《大成捷要》Vol. 1

The fundamental principle of the Dao (the Way) is one, but methods of cultivation are divided into three kinds: the Celestial Origin, the Earthly Origin, and the Human Origin. Alchemical methods are also classified into nine grades according to the level of attainment, which can be grouped into three stages: initial, intermediate, and superior.

More specifically, the Celestial Origin method is called the “Great Elixir,” the Earthly Origin method the “Spirit Elixir,” and the Human Origin method the “Golden Elixir.” Taken together, the initial stage is called the Golden Elixir, the intermediate stage the Spirit Elixir, and the superior stage the Great Elixir. Thus, all three kinds of alchemical methods may use the names “Great Elixir,” “Spirit Elixir,” and “Golden Elixir.”

In the course of cultivation, the initial stage uses a hundred days to build the foundation, the intermediate stage uses ten months to nurture the embryo, and the superior stage uses three years to nurse it. The Celestial Origin method speaks of fully realizing one’s nature and completing the cultivation of life—that is, probing the nature to its depths and bringing the cultivation of life to completion. The Earthly Origin method speaks of “seizing cinnabar and controlling mercury,” terms for refining elixirs. The Human Origin method speaks of “grafting flowers and joining trees,” meaning the transformation of body and mind through internal cultivation. In the Celestial Origin method, phrases such as “his lead, my mercury” and “taking and concealing the heavenly treasure through mutual appropriation” refer to drawing on the innate treasures that are gathered and stored through the union of Yin-Yang. In general, the principles of the three paths of alchemy are connected, but their specific methods differ, and their practical applications vary considerably.

Most people in the world who cultivate the Dao understand only one of these kinds and know nothing of the other two. Even those who can truly distinguish the approaches of different schools and firmly master one of them are very few. I have seen people who heard of the Celestial Origin Great Elixir and cultivated the Dao by its methods. They knew that the Celestial Origin method was esteemed, but did not know that the Earthly and Human Origin methods each had their own mysteries. Those who heard of the Earthly Origin Spirit Elixir and sought immortality through ingestion and cultivation likewise often knew only the worth of the Earthly Origin, not the wonders of the Celestial and Human Origins. And those who heard of the Human Origin Golden Elixir often knew nothing of the aims of the Celestial and Earthly Origins.

Some also exalt the Human Origin, honoring it as “Golden Liquid,” while slighting the Celestial Origin by calling it “Jade Liquid.” This reflects a failure to understand that the Human Origin is the lower vehicle for prolonging life, the Celestial Origin is the higher vehicle for awakening to one’s nature, and the Earthly Origin is the middle vehicle of ingesting elixirs. In ancient times, one person who heard of both the Earthly Origin Spirit Elixir and the Celestial Origin Great Elixir was the Perfected Lord Xu Jingyang.

Some people received instruction in the Divine Elixir of the Earth Origin, the Waidan made with medicinal substances, while also hearing of the Golden Elixir of the Heaven Origin, the Neidan cultivated chiefly through stillness and purity. The Perfected One Ge Yachuan was such a person. Others received instruction in the Golden Elixir of the Human Origin, a method of alchemy practiced through the coordination of Yin and Yang, while also hearing of the methods of the Heaven and Earth Origins. Lü Chunyang and Zhang Sanfeng are examples. The Five Southern Patriarchs all succeeded in their cultivation of the Dao through the complete elixir of the Human Origin, while the Seven Northern Perfected Ones all attained immortality through the great elixir of the Heaven Origin. There are comparatively few accounts concerning the Divine Elixir of the Earth Origin.

Among those who revere Buddhism, some know only the recitation of the Buddha’s name and the chanting of scriptures. Among those who honor the sages, some know only the importance of cultivating human relationships and observing the established norms. In truth, wholehearted devotion can lead to the subtle and profound, while sincere intent can resonate with Heaven’s heart. What matters is whether one can gather and preserve a spark of one’s true spiritual nature, so that it does not perish. Thus, those who single-mindedly recite the Buddha’s name can be reborn in the Pure Land, and those who sincerely uphold human relationships can leave a good name for generations.

The immortal masters and Daoist patriarchs of successive generations transmitted scriptures and methods, expounded their principles, and left behind admonitions. Each grasped the subtle essence in their own way, so the methods they taught were not necessarily the same. Those who study well should reflect inwardly and ponder repeatedly, until they grasp the central purpose. Some speak exclusively of one method of alchemy; others discuss all three: the alchemy of the Heaven, Earth, and Human Origins. Some discuss all three yet emphasize the Human Origin, while others emphasize the Earth Origin. These approaches cannot be treated as one and the same.

Works such as The Mind Method of the Golden Elixir, The Principles of Nature and Life, The Foundations of the Celestial Immortal, The Union of Immortals and Buddhas, Treatise on the Verification of the Golden Immortal, and The Scripture of the Wise Life deal exclusively with the great elixir of the Heaven Origin, that is, cultivation through stillness and purity. Works such as The True Transmission of the Golden Elixir, Elegant Words for Awakening to the Dao, The Essential Chapter, and The Song of Knocking at the Crossroads deal exclusively with the Golden Elixir of the Human Origin, that is, cultivation through Yin and Yang.

Works such as The Nine Tripods of the Yellow Emperor, The Elixir Classic of the Great Clarity, The True Instructions of Earthly Origins, Records of Carrying Forward the Will, and Records from the Fishing Village mainly discuss the divine elixirs of earthly origins: methods of refining substances such as lead and cinnabar. The Classic of the Dao and Its Virtue and the Classic of the Hidden Talisman discuss all three kinds of elixir methods: those of heavenly, human, and earthly origins. The Treatise on Awakening to Reality and the Token for Joining the Three also discuss all three, but focus on the methods of human origins; the Classic of the Dragon and Tiger and the Record in the Stone Casket likewise address all three, while emphasizing the methods of earthly origins.

Those in later generations who aspire to seek the Dao should understand, upon reading this account, that although the elixir path is divided into three origins, its fundamental principles are connected and consistent. This understanding keeps them from feeling lost amid the multitude of texts. Daoist elixir classics and books are so numerous they could burden oxen and fill storehouses. Apart from the three origins and their shared foundation—the primordial Great Dao—the rest are classified as the ninety-six heterodox paths and the 2,600 deviant methods. Though each of these methods may present its own claims, in the end they are illusory and cannot lead to the Great Dao.

Buddhists say, “Only this one matter is real; the other two teachings are not.” The “one matter” here refers to the innate face of the Qian origin in human beings—that is, the true self. It clings neither to form and appearance nor does it fall into emptiness; it is the luminous, complete nature. Buddhists call it “true emptiness and right awakening,” while Daoists call it “the spirit that is not a spirit.”

The key to freeing oneself from the cycle of birth and death lies in bringing both nature and life to completion through cultivation. The Golden Elixir of human origins is a method for reconnecting with the root of life; the divine elixir of earthly origins belongs to the way of ingesting substances; and the great elixir of heavenly origins is a method of dual cultivation of nature and life, encompassing both in their full function and embodiment.

Out of compassion for later students, I now explain the meaning of the scriptures and arrange below the “Twofold Great Dao” and the alchemical scriptures—the classics of Daoist internal alchemy—handed down through the generations by the immortal and Buddhist patriarchs. May benevolent and principled people throughout the world who aspire to this Way and are fortunate enough to receive a master’s transmission draw on ancient texts to verify present-day teachings, comparing and examining them across time. The “Twofold Great Dao” and alchemical scriptures handed down by the immortal and Buddhist patriarchs should all be classified and carefully distinguished. Only when their meanings accord across the surrounding passages can one avoid falling into heterodox paths.

This collection has been compiled so that, when scholars read texts from ancient and present times, they can understand the authors’ intentions at a glance and discern which school each work belongs to. In this way, the orthodox can be distinguished from the heterodox, and the genuine from the false; one’s direction in practice can be established, and one can follow it without error or be misled by heretical teachings. This is the purpose of this preface.

Genealogy of the Origins and Lineages of Daoism

Since the beginning of the primal chaos and the formation of Heaven and Earth, tradition says that five venerable lords have governed the world. The Patriarch of the Dao has guided the workings of Heaven and Earth, manifesting in the world from generation to generation. The great masters of Confucianism have upheld ethical principles and social order, with successors in every age. The Buddha has traveled between the western heavens and the human world, appearing across successive ages of tribulation to teach and transform living beings.

The Dao Patriarch shines with mysterious golden radiance and rules over Kunlun. He spreads the mysterious Dao, governs the world through the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), nurtures the upright Qi of the two principles, Yin and Yang, and brings forth perfected immortals within the One. Since the opening of primordial chaos, the lineages and origins of Daoist teachings in the world have been complex and cannot be treated as a single, uniform tradition.

In the beginning, the Yellow Emperor went to Mount Kongtong to seek the Dao from Guangchengzi. Guangchengzi transmitted the Dao to him, and the Yellow Emperor thereafter ascended to Heaven on a dragon. At the end of the Zhou dynasty, the Most High Lord Lao (Taishang Laojun) was reborn in the human world. He taught Confucians and Buddhists and transmitted the Dao to Yin Xi. For this reason, he was revered as the founding patriarch of the Three Teachings and the lord of all perfected immortals.

During the Eastern Han, the Golden Mother secretly transmitted to Wang Xuanfu, a native of Qingzhou, the primordial numinous text of the Taiji and Bagua (Eight Trigrams) as interpreted by Fuxi, along with the secret teaching of the “Great Elixir” passed down by Lord Lao, which enables people to return to their original nature and establish the foundation of life. After Wang Xuanfu successfully cultivated the Dao, the Golden Mother bestowed on him the title “Lord Emperor Donghua.” Lord Emperor Donghua made a great vow to open up many paths of cultivation and ensure the Dao lineage’s long transmission. In the dingyou year of the Yongshou era under Emperor Huan, he transmitted the Dao to the Patriarch of Pure Yang, Zhongli Quan.

In the second year of the Tianshou era under Empress Wu of the Tang dynasty, the Patriarch of Pure Yang transmitted the Dao to the Patriarch of Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin. Lü was then sixty-four years old. Only after serving his master for seven years did he begin to hear the Great Dao; his cultivation was not complete until the thirteenth year of the Xiantong era.

During the Five Dynasties, in the xinwei year of the Qianhua era under Emperor Taizu of Liang, the Patriarch of Pure Yang also awakened Liu Cao, chancellor of Yan, and bestowed on him the title Haichanzi. Liu Cao was then also sixty-four years old. He served his master for five years and did not begin to hear the Great Dao until he was sixty-nine; his cultivation was completed when he was in his seventies. He later withdrew to Mount Qingcheng and called himself the Elder of Qingcheng.

Later, Haichanzi awakened Zhang Boduan, who was eighty-three years old, and bestowed on him the Daoist name Ziyang. Zhang Boduan founded a branch of the Southern School of Daoism and was therefore counted among the “Five Southern Patriarchs.”

Shi Xinglin, Xue Zixian, Chen Niniwan, Bai Yuchan, and Peng Helin were among the most renowned figures. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Song, Lü Zu traveled through Mount Hua with Liu Haichan and the Daoist known as Mayi. They met Chen Tuan, from whom they learned the Sleeping Dragon method, a practice cultivated through such means as quiet sitting and breath retention. Later, after Lü Zu revealed the wondrous secrets of the Mysterious Mechanism, he sat upright and transformed away.

As for the Seven Perfected of the North, it is said that in the year Jimao, the thirty-third year of Emperor Gaozong’s reign in the Southern Song, the two patriarchs Zhong and Lü came together to Ganhe Town on Mount Zhongnan. There they guided Wang Chongyang, patriarch of the tradition, and taught him the Great Way of Primordial Heaven. After the transmission, Wang Chongyang looked up and suddenly saw seven golden lotuses appear in the east, blossoming and bearing seedpods. He asked what this sign meant. The patriarchs smiled and said, “Why, there are only seven golden lotuses? In the future there will also be ten thousand jade lotus pods.” Later, during the Qiandao era of Emperor Xiaozong’s reign, Wang Chongyang transmitted the Dao to seven people—Ma Danyang, Sun Bu’er, Qiu Chuji, Wang Chuyi, Liu Chuxuan, Tan Chuduan, and Hao Datong—believing them to be the very sign of the seven golden lotuses.

Among the Seven Perfected, only Qiu Zu opened wide the gates of universal salvation. He later led many disciples to cultivate and attain the Great Way, and the emperor bestowed on him the title “Top Scholar among Celestial Immortals.” Patriarch Ma also spread the Way of True Unity. In the gengwu year of the Shaoxi era under Emperor Guangzong of the Song, Patriarch Ma transmitted the Dao to four people: Song Piyun, Li Dacheng, Zhao Penglai, and Han Qingpu. After the four had made progress in their cultivation, only Song Piyun was able to preserve this heart-to-heart transmission over the long term. He called himself Master of the Yellow Chamber. During the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan, he traveled west to Shu and transmitted the Dao to Li Taixu. Li Taixu in turn transmitted the Dao to Zhang Ziqiong, who then passed it on to Zhao Yuandu.

During the Tianli era of the Yuan dynasty, in the year Jisi under Emperor Ming, Yuan Du came to Shu (the area around present-day Sichuan) and transmitted the Dao to Li Taixu. Li Taixu transmitted it to Zhang Ziqiong, who in turn transmitted it to Zhao Yuandu. Later, in that same year, Zhao Yuandu transmitted the Dao to Chen Zhixu, a native of Luling. Chen Zhixu’s courtesy name was Guanwu, and his religious name was Shangyangzi.

After hearing about Daoist methods, Chen Zhixu wanted to cultivate the Dao but lacked the means to do so, so he searched everywhere for people with whom he was destined to form a connection. He traveled to the southwestern Yue region (around Lingnan), where local Liao people—a name used in ancient times for some of the region’s ethnic groups—insisted that he transmit the Dao to them. He refused, so they got him drunk, stuffed him into a drum, and cast it into the sea. Tianfei, an honorific title for a folk deity who protects those at sea, was alerted and ordered the sea gods to protect him and carry him to the southern shore. By chance, Lord Tian had been sent to perform a sacrifice to Tianfei. He rescued Chen Zhixu from the water. After learning how Chen had come to harm, Lord Tian took him back to the capital and provided him with financial support. Chen Zhixu was thereby able to cultivate the Dao and attain realization.

Chen Zhixu reflected that he had survived being cast into the sea inside a drum, and that this was what had brought him to where he was. Perhaps Heaven had arranged it so that he could transmit the Dao. He therefore sought out people with whom he was destined to form a connection and opened the Daoist tradition widely. It is said that more than twenty of the disciples he taught transcended the ordinary and attained sagehood. In the late Yuan dynasty, during the Zhengui year under Emperor Shundi, his reputation reached the court. The emperor sent people to summon him, but Chen Zhixu foresaw that the dynasty’s fortunes were nearing their end. He manifested his departure in advance and withdrew into the hidden realm of Lingxu. This account describes the transmission of the Danyang lineage of Master Ma; its transmission ended here.

In the first year of the Yan you era of the Yuan dynasty, Zhang Sanfeng began seeking the Dao and probing its mysteries. For nearly thirty years, he failed to encounter a suitable teacher. He traveled tirelessly but found nothing, and was troubled that he had not met a master who could help him fulfill his lifelong aspiration. He therefore journeyed west to the Qin and Long regions to seek the teachings of the Dao. He drew in the vital energy of Mount Taihua and absorbed the spiritual beauty of Mount Taibai. After passing through the Baoxie route and crossing Chencang, he saw that the mountains and marshes around Baoji were secluded, deep, and beautiful, and settled at Jintai Abbey. Lamenting that the highest teachings of the Dao were so difficult to hear, he burned incense day and night, praying to Heaven to help him attain the Dao.

At that time, he was already sixty-seven years old. Grateful to Master Huo, a disciple of Patriarch Chen Tuan, for teaching him the supreme Way and the arts of the external elixir furnace, he was able to transcend the ordinary world and cultivate himself into a sage.

