《玄要篇》

The ancestral Qi of the Great Beginning was simple and obscure. The Primordial Origin embraced all things, before any trace had appeared; in the beginning, everything was undivided and had no name. When chaos first opened, the Qi of Great Unity—the primordial Qi from which all things arise—began to stir. The two primal forces of Yin and Yang joined and responded to one another, bringing about the changing brightness and darkness of the sun and moon. Qian and Kun joined and transformed; Kun received Qian’s Qi and took shape. Though the names of the myriad things differ, they all come from one source and share one root. Inner and outer, empty and full, firm and yielding, harmonize with one another. Yin and Yang interweave to form patterns, and transformation appears in different forms. True Jing and true Qi are subtle and elusive, difficult to grasp. Kan and Li—the images of water and fire—reverse their courses and set the Five Phases in motion. When water and fire support one another and Yin and Yang are in harmony, spirit comes into being; when water and fire fail to support one another and Yin and Yang fall out of balance, death draws near. The path of cultivating immortality lies in careful observance; the path of ghosts tends toward deviance. People should admire the Way of Heaven and quickly turn away from the gate of ghosts. By cultivating immortality and looking up to the Way of Heaven, one can endure in distinction.

The Great Way of Heaven and Earth contains harmonious Qi and keeps to the center. It is the source of profound mystery and the root of subtle principles. These mysterious principles run through all things, as though cleaving open the vast primordial chaos—the state before Heaven and Earth were separated and before the myriad things took form. The aperture is like a bellows, while the fire of the Vermilion Bird, the divine bird symbolizing fire, blazes across the sky. The moon appears in the direction of Geng, the west, and finds its companion in the southwest. Drinking dark wine, the clear, mild liquor used in ancient rites, one feasts in the Yellow Center, which signifies the middle and also the central Qi of the Yellow Path. When the work of the two eights—the numerical image of Yin and Yang each reaching its half—is complete, the Golden Crow and Jade Rabbit, symbols of the sun and moon, merge. Divine radiance quietly appears, and the Yellow House, Mysterious Elder, an esoteric term for the inner sovereign or a state of the Elixir Way, rests peacefully at the center. The Xun wind, the wind-bearing trigram Qi, stirs, and rosy light fills the cauldron. Water and fire advance and retreat at their appointed times: in the morning one follows the Zhun hexagram, and at night the Meng hexagram, images of changes in the stages of refinement. The Zi and Wu positions are used; the Mao and You positions are not. After ten months, the full cycle is complete and the hexagrams turn to their end. In stillness and concentration, the Yellow House, Mysterious Elder, rests peacefully at the center; the Xun wind stirs, and rosy light fills the cauldron. Water and fire advance and retreat in sequence, following the Zhun and Meng hexagrams by day and night; the Zi and Wu positions are used, while the Mao and You positions are not. The ten months of work reach completion, and the cycle of the hexagrams comes to an end. The cultivation of nature and life is accomplished, and pure Yang Qi rises. The wondrous mechanism then unfolds, and the marvelous workings of the Way are without limit.

The ladder to Heaven.

I, a Daoist wanderer who roams across the land, let my beard flutter and stand stiff as a halberd. When I sing “The Ladder to Heaven,” it seems I could rise into the sky astride my tin staff. I recall how, when I first sought the immortal Dao, my resolve never wavered, as steadfast as stone.

I resigned from office and traveled among mountains, rivers, and seas, enduring hardship in search of the secrets of alchemy. I left the graves of my deceased parents and could not remain in the mountains of my native land. I bade farewell to my wife, now in middle age, and set out just as dawn broke. I left behind my young children, turning resolutely away from the ties of the human world. What ordinary people find hard to do completely, I have done; what they find hard to relinquish, I too have been able to let go. I seek to attain the fruit of immortality and, at ascension, ride a celestial crane.

From then on, I had to continue cultivating over a long span of time, never ceasing to travel on foot in search of the Dao. The passing years pressed upon me; time flew by like a white colt glimpsed through a crack in the wall. I gazed up at Mount Zhongnan and sighed three times to the heavens. A Fire Dragon Master descended from the sky—a teacher who imparted the methods of the Elixir—and instructed me one by one in wondrous words. Knowing that my Neidan (internal alchemy) was already complete, he no longer taught me the foundational practices. Instead, he transmitted the methods of Waidan (external alchemy), teaching me with earnest patience.

Cultivation requires refining one’s nature and forgetting worldly attachments. The gathering of the ingredients must follow the seasons. Primordial Qi (vital energy) cannot be measured by weight, and the phases of firing have no fixed schedule of alternation. One can only discern whether the ingredients are ripe or immature and master the gentle and intense phases of the fire. All depends on discerning them through true intent; their subtleties are difficult to explain one by one. After ten months of nurturing the original embryo—a metaphor in alchemical practice for the gestation of the inner Elixir—and nine years of cultivation facing a wall, a change of cauldron gives birth to a new Elixir embryo. At last I rise astride a dragon, soaring into the sky like a thunderbolt.

The heavens and earth will one day be destroyed, but the immortal’s lifespan is without end.

Oral instructions transmitted in person

The mnemonic formula personally transmitted by the sacred master contains a celebrated prescription passed down through the ages. Though it has been handed on to people in the world, how many truly understand it? A torn garment can be mended with cloth; a weakened tree can be nourished with soil. But what should be used to replenish and nourish a depleted human body? Here lie the mysteries of Yin-Yang transformation.

Take the elixir from the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water, the kidneys, and Yang within Yin. It is like a drop of dew gathered on a golden flower. Auspicious clouds spread across the horizon, and radiant light fills the dark places. Once it returns to the self, one becomes quiet and indistinct, as if drunk, or even dazed. The Great Elixir, produced through inner cultivation, is as small as a grain of millet. When the bodily form is shed, it rests in the realm of Wuwei (non-action). At ease, it roams through the vastness of Heaven and Earth, while the myriad forms seem like pearls and jade in the palm of one’s hand. Whoever can take this elixir will live as long as Heaven and Earth. If, at the Mao hour, it cannot prolong life, then everything I have said is wrong.

Reply to the Yongle Emperor

Heaven’s secrets are not readily revealed, for I fear that people today may not yet have sufficiently steadfast minds. After enduring countless trials and much hardship, I now transmit the fundamental lineage of Heaven and Earth. The Emperor has asked me about the Golden Elixir. The ancestral masters left behind a secret for long life. What, then, is this secret? The finest path is to be full of the Dao and profound in De. Restrain desire, clarify the heart, and quiet the spirit. The way of the immortals requires no other special method.

There is also a five-character poem:

“The Golden Elixir weighs one pound;

Close the eyes and quietly preserve the spirit.

It is taken from within the home—

Why toil in seeking it outside?

Refine the female Mercury of Li,

And absorb the male essence of Kan.

The Golden Elixir and its firing times:

Every spoken phrase is the primordial sound.”

The Golden Elixir weighs one pound. Close the eyes, still the mind, and preserve the spirit. It is obtained within oneself; why seek it outside? Refine the “female Mercury” within the Li trigram, which symbolizes fire and Yin within Yin, and absorb the “male essence” of the Kan trigram, which symbolizes water and Yang within Yang. The Golden Elixir and its firing times—the measure of timing and degree in elixir refinement—are expressed in every line of the fundamental true words.

Song of Daoist Feeling

The feelings involved in cultivating the Dao are no ordinary emotions. Once you have recognized Heaven’s secrets, do not treat them lightly. First, set aside worldly attachments. The elixir is obtained within oneself; why seek it outside? Refine the female Mercury within Li and absorb the male essence within Kan. The Golden Elixir and its firing times: every phrase is a fundamental true word.

True Daoist feeling—the aspiration to cultivate the Dao—is not an ordinary emotion. Once you have understood the workings of Heaven, you must not treat them lightly. First set aside worldly affairs, then study the principles with care. Before refining the Returning Elixir, the fruit of Neidan (internal alchemy), cultivate the mind and nature. Before cultivating the Great Medicine, the vital essence and energy produced through Neidan practice, nurture the mind and spirit. When the mind is cultivated, signs of the Elixir will naturally appear; when one’s nature and temperament are upright, the ingredients will naturally form.

Once the ingredients have formed, you must apply yourself at once, as though thunder were rumbling faintly in the empty sky. Seek the true seed where flashes of lightning appear; when the moment arrives, search out the source. Myriad rays of rosy light envelop the Golden Cauldron, while clouds of purple, a thousand fathoms high, veil Heaven’s Gate. At this stage, do not panic. Steadfastly guard the original spirit, the source of a person’s spirit, as though keeping watch over a cavern gate. Be focused and intent like a cat stalking a mouse or an eagle pursuing a hare, and keep exerting yourself without pause.

All the scenes that appear are unreal; only a mass of red light is truly real. This red light is the mind’s concentrated intention, within which something like a speck of dust hangs in a bright window. Suspended at its center is a point of precelestial medicine, like a grape from afar and gold up close. At this stage, everything depends on caution: the slightest stray thought will cause you to lose your innate purity. When this point settles of its own accord, the body becomes like spring returning through all four seasons. White clouds drift by, fragrance fills the air, and after the rain all is renewed.

All day long, the mind and spirit flow on without interruption, like someone who is drunk, leisurely waiting for the true seed in the cavern to ripen. The Yin essence throughout the body gradually fades away, transforming into a piece of pure Yang gold. At this time, the breath seems to cease, as though you had undergone a brief death. Only when body and mind have gathered into one have you reached Complete Perfection. At this point, the cultivation is complete. Afterward, return to the human world and accumulate merit. When your deeds and practice are complete, a mandate from Heaven will descend; the Yang Spirit, the spiritual form produced through Neidan cultivation, will appear, and the true spirit will be fulfilled.

Do not speak these words at the wrong time or to the wrong people. Unless you meet someone who understands the Way, do not discuss them lightly. They contain profound principles; beyond them, there is no other true Dao. Carefully preserve and seal away what you have gained through cultivation, so it can serve as proof when your work is complete. These fifty-two lines, which may serve as proof, deserve your careful study. If any of them are false, may I suffer Heaven’s punishment. To speak them to the wrong person would be like being beaten with a whip until one loses one’s life.

Song of Refining Lead

Who truly understands the method of refining lead? Master it, and you can become a perfected immortal. Alas, I was already old and still had not found it. I had traveled everywhere among the Five Lakes and the Three Isles, legendary mountains of the immortals. Only when I entered Mount Zhongnan at the age of sixty-seven did I meet a perfected master and receive this precious transmission.

True lead came into being before Heaven and Earth. Why would it require external things such as metals, stones, plants, or herbs? Refine it through nine times nine cycles, and when the work is complete, a golden treasure will arise within. A single golden bone can shake Heaven and Earth. Harmonize the Qi of two and eight, and a wondrous form will take shape. Once this wondrous form first appears, place it in the earthen crucible—the place within the body where the elixir is cultivated—and keep it constantly in mind, sealing it firmly in place.

When the fire of the first Yang rises, warm and nourish it. When the fire of the second Yang rises, wondrous effects will appear. When the three Yangs usher in renewal, as Yin recedes and Yang grows strong, the fierce fire seems able to burn across the empty expanse. Once the Yin Talisman phase has passed away, numinous substance will form. With that substance formed, the work of Heaven and Earth is complete. If anything is lacking, harmonize it again and return it to the earthen crucible for cultivation, until the numinous substance forms.

Only after refining through the full count of five thousand four hundred can one grasp the subtle purpose of refining lead. I warn those later who share this aspiration: do not think that refining lead is easy.

Song of the Primordial Qi of Before Heaven

Each person is born with the primordial Qi that precedes Heaven. It lies hidden within the body, beyond the awareness of ordinary people. I will explain it clearly; be sure to remember: it is like a curve of spring water, holding within it the vitality of the body.

Draw it into the mouth and swallow it down; all twelve Thunder Gates—the body’s apertures likened to gates of thunder—will tremble. It feels like drunkenness, and then like deeper drunkenness; springtime vitality rises in the Dantian, rosy and lustrous as jade. Drink your fill of immortal wine like the peaches of the immortals, as the Xun wind, the wind represented by the Xun trigram of the Bagua, stirs the primordial, harmonizing Qi.

The Yin demons, the name given in cultivation to obstructive Yin influences, are driven back, and the body fills with vitality. In movement and stillness, it is as though spirits and ghosts cry out in alarm and Heaven and Earth themselves are overturned. When the work of cultivation is complete and three thousand merits have been amassed, one may ride a phoenix or mount a crane and ascend to immortality.

Song of Lead and Fire

The Treatise on Mysterious Essentials says that refining and cultivating the “Great Medicine”—the subtle Qi condensed through Neidan practice—has its appointed time: the transition from the Hour of the Pig to the Hour of the Rat, around midnight. Spirit and essence unite, their radiance appears, and in a hazy moment it seems as though a full moon is rising. Once the union is complete, the Qi mechanism surges and bubbles up. When the first Yang is born, do not let it disperse lightly. Quickly seal the “Great Mysterious Pass,” the aperture used in cultivation to gather and contain the Qi mechanism, and use the firing process to guide the medicinal Qi through the Tailbone Pass at the base of the spine.

When gathering the medicine, keep your gaze fixed on the Mudball, the Neidan cultivation site above the head. Let your intention rise along the left side and settle there. This is called “gazing into the principles as the brain ascends to the Mysterious”: the intention focuses on the head and causes the Qi mechanism to rise. Then lower it along the right side, turn, and guide it upward again. Run it through six cycles of six, and the medicinal Qi forms in the Qian position, which symbolizes Yang energy. When Yang reaches its height, Yin begins to arise, and the Qi mechanism turns toward the right.

At this point, open the pass to guide the Qi mechanism as the firing process recedes. Lower your gaze and keep it fixed on the Kun Field, the site associated with Yin energy. Let the Qi mechanism travel from upper right to lower left and settle; when it completes two cycles of eight, it has made one circuit of the microcosmic orbit, circulating once along its internal route. This is the natural, true firing process: the Qi mechanism rises and descends on its own, and Yin and Yang wax and wane naturally. Cultivation need not be bound to the moon’s first and last quarters, its dark and full phases, or to elaborate formulas such as “bathing.” All these different names and metaphors can be set aside; the true essentials lie in these two sentences.

The Song of Understanding the Dao says: Do not let spirit scatter outward, and do not leak Jing and Qi; when Qi is not dissipated, the numinous sprout—the first stirrings of life in Neidan cultivation—can be nurtured. When the Five Phases and Four Images, terms for Yin-Yang, the Five Phases, and their related Qi mechanisms in Neidan practice, return to the Central Palace, the site of cultivation at the body’s center, is there any reason to fear that the Golden Elixir will not naturally congeal?

Within is the true spirit; without, there is resonance. Before the eyes, empty flowers seem to appear and white snow to fall. The first Yang is born at the transition between the Hours of the Pig and the Rat, and a round moon appears at the center. This is the moment to work with urgency. If you wait until the Metal Qi has gone far and the opportunity has passed, it will be difficult to gather and refine it. Use the breath to set the fire of the Mysterious Pass in motion, as though cleaving the blue sky and splitting open chaos. The Yellow River—a metaphor for the body’s Qi channels—flows backward and upward, reaching Kunlun, the cultivation site in the head. The nine apertures and three passes are all opened. The Qi transforms into jade nectar and is swallowed into the abdomen. Its taste is beyond words, like honey eaten by a mute who cannot describe what it feels like.

At this stage of cultivation, take special care: gathering the medicine and bathing must both follow their proper times. The Yin and Yang medicines share the same nature, but the inner and outer firing processes differ. Obtaining the numinous medicine takes only a moment, yet it must then be warmed and nurtured for ten months. After the work has deepened, cultivate for another three years. Once the Elixir is complete, one may cry out and leave the mountains, appearing and disappearing while establishing accomplishments and leaving traces of transformation. When the Supreme Emperor hears one’s name, he bestows a purple document and summons one to ascend to Heaven. Later generations who cultivate diligently in accordance with these teachings may become perfected immortals at the grand assembly of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing).

When beginners sit in meditation and practice Chan, what they are describing are these wondrous signs of cultivation. The Lord on High heard of my reputation, bestowed a purple book upon me, summoned me to court in the celestial realm, and raised me aloft through the azure sky. If later generations diligently cultivate according to this method, they can become immortal guests at assemblies of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), the Daoist-revered realms of Jade Clarity, Highest Clarity, and Great Clarity.

The key to beginning meditation and practicing Chan lies in the mysterious pass, the crucial gateway spoken of in cultivation. Regulate the breath finely and gently, letting it flow long and continuously, and sense the union of Yin and Yang between the eyebrows. Cultivating nature depends on awakening; cultivating life requires instruction. Do not treat the timing and measure of cultivation as a trivial matter. Close the eyes and contemplate the heart, guard the original spirit of your life, and take clarity, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action) as your foundation.

Within a hundred days of cultivation, signs will appear: a point of true Yang rises from within Kan, the trigram that symbolizes Water, the kidneys, and related things. The Yellow Woman, a symbol of the medium that harmonizes Yin and Yang, brings the Infant and the Maiden together. These are Neidan terms that respectively symbolize Yin and Yang, lead and mercury. The wonder of this is beyond words, and it is hard to know whom one could tell. The Qi throughout the body grows full, as though surging straight into the heavens. Who could know this secret? It is like a mute person’s dream, impossible to put into words.

Hasten to gather and refine primordial Qi. The numinous medicine, the refined Jing and Qi formed in Neidan cultivation, condenses into a single point and passes through the Three Passes, the gateways through which Qi moves during cultivation. It rises from the Dantian to the Niwan, the upper Dantian in the head, then descends past the Tower of Many-Storied Passages, the throat, to the central center, the middle Dantian. Only when Water and Fire are harmonized can true lead and true mercury, Neidan terms often used to symbolize Yin and Yang essences, be refined. Without Wu and Ji, symbols of central Earth and the power of harmonization, the Elixir cannot form.

Cultivation requires the resolve to give up one’s life in pursuit of the Dao, together with steadfastness in cultivating nature and life. The divine light shines out across the three thousand worlds. Beneath the shadowless tree, a golden rooster crows; at midnight, a red lotus appears. At the winter solstice, when Yang returns and begins to sprout anew, it is as though a thunderclap shakes the celestial court. Dragons roar, tigers howl, and immortal music resounds—all are extraordinary signs. In a hazy state, things seem both present and absent; within it lie limitless transformations.

There is a deeper mystery within the mystery. The River Chariot, a Neidan term for the movement of Qi along the body’s channels, turns and passes through the Three Passes. Heaven and Earth join in harmony, and all things grow. Each day, the cultivator drinks sweet dew, whose taste is like honey.

Immortals and Buddhas share one perfectly luminous nature; there is no difference between them. The Three Teachings—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism—can originally be brought together. Those who cultivate the Dao must still follow the rhythms of daily life: eat when hungry, sleep when tired. To burn incense, bow to Buddha, or practice Chan only in pretense, while failing to see that the Great Dao is right before one’s eyes, is to be deluded and confused, wasting the chance to cultivate. Once the human body is lost, regaining one is exceedingly difficult. Foolishly imagining that one can travel far to the Western Heaven in search of the Dao is like a blind person walking into a deep mountain at night.

This wondrous principle is supremely precious; the crime of disclosing Heaven’s secrets is as great as a mountain. Study it with care according to the Four Correct Principles, the proper doctrines spoken of in cultivation; break through the mysterious pass and awaken to its subtle truth. Work without interruption at the hours of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, traditional time periods also used in Neidan cultivation. Seek out an enlightened master as soon as possible and form the Neidan. Whoever recognizes true lead and true mercury is an immortal who lives forever.

Cultivate every day, becoming steadier with each day; do not focus only on gains and losses in the present. After years of sustained effort, you will refine a single Purple-Gold Elixir, the pill of Neidan cultivation. If you ask who wrote this song, it was the Daoist of Clear Emptiness, the immortal Sanfeng.

The essential principles of the Dao are already set out in this Song of Secrets. Without understanding them, one’s practice can easily go astray. They lie in observing the “Mysterious Pass” (the gateway through which one perceives the vital pivot of body and mind in cultivation) and harmonizing the “True Breath” (subtle, natural breathing). Master these two, and cultivation has a firm foundation.

Letting the Primordial Spirit (the innate spirit within a person) enter the Sea of Qi (the region where the Dantian is located), and allowing spirit and Qi to mingle in stillness, reveals a wondrous inner sovereign. Then, returning Primordial Qi (innate Qi) to the Yellow Court (an important inner locus in Daoist internal cultivation), and allowing Qi and spirit to unite in a hazy calm, reveals a wondrous realm of perfect radiance.

This mystery may be called a “cavity” or a “marvel.” Viewed from the side of form and thought, it is called a “cavity”; viewed from the side of formlessness and thoughtlessness, it is called a “marvel.” The terms may seem different, but in truth they arise from the same pivotal principle. They are simply different names, and few understand this.

