《灵宝毕法》

The Dao cannot be conveyed in words or fully described by any name. Since ancient times, many have attained the Dao and become immortals. I admire the worthy sages of earlier generations and yearn in my heart for the Great Dao. Then, unexpectedly, wars broke out and the world fell into peril. At first, I sought only to escape with my life, taking shelter among rivers, lakes, mountains, and valleys. Later, I withdrew into stillness and examined myself, observing my nature and devoting myself to the pursuit of purity, Wuwei (non-action), and a subtle, far-reaching state.

I read widely in the classics on alchemy and the cultivation of the Dao, and repeatedly sought guidance from fellow practitioners. Yet I found that most of them discussed only minor methods of preserving health, not the Great Dao by which one becomes a true immortal. Later, among the stone cliffs of Mount Zhongnan, I discovered thirty scrolls of the Lingbao Jing (Lingbao Scripture). The upper section, the Book of Golden Writings, was said to have been written by the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning; the middle section, the Record of Jade Books, was said to have been expounded by the Primordial Sovereign; and the lower section, the Meaning of the True Source, was said to have been transmitted by the Supreme Lord Lao. The work contains several thousand characters.

I studied it day and night and pondered it again and again. At last I understood that Yin contains Yang and Yang contains Yin: this is the pattern by which the Qi of Heaven and Earth rises and falls. Qi gives rise to water, and water in turn gives rise to Qi, just as the heart and kidneys join and interact. By using things as metaphors to explain these principles, one can see that the Great Dao is never separate from the body and mind in everyday life.

Only by cultivating in accordance with the cycles and correspondences represented by the Heavenly Stems Jia and Geng, among others, can one verify the method of the Golden Elixir. By adjusting increase and decrease at the seasonal points represented by Mao and You, the timing of the alchemical firing process will naturally be free of error. What is called “red lead” and “black lead” cannot be refined into the true great medicine; only upon reaching the state of “golden liquid” and “jade liquid” can one be said to have refined the returned elixir. Cultivation seeks being from nonbeing and requires a focused resolve, as though facing an enemy on the battlefield. Rising gradually from a low point to a high one leads, in time, into a state of purity, stillness, and subtle depth. Practitioners withdraw “lead and mercury”—the Yin and Yang Qi of Neidan cultivation—so that Yin Qi gradually fades. Through changing the bones and refining the form, they make Yang Qi continually increase. The purity or turbidity of the water source is discerned at the stage called “Completed Union,” when Yin and Yang are harmonized; the truth or unreality of inner visions is observed in the state of “sitting in forgetfulness,” when one forgets both external things and the self in meditation.

These subtle keys and profound meanings are difficult to set down fully in books. Yet the wondrous principles of the Lingbao Jing can help people transcend the ordinary and enter the sacred. I have gathered them into three levels of cultivation and named the work The Complete Methods of the Lingbao. The sacred words of the Great Dao should not belong to me alone, so I pass them on to you, Master Dongbin. Once you have attained the Dao, do not keep them hidden; transmit them to those who cultivate the Dao in generations to come.

The upper volume describes four methods for attaining ease and prolonging life within the Lesser Vehicle. The first method in this chapter is called “Matching Yin and Yang.”

The Jade Book says: “The Great Dao has no form: the eyes cannot see it, and the ears cannot hear it. The Great Dao has no name; it cannot be measured or calculated. All things rely on the Dao to take form, and once they have form, they acquire names. The greatest among them are Heaven and Earth.

“Heaven receives the way of Qian (Yang, the principle of firmness and ascent), gathers Qi, and covers what lies below. Earth receives the way of Kun (Yin, the principle of softness and support), congeals into physical substance, and bears what lies above. Between Heaven’s covering and Earth’s support, the distance from above to below is eighty-four thousand li. If Qi and physical substance cannot communicate with one another, Heaven draws Kun-Yin with Qian-Yang, causing Yin-Qi to return into Earth while Yang-Qi bears Yin-Qi upward. Earth, in turn, draws Qian-Yang with Kun-Yin, causing Yang-Qi to return into Heaven while Yin-Qi embraces Yang-Qi, congeals into physical substance, and bears it downward. The distance between Heaven and Earth remains eighty-four thousand li. Yang-Qi bears Yin-Qi upward, and Yin-Qi embraces Yang-Qi as it descends. Rising and descending in turn, they follow the movement of the Great Dao; thus Heaven and Earth endure.”

The Zhenyuan says: Between Heaven and Earth, the region nearer the top belongs to Yang. Extending upward from below for forty-two thousand li, it is called the “Yang position.” The region nearer the bottom belongs to Yin. Extending downward from above for forty-two thousand li, it is called the “Yin position.” Since the myriad things between Heaven and Earth all have forms and names, they are inevitably subject to certain measures and patterns.

A year is divided into four seasons, eight seasonal markers, twenty-four solar terms, seventy-two pentads, and three hundred and sixty days, making a total of 4,320 double-hours. Twelve double-hours make a day; five days make a pentad; three pentads make a solar term; three solar terms make a seasonal marker; two seasonal markers make a season; and four seasons make a year.

The year begins at the winter solstice. At the winter solstice, Yang Qi rises from beneath the earth, ascending seven thousand li every fifteen days, or one solar term. In three solar terms, it rises twenty-one thousand li; in two seasonal markers, or ninety days, it rises forty-two thousand li and reaches the midpoint between Heaven and Earth. There, Yang Qi enters the Yin position and meets Yin Qi. Half of the Yin position is then filled with Yang Qi, the weather grows warmer, and spring equinox arrives.

After spring equinox, Yang Qi continues to rise and enters the Yang position. Only then has Yang Qi risen to its proper position. Forty-five days later comes the Beginning of Summer, and forty-five days after that comes the summer solstice. By the summer solstice, Yang Qi has risen a total of eighty-four thousand li since the winter solstice, reaching the heavens. Now Yang exists within Yang, and the weather is hot. When Yang Qi accumulates to fullness, Yin Qi begins to arise: a measure of Yin Qi sprouts within Yang Qi.

From the summer solstice, Yin Qi begins to descend from the heavens, falling seven thousand li every fifteen days. After forty-five days it has descended twenty-one thousand li; after ninety days, forty-two thousand li, reaching the midpoint between Heaven and Earth, where it meets Yang Qi. Half of the Yang position is then filled with Yin Qi, the weather grows cooler, and autumn equinox arrives.

After autumn equinox, Yin Qi continues to descend and enters the Yin position. Only then has Yin Qi descended to its proper position. Forty-five days later comes the Beginning of Winter, and forty-five days after that comes the winter solstice. By the winter solstice, Yin Qi has descended a total of eighty-four thousand li since the summer solstice, reaching beneath the earth. Now Yin exists within Yin, and the weather is cold. When Yin Qi accumulates to fullness, Yang Qi begins to arise: a measure of Yang Qi sprouts within Yin Qi. After the winter solstice, Yang Qi rises anew. The cycle continues, turning and repeating without end, in keeping with the patterns of Heaven and Earth.

At the winter solstice, Yang Qi begins to grow and returns upward toward the heavens; at the summer solstice, Yin Qi begins to grow and returns downward beneath the earth. At the summer solstice, Yang Qi rises to the heavens and Yin Qi descends in turn; at the winter solstice, Yin Qi descends beneath the earth and Yang Qi rises in turn. Hence the names “summer solstice” and “winter solstice.” Yang Qi moves upward, passing through spring equinox into the Yang position and leaving the Yin position; Yin Qi moves downward, passing through autumn equinox into the Yin position and leaving the Yang position. Hence the names “spring equinox” and “autumn equinox.”

After the winter solstice, Yang Qi rises; this does not mean that no Yin Qi descends. What descends is only the residual Yin Qi within Yang Qi, and it dissipates only within the bounds of the Yang position. Even if it reaches its proper point below and meets the rising Yang Qi, it has little force left. After the summer solstice, Yin Qi descends; this does not mean that no Yang Qi rises. What rises is only the residual Yang Qi within Yin Qi, and it dissipates only within the bounds of the Yin position. Even if it reaches its proper point above and meets the descending Yin Qi, it too has already waned.

The range of Yin and Yang’s ascent and descent does not extend beyond eighty-four thousand li, and their cycles of change do not depart from the three hundred and sixty days of the year. We can recognize Yin and Yang through the changing seasons of warmth, coolness, cold, and heat; through the rise of Yang, the descent of Yin, and the turning of the eight seasonal markers, we can understand Heaven and Earth. By following the workings of Heaven, we may grasp some first indications of the Dao of Heaven. But if we try to gauge the Dao of Heaven and Earth using only knowledge gained by hearsay, how could calculation alone ever make it clear?

The Dao gives rise to all things. Heaven and Earth are the greatest among them, and human beings are the most spiritually endowed. To experience the Dao within yourself, you can compare the human body to Heaven and Earth: the heart corresponds to Heaven, and the kidneys to Earth; the liver belongs to the Yang position, and the lungs to the Yin position. The heart and kidneys are eight cun and four fen apart, symbolizing how Heaven covers and Earth supports all things. Qi (vital energy) symbolizes Yang, while bodily fluids symbolize Yin.

The Zi and Wu times of day correspond to the winter and summer solstices, while the Mao and You times correspond to the spring and autumn equinoxes. In other words, a day can be viewed as a year, with its hours corresponding to the eight seasonal nodes of the year.

At Zi time, Qi arises in the kidneys; by Mao time, it has moved to the liver. The liver belongs to Yang, and Qi flourishes there. Yang Qi rises into the Yang position, like the spring equinox. By Wu time, Qi has moved to the heart. The accumulated Qi transforms into bodily fluids, as at the summer solstice, when Yang Qi reaches its peak and Yin Qi begins to emerge. At Wu time, bodily fluids arise in the heart; by You time, they have moved to the lungs. The lungs belong to Yin, and bodily fluids flourish there. Yin Qi descends into the Yin position, like the autumn equinox. By Zi time, bodily fluids have moved to the kidneys, where the accumulated fluids once again transform into Qi, as at the winter solstice, when Yin Qi reaches its lowest point and Yang Qi begins to emerge.

This cycle repeats like the movements of the sun and moon. If neither Qi nor bodily fluids is depleted, one can prolong life.

The Zhenjue says: “A person can grasp only part of the way Heaven and Earth move. People are born from their parents, and forms arise within the body, taking them ever farther from the Dao. Once the fetus’s original Qi is full, the six desires and seven emotions begin to dissipate original Yang and deplete true Qi. Although Qi and fluid naturally generate one another within the body, they cannot circulate up and down as they do between Heaven and Earth. When a person exhales, original Qi leaves the body. When they inhale, they draw in Qi from Heaven and Earth, but cannot retain it; it leaves again with the next exhalation. Meanwhile, the Qi already within the body is carried away by Heaven and Earth. Thus, when Qi disperses, it is difficult to generate fluid, and when fluid is depleted, it is difficult to generate Qi.

“When Qi is abundant, practice each day in accordance with the trigrams, inhaling more and exhaling less, and do your utmost to keep Qi in the abdomen. Then the Qi that originally rises from below will not disperse, and the Qi inhaled from outside can also remain for a time. The two kinds of Qi join and, after accumulating, generate the fluids of the Five Viscera. In this way, original Qi is gradually restored. Continue day after day and month after month, until signs of efficacy appear.

“The Daoyao says: ‘To see the eldest son of Lord Yang, you must inhale more and exhale less. Let the Qi of the “sons and daughters” within the body contend with one another; once they have passed, seek the true Qi.’

“This describes a method of accumulating Qi to generate fluid, then accumulating fluid to generate Qi, so that Qi and fluid work together in a cyclical process of generation. Practiced according to this method, results can be achieved within a year, taking three hundred days as the period of practice. Signs of efficacy may appear after about ten days: appetite increases, illness recedes, the mind grows clear and the eyes bright, the heart and abdomen feel at ease, and strength increases while fatigue diminishes. At times, sounds like wind and thunder may be heard in the abdomen. There are many other signs as well.

“The commentary explains: ‘The eldest son of Lord Yang’ refers to the Qian trigram seeking from the Kun trigram, symbolizing Qi rising upward. ‘Son’ refers to Qi rising from the kidneys; ‘daughter’ refers to fluid.”

The eldest son of Yang Gong is born when Qian Yang’s Qi draws from Kun Yin, like Qi rising upward. A boy symbolizes Qi rising from the kidneys; a girl symbolizes fluid descending from the heart. What is called “contending” describes the two moving, one upward and the other downward. When Qi is held in, fluid is generated; as fluid accumulates, it generates Qi in turn. After Qi and fluid have come into balance and some time has passed, true fluid will naturally be obtained.

This is the true starting method of cultivation: at the hour of Mao (associated with the East and the time when Yang Qi rises), inhale more of the pure Qi between Heaven and Earth, and exhale less of your own primordial Qi, the vital energy at the root of life, so that the Qi within and without may combine. As Qi accumulates, it generates fluid; as fluid increases, it generates Qi. This is the method of matching Yin and Yang and transforming Qi and fluid into one another.

The Gathering and Dispersing of Water and Fire, Part Two

The Golden Talisman says: The Great Dao rises so high that nothing is higher. Look up above it, and you still cannot see its end or find its beginning. The Great Dao also descends so low that nothing is lower. Bend down and examine what lies beneath it, and you cannot find its foundation. Its beginning has no earlier beginning, so its front cannot be seen; its ending has no limit, so its rear cannot be seen.

