《参同直指》Vol. 3

The most important principle is stated very plainly and clearly, and it will never deceive anyone.

The Way of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) lies in bringing Yin-Yang into harmony. When Yin and Yang join and combine, the elixir forms; when they turn against each other, cultivation fails. By examining the regularities of generation and overcoming among the Five Phases (Wuxing), one can understand the Golden Elixir, and its key points are simple rather than complicated. For example, pouring water on fire extinguishes it: this is Water overcoming Fire. A solar eclipse occurs at the new moon, the first day of the lunar month, when Yin qi overwhelms Yang qi. A lunar eclipse occurs at the full moon, around the fifteenth day, when Yang qi overwhelms Yin qi. Likewise, the moon belongs to Water, and when Water qi is excessive it weakens sunlight; the sun belongs to Fire, and when Fire weakens, the daytime grows dim. These are all cases of Yin and Yang being excessive or deficient and unable to harmonize. If Yin and Yang respond to each other and join at the right moment, the Dao (the Way) runs of its own accord, and they would not harm each other.

The true nature (xing) of a person belongs to Yang, and true feeling (qing) belongs to Yin. Originally Yin and Yang issued from the same qi, and nature and feeling joined together, fully accordant with Heavenly principle (tianli). "Not knowing, not understanding" (bu shi bu zhi) speaks of the substance of nature, while "following the rules of the Emperor" (shun di zhi ze) speaks of the functioning of feeling. Both nature and feeling manifest naturally and are not artificially made. They share one body and differ only in name, just as a person has a personal name (ming) and a style name (zi). The name designates his circumstances, and the style expresses his disposition. Name and style still refer to the same person, so how could nature and feeling be two separate things?

Once a person enters the circumstances of postnatal life (houtian), the true becomes mixed with the false. Yin and Yang separate, nature and feeling turn against each other, and they no longer join. It is like water surging to excess, with the water of the Kan trigram injuring Yang, and the Fire of the Li trigram weakening until its brightness is lost. True feeling then becomes false feeling, and true nature becomes false nature. The Golden Elixir is the means of reuniting feeling with nature, seeking the true within the false and vitality within decline, so that Yin and Yang return to harmony. This restores the original state in which, fully accordant with Heavenly principle, one is "not knowing, not understanding, following the rules of the Emperor." This is called "returning the elixir" (huandan): restoring what was originally present, neither adding something from nothing nor diminishing anything. It is also called "returning to the origin and restoring the root."

I do not presume to set forth doctrines out of nothing. What imitates the writings of the sages is the Immortal Elder's explanation of his own annotations, and these statements have a basis and are not baseless talk. The returning elixir has had many names since antiquity. Ancient records call it the "Dragon-Tiger Elixir" (longhu dan). The Yellow Emperor called it the "Beautiful Gold Completion" (meijin bi), Huainan called it "Autumn Stone" (qiushi), Yuyang called it "Yellow Sprout" (huangya), and the Cantong (Kinship of the Three) calls it "gold sand" or "knife-and-measure" (daogui). All these names describe the same returning elixir.

When people of superior capacity hear this Way, they practice it diligently, which is why it is said, "the worthy can uphold and practice it." When people of shallow capacity hear it, they laugh and leave, which is why it is said, "the unworthy should not take part with it." The principles of past and present have always been consistent, and sages discussing with one another and explaining their insights all centered on the same aim of cultivation. The Great Way of the Golden Elixir has been transmitted orally and heart to heart by sages across the ages, and their exchange of insights is learning grounded in true observation and experience, not guesswork or private speculation. Attaining the Dao comes at different times, but the principles of practice are the same. Take the Cantong: the Immortal Elders Wei Boyang and Xu Congshi both received instruction from Master Yin (Yin Zhenren) and confirmed their understanding through each other. How could this be empty talk?

If students earnestly contemplate, suddenly grasp the essentials, penetrate the principles deeply, and practice diligently, they have hope of attaining the Dao. Then they will understand that the Immortal Elders' words are clear and credible and have never deceived anyone. It is regrettable that some foolish people mistake the Cantong for a method of refining ordinary cinnabar and mercury. They betray the Immortal Elder's earnest purpose in writing to guide the world, and so become slanderers of the sacred Dao, yet still fail to repent while calling themselves cultivated adepts, which is truly shameful. This section explains the meaning of the passage on "the sages of old" (wei xi sheng xian) in the Cantong Qi.

Hu powder (lead white), when cast into fire, changes color and in the end reverts to lead; ice and snow, when they meet hot broth, also melt. In refining elixirs (dan), one should take cinnabar-type minerals (sha) as the main material and blend them with mercury. The transformations of substances depend on each one's genuine nature, and their beginnings and endings follow one another.

Those who wish to refine elixirs that can be taken to sustain life and grant longevity should choose materials of similar nature. To grow grain, one uses grain seed; to hatch chickens, one uses eggs. By relying on like things in accordance with nature, the refining process readily brings the materials to form and transformation. Fish eyes cannot pass for pearls, and artemisia cannot grow into a catalpa tree. Things of the same nature easily cooperate with one another, while things of opposed nature cannot be refined into precious treasures. Swallows and sparrows cannot give birth to phoenixes, and foxes and hares cannot raise horses. Water flows downward and will not burn upward; fire rises upward and will not moisten downward.

Many people who study the Dao consider their learning lofty and their talent extraordinary, yet they never receive genuine transmission and so waste their fire and their money in vain. They rely only on written words to make inferences and refine according to their own ideas, without clarifying the origins and relationships of their materials, and they mismanage the quantities and the timing of the fire. They grind Qiang stone-gall, mica, alum, and lodestone, roast sulfur and yuzhang wood, mix clay and mercury, and treat five-stone copper obtained from drum-bellows smelting as the essential auxiliary. How could such different materials fuse into one body? Attempting this a thousand times will bring ten thousand failures, and the attempt to be clever only reveals foolishness. Even if one succeeds by chance, success will still be hard to achieve; only adepts who have truly attained the Dao can genuinely understand its principles.

Some people refine from youth until their hair turns white, yet they remain perplexed midway, turn away from the proper path, and become fixated on byways. This is like looking at things through a bamboo tube: the field of vision is narrow, and it is difficult to infer the deeper and more distant principles.

The previous section explained that only when metal returns to its original nature is it called the "Returning Elixir" (huan dan). If one abandons one's own nature and disposition and instead refines many things whose qualities differ from one's own, hoping thereby to preserve life and attain immortality, how could such a principle hold?

Consider huyfen (white lead pigment, the lead white of ancient times), which is made by roasting black lead; if it is put back into fire, it still turns into lead. Ice and snow are cold water condensed, and when they meet warmth they melt back into water. Cinnabar is mercury transformed, and when it meets fire it reverts to mercury. Gold mixed with mercury becomes white, and when it meets fire it returns to yellow. These substances can transform into one another because, before and after the change, none of them departs from its own nature. Therefore, when the materials used before and after are of the same kind, they readily take effect. Yet those who wish to cultivate "subduing and sustaining" (fu shi) to become immortals, while refusing to use things of the same kind as themselves, how could they succeed?

"Subduing" (fu) means concealing the innate qi (xiantian zhi qi) and keeping it from stirring without cause. This is what Mencius meant when he said, "I am good at nourishing my vast, flood-like qi" (haoran zhi qi). "Sustaining" (shi) means nourishing the emptiness with fullness, so that the body within is filled. Mencius said that this qi is "greatest and most unyielding," and that when it is nourished by righteousness without being harmed, it fills the space between heaven and earth. To nourish the vast qi until it fills heaven and earth, unbound by the transformations of creation and unmoved by the myriad things, is what is meant here by "subduing and sustaining."

Human beings receive from heaven a single portion of this vast, upright qi when they are born, and so they too must nourish and conceal this qi in order to attain the Dao. They cannot rely on ingesting substances whose nature differs from their own. It is like sowing grain with grain seed, or hatching chicks from eggs: by following the principle that things give birth to their own kind, life naturally achieves its completion without the need for force. Fish eyes do not become pearls, artemisia does not grow into catalpa, swallows and sparrows do not produce phoenixes, and foxes and rabbits do not give birth to horses. Water does not burn upward, and fire does not moisten downward. When the natures of things differ and their kinds are not alike, how can one expect them to bring each other to completion?

In the world there are many people who study the Dao, who consider their own talents outstanding yet do not seek a true teacher. Having once heard of the Golden Elixir (jin dan), they assume it means refining gold and stone in a furnace. They make rash inferences from ancient books and guess privately, and so they spend their wealth refining the five metals and eight minerals, hoping to be immortal by swallowing them. They do not realize that these heterogeneous substances are not of the same kind as themselves, and how could such things remain in the body for long? Even after repeated failure they refuse to awaken, clinging to the hope that they have merely lacked the right opportunity or sufficient fortune, and they persist in this until death without regret.

