《古文龙虎经注疏》

The Commentary and Subcommentary on the Ancient Classic of the Dragon and Tiger consists of three volumes. Its author, Wang Dao, lived during the Southern Song, but little is known about his life. He says that he once served as a Baoyilang and as a commander in the residence of the Prince of Enping. From his preface, it appears that he first served as a guard at the prince’s residence and later associated with Daoists.

Wang Dao wrote a commentary on the Upper Classic of the Dragon and Tiger, then went on to explain his own commentary. He divided the classic into thirty-three chapters: thirteen in the upper volume, six in the middle volume, and fourteen in the lower volume. Two diagrams are appended at the end. One explains how to align the yearly cycle of celestial movement with the timing of the alchemical firing process; the other illustrates how medicine arises through the interaction of metal and fire, to explain the methods of cultivation.

In broad terms, Wang Dao held that the “true lead” and “true mercury” of alchemy derive from the vital essences of Heaven and Earth and the luminous splendor of the sun and moon. By combining them and following the transformations of nature, one can refine the divine elixir. He also distinguished genuine from false ingredients and described differences among metals and minerals. He claimed to have received oral instructions from a true master and to have found many errors in the circulating versions of the Classic of the Dragon and Tiger, so he corrected the text and divided it into chapters.

The book’s synopsis notes that it quotes extensively from the Token for Joining the Three (Zhouyi Cantongqi). Since the time of Wei Boyang, the Token for Joining the Three had often served as a key text for alchemical practice. Wang Dao also wrote a supplement to the commentary on the Token for Joining the Three, but it is now lost.

The Treatise on Arts and Letters in the History of the Song does not record this book. Some have suspected that it was written by a Daoist under an assumed name. Yet there is no conclusive evidence that the Classic of the Dragon and Tiger itself is truly an ancient text. The synopsis therefore suggests that there is no need to insist on the authenticity of either the author or the classic, and that its plausible contents may provisionally be retained. It ends by lamenting that breath cultivation and health preservation were originally practices of adepts living in seclusion in the mountains, yet came to be presented to the imperial court—a development that is difficult to understand.

Your servant, Wang Dao, says:

Daoist cultivation is divided into two kinds, Neidan (internal alchemy) and Waidan (external alchemy), and concerns the very roots of human nature and life. With successful cultivation, one may, at a modest level, prolong life and enjoy good health; at a profound level, one may become an immortal and attain sagehood. The writings produced by those who cultivate the Dao number in the tens of millions of volumes. Neidan cultivation generally takes Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) as its foundation, while Waidan cultivation generally uses lead and mercury as its principal medicines.

An old song says: “Red lead and black mercury are the foundation of the Great Elixir. Only when red and black unite is cultivation true. Red lead draws from essence; black mercury draws from marrow. Understand the red and black medicines, and you will know that nothing compares to them. Put red into black, and you can preserve long life; put black into red, and you can become a celestial immortal. Turn the two to opposite uses and unite them: this is the Elixir. When the fire dragon transforms, the cultivator can become a celestial immortal.” These are the essentials of Waidan cultivation. From ancient times to the present, those who study the Dao have regarded lead and mercury as the medicines for refining the Great Elixir, yet few know what true lead and mercury really are.

Ever since I began my studies, I have loved hearing about elixir refining. I collected alchemical scriptures and read them again and again, often forgetting to eat or sleep. Yet what those books said never truly enlightened me. In the ren-shen year of the Shaoxing era (1152), a Daoist told me that lead and mercury were simply silver ore extracted from mountains and mercury refined from cinnabar. He instructed me to prepare about a catty of the ingredients and use a cauldron to refine them according to the prescribed timing of the fire. Believing him, I built an alchemical chamber at Tianqing Temple in Kuaiji and tried the method he had taught me. Years and money were spent, but nothing came of it. This was not because I lacked sincerity, nor because the equipment was poor.

In the jia-shen year of the Qiandao era (1164), another Daoist told me, “True lead reveals no bodily form, and true mercury shows no shape. True lead is not silver, and true cinnabar is not mercury.” He also said that if the two medicines were combined and refined according to the fire timing of the Nine Cauldrons, one could obtain something called “Yellow Sprout.” Refined further by the proper method, it would become “Yellow Carriage and Purple Powder,” also called “Dust of the Bright Window.” Taking it would gather Jing (essence) and Qi, draw in Shen, and dispel every kind of illness. I thought this might be the “Elixir of the One Center” once refined by Qingxiazi.

Only in the gui-si year of the Chunxi era (1173), when I met my true teacher, did I understand that what I had learned before was not true lead or true mercury. An old song says: “True lead is not produced among the five metals; it is born before Heaven and Earth were divided, before the time when the deep and hidden could be seen.” It also says: “The sages seize the mysteries of creation and draw the sun and moon into the furnace. Within the furnace, they slowly set the essences of Heaven and Earth in motion, bringing Yin and Yang together so that even ghosts and spirits move with them. Who can recognize the sun’s soul and the moon’s spirit? To recognize them is to be a true immortal. After refining and taking the Elixir for a thousand days, if the body is free of Yin, how could it die?” Here, “furnace,” “the sun’s soul,” and “the moon’s spirit” are coded terms in Neidan cultivation; they do not refer simply to the sun and moon or to physical vessels.

My teacher passed on the secret formula and oral instructions. I grasped something at once, as though waking from a dream. After that, when I read the alchemical writings of various schools, their accounts confirmed one another, and their meaning became clear to me. I came to understand that what are called the sun’s soul and the moon’s spirit are true lead and true mercury: they arise from the formless, possess spiritual awareness, and are the source of all movement and stillness. If one can set up the furnace and cauldron, establish the spirit chamber, grasp the foundations of sun and moon, employ the transformations of water and fire, and conform to the proper measure of Heaven’s timing, then one can refine the Great Medicine, the divine Elixir.

Over the course of thirty years, I met three people who offered me guidance; only at last did I meet my true teacher and comprehend the mysterious Dao. I am merely a military officer serving in a prince’s household. My family is poor and my stipend meager. I have been unable to associate with true fellow Daoists, and I lack the means to gather alchemical materials, cast cauldrons, build a spirit chamber, or withdraw to the mountains and devote myself to cultivation. Yet I have remained wholly committed, never forgetting this matter, morning or night.

Recently, in my spare time, I read the circulating edition of the Jing of the Dragon and Tiger and found many errors in the common text. I corrected it according to what I had learned from my teacher, divided it into chapters, clarified its punctuation, and added commentary. I then used Wei Boyang’s Cantong qi to verify the meaning of the scripture, and wrote a further exposition to distinguish genuine medicines from false ones and clarify the differences between metals and minerals. I removed the clutter, gathered the essential points, and brought the whole work into coherence, compiling it in three volumes. The first volume has thirteen chapters, the second six, and the third fourteen, making thirty-three chapters in all. I do not intend to pass it down to later generations; I hope only to share it with friends who share my purpose and practice alchemy.

My position is lowly, and I do not understand courtly propriety. I have presumptuously submitted this work and am filled with trepidation. I respectfully ask the worthy Zhou Zhenyi to examine it, make a clean copy, and present it to the throne. I hope Your Majesty will take the time to read it amid the affairs of state, allowing me the good fortune to fulfill a long-held wish. This is not only my own desire; it is also my teacher’s charge.

On the first day of the fourth month of the fourteenth year of the Chunxi era (1187), your servant Wang Dao, Gentleman of Martial Merit, trembling with fear, bows his head a hundred times and respectfully writes this preface.

The “chamber of spirit” is a key nexus in alchemy and the foundation of various mineral medicines. Cinnabar and mercury each occupy a different position.

The commentary by Minister Dao says: “The spirit chamber,” the crucial place where Jing and Qi are gathered and refined in alchemy, is the pivot of the Elixir Way. The spirit chamber takes its image from Qian and Kun, the trigrams that represent Heaven and Earth in the Book of Changes. It can receive the vital essences of the sun and moon and refine them into Golden Liquid and the divine Elixir; hence it is called the pivot of the Elixir. The Cantong qi says, “Qian and Kun are the gateways of the Changes.”

“The father and mother of the myriad stones” refers to true lead. The commentary holds that true lead came into being before Heaven and Earth and is therefore the father of all things and the mother of the myriad beings, which is why it bears this name. The Cantong qi also says, “The father and mother of the myriad trigrams.”

“Sand and mercury dwell apart” means that sand and mercury originally have no fixed forms and lie hidden within true lead. Only after receiving the sun’s pure, undivided essence can they manifest their transformations in the spirit chamber; hence they are said to “dwell apart.” The Cantong qi uses “the father and mother of the myriad trigrams” to explain this same idea.

The Discourse on the Way of the Ministers says: At the beginning of the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate), the primordial Qi—the foundational energy from which Heaven, Earth, and all things arise—transformed and generated, thereby forming Heaven and Earth. Yin and Yang separated and transformed into the sun and moon. Between Heaven and Earth, people and other beings then came into existence; together, these are called the “Three Powers”: Heaven, Earth, and humanity. Humans are the most spiritually endowed, and are therefore called the foremost of all beings.

In ancient times, people often lived for hundreds or even thousands of years. Why, after the time of the Yellow Emperor, did human lifespans gradually become shorter and more varied? Because people could not live in accord with the primordial Qi of Heaven and Earth, they were prone to dying young. Heaven and Earth endure because they have received pure and abundant Qi to the fullest, and can follow the changes of the four seasons and the movements of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), naturally generating life without end.

In antiquity, those who understood the Great Dao observed and followed the way of Heaven. They cultivated themselves until they were in harmony with the Qi of nature, making their lives as enduring as Heaven and Earth. Later generations were different: while young, before their Qi and blood had fully developed, they gave in to sexual desire; in old age, as their Qi and blood dwindled, they gradually succumbed to aging and illness. Even those who later learned the art of nourishing life often did so too late. Yet if people take care of themselves in time, they can still extend their lives.

Thus, perfected beings model themselves on the transformations of Heaven and Earth, establish a furnace and cauldron—the implements used in alchemy, or a symbolic place of cultivation—and refine the divine elixir. When elderly people take it, it gathers Jing and Qi and protects the spirit, restoring youth to the body. When young people take it, they find it easier to attain the Dao and become immortals.

Therefore, Zhenyizi says that refining the divine elixir follows the same principles as the transformations of Heaven and Earth, and explains this through the images and numbers of the Book of Changes. Elixir refinement is grounded in the foundations of Heaven and Earth and takes the movements of Qian and Kun as its rules. It uses water and fire according to Kan and Li, the trigrams of water and fire; arranges the Qi of punishment and virtue according to Mao and You, symbols of direction and time; and gathers the patterns of the four seasons in the palm of the hand. The practice also draws on the workings of Yin and Yang, movement and stillness, to explain their waxing and waning in winter and summer: Yin Qi arises in Chunhuo, the name of a constellation, while Yang Qi stirs in Xuanxiao, also the name of a constellation. In movement, the lower line of Kun changes into the initial Nine; in stillness, the lower line of Qian returns to the initial Six. These are all essential principles of the alchemical method.

Chapter Two: Emerging from Yang and Entering Yin

Emerging from Yang and entering Yin, radiance flows and turns in two directions. Its numbers are arranged in threes and are derived through the trigrams of water and fire.

Yang Qi begins to arise at the Zi hour, around midnight, rising from beneath the earth. It passes through Chou, Yin, Mao, and Chen, reaching its greatest strength at the Si hour. At this time, the Azure Dragon, a symbol of the sun’s essence, appears and illuminates the east. Yin Qi, by contrast, begins to descend at the Wu hour and enters the earth. It passes through Wei, Shen, You, and Xu, reaching its greatest strength at the Hai hour. At this time, the White Tiger, a symbol of the moon’s radiance, appears and illuminates the west.

The scripture lists three numbers, using water and fire as symbols to explain that the two forces, the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, are both formed through the steaming influence of the Vermilion Bird’s Qi. This is why it speaks of “three people.” From the beginning of alchemical practice until the Elixir is complete, apart from true Lead and the spirit chamber—the symbolic place where the ingredients of alchemy come into being—only the symbols of water and fire are used; nothing else is mixed in.

To cultivate the Golden Elixir of the divine liquid, one must first discern the source of the ingredients, then observe the advance and retreat of the firing process. The rising of Yang Qi and the descent of Yin Qi never depart from the Zi and Wu positions; the movements of the sun and moon correspond to the Mao and You positions. By using Kan and Li, the trigrams of water and fire, to set water and fire in motion, one transforms the Dragon and Tiger into husband and wife. When the sun’s essence returns to the moon’s cavern, sand is produced within Lead; when the Vermilion Bird moves within the Li palace, Mercury is born from sand. Gold arises from feeling, and Mercury from nature. Feeling and nature contain one another, like husband and wife who depend on each other, and from this the liquid of gold forms naturally.

A person’s feeling and nature are both within the self; likewise, the Elixir’s sand and Mercury are both born within Lead. Feeling and nature are not things outside the body, just as sand, Mercury, and Lead are not unrelated substances mixed together. Thus the rising and setting of the sun and moon, and the coming and going of Yin and Yang, all take place within Heaven and Earth. The essence of Qian and Kun is constantly gathered within the mysterious aperture of Chicken-Foot Mountain. It is the ancestral source of the great medicine and the foundation of the Golden Elixir.

The sun has three modes of illumination, and the moon has three patterns of movement and change. When the sun and moon rise in the east and illuminate the west, the pure Qi of Metal Virtue, represented by the White Tiger of the west, enters the mysterious aperture and transforms into “Six Wu.” When the sun and moon move to the west and illuminate the east, the pure Qi of Wood Virtue, represented by the Azure Dragon of the east, enters the mysterious aperture and transforms into “Six Ji.” When the sun and moon reach the Wu position and illuminate the north, the pure Qi of Fire Virtue, represented by the Vermilion Bird of the south, enters the mysterious aperture. Relying on Earth, it condenses into form and transforms into black Lead. It always dwells in a deep and mysterious place, and is the root of all things in Heaven and Earth.

The Perfected Wei said, “The sun conceals its virtue and gathers in its radiance; the moon displays its virtue and releases its light. The sun receives the moon’s nourishing transformation, yet its form is not harmed.” From this we can understand that the single Qi of true origin is the foundation from which Heaven and Earth come into being.

The ancient adepts knew that the wondrous substance was hidden here. They drew upon symbols and principles to obtain it, regarding it as the parents of the ingredients. They modeled the spirit chamber on Qian and Kun, and set up the crucible according to the form of a chicken’s foot. They took the four seasons as the standard for the operation of the talismanic fire, allowing Metal and Water to unite naturally. They circulated Yang Fire to welcome back the sun’s essence, and circulated Yin Talisman to draw in the moon’s soul. They caused the pure Qi of the three directions to enter the Golden Tripod together, and the harmonious Qi of the Four Images to condense in the deep and mysterious place. Yin and Yang blend and mingle, gradually forming the boundary of the ingredients, until the Elixir is complete. All of this follows the natural transformations.

Some people who study the Dao today believe that ordinary mercury can be refined into the Golden Elixir, and that ordinary black Lead can serve as the River Chariot, the symbol of carrying the ingredients along their course. Later generations have passed these errors from one to another, taking the false for the true and devising all kinds of methods and apparatus. They toil into old age without succeeding. Mercury is produced from cinnabar through transformation by fire; it remains mercury, and cannot thereby become the liquid of gold. The liquid of gold receives the natural Qi of Heaven and Earth and the pure essence of Yin and Yang. Yin Qi attaches to the moon, which is the sovereign of Yin. Hidden within form, it acts at the positions of Wu and Ji; this is the source of the supreme medicine. How could ordinary mercury, or the various metals and minerals produced in mountains and marshes, be compared with the mother substance of the divine medicine?

