《吕祖全书》Vol. 10

“Water clarifies and congeals like amber”—that is what this image means. As for “retain the clear and remove the turbid,” that is another way of putting it. When I annotated the Cantong Qi (the alchemical classic attributed to Wei Boyang of the Eastern Han), I wrote: “In the body it turns to ash and dust, in appearance like dust on a bright window.” What follows already explains this in detail.

Wood and metal are separated.

In the human body there is something that divides into two parts: what floats up is wood; what sinks down is metal. One is in the east, one in the west—hence “separated.” If one can obtain the Dipper Handle (the handle of the Northern Dipper—here borrowed as the pivot of rotation) to drive them, so that they circulate up and down like the turning of the Celestial River, wood’s nature will draw close to metal and metal’s disposition will cling to wood; xing (punitive restraint) and de (generative nurturing) meet together, and they are no longer separated. Some take the light of the two eyes meeting at the center as “wood and metal no longer separated.” Read against the Cantong Qi and the Wuzhen Pian (the alchemical classic by Zhang Boduan of the Northern Song), “wood and metal separated” refers to what is inside the body, not outside it.

Without a master’s pointing, how could one know this by contention alone?

The Wuzhen Pian says: “Even if your intelligence surpasses Yan Hui and Min Ziqian, if you have not met a true person, do not strain to guess.” What the alchemical classics speak of either uses things to explain principle or sets up images to carry intent; the names are not the same. When students suddenly read them, all feel overwhelmed. Take the Five Phases alone: some speak of metal and wood, some of metal and earth, some of water and fire, some of metal and fire, some of metal and water, some of water and earth—enough to dazzle the eyes; it is genuinely hard to understand.

The Dao’s essentials lie in the subtle and hidden.

The essentials of the Dao of the elixir are two: jiaogou (union of yin and yang) and jinhuo (advancing the fire according to the firing times). Though there is an order of before and after, in reality it is one continuous effort. What Xiao Zixu calls “metal and fire,” or “metal and water,” or “water and earth, equally makes one’s mind and eyes swim—it truly is not easy to grasp.

The meaning of the Dao lies precisely in xuanwei (“xuan” is the darkly subtle—the deep and fine).

The essentials of the elixir path come down to two things: union (the joining of yin and yang energies within the body) and advancing the fire (working according to the proper fire phases). Though one follows the other, they are really a single continuous effort. Xiao Zixu’s Jindan Dacheng Ji (Great Compendium on the Golden Elixir) says that “the work within a mere instant is even more marvelous”—that is exactly what is meant here. How subtle and fine it is!

Heaven’s secret timing runs deep.

“Heaven’s secret” refers to the Zi hour (roughly eleven at night to one in the morning), when Yang qi first begins to stir. When that secret moment is about to arrive, if a person can rouse the inner vitality of the body to meet it, heaven and human move together; inner and outer align, and the elixir coalesces. Although in the twelve double-hours of the day there are other points where yin and yang meet, ancient immortals always insisted on midnight at the Zi hour, when yang first moves: then the sun stands due north, and the body’s qi reaches the Weilü Pass (the lowest gate on the Governing Vessel), in resonance with heaven and earth. The saying “steal from heaven and earth, seize creation’s power” applies only at this time. By the Chou hour (about one to three), Taiyi (the pole star’s position) has already shifted, and the body’s qi has passed Weilü; by the Yin hour (about three to five), the sun has risen above the horizon and the body’s qi has moved past the kidney chamber—neither moment will do. The Yuzhi Shu says: “In refining the elixir, you must kindle the fire with the yang of the Zi hour—that fire is correct; kindling at other hours, the fire is incomplete.” That says it all.

“Begin at once—yet even that may be late.”

“Begin” refers to the refining stage: gather the whole body’s Shen (spirit) back into the Niwan (mud-pill palace at the crown), the “heaven valley” point, and do not let it scatter and drain. It does not mean literally grasping something with the hands. Some, fixated on the word “begin,” tie it to the Wuzhen Pian line “bring both hands together and make it die,” and then clench the fists hard, plug ears and nose, massage waist and belly, press the thumb into the palm, or press the middle finger against the navel—wasting effort for nothing. “Begin at once—yet even that may be late” means that time flies past with extreme speed; what matters is to cultivate without delay.

The path to Penglai depends on accumulating a full three thousand deeds of merit and practice before one can return alone, treading the clouds. Some people plug their ears and nose, or massage waist and belly, or press the thumb into the palm, or press the middle finger against the navel wheel—cultivation pursued in such ways is it not excessively laborious? Even if one hurries in practice, it is still late, for time passes with extreme swiftness; what matters is timely earnest effort.

“Three thousand deeds fulfilled” means nine years, three thousand days in all. In those three thousand days one must accumulate virtue and practice without leaving the Way for a single moment of the twelve double-hours in a day. Liu Xugu’s Huandan Pian (Returning Elixir Treatise) says: “For the great elixir to form, three thousand days are required; its subtle application must not be wasted—it lies in the twelve double-hours.” In the alchemical method, an instant can form the embryo; a hundred days show visible effect; in one year the embryo is complete; in nine years merit and practice are fulfilled—each stage has its fixed pace. There is absolutely no principle of meeting a master today and becoming an immortal tomorrow. One should know: in one year there can be small accomplishment; only in nine years does great transformation occur. The sequence is first exchanging breath, then blood, then meridians, then flesh, then marrow, then sinews, then bone, then hair, and finally the form itself. Nine years pass through nine transformations; yin qi is refined away until one is pure yang—only then can one leave the dusty world and ascend as an immortal with feathered transformation.

Zhiyou Ji and Xian Zhuan record Chen Chaoyuan admonishing the world: those who do good will surely receive blessed retribution; those who accumulate hidden merit will have flourishing descendants. Not ruining what heaven has given, not indulging in theft and licentiousness, not destroying the orthodox teaching—these are good deeds. Saving the dying and helping the wounded, aiding others in urgent peril, not indulging or concealing evildoers—these are hidden merit. Failing to do good deeds and accumulate hidden merit, one may fall into any evil path whatsoever. Chaoyuan’s words were originally addressed to ordinary people—how much more so for those who study immortality! In general, to seek the immortal Way one must first cultivate the human Way well. If the human Way is not cultivated, the immortal Way remains distant. Wuzhen Pian (Awakening to Reality) says: “Refining the great medicine has easy and hard aspects—it depends both on oneself and on heaven’s decree. If one does not accumulate merit and practice and cultivate hidden virtue, at every turn hosts of demons will come as obstacles.” How can students of the Way take “my fate is in my own hands” as an excuse and not treat the accumulation of merit and practice as the urgent priority! When merit and practice reach three thousand, one can become an immortal in the Great Brahma Heaven; when practice reaches eight hundred, one is only a guest in the Great Brahma Heaven. Fellow practitioners should encourage one another.

The great elixir is nothing other than Jing, Qi, and Shen—the three treasures—and the whole secret lies in the lyric Qinyuanchun. The master penetrated the original intent of the Perfected One of Pure Yang (Lü Dongbin) and set out every hidden teaching for people to hear. On the fifteenth day of the fourth month in the yiyou year of the Yuanzhen reign, Wang Douzhong of Sanshan burned incense, bowed twice, and respectfully inscribed this preface.

Lingbao Bifa (Complete Methods of the Spiritual Treasure), juan 33, includes a preface to the reprinted edition, the original preface, and a general table of contents. The table is organized around “six meanings”: first, the Golden Proclamation; second, the Jade Book on which the Golden Proclamation rests; third, the True Source; fourth, Parables; fifth, the True Formula; sixth, Essentials of the Way. The Lingbao Golden Proclamation is attributed to Yuanshi Tianzun and was kept in the secret treasury of Jade Clarity; the Lingbao Jade Book is attributed to the Primordial Sovereign of the Way (also called Lingbao Tianjun) and was kept in the secret treasury of Upper Clarity; the Lingbao True Source is attributed to Taishang Laojun and was kept in the secret treasury of Supreme Clarity; the Parables, True Formula, and Essentials of the Way are attributed to the Perfected One of True Yang and were kept in the purple chamber of the three isles. The book was composed by the Perfected One of True Yang, Zhongli Quan (style Yunfang), and transmitted by the Perfected One of Pure Yang, Lü Yan (style Dongbin).

Cultivation is divided into three vehicles and ten gates. The small vehicle, the “Method of Peace, Joy, and Prolonging Life,” has four gates (in the upper juan): matching Yin and Yang, gathering and dispersing Fire and Water, coupling Dragon and Tiger, and firing the elixir and refining the medicine—the foundational methods that harmonize inner Yin-Yang and Fire-Water, use dragon and tiger as images for heart and kidney and lead and mercury, and refine medicine to extend life. The middle vehicle, the “Method of Long Life Without Death,” has three gates (in the middle juan): flying golden essence from behind the elbow, returning the jade fluid to the elixir, and returning the golden fluid to the elixir—practices one step higher that draw refined qi upward and turn saliva into a returning elixir. The great vehicle, the “Method of Transcending the Ordinary and Entering Sagehood,” has three gates (in the lower juan): refining qi toward the primordial unity, inner contemplation and exchange, and liberation through dividing the form—the advanced methods of gathering qi to the origin, inner observation of the interplay of spirit and qi, and finally leaving the physical form behind.

In the preface to the reprinted edition, the author humbly says his talent is limited: from youth he privately yearned for the Great Way and pored over alchemical classics; recently a friend brought him a copy of Lingbao Bifa from Yuzhang to show him. Commentators hold that what this book rests upon runs all the way through to the tenth gate, “Liberation Through Dividing the Form.”

Preface to the New Edition of Lingbao Bifa

I, a monk of our monastery, am ashamed of my shallow learning. From childhood I privately yearned for the true meaning of the Great Dao and devoted myself to reading works on the elixir path. Recently a friend arrived from Yuzhang (the region of present-day Nanchang), bearing a copy of Lingbao Bifa—a key text on Neidan (internal alchemy)—for me to see. I was told this edition came from a distinguished family collection in Sichuan. I burned incense and opened it to read. Though I could not yet fully penetrate its subtleties, I was suddenly awakened to something of the realm where human being and Heaven meet. Only then did I understand: Patriarch Zhongli (Zhongli Quan) distilled the hidden teaching of the Lingbao Jing, transmitted it to Patriarch Lü (Lü Dongbin) to deliver and save people in the world—all of it the fruit of their own practice, from the vast brought back to the essential, the insight by which they themselves attained liberation. Now, as it is shown again to fellow practitioners, everyone rejoices and praises it highly; therefore funds were raised to print it and make it available to the faithful.

Some may say: “Zhongzu (Zhongli Quan) once explained that in this scripture the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) are matched with the twelve time periods, with the Gen trigram (Mountain) as the key; the three dantians (upper, middle, and lower energy centers) circulate back and forth, with Niwan (the upper dantian in the head) as the key. For beginners first taking up practice, swallowing qi and rinsing fluid are only temporary analogies—the true formulas for qi rely on oral transmission from heart to heart and are not found in written words.” I have read it through several times and feel the formulas for cultivating the true are already complete and thorough; though the wording holds back and does not spell everything out, the meaning is already plain.

Master Yichuan (Cheng Yi) said: “The human mind is extremely nimble; in an instant it shifts in countless ways. No one has ever done nothing at all yet managed to guard this mind in empty stillness. At the start, not knowing how to gather and hold it, one must steep oneself in the words of sages and worthies, letting principle nourish the inner heart until it delights—then the celestial mechanism flows smoothly and cannot be held in hollow fixation.” This is much the same as Buddhism’s taking recitation of the Buddha’s name as the way to clarify the mind. The Thirty-Six Sections of Supreme Scriptures of the Most High again and again teach people to chant the honorific titles of the Heavenly Venerable One, repeating them again and again—surely not in vain! Mencius said: “Those who have the root are like this; what people grasp is precisely this point.”

As for the gist of the Bagua and the three dantians: one day naturally has the four seasons, and one mind naturally has the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); at every moment one may draw in the qi of heaven and earth and turn it into one’s own medicinal substance (the refined essence used in cultivation). At the time period corresponding to the Gen trigram, this function is especially strong. Niwan is the treasury of Shen (spirit) and also the source of qi and Jing (essence)—it must not be neglected. If one can preserve and guard it while practicing in parallel, one will see the yellow sprout emerge and the sacred embryo coalesce; the Neidan (internal elixir) fine as a millet grain is achieved and the original spirit ascends—then what a great man ought to accomplish is complete.

May those throughout the land who read the Lingbao Bibi (Complete Methods of the Numinous Treasure) investigate together. Let this essay serve as the preface.

On an auspicious day in the spring of the fifth year of the Guangxu reign (1879), year Jimao, Gu Tan Luoyuan and Xiaoxiao Zi Dewen wrote this at the Xu Chuang Mountain Hermitage on Baizhu Slope.

Second Preface to the Lingbao Bifa (Internal Alchemy Methods of the Lingbao Lineage)

The Dao cannot be handed down in words, nor fixed by names. From antiquity to the present, those who attained immortality and realized the Dao have never been few.

I revered the sages of old and kept the Great Dao in my heart. Unexpectedly war broke out; the times were perilous and the world was in turmoil. At first I fled merely to save my life, taking refuge among rivers, lakes, and wild mountains; later I withdrew and turned to my own nature, holding only to purity and to xiyi—that realm without sound or color, of empty stillness and subtle mystery. I read widely in alchemical scriptures and repeatedly asked fellow cultivators, yet they spoke only of small matters for preserving life and nature, and did not speak of the great path of becoming a true immortal.

Between the stone cliffs of Zhongnan Mountain I obtained the Lingbao Jing in thirty scrolls: the upper part, Jin Gao Shu (Golden Proclamation Book), was composed by Yuanshi (Primordial Lord); the middle, Yu Shu Lu (Jade Document Record), was set forth by the Primordial Sovereign; the lower, Zhen Yuan Yi (Meaning of the True Source), was transmitted by Taishang (Supreme Venerable). The whole work runs to several thousand characters.

Rising early and eating late, I reflected deeply and at last understood: within yin there is yang, and within yang there is yin—this is the principle of heaven and earth ascending and descending; from qi water is born, and from water qi is born—this is also the principle of heart and kidney interacting. Compared with things in the world, the Dao is not far from human beings. When jia and geng are matched correctly, the standard of the Golden Elixir is proved; advancing and retreating according to mao and you, huohou (the art of timing and “fire” in cultivation) naturally errs not. Red lead and black lead in the end cannot become the great medicine; golden fluid and jade fluid, cultivated to the end, are what truly constitute huandan (the returned elixir). From nonbeing to being, the heart always keeps the vigilance of one facing battle; from below ascending upward, one gradually enters the xiyi realm. Withdrawing lead and adding mercury dissolves the “two-eight” yin; transforming bones and refining form increases the “nine-three” yang. Whether the source of water is clear or turbid must be distinguished at the time of jiji (Already Fording—when water and fire are in harmony); whether the inner landscape is real or empty must be recognized on the day of zuowang (sitting in forgetfulness of self and things). The profound mechanism is still nothing beyond this: enter xiyi; use withdrawing lead and adding mercury to dissolve the two-eight yin; use transforming bones and refining form to increase the nine-three yang; at jiji distinguish clear from turbid in the water source; on the day of zuowang know the inner landscape’s reality and emptiness.