Heaven and Earth arise from within the Great Dao, and Heaven and Earth have an ordered relation of height and depth. Yin and Yang take shape within Heaven and Earth, and each follows its own patterns of beginning and ending. By observing above and below, looking up and examining what lies beneath, one can infer the changes within them; by examining beginnings and endings and calculating their measures, one can grasp their principles. From this, the patterns of the Great Dao can also be understood.

The True Source says: From the positions of Heaven and Earth above and below, we can understand their relative heights; from the seasons in which Yin and Yang cycle back and forth, we can know the order in which the Dao of Heaven operates. The transformations of Heaven and Earth follow measure and number, and the year is their cycle. Yin and Yang each have their proper time, and their rhythm is expressed in the eight seasonal markers: Beginning of Spring, Spring Equinox, Beginning of Summer, Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice.

At the Winter Solstice, the first Yang is born. At the Spring Equinox, Yin and Yang are evenly balanced. After the Spring Equinox, Yang energy gradually grows stronger, until Yin energy begins to emerge at the Summer Solstice. At the Summer Solstice, Yang energy reaches its height. At the Autumn Equinox, Yin and Yang are again evenly balanced. After the Autumn Equinox, Yin energy gradually grows stronger, until Yang energy begins to emerge anew at the Winter Solstice. Yin and Yang thus rise and fall in a repeating cycle, as Heaven and Earth move back and forth above and below. Though people may not be able to fully fathom the Great Dao, they can grasp its essential principles. To understand the Dao, one should take Heaven and Earth as one’s model and carefully observe whether the movement of Yin and Yang is in due accord.

The Metaphor says: The heart and kidneys are used to represent Heaven and Earth. Though people may not be able to fully fathom the Great Dao, they can grasp its essential principles. To understand the Dao, one should take Heaven and Earth as one’s model and carefully observe whether the movement of Yin and Yang is in due accord.

Here, the human heart and kidneys are used as analogies for Heaven and Earth, while Qi and fluids are used as analogies for Yin-Yang. The changes within a day are also matched to the seasonal phases of the year. The period associated with the Gen trigram in a day corresponds to the Beginning of Spring; the period associated with the Qian trigram corresponds to the Beginning of Winter.

The region in the middle of Heaven and Earth, nearer the bottom, belongs to Yin. Measured upward from the midpoint for forty-two thousand li, it is called the “Yin position.” At the Winter Solstice, Yang Qi begins to arise and ascend. By the Beginning of Spring, Yang Qi has risen into the Yin position, ascending about twenty-one thousand li. At this point, Yang Qi is still too weak to overcome Yin Qi. The region in the middle of Heaven and Earth, nearer the top, belongs to Yang. Measured downward from the midpoint for forty-two thousand li, it is called the “Yang position.” At the Summer Solstice, Yin Qi begins to arise and descend. By the Beginning of Autumn, Yin Qi has descended into the Yang position, falling about twenty-one thousand li. At this point, Yin Qi is still too weak to overcome Yang Qi.

By the Beginning of Summer, Yang Qi continues to rise. It is sixty-three thousand li from the Earth and twenty-one thousand li from Heaven. Yang Qi has now reached its proper position, and Yin Qi recedes. By the Beginning of Winter, Yin Qi continues to descend. It is sixty-three thousand li from Heaven and twenty-one thousand li from the Earth. Yin Qi has now reached its proper position, and Yang Qi recedes.

The Beginning of Spring in the year corresponds to the period of the Gen trigram in the day. At this time, kidney Qi descends to the bladder and appears weak within the body’s fluids; Yang Qi finds it difficult to rise. The Beginning of Winter in the year corresponds to the period of the Qian trigram in the day. At this time, heart fluids descend, preparing to return to their source and enter the kidneys. Yin Qi is strong, while Yang Qi is exhausted.

The key cause of illness is an imbalance between Yin and Yang: when Yang Qi is weak and Yin Qi predominates, Qi cannot rise easily, and illness becomes more common.

The True Instructions say: Yang Qi begins to rise at the start of spring, moving upward from below. Before long, half of the Yin has become Yang. Yin Qi begins to descend at the start of winter, moving downward from above. Before long, half of the Yang has become Yin. This is the way Heaven and Earth operate.

Human beings alone are different. The Qi of the trigrams—the changes in Qi explained through images of the trigrams—gradually weakens, yet people do not know how to nourish it. The Qi of the Qian trigram dissipates, yet they do not understand how to gather Qi. Day and night, people are affected by the six desires and seven emotions—their many cravings and feelings—and deplete their original Yang. Their true Qi then grows weak, and as true Qi is lost, true fluids, the bodily fluids spoken of in cultivation, can no longer be generated. That is why people cannot live as long as Heaven and Earth. The ancients used the Zhun trigram in the morning and the Meng trigram at night, practicing according to these two trigrams every day so they could live long in the world.

Using the Zhun trigram in the morning draws on the idea that Yang Qi first arises below, still constrained and not yet unfurled. Applied to oneself, this means nourishing and protecting Qi so that it can unfold without being dissipated. Using the Meng trigram at night draws on the phrase “the young and unenlightened seek me”: the seeker moves from obscurity toward understanding, leaving ignorance behind. This also symbolizes seeking Yang within Yin. Applied to oneself, it means turning obscurity into understanding and preventing true Qi from being lost.

At sunrise, therefore, one should follow the time of the Gen trigram to nourish original Qi. Do not let profit or reputation disturb the spirit, or likes and dislikes sway the mind. Sit quietly with your clothes on, nourish the breath, clear away distracting thoughts and forget your emotions. Then do a little Daoyin—stretching the body in coordination with the breath—alternately extending and flexing the hands and feet three to five times. This sets the Qi of the four limbs in motion and helps protect and raise original Qi within the body, gathering it in the heart center. You may also swallow a mouthful or two of saliva, then rub your head and face twenty or thirty times. The text says that if the turbid Qi accumulated overnight remains blocked for a long time, it harms the complexion and skin. These practices of care can make the skin smooth and radiant.

At sunset, follow the time of the Qian trigram to gather original Qi. Sit quietly indoors, swallow the breath, and contract the outer kidneys—a Daoist health practice referring to the perineum and genital area. Swallowing the breath draws the heart’s Fire downward; contracting the outer kidneys gathers the Qi of the bladder into the body. In this way, above and below join, and Kidney Qi mingles with Fire Qi. The three Fires combine in one place to warm and nourish the lower field, the lower Dantian in the abdomen where cultivation takes place. When there are no fluids, gather Qi to generate them; when fluids are present, use them to support Qi. This is called “gathering Fire,” also known as “Taiyi containing the true Qi.”

In the morning, swallowing fluids, massaging the face, and alternately extending and flexing the hands and feet is called “dispersing Fire,” also known as “small body refinement.”

The Essentials of the Dao says: In deep autumn, flowers fade and leaves fall, just as the jade-like person is too languid to climb a high tower. To bring the sovereign fire and ministerial fire into harmony, repeatedly gather and draw inward after swallowing.

This passage describes gathering the heart Qi and drawing in the Qi of the bladder so that it is not dissipated, then joining it with kidney Qi to connect with the newly arising Qi in the sea of Qi associated with the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water, the kidneys, and the root of life. Begin the practice at the start of winter and continue until results appear, with the full course lasting three hundred days. Signs may appear after about ten days: the face becomes radiant, the skin smooth and supple, the lower Dantian (the practice area below the navel) warm, urination less frequent, the limbs light and strong, and the spirit clear; longstanding illnesses also disappear. If you value your time and persist without slackening, take three hundred days as the full term. The signs described above may appear after about ten days. If you have made some progress in the “Matching Yin and Yang practice,” you can add this method to your cultivation: include a little practice associated with the Gen trigram, which symbolizes mountains, stillness, and the Qi of Lesser Yang, in your daily routine. Combine it with practice during the time when the three yuan of the Qian trigram, which symbolizes Heaven and pure Yang Qi, are in season, and continue until the signs appear.

The commentary explains: The fading of flowers and falling of leaves in late autumn, with nature in decline, is a metaphor for a person’s weakened breath. It is like sunlight fading at dusk: Yang Qi disperses and can no longer rise. Hence the phrase “too languid to climb a high tower.” The “tower” refers to the throat, known as the “twelve-storied tower.” The heart belongs to sovereign fire, while the bladder’s Qi belongs to ministerial fire. Contracting the external kidneys (here, the reproductive organs) brings the heart Qi and the Qi of the external kidneys together, which is why this is called “joining in harmony.” “Feast” means swallowing saliva or breath; “draw inward” means contracting the external kidneys. This method is fundamental to maintaining the practice in the morning.

A further explanation says: The Yang Qi of the Gen trigram is weak, so only a little guiding is needed: stretch and contract the body, swallow saliva, and rub the face, allowing the fire Qi to spread through the limbs and nourish the original Qi. The Yang Qi of the Qian trigram is easily dissipated, so swallow and gather the heart Qi and contract the external kidneys, bringing the heart Qi together with the Qi of the external kidneys. This method is fundamental for sustaining the practice.

The True Explanation says: In the Gen trigram, which symbolizes the mountain and stillness, Yang Qi is weak. One should therefore practice a little guiding exercise to stretch and contract the body, then swallow the saliva and massage the face, allowing the inner fire to spread through the limbs and nourish the original Qi. The Yang Qi in the Qian trigram, which symbolizes Heaven and pure Yang, is easily dispersed. One should therefore swallow and absorb the Qi of the heart and contract the external kidneys (the male reproductive organs), bringing them into harmony with the kidney Qi. In this way, the fires in the three places can converge into one and consolidate the original Qi. This is why it is called “gathering and dispersing Water and Fire”: it makes the foundation deep and firm.

The Union of Dragon and Tiger, Third

The Golden Proclamation says: When the Great Origin first divided, it gave rise to the Great Beginning. Within the Great Beginning was the Great Nonbeing; within the Great Nonbeing was the Great Void; within the Great Void was the Great Vastness; and within the Great Vastness was the Great Substance. The Great Substance is the material formed from the clear and turbid Qi of Heaven and Earth. It is like an egg, dark black and yellow, and is simply something that exists within the Great Vastness. Yang Qi rises to Heaven, and when it reaches its utmost point, Yin Qi is born. Yin Qi is hidden and hard to perceive; embracing Yang Qi, it descends with it. Yin Qi descends to Earth, and when it reaches its utmost point, Yang Qi is born. Yang Qi is elusive and hard to discern; bearing Yin Qi, it rises upward. In this way, the cycle continues, rising and descending, Yin descending and Yang rising. Heaven and Earth follow their course, and all things come into being.

The True Source says: Heaven is like an overturned basin; when Yang Qi reaches it, it is difficult for it to rise any farther. Earth is like a solid rock; when Yin Qi reaches it, it is difficult for it to enter any farther. At the winter solstice, Yang Qi rises from beneath the Earth. By the summer solstice, it has risen to Heaven; when it reaches its utmost point, Yin Qi is born. Yin Qi arises because Yang Qi comes from within Yin and rises from beneath the Earth. This process is subtle and hard to perceive: Qi contains Water, but this Water has no form. At the summer solstice, Qi accumulates and becomes Water. This is called “when Yang reaches its utmost, Yin is born.”

At the summer solstice, Yin Qi descends from Heaven. By the winter solstice, it has descended beneath the Earth; when it reaches its utmost point, Yang Qi is born. Yang Qi arises because Yin Qi comes from within Yang and issues forth from Heaven. This process is deep and obscure: Water contains Qi, but this Qi has no form. At the winter solstice, Water accumulates and gives birth to Qi. This is called “when Yin reaches its utmost, Yang is born.”

The space beyond the body is used as a metaphor for outer space, the heart and kidneys for Heaven and Earth, Qi and fluids for Yin-Yang, and the Zi hour and Wu hour for winter and summer. The Zi hour corresponds to the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water; at this time, Qi arises in the kidneys. The Wu hour corresponds to the Li trigram, which symbolizes fire; at this time, fluids arise in the heart.

When kidney Qi moves to the heart and joins with heart Qi, fluids arise, as if emerging from Taiji (the state in which Yin and Yang are undivided yet give rise to one another). Fluids arise because Qi comes from the kidneys; within Qi is formless true water. The kidney Qi symbolized by the Kan trigram reaches the heart and meets heart Qi, thereby giving rise to fluids.

When heart fluids move to the kidneys and join with kidney water, Qi arises, as if emerging once again from Taiji. Qi arises because fluids come from the heart; within fluids is formless true Qi. The heart fluids symbolized by the Li trigram reach the kidneys and meet kidney water, thereby giving rise to Qi.

This may be compared to Yang Qi rising and Yin Qi descending: when both reach the state of Taiji, they transform and generate one another. Within the Yin and Yang that arise, water is concealed in Yang, and Qi in Yin.

The True Formula says: Qi arises within the kidneys, and true water is contained within that Qi. Fluids arise within the heart, and true Qi is contained within those fluids. True water and true Qi are what cultivation calls the true dragon and true tiger. When Yang Qi rises to the position of Heaven and can rise no further, the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to Yin. When Yin Qi descends to the position of Earth and can descend no further, the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to Yang. This is how the Dao of Heaven and Earth operates.

