《玄牝之门赋注释》

The Gate of the Mysterious Female is the foundation of refining the Great Elixir. It is an empty valley within the Void, and a portal through which Jing and Qi enter and leave.

Commentary on Quanyangzi’s “Rhapsody on the Gate of the Mysterious Female”

Commentary by Yinquan, a Daoist of the Left Bank of the Chunshen River in Jiangsu

Yinquan explains: “‘One aperture of the Mysterious Female’ means that there is an aperture within the Mysterious Female. The Mysterious and the Female come together in this aperture and open and close at the same time; only then can it be called a ‘gate.’ The gate and the aperture are one and the same. If they cannot open and close together, it is neither a gate nor an aperture.

“The Mysterious and the Female refer to the two forces of Yin and Yang. The Mysterious belongs to Yang, yet Yin essence is born within it; the Female belongs to Yin, yet Yang Qi is generated within it. If the Mysterious and the Female had no gate, where could Jing and Qi enter and leave? The Mysterious has its own gate, and the Female its own portal. Only when both open and close together can they bring about generation and transformation. If each opens and closes on its own, they cannot be called a gate. Hence they are said to be ‘each other’s portals of entry and exit.’ The word ‘each other’ deserves careful reflection.

“This simultaneous opening and closing is precisely what the Cantong qi (a Daoist alchemical classic) means when it says: ‘The True Person sinks into the deep abyss, floats and moves while keeping to the center of the compass; turning and bending, he observes and listens; opening and closing, all are in accord.’ If one can bring this gate’s opening and closing into harmony, there is hope of refining the Elixir, for one has grasped its foundation. That is why the root of the Great Elixir lies here.

“The words ‘Great Elixir’ also carry symbolic meaning. The character for ‘great’ is formed by combining ‘person’ and ‘one’: if a person attains the One, they can become great. The character for ‘elixir’ has the sun above and the moon below. Its middle stroke symbolizes the sun and moon joined as one, while the dot within symbolizes Jing and Qi mingled together, taking the shape of a Golden Elixir.

“‘Valley of the Void’ means that this gate lies within the Void and has the form of a ‘valley.’ The words ‘Void’ and ‘nothingness’ have already been explained repeatedly, so there is no need to elaborate here. The form of the character for ‘valley’ also holds a deeper meaning: two people join their mouths, and this ‘mouth’ lies below them. Those who study the Way should reflect on what this implies.

“A valley is open and deep, empty yet responsive. This capacity to respond is Shen; Laozi called it the ‘Valley Spirit.’ Patriarch Ziyang said: ‘To keep the Valley Spirit from ever dying, one must establish the foundation through the Mysterious Female.’ He also said: ‘The Gate of the Mysterious Female is rarely known in the world.’ Without guidance from a true teacher, practitioners ultimately find it difficult to grasp this gate; that is why it is said that few people know of it. In truth, it is like an echo in a mountain valley: call, and there is a response; search for it, and it cannot be found.”

The honored and humble positions of the vessel are set apart, clearly distinguished and standing in relation to one another. The opening and closing transformations of the mechanism through which Yin and Yang move are so subtle that words cannot convey them.

Here, “honored” and “humble” are metaphors drawn from men and women. The Book of Changes says, “Heaven is honored and Earth is humble; thus Qian and Kun are established.” Their relative positions also symbolize the opposition of Yin and Yang. “Closing and opening” refers to a door’s movements as it shuts and opens. The “cauldron and furnace” are the vessels used for the union of Yin and Yang and for cultivation. Their subtlety is beyond words.

In cultivating immortality, one must first establish the foundations of practice. A person’s original Qi often circulates up and down through the body.

The pursuit of immortality should take refining oneself and laying the foundation—that is, cultivating oneself and preparing a sound basis for practice—as its starting point. A person’s original Qi also moves through the body according to specific directions as the time of day changes.

The lead furnace and mercury cauldron are established in this way.

“Lead and mercury” are alchemical terms that here refer to Jing and Qi. Establishing the furnace and cauldron together marks the initial stage of forging and refining.

Few people know the Jade Gate and Golden Pass.

“Jade Gate and Golden Pass” refers to the Mysterious Gate of the Female, the subtle portal where Yin and Yang meet. Few know where it is. It is like seeing the Jade Gate and Golden Pass without knowing where they actually lie.

The great Mysterious Female, the subtle gate of Yin and Yang, cannot be accurately named. It connects Yin and Yang, and is therefore called a “gate.”

What a vast and profound portal the Mysterious Female is, connecting Yin and Yang! It is difficult to name because it links Yin and Yang and gives life to the myriad things. It is also believed to be connected with the cultivation through which ordinary people and immortals attain realization.

