《重阳注五篇灵文》

The article calls the Five Numinous Writings (Wu Pian Ling Wen) a precious text for refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan), and holds that it should not be taught casually. Only those with deep roots and lofty virtue (De) who receive it can truly set out on the correct path of cultivating immortality.

Chongyang Dijun (Wang Chongyang, the patriarch revered by the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school) taught that immortals fall into five grades. The Ghost Immortal (Guixian) is not worth pursuing, and the Human Immortal (Renxian) need not be discussed at length. The Earth Immortal (Dixian) can remain in the world for a long time. The Spirit Immortal (Shenxian) can move in and out of the formless and appear and vanish unpredictably, and can even cultivate a "body beyond the body," that is, manifest another physical form. The Heavenly Immortal (Tianxian) surpasses the Spirit Immortal. Those who cultivate the Way should not be content with the middle or lower realms but should learn the highest methods of the Dao.

To understand how Heaven and Earth operate and how the myriad things change, one must examine Yin-Yang (Yinyang) and the Five Phases (Wuxing) in depth. Yin-Yang is the essential foundation of the transformations of Heaven and Earth. After the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji) divided, the clear qi (qi) rose and formed the celestial phenomena in the heavens, while the turbid qi sank and congealed into physical forms on earth. The essences of Wood and Fire formed the sun, and the flowers of Metal and Water formed the moon (Taiyin). Heaven, Earth, the sun, and the moon all came into being through the resonance of the Yin and Yang qi. The Yin and Yang qi continuously circulate throughout Heaven and Earth, generating the myriad things.

Human life also arises from the qi transformations between Heaven and Earth. A person receives the jing (essence) of the father and the blood of the mother, and also draws upon the Yang qi of Heaven, the Yin qi of Earth, the Yang soul (hun) of the sun, the Yin spirit (po) of the moon, the Yang spirit (shen) of fire, and the Yin essence of water. Therefore, the changes within the human body share the same origin as the operations of Heaven and Earth. Heaven and Earth are humanity's great parents. Those who understand this can transcend the bonds of Heaven, Earth, and Yin-Yang. Those who do not understand remain submerged in the myriad appearances of the world and its suffering.

Those who are not bound by the Five Phases and not held by Yin-Yang are called Heavenly Immortals of the Upper Grade (Shangpin Tianxian). Those who fail to awaken to this are carried along with the arising and perishing of all things and sink into decline, which is truly regrettable.

Chongyang Dijun said: "Heavenly Mind" (tianxin) is the subtle and perfect true mind. The "Wondrous Bright True Mind" spoken of in Buddhism refers to this same kind of mind: it is originally clear, bright, and subtle, untainted and unattached, the pure substance of the mind. Once it becomes stained or attached, it is called the deluded mind.

This mind is the source of the Supreme Ultimate (Taiji), the fundamental principle before the Yin and Yang of the cosmos had divided. It is the empty substance, the ancestor of Yin and Yang, and the heart of Heaven and Earth, and therefore it is called the "Heavenly Mind." The "Primal Spirit" (yuanshen) is the true spiritual nature, neither born nor perishing, neither decaying nor destroyed; it is not a mind made up of thoughts and delusions. The Heavenly Mind is the master of the Primal Spirit, and the Primal Spirit is the wondrous function of the Heavenly Mind. Therefore, one should take the still, unmoving, perfect and subtle Heavenly Mind as the foundation, and the indestructible, numinous Primal Spirit as its function.

Cultivation must be grounded in the "Three Treasures" (sanbao): when the outer Three Treasures are not dispersed outward, the inner Three Treasures naturally gather together. Chongyang Dijun explains that the inner Three Treasures are Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit), while the outer Three Treasures are the ears, eyes, and mouth. One must gather in the eyes, ears, and mouth and not let them move about freely outward. When the eyes chase after external things, the Shen scatters through the eyes; when the ears chase after sounds, the Jing leaks out through the ears; when the mouth opens to speak, the Qi escapes through the mouth. When seeing, hearing, and speech constantly move outward, Jing, Qi, and Shen are gradually depleted, and a person grows old; once exhausted, life comes to an end.

To guard and preserve the Three Treasures means that the eyes do not look carelessly, the ears do not listen carelessly, and the mouth does not speak carelessly. This is called keeping the outer Three Treasures from leaking. When the eyes do not look indiscriminately, the Shen remains settled in the heart; when the ears do not listen indiscriminately, the Jing remains settled in the kidneys; when the mouth does not speak indiscriminately, the Qi remains settled in the Dantian (the cultivation site in the lower abdomen). This is called the inner Three Treasures naturally being contained within. Only by achieving this can one commune with Heaven and Man, so that the Primordial Qi naturally returns.

Chongyang Dijun (Wang Chongyang)'s sacred commentary states: "'Heaven' refers to the prenatal qi (xiantian qi), and 'person' refers to the body formed through postnatal development. A cultivator who constantly nourishes the naturally unmoving heart-mind of Heaven and preserves the spirit (shen) of numinous clarity, the primordial spirit (yuanshen) that is the root of the person's vitality, will, whether walking, standing, sitting, or reclining, gather the mind-intent into a single aperture called the Mysterious Gate (xuanguan), the key inner passage in cultivation. Naturally, one will not look or listen recklessly or speak carelessly. In this way, the inner true nature corresponds to external things, and the prenatal qi will spontaneously respond and gather within the self."

Yet the inner and outer forms of the person, the four limbs, and all parts above and below belong to postnatal yin and yang. Only a single point of prenatal supreme yang qi blends into a deep and unfathomable place, extremely empty, still, and numinous, so that it is difficult to seek out or perceive.

Chongyang Dijun further says: Outside the body are the four limbs and the hundred bones, and within are the five viscera and six bowels. Nasal mucus, saliva, bodily fluids, jing essence, blood, and other tangible substances all belong to postnatal yin turbidity. That single point of supreme yang qi is the prenatal qi of True Unity (zhenyi zhi qi), also called the "Taiyi Qi Containing the True" (taiyi han zhenqi). The phrase "dimly obscure and profound" (huanghu yaoming) refers precisely to the place where prenatal qi arises.

To make the prenatal supreme yang qi appear, there is no other way; the key lies in stillness practice (jinggong). The essentials of stillness practice are to work at removing deluded thoughts: visualize the whole body as empty, and in quiet stillness a single point of true yang will suddenly appear within the dim and indistinct. It seems to exist and not exist, deep and unfathomable, impossible to observe. It is neither within nor without, and one cannot say why it appears, yet it manifests naturally.