The divine medicine is a treasure that enables people to transcend the mundane world and prolong their lives; it is also the source of all the numinous beings of Heaven and Earth. It is difficult for ordinary people to recognize. If later students use assorted miscellaneous substances to make the liquid of gold, they misunderstand the intent of the ancients. If such substances could truly be refined into the Golden Elixir, the Golden Elixir would not be so difficult to obtain. When the ancients spoke of “Lead” and “Mercury,” they were using them only as metaphors for the forms of the ingredients. Later people failed to understand their meaning. They took cinnabar for Lead and mercury for Mercury, using false substances under true names and confusing the source. Thus they tried again and again without success, and in the end accomplished nothing. What was said above about the source of true Lead has been excerpted from the scriptures and accords with the instructions passed down by the masters. It is not groundless speculation, but is offered to avoid misleading those who study the Dao in later generations.

“Control rests with the sovereign” means that the laws are established and the realm governed under the sovereign’s direction. The sovereign uses military force to quell rebellion and civil virtue to pacify the people. Here, the art of governing is used to explain alchemy: the “gentle fire” and “fierce fire” used in alchemical refinement are like the leniency and severity of rule. At first, a gentle fire allows the Yang-Harmony energy to enter the cauldron. Later, a fierce fire brings the Golden Liquor—the liquid essence produced through alchemical refinement—to maturity. Though the Golden Liquor may surge forth, it is restrained by the Kun Palace, a part that symbolizes containment and gathering, and so remains within to complete its transformation. This is like rebels who, once properly brought under the sovereign’s control, repent and submit, and can no longer escape the law’s bounds.

“Earth is strong in the four seasons; Earth’s virtue rules. The sword is lowered and the weapons laid aside, to pacify the four quarters” describes Earth’s virtue at the center, harmonizing and governing the four directions. Here, “Earth” refers to the true Wu-Earth and Ji-Earth, also called “true lead,” an important symbol in alchemy. True lead draws in the energy of supreme harmony and brings it to the central palace. Without true Earth to harmonize the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the Four Images that symbolize the directions and their energies—the Golden Liquor cannot be refined.

Because Earth occupies the central palace, it is also called the Yellow Emperor. Harmonious energy moves with the four seasons and nourishes all things. The spirit chamber, which symbolizes the inner space where the alchemical ingredients are nurtured, governs this harmonious energy. It flourishes in all four seasons and gathers the essences of the sun and moon into the cauldron, preventing Jing and Qi from flowing outward. The Cantong qi says, “Earth is strong in the four seasons, encompassing beginning and end.” This means that Earth’s energy runs through all four seasons and governs the whole process from beginning to end.

The Shu commentary further compares alchemy to governing a state. The sovereign rules the realm by cultivating civil virtue within and preparing military force without, following the example of the Three Sovereigns, appointing officials, and sowing the five grains in accordance with the seasons. Thus the state is at peace, and harmonious energy can arise. The ancients applied the principles of governance to refining the Golden Liquor and divine elixir. At the start of alchemical refinement, the spirit chamber must be in place. Within it is the womb; outside the womb is the golden cauldron; beyond the cauldron is the alchemical furnace. Only when all the vessels are in place can the essence of the Golden Liquor be produced and the energy of supreme harmony brought together.

The sovereign embodies the virtue of the central palace, like a divine steed at the center, able to subdue the flowing “Flowing Pearl”—an alchemical symbol for an elusive ingredient or vital energy that is easily lost—and keep it from scattering. The gentle fire transforms the ingredients; the fierce fire makes them coagulate into form. Working together, the two fires refine the Golden Liquor. It is said that after Gongsun ascended to Heaven, he was appointed to embody Earth’s central virtue, symbolizing how harmonious energy arises from the central palace and courses through all four seasons, enclosing Metal and Water as the Flowing Pearl gradually becomes a divine elixir. Both the Maiden and the Flowing Pearl—alchemical symbols for ingredients that are unpredictable and prone to dispersal—are difficult to stabilize. Only by using Earth to restrain them can they turn back and transform. This is the Way of nature.

“Kan and Li are numbered one and two” means that the Kan trigram, which represents water, corresponds to the number one, while the Li trigram, which represents fire, corresponds to the number two. According to the commentary, Heaven’s one gives rise to water, so water is numbered one; Earth’s two gives rise to fire, so fire is numbered two.

“North and south alone form the axis” means that north and south are the main axis along which Yin and Yang Qi move. The north is where Yin reaches its height and Yang begins to arise. Yang then proceeds through the six periods of zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, and si, ending at the si hour. The south is where Yang reaches its height and Yin begins to arise. Yin then proceeds through wu, wei, shen, you, xu, and hai, ending at the hai hour. Since both Yin and Yang Qi begin and complete their transitions at zi and wu, north and south are said to form the axis.

“Crowned as chief among the seventy-two stones” means that True Lead—a term in alchemy for the key ingredient or substance used in refining the elixir—arises in Qi before birth and takes shape after birth. It is therefore regarded as the chief of all things and the foundation of the Returned Elixir, the elixir produced through refinement.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister explains: What people call the mysterious arts in this world mostly treats the smelting of gold and silver as a treasure. Yet among those who practice these arts, scarcely one in ten thousand succeeds. Even if they do succeed, what they produce is merely a worldly treasure, not a precious substance that transcends the world, nor a way to prolong life and save others. Today, those who study the Dao do not treat the cultivation of nature and life as an urgent task. They mislead one another and point one another in the wrong direction, and in the end they are unlikely to awaken.

They do not know that the Way of the Great Elixir lies entirely in the mutual coordination of the two Qi of Yin and Yang, through which the supreme medicine takes form. The Perfected One’s Instructions on Cinnabar says: “To refine the treasure, accord with the utmost subtlety; to refine subtlety, accord with the utmost numinosity; to refine numinosity, accord with the utmost spirit; to refine spirit, accord with the utmost Dao.” From this, we can see that the truth or falsity of the Golden Elixir, and the depth or shallowness of its subtle principles, are all contained here. Without the secret instructions of an adept who has attained the Dao, how could one understand the true methods of cultivation and become a person who transcends the world?

The Kan and Li trigrams—the Yijing’s symbols for water and fire—represent Kan water and Li fire. They occupy the north and south and are the roots of water and fire. Though divided into two forms, they share the same origin. After their division, each has its own qualities, appearing as one present and the other absent. Adepts who have attained the Dao understand that this distinction arises naturally from their inborn nature; it cannot be made by artificial combination. They therefore bring the two trigrams together and refine them into a supreme treasure. Taking it enables one to attain long life. The water and fire that arise from Heaven are pure and unmixed: they are the essence of the sun and moon, and the marrow of Heaven and Earth.

The Yijing says: “Heaven displays its many signs, and the sages take them as models.” This is a return to the source and restoration of the origin: through deliberate cultivation, one ultimately accords with the Dao of Wuwei (non-action). The ascent and descent, the coming and going, of Kan and Li water and fire, and their coordination across the north and south, are therefore the foremost principles of alchemical practice, ranking first among the seventy-two minerals. By understanding the patterns of growth and decline in Heaven and Earth, and the laws governing the sun and moon’s cycles, one can understand the nature of what is present and what is absent.

Chapter Five: Hardness and Softness Have Outer and Inner Aspects

Hardness and softness each have outer and inner expressions; Yin and Yang take shape in accordance with the natural order. Metal and fire each have their appointed functions, while metal and water contain and sustain one another; the female and male unite as one. In applying these relationships, each follows a definite order.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister says: “Firmness and softness are distinguished as outer and inner, while Yin-Yang receive their qualities from the natural Qi. Qian is Yang and firm; Kun is Yin and yielding. The two envelop and join with one another in the spirit chamber, which in alchemical practice symbolizes the inner space where the elixir is nurtured. There, the natural Qi of Yin and Yang gathers with the transformative essence of the sun and moon in the Golden Embryo, symbolizing the inner embryo in which the elixir forms, and congeals into the divine medicine.” The Cantong qi says: “Qian is firm, Kun is yielding; they join together and envelop one another.”

Metal and Fire each have their own roles, while Metal and Water contain and receive one another. Water and Fire work their transformations outwardly; inwardly, the refined Qi of Metal and Water gathers in the Golden Embryo and congeals into the divine medicine. The Cantong qi also says: “Qian is firm, Kun is yielding; they join together and envelop one another.”

Metal and Water continually unite. Water Mercury, symbolizing the Yin, fluid alchemical substance, gives rise to the body of the Azure Dragon; Metal Essence, symbolizing the Yang, congealed alchemical Qi, nurtures the embryo of the White Tiger. The elixir’s first signs gradually appear, and the forms of Metal and Water remain within the spirit chamber. After Metal and Fire have joined for a long time, spirit water naturally forms within the mother’s womb. When the elixir is complete, child and mother are mutually attached, and the Qi of Metal and Water naturally nourishes the elixir.

Female and male become one, and their use follows its own order. Female and male also mean Dragon and Tiger, Qian and Kun, sun and moon, Yin and Yang, Kan and Li, husband and wife, Water and Fire, and woman and man. When female and male unite, transformation follows, and refined Qi brings forth the myriad things. When used properly, this generation arises naturally.

The Chenshi Commentary explains: Man belongs to the Li trigram, symbolizing the sun; woman belongs to the Kan trigram, symbolizing the Great Yin (the moon). When sun and moon join, the Qi of Metal and Water arises naturally. Their dispositions and natures harmonize and respond to one another; nothing else is needed. If foreign substances are mixed in, the divine medicine produced by alchemy no longer arises from natural inborn nature.

It is like a man reaching the age of twenty and a woman reaching the age for her hairpin ceremony: their mutual attraction arises naturally. The ancients used this as a metaphor for the Great Elixir, the elixir formed through cultivation, holding that its formation follows natural inborn nature just as human generation does. Sand and mercury form within the body of lead, brought forth by the stirring of Water and Fire; they are not added from outside. A child in the mother’s womb, too, is formed from the Qi of Water and Fire, without help from external things.

The ancients understood that these two processes of generation do not differ in their fundamental nature. They therefore used the union of man and woman to compare the joining of the essences of the Dragon and Tiger—the two Yin-Yang vital essences—so that the Qi of Metal and Water could return to its source and origin, naturally refining into the supreme medicine. This is what “one Yin and one Yang are called the Dao” means. Without accord with nature, nothing can unite. When the two essences of man and woman join and their bodies come together, day gives way to month, and pregnancy forms naturally. What need is there for anything else? This principle shows that the divine medicine must be refined through the symbols of Li Fire and Kan Water, without mixing in foreign substances.

From this we can see that refining the true essence of sun and moon into liquid gold follows the same principle as the conception of a child by man and woman. The difference lies only in the purity or impurity of immortals and ordinary people. The Perfected Ones—those who have attained the Dao—feared that later students would fail to grasp the truth, so they offered this as proof. Other symbols can be understood by extension from it.

“Chapter Six: The Divine Meaning of Change Between Ji and Wei”

When the changes reach “Before Completion” (Weiji, the final stage of the alchemical process), the work seems complete, yet it begins again. This means that cultivating the great Elixir can usually be completed in a month. But if the firing times are not properly regulated or the alchemical vessel is not sealed tightly, Jing and Qi will not condense sufficiently, and the Golden Elixir will form later. In that case, cultivation must continue for another month.

“Use the first nine as the measure of the cycle; let Yang’s harmony set the standard from dawn to dusk” means that the firing times of cultivation should be arranged according to the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang. On the night when the old and new lunar months meet—the last day of one month and the first day of the next—Yang begins to arise at the hour of Zi. This is called the “Returning” hexagram, Earth Thunder Fu. The first Yang line emerges from the bottom line of the Kun hexagram. The hours from Zi to Si make up the daytime, and those from Wu to Hai the nighttime. During the day, the Zhun hexagram governs; at night, the Meng hexagram governs. Together, Zhun and Meng correspond to the twelve double-hours of a day and symbolize the rhythm of cultivating the great Elixir. Two hexagrams correspond to each day, and sixty hexagrams to a month. The sequence begins with Zhun and Meng and ends with “Already Completed” (Jiji) and “Before Completion” (Weiji). The Cantong qi says, “The days and double-hours set the measure of the cycle; activity and stillness each have their proper time,” expressing the same principle.

“The cycle accords with Heaven’s heart; the Yang lines are complete by Si” means that Yang Fire rises from the hour of Zi and reaches its height at Si, after which Yin begins to grow at Wu. This is what the Cantong qi means when it says, “Spring and summer govern the inner body, from Zi through Chen and Si.”

“True Yin begins its descent from Li at Wu; it ends with Ding at Hai” means that the Yin Talisman begins to descend at Wu and reaches its height at Hai, after which Yang Fire begins to rise again at Zi. The Cantong qi refers to this process when it says, “Autumn and winter govern the outer application, from Wu through Xu and Hai.”

The Chenshu Dao says: The way the Great Elixir—the supreme medicine sought through Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) or Golden Elixir cultivation—changes takes the two trigrams Qian and Kun as its foundation. Yang Fire begins to rise at the hour of Zi (midnight), while Yin Qi begins to arise at the hour of Wu (noon). Yang Qi reaches its height at the hour of Si (nine to eleven in the morning), and Yin Qi reaches its height at the hour of Hai (nine to eleven at night). The twelve lines of the Qian and Kun trigrams change in step with the twelve double-hours and are used to refine the Golden Liquid.

Some people regard refining the Great Elixir as an easy matter and begin trying it recklessly. As a result, they exhaust their money and become thin and haggard, yet in the end achieve nothing. How could they know that the Supreme Dao embraces Heaven and Earth, exhales and absorbs Yin and Yang, sets the four seasons in motion, harmonizes the sun and moon, and manifests the transformations of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), causing day and night to cycle and all things to grow? All things receive the transformations of the Supreme Dao and are brought into being.

Those who attain the Dao understand its foundations and know that cultivating the Dao can free one from the ordinary world. They therefore take Heaven and Earth as their model, gather Yin and Yang, collect the essences of the sun and moon, harmonize the numinous energies of Water and Fire, and refine the supreme medicine until it returns to its natural state. Many treatises have been handed down through the generations for later ages, yet those who study the Dao still refuse to believe them. Relying only on tangible materials, they try to imitate the workings of creation in their refining, but this ultimately goes against reason. Even if they achieve something, it cannot restore youth or let a person remain in the world for a long time; at times it may instead cause sores, poisoning, and bleeding. How can those who refine elixirs fail to take this as a warning?

Water and Fire Each Have Their Place, Chapter Seven

Water and Fire each occupy one direction and keep to their own bounds, giving rise to cold and heat; east and west correspond to benevolence and righteousness. The transformations of the Five Phases give rise to the four seasons. Understanding this makes it possible to see how Yin and Yang join together and work upon one another, accord with the “Three Ones” (a Daoist cultivation concept concerning the unity of the Dao, Qi, and body-mind), and thereby grasp the principle involved.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister says that Water and Fire each occupy one direction and keep to their own bounds, thereby producing cold and heat. Water belongs to Yin; when cold reaches its extreme, it corresponds to the Kan trigram. Fire belongs to Yang; when heat reaches its extreme, it corresponds to the Li trigram. By each keeping its place, they give rise to winter and summer. The line in the Cantong qi, “Rewards and punishments accord with spring and autumn; darkness and brightness follow cold and heat,” speaks of the same principle.

The East corresponds to “benevolence” in the pair benevolence and righteousness. The transformations of the Five Phases give rise to the four seasons. The East belongs to Wood, the place where all things grow and sprout, so it serves as a metaphor for benevolence and also corresponds to joy. The West belongs to Metal, which governs the withering and destruction of all things, so it serves as a metaphor for righteousness and also corresponds to anger. The movement and transformation of the Qi of the Five Phases—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—produce spring, summer, autumn, and winter, establishing the sequence of the four seasons. The Cantong qi says, “The line statements contain benevolence and righteousness; they give rise to joy and anger in accordance with the seasons.” This is the meaning it conveys.

Yin and Yang work together in coordination. By following the “Three and One”—the relevant numerical principles of three and one—one can grasp their pattern. As long as the numerical principles of the Four Images, the four kinds of Yin-Yang transformation, remain in seasonal order, the Qi of Yin and Yang will flow smoothly, and Water and Fire, cold and heat, will each find their proper measure.

