《太清經天師口訣》

The tenth section of Celestial Master's Oral Instructions on the Taiqing Scripture reveals the core secret of cultivating immortality through alchemy. This scripture emphasizes that even if an aspiring immortal learns thousands of methods, without mastering this oral formula, ultimate success remains unattainable. This secret is of utmost value—not to be disclosed even for ten thousand taels of gold.

The transmission of this formula follows strict protocols: it must be orally transmitted word-for-word from the scripture, never directly written on paper. For the initiation, eight taels of gold, forty feet of yellow cloth, eight taels of silver, and forty feet of white silk must be offered as ritual pledges. Moreover, it may only be transmitted to one person within a hundred years. A solemn covenant is sealed with elixirs—violating these rules by teaching unworthy individuals or leaking celestial secrets incurs severe punishment: the Heavenly Emperor will eternally sever one’s path to immortality, inflict mental confusion, nullify all spiritual cultivation, and condemn seven generations of ancestors to suffering in the underworld.

The crux of alchemy lies in preparing the "Flower Pool" (a special alchemical solution). The method involves soaking five sheng of grain in water until sprouted, drying and pulverizing the sprouts, then sifting them into the Flower Pool to mix with other ingredients. Without sprouted grain, the solution cannot be perfected. This liquid can dissolve gold, jade, the five minerals, gold-silver alloys, pearls, and lead—detailed techniques are recorded in the Scripture of Thirty-Six Waters.

To prepare "Aqua Pearl" (an elixir made from dissolved pearls), finely grind one jin of pearls with two taels of powdered saltpeter, then pack the mixture into a hollowed bird wing bone sealed at both ends with wooden plugs or wax. Submerge it in either the Flower Pool or vinegar for seven days, checking frequently without opening. When successful, it transforms into a mercury-like substance—consuming one pellet daily for a hundred days confers immortality. If incomplete, return it to vinegar for further dissolution. Alternatively, ordinary small pearls or polished mother-of-pearl may be used with the same saltpeter ratio and method.

(Note: The "Flower Pool" refers to a specialized alchemical solution in Daoist practice; the Scripture of Thirty-Six Waters documents mineral dissolution techniques; "Aqua Pearl" is an elixir prepared through dissolving pearls.)

This scripture primarily details the preparation methods of several crucial materials in ancient Daoist alchemy, including mercury, silver snow, and the crafting of earthen crucibles for elixir refinement.

【Mercury Production Method】

Take half a catty of lead and half a catty of tin, melt and mix them, then hammer into thin slices resembling leek leaves. Place these lead-tin sheets into thinly carved bamboo tubes, add two taels of saltpeter, and seal the tube joints with wax to prevent leakage. Submerge the sealed tubes in a jar filled with three-year-aged vinegar, then seal the jar mouth for forty-five days to obtain mercury. This type of mercury is specifically used for repairing metal objects and cannot be employed in elixir refinement.

【Silver Snow Production Method】

Take one catty of mercury and fifteen taels of huashi (a specific mineral), then boil the mercury continuously in aged vinegar for nine days and nights, replenishing the evaporating vinegar as needed. After the mercury solidifies, grind it into powder and mix it with huashi. The text emphasizes that mercury for alchemical use must be prepared this way; otherwise, it cannot properly integrate with other medicinal substances.

【Earthen Crucible Crafting Methods】

Two specialized containers are described:

1. Lead-white crucible: Mix lead-white powder (as recorded in the scripture) with aged vinegar, pound it a thousand times to form a paste, then apply a three-fen-thick layer to the inner walls of an earthen crucible. Air-dry for ten days.

2. Red crucible: Sieve and steam chicken-fu earth (a special ceramic clay) of reddish-yellow hue, then mix it with thin vinegar and pound into clay. Shape into containers five fen thick and air-dry for thirty days. Finally, coat both inner and outer surfaces with "hu lacquer" (a dark reddish tree sap boiled from hu tree bark) to make the crucible heat-resistant and crack-proof.

The conclusion lists various advanced elixirs these techniques apply to, such as the Great Clarity Divine Elixir (Taiqing Shendan) and Ninefold Elixir Golden Liquor (Jiudan Jinye), indicating these are core technologies for refining supreme-grade elixirs.

