《济一子道书十七种》

Primordial Qi (the fundamental vital energy that existed before Heaven and Earth came into being) and postnatal Qi (the energy formed after birth through food, breathing, and other means) can both be understood here. The medicine of immortality is not to be sought in the sea; the Elixir that realizes the sage’s Way is also found in the human world. The author has forged this book into a mirror for those who practice cultivation, so they can see themselves clearly, as they would see their own features in a mirror, and readily understand its principles.

Primordial Qi is hidden within postnatal Qi. It is the true essence symbolized by the Dragon and Tiger, Daoist Neidan’s emblems of Yin and Yang Qi. Empty, still, and formless, it is wondrously subtle and effective. When practitioners obtain these two kinds of Qi, this is called “obtaining the medicine.” The experience that arises is one of inner sensation: the spirit grows drowsy, as if mildly intoxicated, while the heart feels at ease. The movement of Qi flows through the limbs, bringing a gentle, harmonious warmth like that of spring. If this experience can be sustained in daily life, it is no mere fleeting occurrence.

The sun has its own time of conjunction, and the moon has its own time of conjunction. One must fully investigate the roles of the two Earth phases, Wu and Ji, and determine the positions of Geng Metal and Jia Wood.

A scripture says, “The moon has no light of its own; it shines by borrowing the sun’s light.” The Cantong qi says, “Between the dark moon and the new moon, the sun and moon join in union and move in accordance with their tally.” This describes the movement of the sun and moon between Heaven and Earth. The human body, too, contains a sun and a moon. Their brightness, waxing, and waning resemble those of the celestial sun and moon, so one should understand that they also have their times of conjunction. The sun and moon follow the Way of Heaven in their courses and thus shine on without end; the seasons change ceaselessly, allowing all things to grow without end. Yin and Yang interact, keeping Heaven and Earth forever renewed. Those who cultivate the Dao should model themselves on these transformations.

Wu Earth represents Jing (essence), while Ji Earth represents true nature. One must examine one’s feelings and intentions and bring them into accord with true nature; only then can Metal and Wood proceed together. The principle is profound and inexhaustible, and should be explored to its depths. The positions of Geng Metal and Jia Wood must first be established: Jia Wood symbolizes the Azure Dragon, Geng Metal the White Tiger, heart Fire the Vermilion Bird, and kidney Water the Black Tortoise. They are arranged in the four directions, with Earth at the center. Neidan (internal alchemy) is formed by the coalescence of the Qi (vital energy) of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). One should understand that the Azure Dragon of the East emerges from Fire, while the White Tiger of the West springs forth toward Water. Metal and Water share one palace, and Wood and Fire accompany each other; the principle is contained in this.

The upper Magpie Bridge and the lower Magpie Bridge correspond to the stars above and the tides below.

Magpies form a bridge and fly across the open sky: this is where the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet. The Dao connects Yin and Yang just as it connects the Cowherd and Weaver Girl; without this bridge, they would remain forever separated. The upper Magpie Bridge is a ladder to Heaven, while the lower Magpie Bridge is a raft on the river. The upper bridge concerns the course of the Northern Dipper and is used to coordinate Yin and Yang and harmonize Water and Fire. The lower bridge symbolizes the waters of the Celestial River flowing upstream and also refers to the Milky Way within the human body; it receives the Qi of the sages and perfected beings. It reaches upward to the Gate of Heaven and descends downward to the depths of the Earth. The stars appear in the heavens, and the tides surge on Earth; through them, the workings of creation take visible form, concealing subtle principles within. Following the patterns of Heaven and the forms of Earth, one finds that nothing lies beyond their reach.

Raise the Xun wind (the Wind trigram image of Xun) and set the Kun fire in motion (the stage of firing symbolized by Kun), allowing the medicine to enter the Yellow Chamber (the inner palace in the abdomen described in internal alchemy) and be refined into the most precious treasure.

Chen Xiyi said: “Suddenly, the fire wheel scorches the axis of the earth. The spirit and Qi surge up fiercely and burst out over the mountain peak. Fan the Xun wind and urge on the Kun fire; only through vigorous, forceful refinement can lead and gold be produced. Lead rises with the force of the fire. At this point, only the fire is visible, not the medicine; the medicine lies within the fire. This is the true Yang within Kan (the Yang energy contained in the Kan trigram), used to restore the true Yin within Li (the Yin energy contained in the Li trigram). The three carts (an image for conveying essence and Qi in internal alchemy) then carry it upward in reverse along the route to the Niwan (a cultivation site within the head), before it is poured into the Yellow Chamber and congeals into a golden embryo in the spirit chamber, ultimately becoming a priceless treasure.”

Water fears drying out, and fire fears the cold. The slightest deviation is enough to prevent the Elixir from forming.

“Drying” and “cold” here refer to excess or insufficiency in cultivation. The water of nature and the fire of emotion must be kept in balance at all times, with care taken to reach just the right degree. The medicine may be ripe or unripe, and the firing may be gentle or fierce; the slightest mistake prevents the Elixir from forming. Some also say that cultivation allows no deviation at all and must be undertaken with the utmost care. Deviation means mistiming or an improper degree of firing: descending when one should rise, or rising when one should descend; water flooding through in excess, or fire burning too fiercely and dryly. In such cases, the balance of Yin and Yang is lost. More serious still is a lack of focus in refining the heart, leaving the mind and spirit scattered. Even if one obtains true Qi (the authentic vital energy spoken of in cultivation), without the original spirit to guide it, cultivation will ultimately fail.

The lead dragon rises and the mercury tiger descends. Direct these two forces; do not let them run unchecked.

The fire dragon refers to mercury, and the water tiger to lead. The “lead dragon” mentioned here refers to the Kan within…

The lead dragon rises, and the mercury tiger descends. To make these two forces obey, one must not let them scatter of their own accord.

Here, “fire dragon” means mercury, and “water tiger” means lead. The “lead dragon” refers to the single point of true Yang within the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water; the “mercury tiger” refers to the single point of true Yin within the Li trigram, which symbolizes fire. Usually, the dragon is said to descend from above, while the tiger rises from below. Here, “the dragon rises” means drawing out the Yang lead within Kan and having the Wood Dragon carry it upward. “The tiger descends” means replenishing the Yin mercury within Li as it descends with the Metal Tiger. In cultivation, one uses strong fire to draw out the lead and gentle fire to replenish the mercury, capturing the dragon and subduing the tiger so they do not move recklessly. Making these two forces obey depends entirely on focused mind and spirit: thoughts must remain gathered, and the spirit must stay firmly settled. Even slight carelessness would be like releasing the dragon into a ravine or letting the tiger return to the mountains, causing considerable harm. One must first subdue them before they can be made to obey and refined into the divine medicine. The Wuzhen pian says: “Take hold of them with both hands and bring them together to contend; in the end, they transform into a piece of purple-gold frost.”

The divine medicine is born in Kun, and its seed is planted in Qian. Cultivate with sincerity, and follow the natural laws.

The Wugen shu says: “Born in the direction of Kun, it can bring forth the divine medicine.” The Wuzhen pian says: “Take hold of them with both hands and bring them together to contend; in the end, they transform into a piece of purple-gold frost.”

The “product” used in cultivation arises in Kun, which symbolizes Yin and the receptive place, like a furnace. The “seed” belongs to Qian, which symbolizes Yang and the place of refinement, like a cauldron. The key to cultivation lies in utmost sincerity and following the laws of nature.

The Wugen Shu says, “The product is in the direction of Kun.” Here, Kun refers to the human body. Kun is paired with Qian: Qian is like a cauldron, and Kun like a furnace. The medicine is produced in the furnace, then placed in the cauldron for refinement. Qian belongs to Yang and Kun to Yin; their original order is that Yang gives and Yin receives. Here, however, what is received is taken from Kun and planted in Qian, as though the natural order were reversed. In this way, the “Obstruction of Heaven and Earth,” which symbolizes Heaven and Earth failing to communicate, becomes the “Peace of Earth and Heaven,” which symbolizes their harmonious union.

This reversal, however, is only an outward image. When Yin and Yang first unite, the true Yang within Qian enters Kun, forming Kan; the true Yin within Kun enters Qian, forming Li. Hence the saying: “Though Yang is in a woman’s body, it is a man’s; though a man’s body is originally Yang, it is a woman’s.” This describes an inner exchange of Yin and Yang as well. From this begin the foundations of creation, the origins of movement and stillness, and the interweaving, transformation, and flow of Yin and Yang.

In the initial stage of cultivation, true fire is used to drive the medicine into motion, making it travel from Kun through Qian. This is called “martial fire,” referring to a relatively urgent and forceful degree of heat. During the circulation of Qi, one must guard against danger. Once the medicine enters the cauldron, it is slowly refined with a gentle degree of heat, called “civil fire.” At this point, one need only model oneself on the natural workings of Heaven and Earth. Safeguarding the cauldron and the process of cultivation calls for reverence and care. To model oneself on nature means not imposing willful action, but allowing transformation to unfold on its own. What is required is simply unwavering, continuous sincerity.

“Steal from Heaven and Earth, seize the workings of creation, gather the Five Phases, and bring together the Eight Trigrams” means that cultivation draws upon the subtlest powers of Heaven and Earth, grasps the pivotal workings of Qian and Kun, follows the processes of Heaven and Earth, harmonizes Yin and Yang, and brings the Five Phases together with the Eight Trigrams. This kind of “stealing and seizing” is not a method that ordinary people can master. Without instruction from a teacher who truly understands this Dao, by what means could it be accomplished?

“To steal” is to draw upon what remains unknown to others; “to seize” is to actively alter the original, orderly course. After completing these practices, one must also bring the Five Phases together in proper measure. When the Cinnabar Cauldron—the vessel of body and mind used in internal refinement—is complete, the hundred spirits, a traditional term for the various spirits within the body, will gather. Then it is sealed with an earthen vessel, as one would protect the implements of elixir refinement, and gently nurtured day and night at the proper times. Cultivation proceeds through hidden, subtle movement. With every breath, one returns to the root, gradually purging all Yin turbidity, transforming oneself into pure Yang, and ultimately completing the sacred body.

When true Water joins with true Fire and the two mingle, Mercury does not age. The “true Water” and “true Fire” spoken of here are not images of ordinary water and fire. The single drop of true fluid within the Li trigram, which symbolizes fire, is called true Water; the single spark of true Yang within the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water, is called true Fire. They follow separate courses by nature, so how can they unite? The Yellow Matron, a symbol of the power that harmonizes and brings them together, must guide them, while true Earth, a symbol of the power that regulates from the center, keeps them in balance. The True Fire of Samadhi, the inner fire spoken of in cultivation, must be kindled before it can blaze. Then it merges with the Water of Nature, a symbol of inner fluid, and becomes one. The body of Li Mercury—the body and mind represented by Mercury—can thus return to youth and attain longevity.

Water flows downward and fire rises upward. This can also be verified directly within the human body.

Precelestial Water and Fire depend on and interact with each other; postcelestial Water and Fire clash like enemies. Water’s downward flow and fire’s upward rise are the natural properties of the Five Phases, the five elements used in ancient thought to explain relationships among changes in things. The human body, too, contains water and fire: their traces can be seen, and their effects can be felt. By applying the wondrous timing of the fire process, one can verify this firsthand. The scripture stresses that this is no empty talk about principles or fanciful comparison.

The “nature and life” spoken of here are not the ordinary “spirit and Qi.” The essential meaning of “lead from the water region” ultimately comes down to a single substance.

The spirit involved in thought and the Qi that moves with the breath are both acquired Qi. “Nature” refers to the Original Spirit—the spirit present from before birth—while “life” refers to Original Qi, the vital energy present from before birth. Taken together, the Original Spirit and Original Qi are Dao Qi. Speaking only of ordinary spirit and Qi does not convey the most authentic and subtle essence of the prenatal state, nor does it reach the foundation of cultivating nature and life.

Silver contained in lead is called the White Tiger; mercury contained in cinnabar is called the Azure Dragon. These are symbolic terms from alchemy. In the ordinary sequence of the Five Phases, the mother gives birth to the child, so it is said that “Metal generates Water.” The Dao of the Elixir, however, speaks of reversing this sequence: as though the child were to give birth to the mother. Thus it says, “Water generates Metal.” This is the meaning of “lead emerges from the water region.”

The significance represented by the word “lead” is profound and difficult to express fully. The black lead found in the world is also thought to have absorbed the Qi of Great Yin and to contain the essence of primordial mysterious water; for this reason, it can be used to prepare Waidan (external alchemy). Within the human body, too, there is an essence called “lead”: it is born from Water and formed through Fire. If practitioners can find lead in Kan (symbolizing Water and the kidneys) and obtain mercury in Li (symbolizing Fire and the heart), they will have grasped the essentials of Neidan (internal alchemy). The phrase “this single substance” refers to this fundamental essence, regarded as the source of the Great Dao and the beginning of Yin-Yang.

The Apertures of Returning to the Root and Restoring Life—the gateways for returning to life’s source and recovering primordial Qi—open through the Tailbone Gate, at the base of the spine, and reach the Niwan, the crown of the head.

The human body has nine apertures and three passes. From the Tailbone Gate, up through the Spinal Clamp and Jade Pillow, all the way to the Niwan at the crown, these are called the three passes along the back. When Shen is stored in the heart and Qi in the body, life can recover its original state and its root can return. This is like plants drawing in their vitality and preserving their roots. To cultivate by this method, one must connect the Ren and Du meridians and set the River Cart in motion, a metaphor in Neidan cultivation for circulating essence and Qi. Terms such as Golden Liquid, Jade Liquid, Yin Heel, and Yang Heel must also be clearly understood and kept distinct. Investigate the nine apertures thoroughly and open the passage all the way through, allowing the two Yin-Yang energies to rise to the Niwan. The Niwan is the Sea of Marrow; the brain marrow must be replenished through steady, diligent cultivation. Returning to the root and restoring life is the path toward longevity and immortality.

The three carts of Jinpu seize the sage’s secret, break open the nine apertures, pass through Caoxi, and carry it over a great distance to the summit of Kunlun; ten thousand rays of rosy light shine upon the Purple Tenuity.

The true bellows and the true crucible—the bellows and tubes here standing for the action of circulating Qi in cultivation, and the inner place where essence and Qi are refined and nurtured—are both what is present within emptiness and what is empty within presence.

The wondrous function of the crucible is difficult to bring about without the bellows. The bellows is a vessel of emptiness, symbolizing the void; the tube symbolizes an aperture. The winter and summer solstices correspond to the changes in breathing over the course of a year; the first quarter, full moon, dark moon, and new moon correspond to changes in breathing over the course of a month. Breathing also changes between day and night, and even within each inhalation and exhalation there is a rhythm that is slow and prolonged.

The Book of Changes says: “Opening and closing are called change; ceaseless coming and going are called free passage.” Nature is the real presence contained within emptiness; life is the true emptiness contained within presence. Only when presence and emptiness intermingle do Shen and Qi begin to unite. When Shen condenses and Qi congeals, the Sage Embryo takes shape—the inner foundation formed from essence, Qi, and Shen in Neidan cultivation.

Using the “Yellow Matron” as a mediator—symbolizing the central Earth of intention, that is, the Earth of Wu and Ji—the “Maiden” is brought into union. In Neidan, the Maiden refers to the Yin Qi or Yin spirit within the body. The movement should be gentle, and the lifting should take place in stillness. When Yin and Yang meet, the Yellow Matron must harmonize them from the center in order to draw forth the Maiden’s Qi. True Fire is concealed within the Earth of Wu and Ji. It stirs the lead-metal, and when the fire grows strong, the lead-metal returns to its original nature and enters the Southern Palace, a Neidan term for the abode of the mind-spirit. Then, draw it out gently and guide it silently, so that Qi rises at the back and descends at the front, passing through the “Towering Structure,” a Neidan term for the area around the throat, and returning to the Cinnabar Residence. There it is sealed and nurtured with warmth.

