《道樞》Vol. 10

The Pivot of the Dao, Scroll Ten: “Huayang” (excerpt)

Master Huayang said: “I have a method for restoring youth. When the internal alchemy (Neidan) is complete, true Qi arises; when the external alchemy (Waidan) is complete, the ordinary bones grow strong.

Master Chunyang said: “When you rise in the morning, first swallow the turbid saliva in your mouth to open the stomach, then breathe out the Qi of the heart and rub your face with your hands. When the heart’s Qi rises, it shows in the complexion; when it spreads, it becomes the pulse; when it flows, it becomes blood; when it congeals, it becomes fat. Next, apply thick saliva to the chizhai (the forehead) and rub it in. This connects with the true Qi within, and the complexion naturally becomes rosy.

“To replenish the lower origin (xiayuan, the foundation of essence and Qi around the Dantian below the navel), gather the essence of the Dragon and Tiger and congeal it in the Yellow Court (Huangting), the middle Dantian, thereby forming the internal alchemy. The internal alchemy can bring longevity. Refine metals and stones to replenish the Dantian: this is the great medicine within. The great medicine can bring immortality.

“Master Chunyang also said: ‘Rub the area below the navel with your hand, counting to nine times nine. Then alternately cup the external kidneys with your left and right hands, again counting by nines. At the hour of Shen, around three to five in the afternoon, swallow the breath and contract the external kidneys. Draw the Qi of the bladder into the Dantian, and bring the Qi of the heart down to the lower body. The heart’s Fire should always descend. In silent contemplation, observe it turning like a wheel of fire. Though the results come slowly, the practice has great power.

“‘Thus it is said: the kidneys are the sea of Qi, and the heart is the capital of Shen. Preserve them without loss: rub, cup, contract, and swallow; hold the navel with both hands. When tired, bend the knees and lie down, bringing the external kidneys opposite the navel. The lower origin will naturally grow firm and unite with the internal alchemy.

“‘Whenever you unite Kan and Li (Water and Fire, corresponding to the kidneys and heart), do so at the hours of Mao and You. To unite the Dragon and Tiger, do so at the hours of Zi and Wu. The ancient highest sages cultivated Yang and not Yin, refined the Dragon and not the Tiger. Who can fathom their subtle art?

“‘To unite Kan and Li at the hour of Mao, hold the breath and sit quietly, letting Qi and fluid support one another. They nourish the five viscera within and fill the four limbs without. To unite the Dragon and Tiger at the hour of Wu, hold saliva in the mouth until it is full, so that Lead joins Mercury and cinnabar congeals. Gathering and replenishing then completes the returning elixir.

“‘When Qi arises in the kidneys and Qi is returned to the kidneys, this is called the Lesser Returning Elixir. When Shen arises in the heart and Shen is returned to the heart, this is called the Middle Returning Elixir.’”

A modern interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

When the Elixir is returned, marrow forms in the brain, and the marrow is then returned to the brain. This method is called the Great Returning Elixir (Da Huandan).

The intercourse of the Dragon and Tiger is the Lesser Return; inner observation is the Middle Return; the method of the elbow’s back is the Great Return.

Master Chunyang said: “To kill the husband and save the wife, you must seek out her mother. Examine how the Five Phases generate and overcome one another, and follow the waxing and waning of the four seasons; this may be called perfect. Even so, killing the husband and seeking the mother can only replenish what is deficient in the five organs; using the child to kill the ghost can only drain what is excessive in its own palace. When the palace itself is deficient, seek out the mother and breathe upon her, so that Qi returns to the Dantian. Only when child and mother generate one another can you circulate and refine the body.”

What is Lunar Refining of the Body? It is the irrigation of the limbs with saliva from the throat, and is called Jade Fluid Refining of the Body. What is Solar Refining of the Body? It is guiding Qi from the Elixir Field to burn through the hundred bones, and is called Golden Fluid Refining of the Body. Refining Yang with Yin brings slow results; refining Yin with Yang produces subtle effects.

