《金丹四百字注》

The "Seven Returns and Nine Reversions Golden Liquid Great Elixir" (qi fan jiu huan jin ye da dan) in the Commentary on the Four Hundred Character Golden Elixir (Jin Dan Si Bai Zi Zhu) means that "seven" stands for the number of fire and "nine" for the number of metal. Refining metal with fire returns it to its root and restores its original state, and this is what is called the Golden Elixir (Jin Dan).

The body and the mind are matched respectively to the upper and lower quarter moons, and the spirit (Shen) and the qi (Qi) are matched to the Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice. The physical form and the animating spirit are aligned with the Kan and Li trigrams of the Bagua (Bagua). Then the Wood of the east, which is the hun (hun) soul; the Metal of the west, which is the po (po) soul; the Fire of the south, which is the shen spirit; the Water of the north, which is the jing essence; and the Earth of the center, which is the yi (yi) intention, are gathered together. This is called gathering the Five Phases (Wu Xing) into a cluster.

Gathering the radiance of the spirit in the eyes, fixing the hearing in the ears, regulating the breath through the nose, and holding the breath on the tongue is called harmonizing the Four Images (Si Xiang).

When the eyes do not look outward, the hun soul remains settled in the liver. When the ears do not listen outward, the jing essence remains settled in the kidneys. When the tongue does not speak, the shen spirit remains settled in the heart. When the nose does not discern scents, the po soul remains settled in the lungs. When the limbs do not move carelessly, the yi intention remains settled in the spleen. This is called "the Five Qi Return to the Origin" (wu qi chao yuan), meaning that the qi of the five viscera returns to its primordial source.

When jing transforms into qi, qi transforms into shen, and shen further transforms into emptiness, this is called "the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown" (san hua ju ding), which refers to the progressive refinement and sublimation of jing, qi, and shen.

When the hun soul is settled in the liver, it does not dissipate outward through the eyes. When the po soul is settled in the lungs, it does not dissipate outward through the breath of the nose. When the shen spirit is settled in the heart, it does not dissipate outward through the mouth and tongue. When the jing essence is settled in the kidneys, it does not dissipate outward through the ear orifices. When the yi intention is settled in the spleen, it does not dissipate outward through the limbs or the bodily orifices. This is called "non-leakage" (wu lou), meaning that jing, qi, and shen are prevented from escaping outward.

When jing, shen, hun, po, and yi merge with one another and transform into a single qi, it cannot be seen or heard, and it cannot be described by name or form. For this reason it is called the "Void Origin" (xu yuan).

The so-called "refining jing" (lianjing) means cultivating the primordial essence (yuanjing) that the body already possesses, the subtle vitality bestowed by heaven at birth, and not the seminal fluid produced by sexual desire. The so-called "refining qi" (lianqi) means cultivating primordial qi (yuanqi), the innate vital breath of life, and not the breath drawn through the mouth and nose. The so-called "refining shen" (lianshen) means cultivating primordial spirit (yuanshen), the innate spiritual nature inherent in a person, and not the thoughts and worries in the mind. Thus jing, qi, and shen share a root with heaven and earth and are one body with the myriad things. To hold them is to sustain life; to lose them is to bring life to its end. When they are transformed by yanghuo (Yang Fire, the active refining function that symbolizes the yang nature within neidan, or internal alchemy), they turn into yang qi. When they are nourished by yinfu (the yin talisman, the cultivating function that symbolizes the yin nature), they become yin jing. Therefore it is said: "When you see it, you must not use it directly; when you use it, you cannot see it."

The body is the dwelling of the mind, and the mind is the master of the body. When the intention runs wild, it is like a dragon that is hard to tame; when the body's energy surges fiercely, it is like a tiger. Within the body there is one point of true yang qi, yet the mind cannot perceive it.

The mind belongs to Qian (the trigram of heaven, yang), and the body belongs to Kun (the trigram of earth, yin). For this reason it is called the "qiankun dingqi" (the Qian-Kun cauldron vessel), which means that body and mind are likened to the furnace and cauldron used in alchemy.

Yang qi belongs to Li (the trigram of fire), and yin jing belongs to Kan (the trigram of water). For this reason they are called the "wu-tu yaowu" (the medicinals of the crow and the hare). "Crow" and "hare" are borrowed to refer to the sun and the moon, and they also symbolize the yin and yang qi.

Embracing and guarding the pure oneness, holding fast to the central equilibrium, refining primordial qi and nourishing the innate nature: for this reason it is called gathering the xiantian hunyuan zhi qi (the primordial, undifferentiated qi before heaven and earth separated and before yin and yang were distinguished).

In the morning one follows the image of the Tun hexagram, and in the evening the image of the Meng hexagram; daytime corresponds to the wushi (noon hour), and nighttime corresponds to the zishi (midnight hour). These statements explain how the huohou (fire timing) of the zhoutian (microcosmic orbit) is run in accordance with the seasons of the hours, that is, the rhythm by which qi is circulated in internal alchemy.

Muwye (wood fluid, the subtle qi belonging to the Wood phase) flourishes at the maoshi (dawn hour), and jinjing (metal essence, the subtle qi belonging to the Metal phase) flourishes at the youshi (dusk hour). For this reason one performs "muyu" (ablution), which means harmonizing the breath during the refining process and calming the fire so that its timing becomes gentle.