Alas, these people have forgotten the purpose of cultivating the Dao. Halfway along they grow doubtful, turn from the orthodox path to heterodox ways, and still deceive themselves into believing they have gained something. They write down the practices of the side paths and heterodox teachings and compose them into treatises, with the blind leading the blind. With narrow understanding and shallow speculation, how could such works serve as a measure for the true path of cultivation that comes after? This section comments on the meaning of the passage on the "Maiden by the River" (Heshang Chanü) in the Qiwen (Text of Accord).

Gold placed in a fierce fire does not lose its luster. Since heaven and earth first opened, the brightness of sun and moon has never diminished. Gold does not lose its heaviness, and the forms of sun and moon remain as they always were. Gold is born from the moon: on the first day of the lunar month, the sun comes and bestows its light upon it. Gold returns to its mother, and at the end of the month, sun and moon enfold each other. The moon hides its outline and sinks into emptiness and stillness. When gold recovers its original nature, the fire in the cauldron gives off light.

The previous section said that to attain the arts of consuming herbs and becoming an immortal, one should rely on "the same kind" (tonglei) as the basis. The "same kind" refers to the good, innate nature that humans already possess. When it takes form in acquired consciousness, it becomes the true knowing that arises from the Dao-mind (daoxin), the original mind in accord with the Dao. This feeling belongs to Metal among the Five Phases, and alchemical texts call it "true gold" (zhenjin). True gold endures through countless kalpas without decay. It is the ladder to the realm of sages and the seed of cultivation for immortals and buddhas. To understand the way of nature and life, one has no path apart from this true gold.

Consider metals in the world. Gold is firm in nature and hard in substance, and the more it is refined by fire, the brighter it shines. This is the meaning of the saying that true gold does not fear fire. The luster of gold is not stolen by blazing flames, just as the brightness of sun and moon is not diminished by shining on all things. Since heaven and earth opened, myriad things have arisen, changed, and perished, yet only the forms of sun and moon have remained constant. Gold is heavy and lasts without decay, so it is said that gold is as bright and enduring as sun and moon. If ordinary gold is like this, true gold is even more so.

The true knowing signified by true gold is a feeling that does not cling to external things. It appears empty and still, yet it contains a subtle vitality. It is not bound to existence or non-existence, nor to form and image. It belongs to Yang within Yin, like moonlight, and so it is said that "gold is born from the moon." Since gold is born from the moon, the operation of Golden Elixir cultivation should also follow the waxing and waning of the moon, advancing and withdrawing in due order.

The moon is originally pure Yin, and it shows brightness only by reflecting the sun. This brightness symbolizes true gold. On the first day of the month, the sun gives its light to the moon, and once the moon receives this sunlight, it begins to gestate Yang energy. On the third day, one Yang appears within Kun (the Earth, symbolizing pure Yin), and this is gold returning to its mother. Earth generates metal, so Kun Earth is gold's mother. Gold's return to its mother is what is called "gaining companions in the southwest."

The moon grows from one Yang, to two, to three, and on the fifteenth day its light is full, after which it turns from fullness to waning. From the sixteenth day, Yin begins to sprout within. By the thirtieth, when the moon is dark, no moonlight remains, and the sun encloses the moon's body, returning it to the image of pure Kun. The moon gathers in its outline, conceals its traces, and sinks into a state of emptiness and stillness.

This can also be compared to cultivation of the Dao. When emptiness and stillness reach their utmost, true knowing and numinous knowing unite as one, and suddenly a single point of true numinous light appears. This light is also called "spirit luminosity" (shenming), "white within black," "gold within water," or "the Qi of primordial true unity" (xiantian zhenyi qi). It is like the moon borrowing the sun's light, like one Yang being born in the midst of Kun. It grows from faint to manifest, until its light is full and true numinosity abides. After this, one must still undergo ten months of nourishment and practice, guarding carefully, gathering the Shen (spirit), and not showing its edge. Thus it is hidden and submerged, returning to a realm without form or trace, like moonlight vanishing as sun and moon embrace and become one body.

"Gold recovers its original nature" means that true knowing of feeling and numinous knowledge of nature merge into one. Feeling returns to nature, and once nature is settled, feeling no longer clings. One enters a state without deliberation or agitation, accords with the natural order, and true gold returns to its origin.

In "the cauldron's light glows bright," xi refers to the color and radiance of flame. When feeling returns to nature and nature unites with feeling, innate knowing and innate capacity are still and unmoving, yet they respond to whatever stirs. Numinous knowing is clear and does not darken, and this is fire returning to its source. When gold returns to its origin and fire returns to its root, gold and fire dwell in one palace. The medicine is the fire, and the fire is the medicine. The light and flame within the cauldron remain constantly bright, and this is what is meant by "the cauldron's light glows bright." "The cauldron has light" refers to the empty and numinous cauldron. "The light has power" refers to vigorous, luminous radiance. Being both vigorous and empty, possessing Qi without form, it cannot be harmed by myriad things. This is the state in which true gold recovers its original nature. This passage explains the section of the Zhouyi Cantong Qi that runs from "the flowing pearl of the sun" to "congealing until it becomes firm."

Refining the Daoist alchemy passage. The source text describes the timing of fire-control (huohou) in internal alchemy, the symbolism of the cauldron (lu ding), and the union of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger.

Fire-control (huohou) in alchemical practice is not set arbitrarily; the numerical symbolism of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) can be used to explain its regularities. The crescent-shaped vessel (yanyue lu) symbolizes the furnace-cauldron, the vessel used in alchemical work, while the White Tiger symbolizes the critical point of refinement. When the mercury day transforms into the "flowing pearl" (liuzhu), a technical term for the mercury's changing form during the process, the Azure Dragon moves along with it. Joining the Azure Dragon of the east with the White Tiger of the west allows the hun and po (here referring to the two opposing forces of yin and yang) to blend naturally.

At the first quarter moon, the number of the Dui trigram is eight; at the last quarter moon, the number of the Gen trigram is also eight. When the two quarters come together, jing and qi condense. The mercury day transforms into the flowing pearl, and the Azure Dragon moves with it; when east and west unite, the hun and po blend naturally. The Dui number of eight at the upper quarter and the Gen number of eight at the lower quarter, with the jing and qi of the two joined, give rise to the body of Qian and Kun (heaven and earth, yin and yang). Two "eights" combined make one jin, symbolizing the proper balance of yin and yang, and by this the Way of alchemy is kept in equilibrium.

The previous section spoke of "gold and fire in the same palace" (jin huo tong gong), meaning the restoration of gold to its original nature. This practice of returning to the origin and realizing the true (fan ben gui zhen) belongs to the methods of application taught in the Yinfu Jing (Classic of Hidden Accord). If the practice has not reached its proper stage, Yin and Yang cannot be harmonized and completed.

The Huo Ji (Record of Fire) was not composed out of nothing. It uses the Yijing (Book of Changes) to explain that "fire" is not an actual flame but a metaphor drawn from the mutual harmonizing of Yin and Yang qi. Yin and Yang follow patterns of fullness and depletion, decline and growth, and so the sages wrote the Huo Ji to clarify these changes. Its claims are not fictions. They rest on the symbolism of the Yijing's hexagrams and lines, and on the changes of fortune and misfortune, remorse and humiliation (ji xiong hui lin), that they depict.

The Kan hexagram (Kan gua) symbolizes the moon, and the moon belongs to Water. When the moon occupies the southwest position of pure Yin, the faint Yang qi begins to appear, and this is called "gold within water" (shui zhong jin). Its light appears to rise and fall, and so it is called the "reclining moon" (yan yue). This image signifies the critical moment when Yang gradually advances and Yin gradually recedes. For this reason the reclining moon is used to represent the furnace and cauldron (lu ding), the symbols that stand for the conditions of cultivation in the alchemical practice. The Kan hexagram itself is not taken as the furnace and cauldron.

The light of the reclining moon appears from the west, so it is associated with Metal (gold) and the White Tiger (bai hu). In the human body it corresponds to emotion (qing). Metal generates Water: if the White Tiger harms the person, it signifies false emotion (wang qing); if Water generates Metal, and the White Tiger protects the person, it signifies true emotion (zhen qing). When true emotion appears, Water does not overflow but returns to its source, and so true essence (zhen jing), the pure and genuine part of the vital essence, can be generated. Therefore the true emotion signified by the White Tiger is the key to refining true water. What is called the reversed operation of the Five Phases is "the tiger born within water."