The subtle principles and profound purpose are hard to express fully. What is called here the wondrous rationale of Lingbao can be used to enter sagehood and transcend the ordinary. Taken together, they form the method of the Three Vehicles (upper, middle, and lower grades of cultivation), entitled Complete Methods of Lingbao.

The sacred words of the Great Dao must not be kept as private property; they are therefore transmitted to Lü Dongbin at your feet. After the Dao is realized, do not keep it secret—it should be left for those who seek the Dao afterward.

Preface by Perfected Person Zhongli Quan of Zhengyang (Yunfang), master of Lü Dongbin.

Small Vehicle Methods for Peaceful Enjoyment and Extending Life — Four Gates, Volume One

First: Matching Yin and Yang (yang embryo with yin embryonic breathing; true embryonic breathing; pairing Kan and Li. Embryonic breathing means extremely subtle inner breathing; Kan is water and belongs to the kidneys, Li is fire and belongs to the heart—pairing them is the union of yin and yang.)

The Jade Book says: The Great Dao has no form; it cannot be known by sight or hearing. The Great Dao has no name; it cannot be measured by reckoning. Relying on the Dao, form comes into being; through form, names are fixed—and among names, the greatest are Heaven and Earth. Heaven receives the way of Qian (pure yang), gathers qi, and spreads over what is below; Earth receives the way of Kun (pure yin), rests on substance, and bears what is above. Between Heaven’s covering and Earth’s bearing, the distance above and below is eighty-four thousand li; qi and substance cannot meet. Heaven, by Qian, seeks union with Kun and returns into the earth—its yang carries yin on its back and rises. Earth, by Kun, seeks union with Qian and returns into Heaven—its yin embraces yang and descends. One ascent and one descent run according to the Dao, and so Heaven and Earth endure long.

According to the Zhen Yuan account: Between heaven and earth, what lies toward the upper region is Yang; from top to bottom across forty-two thousand li is called the “yang position” (the domain where yang qi holds sway). What lies toward the lower region is Yin; from bottom to top across forty-two thousand li is called the “yin position” (the domain where yin qi holds sway). Once form and name are established, calculation by degrees cannot be set aside.

One year comprises the four seasons (si shi), the eight seasonal nodes (ba jie), the twenty-four qi (ershi si qi—the twenty-four solar terms), seventy-two hou, three hundred sixty days, and four thousand three hundred twenty chen (double-hours). Twelve chen make one day; five days make one hou; three hou make one qi; three qi make one jie (node); two jie make one shi (one season); and the four seasons together make one year.

The year begins at the winter solstice (Dongzhi). At that time yang qi rises from within the earth: in each qi period of fifteen days it ascends seven thousand li; in one jie of forty-five days it ascends twenty-one thousand li in all; in one shi of ninety days it ascends forty-two thousand li in all, reaching the center between heaven and earth, where yang qi merges into the yin position. Then yang within yin accounts for half the balance, the climate is mild, and it is the spring equinox (Chunfen). After that, yang ascends into the yang position—only then is it said to “obtain qi and rise.” By the same reckoning as before, forty-five days bring one to the start of summer (Lixia); another forty-five days after Lixia bring one to the summer solstice (Xiazhi). By Xiazhi, yang has ascended eighty-four thousand li in total from start to finish and reaches heaven—this is yang within yang, and the climate is hot. When yang accumulates to its limit, yin is born: one yin arises amid two yang (when yang has peaked, yin begins to stir).

From Xiazhi onward, yin descends from the center of heaven: each qi of fifteen days, a descent of seven thousand li; each jie of forty-five days, twenty-one thousand li in all; each shi of ninety days, forty-two thousand li in all, reaching the center between heaven and earth, where yin crosses into the yang position. Then yin within yang accounts for half the balance and the climate turns cool; after another jie of forty-five days, yin has descended another twenty-one thousand li in all.

Two solar terms combine into one season, and one season spans ninety days. Yin qi descends altogether forty-two thousand li, reaching the center of Heaven and Earth and entering the yang position (the realm above the central line between Heaven and Earth, where yang qi holds sway). At this point, half of the yang realm is already yin, the climate turns cool, and the season is properly the autumn equinox. After this step, yin qi continues to descend and enters the yin position (the realm below the central line, where yin qi holds sway)—only then is it called “obtaining qi and descending,” meaning entering the position one governs, so that descent is truly realized. What follows is the same as before: forty-five days to Lidong (Start of Winter), then another forty-five days to Dongzhi (Winter Solstice). By Dongzhi, yin qi’s descent together with what came before totals eighty-four thousand li, reaching the ground—this is yin within yin, and the climate is cold. When yin qi accumulates, yang qi is born; one yang arises from within the two yin. After Dongzhi, this single yang rises again as before, moving without cease, cycling back and forth, never straying from the Dao.

At Dongzhi yang qi is generated, rises, and returns to Heaven; at Xiazhi (Summer Solstice) yin qi is generated, descends, and returns to Earth. When at Xiazhi yang qi has risen to Heaven and arrived, one yin comes as before; when at Dongzhi yin qi has descended to Earth and arrived, one yang comes as before—hence the names “XiaZhi” and “DongZhi.” Yang qi rises upward; after Chunfen (Spring Equinox) it enters the yang position and thus leaves the yin position. Yin qi descends downward; after Qiufen (Autumn Equinox) it enters the yin position and thus leaves the yang position—hence the names “Chunfen” and “Qiufen.”

After Dongzhi, yang qi rises from above downward—but this does not mean yin qi does not descend. What descends is only the yin that remains within yang, dissipating solely within the yang position. Even if that descent obtains a position, once it meets the rising yang qi, its qi is cut off. After Xiazhi, yin qi descends from below upward—but this does not mean yang qi does not rise. What rises is only the yang that remains within yin, dissipating solely within the yin position. Even if that rise obtains a position, once it meets the descending yin qi, its qi is cut off.

The ascent and descent of yin and yang—whether upward or downward—never exceed eighty-four thousand li (in Daoist usage, the distance between Heaven and Earth). Their coming and going cannot escape three hundred sixty days. Discern yin and yang through the four qi of warmth, coolness, cold, and heat; at that point qi reaches its limit.

The ascent and descent of Yin and Yang never exceed eighty-four thousand li vertically, and their comings and goings never escape the three hundred and sixty days of a year. From the four qi of warmth, coolness, cold, and heat one can discern Yin and Yang; from the eight nodes of yang rising and yin falling—Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice—one can know Heaven and Earth. Only by gauging with the natural pivot (tianji) by which Heaven and Earth operate can one hope to touch the fringe remainder of the Great Dao. If one measures the Way of Heaven and Earth solely by learning picked up from others’ mouths and ears—the shallow kind of study that repeats what one hears without putting it into practice—how could reckoning and calculation ever bring genuine understanding?

The text uses an analogy: the Dao gives birth to the ten thousand things; Heaven and Earth are greatest among things, and the human being is most spiritually responsive among them. Person and Heaven and Earth correspond: the heart is likened to Heaven, the kidneys to Earth; the liver is the yang position, the lungs the yin position. The distance between heart and kidneys is eight cun and four fen, standing for the span between Heaven’s covering and Earth’s bearing—Heaven covers and Earth supports, and between them lies eighty-four thousand li; the body takes eight cun and four fen as that correspondence. Qi is likened to yang, fluid to yin. The zi and wu hours are likened to the summer and winter solstices; the mao and you hours to the spring and autumn equinoxes. One day is compared to one year, and within a single day the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) are applied; these hours are likened to the eight solar nodes.

In the zi hour (eleven p.m. to one a.m.), qi arises in the kidneys; by the mao hour (five to seven a.m.) the qi has reached the liver. The liver belongs to yang; at this time qi is vigorous, yang rises and enters the yang position, like the spring equinox. At the wu hour (eleven a.m. to one p.m.) the qi reaches the heart; when qi gathers it transforms into fluid, like the summer solstice: yang has risen to Heaven and yin begins to arise. In the wu hour fluid arises in the heart; by the you hour (five to seven p.m.) the fluid has reached the lungs. The lungs belong to yin; at this time fluid is full, yin descends and enters the yin position, like the autumn equinox. When zi comes again, the fluid returns to the kidneys; when fluid gathers it transforms into qi, like the winter solstice: yin has sunk to Earth and yang begins to arise. Thus it turns without end, running on without pause, cycling like sun and moon, without loss or deficit—and in this way one may naturally extend life.

True Method Explained: The Way of Heaven and Earth can truly be attained only by human beings. Humans receive physical form from their parents, and within that form they generate form again—yet the farther they drift from the Dao. After the fetal form is complete and Qi is full, the six desires and seven emotions dissipate primordial Yang (innate Yang energy), and true Qi slips away. At that point, although natural Qi and fluid still interact and transform each other, they can no longer rise and fall like Heaven and Earth. Moreover, with each exhalation primordial Qi goes outward, and with each inhalation primordial Qi enters, exchanging Qi with Heaven and Earth—but what enters cannot be retained and goes out again with the next breath. Qi from one’s inherent foundation (the body’s root Yuan) is instead taken by Heaven and Earth, so when Qi scatters, fluid is hard to generate, and when fluid is scarce, Qi is hard to generate. When Qi is strong, each day follow the Mao hexagram in practice (Mao hour, when morning Yang rises): breathe in more and out less, and force Qi to stay in the abdomen. What rises from below must not be allowed to leave; what enters from outside is held briefly. The two kinds of Qi meet and gather, producing fluid of the five viscera; the more you return to the root Yuan, the more you accumulate day by day, until you see results and then stop.

The Dao says: To encounter the “eldest son of Lord Yang,” you must breathe in more and out less, let his son and daughter contend with each other, and only after that window seek the real outcome. This is the method of accumulating Qi to produce fluid and fluid to produce Qi, so Qi and fluid match and mutually generate. Practice this way: within a year you can seize the benefit; counting three hundred days in a year, effects may appear in about ten days. Though food intake increases, illness clears; head and eyes feel clear, heart and belly open and light; strength grows and fatigue lessens, and in the belly there is often a sound like wind and thunder. Other signs are too many to list.

Commentary: “Eldest son of Lord Yang” means Qian (pure Yang) seeking Kun (pure Yin)—like Qi rising upward. The son is Qi, rising from the kidneys; the daughter is fluid, descending from the heart. Son and daughter contend because one goes up and one goes down. As for holding the breath and feeling less weariness, wind and thunder in the belly, and the rest—the effects likewise cannot all be recorded.

Commentary: The eldest son of Lord Yang is born when Qian (Heaven, pure Yang) seeks union with Kun (Earth, pure Yin)—like qi rising upward. The “son” is qi, ascending from the kidneys; the “daughter” is fluid, descending from the heart. What is called the struggle of son and daughter is simply one rising and one falling. When you hold the breath (brief breath retention), fluid is produced; when fluid accumulates, it in turn becomes qi again. When both sides are balanced and matched, true water (the refined essence-fluid of practice) appears in due course.

Direct explanation: This is the opening of initial practice. At the mao hexagram position (when Yang qi is rising and breath is at its fullest), take in more of heaven and earth’s upright qi and exhale less of your own primordial qi, so the two kinds of qi merge. Accumulated qi gives birth to fluid; abundant fluid again gives birth to qi—this is the method of matching Yin and Yang and letting qi and fluid beget each other.

Gathering and Scattering Fire and Water, Second Section (Taiyi Containing True Qi, Minor Refinement of Form, Heavenly Child Never Aging)

Golden Announcement: The so-called Great Dao is so high that nothing lies above it; look up and there is no higher reach. When there is excess, qi is generated—this is the method of matching Yin and Yang and letting qi and fluid beget each other.

Gathering and Scattering Fire and Water, Second Section (Taiyi Containing True Qi, Minor Refinement of Form, Heavenly Child Never Aging)

Golden Announcement: The so-called Great Dao is so high that nothing is higher; raise the head and look up—above it there is no end, and its beginning cannot be seen. The so-called Great Dao is so low that nothing is lower; bow the head and look down—below it there is no floor, and its root cannot be seen. It has a beginning yet nothing prior; look forward and the front cannot be seen. It has an end yet no exhaustion; look back and the rear cannot be seen. From within the Great Dao arise Heaven and Earth; Heaven and Earth have the images of high and low. Within Heaven and Earth are Yin and Yang; Yin and Yang have the numbers of beginning and end. One above, one below—looking up and looking down, one can fathom the pivot within; one beginning, one end—reckoning by these numbers, one can grasp the principle within. Pursue this in inquiry, and the Great Dao can be known.

True Source: From the positions of Heaven above and Earth below, one knows that Heaven and Earth have high and low. From the term of Yin and Yang’s beginning and end, one knows that the Way of Heaven can yield its principle thereby. Pursue this in inquiry, and the Great Dao can be known.

On the True Source: From the positions of heaven above and earth below, one knows that heaven and earth have high and low. From the cycles in which yin and yang end and begin again, one knows that the Way of Heaven has an order of before and after. Heaven and earth never depart from number; number completes itself in the span of one year. Yin and yang each attain their proper measure, and that measure is apportioned by the eight seasonal nodes—the eight points in the year when yin and yang wax and wane. At the winter solstice one yang is newly born; at the spring equinox the yang within yin reaches halfway, and beyond that point yang is pure and yin is spent. At the summer solstice yang reaches its peak and one yin is newly born; at the autumn equinox the yin within yang reaches halfway, and beyond that point yin is pure and yang is spent. At the winter solstice yin reaches its peak and one yang is born again, and ascent and descent follow the same pattern as before. This relation of above and below, of ending and beginning, cannot exhaust the Great Dao (Dao), yet it does not miss the Dao’s root substance. To grasp the Great Dao, take heaven and earth as your model and scrutinize the timely fit of yin and yang.

The heart and kidneys are likened to heaven and earth; qi and the vital fluids to yin and yang; and one day to one year. In daily practice, the Gen trigram (one of the eight trigrams, here corresponding to the double hours chou and yin) stands for Lichun (Beginning of Spring) within the year; the Qian trigram (one of the eight trigrams, here corresponding to xu and hai) stands for Lidong (Beginning of Winter).

Between heaven and earth, what lies toward the lower region is yin. From bottom to top, forty-two thousand li is called the yin position; at the winter solstice yang qi is first born and begins to rise. By Lichun, yang qi within the yin position has risen twenty-one thousand li upward, yet still cannot overcome yin qi. What lies toward the upper region is yang. From top to bottom, forty-two thousand li is called the yang position; at the summer solstice yin qi is first born and begins to descend. By Liqiu (Beginning of Autumn), yin qi within the yang position has descended twenty-one thousand li downward, yet still cannot overcome yang qi. At Lixia (Beginning of Summer), yang qi has left the ground by sixty-three thousand li upward; only twenty-one thousand li remain to heaven—yang holds its place and yin is exhausted. At Lidong, yin qi has left heaven by sixty-three thousand li downward; only twenty-one thousand li remain to earth—yin holds its place and yang is exhausted.