There is no other secret to observing the Mysterious Pass: begin by regulating the breath at the cavity within the body. Let the spirit be calm and the breath quiet; allow everything to follow its natural course. The wondrous realm will then appear from within nonbeing, like the first emergence of Taiji. The ancient immortals often spoke only halfway, fearing that they would disclose the crucial secret of perceiving the mystery, and so they would not reveal it carelessly or in full. Some say the Mysterious Pass is fixed at the center of the body; others say it has no fixed location and must be understood for oneself. Now I will speak plainly: it has both a definite and an indefinite aspect. The definite aspect is called the “cavity”; the indefinite aspect is called the “marvel.” This is what the Old Lord meant by “mystery upon mystery.”

I have made the principle clear in order to guide sentient beings and leave the methods of cultivation to fellow practitioners. Those who encounter the Dao and its methods but do not practice them will fall among the lesser kind. Whether one becomes a sage or remains an ordinary person depends on oneself.

For beginners, the hardest thing is to overcome distraction and dullness. Those who truly study and understand cultivation can distinguish clear from turbid spirit and Qi: innate spirit is clear, while acquired spirit is a turbid, sluggish substance. To clear away what is turbid and sluggish, preserve clarity, and gather in Jing, Qi, and Shen—the “Three Treasures”—one must settle them in the Spiritual Valley. The Spiritual Valley is the cavity within the body. To regulate the breath within the cavity, observe carefully: each exhalation and inhalation depends on and follows the other. The breath grows subtle and fine, imperceptible to others; then spirit and Qi can gather and harmonize, and the body’s nine apertures open in turn. Practice in this way, and you will understand the principles of the cavity and the marvel. How could dullness and distraction then arise?

Song of the Great Dao

Now quiet your mind and listen as I speak: the Dao has an innate and an acquired aspect. The dregs of acquired substance are of no use; the single essence of the innate is called “True Lead” (a Neidan term for innate essence and Qi). Why remain ignorant?

Now quiet your mind and listen to me. The Dao (the Way, the foundation of how all things operate) has an innate aspect and a postnatal aspect. The impurities of the postnatal are useless; a single point of true lead from the innate realm, symbolizing innate true essence, is the real foundation. Failing to understand true lead and losing one’s original nature is the first flaw in cultivation. Few people can truly enter the Jade Purity Hall, a palace in the subtle heavens revered in Daoism. Today I will point out the essentials of becoming an immortal: the cultivation of life requires instruction, while the principles of nature must be grasped for oneself. Whether you can enter sagehood and transcend the ordinary depends on your own practice.

The work of sitting still lies in insight; the work of moving Qi lies in gathering the medicine. Within, there is a transformation in which the tortoise and serpent unite, and things are gathered up and returned to their hidden source. When the first Yang stirs, begin the practice; turn the Celestial Pass, the opening through which Qi rises and descends in Neidan cultivation, with force. Yin Qi arises at noon, while Yang Qi occupies the Kan position. Practice at the Mao and You times, dawn and dusk, with particular calm and ease. Turn the Dipper’s handle and circulate Qi, guiding it into the Purple Palace, where inner Qi and Shen gather. Welcome the medicine and Qi represented by such Neidan terms as “Zi” and “Yellow Lord.” In the Yellow Woman’s Palace, the Maiden and the Infant, terms representing Yin and Yang essences in Neidan, meet and naturally join. To establish a firm foundation, you must refine the self—gathering body and mind and removing distracting thoughts—until the practice is fully matured, and learn when to gather the medicine.

My master once taught me a method of practice: first, make the Qi flow freely through the nine orifices of the body. Their source lies at the Weilü point, an opening near the base of the spine; begin by stirring the Yongquan point on the soles of the feet. Qi surges upward from Yongquan and gradually reaches the knees. The work below the knees calls for focused effort. Buddhists call this sensation “reed shoots,” and describe it as like an insect crawling or a needle pricking. After Qi passes the knees, it slowly reaches the Weilü, where it feels as though something hard is pressing against it. Only then should you proceed to the higher stages of practice. Each of the three stages has its own oral formula. Once the Three Passes—the Weilü, Jiaji, and Yuzhen openings described in Neidan cultivation—are connected, Qi rises to the Niwan, the region in the head referred to in Neidan. It then passes through the Golden Lock Pass and across the Magpie Bridge, the term for touching the tongue to the upper palate so that Qi can connect above and below, before descending to the Chonglou, or throat. The Chonglou has twelve sections; its workings are truly mysterious.

The Chonglou is also called the Crimson Palace, a Neidan term for the heart region. The Crimson Palace and the Yellow Court, the central area within the body in Neidan, each refer to a definite place. In the Yellow Court, keep watch over Jing; within Jing there is a point of numinous awareness. Do not vaguely treat these matters as secrets: the Yellow Court is the true Mysterious Pass, the crucial place where Jing, Qi, and Shen meet in Neidan cultivation. If you do not know where the Mysterious Pass truly lies, where can true lead be placed? Have you not read in the Awakening to Reality that one must establish a foundation by relying on the Mysterious Female, the source from which Yin and Yang unite and give birth to all things? When true essence returns, it becomes clear and empty as gold, a bright pearl that never leaves your person. Have you not also read in the Cantong qi that its shape resembles Penghu, the legendary mountain of the immortals? This is no empty claim. When the lower aperture closes, this is called “nonbeing”; when the upper aperture opens, this is called “being.” The two apertures work together, and only then can Qi circulate. From this point on, any discussion of the Dao and its mysteries that leaves out these essentials of practice is empty talk.

Once the passes have opened and the work has accumulated, you must understand the true secret of refining the sword. Even the Moye sword was forged from iron; how much more so my sword, which is firm and straight by nature. The “sword” is a metaphor for Neidan cultivation. Let Heaven be the furnace and Earth the forge. Metal and Water, which in Neidan represent different qualities of essence and Qi, must remain balanced; do not act arbitrarily. Only by practicing according to the times of Zi, Wu, and the like can you refine the Elixir. Firmness and flexibility, advance and retreat, taking and letting go—all must be properly measured. Once the sword is forged, gather true lead and collect the medicine from before the undivided chaos, before Heaven and Earth were separated. If what you gather is merely postnatal Qi, it can do no more than prolong life.

Within the “two-seven” period, a specific moment for practice, lies the true mechanism. Seek out an enlightened master in China, the Divine Land and Red County. Once both the method and the resources are in place, you must still distinguish carefully and reflect repeatedly. The text goes on to describe the signs to look for when gathering the medicine through images of rosy clouds, the colors of a pheasant, vermilion lips and snow-white skin, intelligence and gentleness, bright eyes, black hair, a pure breath, a steady gaze, and even steps. Only after distinguishing these signs can you calculate the proper timing. The numbers such as five thousand four hundred belong to the calendrical reckoning of Neidan, and the process they describe is subtle and elusive. You must gather the medicine at the right time and judge its ascent, descent, advance, and retreat without the slightest error. Here you must understand the “three-day crescent,” a metaphor in Neidan for the changing phases of the moon; the key lies in the white of the western direction, associated with Geng and Xin in the Five Phases and the Heavenly Stems.

The Wisdom Sword is clear and bright, and the heart within is sincere and undivided. “Striking bamboo to communicate” is a metaphor for Qi responding through mutual resonance; only then may you play the zither, symbolizing the union of Yin and Yang. The Heavenly Ladder, the channel through which Qi ascends, is indispensable, yet few understand its hidden workings. Do not fish recklessly for the great turtle at the bottom of the sea, lest you startle the medicine and drive it away beyond recovery. Do not damage the furnace fire; learn to recognize the firing times. Gathering postnatal Qi can prolong your years. One double-hour is divided into six periods; the Golden Elixir is completed in only two of them, while the other four also have their marvelous uses. The key lies in the teaching passed from master to disciple, whose full details cannot be disclosed.

When true lead arrives, kindle the Shen fire and move it from west to east, first seeking it within yourself. Then circulate a point of true mercury, which in Neidan symbolizes Yang Shen and Qi, so that it meets and joins the lead, congealing into an Elixir. The Elixir’s Qi passes through the Three Passes, rises to the Niwan, and then descends to the Chonglou, bringing a feeling of coolness. The practitioner must be neither dull nor over-bright, neither drowsy nor intoxicated. If you cannot rouse the spirit throughout your body, how can Yin and Yang be joined?

Once the Elixir has congealed, the mind and spirit tend toward stillness. The Kan and Meng hexagrams, named in the Book of Changes, correspond here to changes between morning and evening. In the course of practice, you must also understand bathing, the calming of the breath and stilling of the mind to keep the firing times balanced. At Mao and You, dawn and dusk, you should not continue advancing the work. After that, guard the furnace and cauldron as if you were holding a city under siege and had ended the fighting, allowing the numinous cinnabar to gradually fill the cauldron. After ten months of such practice, when the work is complete, you can set aside both the vessel used as a metaphor for refining the Elixir and the Elixir chamber.

Then enter the deep mountains and hold fast to the Primal One, keeping to your original nature and practicing with single-minded focus. Empty yourself of all things, and effort is no longer needed. Cold and heat, hunger and hardship can no longer trouble you; you practice for a long time, as in nine years of facing a wall. The North Sea at dawn and Yingzhou at dusk, a legendary immortal realm, describe the practitioner’s movements in and out of the realms of the immortals. When the work is complete, the Three Officials of the Water Realm, divine officers who oversee the water realm and its registers, determine your allotted years. A register of immortality descends from the Jade Heaven, the realm of the immortals, as azure luan birds and white cranes take flight. At last, you receive investiture from Heaven and become an immortal who lives forever.

Song of the True Bellows

Do not say that because the Great Dao teaches Wuwei (non-action), one should do nothing at all. Why, then, use the bellows in the “inner chamber”—a metaphor in Daoist Neidan for the breath and the workings of Yin-Yang? When desire arises, one can still remain motionless for a time. Purple Qi and crimson light shimmer in overlapping flashes. The Azure Dragon rejoices, while the White Tiger is fierce; the Azure Dragon coils around the tortoise shell. Two streams of upright Qi pierce straight through to the celestial palace, where there must be a pavilion of the Three Pure Ones (Sanqing), symbolizing the serene and exalted state of cultivation. Clearly within the pavilion is a Jade Pool, a Neidan term for a place within the body where cultivation takes place; hidden in the pool is the elixir of immortality. Gather and refine it at the proper moment, and once you have taken it, you can enjoy the bliss of the immortal realm of Penglai.

Song of the One Aperture of the Mysterious Pass

The One Aperture of the Mysterious Pass, a key point in Neidan cultivation, leads to the true secret. It is as though Heaven and Earth were opened up and the shell of the Peng broken apart, revealing the immortal realm of Penghu in a sudden blaze of light. Two streams of upright Qi pierce straight through to the celestial palace, where there must be a pavilion of the Three Pure Ones. Clearly within the pavilion is a Jade Pool, and hidden in the pool is the elixir of immortality. Gather and refine it at the proper moment, and once you have taken it, you can enjoy the bliss of the immortal realm of Penglai.

Song of the One Aperture of the Mysterious Pass

The One Aperture of the Mysterious Pass leads to the true secret. It is as though Heaven and Earth were opened up, making the immortal realm of Penghu suddenly spread out before you. In the Yellow Court, an important place within the body in Daoist Neidan, dwells the Primordial Elder, holding a zither as he waits for the moon at the horizon. Of the two streams of water, one is clear and one turbid; the third stream, too, has its clear and turbid aspects. When the Golden Flower, a sign in Neidan cultivation, blooms, an opening appears at the head of Dui. Purple clouds rise over Mount Emei, and their rosy glow becomes white snow in the red furnace. The dragon’s roar draws near, the tiger’s growl presses on, and the numinous turtle sucks dry the blood of the Golden Crow, symbolizing the sun or Yang energy. Riding a dragon with a sword at your side, you return home in a drunken haze, turning the Three Passes, the inner bodily gates of Neidan, as you face the Northern Gate, the portal symbolizing ascent to the celestial court.

Instructions for Refining Lead

The Supreme Dao (the highest Way) states once again: one must distinguish clearly between the precelestial and postcelestial. Here, the discussion concerns only how lead is generated after Gui Water; it does not concern the generation of Yang Qi before Gui Water.

Tether the mind-horse and lock up the heart-ape: gather the spirit and mind, dispel distracting thoughts, and make one’s intentions single-minded. Eliminate the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion, and subdue the five forces of desire that disturb body and mind. The Flower Pool water and the Upper Valley spring are names for the body’s fluids in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. The ancients used these images for nourishing the upper, middle, and lower Dantian (energy centers). If you wish to know the medicine that returns you to your roots and prolongs life, the key lies in the “lead” used in the Returning Elixir, which sustains life.

It emerges from the Northern Sea and flows toward the Western River. Once again, keep the mind free of distraction and the intention single-minded; eliminate greed, anger, and delusion, and subdue desire, using the body’s fluids to nourish the three Dantian. To find the medicine that returns you to your roots and prolongs life, you must still refine the life-sustaining lead of the Returning Elixir.

Apply the alchemical method and plant a golden lotus within the body. Seize the tiger’s marrow alive and refine it in the furnace; capture the tortoise’s essence alive and simmer it in the cauldron. Here, “tiger” and “tortoise” are terms in Neidan, referring by analogy to the vital essences of Yin and Yang. Precelestial Qi transforms into the smoke of Great Simplicity, while an essence like sweet dew nourishes body and mind, keeping the appearance youthful. Once cultivation bears fruit, let cold and heat come and go as they may. Partaking of the Golden Elixir, one can pass beyond the threshold of life and death.

Seek out ancient scriptures and investigate the workings of the first crescent moon. I now reveal their subtle key: water and fire mingle, Yin and Yang unite, and the process is refined again and again three thousand times. Having reached the far shore, there is no need to board a boat again. Eliminate thought and desire, and sever false attachments. With a quiet, clear mind, contemplate the treasure of nature and life; in dark stillness, watch over the embryo immortal, the inner original spirit described in Neidan practice. After two or three years of arduous cultivation, the Yang spirit—the pure Yang spirit formed through cultivation—appears, and the work is complete. Continue carefully tending and refining the alchemical fire, and you can fulfill the work of creation, live forever, and share the lifespan of Heaven.

Song of the Golden Elixir

A single pellet of Golden Elixir weighs one jin. If people in the world can understand its principle, they may live long and endure. In foundational cultivation, sweep away worldly distractions. After two or three years of arduous cultivation, the Yang spirit appears, and the work is complete. Continue carefully tending and refining the alchemical fire, and you can fulfill the work of creation, live forever, and share the lifespan of Heaven.

Song of the Golden Elixir

The Golden Elixir (the elixir body formed by gathering Jing, Qi, and Shen in Neidan practice, symbolizing the attainment of cultivation) is only a single grain, yet weighs as much as a pound. If people in the world can grasp its principle, they may attain long life. Laying the foundation means clearing away worldly entanglements; refining the self means nurturing the original Shen. The Yellow Court is the earthen crucible, where pre-heavenly Mercury—an image for one aspect of innate Jing and Qi—resides. Let every thought settle into emptiness and stillness, and sever attachment to worldly love. To leave your own being in search of the Dao is not the Dao; to cling to the physical body itself leads nowhere either.

I now set forth the principles of this practice for those who study the Dao. The path to long life lies right before us, yet many ordinary people have lost sight of its roots. Clear the mind of all clutter and let no stray thoughts remain; keep body and mind at ease and still, and put the subtle methods into practice. Let the breath return to emptiness, and keep the original Shen within. The breath of the hundred channels returns to its source, clear as water. True Lead, an Neidan term for innate Jing and Qi, will naturally appear within, a mass of red light shining like the moon.

The Mysterious Pass, the opening through which Qi moves and Yin-Yang meet in Neidan practice, has no fixed location; the ascent and descent of Yin-Yang follow their own rhythms. Derive a month from the year, then a day from the month; at Mid-Autumn, an image like the full moon will appear. After thirty days of practice, the moonlike vision appears only within the mind. Sitting quietly at home, one never strays from the Purple Tenuity star, which symbolizes the central point of Neidan practice. Facing south and observing the handle of the Northern Dipper is a symbolic way of treating midday as the second watch of the night. Set the furnace in the northwest to refine and nourish the elixir; place the cauldron in the east and practice according to the subtle method. The cauldron and furnace face one another: this is the true place to begin the work. The Wisdom Sword, symbolizing the wisdom that cuts through stray thoughts, hangs in the Crystal Palace, a Neidan name for a corresponding region within the body.

The Yellow Woman, a figure symbolizing the mediator who harmonizes Yin-Yang and brings Lead and Mercury together, draws them into balance. The numinous tortoise, another Neidan symbol, responds to the furnace fire, and the work must advance deep into the night. Use true Qi, like sweet dew poured over the crown of the head, as the bellows, and gather and refine the one pre-heavenly Qi. Each breath connects with the Celestial Valley point in the head, while the River Chariot carries the Qi upward to Kunlun, the head. The breath passes across the Magpie Bridge, formed when the tongue touches the upper palate, and enters the Flower Pool, where saliva gathers in the mouth; it then descends through the twelve tiers of the Tower of the Throat. The Qi passes through the gates of the Tailbone and the Spinal Pass, and the Golden Duke, symbolizing True Lead or Yang Qi, returns to the Great Yellow Court.

True Lead comes to meet True Mercury as a cat pouncing on a mouse; True Mercury goes to meet True Lead as a rabbit sighting a hawk. After nine revolutions of refinement, the divine elixir is formed and placed in the great golden cauldron. Like a ten-month pregnancy, the work reaches completion and the transformation is fulfilled. The practitioner is no longer affected by cold or heat; the body changes into a pure Yang body, and this is true gold. By accumulating good deeds in the world and bringing one’s merit to completion, one may ascend bodily in broad daylight and pay court at Jade Capital, the symbolic dwelling of the Celestial Emperor.

I will now carefully explain the method of refining the Restored Elixir. Although there are three thousand paths to cultivating the Dao, all except this Great Way of the Golden Elixir are side paths. Various impurities are not the key to cultivation. The true key is to bring True Yin and True Yang together and nurture their union. Yin and Yang blend; lead and mercury meet (“lead” and “mercury” are Neidan terms symbolizing Yin-Yang essence and Qi), and the infant and the maiden (symbols of Yin and Yang Qi in Neidan) join and transform within the body. The Dragon and Tiger (symbols of the two Yin-Yang forces) rise and descend, while the numinous tortoise beneath the sea (a symbol of the Qi mechanism in the lower Dantian) turns along with them. Nurture the yellow sprout (a sign that Neidan has begun to form) and set the white snow flying (a symbol of essence and Qi condensing and transforming). This is the innate formula for drawing golden dew from water.

The true Yellow Woman (the mediating force that harmonizes Yin and Yang) and the true bellows (a bellows; here, a metaphor for the method of mobilizing the Qi mechanism) are the key to refining the Golden Elixir and attaining longevity. First establish the foundation (lay a firm basis for cultivation), then advance the medicine (gather and refine the essence and Qi needed for Neidan), devoting yourself to holding it steady for a hundred days. If you can bring the two Qi of Yin and Yang into the Yellow Path (the central axis of Neidan’s circulation), the Three Houses (usually Jing, Qi, and Shen) will meet, and the immortal embryo can form. Cultivate your nature and sustain your life; do not waste your time in this world. If you can return lead and mercury to True Earth (the central, harmonizing position), increasing mercury and stabilizing lead, you can remain vigorous for a long time.

The Crow (a symbol of Yin) weighs eight liang, and the Hare (a symbol of Yang) half a jin; together they enter Wu and Ji (representing the central position of Earth). Use martial fire at the two ends and civil fire in the middle, gathering the Four Symbols (forms taken by the transformations of Yin-Yang and the Five Phases) in one place to refine them. Cultivate diligently for ten months. When the fire reaches maturity, you will refine a body of pure Yang and attain longevity. After another three to five years of changing the cauldron and transferring the embryo (continuing to transform Neidan and secure the results of cultivation), and nine years facing the wall (a long period of focused seated practice), you can refine the Yang Spirit, the spirit consciousness attained through Daoist Neidan cultivation.

The Mysterious is the root, and the Female is the source; the innate and the origins of all things under Heaven are contained within them. Open the eye that sees through earth and reaches Heaven, and turn the Gate of Heaven so that the Dipper’s handle runs in reverse. When the apertures open, Qi flows naturally; the Qi mechanism turns the Dipper’s handle with a rumble like thunder. Clouds of Qi surge beneath the sea like a dragon churning the waves; wind rises in the Niwan Palace, like a tiger’s roar. If you understand the method of reversing and transforming Yin and Yang, the workings of Heaven and Earth will appear within you.