At noon, when Qi is strong, sit quietly and raise the body. Breathe out through the nose, drawing out the breath as long as possible. When Qi is full and a light sweat appears, this is called the Pearl Bath. After noon, when Qi is weak, lie on your back and circulate Qi between the hands and feet without letting it stagnate. When Qi is full, gather it back into the Elixir Source, and gather it back again without tiring of doing so. As it is about to enter the Elixir Source, swallow repeatedly and draw it in repeatedly: this is the wondrous secret.

After using the method of the elbow’s back to return essence and replenish the brain, true Water descends; you must then use the method of Completed Union. After the Elixir has been returned, when Qi rises and burns the body, this method must not be used.

Metal and stone can be refined into an External Elixir, but guest Qi can never be transformed into the body’s own. Kan and Li can be gathered to make an Internal Elixir, but empty Qi cannot be used constantly. The ancients took true Yin and true Yang and brought them together to form the Internal Elixir; within Qi, they then gathered true Qi and returned it to the Yellow Court. This practice should be performed at noon, when the five Qi converge. Gather it with undivided attention: this is the Brilliant Red Golden Elixir. It forms on its own in a single day; after ten days of cultivation, progress can overtake what would otherwise take three hundred days.

At the transition between the hours of Chen and Si, gather the finest essence of the liver; this is called the Blue Golden Elixir. At the transition between Wei and Shen, gather the finest essence of the heart; this is called the Red Fluid Elixir. At the transition between Zi and Wu, gather the finest essence of the spleen; its…

One of the elixirs is called the Yellow Sprout Elixir. At the transition between the hours of Xu and Hai, the essence in the lungs is gathered; the resulting elixir is called the Western Florescence Elixir. At the transition between Chou and Yin, the essence in the kidneys is gathered; this elixir is called the Great Tenuity Elixir. If one can refine any one of these elixirs, one can extend one’s life by a hundred years. This is the method of refining and gathering the Five Elixirs to preserve the body for a long time.

Use true Qi to refine Qi, and Qi will arise again within Qi. Qi gives rise to Shen (spirit); when Shen is present, the physical form is present as well. Refining true Qi in accord with the great cycle (the large cycles of Heaven and Earth and the human body), and refining original Qi in accord with the small cycle (the smaller circulation of Qi within a day), can in themselves bring long life and extend one’s years. Better still is to refine the Qi of the Five Viscera each day and form the Great Elixir in ten days: quiet every thought and guard the true breath; retain Qi to nourish the original Shen. Begin by working on the Five Viscera, then extend the practice to the other inner palaces. This is the path by which Shen arises from Qi, Shen is refined, and one joins with the Dao.

The principles of Orbit of Heaven fire timing are not limited to one method: holding the breath can treat illness, expanding the abdomen can remedy deficiency, raising the body can open the channels and free the sinews, and pressing the hips can strengthen the lower back and knees. What matters is keeping to the proper timing, advancing and retreating according to measure, adjusting appropriately, and drawing out and adding in with care. Those skilled in refining the elixir use the Qi of the Three Samādhis (the Qi of Jing, Qi, and Shen) to follow the Orbit of Heaven’s circulation. Every five days, they attain one stage of Qi, progressing step by step. Accumulating one hundred breaths brings a minor achievement; one thousand, an intermediate achievement; and ten thousand, a great achievement. Before noon, refine the body, making more use of lifting and guiding. After noon, refine the elixir, making more use of swallowing and drinking.

How should the increase and decrease of fire be managed? Begin at the Qian position, then move to Dui, and finally use Kun. First refine, then nourish, and at the end use the jin (the measure of the fire’s intensity) to bring the process to completion. These are the principles for advancing the fire.

What is inner observation? Observe oneself, not things; observe within, not without. I have a method of observing the mind: let no thought arise, as if holding a dish of water, still and always clear. I have a method of observing Heaven: sit in silence all day, silently paying homage to the Supreme Emperor. I have a method of observing the nose: let the breath be as fine as a hanging thread, with Qi rising from the nose, entering again, descending, and rising once more. When inner observation reaches its utmost, Qi enters the Niwan (the Dantian at the crown of the head), and Shen rises beyond to the inner palace.