The Li hexagram (Li gua) of the Yijing symbolizes the sun, the sun belongs to Fire, and it also symbolizes the flowing pearl. Fire is born from Wood, so Fire contains the qi of Wood, and it is associated with the Azure Dragon (qing long). In the human body it corresponds to nature (xing). Wood generates Fire: if the Azure Dragon harms the person, it signifies vital temperament (qi xing); if Fire generates Wood, and the Azure Dragon gives the person life, it signifies true nature (zhen xing). When true nature appears, Fire no longer blazes outward but returns to its root, and so the Azure Dragon is said to unite with it. What is called the Five Phases not running in their usual order is "the dragon emerging from fire."

The dragon's nature is Yang and symbolizes the hun (ethereal soul). The tiger's emotion is Yin and symbolizes the po (corporeal soul). When Metal is born within Water and Wood is born within Fire, true emotion and true nature meet, and the hun and po bind one another so that they no longer separate. When the hun and po unite, Yin contains Yang, as in the Kan hexagram and the waxing half-moon, which symbolize the gold of eight liang. Yang also contains Yin, as in the Li hexagram and the waning half-moon, which symbolize the water of half a jin. Hardness and softness both return to centrality and rectitude, Metal and Water stay in balance, and Water and Fire harmonize with one another. True nature and true emotion, and the breaths of the waxing and waning moon, become one body and return to the vigor of Qian (Heaven), the yielding of Kun (Earth), and the simplicity and innate knowing and ability (liang zhi liang neng) that are naturally present. In this way one joins with Heaven, pairs with Earth, the Golden Elixir (jin dan) condenses, and the foundation of life becomes lasting and secure.

This is why the way of change in the Yi principle is precious and does not lead to collapse. This section explains the meaning of the passage in the Cantong Qi (Seal of the Unity of the Three) from "the Golden Flower leads the way" (jin hua xian chang) to "how dare there be a sound" (he gan you sheng).

Most people are drawn to shallow little techniques and do not understand that the Dao has depths and shallows. They abandon the proper path and take crooked side roads in search of quick results, and so they never get anywhere. This is like a blind person who does not know the use of a walking staff, or a deaf person who cannot make out tones. It is like trying to catch pheasants and hares in water, or climbing a mountain to look for fish and dragons. It is like planting wheat and expecting to harvest millet, or using a compass to draw a square. Such people exhaust their strength and wear out their spirit, busy themselves for a whole year, and in the end achieve nothing. Those who wish to know the methods by which immortals refine, nourish, and take in elixirs will find that the essentials are simple and not complicated.

The earlier passage said that harmonizing Yin-Yang (yinyang) and grasping the fire timing (huohou) must both follow the principles of the Yi (Book of Changes), and only then can great work be accomplished. If one goes against the principles of the Yi, one is not in accord with the Dao. An ancient immortal said: "The body is preserved by means of the Dao, and life is prolonged by means of technique." The art of prolonging life can draw upon Yin-Yang, turn the processes of transformation, reverse Qian and Kun (heaven and earth), move the sun and moon, turn the handle of the Big Dipper, regulate the qi (vital energy) movements, and arrange heaven and earth so as to nourish the myriad things. This is the most important technique of both past and present. Only those who are born with wisdom and great virtue can practice it.

Foolish and confused people do not understand the depths and shallows of the Dao. They love only minor techniques, abandon the orthodox way, and enter the side paths. They are like the blind man who does not recognize a staff, or the deaf man who cannot hear a sound. They try to catch pheasants and hares in water, climb mountains to look for fish and dragons, plant wheat while hoping for millet, and use a compass to seek squares, wasting their effort in vain. How could they know that the great method of immortal refinement and elixir-taking is simple and not complicated, and that, it is said, an elixir can be completed within a single double-hour? This passage explains the meaning of the section of the Cantong Qi (Kinship of the Three) from "bude qili" (failing to grasp its principle) through "yu dao guaili" (being at odds with the Dao).

Zi and Wu added together make three, and Wu and Ji, the earth stems, together make five. When three and five are brought into harmony, the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) each take their proper place. Exhalation and inhalation nourish each other, and when the breath pauses and gathers, it resembles the union of husband and wife. Yellow earth is the father of metal, and flowing pearl (mercury) is the son of water. Water regards earth as the force that restrains it, and earth holds water down so that it cannot stir recklessly. The Vermilion Bird is the essence of fire, responsible for harmonizing and balancing victory and defeat. When the water is abundant, the raging fire is extinguished, and both water and fire return to the thick earth. The three natures thus converge and return to their common source.

The previous section introduced fushi (the gathering and condensing of medicinal substances to refine the inner elixir, neidan), a method that is simple and uncomplicated. This method is the method of harmonizing the Five Phases (Wuxing) so that they blend into one. Zi belongs to the Kan trigram, which is water, and Wu belongs to the Li trigram, which is fire. Kan is paired with Wu, and Li is paired with Ji. The solid center of Kan symbolizes true knowledge, and Wu symbolizes the faithfulness of true knowledge. The empty center of Li symbolizes spiritual knowledge, and Ji symbolizes the faithfulness of spiritual knowledge. The number of Kan is one and the number of Li is two, and together they make three. Wu and Ji belong to earth and occupy the center, so together they are called five.

In terms of external correspondence, Kan's water is taken to fill Li's fire, using pure, unified water to temper bright fire. In terms of internal correspondence, the qi of Wu earth is made to flow toward Ji earth, so that the firm faithfulness of yang joins the yielding intention of yin. This is what is called the "harmony of three and five." When three and five are harmonized, the innate nature, emotion, and essence of Xiantian (Prior Heaven) can govern the spirit, soul, and corporeal soul of Houtian (Later Heaven). The yin and yang positions of the Eight Trigrams are thereby fixed, and the governing principles of creation are set in order. The "eight stones" mentioned here are symbols of the Eight Trigrams, in which yang is the guiding principle and yin is the organizing pattern. Kan and Li are the pivots of the Eight Trigrams' movement. When Kan and Li are harmonized, the yin and yang of the other six trigrams are also brought into accord, and each rests in its place.

Once the governing principles are established, movement is exhalation, and exhalation gives rise to yang. Stillness is inhalation, and inhalation gives rise to yin. Yin and yang depend on each other, movement and stillness correspond, breath and breathing connect, and each nourishes the other, so that emotion and nature join in harmony. When the breath is steady and settled, it resembles the union of husband and wife. The qi of Xiantian comes out of emptiness and condenses into an elixir pearl the size of a millet grain. The above explains the meaning of the passage in the Cantong Qi (Kinship of the Three) from "cinnabar and wood essence" to "all return to Wu and Ji."

Water, fire, and earth are all essential elements of the Dao. When the three are unified, one can produce the elixir, become a sage, and return to Xiantian. When the three are separated, human beings and all things are produced, and one falls into Houtian. Earth can generate metal, so yellow earth is called the father of metal. Water can generate wood, so flowing pearl is called the son of water. How does earth generate metal? By using the empty, numinous intent of Ji earth in Li to subdue the turbid water mixed into Kan's water, one obtains the emotion of metal that true knowledge represents. This is why it is said that "earth holds water down, and it does not rise." How does water generate wood? By using the pure, undivided true water of Kan to subdue the fierce, dry fire of the Li palace, one preserves the wood nature that spiritual knowledge represents. This is why it is said that "when water is abundant, fire is extinguished."

There seems to be a contradiction here. If water can extinguish fire, why does it say that earth holds water down? And how does fire harmonize victory and defeat? This is because there is mixed water and pure water, and there is fierce fire and gentle fire. What earth holds down is the mixed water, and what water extinguishes is the fierce fire. When mixed water dries up, pure water appears. When fierce fire ceases, gentle fire emerges. "All die and return to the thick earth" means that after earth holds water down, the water dries and the mud solidifies; after water extinguishes fire, the fire goes out and the ashes return to earth. This mutual generation and restraint contains generation within restraint.

When true knowledge and spiritual knowledge unite, true emotion and true nature share the same qi, and firmness and softness both return to the centered and correct. This is like the sun crow and the moon hare meeting on the yellow path (the ecliptic). The medicine is fire, and the fire is the medicine. Water, fire, and earth merge into one household and condense into a golden elixir (jindan) the size of a millet grain, and together they return to their source.

