierce fire and heat it more than fifty times. Then grind one liang of “gold tooth” into powder and add it to three sheng of rice-washing water. Boil it from morning until evening. Wrap “Li” in cloth and suspend it horizontally from a wooden frame, making sure it does not touch the vessel. It is then ready for use.

Another method:

One liang of sal ammoniac, one liang of purple catechu, one fen of blue vitriol, and one liang of “Hu Tonglü.”

Smear lard on the bottom of a crucible to form a clay lining. Melt the materials and remove them; the finished product should be bright red, like cinnabar. Melt it again into thin ingots. Grind ten liang of red earth, three liang of weathered ash, three liang of sal ammoniac, five liang of red salt, five liang of red mineral resin, and three liang of rock salt into a fine powder, and process it thoroughly. Mix the powder with the previously mentioned materials to make a paste. Spread it on paper to match the size of the ingots, about one or two fen thick. Wrap the three ingots and heat them until the red fumes have dispersed. Open the wrapping and wash the ingots with the previously mentioned materials. Wrap and heat them again as before, then wash them thirty times with rice-washing water. When they have a glossy red sheen both inside and out, they are called “Brahma’s Treasure.”

Essential Method for Subduing Mercury

As soon as mercury encounters fire, it vaporizes and disperses, making it difficult to keep in place. Many methods have been used over the ages, but without another substance to subdue it, it cannot be treated. This method uses medicinal substances to subdue it and is said to be completely reliable.

Pound monkshood, red mineral resin, rock salt, white salt, pepper, realgar, long pepper, yellow alum stone, yellow sal ammoniac, and black salt into a fine powder. Mix this with the previously mentioned materials to make a paste, shape it into a pot, and place the mercury in the center. Wrap it in cloth and pass a crossbar through the bundle. Put it in a cauldron and boil it for three days and three nights with the previously mentioned materials. Remove it and place it in a frost mortar. Then grind it with the previously mentioned materials, adding monkshood, sal ammoniac, and mica in equal proportions. Continue for seven days, replacing the medicinal mixture three times each day and washing it. Finally, add a little oil, salt, and sal ammoniac to the cauldron and boil it for one day and one night. It is then ready to use.

Su Zhen’s Method for Removing the Haze from Tin

Take white tin and add any amount of sal ammoniac and mica. Grind them in equal proportions for seven days, replacing the medicinal mixture three times each day and washing it. Then add a little oil, salt, and sal ammoniac to the cauldron and boil it for one day and one night. It is then ready to use.

First take white metal, in any quantity, and hammer it into thin sheets about as thick as paper. Cut them into squares with sides two inches long. Use at least ten jin of the raw material for this method; too much will overheat as the heat builds up, while too little will not work. Take a porcelain vessel large enough to hold all the material. Lay down a layer of garlic and Chinese chives, then place the metal sheets inside in alternating layers until the vessel is full. Cover it with a suitably sized lid, seal it tightly with lacquer, and bury it underground. After one hundred days, remove it; do not take it out even one day early. Place it in a stable where it is covered with horse manure, and remove it when the allotted period has passed.

Melt one jin of this material and add one liang of brass-like copper alloy. If the substance is too soft, add more alloy; if it is too hard, add more white metal. Red-skinned garlic is best. The ingredient called “zuowei” must be at least three years old before it can be used. Then add a little salt, as in ordinary cooking.

Su Zhen’s Method for Adding White Copper to Alloy

One jin of white copper and one liang of tin.

Melt them together and pour the mixture into wine, then remove and break it into pieces. Separately, take one liang of prepared mercury, two liang of Hutonglü, and one sheng of fat. Boil them together until the fat is used up. When the lead powder turns red, the fire treatment is complete—that is, heating has stabilized the substance’s properties. Next, melt the “alloy body” prepared earlier and pour it into water. Take two liang each of alum, black alum, Hutonglü, sal ammoniac, and white salt. Melt them together and pour them into an ingot mold to complete the preparation.

If the product is brittle and does not hold up in use, heat it until red hot and plunge it into beef fat. Repeat this treatment ten times, and it will become soft. Then melt the “alloy body” prepared earlier and pour it into water. Take two liang each of alum, black alum, Hutonglü, sal ammoniac, and white salt. Melt them together and pour them into an ingot mold to complete the preparation. If the product is still brittle and does not hold up, heat it until red hot and plunge it into beef fat ten times; it will become soft.

Method for Removing the Halo from Red Copper

First take refined copper and cast it into a plate, three cun long and three cun wide. Boil ox-hide glue until it becomes porridge-like, then place the copper plate in it and seal it with salt. Put it in a furnace and heat it until the smoke is gone and the plate is glowing red. Remove it, let it cool, and hammer it on an anvil until the black scale on the surface falls away by itself. Repeat this process more than ten times. Next, boil it in vinegar slurry. Heat the copper plate until red-hot, immerse it in the slurry, then remove it and scrub it with a brush. Melt it in a pot and pour it into ash solution so that it breaks apart into bead-like droplets. Repeat until its color turns yellowish white. Add ten liang of dui (a type of metal); this amount can yield about three liang after refining. Finally, wash it with plum slurry to whiten it.

A Persian Method for Adding to Brass with Chinaberry Seeds

Ingredients: one dan of dark plums, one dan of chinaberry seeds, one jin of sal ammoniac, two jin of Persian brass, one sheng of sparrow droppings, one jin of Hezhou tin, and five liang of dui.

Take two sheng of chinaberry seeds and grind them with aged wine. Then grind half a sheng of sparrow droppings with two sheng of fresh vinegar, add one ge of salt, and mix well. Make a trough from mulberry wood, eight cun long, three cun wide, and seven cun deep. Put the preceding ingredients into the trough. Melt one jin of Persian brass and pour it in, then add a little sal ammoniac and stir well. Once the liquid has cleared, pour it into the medicinal liquid in the trough. When it has cooled, remove it and scrub it clean with felt, then dry it over heat; it is ready for use. Do not use iron utensils when stirring the ingredients. Repeat this process ten times, then melt the metal and pour it into the trough of medicinal ingredients again; this produces a better result.

Take ten liang of white dui, four liang of Persian brass, and one liang of refined tin. First melt the dui, then add the Persian brass and tin in turn. Add sal ammoniac, stir, and pour the mixture out to cast it into an ingot. If the finished product is brittle, simmer it in ox fat to soften it. If its color is dull, wash it clean with plum slurry.

Essential Method for Using Brass in the Su Zhen Style

Two liang of refined Persian brass, two liang of dui, about three grains’ worth of sal ammoniac, and a pinch of coarse salt.

Place the materials described above in a crucible, mix them, and melt them. After they have melted for a while, heat them until red-hot, then pour them into salt water. Repeat this process four or five times. Next, wash them six or seven times with plum juice, until the material turns white. Put it back in the crucible, mix it with plum juice, and melt it. After it has melted for a while, heat it until red-hot and pour it into salt water. Repeat this four or five times, then wash it six or seven times with plum juice, until it turns white. Finally, place it in plum juice. First heat it until red-hot, then drop it into the juice. The juice should be in a porcelain vessel and heated over a fire until boiling hot.

○ How Sushu Zhen (the name of a method) uses realgar

One liang of realgar and one liang of orpiment.

Put both materials in pork fat and boil them three hundred times. Then take ten liang of hot copper, melt three liang of it, stir, and add powdered black alum. This produces the best result.

○ How Sushu Zhen uses iron

Take raw iron, pound it, sift it, then grind it finely; measure out ten liang. Beat tin into thin sheets and shape them into a cup to contain the iron powder. Then burn la wood to ash and grind it thoroughly until smooth. Put the materials into the tin cup, then place it in a crucible and heat it in a wind furnace. When the iron is just about to melt…

Take ten liang of raw iron. Pound it into pieces, sift it, then grind it carefully. Hammer tin into thin sheets and shape them into a cup, then wrap the iron filings inside. Burn “lie wood” to ash and grind it finely until it gleams. Put the medicinal powder into the tin cup. Place the cup in a “gan crucible” (a fire-resistant crucible), then put the crucible in a blast furnace and heat it. When the iron filings are just beginning to soften, but have not fully melted, take them out. Do not let them break apart.

Wrap the iron from the furnace in paper, and it will begin to boil and move. When the tin has solidified, add “dui” (a material added during compounding) and continue heating until it boils. If the added material does not combine with the iron, add wulang vine; then the two will join. Next, weld and grind the mixture with an iron tool, scraping away the material floating on top. When the added material has stopped moving, put it in the furnace and cover it with hot ash. After a while, take it out with a “jue” tool, dip a bamboo splint in water, and touch it to the added material. Pour water over it two or three times; it can then be used as needed.

The stem of wulang vine is as thick as a finger, and its fruit is edible and slightly sweet. It grows in the mountains or on level ground, twining around grasses and trees. Its stem bears paired thorns. Its leaves resemble “bian geese,” with toothed edges, and grow in pairs. When gathering it, do not disturb the plant; take the roots as well, and dry it in the shade. It must not be dried in the sun. The fruit ripens in the seventh or eighth month and turns red.

For refining iron, use iron from a plowshare, preferably white in color. Other kinds of iron are unsuitable.

Method for refining realgar and orpiment with tin

Ten liang of realgar, ground to a fine powder; three liang of tin.

Melt them together in a pot. Remove the mixture and knead it into pieces in a leather bag, then place it in a gan crucible and heat it. After adding the substances, cover and seal the crucible, place it in a blast furnace, and blow air through the furnace until the crucible is the same color as the fire. Once it has cooled, open it. The resulting substance will be gold-colored and is well suited for use in fire-subduing refining. The specific proportions for realgar and orpiment are recorded elsewhere.

Method for making a pool of niusha slurry

Five liang of niusha, half a sheng of black plums (pounded), and one sheng of zuowei.

The medicines described above should be boiled in an earthen pot, a kind of ceramic cooking vessel. When the liquid has reduced to three-fifths of its original volume, it is ready for use.

How to make plum paste

Take two sheng of plums, remove the pits, and crush the fruit.

Put the plums in an earthen pot, add one sheng of water and half a sheng of salt, and boil until the liquid has reduced to three-fifths of its original volume. It is then ready for use.

Another passage also describes making plum paste: take two sheng of plums, remove the pits and crush them, add one sheng of water and half a sheng of salt, then boil in an earthen pot. Keep heating the vessel over a fire until it glows red, then wash it.

How to refine elixirs and make pills to ward off ghosts

Take two fen each of cinnabar, realgar, orpiment, hellebore, and the medicinal materials listed in the original as “ghost flatfish” and “ghost arisaema,” along with peach kernels, aconite, monkshood, pinellia, sulfur, croton, rhinoceros horn, musk, white atractylodes, red atractylodes, “ghost arrow,” centipedes, wild kudzu, and bezoar. Crush them and sift them into a fine powder. Mix with the juice of fragrant thoroughwort and form into pills, each about the size of an egg. Burn one pill, and it is said that all ghosts will immediately flee. Ge Hong’s Baopuzi uses this medicine to refine the “Three Marvels Elixir.”