Chongyang Dijun (Wang Chongyang, the founding patriarch revered by Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism) comments: All things turn their backs to yin and face yang. Although the human body is composed of the four great elements (earth, water, fire, and wind, the constituents of the physical body) and so belongs to the turbid, yin substance, it contains a trace of primordial yang essence (xiantian yuanyang, the fundamental vital qi bestowed before birth). By nature it possesses innate conscience and innate ability (liangzhi liangneng), subtle and clear.

But the seven emotions and six desires (qiqing liuyu) disturb it from within, and the toil of cold and heat wears the body down from without, so that the yuanyang gradually dissipates. People remain unaware and unawakened, and in the end they sink along with the natural cycle of arising and perishing. One who understands this and cultivates accordingly must "retract the gaze and reverse the hearing" (shou shi fan ting, gathering the outward-flowing eyes and ears so that the mind returns inward), forget external things, and embrace the true nature. When the eyes and ears are no longer drawn by sound and color, and the clear numinous awareness does not leak away through miscellaneous thoughts, the true essence (zhenjing) can be held firm and the primordial spirit (yuanshen) becomes full.

At this point the inner true mechanism (zhenji) responds to the outer, and the primordial one qi (xiantian yiqi) comes forth from emptiness and transforms the Golden Elixir (jindan) within the body. Thus, although it seems to arrive from outside, it is in fact gestated within the body. The mother qi subdues the child qi, and spirit embraces qi while qi in turn embraces spirit.

At this stage the Dantian (the field of elixir in the body where qi gathers in practice) grows warm, and the three passes (sanguan, the gates through which qi circulates in cultivation) rise, fall, and flow in harmony. It is as if clarified butter (tihu) pours over the crown of the head and sweet dew moistens the heart. One often hears celestial wondrous music in the ears and often sees the precious mysterious pearl (a symbol of the inner elixir) before the eyes. These are genuine cultivation experiences, not metaphors. "The true essence returns to the golden chamber, and a single bright pearl never leaves": could this be a falsehood?

If the prior-to-heaven qi lacked posterior-to-heaven qi, what would it rely upon to gather and draw things in? If the posterior-to-heaven qi did not receive prior-to-heaven qi, how could it transform and become penetrating?

Without the formless, pre-manifest Source (the Xiantian), what would there be to summon the formed body (the Houtian)? And without the formed body, how could the spirit transform and respond with spiritual efficacy? This is how non-being gives rise to being, and being gives rise to non-being: non-being manifests form when stirred by being, and being attains subtle efficacy when it responds to non-being. The Xiantian and Houtian Qi respond to one another, like a valley answering a sound.

Commentator Chongyang Dijun explains: the Xiantian enters the realm without form or image, while the Houtian remains within form. The Xiantian is the pure, true, subtly luminous nature of mind (xinxing), while the Houtian is the upright, dignified, fully formed body. The subtly luminous true nature of the Xiantian is originally clear and free of defilement; since beginningless time, a single thought has descended and continued until now. Without a complete Houtian body to bear and draw it in, this spirituality would hang alone with nothing to rest upon. And if the complete Houtian body lacked the subtly efficacious Yuanshen (the primordial spirit, the human being's original consciousness), it could not transform and respond with spiritual efficacy, and how could it transcend the mundane and enter the realm of the sages?

Nature (xing) and life (ming) are the roots of spirit (shen) and qi. Qi is the Water of Heavenly One (tianyi zhi shui); spirit is the true numinosity contained in Taiyi. Nature is the image that appears within non-being; life is the non-being contained within being. Where there is life without nature, there can be no subtle efficacy; where there is nature without life, nothing can be established. "Non-being" refers to the Xiantian nature; "spirit" refers to the True One Qi. "Being" refers to the Houtian life; "qi" refers to the True One Essence (jing).

This formed, yin-natured substance arises from a single point of formless yang qi. Within the body lies the formless true nature, which must be refined and clarified before the Xuanzhu (the Mysterious Pearl, a symbol of the essence that condenses and is perfected in inner alchemy, neidan) can manifest. Once the Xuanzhu has manifested, it is gathered and returned to the furnace-cauldron (luding, an alchemical term for the place where essence, qi, and spirit are refined during cultivation), so that being and non-being mingle and merge, and the Xiantian and Houtian qi commune with one another. At that point, they correspond naturally, like a shadow following its form or an echo answering a voice. The mind-spirit becomes settled, the body seems to dissolve, the bones and flesh melt away, and in the end form and spirit alike attain the mysterious and become one with the Dao.

Wang Chongyang (founding patriarch of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school of Daoism) comments: Although the Golden Elixir (jindan) is brought to completion within the body, the "medicine" used in refining it seems to come from outside, when in fact it is nurtured from within the body. Why is this so? Because the spirit depends on the form for its existence. From the moment a person is born, the body already holds a trace of primordial vital energy (xiantian yuanqi); everyone is originally endowed with it.

Yet people lose sight of their true nature, follow their emotions and desires, and over time sink into the familiar realm of desire, like drifting on a river of love or sinking into a sea of craving. Only those who truly perceive and awaken, upon meeting an enlightened teacher's guidance, come to know that they possess the single primordial qi (xiantian yiqi). The saying "the medicine comes from outside" means that it manifests by relying on the form.

The method of gathering the medicine is to forget entanglements with emotions and bodily concerns, to settle the mind in emptiness and stillness, to let no stray thoughts arise, and to become still to the utmost depth. Then, suddenly, the light of heaven naturally appears: in the place where inner and outer cannot be distinguished, there seems to be a thing that flickers bright and dark. This is the "mysterious pearl" (xuanzhu, a luminous spiritual image that appears in internal alchemy practice) taking form.

Why does the mysterious pearl appear? Because when a person is in stillness, shen and qi embrace one another; qi condenses and jing gathers and coalesces, forming a single golden elixir that endures in the Dantian (the lower abdominal energy center, located below the navel in internal alchemy practice). It also manifests wondrous visions outwardly, much like a lamp inside a room illuminating the window.

"Heavenly root and lunar cavern come and go at leisure; all thirty-six palaces are spring. Once that single point returns to its origin, the body becomes a spring of all four seasons." This describes yin and yang qi circulating through the body, filling the whole frame with vitality. When that single point of primordial qi returns of its own accord, the body becomes like a spring that lasts through all four seasons.

When warming and nourishing the cauldron (the body as the place where the elixir is refined) through stillness, light passes through the curtain of the eyelids; this phenomenon is called the mysterious pearl, which is also the "external medicine," the primordial true essence, and the true yang fire. The phrase "lead meets the water phase and is born" is likewise an internal alchemy expression describing the transformation of yin and yang and the emergence of the medicine. At this point one should remain quiet, so that the medicine can be gathered in and brought back into the body.