The principles in lectures on the Wuzhen Pian and explanations of the Cantong Qi are originally one continuous thread. Though this medicine takes its name from the bedchamber arts (techniques that use sexual union between men and women as a method of cultivation), the Great Way of the Golden Elixir is not the same as those arts. Even if you take medicines, refine essence and Qi to no purpose, and seal the Tail Gate (the area near the end of the spine), devoting yourself to the hope of ascending, you will ultimately fail if you do not understand the Golden Elixir principles taught in the Cantong Qi. Birds and beasts, too, know how to preserve their bodies: the tortoise regulates its breath through its nose, the deer circulates the Tail Gate to refine essence, and the crane continually guards its embryonic breathing, quietly nourishing its spirit among clouds and pines. If even animals can live long, why do people fail to understand how to nourish life? People of the world covet fame and profit, heedless that after death their names will enter the register of the underworld judge. Humans live and die, and beasts die as well. When the Qi of the Three Powers—Heaven, Earth, and humanity—has run its course, one becomes a neighbor to ghosts.

The innate medicine and the acquired medicine are both wondrous things produced by Yin-Yang transformation. The innate medicine can help a person transcend; the acquired medicine can prolong life. If people understand the key to grafting and joining (bringing Yin-Yang essence and Qi together to nurture Neidan), they can live forever, escape death, and awaken to the Great Dao. Cultivate nature and perfect life, and you can send the innate seed into the Niwan Palace (the upper Dantian within the head). When a young person cultivates, essence and Qi are abundant; in stillness and concentration, even a single spark of numinous awareness can rise. Only when one attains Wuwei and the body remains undamaged has one truly become a Great Luo Immortal.

If one loses primordial Yang (innate essence and Qi) in youth and takes up the Dao halfway through life, one’s temperament may also become unbalanced. The Yang line of the Qian trigram recedes into the Kun trigram, forming the Li trigram, solid on the outside and empty within. Draw out the solid line at the center of Kan and restore it to its original state, and you can return to pure Yang. People of the world should not speculate rashly about the true joining of Water and Fire and the matching of Yin and Yang. Even if you sit in stillness and practice Wuwei, the wrong method can still leave you dead and buried at Mount Beimang. If you practice only quiet sitting and keep to the Central Yellow (the Qi channel or Dantian at the body’s center), you may toil in vain until old age. Even if you understand the nature of suchness, your Yin soul will still be reborn and return to the path of ghosts.

The medicine that prolongs life and the draught that restores the soul: the Golden Elixir is the most essential of medicines. Swallow a single grain of Golden Elixir, and you can return from old age to youth and extend your life. Some divorce their wives, abstain from food, observe fasts, and preach, devoting themselves to seeking rebirth in the Western Paradise. Yet however many thousands of side paths there may be, if they do not accord with this Way, they are ultimately deluded practices. I have revealed the secrets of Heaven: the Restored Elixir is indeed a method for becoming an immortal. Immortals throughout the ages attained their cultivation by this means, leaving the dust of the world and ascending to Heaven. I urge those who study the Dao in generations to come not to trust the teachings of false masters. If you obtain the Golden Elixir formula and prescription, you can prolong your years, remain in the world, and live without limit. Follow this path to cultivate longevity, repay your teacher’s kindness, and give thanks to Heaven. I have written this formula, hoping it will be a compassionate boat that carries people across delusion. When your merits and practice are complete, you will naturally move the Jade Emperor. Who is it that dispels confusion and reveals the Way of Liquid Gold? It is Yuanhua Zhang, whose name has been passed down through the ages.

No matter how widely you search for the steps to immortality, you will not truly see the key until the first stir of Yang appears—the first trace of Yang energy born within Yin. Water floods Kunlun and surges through the blue sea; a tiger gives a long roar from the rocky heights. These are the foundations of cultivation. The shortcut to the realm of unfettered freedom is pointed out directly, like a bright moon shining on Mount Sumeru, the central mountain in Buddhist cosmology.

The tiger is in the water, and the dragon is in the fire; the transformations of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are all revealed. Seize the dragon, and purple clouds arise; subdue the tiger, and golden flowers and sweet dew appear. Why can these two symbols, dragon and tiger, serve as the foundations of Daoist practice? Because they draw on the path of cultivation associated with Caoxi, the ancestral home of Chan Buddhism. Man and woman, Yin and Yang, join and contend, as if engaged in battle. Wu and Ji Earth—the Earth element, often symbolizing harmony and the center—form the Yellow Chamber, the Neidan term for the place within the body where spirit and Qi are harmonized. When Shen (spirit) and Qi are pure, they are the King of Medicines. Once the purple Golden Elixir is refined, one may ride a crane or phoenix to pay court to the Jade Emperor.

The tiger lies hidden in the blue sea, resting beside its cub; the dragon circles the sun in the sky above Fusang, the legendary divine tree in the east where the sun rises. When the spring stir of Yang begins, the tiger gives off golden light, and the dragon releases its fluid. With a sword, one gathers in the dragon’s mist. When the tiger sees the dragon return, it too naturally settles into hiding. The dragon and tiger accompany one another, returning to Wu and Ji Earth, where they are slowly refined in the true fire of a furnace.

When the hour of Zi, midnight, arrives, the fire’s timing must be carefully observed. At the turning of Mao and You, the hours of dawn and dusk, one must not slacken. Swallow and absorb the ancestral Qi, the primal energy regarded as the source of life; drink the jade nectar, a metaphor for the sweet fruits of cultivation. Who can fully explain the principle of “true emptiness within form and color”? Cultivation takes place within one’s own life; even the Ten Kings of the Underworld dwell within this same realm.

Awaken swiftly and suddenly. Do not cling to delusion, and do not treat the teachings of the elders as heresy. You may recite the entire Buddhist canon again and again, but without realizing the unborn state beyond arising and passing away, your efforts are in vain. Break through this obstacle, as impenetrable as an iron bun, and you will roam freely for millions upon millions of years.

Note: The Jiuhuang Danjing records the “Song of the Golden Elixir: The Soul Born in the Third Month, Three Returns and One Reversal.”

Within each month lies a subtle Qi of true essence, like the vital essence in a lotus flower. Cultivation does not require setting up a furnace and cauldron; one need only let the method of Wuwei (non-action) bring essence and Qi into harmony. Nor should one wait for the so-called “Qi of the two crescents” to arrive; one need only attend to the Star Palace at the Hall of Impression, an inner-vision point near the brow. One does not take “eight liang and half a jin” as the living Zi hour—the moment when Yin-Yang Qi stirs in alchemical practice—but waits for the proper month corresponding to the number five thousand four hundred. Cultivation does not depend on the meeting of intention and spirit or on the body’s separation; it uses only the breathing method of exhaling upward and inhaling downward. When the Qi stirs, the whole body first grows warm; the second time, Qi reaches the fontanel at the front of the crown; the third time, the Celestial Eye, the eye of inner vision, opens, and one can see the vast world. The scripture says that these are definite signs that essence and Qi have gathered and formed an embryonic spirit. Those who cultivate immortality should ride a crane up into the clouds; they must not be buried in sand.

Note: From the “Song of Four Returns and Two Reversions” for the Golden Elixir of the Fourth Month, “The Emerging Soul,” in the Nine Sovereigns’ Elixir Scripture.

The Old Patriarch is called the Patriarch Who Subdues Demons and Protects the Dao. He commands the Seven Po, the seven human souls, and restrains them through the hour or position of You. True Metal is hidden within You, and True Metal can preserve long life. The Imperial True Po is the source of life, from which profound and wondrous original Qi appears. On the night of the bridal chamber, should one forget one’s feelings even when facing the outer world? “Da li kou ye, kou mo li ye, jin zha mu zha kou ta nan kou ye, kou yan, si wo ye, si wo ye, nan wu ban ruo bo luo mi ye”—these are the syllables of a mantra recorded in the scripture. The final phrase means “I pay reverence to prajnaparamita,” the way of wisdom that reaches the farther shore.

Note: From the “Song of Seven Returns and Five Reversions” for the Golden Elixir of the Seventh Month, “Opening the Seven Orifices,” in the Nine Sovereigns’ Elixir Scripture.

The Dao Lord sits upright in the Palace of Taiwei, descends as the Great Celestial Worthy, and transmits this true method, guiding people to ascend to Jade Clarity, the subtle Heaven where Daoist deities dwell. The formula consists of a single character shaped like the number seven. With two strokes on the left and three on the right, together they make “five”; within the undifferentiated Taiji lie the Five Spirits. Only when the Five Spirits are complete do the seven orifices—the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and mouth—open; one must also use the Celestial Eye. In this way, one can guide a person’s ascent to Jade Clarity. Those who cultivate the Dao must penetrate its hidden workings, pass through the apertures, and ascend to the Jade Terrace in the realm of the immortals.

Note: From the “Song of Ten Returns” for the Golden Elixir of the Tenth Month, “Firming Body and Spirit,” in the Nine Sovereigns’ Elixir Scripture.

Immortal Maiden Nongyu plays the jade flute, and each note enters the “Gate of the Primordial Opening,” the portal through which innate primordial Qi is said to flow in internal alchemy. This portal is also called the “Root of Heaven and Earth.” When innate Qi is abundant, various signs appear naturally in the body. After the “Eight Scenes” emerge, the “Twenty-Four Heavens” arise in turn, and the nine apertures become spiritually responsive of their own accord. The sacred embryo, a pure Yang body formed through internal alchemy, is cultivated through the power of “True Unity.” Golden liquid wells up in the Queen Mother’s Jade Pool; the heart of the lotus joins with the yellow sprouts within the heart, and fragrance arises in the body, as though creating a splendid universe. Attaining this true fragrance brings a wondrous, enveloping Qi that protects me and lets me endure through every generation.

Ever since the Daoist Patriarch of Pure Yang, Lü Dongbin, revealed this method of cultivation, worthy people in every generation have been called to ponder it carefully. Penglai Island and the gathering at Yingzhou should preserve the cultivators’ renown. One should follow Xu Zhen’s example and ascend bodily, with one’s dwelling, in broad daylight. For three years I have repeated these instructions, hoping only that everyone will cultivate with devotion, enjoy long life, and unite Yang Qi with the primordial root.

Song on Sealing the Leaks

It speaks of the mysterious, it tells of the mysterious: circulate spirit and mind, pass through the nine apertures, and break open the Three Passes and Eight Gates. Shut yourself away in a quiet chamber and tend the alchemical furnace; do not let the “Six Thieves”—the six external distractions or desires that disturb the mind—come to disrupt you. The Master within, the cultivator’s original mind, laughs aloud, keeps watch over the Yellow Court, an important site of cultivation within the body, and rests in ease. The infant and the old woman, symbols in internal alchemy of paired forces such as Yin and Yang or Kan and Li, meet and unite; together they become the mysterious.

Hold the Golden Elixir within your breast, and let rosy radiance shine through your whole body. Sit upright at the Dantian, calm, clear, and empty. Purple Qi and red light appear often, rising to Mount Sumeru, here a reference to the Mudball Palace at the crown of the head, and descending to Yongquan, penetrating the body’s hidden depths. Gather treasures from the Pool of Seven Jewels, and do not mix in impure vital essence. Jade branches, jeweled buds, golden flowers, coral, and agate are all precious images of what cultivation brings.

Guard the body and its portals so that Jing and Qi do not leak away. Open the “Twelve-Storied Tower,” an image for the throat region in cultivation, so that the seven channels, eight vessels, and Three Burners—the upper, middle, and lower regions described in Chinese medicine—flow freely, and every part of the body responds. The large and small intestines connect above and below, while the Magpie Bridge, the channel that links the upper and lower flows of Qi in internal alchemy, runs smoothly. Drinking tea at Zhaozhou Bridge and hearing a call beside the Gan River are place names used to evoke scenes of cultivation. The Greater and Lesser Circuits of Heaven flow freely; the Three Houses, elements such as Jing, Qi, and Shen that meet in internal alchemy, come together in joyful union. By guarding the whole body in this way and keeping Jing and Qi firm and unspent, one may entrust oneself to the hope of enduring for thousands upon thousands of years and attaining long life without aging.

The praise says: Guard and preserve Jing (essence) and Qi (vital energy), letting none leak away; train the body and cultivate the Qi of the sun. When Jing and Qi are strong and vigorous, Shen (spirit) is full, and the three families come together, joy and contentment follow. I will make my body and mind firm and abundant, so that even after ten thousand ages I will not grow old.

The praise also says: Guard and preserve Jing and Qi, train the body, and cultivate the Qi of the sun, so that Jing and Qi grow strong and Shen is whole. Keep to the Central Yellow—the inner cultivation site at the center of the human body. Refine lead and mercury, symbolic terms in Neidan (internal alchemy), into treasure, and a single Golden Elixir shines forth. Once the infant appears, a symbol of the Elixir’s completion in Neidan practice, guard it for a long time. Live as long as Heaven, free from the troubles of death and impermanence. Whoever learns the “Song of Sealing the Leaks” has mastered the method of long life and agelessness.

Song of Attaining the Dao in Later Years

People in the world are like worms, muddling through their days in constant bustle, their hearts never at rest. They do not understand the true aperture, the crucial point in cultivation that opens onto the Dao. Find it, and you have found the true gateway. Be neither miserly nor greedy; do not worry that others will dislike or blame you.

I do not meditate on Chan, bow in worship, sit in meditation, or bother with taking precepts. I travel across the world and look around; when I find wine, I drink a few cups, and when I find meat, I eat a few pieces. I beg a bowl of rice to fill my belly and find a piece of cloth to cover myself. If my house falls apart, I repair or rebuild it myself; all I seek is peace of heart. I stay away from the contests for fame and profit, and do not fret over success or failure. I owe no taxes to the state and no debts to my children.

If someone comes looking for me, nothing weighs on my heart. In the morning I wander by the shores of the Five Lakes; by evening I lodge deep in the green mountains. I use a rough stone for a pillow and the blue sky for a quilt. Tigers and leopards cannot trouble me, and demons dare not harm me. Unaware, I sleep until the sun rises red, with no fear or alarm in my heart. From then on, I break through the gates of delusion and illusion, turn, and leap beyond the dusty world.

By evening I lodge deep in the green mountains, with a rough stone for a pillow and the blue sky for a quilt. Tigers and leopards cannot trouble me, and demons dare not harm me. I sleep until the sun rises, free of fear and alarm. From then on, I break through the gates of delusion and illusion and leap beyond the dusty world. Clapping my hands and laughing, free and at ease—this is true freedom.

Palindrome Poem

The courtyard by the bridge faces a bend in the water ringed by willows. In the bright night moonlight, half the door stands closed. Late at night, I ride a crane from afar and return to enter the mountain cave. I quietly play the zither, sitting at ease in the company of white clouds. I refine the Elixir and tend the fire; the stove is never left cold. I gather herbs and seek the immortals; good mountains are close at hand. The gourd tree stands tall, and the recluse has lived here a long while. Far from the noisy world, the water murmurs on.

Thirty-Six Poems on the Golden Elixir

Cultivating the Dao and Returning to the True Nature (cultivating the Great Dao and restoring one’s true nature)

Adrift and disheartened in the rivers and lakes for decades, I met a master and bit through an iron bun.

I had wandered the world in frustration for decades. Only when I met my master did I taste the hardship of cultivating the Dao, as if biting through an iron bun.

Who has blended this exquisite sweetness with honey? Can oil still be added to the dying lamp at midnight?

Who has brought together this wonderfully exquisite flavor? Even when the lamp is nearly out at midnight, more oil can be added to keep it burning.

Trusting that cultivation of the Dao can bring body and spirit into a wondrous state, I then understood that nature and life must be cultivated together.

Only when I believed that cultivating the Dao could bring body and spirit into a wondrous state did I understand that nature and life must be cultivated together.

Since gaining even a little understanding, I have forgotten the countless troubles of the human world.

Since I gained even a little understanding of its principles, I have forgotten the countless troubles of the human world.

An Old Hermitage Beyond the Dust

With a tranquil heart, I have left the world’s dust behind; in the stillness of the Zhen position, I nurture the spirit.

With a tranquil heart, I have withdrawn from worldly turmoil. In the Zhen position, one of the Bagua directions, I remain still and nurture the spirit.

A plain zither sounds, and the moon at the edge of the sky seems to fall; I pour out the last of the dark wine, the spring at the bottom of the jar.

I play a plain zither, as if its notes could bring down the moon at the edge of the sky. I drink the dark wine, used in ancient rites and ceremonies, until the spring at the bottom of the jar is gone.

As the days lengthen, vital Qi returns to its source; the Three Flowers gather at the crown and renew themselves with each passing moment.

As the days go by, upright Qi grows and returns to its source. The Three Flowers gathering at the crown, a Neidan image of Jing, Qi, and spirit concentrating at the top of the head, are renewed with time.

Having refined the Great Medicine and transcended the ordinary, I carefully inscribe this poem to warn those who come after.

Having refined the “Great Medicine” of Neidan, one can transcend the ordinary. I must inscribe this poem with care, as a warning to later practitioners.

Clearing the Mind Through Cultivation

Scenes within and without swirl in confusion, and there is much to chase after and boast of.

The many scenes within and without are tangled and chaotic, enough to keep one constantly striving; there seem to be so many experiences worth boasting about.

Let go without losing the way: this is the true shortcut. Turn back and reflect inward, and you will find your home.

Let go of attachment without losing the way: that is the true shortcut. Turn inward and reflect on your own mind, and there is your place of return.

When the six faculties are pure, not a single obstruction remains; the Five Aggregates are empty, and not a speck of dust is left.

The six faculties—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind—are pure and unobstructed. Form, feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness, the Five Aggregates, are all empty, and the mind holds not a trace of dust.

In clear awareness and forgetting, the mind grows still; a bright moon shines over Nanhua.

Amid clarity and forgetting, the mind settles into stillness, like a bright moon illuminating Nanhua.

Resisting the Demon of Sleep

The harm of a clouded mind and a craving for sleep is no small matter; barely has the first watch begun when drowsiness sets in.

The harm caused by mental cloudiness and a desire to sleep is considerable. At the first watch, around seven to nine in the evening, drowsiness already begins.

One must keep one’s attention on the task and remain constantly alert, so the mind stays keenly awake.

In cultivation, one must sustain one’s attention and remain watchful, keeping the mind clear at all times.

Even when thought grows dull and the body feels drunk, rouse your spirit and sit until dawn.

Even when the mind is sluggish and the body feels as if drunk, summon your spirit and sit until daybreak.

Take this goad to heart and awaken fully. What undertaking could you then fail to accomplish?

Take this spur as a call to deep reflection and wakefulness. If you can do that, what could you not accomplish?

Seeking the Mysterious Pass

The Mysterious Pass is the key gateway on the road; it lies beyond the heart and kidneys, hidden in the deepest recesses.

The Mysterious Pass, a crucial point in Neidan cultivation that leads to the root of body and mind, is a vital gateway to the Dao. It is neither in the heart nor the kidneys, and its location is profoundly obscure.

Searching in the bladder or the passage of the grain is wasted effort; do not go blindly probing the spleen, stomach, or Muddy Pellet.

Searching in the bladder or anus is useless. Nor should you blindly search the spleen, stomach, or Muddy Pellet, the Daoist inner elixir site in the head.

The roots of spirit and Qi are elusive; seek them with care in the empty and the void.

The foundations of spirit and Qi are hard to grasp. One should observe them closely within emptiness and stillness.

In truth, it is simply the place of numinous awareness. Nurture the Returning Elixir, and you may ride a crane in flight.

In truth, the Mysterious Pass lies in the place of numinous awareness. Once the Returning Elixir, the elixir formed through Neidan cultivation, has been nurtured, one can soar on a crane.

Seeking the Mysterious Pass Again

The puppet onstage can nod its head; you should know that a hand is pulling the strings.

A puppet onstage can nod its head. You should understand that someone behind the scenes is pulling its strings.

Though the strings are pulled by another’s force, look within yourself to see what moves and how it moves.

Though a puppet is moved by an outside force, one should observe within oneself who pulls the strings and how they are pulled.

In truth, it is simply the place of numinous awareness. Nurture the Returning Elixir, and you may ride a crane in flight.

In truth, the Mysterious Pass lies in the place of numinous awareness. Once the Returning Elixir has been nurtured, one can soar on a crane.

A puppet onstage may seem to nod, but it is being moved by strings. It is moved by human power, yet who is pulling the strings? Who can say for certain? The key is that the one who governs it remains ever present, like the bright moon, allowing the puppet to appear free and graceful wherever it goes. To refine the elixir and seek the moment at the winter solstice when Yang energy begins to stir, one should look inward, to the quiet clarity of the mind’s numinous platform.

