《参同直指》Vol. 2

All of this results from Yin and Yang Qi responding to one another. It seems that no force deliberately brings it about, yet it happens naturally; it seems that no one intentionally summons it, yet it arrives of its own accord. If those who cultivate the Dao abandon the way of Yin and Yang, they will be like solitary Yin, which cannot grow, or solitary Yang, which cannot flourish. They will go against the Dao of Heaven and primordial Qi, and the vitality that sustains life will be cut off. How, then, could they preserve life and maintain the body? They must truly understand and observe Yin and Yang, bringing them into harmony, for cultivation to achieve results.

The Solar Flowing Pearl—the yang essence in internal alchemy—always tends to depart. Once it obtains the Golden Flower, the essence of internal alchemy, the two become mutually dependent. They transform into a white liquid that grows firm as it gathers and congeals. The Golden Flower stirs first, then soon dissolves into water. Horse-teeth and langgan—images of firm essence in this practice—then appear; Yang returns and harmonizes with them, and nature and feeling come together of their own accord. One must gather in Yin Qi at the proper time, restraining it and storing it within the passes and openings. A loving mother nurtures her child, and a filial child repays her care; a stern father gives commands and instructs his descendants. The Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) take turns governing, restraining and generating one another: Fire can melt Metal, and Metal can control Wood, allowing Wood to grow. Five and three combine and return to one. This is the most subtle principle between Heaven and Earth: it can only be transmitted orally as a formula, and is difficult to convey in writing.

The Zi position, one of the twelve time positions, should turn to the right; the Wu position should rotate eastward. The Mao and You positions are set apart from each other and are called host and guest. The Dragon calls to the Tiger, and the Tiger draws in the Dragon’s essence; they drink in one another’s essence. This can only be transmitted orally as a formula, and is difficult to set down in a book. The Zi position should turn to the right; the Wu position should rotate eastward. The Mao and You positions are set apart from each other and are called host and guest. The Dragon and Tiger feed on one another, each desiring the other; then they join, swallow, chew, and consume one another. Yinghuo, Mars, keeps watch in the west, while Taibai, Venus, travels through the heavens. Wherever the force of slaughter arrives, how could the myriad things avoid being overturned? The civet watches the mouse, and the sparrow fears the hawk; each has the power to subdue the other. How would either dare make a sound? Without understanding the principle, one cannot speak carelessly.

Some people exhaust their family’s wealth, leaving their wives and children hungry and destitute. Since ancient times, countless people have taken an interest in this Way, yet most have never encountered a true transmission, and very few have succeeded. Searching far and wide for precious medicines also goes against the true Dao.

The previous section said that the Maiden (a symbol of intuitive awareness, whose thoughts are prone to wander) can be restrained only when she receives the Yellow Sprout (a symbol of true knowledge). This section goes on to explain the timing and measure of the fire that restrains her.

The intuitive awareness people are born with comes and goes without fixed times, and its origin is unknown. It unsettles the mind, drains the spirit, and harms one’s nature and life, like a solar pearl in motion—a metaphor for thoughts that turn ceaselessly and cannot be stilled. Yet when it is joined with the Golden Flower of true knowledge in the Dao-mind, a symbol of pure awareness, intuitive awareness can be regulated by true knowledge, and the two become mutually dependent. Intuitive awareness returns to true knowledge: nature guides feeling, and feeling returns to nature, transforming into white liquid. The breaths merge into one and gather into a firm substance.

Once true knowledge and intuitive awareness have gathered, Yin and Yang unite and harmonious Qi rises like vapor. The Golden Flower of true knowledge soon changes from firm to soft, transforming into the Water of True Unity, a Neidan term for the subtle water condensed from true Qi. In a state of seeming obscurity, there appears to be something; in the depths of the hidden, there seems to be an essence—like horse-tooth langyu, jade as white and solid as a horse’s teeth, yet as warm and gentle as langyu. The horse’s teeth symbolize firmness and whiteness; langyu symbolizes warmth and gentleness. The Golden Flower turning into water is what was earlier called “transforming into white liquid”; horse-tooth langyu is what was earlier called “condensing until firm.”

Once the Golden Flower of true knowledge has become the Water of True Unity, it is white, tender, and firm. The solar pearl of intuitive awareness, meanwhile, turns into the empty, numinous fire and comes to mingle with the water. The Golden Flower appears first, meaning that true feeling is clear and undimmed; Yang Qi responds afterward, meaning that true nature is not deluded. When feeling is undimmed and nature is undeluded, the fire does not blaze upward in dryness, and the water does not flow away downward. Water and fire support one another, nature and feeling become balanced, and one returns to the natural state of “knowing nothing and being unaware, following the patterns of the sovereign.”

Nature and feeling can gather into a firm substance only when they return to their natural state. But the Yin Qi acquired after birth has not yet been entirely transformed, and remains an obstacle to cultivation. Only when all the Yin Qi in the body has been transformed is the Great Dao complete. “Hasten the passing Yin” means removing harmful Qi in time and remaining vigilant at every moment. “Store and guard within the forbidden gate” means preserving upright Qi and never letting it leave, even for an instant.

The forbidden gate is the Gate of the Mysterious Female, a Neidan term for the opening where Yin and Yang meet and life begins to emerge. It is both the gate of life and the portal of death, the aperture where life and death are determined and Yin and Yang converge. Life comes from here and ends here; conception and the casting off of the embryo also take place here. Guard it and life continues; lose it and life declines. It is therefore an exceptionally important pass. Everyone enters and leaves through this gate, yet in daily life people often do so without knowing it.

If one asks what this gate looks like, one may say that it lies beneath Heaven and above Earth, west of the sun and east of the moon, like a crossroads where the four directions meet. There is a bright aperture there: from afar it is as fine as a hair, yet close at hand it is as vast as the world. All forms are complete within it, as though everything created naturally by Heaven and Earth were contained there. Who knows whether anyone recognizes it? Once it is recognized, one can remove harmful Yin and return to the root where life declines, while nurturing upright Yang and restoring the original foundation where life emerges. Then one can put it to use freely, with nothing unsuitable.

The fundamental principle of returning to the root and restoring the origin is to harmonize nature and feeling, and to unite Yin and Yang. To harmonize nature and feeling, one must first understand the generating and controlling relationships among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water): Metal generates Water; Metal is Water’s mother, and Water is Metal’s child. Wood generates Fire; Wood is Fire’s father, and Fire is Wood’s child. Metal can generate Water, and Water in turn can generate Metal, like a loving mother raising her children, who repay her care once grown. Wood can generate Fire, and Fire in turn can bring Wood to its full potential, like a strict father instructing his descendants. Metal generating Water and Wood generating Fire are called generation in the forward direction; Water generating Metal and Fire generating Wood are called generation in reverse.

The Five Phases also restrain one another in ways that promote growth. For example, Fire can melt Metal; after being tempered by Fire, Metal reveals its luster and becomes more vigorous. Metal can fell Wood; shaped by a Metal axe, Wood becomes a useful object and is thus able to fulfill its potential. “Three and Five” means that Metal generating Water and Wood generating Fire each form a group of Five Phases, while Earth occupies the center and forms a group of its own. “One” refers to the single Qi. The Five Phases generate and restrain one another: restraint can bring about growth, and growth allows restraint to be fulfilled. Generation and restraint shift with the times; the single Qi moves in ceaseless cycles, wondrous and unfathomable. In Heaven and Earth, this is the utmost subtlety; in the Way of the Elixir, it is the supreme treasure.

The celestial mechanism of generation and restraint in forward and reverse directions can be passed on through oral formulas, but cannot be fully set down in books. This is because generation and restraint in forward and reverse directions involve the timing and measure of the fire, the stages of the work, their sequence, and their pace. A slight error can lead one a thousand miles astray. Books do discuss the timing of the fire and the stages of the work, but words cannot explain them completely. Although the Immortal Master, referring to the author, says that they cannot be fully conveyed in writing, he still had to set them down, hoping that later students would seek the principles in the text and then have a teacher confirm their understanding. What the book conveys is precisely the timing of the fire and the stages of the work.

The hour of Zi is the beginning of the six Yang, when the first Yang is reborn. From Zi, movement proceeds from left to right until the hour of Si, when all six Yang are complete. This is advancing the Yang fire and following the way of strength and vigor. The hour of Wu is the beginning of the six Yin, when the first Yin is born. From Wu, movement proceeds from west to east until the hour of Hai, when the six Yin are fully established. This is operating the Yin Talisman and following the way of softness and compliance.

Mao and You are the gates through which Yin and Yang enter and depart. Mao belongs to Wood and governs in the east, where it takes charge of the force of life. You belongs to Metal and is a guest in the west, where it takes charge of the force of death. Wood is soft by nature and symbolizes the dragon; Metal is hard by nature and symbolizes the tiger. When life and death, host and guest, are brought into balanced use, nature and feeling can unite as one Qi. The dragon calls to the tiger, the tiger draws in the dragon’s essence; they respond to and attract one another, and the Elixir forms naturally.

For example, Yinghuo (Mars) should be in the south. If it remains in the west, Fire is overcoming Metal. Taibai (Venus) should move through the night. If it appears in the sky during the day, Yin Qi is invading Yang Qi. These are all violations of the natural order and signs that the force of death is descending, foretelling ruin and disaster. Likewise, a civet that watches a mouse can catch it, and a hawk can seize a sparrow. From this we can see that Yin and Yang fall into ruin when they miss their proper times, and succeed when they move according to the right pattern.

All that has been discussed above is what the book conveys. If those who cultivate the Dao merely ponder the symbols used in the book without understanding the principles concealed within them, they will make wild guesses and private speculations, mistaking them for all sorts of unrelated things. They will stray into deviant and reckless practices, and may even act in ways that ruin themselves and bring calamity upon their wives and children. From ancient times to the present, how many people have thought themselves clever, sought neither a clear-sighted teacher nor an oral formula, and instead chased fame and profit while pretending to cultivate the Real? The more they pursue these things, the farther they drift from the Great Dao, accomplishing nothing in the end. Is this not cause for caution?

Cinnabar (vermilion) is the essence of Wood; only when it encounters Metal can it unite with Metal. Where Metal and Water unite, Wood and Fire also become partners. The four elements of Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire blend together and are called the Dragon and Tiger: the Dragon belongs to Yang, whose numbers are odd; the Tiger belongs to Yin, whose numbers are even.

The liver corresponds to the color green and symbolizes the father; the lungs correspond to white and symbolize the mother; the kidneys correspond to black and symbolize the son; the heart corresponds to red and symbolizes the daughter; the spleen corresponds to yellow and symbolizes the ancestors. Zi and Wu are the starting points of Yin-Yang’s movement. The three substances unite as one family, and in the end all return to Wu and Ji (Earth).

The first two sections use names such as “Maiden,” “Yellow Sprout,” “Flowing Pearl,” and “Golden Flower” to explain the practice of harmonizing Yin-Yang. Harmonizing Yin-Yang is also the gathering of the Five Phases. This section goes further, discussing how to gather the Five Phases and explaining what harmonizing Yin-Yang accomplishes.

Cinnabar symbolizes Fire and, in the human body, represents the spirit of numinous awareness—that is, the “Maiden” and “Flowing Pearl” mentioned earlier. Wood is gentle by nature and represents the gentle aspect of numinous awareness in the body. Metal is strong and represents the firm, upright disposition of true knowing—that is, the “Yellow Sprout” and “Golden Flower” mentioned earlier. The essential nature of numinous awareness emerges from a gentle spirit, so it is likened to the essence of Wood. Because numinous awareness is gentle, it often lacks decisiveness. The cognitive spirit in the human heart—the consciousness governed by acquired thought and discrimination—uses numinous awareness as a basis for generating deluded thoughts, so the true becomes mixed with the false. But when the firm nature of Metal, which represents true knowing, restrains it, the cognitive spirit can no longer take charge. The human heart settles, numinous awareness returns to its original nature, and Wood is born again within Fire.

Original nature loves Metal and accords with righteousness; the disposition of Metal cherishes Wood and accords with benevolence. Thus Metal and Wood unite. Numinous awareness is the innate numinous Qi, while true knowing is the innate upright Qi. The two were originally one: the true is present within the numinous, and the numinous within the true. Subtle function is contained within emptiness and stillness. This is what is meant by “a single spark of true numinosity.” But once people enter the acquired state, the cognitive spirit begins to take charge. Numinous awareness grows dim, true knowing becomes mixed with falsity, and the two become separated. Qi and disposition then stir, deluded feelings arise, and the whole person falls into a state of pure Yin.

The cognitive spirit is the root of transmigration through the cycles of rebirth and the source of life and death. Unless it is removed, one can never fully govern one’s own nature and life. To remove it, one must rely on the upright disposition of true knowing, for this disposition has an innate foundation and contains the original, primordial Qi of Oneness. This Qi is vast and strong: it can drive back the myriad demons and cut away the Three Corpses—the spirits said in Daoism to dwell within the body and cause people to breed evil thoughts. As true feeling emerges, the cognitive spirit gradually recedes. As it recedes, the human heart no longer stirs in delusion. When the heart is still, numinous awareness no longer rushes outward. When numinous awareness no longer rushes outward, true nature appears of itself. Once true nature appears, it meets with true feeling and unites with it. This is called the union of Metal and Wood.

After Metal and Wood unite, true Water is present within Metal; in the human body, this is true Jing. When true Jing unites with true feeling, it is called the union of Metal and Water. Fire is contained within Wood; in the body, this is the original spirit. When the original spirit unites with true nature, it is called Wood and Fire as companions. Metal and Wood unite outwardly, while Water and Fire assist one another inwardly; the four mingle into a single Qi. This is still the principle of Yin-Yang joining together, and so it is called the Dragon and Tiger. The Dragon belongs to Wood and Yang, whose birth number is three, an odd number. The Tiger belongs to Metal and Yin, whose birth number is four, an even number. The Dragon and Tiger symbolize nature and feeling. Although nature, feeling, and spirit may be explained separately in terms of the Four Images, in practice they are governed by feeling and nature. When feeling and nature unite, they both return to the innate One Qi. The One Qi is undivided and contains the Four Images; when the Four Images unite, they return to the One Qi.

