《道樞》Vol. 19
About this page. The original text of 《道樞》 Vol. 19 (Taixuan 太玄部, 42 volumes) is shown in Classical Chinese as transmitted in the Kanripo (Kyoto University) edition. An English interpretation of the 16 passages on this page accompanies it: select a passage or press “Interpretation” to show it. All texts in English
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Source textInterpretation
The Pivot of the Dao, Scroll Nineteen: “The Cavern of Truth” (excerpt), in a modern-language interpretation
Scroll: The Pivot of the Dao, scroll nineteen, seventh passage.
Compiler: Collected by Zeng Zao, the Master Who Wanders to the Utmost.
This passage is titled “The Cavern of Truth.” A subheading reads, “Nurture the Five Sprouts in stillness and use the Six Breaths together” and “Serene and free of thought, let the spirit remain in its place.” In essence, it describes secretly nurturing the Qi of the “Five Sprouts,” coordinating it with the inhalation and exhalation of the “Six Breaths,” and keeping the mind calm and undisturbed so that the spirit settles in its proper place.
The Perfected Man Yu (a perfected adept of the highest level of Daoist cultivation) says: On the day of the Original Destiny Tai Sui, between the hour of the Rat and the hour of the Horse, enter a quiet room and sit cross-legged. Let the mind be clear, with no thoughts of affairs and no stray thoughts arising.
Then face east, gently click the teeth together, and sound the Heavenly Drum thirty-six times by covering the ears with both hands and tapping the back of the head with the fingers, producing a sound like a drum. Visualize a canopy of auspicious light shading the crown of the head, and yourself seated on a Suanni lion-shaped throne, symbolizing dignity and stability. To the left is the Azure Dragon, to the right the White Tiger, in front the Vermilion Bird, and behind the Black Tortoise—the protective formation of the Four Symbols. With the mind, pay obeisance to the four directions. Rest both hands on the knees and gently rock the navel and abdomen: three times to the left and seven times to the right.
Then rub the hands together until warm, massage the face, wipe the eyes, brush the ears, and stroke the crown of the head. Perform the method according to the hour, repeating it three times. If you persist for a thousand days, the spirit may enter and leave through the crown gate, around the Baihui point at the top of the head. If fear arises, visualize the spirit drawing back inside.
The first stage of visualization proceeds as follows. First imagine yourself seated amid divine clouds of five colors, with cloud Qi covering your crown. Once the visualization has settled, silently recite a blessing whose meaning is:
“The Five Qi mingle to form the mysterious essence above; they fill the five viscera and six bowels. Within and without, all is clear. They cleanse defilement and summon the Real, enabling me to soar to the Great Spirit.”
After reciting the blessing, absorb the four breaths in turn, swallow the saliva, and form the spirits:
1. Essence of Azure Yang, with azure clouds: swallow saliva nine times, transforming it into nine spirits. They resemble the planet Jupiter and wear blue robes and caps with jade belts. They descend into the liver and sit facing the liver spirit, inhaling and exhaling in rhythm.
2. Essence of the Numinous Elixir, with red clouds: swallow saliva eight times, transforming it into eight spirits. They resemble Mars and wear red robes and caps. They descend into the heart and sit facing the heart spirit, inhaling and exhaling in rhythm.
3. Essence of the Metal Soul, with white clouds: swallow saliva six times, transforming it into six spirits. They resemble Venus and wear white robes and caps. They descend into the lungs and sit facing the lung spirit, inhaling and exhaling in rhythm.
4. Essence of the Mysterious Luminary, with black clouds: swallow saliva five times, transforming it into five spirits. They resemble Mercury and wear black robes and caps. They descend into the Crimson Palace, the central chamber around the Dantian. They pass through the two bladders into the Coccyx Gate, rise along the spinal channel, and spread within the two kidneys—three on the left and two on the right—where they sit facing the kidney spirit, inhaling and exhaling in rhythm.
At the hour of the Horse, recite “He”; at the hour of the Hare, recite “Xu”; and at the hour of the Rooster, recite “Si.” These belong to the Daoist Six Sounds method, in which sounds guide Qi and regulate the viscera. After each round of Qi practice, hold the breath briefly, rub the hands together until warm, and rub the face until it feels hot. Then cover the eyes with both hands to warm and nourish them.
Note: The original describes a Song-Jin period Daoist practice combining internal cultivation, spirit visualization, swallowing saliva, a protective seat formed by the Four Symbols, and the timed use of the sounds “He,” “Xu,” and “Si.” This modern interpretation clarifies the meaning of the text. The practice requires clear instruction from a teacher; its duration and sequence should not be followed independently.
The Pivot of the Dao (Daoshu): A Plain-Language Interpretation
“Close the ears to external sounds, and tap the Celestial Drum thirty-six times with the fingers.”
Block the ears so you do not hear outside sounds. With your fingers, tap both sides of the occipital bone as if beating a Celestial Drum, for a total of thirty-six taps. (“Celestial Drum” refers to the area of the occipital bone.)
“After each practice of circulating Qi is complete, click the teeth three times, swallow three times, and call out three times, each in a reversed voice.”
At the end of each Qi-circulation practice, first click the teeth three times, swallow saliva three times, and call out three times. The calls use a reversed voice, meaning that the breath is drawn inward as the sound is made.
“Then blow for the kidneys, call ‘he’ for the heart, sigh ‘xu’ for the liver, hiss ‘si’ for the lungs, call ‘xi’ for the Triple Burner, and call ‘hu’ for the spleen.”
Next, match the Five Tones to the organs: “chui” corresponds to the kidneys, “he” to the heart, “xu” to the liver, “si” (a soft, fine sound) to the lungs, “xi” to the Triple Burner, and “hu” to the spleen. This is the Daoist Six Healing Sounds practice, which uses sound to guide Qi and regulate the five viscera.
“Swallowing is used together with spitting and purging: the two go together.”
Swallowing saliva is combined with breathing out and expelling impurities: one gathers inward, the other releases.
“First imagine the sun emerging from the left eye and the moon from the right. Each is nine inches across and sits above the ears; this place is called the High Window of the Six Directions.”
First visualize the sun appearing in the left eye and the moon in the right. Each has a diameter of nine inches and hangs above the ears. This place is called the “High Window of the Six Directions.”
“Once the visualization is settled, silently recite: ‘Supreme One, Mysterious Unity, the Nine Sovereigns emit their essence; through three, five, and seven transformations, they see into the hidden depths. The sun and moon send down their light, shining through the Divine Court and illuminating the Six Directions. Supreme Unity, Yellow Spirit; the Sovereign Lord’s command tablets; the golden books remain secure. The Five Elders uphold the talismans, and Heaven and Earth are ever at peace. Grant that I may never die and may attain the true spirit; drive away the myriad evils and quell all harm. Let me attend court above with the Heavenly Emperor, grow young again and return to infancy. The Great Emperor has issued his decree; may the hundred spirits respectfully heed it.’”
Once the visualization is steady, silently recite the blessing. Its meaning is: The Supreme One and Mysterious Unity, the Nine Sovereigns emitting their essence, undergo three, five, and seven transformations and see into the hidden depths. The sun and moon send their light down to shine through the Divine Court and illuminate the Six Directions. Supreme Unity and the Yellow Spirit, the Sovereign Lord’s command tablets, and the secure golden books are invoked; the Five Elders uphold the talismans, and Heaven and Earth remain at peace. May I live forever, attain the true spirit, drive away all evils, and bring every harm to an end. May I attend court above with the Heavenly Emperor, grow young again, and return to infancy. The Great Emperor has issued his decree; may the hundred spirits heed it.