General Discussion of the Mysterious Pass

The human body itself contains Heaven and Earth; there is no need to seek outside. Within it is a pass, empty, still, luminous, deep, and difficult to fathom. Two and three can accompany one another, while one and four can work in harmony. Earth, at the center of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), governs them all and carries out the work of growth and transformation. Where the wind of Xun is set in motion, firmness and softness can be brought into balance. Once the mystery of returning to the root and restoring the origin is understood, one can experience the cycle of Yin-Yang and the passing of spring and autumn in the palace where six and six come together.

Forging the Spirit Sword

The master taught the method for forging the “Green Serpent Sword,” tempering it with Kun as the cauldron and Qian as the furnace. This sword is neither iron nor gold, yet it bears the symbolic power to determine life and death. It has no form or shadow, yet it can commune with the spirit world. When drawn from its case, Heaven and Earth seem too small; when returned to the chest, it reveals itself in the smallest space. No amount of gold could buy it. Hidden within body and mind, it can cut down demons and malign influences. Here, the “spirit sword” is chiefly a symbol of inner refinement, not an ordinary weapon.

Laying the Foundation in the Post-Heavenly Stage

When Jing and Qi decline and Qi and blood are insufficient, they should be replenished and regulated; the relevant instructions are transmitted in person by an enlightened master. At prescribed times, practitioners swallow the jade liquid of the Flower Pool and absorb the fine nectar of the Peach Grove each day. These expressions point to the use of bodily fluids and vital energy in inner refinement. When the heart is free of worry and deliberation and remains as innocent as a newborn child, this is the practice of returning to the root and restoring one’s life, the cultivation of immortality. As the Dantian grows warm, the face seems to regain its youth, leaving those who cling only to emptiness and stillness, withered in appearance, far behind.

Refining the Self in the Post-Heavenly Stage

The work of refining the self—cultivating one’s nature and restraining distracting thoughts—may be unknown to outsiders; the luminous spirit-mind is always there with oneself.

The work of refining the self may be unknown to outsiders; the luminous spirit-mind is always there with oneself. When the mind is untouched by worldly thoughts and every concern is set aside, one’s nature becomes simple and still. No misguided thought or outside disturbance can enter the heart. All day, the practitioner carefully follows the teachings of a strict master. When hungry or thirsty, one drinks the wine of long life, living each day in serene contentment as though immersed in it.

Refining the Self and Obtaining the Elixir

The work of refining the self follows the laying of the foundation; by this point, every concern has been set aside. A bright moon seems to accompany the practitioner, while the thunder at the fifth watch is known only to oneself. In stillness and concentration, white flecks seem to drift down like snowflakes; within emptiness and quiet, tender shoots seem to grow into yellow branches. These images symbolize the stirring and transformation of Jing and Qi in inner refinement. Gather back the Yang energy that has dispersed, allowing it to condense and gestate within the body, until at last it forms an immortal embryo capable of enduring forever and ascending on a crane.

In cultivation, body and spirit may seem separate, yet they can respond to one another; the principles at work are exceedingly subtle. When beginning cultivation, one must coordinate body and mind: establish the furnace and cauldron, seek the true seed; face external things without being drawn along by desire, and recognize one’s original source. Grasp the dragon’s head and gather in the purple mist; open the tiger’s tail and reveal the golden light. Take in a single point of true lead and store it in the abdomen, and all things can be renewed with vitality and life prolonged.

The Precelestial Cauldron and Vessel

Once you have seen through the aperture of Primordial Chaos—the undivided, unopened state before Heaven and Earth separated—you can recognize the furnace of cosmic transformation, the inner foundation symbolized by the generative changes of Heaven and Earth. There is no need to deliberately exert effort to harmonize Water and Fire; precelestial numinous Qi naturally reaches throughout the body. In the morning, the yellow crane hides within the golden cauldron; at night, the silver toad, symbolizing the moon, pours into the jade vessel. These are all symbolic expressions of cultivation. To understand the true meaning of the Golden Elixir, one must work from the place within oneself before birth and trace life back to its source.

Precelestial True Lead

Most people enjoy exploring the mysterious, yet do not understand the precelestial true lead spoken of in that mystery—a Neidan term for a fundamental substance akin to precelestial essence and Qi. The scripture uses “five thousand days” and “thirty double-hours” to describe the timing and process of discerning the Yellow Path and black lead in cultivation. These do not refer to things that came into being only after Heaven and Earth were divided. Rather, one must seek to experience their precelestial roots before one’s parents conceived life. This supreme treasure is inherent in everyone; it is only narrow understanding that keeps people from recognizing it.

The Precelestial Great Medicine

The principle of the Golden Elixir is exceedingly subtle, and few understand even a small part of its precelestial workings. Rich or poor, everyone possesses it; wise or foolish, anyone can cultivate it. Gather it into the abdomen, as though something were being conceived. Once it has been refined, it can be grasped, yet its form cannot be seen. If someone asks about its mystery, it is truly difficult to put into words; one can only point from afar to the moon rising in the Geng direction at the edge of the sky. The moon here points to a Neidan image that cannot be stated directly in language.

Seizing the Precelestial

It is said that in the Divine Land there are wondrous, mysterious principles, passed quietly from teacher to student, whispered into the ear. To break open chaos and find gold and mercury—Neidan terms often symbolizing Yin-Yang or the essences of nature and life—is to split open Primordial Chaos and seize water lead, a Neidan term for a fundamental substance akin to precelestial true essence. A single point of true workings, no larger than a millet grain, contains power as vast as the Northern Sea; a light like the moon’s radiance illuminates the Western Riverlands. If one can gather it and store it in the abdomen, even an ordinary person may hope to cultivate immortality.

Gathering the Precelestial

Once you understand the proper method for refining the Golden Elixir, you can begin your cultivation. The subtle and wondrous principles hinge on this: set in motion a grain of true lead from the “female portal” (symbolizing the yin gate), using the “mysterious portal” (symbolizing the yang gate) and the “Three Families” (the three mutually cooperating elements in alchemy) as the foundations of transformation. Gather the substance in the Dantian, where it transforms and gives birth to jade leaves; then send it back to the earthen cauldron (symbolizing the spleen’s Earth element or the alchemical furnace), where jade fungus can grow. Those who wish to understand the principles of the precelestial must recognize the yin-yang substances symbolized by “a red flower atop a black tortoise.”

Recognizing and Gathering the Substance

The sun shines on the red seabed, and the moon rises above the mountain peak. Seek the “eggplant-colored” substance at the gathering on Spirit Mountain. Flowers bloom and birds sing; spring fills the sky. Use inversion to bring dragon saliva together with tiger blood. Spirit-light enters the jade-pot field (symbolizing the field of Neidan cultivation), while in secret, following the formulas, you count through the temporal positions of Kun, Shen, Zi, and Wu. The “saber master” directs the hundred-day refinement of the Great Elixir. Once the Elixir is complete, you can become an immortal guest of Penglai.

Directly Pointing to True Lead

True lead is the essence of the moon. The West and North give rise to one another and originally belong to the same family. Yang held within yin is an exceptionally precious treasure. Draw the white from the darkness, and the numinous sprout will appear. Abundant Metal and scarce Water are what make it precious; yin flourishing while yang declines is nothing to boast of.

Directly Pointing to True Lead

True lead is the essence of the moon. The West and North give rise to one another and originally belong to the same family. Yang held within yin is an exceptionally precious treasure. Draw the white from the darkness, and the numinous sprout will appear. Abundant Metal and scarce Water are what make it precious; yin flourishing while yang declines is nothing to boast of. You must also understand how Wu Earth (symbolizing the yang Earth element) is concealed within it, causing the furnace fire to rise continually and refine cinnabar.

Directly Pointing to True Mercury

True mercury is the essence of the sun. The East corresponds to three and the South to two; they join and produce white. The saying “fire is concealed within wood” is no idle expression: yin contained within yang is a precious treasure. Do not let even a trace of yin impurity touch it; keep it wholly bright as the sun. Here, too, Ji Earth (symbolizing the yin Earth element) must nurture primordial Qi, allowing the numinous sprout to grow gradually through refinement and cultivation.

Lead and Mercury Joined

True lead and true mercury work together, bound as closely as lacquer and glue, never parting. Casting mercury into lead is like bathing in sunlight; using lead to temper mercury is like adding oil to feed a flame. Lead harmonizes mercury’s nature, so the two remain close; mercury, too, delights in lead and joins with it in movement. When the inner and outer Five Phases converge in harmony, they can form the Great Elixir, in which red and white unite.

The Wondrous Use of Inversion

Seeking the true Dao is not difficult; the key is whether the human mind can grasp the principles of yin and yang’s inverted transformations. Do not search for the supreme substance only in the mountains and forests; seek true lead also in the places of everyday life. Use the Azure Dragon (symbolizing the East’s Wood Qi) to bind the Li Fire (symbolizing the heart and fire), bring yin and yang into union, and refine the Great Elixir, in which red and white unite.

Seeking the true Dao (Way) is not difficult. The key is whether the mind can discern the principle of Yin-Yang inversion. Do not go searching for the elixir in deep mountains and forests: the true “lead”—a Neidan term for the essence of true Yang cultivated through internal practice—is found in daily life. Use the “Azure Dragon” to bind Li and join it to Kan; use the “White Tiger” to draw Dui back to Qian. Here, the Dragon, Tiger, and Bagua positions symbolize the joining of Yin and Yang and the return of true Qi to its proper course in internal cultivation. Master this method and practice it in sequence, and the path to the Great Dao will naturally come into view, leading to a state beyond ordinary understanding.

The Joining and Harmonizing of the Elixir’s Seed

When the “Yellow Path”—a Neidan term for the pivotal moment when Yin and Yang harmonize and true Qi circulates—appears, the hour of Hai is set in motion, and true Yang returns in response. The Samadhi Fire, symbolizing the purest stage of the inner fire, rises from the Li position; its thunderous activation comes from the Zhen Palace. Qi and Shen harmonize with one another, nurturing a wondrous inner foundation. Nature and life rely on each other and coalesce into the “Holy Embryo,” the state symbolizing the completion of the elixir in Neidan practice. Once the essential method is understood, the body’s Three Passes and Nine Orifices, important barriers and openings in Daoist cultivation, will all become unobstructed.

The Meeting of the Three Houses

Invite the “Yellow Matron,” a Neidan symbol for the mediator who harmonizes Yin and Yang and connects the two, to serve as matchmaker. Through this harmonizing, what was originally formless can arise and be nurtured. And because the “Snake Maiden” waits nearby, she draws the young man in from outside; their meeting symbolizes the union of Yin and Yang Qi. The two sets of gateways connect with one another, with no barrier between them. True Qi gathers at the appointed time and place, and, once joined, does not part again. Yin and Yang harmonize, giving rise to endless vitality and ultimately nurturing the Neidan achievement known as the “Holy Embryo.”

The Great Return through Nine Turns

To practice the Nine-Turn Return Elixir, one must understand the image of “a spring emerging beneath the mountain,” the image of the Meng hexagram in the Book of Changes (Yi Jing). It shows that cultivation must be awakened from its beginnings. The wondrous work of setting up the elixir furnace relies on Earth of Kun; the circulation of the fire phases depends on the wind of Xun. Once the Dui Tiger and Zhen Dragon unite, the Kan male and Li female also come into harmony. When the Four Images return to the center, the workings of Heaven and Earth’s transformation seem to be held within oneself.

The Subtleties of the Fire Phases

Gather the cycles of years, months, days, and hours into a single instant. If that instant is misjudged, the changes of Yin and Yang will fall into disorder. Increase or decrease the fire according to the proper timing, as the hours symbolized by the Rabbit and Rooster alternate. As the practice rises and descends, the Yin-Yang Qi likened to Dragons and Tigers grows vigorous in turn. Remembering the dangers and risks of cultivation, stop the fire work when needed. Measure the fire phases as precisely as ounces and fractions of an ounce, and keep them in accord with the proper measure of the hexagram lines. When the count naturally reaches completion, one’s own circuit of Heaven will be brought to fullness.

The Subtleties of the Fire Phases

Gather the changes of years, months, days, and hours into a single instant. If that instant is not properly managed, the changes of Yin and Yang will fall into disorder. Increase or decrease the fire according to the timing, making adjustments at the moments symbolized by the Rabbit and Rooster. As the practice rises and descends, the Yin-Yang Qi likened to Dragons and Tigers is set in motion. Guard carefully against deviation and stop the fire work at the proper time. Measure the fire phases as precisely as ounces and fractions of an ounce, in accord with the proper measure of the hexagram lines. When the count naturally reaches completion, the circuit of Heaven is complete within oneself. Practice this every day for ten months.

The Transformation of Spirit after Leaving the Womb

Once the elixir is complete, my life and nature are no longer governed by Heaven’s decree. Let mountains and river valleys change with the times. Honor and disgrace have nothing to do with me; wherever I am, I am free. Fame, wealth, and profit do not linger in my thoughts; I move with the moment and follow its course. I know only that within the pot lies a world of its own. Who could still remember the years, months, and days of the human world? If asked where I will finally go, I point, half-drunk, toward the edge of the white clouds.

Nine Years Facing the Wall

After nine years of quiet cultivation while facing a wall, nurturing the spirit and body, one tempers oneself amid stillness and trance. As cultivation deepens, one is no longer constrained and gains freedom; one acts in keeping with circumstances and one’s proper role, and knows when enough is enough. The heart is bright and vast as the sun and moon, and one’s being resonates with Heaven and Earth. Breaking through the Void is no easy feat; gathering the vast Six Directions—Heaven and Earth and the four quarters—into a single grain of millet is harder still. These words are sung once more, emphasizing the tempering of the self, freedom and knowing when to stop, and the union of the heart with Heaven and Earth.

Changing the Cauldron and Dividing the Embryo

The furnace and cauldron—the body, mind, and setting of alchemical cultivation—are rearranged, and the Kun and Qian, symbols of Yin and Yang, are established. Through skillful means, the Elixir is moved to the upper field, the site of internal alchemical cultivation in the head. The higher one’s moral cultivation, the more transcendent one’s spiritual state. Once the Void is shattered, the methods of cultivation seem boundless. The original bodily form and alchemical method then undergo transformation, after which the embryo divides and enters the Mysterious, continuing to gestate a new internal Elixir. Sons beget grandsons, and grandsons in turn beget descendants; old men and women, too, become immortals together. The imagery of family generations describes the Elixir’s successive gestations, passed down without end until all attain fulfillment together.

Transformation and Spiritual Communion

When the great-grandchild—the results of the Elixir’s continued gestation in cultivation—has matured, it can strengthen the lineage, surpass its ancestors, and plan wisely. A fine match is found by lamplight at night; by morning, a gifted child is born in the courtyard. Each child stands tall like a jade tree, while the immortal family’s descendants gather gracefully like golden stalks. These achievements surpass priceless jade. The family owns fertile fields exempt from tax, yet tills them by its own hand. Through images of marriage, birth, and a flourishing household, the poem portrays the continual growth of the fruits of cultivation into a self-sustaining tradition.

The Ninefold Transmutation of Spiritual Transformation

After years of refinement and nourishment, the ninefold-transmuted cinnabar finally forms a relic, a condensed achievement of cultivation revered even by ghosts and spirits. The Elixir, white as snow in the furnace, is pure as jade; the yellow sprouts in the cauldron, an internal alchemical term for nascent Elixir Qi, surpass gold. One has seen phoenixes dance and heard tigers roar and dragons cry, images of Yin-Yang transformations and the resonance of Qi. The Five Metals and Eight Minerals used in alchemy can all be refined into treasures, and the work can then advance to nourishing the Heavenly Origin, the fundamental primordial Qi or the highest level of alchemical practice. The images of snow-white Elixir in the furnace, yellow sprouts in the cauldron, and dancing phoenixes and roaring tigers and dragons appear once again. The final line says that, once the Heavenly Origin is refined, one can lift the whole household and ascend to Heaven—that is, the entire family rises into the realm of immortals.

Cultivating the Heavenly Origin

Few in the world understand what the Elixir of the Heavenly Origin truly is. It arises from nonbeing and is exceedingly rare. Heaven and Earth serve as the furnace, and the workings of Creation as the true force of refinement; Yin and Yang are the ingredients, and their principle is profound and subtle. A chicken that eats it becomes an immortal crane and flies into the blue clouds; a dog that eats it becomes a dragon and rises in broad daylight. Only at this level can the art be called supremely wondrous. The cultivator can join hands with Xu Jun and return together.

Carefree Wandering

The Daoist adept has long since drawn in his senses, no longer constrained by the outside world. At ease and untroubled, he has cast off every restraint. At dawn he sets out with the sun from Fusang, the legendary place in the east where the sun rises; by evening he rests among the clouds of Mount Kunlun. How many years has the story of the Green Ox passing through Hangu Pass been told? Its meaning is perfectly clear, right before our eyes. Last night, after the jade zither had sounded three times, cool breezes filled the sky and the moon shone bright.

Understanding the Dao and guiding others

Two iron flutes sound together, breaking through the dawn mist. After we met, who knows how many years passed before we met again? Once, it was all plainly before our eyes. Last night, after the jade zither had sounded three times, cool breezes filled the sky and the moon shone bright.

Understanding the Dao and guiding others

Two iron flutes sound together, breaking through the dawn mist. After we met, who knows how many years passed before we met again? I once set down in writing the principles of cultivating the Dao through Wuwei (non-action), beyond the dusty world, leaving a legacy without end. Your hair has already turned partly white, and age is catching up with you; I, meanwhile, have walked among the blue clouds time and again, already a step ahead. However deeply one probes the world, this is all there is to it. Why not travel together and return to the immortal’s grotto-heaven?

A general song on inner cultivation

Purify body and mind, and refine the medicines within to nourish Qi and blood and restore a youthful appearance. With the lead cauldron—the vessel symbolizing the body or the place of refinement in Neidan (internal alchemy)—seek the true seed, laying the foundation for an ordinary body to attain sagehood. After nurturing it warmly for ten months, as if through pregnancy, refine and nourish it slowly with a gentle flame. Then, as if facing a wall for nine years, cultivate the numinous child, the spiritual fruition spoken of in Neidan. Chang’e cherishes this child’s youth above all: night after night she lays a feast beside the Jade Pool, with music and dancing.

A general song on outer cultivation

True lead and true mercury—terms in internal alchemy symbolizing the joined essences of Yin and Yang—unite as husband and wife and conceive a child. When the young child grows up, he leaves the ancestral inheritance; his great-grandson takes charge of the household and establishes a new foundation. The family fortunes flourish, giving rise to three great undertakings; the household expands, and its line continues through nine generations. A house filled with gold and silver is nothing to envy. The question is only whether one can move to the immortal realm of the Jade Pool.

On the precelestial cauldron

Whose daughter is just fourteen? A rainbow glow shimmers between her brows. Everyone is captivated by her beauty, but I regard her as my mother. A single spark of the elixir courses through me, and fragrant sweat moistens my whole body. In the dark hour, she dries and tempers my mercury—the refined essence in Neidan cultivation—transforming me completely and making me into a pure Yang body.

Twenty-four poems on the Golden Elixir

Whose daughter is just fourteen? A rainbow glow shimmers between her brows. Everyone is captivated by her beauty, but I regard her as my mother. A single spark of the elixir courses through me, and fragrant sweat moistens my whole body. In the dark hour, she dries and tempers my mercury, transforming me completely and making me into a pure Yang body.

Twenty-four poems on the Golden Elixir

Employ primordial Qi to refine acquired Qi, so that the two Qi of Yin and Yang cycle back and forth, issuing from a single source. To understand how visible forms arise from the formless, one must recognize the waxing phase when the moon first appears and the waning phase just before it fades. That obscure, hard-to-discern moment when Heaven and Earth are about to separate resembles the undifferentiated state before one’s parents were born. After taking and refining the elixir, one seems to enter an undifferentiated realm like a dream, where a childlike form takes shape and long life is attained.

The moon has no light of its own; it shines by borrowing the sun’s light. At the end of each lunar month, on the dark moon, and at its beginning, on the new moon, one can observe Yin and Yang waxing and waning. The toad and the Golden Crow, symbols respectively of the moon and the sun, unite and merge into their true substance. The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet and enter a realm deep and unfathomable. From then on, Hun and Po unite, and spirit and vitality move toward sagehood, enduring through the long years and the distant reaches of Heaven and Earth. If those who study the Dao can grasp its mysterious principles, their names will be exalted in the Purple Palace, the dwelling of the immortals in Daoist belief, and their good reputations will endure.

On the seventh day, Yang Qi descends from the Magpie Bridge, and the couple upon it can roam freely. Make the sea flow backward, turning upward to the Heavenly Valley, a site of inner cultivation in the body. Turn the sails against the wind and set the pivot of the Dipper, a metaphor for the circulation of the heavenly cycle, in motion. Command Heaven and Earth, directing the transformations of Yin and Yang; then circulate the heavenly cycle in accordance with the months, years, and seasons. The methods practiced by immortals are often like this. Why argue with ordinary people?