The Explanatory Commentary on the Way of the Ministers says: The sun and moon alternate in their courses, while cold and heat each follow their proper pattern. The sun sets and the moon rises; one year ends and a new year begins. In cultivation, the changes of the year’s climate must be compressed into the twelve double-hours of a single day, with spring, summer, autumn, and winter arranged in sequence, so that the process of refining and nourishing accords with the seasons. At every step, one must act in harmony with the right moment. The sun and moon follow measured courses, and cold and heat alternate with precision. By following these patterns, the Golden Elixir can be formed.

“Modeling oneself on the natural patterns” means arranging cultivation according to the laws that govern the movements of Heaven and Earth. Through inner changes, the practitioner perceives those yet to come, allowing Jing and Qi to arise within the body’s “chamber” and congeal in the “cauldron.” The “chamber” and “cauldron” are metaphors in Neidan practice for the inner places where Jing and Qi are refined and nourished. Once Yin-Yang essence and Qi have gathered, the cauldron gradually becomes moistened and clear; transformation then takes place in correspondence with the four seasons. Thus the Five Chapters says: “In spring, gently nourish with the Qi of warmth: this is benevolence. In summer, refine and nourish with the Qi of heat: this is propriety. In autumn, refine and nourish with the Qi of coolness: this is righteousness. In winter, refine and nourish with the Qi of cold: this is wisdom.” When the Qi of the four seasons flows smoothly, the year’s cultivation can be completed.

Spring Qi is the root of the growth of all things, and corresponds to the Yang Fire period before the Zi double-hour. Autumn Qi is the root of their gathering and decline, and corresponds to the period after the Wu double-hour, when the Yin Tally is set in motion. Among the twelve double-hours, Zi, Chou, and Yin belong to spring; Mao, Chen, and Si to summer; Wu, Wei, and Shen to autumn; and You, Xu, and Hai to winter. As practitioners regulate the fire phases through the twelve double-hours, they must coordinate them with the four seasons and Five Phases, without the slightest error. In this way, the Golden Liquid in the cauldron gradually congeals, and the Elixir will be formed.

Thus the verse says: “The sage grasps the mysteries of transformation and draws the sun and moon’s revolutions into the furnace. Subtly setting the vital energies of Heaven and Earth in motion, the sage gathers Yin and Yang and sets spirits and ghosts in motion.” From this we can understand that forming the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir requires following the laws of Heaven and Earth, so that the transformations of Yin and Yang accord with the natural workings of creation.

Chapter Eight: Establishing the Positions of the Spirit Chamber

When the Spirit Chamber—the furnace and cauldron used in alchemy and symbolizing Heaven and Earth—is established, the transformations of Heaven and Earth take place within it. The Spirit Chamber consists of an upper and a lower cauldron. “Setting the positions” means arranging the two forces, female and male, according to the methods of alchemy so that they work together.

The transformations within the furnace and cauldron produce cinnabar and mercury. These refer to the functions of Metal and Earth: each has its own role in the refining process. The alchemical furnace is arranged according to the images of Qian and Kun. With the Metal Mother at its center and the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—complete, it can give rise to spiritual mercury. Cinnabar and mercury also correspond to the Water and Fire Qi of Kan and Li: the two forces through which Qian and Kun operate.

These two forces have no fixed line positions—the places occupied by the lines of a hexagram. Like outspread wings, they move back and forth between Xu and Wei, the stellar positions associated with the northern Water of Kan and the southern Fire of Li. The rising and setting of the sun and moon, and the movement of Water and Fire, cannot be confined to fixed line positions. Because they move unpredictably within the Spirit Chamber, their upper and lower positions follow no regular pattern.

Though these forces move unpredictably, they keep transforming and returning to the Central Palace at the heart of the furnace and cauldron. When the firing process is properly regulated, they continually transform into liquid gold. The Central Palace is refined with true lead, which symbolizes the Virtue of Earth. Earth restrains Water and Fire and embraces all things; for this reason, it is called the foundation from which the myriad minerals are refined into the elixir, and the source of all liquid gold.

A commentary from the Chen Dao school explains: The key to cultivating the Great Elixir lies in two ingredients, lead-silver and cinnabar-mercury. Cinnabar-mercury is the Sun’s vital essence, while lead-silver is the Moon’s radiance. The method for refining the Golden Elixir is contained in the mysterious symbols of Heaven and Earth. Earlier chapters have explained this clearly, yet there is still concern that students may not grasp it, so the text continues to clarify the point through metaphor. Once it is understood directly, cinnabar-mercury need not be sought elsewhere; it will arise naturally.

Cinnabar-mercury within lead is like emotion and nature within the human body: emotion and nature arise from within and appear outwardly; they do not come from outside. Cinnabar-mercury likewise arises within and appears outwardly; it is not an external substance. Though emotion and nature have different functions, both reside in the human body. The things named cinnabar and mercury are likewise both hidden within lead. When a person makes use of emotion and nature, their effects appear outwardly; when lead contains cinnabar-mercury, the medicine’s power operates within. Though their modes of action differ, the underlying principle is shared. The realized masters of the Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three, a Daoist alchemical classic) have already made this clear: one should take the essences of the Sun and Moon and combine them to form the medicine, adding no other substances.

Chapter Nine: The Mutual Constraint of Being and Nonbeing

Being and nonbeing constrain one another. The flames of the Vermilion Bird, the divine bird that symbolizes fire, soar into the sky; their purple radiance shines upon the Sun’s light, and the cinnabar-mercury melts away and vanishes.

The Chen Dao commentary says, “Nonbeing and being constrain one another. The Vermilion Bird flies through the sky.” Here, “being” refers to the Tiger and “nonbeing” to the Dragon; “being” also refers to white metal, while “nonbeing” refers to the Qi of Yin and Yang. White metal, as the divine chamber—the furnace vessel that holds the ingredients during alchemical work—cannot generate transformation by itself. Only through the ascent and descent of water and fire, and the turning of the four seasons, can the Elixir be refined. Thus, an empty vessel must be used to constrain what has form. The Vermilion Bird is the divine fire. It steams downward over the divine chamber, and the liquid gold is produced through the fire’s refining. The Cantong qi (a Daoist alchemical classic) says, “Use nonbeing to govern being; the vessel functions through emptiness.” This is what the passage means.

“Purple radiance shines upon the sun; cinnabar and mercury perish” means that, within the divine cauldron, the essence of the sun and moon may transform into golden radiance and reveal their brilliance, or become numinous liquid, taking on the forms of the Dragon and Tiger. Its light shines inside the cauldron, bringing about changes in cinnabar and mercury: at times they disperse, at times they congeal, at times they rise, and at times they sink, changing with the movement of water and fire. The Cantong qi says, “Thus, as one investigates waxing and waning and transformation, Kan and Li vanish and disappear.” This too describes such changes.

The Explanatory Commentary on the Dao of the Ministers says: In ancient times, people used only mercury to refine elixirs. It is said this was because the methods of that age had the “Dragon” but not the “Tiger.” They did not rely on the Five Phases or the Four Images, imitate the methods of Heaven and Earth, or depend on the sexual union of husband and wife and the joining of Yin and Yang between man and woman. Instead, they let the Yin-Yang Qi represented by Kan and Li wax and wane within themselves, nourishing and growing the essential Qi of the Dragon and Tiger within the body’s seven apertures. By following this process naturally, they could accord with the Great Dao. For this reason, people in ancient times mostly lived long lives and did not die young.

After the middle antiquity, those who wished to resist aging, restore their youth, extend their lives, and transcend the ordinary to become perfected beings had to set up a furnace and cauldron, summon the pure and harmonious Qi of Heaven and Earth, and gather the essences of the sun and moon. They had to stabilize the Four Images and complete the Five Phases. After nine cycles of refinement, and when three thousand periods of time had elapsed, opening the furnace would reveal an elixir congealed like frost, its golden radiance shining brightly. Once consumed, it could grant long life even to those who had already entered the later stage of aging.

Most people today know the “Tiger,” but few recognize the “Dragon.” The Golden Liquid is the Azure Dragon, the root of Wood virtue in the East, and symbolizes the sun. The Yellow Sprout is the White Tiger, the ancestor of Metal liquid in the West, and symbolizes the moon. The essential Qi of these two things both has the power to bring about wondrous transformations. Thus the scripture says, “The essences of the sun and moon can rescue the aged.” If refined and consumed according to the proper method, they too can produce transformation.

The transformation of an elixir means that cinnabar becomes mercury: Yang turns into Yin. Mercury then becomes cinnabar again: Yin turns into Yang. Only then is it called the “Pure Yang Elixir,” which grants long life to those who consume it. The sages used the souls of the sun and moon as a metaphor, pointing out that they are found only in the two positions of Kan and Li, with nothing else involved. Fearing that later generations might fail to grasp the true principle, they explained it plainly and left it for posterity.

“The Chapter on Not Fabricating Instructions at Will,” Section Ten

Instructions should not be fabricated at will, and principles should not be invented from nothing. The scripture gives a brief indication that the Pure Yang Elixir can grant long life. The sages used the souls of the sun and moon as a metaphor to explain that they exist only in the two positions of Kan and Li, with nothing else involved. To keep later generations from losing the true meaning, they explained it explicitly and passed it down to posterity.

The oral teachings handed down by the sages were not casually invented, and the principles they explained were not conjured from thin air. They used concise words to clarify profound truths and probe subtle mysteries, revealing the secrets of the spirits. The scripture develops its argument through the hexagrams and lines of the Zhouyi, using the Five Phases—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—as its framework.

The Kan trigram symbolizes the masculine essence of Metal, while the Li trigram symbolizes the feminine radiance of Fire. Hidden within Kan is the Qi of Wu Earth, like the moon’s essence. Wu is masculine, and Kan lies in the north; it therefore represents the masculine within the feminine, like a metal tiger born from water. Hidden within Li is the Qi of Ji Earth, like the sun’s radiance. Ji is feminine, and Li lies in the south; it therefore represents the feminine within the masculine, like a mercury dragon formed in fire.

Metal and Wood attack one another, while Water and Fire restrain one another. Here, Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire represent the different substances and functions involved in alchemical refinement. Their interaction makes the transformations of the elixir all the more pronounced. The union of sun and moon, and the pairing of hardness and softness, likewise symbolize the harmony of Yin-Yang.

Earth is strong in all four seasons and runs through the entire process of refinement. Metal, Wood, and Fire, wrapped in the fire phases of the four seasons, pass through nine cycles and ultimately become “dust in the bright window,” the alchemical term for the substance produced by refinement. The Qi of the four directions gathers in the sacred cauldron. Then the essences of the Dragon and Tiger are refined into the supreme medicine. Through the harmonizing and completion of the Five Earths and the four seasons, each of the colors—blue-green, red, black, and white—fulfills its function, and the sacred elixir is brought to completion.

All of this is credited to the virtue of Earth in the central palace, whose function is symbolized by the Yellow Emperor. The Qi of Wu and Ji Earth in the central palace is the basis for harmonizing and transformation; the transmutation of liquid Metal likewise depends on the Qi of Wu and Ji. To cultivate the sacred elixir, one gathers the essence of the sun and moon and blends the numinous Qi of Yin-Yang. After the prescribed cycles of the celestial circuit and the firing phases of Water and Fire, everything ultimately returns to the virtue of Earth. The scripture therefore calls this “the work of the Yellow Emperor.”

People who cultivated the Dao (the Way) in ancient times did not speak lightly, nor did they pass on oral formulas repeatedly. Only after their work was complete did they set down the essential instructions in a written covenant, leaving them for later people who loved the Dao. What is passed down in writing often gives only the general idea. Here, the root of refining the Great Medicine is pointed out directly, so later generations need not use worldly substances such as cinnabar and mercury. If one can grasp the subtle images of the method and refine the elixir in accord with the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth and the cycles of the four seasons, this is true Yin and true Yang.

The Yinfu Jing says, “When the mechanism of Heaven opens, one may live forever and never die.” Those who obtain this Daoist method must not pass it on indiscriminately to the unworthy. The Cantong qi also says that one writes down one’s thoughts and records them on bamboo and silk, yet worries about revealing Heaven’s secrets. Hesitating and sighing, looking up and down in thought—that is precisely the situation being described.

Refining the highest medicine cannot be done without water and fire. Once water and fire blend, the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger in the crucible harmonizes, condensing into golden liquid. Thus True Lead is the parent of the real Golden Elixir and the ancestor of spiritual Mercury. All things transform and come into being through it; all living beings are nurtured through it and receive their endowment from it. Once one has obtained True Lead and established its true nature, and understands the proper method for combining water and fire, the Great Elixir can naturally be expected to form.

Metal and Fire Are Lead — Chapter Eleven

Cinnabar is made manifest, and nothing is more important than Metal and Fire. This chapter explores the finest principles and brings about transformation through skillful means: when Yang Qi stirs, Yin Qi recedes; chaos returns to unity; the essences of the nine treasures hold fast to one another; and the trigrams correspond with the medicine. The “Metal” spoken of here weighs three hundred and eighty-four zhu, for by the ancient measure one jin equaled sixteen liang. The essence of Metal transforms into two Qi, which condense into the elixir; the Azure Dragon receives fire, meaning that the Qi of Wood accords with the fire phase.

At this time, the spirit chamber—the inner crucible used for alchemical refinement—cultivates and nourishes the essence, while Metal and Fire revolve together. The masculine Yang appears in a deep emerald hue, and the feminine Yin in an ochre yellow. Yin and Yang mingle and join, and the essence envelops the primal Qi. The myriad forms arise by means of emptiness, and each kind responds and transforms according to its own nature. The signs of efficacy found in various elixirs, and the Way of longevity, all depend on this process.

“Gold and Fire” refers to true lead. The words “gold” and “fire” each symbolize the essences of the sun and moon: gold is the moon’s foundation, and fire is the sun’s source; both arise from lead. The Perfected Wei (Wei Boyang) compared Gold and Fire to the Changes, and also compared the Changes to the substances used in alchemical refinement. The Cantong qi says, “No symbols of transformation are more evident than the sun and moon.” The cinnabar described by Danzha Zhaoming is liquid gold. The key to refining the great elixir of liquid gold is to draw on the essences of the sun and moon: gold refers to lead, the moon to water, cinnabar to mercury, and the sun to fire. Outwardly, this appears as water and fire ascending and descending; inwardly, it is the union of lead and mercury. No other substances are added. The transformation of gold and cinnabar comes entirely from the essences of the sun and moon.

“To probe what is hidden and subtle, and to be adept at transformation; Yang Qi stirs, and Yin Qi recedes” describes how the ancients examined the subtle changes, waxing and waning, of Yin and Yang Qi. They set these forces in motion, coming and going through cycles of activity and stillness, like the recurring alternation of day and night. The Cantong qi says, “By plumbing the wondrous and mysterious, one can understand change; when Yang Qi departs, Yin Qi arrives.”

“Chaos returns to unity; the essences of the Nine Treasures sustain one another” describes the Qi of Kan, Li, the Dragon, and the Tiger mingling in the spirit chamber—the symbolic inner space of the alchemical furnace—and circulating as water and fire advance and retreat. At the start of alchemical refinement, Kan corresponds to water, the number of fire is just beginning to arise, and the essences and Qi unite, though no transformation has yet taken place. By the Si position, the number of fire reaches its height, and the transformation called “the Dragon gives birth to mercury, and the Tiger gives birth to lead” appears. The essences of lead and mercury gradually emerge. Within the cauldron, the Qi symbolizing the sun and moon circulates outward, while the essences of water and fire gather and disperse within. The Cantong qi says, “Like spokes converging at a hub as the wheel turns, Qi enters and leaves, now spreading out, now drawing in.”

When the trigrams correspond with the substances, the essences of lead and mercury gradually emerge. The Qi of the sun and moon circulates within the cauldron, while the essences of water and fire expand and contract inside. The Cantong qi says, “Like spokes converging at a hub as the wheel turns, Qi enters and leaves, now spreading out, now drawing in.”

“Gold weighs three hundred and eighty-four zhu.” A zhu is a unit of weight: twenty-four zhu make one liang, and sixteen liang make one jin. The trigrams have three hundred and eighty-four lines, representing the cycles of the celestial circuit and the year, and encompassing one full cycle of the firing process. The Mother of Gold, in turn, weighs three hundred and eighty-four zhu to the jin, representing the amount used for one jin of the great elixir. The numbers for the firing process and the Mother of Gold correspond to one another. The Cantong qi says, “The Changes has three hundred and eighty-four lines; one must select the corresponding markers in accordance with the images of the lines.”