Only when yin and yang truly unite can it be called "sharing a common ancestor." If yin and yang have not yet reached union and still lean toward one side or stand alone, then the state of undifferentiated, unified qi has not been reached, and one cannot speak of returning to a common source. This is precisely the deeper meaning of the line in the Cantong Qi, "contain the origin in the void and the danger, and scatter essence at zi." "Void and danger" refers to the place where yin and yang meet, and it is also the middle path along which the sun and moon move in accord. Therefore, it contains primordial essence (yuanjing). Primordial essence is another name for the golden elixir, which is the common source spoken of here. The above explains the meaning of the passage in the Cantong Qi from "firmness and softness rise in turn" to "scatter essence at zi."

Even sesame can prolong life, so how much more so can the returned elixir (huandan), the internal elixir that has been refined to completion, be taken as medicine. Metal is hard and resists decay, which is why it is regarded as the treasure of all things. Cultivators who take it in are said to attain long life.

Earth qi moves through the four seasons and maintains the boundaries and order of each season. When golden sand (Jin Sha) enters the five viscera and six bowels, its medicinal power spreads like mist and flows throughout the body like wind and rain, nourishing the limbs and giving the complexion a healthy luster. White hair turns black, and fallen teeth grow back. Old men regain youth, and old women become young again. Once golden sand enters the body, its potency reaches every part of it, transforming a person's appearance and freeing them from worldly calamities. Such a person is called a Zhenren (Perfected Person), one who has accomplished the cultivation of the Way and is in accord with the Dao.

The Way of the Golden Elixir (Jin Dan), it is said, once accomplished, can be preserved indefinitely. Its results are subtle and wondrous, and its effects are immediately visible. Those who understand this Way can reach the other shore directly. Yet most people do not believe it and hold that such a thing cannot exist. Consider sesame, which is a postnatal (houtian) substance with physical form and substance: when people take it over a long period, it can still prolong their lives. How much more so the Golden Elixir, which is a prenatal (xiantian) treasure of supreme value. Once it is refined and taken into the body, how could it fail to grant long life? Metal is hard in substance and does not decay over time, which is why it is prized as a treasure. The qi of true gold is pure yang. When cultivators take it in, how could they fail to become immortals?

Earth qi arises in the four seasons, and the four seasons and eight solar nodes each keep their proper order, moving on without end. After a person takes in golden sand, it is said, the limbs and entire body are transformed in appearance and complexion, and so they escape calamity. If a person who aspires to cultivate the Way receives the oral instructions of a master, they can advance from purposeful cultivation (youwei) into the state of non-action (wuwei). They come to understand the principles of nature and life (xingming), bringing both body and spirit to a refined condition, becoming one with the great Dao, and becoming Zhenren whose lifespan equals that of heaven and earth. As for strong limbs, a lustrous complexion, hair turning black, and fallen teeth regrowing, these are merely incidental results. This section explains the meaning of the passage beginning "ru shen zao feng" in the Cantong qi (Kinship of the Three).

There is nothing in the laws of Heaven and Earth grander than Heaven and Earth themselves. Between them lie profound and mysterious passages (Dao, the Way) that stretch for tens of thousands of li. When the Drum Star (Hegu) drew near Xingji, an ancient lunar lodge, people were all alarmed. When the shadow of the Zan star moved back and forth in an unusual way, calamity would come within nine years. After the sovereign observed these celestial signs, he would withdraw to examine himself and correct his conduct. When the pivots of Heaven and Earth's movement rose and fell, the baneful qi dispersed. Though rivers appear to run dry, their water ultimately still flows back into the sea.

The Way of the Golden Elixir (Jindan), the internal and alchemical cultivation path of Daoism, is the most profound and mysterious of all. It is supremely numinous, and it secretly accords with the regularities by which Heaven and Earth move.

The Golden Elixir (Jindan) Way is the most profound and subtle of all. It secretly accords with the workings of Heaven and Earth and harmonizes with the transformations of nature, enabling what has form to return to formlessness and what is formless to bring forth form. For this reason, the ancient immortal perfected (zhenren, realized persons who have attained the Dao) looked upward to observe celestial phenomena and downward to examine the terrain. They drew upon the changes of Yin-Yang to transform the processes of nature, thereby preserving the bodily form of life and accomplishing the Great Dao.

The Immortal Elder (Xianweng) opens by using Heaven and Earth to explain "models and images" (faxiang, forms taken as the basis for emulation and explanation), because the Dao is originally formless, while Heaven and Earth have visible form. By using the formed to illustrate the formless, and concrete things to reveal the principle of emptiness, the void Dao can manifest through the images of Heaven and Earth. These images are vast and conspicuous, and thus easy to observe. Consider that Heaven and Earth are separated by an immense distance, yet before good or ill fortune has appeared on the ground, signs of change already show in the heavens. When the qi (vital energy) of Heaven deviates even slightly, troubles arise on earth. This is because one side responds to the other: though their forms are separated, their qi communicates.

The "Dark Ditch" (xuangou) refers to the empty and profound space between Heaven and Earth. Because it is boundless and deeply hard to fathom, it is called the Dark Ditch. "Hegu" (the Drum Star) and "Xingji" are both names of stars. When the Drum Star moves to the position of Xingji, it fails to follow its regular celestial degrees. When the shadow of the sun shows irregular advance and retreat, this likewise indicates that the sun's course has gone astray. Both situations depart from the ordinary. When celestial phenomena are abnormal, calamities such as floods, droughts, warfare, and pestilence often follow. For this reason, when ancient rulers saw such anomalies, they would withdraw, reflect, and repent, seeking to restore the favor of Heaven.

This may also be compared with the course of a human life. At birth, a person's nature is pure and unified, with Yin and Yang in harmony. By the age of "er ba" (literally "two eights," generally around sixteen), one who can nourish and preserve this pure Yang body is called a person of supreme De (shangde). Yet at this stage, except for those born as sages, few can retain this innate true Yang qi. Most people follow the natural course of change: when Yang reaches its extreme, Yin is born, and once Yin arises, the innate state (xiantian) turns into the acquired state (houtian). Yang gradually recedes and Yin gradually grows, so people indulge their desires, abandon what is genuine, and chase after what is false. This is the "Five Phases proceeding in natural order" (wuxing shunxing). It is like being in a fire pit within the world, and like stars leaving their positions and the sun's shadow going astray: calamity arrives swiftly.

Those who possess the Dao, however, observe the principles in Heaven, Earth, the myriad things, and their own lives. They cultivate the Golden Elixir Way of purposive action (youwei), returning to the root and restoring the original source. This is the "Five Phases reversed" (wuxing diandao), like transforming the earth into the Seven Treasures. It resembles a ruler who observes the heavens and governs the state, abolishing old abuses, establishing new institutions, turning calamities into auspicious signs, and restoring disorder to order.

"Guan" is the iron barrier outside the gate, and "jian" is the wooden bolt inside it. With barrier and bolt in place, thieves and harmful qi cannot easily enter. Cultivating the Dao also requires such a barrier and bolt, so that demonic forces and evil spirits recede. The barrier guards against external things, and the bolt prevents private desires from arising within. Guarding the outside means defending against the miscellaneous qi that intrudes from without; guarding the inside means preventing private thoughts from arising within oneself. When inside and outside are tightly sealed, inner thoughts do not wander out and external evils do not enter. Yin qi then gradually recedes, Yang qi grows, the Four Images (sixiang) come into harmony, and the Five Phases gather together. The "Four Images" and "Five Phases" in cultivation are generalizations of Yin-Yang and of the relations among its transformations. In this way, it is like the rivers and hundred streams flowing into the sea, no longer diverging and scattering.

Confucius said, "If one day one can overcome oneself and return to ritual, the whole world will turn to benevolence (ren)." This statement illustrates the essential point of guarding the barriers within and without and restraining private desires, and it also shows the effect that correcting one's faults can bring.

Heaven and earth are matched through Yin and Yang, like female and male responding to each other, and the qi-mechanism (qiji) moves back and forth between the Zishi hour and the Wushi hour. The Yin and Shen positions are the starting points of Yin-Yang change: Yin and Yang qi go out and come in, circulate and return, and arrive again at a new beginning. By following the regular motion of the Seven Stars of the Beidou (Northern Dipper), one can grasp the subtle principles within it, and the advances and retreats of the qi-mechanism also reveal corresponding effects.

The qi-mechanism follows the course of the Beidou and moves the Yaoguang star (the seventh star of the Northern Dipper). From the star position that holds the handle of the Dipper, the governing principle of the seasons and times is then determined. The commentary notes that some editions read "Yaozhao" instead. However, "yao" is not the name of a star in the Dipper and cannot be used to determine the governing principle of the seasons and times, so this passage is explained here as "Yaoguang."