The eldest son of Zhen drinks the wine of the west, and the eldest daughter of Dui climbs the flowers of the north; the wind of Xun raises the six yang, and the earth of Kun stores the seven. These all use the symbols and numbers of internal alchemy to describe the changes of yin and yang qi, and for this reason one performs "chou-tian" (drawing and adding), which means adjusting the increase, decrease, advance, and retreat of qi according to the fire timing.

When one begins gathering the medicinals (the practitioner drawing in and condensing the essential Qi within the body), one must activate the pivot of Qian and Kun (symbolizing Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang) and draw upon the essence of Kan and Li (symbolizing water and fire, Yin and Yang). At first, the movement of Qi fills a thousand mountains like clouds and mist; then it reflects across ten thousand waters like moonlight. The Yin and Yang Qi join naturally, like the turtle and snake entwined or the horse and ox walking side by side. The dragon contends for the hun (ethereal soul), the tiger contends for the po (corporeal soul), the crow battles over jing (essence), and the hare battles over shen (spirit). These are all symbolic descriptions of the meeting of Yin-Yang, Jing, and Shen within the body. In a state of trance, zhen qian (true lead) appears, and within the deep darkness, zhen gong (true mercury) is contained. True lead and true mercury are the terms Neidan (internal alchemy) uses for the Yin and Yang essences of Qi. The Yellow Matron (huang po, symbolizing the intermediary that harmonizes Yin and Yang) then brings them together and settles them in the Central Palace (the Dantian region at the center of the body).

Lead that meets fire scatters, and mercury that meets fire flows away, so one must blend them with the Oil of Wuwei (symbolizing undisturbed nourishment) and steady them with the Unnamed Uncarved Block (symbolizing the original, unworked true nature). Lead is returned to the Kun palace (symbolizing the Yin position), and mercury to the Qian position (symbolizing the Yang position). Then, with True Earth (symbolizing the force that harmonizes Yin and Yang), they are fused, the radiance is stored within, and they rest in quiet stillness. If the fire is too intense, it becomes dry; if the water is too abundant, it overflows. Therefore, both fire and water must be regulated and managed according to the prescribed weights and measures.

When practice reaches this stage, wind arises in the Mud Pellet (the region of the head), the Crimson Palace (the region of the heart) shines like a bright moon, the fire of the Dantian blazes vigorously, and the Valley Sea (where the Qi within the body gathers) lies calm and unrippled. At the Jiaji (the spine between the shoulder blades), there is a sensation like a turning wheel; the limbs feel as steady as mountain stones; the pores open as if freshly bathed; and the bones and channels settle as in deep sleep. Spirit and intention join like a husband and wife in harmony, and the hun and po cling to one another like mother and child. These are genuine signs of the practice, not mere metaphors.

When the medicinals are refined according to the proper methods, they gather and do not scatter; when the weights are adjusted accurately, the elixir body condenses more firmly. The hun finds its place, the po gradually dissolves, Qi congeals, and spirit becomes unified; the mind grows calm and harmonious, and the skin becomes clear and transparent. As days and hours pass, the Qi gradually gathers, and what was formless gives rise to form, forming the sacred embryo (shengtai, the stage in Neidan practice that symbolizes the inner life taking shape).

A year has twelve months, a month has thirty days, and a day has one hundred ke (divisions of time). The practitioner must cause the Qi to condense and the spirit to become unified, keep the mind calm and harmonious, and let the skin become clear and transparent. As time passes, the process gradually gathers, and what was formless gives rise to form, forming the sacred embryo.

A year has twelve months, each counted as thirty days, and a day is divided into one hundred ke (ancient units of timekeeping). A month therefore totals three thousand ke, and ten months total thirty thousand ke. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, one should keep cultivation unbroken, as if it were present and yet not present. When the embryonic breath (taiqi) gathers, the infant appears, and the Dark Pearl (the symbol of neidan, Inner Alchemy) takes form, the Supreme One (taiyi, referring to the Great Dao or the original true qi) is contained within it.

Within thirty thousand ke, one can offset thirty thousand years of destiny in heaven. Why? Because each ke of effort contains the seasonal cycle of a year (the qi-transforming regularities of the four seasons' movement), so thirty thousand ke can equal thirty thousand years. A year of twelve months totals thirty-six thousand ke. Even ordinary, unenlightened people who cultivate can quickly enter the realm of the sage. Yet ordinary people, going about their daily affairs, do not realize that their Original Jing (the essential vital essence of life) is being depleted, their Original Qi is being exhausted, and their Original Shen (the spirit-source of the person) is scattering. Therefore every one of the thirty thousand ke must be harmonized. If even one ke is out of balance, the medicinal materials will be consumed and the fire-timing (huohou) will be insufficient. Hence it is said that when refining the elixir, even the slightest error means the elixir cannot be completed.

One should therefore practice constantly, yet without exhausting oneself. When true qi gathers, the Shen becomes vast. Inwardly, the elixir is refined over a year of thirty thousand ke; outwardly, it offsets thirty thousand years of destiny. Speaking on a grand scale, within a single day one forms an embryo from thirteen thousand five hundred breaths; speaking on a small scale, over the twelve double-hours (one day), qi circulates eighty-four thousand li. Thus it is said that this is taking the single point of yang qi of Heaven and Earth and gathering the essence of the movement of the sun and moon.