Chen Niniwan said: “The spirit talisman turns in stillness, passing through the Three Passes; the lead-Qi rushes to the Yellow River and enters the Great Luo.”

During the twelve double-hours of the day, practice may be undertaken whenever the intention arises. The hours from Zi to Si belong to the six Yang hours, and those from Wu to Hai to the six Yin hours. This passage speaks of refining during the day and bringing the Elixir Qi to completion; it does not prescribe that practice must begin at the Zi hour. There is no need to cling to any particular time among the twelve double-hours. Whenever one intends to practice, one may do so. With diligent gathering and refinement over time, achievement becomes easier. The point is that practitioners should continue their efforts, not that they must divide the hours according to a schedule beginning at Zi.

“Drink the knife-tip measure, glimpse Heaven’s subtle workings, discern the new and full moons, and know dusk and dawn.” A knife-tip measure originally means a tiny amount resting on the point of a knife; here it is a metaphor for a very small portion. “Drink” means to take it. The Baopuzi says that one need not take much when consuming primordial Qi. After taking it, the Numinous Treasure resides within oneself, and innate subtlety becomes manifest. The saying “With a knife-tip measure entering the mouth, feathers and wings grow in broad daylight” means that taking this small portion of the elixir is like growing wings in broad daylight and ascending to immortality.

The moon passes through phases such as the waxing crescent, the full moon, the waning moon, and the new moon; the sun, meanwhile, passes through the phases of Tun at dawn and Meng at dusk. The dark moon and new moon are times for gathering and refining, while Tun and Meng are times for applying the method.

One must distinguish sinking from floating, and master from guest. Yin-Yang Qi must gather and join; it must not be allowed to separate.

Metal sinks, while Wood floats upward; lead sinks, while silver floats upward. Why can silver float? Because it has Qi. Nature—the person’s inherent nature and inner ruler—is my true master. Lead comes from outside, and Mercury, a term for the Yin Qi within the body in alchemical language, receives it from within. Even if the other is master and I am guest, I must use the external Yang lead to set things in motion and gather in the Yin Mercury within the body. Yin and Yang must be paired and kept constantly united, never allowed to part. Through daily cultivation and timely firing, Yin and Yang join, giving rise to the “Golden Lotus,” an image symbolizing the completion of the Elixir in internal alchemy.

When gathering the ingredients, regulate the firing time and intensity. When receiving the movement of Qi, proceed with care to avoid bringing about danger.

The ingredients require fire; without fire, they cannot be brought to completion. Fire arises from the ingredients, and the ingredients work through fire. The Cantong qi, a Daoist Neidan classic, says: “The Vermilion Bird is the essence of fire; hold to balance and harmonize victory and defeat.” In refining, keep Water and Fire in balance, allowing neither to grow excessive. Ultimately, the ingredients are Qi, and fire is also Qi. To receive this movement of Qi is a great blessing and good fortune. If it is handled poorly and danger results, the furnace will be destroyed and the cauldron ruined, symbolizing a failed and damaged practice.

Once the firing time and intensity are sufficient, do not harm the Elixir. This is the numinous wonder of Heaven and Earth, which Creation does not readily bestow.

When the work of circulating the Heavenly Circuit is complete, the firing should stop. If the Elixir is already full and one continues to refine it, it will not become fuller; instead, it will be damaged. Hence the warning: “Not knowing contentment, and not knowing when to stop, leads to overturning and danger.” How can one know when the firing is sufficient? Look for the signs that it is time to stop. This is the numinous Elixir nurtured by Heaven and Earth, a supreme treasure of the human body. Creation does not make it easy to obtain. Once obtained, it must be cherished constantly, as though cradling a pearl of jade, and never forgotten.

When the Elixir embryo first takes shape, observe the original mandate; when the Elixir embryo is finally shed, look to the Four Correct Positions.

Before the Elixir embryo has formed, one must refine Jing into Qi and replenish what has been depleted. This is called “laying the foundation,” the preparatory work of cultivation. After the Return Elixir is achieved, the Elixir embryo gradually takes shape. When it is time to shed the embryo, one must rely on the Four Correct Positions, a Neidan term for the points of reference used in observation and discernment.

When the “sacred embryo” of the Neidan first takes shape—the primordial Shen, or spirit, that gathers and forms through internal cultivation—one must observe one’s innate life destiny. At the final stage, when one emerges from the embryo, one must observe the “Four Alignments.”

Before the sacred embryo has formed, one must refine Jing into Qi, transforming essence and vital energy into the Qi of internal cultivation and repairing the body’s deficiencies. This is called “laying the foundation.” Once the Golden Elixir has formed, the sacred embryo takes shape. Refining Qi into Shen is then called “becoming a sage.” During the first two stages of cultivation, one must focus the spirit on the Golden Embryo, gathering the mind and spirit at the root of life. After ten months, the sacred embryo is fully mature. Like ripe fruit falling from its stem, it emerges from the womb: the primordial Shen passes through the Niwan, an area inside the crown of the head, while Qi surges through the Gate of Heaven at the crown. Afterward, one must continue “nursing” the embryo by nurturing it with warmth. When one’s cultivation is complete, one can return from form to emptiness and depart riding purple mist and a flying dragon.

The “Four Alignments” refer to the four directions or times of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You. Once one has emerged from the embryo, these inner cultivation points of passage no longer serve a purpose. Someone asked, “After emerging from the embryo, does one still need to nurse it?” When one’s cultivation is complete, outsiders cannot know; all around, palaces shimmer like night lights.

Cultivation must be kept strictly secret, and every statement about it should be confirmed in practice. Immortality is a state everyone longs for, yet it is exceedingly difficult to attain. Even Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, though emperors, sought immortality and failed. The Book of Changes says, “If what is secret is not kept confidential, it will lead to failure.” The Rhapsody on the Yellow Crane also says, “Choose a suitable place, and guard the matter’s secrets with care.” The ancients gave these warnings long ago. They should be respectfully observed, and secrets must not be disclosed lightly. If one guards them carefully, Qi and the elixir— the dynamic of Qi and the substance in Neidan cultivation—will come naturally. One can complete the restored Golden Elixir and nurture it, ultimately bringing cultivation to fruition.

This text contains eighty-two sentences, and every one can be confirmed in practice.

In the Hetu, “seven” represents the completed number of Fire. “Returning” means turning back after departing and reclaiming what originally belonged to oneself: what was lost outwardly before birth now returns from outside to within, from elsewhere to one’s own body. The “Elixir” is formed by condensing the essences of the “Crow and Hare,” symbols of the sun and moon; the character itself also suggests the sun and moon joining together.

The key to alchemy lies within the person, not in anything else. The Zhi Xuan Pian says, “A person must be guided and liberated by another person in order to transcend the ordinary world.” Cultivation begins with “refining the self”: tempering one’s true intent and true Earth. The “self” here is one’s own true Earth. There is both one’s own Earth and the complementary “Wu Earth”; when the two Earths unite, they form a “gui,” which serves as the foundation for refining and nurturing.

The practitioner must wait for the right moment to arrive, when an opportunity is sensed and a response appears. The “time” here means the “Living Zi Hour.” It is not a fixed time among the twelve two-hour periods of the day, but the moment in cultivation when Yang Qi first arises and a response becomes perceptible. The ancients considered this moment exceptionally precious: within it lie both the transformations of creation and the pivotal workings of cultivation.

At the winter solstice, Yin Qi reaches its extreme, and Yang Qi begins to sprout from the deepest depths. A similar change takes place in the human body: since birth, this is the first time the body’s true Qi stirs, and it is called the “Primordial Cauldron.” This stirring is the “Living Zi Hour.” “Midnight” refers to the middle of the night, and can also describe the juncture when the Hai Hour is ending and the Zi Hour is about to begin; the scripture uses it as a metaphor for the crucial threshold where Yin and Yang alternate and Yang Qi first arises.

“Long leakage” means that the work of cultivation continues day and night without interruption. The “gently warm lead cauldron” is the furnace in which lead is produced and its Qi gently nurtured. When this movement of Qi arrives, a golden radiance shines through. The Rootless Tree says, “In the gently warm lead cauldron, the treasure appears in a glow.”

The Wugenshu says, “Warmth gradually arises within the lead cauldron, and a precious light appears.” It also says, “The golden essence flourishes, its radiance dazzling.” Lü Zu says, “The lead light appears just three days beforehand.” The Song of Daoist Sentiment says, “Where a flash of lightning appears, seek the true seed.”

Here, “curtain” refers to the scene that seems to arise when one closes the eyes and turns inward in contemplation, as though a veil has descended. “Piercing the curtain” means that light shines in from outside, symbolizing the discernible signs that appear when true Yang arrives.

“Creation and transformation” means “the true Yang golden essence.” “Striving against one another” describes the Qi of Yin and Yang in conflict: true Yang has just arrived and is still weak, yet seeks to take the lead; Yin wants to withdraw but cannot retreat completely all at once. The situation resembles two armies meeting. “The Dragon and Tiger unite” uses the Dragon and Tiger of Neidan to symbolize the two forces of Yin and Yang. Only when they join does transformation occur, condensing into what is called “the precious body giving birth to gold.”

“Advancing the fire” refers to regulating the firing process during cultivation; the key is to get the timing right. “Ox and Dipper in peril” uses the changing positions of constellations such as the Northern Dipper and Ox as a metaphor: traveling across the Magpie Bridge—the Neidan passage connecting the Ren and Du meridians—is perilous. Practitioners must remain vigilant at every moment, since the slightest lapse may undo all their previous work.

“Qujiang” is the name of a river, used here as a metaphor for Kan water; “above” means that it has already risen above Qujiang. The following phrase, “the moon’s radiance, clear and pure,” describes a scene bright and pure as moonlight. Elixir texts often say that practitioners will see it with their own eyes, but later readers have often guessed that it means golden light accumulated inside the body. The meaning here is that the moon appears in the west and is seen by an observer in the east, its radiance pure and bright, its waxing and waning like the moon itself. Elixir texts mention the moon many times, yet its meaning is often overlooked. The Wuzhen pian says, “As soon as half the moon appears at the edge of the sky, the Dragon roars and the Tiger howls.” The relationship between the moon in the sky and the Dragon and Tiger of internal alchemy within the human body calls for careful reflection.

“Crow flies” describes refining something real out of utter emptiness: one sees the Golden Crow, a symbol of the sun, fly into the Guanghan Palace, the Moon Palace, as though the sun had moved into the moon.

The Golden Crow—the crow in the sun, symbolizing true Yin within Yang—flies into the Guanghan Palace, the moon palace, where the Jade Rabbit, symbolizing true Yang within Yin, is also present. At this very moment, the Golden Crow appears from nothingness and refines the substantial into being. This is the scene described as “the sun moving into the brightness of the moon.” Then one personally takes a small measure of the elixir and tastes it. Who would believe in such a wondrous thing? The body and mind, originally pure, still, and empty, give birth to an elixir from nothingness, like a woman carrying a child: Shen and Qi gather together to form the elixir. This completes the meaning of this passage.

Next, one must distinguish the source of Water and its clarity or turbidity. The Water produced by the First of Heaven has its source in Metal. Once clarity and turbidity have separated, the forms of Metal and Water also differ, and they must be clearly recognized to avoid mistakes. Jia Wood in the east and Geng Metal in the west are far apart; they may be separated by material concerns, by people, or by place. Without a master’s guidance, this is difficult to understand. Since ancient times, sages have transmitted it orally, from one to another. It is hard to grasp through strenuous thought or guesswork alone. Though the principle is profound, anyone with the good fortune to meet someone in the lineage—like Bai Yuchan, who traveled far in search of a master—can learn it if they are determined.

The essential principles of the Dao are subtle and profound, and Heaven’s secrets are hidden and far-reaching. Even if you begin cultivation at once, it may still be too late, since no one can know how long they will live.

The essential meaning of the Dao (the Way) is profound and subtle, and the secrets of Heaven and Earth are far-reaching and hard to fathom. Even if you begin cultivating today, it still feels too late. Why? No one can know how long a person will live. The road to Penglai, the legendary sea mountain where immortals dwell, requires the accumulation of three thousand meritorious deeds. Only when both merit and cultivation are complete can one ride alone on the clouds and return.

Commentary on Shaozi Kangjie’s Poem

Long ago, Chen Tuan of Zhenyuan transmitted the Dao to Zhong Fang of Luoyang. Zhong Fang passed it to Mu Xiu of Ruyang; Mu Xiu passed it to Li Zhicai of Qingshe; and Li Zhicai in turn passed it to Shao Yaofu. Shao Yaofu’s given name was Yong. He received the posthumous title Kangjie and was from Henan. He first studied under Li Zhicai. Li asked him, “If you do not study books, how can you learn the principles of things?” After Shao Yong had studied, Li asked again, “Is there not also a teaching concerning nature and life?” Shao Yong bowed once more and received his instruction.

The records say that Shao Yong was exceptionally intelligent and often knew in advance how things would turn out. Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi believed that his learning joined inner cultivation with the art of governing the world. He mastered the River Diagram and Luo River Writing, as well as the mysteries of change worked out through images and numbers. Since the Qin and Han dynasties, few people had understood this learning; Shao Yong alone inherited it.

A Man Blessed with Keen Ears and Eyes

To hear clearly, see distinctly, and have well-formed features is a very different condition and blessing from being deaf or weak-sighted. Heaven and Earth give life to all things. I am fortunate to have been born human, and to have been born a man as well. That, too, may be called good fortune. With heroic aspirations and a broad heart, I should strive to become a sage, cultivate myself into an immortal or a Buddha, and not waste this seven-foot body.

On Heaven’s Endowment and Not Being Poor

Hongjun refers to Heaven. Heaven grants people their allotment of life, and people receive the nature Heaven bestows; originally, nothing is lacking. Heaven may make me poor and lowly, or subject me to the limits of a shorter or longer life, but it cannot suppress my aspiration to become a sage. The good nature Heaven bestows is present in all things. How could that be called poverty?

Only by probing the “Moon Cave”—the cultivation moment symbolized by the Gou hexagram—can one learn what the “thing” is. Here, “probing” means seeking and gathering. The “thing” refers to the primordial substance perceived by a person in a state of indistinct awareness. In the past, it was unknown; now, through personal verification, one understands that only by gathering it according to the proper method does one discover how deeply it is hidden in the Moon Cave. What, then, is this thing? Zhuangzi’s “fish of the Northern Darkness” and Laozi’s words, “There is a thing, nebulous and complete, born before Heaven and Earth,” both describe it. Patriarch Wang Chongyang said, “When the moment arrives, Qi naturally changes; when stillness reaches its utmost, the opportunity naturally stirs.” When stillness and concentration reach their utmost, any sign of movement marks the stirring of primordial creation. At that moment, something suddenly appears, dimly visible, neither inside nor outside the body. This is the Great Medicine—the term in Neidan for primordial essence and Qi—just beginning to sprout, its first sign appearing.

When movement arises, primordial creation has stirred. Something suddenly appears, dimly visible, neither inside nor outside the body. This is the Great Medicine just beginning to sprout, its first sign appearing.

Without treading upon the “Heavenly Root”—the foundation of cultivation symbolized by the Fu hexagram—how could one know the “person”? Here, “treading” means seeking and taking. The “Heavenly Root” is the true essence contained within a person amid obscurity and indistinct awareness. It is regarded as the root from which Heaven and Earth, humanity, all things, and the immortals and Buddhas come into being. The “person” does not mean an ordinary human being, but this source from which all things arise. The meaning is that, before meeting a teacher who could transmit the teaching, one did not know there was a Heavenly Root. How, then, could one know how to seek and take it, much less understand the mystery of how life is generated? Probing the Moon Cave reveals the source of creation; treading upon the Heavenly Root reveals the foundation from which life arises. This couplet traces the account backward, recounting what the cultivator has personally verified.