Earlier it was said that the methods of refining the elixir take their model from Heaven and Earth, so the Way of the Golden Elixir (Jin Dan) is also the principle by which Heaven and Earth operate. The movement of Heaven and Earth is made up of Yin and Yang: Heaven belongs to Yang and Earth to Yin. Yang qi begins to stir at the Zi hour (midnight) and reaches its peak at the Si hour (roughly 9 to 11 a.m.). Yin qi begins to stir at the Wu hour (noon) and reaches its peak at the Hai hour (roughly 9 to 11 p.m.). Between day and night, the Zi and Wu hours shift in turn, which is how the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth move back and forth between Zi and Wu.

After the summer solstice, the point where the sun rises and the point where it sets gradually move toward the south. After the winter solstice, they move back toward the north, and the cycle repeats. This passage uses the Yin and Shen hours to show where the movement of Yin and Yang begins and where it turns. Tiangang (the seventh star of the Big Dipper, also called the Broken Army star, Pojun) is regarded as the bearer of this turning. The place where Tiangang sits is considered an inauspicious direction, and the direction it points to is considered auspicious. Taking the months as an example, the Yuejian (the system that marks months with the twelve Earthly Branches) falls on Zi. Tiangang then sits at Wu and points to Zi, when water is strong and fire is weak. When the Yuejian falls on Wu, Tiangang sits at Zi and points to Wu, when fire is strong and water is weak. The twelve months follow this pattern of changing positions, and in one year the Dipper circles the heavens once. The sixth star of the Big Dipper is called the Heng star. With Tiangang in front and the Heng star behind, the turning of the seasons drives the transformation of all things. This is why the text says that the Dipper follows the heavens, that its handle governs the measure of the Heng star, and that it fixes the order of the seasons and years.

A practitioner who understands the timing and rhythm of the rising of Yin and Yang within the body, and who grasps the turning that Tiangang symbolizes and the circling of the Dipper's handle, can accord with the seasons and regulate the body. Such a person can gather medicine at the right time, concentrate on refining, and restore the Prior Heaven nature and original qi. Here "gathering medicine" (caiyao) and "refining" (pengling) are terms of internal alchemy (Neidan). They refer to gathering and nourishing the jing, qi, and shen within the body and mind according to the method of cultivation. The true meaning of Tiangang is hard to recognize, and the ancients held that it requires a genuine master to point the way. The scripture also says: "The sun and moon often reach the Xu position; at every moment the Broken Army star appears. One position before the Broken Army, the vow is never to pass it on to others." The Broken Army is Tiangang. The direction one position ahead of it is believed to contain the true Prior Heaven qi, the root qi from which all things are generated. Ancient immortals gathered and refined this primal qi in order to perfect nature and life together. The saying "Attain the One, and all affairs are complete" refers to obtaining this root qi. The alchemical scriptures do not state directly what Tiangang is or where the primal qi lies. The author believed this was because they feared that the wrong people would obtain it and bring calamity upon themselves. Wuyuanzi, however, says that he has taken the risk of transmitting his master's meaning and reveals only a little of the secret. If a person of real aspiration understands it, they will recognize that it has been shown by the spirits.

The true Tiangang is nothing other than the true knowing within the Dao-mind (Daoxin). This true knowing possesses the most pure Yang qi of the Prior Heaven. It governs Yin and Yang, contains the Five Phases, and is the root of nature and life and the source of De (Virtue). When it remains hidden within the heart, it is called true nature (zhenxing). When it manifests, it is called true feeling (zhenqing). The difference between nature and feeling lies only in whether they are still or moving. This primal qi originally belongs to the self, but once a person falls into the Posterior Heaven state, true knowing is obscured. Intelligence and talent are directed outward, delusive thoughts arise within, and true knowing turns into false perception. The qi that is generated then becomes a force that consumes life. As a result, the Prior Heaven qi seems to leave the self. Although Tiangang is still within the body, it points outward.

To restore the Prior Heaven state, one must recover true feeling from false emotions and seek vitality within crisis. When true feeling appears, true knowing will emerge. When true knowing emerges, one can turn the light back and observe inwardly. Then Tiangang turns to point toward the heart. The vital qi is gathered inward and does not dissipate outward, so the Four Images can be harmonized, the Five Phases can be gathered, nature and life can be repaired, and the Great Dao can be completed. The author sighs that without firm resolve, without diligent inquiry into principle, and without effort to seek true knowing, one cannot personally recognize Tiangang. Such teachings are fit only for those capable of understanding them.

The materials used in the ascent-and-decoction process are placed in a vessel resembling a steamer (zeng) and steamed and refined over a strong fire. The White Tiger (Baihu), a force or ingredient in the refining and nourishing process, leads at the front, while the Azure Fluid (Cangye), a blue liquid and technical term of the elixir method, harmonizes from behind. The Vermilion Bird (Zhuque), another force or ingredient, soars and frolics in the sky, displaying five-colored radiance. Alas, these principles can only be explained to those who already understand them, and they are very hard to make clear to those who do not.

The Vermilion Bird flies high and shows its five-colored radiance, yet it meets a net, is pressed down, and cannot rise again. It utters a mournful cry, like an infant longing for its mother. It is then turned upside down and cast into a cauldron (tanghuo), where the fierce fire boils it and its feathers are broken and injured. Here the images of the White Tiger, the Azure Fluid, and the Vermilion Bird describe the changes in the alchemical process, while the steamer (zeng), the fire, and the cauldron correspond to the vessels and fire control used in steaming and decocting.

Having grasped the key to the operation of creation and transformation, one must bring the Four Images (sixiang, a general term in Neidan for physical images such as metal, wood, water, and fire) into harmony with the Five Phases (wuxing). The zeng is the vessel that holds water, and zeng shan refers to the ding, the cauldron used in alchemical refinement. Yan huo refers to the furnace. Placing water over the zeng-cauldron to steam it puts the water above, and building a strong fire beneath puts the fire below. With water above and fire below, nourishing the numinous spirit of emptiness and clarity (xuling zhi shen, the clear, empty, and luminous spirit) with the Essence of True Unity (zhenyi zhi jing, the original vital essence spoken of in cultivation) is what is called shuǐ huǒ xiāng jì (the mutual complementarity of water and fire).

The White Tiger lies in the west and belongs to Metal, symbolizing true emotion (zhenqing). The Azure Dragon lies in the east and belongs to Wood, symbolizing true nature (zhenxing). Cang ye refers to the essence of Wood's nature. Metal's emotion is hard and unyielding, while Wood's nature is gentle. Nourishing the numinous spirit with the Essence of True Unity is again the mutual complementarity of water and fire. Metal naturally overcomes Wood, and Wood naturally fears Metal. Yet when the White Tiger leads and responds from the front, it means that metal's emotion cherishes wood's benevolence and extends its intention to unite with true nature. When Cang ye harmonizes from behind, it means that wood's nature delights in metal's righteousness and seeks true emotion through true nature. Driving the White Tiger to draw near the Azure Dragon, and bringing the Dragon into union with the Tiger, means that nature and emotion correspond and that Metal and Wood are joined.

The Vermilion Bird symbolizes Fire. Among the Four Images, Fire is the most spirited and is by nature inclined to soar. Slightly stirred, it rises high and displays its brilliance, and Water, Fire, Metal, and Wood may all be harmed by it. A practitioner of internal alchemy must first subdue and tame this factor before cultivation can continue. When one meets restraint like a net that presses it down and prevents it from rising, one must devote full effort to refining the self (lianji, the cultivation of mind and nature), restraining anger and desire so that fire-qi does not stir recklessly.

It cries mournfully, like an infant longing for its mother. When the fire no longer stirs recklessly, its impatient temperament gradually dissipates, the fire returns to its source, and the shen returns to its nature. The saying "overturned into the boiling cauldron, shattering and wounding the feathers" describes how, once refining the self reaches the point of selflessness, the evil fire descends and the true water ascends. Water and fire steam one another, qi and form transform together, and the Four Images unite. From this point one can refine the Great Medicine (da yao, the crucial essence of internal alchemy practice).

The water clock has not yet run half its course, and the medicinal substances in the cauldron rise up like fish scales and fins. Five-colored lights appear, and their transformations have no fixed form. The liquid in the cauldron bubbles and surges without cease, gathering layer upon layer, interlocking and bracing one another in jagged formations like canine teeth. They look like the ice of mid-winter, and like jade stalactites hanging down. They rise and fall unevenly, piling up and overlapping, each supporting the others.