The Way of the Golden Elixir is to return from the acquired state to the innate state, gathering the Five Phases and harmonizing the Four Images. At root, this is simply the harmonizing of Yin-Yang. When Yin-Yang is harmonized, the Dragon and Tiger meet. That is why the completed Golden Elixir is called the “Great Elixir of the Dragon and Tiger.”

The illusory body acquired after birth also takes shape through Yin-Yang and the Five Phases. The liver belongs to Wood and is associated with the color green; it symbolizes the father. The lungs belong to Metal and are associated with white; they symbolize the mother. The kidneys belong to Water and are associated with black; they symbolize the son. The heart belongs to Fire and is associated with red; it symbolizes the daughter. The spleen belongs to Earth and is associated with yellow; it symbolizes the ancestor. The acquired body takes shape through the Five Phases, and the innate true body also condenses through the Five Phases. The difference between them lies in whether their movement follows the ordinary direction or reverses it. Following the patterns of the acquired state gives rise to human beings and all things; reversing those patterns makes it possible to become a sage or an immortal.

What does it mean to follow the ordinary direction? The Wood of the liver stores the ethereal soul, has a buoyant nature, and governs joy. The Fire of the heart stores the spirit, has a flaring nature, and governs pleasure. The Water of the kidneys stores Jing, has a flowing nature, and governs sorrow. The Metal of the lungs stores the corporeal soul, has a sinking nature, and governs anger. The Earth of the spleen stores intention, has a sluggish nature, and governs desire. These all belong to the acquired state. What does it mean to reverse the direction? Make the buoyant nature of Wood still, so that Wood returns to its root and joy becomes benevolence. Make the sinking nature of Metal rise, so that Metal is restored and anger becomes righteousness. Make the descending nature of Water rise, so that Water returns to its source and sorrow becomes wisdom. Make the flaring nature of Fire descend, so that Fire returns to its true state and pleasure becomes propriety. Make the congealed nature of Earth harmonious, so that Earth returns to Yang and desire becomes trustworthiness. These belong to the innate state.

Those who attain the Dao cultivate the innate and transform the acquired. They reverse the workings of Yin-Yang and take command of the forces of creation, turning around the powers of generation and destruction. The key is to restrain Yin and support Yang: use “six” without being governed by “six,” and use “nine” without being governed by “nine.” Nine is the number of Yang, and six the number of Yin. Yang Qi begins to arise at the hour of Zi, while Yin Qi begins to arise at the hour of Wu; Zi and Wu are the times at which Yin and Yang first stir. When Yang Qi begins to arise, one advances the Yang Fire, with the Qi of Water and Wood taking part. When Yin Qi begins to arise, one moves the Yin Talisman, with the Qi of Fire and Metal taking part. The advancement of the Yang Fire and the movement of the Yin Talisman each proceed according to their proper timing, and each has its own signs of confirmation. Earth resides at the center and harmonizes the many spirits. The work depends on the two Earths, Wu and Ji: Wu Earth harmonizes Yang Qi and guides its outward movement; Ji Earth harmonizes Yin Qi and guides inward cultivation. Wu and Ji unite, making the inner and outer one. The two Earths condense into the “knife and measure,” a state called “the three things returning to one household.” The Golden Elixir in Four Hundred Characters says, “Lead and mercury return to true Earth; body and mind are still and unmoving.” This is the principle it describes.

Metal and Water belong to the body; Wood and Fire belong to the mind; Wu and Ji belong to intention. Intention governs the three things: Jing, Qi, and Shen. The process of cultivation is refining Jing into Qi, refining Qi into Shen, and refining Shen until one returns to emptiness. At this level, body and mind are one, and Water Qi is no longer dissipated. The “body and mind” spoken of here are not the visible fleshly body and heart, but the invisible body and mind. The invisible body is that original, vast, upright Qi; the invisible mind is the original numinous nature, empty and clear and free from obscuration. Nor is the “intention” spoken of here an ordinary thought. It is the original nature, unmoving and unshaken, called true intention; some also call it true faith.

Later readers failed to understand the deeper meaning of the terms used by the ancients. They took “body” to mean the changeable fleshly body, “mind” to mean a lump of flesh, and “intention” to mean ordinary thoughts. Fixating on the fleshly heart leads one into doctrines that seek extinction; treating the fleshly body as the object of cultivation leads one to mistake the Dao for nothing more than the movement of Qi. The author argues that to mistake these things for the Dao is a deviant path, not the orthodox path. He maintains that the Dao is a teaching of the innate state, beyond existence, nonexistence, and concrete forms. There is also a secret transmitted from heart to heart and taught orally, which carries one directly to the farther shore and immediately into the realm of the sages.

The two forces, hardness and softness, rise in alternation and are distributed according to the seasons. The Dragon dwells in the west and the Tiger in the east; bounded by Mao and You, they occupy opposite sides like the warp and weft. The forces of Punishment and Virtue meet and harmonize with each other: Punishment governs concealment, contraction, and severity, while Virtue governs growth and activation.

When the elm sheds its leaves in the second month, the Dipper’s ladle points toward Mao; when the wheat grows in the eighth month, the Heavenly Dipper star holds its position at You. Zi lies in the south and Wu in the north; opposite one another, they form the guiding order of Heaven and Earth’s movement. Yin-Yang transformations cycle repeatedly through the numbers one to nine, beginning anew once they reach their end. Original Qi is stored between the Xu and Wei lunar mansions and disperses Jing at the Zi position.

The previous section discussed how to gather the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and unite Yin-Yang. This section explains the subtle workings that follow their union. The Way of the Golden Elixir is the mutual cooperation of firmness and softness: firmness contains softness, softness contains firmness, and they alternate in operation, adjusting and changing as needed.

What does it mean for firmness and softness to alternate and exchange places? The Dragon belongs to Wood and symbolizes De (the power of growth). It originally occupies the Mao position in the east and belongs to Yang, but now moves to the You position in the west, which belongs to Yin. This is firmness moving into a soft position, symbolizing the use of nature to seek emotion. The Tiger belongs to Metal and symbolizes punishment (the power of restraint and control). It originally occupies the You position in the west and belongs to Yin, but now moves to the Mao position in the east, which belongs to Yang. This is softness moving into a firm position, symbolizing the return of emotion to nature. When nature seeks emotion, De is present within punishment; when emotion returns to nature, punishment is present within De. Punishment and De meet, nature and emotion unite, and firmness and softness harmonize, like a husband and wife coming together in joy.

In the workings of Heaven and Earth, bringing forth life in all things belongs to De, while transformation and contraction belong to punishment. Punishment governs the harsh force that makes things withdraw and lie dormant; De governs the power of growth that brings things forth. Growth makes all things flourish, while the harsh force makes them contract. Life contains death, and death contains life; punishment contains De, and De contains punishment. In this way, the transformations of Heaven and Earth cycle without end.

Life containing death, and death containing life, also have concrete signs. In the second month, all things grow, yet the elm sheds its winged seeds. At the hour of Chen, the Kui star, which symbolizes the force of contraction and death, arrives at the Mao position, while the Gang star, which symbolizes vital energy, points toward the You position. This is death contained within life. In the eighth month, all things contract, yet shepherd’s purse and wheat begin to grow. At the hour of Xu, the Gang star points toward the You position, while the Kui star arrives at the Mao position. This is life contained within death. Where the Gang star points, there is good fortune and vital energy; where the Kui star arrives, there is danger and the force of death. The elm’s seeds falling in the second month and shepherd’s purse and wheat growing in the eighth month are both signs that punishment and De operate together. Only when practitioners understand how punishment and De meet can they begin their cultivation.

“Zi south and Wu north, each regulating the other” refers to the way the Zi and Wu positions adjust and govern one another. Zi belongs to Water and corresponds in the human body to primordial Jing (essence), the innate vital essence. Wu belongs to Fire and corresponds to primordial Shen (spirit), the innate spirit-energy. When Zi is placed in the south, Water occupies the position of Fire; when Wu is placed in the north, Fire occupies the position of Water. The essence-Water restrains the fire of primordial Shen: this is the aspect of punishment and death. Yet Water and Fire also aid and harmonize one another, so essence can nourish spirit, and spirit can protect essence. This is punishment within De, and De within punishment.

When punishment and De regulate one another along with Yin-Yang, primordial true Yang can arise. Yang begins to grow from one and reaches its greatest fullness at nine. When Yang is at its height, Yin follows; Yin and Yang alternate, causing Yang to begin to sprout again, and the cycle repeats without end. Using Yin-Yang together and combining punishment with De both avoids harm to oneself and brings benefit. When Yin-Yang unite, nature and emotion unite; when nature and emotion unite, the Golden Elixir can congeal.

The most crucial moment in cultivation is “the return of Yang” (when Yang begins to sprout again). At this time, one resonates with the De of Heaven and Earth, the brightness of the sun and moon, the order of the seasons, and the good and ill fortune governed by spirits, because primordial essence and primordial Qi are then manifest. The Xu and Wei stars, located at the Zi position, mark where Yin and Yang meet. This is the crucial place where practitioners settle body and mind and cultivate nature and life; the opportunity is easy to miss and hard to encounter. At this moment, punishment and De must be used together: use punishment to prevent Yin from entering, and use De to nourish Yang. If there is De without punishment, outside influences may find an opening and enter, damaging innate Qi and causing cultivation to fail. The Immortal Elder’s phrase “sowing essence at Zi” reveals the key method for beginning this work with punishment and De in combination.

Observe carefully how things encounter one another, beginning with the first signs of their interaction. Compare like things and trace how they change from beginning to end. The Five Phases restrain one another; when their relation turns to mutual generation, it is like parents coming together. The mother holds and nourishes the fluids, while the father directs their giving and union. Jing and Qi gather and spread, forming a body that is hard as metal and stone and endures without decay. By concentrating the mind, acting with care, and preventing Jing and Qi from dissipating, one can attain the Great Dao. This works like a shadow appearing when a bamboo pole is raised, or an echo answering a shout into a valley. Is its efficacy not plain? This is the fundamental principle by which Heaven and Earth operate.

If a person puts an inch of wild yam and an ounce of croton seed into the mouth, they will stiffen and die at once; even the father will no longer be able to bend or straighten his body. At that point, even if King Wen of Zhou used milfoil to divine, Confucius examined the trigrams, Bian Que applied acupuncture, and Wu Xian beat a drum to perform rites, how could they bring the dead back to life and make them rise and run again?

The preceding discussion of the Way of Golden Elixir cultivation, the inner and outer medicines, and the Yin-Yang timing and firing process has already been quite detailed. Yet the author worries that those who study the Dao may lack sufficient good fortune to meet a true teacher. If they are fortunate enough to meet one, they should investigate the outlines of the Great Dao, distinguish the corresponding medicines, and trace the entire process of cultivation from its beginning to its completion. Only then can they truly practice. If even one point remains unclear, confusion will arise; if understanding is imprecise, practice will fall short. As the saying goes, “A hair’s breadth of error leads a thousand miles astray.”

In the Five Phases, the overcoming cycle runs as follows: Metal overcomes Wood, Wood overcomes Earth, Earth overcomes Water, Water overcomes Fire, and Fire overcomes Metal. The generating cycle runs: Metal generates Water, Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, and Earth generates Metal. The Phases that generate one another are like parents to one another. Among the Five Phases, Water and Wood belong to Yang and are called the father; Fire and Metal belong to Yin and are called the mother. The father governs firmness, while the mother governs softness. The mother contains, nourishes, and moistens; through softness, she brings the myriad things to completion. The father bestows life and, through firmness, brings the myriad things forth. Generation and completion work together: the vital essences of the Five Phases—Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and the rest—blend and coalesce, enabling the myriad things to move and grow.

If Daoist practitioners understand how the Five Phases generate and overcome one another and how Yin and Yang move, know when firmness is called for and when softness is called for, and bring firmness and softness into proper balance, they can coalesce the “sacred embryo,” the inner attainment spoken of in Neidan cultivation. The scripture says that it changes from formlessness into form and, after “ten months,” a cultivation period likened to gestation, manifests the “Dharma Body,” the body attained through cultivation. This Dharma Body neither arises nor perishes; it endures like metal and stone. Whoever understands these principles, devotes themselves to the work with care and discretion, guards the teachings from casual disclosure, and cultivates diligently without slackening will surely attain the Dao. The results come swiftly, like a shadow appearing as soon as a pole is raised or an echo answering a call into a mountain valley.

In sum, Heaven and Earth depend on Yin and Yang to bring forth the myriad things, and human nature and life likewise depend on Yin and Yang to form the Golden Elixir. The way Heaven and Earth generate and transform the myriad things is the fundamental model that Golden Elixir cultivation follows. Some later people, confused in their understanding, fail to investigate the true principles of Yin and Yang and instead wander into side paths. When they reach old age without attaining anything, they then falsely claim that cultivating the Dao is futile and that the writings of the sages are empty words. The author believes this is because they have not thought deeply enough.

Consider the poisons of the postcelestial world, such as wild arrowroot and croton. Once ingested, they can leave a person rigid and dead, beyond the power of even sages, immortals, and Buddhas to save. The Golden Elixir is said to be the supreme treasure of the precelestial world; how, then, could obtaining it fail to bring longevity and eternal life? The Golden Elixir can make a person live forever just as wild arrowroot and croton can cause death. To refuse to reflect on the principle behind this is profound folly. The Perfected Purple Yang, Zhang Boduan, a Daoist Neidan master, wished to leave the secret for the people of the world, but he did not meet anyone who truly understood it. That is precisely why.

Preface to the Annotated Commentary on the Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three)

The Cantong qi is a short work, yet it contains profound principles. Its language is subtle and its meaning far-reaching. It recounts the deeds of the Five Emperors to explain how achievements are established, and describes the Three Sovereigns’ way of governing to show how policies are put into practice. If the duties of ruler and minister are unclear, and there are no standards between those above and below, then even governing in a set order will not bring peace to the realm.