The Mysterious Female (the fundamental gateway through which all things in Heaven and Earth come into being and Yin-Yang meet) can connect Yin and Yang. This gateway is vast beyond measure and cannot be named in words. The arising and transformation of all things, as well as a person’s becoming ordinary or cultivating to become an immortal, all depend on it.

This is the cauldron and furnace, symbolic vessels used in alchemy, which contain lead and mercury—terms in Neidan that symbolize Yin and Yang or Jing and Qi.

The east connects to the land of Fusang. The east corresponds to blue-green and Wood, and also symbolizes the Azure Dragon. “Connects” means that things meet and communicate. The land of Fusang is the legendary place where the sun rises.

The west leads to the summit of Mount Taihua. The west corresponds to white and Metal, and also symbolizes the White Tiger. “Leads” means that things pass to and fro. The summit of Mount Taihua is said to be where the moon rises.

The key lies in the subtle use of the two Earths—Wù Earth and Jǐ Earth—and in bringing them together. Wù Earth belongs to the Kan trigram, and Jǐ Earth to the Li trigram. For the two Earths to unite means that Kan and Li meet, like two jade tablets fitted together.

It lies between the two arcs and divides them in half.

The Cinnabar Cauldron, with cinnabar as its metaphor, symbolizes mercury in the Li trigram; the Crescent-Moon Furnace, shaped like a crescent and symbolizing lead in the Kan trigram, is governed in secret by the same pivot. The Pass of Returning to Life’s Source, the aperture for returning to the root, contains a full range of subtle functions.

The commentary explains that the gate has two leaves, left and right, shaped like the waxing and waning moon. When they close together, they resemble the sun and moon at their full; only when both leaves open and close at the same time do they embody the function of the “bowstring.” “Bowstring” originally refers to the string of a bow. Here, the strings of two bows face one another and form a circle, serving as a metaphor for the two gate leaves working in coordination. “Divided evenly” means that the gate opens and closes just right, leaning neither forward nor back.

The patriarch Ziyang said: “After the front bowstring comes the rear; before the rear bowstring comes the front. When the medicine’s flavor is balanced, the whole scene is complete. Gather it and bring it back to refine in the furnace; once refined, nurture it gently and let it cook on its own.” This means that the gate must open and close in harmony for the “medicine” to be obtained. If it is even slightly out of alignment, the gate cannot remain balanced and the scene is incomplete, making the medicine difficult to obtain.

“Great enough to have no outside, small enough to have no inside; below, it is called the female; above, it is called the mysterious.” Here, “great” and “small,” “inside” and “outside,” refer to the Qi of the “medicine.” Its specific meaning is explained in detail in the Middle Collection.

Cinnabar refers to mercury in the Li trigram; the crescent moon refers to lead in the Kan trigram; and the “passageway” refers to the wondrous aperture of the Mysterious Pass, the crucial opening spoken of in Daoist cultivation. Ancestor Ziyang—Zhang Boduan, a Daoist Neidan practitioner—said: “From the crescent-moon furnace grows a jade bud; within the cinnabar cauldron, mercury rests steady. Only when the fire times are well balanced does the yellow sprout gradually grow.” Only when all the subtle principles are in place can one grasp the key to the process and set it in motion with precision.

This gateway opens as Yang Qi rises and closes as Yin Qi gathers; its transformations of opening and closing are endless. The sun and moon alternate, moving back and forth without pause. Above is called the Celestial Pass, which contains Qian Jia; below is called the Earthly Gate, which conceals Kun Gui. It has no boundary and no form. When it closes and opens, it is called a “gate.” The high and low work together—truly vast and complete! All things circulate as they come and go, departing from here and entering here.

Qian Jia within the Celestial Pass belongs to the “Mysterious”; Kun Gui within the Earthly Gate belongs to the “Female,” the Yin side. To say that it has no boundary and no form means that this gateway is not a thing with a physical shape. The joining of high and low refers to the Kan and Li trigrams intersecting; this is the gateway’s natural correspondence. Immortals, Buddhas, and ordinary people all enter and leave through this gateway.

Now let us speak of this aperture: everyone has it, yet it is not an actual, physical gate. Few people in the world understand this.

That everyone has it means that this gateway appears only when the Yin and Yang of man and woman come together; neither side can form it alone. It is called a “gate” even though it is not a gate because it has no form or trace and is not a real doorway. Yin and Yang must correspond without conscious intention for its function to become apparent. Thus, this gateway cannot be formed by one person alone, and most people find it difficult to understand. People know only that it opens and moves outward, but not that it closes and moves inward; still less do they understand how opening and closing work together.