The practitioner will feel the Dantian grow hot and both kidneys warm, the qi of the Three Passes (sanguan, the energy gates that internal alchemy describes) rise, descend, and flow through, and the breath throughout the body harmonize. It is as though clarified ghee pours down from the crown of the head and sweet dew moistens the heart; the inner scenery is boundless and cannot be fully described in ink and words.

When the primordial qi stirs, the moment of "the single yang stirring" (yiyang dong), it is like heaven and earth being newly generated and a new universe being established; this is the moment of restoring yang and transforming the bones.

Human beings are conceived when their parents unite and their jing (essence) and blood combine. After ten months the fetus gradually grows; once the qi is abundant and the form complete, the child is born. That single point of numinous primal yang qi is already concealed within the body. Once this body exists, yin qi binds to yang qi and it dwells within the Five Phases, so that life and death, nobility and lowliness, cannot be escaped.

Practitioners who obtain the true yang qi of Former Heaven (xiantian) take the body as a furnace and cauldron and join it with the true yin qi of Latter Heaven (houtian). As yin and yang qi blend and harmonize, they coalesce into an immortal embryo (xiantai). Then the Five Phases are cultivated in reverse, reversing the direction of cosmic transformation. The work must be sustained for thirty thousand ke (periods of time) without the slightest error, so that the fire timing (huohou) can be grasped and not a fraction is lost. Yet another ten months must pass before the work is complete. At that point one sheds the mortal body and ascends, the Five Phases can no longer restrain, and yin and yang can no longer transform and nourish. When all the turbid yin qi of the body has been transformed into pure yang, one can break free of bonds, roam at ease, and endure without end.

The editor's note explains that this section first describes the origin of outward delight, then the methods of gathering and refining, then the Lesser Heavenly Circuit (xiao zhoutian) practice and its inner visions. It also treats the Great Heavenly Circuit (da zhoutian) ten-month practice that surpasses ordinary measure, the visions of spirit projection, and the process of three years of nursing the embryo and nine years of facing the wall. Ultimately one breaks free of bonds and becomes a roaming celestial immortal (tianxian). The starting point of cultivation is taking the true yang qi of Former Heaven as the root of the Golden Elixir (jindan). Yet one must first perfect the work of refining the self (lianji) before one can receive the creative transformations of Former Heaven. The mysterious pearl manifests its form, and Taiyi (a Daoist term referring to the primordial or supreme One Qi) contains true nature. Form and spirit both reach subtle refinement and become one with the Dao in reality. All of this happens naturally, without the slightest deliberate contrivance.

Chongyang Dijun (Wang Chongyang) says: Throughout the twelve double-hours of the day, one reverses the ordinary course and cultivates, so that true nature is contained within. Form and spirit both reach subtle refinement and become one with the Dao in reality. All of this happens naturally, without the slightest deliberate contrivance.

Chongyang Dijun (Chongyang, the Venerable Lord of Chongyang), the revered patriarch of the Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) school, says: In every moment of daily life, one should practice in reverse, not following the desires and circumstances to which one has grown accustomed. Be diligent in holding fast to the thought of the Dao. The eyes do not turn toward colors or pleasing situations, the ears are not drawn by sounds, the nose does not give rise to thoughts because of fragrance or stench, the tongue does not crave delicacies, the body does not chase sensory pleasures, and the mind does not sink into familiar emotions and habits.

One must constantly observe and attend to the movements of one's own thoughts while letting the mind return to stillness. In this way, one does not follow human sentiment or habitual inertia. Over time, the Heavenly Principle (tianli) will naturally manifest, and the nature of the mind will tend toward purity and genuineness. What is called "refining the self" (lianji) is precisely the cultivation of one's own mind.

The mind belongs to the Li trigram (Li), and within this scheme the Li trigram corresponds to "Ji Earth," the Earth of the self. To refine the mind so that it is not moved by external conditions is to cultivate concentration (ding) in the Li palace. When the mind is concentrated, the breath is harmonized, and when the breath is harmonious, the body is at peace. When the body is at peace, Jing (essence) becomes abundant, and when Jing is abundant, lead and mercury (qian and gong) condense. Lead and mercury are metaphors used in Neidan (internal alchemy) for the yin and yang essences. After this condensation, transformations of body and mind arise naturally: the mysterious pearl appears, Taiyi holds the true, the golden liquid refines the form, and the bones turn to cold jade. Ultimately, both form and Shen (spirit) reach a refined state and unite with the Dao to become true. None of these changes is forced.

Yet if one cannot hold to the practice with care, subdue the thoughts, and cultivate the nature, such a state cannot arise on its own. This work also demands courageous and resolute determination, a will that is prepared to disregard life and death, before it can be brought to maturity. This is the meaning of the saying, "Only when the mind dies can the spirit come alive."

Chapter One: Jade Liquid

Shen (spirit) does not leave qi (vital energy), and qi does not leave shen. As breath comes and goes, both ultimately return to the same source. In cultivation, one should not fixate on any particular part of the body or try to control it deliberately. The mind should be entrusted to emptiness, kept still and clear. When body and mind do not stir recklessly, shen and qi will move on their own, much as Heaven and Earth do not act deliberately, yet the myriad things grow and are transformed.

Lord Chongyang (Chongyang Dijun) explains: Primordial One Qi (xiantian yi qi, the source-qi present before Heaven and Earth separated and before any being arose) comes from emptiness. When the Yin and Yang qi join, shen naturally embraces qi, and qi embraces shen. When the primordial qi (xiantian qi) and the acquired qi (houtian qi) meet and unite, it is like being intoxicated or falling into a dream: it happens naturally, without the slightest deliberate effort. On inhalation, qi enters; on exhalation, shen moves with it. Shen breathes out and in, and the upward and downward qi come and go and join, returning at last to the source, where they condense into an elixir and form the embryo of the Inner Elixir (neidan). When body and mind rest in non-action (wuwei), shen and qi still move naturally. Entrust the mind to emptiness and do not deliberately visualize, just as when Heaven and Earth are settled and quiet, the sun and moon move, and Yin and Yang rise and fall, so that the myriad things come into being on their own.

