《吕祖指玄篇诗注》

I had originally devoted myself to the intensive study of Confucian learning and was preparing to sit for the imperial examinations. Along the way I met the Immortal Elder Zhengyang (the master revered by Lü Dongbin). He took pity on me and directed me to cultivate the Great Dao (the Way), and so I gave up rank and fame. At first I was full of doubt; later, after he pointed the way, I gradually came to awakening.

I called upon the holy master once again and, crossing mountains and fording streams, arrived at Mount Zhongnan. I bowed and requested instruction in the fundamental principles of cultivating the Dao. The holy master did not reproach me for my former errors. He transmitted to me the Taishang Wuliang Duren Miaojing (Wondrous Scripture of Limitless Salvation of the Most High) and the Danfang Mijue (Secret Instructions of the Elixir Chamber), and he repeatedly charged me to treasure them with care and to cultivate the Great Dao in private: to gather the medicine and refine the elixir, so as to transcend birth and death, enter the realm of empty stillness and profound seclusion, and wander in the realm of long life. When I heard these teachings, I was joyful and reverent. I kowtowed in gratitude, took leave of the holy master, and came to travel through the dusty world. I vowed to deliver one hundred people to completion of the Dao and to lead them back to the orthodox methods of the Dao.

I had not imagined that the deluded people of the world know only how to loathe death, yet will not seek long life. They do not understand the mysteries of cultivating the Dao, nor do they grasp its subtle principles; instead they utter slander. Some cling to crooked and perverse fantasies; some ingest medicines of metal, stone, plants, and trees. Every kind of foolish conduct leads them into confusion. Even when they grow old and die, they still do not repent. It is truly a cause for regret. Although I pitied them, I had no power to save them. I therefore specially composed one volume, the Zhixuan Pian (Essays Pointing to the Mysterious), and left it in a stone chamber on Mount Qingcheng. I bowed to Heaven in farewell and departed with a sweep of my sleeve.

If, in later generations, a person of affinity should read this book, that is an affinity of three lifetimes. Please treasure the secret instructions within it. You must set your robes and cap in solemn order, prepare incense, fire, a lamp, and water, and on a quiet night face the Northern Dipper (the northern constellation, commonly featured in Daoist rites of homage to the Dipper) and give thanks to the Exalted Perfected (a Daoist designation for venerable immortals). Cultivate with sincere devotion each day, so as to move and commune with the immortal sages. In this way you will naturally meet an enlightened master, who will explain for you the terse, profound, and minute points in the book, including the advance and retreat of water and fire and the weights of the medicinal ingredients. Once the sequence of cultivation is clear, you may withdraw into seclusion and practice in stillness, tempering the Great Elixir of Dragon and Tiger (a method of Neidan (internal alchemy) that takes Yin-Yang, Shen (spirit), Qi (vital energy), and related factors as the “dragon and tiger”). Refine until you reach tuotai (a Daoist term of cultivation, meaning that the work is accomplished and one transcends the mortal body); swallow the elixir medicine so as to continue life and lengthen one’s years, drive off evil demons, and cut away anomalies. When three thousand good deeds have been fulfilled, you will suddenly receive a summons and ascend in flight, roaming at ease beyond the secular world, living as long as Heaven—no different from me. This is the preface.

Opening explanation of the Upper Chapter of the Zhixuan Sancan: The upper chapter treats the forging of the great elixir of dragon and tiger, the transformation of body and mind, and the continuation of life and prolongation of years through the cultivation of Neidan (internal alchemy). The practitioner must also drive out evil spirits and cut off strange anomalies. After three thousand meritorious deeds have been fulfilled, one is suddenly summoned and ascends, roaming freely beyond the dusty world, living as long as heaven and earth, and attaining a realm the same as my own. This is the preface to the present chapter.

First

Alas, ordinary people do not understand that the affairs of the world ultimately return to emptiness and illusion. They sink into beautiful forms and cling to wine and pleasure, wearing away their heroic spirit. A spring night seems long, yet the hours of delight are short; the years pass without cease, and the appointed time of death draws nearer step by step. People always want to try clever schemes, like a cat chasing a mouse, yet time is still like an arrow leaving the string, gone and never to return. They do not know that once Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit) are all exhausted, they can in the end only bury the body in the earth.

Yuchan says: Immortal Master Chunyang (Lü Dongbin), moved by compassion, broadly opens the gate of expedient means and guides the people of the world in cultivation. He laments that people’s minds are crooked and confused, so that they ultimately ruin themselves. Those who later read this book should know that what the immortal elder says is no empty talk. One ought to turn back in time and awaken to the great Dao (the Way), and must on no account let the time slip by. If it were not from profound compassion, who would be willing to exhort others so earnestly and patiently?

Second

In former days I too went to sit the civil examinations, and beside an ancient road I chanced to meet an immortal master. A fragrant breeze stirred the sleeves of his feathered robe, and layer upon layer of cloud-sashes encircled his colored garments. As soon as he opened his mouth, every sentence spoke of mysterious principles; in converting the world, each utterance chanted the Cavern Chapters (Daoist scriptures or hymns of praise). I do not envy worldly rank and glory; again and again he taught me to cultivate the Yellow Chamber (a technical term of Daoist Neidan, here indicating the central quarter belonging to Earth, the abode of the Yellow Emperor, used to explain an inner position in cultivation).

Yuchan says: This poem laments that, after meeting Patriarch Zhongli (Zhongli Quan), the author received his preaching and exhortation. Feathered sleeves and cloud garments are the clothing of the immortals; mysterious principles and Cavern Chapters refer to the principles and practices cultivated by immortals. The “Yellow Chamber” here is not an ordinary worldly house, but indicates, among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), the center belonging to Earth—the place where the Yellow Emperor is traditionally said to dwell.

Third

The various mysterious writings all speak of the transformations of Yin-Yang; the two words “Yin-Yang” may be called the root of the myriad methods. Within a single grain of rice the whole world seems to be stored, and in a small pot of half a sheng, mountains, rivers, and seas seem able to be boiled forth. The Azure Dragon, riding upon fire, moves within the lotus chamber; the White Tiger raises waves and surges out from the cavern chamber. The work of cultivation here is exceedingly subtle; once it is accomplished, one may ascend to the heavenly realm as if walking on level ground.