People cannot move naturally like Heaven and Earth because the six desires and seven emotions—their many desires and feelings—are stirred by external things and cause them to lose their inner purpose. This dissipates their original Yang, the Yang Qi inherent in the body, and causes true Qi to escape. In cultivation, when kidney Qi has risen to the heart, the awareness settles within, and the breath becomes light, gentle, and fine, as if there were breath and yet no breath, the fluids in the mouth fill and are swallowed. Kidney Qi and heart Qi then naturally unite, and the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to fluids. Next, following the teaching of the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water and the kidneys, the fluids of the heart descend to the kidneys and meet the kidney water. The breath remains long and gentle; when the fluids fill the mouth, they are swallowed. The fluids of the heart and the Qi of the kidneys naturally unite, and the Supreme Ultimate gives rise to true Qi.

True Qi is drawn to the fluids, and true water is drawn to true Qi; the two naturally unite. Thus the fluids contain true Qi, and true Qi contains true water. They mingle, support one another, and flow downward. This is called “the copulation of dragon and tiger,” the Neidan process in which true Qi and true water unite. If the timing and intensity of the inner fire are correct, and its increase and decrease are properly regulated, then after three hundred days of cultivation one can nurture the true embryo and form the great medicine. This is the foundation for refining and transforming the physical form and transcending into the realm of the perfected.

The Essentials of the Dao says: When the One Qi has just returned to its original state of movement, true Yang is about to rise to the Li Palace, the region that symbolizes the heart and fire. At this moment, gathering the true dragon and true tiger causes the fluids in the Jade Pool—the mouth—to brim and flow like spring water.

This condition will likely dissipate the original Qi and cause the body’s true water to escape. Once Qi disperses, it is difficult for it to generate fluids. When fluids are depleted, true Qi also becomes insufficient. If Qi and water cannot unite, how can the Great Medicine be refined?

Cultivation is practiced month by month through the year, beginning at the winter solstice; within each day, it is practiced according to the hours, taking the hour of noon, which corresponds to the Li trigram, as the standard. Some people begin following the Dao only in old age, with an unstable foundation. Feeling that their bodies are depleted and their strength insufficient, they make up in one year of practice for ten years of loss. This is called “gathering and replenishing to restore the Elixir.” Once the depletion has been made good to a sufficient degree, they stop further gathering and replenishing and practice only this method. This is called “Water and Fire in Mutual Completion.” In this way, one can extend one’s years and lengthen one’s life. This is called becoming a “human immortal,” and the effects of the practice are too numerous to recount one by one.

When replenishment has been properly achieved, sweet fluids arise in the mouth, the mind naturally becomes quiet and clear, desires no longer disturb it, and the whole body is free of illness. In the dark, a divine radiance appears of its own accord, and the eyes sometimes shine brightly like lightning. Beginning on the day of the winter solstice and carefully following the method for three hundred days, one can shed the “true embryo.” This is called becoming an “embryonic immortal.”

The explanation says: In terms of the seasons outside the body, noon corresponds to the Li trigram, and the sun is true Yang. In the human body, the heart belongs to the Li palace, and original Yang is the true Dragon. The true Tiger is the water in the Qi of the kidneys; the true Dragon is the Qi in the heart’s fluid. The mouth is called the “Jade Pool,” and the fluids are called “Spring Water.”

The direct explanation says: When the One Qi first begins to return and the original cycle begins turning anew, practice starts at the winter solstice, that is, the Zi month. True Yang must reach the Li palace, with the hour of noon, corresponding to the Li trigram, as the standard. The true Dragon is the Qi in the heart’s fluid; the true Tiger is the water in the Qi of the kidneys. When Qi and water unite, this is called “the mating of Dragon and Tiger.”

Refining the Elixir, Part Four

The Golden Mandate says: Heaven and Earth are forms in which the Great Dao manifests; Yin and Yang are the Qi through which the Great Dao operates. Cold, heat, warmth, and coolness are Qi contained within forms; clouds, mist, rain, and dew are images that appear within Qi. The Qi of the Earth rises upward and transforms into…

The Golden Edict says: Heaven and Earth are the forms in which the Great Dao becomes manifest, while Yin-Yang is the dynamic Qi through which the Great Dao operates. Cold, heat, warmth, and coolness are Qi contained within form; clouds, mist, rain, and dew are images in which Qi becomes manifest. Earth Qi rises and steams into clouds, then spreads out as rain. Heaven Qi descends and spreads out as mist, then condenses into dew. When Yin Qi gathers in excess, dew turns into rain, frost, or snow. When Yang Qi gathers in excess, mist turns into smoke, clouds, or rosy clouds. When Yang lies hidden within Yin and cannot rise, the two kinds of Qi clash, producing thunder and lightning. When Yin lies hidden within Yang and cannot descend, it condenses into hail and sleet. When Yin and Yang are out of harmony, they confront one another and produce flashes of lightning. When they are mismatched and intermingle in confusion, they produce rainbows and iridescent clouds.

When True Yang gathers, it forms spirit; manifested in the heavens, it appears as the stars. When True Yin gathers, it forms substance; filling the Earth, it appears as soil and stone. Among the stars, the Sun and Moon are the most important; among soil and stone, gold and jade are the most precious. Yin-Yang manifests in tangible things: in the heavens as the Sun and Moon, and on Earth as gold and jade.

The True Source says: Yin cannot grow apart from Yang, and Yang cannot take form apart from Yin. When Yang Qi gathers, it forms spirit; manifested in the heavens, its greatest expressions are the Sun and Moon. The Sun and Moon are True Yang, but they must also receive True Yin in order to unite and form a pair. When Yin Qi gathers, it forms substance; filling the Earth, its most precious expressions are gold and jade. Gold and jade are True Yin, but they must also receive True Yang in order to bring one another to fruition.

The text compares “True Yang” to the true Qi within the heart’s fluid, and “True Yin” to the true Water within the kidney Qi. True Water cannot generate and transform without true Qi, and true Qi cannot be brought to completion without true Water. When true Water and true Qi unite, they resemble the intermingling of Yin and Yang symbolized by the Li trigram in the Book of Changes. They gather above the heart and below the lungs, like mother and child depending on one another and husband and wife loving one another.

Moving from the Li trigram to the Dui trigram, one reaches a time when the Yin Qi symbolized by Dui is flourishing and the Yang Qi is declining. This is like the sun and moon reaching their waning phases, or like gold and jade still hidden in darkness, their radiance not yet revealed; it is therefore not a suitable time to practice cultivation. The sun and moon accumulate Yin to bring forth brightness: once the count is sufficient, light appears. Gold and jade, in turn, acquire their Yin substance through Yang Qi; only when their Qi is abundant can they become treasures. Gold and jade become treasures when, after their Qi is sufficient, Yang Qi drives them forward. The sun and moon shine when, after their cycles have run their course, they receive the Qi of the soul and reveal their light. The text also uses the Qian trigram to symbolize advancing the fire to refine Yang: during refinement and cultivation, Yang Qi is kept from declining, and as the fire phase and count progress, Yang Qi gradually increases.

The True Instructions say: When the Dragon and Tiger unite in the Li trigram—which symbolizes the heart and Fire—this is called “gathering the medicine,” meaning gathering and refining the Jing and Qi within the body. When the cycle turns to the Qian trigram—which symbolizes Heaven and Yang Qi—the Qi and fluids are about to return to their source. Their place of generation lies above the bladder, below the spleen and stomach, in front of the kidneys, behind the navel, to the left of the liver, to the right of the lungs, to the right of the small intestine, and to the left of the large intestine.

At this time, the spleen Qi is vigorous and the lung Qi abundant, while the heart Qi is waning and the liver Qi is relatively weak. True Qi originally comes into being in conjunction with Yang Qi; once Yang Qi weakens, True Qi has nothing to rely on, and any effort made then is futile. All methods of gathering and refining should be practiced at this moment: keep the spirit within, make the breath through the nose fine, long, and gentle, and draw the abdomen in slightly. If the area between the navel and kidneys feels too hot, relax a little, then gently draw it in again. If the abdomen and area around the navel are not yet warm, draw them in more firmly. As warmth gradually arises, return to a natural state. Then let things proceed of themselves, allowing Qi to fill the whole body. This is called “restraining the Yang Pass,” a method of gathering Yang Qi to refine the elixir.

To keep Qi from rising, guard the True Water—the body’s Jing and Qi—and let it pass through the spleen palace, moving with the breath to the Mansion of Life and the Yellow Court, Daoist Neidan terms for centers of inner cultivation. The Qi and fluids undergo transformation and become Jing; Jing becomes a pearl, the pearl becomes mercury, mercury becomes cinnabar, and cinnabar becomes gold. This is what is called the Golden Elixir, whose efficacy is profound.

The Essentials of the Dao say: Gathering the medicine requires the Jade Rabbit, which symbolizes Yin essence; consummation requires the Yellow Woman, which symbolizes the medium that harmonizes Yin and Yang. When they meet in Yongzhou, they play a song of Yang.

This method should be practiced alongside the daily gathering of the medicine. It is mainly used in old age to make up for bodily depletion and supply what is lacking through the practice known as “ten losses, one replenishment.” For this reason, it is called “refining mercury to replenish the Dantian.” Once replenishment has reached a sufficient degree, stop this kind of restorative practice and instead gather the medicine daily through the Li trigram, refine it through the Qian trigram, and draw in and contain Yang Qi. This is called “restraining the Yang Pass.” “Li trigram” and “Qian trigram” borrow images from the hexagrams of the Book of Changes to explain methods of cultivation. “Gathering the medicine” means gathering and refining the Jing and Qi within the body; “refining by fire” means using the stages of the fire to refine and nourish them.

Adjust the amount of gathering and refining according to the seasons: in spring and winter, gather more and refine less, using one part Qian and two parts Li; in autumn and summer, gather less and refine more, using one part Li and two parts Qian. In both cases, redouble your effort. You must also follow the waxing and waning of Qi through the months and years. The results of gathering and refining the medicine depend on whether you can draw in and contain Yang Qi. Practiced in this way, the method can prolong life and allow one to remain in the world for a long time, becoming a “human immortal.”

If you have replenished yourself enough times and the method has begun to take effect, you must still proceed with care and restraint. After one hundred days of gathering the medicine, its potency is sufficient; after two hundred days, the sacred embryo—the inner breath or achievement formed through cultivation—is firm; after three hundred days, True Qi is generated and the immortal embryo, the perfected embryo of cultivation, is complete. Only once the medicine’s potency is sufficient should you increase the number of times you advance the fire; this is called “fire timing.” Once the sacred embryo is firm, increase the fire timing to the count of the Small Heavenly Circuit; this is called the “Small Heavenly Circuit.” After the embryo is complete and True Qi has been generated, increase the fire timing to the count of the Great Heavenly Circuit; this is called “heavenly-circuit fire timing.”

When the gathering of the medicine brings the Dragon and Tiger into union, and you then advance the fire to refine the medicine, you have entered the Dao. After this, withdraw from worldly life, dwell in seclusion, and cultivate in stillness, devoting yourself to inner contemplation: let no inner state leak outward, and let no disturbance from outside enter. The cultivator must take care as a woman carrying a child or a dragon guarding its bright pearl. In eating, sleeping, speaking, and sitting quietly, speak as little as an infant and act as cautiously as a young woman, fearful of losing anything. The mind must not stray from the Dao for even an instant.

Here, “medicine” means the True Qi in the heart; “rabbit” means the True Water in the kidneys; and “Yellow Woman” means the True Fluid in the spleen. The Yellow Woman harmonizes Qi and Water and brings them into the Yellow Court, the central region within the body where cultivation takes place. “Yongzhou” refers to the Qian trigram; “restraining the Yang Pass” refers to the practice of drawing in and containing Qi in the flanks and abdomen.

These are the four methods of the Lesser Vehicle. Those who master them can become human immortals.

The middle scroll discusses three categories of methods for attaining longevity and immortality through the Middle Vehicle.

The Fifth Method: Guiding the Golden Essence from Behind the Elbows (a Daoist internal alchemy term for a method of cultivation based on the transformations of Yin and Yang within the body).

The Golden Patent says: The rising and descending transformations of Yin and Yang all take place within Heaven and Earth, while the movements of the sun and moon appear between Heaven and Earth. The sun and moon rise in the east and set in the west, thereby dividing day from night. They also move back and forth between north and south, thereby determining the cold and heat of the seasons. Day and night continue without pause, and cold and heat alternate; days accumulate into months, and months accumulate into years.

A month is formed through the accumulation of days because the moon’s Yin soul contains the Yang spirit, while the Yang spirit also contains the Yin soul: Yin and Yang interpenetrate one another. A year is formed through the accumulation of months, just as the six yang pitch pipes generate the six yin pipes, and the six yin pipes in turn generate the six yang pipes, in an unending cycle. Cold and heat displace one another; days accumulate into months, and months accumulate into years. The sun and moon move in accordance with the patterns governing Heaven and Earth, never departing from the principles of Qian and Kun—the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth. Although the generation of all things depends on the transformations of Yin and Yang, the creative workings of Heaven and Earth also unfold through the ordered rhythms of daily movement.

The Zhenyuan says: Heaven and Earth are shaped like an egg, while the realm of the Six Directions—the world formed by above, below, and the four quarters—is like a sphere. The sun and moon travel across the sky, rising and setting in turn. They circle through the spaces above and below, east and west, as swiftly as spinning wheels. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, following the Way of Yang; the moon rises in the west and sets in the east, following the Way of Yin. Thus the day is divided into daylight and darkness.

After the winter solstice, the point where the sun rises gradually shifts from south to north; after the summer solstice, it gradually shifts from north to south. Winter nights are as long as summer days, and summer nights as long as winter days. The year follows these changes to mark the cold and the heat. The sun and moon are each eight hundred and forty li in size. Four chi make one bu, and three hundred and sixty bu make one li. One double-hour consists of eight ke and twenty fen; twelve double-hours make a day. A month has thirty days, or three hundred and sixty double-hours, totaling three thousand ke and one hundred and eighty thousand fen.