Use the bellows to stir the breath, and draw on the Xun wind, the wind Qi associated with the Xun trigram of the Bagua, to bring forth Kun fire, the fire that symbolizes Yin, from the undifferentiated state. Gradually gather and guide the Qi to the summit of Kunlun, a site of cultivation in the head, then slowly draw it down into the Palace of the Earthen Cauldron, an inner cultivation site around the spleen and stomach. Lead and Mercury, terms in Neidan symbolizing different Yin-Yang essences, meet and are refined into a precious treasure. Spirit and vitality coalesce, taking the form of an inner elixir like an infant. In the end, one transcends the transformations of Heaven and Earth and is no longer governed by the natural order represented by the Celestial Pivot, the hub of the heavenly bodies’ motion.

Set up the furnace and cauldron to refine the Golden Elixir, taking care both to keep the water from drying up and to prevent the fire from becoming too cold. Guard the process of refinement at all times; as it passes through the stages called Zhun and Meng, named for hexagrams in the Classic of Changes, watch over it with particular care. When withdrawing Lead and adding Mercury, apply your effort with caution. Anticipate obstacles and guard against harm, calmly mastering the subtle principles. Even the slightest mistake can prevent the work from succeeding. If the process is abandoned halfway, beginning the cultivation again will be extremely difficult.

The Dragon rises and the Tiger descends as the River Chariot, a Neidan method for guiding the ascent and descent of essence and Qi, turns in motion. Use red fire to capture and refine white sand, symbolic terms for Yin-Yang ingredients in the elixir method. The two Qi of Yin and Yang congeal into an embryo; Lead Qi gradually diminishes, the Three Flowers—Jing, Qi, and Shen—gather at the crown of the head, and Mercury Qi becomes full again. Once the furnace is opened, do not stir its contents carelessly, lest the refined elixir disperse like stalactites. When raising the cauldron, understand that what has formed within is like horse teeth. Keep a firm hold on both ingredients, Lead and Mercury; do not let them go uncontrolled. Once they are lost, the precious Golden Flower, the name given in elixir methods to the refined essence, will be lost as well.

Gather the essence from the Kun position, which symbolizes Yin and Earth, and nurture it in the Qian position, which symbolizes Yang and Heaven; this brings one into the river of desire. The Yang Fire and Yin Talisman—the principles for regulating and balancing Yang and Yin Qi in cultivation—operate according to the measured rhythms of advance and retreat, and the Lead Dragon and Mercury Tiger, representing the two Yin-Yang essences in alchemy, naturally harmonize. The elixir liquid gathers in the eastern direction and becomes sweet dew; wine brews in the west, and drinking it is like becoming intoxicated in a splendid realm. The key is to cultivate with utmost sincerity and tend the work diligently. Once the Neidan is complete and fetal breathing has matured through ten months, one can transform into the Azure Maiden, a symbol of the perfected immortal form reborn through transformation.

Take a particle of essence from between Heaven and Earth, and the union of Yin and Yang will naturally complete the alchemical work. Husband and wife meet—a metaphor for Yin and Yang joining in inner cultivation—and the Three Surnames, referring to essences of different qualities, gather together. Wu and Ji, representing the Qi of central Earth, merge, bringing the Five Phases together. At the new and full moons, Tun and Meng, symbols of Yin-Yang Qi first arising and gradually advancing, leap like a chicken and a hare. At the dark of the moon and the quarter moons, Ji Ji and Wei Ji, symbols of Water and Fire joining and failing to join, contend like a tiger and a dragon. Yin and Yang are gathered between Earth and Heaven; the Mysterious Pass, the crucial point where Qi converges in inner cultivation, is activated, and the River Chariot, the method of circulating internal Qi through the body’s channels, turns with a sound like thunder.

The Water and Fire within the body are the two Qi of Yin and Yang. When these two Qi respond to one another, they become a purple radiance. Drink the finest elixir, a metaphor for the pure and sweet liquid of cultivation, every day, and swallow the Reverting-Soul Nectar, a metaphor for the inner alchemical liquid that restores the vitality of the essences, at every moment; this can prolong life. The wondrous secret should not be revealed to ordinary people; the Great Medicine, the essence of Neidan cultivation, is for those with resolve to comprehend. When the Nine Revolutions, the repeated refinement of Neidan, are complete, one returns to the Great Beginning, the primal state before the myriad things were differentiated. Once the yielding nature of Kun has been fully refined, it transforms into the firm Qi of Qian.

Fire by nature blazes upward, while Water by nature flows downward; as the River Chariot turns, Qi naturally circulates throughout the body. A piece of fine jade from Mount Kunlun is priceless, yet a luminous pearl from the vast sea is cast away in secret. Samadhi, the focused and settled state of cultivation, first stirs from the Li position, which symbolizes Fire, while the Talisman Method rises from the Kan position, which symbolizes Water. Who can truly understand the signs and transformations within oneself? Do not speak carelessly of these secrets in front of others.

Those who cultivate immortality should practice the way of the Celestial Immortals and carefully examine the Golden Liquid Divine Elixir, the essence of Neidan cultivation. Add essence and Qi to the Li Palace, draw them from the Kan position, entrust them to the Dui position, which symbolizes Metal and the Lake, and finally plant them in the Qian position. Understanding life and death depends on more than spirit and Qi alone; in cultivating nature and life, the key lies in Mercury and Lead, symbols of the Yin and Yang essences. The world is full of people who talk about cultivating the Dao, but who among ordinary people can grasp this true essential teaching?

Cultivating and refining oneself in search of the true Dao is not difficult in itself. First take “rabbit marrow” together with “crow’s liver,” then guide the “Dragon” and “Tiger” to meet and return them to the root aperture. Prepare “Mercury” and add “Lead” so that life returns to its source. Metal Qi moves back and forth, passing through the Jiaji (the spinal passage); turn the “River Chariot” to carry Qi upward to the Niwan (the crown of the head). Yin and Yang enter the place where the Old Woman Yellow (the intermediary who harmonizes Yin and Yang) resides. When the firing process is properly balanced, the Golden Elixir naturally congeals.

Heaven and Earth open and close, pumping like a bellows. The rhythm of breathing corresponds to the Tun and Meng trigrams, harmonizing the vital essences of Kan and Li. The four images are blended in the cauldron, and true Lead descends; the three powers are present in the furnace, and wondrous Mercury comes forth. “One has, two lack” change into one another; “two lack, one has” bring one another to completion. To understand their hidden workings, carefully contemplate the principle of union represented by the Green Maiden, a female figure in alchemical metaphor.

The central palace of Wu and Ji (Earth Qi that symbolizes harmony at the center) has its own way of connecting. Two partners unite as one through an intermediary. The Luscious Maiden (symbolizing Mercury or the Yin partner) plays a flute without holes, while the Metal Lord (symbolizing Lead or the Yang partner) holds a lute without strings. The transformations here are profound and obscure, difficult to fathom or find. When the Returning Elixir is complete, it is as though the whole earth had been turned into gold.

The Lead cauldron grows warm, and the breath passes through the curtain. Recognize the living Zi hour within the body, when Yang Qi first arises and is ready to be gathered and refined. At the tiger’s roar, gather it in time; when the dragon’s first call sounds, act at once. Defending the city and fighting in the open symbolize different stages of gathering and applying what is cultivated, as though Heaven and Earth had turned upside down. During chamber practice, guard against danger and bring Kan and Li into union. Obtain the rounded “Tortoise-Phoenix marrow,” the refined essence of the work; take it and proceed to the Jade Pool, the realm of the immortals.

In chamber practice, empty the heart and focus the spirit to refine the Great Elixir; its wondrous workings are not difficult to achieve. One who can glimpse the transformations of nature can take part in the movement of primordial Qi; one who understands how to take a knife-point measure, a metaphor for a tiny dose of elixir, can seize the Purple Pellet, another metaphor for the elixir. When the calendrical signs for the new and full moons arrive, the three surnames unite; as the firing process wanes at the dark moon and first quarter, the Five Phases gather. Even if Yi’s wife, Chang’e, could fly to the Moon Palace, she would still fall short of the Green Maiden riding her colored phoenix.

There is cinnabar-mercury within Wood and true gold within Water; do not seek them only in the Li palace and Kan position. Discern host and guest within Qian and Kun, then determine ascent, descent, floating, and sinking by means of the Dragon and Tiger. Only then can Metal and Wood combine as the “three surnames,” and the two partners become of one mind. When they return to meet in the courtyard, the Old Woman Yellow, the intermediary who harmonizes Yin and Yang, is the one who understands them.

Only when the true furnace and cauldron are in motion does the true mystery become apparent. The medicine must be gathered as the hour of the Pig draws to a close. The Mother of Lead—the fundamental Qi in internal alchemical practice—gradually gathers, and its radiance seems on the verge of appearing. When the golden embryo, the embryo of the inner elixir, begins to stir, the moment for the proper degree of fire has arrived. Do not neglect to regulate the climate and harmonize the true breath, the breathing controlled in practice. Simply abide in emptiness and let Kan and Li, the symbolic forces of Water and Fire, move naturally. It is like facing an opponent in battle: do not let them slip by carelessly. Practice with caution, always guarding against deviations.

When ten months of work are complete, the process of creation is stable. Applying more fire at that point would damage the embryo of the elixir. At this stage, the transformations of Qi and blood within the immortal chamber—the state of body and mind in alchemical practice—have all been forgotten. There is no need to keep watch over the treasured cauldron and golden furnace. After nine years facing the wall, the body seems to shed its old shell; body and mind transcend the Three Realms—the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm—and attain a body capable of rising lightly into flight. Swallow the elixir, no larger than a grain of millet, and the work is complete: one can ride a phoenix and mount a luan.

Swallowing it down, the elixir travels along the two channels. Guard each step carefully so that its Qi enters the Jade Field, the Dantian. As the Qi circulates back and forth, the guest returns to the host. The Yin-Yang relation of man and woman, husband and wife, is also reversed and harmonized, causing the Qi to turn back upon itself. Once the elixir has formed, one joyfully sees the infant-like embryo appear. Its emergence from the shell depends entirely on the Holy Mother, the fundamental power that nurtures the embryo. Roam near and far, surveying the Four Cardinal Directions. East and west, north and south: one may move freely in every direction.

Conceal your radiance and restrain your traces, hiding among the people of the world. Although cultivation involves deliberate practice, its wonders remain deeply concealed. To subdue the tiger and tame the dragon—to bring the forces of Yin and Yang, the mind, and the spirit within oneself under control—one must blend into everyday life. Only by transcending the ordinary and entering the sacred can astonishing attainments become manifest. Cultivate the elixir path in deep secrecy: outwardly ordinary, inwardly wondrous. The mysteries in the Mirror of the Medicine have now been fully revealed, enabling cultivators past and present to reach the Great Dao.

The Jin Bi, the Cantong Qi, and the Zhixuan; the teachings on nature and life, and on loyal immortals, in the Cuixu; the more than three hundred treasured characters of the Yinfu; and the five thousand numinous characters of the Dao De Jing—all contain the essentials of cultivation. The Ruyao Jing explains the bellows, a metaphor for the force that drives the movement of Qi, while the Wuzhen Pian explores the path and methods of cultivation. These texts repeatedly emphasize the essential phrases of Golden Elixir practice. Taken together, they speak of the front and rear phases of the waxing and waning moon, metaphors for the different stages in the movement of the fire cycle.

The work of the fire cycle follows nature. Those who understand its mysteries may be called immortals. The principles behind gathering the Five Phases—the convergence of the Qi of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water—must also be explored through the methods of cultivation in the Wuzhen Pian. The essential phrases of Golden Elixir practice are repeated again and again; in the end, they still point to the front and rear phases of the waxing and waning moon.

The practice of regulating the firing times naturally follows the course of nature. Once its subtle workings are grasped, one can attain the realm of the immortals. Gather and blend the Qi of the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), as though drawing on the creative power of Heaven and Earth; set the Qi of the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) circulating, and one can become a sage. Take the creative process as the furnace and refine the sun and moon; take Heaven and Earth as the cauldron and bring forth a Golden Lotus. Whoever understands these subtle principles can ascend with me and pay audience to the Celestial Emperor.

With sincere devotion, bow and make obeisance to the stellar lords. Pay reverent homage to the stars and ask them to protect you. The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions shine together, each of the 360 degrees of the celestial circuit taking its place. The Highest Sages can harmonize the movements of the year, month, and day, and preserve and balance Qi and spirit in the central palace. The stars’ radiance brings blessings of long life; amid their veiling light, the sun and moon too seem renewed.

Eight Poems on the Great Elixir, inscribed in a Daoist chamber on Mount Wudang to instruct the disciples

Study the Dao and cultivate the real, and you can transcend the world of dust. Roam among clouds and waters, enjoying a natural freedom. The spirit medicine within the body is not made of metals or stones; the spirit cinnabar in the abdomen is not mercury. The work of gathering the medicine and refining the elixir follows the movements of the sun and moon, while the firing times of refinement accord with periods such as Geng and Xin. The Yellow Matron, an image of harmonizing Yin and Yang and bringing the medicines together, serves as matchmaker, uniting the Three Families—the inner alchemical elements of Jing, Qi, and Shen. Then it is like drinking wine and admiring flowers, as though spring filled the land.

Gather a measure of lead from “the other household,” an inner alchemical term for the vital essence that provides the medicine. Grasp the subtle moment and refine Qi, using it to replenish what is innate. Eight ounces at the forward waxing phase and eight ounces at the later waxing phase invoke the moon’s waxing and waning to explain how Yin and Yang must be matched in the firing process. When the inner medicine matures, the outer medicine returns as well. From the Purple Palace, the Mysterious Chamber—an inner alchemical image of the body’s divine palace—descends precious dew; Yellow Sprouts and White Snow, terms for subtle medicines formed through cultivation, transform into a golden toad. Such are the wondrous powers of the immortals: they can plant a nine-jointed lotus in fire.

The initial, middle, and final passes, and the lower, middle, and upper fields (Dantian, energy centers named for different stages and locations in internal alchemical practice), each have their proper order. The stages of cultivation are clearly distinguished, and the firing process must follow the Way of unceasing strength. The windows of the quiet chamber grow bright as the third watch arrives. Through day and night, the Nine Cauldrons, symbols of the vessels of cultivation, are heated until red. Diligently regulate the gentle and forceful fires, Yin and Yang; open the body’s passages throughout, and you can turn toward the celestial realm.

The work of cultivation within the body is something I understand; who else can glimpse this mysterious celestial secret? First I saw the Dragon and Tiger battling, then the Tortoise and Snake rejoicing together. Observe the transformations of the Hexagrams of Obstruction and Peace as the images of Heaven and Earth are reversed. The beginning and end of the firing cycle’s markers are tied to the lunar mansions Xu and Wei. The Southern Stars and the Northern Dipper shine before and behind; the crow and toad in the sun and moon—the Golden Crow in the sun and the Jade Toad in the moon—move back and forth.

Cultivating the true Dao is the foundation of all things under Heaven. Only by drawing in the Qi of Yin-Yang can one carry out the work of creation and transformation. One must subdue the Heavenly Hun, the soul associated with the yang spirit, so that the White Tiger, an image of yin power in Neidan, may arise. One must also gather in the Earthly Po, the soul associated with the yin spirit, so that the Azure Dragon, an image of yang power, may emerge. Turn these two forces back within the body and unite them in the central palace. The transformed Yang Spirit, the pure yang spiritual form produced through cultivation, enters the upper palace. Jing and Qi condense into a Golden Elixir. Whoever can ingest it will regain the appearance of a child.

There are countless methods of cultivation and countless heterodox paths, but without understanding the firing times—the timing, advance and retreat, and regulation of the breath in practice—all efforts will ultimately be in vain. First investigate the profound principles and truly grasp their key. Then seek out a clear-sighted master and receive the oral instructions. To bring the three families—Jing, Qi, and Shen—into harmony, all that is needed is a steadfast heart devoted to the Dao. Cultivate morning and evening, strengthening the spirit until the true Shen takes shape and ascends to the ninth heaven.

To seek the true Dao, one must recognize the Cavity of Emptiness, the opening in Neidan where stillness of body and mind allows true Qi to arise. The work lies wherever the mind and intention reach. The Qi of Yin-Yang may flow forward or in reverse. The ascent and descent of Kan and Li, symbols of water and fire, must likewise follow the turning of things upside down. In a state of seeming presence and seeming absence, the Taiji comes into being; amid profound stillness, signs of the inner Elixir appear like an infant. Let the mysterious female, the gateway through which Qi enters, leaves, and brings forth life, function naturally. Tend the furnace and stove, the emblems of Elixir refinement, with a mind that seems to forget yet does not forget, seems to hold yet does not hold.

Only by understanding the principles that lead from the precelestial to the postcelestial can one refine the Golden Elixir. If the fire is too cold or the water Qi is exhausted, refinement cannot succeed. Those of the highest capacity cultivate through Wuwei (non-action) and attain sagehood. At a lower level, cultivation involves deliberate action, following the circuit of the heavenly cycle through which Qi circulates. When the first yang stirs, one can glimpse the creative transformations of Heaven and Earth; when the two kinds of Qi unite, one can attain the state of the immortals and Buddhas. Planting a flower in the moon, the work is naturally completed in an instant. The moonlike light of the toad appears, illuminating the western land.

Poem on the Qiong Flower

The immortal realm possesses branches of jade and trees of precious stone; few in the human world know that such a flower exists. Elegant and pure, it is untouched by worldly rain and dew; its noble character has long carried the aura of ancient mists. Through endless years, when has it ever grown old? Peerless in all the world, it needs no empty praise. More than once I have wished to carry it back to Heaven, and thought to borrow a spirit raft from Bowang, the title of Zhang Qian.

Five Seven-Character Quatrains

The true heart is vast and boundless, endless and inexhaustible; countless immortals have arisen from it. The people of the world are lost in this small body before their eyes, unaware that within them they already possess a mysterious pearl: their innate true nature and heart of the Dao.

Buddha-yin, one who uses Buddhist teaching to verify and clarify the true meaning, points out that within emptiness and stillness there is luminous awareness. Danyang, a Daoist figure or title in an internal alchemy lineage, reveals the subtlety of “being within nonbeing.” Grasp that first, original point of true nature, and the realm of the immortals will appear. People of the world are absorbed in their limited physical forms, yet fail to recognize the dark pearl within themselves, a metaphor for their nature or inner, original essence.

Buddha-yin points out that awareness exists within emptiness and stillness; Danyang reveals the principle of being within nonbeing. Grasp the true nature present at the beginning, and body and mind can endure without decline.

Go upstream against the current until you reach Penglai, the legendary realm of the immortals, then scatter the vital energy like sweet spring water, nourishing the lands of the Nine Provinces. In this way, the Dantian, the place within the body where Qi gathers in internal alchemy practice, is nourished, and yellow sprouts, a metaphor for the first emergence of refined essence and Qi in internal alchemy, spring up everywhere.

The years, months, days, and hours of practice may seem fixed, while talk of trigrams, line-strokes, weights, and measures is only a fragmented way of describing it. Truly understand the practice’s continuous, unbroken intent, and you will be in a state of “neither forgetting nor forcing”: you do not forget to practice, but you do not deliberately push things along.

The great medicine is actually not much—only a single pill—but you must find its counterpart so the two can be joined. If you wish to ask about the method of long life, first find the two kinds of elixir: Yin and Yang, the complementary elements in internal alchemy practice.

Ascending the High Terrace

The mystery of how the Golden Elixir, the refined and gathered state of essence, Qi, and spirit sought through internal alchemy, comes into being and transforms is hard to express; few can discern its subtle principles. Fortunately, one encounters a wise teacher whose guidance reveals the secret of “the sky within the water.” First, the practitioner is taught to keep watch over the Mysterious Pass, the crucial point in internal alchemy practice for sensing the movement of inner Qi; to sit cross-legged, still the spirit, and regulate the breath; to clear away distracting thoughts, gather in the senses, and lower the eyelids. Next, the practitioner is taught to set the Xun wind in motion, a term symbolizing wind and breath; circulate water and fire, terms for elements such as Yin-Yang and essence and Qi in internal alchemy; preserve true essence, protect original Yang, the prenatal Yang Qi, and set the Celestial Pass, a key opening through which Qi moves, turning.

Then it is as if one sees the Yellow River’s waters surging upstream: they flow from Yongquan, an acupoint on the sole of the foot, into the Tail Gate, the opening at the base of the spine, pass through the Spinal Pass, and rise to the Muddy Pellet, a key site of practice within the head. The waters pass through the Bright Hall, an opening associated with the head, and the Great Flower Pool, the place where fluids gather in internal alchemy. The spirit water gradually fills, then flows down along the Nine-Storied Tower, the throat, and enters the Crimson Palace, the internal alchemy term for the heart, before reaching the Dantian. This is laying the foundation and refining the self: establishing the basis for practice and regulating body and mind. From this point, one can prolong life and preserve health.