(The Azure Dragon and the White Tiger are symbols commonly used in Daoist Neidan, often connected with Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and the transformations of cultivation within the body; the lotus chamber and the cavern chamber are metaphors in Neidan cultivation.)

Yuchan says: The two words “Yin-Yang” (yinyang) contain a principle of extreme depth. If one wishes to see their forms, one may liken them to the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger. “A single grain” refers to the Pre-Heaven Qi (vital energy) of the moment when chaos first opened—the original primordial energy from before Heaven and Earth took form—which can embrace Heaven and Earth and nourish the myriad things. “A half-sheng cauldron” refers to the tripod vessel used for refining the medicine; it is not an ordinary iron pot. The Azure Dragon is in the east, and the east belongs to Wood. Wood gives rise to Fire, and so it is said to “drive the fire.” The fire here is not the water and fire of everyday experience.

If one wishes to obtain the Great Medicine, it has feet and can walk; it is a living thing. The Lotus Chamber refers to the elixir chamber, that is, the place where alchemical cultivation is practiced. The White Tiger is in the west, and the west belongs to Metal. Metal gives rise to Water, and so it is said to “raise the waves.” These waves are not seawater, and this Metal is not ordinary metal. If one wishes to obtain Metal-Water, it has hands and can take hold; it too is a living thing. In recent times many people have mistaken ordinary water and fire for the water and fire spoken of in cultivation, smelting metals, stones, plants, and trees in order to cultivate the body—truly a cause for regret. The bridal chamber refers to the place that manifests once the elixir medicine has been brought to completion. Alas, those who read this book should know that what the immortals praise is the Great Elixir. If one can obtain the Great Elixir, then in ascending to Heaven or entering the Earth, such transformations will be beyond all measure.

The Fourth

Only after searching everywhere through Heaven above and Earth below does one finally behold the light of Heaven; planting the golden flower and bringing it to fruit is truly no easy matter. Even if hungry ghosts exist in the world, why should one fear them? And why need one worry about King Yama beneath the earth? Rectify the mind and gather in the marrow of the Yellow Dragon; open the mouth, seize, and swallow the broth of the White Tiger. Were it not for the secret teaching transmitted long ago by the sagely master, who could have written verses such as these?

Yuchan says: Laozi said that the Dao (the Way) was born before Heaven and Earth. If one wishes to see it, one must search through Heaven above and dig into the Earth below. When the search meets with success, there is no need to fear ghosts and spirits. Dragon marrow and tiger broth are both names of medicines. Chunyangzi (Lü Dongbin) received the transmission of Zhongli Quan and came to understand the mystery within it; only then did he write these poems on the Great Elixir and leave them to the world. Readers should investigate them with a devoted mind, place their trust in them, and come to grasp these profound words.

The fifth poem: One, three, and five are all Yang numbers, symbolizing the Qi (vital energy) of life arising in spring. In the phrase “Later Earth, Prior Heaven,” Lord Lao (the Most High Lord Lao, Taishang Laojun, revered in Daoism) may be discerned. In the western rivers, flowers bloom in abundance, as though brocade were spread out; over the northern sea the moonlight is bright, and wind and clouds are mild and harmonious. Here one should set aside worldly livelihood and seek the great Dao (the Way), and not chase after empty show or rush about in outward busyness. If the mind never for a moment forgets cultivation of the Dao, the entanglements of the dusty world will recede; and within stillness and settledness, one may further experience an altogether different heaven and earth.

Yuchan says: One, three, and five are Yang numbers, while two, four, and eight are Yin numbers. If a person cultivating immortality can grasp the principle that “the One gives birth to the Two, the Two gives birth to the Three, and the Three gives birth to the myriad things,” there is hope of obtaining the Reverted Elixir (Huandan, the quintessence sought in the cultivation of Neidan, internal alchemy), and the opportunity must not be missed.

“Later Earth, Prior Heaven” means that the single Yang Qi within the earth rises to Heaven, while the single Yin Qi within Heaven descends to the earth. When the two Qi of Yin-Yang conjoin, the myriad things are thereby transformed and born; this is called the hexagram Tai. When the two Qi do not conjoin, it is called the hexagram Pi. True Yin and true Yang lie hidden between Heaven and Earth, without shadow or form; they cannot be seen or heard. If one can lay hold of them, it is like flowers in bloom and the moon shining bright. The essential point of the whole piece comes down, in the end, to applying the mind with single-minded concentration.

Flowers open in spring, and the moon is brightest on the fifteenth. In cultivating the elixir and refining the medicine, one must recognize the proper moment. Without the personal guidance of a true teacher, it is very hard to understand this from words on paper alone. Once a teacher’s direction has been received, one should set aside family affairs and, while the moment lasts, cultivate at once, without delay. If one lingers and the medicine’s moment passes, it loses its effect.

When refining the medicine, one must remain attentive at every moment. The heart intent on cultivating the Dao must be firm as iron, neither drawn along by the dusty world nor clouded by sexual desire. If one can maintain stillness and settledness amid movement, one touches what is hidden, subtle, and mysterious. What is called cultivation includes both dynamic practice and quiescent practice. Ah, how subtle is the working of intention!

Learning the Dao does not, in itself, distinguish earlier from later—just as a newly grown bamboo shoot, once it has matured, can stand as tall as the old bamboo.

Nothing in the world is truly worth losing oneself in, and people are urged not to let themselves be buried and forgotten. When the right conditions have ripened, one should seek the secret union of the luan and the feng (symbolizing the power of cultivation in which Yin-Yang comes together). Two layers of heaven and earth—who can pair them? The transformations of the four kinds of Yin-Yang—I know how to arrange them. Grasp this subtle and profound Dao (the Way) of inner cultivation, and there is no need to fear wolves and jackals blocking the road.

Yuchan says: The glory, wealth, and rank of the world are all like a net let down from heaven. Living beings are caught beneath it, and so they cannot be free and joyful. Only the supreme sages and exalted perfected ones (the sages and perfected persons of Daoism who have attained the Dao) possess great wisdom. They can sweep away empty show, refine the reverted elixir (the refined essence obtained through Neidan (internal alchemy)), and thereby transcend the Three Realms and worry no more. Thus true immortals urge the people of the world not to sink and be buried. Alas! Without meeting a true teacher, who can understand the principles of heaven, earth, and Yin-Yang? The meaning is mysterious and profound; only immortals can trace it to the root and grasp the principle of return. Once this is understood, why fear fierce tigers and wicked wolves barring the way, or snakes and insects covering the ground? One may then wander free and at ease, living as long as heaven and earth. Alas! Immortals are all ordinary people who have cultivated themselves to completion; ordinary people simply will not believe that they themselves can do it.