Let true water (zhenshui) circulate in the lead cauldron (the symbolic furnace of alchemy), and let true fire (zhenhuo) circulate in the mercury tripod. When lead meets mercury, this is called the "Flowery Pool" (huachi); when mercury enters into lead, this is called "divine water" (shenshui).

In cultivation, one should not cling to Wuwei (non-action), nor fall into deliberate contrivance. One should not be bound to visualization, nor cling to mere holding fast. One should not sit so long that the heart becomes like dead ashes, nor practice blindly.

True earth (zhentu, the neutralizing qi that harmonizes Yin-Yang and causes the medicinal substances to coagulate) subdues true lead. When true qi enters into lead, this is called "divine water."

Cultivating the Golden Elixir (Jindan) requires avoiding several errors at once. One must not cling single-mindedly to non-action (Wuwei), nor force or contrive results. One must not be confined to visualization, nor hold fast to a single method. One must not sit in stillness until the mind and spirit (Shen) fall into deathly quiet, and one must not practice blindly.

The verse "True Earth captures True Lead, True Lead subdues True Mercury; when Lead and Mercury return to True Earth, body and mind are still and unmoving" describes a sequence. True Earth gathers True Lead, True Lead subdues True Mercury, and finally Lead and Mercury are brought back to True Earth, so that body and mind reach a settled state.

The Way of the Golden Elixir turns on three things: lead, mercury, and earth. All three are terms of Neidan (internal alchemy). Lead belongs to the phases of Metal and Water, and mercury to Wood and Fire. "True Earth" refers to one's own Earth, the inner sense of centrality and uprightness within the practitioner. Neidan holds that the Five Phases (Wuxing) produce their subtle functions through mutual restraint. Earth therefore controls Lead, Lead controls Mercury, and each checks the others until all return to the thick, stable Earth, where the Golden Elixir is accomplished.

Shangyangzi said that using one's own Earth to restrain Water in order to obtain Lead expresses exactly this principle. The true qi of Lead lies hidden in the "Gate of Two and Eight," an inner-alchemy term for the critical point where True Lead is concealed and begins to stir. The practitioner must seize the moment of that stirring. Without one's own Earth, the inner responsiveness cannot join, and the medicinal substance cannot be obtained. Here the practitioner must discern and hold to the true mind, from which true intention arises. This requires patient, winding, and careful inquiry, and a gentle, humble manner of approach. This is what the Seal of the Unity of Three (Cantong qi) means by "keep it closely guarded and subtle, then open and spread the treasure," and it is the essential method for seeking True Lead.

"True" means pure and unmixed. If the Lead is genuine but the Earth is not true Earth, the true cannot be used to embrace the true, and impure elements will creep in. Once the medicinal substance is obtained and placed in the cauldron, one's own yin Mercury is naturally subdued, and the True Lead settles and does not scatter. This is like Water extinguishing Fire or Metal cutting Wood, the natural law of mutual restraint among the Five Phases.

The Seal of the Unity of Three says: "When Water is abundant, Fire is extinguished; all return to die in the thick Earth." In the Five Phases, Water is gathered in when it meets Earth, Fire is able to lie hidden when it meets Earth, and all living things grow only by relying on Earth. For this reason, Neidan takes the return to Earth as its ultimate destination, the means by which the sacred embryo is nourished and the elixir is perfected.

Everything had fallen silent and still. The body and the mind belonged respectively to the qi of the upper and lower xian (the two quarter-moon phases). The preface says that the body and mind are distinguished as the upper and lower xian. In the Way of the Golden Elixir (Jindan zhi Dao), movement serves as the function and stillness as the substance. Being utterly still and motionless is stillness, so what follows concerns the wonder of returning to quiet, settled stability.

Out of emptiness and nothingness arises white snow, and in stillness sprouts yellow sprout. In the jade furnace the fire burns gently, and above the golden cauldron rises purple radiance.

"Emptiness" and "stillness" refer to the state in which non-movement reaches its extreme. "White snow" and "yellow sprout" are both alternative names for the elixir ingredients. White snow stands for yin jing (yin essence), and yellow sprout stands for the first signs of the qian qi (lead qi) arising. The Cantong Qi (Seal of the Unity of Three) says: "Yin huo bai, huang ya qian" (The yin fire is white, the yellow sprout is lead). When both body and mind are still, the elixir qi gathers in the Zhonggong (Central Palace), the central region of the body where inner alchemy is practiced. One feels only that the breath flows smoothly and harmoniously and that vitality is lively, as though white snow were drifting through the air or tender yellow sprouts were pushing up from the soil. At this point the fire used in the practice should not be too fierce. It should be a gentle heat that nourishes, sustained without interruption. As the master said: "Dan zao he dong xiu ku ku, he tai gui xi zi mian mian" (At the furnace in the east of the river, do not strain yourself; the breathing of the crane's womb and the tortoise's stillness should continue long and unbroken). The meaning is that cultivation should not be rushed or forced. It should be as prolonged and quiet as a crane incubating its young or a tortoise breathing in stillness. As for the purple radiance rising above the cauldron, it is a metaphor for sunlight rising toward the crown of the head. The image borrows from the flames of external alchemy (waidan) only to make the experience easier to grasp.