If one seeks the higher path of ascending to the heavens, one must again set up the furnace and cauldron, terms that metaphorically describe the body, mind, and conditions for cultivation in internal alchemy. Gather prenatal Qi and bring it into harmony with postnatal Qi. When the Zi hour arrives, circulate it all the way to the Dantian. This, too, is laying the foundation and refining the self; from this point, one can prolong life and preserve health.

To pursue the highest path of ascent, one must reset the alchemical furnace and establish the cauldron vessels anew, combining pre-heavenly Qi with post-heavenly Qi. At the hours of Zi and Wu, focus on mastering the firing process; at the hours of Mao and You, let the Golden Elixir rest and regulate its breath. First understand the principles governing the movement of Heaven and Earth, then distinguish Yin and Yang: before Heaven there was the Mother, and without the Mother there would be no Heaven. This is the foundation of the Great Dao. Calculate the circuits of the heavens in their proper sequence, then reverse the positions of Qian and Kun. Diligently refine post-heavenly Qi and seize the essence of the pre-heavenly, and you can cultivate yourself into a sage or an immortal.

I once studied under an enlightened master; teacher and disciple were joined in heart, and the teaching passed from mouth to ear. In laying the foundation, one must first understand the “bellows” (a metaphor for breathing and the movement of Qi); in refining the self, one uses only “true lead” (a Neidan term symbolizing true Yang Qi). Take the solid fullness from the Kan trigram to fill the emptiness in the Li trigram. Cultivating by reversing Yin and Yang is like a dragon swallowing a tiger’s marrow. Following the ordinary course makes one mortal, like a tiger seizing a dragon’s saliva. Delightful is the wood dragon that conceals mercury; lovely is the metal tiger that spits out lead. The “full moon” has a formula to guide it, while the mystery of the “Zi hour” depends on the school’s heart-to-heart transmission. To gather and refine pre-heavenly Qi, the key lies in Wu and Ji (Earth); to seize post-heavenly essence, one must use the conjunction of the Dragon and Tiger and the “first-quarter moon,” among other Neidan terms for the right timing.

The Azure Dragon and White Tiger contend, while the Jade Rabbit and Golden Horse revolve together. In cultivation, one fears only lacking the “wisdom sword” (a symbol of the wisdom that discerns and cuts through delusion), and fears too that Qi may be hard to rein in, like a boat caught in a rushing current. Wait for the “Yellow Matron” (a Neidan symbol for the mediating force that brings things into harmony) to guide you; await the “young maiden opening the lotus” (an esoteric phrase symbolizing the activation or accomplishment of alchemical practice). This matter is difficult to put into words. Within five thousand days, the cultivator must watch carefully for the right moment and secretly calculate the movement of thirty double-hours. Clearly discern the changes before the Zi hour and after the Wu hour: before true Yang has stirred, the Qi of Gui Water has already appeared; true lead and true Yang follow. When the substance reaches the furnace, do not slacken: act swiftly, draw it into the pass, then follow the method of “six hundred additions and extractions” (a Neidan term for regulating the firing process and refining the elixir’s Qi). After ten months of nurturing, the embryo elixir is complete and the infant appears. Then cultivate in seclusion for nine years, independently realizing the true secret within; only then does one become an immortal who transcends the world and roams the paradises of Langyuan and Penglai.

Five Songs of the “Tianxian Yin”

First Form

Because the aim is to seek “Heaven within the Earth,” one must also seek “lightning amid the clouds”—a hidden phrase for the subtle workings of Neidan cultivation. Gather in unruly thoughts at every moment and rein in the mind’s disorderly impulses without pause, day or night. Keep advancing in the work of cultivation and strengthen your resolve to guard the mind. Draw the Three Treasures—Jing, Qi, and Shen—within the body and keep them deeply protected. Subdue the “Five Thieves,” the five desires or sensory activities that deplete body and mind, and observe the inner states of body and mind. Let mind and body settle into stillness, allowing Yin-Yang Qi to mingle and circulate according to the methods of cultivation.

To dispel every kind of demonic obstruction, rely entirely on the sword of wisdom. Gather and refine the “tortoise,” symbol of nascent Qi, and obtain the “white tiger,” symbol of nascent Jing. “Heaven’s Root” and “Moon’s Cavern” are Neidan terms for the crucial points where Yin and Yang Qi meet and circulate. Plant a lotus amid raging flames and pole a boat across the Weak River: these images describe practicing cultivation amid hardship and danger.

Sweep away distracting thoughts, clearing the mind and quieting intention. Nurture Jing and Qi until Jing is abundant and Qi complete. Do not envy the beauties of the outer world; wait only for the sweet “sweet dew spring,” an inner experience like nectar that arises through cultivation. Even in the midst of hardship, let go of innate attachments and put your cultivation into practice. Break through the “Divine Land” and “Red County,” names here for the inner domain of bodily cultivation, then carefully draw out the “Golden Jing,” a Neidan term for the precious essence within Jing and Qi, and guide it into the Dantian. Guard carefully against danger, clear away distracting thoughts, regulate the breath, settle the spirit, and sever illusory concerns. Through nurturing and purification, bring contention to an end and form the “holy embryo,” the inner elixir body described in Neidan cultivation. After nine years facing the wall, refining Shen and returning to emptiness, the work of cultivation is complete.

Second Part

Read the Treatise on Returning to the Root and Restoring Life and study the Scroll on Nurturing Nature and Cultivating the True, and you will learn that “water is within metal” and understand that “Heaven is within the Earth.” Cast aside the mysterious surface, and you will see that the key to life and death lies just a hair’s breadth apart, while the Dragon and Tiger lie hidden in the two channels through which Yin and Yang circulate. Explain the “Mysterious Female,” the wondrous gate through which the myriad things come into being, in the Daode Jing; probe the meaning of Wu and Ji, terms in the Wuzhen Pian that symbolize the convergence of the Five Phases. Speak of the place in the Geng direction where metal is born, and also explain the source of the elixir arising in the Dui position; point clearly to this domain of cultivation as lying within the “Red County.” All appearances are fleeting, like dew, lightning, mist, and dust. Wait only for the “tortoise” to exhale and the “white tiger” to spray saliva—that is, for the Yin-Yang essences to stir and unite.

Once the “Three Corpses”—Daoist spirits or desires believed to lurk within the body, prompt wrongdoing, and shorten life—have been cut down, the corresponding states will vanish. Again, speak of the source of the elixir arising in the Dui position, pointing clearly to its place within the “Red County.” All appearances are like dew, lightning, mist, and dust. Wait only for the “tortoise” to exhale and the “white tiger” to spray saliva—that is, for the Yin-Yang essences to stir and unite.

After cutting off the Three Corpses—the three kinds of desire that disrupt cultivation—the inner state becomes clear, and demonic obstacles lie dormant and fade away. Subdue the Five Thieves—the five sensory desires that deplete the mind and spirit—and the mind and spirit grow calm, no longer restless like an ape or a horse. Gather the spirit and return it to the Sea of Origin, where primordial Qi converges. Circulate true Qi until it flows to Yongquan, the acupoint on the sole of the foot. Refine the Golden Essence and take it into the Dantian, where essence and Qi are stored. True Qi then naturally courses through every joint in the body. Let the mind and spirit be like fire and thought like lightning, to nourish the Golden Elixir. Mercury, a term in internal alchemy for Yin essence and Qi, gradually increases; at the same time, restrain speech and focus inward. For nine years, face the wall and cultivate without interruption. Let the spirit travel through the Taiji, traversing the vast world. After seven returns, the Infant, a symbol of completed internal alchemy, appears of its own accord. The Six Thieves scatter, the transformations of the Five Phases reach completion, and people across the Four Seas know to turn toward Langyuan, the realm of immortals.

Third Form

First regulate the breath until it is even, then unite Metal and Wood. Lead essence, a term in internal alchemy for Yang essence and Qi, is hidden in the Gate of Transformation; Mercury liquid is concealed in the Mysterious Gate. This is the foundation of creation and transformation. In the depths of darkness and obscurity, where things are indistinct and hard to discern, there are still real signs of proof, though they cannot be seen or heard. Nurture the medicinal sprout and keep the furnace and cauldron intact: when gathering the Yellow Sprout, the first sign of internal alchemy’s formation, do not damage the vessel. Keep the original spirit settled in the square inch of the heart. Seek the Golden Water and pour it into Kunlun, the head. With the Wisdom Sword, subdue the host of demons. Guard the Three Treasures—Jing, Qi, and Shen—carefully, and gather the mind. Subdue the Five Thieves and diligently cultivate the work of refining oneself. Cut off greed and anger, clear away every distracting thought, and meet changing circumstances without a trace of worldly dust clinging to the mind.

I wait only for the moon over Qujiang to reveal the sign of Gengshen, and tread through the snow on the Mountain of Form in search of spring. Refine the Golden Essence and draw it away from the Red Waters. Regulate the true breath, letting Qi circulate throughout the body. Turn the Mercury within and enfold the Yang essence. Keep the furnace fire gently warm over a long period, and make steady progress at every moment. In cultivation, sit silently like a simple-minded person. Hold fast to stillness and simplicity, and preserve your true nature. I cultivate facing the wall in the deep mountains, where no one comes to inquire after me. In the quiet chamber, I gather my mind and still my thoughts, with only myself for company. I regulate spirit and breath according to the methods of my own practice. I do not claim that the work can be completed as quickly as a ten-month pregnancy; I say only that it takes nine years of diligent cultivation. Keep to simplicity and nurture what is true; face the wall in the deep mountains, where no one comes to inquire after you; gather the mind and still the thoughts in the quiet chamber, with only yourself for company. Regulate spirit and breath according to the methods of your own practice. Do not speak of a ten-month pregnancy; speak only of nine years of diligent cultivation. Now that the work is complete, I have at last attained realization of the original truth.

Read the Classic of the Dragon and Tiger carefully in your daily practice, and quietly contemplate the Mirror for Entering the Medicine. You will then understand that there is originally only one “Lead,” though many names are borrowed to refer to it. It lies hidden at the bottom of the water, dwells in the realm of “the rarefied and obscure,” and sits at rest in the furnace of creation. Clear and pure, it is concealed in the Sweet Spring; closely guarded, it is hidden in the Cinnabar Well. The practitioner waits for the right moment: at the winter solstice, the Qi of the first Yang has just begun to stir; at the autumn equinox, the two kinds of vital essence are only beginning to rise. Signs appear in the Flower Pool—a term in alchemy for bodily fluids or a specific place of practice—and the Mysterious Pearl, an internal alchemy term for the essence that coalesces during cultivation, bursts forth. At this time, act in accordance with the moment: bestow favor when it is time to bestow favor, and establish rules when it is time to establish rules. Guard against changes in the movement of Qi, and guide it back to harmony.

Observe the Qi of the Divine Land—the human body in this passage—growing abundant and Yang Qi rising. Then you can see Gui Water stirring and Lead Qi arising in the Red Region. The dragon’s “bare-red” head rises straight up; the turtle’s “bright-red” eyes open wide; the tiger’s “pitch-dark” mouth gives voice. Images of the dragon, turtle, and tiger describe the contest and transformation of Yin-Yang Qi during cultivation. The practitioner must bring Yin and Yang into harmony and unite Metal and Wood. “Metal and Wood” are borrowed terms in internal alchemy for different Yin-Yang qualities and movements of Qi. Next, gather the essence of the northern Dark Warrior—a divine creature formed from a turtle and a snake, here symbolizing the vital essence within water—and place it in the Yellow Court, the central region of the body cultivated in Daoist internal alchemy. Bathe and regulate the breath daily to keep the upper, middle, and lower Dantian clear and still. Nurture them gently, so that the Neidan passes through nine revolutions and becomes spiritually transformed. Accumulate eight hundred deeds of hidden virtue, and your name will be entered in the registers of the highest Pure Clarity; your spirit will ascend to the Jade Capital, the palace of the heavens, feast on immortal peaches, and return content. Fifth Section

Do not let the mind race like a horse breaking free of its reins, and do not indulge the “mind-monkey,” the restless, unsettled stream of thought. Then the Three Corpses (inner spirits said in Daoism to stir up desires and deplete Jing and Qi) cease their mischief, and the Six Thieves (a common metaphor in Buddhist and Daoist texts for the six sensory desires that disturb the mind and spirit) are subdued. All demonic states are forgotten, the spirit grows full and strong, and Qi and blood come into harmony.

Set aside every kind of worry and thought, and be free of greed and anger. Cut off distracting thoughts and let no delusions arise. When, in practice, a goddess appears to tend the furnace and forge a precious sword, this signifies combining Metal with Water and bringing softness and firmness together. With skilled practice, gather and refine them as easily as turning over a hand. Open the knife and measure and the lock and key—the crucial methods or substances used in alchemy—and loosen the bonds of the Dragon and Tiger, symbols in Neidan of opposing forces such as Yin and Yang, lead and mercury.

Drink the immortal wine that prolongs life, and take the jade nectar that sustains it. When the Golden Elixir enters the belly, it is as if fragrance arises throughout the body. Desire returns to its original nature; the body seems reborn, and Yang Qi revives. Gather the mind’s thoughts as if sealing an earthen cauldron, a vessel that symbolizes the body or alchemical furnace. Extinguish distracting thoughts as if spring were hidden deep within and the inner chamber locked fast. Keep away from temptations of sound and beauty, hold firmly to the Way of constant truth, and guard against loss. Even when indulging in pleasure, do not lightly allow Jing and Qi to dissipate.

After ten months, the infant is born—a Neidan metaphor for the ripening of the work and the congealing of true Qi into form. With further nurturing, one can become attuned to the numinous, unite with the spirits, and enter the realm of the immortals alone. Who would have thought that stillness and concentration contain a vast world of their own? I delight in the long, unending sun and moon within the gourd, a symbol of an immortal realm. Let people in the human world criticize and slander as they will; I still wear cloud robes and a crane-feather cloak, hold aloft elixir texts and jade tablets, and join the immortals of the Purple Palace as they celebrate together.

“A Spray of Flowers,” Four Songs

First Form

Cultivation should follow the workings of creation and transformation, beginning with the regulation and refinement of primordial Qi. Ever since receiving instruction from my master, I have guarded the Dao of Wuwei on my own. I refine the jade liquid, a Neidan term for Jing, Qi, and bodily fluids, without end, bringing primordial Qi back to its original state. True Qi passes through the Three Passes—often the Tail Gate, Spinal Gate, and Jade Pillow in cultivation—then travels through the Tail Gate, an opening at the base of the spine, and moves upward in reverse along the River Chariot, the Neidan method of guiding Jing and Qi through the body’s channels, rising to the Mudball, an alchemical aperture in the head.

True Qi surges into Kunlun, here the head, and shakes it like thunder. Sweet fluids arise, fragrant as honey. They enter the Jade Pool, an aperture in the mouth or beneath the tongue, and transform into Golden Liquid. Drink at ease the sweet dew that wells up naturally. It then descends through the twelve levels of the Towering Stair, the throat, and is firmly sealed and guarded so that none is lost. To return to the root and restore life is, in fact, to bring Jing, Qi, and Shen into unity, and to gather and harmonize the Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

The mystery within mystery is a returning elixir that can enable a person to live long and never die—a Daoist Neidan term for the essence obtained through inner cultivation. The subtlety within subtlety is a foundation capable of sustaining life. Those unwilling to cultivate, those who do not know how to cultivate, and those who fail to cultivate have all lost sight of how to gather and refine the one aperture of the precelestial state—the crucial point where primordial Qi gathers. How could they act at random? I, too, once found myself among the flowers, beating a bamboo drum and playing the zither for my own amusement, yet my mind was as still as water. Now I have seen through the true message: I forget external things and forget my body. I can maintain my practice before the Zi hour and after the Wu hour; at the Mao and You hours comes bathing, the stage in Neidan practice for regulating the breath and resting in stillness. Why speak of the cycle of life and death, or of the Maiden and Infant, symbols in Neidan for Yin-Yang essence and Qi? It all hinges on gathering and refining that single millet grain from before primordial chaos divided—a tiny core symbolizing precelestial Qi.

My heart is like a lotus just risen from the water; my thoughts are like lightning among the clouds. Last night, over a trivial matter, I strayed into a spring courtyard, a place of pleasure. At every moment, subdue the mind-horse, the image of unruly, scattered thoughts; at every instant, rein in the heart-ape, the image of a restless, unsettled heart. Day and night, without slackening, continue refining the self: cultivating the heart and nature, and restraining desire. Guard the Three Treasures—Jing, Qi, and Shen—and keep them within the Yellow Chamber, the place inside the body where essence and Qi are cultivated. Subdue the Five Thieves, the external things and desires that disturb the spirit, and turn inward to contemplate the Upper Chamber, the upper Dantian, an inner cultivation site in the head. Keep yourself steady and composed, and reverse the flow so Yin and Yang Qi join. Drive away the host of demons and rise up with an edge like a sword. Even when faced with flowers blooming just beyond the wall, keep the mind unmoved. Hold your ground so firmly that no one can unsettle my mind or stir my thoughts. Her figure is graceful and her fingers slender, yet she cannot move my heart.

I am a touchstone: one test reveals what is true and what is false. I am an iron bun, hard to bite into. I am a tranquil sea, untouched by a speck of dust. I am a luminous pearl, shining steadily in the sky through the long night. My Dao heart is firm and my resolve far-reaching; from childhood, I have often gathered in my unruly thoughts.

I am a touchstone: one test tells true gold from false. I am an iron bun, hard to bite into. I am a tranquil sea, unstained by a speck of dust. I am a luminous pearl, suspended high in the empty sky. From childhood, my resolve has been firm and my ambitions far-reaching; I have often cultivated body and mind. I keep far from fame and profit, harbor no greed, subdue the Three Corpses (Daoist spirits said to dwell within the human body and give rise to desires and faults), and refine them in the crucible. My resolve is steadfast, and no one knows the principles of transformation that I have studied.

I grieve that my work is unfinished and my name unestablished, and that I have wasted my time in vain. I also grieve that the days and months fly by, and that youth passes in the blink of an eye. One day, I will turn the Celestial Pass (a symbolic gateway in cultivation for reversing the movement of Heaven and Earth) and rise into the sky. Only then will I spread the Daoist family tradition of simplicity and Wuwei (non-action).

Third Form

First understand the workings of Heaven and Earth, then bring Yin-Yang into harmony. Heaven comes only after the Mother; without the Mother, there is no Heaven—this is the root of Daoism. Count the circuit of the cosmos from its beginning, and reverse the placement of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang). When the moon becomes full is kept in the oral formula; the mystery of the Zi hour (midnight) is grasped through transmission from mind to mind. Raise my sword, which has no edge, and even Heaven will tremble—this is the root of Daoism. Count the circuit of the cosmos from its beginning, and reverse the placement of Qian and Kun. When the moon becomes full is kept in the oral formula; the mystery of the Zi hour is grasped through transmission from mind to mind. Raise my sword, which has no edge; what I fear is being unable to moor a boat amid rushing currents and dangerous shoals. Resonance also depends on the Yellow Woman (an image in Neidan for harmonizing Yin and Yang and connecting the Dragon and Tiger), who guides the way, while one waits for the Maiden (a symbolic term in Neidan) to open the lotus. These things are difficult to explain openly.

By my reckoning, I have cultivated for five thousand days, and my resolve has remained firm throughout; in secret, I have also worked out thirty double-hours (an ancient unit of time, each roughly equivalent to two hours today). I raise the dragon’s head upright, while he leaves the Moon Grotto (a Neidan term symbolizing the place where Yin energy moves) suspended and empty. To plant a lotus amid raging fire takes spiritual power; to pole a boat upstream takes skillful technique. I do not envy beautiful blossoms; I wait only for sweet spring water, like nectar. “Conquering the Divine Land and breaking through the Red County” means refining and drawing in Golden Essence (a Neidan term symbolizing vital essence), guiding it carefully, then sending it into the Dantian (the body’s energy center where Qi gathers in internal cultivation). Guard against danger and clear away distracting thoughts, allowing body and mind to be nurtured naturally. Only after nine years of facing a wall in cultivation can one become an immortal beyond the world of dust in Langyuan Penglai (an immortal realm in Daoist legend).

Fourth Form

To seek the profound Great Dao, I traveled to the ends of the earth, leaving behind fame and fortune as well as my family estate and fields. The road brought hardship at every turn: my clothes tore and my shoes wore through, yet I could never find an enlightened master. It is a pity that a human life lasts only sixty or seventy years; time passes all too quickly. Later, I entered the Zhongnan Mountains and, through a fortunate encounter, received Daoist teachings directly from Perfected Fire Dragon. He ordered me to leave the mountains, seek fellow practitioners, and search for “lead”—a Neidan term for an important alchemical ingredient or symbol. I visited masters and worthy men far and wide, but found many scheming, greedy, and miserly, seeking only to steal the Daoist teachings.