The Seventh

After the first quarter and before the last quarter, amid the moon’s waxing and waning, the signs of cultivation only then fully appear. One must quickly gather the dragon and tiger (symbolizing the Yin-Yang Qi (vital energy) within the body) in the place of cultivation and bring them to contend and unite, and hasten to decoct water and fire (referring to the harmonizing of Yin-Yang Qi) in the cauldron. When the moment arrives, one may behold the golden Buddha (a symbol of attainment in Neidan); once it is missed, the jasper immortal (symbolizing a rare opportunity on the immortal path) is hard to meet again. Comprehend the oral instructions transmitted by the holy teacher, and one will understand that within the house there is already a blue sky (meaning that the great Dao is realized from within oneself).

Yuchan says: Those who cultivate the methods of the Elixir need not inquire into such expressions as “before the quarter” and “after the quarter.” They need only observe the moon’s change from waning to full and from full to waning. When the moon is full, the jade stamens arise; when the moon wanes, the golden flowers wither. The time of arising is precisely suited to practice; after they wither, one should refine no further.

The dragon is in the east and the tiger in the west, far apart from each other. The practitioner must seize the moments of the full moon and the waning moon, gather them in, and bring them to meet and contend. The “water and fire” spoken of here are the original Qi (vital energy) contained in the dragon and the tiger. They are to be taken into the golden cauldron and carefully cooked and refined: when the water-qi grows cold, add fire; when the water-qi boils, withdraw the fire. Only by mastering the timing of advancing and withdrawing the fire can the success of the elixir method be secured.

The immortal master further lays special stress on the two words “in accordance with the time,” repeatedly exhorting later admirers of the Great Dao (the Way): seize the moment when the moon is full—that is precisely when to practice—and carefully cook and refine within the golden cauldron. When the water is cold, advance the fire; when the water boils, withdraw the fire. Only one who understands the principle of advance and retreat can attain success. The timing spoken of here is not an ordinary way of reckoning hours, but the juncture that must be grasped in cultivation.

“The Golden Buddha” refers to what Buddhism calls the Greatly Awakened Golden Immortal, that is, Śākyamuni Buddha; tradition holds that his true body is one zhang and six chi in height. Here the account of the Buddha’s body is borrowed as a metaphor for the principle of the Great Elixir. The numerical principles of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) likewise contain what is profound and subtle. After the old immortal Wei Boyang obtained the Elixir, he composed the Cantong qi (Kinship of the Three) and transmitted it to the world. On the surface the book appears to expound the Zhouyi; in reality it sets forth the essential instructions of the Great Elixir.

Within the unhewn stone a treasure lies hidden; it is only that people of the world have not yet seen it clearly. If Bian He had recognized the precious jade at a glance, how could he have failed to cherish it? Once the moment is missed, it is hard to meet again. The missing spoken of here means that when the time of the waning moon has come, it is already unsuitable for practice.

“Heaven beneath the house” is not empty talk, but a metaphor drawn from ordinary reasoning: the sky properly belongs above, so how could heaven be hidden beneath a house? Yet the way of the immortals is often expressed in inverted language—for instance, planting lotuses in fire, catching a tiger in water, or finding life in the place of death. The way of cultivation is therefore called a numinous ladder leading to the celestial realm.

The Eighth:

Those who cultivate immortality should not be muddled; they ought early on to discern the right moment. When the flowers bloom, gather the flowers, and be sure to do so with care; when the moon is full, contemplate the moon, and do not delay. After obtaining it, keep silent and diligently cook and refine; when the stage of the work reaches Jiji (After Completion), cease practice and quietly maintain it. From then on there is no need for worry or vexation; one will of oneself step peacefully into the immortal realm of the Jasper Pool.

Yuchan said: The scene of flowers in bloom and the moon shining bright has already disclosed its hidden mystery above. The “flower” is not in the mountains. When water and fire—the mutually complementary Yin-Yang Qi (vital energy) of Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation—are harmonized and the state of Jiji (“After Completion,” in which Yin and Yang unite and practice proceeds smoothly) is reached, one should stop applying effort and quietly hold fast. From then on there is no need to harbor anxiety; of itself each step will be secure, and one may go to feast and roam at Yaochi (the Jasper Pool, the legendary immortal realm where the Queen Mother of the West dwells).

Yuchan said: The scene of flowers in bloom and the moon shining bright has already disclosed its hidden mystery above. The “flower” is not in the mountains, nor is the “moon” in the sky. One should know that the true root of cultivation lies in each person; every household has it, and everyone can cultivate it. If water and fire do not join, the hexagram remains in Weiji (“Before Completion,” the state in which the matter is not yet finished and Yin and Yang have not united); when water and fire join, cultivation reaches Jiji. Once that is reached, one should stop applying effort and quietly hold fast; if one then continues to cultivate, the primordial condition can be restored. When the work is brought to completion, one can, like the immortals, feast and roam in the sacred realm of Yaochi; this is no empty claim. Alas! After Lü Dongbin (a Daoist immortal) obtained True Lead (a Neidan term for the crucial Jing (essence) and Qi sought in cultivation), he cast aside his gourd and smashed his qin. He transmitted the method to later students and charged them to hold the mind firmly, so that even when the six faculties (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind) meet the outer world, they are not drawn away by sounds and other external things.

The ninth: One should know that the wondrous efficacy of the Great Medicine (a Neidan term for the inner elixir condensed in the course of cultivation) communicates with Shen (spirit); it is not ordinary cinnabar or mercury. All the medicinal substances of the world are merely borrowed stand-ins, and when people of the world refine them with water and fire, that too is not true cultivation. What possesses form and substance—what need is there to refine it? It is the formless, nameless original nature that is worth drawing near. Once one obtains it, one can transcend the Three Realms (the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm), ride the luan bird and drive the immortal crane, and come before the Celestial Emperor.