How to refine alum so that it coagulates and subdues mercury

Take ten jin of alum from Bingzhou and grind it into powder. Mix it thirty times with alum from Guazhou and “zuowei,” then put it in a cauldron for sublimation and refinement—that is, heat the substance so that it rises as vapor and then condenses. Open the vessel once every twenty-one days, add one-third as much raw alum, mix it with the medicine, and continue the sublimation. Raw alum has a strong medicinal nature; once added, it joins with the existing medicine. Stop when it reaches this state. After more than thirty days of sublimation, the medicine will take on shapes like ants and become clear and bright; refining it for one hundred days produces even better results. Then wrap it in silk, put it in a tube, and steam it for three days and three nights before grinding it into a fine powder. For every one liang of powder…

Process one jin of mercury until it turns red: boil it with “left-flavor” until dry, when it should be purplish red. Put it in a cauldron and fire it according to the prescribed method. Then wrap the mass of mercury in red jade and place it in a wind furnace for one hundred days, until weathering turns it to ash. Take another three jin of alum stone, add one jin of fat, and stir-fry them in an iron vessel until the fat is used up. Next, put ten jin of mercury and the alum stone into an iron vessel. Fire them over a fierce flame, stirring until the smoke enters the vessel; then the process is complete. Afterward, wrap the mercury prepared earlier in a ball of clay, seal it, and put it in a cauldron. Fire it for nine days and nine nights, and it will be ready for use. The results are better if you first simmer it thoroughly with fat, then fire it in a crucible for one hundred days. It can also be simmered in a pot, adding one portion of powdered alum stone each time: after one round of refining it will be like tin; after a second round it will be like stone.

○ Method for Making White Jade

Take a large clam and pound it into a fine powder. Put one jin of it in a bamboo tube, add saltpeter, seal the tube tightly, and place it in “left-flavor.” After twenty days, the substance will have liquefied. Then pound half a jin of white quartz into powder and put it in the tube; the mixture will solidify. Take it out and heat it with high-quality charcoal until it glows red. This makes white jade, which may also be ingested.

○ Methods for Making Pearls (Two Methods)

Take a luminous mussel shell, scrape off its outer layer, and boil it in vinegar until cooked. Take it out and cut it into thin strips, then roll them into pearl-sized beads as desired. Cut open the belly of a carp, put the beads inside, and close the belly again. Steam the fish until thoroughly cooked, then remove the beads. Before steaming, drill holes in the beads and thread pig bristles through them. Take mica and boil it for a few moments in white goat’s milk. Remove it, let it cool slightly, and soak the beads in the milk overnight. Then wash them clean.

○ Another Method

Make beads of any desired size from fish-bladder glue and powdered mussel shell, and drill holes in them. Dry them beside a grass fire. Set a ceramic jar on two bricks, place the beads on a tile inside it, and cover them with another tile. Seal the bricks all around with mud to form a stove, then use grass…

A bead is made from fish glue (glue produced from fish bladders) and powdered mussel shell. Make it any size, then drill a hole through it. First dry it by heating it over a grass fire. Set an earthenware vessel on two bricks, place the bead on a roof tile, and cover it with another tile. Seal the four sides of the bricks with mud to form a small furnace, then heat it over a grass fire until it glows red. Remove the bead, pack powdered mussel shell into four tube openings, and place them in a porcelain vessel. Soak them in “left flavor” for ten days. Once the color changes, the beads are ready.

○ Method for making stone green pigment

Copper rust (one jin), stone indigo (half a jin), orpiment (five liang), and cypress juice (one jin).

Mix these materials and dry them in the sun. Once the materials have been used up, the pigment is ready; it gives excellent results.

○ Method for making stone indigo

Su-fang wood (half a jin, chopped).

Boil the su-fang wood in two dou of water and reduce it to eight sheng of liquid. Add two fen of lime and stir until thick. Continue boiling until all the liquid has evaporated. Then soak it in indigo juice. It is ready to use after five days.

Volume Seventy-Two: Golden Elixir Section, Part Ten

◎ Secret Diagram and Text on the Great Reverting Elixir (with preface)

The preface says: The Great Reverting Elixir is the Sun’s hun-soul and the Moon’s po-soul, formed from the condensed essence and Qi of the two luminaries, the Sun and Moon. It originates in the southern position of Fire and receives its transformations in the northern position of ren and gui, the Heavenly Stems associated with Water. It passes through the transformations of the Five Phases and contains five colors. Its effects are on a par with Heaven and Earth and cannot be fully described one by one.

Before Heaven and Earth took shape, there was chaos, symbolizing the primordial Qi. Clear and turbid Qi separated, assisted by spiritual power. The Eight Trigrams joined in their correspondences, and the radiance of the Sun and Moon blended together, finally refining the Great Elixir. As for the firing process, it is governed by the new moon and full moon. As for the ingredients, lead and mercury are primary. The furnace and cauldron, and the Flowery Pool—the vessels or associated parts used in refining the Elixir—each have their corresponding places, established by perfected adepts and affirmed and commended by immortals. The work is divided into twelve chapters, symbolizing the twelve months, so that those seeking the truth in cultivation may understand its principles and pass them on to those devoted to the Dao.

○ Chaos and the Flowery Pool, Chapter One

“Flower Pool” refers to the primordial Qi of Xuanyuan, the source of the Dao, and also symbolizes the form in which Heaven and Earth came into being. It contains the number Three-in-One: Yin and Yang, male and female, have not yet separated; clear and turbid Qi, rising and sinking, have not yet taken definite form. It occupies the latent position of the hidden dragon, not yet revealed. Thus, those who cultivate the Dao should hold fast to the Great Dao and await the right moment. Attaining this fundamental Qi enables one to discern being from nonbeing and to rise beyond the ordinary realm into the realm of the sages. The scripture says, “Know the white, keep to the black, and the spirit’s clarity will come of itself.” This shows that the mysterious Dao is the source of all things. The sages keep it hidden: they do not set it down in writing, but pass it on from mouth to ear. Those who understand its oral instructions can become immortals.

○ White Metal and Yellow Buds, Second

The “white metal and yellow buds” discussed here are not metals or minerals such as gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, tin, mercury, or cinnabar, nor are they substances such as lead extracted by smelting ore. They are subtle substances formed when Heaven and Earth unite and the Qi of the Great Mystery flows and transforms, congealing through the resonance of Qi. Just as the human body comes into being through the Qi transmitted by its parents, rather than through bodily transformation alone, so too is the so-called Supreme Medicine formed: the Kan male, symbolizing Yang, and the Li female, symbolizing Yin, resonate with one another, and Qi congeals into form. “White metal and yellow buds” are said to have existed before Heaven and Earth. The scripture says, “The named is the mother of the myriad things.” This corresponds to the image of “the dragon appearing in the fields at the second nine”; attaining it through cultivation opens the way to immortality. The scripture also says it is easy to obtain, and that it can enhance one’s appearance and strengthen the marrow. Like eating jade, it gives one jade’s gentle luster.

○ The Five Phases, Third

The Five Phases here refer to the five substances used in alchemical cultivation: Water generates Wood, where Wood means mercury, but not the mercury commonly found in the world; Wood generates Fire, where Fire means cinnabar, but not ordinary cinnabar; Fire generates Earth, where Earth is formed through the transformation of Shen and Qi, rather than being earthly soil; Earth generates Metal, where Metal means white metal, not ordinary metal; and Metal generates Water, where Water means black water, not water from the world. Metal can overcome Wood, Water can overcome Fire, and Earth governs the four seasons. The Five Phases have beginnings and endings and are interconnected. They generate and overcome one another, jointly refining the supreme medicine.

If external gold, wood, water, fire, and earth were used as alchemical materials, how could one understand the efficacy of “Three and Five returning to One,” which the sages especially praised? It is therefore lamentable when people lose the right path, like pure white silk stained with other colors, or like someone who has taken the wrong fork in the road. Without a teacher’s transmission, those who cultivate by relying only on the surface wording of the scriptures will ultimately find it difficult to achieve anything. How could those seeking the true Dao fail to devote all their strength to diligent and focused practice?

The Four Images

The Four Images are the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise. Here they do not refer to actual animals, but represent substances and movements of Qi in Neidan cultivation, each corresponding to a direction, one of the Five Phases, and the Heavenly Stems.

The Azure Dragon corresponds to the East and to Jia-Yi Wood; in alchemical practice, it means mercury. When still, it is clear and cannot be seen; when stirred, it does not appear turbid. It seems close at hand, yet cannot be directly taken up; it seems far away, yet cannot be abandoned. Hidden and capable of endless transformation, it is therefore called the “Dragon.”

The White Tiger corresponds to the West and to Geng-Xin Metal; in alchemical practice, it means white metal. It occupies the position of “the True One.” The scripture says, “If you obtain the One, all things are accomplished.” White metal is also called the “Gentle Maiden.” It takes shape through the Five Phases responding and transforming, as Jing and Qi gather to their utmost. Hidden away and still, it is therefore called the “Tiger.”

The Vermilion Bird corresponds to the South and to Bing-Ding Fire; in alchemical practice, it means cinnabar. Its liquid form can be divided and transformed into a dragon, while its condensed Qi becomes a bird. Qi rises to become Heaven, while form and substance descend to become Earth; hence it is the foundation of the Great Elixir. It soars when it meets fire, and is therefore called the “Vermilion Bird.”

The Black Tortoise corresponds to the North and to Ren-Gui Water; in alchemical practice, it means black mercury. It can be both soft and hard. The scripture uses “The highest good is like water” to describe its nature. The water meant here is neither lead nor tin, nor any kind of mineral, but the alchemical water called “the divine water of the River Chariot.” The scripture says it arose before Heaven and Earth and is an indispensable supreme medicine. It nourishes all things, and is therefore called the “Black Tortoise.”

If a person of aspiration refines the alchemical tripod and understands these Four Images, the celestial beings and humans of the ten directions will all honor him. What the ancient scriptures call the “Elixir of the Four Spirits” refers to this.

Water came into being before Heaven and Earth. It is an essential substance in alchemical refinement and must never be absent, even for a moment. Water nourishes all things, and is therefore called the “Black Tortoise” (one of the Four Images, symbolizing the north and water).

Distinguishing True Lead and Mercury from False Lead and Mercury, Chapter Five

“Lead” and “mercury” refer to the flowing liquid symbolized by the Li trigram, which is mercury, and the congealed white substance symbolized by the Kan trigram, which is lead. People in the world mistake black lead, rolled lead, and substances mixed with native silver, litharge, xian lead, lead yellow, minium, and the like for lead. This is a grave error.