Taking elixirs alone does not necessarily lead to long life, and cultivating the mind and nature alone does not necessarily extend one’s years. The scripture goes on to examine the changes of Yin-Yang, emphasizing that the two must be joined in just the right measure. It draws on the waxing and waning of the sun and moon, the symbols of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), the union of male and female Yin-Yang, the changes between firmness and softness, movement and stillness, and the distinction between rice and salt to explain the principles of the Yijing. The author holds that this work carries a profound purpose, and therefore wrote a commentary on it to pass it on to worthy people of later generations. Only those who truly understand its Great Image—that is, the Dao as a whole—can seek long life. Those who practice this Dao and hope to strengthen themselves should devote particular care to it.

Direct Elucidation and Commentary on the Cantong qi, Part One

Written by the Perfected Xu Jingxiu of the Eastern Han; explained by Liu Yiming, Master of Awakening to the Origin of Qiyun Mountain.

Qian and Kun—the Heaven and Earth trigrams in the Yijing—are the gateway to the Yijing and the root of all the trigrams. Kan and Li—the Water and Fire trigrams—form its inner framework, like the hub and axle of a carriage. The four trigrams of female and male, the paired Yin and Yang forces, are like the bellows’ air vents. They contain and govern the changes of Yin-Yang. A skilled driver acts according to the straightedge and compass, holds the reins firmly, keeps to the proper measures, and follows the tracks of the wheels, regulating outward changes from the central position. The measure of these changes is set by the pitch pipes, the calendar, and the systems for marking time.

The Dao of the Golden Elixir is, in essence, also the principle of the Yijing. The principle of the Yijing takes Qian and Kun as father and mother; the Dao of the Golden Elixir takes Qian and Kun as the furnace and vessel—the symbolic foundation used for refining the elixir.

The Way of the Golden Elixir is, in essence, also the teaching of the Book of Changes. In the Book of Changes, the Qian and Kun trigrams symbolize father and mother; in alchemy, Qian and Kun are compared to the furnace and vessel. Only after there are parents can there be men and women. Once men and women exist, Yin and Yang unite, and the workings of creation unfold within them, allowing life to continue without end. Alchemy first requires a furnace and vessel; only then can the ingredients be gathered. The ingredients are cooked through the action of Water and Fire: what was old transforms into what is new, and ultimately returns to its original state.

The Cantong places the four trigrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li at the heart of its teaching because Qian and Kun are the gateways of the Book of Changes and the foundation of all the trigrams. The Zhouyi places Qian and Kun first among the sixty-four hexagrams, which is why they are called the gateways of the Changes. The sixty-four hexagrams contain three hundred and eighty-four lines: all solid lines belong to Qian, and all broken lines belong to Kun. Though Yin and Yang interweave to form the sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines, at root they remain transformations of the single Yang and single Yin represented by Qian and Kun. Thus, Qian and Kun are the source of all the hexagrams. This is the meaning of the Cantong qi passage: “Qian is firm, Kun yielding; together they match and enfold one another. Yang gives, Yin receives; male and female depend on one another. Through their union, creation takes form, and essence and Qi unfold.” Yin and Yang unite, essence and Qi unfold, and the workings of creation proceed; from this, the sixty-four hexagrams appear.

Kan and Li continue the work of Qian and Kun. They contain the balanced, centered Qi of Yin and Yang from Qian and Kun, and take their place in carrying out the work of creation. To call them the “framework” of the sixty-four hexagrams means that they are like the surrounding bounds: vast and open, able to contain all things. This is the meaning of the Cantong qi passage: “Kan and Li crown the head; their radiance shines and spreads below. Mysterious and obscure, beyond measure, they cannot be depicted.”

In the phrase “the hub turns, the axle stands true,” the axle is the cart’s axle, and the hub is the wheel’s hub. The axle supports the cart and symbolizes stillness; the hub drives the wheel and symbolizes activity. Qian and Kun are the foundation of the Changes, like the axle; Kan and Li are the workings of the Changes, like the hub and wheel. The turning hub paired with the true axle shows that foundation and function cannot be separated.

The “four male and female trigrams” are Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li: Qian is Yang and male, Kun is Yin and female; Kan is male, and Li is female. “Bellows” is a metaphor: the chamber of the bellows is open at both ends and has no base, symbolizing Yin; its nozzle is open at one end and has a base, symbolizing Yang. The chamber can contain things, while the nozzle lets the breath pass through. Through their Yin-Yang images, Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li govern the generation and transformation of all things, like bellows that both contain and move air. Here, “covering and encompassing” means governing and containing. Qian and Kun are the substance, while Kan and Li are the function; together they govern the whole process of Yin-Yang creation and transformation.

Once Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li are established, they are like a craftsperson using a square and compass to set an object true, or a driver holding the reins to guide a vehicle along its track. By grasping the central foundation, one can direct outward changes. The remaining sixty hexagrams are all contained in the movements and stillness of these four, just as the cycles of the calendar follow their natural order. This is the meaning of the Cantong qi passage: “The four merge and enter the void; the sixty hexagrams complete their cycle, arrayed like a vehicle.”

If practitioners of the Dao take firmness and yielding as their foundation and centered balance as their way of working, hold to the center to govern outward changes, and know how to judge, carry things forward, and adapt with flexibility, then the principles of the Changes are already present within them. All sixty-four hexagrams are in the heart. This is like grasping how the bellows turn Yin and Yang, and being able to accord with the De of Heaven and Earth, the radiance of the sun and moon, the order of the four seasons, and the signs of good and ill fortune revealed by spirits. With this, how could the Golden Elixir fail to form, or the Great Dao fail to be realized?

The seasonal divisions of a month can be grouped into five or six phases. The intersecting movements of Heaven and Earth all follow the Sun’s rhythm. Together, they form sixty periods, each with its own inner and outer aspect of firmness and yielding. At dawn on the first day of the month, the Tun hexagram takes charge; by evening, it gives way to the Meng hexagram. One hexagram governs each day and night, rotating in sequence. Before dawn at the month’s end, once the cycle is complete, it begins again. The Sun and Moon provide the measure of this movement, while Yin and Yang each have their own times for activity and stillness.

Spring and summer correspond to inner movement, from the Zi hour through the Chen and Si hours; autumn and winter correspond to outer application, from the Wu hour through the Xu and Hai hours. In the Changes, reward and punishment correspond to spring and autumn, while darkness and brightness accord with cold and heat. The benevolence and righteousness described in the hexagram and line texts likewise appear as joy and anger in response to the seasons. When one follows the four seasons in this way, the movement of the Five Phases proceeds according to its proper order.

The preceding passage says that the four trigrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li govern the changes of Yin and Yang, and that their patterns of movement are expressed in the lülü system—the ancient systems of musical pitch and calendrical reckoning. Lü corresponds to a month, while ji corresponds to a year. A year has 360 days; calculated through the lines of the trigrams, this amounts to exactly 360 moving lines, with another 24 lines belonging to the four trigrams. Once the positions of the lines have been worked through, the cycle begins again.

A month has 30 days. The trigrams are matched with the sequence of days: two trigrams govern each day, so all 60 trigrams are traversed in 30 days. The remaining four are Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. They set the 60 trigrams in motion but are not themselves included in the qi cycle assigned to the trigrams according to the sequence of time.

The first 15 days of the month belong to Yang, which is firm and strong; the last 15 belong to Yin, which is yielding and compliant. Qi first arises on the inner side as Yang, then arises on the outer side as Yin. Thus the 60 trigrams govern the 30 days, with the three Yin lines and three Yang lines working together in an inner–outer relationship. Each day and night is governed by one trigram. The sequence begins at dawn on the first day of the month: during the day, the Zhun trigram takes charge; at night, the Meng trigram takes charge. Together, the day and night trigrams have 12 lines, with one line moving during each double-hour; over 12 double-hours, all 12 lines are traversed. Proceeding in this order, the 30 days carry the cycle through 360 lines, from Zhun and Meng to Ji Ji and Wei Ji, after which it begins again. This explains the passage in the Cantong qi: “Zhun takes Zi and Shen; Meng uses Yin and Xu. Each of the remaining 60 trigrams has its own day.”

A realized person can silently understand the workings of transformation and secretly accord with the changes of Yin and Yang, taking the sun and moon as the standard for ordering time. When it is time to act, they act; when it is time to be still, they are still. Neither action nor stillness misses its proper moment. A day has morning and evening, and when it is time to advance Yang, one advances it as in spring and summer, emphasizing inner circulation: from the Zi hour through Chen and Si, the six Yang trigrams are traversed. When it is time to use Yin, one does so as in autumn and winter, emphasizing outer circulation: from the Wu hour through Xu and Hai, the six Yin trigrams are traversed.

When it is time to reward, one rewards, in accord with the springtime force of growth; when it is time to punish, one punishes, in accord with autumn’s force of reaping and decline. With rewards and punishments properly applied, one accords with the pattern of spring growth and autumn decline. When it is time for darkness, one gathers in Yang qi in accord with the cold; when it is time for brightness, one stirs forth Yang qi in accord with the heat. Darkness and brightness each have their proper time, and advance and retreat are fitting. Joy and anger conform to the standards of benevolence and righteousness and do not exceed their proper measure. Nurturing life and bringing things to decline each follow their own principles. In this way, the four seasons respond in harmony, the Five Phases proceed in sequence, and the work of the Dao of the Elixir—the practice of Neidan—is complete.

The essential point of the Dao of the Elixir is to harmonize the Four Images, the four basic patterns of change including Yin and Yang, and to gather the qi of the Five Phases. When the Four Images are harmonized and the Five Phases condensed, the Elixir’s foundation has taken shape. From there, continued cultivation brings the Great Dao within reach.

Heaven and Earth establish their respective positions, and the changes of the Yi unfold within them. Here, “Heaven and Earth” symbolize Qian and Kun; “establishing positions” means arranging the places where Yin and Yang work together. “Yi” refers to Kan and Li, the two functions of Qian and Kun. Kan and Li have no fixed line positions. They circulate through six open positions, coming and going without a settled place, and moving up and down without a set pattern.

Qian and Kun are the models of Heaven and Earth, while Heaven and Earth embody their qualities. The Great Change places Qian above and Kun below, establishing the positions of Heaven and Earth: Heaven above, Earth below, with Yin and Yang joined in harmony. Creation unfolds within this arrangement, and the principles of the Yi take shape between Heaven and Earth. The character “Yi” has the sun above and the moon below, evoking their movements to and fro. The moon symbolizes Kan, and the sun symbolizes Li. Kan’s central line is yang, symbolizing the rabbit within the moon; Li’s central line is yin, symbolizing the crow within the sun.

Kan and Li are forms that arise and endure after Qian and Kun join. When one line of Qian enters the center of Kun, Kun changes from solid to receptive and becomes Kan. When one line of Kun enters the center of Qian, Qian changes from solid to open and becomes Li. Li inherits Qian, and Kan inherits Kun. The yin line in Li is Kun’s central, balanced yin; the yang line in Kan is Qian’s central, balanced yang. Kan and Li embody the balanced Virtue of Qian and Kun and act in their place. Heaven and Earth appear to be Wuwei, yet the sun and moon continually change and move. Kan and Li are the two functions of Qian and Kun.

Kan and Li each take the sun or moon as their image, so the Kan and Li of the Yi are also the sun and moon. The moon waxes and wanes through one circuit of the heavens each month; the sun travels north and south through one circuit each year. Both movements express the functions of Qian and Kun. Kan and Li have no fixed position: they circulate among east, west, north, and south, and throughout the six directions above and below, ceaselessly coming and going without a fixed pattern of ascent and descent. The Zhouyi begins with Qian and Kun, places Kan and Li in the middle, and ends with Already Fulfilled and Not Yet Fulfilled. This explains that the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth unfold through the sun and moon’s movements back and forth, rising and descending. This is the meaning of the passage in the Commentary on the Qiyuan: “The Yi moves in a continuous cycle, bending and extending, turning and returning. It sinks into obscurity and concealment, transforming within. It encompasses all things and serves as the guiding framework of the Dao.”

If practitioners of the Dao understand these principles, they can take Qian and Kun as the furnace and cauldron—the foundations of cultivation—and Kan and Li as the ingredients—the Yin-Yang Qi used in cultivation—so that firmness and yielding return to balance. In this way, they can master the celestial gate and use the mind to set the terrestrial axis in motion. They can move and be still, remain still while moving, and initiate movement while still; they can also let movement and stillness coexist without hindering one another, allowing the principles of Heaven to flow as a seamless whole and the primordial Qi to circulate without end.

The Yijing explains change by taking images as its starting point. Among the images suspended in heaven and earth, none shines more brightly than the sun and moon. The sun combines with the essential Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), while the moon follows the rhythms of the Six Pitch Pipes. Five multiplied by six makes thirty, symbolizing the length of a month. Stillness is contained within movement, and movement within stillness. They do not obstruct one another; together they accord completely with the principles of Heaven and become the transformations through which a single Qi circulates.

The sun combines with the essential Qi of the Five Phases, while the moon follows the rhythms of the Six Pitch Pipes. Five multiplied by six gives thirty: when one lunar cycle ends, another begins. Those who probe the wondrous transformations can understand how things change: as Yang Qi recedes, Yin Qi follows. Yin and Yang gather like the spokes of a wheel and turn like its rim; Qi flows in and out in cycles, sometimes expanding and sometimes contracting. The Yijing has 384 lines, the symbols within its hexagrams that represent change. The talismans are derived from the images of these lines; the term “talisman” refers to the sixty-four hexagrams.

From the final day of the lunar month until dawn on the first day, the Zhen hexagram, which symbolizes Yang Qi’s first emergence, begins to receive the hexagram talisman. At that moment, Heaven and Earth unite their essential Qi, and the sun and moon respond to one another. The masculine Yang spreads its mysterious Yang Qi; the feminine Yin transforms, nurtures, and enfolds Yellow Qi. Yin and Yang mingle in primordial undifferentiation, laying the foundation for generation. Through continual tending and nourishment, an embryo-like form takes shape; spirit gathers and becomes a body. From this, all kinds of living things are conceived, and every activity of life depends on this process of generation.