This, too, was part of my destined path of withdrawing from the world to cultivate the Dao. Fortunately, I met Shen Wansan, a generous man who was willing to support my cultivation. But his means were limited, and he could not fund the entire undertaking, so I had to tend the furnace fire myself. After completing the Nine Revolutions of the Elixir practice, I went to Lichun Courtyard to gather the ingredients and perform the talismanic rites. Five years later, I entered the Wudang Mountains, faced a wall to cultivate Shen, and practiced for another nine years. Suddenly, I heard that the court had summoned me. I had intended not to appear before the ruler, but feared that Minister Hu’s life might be in danger, so I rode the clouds straight to Chaoyang Hall. The ruler was delighted to see me. I had intended to pass on the Daoist teachings by word of mouth, but feared that doing so would defy the Jade Emperor’s command. I could only ride the wind, mount a phoenix, and ascend to the ninth heaven.

Two Poems on Beautiful Jinhua

The flowers of Jinhua bloom in vivid beauty, but without money, cultivation is difficult. I dare not tell others what I have in mind; each of us can only make plans in secret. I sought patrons willing to support cultivation, but found no worthy person suited to the task, and so guarded Heaven’s secret closely for several years. For now, I will put it to the test and set down these two wondrous poems.

The golden blossoms are bright and distinct, yet without money it is difficult to cultivate. I dare not reveal the secrets of cultivation to others, so each person can only make plans in secret. I searched far and wide for people who could support my practice, but found no accomplished and worthy teachers. I had no choice but to guard this heavenly secret closely for many years. I tried putting it to the test, and the more I did, the more profound its mysteries seemed. With the wisdom sword—which symbolizes cutting through delusion and attachment—I gather and refine primordial Qi. Only today do I understand that the Dao is right before me, and only now do I believe that the way of the Golden Elixir has a genuine orthodox lineage.

I play the flute without holes and pluck the zither without strings. I delight in yellow sprouts and white snow, symbolic terms in Neidan cultivation, and cherish the red lead of the first scripture, a Neidan term for the essence and Qi spoken of in cultivation. I drink the immortal wine that prolongs life and take the spirit elixir that restores the soul. I practice the art of cultivating the world within the pot and toy with the golden toad beneath the sea, a Neidan symbol. I draw the sun and moon into the furnace to refine them, and seize the Qi of Heaven and Earth to cook within the cauldron. These are the true secrets of my cultivation and the path to leaving home and cultivating the Dao. Alas, in the beginning I had no money and prayed to Heaven day and night—truly a sorry state. Now my fortunes have turned; I need only wait until the merits of my practice are complete, then let go of this life and roam freely beyond the world of dust.

The golden blossoms and jade-colored stamens are bright and beautiful, yet people in the world cannot recognize them. To seek long life, one must regulate the breath; to cultivate and renew, one must use true lead, a Neidan term symbolizing the essence and Qi used in cultivation. First establish a firm foundation and cultivate body and mind, then gather and refine postnatal jade liquid to form the returned elixir. Even after prolonging life and remaining in the human world, one must go further and seek the Ninefold Return of Golden Liquor, a Neidan term for a deeper stage of refinement. It is laughable that so many who study the path of immortality cultivate blindly, step by step—yet who among them truly understands the essentials of inquiry and practice?

Yellow sprouts grow everywhere between Heaven and Earth, and white blossoms open across the whole universe. All that remains is for the water to be exhausted, metal to arise, and the moon to become full—all symbolic expressions in Neidan cultivation. I hold a treasured sword and hang it on South Mountain, cutting away the Seven Emotions, the Six Desires, the bonds of affection, and the entanglements of love. I sweep away clouds stretching ten thousand miles, until not a speck of dust remains. The Five Ghosts and Three Corpses, demons said in Daoist lore to disturb the mind and body, drive people to evil, or drain their life force, tremble with fear. I repeatedly reverse Yin and Yang, secretly applying spiritual mechanisms so that the circulation of the celestial cycle moves in harmony. I discipline body and mind with care, guarding against danger and deviation. I gently shake the axis of Earth and slowly turn the Gate of Heaven. Suddenly, a peal of thunder sounds, as though I have entered a Heaven beyond Heaven.

A verse that reveals the heavenly secret.

I will tell you the true formula and point out the moon at the edge of the sky. When the moon is full, the jade pistil appears—a metaphor for the subtle substance generated through cultivation. When the moon wanes, the golden flower falls away, a metaphor for the essence gained through practice. Follow the timing of “three and five” to regulate the firing process, carefully discerning whether the ingredients are mature or still young. Send them to the Yellow Matron, a metaphor for the medium that harmonizes Yin and Yang and brings about their union in Neidan, and do not let Jing and Qi escape. Plant and renew them without cease, like the numinous tortoise drawing out all the blood of the golden horse. Put these formulas into practice with vigor, and you can become an immortal guest of the three islands of Penglai. The formulas above repeatedly stress the need to discern the firing process and properly gather and contain Jing and Qi.

Song of the Mysterious Pass’s Union

The Great Dao cannot be explained in words, and its subtle principles are difficult to make clear. The Mysterious Pass—the pivotal place in Neidan practice where Yin and Yang meet and the ingredients arise—is the point transmitted in the formula of Bodhidharma. It reaches upward to the Kunlun Niwan summit, the Niwan Palace at the crown of the head, and downward to the deep abyss of Yongquan, the point on the sole of the foot. Lead is the mother and mercury the father: lead and mercury represent Yin and Yang, whose union forms a child like fetal breathing. The Maiden and the Infant, symbols in Neidan of Yin and Yang’s Jing and Qi, rest together.

Song of Yin and Yang’s Union

Reverse the Li within Kan, so that the Dragon and Tiger, symbols of the two Qi of Yin and Yang, meet like wind and clouds. One mysterious point encompasses Heaven and Earth: minute as a hair’s breadth, vast beyond limit. Its secrets are beyond the understanding of ordinary people. Reversing three and returning to five is a formula for grasping Heaven’s workings. Li returns to Kan, and Kan in turn returns to Li; Kan and Li, symbols of Water and Fire, of Yin and Yang, move back and forth, and the Infant and the Maiden become husband and wife. Take Yang essence from within Yin to fill the Kan trigram; subdue Yin essence within Yang so that the full Li trigram becomes empty. Three times three and six times six correspond respectively to the changes of Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth. This work is not easy: it can overturn Heaven and Earth and reveal the secret of innate Qi.

Sixfold Chant of the Grotto-Heaven

I wish only to split open the shell of chaos and break through the aperture of primordial beginnings; to find a drop of numinous nectar that prolongs life, and a sprig of immortal herb that brings the soul back. I see Qi surging like a roaring tiger. The work of cultivation is not easy: it can transform Heaven and Earth and reveal innate Qi.

Sixfold Chant of the Grotto-Heaven

I wish only to split open the shell of chaos and break through the aperture of primordial beginnings; to find a drop of numinous nectar that prolongs life, and a sprig of immortal herb that brings the soul back. I see Qi surging like a roaring tiger; Gui Water stirs, and the medicinal sprout grows. Understand how to have the Yellow Matron harmonize the lute and zither, and you will see the Golden Lord, a Neidan symbol of Yang Qi or Metal nature, strike the bamboo clappers. Gradually the Dantian grows warm: the treasures of nature and life have returned to the Yellow Path. Then regulate Shen and breathing, and quietly observe Water and Fire coming together.

I seem to be carried along like someone bearing a bottomless basket, while cradling a stringless zither. I gently set straight the “Red Phoenix’s Head,” a symbolic expression in Neidan practice, then enter the “Tortoise’s Aperture,” another Neidan term for a symbolic orifice used in cultivation. Next I gather Yang Qi and guide it across the “Magpie Bridge,” where the tongue touches the upper palate to connect the Governing and Conception Vessels. I set Yin Talisman in motion, the Neidan term for the movement of Yin Qi, so that Yin and Yang Qi quickly meet. Suddenly, the “Mud Ball,” a symbolic Neidan site in the head, seems to churn like boiling water, while the Dantian burns like a blazing fire. I then apply “Tun and Meng,” stages of cultivation named after hexagrams from the Book of Changes, and cease to distinguish day from night. I let the breath reach the limbs and warm the whole body. Even when demonic visions come to entice me, I sit quietly, my mind unmoved.

Through refining the self, I calm the “Five Thieves,” the five forces that disturb body and mind, and transform my inner state until the “Seven Emotions”—joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and fright—settle into harmony. I subdue the “Six Desires” and bring them to rest; I sweep away distracting thoughts as fire burns up dust and grime. I continue cultivating by the method of Tun and Meng, without distinguishing day from night, letting the breath reach the limbs and warm the whole body. Even if demonic visions beckon, I remain seated and still, keeping my composure.

By refining the self, I calm the Five Thieves, bring the Seven Emotions into harmony, and subdue the Six Desires, purifying the “Three Fields”—the upper, middle, and lower Dantian. When the mind and nature are settled, numinous clarity comes naturally; when the heart is empty and still, it can perceive with clarity. I harmonize hardness and softness, joining Metal with Water and bringing Yin and Yang together, working according to the Neidan method known as “inversion.” When the “Already Fulfilled” state is achieved—the harmonizing of Water and Fire and the completion of cultivation—all the spirits obey my commands. At the sound of the decree, they ascend into the heavens, and my name is already entered in the register of the Elixir Terrace.

I wait only to live hidden amid the bustle of the marketplace and cultivate in silence; to choose a quiet place and begin my practice; to use the Wisdom Sword to nurture “White Snow,” a symbolic form of refined Qi in Neidan, and then, through refinement and nourishment, plant the “Yellow Sprout,” a symbol of the Elixir’s first emergence. I wait only to circulate the fire phases until true emptiness is refined, find the numinous light, and break through chaos; to gather Yin and Yang Qi and guide them into the “Li Gate,” a symbolic Neidan site, then gather a single Yang Qi and send it into the “Zhen Palace,” another symbolic site. I will follow the example of Jingyang, the legendary Daoist immortal Xu Xun, and ascend on the Elixir Wind; I will emulate the spiritual powers of Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor, and ride a Fire Dragon into the heavens.

I gather and refine “Lead Essence,” a symbolic refined Qi in Neidan, and combine it with the “Mercury Sprout,” a symbolic numinous Qi. I establish the “furnace and vessel,” the body and mind as the setting for Neidan practice, and study its subtle essentials. I seize the pivot of Heaven and Earth’s transformations and grasp the pattern of the waxing and waning of the sun and moon. I will follow the example of Jingyang and ascend on the Elixir Wind; I will emulate the spiritual powers of Xuanyuan and ride a Fire Dragon into the heavens.

I gather and refine Lead Essence, combine it with the Mercury Sprout, establish the furnace and vessel, and study the essentials of the mysterious art. I master the workings of Heaven and Earth’s transformations and grasp the mysteries of the sun and moon’s waxing and waning. I harmonize Water and Fire, letting them circulate along the body’s left and right sides, and bring the souls into contact and union. I follow the four seasons without disturbing their order, align myself with the Eight Seasonal Nodes—the four beginnings, two equinoxes, and two solstices—and match them to the hexagram lines. I distinguish day from night, observe Yin and Yang waxing and waning, and contemplate the Way of Heaven, setting the celestial cycle in motion twelve times.

The Seven Reversions (an internal alchemy term for the repeated transformation and refinement within the body of essence, Qi, and Shen) reveal the nature as clear as a great pearl; the Nine Returns (an internal alchemy term for an elixir refined through repeated cycles of further processing) bring forth the Golden Elixir from the liquid gold. Suddenly comes a sound like a clap of thunder, and the perfected person (the ideal state attained through successful cultivation) appears atop the head.

Two Poems on the Method of the Hibernating Dragon

Fisherman’s Song

The method of the Hibernating Dragon seems silent, yet it has its own sounds; each sound tells the heart to grow still and listen. The mind and spirit settle into Wuwei (non-action), and the breath becomes subtle and deep. Though the hidden dragon seems asleep, it remains awake within its sleep.

Song of the Hibernating Dragon

Sleep like an immortal, sleep like an immortal; lie high beside the roots of mountain rocks, unaware of how many years have passed. The sun, moon, and stars seem to vanish, yet the inner nature remains whole. Breath by breath, Qi returns to the Mysterious Aperture (the place where the flow of Qi gathers in cultivation); with each breath, let it follow its natural course. Do not let the mind and spirit grow scattered; remain quiet and even. Nurture the nature of mercury (an internal alchemy term in which “mercury” stands for the Yin, or active and fluid, aspect), and wait for the flower of lead (where “lead” stands for the Yang, or condensed and refined, aspect) to appear. Do not let it escape, and keep it guarded.

The timing of the firing process must be just right as it circulates within the body. The Seven Reversions are no difficult task; there is no need to sigh over refining the Nine Returns. Quietly observe the place where the dragon and tiger contend (common internal alchemy symbols for the two forces of Yin and Yang), and secretly set Yin and Yang to reverse and transform. Others call me the blind Longhan, but I let myself sleep while seeming not to sleep. Once mastered, this becomes true reclining meditation; once nurtured, it gives rise to the true embryo origin (an internal alchemy term for the alchemical embryo or the foundation of inner life). When the Hibernating Dragon rises, it can ascend to heaven.

Who passed down this method of the Hibernating Dragon? Confucius (Ni Mountain, referring to Confucius) once bent his arm for a pillow and took delight in himself, but no one understood the joy he found in it. Five dragons leapt forth and left the deep pool; Heaven passed this method to Tu’nan (referring to Chen Tuan, whose courtesy name was Tu’nan). Who can carry on Tu’nan’s lineage? The disheveled Daoist Zhang Fengxian (referring to Zhang Sanfeng).

Two Poems on the Lichun Courtyard

In the Lichun Courtyard, the moon hangs high; fresh blossoms open on the jade tree, breaking the silence. At midnight, the alchemical furnace is lit; in the third watch, the Dipper’s handle turns.

Who can reach the Milky Way of the Han? The Cowherd and Weaver Girl smile at one another from the edge of the sky. In the Purple Palace (a Daoist legendary realm of immortals), they meet the immortals; on their return, the grime of the mortal world has vanished.

Further

In the Lichun courtyard, the sunlight is clear and bright, and the Golden Elixir (Jindan) has been successfully refined. To bring emotion back to nature, one must unite nature and emotion.

There is no need to ask again about wealth, rank, or fame. The Infant and the Maiden (terms in Neidan that symbolize the Yin-Yang essences and energies) meet, and the scene is wondrous. The furnace and cauldron (symbolic implements of alchemical refinement) shine with light. From here, one can ascend to the summit of Kunlun and continue the practice.

“Moon over the West River”

The Dao lies in the single aperture of the Mysterious Gate (a key point in practice where Jing, Qi, and Shen converge within body and mind). This aperture contains original Qi and original Jing. Original Jing and original Qi nourish original Shen; when original Shen is full, one can naturally respond to movement and stillness.

Movement and stillness alternate, passing through three cycles of nine transformations. The flow of Qi circulates and changes like the workings of Heaven and Earth. Bring Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, together in reversed union, and plant the seed of cultivation. As it sprouts and grows, it spreads in all directions, like the light of the full moon.

“Partridge Sky”

To overcome the many inner demons, first overcome the demon of sleep. This is the first effort required in spiritual practice. Endure the hardship of staying awake through the night, and within the pot (the inner realm of body and mind in Neidan practice), it is as though the months turn over one by one, while even a thousand years pass in transformation.

Foundation building (the basic work of Neidan cultivation) requires three cycles of nine transformations. The flow of Qi circulates and changes like the workings of Heaven and Earth. Bring Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, together in reversed union, and plant the seed of cultivation. As it sprouts and grows, it spreads in all directions, like the light of the full moon.

“Partridge Sky”

To overcome the many inner demons, first overcome the demon of sleep. This is the first effort required in spiritual practice. Endure the hardship of staying awake through the night, and within the pot it is as though the months turn over one by one, while a thousand years pass in transformation.

In foundation building, one’s resolve must be firm. Through the Mysterious Female (the inner source of Yin-Yang union and generation), one seeks the subtle and profound principles. When Shen returns inward and Qi is replenished, the Elixir body can take shape. Then one opens the furnace and undertakes the refinement of lead (a Neidan term for further refining and nourishing Jing and Qi).

Two Self-Inscribed Lyrics on “The Rootless Tree”

“Partridge Sky”

The method of reverse cultivation has been passed down, but it has both a true path and a false one. Those who stray into false ways and turn from the true path are everywhere. Few are able to soar and travel through the clouds; most are like frogs at the bottom of a well, trapped in difficulty.

True and false are hard to distinguish, and conflicting claims create confusion; people mistake red earth for cinnabar. To learn the true path leading to the mysterious realm, study carefully the principles expressed in “The Rootless Tree.”

“Song of Selling Flowers”

Beneath “The Rootless Tree,” the constant truth is spoken. The six realms (the six destinations of beings in the cycle of rebirth) and the spiritual nature unite, receiving the same light. Understand the principles before and after King of Majestic Sound Buddha (an ancient Buddha in Buddhist legend), and you will know that originally there is neither coming nor going, only the serene and dignified original appearance.

“Twenty-Four Songs on the Dao of the Rootless Tree”

The Rootless Tree blooms with delicate flowers. Among those who cling to the red dust of the world, who is willing to cultivate the Dao? Human life is like floating duckweed, and worldly affairs are like a boat on a sea of bitterness, tossed by the waves, drifting without direction and beyond its own control. The sea of bitterness has no shore, and there is nowhere to moor; the boat is always adrift in dangerous waters where fish and dragons rise and fall. If you are willing to turn back, that is the shore. Do not wait until the storm destroys the boat before you think to turn back.

The “Rootless Tree” is a metaphor for the vitality within the human body that cannot be seen but can be nurtured through cultivation. Its “flowers” symbolize the Jing and Qi, and the vitality of life, that emerge through cultivation. Even a tree that has grown old can be grafted with a young branch: a peach tree might be grafted with a willow branch, or a mulberry tree with a pear branch. These practices serve as metaphors for cultivators who harmonize Yin-Yang and restore vitality to a weakened life. Tradition tells of the immortals’ “grafting method”; even in old age, one can nourish oneself with medicines and methods of cultivation. One should seek out a clear-sighted teacher, learn the essentials of cultivation, and begin early. Once life has declined, it is too late. Stormy waves can destroy a boat: this image warns against delay.

The “Rootless Tree” flowers gradually turn green, symbolizing the emergence of vitality through cultivation. The poem uses expressions such as “the camp of wine and flowers” and “the forest within the wine” to discuss wine, sensuality, and the Dao. Avoiding meat and sexual desire is one aspect of keeping the precepts. The saying “wine and meat pass through the gut, but the Dao remains in the heart” means that the Dao resides in the heart, and one cannot judge someone’s cultivation solely by what they eat and drink. The closing line, “Without wine and flowers, the Dao cannot be achieved,” uses wine and flowers as metaphors to stress that cultivation depends on inner work, such as harmonizing Yin-Yang. It is not simply an exhortation to drink and indulge in desire.

When a flower stands alone, the poem compares it to a hen’s egg that cannot hatch a chick, showing that when Yin-Yang cease to work together, generation becomes difficult. The poem uses “a woman who longs for a husband” and “a man without a wife” as metaphors for Yin and Yang isolated from each other. It also criticizes those who seek only to sit in stillness and cultivate alone, without understanding the harmonization of Yin-Yang, arguing that this practice gradually causes the movement of Qi to wither.

When a flower leans to one side, it signifies the separation of Yin and Yang and the incompleteness of the Dao. The poem uses alchemical terms such as “gold,” “mercury,” and “lead” to symbolize Yin and Yang elements of different qualities; when isolated, they cannot unite. The union of men and women in the world and the birth of children follow the ordinary patterns of Yin-Yang. Immortal cultivation, by contrast, speaks of “reversal”: in cultivation, the process by which life naturally dissipates is transformed into an inner practice of returning to the root. To say that “the reversal lies entirely in the middle” means that the key is to master the method by which Yin and Yang transform.

The flower blossoms in the Kun direction. Kun, one of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), commonly symbolizes the earth and Yin, and can also refer to a part or function within the body that corresponds to Yin. Plucking the flower, gathering its heart, and watching its petals open layer by layer all use floral imagery to describe the processes of gathering, refining, and consolidating Jing and Qi in cultivation. The poet says that people do not understand these principles, and that a single essential instruction is worth ten thousand pieces of gold. The flower provides a name and imagery for cultivation; every line speaks of the formulas in Qiao Yao (Knocking the Yao Lines), which explains cultivation through the pairing of Yin and Yang and the transformations of the hexagram lines.