“When the blessing is complete, inhale the sun and moon.”
After reciting the blessing, inhale the Qi of the sun and moon.
“In one breath, swallow saliva twenty-seven times, forming the Twenty-Seven Sovereign Lords.”
During a single breath, swallow saliva twenty-seven times and visualize the swallows transforming into twenty-seven Sovereign Lords.
“Nine Sovereign Lords descend into the Crimson Palace, pass through the Coccyx Gate, and surge upward to the region of the Mudball Palace.”
Nine of the Sovereign Lords descend into the Crimson Palace, below the heart, pass through the Coccyx Gate, and surge upward to the passage at the Mudball Palace, at the crown of the head.
“Another nine Sovereign Lords spread through the region of the Middle Gate.”
Another nine Sovereign Lords spread through the region of the Middle Gate, the heart.
“Nine Sovereign Lords pass down through the Crimson Palace and spread through the region of the Lower Gate.”
The remaining nine Sovereign Lords pass down through the Crimson Palace and spread through the region of the Lower Gate, below the navel. All the spirits wear purple imperial robes and crowns.
“What are the Three Gates? The brain, the heart, and the navel.”
The Three Gates are the upper gate, the brain; the middle gate, the heart; and the lower gate, the navel.
“Let the sun and moon fill the whole body, shine inward through the Mudball Palace, and reach down into the five viscera. Let everything be illuminated within, so that inside and out are as one, and the body joins with the light of the sun and moon.”
Let the light of the sun and moon fill the whole body, shine through the Mudball Palace above, and reach down into the five viscera. Let the inside be brightly illuminated, so that inside and out are one and the body unites with the light of the sun and moon.
“After a long while, click the teeth nine times, exhale with the sound ‘xi,’ and breathe out twenty-five times.”
After some time, click the teeth nine times, then exhale with the sound “xi” for a total of twenty-five breaths.
“In all daily activities—walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—keep in mind the twenty-four stars, each more than an inch in size, linked together like a chain.”
Throughout the day, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, visualize twenty-four stars in your heart-mind. Each star is more than an inch across, and they are linked together like a chain.
“Also visualize a person within each star: thus there are twenty-four people, each like a newborn infant, unclothed.”
Then visualize a person inside each star: twenty-four people in all, each like a newborn infant without clothes.
“The twenty-four stars then descend from the ‘xu’ and circle once around the outside of the body.”
The twenty-four stars descend from the “xu”—the navel area or central chamber—and make one circuit around the outside of the body.
“Recite: ‘The Twenty-Four Perfected Ones return to the Yellow Court. From their mouths they emit yellow Qi, which pours into my Gate of Life. The hundred spirits receive numinous power, making my bones strong and my hun and po souls peaceful. The five viscera receive the talismans; Heaven and Earth are joined.’”
Silently recite: “The Twenty-Four Perfected Ones return to the Yellow Court, the central chamber. From their mouths they emit yellow Qi, which pours into my Gate of Life. The hundred spirits receive numinous power, making my bones strong and my hun and po souls peaceful. The five viscera receive the talismans and correspond with Heaven and Earth.”
“When the blessing is complete, inhale the twenty-four stars.”
After reciting the blessing, inhale the Qi of the twenty-four stars.
“In two breaths, swallow saliva twenty-four times.”
Over two breaths, swallow saliva twenty-four times.
“With each swallow, perceive one star.”
With each swallow, sense one star descending into the body with the saliva.
These passages describe methods of inner cultivation that combine visualization, clicking the teeth, swallowing saliva, the Six Healing Sounds, the Three Gates, and the twenty-four stars. They focus on coordinating intention, sound, and saliva to connect the upper, middle, and lower gates with the five viscera and the Mudball Palace. This is a common style of instruction in self-cultivation texts such as The Pivot of the Dao.
The first paragraph is the same translation, but I'll write out the full text under the requested format.
Draw the qi into the mouth and guide it along the channels to a point below the navel. Then visualize starlight emanating from that point and transforming into twenty-four perfected beings (shenzhen, the "divine perfected" of Daoist tradition). Together they exhale yellow vapors from their mouths, which spread below the navel, thick and full, seeming to pass through the body both within and without. After holding this state for a time, exhale fifteen times. Having practiced the exhalation formulas of hē, xū, sì, xī, hū, and chuī, expel the turbid qi from the body ten more times. As you do so, visualize your physical form corresponding to the five colors, and also visualize your own body.
Chapter on Venerating the Truth (Chongzhen Pian)
(Bing and Ding belong to the attribute of fire; Ren and Gui belong to life-destiny (ming). Only by studying and thoroughly investigating principles can one come to recognize the correct Way (dao).)
Master Chongzhen (Chenggong, a Daoist of the Jin dynasty) said: "Preserving the Three Treasures (sanbao) and guarding the Original Unity (yuanyi) is the key to learning the Way. What are the Three Treasures? They are Jing (jing), Qi (qi), and Shen (shen), which I call the True Three Treasures. What does embracing the One (baoyi) mean? It means embracing and guarding the original yang true qi."
The root of Shen lies in the heart. The heart belongs to the south and corresponds to the fire of Bing and Ding. Within the heart resides nature (xing), and nature belongs to yang. The kidneys generate the original yang true qi. When this true qi leaks out, it becomes Jing; when it is secretly stored away, it is true qi. The kidneys belong to the north and correspond to the water of Ren and Gui. Water represents life-destiny (ming), and life-destiny belongs to yin.
One who understands how to preserve the Three Treasures and guard the Original Unity can cause Qi to protect Jing, Jing to protect Shen, and Shen to protect Qi. Through long cultivation, Shen becomes settled and Qi becomes harmonious, and the immortal Way can be attained.
When a woman devotes herself to cultivation and fixes her intention between the breasts, just beneath the skin, then after ten years her true qi will be fully replenished, and her results will equal those of a man. The subtle essence of cultivation lies in having no thoughts in the heart, hearing nothing with the ears, and seeing nothing with the eyes. With a focused and tranquil mind and diligent, persistent practice, one will be unaffected by cold and heat, unharmed by stinging insects such as bees and scorpions, unseized by fierce birds, and unbitten by ferocious beasts. The face returns to the appearance of an infant, and the strength becomes as robust as that of a tiger or rhinoceros (xi, a beast of legend). The seven orifices of the body become clear, so that one can see at night as clearly as by day, and the mind opens to understanding. The Dao-qi returns naturally, and blowing and exhaling can be used to heal illness, while spraying water and exhaling can drive away ghosts and spirits. At this point, Shen ascends and roams to the upper realms, and what distance could there be to the Qingdu and Langyuan (immortal realms of legend)?
Chapter on Returning to the Truth (Fanzhen Pian)
(Explore the mysterious and profound by searching the still, deep emptiness and seeking the origin; turn inward to observe one's true nature and return to the root of life.)
Master Xugu (Liu Lie) said: "After the undifferentiated whole has divided, the pure qi and the turbid qi have already separated. You are the most spiritually endowed of all things, and humans have received the most refined portion of the primal qi. Is this refined nature, then, originally incapable of death and decay? Or do people ultimately walk toward ruin on their own? People scramble after fame and profit like ants, and are thrown into confusion by right and wrong like swarms of bees."