When the Qian hexagram meets the Xun hexagram, they form the Gou hexagram, which corresponds to the summer solstice. The Gou hexagram symbolizes the “Moon Cave”: one Yin line rises beneath five Yang lines, like the waning moon. “Observing” means looking closely, as in the phrase “observe the Way of Heaven” from the Scripture of the Hidden Accord. The commentator considers Fan Yibin’s explanation of the word “observe” in his Explication of the Hidden Accord to be the clearest.

When the Earth hexagram meets the Thunder hexagram, they form the Fu hexagram, which corresponds to the winter solstice. The Fu hexagram symbolizes the “Heavenly Root”: one Yang line rises beneath the Yin lines.

Thunder arises within the earth, revealing the Root of Heaven: Spring thunder sounds beneath the earth, symbolizing the Return hexagram, in which one Yang line first arises beneath five Yin lines. This is the time of the winter solstice. Its image is called the “Root of Heaven”: one Yang rises from beneath the five Yin, like the first appearance of the waxing crescent moon. “Revealing” here means observing with the eyes. The “Root of Heaven” is the source of Heaven and Earth, and the origin of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Such observation has its proper time and direction. The practitioner must use the mind and spirit to discern when the substances of cultivation—such as Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy)—come into being. When the Qi mechanism stirs, it manifests like a sound. The moment must not be missed. This couplet describes the principles of cultivation.

The Root of Heaven and the Moon’s Cave come and go at ease: The “Root of Heaven and Moon’s Cave” refer to the subtle, wondrous apertures of cultivation. Understanding their mystery allows one to recognize this aperture. A scripture says, “This is no ordinary aperture. It is formed from the Yin and Yang of Qian and Kun, and is called the Cavern of Shen (spirit) and Qi; within it are contained the essences of Kan and Li.” “Coming and going” here refers to breathing. The sun sets and the moon rises; heat gives way to cold. The sun and moon alternate, bringing forth light, while the succession of cold and heat gives rise to the seasons. When does this movement occur in cultivation? At the hours of Zi and Wu. Where does it occur? At the two gates of Mao and You. Another scripture says that the movement of the Northern Dipper—the celestial marker used in ancient times to indicate direction and the seasons—establishes the four seasons and the eight seasonal divisions. The Dipper’s pivot, in the region near the Pole Star, appears still, while its bowl and handle shift in their course. The practitioner should bring the two eyes together, guide them up and down, and work in stillness and settled concentration, without rushing the movement. In this way, the Return and Meeting hexagrams, which symbolize the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang, can be applied to refine the complete Neidan (internal alchemy). This line describes the method of cultivation.

All thirty-six chambers are spring: A scripture says, “All thirty-six chambers can reveal the images of the hexagrams; this principle is worth a thousand pieces of gold and is not passed on to ordinary people.” The “thirty-six chambers” refer to the spaces within the body used in cultivation. All three hundred and sixty joints and eighty-three thousand pores throughout the body can become harmonized and unobstructed. Another scripture says that an itch arises in the pores, as though every pore throughout the body were filled with springtime. The spirit feels refreshed, as after a bath, while the body experiences a soft, sweet pleasure like that of union. Each day feels as though one were intoxicated beneath the flowers, at ease and joyful everywhere. This line describes the physical and mental sensations that follow cultivation.

The Rhapsody on the Yellow Crane opens by saying that the highest form of cultivation involves no contrived action and no attachment to accomplishing anything. The “Seven Returns of the Reverted Elixir” refers to the fact that movement must arise first, after which one can return to stillness.

The commentary explains that Daoist cultivation has lower, middle, and highest levels. At the highest level, one does nothing. The cultivator retraces the Three Passes—the three gateways described in cultivation—and undergoes a process of transcending the ordinary body and returning to life’s original state. At this point, perceptions such as sound and breath disappear, and the mind is like the vast emptiness of the Great Void. When the “Primordial Qian” (the source of pure Yang) appears, Buddhism calls this realizing “suchness,” the true nature of things. This shows that cultivation at the lower and middle levels still involves specific practices.

“Reverted Elixir” means that the Elixir is something inherently present within oneself. “Reverting” means returning from outside to inside, from what belongs to another back to oneself, and recovering what was lost. “Seven” is the completed number of Fire. When Yang Qi moves to its utmost, it turns to stillness; when Yin Qi is still to its utmost, it turns to movement. Movement and stillness alternate, each becoming the root of the other. The art of refining the Elixir lies in discerning the first stirrings of movement within profound stillness. What Shao Yong called “between one movement and one stillness” expresses an extremely subtle principle in the transformations of Heaven, Earth, humanity, and the myriad things.

Those of superior De preserve the body through the Dao; this is the state in which pure Yang, represented by Qian, remains intact. Those of inferior De rely on techniques to prolong life; this is the condition in which Kan, representing Yin and acquired Qi, has already formed.

The Dao De Jing says, “Those of the highest De do not deliberately display their De; those of lesser De do not lose their De.” The immortals’ teachings say that the body is preserved through the Dao, and the lifespan extended through methods of cultivation. One must first master the methods for continuing life and replenishing one’s foundations before proceeding to cultivate the Dao and preserve the body.

“Pure Qian, unbroken” refers to a person whose original endowment is intact and whose Jing and Qi have not yet been depleted. If such a person meets a sage teacher, they need not undergo the practices of building the foundation and restoring life, but can enter the “ten-month” stage directly. This opportunity is exceedingly rare. After that stage, even a single depletion of Jing and Qi leaves one with a “leaking body,” which must first be replenished through cultivation. If “Kan has already been broken”—meaning that one’s original Jing and Qi have been depleted—one must first cultivate for one hundred days, transforming Jing into Qi, and then proceed to the stages of “ten months and three years.”

Thus, to apply the Way of Yin-Yang, one cultivates within ordinary life. The method called “transcending the world” follows the process by which a man and a woman conceive and bring forth life: first practicing each day to transform Jing into Qi, then undertaking the stages of “ten months and three years.”

The Yi Jing says, “One Yin and one Yang: this is called the Dao.” The Wugen Shu says, “Apart from Yin and Yang, the Dao is incomplete.” This path of cultivation emphasizes the union of Yin and Yang, the joining of Water and Fire. When people see someone withdraw to the mountains for quiet cultivation, unmarried and without an official post, they assume that this is what cultivating the Dao means. They do not know that the Dao exists among people and is not found only in remote mountains. Buddhists say that they cultivate and attain the Great Dao amid the evil age of the Five Turbidities. The aim of cultivation may be to transcend the ordinary world, but its methods must be sought within ordinary life.

The “worldly ways” mentioned here include the relationships between ruler and subject, parent and child, husband and wife, brothers, and friends, as well as the many affairs of daily life. People give birth to children by following the Way of Yin-Yang; those who cultivate the Elixir Way model their practice on this process. Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng said, “Following the natural order, people beget descendants; reversing the workings of nature, one can cultivate Neidan.” These words point directly to the key. There is no need to interpret “quietude and Wuwei” as sitting motionless in isolation. “Heavenly mechanism” refers to the root of Heaven; only by first activating this root can one connect with and make use of that mechanism.

To cultivate both nature and life, one must draw on support in two forms, called “method and resources”: the methods of cultivation, and the provisions and conditions needed for the practice.

Nature and life depend on one another. If one speaks only of cultivating nature and does not cultivate life, nature cannot be established; if one speaks only of cultivating life and does not cultivate nature, life cannot be made complete. At the beginning of practice, cultivating nature serves to nurture life. In the end, cultivating life serves to fulfill nature. From beginning to end, the aim is to cultivate both nature and life fully. They must proceed together, with neither neglected.

The ancients said that cultivating nature alone without cultivating life is like adorning a coarse, inferior stone chime with dark gold; cultivating life alone without cultivating nature is like owning a mirror that shows one’s face but having no treasure. They also said that cultivating nature without cultivating life is the foremost failing in spiritual practice; cultivating ancestral nature without practicing the methods of the Elixir, even after countless kalpas, makes it difficult to pass from the Yin spirit into the realm of the sages. Xiao Liaozhen said, “Dual cultivation of nature and life is the true transmission: profound and subtle, mysterious beyond mystery.”

People today know only solitary practice and seated meditation, but do not understand the subtle principle of cultivating nature and life together. If they depart from the transformations of Yin-Yang and go against the natural processes of creation, they cannot attain accomplishment. To undertake dual cultivation, one must rely on mutual support through “Dharma and resources.” “Dharma and resources” refers to the material means needed for practice; “both uses” means that both nature and life can be cultivated. Such support is needed from the very start of practice. That is why the undertaking of dual cultivation must have something to depend on.

First make friends with like-minded people who can support one another, then seek a household with ample means so that arrangements can be made properly.

Patriarch Zhongli said, “Money is not difficult to raise; the difficulty is finding suitable companions.” The Cantong qi says, “Two groups of seven gather together and support one another.” Yingchanzi said, “People who share the same aspirations and follow the same path must support one another; this is indispensable. When three people share the same aims, they must be all the more careful to look after one another.” Tianlaizi said, “To cultivate the Golden Elixir, one must join with fellow practitioners, with three people guarding one another. Without like-minded companions, if one travels only with ordinary people, the Great Medicine will be hard to refine, and the Gold and Mercury will disperse.” The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says, “One must choose three fellow disciples and help one another.” Xue Daoguang said, “Three people of like mind must carefully guard against danger.” The Song of the Crucible and Vessels says, “There must be three people of one heart.”

Many scriptures say that three people should practice together; none say that one should cultivate alone. One should also seek the support of a powerful household, because this undertaking requires substantial backing. As the saying goes, “The Golden Elixir comes from the wealthy.” When the immortal elder Shi Xinglin taught Xue Zixian, he said he could go to a large town with convenient transport and rely on influential people to carry out the work. The Essentials also says that one must rely on a wealthy and powerful household for inner assistance and outer protection. Zhang Ziyang succeeded only after receiving help from Ma Duyun; Xue Daoguang refined the Golden Elixir only after receiving support from Zhang Huanwei. First make friends with like-minded people, then seek the right opportunity and proceed step by step. Without many years of preparation, success cannot come quickly.

Yet if one wishes to seek the highest Dao, one must secretly ask one’s master about the Mysterious Pass—the profound and subtle key to cultivation.

Note: People in the world who wish to seek the utmost truth encounter principles that are subtle and methods that are secret, and these are not easy to hear of. Cultivation has an exceptionally mysterious key that one should ask one’s master about in secret and keep firmly in mind.

Choose a suitable place, carefully keep the methods of cultivation secret, and prepare an appropriate Elixir chamber and equipment.

Note: “A good place” means a blessed site suitable for cultivation. “Careful conduct” means acting respectfully and prudently while keeping the cultivation methods secret. The Elixir chamber is the place where alchemical methods are practiced, and the vessels are the corresponding tools used in cultivation.

“Blessed ground” refers to a place suitable for living that can bring good fortune. “Careful conduct” means acting with respect and caution, keeping matters confidential and not revealing them lightly. Patriarch Danyang said that choosing a companion and accumulating resources were ways to seek blessed ground. Shangyangzi said that with a suitable companion and sufficient resources, one has many forms of external support, so cultivating immortality does not necessarily require retreating to the deep mountains. Once such blessed ground is secured, one can build a meditation chamber; all the tools and daily necessities should be appropriate and well matched.

Setting up the furnace and cauldron is a metaphor for inner and outer correspondence, like the two Qian-Kun (Heaven and Earth, symbolizing Yin-Yang). Through “refining the self” (nurturing one’s mind and nature) and “building the foundation” (strengthening the basis of cultivation), one secures the self as a state.

If any one of the “four essentials”—method, resources, companions, and place—is lacking, achievement is difficult. Only when all four are in place should one set up the furnace and cauldron. These vessels take Heaven and Earth as their model, hence the expression “Qian furnace and Kun cauldron.” They are also divided into an inner cauldron and an outer cauldron. The Principles of Celestial Immortality says that the outer cauldron refers to the physical form of the Dantian, while the inner cauldron refers to the Qi within the Dantian. The “two Qian-Kun” means that the Yin-Yang of Heaven and Earth is divided into inner and outer levels. The patriarchs’ phrase “two layers of Heaven and Earth, four Yin-Yang” means the same thing.

Once the vessels are prepared, one must work at refining the self and building the foundation. Without tempering the mind and nature, the foundation cannot be established; if the foundation cannot be built, refining the self will have no effect. An old teaching says that cultivating immortality follows a set sequence of stages, while the work of refining the self has no end. The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says that gathering the medicine is easy, but refining the self is most difficult; cultivation should bring the mind and spirit into harmony and quiet the thoughts into settled stillness. The Principles of Celestial Immortality says that when inner and outer can be made one, the foundation can be established; without this unity, it cannot.

The ancients often used the state as a metaphor for the human body: the heart is the ruler, Qi the ministers, and Jing the people. When Jing is abundant and Qi is full, it is like a prosperous country with a settled populace. The Awakening to Reality says, “Only when the people are at peace and the country is prosperous should one seek battle; only after the battle is over can one meet the sage.” This means that Jing and Qi must first be abundant and body and mind settled. Only after the foundation has been built can one speak of further cultivation. A person’s body can also be divided into inner and outer aspects, so the furnace and cauldron naturally have inner and outer forms as well.

In cultivation, the key is to encounter things in the world without being moved by emotion or drawn along by them. Only by achieving this can one hope to accord with the state of the sages. A settled populace and a prosperous state symbolize a firm foundation for cultivation. Though “self” and “other” are distinguished within the same body, can the alchemical furnace—the metaphor for refining the Elixir—really have an inside and an outside?

To encounter things and forget emotion requires a keen and courageous will. Broadly speaking, gently warming the contents of the furnace and forging a treasured sword call upon the qualities of hardness and softness symbolized by Metal and Water.

Note: At the outset of cultivation, the crucial point is to encounter the external world without being affected by it. Though one is within one’s circumstances, one must not be moved by them; only then can one regard human relationships lightly and forget the distinction between self and other. When beginning cultivation, let distracting thoughts return to emptiness and focus the whole mind. Persevere with a strong and keen will, and only then may one achieve something. The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says, “Courage and vigor make success easy; slackness and laziness make it hard.” The key to refining oneself through Jade Fluid—a Neidan practice grounded in cultivating body and mind—and the essentials of forging a sword with Metal and Water, which uses these images to describe balancing firmness and softness in cultivation, concern the source of Heaven and Earth’s generative transformations and the foundation of Yin-Yang change. Only through tempering can one make it sharp and bright and reach a state of nimble, transcendent awareness. Cultivation should take place at the “Three-Five” moment, a specific time indicated by Neidan formulas, when Shen and Qi are clear and bright and the force is keen as a peak; firmness and softness must also be properly balanced. The patriarch said, “A flying spirit-sword, sharp at both ends; the returned Elixir falls upon the summit.” To warm the furnace means to refine and nourish continuously with a gentle firing process.

When applying the methods and increasing or reducing the firing process, one should pause and regulate the breath, then bathe and cleanse body and mind when obstacles arise. As with plucking a zither or striking bamboo, when forces are in contention, one should remain soft and still.

“Hold the Gate of Heaven in the hands, and let the Earth’s axis turn from the heart” means that, in cultivation, the heart governs the body’s vital energy at its pivotal point, regulating the movement of Yin-Yang and the changes of transformation. “Set in motion the opening and closing of Heaven and Earth, and practice the joining of the sun and moon” refers to carrying out inner cultivation in accordance with the waxing and waning of Yin-Yang. “Draw out lead and add mercury” is a term from Neidan (internal alchemy), referring to refining the Yin-Yang essence and Qi within body and mind. At this point, the vital energy, like a curtain, gives off light; the alchemical cauldron grows warm, and the Dragon and Tiger—symbols of Yin and Yang Qi—meet at the Magpie Bridge, the channel of vital energy that links above and below.