(Note: These ancient chemical processes involve toxic substances like mercury—modern readers must not attempt them.)

The Tian Shi Kou Jue (Celestial Master's Oral Instructions) from the Taiqing Jing (Great Clarity Scripture) details specific methods of ancient alchemical practice, divided into three main sections:

The first section describes the sealing technique for alchemical vessels:

Without this secret method, the alchemical furnace would crack upon heating. A paste must be prepared by mixing refined lead oxide (qiandan) with concentrated vinegar and pounding it a thousand times. This mixture is applied to seal the mouth of the earthen crucible (tufu). First cover with red salt plates, then seal all joints with the lead-vinegar paste, allowing it to dry in shade for ten days. Next, coat the entire crucible—inside and out—with Liuyi Ni (Six-One Mud, a special alchemical compound) to a thickness of about five fen (1.5cm), drying again for ten days in shade. Finally, prepare a mixture of white clay, vinegar and salt, pound it thoroughly, and apply it over the Liuyi Ni layer, drying for another ten days. When positioning the vessel, one may arrange four bricks around it representing the Five Sacred Mountains (adding a central brick for the fifth), or arrange them triangularly to symbolize the Three Terraces constellation.

The second section explains the preparation of "Gen Snow" (also called White Snow or Male Snow):

In a large cauldron, build up the Liuyi mud into a sheng-measure shape and let it dry in shade. Then heat it with Gen-direction charcoal fire. During refinement, cover with copper plates and slowly drip vinegar while suspending the vessel above the Hua Chi (Flower Pool, an alchemical term for a specific container).

The third section records a dialogue between Chisongzi (Red Pine Master) and Yunyangzi:

Yunyangzi questions why human intelligence, longevity and fate vary so greatly. Chisongzi replies this is indeed a profound question—only after surviving the Three Calamities of Heaven and Earth did he come to understand the miraculous effects of superior elixirs. He emphasizes that alchemical preparations can both kill and save, transform one's appearance, extend lifespan, and even enable encounters with immortals. When Yunyangzi expresses skepticism due to never having witnessed such effects personally, Chisongzi uses natural phenomena like "water extinguishing fire" as metaphors to demonstrate the veracity of the elixirs' extraordinary powers.

Note: The "Liuyi Ni" mentioned refers to a specialized alchemical sealing material typically composed of seven ingredients. Terms like "Gen Snow" and "Male Snow" denote special substances produced during alchemical processes. Chisongzi is a legendary Daoist immortal. These alchemical methods, while appearing mystical by modern standards, reflect ancient Daoist practical explorations in the pursuit of longevity.

This scripture recounts several miraculous Daoist elixir formulas and their transmission history. The main contents are as follows:

Stone-made rice can calm storms and quench raging fires, while sea turtle skin can summon thunder and lightning. Reed-ash tubes can create solar and lunar halos, and hidden lusu grass can make the earth tremble. Scattering jingsha pills can topple mountains, while grinding ganmo powder can dry up oceans. Combining glass fish with alligator gallbladder can summon true dragons, and firing beast pellets can repel tigers and leopards.

The five celestial ointments can aid immortality, while the three powders help transcend calamities - after enduring eons of tribulations, one may cultivate a sage's body. The Taizhen pill enables longevity matching heaven and earth, all verified by numerous immortals. Yunyangzi inquired about these elixirs' names and formulas from Chisongzi (Red Pine Master), who revealed their ancient celestial origins: first transmitted by heavenly immortal Qian Yuanzi to Hu Chongzi, then to Zhen Huazi, before finally reaching Chisongzi.

Particularly detailed is the "Disaster-Transcending Lingfei Powder" formula: requiring thirty-six taels (~1.3kg) of freshly refined gold, divided into six portions. Each six-tael portion must be hammered into thin sheets, ground five hundred times in a jade mortar with seven taels of stalactite powder. To extract pure gold dust, wash away stone powder with water. After twenty days of ingestion, one gains radiant vitality, Herculean strength, jade-like complexion, and the power to command spirits - ultimately achieving mid-to-high grade immortality.

(Note: The "Five Ointments and Three Powders" represent legendary Waidan (external alchemy) formulas; "stalactite powder" refers to ground stalactite, commonly used in ancient alchemy.)

