《陳虛白規中指南》

Guide to the Inner Compass by Chen Xubai – A Vernacular Interpretation

1. Cessation of Thoughts

The first step in cultivation is to still wandering thoughts (when essence [Jing] is abundant, one won’t crave sensual pleasures; when vital energy [Qi] is full, one won’t overindulge in food). The human body is precious, and the innate spiritual nature bestowed by heaven and earth is inherently complete. Only by exploring the origin of life (the "Moon Grotto" refers to the kidneys, the "Heavenly Root" to the navel) can one grasp the truth of all things. When the mind (represented by the Qian trigram) harmonizes with the breath (the Xun trigram), observe the kidney Qi; when the body (the Kun trigram) meets vitality (the Zhen trigram), focus on the Dantian (energy center). Moving freely between the Dantian and kidney Qi will enliven all the meridians (the "Thirty-Six Palaces").

(The key to practice lies in recognizing thoughts: the moment a thought arises, be aware of it, and with awareness, it dissolves. If even a trace of distraction remains, cultivation is impossible.) "No-thought" does not mean being lifeless like wood or stone but maintaining a state of mindful clarity. When right mindfulness arises, turn inward and let the spirit [Shen] guide the Qi, allowing Qi to return to the spirit. The fusion of spirit and Qi forms the inner elixir [Neidan] (symbolized by mercury and lead). Restrain the mind like tethering a wild horse or caging a restless monkey, patiently refining the inner elixir. The Great Dao [Dao] demands first the cessation of thoughts—if the mind remains scattered, all effort is in vain.

2. Gathering the Medicinal Ingredients

A restless mind prevents the spirit from merging with Qi (one must calm the heart and nurture the spirit); a restless body prevents Qi from uniting with the spirit (one must stabilize the spirit and forget the form). "Gathering the medicinal ingredients" means collecting the body’s essential treasures (spirit [Shen], Qi, and essence [Jing]). The method lies in gathering body and mind, storing spirit and Qi. Only when thoughts are settled and spirit-Qi is complete can the alchemical furnace (the lower Dantian) be established to refine the Golden Elixir [Jindan].

3. Recognizing the Furnace and Cauldron

(The "Mysterious Feminine" [Xuanpin] refers to the Dantian; the "True Person" is the original spirit [Yuanshen].) The Dantian is pure white like silk, circular and connected, about 1.2 inches in size, containing the essence of the whole body. To preserve the undying original spirit, one must root it in the Dantian. When true essence returns to the Yellow Court (the "Golden Chamber"), it is like a luminous pearl eternally dwelling within.

4. Introducing the Medicinal Ingredients and Igniting the Fire

(The original spirit [Shen] is the fire; the original Qi is the medicinal ingredient.) Draw the true Yang from kidney water (the Kan trigram) to transform the true Yin within heart fire (the Li trigram). Through this, the body of pure Yang is forged, enabling mastery over both withdrawal and ascent.

5. The Union of Kan and Li

(Guide the Yin and Yang Qi through the Governing and Conception Vessels [the "Yellow Path"], merging the Three Treasures—essence [Jing], Qi, and spirit [Shen]—in the Dantian [the "Primordial Palace"].)

The dragon of lead (a metaphor for original Jing) rises; the tiger of mercury (a metaphor for original Shen) descends; harness these two, dragon and tiger, to unite; do not let them become indulgent and scattered. The union of Kan (water, kidneys) and Li (fire, heart), also called the Small Heavenly Circuit (Xiao Zhoutian, preliminary circuit circulation), can be seen within one hundred days of foundation building: water and fire rise and descend in the Central Palace (Huangting); Yin-Yang blend in the elixir cauldron (Dantian, energy center); clouds gather and rain disperses; true Qi condenses and original Shen becomes stabilized; these are the signs of efficacy. Ziyang Zhenren (Zhang Boduan) says: Once dragon and tiger unite, they become attached to each other; as soon as Kan and Li join, the embryo of Neidan (internal alchemy) is formed; that brimming, overflowing handful of the essence of Heaven and Earth must be attentively gathered and swallowed.

The union of Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth), the sixth: inner union and outer union; after the Three Passes (Weilu, Jiaji, Yuzhen) are thoroughly opened, there is no need for laborious effort; true Qi goes straight up from the Dantian to Niwan (the crown of the head); let the Heche (the movement of true Qi along the Ren and Du channels) circulate naturally several hundred times. Langranzi says: The double pass at Jiaji penetrates through to the crown gate; in the path of cultivation this is the most honored; the divine water of Huachi (beneath the tongue in the mouth) should be swallowed frequently; the Yuanjun (a metaphor for original Shen) in Zifu (the upper Dantian) rushes straight upward; constantly let true Qi break open the joints so that they become penetrable; naturally Jing becomes full and the Gushen (original Shen) remains guarded; one day, when you attain the great Dao of vast emptiness, you must feel gratitude toward the one who instructed you at the beginning. The union of Qian and Kun is also called the Large Heavenly Circuit (Da Zhoutian, a higher-level circuit circulation); it appears after the union of Kan and Li; because the medicine (the medicine of Neidan) has already been generated, it is brought forth at this time. The oral formula says: Li rises from below Kan; Dui is generated in the cauldron; Li is fire; Kan is water; Dui is metal; metal is medicine. This means that fire is kindled from within water to cook and refine the medicine in the cauldron.