The lotus blooms in the Huachi (Flowery Pool), a term in inner alchemy for the place of inner cultivation in the body, and the shenshui (divine water) ripples with golden light before falling still. Late at night the moon shines brightly, and heaven and earth seem to be a single round mirror.

The meanings of "Huachi" and "shenshui" have long been interpreted in several ways. An ancient song says: "Ming ji zhi zai jin hua chi" (The foundation of life lies only in the Golden Flowery Pool). Taken together with the account in the Wuzhen Pian (Awakening to Reality), "the lotus blooms in the Flowery Pool" refers to a young woman (shaonü, an inner alchemy term) first blossoming, like a flower of the northern lands. "Divine water" refers to one's own zhen gong (true mercury), a term in inner alchemy that symbolizes the yin essence refined during practice. When the water's ripples subside and its color becomes clear, this describes stillness and settledness reaching great depth. "The moon shines brightly at deep night" refers to the midnight hours, when the moonlight over the northern sea is bright. Here "deep night" denotes the junction between the haishi (21:00–23:00) and the zishi (23:00–01:00), and it also symbolizes the time of the winter solstice. "Heaven and earth a single round mirror" describes a radiance so clear that heaven and earth seem to hang a round mirror between them.

The medicinal substances can form only after the qi is abundant, and they can be gathered only once the heart-mind (xin) and spirit (shen) are calm and settled. When the Golden Essence (jinjing, the refined essential qi of inner alchemy) is vigorous and the Moonlight (a metaphor for a clear, luminous inner state) is pure and bright, the Golden Lotus has only just opened and the medicinal sprouts are fresh and newly emerging. At this time, the gathering must be carried out with tranquility and detachment, beginning with non-striving (bu zheng). It is like still water with a clear surface and undisturbed ripples, which can reflect all things. Only then can one obtain the Pearl of the Black Dragon (lilong zhi zhu, a metaphor for the precious inner elixir). If the heart is stirred by agitation, the essential qi will inevitably be disturbed, bringing danger, harm, and regret, and in the end the medicine cannot be obtained.

Cinnabar refines yang qi; mercury cooks golden essence. Golden essence and yang qi are cinnabar and mercury.

Cinnabar and mercury are both figurative names for the inner elixir. Here, cinnabar stands for yang qi once it has been refined, and mercury stands for the golden essence that has been cooked out of it. The inner elixir is formed through the shifting of the fire phases (huohou). During the twelve periods of the day, one nourishes and refines with the yang fire, and this produces yang qi, of which cinnabar is the solidified form. One then nurtures it with the yin tally (yinfu, the fire-phase practice that tends the yin qi), and this produces yin essence, of which mercury is the product.

Yet golden essence and yang qi are originally one and the same thing. Thus the line "golden essence and yang qi are cinnabar and mercury" means that a single entity can take different forms and cannot be cleanly divided into two separate things; it changes only as the fire phases shift. The preface's statement, "refining it with the yang fire makes it yang qi, and nurturing it with the yin tally makes it yin essence," expresses this same idea.

The sun's soul is the fat of the jade hare; the moon's spirit is the marrow of the golden crow. Seize them and return them to the cauldron, where they transform into a pool of water.

The sun's soul, the fat of the jade hare, the moon's spirit, and the marrow of the golden crow are all symbolic terms within inner alchemy. The practitioner gathers these yin and yang essences and places them in the cauldron (ding, a figurative vessel for inner alchemy), where they fuse and transform into a single pool of clear water.

Yin and Yang, the two refined qi, each contain the other within themselves, and so they are respectively called the "hun" (ethereal soul) and the "po" (corporeal soul). The hun is the essence of the sun, likened to the "fat of the jade hare," and corresponds to the central line of the Kan trigram; it is called true lead (zhen qian). The po is the substance of the moon, likened to the "marrow of the golden crow," and corresponds to the central line of the Li trigram; it is called true mercury (zhen gui). True lead and true mercury together are known as the "medicinals of the crow and hare" (wu tu yaowu). When these are gathered into the cauldron (ding, the symbolic site in internal alchemy where the medicinals are refined), they melt into water and form the golden fluid (jin ye). The phrase in the Cantong qi (Kinship of the Three), "dissolving and transforming into water, with horse-teeth and langgan gems," describes precisely this process.

When the medicinals first stir, they are no more than a rising of qi at the "Zeng Mountain" (a symbolic site of internal cultivation). This qi first becomes liquid, then condenses, and is finally refined into the returning elixir (huandan). The "jade nectar and sweet dew" and the "ambrosia poured over the crown" mentioned in various texts also refer to this same process.

The medicinals arise from the mysterious orifice (xuanqiao, the critical point where the qi's movement begins and converges in internal alchemy), and the fire-timing (huohou) is set in motion within the yang furnace. After the Dragon and Tiger (symbols of lead and mercury) meet, a mysterious pearl (xuanzhu, the symbol of the cultivation's achievement) condenses in the precious cauldron.