When cultivation reaches this juncture, one must return the True Nature (zhenxing) to its root, blunting its sharpness and untangling its confusions. Dwelling contentedly in one's proper station, with a single mind at rest, all the myriad states are forgotten. This is the condition of "possessing the Dao" (You Dao).
Only by wielding wisdom as a blade can one sever the fetters of affliction. Sweet words and coquettish smiles cannot sway the resolute heart of the aspirant, and the coy allure of arched brows and full cheeks cannot stir the eye of the lofty scholar. Thus one abandons illusion, guards what is genuine, observes the myriad things, and so knows oneself. One must be clear and still before one can forget attachment. Spirit (shen) transforms into qi, and qi again transforms into form. To exhaust this principle to its end is simply this. The numinous nature illuminates itself, shining and reflecting on itself, and this is the wondrous function that fully penetrates all things.
Beyond the dim and obscure, within the vague and elusive, lies a life-realm like the Kunlun Void and its valleys. I have two paths that extend unbroken and lead straight to the celestial extremity, and a field that winds and curves, able to circle back to the terrestrial pivot. Driving the earthly steed and reversing course up the Silver River, the Jade Pivot turns within the single body, and mists and clouds issue from the seven orifices. The myriad spirits arrive together and the hundred vessels flow through. The two qi mingle and turn back as a wind, and the three palaces rise and fall without cease. Thus one reflects upon the lamp of wisdom and sees oneself. In the pure sounds of the clear sky, who could hear them? What Dao is this? It achieves its merit through non-action (Wuwei), and purposive action serves as its function.
Thereafter, what is stored lies within the vessel, and movement and stillness are themselves the pivot. First one fashions the Jade Furnace, then sets up the Golden Cauldron. Above, one anchors to the Dark Heaven; below, one takes root in the earth. Yin lies to the left and Yang to the right. Dragon and Tiger leap and intertwine, and Kan and Li interact. The four images are pushed into order and the Five Phases (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) are gathered and combined. The seven luminaries are interwoven and the eight gates open and close. Thus the Child and the Mother keep each other, and the Infant and the Maiden draw close. The matchmaker brings them into harmony, and husband and wife are united. Earth, water, and fire are transformed in accord with the seasons and hours, and the rabbit lung and crow liver, the medicine, add up to one catty. The Yellow Sprout and White Snow have their essence (jing) born from the blossom of the two earths. When the work is complete, the thirty-six thousand spirits audience the Emperor above, and I may then cross beyond the mortal world and seize the reckoning of nine hundred and ninety-nine million. How much more so the Perfect Spirit of the supreme Dao, which lies in nothing other than the Golden Elixir (Jindan) transforming the body. Naturally one passes from existence into existence and from existence back into non-existence. Being and non-being interpenetrate, and form and spirit both become wondrous. One sheds the Three Corpses and transcends the Three Realms, audiences the Highest Clarity (Shangqing) and attains realization as an immortal, escapes the sway of Yin and Yang, and so becomes equal to Heaven and Earth. Wandering and looking about in every direction, this is just how it is.
Note
The author writes that they can move freely through the eight directions of heaven and earth, going wherever they wish and traveling whenever they choose. How could such a person still be troubled by life and death, calamity and fortune? The author once composed one hundred pieces titled Huandan Xugu (Returning the Elixir in the Empty Valley), and fourteen of them are selected here for publication.
I
The principle of the Dao (the Way) is subtle and hard to fathom, and few are those who awaken to it. To split open primordial chaos, one must first establish the foundation of the elixir. In an instant, gold and water freeze like ice, and within three feet of frost, flames leap up. The Kan and Li trigrams each display their images in north and south, and between dawn and dusk, the talismans and the fire join with heaven's mechanism. Once a single pill is refined into a body of pure Yang, one loosens the reins, raises the whip, and rides straight into the Purple Subtle Heavenly Realm.
II
The towers and pavilions rise into the air, nothing like the marketplaces of the human world, and before the Double Dao Gate, mist and clouds meet. In the Mysterious Furnace, white snow (an image of qi condensing) is swept by golden youths. In the plain tripod, the yellow sprout (a metaphor for the medicinal substance or essential qi) is refined and tended by jade maidens. Wind enters the jade pond and stirs the lotus (hehan), and the moon pierces the true hall and lights up the banana plants. Within the terrace, refined companions remain together, forgetting all scheming, and the affairs of a thousand ages dissolve before the eyes.
III
Drifting and floating, the boat is not tethered to any oar, and the true shen (spirit) transforms constantly as it roams the nine heavens. Water contains fire, and the two unite. Within yin, yang is born, moving freely without restraint. The white-faced gentleman drives the tiger by its tail, and the vermilion-robed youth grasps the dragon by its head. Once one enters the Jade Terrace in carefree ease, the turning of human spring and autumn no longer concerns them.
IV
Shed the toil of the dust of the world and cleanse the inch-square heart, so that worldly affairs cannot casually disturb it. Sit clear and still, and harmonize the true qi. Silently forget emotions, and nurture the sacred truth within. The two forking paths both flow into the great sea, and the thousand streams of the Silver River pour down from the lofty peaks. The essential point lies in the elixir method of our school: the cyclical union of yin and yang, the "Two and Eight" (the coupling of yin and yang), with heel-breathing (zhongxi, a deep, fine breath that guides the qi) as the key.
V
The White Jade Tortoise Peak was originally the immortal abode of the Queen Mother of the West (Xiwangmu). Where thin clouds encroach, the red sun blazes upon the Three Flowers (a common Daoist metaphor for jing, qi, and shen, or for the three yangs). A pool of cream drips like dew on the tips of mulberry branches, and nine patches of pale yellow resemble the glow of dawn at the mouth of a valley. The crane's crown holds the elixir, and all its beautiful hues appear. The cloud-heart clings to nothing, so its light radiates on its own. In those days, if one had not sought that twin path (the shortcut of yin-yang union), one would have run about in vain to the ends of the earth.
VI
A single qi fills the empty void like an unworked raw block. When the dark and the yellow divide, the two forms (yin and yang) come into being. Kan and Li remain the masters of Qian and Kun, and the hare and the crow (the sun and moon) originally reside within the womb of the sun and moon. All waters return to the Eastern Sea, and no star fails to face the Northern Pole. Among the Three Powers (heaven, earth, and humanity), I attain the central excellence, and through the natural harmony of creation and transformation, all things come into being.
VII
Within the hollow of the empty heart, ten thousand sounds play a fine melody, and in the chamber of spirit, where all is still and condensed, the night is deep. Waves gather into snowflakes that open across the surface of the cauldron, and light plays with the colors of the stars, brilliant at the heart of the furnace. The Five Phases gather, and Geng returns to Yi (metal returns to the position of wood, a figure for the shifting of the Five Phases). The Three Surnames (the three elemental forces of the elixir) return together, and Bing returns to Ren (fire returns to the position of water, the completion of water and fire). Creation has achieved its work, and it is worth looking upon closely.