Prolonged meditation in Buddhism can easily lead to dull stillness, stopping at the point of the Yin spirit leaving the shell. Prolonged Daoist sitting in forgetfulness can easily lead to inert stagnation; how could Shen and Qi truly be perfected that way? Inner observation should therefore take a cleansed mind as its foundation and severing thoughts as its method. Let the heart-fire shine downward into the Dantian (the lower abdomen, where Qi is refined), without counting how much or how little there is.

The stages of practice broadly follow what Bodhidharma described: when not a single thought leaks away, inner stillness arises naturally, and the original spirit thereby condenses. Qi fetal breathing is easy to practice but difficult to bring to completion. Why? Because the mind is clouded by delusive awareness. True fetal breathing is difficult to practice but easy to complete. Why? Because one’s nature is pure and clear. The essentials of fetal breathing are these: close off the inflow of breath and retain the breath as it is transmitted; let it continue softly, as though present, and do not exert yourself in using it.

From this comes the method of returning to the Origin. At the hour of the Rat, Qi arises; by the hour of the Horse, it ascends to pay court at the heart. At the hour of the Horse, fluid arises; by the hour of the Rat, it descends again to the kidneys. When the Dragon and Tiger join, the Elixir forms. This is called the lower return to the Origin. Lead and mercury divide the embryo so that the spirit may form; the Three Yangs rise within to the inner court. This is called the upper return to the Origin. Refine Qi until it reveals its original nature; refine Shen until it enters the original palace. Use true fire to disperse the yin demons, and then the Elixir is complete: Qi will pay court of its own accord, and when Qi is true, Shen will pay court of its own accord.

Before noon, sit quietly and draw out the breath through the nose; it will naturally converge in the Middle Origin. Before the hour of the Rat, sit quietly, gather the body, and swallow the breath; it will naturally pay court at the Lower Origin. Before sunrise, sit quietly, raise the body, and arch the spine; Qi will naturally pay court at the Upper Origin.

What does it mean to restore essence and replenish the brain? Essence resides in the kidneys; replenishing it with Qi can prolong life. Qi resides in the heart; settling it with Shen can prevent death. Marrow issues from the brain; replenishing it with true Yin and true Yang can restore youth. To draw Qi from the kidneys behind the elbows and send it flying into the Upper Palace is to replenish with true Yin. To return one’s true Qi and, through inner contemplation, transcend into the inner court is to replenish with true Yang. To remain silent all day, forget concerns, and cut off contrivance, allowing the two Qi to join and condense in the sea of marrow, is to replenish through Yin and Yang.

The practice of replenishing with true Yin is confined to the hours of the Ox and Tiger. Raise the body, straighten the waist, arch the chest, close both gates, and begin to move. The young should open them once a month; the old should open them once every hundred days. Open both gates, then close the upper gate again; make the openings as before. Once it enters the Upper Palace, the work is complete. What are completion and incompletion? Matching Kan and Li brings nourishment to the five organs, but does not yet form the Elixir.

“Dragon and Tiger joining” means that the Five Qi have gathered but still cannot “pay homage to the Origin”—the state in which spirit and Qi return to the Dantian and rise to the Gate of Heaven. The work is complete only after the Neidan has been forged at the “Not Yet Crossing” stage and spirit has joined with pure Yang.

The “Pure Yang Master” refers to someone who cultivates immortality on earth and attains deathlessness through the practice of Kan and Li joining. The “Pure Yang High Perfected” refers to someone who casts off the shell and ascends to immortality through the joining of Dragon and Tiger.

The joining of Kan and Li is expressed through the method associated with the Li trigram: holding the saliva and guiding the Qi, drawing Yang from Yin and Yin from Yang, one may speak of deathlessness. Once the Elixir is formed and pure Yang Qi arises, it is no longer merely the Yin-bearing “Tiger” of kidney Qi. Once the marrow is full and pure Yang Water descends, it is no longer merely the Yang-bearing “Dragon” of heart fluid. Water above and Fire below: this is what “Already Crossing” means.

Thus, without the true Water in the cauldron, pure Yang Qi cannot be subdued; without the true Fire in the Elixir, pure Yang substance cannot be refined. As one rises and the other descends, Yang refines Yin. When Yin is exhausted and pure Yang is formed, the Yang spirit naturally gathers and pays homage in the Heavenly Palace; before long, it can leave the body.

