《巨勝歌》

Interpretation of the "Song of the Supreme Victory"

This alchemical work, composed by the Shangqing (Highest Clarity) Daoist Liu Chongyong under the Daoist name Xuanmingzi, begins by critiquing common misconceptions in alchemical practices of the time:

The three treatises by Master Tao Zhenjun point out that claims of refining the Golden Elixir (Jindan) using mercury are nothing but the talk of deluded individuals. Those who believe cinnabar can grant immortality fundamentally misunderstand the Dao. Mercury does not align with the proper positions of the Five Phases (Wuxing), nor does cinnabar conform to the principles of Dragon-Tiger (Yin-Yang) harmony. Attempting to use mercury as the primary material for refining the Reverted Elixir (Huandan) is as absurd as trying to grow rice on stone.

The author cites several classic texts to support his arguments:

1. The Baopuzi (by Ge Hong) had already clarified the origins of lead and mercury (fundamental alchemical materials), yet the ignorant remain unenlightened even unto death.

2. The Hunyuan Jing (Scripture of Chaotic Origin) employs the theory of mutual conquest among the Five Phases to explain the transformation of Yin and Yang.

3. The Jinbi Jing (Scripture of Gold and Jade) reveals the principle of gold-earth pairing, a view also shared in the Cantong Qi (The Seal of the Unity of the Three).

Key analysis of the "Dragon-Tiger" concept:

The Dragon and Tiger represent the core axis (Yin-Yang rotation) and the pivotal mechanism (creative transformation) of alchemy. Though superficially referring to Kan (Water) and Li (Fire), they secretly symbolize the workings of Heaven and Earth. Through the process of using the firm to control the yielding, and generating being from non-being, the Five Phases are restored to their proper positions. Only when East and West harmonize and Yin-Yang merge can the complete alchemical system (encompassing the Three Powers [San Cai], Six Lines [Liu Yao], and Four Symbols [Sixiang]) be formed.

The text particularly emphasizes the alchemical secrets recorded in the Cantong Qi:

Use gold (lead) as a dike to control the flow of water (mercury). The specific ratio is fifteen parts gold to an equal measure of mercury. However, when actually placed in the furnace, slightly less mercury is used (three parts out of five)—this is the crucial rule for refining the Great Medicine (Daya). Sadly, people often presume to know better and deviate from the classical methods, resulting in futile efforts.

Finally, natural phenomena illustrate the principles of Yin-Yang:

Just as the sun contains the Golden Crow (symbolizing Yang harboring Yin) and the moon holds the Jade Toad (symbolizing Yin harboring Yang), the process from sprouting to ripening in fruits follows the natural laws of Yin-Yang transformation. Forcibly refining mercury with cinnabar (an incorrect method) is like extracting only the mercury from cinnabar—ultimately, it will burn to ash, making the Reverted Elixir impossible to achieve. This aligns with the Book of Changes (Yijing) adage: "When two women dwell together, their wills do not unite"—demonstrating that misaligned Yin-Yang cannot accomplish the alchemical Dao.

This scripture expounds core principles of Daoist alchemy:

1. It begins by critiquing prevalent misconceptions of the time - some believed life couldn't exist where cinnabar and mercury (primary alchemical materials) were absent, a notion the author deems foolish. These substances are described as wondrous products of nature beyond ordinary comprehension.

2. The text emphasizes grasping the fundamental principle of "One" in alchemical practice: "Attaining the One completes all matters," yet cautions "Don't cling stubbornly to the One." It describes Dao's mysterious essence - containing refined energies within primordial chaos.

3. True elixir refinement ("affairs within the cauldron") involves internal cultivation rather than external material combinations. All things originate from the "Primordial Qi," and the Three Powers (heaven, earth and humanity) are sustained by the myriad creatures.

4. The author recounts his personal journey: Confucian studies in youth, later turning to Daoism, and discovering the path of longevity through medical practice. Though having held official positions ("scarlet official robes"), he valued spiritual cultivation more. Now compiling the "Songs of Supreme Victory" in ten verses to transmit authentic alchemical principles learned from enlightened masters and dispel common delusions.

5. The first attached verse reveals:

• The Ninefold Golden Elixir (highest alchemical achievement) emerges from Primordial Qi
• Proper proportions of silver and lead (alchemical materials) must be maintained
• Harmonizing the Dragon and Tiger (Yin-Yang energies) for mutual integration
• Precise measurement control and understanding of the River Chariot (celestial cycles)
• Following seasonal fire phases in cyclical practice to refine the Returned Elixir

The core teaching stresses that true alchemy lies in apprehending Primordial Qi and balancing Yin-Yang principles, not fixation on external substances. Cultivation must follow natural rhythms, emphasizing internal equilibrium and proper timing.