During the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, the Perfected Zhang Jingxu, wearing a tiger-skin hat, sought the Way at Biyang Cave in western Shu. There he met Patriarch Qiuyang Qiu Changchun and received instruction in the supreme Way. He remained in the cave, cultivating until he attained perfection. The Patriarch ordered the Perfected Zhang Jingxu to descend the mountain and once again open the gate to universal salvation. Zhang traveled far and wide in search of those destined to receive the teaching. By the ji mao year of the Wanli era, he had guided only Li Xu’an. The Perfected Li Xu’an, in turn, attained perfection in the ding hai year of the Wanli era.

The Patriarch ordered the Perfected Zhang Jingxu to descend the mountain and once again open the gate to universal salvation. Zhang traveled far and wide in search of those destined to receive the teaching. By the ji mao year of the Wanli era, he had guided only Li Xu’an. In the ding hai year of the Wanli era, the Perfected Li Xu’an guided the two Cao brothers, Huanyang and his brother. In the jia zi year of the Wanli era, the Perfected Cao Huanyang guided Wu Chongxu. The Perfected Wu Chongxu was the fourth-generation successor of Patriarch Qiu of the Longmen school. After making progress in the Dao, he wrote such works as The True Principles of the Celestial Immortals and The Unification of Immortals and Buddhas. From then on, this method of cultivation spread throughout the Ming dynasty.

During the Yongzheng era of the Qing dynasty, Chan Master Jiwu appeared and received Patriarch Qiu’s authentic transmission, promoting the mysterious Way within the Buddhist community. During the Qianlong era, Chan Master Huayang met the second Patriarch Chongxu and thereby obtained this Daoist teaching, allowing it to continue. He wrote Treatise on the Realization of Golden Immortals and The Scripture of Wisdom and Life, which were handed down to later generations. This lineage has continued to the present day, spreading throughout China and beyond. Countless people have cultivated according to these scriptures and transcended the ordinary to attain sagehood. This fulfilled the omen of “ten thousand blossoms of jade lotuses.”

The Perfected Lord Xu Jingyang of the Jin dynasty also left a clear prophecy: fourteen hundred years later, three thousand Celestial Immortals and eight hundred Earthly Immortals would appear. A sign of immortals and Buddhas manifesting could be seen simply by looking into the Gan River at Yuzhang.

Consider the middle of the Yuzhang River, where a geomantic vein connected with the cultivation of immortals and Buddhas has appeared. Quicksand has surfaced, and the time is right. (This veiled passage comes from the Precious Sealed Text of Caged Sand. A stone inscription at Cui Gong Hall says that some of the eight hundred earthly immortals have already appeared in the world, and that Liu Qiaoyang is their foremost.) A children’s rhyme says, “At the mouth of the Yuzhang River, where the sand gathers, immortals fill the streets.” The time has now come. A sandbar has appeared in the Yuzhang River, called Xinzhou Gan.

This was originally a rare opportunity, arising only once in countless ages, to deliver confused beings. Yet people may still fail to distinguish the worthy from the unworthy, so this is also called an age of great consequence. Dragons and snakes mingle together: the heterodox and the orthodox each establish their own schools and write their own teachings. Truth and falsehood are interwoven; people transmit teachings to one another and open altars to preach, hoping to save others.

Some take guarding the root of the mountain as the Mysterious Pass, the crucial point for nature and life in Neidan cultivation. This shows they do not understand that the Mysterious Pass is merely a metaphor for the subtle principle of “something arising from nothing.” Without cultivating true Yang, the authentic Yang Qi spoken of in Neidan practice, one will ultimately return to emptiness. Others greedily pursue caizhan, using sexual union as a method of cultivation, and seek a so-called “female cauldron,” a woman treated as a cultivation implement. They do not understand the hidden meaning that the female cauldron is merely “offering a flower to the Buddha.” They gain nothing from another person, but first bring loss upon themselves. There are also reckless profiteers who set traps to deceive people in the name of “furnace and fire,” a term from alchemy that often refers to alchemical practice. Some learn only minor arts for treating illness, Daoyin exercises, and diligent breathing practices; these, too, are regarded as heterodox paths. Such side paths are too numerous to list one by one.

How could these methods compare with the learning that fulfills one’s life in accord with the precelestial? They stand far apart from the practice we advocate: preserving principle and nourishing Qi. How could anyone aspiring to true cultivation and awakening fail to distinguish them carefully before choosing a path?

What I have received is the Great Way of Wuji, transmitted by the Most High, an honorific title for the Dao. It comes from Patriarch Jingjue and includes oral instructions bearing the mind-seal and precelestial spiritual writings. Yet I lack the resources and companions needed to cultivate in stillness. With my parents still alive, the demands of food, clothing, and household affairs weigh upon me, and I cannot devote myself fully to advancing in this Way.

I fear that the Great Dao (the fundamental principles of cultivation) may lose its true transmission. I would then have failed to repay my master for his profound kindness in nurturing me as a mother nurses her child. So I have carefully set down its highest principles and oral formulas on bamboo and silk, to leave for later students. Some cannot quiet their minds enough to cultivate; others are burdened by the clothing and food needs of their parents and families, and cannot devote themselves fully to this Way. I also fear that the Great Dao will be lost and that I will fail my master’s kindness. By writing down these principles and formulas, I hope as well to ease the suffering of disciples who have spent half their lives seeking the Dao without finding it. I hope that scholars of our time may use this book to become sages, and that people in later generations who have affinities with Buddhism or the immortals may follow my words and become true immortals. That would be an honor to me.

Therefore I have written this book and left this poem:

Do not worry that you lack a kindred spirit; in time, someone of like purpose and matching virtue will appear. Stand firm, as a stake driven into a river to hold back its current. Why worry that a lone tree cannot grow into a forest? When the moment comes, wind and clouds will gather; when fortune turns, how could the roars of dragons and tigers be absent? At last, clear weather arrives: the mist disperses, the sky brightens, and a red sun shines across heaven and earth.

The Essential Outline, Sections, Heart-Seal Formulas, and Hidden Teachings of the Dual Cultivation of Nature and Life: A numinous text setting out the principles, sections, and essential formulas for the dual cultivation of nature and life—the cultivation of spiritual nature and bodily life together.

Confucianism speaks of the “Three Aspirations” in self-cultivation: the scholar hopes to become a worthy person, the worthy person hopes to attain the realm of a sage, and the sage hopes to accord with the Dao of Heaven. Buddhism teaches the “Three Refuges”: taking refuge in the Sangha, the Dharma, and the Buddha. Daoism, in turn, speaks of the practical work of the “Three Refinements”: refining Jing (essence) into Qi (vital energy), refining Qi into Shen (spirit), and refining Shen until it returns to emptiness.

The initial Daoist practice of refining Jing into Qi is called “laying the foundation for the Lesser Achievement.” To dispel illness, slow aging, extend life, and restore a youthful appearance, one should undertake the hundred-day foundation practice. During cultivation, one must understand the “Five Matters” to grasp the essentials of beginning, and distinguish the “Six Signs” so that the practice proceeds without error. Regulating and refining original Jing to produce the external medicine requires skill in breathing and in applying the firing times; gathering and refining the true seed to produce the lesser medicine requires following the mysteries of the orbit of the Zhou Tian (Celestial Circuit) and the shifts in firing times.

When the firing times are sufficient and the medicine has matured, signs such as “the tortoise’s head withdrawing” and “the Elixir emitting a brilliant radiance” appear. When one gathers the medicine through intention and draws it in with the gaze, signs such as “the Six Roots trembling” and “the Five Dragons bearing the Sage” appear. Here, “medicine” is a technical term in Neidan (internal alchemy), not an ordinary medicinal substance; “firing times” refers to regulating the breath, intention, and stages of cultivation. “Passing through the Three Passes and traversing the Nine Orifices” describes the movement of Qi in Neidan practice. The scripture says that through these practices one can attain what it calls the “indestructible body of vajra.”

Raising the Qian Cauldron and lowering the Kun Furnace are also Neidan terms, referring to the ascent and descent of Yin-Yang and their refinement through the upper and lower regions. The scripture says that upon completing the hundred-day foundation practice, one returns to the state in which one’s original nature remains intact and Heaven and Earth are in harmonious union, thereby attaining the realm of the “Human Immortal.”

Yu Huazi says: Next comes the practice of “refining Qi into Shen,” known as “nurturing the embryo at the intermediate stage of attainment.” The practitioner devotes ten months to this work, seeking the ability to know the past, discern what may come, move toward good fortune and avoid calamity, achieve distinction, and bring honor to the family. By practicing the “Seven Meditations,” the mind is brought to stillness; by following the “Six Mechanisms,” one reaches perfect responsiveness. The key is “guarding the center and embracing the One”: preserving one’s inner balance and remaining wholly focused.

This practice continues day and night. In motion, one responds to the world outside; in stillness, one nurtures the Qi within. This is an essential secret of Neidan cultivation. At every stage, early or late, it should be maintained constantly, without forcing it and without letting it lapse. Hold to it steadily and subtly, keeping the mind and spirit calm and clear.

The practitioner is said to feel true Qi rise and sweet dew descend, moving along the circulation route associated with the Mao and You hours, so as to gather the “inner medicine” within the body. Then, through movements of ascent and descent on the left and right, the embryo’s foundation is made firm. During cultivation, all manner of visions may appear: the Elixir’s radiance opening like a lotus, golden flowers rising beyond the cauldron, a perfected infant, a tortoise and snake entwined, and immortals and Buddhas arriving. The central Qi may glow as it circles; spirits of thunder and lightning may display their power as they preside over the altar. One may also see heavenly splendor or scenes resembling hell. Such visions change continually. The practitioner should understand that, whether real or illusory, what is seen and heard must not become an object of attachment.

When lead and mercury have been exhausted, and the Yin and Yang energies cease their restless movement, the circulation seems to pause like a turning wheel brought to a stop. Yang grows and Yin recedes; the six pulses come into harmony, and the sun and moon join as one. Hunger and thirst then naturally fall away. The scripture goes on to describe Qi transforming into pure Yang: the body withstands cold and heat, no longer falls into drowsiness, and the Elixir’s radiance shines without dimming. The mind and spirit become clear and unobstructed, reaching a state of profound meditation in which the mind is empty and one’s original nature appears; spiritual powers are attained.

Qi fills the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth. Golden lotuses rise from the ground, and white clouds fill the sky. The practitioner gathers the Fire of Samadhi—the inner true fire described in cultivation—and the power of the practice reaches from the crown’s Baihui point to the Qian Cauldron. Thunder roars, as though opening the inner chambers of the Purple Palace; lightning flashes, drawing forth the Yang Shen that emerges from meditation—the spiritual awareness said to act apart from the physical form. The scripture also describes an “immortal infant” emerging beyond the mortal body and the Dharma Body gathering golden light. This, it says, is to cross the sea of suffering and arrive at the farther shore.

This is the ten-month practice of nurturing the embryo. The scripture says that one who cultivates to this state returns to the original nature of Qian, establishes the true self within, and is called an “Earth Immortal.”

The Primordial Lady said: The third stage, “refining the spirit and returning to Emptiness,” is called “the higher completion of nurturing the infant.” To transcend the ordinary world, enter the realm of sages, become an immortal or Buddha, take part in the workings of Heaven and Earth, and assist the transforming process, one must practice the work of “nurturing the infant” for three years. This requires refining the spirit and returning to Emptiness, until one can enter and leave the realms of being and nonbeing. To complete thirty-six months of nurturing the infant, one must understand the ways of cultivating and preserving oneself through forty-nine stages.

In practice, regulate the spirit’s coming and going in accordance with the waxing and waning of sunlight—a metaphor in Neidan for signs that the Yang Spirit has manifested. When the Yang Spirit leaves the body, movement takes precedence. Movement should be brief rather than prolonged, and should gradually extend rather than recede. When the Yang Spirit returns, stillness takes precedence. Stillness is valued when sustained, not when fleeting; it should be deep and far-reaching, not shallow and close at hand. Through practice, one should progress from brief stillness to sustained stillness, while the results develop from gradual extension to effortless control over coming and going. The deeper the meditative stillness, the firmer the practice, the more stable the Yang Spirit, and the brighter the light of wisdom. The more one practices regulating the spirit, the more accomplished the practice becomes, the more subtle and wondrous the Yang Spirit, and the more marvelous its transformations.

When the three years are complete and the cultivation of mind and nature has matured, the practitioner is said to feel that, when regulating the spirit and sending it out of the body, the Yang Spirit takes the Great Void as its dwelling. The vast lands of Heaven and Earth, with their mountains and rivers, become its home, where it may wander and linger at will. When gathering the spirit and entering stillness, the Yang Spirit regards the physical body as a bedchamber; the inner courtyard and central palace—the sites of cultivation within the body—seem like a bed and pillows, a place to rest and dwell in peace.

At this point, the practitioner is said to be able to travel a thousand miles in a single step and journey through every land; to appear and vanish unpredictably amid wondrous existence and true emptiness; to commune with Heaven and Earth, stride across the sun, and play with the moon. They may enter water without drowning, enter fire without burning, and pass unhindered through metal and stone, able to travel freely almost anywhere. Yin-Yang can no longer direct and transform them; instead, they can set it in motion. The Five Phases can no longer alter them; instead, they can transform the Five Phases. King Yama can no longer rule their death, and Indra, the Buddhist emperor of Heaven, can no longer control their life. They can move freely in every direction and come and go at will. If they wish to remain in the world, they can rise into the sky on clouds, carrying their dwelling with them.

Whether living in the world or having departed from it, they can aid the world and benefit living beings, uphold what is right and remove what is wrong, bring relief from drought and flood, and avert disasters. They may also expound subtle scriptural teachings, proclaim the Great Dao in daily life, establish a religious teaching, leave instructions for later generations, guide living beings toward liberation, and transmit the Dao. Whatever they do, they can display spiritual powers and efficacy, transforming in ways that cannot be predicted. Even if they manifest tens, hundreds, thousands, or billions of bodies, filling the three thousand great thousand worlds and worlds as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, their manifestations will never be exhausted. This is the moment when a great man fulfills his aspirations and brings his work to completion. How could life, having reached such a state, fail to be joyful? When the three years of nurturing the infant are complete, the nature-body becomes firm and strong, and its wondrous transformations have no fixed limit. This state is called “immortality.”

The Great Realized One Yin said, “I have observed the immortals of the Han, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties. Many transcended the world by this method, departing through corpse liberation. In Daoism, corpse liberation is a way of leaving the physical body and ascending to immortality. Yet although the original spirit is wondrous, the body has not reached the same state, so it cannot yet fully merge with the Way of Non-Ultimate Emptiness. Even if one has already been entered in the register of immortals and can roam freely among grotto-heavens and blessed lands, one final step is still missing: the work of refining emptiness and merging with the Dao. Such cultivation, you should know, still has something uncertain about it and cannot be considered the true ultimate attainment.

“I realized that if cultivation could be joined with the Buddhist esoteric treasury and transmit the ancestral mind-seal that encompasses the myriad teachings, it could complete this final step and reach the highest, most consummate state. This is precisely the work of facing a wall for nine years. Upon reaching this state, one returns to nirvana without remainder—the state in which afflictions are extinguished and birth and death fall into stillness—and attains the rank of a Great Awakened Golden Immortal. This understanding and state may be said to surpass those of many immortals. The next volume will explain it in detail; I will say no more here.”

People in the world do not understand how to respond to this opportunity for cultivation. Instead, they stay busy dealing with worldly affairs and social obligations, cling to the entanglements of the everyday world, and exhaust their spirit. They wear out their bodies, gradually grow old, and in the end fall ill and die, sinking into the cycle of rebirth. Everyone is immersed in a sea of suffering and misses the path to awakening.