Compress the year into a single day: Lichun corresponds to the hour of the Gen trigram, namely chou and yin (roughly one to five in the morning). Then kidney qi descends to the bladder; in the bodily fluids it is still very faint—precisely when yang qi can hardly rise. Lidong corresponds to the hour of the Qian trigram, namely xu and hai (roughly seven to eleven at night). Then the fluid of the heart descends, about to return to the root and re-enter the kidneys—precisely when yin is abundant and yang qi is exhausted.

Because yin and yang are out of balance in people—yang qi weak and yin qi in excess—illnesses are many. Internal alchemy (Neidan) uses this to explain: the ascent and descent of qi and fluids in the body correspond to the four seasons and the hours of the day; cultivation must follow this advance and retreat of yin and yang to grasp the firing times (huohou).

The authentic formula explains it this way: Yang qi rises at the time of lichun (Beginning of Spring), growing upward from below; before long, Yang within Yin reaches half strength (this corresponds to the Gen hexagram; in the Chou and Yin periods Yang is still very weak). Yin qi descends at the time of lidong (Beginning of Winter), gathering downward from above; before long, Yin within Yang also reaches half strength (this corresponds to the Qian hexagram; in the Xu and Hai periods Yang is dispersing). Heaven and Earth follow this pattern. People, however, often fail to nurture qi at the very start when Yang is newly born and still fragile, and fail to gather qi when Yang is about to scatter. Day and night they drain original Yang through the six desires and seven emotions, so genuine qi cannot flourish; once genuine qi is lost, essential fluid cannot be produced. That is why human life cannot match the longevity of Heaven and Earth. For this reason the ancients used the Zhun hexagram in the morning and the Meng hexagram in the evening—applying these two hexagrams daily to sustain life in the world.

Morning Zhun takes the image of a single Yang line below, still bent and not yet unfolded. Applied to oneself, it means nurturing that bit of Yang and letting it extend—do not dissipate it. Evening Meng takes the image of the young learner seeking instruction, leaving darkness for light—in other words, seeking Yang within Yin. Applied to oneself, it means turning confusion into clarity and not letting genuine qi slip away.

Therefore at sunrise, when the Gen hexagram is in effect, use it to nourish primordial qi. Do not let fame and gain stir the heart; do not let likes and dislikes disturb the will. Sit quietly in robes to nourish qi; cut off stray thoughts and release attachments; do light guiding exercises. Flex and extend the limbs in turn three to five times so qi in the four limbs rises together; inwardly preserve the rising primordial qi and direct it toward the heart center. Or swallow one or two mouthfuls of saliva and rub the head and face twenty or thirty times, exhaling the foul turbid qi that accumulated through the night. Over time the complexion fills out and the skin becomes lustrous. This is nourishing primordial qi through the Gen hexagram.

At sunset, when the Qian hexagram is in effect, use it to gather primordial qi. Enter a room and sit quietly; swallow breath and draw in the external kidneys (waishen refers to the external genitals; chu means to gather and pull inward). Swallowing breath sends heart-fire downward; drawing in the external kidneys pulls bladder qi into the body. This is gathering primordial qi through the Qian hexagram. Upper and lower unite; kidney qi and fire converge; the three fires become one to warm and supplement the lower Dantian. If there is no fluid yet, gather qi to generate fluid; if fluid is already present, refine fluid to generate qi. This method is called “Gathering Fire” (juhuo), also called Taiyi—meaning to contain and nurture genuine qi. In the morning, swallowing saliva, rubbing the face, and alternating flexion and extension of the hands and feet is called “Dispersing Fire” (sanhuo), also called minor body refinement (xiao lianxing).

The Daoyao says: In late autumn, when flowers wither and leaves fall, the “jade person” is reluctant to ascend the high tower—so that sovereign and subject may meet and unite. Once the feast disperses, one must gather and restrain again and again. The meaning is to draw in heart qi, gather bladder qi and keep it from leaking away, and unite it with kidney qi, thereby connecting to the Kan hexagram (one of the Eight Trigrams, associated with Water and the kidneys). This qi is the newly generated qi in the qihai (the lower abdominal dantian region). Cultivation must begin at Lidong (Start of Winter); only when results appear should one stop. If one practices in this way, this achievement can be completed within no more than a year, with three hundred days taken as the annual measure; effects may appear in about ten days: the complexion gains luster, the flesh becomes full and moist, the dantian feels warm, urination decreases, the limbs feel light and strong, the spirit feels clear and refreshed, and chronic ailments of many years are all eliminated. If one cherishes the years and practices tirelessly, then whenever one sees even a slight effect in the work of matching yin and yang, one should link this practice into that sequence; in daily life one further adds the Gen hexagram (one of the Eight Trigrams, associated with Mountain) and applies this method in a modest way. The Qian hexagram (one of the Eight Trigrams, associated with Heaven) is employed together with the “three origins,” and one stops only when verification comes. The three origins are Qian, Gen, and Zhen (Zhen is also one of the Eight Trigrams, associated with Thunder).

The explanation says: Late autumn, when flowers wither and leaves fall, is like human strength declining; it is also like the sun at dusk, when yang disperses and cannot rise—hence the phrase “reluctant to ascend the high tower.” The tower refers to the “twelve-tiered tower” (in Daoism the windpipe is likened to a twelve-story tower). The heart is sovereign fire; the bladder is subject fire. Swallowing qi and twitching/restraining the “external kidneys” (gathering the external genitals) so that heart qi and external-kidney qi merge into one—this is called meeting and uniting. “Feast” means swallowing; “gather” means twitching/restraining. Morning practice must not be interrupted; this method should be taken as the foundation.

The direct explanation says: The Gen hexagram governs a weak yang phase, so one only lightly performs guiding stretches, swallows saliva, rubs the face, and disperses fire into the four limbs to nourish and preserve primordial qi. The Qian hexagram governs yang that has scattered, so one swallows heart qi and twitches/restrains the external kidneys, causing it to unite with kidney qi and the three fires to gather into one body, thereby aggregating primordial qi. Hence it is said: gather and disperse water and fire, making the root deep and firm.

The third chapter, “Union of Dragon and Tiger,” treats gathering and replenishing to return the elixir and nurturing the fetal immortal (the immortal embryo formed in practice): harmonizing and uniting kidney qi so that the three fires (three kinds of fire within the body) gather in one place, thereby accumulating primordial qi; hence one must gather and disperse water and fire so that the root is deep and firm. What is called dragon-tiger union is water and fire in mutual completion (water and fire intersecting in balance)—like a true husband and wife meeting; only qi interpenetrates; the bodily forms do not.

Jin Gao said: When the Great Origin was first divided, there came the Great Beginning; within the Great Beginning was the Great Non-Being; within the Great Non-Being was the Great Void; within the Great Void was the Great Emptiness; within the Great Emptiness was the Great Substance. The Great Substance is the clear-and-turbid body of heaven and earth, shaped like an egg, in dark yellow hue—merely one thing within the Great Emptiness. Yang rises to heaven; at the extreme it gives birth to yin; yin, in the hidden depths, embraces yang and descends. Yin descends to earth; at the extreme it gives birth to yang; yang, in trance-like vagueness, carries yin and ascends. One ascent, one descent—yin descending, yang ascending—heaven and earth operate according to the Dao, and the myriad things are thereby generated.

Zhenyuan said: Heaven is like an inverted basin; when yang reaches its limit it can rise no further. Earth is like a bedrock; when yin reaches its limit it can enter no further. At the winter solstice yang rises from within the earth; at the summer solstice it reaches heaven—this yang at the extreme gives birth to yin. Yin arises because yang comes from within yin and rises from the earth. Vague and indistinct—within qi there is water, yet water has no fixed form. At the summer solstice yang reaches heaven; accumulated qi becomes water—this is what is meant by “when yang reaches the extreme it gives birth to yin.” At the summer solstice yin descends from within heaven; at the winter solstice it reaches the earth—this yin at the extreme gives birth to yang. Yang arises because yin comes from within yang and emerges from heaven. Remote and obscure—within water there is qi, yet qi has no fixed form. At the winter solstice yin reaches the earth; accumulated water gives birth to qi—hence it is said, “when yin reaches the extreme it gives birth to yang.”

This passage uses metaphor to explain the principle of heart–kidney union in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice: what lies outside the body is likened to empty space; heart and kidney are likened to heaven and earth; Qi (vital energy) and fluid are likened to Yin-Yang; the zi hour and the wu hour are likened to winter and summer. The zi hour is called the Kan (Water) trigram: Qi in the kidney rises. The wu hour is called the Li (Fire) trigram: fluid in the heart is produced. When kidney Qi reaches the heart and merges with heart Qi, fluid is generated through the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate). Fluid can be generated because Qi comes from the kidney, and within that Qi is formless true water. When the function of Li reaches the heart and follows heart Qi, the Taiji thus produces fluid. Heart fluid descends to the kidney and merges with kidney water; the Taiji in turn generates Qi. Qi can be generated because fluid comes from the heart, and within that fluid is formless true Qi. When the function of Kan reaches the kidney and follows kidney water, the Taiji thus generates Qi. This may be compared to yang rising and yin descending until, at the Taiji, they mutually beget each other; the yin and yang thus produced are yang concealing water and yin concealing Qi.

The true formula adds: Qi is generated in the kidney, and within that Qi is true water; when the heart’s function reaches its limit, it likewise can generate Qi. This still compares to yang rising and yin descending and mutual generation at the Taiji; the yin and yang produced are again yang concealing water and yin concealing Qi.

The Zhenjue (True Formula) says: The kidneys produce qi, and qi holds true water within it; the heart produces fluid, and fluid holds true qi within it. This true water and true qi are the true dragon and true tiger—in internal alchemy, the yin and yang qi inside the body. When yang has risen as high as heaven can take it, Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) turns and yin is born; when yin has sunk as low as earth can receive it, Taiji turns and yang is born. Heaven and earth work in just this way. People fall short of heaven and earth because the six desires and seven emotions are tugged by external things, so intent is lost, original yang is scattered, and true qi slips away. In the phase of the Li trigram (fire, associated with the heart), kidney qi rises to the heart, spirit settles inward, the breath barely enters and leaves slowly, fine and continuous as if it were there and yet not; when the mouth fills with saliva, swallow it—kidney qi and heart qi naturally join, and Taiji gives rise to fluid. In the phase of the Kan trigram (water, associated with the kidney), heart fluid descends to the kidney and meets kidney water; heart fluid and kidney qi naturally join, and Taiji gives rise to qi. True qi stays close to fluid; true water stays close to qi. Fluid and true water are naturally able to merge, so fluid holds true qi and qi holds true water. The two meet, cling to each other, and move downward together—this is called longhu jiaogou (dragon–tiger union), the yin and yang qi joining inside the body. If huohou (the timing and measure of the “firing” in practice) is exact and choutian (drawing off and replenishing water and fire) is correct, in three hundred days one can form a true embryo and consolidate the great elixir—the foundation of refining the body, burning away the ordinary husk, turning toward the origin, and transcending.

The Daoyao (Essentials of the Dao) says: When qi first begins to turn in the circuit that returns to the origin, true yang is about to reach the “Li palace”—one must hold the true dragon and true tiger. Spring water in the Jade Pool (the mouth) runs clear and full, and the only fear is that it will leak away. To nurture the true embryo in three hundred days and form the great elixir is the root of refining essence, burning the body, ascending to the origin, and passing beyond.

The Dao Yao says: When the single Qi first begins to return to its original circulation, and true Yang is about to reach the Li palace (in internal alchemy the heart is Li), one must then capture the true Dragon and true Tiger. The spring water of the jade pool in the mouth (saliva) flows abundantly—this is because one fears the dissipation of primordial Qi and the loss of true water outward beyond the body. Once Qi scatters, it is hard to produce fluid; when fluid is scarce, there is no true Qi. If Qi and water do not interact, how can the great medicine be formed? Therefore: within the year one selects the month, counting from the Winter Solstice; within the day one selects the hour, taking the time corresponding to the Li trigram as the term. Some take up the Way only in old age, with an unstable foundation, knowing they are already depleted; after Qi is insufficient, ten years of loss is repaired in one year of practice—this is called “gathering and replenishing to restore the elixir.” When replenishment is sufficient, one practices only this method, called “Fire and Water already in mutual completion” (heart and kidney, fire and water intersecting), which can extend life—this is the “human immortal,” with effects too many to record in full. When nourishment is already full, sweet fluid arises in the mouth, worldly dust in the mind clears by itself, desire no longer stirs, the whole body is without illness, and a spiritual light appears of itself in the dark; the eyes sometimes flash bright as lightning. From the day of the Winter Solstice, one carefully works according to measure and degree; in three hundred days the true embryo is released—this is called the “immortal embryo.”

Explanation: Externally, the hour of Wu is the Li trigram; the sun is true Yang. For the person, the heart is the Li palace; primordial Yang is the true Dragon. The true Tiger is the water in the kidneys; the true Dragon is the Qi in the heart’s fluid. The mouth is the jade pool; saliva is the spring water.

Plain explanation: When the single Qi first returns to primordial circulation, the time belongs to the Li trigram—the sun is true Yang; in the person the heart is the Li palace, primordial Yang is the true Dragon. The true Tiger is the water in the kidneys; the true Dragon is the Qi in the heart’s fluid. The mouth is the jade pool; saliva is the spring water.

The plain explanation also says: When the single Qi first returns to primordial circulation, the Winter Solstice is the start—that is, the zi month. True Yang is about to reach the Li palace; the Li trigram sets the term—that is, the wu hour. The true Dragon is the Qi in the heart’s fluid; the true Tiger is the water in the kidneys. When Qi and water unite, it is called “dragon and tiger in copulation.”

“Firing the Elixir and Refining the Medicine, Section Four” is the chapter title; the marked content covers firing times, the small heavenly circuit, circuit firing times, gathering spirit to nourish Qi, gathering Qi to nourish spirit, and refining Yang to nourish spirit. Burning and refining in internal alchemy means using spirit to govern Qi and adjusting fire and water according to the proper times—not the furnace, fire, and materia medica of external alchemy.

The Golden Announcement says: Heaven and Earth are the form of the Great Dao; Yin and Yang are the breath of the Great Dao. Cold, heat, warmth, and coolness are form containing breath within; clouds, mist, rain, and dew are images that breath displays outward. Earth-breath rises—when it swells it becomes clouds; when it disperses it becomes rain. Heaven-breath descends—when it scatters it becomes mist; when it condenses it becomes dew. When yin accumulates excessively it becomes dew, then rain, frost, and snow; when yang accumulates excessively it becomes mist, then smoke, clouds, and rosy glow. Yin harbors yang within—when yang cannot rise, their mutual striking produces thunder; yang harbors yin within—when yin cannot descend and congeals, hail and sleet form. When yin and yang cannot harmonize, opposition produces lightning; when they cannot match, tangled crossing produces rainbows and secondary bows. What gathers true yang and transforms into the wondrous, attaching to heaven, is the stars; what gathers true yin and congeals into form, growing mighty on earth, is earth and stone. Among stars the greatest are sun and moon; among earth and stone the most precious are gold and jade. Yin-Yang appearing in the formed: above are sun and moon; below are gold and jade.