Zhuangzi says: Only when there is fire within water is the Great Clod (Heaven and Earth) accomplished. Yuchan (Bai Yuchan) says: A single point of true Yang is born within Kan; it fills the deficiency of the Li palace; transformation occurs without sound; fire arises in water, as if at the Xuwei cavity (the place between the kidneys where fire is generated). Danyang Zhenren (Ma Yu) says: When fire is activated in water, stop the scenery of the mind; when flowers bloom in snow, extinguish the spring within the intention. Its signs of proof are as follows: the Jiaji feels like a wheel; the four limbs feel like mountain rocks; the two kidneys feel as if boiled in hot water; the bladder also grows hot as if boiled in hot water.

The bladder region (here referring to the lower-jiao Dantian area) heats like fire, and in the space of a single breath the heavenly mechanism spontaneously activates. Circulate it gently; in silence the breath becomes subtle. Use intention to stabilize the breath and comply with the pivot of creation and transformation. Thereupon Metal and Wood (metaphors for Yin-Yang and disposition within the body) naturally blend, and Water and Fire (metaphors for heart and kidneys, Shen and Qi) naturally rise and descend. Suddenly a pearl as small as a millet grain falls into the Huangting (Yellow Court, the vital center of the Dantian). Continuing to use the key mechanism of gathering lead and casting it into mercury (lead and mercury symbolize the union of prenatal original Qi and original Shen), within a hundred days one may form the elixir and complete the work of perfection in a single day. At this time body and mind are an undivided whole, equal to the void; one does not know the body as self or the self as body, nor does one know Shen as Qi or Qi as Shen. Such creation is not cunxiang (visualization), not fabrication, but is simply spontaneous, and one does not know why it is so. The Fuming pian (Chapter on Returning to Life) says: “At the bottom of the well a mud snake dances the Zhezhi dance; before the window the bright moon shines on plum and pear. At night Hundun falls to the ground; the myriad phenomena in dense array are all unknown.”

Section Seven, “Cuanzu Huohou” (Cuanzu: gathering and regulating; Huohou: the grasp of timing and fire intensity in practice): Above it props up heaven, below it stands on earth—just this one thing is it. Once one knows where the cauldron-vessel (a metaphor for the body-mind furnace and cauldron) is, beginning the work is easy. “Hidden dragon, do not use” (hidden and not lightly employed): when the first yang is just born, one should keep quiet; intention should be sincere and the mind stable. The dragon’s virtue is hidden; one should not rashly advance the fire. “Dragon appearing in the field”: stir the Xun wind (a metaphor for breathing and fire timing) and circulate the fire work; in an instant the whole cauldron glows red. The image of the dragon appearing in the field nearly pervades the void. “Whole day diligent”: heaven and earth unite, Yin-Yang are balanced; mercury eight liang, lead half a jin. The Channü (the Maiden, a metaphor for the yin spirit and heart-spirit) gathers her sleeves, and the Infant (a metaphor for the yang spirit and original essence) looks up and follows. “Or leaping in the abyss”: water controls fire and metal overcomes wood; at this point one should bathe (warmly nourish and regulate the breath), [as in] “or leaping in the abyss”; maintain sincerity and be cautious when alone. “Flying dragon in the sky” symbolizes the rising of yang Qi. “Arrogant dragon has regret” symbolizes that when fullness reaches its extreme one must be on guard. At this moment mercury is about to fly and lead is about to run; one should carefully guard and maintain, drawing together and tying off the bottomless bag (a metaphor for carefully guarding Jing and Qi so they do not leak out). “Yellow lower garment, supreme good fortune”: empty the heart and fill the belly; one should quietly wait for yang Qi to return. Within a single movement, the full count of the heavenly circuit is reached. “Dragons fighting in the wild”: the host of yang is peeled away, the elixir light arrives in full, Jing coagulates and original Qi comes to rest; gather it back into the central palace, and then one obtains “yellow lower garment, supreme good fortune.” Nourishing the fire: the fire timing of warm nourishment. Once Yin has hidden and lain low, it will generate Yang again; at this point one must be on guard. If one encounters the “wild battle” (the contention of Yin and Yang), “its blood is dark yellow” (a metaphor for the danger of injury).

Section Eight, “Yang Shen Leaves the Embryo” (Yang Shen: the spirit of pure yang; leaving the embryo: a metaphor for the spirit departing the physical frame): Overturning the cauldron and kicking over the furnace is the completion of the work; producing the mysterious pearl (a metaphor for the sign of the elixir’s completion), returning to the root and restoring life, embracing the origin and returning to emptiness. The circle ○ symbolizes the state of returning to emptiness.