Poem Eight
The eighth poem says: returning to the origin and going back to the root, one gradually sees tender sprouts emerging from withered branches. To recognize the daogui (the medicinal spoon, a metaphor for the drugs used in alchemy), one must seek it within Wuji (the Earth phase of the Five Phases, the central palace, which stands for the intention of the spleen). To understand "water and fire," one must know that they are the heche (river chariot, the pathways along which true qi circulates, likened to the Du and Ren vessels). At first one receives the golden lotus seed, and later the jade tree opens its blossoms. The son and daughter stay together behind the vermilion gate, and late at night they still drink together the liuxia (immortal wine, a metaphor for true qi).
Poem Nine
Suddenly one takes up the brush and lets talent flow freely, and the spring marrow fills the cup with warmth. Who divided the primordial chaos? Hongmeng (primordial vastness) was opened by my own effort. The golden lotus is planted downward in the cinnabar pool, and the jade tree is moved to grow on the green ridge. This homestead has a fine landscape, and the Kan man and Li woman come together (in the trigrams, Kan is the middle son and Li the middle daughter, a figure for the union of Yin and Yang and the perfect balance of water and fire).
Poem Ten
Who believes that the matter of the returning elixir is not profound? One must be willing to seek it within the "three and five" (one, three, and five, which sum to nine, or a figure for jing, qi, and shen). If one understands Gengjia (the Metal and Wood stems) to capture the dragon and tiger (the dragon and tiger stand for Yang and Yin), one must recognize the rise and fall that fix Wood and Metal. In the six lines of Kun, fire is produced within the inner Li; in the three lines of Qian, one obtains the home of Kan within. Ren (the Water stem) and the alchemical classics and histories speak of these things clearly, but deluded followers are unwilling to give them careful attention.
Poem Eleven
Not believing this, one is misled by empty display and harms oneself. Who is willing to question their own body and seek what is real? Three visits of congratulations add three months, and one flight of falling blossoms subtracts one spring. Yang qi, like smoke, is truly precious and should not be wasted, and the wilderness, like flowing water, should not be neglected. Books written on bamboo and silk have lasted for thousands of years; look to those who attained the Dao in the past.
Poem Twelve
People all say that the great hermit mingles among the markets (chanluo, the bustling quarters), yet they laugh at those who live in the mountains nourishing the taihe (Great Harmony). When fame and profit are thin, human affairs are thin; when there are many demands and requests, there are many disputes. Green waters and blue mountains transcend the cave of natures, while painted brows and rosy faces sink one into the river of the body. If we ask about the saying "surplus goods can rival a nation" (huo yu neng di guo), can one not buy impermanence with it? (Here "surplus goods" stands for the inner elixir as supreme treasure, and "rival a nation" stands for a value beyond a thousand pieces of gold.)
Poem Thirteen
Sun and moon circulate; examine them carefully. The tiangang (the handle of the Big Dipper) points exactly at the xuanji (the celestial pivot). A great achievement requires three thousand days, and its wondrous function remains complete within the twelve periods of the day. When the four and eight have expelled the turbid dregs of Yin, and the nine and three have grown the Yang, one merges with xiyi (the state beyond sound and form). Every line of the xuanguan (the mysterious pass) is true news, and yet the poem leaks out its secrets.
Poem Fourteen
The taiyi (Supreme One) furnace is held in three layers, and it encircles and turns above and below, following the patterns of Qian and Kun. Heaven turns and earth lies low, and the turtle and snake respond. Yin is killed and Yang is born at the gate of mao and you. Fire advances through the hexagrams tun and meng and always glows warm, and the cauldron, containing gold and water, stays gently warm. When the mysterious pearl is refined and golden light shines brilliantly, it is offered to the Xuhuang (August Emperor, the most honored deity revered in Daoism, here a figure for the supreme lord of the inner landscape).
Daoshu (The Pivot of the Dao), Chapter on Cultivating the Real and Pointing to the Mysterious: Inverting the Five Phases and Reversing the Three Fields, with Shen and Qi Stored Within in Winter's Child and Summer's Noon
Huayang Zhenren Shi Jianwu (Perfected of Huayang, Shi Jianwu) said: I heard the Zhengyang Zhenren Zhongli Quan (Zhongli Yunfang, Perfected of Zhengyang) speak of these matters.
The names Jade Clarity, Upper Clarity, and Grand Clarity, along with Grand Nothingness, Grand Void, Grand Emptiness, and Grand Substance, are used to point to the foundations of Heaven and Earth through the mutual generation and mutual establishment of "being" and "non-being." When applied to the human body, the Sanqing (Three Pure Ones) may be understood this way: the essences, qi, and shen of the parents gather to form the fetus. Blood and essence are the outer aspects, while essential qi is the inner, much as Heaven and Earth divide into clear and turbid. The Chunyang Zhenren (Perfected of Pure Yang), as the teaching of Zhongli Quan's lineage describes, says that when dragon and tiger unite, the neidan (internal alchemy) forms. Over roughly three hundred days, true qi begins to sprout, and the yangshen (Yang spirit) is refined. It first dwells in the Huangting (Yellow Court, the central palace), then enters the Inner Courtyard, and at last exits through the Tianmen (Heavenly Gate). This is the "Three Pure Ones" within the human body.
The kidneys belong to water, and within water arises yuanqi (primal qi), which may be compared to the earth itself. The heart belongs to fire, and within fire arises zhen tu (true earth), which may be compared to the place where earth and stone congeal. The spleen expands with the exhalation and draws kidney qi upward. With the inhalation it enters and receives heart qi downward. Thus, between breaths, one circulates the pure qi of Heaven and Earth into the central palace. At meals, one takes in the refined qi of all things to nourish the four limbs. This is the sancai (Three Powers) of the human body.
The Chunyang Zhenren further said: The union of father and mother gives birth to this body, which is the human Three Powers. The union of heart and kidney gives birth to the elixir, which is the Three Powers of the self.
Huayang Zhenren sighed: These words are truly profound. The moon is the essence of Grand Yin. When yin does not receive yang, it does not shine, so the moon shines by receiving the sun's hun (ethereal soul). The sun is the essence of Grand Yang. When yang does not receive yin, it is not full, so the sun appears by receiving the moon's po (corporeal soul).
If we speak of what is within, kidney qi passes to liver qi. When liver qi leaks out and the residual yin in the kidneys is exhausted, the hun arises in the liver. Heart fluid passes to lung fluid. When lung fluid is produced and the residual yang in the heart is exhausted, the po arises in the lungs. From kidney qi one draws the zhenyi zhi shui (true-one water), and from heart fluid one draws the zhengyang zhi qi (upright yang qi). Taking true-one water as the embryo is like the sun's hun receiving the moon's po and becoming bright. True-one water receives the upright yang qi… (What follows continues the original text's sequence of the mutual union of water and fire and the order of inner refinement.)
Reading note (not part of the scripture): This chapter uses the Heaven-and-Earth "Three Pure Ones" and "Three Powers" to correspond to the human body and the Dao of inner alchemy. Breath and spleen movement govern the rising and falling of qi, while heart and kidney are fire and water. The pairing of hun in the liver and po in the lungs, and of true water and upright yang forming the embryo, is a common inner-alchemical contrast between sun and moon, water and fire, and hun and po. It should be read alongside the chapter headings "Three Fields Reversing" and "Shen and Qi Stored Within."