Yang Qi moves through Qian, which symbolizes Heaven and Yang, and is reckoned by nines; Yin Qi moves through Kun, which symbolizes Earth and Yin, and is reckoned by sixes. The moon’s bright aspect, its hun, begins to emerge within its dark aspect, its po, starting on the first day of the month. Since nine and six do not match, the moon’s hun does not begin to emerge from its po until three days have passed. Taking a day and night as one hundred ke and sixty fen, the moon’s hun advances seventy li within its po each day and night. In six days and nights it advances four hundred and twenty li, reaching halfway within the moon’s po. This is called the first quarter. After another six days and nights, it advances a further four hundred and twenty li, making eight hundred and forty li in all. The moon’s hun then fills its po completely, and Yang Qi reaches the position of Yin. This is called the full moon.

Beginning on the sixteenth day, the moon’s po emerges within its hun. Taking a day and night as one hundred ke and sixty fen, the po advances seventy li within the hun each day and night. In six days and nights it advances four hundred and twenty li, reaching halfway within the moon’s hun. This is called the last quarter. After another six days and nights, it advances a further four hundred and twenty li, making eight hundred and forty li in all. The moon’s po then fills its hun completely, and Yin Qi reaches the position of Yang. The moon still retains some light because the number six has not reached the number nine; thus, only after three more days does the po fill the lunar palace. This is called the dark moon, or the end of the month. After the first day, the number nine arises from within the number six; before the end of the month, the number six arises from within the number nine. The numbers of Yin and Yang are not exhausted, so the changes that follow continue to occur at fixed intervals. Days accumulate to form months, and months accumulate to form years.

For the months, the Six Pitch Pipes and Six Pitch Tubes—the twelve ancient tones used to tune the musical scale and correspond with Yin and Yang—begin with six and fill six places. Six times six is thirty-six, the completed number of Yin. For the days, five days make one pentad, and there are seventy-two pentads in a year. The number of Yang begins with nine and fills six places. Six times nine is fifty-four, the completed number of Yang. One six and one nine together make fifteen, the number of one Qi cycle, or solar term. The twenty-four solar terms correspond to the eight seasonal divisions, revealing the pattern of Yin and Yang rising and declining.

Once one six and one nine have been combined, four is applied: the four seasons are doubled, and each season receives its completed number. By this reckoning, one season yields ninety; four times ninety is three hundred and sixty. This is then divided into the Yang number, two hundred and sixteen, and the Yin number, one hundred and forty-four. Together they make three hundred and sixty, completing one full circuit of the celestial sphere.

The “Metaphors” section says: The Qi of Yin and Yang rises and descends between Heaven and Earth, just as the Qi of the heart and kidneys joins with bodily fluids within the human body. The Sun and Moon move through Heaven and Earth, just as in cultivation one performs “flying the Golden Crystal behind the elbows,” a term that metaphorically describes the ascent and circulation of Qi through internal practice. The Sun and Moon meet in the sky, just as cultivation involves advancing the Fire and regulating its timing.

Yang Qi rises and Yin Qi descends, like the waxing and waning of the Sun and Moon’s souls and spirits. The Sun moves westward and the Moon comes eastward, like the coming and going of the Qi of the heart and kidneys and of bodily fluids.

After the winter solstice, the Sun rises at the Yi position and sets at the Geng position, and daylight lasts forty ke. The Sun gradually moves northward from the south; over nine days, its positions at sunrise in the east and sunset in the west advance by a total of sixty fen. At the spring equinox, day and night are equal in length. The Sun then continues on its course until, at the summer solstice, daylight reaches sixty ke. After the summer solstice, the Sun rises at the Jia position and sets at the Xin position, while daylight remains at sixty ke. It gradually moves southward from the north, retreating by a total of sixty fen over nine days. At the autumn equinox, day and night are equal once again. The Sun then continues on its course until, at the winter solstice, daylight lasts forty ke.

Changes in the length of day and night are calculated according to the Sun’s pattern of advance and retreat. After the start of the month, on the third day the Moon’s “soul” begins to emerge from its “spirit.” Six days later, the waxing and waning of soul and spirit reach equilibrium. Six days after that, the Moon’s soul is full; this process is counted by nines. After the full Moon, the Moon’s spirit begins to emerge from its soul. Six days later, their waxing and waning reach equilibrium. Six days after that, the Moon’s spirit is full; this process is counted by sixes. Here, “soul” and “spirit” are terms used to describe the phases of the Moon.

The summer solstice in the yearly cycle corresponds to the sixteenth day of the lunar month. It follows the daily-use rule of the Li trigram, which symbolizes Yang, and is like the hour of Wu in the human body. The winter solstice corresponds to the beginning of the lunar month. It follows the daily-use rule of the Kan trigram, which symbolizes Yin, and is like the hour of Zi in the human body.

The ascents and descents of Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth each have their proper times; the comings and goings of the Sun and Moon’s souls and spirits each follow their own patterns. Both can be calculated with numbers. Their union follows an order, and their movements make no errors. The Qi of the heart and kidneys, bodily fluids, and the souls and spirits governed by the liver and lungs also each follow their own rhythms in the human body. As the years and months pass, surely they too undergo corresponding changes of increase and decrease.

The True Instructions say: When Yang Qi first arises in the Kan trigram, practice at the hour of the Rat. Yin and Yang are then changing places; this is neither a beginning nor an end. When the time of the Gen trigram arrives, the Qi of the kidneys joins with the Qi of the liver.

Before the two kinds of Qi join, go to a quiet room, put on a robe, sit cross-legged, and draw in the abdomen. After a short while, stand up, lift the chest, and tilt the head slightly backward, while tightening the opening at the Jiaji area—the point along the spine believed to be a passage for the movement of Qi. Gently move the elbows backward once or twice, then stretch the waist. The essential point is to guide the breath upward from the Weilü point at the base of the spine, like a flame, and gather it at the Jiaji area. Do not rush to open the passage. Wait until the warmth is clearly felt and the Qi is strong, then gradually open the Jiaji passage and let the breath pass through. Next, lean backward with the face turned upward and tighten the area at the back of the head to close the upper passage. Again, do not open it too soon. When the warmth feels strongest and the Qi is abundant, gradually open the passage and let the breath enter the crown of the head, nourishing the Mudball, where Jing and Qi are said to gather, and the Sea of Marrow. Being able to withstand cold and heat marks the foundation of long life.

Next, practice the method of “returning the Elixir.” The procedure is still to lift the chest, stretch the waist, tighten the Jiaji area, squat, and then stretch upward. If there is no feeling of heat around the waist, sit quietly and observe inwardly, then repeat the method until the Qi grows warm and rises. Practice from the hour of the Ox until the hour of the Tiger. This is called “Flying the Golden Crystals Behind the Elbows,” also known as “drawing out lead.” It means causing the Qi of the kidneys to arise as the Qi of the liver.

The human spine has twenty-four vertebrae. Counting upward from below, the lowest three correspond to the internal kidneys. Counting downward from above, the top three are called the “Heavenly Pillar,” and the area above them is called the “Jade Capital.” Between the Heavenly Pillar and the part corresponding to the internal kidneys, above the Weilü point, are eighteen vertebrae known as the “Two Passes,” divided into an upper set of nine and a lower set of nine. Practice continuously for one hundred days, allowing Qi to pass through these eighteen vertebrae and enter the Mudball. Practice must take place when Yang Qi first arises in the Kan trigram; this is “Flying the Golden Crystals Behind the Elbows.” Gather the medicine at the time of the Li trigram, advance the fire to refine it at the time of the Qian trigram, and draw in the Yang Gate. After one hundred days, the Golden Crystals fly into the brain; Qi surges continuously through the three passes and enters the upper palace, the Mudball. The practice begins with the Kan trigram and ends with the Gen trigram.

At the time of the Li trigram, gather the medicine so that the Qi of the heart and kidneys can join. The Qi of the liver then gives rise to the Qi of the heart. Both kinds of Qi become pure Yang, and Yin gradually recedes. Warm, moist Qi steams through the lungs, causing lung fluid to descend and envelop the true Qi. Each day, the true Qi grows to the size of a millet grain and enters the Yellow Court, the place within the body where true Qi is said to gather. Only then are the materials for Neidan (internal alchemy) in place. The medicine’s potency can become sufficient only after one hundred days of uninterrupted practice.

When gathering the medicine at the time of the Li trigram, observe inwardly at the appointed times and make the practice progressively more refined. Advancing the fire to refine the medicine at the time of the Qian trigram, and drawing in the Yang Gate, begins with the Dui trigram and ends with the Qian trigram. Practice this for another one hundred days. “Flying the Golden Crystals Behind the Elbows” proceeds from the Kan trigram to the Zhen trigram; gathering the medicine at the Li trigram continues according to the earlier method, combined with practice from the Kun trigram to the Qian trigram. After two hundred days without error, the sacred embryo—the inner embryo described in Neidan practice—will become stable. The method of drawing in the Yang Gate should be practiced from the Kun trigram through to the Qian trigram. After a further one hundred days, the Mudball will be full, and one can regain youthful vigor and become unlike ordinary people. When gathering the medicine is complete and the embryo immortal has formed, true Qi arises, the body becomes round and smooth like a pellet, and its color resembles a red tangerine. By guarding the Dantian (energy center) for a long time, one becomes an immortal on land.

After three hundred days, continue the practice: stop gathering the medicine at the time of the Li trigram, and stop drawing in the Yang Gate at the time of the Kun trigram. Then turn to the path of returning the Elixir with Jade Liquid. Thus, formal practice begins only after the winter solstice. After three hundred days, the embryo is formed, Qi is abundant, the Neidan is complete, and true Qi arises. This method is called “reversing the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and turning back the Three Fields.”

Before formal practice, first bring Yin and Yang into harmony and cause Qi and fluid to generate one another, continuing until the corresponding signs appear. Then gather and disperse Water and Fire, stabilize the foundation, set Qi in motion, and settle the fluids, again continuing until signs appear. Next, unite the Dragon and Tiger—terms in Neidan that refer to interactions such as those between Yin and Yang or the heart and kidneys—and refine the Elixir. Through gathering and supplementing to return the Elixir, refine Lead and Mercury, terms symbolizing the body’s Jing and Qi, until signs appear. Once the ratio of “ten losses to one replenishment” has been reached, Qi and fluid should generate one another; the signs serve as the measure of success. This practice belongs to the Lesser Vehicle and can prolong life.

To further replenish and stabilize the foundation, begin practice in the month containing the winter solstice, on a Jiazi day, and during the periods corresponding to the Kan, Li, and Qian trigrams. For the first one hundred days, practice from the Kan trigram to the Gen trigram, and from the Dui trigram to the Qian trigram. For the next one hundred days, practice from the Kan trigram to the Zhen trigram, and from the Kun trigram to the Qian trigram.

Practice must take place in a secluded, quiet room, away from women. You must not hear the sounds of chickens or dogs, let foul odors enter your nose, or eat the five flavors. Give up the seven emotions and six desires; eat in moderation and keep your body at a temperate level of warmth. Even in sleep, be mindful that your practice might be weakened. Without diligent practice, it is difficult to attain the Dao. Follow these instructions for three hundred days, then observe whether the corresponding signs have appeared.

The “True Explanation” says that this is the threefold method: under the Kan trigram, circulate the Golden Essence upward so that the Jing-Qi of the lower Dantian returns to the upper Dantian; under the Li trigram, gather the medicine so that the Jing-Qi of the lower Dantian rises to the middle Dantian; under the Qian trigram, draw in the Yang Gate so that the Jing-Qi of the middle Dantian returns to the lower Dantian. This is also called “the three Dantians turning and returning”: Jing-Qi circulates back and forth among the upper, middle, and lower Dantians.

The Essential Dao says: “The sun and moon move together,” corresponding to the Return hexagram. After a period of crouching and rising, one can open the passes. True Yin and true Yang gather in Yangzhou, and the fire-Qi of the six palaces fills the Golden Field.

“Sun and moon moving together” in the Return hexagram refers to the moment when the first Yang is born: within a day, this is the Zi hour; within a year, it is the winter solstice. “Choosing the day in the month and the hour in the day” means selecting a suitable date in an appropriate month, then choosing the hour on that date. “Crouching and rising” is a practice of lowering and raising the body; “several days” means continuing for one hundred days. “Opening the passes” means opening the middle pass first, then the upper pass.

“Yangzhou” refers to the heart in the human body, the Wu hour in the daily cycle, and the Li trigram in the hexagrams. “Gathering” means the union of true Yin and true Yang, hence it is called “gathering the medicine.” “Qian as the six palaces” means that the Qian trigram corresponds to the six palaces; here, “fire” means Qi. One draws in the Yang Gate and gathers the breath, taking lung-Qi as “Metal,” then returns it to the Dantian in the kidney region. Hence the phrase “fire fills the Golden Field.” This describes practicing the Qian method: drawing in the Yang Gate and gathering Qi in the lower Dantian.

The “Direct Explanation” further says: “‘The sun and moon move together’ in the Return hexagram refers to the winter solstice at the Jia-Zi hour. Crouching and rising set the firing times in motion; after one hundred days, the passes open. This is the method of circulating from the Kan trigram to the Gen trigram and circulating the Golden Essence upward. ‘Gathering in Yangzhou’ means practicing the Li method to gather the medicine, bringing Yin and Yang into union. Once the fire-Qi of the six palaces fills the Dantian, one then practices the Qian method, drawing in the Yang Gate and gathering lung-Qi in the lower Dantian. This stage proceeds from the Dui trigram to the Qian trigram.”