The Tian Shi Kou Jue (Celestial Master's Oral Instructions) from the Taiqing Jing (Scripture of Great Clarity) primarily discusses two methods of Daoist cultivation: the ingestion of gold powder and the detailed process of refining gold and silver.

Regarding the method of ingesting gold powder:

The gold powder must be ground with breast milk, as the metal itself is too slippery to be pulverized alone. For consumption, it should be mixed with honey to form coin-sized honey cakes, each containing a pea-sized portion of gold powder. These are to be taken facing east at dawn. After ingestion, the practitioner must enter a quiet chamber for seated meditation, avoiding contact with animals and people while maintaining pure mental focus, silently invoking the protection of the immortals from the ten directions. The regimen begins with one pill on the first day, gradually increasing the dosage daily, and after one hundred days, immortality may be attained.

Concerning the refinement of gold and silver:

The text emphasizes that unrefined gold and silver contain toxicity. It details five refining steps:

1. Lead Refinement: Mix 72 taels of lead with 36 taels of gold, then smelt repeatedly in a specially prepared ash cup 21 times.

2. Mercury Refinement: After lead refinement, hammer the gold into thin sheets, combine with mercury, and heat gently in a porcelain vessel, repeating the process 21 times.

3. Mystic Water (a special medicinal liquid) Refinement: Treat the gold in mystic water 360 times.

4. Lime Juice Refinement: Refine the gold in lime juice for 21 days.

5. Vinegar Refinement: Refine the gold in vinegar for 21 days.

Each method includes specific operational details, such as vessel preparation and fire control, with repeated refinement aimed at purging the toxicity from the gold and silver. The text particularly stresses that only after completing these five processes can the refined metals be safely ingested.

This scripture records several ancient Daoist alchemical methods for metal purification and elixir preparation:

1. Limewater Refining Method:

Place metal flakes in porcelain vessels and boil in limewater for twenty-one days. This is called the limewater refining process.

2. Detoxifying Ash Refining Method:

Soak metal flakes in detoxifying ash solution and boil in porcelain vessels for twenty-one days.

3. Detoxifying Steam Refining Method:

Layer detoxifying ash solution with metal flakes inside bamboo tubes, alternating each metal layer with coarse sand. Seal the tube tightly and place in a steamer covered with sand, steaming for twenty-one days.

4. Stir-Frying Refining Method:

Using a clean new iron wok, mix detoxifying dried ash powder with crushed metal flakes. Stir-fry over low heat for twenty-one days. Care must be taken to avoid excessive heat that might melt the lead content in the metal.

5. Vinegar Refining Method:

Soak metal flakes in premium aged vinegar. Seal the container and boil within a large pot of detoxifying ash solution for twenty-one days to remove toxicity.

6. Stone Juice Preparation Method:

Thoroughly steam fresh lime, then pour it hot over molten metal to extract the juice.

7. Detoxifying Ash Preparation Method:

Mix equal parts ox dung ash and lime, adding crushed magnetite powder. Boil in flowing clear water to extract the solution. This ash can remove toxicity from gold and silver.

8. Lishi (Wood-like Mineral) Ash Method:

Lishi (a mineral resembling rotten wood found in famous mountains) cannot be burned with ordinary fire—only ox dung fire can reduce it to ash.

The second part documents the "Jade Spirit Flying Rosy Mist Powder" (Yu Ling Fei Xia San), an immortal elixir:

This precious medicine of the Ten Great Immortals was said to have enabled Tai'anzi to achieve immortality after two hundred days of consumption. Preparation method: Select twelve jin of pure fine jade, cut into 0.3 cm thick plates using fan stones (special tools), wash with river water to remove mineral qi, then combine with two shi (240 jin) four dou (48 jin) of snow water and one shi two dou (144 jin) of dew water.