Practice the fire timing for three hundred days; in ten days the embryo forms; the Shen (spirit) leaves the body, now departing and now returning; looking back at the old body, it is like a heap of dung. Within ten or a hundred paces, it must be carefully guarded and protected; the newly formed Shen is like an infant not yet grown and must rely on the nurturing grace of father and mother. When the work deepens over nine years or three years, all human entanglements are exhausted; one roams freely through heaven and earth and is no longer constrained by the physical body received from parents. The ninth section, “Forgetting Shen and Merging with the Void,” discusses forgetting Shen and uniting with the void; that Shen appears outside the body is still not considered extraordinary; only when even the void is shattered is the whole body revealed. Few know the Supreme Mysterious Gate; the utmost Dao of mystery upon mystery is originally non-dual with suchness (true suchness); it is the image of drawing the sun and moon and Yin-Yang back to the source, of leaping out of Fuyu (heaven and earth) and seeing the Great Void; only when cultivation reaches the point where both form and Shen are wondrous does one know the original face before one’s parents were born. Who transmitted these mysterious tidings? Mr. No-Mouth (a metaphor for the wordless self-nature) gave them to me in person. This is the ci poem “Jie Pei Ling” composed by Perfected Zhang.

The Yangshen (yang spirit, called the spirit of pure yang in Neidan [internal alchemy]) leaves the body and enters a profound, obscure, and boundless state; in a single instant it secretly journeys through all the Three Isles (a paradisiacal realm, a metaphor for the upper, middle, and lower Dantian [energy centers]); once its coming and going is thoroughly familiar, one must hold it steady and still, and no longer seek any other marvel; when it merges with true emptiness, there is nothing more to do. The three essentials of Neidan: the three keys of internal alchemy. There are three keys to Neidan, called Xuanpin (the Mysterious Female; the one aperture of the Mysterious Pass), the medicine (yaowu), and fire phasing (huohou). The alchemical scriptures and masters’ writings have condensed them into hidden language, into riddling phrases like “yellow silk and young woman,” so that readers are confused. Now I, garrulous and loose-tongued, will directly break it open for everyone under heaven; though my words are minute and fragmented, my intent is clarification. Every word is a true formula; we show one another our very lungs and livers, disclosing the mechanism of creation and threading through the marrow of Yin-Yang. The secrets never transmitted in ancient or modern times are all here. It is like a whale swallowing all the seawater and revealing the coral branches.

Diagram of Xuanpin: an illustration of the one aperture of the Mysterious Pass. The true clue to this one aperture of the Mysterious Pass lies wondrously in a single phrase truly transmitted by the master. It gathers the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and clusters the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water); clouds scatter in the azure sky, and the mountain’s colors are still; it pierces through the Weilu Pass and reaches the Niwan Palace; the crane returns to the elixir palace, and the moon disk shines alone.

The poem says: Before chaos was born, chaos was complete; the message within it cannot be transmitted in words; open the aperture within the aperture, the aperture at the center of the aperture; trample through the heaven within heaven and the heaven beyond heaven; only when the handle of the Northern Dipper turns backward is there the sign of the elixir; only when the light of the Lingtai (Spirit Terrace) reflects back does one become immortal; once you scoop up the moon at the heart of the pool, you see through the barbarian monk’s wall-gazing Chan.

Mercury and lead share one family with Xuanpin; from this one becomes the vigorous body of Qian (Heaven); dragon and tiger, Yin and Yang, share one original nature; hiding and leaping are all governed by the mind.

The poem says: On the mountain of the Five Aggregates (the Buddhist five aggregates, a metaphor for body and mind) there is much white snow; deep in the white clouds the medicine sprouts are fragrant; the Buddha King of Awesome Sound (the name of a past Buddha, borrowed here for the pre-heaven) sows at any time; Yuanshi Tianzun (a high Daoist deity, borrowed here for the pre-heaven) sets his hand to plowing; the stone maiden (in alchemical discourse, a metaphor for true yang within yin) rides a dragon and bears fruit in the deep rain; the wooden man (a metaphor for true yin within yang) drives a tiger and plucks frost-covered rue; whether poor or rich, every household has it; gathered and brought back, it is one catty in all (a metaphor for pre-heaven Qi [vital energy]).

Diagram of Fire Phasing: an illustration of Neidan fire phasing. There is no need to divide Zi and Wu (midnight and noon) by the clepsydra’s time. Diagram of the Five Precepts (wujie): a schema for upholding the Five Precepts. In the realm where yao lines and trigrams are not used, one discerns Qian and Kun (Heaven and Earth).

The poem says: The true person without rank (the original primordial spirit) refines the Great Elixir; a long sword leaning against the sky chills a person; the jade furnace’s fire forges the Celestial Worthy’s marrow; the golden cauldron’s broth boils the Buddha Patriarch’s liver; the cold and warmth of a hundred marks are fixed amid busyness; the civil and martial fire of the six yao lines is examined in stillness.

Someone may ask: Where is the true furnace and cauldron? Can it really be separate from this present body of red flesh?

Xuanpin (the Mysterious Female) refers to the mysterious, transformative gate and cavity within the human body.

The Wuzhen pian (Awakening to Reality) says: If you wish the Valley Spirit (primordial Shen) to remain deathless for long, you must establish its foundation through Xuanpin. Once true Jing (essence) has returned to the Yellow Gold Chamber (another name for the Dantian, the energy center), a bright pearl (a metaphor for the Golden Elixir) will never leave.