Earlier, it was explained that Kan and Li—representing water and fire, and also symbolizing the moon and sun—work through the world between Heaven and Earth, bringing about the transformations described in the Book of Changes. The Changes presents images of Yin-Yang creation and transformation. The Appended Statements says: “Of all the images suspended in the heavens, clear and visible, none is greater than the sun and moon.” The sun and moon move, wax, and wane in cycles: these are natural phenomena everyone can observe. Yet the subtle, profound mechanisms behind them are difficult to understand fully, even for the wise and the sages, without guidance from a teacher.

The sun completes one circuit each year, giving rise to the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, which correspond to the four kinds of Qi: Wood, Fire, Metal, and Water. In each season, Earth Qi also flourishes for eighteen days, bringing the Four Images into harmony. The warmth, heat, coolness, and cold of the seasons, along with the changing lengths of day and night, all express the vital essences of the Five Phases. Thus, every day accords with the Qi of the Five Phases. The moon completes one circuit each month and meets the sun once, for a total of twelve meetings each year. The moon receives the sun’s light and takes on different forms—such as the half moon, full moon, and new moon—as its distance from the sun changes. The changing lengths of day and night follow the seasons and correspond to the pitch pipes, an ancient system used to determine musical tones and seasonal divisions. Together they form the cycle of twelve months, which is why it is said, “The moon receives the Six Pitch Pipes as its measure.”

A month is divided into six periods, each lasting five days. Together, the six periods make thirty days. When the moon completes its circuit, it reaches the dark of the moon, then begins again. Days accumulate into months, and months into years. The springing forth of things in spring, their growth in summer, their harvest in autumn, and their storage in winter are all effects of the wondrous transformations of the sun and moon. “Spirit” refers to the wondrous efficacy of the sun and moon in union; “transformation” refers to the changes produced by their coming and going. Without wondrous efficacy, things cannot grow; without transformation, they cannot come to completion. “One” is wondrous in its efficacy, while “two” bring about transformation: only through wondrous efficacy can transformation arise, and only through continual transformation can wondrous efficacy become manifest. This is why the workings of creation and transformation are beyond measure.

If people can fathom how “one” works wondrously, they can understand how “two” bring about change. Yang Qi withdraws and Yin Qi arrives; Yin Qi withdraws and Yang Qi arrives, like the spokes of a wheel converging at the hub as it turns without stopping. This is “one spirit.” When Yang Qi rises, things unfold; when it gathers in, they contract. The breath moves in and out, expands and folds back, changing from moment to moment. This is “two transformations.” One spirit and two transformations work together through the annual cycle of three hundred and sixty days.

The Changes has three hundred and eighty-four lines, corresponding to the sequence of time across the three hundred and sixty days of the year. The twenty-four additional lines correspond to the four hexagrams Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, and are not counted among the three hundred and sixty days. In assigning talismanic units by the lines—that is, calculating their number from the hexagram lines—each line corresponds to three units. Two hexagrams govern each day, making thirty-six units; sixty hexagrams are applied over a month, making one thousand and eighty units. Adding the units for Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li gives a total of one thousand one hundred and fifty-two.

At the transition between the last and first days of each month, within the single talismanic unit at the midnight hour, Yin reaches its extreme and Yang begins to arise within it. The hexagram Zhen is conceived within Kun. At this moment, the vital essences of Heaven and Earth join; Qian and Kun unite, the sun and moon hold to one another, and Kan and Li assist each other. The Yang side sows the mysterious seed of life, stirring and unfolding its breath; the Yin side nurtures an embryo like a yellow sprout, quietly nourishing it. Yin and Yang mingle in an undivided, chaotic state. They join and congeal into a single whole.

This is like making a balance: first one makes the counterweight, and only when it is complete can one use it as the basis for making the beam. Or it is like making a cart: first one forms the carriage bed, and only when it has taken shape can the rest of the cart be assembled around it. The counterweight and carriage bed are the foundations of their respective implements. Likewise, the first Yang Qi symbolized by the hexagram Zhen is the foundation of creation and transformation. Once this foundation is established, original Qi begins to work through change: first it nurtures an inner outline in its most subtle form; then that outline gradually becomes distinct, gathers spirit, and forms a body, until it finally takes on an outward appearance. This is like the moon beginning to receive the sun’s light and gather vitality at the transition between the last and first days of the month, then showing its crescent on the third day. Here the text explains how the sun and moon meet and how the moon receives the sun’s vital essence and shines. It also describes the root from which all things continually come into being. People and all things are born by following this Dao, which is why it says: “All people are born by following this Dao; not even the smallest living creature can depart from it.”

The Appended Statements says: “When the Qi of Heaven and Earth mingle, all things are transformed and brought to fruition; when male and female unite, all things grow from them.” Between Heaven and Earth, whatever is Yang can be likened to the male, and whatever is Yin to the female. All people are born through the union of male and female; even small creatures such as insects follow this same pattern. From the principle of the sun and moon meeting, we can extend our understanding by analogy to all things that possess Yin and Yang Qi. This is precisely the meaning of the passage in the Token for Joining the Three, which says: “The subtle is hidden within, where transformation arises; containing the myriad things is the framework of the Dao. The formless governs the formed; the function of an implement depends on the empty space within it.”

Thus Confucius praised Hongmeng, the undivided state of Heaven and Earth, when primordial Qi was still in chaos. The De of Heaven and Earth is vast and clear, like open space. Tracing back to antiquity, one reaches the Primordial Sovereign, the ruler or sacred age at the beginning of the world’s creation. The harmony of Yin and Yang symbolized by “Guanju” set the generation of the myriad things in motion. The rites of capping and marriage, marking adulthood and union, brought the forces of Qi into connection; with the first year, life began to sprout. Sages do not appear without cause. They look up at the celestial patterns and discern the heavenly signs that reveal the Dao’s workings. These signs advance and recede, while Yin and Yang bend and extend, all changing with the seasons.

The preceding passage describes the meeting of Yin and Yang in primordial chaos and the emergence of being from nonbeing: Heaven and Earth are vast and clear; tracing their origin leads back to the Primordial Sovereign. The harmony of Yin and Yang, as shown in “Guanju,” is symbolized by the rites of capping and marriage, which bring the forces of Qi into connection and allow life to sprout. Sages look up at the celestial patterns and perceive signs of the Dao’s workings; the heavenly signs advance and recede, bending and extending with the seasons.

Earlier it was said that Yin and Yang join in chaos, and only then can something arise from non-being. From this we know that if Yin and Yang do not unite, no vitality will be produced. The Doctrine of the Mean says, "The Way (Dao) of the gentleman begins in the relationship between husband and wife." This means that the Dao practiced by the gentleman has its starting point within the bond of husband and wife. The Way of husband and wife is the gateway through which people first come to understand the Great Dao, so although the Great Dao is vast, its subtle points are not easy to see. Ordinary husbands and wives, even with limited understanding, can grasp its basic principles, and even with ordinary conduct, they can practice it in daily life. When the principle is investigated to its utmost, one can see that it pervades Heaven and Earth: so vast that it has no outer limit, so small that it has no inner boundary. Everywhere between Heaven and Earth is Dao-qi (the vital breath of the Dao). Whether small as a husband and wife or great as Heaven and Earth, all things depend on the Way of the union of Yin and Yang.

In the past, Confucius wrote commentaries on the Book of Changes (Yijing) and placed the Qian and Kun hexagrams at the beginning, in order to clarify Hongmeng (the primordial chaos before Heaven and Earth took form, when nothing had yet been differentiated). Qian is above and Kun is below, and between them lies an empty, clear stillness in which a single qi is undivided. This principle of gestating all things is Hongmeng. Confucius edited the Classic of Poetry (Shijing) and opened it with "Guan Ju," in order to examine Yuanhuang (the primal sovereign, the root from which all things originate). When a man and woman come of age and marry, their Yin and Yang qi interact, and Yin and Yang become one body, so that vitality sprouts and grows. This is called Yuannian (the primal year). Hongmeng is the key to creative transformation, while Yuanhuang and Yuannian refer to the beginning of that transformation. When the virtues of Qian and Kun are united, there is Hongmeng; when a man and woman unite, life is naturally conceived. These statements all serve to illustrate the principle that Yin and Yang proceed together and complement one another.

Sages are not born into the world without reason. They cultivate themselves and bring all things to completion, hoping that everyone may become a sage and each may understand the principle of nature and life (xingming). Therefore, the sages looked up at the patterns of the heavens and revealed the regularities by which Yin and Yang wax and wane, advance and withdraw, extend and contract. In the Xiantian Bagua (Primordial Eight Trigrams), Li is on the left and Kan is on the right. Zhen represents one Yang line, Dui two, and Qian three, so Yang qi gradually grows and extends from the left side. Xun represents one Yin line, Gen two, and Kun three, so Yin qi gradually grows and contracts from the right side. In the Houtian Bagua (Later Heaven Eight Trigrams), Qian, Kan, and Gen indicate that Yang qi grows and extends in the northeast, while Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui indicate that Yin qi grows and contracts in the southwest. These are all signs that reveal the operation of the Dao of Heaven. Although the Dao of Heaven changes endlessly, it never departs from the pattern of Yin and Yang in union. The above explains the meaning of the passage in the Cantong qi (Kinship of the Three) that runs from "therefore, by inferring the waxing and waning, Kan and Li are lost" to "the principle is shown as evidence."

Thus the Yi (the classic that reveals the patterns of change) encompasses the Heart of Heaven (tianxin, the fundamental regularity of heaven and earth's movement). The Fu hexagram signifies the first stirring of yang qi, when all things begin to sprout. Zhen is the eldest son, who inherits the role of the father Qian and, relying on the mother Kun, establishes the foundation of vitality. The waxing and waning of yin and yang, and their advance and retreat, correspond to the twelve lülü (the pitch-pipe system, used in ancient times to mark musical tones and seasonal nodes), while their rising and falling follow the pivot of the Northern Dipper (a reference to the rhythm of celestial motion).

On the third day, the moon first appears, like the Zhen trigram; it corresponds to the west, geng. On the eighth day, the moon takes the form of the Dui trigram and corresponds to the south-west position, ding; at the first quarter, its shape is straight as a cord. On the fifteenth, the body of the Qian trigram is complete, the moon is full, and it corresponds to the east position, jia. The toad and the rabbit's soul refer respectively to the yin and yang qi within the moon, and the qi of sun and moon shine upon one another. The toad signifies that the moon changes according to the divisions of the trigrams, while the rabbit signifies the moonlight emerging and giving rise to growth.

From the seventh and eighth days to the fifteenth, the stage of yang qi's movement is complete. Afterward the phases of the moon gradually wane and descend in a winding course. After the sixteenth, yin qi takes over; the Xun trigram corresponds to the position xin, and the moon appears at dawn. The Gen trigram corresponds to the south position, bing; on the twenty-third day, the moon is at its last quarter. By the thirtieth day, the Kun trigram corresponds to the position yi, and the moon vanishes in the north-east, as if it had lost its companion. Once one cycle ends, yin and yang alternate in succession, and new vitality begins to sprout again. Ren and gui are matched with jia and yi, while Qian and Kun govern the beginning and end of the cycle.

The numbers seven and eight together make fifteen, and nine and six likewise correspond to each other; these four numbers together total thirty, symbolizing the period of one month. At this time yang qi is exhausted and lies hidden, much like the middle of winter, when plants wither from the cold. People should assist yang qi and act with caution; rulers, too, should keep deep within and remain still. To accord with the seasons, one should restrain speech and not speak rashly.

The Way of heaven is vast and boundless, and the Supreme Mystery (taixuan, the profound and mysterious fundamental principle) cannot be described by images; it is empty, still, and formless, cannot be seen directly, and is so vast and remote that it seems to leave no trace. If one misunderstands the principle or tangles its threads, then speech will contradict itself and instead harm the speaker. Here these four symbols are explained separately in order to enlighten those who have not yet understood.

The preceding text says that the responses of heavenly timing have patterns of advance and retreat, contraction and extension, changing with the moment. Advance, retreat, contraction, and extension are all turned by the Heart of Heaven; therefore the principle of change in the Yi inwardly encompasses the Heart of Heaven. This explanation is given so that those who come later may understand.

Earlier passages explained that the Heavenly Tally (tianfu) has its patterns of advance and retreat, bending and extending, and accord with the seasons. As the myriad things advance, retreat, bend, and extend in their proper times, they are all acted upon by the Heart of Heaven (tianxin), the root vitality that drives the transformations of heaven and earth. The principle of change in the Yijing (Book of Changes) therefore contains the Heart of Heaven within it. The Heart of Heaven has no shape or image and cannot be seen. Only when yin and yang interact does a single point of vitality appear out of emptiness, and only then can people perceive it.

The Commentary on the Images (Xiang Zhuan) of the Return hexagram (Fu) in the Yijing asks: "In the Return hexagram, is it not the intention of heaven and earth that becomes visible?" "Return" refers to yin qi reaching its extreme while yang qi begins to sprout, with Zhen (Thunder) born within Kun (Earth). When yang has just begun to sprout, it is the eleventh lunar month, the month of Zi (jianzi zhi yue). The single yang line of Zhen comes from Qian (Heaven), so it is Qian extending its own qi-pulse, and for this reason Zhen is Qian's eldest son. Qian symbolizes the father, so the text says "the eldest son inherits the father's substance." This yang line grows from the bottom of the purely yin Kun, which symbolizes the mother, so the text says "it establishes the initial foundation through the mother." Zhao means beginning, and ji means root.

When yin qi is at its extreme and yang qi is newly born, Qian and Kun join. In the dim and faint, something seems to exist, and in the deep and silent, a subtle essence (jing) seems present. Vitality appears here and begins to return to its root. This vitality is the Heart of Heaven, and it is also the single yang line of Zhen. All things are born through it, so it is called "vitality" (shengji). It appears in the interaction of yin and yang, so it is called "Heart of Heaven." It moves after reaching the extreme of stillness, so it is called "Zhen." In the end, vitality and the yang of Zhen are both the Heart of Heaven.