“When the essence of gold transforms, the two Qi form the elixir; the Azure Dragon receives the tally” describes the transformation of the liquid of the Great Yin Metal Tiger and the fluid of the Great Yang Wood Dragon into the true elixir. When the tally is first put into operation from the last day of the lunar month to the first day, the Azure Dragon, spirit of fire, takes charge under the direction of the Zhen trigram. The Cantong qi says, “From the last day of the month until dawn of the first, Zhen comes to receive the tally.”

This is the moment when the Azure Dragon receives the tally and the firing process begins. Within the spirit chamber, the Qi of Dragon and Tiger intertwines; the essences of Gold and Fire circulate and unite, eventually transforming into the divine elixir. The Cantong qi says, “At this very moment, Heaven and Earth join their essences, and the sun and moon support one another.”

“The masculine Yang is emerald-dark water; the feminine Yin is ochre-gold.” Masculine Yang refers to Qian, Heaven, Great Yang, the sun, and cinnabar. Its essence is called dark water, also known as feminine mercury. Feminine Yin refers to Kun, Earth, Great Yin, the moon, and lead. Its essence is called golden yellow, also known as white metal. When the sun and moon unite in the cauldron, the sun transforms into dark water and the moon into gold. Gold is true lead, and dark water is true mercury. When lead and mercury unite, the elixir can be formed. The Cantong qi says, “The masculine Yang spreads dark Qi; the feminine Yin governs yellow Qi and transforms it.”

“Yin and Yang mingle, and their essences and fluids envelop primordial Qi” refers to the Qi of Yin and Yang, Dragon and Tiger, joining within chaos. Water and fire interact and transform one another, producing fluids that serve as the foundation of the elixir. The Cantong qi says, “The Qi of chaos mingle with one another, and from this the foundation is established.”

“All forms arise by relying on emptiness; through resonance and transformation, each takes its own kind” means that all things in the world are generated by relying on primordial Qi, and each takes shape according to its kind. Within the cauldron, Wood Qi transforms into the Dragon, Metal Qi into the Tiger, Fire Qi into mercury, Water Qi into lead, and Earth Qi harmonizes them. All Five Qi return to the central palace and nourish the Yine, the foundation on which the elixir body grows and congeals, until spirit congeals into form and the true is attained. The Cantong qi says, “Tend and nourish the foundation; congeal spirit until it takes form.”

“The efficacious traces of the many elixirs, and the Way of long life, all come from this” means that the great elixir of liquid gold has twenty-four grades, and the elixir described here belongs to that class. It is regarded as the supreme Way by which one can ascend to Heaven in broad daylight. It takes Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, the stars, the Five Phases, and the four seasons as its symbols, brings them together in the spirit chamber, and transforms them into liquid gold. This is a path to long life. The Cantong qi says, “All who follow this path emerge from it; even the smallest living creatures come from it.”

The Notes on the Dao say: “‘Metal and Fire’ means lead and fire, that is, Water and Fire. When Metal and Fire mingle, cinnabar forms within true lead. The movements of the four seasons are gathered into the spirit chamber—the inner or symbolic furnace chamber used in alchemical practice—and transformation takes place there. The principles behind refining liquid gold and attaining longevity all arise from this. The Cantong qi says that the roads walked by people and the subtle movements of living creatures all come into being through this.”

The Notes on the Dao also say: “What the ancients kept secret and did not pass on was the timing of the fire. The fire is reckoned as one catty, and the ingredients are also reckoned as one catty. Divide the catty of ingredients into 384 zhu, and the catty of fire into 384 lines, corresponding to the number of lines in the sixty-four hexagrams that make up the year. The Qian hexagram has 216 lines, and the Kun hexagram has 144. By extending this pattern and applying it to related cases, the total is 11,520, corresponding to the number of the myriad things and conforming to the cycle of Heaven and Earth.”

The ancients took their models from Heaven and Earth and followed Yin-Yang. They brought the rising and descending of Water and Fire into accord, followed the natures of Metal and Wood, and combined the functions of firmness and flexibility, thereby bringing the transformations of the Great Dao to completion. The numerical values of Qian and Kun, and each hexagram line, are worked out in turn to determine the numbers for the timing of the fire and the Great Elixir. In this way, the subtle qualities of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth are revealed: these are the numerical signs displayed by Heaven. The ingredients refined and the timing of the fire must both conform to these heavenly numbers. If the numbers for the years, months, days, and hours are gathered into the twelve double-hours of a single day, then by advancing the Yang Fire in sequence and withdrawing the Yin Talisman to refine the divine elixir of liquid gold, one can immediately grasp the principles of transformation.

Thus It Is: The Chapter on Dark Moisture and Luster, Chapter Twelve

Thus, the mysterious Qi moistens and shines, and the Primordial Lord begins to refine mercury. The spirit chamber contains the vast and empty realm; within the dark and white Qi, the Golden Lord—a term in alchemy often used for lead—is born. The foundation of the beginning is established high above, with Three and Five held in balance, and the flying essence is thereby nourished.

The Lord of Mysterious Origin (Xuanyuan Jun), the revered deity who presides over alchemical refinement in Daoism, begins refining mercury in the Spirit Chamber, the vessel room used for alchemy. “Containing the Cavern of Emptiness” means that black lead, after refinement, is transformed into white metal, gleaming with a lustrous radiance and shining through with clarity. Only then does it take on the form of the Spirit Chamber. The chamber’s interior is hollow, about an inch in diameter, and serves to generate true mercury. The Lord of Mysterious Origin is the chief in charge of refining the Golden Elixir. The Baopuzi says that Xuanyuan Jun also once recounted how he achieved immortality through alchemical refinement. Fuxi drew the Eight Trigrams (Bagua), and Confucius elaborated the images and numbers of the Changes; both expounded the patterns of Heaven and Earth. The Cantong qi says, “Thus Zhongni praised the vast primordial state; the Virtue of Heaven and Earth penetrates the void.” This is precisely what it means.

“From the Mysterious and the White, the Lord of Metal is born; towering, he establishes the beginning” means that white metal arises from within the Mysterious, and can therefore gather and nourish the essences of the sun and moon. Before the Yang fire is set in motion, these essences remain hidden within the white metal, without any visible trace. Once water and fire begin to circulate, a golden flower forms within the white metal. The golden flower is the harmonized Qi of Wu and Ji, associated with Earth. When two things respond to and transform one another, they can generate the elixir, and so it is called noble and exalted. A study of antiquity shows that such a thing existed long ago: it enfolds Yin and Yang and is joined to the forms of the myriad things without being separate from them. The meaning of “Guanju” is also used to explain that when water and fire unite, they can produce cinnabar and mercury, revealing wondrous things. Thus it is the mother of the myriad things and the beginning of Yin and Yang. The Cantong qi says, “In tracing antiquity to the Primordial Sovereign, Guanjiu established the beginning.” This is what it means.

“Crowned by the keeping together of Three and Five, the flying essence moistens and nourishes” refers to mercury, true cinnabar, and the elements of water, fire, and Earth joining and holding together. Mercury belongs to Water, cinnabar to Fire, while “Three and Five” also concerns the Five Phases and the number of Earth. When Water, Fire, and Earth unite, their essences descend into the cauldron. The sages of antiquity devised the Spirit Chamber and the vessel of the already-completed crossing, using the union of man and woman as a metaphor and shaping it to correspond to the Dragon and Tiger. At first, substance and form have not yet separated, like the undifferentiated chaos. Through the firing process of refinement, the essences of husband and wife seem to mingle, and the dispositions of Dragon and Tiger come together. In this way, the process begins with the “first year” and ultimately yields the divine elixir. The Cantong qi says, “The Qi of crowning and marriage knots together; in the first year, the sprouts begin to grow.” This describes the joining of the Qi mechanism and the first emergence of the elixir.

The exposition on the minister’s Way says that the Primordial Lady was also a person who attained the Way and became an immortal through alchemical practice, and was an ancient patriarch. She designed the crucible by drawing on the numerical principles of Heaven and Earth and the patterns of the sun and moon’s movement, making it a symbol of Qian and Kun. She left a space of just over an inch inside the crucible to hold numinous mercury. By analogy and correspondence, once the crucible is set in motion, the Qi of Heaven descends and the Qi of Earth responds. When the most refined Qi between Heaven and Earth mingles, it produces divine fluid. This principle is profound and exalted, truly wondrous.

The immortals of antiquity who attained the Way worried that later generations would fail to understand its true principles and mistakenly believe that the Great Elixir could be made from various substances such as cinnabar and mercury, without understanding the key to the transformation of true lead. So they used images and words to guide those who cultivated the Way. Trying to refine an elixir from assorted materials is like going into the mountains to fish or into the water to catch pheasants and rabbits: it is simply impossible and only wastes one’s effort.

“The Mysterious Maiden Expounds the Sequence”: Chapter Thirteen

The Mysterious Maiden explains the stages of cultivation: the Qi of Wu and Ji is most precious and is the Heavenly Talisman. As the Heavenly Talisman’s movement gradually wanes, it becomes difficult to accord with the subtle diagram.

The commentary on the minister’s Way says that the Mysterious Maiden embodies the spirit of Heaven and Earth and the numinous Qi of Yin-Yang. She knows and penetrates everything, understanding the conditions of the myriad things and their many transformations; for this reason, she is regarded as a presiding deity in Daoism. Wu and Ji belong to Earth. They are the Qi that harmonizes, and the foundation of the Great Elixir. The movement of the Heavenly Talisman gives rise to the essence of Wu and Ji. The Cantong qi says, “The sages do not appear from nowhere; they look upward to observe the manifestations of the Heavenly Talisman.” This is what it means.

As the Qi of the Heavenly Talisman moves, Yang Qi begins to grow each day from the hour of Zi, reaching its height at the hour of Si. After the hour of Wu, it turns into Yin Qi, which gradually grows until it reaches its height at the hour of Hai. The movement of the Five Phases eventually comes to an end, and the four seasons complete their cycle; this is why it is said that the Way of the Heavenly Talisman gradually wanes. The Cantong qi says, “The Heavenly Talisman advances and retreats, bends and extends, in accord with the seasons; the Yi governs the heart of Heaven.” This is precisely the principle it describes.

Chen Dao’s commentary says: “The Mysterious Maiden, a divine immortal of antiquity, was among the elders of the ancient immortals. Wu and Ji belong to Earth; the Heavenly Tally belongs to Fire. Fire is primordial Qi—the fundamental breath on which the generation and movement of all things depend. Primordial Qi is vast enough to encompass Heaven and Earth, yet small enough to lie hidden in the tiniest places. Nothing among the myriad things fails to receive nourishment from it. It encompasses all things on a grand scale and moves unseen within them: it brings things to life, and also constrains them and brings them to an end. It harmonizes Metal and Water and sets Yin-Yang in motion, causing the myriad things to flourish or decline. Its transformations are endless, and its effects are immeasurably vast and subtle.

“The perfected person draws on these wondrous transformations to refine the supreme medicine: gathering the essences of the Sun and Moon, balancing warmth and coolness, cold and heat, and adjusting the increase and decrease of Water and Fire in accordance with spring, summer, autumn, and winter. In this way, they accord with the cycles of the four seasons and their waxing and waning. All of this follows the patterns of nature. If one merely used gold and silver, plants and trees, ashes and frost to refine the divine elixir of liquid gold, how could such endless transformations arise?”

Collected Commentaries on the Ancient Classic of the Dragon and Tiger, juan one

Complete Library of the Four Treasuries, commissioned edition

Collected Commentaries on the Ancient Classic of the Dragon and Tiger, juan two

Written by Wang Dao of the Song dynasty

Chapter Fourteen: “On the Original Intention Behind the Elixir Refining”

Thus, this chapter explains the meaning of alchemy without again discussing Heaven and Earth (Qian and Kun). The previous chapter had already made clear the purpose of the Great Elixir and the spirit chamber—the place where the ingredients are set and transformed during alchemical practice. The principles have been fully explained, so they are not repeated here.

Cinnabar is the “father,” and flowing mercury is the medicine born of the “father.” Wu and Ji are the “mother,” and gold is the medicine born of the “mother.” The commentary compares cinnabar to the sun and flowing mercury to the sun’s soul; it compares Wu and Ji to the moon and gold to the moon’s corporeal soul. Cinnabar and Wu and Ji give rise to these two medicines. When soul and corporeal soul unite, they form the supreme medicine; hence they are called “father and mother.”

“Bell tones return in twos and sixes” refers to the six yang pitches and six yin pitches combining to form the twelve musical tones, which also correspond to the twelve double-hours. “The Dipper’s handle establishes three and nine” refers to the directions indicated by the handle of the Northern Dipper: in the first month it points toward the Yin position, in the second month toward the Mao position, and then proceeds through the twelve Earthly Branches to mark the months. “Three and nine” also means twelve. Here, the changes in the timing of alchemical practice are explained through the musical tones and the Dipper’s movement. The line in the Cantong qi, “The waxing and waning accord with the bell tones; ascent and descent follow the Dipper’s pivot,” expresses the same idea.

“The Red Child plays with the Vermilion Bird, transforming into the Azure Dragon”: the Red Child refers to the sun, and the Vermilion Bird to fire. Once the fire has moved, the sun’s essence generates mercury in the spirit chamber; this transformation is called the “Azure Dragon.” An ancient poem says, “In the art of reversing the Five Phases, the Dragon emerges from within the fire.” This describes precisely the same idea.

The Commentary on the Ministerial Way explains: Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), the source from which all things arise before they are differentiated, gives rise to the Two Modes; the Two Modes give rise to the Four Images; and the Four Images give rise to the Eight Trigrams (Bagua). The Eight Trigrams are used to determine good and ill fortune. Qian represents Heaven: at rest it is single-minded, and in motion it is firm and upright. Kun represents Earth: at rest it gathers in, and in motion it opens out. Thus the classic says that Qian and Kun are the forms of Heaven and Earth, while Kan and Li, symbols of water and fire, are their functions. The Dao gives rise to Heaven, Heaven gives rise to Earth, and Earth gives rise to all things. The transformations of Qian and Kun through movement and stillness are the very source from which all things come into being.

Heaven belongs to emptiness, Yang, and firmness; it symbolizes the sun and the father. Earth belongs to substance, Yin, and softness; it symbolizes the moon and the mother. Everything below the empty is of Earth; everything above the substantial is of Heaven. Emptiness and substance permeate one another, giving rise to the transformations of the six lines. The Qian hexagram uses seven and nine; the Kun hexagram uses six and eight.

The numbers of the Four Images correspond to those of Qian and Kun, revealing the distinction between old Yin, young Yin, young Yang, and old Yang. Four combined with six makes twenty-four, the number of one line of old Yin. Four combined with eight makes thirty-two, the number of one line of young Yin. Four combined with seven makes twenty-eight, the number of one line of young Yang. Four combined with nine makes thirty-six, the number of one line of old Yang. The interplay of these four numbers is the numerical principle by which Qian and Kun form hexagrams; the transformations of six and nine, in turn, make up the numbers through which the six lines come into being. Old Yin and old Yang transform along with the Qian and Kun hexagrams through nine and six, while the seven and eight of young Yang and young Yin do not take part in these transformations.

The Qian hexagram has six lines, three of which belong to Earth; the Kun hexagram also has six lines, three of which belong to Heaven. Qian and Kun are the root through which the transformations of Heaven and Earth pass and connect. They are continually blended as one, distributed among the six lines and transformed as the two Qi, Yin and Yang, rise and descend.