Within the human body there is a cavity called Xuanpin. It is generated by receiving original Qi; it is truly the mansion where Shen dwells and the place where the Three Primes (Jing, Qi, and Shen) gather, with no need to distinguish among them. When Jing, Shen, Hun, and Po (essence, spirit, ethereal soul, and corporeal soul) converge in this cavity, it is the root of the Golden Elixir’s return and the place where immortals congeal the sacred embryo.

The ancients called it the stem of Taiji (the Supreme Ultimate), the handle of the Prenatal, the ancestor of emptiness and nonbeing, the root of primordial chaos, the valley of the Great Void, the source of creation and transformation, the cavity of returning to the root, the pass of restoring the mandate, the Gate of Wu and Ji, the Chamber of Geng and Xin, the Door of Jia and Yi, the Southwestern Region, the Place of True Unity, the Chamber of Central Yellow, the Mansion of the Elixir Origin, the Altar of Guarding the One, the Crescent Moon Furnace, the Cinnabar Cauldron, the Dragon and Tiger Cavity, the House of the Yellow Dame, the Lead Furnace, the Earth Cauldron, the Flowery Pond of Spirit Water, the Spirit Chamber of the Emperor One, the Numinous Terrace and the Crimson Palace—all refer to the same place.

Yet when seeking it in the body, it is not the mouth, not the nose, not the heart, not the kidneys, not the liver, not the lungs, not the spleen, not the stomach, not the umbilical wheel (the Qi-wheel at the navel), not the Weilü (the end of the tailbone), not the bladder, not the grain passage (the anus), not the point between the two kidneys, not the place one inch and three-tenths below the navel, not the Mingtang (inside, between the eyebrows), not the Niwan (the crown of the head), not Guanyuan, and not Qihai.

Then where exactly is it? It is said: My wondrous formula is called Guizhong (the way of guarding the center); when the single intention is not scattered, one forms the embryonic immortal (the immortal embryo of Neidan, internal alchemy).

The Cantong qi (Zhouyi Cantong qi, Seal of the Unity of the Three) says: The true person hides in the deep abyss, floating and roaming while guarding the center—this is precisely speaking of that place.

Laozi says: Much speech leads to exhaustion; it is better to guard the center.

It is precisely below Qian, above Kun, west of Zhen, and east of Dui; it is the place where Kan and Li, water and fire, unite, and it is the exact center in which the human body corresponds to heaven and earth.

The eight vessels, nine orifices, and meridians connect and converge there; within them is a vacant, unoccupied cavity in which a millet-grain pearl (a metaphor for the Golden Elixir) hangs suspended in emptiness. It is not established depending on physical form; it arises only depending on the body of Dao. It seems to exist and yet not exist, as if gone and yet as if present. It has no inside and no outside, yet within it are Qian and Kun; the yellow center penetrates the pattern, and it occupies the correct position and resides in the body.

The Book of Documents says: “Be refined and unified; sincerely hold fast to the center” (that is, concentrate with undivided purity and sincerely hold to the middle way).

The Duren jing says: “Order the Five Qi in the center and blend the hundred Shen” (that is, harmonize the Qi of the five viscera and merge the hundred spirits).

Master Cui (Cui Xifan) says that it pierces the Weilü and penetrates the Niwan.

Chunyang (Lü Dongbin) says, “Exhaustively seek the beginning when the newborn body first received Qi”—that is, to investigate thoroughly the original beginning when a person first received life and received original Qi.

Pingshu (Zhang Boduan) says, “I urge you to exhaustively seek it”—this is to urge people to investigate thoroughly the root of receiving Qi at birth.

The "Chen Xubai's Guide to the Center" discusses a mysterious aperture in the human body known as the "Mysterious Pass" (Xuanguan), which is the key to Neidan (internal alchemy) practice.

This location in the body is where primordial Qi (innate life energy) originates and true breath (innate respiration) emerges. Bai Yuchan (a renowned Southern Song dynasty Daoist master) referred to it as the "thought-moment." Practitioners of the Golden Elixir who fail to understand the significance of this aperture will find their true breath unstable and their cultivation rootless.

The Mysterious Pass has several distinctive characteristics:

1. It exists innately while connecting to postnatal life, where the primordial and postnatal Qi intermingle in a state of chaos—seemingly present yet absent. Within it resides a special form of Jing (vital essence) and "substance" (primordial matter), neither of which corresponds to ordinary understandings of essence or materiality.

2. All things between heaven and earth rely on it: heaven remains clear because of it, earth stays tranquil through it, and humans gain wisdom from it. Master Tan (likely referring to Tang dynasty Daoist Tan Qiao) described it as both the gateway for absorbing vast primordial Qi and the vessel for gathering the radiance of primordial Shen (spirit), akin to a pearl within an oyster or jade hidden within stone.

3. It has no fixed form or location and cannot be conceptualized through concrete imagery. Any attachment to Wuwei (non-action), deliberate striving, empty speculation, or forceful retention would be misguided.