The True Source says: What grows mighty on earth is earth and stone. Among stars the greatest are sun and moon; among earth and stone the most precious are gold and jade; yin-yang seen in the formed—above sun and moon, below gold and jade. Yin without yang cannot generate; yang without yin cannot complete. Yang accumulating and showing as wondrous, attached to heaven and most grand—that is sun and moon; sun and moon are true yang and must obtain true yin to mutually complete one another. Yin accumulating and congealing into form, mighty on earth and most precious—that is gold and jade; gold and jade are true yin and must obtain true yang to mutually generate and transform one another. (Note: Cultivate at the Xuhai hours; upon the Li trigram gather medicine; upon the Qian trigram advance fire. This is Neidan (internal alchemy) language: gathering medicine means gathering refinable essence-qi; advancing fire means warming and nurturing according to the firing schedule.)

Metaphorically speaking: true Yang is like the true Qi within heart-fluid; true Yin is like the true water within kidney Qi. True water cannot be generated without true Qi, and true Qi cannot be brought to completion without true water. True water and true Qi are like the Li trigram (Fire in the Bagua, which in internal alchemy often corresponds to the heart), harmonizing above the heart and below the lungs—like a mother and child clinging to each other, like husband and wife in mutual love.

From Li to Dui (Lake in the Bagua)—when yin is strong and yang is weak, it is like the moon at last quarter, or like gold and jade concealed in dimness; at such a time they must not be used.

The sun and moon borrow yin to complete yang; when the number is full, brightness arises. Gold and jade borrow yang to bring forth yin; when Qi is sufficient, a treasure is formed. Gold and jade can become treasure because Qi is already full and yang is further added; the sun and moon can give light because the number is already full and the hun (soul-spirit) is then bestowed upon them.

This is like adding fire at the Qian trigram (pure Yang): refining and nourishing yang so it does not wane. As fire is increased according to the number, yang grows forth.

According to the true formula: at the phase of the Li trigram (one of the Eight Trigrams, here marking the moment when qi and fluid meet), the dragon and tiger (the paired qi and fluid in internal alchemy) unite—this step is called “gathering the medicine.” When the phase shifts to the Qian trigram (when yang qi is about to wane), qi and fluid are about to return to their root and arise above the bladder, below the spleen and stomach, in front of the kidneys, behind the navel, to the left of the liver, to the right of the lungs, to the right of the small intestine, and to the left of the large intestine. At that time spleen qi is strong and lung qi is full, heart qi is spent and liver qi is relatively weak. True qi (Zhenqi) originally comes from joining with yang qi; once yang qi weakens, true qi has nothing to hold to, and forcing further gathering at that point is wasted effort. At this moment you must keep awareness inward, breathe long and steadily through the nose, and gently bind the abdomen and both flanks: if the navel and kidney region grow too hot, ease off and bind lightly; if the navel and belly are not yet warm, bind a little tighter; as warmth gradually rises, keep a steady pressure, follow the mind’s intent, and fill it through heaven and earth (Qiankun). This is called “binding Yang Pass to forge the elixir medicine”—so that qi does not rise upward and true water (Zhenshui) is held fast. True water passes through the spleen palace and, with the breath, is moved into the life mansion (Mingfu) and yellow mansion (Huangfu). There qi and fluid transform in sequence into jing (essence), pearl, mercury, sand, and finally gold—what internal alchemy calls Golden Elixir (Jindan): the layered transformation of qi and fluid, not external mineral elixir. This practice is not without its effects.

The Essentials of the Way states: Gathering the medicine must rely on the Jade Rabbit (in alchemical terms, “gathering the medicine” means heart-qi; the Jade Rabbit means kidney water). To form a true union, one must depend on the Yellow Elder—the spleen’s intent that mediates and harmonizes heart and kidney, like a matchmaker. When the meeting occurs in Yongzhou (Yongzhou is the Qian trigram, situated in the northwest), one then performs the Yang Song in succession. This is the practice that pairs with gathering the medicine and is carried out together in daily life.

In later years, to make up what has been depleted, one uses the method of “replenishing one part for every ten lost” (using a small measure of nourishment to recover a larger loss)—a technique called “refining mercury to replenish the Dantian” (cultivating essence and qi to fill the energy center). When supplementation is sufficient, in daily practice one gathers medicine through the Li trigram and refines through the Qian trigram, and reins in the Yang Pass (holding this gate so essence and qi do not leak). In spring and winter, gather more and refine less—use one part Qian and two parts Li, doubling effort on the gathering side. In autumn and summer, gather less and refine more—use one part Li and two parts Qian, doubling effort on the refining side. Align with the flourishing qi of the seasons and months, and put the work of gathering and selecting the medicine first; then one may extend life and dwell in the world as a human immortal (renxian).

When nourishment is fully adequate and results appear, advance to the next stage of practice, still exercising restraint. Gather medicine for one hundred days until the medicine is complete; two hundred days until the sacred embryo (the true qi condensed in the Dantian) is firm; three hundred days until true qi arises and the immortal embryo is complete. After the medicine is complete, advance the firing and increase the count of firings—this is “fire timing” (huohou). After the sacred embryo is firm, bring fire timing to the degree of the microcosmic orbit (xiaozhoutian). When the embryo is round and true qi has arisen, bring fire timing to the degree of the macrocosmic orbit—this is “macrocosmic fire timing” (zhoutian huohou). When gathering medicine, cause dragon and tiger to unite (yin and yang qi to intersect); when refining medicine, advance the fire again—only then is one said to have “entered the Way” (rudao).

At this time one should cut off lustful thoughts, dwell in seclusion alone, and keep the mind inwardly observant: the inner realm does not rush outward, and the outer realm does not enter inward. Like a woman guarding a pregnancy or a dragon nurturing its pearl, even in eating, drinking, waking, and sleeping, speech should be like an infant’s and conduct like that of a maiden in her chamber (an unmarried woman)—deeply fearing any loss or harm. The mind must not for a moment leave the Dao.

The “medicine” is the true qi in the heart; the “rabbit” is the true water in the kidneys; the Yellow Elder (Huangpo)—the spleen, which harmonizes—is the true fluid in the spleen. When qi and water unite, they are gathered into the Yellow Court (Huangting, the central region within the body). Yongzhou corresponds to the hexagram Qian (Heaven); “restraining Yang Pass” refers to the flanks and abdomen.

Supplementary note: The above are methods of the “peaceful joy and extended years” type; the four gates of the lesser vehicle listed on the right belong to the category of human immortals (the initial stage focused on ease, joy, and prolonging life).

The middle vehicle’s “long life without death” has three gates in all; this is the middle fascicle. The fifth is “flying golden essence from behind the elbow,” which is the same as returning essence to replenish the brain.

Supplementary note: The above “peaceful joy and extended years” methods; the four gates of the lesser vehicle on the right belong to human immortals.

The middle vehicle’s three gates of “long life without death” are in the middle fascicle. The fifth, “flying golden essence from behind the elbow,” includes returning essence to replenish the brain, raising the River Cart (He Che, carrying refined essence upward), joining dragon and tiger (the two qi of dragon and tiger intersecting), drawing off lead and adding mercury, and reversing old age to restore youth.

The Golden Announcement says: The ascent and descent of yin and yang do not go outside heaven and earth; the circling of sun and moon takes place beyond heaven and earth. Their emergence in the east and west divides day and night; their travel south and north fixes cold and heat. Day and night never cease; cold and heat push each other on—days accumulate into months, months into years. Months accumulate from days because the soul (po) hides the spirit (hun) within it, and the spirit hides the soul within it (the yin substance of the moon and the yang breath mutually contain each other). Years accumulate from months because from the yang pitch-pipes the yin ones arise, and from the yin ones the yang pitch-pipes arise (yang lü and yin lü mutually generate). Sun and moon in their motion accord with the mechanism of heaven and earth and never depart from the numbers of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth). Though the birth of the myriad things lies in yin and yang, creation and transformation also rely on sun and moon.

According to the Zhen Yuan account, heaven and earth are shaped like an egg; within the liuhe—east, west, south, north, above, and below, the whole cosmos—they are as round as a ball. The sun and moon rise, set, appear, and disappear, moving above one layer of heaven and below one layer of earth; they wheel through east, west, above, and below as swiftly as a spinning carriage wheel. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, following the yang path; the moon rises in the west and sets in the east, following the yin path. In the course of a single day, day and night are thus distinguished. After the winter solstice, the sun’s rising point shifts from south toward north; after the summer solstice, it shifts back from north toward south. Winter nights match summer days in length; summer nights match winter days. Over the year, cold and heat are fixed in this way.

The sun and moon each measure eight hundred and forty li in breadth and length. The reckoning is: four chi make one bu (pace), three hundred and sixty bu make one li. In time, eight ke and twenty fen make one shichen (double-hour); twelve shichen make one day. A month has thirty days, totaling three hundred and sixty shichen, or three thousand ke and one hundred and eighty thousand fen altogether.

Yang’s motion is paired with Qian, its number is nine; yin’s motion is paired with Kun, its number is six. From within the po (the moon’s dark portion) the hun (its bright portion) is generated, counting originally from dawn. Because nine and six cannot unite at once, only after three days does hun arise from po. Each day and night is one hundred ke and sixty fen; the hun advances seventy li within the po. In six days and nights it advances four hundred and twenty li in all, until the hun within the po reaches the halfway mark—this is called the “first quarter” (shangxian). After another six days and nights it advances another four hundred and twenty li; front and back together make eight hundred and forty li, the hun within the po is full, and yang qi fills the yin position—this is called “full moon” (yue wang). From the sixteenth day onward, po is generated within hun: each day and night one hundred ke and sixty fen, the po advances seventy li within the hun; in six days and nights four hundred and twenty li in all, until the po within the hun reaches halfway—this is called the “last quarter” (xiaxian). After another six days and nights it advances another four hundred and twenty li.

Counting the earlier stages together, the adept had advanced eight hundred and forty li in all. By then the Po (the yin soul bound to the body) within the Hun (the yang spirit, the soul of awareness) was fully present, and yin had filled the seat that had belonged to yang. A little light still remained on the moon because the number six had not yet fully supplanted nine; three days later the moon-spirit would spread through the moon palace, and that day is called yue hui—the last day of the lunar month, when the moon disappears. After yue dan (the first day of the month), six is generated from within nine; before yue hui, six is generated from within nine. The reckoning was not yet complete, so once one phase was born, a further term still lay ahead. Days pile into months, and months into years.

For the moon, there are the six lü and six lü—the twelve pitch-pipes of ancient tuning, yang tones called lü and yin tones called lü, matched to the twelve months. Counting from six, when six steps are filled, six times six gives thirty-six, the completed number of yin. For the day, five days make one hou; seventy-two hou in a year is eight times nine. At the double ninth, counting begins from nine instead; when six steps are filled, six times nine gives fifty-four, the completed number of yang. Six and nine together make fifteen, the measure of one qi period. The twenty-four qi periods align with the eight seasonal nodes, revealing the rhythm by which yin and yang rise and fall. Apply this number with four, coordinating the four seasons and doubling it, and each division yields ninety; expanded, the yang total is two hundred sixteen and the yin total one hundred forty-four, together three hundred sixty—exactly one zhou tian, a full circuit of heaven.

This passage uses analogy to show how the Way of Heaven (tiandao) corresponds to cultivation in the human body. The ascent and descent of Yin and Yang within Heaven and Earth are like the joining of heart fluid and kidney Qi (xin ye yu shen qi). The sun and moon moving outside Heaven and Earth are like the practice of “Flying Golden Essence from Behind the Elbows” (zhou hou fei jin jing)—raising refined Qi along the Governing Vessel (Du mai) at the back. When sun and moon unite, that is the method of “adding and subtracting the firing” (jin huo jia jian)—adjusting the huohou according to timing. Yang rising and Yin descending is no different from the sun’s hun and the moon’s po (the bright and dark aspects of each); the sun departing and the moon arriving is no different from the Qi-fluid exchange of heart and kidney.

After the winter solstice, the sun rises in the yi position and sets in the geng position (southeast and northwest on the horizon), and daylight lasts forty clepsydra divisions (in the ancient reckoning of one hundred divisions per day). Thereafter the sun’s rising and setting shift from south toward north; every nine days it advances one degree east at rise and west at set, until it has advanced sixty divisions in all. At the spring equinox day and night are equal; by the summer solstice daylight reaches sixty divisions. After the summer solstice the sun rises in the jia position and sets in the xin position (northeast and northwest), with sixty divisions of daylight; then from north back toward south, again every nine days it retreats one division east at rise and west at set, until it has retreated sixty divisions in all. At the autumn equinox day and night are equal again; by the winter solstice daylight returns to forty divisions. The apportionment of day and night by clepsydra divisions follows this advance and retreat, matching the shift from south to north.

After the new moon, on the third day hun emerges from po; on the sixth day hun and po are each half; after six more days hun is complete—the number used is nine. After the full moon, po emerges from hun; on the sixth day each is half; after six more days po is complete—the number used is six. The summer solstice of the year corresponds to the sixteenth day of the month, which is daily application of the Li hexagram (Fire, south)—on the person, the wu hour (midday). The winter solstice of the year corresponds to the first day of the month, which is daily application of the Kan hexagram (Water, north)—on the person, the zi hour (midnight).

The measure by which Heaven and Earth raise and lower Yin and Yang, and the Yin-Yang logic of the sun’s hun and moon’s po, can still be calculated by numbers: union has its sequence, and circulation is without error. The heart-kidney Qi-fluid and liver hun–lung po (the liver stores hun, the lungs store po)—though daily use has its stages, on the scale of months and years how could there be no increase and decrease?

The true secret says: When yang qi arises within the Kan trigram (Water, associated in internal alchemy with the kidneys and the first emergence of yang), it falls exactly at the middle of the Zi hour (midnight). This cannot be treated only as empty doctrine; it must also be reckoned by number. Yin and yang unite in a fixed order, and the cycles run in succession without error. Heart and kidneys, qi and fluids, liver and lungs, hun and po—though their daily use follows a rhythm, how could they not wax and wane over months and years?

The true secret also says: When yang arises in Kan, it must be at the exact Zi hour, neither early nor late. Before kidney qi in Gen (the phase where kidney qi hands off to liver qi) has transferred to liver qi, in a quiet room put on your robe, form the hand seal of wuguan (thumbs locked on the finger joints), sit upright with legs crossed, draw the belly inward and squat down slightly, then rise again, thrust the chest forward, and tilt the head slightly back. Behind you, close the Jiaji double pass (the gate in the mid-back); let the elbows open and close slightly once or twice behind the body and stretch the waist. Qi rises from the Weilu point (the base of the spine) like fire from the loins, gathers at Jiaji—do not rush to open the pass. At once it becomes very hot and the qi very strong; then gradually open the Jiaji pass and let the qi through. Still facing upward, press the back of the head firmly rearward to close the upper pass; be careful not to open it at once. Only when heat reaches the extreme and qi is fully vigorous should you slowly open the pass and let qi enter the crown, to nourish the Niwan (upper Dantian, the “mud pill” palace) and the Sea of Marrow. The body must be able to endure cold and heat—this is the root of long life. Next use the method of returning the elixir: as before, thrust the chest, stretch the waist, and close Jiaji; squat first, then extend. If fire does not rise in the loins, sit in stillness and observe inward, repeat according to the method, until fire arises—that is the limit. Begin from the Chou hour and stop by the Yin hour. This is called “Flying Golden Essence from the Elbow-Back,” also called “extracting lead”—making kidney qi give rise to liver qi.