Lead contains gold, and gold in turn contains the Returned Elixir—a Daoist alchemical term for an elixir that has been refined. From this we can see that white metal emerges from black water; white metal turns into gold, and gold turns into purple gold. Purple gold contains the Five Colors and is called the “Great Returned Elixir.” Is this principle not clear? How, then, can one take mercury and similar substances, which have already assumed a physical form, for lead? A scripture says: “A crane calls in the shade of a tree, and its young answer with their own cries.”

Another scripture says: “When a tiger roars and a dragon sings, things of the same kind respond to one another.” Can this really be nonsense? Mercury symbolizes feeling, while lead symbolizes nature. When feeling and nature unite, this is called the constant Dao. The Dao is what is natural; it is certainly not an external substance. I hope you will think carefully about this principle. Heaven does not fail those who are determined.

The verse says:

The tripod within the tripod is not the tripod of ordinary understanding; the medicine within the medicine has no fixed substance. To speak of using lead is not to use physical lead, but to work with the principle that lead symbolizes. The wise should consider this carefully. If you still use lead as a physical substance, as people did before, you are still mistaken.

Sun and Moon, Chapter Six

The sun and moon in the heavens are the most refined Qi between Heaven and Earth. In the alchemical method, Kan, the male, symbolizes the moon, while Li, the female, symbolizes the sun. A bird dwells within the sun and belongs to Yin; a toad dwells within the moon and belongs to Yang. White metal is produced within the River Cart—a Daoist Neidan term for the process or mechanism that circulates Qi and essence. That is, it is concealed within Yin …

The sun and moon are the purest Jing and Qi between Heaven and Earth. In alchemical practice, the “Kan Male” represents the moon, and the “Li Female” represents the sun. A bird dwells within the sun and belongs to Yin; a toad dwells within the moon and belongs to Yang. White metal is produced through the “River Chariot”—the process of cultivating and circulating water Qi—signifying Yang within Yin. Mercury is generated from cinnabar, signifying Yin within Yang. The mysteries of these two substances have been transmitted from sage to sage and worthy to worthy, and are explained in detail in oral instructions. They are beyond the knowledge of ordinary practitioners.

If one understands how to grasp the essences of the sun and moon, one can wield the power of creation and transformation, and no task involving the myriad things will be difficult. Seeking the immortals and contemplating the essences of the sun and moon in pursuit of longevity is truly worth cherishing.

On the Colors of the Elixir, Chapter Seven

Taking this white metal can make one an earthly immortal; taking gold can make one a middle immortal; and taking purple gold can make one a highest immortal.

The fundamental stages of elixir making are these: Mysterious Water gives rise to white metal; white metal changes into gold; gold changes into purple gold; and purple gold contains the Five Colors. This is called the Great Returning Elixir, a returning elixir in Daoist cultivation and alchemy.

An ancient song says: “One substance possesses five colors and can forever become the fortune and blessing of an immortal. White metal turns into gold, gold turns into purple gold, and purple gold contains five colors: this is called the Great Returning Elixir.”

Another ancient song says: “One substance possesses five colors and can forever become the fortune and blessing of an immortal.” Consider the methods of elixir making used today: some people simply put the ingredients into a container and heat them over a fire for a long time, yet the ingredients never change. They have not been treated by fire at all; when swallowed, they pass out through the large intestine, shortening one’s life instead. This is truly lamentable. In this way, the elixir can never be made. The key is to examine and distinguish things with care. The methods transmitted by the immortals cannot be mistaken, and the principles are clear. It is simply that people are often careless and fail to investigate closely. If one studies their meaning in detail and compares it with Yin Elixir terminology from Daoist internal alchemy and cultivation, one will see that their principles differ, and their methods of practice and preparation are distinct. Only through long study can one perceive the true meaning.

(The outer layer is blue-green, the middle layer yellow, and the center white.)

This is the form of the Great Returning Elixir.

The Great Returning Elixir is truly vast: nothing coarse falls outside its embrace, and nothing subtle escapes its reach. If its image were displayed in the heavens, the heavenly beings of the ten directions would look up to it in reverence. If displayed on earth, the souls who have suffered injustice could be freed from hardship. If displayed upon the body, the body and the spirits within it could all become flying immortals.

The Cloud-Dispelling Staff, the Crane-Controlling Staff, and the Longevity Staff all possess the power to make life and death answer to one’s command. Mirrors cast from them can subdue and destroy every kind of demon and mountain spirit. The immortals of the ten directions all regard them as priceless treasures: wish-fulfilling divine pearls. To say that they are “neither impossible nor indispensable” means that their use has no fixed limits. Practitioners should strive to cultivate them.

The Ninefold Return and Sevenfold Reversal Staff likewise has the power to make life and death answer to one’s command. A mirror cast from it can subdue and destroy every kind of demon and mountain spirit. The immortals of the ten directions all regard it as a priceless treasure: a wish-fulfilling divine pearl. It has no fixed limits, and practitioners should strive to cultivate it.

The Ninefold Return and Sevenfold Reversal, Chapter Eight

The “Ninefold Return and Sevenfold Reversal” can correspond, on a large scale, to a year, and on a small scale, to a single day. Over the course of a day and a night, the Northern Dipper completes one circuit of the heavens. The Qi of Heaven descends and the Qi of Earth rises, giving birth to and transforming the myriad things. The period from the hour of Yin to the hour of Shen is called the “Sevenfold Reversal”; the period from the hour of Zi to the Kun position is called the “Ninefold Return.” This, however, is not yet the Return Elixir spoken of here.

The Great Return Elixir requires three thousand six hundred years to complete, and the principles governing the movement of its seasonal Qi follow the same pattern: one can infer the great from the small. A day has twelve double-hours, six belonging to Yang and six to Yin. Yang symbolizes spring and summer; Yin symbolizes autumn and winter. By this reckoning, one double-hour symbolizes one month. A month has thirty days, amounting to three hundred and sixty double-hours, which symbolize a year. Thus, twelve double-hours in a day symbolize twelve years, while three hundred and sixty days symbolize three thousand six hundred years. At that point, the work of the Return Elixir is complete.

A human being takes shape after ten months in the womb; the Elixir, too, is nurtured for ten months before it is born. The way of human life and the way of refining the Elixir are connected. Is it not clear how one passes from the ordinary to the sacred?

Choosing Friends, Chapter Nine

A ruler who associates with those who have lost their kingdoms will lose his own kingdom. A minister who associates with those who have abandoned loyalty and righteousness will lose his own loyalty. A commoner who associates with those who have ruined their households will ruin his own household. And a person who cultivates the Dao, if they form the wrong associations, will lose the true Dao. Thus, Xuanyuan and Yin Xi made an agreement long ago; Confucius and the Old Fisherman were of one mind; Ma Mingsheng and Lord Yin were secretly in accord; and the Azure Ox and Huiyuan met and understood one another. Are these not all examples of good friends?

Today, among those who seek the Dao, from princes and nobles to ordinary people, almost no one truly attains it. Why? Because they do not know how to choose their friends. The true elixir is brought forth through resonance within the heart. Those with resolve are drawn to it through this resonance, showing that the Way of Heaven is everywhere and illumines all things. If many doubts arise before the time is ripe, all previous effort will come to nothing, and one will also incur the censure of the numinous officials, the Daoist deities who oversee and protect. Why does this happen? Princes and nobles are often eager for quick results and unable to focus their minds. They instead suspect the person transmitting the art, while having their attendants watch over the proceedings. As a result, ordinary people can glimpse the secret methods, yet they still hope to refine the supreme medicine. If this were truly possible, would not everyone under Heaven be able to become an immortal?

Ancient scriptures record that before the supreme medicine may be transmitted, one must first observe a seven-day purification fast, cleansing the body and stilling the mind; establish an altar; burn fine incense; hang colored silks symbolizing the four directions and the ten directions; offer a hundred taels of gold as a sign of sincerity; burn and cast away the oath document, destroy the contract, and swear an oath to Heaven. Only then may the teaching be transmitted. To break these rules is to commit the offense of divulging Heaven’s secrets. The resulting disaster will extend to the Nine Profound Ancestors and Seven Forebears, distant ancestors and descendants alike, and one’s own person will be punished by the Three Officials of Heaven, Earth, and Water, the Daoist deities who govern these three realms. How, then, could anyone treat the teacher’s way lightly, squander what they have received, and presume to pry into the sages’ secret transmission of the supreme medicine on the strength of their own whims?

If a minister is fortunate enough to obtain this diagram and formula and has also received the oral instructions, yet conceals them instead of presenting them to the ruler and his father, then he is truly a foolish, aged, negligent, and incapable person: a disloyal minister and an unfilial son.

○ The Golden Cauldron, Chapter Ten (the tenth chapter concerning the Golden Cauldron)

The “Golden Tripod” referred to here corresponds above to Heaven, below to Earth, and in between to the people. When the signs of Heaven are peaceful and the terrain of Earth is stable, the people will prosper and live in peace. When Heaven and Earth are in harmony, the myriad things can escape calamity. The Book of Changes says, “Act before Heaven’s timing, and Heaven will not oppose you; act after Heaven’s timing, and you should follow it.” From this, the principle can be understood.

When people practice cultivation, they often make tripod vessels from materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin. This is a grave mistake. Others place salt, lodestone, tin powder, dried lead, yellow flowers, copper sulfate, and gallstone in various tripods to make a “container”—a vessel for wrapping or holding the materials being refined. Some use clever words to argue that “within Heaven there is another Heaven,” but this is merely verbal ornament. Could this really be a mistake made by a sage? If so, the Yellow Emperor should not have cast a tripod on Mount Jing. The ten faults concerning a tripod’s height, dimensions, weight, thickness, and other features are as follows.

The tripod’s specifications are these: it is one chi and two cun high and weighs seventy-two liang. Its inner circumference is one chi and five cun. It must have feet that extend outward, with the bottom two and a half cun above the ground. The bottom is two cun thick, the body one and a half cun thick, and the interior six cun deep, with a capacity of three and a half sheng. The lid is one cun thick, and the handles are one and a half cun high. These measurements use ancient units of measure.

A tripod has ten faults: first, it must not be cast in autumn or summer, and the iron must be of insufficient quality or cast at the wrong time; second, it was not made using the suspended casting method; third, its belly is too large; fourth, its feet are short and curved; fifth, its mouth is too wide and its handles too small; sixth, its thickness is uneven from top to bottom; seventh, it has pinholes and easily leaks vapor; eighth, its surface is not smooth; ninth, it does not conform to the prescribed dimensions; tenth, the iron is wrinkled. A tripod with any of these faults is unsuitable for use.

○ Building the Furnace, Chapter Eleven: The eleventh chapter explains how to build the furnace and hearth.