Heaven and Earth are always joining in their cycles of movement, while Shen and Qi continually merge as their flow extends without interruption.

The commentary says that Yin-Yang continually unite and interact between Heaven and Earth, just as the Book of Changes says, “male and female join and mingle their essences.” Yet when people come together, they do not understand the changes of “the small going and the great coming,” or the waxing and waning of opening and closing. When Shen and Qi flow without interruption, blending and converging, the Gate of the Mysterious Female is about to open or close. The whole body feels warm and fluid, yet people do not understand the principles of these changes.

Now the cavern of primordial chaos—the state before Heaven and Earth were separated and before chaos was divided—is opened, and the foundation of “True Unity” is built: the basis for gathering pre-heavenly Qi in cultivation.

The commentary explains that “opening the cavern of primordial chaos” means that the Gate of the Mysterious Female, a vital passage symbolizing generation and free circulation in Neidan cultivation, becomes open. “Building the foundation of True Unity” means that if one gathers, at the proper time, the pre-heavenly True Unity Qi stored within Kan, which symbolizes water, the kidneys, and other yin aspects, the foundation can be established, leading in turn to the attainment of the Earth Immortal. The foundation is formed by the joining of earth. Here, “earth” refers to Wu Earth contained within the Kan trigram; hence the foundation of cultivation is said to arise from Kan.

In terms of the twelve earthly branches, the “Female” below belongs to Zi. Viewed through the Bagua, the “Mysterious” above belongs to Li. The Mysterious and the Female occupy upper and lower positions, and thus form separate gates; yet their apertures are wholly united. Because few people understand this principle, Perfected Ziyang explained these hidden words in detail. Otherwise, why would Laozi say that they “come from the same source”?

The “female” below, as an image of Yin, belongs to the Kan trigram and symbolizes water, which contains the Qi of true Yang. The “mysterious” above belongs to the Li trigram and symbolizes fire, which contains the Jing of true Yin. “Gate” refers to the distinctions between north and south, left and right, and above and below. “Aperture” means that these openings connect as they open and close, and converge into one; only then can they be called an aperture or a gate. Though they are distinguished as Yin and Yang, both arise from the primordial Qi that existed before Heaven and Earth were divided. Separated, they are two; united, they are one. Thus the Patriarch of the Dao said that they “emerge from the same source but bear different names.” Patriarch Ziyang also said, “Their names differ, but their source is the same—a point few understand. The wondrous union of Yin and Yang is the key.”

I once said: “The secluded, hidden female gate lies deep beneath the vast sea; the lofty, towering mysterious pass stands above Kunlun.”

The female gate is the gate of Yang contained within Yin; the mysterious pass is the portal of Yin contained within Yang. The vast sea symbolizes unfathomable depth, while Kunlun symbolizes a height beyond reach.

Yin and Yang are distinct as black and white, yet this is neither something with definite shape and color nor something that can simply be called empty. It is difficult to depict with brush and ink.

The first two lines say that the Yin-Yang qualities of Jing and Qi can be discerned; the last two say that the form of this gate and aperture cannot be fully conveyed in words or pictures. Patriarch Lü said that anyone who tried to find its meaning on paper would have to drain all the water from Lake Dongting for ink before they could finish writing. This does not mean that the immortal scriptures contain no genuine methods. It means that this gate and aperture are difficult to depict. Patriarch Nimaru also said that, before meeting a teacher, one may begin by reading books, for they contain methods to practice. The Elixir texts do indeed reveal many methods, but learners often lack the insight to understand them on their own.

The four directions are laid out here: Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui correspond respectively to Zi, Wu, Mao, and You—that is, north, south, east, and west. The two luminous bodies, the sun and moon, move here, gathering and revolving according to the rhythms of darkness, the quarter moons, the new moon, and the full moon.

The two characters xuanpin (the mysterious source and gate of generation in Daoist thought) are profound and subtle. The work of gathering the medicine and refining and nurturing it takes place in an instant. Hidden below is the White Tiger, symbolizing the feminine, Yin side; it is the key to setting the firing process in motion—that is, to stirring Yang Qi. Above is the Azure Dragon, symbolizing the mysterious, Yang side; it brings forth a surge of Yin essence, as if clouds were rising. The force of the Dragon and Tiger meeting is like a pivot suddenly turning and wind and waves abruptly rising: it is difficult to control.