Therefore, practitioners must seize this opportunity: use wind to aid the firing process, harmonize the original Jing, nurture the true seed, and circulate the celestial circuit to cultivate the “Great Medicine.” Then nurture the Qi-Mother until it is settled securely for a long time in the lower Dantian. After that, raise the vessel of the teaching and call out loudly to guide the lost across the ford. What is described here is the work of preserving principle and nurturing Qi. The sages of antiquity, the Buddha, and the immortal masters all transmitted it through mind-to-mind understanding and oral instruction; they never revealed it lightly to those unfit to receive it. Now these teachings have all been written in this book. Confucius said, “Perhaps it is only the Spring and Autumn Annals that understand me; perhaps it is only the Spring and Autumn Annals that condemn me.” Compiling this book is just the same.

On the signs of return and realization.

The cultivation method known as “Seven Returns and Nine Restorations” begins by sending the true Yin of the Li Palace in the upper aperture—the aperture in the upper part of the body—namely the Original Spirit, into the inner Golden Cauldron’s Qi cavity, the place within the body where true Qi is refined and nurtured. It is then joined with the true Yang of the Kan Palace in the lower aperture, namely Original Qi. Qi nourishes Shen, bringing Shen and Qi into unity in a continuous, subtle flow. Preserve and nurture the Original Spirit, and guard the Original Qi. As cultivation continues over time, gradual changes take place. After a long period of quiet sitting and self-forgetfulness, Embryonic Breathing—the inner breathing state described in Neidan cultivation—can form. Once it is stable, breathing seems to stop, and the true seed is born.

Each day, let the interaction resemble the union of husband and wife, allowing Jing and Qi to mingle. Feel their gentle ease, but do not become attached to the sensation. Water and fire harmonize of their own accord; the tortoise and snake, symbols of Yin and Yang, unite naturally. The movement of Qi reaches the limbs and flows through the whole body. True Qi rises as warmth, like a flame gradually kindling. This refers to the activation of true Yang Qi in Neidan cultivation, passing through the Three Passes and reaching the Nine Orifices. In cultivation, simply keep water and fire in balance: do not let them become excessive or insufficient. Excessive heat damages the Elixir; insufficient heat prevents it from forming. This is the regulation of the firing process in the Lesser Celestial Circuit.

When the breath is properly regulated, the Qi in the throat moves naturally and returns to the Sea of Originality, around the Dantian. External Yang—the erection of the external genitalia—naturally withdraws into the abdomen, and the true fire rises of its own accord. The whole body feels gentle and at ease, while within the abdomen something seems to turn like a living dragon. True Qi rises and falls, changing in many ways throughout the day. The infant and the Maiden, terms in Neidan that symbolize the essences of Yin and Yang, naturally meet and merge. This stage is called “gathering Yin to replenish Yang.”

To cultivate the Jade-Liquid Restoration Elixir, a Neidan term, one must establish the foundation and refine oneself by cultivating the mind and nature. Accumulate the Jing, Qi, Shen, and other resources for cultivation that are inherent within you. Remain at ease in daily life and keep your awareness clear day and night. This is the first step toward longevity and lasting vision. In the end, it comes down to abundant Qi, full Jing, and harmonized Shen and Qi.

Those who aspire to learn the Dao are urged to seek a true master sincerely and earnestly request the heart-seal instructions, the formulas transmitted from mind to mind between teacher and disciple, so that the true principles of cultivation within and without oneself may be revealed. How the outer workings of Heaven unfold bears on the initial stages of long-term cultivation. Ultimately, this too comes down to abundant Qi, full Jing, and harmonized Shen and Qi.

Those who cultivate the Dao should sincerely seek out a lineage master and ask to receive the heart-seal instructions, so they may understand the true essentials of cultivation both within and beyond the body. The inner essentials arise from the “Kun furnace,” the crucible symbolized by Kun; the outer essentials are activated in the “Qian vessel,” the vessel symbolized by Qian. Once you understand how to begin, cultivate promptly: first refine the self and nourish your nature, then wait for the right moment, when “one Yang is born,” the stage at which Yang energy first emerges. During foundation-building, one Yang is born beneath the nine layers of Earth; after the Elixir is formed, one Yang is born above the nine heavens. The heights and depths of Heaven and Earth here serve as metaphors for changes at different stages of cultivation.

Choose a secluded, quiet place, far from human traffic and beyond the sound of roosters and dogs, and enter seclusion to cultivate the “Great Elixir of Dragon and Tiger,” an inner alchemical elixir symbolized by the Dragon and Tiger. Like-minded companions should also provide protection from outside, keeping idle visitors away so that you are not disturbed and your original spirit is not unsettled.

The ancients said, “The place where life is received is precisely the moment when life is endangered.” In other words, the crucial point at which one receives vitality in cultivation may also be a threshold at which one’s nature and life are easily harmed. Why did the earlier teaching say to blend with the world and mingle with the common dust, while this passage says to withdraw to a quiet place? Refining the self amid the world means facing external things without being moved by emotion; nourishing Qi in the mountains and forests is for refining emptiness and uniting with the Dao.

Understand that transcending the ordinary and becoming a sage is a rare and momentous undertaking. You must therefore remain unstained by worldly dust, clear away distracting thoughts, and free your heart of attachments. Cut off worldly concerns completely, devote yourself to the Dao over the long term, and harbor no further worldly plans or thoughts of retreat and regret. Reach a state in which you forget the body and do not cling to the self, in harmony with the Great Dao. You must also abide in emptiness and refine Shen, until the organs, bones, flesh, and blood vessels throughout your body seem to turn into blue Qi that can pass through metal and stone without obstruction. At this point, the seven apertures—the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and other openings—shine with light through day and night. The heart is still as water, and the body seems empty and unobstructed. Only then are Qi abundant, Shen complete, and the resources for cultivation sufficient. Afterward, you may cultivate the Great Elixir of Dragon and Tiger and seize the celestial mechanism beyond the body: begin by capturing the true Lead outside yourself, first subduing the Dragon and then directing the Tiger to return to the Dragon.

If one understands how to bring together the many conditions for refining and nourishing at the proper moment, one must keep the mind and spirit clear and still, and gather the “gold at the bottom of the sea” (a term in Neidan cultivation for inner substances such as Jing and Qi). It is made to rise from the coccyx, pass through the spine, and reach the Niwan (the upper Dantian in the head), where it is refined into “Golden Liquid.” It then descends along the “layered tower” (the throat) into the “Crystal Palace” (a chamber within the body, often identified with the heart in Neidan terminology), where it unites with the lead and mercury within the body (terms in Neidan that metaphorically refer to Yin-Yang essence and Qi). This process takes no more than a quarter of an hour, and the gathering of the refined substances is complete. Then true fire rushes into the limbs, as though the flesh and bones throughout the body were being burned by fire and cut by knives. The pain is almost unbearable; even a strong person may be overcome with alarm and helplessness. Even so, one must grit one’s teeth, remain steadfast, endure pain beyond the capacity of ordinary people, and even disregard life and death, bearing this moment’s hardship in pursuit of lasting benefit.

One must also guard against danger and care for body and mind. After lead and mercury unite and water and fire converge, in an instant the joints and apertures throughout the body seem to burst open all at once, like beans popping in a pan. The text’s phrase “there is no blood throughout the body, yet everything can speak” describes the movement of Qi throughout the body, as though sounds arose everywhere. Beneath the root of the tongue are two acupoints: the left is called “Cinnabar Well,” and the right “Stone Spring.” The location discussed here is also associated with the Lianquan acupoint (above the Adam’s apple). As the bones, channels, and apertures all become active, heart fire descends and kidney water rises. At this stage of cultivation, “numinous fluid” (saliva in Neidan practice) forms beneath the tongue, seemingly welling up without end like spring water. One may swallow it day and night and still seem unable to exhaust it. Its taste is quite unusual, far sweeter than honey.

There is another extremely subtle experience. When practice at the furnace first begins, it seems that a golden lotus is about to grow from the earth, while precious dew descends from the heavens. Suddenly, a drop of “true Mercury” descends and enters the heart. It is cold as ice, then gathers at the Palace of Intercourse—the place within the body where, according to the scripture, Jing and Qi are refined—and congeals into a single, unified mass, clear and luminous. At this moment, it may seem as though thousands upon thousands of war drums are beating and myriad thunderclaps are crashing. The Qi and blood in the channels throughout the body may also shift. Do not be alarmed.

If you remain firm as iron, with your thoughts unmoving and your composure absolute, you may see in the void dragons and tigers meeting, Heaven and Earth joining in harmony, or the sun and moon exchanging places. You may also see the immortals and Buddhas arrive to celebrate the completion of the Elixir. At this stage of practice, all manner of mixed scenes of suffering and delight may appear. Do not mistake them for reality, lest you be disturbed by external demons and your practice be harmed. Whether these scenes are real or illusory, see as though you had not seen and hear as though you had not heard. Keep your mind unmoving and guard the sunlight within your original nature. Then the Yin demons will naturally disperse, and lead and mercury will naturally unite. The scripture says that only after three days will the “Great Medicine” come forth.

These three days are the hardest to endure. It may seem as though the whole world has become a demonic realm: cries of gods and wails of ghosts come from every side, while killing intent fills the eight directions and smoke signals rise everywhere, plunging all into darkness and chaos. This is the practice’s crucial “Great Barrier.” At this point, nine out of ten people will be frightened away. Remember that the scripture attributes these phenomena to the mischief of the Three Corpses and transformations of Yin spirits. Pay them no heed. To remain unafraid and untroubled is to show that one has the aptitude for cultivating the Dao.

The scripture also says that although mercury has already transformed into “spirit,” it is still Yin spirit. Yin spirit is extraordinarily uncanny: it can change in countless ways and conjure all kinds of scenes to disrupt one’s practice. Even a practitioner with steadfast resolve may not easily subdue it. As the ancients rightly said, only those who possess the six supernatural powers can escape birth and death; otherwise, one should not expect to attain the Dao. This is the state of “Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquor.”

The Qi mechanism moves continuously and subtly for two and a half days, communicating throughout the body until every aperture grows bright. When Qi is abundant and Shen (spirit) reaches its fullness, a lively transformation suddenly occurs: the Sun’s Flowing Pearl—the true Yang essence and energy spoken of in Neidan (internal alchemy)—runs in reverse, leaves its original bodily form, and enters the mouth. The scripture calls this the return of the Golden Elixir through the Golden Liquid: the stage in Neidan when the refined Golden Liquid returns to the Dantian (energy center) or the body.

The Qi mechanism moves continuously and subtly for two and a half days, communicating throughout the body until every aperture grows bright. Once Qi is abundant and Shen reaches its fullness, a lively transformation suddenly occurs: the Sun’s Flowing Pearl leaves its original bodily form and enters the mouth. A million dragon spirits are stirred. This is the state in which the Great Elixir of the Golden Liquid, returned through the Seven Reversals and Nine Returns, enters the mouth. Only then does one understand that one’s nature and life are in one’s own hands, not determined by Heaven. An immortal’s scripture says, “Only after undergoing a great death this time does one finally come back to life.” It also says, “One great battle brings peace.” These words describe this very state.

The so-called “medicine of true death,” after leaving the body and entering the mouth, sets the fire of the cosmic circuit in motion in an instant. The bones and embryonic form seem to melt into a heap of flesh. Once the Yang spirit—the practitioner’s pure Yang spiritual form—leaves the body, it can be free of all entanglements. From then on, one focuses the mind and holds firmly to one’s purpose, maintaining emptiness and stillness and nurturing the void and quiet. Through emptiness and stillness, Shen is nurtured; Shen transforms into the realm of emptiness, and from that realm its spiritual activity emerges, bringing transformations without end.

This is called “Complete Perfection”: turning away from the dusty world and roaming freely among the grotto heavens, served by three thousand jade maidens; drinking immortal wine and wearing immortal flowers all day long. The Four Great Elements—earth, water, fire, and wind, which make up the body—are harmonized and refined, and the whole body becomes clear and luminous. Heaven and Earth unite; the sun and moon shine together; winds and clouds converge; tortoise and snake entwine. The heavens in all ten directions heed one’s commands, and the myriad spirits serve at one’s bidding. Purple light rises, auspicious qi fills the air. This is the method of the Great Hibernation of the Five Dragons, a practice centered on Neidan cultivation.

In this way, one keeps to the center and embraces the One—that is, preserves a single true intention within body and mind—and cultivates for a hundred days. The hundred days mentioned here correspond to the first three months of the ten-month period of embryonic nurture. Afterward, the Mysterious Pass, the crucial opening in Neidan cultivation, opens of its own accord. The Mysterious Pass described in the scripture is the opening at the crown, burned open by the true fire of the Sun. The infant appears in visible form, golden light surrounds the body, and Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, tortoise and snake, and dragon and tiger all manifest. These are guardian spirits formed from the residual qi of substances such as copper, lead, and mercury.

At this stage, one finally obtains “outer mercury of Qian” in the mouth, a special elixir substance produced through cultivation. One can also transform Qian mercury into purple-red gold, a treasure that can be preserved indefinitely. After another six months of refinement, the body becomes like silver paste, the blood turns into a white fluid, fragrance rises from the whole body, and the breath from the mouth comes forth like clouds. This is the maturation of the elixir. The scripture also says that swallowing a piece of Qian mercury can bring eternal life and even restore the dead to life.

When the ten months of fetal nurturing are complete, the Yang Spirit—the pure Yang spiritual form described by practitioners—can leave the physical body. The whole body seems to turn into silver paste, the blood into a white liquid, and fragrance wafts from the body; the breath exhaled from the mouth can condense into clouds and mist. These are said to be signs that the Neidan (internal alchemy) has been perfected. A substance called “Qian Mercury,” said to condense within the practitioner and, in Daoist alchemy, to be a purified material produced through cultivation, is believed to grant immortality to anyone who swallows it and even bring the dead back to life.

Once the ten months of fetal nurturing are complete and the Yang Spirit has left the body, a single body can transform into ten million bodies. Continue nurturing and refining for twelve months, and one can exhaust the full measure of Heaven and Earth’s transformations, bringing forth eighty-four thousand Yang Spirits. Each is spiritually attuned and has attained sagehood, able to vanish and appear and to transform without limit. They can walk above the sun and moon without casting a shadow, and enter metal and stone without hindrance. Water and fire cannot burn or drown them; weapons cannot harm them, and ghosts and spirits cannot fathom their mysteries. Even the Lord of the Heavens, Indra, cannot govern their life or death. This is the point at which a great man has completed his cultivation and brought his work to fulfillment. The Qi throughout the practitioner’s body becomes the “Great Medicine”: a chicken that eats it can become a phoenix, a dog can turn into a dragon, and an ordinary person can gain immortality by taking it. Even ghosts and spirits find this principle hard to understand.

The immortals say, “When the inner elixir is complete, the outer elixir follows.” This means that while cultivating the Neidan, one also achieves the Waidan (external alchemy), without needing to labor over a furnace fire. By continually gathering Jing and Qi, one cultivates a long, sustained breath. When Qi is abundant and the spirit complete, golden light appears and shines day and night. The Neidan is then perfected, and the elixir outside the body also manifests. This is the inevitable principle by which inner cultivation of the Way brings outward confirmation.

Once one can silently pay homage to the Supreme Emperor, one will be granted a celestial rank, and the myriad spirits will come to pay their respects. One will also be able to dismantle Heaven and mend Earth, pluck the stars and shift the moon, command thunder and turn the stars, and summon wind and rain. At a single movement of the mind, all the celestial and terrestrial spirits obey. Such blessed virtue surpasses that of emperors for three generations, and such wisdom exceeds that of the top examination laureate for seven generations.

Ordinary people, foolish and unenlightened, have shallow Shen and Qi and insufficient blessings. They often cling to preconceived views, imagining they have received the true transmission when in fact they have strayed into side paths without knowing it and gone astray without waking up. Instead, they become conceited, stubborn, and arrogant, making themselves difficult to approach. The moment one sees their words and manner, one feels driven a thousand miles away.