On the road to Zhongnan, one encounters a mountain; rising, one crosses the three passes in succession. The mind turns toward the gathering in Yangzhou—what could compare with the sight of a young maiden setting the sky ablaze?

“Zhongnan” is used here to refer to the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water, the north, and related things. “Middle Son” is another name for the Kan trigram. Gen represents a mountain and also refers to the Gen trigram. Flying the Golden Essence—a Neidan method of circulating Jing and Qi during cultivation—stops upon reaching the Xun trigram. This is the stage of practice on the two-hundredth day. The phrases about repeatedly passing through the three barriers while ascending, and longing for joyful gatherings in Yangzhou, have already been explained. In the phrase “the Maiden burns the sky,” “Maiden” refers to the Dui trigram. Restraining the Yang Pass—a Neidan method of gathering and circulating Yang Qi—stops upon reaching the Qian trigram.

Place names such as “Yanzhou” and “Xuzhou” stand for trigram positions here: “Genzhou” means the Gen trigram, and “Xuzhou” means the Xun trigram. The Golden Essence is circulated from Gen and stops at Xun. In “rise and go; the cart and oxen are lost,” the cart symbolizes Yang and the oxen symbolize Yin. The phrase refers to a stream of Qi rising from the spinal region between the shoulder blades and flying into the Niwan, a site of internal cultivation in the head. In the human body, the Nine Provinces refer to the heart; in the cycle of the hours, they refer to the hour of Wu, corresponding to the “herb garden” mentioned earlier as a metaphor for gathering and refining the elixir. The southwest refers to the Kun trigram, and Yongzhou refers to the Qian trigram. Restraining the Yang Pass is circulated from Kun and stops at Qian. This is the stage of practice on the three-hundredth day.

The direct interpretation says that a stream of Qi rises from the spinal region between the shoulder blades and flies into the Niwan. In the human body, the Nine Provinces refer to the heart; in the cycle of the hours, they refer to the hour of Wu, matching the herb garden mentioned earlier. The southwest is Kun, and Yongzhou is Qian; Restraining the Yang Pass stops after circulating from Kun to Qian.

This passage describes the stage of practice on the three-hundredth day: the Golden Essence is circulated from Gen and stops at Xun; “the Nine Provinces rejoice together” still refers to gathering the elixir as described earlier; and Restraining the Yang Pass is circulated from Kun and stops at the You position of Qian.

This is the method used in daily practice, the way of applying the Three Origins throughout the day. “Flying the Golden Essence into the brain” means guiding Jing and Qi from the lower Dantian back to the upper Dantian. “Gathering the medicine” means guiding Jing and Qi from the lower Dantian to the middle Dantian. “Heating the medicine and advancing the fire” means guiding Jing and Qi from the middle Dantian back to the lower Dantian. These are called “the Three Origins at work.”

This is a method of the Middle Vehicle. Once it is mastered, one can become an earthly immortal. When signs of progress appear, one should stop practicing this stage. At first, one may often startle awake from dreams and experience palpitations; the limbs and the six viscera may also become painful. These symptoms, however, will resolve on their own without treatment. In a dark room, with the eyes closed, one will see round shadows of light like a canopy surrounding the body. The Golden Gate and Jade Lock—the metaphorical gates that seal and secure Jing and Qi—will become firm, and nocturnal emissions and other forms of leakage will cease. After hearing a sound like thunder, the breath will flow freely through the joints. In dreams, one may feel as if returning while holding an infant, or as if soaring freely through the air. External harmful influences will be unable to enter, while distracting thoughts will fade away on their own, bringing desire to an end. During inner observation—the inward examination of body and mind—awareness will be clear and undimmed. By day, one will appear bright and refined; at night, the Dantian will grow warm naturally. These are signs that the medicine has been obtained.

Once these signs have become stable, continue practicing with care and restraint. Follow the method described above for another three hundred days, until the embryo immortal—the inner attainment of internal alchemy—is complete. Only after the embryo immortal is complete should one proceed to the subsequent methods.

Chapter Six: Returning the Elixir with Jade Fluid, with an Appendix on Refining the Form with Jade Fluid

The Jade Book says: True Yin and True Yang generate and fulfill one another. What appears in the heavens is Yang Qi accumulated into Shen (spirit). The forms within Shen that move through the heavens are the sun and moon. What appears on earth is Yin Qi accumulated into form. The forms within form that abide upon the earth are gold and jade. The substance of gold and jade lies hidden in the lovely Qi of mountains and rivers; their radiance rises up and shines in concert with the sun and moon. When plants and trees receive this Qi, they become auspicious; when birds and beasts are influenced by it, they become extraordinary beings.

The Zhenyuan says: When Yang Qi rises to Heaven, the Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) gives rise to Yin Qi. Yin Qi is deficient while Yang Qi is abundant, so when Yang Qi gathers, it can produce Shen (spirit). When Yin Qi descends to Earth, the Taiji gives rise to Yang Qi. Yang Qi is deficient while Yin Qi is abundant, so when Yin Qi gathers, it can form physical substance. The sun and moon in Heaven, and gold and jade on Earth, respectively embody the Shen produced by true Yang and the forms fashioned by true Yin. Their Qi intermingles, responding to one another above and below, and light fills Heaven and Earth. This is why gold and jade are precious.

When the Qi of gold and jade gathers in the air, it forms auspicious clouds; when it enters the earth, it transforms into sweet springs and zhi herbs, legendary immortal plants akin to the reishi mushroom. When people receive this Qi, they become outstanding; when birds and beasts receive it, they too display unusual qualities. Though gold and jade are forms created by gathered Yin Qi, they contain true Yang Qi within and respond to the sun and moon, whose Shen is formed from gathered Yang Qi. True Yang shines down from above, and the treasures of gold and jade thereby take shape.

The Yiyu says: Yin Qi gathers to form physical substance, while true Yang is contained within it, as in gold and jade. This is like a practitioner gathering the medicinal substances and holding true Qi within to form a fetal immortal, the inner immortal embryo cultivated through practice. When the Qi of gold and jade enters the earth and becomes sweet springs and zhi herbs, it is like jade liquid returning to the Dantian (energy center). When it gathers in the air and becomes auspicious clouds, it is like using Qi to refine and nourish the body.

The Qi of gold and jade surges toward the sky, rising with Yang Qi; when it enters the earth, it descends with Yin Qi. Since it follows the rising and falling of Yin and Yang, it naturally also changes with the four seasons. In cultivation, the return of jade liquid to the Dantian and the refinement of the body through breath can likewise be adjusted according to the waxing and waning of the seasons, and they also change over the course of a single day.

The True Instructions say: Once the methods of gathering and replenishing have taken effect, choose a month of the year, then a day in that month and an hour on that day. Practice three times each day. After one hundred days, the medicine will be sufficient; after two hundred days, the sacred embryo—the inner foundation gradually formed through Neidan cultivation—will be stable; after three hundred days, true Qi will arise and the embryo immortal, the perfected immortal body, will be complete. Practice with care and restraint, steadily advancing at the proper times. Only after completing the full three hundred days may you practice the methods for returning the elixir and refining the body.

“Using the Gen trigram to send the golden essence into the brain until it reaches the Xun trigram and turns white” refers to the practice undertaken after three hundred days of cultivating the golden essence. Conclude gathering the medicine at the Li trigram stage and conclude restraining the Yang Pass—the method of containing Jing and Qi and securing the apertures—at the Kun trigram stage. Begin restraining the Yang Pass at the Dui trigram stage and continue until the Qian trigram stage ends. After the Li trigram stage, also add the swallowing method to refine the body.

The swallowing method involves using the tongue to stir the areas on either side of the upper palate. First swallow the turbid saliva, then draw the tip of the tongue back and let the mouth fill with saliva. Once it forms, do not rinse the mouth; swallow it directly. In spring, the liver Qi is strong and the spleen Qi weak, so use the Li trigram each day. In summer, the heart Qi is strong and the lung Qi weak, so use the Xun trigram each day. In autumn, the lung Qi is strong and the kidney Qi weak, so use the Gen trigram each day. In winter, the kidney Qi is strong and the heart Qi weak, so use the Zhen trigram each day. In the final month of each season, the spleen Qi is strong and the kidney Qi weak. Since kidney Qi is the human foundation, and is deficient at some point in every season, use the Dui trigram for the swallowing method each day during the final eighteen days of each seasonal month, practicing it together with the method described above. In autumn alone, use only the Dui trigram swallowing method and stop the Gen trigram practice.

Begin the swallowing method as described above. If no saliva forms between the teeth and the Jade Pool—the place in the mouth where saliva gathers—move the tongue over the entire upper and lower mouth, close the Jade Pool, tighten the jaws, and make the motion of swallowing without swallowing. At this point, what you mainly swallow is Qi, and water will naturally be present within it. During the first year, swallow Qi thirty-six to forty-nine times in each session; in the second year, increase this to eighty-one times; in the third year, increase it to one hundred eighty-one times, and the effects will become apparent. This is the method of returning the elixir through the primary fluid. Practice for no more than three years. As saliva irrigates the Dantian and bathes the embryo immortal, true Qi will grow more abundant.

If practicing the method of returning the elixir through Jade Fluid, then after three hundred days of cultivating the Neidan, when true Qi has just arisen, you can use the Gen trigram to send the golden essence. Once the golden essence has passed through the three passes and risen to the Mudball Palace, the site of cultivation in the head, practice the method of returning the elixir through Golden Fluid: let the golden water flow down from the crown of the head, then return it to the Yellow Court, the central place of inner cultivation, so that the metal Qi congeals into an elixir. This is called the Golden Elixir.

Practice the method of returning the elixir through Golden Fluid in a quiet, secluded room that people do not usually visit. Burn incense, place one palm over the other, and sit cross-legged. First bend the body down, then raise it. As soon as you feel the fire within you begin to stir, sit upright, set aside distracting thoughts and forget your feelings, and focus your attention inward. Once you have made sure that the Gen trigram has sent the golden essence into the crown of the head, tilt your head back slightly until your neck feels as though it contains fire. Then nod forward, lowering your head and bending your neck. Draw the tongue back, then press it forward against the upper palate. A clear, refreshing saliva will form in the mouth, sweet and fragrant in taste. It will rise to the crown of the head and flow down through all the channels. A fragrance will naturally become apparent in the nose, and the tongue will taste something unusual. Do not rinse the mouth; swallow the saliva directly and return it to the Yellow Court. This is called returning the elixir through Golden Fluid.

This method can be practiced in spring, summer, autumn, or winter, without restriction to a particular season. But only after sending the golden essence into the brain should you proceed in order, from the Gen trigram to the Xun trigram. At night, practice restraining the Yang Pass, proceeding from the Dui trigram to the Qian trigram. Practice with even greater care and restraint than before; only then may you succeed. The ultimate attainment is limited to refining the body, remaining in the human world, and living forever. It does not bring transcendence.

Only by discerning the fundamental patterns governing the movement of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), which shape the transformations of all things, can one understand the changes of the four seasons. Drink a few cups of jade nectar at the appointed time—here, the jade-like fluid produced through cultivation—and, in a state of intoxication, return to roam the Moon Palace, here referring to the Dantian, the place within the body where one cultivates and nourishes oneself.

“Recognize the roots of the Five Phases” means reversing the order in which the Five Phases generate and overcome one another, and coordinating the trigrams according to the appropriate timing while using the method of swallowing and absorbing, a cultivation practice in which one swallows the saliva in the mouth. Only then can one understand the changes represented by spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and how the movement of Qi transforms at its proper time. “Jade nectar” means jade-like fluid; “returning drunk” refers to swallowing a large quantity of it.

Gaze east toward Fusang, the legendary place where the sun rises, while it is still dark. Then raise the breath and swallow the jade-like fluid, continuing without interruption. Like a swift horse, roam through the cosmos, letting the Qi of the fluid spread throughout the body. The eldest son, the Zhen trigram, which represents the east and the energy of growth, reaches only as far as Yangzhou, the position represented here by the Li trigram.

“Gazing east toward Fusang before dawn” refers to the time before sunrise, corresponding to the hour of the Gen trigram. “Raising afterward” means raising the golden essence, a cultivation term for lifting the body’s Jing and Qi. “Swallowing beforehand” means swallowing the jade-like fluid so that it returns to the Golden Elixir, back to the Dantian. “Riding a swift horse” means setting the firing times in motion and refining the body with the jade-like fluid. “Roaming through the cosmos” means that its Qi fills the limbs. “Eldest son” refers to the Zhen trigram, while “Yangzhou” refers to the Li trigram. Refining the body with the jade-like fluid begins at the Zhen trigram and stops at the Li trigram.

The direct explanation says: The jade-like fluid is the bodily fluid in the kidneys. It rises to the heart and merges with the three Qi. Passing through the “layered tower,” the throat, it fills the Jade Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth; this is called jade-like fluid. One then swallows it so that it enters through the middle field, the middle Dantian of the body. This process begins at the Zhen trigram and ends at the Li trigram.