The earlier passages have already explained the medicinals and fire-timing in detail. Fearing that people would still not know where yin and yang join, the Immortal Elder (Xianweng) therefore points out this "orifice" once more. His meaning can be seen in the preface: "Within the body there is an orifice called the Mysterious Female (xuanpin, the Daoist root gate from which all things are born). It is not in the heart, the kidneys, the mouth or nose, the spleen or stomach, the lower passage, the bladder, the dantian, or the Muddy Pellet (niwan). Whoever understands this orifice will find that the winter solstice (dongzhi, the moment when yang qi begins to rise), the medicinals, the fire-timing, bathing (the cultivation stage for regulating fire-timing), the forming of the embryo, and the casting off of the body are all related to it. This orifice has no fixed boundary and no distinction of inside and outside; it is the root of spirit and qi, the valley of emptiness. One should realize it from within oneself and not seek it outside the body." Such guidance is concise in its words, yet complete in its meaning.

The "aperture" (qiao) here is not an ordinary orifice. It is the place where Heaven and Earth, Yin and Yang, transform together, and it is called the "Cavity of Spirit and Qi" (shenqi xue). Within it are contained the essential qi of the trigrams Kan and Li.

Someone asked, "What are the medicinals?" The answer was: "Yao" (medicinal) is the True Yi qi of Kan, that is, true lead (zhen qian), and "wu" (substance) is the essence long accumulated within Li, that is, true mercury (zhen gong). The Daodejing says, "Huānghuāng hūhū, qízhōng yǒu wù" ("Vague and elusive, within it there is a substance"), and here the "substance" refers to this. It also says, "Yǎoyǎo míngmíng, qízhōng yǒu jīng. Qí jīng shèn zhēn, qízhōng yǒu xìn" ("Dim and dark, within it there is essence. This essence is most real, and within it there is trustworthiness"), and here the "essence" refers to the "medicinal."

The medicinals arise in profound and elusive depths, so why is it said that they arise in the "Mysterious Aperture" (xuanqiao), the orifice where Yin and Yang essences meet? Because the foundation of Yin and Yang lies here, and the true essences contain one another. At this stage the Dragon and Tiger (longhu), symbols of Yin and Yang, have not yet united, and the Mysterious Female Gate (xuanpin), the portal where Yin and Yang meet and generate life, has not yet formed, so the medicinals still belong to the two separate households of Yin and Yang. When they return to a single place, spirit and qi naturally return to their origin and, within emptiness, form this aperture, which is called the Mysterious Female. The medicinals grow within it day by day. When practice reaches the completion of three hundred cycles of work (sanbai gong), one can shed the embryo and transform into spirit (tuotai shenhua). All of this depends on this aperture, and so it is said that the embryo is formed here, and that the separation from the physical body also happens here.

Someone asked, "Why does the fire-timing (huohou) of the winter solstice also occur here?" The answer was: "Fire-timing follows the hexagram numbers of the cosmic cycle (zhoutian), and its circulation takes place entirely within this place. The winter solstice that occurs here refers to the period from the last day of the lunar month to the early morning of the first day, when the qi of the Zhen trigram begins to receive the token and the yang furnace begins to kindle. This, however, is not the winter solstice described elsewhere. Therefore it is said that one should seek within oneself and not look outward. The Immortal Elder (xianweng) spoke with deep intent. When he said 'within the body,' he was teaching one first to recognize oneself. When he said 'do not seek it elsewhere,' he was reminding practitioners not to seek outside themselves."

Wood Mercury (mùgǒng) is a single spot of red spirit mercury (língǒng). "Wood Mercury" refers to one's own spirit mercury. Because it has no physical form that can be measured by weight, it is called "a single spot." Shangyang Zi says, "Simply use a little true mercury (zhēngǒng) nearby to welcome it," and this is the meaning.

Gold Lead (jīnqiān) is the true Yi water (yǐshuǐ) within the Kan trigram (Kǎn). Because water generates metal, it is called "Gold Lead." The commentary says "three jin," that is, forty-eight liang. Each liang of true lead contains three zhu, for a total of 144 zhu, which is exactly the number of stalks (cèshù) associated with the Kun trigram (Kūn). The complete form of Gold Lead is still intact, with its weight and measure whole, which is why this number is given.

Cinnabar (dānshā) is another name for the "Golden Liquid Returning Elixir" (jīnyè huándān). The "purple" here refers to the color made by combining red and black. The Cantong Qi (Cāntóngqì) says: "As the color changes, it turns purple, and the Returning Elixir is refined brightly."

"Gěnggěng" means bright and conspicuous. The Golden Elixir is the "substance" within formlessness and cannot be sought through outward shape or color. The immortal elder (xiānwēng) borrows directions and colors as metaphors, and in reverse uses images to point to people. The key lies in grasping the meaning beyond words. If one insists on finding a so-called "bright purple gold" before recognizing the Golden Elixir, one is like a fool dreaming, far from the true meaning.

Within the homestead, the scenery is bright and lovely, and wind and rain come just when spring is at its fullest. Plowing and weeding take no effort, and the earth seems everywhere to be gold.