The “wondrous medicine of the Great Elixir” is something supremely subtle and marvelous. It is not the metals, stones, grasses, and trees of the ordinary world, nor black lead or mercury, nor the furnace and cauldron, nor water and fire—all of these are formed, substantial things that can be seen. The true numinous elixir and wondrous medicine is the “ancestral Qi” (Zuqi, the primordial Qi of which Daoism speaks) that gives birth to Heaven and Earth. It has neither form nor shadow; it is hard to grasp and hard to see, concealed within the empty and profound “mysterious female” (Xuanpin, the generative source of the Dao).

Only immortals who have fully penetrated the transformations of Yin-Yang (Yinyang) and the creative workings of Heaven and Earth, bringing the movements of their own bodies into hidden accord with the regular course of the celestial bodies, gathering the Five Phases (Wuxing) and harmonizing the Four Images (Sixiang, concepts used in Daoist internal alchemy, Neidan, to explain Yin-Yang and its changes), so that the dragon’s chant and the tiger’s roar, and the movement and stillness of Heaven and Earth, answer one another, can obtain the ancestral Qi of the Primordial Beginning. That ancestral Qi condenses to the size of a grain of millet and appears in empty space. When the practitioner gathers and ingests it, one may return to the original source, take up the thread of life again, become a person of long life, and ascend into the formless realm. One is thereby able to bring forth endless transformations and wander free and at ease.

Those who study the Dao in later times must never put their trust in heterodox teachers, lest they ruin their own lives; they should examine and inquire with care, abandoning darkness and turning toward the light. Alas! Those who are deluded will delude themselves, and each person ought to probe the principle to its end. “To brood a chick, one uses an egg”—this line seems to draw its comparison from the incubation of an egg, and its precise implied meaning is not easy to determine.

The Tenth

The celestial mechanism (Tianji, the hidden mystery of the Way of Heaven) is not lightly disclosed, and people of the world find it hard to know; to write that celestial mechanism into a poem is already to have leaked it. Like joins with like, and together they are cast into a sword that drives off ghosts; when the two dwell in one chamber, they raise a ladder leading to the heavenly realm. A person must be guided and delivered by a person before one can transcend the dusty world; a dragon, too, must join with a dragon before it can leave the mire. Do not blame me for speaking these true words outright; it is only because I wish to deliver the many who are lost in delusion.

Expressions in the poem such as “like kind,” “sharing a bed,” and “dragons joining” carry the coloring of coded language in Daoist cultivation; what they specifically refer to must be understood in light of the commentary on this piece and the system of practice. The end of the scripture repeats part of the verses; the reading above combines them according to the complete sense of the poem.

Yuchan (Bai Yuchan, a Daoist figure) said: “What is called ‘of the same kind’ means Heaven paired with Earth, the sun paired with the moon, woman paired with man, and Yang paired with Yin. The Cantong qi (a classic of Daoist alchemy) says that Gouchen and Tengshe, and the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, answer one another and support one another, as if meeting and dancing together. In cultivation their relations must be inverted and put to use: take what is needed from the Li hexagram, and supply what is lacking with the Kan hexagram. This poem by Chunyang (Lü Dongbin) truly discloses the secret workings of Heaven. I explain it further only in the hope that countless people of later generations may all learn the Dao (the Way) and enter the realm of long life. Everyone should begin cultivation early, and not wait until this present life has been missed.”

Eleven

To return to the root and revert to the source is already to have come back to the realm of the Qian hexagram (symbolizing pure Yang); able both to ascend and to descend, one becomes a flying immortal. The moment when the “one Yang” stirs is the day cultivation begins; after the nine transmutations (stages or transformations in alchemical cultivation) comes the year of attaining the Dao. In refining the medicine one need only seek the mercury within the vermilion (the mercury in cinnabar; another reading gives “water within metal”). In setting the elixir furnace, one must first establish “Heaven within Earth.” What is said here is precisely the principle of the Reverted Elixir; unless a person has truly attained the Dao, it must not be transmitted at will.

Yuchan said: To return to the root and revert to the source, one must bring Heaven and Earth into union and have the dragon and the tiger join, so that Wood and Fire can descend and Metal and Water can ascend. One must understand the moment when the “one Yang” first arises, set the elixir furnace in place and establish the tripod vessel, dig down into the earth in search of Heaven’s secret, and gather and refine the elixir medicine so as to continue nature and life. Those who understand these things must on no account transmit them casually.

If a person lacks a firm heart for the Dao, then even while dwelling amid heaps of gold and jade he will regard them as floating clouds; if the heart for the Dao is not firm, then even between father and son, the closest of kin, the secret method must not be rashly passed on. Should it be recklessly disclosed, one will surely suffer Heaven’s punishment, and even one’s ancestors will sink into ruin. Of the secret treasure of the Reverted Elixir, the Duren jing (a Daoist scripture) says that one must be exceedingly careful, transmitting it only once in forty thousand times. It is for this reason that Chunyang gave such a warning.

The twelfth verse: Between heaven and earth there originally exists a fundamental Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), which differentiate to form the Three Powers of heaven, earth, and humanity. When Yin and Yang interact with one another, the sacred embryo is formed (in the cultivation of Neidan, or internal alchemy, the inner foundation symbolizing the attainment of longevity). When dragon and tiger proceed along the natural course, the yin ghost appears (for “appears,” one version reads “departs”); when tortoise and snake proceed in reverse, the fire spirit arrives (for “fire spirit,” one version reads “dragon”). Each day the infant absorbs the quintessence of the Yellow Dame, and at all times the Lovely Maid drinks the sweet dew in the white jade cup. When the work of cultivation is complete, one naturally transcends the secular world and is no longer subject to the cyclical alternation of cold and heat in the human realm.

Yuchan says: The “one thing” refers to true lead. True lead is born before heaven and earth; it is called the Unitary Qi of the Primordial Beginning (the original vital energy at the beginning of the cosmos), and it can transform and generate the myriad things of heaven and earth. If one now wishes to return to the root and seek true lead, one must let Yin and Yang interact and reverse the process of nature’s creative transformation; only thus can one become an immortal or a Buddha. The highest sages know that mercury by nature tends to fly and scatter, and that it congeals only when it encounters lead. Refining true lead so as to subdue true mercury is like a mother restraining her child, so that it does not escape and is not lost; only then can the sacred embryo be formed, and the realm of ageless longevity and divine immortality be attained.