The “four alignments” mentioned here are Kan, Li, Zhen, and Dui; Zi, Wu, Mao, and You are north, south, east, and west. The two luminaries are the sun and moon. “Darkness” is the day when the sun and moon come together; “quarter moons” refers to the two halves of the moon meeting; “new moon” is the first day of the lunar month and here also refers to the first “true Zi hour” when the medicine begins to form—a key moment in cultivation when Yang Qi first stirs. “Full moon” is the day when the sun and moon face one another. The statement that the work takes only an instant means that this gate opens and closes extremely quickly, passing in a flash. The White Tiger hidden below refers to the feminine; “setting the fire in motion” means stirring Yang Qi. The Azure Dragon above refers to the mysterious; “clouds rising” describes the arrival of Yin essence. The pivot and the wind and waves describe the force of the Dragon and Tiger meeting, which is difficult to master.

Alas, there are many ways in which lesser, heterodox methods mislead people. Some make a point of adopting titles and proclaiming themselves sages…

Some minor cultivation methods touch on Yin-Yang but fail to understand how the “Mysterious Female” (the Daoist term for the gateway of generation and transformation) opens and closes in its cycles. They therefore still belong to side paths. A side path does not necessarily mean a heretical art. If one does not understand the method of the Mysterious Female’s opening and closing, Jing and Qi may also dissipate through channels that depart from the proper way. This is not cultivation of the Great Dao; it is called an “outer path.” An outer path means speaking recklessly about cultivating the True while not knowing the proper gate of cultivation.

Alchemy texts speak of “three thousand six hundred side paths and ninety-six kinds of outer paths.” These methods may sometimes seem close to the Great Dao, yet a difference as small as a hair’s breadth can lead to a vastly different result, leaving one unable to form the Neidan. The author holds that only those in the lineage of the Daoist Patriarch can truly understand the method of the Mysterious Female’s opening and closing. The Cantong qi says that both opening and closing must accord with the appropriate principles. Without practical cultivation, it is difficult to understand how this method is applied. The ancient patriarchs did not set it out fully in books; they outlined its general meaning in alchemical texts, offering only a slight glimpse of its secrets. The author adds that only those who understand how to apply opening and closing can be said to have received the Daoist Patriarch’s orthodox transmission. Through cultivation, they can bring the Elixir to completion and ascend.

Today, some side paths and outer paths cannot even be truly understood by beginners, much less enable them to grasp the Supreme Dao. They are called “minor methods” because their practitioners have not attained the Great Dao and have seen only a few small effects. Knowing, for instance, that a method can dispel illness, they assume that this is all there is to Daoist cultivation. They stop seeking guidance from people of greater insight, and so can hardly expect to become perfected beings. Thus Patriarch Ziyang mocks them: a frog at the bottom of a well thinks there are no dragon lairs in the world; how could a sparrow by the hedge know of the phoenix’s nest?

If the principles of Daoist cultivation are not explained, how can they accord with what the immortal texts say?

The point is that without understanding the profound principles, even extensive reading of immortal scriptures and alchemical texts is like a blind man riding a blind horse: one cannot find the proper path, much less receive guidance from an enlightened master.

To imagine Yin-Yang as the Mysterious Female is to waste one’s effort. To treat the mouth and nose as the Mysterious Female and rely single-mindedly on breathing practices is equally futile.

The mouth and nose are the gateways through which the acquired breath enters and leaves. To treat them as the places where true Mercury and true Lead circulate in cultivation is to misunderstand the principles of Yin-Yang. How, then, could one attain immortality or Buddhahood by such means? The Wuzhen pian says: “Few people in the world know the Gate of the Mysterious Female. Do not take the mouth and nose as places of cultivation and act at will.” This is indeed so.

If one can abandon heterodox and misguided methods, return to the correct path, and learn the true way of cultivation, one can investigate what is subtle and enter the wondrous realm. Could such a person still be shut out from a teacher’s lineage?

This is advice to those practicing heterodox methods: abandon them and return to the correct path as soon as possible. Then it will not be difficult to understand the true path of cultivation and its wondrous principles. By going on to investigate the subtle and enter the wondrous, one will naturally receive guidance from an enlightened master. Even if one seeks instruction with the sincerity of Cheng Yi, who once stood in the snow outside his teacher’s gate, could that devotion not move Heaven and bring an enlightened master to guide one in secret? “Standing in the snow outside Cheng’s gate” refers to the story of the disciple Cheng Yi waiting outside his teacher’s door in earnest pursuit of learning.

One should understand: what, in the saying “the spirit of the opening within the One Qi” (the One Qi circulates, with the Valley Spirit abiding within it), is the fundamental place of storage? And as the Primordial Harmony Qi circulates through the body, what serves as the pivot for its union and activation?

“Spirit of the opening” means the “Valley Spirit.” Laozi says: “The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female.” Here, “joining” refers to the moment when Yin and Yang open and close and come together. The spirit and Qi unite entirely through this gateway. It governs the pivot, setting the Primordial Qi in motion within the body.