The human spine has twenty-four vertebrae in all: the lowest three pair with the inner kidneys; the top three are called the “Heavenly Pillar”; above the Heavenly Pillar is the “Jade Capital.” From below the Heavenly Pillar down to above the Weilu—eighteen vertebrae in the middle are called the “Double Pass,” nine above and nine below. Take one hundred days as the term to open all eighteen sections and enter the Niwan in the head. You must practice according to Kan at the time when the one yang is truly born—only then is it “Flying Golden Essence from the Elbow-Back.” Li is used to gather the medicine; Qian to advance fire and refine the medicine, and to tighten the Yang Pass (restraining yang so it does not leak outward). In the first hundred days, make the golden essence fly into the brain, open the Three Passes in one thrust, and enter directly into the upper palace Niwan. Begin from Kan and stop only at Gen.

Gathering medicine begins from the Li hexagram. Li corresponds to Fire and here refers to the time when heart fire is in command. Gathering medicine means causing heart qi and kidney qi to meet and unite, so that liver qi naturally generates heart qi. Heart and kidney qi transform into pure yang; the yin of the "two eights" gradually recedes, and pure yang qi steams up to the lungs. This process starts from the Kan hexagram and stops only at the Gen hexagram. Lung fluid therefore descends and wraps true qi within it. What is obtained each day is no more than the size of a grain of millet; when it is taken into the Yellow Court (the dantian within the body), this is what is called "material for the internal elixir." If there is no error for a hundred consecutive days, the medicinal power is then sufficient. Whenever one gathers medicine at the Li hexagram, one must inwardly observe according to the proper times; the method becomes increasingly refined.

Advancing fire to refine medicine, and restraining the Yang Pass (locking in yang qi so it does not leak away), begins from the Dui hexagram and ends at the Qian hexagram. After another hundred days in this way, one then performs "flying golden crystals" behind the elbow (circulating essence along the back upward); this runs from the Kan hexagram until it stops at the Zhen hexagram. Gathering medicine at the Li hexagram still follows the original method, combined with practice from the Kun hexagram to the Qian hexagram. If there is no error for two hundred days, the sacred embryo (the embryo formed in inner refinement) is then firm and solid. Restraining the Yang Pass also runs from the Kun hexagram to the Qian hexagram. After another full hundred days, the Mud Pill (the upper dantian at the crown) is full, and the person returns to youth and differs from ordinary people. When gathering medicine is complete and the embryo immortal is perfected, true qi is generated; its form is like a round pellet and its color like a vermilion tangerine. When it long guards the dantian, one can become an earthly immortal.

After three hundred days, one stops gathering medicine at the Li hexagram and stops restraining the Yang Pass at the Kun hexagram, and instead practices "jade liquid returning to elixir" (refining the body's fluids back into elixir). Therefore only after the winter solstice is it called "performing the work." At three hundred days the embryo is formed, qi is full, the internal elixir is achieved, and true qi appears. Only by cultivating according to this method can one be said to have reversed the Five Phases and achieved the return and revolution of the Three Fields (the circulation of qi among the upper, middle, and lower dantians).

Before formally performing the work, one must first match yin and yang so that qi and fluid mutually generate each other, until results are seen and one stops; next one must gather and disperse water and fire so that the root medicine is firm, until qi can circulate and fluid can be retained—again until results are seen and one stops.

Next one must perform the work of dragon-and-tiger joining and of firing and refining the elixir medicine. Dragon and tiger refer to the paired yin and yang qi within the body; through gathering and replenishing, elixir qi is returned, then lead and mercury are smelted—lead and mercury stand for innate jing-qi and spirit-intent—until visible results appear before stopping. The measure of “ten parts loss, one part repair” must be fully applied; qi and fluid mutually generate each other, and one again stops only when effects show. The practice described above belongs to the lesser vehicle (xiaocheng): a foundational method that first repairs depletion to seek extended life, and in itself can prolong years. Only after depletion is repaired, the foundation is firm, and results have appeared may one choose the time: within the year, pick the winter solstice; within the month, the jiazi day; within the day, the hour that corresponds to Kan, Li, and Qian—the text’s “gan” means Qian, taking the sense of water, fire, and pure yang—as the three starting points. Within one hundred days, from Kan to Gen and from Dui to Qian; after two hundred days, from Kan to Zhen and from Kun to Qian. All such work must be done in a quiet, secluded room, far from women, with neither the sound of chickens nor dogs in the ears, nor foul odors in the nose, nor the five flavors on the tongue; the seven emotions and six desires are cut off, and food, cold, and heat are all measured. Even in waking and sleeping one is careful, fearing any waste. If effort is not steady, the Way is hard to attain. After three hundred days in this way, one again observes what results appear.

Plain explanation: This is the method of the three origins (sanyuan). The Kan trigram is called “flying golden essence,” meaning the lower field returning to the upper field; the Li trigram is called “gathering medicine,” meaning the lower field returning to the middle field; the Qian trigram is called “reining in the yang pass,” meaning the middle field returning to the lower field. Upper, middle, and lower fields are the three dantian. This is also called “three fields turning back.”

The Dao says: When sun and moon reach the Fu hexagram, the time is the zi hour—the birth of the one yang; after crouching it rises, and within days the gates open; the heart gathers toward “Yangzhou”—the text’s own note is intersection of the Li trigram; Yangzhou is inner-alchemy code, not a real place name—until the fire of the six palaces fills the golden field and returns to the Qian palace.

The commentary says: When sun and moon reach Fu, it is the moment the one yang is born; mapped onto a single day, that is the zi hour of Fu—crouch, rise, open the gates within days, gather toward Yangzhou, until Li intersects, the six palaces’ fire fills the golden field, and one returns to the Qian palace.

What is meant by the sun and moon reaching the Fu hexagram is the moment when one yang is first born: within a day that is the Zi hour; within a year it is the winter solstice. This is choosing the day within the month and fixing the hour within the day. The phrase about squatting the abdomen and raising the body has already been explained earlier; here it is set as opening the passes in one hundred days—first the middle pass, then the upper pass. “Greedy to meet at Yangzhou”: Yangzhou in the person refers to the heart; in the day it is the Wu (noon) hour; in the hexagrams it is Li. “Meeting” is the true yin and true yang joining, hence it is called “gathering the medicine.” Qian is the six palaces; fire is qi. By leashing the Yang Pass to gather qi, taking lung qi as metal and sending it down to the kidney’s Dantian below, one says “fire fills the golden field.” This is practicing the Qian hexagram, leashing the Yang Pass, and gathering fire in the lower Dantian.

The direct explanation says: when sun and moon reach Fu, that is the Jiazi moment of the winter solstice. Squatting and rising for a number of days to open the passes means squatting the abdomen and lifting the body to kindle fire, until the passes open at one hundred days. This is the method of flying the golden essence from Kan to Gen. Meeting at Yangzhou is gathering medicine at Li, making yin and yang intersect. When fire from the six palaces fills the Dantian, that is practicing Qian and leashing the Yang Pass—gathering lung qi in the lower Dantian—belonging to the stretch from Dui to Qian.

On the road to Zhongnan one meets mountains; rising the body again and again passes the three passes; greedy to meet at Yangzhou—better still is the maiden burning heaven.

Zhongnan is the sage hiding meaning in the “middle male”; the middle male is the Kan hexagram. Gen stands for mountain; mountain is Gen. Flying the golden essence stops only at Xun— the two hundredth day of lower work. Rising the body repeatedly through the three passes, and being greedy to meet at Yangzhou, have already been discussed. “Better still is the maiden burning heaven”: the maiden is the Dui hexagram—it means leashing the Yang Pass until stopping at Qian. Here the hexagrams mark fire timing and stages of practice: Fu corresponds to the birth of one yang; Kan and Gen are the upward flying golden essence; Li is yin and yang meeting in the heart while gathering medicine; from Dui to Qian is leashing Yang Pass and gathering qi into the lower Dantian.

Setting out from Yanzhou and traveling to Xuzhou, one hurries on the road until both cart and ox are worn out—all because one clings to the joy of gathering the Nine Provinces. Fire from the southwest enters Yongzhou.

Yanzhou corresponds to the Gen trigram, and Xuzhou to the Xun trigram. This describes the “flying gold crystal” (fei jin jing) starting its course from Gen and coming to rest only at Xun. The cart is yang and the ox is yin; what is meant by wearing out cart and ox is that the single breath in the jiaji (between the shoulder blades) flies upward into the mud pill (niwan), the upper dantian at the crown of the head. The Nine Provinces on the body refer to the heart; in terms of time they refer to the hour of wu (noon)—the same as the earlier “gathering the medicine.” The southwest is the Kun trigram, and Yongzhou is the Qian trigram. “Restraining yang at the pass” (le yang guan)—holding yang and guarding the orifices—runs from Kun through to Qian before it stops; that is the practice at the completion of three hundred days of work below.

This is the work of the three-hundredth day, namely the method of flying the gold crystal, beginning at Gen and ending at Xun. The Nine Provinces assemble; gathering the medicine proceeds as before; restraining yang at the pass stops from Kun to Qian. This is daily practice, called the method of the three yuan (sanyuan): flying the gold crystal into the brain is the lower field returning to the upper field; gathering the medicine is the lower field returning to the middle field; firing the medicine and advancing the fire is the middle field returning to the lower field. This is called employing the three yuan and the middle vehicle (zhongcheng) method—at this point one has already reached the level of earth immortal (disxian). One may stop only when signs appear: frequent startled awakening in dreams; illnesses of the four limbs and the six fu organs heal without treatment; in a dark room with eyes closed, a round light like a canopy surrounds the body; the golden barrier and jade lock are firmly sealed, and nocturnal emission and leakage cease; a clap of thunder once, and the joints open through; in dreams one may return carrying an infant, or fly freely at will; the eight perverse qi cannot enter; the mind is naturally clear and sexual desire is cut off; inner vision is bright and not dim; by day the spirit is fresh and the countenance clear, and at night the dantian is warm of itself. These are all confirmations of obtaining the medicine. After the signs are genuine, one must be strict in restraint and, by the former method, add another three hundred days before the fetal immortal (taixian) is complete. Only after the fetus is round does one apply the subsequent practices.

Sixth Lecture: Jade Liquor Returning to the Elixir (with Jade Liquor Refining the Form)

At this stage, the Dantian (energy center) in the lower abdomen will warm on its own. Everything described above shows that the elixir has already taken effect. When the signs are correct, you must practice with careful restraint and continue as before for another three hundred days; then the embryonic immortal (the immortal fetus formed within the body) will be complete. Only after the embryo is full should you apply the later methods. This section also covers jade liquor refining the form, bathing the embryonic immortal, and the lesser returning elixir, the greater returning elixir, the sevenfold returning elixir, and the ninefold turning elixir.

The Yushu says: True yin and true yang generate and complete each other. What appears above is yang qi gathering to form spirit; within spirit there is form, and what clings to heaven is the sun and moon. What appears below is yin qi gathering to form form; within form there is spirit, and what clings to earth is gold and jade. The substance of gold and jade lies hidden in mountains and rivers; their refined qi rises and meets the light of sun and moon. When plants and trees receive it, they show auspicious signs; when birds and beasts obtain it, they become rare kinds.

The Zhenyuan says: When yang rises to heaven, the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) gives birth to yin; yin is insufficient and yang is surplus, so accumulating yang produces spirit. When yin descends to earth, the Taiji gives birth to yang; yang is insufficient and yin is surplus, so accumulating yin produces form. The sun and moon in heaven and gold and jade on earth—within true yang is spirit, within true yin is form. The two qi interact; above and below illuminate each other, and light fills heaven and earth. Gold and jade are prized precisely for this. When the qi of gold and jade condenses in the air, it becomes auspicious clouds; when it enters the earth, it turns into sweet springs and spirit fungus. Humans who receive it become outstanding figures; birds and beasts that obtain it grow strange and wondrous. Though the substance of gold and jade comes from form accumulated by yin, within it embraces the qi of true yang and also resonates with the sun and moon, spirit accumulated from yang. True yin and true yang shine downward, and the treasure congeals and forms.

The metaphor runs like this: yin qi gathers and takes form, yet within it holds true yang—thus gold and jade come to be. This is like gathering the medicinals and embracing true qi until a fetal immortal forms (the immortal embryo produced by neidan). When the qi of gold and jade sinks into the earth, it becomes sweet spring water and spirit fungus—like jade fluid (refined saliva/essence) returning to the dantian (the locus of internal alchemy in the body). When that qi condenses in the air, it becomes auspicious vapor and lucky clouds—like using qi to refine and nourish the bodily form. Whenever the qi of gold and jade rises toward heaven, it ascends with yang qi; when it enters the earth, it returns with yin qi. Following the ascent and descent of yin and yang, the four seasons naturally differentiate—so that returning fluid to the dantian and refining the form with qi is like the waxing and waning of the four seasons, which can also shift within a single day.

The True Formula says: For gathering and replenishing (cultivating and replenishing one’s own vital essence at the proper times) to show results, one must choose the month within the year, the day within the month, and the hour within the day, and apply effort within those three temporal dimensions. In one hundred days the medicinal power is full; in two hundred days the Sacred Embryo (the embryo formed when the inner elixir coalesces) is solid; in three hundred days true Qi is generated and the Embryo Immortal is complete. Practice must be measured, and methods added on schedule; only after the full three hundred days does one perform Returning the Elixir and Refining the Form (returning the elixir Qi and cultivating the physical body).

Flying Golden Essence (guiding vital essence upward like golden crystals into the brain) is for after the three hundred days: each day it begins at the Gen hexagram hour and continues until the Xun hexagram hour. Here the hexagrams mark the hours of daily practice. At the Li hexagram hour one stops gathering medicine; at the Kun hexagram hour one stops restraining Yang Pass (constraining Yang Pass so vital essence does not leak downward). Restraining Yang Pass is undertaken only from the Dui hexagram hour and stops at the Qian hexagram hour. After gathering medicine at Li ceases, one adds the Swallowing Method to refine the form.

The Swallowing Method is: stir the tongue between the upper palate and the cheeks, first swallowing away turbid fluid, then drawing the tongue tip back until the mouth is full of fluid. When Jade Pool (the place in the mouth where essence-fluid is generated) produces fluid, do not rinse; swallow it directly.