The thirteenth verse: The unitary Qi of Prior Heaven (the original vital energy before heaven and earth came into being) is called the Void. Circulate it, and the sinews and bones will not wither or decline. To recognize the source of mercury, one must seek its stalk; to seek the root of lead, one must consult the Immortal Maiden. Everyone can drink the wine of longevity, and everyone can become a person who does not die. Form and emptiness are mutually identical; when the mind is clear, pure, and transparent, one can fly across Lake Dongting.

Yuchan says: The Qi of Prior Heaven is lead. It has no form, yet it can subdue mercury. The Li trigram belongs to fire and is empty; the Kan trigram belongs to water and is full. When one gathers and replenishes them, the essence of mercury will not fly and scatter, and so the embryonic body can be formed and transformation and spiritual metamorphosis achieved. The subtlety of cultivation lies in the mind being like the Great Void, forgetting external forms, appearances, and realms, until even “forgetting” itself has nothing left that can be forgotten—only then can one attain it. If desire runs rampant, one will never in the end succeed.

Fourteen

The subtlety of the Great Dao (Dao, the fundamental Way) lies in the transformations of “reversal”: only by overturning the underworld can one seek out Heaven’s secrets. The turtle and the fly share a single burrow—who can see the principle in this? The dragon and the tiger dwell together in one palace—who dares to speak it plainly? In the height of summer, white snow unexpectedly appears upon the high mountains; in the depth of winter, one can yet kindle a spark and bring the golden lotus into bloom. All of you who study the Dao, keep this counsel firmly in mind: find a way to lead that hairless fierce tiger.

Yuchan says: The crux of “reversal” has already been indicated in the previous piece. Chunyang (Lü Dongbin) composed this poem once more because he feared that later generations would not hold their faith firmly enough. If one understands how to lead the “hairless fierce tiger,” one is not far from awakening to the Dao.

Fifteen

The numinous mushroom of the earth seems as though set in heaven; if one seizes the proper moment to gather and refine it, it can condense into the Qi (vital energy) of pure Yang. Even what is “rootless” can welcome the spring of Yang; what has roots and a basis is, on the contrary, often entangled by the channels of Qi. When the Lovely Maiden (a Neidan [internal alchemy] term, symbolizing the yin aspect) is active, spiritual strength is vigorous; when the Infant (a Neidan term, symbolizing the yang aspect) dances, the mind intent upon the Dao is steadfast. Alas that people of the world do not understand these principles, while I have attained long life, my years stretching on.

Yuchan says: What are called flowers and fruits do not lie outside heaven and earth; they condense into the Qi of pure Yang within the human body. If the Infant and the Lovely Maiden have no intermediary, they cannot join; those with the affinity to grasp the principle within may attain the Dao and become immortals. Alas—one need only await the day when the “Earth Mother” blossoms; that will be the time when the Yellow River is thoroughly clear.

Sixteen

I urge you to treasure every moment of time; the key to comprehending the subtlety of this immortal Dao lies in the application of mind. The human body is already in ceaseless circulation—why search so arduously outside the body? Do not hasten to seek the newly risen tide of the Northern Sea in order to nourish the aging tree roots of the Eastern Mountain. These hidden workings have already been seldom revealed; to play the qin, one must still meet a knowing listener before the meaning can truly be conveyed.

Yuchan says: The sixteen poems above are meant to explain the measure and the principle of “two eights making one jin” (erba yi jin). The immortals of antiquity treasured every moment, yet people today often grow idle and take their ease, and even at the point of death they still do not know how to repent. One ought therefore to cherish one’s own Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), and not be taken in by the delusions of heterodox teachers.

Ingesting or refining drugs made from plants and minerals is entirely futile, and far removed from the Great Dao (the Way). Some ignorant worldly people, moreover, neither understand the methods of cultivation that transcend the mundane world nor grasp the principle of the Huandan (Reverted Elixir). They speak at random, claiming that to cultivate the Dao and refine the elixir one must live in deep mountains and secluded valleys, and must abandon wife and children. Such a view is truly lamentable. I, Yuchan, now set out the principle in plain terms, and hope that all will study and practice it with care.

The deep mountains contain only grasses, trees, birds, and beasts, none of which are the materials required for refining the elixir. How could they help a person complete the Huandan? The Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality) says: “Before the Huandan has been refined, do not enter the mountains; neither within the mountains nor outside them is there true lead (zhenqian). This supreme treasure is originally present in every household; it is only that the foolish cannot fully recognize it.” It also says: “Mercury is something I inherently possess in myself; lead is the formula of deathlessness sought from elsewhere.” If one takes metals, stones, and plants as the ingredients of the elixir medicine and guesses at will, one only wastes one’s efforts in the end, and must ultimately fall back into the cycle of rebirth.

When the Perfected Chunyang (Chunyang zhenren) now speaks of “the first tide of the Northern Sea,” he means the sweet spring newly welling up in the elixir well (danjing), truly a rare treasure. This “first tide” is the One Qi of Prior Heaven (xiantian yi qi), the Qi of true lead, and so it is called the supreme treasure. This priceless treasure can serve as the foundation for refining the Great Elixir (dadan). When the withered tree of the Eastern Mountain is watered by the spring of the north, its branches and leaves flourish again, and its root can remain firm for a long time.

The song says: “The proper Qi of the North is the River Chariot (heche); Jia and Yi of the East are cinnabar (dansha). When the two powers join and are nurtured into one body, and are then regulated and circulated by the Vermilion Bird (Zhuque), the golden flower is produced.” The Cantong qi (Seal of the Unity of the Three) says: “Cinnabar is the essence of wood; obtaining metal, it can be brought to completion. The Flowing Pearl of the Great Yang (taiyang liuzhu) always wishes to depart from a person; at last, obtaining the golden flower, it can transform and generate in mutual succession.” This is precisely what is meant.

Although the elixir scriptures number ten thousand scrolls, the secrets of Heaven are not easily revealed; now I, Yuchan, have further written a commentary upon them. The tones of the qin that pass from beneath the fingers are understood by few in the world. Wherever this book resides, divine beings of themselves protect it. If one who studies immortality has the affinity to obtain this book, and can receive it in faith and cultivate according to it, one may swiftly join the ranks of the celestial immortals.