The Heart of Heaven is everywhere and at all times. Because it pervades all things and operates constantly, people find it difficult to fathom, and so ordinarily it cannot be seen. In the eleventh month, when the myriad things sprout beneath the earth, people know that vitality has stirred again, and the Heart of Heaven becomes visible. The "Heart of Heaven" is yang born within yin. The "Heart of Heaven and Earth" is the Heart of Heaven appearing at the point where yin and yang meet. The two are in fact one thing, named differently only according to whether one speaks of it as just emerging or as already manifest.

The Heart of Heaven's vitality continually generates new life, and its waxing, waning, rising, and falling are all governed by the principles of the Yijing. Waxing and waning correspond to the lü (the pitch-pipes used in ancient times to match the seasons), and rising and falling correspond to the positions indicated by the Pivot Star of the Northern Dipper. For example, in the month of Zi, one yang is born, the hexagram is Return, the pitch corresponds to Huangzhong, and the Dipper points to the Zi position. In the month of Chou, two yang lines are born, the hexagram is Lin (Approach), the pitch corresponds to Dalü, and the Dipper points to the Chou position. The six yin trigrams and six yang trigrams govern the twelve months, corresponding to the twelve pitches and the twelve directions indicated by the Dipper. The waxing and waning of yin and yang and the turning of the Dipper across these twelve months are all changes of the Heart of Heaven, governed by the six yin and six yang hexagrams of the Yijing. Does this not mean that the Yijing governs the Heart of Heaven? The above explains the passage of the Zhouyi Cantong Qi (Kinship of the Three According to the Changes) from "the first morning is Return" to "returning to the primal origin of Kun."

Next, consider the interval between the last day of the lunar month and the first day of the next, when sun and moon meet and the moon receives sunlight. On the first, second, and third days, the moon's face is still dark, and faint light begins to appear from below, corresponding to the trigram Zhen. A crescent appears in the southwest, in the Geng direction; this is called "Zhen takes in Geng." On the eighth day, two yang lines are present, the trigram is Dui (Lake), half the moon is illuminated, and the first-quarter moon appears in the south, in the Ding direction; this is called "Dui takes in Ding." On the fifteenth day, three yang lines are complete, the trigram is Qian, the moon is full, and it appears in the east, in the Jia direction; this is called "Qian takes in Jia."

When yang reaches its extreme, it turns into yin. On the eighteenth day, one yin begins to emerge from beneath the moonlight, the trigram is Xun (Wind), the moon's face begins to wane, and at dawn it appears in the west, in the Xin direction; this is called "Xun takes in Xin." On the twenty-third day, two yin lines appear, the trigram is Gen (Mountain), half the moonlight has gone, and it becomes the last-quarter moon, appearing at dawn in the south, in the Bing direction; this is called "Gen takes in Bing." On the twenty-eighth day, the faint sunlight fades in the northeast, in the Yi direction, and moonlight gradually disappears. By the thirtieth day, yin is complete, the trigram is Kun, and this is called "Kun takes in Yi." The moon begins to shine again in the southwest, in the Geng direction, which is what the Yijing means by "gaining friends in the southwest"; its light vanishing in the northeast is "losing friends in the northeast." One cycle of lunar phases ends. After the last day of the month, the first day of the next arrives, yin having reached its limit and yang being born again. Zhen takes up the qi of Qian, the moonlight reappears, and the cycle repeats.

Ren and Gui are paired with Jia and Yi to summarize the beginning and end of Qian and Kun. Ren is yang and Gui is yin; Jia is yang and Yi is yin. Ren is clear water, born of the yang qi of Qian, and Gui is turbid water, transformed from the yin qi of Kun. Ren is paired with Jia because Qian takes in Jia and Ren; Gui is paired with Yi because Kun takes in Yi and Gui. The first half of each month is yang and belongs to the transformations of Qian; the second half is yin and belongs to the transformations of Kun. From Zhen to Qian, and from Xun to Kun, the hexagrams of Qian and Kun, together with the three yang and three yin trigrams, summarize the whole month. Qian represents the yang born within yin and covers the phases of the seventh and eighth days, fifteen days in total. Kun represents the yin born within yang and covers the phases of the ninth and sixth days, also fifteen days. The phases represented by seven, eight, nine, and six together make up thirty days, and the moonlight completes a full cycle, passing through appearance, decline, and the advancing and retreating of its phases. This is the lunar change governed by the three yin and three yang trigrams of the Yijing. Although it may be said to be governed by the three yin and three yang trigrams, in practice it is governed by Qian and Kun alone. Although it is governed by Qian and Kun, at root it is still a single point of the Heart of Heaven's vitality that governs. Does this not mean that the Yijing governs the Heart of Heaven? The above explains the passage of the Zhouyi Cantong Qi from "between the last and first days" to "the ancestor of the Yijing."

The advancing and retreating of yin and yang within a year and within a month are all natural and spontaneous, and behind them lies nothing other than the operation of the Heart of Heaven. When yang advances and expands, the Heart of Heaven is at ease; when yin retreats and contracts, the Heart of Heaven is gathering in. Yang may be called the Heart of Heaven, but yin also issues from the Heart of Heaven. Yang relies on the Heart of Heaven to be born, and yin relies on it to be completed. Both yin and yang come forth from the Heart of Heaven, and neither exists outside it. The only difference is that the Heart of Heaven most often reveals its signs at the moment of utmost stillness, just before it begins to move.

Therefore the scripture uses the midwinter as an analogy. The grasses and trees have all withered, yin qi has reached its extreme, and yang qi must soon sprout. In ancient times, rulers secluded themselves at the winter solstice, merchants stopped traveling, and the ruler did not tour the realm. They remained quiet, hidden, and unhurried. This was done to nourish the faint yang qi and to protect the vitality of the Heart of Heaven.

If those who cultivate the Dao can imitate this season, follow its rhythm, and, like the ancient ruler in seclusion, attain profound emptiness and stillness, then the Primordial Qi (xiantian zhi qi) will arise from non-being into being, like white light emerging from darkness. The Heart of Heaven will become manifest again and condense into a pearl the size of a millet grain. Nourishing it further, one can cast off the mortal body and attain immortality. The scripture holds that whoever understands how to imitate the season and follow its rhythm has already grasped the essentials of Golden Elixir (jindan) cultivation, and nothing more need be said. From beginning to end, the Way of the Golden Elixir is the cultivation of this one fundamental great medicine, the Heart of Heaven. When cultivation accords with the seasons, the Heart of Heaven can remain constant, growing from tender to firm and from faint to prominent, and with long accumulation of effort it endures without decay. This is what is meant by "knowing the one and all things are complete."

Yet the Dao of heaven is vast and boundless. The Supreme Mystery Qi (taixuan zhi qi), which is profoundly subtle, formless, and without image, has no body and is utterly empty and still. It cannot be seen, so no clear boundary can be drawn for it. The Dao of heaven and the Supreme Mystery are both other names for the Heart of Heaven. The Heart of Heaven is empty and still and cannot be seen. If one forcibly limits it with words, one will inevitably err, and one will also lose the true character of the Heart of Heaven: its vastness, its emptiness, and its unceasing flow. Such words cannot foretell the future and instead harm one's own virtue (de). It is therefore better to say little.

Yet the Dao is originally without words, while words can also make principles clear. If one says nothing at all, how can later students be guided? For this reason the author draws on the principles of the Yijing to set out separately the Four Images (sixiang) of Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li, symbols that represent the transformations of yin and yang in heaven and earth. Using the comings and goings of Qian and Kun yin and yang over a year, and the sun and moon meeting as signified by Kan and Li within a month, the author reveals the first signs of the Heart of Heaven so that later students may come to understand. This is the general meaning of the passage from "looking at the midwinter season" to "to enlighten the blind of later generations," and it also explains the passage of the Zhouyi Cantong Qi from "constantly following the patterns of the earth" to "enduring for a thousand years."

This section takes the Heart of Heaven as its main thread. Using the yin-yang changes of the four seasons of the year and the waxing and waning of the lunar phases within a month, it shows how the Heart of Heaven takes unity as its root and manifests as two kinds of change, yin and yang. At the end, it returns to the realm beyond form, image, and words. The Heart of Heaven is vast and boundless, with no visible body. It is true emptiness, yet it contains a wondrous vitality. Within wondrous existence, true emptiness is also hidden. This is the original nature of the Heart of Heaven.

Although the scripture is a commentary on the Zhouyi Cantong Qi, the author goes further to reveal meanings that the original text did not fully explain. Fearing that readers would have difficulty grasping them, the author concludes with the words "I have separately described these four images to enlighten later students." Readers may infer the formless principles from the visible hexagram images and perceive the invisible Heart of Heaven through observable change. The author's intention here is very profound.

The Bagua (Eight Trigrams), symbols representing the transformations of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things, are arranged in sequence like stars set out across the sky. The myriad things move and change yet never deviate from the center. The yuanjing (primordial essence), the subtle vital essence that constitutes all things, is profound and hard to perceive, and can only be apprehended through deduction and the verification of observation.

In ordinary times, one should observe the trigram images and, according to the forms they present, establish standards for reference, and on that basis divine fortune and misfortune. When issuing commands, accord with the seasons and do not miss the moment when the lines of a hexagram begin to move. Looking upward, observe the celestial patterns and the markings of the Hetu (River Chart); looking downward, put in order the shape of the land and the courses of its waters; in between, examine the human heart, and cross-verify the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity.

In action, follow the measures the trigrams indicate; in stillness, rely on the guaci (trigram statements), the texts that explain the meaning of each trigram. Employ Qian and Kun (the two trigrams representing Heaven and Earth, and yin and yang) to carry out transformations, and the myriad things will each attain their proper order. A variant reading of the final line of the scripture reads "Tianxia ranhou zhi," meaning that the world is thereby brought to order.

The preceding separate discussions of the Four Images were intended to help later students understand the principles involved. The Four Images refer to Qian, Kun, Kan, and Li. The Yi (Book of Changes) takes Qian and Kun as body and Kan and Li as function. Qian and Kun cooperate with Kan and Li: Zhen symbolizes the sprouting of yang Qi (vital energy), Gen symbolizes the resting of yang Qi, Xun symbolizes the hiding of yin Qi, and Dui symbolizes the appearing of yin Qi; all these changes proceed along the function of Kan and Li.

The Later Heaven Bagua is distributed through the eight directions in the order Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, and Dui, and is matched with the movement of the Twenty-Eight Mansions (ancient celestial divisions) and the stars. It is used to deduce hexagram Qi and to mark the changes of the four seasons, the eight nodal periods, and the seventy-two seasonal pentads. In the Bagua, those that truly preside over the movement of hexagram Qi are Kan and Li: Kan symbolizes the moon, and Li symbolizes the sun. The sun travels along the ecliptic, while for the moon there is the doctrine of the nine paths; as sun and moon go back and forth north and south, their positions constantly change, yet their conjunction never departs from the central way. In the Later Heaven Bagua, Li is in the south and Kan in the north, symbolizing the central and correct way followed by the sun and moon. The “central way” spoken of here is the ecliptic, and it also refers to the place where sun and moon conjoin.

The place of sun-moon conjunction contains the primordial Jing (essence) of heaven and earth. Primordial Jing has no form; it is extremely subtle and difficult to see. That the sun can shine and the moon can reflect is entirely the wondrous function of primordial Jing. Humans too possess this primordial Jing; it is the root of nature and life and the source of birth and death. It is not a post-heaven formed, turbid thing, but a pre-heaven treasure without form or image, equally subtle and difficult to see.

Since it is difficult to see, how can one recognize and obtain it? One may investigate the patterns of Yin-Yang coming and going and imitate the signs of sun-moon conjunction; in ordinary times observe the interwoven forms of hexagram lines, and from visible changes seek the invisible root. One should seek manifest signs within the elusive and nebulous, probe true essence in the deep and obscure, and cause being and nonbeing to penetrate each other; then one can perceive its reality. After recognizing this, one can begin cultivation accordingly and establish standards.

The so-called biao was originally used to measure the length of the sun’s shadow. For the cultivator, inner purity and tranquility and the ability to maintain mastery within the mind are the standard of practice; one is not deluded by external things. The hou in divining auspiciousness and inauspiciousness by omens refers to the timing suitable for employing yin Qi or yang Qi: using it properly is auspicious, using it improperly is inauspicious. Action should accord with the seasons: when it is time to advance yang, one advances yang, called exercising De (Virtue/Power); when it is time to move yin, one moves yin, called exercising punishment. Here “punishment and De” refer to the different functions of Yin and Yang; “advance and retreat” must follow the order of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, not violating the timing of the changes in firm and yielding line images.

Pre-heaven primordial Jing naturally congeals from emptiness and nonbeing; this is the Dao (the Way) of heaven and earth. The cultivator should observe how the stars of heaven rise in the east and turn westward and move north and south, and should also examine the heights and lows of terrain and the courses of flowing water; further, one should scrutinize the innate virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom in the human heart. Referring to the Dao of the Three Powers—heaven, earth, and humanity—one causes them to meet and become one.

In action, follow the seasonal order of hexagram Qi and let firmness and yielding alternate in function; in stillness, rely on the hexagram statements and Tuan commentaries to discern auspiciousness and inauspiciousness. Emulating heaven and earth, use the numbers nine and six in the Yi, act according to time, unite the firm and strong with the yielding and compliant, and return to centrality and correctness. In this way heavenly principle is fully embodied, and the Yin-Yang heaven and earth within the body can be regulated. The “heaven and earth within my body” are precisely the virtues of yang firmness and yin compliance that humans originally receive. When firmness and yielding unite, the Qi of Yin and Yang is harmonized, virtue matches heaven and earth, and one’s actions and rests are composed and accord with the central way—this is reaching the realm of the sage.

However, if one does not understand astronomy or geography, the human mind easily becomes mixed with selfish desires, and one will not know how to adapt according to time; such a person either rigidly clings to the so-called central way or fixates on a single principle, and it is difficult to reach the state of composed accord with the central way. The three characters “then order” contain the discipline of unceasing seeking of knowledge and earnest practice; students should deeply appreciate them. This section explains the meaning of the passage in the Cantong qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three): “At the head of governing, the Ding cauldron renews and the Ge hexagram removes the old.”