When the yin and yang qi (Yin-Yang qi) are in proper harmony, they can keep to each other in tranquil detachment. The Azure Dragon (Qinglong), symbolizing the wood qi of the east, dwells in the six stars of the Fang lodge (Fangxiu), and the spring flowers and trees sprout in the east at the mao position. The White Tiger (Baihu), symbolizing the metal qi of the west, dwells in the seven stars of the Mao lodge (Maoxiu), and autumn's sharpness appears in the west at the you position. The Vermilion Bird (Zhuque), symbolizing the fire qi of the south, dwells in the two stars of the Zhang lodge (Zhangxiu), and yang qi is at its height in the south at the wu position. The three emblems, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird, come together in court like members of one close family.

The previous section dealt with the work of gathering the medicinal substances and bringing them into union. This section explains the changes of the fire timing (huohou) during the formation of the elixir, and the way the three emblems of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Vermilion Bird meet and draw close to one another.

The previous section concerned the work of gathering the medicinal substances, and this one explains the role of fire timing (huohou) in forming the elixir. Once the Four Images (sixiang), the mutually coordinating symbols of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases, have been harmonized and the Five Phases have gathered, the medicinal substances have entered the Qian cauldron (qianding), the vessel used in alchemical work. At this point one must quickly refine them with a single point of true fire (zhenhuo) from the Kun furnace (kunlu), the furnace paired with the Qian cauldron. In a brief moment the Five Phases blend and transform, and the Qi of Prior Heaven (xiantian zhi qi) arises out of emptiness.

Thus it is said: "Before half the clepsydra has run, the fish's scales rise along its fins." The clepsydra (louke) was an ancient water clock. The fish, a yang creature of the water, stands for the manifestation of Prior Heaven yang Qi, and "the fish's scales rise along its fins" describes the yang Qi leaping and transforming as it is steamed by the true fire. The shining of five colors refers to the Five Phases returning to one Qi, and the constant change refers to yang Qi appearing and vanishing, moving without fixed course.

"Boiling and seething in the cauldron, surging up without end": this says that when the medicinal Qi first begins to change, it is still tender. "Layer upon layer, joined like the teeth of a dog, set against one another": this says that the tender Qi gradually condenses and its parts interlock. "Shaped like ice in the middle of winter, the jade-like stones yield stalactites": this says that the Qi turns from dispersal to gathering and hardens into solidity. "Towering and mingled, crossing and piling, supporting one another like pillars": this says that the Qi moves from disorder toward purity and gradually returns to its yang nature.

When Yin and Yang each occupy their proper place and keep to their own positions, when the state is quiet and calm, Yin and Yang are in accord and merge into one Qi. At this point the medicine is the fire and the fire is the medicine. Within the furnace a natural true fire blazes steadily on its own, and no artificial adjustment is needed. The practitioner should remain calm, guard carefully, and nourish the work by bathing and warming it, which means continuing to cultivate through non-action (wuwei).

"The Azure Dragon dwells in Fang, at six; spring blossoms stir in the east at Mao": the Azure Dragon symbolizes Wood, Fang is a water lodging, and six is the water number. Wood sits in the water's position and is nourished by water. Spring is the season of flourishing yang, so the text says it circulates yang Qi.

"The White Tiger is in Mao, at seven; autumn's awn is sharp in the west at You": the White Tiger symbolizes Metal, Mao is a fire lodging, and seven is the fire number. Metal sits in the position of fire and becomes bright through fire. Autumn is the season of flourishing yin, so the text says it circulates yin Qi.

"The Vermilion Bird is in Zhang, at two; true yang reaches the south at Wu, in the Li trigram": the Vermilion Bird symbolizes Fire, Zhang is a fire lodging, and two is the generative number of Fire. Fire lies at the Wu position due south, between Metal and Wood. It also symbolizes yang reaching its peak while yin begins to arise. Here the meeting of yin and yang at the summer solstice serves as the image for refining Yin and Yang and harmonizing the punishments and virtues (xing de).

When Metal, Wood, and Fire come together, the medicinal substances in the alchemical cauldron form companions. Water generates Wood, Wood generates Fire, Fire generates Earth, and Metal in turn generates Water. Although only three are named, the Qi of all Four Images is contained within them. The Four Images cook themselves in the cauldron, and the sacred embryo (shengtai), the term in alchemical practice for the state in which the inner elixir has formed, comes into being. It arises from no substance and takes on substance, arises from no form and takes on form, and changes naturally.

What is described here is the natural true fire of the inner medicine (neiyao). It differs from the White Tiger, the Azure Essence, and the Vermilion Bird mentioned earlier. The earlier passages concern the external fire timing, while this passage concerns the inner self-refining that occurs on its own. External fire timing uses later-heaven cultivation to return to Prior Heaven and depends on deliberate effort. Inner fire timing occurs naturally after one has already returned to Prior Heaven. Students of the Dao of alchemy should take care to distinguish these two kinds of fire timing.

The basic materials for refining elixirs are only two kinds, which later divided into three or five. The three and five then merged into one, and all of them ultimately converged in a single place. The method follows the steps described earlier, and the duration is likewise governed by the prescribed number of days. The color of the elixir first turns white and then yellow, after which red and black appear from outside to inside. This stage is called "the first ding" (dìyī dǐng, the first cauldron or refining phase), and when taken, the dose is about the size of a single grain of broomcorn millet (shǔ mǐ).

All of this happens naturally; it is neither sorcery nor human fabrication. Vapors rising among mountains and marshes form clouds that fall as rain; when earth dries it turns to dust, and when fire goes out it leaves ash. Just as huangbo (yellow dye from Phellodendron bark) colors silk yellow, and lan cao (the indigo plant) colors it green, boiled hides become glue, and yeast fermenting turns grain into wine. Materials of similar nature make their effects easy to achieve; where materials are not alike, they cannot be skillfully refined into one.

This refined method must be examined with care, for it is not deceptive talk. Passed down to later generations, it is clear and verifiable, shining like stars spread across the Milky Way and as plain as rivers flowing into the sea. When studying it, one must read repeatedly and carefully cross-check what comes before and after and what lies above and below. Read it a thousand times and its order will gradually become clear; read it ten thousand times and one may begin to understand it. The spirits (shénmíng) sometimes reveal things to a person (another edition reads "suddenly inform him"), and sometimes insight arises suddenly from within one's own mind. One must trace the source, follow the threads, and think earnestly and repeatedly, and only then can one find the key to entry. The Dao of Heaven (tiāndào) shows no partiality toward any one party; it usually passes itself on to the worthy and capable.

This section summarizes the central thesis of the entire work: the way of the Golden Elixir (Jindan) is the Way of the mutual interaction of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases. At the outset one harmonizes Yin and Yang and refines the Returning Elixir (huandan); in the end one causes the three and the five to return to a single body and forms the Sacred Embryo (shengtai). Hence it is said that at the root there are only two things, yet in the end they are reduced to three and five. When the three and the five are blended, interpenetrate, and condense into a single, undifferentiated flow of Qi, the Great Dao is accomplished.

In cultivating the Golden Elixir, gathering the medicinals has its proper timing, refining has its proper methods, and the fire has its proper measures. If the effort is incomplete, the elixir cannot be formed. At the beginning of cultivation, one must extract white from within black and take this as the mother of the elixir, the root of the alchemical work. Then one refines yellow from white and forms the Sacred Embryo. Red stands for fire and black for water, and "outer and inner" refer to the inner medicine and the outer medicine. Although the inner and outer medicines differ, both must be refined through the action of water and fire. Even after the embryo is complete at ten months, cultivation must continue without interruption. The whole process begins with refining oneself, training the mind-nature and disciplining the body, proceeds to refining the medicine, and ends with nourishment. In each stage, inner and outer, completion depends on the workings of water and fire. Therefore it is said that red and black penetrate outer and inner, and if the effort is insufficient, the alchemy cannot be perfected.

The so-called "first cauldron" refers precisely to this method, and the other two are not true methods. When the elixir has been refined through nine cycles, it is called the "millet-grain pearl," a golden elixir shaped like a grain of millet. If a person takes it, they will attain longevity without aging, a life as long as heaven itself. This pearl condenses out of empty space. It is Qi produced by the natural mutual resonance of Yin and Yang, not something forced together by furnace fire or by false methods such as the "gathering and battling" sexual techniques. Such methods are not only useless but harmful.

The generation of all things depends on natures that agree and respond to one another. When the Qi of mountains and marshes communicates, rain forms; when mud and water dry up, dust remains; when fire is extinguished, ash is left behind. Malt, the grain sprouts used in brewing, dyes things yellow; indigo yields green; boiled hides produce glue; and yeast ferments wine. These are all cases of like joining with like, so the work proceeds naturally. If two things have no connection at all, yet one tries to plant rice on stone or climb a tree to catch fish, no matter how clever the effort, it will be of no use.