Lord Chongyang further explains: When the work of refining the self (lian ji, refining one's mind and mental activity until it returns to pure stillness) has become skilled, and quiet cultivation has continued for a long time, shen and qi will naturally join. Shen belongs to the fire of the South and corresponds to the trigram Li; jing (essence) belongs to the water of the North and corresponds to Kan; hun (ethereal soul) belongs to the wood of the East and corresponds to Zhen; po (corporeal soul) belongs to the metal of the West and corresponds to Dui; yi (intention) belongs to the earth of the Center and corresponds to Kun. These are called the Central Palace Yellow Court (zhonggong huangting, the inner palace at the center of the body), while the Primordial Mysterious Gate (xiantian xuanguan, the critical point where primordial qi is activated in Inner Alchemy) corresponds to Qian. Once shen joins qi and enters it, the Five Phases and the Four Images (the inner transformations formed by Yin-Yang and the Five Phases) naturally gather together. This is the work of the Kan-Li intercourse (kan li jiao gou, the union of water and fire). The saying "pure Yin uses fire" means that one concentrates shen and shines it downward on the Kun palace, so that true qi arises within profound stillness. This is called the first birth of Yang, which corresponds to the hexagram Fu (Return).

Chapter Two: Producing the Medicine

When shen is held in the Kun palace, true fire naturally arises. The Kun palace is the source where the medicine (the inner elixir substances) is produced, and it is the place where Yin and Yang unite.

Lord Chongyang explains: The Kun palace is the Yellow Court (huangting) within the body. It lies below the heart and above the kidneys, with the liver to its west and the lungs to its east. When the first birth of Yang occurs, this is the state of the hexagram Fu (Return).

The spirit-intent (shenyi) held in the Kun Palace (Kungong), the place within the body where the substances are generated in internal alchemy (Neidan), will naturally set the true fire (zhenhuo) in motion. The Kun Palace is regarded as the source from which the medicinal substances are generated, and it is also the place where Yin-Yang unite. Lord Chongyang's commentary identifies the Kun Palace with the Yellow Court Palace (Huangting Gong) within the human body. It lies roughly below the heart and above the kidneys, with the liver to its west and the lungs to its east, in front of the inner kidney and behind the navel-wheel. Here there is a hollow aperture, the place where the true qi of the body arises.

A person in the mother's womb is nurtured by the jing (essence) and qi of the parents, and the refined substance of the body continues in an unbroken succession. First the three primal energies (sanyuan) take form, then the two kidneys. After the kidneys are formed, the eyes gradually emerge, followed by the external genitals. Once the three powers of Heaven, Earth, and Humanity are complete, the five viscera, six bowels, and the limbs and hundreds of bones are formed in turn. This aperture is the palace where the ancestral qi (zuqi), the qi of primal origin, resides, and so it is called the Kun Palace; "kun" carries the sense of bearing and supporting all things. It is regarded as the source from which the inner elixir substances are generated, and as the place where Yin-Yang unite.

In practice, one must keep the spirit-intent in the Kun Palace day and night, never letting it stray, and use the primal shen (spirit) to illuminate inward, so that the mind gathers and grows still. In this way one can reverse the ordinary course of life's transformations, mobilize the inner passes, and cause the great medicine (dayao), the vital essence produced in internal alchemy, to arise here and the Golden Elixir (jindan) to coagulate.

Without refining by the true fire, metal and water cannot fuse; if one cannot concentrate wholeheartedly, the yang fire will scatter, the great medicine will never form, and one will have no way to obtain the prenatal qi (xiantian zhiqi). After long refinement, when water meets the true fire it naturally transforms into a single qi that rises like steam. The heche (Celestial Wagon), the image for the vehicle that carries essence around the body, then conveys it so that it circulates without cease. True essence (zhenjing) is thereby produced, and primal qi is nurtured here.

When the breath is united, the pulse seems to stop and the breathing seems to halt, and stillness gives birth to tranquility. In the deep state of concentration, the prenatal one qi comes naturally out of emptiness. This is the prenatal mother qi, which can conceal and govern the postnatal child qi (houtian zi qi). Cultivation should follow what is natural and not be hasty for results, for the prenatal qi will stir of its own accord.

Lord Chongyang (Chongyang Dijun) said: The fire of the Kun palace (the area around the lower Dantian in Daoist internal alchemy) is called the "Fire of the Realized Person" (Zhenren zhi huo). One should constantly illuminate and observe the Kun palace with the mind and spirit (Shen), refining Yin and Yang so that Jing transforms into Qi. Concentrate the intention single-mindedly, and this practice can be activated at any time while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.

Lord Chongyang also said: The fire of the Kun palace is the "Fire of the Realized Person." One must constantly illuminate and observe the Kun palace with the mind and spirit, refining Yin and Yang so that Jing transforms into Qi, and hold this focus steadily without scattering. If no results appear after long practice, it is because the mind is disturbed by stray thoughts. If one persists in cultivation, the Jing, tempered by fire, naturally becomes a single Qi. After a long time, the Qi will vibrate three times and rise to Niwan (the muddy pellet, the region of the head and upper Dantian), transforming into sweet dew. This dew then descends through Chonglou (the throat) and condenses into fluid essence, which returns to the Kun position and nourishes the embryo of original Qi, gradually making it strong and vigorous. Breath and Shen respond to each other, and the Qi naturally nourishes itself and continues to regenerate. Once the Qi channels come to rest, one enters stillness.

In deep quiescence, a sudden moving image may arise. This is the prenatal One Qi (the originary Qi in cultivation) stirring, coming forth from the Qian palace, like a mother's longing for her child, responding and uniting naturally. Such change is difficult to predict, and one should follow its natural course rather than seek quick results. When the time is ripe and the transformation of Qi occurs, the effect will manifest on its own. What is called "heavenly light" is divine light (Shenguang). As long practice quiets the mind, the divine light begins to shine. In stillness, spiritual awareness becomes luminous and clear, penetrating within and without, and it appears outwardly. Form and appearance cannot obscure it, and desire cannot hinder it, so one can naturally see through walls and perceive past lives.

At the beginning of chaos, heaven and earth had not yet separated. As long practice quiets the mind, the divine light begins to shine. In stillness, spiritual awareness becomes luminous and clear, penetrating within and without, and it appears outwardly. Form and appearance cannot obscure it, and desire cannot hinder it, so one can naturally see through walls and perceive past lives.

At the very beginning of chaos, heaven and earth had not yet been divided, and the dark and yellow Qi of heaven and earth were intermingled. When the time is ripe and the transformation of Qi occurs, a moving image arises within stillness. It is precisely within this moving image that one can perceive the process of creation. If something appears intermittently bright and dark, seeming both inside and outside, this is the Great Medicine (dayao) just beginning to sprout, and one must not hastily begin refining it. The moment a single thought arises, the prenatal true nature is lost.