The Lower Chapter of Zhixuan Sancan (Pointing to the Mystery in Three Brilliances) sets forth the way of cultivation in verse, expressing it through images such as Yin-Yang, dragon and tiger, and metal and wood.

The first. What suits ordinary people to learn is the “false method”; they are not suited to learn how to become immortals. Only those with the affinity to encounter this method, who believe in it and cultivate accordingly, can at once enter the ranks of the celestial immortals.

Matching poem: The immortal sage Chunyang has already realized Quanzhen (Complete Perfection), and so, out of compassion, he once again expounds this scripture of the highest grade. Later students should be sincere and diligent, and should treasure and revere it. The essential point of cultivation lies only in harmonizing Qi (vital energy) and Jing (essence).

The second. The Dao (the Way) is present in everyday life, and everyone can come into contact with it. Cultivation, however, requires turning ordinary habits around and beginning from body and mind. When practice reaches a certain point, fragrance seems to issue from the whole body. One should then nourish it in quiet stillness, so that the “celestial embryo” (the inner embryonic breathing, or elixir-embryo, spoken of in Neidan, internal alchemy) matures. One may then ride a luan up to heaven and pay homage to the Jade Emperor.

Matching poem: From emptiness one refines a wondrous concrete existence, just as the Western Sea yields gold and the Li River gives forth fragrance. What has been gained is gathered back into the furnace and cauldron to be refined and simmered. When the elixir medicine in the furnace is complete, one then pays homage to Xuhuang (the honored deity so named in Daoism).

The third. Northwest and southeast stand on opposite sides; the cultivator must bring them together in the center. “Changfang shrinking the earth” refers to the miraculous power of the immortal Changfang to contract the ground and travel. If later people wish to learn the method of becoming immortal, they may likewise refine the elixir in this way, using cinnabar to repair decline and depletion.

Matching poem: The male tiger and the female dragon each occupy their own quarter. Drawn along by a mediating agent, they are brought into the center. In refining one must not be careless or perfunctory; in a brief moment the realm of the Great Dao may also be attained.

The fourth. The true subtlety of this method surpasses what is ordinarily called the real. It has neither head nor tail, nor any fixed form. If, amid the profound and the elusive, a person can accord with it, that person is one who transcends the mundane and cultivates by leaving the world.

Matching poem: Within the true there is the false, and within the false the true appears. No sound is heard, and no form is seen. If a student of the Dao can recognize the moment and cultivate with care, what is gained can turn an ordinary body into that of an immortal.

The fifth. The Immortal Elder of Donghua belongs to Wood. Sitting alone in the long chamber to cultivate, he never obtained any result. Suddenly he met the Golden Holy Mother of the West, received a single grain of the numinous elixir, and rose into the void and departed.

Matching poem: In every person’s heart there is a master (meaning one’s original true nature). Only craving and delusion darken the work of becoming a sage. If one knows how to turn back, change one’s ordinary ways, and persist in guarding the true while cultivating, one’s resolve will not have been spent in vain.

The sixth: Once a single method of cultivation has been truly comprehended and thoroughly mastered, the various approaches all become clear as well; there is no need to divide them into north and south, east and west. It is present every day within your own person; if you wish to find it, you must know to seek into the depths of the mind.

The harmonizing poem says: If one comprehends the “Gate of the Mysterious Female” (the Daoist source of generation and transformation, the key to cultivating body and mind), the many branch streams will in the end all converge in one place. If one can recognize the true signs within it, one will understand the moment when Yang Qi (vital energy) first arises at the hour of zi and the moon reaches the exact center.

The seventh: When the flute is played at Yellow Crane Tower, the riverbank grows thick with white water-clover and red knotweed. A heart full of cares longs to pour itself out, yet no one understands; only the clear wind and the bright moon know.

The harmonizing poem says: At the hour of zi the iron flute is sounded, and a bright moon shines upon the riverbank. Here lies the true crux—I ask you all, do you understand?

The eighth (two rhymes used together): The method of cultivation is to bring that single point of prenatal “Qi” (the innate primordial Qi) into the postnatal and, through refinement, make it into the primordial Shen (spirit—a person’s original spirit). Practitioners of the methods carry out arts such as driving thunder by means of visualization (contemplating images in the mind); only when this point has been refined can one ascend to the Jade Capital (the celestial realm of the immortals spoken of in Daoism).

The harmonizing poem says: With Taiyi (the primordial Qi, or the supreme divine personage, as Daoism terms it) one nourishes the prenatal Qi, stabilizes the numinous Yang (the luminous Yang Qi), and thereby sustains the spirit. If these two can be brought into mutual harmony, one may hope to ascend in flight to the Jade Capital.

The ninth: A young woman’s body is soft as cream, yet at her waist there seems to be a sword concealed, able to cut and wound the foolish. On the surface no heads are seen to fall, but in secret it drains a person’s marrow until it is exhausted.

The harmonizing poem says: If the mind holds no attachment, one need not fear a body soft as cream; only one who can regard both emptiness and form lightly (emptiness and visible form) may be counted a person who truly bears responsibility. One who understands the way in which the firm and the yielding harmonize with each other can revive the spring Qi of the single Yang (the newly arising Yang Qi), so that it is exhausted no more.

The tenth: I have read many scrolls of immortal Jing (scriptures); every one of them teaches people to turn the Yellow River (a metaphor, in the Daoist art of Neidan (internal alchemy), for the circulation of the Qi mechanism within the body). Within this there is a cup of the wine of long life—I do not know whether the people of the world understand how to drink it.

The harmonizing poem says: If a single sentence can penetrate the mysterious principle, there is no need to read so much; everyone must exert force to draw the Silver River. When the Three Flowers (Jing, essence; Qi; and Shen) gather at the summit of Kunlun (an important site at the crown of the head), is such a person not an immortal?

In the morning he roamed to the Northern Sea, and by evening he had reached Mount Cangwu; a green snake was hidden in his sleeve, and his courage was full. (“Northern Sea” also has such variant readings as “Northern Yue,” “Bai Yue,” and “Yue-E.”) Three times he fell drunk at Yueyang, yet the people of the world did not recognize him; if this is not an immortal, what else could it be? Another account says that he chanted aloud and flew across Lake Dongting.

A pair of luan and feng frolicked among the emerald wutong trees, their temperaments in harmony and in accord even in the finest details. If one understands the mysterious principle, what need is there to climb mountains in search of immortals or to boat about the lakes?