Some people stray into heterodox paths without realizing it, and refuse to wake up. Instead, they think themselves superior, cling stubbornly to their own views, and grow proud and complacent, making themselves hard to approach. Just seeing how they speak and behave gives the impression that they keep everyone at a distance. Even wise and virtuous people turn away when they meet them—how much more so the immortals and sages?

I urge those who study the Dao: before you meet a clear-sighted teacher—one who understands the essentials of cultivation—be humble and modest, build up merit, avoid all manner of wrongdoing, and do good whenever you can. Then you will naturally have the chance to meet someone of genuine attainment. If you hold firm to your resolve and seek instruction sincerely, that person will reveal the true mysteries of the two levels of cultivation, within and beyond the body, as well as three major heavenly secrets. Before long, you may hope to stand alongside the immortals and Buddhas.

On the Signs of Attaining the Dao in the Body

When, during seated meditation and the settling of the mind, you suddenly smell a strange fragrance filling the room, and sweet fluid wells up beneath your tongue, the warmth in your heart descends while warm Qi in your abdomen rises. At night, even through a wall, you may seem able to see a fine needle. Above, you can reach the heavenly realms; below, you can communicate with the underworld. Red clouds circle above your head, and flashes of lightning shimmer before your eyes. Sometimes a current of Qi suddenly surges to your chest, while in your ears you seem to hear howling gales and pounding rain, again and again.

You may also see a blue sky and bright moon, or snow falling through clear skies, as if dragons and tigers were meeting and the sun and moon shining together. You can look inward at your five organs and six viscera, as clearly as if a candle were illuminating them; your whole body seems like a crystal pagoda. Golden light envelops you, as though drops from a cold spring were falling, while warm Qi flows on without end. These are not illusions but signs that actually appear in cultivation, and each should be recognized. The fluid that appears should be swallowed and sent to the elixir cavity—the place where Jing and Qi are stored and nurtured in Neidan cultivation. Do not spit it out: it is the foundation of the Golden Elixir.

Sometimes the true Qi in the kidneys stirs, surging upward to the Niwan, the cultivation point at the crown of the head, and downward to Yongquan, the point on the sole of the foot. In your ears, you may seem to hear drums beaten by a thousand armies and countless peals of thunder, as violent winds sweep the earth and flashes of lightning streak across the sky. Fire-like Qi seems to circulate throughout your body, turning it red from head to toe and passing through bones and sinews. Your limbs and all eight extraordinary vessels seem to flow without obstruction. Sometimes you drift in a half-conscious, intoxicated state for three to five days, then suddenly hear a voice from the heavens and feel your mind open into clarity. The geography of mountains and rivers seems entirely within your grasp, and you seem to know everything about past and future, heaven and earth.

At times, a radiant glow appears on your body and bursts out of the meditation chamber. You may suddenly feel that your original nature has leapt out of your body, and regard the fleshly body—made up of earth, water, fire, and wind, the Four Great Elements—as filthy. These are signs that the Yang Spirit, the original spirit spoken of in Neidan cultivation, is leaving the body; you must quickly draw it back in. Continue cultivating for three years according to the formula given earlier, and in time you will naturally be able to manifest countless emanations. After that, you may go a hundred days without eating and feel no hunger, or eat a hundred meals in one day without feeling full.

During the ten-month stage of nurturing and the return of the Golden Elixir through liquid gold—the Neidan process by which Jing and Qi are gathered and restored to their source—the practitioner will feel something rise straight from the coccyx gate through the paired passes at the spine. It travels upward, clearly and audibly, against the current to the Niwan, as though something were touching the brain. Then it descends from the upper palate, drop by drop, into the mouth. It is shaped like a sparrow’s egg and tastes like yangsu, a creamy delicacy: fragrant, sweet, and rich. Slowly swallow it down into the Dantian. This fluid continues to flow without interruption and is swallowed for nine days.

From then on, the five organs seem pure, still, and clear. When you close your eyes and look inward, the organs and viscera are distinct, as if seen by candlelight. Gradually, myriad rays of golden light shine through the body. The elixir’s radiance, like wheels of fire and rosy clouds, circles and winds above and below, enveloping the place where you sit in meditation and gradually guiding the Yang Spirit into profound stillness. These are actual signs of transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood: they are not metaphors but real sights. The immortal masters witnessed these extraordinary phenomena for themselves, yet dared not tell others lightly, because such things are beyond what ordinary people can see or hear. Those with an affinity for the Immortals and the bones of the Dao who come upon this book should cherish it and keep it secret.

This is an account drawn from the Elder of the Nine Spirits’ long practice and personal experience.

There are three vital passes behind the human body, known as the “Three Passes”: the Weilü, Jiaji, and Yuzhen. The Weilü lies at the base of the spine, at the end of the Jiaji, and is said to connect with an aperture in the inner kidneys. From here, a marrow channel called the “Hidden Stream,” also known as the “Yellow River,” runs upward. It is regarded as the passage through which Yang Qi rises. The channel reaches the seventh vertebra, opposite a warm region inside the body; this point is called the Jiaji Pass. Higher up, at the back of the head, is the Yuzhen Pass. These are the Three Passes behind the body.

There are three Dantian energy centers in the front of the body, called the Niwan, the Earthen Cauldron, and the Flower Pool. The Niwan is the Upper Dantian, roughly one cun and two fen square. Within it is an empty aperture, where Shen (spirit) is stored. About one cun inward from the midpoint between the eyebrows is the Hall of Brightness; another cun inward is the Cavern Chamber; and another cun beyond that is the Niwan Palace, the Upper Dantian.

Below the midpoint between the eyebrows, facing the mouth, are two apertures. The roof of the mouth is called the “Golden Bridge of the Nose,” also known as the “Upper Magpie Bridge.” Beneath the tongue are two more apertures, which connect downward to the windpipe and throat. The harder part at the lower neck is the throat, the passage through which Qi (vital energy) enters and leaves the body. The softer part is the pharynx, which receives swallowed food and connects with the intestines and stomach. The windpipe has twelve sections, called the “Layered Tower.” It descends to the passage through which breath enters and leaves the lungs, then connects onward to the heart.

Below the heart is an aperture called the Crimson Palace, where the Dragon and Tiger meet. Three cun and six fen farther down lies the Earthen Cauldron, or Yellow Court Palace—the Middle Dantian. It is described as a spatial aperture about one cun and two fen square, where Qi is stored and where the cauldron used for refining the Elixir is located. Its left side is called the Hall of Brightness, and its right side the Cavern Chamber. It lies opposite the navel on the body’s surface, at a distance of about three cun and six fen.

The text uses the phrase “thirty-six above in Heaven, thirty-six below on Earth” to explain the correspondence between Heaven and Earth and the human body. It says that the distances from Heaven to Earth and from the heart to the kidneys can both be measured according to these proportions. Heaven’s heart measures three cun and six fen; Earth’s kidneys measure three cun and six fen; and the Middle Dantian measures one cun and two fen, making eight cun and four fen in all. The author concludes that the human body contains the complete set of cosmic measures and is itself like a small Heaven and Earth.

The interior of the navel gate is called the “Gate of Life.” It contains seven apertures that extend downward to the outer kidneys (the external genitals). The distance from the heart to the kidneys is one cun and four fen; the Celestial Heart and Earthly Kidney are each three cun and six fen; and the Middle Dantian is one cun and two fen, making a total of eight cun and four fen. This number accords with the complete measure of Heaven and Earth, so it is said that the human body is itself a small cosmos.

The interior of the navel gate is called the Gate of Life. It contains seven apertures that extend downward to the outer kidneys, where Jing and Qi circulate. Behind the navel and in front of the kidneys lies an acupoint called the “Reclining-Moon Furnace,” also known as the “Sea of Qi.” About one cun and two fen farther down is a place called the “Flower Pool.” It is where the lower Dantian, the region in the lower body that stores Jing, stores Jing and gathers the medicine—the refined Jing and Qi.

The left side is called the “Bright Hall,” and the right side the “Cavern Chamber.” Between them is another empty acupoint, one cun and two fen in diameter. It has two apertures: the upper one connects to the inner kidneys, and the lower one leads directly to the Caudal Gate, the orifice at the end of the spine. The space between the two apertures is called the “Mysterious Pass.” It is where being arises from nonbeing. According to the scripture, when Jing has been refined to fullness and Qi is also full, the True Qi of Unity—the original, authentic Qi—arises naturally, and the Mysterious Pass opens of its own accord.

The scripture also says that there are three apertures within the human body where the Golden Elixir is cultivated, and that they must be known. The upper aperture is at the Li Palace, the position of the heart. It is Yang on the outside and Yin within, and houses the Original Shen. It is the place referred to by such terms as nature, mercury, and dragon. The lower aperture is at the Kan Palace, the position of the kidneys. It is Yin on the outside and Yang within, and houses the Original Qi. It is the place referred to by such terms as life, lead, tiger, and Qi Cavity. The Life Palace, Kun Furnace, Gate of Life, and Secret Portal also all refer to this place. By means of True Intention, the cultivator guides the Original Shen downward to gather in the Life Palace, thereby attaining transcendence over life and death.

Between the upper and lower apertures lies another aperture for nurturing the embryo. It is an empty, hollow place at the center of the body, below the heart and above the navel, in the Yellow Court. It is called the Middle Dantian. The scripture describes it as an important aperture in the human body.

Part Two

The Celestial Secrets Catalogue of the Twenty-Four Sections and Oral Instructions on the Great Elixir of the Celestial Origin.

First, the key to returning to emptiness is to gather inward and conceal the breath, allowing Qi to lie dormant in the Qi Cavity, the place where primordial Qi is preserved and nourished in Elixir Way cultivation. Second, the key to regulating the medicine is to employ wind and fire. Third, the key to producing the medicine lies in the Mysterious Aperture, the subtle and hidden gateway spoken of in cultivation, and the true seed. Fourth, the key to refining the medicine lies in the Celestial Circuit fire tally, the method for circulating the breath in a prescribed sequence.

Fifth, the key to stopping the fire lies in the sign of the horse’s yin being concealed, a manifestation of bodily and mental change in Daoist internal alchemy. Sixth, the key to gathering the Great Medicine lies in severing the six roots: gathering in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Seventh, the key to passing through the barrier lies in the Five Dragons Supporting the Sage. Eighth, the key to gathering the Great Medicine lies in the Mao-You Celestial Circuit, a circuit method that follows the Mao and You directions. Ninth, the key to forming the embryo lies in the Great Dormancy of Seven Days. Tenth, the key to the Sevenfold Return lies in restoring the Elixir with liquid from the Jade Pool. Eleventh, the key to the Ninefold Return lies in restoring the Elixir with Golden Liquid. Twelfth, the key to the sun standing high in the sky lies in the sun and moon joining as one. Thirteenth, the key to attaining the Great Elixir lies in the Elixir Pearl falling into the Yellow Court, an important location in the body in Elixir Way teachings.

Fourteenth, the key to dispelling heat lies in fire burning the meditation seat. Fifteenth, the key to the Celestial Pivot’s wheel coming to rest lies in the Elixir Light shining constantly. Sixteenth, the key to transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood lies in giving up food and drink and remaining without sleep. Seventeenth, the key to stopping the fire when the embryo is complete lies in the spirit possessing the six supernormal powers. Eighteenth, the key to shedding the embryo lies in ascending to the inner court of the spirit. Nineteenth, the key to entering samadhi in the upper field lies in blasting open the crown gate. Twentieth, the key to the spirit’s emergence lies in heavenly flowers cascading in profusion. Twenty-first, the key to regulating the spirit as it leaves the shell lies in breaking through the form body, the tangible fleshly body. Twenty-second, the key to gathering in the Golden Light lies in the perfection of both form and spirit. Twenty-third, the key to having a body beyond the body lies in three years of nursing, continuing to warm and nourish the newly formed body. Twenty-fourth, the key to refining emptiness and merging with the Dao lies in nine years of facing the wall, a prolonged period of quiet cultivation.

A Hundred Days of Building the Foundation

The initial practice of refining Jing into Qi is called “the Lesser Accomplishment of Building the Foundation.”

The work of the foundation-building stage is to replenish Jing by regulating and nourishing Jing and Qi as though they were medicinal substances, then refining Jing into Qi. Gathering Shen and returning to emptiness and stillness—that is, gathering the spirit, securing Jing, and nourishing Qi. Only when Jing and Qi within the body are abundant and the marrow is strong can one enter a quiet chamber to cultivate further and seek the way of return—the Neidan method of returning the acquired Jing, Qi, and Shen to their primordial state.

Nourishing Qi and securing Jing, stilling distracting thoughts, maintaining reverence and focus, observing the inner self, and remaining sincere: these practices must continue from morning to night. One purifies the mind, gathers in body and spirit, turns the breath back and blends it, and observes Shen within, taking clarity and stillness as the foundation. Not the slightest entanglement is allowed to linger in the heart. One nurtures oneself between “having and not having”: outwardly free of attachment, inwardly free of distracting thoughts, empty, luminous, and alert, without letting the mind scatter and chase after external circumstances.

In ancient times, when a master imparted an oral formula, the disciple was taught only to focus Shen at the Qi cavity. This is precisely what that teaching meant. The Qi cavity is the Gate of Life (Mingmen), a term in traditional medicine and Daoism for a place in the body believed to be bound to the Qi of life. It lies below the seventh vertebra, behind the navel, in front of the kidneys, between the two kidneys. The text also locates it as “seven parts in front and three parts behind,” and says that the left side belongs to Water and the right to Fire. Between the kidneys is a suspended, insubstantial cavity, connected above to the Muddy Pellet (Niwan), a symbolic place within the crown of the head, and below to Bubbling Spring (Yongquan), an acupuncture point on the sole of the foot. It is regarded as the source of the primordial Great Dao, the basis of the Qi generated each day, and the place where “lead is produced”—a Neidan term for the generation of the Jing and Qi needed for alchemical refinement. All manner of transformations and profound workings arise from here. Hence the saying: “This aperture is no ordinary aperture. Formed through the union of Heaven and Earth, it is called the Cavity of Shen and Qi, and within it lie the essences of Kan and Li.” Daoists call it the “Qi cavity”; physicians call it the “Gate of Life.”

When the Gate of Life is vigorous, the twelve meridians are vigorous as well; when it weakens, the twelve meridians weaken too. When the life force of the Gate of Life stirs, a person can live; when its function ceases, a person dies.

Note: What is described here comes from the cultivation and personal experience of the Perfected Yin Xi.

The initial stage of cultivation is to return to emptiness and stillness, allowing the breath to gather and settle within the Qi cavity—the place used in Daoist internal alchemy to nourish and preserve essence and Qi.

When entering the quiet chamber to begin cultivation, sit upright, turn inward to observe and illuminate yourself, and gather your spirit at the Gate of Life, a body location in Daoist internal alchemy usually identified as the area between the waist and abdomen. Be aware of thoughts without clinging to them. At first, hold an image in mind; then let go even of that. Make the mind empty and still and the spirit concentrated, without fixating on particular images or sinking into dull emptiness. Keep the mind lucid and wakeful, nourishing and observing it in stillness. Let the time it takes to burn three sticks of incense make up one session. When the breath has become calm and gentle and body and mind feel open and unobstructed, you have attained the practice of preserving the spirit and reaching transformation.

With this practice, in no more than forty-nine days, the “union of Water and Fire” described in the scripture will occur, bringing forth True Yang—the Yang energy of internal alchemy. After three months of gathering the spirit and observing within, the inner breath gradually condenses and settles, forming the Elixir. Only after a hundred days of this concentrated observation can you pass through the energy gates. When the mind rests below the navel, this is called “gathering the spirit”; when the breath settles below the navel, this is called “embryonic breathing,” a term describing deep, quiet breathing like that of a fetus in the womb. When both mind and breath lie dormant below the navel, holding to stillness and naturalness, this is called “do not forget.” To follow stillness and naturalness without deliberately pushing them along is called “do not assist.”