Among the sages, the most enlightened figure is probably Fuxi. He was the first to draw the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), taking his model from Heaven and Earth. King Wen of Zhou inherited the traditions of those before him, fixed the structure of the hexagrams, and deduced their line statements. Confucius was the outstanding figure among many worthies. He composed the Ten Wings (Shiyi) to explain and supplement the Book of Changes (Zhouyi).

These three figures were all brought forth by Heaven. They rose one after another and governed worldly affairs in accordance with their respective ages. Their order of precedence differs, but their achievements and Virtue (De) do not differ in essence. Their works continued one another, and in deducing and judging they examined minute details, distinguishing differences as fine as a hair's breadth. Things that can be seen and touched are easy to measure. Principles that show no omen and lie hidden are difficult to conjecture and plan for. They gave people a guide for their conduct and established this canon for later generations.

I was not born with any natural capacity to foreknow principles. I came to awakening only through the guidance of my teacher. The principles shone as clearly as lifting a curtain and ascending a high terrace, so that one could see everything at a glance. The Huoji (Fire Record) has six hundred chapters, and the purport it points toward does not confuse people. (Some editions read "bici bing bu xiangtong," meaning "they are not the same as one another.") The text repeatedly and solemnly explains its points, but it is regrettable that people are unwilling to reflect deeply. If one traces its origins and sources, one will understand that the obscure and the manifest are fundamentally connected.

I have spoken these words privately to worthy men, so how could I dare to write them down carelessly? If I kept silent for that reason and let the Great Way (Dao) be cut off, I would be guilty. Yet if I committed my understanding to bamboo and silk, I would fear divulging heavenly secrets. I hesitated, sighed, and weighed the matter from every angle, and finally compiled these shallow views. Heaven and Earth transform and nourish the myriad things according to fixed laws, and their subtle mysteries cannot all be laid out. I have only sketched the outline, so that the branches may appear and unfold.

The subtle transformations of Heaven and Earth follow a pattern that is soundless and odorless, and only the sage can recognize and practice it. Since Heaven and Earth first opened, the Dao (the Way) has revealed itself through various signs, but people of the world have failed to recognize it. The Yellow River brought forth the Hetu (River Chart), and the Luo River brought forth the Luoshu (Luo Writing), and the sages took these as their models. Fuxi looked up to observe the patterns of the sky and looked down to examine the features of the earth, and so began to draw the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). He then doubled the trigrams to form the sixty-four hexagrams, thereby disclosing the mysteries of Heaven and Earth's creative transformations. Later, King Wen revised these into the Later Heaven Bagua, and used the yarrow-stalk method to derive the sixty-four hexagrams of the Later Heaven arrangement, which were divided into three hundred and eighty-four lines. He attached to the hexagrams and lines interpretations of fortune and misfortune, regret and anxiety, so that the patterns of heavenly timing and human affairs became clearly manifest. Confucius further composed the Ten Wings, investigating what is subtle and profound in order to clarify the principles of the Yi (Book of Changes). In them, the principles concerning heavenly timing, human affairs, and the changes of smooth and adverse circumstances are all discussed thoroughly and completely.

Heaven sent down three sages in succession, who in turn created scriptures to respond to their ages and govern the world, preserving the fundamental principles to be transmitted for ten thousand generations. Although their appearances and deeds came in different order, their merit and virtue, De (Virtue), were not ranked higher or lower. Zhenren (Perfected) Wei Boyang of the Eastern Han continued the thought of the Yi and wrote the Cantong Qi (Kinship of the Three), deriving the auspicious, inauspicious, regretful, and humiliating outcomes indicated by the hexagrams and lines, and distinguishing the differences between medicinals (yaowu) and fire timing (huohou) in the alchemical Way. He used visible things to explain invisible principles and used observable symbols to liken unseen regularities, so that people could more readily comprehend them.

This book was written down by Zhenren Wei for the world, and not for the sake of fame. Xu Weng said that he originally lacked the capacity to comprehend the subtle meaning of this book in advance. Only after receiving the instruction of Zhenren Yin did he awaken, and then he came to understand it. Xu Weng was of outstanding natural endowment, and yet he could not understand the Cantong Qi from the start; he had to receive a teacher's guidance before he awakened. Among the deluded people of the world, some consider themselves superior to the sages. They do not seek out a true teacher but rely on private conjecture to make hasty judgments. Taking only one or two examples from the ancients, they discourse on the Dao and De, and believe they have thoroughly awakened. Yet when asked about the Cantong Qi, they understand almost nothing. To regard this as awakening to the Dao is a wide gulf indeed.

They do not know that this book is the source of the alchemical classics of the immortals. Later, Zhenren Ziyang's Wuzhen Pian (Awakening to Reality), Zhenren Xinglin's Fuming Pian (Returning to Destiny), Zhenren Piling's Huanyuan Pian (Returning to the Origin), the Earth-Origin alchemical method of Zhenren Ziqing, and Zhenren Changchun's western journey writings all take this book as their foundation. Persons of superior capacity and penetrating understanding, having received a single oral formula from a teacher and then reading this book closely, can broaden their perspective. It is like a curtain being lifted in a dark room, and suddenly all is bright; it is also like climbing a high terrace and gazing into the distance, where every scene in every direction becomes visible. Even when studying the so-called "Six Hundred Essays on Fire," one can grasp that they share the same aim as the Cantong Qi and will not lose one's way.

The so-called "Six Hundred Essays on Fire" refers precisely to the sixty-four hexagrams of the Zhouyi (Changes of Zhou), and does not mean that there are six hundred other fire-timing texts beyond them. Calling the sixty-four hexagrams "six hundred essays" conveys that the refinement of fire timing is meticulous and that, through repeated tempering, it gradually becomes pure. Some passages in the Cantong Qi are solemnly repeated because practitioners often fear difficulty and are unwilling to investigate deeply, so the author repeatedly reminds and enlightens them. If one can study the written words, restrain oneself through ritual propriety, take external things as distant references, and examine one's own experience up close, tracing the source of the Dao and inquiring into its flow and transformations, clarifying its beginning and end, then one can comprehend what is hidden and what is manifest. This is what is truly called knowing. Such oral formulas and essential points are suited only for those who can understand, and are very difficult to explain to those who have not yet grasped them. If one is not a person of wisdom, how could one divulge them lightly? Yet one must not, out of fear of careless transmission, cut off the principles altogether, for that would likely incur blame. Therefore the author deliberated again and again, wrote this book, and waited for a kindred listener.

As for the methods of refining and nourishing, the fire-timing training, and the order of drawing in and adding, advancing and retreating, all must rely on oral transmission and cannot be made clear by writing alone. The author can only outline the main principles and set out the items of method, indicating the general contours of the Way's practice.

Alas, the Immortal Elder annotated the Cantong Qi with thousands and tens of thousands of words, using many kinds of analogies to explain it. The commentary is already extremely fine and thorough, and yet he still said he could not exhaust everything and could only outline the main principles. Why is it that later students of the Dao become self-satisfied upon hearing one or two sentences, refuse to probe further, and even declare that there is nothing more to say about the principles? This truly betrays the Immortal Elder's intent. Is this not lamentable?

Ancient practitioners made fire with the burning mirror (yangsui, a bronze mirror used to kindle fire), and without the sun it would produce no flame. They drew water with the mirror-bowl (fangzhu, a vessel used to collect water), and without the light of the stars and moon reflected in it, how could water be obtained? Although the two qi of yin and yang are subtle and profound, they still communicate when they respond to and transform one another. How much more so when the pre-heaven qi (xiantian zhi qi) dwells within the body, so that the only question is whether the heart can respond. When yin and yang join, it is like the sun and moon mirroring each other; the mutual aid of water and fire is the sign of such joining.

The method of cultivating the perfected (xiuzhen) lies in drawing upon the empty, boundless qi of heaven and earth and applying the mechanism by which yin and yang bring about transformation. The Yinfu Jing says: "To steal the subtle workings of creation, so that no one under heaven can see or know them." Only when they escape the notice of acquired consciousness can one touch the subtle activity of the pre-heaven. If everything falls within the distinctions of what can be seen and known, it belongs to the post-heaven and cannot be counted as pre-heaven. If cultivation relies only on the yin-leaning side of the self, how could one congeal the sacred embryo (shengtai, the inner attainment spoken of in practice), producing something from nothing and bringing both body and spirit to perfect harmony?

The burning mirror has no fire of its own, yet it obtains fire by means of the sun; the mirror-bowl has no water of its own, yet it obtains water by reflecting the stars and moon. They are separated from the sun and moon by a great distance, yet through resonance they communicate. How much more so when the pre-heaven qi is within us, close at hand in the chest and heart, so that it could not fail to respond to transformation? If there is no transformation, the reason lies in the failure of yin and yang to unite; once yin and yang unite, the pre-heaven qi will arise from emptiness, and the Dao of the elixir will quickly congeal.

The yang nature and yin emotions of a person are like the sun and moon in the sky; the true essence (zhenjing) and primal spirit (yuanshen) are like the water and fire produced by the resonance of sun and moon; and the mysterious gate of the female (xuanpin zhi men, the root orifice where yin and yang meet and generate life) is like the burning mirror and the mirror-bowl. Once the mysterious gate of the female is established, nature and emotion can communicate; once nature and emotion communicate, the spirit becomes full; once the spirit is full, the golden elixir (jindan) can form. This is like the burning mirror kindling fire and the mirror-bowl drawing water: the two respond to each other and something new is produced, which is the proof of "producing something from nothing."

The Daodejing says: "The valley spirit never dies; this is called the mysterious female. The gate of the mysterious female is called the root of heaven and earth." Xuan belongs to yang and governs movement; pin belongs to yin and governs stillness. The mysterious gate of the female is the root from which yin and yang arise and from which motion and stillness alternate, and so it is called the root of heaven and earth. Within this gate dwells the valley spirit (gushen): the valley spirit is the subtle function by which yin and yang, though divided, remain one. It sets things in motion and gives rise to yin and yang, and when yin and yang unite, they in turn form the valley spirit. The mysterious female and the valley spirit are originally one body.

Following this mechanism of yin-yang generation and transformation produces a human being and forms an illusory body; reversing it leads to immortality and forms a true body. Between following and reversing lies a great difference between the true body and the illusory body. The Immortal Old Man (Xian Weng) used the burning mirror and mirror-bowl to illustrate how yin and yang qi respond and communicate, and his meaning is extremely subtle. This passage explains the general sense of two sections of the Cantong Qi (Kinship of the Three): "wishing to nourish the nature" and "the man of Kan is the moon."

These practices all depart from the proper Way (Dao). Some practitioners cultivate the five viscera in sequence while visualizing inwardly. When they step or walk, they follow the positions of the constellations, and they choose their times by the Six Jia (liujia) day-reckoning cycle. Others adopt perverse arts, recklessly stirring the yuanbao (the place where the body's life foundation is bound), which leaves the body turbid and disordered. They swallow Qi to stimulate the stomach and intestines, expelling upright Qi and drawing in external pernicious influences. They keep this up day and night without sleep or pause, so their bodies grow more exhausted each day and their spirits become dazed and foolish, as if stupefied. The blood and Qi throughout the body surge and churn and cannot settle into calm clarity.

They pile up earth to build altars and make offerings morning and evening. When they see the forms of spirits and deities, or receive responses in dreams, they rejoice, believing they will surely prolong their lives. Instead, they die prematurely, and their bodies decay and are left exposed.

These practices everywhere contradict right principle. They run counter to the essential key and lose it. The arts are numerous, a thousand branches and ten thousand strands, but most turn away from the doctrine transmitted by the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) and Laozi, and they wind away from and oppose the Nine Capitals (jiudu), the realms where the divine perfected dwell according to Daoist belief. Anyone who understands need only examine the essential points within them to see clearly where the principle lies.

The path of cultivating oneself to realization, once truly understood and practiced, yields results that can be sustained over the long term. It is extremely simple and easy to grasp. Once one understands it and practices accordingly, one can swiftly reach the state of a sage. Confucians call it the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhongyong), Daoists call it the Golden Elixir Way (Jindan zhi Dao), and Buddhists call it the One Vehicle Way (Yisheng zhi Dao). The key lies in the proper balance of hardness and softness, the harmonizing of nature (xing) and emotion (qing), and a mind that is sincere, focused, and free of divided intentions.

Those who study the Dao (the Way) in the world, if they cannot find a genuine teacher, easily stray onto heterodox paths. Some fix their thoughts and practice inner observation (neiguan). Some pace the steps of the Dipper (bugang tadou) and cultivate the methods of the Six Jia (Liujia). Some perform the "nine-and-one" esoteric arts and manipulate the primal cells (yuanbao). Some apply the breath and qi while cutting off food and drink. Some stay awake day and night, dazed as if idiotic. Some circulate qi at the hours of Zi and Wu so that the channels of the entire body surge. And some pile up earth to build altars and keep company with ghosts and spirits. These methods are too numerous to count, and a slight deviation in practice violates the great Dao. Those who seek longevity end up harming their lives. Such people both contradict the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi and bring faults upon themselves. How could they know that there exists the "Seven Returns and Nine Reversions Golden Liquor Great Elixir" (a Daoist internal alchemy term referring to the key method of refining the elixir for cultivation), which can transform a woman into a man, restore an old man to youth, and attain immortality? If a wise and aspiring person encounters a true teacher and grasps the essential purpose of the Dao, they will suddenly comprehend the correct path of cultivation, which is not found among the three thousand six hundred methods. This section explains the meaning of the passage "Guan-guan, the ospreys" in the scripture text.

When the upper orifices are closed, this is called "having" (you); when the lower orifices are closed, this is called "non-having" (wu). Using "non-having" to nourish the "upper," the "upper" is dwelt in by the virtue of spirit illumination (shen). This describes the method of employing the two orifices, in which metal qi (Qi) also corresponds mutually.

Earlier, the phrase "those who understand grasp its essential meaning and suddenly know the path of cultivation" means that "grasping" refers to the essential meaning of the Golden Elixir (jindan), the state pursued in internal alchemy (neidan), and "knowing" refers to the method of return (fanhuan), by which the scattered jing, qi, and shen are restored to their origin.