When Qian Qi moves, it is firm and unyielding; Yang Qi blazes like fire and issues from beneath the Earth. When the bottom line of the Qian hexagram changes, it becomes the Fu hexagram, called the Initial Nine. This is the seat of Yang Qi among the six lines, where faint Yang has just begun to arise. The second change produces the Lin hexagram, and Yang Qi begins to move. The third produces the Tai hexagram: Yin and Yang mingle, and all things sprout and break through the soil. The fourth produces the Dazhuang hexagram, as all things flourish and grow. The fifth produces the Guai hexagram, as plants and trees reveal their true form. Finally, when the top nine changes into pure Qian, the sunlight shines brightly and spreads between Mao and You; plants and trees flourish, the sun rises high, and five-colored radiance appears, while well water grows cold as ice. This is the point at which the movement of the Qian hexagram reaches completion.

When Kun Qi moves, it opens out without obstruction; Yin Qi becomes still and cool, descending from above. When the bottom line of the Qian hexagram changes, it becomes the Gou hexagram, called the Initial Six. This is the seat of Yin Qi among the six lines, where faint Yin has just begun to arise. The second change produces the Dun hexagram, and Yin Qi begins to move. The third produces the Pi hexagram: Yin and Yang no longer communicate; all things ripen, and their fruits hang low. The fourth produces the Guan hexagram, as all things gradually decline. The fifth produces the Bo hexagram, as plants and trees draw in and return to storage. Finally, when the top six changes into pure Kun, Yin Qi is bitterly cold and spreads between Mao and You; plants and trees turn yellow, Yin Qi sinks below, and the five colors are gathered into the roots, while well water grows warm. This is the point at which the movement of the Kun hexagram reaches completion.

Thus the classic says that the sun setting into the Earth is a sign of Yin essence congealing; when it transforms again into the Fu hexagram, all things can grow anew. From this we can understand how the two forms of Qian and Kun rise and fall, circulate, and turn among the six lines in step with changes in Yin and Yang Qi: now bright, now dark, recurring in cycles like the alternation of day and night and the movement of sun and moon, revolving without end and beyond exhaustion. Through all these transformations runs only the pure and unified Qi of original harmony.

The perfected people of antiquity understood the waxing and waning of Heaven and Earth, and the expansion and contraction of Yin and Yang. They therefore used the hexagram images of the Yijing, took Qian and Kun as their models, measured Yin and Yang, imitated water and fire, summoned the Qi of harmony within Heaven and Earth, and absorbed the pure essences of the sun and moon. They gathered these into the spirit chamber, the core place for cultivating Neidan (internal alchemy), transformed them into liquid gold, and refined the mortal body until it attained the body of a sage. When their merit and virtue were complete and their title reached that of a True Person, how could such people fail to be called wondrous?

The Kun hexagram, which symbolizes Yin, first transforms into the Zhen hexagram, whose bottom line is Yang. This corresponds to Chapter Fifteen.

When Kun first transforms into Zhen, on the third day the moon rises from the Geng direction in the west. The east and west correspond respectively to Mao and You, the directions where the sun and moon rise and set. The Dragon and Tiger, alchemical terms commonly used for the two forces of Yin and Yang, seek one another.

When Kun transforms a second time into the Dui hexagram, whose bottom two lines are Yang, on the eighth day the moon rises from the Ding direction, forming the first quarter. Its light is like half a jin of gold.

When Kun transforms a third time into the Qian hexagram, whose three lines are all Yang, the three Yang lines are complete on the fifteenth day. The moon is full and shines from the Jia direction in the east. Metal and water are gentle; the sun’s red essence flows and becomes mercury. The Maiden, an internal alchemy term for the Yin force in the alchemical process, plays with golden earrings. When the moon is full, it naturally joins the Kan hexagram, which symbolizes water and Yin.

The commentary by Chen Dao explains:

“Kun first transforms into Zhen; on the third day the moon appears in the Geng direction” means that around the first day of the lunar month, at midnight, the initial stage of circulating the Yang fire begins. The sun and moon are like two halves of a jade disc, joining near the Bi lunar mansion. The bottom lines of the Qian and Kun hexagrams interact, forming Zhen. Zhen governs this stage, and its Yang line rises from below; thus, on the third day, the moon appears in the Geng direction. The Cantong qi says, “On the third day it emerges as brightness; Zhen receives Geng in the west.” This is what the passage means.

“The east and west are divided into Mao and You; the Dragon and Tiger seek one another” means that Mao and You represent the eastern and western directions, where the sun and moon rise and set. Metal and water each settle in their proper place. After five days of circulating the fire phase, the Dragon and Tiger respond to one another and gather in the cauldron. Here, “cauldron” is a metaphor in Neidan practice for the place where cultivation and refinement take place.

“Kun transforms a second time into Dui; on the eighth day the moon appears in the Ding direction; at the first quarter, it is half a jin of gold” means that from the sixth to the eighth day, the middle lines of the Qian and Kun hexagrams interact, forming Dui. Dui governs this stage, and the second Yang line rises from the middle. The moonlight therefore reaches halfway, taking the straight, cordlike shape of the first quarter, and the moon appears in the Ding direction. This is an image of metal and fire in the cauldron each occupying half. The Cantong qi says, “On the eighth day, Dui receives Ding; at the first quarter, it is straight as a cord.” This is what the passage means.

“Kun transforms a third time into Qian; on the fifteenth day, the three Yang lines are complete; the moon shines full from the eastern Jia direction” means that from the eleventh to the fifteenth day, the top lines of the Qian and Kun hexagrams interact, forming Qian. Qian governs this stage, and the third Yang line rises above. The moonlight is therefore full, and the moon appears in the Jia direction. This is an image of the fullness of Metal’s Virtue in the cauldron and of the fire phase reaching its proper degree. The Cantong qi says, “On the fifteenth day, the Qian form is complete; it is full and abundant in the eastern Jia direction.” This is what the passage means.

“Metal and water are gentle; the sun’s red essence flows and becomes mercury; the Maiden plays with golden earrings, and when the moon is full it naturally joins Kan” means that by this stage, the Golden Elixir of liquid metal has been refined, and the sun’s essence fills the spirit chamber. The Qi of metal and fire transforms into mercury. Mercury and its mother are mutually attached, then transform into the form of metal. The toad and the rabbit’s soul, symbols of the sun and moon, enclose one another, their radiance shining through the cauldron. The Maiden’s form naturally produces ornaments, revealing golden earrings. This image describes the growing strength of metal Qi in the cauldron and its transformation into the Elixir. The Cantong qi says, “The toad and the rabbit’s soul: the sun and moon shine with unmatched brightness. The toad observes the stages of the hexagrams and gives forth light.” This is what the passage means.

From the first to the fifteenth day, the light of the Great Yin—the moon, in this passage—gradually grows full. On the sixteenth day, it naturally shifts into the Kan hexagram. The Cantong qi says, “The course of seven and eight is complete; it bends and descends.” This describes the change.

The Sixteenth Transformation: Gradual Decrease

The Heavenly Stems—symbols associated with concepts such as the Five Phases and the directions—begin to diminish from the first line, forming the Xun trigram. At dawn, the moon appears. The Heavenly Stems diminish again, forming the Gen trigram. This is the twenty-third day, when the last quarter moon appears. At the last quarter, the moon’s water Qi is halved; at noon, it then recombines of its own accord. The Cantong qi says, “The way of seven and eight is complete; it bends and turns, gradually descending.” This describes the process.

The Heavenly Stems begin to diminish from the first line, forming the Xun trigram. At dawn, the moon appears. The Heavenly Stems diminish again, forming the Gen trigram. This is the twenty-third day, when the last quarter moon appears. At the last quarter, the moon’s water Qi is reduced by half. After the moon rises in the Bing direction (south), the Heavenly Stems diminish for a third time, forming the Kun trigram. By the thirtieth day, the Kun trigram is complete, and the moon loses its light in the northeast, setting in the Yi region (east). When the moon is entirely dark, the Qi of Earth, Water, and Metal is about to change; the Zhen trigram emerges from within Kun, and Zhen symbolizes the dragon.

The Cantong qi explains this in detail, though people often fail to grasp it fully. Here, the waxing and waning of the moon and the transformations of the Bagua are used to explain how the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang correspond to the timing and stages of alchemical firing.

After the sixteenth day, Yin begins to grow. The lower line of the Kun trigram meets the lower line of the Qian trigram, forming Xun. Xun corresponds to the first emergence of Yin: the Yang fire begins to recede, and the Yin tally begins to appear. At daybreak, the moon appears in the Xinfang direction. This is like the moon’s appearance on the third day, when the Yang fire begins to rise. The Cantong qi says, “On the sixteenth, the cycle turns and receives its charge; Xun and Xin appear at daybreak.” This is what it means.

From the sixteenth to the twenty-third day, Yin continues to grow. The middle lines of Kun and Qian meet, forming Gen. Gen corresponds to two Yin lines arising in the middle position. At dawn, the moon appears southward in the Bingfang direction. This corresponds to the waxing half-moon and also signifies that Metal and Water in the cauldron each occupy half. The Cantong qi says, “Gen stands at Bing in the south; the last quarter comes on the twenty-third.” This refers to the last-quarter moon on the twenty-third day.

After the twenty-third day, Yin grows further, and the three lines of Qian are gradually diminished, forming Kun. Around the thirtieth day, the moon sets in the Yifang direction, and no moonlight can be seen in the northeast. This is called “the loss of light.” The Cantong qi says, “Kun and Yi on the thirtieth day; in the east its light is lost.” This refers to the scene in which the moonlight disappears entirely.

From the twenty-eighth to the thirtieth day, the Yin tally gradually disappears, and the forces of Yin and Yang tend toward balance. Earth joins with Metal and Water to form liquid. At this time the moon is completely dark. It travels northeastward, passing the regions of the sky where the asterisms Ji, Bi, and others are found. The sun and moon unite; Water and Fire are put to use again, and the cycle begins anew. Then, taking the Fu hexagram as its starting point, Kun turns and gives rise to Zhen. Zhen belongs to Wood and lies in the east, so it is called the “Dragon”; the Yang fire is also symbolized by the Dragon. The Cantong qi says, “When one cycle ends, they yield to one another; the body is renewed, and the Dragon is born again.” This describes the alternation of Yin and Yang and their renewal in a recurring cycle.

From the Zi hour to the Si hour, across six two-hour periods, the Yang fire gradually advances, represented by the Zhen, Dui, and Qian trigrams. From the Wu hour to the Hai hour, across another six two-hour periods, the Yin tally gradually recedes, represented by the Xun, Gen, and Kun trigrams. The text compares the movement of the Golden Liquid to the Great Yin and the movement of the Yang fire to the sun. Fu, Lin, Tai, Dazhuang, Guai, and Qian represent the movement of Yang; Gou, Dun, Pi, Guan, Bo, and Kun represent the movement of Yin.

Changes in the Metal and Water within the cauldron are represented by twelve lines and twelve two-hour periods; the waxing and waning of the moon in the sky are represented by six hexagrams and twelve two-hour periods. Those who cultivate the Great Elixir need to understand celestial patterns, terrestrial arrangements, and human affairs in order to respond to change and work with Yin and Yang: in the alchemical furnace, they regulate the sun and moon so that the forces of Dragon and Tiger may arise and transform; in a quiet chamber, they bring Qian and Kun into union and nurture Jing, Qi, and bodily fluids. “Metal Mother” and “Wood Father” are symbolic terms in alchemy for the interactions of Metal and Water with Wood and Fire.

After nine revolutions, the firing process is complete and the Yang light transforms; the elixir is then finished. The text calls it the “Yellow Chariot.” Once refined, substances such as cinnabar and mercury are said to transform into a formed substance. Those who ingest it are said to prolong their years and share the lifespan of Heaven and Earth. Through the phases of the moon, the trigrams, and the transformations of the Five Phases, the text explains the alchemical cycle of firing and the alternation of Yin and Yang.

Qian and Kun—the two trigrams in the Yijing that represent Heaven and Earth—contain the beginning and end of a cycle, and are therefore called the “Dragon of Zhen.” As explained earlier, over a cycle of thirty days, the Kun trigram successively gives rise to Zhen, Dui, and Qian, while the Qian trigram successively gives rise to Xun, Gen, and Kun. The Eight Trigrams are arranged in sequence as the Sun and Moon move through their courses, never deviating from the center.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister explains that Qian and Kun are the parents of the other trigrams. By exchanging their lines, they form the Eight Trigrams. Qian first takes the bottom line of Kun to form Zhen, representing the new moon, the first day of the lunar month. From midnight at the Zi hour on the first day, Yang Fire begins to stir. Kun then takes the bottom line of Qian to form Xun. From midnight at the Zi hour on the sixteenth day, the Yin Talisman begins to stir. Qian corresponds to Jia and Ren, while Kun corresponds to Yi and Gui. The Cantong qi says, “Ren and Gui correspond with Jia and Yi; Qian and Kun encompass beginning and end.” This is what the passage means.

Over the thirty-day cycle, Kun gives rise to Zhen, Dui, and Qian, while Qian gives rise to Xun, Gen, and Kun. Kun gives rise to Zhen, which governs the first five days as the talisman of that segment—the trigram that presides over it. It then gives rise to Dui, which governs the middle five days, and finally to Qian, which governs the last five days. As the Sun moves through fifteen days, it reaches its fullness at the Jia position. The Golden Liquid in the cauldron grows stronger in step, gradually increasing as the trigrams advance.

Qian gives rise to Xun, which governs the first five days of the latter half of the month. It then gives rise to Gen, which governs the middle five days, and finally to Kun, which governs the last five days. As the Yin luminary—the Moon—moves through fifteen days, its light is extinguished at the Gen position in the northeast. The Golden Liquid in the cauldron is gradually brought to fullness, taking shape as the trigrams advance. Qian and Kun alternate with one another to form the thirty-day cycle of each month.

The Cantong qi says, “Seven and eight make fifteen; nine and six likewise match. Together the four make thirty, as Yang Qi wanes, vanishes, and is stored away.” This means that the numbers add up to thirty, symbolizing how Yang Qi gradually declines and is stored away during the monthly cycle.

The Eight Trigrams are arranged in sequence across the thirty days of the month. Yang Fire and the Yin Talisman move along with them and converge one by one within the Spirit Chamber, the symbolic site of alchemical refinement in Neidan. This expresses the transformations of the Great Elixir and Golden Liquid. The Cantong qi says, “The Eight Trigrams are arrayed as the luminaries move through their courses, never losing the center.” This is what the passage means.

The human body also embodies the patterns of Heaven and Earth. The ascent and descent of Yin and Yang within us echo the transformations of nature. Yet people often let their six desires and seven emotions—various cravings and feelings—scatter outward, gradually depleting the Jing and Qi within them. They remain busy and distracted all day, without examining themselves. If they understand this principle, follow the changes of Yin and Yang, remain quiet and untroubled, and hold fast to their original nature, then the workings of Heaven and Earth outside will correspond with what is within, and the ascent and descent of Yin and Yang in the body will align in turn. With fewer anxious thoughts and no harm done to oneself, one’s life can naturally be prolonged. What is more, if one sets up the furnace and vessel according to the laws of Heaven and Earth, gathers the essences of the sun and moon, draws in the harmonious Qi of Yin and Yang, refines a divine elixir, and takes it, how could one fail to become an immortal?

Those who refine the Golden Liquid—a Daoist Neidan term for the essence produced through refinement—must understand the Eight Trigrams of Qian and Kun and the measured courses of the sun and moon. The sun travels one degree each day, while the moon travels thirteen. At the end of a month, the sun and moon meet again in the same celestial mansion; this is called “conjunction.” The sun travels thirty degrees, and the moon travels three hundred and ninety-five. After twelve months, the sun and moon meet again at the Dipper mansion; that day is the winter solstice. Accordingly, the Perfected follow the measured courses of the sun and moon, taking one month as a cycle for tending the fire: during the first fifteen days, the Zhen, Dui, and Qian trigrams govern; during the next fifteen, the Xun, Gen, and Kun trigrams govern. The Kan and Li trigrams each have their fixed positions. Yang fire and Yin tally advance and recede at their appointed times, all arranged according to the images and numerical patterns of the trigram and line figures.

Chapter Eighteen: Tending the Fire for Sixty Days

When the fire is tended for sixty days, signs of transformation will naturally appear. The spirit chamber—a term that symbolizes the inner space of cultivation—is represented by the shape of an egg. The Five Sacred Peaks rise within it, and among the hidden grottoes are pivots and restraints.