Jade Liquid is the fluid in the kidneys. It rises to the heart, joins with the Three Qi, and passes through the throat (the “ninefold tower”), filling the mouth with fluid. This is called “Jade Liquid.” If it is swallowed and descends from the Middle Field (Middle Dantian) to the Lower Field (Lower Dantian), it is called “Returning the Elixir.” If it is made to rise and travels from the Middle Field to the limbs, it is called “Refining the Form.” These terms refer, in fact, to the same substance.

This method of practice follows three hundred days of cultivating the “medicine that comes forth,” once the Embryonic Elixir has been fully formed. At this point, one should reduce the “flying Golden Crystal” practice by one trigram, continue to close the Yang Gate as before (controlling Jing and Qi so they do not leak out), stop gathering the medicine, and add the method of swallowing fluids. The timing for swallowing fluids depends on the seasons.

This method of refining the form is added after completing the trigram count. It begins with the Zhen trigram and takes the Li trigram as its intermediate goal. The practice is not limited to a set number of years, months, or days; it should continue until its effects appear. These effects include a clear, lustrous complexion and a radiant, refined appearance; a gradual loss of desire for eating fishy or foul-smelling foods; the spontaneous fading of worldly desires and attachments; and Qi approaching fullness, bringing a steady sense of satiety so that one eats little yet can drink a great deal of wine.

The scripture then describes various signs of refining the form: the ordinary body seems to have changed, and the spirit changes with it; one walks and runs as if riding a horse, moving swiftly; the eyes shine like lacquer, and the body is smooth and lustrous like congealed fat; the hair grows back black, wrinkles smooth out, and even the elderly retain a youthful appearance. Looking into the distance, one can see the finest down on objects a hundred paces away. Old scars on the body disappear on their own, and the nose no longer runs, the eyes no longer weep, and the body no longer produces saliva or sweat. An Elixir flavor arises in the mouth, and the numinous fluid gives off a fragrance; unusual aromas and tastes are often present between the mouth and nose. Rinsing the mouth with the fluid makes it as rich as butter, and it is said to be able to cure illness. The whole body may even transform into a white, paste-like substance. These are all the signs that the scripture calls “Returning the Elixir with Jade Liquid and Refining the Form.”

Once these signs appear, one should stop the practice and proceed with care and restraint, continuing to cultivate in accordance with the prescribed methods and seasons.

“Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquid,” Chapter Seven (with an appendix on refining the form with Golden Liquid)

The Jing Gao says: When Yang Qi gathers to its utmost fullness, it generates spirit; spirit contains form. Form arises from the sun, and the sun in turn arises from the moon. When Yin Qi gathers to its utmost fullness, it generates form; form contains spirit. Spirit arises from metal, and metal in turn arises from jade.

What appears and disappears as Yin and Yang wax and wane is the radiance of the sun and moon. Radiance arises according to fixed numerical patterns, whose roots lie in Qian and Kun—that is, the Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth. What rises and falls as Yin and Yang move is the Qi of metal and jade. Qi stirs in accordance with the seasons, which have their roots in Heaven and Earth.

The Zhenyuan says: After dawn, the radiance of the sun and moon follows the number nine; before the end of the month, it follows the number six. Six and nine are the numerical patterns of Qian and Kun’s transformations. The Qi of metal and jade rises in spring and summer and descends in autumn and winter. It rises and falls with Heaven and Earth’s seasonal order, stirring in accordance with the seasons, which have their roots in Heaven and Earth.

The Zhenyuan also says: After dawn, the radiance of the sun and moon follows the number nine; before the end of the month, it follows the number six. Six and nine are the numerical patterns of Qian and Kun. The Qi of metal and jade rises in spring and summer and descends in autumn and winter, rising and falling with Heaven and Earth’s seasonal order.

Metal is born from jade, jade from stone, and stone from earth; such is the way of things that manifest as form and occupy the lower realm. Within the sun is a golden crow, and within the moon a jade rabbit. The moon depends on the sun’s “solar soul”—the sun’s vital essence—to shine; such is also the way of things that manifest as wondrous images and occupy the upper realm.

The “Metaphor” says that the sun and moon may be compared to a person’s Qi (vital energy): the Qi of the kidneys is like the moon, and the Qi of the heart is like the sun. Gold and jade may be compared to a person’s bodily fluids: the fluids of the kidneys are like gold, and those of the heart are like jade.

“Jade Fluid” is formed when kidney Qi rises to the heart and joins with heart Qi. After the two currents of Qi mingle, they pass through the “Layered Tower” (the throat). Keep the mouth closed so the fluids do not escape, until the “Jade Pool” (the mouth) is full. Swallowing these fluids is called “returning the Jade Fluid to the Elixir”; making them rise is called “refining the body with Jade Fluid.” The fluids originate in the kidneys, form in the heart, pass through the throat, and finally fill the mouth. This is like stone forming in the earth and jade forming within the stone.

“Golden Fluid” is formed when kidney Qi joins with heart Qi but does not rise. Instead, it steams the lungs. The lungs are called “Radiant Beneficence”: they cover and nourish the two currents of Qi. The fluid is then gathered from the lungs and made to rise from the “Coccyx Gate” (an acupoint near the end of the spine) in the “Lower Field” (Lower Dantian, or energy center), an operation called “flying the Golden Essence into the brain,” to nourish the “Palace of the Muddy Pellet,” an inner cultivation site in the head. The fluid then descends from above and returns to the Lower Field; this is called “returning the Golden Fluid to the Elixir.” Once it has returned there, make it rise again and spread throughout the body. Afterward, when it travels upward once more, this is called “refining the body with Golden Fluid.” This, too, is like gold forming in the earth.

Anyone who wishes to cultivate body refinement and fly the Golden Essence should do so in a quiet room, strictly avoiding wind and sunlight. Burn incense at a distance and privately report to the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the supreme deities revered in Daoism: “I wish to attain long life in this world, transmit and practice the Great Dao, and teach and transform the people. Therefore, I will first cultivate the method of body refinement myself, hoping to become impervious to cold and heat, give up the plain grain diet, and transcend the bounds of Yin-Yang.” After the prayer, swallow the fluids.

The True Instructions say: The Tailgate point at the back, at the lower end of the spine, is called the Lower Pass; the point between the shoulder blades is the Middle Pass; and the back of the head is the Upper Pass. At first, one practices Flying the Golden Essence, a method in Neidan (internal alchemy) for guiding the breath upward, to open the Three Passes: the kidneys correspond to Earth, the heart to Heaven, and when Qi rises to the crown of the head, this is likened to reaching the Nine Heavens. To refine the body with Jade Liquids, one guides the practice from the heart up to the crown, thereby reaching the Nine Heavens.

After three hundred days, the Great Medicine is refined, the Embryonic Immortal—the primordial spirit formed through Neidan practice—is complete, and true Qi arises. If Qi rises along the front, follow the established method of refining the body with Jade Liquids; if it rises along the back, follow the established method of Flying the Golden Essence. These are all methods for circulating Golden Essence and Jade Liquids; their success is judged by the signs that appear.

Beginning from the Kan trigram, Qi rises along the back and travels upward to the crown of the head. Gently cover both ears with the hands, turn the attention inward according to the method, and then swallow a little saliva. Next, press the tongue against the teeth and close the Jade Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth. Wait for saliva to flow down from the upper palate before swallowing. After swallowing, begin again, continuing in this way until “Good Sealing.” At the start of spring, Qi likewise rises along the back and travels to the crown. Gently cover the ears, turn the attention inward according to the method, and swallow a little saliva. Then press the tongue against the teeth and close the Jade Pool. Wait for saliva to flow down from the upper palate before swallowing; after swallowing, begin again and continue until “Good Sealing.”

In spring and winter, swallow saliva once for every two rounds of practice; in autumn and summer, swallow once for every five rounds. Each time, swallow no more than fifty times in autumn and summer, or one hundred times in spring and winter. Once the swallowing practice along the back is complete, let Qi rise along the front of the body, filling the head and face, the limbs, and all ten fingers. Stop when its force is full. Then begin again and raise Qi once more, continuing until the Li trigram.

This practice of beginning along the back and swallowing saliva is called Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquids. After returning the Elixir, beginning along the front is called Refining the Body with Golden Liquids. Begin refining the body after the Gen trigram and continue until stopping at the Li trigram. At the Dui trigram, gather in the Yang Pass, the aperture through which Yang energy circulates, and continue until “Heavenly Sealing.” When Qi rises along the back to the crown and then travels downward, this is called Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquids. When the Qi of the Golden Elixir rises from below along the front, this is called Refining the Body with Golden Liquids; the body then reveals a scene like a jade tree adorned with golden blossoms.

If Returning the Elixir with Golden Liquids has not yet brought the practice down to the Lower Origin, the region of the body’s lower Dantian, and the front and back routes are started simultaneously, this is called Fire Rising and Scorching the Body. These are all methods for Returning the Elixir and Refining the Body with Golden Liquids; running both routes at once also includes the so-called method of Scorching the Body. Practice these methods with care and restraint, persist firmly, and do not grow lax; judge their success by the signs that appear.

The Daoyao says: After rising, keep the ears closed throughout the night and remain attentive to changes in the body. This is a method for cultivating and nourishing the physical form through the Golden Elixir’s returning cycle—using internal alchemy to transform Jing and Qi into “Golden Liquid” and circulate it through the body. The stages at both the beginning and the end have already been activated, and the “burning of the body”—refining the body through the inner firing process—has been completed. Those who practice this kind of method must be cautious and restrained, resolute and diligent, and never slacken. They should use the appropriate signs of efficacy as their guide.

The Daoyao says: After rising, keep the ears closed throughout the night and swallow the Golden Liquid as it comes. Stop swallowing when it reaches Qingzhou; when the sun moves west, listen again to the Yang Song.

Commentary: The instruction to “keep the ears closed throughout the night after rising” refers to practicing the “elbow-back flight of the golden crystal,” which directs the Qi cultivated internally upward along the back of the body and through the three passes during the Golden Elixir’s returning cycle. As soon as the Qi begins to move, cover the ears with both hands. The ears are regarded as portals through which kidney Qi enters and leaves. Covering them prevents the kidney Qi from leaking out and allows it to enter the brain.

“Swallow the Golden Liquid as it comes” means that once you feel the Qi enter the brain, follow the earlier method: nod, bend the neck, then press the tip of the tongue back against the upper palate to produce sweet saliva. Practitioners experience its unusual taste, as sweet as honey. Begin circulating the “golden crystal” from the trigram Gen, swallowing once, and stop when it reaches Zhen. Qingzhou refers to the Zhen trigram; “when the sun moves west” refers to the Dui trigram. “Listen again to the Yang Song” means to close the Yang Pass—the aperture through which Yang Qi moves in internal practice—at the stage corresponding to Dui, and continue through Qian. There is no need to gather the elixir again.

After swallowing is complete, the firing process continues throughout the night: Qi rises at the front and moves upward at the back, thereby “burning the body.” Although the practice is not limited by the passage of months or years, at midday the Qian trigram naturally appears…

This is a method of “refining the body with the Golden Liquid,” a practice that trains the body by circulating Jing and Qi within it. After drinking the preparation, one must maintain the firing process throughout the night and practice the return of the Elixir through the Golden Liquid according to the method described earlier. “Refining the body through the Gen trigram” is also a way of kindling the fire: first raise it forward, then draw it up from behind, circulate the Golden Essence—an alchemical term for Jing and Qi within the body—and kindle the fire.

The sequence for “refining the body with the Jade Liquid” is different. First circulate the Golden Essence from front to back, bringing it up to the crown of the head. Then practice returning the Elixir, and afterward refine the body by raising it forward as described earlier. This method differs from refining the body with the Golden Liquid.

After circulating the Golden Essence, kindling the fire, and bringing it to the crown, kindle the fire forward to refine the body. Kindling the fire both at the front and at the back is called “burning the body.” After kindling the fire, practice returning the Elixir according to the appropriate adjustments for each of the four seasons. This method is not bound to particular years, months, days, or hours. One must practice with restraint and concentration, live in a quiet place, and avoid contact with the outside world.

The movement of Qian and Kun is contained within each day: before noon, one burns Qian; after noon, one burns Kun. Here, the front and back of the body serve as metaphors: the abdomen corresponds to Kun, and the back to Qian. Burning Qian before noon means circulating the Golden Essence from behind the elbows, then kindling the fire forward to refine the body. Burning Kun after noon means beginning at the place associated with the Dui trigram, “binding the Yang Pass”—an alchemical term for gathering and controlling the passage of Yang Qi—and continuing until reaching the Qian position.

The Direct Explanation says: “Golden Liquid” refers to fluid from the lungs. The explanation that follows still uses the front and back of the body to correspond to Qian and Kun: the abdomen is Kun, and the back is Qian. Burning Qian before noon means circulating the Golden Essence from behind the elbows, then kindling the fire forward to refine the body. Burning Kun after noon means binding the Yang Pass at the Dui position and circulating it until reaching the Qian position.

“Golden Liquid” here refers to the fluids of the lungs. Receiving and containing the Qi of the Dragon and Tiger—usually understood as the two Qi of Yin and Yang—and then sending it into the lower Dantian, the cultivation site below the navel, is called “Golden Liquid.” The name indicates that the Great Medicine is about to be refined. Drawing it from behind the elbow toward the brain, then sending it down from the crown of the head back to the lower Dantian, is called “returning the Elixir.” Next, it is made to rise again and circulate throughout the body, refining and nourishing the physical form from bottom to top. This is called “refining the form,” also known as “refining the form into Qi.”