The practice of “Already Crossing” is generally performed before noon. It combines the “front rising” and “rear rising” methods from the body-burning method with the swallowing of Qi in the return of the Elixir.

What kind of method is “entering and leaving in a separate form”? Some use a thread hanging from the nose to lead the spirit upward into the Heavenly Palace; others use an image of something welling up from the earth to make the spirit leave its original position. Both can serve as ways of assuming a separate form. Others visualize a crane leaving its nest and soaring toward the Gate of Heaven, a dragon emerging from the water and entering the blue vault of heaven, or a three-tiered red tower, a seven-story pagoda, a flower village, or a withered tree. Any of these can serve as a method for leaving the body. This is what is called the method of regulating the spirit and ascending to immortality.

At first, a person is formed from the essence and blood of their parents, which become the kidneys. The kidneys are the Elixir: the true Elixir formed from Yin and Yang within the human body. When the Elixir is formed, true Qi is born; only when true Qi is abundant can one speak of the workings of creation and transformation. By rising and refining the body, one can soar aloft; by remaining and refining Qi, one can cast off the shell and ascend.

Without Neidan, relying only on the rise and fall of kidney Qi and on taking in Qi to seek a separate form merely lets a Yin spirit mistakenly leave through the Gate of Heaven. This belongs to the path of ghost immortals, not the proper way.

This passage from Dao Shu (Pivot of the Dao) elucidates the essentials of Neidan (internal alchemy) practice. Master Chongxuzi (a commentator on Laozi's teachings) emphasizes that the foundation of cultivation lies in mastering primordial Qi, with the crucial point being the harmonious balance between water and fire—the energies of the heart and kidneys. The heart belongs to fire, while the kidneys belong to water; practitioners must harmonize these Yin-Yang forces and regulate their dynamic interplay.

Three key focal points are vital in practice: The head, regarded as the celestial realm, is called the "Heavenly Valley Mud Ball Palace" (Shangyuan Niwan Gong), where ten thousand Shen (spirits) gather. The Crimson Palace (Jiang Gong) in the heart region, shaped like a crimson phoenix and associated with southern fire, serves as the abode of the heart-mind. Three inches below the navel lies the "Great Sea" (Dahai), where the primordial Qi transforms into the symbolic turtle and snake (representing Yin-Yang energies). Practitioners must learn to nurture genuine Qi through breath regulation—the left kidney corresponds to Yin, while the right gate of life (Mingmen) embodies Yang.

The scripture particularly stresses laying a solid foundation. Without this groundwork, attempting advanced feats like spirit projection—even if one temporarily exits through the "Celestial Gate" (separating from the physical body)—may lead to disastrous consequences if the authentic spirit cannot return due to insufficient mastery. True cultivation does not lie in forcibly pursuing supernatural abilities but in naturally harmonizing Yin-Yang, ensuring abundant primordial Qi and the coalescence of the true Shen.

A Vernacular Interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

By holding fast to primordial Qi and “cooking and refining” nature and life, tempering Yin into Yang, one can find peace and prolong one’s years. A spirit resides in the kidneys: before awakening, it is called the “Fiery Maiden”; once refined, it is called the “Primordial Lady.” Before refinement, it is the “Primordial Tortoise”; once refined, it becomes the “White Deer.” Do both refer to the image of a four-legged creature? They are intended as metaphors, not as literal animals.

In the great sea is a precious vessel that stores true Jing, the immortal elixir known as “nine returns and seven reversals.” Beyond it lies the Tail Gate, with two openings that connect to the turning mechanism—a metaphor for the movement of Qi through the waist and spine. Qi is drawn upward from the Tail Gate: in its first cycle it passes through the Great Darkness; in the next it passes through the turning mechanism. With a single surge, it opens both gates. The left is civil Qi and the right is martial Qi; both ascend to the celestial realm. The Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right are these two forms of Qi. People commonly rinse and swallow saliva—the Water of the Flower Pond—after the Zi hour and before the Wu hour. But if the three gates have not opened, one is merely drawing Qi into emptiness and swallowing water into an empty gut. How could this reach the head, the utmost Yang, and transform the Mudball Palace? One must wait until after the Zi hour, when the first Yang is born, then set up the furnace and kindle the fire, gather the Yang spirit in the inner court, and capture the Dragon and Tiger within the vessel. This is the essential method for refining the essence and driving out spirits and ghosts.