In general, take emptiness as the place where the mind rests, and deep silence as the place where the spirit settles; again and again, clear and quiet the mind. Gradually, mind and breath come to depend on one another, and spirit and breath merge. Unnoticed, it is as if Yang energy suddenly stirs, and the whole person feels slightly intoxicated.

True Person Shouyang said this was his experience from practice.

As for diet, abstain from meat and fish, aromatic seasonings, and spicy foods.

When beginning seated meditation and cultivation, first give up fish, meat, and other pungent foods, as well as strongly scented and spicy foods. The scripture holds that fishy and rich foods tend toward heaviness and turbidity; eating them makes acquired Qi coarse and weighty, so it is difficult to settle. Fragrant and spicy foods tend toward lightness and restlessness; eating them scatters innate Qi, making it difficult to gather. For this reason, practitioners should abstain from fishy, rich, fragrant, and spicy foods, and eat only plain vegetarian fare, to overcome preferences in taste.

Do not eat until overly full, for this harms the spirit; nor should you go too hungry, for this depletes your strength. Instead, regulate your intake in moderation: when hungry, add a little food, and stop when you have eaten enough. This is the way to nourish yourself through diet, and later generations of practitioners should know it.

These views are the insights Shangyangzi, a Daoist practitioner, gained through study and practice.

Instructions for Gathering the Mind and Refining the Self (a formula for collecting one’s thoughts and cultivating oneself)

When beginning cultivation, one should always focus first on refining the mind. Carefully observe the state of each thought as it first arises. Sustain right mindfulness and awareness, clear away stray thoughts, and bring the mind to one-pointedness. Let the mind grow still and establish its foundation. Enter meditation with an open, receptive mind, sweep away the “Three Minds” (the mind of the past, the present, and the future), and break through the “Four Marks” (the mark of self, the mark of others, the mark of sentient beings, and the mark of a lifespan). When the mind settles, one’s nature becomes clear and cool. Then gather the spirit and enter meditation, quietly maintaining single-minded attention while observing the rhythm of the breath opening and closing.

As you exhale, the flow of Qi opens; as you inhale, it gathers and settles. Place your spirit and intention at the Qi Cavity (the place where the breath is envisioned to return during cultivation). Visualize the breath rising along the Governing Vessel (the meridian running up the center of the back), like a red sun ascending to the crown of the head, the Qian position. Then, like a bright moon, let it descend along the Conception Vessel (the meridian running down the center of the front) to the Kun Furnace in the abdomen (the lower abdominal place of cultivation). When counting, count from one to ten, then from ten to one hundred, gradually extending the count without losing track. Gather your mind and spirit around the counting so that thoughts do not scatter and your attention does not wander; let mind and breath accompany each other. This is what it means to tether the “monkey mind” and rein in the “horse of intention.”

The ancients said: “True intention moves back and forth without interruption; to know without holding on is the skill. When you deliberately pursue each thing, you go wrong; in non-action, you may fall into emptiness.” In cultivation, begin by applying deliberate attention and gradually arrive at a state beyond deliberate thought. Let the mind’s substance be empty, clear, and open; then it will not be stirred by the changes of arising and ceasing. To dispel deluded thoughts, first maintain right mindfulness and awareness. With awareness, deluded thoughts naturally diminish. As the state of no-thought grows steady and mature, one may reach a state without dreams. In dreamless sleep, thoughts are quiet and the spirit is clear. This is an important matter in cultivation at this stage.

If the mind has not been trained, the spirit is hard to settle and the Light of Nature (the clarity that manifests from one’s nature) will waver. If intention has not been trained, desire is hard to quiet and the foundation of life remains unstable. One must therefore calm the agitation within, dispel endless desires, and continually maintain the inner true intention. Let go of attachments wherever they arise and allow the mind and nature to grow cool, so that emotions such as joy do not delude you. This is the work of “refining the self”—cultivating one’s nature and restraining desire.

Thus it is said: “Before refining the Returning Elixir, one must first refine the self; only after refining the self to maturity should one cultivate the Returning Elixir.” When gathering the mind and spirit, one must also know how to let go. If you persist in this practice over time, how could it fail to bear fruit?

Note: This passage describes the cultivation experiences of Patriarch Zhengyang, a Daoist practitioner of Neidan, traditionally identified as Zhongli Quan.

The Celestial Mechanism of Returning the Light Inward (the essentials of gathering the mind and spirit and observing within)

The simplest description of internal cultivation is to lower the fire of the heart into the Dantian (the inner cultivation site in the lower abdomen). The Dantian belongs to the Kan Palace and corresponds to Water; the heart belongs to the Li Palace and corresponds to Fire. When the heart’s fire descends into the Dantian, Water and Fire mingle, and true Yang (the Yang energy spoken of in internal cultivation) arises.

When the ancients spoke of the “heart and kidneys,” they were not actually referring to Kan and Li. The Perfected Zhengyang said, “To lower the heart’s fire is to move the Southern Star to the position of the Northern Star.” Shi Xinglin said, “Gather Shen into Qi, and the Way of Neidan will come about naturally.” Liu Haichan said, “I realized the principle of long life: let the sun lie hidden within the moon.” Xu Jingyang said, “To reveal the principle of my tradition is to move the sun into the bright moon.”

Patriarch Wang Chongyang said that when first laying the foundation (the basic stage of Neidan cultivation), one should first quiet the Shen of the upper aperture (an acupuncture opening in the head) and settle it in the Qi cavity of the lower aperture. Let the mind and spirit rest together with the breath, keeping true intent (focused, undistracted awareness) clear and continuous. With each inhalation and exhalation, it is as though they move back and forth within the body’s furnace of transformation. After long practice and mastery, one will naturally feel fire rising from below the navel and a tiger arising in the Water. There is no need to guide it deliberately; the movement of Qi will return to the central palace of its own accord.

At first, abide in a single aperture below the navel. When you turn the light inward to observe it, it seems like a dark sphere, like the shadowed side of the moon, a place of pure Yin. The images of sun and moon are brought into focus by Li Fire and stirred by the blowing force called “the wind of the Winnowing Basket.” In the darkness, white light arises naturally, as though fire were kindling in Water. A warm current circles the Qi cavity. This is what is called the first stirring of true Yang, something arising from nothing.

It is also said that beneath pure Yin, Wind and Fire must be used to temper it so that Yang energy can grow. These sayings all describe preserving and nourishing a trace of the primordial spirit in emptiness (the innate, original spirit), and storing it in the Qi cavity. This is called “sending it back to the earthen crucible” (sending awareness into the Dantian), where it is sealed firmly in place. The empty, numinous light of the innate primordial spirit settles there like a turtle in its shell or a snake in hibernation: neither forgotten nor forcibly nurtured, seeming both present and absent. In time, the breath naturally intermingles, Shen and Qi naturally embrace, and the Mysterious Pass (the crucial point where Qi stirs and changes in Neidan cultivation) opens. The true seed (the fundamental vitality spoken of in Neidan) then comes into being.

Note: This passage describes the cultivation experiences of Bai Yuchan, a Daoist and practitioner of Neidan in the Southern Song dynasty.

The Subtle Application of Gentle and Forceful Breathing, Wind, and Fire (methods for regulating the breath and the timing of internal cultivation)

In initial cultivation, Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) should be brought together. The Mysterious Gateway—the key portal through which the workings of body, mind, and Qi are set in motion during Neidan cultivation—will then open naturally, and the True Seed, the True Unity Qi generated in cultivation, will arise.

The Subtle Uses of Gentle and Vigorous Fire

During initial cultivation, often sometime after midnight, in the Hour of the Rat, the body and mind reach a state of extreme stillness and emptiness, and then one suddenly awakens spontaneously. When the Qi of the First Yang begins to stir, the outer kidney—the male reproductive organ—becomes erect, Original Jing (essence) manifests, and the External Medicine, the Jing-Qi that first begins to stir in Neidan practice, arises. At that point, one should begin regulating the medicine and apply the methods of fanning the fire and refining it.

Here, “wind” refers to the breath, while “fire” refers to the numinous, empty spirit. “Gentle” means Wuwei (non-action) wind and fire; “vigorous” means wind and fire that involve deliberate action. Gentle wind and gentle fire are used before and after regulating and refining the External Medicine. Vigorous wind and vigorous fire are used when the External Medicine, Original Jing, is at its height.

When True Qi stirs, it is especially prone to flow downward and leak away. One should therefore focus the True Intention and gaze upon the Life Palace Qi Cavity, the area attended to in Neidan practice, and hold it steadily in awareness. The True Qi will then turn downward and transform into Original Jing. The breath must also be coordinated with this process: use wind to assist the fire, and fire to refine the Jing-Qi, so that Original Jing is transformed back into Original Qi and returns to its original chamber, the Kun Furnace—the place where the Qi mechanism is stored away in Neidan practice. Otherwise, Original Jing will be difficult to transform back into Original Qi and return to its original chamber.

As the breath is directed within the Dantian, with each inhalation and exhalation one must raise the spirit, keep the gaze focused and the mind undistracted, and let go of stray thoughts. Allow the breath to stir the Xun wind, the Qi mechanism symbolized by wind, and strengthen the fire within the furnace. Only when every breath returns to the root does one meet the essentials of rapid and sustained refining. The mind, however, must not cling to the breath itself; it should remain focused on Original Qi. The breath is simply a means by which to gather and refine it.

Shen Conceals Itself in the Sea of Qi

During practice, let the spirit and intention settle in the lower Dantian (the inner cultivation area below the navel), and cultivate the work there. When concentrating the intention in the furnace, never fixate on the breath. Simply focus on Original Qi, using the moments of breathing to achieve the purpose of gathering and refining.

The Spirit Hides in the Sea of Qi

As you practice letting the spirit and intention settle in the lower Dantian, gently guide the empty, still, formless Original Spirit (the numinous spirit of one’s original nature) to the place of the True Person’s breathing (the deep breathing described in inner cultivation), and let it lie hidden within the Kun Furnace (a symbol of the vessel that receives Yin and nurtures the inner elixir). Give priority to stillness and establish a centered, upright position, sinking into quietude layer by layer. Become still, then stiller still. Do not cling to the idea that anything truly exists, nor fall into the view that everything is nothing. First hold the image in mind; then let go even of that image, until body and mind are quiet and free of attachment.

At this point, a trace of true intention and the luminous light of the empty spirit lie hidden deep within, resting without movement, as though dissolved into formlessness, like a turtle withdrawing into its shell or a snake hibernating. Spirit and Qi embrace one another and remain settled in the lower Dantian for a long time. This is called “the arrival of Ji Earth,” and marks entry into a deep, dark stillness. When postnatal breathing ceases and prenatal Qi takes over, the Mysterious Pass (the key point where Qi is activated in inner cultivation) opens, and the true seed comes forth.

Neither Movement nor Stillness in Excess

In cultivating stillness and Wuwei (non-action), an improper balance of movement and stillness can lead to an excess of one side of Yin-Yang. When movement reaches its limit, it should turn to stillness; if one cannot settle into stillness, excessive Yang Qi will damage the spirit. When stillness reaches its limit, it should turn to movement; if one cannot begin to move, excessive Yin Qi will damage Qi. The key is for the two Earths, Wu and Ji (Neidan terms symbolizing spleen Earth and the harmonizing center), to join and form the central axis, so that movement and stillness continue in an unbroken cycle without favoring either side.

The ancients said that someone whose practice of nature (cultivating the mind and spirit) is sufficient but whose practice of life (refining the body and vital energies) is inadequate may nurture the Dantian until it shines like the moon, yet still fail to reach the state called “the turtle withdraws and does not rise.” Others may have sufficient practice of life but insufficient practice of nature: even if they reach “the turtle withdraws and does not rise,” they may still fail to nurture the vision of the Dantian shining like a bright moon. Only through dual cultivation of nature and life, neglecting neither, can one avoid an imbalance of Yin-Yang when practice reaches the appropriate stage. Then the sign called “the horse’s Yin organs withdraw and become hidden” (a term in Neidan describing bodily transformation) will appear naturally, the Elixir’s radiance will emerge, and the Dantian will shine like the full moon.

The Use of Martial Fire

When applying martial fire (the stage in which stronger intention is coordinated with the breath to refine the Internal Elixir), one should stir the Xun wind (the action of the breath or Qi), as though fanning a furnace flame. Raise the power of the mind and steady the gaze, keeping the mind focused and free from distraction until all stray thoughts have subsided. Visualize flames rising and blazing brightly in the Qi cavity of the Dantian (the abdominal site of internal cultivation), like a furnace for smelting metal, with bellows driving the air and charcoal burning. Hold this image in mind as you gather and refine. Draw back into its original place the Jing essence of the wisdom-life that is about to stir outward (Jing-Qi as described in internal cultivation), until the Qi mechanism turns back and the external kidneys (the reproductive organs) contract and recede. Then continue the refining, gradually transforming original Jing into original Qi. A feeling of clarity and calm will arise naturally; at that point, stop. This is the proper moment to apply martial fire.

The Use of Civil Fire

When regulating and refining the external medicine (a Neidan term for Jing-Qi gathered and refined in the initial stage), apply martial fire from time to time. Once original Qi has returned to its original palace (the fundamental location in internal cultivation), stop deliberately applying wind and fire. Then use the Wuwei spirit fire (a method of internal cultivation that nourishes through Shen and intention, without forced action) to warm and nourish continuously. Let true intention attend to it lightly, as though present and yet absent, without interruption. Set the mind and spirit in the Qi cavity; be aware of it without grasping or holding on. Allow natural breathing to flow on without pause, with the mind gently linked to it. First sustain the visualization; then release even that, entering a deep, indistinct state.

The blowing and exhaling breath spoken of here is postnatal breathing; it can stir the movement of prenatal Qi. When the mind and spirit remain in the Qi cavity, Qi naturally comes and goes without ceasing. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, keep the mind within the space of the heart. Civil fire is the daily practice of maintaining and nourishing; martial fire is adjusted in response to changes in the movement of Qi. Some also say that martial fire is used for cooking and refining, while civil fire is used for bathing and nourishing. The process of refining Jing into Qi requires the coordinated use of both civil and martial fire.

The first step in practice is to regulate the “medicinals”—a Neidan (internal alchemy) term for things such as Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)—so as to replenish Jing and Qi. This is called “restraining the Yang Gate.” “Sowing, gathering, refining, and nourishing” are the four essential instructions.

“Sowing” means concentrating the spirit and entering the Qi cavity, the place toward which attention and regulated breathing are directed in practice. Turn the mind and gaze inward, gathering them in the lower Dantian (energy center), the site of Neidan practice below the navel. Become still, then stiller; sink deeper and deeper, until you enter a state of emptiness and silence, free of thought. Merge into primordial chaos and forget both the external world and the self. This is what is meant by “emptiness to the utmost, stillness held firm”: emptiness and stillness brought to their limit.

Then wait for primordial chaos to begin to open and the original Qi to stir and transform into original Jing. It surges toward the Yang Gate—the aperture through which Jing and Qi are stirred into motion and may spill outward—causing an unbearable sense of fullness and making indulgence tempting. At this point, hold fast to right awareness and gather and refine it in time. If you delay, the so-called “external medicine” will be lost and Jing and Qi depleted, making it difficult to continue stillness practice. What a pity that would be.

It is also said that those who cultivate the Dao must first achieve “an empty mind and a full belly”: let the mind and spirit become empty and still while filling the abdomen with Qi. In this way, they can dispel illness, prolong life, and remain in the world for a long time; then there is hope of completing the path to immortality.

What is meant by “gathering”? The Patriarch replied: Wait until primordial chaos within the body first begins to open and Yang Qi first arises—that is, when the outer kidneys (the male genitalia) become erect and the “living Zi hour” (the moment when Yang Qi begins to stir) arrives. Then turn the light back inward (gather the spirit and observe within), letting the mind and intention rest in the Qi cavity (the place where Qi is gathered and the spirit stored in Neidan cultivation).