This is an especially dangerous stage, so one should withdraw the fire and halt the talisman, pausing forceful exertion and turning instead to the practice of “bathing.” This is not physical washing, but the cleansing of thoughts and the gathering and nourishing of what lies within.

The True Transmission of the Golden Elixir says, “Bamboo must be struck, and the qin must be played.” A Branch of Flowers says, “Among the flowers, I strike the bamboo and play the qin; my mind is as still as water.” The Essential Points says to strike the bamboo first to lift what has become stagnant, then play the qin to bring the breath into harmony. The Awakening to Reality says, “Strike the bamboo to summon the turtle to swallow the purple fungus; play the qin to invite the phoenix to drink from the knife-point measure.” These sayings use “striking the bamboo” and “playing the qin” as metaphors for regulating the breath and guiding Qi: striking the bamboo makes the heart-mind empty and still; playing the qin makes the abdomen full.

Using water’s nature—its tendency to flow downward and its refusal to contend—as an analogy, the scripture calls this the true way of holding to softness and stillness. Laozi said that he never sought to put himself ahead of others, yet often followed their lead. The Awakening to Reality likewise advises against underestimating an opponent when facing them, and says that even if the other takes the host’s position while one takes the guest’s, there is no harm. This is what it means not to contend. The face-to-face pairing of Qian and Dui, and the inverted husband-and-wife pairing, both use the opposition and union of Yin-Yang to explain how each responds to and follows the other.

After a hundred days of cultivation, the practice gradually begins to show its efficacy: one can respond to circumstances and bend or extend with ease. After a full year, the practice is mature, and the pursuit and gathering of vital energy can be directed by the heart.

The Scripture of the Jade Emperor’s Mind Seal says, “When the returning wind is blended, the work shows results in a hundred days.” This means that through practices such as regulating the breath and gathering the spirit, the breaths within the body are brought together, and results may become apparent after about a hundred days. The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says, “When the work is complete in a hundred days, its wonder surpasses the circuit of Heaven; able to bend or straighten, it responds to things with efficacy.” This means that once a hundred days of practice have borne fruit, the practitioner can adapt to change and respond flexibly to events. The “year” mentioned in the text roughly refers to ten months of cultivation, together with the practice of regulating the breath and bathing at the mao and you hours. Xue Daoguang says that bathing throughout the year is meant to prevent danger during cultivation; when harmonizing body and mind over ten months, one must be especially cautious and disciplined. The Song of Gathering Gold also says that during the ten months of practice, one should diligently swallow the saliva.

At this stage, Neidan (internal alchemy) is like a fetus that has matured, and its nourishment and use are governed by the mind-spirit. The “three hundred days of fire timing” means nurturing the embryo for ten months. At this point, the spirit can leave the body, sometimes traveling far away and sometimes returning. The practitioner can transcend the constraints of the register of life and death and enter the ranks of the immortals. What remains is to refine the original spirit until it leaves the physical form. After that come the stages of “three years of nursing” and “nine years facing the wall.”

The practitioner can steal life-giving Qi (vital energy) from the killing impulse and use it to transform the Yin essence within their own Yang Qi.

The so-called Dao (the Way) is the taking of the subtle workings of Heaven and Earth’s creative transformation: extracting the utmost Yang Qi from within the utmost Yin. Thus the Scripture of the Hidden Talisman says that no one under Heaven can see or know this “stealing of the mechanism.” What is meant here is the Yin essence within Yang Qi.

This passage explains how Water and Fire dwell in the same chamber and how life and killing transform one another. Life-giving Qi must be sought within killing Qi. Shangyangzi says, “There is a blade that kills, and there is also a means of saving life.” The Treatise on Awakening to Reality says that if one can transform the workings of life and killing, fortune and misfortune can turn into one another in an instant. It also says that only by understanding the cycles of life and killing can one see how kindness may emerge from harm. Heaven, Earth, and humanity—the Three Powers—steal from one another. The practitioner borrows the subtle workings of Heaven and Earth’s creative transformation in the pursuit of long life and immortality.

What is called “the Yin essence within my Yang” is termed “Yin essence within Yang” in the Treatise on Awakening to Reality. The text says that it is not firm in substance, and that cultivating this one thing by itself is ultimately futile. One must obtain the life-giving Qi within the other’s killing Qi and use it to transform this essence. Therefore, the scripture says that if the essence within Kan is introduced into the position of Li, Yin and Yang can be brought to pure Yang, allowing one to gather the Qi of ascent and flight. The text has already made clear the principle of using the other’s substance to transform oneself.

Jade Fluid, a practice in Neidan (internal alchemy) that uses essence, Qi, and bodily fluids as metaphors, and Golden Fluid, a practice that further refines essence and Qi, each serve a different purpose: one completes the cultivation of nature, the other the cultivation of life. First come the two periods, followed by the four periods; these are used to effect transformation. Hence the saying: “Once you obtain the essence of the Kan palace—the Kan trigram of the Bagua, symbolizing water and Yang within Yin—and transform the aperture in the Li palace—the Li trigram, symbolizing fire and Yin within Yang—the body of pure Yang can draw in the immortal Qi that rises and soars.” To transform oneself with what is found in that other place: the principle is this clear. Why do people not consider it carefully?

Jade Fluid and Golden Fluid: one completes the cultivation of nature, the other the cultivation of life. Of the two and four periods, half belong to Kan and half to Li.

Note: Jade Fluid chiefly cultivates nature; Golden Fluid chiefly cultivates life. The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says: “The marvel of the Jade Fluid Return Elixir is even more profound; it depends entirely on Golden Fluid to refine ordinary lead. It is like tempering a sword and then grafting it anew: this brings the effects of lasting youth, freedom from aging, and a lifespan of ten thousand years.” The text also says: “The Great Way of the Golden Elixir lies wholly in the joining of Shen and Qi; the secret of Jade Fluid has no other wondrous method. Within one double-hour are six periods: the first two obtain the medicine, and the last four warm and nurture it.” This is the meaning of “in two periods, gather Muni, the numinous medicine of Neidan; in four periods, distinguish the spirit’s efficacy.”

“Half Kan and half Li” does not mean simply dividing the six periods into a Kan part and a Li part. The Li trigram is empty in the middle, while the Kan trigram is solid in the middle. Li is Yang containing Yin; Kan is Yin containing Yang. Thus one must obtain the solid substance at the center of the Kan position and use it to transform the Yin substance within the Li palace.

At the beginning, bring nonbeing into being, and one will see the Dragon in the Tiger’s place. In the end, when Wu Earth circulates and joins with Ji Earth, one understands that Tiger and Dragon meet in the Dragon Palace.

Note: The Cantong qi says: “Being and nonbeing merge into one another, while above them abides wondrous De.” Here, “nonbeing” refers to nature, and “being” to life. Bringing nonbeing into being is the practice at the entry to cultivation. By beginning with the cultivation of nature, one gradually comes to understand how Tiger and Dragon meet.

The Cantong qi also says that being and nonbeing merge into one another: “nonbeing” is nature, and “being” is life. One begins by cultivating nature and then cultivates life as well. Nature is symbolized by the Azure Dragon; life, by the White Tiger. Phrases such as “enter the tiger’s lair, pluck the tiger’s whiskers, and seek the tiger’s cream” describe, in Neidan terminology, probing deeply to obtain the essence within the root of life. At this stage of cultivation, it is as though the Dragon has fallen asleep in the tiger’s lair. Ji represents Yang Earth, and Wu represents Yin Earth; when the two Earths join, they form the shape of a gui. The Crane Grove says: “Set Wu Earth in motion as a matchmaker, joining it with Ji Earth; when Metal returns to nature, one may celebrate the Elixir’s completion.” The White Tiger symbolizes Metal within water, and the Azure Dragon symbolizes Wood within fire. Wood and fire dwell together in one palace, while Metal accompanies water. Within these two substances are also contained the Four Images; they meet one another in the Mysterious Palace, and from this the inner Elixir takes shape.

To distinguish whether the medicine—the Jing and Qi gathered and refined in Neidan cultivation—is immature or mature, the key is to discern whether the source of the water, the root from which Jing and Qi arise, is clear or turbid.

Note: The essential skill in gathering the medicine is knowing whether it has matured. The Tianxian Zhengli says: “If one does not understand the true methods of cultivation, then even if one gathers, there will be no medicine to gather. If the medicinal Qi has not yet reached pure Yang, then even if one knows how to gather it, the medicine will not come when called.” If the medicinal Qi is too immature, it lacks strength; if it is too old, the Qi has already dissipated. Neither can be refined into an Elixir. The “source of the water” refers to the source from which the Qi of Heaven’s First Arising begins to emerge. What matters is that it be clear and pure, not turbid; this also depends on whether the mind can become calm and settled. An old verse says: “When the mind is settled and the spirit at ease, the source of the water is clear; when thoughts are scattered and the spirit confused, the source of the water is turbid.” One must examine it carefully and often, and practice with precision, allowing not the slightest uncertainty.

Those who refine the self and await the right moment must wait for Yang Qi to stir in the Red District (the place where Yang Qi first arises). If circumstances are urgent and they must immediately approach the furnace—that is, begin furnace and cauldron cultivation—they must wait for Gui Qi to stir in the Divine Land (the corresponding site of Qi activity within the body).

Note: Qinyuanchun says: “To return the Elixir through the seven cycles, one must first refine the self and await the right moment before beginning cultivation.” The first stirring of Yang is the right moment; “awaiting the moment” means waiting for it to arrive. The Red District may also be called the Red River. The phrase “the mysterious pearl of the Red River” means that the mysterious pearl can be obtained only when the moment is right. When approaching the furnace to cultivate and face the inner experience, one must wait for the true moment. “When urgency arises” means acting at once when the moment arrives, without letting it pass. “Gui stirs” refers to the signs that Gui Qi is moving. The Wuzhen Pian says: “When lead meets the birth of Gui, gather it swiftly.” The Song of Gathering Gold says: “Know when Gui is born, recognize when Gui appears: thirty periods of the double hours make two and a half days.” The Yang arising in the Red District and Gui stirring in the Divine Land both describe the moment when Qi activity begins. How could anyone seeking to set up the furnace and place the cauldron, and undertake cultivation, fail to understand these principles?

If one observes the “Dragon in the Field”—a sign that Yang Qi has appeared below—one should quickly cook and thoroughly refine it. If one suddenly hears the “Tiger roar from its cave”—a sign that Yin Qi, or a corresponding movement of Qi, has begun—one may reverse the sequence and proceed in the opposite direction.

The Book of Changes says, “The dragon appears in the fields. It is favorable to meet a person of great virtue.” This is the second nine line of the Qian hexagram. At this stage, it is just right to regulate the additions and withdrawals—a term in alchemy for adjusting the firing process and increasing or reducing the ingredients—and to refine repeatedly with an intense firing process. The fire is no longer immature, as with the hidden dragon of the first nine line, yet the substance has not already congealed into form, as with the third nine line, when further gathering and refining are no longer appropriate. The Wuzhen pian says, “The white tiger of the western mountain is fierce; the azure dragon of the eastern sea cannot be resisted. Seize them with both hands and let them clash violently; in the end, they become a single piece of purple-gold frost.” The Four Hundred Words on the Golden Elixir says, “The dragon comes from the eastern sea, and the tiger rises from the western mountain. The two forces fight a battle and become the essence of Heaven and Earth.”

Reverse Yin-Yang and turn back the changes of nature. Set the Xun wind in motion—the alchemical wind that drives the movement of Qi—and employ the bellows, a metaphor for the action of breathing or circulating energy. Travel in reverse from the Great Mystery Pass, a cultivation aperture, to the Celestial Valley point, an acupuncture point in the head. Let golden essence pour into the crown of the head, silver fluid surge like a tide, and wind arise in the Niwan Palace, an internal alchemical center in the head. Let the Crimson Palace, the internal alchemical center in the heart, shine like the moon; let the Magpie Bridge, the channel joining the upper and lower Qi pathways, give off auspicious fragrance. Sweet dew descends, the hundred meridians converge at their source, and the nine passes, the various apertures used in cultivation, are fully opened. This is what is meant by: “After Heaven and Earth unite, a single point of elixir falls into the Yellow Court, the body’s central Dantian.”

The saying “Fire drives metal out of the Kun furnace” is why this process is called “seven returns.” Metal passes through the refinement of fire and returns to the Qian cauldron; this is why it is called “nine reversions.”

Here, “metal” means the elixir. The Cantong qi says, “Only when metal returns to its original, innate nature can it be called the reverted elixir.” The Zhinnan says, “The force of fire drives the metal elixir into motion, reversing the natural order. Once refined, it returns to the Qian cauldron; hence it is called ‘nine reversions.’”

The “Metal” spoken of here refers to the “medicine” in cultivation: the subtle substance refined through Neidan practice. The Cantong qi says, “Only when Metal returns to its original nature can it be called the Returning Elixir.” The Guide says, “The force of the fire drives Metal into motion; though the transformation seems contrary to the natural order, it accords with nature.” The True Exposition of the Way says that people know fire can overcome Metal, but do not know that Metal itself must also be tempered by fire. When Metal remains in its ore and has not entered the furnace, it cannot be extracted and refined without fierce heat. Thus “seven returns” means that cinnabar returns to its original nature, while “nine reversions” means that the liquid Metal is restored to its original state. Seven is the number of Fire; nine is the number of Metal.

“Emerging from the Kun furnace and returning to the Qian cauldron” means that the Qi of Yin and Yang rises from the Kun furnace, which symbolizes Yin, and returns to the Qian cauldron, which symbolizes Yang. One side gives and the other receives: this is what “returning and reverting” means. The mutual operation of nature and feeling is called “taking Kan to fill Li.” It is also called “returning Jing to nourish the brain,” “igniting the Li point,” or “restoring the healthy body of Qian.” All these expressions convey the same idea.

“Reversion” refers to what Qian lost and then regained; “return” refers to the true thing that left me and has now come back.

The transformation of the precelestial Qian and Kun into the postcelestial Kan and Li means that the central Yang line of the Qian trigram was lost. Now the solid central Yang Qi is taken from the position of Kan to transform the Yin line within the Li palace, so what Qian lost returns to Qian. The “I” spoken of here is Qian. What was lost at the beginning of the primordial, undifferentiated state is now recovered as something originally possessed; hence it is said to have left and then returned.

People do not understand that following the transformations of Yin and Yang gives rise to human beings and all things, while reversing those transformations makes it possible to cultivate oneself into an immortal or a Buddha.

The author explains that the phrase “shu bu zhi” means “in fact, it is easy to understand.” Laozi says, “My Dao is easy to understand and easy to put into practice, yet no one under heaven can truly understand or put it into practice.” Heaven, Earth, and I come from the same source; the myriad things and I are originally one. Human beings have a relatively high degree of spiritual awareness among the myriad things, and grow and reproduce alongside them. For this reason, human beings and the myriad things together are called “humanity and things.”

The principles by which people become immortals or Buddhas are, at the outset, no different from the principles by which human beings and the myriad things come into being. The key lies only in whether one follows the ordinary course or reverses it. Following the ordinary course makes one an ordinary person; reversing it makes one a sage. This has been said since ancient times. The Perfected Person Tuoyang’s Entering the Fire Mirror says, “Following the course, one becomes human; reversing it, one forms the Elixir. Grasp this principle, and one can become an immortal.” The Rootless Tree also says, “Following the course makes one ordinary; reversing it makes one immortal. The key lies in the turning and transformation at the midpoint.” A Single Stroke says, “If you know the source of your own life, you will understand that the power of creation rests in your own hands.” Zhang Ziyang says, “When the Five Phases follow their course, this is the ordinary way of arising and perishing; when the Five Phases reverse their course, the spiritual Elixir in the Elixir cauldron can endure forever.”