Now let us examine another question: the tiger belongs to white and the dragon to green, so why are they also called the “Black Tiger” and the “Red Dragon”? The Mysterious is above and the Female below, so why are they also said to be on the left and right, respectively? We should understand that Wood accompanies Fire, with Wood Qi stored within Fire; Metal shares its palace with Water, with Metal Qi hidden within Water.

The White Tiger refers to Dui, and the Azure Dragon refers to Zhen. The Black Tiger is Metal within Water—that is, the Qi within Kan. The Red Dragon is Wood within Fire—that is, the Jing within Li. Above, below, left, and right refer to Heaven and Earth, as well as left for male and right for female. Wood is paired with Fire because Wood has the number three and Fire the number two; together they correspond to the Li trigram. This is “the Mysterious.” Metal and Water occupy the same palace because Metal has the number four and Water the number one; together they correspond to the Kan trigram. This is “the Female.” This is precisely what Patriarch Ziyang meant by: “Three in the east and two in the south combine as five; one in the north and four in the west join together.”

“Darkness upon darkness, marvel upon marvel” means that the transformations of creation within it are inexhaustible in their workings and cannot be fully described.

The commentator explains that “darkness upon darkness, marvel upon marvel” means that within the Mysterious there is yet another gateway to the Mysterious, and within the Marvelous there is yet another aperture of the Marvelous. It can also be said to mean the precelestial within the postcelestial, and the precelestial within the precelestial. Only by understanding how the Mysterious and Marvelous operate can one enter sagehood and transcend the ordinary. The methods for cultivating the precelestial and the postcelestial differ, and their transformations are therefore without end. The Gate of the Mysterious Female—a portal symbolizing Yin-Yang creation and the essential workings of cultivation—may be described as at once vast and subtle. To investigate the Great Dao deeply, one must begin at its entrance, venture inward, and explore its subtle mysteries.

I have added a few notes of my own to this fu, hoping readers will grasp its meaning beyond the literal wording and thereby find a way to enter the Dao.

The Maiwang says: “‘Mysterious Female’ refers to the undifferentiated Taiji within the human body. It contains Yin-Yang, hence the name ‘Mysterious Female.’ Shen and Qi return to their source here, and the sun and moon join in union here. If a person can establish the foundation of cultivation upon it, the Valley Spirit will not perish.” The “Valley Spirit” is a name for the innate emptiness that responds wondrously to things; it is also the human being’s original nature.

It also says: “The Gate of the Mysterious Female is where breaths enter and leave, and where Yin and Yang meet. It is the foundation of Neidan cultivation, the place where true Jing returns, and the site where the Golden Elixir takes shape; the ingredients are stored within it.” The Cantong qi says: “The method of these two apertures is that metal Qi depends on each of them in turn.” This is a vital place for cultivation: the foundation for refining the Elixir, the abode to which true Jing returns, and the site where the Golden Elixir takes shape. The ingredients are stored within it.

If a great practitioner understands the method of “pursuing and gathering” (the method of gathering and harmonizing the relevant Jing and Qi) at the two divisions of a single cavity, both will open and function. Without understanding this method, both will remain closed. Golden Elixir cultivation places great importance on metal Qi. To obtain metal Qi, one must first understand the method of pursuing and gathering; only then can one bring about the transformation of Yin and Yang.

Shangyangzi says: “Those who follow heterodox paths know only that the Mysterious Female is one thing, and call it the Valley Spirit, the spirit vessel, the Mysterious Pass, the Gate of the Mysterious Female, the Gate of the Many Wonders, or the wondrous aperture of being and nonbeing. Such talk is like a deaf person listening to wind instruments: they hear the sounds but do not understand their meaning. They do not know that the Mysterious Female is in fact made up of two things. Without these two things, how could the myriad things come into being and transform?”

The Mysterious Female refers to two forces, one Yin and one Yang, that contain one another. The “Mysterious” is masculine and contains true Yin. In the trigrams, it corresponds to Li, aligns with the southern position of Wu, and receives Ji Earth among the Heavenly Stems. What the immortal scriptures call “refining the self” means refining and nourishing the Qi of Ji Earth. This Qi is called Yin essence, and is also known as “true Mercury.” The “Female” is feminine and contains true Yang. In the trigrams, it corresponds to Kan, aligns with the northern position of Zi, and receives Wu Earth among the Heavenly Stems. What the immortal scriptures call “gathering the medicine” means gathering and refining the Qi of Wu Earth. This Qi is called Yang essence, and is also known as “true Lead.”