Scripture: Dao Shu (The Pivot of the Dao)
Modern Explanation:
The "master" (root) of cultivation is like the moon shining by borrowing the spirit of the sun. Within a year there are twenty-four solar terms (jieqi), and within a day the hours can likewise be divided into twenty-four segments. The hours Hai, Zi, and Chou correspond to the Heavenly Stems Ren and Gui (Water), and the terms Minor Snow, Major Snow, Winter Solstice, Minor Cold, and Major Cold belong to this segment. Yin, Mao, and Chen correspond to Jia and Yi (Wood), and Start of Spring, Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, Spring Equinox, Clear and Bright, and Grain Rain belong to it. Si, Wu, and Wei correspond to Bing and Ding (Fire), and Start of Summer, Grain Buds, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Minor Heat, and Major Heat belong to it. Shen, You, and Xu correspond to Geng and Xin (Metal), and Start of Autumn, End of Heat, White Dew, Autumn Equinox, Cold Dew, Frost's Descent, and Start of Winter belong to it. (Five days make one pentad (hou), three pentads make one qi, and three qi make one jie; two jie make one "period.") The twelve Earthly Branch hours are yang, and the ten Heavenly Stems are yin. The four trigrams Gen, Xun, Kun, and Qian (Bagua) likewise each occupy one period, and together they make twenty-four periods that correspond to the twenty-four solar terms of heaven and earth.
Each of the twelve double-hours of the day is reckoned as thirty degrees, totaling three hundred and sixty degrees, which matches the three hundred and sixty degrees of heaven and earth. The seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and the crescent, full, dark, and new phases of the sun and moon, follow the same principle as the Zi, Wu, Mao, and You times in the human body. If one knows these seasons and the sequence of qi and cultivates accordingly, the elixir is complete and the qi is abundant, and one may attain longevity. Refining qi into shen (spirit) allows one to enter sagehood.
The Five Phases (wuxing) stand in a relation of mutual generation: lung qi requires kidney qi in order to move; heart qi requires liver qi in order to move; spleen qi requires heart qi in order to move; and lung qi requires spleen qi in order to move. As for the three dantian (dantian, the upper, middle, and lower fields): within jing (essence), qi is generated, so secretly guarding the jing keeps the qi strong. Within qi, shen is generated, so nourishing the qi keeps the shen clear. The mutual generation of the Five Phases can prolong life, and the returning and revolving circulation of the three fields can transcend the ordinary.
What are the "nine palaces" (jiugong) of the human body? The Hall of the Primal Elixir is the kidney, the Vermilion Hill Palace is the small intestine, the Orchid Terrace Palace is the liver, the Heavenly Gate Palace is the gallbladder, the Yellow Court Palace is the spleen, the Mysterious Spirit Palace is the large intestine, the Secretariat Palace is the lung, the Jade Chamber Palace is the bladder, and the Crimson Empyrean Palace is the heart. If we compare them to the Nine Provinces of geography: Jizhou corresponds to the kidney, Yanzhou to the bladder, Qingzhou to the liver, Xuzhou to the gallbladder... (The text continues in this manner, matching the geographical Nine Provinces to the viscera of the human body.)
In internal alchemy (neidan), the body is correlated with the Nine Provinces: Yangzhou corresponds to the heart, Jingzhou to the small intestine, Liangzhou to the lungs, Yongzhou to the large intestine, and Yuzhou to the spleen.
Speaking of physical form, the lungs are about eight cun long and shaped like a canopy; the heart is about nine cun long and shaped like a hanging lotus; the liver is about seven cun long and shaped like a suspended gourd; the kidneys are about three cun long and shaped like a suspended stone; and the spleen is about seven cun six fen long and shaped like an overturned basin. Each organ takes a different form, and these cannot all be described in full.
Water and fire must be made to interact. One draws water from within the kidney qi and gathers qi from above the heart's fluid. When the qi is above and the water below, this is the image of Weiji (Before Completion) in the Yijing (Book of Changes). When the kidney qi rises to the crown of the head, the true water descends, and when the heart qi enters the dantian (energy center), the true qi ascends. This is the image of Jiji (After Completion). Only when the heart and kidneys unite can the neidan (internal elixir) be formed. The liver and lungs must pass energy back and forth to produce the proper huohou (fire timing), in accordance with the principle of heaven and earth rising and falling and the numerical rhythms of the advance and retreat of the sun and moon.
How are the dragon and tiger brought together? From the hours of chen and si until the hour of wu, one swallows the saliva in the mouth in three separate swallows. Then one sits in quiet stillness in a silent chamber: the hands are stacked palm over palm, the legs are crossed, thoughts and worries are cut off, the waist is gently lifted, the eyes are closed, the mind is stilled, and the mouth is kept full of saliva. Breathe out slowly through the nose, and when the breath reaches its limit, draw it back in and hold it down with the saliva; then the true dragon will not rise recklessly. Next, guide the breath and gather it in, and then the true tiger will not fall recklessly. At first, one feels the throat growing dry; then the heart feels harmonious and balanced; and finally the spirit feels comfortable and at ease. Once the dragon and tiger have united, what has no substance gives rise to substance. Its form is like a grain of millet, and it returns to the Yellow Court (Huangting), where it is called the Mysterious Pearl (xuanzhu). If the refinement of the fire timing is accurate, this becomes the Golden Elixir (jindan).
The fire is the Samadhi True Fire (sanmei zhenhuo). It rises and falls in a cycle, following the Way of the complete circuit (zhouTian). Fifteen liang combined with three hundred and sixty zhu correspond to the degrees of the circuit. Heavenly qi forms one phase every five days, so the practitioner's fire timing also advances and retreats in five-day phases.
To gather the three qi in the Yellow Court, the method is as follows: from the hours of xu and hai until the hour of zi, sit quietly in a silent chamber, clear away thoughts, lean slightly forward, and gently draw in the abdomen so that the breath in the nose is continuous and unbroken, without forcing it too hard. Hold the dantian in mind as a wheel of fire turning. Keep turning without tiring, and keep the ribs still. If you grow weary, pause briefly; when you draw in the abdomen again, intend to collect the qi that has scattered, and visualize the fire wheel turning into the kidneys, with the heart fire descending into the Yellow Court. At first there may be a slight ache in the abdomen, and then it gradually grows warm. Practiced this way, it can prolong life.
(Note: The Yellow Court, dantian, Samadhi True Fire, dragon and tiger, Mysterious Pearl, Golden Elixir, fire timing, and complete circuit are all terms of internal alchemy. Weiji and Jiji are hexagram names from the Yijing, used here metaphorically to describe the states of heart and kidney water and fire before and after they have united.)
Replenishing what is depleted and augmenting qi, accumulating merit and extending one's years. When this is practiced alongside the Dragon and Tiger methods described earlier (Yin and Yang, lead and mercury):
In one hundred days, circulate the fire for five liang from the hour of Xu (7–9 p.m.) to the hour of Zi (11 p.m.–1 a.m.), refining Jing (essence) into mercury so that the medicinal potency is complete. In two hundred days, circulate the fire for ten liang from the hour of You (5–7 p.m.) to the hour of Zi, refining mercury into cinnabar so that the embryo becomes firm. In three hundred days, circulate the fire for fifteen liang from the hour of Shen (3–5 p.m.) to the hour of Zi, refining cinnabar into gold so that the pure Yang qi is born.
How is the fire drawn? Count a string of one hundred and eight beads, concentrating the mind and counting the breaths. When one full cycle of the count is complete, one zhu (a minute measure) of fire has been obtained.