The Complete Methods of the Numinous Treasure says that when a person first receives the essence and blood of their mortal parents, they are in a formless, undifferentiated state. After the essence and blood settle, a membrane forms in the first month; a fetus forms in the second; the hun soul is born in the third; the po soul takes shape in the fourth; the five organs form in the fifth; the six viscera form in the sixth; the seven apertures appear in the seventh; the eight luminous aspects are complete in the eighth; the body’s shape and features are fully formed in the ninth; and the breath is sufficient in the tenth. Finally, the infant leaves the womb and is born.

The cultivation of the restored Elixir broadly follows a similar process. At the outset, when one receives the subtle Qi of the “Numinous Father and Sacred Mother,” it must undergo nine harmonizations and ten unions before Metal Qi begins to form. At that point, one remains in an undifferentiated state: spiritual awareness is profound and empty, with no color or abyss to rest upon, and no form or shadow to attach to. Once primordial Qi has settled, the Five Phases gradually spread throughout, vast and all-encompassing, while subtly congealing and joining together. The movement of Qi then unfolds and returns to its origin, returning to emptiness; Jing and Qi are gathered and combined, and true nature is stored within. The five organs then arise, the five Qi are regulated, the hundred spirits are brought together, and an embryo is formed. This is called the “Yang Spirit,” the spiritual form described in Neidan cultivation.

Although this discusses the distinction between “the other” and “the self,” it is not a sexual alchemical technique involving women. If one clings only to oneself, how could one understand the principle behind the Peng bird’s migration from north to south? Practitioners must return to their original state and merge with emptiness, gather and unite the Qi of Yufu, and nurture true Qi. In this way, the five organs generate and transform, the five Qi become balanced, and the hundred spirits harmonize. Ultimately, an embryo is formed, called the “Yang Spirit”—the yang spiritual body developed through cultivation.

In the scripture, “the other and the self” refers to two relative aspects within cultivation, not to sexual union, essence harvesting, or similar practices. The commentary explains that all things in Heaven and Earth are made up of opposing pairs: where there is Heaven, there is Earth; where there is the sun, there is the moon; where there is Yin, there is Yang; where there is a man, there is a woman. Cold and heat, day and night, clear and turbid, movement and stillness, hardness and softness, and female and male are likewise formed in relation to one another. The Patriarch feared that readers might mistake “the other and the self” for sexual alchemy, consuming filth, or techniques of sexual conquest and essence harvesting. He therefore made clear that although the other and the self are distinct, their relationship expresses an upright and luminous principle, not a sordid or suggestive practice.

The commentary also draws on the story in the Zhuangzi of the Kun fish transforming into the Peng bird. In the northern sea, the great fish Kun becomes the great Peng, which rides the sea wind from the north toward the southern sea. This serves as a metaphor for the vastness of the Dao and the process of rising through the transformation of Qi. “From north to south, from the other to the self” also carries an inner alchemical meaning: the self belongs to the Li trigram and the southern Vermilion Bird, which contains the Wood fluid of the Azure Dragon; the other belongs to the Kan trigram and the northern Black Tortoise, which contains the Metal essence of the White Tiger. If practitioners understand their work merely as probing between their own heart and kidneys, they cannot grasp the principle symbolized by “the Peng bird’s journey south.”

The One-Stroke Guide says: “People speak only of destiny being within my body; who understands that the self alone contains nothing?” This means that the key to cultivation cannot be confined to a single person’s body. This method depends on the correspondence between the other and the self; it cannot be accomplished by oneself alone.

In the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water, there is a trace of black lead, called a precelestial substance. Unless it is sought among things of the same kind, it can never be obtained. In the Li trigram, which symbolizes fire, there are seven forms of red mercury. Without the true seed, it cannot be kept for even a moment.

The Cantong qi says: “The man within Kan symbolizes the sun; the woman within Li symbolizes the moon. The sun bestows its grace, and the moon thereby spreads its radiance. The moon receives the sun’s transformation, yet its form is not diminished.” The trace of true Yang within Kan is called black lead: it is the essence of dark water and the true precelestial Qi. The trace of watery mercury within Li is called cinnabar: it is the true precelestial liquid transformed from the sun’s Qi.

The Lingbao Bifa says: “Heaven’s One gives birth to water, and Kan conceals lead; Earth’s Two gives birth to fire, and Li produces cinnabar.” Black lead bears the essence of Heaven’s One and is called the foremost of the Five Essences. Lead can produce silver, so lead is silver’s mother. Cinnabar receives the sun’s Qi and is called the foremost of all stones. Mercury emerges from cinnabar; mercury is cinnabar’s child. The silver within lead is difficult to obtain, while the mercury within cinnabar is easily lost.

Out of compassion, the ancestral masters taught that anyone seeking this trace of black lead must look among things of the same kind. The Cantong qi says: “Work is readily accomplished with things of the same kind; with things of a different kind, it is difficult to achieve anything skillfully.” It also says: “When things are brought together according to their kind, they come into being naturally and are readily refined into form”; “Things of the same kind follow one another; if they go against one another, they cannot be refined into a treasure.” It further says: “When Yin and Yang unite, one must seek according to their kind.” Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng says that seeking anywhere beyond this kind is mere delusion. The Jieyao also says that success comes easily only when one has obtained things of the same kind; without the materials required for refining the Elixir, success is impossible. The Wugenshu says: “Only when the kinds are the same can one work effectively.”

If they are not of the same kind, solitary Yin cannot grow on its own, and so there is no possibility of obtaining lead. Li is Yang on the outside and Yin within, symbolizing one’s own person; “seven forms” refers to the fluids that issue from the seven apertures. Patriarch Zhongli says that the human body, inside and out, belongs to Yin. If one does not know what the true Yang essence-seed is, that seed is the true precelestial Qi—in other words, black lead.

Mercury’s nature is volatile and hard to control. The Cantong qi says it vanishes like a ghost and hides like a spirit dragon, making it hard to know where it has gone. Once true precelestial lead is obtained, true mercury will naturally remain and no longer scatter. It is subdued as naturally as a cat pinning down a mouse or a rabbit encountering a hawk.

Thus, mercury—an alchemical term for the Yin medicine, which is prone to fly about and difficult to contain—is naturally volatile and hard to control. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three, a classic of Daoist alchemy) says, “The ghost withdraws into hiding, the dragon conceals itself; no one knows where it is.” Once innate true lead—the Yang medicine used in alchemy to contain true mercury—arrives, true mercury naturally settles and no longer scatters. It is like a cat pinning down a mouse or a rabbit encountering a hawk: it becomes docile of its own accord.

Therefore, practitioners use Qian and Kun, symbols of Heaven and Earth, to establish the furnace and cauldron, symbols of alchemical practice, and seek the true Qi contained in Great Unity (Taiyi), the primordial, supreme Dao Qi. They take the principle of Yin-Yang as their guide and search for the Mysterious Pearl, the elixir, contained in the Water Palace, the hidden place where subtle, mysterious essence and Qi reside.

Qian and Kun are originally just names for the furnace and cauldron, and the furnace and cauldron are themselves only names for the medicines. This method of the Dao cultivates the real by means of appearances and apprehends the real through appearances. The Hundred-Line Chapter says, “He still does not understand my Dao; plainly, he borrows appearances as though they were truth.” Qian and Kun are only metaphors, provisionally called the furnace and cauldron. The Treatise on Returning to the Mandate says, “Originally, the cauldron has no cauldron.” It also says, “This medicine has no furnace, only a cauldron; one cauldron can transform into ten thousand cauldrons.” In other words, Qian and Kun lend their names to the furnace and cauldron, while the trigrams of the Book of Changes explain the principles of Neidan (internal alchemy). The key is to grasp the trigrams and then forget the words: do not cling to the scripture, its images, or its numerical symbolism.

Without the language of the furnace and cauldron, there is no way to begin seeking the innate, true Qi of Great Unity. And unless the furnace and cauldron take Qian and Kun as their basis, their form cannot be revealed. Without understanding Yin-Yang, cultivation cannot begin. Yin-Yang is therefore indeed a guide to Neidan practice: a fish basket catches fish, and a snare catches rabbits; each is a means of reaching an end. The “Mysterious Pearl” here is Neidan. It lies hidden in the Great Abyss at the North Pole. To seek it, one must thoroughly understand Yin-Yang and deeply comprehend the transformations of creation. Just as fishing requires a basket and rabbit hunting a snare, one must have something to rely on, lest one labor in vain and accomplish nothing.

At the stage known in alchemy as the advancing and stamping of Qi (a specific phase in the movement of Qi during cultivation), one must seek the Mysterious Pearl in the Great Abyss at the North Pole. Practitioners must thoroughly understand Yin-Yang and deeply comprehend creation’s transformations. Then, as with a basket for fishing or a snare for catching rabbits, they will have something to rely on and will not labor in vain.

When Qi suddenly stirs, it fills the missing line in the Qian trigram; in the blink of an eye, it makes all six lines of the Kun trigram return to emptiness.

This process comes quickly, almost in the blink of an eye. It describes how easily the Elixir can be returned to its origin. The Scripture of the Mind Seal says, “Preserve emptiness and abide in fullness; it is accomplished in an instant.” When Yin and Yang first join, the central line of the Qian trigram, which symbolizes Heaven and Yang, enters the Kun trigram, which symbolizes Earth and Yin, and Kun thereby becomes Kan. The central line of Kun enters Qian, and Qian thereby becomes Li. Now draw one Yin line from Li and place it where Kan’s central Yang line was, restoring Li to Qian so that Qian is no longer deficient. I draw a line from Kan to replenish Li, making Li into Qian, with all three lines Yang. The other party draws the two broken Yin lines from Li and restores Kan with them, making Kan into Kun, with all six lines empty. The Guide to the Jade Key says, “From this point on, change transforms you into the firm, vigorous body of Qian. Whether hidden or manifest, soaring or lying dormant, all is governed by the mind.”

At this stage, the mind and spirit return to the Chamber of Spirit, the inner realm where the original spirit is nurtured, and take their place among the Celestial Immortals. The Elixir settles in the Yellow Court, the part of the body where Jing, Qi, and Shen are refined and cultivated, and all the spirits become at ease and content. The Supreme Emperor commends and praises the adept, and Heaven and Earth are stirred.

“To reach this point” means that this state is not easy to attain through cultivation. At this stage, Qi gathers and Shen is complete; the mind is settled and spirit and Qi are concentrated. The mind is clear and open, and awareness is subtle and wondrous. The Zhuangzi says, “The nature given by Heaven is complete, and the spirit has no gaps.” The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman speaks of “spirit that is not spirit, and breath that never ceases”; this refers to a state in which no supernatural powers are displayed, yet spiritual wonder is naturally present, and the breath flows on without interruption. The cultivator takes office in the Celestial Bureau and ranks among the Highest True Ones, a title for exalted Daoist immortals. Once fire kindles in the numinous root, the pearl at the seabed, referring to the area of the Lower Dantian, returns, and a speck of the Elixir settles in the Yellow Court. At this time, Qi congeals and the spirit settles; the hun and po souls are at peace, the whole body is harmonious, the hundred channels are like spring, the mind and spirit are tranquil, and the myriad spirits obey commands. The Supreme Emperor rewards the adept’s courage and resolve, and Heaven and Earth marvel at this rare state. The Treatise on Awakening to Reality says, “Countless spirit dragons are astonished by it.”

Hold fast to the original Qi and the True Unity, and nurture them gently for ten months until the spirit takes form. Then regulate and gather the mind and spirit, sit facing a wall in oblivion, and after nine years attain a state in which the body seems to vanish.

The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says, “When the state is prosperous and the people live in peace, and the Daoist work has been accomplished, one should still sit facing a wall to nurture the original spirit in quietude. After one’s merit and practice have passed through nine transformations, one may ascend to Heaven, become a Celestial Immortal forever, and enjoy ten thousand springs.”

The Essentials of the Golden Elixir says: Once the state is prosperous, the people at peace, and the work of the Dao has reached its first stage, one should still practice in quiet retreat facing a wall, nurturing and protecting the original spirit. When alchemical cultivation is complete and the nine revolutions have been accomplished, one can ascend to the heavens, become a Celestial Immortal forever, and enjoy a long life. After forming the Elixir, one must continue to warm and nurture it: embrace and preserve the original spirit, guard the True Unity, and keep the firing process of the Great Circulation running without the slightest interruption.

When ten months of practice have reached completion, spirits will enter and leave the Mudball Palace—the cultivation site at the crown of the head—and a state known as “a body beyond the body” will take shape. The Patriarch of the Mudball Palace said, “When the immortal embryo emerges after ten months, thunder and lightning escort the golden dragon.” To regulate the spirit is to let consciousness gradually travel outward from nearby, first ten paces, then a hundred. The practitioner must keep watch over it at all times. This work, like nursing an infant, must continue for three more years.

Afterward, choose a blessed place among famous mountains, scenic sites, or ancient altars. Ideally, water should flow around it and mountains enclose it, gathering Qi and sheltering it from the wind. Build a dwelling against the mountain and beneath the clouds, and sit in stillness until you forget your body. Let both form and spirit reach a wondrous state and unite in truth with the Dao. Water and fire will then be unable to harm you, nor will blades or weapons injure you. When three thousand deeds of merit have been completed and cultivation has lasted nine years, you will be able to transform and communicate with the numinous, traveling freely through the eight directions of heaven and earth. You may even move mountains and overturn seas, ascend to the heavenly court, and descend to the earth, using these powers to aid the people, bring peace to the populace, and destroy evil and harm. When the heavenly court’s summons arrives, you may ascend in broad daylight and take your place among the highest ranks of Celestial Immortals. You will be as vast as Heaven and Earth, shine with the radiance of the sun and moon, and live as long as Heaven and Earth. This is called the highest method of cultivation.

The Great Dao of the Celestial Immortals is the work of a great man. Anyone who is not a great hero or a person of exceptional resolve will find it difficult to undertake.

At first, this art of the Dao may seem to follow a crooked path, but in the end it returns to the righteous way. The changes in the alchemical firing process from beginning to end are like winning through surprise in the art of war.

The commentary says: At the beginning of cultivation, when one first sets to work, there are indeed subtle methods for sustaining life and extending one’s years. These methods are highly secret. The Wuzhen pian says that cultivation begins with “deliberate action,” which is difficult for others to understand. This is a legitimate cultivation practice, not something depraved or absurd. The Three-Character Formula says: “It sounds unpleasant to speak of, yet doing it is wonderfully subtle; everyone disapproves, and everyone laughs.” Bai Yuchan said: “Once it is explained, people will laugh.” The Song of the Gourd also says: “Doing it is subtle, speaking of it is shameful; it makes fools laugh themselves hoarse.” These words sound unreasonable, and the practice seems strange, so some people regard it as sorcery. As the saying goes: “When a crooked person does something proper, even the proper thing looks crooked; when an upright person does something crooked, even the crooked thing looks proper.” If cultivators are sincere and pure of heart, with no improper intentions, only their outward conduct may seem likely to arouse suspicion.

As for the “fire phases” in cultivation—that is, how one manages the stages of refining and nourishing—the beginning is called “field battle,” and the end “defending the city.” The imagery includes both strategies for winning through surprise and the clash of forces in a hard-fought encounter. The Rootless Tree says: “The Dragon and Tiger mount the altar and fight a battle.” The Wuzhen pian says: “When deploying the generals, distinguish the left and right armies; let the other be the host and yourself the guest.” Bai Ziqing said: “Only after the battle of spiritual powers is over can one see the sage.” Heroes and outstanding people act at the right moment; only when the fighting is settled can the realm be at peace.