When the Qi of Wu and Ji Earth combine, it is called “Qi.” Once this Qi has been gathered, it may be called the “knife and measure.” The “knife and measure,” however, is not simply the result of Wu and Ji Earth combining. The “knife” belongs to Metal and corresponds to the Dui trigram; it carries the sense of wondrous efficacy. The knife and measure here is formed from the union of “the precelestial within the postcelestial” and “the precelestial before the precelestial,” and is therefore called “wondrous upon wondrous.” A single wondrous efficacy is not enough to form such a knife and measure. When the Wu and Ji Earth within Kan and Li combine, the result can only be called a “measure.” “The postcelestial and the precelestial” are what Lü Zu called the “two layers of Heaven and Earth.” A student who can grasp the fourfold Yin and Yang contained in these “two layers of Heaven and Earth” is close to the essential meaning.

The Maiwang holds that the Mysterious Female is the Taiji present within the human body before it has differentiated. What does it mean to say that it is “present”? To call it “the undifferentiated Taiji” means that Yin and Yang each make up half, and each in turn contains Yin and Yang. The Mysterious is half Yang and half Yin; the Female is likewise half Yin and half Yang. Since neither is complete on its own, they must be joined. Only after they unite is Yin and Yang complete, and only then can the result be called the Dao.

Because Yin and Yang each account for half, they must work together. Only when they are joined are Yin and Yang complete and can be called the Dao. If they do not unite, Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate) cannot take shape, and there can be no “gate.” Pingshu has already explained the meaning of the “Gate of the Mysterious Female” in detail, but few people understand the measure and essentials involved. Here I will first give a general account. Scholars should reflect on it carefully; perhaps they will grasp its subtle meaning.

A gate can open and close; that is why it is called a gate. Without opening and closing, how could it be called a gate? To understand opening and closing is to know the way in. This gate is the “Mysterious Pass,” regarded in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice as the crucial point where Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy) circulate and Yin and Yang meet. To open and close it at will, one must bring the practice of the “Valley Spirit”—the subtle spiritual responsiveness that arises in emptiness and stillness—to maturity. The Valley Spirit appears in a state of hazy obscurity, deep and difficult to put into words.

The Mysterious Pass has no actual shape or trace to seek out; it can only be sensed inwardly and grasped through the intent of Shen (spirit). A Daoist scripture says that attaining this aperture of the Mysterious Pass—the aperture being the crucial point where Jing and Qi meet in practice—makes it possible to live forever. Here, “attaining” means being able to make the Mysterious Pass open and close. If one does not understand how it opens and closes yet seeks longevity, the aim will likely be difficult to achieve.

The Mysterious Pass opens and closes in moments of hazy obscurity. “Hazy and dark” refers to the state in which the Mysterious Pass opens and closes and signs emerge from within the gate. Here, six lines from the Wondrous Scripture of the Jade Emperor’s Mind Seal are cited: “Hazy, hazy; indistinct, indistinct. Dark, dark; obscure, obscure. Preserve emptiness, hold to presence; it is accomplished in an instant. Turning the wind, merging and blending; after a hundred days, the work shows its efficacy.” These lines describe the signs of the Mysterious Pass opening and closing, as well as the circulation and function of Jing and Qi. The specific method of practice will be explained later.

The first two lines express what the Patriarch of the Dao said: “Hazy and indistinct, within it there is something; dark and obscure, within it there is Jing.” “Something” here refers to the barely perceptible movement and stillness that arise when the Mysterious Pass is activated—in other words, a moment of haziness, then another of indistinctness. This activation occurs when the Valley Spirit passes through the aperture; that is, when Jing and Qi circulate. Hence the words “within it there is Jing.” The “Jing” spoken of here, which is not divided into Yin and Yang, is true Jing. True Jing comes from within the dark and obscure, and can become one’s own innate, pre-heavenly Jing.

The “middle two lines” mentioned at the beginning of the final pair have not yet been discussed in the original text.

True Jing (essence)—the subtle substance generated before birth and not yet divided into Yin and Yang in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy)—comes from the depths of the obscure and elusive. It may be understood as the fundamental root present within a person from birth. The passage says that mastering true Jing is an essential secret of cultivation.

“Preserving the Void and guarding the Presence” means continually holding the thought that “there is no Jing within Li,” while waiting attentively for the Qi within Kan to stir. Kan and Li are terms commonly used in Neidan to refer to Yin and Yang and to the movement of Qi within the body. This is like a cat watching a mouse, wholly intent. When the Qi within Kan begins to move, one uses one’s own true Mercury—a symbol in Neidan for the mind-spirit or the Yin aspect—to receive true Lead, a symbol for Jing-Qi or the Yang aspect, and draw it into the Mysterious Pass, the crucial point where Qi converges in Neidan practice. This can be completed in a short while; the passage is saying that the practice can take effect quickly.