My nature and life have always been governed by the natural Dao (the Way); if this is truly so, whether one succeeds lies with me and is not decreed by Heaven. Swallow a single pellet of the Golden Elixir (Jindan), and the body can reach the sagely realm and become an immortal of Penglai and Langyuan. (The Golden Elixir is the name, in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), for the refined and condensed fruit of Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit).)

The Dao is originally without words and only accords with what is natural; only by understanding true lead can one grasp the mystery of “Heaven within Earth.” (“True lead” is a Neidan term for the crucial Jing and Qi used in cultivation; “Heaven within Earth” refers to the hidden profundity contained therein.) By the method of the River Cart one circulates Jing and Qi so that they ascend to the crown of Kunlun, and one can become a sage beyond the ordinary and reach the immortal realm. (“River Cart” refers to the Neidan method of circulating Jing and Qi; the “crown of Kunlun” is a site of the body in Neidan terminology.)

Cultivating immortality makes no distinction between men and women, and refining the elixir is not limited by wealth or poverty. So long as a single thought does not go astray, everyone may attain realization; I know that such a person is no longer an ordinary person of the world.

The Queen Mother was originally a mortal woman as well, and Ge Hong’s family was also extremely poor. Both of these immortals have deeds one may emulate, and both ought to be learned from; do not reject this earnest counsel merely because it grates on the ear.

The immortals’ song-formulas have disclosed the secrets of Heaven, out of a wish to accommodate living beings and, in compassion, to guide those who have lost the way. On seeing these words, do not form an inverted understanding; everyone ought to learn to feign foolishness and keep to simplicity. (“Feigning foolishness” means not showing off one’s cleverness and drawing in one’s sharp edge.)

Every piece and every character conceals true essentials of cultivation. After awakening to the Dao one should turn back and come fully awake, and not cling stubbornly to delusion. The great medicine and the elixir formula are hard to encounter; to encounter them and yet not cultivate is truly foolish.

The deathless Golden Elixir is refined with earth and sand as its medicinal ingredients; if one can comprehend the principle in this, one should leave the affairs of the dusty world as early as possible. Set the whole heart only on the Dao of long life, and do not, like the bee, cling greedily to the flowers and linger without departing.

The accompanying verse says: This thing is neither gold, nor wood, nor sand; it has always been within one’s own body. When Shakyamuni was first born, he had already revealed this secret in full; why, then, at the very end, did he hold up a flower as a sign?

Sixteen: True lead, this great medicine, originally has no form; it lies only within the human mind, between hidden accord and clear discernment. Laozi carried the embryo for ten months, and once the merit of cultivation is complete, one naturally penetrates to spiritual subtlety.

The accompanying verse says: It is like a mute waking from a dream, clear in the heart yet unable to speak. Though the human body is wrapped in thick blood, a priceless treasure is hidden within; if someone truly obtains it, that person can penetrate to spiritual subtlety.

Seventeen: Set the cauldron and furnace properly in place (a metaphor for refining the elixir), and guard one’s own mind. Eight liang of cinnabar and eight liang of gold are matched and blended evenly by the balance; once the proportions are fixed, one must still carefully distinguish the medicines’ lightness and weight, their rising and descending, their sinking and floating.

The accompanying verse says: The resolve was already made last night; in cultivation one must be even more steadfast. The dull copper is forged again and again until it becomes red gold. Radiance lights the green mountain ridges; the subtle secret of completing the elixir lies in discerning sinking and floating.

Eighteen: In practicing the true Dao (the Way) and cultivating body and mind, one must hold to what is centered, upright, and harmonious. An iron pestle is ground into a needle by continual polishing. This matter originally has no especially clever method; the key is simply to keep applying effort every day.

The accompanying verse says: Everyone is innately endowed with this primal harmonious Qi (vital energy), and ought to temper well the eternal, true nature. What is valued in cultivating the Dao is holding to centered harmony, just as an iron pestle is ground into a needle. There is nothing ingenious in this; the key is to work at it day after day. All who, from ancient times to the present, have achieved the immortal Dao have done so through unceasing effort, seeking the true medicine as one digs the earth to extract lead.

Nineteen: When the Qi of the single Yang begins to stir, one must apply oneself in cultivation; the essential radiance of sun and moon shines upon the jade pot (a metaphor for body and mind, or for the inner realm of cultivation). At this critical juncture, do not act rashly, lest a misstep send one falling into Lake Dongting.

The accompanying verse says: In his day Bodhidharma applied himself in cultivation, sitting alone in meditation at Changlu Temple, with a wine flask beside him. He obtained a cup of water and poured it over the crown of his head, then plucked a reed and, treading upon it, crossed the Eastern Lake.

Twenty: The moon appears over the Qujiang, and the surface of the water is clear and limpid. At the time of bathing, one must distinguish and settle host and guest (the Yin-Yang that coordinate with each other in cultivation, and the Qi of host and guest). If the water feels at a suitable warmth and the body is warm, one should hold to this state and continue cultivating with steadiness.

The harmonizing poem says: Gathering the medicine—in Neidan (internal alchemy), the gathering and refining of Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)—requires distinguishing the pure from the turbid. Whatever others may say, I place myself only in the position of the guest. If one has not undergone a cooking and refining as intense as fierce fire, one should sit upright and hold fast, and not rashly proceed any further in the practice.

Twenty-one: Host and guest. If one has already reached a state in which the water is warm and the body is warm, one should grasp it firmly and carry the cultivation through to completion.

The harmonizing poem says: Gathering the medicine requires distinguishing the pure from the turbid. Whatever others may say, I place myself only in the position of the guest. If one has not undergone a cooking and refining as intense as fierce fire, one should sit upright and hold fast, and not rashly proceed any further in the practice.

Twenty-one: When dragon and tiger—a Neidan term for the two forces of Yin-Yang—meet, it is like mounting a battlefield; success or failure can be decided in an instant. When you encounter danger, you should do good; if you strive only to overpower others, you will surely come to harm.

The harmonizing poem says: The five Qi, five kinds of primordial vital energy, gather in audience upon the primordial spirit; the three florescences—Jing, Qi, and Shen (spirit)—converge at the crown of the head, and deviant thoughts then disperse. Even when admiring beautiful scenery, one must be cautious, guard against danger, and not come to harm.