With each inhalation and exhalation, a person’s Qi travels three inches. If one breath is taken as a unit, then over a day and night there are about twelve thousand five hundred breaths, making one circuit through the body. Only by circulating the breath according to the method can the embryo of the Dragon and Tiger be brought to completion. Laozi says: “Know the mother, and then know the child; once you know the child, return to keeping to the mother.” When child and mother are drawn to one another and dwell together in the Luminous Hall, the spirit infant within does not perish. The Luminous Hall is the Mudball Palace; mother and child are the root of Yin and Yang. The essential practice is to nourish the Yang spirit and refine the Yin soul: Jing transforms into Qi, Qi into spirit, and spirit unites with the Dao. Only when the work is complete and the practice fulfilled is this the way to long life and enduring vision.

Chapter on Contemplating Emptiness (Whether movement is undisturbed or stagnation gives way to flow, investigate their utmost limits and contemplate the Five Emptinesses.)

Master Xiyi said: “To investigate ‘emptiness without emptiness,’ it is better to begin with spirit and wisdom. This is the path into the Great Void, the realm of true emptiness.” Thus there are five kinds of emptiness. The first is dull emptiness: empty but untransformed, stagnant and blocked, Yin-dark and primordial, with clear Qi buried within…

A Vernacular Interpretation

Five Misunderstandings About “Emptiness” and Their Correct Understanding

First, to mistake “concealed and unrevealed” for deficient Yang, and simplicity for being no more than dull-witted, is utter foolishness: knowing only how to conceal, but not how to express.

Second, what is called emptiness of nature means being empty and unreceptive, still and clear. It holds only to the “emptiness” within the Li trigram, without knowing that the Kan trigram also contains “fullness.” This seals shut the gate of all wonders and clings to solitary Yin; in the end, one can only sink into the ghostly realm of darkness. This is called the view of annihilation: seeing only the empty side.

Third, what is called emptiness of phenomena means moving without disturbance and being still yet able to give rise to life. It is like a stone, useless in practice, yet it takes an initial entry into the mysterious valley for the hidden dragon in the Qian position. To accord with the Way of Heaven only amid the colorless and formless, through inactivity and non-action, is merely the first step toward attaining the Dao, not the final realization.

Fourth, what is called true emptiness means knowing that form is not form, and emptiness is not emptiness. When true emptiness transforms, it gives rise to the true Dao; when the true Dao transforms, it gives rise to the true Shen (spirit); when the true Shen transforms, all things are complete. This is the realm of the immortals.

Fifth, what is called non-emptiness: though Heaven is high and clear, it contains the sun, moon, and stars; though Earth is still and peaceful, it contains mountains, rivers, plants, and trees; though human beings are empty and without, they can become immortals. In all three cases, something substantial arises from emptiness. One Shen transforms into a thousand forms of Shen; one Qi transforms and the nine Qi harmonize. Thus movement takes stillness as its foundation, and being takes nonbeing as its root. Like a soaring dragon turning back to look behind it, this is the path of the high perfected.

The Taiping Chapter: The Five Phases, Four Emblems, and Essentials of Cultivation

Those who cultivate the Dao must first understand the Five Phases and the Four Emblems. The Four Emblems are: first, the Golden Elder; second, the Maiden; third, the Infant; and fourth, the Yellow Matron. Only then can one understand the principles of Yin-Yang ascent and descent, and the use of the Seven Treasures.

The Five Phases correspond to the five zang organs:

• The liver belongs to Wood and corresponds to the Heavenly Stems Jia and Yi. One of its Qi is called the Azure Dragon. It moves along the channels above the left side of the spine, flows into the eyes, and transforms into tears. Tears are the residual Qi of true Water. They flow to the left side of the upper palate and are called Golden Elixir.