The commentary says that after the fire is regulated—that is, after the alchemical firing process has been adjusted—for sixty days, changes will appear of their own accord, though the state of the original essence in the cauldron is difficult to discern. Following the cycle of a month, one may open the cauldron to inspect it and find that little Golden Flower has descended and the Jade Liquor has coagulated slowly. This indicates that the use of the Yin Talisman and Yang Fire may have been excessive or insufficient. The process must therefore continue for another month to master the firing needed to form the Elixir. The original essence undergoes successive changes in the cauldron under the influence of external talismanic fire, yet its form remains difficult to observe. Following the cycle of twelve months, opening the cauldron may again reveal little Golden Flower and slowly coagulating Jade Liquor. This likewise indicates an excess or deficiency in the Yin Talisman and Yang Fire, and requires another month of operation to adjust the firing for forming the Elixir. Thus, by reference to the line images and firing cycles of the twelve double-hours, one can judge the movement and stillness, rising and sinking, of the original essence. The Cantong qi says: “The original essence is hidden and difficult to see; one must infer and measure it, and test the signs that correspond to the talismans.” This is precisely what the passage means.

“The spirit chamber has its image; the egg serves as its model” means that the perfected ones of antiquity looked up to observe the celestial patterns and down to examine the earthly terrain. Taking Heaven and Earth as their model, they constructed the spirit chamber—the space or vessel used for alchemical work—and modeled its shape on an egg. An empty space of one inch was left inside the spirit chamber to house the numinous Mercury, a mercury-like substance used in alchemy. The Cantong qi says: “When setting out its place, observe its image; make it according to its shape.” This is precisely what the passage means.

“The Five Peaks stand at the borders of hidden caverns, and there is a central pivot” means that the numinous mountains on earth are divided into the Five Peaks, which are connected to one another through hidden passages within the mountains. The ancients set up markers as symbols and, following esoteric methods, arranged altars, furnaces, cauldrons, and stoves in winding, interconnected sequences, allowing the fire energy to flow freely without stagnation. If the firing disperses outward, changes of fortune and misfortune arise within. The Cantong qi says: “Set up markers as models; inspect the mountains within, all secretly connected to one another.” This is precisely what the passage means.

The “Exposition on the Way of the Ministers” says: Before Heaven and Earth separated, their form was like an egg. After they separated, Yang Fire rose above; light, clear Qi condensed to form Heaven. Yin Water sank below; heavy, turbid Qi condensed to form Earth. This is called Heaven and Earth each settling in its proper place.

The “spirit chamber” refers to the upper cauldron as Heaven and the lower cauldron as Earth. Joined together, the two furnace cauldrons resemble an egg, with a space of just over an inch left between them. This is called the spirit chamber settling in its proper place. When Heaven and Earth interact, Fire arises within Water and ascends, while Water arises within Fire and descends. The two meet within true Earth, thereby producing the medicine. When the spirit chamber interacts, Fire arises from the Kan position, which symbolizes the direction of Water, and Water descends from the Li position, which symbolizes the direction of Fire. They meet within Wu and Ji, which symbolize the Qi of central Earth, thereby producing numinous Mercury. From this, one can understand the wondrous and mysterious principle at work.

Chapter Nineteen: At First, Apply a Gentle Fire to Warm and Refine.

When the fire is first kindled, its power is weak and gentle, like the moment when a line in a hexagram has just changed. In alchemical practice, the firing process must be guided by the hexagram images and the seasonal changes across the twelve months. For example, the Earth over Thunder hexagram, Fu (Return), corresponds to the winter solstice: the bottom line changes to a yang line, symbolizing the first emergence of yang energy at the hour of the Rat. At this point, the fire is applied, but it is not yet strong; it is only gently warm. This mild firing process corresponds to the newly emerging yang line at the base of Fu. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) says, “Issue the command in accord with the seasons; do not miss the moment when the line moves.” This is the principle it describes.

Above, the “essence of gold” is held in place; below, it rests upon the “form of the Origin of Kun.” Gold refers to Qian Heaven and symbolizes the upper crucible; the Origin of Kun refers to Kun Earth and symbolizes the lower crucible. The two crucibles, joined above and below, form the alchemical spirit chamber: the vessel that contains the ingredients and regulates the firing process. The Cantong qi says, “Above, observe the patterns of the Yellow River Chart; below, arrange the courses of the land.” This describes the corresponding arrangement above and below.

Once the spirit chamber is properly set up, subtle fluids and spiritual Mercury take shape within it. The “central palace” occupies the middle and may also be understood as a metaphor for the seat of the human heart and spirit. Only when the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—are all in place can the myriad things take shape and alchemical substances such as Metal and Wood interact. The Cantong qi says, “Examine the human heart at the center, and compare it with the Three Powers.” This is the point it makes.

Qian symbolizes Heaven, the sun, and fire. When Qian’s yang is set in motion, the essences of water and fire form in the empty vessel and are refined into liquid gold. Kun symbolizes Earth, the moon, and water. Kun’s yin remains still and guards them, harmonizing the essences of the moon, water, and Metal with the sun’s flowing pearl, and enclosing them to prevent them from dissipating. The Cantong qi says, “When moving, follow the changes of the hexagrams; when still, follow the words of the judgments. Qian and Kun carry out their functions, and only then are Heaven and Earth put in order. How could one fail to be cautious?” This means that in movement one follows the changes shown by the hexagrams, and in stillness one follows the principles set out in their judgments. Only when the yin and yang of Qian and Kun each operate according to their functions can Heaven and Earth be brought into order; therefore, one must be vigilant.

The commentary says: The sun corresponds to the Li position, lies in the south, between Bing and Ding, and occupies the proper position of Fire. The sun also contains Fire; as Fire undergoes further transformation, it forms mercury. Hence the saying, “Mercury is born from the sun.” Mercury is Yang and is called the “Yang Hun.” The Li trigram consists of two Yang lines and one Yin line, with Wu Earth as its spirit; Li is also the middle daughter of the Kun trigram. The sun also takes Si Earth as its light. Since Si belongs to a Yin position, its image is used to correspond to the Li trigram. The sun also symbolizes the light within the sun, which contains a dark hue and is called vermilion. Its color changes from green to red, hence the name cinnabar.

The moon corresponds to the Kan position, lies in the north, between Ren and Gui, and occupies the proper position of Water. The moon also contains Water; as Water undergoes further transformation, it forms metal. Hence the saying, “Metal is born from the moon.” Metal is Yin and is called the “Yin Po.” The Kan trigram consists of two Yin lines and one Yang line, with Wu Earth as its spirit; Kan is also the middle son of the Qian trigram. The moon also takes Wu Earth as its essence. Since Wu Earth belongs to a Yang position, its image is used to correspond to the Kan trigram. The moon also symbolizes the essence within the moon, which contains a pale hue and is called black. Its color changes from white to black, hence the name black lead.

Mercury contains the Qi of Li and corresponds to the position of the Yin line. The mercury spoken of here is not the ordinary quicksilver or cinnabar of the world, but something originally born within the sun. Li is called the “Water Spirit”; this is “true mercury.” Lead contains the Qi of Kan and corresponds to the position of the Yang line. The lead spoken of here is neither the salted lead produced in Jiazhou nor the lead formed in rock, but something originally born within the Great Yin. Kan is called “white metal”; this is “true lead.”

Lead is divided in two, symbolizing the Two Modes, that is, the spirit chamber. Mercury is born from the One, symbolizing the One Qi, that is, the Mysterious Fluid. Together, they symbolize the Three Powers: Heaven, Earth, and humanity.

The Spirit Chamber Is Established First, Chapter Twenty

Only after the spirit chamber has been established can the Golden Elixir be refined. How could it fail to be firm? The Qi of refinement and transformation envelops the changes of ascent and coagulation. The opening and closing of the numinous gate—the wondrous portal—is the abode of the indistinct and imperceptible, and the spring cavern from which creation and transformation arise. The commentary says, “‘The spirit chamber is established first; the Golden Elixir is formed afterward’ means that once the spirit chamber has been established and its method mastered, the Golden Liquid is certain to be refined. How could it fail to be firm? The Qi of refinement and transformation is the spring cavern…”

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister holds that the spirit chamber—the vessel used in alchemical practice—must first be constructed before the Golden Elixir can be refined. Once the spirit chamber is in place and the method of refinement has been mastered, the Golden Liquid is bound to form. How, then, could one fail to secure the chamber properly? During refinement, the movement of Qi envelops the elixir material, causing it to congeal and preventing it from scattering. Practitioners must first prepare the vessel securely, so that the spiritual mercury within congeals without escaping; only then can the elixir be made.

The spirit chamber consists of an upper and a lower vessel. When opened, they separate into two parts; when joined, they become one. The space between them is open and connected: Water and Fire meet there, and wondrous things come into being. It is therefore called the “abode of the obscure and elusive,” a place too subtle to perceive. When white metal is transformed into an elixir and gives rise to mercury, it is called the “Golden Liquid.” This is also the storehouse and cavern of the elixir.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister explains that Water in the north gives rise to white metal, called “true lead.” It is the essence of utmost Yin and contains the Qi of Yang harmony within it. When primordial chaos divides, each Qi returns to its source. The perfected people of antiquity modeled themselves on the way Heaven and Earth bring forth the myriad things: they gathered the Qi of Yang harmony into true lead, used the wonders of nature, and made the Great Medicine. This is the original, authentic primordial Qi; no ordinary worldly substance can take its place. If practitioners use the proper methods and observe strict discipline, why should they worry that they cannot make the Great Elixir?

The Dragon and Tiger both arise within lead. As Water and Fire rise and descend, Metal and Wood join. In the abode of the obscure and elusive, the sun and moon meet; in the cavern of creation, white metal serves as the mother, enveloping the various spiritual energies and nurturing the supreme treasure.

Chapter 21 of the Kun Section: The Movement of Yang Qi

Yang Qi stirs from the Kun position, which in the Eight Trigrams represents Earth and Yin, while the sundial points toward the southern extremity. The Five Planets align, and the sun and moon meet in conjunction. The cinnabar sand moves according to measured intervals, and the breaths answer one another. As Water and Fire rise and descend, Metal and Wood join. In the abode of the obscure and elusive, the sun and moon meet; in the cavern of creation, white metal serves as the mother, enveloping the various spiritual energies and nurturing the supreme treasure.

Yang Qi stirs from the Kun position, the sundial points toward the southern extremity, the Five Planets align, and the sun and moon meet in conjunction. The cinnabar sand moves according to measured intervals, and the breaths respond to one another.

“When Yang Qi stirs within the Kun trigram, the sun’s shadow gradually shifts toward the southernmost point” refers to the end of the Hai month, when the Qi of the purely Yin Kun trigram is nearly spent. At midnight on the Zi hour, near the beginning of the Zi month, one Yang line arises at the very bottom of Kun, forming the Fu trigram. This is precisely when Yang Fire first comes to life. It then passes through the Chou and Yin months and continues until the Si month, when Yang Qi reaches the south and attains its height. In the Wu month, Yin Qi begins to arise.

“Five planets aligned, sun and moon joined” means that the five planets travel around the heavens at different speeds: sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly; sometimes lingering or hidden, sometimes moving forward or in reverse. Their movements take different forms. The sun and moon meet once in their monthly circuits. Their conjunctions, in coordination with the movements of the five planets, together reveal the yearly cycle of Metal and Fire.

“Golden sand follows its measures, and the breaths respond to one another.” Here, “golden sand” refers to the essences of the sun and moon. As Water and Fire rise and descend, waning and waxing in turn, the golden sand in the cauldron rises and sinks with them, like breathing, in response to the externally applied talismanic Fire. “Cauldron” is a term from alchemy, referring either to a vessel for refining elixirs or to the furnace cauldron within the body used in internal cultivation. “Talismanic Fire” refers to the regulation of the firing process according to set seasonal periods and methods.

The Shu commentary by Minister Dao says: True Lead is the mother substance—that is, Kun. As the body of Great Yin, it is naturally always black; only when it encounters Yang Fire does it begin to take on form. Once formed, it undergoes the changes of the sixty-four trigrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines, manifesting countless transformations that all follow the measured movements of the sun, moon, and five planets. If miscellaneous substances could simply be treated as elixirs, how could they possibly arise in response to the changes of Yin-Yang and the four seasons?

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Canopy Above Overlooks the World.

In the Ziwei Palace, the Canopy Star above corresponds to the Three Terraces and below assists the officials who oversee and record affairs. One must remain vigilant and steadfast, and examine and inquire whether those responsible for each duty are competent.

The commentary says: The Canopy Star consists of sixteen stars, shaped like a parasol canopy. It lies within the Ziwei Palace and corresponds to the emperor’s seat. The Three Terraces consist of six stars outside the Ziwei Palace. They govern the harmonizing of Yin-Yang and the coordination of the myriad things. This is like water and fire positioned above and below a metal cauldron: when properly harmonized, Shen and Jing descend into the cauldron. The Three Terraces also symbolize the government offices that oversee and record affairs. They stand at the head of the officials and bear the responsibilities of a prime minister; some also believe they refer to the Wenchang Star. If the Five Planets move out of order and the Sun and Moon stray from their proper courses, the seasons cannot turn as they should, and wind and rain arrive out of season, leaving the myriad things unable to grow. This is like an alchemist mishandling the process, causing the elixir cauldron either to dry out or overflow and its transformations to go awry: the alchemical work is sure to fail. If one can take charge of all the seasonal timings as though arranging them in the palm of one’s hand, and carefully keep the vessel secure, no error will occur. If even one matter is not properly regulated, one must inquire whether the person in charge of managing the talismanic cycles is competent. The Cantong qi says: “Wenchang keeps the records and holds the Terrace assistants to account; each official has charge of the department under his care.” This is what it means.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister says: Many people in the world study the Dao, but among ten thousand, scarcely one or two truly grasp its subtle principles. Some use the name of Daoist study to pursue improper gains. Some smelt materials, vainly hoping to refine gold and silver, or cobble together metallic medicines. Others carelessly quote ancient texts and cultivate medicines made from metals and stones, hoping by sheer luck to obtain the Great Medicine. They squander years and exhaust their spirit, yet achieve nothing. The foolish thereby compound their faults, while the clever damage their own integrity. They become obsessed and fixated, never awakening even at death; their delusions are passed down from generation to generation without end. Some even abandon their duties, spend all their money, fail to support their parents, and sever their bonds with wife and children, wandering abroad in hunger and cold. Such things have happened in every generation. They do not understand that the Great Medicine of the Metal Mother is not made from ordinary lead and mercury, but from the vital energies of Heaven and Earth and the souls of the Sun and Moon. Once this is understood, what need is there to worry that one cannot enter its realm?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Fire Refines Earth in the Central Palace

Fire refines Earth in the Central Palace, while Metal enters the northern Water.

Fire refines Earth in the Central Palace, the central position in alchemical practice, while Metal enters the northern Water position. After the three substances—Water, Earth, and Metal—undergo transformation, the key to forming the Elixir naturally becomes apparent after sixty days. In the process of forming the Elixir, the substances must first be gathered and preserved; only afterward should they disperse and transform.

The commentary says, “Fire refines Earth in the Central Palace; Metal enters the northern Water position.” Here, “Fire” refers to the sun, and “Metal” to the moon. The natures of Metal and Fire arise in accordance with the Qi of the Five Phases and the Six Lü pitch standards. Thus Fire generates Earth, and Metal generates Water; each releases its essence, forming the divine medicine. The Cantong qi says, “The sun contains the essence of the Five Phases; the moon receives the order of the Six Lü.” This is what the passage means.

“Water, Earth, and Metal—the three substances—transform over sixty days” means that at first, the Central Palace contains only the one ingredient called Metal Mother. The other two, Water and Earth, must be harmonized through the regulation of the fire. If, after one month of refining, the fire has not produced the Metal liquid in the proper amount, the fire must be lit again for another month. The Cantong qi says, “Five times six makes thirty cycles; when a cycle is complete, begin again.” That is, once thirty days have passed, the process starts anew.