The furnace is the outer wall and protective barrier of the crucible. Without protection like that of a city wall, the furnace is easily invaded by malign Qi. In shape, its height resembles the immortal mountain Penglai, while its breadth resembles the Five Sacred Mountains. The altar has three tiers, and the furnace has eight gates. Its directions are arranged according to the months associated with the twelve Earthly Branches and the direction in which the Big Dipper’s handle points. The furnace’s thickness, dimensions, and height each follow a prescribed design, all of which embody the sages’ profound intentions.

The furnace is four chi high, six cun thick, and three chi five cun in inner circumference. The Flower Pond Furnace, used for refining elixirs, has the same design.

The Taiyi Furnace, used in Taiyi ritual practice, is placed on the altar. It is two chi high, six cun thick, and three chi five cun in inner circumference. Its gate is two cun high and half a cun wide. Twelve gates, one for each direction, encircle the furnace; each gate is one cun wide. The altar’s size may be adjusted to suit practical circumstances. The Flower Pond Furnace is four chi high, six cun thick, and has eight gates, each two cun wide. Its altar may likewise be adjusted as needed; the remaining features follow the design.

The Timing of the Fire: Chapter Twelve

One jin of medicinal material is divided into sixteen liang, and each liang into twenty-four zhu, making 384 zhu to a jin. The Book of Changes has sixty-four hexagrams, each with six lines, for a total of 384 lines. A year has 360 days and twenty-four solar terms; each month corresponds to one liang and one and a half zhu.

In cultivation, the timing of the fire must be governed by the movement of Yin and Yang Qi. The fire is first kindled in the Jianzi month, which contains the winter solstice. Using the calendar to calculate the lengths of the days and months in that year, one determines how many liang, fen, zi, and zhu the fire should have accumulated by the time Yang Qi begins to emerge. Subtle changes in the timing of the fire correspond to changes in the hexagram lines; the opening and closing of the furnace gates must also accord with them. The months advance with the direction of the Dipper’s handle, and the transformation and dissolution of the medicinal material each have their proper season. They must not exceed the prescribed limit for each month. The specific calculations follow. Once the principle is understood, everything will connect like pearls strung on a thread; those who grasp it will naturally come to insight.

The eleventh month corresponds to the Fu hexagram, one of the sixty-four hexagrams in the Book of Changes, symbolizing the first emergence of Yang. It has one Yang line.

Open the Gate of Alarm, corresponding to the Gate of Obstruction. The handle of the Big Dipper points to the Zi position, and the earthly branch corresponds to the Wu position. On the day of the winter solstice, Yang energy begins to emerge, increasing each day by one liang and one and a half zhu. The year is calculated as 360 days. By the end of this month, Yang energy has accumulated to thirty-two liang, corresponding to the first nine line: “The dragon lies hidden in the water.” The text says, “Wait for the right moment before acting, and you will be firm and unshakable.” The remainder is three days. (On the third day, “Jia” appears; in the southwest, one finds a companion.)

(The twelfth month corresponds to the second Yang line of the Lin hexagram.)

Open the Gate of Injury, corresponding to the Gate of Closure. The handle of the Big Dipper points to the Chou position, and the earthly branch corresponds to the Wei position. By the end of this month, Yang energy has accumulated to sixty-four liang, corresponding to the second nine line: “The dragon appears in the field.” This symbolizes a ruler endowed with virtue. The remainder is six days.

(The first month corresponds to the third Yang line of the Tai hexagram.)

Open the Gate of Opening, corresponding to the Gate of Life. The handle of the Big Dipper points to the Yin position, and the earthly branch corresponds to the Shen position. By the end of this month, Yang energy has accumulated to ninety-six liang, corresponding to the third nine line. The text says, “The noble person advances in virtue and is able to uphold the Way.” The remainder is nine days.

(The second month corresponds to the fourth Yang line of the Dazhuang hexagram.)

Open the Gate of Rest, corresponding to the Gate of Death. The handle of the Big Dipper points to the Mao position, and the earthly branch corresponds to the You position. By the end of this month, Yang energy has accumulated to 118 liang, corresponding to the fourth nine line: “The dragon may advance or withdraw, or leap into the deep.” This signifies the need to seize the right moment. The mercury in the elixir has no fixed position, above or below. The remainder is twelve days. (At the first quarter in the eighth month, the face of the moon is straight as a taut cord.)

(The third month corresponds to the fifth Yang line of the Guai hexagram.)

Open the Gate of Rest, corresponding to the Gate of Death. The handle of the Big Dipper points to the Chen position, and the earthly branch corresponds to the Xu position. By the end of this month, Yang energy has accumulated to 160 liang, corresponding to the fifth nine line: “The flying dragon rises into the sky,” at last fulfilling its purpose. In the elixir, Yang energy gathers and forms “Heaven.” The remainder is fifteen days. (The fifteenth day is the full moon.)

(The fourth month corresponds to the six Yang lines of the Qian hexagram.)

The Open Wound Gate corresponds to the Gate of Blocking. The Big Dipper’s handle points toward the Si position, corresponding to the Hai earthly branch. At the end of this month, Yang Qi has accumulated to 162 liang, corresponding to the line image of the top nine: “The overreaching dragon will have cause for regret.” At this time, the medicinal fire is strong, so it must be carefully contained. The dates accumulated here are counted in the preceding month. (The sixteenth month is missing.)

(The fifth month is the Gou hexagram, with one Yin line.)

The Open Gate corresponds to the Life Gate. The Dipper’s handle points toward the Wu position, corresponding to the Zi earthly branch. Each day this month, Yin Qi increases by one liang, one and a half zhu, and one bi, while Yang Qi decreases accordingly. By month’s end, Yin Qi has increased to thirty-two liang, corresponding to the line image of the initial six: “Tread on frost, and solid ice will arrive; bind it to the metal pivot.” This means that when frost first appears beneath your feet, you should know that hard ice is on its way. Be alert and take precautions as soon as things begin. Here this refers to golden flowers forming in the medicinal liquid. The fractional count is eighteen days.

(The sixth month is the Dun hexagram, with two Yin lines.)

The Open Rest Gate corresponds to “Tread on frost, and solid ice will arrive; bind it to the metal pivot.” Here this refers to golden flowers forming in the medicinal liquid. The fractional count is eighteen days.

(The sixth month is the Dun hexagram, with two Yin lines.)

The Open Rest Gate corresponds to the Gate of Death. The Dipper’s handle points toward the Wei position, corresponding to the Chou earthly branch. At the end of this month, Yin Qi has increased to sixty-four liang, corresponding to the line image of the six in the second place: “Straight, square, and great; bright and clear.” At this stage, the medicine is about to be refined into white metal, a symbol of the Dao of Earth becoming manifest. The fractional count is twenty-one days.

(The seventh month is the Pi hexagram, with three Yin lines.)

The Open Gate corresponds to the Life Gate. The Dipper’s handle points toward the Shen position, corresponding to the Yin earthly branch. At the end of this month, Yin Qi has increased to ninety-six liang, corresponding to the line image of the six in the third place: “Contain the pattern; it can be held to as right. Its wisdom and light are great.” The medicine is still and unmoving, like a mountain. The fractional count is twenty-four days. (At the last quarter of the moon, it too is still and unmoving, like a mountain.)

(The eighth month is the Guan hexagram, with four Yin lines.)

The Open Wound Gate corresponds to the Gate of Blocking. The Dipper’s handle points toward the You position, corresponding to the Mao earthly branch. At the end of this month, Yin Qi has increased to 128 liang, corresponding to the line image of the six in the fourth place: “Tie up the sack; there will be no blame.” At this stage, the medicine’s success or failure is not yet settled, and it requires care and effort. Before the medicine takes on a visible form, treating it cautiously brings good fortune. The fractional count is twenty-seven days.

The ninth month is the stage of the fifth yin line in the “Bo” hexagram. Its line statement says, “Tie the sack shut; there will be no trouble.” At this point, the substances have been refined, but success or failure is still uncertain and further care and effort are needed. If the substance has not yet taken shape, guard it patiently and cautiously; this will bring good fortune. In the smaller count, this is twenty-seven days.

The ninth month remains the stage of the fifth yin line in the “Bo” hexagram.

The Open Gate opens and corresponds to the Life Gate; the handle of the Dipper points toward the Xu position, and the earthly branch corresponds to Chen. By the end of this month, the yin energy has formed one hundred and sixty liang. This corresponds to the sixth line, fifth position, whose statement says, “Yellow garments; great good fortune.” At this time, the refined substance is warm and supple, revealing its own excellence, and the refinement has reached its height. In the smaller count, this is thirty days; the following months and days are also attached to this stage.

The tenth month is the stage of the six yin lines in the “Kun” hexagram.

The Open Gate closes and corresponds to the Death Gate; the handle of the Dipper points toward the Hai position, and the earthly branch corresponds to Si. This corresponds to the top line, whose statement says, “Dragons fight in the wilds; yin and yang contend to their utmost.” The yin energy has formed one hundred and ninety-two liang; together with the amount of yang energy, the total is three hundred and eighty-four liang. The days accumulated over the preceding months bring the process of forming the refined substance to completion.

From the winter solstice in the Zi month, when the fire is kindled to refine the substance, through the Hai month, a total of three hundred and sixty days yields one hundred and sixty-four liang. The Yin-Yang climatic forces undergo two months of bathing in each of the inner and outer stages. In alchemical language, bathing means suspending the fire and nourishing the substance as it transforms. Together, these periods correspond to three thousand six hundred years. By using small numbers to explain the great principles, the refining work of the Great Reverting Elixir is now complete.

The song says: The sage calculates a total of one hundred and sixty-four liang. The Yin-Yang climatic forces undergo two months of bathing in each of the inner and outer stages, together corresponding to three thousand six hundred years. By using small numbers to explain the great principles, the refining work of the Great Reverting Elixir is now complete.

Another song says: The sage seizes the secrets of creation and places the essences of the sun and moon in the furnace. Subtly turning the vital energies of Heaven and Earth, the sage gathers Yin and Yang, setting spirits and ghosts in motion as well. Who can truly recognize the sun’s hun and the moon’s po, the names given in ancient Neidan to the vital essences of the sun and moon? Whoever recognizes them is a true immortal. Refine, nourish, and consume them for a thousand days, and the body will be free of yin energy; how, then, could one die?

Another song says:

The Nine Reversions, Seven Returns, Three-Five, and One—the numerical patterns and transformations of alchemy—the Dragon and Tiger, representing the two forces of Yin and Yang, enter the spirit chamber together.

Sealed in the ash pit and refined, they connect the transformations between Heaven and Earth; only then does one know that the efficacy of the Great Reverting Elixir is complete.