This practice should be undertaken only after the return of the Jade Liquid Elixir and the refining of the form have shown results. It requires caution and restraint: dwell in stillness, burn incense, and cultivate according to this method. After returning the Golden Liquid Elixir, continue by refining the form and closing the Yang Barrier, thereby securing Yang Qi. Only after practicing in this way for more than a year may one proceed to “burning the body.” “Burning the body” is a method of refining the form that precedes the Kan trigram stage. If the front and back of the body are mapped onto the Eight Trigrams, the abdomen corresponds to Kun and the back to Qian. Before noon, refine the Qian position of the back; this is called “burning Qian,” and is done to refine the Golden Essence. After noon, refine the Kun position of the abdomen and close the Yang Barrier. When burning Qian, Qi circulates upward from below, activating both the front and back of the body. For three or five days in winter and summer, practice the “already completed” method to prevent overcultivation and keep the Golden Elixir moist. Then proceed to burn the body, raising and swallowing the fire Qi. Stop once results appear.

The practitioner should hold to a quiet and lofty aspiration, in harmony with the Great Void. The hun and spirit do not wander outside, and dreams consequently cease; Yang Essence condenses into bodily form, and the spirit’s abode—the place where Shen is stored—becomes firm. Neither winter’s cold nor summer’s heat causes fear, and one’s bearing and appearance also change. The scripture says again that the Golden Elixir must be kept moist: when burning the body, draw the fire Qi upward and swallow it, stopping when results appear. Keep the mind lofty and in harmony with the Great Void; let the hun and spirit remain within, so that dreams cease. Yang Essence condenses into bodily form, and the spirit’s abode becomes firm. The cold and heat of the four seasons can no longer inspire fear, and one’s bearing and appearance change. Even when face to face with ordinary people, one may sense that, despite their wealth and status, they carry a rank, foul odor; this makes it all the clearer that one has left behind the body of an ordinary person.

When the work is complete, three methods of transformation through true Yang are transmitted in secret. The practitioner can foresee the calamities and blessings that will befall people, and the spirits, too, know them in advance. In the face of all things in the world, the mind is no longer attached. The breath is abundant, food is no longer needed, and an unusual Qi shines from the body with a golden luster. An immortal’s skin may be compared to the bud of jade. Wherever one goes or stays, deities come to meet; they may be summoned and directed at will. Once the true Qi has become pure Yang, one may also refine Waidan (external alchemy). All the effects described above appear through refining the body with Golden Liquid after returning the Golden Liquid Elixir.

These are the three methods of the middle vehicle, belonging to the practices of earthly immortals.

The lower volume presents the three methods of the great vehicle, which transcend the ordinary and enter sagehood.

Eighth: Aligning with the Origin and Refining Qi.

At the beginning, the One Qi—the original vital energy before Heaven and Earth were divided—differentiated. The Great Dao took on form, giving rise to the Two Forms of Yin and Yang. Once the Two Forms each had their place, the Great Dao received a name, then further differentiated into the Five Emperors, divine beings representing the five directions and the Five Phases.

Each of the Five Emperors dwells in a different direction and guards it. The Qi of each direction is distinct, and each corresponds to an imperial lord. The son of the Azure Emperor corresponds to Jia and Yi and receives the Nine Qi of the Heavenly True Wood virtue. The son of the Red Emperor corresponds to Bing and Ding and receives the Three Qi of the Heavenly True Fire virtue. The son of the White Emperor corresponds to Geng and Xin and receives the Seven Qi of the Heavenly True Metal virtue. The son of the Black Emperor corresponds to Ren and Gui and receives the Five Qi of the Heavenly True Water virtue. The son of the Yellow Emperor corresponds to Wu and Ji and receives the One Qi of the Heavenly True Earth virtue.

True Oneness, the pure and undivided primordial Qi, is generated from the One Qi. True Oneness manifests through Earth, so all things come into being within Earth, while the generation of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) returns to the One. The Way of the True Origin—the fundamental Way of life in Heaven and Earth—arises entirely from the One Qi.

The Jade Book says: The numbers one, three, five, seven, and nine are what the Dao reveals after dividing; Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth are the forms it reveals through transformation; east, south, west, north, and center are the directions it reveals through arrangement; and azure, white, red, yellow, and black are the qualities it reveals through dispersion.

These numbers ultimately return to numberlessness, forms to formlessness, directions to placelessness, and qualities to immateriality. To understand how the Dao returns to numberlessness, see that numbers appear only after division; without division, there are no numbers. The Dao returns to formlessness because forms arise through transformation; without transformation, there are no forms. The Dao returns to placelessness because directions arise through arrangement; without arrangement, there are no directions. The Dao returns to immateriality because qualities arise through dispersion; without dispersion, there are no qualities.

Numberlessness is the source of the Dao; formlessness is its foundation; placelessness is its true state; and immateriality is where its mystery lies.

After the Dao’s source divides and unfolds, its subtle roots gradually spread into the branches. Those who grasp the true Dao cultivate truth by following what is true; when truth is present within, truth naturally responds in the world outside. Those who understand the subtle Dao bring subtlety to fulfillment by following what is subtle; when subtlety is present within, subtlety naturally responds in the world outside.

Though Heaven and Earth have received the Dao’s truth, that truth has not yet become manifest, so they still have directions. Though Heaven and Earth have received the Dao’s subtlety, that subtlety has not yet become manifest, so they still have substance and form. Where there is substance and form, one can observe appearances and seek out their underlying nature; where there are directions, one can calculate numbers and patterns. Among all things between Heaven and Earth, human beings are the most precious. By observing the appearances of Heaven and Earth, people can recognize that the Qi of their substance and form is associated with water. By calculating the patterns of Heaven and Earth, they can also recognize that their directions differ in distance. Examining these principles closely makes clear that the Dao is not far from human beings.

The “Metaphor” says: Heaven and Earth have Five Emperors, divine beings who represent the Five Phases, just as human beings have five internal organs. The Azure Emperor belongs to Jia and Yi Wood: Jia is Yang and Yi is Yin, corresponding to the Qi and fluids of the liver. The Black Emperor belongs to Ren and Gui Water: Ren is Yang and Gui is Yin, corresponding to the Qi and fluids of the kidneys. The Yellow Emperor belongs to Wu and Ji Earth: Wu is Yang and Ji is Yin, corresponding to the Qi and fluids of the spleen. The Red Emperor belongs to Bing and Ding Fire: Bing is Yang and Ding is Yin, corresponding to the Qi and fluids of the heart. The White Emperor belongs to Geng and Xin Metal: Geng is Yang and Xin is Yin, corresponding to the lungs and their fluids. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter each have their own seasons, and the heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys each have months when they are at their strongest.

The True Instructions says: During the three months of spring, Liver Qi is at its height. When Liver Qi is strong, the true Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the season and gathers in the Liver. If the day is a jia or yi day, Jia and Yi Wood overcome Earth; during the chen, xu, chou, or wei hours, kindle the internal fire according to the method to refine and nourish Spleen Qi. On other days, when the Dui trigram period arrives, reduce Metal Qi to deplete Lung Qi; this is not a suitable time to begin cultivation. When the Kan trigram period arrives, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Kidney Qi. When the Zhen trigram period arrives, enter a quiet chamber to cultivate. On inhalation, draw in more breath than you release; breath retention is best, with prolonged breath retention next best. Retain the breath for a count of one thousand breaths. During cultivation, follow the method and turn your awareness inward: first quiet the mind and close the eyes. Green appears naturally, then gradually rises to the Niwan Palace at the crown of the head. From the dark hours until the chen hour, complete the sealed cultivation of the Zhen trigram.

During the three months of summer, Heart Qi is at its height. When Heart Qi is strong, the true Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the season and gathers in the Heart. If the day is a bing or ding day, Bing and Ding Fire overcome Metal; during sealed cultivation of the Dui trigram, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Lung Qi. On other days, during sealed cultivation of the Kan trigram, reduce Water Qi to deplete Kidney Qi; this is not a suitable time to begin cultivation. When the Zhen trigram period arrives, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Liver Qi. During sealed cultivation of the Li trigram, enter a quiet chamber and practice as described above. Red appears naturally, then gradually rises to the Niwan Palace. From the si hour until the wei hour, complete the sealed cultivation of the Li trigram.

During the three months of autumn, Lung Qi is at its height. When Lung Qi is strong, the true Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the season and gathers in the Lungs. If the month is a geng or xin month, Geng and Xin Metal overcome Wood; during the Zhen trigram period, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Liver Qi. On other days, when the Li trigram period arrives, reduce Fire Qi to deplete Heart Qi; this is not a suitable time to begin cultivation. When the Xun trigram period arrives, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Spleen Qi. During sealed cultivation of the Dui trigram, enter a quiet chamber and practice as described above. White appears naturally, then gradually rises to the Niwan Palace. From the shen hour until the xu hour, complete the sealed cultivation of the Dui trigram.

During the three months of winter, Kidney Qi is at its height. When Kidney Qi is strong, the true Qi inherited from one’s parents moves in accordance with the season and gathers in the Kidneys. If the day is a ren or gui day, Ren and Gui Water overcome Fire; during the Li trigram period, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Heart Qi. On other days, during the chen, xu, chou, or wei hours, reduce Earth Qi to deplete Spleen Qi; this is not a suitable time to begin cultivation. When the Dui trigram period arrives, kindle the fire according to the method to refine and nourish Lung Qi. During sealed cultivation of the Kan trigram, enter a quiet chamber and practice as described above. Black appears naturally, then gradually rises to the Niwan Palace. From the hai hour until the chou hour, complete the sealed cultivation of the Kan trigram.

Here, “sealing” means sitting quietly, regulating the breath, and practicing inward observation at specific hours. “Kindling the fire” is a term from internal cultivation: it means directing Qi through intention, not lighting an actual fire. The text uses the four seasons, Five Phases, trigrams, and hours to set out the sequence for refining and nourishing the Qi of the internal organs.

The Lingbao Bi Fa says: In spring, cultivate the liver. Perform one thousand cycles of breathing practice and visualize green Qi appearing. During the eighteen days at the end of spring, there is no need to continue the previous method of practice. Instead, use only settled breathing: sit quietly throughout the day, nourish the spleen’s Qi, and refine and nurture your own true Qi. Only afterward may you kindle the fire to refine the kidneys at the time corresponding to the Kan trigram, thereby avoiding the depletion of true Qi.

In summer, cultivate the heart. Perform one thousand cycles of breathing practice and visualize red Qi appearing. During the eighteen days at the end of summer, there is likewise no need to continue the previous method. Use only settled breathing: sit quietly throughout the day and, following the method described earlier, nourish and refine Qi. Only afterward may you kindle the fire at the time corresponding to the Zhen trigram. In autumn, cultivate the lungs. Perform one thousand cycles of breathing practice and visualize white Qi appearing. During the eighteen days at the end of autumn, again use only settled breathing: sit quietly throughout the day and nourish and refine Qi according to the earlier method. Only afterward may you kindle the fire at the time corresponding to the Xun trigram. In winter, cultivate the kidneys. Perform one thousand cycles of breathing practice and visualize black Qi appearing. During the eighteen days at the end of winter, use only settled breathing as well: sit quietly throughout the day and nourish and refine Qi according to the earlier method. Only afterward may you kindle the fire at the time corresponding to the Dui trigram. Continue practicing in this way until yellow Qi transforms into radiance, then silently visualize myriad rays of light surrounding the whole body.

The method of settled breathing does not mean forcibly holding the breath or shutting off the flow of Qi. Rather, let the breath become long and subtle, as though present and yet absent. When practicing, do not rush or exert force. Allow the breath to settle naturally, so that Qi gradually passes from the tangible into the intangible. The method of gathering the medicine is to swallow saliva and draw it inward, keeping it firmly contained. This steadies the mind and spirit and prevents true Qi from dissipating.

When entering a quiet chamber to practice, close the door and stay alone in a secluded, tranquil dwelling, far from chickens and dogs, women, and anything else that causes aversion or distraction. Leave only a narrow gap in the window, enough to make out objects. Keep wind and sunlight from entering, and avoid surrounding noises. During practice, cast aside distracting thoughts, clear away worries and worldly concerns, and let both the inner mind and the outer surroundings become still, allowing nothing to intrude upon the mind.

This is because the Yang spirit—the yang aspect of consciousness referred to in cultivation—has only just begun to coalesce, and true Qi has only begun to gather. They must be tended with the same care as an infant; one must not rush the process. Burn incense each morning and evening, kneel, and bow with the forehead touching the ground: first offer prayers to Heaven, then to the celestial immortals, and finally to the terrestrial immortals. After completing these three prayers and acts of reverence, sit quietly and let go of thought, practicing in this way. At the same time, you must also follow the methods for each of the preceding stages and gradually observe their effects. If you rely on this set of practices alone and assume that you have attained the Dao, your efforts may well be in vain, and success will remain out of reach. You may even end up with only your Yin soul leaving the body, becoming a ghost immortal.

When practicing this method, there is no need to be bound by particular years, months, days, or hours. Simply continue practicing according to the method described above until results appear, then stop. Practitioners must be careful and steadfast, persist without wavering, set aside worldly affairs, focus their attention indoors, and remain alert to the right moment.

Practice in alternating succession with two boys whose pure Yang Qi is abundant, or with disciples who have joined you. Continue for more than a thousand days, and you can refine one Qi. Use that one Qi to draw in ten Qi: after a hundred days, results may become apparent; after five hundred days, the Qi will be full, and you can begin inner contemplation, turning awareness inward in stillness and concentration. Then gather the Yang Shen, the pure Yang spirit described in cultivation, and guide it into the realm of the celestial spirits. Refine the spirit until it unites with the Dao, reaching the state of transcending the ordinary and attaining sagehood.