(Note: Ancient measurements: 1 shi ≈ 120 jin, 1 dou ≈ 12 jin, 1 fen ≈ 0.3 cm)

The Tian Shi Kou Jue (Celestial Master's Oral Instructions) from the Taiqing Jing (Great Clarity Scripture) records several secret Daoist alchemical and ingestion methods, primarily detailing three techniques for crafting divine elixirs:

The first method is the "Five Waters Jade Tablet Technique":

One must collect five types of water (totaling six dan and six dou) including frost water, rainwater, and well water—with dawn-drawn well water being most auspicious. Store these in tightly sealed porcelain urns, then bury them at midnight during the winter solstice in a twelve-foot-deep pit. First place jade tablets and other materials at the pit's base, pour in the five waters, cover with a basin, and seal thoroughly with thick clay. Construct a wooden frame over the pit, layered with straw and three feet of earth to prevent human or animal disturbance. Retrieve the vessel at high noon during the summer solstice, allowing the materials to fully absorb the balanced Yin-Yang energies. Subsequently, refine the jade tablets by boiling with perilla oil, scorching with sesame oil lamps, and finally pulverizing into ultrafine jade powder.

For ingestion, select auspicious days aligned with the four seasons, avoiding inauspicious hours. At dawn while facing east, ingest one fangcunbi (approximately 1 gram) with well water, three times daily. Sixty days of continuous use transforms one's physical form; one hundred days brings unrecognizable changes; two hundred days bestows spiritual communion; exceeding one year leads to transcendence. Elderly practitioners require two years of ingestion.

The second method is "White Essence Life-Stabilizing Powder":

This immortal formula was used by the transcendent Yuan Yangzi, enabling flight and shape-shifting within three hundred days. Preparation requires thirty-six taels of freshly refined silver, triple-purified lead (following standard alchemical procedures). Six taels of the refined product are mixed with five fen of condensed milk, ground identically to gold powder preparation, with identical ingestion protocols.

The third method is "Qian Yuanzi's Yellow Spirit Ointment":

This divine unguent was ingested by the ancient immortal Qian Yuanzi, achieving transcendence within seven days while granting immunity to the Three Calamities (Daoism's great tribulations). Preserved in jade caskets by ten immortals, this supreme elixir remains indestructible across ten thousand kalpas, representing the most precious efficacy. The scripture particularly emphasizes absolute secrecy in its transmission.

This passage describes three types of Daoist elixirs (dan) with their preparation methods and effects:

The first is Huang Shen Gao (Yellow Divine Ointment). Its preparation requires: 36 jin of refined poria cocos, 24 jin of repeatedly purified pine resin, 1 shi 2 dou of honey, and 36 liang of gold powder. These four ingredients are placed in a new bronze cauldron—first the honey, then the poria cocos and pine resin. After two days of boiling, add the gold powder. During boiling, avoid stirring and let it naturally bubble and settle. After seven days and nights of continuous boiling, the elixir is complete. For consumption, combine it with Chu Jing San (Primordial Essence Powder) to form pills the size of small beans. Take three pills each time, three times daily. After ten days, one naturally abstains from food; after twenty days, physical strength greatly increases; in sixty days, the complexion becomes jade-like; and in one hundred days, one attains immortality. It is said that consuming this formula makes one indestructible through myriad kalpas, with vast spiritual powers.

The second is Yu Ling Gao (Jade Numinous Ointment), made from 24 jin of finely ground refined poria cocos, 24 jin of refined pine resin powder, 2 shi 4 dou of honey, and 12 jin of jade powder. First place the honey in a bronze cauldron, then add pine resin, poria cocos, and jade powder in sequence. After thorough mixing, boil for seven days. The consumption method similarly involves combining with Chu Jing San to form pills the size of small jujubes. Take three pills each time, three times daily. Immortality is attained after two hundred days of use.

The third is Tai Zhen Wei Yang Wan (Supreme Truth Unending Pill), which incorporates eighteen precious materials including: white agate powder, white jade powder, coral powder, crystal powder, amber powder, pearl powder (among other mineral medicines), along with poria cocos, pine resin, and honey. All materials must be finely ground and refined, first blended with honey, then prepared through a specific method (the detailed steps are missing in the original text).

This scripture records several Daoist alchemical formulas for elixir consumption, detailing the preparation and ingestion methods for three types of immortal medicines:

The first is called "Three Radiances Paste" (Sanjing Gao), made from thirteen mineral ingredients including cinnabar, realgar, and orpiment, combined with poria mushroom and pine resin. These are boiled in a large bronze cauldron for seven days and nights. The resulting mixture is formed into pills the size of Chinese parasol seeds, taken three times daily with three pills per dose. It is said that consistent use for three years can lead to immortality.