Qian and Kun, Heaven and Earth and Yin and Yang, no longer turn away from one another. Those devoted to cultivating the Dao have always known that the foundation of the Elixir Way lies between Heaven and Earth.

After ten months, like a pregnancy, the substance matures and mother and child separate. Why should a wise cultivator continue to circulate the breath?

These are ritual symbols and secret transmissions left by the sages of antiquity. Do not let ordinary people hear of them too easily. If they do not understand the true principles involved, they may misunderstand and ruin this subtle secret method. This would secretly diminish the blessings and lifespan of those who transmitted it before us, and they would also be examined and punished by the immortals: their years would be shortened, their allotted time taken away, and calamity would reach their nine generations of ancestors, from distant forebears down through the family line. Take the utmost care with this.

A verse also says:

There is no need to tire yourself searching elsewhere for the path to becoming an immortal; the cloud ladder to the Azure Heavens is right before you.

People once followed the story of Dinghu, where the Yellow Emperor was said to have ascended to Heaven on a dragon, in pursuit of a lifespan as long as the sun and moon. Why, then, lament the East Sea turning into mulberry fields, a metaphor for the transformations of the world?

The Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) have not yet bestowed the Cangwu seal, a token of transmission or authentication, while the Five Emperors, the divine rulers of the five directions, already marvel at the writings that record the regulation of the fire phases and timing in alchemical practice.

This secret method is entrusted deep within the company of the pearl-adorned immortals of the Jade Terrace. The returned elixir must not be passed on indiscriminately.

(Death startles before one’s eyes.

People once followed the story of Dinghu in their quest for long life. Why lament the East Sea turning into mulberry fields?

The Three Pure Ones have not yet bestowed the Cangwu seal, while the Five Emperors already marvel at the writings that record the fire phases.

This secret method is entrusted deep within the company of the pearl-adorned immortals of the Jade Terrace. The returned elixir must not be passed on indiscriminately.

(Death startles; open, view, eight gates, rest, close, harm, life.)

An Extract of Verified Experiences in Cultivating the Elixir through the Subtle Way of the True Origin — composed and compiled by the Cavern-Truth Master in Hemp Garments.

The highest principle of the Dao is to refine one’s nature and cultivate the body, with longevity as the goal. “Refining nature” means settling the mind and spirit: turning inward to observe, remaining unmoved, and practicing purity and Wuwei (non-action). Although refining the mind is described in one way, in practice it has two effects: “settling the mind” and “emptying the mind.”

If one can gather the spirit and guard the mind, bringing both body and state of mind into accord with the Dao, then body and nature transcend together. This is true attainment of immortality, the wondrous true Dao. If only nature transcends while the body declines and sinks away, the result is an inferior method of immortality: leaving the flesh behind and escaping through corpse liberation. When the mind is settled yet not attached to mind, the true Dao appears of itself. This state is called the “body of emptiness and nothingness,” though it still has a real form. It is a wondrous method for preserving nature while relinquishing the body, but it does not grasp the essentials of refining the form. Thus it is called a ghost of pure emptiness and radiant spirit. The scripture’s words, “The lower immortal is one who leaves the body through the method of corpse liberation,” refer to this.

Both descriptions concern the essentials of attaining the Dao. Preserving nature while relinquishing the body may bring attainment more quickly, but it does not accord with the purpose of the Great Dao. For this reason, those who pursue the highest cultivation value preserving life. They regard this method as one that leads to the body’s disappearance and do not practice it. If one can gather the spirit and guard the mind, cultivating mind and spirit, body, and Qi (vital energy), one can extend life for ten thousand years and be called an immortal. Further refining the body until it transforms into qi, the Daoist term for the original vital energy of life, makes one a perfected person. After refining qi into spirit for another ten thousand years, one becomes a spirit person. Refining spirit for a further three thousand years makes one a perfected being; cultivating for another three thousand years makes one a Daoist, who ultimately attains the realm of the exalted perfected. This is the highest path of true cultivation. It takes thirty-six thousand years for the realm of perfect truth to be complete. Yet though many ordinary people begin to study, very few truly succeed.

Therefore, the Mother of the Supreme Method, the highest source of the Dao, expounded the Scripture of Original Essence for the Lord of the Dao Above, to save those who cherish life and wish to preserve it. In ancient times there was the Scripture of the Dragon and Tiger, which explained how the natural processes of Heaven and Earth give rise to things. According to the scripture, wild-returning elixir takes four thousand three hundred and twenty years to form: after true gold ore comes into being, it takes another one thousand and eighty years to produce cinnabar; cinnabar then takes one thousand and eighty years to produce mercury; and mercury takes a further one thousand and eighty years to form the returning elixir. These substances gather the true Qi of Heaven and Earth, Yin-Yang, and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), and eventually congeal of their own accord among the secluded rocks of famous mountains. When the returning elixir forms, its radiance shines for a thousand li, and exalted immortal officials descend to collect it. Thus it is difficult for cultivators to obtain.

The Mother of Supreme Original Essence pitied those who practiced the Dao, and so permitted a method to shorten the time: gather the Qi of emptiness and nothingness, transform it in turn into true gold, cinnabar, and mercury, then combine the powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Three Powers—to use a ritual method to bring together the Yin-Yang original Qi that would ordinarily take four thousand three hundred and twenty years. In this way, the returning elixir forms at the appointed time within twelve months. Once ingested, one then…

By cultivating the supreme Dao (the Way), one can ascend to heaven in broad daylight. The immortals and sages of ancient times who had attained the Dao worried that beginners might suffer from cold and heat during the year. They therefore taught people to refine the sacred medicine of the initial stage of cultivation into ordinary medicine with potent properties, then generate the Small Purple River Cart—a Daoist cultivation term for a subtle movement of Qi within the inner elixir—and the naturally formed Yellow Teeth, a Neidan term for the subtle substance obtained through cultivation. These were methods for prolonging life and nourishing the reverted elixir (Neidan). Those who took these medicines could stabilize their nature and life, extend their years, and gradually hope to attain the Dao and become perfected. They had not yet reached the highest achievement of ascending on feathered wings.

These methods all rely on oral instructions passed down by the master. Some of the key subtleties in the explanations of the true scriptures are not made explicit. Here, I offer a brief clarification: using ordinary things to corroborate the sacred Dao, external things to explain inner principles, and easily understood matters to illuminate what is difficult to grasp. These explanations have been gathered into illustrated diagrams for those committed to cultivating the Dao, so that they may compare and verify them. Twelve diagrams are presented here, corresponding to the twelve positions of the earthly branches, to explain the achievements of the sages and the way of the spirits. The Yinfu Jing (Scripture of the Hidden Talisman) says: “The sun and moon move according to fixed numbers; the great and the small each have their own measure. From this arise the achievements of the sages, and through this the spirits manifest.” This is the meaning. Evidence and explanations follow one by one.

First Diagram: Thirty Spokes Share One Hub

The scripture says: “Thirty spokes share one hub.” Heshang Gong explains that ancient carts had thirty spokes converging on a single hub. There was a hole in the middle of the hub, where the spokes gathered. This corresponds to the number of days in a month. It shows how the small can govern the great, and the few can direct the many. This is the meaning of the Yinfu Jing’s words, “The sun and moon move according to fixed numbers; the great and the small each have their own measure.”

The scripture also says: “It is because the hub is empty that the cart is useful.” Zhuangzi calls this “the use of the useless.” If there were only one spoke, the cart as a whole could not serve its purpose.

Essential Formula of the Sun and Moon

“The method of thirty-seven characters says…”

The first, third, fifth, seventh, ninth, eleventh, thirteenth, fifteenth, seventeenth, twentieth, twenty-third, twenty-fifth, twenty-seventh, and thirtieth lines proceed in a repeating cycle. After 4,320 years, primordial Qi (the foundational energy between Heaven and Earth from which all things arise) comes into being. The verse says: “The years turn and change as the sun and moon move; their ceaseless cycle is the natural pattern of the Great Dao. After ten months, the embryo sheds its form, and the nine revolutions are complete. Mao (associated with the Jade Rabbit; Fire and Wood symbolize the red sun, where the Yang tally takes effect) and You (associated with the Golden Rooster; Metal and Water symbolize the black moon, where the Yin tally takes effect) turn left and right, facing one another. Thirty-six thousand Shen and Qi (spirit and vital energy) are full; the Correct Origin (here, the primordial Qi produced over 4,320 years) is stored within, and together they refine the elixir. This drives out malign toxins; take it, and you will ascend to the Great Luo Heaven, the highest heavenly realm in Daoism.”

○ The Sun-Fire and Moon-Fire Method

Today, when Yuanjun, Yinjun, Gusongzi, Bitongzi, and others apply the tallies, they arrange the opening and closing of the Three Flowers (here referring to talismans) during the waxing moon. The ancient method arranged their opening and closing during the waning moon. The formula says: “Lü and Lü (the ancient system for marking musical pitches, also symbolizing the rhythms of Yin and Yang) mark the positions of Yin and Yang: Yang belongs to Lü, Yin to Lü.” Qingxiazi says: The first birth of Yang corresponds to spring and summer, and the first birth of Yin to autumn and winter. Yin reaches its end in the Kun trigram, and Yang in the Qian trigram. The earthly branches Zi, Chou, and Yin belong to spring; Mao, Chen, and Si to summer; Wu, Wei, and Shen to autumn; and You, Xu, and Hai to winter.

These diagrams reveal the subtleties of the sun, moon, and changes in the firing process. Without understanding the symbolic configurations they embody, it is difficult to succeed in refining the Returned Elixir.

From the outside inward, the first halo is yellow, and the qi of the Earth trigram is red; the second halo is white, the third green, the fourth pale red, and the fifth white. The qi of the trigrams and the center are both red.

○ Diagram Two: Gathering True Lead and Mercury

Labels in the diagram: Both furnaces are pale red; the gate is red, with a yellow lower section; lead is green.

Lead is the spring of the Mysterious Origin, just as a spring is the source of water. People see water rushing out from a rocky cave, but do not know where the spring begins. In the same way, primordial Qi (vital energy) gives birth to the myriad things and enables them to grow and mature, yet people cannot see where Qi comes from. Thus the Dao Jing (Classic of the Dao) says, “Subtle and mysterious, it reaches far and wide; its depths cannot be known.” Because it is unfathomable, it can only be described with some difficulty as “the form of the formless.”

In the motions of the celestial bodies, the heavenly sphere turns to the left, while the Five Planets and the sun and moon travel to the right. Here, fire-lead symbolizes the sun, and pearl-mercury symbolizes the moon. The moon moves faster, traveling twelve degrees in a day and night; the sun moves more slowly, traveling one degree in a day and night. The moon circles the heavens once each month, and the sun once each year. The sun and moon meet twelve times in a year, establishing the seasons and driving the growth and transformation of the myriad things. Alchemy likewise draws on the cyclical principle of the twelve hexagrams, which symbolize the changes of Yin-Yang. After nine cycles of return, when the energetic conditions are complete and lead and mercury have attained their full spiritual potency, the Golden Elixir is refined. This is the meaning of the scripture’s saying that the sun and moon move at different speeds and the substances of the elixir have different qualities of urgency and slowness.

