《三十六水法》

The Thirty-Six Water Methods is an ancient Daoist alchemical text primarily documenting methods for creating "divine waters" using various minerals. Here are selected preparation techniques for common minerals:

Alum Water has three preparation methods:

1. Take one jin of pure, horsetooth-shaped alum, place it in a green bamboo tube with the outer skin shaved thin. Cover it with four liang of saltpeter at both ends, seal tightly, and immerse in the Hua Chi (the alchemical solution pool) for thirty days. This water can treat ironware, causing its surface to develop a copper-colored patina.

2. Place three jin of alum in a fresh bamboo tube with thinned outer skin, wrap the opening with silk floss, and bury it in a damp pool for four to five days.

3. First soak alum in pure vinegar until moistened, add two liang of saltpeter, seal with lacquer, and bury three chi underground for fifteen days until liquefied.

Realgar Water preparation:

1. Combine one jin of realgar with four liang of saltpeter in a bamboo tube, seal, and place in Hua Chi for thirty days.

2. Using two liang of saltpeter, place the ingredients in a porcelain vial with bitter wine (vinegar), seal, and bury three chi deep in the courtyard for twenty days to obtain a sweet, yellow-turbid medicinal liquid.

Orpiment Water follows similar methods as realgar water. Adding two liang each of alum and saltpeter, then burying for twenty days yields a sweet yellow medicinal liquid.

Cinnabar Water preparation:

One jin of cinnabar mixed with two liang of stone gall (copper sulfate) and four liang of saltpeter, processed sealed for thirty days, produces a bitter red medicinal liquid.

Azurite Water method:

One jin of azurite (blue malachite) combined with four liang of saltpeter and two liang of mercury, sealed for thirty days. Alternatively, using only two liang of saltpeter buried for thirty days suffices.

White Azurite Water preparation:

One jin of white azurite (another copper mineral) mixed with one ge of rabbit blood, placed in a bamboo tube and soaked in bitter wine for fifty days.

(Note: These methods reflect ancient alchemical techniques for creating special liquids through mineral dissolution, where "Hua Chi" is a specialized Daoist alchemical term referring to specific solution environments. Modern readers should note these methods involve toxic heavy metals and must not be attempted.)

The Thirty-Six Water Methods records several techniques for preparing special medicinal waters:

1. Saltpeter Water

• Method One: Place two liang of saltpeter in a bottle and bury it according to the prescribed method for thirty days. The resulting water has a sour, astringent taste and appears bluish-green.
• Method Two: Crush and sift saltpeter, moisten it with brine, then seal it in a bamboo tube. Bury it four chi and four cun deep underground for five days until it transforms into water.
• Method Three: Pack three jin of saltpeter into a fresh bamboo tube, secure the opening with bamboo strips, and bury it four chi deep in damp earth for five days.
• Method Four: Moisten saltpeter with earthworm blood ("earth dragon blood"), seal it in a bamboo tube, and bury it three chi deep for fifteen days to produce bitter-tested "Yang Shuo" water.

2. Alum Water

• Formula: Combine one jin of alum, three jin of cinnabar (vermilion), and one jin of saltpeter in a bamboo tube. Seal with lacquer and immerse in the Hua Chi (alchemical pool) for one hundred days.

3. Mica Water

• Soak the ingredients in mica water, add two liang of saltpeter, bottle it, and bury for thirty days. The finished water tastes pungent with bitterness and appears bluish-black.

4. Magnetite Water

• Crush one jin of magnetite, one liang of realgar, and one liang of chalcanthite (vitriol), pack into a bamboo tube, seal with lacquer, and place in Hua Chi for thirty days.

5. Sulfur Water

• Method One: Combine one jin of sulfur, one sheng of dew collected from mulberry leaves in the eighth lunar month, and two liang of saltpeter in a bamboo tube. Seal with lacquer and immerse in Hua Chi for thirty days.
• Method Two: Mix sulfur with strong vinegar, add two liang of saltpeter, seal in a tube, and bury for fifteen days to produce "Heaven-Enveloping Shuo" water.

6. Mineral Crystal Waters

• White Quartz Water: Combine one jin of white quartz, one sheng of crane blood, and four liang of saltpeter in a tube. Seal with lacquer and place in Hua Chi for thirty days.
• Amethyst Water: Mix one jin of amethyst with four liang of saltpeter, seal with lacquer, and immerse in Hua Chi for forty days.
• Red Halloysite Water: Blend one jin of red halloysite, one sheng of black dog blood, and four liang of saltpeter in a tube. Seal with lacquer and place in Hua Chi for thirty days.
• Dark Halloysite Water: Combine one jin of dark halloysite with four liang of saltpeter in a sealed tube.