Interpretation of the Jusheng Ge in Plain Language:

Second Verse:

Though turtle and snake (symbolizing yin-yang) differ in form, lead and mercury (alchemical terms) share the same origin. Two maidens (representing yin and yang qi) may dwell together, yet require proper mediation to unite. Distinguish mother and child (alchemical terms), harmonize the Three Flowers (Jing, Qi, Shen). With the Azure Dragon (east/wood) and White Tiger (west/metal), the Four Symbols (Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise) are complete—yet the Five Spirits (of the organs) must be properly governed.

Third Verse:

The lofty deities rise repeatedly, drifting leftward in contemplation. People know only of alchemical refinement, yet fail to comprehend the path to immortality. All mineral substances belong to the Palace of Kan (north/water), their borrowed names remaining unpenetrated. If one cannot even distinguish black and white (yin-yang), life passes in vain.

Fourth Verse:

They say water, earth, and metal—these three—can forge the Great Medicine, yet while fostering each other through breath, they also consume one another. Yellow Sprouts (nascent elixir) are no common lead, yet must be extracted from lead. East already merges with west, while Wu-Ji (central earth) envelops like a pouch.

Fifth Verse:

Two eights (balanced yin-yang) form two households, the mid-phase moon mirrors this balance. Only then does one grasp how yin-yang governs heaven and earth's pivot. The child is born through the mother; the mother perishes through the child. Nourish the infant (metaphor for elixir refinement)—warm essence glows in radiant countenance. At the moon's fullness, form takes shape; waxing and waning must cease timely. In the Renzi hour (yang qi's birth), the cycle concludes at Hai. To know liberation's moment requires divine talismans (fulu) and Snow-White Purity (pure elixir).

Sixth Verse:

Cultivating truth and refining form demands singular focus—the slightest deviation brings failure between furnaces. Use the Renzi hour (yang's birth) to regulate, lest you mimic Fusang's sun (eastern sunrise). From flavor-bearing to flavorless (refinement stages), preserve Primordial Harmony's innate nature. Seek no matchmaker elsewhere—husband and wife (yin-yang) are naturally paired. Horse Teeth (elixir form) thence surpass jade; observe lunar phases to master fire-phasing. Let none boast vainly of arcane arts.

Seventh Verse:

Water Mother (true yin) and Metal Father (true yang) resist easy recognition—yet they ignite flowing pearls (elixir) to spin radiance. Should qi reach the Snow-White Palace (pure state), Yellow Sprouts become authentically unfathomable. Fortify dikes against half-submersion. The Crimson Maiden's (true yin) lament knows no rest.

Eighth Verse:

Ancient verse-formulas speak plainly—only the deluded force distortions. The supreme Daoist method was never complex, yet fools recklessly mix cinnabar and quicksilver. Ignorant of scarlet blood (yang essence) and azure loins (yin essence), they toil solely with lead. What lead contains is hardly easily refined—lose the One Qi (primordial breath), and reparation fails.

Ninth Verse:

Yellow Sprouts are no common lead—both arise in the Dantian (qi sea). Seeking the method of Jusheng (elixir), lead and mercury must unite spontaneously. These transcend worldly substances, distinguishing no fool or sage. Those who recognize the sun's soul and moon's splendor (yin-yang essences) may all become transcendents.

The vernacular interpretation of the tenth poem in the Jusheng Ge:

Accomplished Daoist cultivators are originally incarnations of immortals who descend to the human realm under changed names to study the Dao of nature. Ordinary people in the world, when refining the elixir, are often misled by appearances—mistaking gold and water as the ingredients for alchemy, only to burn away the precious "yellow sprout" (the essential substance produced in the early stages of elixir refinement) while failing to recognize the true "lead" (the core ingredient in alchemy).

It is like the people of Western Shu, who eagerly gather cinnabar (a raw material for alchemy), only to see it instantly dissipate as blue smoke when exposed to the right heat. This reveals an important principle: when refining the elixir, if one can grasp the "attainment of the One" (acquiring the Qi of true unity, the foundation of alchemy), one should not cling to a single external form. The true marvel of cultivation lies in transcending superficial phenomena and delving into the most subtle and profound mysteries.