Twenty-two: The Dao (the Way) is originally without words, and the methods are originally empty and still; only when a name is forced upon them are they called tiger and dragon. The true primordial substance, generated naturally in the Prior Heaven, lies hidden in the world and abides together with the myriad things.

The harmonizing poem says: One must believe that the Golden Elixir is not mere emptiness; to refine it, one must rely on dragon and tiger. At the zi hour (midnight) it circulates to the summit of Kunlun; at the wu hour (noon) it cycles again to the Cang Sea.

Twenty-three: Some say that my Dao is vague and insubstantial; I laugh that worldly people lack forethought. A single grain of the Golden Elixir is the medicine of long life, yet it is lost in secret, and people remain wholly unaware.

The harmonizing poem says: In refining the elixir one must understand the transformations of sinking and floating; before the Reverted Elixir is completed, one must plan with care. I instruct later generations in the method so that they may succeed and need not worry day and night.

Twenty-four: Dragon and tiger join with the Golden Elixir in wondrous accord with Heaven; wind and clouds meet, and a sweet spring gushes forth. If a white-haired elder understands this Dao, he can return from old age to youth and live for ten thousand years.

The harmonizing poem says: The wondrous Dao of the Golden Elixir is rooted in the Prior Heaven; it lies hidden in the Kun sector (the southwest) and transforms into a jade spring. Because of it, pine and cypress sink deep roots; they endure wind and frost and long remain unfading.

Twenty-five: When the two mouths come together, one can return from old age to youth and live for ten thousand years.

The harmonizing poem says: The wondrous Dao of the Golden Elixir is rooted in the Prior Heaven; it lies hidden in the Kun sector and transforms into a jade spring. Because of it, pine and cypress sink deep roots; they endure wind and frost and long remain unfading.

Twenty-five: When the two mouths meet, that is Lü Yan (Lü Dongbin). If you all understand the principle in this, do not discuss it casually. The power within the Li trigram (symbolizing fire and Yang) is matched by none; it is sufficient to bear the whole of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth).

To “subdue the tiger” is to lead the tiger into its den. This is a metaphor for taming one’s own fierce, unruly thoughts and desires. In cultivation one must restrain the breath, fall silent and cease speaking, and refrain from idle talk. One must also seize firmly the “Li Huzi” (the object of cultivation that the piece indicates by means of the tiger) and bring it into union, load by load, with the “dragon child” (another symbol of cultivation paired with the tiger). Here “dragon” and “tiger” are common symbols in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy), usually referring to the forces of body and mind that must be harmonized.

Subduing the “dragon” calls for a lofty and steadfast resolve; subduing the “tiger” calls for a firm will and abundant vigor. Even someone who seems dull and foolish, if only they grasp these points and put them into practice, can at once set foot on the path to immortality.

If a person acts against conscience and contrary to principle, that is to deceive Heaven. When the “four things” obscure one another, the mind grows dim as smoke. Such people are no different from birds and beasts—how could they ever behold the Jade Heaven Immortals (the immortal perfected ones spoken of in Daoism)?

The plum tree blossoms in the tenth month, and it also waits ahead of time for early spring. Even grasses and trees can sense the turning of the seasons. If a person never turns back and awakens, they can only remain in dullness.

A withered tree can flower again after meeting spring because, between Heaven and Earth, the single Yang returns (Yang Qi, vital energy, sprouts anew). How sad that, once people grow old, youth is hard to recover, yet they still cling to craving and delusion and refuse to wake—foolishness piled upon foolishness.

Wandering from place to place and exhorting the world while singing immortal songs, one is instead mocked by people of the time as a deviant demon. The world does not recognize true gold and treats what is precious as dung and soil; it even mistakes the old dragon for a poisonous snake and lets it pass in vain.

The way of cultivation may seem upside down, and the songs of the Dao (the Way) that are sung often use strange verses to cut away the bizarre and drive out deviant spirits. Everyone wishes to ascend to the immortal realm of Penglai. So long as one knows how to apply oneself in cultivation, the mind should not be misdirected or delayed.

In former days I once roamed at Yueyang Tower; how lovely were the orioles and blossoms and the scenery of Parrot Isle. Coming here again now, I buy wine and drink my fill, yet most of my old friends have already been buried on desolate hills.

Sitting quietly in cultivation in a thatched hermitage surpasses living in a lofty tower. Patiently holding fast until merit and practice are complete, one may ascend to the Ten Continents (immortal realms in Daoist legend). Alas for those scholars who dwell in jade halls: though their writings are splendid, in the end they too are buried among desolate hills.

I wandered the human world for more than ten years, urging people to cultivate, yet they would not practice. So I left behind this profound true formula, and then rose lightly into flight, ascending straight to Fenglin Isle (an immortal isle in Daoist legend).

Collation note: The ending of the original, “he yue: shu wang qiu,” appears incomplete. The passage “he xiang zhe hei si yan. Ci bei ji tong qinshou lei, ruhe jiande Yu Tianxian” also repeats what comes before and has omissions, so it cannot be fully interpreted from the text now available.

“He” says: Summer passes and winter arrives; spring follows again upon autumn, and the four seasons turn without cease. Human life is like a dream, so one should cultivate the Dao (the Way) while there is still time. Are the words of the immortals spoken in vain? If one can comprehend the profound and subtle principle, one may ascend to the Ten Continents—the legendary realms where immortals dwell.

“San Yi” says: I have earnestly urged people to cultivate the Dao, yet they will not cultivate, and instead take my kindness for enmity. Now I turn back and depart toward heaven, no longer concerning myself with the affairs of the human world, and so I am free and at ease.

“He” says: People of the world should resolve early to cultivate the Dao. Though the affection between husband and wife runs deep, in the end it becomes attachment and bondage. If you do not believe my words, look at yourself: dimmed eyes and a bent back—where do these changes of aging come from?

“San Er” says: Empty fame and profit drift about like the wind; what lasting result can they have? Everyone should often examine themselves, and not take the cultivation methods of the immortals for empty talk.

“He” says: Chunyang—the Daoist name of Lü Dongbin—stirs the spring breeze with his wide sleeves; returning to the immortal Dao, he truly attained realization. He left behind a precious and profound method. Yuchan—Bai Yuchan, a Daoist figure—responded in verse and likewise spoke of the empty and wondrous principle within it.