(Note: These methods belong to ancient Daoist Waidan (external alchemy), creating special waters through specific material combinations and temporal refinement, primarily used for elixir-making or healing. Modern practitioners should not attempt these casually, as some ingredients like realgar and cinnabar contain toxic substances.)

The Thirty-Six Water Methods records ancient Daoist techniques for preparing various "mineral waters." These secret formulas involve combining specific ores with medicinal herbs, then processing them through specialized methods like burial or soaking to create liquid medicines:

1. Green Quartz Water: Take one jin of green quartz (lü shiying), one liang of azurite (zengqing), and two liang of cinnabar (dansha). Place them in a bamboo tube submerged in the Hua Pool (a medicinal liquid pool used in alchemy) for one hundred days.

2. Stone Cassia Water: Combine one jin of stone cassia (shiguiying, likely a mineral-based herb) with one sheng of ginger juice. Seal in a bamboo tube and place in the Hua Pool for ten days.

3. Sulfur-Elixir Water: Pound one jin of sulfur-containing mineral (shiliudan) with one jin of magnetite, then bury the mixture for ten days and nights.

4. Purple Congratulatory Stone Water: Mix one jin of purple stone (ziheshi) with one sheng of sesame juice, then soak in a copper vessel for ten days.

5. Ornamental Stone Water: Blend one jin of patterned stone (huashi) with two liang of cinnabar, then bury the mixture in a bamboo tube three meters underground for ten days.

Each formula specifies precise ingredient ratios, container choices (often bamboo tubes or copper vessels), processing methods (burial, soaking, or boiling), and maturation periods. For example, the "Calcite Water" has two preparation methods: one involves sealing calcite with bamboo sap (zhuli, juice extracted from roasted bamboo) in a bamboo tube, then burying it half a meter deep for thirty days; the other requires soaking calcite in vinegar, adding niter (xiaoshi), refining it over charcoal fire for three days, then burying it one meter deep for twenty days.

These techniques exemplify the ancient alchemical principle of "using metals and stones as medicine," transforming solid minerals into liquid forms—likely to enhance absorption or potency. The frequent use of cinnabar, sulfur, and other minerals reflects the importance of mineral-based medicine in Daoist external alchemy (waidan).

The Thirty-Six Water Methods documents several secret techniques for transforming minerals and metals into liquid states, primarily used in alchemical and medicinal preparations. Here are several representative methods for creating these alchemical solutions:

Mica Water has two preparation methods:

First, mix one jin of mica powder with two liang of brine and one liang of saltpeter solution, stirring into a paste. Seal this in a bamboo tube and bury it five chi underground, where it will liquefy after twenty days. Alternatively, combine equal parts cinnamon water and rong salt (a mineral salt) with mica powder, adding two liang of saltpeter. After sealing the bamboo tube with lacquer and burying it three chi deep, it forms "cloud-essence liquid" after twenty-five days. This solution can dissolve certain ores.

Gold Water preparation requires one jin of gold mixed with two jin of green vitriol (ferrous sulfate) placed in a fresh bamboo tube. After lacquering the seal, place it in the Hua Chi (a specialized alchemical pit) where it transforms into golden liquid after fifty days.

Silver Water is made by combining one jin of silver with two sheng of clear wheat sauce, two sheng of pure wine, and one sheng of red millet and chaste tree wine. Seal this in bamboo and store in the Hua Chi for thirty days.

Lead-Tin Water involves mixing two jin of lead with four liang of saltpeter. After sealing, bury it in the Hua Chi for one hundred days.

Jade Powder Water has two variants:

First, combine one jin of jade powder with one sheng of peony ash, one sheng of white dog's blood, and the pressed juice of ten golden tortoise beetles. Seal and bury for thirty days. Alternatively, coating pork-fat-like white jade with toad juice causes natural dissolution, or processing jade powder with crabapple fruit fragments and toad secretions for one day and night. Another method uses earthworm juice mixed with mica water to treat jade powder—when stored overnight in a bronze vessel, it yields "jade nectar."