When the refinement of Qi begins to take effect, the body will feel deeply at ease, as though it is continually rising upward. The light of the Elixir seems to shine through the bones, and the room seems filled with a strange fragrance. As you progress to seated stillness and inner contemplation, purple clouds seem to fill your field of vision. Gazing downward from the crown of the head, you may feel as though golden light envelops the whole body. There are many other extraordinary signs of cultivation, too numerous to describe one by one.

The Ninth Method: Inner Contemplation and Exchange

The Golden Talisman says: “The Great Dao, the fundamental principle of the cosmos, originally has no fixed form and is lodged within Qi. It is vast without limit, and nothing can contain it. The Great Dao originally has no fixed function, yet it reveals itself through the workings of all things. It is profound and unfathomable, and no principle can exhaust it.

“Only when we consider the substance of the Great Dao do distinctions between inner and outer arise; only when we consider its function do the grounds for contemplation and discernment arise. Contemplate the inner without clinging to the outer, and the principles of the outer can be examined fully, bringing clarity to the inner. Contemplate the spirit without clinging to the body, and the principles contained in the body can become fully manifest, making the spirit knowable.”

The Zhenyuan says: Observe the myriad things with a single, undivided mind. Though they are many, they cannot be said to add anything to it. Though the myriad things stir the One Qi—the primordial vital energy underlying life and the transformations of Heaven and Earth—they cannot be said to diminish it. When the One Qi returns to the single mind, the mind cannot be seized by external things; when the single mind sets the One Qi in motion, the Qi is not constrained by the many laws. The mind’s source is clear and penetrating: it can illuminate the myriad things without clinging to them. The Qi’s transformations are vigorous and powerful; all manner of responses arise and vanish in an instant, without clinging to any method. When you regard things without being confined by them, you can return to your original state. When you use methods without being confined by them, you can fully grasp the truth of natural ease and contentment.

The Metaphors says: First there are images, and then concrete forms arise; once forms exist, they are given names. With names, one can investigate their numerical principles; with numerical principles, one can understand the underlying truth. The highest realm of emptiness has no concrete thing that can serve as an analogy, so it can only be explained through cultivation: cultivation proceeds in proper sequence, with no error in its measures, and its work comes to fruition step by step. The harmonizing Qi gathers and does not disperse; the truly empty nature is tranquil and unadorned, acting through Wuwei (non-action). Spirit and Dao unite, and in the end one returns to nature.

At this point, taking the mindless as one’s mind makes it hard to explain how one responds to external things; taking the objectless as one’s objects makes it hard to explain how one applies principles. The heart is at ease and in harmony, until one even forgets having a body. Gradually one enters the Dao of Wuwei and reaches a realm deep and unfathomable. Such a person has transcended the ordinary and entered the realm of the sage.

The True Formula says: This method accords with the Great Dao. It resembles what is commonly called visualization—concentrating the mind and spirit and contemplating images—and also the practice of Buddhist monks entering meditation. Choose a fortunate, pure place for a quiet chamber. Perform a bowing ritual and burn incense, then sit upright with legs crossed. Let your hair hang loose, wear loose clothing, clasp your hands in the prescribed way, gather your mind and spirit, and quietly close your eyes.

Before midday, raise the body slightly, as though ascending, to kindle the fire and refine Qi (vital energy). After midday, draw the body slightly inward to gather the fire and refine the Elixir. Practice may be done by day or night. As long as the mind is clear and the breath is harmonious, joy will naturally arise within.

While sitting, pay no heed to sounds you hear, and do not take the visions you see as real; such appearances will naturally fade away. Clinging to them only makes demonic hindrances stronger. When these hindrances arise, do not hesitate—continue the practice. First draw the body slightly inward; then, after contracting further, straighten the waist. Next, let the chest rise and fall slightly, bending the body forward and back without straightening the waist. After a while, you will feel fire arise before and behind you. When the flames surge upward, do not move. This is called “burning the body.” Once the fire has arisen, the demonic hindrances will disperse beyond the body of their own accord, and Yin influences will be unable to enter it.

After doing this two or three times, visualize the space between Heaven and Earth filled with blazing fire. When the flames die down, all around is cool and empty. Then you may see carriages and horses, singing and dancing, splendid canopies and embroidered robes, wealth and splendor, joyful people traveling in groups, and clouds of five colors rising, as if you had ascended to the heavenly realm. There you may see emerald-colored terraces and winding courtyards, pearls and gold scattered across the ground, and countless flowers, fruits, ponds, and pavilions. In an instant, strange fragrances fill the air, music resounds, and guests crowd the seats. Delicacies from the mountains and waters cover the tables as people laugh and celebrate an age of peace, exchanging precious curiosities.

Even if these visions do not look like Yin ghosts or demonic armies, do not take them for auspicious signs. Those who cultivate the Dao should renounce worldly affairs and be content with solitude. Some withdraw to rivers and lakes; others conceal themselves in secluded places. They put aside distracting thoughts, act with caution, and endure hardship and deprivation for a long time. If, once their practice succeeds and their methods are established, scenes of splendor suddenly appear before them, they may assume these are not demonic illusions but that they have truly arrived in a heavenly palace. They would then fail to realize that they have not yet shed their mortal body: what they see is only the “heavenly palace” within their own head.

If they become attached to these visions, take them as a real realm, and stop practicing the methods of transcendence, they will remain confined within the body. Their Yang spirit will be unable to depart, and the embryo spirit will be unable to transform. Though they may leave the dim world of dust behind and become what is called an “Immortal on Earth,” attaining long life without death, they will not shed their physical form, ascend to the Three Isles, and become Immortals. It is a great pity to stop at this point. Practitioners of the Dao should understand that, however difficult transcendence may be, they must still put it into practice.

The Essential Teachings of the Dao (Daoyao) says: If one is satisfied merely with mastering a method for prolonging life and escaping death, one may indeed avoid death, but one will not be able to shed the mortal body, ascend to immortality, and return to the Three Isles—the legendary immortal mountains in the sea—to become an immortal. To stop after reaching this point is truly a pity. Those who study the Dao should reflect that, although transcending the ordinary world is difficult, this is no reason to abandon cultivation.

The Essential Teachings of the Dao also says: To be satisfied merely with mastering a method for prolonging life and escaping death is to accept a reduction in the demands of cultivation.

Transcending Form and Shedding the Body, Chapter Ten

The Golden Proclamation (Jingao) says: The Dao is originally without form or substance. To describe it in terms of “being” is already to miss the Dao. The Dao is originally empty and still; to describe it through concrete things is also to miss the Dao. Since the Dao has no form or substance, it cannot be made clear through questions and answers. It is luminous yet without image, and so cannot be apprehended by sight or hearing. To call the profound and subtle the Dao still leaves one within the limits of speech and question-and-answer. To call the soundless and formless the Dao still leaves one within the limits of perception through sight and hearing. If even “the rarefied and obscure” (without sound or form) and “the mysterious and subtle” (profound and wondrous) cannot represent the Dao, then what the Dao itself is cannot be known.

The Jade Book (Yushu) says: Everything that comes into being has a beginning, so why do we not know the beginning of the Great Dao? Everything that departs has an end, so why do we not know the end of the Great Dao? Beyond what is high and distant, one can still speak of something higher, but beyond the Great Dao there is no limit. Beneath what is deep and remote, one can still speak of something deeper, but beneath the Great Dao there is no boundary. The Great Dao is so profound and unfathomable that it cannot be fully investigated; that is why it is called the Dao. The myriad things each differ in rank according to what they receive, but the Dao of Wuwei—acting without contrivance and following what is natural—cannot be fathomed completely.

The Zhenjue says: “‘Transcending’ means rising beyond the bodies of ordinary people and entering the realm of the sages; ‘shedding’ means casting off the womb-born body of the mundane world and becoming an immortal.” At this time, the Shen enters a womb formed from Qi. Once the Qi is abundant, one’s true nature becomes manifest. Only after each stage of prior cultivation has been tested and confirmed, and the corresponding levels have truly been attained, may one take up residence in a quiet cultivation chamber and enter the “realm of Xiyi”—a subtle, still state beyond the reach of the senses.

Within the chamber, use inward observation, a method of cultivating by turning awareness toward the body and mind, to discern the Yang Shen, the practitioner’s pure-Yang spirit. Then regulate the inner fire, subdue demons, burn away the body, and gather Qi, causing true Qi to rise to the Celestial Palace. At this point, the physical body is clear and empty. Choose a secluded dwelling and practice according to the method of inward observation. After completing the three bows, rise without deliberately stretching upward or bending and extending the body. Sit upright, close the eyes, and quiet the mind. When stillness reaches its utmost and Shen and Qi return to their source, the body may feel as though suspended in the air, while Shen and Qi drift freely, beyond one’s control. Observe inwardly in silence. The scene before the eyes becomes bright and distinct: beautiful mountains and rivers, indistinct towers and pavilions, and interwoven purple vapors and red light. Auspicious luan birds and colored phoenixes appear, their calls pleasing to the ear. These extraordinary sights are called the true delights within the pot and the otherworldly vistas of the grotto-heavens. One seems to wander freely, no longer feeling bound by the mundane world, and enters the realm of true emptiness. Qi then moves of its own accord; there is no need to perform prescribed methods at set times.

If one sees blue Qi rising in the east, accompanied by music like the sounds of mouth organs and reed pipes, with banners, carriages, and horses arranged all around, then red Qi appearing in the south, white in the west, black in the north, and yellow in the center, the five colors of Qi gather into colored clouds. Music fills the air, and the atmosphere is joyful and harmonious. Golden youths and jade maidens gather around the practitioner, who may ride a fire dragon, travel upon yellow Qi, ride a colored luan, mount a fierce tiger, or ride a dark crane, ascending and descending through the sky. Wherever one passes, terraces and palace halls appear in endless succession, and the divine beings and officials are too numerous to describe. One then arrives at another place and sees rows of female musicians and court officials arrayed in procession, observing the same formalities as an earthly emperor on the move, with sages and worthies gathered together. Even upon seeing such visions, one must remain unmoved and continue riding upward.

At a gate, the guards are strict and entry is forbidden without leave. No matter how many officials and female musicians try to detain one from the sides, behind, or in front, one must not stop. If in the end one cannot pass through the gate, one should return through the air to the original dwelling. Practicing this journey back and forth without tiring is what is called the method of the “spirit leaving the shell.”

After long practice brings mastery, one can ascend to the Celestial Palace and descend to the original place in a single journey, traveling up and down without obstruction. Next, one may practice rising from a low place, as though climbing a seven-tiered treasure pagoda or a three-story jade tower, ascending step by step to the summit. One must not look down during the ascent, lest the spirit be startled and become attached to the body, unable to leave it. At the summit, close the eyes and leap out. As if in a dream, one feels that there is another body outside the physical one, with the appearance of an infant, pure skin, and a radiant presence. Looking back at the original body, one finds it loathsome, like a heap of dung or a withered tree. Yet one must not abandon it at once and travel far away, because the skill of the spirit leaving the shell is not yet mature.

One must continue returning to the original body and practicing departure and return until one can roam freely. At first, one may travel only a step or two; later, two or three li. With prolonged practice, one can travel a thousand or ten thousand li, as easily as a strong man extends his arm, with body and spirit robust and courage firm. Thereafter, one may leave the ordinary body in a famous mountain or beside a great river, and go back and forth to engage with the world without being like ordinary people. If one’s cultivation and deeds are complete, one can receive the Heavenly Book, ride a luan or phoenix, mount a tiger or dragon, and enter the Purple Palace, the celestial realm where perfected immortals dwell, from the east, west, and other directions. First one pays a visit to the Perfected Lord of Taiwei, then resides on the lower island. To ascend into a grotto-heaven, one should transmit the Dao in the human world and accumulate deeds of merit; after receiving the Heavenly Book, one ascends into the grotto-heaven and becomes a Celestial Immortal.

From ancient times to the present, few have succeeded in this method. If one’s cultivation and deeds are insufficient but one seeks success too hastily, or if one focuses only on sitting in meditation and seeking transcendence before the results of practice have been confirmed, various deviations may arise. If the Yin spirit has not dispersed, leaving the body may result in becoming a ghost immortal. Such a being can hide its form and come and go freely, but has nowhere to return; in the end, it can only take another body through reincarnation and be born human again. If one is not practiced in departing and returning, or lacks the proper methods, one may also leave and be unable to return to the original body, with the spirit and soul wandering who knows where. This is what Buddhism calls “sitting in transformation,” and what Daoism calls “corpse liberation.”

Therefore, anyone practicing this method must first have cultivation whose results have been confirmed, and must also choose a suitable place and build a chamber. One must avoid foul or impure things, polluted odors, noisy sounds, and women’s allure. Such things not only offend true Qi but also repel the spirit. If one can leave and return, and enter without leaving again, one may attain the wondrous perfection of body and spirit and live as long as Heaven and Earth. If one can enter and then leave, but leave without returning, it is like a cicada shedding its old shell, as the spirit moves into the realm of the sages. This is the path of rising beyond the ordinary and shedding the mundane to become a perfected immortal, leaving the world behind to dwell among the Three Islands and Ten Continents.

The Essentials of the Dao says, “If the methods were not inexhaustible, they would have vanished long ago.”

The three paths discussed above belong to the Great Vehicle, or Mahayana—the profound methods of cultivation—and are related to the way of the Celestial Immortals.