“Lead” and “Mercury” cannot unite if “Elder Bing” (a reference to fire) is absent: they remain separated in east and west. Without the “Yellow Matron” (a term in alchemical practice for the medium that brings the two into harmony), the “Infant” and the “Damsel” may be close at hand yet still miss one another and fail to unite.

The commentary says: “Elder Bing” means fire. Refining Lead and cooking Mercury cannot succeed without fire. The east belongs to Wood and symbolizes Mercury; the west belongs to Metal and symbolizes Lead. Since the two are separated, they must be brought into harmony with the fire of Bing and Ding. The Infant and the Damsel also need the Yellow Matron to bring them together; otherwise, even though they are close at hand, they will still miss one another.

“Bing” belongs to Fire. The refining of Lead and cooking of Mercury cannot do without the action of Fire. The Wood-Mercury of the East and the Lead-Metal of the West are separated from each other. They must be harmonized with the Fire of Bing and Ding so that they cease to overcome one another and instead give rise to one another.

The Wuzhen pian says: “Wood by nature delights in Metal’s sense of righteousness, while Metal’s feelings cherish Wood’s benevolence. Only when Wood and Metal blend and draw close to each other does it become clear that a man’s body, too, can conceive.” The Cuixu pian says: “The Infant and the Maiden (symbols of Yin and Yang in internal alchemy) are far apart; they rely entirely on the Yellow Matron (the medium that harmonizes Yin and Yang and brings them together) to unite them.” A Branch of Flowers says: “Grateful for the Yellow Matron’s mediation, one waits only for the maiden’s lotus to open.” The Song of Knocking the Yao says: “Only through the Yellow Matron’s matchmaking can the two become one. The timing must be exact to the slightest degree; it can only be transmitted from mouth to mind.” The Mirror for Compounding the Medicine says: “Entrust the Yellow Matron to bring the Maiden together, working gently and silently.”

The Yellow Matron is the deputy commander in the alchemical chamber (the place where elixirs are refined and cultivation is practiced); she is indispensable. Without the Yellow Matron, even if the two parties are close at hand, they will fail to join properly and their intentions will not accord, so the undertaking will ultimately come to nothing.

One must understand when to act quickly and when to proceed slowly, and anticipate good or ill fortune. This requires an experienced practitioner to weigh matters carefully, know when to advance or withdraw, and understand when to stop and when enough has been reached. How could the ignorant and unenlightened accomplish such a thing?

Note: The most important thing in alchemical cultivation—Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy)—is to grasp four points: “slow, rapid, auspicious, and inauspicious.” These require careful observation and thorough judgment. “Guarding the city” is slow; “field combat” is rapid. Gentle nurturing is slow; gathering the medicine is rapid. Vital Qi is auspicious; killing Qi is inauspicious. Yang Qi is auspicious; Yin Qi is inauspicious. The Ruyao Jing says, “Receiving Qi is auspicious; take care to prevent it from turning dangerous.” The Wuzhen Pian says, “Understand guarding the city and field combat, and you can distinguish the auspicious from the inauspicious; otherwise, how could you refine the cinnabar in the crucible until it glows red?”

Only after you understand these principles and become proficient in practice can you be called a true adept. To “weigh and judge” means to keep the measure and never deviate from the standards, even by a hair’s breadth. The Wugenshu says, “An adept’s skill is great: hold fast to the helm, and even when waves surge beneath the sea, you can meet the challenge.” The Yizhihua says, “To exercise an adept’s skill is like rowing upstream.” It means the same thing.

Zhang Quanyi says, “When Yang Fire advances and rises, it turns on the left; when the Yin Talisman withdraws and descends, it turns westward.” The secret of the Small Celestial Circuit taught by Patriarch Qiu Changchun says: from the hour of Zi to the hour of Si, the six Yang Qi circulate according to the number nine, gathering the medicine and advancing it with thirty-six breaths; from the hour of Wu to the hour of Hai, the six Yin Qi circulate according to the number six, turning westward, withdrawing, descending, and being cooked with twenty-four breaths. Here, advancing and withdrawing mean rising and descending. The Tianxian Zhengli says, “When the moment comes to draw in the breath and gather it, I turn it to the Qian position and make it rise; this is called advancing. When the moment comes to release the breath and open, I turn it to the Kun position and make it descend; this is called withdrawing.” Chongxu Zi says, “Advancing and withdrawing are merely borrowed expressions; in reality, there is no visible advance or withdrawal.”

Zhang Ziyang says, “Before the Return Elixir has been refined, cultivate it promptly; after it is complete, you must also know when enough is enough. If greed continues and you never agree to stop, sooner or later you will meet with danger and harm.” Xiao Liaozhen likewise says, “Never force the process to continue when the proper moment for applying the fire phase has passed. If you do not know contentment and cannot stop, you will inevitably fall into ruin and danger.” These words teach that once the Elixir is complete, the fire phase should cease; the principle they contain is exceedingly subtle. Without a true master’s personal instruction, even the intelligent and perceptive may find it hard to understand. How, then, could ordinary and foolish people readily accomplish it?

Recognizing signs of change in Yin-Yang follows a regular pattern, like the tides advancing and receding at their appointed times. The principle behind “stopping the fire once the Elixir is complete” is exceedingly subtle. Without a true master’s personal instruction, even people of great intelligence and clear understanding will find it difficult to grasp. How much less, then, could ordinary people of limited understanding accomplish it?

To recognize signs of change in Yin-Yang, one must observe them as one would the regular pattern of the tides. To discern how Heaven and Earth bring things into being and transform them, one must look to the waxing and waning of the sun and moon.

The character “trust” truly names the central path followed by sages and perfected beings throughout the ages in cultivating the Dao. The Zhuangzi says, “There is feeling and there is trust; there is Wuwei (non-action) and there is no form.” The Hundred-Sentence Chapter says, “Within it is true trust; when trust arrives, you will surely be astonished.” The cycles of Zi and Wu do not fall into disorder, and the tides too follow a fixed sequence. The Mirror for Compounding the Medicine says, “Heaven corresponds to the stars; Earth corresponds to the tides.” Bai Yuchan says, “The tides beneath the Earth correspond to the moon above.” The Essentials says, “At the appointed hour, the tide signs appear, and the moon rises in the Geng position.” By observing “trust” in this way, one can recognize the principles of Yin-Yang change and trace them back to their source.

The sun and moon are the two luminaries of Yin and Yang. When Qi activity stirs, it manifests as light; the moon shines by means of the sun. The sun’s light strikes the moon at varying angles, producing its waxing, waning, and phases. From these changes, one can infer the patterns by which Heaven and Earth bring things into being and transform them.

On the third day of the lunar month, the moon appears in the Geng position, symbolizing the birth of one Yang line within the Kan trigram. On the fifteenth, the moon is full in the Jia position, symbolizing the complete course of the six lines, returning to the origin of Qian. Here, the directions, lunar phases, and trigrams are Daoist terms used to symbolize the waxing and waning of Yin and Yang and the timing of cultivation.

The Song of the True Scripture says: On the third day of the lunar month, the image of Geng Metal appears within the Zhen trigram, which symbolizes the first stirrings of Yang Qi, and moonlight brightens over the Winding River. The Cantong qi says: On the third day, the moon first appears, clear and bright; the Zhen trigram corresponds to the Geng position in the west. On the eighth day, the Dui trigram corresponds to the Ding position. The moon reaches its first quarter, its dividing line straight as a cord. On the fifteenth day, the form of the Qian trigram takes shape, and the moon is full and radiant in the east.

The Wuzhen pian also says: When moonlight appears in the southwest, the Great Medicine comes into being there. The “Great Medicine” spoken of here is that single thread of Yang Qi reborn through the waxing and waning cycle of Yin and Yang. It arises within the Kun trigram, which symbolizes pure Yin, gradually sprouting from a state of complete Yin.

“Completing the circle of the Jia signs” refers to Qian’s correspondence with Jia and Ren, and Kun’s with Yi and Gui. Jia Wood and Geng Metal face one another, forming the image of completion. The Cantong qi says: “When the virtues of the three and five are fulfilled, the form of Qian takes shape, and all six lines circulate in turn.” This means that the workings of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases come into alignment; the form of the Qian trigram then takes shape and extends through all six lines. The Book of Changes says: “Its transformations are unbounded; it flows through the six empty spaces.” The Cantong qi also says: “It circulates through the six lines, yet is difficult to discern.” This describes the workings of Qian and Kun moving through the six component trigrams, and also the central lines of Kan and Li moving among the six lines. Qian and Kun generate the six child trigrams, each of which receives a central line from Qian or Kun. Thus, without this central line, the trigram’s image cannot be complete.

Split open gateways as hard as metal and stone, and bore through the undivided state of chaos: this reveals the inner intent of Laozi and Zhuangzi. Explain the bellows—the image of Qi’s surging and circulation—and the measured spoonful, the ancient measure for medicines that here refers to consuming an elixir refined through cultivation, and you can express the essential meaning in the heart of Zhang Pingshu, also known as Zhang Boduan, the Perfected One of Ziyang.

This passage begins by saying that the author intends to reveal the mysteries hidden deep within Daoist texts, explaining clearly and thoroughly the profound ideas of the Daode Jing and the Nanhua Jing (that is, the Zhuangzi), as well as the deeper thought of Laozi and Zhuangzi.

“Tuoyue” originally means a bellows. Here it is also used as a metaphor for the vessel used in alchemical practice: the part with a bottom is called “tuo,” and the part without a bottom is called “yue.” The text explains its symbolism by saying that the tuo represents Heaven and the yue represents Earth. It is also compared to a zither, a flute, and a gourd. To take a “daogui” (an alchemical term for a very small dose of elixir), one must first understand the principle of the tuoyue. The Rujing says that taking a daogui allows one to glimpse Heaven’s secrets; the Zhouyi cantong qi says that, when one pill of elixir has been successfully refined, the daogui is the most wondrous thing of all. The Perfected Man Ziyang, Zhang Baiduan (also known as Zhang Boduan, a Daoist Neidan practitioner of the Northern Song), wrote the Wuzhen pian, pouring out his true intentions and revealing the genuine essentials of Neidan cultivation.

The author therefore unveils the precious secrets concealed in the mysteries of the Dragon and Tiger for those who cultivate the Dao in the mountains and mist, and who are perceptive and wise. The commentary explains that many aspire to cultivate the Real, but have not had the opportunity to encounter someone who can transmit the method. Reading this rhapsody can help them fulfill a long-held wish and awaken their wisdom. The work is not concerned merely with ornate parallel phrasing; it aims to clarify the true meaning of the Great Dao and reveal the purpose of the secret teachings of the “Dragon and Tiger.”

Those with aspiration should each seek their own opportunity, master the “fire timing” of cultivation—that is, the timing and regulation of Neidan practice—and take the “millet pearl” (a Neidan term for a subtle elixir or elixir Qi) without delay. Langyuan and Xuanpu are legendary paradises, separated from the human world by three thousand miles of weak waters and difficult for ordinary people to reach; only flying immortals can go there. If one cultivates according to this rhapsody, one may hope to reach those paradises in time. The Zhouyi cantong qi portrays those who have succeeded in cultivation riding white cranes and dragons, roaming through the Great Void, paying respects to immortal lords, receiving heavenly scriptures, and being granted the title of Perfected One. It also says that the divine general Taiyi will summon the cultivator and move them to the central isle of the immortal realm; once their merit is complete, they will ascend to Heaven and receive talismans and charts bestowed by Heaven.

II. The Hundred-Line Chapter

Only when free of distracting thoughts can one be calm; when the mind is calm, the breath naturally becomes even. When the breath is even, breathing gradually settles; when breathing settles, the spirit can return to its root. Returning to the root makes it possible to see one’s nature; seeing one’s nature is reaching the Real.

A person cannot become still because thoughts keep arising in the heart-mind. Before one thought has subsided, another follows; all kinds of worries churn without a moment’s rest. From youth to old age, how often does anyone truly experience even a moment of quiet? To practice stillness, one should begin by quieting scattered thoughts. When thoughts have ceased, desires and passions will also fade, and the heart-mind will become clear and pure. Once the heart-mind is pure, the breath naturally settles into harmony, like fish in a pond on a spring day or insects dormant through winter. Qi circulates and shifts within the body, opening and closing in subtle transformations of inexhaustible wonder. With long practice, the breath gradually settles as it enters and leaves, returning to its root until it seems there is no breathing at all.

The saying “The Realized Person dives into the deep abyss, then floats and roams, keeping to the center of the compass” describes one who has perfected the practice: concealed in the depths and abiding in the centered, upright place of body and mind. The breath continues without interruption, deep, quiet, and steady. This is Qi returning to the central pole and circulating ceaselessly within the body; it does not mean that breathing has truly stopped. When the breath returns to its root, body and mind become quiet and stable. When stillness and concentration reach their utmost, one’s original nature appears of itself, and the light of wisdom arises from it. The “original nature” spoken of here is the primordial Shen, the source of life. Buddhists speak of “seeing one’s nature and becoming a Buddha,” calling this attaining the Dao. In truth, there is nothing to acquire; to realize “nothing is acquired” is the genuine attainment.

All things are still; even scents and sounds disappear. Deep underground, one seems to hear thunder. Ascend to the summit of Kunlun Mountain, and the path beyond must still be discerned.

Note: When every attachment has fallen silent and perceptions such as sound and scent have vanished, leaving one in a featureless expanse, the moment for renewal arrives and suddenly bursts forth like thunder.

All things are still; even scents and sounds disappear. Deep underground, one seems to hear thunder. Ascend to the summit of Kunlun Mountain, and the path beyond must still be discerned.

When all things have fallen silent, and sound and form have vanished without a trace, the moment arrives for Yang Qi to revive. It suddenly bursts forth like thunder from beneath the earth. A Golden Elixir text says, “Earth Thunder shakes; rain descends upon the mountain peak. Wash the Yellow Sprout clean, and let it break through the soil.” This is the emergence of pure Yang Qi, its force like a raging fire and its aspect like a hot wind. The Huangting Jing says, “Within the body is a Real Person, wearing a golden headcloth, clad in armor, and holding a talisman; he opens the seven apertures.” This is no incidental detail, but the foundation of cultivation.

At this point, set the River Cart in motion—the image of transporting Jing and Qi in internal alchemy—so that Qi passes through the two gates of the coccyx and the spine, then rises along the Jade Pillow to Kunlun, the region of the head. This practice has Qi ascending along the back and descending along the front. The route must be understood clearly; do not proceed carelessly or in haste.

Qi descends from the crown of the head, crosses the Magpie Bridge—the image of the tongue touching the upper palate to connect the Ren and Du vessels—and is conveyed to the Yellow Court, the body’s central palace and the spirit chamber in internal alchemy. There it moves according to the principles of the Yijing, with the fifty-five numbers of Heaven and Earth apportioned evenly.

The Neidan descends from the summit of Kunlun, reaches the upper palate, crosses the Magpie Bridge, passes down through the Towering Chamber in the throat, and is conveyed to the Yellow Court, where it comes to rest. At this time, wind rises in the Mud Ball, the upper Dantian in the head; the moon shines bright in the Crimson Palace, the region of the heart; Kidney Qi rises, sweet dew descends, and it is then sent back to the Earthen Cauldron, an image of the Dantian. The breath is now calm and harmonious, and the interior is still.