The second formula, "Condensed Numen Paste" (Ningling Gao), uses four ingredients: poria mushroom, pine resin, pine nuts, and cypress seeds, boiled with honey in a bronze cauldron for seven days. Formed into jujube-sized pills, seven are consumed daily in three divided doses. Complete fasting practitioners may take a full dose at once. Legend claims two years of use can reverse aging, make the body light as a swallow, and ultimately achieve immortality.

The third recipe, "Primordial Essence Powder" (Chujing San), was transmitted by the immortal Chisongzi to Master Yunyang. It involves grinding poria, pine resin, and stalactite into powder, mixing with honey, then sealing and drying in shade for one hundred days. Taken three times daily with three spoonfuls per dose. The text emphasizes that for rapid cultivation results, one should first use this powder with the Condensed Numen Paste, as directly consuming other major elixirs would yield slower effects.

All formulas stress the necessity of bronze cauldrons for preparation and auspicious timing (the Four Seasons' Royal Phase Days) for consumption, avoiding inauspicious hours. The ingredients primarily consist of minerals and resins, often measured in dozens of jin (Chinese pounds), indicating substantial quantities required.

This scripture primarily discusses three matters: protective measures before elixir preparation, the method for making mica powder, and the production of kongting liquid.

The first section details precautions for refining superior elixirs (dayao):

One must construct a specialized alchemy chamber in a quiet mountain forest, hanging swords on all four walls while creating "ghost-repelling pills" (que gui wan) and "ghost-repelling talismans" (que gui fu) to ward off spirits. Without these measures, ghosts and deities may absorb the vital essence (jingqi) of the medicinal substances. The ghost-repelling pills are made by grinding equal parts of seventeen ingredients including cinnabar, realgar, and orpiment, then mixing them with Carex grass juice to form egg-yolk-sized pellets. During alchemical work, one pill should be hung on each wall—lighting a single pill disperses hundreds of ghosts, while lighting a second completely annihilates all malicious spirits.

The second section explains mica powder preparation:

Select multicolored mica and soak it in the "five waters" (wushui: snow water, frost water, dew water, rainwater, and well water). Place a porcelain urn in a pit twelve chi deep and six chi wide, sealing the mica inside at midnight during the winter solstice. Layer wood, straw, mud, and earth above the pit to a total thickness of five chi. Retrieve it at noon during the summer solstice, then heat until red-hot in a furnace before immersing it one hundred times in the five waters, followed by twenty-one soakings in kongting liquid.

The third section describes kongting liquid production:

Clean, peel, and finely chop the "ting" plant (possibly a herbaceous species), stuffing it tightly into gourds before sealing. Similarly bury these at midnight during the winter solstice in pits twelve chi deep—thirty to forty gourds may be processed. Retrieve them at summer solstice noon; this liquid can dissolve gold, silver, jade, cinnabar and similar substances into water or paste. The text concludes with a method for processing cinnabar and other minerals using pig intestines.

(Note: The mentioned "ghost-repelling pills" and talismans are Daoist ritual implements for exorcism; "five waters" refers to five natural water sources; "kongting liquid" is a special solvent; "ting" likely denotes a particular herbaceous plant)

This scripture records a specialized processing method from ancient Daoist alchemy, primarily detailing how to refine and purify cinnabar (a commonly used mineral in alchemy) through multiple procedures.

The specific steps are as follows: First, cover the material with a layer one foot thick and steam it continuously over intense heat for seven days and nights. When a yellow substance appears on the surface of the clay, remove it. Then, place this substance into a bamboo tube and boil it further in sterilized ash water (likely lye made from plant ashes) for twenty-one days. After this, combine the processed material with cinnabar and three other ingredients, placing them together into a bamboo tube to soak in a specially prepared vinegar solution, boiling for another twenty-one days until all toxicity is completely eliminated. Finally, this multi-processed elixir is ready for ingestion.

The term "three times seven days" (三七日) mentioned here refers to a unique temporal measurement in Daoist alchemy—three cycles of seven days, totaling twenty-one days. This timing is connected to Daoist cosmological concepts like the "Three Powers" (三才, Heaven-Earth-Humanity) and cultivation cycles. The entire process reflects the emphasis ancient alchemy placed on material purification and detoxification.