“Nature’s essential principle is to preserve first, then let vanish” means that the Metal-liquid divine Elixir depends entirely on the regulation of the fire. Fire is the parent of the ingredients, and the ingredients are the descendants of Fire. They arise naturally in accordance with the Qi of Heaven and Earth. When the fire’s power is even, Metal and Mercury can form; when its power is misjudged, the ingredients disperse, and success or failure becomes uncertain. The beginning and end of the refining process must therefore be managed over the course of sixty days. This is what the Cantong qi means by “Tracing back to the beginning and seeing it through to the end: the thread of preservation and extinction.”

“When the fire’s number is excessive, the proportions violate the proper rule” means that an overabundance of Yang Fire can instead damage the spirit and Qi, causing Metal and Mercury to swell too much inside the crucible and exceed the proper measure. The Cantong qi says, “Perhaps the ruler becomes arrogant and indulgent, reaching excess and fullness, and so departs from the Way.” This describes just such a case.

“Mercury is unstable, dwelling together yet apart” means that Mercury belongs to the Metal liquid. When the fire is misregulated, Mercury changes unpredictably within the crucible chamber and cannot follow its proper course. At times it gathers; at times it separates, and its behavior is difficult to anticipate. The Cantong qi says, “Perhaps the minister is crooked and sycophantic, and his conduct does not follow the proper course,” using a minister who acts without regard for the rules to illustrate this situation.

“Hard and soft contend, without entering into one another” means that the cinnabar sand cannot form in the proper proportion: the two qualities of hardness and softness clash and fail to blend. This is not merely a problem with the regulation of the fire. It may also be that the Metal Mother in the Central Palace is impure, or that its essence and Qi are insufficient. One should therefore not blame the fire alone, but also investigate the “Earth”—that is, the condition of the ingredients in the Central Palace. The Cantong qi says, “The waxing and waning of the crescent and full moon go awry, bringing misfortune; the enforcer of the law reproves and questions, and faults are laid at the master’s door.” It means that irregular changes bring misfortune, and that when responsibility is examined, the person in charge is also held accountable.

If cinnabar, the mineral used in alchemy, does not form according to the prescribed measures, the Qi of Yin and Yang, hardness and softness, cannot blend with one another. This may be due not only to an error in regulating the firing process, but also to impurity in the Metal Mother represented by the central palace—the central position that governs the various Qi in Golden Elixir theory—and to a lack of Jing and Qi. One must therefore look beyond the firing process and examine the Earth stage as well. The Cantong qi (Scripture of the Seal of the Unity of the Three) says, “When the moon’s waxing and waning do not follow their proper course, misfortune will follow.” If those who administer the method—the people who hold and carry out the rules of alchemy—are blamed and questioned about their errors, yet in the end blame an unreliable transmission from their master, this is precisely the point.

The Chendao Shu explains: Those who practice alchemy must understand the measures of the sun and moon’s movements, know how Yin and Yang rise and descend, be familiar with how the firing process increases and decreases, and be able to distinguish genuine medicines from false ones. Only then can they hope to succeed. Success or failure in fact depends on those who understand the firing process and regulate the timing markers. If they know nothing of these matters and cannot follow the rules, yet claim the instruction was false and mock their master’s words, they have simply failed to understand. Those who cherish the Dao should take this as a warning.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Earth Guards the Central Palace

Earth guards the center and governs the four directions. When the sun, moon, and stars—the Three Luminaries—move according to their proper measures, peace can be attained. When the five organs are internally nourished, the limbs are coordinated as well. Water Qi is gathered in, Fire Qi subsides, and brilliance is held within, clear and bright; Metal and Wood reflect one another. By containing radiance that would otherwise disperse, and harmonizing Water and Fire so that they stir and melt into one another, one can draw near the Great Dao and thereby seek to attain it.

Here, “Water,” “Fire,” “Metal,” “Wood,” and “Earth” refer both to the substances and functions of alchemy and to the changes of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). “Water dries up and Fire is extinguished” describes bringing the Qi of Water and Fire into harmony and containment.

The commentary on the Way of the Minister says, “Earth stabilizes the central palace and envelops the four directions.” This means that Earth belongs to Wu and Ji and also symbolizes the mother. The mother dwells in the central palace at the center, gathering the harmonious Qi of the four directions into the spirit chamber, where it is refined into liquid gold. The Cantong qi says, “The Pole Star holds its proper place,” using the North Star in its rightful position as a metaphor for the Golden Mother. She rests at the center, embracing and winning over her subjects; hence the lines, “The Pole Star holds its proper place, at ease while leaving the affairs below to others.”

“The three lights follow their proper measures, bringing peace to all under Heaven.” The three lights are the sun, moon, and stars. When their movements and retreats all accord with the measures of Heaven, the world can be at peace: commands can be carried out, prohibitions observed, and the state kept free of rebellion. The inner workings of the Elixir method also have three lights, symbolizing the Yang Fire, Yin Water, and the Golden Embryo. In external alchemical practice, the three lights also correspond to movement and stillness, the markings of the hexagram lines and their intervals, and the fire tallies of Yin and Yang. When their movements accord with the prescribed measures, there will be no loss of control or deviation, just as good governance brings peace to the state. The Cantong qi says, “The Bright Hall sets forth its policies; the state suffers no harm to the Way.”

“The five organs are nourished within, and the four limbs are in harmony.” This means that when the fire tally operates in complete accord with the measures of the celestial circuit, the perfected body within the cauldron chamber has coordinated five organs and peaceful four limbs. The mind is empty, still, and tranquil, and so there is no danger of injury or premature death. The Cantong qi says, “Within, nourish the self; be calm, still, empty, and without.”

“When the water dries up and the fire goes out, radiance shines within.” This means that in refining the Great Elixir, the water dries up when the fire reaches the hour of Si, and the fire goes out at the hour of Hai. At this point, the essences of Metal and Fire are each in their proper measure. Their radiance fills the chamber and illuminates the perfected body. The Cantong qi says, “Its source remains hidden, yet its light shines within, illuminating the bodily form.”

“Metal and Water brighten one another; their flowing radiance is sealed within.” This means that when the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger joins, the natures of Metal and Wood come into accord. Metal can restrain Wood, but after Wood is restrained by Metal, it becomes even brighter and clearer. Its radiance is gathered into the cauldron, while the numinous root is sealed away within the chamber. All this comes about through the nurturing of the Golden Mother. The Golden Mother’s transformations are hard to fathom; without oral instructions, their subtleties are difficult to pass on. The Cantong qi says, “Seal the openings and firmly secure the numinous root.”

“Regulate the fire and warm the water; once set in motion, both transform. The Way is close at hand and can be sought.” This means that within the cauldron, the Golden Mother gathers the Qi of the three lights, draws in the essences of the sun and moon, and nurtures the sacred embryo. The embryo’s form is difficult to discern; its offspring, the numinous mercury, lies hidden within the spirit chamber and is hard to see. As long as the fire is not mistimed and the water is kept to its proper season, the movements of water and fire will follow their prescribed measures, ascending and descending in order and responding to the times and patterns of Heaven. Metal and mercury will then naturally draw close to one another, and the natures of the Dragon and Tiger will join. By tracing the principles of these transformations, one can glimpse the first signs of the Elixir Way. The Cantong qi says, “The three lights sink from view; warm and nurture the pearl-child. Though unseen, it is near at hand and easy to seek.”

The “Memorial on the Way of Ministers” says that principles in the world can be inferred from things that resemble one another. At the beginning of Heaven and Earth, the essences of the sun, moon, and stars had not yet appeared, and the Qi of the Four Images—the four patterns of Yin and Yang—had not yet divided. Heaven and Earth were in chaos; clear Qi and turbid Qi had not yet been distinguished. The Qi of true lead was blended within them. Once Heaven and Earth separated, clear Qi rose to Heaven and turbid Qi descended to Earth. Yin and Yang joined and gave birth to human beings. Thus Heaven, Earth, and humanity each took their place as the Three Powers. The Qi of true lead resides at the center, corresponding to Wu and Ji, the Earth positions. It is also the root of the divine medicine, enveloping the four directions.

The Qi of Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire acts upon itself and condenses into liquid gold, a term in alchemy for the elixir produced through refinement. Among the Five Phases, Metal overcomes Wood, yet Wood conceals Fire, and Fire in turn overcomes Metal. Metal and Fire overcome each other, tempering one another and growing stronger. Water overcomes Fire, yet Fire contains Earth, and Earth in turn restrains Water. Water and Earth are paired and transform one another. These principles of mutual generation and overcoming are all contained in the oral formula and are not passed on in writing. From the perspective of the Way of Heaven, they are in fact all one and the same primordial, harmonious Qi—the fundamental Qi of unity and harmony between Heaven and Earth.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Water and Earth Alone Are Paired

When Water and Earth are paired alone, emerald radiance gives rise to auspicious clouds. Black and yellow blend to form the essence of primordial unity, while purple brilliance spreads across the sun. Water can nourish and bring forth all things; only the sages deeply understand this principle.

The Chen Dao Commentary explains that when Water and Earth are joined, they produce auspicious clouds like jade. “Water” here refers to Dark Water, and “Earth” to the Metal Mother. When the Sun’s fire meets the Metal Mother, the wood essence in the spirit chamber—the furnace or cultivation space symbolizing Heaven and Earth and the union of Yin and Yang during alchemical practice—transforms into Qi and gives rise to auspicious clouds. These clouds gradually condense into flowing pearls, which moisten the alchemical palace and then transform into Golden Liquid. This is the process described in the Cantong qi: “Yellow within gradually penetrates the pattern; its moisture reaches the skin.”

The “yellow” and “black” in “The essence of yellow and black mingles as one; purple radiance spreads beneath the sun” also refer to Water and Earth. Their Qi interacts to produce the Sun’s original essence. By following the patterns of the cosmos and grasping the sequence from beginning to end, one can understand the subtle principle: the Sun’s original essence gradually appears in a state between presence and absence, taking on an initial form; purple radiance spreads, and golden liquid ripples. At this point, the divine elixir has not yet solidified. This is the meaning of the Cantong qi’s lines: “When the beginning is set right, the end is cultivated; when the stem is established, the tip can be held.”

Only sages truly understand that Water can nourish and bring forth all things. The number of Water is one: Dark Heaven generates Water, and Water dwells in the north. Metal is born within Water, and Metal in turn generates Water. Sages understand this transformation and imitate the creative workings of Heaven and Earth to refine the divine elixir. Ordinary people cannot fathom this. This is the principle expressed in the Cantong qi: “The One is used to conceal it; people of the world do not know.”

The Chen Dao Subcommentary explains that the two forms of Qian and Kun, symbolizing Heaven and Earth and Yin and Yang, contain the mysterious celestial pattern: Heaven’s One generates Water, and Earth’s Five generates Earth. When Water and Earth meet, they can transform and bring forth all things. Sages understand this principle of creation, so they imitate Heaven and Earth in establishing the spirit chamber, regulate Water and Fire according to the movement of Yin and Yang, and arrange the changes of the four seasons in accordance with the line patterns. From this, the original essence is produced and divine mercury appears—the alchemical substance or essence formed in the course of cultivation.

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Virtue of Metal Esteems White

Metal’s virtue esteems the color white, while refining lead is done to obtain yellow. Metal responds to and transforms with other substances, forming in the central palace. Gold melts without dispersing; when it is heated, earthy smoke rises.

The Commentary of Chen Dao says: Metal belongs to the virtue of Metal and esteems the color white. Lead is refined in pursuit of yellow because, once refined, lead becomes white metal, and white metal in turn becomes the spirit chamber—the vessel used to hold and concentrate the ingredients during alchemical work. The spirit chamber contains metal and water. When they are transformed by fire, their color turns yellow; this is called the “Yellow Carriage.” The Cantong qi says, “Below there is the qi of the sun, lying hidden and steaming upward. In an instant it first turns to liquid, then congeals; this is called the Yellow Carriage.” It describes this very process.

Metal and water respond to one another and undergo change, congealing into the medicine at the central palace, the middle of the furnace and vessel. When gold is refined by fire, it does not scatter. As the liquid gold is about to form, it congeals with water and fire inside the vessel. Born originally from metal, it changes into liquid; once it has congealed at the central palace, the liquid gold will naturally not fly away.

As fire refines the essence of gold, mixed qi gradually clears. In the chamber of the vessel, wisps of smoke or mist may appear, shifting unpredictably. At times they resemble stalactites hanging upside down; at times, interlocking dog’s teeth. They may take the forms of the sun and moon, with the hun and po souls also appearing. At other times they transform into dragons and tigers, bringing metal and water together and revealing manifold subtle changes beyond words. How could refining miscellaneous substances such as the five metals and eight minerals ever produce such wondrous transformations?

The Subcommentary of Chen Dao says: Of all things in the world, only gold is not easily damaged. Since Heaven and Earth first opened, the form of gold has never been destroyed; therefore, the mother of gold is called True Lead. True Lead is formed before Heaven and Earth are divided, when lead qi is already contained within undifferentiated chaos. Once Heaven and Earth take shape, the form of lead appears as well. Without lead qi, the myriad things of Heaven and Earth could not manifest their subtle workings; thus the qi of True Lead is everywhere.

Black metal gives rise to white metal, white metal gives rise to gold, and gold in turn gives rise to the supreme medicine—the subtle medicine obtained through alchemical work. Whoever takes it can live as long as Heaven and Earth and become one with the Dao. Thus the essence of the virtue of Metal is the lord of all medicines and the origin of the myriad things.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Being and Nonbeing Constrain One Another

Being and nonbeing constrain one another. Above is the Azure Dragon, an image symbolizing the qi of Wood, situated over the “Two Nonbeings.” Within the “Two Nonbeings,” the “One Being” is encompassed. The numinous, transformative essence contained within it is the lord of all medicines and the origin of the myriad things.

Being and nonbeing mutually constrain one another. Above dwells the Azure Dragon: “being” refers to white metal, while “nonbeing” refers to the Qi of Fire. They restrain one another; Metal and Water join, and within the central palace—the central position in alchemical practice—numinous mercury is born. Numinous mercury is the Azure Dragon.

The Cantong qi says: “When the upper part is closed, it is called being; when the lower part is closed, it is called nonbeing. Nonbeing serves to nourish what is above, where numinous De resides.” “The two nonbeings take the one being as their source” refers to the Qi of Yin and Yang, and also to the souls of the sun and moon. The “one being” is the spirit embryo, the inner Elixir embryo formed through cultivation and refinement. Within the spirit embryo there is nothing mixed in; there is only the empty essence itself. The Qi of Water and Fire stirs the essences of the sun and moon, bringing the refined Qi of Yin and Yang together in the spirit embryo. The subtle transformations of the Golden Liquor are impossible to fathom. The Qi of Water and Fire above and below the spirit chamber—the inner space where spirit and Qi are cultivated and refined—depends on the Metal Mother, the source of Metal in alchemical terminology, to gather and nurture it; the two rely on one another and come into being together. The Cantong qi says: “This is the method of the two cavities; the Qi of Metal, too, must be brought into harmony.” This is what it means.

The Chen Dao Commentary says that the Golden Liquor is also called the “Yellow Carriage,” a name for the Nine Transformations, the successive stages of alchemical change. Before taking an Elixir, the ancients first observed purification and fasting so as to cleanse the mind; only then did they take the Waidan (external alchemy) elixir, hoping that inner cultivation and the external elixir would complement each other. In this way, True Qi could suffuse the whole body, restoring youth and transforming the body into one of pure Yang, with a lifespan equal to Heaven’s.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Refining Silver from Lead

“Yellow Carriage” is a name for the Nine Transformations. Before taking an Elixir, the ancients first purified themselves through fasting, then took the Waidan elixir, hoping that inner and outer cultivation would support each other. This allowed True Qi to spread through the limbs, restoring youth and transforming the body into one of pure Yang, with a lifespan equal to Heaven’s.