“To enact the trigrams of the Yijing within the court” means that the trigrams have three hundred and eighty-four lines, and the stages of the firing process likewise number three hundred and eighty-four zhu. The images of Qian and Kun, Kan and Li, and the other trigrams are matched to guide the movement of Water and Fire Qi. “Fifty-five” refers to the numbers of Heaven and Earth: Heaven’s number is twenty-five, Earth’s is thirty, and together they make fifty-five. These numbers describe change and the movement of Yin-Yang. “Evenly” means that the elements are apportioned in balance. This is a rule for refining the Elixir: cultivation is to be understood through the images of Heaven and Earth.

Gather and contain the movement of Qi, and let it work through the four limbs—the Four Great Elements. Whether sitting or lying down, observe how it moves. This is the principle of laying the foundation: Yin Qi alone cannot rise by itself.

The whole body is filled with the “Four Great Elements”—earth, water, fire, and wind, which make up the body—and with Qi, which reaches everywhere. Qi can gather or spread according to the moment, flowing through the limbs. Though the limbs cannot speak, they naturally reveal Qi’s effects. A commentary cites Essentials of the Golden Elixir, which says that when two people sit facing each other, the two scenes of the sun and moon appear. The Finger-Pointing Mystery says that when two people begin their practice together in the same bed, it is like ascending a ladder to heaven. This shows that one can practice while seated or lying down. The principle here concerns laying the foundation: Yin and Yang must work together. Isolated Yin cannot rise, and solitary Yang cannot grow. If one practices alone in quiet sitting, how can Yin and Yang join and ascend and descend?

One must also forge a “divine sword.” Only after three years of refining the self—cultivating one’s nature and gathering in the mind—can the work be completed. Thoughts must be upright, while desires and delusions recede to the utmost. When approaching the alchemical furnace to begin the practice, the Original Spirit must remain unmoving.

The “sword” spoken of here is not forged from copper or iron, but is a sword of wisdom. An alchemical text says: “A sword that passes from being into nonbeing, exhausted three times; one pill of medicine that grants long life and deathlessness.” Those who practice the Elixir must first forge this sword before they can gather the medicine; only when refining the self is complete can they return the Elixir. To refine the self is to keep right thoughts constantly present and allow no deviant thoughts to arise, to forget desire and sensual appearances, and to apply oneself with firm resolve. During practice at the furnace, the Original Spirit remains unmoving, wholly focused and devoted to the Dao. This is the work of refining the self, and the method of forging the sword.

One should seek out and acquire the implements needed for the alchemical chamber, in a number corresponding to “five thousand and forty-eight,” the traditional total number of scripture volumes in the Daoist Canon. One should also observe the third night of the lunar month: a new moon, shaped like an eyebrow, first appears in the direction of Geng (the west), symbolizing the manifestation of Golden Essence and the coming formation of the Great Medicine. The line in Qinyuanchun, “The lead cauldron grows gently warm, its light shining through the curtain,” describes this same scene.

To see the “flower in the Geng direction” (a symbolic image in Neidan practice), one must turn inward and search within the body. Then the “new moon of the moth’s brows” (an inner image shaped like a crescent moon) will appear. Only then can one obtain true “lead” (a Neidan term for the subtle Qi gathered in practice). These techniques have been passed down orally from generation to generation and require authentic instruction.

The alchemical firing process begins on the first day of the lunar month, and its accumulated effects grow little by little. On the sixteenth, one must shift to the “Yin Talisman” phase, when the firing process turns from advancing to retreating; after this, it must no longer increase.

The firing process must be adjusted to the right moment, with practice beginning on the first day. “Accumulating pearl-like lines” means gradually building up the amount needed for cultivation. The expressions “eight liang of lead and half a jin of mercury” likewise mean that these measures are to be accumulated little by little. The sixteenth marks the full moon; after it, the firing process should turn back and no longer increase. At this point, ceasing the fire and no longer applying the talisman is what is meant by “the two do not meet.”

During “bathing” (the stage in Neidan practice for regulating the breath and stopping the fire), one must attend to the times symbolized by the Rooster and the Rabbit, and guard against error and danger. The Metal Qi will steam upward on its own, causing sweat to flow continuously from the body.

“Rabbit and Rooster” refers to the Mao and You time periods. According to the correspondence of the Twelve Earthly Branches, Mao is associated with the rabbit and You with the rooster. These two periods are called “Punishment and Virtue at the Gate”; according to the methods of cultivation, one should bathe at these times. “Bathing” here is a metaphor for cleansing the heart and mind and dispelling distracting thoughts. The Book of Changes says: “The noble person uses this to cleanse the mind, then withdraws and keeps to a secluded place.” Cultivation at this time is dangerous, as though Heaven were above and Hell below, so one must proceed with caution at every step and remain steadfast, lest one stumble and fall. In this way, the “Metal Qi”—the refined Qi spoken of in Neidan cultivation—can rise and circulate, flowing up and down, spreading through the limbs and filling the whole body. Warm energy then blends and courses through the body, gradually causing one to sweat.

After ten months, the embryo Elixir—the Elixir formed through Neidan cultivation—has been completed, and the spirit must leave through the crown of the head. One must then face a wall for nine years before ascending to Jade Capital, the celestial palace of Daoist lore.

The Cantong qi says that after ten months the embryo Elixir emerges from its womb, completing the work of those ten months and bringing its nurturing to an end. The Elixir texts say that after three hundred days of firing and ten months of embryonic nurturing, the spirit leaves the body, departing and returning in an instant. By then all impurities have been eliminated and the Golden Elixir is pure and complete. The whole body attains pure Yang, as though the Five Viscera had been born anew and all the bones and limbs established afresh. A numinous fluid appears in the mouth, and the blood turns into a white, fatty substance. After a thunderous tremor, golden light shines through the earth, and the infant is born from the crown of the head.

After this, one must gradually regulate and nurture the original spirit, slowly freeing it from the body. It is said to pass through metal and stone and travel ten thousand miles in an instant. From then on, one can also manifest countless transformations. One then begins wall-facing cultivation, nurturing emptiness and stillness. After nine years, the work is complete and a celestial decree arrives; the cultivator ascends to the Golden Palace in Heaven. As the saying goes: “When the work of nine revolutions is complete, one departs to attend the Court of Heaven, forever a Celestial Immortal, with a lifespan as long as the ten thousand springs.”

I have clearly explained to you the formula for the three stages of cultivation. I have now personally annotated it and compiled it into this book, so that the formula may be passed on.

Note: The practice of cultivating Neidan (internal alchemy) is divided into three stages. The initial pass is refining oneself and laying the foundation; the middle pass is refining Qi (vital energy) and transforming it into Shen (spirit); the upper pass is refining Shen and returning to Emptiness. Since ancient times, few people have explained these three stages clearly. Now I set them out plainly, explaining them myself and compiling them into a book. Those who aspire to cultivate the Dao (the Way) should carefully grasp its true instructions and practice diligently. In time, they will naturally enter the realm of sages and immortals, transcending the ordinary world.

To those who seek true cultivation: this is a method of practice as precious as gold and jade. The secrets of the Elixir method must be transmitted by a true teacher, and should also be examined carefully together with the immortals.

Note: I now write down the secrets that have been kept hidden through the ages and pass them on to those who aspire to true cultivation. This book is indeed a precious method of practice, and a raft that leads to the realm of immortals. Yet what it presents is only an outline; its truly profound and subtle teachings are not easily heard. As for the deeper mysteries within the mysteries, they must still be transmitted in person by a true teacher. The saying that the keys to cultivation must be transmitted by a true immortal means that those who rely on written words alone to interpret the teachings often misunderstand them and practice incorrectly. It is better to seek a teacher sincerely, devote oneself to cultivation, preserve the spirit and gather the mind. In the end, one will surely meet a teacher. “The method must be examined carefully together with the immortals” means just this.

There are still more refined methods of the Elixir. Fearing that saying too much would reveal them too casually, I use only the playing of the qin and se zithers as a metaphor: like husband and wife making music together in harmony, bringing Yin-Yang into accord and harmonizing their natures and dispositions.

The mystery and profundity of the Great Dao are not confined to a single method of cultivation. Among them is the method of the Elixir, which is especially subtle. Yet if it were disclosed in full, those who heard it might well take it lightly. What is this method? It is the method of “plucking the qin and playing the se.” A poem says, “When husband and wife are in harmony, they respond to each other like the qin and se.” The qin cannot be played by itself; it must be joined in an ensemble with the se. In cultivating the Way of nature and disposition, Yin and Yang must first be brought into harmony; only then can they respond to one another. The Cantong qi (the Book of the Kinship of the Three, a Daoist text on the principles and methods of alchemy) says to investigate how emotion and nature work together, so that they transform and mingle with one another. How easy is it to know the mysteries of the Elixir method?

Rosy clouds shine upon winding waters, and the red sun rises from Kunlun; all is hazy and indistinct, deep and dark. Within this vision there are indeed signs. When the signs arrive, you will surely be astonished.

This describes Metal and Water illuminating one another, and Wood and Fire rising in a red glow, like the Golden Crow—the symbol of the sun—emerging from the sea, and the Jade Rabbit—the symbol of the moon—rising into the sky. In the east, the sun appears from Fusang, the legendary divine tree from which it rises; in the west, its light is reflected upon winding waters. “Winding waters” refers to the Qujiang River. A lyric in Qinyuanchun says that moonlight shines clear over the Qujiang, where a crow is also seen flying. Laozi says, “In a blur, there is something within; deep and dark, there is an essence within.” Its subtle reality is genuine, and within it there are signs. “Faith” means that the timing is exact, without the slightest error. When the signs arrive, you will surely be astonished: once the moment comes, the wondrous principle naturally manifests, the Elixir forms, and the cultivator’s mind and spirit perceive it. This hazy, deep and dark vision is a sign that the Elixir is forming; it means that precelestial Qi has arrived and the Taiji has first appeared.

A single red point, like cinnabar, must be met by mercury. No implements are needed at all; the process turns according to the principle of reversing Heaven and Earth.

In the Neidan (internal alchemy) practice, the stage called “returning the Elixir” brings a visible image: a small point descends into the “Yellow Court,” an inner location referred to in internal alchemy. It is shaped like a red tangerine or a pellet. The “quicksilver” mentioned here is mercury. When the Elixir arrives, a little true mercury must be used to welcome it; as soon as it arrives, it is allowed to take the principal position. This is like the man taking the lead and the woman following, thereby reversing Yin-Yang and turning the workings of creation back upon themselves. This is what is meant by “two layers of Heaven and Earth, and four Yin-Yang.” The Three-Character Formula says: “The great key lies in reversal: I make myself the guest and let the other take the host’s place.” The “implements” mentioned here are the zither and the sword. Once the Elixir has entered the cauldron, one stops directing the talismanic currents and brings the firing process to a halt. The implements are no longer used; one relies solely on this mysterious mechanism. Though many people in the world study the Dao, very few truly understand it. The essentials are not difficult: the key is to accumulate hidden virtue and perform good deeds widely. With firm resolve, Heaven will naturally respond, and immortals may come to serve as your teachers.

People in the world do not understand the principle, so they take up what is called “Three Peaks harvesting and battle,” a bedroom technique that claims to replenish oneself by engaging in sexual union with women. Some say one must pass through “three barriers”; others speak of entering the furnace and cauldron, while still others advocate mouth-to-mouth contact. These practices sound utterly filthy. Any method based on deliberate contrivance will only cause people to fall into hell.

People in the world do not understand the mysterious principle. When they see phrases in alchemical texts such as “mouth to mouth, aperture to aperture; do not recoil from impurity, do not make distinctions,” they assume that a woman is meant to serve as the “cauldron.” They then practice “Three Peaks harvesting and battle” and “nine shallow thrusts and one deep,” and praise these methods as Peng Zu’s bedroom arts. Others speak of “three barriers,” prescribing that the rear be above and the front below. Still others promote women’s alchemy, mastery of women, entering the furnace to consume impurities, and mouth-to-mouth practices. These are truly filthy. Such deviant, unorthodox arts are sordid and vile; practicing them only plants the cause of falling into hell. A true teacher is hard to find, and genuine oral instructions are hard to obtain. Those who aspire to cultivate the Dao should diligently accumulate virtue and perform good deeds.

Some people are so stubborn that they insist quiet, still cultivation is the only correct path and cling to it without question. As a result, their hair turns yellow, their teeth fall out, and their bodies grow as frail as magpies, while their appearance becomes like that of cranes.

Some foolish and stubborn people cling to one idea and refuse to change. They hold fast to the doctrine of stillness and purity, blindly believing that this alone is the practice of the Dao. They labor at their cultivation, sitting in meditation day and night, until their Qi and blood no longer flow freely and their bodies grow as frail as magpies or cranes, all skin and bone. Even when their hair turns yellow and their teeth fall out, they still do not awaken. It is truly lamentable.

This happens because people often see Daoists unmarried and without official posts, living alone in remote mountains or dwelling in caves, and assume that sitting in a state of withered emptiness is the way to cultivate the Dao. They also read stories about people entering the mountains to practice the Dao and conclude that all immortals attain their state in the mountains. They do not realize that one may sit until death and merely waste a lifetime. In the end, this is because they have not read the alchemical classics (texts that explain Neidan cultivation) closely.

After Zhang Sanfeng met the Perfected One Fire Dragon, Fire Dragon taught him the essential methods and told him to leave the mountains at once to seek people destined to receive them. Thus, One Flower says, “He ordered me to leave the mountains, seek a companion, and search for lead.” When the Immortal of Apricot Grove, Stone Elder, taught Xue Zixian, he also said, “You may go to a populous city and rely on people of means to carry out the work.”

Since ancient times, perfected immortals have been sought among the people, and opportunities have been sought from the wealthy and powerful. The ancients left the mountains, while people today insist on entering them; the ancients valued taking action, while people today speak only of Wuwei (non-action). These practices run in opposite directions and depart from the Dao. If someone clings stubbornly to nothing but stillness and purity, persisting until death without regret, why not consider what the Classic of Clarity and Stillness says: “By continuing in this clarity and stillness, one gradually enters the true Dao. Though one is said to have attained the Dao, in truth one has gained nothing. It is only to teach and transform living beings that this is called attaining the Dao.” The scripture explains the principle of clarity and stillness layer by layer, bringing it here to its utmost point, then suddenly adds: “One who can understand may be entrusted with the sacred Dao.” If, even at the utmost point of clarity and stillness, there is still the work of transmitting the Dao, why do people in the world still fail to understand?

In general, this is because people know the ordinary principles of the world but have no experience of the wondrous, unfathomable affairs of the sages and spirits. It also depends on the depth of each person’s natural capacity.

They still do not know the Dao I speak of: it is plainly by means of the illusory that one brings the real to completion; one observes the great Dao of Heaven and follows the workings of Heaven.

All heterodox schools cling to their own views and refuse to let them go. How could they know that the Dao we speak of is cultivated through the illusory things and ordinary principles of the world, using them as a means to realize what is real? Some people, because their innate capacities differ in depth, are unable to see the wondrous realms in which the sages and spirits manifest.

They do not understand our Dao: one must take the illusory as a basis for cultivation, observe the workings of the Way of Heaven, and follow its patterns. The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman says, “Observe the Way of Heaven and follow the patterns of its workings; the principle lies entirely within them.” Heaven and Earth form a great Yin-Yang; the human body forms a small Yin-Yang. In the heavens there are Greater Yin and Greater Yang, and in the human body there are Lesser Yin and Lesser Yang; their principles are connected. The scripture says that if one devotes oneself to emulating the workings of the Way of Heaven, comprehends the patterns governing the movements of Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon, and understands the subtle workings of Kan and Li (Water and Fire) within the human body, then aligns methods of cultivation such as the Four Upright Mysterious Passes with the workings of Heaven and Earth, who could truly know the principles involved?

The moon hangs above the Western River, while rosy clouds shine over the waters of Southern Chu. The moon has reached the dark phase, the day before the new moon; at this time, pure Yin lies within Yang energy.