Chongyang Dijun explains: Heaven is light and clear, and it sits above, its color dark mysterious black; Earth is heavy and turbid, and it sits below, its color yellow. Before Heaven and Earth separated, all things were within the undifferentiated primordial qi, where the dark (xuan) and the yellow made no distinction and the clear and the turbid had not yet taken form. Later, the movement of qi changed: the clear qi rose and became Heaven, and the turbid qi congealed and became Earth. As the qi of Earth ascended and the qi of Heaven descended, Yin and Yang interpenetrated and thereby transformed and gave birth to the myriad things.

Quiet cultivation (qingjing xiulian) follows the same pattern. Prior-Heaven true Yang (xiantian zhenyang) unites with post-Heaven true Yin (houtian zhenyin), and Yin and Yang blend together, much like the dark and the yellow intermingling when Heaven and Earth first opened. Within stillness, a motive force suddenly arises, and the process of creation (zaohua) manifests naturally, just as Heaven and Earth part and the trigrams qian and kun each take shape.

If an image appears that is sometimes visible and sometimes hidden, this is the "Mysterious Pearl" (xuanzhu, the inner luminous spirit-image that appears in cultivation) taking form. It seems to lie outside the body, and with the eyes closed it is seen clearly; yet it also seems to lie within the body, and with the eyes open it is still distinctly perceived. Although it has a shape, others cannot see it; although it is formless, one perceives it clearly oneself. For this reason it is called the "Formless Mysterious Pearl" (wuxiang xuanzhu).

This pearl is the sprout of "Great Bliss" (da le, inner joy). Having just appeared, it is still tender and immature, and therefore it must not be gathered or refined. If one recklessly stirs thoughts in order to seize it, one will instead lose the pearl, damage the precious true treasure of one's original nature, and may even bring about mental derangement and disordered breathing beyond remedy. Hence it is said that the precious treasure of nature and life (xingming zhi bao) must not be handled carelessly.

Chapter Three: Gathering the Medicine

When the shen-intent (shenyi) is held fixed upon the "Qian Palace" (gangong, the position represented by the Qian hexagram or the corresponding place within the body), the true qi naturally gathers and converges. The Qian Palace is the root of creation and also the place where a person first received the primordial qi and where life was formed. One who understands this and cultivates accordingly is called a sage (shengren).

Chongyang Dijun's commentary explains that Kun Palace belongs to earth and to yin, and corresponds to the physical body that humans form after birth, which is eventually destroyed. Qian Palace belongs to heaven and to yang, and corresponds to the spirit that humans possess from the Prior Heaven (xiantian), which has no beginning. Qian Palace is the Mysterious Gate (xuanguan) single aperture within emptiness, the root of cosmic creation and transformation. Movement from non-being to being is called "creation" (zao), and movement from being back to non-being is called "transformation" (hua). Creation and transformation thus describe a process that moves from generation toward change.

At the beginning of life, a person is born by receiving the qi of the single aperture of emptiness. At the end of life, essence and qi are dispersed through the Six Thieves (liuzei), a term in Buddhist and Daoist texts for the sensory activities that disturb the mind and draw one into attachment, and so one dies. This cycle of creation and transformation has repeated for countless kalpas (an extremely long span of time).

In cultivation, one first concentrates the intention (shen yi) at the Kun position and refines yin essence so that it transforms into yang qi. Once yang qi rises and steams upward, it is carried by the "River Chariot" (hechē), a metaphor in internal alchemy for moving the qi mechanism, so that the qi circulates without end. One then concentrates the intention at the Qian position, gradually refining and condensing it until it forms a Mysterious Pearl (xuanzhu), a symbolic image in Neidan practice about the size of a millet grain, which seems always to be present before the eyes. Once it is obtained, it can be preserved for a long time, and the true qi of the Prior Heaven will naturally return.

When the "lead light" (qianguang) flickers like the moon and the "mercury qi" (guiqi) rises like the sun, the qi of sun and moon has met in one place. At this moment a single point of spiritual light becomes full and bright, shining above and below, and inner truth responds to outer stimulus. Because the Prior Heaven qi comes out of emptiness, it is called the Mother Qi (muqi). The Mother Qi naturally draws forth the Child Qi (ziqi), so that the two respond to and unite with each other. The wonder of this process is that the medicinal substances come from outside and are not produced through imagined visualization.

Chongyang Dijun further commented: humans are born by receiving the yin and yang qi of heaven and earth. The true yang qi within the body is called Lead and Essence, and is also called Kan. The true yin qi within the heart is called Mercury and Spirit, and is also called Li.

Wang Chongyang, the Lord Emperor, explains that the human body is generated from the Yin and Yang qi of Heaven and Earth. The true Yang qi within the body is called "lead" (Qian), "essence" (Jing), or "Kan" (Kan, which symbolizes water). The true Yin qi within the heart is called "mercury" (Gui), "spirit" (Shen), or "Li" (Li, which symbolizes fire). This means that human beings and the qi of Heaven and Earth share the same origin.

When the practitioner obtains the initial sprouting of the "Great Medicine" and the Mysterious Pearl appears, the spirit within the body also becomes abundant and vigorous. At this point, the Jing within the Shen descends to meet Kan, and the Shen within the Jing ascends to meet Li. The spirit and essence within the body fuse together, and the Yin and Yang outside the body also unite. Inside and outside become luminous, and above and below shine in unison, condensing into a bright pearl that is round and radiant. It moves up and down through the "Three Passes" (the orifices through which the rise and fall of qi mechanisms pass during cultivation), circulating without cease.

This vision arises when the spirit and essence within the body unite, when Metal and Wood intersect, and when Water and Fire stimulate one another. When there is genuine cultivation achievement within, the corresponding phenomena appear outwardly; without having personally reached a true state, how could such a phenomenon occur?

Primordial qi is the "Mother Qi," and acquired qi is the "Child Qi." When the two naturally unite and return to the subtle principle of creation, the medicine can come from outside. Mother Qi refers to the qi of Heaven, and Child Qi refers to the qi of the human person. If a person can constantly maintain stillness and purity, the qi of Heaven and Earth will gather to them; once the qi of Heaven gathers into one's body, one naturally becomes a cultivator. Using the Heavenly qi one has received to subdue the "Nine Heavens Soul" is what is meant by "things of the same kind seek one another."

"Earth first, then Heaven" (Xian Kun Hou Qian), also called "shifting the furnace and exchanging the cauldron," is the crucial and subtle gateway of Golden Elixir cultivation, and it is also the secret for regulating the Primordial Heavenly Fire Phases (huohou). If, in the initial stage of refining the elixir, one seeks only in the water, one will ultimately fall into barren emptiness.