The Xun wind (the breath) formed by each inhalation and exhalation blows in reverse upon the Li fire of the life palace (a Neidan term for the Yang fire around the Gate of Life), feeding the fire in the furnace. But do not let the mind become fixed on the breath; focus instead on primordial Qi. The oral instructions say: To master the breathing used in gathering the medicine, guide the inhalation deliberately, but leave the exhalation free of intention. Apply mental effort to lift it, steady the gaze, and let the mind be free of attachment, with all distracting thoughts cleared away. In practice, emphasize inhalation without directing the exhalation; let the exhalation follow naturally. Continue for ten breaths or several dozen, until the outer kidneys have fully contracted and the male organ shows no further sign of stirring. This is called “gathering the medicine back into the furnace,” meaning that primordial Jing is returned to its proper place.

It is also said: When the moment arrives, the mind and intention will know on their own. Gather and refine as soon as Yang Qi begins to stir, for it is easier to bring under control then. If you sleep deeply and wake late, Yang Qi will be strong and difficult to control. Do not force the gathering or hold it for too long, lest you deplete and injure your Qi. Simply focus the spirit on the Yin-Xiao channel (a phrase in the original referring to the channel held in inner observation), relax body and mind, forget form and self, and let the breath return naturally to its root. When Yang Qi has passed its peak and is about to recede but has not yet faded, three to five inhalations are enough to draw in and gather the primordial Qi completely. Once the medicine has returned to the furnace, stop gathering it with martial fire (a more forceful application of intention and heat); then continue the refinement with a fire that is half civil and half martial.

Note: This describes the cultivation and realization of Patriarch Ma Danyang.

Oral Instructions on the Hidden Principles of Refining the Medicine

“Refining” means placing the substances in the furnace and then applying the method of refinement. The secret lies in coordinating the breath with the intention: keep the spirit and intention calmly settled at the Qi point, and allow the breath to slow and pause naturally, thereby gently nurturing and refining it. Guide the ascent with focused attention, and watch over the descent with intention. Inhalation is called “gathering”; exhalation is called “cooking and refining.” Throughout, the process should be gentle, long, smooth, and continuous. Avoid making it forceful, abrupt, or brief.

Use thirty-six breaths as one cycle, or you may do seventy-two. This gradually sets the Qi mechanism in the Dantian (energy center) in motion, until the Dantian can naturally pulse, draw in, and release the breath. At first, guide it deliberately; in time, let it proceed without conscious effort. Move from consciously directing the breath to breathing naturally on its own. The scripture says this enables “Original Jing” (precelestial essence and Qi) to transform into “Original Qi” and return to storage in the “Life Palace,” the site associated with the root of life. This is what is called “refining.”

After refining the substances, continue gently nurturing them with “soft fire”—a mild, sustained method of cultivation—for about one hundred to one hundred and twenty breaths. Only then should you rest quietly and lie down, allowing body and mind to return to “chaos,” a tranquil state free of distinctions. The scripture warns that if you end the practice too soon, the true Jing may not yet have fully transformed into Qi and could dissipate.

What is meant by “nourishing”? The answer is: stop deliberately controlling the breath and let it become natural, gently nurturing it as though through fumigation. At first, remain aware and attentive, but while practicing, do not deliberately make anything happen. Settle the mind and spirit at the Qi cavity—the place within the body where Qi moves in Neidan practice—and keep it there with True Intention, focused awareness that does not force. Then let the breath slowly waft over it.

It is like keeping a single spark alive in a furnace, enduring without interruption, quietly lasting on. Mind and breath depend on one another; spirit and Qi infuse one another. You do not deliberately guard it, yet know that you are guarding it; you do not deliberately regulate the breath, yet it flows naturally. Spirit and Qi both settle into stillness and calm, and little by little, without realizing it, one enters a deep, undifferentiated state. This is called “gentle nurturing,” also called “bathing,” and belongs to the gentle fire: a mild, sustained method of internal cultivation.

Practice diligently every night in this way, and maintain quiet observation during the day. For a young person, the practice may take just over a month; for someone in middle age, about a hundred days; for an elderly person, about a year. Afterward, change will arise naturally: without your noticing, something emerges from nothing, and the opportunity for cultivation is set in motion. The breath suddenly returns to the Qi Sea, the place where Qi gathers in Neidan practice. When the Mysterious Pass opens—the point where Qi is set in motion and inner visions appear—and the True Seed, the foundation of the Golden Elixir, comes forth, proceed with the celestial cycle of fire phases, the method of circulating Qi according to the rules of cultivation. Refine the Great Medicine and attain the state of transcending the ordinary and becoming a sage.

Note: This is based on the study and personal experience of Patriarch Yuyang Wang (Wang Chuyi), a figure of the Quanzhen school of Daoism.

Formula for the Fire Phases of Clarity and Turbidity

Zhang Guolao says: This section explains methods for gathering and refining Jing and Qi in three different circumstances.

When Jing and Qi arise from a state of clear, empty stillness, use the practice of “inhaling, touching the palate with the tongue, drawing in, and closing”—a formula for gathering the breath and bodily parts during internal cultivation. After gathering Jing and Qi and returning them to the inner crucible—the “crucible” of internal cultivation, such as focusing the mind on the Dantian—you can then circulate the fire and talismans through the circuit of the heavens, using the inner alchemical stages of heat to clear the pathways.

When Jing and Qi arise during sleep or dreaming, the Qi is relatively clear, but awareness is dull. Use a method that combines the gentle fire and the fierce fire to gather and refine them. When Jing and Qi arise from sexual desire, the spirit and Qi are muddied, and they belong entirely to postnatal Jing; gather and refine them using only the fierce fire. This is how the stages of heat are adapted to differences in clarity and turbidity.

In general, the power of the mind and spirit and the gaze must both be roused. Guiding and driving the process with true intention—focused inner awareness—is called the fierce fire; remaining aware without giving rise to distracting thoughts is called the gentle fire. If postnatal Yin Jing is not refined in this way, it may stir up disorder within the body, cause illness, and obstruct seated meditation and cultivation.

Formula for refining Yin Jing by distinguishing the prenatal from the postnatal

The Zi hour when prenatal primordial Jing begins to stir does not refer only to midnight on the clock. It is the time when body and mind are about to settle into rest, in stillness and non-action. It comes from profound emptiness and stillness: at that moment, there is no distinction between Heaven and Earth, people and things. There is only empty clarity and numinous openness, followed by a stirring at the Yang Gate, the aperture associated with the arousal of Jing and reproductive function. This is the formula for distinguishing primordial Jing from postnatal Jing.

At the Zi hour (the period marked by the Zi branch in the traditional twelve-branch system, approximately midnight), when innate Original Jing begins to stir, a person has already retired for the night, and body and mind are still, with nothing being done. Original Jing comes from a deep and empty realm where Heaven, Earth, and all things do not yet exist: a state of emptiness, stillness, and spiritual clarity. It stirs at the Yang Gate, the aperture through which Yang Qi begins to move. This is the primordial ancestral Qi, a pure, innate essence without impurities; only this can be called the true medicine. At this time, it should be gathered and returned to the furnace and cauldron, the terms used in Neidan cultivation for the parts of the body where refinement takes place. Then it is refined through the operation of the microcosmic circuit’s fire phases, a method of cultivation that coordinates the movement of inner breath with the stages of firing. In this way, the Golden Elixir is formed, allowing one to transcend the ordinary and enter the realm of the sage.

At the Zi hour when postnatal essence from sexual intercourse begins to stir, the mind and spirit are still drawn by external things, and one is often caught in confused dreams and a disordered state of consciousness. What stirs at this time is the external kidney—the male genital organ—and the Yin essence produced through sexual desire and arousal. It cannot be treated as medicine. Wind and Fire must be used to gather it and return it to the furnace, where it is fiercely refined. The martial fire, symbolizing an intense and rapid stage of cultivation, must be applied so that the fire in the furnace burns strongly. The Yin essence must be refined into Qi; only then can harm be avoided.

The method of refinement is as follows: use the ordinary fire produced by breathing to stir the true fire of the life palace, the Neidan term for the part associated with the root of life. Then let the spirit-fire of one’s original nature take the lead, so that all three kinds of fire arise together and burn within the furnace. Within the Dantian, the breath continues to flow without pause; the breath returns to the Qian cauldron, the Neidan term for the vessel used in cultivation; the mind’s attention remains at the Qi cavity, and the gaze does not move. In this way, even Yin essence as hard as metal can be refined. This is the key to regulating and refining the medicine, and the true formula for refining essence into Qi.

Note: This explanation was written by Wumingzi through study and personal experience.

The Subtle Uses of Gathering and Refining with Civil and Martial Methods

Gentle Fire means nurturing in a mild way, steadily and finely, without a set beginning or end. Vigorous Fire means practicing and guarding at appointed times, with a beginning and an end. As for Xun Wind (the method of regulating the breath), it is used specifically when the returning Yang (the first stirrings of Yang energy) arises, and it contains the subtle functions of both Gentle Fire and Vigorous Fire. When gathering the medicine, use inhalation alone, without exhalation; during cooking and refining, use both inhalation and exhalation. Nurture it with Li Fire (the fire of the heart-mind), taking care not to overdo it. The key is to let it be neither quite present nor quite absent. The bellows (a metaphor for the breath’s pumping action in moving Qi) must not be too weak, either. Above all, avoid forceful, rapid, short, or coarse breathing. Always breathe gently, at length, freely, and naturally. Keep observing the breath, so that every breath reaches the Root of the Life (the source of life); this is how deviations can be avoided.

Note: These are insights gained through Ning Xuanzi’s own practice and study.

Instructions for Gentle Fire’s Bathing and Warming

During one period of quiet practice in the Great Elixir of the Celestial Origin (a method of cultivating Neidan through primordial Qi), the sequence of firing times and the subtleties of using Gentle Fire and Vigorous Fire must be transmitted orally by a true master. Only then can one practice alone without doubt. Before primordial Yang (the Yang energy present from before birth) begins to arise, use the heart-mind and spirit to sustain and nurture it. Gently harmonize the breath so that it flows continuously, each breath returning to the root. This is how to bathe and warm with Gentle Fire. It is called “the fire-seed in the furnace,” and also “wind returning and blending.”

Once Yang energy begins to arise, use Vigorous Fire to gather the medicine externally, then refine it within the body with Vigorous Fire. This is called “restraining the Yang Pass,” and is also the regulation of the external medicine. After the medicine returns to the furnace and transforms into Qi, continue to let the heart-mind and breath guard one another, focused and mutually reliant. Gather the spirit and enter stillness in the Qi Cavity (the place where spirit is concentrated and Qi gathered in Neidan practice), following the “cessation of all activity” (a meditative state in which thoughts are stilled) until body and mind become quiet. When one enters an extremely deep state of undifferentiated stillness, the opportunity for Yang energy to arise again will appear naturally. As soon as the Qi mechanism stirs, regulate it; after regulating it, return to undifferentiated stillness. With long practice, whether working day or night, when Jing is full and Qi sufficient, signs will naturally appear that the Mysterious Pass has opened and the true seed has been produced. At that point, nurture it with Gentle Fire and refine it with Vigorous Fire.

Note: These are insights gained through the practice and study of the Perfected Zhang Sanfeng.

The Dangers of Light and Heavy Vigorous Fire in Gathering the Medicine

Once the “medicine” obtained through gathering and refining has been brought into the Dantian (the area attended to and cultivated in Neidan practice), using martial fire (the coordinated application of stronger intention and breathing, not forceful breathing) incorrectly or unevenly can be dangerous.

If the martial fire is too weak, the breath becomes shallow and superficial and cannot return to its root. Yin essence (in this context, a bodily and mental state associated with Jing and Qi) may stagnate in the abdomen and fail to transform, eventually being lost. If the martial fire is too strong, the breath becomes rough and hurried and is difficult to regulate. Cold air may also be drawn in and accumulate in the abdomen, causing problems such as abdominal pain and loose stools.

It is important to understand that using martial fire does not mean deliberately controlling the breath through the mouth and nose or making it forceful. Rather, it means concentrating the mind and spirit, steadying the gaze, and gathering one’s attention into a single focus while visualizing the Dantian, as if tending a furnace. Use the Xun wind (here, a metaphor for the breath that sets Qi in motion) to drive the bellows. With the rise and fall of postnatal breathing, let each breath return to its root and thereby stir the precelestial Qi. Allow the two movements of Qi to circulate and surge within the Dantian and the Qi cavity (a place where breath gathers in Neidan practice), so that opening and closing respond naturally to one another, like bellows moving of their own accord as the furnace fire rises. The key to cultivation is to unite Shen with Qi and bring Qi together with Shen. When the Dantian seems to churn and shine like waves of molten gold and silver, as though illuminated by the bright moon, Yin essence no longer stagnates.

The section “Tempering with Martial Fire” says that after the medicine has been placed in the furnace, it must still be tempered with martial fire. The account above describes Guangchengzi’s experience gained through study and practice.

Once the medicine has been placed in the furnace, continue refining it with martial fire (stronger intention and heat). In gathering the medicine, the opening and closing focus chiefly on inhalation: inhaling is emphasized, while exhalation is shorter. This is called “short exhalation, long inhalation.” During inhalation, maintain deliberate focus; during exhalation, do not direct the mind deliberately. In this process, ascent contains descent, and descent contains ascent.

When refining the medicine, opening and closing involve both inhalation and exhalation, moving back and forth evenly and steadily. Both phases of the breath are guided deliberately. This is ascent containing descent and descent containing ascent: refine the medicine by alternating civil fire (gentle heat) with martial fire. Understand that cooking and refining with martial fire depends entirely on the north and south, above and below, joining so that the Four Images (four forces such as Yin and Yang) come into harmony. During the bathing with civil fire, the true cinnabar (the medicine or vital essence in internal alchemy practice) must never be lost. Then warm and nourish it in the central palace (the middle of the body, the center of internal alchemy practice), bringing together the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). This fully explains the secret of regulating and refining the external medicine.

Note: This was gained through the Yellow Emperor’s (Huangdi’s) own cultivation and realization.

Silent Illumination with Civil Fire

Nourishing with civil fire means breathing naturally. Simply concentrate the spirit at the Qi cavity (the place where the spirit is kept and intention focused), maintaining this focus continuously so that the Qi of the Five Phases gathers together. This fully explains the secret of regulating and refining the external medicine.

Note: This was gained through the Yellow Emperor’s own cultivation and realization.

Silent Illumination with Civil Fire

Nourishing with civil fire means breathing naturally. Simply concentrate the spirit at the Qi cavity, maintaining this focus without interruption and keeping it in mind at all times, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. In this way, the breath naturally remains within the Dantian (the abdominal area used in cultivation). This is called nourishing with civil fire. Breathing belongs to acquired Qi and can set innate Qi into motion. When the spirit and intention remain at the Qi cavity, the Qi naturally moves back and forth without ceasing. Each inhalation and exhalation forms one opening and one closing; this is the acquired Qi dynamic of ordinary people. “Opening and closing” refers to the state in which spirit and Qi move and interact.

Note: This was gained through Han Xiangzi’s own cultivation and realization.

The Elixir’s Escape in Sleep

At times, a person may be deeply asleep, with no outward signs of arousal, yet awareness itself leaks away. Why does this happen? It is because, when refining Jing, the use of wind and fire is insufficient: warming and nourishing have not been carried through, the degree of heat falls short, and the work is intermittent rather than continuous and finely sustained.

Sometimes the cause is a dull, heavy spirit and a tendency to sleep too much. One may know only how to gather and contain Jing and Qi, without knowing how to refine and transform them; or one may know how to refine and transform them, but not how to nourish them. In this way, Yang Jing cannot be fully gathered and contained, nor thoroughly refined and transformed so that it returns to Qi. The fire is then too weak, and the Dantian is cold. In sleep and dreams, one is more easily disturbed by Yin demons—negative visions or influences that unsettle the mind during cultivation—and Jing and Qi may leak away.