In the three months of spring, liver Qi is strong and spleen Qi weak—use the Swallowing Method daily at the Li hexagram hour. In the three months of summer, heart Qi is strong and lung Qi weak—use it at the Xun hexagram hour. In the three months of autumn, lung Qi is strong and liver Qi weak—use it at the Gen hexagram hour. In the three months of winter, kidney Qi is strong and heart Qi weak—use it at the Zhen hexagram hour. When practicing Flying Golden Essence, using the Swallowing Method as well is also fine.

In the seasons when spleen Qi is strong and kidney Qi weak, because human beings take kidney Qi as root, all four seasons have periods of weakness. On each of the eighteen days after the seasonal month of the four seasons, use the Swallowing Method at the Dui hexagram hour, together with the Swallowing Method described above. Only in autumn keep the Dui hexagram Swallowing Method alone and stop the Gen hexagram practice. For all the Swallowing Methods above, first follow the method described earlier; if fluid cannot be generated between the teeth and Jade Pool, use only the tongue together with the original Swallowing Method.

The swallowing method described above should first be practiced according to the preceding instructions. If saliva still does not gather between the teeth and the Jade Pool (the place in the mouth where essence accumulates), press the tongue against the upper and lower palate, seal the Jade Pool, draw in the cheeks, and use empty swallowing: what you swallow then is only Qi, and within that Qi water will naturally appear. In the first year, the number of Qi-swallowings is roughly thirty-six to forty-nine times; the next year increase to eighty-one; the year after that to one hundred eighty-one, continuing until you see results. This is the method of the Jade Liquid Returning Elixir (yuye huandan—refining and returning saliva for internal nourishment). Practiced in this way for no more than three years, it can irrigate the Dantian (the lower abdominal center of internal refinement), bathe the embryo immortal (the spiritual embryo nurtured within), and make true Qi ever stronger. If you follow the Jade Liquid Returning Elixir, in about three hundred days you can form the inner elixir of the true body, and only then will true Qi arise. When the time corresponding to the Gen trigram of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) arrives, perform Flying Golden Essence (fei jin jing); in one surge it passes the Three Passes (the three barrier points along the spine) and reaches the Mud Pill (niwan, the upper Dantian in the head). At that point you should switch to the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir: let a stream of golden water descend from the crown toward the front, return down to the Yellow Court (huangting, the middle Dantian between chest and abdomen), transform gold into elixir, and this is called the “Golden Elixir” (jindan).

To practice the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir, choose a deep, secluded room where wind and sun are mild and ordinary people cannot reach you. Burn incense, stack the palms, and sit cross-legged. First squat the body then rise; as soon as you feel fire arise, sit upright, cut off thoughts, forget emotional entanglements, turn the gaze inward, and make sure perception is clear and sure. When Flying Golden Essence enters the crown at the Gen hour, you need only lift the head slightly and tilt the neck back, as if fire were under the neck; then nod forward, bow the head and bend the neck, draw the tongue back, and press it upward against the upper palate. Above, cool clear water will appear, sweet and fragrant, penetrating the crown gate and running down through the hundred meridians. A true fragrance will naturally come through the nose, and a strange taste on the tongue; do not rinse or spit it out—swallow it directly and return it to the Yellow Court. This is called “Golden Liquid Returning Elixir.” In spring, summer, autumn, or winter, no fixed hour is required; only after Flying Golden Essence has entered the brain should you perform this method in order, from the Gen period until the Xun period. In the evening, practice the method of restraining the Yang Pass (le yang guan—locking the yang barrier), from the Dui period until the Qian period. In all this work, restraint must be stricter than before, or success cannot be achieved. In the end, this path only refines and nourishes the physical form, prolongs life in the world, and seeks long life without death—it cannot yet bring transcendence.

Essentials of the Way (Daoyao) states: First discern the root of the Five Phases, and only then will you understand that spring, summer, autumn, and winter each keep their proper seasons. At the appointed times, drink down several cups of jade nectar; when you have swallowed enough, it is like coming home drunk to the Moon Palace, drifting and roaming there.

Commentary: “Recognizing the root of the Five Phases” means inverting the Five Phases so they mutually generate and restrain one another, and practicing swallowing saliva (yanjin) according to the hours associated with different trigrams. Thus one learns that the four seasons can be shifted, each with its matching moment. Jade nectar (qiongjiang) is jade fluid (yuye)—the mouth’s refined saliva in practice. The Moon Palace (yuedian) is the Dantian, the body’s place of gathering and nurturing. “Returning drunk” means one has swallowed a great deal.

Look east toward Fusang while heaven is still dark; ascent from behind and swallowing from the front never stop. The galloping horse roams the cosmos; the Eldest Son goes only as far as Yangzhou.

Commentary: “East toward Fusang, heaven not yet bright” means the sun has not risen—the hour of the Gen trigram (northeast). “Ascent from behind” is flying golden essence (fei jin jing), raised from the back; “swallowing from the front” is jade fluid returning to the elixir (yuye huandan), jade fluid taken in from the front. “Galloping horse” means firing the cauldron—jade fluid refining the body (yuye lianxing); “roaming the cosmos” means Qi (qi) filling the four limbs. “Eldest Son” is the Zhen trigram (the eldest son in the eight trigrams); “only as far as Yangzhou” means only until the Li trigram (south). Jade fluid refining the body begins at Zhen and ends at Li.

Direct explanation: Jade Liquid (yuye) is the fluid within the kidneys. When it rises to the heart, the two kinds of qi merge; passing through the “multistory tower” (the airway in the throat), the fluid fills the Jade Pool (yuchi, the mouth)—this is what is called “Jade Liquid.” If you swallow it down so it enters the lower Dantian from the middle Dantian, it is called “Returning Elixir” (huandan); if it ascends from the middle Dantian into the four limbs, it is called “Refining the Body” (lianxing). In truth it is one and the same substance. When gathering the medicine for a full three hundred days, the day-count is complete and the inner embryo is full; at that point Flying Golden Essence (fei jin jing) subtracts one hexagram, while binding and closing the Yang Pass (the place where essence is conserved) continues as before. Gathering medicine then stops, and the method of swallowing fluid is added; the swallowing method is applied only according to the four seasons. This is the Refining the Body method. After using the hexagram sequence, Refining the Body is added, starting from the Zhen hexagram and ending at the Li hexagram, with no fixed limit on years, months, or days—it stops only when signs of efficacy appear. Those signs are: complexion bright and moist, spirit and bearing refined; gradually loathing the stench of fish and meat entering mouth and belly; ordinary emotional attachments naturally fade from the mind; true qi nearly sufficient, often feeling replete as after a full meal, eating little yet drinking without fixed measure; the mundane frame already transformed, consciousness changing with it; walking and running, the body light and swift as if flying; eyes black as lacquer, skin smooth as congealed fat, black hair growing anew, wrinkles smoothing again, old age held back and a child’s face lasting; looking up, seeing an autumn hair at a hundred paces; old scars and moles on the body vanishing of themselves; tears, nasal discharge, saliva, and sweat no longer appearing; the sacred elixir producing flavor, spirit fluid exuding fragrance, mouth and nose often holding true fragrance and rare taste; rinsed fluid congealing like curds, able to cure others’ illnesses; the whole body turning into white paste. All of the above are signs of Jade Liquid Returning Elixir and Refining the Body; as soon as signs appear, stop. One should carefully regulate effort, follow the method and accord with the seasons, then proceed to the later stages of work.

Golden Liquid Returning Elixir, seventh section (with appendices: Golden Liquid Refining the Body, Igniting Fire to Burn the Body, Golden Flower, Jade Dew Great Already-Completed, Yellow and White methods)

The Jingao (Golden Announcement) says: When yang qi accumulates, it becomes spirit (Shen); within spirit there is also form. Form arises from the sun, and the sun in turn arises from the moon. When yin qi accumulates, it becomes form; within form there is also spirit. Spirit arises from metal (Jin), and metal in turn arises from earth. What appears and vanishes with yin and yang is the light of sun and moon; light is born from “zi” (the initiating point of generation), and its number originally stems from Qian and Kun. What rises and falls with yin and yang is the qi of gold and jade; qi is born according to the seasons, and the seasons originally stem from Heaven and Earth.

The Zhenyuan (True Source) says: As for the light of sun and moon, after dawn one uses nine; before the dark of the moon (the last days of the lunar month) one uses six—six and nine are the numbers of Qian and Kun. As for the qi of gold and jade, it rises in spring and summer and falls in autumn and winter; this rising and falling is the seasonal order of Heaven and Earth. Gold is born from within earth, jade from within stone, and stone again from within earth—so it is for things that have form and dwell below. The sun holds the golden crow (symbol of the sun), the moon holds the jade rabbit (symbol of the moon), and the moon must wait upon the soul of the sun before it shines—so it is for images that belong to spirit and dwell above.

The Biyu (Analogies) says: Sun and moon are used to compare qi—kidney qi is compared to the moon, heart qi to the sun. Gold and jade are used to compare fluids—kidney fluid is compared to gold, heart fluid to jade. What is called jade fluid originally flows upward from the kidney; that is the meaning here. Here the sun and moon, gold and jade of Heaven and Earth are matched to the heart and kidney, qi and fluids, in cultivation.

This passage uses metaphor to explain the relationship between qi and fluids. Sun and moon stand for qi: kidney qi is likened to the moon, heart qi to the sun. Gold and jade stand for fluids: kidney fluid is likened to gold, heart fluid to jade.

What is called jade fluid is originally kidney qi rising to the heart and merging with heart qi. After the two qi meet, they pass through the double tower (the throat); with the mouth closed so nothing escapes outward, fluid fills the jade pool (saliva gathering in the mouth). Swallowing it is called “returning the jade fluid to the elixir”; raising it upward is called “refining form with jade fluid.” The meaning is: fluid originally comes from the kidney and is also generated in the heart—like stone arising from earth and jade from stone.

What is called gold fluid is kidney qi and heart qi meeting without rising, instead steaming and permeating the lungs. The lung is the canopy (like a carriage cover above), sheltering the two qi, from which lung fluid is obtained. Fluid in the lower field (lower dantian) rises from the weilü point (base of the spine) and is called “flying golden brilliance into the brain,” to nourish the palace of the mud pill (within the head). Descending again from above back to the lower field is called “returning gold fluid to the elixir.” After returning to the lower field it rises again, circulating through the four limbs and ascending once more—called “refining form with gold fluid.” This is also the saying that gold is born from earth.

Those who wish to refine form and fly golden brilliance should practice in a quiet room, avoiding wind and direct sun. From afar burn incense and secretly report to the Three Pure Ones and highest sages (supreme deities of Daoism): that one wishes to long remain in the world, spread the great Way and teach others, and therefore must first practice the method of refining form oneself, so as not to fear cold or heat, to cease grain food, and to transcend yin and yang. When the invocation is finished, swallow the saliva.

The true formula says: behind the body, the weilü point is the “lower pass,” the jiaji (mid-spine) is the “middle pass,” and behind the head is the “upper pass.” The initial flying of golden brilliance is precisely to open these three passes.

True Method Explained: The Weilü point at the back (the gate at the lowest end of the Governing Vessel) is called the “Lower Pass,” Jiaji (mid-spine) the “Middle Pass,” and the area behind the head the “Upper Pass.” One begins by “Flying Golden Essence” (drawing kidney essence up along the back) to open these three passes.

The kidneys are like earth, the heart like heaven; rising further to the crown is like the Nine Heavens. “Jade Liquid Refining Form” (nourishing the body with saliva from the mouth) ascends from the heart to the crown to connect with the Nine Heavens. After three hundred days, the great medicine is complete, the embryonic immortal (the inner-elixir “infant”) is whole, and true Qi arises. When Qi moves forward, it still follows the old path of Jade Liquid refining form; when it moves backward, it still follows the old path of Flying Golden Essence. When Golden Essence and Jade Liquid are cultivated together, effects become visible.

Starting from the Kan hexagram (Zi hour): Qi rises from behind the body, once ascending to the crown; lightly cover both ears with the hands, look inward according to the method, and swallow saliva slightly. When swallowing, press the tongue against the teeth and seal the Jade Pool below (where saliva gathers in the mouth); wait for saliva from the upper palate to descend, then swallow. After swallowing, rise again, until the Gen hexagram (Yin hour). In spring and winter, rise twice and swallow once; in autumn and summer, rise five times and swallow once. Count each time—autumn and summer no more than fifty, spring and winter no more than one hundred. After swallowing, let Qi rise from the front of the body, filling head, face, limbs, and fingertips; stop only when Qi is full. Then rise and ascend again until the Li hexagram (Wu hour). Thereafter, rising from behind while swallowing is called “Golden Liquid Elixir Return”; after the return, rising from the front is called “Golden Liquid Refining Form.” From Gen onward one refines form until stopping at Li. At the Dui hexagram (You hour) one restrains Yang Pass (the gate that prevents loss of essence), until stopping at the Qian hexagram (Hai hour). Then Qi ascends to the crown and descends from above—this is “Golden Liquid Elixir Return”; when golden elixir Qi rises from below upward and starts from the front, it is “Golden Liquid Refining Form.” At this stage the body may show jade trees and golden flowers (auspicious visions in practice). If Golden Liquid Elixir Return has not yet reached the lower field (lower Dantian) but both the front and back paths are activated together, this is called “fire rising and burning the body.” This is Golden Liquid Elixir Return and refining form. When front and back are activated together and one enters the burning-body stage, one must strictly restrain oneself and cultivate with firm resolve, without slackening, until effects are actually seen.

The Daoyao (Essentials of the Way) says: Once qi (vital energy) has risen, keep both ears covered for the entire night; at any moment drink down the jinbo (“golden wave”—the sweet fluid that forms in the mouth), stopping when you reach “Qingzhou”; when the sun has moved toward the west, listen again to the yangge (“yang song”).

“After it rises, close the ears for the whole night” serves the practice of jinye huandan (golden liquid returning elixir—refining essence and returning it to form the inner elixir). One must perform the flying golden essence along the elbow pathway (fei jin jing), using a single breath to burst open the three passes (san guan: Weilü, Jiaji, and Yuzhen). As soon as the qi has just risen, immediately cover both ears with the hands. The ears are the gate of the kidney wave; one fears that kidney qi will leak outward and fail to enter the brain.

“At any time, drink the golden wave” means: when you notice that qi has already entered the brain, follow the method described earlier—nod the head, bend the neck, and draw the tongue tip back to press against the upper palate. Then a clear, sweet fluid is produced, as sweet as honey, with effects that are quite extraordinary. Perform flying golden essence at the time of the Gen hexagram; swallow once, and stop at the Zhen hexagram. “Qingzhou” here means the Zhen hexagram; “the sun in the west” means the Dui hexagram (the hexagrams mark the phase and position of the work).

“Again listen to the yang song” means: starting from the Dui hexagram, tighten and hold the yang pass (restrain yang so it does not scatter outward) all the way to the Qian hexagram; on ordinary days one works at the Li hexagram and need not “gather medicine” (deliberately collect and refine essence anew).

After the drinking is finished, inner fire flares through the night; qi rises in front of the body and is lifted from behind, and the whole body grows hot as if burning. One need not fix a span of years and months—in the course of a single day, Qian and Kun are already complete within oneself.