The Golden Elixir Dao has two modes of practice: purposive action (youwei) and non-action (wuwei). Those of superior De (shangde) cultivate wuwei, focusing on the cultivation of innate nature. Those of inferior De (xiade) cultivate youwei, focusing on the refinement of the bodily life. Here, "you" (having) means that the mind of the Dao (daoxin) still remains, and "wu" (non-being) means that the mind of the Dao has been lost and the human mind (renxin) holds sway. Those of superior De keep their original nature intact, yin and yang are harmonized, the human mind is gathered in, and the mind of the Dao abides constantly. Those of inferior De have already suffered some loss of their original nature, yin and yang have separated, the mind of the Dao is obscured, and the mundane human mind takes charge.

Therefore, those of inferior De should follow the Dao of superior De: they should reduce the dominance of the human mind, cultivate the mind of the Dao, and gradually hold on to "you" from within "wu." Those of superior De keep their inner spiritual virtue (shende, the numinous virtue within) constantly present, nourish the mind of the Dao, and guard against the human mind. Through "you," they transform "wu." When the human mind recedes, there is true non-being; when the mind of the Dao is firm, there is true being. True non-being is true yin, and true being is true yang.

"True non-being and true being" are the two key cavities of cultivation, and "fa" (method) refers to the two modes of practice, youwei and wuwei. "Jin qi" (metal qi) is the primordial true-unity qi (xiantian zhenyi zhi qi), also called "metal within water" (shui zhong jin). This qi is elusive and subtle. It is neither a concrete form or color, nor can it simply be described as emptiness. Being and non-being mirror each other, and from this a thing arises. Practitioners apply both methods so that the metal qi converges and coalesces within. The scripture specifically says that "metal qi also come together" (jin qi yi xiang xu), and this phrasing carries deep meaning.

The mind of the Dao holds the true cognitive essence and belongs to metal. Its qi is vigorous and expansive, fills heaven and earth, and cannot easily be subdued by the myriad things, which is why it is called "metal qi." It has many other names, including Golden Flower (jinhua), metal within water, true lead (zhen qian), primordial qi (xiantian qi), numinous spirit (shenming), spiritual virtue (shende), primordial jing (yuan jing), and yellow sprout (huang ya). Ultimately, all of these refer to the virtue of true cognitive spirit, which is shende. Those of superior De guard this with the non-action method, and those of inferior De gradually refine and return it with the purposive method. When it is guarded well, what one already has becomes pure, and when it is returned well, what was lost can again return to being. Both methods, in the end, serve to perfect this one metal qi of spiritual virtue.

Hence the saying "metal qi also come together." The difference between superior and inferior De lies in whether one uses non-action or purposive action. Once the metal qi is refined, the post-natal yin qi is exhausted, and both form and spirit reach the wondrous state and unite with the Dao, then being and non-being no longer hold, and heaven and earth return to stillness and emptiness. At that point, where would any distinction between superior and inferior De remain? This section explains the meaning of the line from the Cantong qi (Kinship of the Three): "Superior De is non-action and does not seek by observation; inferior De acts, and its use never ceases."

Build a dike of gold so that the water can flow freely within it. The quantity of gold is fixed at fifteen units, and the quantity of water is likewise fifteen. When approaching the furnace fire, weigh both precisely: the water may be somewhat greater, by five parts. Both the gold and the water must be genuine, and the weight of the gold still follows the original standard. Do not add a third substance. The fire timing (huohou) is taken as two, and it works together with the gold and water.

The three things embrace one another and bear one another's weight, and their transformations are subtle and hard to fathom. Beneath the furnace lies the solar qi (a symbol of the yang energy used in the alchemical process), which lies hidden and then steams up within a short span. The medicinal substances first melt into a liquid and then congeal. This is called the "Yellow Carriage" (an intermediate product formed during the alchemical process).

After a period of time, as the medicine approaches completion, improper handling will damage its potency and also deplete the practitioner's lifespan. At this stage the substance takes on the appearance of ash or earth, or of dust on a bright window. It must be repeatedly pounded and refined so that the components fuse, and then placed into the "red gate" (the furnace chamber or fire door). The joints must be sealed tightly so that the furnace remains firmly enclosed.

A fierce fire rises beneath the furnace, and refining continues day and night without pause. At first gentle fire (a milder heat) is used to make the medicine suitable for further refinement; at the end, martial fire (a more intense heat) is applied. Observing the fire requires exceptional caution: judge carefully and adjust the heat and cold accordingly. The process cycles through the twelve junctures in order, and after each juncture is complete, the practitioner examines the process carefully once more.

When the qi within the medicine gradually exhausts, as if life is ending and the hun and po souls are dispersing, the color of the medicine turns purple and its luster becomes bright and clear. It is then the Returning Elixir (huandan, the completed elixir). Take out the powder; a single pill, measured no more than a daoguei (an ancient, extremely small measure), is said to have a marvelous effect.

This passage continues the preceding discussion of Superior De and Inferior De, and of the two methods of cultivation, purposive action (youwei) and non-action (wuwei). It focuses on the purposive alchemy of Inferior De. Terms such as "gold," "water," and "fire" in the scripture carry alchemical meanings, and the descriptions of measuring, sealing the furnace, controlling the fire, and observing the color all depict this refining process.

The previous section discussed Superior De and Inferior De, along with the two methods of cultivation, purposive action (youwei) and Wuwei (non-action). This section elaborates on the purposive method of Inferior De. Inferior De relies on purposive effort to return from the postnatal (houtian) to the prenatal (xiantian). To accomplish this, one must first recognize the true gold (zhen jin), which serves as the "great medicine" (da yao). The "gold" here is not a metal of the mundane world but the true knowing that humans inherently possess. Once it is refined through the fire timing (huohou), it can endure with heaven and earth and shine alongside sun and moon, so the completed elixir is called the Golden Elixir (jin dan).

In refining the elixir, one must first use the gold as a "dike" (ti fang), that is, to prevent the gold from generating too much water. Guarding against excess water serves the purpose of later drawing a suitable amount. The water here is not the overflowing kind but water that is pure and undivided. Gold and water are both essential in the method. In guarding the gold, one must hold to the measure of "neither touching nor separating" (bu ji bu li). In drawing the water, one must act with "neither haste nor delay" (bu ji bu huan). "Neither touching nor separating" means neither clinging too tightly nor drifting completely away, implying that vitality is preserved within restraint. "Neither haste nor delay" means that firmness is contained within gentleness. The term "unhurried roaming" (you you) refers to composure and naturalness, waiting in ease for the work to come to fruition and quietly awaiting change.

To master the secrets of guarding the gold and drawing the water, one must first understand the quantities of each. The true gold begins with the first arising of yang and gradually approaches fullness, its light abundant like the full moon on the fifteenth day. Therefore its basic measure is taken as fifteen liang, which is the fundamental quantity of the gold. For each additional fen of gold, one fen of water is produced; when the gold amounts to one liang, one liang of water is produced. After the fifteenth day of the lunar month, yin qi gradually arises, and by the thirtieth day the light is spent and the sign of darkness returns. Therefore the basic measure of water is also taken as fifteen liang.

In actual practice, however, one cannot draw the full basic measure of water. When water has produced five fen, it is considered excessive and is not to be used. Only when it has produced two fen is it pure and suitable for drawing. Pure water can then generate gold, like a mother hidden within the womb of her child, while the child repays the mother's kindness. Drawing water in this way does not deplete the gold, so the gold keeps its original weight. Water at three fen is also excessive and cannot be used.

The practitioner must further distinguish between clear and turbid water, and between ren water and gui water. Ren water is yang: it is clear and carries qi, having no physical form, and it represents the pure and undivided true water. Gui water is yin: it has physical substance and is mixed, and it represents overflowing and turbid water. Two fen of water is like a spring that has just welled up and has not yet flowed far, clear and clean, belonging to ren water. Three fen of water has begun to flow and has picked up dust, and five fen has flowed farther and become murky; both belong to gui water. In the elixir method, one draws only the qi of the water and not its physical substance, because drawing the substance harms the gold, whereas drawing its qi supports the gold. Therefore only two fen of water is used to assist the fifteen liang of gold.

Once the water has been drawn properly, one must also master the fire timing. The "fire" here is the empty numinous spirit (xu ling zhi shen), that is, the qi in which yin and yang are harmonized. As two fen of water is used, so two fen of fire is used. Two fen of fire is like a flame just kindled, warm without being fierce and bright without sending up flames. Two fen of water does not diminish the weight of the gold, and two fen of fire does not injure the substance of the gold. Thus combined, the water tempers the fire so that it does not become parched; the fire refines the gold so that it is brought to life; and the gold in turn generates water, giving the water a root. Water and fire complement each other, and gold and fire dwell in the same palace. The three nourish and transform one another, and their changes are subtle and wondrous. When the three are joined, they finally return to one unity.

Within the cauldron, the medicine is the fire, and the fire is the medicine. Medicine and fire generate each other and form a gentle, steaming vapor. The inner sunlike numinous radiance refines the true gold with a single point of true fire, and soon the gold melts into liquid. Then it gradually hardens from soft and tender, turning from white to yellow, and this is called the "yellow chariot" (huang yu). Yellow is the color of the center, and the chariot symbolizes earth. The gold originally carries a fierce, parching quality, but after meeting fire this dryness recedes. The hard becomes soft, the hard and soft are united, yin and yang blend, and they return to centrality and correctness. Therefore it is called the yellow chariot, and also the Golden Elixir.

The sage, in cultivating the great elixir, condenses a long span of time into months, days, and hours. Through methods that draw upon the transformations of heaven and earth, within a single double-hour he gathers the creative processes of heaven and earth, the yin-yang and Five Phases (wuxing), and the qi-numbers of all things. Such an opportunity is rare, and the slightest error leads to a loss of a thousand li, harms one's life, and may even result in gaining the elixir only to lose it again. Therefore at the crucial moment, the work must be made fully manifest: outwardly one observes the form without clinging to it, and inwardly one observes the mind without clinging to it. When both form and thought are forgotten, it is as though there is no smoke and no fire, like ash or earth, or like the tiny motes of dust visible in a bright window. Through pounding and blending, the hard and soft change together, and the original traces vanish completely.

"Sending it into the vermilion gate" means sending the medicine into the realm of empty numinous awareness, so that the mind is not dimmed and even the subtlest things are illuminated. "Securing its meeting point, striving to make it complete and firm" means grasping the moment when the medicinal substances join, so that they become solid and whole. The returning elixir (huan dan) is completed within a single period of time, but afterward it must still be nourished for ten months. It must be sealed tightly and guarded continuously until the elixir embryo matures and the spirit is complete; only then may the work of nourishment end.

"Blazing fire rises below, day and night the sound is truly diligent" means that within the furnace there is natural true fire burning without cease, day and night. "At first the civil fire makes it possible to cultivate" means that in the initial period of work, a gentle fire is used to harmonize the medicine. "In the end the martial fire is set in array" means that during the ten months of nourishment, the martial fire is used to refine the self. "Watching for it with increasing caution" means constantly observing the continuation and changes of the one qi and guarding carefully against danger. "Examining closely, adjusting the cold and warmth" means carefully attending to the fire timing so that it is neither too fierce nor too cold, and adjusting it appropriately. "Circling through the twelve junctures, and when each juncture is finished, one must again be present" means that the yang fire and yin tally turn in their proper times, cycling without end, so that the work must not be interrupted.

"Breath exhausted, life about to end, do not let the death of the po and hun" means that when the work reaches a certain stage, the hundred vessels seem to cease, and the qi and blood dissolve, as if one had undergone a small death. At this time the seven po (corporeal souls) scatter and the three hun (ethereal souls) become still. Emotional nature and spirit gather and do not disperse, and the person seems as if intoxicated or dazed, with only a single point of prenatal clear yang qi remaining. The dharma body (fa shen) is thereby accomplished. This body is called the "vajra-indestructible spirit" (jin gang bu huai zhi shen), also called the "pure dharma body" (qing jing fa shen) or the "Purple Golden Elixir" (zi jin dan). When the golden elixir is refined to a purple color, yang qi is abundant, and not a trace of yin remains mixed within it.

Such an elixir, though it may be as small as a powder, a pinch, or a spoonful, is said to have wondrous effects: it can restore the dead to life, revive withered bones, and restore sight to the blind. Whoever takes it may ascend to the sacred station. This is the method of purposive Inferior De and the secret of guarding existence within non-existence.

This section annotates the passage in the Kinship of the Three (Cantong qi) that runs from "knowing to guard the black" to "always accompanying the person." It explains the passage in greater detail than the original, especially the subtle workings of the fire timing. If one thoroughly understands this section, one can grasp most of the essentials of the wondrous functions of elixir cultivation.

The ears, eyes, and mouth are the body's "three treasures" (sanbao), and one should gather in the senses rather than open them carelessly to the outside. The shenqi (spirit-breath) of the zhenren (perfected person, one who has succeeded in cultivating the Dao) lies hidden in the depths and moves within the measure of zhonghe (centrality and harmony). If the opening and closing of the ears, eyes, and mouth are handled appropriately, much of the subtle wonder of Neidan (internal alchemy) can be grasped.

These three openings should be gathered so that they do not scatter outward. The shenqi of the zhenren lies hidden in the depths and moves according to the correct measure of centrality. Let the opening and closing of the senses follow measure, so that advance and retreat both accord with regularity. These openings are the body's pivotal gates, and their changes between motion and stillness are endless.

The qi of Li (Fire, symbolizing the heart) circulates within the body and protects it, while Kan (Water, symbolizing the kidneys) does not rely on keen hearing to probe outward. Dui (Lake, symbolizing the mouth) does not speak idly and keeps words few, complying with the natural state of undifferentiated chaos. Once the ears, eyes, and mouth have been gathered in, relax the body and rest in a quiet chamber. Entrust the mind-will to emptiness, taking freedom from distracting thoughts as the constant condition.

Even when faced with situations that are hard to judge, do not change because of them; keep the mind-spirit concentrated and do not let it gallop freely. During sleep, let the spirit keep watch over itself, and after waking, remain attentive to the continuance and changes of body, mind, and breath. The complexion gradually grows moist and lustrous, and the joints become firmer and more vigorous. Only after the various yin evil qi have been expelled can the zhengyang qi (upright yang qi) be raised and established.