What is meant by "flying gold crystals beside the elbow"? At the hour of Zi, when the first Yang stirs, begin the practice. Drape a robe over the shoulders and sit upright, grasping the fist and visualizing the Shen (spirit). Click the teeth twenty-four times, gather the spirit and harmonize the qi, cut off thought and forget ideation, close the eyes and quiet the mind, and visualize the Lower Dantian (energy center). Lean the spine slightly backward and wait until warmth is first felt below the waist. If there is no warmth, lean back further, stopping once heat arises. The qi will then pass through the Weilü (tailbone) and descend through the lower pass, then through the twin passes along the Jiaji (spine), and then through the upper pass at Yujing, which lies to the left of the heart. Leaning the body back in one motion pierces all three passes and enters Niwan (the Mud Pellet, inside the crown of the head). Stop at sunrise. Practicing for a single night can compensate for one year of loss, and if the full count is completed, it can replenish the brain and marrow and return one to youth.
Therefore, the hours of Chen and Si are the time of joining, the hours of Xu and Hai are the time of advancing the fire, and the hour of Zi is the time of withdrawing it.
What is meant by the Golden Liquid Returning Elixir? The method is as follows. At the hour of Zi, sit in quiet visualization, lean back, cover the ears and hold the breath, and sway gently so that the kidney qi rises into the crown of the head and strikes the summit. Let the divine water descend from above, coming down from the palate, cool and sweet, and swallow it without rinsing. Over time the bones become strong, the body light, and one is no longer troubled by cold or heat.
What is meant by the Jade Liquid Returning Elixir? The method is as follows. During the joining at the hours of Chen and Si, sit quietly and cut off all thought. Press the tongue against the gaps between the teeth and close both cheeks. If saliva is present, swallow it; if not, swallow the breath. Count to three hundred and sixty. This is the method of ascending from the lungs, and it can only compensate for one year of loss. (Those who already possess the inner elixir do not use this method.)
Also, at the hour of Zi, visualize leaning the spine back. Once the body has pierced all three passes and entered the crown, close the breath at once, cover the ears, and sway, so that the Golden Liquid descends. Then swallow it without rinsing.
Sit upright with the body straight, draw in the abdomen, and lift the waist, so that the jinye (golden fluid, the refined essence of fluids produced within the body) disperses with the yuanqi (primordial qi) into the four limbs and flows through all the hundred vessels. This is called jinye lianxing (refining the form with golden fluid).
After a long time, the eyes will hold a jinhua (golden radiance), and a golden light will shine through the whole body. This not only prolongs life but also has wondrous uses. Before noon, during the Chen and Si hours (roughly 7 to 11 a.m.), gather the cheeks and swallow the qi to replenish what is depleted, repeating the practice until the count is sufficient. At the moment just before swallowing, when the qi has not yet gone down, suddenly sit bolt upright and raise the abdomen high, so that the qi enters the four limbs and passes through the vessels into the channels. After a hundred days, the skin will be like jade, the blood like fat, and the face like that of an infant.
There are two methods of refining the form. The first is yidan lianxing (refining the form with the elixir), which circulates within the three fields (the upper, middle, and lower Dantian). The second is refining the form without the elixir, which uses the reversal of the Five Phases (practicing the generating and overcoming cycles in reverse order). This is called yuye lianxing (refining the form with jade fluid). Visualize the qi rising and arch the spine, then push through the sanguan (three passes: the Weilu, Jiaji, and Yuzhen gates along the spine and skull) until it enters directly the Niwan (the palace of the marrow at the crown of the head). Cover the ears and hold the breath. When the golden fluid descends, lift the abdomen so that the qi rises to the Dantian. The pure yang rises and falls, and the two meet beneath the chonglou (the region of the throat and chest). This is jiji (the image of water and fire in completion). When the first grain forms, it is as large as a millet grain and glows yellow. It returns to the Huangting (the middle Dantian) and is called jinsu (golden grain). Golden light then emerges through the skin and hair. Set the breathing by the count of the practice; this is the method of jiji.
The human yuanqi circulates once a day, while the yuanshen (primordial spirit) turns over once every ten days. On Jia and Yi days, refine the liver qi at the Mao hour (5 to 7 a.m.). On Bing and Ding days, refine the heart qi at the Wu hour (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). On Geng and Xin days, refine the lung qi at the You hour (5 to 7 p.m.). On Ren and Gui days, refine the kidney qi at the Zi hour (11 p.m. to 1 a.m.). In each case the refining brings the spirit to completion. Only the spleen has no fixed hour and is never refined, so on Wu and Ji days one may rest at ease. Sit quietly in a still room, clear the mind of thoughts, knock the teeth twenty-four times, and turn the heart toward the Dao until the spirit is settled and the qi harmonized. Silently observe the organ being refined, and the qi will come when the mind arrives. When the pure yang fire of the Dantian arrives, this is the sanhua hehui (the union of the three flowers), which differs from the ordinary fire of samadhi. Refine once every ten days, for a hundred days in all, with each organ refined ten times. Then the qi rises and the spirit appears, and each rises in its own color in profusion. Looking back and reflecting inward, one sees clouds of five colors rising within the hu zhong (the cauldron of the inner landscape). This is refining qi into spirit, ascending to pay homage to the Celestial Origin, and entering the spirit palace together. Yet one fears that external demons will disturb the true nature, so one should quickly withdraw the inner observation and kindle the fire. Therefore it is said: those who wish for long life may refine the elixir and lower the fire.
Daoshu: A Modern Interpretation
Those who wish to live forever may do so by refining the form through huandan (returning the elixir). Those who wish to ascend to heaven and become immortal may do so by refining qi into shen (lian qi cheng shen).
Yanluozi says that the method of becoming an immortal lies in yan qi bi xi (swallowing the breath and holding it), so that the qi does not pass up and down through the throat. When the qi accumulates and cannot be retained, one should sit upright and lift the waist. By repeating this, the qi breaks through stagnant places and the duration of breath-holding can be extended. As qi accumulates over time, it transforms into jinye (fluids), which moisten the five viscera and six bowels internally and nourish the skin externally. This is the supreme method for bringing peace to body and mind, yet it has not yet exhausted the profound and subtle (xuanwei).
The Way of xuanwei lies in sitting quietly in a secluded room, cutting off distracting thoughts and forgetting worries, then swallowing the breath and holding it. When the breath becomes urgent, one raises and lifts the body. When it slows, one exchanges the breath and retains a portion of the remaining breath. The abdomen then becomes empty, the head and eyes clear, the body full and joyful, and the shen and qi harmonized. This is the method for prolonging life. If one has overeaten, holding the breath and emptying the heart will dispel the discomfort. If qi and blood are stagnant, holding the breath and silently observing where the illness lies will also heal it.
What is called na jiu yan yi, cun san fang qi, ding xi nei guan (receive nine, swallow one; retain three, release seven; settle the breath and look inward) succeeds in every undertaking, and this is the essential key to longevity. What does it mean? One draws clear qi in through the nose, taking in nine parts and swallowing one part into the abdomen, without letting any of the incoming breath flow back out. When one feels the breath is urgent, one lifts the body to take in qi. When releasing the breath, one does not let it all out but always keeps two or three parts. While holding the breath, one silently observes the five viscera. The qi then flows harmoniously by itself, and illness departs.