This formula describes the method of refining the form with the Golden Elixir (Jinye). The phrase “after drinking, fire rises throughout the night” means that, on the basis of the Golden Elixir returning as the elixir (Jinye huandan), one then refines the form according to the Gen trigram (one of the Eight Trigrams, here marking a stage of form-refining)—that is what is meant by “raising fire.” Ascending in front of the body while lifting from behind is flying the golden crystal (Fei jinjing) so that the refined essence rises along the back of the body and fire is raised.

When practicing Jade Liquid refining the form (Yuye lianxing), one must first send the golden crystal up to the crown of the head, then perform the elixir-return (huandan), and only then raise it forward again to refine the form; this is not the same as Golden Elixir refining the form. In Golden Elixir refining the form, at the very moment when the golden crystal is flown and fire enters the crown, one immediately raises it forward to refine the form. When the front and back of the body are activated together, this is called “burning the body” (fenshen).

After fire has been raised, the elixir-return must follow the degrees of increase and decrease according to the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). This method is not bound to a particular year, month, day, or hour; one need only practice with careful restraint, single-minded intent, in reclusive solitude, cutting off external affairs.

Within a single day there are Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth): before noon one “burns Qian,” after noon one “burns Kun.” With respect to the front and back of the person, the belly and abdomen correspond to Kun, the back to Qian. Burning Qian before noon means flying the golden crystal from behind the elbows and refining the form by raising it forward; burning Kun after noon means, from the Dui trigram (one of the Eight Trigrams), restraining Yang Pass (Yangguan, a gate along the Governing Vessel) until one reaches the Qian trigram and stops.

Plain explanation: Golden Elixir is the fluid of the lungs. When it carries the dragon and tiger (a metaphor in internal alchemy for the yin and yang vital forces) into the lower field (the lower dantian), and the great medicine is about to form, that is called “Golden Elixir.” Drawing it from behind the elbows into the brain, then lowering it from the upper abdomen back to the lower field, is called “returning the elixir” (huandan). Raising it forward again, circulating through the four limbs from bottom to top, is called “refining the form,” also “refining the form into qi” (lianxing cheng qi).

This scripture states that one must first refine the body through the Jade Fluid Returning Elixir (yuye huandan)—the earlier stage of internal cultivation centered on refining saliva and nourishing form and spirit—and only when effects appear should one strictly observe moderation, dwell in seclusion and quiet, burn incense, and practice this method. Next one cultivates the Golden Fluid Returning Elixir (jinye huandan)—the later stage of nurturing with pure yang golden fluid—and in order refines the form and restrains the Yang Pass (the locus where refined essence might leak). Only after a full year may one enter “burning the body” (fenshen); burning the body means refining the form before the phase governed by the Kan trigram. In terms of the body front and back, the belly belongs to Kun and the back to Qian. When burning the body, before noon one refines Qian at the back into golden crystalline essence; after noon one refines Kun in the belly and restrains the Yang Pass. Whenever one “burns Qian,” fire rises from below, and flame rises together on both front and back. In winter and summer, every three or five days one should perform the method of “already fulfilled” (jiji)—meaning fire and water mutually aiding, yin and yang balancing—to keep the alchemical fire from running too hot and to keep the golden elixir moist. Burning the body means that after the fire is raised, it is swallowed inward from the middle.

One must stop only when verification appears. Verification means: the mind’s aim is pure and lofty, merging with the Great Void; the hun-soul no longer wanders outward, so there are no dreams. Yang essence congeals into form and the spirit palace is firm; one is unafraid of cold or heat through the four seasons, and both spirit-light and countenance change. Compared with ordinary people—even if the other is rich and noble—one can smell their foul odor. When practice is complete, the true registers (fulu) of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing) are secretly conferred. Changes of yin and yang and fortune or misfortune in human affairs can be foreknown through divine insight. Though daily affairs remain worldly, the heart cuts off the ten thousand realms. True Qi fills the body, food and drink cease at the mouth, and unusual qi emanates outward; the skin takes a golden immortal aspect, lustrous enough to compare with jade. Where one goes or stays, local spirits come to meet one; to dismiss or summon them follows one’s will. True Qi becomes pure yang and can act upon external mercury (wai gong). These are the signs of refining the form with golden fluid after the Golden Fluid Returning Elixir is complete.

The above are the essentials of long life without death. The three gates of the middle vehicle recorded earlier belong to the rank of Earth Immortal (dixian)—long abiding in the world. Below is Volume Two of the Three Gates of the Great Vehicle Method for Transcending the Common and Entering Sagehood (Dasheng chaofan rusheng fa sanmen).

The Jingao states: When primordial Qi first differentiated, the Great Dao took on form, and the dual modes of Yin and Yang were set forth. Once the two modes had their places fixed, the Great Dao received its name, and the Five Emperors were distinguished. Each emperor held one region and guarded his own direction. The qi of the five directions differed, and each watched over one kind of “child qi”: the Green Emperor’s child was borne by Jia and Yi—nine strands of the innate Wood De (virtue of wood); the Red Emperor’s child was borne by Bing and Ding—three strands of the innate Fire De; the White Emperor’s child was borne by Geng and Xin—seven strands of the innate Metal De; the Black Emperor’s child was borne by Ren and Gui—five strands of the innate Water De; the Yellow Emperor’s child was borne by Wu and Ji—one strand of the innate Earth De. From this single qi arises “the true”; that true in turn appears through earth, so the begetting of the myriad things lies in earth, and the begetting of the Five Phases lies in “the one.” The path of true origin—all of it is born from this one qi. (Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui, Wu, and Ji are the ten heavenly stems, each paired with wood, fire, metal, water, and earth in the five directions.)

The Yushu states: One, three, five, seven, and nine are numbers that appear only after the Great Dao has divided; metal, wood, water, fire, and earth are images that appear only after the Great Dao has transformed; east, west, south, north, and center are positions that appear only after the Great Dao has been arranged; green, white, red, yellow, and black are qualities that appear only after the Great Dao has dispersed. Numbers must return to numberlessness, images must revert to imagelessness, positions must reach positionlessness, and qualities must be restored to qualitylessness. If you seek the Dao’s numberlessness, without adding division it is already numberless; if you seek the Dao’s imagelessness, without adding change it is already imageless; if you seek the Dao’s positionlessness, without adding arrangement it is already without position; if you seek the Dao’s qualitylessness, without adding dispersion it is already without quality. Numberlessness is the source of the Dao, imagelessness is the root of the Dao, positionlessness is the true body of the Dao, and qualitylessness is the mystery of the Dao.

The source of authenticity teaches: once the root of the Great Dao divides and differentiates, it runs down from the root and pours into branch and tip. Those who awaken to the True cultivate the true by means of the true; when the inner is true, the true without naturally answers in kind. Those who discern the Subtle realize the subtle by means of the subtle; when the inner is subtle, the subtle without naturally answers in kind. Heaven and earth may obtain the True of the Dao, yet that True is not fully manifest in response, so they still cannot escape having locus and placement. Heaven and earth may obtain the Subtle of the Dao, yet that Subtle is not fully manifest in response, so they still cannot escape having form and substance. Where there is form and substance, images can be sought; where there is locus, number and pattern can be reckoned. Between heaven and earth and among the myriad things, nothing ranks above the human being. Because heaven and earth have images that can be sought, one knows their substance is Qi and water; because heaven and earth have number and pattern that can be reckoned, one knows their positions have near and far. Once this is clear, one sees that the Dao is not far from people.

By way of analogy: heaven and earth have the Five Sovereigns (wudi, lords of the five directions who preside over the Five Phases), as the human body has the five viscera. The Green Sovereign matches jia and yi Wood—jia is Yang and yi is Yin—like the Qi and fluids of the liver; the Black Sovereign matches ren and gui Water—ren is Yang and gui is Yin—like the Qi and fluids of the kidneys; the Yellow Sovereign matches wu and ji Earth—wu is Yang and ji is Yin—like the Qi and fluids of the spleen; the Red Sovereign matches bing and ding Fire—bing is Yang and ding is Yin—like the Qi and fluids of the heart; the White Sovereign matches geng and xin Metal—geng is Yang and xin is Yin—like the Qi and fluids of the lungs. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter differ in season, and the months in which heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys respectively flourish also differ.

Explanation of the True Secret Instructions: In the three months of spring, liver qi flourishes. Liver qi is strong because the true qi (innate vital energy received from one’s parents at birth) follows the degrees of heaven’s motion and at this season circulates through the liver. On days of Jia and Yi (Wood), when Wood overcomes Earth, one should at the hours of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei “raise the fire” on schedule—guiding true qi with mind and breath—to refine spleen qi. On other days, when the hour belongs to the Dui hexagram, that is a time of diminishing Metal qi and depleting lung qi; one must not apply effort then. When the Kan hexagram applies, raise fire by the method to refine kidney qi. When the Zhen hexagram applies, enter the chamber for still cultivation: inhale more and exhale less; stopping the breath is best, and next best is holding the breath for a long while, up to a limit of one thousand breaths. At this time practice inner observation by the method: simply clear the mind and close the eyes. Azure green (the color of Liver Wood) will appear naturally, and one will gradually feel the body rising into the Niwan (upper dantian). From the Yin hour through the Chen hour, this period of Zhen hexagram practice is complete. (More than one thousand breaths is better; what counts is that each breath grows finer and finer. If the breath has already stopped, there is no need to keep counting.)

In the three months of summer, heart qi flourishes. Qi is strong because the parents’ true qi follows heaven’s degrees and at this season circulates through the heart. On days of Bing and Ding (Fire), when Fire overcomes Metal, at the Dui hexagram hour raise fire by the method to refine lung qi. On other days, when the Kan hexagram hour applies, that is a time of diminishing Water and depleting kidney qi; one must not apply effort then. When the Zhen hexagram applies, raise fire by the method to refine liver qi. When the Li hexagram applies, enter the chamber and still practice as before. Red (the color of Heart Fire) will appear naturally, the body will gradually rise into the Niwan. From the Si hour through the Wei hour, this period of Li hexagram practice is complete. (More than one thousand breaths is better; the same principle as above.)

In the three months of autumn, lung qi flourishes. Lung qi is strong because the parents’ true qi follows heaven’s degrees and at this season circulates through the lungs. On days of Geng and Xin (Metal), when Metal overcomes Wood, at the Zhen hexagram hour raise fire by the method to refine liver qi. On other days, when the Li hexagram hour applies, that is a time of diminishing Fire and depleting heart qi; one must not apply effort then. When the Xun hexagram applies, raise fire by the method to refine spleen qi. When the Dui hexagram applies, enter the chamber and still practice as before. White (the color of Lung Metal) will appear naturally, the body will gradually rise into the Niwan. From the Shen hour through the Xu hour, this period of Dui hexagram practice is complete.

During the three months of winter, kidney qi is at its fullest strength. Kidney qi flourishes because the true qi (zhenqi) inherited from one’s parents turns with the seasons of heaven and earth. When the hour of the Dui hexagram (west, Metal) arrives, one enters the chamber and continues practice as before; white light appears on its own, then gradually rises along the body into the Niwan (the upper dantian at the crown). From the shen period to the xu period (roughly 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.), that span of time exactly completes one full cycle of Dui.

It is also said: In the three winter months kidney qi is strong, and the parents’ true qi gathers in the kidneys as it follows the seasonal turn. On water days, when the heavenly stems Ren and Gui “overcome” fire, one works at the hour of the Li hexagram (south, Fire): one “raises fire” by the prescribed internal method to refine heart qi. On other days, during the earth-associated double-hours chen, xu, chou, and wei, exertion harms earth and drains spleen qi, so one must not apply force then. At the Dui hour one raises fire by the method to refine lung qi. At the hour of the Kan hexagram (north, Water) one enters the chamber and practices as before; black light appears on its own, rises gradually into the Niwan, and from the hai period through the chou period (roughly 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.) one completes that Kan cycle.

Explanation: In spring one refines the liver; when breathing reaches one thousand complete cycles, green qi appears. During the last eighteen days of spring one need not follow the earlier routine; one uses only regulated, settled breathing (dingxi), sitting in quiet meditation all day to nourish the spleen and refine one’s own true qi. Only then may one raise fire at the Kan hour to refine the kidneys, so as not to waste true qi. By the seasonal rule, the last eighteen days of each season emphasize nurturing spleen qi. In summer one refines the heart; at one thousand breaths, red qi appears. During the last eighteen days of summer one likewise relies only on settled breathing, sits quietly all day, and practices refinement as above while cultivating one’s true qi; only then may one raise fire at the Kan hour to refine the kidneys and avoid depleting true qi. It is further said that in the last eighteen days of summer one again uses only settled breathing and all-day sitting, with the same method of refinement, and may then at the hour of the Zhen hexagram (east, Wood) raise fire according to the earlier method. In autumn one refines the liver; at one thousand breaths, white qi appears. During the last eighteen days of autumn one again takes settled breathing as the sole method, sits quietly all day, nurtures and refines as before, and may then at the hour of the Xun hexagram (southeast) raise fire by the earlier method. In winter one refines the kidneys; at one thousand breaths, black qi appears. During the last eighteen days of winter one again uses only settled breathing, sits all day, nurtures and refines as before, and may then at the Dui hour raise fire by the earlier method until yellow qi turns into light; then one quietly observes inward as countless rays of light wheel around the entire body.

The method of settling the breath does not lie in forcing yourself to hold or tightly seal the breath. Simply continue as before with a fine, unbroken stream of breath. When the hour associated with the Dui trigram arrives (in internal alchemy, trigrams mark stages of qi movement), raise the inner fire as usual until the yellow qi turns to light, and silently visualize myriad rays of light encircling the body.

Settling the breath does not mean forcibly retaining it or clamping it shut; the aim is only that it be “faintly present yet sustained, employed without strain”—the breath as if there and not there, never rushed or pressed (as in the Daodejing). From having form, enter into nothingness, and let it settle on its own. When gathering the medicine (collecting the body’s essential qi), hold saliva in the mouth and clasp the hands in the “holding fast” grip (thumb tucked inside the four fingers) to steady the mind and keep true qi from dispersing. On entering the chamber, close the door; dwell alone in a quiet retreat, far from dogs, fowl, women, and anything that would annoy or disturb the heart. Open the eyes to a narrow slit, just enough light to tell objects apart. Do not let wind or sunlight enter and leak qi; let there be no sound on either side. You should empty the heart and still thoughts, set aside the pull of affairs, and hold inner and outer in deep silence so that not one thing breaks your intent. For the Yang spirit (yang-natured spirit) has only just gathered and true qi is newly condensed—treat it like an infant not yet fully formed. Morning and evening, burn incense and bow in prostration: first to Heaven, second to celestial immortals, third to earthly immortals. When the three obeisances are done, sit in stillness and forget cunning design, then practice this method again. You must still follow the earlier methods, stage by stage, until you see results. If you take this step alone as the Dao, I fear the effort will be wasted and success will never come; you will only leave the yin soul (yin-natured hunpo) the bodily shell and become a ghost immortal (one whose yin spirit exits the shell without achieving the yang spirit’s fulfillment).