The verse says: Slowness symbolizes the sun, and swiftness symbolizes the moon; there is no need to elaborate on the distinction. True lead is originally the essence of fire, while true mercury readily flies upward and contains crimson essence and blood. The essence and blood of man and woman unite: blood forms flesh, and essence forms bone. Only when a suitable medium brings them together and they nurture a red infant can this be called a joyous outcome.

The scripture says: Mercury is the light of the Great Origin and the root of the myriad things. Its ancestral lord is the Red Dragon, and the Red Dragon is cinnabar (vermilion). This is not ordinary cinnabar, but the essence that flows from the Great Mystery, condensed from primordial Qi over 2,160 years. It is called the “True Elixir of Emptiness and Nonbeing.”

The Six Links refer to six stages within a month. “Link” means connecting the twelve double-hours and understanding the movements and concealments of the Dragon and Tiger (symbols of Yin-Yang, lead and mercury, and other elements of cultivation), as well as changes in rhythms such as the Six Harmonies, Six Lü, and Six Lüü. In this way, one can grasp the essentials of the twelve cycles within a month.

Understanding the Method by Which the Six Yin-Yang Phases Rise and Fall

On the third day, the moon takes the form of Dui and moves to the Geng position, where its light begins to appear faintly. On the eighth day, it takes the form of Zhen: at the first quarter, Qi of Kun rises and joins with it, then briefly comes to rest. On the fifteenth day, the moon takes the form of Qian; Yang Qi is vigorous and appears at the full moon. On the sixteenth day, it turns to Xun, gradually wanes, and moves to the Xin position. On the twenty-third day, it takes the form of Gen; at the last quarter, the Qi of Li Fire appears and moves to the Bing position. On the thirtieth day, it takes the form of Kun; Yin Qi follows its course downward and settles into the Kan position. “Separation and transformation” means division and change.

On these days, the Sun’s Hun and the Moon’s Po (symbols for the essences of the sun and moon) join. Their essences interact and bring forth the myriad things: in heaven they form the myriad phenomena, on earth they give rise to all things, within the human body they generate the various spirits, and within medicines they produce diverse spiritual qualities. The key is to use the power of the “Three Flowers” and set the “Four Sons” in motion together. If you wish to understand the intent of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi—and, by extension, the Daoist Way—the secret lies in the Central Court, the body’s inner center. These words have now been spoken in full. Have those who study the Dao awakened to their meaning?

Diagram of Yin and Yang Reflecting One Another

When the sun and moon join, lead and mercury (symbols in alchemy for the two Yin-Yang essences) unite. Thus the scripture says, “Blend its radiance and merge with the dust of the world.” This is called “Mysterious Identity,” a profound unity without distinctions. The scripture also says, “Return to its brightness”; this refers to the same thing.

A Method of Correspondence Broadly Shared Across Past and Present, with Minor Differences in Detail

Cui Jun has the celestial Zhen Star (Saturn) correspond with the Chen Star (Mercury), bringing Qian and Kun (symbols of heaven and earth, and of Yin and Yang) together and establishing the two quarters—the waxing and waning half-moons—from which all things are born. The method used by the Three-Surnamed Son is the same as Cui Jun’s. Yuan Jun also had this method: to have all things return to brightness—that is what this refers to.

The method’s essential point is to bring the primordial Qi of heaven and earth together at the proper time and establish the root of the Dao. This root is the Dantian, the place within the body where Jing, Qi, and Shen are cultivated. The scripture says, “When the root is established, the Dao grows from it.” This is what it means.

(Blue on the outside, yellow at the center.)

The assembled Immortal Lords ordered Mars (Yinghuo) to call Mercury (Chenxing) twice. Only after seventy cycles, spanning three ten-day periods (one month), did primordial Qi begin to unite. All things between Heaven and Earth merged into one and did not separate, while Mercury took the leading position.

○ Diagram of Kneading Clay, Fifth

“Stretching” means mixing, and “clay” means sticky earth. The scripture says, “Mix clay to make a vessel; it is the hollow inside the vessel that gives it its function.” This refers to making two vessels, one inside the other, from clay. The inner vessel is the crucible used to refine divine mercury, the wondrous medicine spoken of in Daoist cultivation. It is not an everyday vessel.

Thus the Scripture of the Hidden Talisman (Yinfu Jing) says, “A marvelous vessel gives rise to the myriad forms; within the Eight Trigrams and the sexagenary cycle, the wondrous mechanism lies concealed.” This is the crucible it describes. Here, “ghost” refers to Gui Qi; “uselessness” means the hollow space inside the vessel, which is not used directly. When Jing and Qi are stored within the crucible, the Three Souls can take form. The soul is like a dragon, and the dragon symbolizes the numinous radiance emitted by the essence of Wood.

According to the Scripture of Primordial Essence (Yuanjing Jing), the Lord of the Great Dao (Taishang Dadaojun) said, “The primordial essence of the sun is the numinous Qi of the rightful position on the left, united with the Dao. Taking it can make the body light and nimble and prolong life.” The scripture also says, “Fire can make things firm and solid, and it can preserve primordial Qi for a long time. Those who take primordial essence can keep their vital nature firm for a long time; their spirit joins with the Qi of primordial harmony, enabling them to reach the numinous and wondrous.” Here, “primordial” refers to the essence of true fire.

○ Diagram of the Furnace Enclosure, Sixth

“Furnace enclosure” refers to the outer earthen vessel. It is like a town in the human realm, where ruler and people dwell. Yin-Yang and the myriad spirits rely on the furnace enclosure’s resonant response to manifest their sacred efficacy. The Return Elixir, a numinous medicine produced through Daoist cultivation, is refined within it, thereby embodying the Dao of the Three Extremes, which connects Heaven, Earth, and humanity.

The crucible is white, the furnace red, and the Qi green. The arrangement of the platform and the images of the sun, moon, and stars should follow the proper method.

The Big Dipper follows the movement of the celestial sphere, circling the heavens once each day and night and passing through the eight directions. The crucible turns with it through the eight gates, traveling alongside the twelve spirits and giving rise to and transforming the myriad numinous beings. When the essences of Yin and Yang respond to one another, the crucible is white, the furnace red, and the Qi green. The platform and the images of the sun, moon, and stars should also be arranged according to the proper method.

As the Big Dipper follows the movement of the celestial bodies, it makes one circuit in a day and a night, passing through the eight directions. Like the eight sides of a tripod, it revolves and travels together with the Twelve Spirits. It brings forth and transforms the myriad things: the two essences of Yin and Yang respond to one another, the Four Images generate one another, and the Five Phases restrain and transform one another. Thus the myriad things come into being. The Reverted Elixir of the Dragon and Tiger, in which the Dragon and Tiger serve as symbols of the alchemical method, brings all numinous beings to completion. Keep the Seven Po within the tripod; Po belongs to Yin and symbolizes the Tiger.

The Tiger symbolizes the spirit of metal essence and liquid metal. The Dark Maiden said to the Lord Emperor Taiyi: “Liquid metal and metal water flow into the five viscera, strengthening and lubricating the limbs, nurturing the hundred spirits, moistening the six bowels, and transforming a person’s hair and bones so that the body endures for a long time. Its effects are wondrous and complete.”

Diagram of the Spirit Chamber, Seventh

Great Ninefold Reversion

First Grade: Purple Dawn Chamber

(Yellow, with a red border)

The Jing says: “Doors and windows are cut out to build a room; the room serves its purpose precisely because of the empty space within it.” Those who take the superior Ninefold Reversion Elixir dwell in the Upper Three Heavens; those who take the middle-grade Ninefold Reversion Elixir dwell in the Middle Three Heavens; those who take the inferior Ninefold Reversion Elixir dwell in the Lower Three Heavens. These realms arise through the mutual resonance of Dao-Qi and spirit.

Middle Ninefold Reversion

Second Grade: Purple Cloud Chamber

(Red, with a yellow border, and marked with the character “Earth”)

The “chamber” mentioned here is not an ordinary house, but the divine chambers of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing): the palaces of the Three Realms, Taiqing, Shangqing, and Yuqing. They are also called the Purple Tenuity Palace, the Purple Cloud Palace, and the Purple Dawn Palace, and correspond to the body’s upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers)—the sites of bodily practice in Neidan (internal alchemy).

The three Dantian are divided into upper, middle, and lower grades, corresponding respectively to the Lesser Return, Middle Return, and Great Return—the different levels of Neidan practice. Together, the three Dantian form three palaces, each containing three deities, making nine deities in all. Each palace also generates three layers, together known as the “chamber of the Great Nine Turns.” The lower layer is called the “field of the Lesser Nine Turns,” and the middle layer the “palace of the Middle Nine Turns.” Both are dwellings of the deities, as well as gateways through which the “Perfected Ones” (those who have attained the Dao) come and go and move about, and windows from which they observe the world outside. Great deities of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) guard and support each place, sustaining the right path, restraining evil, and aiding good.

The Lower Nine Turns

Third Grade: The Chamber of the Azure Perfected

It is also called the Chamber of Purple Tenuity. Its interior is azure, with white at the center.

The Classic of Inner Radiance says: “Within the jade chamber, the eight essences intermingle.” Here, “essence” refers to the source, while “eight” refers to flowing streams; the “chamber” is the Chamber of the Azure Perfected. “Jade Cloud” and “Dawn Tenuity” are different names for the same thing. Those who understand these principles and practice accordingly can cultivate life and ultimately become Perfected Ones. “Intermingle” describes the scene formed when the Qi of the nine heavens gathers.

Eighth: Diagram of the Seventy-Two Pentads in the Zhouyi

“Cycle” refers to a threefold rotation: three multiplied by three forms nine cycles, which are also the Nine Returns—the repeated circulation and refinement of Neidan cultivation. The key lies in three periods: the daily cycle, the monthly cycle, and the yearly cycle. From these come the seventy-two pentads, the four seasons, the eight seasonal nodes, and the twenty-four solar terms. The twenty-four solar terms are counted as two per month across the twelve months of the year. Practitioners follow this cycle to circulate and cultivate lead and mercury, symbolic terms in Neidan practice, completing the work of refining the Returning Elixir.

This is the “Secrets of the Seven Stars for the Seventy-Two Seasonal Phases of the Zhou Changes,” from the Seven-Star Vermilion Text. It matches natural changes observed during the seventy-two seasonal phases of the year—phenological periods that subdivide the solar terms—with the hexagrams of the Zhou Changes and the degrees of the lunar lodges. “Celestial degrees” refers to the degrees of the lunar lodges along the path of the heavenly bodies; a “lodge” is an ancient division of the sky into star regions. The correspondences are listed below in the order of the original:

When the pheasant hawk stops calling, it corresponds to the Before Completion hexagram, at five degrees in the Dipper Lodge.