"Homeland" (jiayuan) refers to the practitioner's own body. "The scenery is lovely" means the medicinals are already complete, and "wind and rain deep in spring" is a metaphor for the fire timing (huohou) being fully sufficient. Once the medicinals are gathered, they are placed in the cauldron (ding). The practitioner then embraces the One and guards the center (baoyi shouzhong), meaning they hold the mind-spirit (shen) steady so that it becomes single-pointed. The medicinals must still be blended with the "oil of non-action" (wuwei zhi you) and steadied with the "unnamed raw jade" (wuming zhi pu). In this way, even though cultivation requires the labor of ploughing, hoeing, and tilling, it does not demand excessive effort. When the work is complete and the medicine has transformed, this is what is meant by "the great earth turns into gold." Here "the great earth" also refers to the human body. Just as blood becomes white ointment and bone becomes like fine jade, yin qi is exhausted, yang qi becomes pure, and the physical form changes accordingly. The saying "a sixteen-foot golden body that does not decay across myriad kalpas" (wanjie) describes exactly this transformation and is not an empty claim. Another edition reads "bu fei li," meaning that cultivation must not be slack. However, given the sense of "yong zhi bu qin" (used without diligence) and "nan yi chou lao" (hard to trouble with worry and toil), "bu fei li" (not expending effort) is the more suitable reading.

True lead is born in Kan; its function lies in the Li palace. Turning black into red, a single cauldron thick with cloud-vapor.

This passage concerns where the medicinals arise and where they are used. True lead (zhen qian) arises in the Kan position, which belongs to Water. This is what is meant by "gold produced in water." Its function, however, lies in the Li palace, which belongs to Fire, where it subdues "mercury" (gui), an alchemical term often used for the yin, volatile medicinal. In the method of the elixir (dan fa), a black substance is cast into red. At this point true qi steams upward, and the contents of the cauldron blend harmoniously from top to bottom, like clouds rising over mountains and marshes. The line in the preface, "at first clouds fill a thousand mountains," probably refers to this very scene.

True mercury is produced in Li; its function lies instead in Kan. The maiden passes through the southern garden, holding a jade olive in her hand.

True Mercury (zhēn gǒng, an alchemical term often used to refer to the mind-spirit or yin-natured ingredient) arises from the Fire represented by the Li trigram (lí guà), and Fire belongs to the south. Yet in using True Mercury, one must seek Lead (qiān, an alchemical term often used to refer to the yang-natured ingredient) within the Water represented by the Kan trigram (kǎn guà). Maiden (chà nǚ) is another name for True Mercury, and the Southern Garden (nán yuán) is its native place. To "pass through the Southern Garden" means to set out from the place where True Mercury originally lies. Proceeding further to the Western Neighbor, Lead and Mercury then join and unite, and the Mysterious Pearl (xuán zhū, the term in Daoist alchemy for the substance condensed by internal alchemy) appears. Jade Olive is also another name for the Mysterious Pearl. The olive is bitter and astringent when first placed in the mouth, and its aftertaste turns sweet. Using it as a metaphor for the Mysterious Pearl is therefore most apt.

The trigrams Zhen, Dui, Kan, and Li are not identical to the East, West, North, and South. The rotation of the Northern Dipper's handle through the cycle of the heavens depends, in the end, on understanding how to gather the various factors together.

Zhen, Dui, Kan, and Li are the trigrams that represent the Four Images (sì xiàng), while East, West, South, and North are the directions corresponding to those Images. In alchemical practice, one must gather the Five Phases and harmonize the Four Images, bringing them to rest in the Central Palace (zhōng gōng, the central position), so that the four directions merge into one. Thus Metal is no longer fixed in the West, Wood is no longer fixed in the East, Fire is no longer fixed in the South, and Water is no longer fixed in the North. When the Four Images return to the Central Palace, the directions are likewise unified. At this point there are neither hexagram lines nor fixed directions, and form and appearance dissolve. They cannot be pursued in ordinary language, which is why the process is called "Dan" (the elixir).

The key to alchemy lies in using the rotation of the Northern Dipper's handle through the cycle of the heavens to master the fire-timing (huǒ hòu, the regulation of heat through its stages). Only when the stages and hours of the fire-timing meet the required measures can the work of mixing Yin and Yang be completed. As the heavens move according to the Dipper, they circulate the Primordial Qi (yuán qì), and the Five Qi unfold in sequence, forming the seasons and the annual cycle. The human body also follows corresponding patterns of movement. If one cannot "observe the Way of Heaven and follow its course," and grasp and turn the "Polar Star" (chén jí, a concept symbolizing the Pivot of Heaven and the axis of movement) within oneself, how could the elements be gathered and mixed to refine the Elixir of True Yi (zhēn yǐ zhī dān)?

The fire-timing of alchemy need not be bound to specific hours, and the winter solstice does not necessarily fall in the Zi hour. As for the method of bathing (mù yù), the Mao and You hours are only analogies.

In the account of the golden elixir's fire-timing, the six hours following the Zi hour are Yang, and the six hours following the Wu hour are Yin. At the junction of the Hai and Zi hours, a single Yang Qi is reborn, and this is called the "winter solstice" (dōng zhì). The months of Mao and You are the times when Wood Qi and Metal Qi, respectively, are at their peak. Therefore, according to the rule, one should carry out "bathing" (mù yù, an alchemical term for a stage in the fire-timing in which Yin and Yang are regulated and allowed to rest). These teachings embody the regularity of Yin-Yang movement and the fixed order of natural transformation, and they admit not the slightest error.