Zhengyang Zhenren says that to understand "the eldest son of Yang Gong" (yang gong zhang zi), one must take in much and release little. One follows its "contention between male and female" (nan nü xiang zheng) and, at the right time, seeks the "True One" (zhen yi). Chunyang Zhenren explains that Yang Gong is Qian (Heaven, Yang). Qian seeks from Kun (Earth) and gives birth to Zhen. Zhen is the eldest son; in the body it corresponds to the liver, and in time it corresponds to the mao hour, precisely the season of the Tai hexagram, with its three yang lines. At this time, the qi of the kidneys rises like an infant to the liver, while the fluid of the heart descends like the maiden to the lungs, and the lung qi unites with it. Taking in more through the nose and releasing less through the mouth, and holding the qi so that it does not descend, is the "contention between male and female." Qi accumulates and generates fluid, and as the true qi grows more abundant, one "seeks the True One at the right time."
Thus the Way of xuanwei does not depart from the mao hour alone. Outwardly it corresponds to the Tai hexagram, and inwardly it accords with the moment when the two qi of Kan and Li (Water and Fire) meet.
Daoshu (The Pivot of the Way): A Vernacular Commentary
(Continued) Counting in this way gives a total of three hundred and sixty. One may draw on the true qi of the year to replenish the original qi that has been depleted. Compared with embryonic breathing (taixi), this method need not be bound to fixed hours. For the frail, bone strength gradually returns, and for the elderly, the body may become as though restored to youth.
Qi Bo said: The true qi of a person is stored in the liver in spring, in the heart in summer, in the lungs in autumn, and in the kidneys in winter. The liver and heart belong to yang, and the lungs and kidneys belong to yin. Nourishment should follow the seasons and stay attuned to the key turning points of the winter solstice, the summer solstice, the spring equinox, and the autumn equinox. The method of nourishment is to remain calm and at ease, with a mind free of confusion. Sitting still, one turns inward to observe the organ being nourished, and the qi naturally gathers, taking on form and substance. Therefore yin qi is called the "embryo," and yang qi is called the "breath." When the qi settles, the body settles, and this is the essential principle of long life.
The Lingshu says: Heaven and earth are reversed, yin and yang are born in opposition, and when lead and mercury are refined, the Dao arises of its own accord.
Bian Que said: Fifteen days after the winter solstice, one fen of true lead accumulates, and its appearance is like a light mist. If it is refined, one may enjoy peace and prolong one's years. After thirty days, two fen of true lead accumulate, and its appearance is like a thin fog. If it is refined, one may return to youth. After forty-five days, three fen of true lead accumulate, and its appearance is like dew hanging from a leaf. If it is refined, one may keep the body in the world and remain here.
Fifteen days after the summer solstice, one fen of true mercury accumulates, and its appearance is like playing pollen. If it is refined, one may strengthen the bones and lighten the body. After thirty days, two fen of true mercury accumulate, and its appearance is like a lotus bud. If it is refined, one may attain long life and enduring vision. After forty-five days, three fen of true mercury accumulate, and its appearance is like a bird brooding eggs. If it is refined, one may refine the form and transform it into qi.
Therefore, refining true lead produces the yang embryo, and refining true mercury produces the yin breath. When the yin breath is used as the yang embryo, form naturally transforms into the formless. When the yang embryo is poured into the yin breath, the formless naturally gives rise to substance.
Yet Qi Bo did not understand the seasons fully, and Bian Que did not transmit the whole method. If one speaks only of the winter and summer solstices, the timing is not yet perfect. If one only follows the seasons in inner observation, the method is not yet complete. Only at the zi hour of the winter solstice and the wu hour of the summer solstice, first by gathering the breath and retaining the qi, then by quieting the gaze, drawing in the body, and concentrating the spirit while fixing the intention here in advance, may the practice be called complete and excellent. Thus the embryo... (The text continues here, with the meaning of the chapters on "embryonic breathing" and related passages.)
Notes for easier reading
Embryonic breathing (taixi): an inner breathing in which qi circulates without the use of mouth or nose, like a fetus in its mother's womb. This is a common term in neidan (inner alchemy).
True lead and true mercury: metaphors from inner alchemy. True lead usually refers to the essential qi in the kidneys, and true mercury usually refers to the spirit qi in the heart. They are not the chemical substances lead and mercury.
Yang embryo and yin breath: the yang qi that gathers is likened to an embryo, and the yin qi that moves is likened to breath. When the qi is settled, the body is settled.
Winter solstice zi hour and summer solstice wu hour: traditionally regarded as the extreme points of the transformation between yin and yang, favorable for gathering qi and guarding the spirit.
The essence of breath-control lies in having no thought arising at all, like water poured on a stone that cannot soak in. When this is reached, the Shen (spirit) is settled and the Qi (vital energy) harmonious, the Yuanling (primordial spirit) naturally dwells in place, the Zhentai (true embryo) naturally coagulates, and this is wulou (no leakage, meaning the jing and qi do not escape outward). Three years for a small accomplishment, six years for a middle accomplishment, nine years for a great accomplishment.
Master Shengong, discussing taixi (embryonic breathing), says:
qin shou zhong, wu fangyi; wai bu ru, nei bu chu; huan benyuan, wanshi bi; jin xiuchi, wu shiri.
(Diligently guard the center, do not let it slacken; what is outside does not enter, what is inside does not leave; return to the primordial source, and all affairs are complete; cultivate with care, without a set time.)
Cao Daochong explains: qin shou zhong means the consciousness of the Shen is held inward; wu fangyi means the mind is undivided; wai bu ru means that facing external objects, they are as though nonexistent; nei bu chu means that while dwelling in the mundane world, one is not stained by it; huan benyuan means concentrating the Qi until it becomes supple; wanshi bi means that one seeks nothing outwardly; jin xiuchi means diligently practicing it; and wu shiri means changsheng jiushi (long life and enduring vision).
Thus, true taixi is nothing other than the wuwo liangjue (the total dissolving of self and object) and the shenqi bingji (the gathering together of Shen and Qi). Condensed, it becomes the embryo; abiding, it becomes the breath. When form and spirit are both wondrous, one can achieve long life; when Shen and Qi unite into one body, one can enter sainthood. Therefore, by exhausting principle and fully realizing one's nature, one arrives at destiny (ming), and naturally Shen and Qi blend in harmony, bringing forth something from nothing, with inner and outer clearly distinguished, treating the existent as void. The true, primordial Yuanling then dwells in serene joy.
Yuhuang (the Jade Emperor) has the shenyong zhi jue (the formula for the wondrous application of spirit), which says: cun san shou yi (preserve the three and guard the one). Gaoshang Yuanjun (the Supreme Lord of Lofty Heights) explains: the three are jing, qi, and shen; the one is the kidneys. Qi is generated in the kidneys, shen is generated in the heart, and when shen and qi join, they form jing. When jing and shen abide and return downward, one preserves shen above, qi in the middle, and jing below. Once the three preservations are complete, one guards the one in the Dantian (the cultivation site in the lower abdomen), regardless of internal or external conditions or the methods of inhalation and exhalation. Naturally, qi returns to its source and dwells there as the embryo, and shen follows qi without scattering, becoming the breath. When shen and qi are one body, there is no birth or death; when heart and kidneys share one qi, there is no illness. In such a state, from where could any external condition enter? From where could any thought arise?