Sometimes Xun wind—the movement of breath and Qi in cultivation—is excessive, while Li fire, meaning the heart fire or the force of refinement and nourishment, is insufficient. Sometimes the intention remains focused at the mouth and nose, while cold air is also drawn in from outside, leading to abdominal pain, loose stools, and similar symptoms. These are all caused by imprecise control of the degree of heat.

During practice, let the spirit settle within the body, undisturbed by external influences. Let true intention—a focused and clear awareness—remain in the Dantian’s Qi cavity, the inner cultivation site in the lower abdomen. Excessive mental effort scatters the spirit and robs it of its center; excessive force scatters Qi and depletes Jing and Qi. When the mind is strained and one cannot sit or lie at ease, Shen and Qi cannot unite, and true Jing may also be at risk of leaking away. Heart fire rises, while Kidney water flows downward.

Therefore, first set body and mind at ease, rest fully, and then settle into stillness. The ancients said that to quiet the mind, one must first steady the body. Then empty the mind and gather the spirit in the lower Dantian, swiftly refining with martial fire—the stronger application of intention and heat—for thirty-six breaths. Afterward, gather the spirit in the Qi cavity and enter a deep, undifferentiated state of obscurity. Otherwise, true Jing may leak away and fail to be contained.

The ancients also said to empty the heart, keeping it from restless activity, in order to nourish the spirit; and to conserve physical strength, avoiding exhaustion, in order to nourish Qi. When the spirit is nourished, it can become concentrated; when Qi is nourished, it can gather. When neither Shen nor Qi is dispersed, the Great Elixir—the achievement sought through Neidan cultivation—may naturally form.

“Opening the Mysterious Gateway” refers to the appearance of a crucial inner sign during cultivation, indicating that the true seed—the moment when Jing and Qi begin to arise in Neidan practice—is about to emerge. The most important thing at this point is to recognize the right moment. When the true seed begins to appear as if arising from nothing, it is ready to be gathered and refined. But if gathered too early, its potency is still immature and its Qi weak, so it cannot take effect. If gathered too late, its potency has grown stale and its Qi has dispersed instead of gathering. Only when the timing is neither early nor late is it suitable for gathering and refining.

How can one tell whether the moment is early or late? The text says that once “the two currents blow through the Jade Cavern”—a breath or Qi movement described in cultivation—has passed, and the force of the rising Yang organ has also weakened, the moment has come too late. When the breath stops and seems to return to the Primordial Sea, a Neidan term for the source where Qi is stored and gathered, the moment is still too early.

In cultivation, one should gather the mind and cultivate one’s nature, transforming Jing into Qi. Once the true seed appears, one should turn the light back inward: withdraw attention from its outward scattering and observe the Jing and Qi in the lower Dantian, the Neidan practice site below the navel. But one must not fixate on any particular vision or rigidly hold attention inside the body. Clinging to inner forms leads to an empty and distorted attachment. One should remain inwardly aware without deliberately guarding any particular place, allowing the spirit and intention to settle into emptiness and stillness, in quiet accord with natural change.

When thoughts do not arise and distracting ties dissolve, the numinous, lucid nature rests in stillness and endures on its own. This is called “gathering it back.” To “gather it back” means to let go of attachment.

Note: This is Cui Xifan’s explanation, based on his own experience of cultivation, of the crucial moment when the true seed has appeared but the timing is neither too early nor too late.

The precelestial True Seed—understood in cultivation as primordial Qi and the impulse of life—originally has no fixed form. As Shen and Qi respond to one another, they gradually merge completely. Without realizing it, the practitioner suddenly feels warmth and ease in the Dantian, the area in the abdomen associated with internal alchemy; the whole body feels relaxed and joyful, the pores itch, and body and mind seem beyond one’s control.

The Dantian grows gradually warmer, and the movement of Qi begins to flow slowly. The male organ rises vigorously, while the crown of the head seems to feel a stream of cool air. At this point, the Qi cavity—the place where Qi gathers in cultivation—suddenly makes a sound. Breathing then stops, as though it has left the mouth and nose and turned back into the Primordial Sea, where Daoist internal alchemy says primordial Qi returns and is stored. One feels only a thudding in the lower Dantian; the body is startled and trembles for a moment, then becomes still again.

Next, the breath seems to rise. Sometimes it comes out through the nostrils, sometimes it does not; sometimes it reaches the throat and then retreats. Suddenly there is another sound, and the breath turns back into the Qi cavity all at once. It neither goes out nor comes in, and then stillness returns. This pattern repeats: the breath rises, sometimes passing through the nostrils, sometimes not, sometimes reaching the throat before retreating. Then comes another sound, and the breath turns back into the Qi cavity, neither going out nor coming in; the Dantian thuds, and the body trembles for a moment. This occurs three to five times in succession, or six or seven times, before stopping.

At this point, the Dantian seems vast and empty, with nothing above to cover it and no foundation beneath it, yet something is held within. This is the “young sprout of the medicine,” the nascent, subtle impulse of life in internal alchemy. When the movement of Qi has just begun and is still very faint, one must never set one’s intention on gathering or drawing it in. Instead, settle the mind into emptiness and stillness, and wait patiently. Shen and the movement of Qi come together like lodestone drawing iron, as body and mind rest together like an insect lying dormant. The practitioner seems to be in the womb, before birth, with awareness in a hazy state. One cannot bear to leave it, and it does not leave in return. The two draw close and cling to one another, coalescing into a single mass until, without realizing it, one enters a state of chaos.

The experience at this time seems to contract and gather, yet no definite contraction or gathering can be discerned. It seems as though something is being discharged or lost, yet in fact nothing is truly leaking away. This subtle sensation is real, but difficult to describe in words. At this time, none of the limbs or bones can move; one can only hear others speaking. Companions who guard the Dao should watch carefully and never disturb the person in meditation.

Receiving and continuing life—the process called “receiving the mandate” in cultivation—is also the moment when life is most easily harmed. After a while, the pores itch again, and the limbs become soft as cotton. In a hazy moment, the mind and spirit return to clarity: the breath above begins again, and below, the male organ rises once more.

The Qi in the Dantian (energy center) moves upward from below, along the back, until it reaches the root of the kidney channel. The hairline between the thighs begins to itch, accompanied by a feeling of pleasure. “Qi becoming full” means that, once the Qi mechanism is abundant, the Ren and Du channels open naturally and connect. At this point, the upper palate is as if a “jade bell” were being struck; two streams of breath seem to stir in the mouth, and nasal breathing returns. When the time is right, Qi transforms and gives rise to the medicine. As the medicine is about to form, awareness already perceives it. This is when the Mysterious Pass opens and the true seed—the seed of the medicine spoken of in Neidan (internal alchemy)—arises. The body is then neither old nor young, and its natural processes of transformation are in motion. When Qi moves in its normal course, it is precisely the time to reverse its flow; do not miss the moment.

Quickly apply the four-word formula “lick, gather, close”: lick the upper palate with the tongue, gather the breath with the mouth, and hold the breath closed. At the same time, focus the Shen (spirit) on the Qi cavity, the place within the body where the Dantian’s Qi mechanism resides. After gathering the medicine, return it to the furnace and seal it securely. Then, following the timing and regulation of the fire in the orbit of the heavens, set the Qi mechanism in motion and turn the great Dharma Wheel. Refine it repeatedly until the great medicine of the Golden Elixir forms. Completing three hundred circuits of the heavenly orbit lays the foundation for transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood. This describes Jing (essence) and Qi in abundance, restored to the state of an unbroken Qian body, its pure Yang undiminished.

It is also said: turn the breath back into the Primordial Sea—the Neidan term for the place where the Qi mechanism returns and is stored—and gather it inward, keeping it dormant for ninety breaths, or one or two hundred, until the breath surges forth. Only then has one truly mastered the timing of the fire. At the refined stages of cultivation, one must understand the mysteries of applying the fire talismans and the formula for regulating the medicine.

Note: This is the personal insight gained through study and practice by the Perfected Master Qiu, Patriarch Qiu Chuji of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school of Daoism.

The Order of Bringing Forth the True Seed: Heaven’s Hidden Mechanism: The sequence for bringing forth the true seed and its inner mystery.

When the Mysterious Pass (a key sensation or aperture that appears within the body during cultivation) opens, a pleasurable feeling arises. Some people experience it opening continuously twenty or thirty times before it stops; for others, it continues for ten or twenty days. The duration varies from person to person. A person’s spirit and Qi (vital energy) tend toward activity during the day and stillness at night. When the movement of Qi arrives, the mind and spirit can perceive it. With each circulation of the microcosmic orbit (guiding the true Qi along a set route for one complete circuit), the true Qi is gradually refined and strengthened, and the movement of Qi becomes more frequent. Cultivation then proceeds day and night without pause.

Over the course of a day, the number of microcosmic orbit circulations rises from three or five to more than ten, and the practice gradually reaches a point of continuing without interruption day or night. Afterward, one feels that Jing (essence) is gradually transforming into Qi, and the movement of Qi is initiated fewer times each day. Then, the number of microcosmic orbit circulations performed throughout the day and night gradually rises again from three or five to more than ten, and the practice again reaches a point of continuing without interruption. Later, the number of circulations gradually falls back to three or five. As soon as the movement of Qi begins, it dissipates; it cannot fill the jade stalk (the male sexual organ), and the Yang Qi rises only to decline immediately. At this point, follow the movement of Qi as it subsides, gather and draw it in, and circulate it through the microcosmic orbit. Never let the mind and spirit leave the lower field (the lower Dantian, the place in cultivation where spirit is stored and Qi is nurtured), lest spirit and Qi be lost, causing the Three Treasures of Jing, Qi, and Shen (spirit) to separate and cease to function.

If you cultivate with careful discipline and diligent effort, results will come quickly, and you will personally experience the transformation of Jing into Qi. Each time the Mysterious Aperture opens, perform one circuit of the microcosmic orbit’s Fire Talisman (the process of adjusting breath and intention according to the timing of cultivation). This is called “reversing Yin and Yang” and consists of three hundred and sixty breaths (one inhalation and exhalation counts as one breath). After prolonged cultivation, the sign known as “the horse’s Yin hidden form” appears, in which the male sexual organ contracts and withdraws. When the fire’s timing is sufficient and the medicine responds, the glans will retract. Once the required number of microcosmic orbit circulations has been reached, and the “Yang Light appears three times” (a sign in cultivation in which Yang Qi manifests on three occasions), proceed to the practice of gathering the Great Medicine for seven days.

Note: This explanation was written by Li Taixu based on his experience of study and practice.

The Celestial Formula for Gathering the True Seed

The True Seed is the Small Medicine returning to the furnace and vessel (an image for condensing and gathering Jing and Qi in cultivation). Its methods include sucking, licking, gathering, and sealing. “Sucking” means inhaling through the nose to draw in the primordial Qi; “licking” means applying the practice of gathering the Great Medicine.

Note: This explanation was written by Li Taixu based on his experience of study and practice.

The Celestial Formula for Gathering the True Seed

Once the True Seed (the innate Qi generated within) and the Lesser Medicine (the first substance to condense in Neidan practice) are placed in the Crucible and Cauldron (metaphorical sites for cultivating Neidan), there are four key techniques: inhaling, touching, contracting, and closing. Inhaling means breathing in through the nose to draw in innate Qi. Touching means lightly pressing the tip of the tongue against the upper palate to receive the so-called sweet dew, the name given in cultivation practice to saliva in the mouth. Contracting means tightening the anus and drawing it upward. Closing means gathering in the senses, including those of the nose and mouth, turning the gaze inward and focusing on the body.

If the lower part of the body cannot be gathered in, the alchemical fire is hard to concentrate, and what is called Gold (a Neidan term for the refined essence and Qi) is hard to raise. If the Three Passes (the gateways through which Qi is said to circulate in cultivation) cannot be gathered in at the upper part, the spirit easily disperses outward, and the medicine is hard to congeal. All the techniques except “contracting” can be used at the same time. “Contracting” should be applied when the movement of Qi is about to turn back. When the spirit is drawn back into the body and distracting thoughts are dispelled, Qi will naturally turn back.

The commentary says: These are the insights gained through study and personal experience by Patriarch Liu Haitang.

After the elixir has been gathered back into the furnace, seal it firmly with true intention (focused thought that does not scatter). When breathing is stilled, let Shen and Qi settle into concealment. This is the beginning of circulating the microcosmic orbit and entering the Zi hour. That is why it is said that the Zi hour is the time for bathing: this is what it means.

To seal it is to gather in the three gates of the ears, eyes, and mouth, so that the spirit becomes settled and the breath collected for warming and nurturing. Stilling the breath does not mean holding it in. It means ceasing the methods of gathering the elixir and driving the breath. Let Shen and Qi settle into concealment with the exhalation in the Qi Cavity (the place where Qi is stored in Neidan practice). Pause briefly for the space of one breath, allowing it to circle above the Dantian. When the breath stirs, let it emerge with the exhalation. At the juncture between exhalation and inhalation, use the mind’s intent to gather the breath and guide it upward along the Governing Vessel (the channel along the back). Then use true intention to guide primordial Qi in a reverse ascent from the Kun abdomen to the Qian Cauldron (the head’s site of refinement). This is the microcosmic orbit. At this point, advancing Yang Qi and gathering are the first breath of the Zi hour in the orbit. When applied during the six Yang periods, the orbit’s fire phases (the method of regulating the fire in Neidan practice in coordination with the movement of the breath) begin here. Exhalation serves as bathing and belongs to the gentle fire. Once the six Yang periods have run their course, at noon one enters the retreating Yin talisman.

When the precelestial Qi stirs in the center of the head, however, use true intention to guide primordial Qi from Kunlun (the region of the head), entering with the exhalation and descending along the Conception Vessel (the channel at the front of the body) to the Kun Furnace (the area of the lower Dantian), where it is used for cooking and refining during the six Yin periods. At this time, primordial Qi in the Qian Cauldron follows true intention from the upper palate, passes through the Towering Chamber (the throat), and descends into the Qi Cavity. Inhalation serves as bathing and also belongs to the gentle fire.

Note: This was gained by the Perfected Wu Chongxu through study and personal experience.

Mnemonic for the Celestial Secrets of Bathing at Mao and You

Set the cauldron and furnace in place to refine and nurture the mysterious root. In advancing and retreating through the fire phases, one must distinguish the Mao and You gates. At dawn and dusk, within the Yin hours, one must understand the fire phases; the embryo’s bathing must follow the Mao and You gates. Bathing is the proper method for refining the elixir. What follows is the mnemonic for the Mao and You gates.

After setting up the cauldron and furnace, symbolic implements used in alchemy, one must refine and nourish the Mysterious Root, the foundation of cultivation. In applying the firing times, it is essential to understand the two temporal positions of Mao and You. At dawn and dusk, around the time of Yin, one must grasp the rhythm of the firing process. Bathing and fetal differentiation also follow the positions of Mao and You. Here, “bathing” refers to an important method of alchemical cultivation. The “Mao-You Gate” is the place of bathing, referring to the spinal pass and the Yellow Court, sites of cultivation within the body.

Bathing is regarded as an especially crucial and mysterious practice in cultivation. It means allowing the mind and spirit to rest and entering a state of emptiness, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action). Bathing also involves the principles of advancing and retreating, so one need not perform the work of ascent and descent. The Pivot of the Jade Mechanism, which symbolizes the axis of the circuit’s movement, temporarily stops turning. Before the Golden Elixir has congealed, bathing is used to gather the Elixir Qi until it takes shape. After the immortal embryo has formed, bathing is also needed for the spirit to emerge and undergo transformation. Thus, bathing runs through the entire process of alchemical cultivation.

What is meant by bathing? After advancing the Yang Fire, the Qi rises. At this point, the mind and spirit settle at the spinal pass; this is called Mao. Silently counting thirty-six inhalations completes the Mao phase. Before retreating the Yin Talisman, the Qi descends. At this point, the mind and spirit settle in the Yellow Court; this is called You. Silently counting twenty-four exhalations completes the You phase. During bathing, one remains aware without giving rise to distracting thoughts, keeping still and quiet. The ancients said this was like taking a thorough rest, and described it as nourishing with the Civil Fire, a gentle and gradual method of cultivation. Though it is called Wuwei, one must not lapse into dullness; though the breaths are counted, there is no need to force them.