At the moment of transition, the qi of the single Yang is reborn, and this is called the Winter Solstice (dongzhi). In the months of Mao and You, Wood qi and Metal qi are at their height, and according to the method one should undertake muyu (bathing, the stage of regulating the breath and quiet nourishment in practice). This is the fixed principle of the movement of Yin-Yang and the regularity of natural change, and not the slightest error can be permitted.

Yet while the method has fixed seasons, the application of the principle is flexible and complete, and the key to its operation lies in the mind. Therefore, the timing for rujiao (adding the medicinals) and qihuo (raising the fire) each has its advance and retreat, and need not be bound to the Hour of Zi or the Hour of Wu. When the qi of the Zhen trigram stirs and fuxin (talismanic tokens, the omens in internal alchemy that signal the stirring of qi) are received, there is genuine responsiveness, not limited to the month of Zi. The muyu of the Golden Elixir (jindan) likewise has its own appropriate season and need not be restricted to Mao and You. The Ru Yao Jing (Mirror on Entering the Medicine) says: "Within one day, across the twelve double-hours, wherever the intention reaches, it may be carried out." It also says: "When the embryo first forms, one looks to the benming (one's birth-determined constitution); at the final sloughing of the embryo, one looks to the Four Cardinal Positions (the four directional reference points used in cultivation)." These lines illuminate one another.

The Black Liver and the Rabbit Marrow, which symbolize the essential qi of the Kan and Li trigrams, must be gathered into a single place. One grain follows another, accumulating from the subtle until it becomes manifest.

The Black Liver and Rabbit Marrow are the essential qi of Kan and Li, and they must be gathered and returned to one place before the embryo of the Golden Elixir can form. Once the fire moves through the zhoutian (the microcosmic orbit) and the work is complete at three hundred, one accumulates day by day, one grain at a time, growing from small to manifest. Then the infant appears, followed by the sloughing of the embryo (tuotai) and spiritual transformation (shenhua).

Chaos (hundun) enfolds the void, and the void in turn encompasses the Three Realms. Seek its source, and one finds only a single grain, the size of a millet kernel.

The Desire Realm, the Form Realm, and the Formless Realm are together called the "Three Realms," and all three are contained within the void, which in turn is embraced by chaos. Here "chaos" (hùndùn) refers to the state of primordial Wuji, before heaven and earth had separated. When the alchemical teachings speak of shen and qi returning to their root, entering emptiness, and giving rise to spiritual apertures, they mean that subtle and numinous qualities can arise from what has no form. This is the void embracing the Three Realms. After the birth of the immortal embryo (tuōtāi), the practitioner must return to emptiness and merge into chaos before cultivation is complete. This is chaos embracing the void. Yet when we trace the root of establishing one's destiny, it begins with a mysterious pearl no larger than a grain of millet, a symbol of the minute and subtle inner elixir, which gradually becomes manifest from the small. The millet-sized pearl arises from non-being, and after the embryo is transformed into spirit, it returns to non-being. Once this point is reached, the realm becomes unfathomable, and one becomes one with the Great Dao (dàodào).

◎ Heaven and earth exchange true fluids, and sun and moon contain true essence. Grasp the foundation of Kan and Li, and the Three Realms return to a single body.

Heaven and earth are the whole in which Yin-Yang (yīnyáng) unite, and sun and moon are the essences that Yin and Yang each contain. When heaven and earth join, the essences of sun and moon unite; when true essences unite, the true fluids of heaven and earth begin to circulate. Kan and Li are the images of Water and Fire in the Bagua (bāguà), and they also stand for sun and moon. A practitioner who understands this principle establishes the foundation of the elixir (dānjī), the root of inner alchemy (nèidān), and can then hold the transformations of the universe in the palm of the hand and experience the generation of all things as though they issued from one's own body. In this way the Three Realms return to a single body. Here the Three Realms refer to the different levels within the human body itself: when Jing (jīng) is dominant, it is the Desire Realm; when Qi (qì) is dominant, it is the Form Realm; and when Shen (shén) is dominant, it is the Formless Realm.

◎ The Dragon comes from the Eastern Sea, and the Tiger rises from the Western Mountain. The two beasts wage a battle and transform into the marrow of heaven and earth.

The Dragon comes from the sea in the East, and the Tiger rises from the mountains in the West. Their meeting is like a battle, and in the end they combine into the essence of heaven and earth. In inner alchemy, Dragon and Tiger are common symbols for opposing forces such as Yin and Yang or Water and Fire. "Battle" describes their mutual refining, and "marrow of heaven and earth" refers to the essence that condenses after this refining.