Broadly speaking, the ordinary human body is formed from the essence and blood of one's parents. The Dharma body (fashen), the spiritual life accomplished through cultivation, likewise depends on the Yin-Yang Qi symbolized by the Numinous Father and Holy Mother (lingfu shengmu) in order to be realized. Whether Dharma body or physical body, both are formed through the action of Yin and Yang. Ordinary people follow the course of Yin and Yang, while cultivators reverse it and make use of it, and this is why there is a difference between ordinary people and sages. Most people know only how to follow the course of Yin and Yang, and very few understand how to use it in reverse.

The principles of the Cantong qi (The Kinship of the Three) are subtle and profound, and their key lies in using the principles of Yin and Yang to elucidate the methods of cultivation. Its teachings are practical and its aims are vast; it is solid, grounded work, not empty and false heterodoxy. It is a ladder for later practitioners and a bridge toward the Way of nature and life (xingming). The exposition in the book is detailed and luminous, shining like the stars of the Milky Way, and its essential ideas are condensed and lucid, as clear as all rivers returning to the sea. If a student reflects carefully and examines with discernment, probing its sources and threads, then over time enlightenment will come and understanding will open suddenly, and the student will find the gateway and penetrate its principles.

Heaven's Way shows no partiality and always passes the Dao to the worthy. The Dao is what Heaven and Earth treasure, so it is not transmitted to those whose loyalty and filial piety are not deep, nor to those whose virtue is not lofty. If someone is truly worthy, what could be withheld from them? Alas, when a gentleman obtains this Way, he holds fast even in straitened circumstances; when a petty person obtains it, he may come to despise his own life.

The round shape takes three and five, measuring one inch and one fen; the mouth of the cauldron takes four and eight, with a rim two inches wide. This passage describes the symbolism of the cauldron vessel (dingqi) used in refining elixirs, and it is not merely a description of the vessel's shape; medicinals and fire timing (huohou) are also included within it.

"Round" (yuan) signifies not leaning to either side, flexible application, and holding to the center and correctness. "Three" is the generating number of Wood, "five" is the generating number of Earth, and "one" is the generating number of Water; three, one, and five are all Yang numbers, and therefore they are used to symbolize the round. The mouth of the cauldron symbolizes the square, and "square" (fang) signifies changing with the times and cutting to fit circumstances flexibly. "Four" is the generating number of Metal, "eight" is the completed number of Wood, and "two" is the generating number of Fire; two, four, and eight are all Yin numbers, and therefore they are used to symbolize the mouth of the cauldron.

The mouth of the cauldron also symbolizes the passage through which breath enters and exits. Exhalation belongs to Yang: the Qi extends outward, governs generation, and corresponds to the completed Wood number eight. Inhalation belongs to Yin: the Qi gathers inward, corresponding to the Metal number four. The lips divide into upper and lower pieces and are able to move; when the lips move in exhalation, they symbolize the Fire number two.

The Yang numbers one, three, and five belong to Heaven, and Heaven is round, so it is called the Qian cauldron (Qian ding); the Yin numbers two, four, and eight belong to Earth, and Earth is square, so it is called the Kun furnace (Kun lu). The round symbolizes gathering and closing, and the square symbolizes opening. Taking the round as substance and the square as function, and taking the convergence of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth into one Qi as the standard, this is what constitutes the symbolic system of the cauldron vessel.

The cauldron is one foot two inches long, with walls of uniform thickness.

"Chi er," meaning "two chi," is twelve cun. It symbolizes the twelve months of the year, the twelve hou (phases) within a month, and the twelve shichen (double-hours) of a day. "Hou" (thick) means many, "bo" (thin) means few, and "jun" (even) means equal. Following the rhythm of the waxing and waning, advancing and retreating, of yin and yang across the year, month, day, and hour, one adjusts the measure of applying the yang fire and the yin tally (fu).

"Fu qi san, zuo chui wen" (the cauldron's belly is full of the three, sitting hangs down warm): "fu" is the belly of the cauldron, the vessel that holds the medicinals, and "san" refers to the three great medicines, jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit). "Fu qi san" means that within the cauldron, jing, qi, and shen are all complete, as the Yijing (Book of Changes) says, "the cauldron has substance." "Zuo" refers to being settled and still, "chui" to tranquil fullness, and "wen" to mild, gentle warmth. In other words, when jing, qi, and shen gather together, one constantly keeps to stillness and calm, with the mind undispersed. This corresponds to the Daodejing's saying, "The Dao is empty, yet its use is never exhausted" (Dao chong er yong zhi).

"Yin zai shang, yang xia ben" (yin is above, yang runs below): yin symbolizes water, like the water in the kun vessel, and yang symbolizes fire, like the fire in the qian cauldron. With water above and fire below, the two refine one another, yet the fire is not allowed to become too dry, nor the water too cold. This achieves shui huo xiang ji (the mutual aid of water and fire). The meaning is to nourish shen with jing, so that shen becomes settled, and jing is thereby able to be held firmly in place.

"Shou wei wu, zhong jian wen" (the beginning and end are martial, the middle is civil) describes practice in which the fire-timing (huohou) at the beginning and end is stronger, while the fire-timing in the middle is gentler. "Shi qi shi, zhong san xun. Er bai liu, shan diao yun" (begin at seventy, end at thirty days; two hundred and six, well regulated and even) concerns the days and measure of the advance and retreat of fire-timing, with the emphasis on keeping the regulation harmonious and even from beginning to end.

In cultivating inner alchemy (neidan), one begins by using the fierce fire (wuhuo) to refine the self (lianji), and at the end one again uses the fierce fire to nourish and warm the elixir (wenyang). If the refining of the self is not yet pure, the inner elixir cannot form; if the warming and nourishing are insufficient, the sacred embryo (shengtai), the state reached once inner alchemy is achieved, cannot be brought to completion. In the middle stage, when the sacred embryo is coalescing, only the gentle fire (wenhuo) is needed for a short time to grasp the key to the workings of creation (zaohua). Therefore it is said: "Use the fierce fire at the beginning and the end, and the gentle fire in the middle."

Still, the fierce fire used at the beginning and at the end differs. In the Dao of alchemical practice, refining the self is the starting point and nourishing is the endpoint. When the human mind has long been indulgent and habitual patterns run deep, these form the great obstacle to cultivation, and they are the hardest to subdue. If the refining of the self has not reached the point where all thoughts are empty, one cannot enter the stage of returning the elixir (huandan), so this stage relies chiefly on the fierce fire. Once the elixir has formed, one must guard against deviations and protect it carefully, sustaining it through methods such as bathing (muyu) and nourishing. If one becomes even slightly lax, the sacred embryo may turn from success to failure, which is why this stage also calls for the fierce fire. Although the warming and nourishing use the fierce fire, it is concentrated mainly within ten months. Once the embryo has completed its ten months, one may rest, so the effort required here is less than that of refining the self.

For example, if one divides one hundred days into seventy days of fierce fire for refining the self and thirty days of fierce fire for warming and nourishing, and then regulates the remaining two hundred and sixty days by the same proportion, the firing times (huohou) will be harmonized without error. Here the Immortal Elder uses a cycle of three hundred and sixty days in a year to illustrate the application of firing times from beginning to end in the Dao of alchemy. It is not meant to treat three hundred and sixty days as a fixed number of days for practice, and students should discern this carefully.

"Yin fire is white, yellow sprout lead. Two and seven gather, and assist the person."

"Yin fire" refers to the fire of mercury (gong) nature, and "yang fire" refers to the fire of the lead (qian) emotion. "Two" is the generating number (shengshu) of fire and belongs to yin; "seven" is its completing number (chengshu) and belongs to yang. When the outer medicines (waiyao), the materials used in alchemy, are harmonized and the elixir head (dantou) takes shape, one must employ the "yellow sprout lead" inherent in one's nature. "Two and seven gather, and assist the person" describes the joining of the yin and yang forces, which together assist the practitioner.

“Yin Fire” refers to the fire of mercury’s nature, while “Yang Fire” refers to the fire of lead’s disposition. In the arts of calculation, two is the generative number of Fire and belongs to Yin; seven is its completing number and belongs to Yang. When refining the outer medicine and congealing the embryo of the Elixir, one uses a spark of numinous emptiness within one’s innate nature to temper the disposition of lead, causing white to arise from black and solid radiance to emerge from emptiness. This is why it is called “Yin Fire White.” When refining the inner medicine and congealing the embryo of the Elixir, one instead uses a spark of natural True Fire within one’s true disposition to cook and refine the primordial, True One Qi. The formless Qi gradually congeals into tangible substance, then changes from white to yellow; this is called “Yellow Sprout Lead.” White still carries a Yin quality, while yellow signifies that Yin Qi has been exhausted and Yang Qi is pure and complete. The Jing of the Dragon and Tiger (Longhu Jing) speaks of this transformation from white to yellow in the line, “When purity and whiteness reveal the treasure, the Yellow Carriage can be made.”