• The lungs belong to Metal and correspond to the Heavenly Stems Geng and Xin. One of their Qi is called the White Tiger. It moves along the right side of the spine, enters the nose, and transforms into nasal mucus. Nasal mucus is the residual Qi of true Metal. It flows to the right side of the upper palate and is called the Returned Elixir.

• The heart belongs to Fire … (The following text continues with heart Fire, kidney Water, and so on, explaining the Four Emblems and the use of the Seven Treasures according to the original scripture.)

I. The Five Phases, the Zangfu Organs, and “Water and Fire” Within the Body

Fire corresponds to the Heavenly Stems Bing and Ding. Among its energies is one called the Vermilion Bird, which follows the channels into the Heart. The Heart’s collateral vessels connect to the underside of the tongue, where the energy transforms into saliva. When swallowed, it enters the Heart and transforms again into blood. Blood may be described as the residual energy of true Fire. When it flows to the left side of the tongue, it is called Spirit Water.

The Kidneys belong to Water and correspond to the Heavenly Stems Ren and Gui. Their energy is called the Black Tortoise. It travels along the right side of the channels at the back of the body, enters the ears, and then flows to the right side of the tongue, where it is called the Flowery Pool.

The Spleen belongs to Earth and corresponds to the Heavenly Stems Wu and Ji. Its energy is called the Soaring Serpent, a common metaphor in internal cultivation for the energy of Spleen Earth. It travels along the upper channels at the back of the body, rises into the Mud Ball (the Dantian at the crown of the head), and transforms into saliva. Saliva is the residual energy of true Earth. When it flows to the area below the lips, it is called the Yellow Sprout.

These are the correspondences commonly used in Neidan between the five zang organs, the Heavenly Stems, divine creatures, and bodily fluids. They give the “Water,” “Fire,” “essence,” and “spirit” of cultivation a place within the body.

II. The Golden Elixir: Nurturing Qi, Refining the Form, and Regulating the Fire Phases

Master Mao says: To practice, first nurture Qi. Once Qi has been nurtured and stabilized, retain the essence and refine the form, so that true essence can return and original Qi can be restored. One should settle in a quiet place, clear the mind, let go of distracting thoughts, avoid constricting the heart and chest, and regulate the breath so that it is even and smooth.

One may practice Daoyin to open and invigorate the limbs, and gather the body’s true Water to nourish it within the cauldron (a metaphor for the Dantian or central chamber). Then open the twenty-four passes of the spinal cleft, and use inner and outer Fire to temper the Three Passes—the vital gateways of essence and Qi. After sitting for a long time, when the Qi has closed in, turn the Fire Cart three times; only then will Golden Essence rise. Count to nine, then let Water and Fire descend to the Dantian. This state has many names: Water and Fire in mutual completion; Kan and Li joining; husband and wife uniting; Sun and Moon meeting; Qian and Kun merging into chaos; Metal and Wood contending; Dragon and Tiger meeting; Lead and Mercury combining; Yin and Yang matched. When this stage is reached, the Qi channels run freely, the body feels bathed, and form and spirit shine.

Turn the Fire Cart until the count reaches eighty-one. After Zi hour (the midnight double-hour), a hot Fire seems to arise below the navel. Cold illnesses can be dispelled, and even the slightest affliction cannot take hold.

III. Common Reactions During the First Few Days of Practice

Master Mao briefly describes the stages of practice:

• First day: the mind is unsettled and irritated;
• Second day: the grain Qi in the abdomen becomes disturbed and makes sounds;
• Third day: essence stirs restlessly, and Qi sometimes leaks away;
• Fourth day: the spirit…

Note: The Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, and Soaring Serpent; Spirit Water, Flowery Pool, and Yellow Sprout; and the spinal cleft, Three Passes, Fire Cart, and Mud Ball are all metaphorical terms for the fire phases, vital gateways, and union of Water and Fire in Neidan. They are not simply anatomical terms.

Plain-language interpretation of The Pivot of the Dao

When Qi is disturbed and the mind grows dim

When Qi is disturbed, Shen grows dim.

Fifth day: True Fire presses on the Three Corpses, and the worms are all stirred into motion

On the fifth day, True Fire within the body presses on the Three Corpses—the “Three Corpse worms” believed in Daoism to dwell in the body and make people greedy, lustful, and gluttonous. All the worms are stirred into motion.