The next two lines say that after a hundred days of refinement and nourishment, this passage may open; only when it can be opened through is the practice considered efficacious. “A hundred days” here does not refer to laying the foundation, the stage in Neidan cultivation devoted to establishing a firm base.

“Revolving wind and merging” is the key. “Revolving” means turning; “wind” means the movement of Qi; and “merging” means Jing and Qi joining as one. “Revolving wind” refers to wind within a turning motion—that is, wind stirring along a revolving path. To understand this, one can infer the meaning from the words “turning and joining”: as Jing and Qi merge, wind stirs along the revolving path.

Pure Yang Patriarch Lü (Lü Dongbin) had the surname Lü. The author explains the character “Lü” by splitting it into “double mouth.” Lü was also called the “Returning Daoist,” a title the author connects to “returning wind,” explaining that Qi arises as it circulates back through the mouth. “Dongbin” means “guest in a cave.” Here, “guest” also echoes what Patriarch Ziyang said: “Let him be the master; I will be the guest.” The practitioner regards himself as a guest.

The author links the character “cliff” to the “three grades of superior medicine,” the three substances spoken of in Neidan practice, and interprets “three grades” as “nine mouths.” From there, the author connects it to the “nine revolutions of returning the Elixir,” the process of Elixir cultivation, and holds that completing it makes one an immortal. The author places particular weight on the character “then,” believing it implies that the human body itself has the conditions needed for cultivation. The author also draws on the Buddhist expression “the convenient gate”: without this “then,” one could not carry out the nine revolutions, combine them with the three grades, and become an immortal of Pure Yang. The author believes that the ancients concealed profound meaning in every character they created and urges students not to overlook it.

The author then uses the character “combine” as an example, attempting to infer its meaning from its written form, and again explains how the nine revolutions accord with the three grades. The author also quotes the Diamond Sutra: “A single combined appearance cannot be spoken of.” The explanation is that ordinary people are often attached to what is being spoken of, while those who study the Way can grasp it through attentive reflection. “A single combination” means Jing and Qi blended into one. “Appearance” is used as another name for the Mysterious Pass, the crucial opening in Neidan cultivation, and refers to “the wind returning within.” This “appearance” has no form or image, which is why it is said to be beyond words.

The author further observes that ordinary people become attached to this matter, whereas immortals and Buddhas may have it too but are free of attachment. According to the author, if a person harbors no attachment and practices continuously for a hundred days, the effects of the work will become apparent: the returning wind will blend, and the Mysterious Pass will open. “A hundred days” means practicing without interruption throughout that period. The author holds that only through such sustained practice can the work take effect.

Only through a hundred days of persistent practice can one achieve the effect of returning wind and mixing. “A hundred days” means that practice must continue without interruption throughout this period. Only when the accumulated effort reaches a certain level can subtle and wondrous results arise and the pivotal opening be unsealed. To open it, one must carefully investigate the meaning of the word “ling” (numinous efficacy) in order to grasp its mystery.

The upper part of the character “ling” is “rain,” while its lower part resembles “wu,” a shaman. The phrase “clouds and rain at Mount Wu” can illustrate the union of Yin and Yang; the three “mouth” components in the character symbolize the “three grades.” The character “wu” can also be understood as two people working together, symbolizing the mingling of Yin and Yang. Only when Yin and Yang merge can numinous efficacy appear. Without the practice of returning wind and mixing, however, there can be no “ling.”

The word “ling” carries a broad range of meanings. An old saying goes: “The Buddha is at numinous Mount Ling; do not seek him far away. Mount Ling lies within your own heart. Everyone has a pagoda of Mount Ling; practice beneath that pagoda.” This means there is no need to search far away for Mount Ling: it lies within the human heart. Everyone has a foundation for cultivation and should work on themselves. The phrase “everyone” emphasizes that cultivation is not limited to any particular group; people of any gender can make progress in practice.

People differ by gender, yet each possesses both aspects of Yin and Yang. For this reason, the Heart Seal Wondrous Scripture says, “Each person has Jing.” Here, “Jing” refers to the vital essence spoken of in cultivation. The scripture holds that men and women each possess Jing of both Yin and Yang. If these can be united, one may become a sage or remain an ordinary person; if they cannot be united, neither the Immortal Way nor the human way can be brought to completion.