If one is weary of the mundane world, one should raise the qi to form a shen embryo, gather the shen to form qi, and dwell in the qi embryo and shen breath. These are divided into two or three from the visible form and transformed into myriad manifestations, while the true spirit does not scatter. This is entering sainthood.
The Taishang Xuanji (Profound Mechanisms of the Most High) contains the ziran taixi zhi jue (the formula for natural embryonic breathing), which says: changsheng jiushi (long life and enduring vision).
Commentary on the Daoshu (Pivot of the Dao)
The Perfected Person (Zhenren) explains that by sitting in stillness, forgetting thoughts, and keeping the gaze steadily fixed, with intention focused and undistracted, on the Upper Field (the area between the brows or Niwan, the upper Dantian), the Shen (spirit) can be made to endure. By gazing steadily on the Middle Field (the area of the solar plexus, Danzhong, the middle Dantian), the Qi (vital energy) can be made to endure. By gazing steadily on the Lower Field (the area below the navel, the lower Dantian), the bodily form can be made to endure.
"Gazing" (shi) means that wherever the intention rests, the mind-spirit comes to rest with it. The kidney Qi responds to the Shen and transmits it, so the visible Qi naturally contains the invisible Shen. Within form there is an embryo, and within the embryo there is breath. By using breath to stabilize the Shen and Shen to preserve the Qi, one follows the Way of prolonged gazing (jiu shi).
I dwell between Heaven and Earth and know only this body, and within the body I know only Shen and Qi. Therefore, by gazing upward at the Shen Palace (the upper Dantian), the Shen does not scatter. With prolonged gazing one refines the Shen, which gathers into an embryo; the Qi transmitted into the interior as breath then rises naturally. By gazing downward at the Qi channels (the pathways relating to the middle and lower fields), the Qi does not scatter. With prolonged gazing one refines the Qi, which gathers into an embryo; the Shen preserved within entering as breath then settles naturally in the middle. When refining Qi and bringing it together, one constantly guards the Dantian, so that it condenses into an embryo, stabilizes as breath, and naturally rests below. The upper, middle, and lower fields together are what is called the Three Fields (santian).
The True Water of the kidneys is the Tiger, and the Upright Qi of the heart is the Dragon. When Dragon and Tiger unite, they transform into the Mysterious Pearl (xuanzhu), and when the firing times (huohou) are sufficient, the Golden Elixir (jindan) is formed. Take the end of the Chen hour and the beginning of the Si hour, which correspond to the trigram Xun. Sit upright in a dim room with saliva held in the mouth, neither spitting nor swallowing, to press down the Dragon-Tiger Qi. This keeps the Qi from escaping, so that it unites and forms the Mysterious Pearl, as large as a grain of millet, and returns it to the Yellow Court (the middle Dantian). Each "yuan" (here, a period within the practice; some texts read it as a unit of the hour) allows the true Qi to increase by one zhang.
What are the firing times? The Upright Yang Qi of the heart is the True Fire. When the True Fire rises, this is refining the form; when it descends, this is returning to the origin (huanyuan), which nourishes the Qi and prolongs life. Take the end of the Xu hour and the beginning of the Hai hour, which correspond to the trigram Qian. Sit upright in a dim room, keep the flanks and abdomen still, hold back the upward-transmitted kidney Qi so that it does not rise recklessly, and visualize the True Fire descending. Practiced for one day, this can make up for one year of depletion.
The Patriarch Chunyang (Chunyang Zhenren) says that the essentials of the Golden Elixir lie in cun (storing), sheng (ascending), kai (opening), bi (closing), and guoguan (passing the barriers). The firing times must be neither hasty nor mistimed, and only then can the Golden Fluid (jinye) be produced. At the Zi hour, just after the first movement of Yang, drape a robe over the shoulders and sit upright. Grasp the fist (woguo, clenching the fist to secure the essence), settle inwardly, and visualize the waist and body, so that the kidneys join and the Qi gathers. The practitioner will feel a warmth in the navel and abdomen that gradually rises.
Note: The source text consists of inner alchemy (neidan) instructions on firing times, the three fields and sustained visualization, the union of Dragon and Tiger, and the Mysterious Pearl and Golden Elixir. Its time references (Chen, Si, Xu, Hai, Zi) and bodily imagery are tied to the broader text and to oral transmission from a teacher. It should be read in that context and not followed as a standalone set of health exercises.
Leaning the body slightly back, with the spine turning in coordination, one again guides the qi of the kidneys past the coccyx (weilü), upward through the Middle Pass (zhongguan) and the Jade Capital (yujing), and directly into the Muddy Pellet Palace (niwan gong) to nourish the marrow of the brain. In this way the marrow naturally fills and the bones grow firm. In the method of refining the Golden Elixir (jindan), this step is called "retreating the fire" (tuihuo).
When the Dragon and Tiger join, they form the Dark Pearl (xuanzhu), the embodied form in which inner alchemy (neidan) coagulates. The descent of the heart fire serves as nourishment, and the "Flying Golden Crystal Behind the Elbow" (zhouhou fei jin jing) serves as the method for nourishing the brain. Used together, they become the Golden Elixir. The Dark Pearl is precisely the body of the Golden Elixir. When the advancing and retreating of the fire-timing (huohou) accords with the degrees of the microcosmic orbit (zhoutian), without error for three hundred days, the Golden Elixir can be completed.
Holding the breath in the flanks and abdomen, perform one hundred and eight counts: from the zi hour (zi shi) proceed in reverse to the wu hour (wu shi), lowering the heart fire to refine the Yellow Court (huangting). Add six zhu (a unit of weight used here as a measure of increment) every five days, and shift by one double-hour every twenty-five days. This is called "advancing the fire" (jinhuo). Next, raise the body and straighten the spine, and perform one hundred and eight counts: from the zi hour proceed forward to the wu hour, sending the qi of the kidneys and back upward to nourish the Muddy Pellet. Again add six zhu every five days and shift one double-hour every twenty-five days. This is called "retreating the fire."
Once the inner elixir has coagulated, pure yang qi arises, and this is called "qi within qi." Thereupon, day and night are no longer counted. One rises, sits upright, and refines with the yang qi of the sun. After a hundred days the body becomes light; after a thousand days one can soar aloft into the Southern Palace (nangong) and become an immortal. Following the transmission of the primal qi (yuanqi), pure yang refines the qi of the five viscera, which coagulates into the embryonic origin (taiyuan). Refining qi can accomplish spirit (shen).
On bingding days, take the wu hour; on gengxin days, the you hour; on renggui days, the zi hour; and on jiayi days, the mao hour. At these times, sit quietly, forget thought, gather both cheeks inward, and take as method the empty swallowing in the throat, swallowing no more than one hundred times. Ten days of irrigation complete the cycle, and a hundred days brings it to fullness. Thus pure yang qi cannot harm the five viscera. The primal spirits of the five viscera are stored in true qi and do not scatter, and the true qi of the five viscera is stored in primal qi and is not depleted. Following the transmission of primal qi to refine qi is to refine spirit through qi: spirit emerges from qi, halts at the Primal Summit (yuanding), and enters the Muddy Pellet. For those who have not yet formed the elixir, practicing this method and irrigating at all times can also refine the physical form.
Source text: Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（KR5d0039）; Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Report an error / feedback