The “Rootless Tree” blooms abundantly, symbolizing the ample vitality revealed through cultivation. References to the Kun direction, gathering the flower, and its petals continue to use floral imagery to describe the inner cultivation of Yin-Yang and the consolidation of Jing and Qi. The essential instructions are difficult to grasp, and so are said to be worth ten thousand pieces of gold. Qiao Yao uses flowers to express the principles of cultivation.

In The Essentials of the Mysterious Way, the “Rootless Tree” is a metaphor for the innate substance that arises from one’s own Jing and Qi during Neidan (internal alchemy), without relying on external plants or herbs. Through images of flowers flourishing, opening, falling, and bearing fruit, the poem describes successive stages of cultivation.

“The rootless tree, its flowers in full bloom” means that the life force needed for cultivation is vigorous. Yet one must guard against the “monkey mind and galloping thoughts”—a metaphor for scattered, uncontrollable thoughts—and gather in one’s desires, standing firm and solemn, like one who “hangs up the iron face received at birth.” The cultivator must recognize symbolic Neidan terms such as the “true treasure sword of the Azure Dragon,” gather the essence that has been obtained, and avoid missing the right moment. “Return fully laden” means coming back with what one has gained, rather than reaching a mountain of treasures and leaving empty-handed.

“The flowers are flying” represents the end of one cycle of cultivation, after which another begins at its appointed time. “Lead flowers” refers to an important sign in Neidan cultivation, while “when Gui is exhausted” means the time when the related Yin energy or cycle is nearing its end. The poem says that, through gathering and nurturing, vitality will recover. “Facing the moon,” “the morning sun,” and “mending the patched robe” are all figurative images for continually regulating and restoring body and mind at different stages. Few understand this hidden principle; it must be examined carefully with someone who understands the Way of cultivation.

“The flowers are opening” describes the manifestation of life force in Neidan. The “reclining-moon furnace” is a Neidan term for the inner state in which Jing and Qi are nurtured and refined. The poem compares gathering and refining to taking flowers from the furnace, saying that this can prolong life and lessen illness, as well as bring good companions and provide the “Dharma provisions”—the conditions and resources needed for cultivation. Even if others ridicule the practitioner, there is no need to waver. Still, one must receive guidance from a wise teacher and not presume to be clever by guessing at the method.

“The flowers are perfectly round” describes cultivation reaching maturity and bearing fruit. The fruit, like a vermilion orange or a pellet, must be guarded with great care and never neglected. Using the process by which plants bear fruit and store it once ripe, the poem explains that the cultivator must gather in body and mind so that life returns to its source. One must also choose a suitable place for cultivation, establish a Daoist hermitage, meet with the “innate” Qi, and complete the “Great Return,” a Neidan term for an important stage in which cultivation returns to the original source.

“The flowers are flourishing” speaks of being “rootless,” yet still having a source to follow. The poem introduces Neidan terms such as the “aperture of the Three Powers” and the “two true essences,” emphasizing the need to master the key apertures and regulate Jing and Qi. It again calls for gathering in body and mind, returning to the original source, and cultivating in a quiet place until the “Great Return” is complete.

The poem then uses the interaction of Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon, and men and women to explain the principles of generation and transformation. When Heaven and Earth join, the myriad things grow; when the sun and moon move in accord, the seasons of cold and heat follow their regular course; when man and woman unite, a fetus is formed. The principle may seem clear, but without true understanding, one may still misread the signs that arise during cultivation.

Finally, “the flowers are beautiful” describes a cultivator who gazes at the scenery and admires the moonlight without being stirred by desire. “Golden essence” refers to Jing and Qi in Neidan cultivation, while “flowers that dazzle the eyes” describes the signs of their manifestation. The poem warns against plucking the wrong melon in the garden and mistaking external mineral or herbal medicines for the true objects of cultivation. The “golden toad” and “jade crow” are symbolic terms in Neidan. The key is to recognize “true lead”—a Neidan term for the innate Jing and Qi spoken of in cultivation. Understanding this marks the beginning of the Way.

The “Rootless Tree” is a metaphor for a path of cultivation that does not depend on ordinary foundations; its “flowers” refer to signs or results that emerge during practice. When the flowers are in full bloom, the opportunity has appeared, yet a hard-to-cross “River of Love” still lies between them and worldly romantic attachment. Plucking this flower is no easy task: each step of the practitioner is like walking where dragons and tigers are coiled, fraught with danger. If the “yellow flower” can be gathered, one may enter the grotto-palace and leave an undying name in the “Purple Palace,” the dwelling place of immortals in Daoist tradition. Then one can laugh at ease, ride the white clouds, and prepare to climb the celestial ladder leading to “Daluo,” the highest heaven in Daoist belief.

The fragrant blossoms of the “Rootless Tree” symbolize that the time for cultivation is ripe. The “lead cauldron” grows warm and shines with precious light, signaling that signs have appeared in the alchemical vessel. Climbing the Golden Bridge and gazing out over Qujiang, one seems to see the sun clearly within the moon: an image of Yin and Yang meeting and inner visions appearing during cultivation. Swallowing “crow’s liver” and “rabbit’s marrow” uses Neidan terminology to evoke harmonizing Yin and Yang and refining Jing and Qi; it does not refer to ordinary food. Only through such practice can one wash away old worldly habits and transform body and mind. Those still absorbed in the pursuit of fame and profit or in the realm of romantic attachment will toil in vain and find it hard to turn back.

“Talismans and fire” refers to regulating the alchemical fire according to the methods of cultivation. “Mercury” and “lead” are common Neidan terms for the two kinds of vital energy associated with Yin and Yang. The poem says that inner visions appear as the furnace fire refines mercury and lead, and that success in gathering and refining depends on grasping the essential principles. The practitioner must rely on the “ferry boat of the Dharma” to cross dangerous waters. A skilled master holds the helm fast; however high the waves rise, the master can guide the practitioner through the “Three Passes,” key gateways in cultivation, and straight to the “Niwan,” a cultivation aperture in the head, opening all nine apertures throughout the body.

The practitioner must recognize “true lead” and regard it as fundamental. By gathering Jing, Qi, and Shen and refining them in the cauldron, one can achieve a transformation described as “a woman turning into a man, an old person becoming a child”: the transformation of Yin and Yang and a return to the source. To seize the “White Tiger” in the west, one must first subdue the “Azure Dragon” in the east. In Neidan, the White Tiger and Azure Dragon symbolize Yin and Yang. The two correspond as members of the same class; when the method is right and the practice is mature, external gathering and refining can connect with internal cultivation.

The delicate blossoms of the “Heavenly Root Tree” symbolize the accord between celestial timing, earthly Qi, and cultivation. The “Dragon-Slaying Sword” and “Tiger-Binding Sash” (a sash is a belt) respectively symbolize the arts and means for subduing the dragons and tigers. Setting the “Heavenly Dipper” in motion and turning the “handle of the Dipper” describe regulating the stages of the alchemical fire according to the celestial patterns. Refining the true sun and moon in the furnace sweeps away every obstacle. Once cultivation is complete, one can ascend into the clouds and roam freely, as though all guilt and worldly dust had been dispelled.

The blossoms of the “Rootless Tree” grow high, while waves surge to the sky and the moonlight seems to rise and fall with the tide, depicting a state of cultivation that is exalted yet turbulent. The path of the Milky Way leads straight to the ninth heaven. Images of climbing a ladder to heaven and stopping at the tip of the Northern Dipper evoke the ascent to the realm of immortals. Touching the Weaver Girl’s stone for propping up her loom and crossing the Cowherd’s magpie bridge draws on star lore to depict passage into heaven. Meeting celestial officials with courage and confidence is like receiving an immortal peach from the Queen Mother of the Jade Pool, symbolizing the attainment of the fruit of long life.

The final passage describes paired blossoms opening on the Rootless Tree, while dragon and tiger ascend the altar to do battle. “Lead” is cast into “mercury,” bringing Yin and Yang into accord and producing a mysterious configuration. These terms use the imagery of dragons and tigers, lead and mercury, to express the union and transformation of Yin and Yang in cultivation. Having obtained the immortal fruit, the practitioner can transcend the ordinary and attain the state of an immortal.

The “Rootless Tree” symbolizes the foundation that Neidan (internal alchemy) cultivation seeks to nurture. Its blossoms open in pairs, symbolizing the union of Yin and Yang. The Dragon and Tiger ascending the altar to do battle refers to the meeting of Yin and Yang Qi within the body. Casting “lead” into “mercury” brings Yin and Yang into harmony, like refining a supremely precious “Mystic Pearl.” This is the true seed of self-cultivation. When refined and nurtured properly, it can restore youth and prolong life, ultimately allowing one to ascend to Heaven and reach the realm of supreme bliss, free from reincarnation and the judgment of Yama.

The “Rootless Tree” blossoms in a wondrous way, as though it had been planted on the moon only moments ago. Through extraordinary skill, the practitioner climbs into the clouds and plucks the first sprig of primordial Qi. Drinking wine and wearing a flower makes the spirit and breath feel light and free, as if one had become an immortal elder, drunk and at ease. Yet the mind must remain single and vigilant, lest the firing process in the furnace fall out of control. Here, the “furnace” refers to the body and mind used in Neidan cultivation, while the “firing process” refers to regulating the circulation of Qi and the progress of cultivation.

The “Rootless Tree” bears yellow blossoms, growing in the central region of Wu and Ji, the direction associated with Earth among the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). A woman from the eastern house and a man from the western house are matched as husband and wife and enter the bridal chamber, symbolizing the union of Yin and Yang. The Yellow Matron represents the harmonizing of Yin and Yang. Her invitation to drink ambrosia wine refers to the practitioner nourishing and harmonizing the self with Jing and Qi, as though immersed in the effects of wine every day. This elixir is like a restorative draught that can bring the soul back, with the power to revive the dead.

The “Rootless Tree” blossoms bright as the moon. The moon’s soul and the Qi of Heaven’s heart draw close to the sun’s soul, symbolizing the meeting of Yin and Yang Qi. The marrow of the Golden Crow and the essence of the Jade Rabbit represent the essences of Yang and Yin respectively; gather them together and refine them as one. In cultivation, Zi and Wu mark the circulation of Yang Fire and Yin Talisman, while at Mao and You one bathes and regulates the breath. Guard the Yellow Court, the central place of cultivation in the body, and nurture the Grain Spirit, the lucid and still spirit within. This is like a fetus forming within a man, a metaphor for the coalescence of the inner elixir.

The “Rootless Tree” bears vivid red blossoms, yet they must all be plucked until the whole tree is bare. Emptiness and form depend on one another. See through true emptiness, and you will understand that it is present within form. To regard true emptiness as the annihilation of all forms is not genuine emptiness; instead, let the marks of the Dharma endure without falling into nothingness. Upon reaching perfect understanding and the state of the Great Hero, even one’s ancestors across nine generations may ascend through the nine tiers of Heaven.

The “Rootless Tree” has neither shape nor shadow and is difficult to depict. It has no name, yet it can be sensed and called upon; gather it into the central furnace of transformation. Circulate the orbit of Heaven and refine true emptiness with the Samadhi True Fire, a symbol of inner concentration and the power of cultivation, so that it returns to the Great Nonbeing. Only after paying homage at the Immortal Capital and receiving the Heavenly Talisman has one become a true great man.

Four Songs of Daoist Feeling in the Four Seasons

Spring

The spring light delights the heart, and peach and apricot blossoms bloom. Circulate the orbit of Heaven and refine true emptiness with the Samadhi True Fire, so that it returns to the Great Nonbeing. Only after paying homage at the Immortal Capital and receiving the Heavenly Talisman has one become a true great man.

Spring

Spring is bright and lovely, with peach and apricot blossoms in full bloom and fresh sights everywhere. The plants and scenery in the mountain garden look tender and new, lifting the spirits of anyone who sees them. Immortals most enjoy wandering through the spring at their grotto abodes. Wang Ziqiao, the legendary immortal, raises his jade sheng and plays a tune for a kindred listener. When I have leisure, I burn a stick of incense and play a tune on the qin.

Summer

On summer days, I admire the lotuses by the pond and watch a pair of mandarin ducks frolic and fly over the water, always together. They play freely in the company of cool breezes and bright moonlight. Immortals most enjoy the story of Lü Dongbin’s meeting with Zhongli Quan: the two immortals left behind the Way to long life, then rode the clouds away from Mount Zhongnan. When I have leisure, I burn a stick of incense and play a game of go.

Autumn

In autumn, the sky is clear and the clouds thin; distant mountains take on a yellow-brown hue, and the leaves have withered and fallen. At night, I look up at the Milky Way stretching across the sky and see the Cowherd seeming to cross it to meet the Weaver Girl. Immortals most enjoy the story of Yan Junping, the Western Han recluse and diviner, who lived in seclusion in Chengdu. Holding a jade flask, he earned a hundred coins each day, then bought wine to drink. When I have leisure, I burn a stick of incense and read a volume.

Winter

In winter, snow sweeps across the land, and the passes and mountains for thousands of miles seem piled with white jade. Lin Hejing, the Northern Song recluse Lin Bu, closes his door and sleeps, while in the bitter cold the white cranes still keep watch on Solitary Hill. Immortals most enjoy the story of Han Xiangzi urging Han Yu to follow the Dao. Han Xiangzi repeatedly urged Han Yu to turn back and cultivate the Dao, but Han Yu refused until they met at the Blue Pass. When I have leisure, I burn a stick of incense and paint a plum tree.

I wrote these four “Songs of the Dao” to sing to myself while living in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan. They all use the tune of “Bamboo Branch Song.” The lines often turn abruptly, so that they seem not to follow one another; their subtlety lies precisely in this apparent disconnection, which in fact connects them.

—Author’s note

“Four Songs of the Dao,” inscribed at Qingyang Palace

I searched for an old friend but could not find him, even at the farthest reaches of the world. I sighed for those who have lost their way and wish to learn the arts of the immortals. Some cling rigidly to empty stillness, with Yin but no Yang, turning cultivation into a lonely obsession. Others fixate on the cauldron and vessel—the implements that, in alchemical practice, stand for the body or the object of cultivation—and speak of “caizhan,” bedroom arts practiced under the guise of sexual union, heedless of life and limb. Each holds fast to one side, without knowing where the mysterious pass, the crucial hinge of internal alchemy, truly lies. Do not use “Wuwei” as a fine phrase for show: such talk is all empty scaffolding. Where can I find companions whose aspirations are like clouds and rosy mists, with whom I can move among ordinary people, keep a low profile, and pass a few years? To seek the Dao, one must seek the precelestial Dao. “Precelestial” means what an immortal has personally transmitted to another immortal. The immortals’ true meaning is hidden in “sleeping among the flowers.”

Refining millet grains—the Neidan term for condensing an exceedingly subtle elixir—requires both the method and the material means. The vital matters at the heart of cultivation, too, must be entrusted to two or three companions. Where can I find Zhang Huanwei to discuss the mysterious Dao, or join Ma Banzhou in cultivation? Xue Daoguang once returned to secular life, while Wang Chongyang was fortunate to meet a destined match. Master Bo Duan, Zhang Boduan, once sought a friend in Fufeng County; the Patriarch Bodhidharma, meanwhile, realized the Dao at Lichunyuan. Only then did I understand that one can practice Chan and realize the Dao even in the flower lanes and willow alleys. Stop speaking of purity and Wuwei as though they meant nothing more than idle sitting and empty talk. To seek the Dao, one must seek the precelestial Dao. “Precelestial” means what an immortal has personally transmitted to another immortal. The immortals’ true meaning is hidden in “sleeping among the flowers.”

I sought an enlightened teacher and wore myself out in the search. Everyone claims to have received direct instruction and the true transmission, and to belong to the same lineage as some immortal. Some say one must replenish the upper field, the upper Dantian; others say one must strengthen the lower foundation, the lower Dantian and its vital energy. Some insist that guarding the central yellow, a key site for cultivation in the middle of the body, is the orthodox way, and laugh at those who take the space between the two kidneys to be the mysterious pass. Such schools are as numerous as households, like a hundred-foot pole from which countless talented people have fallen. To attain understanding, one must seek the precelestial Dao. “Precelestial” means what an immortal has personally transmitted to another immortal. The immortals’ true meaning is hidden in “sleeping among the flowers.”

Those who seek to become immortals, listen to me: never cultivate blindly. First understand the Yin-Yang within and without, and what is meant by “the same kind.” Cultivation must follow the principles of Yin and Yang, refining Yin and Yang within Yin and Yang; through methods found in the world, one cultivates a state that transcends the worldly. Follow ordinary patterns and you become an ordinary person; cultivate by going against them and you can become an immortal. A single phrase can set you apart from millions. Stop speaking only of clarity, stillness, and Wuwei (non-action). If you cannot refine the returning elixir—the goal of Neidan (internal alchemy)—your efforts will ultimately be in vain. To seek the Great Dao, seek the Dao that precedes all later transformations; this is what immortals have orally transmitted to immortals. The immortals lie hidden, sleeping among the flowers.

Five Songs of the Dao at the Fifth Watch

First watch: At the beginning, be like a herdsman tending an ox alone: neither letting it run wild nor allowing it to wander idly. In cultivation, transform the mind and gather in the emotions; avoid the temptations of external things and devote yourself quietly to practice. Close the six gates—the portals of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind—and maintain stillness with a mind of Wuwei. Use methods to subdue the five thieves, often understood as the five sensory desires that disturb the spirit. Bring firmness and gentleness into harmony, and patiently persist over time. When the spirit is vigorous and Qi (vital energy) abundant, there is no need to worry about gathering the medicine—the Jing (essence) and Qi required to refine the inner elixir.

Second watch: Harmonize Yin and Yang and bring them together; dispel the Yin energy and drive away the demons. “Leading the phoenix back to its nest,” “calling the turtle back to its cave,” and “guiding the tiger back to its lair” are all Neidan terms for returning the Jing, Qi, and Shen (spirit) within the body and mind to their proper places. When “lead is born”—a sign that Yang energy has appeared in Neidan cultivation—guard it carefully. When the “moon appears,” a sign of Yin energy, discern whether it is real. Do not miss the moment to begin cultivating. Once the time for waiting has passed, pearls and jade come together in the Red Water, and the mystery of creation reveals itself.

Third watch: The Qi of a single Yang has just begun to arise; the Gate of the Red District, a symbol for an inner passage in the alchemical process, opens, and true Yang rises. At this moment, a little lead essence appears; the jade pistil is newly formed, and the Golden Essence emerges halfway. Restrain the mind-monkey, the image of a restless mind, so that the dragon’s roar summons clouds in response. Rein in the intention-horse, the image of thoughts racing without control, so that the tiger’s roar brings forth wind. Gather the essence like the finest mushroom, send it into the Yellow Court, an important site of inner cultivation in Daoist alchemy, and seal it there securely. Cultivate in this way for a hundred days, and the effects will become evident.

At the fourth watch, drink the last drop of sweet dew, as rich as the finest cream. It is like setting out on a raft for a distant voyage, or like Zhang Qian crossing the stars on a celestial river; even Magu would laugh to see it. With this single drop of dew, nourish the upper, middle, and lower Dantians (energy centers), open the channels throughout the body, and moisten the skin. It circulates through the body, within and without, passing through every aperture and between furnace and cauldron. Once its ascent and descent are complete, continue to guard it carefully, as at the beginning. Keep the mind free of stray thoughts and set aside every desire for sights and sounds. Gently nurture the inner “embryonic immortal” (the inner spirituality spoken of in Neidan cultivation) for ten months.

At the fifth watch, continue adding “Mercury” and drawing out “Lead” (terms in Neidan that symbolize Yin-Yang essence and Qi), changing the furnace and cauldron, refining the elixir in separate stages, and then moving it to the upper Dantian. From this point on, Yang Qi grows and Yin Qi recedes; nature and life become whole, and the body grows firm and strong. Quietly nourish the heart and spirit as your cultivation deepens. Diligently practice facing the wall, and after nine years you can return to the root and restore the origin. When your cultivation and merit are complete, after enduring eight hundred tribulations and accumulating three thousand merits (Daoist terms for the merits of cultivation), you can unite with the Dao and realize the truth, becoming an immortal.

Five Songs on the Dao at the Fifth Watch

At the first watch, Lead and Mercury are harmonized, and the Three Corpses (spirits said in Daoism to dwell in the human body and obstruct cultivation) and Six Thieves (the six sensory desires that disturb the mind) disperse. Firmly rein in the monkey mind and galloping thoughts (a metaphor for unruly, restless thoughts); warmth never leaves the Lead cauldron, and the demons dare not show themselves. Settle the spirit and quiet stray thoughts, letting things follow their natural course. The Dragon chants of its own accord, and the Tiger rejoices. Accustomed to cultivating according to this wondrous principle, the whole body’s Water and Fire aid one another, and Li and Kan unite. Why sigh over becoming an immortal or sage? Long life is not difficult to attain. I remember the Fire Dragon once directly revealed the Way of returning the elixir; once you have cultivated it, you roam freely and become an immortal at ease.

At the second watch.