Various alchemical texts employ different metaphors for it:

• Some compare it to Mount Penglai, the celestial mountain, with its tightly sealed interior
• Others liken it to a chicken egg—where black and white intermingle within a space of one cun (Chinese inch), requiring ten months of gestation-like cultivation to break through
• Still others describe it as a white silk ribbon forming a circle, measuring 1.2 cun, containing the essence of the entire body

However, these metaphors are merely expedient means for understanding and should not be taken literally. Forcing the Mysterious Pass to conform to images of Penglai, an egg, or a circular object would lead practitioners astray. Bai Yuchan emphasized that this aperture appears to exist yet lacks substantial form—it can only be apprehended through personal cultivation experience. Its principle fundamentally aligns with the natural movements of heaven, earth, sun, and moon, resembling the state of primordial chaos described in the "Zhouyi" (Book of Changes).

(This passage primarily stresses that the Mysterious Pass represents the formless origin of life. Practitioners must value it without clinging to specific forms, requiring direct experiential verification through practice.)

The word chu means the place where one is. At the beginning of mutual contact, establish the foundation. Cultivate and nourish the physical form (Yin’e; in Neidan, the bodily cauldron-vessel). Condense the Shen and the mind to accomplish the Dao-body. Then Shen and Qi have somewhere to rely on and return to, and the hun and po souls will not become scattered. Turning the light back to shine within (withdrawing the mind for inner contemplation), one returns to one’s original place. Even in haste and urgency one does not leave it; one constantly abides in this place. His poem says: In cultivating Yin’e, one must realize emptiness; settle the original Shen within it. Breathing comes and goes without interruption. When the complete embryo is accomplished, it joins with the primordial beginning. The essential purport of Xuanpin (the mysterious pass, the gate of life and death) is entirely here.

Let me discuss it further. Xinglin says: The single opening of the Xuanguan aperture is the essential junction of the Three Passes (cultivation passes). When it suddenly stirs gently, divine water (shenshui; in Neidan, fluids and Jing-Qi) naturally flows and pours. He also says: the place below the heart and above the kidneys, between the west of the liver and the left of the lungs—it is not the intestines, nor the stomach and viscera—there pre-heaven Qi naturally circulates. Now I speak of the single aperture of Xuanguan. The gate of Xuanpin is within the human body, situated at the very center of Heaven and Earth. The workings of creation originally accord with this. I have carefully pondered these statements; they are generally clear and perceptive, but they are still not an exact direct pointer. Heaven does not begrudge the Dao but lets it circulate in the human world. The Supreme (Taishang), being compassionate, will certainly not keep it locked away in stinginess. I dare to thoroughly divulge the heavenly mechanism and point out the precise general meaning of Xuanguan. Offending the prohibitions, I transmit this formula so that form and Shen may unite. Those who cultivate immortality will understand at once upon seeing it, grasp it in their hearts, and secretly put it into practice. Every phrase will correspond. Wherever this book is, divine beings protect and uphold it. If someone has heavy karmic obstacles and thin blessings, with no affinity for the Dao, they may naturally encounter this formula by chance; but even on seeing it, they will slight it and not believe. They are no more than a blind person reading an essay or a deaf person hearing bells and drums. Mysterious and again mysterious—how could they know it? The secret formula says: a substance the size of an inch can be mingled with the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, and Humanity); its position is where the kidneys are.

Shang (the Upper Chapter) is the chapter title. Beneath the heart, its location is faintly present and is called the Xuanguan (Mysterious Pass). It cannot be guarded by deliberate intent, nor sought by no intent at all. If you guard it with deliberate intent, you will never guard it into being. If you seek it with no intent at all, you will only see its nothingness. What then is to be done? Only when the mind’s intent is not scattered can it gather into the Shen (spirit). One need only clarify the mind, cut off deliberation, regulate the breath evenly, and remain silently and constantly illumined, not allowing dullness or distraction. When the breath becomes peaceful and harmonious, the cultivator enters meditative absorption. In this absorption, contemplate the inner landscape (the scenes within the body). As soon as intention arrives, a sign sprouts. Then one feels a breath rising from the compass-center (guizhong, referring to the Xuanguan). Continuous like primordial chaos, it rises without cease. Preserve and guard it with sincerity; listen and examine it with the mind. The six roots (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind) become settled, and embryonic breathing (taixi) condenses. Do not hold the breath or count the breaths; let it be natural. When stillness reaches its extreme, exhaling is like fish in a spring pond; when movement reaches its extreme, inhaling is like a hundred insects hibernating. The breath gathers as dense vapor, opening and closing, with inexhaustible wondrous function. After a short while of this, one must forget the Qi and unite with the Shen. Together they return to primordial chaos. Bring emptiness to its utmost and hold stillness firmly. The mind does not stir a thought; there is no coming or going, no exiting or entering; it is clear and constantly abiding. This is called the Zhenren (True Person) breathing through the heels. The heel means that the breath is deep and far-reaching. Shen and Qi mutually resonate; this is the sign. This is the place mentioned earlier where Yuanqi (original Qi) arises and true breath emerges. When intention reaches there, one beholds the workings of creation. The place where this breath arises is precisely the Xuanguan. It is neither high nor low, neither left nor right, neither front nor back, neither biased nor leaning. Within the human body, the exact center of heaven and earth is precisely this place. The taking is here, the union is here, the cooking and refining are here, the bathing is here, the warming and nurturing are here, the forming of the embryo is here, and the release of the embryo and spiritual transformation are also nowhere but here. If this were not clearly explained now, students would inevitably guess wildly, either going too far or falling short. Ziyang Zhenren (Zhang Boduan) said: Even if your intelligence surpasses that of Yan Hui and Min Ziqian, if you do not meet an enlightened teacher, do not force guesses. It is simply because the elixir scriptures have no oral instructions that you have no place to form the spirit embryo. Yet this aperture expands with Yang and contracts with Yin; fundamentally it has no fixed shape. When intention arrives, it opens; its opening and closing have their proper times. Through a hundred days of foundation building, nurture and complete the mother of Qi (the mother of original Qi). When the empty chamber gives birth to white light (the empty mind gives rise to brightness), you will naturally see it. Formerly, the Yellow Emperor practiced inner observation for three months; the “gai” at the beginning of the sentence is an introductory particle that explains the reason.