Chapter Four: Obtaining the Medicine (Déyào Zhāng)

At the outset of refining the elixir, if one searches only for "water," one will fall into dead void and in the end accomplish nothing. One must instead use one's own authentic qi (zhēnqì) to resonate with the most refined primordial qi (yuánqì) between heaven and earth. One can reason from the principle by which the burning mirror (yángsuì) and the mirror of water (fāngzhū) draw fire and water, and the matter will become clear.

Lord Chongyang (Chóngyáng Dìjūn) comments: When first beginning to refine the elixir, one must illuminate the Kun palace, the region that symbolizes the feminine, with spirit intention (shényì), refine the medicine with fire, and regulate the breath with spirit intention. Once the authentic qi has stirred, one then holds to the Qian palace, the region that symbolizes the masculine, so that the medicine hangs suspended and condenses in the cauldron (dǐng) and forms the mysterious pearl (xuánzhū), a symbol of the condensation of inner alchemy (nèidān). Having forged the great medicine, one swallows it into the abdomen and transforms one's own yin qi, turning the body into a pure yang body. This is the wondrous function of true emptiness (zhēnkōng).

People of that time did not understand the wondrous function of true emptiness, and they had received no instruction from a true master. Relying only on hearsay and practicing blindly, they went searching for water. Here "water" refers to a realm that is deep, dim, and indistinct. In that realm, if one forgets thoughts and forgets the body, would one not fall into dead void? Such a path can never produce the elixir.

The burning mirror is a pearl for drawing fire. It belongs to the central palace of the Sun, and when it is aimed at the sun, it kindles fire. The mirror of water is a pearl for drawing water. It belongs to the central palace of the Moon, and when it is aimed at the moon, it draws water. Heaven and earth are vastly distant, yet in a moment they respond naturally and yield water and fire. Even objects whose endowed qi is lopsided can still resonate with the sun and moon, so how much more can a human being, the most spiritually luminous root of all things, do so? In stillness, can a person not sense the subtle changes within oneself and condense them into the Golden Elixir (jīndān)?

The spirit-intent is guarded in the Mysterious Palace (Xuangong, the part of the body so named), and the mind welcomes the Female Palace (Pinfu, the region associated with yin nature and the receiving of qi). When spirit and intent are joined, one naturally obtains primordial qi (xiantian zhi qi). During cultivation, consciousness gradually enters a state of dim, profound absorption. A point of red light flashes into the Lower Dantian (Xiayuan, the energy field in the lower body), and one's own true qi gathers in response. Yin qi embraces yang qi, and yang in turn stirs yin, so that essence-qi (jingqi) appears, surging like churning seawater.

The essence-qi then rises from the Taixuan Pass (Taixuan Guan, the orifice in internal practice through which qi ascends) into the Mud Pellet (Nihuan, the head region in internal practice), where it transforms into golden fluid (jinye) and is swallowed down into the abdomen. The practitioner feels sweet and refreshed, as if the pores of the whole body have come alive and the body begins to shine. The scripture calls this process "the copulation of Qian and Kun" (qiankun jiaogou), meaning the union of yin and yang. To preserve what has been attained, the key is careful guarding. At this stage one should gather the mind and hold firmly within the body, so that the essence does not dissipate and can continue to be nourished.

Chongyang Dijun explains that the "Xuangong" (Mysterious Palace) is the Xuanguan (Mysterious Gate, the inner pass that symbolizes the key point of cultivation), and it is also the place where one refines the "shumi" (millet grain, a metaphor in neidan for the tiny elixir body). It is also called the Xuantai Ding (Suspended Embryo Cauldron), the Zhusha Ding (Cinnabar Cauldron), and the Qiankun Ding (Heaven-Earth Cauldron). These are different names for the same thing.

The "qiankun" mentioned earlier refers to the initial stage of refining the elixir, when one takes heaven and earth as the cauldron and first gathers the mind-spirit in the Kun position (symbolizing yin and stillness). Activity arises within stillness, and one gathers the yang within yin, called the "rabbit marrow"; the true qi then rises to the Qian palace (symbolizing yang). After activity, one returns to stillness and gathers the yin within yang, called the "black crow liver." When these two essences fuse, they form the "wish-fulfilling pearl" (ruyi zhu).

This is the moment of kan-li jiaogou (the union of Water and Fire, symbolizing the joining of yin and yang), the manifestation of the guihua (the flower of the gui), the first appearance of the true lead, and the emergence of primordial qi. It is the time of "the first movement of yang," like the crescent moon of the third day rising from the geng direction, and is what is meant by the "living zi hour" (huozi shi, the moment when qi-mechanism begins to stir in cultivation). A single double-hour is divided into six phases (hou), of which two are for obtaining the medicine (dedao) and four serve other functions. This first acquisition of the medicine belongs to the first phase.

After obtaining the medicine of the first phase, one should enter a quiet chamber and continue practicing according to the natural fire-timing (huohou), then move to the position of dui and ding. At this stage, the image of a half-moon appears, accompanied by sounds like the roar of a dragon and the howl of a tiger. To prevent the leakage of "lead and mercury" (a neidan metaphor for the yin and yang essences), the key lies in purifying the mind and removing thoughts, and in carefully guarding the state of practice.

By the thirteenth day, the qi of qian jia begins to generate; by the fifteenth day, the moon is full and round. This is the time of the perfection of qiankun: the "hejue" (the foundation on which the elixir body congeals) has formed, the "xuanpin" (the mysterious female, a neidan image of the place where yin and yang meet and generate) has been established, the "golden flower" (a symbolic sign of verification in internal alchemy practice) has appeared, and the three yangs are complete. The moon is full in the jia direction, corresponding to the image of the Qian hexagram. At this time, one must guard against the decline of metal qi after the full moon has passed. Since the light of sun and moon overlaps, this is again an opportunity to obtain the medicine, belonging to the second phase.

The Four Phases (sìhòu) also have a finer method of application, which corresponds to the changes of the moon across the first half of the month. In the first half, the moon grows from a crescent into a full disc, and within this half-circle of bright moon there seem to be the sounds of a dragon chanting and a tiger roaring. At this time, practitioners must be cautious and guard carefully against danger. Once the immortal embryo (xiāntāi, the inner life-form that forms through cultivation) has taken shape, on the eighteenth day yin Qi arrives from the Xun direction (one of the directions of the Bagua, or Eight Trigrams), and one should then apply the method of "guarding the city and fighting in the field" (shǒuchéng yězhàn). Next, one refines the second layer of yin Qi. On the twenty-third day, when the moon is in its last quarter, one washes the heart and bathes in the Gen direction (another of the Eight Trigrams). Once all three layers of yin Qi have been fully refined and the yang spirit (yángshén, the yang-natured spirit form that manifests through cultivation) appears, one should apply the method of reinforcement and protection. These are called "front-front three-three, back-back three-three," which refers to the application of the Four Phases and to the principle of obtaining the medicine within two phases.