When tigers begin to mate, it corresponds to the Water over Mountain Obstruction hexagram, at five degrees in the Dipper Lodge.

When the grass called li begins to sprout, it corresponds to the Mountain over Thunder Nourishment hexagram, at six degrees in the Dipper Lodge.

When earthworms curl up, it corresponds to the Inner Truth hexagram, at five degrees in the Dipper Lodge.

When the male deer shed their antlers, it corresponds to the Mountain over Fire Adornment hexagram, at three degrees in the Dipper Lodge.

When spring water begins to flow, it corresponds to the Earth over Thunder Return hexagram.

When geese fly north, it corresponds to the Water over Thunder Sprouting hexagram, at three degrees in the Ox Lodge.

When magpies begin to build nests, it corresponds to the Earth over Mountain Modesty hexagram, at four degrees in the Ox Lodge.

When pheasants begin to call, it corresponds to the Fire over Lake Opposition hexagram, at eleven and a half degrees in the Maiden Lodge.

When hens begin to brood, it corresponds to the Earth over Wind Rising hexagram, at seven degrees in the Void Lodge.

When birds of prey grow fierce and swift, it corresponds to the Earth over Lake Approach hexagram, at three degrees and twenty-five and a half minutes in the Void Lodge.

When ice in lakes and marshes begins to thicken from below, it corresponds to one and a half degrees.

When hens begin to brood, it corresponds to the Earth over Wind Rising hexagram, at seven degrees in the Void Lodge.

When birds of prey grow fierce and swift, it corresponds to the Earth over Lake Approach hexagram, at three degrees and twenty-five and a half minutes in the Void Lodge.

When ice in lakes and marshes begins to thicken from below, it corresponds to the Earth over Lake Approach hexagram.

When the east wind blows and ice and snow begin to melt, it corresponds to the Thunder over Mountain Small Exceeding hexagram, at six degrees in the Roof Lodge.

When hibernating insects begin to stir, it corresponds to the Mountain over Water Enveloping hexagram, at four degrees in the Roof Lodge.

When fish rise and move near the surface of the ice, it corresponds to the Wind over Thunder Increase hexagram, at eight degrees in the Roof Lodge.

When otters begin to catch fish and lay them out, it corresponds to the Wind over Mountain Gradual Progress hexagram, at twelve degrees in the Encampment Lodge.

When geese arrive, it corresponds to the Earth over Heaven Peace hexagram, at five degrees in the Encampment Lodge.

When plants and trees begin to sprout, it corresponds to the Earth over Heaven Peace hexagram.

When peach trees begin to blossom, it corresponds to the Water over Heaven Waiting hexagram, at five degrees in the Wall Lodge.

When orioles begin to call, it corresponds to the Lake over Thunder Following hexagram, at five degrees in the Wall Lodge.

When hawks turn into turtledoves, it corresponds to the Fire over Earth Progress hexagram, at nine degrees in the Leg Lodge.

Swallows begin to arrive, corresponding to the Thunder over Water hexagram, Jie (Release), from the Book of Changes, at eight and a half degrees in the Kui lunar mansion.

Thunder begins to sound, corresponding to the Thunder over Heaven hexagram, Dazhuang (Great Strength), at two degrees in the Lou lunar mansion.

Lightning begins to appear, corresponding to the Thunder over Heaven hexagram, Dazhuang (Great Strength).

The paulownia begins to flower, corresponding to the Thunder over Earth hexagram, Yu (Enthusiasm), at eleven degrees in the Lou lunar mansion.

Field mice turn into quail—a small bird as described by the ancients—corresponding to the Heaven over Water hexagram, Song (Conflict), at five degrees in the Wei lunar mansion.

Rainbows begin to appear, corresponding to the Mountain hexagram, at two degrees in the Lou lunar mansion.

Lightning begins to appear, corresponding to the Thunder over Heaven hexagram, Dazhuang (Great Strength).

The paulownia begins to flower, corresponding to the Thunder over Earth hexagram, Yu (Enthusiasm), at eleven degrees in the Lou lunar mansion.

Field mice turn into quail, corresponding to the Heaven over Water hexagram, Song (Conflict), at five degrees in the Wei lunar mansion.

Rainbows begin to appear, corresponding to the Mountain over Wind hexagram, Gu (Decay), at nine and a half degrees in the Wei lunar mansion.

Duckweed begins to grow, corresponding to the Lake over Fire hexagram, Ge (Revolution), at two degrees in the Mao lunar mansion.

Cuckoo-like birds begin to flutter their wings and preen, corresponding to the Lake over Heaven hexagram, Guai (Breakthrough), at nine degrees in the Mao lunar mansion.

Hoopoes settle on mulberry trees, corresponding to the Lake over Heaven hexagram, Guai (Breakthrough).

Mole crickets and katydids begin to chirp, corresponding to the Fire over Mountain hexagram, Lü (Travel), at eleven degrees in the Bi lunar mansion.

Earthworms emerge from the ground, corresponding to the Earth over Water hexagram, Shi (The Army), at five degrees in the Bi lunar mansion.

Snake gourds begin to grow, corresponding to the Water over Earth hexagram, Bi (Holding Together), at one degree in the Zi lunar mansion.

Bitter herbs flower, corresponding to the Wind over Heaven hexagram, Xiaochu (Small Taming), at six degrees in the Shen lunar mansion.

Withered grasses die, corresponding to the Qian hexagram, at three degrees in the Shen lunar mansion.

Minor Heat arrives, corresponding to the Qian hexagram.

Praying mantises hatch, corresponding to the Fire over Heaven hexagram, Dayou (Great Possession), at eight degrees in the Jing lunar mansion.

Shrikes begin to call, corresponding to the Wind over Fire hexagram, Jiaren (The Family), at ten degrees in the Jing lunar mansion. Withered grasses die, corresponding to the Qian hexagram, at three degrees in the Shen lunar mansion.

Minor Heat arrives, corresponding to the Qian hexagram.

Praying mantises begin to appear, corresponding to the Fire over Heaven hexagram, Dayou (Great Possession), at eight degrees in the Jing lunar mansion.

Shrikes begin to call, corresponding to the Wind over Fire hexagram, Jiaren (The Family), at ten degrees in the Jing lunar mansion.

The Chinese hwamei stops singing, corresponding to the Water over Wind hexagram, Jing (The Well), at two degrees in the Jing lunar mansion.

As deer antlers begin to fall, this corresponds to the Xian hexagram (resonance), at the tenth degree of the Well lunar lodge.

As cicadas begin to sing, this corresponds to the Ding hexagram (renewal), at the third degree of the Ghost lunar lodge.

As pinellia begins to grow, this corresponds to the Gou hexagram (encounter).

As warm breezes blow, this corresponds to the Xun hexagram (wind).

As crickets take shelter among the walls, this corresponds to the Feng hexagram (abundance), at the seventh degree of the Willow lunar lodge.

As hawks begin to hunt fiercely, this corresponds to the Huan hexagram (dispersion), at the seventh degree of the Willow lunar lodge.

As fireflies appear among decaying grasses, this corresponds to the Lü hexagram (conduct), at the third degree of the Star lunar lodge.

As the earth grows damp and heat steams upward, this corresponds to the Dun hexagram (withdrawal), at the fourth degree of the Star lunar lodge.

As rain falls in its proper season, this corresponds to the Dun hexagram.

As cool breezes blow, this corresponds to the Heng hexagram (constancy), written as “Chang hexagram” in the original, at the tenth degree of the Extended Net lunar lodge.

As white dew descends, this corresponds to the Jie hexagram (restraint), at the ninth degree of the Extended Net lunar lodge.

As autumn cicadas begin to sing, this corresponds to the Tongren hexagram (fellowship with others), at the eighth degree of the Wings lunar lodge.

As hawks begin to act, this corresponds to the Dun hexagram.

As cool breezes blow, this corresponds to the Heng hexagram (constancy), written as “Chang hexagram” in the original, at the tenth degree of the Extended Net lunar lodge.

As white dew descends, this corresponds to the Jie hexagram, at the ninth degree of the Extended Net lunar lodge.

As autumn cicadas begin to sing, this corresponds to the Tongren hexagram, at the eighth degree of the Wings lunar lodge.

As hawks begin to hunt and lay out their prey as if making an offering, this corresponds to the Sun hexagram (decrease), at the seventh degree of the Wings lunar lodge.

As the air between Heaven and Earth begins to take on a killing chill, this corresponds to the Pi hexagram (obstruction), at the fourth degree of the Wings lunar lodge.

As crops ripen and are ready for harvest, this corresponds to the Pi hexagram.

As wild geese arrive, this corresponds to the Xun hexagram, at the fourth degree of the Chariot lunar lodge.

As swallows return south, this corresponds to the Cui hexagram (gathering), at the tenth degree of the Chariot lunar lodge.

As birds store food for the winter, this corresponds to the Dachu hexagram (great accumulation), at the fifteenth and a half degree of the Chariot lunar lodge.

As thunder ceases, this corresponds to the Bi hexagram (adornment), at the fifth degree of the Horn lunar lodge.

As hibernating insects seal their burrows with earth, this corresponds to the Guan hexagram (observation), at the eighth degree of the Horn lunar lodge.

As the waters begin to dry up, this corresponds to the Guan hexagram.

As wild geese arrive one after another and settle here as visitors, this corresponds to the Guimei hexagram (the marrying maiden), at the ninth degree of the Neck lunar lodge.

When sparrows dive into deep water, they transform into clams. This corresponds to Thunder over Heaven, the “Innocence” hexagram, at seven degrees in the Di lunar mansion.

Chrysanthemums bloom with yellow flowers. This corresponds to Fire over Earth, the “Darkening of the Light” hexagram, at nine degrees in the Di lunar mansion.

Jackals begin laying out their prey as if making an offering. This corresponds to Water over Lake, the “Exhaustion” hexagram, at five degrees in the Fang lunar mansion.

The leaves of plants and trees turn yellow and fall; yellow flowers appear among the hills. This corresponds to Fire over Earth, the “Darkening of the Light” hexagram, at nine degrees in the Di lunar mansion.

Jackals begin laying out their prey as if making an offering. This corresponds to Water over Lake, the “Exhaustion” hexagram, at five degrees in the Fang lunar mansion.

The leaves of plants and trees turn yellow and fall. This corresponds to Mountain over Earth, the “Splitting Apart” hexagram, at five degrees in the Xin lunar mansion.

Hibernating creatures bow their heads and hide away. This corresponds to Mountain over Earth, the “Splitting Apart” hexagram.