This scripture elucidates the fundamental principles and key points of Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice.

It first identifies the lower abdominal region (between the navel and intestines) as the "Fengdu Hell" (the Daoist underworld), where turbid Yin Qi accumulates and genuine Yang Qi struggles to reside. Practitioners must therefore pay special attention to this crucial area during cultivation.

An ancient song is then cited to explain the foundational composition of the human body: it is formed from the triad of Jing (essence), Qi (vital energy), and Shen (spirit). The core of cultivation lies in the process of "refining Jing into Qi, refining Qi into Shen, and refining Shen to merge with the Dao," completing the "seven returns and nine restorations" (a cycle of transformation where Jing, Qi, and Shen circulate and refine within the body). The text employs numerous alchemical terms such as "red lead" and "black mercury"—these are metaphorical expressions referring to the body's intrinsic energetic substances.

The crux of practice lies in locating the "Xuanpin" (the pivotal junction of Yin and Yang within the body), while the foundation rests in preserving the original Jing (primordial life-force energy). When Jing, Qi, and Shen coalesce into unity, they form the basis of Neidan. Several patriarchs emphasize: Qi is the medicine for prolonging life, while the heart-mind (Shen) is the key to harnessing Qi. If Jing and Qi are insufficient, Shen and Qi will scatter.

Finally, the text outlines essential cultivation principles: knowing the source where the "medicine" (the energy required for practice) arises, the proper timing for gathering it, the method of refinement, the moment to "ingest" it, and the appropriate "fire phases" (intensity and duration of cultivation). The "Huangting" (Dantian, energy center) is mentioned as the repository of "gold within water" (the true Yang within the kidneys), which must be apprehended in a state of deep meditative absorption—vague, subtle, and beyond ordinary perception.

The key is to seek intently within the Huachi (Pool of Flowers, the place in the mouth where saliva arises); this is the source from which the “medicine” (prenatal Jing [essence] and Qi [vital energy]) is produced. Close the eyes, close the mouth, still the voice, regulate the breath, forget the body, and discard thoughts—this approaches Zuowang (sitting forgetting). People are urged to remain silent all day like fools and refine a single wish-fulfilling pearl (a metaphor for the elixir pearl); this is the time for gathering the medicine. The rootless numinous herb that is prior to heaven and earth (a metaphor for the prenatal true medicine), when compounded with single-minded focus, can produce the supreme treasure. The Great Dao (the Way) is never apart from the square-inch ground (the heart/mind); the work is subtle and must be actually practiced and maintained—this is the method of making the medicine. With no mind within the mind and no thought within the thoughts, fix the attention on Guizhong (the place of guarding the center) and blend and fuse into one Qi. It is also said: when the breath is continuous and unbroken, becoming ever clearer in walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, this is the creative transformation by which it enters the medicine. Take clarity and stillness as the medicinal ingredients, knead them into a pill with secret intent, and for the twelve double-hours use only the fire of no-thought to decoct and refine; keep the golden cauldron’s water always warm, and do not let the jade furnace’s fire timing grow cold—this is the fire-work of refining the medicine.

Broadly speaking, Xuanpin (the Mysterious Female, the gate of generation and transformation) is the source of Yin-Yang and the dwelling of Shen (spirit) and Qi; Shen and Qi are the medicine of nature and life, the root of embryonic breathing (taixi), and the ancestor of respiration. The way of deepening the root and firming the stem is this: the embryo is the storehouse that holds Shen, and breath is the primal origin that transforms the embryo; the embryo arises because of breath, and breath abides because of the embryo. The embryo cannot form without breath, and breath without Shen has no master. Before a person is born, it is indistinct like the Great Void; when the parents unite their essences, the first signs appear, a single point first congeals, and it is purely nature and life. After gestating in chaos for three months, Xuanpin is established. Once Xuanpin is established, it is connected like a melon’s stem; the infant in the womb secretly receives the mother’s Qi, exhaling when the mother exhales and inhaling when the mother inhales. Whenever there is movement, inner and outer respond to each other, yet what does it recognize or know, what does it illumine or understand? Heaven’s Qi is undifferentiated, Earth’s Qi is chaotic, and only one breath remains.