Since the "medicinal substances" (yaowu) have already been designated by "Kan and Li," the symbols of water and fire and of Yin-Yang, what, then, do "Dragon and Tiger" refer to? The names and characters used in the alchemical classics (danjing) differ, yet the principles they describe share a single source. The lead within Kan is hard to obtain and easily harms the practitioner, so it is compared to the Tiger. The mercury within Li easily scatters and is hard to control, so it is compared to the Dragon. The Dragon comes from the Eastern Sea and arrives at the Tiger; the Tiger rises from the Western Mountains and emerges to follow the Dragon. In practice, one must bring the Dragon to the Tiger and also cause the Tiger to follow the Dragon. The two images then join and contend in the "Palace of Wuji" (the central earth position, a symbol of the center), until they merge into one and transform into the essence of Heaven and Earth, and the Returning Elixir (huandan) is completed. This "essence of Heaven and Earth" is in fact the Jing of Kan and Li, and there are not two different things.

The golden blossom opens upon the mercury leaves, and the jade stem grows upon the lead branches. Kan and Li have never been separated, while Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth) have turned through countless years.

In the flowers and plants, the blossom is held among the leaves and the stem grows from the branch, both reflecting the subtle relation by which Yin and Yang depend on one another and join together. As a metaphor for alchemy, the golden blossom opening on the mercury leaves signifies Yin containing Yang, which corresponds to the lead within Kan. The "jade stem" refers to the root of life, the foundation of the life-force, which is also the yin'e, a term for the base in which the Neidan (internal alchemy) practice gathers and nurtures the embryo of the elixir. The life-foundation cannot stand on its own; it must be united with the true lead and with one's own mercury. Only after this does Shen (spirit) and Qi (vital energy) meet and condense, forming the Sacred Embryo (shengtai), the embryo of the elixir in Neidan practice. Thus it is said that the jade stem grows on the lead branch.

The joining and binding of Yin and Yang are both patterns of natural creation. The ancient practitioners called them Kan and Li to reveal the subtle way in which Yin and Yang store one another within themselves, and they used the sun and moon as emblems to show the wonder of their mutual radiance. In this way, the principles of the alchemical method become clear. Observe how Heaven and Earth each occupy their place, how the sun and moon move without pause, and how day and night follow one another without end. Because of this, Qian and Kun endure without decay, and ten thousand ages are as one day. This is the root of it.

Thus Heaven and Earth have been so since antiquity, and the sun and moon have likewise been so since antiquity. Since the movement of the sun and moon has been so since antiquity, the method of refining the elixir has also been so since antiquity. If the sun and moon were to pause in their motion, the myriad things could not grow, and Heaven and Earth would nearly come to a standstill. How then could the elixir method remain subtle and efficacious and endure forever? The "some time" mentioned here refers to a single day within a long span of years. Some have taken the preface's phrase "a single moment of work can equal a year of Heaven and Earth" as an explanation, but this differs greatly from the meaning intended here.

"Bathing" serves to guard against danger, and "drawing and adding" must be handled with care. Ten months of work amount to roughly thirty thousand ke, and if there is the slightest error, it may be off by no more than a hair's breadth.

When the sun's motion reaches the hours of Mao and You, punishment and killing meet the De (Virtue) qi, and according to the elixir method one should bathe. What is called "bathing" is precisely a means of preventing danger. The bathing here has two meanings. First, during the hours of Mao and You the qi of Wood and Metal is at its height, and if fire were added at this time, the medicinals might scatter and slip out of control. Second, at these hours the Yin-Yang qi tends toward balance, and if fire were added, one might cause an excessive imbalance. Therefore the fire must be stopped during bathing, so that no danger arises. "Drawing" means extracting lead, and "adding" means adding mercury. "Carefully holding oneself" means that every advance, retreat, rise, and fall of the fire timing must be handled with caution, so that it accords with the heavenly timing without fail. If the slightest thought goes astray, regret and fault will follow, and the work of thirty thousand ke, before and after, may be wasted as a result. "Thirty thousand ke" refers to ten months. As for the terms "drawing and adding," the author notes that most who study elixir-making do not understand them, and he has already explained them in the Xuanfu Lun (Treatise on Profound Subtlety).

"When husband and wife unite, in the chamber of clouds and rain they join; in one year a child is born, and each one can ride a crane."

The Way of the Golden Elixir (jindan) follows the ordinary course to generate a person, and reverses that ordinary course to refine an elixir. Therefore the immortals understand this principle. The author says he has already explained it in the Xuanfu Lun.

In the Golden Elixir (Jindan, Golden Elixir) tradition, following the ordinary course of nature leads one to become a mortal, whereas reversing the transformations of yin and yang (Yin-Yang) is what allows the Golden Elixir to be refined. For this reason, the Immortal Elder (Xianweng, a respectful title for an immortal) uses the affairs of a bridal chamber couple as a metaphor at the end of the text, to make the principle easier to grasp. This is not, however, the worldly matter of marriage between a man and a woman. The sage understood the transformations of yin and yang deeply, and so within the state where yin and yang contain one another, was able to grasp and reverse the pivotal mechanisms of creation. Conception and gestation take ten months, no different from ordinary human pregnancy; yet once the child is born from the womb, its transformations are boundless and cannot be fathomed. In sum, the manifestations of immortal realms, such as riding dragons and steering cranes, are all transformations displayed by Yang Jing (the yang-natured essence, referring in Neidan (Internal Alchemy) practice to yang-aspect vital essence). The marvelous function of this Dao reaches everywhere and penetrates everything; how could it be measured by ordinary understanding?