The inner and outer fires have different functions: one brings the medicine to life, and the other brings it to maturity. First Yin Fire generates the medicine; then Yang Fire completes it. When the two fires of Yin and Yang unite, the medicine passes from raw to ripe. Once the perfected person—the inner true body attained through cultivation—has abundant Qi and complete Shen, they await the moment to ascend. Hence the term “one who lends wings”: a person who supports cultivation and brings it to fruition. Here it refers to using the inner and outer fires of Yin and Yang to bring the sacred embryo—the inner true body described in Daoist Neidan practice—to completion.

Nourish and regulate the brain, bringing it to stillness as it rises into the mysterious realm. The sacred embryo must abide at the center to be kept secure; it may travel back and forth, yet never leave the body. As it gradually grows, one’s nature and disposition also become increasingly pure and unified. In the end, it returns to oneness and comes back to its origin. Care for and respectfully preserve it, as a ruler and minister attend to one another.

Completing this full cycle of circulation in cultivation requires great effort. Guard it closely, and do not lapse into confusion or torpor. The path of cultivation is long, deep, and mysterious; by penetrating it, one can unite with the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth. Take one dose of “knife-point measure”—the refined Elixir—and the hun and po souls will be purified, longevity attained, and one will dwell in the realm of immortals.

The foundation of cultivation lies in thoroughly investigating principle and fully bringing forth one’s nature, ultimately attaining the unity of nature and life. If one does not cultivate the roots of life, how can one nourish one’s nature? “Life” refers to cultivating the physical body; “nature” refers to cultivating the Dharma Body, the spiritual essence that transcends the physical body. Without completing the cultivation of life’s roots, it is difficult to leave the physical body behind; without completing the cultivation of one’s nature, it is difficult to transcend the Dharma Body.

A Daoist scripture says: “To cultivate life alone without cultivating nature is the greatest failing in practice. To cultivate nature alone without cultivating the elixir method—even after ten thousand kalpas, the Yin spirit will find it difficult to become a sage. Only dual cultivation of nature and life counts as complete practice.” Earlier, the phrase “two sevens gather, assisting and supporting the person” referred to the practitioner having formed the sacred embryo, the inner Dharma Body produced through cultivation, and having secured the roots of life. From this point, one can turn to cultivating nature and transcending the Dharma Body. This passage concerns the cultivation of nature.

Cultivating nature is also the practice of “facing the wall and releasing the spirit.” Facing the wall does not mean sitting in meditation before a stone wall or earthen wall. It means facing external things without being stirred by emotion or becoming attached to them, making no distinction between existence and nonexistence, and allowing all things to become empty—as if facing a wall and seeing nothing. Heterodox schools take facing a wall while sitting in meditation to be the practice itself, but may not understand its meaning.

Let us further explain the meaning of cultivating nature through facing the wall. In “nourishing the principle in the brain,” “nourishing” means sustaining and developing, while “principle” refers to one’s nature. The brain is at the highest point of the body, at the back of the head, beyond the reach of hearing and sight. This describes the nourishment of one’s nature. One must reach a state of utmost stillness in which neither sound nor form can disturb the mind, and one is attached even to no notion of “emptiness.” Only then has the practice reached its utmost. If cultivation of the Dao does not reach this supreme stillness, neither the Yang spirit—the consciousness refined through cultivation that can leave the physical body—nor the Yin spirit, consciousness not yet fully purified, can emerge. When one’s nature has been nourished to supreme stillness, both nature and life are cultivated to completion, and body and spirit alike reach a wondrous state. When the time is ripe, transformation occurs naturally, and one is certain to ascend to the Mysterious Capital, the Daoist realm of immortals. This is like the Buddha’s words, “I guarantee this for you,” signifying that the matter will surely be accomplished.

Before the time for transformation has come, however, one must not seek results hastily, but continue to nurture the process. Thus it is said: “The child dwells within and finds peace and preservation.” Here, “the child” refers to the sacred embryo, the Dharma Body. Once the sacred embryo has formed, it is like a fetus resting securely in the mother’s womb. It should be cared for calmly until the time is ripe.

When the time comes, let it come and go naturally. Although the Dharma Body can emerge and return, one must not let it stray far from its bodily shell. It must be gradually brought to maturity; only after its nature is unified and its foundation firm may it travel far. Then consciousness will be clear, neither sunk in torpor nor lost in confusion, and in the blink of an eye it can travel a thousand miles. When gathered, it can take form; when dispersed, it becomes Qi.

“To cherish and honor it as one would a ruler or minister” means to guard it carefully and respectfully. “Diligently, through one full cycle” reminds practitioners to remain attentive and tireless, lest they sink into torpor and lose their way. Once cultivation reaches the state of “a body beyond the body,” one has entered the realm of neither birth nor death. Yet the path of the Dao is profound and far-reaching, its mysteries without end. If one continues to set up the furnace and cauldron again and again, multiplying transformations without end, there will be layers of change—“the child begets a grandson, the grandson begets branches”—giving rise to hundreds of millions of forms beyond counting.

If students of the Dao can grasp these principles, the essentials discussed earlier will not be difficult to understand. They will be able to comprehend the principles of Qian and Kun, Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang; take the “knife and measure,” the tiny quantity of elixir ingredients that here refers to the essence of the elixir method; and purify the hun and po souls along with it, thereby attaining longevity and dwelling in the realm of immortals. All this can be hoped for.

Those who delight in cultivating the Dao (the Way) should seek out the foundations of the Great Dao, examine the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) with care, and discern their subtle distinctions. They should reflect deeply on these principles without speaking at length, keep them concealed in their hearts, and guard them cautiously rather than passing them on indiscriminately. Once their cultivation is complete, they may ride white cranes and dragon-scaled creatures, roam through the Great Void—the boundless expanse—and pay homage to the Immortal Lords. They may record the celestial registers and be called perfected ones: those who have attained the Dao.

There are many people in the world who cultivate blindly. Some seek only stillness and emptiness; some practice deviant bedroom arts; some smelt elixirs and take medicines; others circulate Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), or guide the breath. All these practices arise from not understanding the foundations of nature and life. Therefore, those who cultivate the Dao…

Many people in the world practice blindly. Some seek only extinction and cling to emptiness and stillness; some engage in misguided practices such as bedroom arts; some tend the furnace fire and take elixirs; others move Jing and Qi. None of them understands the foundations of cultivating nature and life. Thus, those who practice the Dao are as numerous as hairs on an ox, while those who truly attain the Dao are as rare as the lin, the mythical unicorn.

The Immortal Elder—a respectful Daoist title for an immortal—out of compassion put forward the words “seek the root,” a phrase that serves as a powerful warning to Daoist practitioners. The “root” is the single Qi of primordial emptiness; the “One” is the source from which Heaven, Earth, and all things arise, that is, the root of the Dao. Those who study the Dao and recognize this “One” can understand all things; those who cultivate the Dao and obtain it can form the Golden Elixir. To find this root, one should promptly seek the oral instructions from a master, then carefully understand the Five Phases and their relations of generation and overcoming, how to gather and apply them, the proportions in which the ingredients are combined, and the measures for advancing and retreating the firing process. After receiving the instructions, one should earnestly contemplate their subtleties and grasp their intent without clinging to the words. One should possess great wisdom yet appear plain, and have exceptional skill yet seem clumsy. Practice diligently, accumulate three thousand merits, and complete eight hundred good deeds; then one may ride a crane or lin and ascend in broad daylight, earning the title of perfected person. What a state of joy that must be!

To supplement what the Cantong qi had left out, the Immortal Elder wrote the two parts of the “Three Similarities.” The upper part explains the sequence for harmonizing the Return Elixir, the Great Elixir, and the inner and outer medicines. The lower part explains the cauldron and vessel used in alchemy, and the sequence of tending the fire from beginning to end. These two texts are concise, clear in their principles, detailed in their methods, and complete in their account. They summarize the main ideas of the Cantong qi while presenting a distinct account of their own; together they form an independent work. They discuss matters the Cantong qi does not address, which is why they are said to “fill in omissions and make good what was left out”: they supply the parts missing from the Cantong qi and cover what it never discussed. With the “Three Similarities,” the Cantong qi can be considered complete. Though the Immortal Elder did not write a commentary on the “Old Tong,” he in fact completed the Cantong qi. He carried forward the work of those before him and opened the way for later students; his contribution was truly considerable.