When cultivation does not cease, the qi mechanism may be expected to move like clouds and rain. It flows continuously, like spring rain that moistens, or like the water from melting ice and snow, flowing from the head down to the feet and at last rising upward again. The qi moves back and forth in circulation, penetrating the wuji (the limitless), and it fills and spreads through the whole body.

Return is the sign of the Dao, and softness is the root of De (Virtue/Power). Through cultivating and tilling, clear away the accumulated filth so that even the finest places are brought into harmony and flow. The transformation of turbid qi is the path toward clarity; when darkness has accumulated for a long time, it will gradually become manifest. Huangzhong (the yellow center, symbolizing the center and the spleen-earth, the inner place of harmony) gradually opens, and its moisture reaches the skin.

A proper beginning is what allows cultivation to continue to the end. Qian (the yang, symbolizing heaven) has already been established, yet one must not grasp it and become self-satisfied. This "one" (referring to the key, unified inner mechanism of cultivation) conceals its wonder, so that the world finds it difficult to know.

The phrase "nei ying wei" has an alternate reading, "nei rong wei," and the phrase "bu chuo xiu" has an alternate reading, "bu zhe xiu."

The previous section described in detail the methods of youwei (purposive cultivation). This section explains the essentials of wuwei (non-action). Wuwei is the Way of baoyuan shouyi (embracing the origin and guarding the One), of maintaining the yuanqi (original qi), and it is the practice of those of shang de (superior De). Those of xia de (inferior De) begin with the work of youwei, but once the elixir has been formed and the ming ji (foundation of life) is secure, they too must turn to wuwei. At that point their practice is the same as that of the superior.

Wuwei does not mean sitting idly and doing nothing. It includes the work of nourishing the xiantian (prior heaven) and transforming the houtian (posterior heaven). The practitioner must set aside distracting thoughts and not be stained by external things, so that body and mind become settled. Only then can there be accomplishment. Unrest of body and mind is often caused by disturbance at three points: the ears, the eyes, and the mouth. The ears hear sounds, the eyes look at external things, and the mouth speaks, and the body moves in response. The mind is then pulled along by sound, color, and speech. When the mind stirs and the body shifts, the zhenxing (true nature) becomes difficult to reveal. Even when the elixir is complete, the fashen (dharma body, the inner true body formed through cultivation) may still fail to escape its bonds. It may turn from yang to yin and finally lose the results already achieved.

If one can restrain the ears, eyes, and mouth so that they are not carried off by external things, these three organs can turn from sources of harm into the sanbao (Three Treasures). The "closing" spoken of here does not mean the practitioner deliberately shuts the eyes, closes the mouth, or stops the ears. It means observing the teaching fei li wu shi, fei li wu ting, fei li wu yan (do not look at what is contrary to ritual, do not listen to what is contrary to ritual, do not speak of what is contrary to ritual). Whatever accords with ritual may be seen, heard, and spoken of normally. Whatever does not accord with it must not be allowed to move the ears, eyes, or mouth. When one can see colour without being bewildered by it, hear sound without being disturbed by it, and refrain from speaking when speech is not appropriate, the ears, eyes, and mouth are gathered in. Then no distracting thoughts arise within, no external things intrude, body and mind are settled, and the zhenren (true person, the inner true nature or the true body formed through cultivation) can hide in the depths of the abyss.

"Wushi wuzhi" (without knowing, without cognition) does not mean dull unawareness. It means that the mind is not pulled along by discriminating thoughts, and that it remains consistent whether in motion or at rest. Then one floats serenely and keeps to the guizhong (central measure). Gui is the compass used to draw circles, and the centre of the circle is the zhong. To keep to the central measure is to hold to correctness and balance, which is the meaning of yun zhi jue zhong (hold fast to the centre). "Hiding in the depths of the abyss" means being concentrated and pure. When one is pure and holds to the centre, body and mind no longer waver.

"Xuanqu yi shi ting" (turning and bending to see and hear) means withdrawing the gaze and hearing that have run outward, turning the light back to illuminate oneself, and gathering the spirit inward. "Kai he jie hetong" (opening and closing are all united) means that the mind holds to nothing, yet the shenqi (spirit and qi) remain clear and luminous. This both guards against wrong thoughts and nourishes sincerity, so that one neither forgets the practice nor forces it. "Wei ji zhi shuxia" (to be the pivot of the self) means that restraining selfish desire is taken as the key to self-cultivation. "Dong jing bu jie qiong" (in motion or stillness, never exhausted) means that whether one is moving or still, the practice is never interrupted.

In the phrase "li qi nei ying wei" (fire-qi moves within the nourishing and defensive channels), li symbolizes fire and also the shen (spirit). When the fire-qi stirs, the spirit easily becomes agitated and angry. If the mind is gathered within the nourishing and defensive channels, the circulation of blood and qi in the body, then anger can be restrained, the heart-fire descends, and the spirit becomes stable. In the phrase "kan nai bu yong cong" (water does not use hearing and sight to chase after things), kan symbolizes water and also the jing (essence). When the kidney-water stirs, the essence easily churns and desire arises. If the ears and eyes are not allowed to chase external things with excessive sharpness, desire is restrained, the kidney-water rises, and the essence is transformed. Dui symbolizes metal and also qing (emotion), whose nature is joy. If emotion is agitated, the mind may briefly rejoice, but it dissipates the essential qi. Speech is the voice of the mind. When one speaks little, the mind is calm and emotion is forgotten, and the inner joy can appear. Yin and yang then harmonize, the essence and qi merge into one whole, and one accords with the original state of nature.

Taken together, li, kan, and dui govern the three inner treasures: jing (essence), qi (qi), and shen (spirit). Outwardly, the ears, eyes, and mouth are gathered in. Inwardly, the essence, qi, and spirit are stabilized. When both inner and outer are held in control, inner thoughts do not run outward, external things cannot intrude, and the zhenren can rest in the kong fang (empty chamber). "Huan" (slow) means neither clinging nor departing, waiting with composure. The "empty chamber" is emptiness that has substance. It is not a dead void with nothing in it but a true emptiness. Though empty, it is not annihilation. This is why the text next says wei zhi gui xu wu, wu nian yi wei chang (entrust the will to return to emptiness and nothingness, and take non-thought as the constant). Wei zhi means to settle the will, which still implies nourishing it. Wu nian means that thoughts are not allowed to stir wildly. The danshu (alchemical texts) say zhi mie dong xin, bu mie zhao xin (only extinguish the moving mind, do not extinguish the illuminating mind). This is precisely the principle at issue.

"Zheng nan yi tui yi, xin zhuan bu zong heng" (proof is difficult to shift; when the mind is focused, it does not wander) means that concentrated attention prevents the thoughts from scattering. "Qin mei shen xiang bao, jue wu hou cun wang" (whether asleep or awake, spirit embraces spirit, and one watches over existence and non-existence) means that whether sleeping or waking, one does not forget the work of nourishing. Practised in this way, the six sense-roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) no longer leak essential qi outward. The inner zhenren of the dharma body is nourished, and the outer body also grows strong, with a lustrous complexion and firm joints.

"Pai que zhong yin xie, ran hou li zheng yang" (having expelled the many yin evils, only then does the upright yang stand) means that once the various yin evils have gradually been transformed away, the upright yang can be established, and the jin dan (golden elixir) then matures. If the work is not sufficient, the refining of the elixir cannot be complete. The word ranhou ("only then") is crucial. The ancient immortals said that as long as a single thread of yang remains, one will not die, and as long as a single thread of yin has not been transformed, one cannot become an immortal. So long as even a little yin remains, there is still a hidden danger. For this reason, cultivation must reach a state of pure yang without any yin.

Once the yin evils have receded and the upright yang is firm, one must continue the practice without interruption. At this stage the spirit is clear and the qi is refreshed, like clouds and rain moving through the sky, able to dissolve heat and vexation. The qi and fluids are moist, cold dissipates, and stagnation is loosened. "Cong tou liu da zu" (from head flowing to foot) describes qi and fluids moving from head to foot in an orderly and fine circulation. "Jiu jing fu shang sheng" (ultimately returning upward) describes the reversed movement of the qi, rising from the lower to the upper body. "Wang lai dong wu ji" (coming and going, penetrating without limit) describes a single qi moving back and forth, with a will that is firm and far-reaching. "Fu fu bei rong zhong" (at ease, held within the body) describes the release of all things, so that the heart has no private concerns.

"Fan zhe dao zhi yan" (returning is the proof of the Way) means that returning to simplicity is the sign that the Way has been attained. "Ruo zhe de zhi bing" (weakness is the handle of De) means that softness is the root of strength. If the practitioner can gradually remove the filth accumulated over many trials and carefully nourish the original innocence, then the turbid becomes clear and the dim becomes bright. The true qi gradually reaches through the body, moistening the skin. The inner sincerity appears outwardly, and at last one reaches a state in which both form and spirit are wondrous.

This section appears shallow on the surface, but its meaning is profound. The signs it lists are often explained through the posterior body, but they actually contain the secrets of nourishing the dharma body. From "zhenren qian shen yuan, fu you shou gui zhong" (the true person hides in the deep abyss, drifting and guarding the central measure) we can see that the passage concerns the progression into wuwei after the youwei work has been completed. If one understands it merely as refining the self (lian ji, the disciplining of mind and desire), one misses the author's intent. Here the "true person" refers to the shengtai (sacred embryo), the inner true body formed in cultivation. When one first begins refining the self, the sacred embryo has not yet appeared, so it is not yet possible to hide in the deep abyss and keep to the central measure.

This section is a commentary on the passage in the Cantong Qi concerning "nei yi yang ji" (within, one nourishes the self). The four lines "er mu kou san bao, bi sai wu fa tong, zhen ren qian shen yuan, fu you shou gui zhong" (ears, eyes, and mouth are the three treasures; close and block them without letting them open; the true person hides in the deep abyss and drifts while guarding the central measure) explain "nei yi yang ji, an jing xu wu, yuan ben yin ming, nei zhao xing qu" (within, one nourishes the self; one is tranquil and empty, the original is hidden yet luminous, and one illuminates the body inwardly). The passage from "xuanqu yi shi ting" to "ran hou li zheng yang" explains "san guang lu chen, wen yang zi zhu" (the three lights sink into obscurity, and one warms the child-pearl). The passage from "xiu zhi bu chuo xiu" (cultivate it without ceasing) to "xi wei de tiao chang" (the subtle is brought into harmony) explains "qin er xing zhi, su ye bu xiu" (be diligent in practice, day and night without rest). The passage from "zhuo zhe qing zhi lu" (the path by which the turbid becomes clear) to "run ze da ji fu" (moisture reaches the skin) explains the content of "fu shi san zai" (submitting to food for three years) through "chang le wu you" (long joy and no sorrow).

As for the six lines of the Cantong Qi beginning with "dao cheng de jiu" (when the Way is achieved and De is established), their meaning is fairly clear, so they are not elaborated here. From this we can see that this section concerns continuing to cultivate the nature (xing) after cultivating the life (ming). The closing lines, "chu zheng zhong xiu zhi, gu li mo ke chi" (if the beginning is upright, the end is cultivated, and the turning-establishment at the end can be sustained), also state this layer of meaning clearly. "Chu zheng gu li" refers to acting at the beginning, to cultivate life. "Zhong xiu mo chi" refers to turning to wuwei later, to complete the nature. Nature and life must be cultivated together, and the work has two stages, one before the other. Those of superior De need not first cultivate life. They cultivate the nature directly, and by practising this stage they can complete the great matter. Those of inferior De must first cultivate life and then cultivate the nature. Only when the foundation of life is truly secure can they practise this stage and enter the sacred realm.

The wuwei of the superior is to embrace the origin and guard the One, holding fast to the original qi of the prior heaven. The youwei of the inferior is to return from the posterior heaven to the prior heaven, that is, to return to this same qi. Without understanding the wuwei of the superior, one falls into emptiness and stillness. Without understanding the youwei of the inferior, one clings to the body and to illusions. Neither youwei nor wuwei should be grasped one-sidedly. This is the meaning of "zhi qi yi wan shi bi" (know the One, and all matters are complete). If practitioners have no enlightened teacher to guide them, this One becomes obscured by the qi of the posterior heaven, hidden and unmanifest, and so it is difficult to recognize. Therefore the scripture says: "yi zhe yi yan bi, shi ren mo zhi zhi" (the One is covered and concealed, and people in the world do not know it).

In deducing the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and their relations of mutual generation and mutual overcoming, only the key points need to be taken for illustration, without belaboring the details. For instance, pouring water onto fire quickly extinguishes the flame. Solar and lunar eclipses occur when the sun and moon obscure one another, usually around the new moon (the first day of the lunar month) and the full moon (the fifteenth day). When water is strong, Kan water (symbolizing yin water) encroaches upon yang qi; when fire is weak, Li fire (symbolizing yang fire) makes even the daytime grow dim. Yin and Yang join, nourish one another, and respond to each other in communion; this is the natural Dao.

Use the "name" (ming) to determine a condition and the "character" (zi) to explain an inherent nature. Though the words differ, they speak of the same principle. When Metal returns to its original root of nature and life, it may be called the Returning Elixir (huandan), a term in internal alchemy (neidan) for returning to one's origin and recondensing the primal energy into an elixir in the course of cultivation. I dare not speak idly; I merely explain following the words of the sages. Ancient texts once took "Dragon and Tiger" as their theme, and the Yellow Emperor praised the "Golden Flower." The Prince of Huainan refined "Autumn Stone" (a substance used in ancient alchemy), and the Perfected Yuyang added "Yellow Sprout" (a term in internal alchemy symbolizing the newly arisen true yang). Those who possess virtue and can uphold their cultivation may study these teachings, while those who are unsuited should not be forced to walk the same path. Past and present share one Dao, and when people discuss it, they are speaking of the essentials of seeking the Way through cultivation. Students should apply themselves all the more diligently, keep these words, and reflect on them deeply.