When silver is refined from lead, numinous substances arise of themselves. Silver is the essence of Metal; lead contains the numinous Water of the north and is the pivot of the Dao. Its number is “one,” the beginning of Yin and Yang. Thus lead holds within it the essence of silver; lead transforms into Yellow Elixir and resides within the Five Metals. Lead is black on the outside, receiving the Qi of the north, yet within it conceals the essence of Metal. It is like someone clad in coarse cloth who carries a precious jade within, appearing outwardly to be an ordinary person.

“White metal”—the essence of gold contained in lead—has not yet taken visible form; it lies hidden within the “Mysterious Water” of the north, a reference to the water Qi symbolized by lead. If one can recognize the white metal concealed inside black lead and extract it as the foundation for refining the Great Medicine, then, by cultivating in accordance with the workings of Yin-Yang, the wondrous substance will arise of itself. The Cantong qi says, “Know the white, keep to the black, and the numinous will come of itself.” This is precisely the principle being described.

Silver is the essence of gold. Lead harbors the numinous Qi of the north, and the gold essence within it is white metal. The foundation of Mysterious Water is true lead. True lead often contains the true water of the north; water and metal enfold one another and form the pivot and root of Yin-Yang. For this reason it is called “silver essence,” that is, the medicine. The Cantong qi says, “The white is the essence of metal; the black is the foundation of water.” Water is the pivot of the Great Dao. Its number is one, and it is the beginning of Yin-Yang.

Through transformation, lead can become yellow lead powder. Lead holds a special place among the five metals. It is also called “mysterious” and corresponds to the Kan position, the trigram associated with water. The Qi of water, fire, metal, wood, and other elements is all concealed within lead, making it the foundation of the five metals and eight stones. When “flowing pearl”—a Daoist alchemical term often referring to mercury—meets lead, it takes lead as its foundation; both are condensed from the Qi of water and fire. The Cantong qi says, “The mysterious contains the yellow sprout, lord of the five metals; the northern River Cart.” This means that lead is black on the outside and receives the Qi of the north, yet conceals silver essence within. As the Cantong qi says, “Thus lead is black without, while within it holds the golden flower.”

“Clad in coarse clothes, concealing jade, and outwardly like an ordinary person” refers to true lead before it has been refined, still mixed with ore: its exterior is wrapped in black, while within it conceals the golden flower. This is like a person in coarse clothes carrying precious jade. The Cantong qi expresses the same idea: “Clad in hemp, carrying jade, outwardly a madman.”

The minister Chen Daoshu explains: the vessel is the medicine, and the medicine is the vessel; they are one and the same. If the Way of the Golden Liquor could be refined from materials unlike one another, then everyone in the world would already have become immortal by taking it. The Cantong qi says to discard the eight minerals produced in Wudu. This means that refining the Great Elixir does not use the five metals and eight stones, nor materials such as azurite and orpiment.

Some Golden Elixirs change from red to purple, but this is merely the result of their color being tinged by the Qi of azurite and orpiment. The vivid colors of plants—their branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit—arise naturally from Heaven and Earth. Could they too have been dyed with azurite and orpiment? An ancient poem says: “How wondrous when the flowers bloom: red buds emerge among green leaves. Who dyed them this way? Who knows that Creation itself has fired and refined the stems?” The growth of flowers and leaves is a natural transformation, formed from the Qi of water, fire, and earth. The Way of the Golden Elixir is likewise in accord with the patterns by which Heaven and Earth generate things and with the natural transformations of metal and wood. When water, fire, and earth come together, how could transformation fail to occur?

The five metals and eight stones, saltpeter, alum, copper powder, and other materials may be used in certain other methods of refining. But they have no place in refining the numinous liquid of gold and mercury, an alchemical method centered on gold and mercury. If those who cultivate the Great Elixir understand this subtle principle and know where true lead comes from, they will grasp how the Golden Liquor is refined. The Perfected Liu Zhigu said, “The Dragon and Tiger are gold and mercury. When the Golden Liquor enfolds them together, they attain their natural nature; after taking it, how could one fail to become numinous?”

Silver is the mother of lead. The mother is concealed within the lead, while lead is the son of silver, hidden in silver’s womb. Here, silver refers to gold, while lead symbolizes water. Water is born from gold, so gold is water’s mother; gold also conceals its own traces in the water symbolized by lead. The Cantong qi says, “Gold is the mother of water; the mother conceals the son in her womb.” This is precisely what it means.

Lead is the son of silver: silver is the mother, and lead is the son. Since gold gives birth to water, and this son, water, resides within its mother, lead, it is called “black lead.” The Cantong qi says, “Water is the son of gold; the son is hidden in his mother’s womb.” After black lead transforms, it takes its place in the West and lies concealed in water, where it is nourished and gradually forms. It is called black lead; when refined into white metal, it is used as the “spirit chamber,” a metaphor for the cauldron that contains the elixir during alchemical refinement. Once the Yang Fire stirs it into action, Zi Water flows out of the white metal. This is called “true mercury.” It is truly a mysterious substance, one of the primordial energies from which Heaven and Earth came into being.

“True Su is distant and elusive, seeming to exist and yet not to exist” refers to “True Su,” that is, “True Mercury.” Within its mother’s womb, it is driven by external talismanic commands. At times it appears, at times it vanishes, and it rises and sinks unpredictably. The cauldron chamber also conceals it, so its form cannot be clearly seen. The Cantong qi says, “The Perfected One is supremely subtle, seeming to exist and yet not to exist.” This describes just such a state.

“The ash pit blazes; lead sinks and silver floats” means that the fire burns fiercely in the ash pit, with lead sinking below and silver floating above, until white metal is formed. Zhenyizi explains: True Mercury, inside the spirit cauldron, is steamed by Yang Fire and Yin Talisman, flying and transforming as it alternately sinks and floats. The spirit chamber is like a deep abyss: lead sinks below and silver floats above, until white metal is formed. The Cantong qi says, “It seems to be in a great abyss, now sinking, now floating.” This too expresses the same idea.

“Pure white reveals the treasure; it can make the Yellow Chariot” means that white metal is obtained through firing in the ash pit. Take this white metal as the spirit chamber, and one can refine the “Yellow Chariot,” a symbol of the elixir produced through refinement or of attainment in the alchemical Way. The Cantong qi says, “When gathered, it looks white; once refined, it appears vermilion.” This refers to precisely this process.

The key to Golden Liquid—the liquid essence produced during alchemical refinement—lies in spirit water and the Flower Pool. The Flower Pool is the Mother of Metal, the root from which the Golden Elixir is nurtured. The “metal” here is the metal of the west, namely white metal; “mercury” refers to quicksilver. The Sun’s Flowing Pearl, a term in alchemy, and metal and quicksilver each have different symbolic meanings, yet all come from the same source. Those who have attained skill in cultivation use them to nourish and refine metal and mercury until they transform into cinnabar. This is a return to the root and source, a return to one’s natural nature. Once the white-metal Mother of Spirit has nurtured the Great Elixir, bodily fluids are generated without end; hence it is called “Golden Liquid.” Those devoted to the Dao should carefully discern its meaning. They must not take gold and silver mined from mountains and marshes, mix them with quicksilver, and mistake this for a method of nourishing mercury.

The Shell as Metal Essence, Chapter Thirty

“The shell is metal essence; water returns to yellow liquid. A substance one inch across blends the Three Powers. Before Heaven and Earth were divided, its form was like an egg.”

The Dao commentary says: “‘The shell is metal essence; water returns to yellow liquid’ means refining true lead into white metal, then using the white metal to make a vessel, which serves as the mother of metal essence. The vessel contains quicksilver, which can be transformed into a yellow liquid. The Cantong qi says, ‘Refined, the outer layer is kept protective; within, the true and pure are preserved.’ This is what it means.”

“‘A substance one inch across blends the Three Powers’ means that the spirit chamber, the vessel used in alchemical work, is hollow within and about one inch in size. The upper vessel symbolizes Heaven, the lower vessel symbolizes Earth, and numinous mercury is placed between them to symbolize the Three Powers of Heaven, Earth, and humanity. The Cantong qi says, ‘One inch square and round, blending together in mutual support.’”

“‘Before Heaven and Earth were divided, its form was like an egg’ means that before Heaven and Earth came into being, the undifferentiated chaos had the appearance of an egg. The essences of the sun and moon converged within it, and the forms of the myriad things first emerged from this. Those who have attained skill in cultivation use the spirit chamber to symbolize chaos, embodying through it the workings of the Three Powers. In cultivation, they advance with the yang fire and withdraw with the yin tally, preserving the essences of the sun and moon. True lead existed before Heaven and Earth took shape. Its collection and refinement require a method, and its preparation must follow the proper principles; it must not be done arbitrarily. The Cantong qi says, ‘Born before Heaven and Earth, lofty and exalted.’”

The commentary of Minister Dao says: “When white metal is brought to light, its shape resembles a white horse’s teeth. It delights in drawing in the essence of Wood, while Wood is born from the Water of the north. After being smelted, it becomes as white as snow; it is truly a treasure for alchemical refinement. Master Tao said that by refining a treasure with a treasure, those steadfast in their purpose can attain the Dao. Ge Zhichuan said that stone fluid, ghost fluid, and metal essence are all precious, pure-white substances stored within mountains. Since it is described as both pure white and a treasure, it can be used to refine the divine Golden Elixir of liquid metal. People today smelt cinnabar and mercury; even when they know how to keep the ingredients from being damaged by fire, the substances still retain their original nature. Even if one takes them, how could they enter the five viscera like the Golden Elixir and produce the wondrous effects of smoke rising and dispersing, followed by wind and rain?”

Chapter Thirty-One: Rounded and Raised in the Center

The inside of the cauldron and furnace is rounded and raised, shaped like Penghu, the legendary mountain of immortals. It is sealed tightly so that wondrous transformations can take place within. The structure of the furnace and stove should follow this model: layer upon layer, firmly and tightly enclosed, with the parts bent together and fitted against one another to prevent mishaps. This accords with the principle of nature, whose wondrous transformations have no fixed bounds.

The commentary of Minister Dao says: “‘The inside of the cauldron and furnace is rounded and raised, shaped like Penghu’ means that, when cultivating the Great Elixir, one must first connect the altar, furnace, cauldron, and stove from top to bottom, forming a structure like Penghu. The Cantong qi says, ‘At the side is a level opening, shaped like Penghu’; this is what it means.

“‘It is sealed tightly so that wondrous transformations can take place within’ means that the space inside the cauldron is open through on all four sides, allowing the fire Qi to turn and flow, while the joints are sealed so that the fire Qi cannot escape. The Cantong qi says, ‘Enclosed in a ring, shut fast; the four passages wind and linger,’ which conveys the same idea.

“‘The structure of the furnace and stove should be tight and sturdy’ means that the furnace is set on the altar, the stove on the furnace, the cauldron in the stove, and the spirit chamber—the space where the ingredients are placed during alchemical refinement—inside the cauldron. Within the spirit chamber, metal and water enclose one another, shutting out impure influences and making it easier for numinous mercury, the mercury-based ingredient used in alchemy, to form. The Cantong qi says, ‘Guard it firmly and closely; block out what is harmful and false,’ referring to this close protection and exclusion of impurities.

“‘The parts are bent together and fitted against one another to prevent mishaps’ means that the Golden Cauldron is suspended in the stove, with space left around it to guide the fire Qi. Water is placed above the Golden Cauldron, while fire moves beneath it. The altar, furnace, cauldron, and stove enclose one another in layers and work together to prevent mishaps. The Cantong qi says, ‘Bent together and joined, connected as one, to guard against the unforeseen,’ which means the same thing.

“‘This accords with the principle of nature, whose wondrous transformations have no fixed bounds’ means that the essence and Qi used to refine the Great Medicine are gathered from the essence of the sun, moon, and stars and the Qi of the Five Phases and Four Images. They come together to form Golden Elixir; there is no other method.”

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister says that people of great wisdom pity those who do not understand the Great Dao, who sink into worldly concerns and head toward death, unaware of where consciousness goes after death or where their original nature comes from. The “essence of Chen” is the golden liquid formed when the Qi of the Five Phases and the Four Images congeals. There is no other Daoist method involved.

The Commentary on the Way of the Minister also says that the key to the method of the golden liquid was handed down precisely for this purpose. The Yellow Emperor and Laozi practiced this Dao and became teachers to later generations. They took elixirs to prolong life, concealed themselves and appeared again through transformations, entered fire without being burned, and entered water without getting wet. These are the powers of this Daoist method. Even before the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, rulers of successive ages practiced this method alongside their other pursuits and passed it down from one generation to the next. It was therefore not a practice reserved for recluses living beyond the bounds of society.

Later, as people’s ways grew shallow, they could no longer follow the method purely, and it gradually became secret. Few received its transmission. In the Zhou dynasty, the Lord Lao descended into the world and intended to guide Yin Xi, the Guardian of the Hangu Pass. He then began transmitting the method of the golden liquid to Yin Xi alone, allowing it to be passed on. When people destined to meet one another came together, they could pass it along in turn and keep the Dao lineage unbroken.

People today are different. They grow arrogant in their wealth and status, let fame and profit drive their minds, damage their vital energy by drinking, and confuse their feelings and intentions with desires for sensual pleasures. They enjoy all kinds of happiness but fear death above all, so they vainly hope to prolong their lives, treating practitioners of the arts with respect in the hope of obtaining an elixir of immortality. Some people with crooked intentions and a taste for profit rush to them as soon as they hear rumors. They put on airs of profundity and use silence to suggest that they possess secret methods, confusing the true Dao and making it hard to recognize. In fact, they pass minor, heterodox techniques off as the highest Dao, and claim that substances made from minerals, metals, or plants are true medicines, though they have no effect. It is no wonder that later generations came to doubt the method of the golden liquid.

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Lodestone Attracts Iron

A lodestone attracts iron. Even when something stands between them, they remain silently connected. How much more so with an egg, born through the union of Yin and Yang, in which the qualities of Metal and Earth always accompany mercury, a substance and symbol used in alchemy.

A magnet can attract iron through obstacles because its force is strong enough to move even several jin of iron outside a vessel. This is the mutual response of things of the same kind. The Cantong qi says, “Though hidden and remote, they remain connected even when separated.” This is the principle it describes.

An egg, moreover, brings Yin and Yang together within it and can nurture life. A divine chamber—the vessel used in alchemy—made from white metal, here meaning the pale metal used in alchemical work, is fashioned in the shape of an egg to symbolize the union of Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang. When water and fire are then set in motion within it, numinous mercury is produced. The Cantong qi says, “Like an egg, black and white sustain one another.” This means the same thing.

Between Heaven and Earth there is the Great Yin’s Dark Essence, a Yin vital essence that takes many forms and is present throughout all things, appearing according to their size. The Perfected, those who have attained the Dao, subdue and ingest it in the hope of preserving their youthful appearance and cultivating themselves into immortals. Only white metal has the power to subdue it and make it stay. This essence is naturally prone to change, but the properties of metal and earth can stabilize it; metal and earth are often found together with mercury. Metal belongs to Qian, and earth to Kun. Through the interaction of Qian and Kun, mercury and lead are produced. When joined, the two can congeal into liquid gold without dispersing. The Cantong qi says, “In movement and stillness, in rest and repose, it is always with us.” This is the idea it conveys.

The mysterious method handed down by the ancient Perfected lies in cultivating the Golden Cauldron, the furnace vessel used in alchemy. The Golden Cauldron is not easy to make, but whoever masters its method can summon the transforming Qi of all things and understand the essentials of liquid gold. Imagine the time when primordial chaos first opened, before forms and substances had yet become distinct: already, Heaven and Earth had the shape of an egg. By taking this as the root and establishing it as the supreme Dao, one has something that precedes Heaven and Earth and governs all things. Among the various Daoist arts, this method is the most fundamental. Those who obtain it can endure in the world for a long time, with both spirit and body remaining undestroyed; this is no difficult matter.

The chapter “The Fire Record Is Not Made in Vain” says that accounts of the firing process are not invented from nothing, nor do they repeat what has already been said. Since the alchemical art has already been set down in writing, there is no need to work through it again. This formula is therefore explained separately and appended after the Fire Record.

The Fire Record comprises six hundred sections, linked from beginning to end. It describes how to arrange the firing process over the ten months of alchemical work: each month has thirty days, and day and night…