When the time of birth arrives, heaven and earth overturn; the person is startled and the membranes burst, like losing one’s footing on the summit of Mount Tai. Hanging by the head and bracing with the feet, it emerges and gives a great cry, and that one breath is then forgotten. Therefore afterward it follows the postnatal nature and emotions and can no longer abide together with embryonic breathing. How much more so when confusion drenches the mind, clever things delight the eyes, fond thoughts pull at the emotions, and desires alter the nature—then the undifferentiated heavenly truth is scattered and lost; such is the case for all things. Since that one breath in the womb can no longer be guarded, the immortals teach people to refine Jing, in order to return to the root and restore the beginning, rebirth the five viscera, reestablish the physical body, and be born again from the formless.

Form and substance coagulate and condense, thereby forming the sage embryo. Its oral formula says: Can one concentrate one’s Qi (vital energy) to the utmost softness and become like an infant? Cleanse away dust and defilement, stop distracting thoughts, and quietly hold fast to the One (shouyi: concentrated without scattering). Outer thoughts do not enter; inner thoughts do not arise. All day one remains in a chaotic, undifferentiated state, as if in the mother’s womb. Shen (spirit) settles and merges with Qi; Qi harmonizes and merges with Shen. Shen relies on Qi to coalesce, Qi relies on Shen to abide, and one dwells in a state of silent rest. Dimly and indistinctly, one enters the “land of nothing whatsoever” (the realm of emptiness and nonbeing). The Celestial Heart (pre-heaven mind-spirit) is deep, dark, and silent, with attention concentrated on a single pass or aperture. Like a hen incubating eggs, like a fish in water. Exhaling reaches the root; inhaling reaches the stem (meaning that the breath is deep and long and returns to the root). The breath is continuous, as if present, and one then guards the single breath within the embryo. One guards without clinging to what is guarded, and the true breath naturally abides. Self and things are effaced as if nonexistent; even when using the mind to observe the mind, there is nothing that remains. Within the deep and obscure, one only feels that in the great void a single spirit is the master of creation. When the time arrives, the wondrous principle naturally becomes clear. Gently circulate, silently raise, and with the slightest intention stabilize Qi. Comply with the pivot of creation, and metal and wood naturally blend; water and fire naturally rise and descend. Suddenly a point as large as a millet pearl falls into the Yellow Court (Huangting), the Dantian (energy center) within the body. This is the time for gathering lead and casting in mercury (using lead and mercury as a metaphor for the union of Shen and Qi), forming one day’s elixir within a single day. The Fuming Pian (Chapter on Returning to Life; the original text reads “Fuhe Pian”) says: At night, in the midst of chaos, one seems to fall to the ground; the myriad phenomena are densely arrayed, yet one is wholly unaware of them. At just this moment, the body is inwardly blended and fused, equal to the void. One does not know whether Shen is Qi or Qi is Shen. Such creation is not produced by visualization; it is entirely the Dao of naturalness, and I do not know why it is so and so. Once the medicine has arisen, the fire emerges accordingly. Generally, when the medicine arises, in a small way it can match the creation of Kan-Li (water-fire, yin-yang); in a great way it can equal the operation of Qian-Kun (heaven-earth, yin-yang). The essential purport of the Golden Elixir is once again fully divulged here. How could side-door minor methods be mentioned in the same breath? If one does not believe me, abandons Xuanpin (the mysterious female, the gate of yin-yang generation; here the root of cultivation) and sets up another foundation, excludes Shen and Qi while seeking the medicine, and, not understanding natural embryonic breathing, recklessly practices fire timing (huohou), then one abandons the root and pursues the branches, pursues delusion and loses the truth. Heaven will take away one’s allotted lifespan, and I can do nothing about it. The two words “fire timing” serve here as a heading, indicating that the key point under discussion is fire timing.

Ancient cultivation sayings tell us: The sages transmit only the formula of the medicine, but never reveal the secret of firing times. Since antiquity, few have truly understood firing techniques. Why isn't this transmitted? It's not due to intentional secrecy, but because during the gathering of medicine (collecting Jing-Qi within the body), we call it "medicine," yet the process of gathering already contains the firing times; during refinement we call it "fire," yet the act of refining with fire also contains the medicine. If one can comprehend firing times through understanding the medicine, then the Golden Elixir (Jindan) will naturally form within—this requires no special transmission to realize. As the verse says: Medicine appears Yang yet harbors Yin, firing appears Yin yet contains Yang. Only by grasping the true meaning of Yin-Yang transformation can one understand the crucial point of firing times.

Later students reading alchemical classics often become confused, failing to grasp their meaning immediately. Hearing of the twenty-four solar terms, seventy-two climatic periods, twenty-eight lunar mansions, sixty-four hexagrams, twelve celestial divisions, solar-lunar conjunctions, ocean tides, the Three Samadhis of longevity cultivation, Yang patterns and Yin martial forms—they insist on determining which represents fire and which represents timing. Such attachment to superficial appearances means even if they obtain true medicine, they dare not begin refinement. In truth, authentic firing times have no fixed standard, and genuine medicine requires no measured dosage.