To attain the Immortal Way, one must understand the Heart Seal Scripture’s teaching: “Jing unites with Shen, Shen unites with Qi, and Qi unites with the true body.” Jing joins with Shen, Shen joins with Qi, and Qi then joins with the body’s true Qi. The scripture summarizes this practice as the union of the Three Treasures—Jing, Shen, and Qi. Only through this union can one become a perfected being. Here, “the true” refers to the innate, primal Qi of unity. By attaining it, the body becomes that of a “true person,” able to unite with the Void. Without attaining this truth, one will ultimately find it difficult to attain the Dao.

The Heart Seal Scripture therefore also says, “Without attaining the true, all names are imposed.” Here, “imposed names” does not mean the “forcibly named the Dao” of the Dao De Jing. Rather, it refers to the names given to minor, heterodox methods by those who do not understand the cultivation of the true. The key to cultivating the true lies in supporting Yang Qi: when Yang Qi is pure and full, one can become an Immortal; when Yang Qi is exhausted, one becomes a ghost. These two paths, that of the Immortal and that of the ghost, both arise from one’s own choices and practice.

So-called “immortals” and “ghosts” arise from the fact that the human body contains both Yin and Yang: immortals belong to Yang, ghosts to Yin. When the Yang Qi in a person is exhausted, they become a ghost. The paths of immortals and ghosts are different, and both depend on how a person cultivates themself.

Consider the two strokes of the character for “person”: the stroke on the left is light, symbolizing Yang; the stroke on the right is heavy, symbolizing Yin. Thus, a person embodies both Yin and Yang and has two possible paths, leading either to immortality or to becoming a ghost.

The key to refining and nourishing Yang Qi lies in the “gate of opening and closing”—the crucial point in cultivation where the movement of Yin and Yang Qi opens and closes. This point is of great importance. If you have not yet received a complete and reliable oral instruction, do not risk practicing, for this concerns life and death. A text on immortality says: “The gate through which I am born is the door through which I die. How many are alert, and how many understand? At night, the steadfast man reflects on his own; longevity and deathlessness are in human hands.” The meaning is that both life and death are bound up with this crucial point, which is why it is said to govern them. In the end, anyone seeking longevity and deathlessness cannot do without it. The three words “reflects on his own” are especially important; practitioners should contemplate them carefully. Heterodox paths are numerous, so careful discernment is essential.

Lü Zu (Lü Dongbin) said: “The mysterious texts speak in many ways of Yin and Yang; these two words are called the sovereign of all methods.” He also said: “Heaven gives birth to one thing, which transforms into the Three Powers; through the union of Yin and Yang, the sacred embryo is formed.” This shows that knowing the two words Yin and Yang is not enough. One must also understand how Yin and Yang unite in response to one another in order to form the “sacred embryo”—the state of achieving the Elixir in Neidan cultivation—and become an immortal.

The “one thing” refers to the primordial, original Qi that existed before Heaven and Earth were divided. The “Three Powers” are Heaven, Earth, and humanity, all generated from this Qi. When this Qi stirs into activity, it gives rise to things with form: first Heaven and Earth differentiate, then humanity and the myriad things emerge. Humans are called the most spiritually endowed of the myriad things, and are therefore counted alongside Heaven and Earth as the Three Powers.

Heaven and Earth each have a Taiji, and the union of man and woman also forms a Taiji. Within Taiji, there is Yang in Yin and Yin in Yang. It is precisely because Yin and Yang are distinguished within Taiji that their union and interaction can be spoken of.

The Immortal Text says, “If the qi of Heaven and Earth did not mingle and respond to one another, how could Yang qi descend from the Kan position—one of the Bagua directions, symbolizing water and Yang within Yin?”

“Dark and yellow” refers to the dark Heaven and the yellow Earth. The sages of antiquity said, “Without Earth, Heaven could not be Heaven; without Heaven, Earth could not be Earth. A man and a woman who have not yet married are not yet fully adults.” If Heaven and Earth did not mingle and respond to one another, Yin and Yang would remain isolated and could not together form Taiji, the fundamental state from which all things in Heaven and Earth arise. Yin and Yang must therefore interact so that they can coalesce into the “sacred embryo,” a term for the Neidan or the fruits of cultivation. The “interaction of Yin and Yang” spoken of here means the union of Yin essence and Yang qi. Without this union, it is difficult to attain the Great Dao.

Quan Yangzi said, “There are many small, heterodox methods that mislead people. Some make a show of being accomplished in a particular school and appear learned, yet fail to explain its principles. How, then, could they grasp the meaning of the Immortal Texts? I wrote this book to enlighten students, not to boast. Moreover, the Immortal and Buddhist scriptures cited in it are all based on sources that anyone can consult; I can also answer to the spirits for them with a clear conscience. If there are learned people who understand the mysteries, I hope they will correct and instruct me. The Great Dao has no private interests; it should be as bright as the sun and moon.”