Sixth day: Heat below the navel; True Fire reaches the Dantian, and the two fires unite

On the sixth day, the area below the navel grows warm. True Fire has reached the Dantian, the “cauldron” in the lower abdomen where Qi is refined, and the two kinds of fire unite.

Seventh day: A sound in both sides of the ribs; True Qi circulates through the abdomen

On the seventh day, sounds arise between the ribs on both sides, and True Qi circulates through the abdomen.

Eighth day: Water and Fire join; the Dantian and the area below the navel pulse continually

On the eighth day, Water and Fire meet, and a continual throbbing is felt in the Dantian and below the navel.

Ninth day: Heat in the back; the joints seem about to open, and True Qi gradually rises to the head

On the ninth day, the back grows warm, the joints seem close to opening, and True Qi gradually rises to the head.

Second nine-day period: Move True Fire to the upper Dantian; at times something descends, shaped like a sparrow’s egg, and should be refined and swallowed

During the second nine-day period, around the eighteenth day, True Fire is moved to the upper Dantian, around the Niwan Palace at the crown of the head. At times something descends, about the size of a sparrow’s egg; it should be refined and then swallowed.

Third nine-day period: The kidney region connects with the joints; Qi surges into the head and feels cool as water

During the third nine-day period, the kidney region connects with the joints. Qi surges into the head, with a cool sensation like water.

Then the Fire Chariot moves in reverse, cycling without end; as it is refined, it is like snow atop a cauldron, with a piercing chill

At this point, the “Fire Chariot”—True Qi moving upward along the Governing Vessel—travels in reverse and cycles without stopping. As it is refined, it becomes like snow atop a cauldron, with a piercing chill.

Fourth nine-day period: Shen and Qi become clear; the breath enters and leaves through the nose without obstruction

During the fourth nine-day period, Shen and Qi become clear, and the breath flows freely through the nose.

Fifth nine-day period: The count reaches forty-five, and a numinous being appears

During the fifth nine-day period, the count reaches forty-five, and a numinous being appears.

Sixth nine-day period: The Jade Pool fills with water, nourishing the hundred channels without drying up

During the sixth nine-day period, the Jade Pool—the saliva in the mouth—fills, nourishing the body’s channels without being depleted.

Seventh nine-day period: The joints sound, subtle communication reaches throughout the body; seated in a quiet room, the body feels fresh as if touched by a breeze, and Qi within the body enters of its own accord

During the seventh nine-day period, the joints sound, and subtle communication extends throughout the body. Sitting alone in a quiet room, the body feels fresh as if touched by a breeze, and the Qi within it enters of its own accord.

Eighth nine-day period: The body is light and strong, Jing does not leak out, and it circulates naturally at the center; this is called the turning of the Dharma Wheel

During the eighth nine-day period, the body is light and strong, Jing does not leak out, and it circulates naturally at the center. This is called the turning of the Dharma Wheel.

Then, at nine times nine—eighty-one days—the Qi channels flow freely, the nails are rosy, absolute Yin is dispelled, the hands and feet often sweat, and the complexion changes

After nine times nine, or eighty-one days, the Qi channels flow freely, the nails become rosy, absolute Yin is dispelled, the hands and feet often sweat, and the complexion changes.

These eight processes must all be maintained; after about one hundred days, circulation begins to open somewhat, and True Mercury and True Lead are born

All eight of these processes must be maintained in practice. After about one hundred days, circulation begins to open somewhat, and True Mercury and True Lead—the Yin and Yang essences cultivated internally—are born.

If one engages in sexual activity, abdominal swelling may result; therefore, those who have not put aside lust should not practice at night or drink alcohol

Engaging in sexual activity or indulging in lust may cause abdominal swelling. Those who have not put aside lust should not practice at night, and should not drink alcohol.

Note: This passage describes the “fire phases” of Neidan practice, setting out sensations of Qi, warmth, rising and descending, and changes in body and mind by days and nine-day periods. Many of its terms come from Neidan, including Dantian, True Fire, Mercury and Lead, and the Dharma Wheel. The practice carries risks; modern readers should study it as a historical text rather than attempt it themselves.