The two lines "Spirit guards the Mysterious Palace, intention welcomes the Female Chamber (pìnfǔ)" describe the method of reinforcement and protection. "Front-front three-three, back-back three-three" refers to the application of the Four Phases, as well as the principle of obtaining the medicine within two phases.

The Mysterious Palace (Xuangong) is where the cultivator's spirit (shen) guards and holds its intention, and intention (yi) meets the female chamber (pinfu), the region associated with receptivity and yielding. These two phrases are the oral formula for gathering the medicinals. At this point, the utmost essence (zhijing) stirs within the Mysterious Palace, and the true lead qi (zhenqian zhi qi) appears as a bright, full moon. The true mercury fire (zhengong zhi huo) appears as a red sun. Within sun and moon, two golden flowers each arise, magnificent in form and golden-red like a cinnabar mountain. The timing of the fire (huohou) is now exact, neither early nor late, and the gathering must be done without delay. How is it done? The secret is simply this: "Let intention alone meet the female chamber."

The cultivator then enters a deep and dim state of absorption, as though a point of red light flashes into the Lower Cavity (xiayuan), the site of the lower Dantian (xia dantian), and joins with the true yin. The yin qi gathers at once and embraces the stirring yang qi. Yin and yang interact like waves surging on the sea. The breath passes from the Taixuan Pass (Taixuan Guan) through the tailbone (weilü) and along the spine (jiaji), then over the jade pillow (yuzhen), where it transforms into golden liquor and jade nectar (jinye qiongjiang) and is swallowed into the abdomen. It tastes sweet and fresh as it enters the mouth, and at the same time the ears hear drumming, as if the myriad sounds of nature were ringing out together, with peals of thunder and the wondrous music of heaven. This sound is unlike that of the qin, se, flute, or xiao. It is wonderfully different: like cold spring water striking jade, like a golden plate ringing in the air, like the thin song of an autumn cicada, like a clear wind stirring pine trees until they tinkle with jewel-like sound. It is also like a flock of crows calling together, or like the kalavinka (pinjia), the wondrous bird of Buddhist legend, singing in harmony.

With sweet saliva held in the mouth, the cultivator watches these visions with astonishment and feels joy and delight, as though standing in a land of ultimate bliss or a heavenly palace of marvels. Ordinary people, by contrast, are like the blind and deaf and cannot perceive any of this. Once body and mind are quiet and pure, all the body's passages open and flow freely, as though every orifice has come alive, and a luminous haze spreads over the whole body. A round halo appears, and within it the image of an infant takes shape. This is the sign that the yang spirit (yangshen) has manifested. Throughout the entire process, one must guard carefully, watch for danger, and never neglect or lose the watchful hold.

Chapter Five: On Warming and Nurturing (Wenyang Zhang)

Holding the mind-spirit (Shen) steady in the Yellow Chamber (Huangfang, which is the Yellow Court Palace, Huangting Gong, the place in the body where the spirit-breath is said to dwell in Daoist cultivation), the Golden Elixir (Jindan) embryo will form of its own accord. The Yellow Chamber lies below Qian (Heaven) and above Kun (Earth), which is to say, it is the marvelous center enclosed by the compass and the square. Throughout the twelve double-hours, keep the mind constantly placed here, gathering in its radiance and not letting it show outwardly. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, let the mind-spirit continue unbroken, seemingly present and yet barely there, like a hen incubating her eggs or a dragon nurturing its pearl. Embrace the Origin and guard the One, so that the innate primordial spirit and primordial qi are constantly joined and gradually merge and transform.

Only settle the mind and regulate the breath, without deliberately driving the fire-timing (huohou), and the fire-timing will run on its own. After a hundred days of cultivation, the effects will appear; after ten months, the embryo of the inner elixir is complete, the yin spirit (yinpo) naturally dissolves, and the yang spirit manifests. After a thousand days, continue to nourish it. When the fire-timing is sufficient, all the yin is expelled, the body turns to pure yang, an infant-like form appears, and one reaches the state of "a body beyond the body" (shenwai youshen). The form becomes like mist and rosy clouds, and the consciousness merges with the Great Void (taixu). When it withdraws, form and spirit are one; when it appears, spirit and qi are joined. Casting no shadow beneath the sun and moon, it passes through metal and stone without hindrance.

After three years of nourishment, the infant gradually grows, and at this point it must not be allowed to leave. Cultivate until nine years have passed, and one becomes one with the Great Void, with form and spirit both reaching a wondrous state, uniting with the Dao and attaining the Real (hedao hezhen). Heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers will one day collapse, but only my Dao-body can endure the calamities and last. The cultivator dwells hidden among people, accumulating merit and practicing good deeds, lifting up heaven and earth and grasping yin and yang. Therefore yin and yang can no longer transform or govern him. The Way of the Celestial Immortal (Tianxian zhi Dao) is complete here.

Chongyang Dijun (Lord Chongyang) personally annotated: The Yellow Chamber is the Yellow Court Palace, and therefore it is said to lie below Qian and above Kun, that is, at the central place enclosed by the compass and square. The Way of the Golden Immortal (Jinxian zhi Dao) is complete here.

Lord Chongyang's commentary states: "The Huang Fang (Yellow Chamber) is the Huangting Palace (Huangting Gong), an internal alchemy term for the site inside the body where Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) gather and are cultivated. It lies beneath the Qian hexagram and above the Kun hexagram, and is the Guizhong (Central Regulation), the central point where one adjusts body and mind and concentrates the spirit on the One. The Jin Tai (Golden Embryo) is the immortal embryo (xian tai). Gold is hard and imperishable, and here it stands for the person's Yuanshen (primordial spirit), the original source of consciousness. The Yuanshen is undying and indestructible. Its nature is pure and still, subtle and clear, firm and sharp like gold, clean like crystal, and bright like a full moon. It is originally complete and luminous, but deluded thoughts obscure it and draw it into illusory change. Now, by practicing the oral instructions of the Five Chapters (Wupian) and grasping the Dan Dao (way of the elixir) of returning to origin, one must refine what has form so that it returns to formlessness, and condense the black Qi into red Qi, thereby forming the immortal embryo. Only by returning to the original, true, and constant state, and by accord with the subtle functioning of the Yuanshi (Primordial Beginning, the original Dao venerated in Daoism), will the Golden Embryo form on its own."