Bai Yuchan (the renowned Southern Song Daoist) said: Fire corresponds to the Li trigram of the south in the Five Phases (Wuxing), symbolizing the heart. The heart is Shen (spirit), Shen is fire; Qi is medicine. Refining medicine into elixir through fire means using Shen to guide Qi in cultivating the Dao. This principle is stated with such clarity, yet those without foundations in immortal cultivation will dismiss it as empty words—a face-to-face miss most regrettable. However, the essential secret of firing times must be apprehended through "true breath" (natural respiration). Because breath arises from the heart, when the heart is tranquil, breath becomes harmonious; each respiration returns to the root—this is the foundation of elixir refinement. The Scripture of Heart Seal states "let the breath circulate like wind blending together; a hundred days' practice will show efficacy"—precisely this meaning. The Mirror for Compounding Medicine speaks of "activating the Xun wind (breath-Qi), turning the Kun fire (Dantian fire), delivering to the Yellow Court (Dantian), refining the supreme treasure." Master Haichan's saying "holding the creative power of heaven-earth's opening-closing, forging true solar-lunar essence within the alchemical furnace"—all point to this principle.

The saying "the true person dives into deep abyss, floats while guarding the center's measure" means one must use Shen to guide Qi, using Qi to regulate breath. Like bellows opening-closing, Yin-Yang ascending-descending, breath's inhalation-exhalation follows natural flow. Concentrate on tempering Qi into softness, containing radiance in silent practice—whether walking, sitting, or reclining, maintain continuous subtle breath, seemingly present yet absent, like a pregnant woman nurturing her womb with utmost care.

This scripture elucidates the essential principles of fire regulation (the mindful control during cultivation) in Daoist Neidan (internal alchemy) practice:

During cultivation, one should emulate a young dragon nurturing its pearl—gently gathering, refining, and condensing until the elixir forms. The practice must be seamless and well-honed, maintaining perfect balance between movement and stillness. Thoughts must not arise recklessly (as their unchecked emergence would overheat the fire), nor should the focus scatter (as distraction would weaken the fire). The key lies in sustaining moderation, allowing Shen (spirit/consciousness) and Qi (vital energy) to intermingle and achieve harmonious unity.

True fire regulation is naturally continuous, like the alchemical cauldron (a metaphor for the Dantian, energy center) maintaining constant warmth without interruption or deviation. In this practice:

• A quarter-hour completes one celestial cycle (Zhou Tian)
• An hour also completes one cycle
• A full day equally constitutes one cycle

With a hundred days to lay the foundation, ten months will yield the embryonic immortal (the nascent form of the internal elixir). This continues until the primordial ocean (the Dantian) generates Yang, and the true fire rises from the kidney water, ultimately realizing the state where heaven and earth revolve and Qian-Kun (cosmic principles) invert.

The crucial points are:

1. Fire regulation must fully comply with natural rhythms, free from forced effort

2. There are no fixed time constraints tied to specific hours (e.g., midnight, noon)

3. No need to deliberately distinguish between Yin and Yang fire phases

4. Practice may occur at any moment across the twelve double-hours

5. A single pivotal moment of cultivation can equal a year’s progress

Simply maintain the natural state of mind, breath, and energy—this is the true transmission from the ancestral masters.

The scripture concludes by revealing why sages teach the "medicine" (cultivation methods) but withhold the "fire" (secrets of regulation): the ultimate art lies not in arduous external seeking but in this principle of Wuwei (non-action). As the verse says: Why roam afar seeking masters? The celestial mystery resides within this authentic scripture, attained without strain.

(Note: "Zhou Tian" refers to the complete circulation of vital energy in the body; "embryonic immortal" denotes the life-energy entity formed at an advanced stage of Neidan practice.)

This scripture elucidates the core principles of Daoist cultivation. The so-called "Mysterious Pass and Single Aperture" (Xuanguan Yi Qiao, referring to the key energy center connecting heaven and earth within the human body) is essentially the method of harmonizing spirit (Shen) with vital energy (Qi), allowing Qi to return to Shen—like gathering scattered thoughts through introspective illumination. Master Yuxi (a Daoist perfected being) taught that upright intention and sincere mindfulness form the foundation of practice.

The text clarifies that terms like "medicinal ingredients" (referring to the essential Jing-Qi-Shen triad for cultivation) and "firing times" (the timing and intensity of practice) are merely metaphorical expressions. The true secret of the Dao (the Way) lies in this: all deliberate mental striving deviates from the authentic path. What matters is understanding the fundamental creative principle governing the human body and recognizing the true nature of the "real self."

When one comprehends this principle—taking stillness as the root and stability as the basis—with slight adjustments, the celestial mechanism (natural law) will spontaneously manifest. There's no need to forcibly pursue "regulation within" (breath adjustment methods) yet one naturally aligns with it; no requirement to strain for "embryonic respiration" (natural fetal-like breathing) yet it emerges effortlessly. Essential energy (Jing-Qi) arises without forced seeking, and the proper firing stages appear without conscious effort. These are all spontaneous mystical functions—why would one need deliberate visualization, exhausting perseverance, physical strain, or mental striving to attain the Dao?

Those who truly realize this state transcend verbal explanation. Discerning practitioners should grasp this truth. These words form the preface written by Daoist Zhenfang of Wuyi Mountain's Shengzhen Xuanhua Cavern Heaven, also known as Master Xubai Chen Chongsu.