The surface of the water begins to freeze. This corresponds to the “Keeping Still” hexagram, at two degrees in the Wei lunar mansion.

The ground begins to freeze. This corresponds to Water over Fire, the “After Completion” hexagram, at eight degrees in the Wei lunar mansion.

Pheasants dive into the water and transform into shen (a kind of giant water clam believed in antiquity to live beneath the surface). This corresponds to Fire over Thunder, the “Biting Through” hexagram, at seven degrees in the Wei lunar mansion.

The rainbow withdraws and no longer appears. This corresponds to Lake over Wind, the “Great Exceeding” hexagram, at four degrees in the Ji lunar mansion.

The qi of Heaven rises, while the qi of Earth descends. This corresponds to the “Receptive” hexagram, at six degrees in the Ji lunar mansion.

Heaven and Earth close off from one another, and winter begins. This corresponds to the “Receptive” hexagram.

○ Diagram Nine: Signs of the Womb Embodying Primordial Unity

Signs that an adult has formed within the womb

Signs that the medicine has been refined into spirit

(The diagrams above are all gold.)

“Embracing” refers to the qi of Heaven rising and the qi of Earth descending. This corresponds to the “Receptive” hexagram, at six degrees in the Ji lunar mansion.

Heaven and Earth close off from one another, and winter begins. This corresponds to the “Receptive” hexagram.

○ Diagram Nine: Signs of the Womb Embodying Primordial Unity

Signs that an adult has formed within the womb

Signs that the medicine has been refined into spirit

(The diagrams above are all gold.)

“Containing” means holding something within and also refers by extension to the lines of a hexagram. The line here is a single Yang line hidden beneath five Yin lines. It symbolizes the first stirrings of the latent Dragon and corresponds to the hexagram that begins with the Zi month, the eleventh month of the lunar calendar. The saying “One gives birth to two” refers to Zi and Chou: the passage from Zi to Chou corresponds to the Lin hexagram. By the time of Yin, three Yang lines are present, as if a fetus had taken shape. “Fetus” also sounds like “Tai,” meaning peace, and symbolizes the harmonious union of Yin and Yang Qi. Yin Qi, Yang Qi, and the Qi of their union make three; hence the saying, “One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to the myriad things.” Here, “three” means Zi, Chou, and Yin—the Qi mechanism through which all things come into being.

The “fetus” is Tai: in primordial chaos, it corresponds to the space between Heaven and Earth; in the human body, to Jing, blood, and Qi; and in refining the elixir, to water, fire, and earth. The transformation of the rat into the ox, and the ox into the tiger, uses three transformations as a metaphor for principles that are subtle and difficult to discern. These three exist amid the transformations of primordial chaos, as described in the Taiyi Jing.

○ Diagram Ten: The Chicken Egg and Quartz as Evidence of Containing the Light

In the human body, this diagram shows how Jing and blood congeal to form the body. In elixir refining, it shows how lead and mercury are refined into an elixir.

The chicken symbolizes Metal, and the egg symbolizes Water. Metal and Water correspond to lead and mercury, drawing on the Way of the Middle Son and Youngest Daughter described in the Yinfu Jing. The hardness of stone symbolizes mercury being restrained and brought to rest, corresponding to the Gen trigram. Ruined Metal and withered Wood serve as metaphors for “containing the light”: the light’s radiance is drawn in and concealed. “Essence” refers to the heat of summer and also symbolizes things that are pure and possess the command of the five-colored mysterious essence. Thus, familiar objects are used to explain mysterious forms. Quartz is found in the Min Mountains of Shu and on Mount Hua. The quartz referred to here is white; when the sun shines on it, it reflects the light.

○ Diagram Eleven: Jinyu as Evidence of the Spirit Treasure

Jinyu is a five-colored precious jade produced on Mount Mi in the Western Sea. Here it is compared to a precious material capable of generating the reverted Elixir, and is used to attest to lead’s pure original nature. The Classic of Mountains and Seas says, “Jinyu is the finest kind of jade. The Yellow Emperor lived in a place like this and ate this jade.” In other words, legend says that after consuming Jinyu, the Yellow Emperor attained the Dao and became an immortal.

The scripture also says that five colors appear, referring precisely to the colors of the precious jade. The Jade Master’s Numinous Talisman describes these five colors as follows: red like a cockscomb, yellow like a steamed chestnut, white like congealed fat, green like the jade of Qin, and black with a sheen like lacquer. The jade’s five colors and five qualities are used here to symbolize the Five Phases—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—that correspond to the reverted Elixir. Jinyu is thus invoked as proof of the divine treasure. The “divine treasure” referred to here means lead and mercury.

Diagram Twelve: Treatise on the Workings of the Five Phases in the Reverted Elixir

“To revert” means to restore something to its original state; “elixir” is so named because of its crimson color. “Five” encompasses the Five Planets, Five Emperors, Five Viscera, five qualities, Five Classics, five flavors, five metals, five kinds of Qi, five directions, five colors, and Five Sacred Mountains. The “Five Phases” refer to the movement and distribution of the Qi of the Five Phases; “workings” means understanding their functions. These are explained in turn below.

The West corresponds to Geng and Xin Metal. Its color is white, its musical note is Shang, its Bagua trigram is Dui, its divine beast is the White Tiger, and its season is autumn. Among the five metals it corresponds to silver; among the five flavors, to pungency. Its odor is rank, and it symbolizes stern killing force. Its associated celestial body is Taibai (Venus), its sacred mountain is Mount Hua, its corresponding viscera are the lungs, its facial orifice is the mouth, and its governing quality is “righteousness.” Its corresponding classic is the Book of Documents. Its generating number is four and its completing number is nine. This white essential Qi is called “White Origin Essence”; taking it can nourish the lungs.

The scripture also says that the Jade Hall is the residence of the Minister of Works, a name connected with the palaces and offices within the human body. Through refinement, it can harmonize the seven Po (the body’s seven corporeal souls), strengthen the Qi of speech, and increase the quality of righteousness. It can connect with the five metals in the external world, preventing evil and harmful Qi from invading or lingering within. Through its virtue, it can subdue the tiger. The Metal constellation cannot peer into it. This means that Metal Essence, the Divine Emperor, and Numinous Origin can bring benefits.

The East corresponds to Jia and Yi Wood. Its color is green, its musical note is Jue, its Bagua trigram is Zhen, its divine beast is the Azure Dragon, and its season is spring. Among the five metals it corresponds to lead; among the five flavors, to sourness. Its odor is rank, and it symbolizes growth.

The east corresponds to Jia and Yi, belongs to Wood among the Five Phases, and is associated with the color green, the musical note Jue, and the Zhen trigram of the Bagua. Its guardian deity is the Azure Dragon, and it governs spring. Among the five metals it corresponds to lead; among the five flavors, to sourness; and in scent, to a rank odor. It symbolizes growth and emergence. Its associated star is Jupiter, and its sacred mountain is Mount Tai. Among the five organs it corresponds to the liver and gallbladder; in temperament, to benevolence; and among the Five Classics, to the Book of Songs. Its generating number is three and its completing number is eight. It is called the Green Original Essence. Taking the Green Original Essence can nourish the eyes and the liver and gallbladder within the body.

The scripture says: The liver is the Palace of Clear Coolness and the Office of the Orchid Terrace; the gallbladder is the Purple Tenuity Palace and the Office of Limitlessness. The Green Original Essence can nourish the three hun souls, brighten the eyes, and enable one to see far; it can also increase one’s benevolent and generous disposition. Wood Qi cannot be washed away, and no baleful Qi can invade or obstruct it. Once one has obtained the Subduing Dragon, the Wood Star can no longer spy on one. These effects are attributed to the vital essence of Wood and the aid of the Emperor’s numinous primordial spirit.

The north corresponds to Ren and Gui, belongs to Water among the Five Phases, and is associated with the color black, the musical note Yu, and the Kan trigram of the Bagua. Its guardian deity is the Black Tortoise, and it governs winter. Among the five metals it corresponds to iron; among the five flavors, to saltiness; and in scent, to decay. It symbolizes storage and concealment. Its associated star is Mercury, and its sacred mountain is Mount Chang. Among the five organs it corresponds to the kidneys, which connect outward with the ears; in temperament, to wisdom; and among the Five Classics, to the Book of Changes. Its generating number is one and its completing number is six. It is called the Black Original Essence. Taking the Black Original Essence can nourish the ears and enhance wisdom and spirit.

The scripture says: The kidneys are the Palace of the Former Palace and the Office of Great Harmony. They can strengthen and enrich the bone marrow and blood Qi, nourish hearing, make one clever and gentle in temperament, and train the skin so that the hair turns blue-black. Yin influences fear them, and water cannot make one float or drown. They can reach through the Great Yin and unite with hidden realms; when traveling, one need not pass through a doorway. They cast no shadow in the moonlight, and the Water Star cannot see them. These effects are attributed to water jade, the essence of lead, and the aid of the numinous primordial spirit of the Purple Tenuity Emperor.

The southern directions, Bing and Ding, belong to Fire. Their color is red; among the five tones, they correspond to zhi; among the Eight Trigrams, to Li. Their guardian spirit is the Vermilion Bird, and they govern summer. Among the five metals, they correspond to copper; among the five flavors, to bitterness. Their scent is like the odor of scorching. Their emblem is flourishing vitality; their star is Yinghuo (Mars), their sacred mountain is Mount Heng, and their corresponding organ among the five viscera is the heart. The Qi of the heart connects with the eyes. Fire’s nature governs ritual propriety, so it also corresponds to the Classic of Rites. Its initial number is two, and its completing number is seven.

“Red Primordial Essence” is the refined essence condensed from the Fire Qi of the south. Taking it nourishes the heart and spirit, increases Yang Qi, strengthens the muscles and bones, and dispels stagnant Yin. The scripture says: “The heart is the Crimson Palace, where the spirit resides, and the dwelling where primordial Yang gathers.” It nourishes the heart within and lends dignity to the gaze without. Such a person’s nature accords with ritual propriety; their actions are pure and natural, leaving no trace of artifice. Their body is light and strong, and they can rise into the air. Fire cannot burn them, nor can the poison of Yang heat make them hot. Their body connects with the primordial source of the sun, and they can manifest as sunlight, as if standing at the center without casting a shadow; even the radiance of Mars cannot be seen. These are the benefits bestowed by relying on the numinous essence of the Flame Emperor, the southern god of Fire.

The central directions, Wu and Ji, belong to Earth. Their color is yellow; among the five tones, they correspond to gong; among the Eight Trigrams, to Kun. Their guardian spirit is Houtu, and they govern the transitions between the four seasons. Among the five metals, they correspond to gold; among the five flavors, to sweetness. Their scent is fragrant. Their emblem is containing and nurturing; their star corresponds to…