Once bathing is complete, the mind and spirit guide the original Qi again: advance the Yang Fire, retreat the Yin Talisman, and complete the prescribed number of cycles around the circuit. This keeps the source of the Qi’s movement clear and prevents the original Qi from dissipating. If the advance of the Fire, retreat of the Talisman, Mao-You bathing, and circuit are all carried out in a hazy, uncertain way, the Golden Elixir remains at risk of dispersing. Practitioners must therefore proceed with care.

“Bathing and concealment always return to emptiness” refers to the state of true emptiness that appears during bathing. Another explanation holds that bathing is contained in every one of the three hundred and sixty breaths of the circuit’s firing process: when the Qi rises up the back, exhalation is bathing; when it descends down the front, inhalation is bathing. This describes the natural pattern of postnatal breathing and requires no forcing. The workings of Heaven in bathing have now been explained as fully as possible.

The Subtlety of the Oral Instructions for Yang Fire and Yin Talisman

Note: These are reflections based on Ying Tangzi’s cultivation practice.

After gathering and securing the medicinal substance, immediately circulate the circuit of Heaven. At the Zi hour (midnight), begin using Yang Fire and guide it upward from below, stopping at the Si hour. At the Wu hour, begin using the Yin Talisman and guide it downward from above, stopping at the Hai hour. When Yang Fire reaches the midpoint at the Mao hour, arrange a bathing period; when the Yin Talisman reaches the midpoint at the You hour, arrange one as well.

The subtle method is this: from the Zi hour to the Si hour, rest the intention in the lower Dantian (the lower abdomen region used in Neidan cultivation). During breathing, use gentle fire on the exhale and fierce fire on the inhale. From the Wu hour to the Hai hour, rest the intention in the upper Dantian (the head region used in Neidan cultivation). Use fierce fire on the exhale and gentle fire on the inhale. During the Mao-hour bathing period, rest the intention at the Ji Ji (a cultivation site along the spine at the back), let the breath proceed without deliberate control, and silently count fifty-six inhalations. During the You-hour bathing period, rest the intention at the Yellow Court (a cultivation site at the body’s center in internal alchemy), let the breath proceed without deliberate control, and silently count twenty-four exhalations.

Bathing at the Mao and You hours lets the breath move naturally and nourishes it with the gentle fire of Wuwei (non-action). The mind and spirit remain settled, while awareness is maintained without deliberate effort. These are the bathing positions in the circulation of Yang Fire and the Yin Talisman. In Foundation Building, the basic stage of Neidan cultivation, without these oral instructions on the fire phase, there is no fundamental method for exhausting leakage and securing Jing and Qi. Original Yang therefore cannot be stored without manifesting outwardly.

The Subtlety of the Oral Instructions for Gathering the Lesser Medicine

Note: These are reflections based on Chan Master Jiwu’s cultivation practice.

The following describes the practice of refining Jing and transforming it into Qi, the energy used in Neidan cultivation. After the Mysterious Pass, the key opening where Qi is activated and sensations arise throughout the body, has opened, the foundation of cultivation lies in the oral instructions on the fire phase given above. Without this method, there is no fundamental way to secure Jing and Qi and reduce leakage, and Original Yang cannot be stored.

Note: These are reflections based on Chan Master Jiwu’s cultivation practice.

During the process of refining Jing into Qi, when the Mysterious Pass—the crucial aperture in Neidan practice—opens, the seed of Jing and Qi comes forth. At this time, breathing above begins again, and the lower Yang Pass, an aperture associated with reproductive function, stirs. Qi seems to swell on both sides of the Jade Cavern, a term for a corresponding area within the body. When the moment arrives, the mind and spirit know naturally. Then apply the formula “inhale, touch, contract, and close” to gather the true seed of the Lesser Medicine, the Jing and Qi first condensed in practice, and return it to the Kun Furnace, which symbolizes the lower Dantian where it is refined and nurtured.

In the past, this was not explained clearly enough. Here is what it means: when the primordial Qi of the True One—the original Qi realized through practice—has begun to stir, do not leave meditation under any circumstances. Immediately gather Shen and Qi in the Qi Cavity, in the area of the lower Dantian; fix your gaze there and focus your mind as well. Keep your attention undivided, and stray thoughts will naturally settle.

“Inhale” means drawing upward; “touch” means touching the upper palate with the tongue; “contract” means tightening the anal sphincter; “close” means shutting the Three Gates, here referring to the ears, eyes, and mouth. Draw the mind and spirit back within, and direct your gaze to the Mysterious Pass in the Qi Cavity. Use only the inhalation method, not the exhalation method; exhalation follows naturally. With each inhalation, draw the Qi toward the Qian Crown, symbolizing the top of the head, then send the medicinal Qi back to the Kun Furnace. This method allows ascent only along the back; it must not descend along the front. This is the formula for gathering the true seed. Continue until the external kidneys, meaning the external reproductive organs, have fully contracted. Then seal and secure them firmly with true intention, and practice according to the essentials of the Circulation of the Celestial Circuit’s Fire Phases—the method of circulating Qi and regulating the firing times in Neidan practice. Advance the Yang Fire and withdraw the Yin Talisman, refining the Qi until the Great Medicine is formed. By ingesting the Great Medicine and passing through the apertures, one can transcend the ordinary and enter the realm of the sages.

This method was gained through the Chan Master Yuan Tong’s study and direct realization.

Formula for the Original Spirit to Direct the Ascent and Descent of Original Qi

At the hour of the Rat, when applying Yang Fire (the stage in Daoist Neidan practice when Yang Qi circulates), use True Intent (focused, undistracted awareness) to gather and seal the movement of Qi. The Original Spirit (a person’s primordial spirit) guides Original Qi. Visualize a red sun moving upward along the Governing Vessel (the meridian along the back), rising from the Kun position in the lower abdomen to the Qian position at the crown of the head. Do not let it descend as it rises; continue until you have taken 216 inhalations.

At the hour of the Horse, when applying the method of the talisman for descent, the Original Spirit guides Original Qi. Visualize a bright moon descending along the Conception Vessel (the meridian along the front of the body) from the Qian position at the crown of the head to the Kun Furnace in the lower abdomen (the lower Dantian). Do not let it rise as it descends; continue until you have exhaled 144 times.

The ancients said that reversing Yin-Yang and circulating the breath 360 times completes the firing process of the Small Heavenly Circuit. Afterward, return to the undifferentiated state of primordial chaos, still and without action. Use gentle, sustained awareness as a soft fire to nourish and warm the practice, quietly observing the lower Dantian without disturbance. Abide in stillness according to the meditative state of the cessation of all mental activity, and wait for the Mysterious Aperture (the point in Neidan practice where true Qi gathers and begins to move) to open and the True Seed (the fundamental essence and Qi that condense and form in Neidan practice) to emerge. Then begin circulating the Heavenly Circuit again.

The movement of true Qi depends entirely on True Intent to guide it and breathing to propel it. Only then can the Neidan Elixir form and one attain the state of transcending the ordinary and becoming a sage.

Note: These are insights gained through Zhang Xujing’s studies and practice.

The dangers of scattered True Intent are described in detail below:

The Baopuzi says that one must understand the benefits and dangers of the fire phases—the methods in Neidan practice for regulating the breath and intention as they move through the orbit of the body. During practice, no thought should arise: the moment a thought stirs, the fire phase becomes excessive. The mind must not grow scattered, for when it does, the fire phase turns cold. The eyes must not look outward, or the spirit will rush outside and damage the Hun. The ears must not listen outward, or Jing and Qi will dissipate and damage the Po. The breath must not become hurried, or it will grow disorderly; nor should it stop, or it will become intermittent and weak. When the breath breaks off and resumes, and the fire phase alternates between dryness and cold, all manner of problems follow. Unless one applies oneself carefully and guards against these dangers, success in practice will be difficult.

A thought arising does not necessarily mean that the spirit has already rushed outward. Even while circulating Yang Fire, the slightest distracting thought counts as a thought fully arisen. A scattered mind does not necessarily mean that the spirit has grown dull: during the movement of the fire, the slightest lapse in concentration means the mind has scattered. Looking outward does not necessarily mean looking at something improper; opening and closing the eyes repeatedly can also damage the Hun. Listening outward does not necessarily mean hearing noisy sounds; simply attending to the sound of wind or rain can damage the Po. A hurried breath does not mean a forceful movement of the breath. It means being eager for results, like pulling up seedlings to help them grow. A stopped breath does not refer only to deliberately holding one’s breath. Hoping to achieve success by sitting and waiting without effort is like waiting for a hare to run into a tree stump.

To overcome these problems, when circulating the orbit—guiding internal Qi along the meridians—one should rouse the spirit and strengthen one’s resolve, allowing no thought to arise and no intention to scatter. The mind within should not cling to the self, and the world outside should not move it. With reverence and sincerity, focus the spirit and let the numinous, clear mind guide primordial Qi along the Ren and Du channels. Apply neither deliberate force nor slack effort: do not forget to nurture it, and do not force it onward.

When advancing Yang Fire—using the Yang aspect of the fire phase to move upward—be reverent and sincere, and focus the spirit so that it guides primordial Qi along the Ren and Du channels. Do not strive too hard or grow lazy and lax; do not forget its movement, and do not force it to grow. Yang Fire rises like the red sun; the retreating descent of the cycle, in which the fire phase recedes and falls, is like the moon gradually sinking. Let the breath rise and fall naturally in accord with the mind’s intention. Keep the process clear and perceptible without clinging to it or letting it run unchecked. Neither draw too close nor become entirely detached; neither slow it down nor rush it. Do not regard it as truly existent, nor as wholly nonexistent.

During practice, remain at ease and tranquil, continuous and fine in attention, with a mind open and clear. When the pace quickens, do not rush ahead by skipping stages; when it slows, do not come to a standstill. Balance firmness and gentleness, unite Shen and Qi, and bring the upper and lower parts into communication and the front and back into harmony. If one keeps the mind centered and even, the practice will naturally reach the proper balance without leaning to either side, and the breath will neither flood and disperse outward nor become stuck and blocked.

When refining the medicine, avoid letting the breath become too agitated, and avoid letting the Qi mechanism stagnate. The proper balance means neither excess nor deficiency: do not let the breath surge and scatter, and do not let it remain trapped and congested.

During refinement, if the breath is not agitated, it can easily become stagnant. Agitation may come from a lapse in mental focus, or from directing the mind too forcefully, causing true Qi—the inner breath referred to in cultivation—to scatter without cease. It then fails to rise and descend along the proper pathways and may wander chaotically through the meridians. Stagnation, by contrast, often results from excessive fixation of the mind and a sluggish Original Spirit: true Qi remains where it is, does not flow freely, and can become congested. Too many or too few cycles of the orbit, or an excess or deficiency in its degree, can both be dangerous. Excess may force the Qi mechanism outward and cause it to leak away; deficiency may lead to the problem called “the tortoise body failing to withdraw.”

Cultivators should understand the three signs, internal and external, and attain them in sequence. First, the firing times—the measure used to regulate the breath and the stages of cultivation—must be correct. This means not only avoiding the states of having no fire or no timing, but also completing exactly three hundred cycles of the orbit. Second, the “appearance of the hidden Horse Yin” must emerge: the tortoise body withdraws into the abdomen, no longer moves or produces Jing. True Qi is felt only in the Yin-qiao vessel; at times it stirs once or twice, arising within the body without reaching its surface. Third, “the Yang light appears a second time” between the eyebrows, flashing like lightning. This is precisely when the firing times must cease. Otherwise, it will be difficult to attain the Dao. Those who cultivate the Dao should apply their minds with care and fully understand these three instructions; only then can they speak of transcending the ordinary and entering sagehood, while remaining mindful of the dangers of cultivation.

The wondrous uses of the civil and martial methods of the orbit

In Small Circuit practice, Gentle Fire and Vigorous Fire each have their own function, which has not yet been explained. When the Qi of the six Yang channels rises, exhaling is Gentle Fire; when the Qi of the six Yin channels descends, inhaling is also Gentle Fire. During the “bathing” periods at Zi, Wu, Mao, and You—the stages of regulating the breath and resting quietly during the Small Circuit’s circulation—Gentle Fire is used as well.

At this time, the True Intention, focused yet unattached, quietly observes the lower Dantian, as well as the upper Dantian and the region between the Jiaji point and the Yellow Court. One settles the mind and nurtures one’s nature, returning to emptiness and stillness, resting without forced action.

Vigorous Fire means inhaling as Yang Fire rises along the back, drawing Qi in; when the Yin Talisman descends along the front, one inhales to gather the Qi back. Concentrating the spirit so that thoughts do not wander is called “deliberate action”: the Original Spirit guides the Original Qi along the body’s front Conception Vessel and rear Governing Vessel. Here, “deliberate action” means intentionally guiding the breath’s movement.

Although this involves deliberate effort, the firing process must not be hurried. Though circulation is practiced as a form of cultivation, the breath should remain natural and unforced. Only then does one accord with the subtle workings of the Dao’s natural order. The ancients said, “When the human mind accords with the mind of Heaven, true Lead within Kan will appear.” This describes precisely that state.

Note: These are the insights Li Xian’an gained through his practice and study. The formulas governing the firing process and measures of the Small Circuit’s circulation are subtle and mysterious, as follows.

“Advancing the Yang Fire” and “withdrawing the Yin Talisman” use acquired breathing to set innate Qi in motion. Once the sealing and stabilization are complete—gathering and holding the movement of Qi—first advance the Yang Fire through inhalation: beginning at the hour of Zi, take thirty-six breaths in each hour; during the hours of Chou and Yin, take seventy-two breaths. The three hours total 108 inhalations. At the hour of Mao, bathe—temporarily pausing the phases of advancing and withdrawing the fire, and calming the spirit to rest. Let the mind and spirit settle at the Jiaji point in the middle of the spine, and silently count thirty-six inhalations. When you feel the movement of Qi begin, advance the Yang Fire again: thirty-six inhalations at Zi, and seventy-two during Chou and Yin, for a total of 108. At Mao, bathe again, keeping the mind and spirit at the Jiaji point and silently counting thirty-six inhalations. Remain aware and observe clearly, without becoming attached to thoughts. This is called one “great rest.”

After silently counting thirty-six breaths, continue through the hours of Chen and Si, taking seventy-two breaths in all. The five Yang hours thus total 180 inhalations. If the bathing at Mao is also included in the count, the six Yang hours total 216 inhalations. The ancients said, “Qian uses nine,” referring to nine as the Yang number of the Qian trigram in the Book of Changes. The four tallies and four divisions mentioned here are counts obtained with yarrow stalks, used also to explain the number of breaths. In sum, four times nine gives thirty-six inhalations; accumulated into the Yang lines, they make 216 inhalations, called the “longer rear quarter.”

When advancing the Yang Fire, keep the mind and spirit at the lower field, or lower Dantian. When withdrawing the Yin Talisman, keep them at the upper field, or upper Dantian. At the hour of Wu, exhale twenty-four times in one hour; during Wei and Shen, exhale another forty-eight times, for a total of seventy-two across the three hours. At the hour of You, bathe, letting the mind and spirit settle in the Yellow Court, a bodily location in Daoist inner cultivation, and silently count twenty-four exhalations. This too is called a period of rest. Here as well, remain aware and observe clearly without forming attachments. After silently counting twenty-four exhalations, continue through the hours of Xu and Hai, exhaling forty-eight times in all. The five Yin hours total 120 exhalations, not counting the bathing. If the hour of You is included, the six Yin hours total 144 exhalations. The ancients’ saying “Kun uses six” likewise draws on yarrow-stalk calculations to explain the function of exhalation. Four times six gives twenty-four exhalations; accumulated into the Yin lines, they make 144 exhalations, called the “shorter front quarter.” “The complete circuit of the heavens is…”