The Daoyao says: In practicing this method you must still combine it with the prior methods and see effects step by step; if you treat this alone as attaining the Dao, I fear the labor will be in vain and you will never succeed, stopping at the yin soul leaving the shell and becoming a ghost immortal.

The Dao Yao (Essentials of the Way) says: In practicing this method, there is no fixed year, month, day, or hour. Follow entirely the method given above, and stop only when signs of efficacy appear. Qi will manifest on its own; you must be careful to restrain yourself and persevere without slackening, set aside all outer affairs, and work only with intention indoors, watching the “fire times” (huohou, the stages of inner refinement). Use two pure-yang youths (young disciples endowed with pure yang qi), or befriend fellow students, taking turns in attendance; after a full thousand days, one batch of qi can be completed. “One seizes ten”: in a hundred days effects appear, in five hundred days qi is full, and one may then practice neiguan (inward contemplation of the self), gather the yang shen (the pure yang spirit cultivated within), unite it with the celestial spirit, refine shen until it merges with the Dao, and transcend the mundane to enter sainthood. Signs of refining qi are: the body feels extraordinarily comfortable, with a frequent sense of floating upward; dan light (the radiance seen in inner refinement) penetrates to the bone joints, and a strange fragrance fills the room; then, in still absorption, look outward and see purple haze everywhere; look down from the crown and golden light enfolds the whole body. Such wondrous confirmations cannot all be recorded.

The section “Neiguan Jiaohuan, the Ninth” treats gathering the yang spirit, tending the motian fire (the pre-heaven fire in cultivation), exchanging immortal and ordinary in the empty void, and the Huaxu realm (the blissful land of ancient lore, here borrowed for the subtle realm) in the human and celestial worlds.

The Jin Gao (Golden Announcement) says: The great Dao originally has no form; it lodges in qi. So vast that nothing beyond its bounds can contain it. The great Dao originally has no fixed function; it operates through the myriad things—so deep that no reasoning can exhaust it. Speaking of the Dao from the perspective of substance, there is inner and outer; speaking from the perspective of function, there is a basis that can be observed and seen. Contemplate the inner without chasing the outer: when nothing outward remains unexplored, the inner becomes clear. Contemplate shen without clinging to form: when form is complete in every part, shen can manifest.

The teaching of the true source runs thus: If you use the single mind to illuminate the myriad things, you cannot say there are too many things; if you take the myriad things to disturb the one qi—the pre-heaven qi—you also cannot say that one qi is insufficient. When the one qi returns to the one mind, the mind is no longer stolen away by outer things; when the one mind moves the one qi, qi is no longer enslaved by methods of cultivation. When the source of the mind is clear, a single act of illumination scatters the ten thousand images, and you no longer feel that “things” exist; when the momentum of qi is strong, the ten thousand sensations gather into one breath, and you no longer feel that “methods” exist. Thing after thing is not a thing that truly exists—thereby you return to the original image; method after method is not a method to cling to—thereby you complete the truth you have embodied in yourself.

Here is a comparison: From image arises form; because of form a name is established. With a name you can infer number; with number you can grasp principle. As for the lofty emptiness above, nothing in the world can serve as a likeness—it can only be compared to a person’s cultivation: the sequence of firing (the order of alchemical stages) is not off by a hair, and accomplishment naturally follows its proper order. The qi of harmonious blending congeals and does not disperse; the true nature at utmost emptiness is plain and without contrivance (wuwei—not forcing, following what is natural). Spirit merges with the Dao and returns to spontaneity. At that point, taking no-mind as mind, what is there to say about responding to the outer world? Taking no-thing as thing, what is there to say about wielding methods? True joy is warm and at ease—even having a body is no longer felt. Gradually you enter the way of wuwei, and from there enter the realm of xiyi (where sight and hearing fall away into subtle mystery)—this is the person who enters sainthood and transcends the ordinary.

Explanation of the True Secret: This method accords with the Great Dao—like the usual practice of cunxiang (meditative visualization in stillness), and like a Chan monk entering deep samadhi.

Choose a blessed site (a pure, auspicious place), set up a quiet chamber, kneel and burn incense, sit upright cross-legged, loosen the hair and let the robes hang loose, perform wogu (the hand seal with the thumb pressed against the fingers and the four fingers curled together) to anchor the spirit, calm the mind, and close the eyes. Before the noon hour (roughly eleven a.m. to one p.m.), lift the body slightly and “raise fire” to refine qi; after noon, draw the body slightly inward and gather fire to cook the elixir (refining the internal elixir with the fire of intent). Whether by day or night, when the spirit is clear and the breath even, joy arises of itself.

While sitting, if you hear sounds, do not listen; if you see visions, do not treat them as real—external illusions will disperse on their own. If you take illusions for reality, demonic obstacles (visions that disturb cultivation) only grow stronger. If those obstacles do not retreat, quickly draw the body slightly inward; after drawing inward, stretch the waist; then lean the chest slightly back—while leaning back, do not stretch the waist again. Wait until the fire before and behind the body rises and surges upward, and keep the body still. This is called “burning the body.” When the fire subsides, demonic obstacles scatter outside the body and yin evil cannot enter the physical shell. Two or three repetitions are enough.

Then visualize heaven and earth filled entirely with raging fire; when the fire is spent, all is cool and empty, with nothing left. Yet you may again see carriages and horses, song and dance, ornate canopies and brocades, wealth and splendor, people laughing in ranks and files. Five-colored clouds rise as if you were ascending to the heavens; arriving there, you see green towers and halls, winding courtyards, pearls and gold and jade everywhere, flowers, fruit, ponds, and pavilions beyond count. In a moment exotic fragrance rises on every side; singing girls and clamorous music fill the air; guests pack the seats; mountain delicacies and sea treasures are spread out; people laugh and talk, celebrate peace together, and exchange precious gifts. What appears then, though not yin ghosts or demonic hosts, must still not be taken as a good sign.

Those who cultivate the Dao have already cast off worldly affairs and accepted solitude—perhaps hiding among rivers and lakes or lodging in remote places—severing thoughts, forgetting emotional entanglements, and keeping disciplined conduct; only after long, arduous effort do they gain true ease. Once the work succeeds, to suddenly behold such splendor and, failing to recognize it as yin demons, believe one has truly reached the heavenly palace is a mistake: after shedding the mortal frame, what is seen exists only within the heavenly palace inside one’s own crown. If one becomes attached and treats it as a real realm, neglecting the method of transcendence, one remains stuck in the body—the Yang Shen (pure yang spirit) does not emerge, and the Tai Xian (the immortal embryo refined within) is not transformed. One merely leaves the dark road of the world to become a “land immortal,” able to live long without dying but unable to shed form and substance and ascend the Three Isles (paradises such as Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou) as a transcendent—a loss at the very threshold of achievement. Students of the Dao should understand: transcendance is difficult, yet it is what one must not fail to pursue.

The Daoyao says: The various methods and gates have not been left unspoken; they have only been abbreviated.

Tenth: "Transcendence and Dividing the Form" (spirit-consciousness leaving and entering the physical form, transforming into multiple bodies; immortals shedding the ordinary human constitution, transcending the mundane to enter the sacred realm)

The Jingao says: The Dao is originally "non-being"; to speak of it in terms of "being" is not the Dao. The Dao is originally "emptiness"; to speak of it in terms of "fullness" is not the Dao. The Dao has no form, so question and answer cannot apply; it has no image, so seeing and hearing cannot apply. To take profound subtlety as the Dao still leaves profound subtlety entangled in the to-and-fro of questions and answers; to take Xiyi (what cannot be heard or seen, as in the Daodejing) as the Dao still leaves Xiyi caught in the net of sight and hearing. If neither Xiyi nor profound subtlety is yet the Dao, then the Dao itself has no way to know why it is as it is.

The Yushu says: When things arrive they have a beginning, yet one does not know what the beginning of the Great Dao is; when things depart they have an end, yet one does not know what the end of the Great Dao is. Though above the highest there is still higher, above the Great Dao there is no exhaustion; though below the deepest there is still deeper, below the Great Dao there is no limit. Only when it is so remote that it cannot be measured is it called the Dao; as it accords with different things each gains its portion, and thus different grades arise. The Dao of Wuwei (non-action)—no one can pursue it to the end.

The true secret formula states: Chao (transcendence) means rising above the ordinary physical body to join the ranks of sages; tuo (liberation) means shedding the worldly fetal form to become an immortal. This is the spirit entering the qi-fetus, and through qi completing the true nature. The prior stages of practice must already have taken effect and the conditions must be right—only then may one enter a quiet chamber and settle into the xiyi realm (the indescribable, subtle state beyond sound, color, and ordinary perception). Then perform neiguan (inner observation), recognize the Yang Shen (refined pure-yang primordial spirit), again kindle the fire to subdue demons, burn away the vulgar body and gather true qi, so that true qi ascends to the heavenly palace while the bodily shell becomes clear, empty, and devoid of anything. Choose a secluded dwelling and follow the neiguan procedure entirely. After three bows, lie the body flat—there is no need to elevate it; sit upright in stillness—there is no need to force flexion or extension. Close the eyes, settle the mind, and when stillness reaches its depth and you turn toward the root origin, the body feels as if suspended in empty space. Spirit and qi drift lightly, hard to control. Silently observe inward: clarity without dimness—mountains and rivers fair, pavilions faintly visible, purple qi and red light arrayed in formations, auspicious phoenixes and colored birds calling like sheng and huang. This splendor and wonder is the true delight of the gourd heaven (huzhong zhenti), also another scene within the dongtian (immortal cavern-heaven)—free and at ease, oblivious to worldly ties. At this stage of true vacuum, qi turns of itself; there is no further need to follow methods or watch the hours. If green qi emerges from the east, sheng and huang resound, banners, regalia, chariots and horses before and behind, left and right, beyond counting; in a moment red qi from the south, white from the west, black from the north, yellow from the center. The five qi form auspicious clouds; music clamors, joy and harmony abound. Golden lads and jade maidens support the body, or one rides a fire dragon, or an dark crane, or a colored phoenix, or a fierce tiger, rising from below into the air. Along the way, towers, terraces, temples, and shrines cannot all be described, nor can the ranks of spirits and officials be fully recounted.

Again he arrived at another place where female musicians stood in endless rows and officials lined up by rank, with ceremony matching an earthly emperor’s court and sages and worthies all present. Though he saw all this, he acted as if no one were beside him, mounted his carriage straightaway, and ascended until he reached a gate. Guards at the gate were stern and not to be challenged. Officials and musicians before, behind, left, and right urged him again and again to stay, yet he still could not pass through. Then, with the carriage canopy shading his face, he came down from above and returned to where he had lived before. Ascending and descending in this way, again and again without growing weary, is the method of tiao shen chu ke—regulating the spirit so that it leaves the physical shell.

When long practice had made this pure and fluent, one ascent took him to the heavenly palace and one descent brought him back to his old place, with no hindrance either way; then he rose from below upward—sometimes as if climbing a seven-tier pagoda, sometimes as if mounting a three-story jade tower. At first he went tier by tier; when the seven tiers were finished he reached the center of the top. He must not look down, lest his Shen (spirit) be startled, cling to the flesh, and fail to come out. On the seventh tier he closed his eyes and leaped once, as if between sleep and waking—and then there was a body outside his body. That form was like an infant’s: skin fresh and clean, spirit bright and clear. Looking back at his original body, he felt it was no longer there; what he saw seemed only a dung heap or a dead stump, and shame and revulsion filled him—yet he could not yet cast it off and wander far. For the outward journey of Shen (spirit) was not yet fully mature; what had formed was only Shengqi (the refined vital breath accumulated through cultivation), and he had to return to his original body, going in and out at will. At first he took only one or two steps, then two or three li; day after day, when practice was pure, it was like a strong man stretching his arm—he could reach a thousand or ten thousand li. Then form and spirit grew mighty and courage firm; he left his ordinary fan hai (mortal flesh) in famous mountains and great rivers. From then on, though he moved in the world and met human affairs, he was no longer of the same kind as common people—or, when merit and practice were complete, he received the tianshu (heavenly mandate) and departed can luan cheng feng—riding the phoenix and ascending on the wind.

Some people, when their merit and practice are complete, receive celestial scriptures and ascend riding phoenixes and cranes, or tigers and dragons, traveling from east to west to enter the Purple Mansion (the celestial immortal realm). They first pay homage to the Taiwei True Lord (a celestial immortal), then take up residence on the lower isles. To ascend into a grotto heaven (the cave-realm where immortals dwell), one must teach the Way among humans on earth and accumulate merit and practice; only after receiving celestial scriptures can one ascend and become a celestial immortal.

Those who cultivate this method have rarely succeeded in ancient or modern times. Often merit is not yet complete, yet they rush to quick success; or signs have not yet appeared and they only know sitting meditation, yet already wish to transcend; or yin spirits do not disperse and they go out and become ghost immortals—invisible to others, coming and going without fixed abode, with no final resting place, only reincarnating by lodging in another body or seizing someone else’s form to live again; or the spirit’s going out and returning is not yet pure and skilled, coming and going without proper measure—once gone, unable to return to the original body, the spirit and soul not knowing where they are. This is what Buddhism calls “sitting transformation” and Daoism calls shijie (abandoning the corpse while the spirit departs the body).

Therefore in cultivating this Way, one must wait until the earlier work has shown proper signs of success, then choose a site and build a chamber, far from all bloody impure things, foul odors, noisy traffic, and sexual entanglements. These not only violate true qi; the spirit also abhors them. When one can go out and return, and after returning no longer goes out rashly, then body and spirit are both wondrous, sharing long life with heaven and earth, undying through great kalpas. If one enters and then goes out again, and after going out does not return, it is like a cicada shedding its old shell, transferring the spirit to enter the sacred realm. This is transcending the mundane to enter the sacred, becoming a true person and immortal, the body beyond the dusty world, dwelling on the isles of the three grottoes.

The Dao Essentials says: It is not that there is no ultimate method; at this point breath has already ceased.

The above are the oral instructions for transcending the mundane to enter the sacred; the three great vehicles mentioned earlier all belong to celestial immortals.

Supplementary note: In this unit, “seeing the Golden Decree” refers to what Yuanshi Tianzun (head of the Three Pure Ones) said; “seeing the Jade Book” refers to what Lingbao Tianzun (one of the Three Pure Ones) said; “seeing the True Source” refers to what Taishang Laojun (one of the Three Pure Ones, i.e., Laozi) said; “seeing the True Secret,” “essentials of the Dao,” and “this analogy” refer to what Zhenyang Zhenren (Zhongli Quan, master of Lü Dongbin) said. The entire scripture ends here.

Nine Grades Immortal Scripture, fascicle nine, collected in the scripture anthology. Self-preface to Nine Grades Immortal Scripture: I was a jinshi (advanced scholar) of the Tang dynasty. In a previous life I already loved cultivating the Dao; thanks to my master Zhenyang’s guidance, I entered Zhongnan Mountain and entered the gate of the Mysterious (the door of Daoist cultivation). I myself vowed a great vow.