"The marvel of Guizhong lies in guarding it with intention (yi). Within the Yellow Chamber the mind stays focused and does not scatter, and through all twelve periods of the day the thought never leaves it. Contain the light so that it does not leak outward. Gather the gaze and still the hearing, and hold the spirit continuously, never leaving it even for a moment. This is like a hen incubating her eggs, or like a dragon nurturing the pearl beneath its throat. The dragon never forgets the pearl, and its Shen and Jing (essence) continually respond to and nourish it, until the pearl begins to shine. As the light accumulates over time, the pearl transforms into a small dragon that soars through the void, sometimes withdrawing and sometimes appearing. What people see is the dragon's form, but what truly manifests is the Dragon Spirit (longshen)."

"When Shen and Qi are fully sufficient, one can transform without limit, summon clouds and bring rain, shed the bodily form, and ascend. This is called the Shenlong (divine dragon). Thus it can be large or small, hidden or manifest. In motion it can split mountains and raise great waves, stir clouds and mist, and flash lightning and roll thunder. At rest it lies concealed in deep abyss. It is a being endowed with yang spiritual power."

Cultivating the Golden Elixir (jindan) and hoping to attain the rank of Celestial Immortal (tianxian) follows the same principle. At the outset, one must embrace the Source and guard the One (baoyuan shouyi), meaning one protects the primordial qi (yuanqi) and concentrates the mind on the spirit, nourishing the innate "millet grain" and the wondrous pearl of the Primal Spirit (yuanshen miaozhu). Here, the "millet grain" describes the subtle and pure innate qi, while the "pearl of the Primal Spirit" is a metaphor for the condensed state of the Primal Spirit.

The Scripture of Universal Salvation (Duren Jing) states: "The Primordial Heavenly Worthy (Yuanshi Tianzun) suspends a precious pearl five zhang above the ground, hanging high in the void. Countless holy perfected emerge from the pearl and return into it." Through long visualization and nourishment, the Primal Spirit gradually condenses, as tiny and pure as a grain of millet. After prolonged cultivation, it continually gathers, transforms, and grows, like the slender crescent of the new moon gradually becoming round. First it resembles the half-disc of a waxing moon, and then it slowly reaches fullness.

At this stage, golden light naturally appears, the essences of sun and moon unite, and the qi of lead and mercury blend, forming the immortal embryo (xiantai). "Lead and mercury" is a term from internal alchemy (neidan) used as a metaphor for the yin and yang vital essences. After three years of gentle nourishment, the immortal embryo grows like an infant. By nine years, the cultivation is complete in both merit and practice, and the turbid yin qi is entirely exhausted.

Thereafter, one spirit can transform into a hundred, a thousand, or ten thousand spirits, and both the body and the spirit attain a subtle, marvelous state, able to move freely between existence and non-existence. Refining the spirit further, one unites it with the Great Void (taixu) and returns to the true Dao of Wuji, the Ultimate Non-Being, according with the wondrous realm of the Primordial. Now, when one looks at heaven and earth, they appear within this mysterious realm like a single grain of millet in a great granary, or a single cloud drifting in the vast void. How could the Five Phases (wuxing) still bind, and how could Yin-Yang still change? Heaven and earth can be lifted by oneself, and Yin-Yang can be grasped by oneself. Such a one endures without end, survives the great kalpas, and becomes one with the Dao in truth. How marvelous this state is!

The editor notes that the so-called "Huangting Palace" (Huangting Gong) lies roughly within the body, in the empty space between the front of the kidneys and the area behind the navel. Master Liu Huayang (Liu Huayang Zhenren), a Daoist internal alchemist (Neidan), says that this "cavity" (qiao) is the Dantian (energy center). Above it is the Golden Cauldron (Jinding), higher still is the Yellow Court (Huangting), and below it is Guanyuan. Although the Yellow Court, Golden Cauldron, Dantian, and Guanyuan carry different names, they all point to the same invisible inner region, and one should not look for them as fixed, visible parts of the body. When the qi stirs, a cavity seems to appear; when the qi settles, it is hard to locate, so beginners need not force distinctions. Master Liu also says that the Dantian lies roughly behind the spine, in front of the kidneys and slightly below center, with its front-to-back extent expressed as "seven in front, three behind," and that a suspended cavity lies at its center. This agrees with the position described by Chongyang Dijun (Wang Chongyang), which also shows that Master Liu's cultivation had a transmitted lineage.

Those who cultivate the Way over a long period nourish the spirit (shen) as a dragon guards its pearl. When the spirit is full, they can transform at will, sometimes hidden and sometimes manifest, and this is called the "divine dragon" (shenlong). The scripture uses this image to explain how ordinary people become Heavenly Immortals (tianxian), and the comparison is very apt. The Dure Jing (Scripture of Salvation) is the short name for the Taishang Dongxuan Lingbao Wuliang Dure Shangpin Miaojing (Supreme Scripture of the Mysterious Cavern of the Numinous Treasure of Limitless Salvation). Tradition holds that Yuanshi Tianzun (the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning) composed it in the early Longhan era. Chanting and invoking the scripture is said to bring blessings and also to aid the refining of elixirs and the nourishing of life, thereby prolonging longevity. The scripture says that Yuanshi Tianzun suspends a precious pearl five zhang above the ground. The editor holds that without actual cultivation and personal verification, one cannot readily understand the realm it describes.

"Ti xie tiandi, bawo yin..." means governing heaven and earth and grasping the transformations of yin and yang.

What is meant by "lifting and measuring heaven and earth, grasping yin and yang" (tíxié tiāndì, bǎwò yīnyáng)? This is what Master Wu Chongxu called "governing the cosmos" (tǒnglǐ qiánkūn).

When a cultivator attains the station of Heavenly Immortal (tiānxiān), the spirit-consciousness (shénshí) becomes clear and luminous. For an extremely long span of time it remains unclouded, and its light of wisdom envelops the three thousand great chiliocosms (sānqiān dàqiān shìjiè). The flight of birds, the movements of beasts, the activities of people, and the good and evil thoughts in their hearts all lie within this illumination, with nowhere to hide.

Where heaven and earth contain places unfit for human habitation, the Heavenly Immortal repairs them. Where things threaten human life, the Heavenly Immortal sets in motion the pivot of Yin-Yang transformation and eliminates the danger in advance. This is the meaning of "lifting and measuring heaven and earth, grasping Yin-Yang."