The commentary explains “the moon hangs above the Western River” as bright moonlight on a mountain peak, symbolizing the first sprouting of the medicinal seed, still young and tender. It explains “rosy clouds shine over Southern Chu” as the reflection of a red sun in the depths of a pool, symbolizing the dispersal of Yin influences. The Wuzhen pian says, “The moon shines brightly on the road to the southwest; from here the Great Medicine is born.” The commentary further identifies the Western River as the place where lead is produced, and Southern Li as the source from which fire is kindled. “Three days before” here refers to signs that appear before the solar term changes. “Dark phase” means the day before the new moon—that is, just before the arrival of the living Zi hour, as the Hai hour is drawing to a close. According to this commentary, the Great Medicine is about to form at this time: Yin energy has reached its height, and the light of lead appears.

Three days later comes the new moon, when Yang essence arises within Yin. This is like the arrival of the winter solstice, when the warmth of the sun brings the feeling of spring.

The “three days later” mentioned in the commentary means the third day after the Jia day, when the waning moon is nearly gone and the new moon is about to appear, roughly at the end of the Hai hour and the beginning of the Zi hour. At this time, Yin Qi reaches its greatest fullness and Yang Qi begins to emerge, much like the Winter Solstice in the yearly cycle. The Winter Solstice is the “true Zi hour” between Heaven and Earth; when Yang Qi stirs within the human body, it is called the “living Zi hour.” As Yang Qi rises again, spring seems to spread across the land, brightening the landscape and filling it with life. When true Yang stirs in the body, it is like the sun rising from Fusang, its red light shining over the earth. All three hundred and sixty joints and eighty-three thousand pores throughout the body feel warm and at ease, as though spring has arrived throughout the body.

By the eighth day, life seems to fill everything before the eyes. When true Yang stirs in the body, it is like the sun rising from Fusang, its red light shining over the earth. The joints and pores throughout the body feel harmonious and at ease, as though spring has come everywhere.

The eighth day corresponds to the waxing half-moon and the Mao Gate; the sixteenth, when Yin Qi first appears after the full moon, corresponds to Gou; and the twenty-third corresponds to the You Gate. Only by comparing these dates with the hexagrams of the Book of Changes can one understand the true principles of the Great Dao.

The waxing half-moon appears around the eighth day of each month, and the waning crescent around the twenty-third. Mao corresponds to the Rabbit, and You to the Rooster. These two times are called the “Gates of Punishment and Virtue,” and are also the times for “bathing.” In the language of cultivation, bathing at the Mao hour helps “augment Mercury,” while bathing at the You hour helps “augment Lead.” The third day is the new moon, when the first Yang begins to return. On the sixteenth, after the full moon, the first Yin begins to appear; this is called Gou. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three) says: on the eighth day, the Dui trigram receives the Ding position, and the waxing moon lies straight as a cord; on the fifteenth, the Qian trigram takes shape, the moon is full, and it lies in the eastern Jia direction; on the sixteenth, it turns to receive the sequence, and the Xin position of the Xun trigram appears at dawn; the Gen trigram occupies the southern Bing position, corresponding to the waning half-moon on the twenty-third. Those who study the Dao should compare these principles with the hexagrams of the Book of Changes. Only then can they know that the Great Dao has its own true foundation and must not be distorted at will.

Every word in the Hundred-Sentence Chapter must be examined carefully for its meaning. Thunder Generals guard this book, and those who obtain it must never treat it lightly.

The Hundred-Sentence Chapter contains one hundred sentences. The principles explained in these sentences can be understood only by comparing them with the hexagrams of the Book of Changes; this reveals that the Great Dao has its own true foundation and must not be distorted.

Every word in the Hundred-Sentence Chapter must be examined carefully for its meaning. Thunder Generals guard this book, and those who obtain it must never treat it lightly.

The commentary says: This book contains one hundred sentences, and this chapter alone has five hundred characters. Like luminous pearls, they shine upon the reader; every character contains subtle and profound principles. Students should investigate the words and reflect on their meaning, grasping the principles within each sentence. The book holds the hidden mysteries of transcending the ordinary and becoming a sage. It is a chapter treasured by Heaven that reveals heavenly secrets, and the Thunder God guards this true teaching. Readers must treat it with reverence and not regard it as ordinary speech.

Three. The Song of the True Scripture

O Song of the True Scripture, Song of the True Scripture! Those who do not understand what the True Scripture is can easily lose their way and fall into delusion. Everyone searches for meaning on the page, and many keep murmuring its words aloud.

Here, “true” means the opposite of false. The “True Scripture” is a scripture for cultivating the true. Yet the genuine scripture has no written words: it is the primordial chaos that existed before Heaven and Earth were separated, the beginning when Heaven and Earth first appeared, before Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) was born and when primordial Qi (vital energy) first arose. It is also the source of the immortals and Buddhas of all the heavens. Their descent into the world and their transcendence of it both depend on this source. The generation of Heaven and Earth, all things, and humanity; the cultivation and attainment of immortals and Buddhas; and the arising of ghosts and spirits all come from it. The sacred assemblies at numinous altars, the grotto-heavens and blessed lands, the ruler and transformations of creation, and the forms through which all worldly things and principles pass from nothing into being, as well as the breath through which they return from being to nothing, all originate in it. The True Scripture is vast and inconceivable, beyond the reach of words.

Ordinary people use it to beget children and take it lightly. Those who have attained the Dao use it to sustain nature and life, cultivate themselves to become true, and treasure it. This source is everywhere, belonging neither to foreign lands nor to China, and having nothing to do with wealth, poverty, rank, or low status: everyone in the world possesses it. The saying “Beneath the roof is the blue sky; before your eyes, a living path is everywhere” means that it is right beside you. But without a true teacher’s guidance, people do not know how to use it.

People in the world do not understand its subtle workings and so easily stray into deviant paths. For example, the so-called “chamber elixir”—a method of cultivation associated with women’s sexual arts—as well as consuming filthy substances and “gathering through sexual combat and controlling women,” a practice that seeks to harvest essence and Qi through sexual techniques, are condemned by the author as deviant practices that lead to hell, from which escape remains impossible even after ten thousand kalpas. Those who follow the written words and take sexual combat and control of women as a method of cultivation have likewise strayed into an improper path, because they do not recognize the True Scripture.

Some people interpret scriptures only by their literal wording, searching for profound truths in phrases and trying to derive the lines of the trigrams from the Bagua (Eight Trigrams). They recite them over and over, yet remain far from the Great Dao.

If reciting scriptures and incantations, chanting ritual liturgies, and writing the arrangements for ceremonies on paper could free people from birth and death, would not all the Buddhist disciples in the world have become Buddhas long ago?

If chanting mantras, reciting scriptures, and carrying out liturgies amount only to attachment to words and writing, in the hope of finding a way to transcend through them, then one is treating the true secret as though it existed only on the page. If these practices alone could free people from the sea of suffering, raise them beyond the ordinary to sagehood, and resolve the great matter of life and death, then how many millions of people on earth, among both ordinary beings and Buddhist disciples, would be chanting mantras and reciting scriptures? Yet from ancient times to the present, no one has been known to attain immortality or Buddhahood through scripture and mantra recitation alone. This shows that there must be a true path of practice within them.

With the true scripture, one can cross the surging waves; without it, there is no way to escape. Asked what is truly mysterious about the true scripture, the key lies only in primordial transformation, and there is little that is complicated or difficult.

The “scripture” mentioned earlier was only a metaphor drawn from written scriptures. Here the text begins to speak directly of the marvel of the true scripture. It is very difficult to obtain, but with it one can cross the surging waves. The people of the world dwell in a sea of suffering, carried along by its currents, with no day of escape. The true scripture is like a precious raft for crossing the waves, a compassionate vessel carrying one toward the farther shore. Without it, there is no genuine, workable means of leaving the sea of suffering. To understand precisely where its mystery lies, one need only seek primordial transformation—the innate principle as it exists before birth—and the true workings of the hidden mystery. The principle is exceedingly subtle, but the method is simple; there is little that is complicated.

Following ordinary human impulses leads toward death; reversing course brings life. People seek this constantly, yet cannot find it. The true scripture originally has no written words, yet it can carry all beings across to Daluo, the Daoist realm of the highest immortals.

The difference between the immortal’s path and the human path lies only in whether one follows the natural course or moves against it. Thus, the Yi (Book of Changes) uses reverse counting to trace the unfolding of change. Following the transformations of nature gives rise to human beings and all things; practicing in the opposite direction can lead to becoming an immortal or a Buddha. Another teaching holds that when the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) proceed in their natural order, the world becomes a pit of fire, full of suffering; only by reversing their course can one attain long life and deathlessness.

Human life begins from a single point, then passes through birth and the first cry, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and finally decline and death. This is the forward course by which life takes shape. Immortal cultivation traces the path in reverse: from old age back to childhood, then to the state of an embryo, and onward to a return to Taiji (the source from which all things arise), ultimately reaching Wuji (the formless, imageless ground of being). This reverse course is called “non-birth.”

Most of the ten thousand volumes of alchemical writings explain only the principles. Hence the saying: “If the alchemical texts contain no oral instructions, where are you to go to form the immortal embryo?” Although reverse cultivation is said to prolong life, its specific methods are kept secret and passed on privately, often leaving people unable to grasp or find them. Understand that this “scripture” is not writing on paper. It is like the tides of the great sea, moving with the moon and returning at their appointed times. The Cantong qi (Token for Joining the Three), also called the Zhouyi cantong qi, says, “It revolves through twelve periods; when each period ends, one must experience it firsthand.” This describes cyclical movement and the need to personally experience each stage. This scripture can ferry living beings beyond suffering and enable them to ascend to the Great Luo Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the highest celestial realm where the Daoist supreme deities dwell.

Long ago, the Dharma Master Tripitaka and his three disciples spent fourteen years traveling west to bring back scriptures. The Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality) says, “The White Tiger’s head scripture is a supreme treasure.” Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng also wrote in “A Branch of Blossoms,” “Cherish the head scripture’s red lead.” The thousand sages and myriad perfected beings all used “scriptures” to guide people toward liberation; this is what the “scripture” mentioned here refers to.

To obtain the true scripture and guide oneself toward liberation, the two forces of the same kind must be brought into harmony. Heaven, earth, and humanity arise through this process. How could their origin lie apart from the generative workings of Yin-Yang?

The mysteries of the true scripture are not easy to hear or understand. The “scripture” mentioned in the main text is not an ordinary book; it refers to the mystery of Yin-Yang uniting to generate heaven, earth, and all things.

The mysteries of the True Scripture are not easily known. Out of compassion, the Patriarch explained them to an ordinary person like you: if you wish to find the True Scripture and rely on it to deliver yourself, I will now point directly to the key. You must use things of the same kind so that the two can join. “The same kind” means things that correspond to one another.

Didn’t the Patriarch say, “When a pot breaks, it must be patched with iron; when a garment tears, it must be mended with cloth. When a person is weakened and depleted, without the aid of the Qi of true gold, how could there be even one chance of life in ten?” The Wuzhen says, “When a bamboo vessel breaks, bamboo is the proper material for mending it; a chick is hatched from an egg. To use something of a different kind is only to waste effort. How could that compare with true lead, which accords with the crucial principle of cultivation?” It also says, “A torn garment must be mended with cloth; when a person is weakened, lead must be used to help restore them.”

The Qiyue says, “Those who wish to become immortals through cultivation by ingestion should use things of the same kind.” It also says, “Things of the same kind are easy to work with; things that are not of the same kind are difficult to bring together skillfully. When things of the same kind follow one another, there is hope of success and of forming a treasure.” Thus sparrows cannot produce phoenixes, and foxes and rabbits cannot nurse horses, because they are not of the same kind.

Since it says to seek “the same kind” and that “the two must join in harmony,” the meaning is already clear. What is there to doubt? If those who study the Dao can truly seek according to kind, the Qi of subtle transformation will arise of itself. This is how the human body comes into being; it is also how Heaven and Earth come into being and the myriad things are transformed. The Lingbao Bifa says, “The Qi of the Dao is all within the human body; it can bring forth the various heavens and make the Three Luminaries—sun, moon, and stars—shine forth.” Yin and Yang are two opposing kinds of Qi; generation and transformation occur only where Yin and Yang are present. And if we speak of the “womb” of creation and transformation, there must be an aperture that corresponds to it.

This is a True Scripture, not empty talk: gold is produced at the bottom of a ravine in western Sichuan; five thousand and forty return to the Yellow Way, corresponding exactly to one volume of the Tripitaka.

The True Scripture spoken of here does not merely discuss emptiness, as Buddhist teachings do; it concerns principles grounded in concrete realities. The text says “Western River,” not “the West.” “At the bottom of the ravine” refers to the source of flowing water, and also to the place where metal comes into being.

The Buddhist Canon contains 5,048 fascicles. A person’s cultivation is likened to a corresponding process: only after 5,048 days does the Yellow Course—the paths along which the sun and moon travel—begin to open. This number appears not only in the Buddhist Canon: the lengths of the Dao De Jing and the Diamond Sutra also accord with the number five thousand, and together they correspond to the number of fascicles in a canon.

When the number of days reaches completion, the influences of the seasons become free-flowing. The earth responds to the tides, and the heavens respond to the stars. This is the True, Mysterious, and Wondrous Lotus Scripture, transmitted orally by Bodhidharma, the First Patriarch.

The commentary says that until the days of cultivation reach completion, the influences of the seasons will not flow freely. “Fulfillment” here means 5,048 days. Only then do those influences begin to circulate. When they do not circulate, Heaven and Earth are as if cut off from each other; when they do, they can respond to one another: tides shift on earth, and stars move in the heavens. This is the principle of Heaven and Earth and the way the Dao operates.

According to tradition, Bodhidharma heard that China was a promising place for the practice of Mahayana Buddhism, so he crossed the sea from the West and came to China. He was later honored by Buddhists as the First Patriarch. “Transmitted orally” means a teaching passed from mouth to ear, rather than written in a book. “True, Mysterious, and Wondrous” describes a teaching that is supremely true, profound, and subtle. “Lotus Scripture” uses the lotus as a metaphor: its stem is hollow and its form upright; it grows in muddy water yet remains unstained. The Buddha said that he cultivated the Way and attained the Great Way in an age of the Five Defilements, just as the lotus grows out of mud rather than in a pure place. The True, Mysterious, and Wondrous teaching must be sought through this kind of cultivation.

On the third day of the month, the moon has just risen in the southwest, in the Geng position, and its clear light shines over the Qujiang River. The flower buds have only just opened, still holding drops of dew. At this moment, one must look into the tiger’s lair to see whether the dragon is at rest, and discern what is turbid and what is clear within.

The new moon’s first appearance on the third day symbolizes Yang energy just beginning to arise. Daoist texts use “Zhen” to represent this nascent Yang energy and describe the gradual movement of Yin and Yang in Neidan cultivation through the phases of the moon. The “medicine” refers to the Jing and Qi gathered in cultivation. At this stage, it is like a newly sprouted flower bud, extremely tender, just as the Book of Changes says of “Nine at the beginning: the hidden dragon”: the dragon lies concealed and has not yet moved, so one should not exert force rashly.

“Dragon asleep in the tiger’s lair” is a Neidan metaphor for the meeting of Yin and Yang energies and their return to concealment. “The turbidity and clarity of the Jing and Wei rivers” refers to carefully observing the state of the Qi dynamic and distinguishing the clear from the turbid. Practitioners must observe with care: match Li, symbolizing Fire and Yang, with Kan, symbolizing Water and Yin, then use Kan to replenish Li, bringing Yin and Yang into harmony, like a dragon returning to the tiger’s lair to rest.

Water energy gives rise to two parts, and the medicine is at its purest. Once it reaches three parts, one must go no further.