Lacquer Water is prepared by sealing one sheng of raw lacquer with eighteen large crabs for fifty days. Another version mixes one jin of pure lacquer with eighteen crabs overnight, then sequentially adds mica powder and white jade fragments to form "divine nectar" after three days. Tradition holds this elixir grants clairvoyant abilities.

(Note: These methods belong to ancient alchemical traditions. Certain ingredients like white dog's blood or live organisms are no longer ethically acceptable in modern practice.)

Interpretation of the "Thirty-Six Water Methods"

Cassia Water Preparation:

Method One: Combine one pound of cassia bark powder with three liters of scallion juice in a bamboo tube. Steam the mixture for three days and nights to produce the medicinal solution.

Method Two: Moisten crushed cassia bark with white scallion juice, though mountain dew, rainwater, snowmelt, or flowing stream water may also be used. Place the moistened cassia and mica into a fresh bamboo tube, adding two liang of saltpeter (mineral niter) per pound of ingredients. After sealing, steam for three days and nights to transform it into a medicinal liquid called "Water-Stone Attainment."

Salt Water Preparation:

Sift salt and moisten it with water before placing it in a thinly pared bamboo tube. Seal and bury it four chi and four cun underground. Water the burial site daily to maintain moisture. After four days, the medicinal water will be ready.

Other Significant Medicinal Waters:

1. Chalcanthite Water: Soak one pound of chalcanthite (mineral) in strong vinegar, add two liang of saltpeter, and seal in a bamboo tube with lacquer. Place it in a vinegar jar and bury three chi deep for fifteen days to produce "Cloud-Beam Mineral Infusion."

2. Verdigris Water: Blend copper patina with five types of medicinal waters, adding two liang of saltpeter per pound. Seal and bury for fifteen days. After steaming, a bluish-green solution called "Splendid Dragon Tide" is obtained, also known as "Cloud-Quintessence Infusion."

3. Rong Salt Water: Soak one pound of Rong salt (rock salt) in earthworm juice, add three liang of saltpeter, seal, and bury three chi deep. It becomes usable after fifteen days.

4. Bittern Water: Steep bittern salt in strong liquor and simmer in an iron vessel for three days until it turns red. Add two liang of saltpeter per pound, seal, and bury to produce "Golden Flowing Liquid."

5. Iron Bloom Water: Soak iron rust in cloud-quintessence salt water, adding two liang of saltpeter per pound. Seal and immerse in a vinegar jar.

Note: These ancient alchemical "water methods" involve transforming mineral medicines into liquid preparations through specific processing techniques. Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) often serves as a flux, while burial may maintain a constant temperature environment. The use of lacquer for sealing bamboo tubes reflects ancient wisdom in preservation.

The Thirty-Six Methods of Water Alchemy records secret formulas and taboos for crafting immortal waters in ancient Daoist practice. Here is a modern interpretation of its key contents:

Regarding the preparation of "Mystic Numinous Golden Compassion Water":

Seal the ingredients in a bamboo tube, bury it three feet underground, and heat it slowly with horse manure for forty-five days to refine this spiritually potent elixir.

Several specialized water formulas include:

1. Lead-Mercury Water: Mix five spoonfuls of frost snow with metal powder, blend with mica salt, and combine with niter and other materials. Seal and refine for thirty days.

2. Mercury Water: Blend accumulated snow with yellow-light mercury in specific proportions, seal and refine for thirty days. The resulting product is called "Flowing Serenity Profound Water."

Essential ritual protocols:

• Before practice, offer five-mineral medicinal wine into flowing water (or a well if no stream is available). All practitioners must drink this water.
• When transmitting secret methods, replace ancient blood-oath rituals involving hair-cutting with golden fish and jade-dragon silver rings (substitute with forty feet each of blue cloth and silk if unavailable).
• All ritual offerings must be donated to mountain hermits—personal use is forbidden.

Prohibited dates for alchemy:

The text details inauspicious days (marked by celestial stems and earthly branches) for elixir-making across seasons:

• Spring: Wuchen days, etc.
• Summer: Dingsi days, etc.
• Autumn: Wuxu days, etc.
• Winter: Wuyin days, etc.

Special reminders: Avoid practice on Establishment Days, Slaughter Days, Counter-Branch Days, as well as the last day/new moon of each month and the Eight Culminations periods. Even preparing the sealing material "Six-One Mud" requires selecting auspicious dates.

(Note: "Six-One Mud" refers to a special clay mixture used to seal alchemical vessels in Daoist practice, while "blood-oath" denotes ancient covenant rituals involving drinking or smearing blood.)